bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Heterocyclic bismuth(iii) compounds with transannular N→Bi interactions as catalysts for the oxidation of thiophenol to diphenyldisulfide
Authors: Toma Ana M. , Raţ Ciprian I. , Pavel Octavian D. , Hardacre Christopher , Rüffer Tobias , Lang Heinrich , Mehring Michael , Silvestru Anca , Pârvulescu Vasile I.
Published: May 2017

Aerial oxidation of thiophenol to diphenyl disulfide proceeds with high reaction rates, total conversion and selectivity in ionic liquids by using diorganobismuth(iii) catalysts.
CuI nanoparticles as recyclable heterogeneous catalysts for C–N bond formation reactions
Authors: Kumar Manoranjan , Bhatt Vinod , Nayal Onkar S. , Sharma Sushila , Kumar Vishal , Thakur Maheshwar S. , Kumar Neeraj , Bal Rajaram , Singh Bikram , Sharma Upendra
Published: May 2017

Herein, copper iodide nanoparticles (NPs) are reported for the reductive amination of carbonyl compounds for the first time.
Tandem catalytic synthesis of benzene from CO2and H2
Authors: Zhu Pengfei , Sun Jian , Yang Guohui , Liu Guoguo , Zhang Peipei , Yoneyama Yoshiharu , Tsubaki Noritatsu
Published: May 2017

Benzene was synthesized from CO2and H2by a tandem catalysis reaction comprising CO2methanation and CH4aromatization.
Thermo-enhanced ring-opening polymerization of ε-caprolactone: the synthesis, characterization, and catalytic behavior of aluminum hydroquinolin-8-olates
Authors: Zhang Qiurui , Zhang Wenjuan , Rajendran Natesan Mannangatti , Liang Tongling , Sun Wen-Hua
Published: May 2017

Aluminum hydroquinolin-8-olates (C1–C7) exhibited high activities for the ring-opening polymerization of ε-CL at high temperatures in the presence of BnOH, but quite low activities at ambient temperatures.
Fundamental aspects of electrochemically controlled wetting of nanoscale composite materials
Authors: Hillman A. Robert , Ryder Karl S. , Ismail Hani K. , Unal Asuman , Voorhaar Annelies
Published: May 2017

Electroactive films based on conducting polymers have numerous potential applications, but practical devices frequently require a combination of properties not met by a single component. This has prompted an extension to composite materials, notably those in which particulates are immobilised within a polymer film. Irrespective of the polymer and the intended application, film wetting is important: by various means, it facilitates transport processes – of electronic charge, charge-balancing counter ions (“dopant”) and analyte/reactant molecules – and motion of polymer segments. While film solvent content and transfer have been widely studied for pristine polymer films exposed to molecular solvents, extension to non-conventional solvents (such as ionic liquids) or to composite films has been given much less attention. Here we consider such cases based on polyaniline films. We explore two factors, the nature of the electrolyte (solvent and film-permeating ions) and the effect of introducing particulate species into the film. In the first instance, we compare film behaviours when exposed to a conventional protic solvent (water) with an aprotic ionic liquid (Ethaline) and the intermediate case of a protic ionic liquid (Oxaline). Secondly, we explore the effect of inclusion of physically diverse particulates: multi-walled carbon nanotubes, graphite or molybdenum dioxide. We use electrochemistry to control and monitor the film redox state and change therein, and acoustic wave measurements to diagnose rheologicallyvs.gravimetrically determined response. The outcomes provide insights of relevance to future practical applications, including charge/discharge rates and cycle life for energy storage devices, “salt” transfer in water purification technologies, and the extent of film “memory” of previous environments when sequentially exposed to different media.
Ag@SrTiO3 nanocomposite for super photocatalytic degradation of organic dye and catalytic reduction of 4-nitrophenol
Authors: Wu Zhengcui , Zhang Yali , Wang Xia , Zou Zexian
Published: May 2017

Ag@SrTiO3 nanocomposite was constructed for super photocatalytic degradation of organic dye and catalytic reduction of 4-nitrophenol.
Buckling in armored droplets
Authors: Sicard François , Striolo Alberto
Published: May 2017

The buckling mechanism in droplets stabilized by solid particles (armored droplets) is tackled at a mesoscopic level using dissipative particle dynamics simulations.
Language Development and Impairment in Children With Mild to Moderate Sensorineural Hearing Loss
Authors: Halliday Lorna F. , Tuomainen Outi , Rosen Stuart
Published: May 2017

Purpose

The goal of this study was to examine language development and factors related to language impairments in children with mild to moderate sensorineural hearing loss (MMHL).

Method

Ninety children, aged 8–16 years (46 children with MMHL; 44 aged-matched controls), were administered a battery of standardized language assessments, including measures of phonological processing, receptive and expressive vocabulary and grammar, word and nonword reading, and parental report of communication skills. Group differences were examined after controlling for nonverbal ability.

Results

Children with MMHL performed as well as controls on receptive vocabulary and word and nonword reading. They also performed within normal limits, albeit significantly worse than controls, on expressive vocabulary, and on receptive and expressive grammar, and worse than both controls and standardized norms on phonological processing and parental report of communication skills. However, there was considerable variation in performance, with 26% showing evidence of clinically significant oral or written language impairments. Poor performance was not linked to severity of hearing loss nor age of diagnosis. Rather, outcomes were related to nonverbal ability, maternal education, and presence/absence of family history of language problems.

