bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A multicentre study to predict neonatal survival according to lung‐to‐head ratio and liver herniation in fetuses with left congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH): Hidden mortality from the Latin American CDH Study Group Registry
Authors: Cruz‐Martínez Rogelio , Etchegaray Adolfo , Molina‐Giraldo Saulo , Nieto‐Castro Belen , Gil Guevara Enrique , Bustillos Joaquin , Martínez‐Rodríguez Miguel , Gámez‐Varela Alma , Saldivar‐Rodríguez Daniel , Chávez‐González Erendira , Keller Rodolfo , Russo Ricardo , Yepez‐García Eduardo , Coronel‐Cruz Fausto , Torres‐Torres Johnatan , Rojas‐Macedo Alejandro , Ibarra‐Ríos Daniel , Ordorica‐Flores Ricardo , Nieto‐Zermeño Jaime , Alcocer‐Alcocer Manuel ,   on behalf of the Latin American CDH Study Group
Published: April 2019

Objective

To evaluate natural history of fetuses congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) prenatally diagnosed in countries where termination of pregnancy is not legally allowed and to predict neonatal survival according to lung area and liver herniation.

Methods

Prospective study including antenatally diagnosed CDH cases managed expectantly during pregnancy in six tertiary Latin American centres. The contribution of the observed/expected lung‐to‐head ratio (O/E‐LHR) and liver herniation in predicting neonatal survival was assessed.

Results

From the total population of 380 CDH cases, 144 isolated fetuses were selected showing an overall survival rate of 31.9% (46/144). Survivors showed significantly higher O/E‐LHR (56.5% vs 34.9%; P < .001), lower proportion of liver herniation (34.8% vs 80.6%, P < .001), and higher gestational age at birth (37.8 vs 36.2 weeks, P < 0.01) than nonsurvivors. Fetuses with an O/E‐LHR less than 35% showed a 3.4% of survival; those with an O/E‐LHR between 35% and 45% showed 28% of survival with liver up and 50% with liver down; those with an O/E‐LHR greater than 45% showed 50% of survival rate with liver up and 76.9% with liver down.

Conclusions

Neonatal mortality in CDH is higher in Latin American countries. The category of lung hypoplasia should be classified according to the survival rates in our Latin American CDH registry
Fetal anogenital distance using ultrasound
Authors: Aydin Ezra , Holt Rosemary , Chaplin Daren , Hawkes Rebecca , Allison Carrie , Hackett Gerald , Austin Topun , Tsompanidis Alex , Gabis Lidia , Ziv Shimrit Ilana , Baron‐Cohen Simon
Published: April 2019

Objective

This study measured anogenital distance (AGD) during late second/early third trimester of pregnancy to confirm previous findings that AGD can be measured noninvasively in the fetus using ultrasound and further showed differences in reference ranges between populations.

Method

Two hundred ten singleton pregnancies were recruited at the Rosie Hospital, Cambridge, UK. A 2D ultrasound was performed between 26 and 30 weeks of pregnancy. AGD was measured from the centre of the anus to the base of the scrotum in males and to the posterior convergence of the fourchette in females.

Results

A significant difference in AGD between males and females (P < .0001) was found, replicating previous results with a significant correlation between estimated fetal weight (EFW) and AGD in males only (P = .006). A comparison of AGD using reference data from an Israeli sample (n = 118) and our UK sample (n = 208) showed a significant difference (P < .0001) in both males and females, after controlling for gestational age (GA).

Conclusion

Our results confirm that AGD measurement in utero using ultrasound is feasible. In addition, there are strong sex differences, consistent with previous suggestions that AGD is influenced by prenatal androgen exposure. AGD lengths differ between the UK and Israel; therefore, population‐specific normative values may be required for accurate clinical assessments.
Neurodevelopmental outcome following prenatal diagnosis of a short corpus callosum
Authors: Meidan Roni , Bar‐Yosef Omer , Ashkenazi Itay , Yahal Orr , Berkenstadt Michal , Hoffman Chen , Tsur Abraham , Achiron Reuven , Katorza Eldad
Published: April 2019

Objective

Data regarding the neurodevelopmental outcome of fetal short corpus callosum (CC) diagnosed according to standard reference charts is scarce. The purpose of this study was to assess whether the finding is related to neurodevelopmental delay, and to examine reclassification to normal fetal CC length using CC length/EFW ratio.

Method

Historical prospective cohort study including pregnant women who were referred for fetal neurosonogram due to abnormal CC. Short CC was defined below the 5th percentile according to reference charts. Twenty cases were included in the study group and compared with a control group of 59 normal cases. The patients in the study group were divided into two groups according to CC length/EFW ratio. Children's neurodevelopment was assessed using the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale (VABS).

Results

VABS scores were within normal range in 90% of the cases. There was no significant statistical difference between the study group and the control group. In addition, there was no statistically significant difference between fetuses reclassified as normal callosal length according to CC length/EFW ratio in comparison to the control group.

