bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Der Heidi-Komplex
Authors: Schutzbach Franziska
Published: August 2018

Since about 10 years we are experiencing a strengthening of conservative and right-wing parties and movements in Europe. Part of this development have been increasingly antifeminist politics: Constant attacks against feminist demands, activism and protagonists, while reclaiming traditional, biologistic familiy models and gender roles. More recently, the conservative targets have shifted from antifeminist assaults to a criticism of the concept of „gender“. This new form of attack does not argue against women’s rights or women’s equality, but rather against the so-called ideology of „genderism.“ They construe „genderism“ as a new dangerous ideology that – after the historical success of feminism – intends to destroy all gender-rules, including gender binaries and heteronormativity. The articles elaborates on this discursive shift.
Editorial: Arbeit und Wertschöpfung im digitalen Kapitalismus
Authors: Redaktion PROKLA
Published: August 2018

Editorial: Arbeit und Wertschöpfung im digitalen Kapitalismus
Der neoliberale Rentenkonsens in Deutschland und seine Genese
Authors: Christen Christian
Published: August 2018

The reform of the old age pension scheme the last twenty years was part of an international transformation process of the old-age insurance systems since the 1980s. The core element is the conversion from the pay-as-you-go systems to capital-funded models with a shifting to individual provision and risk taking. This politically intended break shows fatal distributional and economic effects in the present. Neither a more stable, more cost-effective, more efficient old-age insurance could be established for the majority of employees, nor did the capital market-financed pension system automatically promote innovation and economic growth. In the end, most of the political promises and allegations of the reformists have already been rejected by real social and economic developments. Poverty among the elderly will rise in the near future dramatically due to the deformation of the statutory pension system, the great distortions on the labour market and rising inequality. Nevertheless, the pension consensus still holds at the moment but a radical paradigm shift and a clear revision of past reforms are overdue.
Bewegung versus Avantgarde?
Authors: Kasakow Ewgeniy
Published: August 2018

In the leftist debates, one of the most widespread notions is that in 1917 workers and peasants were about to build their own model of socialism, and only the Bolshevik bureaucracy hindered them. In the struggle between the councils and the party, the former are regarded as representatives of a left alternative to the authoritarian Bolsheviks. Only rarely are such assumptions examined by means of archival documents and new studies based on them.
Ausnahmezustände
Authors: Kretschmann Andrea , Legnaro Aldo
Published: August 2018

A state of exception seems to be ubiquitous in our days. However, a distinction should be made between the legal form (state of exception in the first order) and the exceptionality of everyday control techniques (state of exception in the second order). An awareness of these varieties of states of exception allows for an analysis of mutual influences and their respective p
Die Zukunft der europäischen Wirtschaftsintegration
Authors: Schneider Etienne , Syrovatka Felix
Published: August 2018

After more than seven years of fiscal austerity and neoliberal structural reforms, the fundamental imbalances that led to the Eurozone crisis have remained unresolved and the project of European integration as such appears to be in the deepest crisis it has experienced so far. This has prompted the dominant forces in the EU to at least partially reconsider their present crisis management strategies, envisioning deeper integration towards a “Genuine Economic and Monetary Union” and outlining different future scenarios for the EU. While especially the Five President’s Report does acknowledge fundamental construction problems and crisis tendencies of the Economic and Monetary Union, the strategies to address them either fall tremendously short of this diagnosis or lack assertiveness. We argue that this inability to confront these crisis tendencies results from the growing economic and political asymmetry in the axis between France and Germany as the principal mechanism of compromise which undergirded previous cycles of European economic integration. At the bottom of this paralysis lies a gradual shift in the dominant internationalization patterns of the German political economy within the European division of labor: away from Southern Europe and France and towards Eastern Europe and the Emerging Markets.
Innerimperiale Kämpfe
Authors: Eversberg Dennis
Published: August 2018

Dennis Eversberg: A conflict within the empire. Three theses on the relation between authoritarian nationalism and the imperial mode of living. The article analyses the success of authoritarian nationalist party „Alternative für Deutschland“ (AfD). Firstly, it is argued that voting for the AfD was not a ‘displaced’ form of reaction to actual or feared experiences of economic disadvantage or relegation. In fact, the AfD’s voter voted for the party because they support its authoritarian nationalist ideas. Secondly, authoritarian nationalism’s character as a vertical class alliance between parts of the elites on the one and segments of the middle and lower classes on the other hand is highlighted – an alliance that wants to reverse the transformation from post-war organized capitalism to the contemporary flexible capitalist regime. Thirdly, it is argued that the current conflict between “progressive neoliberalism” (Fraser) and authoritarian nationalism takes place on the firm ground of a shared consensus about the imperial mode of living. It is a conflict about the modernization of this mode of living and about how to best defend it. A critique of the global injustices it causes and perpetuates, or credible demands for overcoming it, can only be articulated from a globally solidary position that rejects this bipolar discursive constellation altogether.
Donald Trumps Ziel, den „Sumpf trocken zu legen“. Zum US-Wirtschaftsaufschwung seit 2009
Authors: Evans Trevor
Published: August 2018

