bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of changes in photoperiod and temperature on the estrous cycle of a captive female giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca)
Authors: Tay Trisha T. N. , Li Desheng , Huang Yan , Wang Pengyan , Tahar Tasha , Kawi Josephine
Published: April 2018

The female giant panda's estrus is known to be photoperiod sensitive, triggered by increasing day length. A pair of giant pandas was brought to Singapore in September 2012 and exposed to a constant temperature and photoperiod during the first 2 years. The female did not show any signs of estrus during that period. In November 2014, photoperiod and temperature were manipulated to simulate seasonal changes, to investigate the effects of environmental factors on the sexual behavior of the giant pandas. This paper documents the changes and observations carried out from 2012 to 2016, in the attempt to breed this vulnerable species.
Intravenous Local Anaesthetic Compared with Intraperitoneal Local Anaesthetic in Abdominal Surgery: A Systematic Review
Authors: MacFater Wiremu S. , Xia Weisi , Barazanchi Ahmed , Su’a Bruce , Svirskis Darren , Hill Andrew G.
Published: April 2018

Introduction

Modern perioperative care strategies aim to optimise perioperative care by reducing the body’s stress response to surgery. A major facet of optimising an abdominal surgery analgesia programme is using a multimodal opioid sparing approach. Local anaesthetics have shown promise and there has been considerable research into the most effective route for their administration. This review aims to determine if there is a difference in analgesic efficacy between intraperitoneal local anaesthetic (IPLA) and intravenous local anaesthetic (IVLA).

Materials and Methodology

In concordance with the PRISMA statement, a literature search was conducted to identify randomised control trials that compared IVLA with IPLA in abdominal surgery. The primary outcomes of interest were opioid analgesia requirements and pain score assessed by visual analogue score. Data were extracted and entered into pre‐designed electronic spreadsheets.

Results

This review has identified six papers that compared intravenous lignocaine to intraperitoneal lignocaine. This review showed significantly lower morphine consumption at 4 and 24 h in the intraperitoneal group. There was no significant difference in pain scores.

Conclusion

From the analysis of these studies, intraperitoneal local anaesthetic had an analgesic benefit over intravenous lignocaine with regard to decreased opioid consumption for abdominal surgery. Further research investigating IVL combined with intraperitoneal local anaesthetic is warranted.
Spinodal Decomposition in Functionally Graded Super Duplex Stainless Steel and Weld Metal
Authors: Hosseini Vahid A. , Thuvander Mattias , Wessman Sten , Karlsson Leif
Published: April 2018

Low-temperature phase separations (T < 500 °C), resulting in changes in mechanical and corrosion properties, of super duplex stainless steel (SDSS) base and weld metals were investigated for short heat treatment times (0.5 to 600 minutes). A novel heat treatment technique, where a stationary arc produces a steady state temperature gradient for selected times, was employed to fabricate functionally graded materials. Three different initial material conditions including 2507 SDSS, remelted 2507 SDSS, and 2509 SDSS weld metal were investigated. Selective etching of ferrite significantly decreased in regions heat treated at 435 °C to 480 °C already after 3 minutes due to rapid phase separations. Atom probe tomography results revealed spinodal decomposition of ferrite and precipitation of Cu particles. Microhardness mapping showed that as-welded microstructure and/or higher Ni content accelerated decomposition. The arc heat treatment technique combined with microhardness mapping and electrolytical etching was found to be a successful approach to evaluate kinetics of low-temperature phase separations in SDSS, particularly at its earlier stages. A time-temperature transformation diagram was proposed showing the kinetics of 475 °C-embrittlement in 2507 SDSS.
Braindrain und Bologna-Drain – Räumliche Implikationen der Bologna-Reform und Auswirkungen auf ländliche Räume. Eine Analyse am Beispiel der Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen
Authors: Gareis Philipp , Diller Christian , Huchthausen Henning
Published: April 2018

This article deals with reasons and spatial distribution patterns of the choice of location of undergraduates and students and the connected spatial impacts on the regional development, especially in rural regions in Germany. First, the international state of research is presented for the choice of location of students on different points of time of their educational path. An analysis of regional statistical data linked to the finding that higher education institutions in rural regions are not able to create the same stock of students as urbanised areas, but rural regions have better chances for economic development in the presence of a higher education institution. The number of students in rural areas with higher education institutions increased even more than in sareas or metropolises. However, the brain drain of highly qualified manpower from rural regions will increase after their years of study. This is caused by a better fitting skill profile in more densely populated areas for highly skilled workforce as well as for the supply of these jobs. Whether these tendencies already start during the transition from the bachelor to master degree will be examined with data from the Justus-Liebig-University Gießen, a university in a rural region. With a view to the future development the hypothesis of the bologna drain is introduced. It implies that the transition from bachelor to master, which did not exist in Germany before the year 2000, locations to study vary a lot in their development and especially rural regions loose in the competition for brilliant minds.
Rejecting Darwinian Evolution: The Effects of Education, Church Tradition, and Individual Theological Stance among UK Churchgoers
Authors: Village Andrew , Baker Sylvia
Published: April 2018

