Simultaneous Contraction Research Articles

Simultaneous thermal and contraction / expansion curves analysis for solidification control of cast irons

The first part of the paper summarizes the performance of two mould devices, illustrating by representative shrinkage tendency results in ductile cast iron as affected by mould rigidity (green and furan resin sand moulds) and inoculant type (FeSi-based alloys). Less rigid green sand moulds encourage the formation of contraction defects, not only because of the high initial expansion values (εdi)max, but also because of the increased solidification undercooling. A high inoculation efficiency means not only lowering the carbides formation sensitivity and increasing the nodule count, but also a prolonged graphitization through to the end of the eutectic freezing, as observed by the high population of small late forming nodules, which leads to minimizing the tendency for shrinkage. The second part of the paper illustrates an application of this equipment to commercial foundry use. It conducts thermal analysis and volume change measurements in a single ceramic cup with cast iron quality as a variable. La-bearing FeSi inoculant appears to be more effective than RE (Rare Earth) -FeSi alloy in FeSiMgCa treated irons (no RE), in terms of reducing eutectic undercooling and (εdi)max, favourable for lower sensitivity to shrinkage formation. Experiments also compared solidification patterns for white [WI], grey [GI] and ductile [DI] irons, to correlate the most important events between the cooling curves and contraction curves, to evaluate the sensitivity to shrinkage formation. All of the irons have similar values for initial expansion up to the start of eutectic freezing, but, after that, the graphite formation promotes expansion (more than 5 times for nodular graphite), resulting in a difference in maximum expansion (2 times higher for DI). The graphitic expansion has two contrary effects. Increased graphitic expansion (force) leads to a higher shrinkage sensitivity during the first part of the eutectic reaction, but also to a decrease of shrinkage at the end of solidification, due to forcing the last liquid iron to occupy the previous formed cavities. Consequently, strong graphitization process promotion at the end of solidification favours the castings' soundness.

Twitchy about fasciculation

There is a vocal section of the regular audience attending the neurology grand rounds at the Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle upon Tyne, who proudly occupy what might be termed ‘Pedants’...

The diagnostic value of tremor analysis for defining the Parkinson's disease subtype

Objective: To find more objective evidence and support for clinical classification of Parkinson's disease by means of tremor analysis in patients with early confirmed Parkinson's disease. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted to collect 65 patients with early Parkinson's disease treated in the Third Hospital of Peking University from January 2015 to December 2016. Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS), Hoehn-Yahr scale (H-Y scale), Mini-mental state examination (MMSE), Hamilton depression scale (HAMD) were recorded in all patients. According to the ratio of UPDRS rigidity score to tremor score, the patients were divided into tremor dominant (TD), postural instability/gait difficulty (PIGD) and mixed types. All patients were examined by tremor analysis and the results were analyzed and compared. Results: Among the 65 patients, the mean age of onset was (63±10) years, the course of disease was (14±8) months. Twenty-one patients were classified to TD group, 28 patients were classified to PIGD type, and 16 patients with mixed type. There was no significant difference in frequency and amplitude of tremor between the three groups (P>0.05), but the proportion of alternating contraction and harmonic resonance of active and antagonistic muscles in TD group was significantly higher (P<0.05). Twenty patients (71.4%) in TD group showed typical Parkinson's disease manifestations in tremor analysis. Only four patients (14.3%) in PIGD group showed the typical manifestations. More patients in PIGD group showed no clear main peak of tremor at rest. Some patients showed 6-8 Hz/sec peak frequency in posture position and simultaneous contraction of the active and antagonist muscles. These two manifestations occured simultaneously in mixed type patients, including 10 cases (62.5%) with typical Parkinson's disease manifestations. Conclusion: As an objective electrophysiological method to evaluate tremor type, tremor analysis can be used as an important assistant method for clinical classification of Parkinson's disease. It can provide information of the pathway of pathological loss in different types and give important hints in prognosis and treatment.