Conclusions

Clinically significant language impairments are not an inevitable consequence of MMHL. Risk factors appear to include lower maternal education and family history of language problems, whereas nonverbal ability may constitute a protective factor.
Analysis of multiple segmented transmitters design in dynamic wireless power transfer for electric vehicles charging
Authors: Mou X. , Sun H.
Published: May 2017

Multiple segmented transmitters' rail for dynamic wireless power transfer (DWPT) electric vehicles charging can supply high power transfer efficiency (PTE). The previous research discussed the vehicles’ speed is a key factor that can affect the design of the rail (especially, the distance between two neighbouring segmented transmitters T) to maximise the system's PTE. However, it finds out not the vehicle's speed, but the size of the transmitter rail can affect the design of T for optimising the PTE.
Dual metal drain Ge‐source dopingless TFET with enhanced turn‐ON steep subthreshold swing and high ON‐current
Authors: Sharma N. , Chauhan S.S.
Published: May 2017

A novel dopingless Ge‐source dual metal drain double gate tunnel field effect transistor is presented with the help of work function engineering. Proposed device makes use of the dopingless concept, charge plasma for carrier doping concentration below the drain/source region that permits dynamic configuration by choosing suitable work function for drain/source metal electrode. In the proposed device, the n + drain region is divided into two parts of low and high work function. The work function of the metal nearest to the drain–channel junction is relatively higher than the other metal for creating a potential barrier for restricting the tunnelling of holes when the negative gate voltage is applied. By using low energy bandgap Ge material, the tunnelling probability and drive current of the device are increased. The proposed device offers high ION/IOFF ratio (∼1013), smaller point subthreshold swing (SS) (∼31 mV/decade), average SS (∼43 mV/decade).
THz‐wave phase shift measurement by THz‐wave interferometer
Authors: Yamanaka Y. , Sakano G. , Haruki J. , Kato K.
Published: May 2017

A terahertz (THz)‐wave interferometer was devised for measurement of the THz‐wave phase shift. In this measurement system, the relative phase shift is deduced from the interference between the THz waves generated by two photomixers. Experimental results with this interferometer revealed that the semiconductor phase modulator could be used as a THz‐wave phase shifter by utilising its chromatic dispersion.
Evaluation of dual‐polarised triple‐band multi‐beam MIMO antennas for WLAN/WiMAX applications
Authors: Pan Yan , Cui Yuehui , Qi Chang Long , Li RongLin
Published: May 2017

Dual‐polarised triple‐band multi‐beam multiple input multiple output (MIMO) antennas are evaluated for wireless local area network/worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WLAN/WiMAX) access points. The dual‐polarised antenna consists of two identical crossed triple‐band dipoles each of which is printed on each side of a square substrate, forming a compact planar configuration. The triple‐band dual‐polarised antenna is placed above a metal reflector to achieve high gain and directional radiation patterns. Measured results show that the dual‐polarised triple‐band antenna covers the WLAN 2.4‐GHz band, WiMAX 3.5‐GHz band, and WLAN 5‐GHz bands with return loss >10 dB and isolation >20 dB. An eight‐port MIMO antenna, a four‐beam MIMO antenna and a 32‐port four‐beam MIMO antenna are investigated for high‐capacity and wide‐coverage wireless applications in high‐density environment.
Modified planar Luneburg lens millimetre‐wave antenna for wide‐angle beam scan having feed locations on a straight line
Authors: Barba Molina Hernan , Gonzalez Marin Julio , Hesselbarth Jan
Published: May 2017

This study presents the design and characterisation of a modified planar Luneburg lens antenna operating at 30 GHz. A parallel plate lens structure with varying separation between the metal plates realises the required variation of phase velocity of the guided TE mode in the device. The focal points for different beam radiation directions are all placed on a straight line, thus simplifying the mechanical setup for steered beam and multi‐beam systems. A planar slotline radiator excites the TE mode in the parallel plate structure. An optimisation process leads to best compromise between large directivity, large maximum scan angle and small side‐lobes. As a result, measurements show that by moving the feed radiator on a straight line over ±40 mm, the beam maximum can be steered over more than ±35° with a gain drop of <3 dB. While scanning the beam from broadside direction towards ±35° scan angle, the worst‐case side‐lobe level deteriorates from 15 dB to about 10.5 dB. The proposed antenna shows peak directivity of 15.2 dBi and a large simulated power efficiency of 95%.
Frequency of Urinary Tract Abnormalities on MCUG of Spina Bifida Occulta Patients with Urinary Complaints
Authors: Akhtar Samina , Riaz Ramish
Published: May 2017

Spina bifida occulta (SBO) is usually considered as benign entity without having any clinical significance. In Pakistan, there is a lack of studies on spina bifida. Clinicians usually ignore the mild urinary complaints and do not look with the perspective of SBO background. Micturating cystourethrography (MCUG) of the 71 children with SBO having urinary complaints was done. Analysis was done via SPSS version 20. A total of 70.4% of the patients had urinary tract abnormalities on MCUG. Vesicoureteric reflux was the most common finding. SBO is a clinically significant disorder. Especially in patients with urinary complaints, MCUG must be done to look for underlying pathologies.
Two integrable Hamiltonian hierarchies in sl(2,R) and so(3,R) with three potentials
Authors: Gu Xiang , Ma Wen-Xiu , Zhang Wen-Ying
Published: May 2017

