bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Establishing the normal ranges of female and male anal canal and rectal wall vascularity with color Doppler anorectal ultrasonography
Authors: Murad-Regadas Sthela M. , Regadas Francisco Sergio Pinheiro , Dealcanfreitas Iris Daiana , Regadas Filho Francisco Sergio Pinheiro , Fernandes Graziela Olivia da S. , Albuquerque Matheus Couto Furtado , Regadas Carolina Murad , Regadas Marina Murad
Published: April 2018

Study objectives To evaluate blood supply in the anal canal, rectal wall and mesorectal fat of men and women, using color Doppler endorectal sonography to establish normal ranges for vascular parameters.

Methods A prospective cross-sectional study conducted at a tertiary-care hospital recruited asymptomatic volunteers (≤50 years). Vascularity percentage and index were calculated for defined regions.

Results Vascularity percentage and index were significantly higher in the puborectalis, mid-level external and upper internal anal sphincter compared to the low anal canal; these parameters were higher in men than in women at upper and middle levels of the inner anal canal structures. At mid-level, vascularity was greater in the external compared to the internal anal sphincter in both sexes; however, at the upper level it was greater in the puborectalis compared to the internal anal sphincter in women. Vascularity was greater in the rectal wall compared to the mesorectal fat, with no difference between middle and lower levels.

Conclusions Blood supply is highest at upper levels of the anal canal; however, inner structures are better irrigated in men. Moreover, the rectal wall is better irrigated than the mesorectal fat. Establishing normal ranges may permit future comparisons of the studied structures in disease states as well as the hormonal and age related changes.
Developing country sub‐supplier responses to social sustainability requirements of intermediaries: Exploring the influence of framing on fairness perceptions and reciprocity
Authors: Soundararajan Vivek , Brammer Stephen
Published: April 2018

Research on social sustainability in multi‐tier supply chains is limited. Specifically, we know very little about a) the micro‐processes involved in the way in which sub‐suppliers (i.e., first‐tier suppliers or sourcing agents) respond to the sustainability requirements imposed by their intermediaries; and b) the micro‐level antecedents that condition their responses. To address these gaps, we used a longitudinal multiple case study method to explore multiple intermediary – sub‐supplier dyads in South India's knitwear garment industry and drew upon constructs of behavioural economics. We found that the way in which intermediaries frame social sustainability requirements and their associated procedures influence both the way in which sub‐suppliers perceive the procedural fairness of those requirements and the way in which they thus reciprocate. When intermediaries frame social sustainability requirements as ‘opportunity’ and engage in various procedures perceived to be procedurally fair by sub‐suppliers, the latter reciprocate positively. Contrastingly, when intermediaries frame social sustainability requirements as ‘insulation’ and engage in various procedures perceived to be procedurally unfair by sub‐suppliers, the latter reciprocate negatively. Under the production‐dominant framing, sub‐suppliers exhibit positive reciprocity only related to processing production orders. Our analysis inductively generated propositions that emphasize the important role played by framing in shaping the perceptions of fairness held by sub‐suppliers towards social sustainability requirements and the reciprocity of the latter's responses to them.
Personal Politics without Clientelism? Interpreting Citizen-Politician Contact in Africa
Authors: Mueller Lisa
Published: April 2018

This study clarifies the meaning of clientelism and documents its extent in sub-Saharan Africa—a region that political scientists and policy makers often view as especially clientelistic. It proposes an understanding of clientelism as personal contact between citizens and politicians in which citizens request selective rather than public goods in exchange for political loyalty. It then suggests that assessments of clientelism in Africa are sensitive to the amount of information about personal contact that surveys provide. Closed-ended Afrobarometer surveys suggest that personal contact is mostly clientelistic, whereas the original open-ended questionnaires employed in an original survey from Niger suggest that the bulk of citizen requests are programmatic. Leveraging detail in Nigeriens’ qualitative accounts of visiting and calling politicians, the highly personalized contact of Nigeriens can be understood as an adaptation to limits on impersonal contact, not a sign that politicians are circumventing formal channels of communication in order to distribute patronage under the table.
First report ofOniscidiaMörch, 1852 (Neogastropoda, Harpidae) in the northeast Pacific fossil record and paleobiogeographic review of the genus
Authors: Squires Richard L.
Published: April 2018

The harpid neogastropod genusOniscidiaMörch, 1852, which has not been recognized before in the northeast Pacific fossil record, is represented there by rare specimens ofOniscidia plectata(Waring, 1917) n. comb., of late early Paleocene age, in a region extending from southern California, USA to Baja California, Mexico. This species is the earliest unequivocal record ofOniscidiaand its only known Paleocene record. It apparently lived in silty, inner- to middle-shelf depths, which were inherently cooler than adjacent shallower marine depths. Its habitat was subject to the influx of shallow-marine shells, especially turritellas, contained in turbidity currents emanating from nearshore depths.

