bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A prospective randomized clinical trial comparing two doses of AbobotulinumtoxinA for idiopathic overactive bladder
Authors: de Sá Dantas Bezerra Danielle , de Toledo Luis Gustavo Morato , da Silva Carramão Silvia , Silva Rodrigues Antonio F. , Dmockowski Roger , Auge Antonio P. F.
Published: December 2018

Aims

To compare 300 U versus 500 U of abobotulinumtoxinA (ABO) intravesical injections for the treatment of idiopathic overactive bladder (OAB) refractory to first and second‐line treatments.

Methods

A prospective, randomized, single blind study was performed in female patients with symptoms of OAB, who had failed conservative treatment. Patients were treated with 300 or 500 U of ABO injected into 30 sites, avoiding the trigone. All treatments were evaluated by voiding diary, ICIQ‐OAB questionnaire, urodynamic test, visual analogue scale (VAS) for treatment satisfaction and patient global impression of improvement (PGI‐I). The primary outcome was change in maximum cistometric capacity (MCC). Secondary outcome included changes in urgency, complete continence, subjective success (VAS and PGI‐I), and adverse events (urinary retention, UTI, and CIC).

Results

Twenty‐one patients were included. MCC has increased from 185.0 to 270.9 mL (300 U) and from 240.8 to 311.7 mL (500 U), comparing the baseline with 12 weeks, without statistical difference between the groups (P = 0.270). At 12 weeks, 91% of patients were dry in both groups. At 24 weeks, episodes of incontinence had returned in 50% (300 U) and 0% (500 U) (P = 0.013). Patients were better or much better (PGI‐I) in70% (300 U) and 88.9% (500 U) at 12 w; and 50% (300 U) and 100% (500 U), at 24 w (P = 0.027). The peak of PVR was at 4 w, being 71.7 mL (300 U) and 96.5 mL (500 U). General UTI incidence was 35.7%. One patient (500 U) required CIC for 2 weeks.

Conclusions

Intravesical ABO injection at 500 U improves symptoms and quality of life for longer period of time than 300 U for idiopathic OAB.
Identification of MALDI Imaging Proteolytic Peptides Using LC‐MS/MS‐Based Biomarker Discovery Data: A Proof of Concept
Authors: Longuespée Rémi , Ly Alice , Casadonte Rita , Schwamborn Kristina , Kazdal Daniel , Zgorzelski Christiane , Bollwein Christine , Kriegsmann Katharina , Weichert Wilko , Kriegsmann Jörg , Schirmacher Peter , Fresnais Margaux , Oliveira Cristiano , Kriegsmann Mark
Published: December 2018

Purpose

Identification of proteolytic peptides from matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) imaging remains a challenge. The low fragmentation yields obtained using in situ post source decay impairs identification. Liquid chromatography‐tandem mass spectrometry (LC‐MS/MS) is an alternative to in situ MS/MS, but leads to multiple identification candidates for a given mass. The authors propose to use LC‐MS/MS‐based biomarker discovery results to reliably identify proteolytic peptides from MALDI imaging.

Experimental design

The authors defined m/z values of interest for high grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL) by MALDI imaging. In parallel the authors used data from a biomarker discovery study to correlate m/z from MALDI imaging with masses of peptides identified by LC‐MS/MS in HSIL. The authors neglected candidates that were not significantly more abundant in HSIL according to the biomarker discovery investigation.

Results

The authors assigned identifications to three m/z of interest. The number of possible identifiers for MALDI imaging m/z peaks using LC‐MS/MS‐based biomarker discovery studies was reduced by about tenfold compared using a single LC‐MS/MS experiment. One peptide identification candidate was validated by immunohistochemistry.

Conclusion and clinical relevance

This concept combines LC‐MS/MS‐based quantitative proteomics with MALDI imaging and allows reliable peptide identification. Public datasets from LC‐MS/MS biomarker discovery experiments will be useful to identify MALDI imaging m/z peaks.
Circumnavigation of a speedy unpredictable target by a group of speed‐ and acceleration‐limited robots
Authors: Matveev Alexey S. , Ovchinnikov Kirill S.
Published: December 2018

An unpredictably maneuvering speedy target travels in a plane, which also hosts a team of fully actuated robots whose velocities and accelerations are upper‐bounded in magnitude. The robots should approach the target and then follow it at a prespecified distance. They also should achieve an even self‐distribution around the target and a given angular velocity of rotation about the target. Every robot has access to the relative position of the target and other robots (in the latter case, within a finite “visibility” range) and to the angular speed of its own pure rotation; access to the coordinates of its own linear velocity in its own local frame is also employed in some cases. The robots are not equipped with communication facilities and cannot distinguish among one another; assignment of different roles to various robots is infeasible. Necessary conditions for the mission feasibility are first obtained. A distributed control law is then presented, and its global convergence and collision avoidance property are rigorously justified under slight enhancement of the just mentioned necessary conditions. The performance of the control law is illustrated by computer simulations.
Design, Synthesis and Molecular Docking Studies of Novel Triazole‐Chromene Conjugates as Antitubercular, Antioxidant and Antifungal Agents
Authors: Khare Smita P. , Deshmukh Tejshri R. , Sangshetti Jaiprakash N. , Krishna Vagolu S. , Sriram Dharmarajan , Khedkar Vijay M. , Shingate Bapurao B.
Published: December 2018

