bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
18 Peroxiredoxin1 is a therapeutic target in group-3 medulloblastoma
Authors: Sajesh BV. , Ngoc OH. , Omar R. , Fediuk H. , Li L. , Alrushaid S. , Wang W. , Pu J. , Sun HD. , Siahaan T. , Werbowetski-Ogilvie T. , Wölfl M. , Remke M. , Ramaswamy V. , Taylor M. , Eberhart C. , Symons M. , Ruggieri R. , Miller DW , Vanan MI
Published: July 2018

Group-3 medulloblastoma (MBL) is highly resistant to radiation (IR) and chemotherapy and has the worst prognosis. Hence, there is an urgent need to elucidate targets that sensitize these tumors to chemotherapy and IR. Employing standard assays for viability and sensitization to IR, we identified PRDX1 as a therapeutic target in Group-3 MBL. Specifically, targeting PRDX1 by RNAi or inhibition by Adenanthin led to specific killing and sensitization to IR of Group-3 MBL cells. We rescued sensitization of Daoy and UW228 cells by hypermorphic expression of PRDX1. PRDX1 knockdown caused oxidative DNA damage and induced apoptosis. We correlated PRDX1 expression to patient outcomes in a validated MBL tumor-microarray. Whole genome sequencing identified pathways/genes that were dysregulated with PRDX1 inhibition or silencing. Our in vivo studies in mice employing flank/orthotopic tumors from patient derived xenografts/Group-3 MBL cells confirmed in vitro observations. Animals with tumors in which PRDX1 was targeted by RNAi or Adenanthin (using mini osmotic pumps) showed decreased tumor burden and increased survival when compared to controls. Since, Adenanthin does not cross the blood brain barrier (BBB) we used HAV6 peptide to transiently disrupt the BBB and deliver Adenanthin to the tumor. Immunohistochemistry confirmed that targeting PRDX1 resulted in increased oxidative DNA damage, apoptosis and decreased proliferation. In summary, we have validated PRDX1 as a therapeutic target in group-3 MBL, identified Adenanthin as a potent chemical inhibitor of PRDX1 and confirmed the role of HAV peptide (in the transient modulation of BBB permeability) in an orthotopic model of group-3 MBL.
55 Malignant primary brain and other central nervous system tumours diagnosed in the Canadian population from 2009 to 2013
Authors: Walker EV , Davis F ,   The CBTR Surveillance and Reporting Working Group
Published: July 2018

The Canadian Brain Tumour Registry (CBTR) project was established in 2016 with the aim of enhancing infrastructure for surveillance and clinical research to improve health outcomes for brain tumour patients in Canada. We present a national surveillance report on malignant primary brain and central nervous system (CNS) tumours diagnosed in the Canadian population from 2009-2013. Patients were identified through the Canadian Cancer Registry (CCR); an administrative dataset that includes cancer incidence data from all provinces/territories in Canada. Cancer diagnoses are coded using the ICD-O3 system. Tumour types were classified by site and histology using The Central Brain Tumour Registry of the United States definitions. Incidence rates (IR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated per 100,000 person-years and standardized to the 2011 census population age-distribution. Overall, 12,115 malignant brain and CNS tumours were diagnosed in the Canadian population from 2009-2013 (IR:8.43;95%CI:8.28,8.58). Of these, 6,845 were diagnosed in males (IR:9.72;95%CI:9.49,9.95) and 5,270 in females (IR:7.20;95%CI:7.00,7.39). The most common histology overall was glioblastoma (IR:4.06;95%CI:3.95,4.16). Among those aged 0-19 years, 1,130 malignant brain and CNS tumours were diagnosed from 2009-2013 (IR:3.36;95%CI:3.16,3.56). Of these, 625 were diagnosed in males (IR:3.32;95%CI:3.34,3.92) and 505 in females (IR:3.08;95%CI:2.81,3.36). The most common histology among the paediatric population was pilocytic astrocytoma (IR:0.73;95%CI:0.64,0.83). The presentation will include: IRs for other histologies, the geographic distribution of cases and a comparison between Canada and the United States.
Referral pathways between the mental health services and Jigsaw
Authors: Beatty E. , Keogh R. , Cohen D. , McDonald G. , McDonald C. , Hallahan B.
Published: July 2018

Objectives

To examine similarities and differences in the demographic and clinical profiles of young people (15–25 years of age) referred between the mental health services (MHS) and Jigsaw Galway.

Methods

A retrospective chart review was conducted of clinical files of individuals attending secondary MHS who had been referred to or from Jigsaw Galway over a 5-year period. Differences in demographic and clinical data between individuals referred to or from Jigsaw Galway were compared.

Results

A recent act of self-harm was more prevalent in individuals referred from Jigsaw to the adult MHS (p=0.02). No other demographic or clinical differences were detected between individuals attending Jigsaw Galway and the MHS.