The current economic situation in the United States can be seen as the result of three factors. The first is the long-term shift to a neo-liberal order. The second factor is the US business cycle. Periods of economic expansion in the 1980s, the 1990s and the early 2000s were each brought to an end by increasingly severe crises, the most recent of which in 2007-2009 came perilously close to causing a collapse of the US financial system. The most recent expansion, which began in mid-2009, has been unusually weak, and is already relatively long by comparison with other recent expansions.The third factor is the presidency of Donald Trump which began in January 2017. Despite a populist rhetoric and the dependence of his electoral victory on mobilising white working-class support, in government he has pursued an unashamed series of measures which primarily benefit the very richest sectors of US society.
Mieterhöhungsmaschinen
Authors: Unger Knut
Published: August 2018

The article describes the development of large listed landlords in Germany (like Vonovia SE) as a specific form of the financialization of housing. Since the end of the 1990s, large stocks of the fordistic and state-socialist housing infrastructures in Germany were sold to Private Equity Funds. After the German recovery from the global financial crisis the fund managers organized the exists through public offerings. Since then a heavy concentration process has taken place that reaches transnational dimensions. The author proposes to call this process “financialized industrialization of corporate housing business”. Integrated into global financial markets and using IT, the public listed real estate companies subjugate trade, facilitation, management, renting and production of housing to standardized financial calculations and automated processes. However, the “real subsumption” of tenants to real estate capital also gives rise to social protests and reclaims.
Ausnahmesegment
Authors: Schönig Barbara
Published: August 2018

Going along with the end of the “golden age” of the welfare state, the fordist paradigm of social housing has been considerably transformed. From the 1980s onwards, a new paradigm of social housing has been shaped in Germany in terms of provision, institutional organization and design. This transformation can be interpreted as a result of the interplay between the transformation of national welfare state and housing policies, the implementation of entrepreneurial urban policies and a shift in architectural and urban development models. Using an integrated approach to understand form and function of social housing, the paper characterizes the new paradigm established and nevertheless interprets it within the continuity of the specific German welfare resp. housing regime, the “German social housing market economy”.
Wenn stadtpolitische Bewegungen das Terrain des Staats betreten
Authors: Diesselhorst Jonathan
Published: August 2018

This article discusses the struggles of urban social movements for a de-neoliberalisation of housing policies in Poulantzian terms as a “condensation of the relationship of forces”. Drawing on an empirical analysis of the “Berliner Mietenvolksentscheid” (Berlin rent referendum), which was partially successful in forcing the city government of Berlin to adopt a more progressive housing policy, the article argues that urban social movements have the capacity to challenge neoliberal housing regimes. However, the specific materiality of the state apparatus and its strategic selectivity both limit the scope of intervention for social movements aiming at empowerment and non-hierarchical decision-making.
Die Grenze der Werttheorie
Authors: Stützle Ingo
Published: August 2018

Not only Marx found the “theory of the ground rent” a hard nut to crack. The political- economic and urban sociological debates also find it a challenge - or simply assume that the ground rent is a monopoly price without giving an account of what this means for Marx’s project of critique of political economy. The so-called differential pension is still unproblematic and goes back to David Ricardo. On the other hand, the so-called absolute rent, with which Marx wanted to theoretically distance himself from Ricardo, is problematic and untenable. The article discusses three essential points of criticism of the concept and what it means conceptually and politically for Marxian value theory when it reaches its limits on the topic of the absolute rent.
Jenseits von schwäbischen Spätzlemanufakturen und kiezigen Kneipen – polit-ökonomische Perspektiven auf Gentrifizierung
Authors: Jensen Inga , Schipper Sebastian
Published: August 2018

Within public discourse, many journalists and other opinion makers often blame students, artists and hipsters as driving forces behind the displacement of working class households. Contrary to these popular explanation patterns, the essay argues that gentrification is a class struggle between those at risk of displacement and the agents of capital. To understand this struggle and the deeper causes of gentrification, critical urban studies offer a range of much more conclusive theoretical approaches and concepts – such as the rent gap theory, David Harvey’s urban political economy, and the neoliberalization of housing provision – to explain displacement processes, to reveal the fundamental social power relations, and to suggest strategies for resistance and political alternatives.
Li-Ion Battery Fire Hazards and Safety Strategies
Authors: Kong Lingxi , Li Chuan , Jiang Jiuchun , Pecht Michael G.
Published: August 2018

In the past five years, there have been numerous cases of Li-ion battery fires and explosions, resulting in property damage and bodily injuries. This paper discusses the thermal runaway mechanism and presents various thermal runaway mitigation approaches, including separators, flame retardants, and safety vents. The paper then overviews measures for extinguishing fires, and concludes with a set of recommendations for future research and development.
Maximum Power Point Tracking for a Point Absorber Device with a Tubular Linear Switched Reluctance Generator
Authors: Mendes Rui , Calado Maria do Rosário , Mariano Sílvio
Published: August 2018

This paper addresses the control of a Tubular Linear Switched Reluctance Generator (TLSRG) with application in a point absorber device. A maximum power point tracking (MPPT) strategy is proposed to maximize the power extraction from ocean waves. The generator is characterized by average maximum force of 120 kN and a maximum velocity of 1.3 m/s. The proposed MPPT is achieved by changing the generator damping load according to the excitation force induced by a regular wave. A hysteresis controller is applied to regulate the phase current intensity which allows the control of the linear force provided by the generator. The conversion system direct current (DC) bus voltage is adjusted by an isolated DC/DC converter with a proportional integral controller to define the appropriate duty-cycle.
Integrated Energy Planning with a High Share of Variable Renewable Energy Sources for a Caribbean Island
Authors: Dominković Dominik Franjo , Stark Greg , Hodge Bri-Mathias , Pedersen Allan Schrøder
Published: August 2018