A green and efficient protocol has been developed for the synthesis of novel 1,2,3‐triazole‐chromene conjugates (7 a‐j) via ultrasound assisted and NaHCO3 catalyzed for the first time. Structures of all the new conjugates were deduced by various spectroscopic techniques. The newly synthesized triazole‐chromene conjugates were evaluated for their in vitro antitubercular activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) H37Rv strain. The conjugates 7 f and 7 h were found to be most active with MIC value 12.5 μg/mL. Furthermore, all the conjugates were screened for their antioxidant activity and are highly active (IC50=7.05‐14 μg/mL) than the reference drug BHT (16.47 μg/mL). The triazole‐chromene conjugates were also screened for their in vitro antifungal activity and some of the conjugates 7 a, 7 b, 7 d, 7 e, 7 f and 7 i were exhibited potent activity (MIC=6.25‐25 μg/mL) than the reference drug Miconazole. Docking studies showed significant binding affinity in the active site of Mycobacterium tuberculosis DprE1 enzyme.
Keto‐Enol Tautomerism in Nucleobase‐Substituted Aldols
Authors: Nigro Mariano J. , Iribarren Adolfo M. , Laurella Sergio L. , Lewkowicz Elizabeth S.
Published: December 2018

Acyclic nucleosides, which exhibit significant antiviral activity, are usually synthesised using traditional chemical strategies. However, the efficient and selective formation of carbon‐carbon bonds using small organic molecules as catalysts provides a promising alternative route for the sustainable synthesis of this family of compounds. Following this organocatalytic strategy, 5‐(adenyl, thyminyl and cytosyl)‐4‐hydroxy‐2‐pentanones were prepared by the pyrrolidine catalysed reaction between the 2‐oxoethyl derivative of the corresponding nucleobases and acetone. In order to investigate the keto‐enol equilibrium of these compounds in basic media, H‐D exchange studies were carried out by 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy. The obtained results suggest that the mechanism by which this exchange occurs is of first order with respect to all the substrates, but of second order with regard to pyrrolidine in the case of the cytosine and adenine derivatives and of first order for the thymine analogue. Theoretical calculations of the structures involved in this equilibrium also suggest that the stability of the different ionic intermediates depends on the pKa of the corresponding nucleobases.
Functionalization of Graphite with the Diels–Alder Reaction to Fabricate Metal‐Free Electrocatalysts for Highly Efficient Hydrogen Evolution Reaction
Authors: Abdolmaleki Amir , Mallakpour Shadpour , Mahmoudian Manzar , Kamali Saeedeh , Zhiani Mohammad , Rezaei Behzad , Jahromi Ahmad Reza Taghipour
Published: December 2018

A facile method was reported to produce a modified graphene via Diels‐Alder cycloaddition reaction with malemide and graphite precursors. Two procedures were used for the embedding of malemide functional groups on surface or edge of graphene; MI‐EGnPs (maleimide edge‐functionalized graphene nanoparticles) with the more edges functional groups and MI‐GnPs (maleimide functionalized graphene nanoparticles) with the more surface functional groups. In order to investigate the influence of functionalization on the electrochemical behavior of the modified graphene structures, the prepared materials were used as the metal‐free electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in alkaline media. MI‐ EGnPs showed a Tafel slope of −110 mV dec−1 compared to −168 mV dec−1 for MI‐GnPs. The observed difference in the electrochemical performances of the samples were interpreted due to the connection places of functional groups.
Biological Evaluation of Synthesized N‐Cinnamoyl Phenothiazine Derivatives
Authors: Selvendran Suresh , J Brindha , CS Vasavi , Munussami Punnagai , Pattusamy Nithya , Chanda Kaushik , MM Balamurali , Rajendran Saravanakumar
Published: December 2018

N‐Cinnamoyl phenothiazines were synthesized and characterized by various spectroscopic techniques including vibrational, nuclear magnetic resonance and mass spectrometry. The potential applications of these compounds as antioxidants and antibacterials were evaluated. Compound 2 with –NO2 substituted cinnamoyl moiety in the phenothiazine ring nitrogen showed better antioxidant activity (77.8 μM for hydroxyl radicals and 85.0 μM for diphenyl picrylhydrazyl radicals). A moderate antibacterial activity (202‐330 μM) was observed for all the derivatives of phenothiazine against Gram‐positive and Gram‐negative bacteria, while the parent phenothiazine did not show any inhibitory activity up to 500 μM, indicating that the observed activity could be induced by the added cinnamoyl moiety. Nucleic acid and protein binding affinities were investigated for their applications as biomolecular probes. Both experimental and computational docking studies revealed an intercalative mode of binding with nucleic acids and 1:1 binding to bovine serum albumin.
Comparative Study of 1,1‐Diphenyl‐2‐picryl‐hydrazyl Radical (DPPH•) Scavenging Capacity of the Antioxidant Xanthones Family
Authors: Li Xican
Published: December 2018

This study compares the antioxidant capacities of the xanthone family and analyzes structure‐activity relationship. Thirty xanthones with various structural features were selected as the references and their antioxidant capacities were determined using the 1,1‐diphenyl‐2‐picryl‐hydrazyl radical (DPPH•) scavenging assay. The results of the assay indicated that these xanthones could scavenge the DPPH• in a dose‐dependent manner. It was found that their Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) values varied by the presence or absence of hydroquinone (or catechol) group within the molecule. The former 15 xanthones (1‐15, TEAC=2.030‐0.568) with hydroquinone (or catechol) pattern possessed much higher TEAC values than the latter 15 xanthones (16‐30, TEAC=0.019‐0.002) without hydroquinone (or catechol) pattern. It was concluded that the presence of the hydroquinone (or catechol) group governs the antioxidant capacity of xanthone family. Other structural factors, such as isoprenylation, methylation, and glycosidation, play a minor role, unless they remove the hydroquinone (or catechol) pattern. These findings can be used to directly predict the antioxidant capacity of xanthone.
Probing the Thermodynamics of Incorporation of N6‐methyl‐dATP Opposite an Abasic Site, dCMP, and dTMP During Simulated DNA Synthesis by Differential Scanning Calorimetry
Authors: Malina Jaroslav , Brabec Viktor
Published: December 2018

