bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Inhibition of fibroblast growth factor receptor with AZD4547 mitigates juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma
Authors: Le Tran , New Jacob , Jones Joel W. , Usman Shireen , Yalamanchali Sreeya , Tawfik Ossama , Hoover Larry , Bruegger Dan E. , Thomas Sufi Mary
Published: July 2017

Background

Juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma (JNA) is a benign tumor that presents in adolescent males. Although surgical excision is the mainstay of treatment, recurrences complicate treatment. There is a need to develop less invasive approaches for management. JNA tumors are composed of fibroblasts and vascular endothelial cells. We identified fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression in JNA‐derived fibroblasts. FGFR influences fibroblast proliferation and VEGF is necessary for angiogenesis. We hypothesized that targeting FGFR would mitigate JNA fibroblast proliferation, invasion, and migration, and that targeting the VEGF receptor would attenuate endothelial tubule formation.

Methods

After informed consent, fibroblasts from JNA explants of 3 patients were isolated. Fibroblasts were treated with FGFR inhibitor AZD4547, 0 to 25 μg/mL for 72 hours and proliferation was quantified using CyQuant assay. Migration and invasion of JNA were assessed using 24‐hour transwell assays with subsequent fixation and quantification. Mitigation of FGFR and downstream signaling was evaluated by immunoblotting. Tubule formation was assessed in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) treated with vehicle control (dimethylsulfoxide [DMSO]) or semaxanib (SU5416) as well as in serum‐free media (SFM) or JNA conditioned media (CM). Tubule length was compared between treatment groups.

Results

Compared to control, AZD4547 inhibited JNA fibroblast proliferation, migration, and invasion through inhibition of FGFR and downstream signaling, specifically phosphorylation of ‐ p44/42 mitogen activated protein kinase (p44/42 MAPK). JNA fibroblast CM significantly increased HUVEC tubule formation (p = 0.0039).

Conclusion

AZD4547 effectively mitigates FGFR signaling and decreases JNA fibroblast proliferation, migration, and invasion. SU5416 attenuated JNA fibroblast‐induced tubule formation. AZD4547 may have therapeutic potential in the treatment of JNA.
Randomized clinical trial of psychological support and sleep adjuvant measures for postoperative sleep disturbance in patients undergoing oesophagectomy
Authors: Scarpa M , Pinto E , Saraceni E , Cavallin F , Parotto M , Alfieri R , Nardi M T , Marchi M R , Cagol M , Castoro C , Saadeh L M , Caberlotto C , Caregaro L , Vianello A , Baratto F , Zaninotto G
Published: July 2017

Background

Major surgery such as oesophagectomy requires a postoperative stay in intensive care. Painful stimuli lead to sleep disturbance and impairment in quality of life. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of psychological counselling and sleep adjuvant measures on postoperative quality of sleep and quality of life.

Methods

This RCT was performed between January 2013 and October 2015. Patients undergoing oesophagectomy for cancer were randomized into one of four groups receiving: psychological counselling plus sleep adjuvant measures during the ICU stay; psychological counselling alone; sleep adjuvant measures alone during the ICU stay; or standard care. The primary endpoint was impairment in quality of life measured using the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer C30-QL2 questionnaire between admission for surgery and discharge from hospital. The secondary endpoint was impairment in quality of sleep assessed by means of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index between admission for surgery and hospital discharge.

Results

The local ethics committee approved the early termination of the study because of relevant changes in the ICU setting. Some 87 patients were randomized and 74 patients were evaluated in the analysis. Psychological counselling reduced the impairment in quality of life (odds ratio 0·23, 95 per cent c.i. 0·09 to 0·61) and in quality of sleep (odds ratio 0·27, 0·10 to 0·73).

Conclusion

Perioperative psychological support reduces impairment in quality of life and quality of sleep after oesophagectomy. Registration number: NCT01738620 (http://www.clinicaltrials.gov).
Blue Phosphorescent Iridium Complexes with Fluorine‐free Main Ligands for Efficient Organic Light‐emitting Diodes
Authors: Shin Hwa Yong , Jeong Seongjin , Kim Sung Hyun , Hong Jong‐In
Published: July 2017

Two heteroleptic iridium(III) complexes with fluorine‐free pyridylpyrimidine main ligands were designed and synthesized for use as blue phosphorescent emitters in organic light‐emitting diodes (OLEDs). Complexes 1 and 2 have a molecular formula of Ir(C∧N)2(L∧X), where C∧N = 2‐tert‐butyl‐5‐(pyridin‐2‐yl)pyrimidine (b5ppmH) is the main ligand and L∧X = picolinic acid (pic) and 2‐(1H‐tetrazol‐5‐yl)pyridine (ptz) are ancillary ligands. The thermal, photophysical, and electrochemical properties of these complexes were investigated. Even without electron‐withdrawing fluorine substituents, the complexes emitted blue light at 463 and 455 nm with moderate quantum efficiencies (ΦPL = 0.54 and 0.43), respectively. Furthermore, the replacement of the pyridine ring with a pyrimidine ring allowed blue emission without fluorine substituents. An organic light‐emitting device fabricated using complex 2 as a dopant and 1,3‐bis(N‐carbazolyl)benzene (mCP) as a host exhibited a maximum external quantum efficiency of 11.5% and color coordinates of (0.17, 0.26) at 100 cd/m2.
Growth Processes and Morphological Evolution of Polyaniline Film During Potentiostatic Growth
Authors: Kim Eunok , Kim Jae‐Hoon
Published: July 2017

