bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A posteriori error analysis of an augmented fully mixed formulation for the nonisothermal Oldroyd–Stokes problem
Authors: Caucao Sergio , Gatica Gabriel N. , Oyarzúa Ricardo
Published: September 2018

In this article, we consider an augmented fully mixed variational formulation that has been recently proposed for the nonisothermal Oldroyd–Stokes problem, and develop an a posteriori error analysis for the 2‐D and 3‐D versions of the associated mixed finite element scheme. More precisely, we derive two reliable and efficient residual‐based a posteriori error estimators for this problem on arbitrary (convex or nonconvex) polygonal and polyhedral regions. The reliability of the proposed estimators draws mainly upon the uniform ellipticity of the bilinear forms of the continuous formulation, suitable assumptions on the domain and the data, stable Helmholtz decompositions, and the local approximation properties of the Clément and Raviart–Thomas operators. On the other hand, inverse inequalities, the localization technique based on bubble functions, and known results from previous works are the main tools yielding the efficiency estimate. Finally, several numerical results confirming the properties of the a posteriori error estimators and illustrating the performance of the associated adaptive algorithms are reported.
Bioarchaeology of social transition: A diachronic study of pathological conditions at Tumilaca la Chimba, Peru
Authors: Lowman Shannon A. , Sharratt Nicola , Turner Bethany L.
Published: September 2018

This study presents a diachronic analysis of pathological conditions from two samples of human remains at the archaeological site of Tumilaca la Chimba, Peru. The site includes two occupations, one dating to the terminal Middle Horizon or early Late Intermediate Period (LIP; ca. 950–1250 CE), as the Tiwanaku state underwent collapse. Despite political fragmentation, this occupation is characterised by substantial cultural continuity in Tiwanaku practices. The second occupation dates to the later LIP (ca. 1250–1476 CE) and is associated with significant changes in material culture. This study analyses skeletal data derived from cemeteries associated with each occupation in order to compare proxies of nutritional status, infection, and trauma.

Paleopathological analysis of individuals from the terminal Middle Horizon Tumilaca cemeteries (N = 20) and LIP Estuquiña cemetery (N = 23) reveals significant differences in age and sex distributions; this could be an artefact of looting and differential excavation or a possible shift in fertility and population demography. There are also differences, though not statistically significant, in the frequencies of pathological conditions including cribra orbitalia, which is higher in the Tumilaca sample, and oral decay, which is higher in the Estuquiña sample. These results tentatively suggest that physiological stressors—particularly those occurring in childhood—did not necessarily abate at this site over time but rather shifted in their causes. These results underscore the importance of bioarchaeological contributions to theorising local experiences of larger sociopolitical transitions in the pre‐Hispanic Andes.
“A change in perspective”: Exploring the experiences of adolescents with hereditary tumor predisposition
Authors: Weber Evan , Shuman Cheryl , Wasserman Jonathan D. , Barrera Maru , Patenaude Andrea F. , Fung Karen , Chitayat David , Malkin David , Druker Harriet
Published: September 2018

Background

Hereditary tumor predisposition syndromes (HTPSs) are being recognized more frequently in the etiology of pediatric cancer. Previous research indicates that disclosure of tumor susceptibility is a significant event in adolescents’ lives. Insight into adolescents’ adjustment to knowledge of their syndromes can guide healthcare delivery, particularly genetic counseling. This study explored the experiences of adolescents with hereditary tumor predisposition and their perceptions of living at risk.

Methods

Seven adolescents, ages 14 to 17, representing six different childhood‐onset HTPSs, were purposively sampled and interviewed using a study‐specific semistructured interview guide. We explored the disclosure process, support systems, and the perceived benefits and harms of knowledge of hereditary tumor susceptibility. Interview transcripts were analyzed via interpretive description.

Results

Three major themes emerged from the data: (1) The benefits of knowledge outweigh the harms; (2) context surrounding genetic testing must be recognized; and (3) self‐concept is influenced but not defined by tumor risk.