Previous reports indicated that when an abasic (apurinic/apyrimidinic, AP) site is bypassed by DNA polymerases, dATP is preferentially inserted. Here we evaluate, using differential scanning calorimetry, the thermodynamic changes associated with incorporation of N6‐methyl‐dATP opposite an AP site, dCMP, and dTMP during simulated DNA polymerization. The results confirm that AP sites block DNA polymerases one nucleotide prior to the lesion. Thermodynamic data imply that the propensity of N6‐methyl‐dAMP for elongation, when incorporated opposite an AP site, is higher than that of dAMP in agreement with a higher promutagenic potential of N6‐methyl‐dATP if placed opposite a non‐instructional DNA lesion, such as an AP site.
Microwave Intensified Synthesis: Batch and Flow Chemistry
Authors: Ching Lau Chi , Kemal Bayazit Mustafa , Reardon Philip James Thomas , Tang Junwang
Published: December 2018

Many studies have been conducted on organic and inorganic synthesis by microwave heating owing to its special heating mechanism, leading to improved reaction rate, higher purity and yields. We specifically demonstrated microwave heating in the fabrication of nanoparticles and polyester. By fine‐tuning the microwave and experimental parameters, the materials prepared have shown excellent physical and bio‐properties, e. g. narrow particle size distribution, controlled morphology, varied molecular structure and so forth. We further highlight the recent procedure of using fluidic reactors on preparing both metals and metal oxides nanoparticles. The experimental design strategies and fundamentals of the microwave interaction with chemicals are presented. Furthermore, the key factors and issues facing in this area are also discussed.
PVC/PBA random copolymers obtained by SET–DTLRP: Pressure effect on glass transition, rheology, and processing
Authors: Calafel Itxaso , Fernández Mercedes , Santamaría Antxon , Boix Miquel , Conde Jose Ignacio , Pascual Belén
Published: December 2018

A study of the effect of pressure on the glass transition and viscosity of poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC)–poly(butyl acrylate) random copolymers prepared by Single Electron Transfer–Degenerative Chain Transfer Living Radical Polymerization and able to act as self‐plasticized PVCs, is presented. The research has a dual purpose, as it focuses on polymer physics, as well as on applied polymer processing. Results of dynamic mechanical thermal analysis, pressure–volume–temperature (PVT), and extrusion capillary tests were combined, to analyze the additivity of the free volume and the effect of frequency and pressure on the glass transition of the copolymers, Tg. Free volume additivity, which is on the basis of self‐plasticization, was revealed by Tg and activation energy of flow, Ea, results. dTg/dP results were linked to the number of segments involved in the glass transition temperature. Using an ad hoc model, which involves parameters obtained by PVT and the activation energy of flow, the pressure‐viscosity coefficient was determined. This allowed estimating the viscosity as a function of the shear rate, the temperature and the pressure, offering suitable data to be employed in virtual injection molding. J. VINYL ADDIT. TECHNOL., 25:76–84, 2019. © 2018 Society of Plastics Engineers
Diversity in ancient Maya water management strategies and landscapes at Caracol, Belize, and Tikal, Guatemala
Authors: Chase Adrian S. Z. , Cesaretti Rudolf
Published: December 2018

The Classic Period Maya cities of Caracol and Tikal possessed unique urban morphologies of water management. In part, the built environment at each city reflects adaptations to the hydrology of their landscapes. Caracol exists in a rugged, hilly, and karst environment; its residents invested their landesque capital in constructing agricultural terraces and residential reservoirs. These features created Caracol's anthropogenic garden‐city landscape. This landscape was unified through a dendritic causeway system and the distributed nature of monumental nodes. The landscape of Tikal exhibits a lower slope, is generally smoother, and its residents invested in constructing a large and condensed site core along with their monumental reservoirs. Additionally, the people of Tikal invested in bajo margin agriculture. The differences in urban form and hydrology conditioned the resulting water management strategies employed by both cities; the resulting built environmental features are preserved in the archeological record. Because of its higher slopes, Caracol's landscape presents a greater hazard for soil erosion and faster rainfall runoff. Yet, the construction of distributed residential reservoirs and agricultural terraces acted to collect rainfall, increase soil saturation, and reduce this runoff. Tikal's landscape on the whole presents fewer hazards in terms of soil erosion but perhaps greater issues from torrential rainfall. Water management infrastructure at both cities reflects both their unique urban morphologies and environmental conditions.

This article is categorized under:

Engineering Water > Planning Water

Science of Water > Water and Environmental Change
Thyroidectomy Then and Now: A 50‐Year Australian Perspective
Authors: Hii Belinda , Maher Dominic , Yeung Meei , Paul Eldho , Serpell Jonathan W. , Lee James C.
Published: December 2018

Background

Since the mid‐1800s, thyroidectomy has transformed from a procedure associated with high to near‐zero mortality. Nonetheless, surgeons must continue to strive to improve patient care. Using historical records and contemporary data, this study compares the practice and outcomes of thyroid surgery at a tertiary institution during two periods, 50 years apart.

