bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Current-voltage characteristics of Ag/TiO2/n-InP/Au Schottky barrier diodes
Authors: Bilgili Ahmet Kürşat , Güzel Tamer , Özer Metin
Published: January 2019

The effect of the TiO2 interfacial layer on rectifying junction parameters of Ag/TiO2/n-InP/Au Schottky diodes has been investigated using current-voltage (I-V) measurements in the temperature range of 120-420 K with steps of 20 K. The barrier height is found to be 0.19 eV and 0.68 eV from current-voltage characteristics at 120 K and 420 K, respectively. At 120 K and 420 K, the ideality factor is found to be 3.52 and 1.01 for the Ag/TiO2/n-InP/Au Schottky barrier diode, respectively. These results are gained by the thermionic emission theory at room temperature. Values of series resistances gained from the Cheung-Cheung method are compared with results gained from a modified Norde method. These experimental results indicate that series resistance decreases with an increase in temperature. The current-voltage (I-V) measurements showed that the diode with the TiO2 interfacial layer gave a double Gaussian property in the examined temperature range. The Richardson constant is also calculated from a modified Richardson plot and is found to be very compatible with the theoretical value. Interface state density is also examined by using I-V characteristics.
Numerical phase reduction beyond the first order approximation
Authors: Rosenblum Michael , Pikovsky Arkady
Published: January 2019

We develop a numerical approach to reconstruct the phase dynamics of driven or coupled self-sustained oscillators. Employing a simple algorithm for computation of the phase of a perturbed system, we construct numerically the equation for the evolution of the phase. Our simulations demonstrate that the description of the dynamics solely by phase variables can be valid for rather strong coupling strengths and large deviations from the limit cycle. Coupling functions depend crucially on the coupling and are generally non-decomposable in phase response and forcing terms. We also discuss the limitations of the approach.
Dynamics of prompt electrons, ions, and neutrals of nanosecond laser ablation of tungsten investigated using optical emission
Authors: Wu Ding , Sun Liying , Liu Jiamin , Yu Xiao , Hai Ran , Feng Chunlei , Wang Zhiwei , Ding Hongbin
Published: January 2019

A Nd:YAG laser with a power density of 15 GW/cm2, operating at a wavelength of 1064 nm, was used to ablate a tungsten (W) target placed in an ambient atmosphere of air at a pressure of 10 mbar. A systematic study of plasma properties employing fast photography and time and space resolved optical emission spectroscopy was carried out. The results showed that there were continuum, neutral, and singly ionized W atom optical emission in the laser-induced plasma; the spectra of ambient gas N2 and N2+ were aslo observed which appeared at very early times (<30 ns). The spectra of N2+ presented a temporal profile with a narrow width (∼20 ns) and a steep rising edge (∼10 ns) that was very close to the laser pulse duration, which revealed that the prompt electrons ejected from the W target collisionally excited and ionized ambient N2 gas molecules. The approximate timescales from nanoseconds to microseconds of four laser-produced W plasma processes including prompt electrons, continuum radiation, ions, and neutral emission were given according to time-resolved optical emission spectroscopy. Fast imaging showed that the prompt electrons were expanding hemispherically. The optical time of flight dynamics of N2+ corresponding to the prompt electrons at different positions showed that the kinetic energy of prompt electrons was up to 22 eV. These prompt electrons with high energy result in the separation from the core plasma which indicated the existence of the transient dynamic plasma sheath during the laser ablation process and interpreted the acceleration of ions.
Examination of the dependency and complexity of patients admitted to in-patient rehabilitation in Australia
Authors: McKechnie Duncan , Pryor Julie , Fisher Murray J. , Alexander Tara
Published: January 2019

Objective
The aim of this study was to determine whether there has been a measurable change in the dependency and complexity of patients admitted to in-patient rehabilitation in Australia between 2007 and 2016.

Methods
A retrospective cohort study design was used to examine in-patient rehabilitation data held in the Australasian Rehabilitation Outcomes Centre Registry Database for the period 2007–16. Epidemiological descriptive analysis was used to examine datasets for difference between four discrete years (2007, 2010, 2013 and 2016). Datasets included patient demographics, length of stay (LOS), comorbidities, complications and the Functional Independence Measure (FIM™).

Results
Between 2007 and 2016, rehabilitation in-patients as a whole: (1) had a mean decrease in total admission FIM score; (2) became more complex, as evidenced by the increased proportion of particular comorbidities impacting on rehabilitation, namely cardiac and respiratory disease, dementia, diabetes and morbid obesity; and (3) had a mean decrease in total discharge FIM score. However, there was an increase in the proportion of patients discharged home from rehabilitation (from 86.5% to 92%) and decreases in onset and rehabilitation LOS of 2.2 and 2.5 days respectively.

Conclusion
The dependency and complexity of patients admitted to in-patient rehabilitation in Australia has increased between 2007 and 2016.

