bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Nanoimprint texturing of transparent flexible substrates for improved light management in thin‐film solar cells
Authors: Wilken Karen , Paetzold Ulrich W. , Meier Matthias , Prager Nicole , Fahland Matthias , Finger Friedhelm , Smirnov Vladimir
Published: March 2015

We present a nanoimprint based approach to achieve efficient light management for solar cells on low temperature transparent polymer films. These films are particularly low‐priced, though sensitive to temperature, and therefore limiting the range of deposition temperatures of subsequent solar cell layers. By using nanoimprint technology, we successfully replicated optimized light trapping textures of etched high temperature ZnO:Al on a low temperature PET film without deterioration of optical properties of the substrate. The imprint‐textured PET substrates show excellent light scattering properties and lead to significantly improved incoupling and trapping of light in the solar cell, resulting in a current density of 12.9 mA/cm2, similar to that on a glass substrate. An overall efficiency of 6.9% was achieved for a flexible thin‐film silicon solar cell on low cost PET substrate. (© 2015 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH &Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Geometrically nonlinear FEM analysis of 6‐parameter resultant shell theory based on 2‐D Cosserat constitutive model
Authors: Burzyński S. , Chróścielewski J. , Witkowski W.
Published: March 2015

We develop the elastic constitutive law for the resultant statically and kinematically exact, nonlinear, 6‐parameter shell theory. The Cosserat plane stress equations are integrated through‐the‐ thickness under assumption of the Reissner‐Mindlin kinematics. The resulting constitutive equations for stress resultant and couple resultants are expressed in terms of two micropolar constants: the micropolar modulus and the micropolar characteristic length l. Based on FEM simulations we evaluate their influence on the behaviour of shell models in the geometrically nonlinear range of deformations.
Insight into the Interaction Between Carbopol® 940 and Ionic/Nonionic Surfactant
Authors: Milanović Maja , Krstonošić Veljko , Dokić Ljubica , Hadnađev Miroslav , Dapčević Hadnađev Tamara
Published: March 2015

Mixtures of a cross‐linked polyacrylic acid (Carbopol® 940) and two types of surfactants, namely anionic sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS) and nonionic Tween® 80, were investigated by viscometry, conductometry, tensiometry, spectrophotometry, fluorimetry and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The addition of nonionic surfactant decreased the reduced viscosity and the transmittance of the Carbopol® polymer aqueous solutions. Furthermore, the interaction between Carbopol® 940 and SDS was characterized by two significant concentration values: the critical aggregation concentration of SDS was particularly independent of Carbopol® polymer concentration while the polymer saturation point of both surfactants increased with the increase in polymer content. The values of critical aggregation concentration and polymer saturation point obtained using various techniques confirmed the occurrence of Carbopol® polymer–surfactant associations. The effect of different SDS and Tween® 80 concentrations on the conformation of Carbopol® 940 in aqueous solution could be explained through hydrophobic association between surfactant micelles and Carbopol® polymer tails and through hydrogen bonding in the case of Tween® 80. Additionally, the surfactant‐induced structural changes were confirmed in Carbopol® 940–SDS and Carbopol® 940–Tween® 80 aqueous solutions by SEM measurements.
Cartilage hair hypoplasia: Characteristics and orthopaedic manifestations
Authors: Riley Patrick , Weiner Dennis S. , Leighley Bonnie , Jonah David , Morton D. Holmes , Strauss Kevin A. , Bober Michael B. , Dicintio Martin S.
Published: March 2015

Purpose

Cartilage hair hypoplasia (CHH) is a rare metaphyseal chondrodysplasia characterized by short stature and short limbs, found primarily in Amish and Finnish populations. Cartilage hair hypoplasia is caused by mutations in the RMRP gene located on chromosome 9p13.3. The disorder has several characteristic orthopaedic manifestations, including joint laxity, limited elbow extension, ankle varus, and genu varum. Immunodeficiency is of concern in most cases. Although patients exhibit orthopaedic problems, the orthopaedic literature on CHH patients is scant at best. The objective of this study was to characterize the orthopaedic manifestations of CHH based on the authors’ unique access to the largest collection of CHH patients ever reported.

Methods

The authors examined charts and/or radiographs in 135 cases of CHH. We analyzed the orthopaedic manifestations to better characterize and further understand the orthopaedic surgeon's role in this disorder. In addition to describing the clinical characteristics, we report on our surgical experience in caring for CHH patients.

Results

Genu varum, with or without knee pain, is the most common reason a patient with CHH will seek orthopaedic consultation. Of the cases reviewed, 32 patients had undergone surgery, most commonly to correct genu varum.