Methods

‘The Alfred Hospital Clinical Reports’ recorded all cases of surgically managed thyroid disease from 1946 to 1959. These historical cases were compared to contemporary thyroidectomy cases at the Alfred Hospital from 2007 to 2016. Cases were compared for surgical indication and post‐operative outcomes.

Results

There were 746 patients in the historical group (mean age 53 years; 87% female) and 787 patients in the contemporary group (mean age 52 years; 80% female). The most common indication for thyroidectomy in both groups was non‐toxic nodular goitre. A greater proportion of the contemporary group were diagnosed with thyroid malignancy (27% vs. 8%; p < 0.001). The contemporary group recorded significantly fewer cases of thyrotoxic crisis (2.1% vs. 0%; p = 0.001), permanent nerve palsy (4.6% vs. 0.4%; p < 0.001) and bilateral nerve palsy (1.2% vs. 0%; p = 0.01). There were no mortalities in the contemporary group, while the historical data recorded three deaths (0.44%).

Conclusions

This study compared thyroid surgery in two cohorts separated by a 50‐year period. While it is not surprising that outcomes of thyroidectomy have improved, this study uniquely demonstrates trends of thyroid surgery over time and areas in which further improvements may be made.
Rawls’s Self-Defeat: A Formal Analysis
Authors: Chung Hun
Published: December 2018

One of John Rawls’s major aims, when he wroteA Theory of Justice, was to present a superior alternative to utilitarianism. Rawls’s worry was that utilitarianism may fail to protect the fundamental rights and liberties of persons in its attempt to maximize total social welfare. Rawls’s main argument against utilitarianism was that, for such reasons, the representative parties in the original position will not choose utilitarianism, but will rather choose his justice as fairness, which he believed would securely protect the worth of everybody’s basic rights and liberties. In this paper, I will argue that, under close formal examination, Rawls’s argument against utilitarianism is self-defeating. That is, I will argue that Rawls’s own reasons, assumptions, and the many theoretical devices he employs demonstrably imply that the representative parties in the original position will choose utilitarianism instead of justice as fairness.
From bedside to benchmarks: A physician-scientist workforce dashboard for biomedical research institutions
Authors: Zell Adrienne , Smith Lindsey , Yanez N. David , Guise Jeanne-Marie , Pelkey Ryan , Ellison David H.
Published: December 2018

Introduction

There is growing concern about the declining physician-scientist workforce. NIH recently provided a national dashboard describing the biomedical research workforce, but local strategies are needed.

Methods

We used curated local and national data to develop a workforce dashboard.

Results

Many trends at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) were similar to those nationally, such as the increasing percentage of Research Project Grant (RPG)-holding PhDs and the aging RPG population, but differences were also apparent. At OHSU, nearly ¾ of physician-scientist RPGs hold MD-only, compared with nationally, where nearly half are MD/PhD. OHSU also lags in the percentage of RPGs held by women physician-scientists.

Conclusions

Our analysis also permitted us to gain a more complete picture of research funding that has been done nationally. We used these data to develop a dashboard that allows our institution to develop policies to increase the numbers of physician-scientists. The data generation approaches and dashboard are likely to be useful at other institutions, as well.
A glacial refugium and zoogeographic boundary in the Slovak eastern Carpathians
Authors: Juřičková Lucie , Horáčková Jitka , Jansová Anna , Kovanda Jiří , Harčár Ján , Ložek Vojen
Published: December 2018

Although the Carpathians in Europe have often been considered a glacial refugium for temperate plants, vertebrates, and molluscs, the fossil records, the only indisputable evidence surviving glacial periods, are as yet scarce. Moreover, the distribution of fossil records is uneven, and some areas have remained unstudied. We present here three molluscan successions from such an area—the border between the western and eastern Carpathians. This area is not only a geographic border but also a border between the oceanic and continental climate in Europe, and the molluscan fauna reflects this. We found a fluctuation of this zoogeographical border during the late glacial period and the Holocene for several snail species with their easternmost or westernmost distribution situated at this border. Such a fluctuation could reflect a small-scale shifting of climate character during the Holocene. For the first time, we recorded the fossil shells of three local endemics, Carpathica calophana, Petasina bielzi, and Perforatella dibothrion. We also found a fully developed woodland snail fauna radiocarbon dated to the Bølling period. This early occurrence of canopy forest snails indicates a possible eastern Carpathian glacial refugium for them, including local endemics, and may reflect a more moderate glacial impact on local biota than expected.
Older Men’s Definitions of Frailty – The Manitoba Follow-up Study
Authors: St. John Philip D. , McClement Susan S. , Swift Audrey U. , Tate Robert B.
Published: December 2018

Introduction: Peu de recherches empiriques ont été réalisées sur les définitions non cliniques de la fragilité. Objectifs : 1. Explorer comment les hommes plus âgés définissent la fragilité, et 2. Explorer si ces définitions correspondent aux définitions cliniques de la fragilité qui sont couramment utilisées. Méthodes : Analyses des réponses à des questions ouvertes d’un sondage présenté dans le cadre d’une étude de cohorte prospective réalisée chez des hommes âgés qui avaient travaillé comme aviateurs. Les définitions de la fragilité ont été recueillies et groupées en fonction de thèmes. Résultats : 147 hommes (âge moyen : 93 ans) ont répondu au sondage. Une grande hétérogénéité a été observée dans les définitions de la fragilité recueillies chez ces participants, et aucun des thèmes de la fragilité ne pouvait être qualifié de prédominant. Les incapacités dans les activités de la vie quotidienne étaient le thème le plus fréquemment évoqué. Aucune correspondance ne pouvait être établie entre les définitions de la fragilité énoncées par les hommes âgés et les théories médicales couramment utilisées pour la fragilité. Conclusions : La plupart des hommes âgés pensent que la fragilité est un problème important, bien que leurs définitions de la fragilité diffèrent. La fragilité se manifesterait d’une manière hétérogène et affecterait différemment chaque individu.
Translation and Its Affects
Authors: Cohen William A.
Published: December 2018