Although it can be complex to integrate variable renewable energy sources such as wind power and photovoltaics into an energy system, the potential benefits are large, as it can help reduce fuel imports, balance the trade, and mitigate the negative impacts in terms of climate change. In order to try to integrate a very large share of variable renewable energy sources into the energy system, an integrated energy planning approach was used, including ice storage in the cooling sector, a smart charging option in the transport sector, and an excess capacity of reverse osmosis technology that was utilised in order to provide flexibility to the energy system. A unit commitment and economic dispatch tool (PLEXOS) was used, and the model was run with both 5 min and 1 h time resolutions. The case study was carried out for a typical Caribbean island nation, based on data derived from measured data from Aruba. The results showed that 78.1% of the final electricity demand in 2020 was met by variable renewable energy sources, having 1.0% of curtailed energy in the energy system. The total economic cost of the modelled energy system was similar to the current energy system, dominated by the fossil fuel imports. The results are relevant for many populated islands and island nations.
RBPvsMIR: A Computational Pipeline to Identify Competing miRNAs and RNA-Binding Protein Pairs Regulating the Shared Transcripts
Authors: Zhao Xing , Chen Danze , Cai Yujie , Zhang Fan , Xu Jianzhen
Published: August 2018

Gene post-transcription regulation involves several critical regulators such as microRNAs (miRNAs) and RNA-binding proteins (RBPs). Accumulated experimental evidences have shown that miRNAs and RBPs can competitively regulate the shared targeting transcripts. Although this establishes a novel post-transcription regulation mechanism, there are currently no computational tools to scan for the possible competing miRNA and RBP pairs. Here, we developed a novel computational pipeline—RBPvsMIR—that enables us to statistically evaluate the competing relationship between miRNAs and RBPs. RBPvsMIR first combines with previously successful miRNAs and RBP motifs discovery applications to search for overlapping or adjacent binding sites along a given RNA sequence. Then a permutation test is performed to select the miRNA and RBP pairs with the significantly enriched binding sites. As an example, we used RBPvsMIR to identify 235 competing RBP-miRNA pairs for long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) MALAT1. Wet lab experiments verified that splicing factor SRSF2 competes with miR-383, miR-502 and miR-101 to regulate MALAT1 in esophageal squamous carcinoma cells. Our study also revealed the global mutual exclusive pattern for miRNAs and RBP to regulate human lncRNAs. In addition, we provided a convenient web server (http://bmc.med.stu.edu.cn/RBPvsMIR), which should accelerate the exploration of competing miRNAs and RBP pairs regulating the shared targeting transcripts.
PTSD in U.S. Veterans: The Role of Social Connectedness, Combat Experience and Discharge
Authors: Kintzle Sara , Barr Nicholas , Corletto Gisele , Castro Carl A.
Published: August 2018

Service members who transition out of the military often face substantial challenges during their transition to civilian life. Leaving military service requires establishing a new community as well as sense of connectedness to that community. Little is known about how social connectedness may be related to other prominent transition outcomes, particularly symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The purpose of this study was to explore the role of social connectedness in the development of PTSD, as well as its relationship to the known risk factors of combat exposure and discharge status. Data used were drawn from a needs assessment survey of 722 veterans. A path model was specified to test direct and indirect effects of combat experiences, non-honorable discharge status, and social connectedness on PTSD symptoms. Results demonstrated positive direct effects for combat experiences and non-honorable discharge status on PTSD symptoms while social connectedness demonstrated a negative direct effect. Both combat experiences and non-honorable discharge status demonstrated negative direct effects on social connectedness and indirect on PTSD through the social connectedness pathway. Study findings indicate social connectedness may be an important factor related to PTSD in veterans as well as an intervention point for mitigating risk related to combat exposure and discharge status.
Experimental Manipulation of Dispersal Ability in A Neotropical Butterfly Anartia fatima (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae)
Authors: Srygley Robert B.
Published: August 2018

Research on endangered British butterflies has found that butterfly populations in small refuges evolve to allocate more mass to the thorax (flight muscle) and less to the abdomen than populations in large refuges. The observed change in mass allocation affects two morphological features relevant to flight: the flight muscle ratio (FMR) and the position of center of body mass (cmbody). The author tested whether a decrease in FMR or a change in cmbody reduced the ability to disperse by experimentally weight-loading Neotropical Anartia fatima butterflies. In one treatment group, FMR was decreased but cmbody was not altered, whereas in the second group FMR was decreased and cmbody was repositioned further posterior. In one mark–release–recapture (MRR) experiment, butterflies dispersed relatively slowly, and treatment groups did not differ significantly. In a replicate experiment, butterflies dispersed more quickly, and control butterflies dispersed more rapidly than either treatment group. Differences in dispersal were consistent with a causal relationship between FMR and movement. A more posterior cmbody had little effect on dispersal beyond that due to the change in FMR. These results support the hypothesis that an increase in mass allocation to the thorax in small, dispersed refugia is due to selection on the ability to disperse.
PAO Contributions to Energy Efficiency in 0W-20 Passenger Car Engine Oils
Authors: Hope Ken
Published: August 2018

