bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Orthogonally combined motion‐ and diffusion‐sensitized driven equilibrium (OC‐MDSDE) preparation for vessel signal suppression in 3D turbo spin echo imaging of peripheral nerves in the extremities
Authors: Cervantes Barbara , Kirschke Jan S. , Klupp Elizabeth , Kooijman Hendrik , Börnert Peter , Haase Axel , Rummeny Ernst J. , Karampinos Dimitrios C.
Published: March 2017

Purpose

To design a preparation module for vessel signal suppression in MR neurography of the extremities, which causes minimal attenuation of nerve signal and is highly insensitive to eddy currents and motion.

Methods

The orthogonally combined motion‐ and diffusion‐sensitized driven equilibrium (OC‐MDSDE) preparation was proposed, based on the improved motion‐ and diffusion‐sensitized driven equilibrium methods (iMSDE and FC‐DSDE, respectively), with specific gradient design and orientation. OC‐MDSDE was desensitized against eddy currents using appropriately designed gradient prepulses. The motion sensitivity and vessel signal suppression capability of OC‐MDSDE and its components were assessed in vivo in the knee using 3D turbo spin echo (TSE). Nerve‐to‐vessel signal ratios were measured for iMSDE and OC‐MDSDE in 7 subjects.

Results

iMSDE was shown to be highly sensitive to motion with increasing flow sensitization. FC‐DSDE showed robustness against motion, but resulted in strong nerve signal loss with diffusion gradients oriented parallel to the nerve. OC‐MDSDE showed superior vessel suppression compared to iMSDE and FC‐DSDE and maintained high nerve signal. Mean nerve‐to‐vessel signal ratios in 7 subjects were 0.40 ± 0.17 for iMSDE and 0.63 ± 0.37 for OC‐MDSDE.

Conclusion

OC‐MDSDE combined with 3D TSE in the extremities allows high‐near‐isotropic‐resolution imaging of peripheral nerves with reduced vessel contamination and high nerve signal. Magn Reson Med 79:407–415, 2018. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Developing weak Galerkin finite element methods for the wave equation
Authors: Huang Yunqing , Li Jichun , Li Dan
Published: March 2017

In this article, we extend the recently developed weak Galerkin method to solve the second‐order hyperbolic wave equation. Many nice features of the weak Galerkin method have been demonstrated for elliptic, parabolic, and a few other model problems. This is the initial exploration of the weak Galerkin method for solving the wave equation. Here we successfully developed and established the stability and convergence analysis for the weak Galerkin method for solving the wave equation. Numerical experiments further support the theoretical analysis. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Numer Methods Partial Differential Eq 33: 868–884, 2017
Crystal structure of human proteasome assembly chaperone PAC4 involved in proteasome formation
Authors: Kurimoto Eiji , Satoh Tadashi , Ito Yuri , Ishihara Eri , Okamoto Kenta , Yagi‐Utsumi Maho , Tanaka Keiji , Kato Koichi
Published: March 2017

The 26S proteasome is a large protein complex, responsible for degradation of ubiquinated proteins in eukaryotic cells. Eukaryotic proteasome formation is a highly ordered process that is assisted by several assembly chaperones. The assembly of its catalytic 20S core particle depends on at least five proteasome‐specific chaperones, i.e., proteasome‐assembling chaperons 1–4 (PAC1–4) and proteasome maturation protein (POMP). The orthologues of yeast assembly chaperones have been structurally characterized, whereas most mammalian assembly chaperones are not. In the present study, we determined a crystal structure of human PAC4 at 1.90‐Å resolution. Our crystallographic data identify a hydrophobic surface that is surrounded by charged residues. The hydrophobic surface is complementary to that of its binding partner, PAC3. The surface also exhibits charge complementarity with the proteasomal α4–5 subunits. This will provide insights into human proteasome‐assembling chaperones as potential anticancer drug targets.
Molecular dynamics simulations on networks of heparin and collagen
Authors: Kulke Martin , Geist Norman , Friedrichs Wenke , Langel Walter
Published: March 2017

Synthetic scaffolds containing collagen (Type I) are of increasing interest for bone tissue engineering, especially for highly porous biomaterials in combination with glycosaminoglycans. In experiments the integration of heparin during the fibrillogenesis resulted in different types of collagen fibrils, but models for this aggregation on a molecular scale were only tentative. We conducted molecular dynamic simulations investigating the binding of heparin to collagen and the influence of the telopeptides during collagen aggregation. This aims at explaining experimental findings on a molecular level. Novel structures for N‐ and C‐telopeptides were developed with the TIGER2 replica exchange algorithm and dihedral principle component analysis. We present an extended statistical analysis of the mainly electrostatic interaction between heparin and collagen and identify several binding sites. Finally, we propose a molecular mechanism for the influence of glycosaminoglycans on the morphology of collagen fibrils. Proteins 2017; 85:1119–1130. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
VoroMQA: Assessment of protein structure quality using interatomic contact areas
Authors: Olechnovič Kliment , Venclovas Česlovas
Published: March 2017