Conclusion

The neurodevelopmental outcome of fetuses with diagnosed short CC did not differ from the neurodevelopment of normal fetuses in the control group.
Understanding the effects of backbone chemistry and anion type on the structure and thermal behaviors of imidazolium polyimide‐ionenes
Authors: O'Harra Kathryn E , Kammakakam Irshad , Bara Jason E , Jackson Enrique M
Published: April 2019

Advancements in the performance and properties of ionenes can be achieved via rational molecular design strategies which combine structural elements of ionic liquids (ILs) and high‐performance polymers. The use of imidazole‐amine molecules with asymmetric reactivity has enabled the synthesis of new bis(imidazole) diimide monomers which are then polymerized via the Menshutkin reaction, followed by anion exchange to various molecular species well known in the IL literature. In this work, three types of imidazolium polyimide‐ionene backbones were synthesized starting from 1‐(3‐aminopropyl)imidazole and pyromellitic dianhydride (PMDA) or 4,4′‐(hexafluoroisopropylidene)diphthalic anhydride (6FDA) or from 1‐(4‐aminophenyl)imidazole and 6FDA, with these monomers then reacted with para‐dichloroxylene. The Cl− anions on the resultant ionenes were then exchanged with one of six molecular anions yielding a total of 18 distinct polymer compositions. The functional groups present within the cationic backbone as well as the anion type were observed to strongly influence both the thermal and organizational properties of these new ionenes. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry
Electrospun microporous gelatin–polycaprolactone blend tubular scaffold as a potential vascular biomaterial
Authors: Joy Jincy , Pereira Jessica , Aid‐Launais Rachida , Pavon‐Djavid Graciela , Ray Alok R , Letourneur Didier , Meddahi‐Pellé Anne , Gupta Bhuvanesh
Published: April 2019

The work reported involved the fabrication of an electrospun tubular conduit of a gelatin and polycaprolactone (PCL) blend as an adventitia‐equivalent construct. Gelatin was included as the matrix for increased biocompatibility with the addition of PCL for durability. This is contrary to most of the literature available for biomaterials based on blends of gelatin and PCL where PCL is the major matrix. The work includes the assiduous selection of key electrospinning parameters to obtain smooth bead‐free fibres with a narrow distribution of pore size and fibre diameter. Few reports elucidate the optimization of all electrospinning parameters to fabricate tubular conduits with a focus on obtaining homogeneous pores and fibres. This stepwise investigation would be unique for the fabrication of gelatin–PCL electrospun tubular constructs. The fabricated microfibrous gelatin–PCL constructs had pores of size ca 50–100 μm reportedly conducive for cell infiltration. The measured value of surface roughness of 57.99 ± 17.4 nm is reported to be favourable for protein adhesion and cell adhesion. The elastic modulus was observed to be similar to that of the tunica adventitia of the native artery. Preliminary in vitro and in vivo biocompatibility tests suggest safe applicability as a biomaterial. Minimal cytotoxicity was observed using MTT assay. Subcutaneous implantation of the scaffold demonstrated acute inflammation which decreased by day 15. The findings of this study could enable the fabrication of smooth bead‐free microfibrous gelatin–PCL tubular construct as viable biomaterial which can be included in a bilayer or a trilayer scaffold for vascular tissue engineering. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry
Improved Methodology for Sensitive and Rapid Quantitative Proteomic Analysis of Adult‐Derived Mouse Microglia: Application to a Novel In Vitro Mouse Microglial Cell Model
Authors: Guergues Jennifer , Zhang Ping , Liu Bin , Stevens Stanley M.
Published: April 2019

Microglia, as the resident brain immune cells, can exhibit a broad range of activation phenotypes, which have been implicated in a multitude of central nervous system disorders. Current widely studied microglial cell lines are mainly derived from neonatal rodent brain that can limit their relevance to homeostatic function and disease‐related neuroimmune responses in the adult brain. Recently, an adult mouse brain‐derived microglial cell line has been established; however, a comprehensive proteome dataset remains lacking. Here, an optimization method for sensitive and rapid quantitative proteomic analysis of microglia is described that involves suspension trapping (S‐Trap) for efficient and reproducible protein extraction from a limited number of microglial cells expected from an adult mouse brain (≈300 000). Using a 2‐h gradient on a 75‐cm UPLC column with a modified data dependent acquisition method on a hybrid quadrupole‐Orbitrap mass spectrometer, 4855 total proteins have been identified where 4698 of which are quantifiable by label‐free quantitation with a median and average coefficient of variation (CV) of 6.7% and 10.6%, respectively. This dataset highlights the high depth of proteome coverage and related quantitation precision of the adult‐derived microglial proteome including proteins associated with several key pathways related to immune response. Data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD012006.
Effects of reallocating sedentary time with physical activity on quality of life indicators in breast cancer survivors
Authors: Welch Whitney A. , Ehlers Diane , Gavin Kara L. , Aguinaga Susan , Cottrell Alison , Nielsen Anne , Solk Payton , McAuley Edward , Phillips Siobhan M.
Published: April 2019

Objectives

Physical activity is associated with better quality of life (QOL) among breast cancer survivors. However, it is unknown the extent to which time spent sedentary or replacing this time with active behaviors may affect QOL. Our aim was to determine the effect of substituting time between sedentary and active behaviors on QOL indicators in breast cancer survivors.

Methods

An isotemporal substitution approach was used to examine the associations of reallocating time to sedentary and active behaviors measured by accelerometry with Functional Assessment of Cancer Treatment—Breast (FACT‐B; total, physical, social, emotional, functional well‐being, and breast cancer–specific concerns) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) scores in a pooled analysis of breast cancer survivors (n = 753; Mage = 56.9 ± 9.5 y) from two observational studies.