We have investigated the potentiostatic growth processes and morphological evolution of polyaniline film on an indium tin oxide (ITO) electrode. The current‐time transient shows the existence of three stages in two growth regimes. As the initial formation of polyaniline is extremely fast, the current increases rapidly with time. Subsequently, the current increase is slowed down due to the decomposition reaction competes with polymerization. Polyaniline film grown rapidly on a bare ITO electrode shows a compact two‐dimensional layer with a granular structure. The granules start to grow upward on the first layer, with one‐dimensional growth resulting in a loosely bound and open fibrous structure. Further polymer film growth results in surface aggregates due to the increased degradation rate. Visualization of the surface morphology and the roughness of the grown film are consistent with the proposed growth processes.
Complete heart block following transcatheter closure of perimembranous VSD using amplatzer duct occluder II
Authors: Ghosh Sanjiban , Sridhar Anuradha , Sivaprakasam Muthukumaran
Published: July 2017

Long term follow up studies have shown that transcatheter closure of perimembranous Ventricular Septal Defect (PmVSD) can be done safely and successfully. One of the most serious complications of VSD device closure is complete atrioventricular block which has been reported in 3–18% is various studies following VSD device closure. Amplatzar Duct Occluder II (ADO‐II) device is now commonly being used for closure of small to moderate sized PmVSD. Complete heart block has not been reported with ADO‐II device. We are reporting 2 cases of complete heart block following transcatheter closure of PmVSD using ADO‐II device where sinus rhythm was established following early surgical removal of the device.
Selective Adsorption and Separation of Organic Dyes with Spherical Polyelectrolyte Brushes and Compressed Carbon Dioxide
Authors: Zhang Rui , Yu Zhenchuan , Wang Lei , Shen Qizhe , Hou Xiaoyan , Guo Xuhong , Wang Junwei , Zhu Xuedong , Yao Yuan
Published: July 2017

Dye‐containing wastewater has caused serious environmental pollution. Herein, rationally designed spherical polyelectrolyte brushes (SPBs) with cationic charges, polystyrene–poly(2‐aminoethylmethacrylate hydrochloride) (PS‐PAEMH) as the absorbent, and compressed carbon dioxide as the antisolvent are proposed for the separation of the anionic dye eosin Y (EY) from a solution of mixed dyes. The adsorption behavior of EY onto PS‐PAEMH was highly dependent on CO2 pressure, contact time, and initial concentration. The maximum adsorption capacity of PS‐PAEMH was 335.20 mg g−1. FTIR and UV/Vis measurements proved that the electrostatic interactions between EY and PS‐PAEMH played an important role in the absorbance process. The adsorption process fitted the pseudo‐second‐order kinetic model and Freundlich isotherm model very well. The combined dye and polymer brush could be easily separated through ion exchange by adding an aqueous solution of NaCl. Recovered PS‐PAEMH retained a high adsorption capacity even after ten cycles of regeneration. This method provides a simple and effective way to separate ionic materials for environmental engineering.
Impact of Hyperkalemia and Worsening Renal Function on the Use of Renin Angiotensin Aldosterone System Inhibitors in Chronic Heart Failure With Reduced Ejection Fraction
Authors: Pitt B , Rossignol P
Published: July 2017

Patients with heart failure (HF) and reduced ejection fraction (HFREF) are at increased risk of death and hospitalizations for HF. Numerous registries have reported a large and persistent gap between real‐life practice in the use of life‐saving evidence‐based therapies, such as renin angiotensin system inhibitors, beta blockers, mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRAs), and recommended practices in international guidelines. The fears of inducing hyperkalemia and/or worsening renal function are the main triggers of this underuse.
Competition amplifies drought stress in forests across broad climatic and compositional gradients
Authors: Gleason Kelly E. , Bradford John B. , Bottero Alessandra , D'Amato Anthony W. , Fraver Shawn , Palik Brian J. , Battaglia Michael A. , Iverson Louis , Kenefic Laura , Kern Christel C.
Published: July 2017

Forests around the world are experiencing increasingly severe droughts and elevated competitive intensity due to increased tree density. However, the influence of interactions between drought and competition on forest growth remains poorly understood. Using a unique dataset of stand‐scale dendrochronology sampled from 6405 trees, we quantified how annual growth of entire tree populations responds to drought and competition in eight, long‐term (multi‐decadal), experiments with replicated levels of density (e.g., competitive intensity) arrayed across a broad climatic and compositional gradient. Forest growth (cumulative individual tree growth within a stand) declined during drought, especially during more severe drought in drier climates. Forest growth declines were exacerbated by high density at all sites but one, particularly during periods of more severe drought. Surprisingly, the influence of forest density was persistent overall, but these density impacts were greater in the humid sites than in more arid sites. Significant density impacts occurred during periods of more extreme drought, and during warmer temperatures in the semi‐arid sites but during periods of cooler temperatures in the humid sites. Because competition has a consistent influence over growth response to drought, maintaining forests at lower density may enhance resilience to drought in all climates.
Rationale and design of the AdaptResponse trial: a prospective randomized study of cardiac resynchronization therapy with preferential adaptive left ventricular‐only pacing
Authors: Filippatos Gerasimos , Birnie David , Gold Michael R. , Gerritse Bart , Hersi Ahmad , Jacobs Sandra , Kusano Kengo , Leclercq Christophe , Mullens Wilfried , Wilkoff Bruce L. ,   on behalf of the AdaptResponse Investigators
Published: July 2017