Conclusions

We conclude that adolescents recognize the challenges associated with awareness of tumor predisposition but may also identify positive aspects in their experiences, reflecting a changed life perspective. Results of this exploratory study suggest strategies that can guide pretest and posttest genetic counseling of adolescents for HTPSs, facilitating the adaptive incorporation of genetic information into an adolescent's self‐concept.
Duality Constraints on Counterterms in Supergravities
Authors: Freedman Daniel Z. , Kallosh Renata , Yamada Yusuke
Published: September 2018

The UV finiteness found in calculations of the 4‐point amplitude in supergravity at loop order has not been explained, which motivates our study of the relevant superspace invariants and on‐shell superamplitudes for both and . The local 4‐point superinvariants for are expected to have nonlinear completions whose 6‐point amplitudes have non‐vanishing SSL's (soft scalar limits), violating the behavior required of Goldstone bosons. For , we find at that local 6‐point superinvariant and superamplitudes, which might cancel these SSL's, do not exist. This rules out the candidate 4‐point counterterm and thus gives a plausible explanation of the observed finiteness. However, at we construct a local 6‐point superinvariant with non‐vanishing SSL's, so the SSL argument does not explain the observed UV finiteness. For supergravity there are no 6‐point invariants at either or 4, so the SSL argument predicts UV finiteness.
Identification of FDA‐approved drugs as novel allosteric inhibitors of human executioner caspases
Authors: Krishna Deepak R. N. V. , Abdullah Ahmad , Talwar Priti , Fan Hao , Ravanan Palaniyandi
Published: September 2018

The regulation of apoptosis is a tightly coordinated process and caspases are its chief regulators. Of special importance are the executioner caspases, caspase‐3/7, the activation of which irreversibly sets the cell on the path of death. Dysregulation of apoptosis, particularly an increased rate of cell death lies at the root of numerous human diseases. Although several peptide‐based inhibitors targeting the homologous active site region of caspases have been developed, owing to their non‐specific activity and poor pharmacological properties their use has largely been restricted. Thus, we sought to identify FDA‐approved drugs that could be repurposed as novel allosteric inhibitors of caspase‐3/7. In this study, we virtually screened a catalog of FDA‐approved drugs targeting an allosteric pocket located at the dimerization interface of caspase‐3/7. From among the top‐scoring hits we short‐listed 5 compounds for experimental validation. Our enzymatic assays using recombinant caspase‐3 suggested that 4 out of the 5 drugs effectively inhibited caspase‐3 enzymatic activity in vitro with IC50 values ranging ~10‐55 μM. Structural analysis of the docking poses show the 4 compounds forming specific non‐covalent interactions at the allosteric pocket suggesting that these molecules could disrupt the adjacently‐located active site. In summary, we report the identification of 4 novel non‐peptide allosteric inhibitors of caspase‐3/7 from among FDA‐approved drugs.
Anatomy of the Ediacaran rangeomorph Charnia masoni
Authors: Dunn Frances S. , Wilby Philip R. , Kenchington Charlotte G. , Grazhdankin Dmitriy V. , Donoghue Philip C. J. , Liu Alexander G.
Published: September 2018

The Ediacaran macrofossil Charnia masoni Ford is perhaps the most iconic member of the Rangeomorpha: a group of seemingly sessile, frondose organisms that dominates late Ediacaran benthic, deep‐marine fossil assemblages. Despite C. masoni exhibiting broad palaeogeographical and stratigraphical ranges, there have been few morphological studies that consider the variation observed among populations of specimens derived from multiple global localities. We present an analysis of C. masoni that evaluates specimens from the UK, Canada and Russia, representing the largest morphological study of this taxon to date. We describe substantial morphological variation within C. masoni and present a new morphological model for this species that has significant implications both for interpretation of rangeomorph architecture, and potentially for existing taxonomic schemes. Previous reconstructions of Charnia include assumptions regarding the presence of structures seen in other rangeomorphs (e.g. an internal stalk) and of homogeneity in higher order branch morphology; observations that are not borne out by our investigations. We describe variation in the morphology of third and fourth order branches, as well as variation in gross structure near the base of the frond. The diagnosis of Charnia masoni is emended to take account of these new features. These findings highlight the need for large‐scale analyses of rangeomorph morphology in order to better understand the biology of this long‐enigmatic group.
Enhancing EFL Learners’ Willingness to Communicate With Visualization and Goal‐Setting Activities
Authors: Al‐Murtadha Mutahar
Published: September 2018