By introducing two specific matrix spectral problems associated with sl(2,R) and so(3,R) matrix Lie algebras, we generate two integrable Hamiltonian hierarchies with three potentials. The computation and analysis on their Hamiltonian structures by means of the trace identity show that the resulting hierarchies are Liouville integrable, namely, that each hierarchy consists of commuting Hamiltonian soliton equations.
Conceptual design of imaging bolometer for use of computed tomography in JT-60SA
Authors: Sano Ryuichi , Mukai Kiyofumi , Peterson Byron J. , Fukumoto Masakatsu , Hoshino Kazuo
Published: May 2017

An InfraRed imaging Video Bolometer (IRVB) system in JT-60SA has been designed for the two-dimensional (2D) Computed Tomography (CT) analysis of radiation. To achieve complete viewing of the whole poloidal cross section for plasmas having a low aspect ratio, a new IRVB concept, which has two sets of pin-hole camera systems viewing two different directions, has been introduced. Fields of view of the IRVB have been successfully designed by moving apertures to be sufficient for CT use without installation in tangential ports. The size of the aperture, which determines the width of the sightline of the IRVB channels, has also been optimized with respect to the reconstruction error with well-established solvers of tomography. The optimization indicates that the 7 mm square aperture is the best for this system, and the CT measurement without this optimization can become degraded. A synthetic image using an estimated radiation profile shows that the signal to noise (S/N) ratio of the designed IRVB is large enough to identify the incident radiation power. The result indicates that the designed IRVB can be used for the 2D CT measurement of radiation in JT-60SA.
Evaluation of more general integrals involving universal associated Legendre polynomials
Authors: You Yuan , Chen Chang-Yuan , Tahir Farida , Dong Shi-Hai
Published: May 2017

We find that the solution of the polar angular differential equation can be written as the universal associated Legendre polynomials. We present a popular integral formula which includes universal associated Legendre polynomials and we also evaluate some important integrals involving the product of two universal associated Legendre polynomials Pl′m′(x), Pk′n′(x) and x2a(1−x2)−p−1, xb(1±x2)−p, and xc(1−x2)−p(1±x)−1, where l′≠k′ and m′≠n′. Their selection rules are also mentioned.
Dynamics of falling droplet and elongational properties of dilute nonionic surfactant solutions with drag-reducing ability
Authors: Tamano Shinji , Ohashi Yota , Morinishi Yohei
Published: May 2017

The dynamics of the falling droplet through a nozzle for dilute nonionic surfactant (oleyl-dimethylamine oxide, ODMAO) aqueous solutions with viscoelastic and drag-reducing properties were investigated at different concentrations of ODMAO solutions Cs = 500, 1000, and 1500 ppm by weight. The effects of the flow rate and tube outer diameter on the length of the filament, which was the distance between the tube exit and the lower end of a droplet at the instant when the droplet almost detached from the tube, were clarified by flow visualization measurements by a high-speed video camera. Two types of breaking-off processes near the base of the droplet and within the filament were classified by the Ohnesorge number Oh and the Weber number We. In the regime of the higher Oh and We, the length of the filament became drastically larger at Cs = 1000 and 1500 ppm, whose high spinnability represented the strong viscoelasticity of ODMAO solutions. In the case where the filament was broken up near the lower end of the neck and thinning in time, the thinning of the diameter of the filament was measured by a light-emitting diode micrometer. As for the elasto-capillary thinning of dilute nonionic surfactant solutions, the initial necking process was similar to that of Newtonian fluids and then followed the exponential thinning like polymer solutions. The apparent elongational viscosity of the dilute nonionic surfactant solution was evaluated in the elasto-capillary thinning regime, in which the elongation rate was almost constant. At Cs = 1000 and 1500 ppm, the Trouton ratio, which was the ratio of the apparent elongational viscosity to the shear viscosity, was found to be several orders of magnitude larger than that of Newtonian fluids, while the shear viscosity measured by the capillary viscometer was almost the same order of the Newtonian fluids. The higher elongational property would be closely related to the higher drag-reducing ability of dilute nonionic surfactant solutions.
Nonlinear waves on a liquid film falling down an inclined corrugated surface
Authors: Trifonov Yuri
Published: May 2017

In the present study, we performed the direct Navier-Stokes computations on the linear and nonlinear stability of a gravity-driven film flow down an inclined corrugated surface. We focused on the steady-state traveling waves and analyzed their transformations due to the wall corrugations. These solutions have two spatial periods and we have used a double Fourier expansion to compute them. The systematic variations of the Reynolds number and the substrate’s periodicity and amplitude were performed in the nonlinear wave analysis. We found that starting from some “critical” values of the Reynolds number, the wall corrugation has a small influence on the film thickness profile of the traveling waves, and it is close to the waves on the liquid film falling down a smooth plate. This “critical” value strongly depends on the substrate’s periodicity and amplitude. To our knowledge, this is the first theoretical work where the nonlinear waves on the free surface of a liquid film over the topography is computed using the full Navier-Stokes equations.
Relationship between electrical properties and crystallization of indium oxide thin films using ex-situ grazing-incidence wide-angle x-ray scattering
Authors: González G. B. , Okasinski J. S. , Buchholz D. B. , Boesso J. , Almer J. D. , Zeng L. , Bedzyk M. J. , Chang R. P. H.
Published: May 2017