Energy efficiency improvements continue to be a significant challenge to the transportation and lubricant industries. Many areas are being examined to increase energy efficiency in lubricants. This paper examines contributions from base oils in terms of friction reduction since friction reduction is related to energy consumption. The impact of base oil on the frictional differences in a passenger car lubricant is studied using PAO and Group III base oils. Chemical and physical property differences are highlighted and the Stribeck and Traction curves have been measured using a Mini Traction Machine (MTM). Relating the differences in friction to the energy efficiency have been estimated based upon different lubrication regimes measured with the MTM. Reductions in energy losses due to cooling or exhaust have not been included so that any improvements are estimated on frictional differences alone. These frictional improvements are assumed to be related to the differences in chemical make-up of the base oils studied.
Effect of Humidity on Friction and Wear—A Critical Review
Authors: Chen Zhe , He Xin , Xiao Chen , Kim Seong H.
Published: August 2018

The friction and wear behavior of materials are not intrinsic properties, but extrinsic properties; in other words, they can drastically vary depending on test and environmental conditions. In ambient air, humidity is one such extrinsic parameter. This paper reviews the effects of humidity on macro- and nano-scale friction and wear of various types of materials. The materials included in this review are graphite and graphene, diamond-like carbon (DLC) films, ultrananocrystalline diamond (UNCD), transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN), boric acid, silicon, silicon oxide, silicates, advanced ceramics, and metals. Details of underlying mechanisms governing friction and wear behaviors vary depending on materials and humidity; nonetheless, a comparison of various material cases revealed an overarching trend. Tribochemical reactions between the tribo-materials and the adsorbed water molecules play significant roles; such reactions can occur at defect sites in the case of two-dimensionally layered materials and carbon-based materials, or even on low energy surfaces in the case of metals and oxide materials. It is extremely important to consider the effects of adsorbed water layer thickness and structure for a full understanding of tribological properties of materials in ambient air.
Fractional Calculus: Theory and Applications
Authors: Mainardi Francesco
Published: August 2018

Fractional calculus is allowing integrals and derivatives of any positive order (the term fractional is kept only for historical reasons).[...]
Levodopa-Reduced Mucuna pruriens Seed Extract Shows Neuroprotective Effects against Parkinson’s Disease in Murine Microglia and Human Neuroblastoma Cells, Caenorhabditis elegans, and Drosophila melanogaster
Authors: Johnson Shelby L. , Park Hyun Y. , DaSilva Nicholas A. , Vattem Dhiraj A. , Ma Hang , Seeram Navindra P.
Published: August 2018

Mucuna pruriens (Mucuna) has been prescribed in Ayurveda for various brain ailments including ‘kampavata’ (tremors) or Parkinson’s disease (PD). While Mucuna is a well-known natural source of levodopa (L-dopa), published studies suggest that other bioactive compounds may also be responsible for its anti-PD effects. To investigate this hypothesis, an L-dopa reduced (<0.1%) M. pruriens seeds extract (MPE) was prepared and evaluated for its anti-PD effects in cellular (murine BV-2 microglia and human SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells), Caenorhabditis elegans, and Drosophila melanogaster models. In BV-2 cells, MPE (12.5–50 μg/mL) reduced hydrogen peroxide-induced cytotoxicity (15.7−18.6%), decreased reactive oxygen species production (29.1−61.6%), and lowered lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced nitric oxide species release by 8.9–60%. MPE (12.5−50 μg/mL) mitigated SH-SY5Y cell apoptosis by 6.9−40.0% in a non-contact co-culture assay with cell-free supernatants from LPS-treated BV-2 cells. MPE (12.5−50 μg/mL) reduced 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA)-induced cell death of SH-SY5Y cells by 11.85–38.5%. Furthermore, MPE (12.5−50 μg/mL) increased median (25%) and maximum survival (47.8%) of C. elegans exposed to the dopaminergic neurotoxin, methyl-4-phenylpyridinium. MPE (40 μg/mL) ameliorated dopaminergic neurotoxin (6-OHDA and rotenone) induced precipitation of innate negative geotaxis behavior of D. melanogaster by 35.3 and 32.8%, respectively. Therefore, MPE contains bioactive compounds, beyond L-dopa, which may impart neuroprotective effects against PD.
Enhancement of Long-Range Surface Plasmon Excitation, Dynamic Range and Figure of Merit Using a Dielectric Resonant Cavity
Authors: Suvarnaphaet Phitsini , Pechprasarn Suejit
Published: August 2018