State owned enterprises and capital misallocation in Vietnam

This study uses the first comprehensive data on Vietnamese manufacturing firms and quantifies the allocative efficiency improvement due to massive entry of private firms amid a simultaneous contraction of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) in the period 2000–2008. It finds that allocative efficiency improvement contributes considerably to the sector’s annual Total Factor Productivity growth, and firm’s entry and exit exerts an increasingly important role in the second half of this period. The productivity dispersion within narrowly-defined industries remains, however, large and persistent. Such effect is attributed to the fact that SOEs disproportionately absorb credit in a period marked with unprecedented growth in domestic credit supply. This paper finds that commercial and subsidized credit per se exhibits a capital distortion reducing effect, but awarding more commercial and subsidized credit to the SOEs, in reference to the private counterparts, yields the anti-capital distortion reducing effect that intensifies with the distribution of higher quantiles.

Control of Solidification Pattern of Cast Irons by Simultaneous Thermal and Contraction / Expansion Analysis

An experimental device conducts thermal analysis and volume change measurements in a single ceramic cup with cast iron quality as the variable. The recorded data are processed using specialized software. Experiments compare solidification patterns for white [WI], grey [GI] and ductile [DI] irons, to correlate the most important events between the cooling curves and contraction curves, to evaluate the sensitivity to shrinkage formation. All of the irons have similar values for initial expansion up to the start of eutectic freezing [0.437 – 0.443%]. Graphite formation promotes expansion [WI-0.002%, GI-0.109%, DI-0.596%], resulting a difference in the reached maximum expansion [WI-0.465%, GI-0.552%, DI-1.032%], placed between the end of eutectic recalescence and the end of solidification. Higher graphite expansion, greater the shrinkage sensitivity: open shrinkage increased while the density of a casting when considering total shrinkage and micro-shrinkage formation decreased. Prolonged graphitization at the beginning of eutectic reaction increased the expansion and, consequently, shrinkage sensitiveness. More graphite formation at the end of this stage also increased expansion, but this phenomena contributed to reduce of shrinkage level, due to the better access of liquid iron to compensate contraction holes. Special metallurgical treatments can favour a strong graphitization process at the end of solidification, with beneficial effects on the castings soundness.

The Exercise Pressor Reflex Evoked by Static Contraction is influenced by the Active Skeletal Muscle Mass in Decerebrated Rats

The decerebrated rat is a useful preparation to study the neural mechanisms controlling the circulation during exercise. One of these mechanisms, the exercise pressor reflex, is evoked by statically contracting the hindlimb muscles. However, contraction of only one hindlimb may not always be enough to achieve threshold for activation of the exercise pressor reflex in the decerebrated rat preparation. Here we demonstrate that simultaneous contraction of both hindlimbs evoked a greater pressor response than did contraction of one hindlimb. This was found to be the case when we analyzed the pressor response to contraction as either the area under the curve or the peak (n=4). Static contraction was induced by electrically stimulating the sciatic nerve for thirty seconds at currents that did not activate the axons of group III and IV afferents. When analyzing the area under the curve, we found that simultaneous contraction of both hindlimbs yielded a pressor response averaging 138 ± 64 mmHg seconds, whereas individual contraction of either hindlimb yielded a pressor response averaging either 48 ± 48 or 76 ± 23 mmHg seconds (right limb vs left limb, respectively). When analyzing the peak, simultaneous contraction of both hindlimbs yielded a pressor response averaging 12 ± 4 mmHg, whereas individual contraction of either hindlimb yielded a pressor response averaging 8 ± 6 mmHg or 9 ± 4 mmHg (right limb vs left limb, respectively). Additionally, the sum of the pressor responses to contraction analyzed as either the area under the curve or as the peak appeared to be additive. Our results suggest that the total active muscle mass influences the magnitude of the exercise pressor reflex.Support or Funding InformationSupported by NIH grant P01 HL 134609.This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.