What is known about the topic?
Anecdotal reports suggest that rehabilitation patients in Australia have become more complex, necessitating increased active management of their presenting health condition and comorbid health conditions. However, to date, no systematic investigation has been undertaken to examine trends in rehabilitation in-patient dependency and complexity over time.

What does this paper add?
This study provides measurable evidence of increased dependency and complexity in patients admitted to rehabilitation in Australia. Further, compared with 2007, rehabilitation in-patients as a whole had an increased burden of care on discharge from rehabilitation in 2016.

What are the implications for practitioners?
The changes in patient dependency and complexity reported in this study have implications for rehabilitation service delivery. This is because the increased need for illness or injury and comorbidity management may result in increased potential for acute complications and health deterioration, and compensatory care for patients during rehabilitation. Clinicians may need to widen their skill set to include more acute and chronic illness management.
Placental mitochondria adapt developmentally and in response to hypoxia to support fetal growth
Authors: Sferruzzi-Perri Amanda N. , Higgins Josephine S. , Vaughan Owen R. , Murray Andrew J. , Fowden Abigail L.
Published: January 2019

Significance

Mitochondria are the primary source of ATP for placental growth, transport, and hormone synthesis. However, to date, little is known about the developmental regulation or functional significance of placental mitochondria during normal or suboptimal intrauterine conditions, such as oxygen deprivation (hypoxia). Here we show that, in the placenta, mitochondria adapt their use of oxygen and nutrients (carbohydrate and fat) to best support both placental growth and function, as well as fetal development, during normal and hypoxic conditions. These data are significant because they improve our mechanistic understanding of human pregnancies compromised by fetal growth restriction at sea level and high altitude.
PP2C phosphatases promote autophagy by dephosphorylation of the Atg1 complex
Authors: Memisoglu Gonen , Eapen Vinay V. , Yang Ying , Klionsky Daniel J. , Haber James E.
Published: January 2019

Significance

Under starvation conditions, cells activate macroautophagy to recycle nutrients. A kinase complex that consists of Atg1 kinase, Atg13, and Atg17 is essential for macroautophagy function. This kinase complex is regulated extensively by phosphorylation events. However, the phosphatases that counteract these phosphorylations have remained elusive. Our results show that two redundant PP2C-type phosphatases, Ptc2 and Ptc3, promote autophagy by interacting with Atg1 and Atg13 and dephosphorylating them. In the absence of these phosphatases, macroautophagy, as well as selective autophagy pathways such as cytoplasm-to-vacuole targeting and genotoxin-induced targeted autophagy, are inhibited. These results suggest that PP2C-type phosphatases play a previously uncharacterized and central role in the regulation of core autophagy proteins.
Macromolecules with programmable shape, size, and chemistry
Authors: Walsh Dylan J. , Guironnet Damien
Published: January 2019

Significance

Tuning shape, size, and chemical composition elicits a way to mediate function. In soft materials, the establishment of these structure–function relationships has been hampered by the inability to independently control the shape, size, and composition of macromolecules. Here, we establish a synthetic methodology combining a computer-controlled process and two controlled polymerizations to yield macromolecules with any monotonic axisymmetric shape up to 300 nm in size. The methodology has a simple and scalable setup to yield gram quantities of macromolecules from commercially available materials. This approach provides a unique material platform to study the impact of shape, size, and composition of macromolecules.
Strategic Maneuvering for Political Change
Authors: Omar Ahmed Abdulhameed
Published: January 2019

In Strategic Maneuvering for Political Change, the author analyzes five political columns written before 2011 by Al Aswany, a prominent Egyptian novelist, using the lens of the extended pragma-dialectical theory of argumentation. What these texts have in common is the use of narrative, fictional and semi-literary techniques to strategically maneuver in supporting the feasibility of political change. It is a contribution to explain how an anti-regime writer paved the way to the Arab Spring in Egypt, and thus goes against a common opinion that the Arab Spring in Egypt was fortuitous or a wholly social-media-based movement.

This monograph is an attempt to help argumentation theorists, linguists, analysts of narratives, and political scientists better understand and evaluate how fiction and narration can be effective means of persuasion in the domain of political communication. It therefore reconsiders the non-straightforward and artistic variants of the language of politics.
From plagiarism to incense sticks
Authors: Chittiphalangsri Phrae
Published: January 2019

Translation is not only a product of cultural exchange but also a process in which the senses of “self” versus “the other” are forged. History of cultural contacts in early modern Siam, or the Rattanakosindra period provides a lucid portrait of a country amidst the flux of encroaching globalization. Translation activities in Siam not only exhibit the formation of modern Siamese identity but also a demarcation of what is deemed foreign. The reciprocity of translation impact epitomizes the complex relationship Siam, later Thailand, has with other cultures. Siamese “vernacularization” of Indian and Chinese classics arrays translation as an act of straightforward, unproblematic appropriation, whereas the importation of European literature differs tremendously in how translators address the issue of authorship and fidelity. This report focuses on the crucial moments when Siam began to “translate” the West through several modes, ranging from open plagiarism, adaptation, proper translation, to overt literalism in the present days. These modes of translation show how the West as other is cast, and in turn throw light on how the modern Thai cultural self takes shape.
The notion of translation in the Arab world
Authors: Basalamah Salah
Published: January 2019

