bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Hessian estimates for convex solutions to quadratic Hessian equation
Authors: McGonagle Matt , Song Chong , Yuan Yu
Published: July 2018

We derive Hessian estimates for convex solutions to quadratic Hessian equation by compactness argument.

Nous dérivons des estimations de Hessian pour des solutions convexes à l'équation de Hessian quadratique par argument de compacité.
Genome-Wide MicroRNA Expression Profiles in COPD: Early Predictors for Cancer Development
Authors: Keller Andreas , Fehlmann Tobias , Ludwig Nicole , Kahraman Mustafa , Laufer Thomas , Backes Christina , Vogelmeier Claus , Diener Caroline , Biertz Frank , Herr Christian , Jörres Rudolf A. , Lenhof Hans-Peter , Meese Eckart , Bals Robert ,   COSYCONET Study Group
Published: July 2018

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) significantly increases the risk of developing cancer. Biomarker studies frequently follow a case-control set-up in which patients diagnosed with a disease are compared to controls. Longitudinal cohort studies such as the COPD-centered German COPD and SYstemic consequences-COmorbidities NETwork (COSYCONET) study provide the patient and biomaterial base for discovering predictive molecular markers. We asked whether microRNA (miRNA) profiles in blood collected from COPD patients prior to a tumor diagnosis could support an early diagnosis of tumor development independent of the tumor type. From 2741 participants of COSYCONET diagnosed with COPD, we selected 534 individuals including 33 patients who developed cancer during the follow-up period of 54 months and 501 patients who did not develop cancer, but had similar age, gender and smoking history. Genome-wide miRNA profiles were generated and evaluated using machine learning techniques. For patients developing cancer we identified nine miRNAs with significantly decreased abundance (two-tailed unpaired t-test adjusted for multiple testing P < 0.05), including members of the miR-320 family. The identified miRNAs regulate different cancer-related pathways including the MAPK pathway (P = 2.3 × 10−5). We also observed the impact of confounding factors on the generated miRNA profiles, underlining the value of our matched analysis. For selected miRNAs, qRT-PCR analysis was applied to validate the results. In conclusion, we identified several miRNAs in blood of COPD patients, which could serve as candidates for biomarkers to help identify COPD patients at risk of developing cancer.
ShRNA‐mediated BMI‐1 gene silencing inhibits gastrointestinal stromal tumor cell telomerase activity and enhances apoptosis
Authors: Wang Xin , Wu Kun , Xiao Lin‐Kang , Wu Xing‐Ye
Published: July 2018

Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) are the most frequently occurring mesenchymal tumors of the gastrointestinal tract. Telomerase activity is well acknowledged as a critical factor in oncogenesis. The objective of the present study is to evaluate the effect of BMI gene silencing on proliferation, apoptosis and telomerase activity in human GIST882 cells. GIST882 cells were transfected with a eukaryotic expression vector of an shRNA fragment. The silencing efficiency in the GIST882 cells was determined by RT‐qPCR and a western blot analysis. After the shRNA‐BMI‐1 plasmid was transfected into the GIST882 cells and nude mice, a cell counting kit‐8 (CCK‐8) assay and flow cytometry were utilized to detect the GIST882 cell proliferation, the apoptosis rate and the cell cycle. Tumor growth was observed by tumor xenograft in nude mice. Telomerase activity and telomere length were detected by a Southern blot and a target region amplified polymorphism. The shRNA‐BMI‐1 recombinant plasmid was successfully constructed. The mRNA and protein expression of the BMI‐1 gene in GIST882 cells was suppressed by the shRNA‐BMI‐1 recombinant plasmid. Meanwhile, BMI‐1 gene silencing inhibited the cell proliferation, tumor growth, and cell cycle in the GIST882 cells. However, cell apoptosis was increased and telomerase activity was decreased with the silencing of the BMI‐1 gene. Collectively, the results of this study suggest that silencing the BMI‐1 gene may provide a new target for the treatment of GISTs.
Nature Education for Sustainable Todays and Tomorrows (NEST): Hatching a New Culture in Schooling
Authors: Piersol Laura , Russell Linda , Groves Jenny
Published: July 2018

Within the North American public education system, institutionalised structures of schooling often prevent teachers from aligning their values with their practice when it comes to environmental education (Bowers, 1997; Weston, 2004). In response to this, this article will outline our lived experiences, as teachers and researcher, in disrupting the traditional school system as we work toward building a new culture in schooling through nature-based education. Acts of disruption that we will speak to include: going outside for learning on a regular basis, teaching for empowerment, involving families in the education, attempts to play with structural confines of schooling, and finding ways to stay empowered ourselves. Through this work, we have found that there is a rippling effect to the disruption that requires courage, grit, and resilience such that we do not slide back into conventional approaches. We have also become empowered in our practices through implementing these changes, watching our students become active stewards within their communities and beyond. We are learning deeply about the work of structural change within a public school district and offer words here as inspiration and support for others wishing to make changes within their own context.
A zonal safety analysis methodology for preliminary aircraft systems and structural design
Authors: Chen Z. , Fielding J. P.
Published: July 2018