Conclusion

This paper characterizes the orthopaedic manifestations of CHH. Characterizing this condition in the orthopaedic literature will likely assist orthopaedic surgeons in establishing a correct diagnosis and appreciating the orthopaedic manifestations. It is important that the accompanying medical conditions are appreciated and evaluated.
Host and virological characteristics of patients with hepatitis C virus mixed genotype 1 and 2 infection
Authors: Huang Chung‐Feng , Huang Ching‐I , Yeh Ming‐Lun , Huang Jee‐Fu , Hsieh Ming‐Yen , Lin Zu‐Yau , Chen Shinn‐Cherng , Yu Ming‐Lung , Dai Chia‐Yen , Chuang Wan‐Long
Published: March 2015

The prevalence and characteristics of patients with hepatitis C virus mixed genotype 1 and 2 infection (HCV‐1/2) remains unclear. For each HCV‐1/2 patient with histological data available, two age‐ and sex‐matched HCV‐1 and HCV‐2 infected patients were selected for comparison, respectively. Of the 2776 patients, 261 (9.4%) patients were identified as having mixed HCV‐1/2 infection. The histological severity did not differ among HCV‐1/2 patients and controls. The proportion of patients with the interleukin‐28B (IL‐28B) rs8099917 TT genotype did not differ between patients with mixed‐1/2 and HCV‐1 infection (82.6% vs. 86.5%, p = 0.38). However, HCV‐2 infected patients had a significantly higher proportion of the rs8099917 TT genotype compared to patients with mixed HCV‐1/2 infections (91.6% vs. 82.6%, p = 0.03). The HCV RNA levels were similar in patients with HCV‐1/2 and HCV‐1 infections (5.5 ± 0.8 log IU/mL vs. 5.5 ± 0.9 log IU/L, p = 0.73), which were both significantly higher than that of HCV‐2 infection (5.1 ± 0.9 log IU/mL, both p < 0.001). Linear regression analysis revealed that the factors of HCV‐1/2 infection [β: 0.204; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.183–0.598, p < 0.001], body weight (β: 0.150; CI: 0.003–0.021, p = 0.008), and age (β: −0.139; CI: −0.020 to −0.002, p = 0.01) were independently correlated with HCV RNA levels in patients with HCV‐2 and mixed HCV‐1/2 infection. We concluded that the host genetic and viral presentations of patients with mixed HCV‐1/2 infection were more similar to those of patients with HCV‐1 infection than patients with HCV‐2 infection.
Novel Application of Chemical Cold Packs for Treatment of Exercise-Induced Hyperthermia: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Lissoway John B. , Lipman Grant S. , Grahn Dennis A. , Cao Vinh H. , Shaheen Michael , Phan Samson , Weiss Eric A. , Heller H. Craig
Published: March 2015

Objective

Heat-related illness is a common disease with significant morbidity and mortality. Despite no proven efficacy, application of chemical cold packs (CCP) to the skin overlying the large vessels of the neck, groin, and axillae is a traditional recommended cooling modality. The study objective was to compare the cooling rates of CCP applied to these traditional areas vs the glabrous skin surfaces of the cheeks, palms, and soles in exercise-induced hyperthermia.

Methods

Ten healthy adult male volunteers walked on a treadmill in a heated room (40° ± 0.5°C) while wearing insulated military overgarments until their esophageal temperatures (Tes) reached 39.2°C. Each participant had three heat stress trials on separate days: no treatment followed by randomly ordered traditional (neck, groin, and axillae) cooling and glabrous skin cooling.

Results

With no treatment, Tes remained stable after the first 5 minutes of the heat trial (ΔTes = 0.12° ± 0.07°C/10 min). Traditional cooling followed a linear decline (ΔTes = 0.17° ± 0.04°C/10 min; P < .001). Glabrous cooling enhanced the treatment effect by a steeper decline (ΔTes = 0.30° ± 0.06°C/10 min; P < .001), significantly different from traditional cooling by 2-way analysis of variance ( P < .001).

Conclusions

Application of CCP to glabrous skin surfaces was more effective for treating exercise-induced heat stress than the traditional CCP cooling intervention. This novel cooling technique may be beneficial as an adjunctive treatment for heat-related illness in the prehospital environment.
Work Patterns Dictate Energy Demands and Thermal Strain During Wildland Firefighting
Authors: Cuddy John S. , Sol Joseph A. , Hailes Walter S. , Ruby Brent C.
Published: March 2015

Objective

The purpose of this investigation was to characterize the effects of self-selected work activity on energy expenditure, water turnover, and thermal strain during wildland fire suppression. A secondary aim was to contrast current data with data collected 15 years ago using similar methods to determine whether job demands have changed.

Methods

Participants (n = 15, 26 ± 3 years, 179 ± 6 cm, 78.3 ± 8.6 kg) were monitored for 3 days for total energy expenditure, water turnover, core and chest skin temperature, physical activity, and heart rate. Participants arrived to the mobile laboratory each morning, submitted a nude weight, ingested a temperature transmitter, provided a urine sample, and were equipped with a physiological and activity monitor. Participants completed live wildland fire suppression during their work shifts.

Results

Mean core temperature was 37.6° ± 0.2°C, mean chest skin temperature was 34.1° ± 1.0°C, mean heart rate was 112 ± 13 beats/min, and the mean physiological strain index score was 3.3 ± 1.0. Wildland firefighters spent 49 ± 8%, 39 ± 6%, and 12 ± 2% in the sedentary, light, and moderate-vigorous intensity categories, respectively. The mean total energy expenditure was 19.1 ± 3.9 MJ/d, similar to 1997 (17.5 ± 6.9 MJ/d). The mean water turnover in 2012 was 9.5 ± 1.7 L/d, which was higher ( P < .05) compared with 1997–98 (7.0 ± 1.7 L/d).