In this paper, we report a theoretical framework on the effect of multiple resonances inside the dielectric cavity of insulator-insulator-metal-insulator (IIMI)-based surface plasmon sensors. It has been very well established that the structure can support both long-range surface plasmon polaritons (LRSPP) and short-range surface plasmon polaritons (SRSPP). We found that the dielectric resonant cavity under certain conditions can be employed as a resonator to enhance the LRSPP properties. These conditions are: (1) the refractive index of the resonant cavity was greater than the refractive index of the sample layer and (2) when light propagated in the resonant cavity and was evanescent in the sample layer. We showed through the analytical calculation using Fresnel equations and rigorous coupled wave theory that the proposed structure with the mentioned conditions can extend the dynamic range of LRSPP excitation and enhance at least five times more plasmon intensity on the surface of the metal compared to the surface plasmon excited by the conventional Kretschmann configuration. It can enhance the dip sensitivity and the dynamic range in refractive index sensing without losing the sharpness of the LRSPP dip. We also showed that the interferometric modes in the cavity can be insensitive to the surface plasmon modes. This allowed a self-referenced surface plasmon resonance structure, in which the interferometric mode measured changes in the sensor structure and the enhanced LRSPP measured changes in the sample channel.
Risk Management and Technology: Case Studies of Tsunami Evacuation Drills in Japan
Authors: Sun Yingying , Yamori Katsuya
Published: August 2018

Evacuation drills have been developed as part of many risk management programs. However, very few studies have paid attention to the process of evacuation drills. This study employs action research to examine a tsunami risk management strategy called the single-person drill, and applies new technologies in presenting related outcomes presented as multiscreen movies. The drill targets vulnerable people (i.e., older adults), during which a single evacuee moves to a shelter with the aid of a Global Positioning System (GPS) device. Evacuation routes, destination, and duration were used as parameters in an agent-based evacuation simulation shown on movies. The drill has been conducted 58 times in a coastal community (Okitsu, Kochi Prefecture), and 59 multiscreen movies were produced. An analysis of the effectiveness of the drill and related movies was done by collecting both quantitative and qualitative data. Results showed that, with a total of 163 respondents of a semistructured interview, 70.0% of residents were familiar with the drill, and 22.0% wanted to try it. The drill helped elderly people to improve self-efficacy in tsunami risk management, and generated two-way risk communication between experts and participants. This paper contributes new insights into understanding the importance of technology in tsunami risk management.
Subtype Specificity of β-Toxin Tf1a from Tityus fasciolatus in Voltage Gated Sodium Channels
Authors: Mata Daniel Oliveira da , Tibery Diogo Vieira , Campos Leandro Ambrósio , Camargos Thalita Soares , Peigneur Steve , Tytgat Jan , Schwartz Elisabeth Ferroni
Published: August 2018

Scorpion venoms are a complex mixture of components. Among them the most important are peptides, which presents the capacity to interact and modulate several ion channel subtypes, including voltage-gated sodium channels (NaV). Screening the activity of scorpion toxins on different subtypes of NaV reveals the scope of modulatory activity and, in most cases, low channel selectivity. Until now there are approximately 60 scorpion toxins experimentally assayed on NaV channels. However, the molecular bases of interaction between scorpion toxins and NaV channels are not fully elucidated. The activity description of new scorpion toxins is crucial to enhance the predictive strength of the structural–function correlations of these NaV modulatory molecules. In the present work a new scorpion toxin (Tf1a) was purified from Tityus fasciolatus venom by RP-HPLC, and characterized using electrophysiological experiments on different types of voltage-gated sodium channels. Tf1a was able to modify the normal function of NaV tested, showing to be a typical β-NaScTx. Tf1a also demonstrated an unusual capability to alter the kinetics of NaV1.5.
Non-vitamin k antagonist oral anticoagulants in a European primary care physician survey
Authors: Cimminiello Claudio , Hatala Robert , Pakarinen Sami , Polo Friz Hernan , Fitzmaurice David , Hobbs FD Richard
Published: August 2018

Background

Familiarity and competency in the options for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation (AF) and the role of non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) may vary among primary care physicians (PCPs) from different European countries.

Aims

To investigate PCP views on prescribing and managing NOACs across Europe and identify perceived unmet needs.

Design & setting

Web-based survey including PCPs with particular interest in cardiovascular medicine.

Method

A questionnaire was drawn up, containing 10 questions on initiation and ongoing management of NOACs; use of AF stroke guidelines on NOACs and anticoagulant switching; and perceived information needs.

Results

The overall response rate was 42%. The majority of PCPs declared they are responsible for and confident in both initiating and managing NOAC therapy. In some countries, PCPs are not able to initiate NOAC therapy due to administrative barriers (namely, Italy and Slovakia). No single set of guidelines is referred to across all countries and over a fifth of responders indicate they do not follow specific guidelines. The main learning needs reported were more related to initiation than to ongoing management of anticoagulant therapy.