A sample of 2232 committed churchgoers from a range of churches in the UK completed a questionnaire that included a measure of rejection of Darwinian evolution. Respondents with undergraduate or postgraduate qualifications had slightly lower odds of rejecting evolution than those without degrees, but whether qualifications were in non-biological science, biology or theology made little difference to the likelihood of rejection. Those who attended Anglican or Methodist (AM) churches were much less likely to reject evolution than those who attended Evangelical or Pentecostal (EP) churches, but the effect of education on reducing rejection was similar in both groups. Individual theological conservatism was strongly associated with rejection, but whereas liberals showed declining rejection with increased education, there was no such effect for conservatives. Frequent church attendance and Bible reading both predicted rejection, and the effect of Bible reading was most pronounced among AM churchgoers. Higher education of any kind may reduce the likelihood of rejection of evolution among many UK churchgoers, but theological conservatives from any tradition will tend to maintain their belief that Darwinian evolution does not explain the origin of species whatever their educational experience.
Open Reduction Internal Fixation versus External Fixation with Limited Internal Fixation for Displaced Comminuted Closed Pilon Fractures: A Randomised Prospective Study
Authors: Ahmed Rayan , Ahmed Kotb , Elmoatasem Elhussein M. , Shady Samir , El-Sobky Tamer A. , Ezzat El-Hawi , Mahmoud Mahran
Published: April 2018

Background

Pilon fractures involve the dome of the distal tibial articular surface. The optimal treatment for high-energy pilon fractures remains controversial. Some authors advocate the use of open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) to avoid articular incongruence. Others advocate the use of bridging external fixation with limited internal fixation (EFLIF) to reduce soft tissue complications. Literature reports of prospective studies comparing the radioclinical outcomes of ORIF and EFLIF in high-energy fractures are scarce. Retrospective studies have their limitations because of insufficient randomisation. The objective of this randomised prospective study is to compare the clinical, radiologic and functional outcomes of displaced and comminuted closed pilon fractures, Rüedi and Allgöwer type II and III, treated by either ORIF or EFLIF.

Materials and Methods

Forty-two patients were selected for the study. Twenty-two patients were subjected to ORIF and 20 patients were subjected to EFLIF. We used the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society score as a standard method of reporting clinical status of the ankle. Patients were followed-up clinically and radiologically for over 2 years after the surgical treatment.

Results

The results of ORIF and EFLIF in treatment of high-energy pilon fractures are equally effective in terms of functional outcomes and complication rates on the short term.

Conclusion

Soft tissue integrity and fracture comminution seem to have a significant influence on outcomes of intervention. A prospective multicentre study with a larger sample size that controls for other associated variables and comorbidities is warranted.

Level of evidence

Level II.
Kikongo in the High North: Swedish Sources on Moyen Congo
Authors: Schouten Manon
Published: April 2018

This report presents the archives of the Swedish Mission Association [SMF] (Svenska Missionsförbundet) which operated in French Moyen Congo during the Interbellum. The archives are part of the Swedish National Archives (Riksarkivet) in Stockholm and could be seen to provide a counterweight to French official administrative records.
Elites and Turnovers in Authoritarian Enclaves: Evidence from Mexico
Authors: Petersen German
Published: April 2018

The year 2010 saw five gubernatorial elections in Mexico in which the PAN and the left built electoral alliances. These alliances were made in states with authoritarian features, where the PRI had never lost the governor’s office. In Oaxaca, Puebla, and Sinaloa the PRI lost, while in Durango and Hidalgo it did not. Why did the electoral outcome differ in similar cases? This article argues that the outcome of each election, turnover or no turnover, depended on the behavior of the elites, both authoritarian and opposition. The PRI lost when the authoritarian elite fractured while the opposition was unified, including the groups that had defected from the established elite.
Transnational Governance, Local Politics, and Gender Violence Law in Nicaragua
Authors: Neumann Pamela J.
Published: April 2018

Many Latin American countries have passed laws intended to address femicide and other forms of violence against women. Yet the implementation of these laws has been inconsistent at best. This article analyzes the case of Nicaragua, which passed a comprehensive law on gender-based violence (Law 779) in 2012. While celebrated by local women’s organizations, Law 779 was subsequently weakened through a series of legislative reforms and executive decrees. This article seeks to explain why state actors in Nicaragua initially supported Law 779 and later sought to undermine it. It argues that in contexts characterized by a high concentration of political power like Nicaragua, transnational governance structures are insufficient to ensure the success of gender violence legislation. Through an analysis of Law 779, this article contributes to broader debates about the nature of state legitimacy and the potential of legal advocacy to address violence against women.
Toward a Global Consensus on Life Imprisonment Without Parole: Transnational Legal Advocates and the Zimbabwe Constitutional Court's Decision in Makoni v Commissioner of Prisons
Authors: Novak Andrew J
Published: April 2018

In June 2016, the Zimbabwe Constitutional Court held that life imprisonment without the possibility of parole is unconstitutional, finding that it constituted cruel and degrading punishment and a violation of the right to equal protection under the country's new constitution. The court widely cited international and foreign law to assess global trends on life imprisonment, especially the jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights. The decision illustrates the benefits for human rights advocates of citing international and foreign law in their pleadings, and is an example of “sharing” constitutional jurisprudence across borders and the diffusion of constitutional norms.
From the Universal to the Particular: Luther and the Reformation after Five Hundred Years
Authors: EVENER VINCENT
Published: April 2018