Zonal Safety Analysis (ZSA) is a major part of the civil aircraft safety assessment process described in Aerospace Recommended Practice 4761 (ARP4761). It considers safety effects that systems/items installed in the same zone (i.e. a defined area within the aircraft body) may have on each other. Although the ZSA may be conducted at any design stage, it would be most cost-effective to do it during preliminary design, due to the greater opportunity for influence on system and structural designs and architecture. The existing ZSA methodology of ARP4761 was analysed, but it was found to be more suitable for detail design rather than preliminary design. The authors therefore developed a methodology that would be more suitable for preliminary design and named it the Preliminary Zonal Safety Analysis (PZSA). This new methodology was verified by means of the use of a case study, based on the NASA N3-X project. Several lessons were learnt from the case study, leading to refinement of the proposed method. These lessons included focusing on the positional layout of major components for the zonal safety inspection, and using the Functional Hazard Analysis (FHA)/Fault Tree Analysis (FTA) to identify system external failure modes. The resulting PZSA needs further refinement, but should prove to be a useful design tool for the preliminary design process.
Benefits and Costs of Regulating and Restricting Chemicals: The European Union’s REACH System and Its Effects on the Austrian Economy
Authors: Getzner Michael , Schulz-Zak Denise
Published: July 2018

The European Union’s regulation for chemical safety (REACH) addresses the registration, evaluation, assessment, and consequent authorization (or restriction) of chemicals which are potentially harmful for both public health and the environment. The current study aims at ascertaining the costs and benefits of the REACH framework for the Austrian economy under major uncertainties, and draws on a wide range of databases on public and workplace health, chemical accidents in households, and the potential environmental impacts of harmful chemicals.

The uncertainties in the REACH system assessments of the effects of chemicals on health lie not only in the insufficiency of scientific evidence but also in the economic evaluation of effects on health, especially in regard to the value of statistical life (VSL), and the economic value of diseases attributed to chemicals.

This benefit-cost analysis (BCA) of the REACH system in Austria therefore takes into account these manifold uncertainties by designing a conservative baseline scenario and by varying all determinants in comprehensive sensitivity analyses. Projected over a period of about 30 years, this paper provides evidence that the REACH system most probably leads to net benefits for the Austrian economy (benefit-cost ratio of about 10.6) even though many benefits are still highly uncertain or unknown.
Conceptual design of an experiment to study dust destruction by astrophysical shock waves
Authors: Manuel M. J.-E. , Temim T. , Dwek E. , Angulo A. M. , Belancourt P. X. , Drake R. P. , Kuranz C. C. , MacDonald M. J. , Remington B. A.
Published: July 2018

A novel laboratory experimental design is described that will investigate the processing of dust grains in astrophysical shocks. Dust is a ubiquitous ingredient in the interstellar medium (ISM) of galaxies; however, its evolutionary cycle is still poorly understood. Especially shrouded in mystery is the efficiency of grain destruction by astrophysical shocks generated by expanding supernova remnants. While the evolution of these remnants is fairly well understood, the grain destruction efficiency in these shocks is largely unknown. The experiments described herein will fill this knowledge gap by studying the dust destruction efficiencies for shock velocities in the range ${\sim}10{-}30~\text{km}/\text{s}$ ($\unicode[STIX]{x03BC}\text{m}/\text{ns}$), at which most of the grain destruction and processing in the ISM takes place. The experiments focus on the study of grain–grain collisions by accelerating small (${\sim}1~\unicode[STIX]{x03BC}\text{m}$) dust particles into a large (${\sim}5{-}10~\unicode[STIX]{x03BC}\text{m}$ diameter) population; this simulates the astrophysical system well in that the more numerous, small grains impact and collide with the large population. Facilities that combine the versatility of high-power optical lasers with the diagnostic capabilities of X-ray free-electron lasers, e.g., the Matter in Extreme Conditions instrument at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, provide an ideal laboratory environment to create and diagnose dust destruction by astrophysically relevant shocks at the micron scale.
Intellectual Investment, Dopaminergic Gene Variation, and Life Events: A Critical Examination
Authors: Strobel Alexander , Strobel Anja , Enge Sören , Fleischhauer Monika , Reif Andreas , Lesch Klaus-Peter , Anacker Kristin
Published: July 2018

Need for Cognition (NFC) and Openness to Ideas are intellectual investment traits that are characterized by a tendency to seek out, engage in and enjoy effortful cognitive activity. Little, however, is known about the extent to which they are influenced by genetic and environmental factors. With the present contribution, we aim at furthering our knowledge on the mechanisms underlying intellectual investment traits by following-up on a recent investigation of the role of dopaminergic gene variation in intellectual investment. Employing a standard approach that relied on null-hypothesis significance testing, we found that, first, two dopaminergic genetic variants interacted in modulating individual differences in NFC, but not in Openness to Ideas; that, second, negative life events played a role in the modulation of Openness to Ideas, but not of NFC; and that, third, negative life events as assessed using another measure were only marginally related to Openness to Ideas while positive life events were associated with both Openness to Ideas and NFC, with the latter effect being also dependent on DRD4 exon III genotype. However, employing a Bayesian approach, the assumption of a genetic effect on investment traits was overall not supported, while the assumption of a role of positive life events in the modulation of investment traits could be confirmed, with a tentative increment in the prediction of NFC by adding an interaction of positive life events and DRD4 variation to the main effect of positive life events. Our findings underscore the importance to use different approaches in the field of personality neuroscience. To gain deeper insight into the basis of personality traits does not only require to consider genetic as well as environmental influences and their interplay, but also requires more differentiated statistical analyses that can at least in part tackle the often inconsistent findings in this field.
ON THE COMPLETION OF -METRIC SPACES
Authors: DUNG NGUYEN VAN , HANG VO THI LE
Published: July 2018