Vanity Fair(1848) famously opens with a departure. As Becky Sharpe flounces off from Miss Pinkerton's academy, she takes leave of her patron by telling her “in a very unconcerned manner … and with a perfect accent, ‘Mademoiselle, je viens vous faire mes adieux.’” Miss Pinkerton, we learn, “did not understand French, she only directed those who did: but biting her lips and throwing up her venerable and Roman-nosed head … said, ‘Miss Sharp, I wish you a good morning’” (7). This performance of befuddlement on the part of a respectable schoolmistress bespeaks a whole collection of Victorian cultural norms about language competence in general and about the French language in particular. Even though the action is set in a period when Becky's speaking “French with purity and a Parisian accent … [was] rather a rare accomplishment” (11), the novel was written for a mid-nineteenth-century audience that could mainly count on middle-class young ladies to have acquired this degree of refinement—or at least to aspire to do so.
Comparison between household food purchase and individual food consumption in Brazil
Authors: de Oliveira Dayan Carvalho Ramos Salles , de Moura Souza Amanda , Levy Renata Bertazzi , Sichieri Rosely , Verly-Jr Eliseu
Published: December 2018

Objective

The present study aimed to compare Household Budget Survey (HBS) data on food purchasing and individual food consumption, collected in the same nationwide survey.

Design

Food purchase information for each household was collected by a seven-day collective acquisition diary, applied to 55 970 households. Food consumption information was obtained from household members over 10 years old by the application of two non-consecutive food records in a sub-sample of the HBS. Cooking and correction factors were applied when necessary, and all food items reported were grouped into twelve main food groups. Food purchase and consumption data were presented as absolute weight (g/person per d) and as relative contribution to energy intake (%) for the overall study population, which was stratified according to household income.

Setting

Brazil.

Participants

National estimates of food consumption and purchase for Brazil.

Results

The greatest differences between purchase and consumption data (purchase minus consumption) were observed for meat (−168 g), beans/legumes (−48 g), roots/tubers (−36 g) and fruits (−31 g). When expressed in terms of energy contribution, the highest differences were found for cereals (13 %) and oils and fats (11 %). Differences between purchase and consumption data were generally lower in the highest compared with the lowest household income quintile; and were lower for most main food groups when considering only foods reported as being eaten at home.

Conclusions

With few exceptions, food purchase expressed as relative energy contribution, as opposed to absolute weight, can provide a good picture of actual consumption in the Brazilian population.
Occurrence and possible sources of organochlorine pesticides in soils of Ningbo, East China
Authors: TANG Jianfeng , FENG Jiayong , LI Gang , LIANG Mengqi , WANG Ruijie , CAI Chao
Published: December 2018

Study of the residues of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) can assist with the assessment of the contamination level, distribution, sources, transportation and trends in these selected OCPs. We investigated the concentration levels of hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs), dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), chlordane, which is currently used, and the never-used aldrin and dieldrin in the Ningbo region – a heavily industrialised and urbanised area in East China. OCPs were found in all soil samples and were predominantly composed of HCHs, DDT and its metabolites. The concentration of DDTs in the soil ranged from 2.2 to 566.6ngg–1, with a mean value of 55.6±94.8ngg–1, while the concentration of HCHs ranged from 2.7 to 28.2ngg–1, with an average of 4.6±2.9ngg–1. Aldrin, dieldrin, endrin and heptachlor were detected at much lower concentrations. The wide distribution of these never-used OCPs indicates that they have been input via long-range atmospheric processes. The results from analysis suggest that HCHs and DDTs were mainly derived from use in historical times.
Coordinates and Maps of the Apollo 17 Landing Site
Authors: Haase Isabel , Wählisch Marita , Gläser Philipp , Oberst Jürgen , Robinson Mark S.
Published: December 2018

We carried out an extensive cartographic analysis of the Apollo 17 landing site and determined and mapped positions of the astronauts, their equipment, and lunar landmarks with accuracies of better than ±1 m in most cases. To determine coordinates in a lunar body‐fixed coordinate frame, we applied least squares (2‐D) network adjustments to angular measurements made in astronaut imagery (Hasselblad frames). The measured angular networks were accurately tied to lunar landmarks provided by a 0.5 m/pixel, controlled Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC) Narrow Angle Camera (NAC) orthomosaic of the entire Taurus‐Littrow Valley. Furthermore, by applying triangulation on measurements made in Hasselblad frames providing stereo views, we were able to relate individual instruments of the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiment Package (ALSEP) to specific features captured in LROC imagery and, also, to determine coordinates of astronaut equipment or other surface features not captured in the orbital images, for example, the deployed geophones and Explosive Packages (EPs) of the Lunar Seismic Profiling Experiment (LSPE) or the Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV) at major sampling stops. Our results were integrated into a new LROC NAC‐based Apollo 17 Traverse Map and also used to generate a series of large‐scale maps of all nine traverse stations and of the ALSEP area. In addition, we provide crater measurements, profiles of the navigated traverse paths, and improved ranges of the sources and receivers of the active seismic experiment LSPE.
Teleseismic Traveltime Tomography of Northern Sumatra
Authors: Liu Shaolin , Suardi Iman , Yang Dinghui , Wei Shengji , Tong Ping
Published: December 2018