Results

Reallocating 30 minutes of sedentary time to 30 minutes of moderate‐to‐vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA) was associated with improved FACT‐B total (B = 3.0; 95% CI, 0.6‐4.5), physical well‐being (B = 0.8; 95% CI, 0.33‐1.2), and functional well‐being (B = 0.6; 95% CI, 0.03‐1.2) scores. Reallocating 30 minutes of light activity to 30 minutes of MVPA was associated with improved FACT‐B total (B = 2.4; 95% CI, 0.3‐6.0) and physical well‐being (B = 0.72; 95% CI, 0.27‐1.2) scores. There was no significant substitution of time effects on HADS scores.

Conclusions

Substituting sedentary time with MVPA showed the greatest range of effects across QOL indicators. These results can inform intervention development interventions and more comprehensive activity recommendations for breast cancer survivors.
Cognitive Behavioral Stress Management intervention in Mexican colorectal cancer patients: Pilot study
Authors: Acevedo‐Ibarra Jessica Noemí , Juárez‐García Dehisy Marisol , Espinoza‐Velazco Absalón , Buenaventura‐Cisneros Sergio
Published: April 2019

Objective

Determine the feasibility and the preliminary effects of brief cognitive behavioral stress management (CBSM) intervention, compared with psychoeducation (PE) group in posttraumatic stress, distress, optimism, and quality of life in patients with colorectal cancer.

Methods

Ninety‐four patients were randomized: 40 in CBSM intervention and 54 in PE. They answered psychological questionnaires before and after the intervention and 3 months later for follow‐up.

Results

Of the included participants, 23.40% (22) completed the sessions (11 in each group). A significant effect was obtained in the variable of optimism F2,28 = 4.0, P = 0.03, ƞ2p = 0.22 and a significant interaction effect between the groups in the avoidance behavior F2,28 = 6.0, P = 0.01, ƞ2p = 0.30 and hyperactivation F2,30 = 3.91, P = 0.03, ƞ2p = 0.20, with a large effect size in both. A significant interaction effect was found in the quality of life symptoms subscale for patients with colorectal cancer with a stoma F3,20 = 21.8, P = 0.00, ƞ2p = 0.68.

Conclusions

The CBSM intervention and PE are feasible therapies, albeit with some modifications. Preliminary effects are observed in the dimensions of posttraumatic stress and symptoms of quality of life.
Reversible control of enzyme‐inhibitor interactions with light illumination using a photoresponsive surfactant
Authors: Mirarefi Panteha , Ted Lee C.
Published: April 2019

The effects of a photoresponsive surfactant and light illumination on the complex formed between ribonuclease A (RNase A) and a protein ribonuclease inhibitor (RI) have been investigated to develop a light‐based technique to reactivate an enzyme through surfactant‐induced dissociation of the enzyme‐inhibitor complex. The photoresponsive surfactant undergoes a photoisomerization from the relatively hydrophobic trans isomer under visible light to the relatively hydrophilic cis isomer upon UV illumination, providing a means to reversibly control protein‐inhibitor interactions. In the absence of surfactant, RI binds tightly to RNase A through noncovalent interactions, which inhibits the enzyme activity. Upon addition of the surfactant under visible light, RNase A is reactivated, regaining ~75% of the native activity in the absence of RI. In the presence of the surfactant under UV light, however, the enzyme remains inhibited. Fluorescence spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering, and circular dichroism spectroscopy reveal that RI dramatically unfolds upon addition of the trans form of the surfactant, while RNase A does not undergo noticeable structural changes under the same conditions. This indicates that RNase A reactivation occurs through dissociation of the enzyme‐inhibitor complex arising from surfactant‐induced unfolding of the inhibitor. As a result, photoresponsive surfactant and light illumination can be used as a novel light‐based technique to dissociate enzyme‐inhibitor complexes and, thus, reactivate an inhibited enzyme.
A Ti(III) reduction method for one‐step conversion of seawater and freshwater nitrate into N2O for stable isotopic analysis of 15N/14N, 18O/16O and 17O/16O
Authors: Altabet Mark A. , Wassenaar Leonard I. , Douence Cedric , Roy Rupsa
Published: April 2019

Rationale

The nitrogen and oxygen (δ15N, δ18O, and δ17O values) isotopic compositions of nitrate (NO3−) are crucial tracers of nutrient nitrogen (N) sources and dynamics in aquatic systems. Current methods such as bacterial denitrification or Cd‐azide reduction require laborious multi‐step conversions or toxic chemicals to reduce NO3− to N2O for 15N and 18O isotopic analyses by isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS). Furthermore, the 17O composition of N2O cannot be directly disentangled using IRMS because 17O contributes to mass 45 (15N).

Methods

We describe a new one‐step chemical conversion method that employs Ti(III) chloride to reduce nitrate to N2O gas in septum sample vials. Sample preparation takes only a few minutes followed by a 24‐h reaction producing N2O gas (65–75% recovery) which partitions into the headspace. The N2O headspace was measured for 15N, 18O and 17O by IRMS or laser spectrometry.