Based on the metrisation of$b$-metric spaces of Paluszyński and Stempak [‘On quasi-metric and metric spaces’,Proc. Amer. Math. Soc.137(12) (2009), 4307–4312], we prove that every$b$-metric space has a completion. Our approach resolves the limitation in using the quotient space of equivalence classes of Cauchy sequences to obtain a completion of a$b$-metric space.
LIFTINGS OF A MONOMIAL CURVE
Authors: ŞAHİN MESUT
Published: July 2018

We study an operation, that we call lifting, creating nonisomorphic monomial curves from a single monomial curve. Our main result says that all but finitely many liftings of a monomial curve have Cohen–Macaulay tangent cones even if the tangent cone of the original curve is not Cohen–Macaulay. This implies that the Betti sequence of the tangent cone is eventually constant under this operation. Moreover, all liftings have Cohen–Macaulay tangent cones when the original monomial curve has a Cohen–Macaulay tangent cone. In this case, all the Betti sequences are just the Betti sequence of the original curve.
RELATIVE PERTURBATION BOUNDS FOR THE JOINT SPECTRUM OF COMMUTING
TUPLES OF MATRICES
Authors: PATRA ARNAB , SRIVASTAVA P. D.
Published: July 2018

In this paper, we study the relative perturbation bounds for joint
eigenvalues of commuting tuples of normal $n\times n$ matrices. Some Hoffman–Wielandt-type relative perturbation
bounds are proved using the Clifford algebra technique. We also extend a
result for diagonalisable matrices which improves a relative perturbation
bound for single matrices.
WHOSE GAP COUNTS? THE ROLE OF YIELD GAP ANALYSIS WITHIN A DEVELOPMENT-ORIENTED AGRONOMY
Authors: SILVA JOÃO VASCO , RAMISCH JOSHUA J.
Published: July 2018

Yield gaps have become a useful tool for guiding development-related agronomy, especially in the global South. While critics have challenged some aspects of the yield gap methodology, and the relevance of food security advocacy based on yield gaps, very few studies question the actual relevance, application and scalability of yield gaps for smallholder farmers (and researchers) in the tropics. We assess these limitations using two contrasting case studies: maize-based farming systems in Western Kenya and rice-based farming systems in Central Luzon, the Philippines. From these two cases, we propose improvements in the use of yield gaps that would acknowledge both the riskiness of crop improvement options and the role that yield increases might play within local livelihoods. Participatory research conducted in Western Kenya calls into question the actual use and up-scaling of yield measurements from on-station agronomic trials to derive estimates of actual and water-limited yields in the region. Looking at maize yield gaps as cumulative probabilities demonstrates the challenges of assessing the real magnitude of yield gaps in farmers’ fields and of deciding whose yield gaps count for agricultural development in Kenya. In the case of rice-based farming systems, we use a historical dataset (1966–2012) to assess changes in rice yields, labour productivity, gross margin and rice self-sufficiency in Central Luzon, the Philippines. While large rice yield gaps persist here, there appear to be few incentives to close that gap once we consider the position of crop production within local livelihoods. In this context, economic returns to labour for farm work were marginal: labour productivity increased over time in both wet and dry seasons, but gross margins decreased in the wet season while no trend was observed for the dry season. Since most households were rice self-sufficient and further increases in crop production would offer minimal returns while relying increasingly on hired labour, we question who should close which yield gap. Our case studies show the importance of contextualising yield gaps within the broader livelihood context in which farmers operate. We propose that this should be done at farm and/or farming systems level while considering the risks associated with narrowing yield gaps and looking into multiple performance indicators.
Some Reflections on the Theory of Sources of International Law: Re-examining Customary International Law
Authors: Heffes Ezequiel
Published: July 2018

This review explores certain challenges related to the notion of customary international law. It seems that it was a long time ago when international law academics and practitioners ever thought that the nature of this source was a well-settled topic. Nowadays international lawmaking processes involve an extraordinary number of interactions, taking place both formally and informally. Such complex features are reflected by an exponential increase in the scholarly study of international legal sources. The legal nature, its applicability and principles regulating customary international law are addressed in the book under review (Brian D Lepard (ed), Reexamining Customary International Law (Cambridge University Press 2017)) through several topical essays. The chapters offer a comprehensive analysis of these lawmaking processes and the challenges they portray from various perspectives and in various fields, such as: What is customary international law and why is it law? Is it law because it reflects a ‘global legislative’ model? What is the current value of the persistent objector theory? Is the two-element definition of customary international law still applicable? By meticulously addressing these and other inquiries, the book presents novel arguments and represents a stimulating addition to the literature on sources of international law.
“Irreversible Torpor”: Entropy in 1970s American Suburban Fiction
Authors: LATHAM PETER
Published: July 2018