The AdaptResponse trial is designed to test the hypothesis that preferential adaptive left ventricular‐only pacing with the AdaptivCRT® algorithm reduces the incidence of the combined endpoint of all‐cause mortality and intervention for heart failure (HF) decompensation, compared with conventional cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT), among patients with a CRT indication, left bundle branch block (LBBB) and normal atrioventricular (AV) conduction. The AdaptResponse study is a prospective, randomized, controlled, single‐blinded, multicentre, clinical trial (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02205359), conducted at up to 200 centres worldwide. Following enrolment and baseline assessment, eligible subjects will be implanted with a CRT system containing the AdaptivCRT algorithm, and randomized in a 1:1 fashion to either a treatment (‘AdaptivCRT’) or control (‘Conventional CRT’) group. The study is designed to observe a primary endpoint in 1100 patients (‘event‐driven’) and approximately 3000 patients will be randomized. The primary endpoint is the composite of all‐cause mortality and intervention for HF decompensation; secondary endpoints include all‐cause mortality, intervention for HF decompensation, clinical composite score (CCS) at 6 months, atrial fibrillation, quality of life measured by the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire (KCCQ), health outcome measured by the EQ‐5D instrument, all‐cause readmission after a HF admission, and cost‐effectiveness. The AdaptResponse clinical trial is powered to assess clinical endpoints and is expected to provide definitive evidence on the incremental utility of AdaptivCRT‐enhanced CRT systems.
Macromolecular materials based on the application of the Diels–Alder reaction to natural polymers and plant oils
Authors: Gandini Alessandro , Carvalho Antonio J. F. , Trovatti Eliane , Kramer Ricardo K. , Lacerda Talita M.
Published: July 2017

The furan‐maleimide thermally reversible Diels–Alder reaction applied to the elaboration of novel macromolecular materials from renewable resources (see image of polymerization and depolymerization) is reviewed on the basis of our investigations, which cover predominantly the field to this date. Different approaches are outlined, depending on the substrate and the results discussed in terms of the properties and potential applications of the ensuing linear, branched, and crosslinked polymers, with particular emphasis on their recyclability. These chemical modifications concern triglycerides and macromonomers derived from them, polysaccharides such as cellulose fibers and nanofibers, starch and chitosan, as well as natural rubber and gelatin.

The furan‐maleimide thermally reversible Diels–Alder reaction applied to the elaboration of novel macromolecular materials from renewable resources (see image of polymerization and depolymerization) is reviewed on the basis of our investigations, which cover predominantly the field to this date. Different approaches are outlined, depending on the substrate and the results discussed in terms of the properties and potential applications of the ensuing linear, branched, and crosslinked polymers, with particular emphasis on their recyclability. These chemical modifications concern triglycerides and macromonomers derived from them, polysaccharides such as cellulose fibers and nanofibers, starch and chitosan, as well as natural rubber and gelatin.
Carbon Nanotubes Modified Graphite Electrodes for Monitoring of Biointeraction Between 6‐Thioguanine and DNA
Authors: Unal Didem Nur , Eksin Ece , Erdem Arzum
Published: July 2017

In this present study, single‐walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) modified disposable pencil graphite electrodes (SWCNT‐PGEs) were developed for the electrochemical monitoring of anticancer drug, and its interaction with double stranded DNA (dsDNA). Under this aim, SWCNT‐PGEs were applied for the first time in the literature to analyse of 6‐Thioguanine (6‐TG), and also to investigate its interaction with DNA by voltammetric and impedimetric methods. The surface morphologies of PGE and SWCNT‐PGE were explored using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and electrochemical characterization of unmodified/modified electrodes was performed by cyclic voltammetry (CV). Experimental parameters; such as, the concentration of 6‐TG and its interaction time with dsDNA were optimized by using differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). Additionally, the interaction of 6‐TG with dsDNA was studied in case of different interaction times by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) in contrast to voltammetric results. The detection limit of 6‐TG was found to be 0.25 μM by SWCNT‐PGE.
Forecasting house prices in OECD economies
Authors: Kishor N. Kundan , Marfatia Hardik A.
Published: July 2017

In this paper, we forecast real house price growth of 16 OECD countries using information from domestic macroeconomic indicators and global measures of the housing market. Consistent with the findings for the US housing market, we find that the forecasts from an autoregressive model dominate the forecasts from the random walk model for most of the countries in our sample. More importantly, we find that the forecasts from a bivariate model that includes economically important domestic macroeconomic variables and two global indicators of the housing market significantly improve upon the univariate autoregressive model forecasts. Among all the variables, the mean square forecast error from the model with the country's domestic interest rates has the best performance for most of the countries. The country's income, industrial production, and stock markets are also found to have valuable information about the future movements in real house price growth. There is also some evidence supporting the influence of the global housing price growth in out‐of‐sample forecasting of real house price growth in these OECD countries.
Evidence for capitation reform in a New Rural Cooperative Medical Scheme in Pudong New Area, Shanghai: A longitudinal study
Authors: Wang Yanmei , Shu Zhiqun , Gu Jianjun , Sun Xiaoming , Jing Limei , Bai Jie , Huang Xuan , Lou Jiquan , Zhang Qunfang , Li Ming
Published: July 2017