Conclusions

Wildland firefighters do not induce consistently high cardiovascular and thermal strain while completing arduous work in a hot environment despite fairly high chest skin temperatures. The total energy expenditure in the current study suggests job demands are similar to those of 15 years ago, while the increased water turnover may reflect a change in drinking habits.
Electromagnetic Interference From Electronic Devices Used in the Management of Type 1 Diabetes Can Impair the Performance of an Avalanche Transceiver in Search Mode
Authors: Miller Steven C.M.
Published: March 2015

Objective

Portable electronic devices play an important role in the management of type 1 diabetes mellitus. Electromagnetic interference from electronic devices has been shown to impair the function of an avalanche transceiver in search mode (but not in transmitting mode). This study investigates the influence of electromagnetic interference from diabetes devices on a searching avalanche beacon.

Methods

The greatest distance at which an avalanche transceiver (in search mode) could accurately indicate the location of a transmitting transceiver was assessed when portable electronic devices (including an insulin pump and commonly used real-time continuous subcutaneous glucose monitoring system [rtCGMS]) were held in close proximity to each transceiver.

Results

The searching transceiver could accurately locate a transmitted signal at a distance of 30 m when used alone. This distance was unchanged by the Dexcom G4 rtCGMS, but was reduced to 10 m when the Medtronic Guardian rtCGMS was held close (within 30 cm) to the receiving beacon. Interference from the Animas Vibe insulin pump reduced this distance to 5 m, impairing the searching transceiver in a manner identical to the effect of a cell phone.

Conclusions

Electromagnetic interference produced by some diabetes devices when held within 30 cm of a searching avalanche transceiver can impair the ability to locate a signal. Such interference could significantly compromise the outcome of a companion rescue scenario. Further investigation using other pumps and rtCGMS devices is required to evaluate all available diabetes electronics. Meantime, all electronic diabetes devices including rtCGMS and insulin pumps should not be used within 30 cm of an avalanche transceiver.
A Case Study: Rare Lepiota brunneoincarnata Poisoning
Authors: Kose Murat , Yilmaz Ismail , Akata Ilgaz , Kaya Ertugrul , Guler Kerim
Published: March 2015

Amatoxin poisoning from the genus Lepiota may have a deadly outcome, although this is not seen as often as it is from the genus Amanita. In this report, we present a patient who was poisoned by a sublethal dose of Lepiota brunneoincarnata mushrooms. The patient was hospitalized 12 hours after eating the mushrooms. The patient’s transaminase levels increased dramatically starting on day 4. Aspartate transaminase peaked at 78 hours. Starting at 1265 IU/L, alanine transaminase peaked at 90 hours at 5124 IU/L. The patient was discharged on day 8 to outpatient care, and his transaminase levels returned to normal ranges in the subsequent days. A toxin analysis was carried out on the mushrooms that the patient claimed to have eaten. Using reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography analysis, an uptake of approximately 19.9 mg of amatoxin from nearly 30 g of mushrooms was calculated. This consisted of 10.59 mg of α-amanitin, 9.18 mg of β-amanitin, and 0.16 mg of γ-amanitin. In conclusion, we present a patient from Turkey who was poisoned by L. brunneoincarnata mushrooms.
Which Improvised Tourniquet Windlasses Work Well and Which Ones Won’t?
Authors: Kragh John F. , Wallum Timothy E. , Aden James K. , Dubick Michael A. , Baer David G.
Published: March 2015

Objective

Improvised tourniquets in first aid are recommended when no scientifically designed tourniquet is available. Windlasses for mechanical advantage can be a stick or pencil and can be used singly or multiply in tightening a tourniquet band, but currently there is an absence of empiric knowledge of how well such windlasses work. The purpose of the present study was to determine the performance of improvised tourniquets in their use by the type and number of windlasses to improve tourniquet practice.

Methods

A simulated Leg Tourniquet Trainer was used as a manikin thigh to test the effectiveness of improvised tourniquets of a band-and-windlass design. Two users made 20 tests each with 3 types of windlasses. Tests started with 1 representative of a given type (eg, 1 pencil), then continued with increasing numbers of each windlass type until the user reached 100% effectiveness as determined by cessation of simulated blood flow. Windlass types included chopsticks, pencils, and craft sticks.

Results

Effectiveness percentages in stopping bleeding were associated inversely with breakage percentages. Pulse stoppage percentages were associated inversely with breakage. The windlass turn numbers, time to stop bleeding, the number of windlasses, and the under-tourniquet pressure were associated inversely with breakage. The windlass type was associated with breakage; at 2 windlasses, only chopsticks were without breakage. Of those windlass types that broke, 20.7% were chopsticks, 26.1% were pencils, and 53.2% were craft sticks.

Conclusions

A pair of chopsticks as an improvised tourniquet windlass worked better than pencils or craft sticks.
A Concise History of Japan
Authors: Walker Brett L.
Published: March 2015

To this day, Japan's modern ascendancy challenges many assumptions about world history, particularly theories regarding the rise of the west and why the modern world looks the way it does. In this engaging new history, Brett L. Walker tackles key themes regarding Japan's relationships with its minorities, state and economic development, and the uses of science and medicine. The book begins by tracing the country's early history through archaeological remains, before proceeding to explore life in the imperial court, the rise of the samurai, civil conflict, encounters with Europe, and the advent of modernity and empire. Integrating the pageantry of a unique nation's history with today's environmental concerns, Walker's vibrant and accessible new narrative then follows Japan's ascension from the ashes of World War II into the thriving nation of today. It is a history for our times, posing important questions regarding how we should situate a nation's history in an age of environmental and climatological uncertainties.
Economic Development in Early Modern France
Authors: Horn Jeff
Published: March 2015