Although entropy has been identified as a theme in urban American fiction of the 1960s, it is far more significant in a strand of 1970s suburban fiction, in Joseph Heller's Something Happened (1974), John Updike's Rabbit Is Rich (1981), and the stories of Raymond Carver. I argue that in these texts the suburbs function as closed systems, subject to entropy, and that the suburbanite protagonists have a heightened sense of physical and metaphysical entropy, a reflection in part of the prevailing sense of irreversible economic and cultural decline and decay in that decade
Social Security and Gender Justice in South Africa: Policy Gaps and Opportunities
Authors: PLAGERSON SOPHIE , HOCHFELD TESSA , STUART LAUREN
Published: July 2018

If gender is neglected in the design and implementation of mainstream social welfare models, unequal social and economic outcomes for men and women tend to be reproduced. This paper contributes to debates about how social protection can contribute to promoting gender equality by considering the gendered redistributive and transformative effects of three types of social security instruments in South Africa: social assistance, unemployment insurance and public employment programmes. All the instruments have some pro-poor and gendered design innovations. The Child Support Grant has had better outcomes than the other instruments, but redistributive and transformative gender effects across the social security spectrum are disappointing. Limited social transformation is largely due to implementation inefficiencies and unresponsive institutions. To serve both economically redistributive and socially transformative ends, gender-sensitive synergies between social security instruments and with other multisectoral interventions could be strengthened, such as access to social services (especially quality child care) and access to basic services (such as water, electricity, transport and internet services).
Cherlin's conjecture for almost simple groups of Lie rank 1
Authors: GILL NICK , HUNT FRANCIS , SPIGA PABLO
Published: July 2018

A permutation group G on a set Ω is said to be binary if, for every n ∈ ℕ and for every I, J ∈ Ωn, the n-tuples I and J are in the same G-orbit if and only if every pair of entries from I is in the same G-orbit to the corresponding pair from J. This notion arises from the investigation of the relational complexity of finite homogeneous structures.

Cherlin has conjectured that the only finite primitive binary permutation groups are the symmetric groups Sym(n) with their natural action, the groups of prime order, and the affine groups V ⋊ O(V) where V is a vector space endowed with an anisotropic quadratic form.

We prove Cherlin's conjecture, concerning binary primitive permutation groups, for those groups with socle isomorphic to PSL2(q), 2B2(q), 2G2(q) or PSU3(q). Our method uses the notion of a “strongly non-binary action”.
Cataleptic Effect of 61-91 Beta-Lipotropic Hormone in Rat
Authors: Motomatsu T. , Seidah M. Lis. N. , Chrétien M.
Published: July 2018

Intraventricular administration of a peptide from ovine pituitaries whose structure is identical to the 61-91 C-terminal portion of beta-lipotropic hormone (61-91 beta-LPH) induced catalepsy, muscular hypertonus and analgesia in rats. Naloxone inhibited both the analgesic and cataleptic effects. l-dihydroxyphenylalanine (l-DOPA) completely prevented the cataleptic effect. The cataleptic effect of 61-91 beta-LPH was potentiated by 1-5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP).
Comparison of three cryptosporidiosis outbreaks in Western Australia: 2003, 2007 and 2011
Authors: Ng-Hublin J. S. Y. , Combs B. , Reid S. , Ryan U.
Published: July 2018

Cryptosporidium is a protozoan parasite that causes the diarrhoeal disease, cryptosporidiosis. Although many species have been identified, the majority of human disease worldwide is caused by two species; Cryptosporidium parvum and Cryptosporidium hominis. In Australia, data from the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System (NNDSS) show that cryptosporidiosis outbreaks occur every few years. To better understand the transmission, trends and nature of cryptosporidiosis outbreaks in Western Australia, epidemiological and genomic data from three cryptosporidiosis outbreaks in 2003, 2007 and 2011 were reviewed. The 2007 outbreak was the largest (n = 607) compared with the outbreaks in 2003 (n = 404) and 2011 (n = 355). All three outbreaks appeared to have occurred predominantly in the urban metropolitan area (Perth), which reported the highest number of case notifications; increases in case notifications were also observed in rural and remote areas. Children aged 0–4 years and non-Aboriginal people comprised the majority of notifications in all outbreaks. However, in the 2003 and 2007 outbreaks, a higher proportion of cases from Aboriginal people was observed in the remote areas. Molecular data were only available for the 2007 (n = 126) and 2011 (n = 42) outbreaks, with C. hominis the main species identified in both outbreaks. Subtyping at the glycoprotein 60 (gp60) locus identified subtype IbA10G2 in 46.3% and 89.5% of C. hominis isolates typed, respectively, in the 2007 and 2011 outbreaks, with the IdA15G1 subtype was identified in 33.3% of C. hominis isolates typed in the 2007 outbreak. The clustering of cases with the IdA15G1 subtype in the remote areas suggests the occurrence of a concurrent outbreak in remote areas during the 2007 outbreak, which primarily affected Aboriginal people. Both the C. hominis IbA10G2 and IdA15G1 subtypes have been implicated in cryptosporidiosis outbreaks worldwide; its occurrence indicates that the mode of transmission in both the 2007 and 2011 outbreaks was anthroponotic. To better understand the epidemiology, sources and transmission of cryptosporidiosis in Australia, genotyping data should routinely be incorporated into national surveillance programmes.
Prevalence of hepatitis E in liver transplant recipients in Greece
Authors: Sinakos Ε. , Gioula G. , Liava Ch. , Papa A. , Papadopoulou E. , Tsakni E. , Fouzas I. , Akriviadis E.
Published: July 2018