Currently, China has been experiencing rapid growth of medical costs, serious waste of medical resources, increasing disease burden for residents, and a medical insurance fund deficit. Therefore, an urgent problem that needs to be solved is to choose a rational payment for the insurance system. To empirically evaluate the long‐term effects of capitation reform in a New Rural Cooperative Medical Scheme in Pudong New Area, we collected and analysed data regarding financing, fund operation, medical service cost, and medical care–seeking behaviour from 2011 to 2015, a duration that includes data before and after reform. The data for financing and behaviours were compared year by year, and the monthly data for inpatient and outpatient costs were evaluated in a retrospective time series study. The capitation reform in Pudong New Area showed strong evidence of the power of medical cost control in the long run, while it was weak in reversing the number of patients flowing into secondary and tertiary hospitals. To make the payment of capitation play a bigger role in cost control in China, a tighter alignment of capitation with the general practitioner system and achieving dual referral is critical for future studies.
Regulation of cell arrangement using a novel composite micropattern
Authors: Liu Xiaoyi , Liu Yaoping , Zhao Feng , Hun Tingting , Li Shan , Wang Yuguang , Sun Weijie , Wang Wei , Sun Yan , Fan Yubo
Published: July 2017

Micropatterning technique has been used to control single cell geometry in many researches, however, this is no report that it is used to control multicelluar geometry, which not only control single cell geometry but also organize those cells by a certain pattern. In this work, a composite protein micropattern is developed to control both cell shape and cell location simultaneously. The composite micropattern consists of a central circle 15 μm in diameter for single‐cell capture, surrounded by small, square arrays (3 μm × 3 μm) for cell spreading. This is surrounded by a border 2 μm wide for restricting cell edges. The composite pattern results in two‐cell and three‐cell capture efficiencies of 32.1% ± 1.94% and 24.2% ± 2.89%, respectively, representing an 8.52% and 9.58% increase, respectively, over rates of original patterns. Fluorescent imaging of cytoskeleton alignment demonstrates that actin is gradually aligned parallel to the direction of the entire pattern arrangement, rather than to that of a single pattern. This indicates that cell arrangement is also an important factor in determining cell physiology. This composite micropattern could be a potential method to precisely control multi‐cells for cell junctions, cell interactions, cell signal transduction, and eventually for tissue rebuilding study. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 105A: 3093–3101, 2017.
Synthesis, Characterization, and Structure of Some 1,4‐Disubstituted Cyclopenta[d][1,2]oxazines
Authors: Tice Nathan C. , Collins Eric M. , Smith Darrin L. , Snyder Chad A. , Yan Bangbo , Stevens Edwin D.
Published: July 2017

Oxazine‐based chemistry offers an alternative to thiophene and pyrrole semiconductors and has been largely unexplored for electronics applications. Discrete monomers or oxazine polymers could serve as an efficient hole carrier for novel devices. A series of 1,4‐disubstituted cyclopenta[d][1,2]oxazines (R = tolyl, p‐nitrophenyl, t‐buytl, furyl, and 5‐methylthienyl) were isolated via ring closure with hydroxylamine from a 1,2‐acylcyclopentadiene precursor. The target oxazines were characterized by NMR and IR spectroscopy and direct analysis in real time (DART) MS. Single‐crystal x‐ray structure determination confirmed the identity of the tolyl oxazine, which shows a face‐to‐face stacking pattern of the heterocyclic rings.
Acute Stress Symptoms in Seriously Injured Patients: Precipitating Versus Cumulative Trauma and the Contribution of Peritraumatic Distress
Authors: Briere John , Dias Colin P. , Semple Randye J. , Scott Catherine , Bigras Noémie , Godbout Natacha
Published: July 2017

The relationship between type of trauma exposure, cumulative trauma, peritraumatic distress, and subsequent acute stress disorder (ASD) symptoms was examined prospectively in 96 individuals presenting with acute medical injuries to a Level 1 emergency/trauma department. Common precipitating traumas included motor vehicle‐related events, stabbings, shootings, and physical assaults. At 2 to 3 weeks follow‐up, 22.9% of participants had developed ASD. Univariate analysis revealed no relationship between type of precipitating trauma and ASD symptoms, whereas robust path analysis indicated direct effects of gender, lifetime cumulative trauma exposure, and peritraumatic distress. Peritraumatic distress did not mediate the association between cumulative trauma and symptoms, but did mediate the association between gender and symptomatology. These results, which account for 23.1% of the variance in ASD symptoms, suggest that ASD may be more due to cumulative trauma exposure than the nature of the precipitating trauma, but that cumulative trauma does not exert its primary effect by increasing peritraumatic distress to the most recent trauma.
Computer Simulations on the Channel Membrane Formation by Nonsolvent Induced Phase Separation
Authors: Wang Chu , Quan Xuebo , Liao Mingrui , Li Libo , Zhou Jian
Published: July 2017