Privilege has long been understood as the constitutional basis of Ancien Régime France, legalising the provision of a variety of rights, powers and exemptions to some, whilst denying them to others. In this fascinating new study however, Jeff Horn reveals that Bourbon officials utilized privilege as an instrument of economic development, freeing some sectors of the economy from pre-existing privileges and regulations, while protecting others. He explores both government policies and the innovations of entrepreneurs, workers, inventors and customers to uncover the lived experience of economic development from the Fronde to the Restoration. He shows how, influenced by Enlightenment thought, the regime increasingly resorted to concepts of liberty to defend privilege as a policy tool. The book offers important new insights into debates about the impact of privilege on early industrialisation, comparative economic development and the outbreak of the French Revolution.
Islamic Law, Gender and Social Change in Post-Abolition Zanzibar
Authors: Stockreiter Elke
Published: March 2015

After the abolition of slavery in 1897, Islamic courts in Zanzibar (East Africa) became central institutions where former slaves negotiated socioeconomic participation. By using difficult-to-read Islamic court records in Arabic, Elke Stockreiter reassesses the workings of these courts as well as gender and social relations in Zanzibar Town during British colonial rule (1890–1963). She shows how Muslim judges maintained their autonomy within the sphere of family law and describes how they helped advance the rights of women, ex-slaves, and other marginalised groups. As was common in other parts of the Muslim world, women usually had to buy their divorce. Thus, Muslim judges played important roles as litigants negotiated moving up the social hierarchy, with ethnicisation increasingly influencing all actors. Drawing on these previously unexplored sources, this study investigates how Muslim judges both mediated and generated discourses of inclusion and exclusion based on social status rather than gender.
Modern Families
Authors: Golombok Susan
Published: March 2015

Modern Families brings together research on parenting and child development in new family forms including lesbian mother families, gay father families, families headed by single mothers by choice and families created by assisted reproductive technologies such as in vitro fertilisation (IVF), egg donation, sperm donation, embryo donation and surrogacy. This research is examined in the context of the issues and concerns that have been raised regarding these families. The findings not only contest popular myths and assumptions about the social and psychological consequences for children of being raised in new family forms but also challenge well-established theories of child development that are founded upon the supremacy of the traditional family. It is argued that the quality of family relationships and the wider social environment are more influential in children's psychological development than are the number, gender, sexual orientation, or biological relatedness of their parents or the method of their conception.
A History of Korean Christianity
Authors: Kim Sebastian C. H. , Kim Kirsteen
Published: March 2015

With a third of South Koreans now identifying themselves as Christian, Christian churches play an increasingly prominent role in the social and political events of the Korean peninsula. Sebastian Kim and Kirsteen Kim's comprehensive and timely history of different Christian denominations in Korea includes surveys of the Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant traditions as well as new church movements. They examine the Korean Christian diaspora and missionary movements from South Korea and also give cutting-edge insights into North Korea. This book, the first recent one-volume history and analysis of Korean Christianity in English, highlights the challenges faced by the Christian churches in view of Korea's distinctive and multireligious cultural heritage, South Korea's rapid rise in global economic power and the precarious state of North Korea, which threatens global peace. This History will be an important resource for all students of world Christianity, Korean studies and mission studies.
Dynamical Systems and Ergodic Theory
Authors: Pollicott Mark , Yuri Michiko
Published: March 2015

This book is essentially a self-contained introduction to topological dynamics and ergodic theory. It is divided into a number of relatively short chapters with the intention that each may be used as a component of a lecture course tailored to the particular audience. Parts of the book are suitable for a final year undergraduate course or for a master's level course. A number of applications are given, principally to number theory and arithmetic progressions (through van der Waerden's theorem and Szemerdi's theorem).
Voyages d'Ibn Batoutah
Authors: Ibn Batuta
Published: March 2015

This four-volume edition of the Arabic text of the Journey of the Moroccan traveller Ibn Battuta (1304–68/9), with a French translation, was published in 1853–8. In 1325, Ibn Battuta, who came from a family of Islamic jurists in Tangier, set out to make the pilgrimage to Mecca - the beginning of a journey that would last for twenty-four years and take him as far as China. In Volume 3, having decided to visit the court of the Turkic sultan Muhammad bin Tughluq at Delhi, he travels via Bukhara and Samarkand to Afghanistan and then across the Hindu Kush into India. At Delhi, he was given the post of Judge by the sultan, and he stayed at the court for six years. He provides a history of the kingdom of Delhi and an account of Tughluq's reign, describing both his wisdom and generosity and his 'acts of violence and criminal deeds'.
The Renaissance of Renewable Energy
Authors: Pagnoni Gian Andrea , Roche Stephen
Published: March 2015

This book provides detailed yet easily understandable information about sustainable energy alternatives in the context of growing public concern about climate change, the impending fuel crisis and environmental degradation. It deals with the history of energy use and the factors that have led to the current interest in energy alternatives and assesses the chance of renewable energy replacing fossil fuels in the future. The authors manage to make a highly complex and often intimidating subject not only accessible but also engaging and entertaining. This book unpacks but never simplifies the science of energy, leavening the more technical passages with anecdotes, metaphors, examples and imagery. By also dealing with the history, politics and economics of energy use, it offers both scientific and non-scientific readers a deeper understanding of the most important issue of our age.
Climate Change Litigation
Authors: Peel Jacqueline , Osofsky Hari M.
Published: March 2015