After synthesizing the notion of translation as reflected during the two major historical translation movements (medieval and (post)colonial), this chapter is conceived as a critical reflection on the contemporary intellectual and cultural developments of the Arab world as it unfolds within the dynamics of its historicity. While taking stock of the 9th–11th centuries’ glories when a wealth of the Greek was translated into Arabic and later transmitted to Europe through Latin, this chapter aims to tackle the contemporary effects of the (post)colonial period on today’s shaping of the notion of translation and its future perspectives as a probable key civilizational development factor in the positioning of the Arab culture in a globalized world dominated by English. The objective of this chapter is then to outline a more encompassing understanding of translation in the perspective of the relation to the Other, and the reasons behind the critical character of translation for the development and long-awaited renaissance of the Arab world.
Altaic tradition
Authors: Demircioğlu Cemal
Published: January 2019

This report offers a brief historical and cultural lexicon of the Turkish terms/concepts for translation by means of available primary and archival materials and proposes a small-scale genealogy of Altaic tradition in two main parts. In the first part, a special focus is on Uighur Turkish in Central Asia (Old Turkic period, 9th century), followed by Anatolian Turkish developed in Asia Minor since the 11th century (West Turkic). Due to insufficient historical research and data on translation within the paradigm of Translation Studies, the report will not scan translational terms/concepts in Qarakhanid, Qharezm and Chagatai Turkish, which are members of East Turkic tradition. In the second part, the report reviews translation as concept and practice, focusing especially on the Turkish literary discourse of the late 19th century since this era is a period of the Turks’ encounter with Europe, hence, a period of shifting civilization from the East to the West, which led to a change in translation conception (see Paker 2006; Demircioğlu 2005).
Latin/Romance tradition
Authors: D’hulst Lieven
Published: January 2019

The history of translation in Latin or Romance Europe is steered by three major driving forces. First, the transfer of cultural goods, e.g. between Greece and Rome, makes use of a broad set of writing techniques that include but also exceed what is labelled translation proper from the first centuries on. Second, transfer is not only aimed at giving access to foreign sources in all domains of public and private discourse, but is also used in the process of building independent (later: national) repertoires of the target culture, such as literary genres or models of learning language. Finally, the thinking about translation is embedded within several intellectual traditions: the early grammatical and rhetorical tradition is from the third century on paralleled by a patristic one that gives a more prominent place to meaning and approaches translation from a philosophical and religious viewpoint.
Germanic tradition
Authors: Kristmannsson Gauti
Published: January 2019

The report on the Germanic translation tradition spans a long period of time, from the Gothic beginnings and the Nt translation of bishop Wulfila in the fourth century, through the Carolingian Renaissance and the late medieval traffic of chansons de geste and romances, disseminated and read for centuries. The Reformation and its translational explosion is another important aspect and in the following centuries, it may be argued that the literary development of the Germanic speaking literatures was more or less driven by translation, through translations and imitations of the classics right into the Romantic era, which, paradoxically, led to the invention of the purely original author and ever increasing translational activity, since the mother tongues had taken over in the Germanic literary systems.
Is livestock transport a necessary practice? Mobile slaughter and on-farm stunning and killing before transport to slaughter.
Authors: Hultgren J.
Published: January 2019

Large numbers of livestock are transported to slaughter. The journeys may cause considerable animal stress and suffering. They often involve separation from familiar groups and places, as well as exposure to a range of stressful stimuli. Stockpersons do not always understand the principles of efficient interaction with the animals and may have undesirable attitudes towards them, which worsens handling. This paper reviews the literature on farm animal transport to slaughter, its consequences and alternative approaches. On-farm slaughter may be conducted at a small stationary plant located on farm, at a mobile slaughter unit temporarily placed at or near the farm or by on-farm killing followed by transport of the dead animal to a nearby plant for further processing. On-farm slaughter has the potential to reduce pre-slaughter animal stress and improve meat quality by shorter or eliminated journeys, minimal exposure to unfamiliar environments, animals and persons and less time in lairage. This would be perceived as an improvement in relation to some of the practical and ethical issues linked to the slaughter of animals. However, research and development is needed for wider application of mobile slaughter and on-farm gunshot stunning. Issues related to animal welfare, food and occupational safety, waste management and public health should be investigated further.
The Prevalence of Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) Initiation and Engagement in Treatment among Patients with Cannabis use Disorders in 7 US Health Systems
Authors: Lapham Gwen T. , Campbell Cynthia I. , Yarborough Bobbi Jo H. , Hechter Rulin C. , Ahmedani Brian K. , Haller Irina V. , Kline-Simon Andrea H. , Satre Derek D. , Loree Amy M. , Weisner Constance , Binswanger Ingrid A.
Published: January 2019

Background

Cannabis use disorders (CUDs) have increased with more individuals using cannabis, yet few receive treatment. Health systems have adopted the Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) quality measures of initiation and engagement in alcohol and other drug (AOD) dependence treatment, but little is known about the performance of these among patients with CUDs.