The formation of channel membrane of polystyrene‐block‐poly(4‐vinyl pyridine) block copolymer is studied by computer simulations with the nonsolvent induced phase separation (SNIPS) method. Dissipative particle dynamics is employed to study the microphase separation process and the SNIPS mechanism. Simulation results indicate that polymer concentration has a significant effect on the membrane structure. Channel membranes form in the copolymer concentration range of 44–58%. Block ratio plays an important role in shaping the membrane structure. Solvent exchange rate also affects the degree of microphase separation at each evolution stage of simulation. The time evolution of morphologies shows that the microphase separation processes happen with the following sequences: the polymer self‐assembled and many small pores appear, then they form irregular cavities and cross‐link gradually, finally the channel membrane forms. These results throw light on the formation mechanism of polymer membranes and provide insightful guidance for future membrane design and preparation.
Determination of internal temperatures within nitric oxide inductively coupled plasmas
Authors: Blechle Joshua M. , Hanna Angela R. , Fisher Ellen R.
Published: July 2017

Determination of molecular temperatures within inductively coupled plasmas is critical to understanding the reactions that drive the chemistry of these systems and the mechanisms involved in surface processing. To investigate such interactions, a dual, in situ broadband absorption and optical emission spectroscopy system was designed; providing insight into neutral and excited state species energetics, specifically rotational (TR) and vibrational (TV) temperatures across a broad spectral range (>800 nm). Nitric oxide plasmas have been investigated, where measured TV values were higher than TR values, indicating rotational degrees of freedom are more easily thermalized. Using the imaging of radicals interacting with surfaces technique, surface scatter coefficients were measured for NO radicals, which are discussed in relation to energy partitioning in these systems.
Experimental tests on members made from rolled angle sections
Authors: Spiliopoulos Andreas , Dasiou Maria‐Eleni , Thanopoulos Pavlos , Vayas Ioannis
Published: July 2017

Angle sections are widely used in civil engineering applications and especially in lattice towers for telecommunication purposes. The principal and geometrical axes of angle sections do not coincide and exhibit very low rigidity when it comes to uniform and non‐uniform torsion. Thus, design expressions, e.g. those included in EN1993‐1‐1 or EN 1993‐3‐1, do not apply for cross‐sections or members composed of angle sections. In addition, limited experimental investigations of members made from angle sections can be found in the literature, and those are mostly for cold‐formed ones. This paper presents a test campaign involving members made from equal‐leg hot‐rolled angle sections which was carried out at the Institute of Steel Structures of the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA). Tests included eight three‐point bending tests and 31 buckling tests on columns subjected to concentric and eccentric compression. The aims of the research are to use the experimental data for the calibration of numerical models, to investigate possible inelastic reserves in angles which have been detected in analytical models and to serve as a reference for the development of new design expressions oriented towards angle sections only.
The Development of the Rule of Law in ASEAN
Authors: Deinla Imelda
Published: July 2017

An interdisciplinary work that comparatively studies rule of law practices and the relationship between the rule of law and regional integration, a topic largely explored in European integration. By looking at the function of the rule of law in ASEAN rather than what it 'means' measured on normative conception, the book situates the rule of law in broader institutional and political processes in the member states and in regional relations to show the motivations of member states in adopting a peculiar type of regional architecture. It asks whether forging the rule of law in the region can help build it internally for member states. The book revisits discourses on the 'spill-over' of economic integration, the impact of globalization in reshaping the state and generating new tools of the rule of law. It makes a comprehensive comparison - the European Union, Africa Union and MERCOSUR - showing the uneven pathways to rule of law in various contexts.
Respectable Banking
Authors: Hotson Anthony
Published: July 2017

The financial collapse of 2007–8 has questioned our assumptions about the underlying basis for stability in the financial system, and Anthony Hotson here offers an important reassessment of the development of London's money and credit markets since the great currency crisis of 1695. He shows how this period has seen a series of intermittent financial crises interspersed with successive attempts to find ways and means of stabilizing the system. He emphasises, in particular, the importance of various principles of sound banking practice, developed in the late nineteenth century, that helped to stabilize London's money and credit markets. He shows how these principles informed a range of market practices that limited aggressive forms of funding, and discouraged speculative lending. A tendency to downplay the importance of these regulatory practices encouraged a degree of complacency about their removal, with consequences right through to the present day.
American Imperialism and the State, 1893–1921
Authors: Moore Colin D.
Published: July 2017

How did the acquisition of overseas colonies affect the development of the American state? How did the constitutional system shape the expansion and governance of American empire? American Imperialism and the State offers a new perspective on these questions by recasting American imperial governance as an episode of state building. Colin D. Moore argues that the empire was decisively shaped by the efforts of colonial state officials to achieve greater autonomy in the face of congressional obstruction, public indifference and limitations on administrative capacity. Drawing on extensive archival research, the book focuses principally upon four cases of imperial governance - Hawai'i, the Philippines, the Dominican Republic and Haiti - to highlight the essential tension between American mass democracy and imperial expansion.
Oil Revolution
Authors: Dietrich Christopher R. W.
Published: July 2017