This examination of the role of litigation in addressing the problem of climate change focuses not only on how the massive and growing number of lawsuits influences regulation directly, but also on how the lawsuits shape corporate behaviour and public opinion. It provides readers with an understanding of how these lawsuits have shaped approaches to mitigation and adaptation, and have been used to try to force and to block regulation. There is a particular emphasis on lawsuits in the United States and Australia, the two jurisdictions which have had the most climate change litigation in the world, and the lessons provide broader insights into the role of courts in addressing climate change.
Quality and Risk Management in the IVF Laboratory
Authors: Mortimer Sharon T. , Mortimer David
Published: March 2015

Public concern over high-profile mistakes in IVF clinics and the concomitant increase in governmental regulation, have given rise to widespread recognition of the need for accreditation of IVF clinics. Modern accreditation schemes are largely based on the principles of ISO 9001 and related standards, at the heart of which lies the expectation of a formal quality management system. Risk analysis and risk minimization are also being demanded of IVF clinics, but many only have limited understanding of how to approach these essential management tasks. This book brings together the basics of quality management and risk management, focussing on 'prophylactic management' - prevention rather than cure. Each chapter in this new edition is fully updated and extended to include new material such as, quality and risk management in the ART clinic, and an illustrative example of a 'well-run' clinic. This is the essential guide for clinicians and IVF laboratory staff.
Ellipsis in English Literature
Authors: Toner Anne
Published: March 2015

Anne Toner provides an original account of the history of ellipsis marks - dots, dashes and asterisks - in English literary writing. Highlighting ever-renewing interest in these forms of non-completion in literature, Toner demonstrates how writers have striven to get closer to the hesitancies and interruptions of spoken language, the indeterminacies of thought, and the successive or fragmented nature of experience by means of these textual symbols. While such punctuation marks may seem routine today, this book describes their emergence in early modern drama and examines the relationship between authors, printers and grammarians in advancing or obstructing the standardisation of the marks. Their development is explored through close study of the works of major English writers, including Jonson, Shakespeare, Richardson, Sterne, Meredith and Woolf, along with visual illustrations of their usage. In particular, Toner traces the evolution of ellipsis marks in the novel, a form highly receptive to elliptical punctuation.
Crafting Policies to End Poverty in Latin America
Authors: De La O Ana Lorena
Published: March 2015

This book provides a theory and evidence to explain the initial decision of governments to adopt a conditional cash transfer program (the most prominent type of anti-poverty program currently in operation in Latin America), and whether such programs are insulated from political manipulations or not. Ana Lorena De La O shows that whether presidents limit their own discretion or not has consequences for the survival of policies, their manipulation, and how effective they are in improving the lives of the poor. This book is the first of its kind to present evidence from all Latin American CCTs.
The Crisis of German Historicism The Early Political Thought of Hannah Arendt and Leo Strauss
Authors: Keedus Liisi
Published: March 2015

Hannah Arendt and Leo Strauss - two major political thinkers of the twentieth century, both of German-Jewish background and forced into exile in America - were never friends or intellectual interlocutors. Yet they shared a radical critique of contemporary idioms of politically oriented discourses and a lifelong effort to modify reflective approaches to political experience. Liisi Keedus reveals how Arendt's and Strauss's thinking about political modernity was the product of a common intellectual formation in Weimar Germany, by examining the cross-disciplinary debates guiding their early work. Through a historical reconstruction of their shared interrogative horizons - comprising questions regarding the possibility of an ethically engaged political philosophy after two world wars, the political fate of Jewry, the implications of modern conceptions of freedom, and the relation between theoria and praxis - Keedus unravels striking similarities, as well as genuine antagonisms, between the two thinkers.
The Theology of Augustine's Confessions
Authors: Rigby Paul
Published: March 2015

This study of the Confessions engages with contemporary philosophers and psychologists antagonistic to religion and demonstrates the enduring value of Augustine's journey for those struggling with theistic incredulity and religious narcissism. Paul Rigby draws on current Augustinian scholarship and the works of Paul Ricœur to cross-examine Augustine's testimony. This analysis reveals the sophistication of Augustine's confessional text, which anticipates the analytical mindset of his critics. Augustine presents a coherent, defensible response to three age-old problems: free will and grace; goodness, innocent suffering, and radical evil; and freedom and predestination. The Theology of Augustine's Confessions moves beyond commentary and allows present-day readers to understand the Confessions as its original readers experienced it, bridging the divide introduced by Kant, Hegel, Freud, Nietzsche, Heidegger, and their descendants.
Dickens and the Business of Death
Authors: Wood Claire
Published: March 2015