Conclusions

Education sessions for clinical staff working in primary care, Jigsaw Galway and the MHS are suggested to support clinicians in choosing the best referral pathway, which may more optimally address young people’s mental health difficulties.
Analytical theory of homogeneous mean shear turbulence
Authors: Weinstock Jerome
Published: July 2018

A compact nonlinear expression for the velocity spectra of homogeneous mean shear flow is derived by means of a simplified two-point closure. It applies to all scales and times. The derived equation can be viewed as a nonlinear extension of the linear, rapid-distortion-theory (RDT) equation. The principal simplification is to model the nonlinear pressure–strain rate as first-order in the spectral anisotropy: a spectral Rotta-equation. This simplified equation and its solution are expressed in terms of the RDT solution. That solution helps reveal the role of nonlinearity. An equation for the velocity spectrum is then obtained at all scales and times. A dominant characteristic predicted for nonlinear behaviour is that the turbulence energy grows exponentially with time, with the spectrum simultaneously moving to smaller and smaller wavenumbers. The nonlinear growth rate is determined. Other analytical predictions of the derived equation include: the conditions for self-similarity; local isotropy; various properties of mean shear flow, including characteristic energy, length and temporal growth scales; and a critique of perturbation theory. Comparisons are made with laboratory experiments and direct numerical simulations. Although the theory applies to all scales and times, including an exact expression for RDT, the calculations are focused on nonlinear behaviour at large times. Several approximations used in this work are examined.
Landslide Fens as a Sensitive Indicator of Paleoenvironmental Changes Since the Late Glacial: A Case Study of the Polish Western Carpathians
Authors: Margielewski Włodzimierz
Published: July 2018

In the sequences of landslide fen (mire) deposits of the Polish Western Carpathians, Late Glacial-Holocene paleoenvironmental changes were recorded. Downpours and/or continuous rains cyclically repeated during phases of climate humidity growth, causing supplies of mineral material to the minerogenic mires. In effect, illuvial or mineral horizons were formed in landslide fen deposits, as well as mineral covers overly fens in some sites. Sedimentological records reflect various, overlapping factors, as climatic changes, human activity (e.g. accelerating erosion), as well the specificity of the sedimentary environment in each studied landslide fens. The reconstruction and interpretation of the paleoenvironmental changes recorded in landslide fen sediments must be supported by multiproxy analysis of the sequences using pollen, lithological (loss on ignition, grain size and petrography) analyses of samples accurately dated by numerous radiocarbon (14C) dates.
Photographic Encounters: Martín Chambi, Indigeneity and Chile–Peru Relations in the Early Twentieth Century
Authors: Crow Joanna
Published: July 2018

In 1936, the indigenous Peruvian photographer Martín Chambi travelled to and exhibited his work in Chile. Using a transnational framework of historical analysis, this article explores the multiple meanings of his visit. In particular it underscores the involvement of the Chilean and Peruvian governments in this cultural encounter, and highlights some of the commonalities and connections, as well as differences, between the discourses of race that were circulating in Chile and Peru at the time. This is important because it undermines the dominant historical narratives, which have tended to present Chile as a country that – in contrast to Peru – failed to engage in discussions about the so-called ‘indigenous question’, and which have interpreted relations between Chile and Peru almost exclusively as antagonistic and hostile.
Harry Watkins's Sword: An Object Lesson in Nineteenth-Century US Theatre Culture
Authors: Hughes Amy E.
Published: July 2018

For US actor, playwright, and theatre manager Harry Watkins (1825–94), the 1852–3 season was a whirlwind of ups and downs, elation and despair, triumph and tragedy. His engagement as an actor in C. R. Thorne's stock company at the New York Theatre ended abruptly in mid-September, leaving him without work at a point when few theatres were hiring. He mourned the loss of a beloved cousin, Jane Mott, who passed away one rainy day in October after a drawn-out illness. He endured many a headache while spearheading a fund-raising effort among his fellow actors to contribute a memorial stone to the Washington Monument. He was elected to the board of the American Dramatic Fund Association, but infighting among the directors left him feeling insulted and underappreciated, ultimately leading him to cease his involvement. By far, his biggest frustration was his inability to obtain reliable employment. He wrote many letters to many managers, to no avail. More than once, he considered giving up the theatre altogether.
The Invisible Stage Hand; or, Henrik Ibsen's Theatre of Capital
Authors: Zhulina Alisa
Published: July 2018

“Theatre is not political action. Political action happens in the streets.” This is how the German director Thomas Ostermeier addressed the audience in a recent conversation with Branden Jacobs-Jenkins at the Brooklyn Academy of Arts. All theatre can do is make us realize the “lies we tell ourselves.” Thomas Ostermeier made a name for himself staging the socially conscious dramas of Sarah Kane and Mark Ravenhill. After becoming the artistic director of Berlin's Schaubühne, Ostermeier turned to Henrik Ibsen because he thought that Ibsen's bourgeois world would appeal to the patrons of the Schaubühne: “Characters in Ibsen constantly worry about money.” Perhaps, this is also the reason behind Ostermeier's desire to bring his production of Ibsen'sAn Enemy of the People,adapted into English by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, to the patrons of Broadway in the fall of 2018. It's a Trojan Horse. Get the haves into the theatre and make them see their own complicity in perpetuating the injustices of capitalism. Ostermeier's version ofAn Enemy of the Peoplebreaks the fourth wall during the play's town hall meeting and invites the audience to share their thoughts about capitalism and democracy. Ultimately, this audience participation reveals the anxiety that theatre might simply be a distraction.
Replications can cause distorted belief in scientific progress
Authors: Białek Michał
Published: July 2018

If we want psychological science to have a meaningful real-world impact, it has to be trusted by the public. Scientific progress is noisy; accordingly, replications sometimes fail even for true findings. We need to communicate the acceptability of uncertainty to the public and our peers, to prevent psychology from being perceived as having nothing to say about reality.
To make innovations such as replication mainstream, publish them in mainstream journals
Authors: Egloff Boris
Published: July 2018