Grazing-incidence, wide-angle x-ray scattering measurements were conducted on indium oxide thin films grown on silica substrates via pulsed laser deposition. Growth temperatures (TG) in this study ranged from −50 °C to 600 °C, in order to investigate the thermal effects on the film structure and its spatial homogeneity, as well as their relationship to electrical properties. Films grown below room temperature were amorphous, while films prepared at TG = 25 °C and above crystallized in the cubic bixbyite structure, and their crystalline fraction increased with deposition temperature. The electrical conductivity (σ) and electrical mobility (μ) were strongly enhanced at low deposition temperatures. For TG = 25 °C and 50 °C, a strong ⟨100⟩ preferred orientation (texture) occurred, but it decreased as the deposition temperature, and consequential crystallinity, increased. Higher variations in texture coefficients and in lattice parameters were measured at the film surface compared to the interior of the film, indicating strong microstructural gradients. At low crystallinity, the in-plane lattice spacing expanded, while the out-of-plane spacing contracted, and those values merged at TG = 400 °C, where high μ was measured. This directional difference in lattice spacing, or deviatoric strain, was linear as a function of both deposition temperature and the degree of crystallinity. The crystalline sample with TG = 100 °C had the lowest mobility, as well as film diffraction peaks which split into doublets. The deviatoric strains from these doublet peaks differ by a factor of four, supporting the presence of both a microstructure and strain gradient in this film. More isotropic films exhibit larger μ values, indicating that the microstructure directly correlates with electrical properties. These results provide valuable insights that can help to improve the desirable properties of indium oxide, as well as other transparent conducting oxides.
Effect of one-dimensional superlattice potentials on the band gap of two-dimensional materials
Authors: Ono Shota
Published: May 2017

Using the tight-binding approach, we analyze the effect of a one-dimensional superlattice (1DSL) potential on the electronic structure of black phosphorene and transition metal dichalcogenides. We observe that the 1DSL potential results in a decrease of the energy band gap of the two-dimensional (2D) materials. An analytical model is presented to relate the decrease in the direct-band gap to the different orbital characters between the valence band top and conduction band bottom of the 2D materials. The direct-to-indirect gap transition, which occurs under a 1DSL potential with an unequal barrier width, is also discussed.
Large nonvolatile multiple-state resistive switching in TiO2−δ/PMN-PT field-effect device
Authors: Ni Hao , Zheng Ming , Chen Liping , Huang Weiyi , Qi Yaping , Zeng Jiali , Tang Zhenhua , Lu Huibin , Gao Ju
Published: May 2017

TiO2−δ thin films were epitaxially grown on (001)-oriented 0.7Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-0.3PbTiO3 (PMN-PT) ferroelectric single-crystal substrates. By applying electric fields E across the PMN-PT, the TiO2−δ film resistance could be reversibly switched into different stable states at room temperature. The on-off ratio, tuned by the strength of the electric field E, remained at ∼1 under the E ≤ 0.6 kV/cm and reached ∼3413 with the E increasing to 6 kV/cm, leading to a promising approach for designing nonvolatile multiple-state memory devices. By taking into account the migration of the oxygen vacancies and the ferroelectric field effect induced charge manipulations, the mechanism of the multiple-state resistive switching behaviors was discussed.
Optical detection of magnetic field with Mn4+:K2SiF6 phosphor from room to liquid helium temperatures
Authors: Zhong Zhiqiang , Wang Xia , Zhang Junpei , Zhong Haizheng , Han Jun-Bo
Published: May 2017

An optical method for detecting magnetic fields is developed based on the photoluminescence (PL) properties of a Mn4+:K2SiF6 phosphor. Under excitation by a 457-nm argon laser, strong red PL was observed in Mn4+:K2SiF6 microcrystals from room to liquid helium temperatures. The Lande factor (g) of the Zeeman splitting peaks remained close to 2 within the measured temperature range. These features make this Mn4+:K2SiF6 phosphor an idea optical material for remote sensing of high magnetic fields over a broad temperature range.
Experimental investigation on the unsteady lift of an airfoil in a sinusoidal streamwise gust
Authors: Yang Yang , Li Mingshui , Ma Cunming , Li Shaopeng
Published: May 2017

The unsteady lift of a stationary airfoil encountering a sinusoidal streamwise gust is experimentally investigated under attached flow conditions. The airfoil has an NACA 0015 profile with a chord length c = 0.5 m. The Reynolds number of the main flow is in the range of 198 000 ⩽ Re ⩽ 331 000. The reduced frequency of the perturbation ω ranges from 0.047 to 0.392. The results show that the fluctuation in the lift force reduces very much at the high frequency. It can be attributed to a significant reduction in the fluctuating pressure difference over the front half of the airfoil. Thus experimental aerodynamic admittance functions for the unsteady lift are lower than theoretical predictions relating to this case with increasing reduced frequencies, though experimental values are close to theoretical values at low reduced frequencies.
Ionic Liquid–Liquid Separations Using Countercurrent Chromatography: A New General-Purpose Separation Methodology
Authors: Brown Leslie , Earle Martyn J. , Gîlea Manuela A. , Plechkova Natalia V. , Seddon Kenneth R.
Published: May 2017

Liquid–liquid separations based on countercurrent chromatography, in which at least one phase contains an ionic liquid, represent a new empirical approach for the separation of organic, inorganic, or bio-based materials. A custom-designed instrument has been developed and constructed specifically to perform separations (including transition metal salts, arenes, alkenes, alkanes, and sugars) with ionic liquids, and has been demonstrated for use on the 0.1 to 10 g scale.
Derived equivalence, Albanese varieties, and the zeta functions of 3–dimensional varieties
Authors: Honigs Katrina
Published: May 2017