Scholarship in recent decades has steadily chipped away at the image of Martin Luther as a figure of singular historical significance. Some have sought to embed Luther firmly in his late medieval context, and to situate him within a circle of reformers. Others have pluralised the Reformation, describing a diversity of ideas and movements not bound to Luther's teaching – an array of ‘visions of reform’ shaped by social location and gender. Social and cultural history have enriched a field long dominated by historians of theology and politics. Finally, efforts to rethink periodisation have unseated Luther and the Reformation from the turning point of history. Luther and his fellow reformers thus can find themselves at the end of an ‘age of reform’ that began centuries before, or in the middle of longer and more fundamental processes of social, political and religious transition.
A new microsporidiumPercutemincola moriokaegen. nov., sp. nov. fromOscheius tipulae: A novel model of microsporidia–nematode associations
Authors: Nishikori Kenji , Setiamarga Davin H. E. , Tanji Takahiro , Kuroda Eisuke , Shiraishi Hirohisa , Ohashi-Kobayashi Ayako
Published: April 2018

Here, we describe a new microsporidiumPercutemincola moriokaegen. nov., sp. nov., which was discovered in the intestinal and hypodermal cells of a wild strain of the nematodeOscheius tipulaethat inhabits in the soil of Morioka, Iwate Prefecture, Japan. The spores ofPe. moriokaehad an average size of 1.0 × 3.8µm and 1.3 × 3.2µm in the intestine and hypodermis, respectively, and electron microscopy revealed that they exhibited distinguishing features with morphological diversity in the hypodermis. Isolated spores were able to infect a reference strain ofO. tipulae(CEW1) through horizontal transmission but not the nematodeCaenorhabditis elegans. Upon infection, the spores were first observed in the hypodermis and then in the intestine the following day, suggesting a unique infectious route among nematode-infective microsporidia. Molecular phylogenetic analysis grouped this new species with the recently identified nematode-infective parasitesEnteropsectraandPancytosporaforming a monophyletic sister clade toOrthosomellain clade IV, which also includes human pathogens such asEnterocytozoonandVittaforma. We believe that this newly discovered species and its host could have application as a new model in microsporidia–nematode association studies.
Referring strategies in American Sign Language and English (with co-speech gesture): The role of modality in referring to non-nameable objects
Authors: SEHYR ZED SEVCIKOVA , NICODEMUS BRENDA , PETRICH JENNIFER , EMMOREY KAREN
Published: April 2018

American Sign Language (ASL) and English differ in linguistic resources available to express visual–spatial information. In a referential communication task, we examined the effect of language modality on the creation and mutual acceptance of reference to non-nameable figures. In both languages, description times reduced over iterations and references to the figures’ geometric properties (“shape-based reference”) declined over time in favor of expressions describing the figures’ resemblance to nameable objects (“analogy-based reference”). ASL signers maintained a preference for shape-based reference until the final (sixth) round, while English speakers transitioned toward analogy-based reference by Round 3. Analogy-based references were more time efficient (associated with shorter round description times). Round completion times were longer for ASL than for English, possibly due to gaze demands of the task and/or to more shape-based descriptions. Signers’ referring expressions remained unaffected by figure complexity while speakers preferred analogy-based expressions for complex figures and shape-based expressions for simple figures. Like speech, co-speech gestures decreased over iterations. Gestures primarily accompanied shape-based references, but listeners rarely looked at these gestures, suggesting that they were recruited to aid the speaker rather than the addressee. Overall, different linguistic resources (classifier constructions vs. geometric vocabulary) imposed distinct demands on referring strategies in ASL and English.
Stated preferences for long-term care: a literature review
Authors: LEHNERT THOMAS , HEUCHERT MAX , HUSSAIN KATHARINA , KÖNIG HANS-HELMUT
Published: April 2018

Person-centred provision of long-term care (LTC) requires information on how individuals value respective LTC services. The literature on LTC preferences has not been comprehensively reviewed, existing summaries are contradictory. An explorative, scoping review was conducted to provide a thorough methodological description and results synthesis of studies that empirically investigated LTC preference outcomes based on respondents’ statements. A wide search strategy, with 18 key terms relating to ‘LTC’ and 31 to ‘preferences’, was developed. Database searches in PubMed, Ovid and ScienceDirect were conducted in February 2016. The 59 studies meeting the inclusion criteria were grouped and methodically described based on preference elicitation techniques and methods. Despite substantial methodological heterogeneity between studies, certain findings consistently emerged for the investigated LTC preference outcomes. The large majority of respondents preferred to receive LTC in their known physical and social environment when care needs were moderate, but residential care when care needs were extensive. Preferences were found to depend on a variety of personal, environmental, social and cultural aspects. Dependent individuals aspired to preserve their personal and social identity, self-image, independence, autonomy, control and dignity, which suggests that LTC preferences are a function of the perceived ability of a specific LTC arrangement to satisfy peoples’ basic physiological and mental/social needs. Research on LTC preferences would greatly profit from a standardisation of respective concepts and methods.
Implementing routine blood-borne virus testing for HCV, HBV and HIV at a London Emergency Department – uncovering the iceberg?
Authors: Parry S. , Bundle N. , Ullah S. , Foster G. R. , Ahmad K. , Tong C. Y. W. , Balasegaram S. , Orkin C.
Published: April 2018