It was a pleasure to read Zwaan et al.'s wise and balanced target article. Here, I use it as a shining example for bolstering the argument that to make innovations such as replication mainstream, it seems advisable to move the debates from social media to respected “mainstream” psychology journals. Only then will mainstream psychologists be reached and, we hope, convinced.
A Bayesian decision-making framework for replication
Authors: Hardwicke Tom E. , Tessler Michael Henry , Peloquin Benjamin N. , Frank Michael C.
Published: July 2018

Replication is the cornerstone of science – but when and why? Not all studies need replication, especially when resources are limited. We propose that a decision-making framework based on Bayesian philosophy of science provides a basis for choosing which studies to replicate.
Putting replication in its place
Authors: Heit Evan , Rotello Caren M.
Published: July 2018

Direct replication is valuable but should not be elevated over other worthwhile research practices, including conceptual replication and checking of statistical assumptions. As noted by Rotello et al. (2015), replicating studies without checking the statistical assumptions can lead to increased confidence in incorrect conclusions. Finally, successful replications should not be elevated over failed replications, given that both are informative.
How to make replications mainstream
Authors: IJzerman Hans , Grahe Jon , Brandt Mark J.
Published: July 2018

Zwaan et al. integrated previous articles to promote making replications mainstream. We wholeheartedly agree. We extend their discussion by highlighting several existing initiatives – the Replication Recipe and the Collaborative Education and Research Project (CREP) - which aim to make replications mainstream. We hope this exchange further stimulates making replications mainstream.
Enhancing research credibility when replication is not feasible
Authors: MacCoun Robert J.
Published: July 2018

Direct replications are not always affordable or feasible, and for some phenomena they are impossible. In such situations, methods of blinded data analysis can help minimize p-hacking and confirmation bias, increasing our confidence in a study's results.
What the replication reformation wrought
Authors: Spellman Barbara A. , Kahneman Daniel
Published: July 2018

Replication failures were among the triggers of a reform movement which, in a very short time, has been enormously useful in raising standards and improving methods. As a result, the massive multilab multi-experiment replication projects have served their purpose and will die out. We describe other types of replications – both friendly and adversarial – that should continue to be beneficial.
Verifiability is a core principle of science
Authors: Srivastava Sanjay
Published: July 2018

Scientific knowledge is supposed to be verifiable. Replications promote verifiability in several ways. Most straightforwardly, replications can verify empirical claims. Replication research also promotes dissemination of information needed for other aspects of verification; creates meta-scientific knowledge about what results to treat as credible even in the absence of replications; and reinforces a broader norm of scientists checking each other's work.
Data replication matters to an underpowered study, but replicated hypothesis corroboration counts
Authors: Witte Erich H. , Zenker Frank
Published: July 2018

Before replication becomes mainstream, the potential for generating theoretical knowledge better be clear. Replicating statistically significant nonrandom data shows that an original study made a discovery; replicating a specified theoretical effect shows that an original study corroborated a theory. Yet only in the latter case is replication a necessary, sound, and worthwhile strategy.
Improving social and behavioral science by making replication mainstream: A response to commentaries
Authors: Zwaan Rolf A. , Etz Alexander , Lucas Richard E. , Donnellan M. Brent
Published: July 2018

The commentaries on our target article are insightful and constructive. There were some critical notes, but many commentaries agreed with, or even amplified our message. The first section of our response addresses comments pertaining to specific parts of the target article. The second section provides a response to the commentaries' suggestions to make replication mainstream. The final section contains concluding remarks.
The American Voter in 1932: Evidence from a Confidential Survey
Authors: Norpoth Helmut
Published: July 2018

In 1932, the American electorate was surveyed in a poll that has languished in the archives. The survey was conducted by Houser Associates, a pioneer in market research. It interviewed face-to-face a representative cross section about voter choices and issue attitudes. Although conducted on behalf of the Hoover campaign, the poll was not biased in his favor. The most striking revelation is that the electoral sway of the Depression was quite limited. The government wasnotseen by most voters as the major culprit or as having been ineffective in alleviating it. Even many FDR voters agreed. Moreover, there was no widespread “doom and gloom” about the future. What loomed larger in 1932 was the issue of Prohibition. The American people overwhelmingly favored repeal. The Democratic stand on it—that is, outright repeal—was a sure electoral winner, given Hoover’s staunch defense of Prohibition.
The effect of morphology in named entity recognition with sequence tagging
Authors: GÜNGÖR ONUR , GÜNGÖR TUNGA , ÜSKÜDARLI SUZAN
Published: July 2018

This work proposes a sequential tagger for named entity recognition in morphologically rich languages. Several schemes for representing the morphological analysis of a word in the context of named entity recognition are examined. Word representations are formed by concatenating word and character embeddings with the morphological embeddings based on these schemes. The impact of these representations is measured by training and evaluating a sequential tagger composed of a conditional random field layer on top of a bidirectional long short-term memory layer. Experiments with Turkish, Czech, Hungarian, Finnish and Spanish produce the state-of-the-art results for all these languages, indicating that the representation of morphological information improves performance.
CONTINUOUS ASSOCIATION SCHEMES AND HYPERGROUPS
Authors: VOIT MICHAEL
Published: July 2018