Conclusion

According to this self-assessment survey, the experience of most PCPs in management of different aspects of AF appears good and only some felt the need for further training. However, in the light of the importance of this topic as public health issue, intensified efforts aiming at better equipping PCPs to meet their key roles in an integrated service across Europe are overdue.
The role of adatoms in chloride-activated colloidal silver nanoparticles for surface-enhanced Raman scattering enhancement
Authors: Leopold Nicolae , Stefancu Andrei , Herman Krisztian , Tódor István Sz , Iancu Stefania D , Moisoiu Vlad , Leopold Loredana F
Published: August 2018

Chloride-capped silver nanoparticles (Cl-AgNPs) allow for high-intensity surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectra of cationic molecules to be obtained (even at nanomolar concentration) and may also play a key role in understanding some fundamental principles behind SERS. In this study, we describe a fast (<10 min) and simple protocol for obtaining highly SERS-active colloidal silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) with a mean diameter of 36 nm by photoconversion from AgCl precursor microparticles in the absence of any organic reducing or capping agent. The resulting AgNPs are already SERS-activated by the Cl− ions chemisorbed onto the metal surface where the chloride concentration in the colloidal solution is 10−2 M. Consequently, the enhanced SERS spectra of cationic dyes (e.g., crystal violet or 9-aminoacridine) demonstrate the advantages of Cl-AgNPs compared to the as-synthesized AgNPs obtained by standard Ag+ reduction with hydroxylamine (hya-AgNPS) or citrate (cit-AgNPs). The results of SERS experiments on anionic and cationic test molecules comparing Cl-AgNPs, hya-AgNPs and cit-AgNPs colloids activated with different amounts of Cl− and/or cations such as Ag+, Mg2+ or Ca2+ can be explained within the understanding of the adatom model – the chemisorption of cationic analytes onto the metal surface is mediated by the Cl− ions, whereas ions like Ag+, Mg2+ or Ca2+ mediate the electronic coupling of anionic species to the silver metal surface. Moreover, the SERS effect is switched on only after the electronic coupling of the adsorbate to the silver surface at SERS-active sites. The experiments presented in this study highlight the SERS-activating role played by ions such as Cl−, Ag+, Mg2+ or Ca2+, which is a process that seems to prevail over the Raman enhancement due to nanoparticle aggregation.
Synthesis and post-functionalization of alternate-linked-meta-para-[2n.1n]thiacyclophanes
Authors: De Leger Wout , Adriaensen Koen , Robeyns Koen , Van Meervelt Luc , Thomas Joice , Meijers Björn , Smet Mario , Dehaen Wim
Published: August 2018

In recent decades, considerable research attention has been devoted to new synthetic procedures for thiacyclophanes. Thiacyclophanes are widely used as host molecules for the molecular recognition of organic compounds as well as metals. Herein, we report the selective and high-yielding synthesis of novel alternate-linked-meta-para-thiacyclophanes. These novel thiacyclophanes are selectively synthesized in high-yielding procedures. Furthermore, post-functionalization of the phenolic moieties was successfully performed. The 3D structure of the alternate-linked-meta-para-[22.12]thiacyclophane was further elucidated via X-ray crystallographic analysis.
Multiwavelength Ground and Space Observations of the Variable White Dwarf BOKS 53856: Nonuniform Metal Absorption in Dark Spots
Authors: Hoard D. W. , Howell Steve B. , Roettenbacher Rachael M. , Ely Justin , Debes John H. , Harmon Robert O.
Published: August 2018

We analyze extensive ground- and space-based ultraviolet–infrared observations of the variable white dwarf BOKS 53856. Photometry and spectroscopy were obtained from the Hubble Space Telescope, Spitzer Space Telescope, Kepler and Swift satellites, Palomar Observatory, and Kitt Peak National Observatory. Time series data spanning the entire four-year Kepler mission are used to refine the photometric rotation period of the white dwarf to 0.2557292(9) days. The associated periodic variability, with full (minimum to maximum) amplitudes of ≈5% and ≈10% in the optical and ultraviolet, respectively, is consistent with the presence of several dark spots on the white dwarf surface. A fit to the observed ultraviolet–infrared spectral energy distribution of BOKS 53856 using a grid of non-LTE synthetic spectra gives best values of effective temperature, T
WD = 31,056(19) K, surface gravity, log g = 7.913(5), mass, M
WD = 0.603(2)

, radius, R
WD = 0.0142(4)

, reddening, E

B–V
 = 0.0533(1), and distance, d = 277(10) pc. The Hubble ultraviolet spectrum does not show a detectable signature of accreted metals, and the Spitzer infrared photometry does not reveal an excess attributable to a circumstellar dust disk. Nonetheless, the ground-based optical spectra show a very weak, variable Ca ii K absorption line that is phased with the Kepler light curve, being strongest at minimum brightness. We discuss BOKS 53856 and similar objects in the context of a localized enhancement of absorption from metals in dark (possibly magnetic) spots on the white dwarf surface.
Spectroscopic Orbits for Late-type Stars. II
Authors: Fekel Francis C. , Willmarth Daryl W. , Abt Helmut A. , Pourbaix Dimitri
Published: August 2018

We have determined spectroscopic orbital elements for 13 systems—10 single-lined binaries and three double-lined binaries. For the three binaries with previously published spectroscopic orbits, we have computed improved or comparable elements. While two systems have relatively short periods between 10 and 19 days, the remaining systems have much longer periods ranging from 604 to 9669 days. One of the single-lined systems, HD 142640, shows both short-period and long-period velocity variations and so is triple. For three systems—HD 59380, HD 160933, and HD 161163—we have combined our spectroscopic results with Hipparcos astrometric observations to obtain astrometric orbits. For HD 14802 we have determined a joint orbital solution from spectroscopic velocities and interferometric observations. The orbits given here will be useful in combination with future interferometric and Gaia satellite observations.
Different Stellar Rotations in the Two Main Sequences of the Young Globular Cluster NGC 1818: The First Direct Spectroscopic Evidence*
Authors: Marino A. F. , Przybilla N. , Milone A. P. , Costa G. Da , D’Antona F. , Dotter A. , Dupree A.
Published: August 2018