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is a well-known cause of acute hepatitis. Immunocompromised subjects, including liver transplant recipients, are considered to be at risk for HEV infection, which occasionally follows a chronic course. The diagnosis of HEV infection in these patients must be based on HEV RNA testing, as serology has variable performance. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of HEV infection in liver transplant recipients in Greece by means of HEV RNA testing. Liver transplant recipients followed in the sole transplant centre in Greece were prospectively included. HEV RNA was detected by real-time RT-PCR. Positive samples were further analysed using a nested reverse transcription RT-PCR kit, which amplifies a 137-nucleotide sequence within the ORF2/ORF3 overlapping region to detect the HEV genotype and perform phylogenetic analysis. The mean age of the included patients (n = 76) was 54 years. The most common indication for liver transplantation was viral hepatitis (57%). The majority of the patients (75%) received a calcineurin inhibitor as part of their immunosuppressive regimen and had normal liver enzymes. HEV RNA was found positive in only 1/76 (1.3%) patient. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the sequence clustered into the HEV genotype 3 clade. This patient experienced an acute hepatitis flare, which nonetheless did not become chronic. The prevalence of HEV infection in liver transplant recipients in Greece is similar (1.3%) to that reported previously in other countries. Transplant physicians should be aware of this condition and its associated consequences.
Crop diversity effects on productivity and economics: a Northern Great Plains case study
Authors: Archer David W. , Liebig Mark A. , Tanaka Donald L. , Pokharel Krishna P.
Published: July 2018

Increasing crop diversity has been proposed to increase the sustainability of cropping systems. If producers are to adopt these systems, they should also be economically viable. In this study conducted near Mandan, North Dakota, four no-till cropping systems with varying levels of crop diversity were evaluated over a 12-yr period to quantify system effect on crop productivity, input use, production costs, and economic risks and returns. Cropping system treatments included a small grain–fallow rotation (SG–Fallow) and a continuous spring wheat (Triticum aestivumL.) rotation (Cont SW) as baseline low-diversity rotations, a small grain–winter wheat (T. aestivumL.)–sunflower (Helianthus annuusL.) rotation (SG–WW–Sun), a 5-yr rotation (Five Year) and a dynamic rotation (Dynamic). The SG–Fallow rotation was significantly less productive and less profitable on average than the other rotations, as measured by gross returns and net returns, respectively. However, SG–Fallow also used significantly less inputs than the other rotations. Production costs for the Cont SW and SG–WW–Sun rotations showed a significant increasing trend over time, while production costs for the Five Year rotation showed a significantly lower and slight decreasing trend over the period, with cost trends for the SG–Fallow and Dynamic rotations intermediate to these. Net returns tended to increase and relative economic risk tended to decrease as crop diversity increased from SG–Fallow and Cont SW to SG–WW–Sun, Five Year and the Dynamic system. Results from this study suggest that more diverse rotations can maintain or increase crop productivity and enhance economic viability.
KIT coaxial gyrotron development: from ITER toward DEMO
Authors: Ruess S. , Avramidis K. A. , Fuchs M. , Gantenbein G. , Ioannidis Z. , Illy S. , Jin J. , Kalaria P. C. , Kobarg T. , Pagonakis I. Gr. , Ruess T. , Rzesnicki T. , Schmid M. , Thumm M. , Weggen J. , Zein A. , Jelonnek J.
Published: July 2018

Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) is doing research and development in the field of megawatt-class radio frequency (RF) sources (gyrotrons) for the Electron Cyclotron Resonance Heating (ECRH) systems of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) and the DEMOnstration Fusion Power Plant that will follow ITER. In the focus is the development and verification of the European coaxial-cavity gyrotron technology which shall lead to gyrotrons operating at an RF output power significantly larger than 1 MW CW and at an operating frequency above 200 GHz. A major step into that direction is the final verification of the European 170 GHz 2 MW coaxial-cavity pre-prototype at longer pulses up to 1 s. It bases on the upgrade of an already existing highly modular short-pulse (ms-range) pre-prototype. That pre-prototype has shown a world record output power of 2.2 MW already. This paper summarizes briefly the already achieved experimental results using the short-pulse pre-prototype and discusses in detail the design and manufacturing process of the upgrade of the pre-prototype toward longer pulses up to 1 s.
Axial ratio bandwidth enhancement of a circularly polarized rectangular dielectric resonator antenna
Authors: Varshney Gaurav , Pandey V. S. , Yaduvanshi R. S.
Published: July 2018

This paper presents a new technique for the enhancement of axial ratio (AR) bandwidth of a circularly polarized dielectric resonator antenna with a single feeding. To enhance the AR bandwidth, adjacent 3-dB AR passbands are merged by inserting the notches and conductive coating in the dielectric resonator. The dimensions of the notches and conductive coating are selected in such manner that impedance bandwidth remains approximately unchanged. The antenna provides the measured AR and impedance bandwidths of 55.22% and 66.45%, respectively.
Pulsatile hyperglycemia increases insulin secretion but not pancreatic β-cell mass in intrauterine growth-restricted fetal sheep
Authors: Boehmer B. H. , Brown L. D. , Wesolowski S. R. , Hay W. W. , Rozance P. J.
Published: July 2018