We imaged the mantle structure beneath northern Sumatra by inverting high‐quality seismic arrival time data and using a newly developed eikonal equation‐based teleseismic tomography method. Traveltime differences between neighboring stations were reliably extracted by cross‐correlating teleseismic waveforms, which were recorded by 26 stations from January 2009 to January 2018. Both P and S wave tomographic results show the oblique subduction of the Indo‐Australian oceanic lithosphere beneath the Sunda plate. The maximum penetration depth of the subducted slab into the mantle varies roughly from 400 km in the north to 800 km in the south. The plunging fold of the subducted slab, which mimics the shape of the trench and the volcanic arc, has less curvature than that reported in the literature; additionally, our results suggest that the gentle slab fold can be traced to a depth of about 500 km. Furthermore, a slab tear may exist beneath northern Sumatra.
Earlier Seasonal Onset of Intense Mesoscale Convective Systems in the Congo Basin Since 1999
Authors: Taylor Christopher M. , Fink Andreas H. , Klein Cornelia , Parker Douglas J. , Guichard Françoise , Harris Philip P. , Knapp Kenneth R.
Published: December 2018

Mesoscale convective systems (MCSs) produce some of the most intense rainfall on the planet, and their response to climate variability and change is rather uncertain. Under global warming, increased water vapor is expected to intensify the most extreme rain events and enhance flood frequency. However, MCS dynamics are also sensitive to other atmospheric variables, most notably, wind shear. Here we build on a recent study showing strong MCS intensification in the African Sahel, and examine evidence of similar trends elsewhere in tropical Africa. Using satellite data, we find a remarkable increase post‐1999 in intense MCS frequency over the Congo Basin during the month of February. This earlier onset of the spring rainy season has been accompanied by strong increases in the February meridional temperature gradient and associated wind shear. This supports the hypothesis that contrasts in warming across the continent can drive important decadal‐scale trends in storm intensity.
Projected Freshening of the Arctic Ocean in the 21st Century
Authors: Shu Qi , Qiao Fangli , Song Zhenya , Zhao Jiechen , Li Xinfang
Published: December 2018

Using state‐of‐the‐art models from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 5 (CMIP5), this study found the upper Arctic Ocean likely to freshen considerably in the future. Arctic Ocean average sea surface salinity is projected to decrease by 1.5 ± 1.1 psu, and the liquid freshwater column is projected to increase by 5.4 ± 3.8 m by the end of the 21st century under the Representative Concentration Pathway 8.5 (RCP8.5) scenario. Most freshening would occur in the Arctic Ocean basins, that is, the Canada, Makarov, and Amundsen basins. Anomalies in freshwater flux from sea ice melt, Bering Strait inflow, net precipitation (P‐E), river runoff, and freshwater through the Barents Sea Opening (BSO) would contribute to Arctic Ocean freshening. CMIP5 historical and RCP8.5 experiments showed that the respective projected contributions from BSO freshwater flux, river runoff, P‐E, and Bering Strait inflow are about 6.4, 5.0, 2.7, and 2.2 times the contribution from sea ice melt averaged throughout the 21st century. Contributions from sea ice melt and Bering Strait inflow would increase and then decrease gradually, while those from BSO freshwater flux, river runoff, and P‐E would increase continuously. The CMIP5 models are able to simulate the Arctic Ocean freshwater system more accurately than CMIP3 models. However, the simulated rate of increase of freshwater content (296 ± 232 km3/yr) is weaker than estimated (600 ± 300 km3/yr) based on observations (1992–2012). Moreover, the simulated BSO and Davis Strait freshwater fluxes still exhibit substantial intermodel spread and they differ considerably from observed values.
Role of Lateral Terrestrial Water Flow on the Regional Water Cycle in a Complex Terrain Region: Investigation With a Fully Coupled Model System
Authors: Rummler Thomas , Arnault Joel , Gochis David , Kunstmann Harald
Published: December 2018

Recent developments in hydrometeorological modeling aim toward a more sophisticated treatment of terrestrial hydrologic processes. The objective of this study is to investigate the role of lateral terrestrial water flows on the regional atmospheric and terrestrial water cycle in a humid region of Central Europe. This is accomplished by evaluating model results from both the standard Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model and the hydrologically enhanced version WRF‐Hydro, which allows for a more comprehensive process description of the interdependencies between water and energy fluxes at the land‐atmosphere interface. To account for internal model variability, an ensemble for each model variant is generated for a 3‐month study period in the summer of 2005. The regional water cycle in the simulation domain is investigated by evaluating the ensemble results with a joint atmospheric‐terrestrial water budget analysis. We focus on six differently sized river catchments located in Southern Bavaria (Germany) and the southerly adjacent Eastern Alps, where simulation results are compared to observations of precipitation, near‐surface temperatures, and streamflow. Most prominently, WRF‐Hydro increases (near‐) surface runoff and decreases percolation, resulting in a reduced total runoff amount. Accordingly, soil moisture storage and evapotranspiration are increased. Domain‐averaged precipitation differences between WRF and WRF‐Hydro are essentially related to differences in atmospheric moisture inflow and outflow, which is the signature of internal model variability and is potentially enhanced in the WRF‐Hydro ensemble. Driven only at the boundaries of the outermost domain, the fully coupled model system shows good performance in the reproduction of observed streamflow.
Prolonged Heavy Snowfall During the Younger Dryas
Authors: Wang L. , Jiang W. Y. , Jiang D. B. , Zou Y. F. , Liu Y. Y. , Zhang E. L. , Hao Q. Z. , Zhang D. G. , Zhang D. T. , Peng Z. Y. , Xu B. , Yang X. D. , Lu H. Y.
Published: December 2018

