Title Question Research Articles

Why is cis/trans stereoinversion with Li+(THF)4 migration across the phenyl ring of α-lithiostyrene accelerated by two ortho-methyl groups?

Common wisdom might anticipate that two methyl groups placed on a molecular migration route should act as an impediment. However, the “conducted tour” migration of Li+(THF)4 across the aryl ring (“π-route”) during the cis/trans stereoinversion of α-arylvinyllithiums had been found to occur with practically equal velocities in the presence of either one or two ortho-alkyl substituents. We now report that the omission of both ortho-methyl groups retards the stereoinversion process. In order to arrive at an answer to the title question, we investigate the aggregation equilibria and microsolvation states of ortho, ortho′-unsubstituted α-lithiostyrenes by means of approved secondary NMR criteria. Beyond such necessary knowledge about the ground-state properties, we provide kinetic evidence showing that the retarded cis/trans stereoinversion of α-lithiostyrene proceeds by the pseudomonomolecular, ionic mechanism with Li+(THF)4 migration.

Uric Acid: The Lower the Better?

Uric acid (UA) is still considered a risk factor, or even a causative agent, for chronic kidney disease (CKD); however, a few, important, clinical questions remain unanswered; in particular: when and whether urate-lowering therapy should be commenced in subjects with asymptomatic hyperuricemia and/or monosodium urate crystals deposition? What is the most appropriate UA target to be achieved and how long does it need to be maintained? How does treatment need be adjusted in patients with chronic kidney disease? The observational and intervention studies available do not fully answer such questions, and a treatment to target trial is required. We provide here some preliminary opinion on how such a trial might be designed. A final unresolved issue relates to the possible (if any) dangers of overtreatment of hyperuricemia, leading to "hypouricemia," which may occur more frequently with newer, more potent, drugs. A U- or J-shaped association has been found between UA levels and mortality in epidemiologic studies; patients with congenital hypouricemia are more prone to exercise-induced renal failure; a theoretical concern, linked to more complete Xanthine Oxidase inhibition, may involve xanthine nephropathy, although up to now, it has been observed almost exclusively in patients with tumor lysis syndrome. Key Messages: Although there is no definite answer to the title question at the moment, available information tends to indicate a treatment target with serum UA levels between 5.0 and 6.0 mg/dL as reasonable.

Atrial Fibrillation - A Midlands Wide Audit, How Badly Are We Doing?

Aim: To assess the prevalence, diagnostic rates for Atrial Fibrillation, Embolic Stroke in the Midland region 2011-2015 inclusive, snapshot of anticoagulation in one DHB. Method: All in patient admissions from the Data set: Midland DHB hospital register Costpro DHBs included: Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Lakes, Taranaki and Tairāwhiti Diagnosis: Atrial Fibrillation, ICD10 I50, primary diagnosis Time period: 2011-2015 Excluded: Readmissions within 1 day (treated as a transfer), residents from outside Midland DHB or patients were the address could not be geocoded. Assessment of rhythm was also audited. Detailed drill down of anticoagulation done for one DHB. Results: Assessment of AF was poorly done, probably grossly underestimated, Embolic CVA as high as 38% (higher than other studies). Less than 25% of patients with AF were appropriately anticoagulated. Presentation/admission rates with AF was inversely related to distance to nearest health centres. Conclusion: AF is neither reliably sought for nor documented, anticoagulation options need to be broadened, rates of embolic strokes are likely inaccurate, poorer rural patients are underserved – answer to the title question – very badly.

Is the tungsten(IV) complex (NEt4)2[WO(mnt)2] a functional analogue of acetylene hydratase?

The tungsten(IV) complex (Et4N)2[W(O)(mnt)2] (1; mnt = maleonitriledithiolate) was proposed (Sarkar et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1997, 119, 4315) to be a functional analogue of the active center of the enzyme acetylene hydratase from Pelobacter acetylenicus, which hydrates acetylene (ethyne; 2) to acetaldehyde (ethanal; 3). In the absence of a satisfactory mechanistic proposal for the hydration reaction, we considered the possibility of a metal–vinylidene type activation mode, as it is well established for ruthenium-based alkyne hydration catalysts with anti-Markovnikov regioselectivity. To validate the hypothesis, the regioselectivity of tungsten-catalyzed alkyne hydration of a terminal, higher alkyne had to be determined. However, complex 1 was not a competent catalyst for the hydration of 1-octyne under the conditions tested. Furthermore, we could not observe the earlier reported hydration activity of complex 1 towards acetylene. A critical assessment of, and a possible explanation for the earlier reported results are offered. The title question is answered with "no".