In the absence of experimentally determined protein structure many biological questions can be addressed using computational structural models. However, the utility of protein structural models depends on their quality. Therefore, the estimation of the quality of predicted structures is an important problem. One of the approaches to this problem is the use of knowledge‐based statistical potentials. Such methods typically rely on the statistics of distances and angles of residue‐residue or atom‐atom interactions collected from experimentally determined structures. Here, we present VoroMQA (Voronoi tessellation‐based Model Quality Assessment), a new method for the estimation of protein structure quality. Our method combines the idea of statistical potentials with the use of interatomic contact areas instead of distances. Contact areas, derived using Voronoi tessellation of protein structure, are used to describe and seamlessly integrate both explicit interactions between protein atoms and implicit interactions of protein atoms with solvent. VoroMQA produces scores at atomic, residue, and global levels, all in the fixed range from 0 to 1. The method was tested on the CASP data and compared to several other single‐model quality assessment methods. VoroMQA showed strong performance in the recognition of the native structure and in the structural model selection tests, thus demonstrating the efficacy of interatomic contact areas in estimating protein structure quality. The software implementation of VoroMQA is freely available as a standalone application and as a web server at http://bioinformatics.lt/software/voromqa. Proteins 2017; 85:1131–1145. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Comparative studies of the catalytic mechanisms of two chorismatases: CH‐fkbo and CH‐Hyg5
Authors: Dong Lihua , Liu Yongjun
Published: March 2017

Chorismatase is an important enzyme involved in Shikimate pathway, which catalyzes the conversion of chorismate into pyruvate and (dihydro)‐benzoic acid derivatives. According to the outcomes of catalytic reactions, chorismatases can be divided into three subfamilies: CH‐Fkbo, CH‐Hyg5 and CH‐XanB2. Recently, the crystal structures of CH‐Fkbo and CH‐Hyg5 from Streptomyces hygroscopicus have been successfully obtained, allowing us to perform QM/MM calculations to explore the reaction details. Our calculation results support the proposal that CH‐Fkbo and CH‐Hyg5 employ different catalytic mechanisms and gave the mechanistic details. Fkbo follows a typical hydrolytic mechanism, which contains three consecutive steps, including the protonation step of the methylene group of substrate, the nucleophilic attack of the resulted carbocation by activated water and cleavage of C2′‐O8 bond of tetrahedral intermediate (hemiketal). The protonation of methylene group and the C2′‐O8 cleavage correspond to similar energy barriers (26.5 and 24.8 kcal/mol), suggesting both steps to be rate‐limiting. Whereas Hyg5 employs an intramolecular mechanism, in which the oxygen from C4 migrates to C3 via an arene oxide intermediate. The first step of Hyg5, which corresponds to the concerted protonation of methylene group and the cleavage of C3‐O8, is calculated to be rate‐limiting with an energy barrier of 26.3 kcal/mol. The nonconserved active site residue G240Hyg5 (or A244Fkb°) is suggested to be responsible for leading to different reaction mechanism in CH‐Fkbo and CH‐Hyg5. During the catalytic reaction, residue C327 plays an important role in directing the product selectivity in Hyg5 enzyme. Proteins 2017; 85:1146–1158. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
InterPred: A pipeline to identify and model protein–protein interactions
Authors: Mirabello Claudio , Wallner Björn
Published: March 2017

Protein–protein interactions (PPI) are crucial for protein function. There exist many techniques to identify PPIs experimentally, but to determine the interactions in molecular detail is still difficult and very time‐consuming. The fact that the number of PPIs is vastly larger than the number of individual proteins makes it practically impossible to characterize all interactions experimentally. Computational approaches that can bridge this gap and predict PPIs and model the interactions in molecular detail are greatly needed. Here we present InterPred, a fully automated pipeline that predicts and model PPIs from sequence using structural modeling combined with massive structural comparisons and molecular docking. A key component of the method is the use of a novel random forest classifier that integrate several structural features to distinguish correct from incorrect protein–protein interaction models. We show that InterPred represents a major improvement in protein–protein interaction detection with a performance comparable or better than experimental high‐throughput techniques. We also show that our full‐atom protein–protein complex modeling pipeline performs better than state of the art protein docking methods on a standard benchmark set. In addition, InterPred was also one of the top predictors in the latest CAPRI37 experiment.

InterPred source code can be downloaded from http://wallnerlab.org/InterPred Proteins 2017; 85:1159–1170. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Improving prediction of helix–helix packing in membrane proteins using predicted contact numbers as restraints
Authors: Li Bian , Mendenhall Jeffrey , Nguyen Elizabeth Dong , Weiner Brian E. , Fischer Axel W. , Meiler Jens
Published: March 2017

One of the challenging problems in tertiary structure prediction of helical membrane proteins (HMPs) is the determination of rotation of α‐helices around the helix normal. Incorrect prediction of helix rotations substantially disrupts native residue–residue contacts while inducing only a relatively small effect on the overall fold. We previously developed a method for predicting residue contact numbers (CNs), which measure the local packing density of residues within the protein tertiary structure. In this study, we tested the idea of incorporating predicted CNs as restraints to guide the sampling of helix rotation. For a benchmark set of 15 HMPs with simple to rather complicated folds, the average contact recovery (CR) of best‐sampled models was improved for all targets, the likelihood of sampling models with CR greater than 20% was increased for 13 targets, and the average RMSD100 of best‐sampled models was improved for 12 targets. This study demonstrated that explicit incorporation of CNs as restraints improves the prediction of helix–helix packing. Proteins 2017; 85:1212–1221. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Control of brain metastases with alectinib in anaplastic lymphoma kinase‐rearranged lung cancer
Authors: Kwok Wang Chun , Tam Terence Chi Chun , Lui Macy Mei Sze , Lam David Chi Leung , Ho James Chung Man
Published: March 2017