Methods

This cohort study utilized electronic health records and claims data from 7 health care systems to identify patients with documentation of a new index CUD diagnosis (no AOD diagnosis ≤60 days prior) from International Classification of Diseases, Ninth revision, codes (October 1, 2014, to August 31, 2015). The adjusted prevalence of each outcome (initiation, engagement, and a composite of both) was estimated from generalized linear regression models, across index identification settings (inpatient, emergency department, primary care, addiction treatment, and mental health/psychiatry), AOD comorbidity (patients with CUD only and CUD plus other AOD diagnoses), and patient characteristics.

Results

Among 15,202 patients with an index CUD diagnosis, 30.0% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 29.2–30.7%) initiated, 6.9% (95% CI: 6.2–7.7%) engaged among initiated, and 2.1% (95% CI: 1.9–2.3%) overall both initiated and engaged in treatment. The adjusted prevalence of outcomes varied across index identification settings and was highest among patients diagnosed in addiction treatment, with 25.0% (95% CI: 22.5–27.6%) initiated, 40.9% (95% CI: 34.8–47.0%) engaged, and 12.5% (95% CI: 10.0–15.1%) initiated and engaged. The adjusted prevalence of each outcome was generally highest among patients with CUD plus other AOD diagnosis at index diagnosis compared with those with CUD only, overall and across index identification settings, and was lowest among uninsured and older patients.

Conclusion

Among patients with a new CUD diagnosis, the proportion meeting HEDIS criteria for initiation and/or engagement in AOD treatment was low and demonstrated variation across index diagnosis settings, AOD comorbidity, and patient characteristics, pointing to opportunities for improvement.
The role of psychopathic personality traits in current psychological and physiological subclinical stress levels of forensic inpatients: a path analysis
Authors: Nigel Stefanie Maria , Streb Judith , Leichauer Katharina , Hennig Barbara , Otte Stefanie , Franke Irina , Helms Elisa , Weierstall Roland , Dudeck Manuela
Published: January 2019

Stress levels in forensic patient samples are extraordinarily high and pose a threat to successful treatment outcome. The perception of and response toward stress is known to be strongly influenced by psychopathic traits, which in turn are prevalent among forensic patients. We examined current psychological and physiological stress symptoms and hypothesized that the psychopathy factors Fearless Dominance (FD) and Self-centered Impulsivity (ScI) should be related to separate trajectories of stress response. Our study was conducted on 126 forensic inpatients in mandatory drug treatment. Psychopathy and stress symptoms were assessed with self-report measures—the Psychopathy Personality Inventory (PPI-R) and the Subclinical Stress Questionnaire (SSQ-25). Overall, inpatients experienced a higher level of stress than general population samples. Path analyses revealed that ScI serves as a positive and FD as a negative predictor for psychological stress. Contrarily, physiological stress was not directly predicted by psychopathy, but by psychological stress. In line with extant research, FD generally serves as a resiliency factor mediating against the adverse effects of stress on mental and physical health, while ScI constitutes a risk factor for stress symptoms. These findings are important for risk assessment and the development of more specifically targeted forensic treatment programs.
Dapagliflozin Attenuates Cardiac Remodeling in Mice Model of Cardiac Pressure Overload
Authors: Shi Lin , Zhu Diqi , Wang Shoubao , Jiang Aixia , Li Fen
Published: January 2019

BACKGROUND

Dapagliflozin (DAPA) is an inhibitor of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 prescribed for type 2 diabetes mellitus. DAPA plays a protective role against cardiovascular diseases. Nevertheless, the effect and mechanism of DAPA on pressure-overload-induced cardiac remodeling has not been determined.

METHODS

We used a transverse aortic constriction (TAC) induced cardiac remodeling model to evaluate the effect of DAPA. Twenty-four C57BL/6J mice were divided into 3 groups: Sham, TAC, and TAC + DAPA groups (n = 8, each). DAPA was administered by gavage (1.0 mg/kg/day) for 4 weeks in the TAC + DAPA group, and then the myocardial hypertrophy, cardiac systolic function, myocardial fibrosis, and cardiomyocyte apoptosis were evaluated.

RESULTS

Mice in TAC group showed increased heart weight/body weight, left ventricular (LV) diameter, LV posterior wall thickness, and decreased LV ejection fraction and LV fractional shortening. The collagen volume fraction and perivascular collagen area/luminal area ratio were significantly greater in the TAC group; the TUNEL-positive cell number and PARP level were also increased. We found that DAPA treatment reduced myocardial hypertrophy, myocardial interstitial and perivascular fibrosis, and cardiomyocyte apoptosis. Furthermore, DAPA administration inhibited phosphorylation of P38 and JNK in TAC group. In addition, the inhibited phosphorylation of FoxO1 in the TAC mice was upregulated by DAPA administration.