“What Kant Would Have Said in the Refugee Crisis”

The paper starts out from a debate that occurred in Germany in 2015, where interpreters claimed to be able to divine Immanuel Kant’s views of the contemporary refugee crisis. It does not attempt to give a substantive answer to the title question, i.e. it does not try to specify the conclusive extension of cosmopolitan right. In contrast, it outlines the systematic work that would have to be done in order to be able to answer the title question. I start from cosmopolitan right as natural right and ask what kinds of transformations cosmopolitan right would have to undergo to form a legitimate part of public international law, in parallel to Kant’s move from provisional private law to peremptory public law in his Doctrine of Right. For that purpose, I introduce distinctions between trivial and non-trivial transformation, between strong (i.e. property-related) and weak (property-unrelated) transformation, and between transformation based on historically blameworthy and historically blameless action.

Is Economics a Science? Well, Not Yet.

Is economics science? Answering this question is not only necessary for philosophical clarity, but also crucial for knowing how seriously to take economists’ claims and advice about public policy. Nevertheless, even among practitioners and academics, consensus is nonexistent. This paper resolves the conundrum in two steps. First I discuss some epistemology of science, defining clearly various concepts necessary to the debate. Several fallacies are clarified, such as a theory may never be proved true, but only not falsified, a model is useful because it simplifies reality or data mining is bad. In light of solid philosophical ground, I then discuss the practice and methodology of modern economics. The answer to the title question is perhaps disappointing, but realistic, not yet. I conclude with prescriptions for path towards more scientific discipline.

Cognitive Performance Enhancement: Do Biofeedback and Neurofeedback Work?

Biofeedback (BFB) and neurofeedback (NFB) training are two promising approaches for the non-invasive modulation of human physiological activity paired with cognitive, emotional, and behavioral functioning. In this article, we summarize the state of the art with regard to the efficiency of BFB and NFB studies for the optimization of cognitive performance within a non-clinical context. We review the different training protocols with their underlying theoretical perspectives and the different outcomes regarding cognitive performance. This review showed that BFB and NFB are promising training techniques. However, the use of varying terminology to refer to similar concepts, diverse methodological designs, and cognitive assessments along with apparent differences in NFB frequency ranges makes it difficult to compare the outcomes over different studies and to draw general conclusions. Furthermore, a question largely ignored until now remains about the long-term effects of both training and thus the sustainability of the achieved cognitive enhancement. Despite promising results of both techniques, this overview summarizes the encountered issues and formulates suggestions to solve them in order to be able to provide a definitive answer to the title question: “do biofeedback and neurofeedback work as a cognitive performance enhancement method?”

Is Mild Episodic Chronic Illness a Disability? A Reflexive Exploration in a Middle Income Country

International policies differ on how milder and episodic phases of chronic illnesses such as multiple sclerosis are managed as a disability in employment contexts. We contend that the answer to the title questions depends on how the starting point of a disability is conceptualized, and how the subsequent trajectory of illness experiences and outcomes are managed in the lived structural context. Situating discussions at the interface of management and global health scholarship, we use policy analysis, personal reflections and narratives from ten working individuals with MS in Malaysia to deliberate on the ‘disabling’ work effects of mild and episodic chronic illness. The participants narrate affecting work experiences- ‘participation restrictions and barriers to autonomy and choice’ that commence at diagnosis- prior to a ‘permanent impairment. Themes from their discussions illustrate a trajectory of accumulated constraints, which include the negotiation of limiting and non-limiting symptoms on work compete...

What is consciousness for?

Abstract The answer to the title question is, in a word, volition. Our hypothesis is that the ultimate adaptive function of consciousness is to make volitional movement possible. All conscious processes exist to subserve that ultimate function. Thus, we believe that all conscious organisms possess at least some volitional capability. Consciousness makes volitional attention possible; volitional attention, in turn, makes volitional movement possible. There is, as far as we know, no valid theoretical argument or convincing empirical evidence that consciousness itself has any direct causal efficacy other than volition. Consciousness, via volitional action, increases the likelihood that an organism will direct its attention, and ultimately its movements, to whatever is most important for its survival and reproduction.

Why oppositely charged ions of equal radii have different heats of hydration?

Looking for the answer to the title question a number of oversimplifications of the Born model of ion hydration are discussed. They involved: ionic radius, dielectric saturation, structure of water molecules around ions and the nature of ion–water interactions. On the basis of recent literature the last factor—pure electrostatic interactions of alkali metal cations with water molecules but hydrogen bonding of halide anions—has been found to decide on the minimum energy of interactions, the charge transferred between interacting species in equilibrium and the distance between them. Thus, different nature of interactions for cations and anions explains difference in their hydration heats as well as the observation that solvent–solvent interactions in hydrogen bond donor solvents give the important contribution to solvation heats only for anions.