Sex comparisons of the bilateral deficit in proximal and distal upper body limb muscles

Bilateral deficit (BLD) describes a phenomenon that the force produced during maximal simultaneous bilateral contraction is lower than the sum of those produced unilaterally. The aim of this study was to examine the potential sex-related differences in BLD in upper body proximal and distal limb muscles. Ten men and eight women performed single-joint maximal contractions with their elbow flexors and index finger abductors at separate laboratory visits, during which the maximal isometric voluntary contractions (MVICs) were performed unilaterally and bilaterally with a randomized order in the designated muscle group. Surface electromyographic (EMG) signals were recorded from the prime movers of the designated muscle groups (biceps brachii and first dorsal interosseous) during the maximal contractions. Both men and women demonstrated BLD in their elbow flexors (deficit: men = −11.0 ± 6.3%; women = −10.2 ± 5.0%). Accompanied by this force deficit was the reduced EMG amplitude from the dominant biceps brachii (collapsed across sex: p = 0.045). For the index finger abductors, only men (deficit = −13.7 ± 6.1%), but not women showed BLD. Our results suggested that the BLD in the proximal muscle group is likely induced by the decreased maximal muscle activity from the dominant prime mover. The absence of BLD in women’s index finger muscle is largely due to the inter-subject variability possibly related to the sex hormone flux and unique levels of interhemispheric inhibition.

Symptoms of Oesophageal Affection in Children With Scleroderma According to Mano-Impedancemetry: A Case Series

Background.Currently, scleroderma is a rather rare disease, including among children. Despite the growing interest of investigators in this pathology, the problem of diagnosing oesophageal affection in various forms of systemic sclerosis remains under-investigated since endoscopic data does not provide a complete picture of the oesophageal function. Currently, mano-impedancemetry (MIP) is the leading method in Europe for determining the oesophageal function, including in children with scleroderma; in the Russian Federation, it is used only in adults. Proper and timely evaluation of the oesophageal motility state will allow not only to expand our understanding of the disease pathogenesis but also to determine the efficacy of the initiated therapy and to give practice suggestions in terms of treatment tactics in the early stages of the disease.Our aim wasto determine the possibilities of mano-impedancemetry for diagnosing oesophageal affection in juvenile scleroderma.Patients and Methods.The study included children with juvenile scleroderma taken to the department of rheumatology and dermatology from June to August 2016. To identify oesophageal function disorders, all patients underwent high-resolution manometry in combination with impedancemetry.Results.A decrease in the distal oesophageal contraction amplitude in more than 30% of “wet” swallows was found in 2 of 7 children with juvenile systemic scleroderma and in one of 6 children with juvenile focal scleroderma. All 13 patients had peristaltic waves in the distal oesophagus with an amplitude of &lt;30 mm Hg. They had interrupted peristalsis, in which the peristaltic wave did not go through the entire length of the oesophagus; one of these patients showed a simultaneous contraction with an amplitude of &lt;30 mm Hg. All children (n=13) showed a positive correlation (r= 0.021) between the systemic disease and impaired motility (р=0.021).Conclusion.Despite the clinical and laboratory methods for diagnosing scleroderma, the data of oesophageal mano-impedancemetry is an important criterion, primarily for the differential diagnosis of systemic and focal scleroderma, and assists in the early initiation of therapy for oesophageal motility disorders.Marina Ju. Stepanyan, Ekaterina I. Alexeeva, Elena V. Komarova confirmed the absence of a reportable conflict of interest.Ekaterina I. Alexeeva — receiving research grants from Pfizer, Roche, Centocor, Novartis.Nikolay N. Murashkin — receiving research funding from pharmaceutical companies Jansen, Eli Lilly. Receiving fees for scientific advice from Galderma, Pierre Fabre, Bayer, Astellas, Libriderm.

Ooid growth: Uniqueness of time-invariant, smooth shapes in 2D

Evolution of planar curves under a nonlocal geometric equation is investigated. It models the simultaneous contraction and growth of carbonate particles called ooids in geosciences. Using classical ODE results and a bijective mapping, we demonstrate that the steady parameters associated with the physical environment determine a unique, time-invariant, compact shape among smooth, convex curves embedded in ℝ2. It is also revealed that any time-invariant solution possesses D2 symmetry. The model predictions remarkably agree with ooid shapes observed in nature.