CONCLUSION

DAPA administration had a cardioprotective effect by improving cardiac systolic function, inhibiting myocardial fibrosis and cardiomyocyte apoptosis in a TAC mouse model, indicating that it could serve as a new therapy to prevent pathological cardiac remodeling in nondiabetics.
A comparison of deterministic and stochastic approaches for sensitivity analysis in computational systems biology
Authors: Simoni Giulia , Vo Hong Thanh , Priami Corrado , Marchetti Luca
Published: January 2019

With the recent rising application of mathematical models in the field of computational systems biology, the interest in sensitivity analysis methods had increased. The stochastic approach, based on chemical master equations, and the deterministic approach, based on ordinary differential equations (ODEs), are the two main approaches for analyzing mathematical models of biochemical systems. In this work, the performance of these approaches to compute sensitivity coefficients is explored in situations where stochastic and deterministic simulation can potentially provide different results (systems with unstable steady states, oscillators with population extinction and bistable systems). We consider two methods in the deterministic approach, namely the direct differential method and the finite difference method, and five methods in the stochastic approach, namely the Girsanov transformation, the independent random number method, the common random number method, the coupled finite difference method and the rejection-based finite difference method. The reviewed methods are compared in terms of sensitivity values and computational time to identify differences in outcome that can highlight conditions in which one approach performs better than the other.
CMEP: a database for circulating microRNA expression profiling
Authors: Li Jian-Rong , Tong Chun-Yip , Sung Tsai-Jung , Kang Ting-Yu , Zhou Xianghong Jasmine , Liu Chun-Chi
Published: January 2019

Motivation

In recent years, several experimental studies have revealed that the microRNAs (miRNAs) in serum, plasma, exosome and whole blood are dysregulated in various types of diseases, indicating that the circulating miRNAs may serve as potential noninvasive biomarkers for disease diagnosis and prognosis. However, no database has been constructed to integrate the large-scale circulating miRNA profiles, explore the functional pathways involved and predict the potential biomarkers using feature selection between the disease conditions. Although there have been several studies attempting to generate a circulating miRNA database, they have not yet integrated the large-scale circulating miRNA profiles or provided the biomarker-selection function using machine learning methods.

Results

To fill this gap, we constructed the Circulating MicroRNA Expression Profiling (CMEP) database for integrating, analyzing and visualizing the large-scale expression profiles of phenotype-specific circulating miRNAs. The CMEP database contains massive datasets that were manually curated from NCBI GEO and the exRNA Atlas, including 66 datasets, 228 subsets and 10 419 samples. The CMEP provides the differential expression circulating miRNAs analysis and the KEGG functional pathway enrichment analysis. Furthermore, to provide the function of noninvasive biomarker discovery, we implemented several feature-selection methods, including ridge regression, lasso regression, support vector machine and random forests. Finally, we implemented a user-friendly web interface to improve the user experience and to visualize the data and results of CMEP.

Availability and implementation

CMEP is accessible at http://syslab5.nchu.edu.tw/CMEP.
Medical Assistance in Death as a Unique Opportunity to Advance Human Immunodeficiency Virus Cure Research
Authors: Sandstrom Teslin S , Burke Schinkel Stephanie C , Angel Jonathan B
Published: January 2019

The inability to sample deep-tissue reservoirs in individuals living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has greatly hindered accurate estimates of viral reservoir size and distribution. Animal models and collection of tissues during autopsies of HIV-positive individuals are 2 proposed solutions to this problem. Each, however, has its limitations. In this Viewpoint, we argue that tissue donation following medical assistance in death (MAiD) will form an invaluable resource for the characterization of the viral reservoir in the context of current HIV cure research. In support, we discuss a recent instance in which an individual living with HIV chose to donate their body/tissues to HIV research prior to undergoing MAiD at our institution. Going forward, we hope this will help provide support to individuals in their decisions around tissue donation following MAiD, while highlighting how healthcare providers, by complying with such wishes, can affect patient satisfaction in the last days of life.
Democratization
Authors: Welzel Christian , Inglehart Ronald F.
Published: January 2019

Democratization introduces the theoretical and practical dimensions of democratization. Focusing on the ‘global wave of democratization’ that has advanced since the early 1970s, this text examines the major perspectives, approaches, and insights that have informed research on democratization. The book is divided into four parts based on four aspects of democratization. Part One deals with theoretical and historical perspectives; Part Two focuses on causes and dimensions of democratization; Part Three looks at actors and institutions; and Part Four is concerned with regions of democratization such as Southern Europe, Latin America, the Middle East and North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa, and East Asia. Topics include the distinction between democratic and undemocratic states, the role of democratization in foreign policy, and the contributions of social movements, protest, and transnational advocacy networks to democratic transition. Key themes covered in this thoroughly revised and updated second edition include: theories of democratization; critical prerequisites and driving social forces of the transition to democracy; pivotal actors and institutions involved in democratization; conditions for democratic survival and the analysis of failed democratization; demonstrations of how these factors have played a role in the different regions in which the global wave of democratization transplaced authoritarian and communist systems; and possible futures of democratization worldwide.
4. Liberal Intergovernmentalism
Authors: Moravcsik Andrew , Schimmelfennig Frank
Published: January 2019