Classical finite association schemes lead to finite-dimensional algebras which are generated by finitely many stochastic matrices. Moreover, there exist associated finite hypergroups. The notion of classical discrete association schemes can be easily extended to the possibly infinite case. Moreover, this notion can be relaxed slightly by using suitably deformed families of stochastic matrices by skipping the integrality conditions. This leads to a larger class of examples which are again associated with discrete hypergroups. In this paper we propose a topological generalization of association schemes by using a locally compact basis space
$X$
and a family of Markov-kernels on
$X$
indexed by some locally compact space
$D$
where the supports of the associated probability measures satisfy some partition property. These objects, called continuous association schemes, will be related to hypergroup structures on
$D$
. We study some basic results for this notion and present several classes of examples. It turns out that, for a given commutative hypergroup, the existence of a related continuous association scheme implies that the hypergroup has many features of a double coset hypergroup. We, in particular, show that commutative hypergroups, which are associated with commutative continuous association schemes, carry dual positive product formulas for the characters. On the other hand, we prove some rigidity results in particular in the compact case which say that for given spaces
$X,D$
there are only a few continuous association schemes.
Table space designs for implicit and explicit concurrent tabled evaluation
Authors: AREIAS MIGUEL , ROCHA RICARDO
Published: July 2018

One of the main advantages of Prolog is its potential for theimplicit exploitation of parallelismand, as a high-level language, Prolog is also often used as a means toexplicitly control concurrent tasks. Tabling is a powerful implementation technique that overcomes some limitations of traditional Prolog systems in dealing with recursion and redundant sub-computations. Given these advantages, the question that arises is if tabling has also the potential for the exploitation of concurrency/parallelism. On one hand, tabling still exploits a search space as traditional Prolog but, on the other hand, the concurrent model of tabling is necessarily far more complex, since it also introduces concurrency on the access to the tables. In this paper, we summarize Yap's main contributions to concurrent tabled evaluation and we describe the design and implementation challenges of several alternative table space designs for implicit and explicit concurrent tabled evaluation that represent different trade-offs between concurrency and memory usage. We also motivate for the advantages of usingfixed-sizeandlock-freedata structures, elaborate on the key role that the engine'smemory allocatorplays on such environments, and discuss how Yap's mode-directed tabling support can be extended to concurrent evaluation. Finally, we present our future perspectives toward an efficient and novel concurrent framework which integrates both implicit and explicit concurrent tabled evaluation in a single Prolog engine.
A Policy Comet in Moominland? Basic Income in the Finnish Welfare State
Authors: Halmetoja Antti , De Wispelaere Jurgen , Perkiö Johanna
Published: July 2018

Finland is widely considered a frontrunner in the European basic income debate, primarily because of the decision by Juha Sipilä’s centre-right coalition government to design and conduct the first national basic income experiment (2017–2018). The Finnish basic income experiment builds on several decades of public and policy debate around the merits and problems of basic income, with the framing of basic income over time changing to fit the shift of the Nordic welfare state to embrace the activation paradigm. Underlying this discursive layer, however, we find several discrete, relatively small and unintended institutional developments that have arguably aligned the design of Finnish unemployment security closer to a partial basic income scheme. While the latter may suggest Finland has important stepping stones in place, important stumbling blocks remain and the jury is very much out on whether Finland would be the first European country to fully institute a basic income.
REASSESSING “TOWARD A THEORY OF RACE, CRIME, AND URBAN INEQUALITY”
Authors: Sampson Robert J. , Wilson William Julius , Katz Hanna
Published: July 2018

In “Toward a Theory of Race, Crime, and Urban Inequality,” Sampson and Wilson (1995) argued that racial disparities in violent crime are attributable in large part to the persistent structural disadvantages that are disproportionately concentrated in African American communities. They also argued that the ultimate causes of crime were similar for both Whites and Blacks, leading to what has been labeled the thesis of “racial invariance.” In light of the large scale social changes of the past two decades and the renewed political salience of race and crime in the United States, this paper reassesses and updates evidence evaluating the theory. In so doing, we clarify key concepts from the original thesis, delineate the proper context of validation, and address new challenges. Overall, we find that the accumulated empirical evidence provides broad but qualified support for the theoretical claims. We conclude by charting a dual path forward: an agenda for future research on the linkages between race and crime, and policy recommendations that align with the theory’s emphasis on neighborhood level structural forces but with causal space for cultural factors.
A 260-GHz on-chip cavity-backed slot antenna
Authors: Xiao Jun , Qi Zihang , Li Xiuping , Feng Weiwei , Zhu Hua
Published: July 2018

This paper presents a cavity-backed dual-slot antenna in 0.13-μm SiGe BiCMOS technology. The dual-slot structure is excited by a cross-shaped strip line and a cavity which is formed by the topmost metal layer connected to the bottom metal layer through vias in between. By adopting dual-slot and cross-shaped feed line, the bandwidth is significantly enhanced by 196% compared with the single-slot antenna with straight feed line. The reason for bandwidth enhancement has been analyzed. The proposed antenna shows a measured impedance bandwidth of 15.2 GHz from 248.2 to 263.4 GHz for |S11| < −10 dB. The simulated and measured peak gains of the cavity-backed dual-slot antenna are −1.3 and −2.1 dBi, respectively. The simulated radiation efficiency is 31.1%. The total size of the antenna is 0.46 mm × 0.48 mm.
Review: Schlafprobleme und psychische Störungen im Kindes- und Jugendalter
Authors: Schnatschmidt Marisa , Schlarb Angelika
Published: July 2018