UK guidelines recommend routine HIV testing in high prevalence emergency departments (ED) and targeted testing for HBV and HCV. The ‘Going Viral’ campaign implemented opt-out blood-borne virus (BBV) testing in adults in a high prevalence ED, to assess seroprevalence, uptake, linkage to care (LTC) rates and staff time taken to achieve LTC. Diagnosis status (new/known/unknown), current engagement in care, and severity of disease was established. LTC was defined as patient informed plus ⩾1 clinic visit. A total of 6211/24 981 ED attendees were tested (uptake 25%); 257 (4.1%) were BBV positive (15 co-infected), 84 (33%) required LTC. 100/147 (68%) HCV positives were viraemic; 44 (30%) required LTC (13 new, 16 disengaged). 26/54 (48%) HBV required LTC (seven new, 11 disengaged). 16/71 (23%) HIV required LTC (10 new, five disengaged). 26/84 (31%) patients requiring LTC had advanced disease (CD4 <350, APRI (AST-to-Platelet Ratio Index) >1, Fibroscan F3/F4 or liver cancer), including five with AIDS-defining conditions and three hepatocellular carcinomas. There were five BBV-related deaths. BBV prevalence was high (4.1%); most were HCV (2.4%). HIV patients were more successfully and quickly LTC than HBV or HCV patients. ED testing was valuable as one-third of those requiring LTC (new, disengaged or unknown status patients) had advanced disease.
A semantics for nabla
Authors: GOUBAULT-LARRECQ JEAN
Published: April 2018

We give a semantics for a classical variant of Dale Miller and Alwen Tiu’s logic FOλ∇. Our semantics validates the rule that nabla x implies exists x, but is otherwise faithful to the authors’ original intentions. The semantics is based on a category of so-called nabla sets, which are simply strictly increasing sequences of non-empty sets. We show that the logic is sound for that semantics. Assuming there is a unique base type ι, we show that it is complete for Henkin structures, incomplete for standard structures in general, but complete for standard structures in the case of Π1 formulae, and that includes all first-order formulae.
TunableQ-enhanced LC dual-band filtering at microwave frequencies in 0.13 µm SiGe BiCMOS
Authors: Amin Farooq , Raman Sanjay , Koh Kwang-Jin
Published: April 2018

This paper presents an activeQ-enhanced LC dual-band band-pass filtering approach using parallel synthesis techniques at X- and Ku-bands in 0.13µm SiGe BiCMOS technology. By employing two independently tunable parallel LC-tanks with either in-phase and out-of-phase addition, independently tunable dual-band filtering is achieved. For higher out-of-band (OOB) attenuation, subtraction of the two 2nd-order bandpass filter is implemented. The two bands are independently tunable in terms ofQand center frequency. The dual-band filter at 9.7 GHz and 13.9 GHz achieves a normalized dynamic range of 165–154.5 dB.Hz with an OOB attenuation of >50 dB below 3 GHz. In between the two bands, the attenuation is 22 dB when the two passbands have 200 MHz bandwidth each. The total group delay is 0.8 ns and 1.9 ns forQof 20 and 50, respectively. The filter achieves better OOB rejection with wider band channels at X- and Ku-bands compared with state of the art integrated filters. The filter consumes 115–130 mW of DC power. The core die area is 0.53 × 0.7 mm2.
Henne oder Ei: Reziprozität mathematischer Vorläufer und Vorhersage des Rechnens
Authors: Gallit Finja , Wyschkon Anne , Poltz Nadine , Moraske Svenja , Kucian Karin , von Aster Michael , Esser Günter
Published: April 2018

Zusammenfassung.Fragestellung: Ziel war die Untersuchung der Entwicklung und wechselseitigen Beziehung von Zahlen- und Mengenvorwissen (ZMW), Arbeitsgedächtnis (AG) und Intelligenz sowie deren Vorhersagekraft für die Rechenleistung in der ersten Klasse. Methodik: 1897 Kindergartenkinder nahmen an dieser Studie teil. Ein Teil dieser Kinder wurde 9 Monate später und erneut in der ersten Klasse untersucht. Ergebnisse: Während des Kindergartenjahres verbesserten sich die Kinder in allen untersuchten Leistungen. Reziproke Zusammenhänge zwischen den drei erhobenen Vorläuferfähigkeiten konnten nachgewiesen werden. Das ZMW erwies sich als guter Prädiktor für die AG- und Intelligenzleistung. Bei der Überprüfung der Vorhersage des Rechnens erwies sich das ZMW als bester Prädiktor der späteren Rechenleistung. Erwartungsgemäß zeigten die zu t1 erfassten allgemein-kognitiven Leistungen indirekte Effekte über das ZMW auf die Rechenleistung. Die Intelligenz und das AG zu t2 konnten direkt zur Vorhersage des Rechnens in der ersten Klasse beitragen. Schlussfolgerungen: Die Ergebnisse verdeutlichen, dass das AG und die Intelligenz zwar an dem Aufbau des ZMW beteiligt sind, aber vor allem selbst durch dieses vorhergesagt werden. Die Daten sprechen dafür das Potenzial des ZMWs in Trainingsprogrammen zu nutzen, durch dessen Förderung auch intellektuelle und Gedächtnisleistungen zunehmen können, die allesamt die schulische Rechenleistung positiv beeinflussen.
Ein theoriebasierter Blick auf schulische Förderung in der Sekundarstufe
Authors: Küspert Petra
Published: April 2018