The global paleogeography ofOniscidia, which is presented here for the first time, has been overlooked previously because this genus has a long and complicated history of taxonomic confusion with the harpid genusMorumRöding, 1798.Oniscidiaquestionably originated during the Late Cretaceous (Campanian) in southern India and apparently dispersed westward through the Tethys Seaway into the New World. Paleocene and early Eocene occurrences of this genus are rare, and middle Eocene occurrences are uncommon. During the cool times of the Oligocene and into the early Miocene, it was most widespread. Its range became restricted during the middle Miocene and continued to be so during the Pliocene, Pleistocene, and modern day, with occurrences only in the Caribbean Sea region, Florida, and the western Pacific. Its distribution through warm and cool times was most likely controlled by its habitat preference for relatively deep cool waters.
Smoking Cessation Treatment Programs Offered at Hospitals Providing Oncology Services
Authors: Gallaway Michael Shayne , Tai Eric , Rohan Elizabeth A.
Published: April 2018

Background: Many people with cancer continue smoking despite evidence that it negatively effects cancer treatment, worsens chemotherapy toxicity, and increases risk for a second cancer.

Aims: We examined tobacco treatment services offered to cancer patients at hospitals providing oncology services, including National Cancer Institute (NCI)-Designated Cancer Centers (NDCCs).

Methods: We examined survey data of 6,400 U.S. hospitals from 2008 to 2015 to determine the manner in which tobacco treatment/cessation program services were provided among NDCCs and non-NDCC hospitals providing oncology services (HPOs).

Results: From 2008 to 2015, 784 responses from NDCCs and 18,281 responses from HPOs were received. NDCCs (86%) reported significantly higher tobacco treatment/cessation programs owned by the hospital compared to HPOs (68%) (p < 0.001). Among NDCCs, there was a significant increasing trend of tobacco treatment/cessation programs reported owned by the hospital, the health system, or other contractual mechanism from 2008 to 2015 (p = 0.03).

Conclusions: More than 80% of oncology providing hospitals report providing tobacco cessation programs, with higher percentages reported in NDCCs. As hospitals implement smoking cessation programs, partnerships between hospitals and cancer coalitions could help bring tobacco cessation activities to communities they both serve, and link discharged patients to these cessation resources so they can continue quit attempts that they initialised while hospitalised.
Quasilinear Scalar Field Equations Involving Critical Sobolev Exponents and Potentials Vanishing at Infinity
Authors: Lyberopoulos Athanasios N.
Published: April 2018

We are concerned with the existence of positive weak solutions, as well as the existence of bound states (i.e. solutions inW1,p(ℝN)), for quasilinear scalar field equations of the form$$ - \Delta _pu + V(x) \vert u \vert ^{p - 2}u = K(x) \vert u \vert ^{q - 2}u + \vert u \vert ^{p^ * - 2}u,\qquad x \in {\open R}^N,$$where Δpu: =div(|∇u|p−2∇u), 1 <p<N,p*: =Np/(N−p) is the critical Sobolev exponent,q∈ (p, p*), whileV(·) andK(·) are non-negative continuous potentials that may decay to zero as |x| → ∞ but are free from any integrability or symmetry assumptions.
Evaluation of optimal straw incorporation characteristics based on quadratic orthogonal rotation combination design
Authors: Rong Guohua , Ning Yucui , Cao Xu , Su Ye , Li Jing , Li Lei , Liu Liyan , Zhou Dongxing
Published: April 2018

For straw incorporation, three crucial factors affect the soil microbial community and various enzyme activities: straw length, amount and burial depth. To analyse the individual and interactive effects of these three factors on the soil microbial community and various enzyme activities, 23 treatments with five levels of the three variables (straw length, amount and burial depth) were applied in a quadratic orthogonal rotation combination design. A comprehensive indicator was constructed that could represent soil microbial functional diversity and enzyme activity by determining the weights of measured indicators and using Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS). The results indicated that the soil microbiological indicators have a higher criteria weight than soil enzyme activity indicators. The final weight orders of indicators were as follows: Shannon–Weaver > invertase > Shannon evenness > urease > catalase > McIntosh index > Simpson diversity > phosphatase. The soil comprehensive values constructed by the TOPSIS method are reliable. The optimal combination for the improvement of soil microbial functional diversity and enzyme activity was a straw length of 13–24 cm, burial depth of 10–17 cm and straw amount of 370–650 g/m2.
The value of chest X-ray in the Scottish Referral Guidelines for suspected head and neck cancer in 2144 patients
Authors: Fingland P , Carswell V , Tikka T , Douglas C M , Montgomery J
Published: April 2018

Objective:

In Scotland, patients with suspected head and neck cancer are referred on the basis of the Scottish Referral Guidelines for Suspected Cancer, rather than the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines. A chest X-ray should be requested by the general practitioner at the same time as referral for persistent hoarseness. The evidence for this is level 4.

Methods:

This audit identified adherence to this recommendation and X-ray results. All ‘urgent suspicion of cancer’ referrals to the ENT department in the National Health Service Greater Glasgow and Clyde for 2015–2016 were audited.

Results:

Persistent hoarseness for more than 3 weeks instigated referral in 318 patients (15.7 per cent). Chest X-ray was performed in 120 patients (38 per cent), which showed: no abnormality in 116 (96.7 per cent), features of infection in 2 (1.7 per cent) and something else in 2 patients (1.7 per cent). No chest X-ray altered the management of a patient.