Zusammenfassung. Schlafprobleme und -störungen sind in Kindheit und Jugendalter weitverbreitet. Dieser Review beleuchtet den Zusammenhang zwischen Schlafproblemen und psychischen Störungen im Kindes- und Jugendalter. Schlafprobleme und -störungen gelten zum einen als Risikofaktoren für die Entwicklung psychischer Störungen, aber auch als Symptom und Auswirkung psychischer Störungen. Oft stehen Schlafverhalten und Psychopathologie in einer Wechselwirkung, sodass Schlafprobleme zur Intensität und Aufrechterhaltung psychischer Störungen beitragen. Dieser bidirektionale Zusammenhang ist sowohl in der frühen Kindheit als auch im Schulalter und bei Jugendlichen zu beobachten. Viele Studien konnten zeigen, dass es einen langfristigen Zusammenhang über die kindliche Entwicklung hinweg gibt. Sowohl Umweltfaktoren als auch genetische Faktoren scheinen bei der Entwicklung und Aufrechterhaltung dieses Zusammenhangs eine Rolle zu spielen. Diverse Forschungsergebnisse zeigen, dass die Behandlung von psychischen Störungen und die Behandlung von Schlafproblemen sich wechselseitig positiv beeinflussen. Daher ist die Berücksichtigung von Schlafproblemen in der Diagnostik und Behandlung, aber auch in der Prävention von psychischen Störungen dringend anzuraten.
A 17-Year National Study of Prison Suicides in Belgium
Authors: Favril Louis , Wittouck Ciska , Audenaert Kurt , Vander Laenen Freya
Published: July 2018

Abstract. Background: Suicide is a leading cause of mortality in prisoners worldwide, yet empirical data on this matter are lacking in Belgium. Aims: This study sought to describe characteristics associated with a consecutive series of suicides in Belgian prisons from 2000 to 2016 inclusive, in order to inform suicide prevention strategies. Method: All documented cases of suicide ( N = 262) were reviewed using a standardized assessment checklist. Official records were abstracted for prisoners' sociodemographic, criminological, and clinical information, as well as for suicide-related characteristics. Results: Over the 17-year study period, suicides accounted for one third of all deaths in Belgian prisons. The average annual suicide rate in Belgium from 2000 to 2016 was 156.2 per 100,000 prisoners. Examination of all cases highlights both individual (psychiatric disorders and a history of suicide attempt) and situational (the early period of incarceration, interfacility transfers, and placement in solitary confinement) factors common in many prison suicides; some of them amenable to (clinical) management, which presents several potential avenues for suicide prevention. Limitations: Given the absence of a matched control group, no conclusions could be ascertained regarding risk factors. Conclusion: Suicide is a common, preventable cause of death among prisoners in Belgium. The results underscore the timely need for national standards and guidelines for suicide prevention in Belgian prisons.
Globally Universal Fractal Pattern of Human Settlements in River Networks
Authors: Fang Yu , Ceola Serena , Paik Kyungrock , McGrath Gavan , Rao P. Suresh C. , Montanari Alberto , Jawitz James W.
Published: July 2018

River networks play a key role in the spatial organization of human settlements. Both river networks and human settlements have been found to exhibit regular self‐similar patterns, but little is known about the generalized spatial patterns of human settlements embedded within river networks. Here based on night light data, we find a universal fractal structure at the global scale, with both robust Hortonian scaling relationships with the extent of human settlements and statistically significant power law scaling of the power spectra of human area functions. Globally, we find consistent patterns of power law preferential downstream clustering of human settlements across all six populated continents, typically up to 40% of the maximum flow length. This downstream clustering suggests an optimum distribution of humans in large river basins for trade, transport, and natural resource utilization but with attendant implications for human impacts on rivers. Recognition of such spatial patterns helps generalize assessments of human impacts on rivers, with direct implications for management of water quality and biological diversity in river networks.
Structural Inheritance Control on Intraplate Present‐Day Deformation: GPS Strain Rate Variations in the Saint Lawrence Valley, Eastern Canada
Authors: Tarayoun Alizia , Mazzotti Stéphane , Craymer Michael , Henton Joseph
Published: July 2018

Structural inheritance is one of the key factors commonly proposed to control the localization of strain and seismicity in continental intraplate regions, primarily on the basis of a first‐order spatial correlation between seismicity and inherited tectonic structures. In this paper, we present new GPS (Global Positioning System) velocity and strain rate analyses that provide strong constraints on the magnitude and style of present‐day strain localization associated with the inherited tectonic structures of the Saint Lawrence Valley, eastern Canada. We analyze 143 continuous and campaign GPS stations to calculate velocity and strain rate patterns, with specific emphases on the combination of continuous and campaign velocity uncertainties, and on the definition of robustness categories for the strain rate estimations. Within the structural inheritance area, strain rates are on average 2–11 times higher than surrounding regions and display strong lateral variations of the style of deformation. These GPS velocity and strain rate fields primarily reflect ongoing glacial isostatic adjustment (GIA). Their comparison with GIA model predictions allows us to quantify the impact of the structural inheritance and the associated lithosphere rheology weakening. Outside of the major tectonic inheritance area, GPS and GIA model strain rates agree to first order, both in style and magnitude. In contrast, the Saint Lawrence Valley displays strong strain amplification with GPS strain rates 6–28 times higher than model‐predicted GIA strain rates. Our results provide the first quantitative constraints on the impact of lithospheric‐scale structural inheritance on strain localization in intraplate domains.
What Can NASA Do to Better Protect the Planets It Probes?
Authors: Cartier Kimberly
Published: July 2018