Results

IRMS and laser spectrometric analyses gave accurate and reproducible N and O isotopic results down to 50 ppb (3.5 μM) NO3‐N, similar in precision to the denitrifier and Cd‐azide methods. The uncertainties for dissolved nitrate reference materials (USGS32, USGS34, USGS35, IAEA‐NO3) were ±0.2‰ for δ15N values and ±0.3‰ for δ18O values using IRMS. For laser‐based N2O isotope analyses the results were similar, with an δ17O uncertainty of ±0.9‰ without any need for 15N correction.

Conclusions

Advantages of the Ti(III) reduction method are simplicity, low cost, and no requirement for toxic chemicals or anaerobic bacterial cultures. Minor corrections may be required to account for sample nitrate concentration variance and potential chemical interferences. The Ti(III) method is easily implemented into laboratories currently using N2O headspace sampling apparatus. We expect that the Ti(III) method will promulgate the use of N and O isotopes of nitrate in important studies of nutrient dynamics and pollution in a wide range of aquatic ecosystems.
Remote sensing of three‐dimensional coral reef structure enhances predictive modeling of fish assemblages
Authors: Wedding Lisa M. , Jorgensen Stacy , Lepczyk Christopher A. , Friedlander Alan M.
Published: April 2019

LiDAR (light detection and ranging) allows for the quantification of three‐dimensional seascape structure, which is an important driver of coral reef communities. We hypothesized that three‐dimensional LiDAR‐derived covariables support more robust models of coral reef fish assemblages, compared to models using 2D environmental co variables. Predictive models of coral reef fish density, diversity, and biomass were developed using linear mixed effect models. We found that models containing combined 2D and 3D covariables outperformed models with only 3D covariables, followed by models containing only 2D covariables. Areas with greater three‐dimensional structure provide fish more refuge from predation and are crucial to identifying priority management locations that can potentially enhance reef resilience and recovery. Two‐dimensional seascape metrics alone do not adequately capture the elements of the seascape that drive reef fish assemblage characteristics, and the application of LiDAR data in this work serves to advance seascape ecology theory and practice in the third dimension.
Reestablishment of Protium cordatum (Burseraceae) based on integrative taxonomy
Authors: Damasco Gabriel , Daly Douglas C. , Vicentini Alberto , Fine Paul V.A.
Published: April 2019

Species delimitation remains a challenge worldwide, but especially in biodiversity hotspots such as the Amazon. Here, we use an integrative taxonomic approach that combines data from morphology, phylogenomics, and leaf spectroscopy to clarify the species limits within the Protium heptaphyllum species complex, which includes subsp. cordatum, subsp. heptaphyllum, and subsp. ulei. Molecular phylogeny indicates that populations of subsp. cordatum do not belong to the P. heptaphyllum clade, while morphology and near‐infrared spectroscopy data provide additional support for the recognition of a separate taxon. Protium cordatum (Burseraceae) is reinstated at species rank and described in detail. As circumscribed here, P. cordatum is endemic to white‐sand savannas located in the Faro and Tucuruí Districts, Pará State, Brazil, whereas P. heptaphyllum is a dominant and widespread plant lineage found in Amazonia, the Cerrado, and the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. We present an identification key to P. cordatum and closely related lineages and a detailed taxonomic description of P. cordatum, including habitat and distribution, a list and images of diagnostic features. This study demonstrates the importance of using multiple tools to characterize and distinguish plant species in highly diverse tropical regions.
Integrable asymmetric λ-deformations
Authors: Driezen Sibylle , Sevrin Alexander , Thompson Daniel C.
Published: April 2019

Abstract

We construct integrable deformations of the λ-type for asymmetrically gauged WZW models. This is achieved by a modification of the Sfetsos gauging procedure to account for a possible automorphism that is allowed in G/G models. We verify classical integrability, derive the one-loop beta function for the deformation parameter and give the construction of integrable D-brane configurations in these models. As an application, we detail the case of the λ-deformation of the cigar geometry corresponding to the axial gauged SL(2, R)/U(1) theory at large k. Here we also exhibit a range of both A-type and B-type integrability preserving D-brane configurations.
CRISPR/Cas9-mediated engineering of Escherichia coli for n-butanol production from xylose in defined medium
Authors: Abdelaal Ali Samy , Jawed Kamran , Yazdani Syed Shams
Published: April 2019

Butanol production from agricultural residues is the most promising alternative for fossil fuels. To reach the economic viability of biobutanol production, both glucose and xylose should be utilized and converted into butanol. Here, we engineered a dual-operon-based synthetic pathway in the genome of E. coli MG1655 to produce n-butanol using CRISPR/Cas9 technology. Further deletion of competing pathway followed by fed-batch cultivation of the engineered strain in a bioreactor with glucose-containing complex medium yielded 5.4 g/L n-butanol along with pyruvate as major co-product, indicating a redox imbalance. To ferment xylose into butanol in redox-balanced manner, we selected SSK42, an ethanologenic E. coli strain engineered and evolved in our laboratory to produce ethanol from xylose, for integrating synthetic butanol cassette in its genome via CRISPR/Cas9 after deleting the gene responsible for endogenous ethanol production. The engineered plasmid- and marker-free strain, ASA02, produced 4.32 g/L butanol in fed-batch fermentation in completely defined AM1–xylose medium.
Blue-collar workplace communicative practices: a case study in construction sites in Qatar
Authors: Theodoropoulou Irene
Published: April 2019