Conclusion:

Performance of chest X-ray does not alter management and its removal from the Scottish Referral Guidelines for Suspected Cancer is recommended.
The role of DNA methylation in ageing and cancer
Authors: Morgan A. E. , Davies T. J. , Mc Auley M. T.
Published: April 2018

The aim of the present review paper is to survey the literature related to DNA methylation, and its association with cancer and ageing. The review will outline the key factors, including diet, which modulate DNA methylation. Our rationale for conducting this review is that ageing and diseases, including cancer, are often accompanied by aberrant DNA methylation, a key epigenetic process, which is crucial to the regulation of gene expression. Significantly, it has been observed that with age and certain disease states, DNA methylation status can become disrupted. For instance, a broad array of cancers are associated with promoter-specific hypermethylation and concomitant gene silencing. This review highlights that hypermethylation, and gene silencing, of the EN1 gene promoter, a crucial homeobox gene, has been detected in various forms of cancer. This has led to this region being proposed as a potential biomarker for diseases such as cancer. We conclude the review by describing a recently developed novel electrochemical method that can be used to quantify the level of methylation within the EN1 promoter and emphasise the growing trend in the use of electrochemical techniques for the detection of aberrant DNA methylation.
THE IMPOSSIBILITY OF LIBERAL RIGHTS IN A DIVERSE WORLD
Authors: Chung Hun
Published: April 2018

A defining characteristic of a liberal democratic society is the assignment of basic rights and liberties that protect each person's private sphere. Hence, social choice made in a liberal democratic society must at the very least be consistent with the exercise of each person's basic rights. However, even when everybody agrees to this basic principle, there could still remain irreconcilable social conflict and disagreement when it comes to the specific assignment of basic rights. This is especially so in a pluralistic society where there is a clash among radically different and incompatible world views. Philosophers have now started to focus on this issue, which now goes by the name 'perspectival diversity'. This paper extends the basic social choice theoretic framework of liberal rights by enlarging the domain to includeindividual perspectivesalongside individual preferences. In this new framework, different individuals are able toseeorperceivethe same social alternative differently based on their own unique perspectives. The formal results of the paper imply that generating a viable social choice that is consistent with the assignment of basic rights can quickly break down once we start to increase the level of perspectival diversity in society.
Air Data Estimation by Fusing Navigation System and Flight Control System
Authors: Lu Chen , Li Rong-Bing , Liu Jian-Ye , Lei Ting-Wan
Published: April 2018

A novel synthetic air data estimation method without using air data sensors is presented, and the method only relies on the information from the Navigation System (NS) and Flight Control System (FCS). The aircraft's aerodynamic model is also required to make a connection between the FCS control parameters and the NS measurements. The airspeed, angle of attack and sideslip, angular velocity and wind speed are defined as state vectors, and state equations are established through the aircraft's aerodynamic model and dynamics. Linear velocity and angular velocity provided by the navigation system are considered as the measurement vector. To deal with variable wind fields, a novel Initialised Three-step Extended Kalman Filter (ITEKF), which considers the wind speed as an unknown input, is developed to track the variation of wind speed. Simulation results based on a Generic Hypersonic Vehicle (GHV) model are presented and compared with an existing method. Factors affecting the method's accuracy include the navigation system accuracy and the aerodynamic model error, are also discussed.
Addressing religion and spirituality in the intensive care unit: A survey of clinicians
Authors: Choi Philip J. , Curlin Farr A. , Cox Christopher E.
Published: April 2018

Objective

Studies have shown that when religious and spiritual concerns are addressed by the medical team, patients are more satisfied with their care and have lower healthcare costs. However, little is known about how intensive care unit (ICU) clinicians address these concerns. The objective of this study was to determine how ICU clinicians address the religious and spiritual needs of patients and families.

Method

We performed a cross-sectional survey study of ICU physicians, nurses, and advance practice providers (APPs) to understand their attitudes and beliefs about addressing the religious and spiritual needs of ICU patients and families. Each question was designed on a 4- to 5-point Likert scale. A total of 219 surveys were collected over a 4-month period.

Result

A majority of clinicians agreed that it is their responsibility to address the religious/spiritual needs of patients. A total of 79% of attendings, 74% of fellows, 89% of nurses, and 83% of APPs agreed with this statement. ICU clinicians also feel comfortable talking to patients about their religious/spiritual concerns. In practice, few clinicians frequently address religious/spiritual concerns. Only 14% of attendings, 3% of fellows, 26% of nurses, and 17% of APPs say they frequently ask patients about their religious/spiritual needs.

Significance of results

This study shows that ICU clinicians see it as their role to address the religious and spiritual needs of their patients, and report feeling comfortable talking about these issues. Despite this, a minority of clinicians regularly address religious and spiritual needs in clinical practice. This highlights a potential deficit in comprehensive critical care as outlined by many national guidelines.
Additive technology applied to the realization of K-band microwave terminations: reproducibility improvement
Authors: Maalouf Azar , Gingat Ronan , Laur Vincent
Published: April 2018

This study examines K-band rectangular waveguide terminations with three-dimensional (3D)-printed loads, and proposes an Asymmetrical Tapered Wedge topology. This geometry shows a good tradeoff between microwave performance and 3D-printing issues (printing directions and support material requirements), thus improving noticeably the reproducibility of the devices. The effect of the density of the 3D-printed load on the reflection parameter of the termination was investigated. Even for a low density, reflection level remained below −27.5 dB between 18 and 26.5 GHz. Reproducibility was demonstrated by the characterization of six loads that were 3D printed under the same conditions. Measurements demonstrate that a maximum reflection parameter level of −33.5 dB can be ensured over the whole frequency band without any post-machining of the 3D-printed devices.
Prenatal lead exposure in relation to age at menarche: results from a longitudinal study in Mexico City
Authors: Jansen E. C. , Zhou L. , Song P. X. K. , Sánchez B. N. , Mercado A. , Hu H. , Solano M. , Peterson K. E. , Tellez-Rojo M. M.
Published: April 2018