A new report found that decades-old policies, unclear strategies, and regulatory gaps may create future problems for the agency. Here are four ways to head off these problems.
Cosmic Ray Neutron Sensing for Simultaneous Soil Water Content and Biomass Quantification in Drought Conditions
Authors: Jakobi J. , Huisman J. A. , Vereecken H. , Diekkrüger B. , Bogena H. R.
Published: July 2018

Understanding the feedback mechanisms between soil water content (SWC) and biomass production is important for sustainable resources management. Here we present a new method enabling simultaneous noninvasive measurements of SWC and biomass dynamics based on cosmic ray neutron sensing (CRNS). Recently, it was suggested that the neutron ratio (Nr) between thermal neutron (TN) and fast neutron (FN) intensity contains information on other hydrogen pools like vegetation, canopy interception, and snow. The aim of this study is to evaluate the accuracy of simultaneous measurements of SWC and biomass dynamics during agricultural drought conditions using CRNS probes. To this end, we instrumented an arable field cropped with sugar beet with CRNS probes and a wireless in situ SWC sensor network. Belowground and aboveground biomass were sampled in monthly intervals. We found a linear relationship between Nr and the aboveground biomass that allowed to continuously quantify the dry aboveground biomass development throughout the growing season with a root‐mean‐square error from 0.14 to 0.22 kg/m2. This information was used together with measured belowground biomass to correct for the effect of biomass on SWC determination with CRNS probes, which increased the accuracy of the SWC estimates considerably as indicated by the decrease of the root‐mean‐square error from 0.046 to 0.013 cm3/cm3. We anticipate that future research on the Nr can further improve the accuracy of SWC and biomass estimates and extend the application of CRNS to include canopy interception, ponding water, and snow water equivalent estimation for both stationary and roving CRNS systems.
Polycystic ovary syndrome and autism: A test of the prenatal sex steroid theory
Authors: Cherskov Adriana , Pohl Alexa , Allison Carrie , Zhang Heping , Payne Rupert A. , Baron-Cohen Simon
Published: July 2018

Elevated levels of prenatal testosterone may increase the risk for autism spectrum conditions (autism). Given that polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is also associated with elevated prenatal testosterone and its precursor sex steroids, a hypothesis from the prenatal sex steroid theory is that women with PCOS should have elevated autistic traits and a higher rate of autism among their children. Using electronic health records obtained from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD) in the UK between 1990 and 2014, we conducted three matched case-control studies. Studies 1 and 2 examined the risk of PCOS in women with autism (n = 971) and the risk of autism in women with PCOS (n = 26,263), respectively, compared with matched controls. Study 3 examined the odds ratio (OR) of autism in first-born children of women with PCOS (n = 8588), matched to 41,127 controls. In Studies 1 and 2 we found increased prevalence of PCOS in women with autism (2.3% vs. 1.1%; unadjusted OR: 2.01, 95% CI: 1.22–3.30) and elevated rates of autism in women with PCOS (0.17% vs. 0.09%, unadjusted OR: 1.94 CI: 1.37–2.76). In Study 3 we found the odds of having a child with autism were significantly increased, even after adjustment for maternal psychiatric diagnoses, obstetric complications, and maternal metabolic conditions (unadjusted OR: 1.60, 95% CI: 1.28–2.00; adjusted OR: 1.35, 95% CI: 1.06–1.73). These studies provide further evidence that women with PCOS and their children have a greater risk of autism.
Developing China’s Ecological Redline Policy using ecosystem services assessments for land use planning
Authors: Bai Yang , Wong Christina P. , Jiang Bo , Hughes Alice C. , Wang Min , Wang Qing
Published: July 2018

Ecosystems services (ES) assessment is a significant scientific topic recognized for its potential to address sustainability issues. However, there is an absence of science–policy frameworks in land use planning that lead to the ES science being used in policy. China’s Ecological Redline Policy (ERP) is one of the first national policies utilizing multiple ES, but there is no standardized approach for working across the science–policy interface. We propose a transdisciplinary framework to determine ecological redline areas (ERAs) in Shanghai using: ES, biodiversity and ecologically fragile hotspots, landscape structure, and stakeholder opinions. We determine the five criteria to identify ERAs for Shanghai using multi-temporal, high resolution images (0.5 m) and biophysical models. We examine ERP effectiveness by comparing land use scenarios for 2040. Compared to alternative land uses, ES increase significantly under the ERP. The inclusion of ES in spatial planning led stakeholders to increase terrestrial habitat protection by 174% in Shanghai. Our analysis suggests that strategic planning for ES could reduce tradeoffs between environmental quality and development.
Silica-rich volcanism in the early solar system dated at 4.565 Ga
Authors: Srinivasan Poorna , Dunlap Daniel R. , Agee Carl B. , Wadhwa Meenakshi , Coleff Daniel , Ziegler Karen , Zeigler Ryan , McCubbin Francis M.
Published: July 2018