Brain metastasis from non‐small cell lung cancer remains a challenge to physicians. It occurs in 30% of patients with advanced stage adenocarcinoma of lung and is often regarded as the ominous sign of disease progression and death. Alectinib is likely to be a promising agent, even after the failure of crizotinib and ceritinib, for patients with anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) ‐driven non‐small cell lung cancer with brain metastasis, resulting in a durable response for both intracranial and extra‐cranial diseases.
Unusual Reactions of Cyclic Fluorosiloxanes
Authors: Oguri Naoki , Egawa Yasunobu , Kawakami Yoshiteru , Kobuna Chika , Takeda Nobuhiro , Unno Masafumi
Published: March 2017

The reactivity of cyclic fluorosiloxanes, all‐cis‐[PhSiOF]4 and [i‐BuSiOF]4, was investigated. Unusual bond cleavage was observed in the reaction of all‐cis‐[PhSiOF]4 with 2,6‐lutidine to afford a hexafluorosilicate salt in 29 % yield. On the other hand, different bond cleavage was observed for [i‐BuSiOF]4 resulting in a formation of a linear fluorotrisiloxane in 50 % yield. All products were characterized by spectroscopic analyses as well as X‐ray crystallography. In this paper, we discuss several new Si–O–Si bond cleavage and formation reactions; all reactions were performed under mild conditions that did not generate harmful acids. Consequently, cyclic fluorosiloxanes could serve as useful precursors for a wide variety of silicon compounds such as linear siloxanes, hexa‐coordinated silicates, and well‐defined silsesquioxanes.
Systematic Optimization and Modification of a DNA Aptamer with 2’‐O‐Methyl RNA Analogues
Authors: Maio George E. , Enweronye Osita , Zumrut Hasan E. , Batool Sana , Van Nabeela A. , Mallikaratchy Prabodhika R.
Published: March 2017

Nucleic acid aptamers (NAAs) are short synthetic DNA or RNA molecules that specifically fold into distinct three‐dimensional structures able to specifically recognize a target. While NAAs show unprecedented promise in a variety of applications, including sensing, therapeutics and diagnostics, one major limitation involves the lack of stability towards omnipresent nucleases. Therefore, we herein report a systematic truncation and incorporation of 2’‐O‐methyl bases to a DNA aptamer, which results in increased stability without affecting affinity. One of the newly designed analogues is stable up to 24 hours, demonstrating that 2’‐O‐methyl RNA is an attractive modification to DNA aptamers, especially when theranostic applications are intended.
Epitaxial Growth of Ternary Topological Insulator Bi2Te2Se 2D Crystals on Mica
Authors: Liu Yujing , Tang Min , Meng Mengmeng , Wang Mingzhan , Wu Jinxiong , Yin Jianbo , Zhou Yubing , Guo Yunfan , Tan Congwei , Dang Wenhui , Huang Shaoyun , Xu H. Q. , Wang Yong , Peng Hailin
Published: March 2017

Nanostructures of ternary topological insulator (TI) Bi2Te2Se are, in principle, advantageous to the manifestation of topologically nontrivial surface states, due to significantly enhanced surface‐to‐volume ratio compared with its bulk crystals counterparts. Herein, the synthesis of 2D Bi2Te2Se crystals on mica via the van der Waals epitaxy method is explored and systematically the growth behaviors during the synthesis process are investigated. Accordingly, 2D Bi2Te2Se crystals with domain size up to 50 µm large and thickness down to 2 nm are obtained. A pronounced weak antilocalization effect is clearly observed in the 2D Bi2Te2Se crystals at 2 K. The method for epitaxial growth of 2D ternary Bi2Te2Se crystals may inspire materials engineering toward enhanced manifestation of the subtle surface states of TIs and thereby facilitate their potential applications in next‐generation spintronics.
Analysis of the Relationship between Productivity and Hearth Wall Temperature of a Commercial Blast Furnace and Model Prediction
Authors: Jiao Kexin , Zhang Jianliang , Hou Qinfu , Liu Zhengjian , Wang Guangwei
Published: March 2017

High smelting intensity and long campaign life are highly desired for blast furnace ironmaking. However, high smelting intensity or productivity has an adverse effect on the campaign life. An analysis of the relationship between productivity and the temperature of a side wall of a hearth based on the data from a commercial blast furnace is first presented in this work. Then, to predict the temperature, a mathematical model is established with an iron flow estimation model. Based on the model, an outline of measures to extend the campaign life of a BF is discussed. Finally, a better initial profile for a BF hearth is proposed. The prediction shows that the convective heat transfer coefficient increases with the increase of molten iron circulation. The hearth erosion at 1.5 m below the taphole centerline is more severe than other locations because the corner of the deadman is located at this level and the distance between the deadman surface to the side wall reaches the minimum point. The sidewall of hearth might be constructed with a slope so that the distance between the sidewall of hearth and the deadman surface can be large at the deadman corner, reducing the circulation of the molten iron.
Schnelle Berechnung von Änderungen und Varianten bei komplexen Tragsystemen (3D‐Modellen)
Authors: Carl Oliver , Hartmann Friedel , Zhang Chuanzeng
Published: March 2017