Animal and cross-sectional epidemiological studies suggest that prenatal lead exposure is related to delayed menarche, but this has not been confirmed in longitudinal studies. We analyzed this association among 200 girls from Mexico City who were followed since the first trimester of gestation. Maternal blood lead levels were analyzed once during each trimester of pregnancy, and daughters were asked about their first menstrual cycle at a visit between the ages of 9.8 and 18.1 years. We estimated hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for probability of menarche over the follow-up period using interval-censored Cox models, comparing those with prenatal blood lead level ⩾5 µg/dl to those with prenatal blood lead <5 µg/dl. We also estimated HRs and 95% CI with conventional Cox regression models, which utilized the self-reported age at menarche. In adjusted analyses, we accounted for maternal age, maternal parity, maternal education, and prenatal calcium treatment status. Across trimesters, 36−47% of mothers had blood lead levels ⩾5 µg/dl. Using interval-censored models, we found that during the second trimester only, girls with ⩾5 µg/dl prenatal blood lead had a later age at menarche compared with girls with prenatal blood lead levels <5 µg/dl (confounder-adjusted HR=0.59, 95% CI 0.28–0.90; P=0.05). Associations were in a similar direction, although not statistically significant, in the conventional Cox regression models, potentially indicating measurement error in the self-recalled age at menarche. In summary, higher prenatal lead exposure during the second trimester could be related to later onset of sexual maturation.
Nützen Sprachförderprogramme im Kindergarten, und wenn ja, unter welcher Bedingung?
Authors: Schneider Wolfgang
Published: April 2018

Zusammenfassung. Sprachförderprogramme im Vorschulbereich haben im deutschsprachigen Raum seit der ersten PISA-Studie sehr an Bedeutung gewonnen. Im vorliegenden Beitrag werden die vielfältigen Ansätze zunächst grob klassifiziert und dann im Hinblick auf ihre Wirksamkeit hin bewertet. Für strukturiert konzipierte additiv-kompensatorische Ansätze zur Verbesserung von Wortschatz und Satzverständnis, wie sie in mehreren Bundesländern im Rahmen von Modellversuchen durchgeführt wurden, lassen sich in der Regel kaum nennenswerte Effekte finden. Demgegenüber fallen die Befunde für strukturiert angebotene additive Programme zur frühen Förderung schriftsprachrelevanter Merkmale („emergent literacy“) deutlich günstiger aus, insbesondere in ihrer kompensatorischen Komponente. Für die neuerdings in den Fokus gerückten unstrukturierten alltagsintegrierten Ansätze zur Förderung von Wortschatz, Sprechfreude und Sprachverständnis sind die Befunde der wenigen Evaluationsstudien kaum ermutigend. Es bleibt abzuwarten, inwieweit die durch bundespolitische Programme stimulierten neuen alltagsintegrierten Ansätze zur Verbesserung der Infrastruktur der Einrichtungen und zu einer besseren Qualifikation der pädagogischen Fachkräfte führen können. Die Zusammenschau der Befunde legt den Schluss nahe, dass die Kombination alltagsintegrierter und additiv-kompensatorischer Programme zu positiveren Ergebnissen führen dürfte. Die Erwartungen an Fördermaßnahmen dieser Art sollten dennoch eher bescheiden sein.
Evidence for Crustal Magnetic Field Control of Ions Precipitating Into the Upper Atmosphere of Mars
Authors: Hara Takuya , Luhmann Janet G. , Leblanc François , Curry Shannon M. , Halekas Jasper S. , Seki Kanako , Brain David A. , Harada Yuki , Mcfadden James P. , DiBraccio Gina A. , Soobiah Yasir I. J. , Mitchell David L. , Xu Shaosui , Mazelle Christian , Jakosky Bruce M.
Published: April 2018

We present the effects of the local magnetic field configurations on ions precipitating into the upper atmosphere of Mars using Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) observations. Precipitating pickup planetary heavy ions (O+,
, and
) are of particular interest in the Martian plasma environment because they potentially enhance the sputtering loss of ambient neutral particles. In addition, solar wind protons (and H+ pickup ions) penetrate into the dayside atmosphere due to the direct interaction with the Martian obstacle. We present a statistical study showing that precipitating ion fluxes are typically enhanced by a factor of 2–3 under radial field configurations. We also show that the crustal fields have a shielding effect; the precipitating fluxes are significantly reduced by ∼50% under the strong crustal fields (
100 nT), where the local magnetic field is oriented with a more horizontal component to the surface. These trends are seen consistently regardless of ion species, as well as the observed locations including dayside/nightside, subsolar longitudes, and ±E hemispheres in the Mars‐centered solar electric (MSE) coordinates. In particular, the local magnetic field configurations control precipitating ions with energies lower than a few keV, while precipitating high‐energy ion fluxes are likely independent of the local magnetic field configurations. Precipitating ion fluxes are known to vary by at least an order of magnitude depending on the upstream solar wind. Therefore, the local magnetic field configurations turn out to be the secondary factor in modulating precipitating ion fluxes at Mars.
GPS/GLONASS Combined Precise Point Positioning With the Modeling of Highly Stable Receiver Clock in the Application of Monitoring Active Seismic Deformation
Authors: Chen X. , Lu C. , Guo B. , Guo F. , Ge M. , Li X. , Schuh H.
Published: April 2018