The aim of this paper is to contribute to the understanding of the role of language in multilingual blue-collar workplaces by investigating how communication is realized in construction sites in Qatar. The State of Qatar offers a unique and, hence, very interesting setting for the linguistic investigation of migration-related issues, such as multilingualism (Pietikäinen et al. in Sociolinguistics from the periphery: small languages in new circumstances, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2016), due to the fact that over 90% of its population consists of non-citizens (Ahmad, in: Kamrava, Babar (eds) Migrant labor in the Persian Gulf, Hurst & Company, London, pp 21–40, 2015). In addition, after its successful bid to host the World Cup 2022, the country is currently witnessing a rapid transformation of its landscape evident through its massive number of construction sites, where people of different national, ethnic and social class backgrounds from all over the world are hired to work together in developing the infrastructure that is part of the ambitious Qatar Vision 2030. Against this backdrop, the focus is on the sociolinguistic resources (Blommaert in The sociolinguistics of globalization, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2010) mobilized in a construction site at a university in Qatar. The multilingual community of practice (Lave and Wenger in Situated learning: legitimate peripheral participation, Cambridge University Press, New York, 1991) investigated consists of blue-collar workers from India and their communication practices with their supervisors, who are project site engineers from all over the world. In such transnational fields, where effective communication is a sine qua non not only for the successful completion of the project or infrastructure itself but also, and perhaps most importantly, for the safety of everybody involved in the construction, multilingualism is the norm. It is argued that communication is realized through spatial repertoires (Canagarajah, in: Canagarajah (ed) The Routledge handbook of migration and language, Routledge, New York, pp 1–28, 2017), that are constructed and used as ingroup markers to facilitate communication among people from different nationalities, ethnicities and social classes. The ethnographic data, collected for almost 13 months, comprise voice-recorded interactions, field notes from on-site participant observation as well as ethnographic interviews with select blue-collar workers and their supervisors. The linguistic and exolinguistic analysis is contextualized in the broader socio-political and economic forces of Qatar (Fromherz in Qatar. A modern history, Georgetown University Press, Washington, 2012; Kamrava in Qatar: small state, big politics, Cornell University Press, Ithaca, 2015; chapters in Kamrava and Babar in Migrant labor in the Persian Gulf, Hurst & Company, London, 2015).
The effects of ‘preferedness of task’ on stress, emotion, and behaviour responses to forced activity transitions in boys with ASD
Authors: Bitsika Vicki , Sharpley Christopher F.
Published: April 2019

Background

Many children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) exhibit distress when asked to transition from one task to another. This study aimed to determine if physiological stress during transition was due to ASD‐related rigidity or to their preference for some tasks over others.

Method

The effects of change of task alone versus a change in task ‘preferedness’ when undergoing forced activity transition were investigated in 29 boys with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Results

Total sample data indicated a significant increase in heart rate (HR) during transition from a preferred to a non‐preferred task, but not during transition from one preferred task to another preferred task, or from a non‐preferred task to a preferred task. These data are suggestive of an effect due to the ‘preferedness’ of the task rather than just the change in task alone. Two subgroups of participants emerged, one which followed the ‘expected’ HR responsivity model to stress, and one which failed to follow that model.

Conclusion

Transition‐related distress may be confounded by preferredness of task when understanding transition stress in boys with ASD.
Gravity and Magnetic Modeling of Central Italy: Insights Into the Depth Extent of the Seismogenic Layer
Authors: Mancinelli P. , Porreca M. , Pauselli C. , Minelli G. , Barchi M.R. , Speranza F.
Published: April 2019

The recent 2016–2017 seismic sequence in Central Italy has prompted the investigation of several geological and geophysical data in order to derive more accurate subsurface geological models. We present the results of combined gravity and magnetic modeling performed along three sections crossing the area of the seismic sequence in order to evaluate the geological parameters controlling or affecting the thickness of the seismogenic layer of this part of the Apennines. The models are constructed using all the available geological and petrophysical constraints derived from previous studies. Resulting models are consistent with the top of the basement located at 8‐ to 12‐km depth and contribute to the geological and geophysical understanding of the area investigating the role of the basement in the seismic events. The basement, involved in Miocene thrusting, formed the base of seismicity for the recent seismic sequence in the area. Moreover, the models provide information about the nature and composition of the basement and lower crust. Finally, these findings contribute in the investigation of the mechanisms controlling the thickness of the seismogenic layer in extensional postorogenic scenarios.
ArcCRUST: Arctic Crustal Thickness From 3‐D Gravity Inversion
Authors: Lebedeva‐Ivanova Nina , Gaina Carmen , Minakov Alexander , Kashubin Sergey
Published: April 2019