Through innovative and expansive research, Oil Revolution analyzes the tensions faced and networks created by anti-colonial oil elites during the age of decolonization following World War II. This new community of elites stretched across Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, Algeria, and Libya. First through their western educations and then in the United Nations, the Arab League, and the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, these elites transformed the global oil industry. Their transnational work began in the early 1950s and culminated in the 1973–4 energy crisis and in the 1974 declaration of a New International Economic Order in the United Nations. Christopher R. W. Dietrich examines how these elites brokered and balanced their ambitions via access to oil, the most important natural resource of the modern era.
Communications and British Operations on the Western Front, 1914–1918
Authors: Hall Brian N.
Published: July 2017

This is an important new study examining the military operations of the British Expeditionary Force in 1914–18 through the lens of its communications system. Brian Hall charts how new communications technology such as wireless, telephone and telegraph were used alongside visual signalling, carrier pigeons and runners as the British army struggled to develop a communication system adequate enough to wage modern warfare. He reveals how tenuous communications added to the difficulties of command and control during the war's early years, and examines their role during the major battles of the Somme, Arras, Ypres and Cambrai. It was only in 1918 that the British army would finally develop a flexible and sophisticated communications system capable of effectively coordinating infantry, artillery, tanks and aeroplanes. This is a major contribution to our understanding of British military operations during the First World War, the learning processes of armies and the revolution in military affairs.
Structured to Fail?
Authors: Carrigan Christopher
Published: July 2017

In the search for explanations for three of the most pressing crises of the early twenty-first century (the housing meltdown and financial crisis, the Gulf oil spill, and the nuclear disaster at Fukushima), commentators pointed to the structure of the regulatory agencies charged with overseeing the associated industries, noting that the need to balance competing regulatory and non-regulatory missions undermined each agency's ability to be an effective regulator. Christopher Carrigan challenges this critique by employing a diverse set of research methods, including a statistical analysis, an in-depth case study of US regulatory oversight of offshore oil and gas development leading up to the Gulf oil spill, and a formal theoretical discussion, to systematically evaluate the benefits and concerns associated with either combining or separating regulatory and non-regulatory missions. His analysis demonstrates for policymakers and scholars why assigning competing non-regulatory missions to regulatory agencies can still be better than separating them in some cases.
Masterless Men
Authors: Merritt Keri Leigh
Published: July 2017

Analyzing land policy, labor, and legal history, Keri Leigh Merritt reveals what happens to excess workers when a capitalist system is predicated on slave labor. With the rising global demand for cotton - and thus, slaves - in the 1840s and 1850s, the need for white laborers in the American South was drastically reduced, creating a large underclass who were unemployed or underemployed. These poor whites could not compete - for jobs or living wages - with profitable slave labor. Though impoverished whites were never subjected to the daily violence and degrading humiliations of racial slavery, they did suffer tangible socio-economic consequences as a result of living in a slave society. Merritt examines how these 'masterless' men and women threatened the existing Southern hierarchy and ultimately helped push Southern slaveholders toward secession and civil war.
The Biopolitics of Manning the Royal Navy in Late Stuart England
Authors: Neufeld Matthew
Published: July 2017

This article examines the Royal Navy's implementation between 1690 and 1710 of new and publicly controversial policies, grounded in quantitative technologies, to manage the multitude of English seamen. These policies and their promotion can be profitably interpreted using the Foucauldian concept of biopolitics. Naval biopolitics meant mobilizing and promoting political arithmetic in the service of the fiscal-naval state. Thus, naval biopolitics was both a new model of statecraft and a form of state publicity, that is, a genre of works that strove to influence government policy and public opinion by promoting projects that a polemicist argued the state could and should undertake to better govern its subjects. The directives, legislation, and pamphlet literature of naval biopolitics projected a fiscal-naval state capable of counting, tracking, and mobilizing the national stock of seamen onto its ships in a predictable, salubrious, and, most crucially, orderly fashion. However, English naval biopolitics endured much longer as a genre of state propaganda than as a method of mobilizing the population of seamen onto ships.
David Hume Is Pontiff of the World: Thomas Carlyle on Epicureanism, Laissez-Faire, and Public Opinion
Authors: Jordan Alexander
Published: July 2017

Thomas Carlyle (1795–1881) is well known as one of the earliest and most vociferous critics of Benthamite utilitarianism. However, Carlyle understood Benthamism as the culmination of a much longer eighteenth-century tradition of Epicurean thought. Having been an enthusiastic reader of David Hume during his youth, Carlyle later turned against him, waging an increasingly violent polemic against all forms of Epicureanism. In these later works, Carlyle not only rejected the pursuit of “pleasure” as an appropriate end for the life of the individual, but also took umbrage with Epicurean accounts of sociability as the philosophical underpinnings of laissez-faire, representative democracy, and “public opinion.” For Carlyle, self-interest, no matter how “enlightened,” balanced, or channeled by institutions, could never provide a stable foundation for a political community. Carlyle's contemporaries were aware that his work was intended as an attack on the Epicurean tradition. When John Stuart Mill attempted to defend Epicureanism against Carlyle, several of the latter's disciples and sympathizers responded by extending Carlyle's earlier censures on Epicureanism.
What will Happen to Race Equality Policy on the Brexit Archipelago? Multi-Level Governance, ‘Sunk Costs’ and the ‘Mischief of Faction’
Authors: MEER NASAR
Published: July 2017