The high‐rate kinematic Precise Point Positioning (PPP) of the Global Navigation Satellite System has become an effective method for monitoring crustal deformation caused by earthquakes. In this contribution, the method of GPS/GLONASS PPP with the receiver clock modeling is applied in active seismic deformation monitoring for the first time. With the modeling method, the short‐term vertical positioning accuracy of 2–4 mm that usually cannot be obtained by standard PPP is achieved. Our PPP results confirm that the positioning accuracy is improved due to the increase of GLONASS observations compared to the GPS‐only solution. Based on the external seismic data and the high‐rate GPS/GLONASS data for the 2011 Japan earthquake and 2010 and 2015 Chile earthquakes, comparative analyses concerning receiver clock modeling are carried out. The results show that a high degree of decorrelation between the height position estimates and receiver clock offsets can be obtained by using the receiver clock modeling. The short‐term accuracy of the GPS‐based vertical displacements is improved to the level of about 4.4 mm, and the short‐term accuracy of better than 4 mm for the GPS/GLONASS‐combined vertical displacements is achievable. Furthermore, the weak vertical signals that are not detected by standard PPP can be captured with the modeling of highly stable receiver clock.
Loading‐Induced Earth's Stress Change Over Time
Authors: Lu Zhou , Yi Hang , Wen Lianxing
Published: April 2018

We establish a physical framework and build a preliminary database of stress changes on the Earth from 2000 to 2017 in a global scale and at various depths. We consider six loading forces that would generate stress changes on the Earth: hydrological loading, atmospheric pressure, ocean water (including tides and nontidal variation), solid lunisolar tides, pole tide, and postglacial rebound (PGR). The maximum amplitudes of normal deviatoric stress changes on the Earth's surface caused by hydrological loading, atmospheric pressure, and solid lunisolar tides reach 10−2 bar, those by pole tide 10−4–10−3 bar, and those by ocean tides 10−1 bar mostly in the coastal regions. The shear stress changes are about 1 order of magnitude smaller than the normal deviatoric stresses. The PGR‐induced stress rates are 10−3–10−2 bar/year. Stress variations caused by the different forces also exhibit different spatial patterns, with large hydro‐induced stresses mainly distributed in torrid and frigid zones, atmosphere‐induced stresses in temperate and frigid zones, and ocean‐induced stresses in coastlands and PGR‐induced stress rates in Greenland, north Europe, North America, and Antarctica. The hydro‐induced stresses exhibit significant seasonal variations in Amazon Basin, northern India, and central Africa and persistent increase/decrease in Antarctica, Greenland, and Alaska due to ice shelf melting. All loading‐induced stress changes exhibit significant depth variations. The stress database would provide a resource for better understanding the triggering mechanisms of various tectonic events, and the physical framework we establish to build the database could be useful for better studying properties and physical states of Earth's interior.
Equations of State and Anisotropy of Fe‐Ni‐Si Alloys
Authors: Morrison Rachel A. , Jackson Jennifer M. , Sturhahn Wolfgang , Zhang Dongzhou , Greenberg Eran
Published: April 2018

We present powder X‐ray diffraction data on body centered cubic (bcc)‐ and hexagonal close packed (hcp)‐structured Fe0.91Ni0.09 and Fe0.8Ni0.1Si0.1 at 300 K up to 167 and 175 GPa, respectively. The alloys were loaded with tungsten powder as a pressure calibrant and helium as a pressure transmitting medium into diamond anvil cells, and their equations of state and axial ratios were measured with high statistical quality. These equations of state are combined with thermal parameters from previous reports to improve the extrapolation of the density, adiabatic bulk modulus, and bulk sound speed to the pressures and temperatures of Earth's inner core. We propagate uncertainties and place constraints on the composition of Earth's inner core by combining these results with available data on light‐element alloys of iron and seismic observations. For example, the addition of 4.3 to 5.3 wt% silicon to Fe0.95Ni0.05 alone can explain geophysical observations of the inner core boundary, as can up to 7.5 wt% sulfur with negligible amounts of silicon and oxygen. Our findings favor an inner core with less than ∼2 wt% oxygen and less than 1 wt% carbon, although uncertainties in electronic and anharmonic contributions to the equations of state may shift these values. The compositional space widens toward the center of the Earth, considering inner core seismic gradients. We demonstrate that hcp‐Fe0.91Ni0.09 and hcp‐Fe0.8Ni0.1Si0.1 have measurably greater c/a axial ratios than those of hcp‐Fe over the measured pressure range. We further investigate the relationship between the axial ratios, their pressure derivatives, and elastic anisotropy of hcp‐structured materials.
Paleoseismic Investigation of the Aksay Restraining Double Bend, Altyn Tagh Fault, and Its Implication for Barrier‐Breaching Ruptures
Authors: Shao Yanxiu , Liu‐Zeng Jing , Oskin Michael E. , Elliott Austin J. , Wang Peng , Zhang Jinyu , Yuan Zhaode , Li Zhanfei
Published: April 2018