Der Einsatz von digitalen Gebäudedatenmodellen während des Planungsprozesses bietet auf einfache Weise die Möglichkeit, durch Auslesen der geometrischen Daten ein dreidimensionales (3D) Berechnungsmodell für die Tragwerksplanung zu erstellen und einzusetzen. Dadurch steigt allerdings der Anteil von aufwändigen Berechnungen an komplexen Gesamtmodellen weiter an. Die beim Entwurf eines Tragwerks notwendigen Variantenuntersuchungen und Systemänderungen zur Optimierung des Trag systems führen zu zahlreichen Neuberechnungen am Gesamtmodell und damit zu stark ansteigenden Komplexitäten und Rechenzeiten. Im vorliegenden Beitrag wird diesbezüglich eine baustatische Näherungsmethode auf Basis von Einflussfunktionen vorgestellt, mit der sich die Berechnung von Änderungen und Varianten bei 3D‐Modellen mit wesentlich geringerem Aufwand durchführen lässt. Der Tragwerksplaner kann somit deren Auswirkungen schnell und einfach überblicken bzw. sofort beurteilen.

Darüber hinaus wird gezeigt, dass sich Einflussfunktionen generell sehr vorteilhaft in der computerorientierten Baustatik zur Optimierung von Tragsystemen und zum Aufzeigen von Lastpfaden bei Berechnungen an 3D‐Modellen einsetzen lassen.
Sehenswerte Baukultur – BIG structures and best high‐rises
Authors: Möller Eberhard
Published: March 2017

Gleich zwei für Ingenieure interessante Ausstellungen präsentierte das Deutsche Architekturmuseum (DAM) um den Jahreswechsel 2016/17 in Frankfurt am Main. Eine der beiden widmete sich herausragenden Hochhäusern, die andere einem Team äußerst kreativer Planer, der dänischen Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG). Zwischen beiden Ausstellungen besteht – vielleicht nicht ganz zufällig – ein Zusammenhang.
Multipotent Adult Progenitor Cells Enhance Recovery After Stroke by Modulating the Immune Response from the Spleen
Authors: Yang Bing , Hamilton Jason A. , Valenzuela Krystal S. , Bogaerts Annelies , Xi XiaoPei , Aronowski Jaroslaw , Mays Robert W. , Savitz Sean I.
Published: March 2017

Stem cell therapy modulates not only the local microenvironment of the brain but also the systemic immune responses. We explored the impact of human multipotent adult progenitor cells (MAPC) modulating splenic activation and peripheral immune responses after ischemic stroke. Hundred twenty-six Long-Evans adult male rats underwent middle cerebral artery occlusion. Twenty-four hours later, they received IV MAPC or saline treatment. At 3 days after infusion, RNA was isolated from the injured cortex and spleen for microarray analysis. Spleen mass, splenocyte phenotype, and releasing cytokines were measured. Serum cytokines, MAPC biodistribution, brain lesion sizes and neurofunctional deficits were compared in rats treated with MAPC or saline with and without spleens. Stroked animals treated with MAPC exhibited genes that more closely resembled animals with sham surgery. Gene categories downregulated by MAPC included leukocyte activation, antigen presentation, and immune effector processing, associated with the signaling pathways regulated by TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, and IFN-γ within the brain. MAPC treatment restored spleen mass reduction caused by stroke, elevated Treg cells within the spleen, increased IL-10 and decreased IL-1β released by splenocytes. MAPC reduced IL-6 and IL-1β and upregulated IL-10 serum levels. Compared with saline, MAPC enhance stroke recovery in rats with intact spleens but had no effects in rats without spleens. MAPC restores expression of multiple genes and pathways involved in immune and inflammatory responses after stroke. Immunomodulation of the splenic response by the intravenous administration of MAPC may create a more favorable environment for brain repair after stroke.
Does Beta‐Blockade Reduce the Risk of Depression in Patients with Isolated Severe Extracranial Injuries?
Authors: Ahl Rebecka , Barmparas Galinos , Riddez Louis , Ley Eric J. , Wallin Göran , Ljungqvist Olle , Mohseni Shahin
Published: March 2017

Background

Approximately half of trauma patients develop post‐traumatic depression. It is suggested that beta‐blockade impairs trauma memory recollection, reducing depressive symptoms. This study investigates the effect of early beta‐blockade on depression following severe traumatic injuries in patients without significant brain injury.

Methods

Patients were identified by retrospectively reviewing the trauma registry at an urban university hospital between 2007 and 2011. Severe extracranial injuries were defined as extracranial injuries with Abbreviated Injury Scale score ≥3, intracranial Abbreviated Injury Scale score <3 and an Injury Severity Score ≥16. In‐hospital deaths and patients prescribed antidepressant therapy ≤1 year prior to admission were excluded. Patients were stratified into groups based on pre‐admission beta‐blocker status. The primary outcome was post‐traumatic depression, defined as receiving antidepressants ≤1 year following trauma.