We show that any derived equivalent smooth, projective varieties of dimension

3
3

over a finite field

F

q

\mathbb {F}_q

have equal zeta functions. This result is an application of the extension to smooth, projective varieties over any field of Popa and Schnell’s proof that derived equivalent smooth, projective varieties over

C

\mathbb {C}

have isogenous Albanese torsors; this result is proven in an appendix by Achter, Casalaina-Martin, Honigs and Vial.
On logarithmic coefficients of some close-to-convex functions
Authors: Ali Md Firoz , Vasudevarao A.
Published: May 2017

The logarithmic coefficients

γ
n

\gamma _n

of an analytic and univalent function

f
f

in the unit disk

D

=
{
z
∈

C

:

|

z

|

>
1
}

\mathbb {D}=\{z\in \mathbb {C}:|z|>1\}

with the normalization

f
(
0
)
=
0
=

f
′

(
0
)
−
1

f(0)=0=f’(0)-1

are defined by

log
⁡

f
(
z
)

z

=
2

∑

n
=
1

∞

γ
n

z
n

\log \frac {f(z)}{z}= 2\sum _{n=1}^{\infty } \gamma _n z^n

. Recently, D. K. Thomas [Proc. Amer. Math. Soc. 144 (2016), 1681–1687] proved that

|

γ
3

|

≤

7
12

|\gamma _3|\le \frac {7}{12}

for functions in a subclass of close-to-convex functions (with argument

0
0

) and claimed that the estimate is sharp by providing a form of an extremal function. In the present paper, we point out that such extremal functions do not exist and the estimate is not sharp by providing a much more improved bound for the whole class of close-to-convex functions (with argument

0
0

). We also determine a sharp upper bound of

|

γ
3

|

|\gamma _3|

for close-to-convex functions (with argument

0
0

) with respect to the Koebe function.
Monotonicity of expected 𝑓-vectors for projections of regular polytopes
Authors: Kabluchko Zakhar , Thäle Christoph
Published: May 2017

Let

P
n

P_n

be an

n
n

-dimensional regular polytope from one of the three infinite series (regular simplices, regular crosspolytopes, and cubes). Project

P
n

P_n

onto a random, uniformly distributed linear subspace of dimension

d
≥
2

d\geq 2

. We prove that the expected number of

k
k

-dimensional faces of the resulting random polytope is an increasing function of

n
n

. As a corollary, we show that the expected number of

k
k

-faces of the Gaussian polytope is an increasing function of the number of points used to generate the polytope. Similar results are obtained for the symmetric Gaussian polytope and the Gaussian zonotope.
Tumor susceptibility gene 101 regulates predisposition to apoptosis via ESCRT machinery accessory proteins
Authors: Kaul Zenia , Chakrabarti Oishee
Published: May 2017

ESCRT proteins are implicated in myriad cellular processes, including endosome formation, fusion of autophagosomes/amphisomes with lysosomes, and apoptosis. The role played by these proteins in either facilitating or protecting against apoptosis is unclear. In this study, while trying to understand how deficiency of Mahogunin RING finger 1 (MGRN1) affects cell viability, we uncovered a novel role for its interactor, the ESCRT-I protein TSG101: it directly participates in mitigating ER stress–mediated apoptosis. The association of TSG101 with ALIX prevents predisposition to apoptosis, whereas ALIX–ALG-2 interaction favors a death phenotype. Altered Ca2+homeostasis in cells and a simultaneous increase in the protein levels of ALIX and ALG-2 are required to elicit apoptosis by activating ER stress–associated caspase 4/12. We further demonstrate that in the presence of membrane-associated, disease-causing prion proteinCtmPrP, increased ALIX and ALG-2 levels are detected along with ER stress markers and associated caspases in transgenic brain lysates and cells. These effects were rescued by overexpression of TSG101. This is significant because MGRN1 deficiency is closely associated with neurodegeneration and prenatal and neonatal mortality, which could be due to excess cell death in selected brain regions or myocardial apoptosis during embryonic development.
Feeding by Calanus glacialis in a high arctic fjord: potential seasonal importance of alternative prey
Authors: Cleary Alison C. , Søreide Janne E. , Freese Daniela , Niehoff Barbara , Gabrielsen Tove M.
Published: May 2017

The copepod species Calanus glacialis is an important component of arctic marine food webs, where it is the numerically dominant zooplankton grazer and serves as a major prey item for fish, seabirds, and other predators. These copepods are typically considered to be phytoplanktivorous, although they are also known to feed on microzooplankton, and little is known about their diet in fall and winter. To investigate their feeding, C. glacialis gut contents were analyzed over an annual cycle in a seasonally ice covered arctic fjord using next generation sequencing of 18S rDNA. During the spring bloom, diatoms, particularly Thalassiosira spp., were important contributors to the dietary sequence reads. In addition to diatoms, Chytridiomycetes, fungal parasites of diatoms, also made up a large proportion of dietary sequence reads during this productive season. This provides one of the first indications of the potential importance of the mycoloop in marine environments. Just prior to the spring bloom, chaetognath sequences dominated the prey sequence reads from C. glacialis, suggesting potential predation on eggs or other early life stages of chaetognaths by C. glacialis. Other indications of omnivorous feeding outside of the spring bloom period included sequence reads from polychaetes in summer, at the time of peak polychaete larval abundance, and from Metridia spp. (Copepoda) in winter in prey sequences from C. glacialis. Incorporating such predation into our knowledge of Calanus spp. behaviour may help refine our understanding of Calanus spp. ecology, and potential responses of C. glacialis to ongoing climate change.
A new second-order midpoint approximation formula for Riemann–Liouville derivative: algorithm and its application
Authors: Ding Hengfei , Li Changpin , Yi Qian
Published: May 2017