Fault geometry is recognized as an important control on earthquake rupture extent, magnitude, and recurrence behavior. However, multicycle earthquake rupture simulations indicate that geometrical barriers do not always stop rupture propagation. Stress buildup over multiple prior earthquakes may promote an occasional breach of a barrier, producing a significantly larger rupture. Here we present paleoseismic data from the Aksay restraining double bend of the Altyn Tagh fault, which supports such breaching. The Aksay bend consists of two main strands, which bend together in a broad transpressional configuration. We investigate the paleo‐earthquake histories of both strands to assess the correlation of events within and beyond the bend. The south strand exhibits four very likely paleo‐earthquakes with an average interval of 1,433 ± 57 years and a coefficient of variation (COV) of ~ 0.5. The north strand records four highest‐quality events after 3650 Before Common Era with an average interval of ~1,326 ± 179 years and a COV of ~0.3. The varying recurrence intervals and relatively high COVs indicate that faults within the Aksay bend have only quasi‐periodic rupture recurrence. Comparing the event sequences also suggests a complex rupture history. The penultimate event appears to correlate across the bend, as well as to previously published paleoseismic chronologies both to the east and to the west, which supports it being a barrier‐breaching event. The event histories reported here indicate that multiple earthquakes must terminate within the bend, over several earthquake cycles, in order to arrive at a stress condition suitable for a breaching earthquake rupture.
Subseasonal Coastal‐Trapped Wave Propagations in the Southeastern Pacific and Atlantic Oceans: 2. Wave Characteristics and Connection With the Equatorial Variability
Authors: Illig Serena , Bachèlery Marie‐Lou , Cadier Emeline
Published: April 2018

The objective of this study is to compare the characteristics of the oceanic teleconnection with the linear equatorial dynamics of two upwelling systems along the southwestern South American and African continents at subseasonal time scales (<120 days). Altimetric data analysis shows that the coastal variability remains coherent with the equatorial signal until 27°S in the southeastern Pacific (SEP), while in the southeastern Atlantic (SEA) it fades out south of 12°S. To explain this striking difference, our methodology is based on the experimentation with twin regional model configurations of the SEP and SEA Oceans. The estimation of free Coastal‐Trapped Waves (CTWs) modal structures and associated contribution to coastal variability allows inferring and comparing the characteristics of each CTW mode in the two systems; namely, their forcings, amplitude, dissipation rate, and scattering. Results show that the Pacific subseasonal equatorial forcing is only 20% larger than in the Atlantic, but important differences in the relative contribution of each baroclinic mode are reported. The first baroclinic mode dominates the eastern equatorial Pacific variability, while in the eastern equatorial Atlantic, the second mode is the most energetic. This leads to a drastic increase in the dissipation and scattering of the remotely forced CTW in the SEA sector, compared to the coastal SEP. Concomitantly, south of 15°S, the subseasonal coastal wind stress forcing is substantially more energetic in the SEA and participates in breaking the link between the equatorial forcing and the coastal variability. Our results are consistent with the solutions of a simple multimode CTW model.
The Gravitational Stability of Lenses in Magma Mushes: Confined Rayleigh‐Taylor Instabilities
Authors: Seropian G. , Rust A. C. , Sparks R. S. J.
Published: April 2018

In the current paradigm, magma primarily exists in the crust as a crystalline mush containing distributed melt lenses. If a melt‐rich (or fluid) lens is less dense than the overlying mush, then Rayleigh‐Taylor (RT) instabilities will develop and could evolve into spheroids of ascending melt. Due to contrasting melt‐mush rheologies, the theoretical RT instability wavelength can be orders of magnitude larger than the magmatic system. We explored how this confinement affects the gravitational stability of melt lenses through laboratory experiments with pairs of liquids with one layer much thinner and up to 2.2·105 times less viscous than the other; we extended the viscosity ratio to 106 with linear stability analysis. We found the growth rate of a bounded RT instability is approximately
, where Δρ is the difference in density between the fluids, g is gravity, D is the container diameter, and μ2 is the viscosity of the thicker viscous layer. This differs from the unbounded case, where the growth rate also depends on the thickness and viscosity of the thin, low‐viscosity layer. Applying the results to melt lenses in magmatic mushes, we find that for the ranges of expected rheologies, the timescales for development of the instability, and the volumes of packets of rising melt generated span very wide ranges. They are comparable with the frequencies and sizes of volcanic eruptions and episodes of unrest and so suggest that RT instabilities in mush systems can cause episodic volcanism.
Wave Attenuation Through an Arctic Marginal Ice Zone on 12 October 2015: 1. Measurement of Wave Spectra and Ice Features From Sentinel 1A
Authors: Stopa J. E. , Ardhuin F. , Thomson Jim , Smith Madison M. , Kohout Alison , Doble Martin , Wadhams Peter
Published: April 2018

A storm with significant wave heights exceeding 4 m occurred in the Beaufort Sea on 11–13 October 2015. The waves and ice were captured on 12 October by the Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) on board Sentinel‐1A, with Interferometric Wide swath images covering 400 × 1,100 km at 10 m resolution. This data set allows the estimation of wave spectra across the marginal ice zone (MIZ) every 5 km, over 400 km of sea ice. Since ice attenuates waves with wavelengths shorter than 50 m in a few kilometers, the longer waves are clearly imaged by SAR in sea ice. Obtaining wave spectra from the image requires a careful estimation of the blurring effect produced by unresolved wavelengths in the azimuthal direction. Using in situ wave buoy measurements as reference, we establish that this azimuth cutoff can be estimated in mixed ocean‐ice conditions. Wave spectra could not be estimated where ice features such as leads contribute to a large fraction of the radar backscatter variance. The resulting wave height map exhibits a steep decay in the first 100 km of ice, with a transition into a weaker decay further away. This unique wave decay pattern transitions where large‐scale ice features such as leads become visible. As in situ ice information is limited, it is not known whether the decay is caused by a difference in ice properties or a wave dissipation mechanism. The implications of the observed wave patterns are discussed in the context of other observations.
Water Mass Analysis of the East China Sea and Interannual Variation of Kuroshio Subsurface Water Intrusion Through an Optimum Multiparameter Method
Authors: Zhou Peng , Song Xiuxian , Yuan Yongquan , Cao Xihua , Wang Wentao , Chi Lianbao , Yu Zhiming
Published: April 2018