Causes and mechanisms of synchronous succession trajectories in primeval Central European mixed Fagus sylvatica forests

Abstract Natural succession trajectories of Central European forest ecosystems are poorly understood due to the absence of long‐term observations and the pervasive effects of past human impacts on today's vegetation communities. This knowledge gap is significant given that currently forest ecosystems are expanding in Europe as a consequence of global change. Annually laminated sediments were extracted from two small lowland lakes (Moossee 521 m a.s.l.; Burgäschisee 465 m a.s.l.) on the Swiss Plateau. We combine high‐resolution palaeoecological and quantitative analyses to assess changes in vegetation during the Neolithic. We test for regionally synchronous land‐use phases and plant successional patterns that may originate from complex interactions between human and climatic impacts. Mixed Fagus sylvatica forests dominated the Swiss Plateau vegetation over millennia. During the period 6,500–4,200 cal year bp, pronounced forest disruptions accompanied by increased fire and agricultural activities occurred at c. 6,400–6,000 cal year bp, 5,750–5,550 cal year bp, around 5,400 cal year bp and at 5,100–4,600 cal year bp. Biodiversity increased during these land‐use phases, likely in response to the creation of new open habitats. After decades to centuries of land‐use, arboreal vegetation re‐expanded. In a first succession stage, heliophilous Corylus avellana shrubs were replaced by pioneer Betula trees. These open arboreal communities were out‐competed within 150–200 years by late‐successional F. sylvatica and Abies alba forests. Most strikingly, cross‐correlations show that these successions occurred synchronously (±11 years) and repeatedly over large areas (&gt;1,000 km2) and millennia. Synthesis. First notable human impact shaped the primeval mixed Fagus sylvatica forests in Central Europe from c. 6,800–6,500 cal year bp on. Agrarian societies were susceptible to climate changes and we hypothesize that climate‐induced, simultaneous agricultural expansion and contraction phases resulted in synchronous regional forest successions. Currently, forests are expanding in Central Europe as a result of land abandonment in marginal areas. Our results imply that mixed Fagus sylvatica forests with Abies alba and Quercus may re‐expand rapidly in these areas, if climate conditions will remain within the range of the mid‐Holocene climatic variability (with summers c. +1–2°C warmer than today).

Shaping the Effects of Associative Brain Stimulation by Contractions of the Opposite Limb.

There has been an explosion of interest in methods that may promote neural plasticity by indirectly stimulating tissue in damaged brains using transient magnetic fields or weak electrical currents. A major limitation of these approaches is that the induced variations in brain activity tend to be diffuse. Thus far it has proved extremely difficult to target pathways from the brain to specific muscles. This is a particular challenge for applications in rehabilitation. Stroke survivors often exhibit abnormal patterns of muscle activation, including diminished specificity and high levels of co-contraction. For the clinical relevance of brain stimulation to be enhanced, it is desirable that the effects can be restricted to pathways controlling muscles that are the specific targets of movement therapy. We have demonstrated previously that increases in the excitability of corticospinal projections to forearm muscles generated by paired associative stimulation (PAS), are modulated by contractions ipsilateral to the site of the cortical stimulus. The current aim was to determine whether in chronic stroke survivors, simultaneous contractions performed by the non-paretic limb increase the muscle specificity of changes in the excitability of projections to the impaired limb induced by PAS. Ten chronic stroke survivors, 13 age-equivalent and 27 younger healthy controls, completed two separate sessions/conditions. In one (PAS+CONT), isometric wrist flexion contractions of the non-impaired limb were made simultaneously with PAS. In the other (PAS), associative stimulation only was applied. In all groups, PAS alone gave rise to large increases in the excitability of projections to a wrist extensor muscle (extensor carpi radialis – ECR) that was not the target of stimulation. In marked contrast, for the stroke survivors, following combined PAS and flexion contractions of the non-impaired limb, there was no corresponding elevation in the excitability of corticospinal projections to the ECR of the paretic limb. A similar effect was present for the healthy young adults, but not expressed clearly for the age-equivalent controls. The implications of these findings with respect to the clinical deployment of non-invasive brain stimulation in movement rehabilitation are discussed.