The ArcCRUST model consists of crustal thickness and estimated crustal thinning factors grids for the High Arctic and Circum‐Arctic regions (north of 67°N). This model is derived by using 3‐D forward and inverse gravity modeling. Updated sedimentary thickness grid, an oceanic lithosphere age model together with inferred microcontinent rifting ages, variable crystalline crust and sediment densities, and dynamic topography models constrain this inversion. We use published high‐quality 2‐D seismic crustal‐scale models to create a database of Depths to Seismic Moho (DSM) profiles. To check the quality of the ArcCRUST model, we have performed a statistical analysis of misfits between the ArcCRUST Moho depths and DSM values. Systematic analysis of the misfits within the Arctic sedimentary basins provides information about tectonic processes unaccounted by the assumed model of pure‐shear lithospheric extension. In particular, our model implies a less dense and/or thin mantle lithosphere underneath microcontinents in the deep Arctic Ocean where the ArcCRUST depth to Moho values exceed the DSM. A systematically larger gravity‐derived crustal thickness (~3 km) under the western and northern Greenland Sea points to a hotter upper mantle implied by the seismic tomography models in the North Atlantic.
Spatiotemporal Controls on Observed Daytime Ozone Deposition Velocity Over Northeastern U.S. Forests During Summer
Authors: Clifton O. E. , Fiore A. M. , Munger J. W. , Wehr R.
Published: April 2019

Spatiotemporal variability in ozone dry deposition is often overlooked despite its implications for interpreting and modeling tropospheric ozone concentrations accurately. Understanding the influences of stomatal versus nonstomatal deposition processes on ozone deposition velocity is important for attributing observed changes in the ozone depositional sink and associated damage to ecosystems. Here, we aim to identify the stomatal versus nonstomatal deposition processes driving observed variability in ozone deposition velocity over the northeastern United States during June–September. We use ozone eddy covariance measurements from Harvard Forest in Massachusetts, which span a decade, and from Kane Experimental Forest in Pennsylvania and Sand Flats State Forest in New York, which span one growing season each, along with observation‐driven modeling. Using a cumulative precipitation indicator of soil wetness, we infer that high soil uptake during dry years and low soil uptake during wet years may contribute to the twofold interannual variability in ozone deposition velocity at Harvard Forest. We link stomatal deposition and humidity to variability in ozone deposition velocity on daily timescales. The humidity dependence may reflect higher uptake by leaf cuticles under humid conditions, noted in previous work. Previous work also suggests that uptake by leaf cuticles may be enhanced after rain, but we find that increases in ozone deposition velocity on rainy days are instead mostly associated with increases in stomatal conductance. Our analysis highlights a need for constraints on subseasonal variability in ozone dry deposition to soil and fast in‐canopy chemistry during ecosystem stress.
Synoptic‐Scale Precursors of Extreme U.K. Summer 3‐Hourly Rainfall
Authors: Champion Adrian J. , Blenkinsop Stephen , Li Xiao‐Feng , Fowler Hayley J.
Published: April 2019

The synoptic‐scale meteorological conditions leading up to the 30 most extreme subdaily summer rain events for two regions of the United Kingdom (northwest and southeast) were examined for the period 1979–2013. Using a recently available, quality controlled, national hourly rain gauge data set, we were able to identify extreme 3‐hr rainfall accumulations that may be indicative of flash flooding. Composites of the state of the atmosphere leading up to these dates were produced to investigate synoptic‐scale processes, thus potentially allowing for them to be identified in coarse resolution reanalyses and in climate models. The results show that the two regions have different dominant synoptic‐scale conditions leading to extreme 3‐hr rainfall, which is thought to be related to the type of rainfall typically experienced in each region. In particular, positive anomalies in mean sea level pressure and the geopotential height at 200 hPa over the United Kingdom are associated with extreme rainfall in the northwest, where the position of the westerly jet is also important. For the southeast, no clear anomalous synoptic‐scale conditions could be identified; however, localized moisture sources and unstable air masses were observed in association with extremes. These results indicate the importance of better understanding of both synoptic‐scale and thermodynamic drivers of short‐duration extreme rainfall, with potential implications in forecasting and flood warning, as well as for understanding the representation of key processes by regional climate models.
Impact of Anthropogenic Emission Injection Height Uncertainty on Global Sulfur Dioxide and Aerosol Distribution
Authors: Yang Yang , Smith Steven J. , Wang Hailong , Lou Sijia , Rasch Philip J.
Published: April 2019

Anthropogenic sulfur compounds play an important role in acid deposition, aerosol particle formation, and subsequent radiative forcing and human fine particulate exposure. There are substantial uncertainties in processes influencing sulfate and precursor distributions, however, that have not yet been resolved through comparisons with observations. We find here an underappreciated factor that has a large impact on model results: uncertain emission height. Global aerosol‐climate model simulations indicate that the assumed effective anthropogenic emission height is very important to SO2 near‐surface concentrations and vertical profile. The global range of near‐surface SO2 concentration over land (ocean) due to uncertainty in industrial (international shipping) emission injection height is 81% (76%), relative to the average concentration. This sensitivity is much larger than the uncertainty of SO2 emission rates. Black carbon and primary organic matter concentration and profiles are also sensitive to emission heights (53% over land and 28% over oceans). The impact of emission height uncertainty is larger in winter for land‐based emissions, but larger in summer over the Northern Hemisphere ocean for shipping emissions. The variation in aerosol optical depth related to shipping emission injection heights is 11% over oceans, revealing the potential importance of injection height on aerosol forcing and climatic effects. The large impact on SO2 concentrations can confound attempts to use surface, aircraft, and satellite observations to constrain the importance of other processes that govern sulfur compound distributions in the atmosphere. The influence of emission height on vertical SO2 column also will impact the accuracy of satellite retrievals.
How Yellowing Seas Will Affect Ocean Temperatures
Authors: Underwood Emily
Published: April 2019