Impaired β-cell development and insulin secretion are characteristic of intrauterine growth-restricted (IUGR) fetuses. In normally grown late gestation fetal sheep pancreatic β-cell numbers and insulin secretion are increased by 7–10 days of pulsatile hyperglycemia (PHG). Our objective was to determine if IUGR fetal sheep β-cell numbers and insulin secretion could also be increased by PHG or if IUGR fetal β-cells do not have the capacity to respond to PHG. Following chronic placental insufficiency producing IUGR in twin gestation pregnancies (n=7), fetuses were administered a PHG infusion, consisting of 60 min, high rate, pulsed infusions of dextrose three times a day with an additional continuous, low-rate infusion of dextrose to prevent a decrease in glucose concentrations between the pulses or a control saline infusion. PHG fetuses were compared with their twin IUGR fetus, which received a saline infusion for 7 days. The pulsed glucose infusion increased fetal arterial glucose concentrations an average of 83% during the infusion. Following the 7-day infusion, a square-wave fetal hyperglycemic clamp was performed in both groups to measure insulin secretion. The rate of increase in fetal insulin concentrations during the first 20 min of a square-wave hyperglycemic clamp was 44% faster in the PHG fetuses compared with saline fetuses (P<0.05). There were no differences in islet size, the insulin+ area of the pancreas and of the islets, and β-cell mass between groups (P>0.23). Chronic PHG increases early phase insulin secretion in response to acute hyperglycemia, indicating that IUGR fetal β-cells are functionally responsive to chronic PHG.
Diverse Continental Subduction Scenarios Along the Arabia‐Eurasia Collision Zone
Authors: Kaban Mikhail K. , Petrunin Alexey G. , El Khrepy Sami , Al‐Arifi Nassir
Published: July 2018

It is generally accepted that convergence of the Arabian and African plates is a subduction‐dominated process. However, the subduction scenarios are still debatable. Here we present a 3‐D model of the mantle to a depth of 700 km, based on a joint interpretation of the seismic tomography, residual topography, residual mantle gravity field, and seismicity. At the northwestern edge of the collision zone, we only observe partial underthrust of the Eurasian plate under the West Greater Caucasus. We suggest that this is the initial stage of subduction polarity reversal after the break off of the plate formerly subducted northward. To the southeast, counteracting subduction zones are found beneath northwest Zagros in the south and beneath the East Greater Caucasus and Alborz in the north. This scenario is likely the result of highly buoyant and weak blocks of the Lesser Caucasus, Alborz, and northwest Zagros, which are underlain in the south by the Arabian plate and the Scythian plate and South Caspian from the opposite side. Further to the southeast, a delaminated lithospheric slab is observed under southeast Zagros, while the Arabian and Eurasian plates only partially underthrust East Zagros and Kopet Dagh, respectively. In the southern part of the collision zone under Makran, only remnants of the formerly subducted slabs are found below 200 km.
Patterns of Evaporation and Precipitation Drive Global Isotopic Changes in Atmospheric Moisture
Authors: Bailey Adriana , Posmentier Eric , Feng Xiahong
Published: July 2018

Because water isotope ratios respond to phase changes during evaporation (E) and precipitation (P), they are candidate fingerprints of changing atmospheric hydrology. Moreover, through preservation in ice cores and other paleoproxies, they provide important insight into the past. Still, there is disagreement over what specific attributes of hydroclimate variability isotopes reveal. Here we argue that variations in zonal mean isotope ratios of water vapor and precipitation are largely a response to geographically shifting patterns of E and P. Differences in the relative importance of local versus remote changes in these moisture variables explain the apparent distinct isotopic sensitivities to temperature and precipitation amount in high and low latitudes, respectively. Not only does our work provide a unified framework for interpreting water isotopic measurements globally, but it also presents a novel approach for diagnosing water cycle changes in a warmer world.
An Intercomparison of Skill and Overconfidence/Underconfidence of the Wintertime North Atlantic Oscillation in Multimodel Seasonal Forecasts
Authors: Baker L. H. , Shaffrey L. C. , Sutton R. T. , Weisheimer A. , Scaife A. A.
Published: July 2018

Recent studies of individual seasonal forecast systems have shown that the wintertime North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) can be skillfully forecast. However, it has also been suggested that these skillful forecasts tend to be underconfident, meaning that there is too high a proportion of unpredictable noise in the forecasts. We assess the skill and overconfidence/underconfidence of the seasonal forecast systems contributing to the EUROpean Seasonal to Interannual Prediction (EUROSIP) multimodel ensemble system. Five of the seven systems studied have significant skill for forecasting the wintertime NAO at 2‐ to 4‐month lead times. Four of these skillful systems are underconfident for forecasting the NAO. A multimodel ensemble (ensemble size 126 members) is both skillful and clearly underconfident. Underconfidence becomes more pronounced as the ensemble size increases. Certain years in the hindcast period are well forecast by all or most models. This implies that common teleconnections and drivers of the NAO are being captured by the EUROSIP seasonal forecasts.
Enhanced bacterial mutualism through an evolved biofilm phenotype
Authors: Røder Henriette L , Herschend Jakob , Russel Jakob , Andersen Michala F , Madsen Jonas S , Sørensen Søren J , Burmølle Mette
Published: July 2018