This article considers how one of the ‘archipelago of contradictions’ raised by Brexit is the prospect of unconventional policy change, in so far as it includes – amongst other options – ‘returning’ to prior conventions that were scaled up from the UK to the EU, and then returned to the UK through EU directives. To explore this, the paper divides UK equality legislation into three types: (a) that which was created in the UK (b) that which flows from membership of the European Union and (c) that which reflects an outgrowth of the two. The translation of this into social policy has typically taken a patchwork approach, including a discursive public function which addresses the rights of distinct groups as well as their modes of interaction. The scope and scale of existing equality approaches have therefore become central to the kinds of social and political citizenship achieved by Black and Minority Ethnic (BAME) Britons. While the dangers of Brexit rhetoric are apparent to see, we do not yet know how withdrawal from the EU revises (a), (b) or (c). The article makes a tentative attempt to shed light on these entanglements by focusing on public policies enacted to pursue race equality in particular.
Synthetic-lattice enabled all-optical devices based on orbital angular momentum of light
Authors: Luo Xi-Wang , Zhou Xingxiang , Xu Jin-Shi , Li Chuan-Feng , Guo Guang-Can , Zhang Chuanwei , Zhou Zheng-Wei
Published: July 2017

All-optical photonic devices are crucial for many important photonic technologies and applications, ranging from optical communication to quantum information processing. Conventional design of all-optical devices is based on photon propagation and interference in real space, which may rely on large numbers of optical elements, and the requirement of precise control makes this approach challenging. Here we propose an unconventional route for engineering all-optical devices using the photon’s internal degrees of freedom, which form photonic crystals in such synthetic dimensions for photon propagation and interference. We demonstrate this design concept by showing how important optical devices such as quantum memory and optical filters can be realized using synthetic orbital angular momentum (OAM) lattices in degenerate cavities. The design route utilizing synthetic photonic lattices may significantly reduce the requirement for numerous optical elements and their fine tuning in conventional design, paving the way for realistic all-optical photonic devices with novel functionalities.
Singlet oxygen-based electrosensing by molecular photosensitizers
Authors: Trashin Stanislav , Rahemi Vanoushe , Ramji Karpagavalli , Neven Liselotte , Gorun Sergiu M. , De Wael Karolien
Published: July 2017

Enzyme-based electrochemical biosensors are an inspiration for the development of (bio)analytical techniques. However, the instability and reproducibility of the reactivity of enzymes, combined with the need for chemical reagents for sensing remain challenges for the construction of useful devices. Here we present a sensing strategy inspired by the advantages of enzymes and photoelectrochemical sensing, namely the integration of aerobic photocatalysis and electrochemical analysis. The photosensitizer, a bioinspired perfluorinated Zn phthalocyanine, generates singlet-oxygen from air under visible light illumination and oxidizes analytes, yielding electrochemically-detectable products while resisting the oxidizing species it produces. Compared with enzymatic detection methods, the proposed strategy uses air instead of internally added reactive reagents, features intrinsic baseline correction via on/off light switching and shows C-F bonds-type enhanced stability. It also affords selectivity imparted by the catalytic process and nano-level detection, such as 20 nM amoxicillin in μl sample volumes.
Sediment transport drives tidewater glacier periodicity
Authors: Brinkerhoff Douglas , Truffer Martin , Aschwanden Andy
Published: July 2017

Most of Earth’s glaciers are retreating, but some tidewater glaciers are advancing despite increasing temperatures and contrary to their neighbors. This can be explained by the coupling of ice and sediment dynamics: a shoal forms at the glacier terminus, reducing ice discharge and causing advance towards an unstable configuration followed by abrupt retreat, in a process known as the tidewater glacier cycle. Here we use a numerical model calibrated with observations to show that interactions between ice flow, glacial erosion, and sediment transport drive these cycles, which occur independent of climate variations. Water availability controls cycle period and amplitude, and enhanced melt from future warming could trigger advance even in glaciers that are steady or retreating, complicating interpretations of glacier response to climate change. The resulting shifts in sediment and meltwater delivery from changes in glacier configuration may impact interpretations of marine sediments, fjord geochemistry, and marine ecosystems.
Direct observation of topological surface-state arcs in photonic metamaterials
Authors: Yang Biao , Guo Qinghua , Tremain Ben , Barr Lauren E. , Gao Wenlong , Liu Hongchao , Béri Benjamin , Xiang Yuanjiang , Fan Dianyuan , Hibbins Alastair P. , Zhang Shuang
Published: July 2017