The ranges in chemical composition of ancient achondrite meteorites are key to understanding the diversity and geochemical evolution of planetary building blocks. These achondrites record the first episodes of volcanism and crust formation, the majority of which are basaltic. Here we report data on recently discovered volcanic meteorite Northwest Africa (NWA) 11119, which represents the first, and oldest, silica-rich (andesitic to dacitic) porphyritic extrusive crustal rock with an Al–Mg age of 4564.8 ± 0.3 Ma. This unique rock contains mm-sized vesicles/cavities and phenocrysts that are surrounded by quench melt. Additionally, it possesses the highest modal abundance (30 vol%) of free silica (i.e., tridymite) compared to all known meteorites. NWA 11119 substantially widens the range of volcanic rock compositions produced within the first 2.5–3.5 million years of Solar System history, and provides direct evidence that chemically evolved crustal rocks were forming on planetesimals prior to the assembly of the terrestrial planets.
Ultrafast Laser Filament-induced Fluorescence Spectroscopy of Uranyl Fluoride
Authors: Skrodzki P. J. , Burger M. , Finney L. A. , Poineau F. , Balasekaran S. M. , Nees J. , Czerwinski K. R. , Jovanovic I.
Published: July 2018

Uranyl fluoride (UO2F2) is a compound which forms in the reaction between water and uranium hexafluoride, a uranium containing gas widely used for uranium enrichment. Uranyl fluoride exhibits negligible natural background in atmosphere; as a result, its observation implies the presence and active operation of nearby enrichment facilities and could be used as a tracer for treaty verification technologies. Additionally, detection of UO2F2has a potential application in guiding remediation efforts around enrichment facilities. Laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) has been proposed in the past as a viable technique for the detection and tracking of UO2F2. We demonstrate that ultrafast laser filamentation coupled with LIF extends the capabilities of standard LIF to enable remote detection of UO2F2. An intense femtosecond laser pulse propagated in air collapses into a plasma channel, referred to as a laser filament, allowing for the extended delivery of laser energy. We first investigate the luminescence of UO2F2excited by the second harmonic of an ultrafast Ti:sapphire laser and subsequently excite it using the conical emission that accompanies ultrafast laser filamentation in air. We measure the decay rates spanning 4.3–5.6 × 104 s−1and discuss the characteristics of the luminescence for both ultrafast- and filament-excitation. Larger decay rates than those observed using standard LIF are caused by a saturated component of prompt decay from annihilation of dense excited states upon excitation with an ultrafast source. The reproducibility of such decay rates for the given range of incident laser intensities 1.0–1.6 × 1011 W cm−2is promising for the application of this technique in remote sensing.
Dysregulated Neurotransmission induces Trans-synaptic degeneration in reconstructed Neuronal Networks
Authors: Deleglise Bérangère , Lassus Benjamin , Soubeyre Vanessa , Doulazmi Mohamed , Brugg Bernard , Vanhoutte Peter , Peyrin Jean-Michel
Published: July 2018

Increasing evidence suggests that pathological hallmarks of chronic degenerative syndromes progressively spread among interconnected brain areas in a disease-specific stereotyped pattern. Functional brain imaging from patients affected by various neurological syndromes such as traumatic brain injury and stroke indicates that the progression of such diseases follows functional connections, rather than simply spreading to structurally adjacent areas. Indeed, initial damage to a given brain area was shown to disrupt the communication in related brain networks. Using cortico-striatal neuronal networks reconstructed in a microfluidic environment, we investigated the role of glutamate signaling in activity-dependent neuronal survival and trans-synaptic degeneration processes. Using a variety of neuronal insults applied on cortical neurons, we demonstrate that acute injuries such as axonal trauma, focal ischemia, or alteration of neuronal rhythms, lead to glutamate-dependent striatal neuron dysfunction. Interestingly, focal pro-oxidant insults or chronic alteration of spontaneous cortical rhythms provoked dysfunction of distant striatal neurons through abnormal glutamate GluN2B-NMDAR-mediated signaling at cortico-striatal synapses. These results indicate that focal alteration of cortical functions can initiate spreading of dysfunction along neuronal pathways in the brain, reminiscent of diaschisis-like processes.
Effect of imidacloprid ingestion on immune responses to porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus
Authors: Hernandez J. , Volland A. , Leyshon B. J. , Juda M. , Ridlon J. M. , Johnson R. W. , Steelman A. J.
Published: July 2018

Nicotine and acetylcholine cause immunosuppresion by signaling to the α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7 nAChR) on immune cells. Neonicotinoids are nAChR agonists and widly used insecticides. We aimed to define the immunosuppressive potential of dietary exposure to the neonicotinoid imidacloprid (IMI) on the generation of innate and adaptive immune responses to porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV). Piglets were randomized into groups based on diet and infection. Behavioral signs of illness were recorded. Urine IMI levels were measured by high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Flow cytometry was used to determine the expression pattern of the α7 nAChR on porcine leukocytes as well as the effects of infection and treatment on circulating leukocyte populations. Serum cytokines and PRRSV-specific antibody levels were determined by ELISA. Viral RNA in lung, spleen and plasma was determined by RT-qPCR. Pigs in the treatment group had elevated urine levels of IMI. Treatment with IMI reduced body weight, caused bouts of hypothermia, increased serum IL-10 and elevated levels of virus-specific antibodies. Viral RNA levels in the spleen showed a trend toward being increased in pigs fed IMI. Our data indicates that IMI injection may modulate virus specific immune function during PRRSV infection.
Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization tandem mass spectrometry for identification of organic tattoo pigments in inks and tissue samples
Authors: Schreiver Ines , Eschner Lisa-Marie , Luch Andreas
Published: July 2018