How Many Libraries Do We Need?

ABSTRACTAccording to the American Library Association, there are 119,000 libraries in the United States. But how many do we need? In this vision session report, Arizona State University Librarian James J. O’Donnell addresses this question through the lenses of discovery tools, usability, and marketing strategy. He also addresses the need for a more global and collaborative approach to collection building in libraries. This deliberately provocative talk provides several different ways to think about the answer to the title question—and several answers.

Can We Grow Organic or Conventional Vegetables Sustainably Without Cover Crops?

Vegetable and fruit consumption patterns in the United States indicate that most people need to eat far more fruits and vegetables to meet the current nutritional guidelines for a healthy diet. Following these guidelines would require more than doubling the harvested acreage for fruits and vegetables and could have serious environmental implications if unsustainable production practices were used. This situation will likely intensify with population growth and climate change. To answer the title question (can we grow organic or conventional vegetables sustainably without cover crops?), this paper focuses on the high-input, tillage-intensive vegetable production practices in the Salinas Valley of California, a region often called “the Salad Bowl of America.” This region has a serious problem of nitrate contamination of the groundwater that occurred as the agricultural systems here shifted from agronomic to high-value horticultural crops [primarily vegetables and strawberries (Fragaria ×ananassa)] over the past several decades. This raises questions about the sustainability of past and current vegetable production practices and indicates the need for a radical paradigm shift in nutrient management. Cover cropping is well recognized as a “best management practice” in vegetable production systems, but is still relatively uncommon in many of the most important vegetable production regions in the United States, including the Salinas Valley. It is argued that cover crops are an essential part of sustainable vegetable production because they provide a complex suite of unique ecosystem services during fallow periods that complement best management practices during cash crop periods. The reasons that cover crops are uncommon here are discussed and three alternative cover cropping strategies are described to potentially increase adoption of cover cropping in vegetable rotations. These strategies are focused on reducing residue management challenges and include a novel strategy to extract the juice from nitrogen-rich, immature cover crops for use as a liquid organic fertilizer in subsequent cash crops.

Is a psychiatrist-patient confidentiality relationship subservient to a greater good?

Before embarking in a fruitless exchange the title question must be unpacked:– is the ‘psychiatrist-patient confidentiality relationship’ a subset of the general doctor-patient confidentiality relationship?– if different, what causes the difference? Is it the nature of mental disorder, for example the fact that some mental disorders may impair ‘mental capacity’ in ways different from general medicine?– given that in addition to psychiatrists, psychologists, nurses, and social workers also enter into ‘confidentiality relationship’ with patients, should all be considered as tokens of the same type or as different types? If the latter, should such differences be considered as intrinsic or extrinsic? Intrinsic differences refer to structural dissimilarities; extrinsic differences to dissimilarities created by the respective legal frames imposed by each profession to its practitioners.– is ‘subservience to a greater good’ an acceptable good way to describe the metier upon which the ethical scrutiny will be applied? Given that it does describe a ‘consequence’ of the process then it would seem that it prematurely opts for utilitarianism, an ethical theory that many may feel is not adequate to the case.The general question and the pre-formulated debating positions are setting up a pseudo-debate. A more useful question should be: “Given the strong political and economic pressures being currently brought to bear upon all confidentiality relationships (held by priests, medics, lawyers, bank workers, etc.), what ethical system may be more convenient to:– justify blatant breaches in confidentiality relationships;– placate our moral conscience?”Disclosure of interestThe author has not supplied his/her declaration of competing interest.

Tribunal locuta – causa finita? Kontrowersyjne orzeczenia Trybunału Konstytucyjnego w okresie tzw. „kryzysu konstytucyjnego”

Artykuł przedstawia opinie Europejskiej Komisji na rzecz demokracji przez prawo (Komisji Weneckiej) oraz orzecznictwo polskiego Trybunału Konstytucyjnego w czasie kryzysu konstytucyjnego; następnie przedstawione zostały poglądy doktryny polskiego prawa konstytucyjnego na temat art. 197 i art. 195 ust. 1 Konstytucji RP z 2 kwietnia 1997r. Zdaniem autora mamy do czynienia z różnicą stanowisk pomiędzy stanowiskiem TK, w szczególności zajętym w wyrokach w sprawach K 34/15, K 35/15, K 47/15, K 39/16 a poglądami doktryny. W związku z powyższym na tytułowe pytanie można odpowiedzieć: formalnie - tak, praktycznie - niekoniecznie.

Perspective: Is there a hysteresis during reactive High Power Impulse Magnetron Sputtering (R-HiPIMS)?