Effects of Off-Plane Deformation and Biased Bi-Axial Pre-Strains on a Planar Contractile Dielectric Elastomer Actuator

Dielectric elastomers are in a special class of electro-active polymers known for generating expansion in plane and contraction in thickness under voltage application. This paper advances the understanding of a planar contractile dielectric elastomer actuator (cDEA) that is distinct from conventional multi-layer cDEAs but generates comparable contractile strains. Its structure has a rod-constrained rhombus-shaped electrode region, which undergoes simultaneous in-plane contraction and extension during actuation depending on the configuration of the rod-constraining. It is demonstrated that when the planar cDEA is driven by high voltages, off-plane deformation (i.e., wrinkling) in the direction of contraction causes the rod-constrained electrode region to lose tension and extend in the lateral direction, resulting in a significant increase in contraction strain. It also demonstrates that the contraction strain can be increased further by having biased bi-axial pre-strains. By incorporating both effects, the new cDEA generates a maximum contraction strain of 13%, twice that reported previously for planar cDEAs. A modified planar cDEA, having an additional rigid frame to maintain the pre-strain in the lateral direction to contraction was also developed to demonstrate contractile force actuation. Finally, a stability study shows that the planar cDEA has a primary failure mode of electrical breakdown close to the corners of the rod-constrained electrode region. Having inactive regions around the active cell is essential for generating contraction and eliminating buckling of the planar cDEA in the lateral direction.

Acute whole-body vibration increases reciprocal inhibition

Based on previous evidence that whole-body vibration (WBV) affects pathways involved in disynaptic reciprocal inhibition (DRI), the present hypothesis-driven experiment aimed to assess the acute effects of WBV on DRI and co-contraction. DRI from ankle dorsiflexors to plantar flexors was investigated during submaximal dorsiflexion before and after 1 min of WBV. With electromyography, musculus soleus (SOL) H-reflex depression following a conditioning stimulation of the peroneal nerve (1.1x motor threshold for the musculus tibialis anterior, TA) was assessed and co-contraction was calculated. After WBV, DRI was significantly increased (+4%, p < 0.05). SOL (−13%, p < 0.05) and TA (−6%, p < 0.05) activities were significantly reduced; co-contraction tended to be diminished (−8%, p = 0.05). Dorsiflexion torque remained unchanged. After WBV, DRI increased during submaximal isometric contraction in healthy subjects. The simultaneous SOL relaxation and TA contraction indicate that a more economic movement execution is of functional significance for WBV application in clinical and athletic treatment.

In Search of Hybridity: Grainger, MacDowell and their Cosmopolitan Imagination

While their names are not frequently juxtaposed in existing scholarship, Percy Grainger and Edward MacDowell both maintained that cosmopolitanism was not merely a return to eighteenth-century idealism, but also a practical solution to mediating the anxieties of their epoch. I argue that, as members of a transatlantic network of artists, their overlapping system of referents and mutual fascination with Nordic cultures was integral to the development of mutable definitions of cosmopolitanism. At the same time, the deliberate consciousness of difference that permitted for the simultaneous expansion and contraction of identities also contributed to the rise of conflicting imperatives. In the case of Grainger, certain tensions remain unresolved, including the propensity to circulate racial hierarchies under the moniker of ‘cosmopolitanism’. Therefore, in this article, I offer a methodology for appraising the common foundations of their affiliations, advance new analytical tools for evaluating the practice of ‘cosmopolitanizing’ local sources, and problematize the purported universality of their resultant discourse. By focusing upon the particular aspect of harmonic contextuality, I find that a distinct mode of hybridity emerged as they sought to distance themselves from European artistic models while in living America – one that ironically brought properties of time and space into closer proximity. This study thereby illustrates that the consequences of their cultural dialogue led to the end of anachronisms in the service of a ‘continual and restless spirit of change’.