We present a spectroscopic analysis of main sequence (MS) stars in the young globular cluster NGC 1818 (age ∼40 Myr) in the Large Magellanic Cloud. Our photometric survey of Magellanic Clouds clusters has revealed that NGC 1818, similar to other young objects with ages ≲600 Myr, displays not only an extended MS turnoff (eMSTO), as observed in intermediate-age clusters (age ∼1–2 Gyr), but also a split MS. The most straightforward interpretation of the double MS is the presence of two stellar populations: a sequence of slowly rotating stars lying on the blue-MS (bMS) and a sequence of fast rotators, with rotation close to the breaking speed, defining a red-MS (rMS). We report the first direct spectroscopic measurements of projected rotational velocities

for the double MS, eMSTO, and Be stars of a young cluster. The analysis of line profiles includes non-local thermodynamic equilibrium effects, required for correctly deriving

values. Our results suggest that: (i) the mean rotation for bMS and rMS stars is

 =71 ± 10 km s−1 (σ = 37 km s−1) and

 = 202 ± 23 km s−1 (σ = 91 km s−1), respectively; (ii) eMSTO stars have different

, which are generally lower than those inferred for rMS stars, and (iii) as expected, Be stars display the highest

values. This analysis supports the idea that distinct rotational velocities play an important role in the appearance of multiple stellar populations in the color–magnitude diagrams of young clusters, and poses new constraints on the current scenarios.
Nucleosynthesis Constraints on the Explosion Mechanism for Type Ia Supernovae
Authors: Mori Kanji , Famiano Michael A. , Kajino Toshitaka , Suzuki Toshio , Garnavich Peter M. , Mathews Grant J. , Diehl Roland , Leung Shing-Chi , Nomoto Ken’ichi
Published: August 2018

Observations of type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) include information about the characteristic nucleosynthesis associated with these thermonuclear explosions. We consider observational constraints from iron-group elemental and isotopic ratios, to compare with various models obtained with the most realistic recent treatment of electron captures (ECs). The nucleosynthesis is sensitive to the highest white-dwarf central densities. Hence, nucleosynthesis yields can distinguish high-density Chandrasekhar-mass models from lower-density burning models such as white-dwarf mergers. We discuss new results of post-processing nucleosynthesis for two spherical models (deflagration and/or delayed-detonation models) based upon new EC rates. We also consider cylindrical and 3D explosion models (including deflagration, delayed-detonation, or a violent merger model). Although there are uncertainties in the observational constraints, we identify some trends in the observations and the models. We make a new comparison of the models with elemental and isotopic ratios from five observed supernovae and three supernova remnants. We find that the models and data tend to fall into two groups. In one group, low-density cores such as in a 3D merger model are slightly more consistent with the nucleosynthesis data, while the other group is slightly better identified with higher-density cores such as in single-degenerate 1D–3D deflagration models. Hence, we postulate that both types of environments appear to contribute nearly equally to observed SN Ia. We also note that observational constraints on the yields of 54Cr and 54Fe, if available, might be used as a means to clarify the degree of geometrical symmetry of SN Ia explosions.
The Long-term Evolution of Star Clusters Formed with a Centrally Peaked Star Formation Efficiency Profile
Authors: Shukirgaliyev Bekdaulet , Parmentier Geneviève , Just Andreas , Berczik Peter
Published: August 2018

We have studied the long-term evolution of star clusters of the solar neighborhood, starting from their birth in gaseous clumps until their complete dissolution in the Galactic tidal field. We have combined the “local-density-driven cluster formation model” of Parmentier & Pfalzner with direct N-body simulations of clusters following instantaneous gas expulsion. We have studied the relation between cluster dissolution time, t
dis, and cluster “initial” mass, M
init, defined as the cluster mass at the end of the dynamical response to gas expulsion (i.e., violent relaxation), when the cluster age is 20–30 Myr. We consider the “initial” mass to be consistent with other works that neglect violent relaxation. The model clusters formed with a high star formation efficiency (SFE, i.e., gas mass fraction converted into stars) follow a tight mass-dependent relation, in agreement with previous theoretical studies. However, the low-SFE models present a large scatter in both the “initial” mass and the dissolution time, a shallower mass-dependent relation than high-SFE clusters, and most dissolve within 1 Gyr (cluster teenage mortality). Both groups differ in their structural properties on average. Combining two populations of clusters, high- and low-SFE ones, with domination of the latter, yields a cluster dissolution time for the solar neighborhood in agreement with that inferred from observations, without any additional destructive processes such as giant molecular cloud encounters. An apparent mass-independent relation may emerge for our low-SFE clusters when we neglect low-mass clusters (as expected for extragalactic observations), although more simulations are needed to investigate this aspect.
Comparing Redundant and Sky-model-based Interferometric Calibration: A First Look with Phase II of the MWA
Authors: Li W. , Pober J. C. , Hazelton B. J. , Barry N. , Morales M. F. , Sullivan I. , Parsons A. R. , Ali Z. S. , Dillon J. S. , Beardsley A. P. , Bowman J. D. , Briggs F. , Byrne R. , Carroll P. , Crosse B. , Emrich D. , Ewall-Wice A. , Feng L. , Franzen T. M. O. , Hewitt J. N. , Horsley L. , Jacobs D. C. , Johnston-Hollitt M. , Jordan C. , Joseph R. C. , Kaplan D. L. , Kenney D. , Kim H. , Kittiwisit P. , Lanman A. , Line J. , McKinley B. , Mitchell D. A. , Murray S. , Neben A. , Offringa A. R. , Pallot D. , Paul S. , Pindor B. , Procopio P. , Rahimi M. , Riding J. , Sethi S. K. , Udaya Shankar N. , Steele K. , Subrahmanian R. , Tegmark M. , Thyagarajan N. , Tingay S. J. , Trott C. , Walker M. , Wayth R. B. , Webster R. L. , Williams A. , Wu C. , Wyithe S.
Published: August 2018