Microbial communities primarily consist of multiple species that affect one another’s fitness both directly and indirectly. This study showed that the cocultivation of Paenibacillus amylolyticus and Xanthomonas retroflexus exhibited facultative mutualistic interactions in a static environment, during the course of which a new adapted phenotypic variant of X. retroflexus appeared. Although the emergence of this variant was not directly linked to the presence of P. amylolyticus, its establishment in the coculture enhanced the productivity of both species due to mutations that stimulated biofilm formation. The mutations were detected in genes encoding a diguanylate cyclase predicted to synthesise cyclic-di-GMP. Examinations of the biofilm formed in cocultures of P. amylolyticus and the new variant of X. retroflexus revealed a distinct spatial organisation: P. amylolyticus only resided in biofilms in association with X. retroflexus and occupied the outer layers. The X. retroflexus variant therefore facilitated increased P. amylolyticus growth as it produced more biofilm biomass. The increase in X. retroflexus biomass was thus not at the expense of P. amylolyticus, demonstrating that interspecies interactions can shape diversification in a mutualistic coculture and reinforce these interactions, ultimately resulting in enhanced communal performance.
Microorganisms facilitate uptake of dissolved organic nitrogen by seagrass leaves
Authors: Tarquinio Flavia , Bourgoure Jeremy , Koenders Annette , Laverock Bonnie , Säwström Christin , Hyndes Glenn A
Published: July 2018

Microorganisms play a critical role in nitrogen cycling by mineralising dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) compounds into bioavailable inorganic forms (DIN). Although DIN is crucial for seagrass growth, the hypothesis that seagrass leaf associated-microorganisms could convert DON to forms available for plant uptake has never been tested. We conducted a laboratory-based experiment in which seagrass (Posidonia sinuosa) leaves were incubated with 15N-amino acids (aa), with and without associated microorganisms. Samples were collected after 0.5, 2, 6 and 12 h. Both bulk stable isotope and nanoscale secondary ion mass spectrometry (NanoSIMS) analysis showed high accumulation of 15N within seagrass leaf tissues with an associated microbiota, but not in plants devoid of microorganisms. These results significantly change our understanding of the mechanisms of seagrass nitrogen use and provide evidence that seagrass microbiota increase nitrogen availability for uptake by seagrass leaves by mineralising aa, thus enhancing growth and productivity of these important coastal ecosystems.
Red blood cell-hitchhiking boosts delivery of nanocarriers to chosen organs by orders of magnitude
Authors: Brenner Jacob S. , Pan Daniel C. , Myerson Jacob W. , Marcos-Contreras Oscar A. , Villa Carlos H. , Patel Priyal , Hekierski Hugh , Chatterjee Shampa , Tao Jian-Qin , Parhiz Hamideh , Bhamidipati Kartik , Uhler Thomas G. , Hood Elizabeth D. , Kiseleva Raisa Yu. , Shuvaev Vladimir S. , Shuvaeva Tea , Khoshnejad Makan , Johnston Ian , Gregory Jason V. , Lahann Joerg , Wang Tao , Cantu Edward , Armstead William M. , Mitragotri Samir , Muzykantov Vladimir
Published: July 2018

Drug delivery by nanocarriers (NCs) has long been stymied by dominant liver uptake and limited target organ deposition, even when NCs are targeted using affinity moieties. Here we report a universal solution: red blood cell (RBC)-hitchhiking (RH), in which NCs adsorbed onto the RBCs transfer from RBCs to the first organ downstream of the intravascular injection. RH improves delivery for a wide range of NCs and even viral vectors. For example, RH injected intravenously increases liposome uptake in the first downstream organ, lungs, by ~40-fold compared with free NCs. Intra-carotid artery injection of RH NCs delivers >10% of the injected NC dose to the brain, ~10× higher than that achieved with affinity moieties. Further, RH works in mice, pigs, and ex vivo human lungs without causing RBC or end-organ toxicities. Thus, RH is a clinically translatable platform technology poised to augment drug delivery in acute lung disease, stroke, and several other diseases.
Graphene’s nonlinear-optical physics revealed through exponentially growing self-phase modulation
Authors: Vermeulen Nathalie , Castelló-Lurbe David , Khoder Mulham , Pasternak Iwona , Krajewska Aleksandra , Ciuk Tymoteusz , Strupinski Wlodek , Cheng JinLuo , Thienpont Hugo , Van Erps Jürgen
Published: July 2018

Graphene is considered a record-performance nonlinear-optical material on the basis of numerous experiments. The observed strong nonlinear response ascribed to the refractive part of graphene’s electronic third-order susceptibility χ(3) cannot, however, be explained using the relatively modest χ(3) value theoretically predicted for the 2D material. Here we solve this long-standing paradox and demonstrate that, rather than χ(3)-based refraction, a complex phenomenon which we call saturable photoexcited-carrier refraction is at the heart of nonlinear-optical interactions in graphene such as self-phase modulation. Saturable photoexcited-carrier refraction is found to enable self-phase modulation of picosecond optical pulses with exponential-like bandwidth growth along graphene-covered waveguides. Our theory allows explanation of these extraordinary experimental results both qualitatively and quantitatively. It also supports the graphene nonlinearities measured in previous self-phase modulation and self-(de)focusing (Z-scan) experiments. This work signifies a paradigm shift in the understanding of 2D-material nonlinearities and finally enables their full exploitation in next-generation nonlinear-optical devices.
Author Correction: Concerns on a new therapy for severe heart failure using cell sheets with skeletal muscle or myocardial cells from iPS cells in Japan
Authors: Yui Yoshiki
Published: July 2018