Snowfall is an important component of Earth's climate system; however, long, continuous high‐resolution records of global snowfall are lacking because of the absence of suitable proxies. In this study, diatom record from the sediments of Yunlong Lake, in the southeastern Tibetan Plateau, was used to reconstruct snowfall during the Younger Dryas (YD). Variations in the abundance of low‐light‐tolerant diatoms and diatom flux indicate that the duration of lake ice cover during the YD was significantly longer than that during the colder Heinrich event 1; this suggests that heavy snowfall, rather than temperatures, was responsible for the greater duration of lake ice cover during the YD. Thus, we conclude that prolonged, heavy snowfall occurred in the southeastern Tibetan Plateau during the YD. In addition, this conclusion is supported by the results of a climate model simulation that also suggest that heavy snowfall occurred at high latitude in the Northern Hemisphere during the YD. We propose that the heavy snowfall intensified cooling in Northern Hemisphere by increasing the albedo and that it increased hydrological variability at low latitudes by increasing the duration of the southward migration of the Intertropical Convergence Zone and by delaying the onset of the Asian summer monsoon. The snowfall would have been a source of continuous freshwater that acted as a positive feedback and resulted in a prolonged weakened state of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation, which lasted for more than 1,000 years. Overall, our results emphasize the amplification and positive feedback function of heavy snowfall in triggering abrupt climate change.
Diagnosing Ocean Feedbacks to the BSISO: SST‐Modulated Surface Fluxes and the Moist Static Energy Budget
Authors: Gao Yingxia , Klingaman Nicholas P. , DeMott Charlotte A. , Hsu Pang‐Chi
Published: December 2018

The oceanic feedback to the atmospheric boreal summer intraseasonal oscillation (BSISO) is examined by diagnosing the sea surface temperature (SST) modification of surface fluxes and moist static energy on intraseasonal scales. SST variability affects intraseasonal surface latent heat (LH) and sensible heat (SH) fluxes, through its influence on air‐sea moisture and temperature gradients (∆q and ∆T, respectively). According to bulk formula decomposition, LH is mainly determined by wind‐driven flux perturbations, while SH is more sensitive to thermodynamic flux perturbations. SST fluctuations tend to increase the thermodynamic flux perturbations over active BSISO regions, but this is largely offset by the wind‐driven flux perturbations. Enhanced surface fluxes induced by intraseasonal SST anomalies are located ahead (north) of the convective center over both the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific, favoring BSISO northward propagation. Analysis of budgets of column‐integrated moist static energy (⟨m⟩) and its time rate of change (∂⟨m⟩/∂t) shows that SST‐modulated surface fluxes can influence the development and propagation of the BSISO, respectively. LH and SH variability induced by intraseasonal SSTs maintain 1–2% of ⟨m⟩ day−1 over the equatorial western Indian Ocean, Arabian Sea, and Bay of Bengal but damp about 1% of ⟨m⟩ day−1 over the western North Pacific. The contribution of intraseasonal SST variability to ∂⟨m⟩/∂t can reach 12–20% over active BSISO regions. These results suggest that SST variability is conducive, but perhaps not essential, for the propagation of convection during the BSISO life cycle.
A Monolayer Partitioning Scheme for Droplets of Surfactant Solutions
Authors: Malila J. , Prisle N. L.
Published: December 2018

Bulk‐surface partitioning of surface active species affects both cloud droplet activation by aerosol particles and heterogeneous atmospheric chemistry. Various approaches are given in the literature to capture this effect in atmospheric models. Here we present a simple, yet physically self‐contained, monolayer model for prediction of both composition and thickness of the surface layer of an aqueous droplet. The monolayer surface model is based on assuming a finite surface layer and mass balance of all species within the droplet. Model predictions are presented for binary and ternary aqueous surfactant model systems and compared to both experimental and model data from the literature and predictions using a common Gibbsian model approach. Deviations from Gibbsian surface thermodynamics due to volume constraints imposed by the finite monolayer lead to stronger predicted surface tension reduction at smaller droplet sizes with the monolayer model. Process dynamics of the presented monolayer model are also contrasted to other recently proposed approaches to treating surface partitioning in droplets, with different underlying assumptions.
The Development of a Space Climatology: 2. The Distribution of Power Input Into the Magnetosphere on a 3‐Hourly Timescale
Authors: Lockwood Mike , Bentley Sarah N. , Owens Mathew J. , Barnard Luke A. , Scott Chris J. , Watt Clare E. , Allanson Oliver , Freeman Mervyn P.
Published: December 2018