The Optimum Multiparameter (OMP) method was used to determine the relative contribution of water masses in the East China Sea (ECS) based on their measured temperature, salinity, and dissolved inorganic iodine species (DIIS, iodate and iodide) from recent oceanographic cruises in June 2014, 2015, and 2016. DIIS (as quasi‐conservative parameters) were added first into the OMP analysis, which enabled us to quantitatively estimate the water composition in the extremely dynamic and productive ECS. The OMP results indicate that seawater in the ECS mainly consisted of Changjiang Diluted Water (CDW), Taiwan Strait Warm Water (TSWW), Kuroshio Surface Water (KSW), and Kuroshio Subsurface Water (KSSW). In June 2014, 2015, and 2016, the KSSW dominated in the deep water, intruded into the ECS shelf from the northeast of Taiwan and bifurcated into a nearshore branch and offshore branch. The nearshore branch could reach north of 29°N off the Zhejiang coast. When comparing the KSSW intrusion in June 2014, 2015, and 2016, the average KSSW contribution of the bottom KSSW area in June 2016 (78.9%) was greater than in the previous 2 years (67.9% and 64.5%). In the northern transects (north of 28°N), the KSSW intrusion in June 2016 also contained the greatest average KSSW contribution and the maximum coverage area. Thus, the KSSW intrusion was strongest in June 2016 and may be comparable in June 2014 and 2015. This interannual variability of the KSSW intrusion is likely related to the El Niño‐Southern Oscillation (ENSO) rather than the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO).
Climate-driven shifts in sediment chemistry enhance methane production in northern lakes
Authors: Emilson E. J. S. , Carson M. A. , Yakimovich K. M. , Osterholz H. , Dittmar T. , Gunn J. M. , Mykytczuk N. C. S. , Basiliko N. , Tanentzap A. J.
Published: April 2018

Freshwater ecosystems are a major source of methane (CH4), contributing 0.65 Pg (in CO2 equivalents) yr−1 towards global carbon emissions and offsetting ~25% of the terrestrial carbon sink. Most freshwater CH4 emissions come from littoral sediments, where large quantities of plant material are decomposed. Climate change is predicted to shift plant community composition, and thus change the quality of inputs into detrital food webs, with the potential to affect CH4 production. Here we find that variation in phenol availability from decomposing organic matter underlies large differences in CH4 production in lake sediments. Production is at least 400-times higher from sediments composed of macrophyte litter compared to terrestrial sources because of inhibition of methanogenesis by phenol leachates. Our results now suggest that earth system models and carbon budgets should consider the effects of plant communities on sediment chemistry and ultimately CH4 emissions at a global scale.
Bayesian model selection for complex dynamic systems
Authors: Mark Christoph , Metzner Claus , Lautscham Lena , Strissel Pamela L. , Strick Reiner , Fabry Ben
Published: April 2018

Time series generated by complex systems like financial markets and the earth’s atmosphere often represent superstatistical random walks: on short time scales, the data follow a simple low-level model, but the model parameters are not constant and can fluctuate on longer time scales according to a high-level model. While the low-level model is often dictated by the type of the data, the high-level model, which describes how the parameters change, is unknown in most cases. Here we present a computationally efficient method to infer the time course of the parameter variations from time-series with short-range correlations. Importantly, this method evaluates the model evidence to objectively select between competing high-level models. We apply this method to detect anomalous price movements in financial markets, characterize cancer cell invasiveness, identify historical policies relevant for working safety in coal mines, and compare different climate change scenarios to forecast global warming.
Author Correction: Lack of acclimatization to chronic hypoxia in humans in the Antarctica
Authors: Porcelli Simone , Marzorati Mauro , Healey Beth , Terraneo Laura , Vezzoli Alessandra , Bella Silvia Della , Dicasillati Roberto , Samaja Michele
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 been fixed in the paper.
Retinal microcirculation and leukocyte telomere length in the general population
Authors: Martens Dries S. , Wei Fang-Fei , Cox Bianca , Plusquin Michelle , Thijs Lutgarde , Winckelmans Ellen , Zhang Zhen-Yu , Nawrot Tim S. , Staessen Jan A.
Published: April 2018