This chapter focuses on liberal intergovernmentalism (LI), which has acquired the status of a ‘baseline theory’ in the study of regional integration: an essential first-cut explanation against which other theories are often compared. The chapter argues that LI has achieved this dominant status due to its theoretical soundness, empirical power, and utility as a foundation for synthesis with other explanations. After providing an overview of LI’s main assumptions and propositions, the chapter illustrates LI’s scope and empirical power with two recent cases: migration policy and the euro. It closes by considering common criticisms levelled against LI, as well as the scope conditions under which it is most likely to explain state behaviour. This chapter concludes by emphasizing LI’s openness to dialogue and synthesis with other theories and reiterating its status as a baseline theory of European integration.
6. Rational Choice and Historical Institutionalism
Authors: Pollack Mark A.
Published: January 2019

The European Union (EU) is without question the most densely institutionalized international organization in the world, and the body of literature known under the rubric of ‘the new institutionalism’ has been applied with increasing success to the study of the Union as a polity and to European integration as a process. This chapter examines rational choice and historical institutionalism and their contributions to EU studies. Following a brief introduction, it traces the origins of rational choice and historical institutionalism, both of which explore the role of institutions in political life, albeit with different emphases. Next, it turns to the EU, exploring the ways in which scholars have drawn on institutionalist theories to understand and explain the legislative, executive, and judicial politics of the EU, as well as the development of EU institutions and policies over time. An in-depth case study applies institutionalist theory to the task of explaining the origins of the Eurozone sovereign debt crisis as well as the EU’s response. Historical institutionalist theory, the author suggests, generates important insights into the suboptimal design of the original Maastricht EMU provisions, as well as the EU’s incremental response and the suboptimal outcome of the crisis. The author concludes by suggesting that institutionalist theories offer a variety of valuable insights into the design, effects, and development of EU institutions, while at the same time remaining compatible with other theoretical approaches in the EU scholar’s toolkit.
Nearly complete deletion of BubR1 causes microcephaly through shortened mitosis and massive cell death
Authors: Simmons Ambrosia J , Park Raehee , Sterling Noelle A , Jang Mi-Hyeon , van Deursen Jan M A , Yen Timothy J , Cho Seo-Hee , Kim Seonhee
Published: January 2019

BUB-related 1 (BubR1) encoded by Budding Uninhibited by Benzimidazole 1B (BUB1B) is a crucial mitotic checkpoint protein ensuring proper segregation of chromosomes during mitosis. Mutations of BUB1B are responsible for mosaic variegated aneuploidy (MVA), a human congenital disorder characterized by extensive abnormalities in chromosome number. Although microcephaly is a prominent feature of MVA carrying the BUB1B mutation, how BubR1 deficiency disturbs neural progenitor proliferation and neuronal output and leads to microcephaly is unknown. Here we show that conditional loss of BubR1 in mouse cerebral cortex recapitulates microcephaly. BubR1-deficient cortex includes a strikingly reduced number of late-born, but not of early-born, neurons, although BubR1 expression is substantially reduced from an early stage. Importantly, absence of BubR1 decreases the proportion of neural progenitors in mitosis, specifically in metaphase, suggesting shortened mitosis owing to premature chromosome segregation. In the BubR1 mutant, massive apoptotic cell death, which is likely due to the compromised genomic integrity that results from aberrant mitosis, depletes progenitors and neurons during neurogenesis. There is no apparent alteration in centrosome number, spindle formation or primary cilia, suggesting that the major effect of BubR1 deficiency on neural progenitors is to impair the mitotic checkpoint. This finding highlights the importance of the mitotic checkpoint in the pathogenesis of microcephaly. Furthermore, the ependymal cell layer does not form in the conditional knockout, revealing an unrecognized role of BubR1 in assuring the integrity of the ventricular system, which may account for the presence of hydrocephalus in some patients.
A case study in text mining: Textual analysis of the Territorial Papers
Authors: Ledolter Johannes , VanderVelde Lea
Published: January 2019

The Territorial Papers of the United States are a valuable and underused resource containing almost 10,000 documents written between 1789 and 1848 about the formation of new sovereign states from US territory. These communications between the federal government and frontier settlers comprise the actual discourse of the nation’s expansion over six decades. Digitizing the Territorial Papers permits the possibility of analyzing the entire corpus globally. Text mining and topic modeling methods give us a lens on the language patterns through which new state governments and the expanding nation were formed. An initial statistical analysis of the textual information provides a visualization of content, helps discern how ideals about governance emerged, and lays the foundation for developing more sophisticated hypotheses and theoretical constructs.
Evolution of the cold gas properties of simulated post-starburst galaxies
Authors: Davis Timothy A , van de Voort Freeke , Rowlands Kate , McAlpine Stuart , Wild Vivienne , Crain Robert A
Published: January 2019