Charles Dickens is famous for his deathbed scenes, but these have rarely been examined within the context of his ambivalence towards the Victorian commodification of death. Dickens repeatedly criticised ostentatious funeral and mourning customs, and asserted the harmful consequences of treating the corpse as an object of speculation rather than sympathy. At the same time, he was fascinated by those who made a living from death and recognised that his authorial profits implicated him in the same trade. This book explores how Dickens turned mortality into the stuff of life and art as he navigated a thriving culture of death-based consumption. It surveys the diverse ways in which death became a business, from body-snatching, undertaking, and joint-stock cemetery companies, to the telling and selling of stories. This broad study offers fresh perspectives on death in The Old Curiosity Shop and Our Mutual Friend, and discusses lesser-known works and textual illustrations.
The anthelmintic efficacy of natural plant cysteine proteinases against the rat tapeworm Hymenolepis diminutain vivo
Authors: Mansur F. , Luoga W. , Buttle D.J. , Duce I.R. , Lowe A. , Behnke J.M.
Published: March 2015

Hymenolepis diminuta is a natural parasite of the common brown rat Rattus norvegicus, and provides a convenient model system for the assessment of the anthelmintic activity of novel drugs against cestodes. The experiments described in this paper indicate that treatment of rats infected with H. diminuta with a supernatant extract of papaya latex, containing a mixture of four cysteine proteinases, was moderately efficacious, resulting in a significant, but relatively small, reduction in worm burden and biomass. However, faecal egg output was not affected by treatment. In our experiments these effects were only partially dose-dependent, although specific inhibition by E-64 confirmed the role of cysteine proteinases as the active principles in papaya latex affecting worm growth but not statistically reducing worm burden. Data collected for a further 7 days after treatment indicated that the effects of papaya latex supernatant on worm loss and on worm growth were not enhanced. Our findings provide a starting point for further refinement in formulation and delivery, or assessment of alternative natural plant-derived cysteine proteinases in efforts to develop these naturally occurring enzymes into broad-spectrum anthelmintics, with efficacy against cestodes as well as nematodes.
What isaṣ̌a-?
Authors: Ahmadi Amir
Published: March 2015

The termaṣ̌a-stands in the centre of ancient Iranian thought. It is a pivotal concept in Zoroastrian religious lore, but is not, in its significance, coeval with Zoroastrianism. As an object of eschatological longing,aṣ̌a-has Indo-Iranian roots. It is, in Old and Middle Persian texts, primarily understood as a synecdoche for the divine sphere where the religiously dutiful expect to lead a blessed mental existence after death.Aṣ̌a-is also a deity of the Old Avestan pantheon, thus a deified concept. Finally, the term is regularly used in the Gāthās as both the authoritative instance of measuring human (religious) conduct, and the normative goal of therapeutic (eschatological) activity. In this latter usage, too, and in agreement with its form and etymology,aṣ̌a-signifies a concrete phenomenon. There are good reasons to think that this phenomenon is the world as it was “put together” by Ahura Mazdā, and only subsequently sickened by the forces of deception. Translations to date, such as “truth” and “order”, are examined, all of which are shown to have serious problems. In conclusion I propose to translateaṣ̌a-as “cosmos”.
Non-tuberculous mycobacterial infection in hospitalized children: a case series
Authors: IROH TAM P. Y. , KLINE S. , WARD G. , FERRIERI P.
Published: March 2015

Non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) illness is an emerging life-threatening infection, and paediatric features have not been well studied. The objective of our study was to review the NTM isolates of hospitalized paediatric patients identified at our institution and to describe the characteristics of these cases. Our retrospective chart review from 2010 to 2013 identified 45 patients with 46 positive NTM cultures. Fifteen (33%) patients had received haematopoietic cell transplant, 13 (29%) had cystic fibrosis, and six (13%) were previously healthy. Twenty-seven (59%) NTM isolates were Mycobacterium chelonae/abscessus, 14 (30%) were M. avium intracellulare, and four (9%) were M. immunogenum. The majority (65%) of cases were community-acquired, and 20 (43%) patients were treated as infection. This case series identified a predominance of M. chelonae/abscessus, and includes a substantial number of haematopoietic cell transplant patients, which reflects the changing spectrum of NTM disease as molecular diagnostics improve and quaternary care facilities provide for a larger immunocompromised population.
Trends in the epidemiology of invasiveHaemophilus influenzaedisease in Queensland, Australia from 2000 to 2013: what is the impact of an increase in invasive non-typableH. influenzae(NTHi)?
Authors: WAN SAI CHEONG J. , SMITH H. , HENEY C. , ROBSON J. , SCHLEBUSCH S. , FU J. , NOURSE C.
Published: March 2015

Following the introduction of vaccination againstHaemophilus influenzaetype b (Hib), cases of invasive encapsulated Hib disease have decreased markedly. This study aimed to examine subsequent epidemiological trends in invasiveH. influenzaedisease in Queensland, Australia and in particular, assess the clinical impact and public health implications of invasive non-typableH. influenzae(NTHi) strains. A multicentre retrospective study was conducted from July 2000 to June 2013. Databases of major laboratories in Queensland including Queensland Forensic and Scientific Services (jurisdictional referral laboratory for isolate typing) were examined to identify cases. Demographic, infection site, Indigenous status, serotype, and mortality data were collected. In total, 737 invasive isolates were identified, of which 586 (79·5%) were serotyped. Hib, NTHi and encapsulated non-b strains, respectively, constituted 12·1%, 69·1% and 18·8% of isolates. The predominant encapsulated non-b strains were f (45·5%) and a (27·3%) serotypes. Of isolates causing meningitis, 48·9% were NTHi, 14·9% Hib, 14·9% Hie, 10·6% Hif, 6·4% Hia and 4·3% were untyped. During the study period, there was an increase in the incidence of invasive NTHi disease (P= 0·007) with seasonal peaks in winter and spring (P< 0·001). The incidence of Hib disease (P= 0·295) and of encapsulated non-b disease (P= 0·122) did not change significantly. Highest overall incidence was in infants, Indigenous, and elderly patients. Australian Indigenous patients were more likely to have Hia (P> 0·001) and Hib (P= 0·039) than non-Indigenous patients. In Queensland, invasiveH. influenzaedisease is now predominantly encountered in adults and most commonly caused by NTHi strains with demonstrated pathogenicity extending to otherwise young or immunocompetent individuals. Routine public health notification of these strains is recommended and recent available immunization options should be considered.
TAXONOMY OF BEGONIA SEROTINA (BEGONIACEAE) AND ALLIED SPECIES
Authors: Tebbitt M. C. , Toapanta A. C. E. , Pérez Á. J.
Published: March 2015