This paper discusses a few mechanisms that can assist to answer the title question. The initial approach is to use an established model for DC magnetron sputter deposition, i.e., RSD2013. Based on this model, the impact on the hysteresis behaviour of some typical HiPIMS conditions is investigated. From this first study, it becomes clear that the probability to observe hysteresis is much lower as compared to DC magnetron sputtering. The high current pulses cannot explain the hysteresis reduction. Total pressure and material choice make the abrupt changes less pronounced, but the implantation of ionized metal atoms that return to the target seems to be the major cause. To further substantiate these results, the analytical reactive sputtering model is coupled with a published global plasma model. The effect of metal ion implantation is confirmed. Another suggested mechanism, i.e., gas rarefaction, can be ruled out to explain the hysteresis reduction. But perhaps the major conclusion is that at present, there are too little experimental data available to make fully sound conclusions.

'Doc, can I fly to Australia?' A case report and review of delirium following long-haul flight.

Air travel is now a common feature of most of our elderly population's lives. There is little by way of warnings, rules or recommendations for our patients with psychiatric diagnoses, in particular dementia, who intend to travel by plane, in contrast to other specialties. In this article I highlight an adverse outcome of long-haul air travel as a result of delirium and resulting accelerated decline in overall cognitive function. I review literature related to the topic and suggest ways to minimise precipitating factors for stressors prior to and during flights. This article suggests that more thought should be given to the title question.

Is mmWave Ready for Cellular Deployment?

The wireless capacity crunch will undoubtedly continue as new innovative applications emerge, for instance, augmented reality and massive machine type communications. mmWave promises to deliver gigabits of bandwidth and unprecedented wireless capacity and has created quite the social buzz in both industry and academia. However, mmWave does come with its challenges. Some most prominent issues include high propagation loss, device immaturity, signal processing complexity, and testability. This paper aims to review the current progress on the development of the mmWave technology from seven areas of particular interest/myths with a particular focus on deployment feasibility. We also promote sensible discussions on the potential solutions. Finally, we ask the title question from a network operator’s perspective.

What Is the Value of Clinical Laboratory Testing?

The most common answer to the title question in laboratory medicine circles is, “laboratory tests are the basis of 70% of medical decisions.” Although this is a nice soundbite, it is an unsubstantiated claim and has little scientific basis. However, the 70% number has been propagated because it is both compelling and easy to remember. Ngo et al. (1) in their article in this issue, “Frequency that laboratory tests influence medical decisions,” show that the truth is far more complicated and depends on the clinical setting. They found that the average percentage of encounters that had at least 1 associated laboratory test was 35%, with 98% in inpatients and 29% in outpatients. Other settings, such as the …

Does Fetal Intervention Make a Difference of Postnatal Outcome?

The recent advance of fetal intervention for many disease including congenital heart disease(CHD) believes to improve the outcome of postnatal life. However the reality of postnatal outcome by fetal intervention remains diverse, especially in CHD. The target disease of FI for CHD at current era are critical aortic stenosis (AS) , hypoplastic left heart syndrome with intact atrial septum (HLHS+IAS), and pulmonary atresia with intact ventricular septum(PAIVS). Those FI underwent by ultrasound guide and in limited institute. To discuss the outcome of FI, we must consider case-selection and technical bias. There was no randomized case-control study of FI on postnatal outcome, yet. The large-volume institute of FI reported a promising result of FI on postnatal life, however those of the all institute but such a large-volume one undergoing FI could not demonstrate a clear difference of postnatal outcome, especially in cases with HHS-IAS or PAIVS , even in cases with AS. Some cases became even worse after FI in the light of survival rate or has no change. The answer to the title question is “unclear” at present, but may improve by accumulating the experience of FI institute via registry and by establishing the optimal protocol or FI.

Interpreting the Treaty -- Questions of Native Title, Territorial Government and Searching for Constitutional Histories

This essay deals with the various perspectives and interpretations of the Treaty of Waitangi over time. Drawn from a multi-author collection of essays in memory of the scholarship of the historian Ian Wards, the author argues that, whilst we must be mindful of not producing ‘treaty-centric’ histories, it is important not to reduce the historical interpretative complexities of the Treaty. Hickford continues by stating that one must be cautious when assuming the framers’ original intent deserves priority attention in interpretation. Instead we must look more deeply into the texts to embrace the nuances, complexities and frailties within them, including the ways in which they instantiated a number of interpretative communities. It is concluded that whilst the texts lived many lives of interpretation, argument and negotiation, their significance lies in their strength as texts, allowing them to become a lasting focus for political relations, and the development of constitutional histories (even as these material realities of indigenous and colonial co-existence were concealed or masked).