Ferromagnetic quantum critical point in CePd2P2 with Pd → Ni substitution

An investigation of the structural, thermodynamic, and electronic transport properties of the isoelectronic chemical substitution series Ce(Pd$_{1-x}$Ni$_x$)$_2$P$_2$ is reported, where a possible ferromagnetic quantum critical point is uncovered in the temperature - concentration ($T-x$) phase diagram. This behavior results from the simultaneous contraction of the unit cell volume, which tunes the relative strengths of the Kondo and RKKY interactions, and the introduction of disorder through alloying. Near the critical region at $x_{\rm{cr}}$ $\approx$ 0.7, the rate of contraction of the unit cell volume strengthens, indicating that the cerium $f$-valence crosses over from trivalent to a non-integer value. Consistent with this picture, x-ray absorption spectroscopy measurements reveal that while CePd$_2$P$_2$ has a purely trivalent cerium $f$-state, CeNi$_2$P$_2$ has a small ($<$ 10 \%) tetravalent contribution. In a broad region around $x_{\rm{cr}}$, there is a breakdown of Fermi liquid temperature dependences, signaling the influence of quantum critical fluctuations and disorder effects. Measurements of clean CePd$_2$P$_2$ furthermore show that applied pressure has a similar initial effect to alloying on the ferromagnetic order. From these results, CePd$_2$P$_2$ emerges as a keystone system to test theories such as the Belitz-Kirkpatrick-Vojta model for ferromagnetic quantum criticality, where distinct behaviors are expected in the dirty and clean limits.

Coenzyme Q10 Reduces Platelet Hyperreactivity and Attenuates Atherosclerosis via Inhibiting Platelet αIIbβ3-mediated Signaling Pathway

Distal esophageal spasm is a rare motility disorder presenting principally with nonobstructive dysphagia and noncardiac chest pain. In symptomatic patients, the manometric diagnosis is made when >10% of the wet swallows have simultaneous and/or premature contractions intermixed with normal peristalsis. We characterize manometry and barium as complementary diagnostic approaches, and given the intermittent nature of the disorder, one should be always aware that it is almost impossible to rule out spasm. Treatment is difficult; we propose an approach beginning with the least invasive intervention.

Motor Skill Development Alters Kinematics and Co-Activation Between Flexors and Extensors of Limbs in Human Infant Crawling.

Hands and knees crawling is an important motor developmental milestone but the current clinical measures of motor function during crawling stage are relatively subjective. Objective metrics using kinematics and electromyography (EMG) in infant crawling may provide more stable and accurate measures of such developmental milestone, demonstrating changes in locomotion during age span. The purpose of this paper was to determine whether joint kinematics and the underlying co-activation between flexor and extensor in infant crawling are different for arms and legs across the infant age span. Surface EMG of two pairs of flexors and extensors from arms and legs and the corresponding joint kinematic data were collected in twenty health infants (11 males and 9 females, range 8-15 months), while they were crawling on hands and knees. Co-activation index of averaged EMG was used to quantify the simultaneous contractions between flexor and extensor muscles. Coefficient of variation of joint's maximum vertical acceleration from multiple cycles was used to quantify the repeatability of kinematics during crawling. Our results indicated that the arm exhibited significantly higher co-activation and higher repeatability of joint movement than the leg, suggesting earlier development of arm compared to leg. Moreover, elder age groups, who had stronger walking ability developed, showed increased co-activation of the leg and significant increase in repeatability of the knee movement. These results were consistent with the rapid reinforcement of the leg during motor development from quadrupeds to bipedal walking. Furthermore, the EMG and kinematic parameters were significantly correlated with clinical variables. These results suggest that the EMG and kinematic analysis of infant crawling are useful in building effective assessment of infant's motor function before independent walking.