Post-starburst galaxies are typically considered to be a transition population, en route to the red sequence after a recent quenching event. Despite this, recent observations have shown that these objects typically have large reservoirs of cold molecular gas. In this paper we study the star-forming gas properties of a large sample of post-starburst galaxies selected from the cosmological, hydrodynamical EAGLE simulations. These objects resemble observed high-mass post-starburst galaxies both spectroscopically and in terms of their space density, stellar mass distribution, and sizes. We find that the vast majority of simulated post-starburst galaxies have significant gas reservoirs, with star-forming gas masses ≈109 M⊙, in good agreement with those seen in observational samples. The simulation reproduces the observed time evolution of the gas fraction of the post-starburst galaxy population, with the average galaxy losing ≈90 per cent of its star-forming interstellar medium in only ≈600 Myr. A variety of gas consumption/loss processes are responsible for this rapid evolution, including mergers and environmental effects, while active galactic nuclei play only a secondary role. The fast evolution in the gas fraction of post-starburst galaxies is accompanied by a clear decrease in the efficiency of star formation due to a decrease in the dense gas fraction. We predict that forthcoming ALMA observations of the gas reservoirs of low-redshift post-starburst galaxies will show that the molecular gas is typically compact and has disturbed kinematics, reflecting the disruptive nature of many of the evolutionary pathways that build up the post-starburst galaxy population.
Three candidate globular clusters discovered in the Galactic bulge
Authors: Camargo D , Minniti D
Published: January 2019

This work reports the discovery of three new globular clusters (GCs) towards the Galactic bulge – Camargo 1107, 1108, and 1109. The discovery was made using the WISE, 2MASS, VVV, and Gaia-DR2 photometry. The new findings are old (12.0−13.5 Gyr) and metal-poor GCs ([Fe/H] < −1.5 dex) located in the bulge area close to the Milky Way (MW) mid-plane. Although the old ages and low metallicities suggest that the newly discovered GCs are likely associated with the inner halo, the possibility of these clusters being part of a primordial bulge GC subpopulation cannot be ruled out. Camargo 1107, for instance, presents a metallicity of [Fe/H] = −2.2 ± 0.4 dex and an age of 13.5 ± 2 Gyr, which may suggest that this cluster formed just after the big bang in the very early Universe. The discovery of GCs such as the new findings is crucial to built a coherent picture of the inner Galaxy. It is likely that at least a few more dozens of GCs are still to be discovered in the bulge.
Phylogenetic classification of the family Terebridae (Neogastropoda: Conoidea)
Authors: Fedosov Alexander E , Malcolm Gavin , Terryn Yves , Gorson Juliette , Modica Maria Vittoria , Holford Mandë , Puillandre Nicolas
Published: January 2019

The conoidean family Terebridae is an intriguing lineage of marine gastropods, which are of considerable interest due to their varied anatomy and complex venoms. Terebrids are abundant, easily recognizable and widely distributed in tropical and subtropical waters, but our findings have demonstrated that their systematics requires revision. Here we elaborate the classification of Terebridae based on a recently published molecular phylogeny of 154 species, plus characters of the shell and anterior alimentary system. The 407 living species of the family, including seven species described herein, are assigned to three subfamilies: Pellifroniinae new subfamily, Pervicaciinae and Terebrinae. The Pellifroniinae comprises five deep-water species in two genera, Pellifronia and Bathyterebra n. gen. Pellifroniinae possess a radula of duplex marginal teeth, well-developed proboscis and venom gland, and a very small rhynchodeal introvert. The Pervicaciinae includes c. 50 species in the predominantly Indo-Pacific genera Duplicaria and Partecosta. Pervicaciinae possess salivary glands, a radula of solid recurved marginal teeth and a weakly developed rhynchodeal introvert, but lack proboscis and venom gland. The remaining Terebridae species are classified into 15 genera in the subfamily Terebrinae (including four genera described herein); nine genera are defined on the basis of phylogenetic data and six solely on shell morphology. The Indo-Pacific genera Profunditerebra n. gen., Maculauger n. gen. and Myurellopsis n. gen. each include about a dozen species. The first is restricted to the deep waters of the Indo-West Pacific, while the latter two range widely in both geographic and bathymetric distribution. Neoterebra n. gen. encompasses about 65 species from a range of localities in the eastern Pacific, Caribbean, and Atlantic, and from varying depths. To characterize the highly diversified genera Terebra, Punctoterebra, Myurella and Duplicaria, each of which comprise several morphological clusters, we propose the use of DNA-based diagnoses. These diagnoses are combined with more informative descriptions to define most of the supraspecific taxa of Terebridae, to provide a comprehensive revision of the group.
Variability of Antibiotic Prescribing in a Large Healthcare Network Despite Adjusting for Patient-Mix: Reconsidering Targets for Improved Prescribing
Authors: Jung Sophia , Sexton Mary Elizabeth , Owens Sallie , Spell Nathan , Fridkin Scott
Published: January 2019

Background

In the outpatient setting, the majority of antibiotic prescriptions are for acute respiratory infections (ARIs), but most of these infections are viral and antibiotics are unnecessary. We analyzed provider-specific antibiotic prescribing in a group of outpatient clinics affiliated with an academic medical center to inform future interventions to minimize unnecessary antibiotic use.