The discovery of topological phases has introduced new perspectives and platforms for various interesting physics originally investigated in quantum contexts and then, on an equal footing, in classic wave systems. As a characteristic feature, nontrivial Fermi arcs, connecting between topologically distinct Fermi surfaces, play vital roles in the classification of Dirac and Weyl semimetals, and have been observed in quantum materials very recently. However, in classical systems, no direct experimental observation of Fermi arcs in momentum space has been reported so far. Here, using near-field scanning measurements, we show the observation of photonic topological surface-state arcs connecting topologically distinct bulk states in a chiral hyperbolic metamaterial. To verify the topological nature of this system, we further observe backscattering-immune propagation of a nontrivial surface wave across a three-dimension physical step. Our results demonstrate a metamaterial approach towards topological photonics and offer a deeper understanding of topological phases in three-dimensional classical systems.
Metallicity without quasi-particles in room-temperature strontium titanate
Authors: Lin Xiao , Rischau Carl Willem , Buchauer Lisa , Jaoui Alexandre , Fauqué Benoît , Behnia Kamran
Published: July 2017

Cooling oxygen-deficient strontium titanate to liquid-helium temperature leads to a decrease in its electrical resistivity by several orders of magnitude. The temperature dependence of resistivity follows a rough T3 behavior before becoming T2 in the low-temperature limit, as expected in a Fermi liquid. Here, we show that the roughly cubic resistivity above 100 K corresponds to a regime where the quasi-particle mean-free-path is shorter than the electron wave-length and the interatomic distance. These criteria define the Mott-Ioffe-Regel limit. Exceeding this limit is the hallmark of strange metallicity, which occurs in strontium titanate well below room temperature, in contrast to other perovskytes. We argue that the T3-resistivity cannot be accounted for by electron-phonon scattering à la Bloch–Gruneisen and consider an alternative scheme based on Landauer transmission between individual dopants hosting large polarons. We find a scaling relationship between carrier mobility, the electric permittivity and the frequency of transverse optical soft mode in this temperature range. Providing an account of this observation emerges as a challenge to theory.
Maternally-transmitted microbiota affects odor emission and preference in Drosophila larva
Authors: Farine Jean-Pierre , Habbachi Wafa , Cortot Jérôme , Roche Suzy , Ferveur Jean-François
Published: July 2017

Experimental studies show that early sensory experience often affects subsequent sensory preference, suggesting that the heterogeneity of sensory cues in nature could induce significant inter-individual behavioral variation, potentially contributing to maintain intraspecific diversity. To test this hypothesis, we explored the behavioral effect induced by variation in the levels of a self-produced chemical, acetoin, and its link with intraspecific diversity. Acetoin is a pheromone-like substance produced by gut-associated microorganisms in Drosophila. Using wild-type Drosophila melanogaster populations producing variable acetoin levels, we (i) characterized factors involved in this variation and (ii) manipulated some of these factors to affect acetoin responses in larvae. We found that increased and decreased variations in acetoin levels were caused by microorganisms associated with the outside and inside of the egg, respectively. Wild-type larvae preferred acetoin-rich food only when they both produced and were exposed to substantial amounts of acetoin. The removal of the outside of the egg or the genetic alteration of olfaction abolished this preference. In contrast, larvae exposed to high doses of synthetic acetoin were repulsed by acetoin. The similar effects obtained with freshly caught wild-type lines suggest that this acetoin “production-preference” link underlies the diversity of acetoin-producing microorganisms among natural D. melanogaster populations.
High performance surface-modified TiO2/silicone nanocomposite
Authors: Huang Pei , Shi Han-Qiao , Xiao Hong-Mei , Li Yuan-Qing , Hu Ning , Fu Shao-Yun
Published: July 2017

The mismatch of refractive index (RI) between light emitting diode (LED) chips and packaging resins severely lowers the lighting emitting efficacy of LED. The RI can be enhanced by the introduction of high RI nanoparticles but meanwhile it is a great challenge to maintain the high transparency for resins due to the agglomeration of nanoparticles. In this work, a facile strategy is proposed to fabricate silicone nanocomposites with a high transparency (>88%, less than 2% decrease relative to pure silicone resin), largely enhanced RI (an increase from 1.42 to 1.60) and improved thermal stability (73 °C increase in weight loss of 50%). Specifically, the ultra-fine monodispersed TiO2/silicone composites are prepared by direct solvent mixing of 1 wt% surface modified TiO2 nanoparticles (S-TiO2) into the silicone resin, in which S-TiO2 are prepared by direct introduction of titanate coupling agent in the process of TiO2 growth to induce the formation of protective layer on the surfaces of TiO2 nanoparticles. This methodology demonstrated is simple, cost-effective and versatile for the massive fabrication of highly transparent LED packaging materials with greatly enhanced refractive index and meanwhile enhanced thermal stability.
Mean Bias in Seasonal Forecast Model and ENSO Prediction Error
Authors: Kim Seon Tae , Jeong Hye-In , Jin Fei-Fei
Published: July 2017

This study uses retrospective forecasts made using an APEC Climate Center seasonal forecast model to investigate the cause of errors in predicting the amplitude of El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO)-driven sea surface temperature variability. When utilizing Bjerknes coupled stability (BJ) index analysis, enhanced errors in ENSO amplitude with forecast lead times are found to be well represented by those in the growth rate estimated by the BJ index. ENSO amplitude forecast errors are most strongly associated with the errors in both the thermocline slope response and surface wind response to forcing over the tropical Pacific, leading to errors in thermocline feedback. This study concludes that upper ocean temperature bias in the equatorial Pacific, which becomes more intense with increasing lead times, is a possible cause of forecast errors in the thermocline feedback and thus in ENSO amplitude.