S21-1. A new analysis method using surface electromyography to assess finger function in patients with severe stroke

We have conducted our research into kinesthetic illusions induced by visual stimuli (KiNvis), which are sensations of being in motion that result from watching artificial images of the body part moving. Our previous studies revealed characteristic neural networks related to KiNvis; since then, we have initiated clinical studies adapting KiNvis in patients with stroke. In patients with severe stroke, it is often difficult to measure joint angles, because voluntary movement does not occur or simultaneous contraction of the agonist and antagonist muscles prevent controlled voluntary joint exercise. Therefore, we have developed an assessment method for finger function in these patients using surface electromyography (EMG). Our method aimed to assess “reciprocal muscle activity” during repetitive exercise. Hence, we calculated cross correlation coefficients between EMG signals recorded during reciprocal muscle activity and pseudo model signals during ideal reciprocal muscle contraction. During reciprocal muscle activity, the peak value of cross correlation coefficient calculated using this method was higher than at rest or during sustained muscle activity. Accordingly, we consider that even in patients with severe stroke in whom changes in motor function cannot be detected with the variable that analyzes EMG signals quantitatively, it may be possible to assess finger function alterations using the analysis method of the present study.

Sequencing and Analysis of Strobilanthes cusia (Nees) Kuntze Chloroplast Genome Revealed the Rare Simultaneous Contraction and Expansion of the Inverted Repeat Region in Angiosperm.

Ban-Lan-Gen, the root tissues derived from several morphologically indistinguishable plant species, have been used widely in traditional Chinese medicines for numerous years. The identification of reliable markers to distinguish various source plant species is critical for the effective and safe use of products containing Ban-Lan-Gen. Here, we analyzed and characterized the complete chloroplast (cp) genome sequence of Strobilanthes cusia (Nees) Kuntze to identify high-resolution markers for the species determination of Southern Ban-Lan-Gen. Total DNA was extracted and subjected to next-generation sequencing. The cp genome was then assembled, and the gaps were filled using PCR amplification and Sanger sequencing. Genome annotation was conducted using CpGAVAS web server. The genome was 144,133 bp in length, presenting a typical quadripartite structure of large (LSC; 91,666 bp) and small (SSC; 17,328 bp) single-copy regions separated by a pair of inverted repeats (IRs; 17,811 bp). The genome encodes 113 unique genes, including 79 protein-coding, 30 transfer RNA, and 4 ribosomal RNA genes. A total of 20 tandem, 2 forward, and 6 palindromic repeats were detected in the genome. A phylogenetic analysis based on 65 protein-coding genes showed that S. cusia was closely related to Andrographis paniculata and Ruellia breedlovei, which belong to the same family, Acanthaceae. One interesting feature is that the IR regions apparently undergo simultaneous contraction and expansion, resulting in the presence of single copies of rps19, rpl2, rpl23, and ycf2 in the LSC region and the duplication of psbA and trnH genes in the IRs. This study provides the first complete cp genome in the genus Strobilanthes, containing critical information for the classification of various Strobilanthes species in the future. This study also provides the foundation for precisely determining the plant sources of Ban-Lan-Gen.

After the Golden Age: Libel, Caricature, and the Deverbalization of Satire

It is a commonplace of literary history that satire vanishes in the middle of the eighteenth century. It is clear, however, that written and especially visual satire witnessed massive growth in the final decades of the century and throughout the Romantic era. My goal is to explain this simultaneous contraction and expansion of the satiric marketplace. Rather than dying, I argue, satire began to migrate to visual media, and especially caricature, after mid-century. The reason for this migration was the shifting procedural norms of libel law itself. Over the first half of the century, the courts developed procedures for delimiting verbal ambiguity in trials for libel that made the publication of written satire perilous. These same procedures were largely useless, however, in the prosecution of visual materials, which made at best sparing use of words—they were, as I put it, "deverbalized"—and were therefore not subject to the same rulings and interpretive procedures.