Results

Five hundred and ninety‐six patients met the inclusion criteria with 11.4% prescribed pre‐admission beta‐blockade. Patients receiving beta‐blockers were significantly older (57 ± 18 vs. 42 ± 17 years, p < 0.001) with lower Glasgow Coma Scale score (12 ± 3 vs. 14 ± 2, p < 0.001). The beta‐blocked cohort spent significantly longer in hospital (21 ± 20 vs. 15 ± 17 days, p < 0.01) and intensive care (4 ± 7 vs. 3 ± 5 days, p = 0.01). A forward logistic regression model was applied and predicted lack of beta‐blockade to be associated with increased risk of depression (OR 2.7, 95% CI 1.1–7.2, p = 0.04). After adjusting for group differences, patients lacking beta‐blockers demonstrated an increased risk of depression (AOR 3.3, 95% CI 1.2–8.6, p = 0.02).

Conclusions

Pre‐admission beta‐blockade is associated with a significantly reduced risk of depression following severe traumatic injury. Further investigation is needed to determine the beneficial effects of beta‐blockade in these instances.
Relating psychological and social factors to academic performance: A longitudinal investigation of high‐poverty middle school students
Authors: Li Yaoran , Allen Jeff , Casillas Alex
Published: March 2017

We investigated the relations between middle school students' psychological factors (academic commitment and emotional control), social perceptions (family involvement and school climate), and academic performance over time. Gender differences in these relations were also examined. Based on a two‐year longitudinal data set of 942 middle‐school students from a high‐poverty district in the United States, we found that all four factors measured in 6th grade were predictive of GPA at the end of the 7th grade above and beyond gender, race, and home intellectual materials. Among these factors, emotional control had the strongest relation with GPA, and the importance of family involvement increased over time, especially for female students. The results also revealed the indirect effects of the social factors on GPA through the psychological factors, and mostly through emotional control. These findings highlight the complex relation between the social‐emotional factors and academic outcomes in early adolescence.
A damage mechanics model for low-velocity impact damage analysis of composite laminates
Authors: Li N. , Chen P.H. , Ye Q.
Published: March 2017

A method was developed to predict numerically the damage of composite laminates with multiple plies under low-velocity impact loading. The Puck criterion for 3D stress states was adopted to model the intralaminar damage including matrix cracking and fibre breakage, and to obtain the orientation of the fracture plane due to matrix failure. According to interlaminar delamination mechanism, a new delamination criterion was proposed. The influence of transverse and through-thickness normal stress, interlaminar shear stress and damage conditions of adjacent plies on delamination was considered. In order to predict the impact-induced damage of composite laminates with more plies quickly and efficiently, an approach, which can predict the specific damage of several plies in a single solid element, was proposed by interpolation on the strains of element integration points. Moreover, the proposed model can predict specific failure modes. A good agreement between the predicted delamination shapes and sizes and the experimental results shows correctness of the developed numerical method for predicting low-velocity impact damage on composite laminates.
RevisitingCriticalLegal Pluralism: Normative Contestations in the Afghan Courtroom
Authors: CHOUDHURY Nafay
Published: March 2017

This paper revisits the concept ofcriticallegal pluralism, which treats the individual as a site of normativity with the capacity to create legal knowledge. To help operationalize the usage of critical legal pluralism, I propose a methodological approach that places the individual’s ability to makes choices along a continuum. On one side of continuum, legal pluralism can be viewed as facilitating fully discrete choices that ascribe to one legal order or another. On the other side, the ability to make individual choices is curtailed because of the presence of a hegemonic legal order. This simple continuum helps to shed light on the complex considerations that affect individual choices, which in turn affect how various legal orders are legitimated. The paper then considers how critical legal pluralism can enrich the discussion on the legal system of Afghanistan, focusing on interviews with two Afghan justice actors: a former judge and an active defence lawyer.
Muchongoyo and Mugabeism in Zimbabwe
Authors: Perman Tony
Published: March 2017

This article explores the influence of nationalism and modernity in contemporary Zimbabwe and on the musical lives of Zimbabweans through an examination ofmuchongoyo, the signature dance–drumming tradition of Zimbabwe’s Ndau communities. Invoking the concept of “Mugabeism,” it illustrates how Shona nationalism and expectations of modernity have partially reshapedmuchongoyoin the turmoil of contemporary Zimbabwe. As indigenous practices serve political ends, their values shift. Consequently, there are now twomuchongoyos: one rooted in the unique history and values of Zimbabwe’s Ndau community, the other emerging from decades of political employment of indigenous music for the sake of nationalist discourse.
Challenges of Treating Adenovirus Infection: Application of a Deployable Rapid-Assembly Shelter Hospital
Authors: Bai Song , Yu Bao-guo , Zhang Yong-Zhong , Ding Hui , Wu Zhou-wei , Fan Bin , Fan Hao-jun , Hou Shi-ke , Chen Feng
Published: March 2017