Zusammenfassung. Insbesondere im Umgang mit Schülerinnen und Schülern, die Lernschwierigkeiten im Lesen, Schreiben und Rechnen haben, profitieren Lehrkräfte im schulischen Alltag von der expliziten Orientierung an aktuellen wissenschaftlichen Prozess- und Entwicklungsmodellen. Eine solche theoriebasierte Sichtweise unterstützt die Analyse von Fehlern und die gezielte Suche nach weiteren, basalen Defiziten, die das Verständnis des aktuellen Lernstoffs erschweren bzw. ausschließen. Vorgestellt werden Modelle zum schriftsprachlichen und mathematischen Kompetenzerwerb, aus denen Interpretationsansätze für im schulischen Alltag der Sekundarstufe 1 häufig anzutreffende Problembereiche abgeleitet werden. Das handlungsleitende Potential einer soliden Theoriebasis wird sowohl in Bezug auf die Ursachenanalyse von Lernschwierigkeiten als auch hinsichtlich der Auswahl angezeigter Förderinhalte herausgearbeitet.
Evidence of Unusual Geomagnetic Regimes Recorded in Plio‐Pleistocene Volcanic Sequences from the Lesser Caucasus (Southern Georgia)
Authors: Sánchez‐Moreno Elisa M. , Calvo‐Rathert Manuel , Goguitchaichvili Avto , Vashakidze George T. , Lebedev Vladimir A.
Published: April 2018

We report a detailed paleomagnetic study on two Plio‐Pleistocene lava flow sequences from the Djavakheti Highland, Lesser Caucasus. The Korkhi sequence is composed of two volcanic successions of distinct age (1.9 and 3.1 Ma), while the Apnia sequence was emplaced between 3.8 and 3.1 Ma according to available radiometric datings. Normal, reverse and intermediate polarities have been determined from both sequences. Mean directions of the normal and reverse polarity groups for each section do not match the expected field direction, but the possibility of tectonic rotations has been dismissed. A composite analysis of paleomagnetic directions, of virtual geomagnetic pole (VGP) scatter and available paleointensity results from a previous study, allow the interpretation of the observed paleomagnetic results. In the Apnia sequence, both a short recording time unable to average paleosecular variation (PSV) and an anomalous Earth magnetic field (EMF) record are responsible for the observed paleomagnetic directions. According to paleomagnetic results and radiometric ages, this sequence most probably records the reverse to normal polarity transition C2Ar to C2An‐3n. The upper Korkhi subsequence yields an anomalous EMF record, reflecting a transitional time interval. Paleomagnetic results and available absolute ages suggest that this subsequence either records transition C2r‐1r to Olduvai or Olduvai to C1r‐2r. The lower Korkhi subsequence registers a normal polarity interval within the Gauss chron, reflecting a stable stage of the EMF.
Impacts of Aerosol Dry Deposition on Black Carbon Spatial Distributions and Radiative Effects in the Community Atmosphere Model CAM5
Authors: Wu Mingxuan , Liu Xiaohong , Zhang Leiming , Wu Chenglai , Lu Zheng , Ma Po‐Lun , Wang Hailong , Tilmes Simone , Mahowald Natalie , Matsui Hitoshi , Easter Richard C.
Published: April 2018

Dry deposition is an important process affecting the lifetime and spatial distributions of atmospheric aerosols. Black carbon (BC) plays an important role in the Earth's climate, but is subject to large bias in remote regions in model simulations. In this study, to improve the BC simulations, the scheme of Petroff and Zhang () (PZ10) is implemented into the Community Atmospheric Model version 5 (CAM5), and model simulations using PZ10 are compared with the one using the default scheme of Zhang et al. () (Z01) and observations. The PZ10 scheme predicts much lower dry deposition velocity (Vd) than Z01 for fine particles in Aitken, primary carbon, and accumulation modes, resulting in 73.0% lower of global mean BC dry deposition fluxes and 23.2% higher of global mean BC column burdens. CAM5 with PZ10 increases modeled BC concentrations at all altitudes and latitudes compared to Z01, which improves the agreement with observations of BC profiles in the lower troposphere in the Arctic. It also improves the simulation of surface BC concentrations in high‐latitudes remote regions and its seasonality in the Arctic. The global annual mean radiative effects due to aerosol‐radiation interactions (REari) and aerosol‐cloud interactions (REaci) of BC from the CAM5 experiment using Z01 are 0.61 ± 0.007 and −0.11 ± 0.02 W m−2, respectively, compared to slightly larger REari (0.75 ± 0.01 W m−2) and REaci (–0.14 ± 0.02 W m−2) from CAM5 using PZ10. The results suggest that Brownian diffusion efficiency is a key factor for the predictions of Vd, which requires better representation in the global climate models.
Experimental Investigation of Three‐Dimensional Flow Structure and Turbulent Flow Mechanisms Around a Nonsubmerged Spur Dike With a Low Length‐to‐Depth Ratio
Authors: Jeon Jeongsook , Lee Ji Yong , Kang Seokkoo
Published: April 2018

Flume experiments were conducted to investigate the three‐dimensional flow structure and turbulent flow mechanisms around a nonsubmerged, sidewall‐attached rectangular spur dike with a low length‐to‐depth ratio. Velocity measurements show that the wake of the spur dike in the middepth region consists of a single, large recirculation zone, while that in the near‐bed region is composed of a horizontal recirculation zone and a corner vortex with its axis perpendicular to the flume sidewalls. A horseshoe vortex system observed in front of the spur dike is found to interact with the downstream recirculation zone, which results in the increase in lateral turbulent mixing especially in near‐bed regions. Another vortex, which rotates in the opposite direction to the horseshoe vortex, is found beneath the free surface in front of the spur dike, which is associated with increased free surface elevation and its fluctuation. Power spectra of the transverse velocity show evidence of a periodic behavior of the near‐wake shear layer emanating from the tip of the spur dike with a Strouhal number of about 2. It is also shown that the two experiments conducted at different Reynolds and Froude numbers show very similar flow fields in spite of large differences in free surface elevations, which indicates that the effects of free surface deformation on mean velocities and Reynolds stresses are marginal.
Regional and Temporal Transferability of Multivariable Flood Damage Models
Authors: Wagenaar Dennis , Lüdtke Stefan , Schröter Kai , Bouwer Laurens M. , Kreibich Heidi
Published: April 2018