Compared to the classical first-order Grünwald–Letnikov formula at time $t_{k+1}\; (\text{or}\; t_{k})$, we firstly propose a second-order numerical approximate formula for discretizing the Riemann–Liouvile derivative at time $t_{k+\frac{1}{2}}$, which is very suitable for constructing the Crank–Nicolson scheme for the fractional differential equations with time fractional derivatives. The established formula has the following form RLD0,tαu(t)| t=tk+12=τ−α∑ℓ=0kϖℓ(α)u(tk−ℓτ)+O(τ2),k=0,1,…,α∈(0,1), where the coefficients $\varpi_{\ell}^{(\alpha)}$$(\ell=0,1,\ldots,k)$ can be determined via the following generating function G(z)=(3α+12α−2α+1αz+α+12αz2)α,|z|<1.

Next, applying the formula to the time fractional Cable equations with Riemann–Liouville derivative in one and two space dimensions. Then the high-order compact finite difference schemes are obtained. The solvability, stability and convergence with orders $\mathcal{O}(\tau^2+h^4)$ and $\mathcal{O}(\tau^2+h_x^4+h_y^4)$ are shown, where $\tau$ is the temporal stepsize and $h$, $h_x$, $h_y$ are the spatial stepsizes, respectively. Finally, numerical experiments are provided to support the theoretical analysis.
Evaluation of rectum and bladder dose accumulation from external beam radiotherapy and brachytherapy for cervical cancer using two different deformable image registration techniques
Authors: Kadoya Noriyuki , Miyasaka YuYa , Yamamoto Takaya , Kuroda Yoshihiro , Ito Kengo , Chiba Mizuki , Nakajima Yujiro , Takahashi Noriyoshi , Kubozono Masaki , Umezawa Rei , Dobashi Suguru , Takeda Ken , Jingu Keiichi
Published: May 2017

We evaluated dose–volume histogram (DVH) parameters based on deformable image registration (DIR) between brachytherapy (BT) and external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) that included a center-shielded (CS) plan. Eleven cervical cancer patients were treated with BT, and their pelvic and CS EBRT were studied. Planning CT images for EBRT and BT (except for the first BT, used as the reference image) were deformed with DIR to reference image. We used two DIR parameter settings: intensity-based and hybrid. Mean Dice similarity coefficients (DSCs) comparing EBRT with the reference for the uterus, rectum and bladder were 0.81, 0.77 and 0.83, respectively, for hybrid DIR and 0.47, 0.37 and 0.42, respectively, for intensity-based DIR (P < 0.05). D1 cm3 for hybrid DIR, intensity-based DIR and DVH addition were 75.1, 81.2 and 78.2 Gy, respectively, for the rectum, whereas they were 93.5, 92.3 and 94.3 Gy, respectively, for the bladder. D2 cm3 for hybrid DIR, intensity-based DIR and DVH addition were 70.1, 74.0 and 71.4 Gy, respectively, for the rectum, whereas they were 85.4, 82.8 and 85.4 Gy, respectively, for the bladder. Overall, hybrid DIR obtained higher DSCs than intensity-based DIR, and there were moderate differences in DVH parameters between the two DIR methods, although the results varied among patients. DIR is only experimental, and extra care should be taken when comparing DIR-based dose values with dose–effect curves established using DVH addition. Also, a true evaluation of DIR-based dose accumulation would require ground truth data (e.g. measurement with physical phantom).
Religion and Spirituality in Family Medicine
Authors: Daaleman Timothy P.
Published: May 2017

There is awareness among contemporary family physicians of the intersection of religion and spirituality (R/S) and health care. The rigorous examination of R/S and health outcomes continues to be hampered by methodological challenges and the lack of plausible conceptual models. However one important area of investigation, and growing evidence base, can be found in the spiritual care provided at the end of life. In this clinical setting and other related contexts, a health services perspective provides a structured approach to both research and practice, particularly with contemporary movements to value-based health care. For physicians, the following clinical skills are the foundation to spiritual care: (1) empathy and attentiveness; (2) formulating a whole person care plan that is inclusive of spiritual factors; (3) including pastoral and other spiritual care specialists in the care plan, and; (4) identifying and addressing concordant and discordant beliefs and values when they arise.
Religion and Spirituality in Psychiatry
Authors: Blazer Dan G.
Published: May 2017

The empirical study of religion/spirituality and mental health has blossomed in recent years. Reactions to these studies may range from unwarranted enthusiasm to overt rejection given the subject matter. What is called for is a critical appraisal of these studies. In this chapter the author explores four areas of inquiry, providing a critical look at representative studies from each of these areas: participation—attendance at services, participation in activities such as prayer groups or service project; salience—how important is religion/spirituality to you; intervention—comparative efficacy of religious and non-religious cognitive behavioral therapy for depression; and affiliation—mainline, conservative, and Pentecostal Protestant, as well as Protestants, Catholics, and Jews. Investigators and clinicians must look at each study for what it is, neither more nor less, as well as realize that religious faith cannot proved or disproved by such empirical studies.
Religion and Spirituality in Gerontology
Authors: Koenig Harold G.
Published: May 2017