Highly specific identification of water-insoluble organic pigments is facilitated by automated matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization tandem mass spectrometry and data evaluation.
Self-assembly/disassembly of giant double-hydrophilic polymersomes at biologically-relevant pH
Authors: Shin Sun Hae Ra , McAninch Patrick T. , Henderson Ian M. , Gomez Andrew , Greene Adrienne C. , Carnes Eric C. , Paxton Walter F.
Published: July 2018

Double-hydrophilic diblock copolymers can assemble into pH-switchable containers for the encapsulation and release of cargo across biologically-relevant pH ranges.
Visible-light photocatalyzed oxidative decarboxylation of oxamic acids: a green route to urethanes and ureas
Authors: Pawar Govind Goroba , Robert Frédéric , Grau Etienne , Cramail Henri , Landais Yannick
Published: July 2018

Oxidative decarboxylation of oxamic acids under visible-light irradiation in the presence of alcohols or amines provides urethanes or ureas.
A simple and versatile strategy for taming FOX-7
Authors: Yan Chao , Yang Hongwei , Qi Xiujuan , Jin Yunhe , Wang Kangcai , Liu Tianlin , Tian Junjun , Nie Fude , Cheng Guangbin , Zhang Qinghua
Published: July 2018

A novel derivatization strategy was developed for the exciting reactive chemistry of FOX-7.
Effect of diphenylphosphinic acid on cesium lead iodide perovskite stability
Authors: Mubiayi Kalenga Pierre , Moloto Nosipho , Moloto Makwena Justice
Published: July 2018

A contribution to solving challenges in the stability of perovskite nanocrystals by using DPPA in BE so that they can fully be utilized for many applications such as in the field of green energy.
The excess electron at polyethylene interfaces
Authors: Saiz Fernan , Cubero David , Quirke Nick
Published: July 2018

This work investigates the energy and spatial properties of excess electrons in polyethylene in bulk phases and, for the first time, at amorphous vacuum interfaces using a pseudopotential single-electron method (Lanczos diagonalisation) and density functional theory (DFT).
Effect of magnetic fields on the methyl rotation in a paramagnetic cobalt(ii) complex. Quasielastic neutron scattering studies
Authors: Stavretis Shelby E. , Mamontov Eugene , Moseley Duncan H. , Cheng Yongqiang , Daemen Luke L. , Ramirez-Cuesta A. J. , Xue Zi-Ling
Published: July 2018

Methyl rotation in a paramagnetic Co(II) complex is slowed down by magnetic field with an increased rotation barrier.
Towards superlubricity in nanostructured surfaces: the role of van der Waals forces
Authors: Echeverrigaray Fernando G. , S. de Mello Saron R. , Leidens Leonardo M. , H. Maia da Costa Marcelo E. , Alvarez Fernando , Burgo Thiago A. L. , Michels Alexandre F. , Figueroa Carlos A.
Published: July 2018

Energy dissipation associated with frictional damping mechanisms owing to van der Waals (vdW) forces by induced polarizability at the sliding interface of a-C:H thin films.
Mechanistic role of nucleobases in self-cleavage catalysis of hairpin ribozyme at ambient versus high-pressure conditions
Authors: Kumar Narendra , Marx Dominik
Published: July 2018

Extensive replica exchange simulations at ambient as well as high-pressure conditions provide mechanistic insights into the self-cleavage catalysis reaction of hairpin ribozyme.
Is zeroth order crystal structure prediction (CSP_0) coming to maturity? What should we aim for in an ideal crystal structure prediction code?
Authors: Price Sarah L.
Published: July 2018

Given that many important materials persist, and indeed may be formed, when they are not the most thermodynamically stable structure, we need to define what would be required of an ideal CSP code.
A simple strategy toward the substitution of styrene by sobrerol-based monomers in unsaturated polyester resins
Authors: Lima Mafalda S. , Costa Cátia S. M. F. , Coelho Jorge F. J. , Fonseca Ana C. , Serra Arménio C.
Published: July 2018

New sobrerol-based monomers were successfully used as styrene substitutes to crosslink unsaturated polyesters.
Structure of carbon black continuously produced from biomass pyrolysis oil
Authors: Toth Pal , Vikström Therese , Molinder Roger , Wiinikka Henrik
Published: July 2018

Renewable-based carbon black was produced using pyrolysis oil derived from pine and spruce stem wood as feedstock in a continuous, high-temperature spray process.
Zircon Th–Pb dating by secondary ion mass spectrometry
Authors: Li Qiuli , Liu Yu , Tang Guoqiang , Wang Kaiyi , Ling Xiaoxiao , Li Jiao
Published: July 2018

M257 and Qinghu zircons are suggested as more suitable Th–Pb dating standards with higher radiogenic208Pb. The correlation between the apparent Th–Pb age and the corresponding Th content points out the radiogenic lead loss.
Synthesis of aminopyridine-containing conjugated microporous polymers with excellent superhydrophobicity for oil/water separation
Authors: Jiao Rui , Bao Lulu , Zhang Wanli , Sun Hanxue , Zhu Zhaoqi , Xiao Chaohu , Chen Lihua , An Li
Published: July 2018

Aminopyridine-containing conjugated microporous polymer based membranes with excellent superhydrophobicity for continuous oil/water separation on a large scale.
On ovothiol biosynthesis and biological roles: from life in the ocean to therapeutic potential
Authors: Castellano Immacolata , Seebeck Florian P.
Published: July 2018

Ovothiol A and related 5-thiohistidines are characterized by unique chemical reactivity and complex biological functions in marine invertebrates, microalgae, and bacteria.