This article outlines the evolution of a rescue team in responding to adenovirus prevention with a deployable field hospital. The local governments mobilized a shelter hospital and a rescue team consisting of 59 members to assist with rescue and response efforts after an epidemic outbreak of adenovirus. We describe and evaluate the challenges of preparing for deployment, field hospital maintenance, treatment mode, and primary treatment methods. The field hospital established at the rescue scene consisted of a medical command vehicle, a computed tomography shelter, an X-ray shelter, a special laboratory shelter, an oxygen and electricity supply vehicle, and epidemic prevention and protection equipment. The rescue team comprised paramedics, physicians, X-ray technicians, respiratory therapists, and logistical personnel. In 22 days, more than 3000 patients with suspected adenovirus infection underwent initial examinations. All patients were properly treated, and no deaths occurred. After emergency measures were implemented, the spread of adenovirus was eventually controlled. An emergency involving infectious diseases in less-developed regions demands the rapid development of a field facility with specialized medical personnel when local hospital facilities are either unavailable or unusable. An appropriate and detailed prearranged action plan is important for infectious diseases prevention. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2018;12:109–114)
Medical Response to a Vinyl Chloride Release From a Train Derailment: New Jersey, 2012
Authors: Shumate Alice M. , Taylor Jamille , McFarland Elizabeth , Tan Christina , Duncan Mary Anne
Published: March 2017

Objective

The objective of this investigation was to examine the health impact of and medical response to a mass casualty chemical incident caused by a vinyl chloride release.

Methods

Key staff at area hospitals were interviewed about communication during the response, the number of patients treated and care required, and lessons learned. Clinical information related to the incident and medical history were abstracted from hospital charts.

Results

Hospital interviews identified a desire for more thorough and timely incident-specific information and an under-utilization of regionally available resources. Two hundred fifty-six hospital visits (96.2%) were at the facility closest to the site of the derailment. Of 237 initial visits at which the patient was examined by a physician, 231 patients (97.5%) were treated in the emergency department (ED) and 6 patients (2.5%) were admitted; 5 admitted patients (83.3%) had preexisting medical conditions. Thirteen of 14 asymptomatic ED patients were children under the age of 10 years. One hundred forty-five patients (62.8%) discharged from the ED were diagnosed solely with exposure to vinyl chloride.

Conclusions

Continuous emergency response planning might facilitate communication and better distribution of patient surge across hospitals. Individuals with multiple medical conditions and parents and caretakers of children may serve as target groups for risk communication following acute chemical releases. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2017;11:538–544)
Mental health training for secondary school teachers in Haiti: a mixed methods, prospective, formative research study of feasibility, acceptability, and effectiveness in knowledge acquisition
Authors: Eustache E. , Gerbasi M. E. , Smith Fawzi M. C. , Fils-Aimé J. R. , Severe J. , Raviola G. J. , Legha R. , Darghouth S. , Grelotti D. J. , Thérosmé T. , Pierre E. L. , Affricot E. , Alcindor Y. , Stack M. B. , Becker A. E.
Published: March 2017

Background

Engagement and training of educators in student mental health holds promise for promoting access to care as a task sharing strategy but has not been well-studied in low-income regions.

Methods

We used a prospective and convergent mixed methods design to evaluate a customized school mental health 2½ day training for teachers in rural Haiti (n = 22) as the initial component of formative research developing a school-based intervention to promote student mental health. Training prepared teachers to respond to student mental health needs by providing psychoeducational and practical support to facilitate access to care. We examined level of participation and evaluated feasibility, acceptability, and perceived effectiveness by calculating mean scores on self-report Likert-style items eliciting participant experience. We examined effectiveness of the training on improving mental health knowledge and attitudes by comparing mean scores on an assessment administered pre- and post-training. Finally, we examined self-report written open-ended responses and focus group discussion (FGD) interview data bearing on perceived feasibility, acceptability, and effectiveness to contextualize participant ratings of training and to identify recommendations for enhancing the utility of mental health training locally for educators.

Results

Mean scores of knowledge and attitudes significantly improved between the pre-test and post-tests; e.g., knowledge improved from 58% correct at baseline to 68% correct on the second post-test (p = 0.039). Mean ratings of the training were favorable across all categories and FGD data demonstrated widespread participant endorsement of training acceptability and effectiveness; participants recommended extending the duration and number of training sessions.

Conclusions

Findings support feasibility, acceptability, and a limited scope of effectiveness of brief mental health training for secondary school teachers in Haiti. Further development of approaches to engage teachers in promoting school mental health through training is warranted.
‘They Shall See His Face’: Blindness in British India, 1850–1950
Authors: Nair Aparna
Published: March 2017

This paper explores the social, medical, institutional and enumerative histories of blindness in British India from 1850 to 1950. It begins by tracing the contours and causes of blindness using census records, and then outlines how colonial physicians and observers ascribed both infectious aetiologies and social pathologies to blindness. Blindness was often interpreted as the inevitable consequence of South Asian ignorance, superstition and backwardness. This paper also explores the social worlds of the Blind, with a particular focus on the figure of the blind beggar. This paper further interrogates missionary discourse on ‘Indian’ blindness and outlines how blindness was a metaphor for the perceived civilisational inferiority and religious failings of South Asian peoples. This paper also describes the introduction of institutions for the Blind in addition to the introduction of Braille and Moon technologies.
Metamorphic evolution of Palaeoproterozoic anatectic migmatites in the eastern part of the Aravalli–Delhi Fold Belt, India: constraints from thermodynamic modelling and monazite dating
Authors: PRAKASH A. , SAHA L. , PETRIK I. , JANAK M. , BHATTACHARYA A.
Published: March 2017