An emended description of the poorly known Begonia serotina A.DC. (Begoniaceae) is provided and B. asympeltata L.B.Sm. & Wassh. is newly synonymised with that species. The classification of Begonia serotina in B. sect. Knesebeckia (Klotzsch) A.DC. is confirmed. Begonia compacticaulis Irmsch. is shown to be a synonym of B. ludwigii Irmsch., while the circumscription of B. compacticaulis in the Flora of Ecuador is shown to be based on specimens of both B. ludwigii and B. serotina. Begonia serotina is more widely distributed than previously recorded and is newly reported from Ecuador’s Los Rios, Bolivar and Loja provinces and Peru’s Tumbes region. Begonia serotina is reassessed as Vulnerable (VU), according to IUCN criteria.
Food Insecurity in German households: Qualitative and Quantitative Data on Coping, Poverty Consumerism and Alimentary Participation
Authors: Pfeiffer Sabine , Ritter Tobias , Oestreicher Elke
Published: March 2015

This article provides empirical results on food consumption patterns of German low-income households and those living under conditions of welfare as defined by Social Code II (Sozialgesetzbuch II). We focus on nutritional consumption patterns, strategies of food choices and typologies of coping with alimentary exclusion in Germany. Quantitative data from SILC/Eurostat are examined alongside qualitative data derived from a longitudinal study composed of more than 450 biographical interviews, conducted over a period of five years. The quantitative data reveal that food poverty and alimentary participation in German households is severe compared to the European average, the UK and even to Greece. The qualitative data give insight into a broad variety of individual coping strategies, eliciting evidence of the essential role of alimentary participation, as well as its tight restrictions.
Lifestyle and reproductive risk factors associated with anal cancer in women aged over 50 years
Authors:   on behalf of the Million Women Study Collaborators, Coffey K , Beral V , Green J , Reeves G , Barnes I
Published: March 2015

Background:

Anal cancer incidence increases with age and is higher in women than men. Risk factors in this group other than high-risk human papillomavirus infection are unclear.

Methods:

In all, 1.3 million women were recruited in 1996–2001 and followed for incident anal cancer. Cox regression models were used to calculate relative risks (RRs) for anal cancer by various potential risk factors.

Results:

Five hundred and seventeen incident anal cancers were registered over 13 years of follow-up. The largest RR was associated with a history of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 3 (CIN 3; RR=4.03, 95% CI 2.59–6.28). Other factors associated with significantly increased risks in multivariate analyses were: ever smoking (RR=1.49, 1.24–1.80); previous use of oral contraceptives (RR=1.51, 1.24–1.83); nulliparity (RR=1.61, 1.24–2.07); tubal ligation (RR=1.39, 1.13–1.70) and not living with a partner (RR=1.82, 1.40–2.38). The association with smoking was significantly greater for squamous cell carcinoma than adenocarcinoma of the anus (RR 1.66 vs 0.89, P for heterogeneity=0.04).

Conclusions:

History of CIN 3, smoking, past oral contraceptive use, nulliparity, tubal ligation and not living with a partner are risk factors for anal cancer in women. There was a significant increase in risk associated with smoking for squamous cell anal cancers but not adenocarcinomas.
A high-mobility electronic system at an electrolyte-gated oxide surface
Authors: Gallagher Patrick , Lee Menyoung , Petach Trevor A. , Stanwyck Sam W. , Williams James R. , Watanabe Kenji , Taniguchi Takashi , Goldhaber-Gordon David
Published: March 2015

Electrolyte gating is a powerful technique for accumulating large carrier densities at a surface. Yet this approach suffers from significant sources of disorder: electrochemical reactions can damage or alter the sample, and the ions of the electrolyte and various dissolved contaminants sit Angstroms from the electron system. Accordingly, electrolyte gating is well suited to studies of superconductivity and other phenomena robust to disorder, but of limited use when reactions or disorder must be avoided. Here we demonstrate that these limitations can be overcome by protecting the sample with a chemically inert, atomically smooth sheet of hexagonal boron nitride. We illustrate our technique with electrolyte-gated strontium titanate, whose mobility when protected with boron nitride improves more than 10-fold while achieving carrier densities nearing 1014 cm−2. Our technique is portable to other materials, and should enable future studies where high carrier density modulation is required but electrochemical reactions and surface disorder must be minimized.
Four-dimensional in vivo X-ray microscopy with projection-guided gating
Authors: Mokso Rajmund , Schwyn Daniel A. , Walker Simon M. , Doube Michael , Wicklein Martina , Müller Tonya , Stampanoni Marco , Taylor Graham K. , Krapp Holger G.
Published: March 2015