Materials that trap solar heat at the sea surface could cause more extreme temperatures.
Measuring Explosive Events on Earth from the Ionosphere
Authors: Huang Cheryl , Helmboldt Joseph , Park Jihye , Pedersen Todd , Willeman Raymond
Published: April 2019

Natural and manmade explosive events occurring on or below the Earth’s surface can be measured remotely in different ways and different places from the ionosphere.
Reassessing California’s Overdue Earthquake Tab
Authors: Morton Mary
Published: April 2019

Paleoseismic records show that the current 100-year hiatus since the last major event on the San Andreas, San Jacinto, and Hayward Faults is unprecedented in recent geologic history.
New Constraints on the Thermal Conductivity of the Upper Mantle From Numerical Models of Radiation Transport
Authors: Grose Christopher J. , Afonso Juan C.
Published: April 2019

To address uncertainties in the values and mathematical form of the radiative thermal conductivity krad in the mantle, we developed new models for the transport, scattering, and absorption of thermal radiation in semitransparent multiphase polycrystalline assemblages. We show that the Rosseland diffusion equation correctly describes the diffusion of thermal radiation and infer the form of the effective spectral coefficients through numerical experimentation. We show that the scattering coefficient depends on the grain size and on interphase contact statistics in complicated ways, but that simplifications can be employed in practice. The effective opacity of a composite random material is a harmonically weighted mixture in the limit of infinitely large grain size and an arithmetically weighted mixture in the limit of infinitesimal grain size. Using existing absorption spectra for major upper mantle minerals, we estimate krad as a function of temperature, grain size, and petrology. In mantle assemblages, the scattering effect is important for small grain sizes (<1 mm), but the grain size effect on the effective opacity of a multiphase medium is important for grain sizes up to 10 cm. We calculate that upper mantle krad is about 2–3.5 W·m−1·K−1 for a representative mean grain size range of 0.01 to 1 cm. This translates to a total thermal conductivity of 5.5–7 W·m−1·K−1. Application of our model to the cooling of oceanic lithosphere shows that krad increases net cooling by about 25%.
Greening chemistry and ecotoxicology towards sustainable environmental quality
Authors: Brooks Bryan W.
Published: April 2019

Pursuit of sustainable environmental quality is a noble goal, but global megatrends, highlighted by concentration of chemical use in cities faster than implementation of waste management systems, present emerging risks to public health and the environment.
High-speed scanning ion conductance microscopy for sub-second topography imaging of live cells
Authors: Simeonov Stefan , Schäffer Tilman E.
Published: April 2019

High-speed scanning ion conductance microscopy (HS-SICM) reveals ultra-fast morphodynamics of live cells at a rate of 0.6 s per frame.
Recent progress in nanomaterials for nucleic acid delivery in cancer immunotherapy
Authors: Mei Yeling , Wang Ruibo , Jiang Wei , Bo Yang , Zhang Tengfei , Yu Junlin , Cheng Ming , Wu Yunzi , Cheng Jianjun , Ma Wang
Published: April 2019

The recent progress in nanomaterial mediated delivery of siRNA for cancer immunotherapy.
Potential blockade of the human voltage-dependent anion channel by MoS2 nanoflakes
Authors: Gu Zonglin , Song Wei , Liu Shengtang , Li Baoyu , Plant Leigh D. , Meng Xuan-Yu
Published: April 2019

Blockade of the human voltage-dependent anion channel by MoS2 nanoflakes reveals the potential toxicity of MoS2 nanomaterials.
Structural interpretation of the 31P NMR chemical shifts in thiophosphate and phosphate: key effects due to spin–orbit and explicit solvent
Authors: Fukal J. , Páv O. , Buděšínský M. , Rosenberg I. , Šebera J. , Sychrovský V.
Published: April 2019

Structural interpretation of the 31P NMR shifts measured in different molecules including thiophosphate or phosphate group was obtained by means of theoretical calculations including the effects of geometry, molecular dynamics, solvent, relativistic effects and the effect of NMR reference.
CsPbI2.69Br0.31 solar cells from low-temperature fabrication
Authors: Wang Shizhe , Hua Yong , Wang Mingkui , Liu Fangyang , Ding Liming
Published: April 2019

By adding hydrobromic acid (HBr) into the precursor solution, a cubic-phase cesium lead iodide perovskite film was made at a low annealing temperature of 60 °C.
Classification of MAOX phases and semiconductor screening for next-generation energy conversion ceramic materials
Authors: Wang Zhenyu , Chen Xin , Niu Chunming
Published: April 2019

With remarkable SLMEs and tunable electronic properties, MAOX phase materials find potential applications in photovoltaics and open the path for material screening.
Substrate resistivity influence on silicon–germanium phototransistor performance
Authors: Tegegne Z.G. , Nanni J. , Viana C. , Tartarini G. , Polleux J.‐L.
Published: April 2019