The Author Affiliation was incorrect in the original paper.
Colletotrichum Species Causing Anthracnose of Rubber Trees in China
Authors: Liu Xianbao , Li Boxun , Cai Jimiao , Zheng Xiaolan , Feng Yanli , Huang Guixiu
Published: July 2018

Anthracnose caused by Colletotrichum is one of the most severe diseases of Hevea brasiliensis. However, research on the diversity and geographical distribution of Colletotrichum remains limited in China. In this study, we investigated the phylogenetic diversity of Colletotrichum isolates associated with symptomatic tissues of H.brasiliensis from four provinces of China (Hainan, Guangdong, Guangxi, and Yunnan). Based on multi-locus phylogenetic analyses and phenotypic characteristics, five species were distinguished, including two known species (C. fructicola, C. siamense), one novel species of C. gloeosporioides species complex (C. ledongense), and two novel species of C. acutatum species complex (C. bannanense and C. australisinense). Of these, C. siamense and C. australisinense have been recognized as major causative agents of anthracnose of H. brasiliensis.
Preparation from a revisited wet chemical route of phase-pure, monocrystalline and SHG-efficient BiFeO3 nanoparticles for harmonic bio-imaging
Authors: Clarke Gareth , Rogov Andrii , McCarthy Sarah , Bonacina Luigi , Gun’ko Yurii , Galez Christine , Le Dantec Ronan , Volkov Yuri , Mugnier Yannick , Prina-Mello Adriele
Published: July 2018

We present two new synthetic routes for bismuth ferrite harmonic nanoparticles (BiFeO3 HNPs). Both phase-pure and mixed phase BiFeO3 materials were produced after improvement of the solvent evaporation and sol-gel combustion routes. Metal nitrates with a series of dicarboxylic acids (tartronic, tartaric and mucic) were used to promote crystallization. We found that the longer the carbon backbone with a hydroxyl group attached to each carbon, the lower the annealing temperature. We also demonstrate that nanocrystals more readily formed at a given temperature by adding glycerol but to the detriment of phase purity, whereas addition of NaCl in excess with mucic acid promotes the formation of phase-pure, monocrystalline nanoparticles. This effect was possibly associated with a better dispersion of the primary amorphous precursors and formation of intermediate complexes. The nanoparticles have been characterized by XRD, TEM, ζ-potential, photon correlation spectroscopy, two-photon microscopy and Hyper-Rayleigh Scattering measurements. The improved crystallization leads to BiFeO3 HNPs without defect-induced luminescence and with a very high averaged second harmonic efficiency (220 pm/V), almost triple the efficiency previously reported. This development of simple, scalable synthesis routes which yield phase-pure and, crucially, monocrystalline BiFeO3 HNPs demonstrates a significant advance in engineering the properties of nanocrystals for bio-imaging and diagnostics applications.
The influenza virus hemagglutinin head evolves faster than the stalk domain
Authors: Kirkpatrick Ericka , Qiu Xueting , Wilson Patrick C. , Bahl Justin , Krammer Florian
Published: July 2018

The limited ability of current influenza virus vaccines to protect from antigenically drifted or shifted viruses creates a public health problem that has led to the need to develop effective, broadly protective vaccines. While current influenza virus vaccines mostly induce an immune response against the immunodominant and variable head domain of the hemagglutinin, the major surface glycoprotein of the virus, the hemagglutinin stalk domain has been identified to harbor neutralizing B-cell epitopes that are conserved among and even between influenza A virus subtypes. A complete understanding of the differences in evolution between the main target of current vaccines and this more conserved stalk region are missing. Here, we performed an evolutionary analysis of the stalk domains of the hemagglutinin of pre-pandemic seasonal H1N1, pandemic H1N1, seasonal H3N2, and influenza B viruses and show quantitatively for the first time that the stalk domain is evolving at a rate that is significantly slower than that of the head domain. Additionally, we found that the cross-reactive epitopes in the stalk domain targeted by broadly neutralizing monoclonal antibodies are evolving at an even slower rate compared to the full head and stalk regions of the protein. Finally, a fixed-effects likelihood selection analysis was performed for these virus groups in both the head and stalk domains. While several positive selection sites were found in the head domain, only a single site in the stalk domain of pre-pandemic seasonal H1 hemagglutinin was identified at amino acid position 468 (H1 numbering from methionine). This site is not located in or close to the epitopes of cross-reactive anti-stalk monoclonal antibodies. Furthermore, we found that changes in this site do not significantly impact virus binding or neutralization by human anti-stalk antibodies, suggesting that some positive selection in the stalk domain is independent of immune pressures. We conclude that, while the stalk domain does evolve over time, this evolution is slow and, historically, is not directed to aid in evading neutralizing antibody responses.