Reliable flood damage assessment is important for decision‐making in flood risk management. Flood damage assessment is often done with damage curves based only on water depth. These depth‐damage curves are usually developed based on data from a specific location and specific flood conditions. Such depth‐damage curves tend to be applied outside the scope of their validity. Validation studies show that in such cases depth‐damage curve are not very reliable, probably due to excluded influencing variables. The expectation is that the inclusion of more variables in a damage function will improve its transferability. We compare multi‐variable models based on Bayesian Networks and Random Forests developed on the basis of flood damage data sets from Germany and The Netherlands. The performance of the models is tested on a validation sub‐set of both countries' data. The models are also updated with data from the other country and then tested again. The results show that the German models (BN/RF‐FLEMOps) perform better in the Netherlands than the Dutch models (BN/RF‐Meuse) perform in Germany. This is probably because the FLEMOps models are based on more heterogeneous data than the Meuse models. The FLEMOps models, therefore, are better able to capture damages processes from other events and in other locations. Model performance improves via updating the models with data from the location to which the model is transferred to. The results show that there is high potential to develop improved damage models, by training multi‐variable models with heterogeneous data, for example from multiple flood events and locations.
A Unified Approach to Bed Load Transport Description Over a Wide Range of Flow Conditions via the Use of Conditional Data Treatment
Authors: Shih WuRong , Diplas Panayiotis
Published: April 2018

Bed load transport is a highly nonlinear phenomenon. Numerous stress‐transport power relations, with exponents varying between 1.5 and 16, have been proposed to capture the entire range of solid discharge trends exhibited by experimental data. A physics‐based explanation of the variation in exponent values is provided here. The concept of time‐resolved local stream power is used to determine the above‐threshold energy available for mobilizing bed materials, giving rise to solid discharge estimates. The generated transport capacity records, analyzed by a long‐term averaging process, allow for the construction of bed load curves that resemble the trends frequently reported in prior experimental studies. Under such conditions, use of long‐term averaged bed shear stress and bed load transport rates provide practical, yet oversimplified accounts of the transport phenomenon. The limitation of this methodology is particularly evident in low‐to‐moderate transport rates, where the calculated bed shear stress and consequent bed load transport rates are underestimated compared to values based on active periods of sediment movement. As the degree of intermittency in bed load transport increases, so does the exponent to compensate for the inactive periods of bed mobility. Conditionally averaged stress‐transport data, based on the active periods of bed load transport alone, however, exhibit a constant trend, reasonably well represented by a 1.5 power formula across the entire transport range. This approach better reflects the prevailing cause and effect relation by properly accounting for varied transport timescales. Furthermore, the resulting transport trend signifies a nearly constant efficiency in entraining and transporting sediment particles.
Playing Their Way into the Geosciences
Authors: Shields Laura
Published: April 2018

Childhood recreational experiences help explain gender disparity and other differences in undergraduate students' spatial abilities, researchers found.
Thousands Take to the Hill to March for Science
Authors: Cartier Kimberly , Weiss Peter
Published: April 2018

Protestors in the U.S. capital echoed pleas from last year, calling for greater appreciation of and support for science, less political interference, and increased diversity in scientific pursuits.
Origin of Primitive Tholeiitic and Calc‐Alkaline Basalts at Newberry Volcano, Oregon
Authors: Carlson Richard W. , Grove Timothy L. , Donnelly‐Nolan Julie M.
Published: April 2018

Major and trace element and radiogenic isotopic characteristics of primitive mafic Pleistocene and Holocene lavas from Newberry Volcano, Oregon, define two groups. The first consists of dry tholeiitic high‐alumina olivine basalts that are slightly enriched in highly incompatible elements. The second group consists of calc‐alkaline basalts that contained 2–4 wt % H2O prior to eruption and shows strong enrichment in the light rare earth elements, Ba, and Sr, and deficits in Nb, Ta, Hf, and Zr. The tholeiitic basalts reflect 6–11% anhydrous adiabatic decompression melting of spinel peridotite. The calc‐alkaline basalts derived from compositionally distinct sources with strong LIL enrichment and relative depletion in HFSE, but with Sr, Nd, Hf, and Pb isotopic composition only slightly distinct from the sources of the tholeiitic magmas. Radiogenic Os correlates with LREE enrichment in the calc‐alkaline magmas, which indicates that their source materials include a contribution from a mafic component that was melted in the garnet stability field. The calc‐alkaline magmas were derived by melting of peridotite metasomatized by a fluid/melt that originated by melting of a mixture of the sediment plus MORB basalt/mantle in the underlying subducting oceanic plate. While the trace element characteristics of the calc‐alkaline magmas were determined by the subduction component, their isotopic characteristics were modified during transit through the mantle by interaction with the highly magmatically processed mantle wedge beneath Newberry Volcano that, without the slab component, serves as the source of the tholeiitic magmas.
Perovskite seeding growth of formamidinium-lead-iodide-based perovskites for efficient and stable solar cells
Authors: Zhao Yicheng , Tan Hairen , Yuan Haifeng , Yang Zhenyu , Fan James Z. , Kim Junghwan , Voznyy Oleksandr , Gong Xiwen , Quan Li Na , Tan Chih Shan , Hofkens Johan , Yu Dapeng , Zhao Qing , Sargent Edward H.
Published: April 2018