This chapter provides a state-of-the-science review of research on religion, spirituality, and health in later life; examines avenues for future research; explores how religion or spirituality may arise in the patient encounter; and describes best practices in terms of assessing and addressing older adults’ spiritual needs related to illness. First, it summarizes quantitative research through 2010 on religion/spirituality (R/S) conducted in older adults in the areas of mental health and physical health. It then describes a selection of studies published within the past two years that illustrate the most recent findings on R/S and health among older adults, discusses research gaps in areas of mental and physical health, and explores high-priority studies needed to advance the field. It concludes with a case that illustrates how R/S may present in the clinical encounter and demonstrates best practices on how clinicians might sensitively and sensibly address this topic.
Religion and Spirituality in Oncology
Authors: Astrow Alan B.
Published: May 2017

A diagnosis of cancer may evoke concerns relating to life’s meaning and ultimate purpose that by consensus understanding are considered “spiritual.” In addressing these, oncologists face three tasks: to acknowledge spiritual questions, to recognize spiritual concerns, and to engage with patients about spiritual issues in a supportive way. Some Americans turn to religion to answer spiritual questions, but others are religiously unaffiliated and consider themselves “spiritual but not religious.” Patient spirituality resists ready transformation into quantitative measures. Still, investigators have devised validated instruments that measure spiritual well-being and spiritual needs. Patients’ underlying spiritual belief system and spiritual support network may influence decisions about cancer treatment. Spiritual needs are common among patients with cancer and may affect satisfaction with care. Additional research into how best to measure patient spirituality and to train physicians and nurses to identify and meet patient spiritual needs may improve the overall quality of oncology care.
Religion and Spirituality in the Intensive Care Unit
Authors: Cist Alexandra , Choi Philip
Published: May 2017

The Intensive Care Unit is an area of the hospital that can elicit high levels of emotional and spiritual distress due to high mortality and prognostic uncertainty. Religion and spirituality are often manifest through prayer, rituals, and ceremonies, which can unite the patient and family with the care team. However, miracle language and other religious or spiritual topics that misalign with the expectations of the medical team can also lead to discord. The acute nature of ICU care poses challenges in creating a therapeutic alliance necessary to effectively address the religious and spiritual needs of patients and families. In this chapter, we provide a practical approach to provide high quality spiritual care in the ICU.
Spirituality, Resistance, and Modern Medicine
Authors: Imber Jonathan B.
Published: May 2017

This is an account of the enduring nature of tensions between patient-centered and social, now global, analyses that reflect the principal interests of sociologists in medicine and the health care professions. System-wide critiques have received the greatest public attention, but at the same time patient-focused accounts of physician-patient interactions offered new ways to account for problems of communication in the medical encounter. The system-wide critiques have increased over the decades, and the systemic reform of health care has become among the most politically controversial subjects in American life. But these debates conceal more than they reveal about transformations in the ways that the clinical encounter has been scrutinized and challenged by a focus on how patients experience illness and how doctors and nurses recognize their responsibilities toward culturally and religiously diverse populations.
Anthropologies of Medicine, Religion, and Spirituality and Their Application to Clinical Practice
Authors: Barnes Linda L. , Laird Lance D.
Published: May 2017

This chapter reviews how medical anthropology has characterized and interpreted biomedicine as a cultural system in its own right. Because so much of the field has attended to how practitioners and patients experience their engagement in biomedicine and other systems of healing, we introduce related dimensions. Some medical anthropologists have also drawn from what is known as the Anthropology of Religion, as a way of exploring religious traditions related to healing. Their work adds useful dimensions to the topic at hand. Finally, we address applied dimensions, that include how biomedical professionals can introduce issues related to religion/spirituality in their clinical work. We advocate for a synthesis of the strengths of religious studies, medical anthropology, refined tools of spiritual inquiry that reflect the particularities of the different traditions, and a stance of cultural humility.
Medicine and Spirituality
Authors: Ferngren Gary B.
Published: May 2017

This essay traces the development of professional medicine and medical philanthropy over more than two millennia. It attempts to provide some understanding of how traditional medical care took shape and how religion came to play an essential supporting role in the healing process before it gave way to cultural shifts and scientific and technological advancements that in the last two centuries have largely eliminated spiritual values from medicine. I shall argue that the elimination of religion and the growth of professionalization in all areas of medicine have unintentionally weakened the element of compassion in patient care. As a result the healing process has been transformed in a way that our ancestors of even three or four generations ago would hardly have recognized it.
Constraint on the black hole spin of M87 from the accretion-jet model
Authors: Feng Jianchao , Wu Qingwen
Published: May 2017