Interferometric arrays seeking to measure the 21 cm signal from the epoch of reionization (EOR) must contend with overwhelmingly bright emission from foreground sources. Accurate recovery of the 21 cm signal will require precise calibration of the array, and several new avenues for calibration have been pursued in recent years, including methods using redundancy in the antenna configuration. The newly upgraded Phase II of Murchison Widefield Array (MWA) is the first interferometer that has large numbers of redundant baselines while retaining good instantaneous UV coverage. This array therefore provides a unique opportunity to compare redundant calibration with sky-model-based algorithms. In this paper, we present the first results from comparing both calibration approaches with MWA Phase II observations. For redundant calibration, we use the package OMNICAL and produce sky-based calibration solutions with the analysis package Fast Holographic Deconvolution (FHD). There are three principal results: (1) We report the success of OMNICAL on observations of ORBComm satellites, showing substantial agreement between redundant visibility measurements after calibration. (2) We directly compare OMNICAL calibration solutions with those from FHD and demonstrate that these two different calibration schemes give extremely similar results. (3) We explore improved calibration by combining OMNICAL and FHD. We evaluate these combined methods using power spectrum techniques developed for EOR analysis and find evidence for marginal improvements mitigating artifacts in the power spectrum. These results are likely limited by the signal-to-noise ratio in the 6 hr of data used, but they suggest future directions for combining these two calibration schemes.
Microphysics of KCl and ZnS Clouds on GJ 1214 b
Authors: Gao Peter , Benneke Björn
Published: August 2018

Clouds in the atmospheres of exoplanets confound characterization efforts by reducing, eliminating, and distorting the spectral signatures of molecular abundances. As such, interpretations of exoplanet spectra strongly depend on the choice of cloud model, many of which are highly simplified and lack predictive power. In this work, we use a cloud model that incorporates microphysical processes to simulate potassium chloride (KCl) and zinc sulfide (ZnS) clouds in the atmosphere of the super-Earth GJ 1214 b and how they vary as a function of the strength of vertical mixing and the atmospheric metallicity. Microphysical processes control the size and spatial distribution of cloud particles, allowing for the computation of more physical cloud distributions than simpler models. We find that the mass and opacity of KCl clouds increase with mixing strength and metallicity, with the particle size and spatial distribution defined by nucleation, condensation, evaporation, and transport timescales. ZnS clouds cannot form without the presence of condensation nuclei, while heterogeneous nucleation of ZnS on KCl reduces particle sizes compared to pure KCl cases. In order to explain the flat transmission spectrum of GJ 1214 b with homogeneously nucleated KCl clouds, the atmospheric metallicity must be at least 1000× solar, and the eddy diffusivity must be at least 1010 cm2 s−1. We predict that James Webb Space Telescope observations of GJ 1214 b may reveal the presence of methane, carbon monoxide, and water, allowing for constraints to be placed on atmospheric metallicity and C/O ratio.
First cytogenetic analysis of lesser gymnures (Mammalia, Galericidae, Hylomys) from Vietnam
Authors: Pavlova Svetlana V. , Biltueva Larisa S. , Romanenko Svetlana A. , Lemskaya Natalya A. , Shchinov Anton V. , Abramov Alexei V. , Rozhnov Viatcheslav V.
Published: August 2018

Gymnures are an ancient group of small insectivorous mammals and are characterized by a controversial taxonomic status and the lack of a description of karyotypes for certain species. In this study, conventional cytogenetic techniques (Giemsa, CBG- and GTG-banding, Ag-NOR), CMA3-DAPI staining, and fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) with telomeric DNA probes were used to examine for the first time the karyotypes of lesser gymnures of group Hylomyssuillus Müller, 1840 from northern and southern Vietnam. All studied specimens had karyotypes with 2n=48, NFa=64. C-positive heterochromatic blocks existed in centromeric regions of 7 bi-armed autosomes and the submetacentric X chromosome. The Y chromosome is a C-positive and dot-like. The nucleolus organizer regions resided terminally on the short arms of 2 small bi-armed pairs. Positive signals at the telomeres of all chromosomes were revealed by FISH. CMA3-positive blocks were localized on the telomeric and pericentric regions of most bi-armed and acrocentric chromosomes. Despite the large genetic distances between Hylomys Müller, 1840, lesser gymnures from H.suillus-group from northern and southern Vietnam have similar karyotypic characteristics.