This Letter presents the impact of silicon substrate resistivity on SiGe phototransistors. SiGe phototransistors were fabricated on the commercially available SiGe/Si bipolar technology. The performances of the phototransistors fabricated based on low‐ and the high‐resistive silicon substrate are compared. The phototransistor based on low‐resistivity (LR) silicon substrate provides a responsivity of more than double compared to the phototransistor based on a high‐resistivity silicon substrate that is fabricated by using the same bipolar transistor technology. The phototransistor fabricated on LR substrate exhibits low‐frequency responsivity up to 1.35 A/W (at 50 MHz).
Measurement of the rotational sense and velocity of an object using OAM wave in the radio‐frequency band
Authors: Brousseau C. , Mahdjoubi K. , Emile O.
Published: April 2019

A method is presented to improve the determination of the rotational velocity of an on‐axis spinning object. It uses the Orbital Angular Momentum (OAM) of an electromagnetic wave at 2.47 GHz, and measures the rotational Doppler frequency shift of a reflected wave. From this shift, the rotational velocity and the direction of rotation can be directly estimated with very good accuracy.
Complexity analysis of FDE receivers for massive MIMO block transmission systems
Authors: Pereira Andreia , Bento Pedro , Gomes Marco , Dinis Rui , Silva Vitor
Published: April 2019

This study considers massive multiple‐input multiple‐output (m‐MIMO) schemes employing orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) or single‐carrier with frequency‐domain equalisation (SC‐FDE) modulation, concerning an uplink transmission. The authors study the performance and complexity for both conventional zero forcing (ZF) and minimum mean squared error (MMSE) (which require the inversion of channel matrix) and iterative frequency domain equalisation receivers based on equal gain combining (EGC) and maximum ratio combining (MRC) concepts, that do not require matrix inversions. It is shown that, although matrix inversions are generally the more complex operations for relatively balanced systems (i.e. with similar number of transmit and receive antennas), this is not generally true for systems where the channel matrix is ‘very tall’ (i.e. much more receive than transmit antennas), at least in terms of the number of multiplications and sums. This means that the advantage on a reduced complexity of MRC/EGC‐based equalisers with respect to ZF/MMSE is, in fact, limited. However, the performance advantages combined with the possibility of parallel receiver implementations, make those techniques particularly interesting for m‐MIMO schemes, either employing OFDM or SC‐FDE modulations.
Automatic determination of types number of mixed binary protocols
Authors: Zhang Chunrui , Wang Shen , Zhan Dechen , Yang Yonghui
Published: April 2019

In the absence of prior knowledge, it is a challenge to determine the number of protocol types in frames, which are completely unknown. These frames might be mixed with multiple protocols from the data link layer to the application layer. In this study, the authors combine the spectral clustering algorithm with a method of determining the number of protocol frame types, and further more design the refinement clustering of different hierarchical protocols based on the eigenvectors of the Laplace matrix. They use three clustering validity indices, which are Calinski–Harabasz index, Davies–Bouldinn index and Silhouette index, to quantify the clustering effect in order to calculate the number of protocol types. Extensive experiments on several open datasets obtain relatively satisfying results without prior knowledge and demonstrate the significant advantages of their methods clearly.
Extended state observer‐based sliding mode fault‐tolerant control for unmanned autonomous helicopter with wind gusts
Authors: Yan Kun , Chen Mou , Wu Qingxian , Jiang Bin
Published: April 2019

This study proposes a sliding mode fault‐tolerant control (FTC) scheme for the medium‐scale unmanned autonomous helicopter with rotor flapping dynamics in the presence of wind gusts and actuator faults using extended state observer technique. The radial basis function neural networks are employed to tackle the unknown non‐linear interaction functions and adaptive neural network extended state observers are constructed to estimate the unknown wind gusts. Meanwhile, the adaptive fault observers are developed to estimate the fault parameters in position, attitude and flapping motion subsystems. With the aim of obtaining satisfactory trajectory tracking performance, a robust adaptive sliding mode FTC scheme is presented based on the backstepping sliding mode control technique and the closed‐loop system stability is rigorously proved via Lyapunov analysis. Simulation results are carried out to validate the effectiveness of the proposed control method.
Novel speed estimation technique for vector‐controlled switched reluctance motor drive
Authors: Khan Yawer Abbas , Verma Vimlesh
Published: April 2019

This article discusses the speed‐sensorless vector‐controlled SRM‐drive. The use of position/speed sensors have few concerns related to it in terms of cost, reliability, and compactness, a few to mention. Therefore, it is necessary to have some estimation strategy which estimates the speed/position. Since the control of the machine is done in dq0‐reference frame, so by utilising these dq0‐variables a novel speed/position estimation technique i.e. ‘Pn‐MRAS (Net‐input‐Power‐based Model‐Reference‐Adaptive‐System) speed‐estimator’ is developed for the vector‐controlled SRM‐drive. The speed‐estimator implemented is simple, no look‐up table is required and no external circuitry is required for injection of the diagnostic signal. Also, the estimator is free from differentiator and integrator terms. The proposed speed‐estimator is stable in all the four quadrants of operation which is proved by performing the stability analysis. The estimator is dependent on two machine parameters (stator‐resistance and amplitude of AC‐component of self‐inductance). The estimator is made robust to changes in stator‐resistance by estimating the resistance online by proposed V0‐MRAS resistance‐estimator. The drive has been extensively simulated in MATLAB/SIMULINK and results are also verified experimentally through a dSPACE‐1104‐based laboratory prototype.