Retinal arteriolar narrowing increases with age and predict adverse cardiovascular outcomes. Telomere length keeps track of the division of somatic cells and is a biomarker of biological age. We investigated to what extent retinal arteriolar diameters are associated with biological age, as captured by leukocyte telomere length (LTL). In 168 randomly selected Flemish participants from the family-based population study FLEMENGHO (mean age, 46.2 years) at baseline, of whom 85 underwent a follow-up examination (median, 4.1 years), we post-processed nonmydriatic retinal photographs and measured LTL. In men only, central retinal arteriolar equivalents (CRAE) and arteriole-to-venule ratio (AVR) were associated with LTL with stronger associations at higher age and body mass index. In men aged 57.6 years (75th percentile) a 20% shorter LTL was associated with a decrease in CRAE of 4.57 µm. A 20% shorter LTL was associated with a decrease of 5.88 µm in CRAE at a BMI of 29.9 kg/m2 (75th percentile). Similar associations were observed between AVR and LTL. In women, no retinal microvascular traits were associated with LTL. Retinal arteriolar narrowing in men but not in women is associated with biological age. Our findings support the idea that avoiding overweight contributes to maintaining a healthier microcirculation.
Publisher Correction: Periodic and transient motions of large woodpeckers
Authors: Collins Michael D.
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 been fixed in the paper.
Identification of the effector domain of biglycan that facilitates BMP-2 osteogenic function
Authors: Jongwattanapisan Prapaporn , Terajima Masahiko , Miguez Patricia A. , Querido William , Nagaoka Hideaki , Sumida Noriko , Gurysh Elizabeth Grace , Ainslie Kristy M. , Pleshko Nancy , Perera Lalith , Yamauchi Mitsuo
Published: April 2018

We have reported that recombinant biglycan (BGN) core protein accelerates bone formation in vivo by enhancing bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)-2 function. The purpose of the present study was to identify the specific domain (“effector”) within the BGN core protein that facilitates BMP-2 osteogenic function. Thus, we generated various recombinant and synthetic peptides corresponding to several domains of BGN, and tested their effects on BMP-2 functions in vitro. The results demonstrated that the leucine-rich repeats 2–3 domain (LRR2-3) of BGN significantly enhanced the BMP-2 induced Smad1/5/9 phosphorylation, osteogenic gene expression, and alkaline phosphatase activity in myogenic C2C12 cells. Furthermore, addition of LRR2-3 to osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cells accelerated in vitro mineralization without compromising the quality of the mineral and matrix. These data indicate that LRR2-3 is, at least in part, responsible for BGN’s ability to enhance BMP-2 osteogenic function, and it could be useful for bone tissue regeneration.
Migratory Whooper Swans Cygnus cygnus Transmit H5N1 Virus between China and Mongolia: Combination Evidence from Satellite Tracking and Phylogenetics Analysis
Authors: Li Shuhong , Meng Weiyue , Liu Dongping , Yang Qiqi , Chen Lixia , Dai Qiang , Ma Tian , Gao Ruyi , Ru Wendong , Li Yunfeng , Yu Pengbo , Lu Jun , Zhang Guogang , Tian Huaiyu , Chai Hongliang , Li Yanbing
Published: April 2018

In late 2014, a highly pathogenic avian influenza (hereafter HPAI) H5N1 outbreak infected whooper swans Cygnus cygnus wintering at the Sanmenxia Reservoir area, China, and raised concerns about migratory linkages between wintering and breeding grounds of whooper swans. In this study, 61 swans were satellite tracked from 2013 to 2016 to determine the spatial association of their migration routes and H5N1 outbreaks, and 3596 fecal samples were collected along the migration routes for virology testing. Swans departed the wintering grounds and migrated along the Yellow River, and flew over the Yin Mountains in China. The Brownian bridge movement model showed there was a high degree of spatiotemporal overlap between the core use area along the spring migration pathway and historical H5N1 events in China and Mongolia from 2005 to 2015. The H5N1 strain was isolated and phylogenetic analyses confirmed that the HA gene sequence generated is genetically similar to that of the epidemic strain at a previous wintering site (the Sanmenxia Reservoir area) along its flyway. Our results identified a previously unknown migratory link of whooper swans in central China with Mongolia and confirmed that the swans could carry the HPAI H5N1 virus during migration, resulting in long-distance transmission.
Egr2-independent, Klf1-mediated induction of PD-L1 in CD4+ T cells
Authors: Teruya Shuzo , Okamura Tomohisa , Komai Toshihiko , Inoue Mariko , Iwasaki Yukiko , Sumitomo Shuji , Shoda Hirofumi , Yamamoto Kazuhiko , Fujio Keishi
Published: April 2018

Programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1)-mediated induction of immune tolerance has been vigorously investigated in autoimmunity and anti-tumor immunity. However, details of the mechanism by which PD-L1 is induced in CD4+ T cells are unknown. Here, we revealed the potential function of Klf1 and Egr2-mediated induction of PD-L1 in CD4+ T cells. We focused on the molecules specifically expressed in CD4+CD25−LAG3+ regulatory T cells (LAG3+ Tregs) highly express of PD-L1 and transcription factor Egr2. Although ectopic expression of Egr2 induced PD-L1, a deficiency of Egr2 did not affect its expression, indicating the involvement of another PD-L1 induction mechanism. Comprehensive gene expression analysis of LAG3+ Tregs and in silico binding predictions revealed that Krüppel-like factor 1 (Klf1) is a candidate inducer of the PD-L1 gene (Cd274). Klf1 is a transcription factor that promotes β-globin synthesis in erythroid progenitors, and its role in immunological homeostasis is unknown. Ectopic expression of Klf1 induced PD-L1 in CD4+ T cells through activation of the PI3K-mTOR signaling pathway, independent of STATs signaling and Egr2 expression. Our findings indicate that Klf1 and Egr2 are modulators of PD-L1-mediated immune suppression in CD4+ T cells and might provide new insights into therapeutic targets for autoimmune diseases and malignancies.