Paper 1 in this series (Lockwood et al., 2018a, https://doi.org/10.1029/2018SW001856) showed that the power input into the magnetosphere Pα is an ideal coupling function for predicting geomagnetic “range” indices that are strongly dependent on the substorm current wedge and that the optimum coupling exponent α is 0.44 for all averaging timescales, τ, between 1 min and 1 year. The present paper explores the implications of these results. It is shown that the form of the distribution of Pα at all averaging timescales τ is set by the interplanetary magnetic field orientation factor via the nature of solar wind‐magnetosphere coupling (due to magnetic reconnection in the dayside magnetopause) and that at τ = 3 hr (the timescale of geomagnetic range indices) the normalized Pα (divided by its annual mean, that is, τ=3hr/τ=1yr) follows a Weibull distribution with k of 1.0625 and λ of 1.0240. This applies to all years to a useful degree of accuracy. It is shown that exploiting the constancy of this distribution and using annual means to predict the full distribution gives the probability of space weather events in the largest 10% and 5% to within uncertainties of magnitude 10% and 12%, respectively, at the one sigma level.
A Stochastic Data‐Driven Ensemble Forecasting Framework for Water Resources: A Case Study Using Ensemble Members Derived From a Database of Deterministic Wavelet‐Based Models
Authors: Quilty John , Adamowski Jan , Boucher Marie‐Amélie
Published: December 2018

In water resources applications (e.g., streamflow, rainfall‐runoff, urban water demand [UWD], etc.), ensemble member selection and ensemble member weighting are two difficult yet important tasks in the development of ensemble forecasting systems. We propose and test a stochastic data‐driven ensemble forecasting framework that uses archived deterministic forecasts as input and results in probabilistic water resources forecasts. In addition to input data and (ensemble) model output uncertainty, the proposed approach integrates both ensemble member selection and weighting uncertainties, using input variable selection and data‐driven methods, respectively. Therefore, it does not require one to perform ensemble member selection and weighting separately. We applied the proposed forecasting framework to a previous real‐world case study in Montreal, Canada, to forecast daily UWD at multiple lead times. Using wavelet‐based forecasts as input data, we develop the Ensemble Wavelet‐Stochastic Data‐Driven Forecasting Framework, the first multiwavelet ensemble stochastic forecasting framework that produces probabilistic forecasts. For the considered case study, several variants of Ensemble Wavelet‐Stochastic Data‐Driven Forecasting Framework, produced using different input variable selection methods (partial correlation input selection and Edgeworth Approximations‐based conditional mutual information) and data‐driven models (multiple linear regression, extreme learning machines, and second‐order Volterra series models), are shown to outperform wavelet‐ and nonwavelet‐based benchmarks, especially during a heat wave (first time studied in the UWD forecasting literature).
Ventral striatal dopamine transporter availability is associated with lower trait motor impulsivity in healthy adults
Authors: Smith Christopher T. , San Juan M. Danica , Dang Linh C. , Katz Daniel T. , Perkins Scott F. , Burgess Leah L. , Cowan Ronald L. , Manning H. Charles , Nickels Michael L. , Claassen Daniel O. , Samanez-Larkin Gregory R. , Zald David H.
Published: December 2018

Impulsivity is a transdiagnostic feature of a range of externalizing psychiatric disorders. Preclinical work links reduced ventral striatal dopamine transporter (DAT) availability with heightened impulsivity and novelty seeking. However, there is a lack of human data investigating the relationship between DAT availability, particularly in subregions of the striatum, and the personality traits of impulsivity and novelty seeking. Here we collected PET measures of DAT availability (BPND) using the tracer 18F-FE-PE2I in 47 healthy adult subjects and examined relations between BPND in striatum, including its subregions: caudate, putamen, and ventral striatum (VS), and trait impulsivity (Barratt Impulsiveness Scale: BIS-11) and novelty seeking (Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire: TPQ-NS), controlling for age and sex. DAT BPND in each striatal subregion showed nominal negative associations with total BIS-11 but not TPQ-NS. At the subscale level, VS DAT BPND was significantly associated with BIS-11 motor impulsivity (e.g., taking actions without thinking) after correction for multiple comparisons. VS DAT BPND explained 13.2% of the variance in motor impulsivity. Our data demonstrate that DAT availability in VS is negatively related to impulsivity and suggest a particular influence of DAT regulation of dopamine signaling in VS on acting without deliberation (BIS motor impulsivity). While needing replication, these data converge with models of ventral striatal functions that emphasize its role as a key interface linking motivation to action.
Multi-inch single-crystalline perovskite membrane for high-detectivity flexible photosensors
Authors: Liu Yucheng , Zhang Yunxia , Yang Zhou , Ye Haochen , Feng Jiangshan , Xu Zhuo , Zhang Xu , Munir Rahim , Liu Jia , Zuo Ping , Li Qingxian , Hu Mingxin , Meng Lina , Wang Kang , Smilgies Detlef-M. , Zhao Guangtao , Xu Hua , Yang Zupei , Amassian Aram , Li Jiawei , Zhao Kui , Liu Shengzhong
Published: December 2018

Single crystalline perovskites exhibit high optical absorption, long carrier lifetime, large carrier mobility, low trap-state-density and high defect tolerance. Unfortunately, all single crystalline perovskites attained so far are limited to bulk single crystals and small area wafers. As such, it is impossible to design highly demanded flexible single-crystalline electronics and wearable devices including displays, touch sensing devices, transistors, etc. Herein we report a method of induced peripheral crystallization to prepare large area flexible single-crystalline membrane (SCM) of phenylethylamine lead iodide (C6H5C2H4NH3)2PbI4 with area exceeding 2500 mm2 and thinness as little as 0.6 μm. The ultrathin flexible SCM exhibits ultralow defect density, superior uniformity and long-term stability. Using the superior ultrathin membrane, a series of flexible photosensors were designed and fabricated to exhibit very high external quantum efficiency of 26530%, responsivity of 98.17 A W−1 and detectivity as much as 1.62 × 1015 cm Hz1/2 W−1 (Jones).