The millimetre bump, as found in high-resolution multiwaveband observations of M87 by Prieto et al., most possibly comes from the synchrotron emission of thermal electrons in advection-dominated accretion flow (ADAF). It is possible to constrain the accretion rate near the horizon if both the nuclear millimetre emission and its polarization are produced by the hot plasma in the accretion flow. The jet power of M87 has been extensively explored, which is around $8_{\rm -3}^{+7}\times 10^{42}$ erg s−1 based on the analysis of the X-ray cavity. The black hole (BH) spin can be estimated if the jet power and the accretion rate near the horizon are known. We model the multiwavelength spectral energy distribution (SED) of M87 with a coupled ADAF–jet model surrounding a Kerr BH, where the full set of relativistic hydrodynamical equations of the ADAF are solved. The hybrid jet formation model, as a variant of the Blandford–Znajek model, is used to model the jet power. We find that the SMBH should be fast rotating with a dimensionless spin parameter $a_{*}\simeq 0.98_{\rm -0.02}^{+0.012}$.
Continuing or ceasing bevacizumab beyond progression in recurrent glioblastoma: an exploratory randomized phase II trial
Authors: Hovey Elizabeth J , Field Kathryn M , Rosenthal Mark A , Barnes Elizabeth H , Cher Lawrence , Nowak Anna K , Wheeler Helen , Sawkins Kate , Livingstone Ann , Phal Pramit , Goh Christine , Simes John ,   on behalf of CABARET/COGNO investigators
Published: May 2017

Background

In patients with recurrent glioblastoma, the benefit of bevacizumab beyond progression remains uncertain. We prospectively evaluated continuing or ceasing bevacizumab in patients who progressed while on bevacizumab.

Methods

CABARET, a phase II study, initially randomized patients to bevacizumab with or without carboplatin (Part 1). At progression, eligible patients underwent a second randomization to continue or cease bevacizumab (Part 2). They could also receive additional chemotherapy regimens (carboplatin, temozolomide, or etoposide) or supportive care.

Results

Of 120 patients treated in Part 1, 48 (80% of the anticipated 60-patient sample size) continued to Part 2. Despite randomization, there were some imbalances in patient characteristics. The best response was stable disease in 7 (30%) patients who continued bevacizumab and 2 (8%) patients who stopped receiving bevacizumab. There were no radiological responses. Median progression-free survival was 1.8 vs 2.0 months (bevacizumab vs no bevacizumab; hazard ratio [HR], 1.08; 95% CI, .59–1.96; P = .81). Median overall survival was 3.4 vs 3.0 months (HR, .84; 95% CI, .47–1.50; P = .56 and HR .70; 95% CI .38–1.29; P = .25 after adjustment for baseline factors). Quality-of-life scores did not significantly differ between arms. While the maximum daily steroid dose was lower in the continuation arm, the difference was not statistically significant.

Conclusions

Patients who continued bevacizumab beyond disease progression did not have clear survival improvements, although the study was not powered to detect other than very large differences. While these data provide the only randomized evidence related to continuing bevacizumab beyond progression in recurrent glioblastoma, the small sample size precludes definitive conclusions and suggests this remains an open question.
Ketamine and Etomidate Down-regulate the Hypothalamic–Pituitary–Adrenal Axis in an Endotoxemic Mouse Model
Authors: Besnier Emmanuel , Clavier Thomas , Tonon Marie-Christine , Selim Jean , Lefevre-Scelles Antoine , Morin Fabrice , Tamion Fabienne , Dureuil Bertrand , Castel Hélène , Compere Vincent
Published: May 2017

Background

We compared the effects of etomidate and ketamine on the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis during sepsis.

Methods

Mice (n = 5/group) were injected intraperitoneally with lipopolysaccharide (10 mg/kg) and 6 h later randomized to receive ketamine (100 mg/kg), etomidate (30 mg/kg), or saline. At two time points (12 and 48 h), messenger RNA levels of hypothalamic corticotropin-releasing hormone, pituitary proopiomelanocortin, and four adrenal enzymes (P450 side-chain cleavage, 3β-hydroxysteroid deshydrogenase, 21-hydroxylase, and 11β-hydroxylase) were measured by in situ hybridization (results are presented as optical density), and plasma levels of corticosterone and adrenocorticotropin hormones were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (mean ± SD).

Results

At 12 h, lipopolysaccharide induced an overexpression of corticotropin-releasing hormone (32 ± 5 vs. 18 ± 6, P < 0.01), proopiomelanocortin (21 ± 3 vs. 8 ± 0.9, P < 0.0001), P450 side-chain cleavage (32 ± 4 vs. 23 ± 10, P < 0.05), 21-hydroxylase (17 ± 5 vs. 12 ± 2, P < 0.05), and 11β-hydroxylase (11 ± 4 vs. 6 ± 0.5, P = 0.001), and an elevation of corticosterone (642 ± 165 vs. 98.3 ± 63 ng/ml, P < 0.0001). Etomidate and ketamine reduced P450 side-chain cleavage (19 ± 7 and 19 ± 3 vs. 32 ± 4, P < 0.01), 21-hydroxylase (8 ± 0.8 and 8 ± 1 vs. 17 ± 5, P < 0.001), 11β-hydroxylase (4 ± 0.5 and 7 ± 1 vs. 11 ± 4, P < 0.001 and P < 0.05), and corticosterone (413 ± 189 and 260 ± 161 vs. 642 ± 165 ng/ml, P < 0.05 and P < 0.01). Ketamine also inhibited adrenocorticotropin hormone production (2.5 ± 3.6 vs. 36 ± 15 pg/ml, P < 0.05). At 48 h, all four adrenal enzymes were down-regulated by lipopolysaccharide administration with corticosterone levels similar to the control group. Ketamine and etomidate did not modify corticosterone plasma levels.

Conclusions

Our endotoxemic model induces an initial activation of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis, followed by a secondary inhibition of adrenal steroidogenesis processes. Ketamine and etomidate inhibit the enzyme expression and activity of the adrenal gland at the early stage.