Methods

We conducted a cross-sectional study of patients who presented with an ARI to any of 15 The Emory Clinic (TEC) primary care clinic sites between October 2015 and September 2017. We performed multivariable logistic regression analysis to examine the impact of patient, provider, and clinic characteristics on antibiotic prescribing. We also compared provider-specific prescribing rates within and between clinic sites.

Results

A total of 53.4% of the 9600 patient encounters with a diagnosis of ARI resulted in an antibiotic prescription. The odds of an encounter resulting in an antibiotic prescription were independently associated with patient characteristics of white race (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.59; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.47–1.73), older age (aOR = 1.32, 95% CI = 1.20–1.46 for patients 51 to 64 years; aOR = 1.32, 95% CI = 1.20–1.46 for patients ≥65 years), and comorbid condition presence (aOR = 1.19; 95% CI, 1.09–1.30). Of the 109 providers, 13 (12%) had a rate significantly higher than predicted by modeling.

Conclusions

Antibiotic prescribing for ARIs within TEC outpatient settings is higher than expected based on prescribing guidelines, with substantial variation in prescribing rates by site and provider. These data lay the foundation for quality improvement interventions to reduce unnecessary antibiotic prescribing.
Evaluating equine feeding behavior utilizing GrowSafe Systems: a pilot study1
Authors: Dickson Emily C , Kayser William C , Latham Christine M , Leatherwood Jessica L , Daigle Courtney L , White Sarah H
Published: January 2019

Equine research and management is limited to single-housing systems if individual animal intake is to be precisely recorded. Even then, dry forage intake is difficult to quantify accurately due to stomping or mixing hay with fecal matter and bedding. In cattle management, GrowSafe Systems (GrowSafe) is a commonly used tool to closely monitor individual animal feeding data using radio frequency identification (RFID) tag technology. Animals are equipped with a unique RFID tag that is read by the feed bunks each time the animal lowers its head into the bunk to consume feed. The objectives of this pilot study were 1) to test the feasibility of use of the GrowSafe system with horses by measuring intake of dry hay and 2) to characterize feeding behaviors of horses in an individually housed (without competition) or group-housed (with competition) setting. To test the hypothesis that horses would consume more hay when individually (NOCOMP) compared to group-housed (COMP), 10 mature Quarter Horses (14 ± 1.5 yr) were placed in one of four pens containing GrowSafe feed bunks in a 4-wk crossover design consisting of two 2-wk treatment periods. Pen 1 contained five horses with access to two GrowSafe bunks (Period 1: n = 4 mares, n = 1 gelding; Period 2: n = 5 geldings); pens 2, 3, and 4 contained one horse each with access to one bunk. Horses were individually fed 0.25% body weight (BW; dry matter [DM] basis) of a commercial concentrate once per day and were allowed Coastal bermudagrass hay in the GrowSafe bunks ad libitum. Although five horses were used in the group-housed (COMP) pen to more closely mimic a true group environment, only data from horses that experienced both housing systems (n = 3 mares and n = 3 geldings) were used for statistical analyses. Hourly (P = 0.008) and daily (P = 0.003) durations of hay feeding were higher for NOCOMP compared to COMP horses, and total daily intake (g DM/kg BW) of NOCOMP horses tended to be greater (P = 0.09) than COMP horses. Conversely, eating rate (g DM/kg BW/min) was greater (P = 0.04) for COMP compared to NOCOMP mares but was unaffected by housing in geldings. The GrowSafe system may provide an opportunity for efficient and effective monitoring of individual horse feed intake and feeding behavior in group-housing situations in horses.
Environmental and epigenetic regulation ofRiderretrotransposons in tomato
Authors: Benoit Matthias , Drost Hajk-Georg , Catoni Marco , Gouil Quentin , Lopez-Gomollon Sara , Baulcombe David , Paszkowski Jerzy
Published: January 2019

Transposable elements in crop plants are the powerful drivers of phenotypic variation that has been selected during domestication and breeding programs. In tomato, transpositions of the LTR (long terminal repeat) retrotransposon familyRiderhave contributed to various phenotypes of agronomical interest, such as fruit shape and colour. However, the mechanisms regulatingRideractivity are largely unknown. We have developed a bioinformatics pipeline for the functional annotation of retrotransposons containing LTRs and defined all full-lengthRiderelements in the tomato genome. Subsequently, we showed that accumulation ofRidertranscripts and transposition intermediates in the form of extrachromosomal DNA is triggered by drought stress and relies on abscisic acid signalling. We provide evidence that residual activity ofRideris controlled by epigenetic mechanisms involving siRNAs and the RNA-dependent DNA methylation pathway. Finally, we demonstrate the broad distribution ofRider-likeelements in other plant species, including crops. Thus our work identifiesRideras an environment-responsive element and a potential source of genetic and epigenetic variation in plants.