Garnetiferous pelitic to psammopelitic migmatites widespread across the central and eastern part of the Aravalli–Delhi Fold Belt in NW India record two distinct orogenies, e.g. the Aravalli Orogeny (1.7–1.6 Ga) and the Delhi Orogeny (1.0 Ga). In this study, we integrate field geological studies with textural and mineral–chemical analyses,P–Tpseudosection modelling andin situmonazite dating in anatectic migmatites in the Aravalli Supergroup occurring along the Deoli–Shahpura segment. The study reveals formation of peak assemblages of garnet + sillimanite + biotite + K-feldspar + melt and garnet + muscovite + K-feldspar + melt in two anatectic migmatite samples.P–Tpseudosection modelling suggests that anatexis in the gneisses occurred at ~8 kbar and 700–800°C along a tight-loop clockwiseP–Tpath. Monazite ages from the migmatites indicate that the anatexis occurred at ~1.73–1.74 Ga. This age is similar to the Palaeoproterozoic anatexis (at 7–8 kbar) and charnockite emplacement in the Sandmata and the Mangalwar complexes, the subsolidus amphibolite-facies metamorphism in the Rajpura–Dariba and Pur–Banera supracrustal belts, and the A-type granite magmatism in the North Delhi Fold Belt. We propose that the Palaeoproterozoic migmatites in central and eastern Rajasthan are part of the one crustal unit that underwent anatexis during an accretion event along the NE–SW-trending Aravalli orogenic belt.
The role of chewing lice (Phthiraptera: Philopteridae) as intermediate hosts in the transmission ofHymenolepis microps(Cestoda: Cyclophyllidea) from the willow ptarmiganLagopus lagopus(Aves: Tetraonidae)
Authors: Pistone D. , Lindgren M. , Holmstad P. , Ellingsen N.K. , Kongshaug H. , Nilsen F. , Skorping A.
Published: March 2017

The cestodeHymenolepis micropsis an intestinal parasite of tetraonid birds, including the willow ptarmigan (Lagopus lagopus). This parasite is able to maintain a high prevalence and intensity throughout the year, even in a subarctic environment in bird populations with relatively low host densities, indicating effective transmission routes. Willow ptarmigan consume mainly vegetal material and active consumption of invertebrates is confined to the first two or three weeks of life. Ptarmigan are infected by different species of ectoparasites, of which two species of feather lice,Lagopoecus affinisandGoniodes lagopi, are the most abundant. In this study, we explored the hypothesis that feather lice may be suitable intermediate hosts forH. microps. We applied histological techniques and light microscopy to investigate lice for the presence of larval cestode stages (cysticercoids). We found 12 cysticercoid-like structures inside chewing lice collected onL. lagopushosts harbouringH. microps. In addition, a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) screening of Ischnocera lice DNA, targeting the 18S rRNA gene of the cestode, showed positive results for two different short fragments of the 18S rRNA gene ofH. micropswhich were sequenced from lice collected on birds. Both independent lines of evidence support the hypothesis that Ischnocera lice might be suitable intermediate hosts in the life cycle ofH. micropsinL. lagopus.
Is There an Emphatic μέν? A Consideration of the Particle's Development and its Function in Koine
Authors: Fresch Christopher J.
Published: March 2017

Traditionally in Koine Greek grammar, the particle μέν has been described as having two functions: (1) correlating its sentence with forthcoming content, typically introduced by δέ, and (2) communicating emphasis or affirmation. Of these two functions, the first is readily apparent in Koine, but with regard to the second, communicating emphasis, it is not clearly evident that it can be posited for the particle. The propagation of ‘emphatic μέν’ seems to be the result of diachronic confusion. Those handful of instances of μέν in the New Testament that are sometimes labelled ‘emphatic’ can be more satisfactorily and consistently explained by an awareness of how the particle is used in the Koine period and a fuller understanding of its correlative function.
Marcion's Gospel and the New Testament: Catalyst or Consequence?
Authors: Klinghardt Matthias
Published: March 2017

These three short papers were delivered in the ‘Quaestiones disputatae’ session at the 71st General Meeting of the Studiorum Novi Testamenti Societas, held at McGill University, Montreal, on 3 August 2016. The session was chaired by Professor Carl Holladay, President of the Society.
Race, Resources, and Representation
Authors: Bueno Natália S. , Dunning Thad
Published: March 2017

What explains the persistence of racial or ethnic inequalities in descriptive representation in the absence of strongly politicized racial or ethnic cleavages? This article uses new data to demonstrate a substantial racial gap between voters and politicians in Brazil. The authors show that this disparity is not plausibly due to racial preferences in the electorate as a whole, for instance, deference toward white candidates or discrimination against nonwhites, and that barriers to candidate entry or discrimination by party leaders do not likely explain the gap. Instead, they document persistent resource disparities between white and nonwhite candidates, including large differences in personal assets and campaign contributions. The findings suggest that elite closure—investments by racial and economic elites on behalf of elite candidates—help perpetuate a white political class, even in the absence of racialized politics. By underscoring this avenue through which representational disparities persist, the article contributes to research on elite power in democratic settings.
Electron energy spectrum produced by stochastic acceleration in the laser–plasma interaction
Authors: Khalilzadeh E. , Chakhmachi A. , Yazdanpanah J.
Published: March 2017