Formamidinium-lead-iodide (FAPbI3)-based perovskites with bandgap below 1.55 eV are of interest for photovoltaics in view of their close-to-ideal bandgap. Record-performance FAPbI3-based solar cells have relied on fabrication via the sequential-deposition method; however, these devices exhibit unstable output under illumination due to the difficulty of incorporating cesium cations (stabilizer) in sequentially deposited films. Here we devise a perovskite seeding method that efficiently incorporates cesium and beneficially modulates perovskite crystallization. First, perovskite seed crystals are embedded in the PbI2 film. The perovskite seeds serve as cesium sources and act as nuclei to facilitate crystallization during the formation of perovskite. Perovskite films with perovskite seeding growth exhibit a lowered trap density, and the resulting planar solar cells achieve stabilized efficiency of 21.5% with a high open-circuit voltage of 1.13 V and a fill factor that exceeds 80%. The Cs-containing FAPbI3-based devices show a striking improvement in operational stability and retain 60% of their initial efficiency after 140 h operation under one sun illumination.
Author Correction: Understanding the functional role of genistein in the bone differentiation in mouse osteoblastic cell line MC3T3-E1 by RNA-seq analysis
Authors: Kim Myungsuk , Lim Jisun , Lee Jung-Hee , Lee Kyung-Mi , Kim Suji , Park Kye Won , Nho Chu Won , Cho Yoon Shin
Published: April 2018

A correction to this article has been published and is linked from the HTML and PDF versions of this paper. The error has not been fixed in the paper.
Novel Plasma Proteins in Nepalese School-aged Children are Associated with a Small Head Size at Birth
Authors: Lee Sun Eun , West Keith P. , Cole Robert N. , Schulze Kerry J. , Wu Lee S.-F. , Yager James D. , Groopman John , Christian Parul
Published: April 2018

Fetal growth restriction increases the risk of poor childhood growth and development and chronic disease in adulthood. Yet, little is known about biological pathways that mediate the long-lasting effects of suboptimal intrauterine growth. We explored the plasma proteome in a cohort of 500 Nepalese children 6–8 years of age to identify plasma proteins associated with multiple anthropometric size indicators at birth. Among 982 proteins analyzed, no proteins differed by birth weight, length, or weight-for-length indicators. However, 25 proteins were differentially abundant in children with a small vs normal head circumference at birth (<−2 vs. ≥−2 z-scores of the WHO growth standards). Angiopoietin-like 6 was 19.4% more abundant and the other 24 proteins were 7–21% less abundant in children with a small vs normal head circumference at birth, adjusted for potential confounders. The less abundant proteins included actins, actin filament organizing proteins (α-actinin, talin, filamin, cofilin, profilin, and vinculin), proteins involved in muscle contraction, and glycolytic enzymes, which were all positively correlated with each other. A novel cluster of childhood plasma proteins involved in angiogenesis and cytoskeleton dynamics was associated with a small head size at birth. The prognostic value of an altered proteomic phenotype remains to be investigated.
Geometric constraints of endothelial cell migration on electrospun fibres
Authors: Ahmed Maqsood , Ramos Tiago , Wieringa Paul , Blitterswijk Clemens van , Boer Jan de , Moroni Lorenzo
Published: April 2018

Biomaterial scaffolds that can form a template for tissue growth and repair forms the basis of many tissue engineering paradigms. Cell migration and colonisation is an important, and often overlooked, first step. In this study, fibrous guidance structures were produced via electrospinning and the effect of physical features such as fibre diameter (ranging from 500 nm to 10 μm) on endothelial cell migration was assessed. Using a modified wound healing assay, fibre diameter was found to have a significant effect on the rate of wound closure and the peak migration velocity of the cells with scaffold diameter shown to influence both morphology and alignment of the migrating cells. The expression, phosphorylation and distribution of focal adhesion kinase (FAK) was disrupted on the different scaffolds with small-diameter scaffolds exhibiting increased FAK phosphorylation with the kinase present in the cytosol whereas on large-diameter scaffolds FAK was largely restricted to focal adhesions at the cell periphery. This study demonstrates that electrospun scaffolds can be used to model cell migration on fibrous substrates, and particularly for the studying effects of physical features of the substrate, and that FAK is a key mediator of cell-scaffold interactions on migrating cells.
Characterizing Cancer Drug Response and Biological Correlates: A Geometric Network Approach
Authors: Pouryahya Maryam , Oh Jung Hun , Mathews James C. , Deasy Joseph O. , Tannenbaum Allen R.
Published: April 2018

In the present work, we apply a geometric network approach to study common biological features of anticancer drug response. We use for this purpose the panel of 60 human cell lines (NCI-60) provided by the National Cancer Institute. Our study suggests that mathematical tools for network-based analysis can provide novel insights into drug response and cancer biology. We adopted a discrete notion of Ricci curvature to measure, via a link between Ricci curvature and network robustness established by the theory of optimal mass transport, the robustness of biological networks constructed with a pre-treatment gene expression dataset and coupled the results with the GI50 response of the cell lines to the drugs. Based on the resulting drug response ranking, we assessed the impact of genes that are likely associated with individual drug response. For genes identified as important, we performed a gene ontology enrichment analysis using a curated bioinformatics database which resulted in biological processes associated with drug response across cell lines and tissue types which are plausible from the point of view of the biological literature. These results demonstrate the potential of using the mathematical network analysis in assessing drug response and in identifying relevant genomic biomarkers and biological processes for precision medicine.
Transcriptome Analysis Reveals genes involved in flavonoid biosynthesis and accumulation in Dendrobium catenatum From Different Locations
Authors: Lei Zhouxi , Zhou Chunhua , Ji Xiaoyu , Wei Gang , Huang Yuechun , Yu Wenxia , Luo Yingyi , Qiu Yue
Published: April 2018