Visualizing fast micrometer scale internal movements of small animals is a key challenge for functional anatomy, physiology and biomechanics. We combine phase contrast tomographic microscopy (down to 3.3 μm voxel size) with retrospective, projection-based gating (in the order of hundreds of microseconds) to improve the spatiotemporal resolution by an order of magnitude over previous studies. We demonstrate our method by visualizing 20 three-dimensional snapshots through the 150 Hz oscillations of the blowfly flight motor.
Primate immune responses to HIV-1 Env formulated in the saponin-based adjuvant AbISCO-100 in the presence or absence of TLR9 co-stimulation
Authors: Martinez Paola , Sundling Christopher , O'Dell Sijy , Mascola John R. , Wyatt Richard T. , Karlsson Hedestam Gunilla B.
Published: March 2015

Protein-based vaccines require adjuvants to achieve optimal responses. Toll-like receptor (TLR) 9 agonists were previously shown to improve responses to protein-based vaccines, such as the Hepatitis B virus vaccine formulated in alum. Here, we used CpG-C together with the clinically relevant saponin-based adjuvant AbISCO-100/Matrix-M (AbISCO), to assess if TLR9 co-stimulation would quantitatively or qualitatively modulate HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein (Env)-specific B and T cell responses in rhesus macaques. The macaques were inoculated with soluble Env trimers in AbISCO, with or without the addition of CpG-C, using an interval similar to the Hepatitis B virus vaccine. Following a comprehensive evaluation of antigen-specific responses in multiple immune compartments, we show that the Env-specific circulating IgG, memory B cells and plasma cells displayed similar kinetics and magnitude in the presence or absence of CpG-C and that there was no apparent difference between the two groups in the elicited HIV-1 neutralizing antibody titers or antigen-specific CD4+ T cell responses. Importantly, the control of SHIV viremia was significantly improved in animals from both Env-immunized groups relative to adjuvant alone controls, demonstrating the potential of AbISCO to act as a stand-alone adjuvant for Env-based vaccines.
Repair of spinal cord injury by implantation of bFGF-incorporated HEMA-MOETACL hydrogel in rats
Authors: Chen Bo , He Jianyu , Yang Hao , Zhang Qian , Zhang Lingling , Zhang Xian , Xie En , Liu Cuicui , Zhang Rui , Wang Yi , Huang Linhong , Hao Dingjun
Published: March 2015

There is no effective strategy for the treatment of spinal cord injury (SCI). An appropriate combination of hydrogel materials and neurotrophic factor therapy is currently thought to be a promising approach. In this study, we performed experiments to evaluate the synergic effect of implanting hydroxyl ethyl methacrylate [2-(methacryloyloxy)ethyl] trimethylammonium chloride (HEMA-MOETACL) hydrogel incorporated with basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) into the site of surgically induced SCI. Prior to implantation, the combined hydrogel was surrounded by an acellular vascular matrix. Sprague–Dawley rats underwent complete spinal cord transection at the T-9 level, followed by implantation of bFGF/HEMA-MOETACL 5 days after transection surgery. Our results showed that the bFGF/HEMA-MOETACL transplant provided a scaffold for the ingrowth of regenerating tissue eight weeks after implantation. Furthermore, this newly designed implant promoted both nerve tissue regeneration and functional recovery following SCI. These results indicate that HEMA-MOETACL hydrogel is a promising scaffold for intrathecal, localized and sustained delivery of bFGF to the injured spinal cord and provide evidence for the possibility that this approach may have clinical applications in the treatment of SCI.
Kirenol Attenuates Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis by Inhibiting Differentiation of Th1 and Th17 Cells and Inducing Apoptosis of Effector T Cells
Authors: Xiao Juan , Yang Rongbing , Yang Lin , Fan Xiaohang , Liu Wenwei , Deng Wenbin
Published: March 2015

Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), a model of multiple sclerosis (MS), is characterized by CNS demyelination mediated by autoreactive T cells. Kirenol, a biologically active substance isolated from Herba Siegesbeckiae, has potent anti-inflammatory activities. Here we investigated effects of kirenol on EAE. Kirenol treatment markedly delayed onset of disease and reduced clinical scores in EAE mice. Kirenol treatment reduced expression of IFN-γ and IL-17A in the serum and proportion of Th1 and Th17 cells in draining lymph nodes. Priming of lymphocytes was reduced and apoptosis of MOG-activated CD4+ T cells was increased in kirenol treated EAE mice. Kirenol treatment of healthy animals did not affect the lymphocytes in these non-immunized mice. Further invitro studies showed that kirenol inhibited viability of MOG-specific lymphocytes and induced apoptosis of MOG-specific CD4+ T cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Kirenol treatment upregulated Bax,downregulated Bcl-2,and increased activation of caspase-3 and release of cytochrome c, indicating that a mitochondrial pathway was involved in kirenol induced apoptosis. Moreover, pretreatment with either a pan-caspase inhibitor z-VAD-fmk or a more specific caspase 3 inhibitor Ac-DEVD-CHO in lymphocytes reduced kirenol induced apoptosis. Our findings implicate kirenol as a useful agent for the treatment of MS.