In this paper, the electrons energy spectrum produced by stochastic acceleration in the interaction of an intense laser pulse with the underdense plasma is described by employing the fully kinetic 1D-3 V particle-in-cell simulation. In this way, two finite laser pulses with the same length 200 fs and with two different rise times 30 and 60 fs are typically selected. It is shown that the maximum energy of electrons in the laser pulse with the short rise time (30 fs) is about eight times greater than the maximum energy of the electrons with the long rise time (60 fs). Furthermore, unlike the pulse with the short rise time, the shape of energy spectrum and the electrons temperature in the long rise time laser pulse are approximately unchanged over the time. These results originated from the fact that in the case of long rise time laser pulse, all electrons are accelerated by the one chaotic mechanism because of the scattered fields generated in the plasma, but in the case of short rise time laser pulse, three different mechanisms accelerate the electrons: first, the stochastic acceleration because of the nonlinear wave breaking via plasma-vacuum boundary effect; second, the stochastic acceleration initiated by the wave breaking; and third, the direct laser acceleration of the released electrons.
Crystallographic groups with trivial center and outer automorphism group
Authors: LUTOWSKI RAFAŁ , SZCZEPAŃSKI ANDRZEJ
Published: March 2017

Let Γ be a crystallographic group of dimension n, i.e. a discrete, cocompact subgroup of Isom(ℝn) = O(n) ⋉ ℝn. For any n ⩾ 2, we construct a crystallographic group with a trivial center and trivial outer automorphism group.
The Impostor Rule and Identity Theft in America
Authors: Trost Jennifer
Published: March 2017

Impersonation and then identity theft in America emerged in the legal space between a civil system with a high tolerance for market risk and losses incurred by impostors, and a later-developing criminal system preoccupied with fraud or forgery against the government. Negotiable instruments, generally paper checks, borrowed from seventeenth-century England, enabled a geographically far-flung commercial system of paper-based but impersonal exchanges at a time before widespread availability of centrally-issued currency or regulated banks. By assigning loss rather than catching criminals, the “impostor rule” made and continues to make transactions with negotiable instruments valid even if fraudulent. This large body of commercial law has stood essentially unchanged for three hundred years and has facilitated a system rife with impersonation which criminal and federal laws did not address until the late 20thcentury. English common law, American legal treatises, court cases, law review articles, and internal debates behind the Uniform Commercial Code tell the story of a legal system at the service of commerce through the unimpeded transfer of paper payments. Combining the fields of legal history and criminal justice with the approaches of emerging research in both identification and paperwork studies, this article explains the ongoing policy problems of identity theft.
A Stability Result for Families with Fixed Diameter
Authors: FRANKL PETER
Published: March 2017

Let $\mathcal F$ ⊂ 2[n] be a family of subsets. The diameter of $\mathcal F$ is the maximum of the size of symmetric differences among pairs of members of $\mathcal F$. In 1966 Kleitman determined the maximum of |$\mathcal F$| for fixed diameter. However, this important classical result lacked a characterization of the families meeting the bound. This is remedied in the present paper, where a best possible stability result is established as well.

In Section 4 we introduce a ‘parity trick’ that provides an easy way of deducing the odd case from the even case in both Kleitman's original theorem and its stability version.
Cultivating ‘cities in the wilderness’: New York City's commercial pleasure gardens and the British American pursuit of rural urbanism
Authors: SCRIBNER VAUGHN
Published: March 2017

Privately owned, for-profit, seasonal, walled-off venues that boasted a variety of flora and fauna in addition to other services like stages, buildings, thespians, musicians, exhibits and victuals, New York City's Vauxhall and Ranelagh commercial pleasure gardens blossomed by the mid-eighteenth century. An in-depth analysis of these pleasure gardens not only contributes to how we understand colonists’ endeavours to support a more complete leisure sector, but also reveals the nuanced nature of the ‘rural vs. urban’ or ‘wilderness vs. civilization’ dyads. Ultimately, urban colonists hoped to embrace the rural nature of their surroundings to make their ‘cities in the wilderness’ more accessible, healthy places.
Health-related quality of life in children and adolescents living in the north-east of China before and after cardiac catheter interventional treatment
Authors: Li Ling , Lin Ping , Gao Xueqin
Published: March 2017

Background

The goal of the present prospective study was to assess health-related quality of life in children and adolescents with CHD before and after cardiac catheter treatment.

Methods

The study enrolled 96 children/adolescents with CHD from the north-east of China who underwent cardiac catheter intervention treatment between March, 2013 and January, 2014. The health-related quality of life at 24 hours before treatment, 1 month after treatment, and 6 months after treatment was evaluated using Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory Measurement Models 4.0 (PedsQLTM4.0) generic core scales, and the scores were further compared.

Results

Before treatment, each HRQOL domain score and the total score were obviously decreased than the post-treatment scores (1 month and 6 months). The total score and the scores in physical functioning and psychological functioning components were further increased 6 months after treatment than the scores 1 month after treatment.

Conclusion

The present study suggests that cardiac catheter interventional treatment improves the life quality of children or adolescents with CHD as time increases after the intervention.