In this study, we applied transcriptome and UHPLC-MS technologies to investigate the flavonoids and their biosynthesis- and accumulation-related genes in Dendrobium catenatum from three different locations. Eight flavonoid glycosides were identified using standard references or previously isolated substances with MS data analysis. The total flavonoid contents were determined by reagents, and all the data were analyzed. In total, 23139 unigenes were obtained using the Dendrobium catenatum genome data. Of these, 10398 were annotated in the Gene Ontology (GO) database, 4203 were annotated in the KEGG database, and 10917 were annotated in the EuKaryotic Orthologous Groups (KOG) database. Thirty-one of the unigenes annotated by the KEGG database were involved in flavonoid pathways. The genes involved in bio-modification, accumulation, transportation and the regulation of the flavonoid bio-synthesis process were investigated. In conclusion, the flavonoids in Dendrobium catenatum from three different locations were different in quantitative and qualitative which may contribute to the establishment of quality control method for this herbal plant. These differences were determined by flavonoids biosynthesis process and they were concluded by sorting out the expression level of certain biosynthesis related genes.
Regional surveys of macrobenthic shelf invertebrate communities in Onslow Bay, North Carolina, U.S.A.
Authors: Tyler Carrie L. , Kowalewski Michał
Published: April 2018

Despite its importance for quantifying ecosystem responses to environmental and anthropogenic drivers, our understanding of spatial heterogeneity in marine communities remains inadequate. Studies in coastal marine benthic habitats are sparse, and predominantly target single higher taxonomic groups. Here we describe macrobenthic marine invertebrate community surveys from 52 localities in Onslow Bay (Beaufort, North Carolina, U.S.A.), over an extensive geographic area (~200 km2). The data consist of 11,467 individuals, 175 species, and 7 phyla. The data include species abundance data for each sample at all localities, and corresponding species lists and locality information. The metadata describe the sampling protocols and localities. The data provided here will facilitate examination of assemblage heterogeneity with regards to spatial and temporal patterns, and depth gradient analyses.
Thermal deformations of crystal structures formed in the systems of malic acid enantiomers and l-valine–l-isoleucine enantiomers
Authors: Kotelnikova Elena N. , Isakov Anton I. , Lorenz Heike
Published: April 2018

The anisotropy of thermal deformations in seven studied chiral crystal structures is attributed to the different numbers and organizations of intermolecular contacts.
Gold-doped silver nanoclusters with enhanced photophysical properties
Authors: Mishra Dinesh , Lobodin Vladislav , Zhang Chengqi , Aldeek Fadi , Lochner Eric , Mattoussi Hedi
Published: April 2018

We detail the characterization of atomically precise, luminescent silver and gold bimetallic nanoclusters (Ag and AgAuNCs) grown in the presence of bidentate lipoic acid (LA, the oxidized form) and dihydrolipoic acid (DHLA, the reduced form) ligands.
Two-step electrodeposition to fabricate the p–n heterojunction of a Cu2O/BiVO4 photoanode for the enhancement of photoelectrochemical water splitting
Authors: Bai Shouli , Liu Jingchao , Cui Meng , Luo Ruixian , He Jing , Chen Aifan
Published: April 2018

A p-Cu2O/n-BiVO4 heterojunction photoanode fabricated by a two-step electrodeposition method has been demonstrated to enhance photoelectrochemical water splitting effectively.
Comment on “Zemplén transesterification: a name reaction that has misled us for 90 years” by B. Ren, M. Wang, J. Liu, J. Ge, X. Zhang and H. Dong, Green Chemistry, 2015, 17, 1390–1394
Authors: Pezzetta Cristofer , Tshepelevitsh Sofja , Leito Ivo , Poli Giovanni
Published: April 2018

The classical mechanism of the Zemplén transesterification holds despite its almost 90-year lifetime.
Non-destructive quantification of total boron and its isotopic composition in boron based refractory materials by PIGE and an inter-comparison study using TIMS and titrimetry
Authors: Acharya R. , Raja Sk Wasim , Chhillar Sumit , Gupta J. , Sonber J. K. , Murthy T. S. R. C. , Bhushan K. Sasi , Rao Radhika M. , Majumdar S. , Pujari P. K.
Published: April 2018

PIGE is a suitable method for total B and its IC in boron based refractory materials which are important neutron absorbers in nuclear power reactors as control or shielding materials.
Continuous flow chemical vapour deposition of carbon nanotube sea urchins
Authors: de La Verpilliere Jean , Jessl Sarah , Saeed Khuzaimah , Ducati Caterina , De Volder Michael , Boies Adam
Published: April 2018

Hybrid metal oxides enhanced by carbon nanotubes (CNTs) can be continuously produced as powder or films with potential for a variety of applications in sensing, biotechnology and energy storage.
Kinetic studies on strand displacement in de novo designed parallel heterodimeric coiled coils
Authors: Groth Mike C. , Rink W. Mathis , Meyer Nils F. , Thomas Franziska
Published: April 2018

Strand displacement in heterodimeric coiled coils follows a competitive binding mechanism and can be predicted by the ratio of KD values.