Willingness to communicate (WTC) research has focused mostly on identifying factors that influence second language (L2) WTC in ESL contexts. This study differs by examining the effects of a 6‐week treatment aimed at enhancing WTC in a group of 206 Yemeni rural high school EFL learners. Classes were randomly assigned to a control group (n = 102) or an experimental group (n = 104). The researcher designed one weekly 45‐minute visualization lesson for the treatment group to help learners imagine themselves communicating in English; the control group did communicative activities. Results of an analysis of covariance indicate that the treatment group's WTC had increased significantly at the end of the intervention. Quantitative and qualitative analyses revealed students’ perceptions of the effectiveness of the program. The study provides insights into the role of visualization to enhance students’ WTC and suggests activities that teachers can use to enhance students’ WTC. It shows that there are many ways besides visualization to stimulate the development of ideal L2 selves and that it is not difficult to conduct interventions at schools in Yemen or in any other developing country if teachers are given the appropriate activities, guidelines, planning sessions, and instructions. Practical implications are discussed.
Levator ani muscle morphology and function in women with obstetric anal sphincter injury
Authors: Volløyhaug I. , Taithongchai A. , Van Gruting I. , Sultan A. , Thakar R.
Published: September 2018

Objectives

To estimate the prevalence of, and explore the risk factors for, levator ani muscle (LAM) injury in women with clinically diagnosed obstetric anal sphincter injury (OASI). The secondary aim was to assess the association between LAM injury and pelvic floor muscle contraction, anal incontinence (AI) and urinary incontinence (UI) in women with OASI.

Methods

This was a cross‐sectional study of 250 women with OASI, recruited between 2013 and 2015 from a tertiary referral center at Croydon University Hospital, UK. AI symptoms were assessed using the modified St Mark's incontinence score and UI was assessed using the International Consultation on Incontinence modular Questionnaire for Urinary Incontinence – Short Form. All participants underwent three/four‐dimensional transperineal ultrasound at rest and on maximum pelvic floor muscle contraction. Major LAM injury was defined as a unilateral or bilateral defect in all three central slices on tomographic ultrasound imaging. Muscle contraction was assessed using the modified Oxford scale (MOS) and measured on ultrasound as the proportional change in the anteroposterior (AP) levator hiatal diameter between rest and contraction. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to study risk factors for LAM injury. Differences in contraction and AI and UI symptoms between women with intact and those with injured LAM were studied using multivariable ANCOVA and the Mann–Whitney U‐test.

Results

Of the 248 women with OASI for whom ultrasound volumes of adequate quality were available, 29.4% were found to have major LAM injury. The prevalence of LAM injury was 23.6% after normal vaginal delivery and 40.2% after operative vaginal delivery (adjusted odds ratio, 4.1 (95% CI, 1.4–11.9); P = 0.01). LAM injury was associated with weaker pelvic floor muscle contraction, with an adjusted mean difference for proportional change in AP diameter of 5.0 (95% CI, 3.0–6.9) and MOS of 0.6 (95% CI, 0.3–0.9) (P < 0.001 for both). AI and UI symptom scores were similar between women with intact and those with injured LAM.

Conclusions

Operative vaginal delivery was a risk factor for LAM injury in women with OASI. LAM injury was associated with weaker pelvic floor muscle contraction. Special attention is recommended for women with OASI and LAM injury, as they are at high risk for future pelvic floor disorders. The benefits of implementation of an intensive, focused and structured pelvic floor rehabilitation program need to be evaluated in these women. Copyright © 2018 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
A European or a National Solution to the Democratic Deficit?
Authors: Brun Alain
Published: September 2018

I agree with Rainer Bauböck on his starting point. It is indeed contrary to EU law if EU citizens who take up residence in another member State lose fundamental rights as a consequence of exercising their right of free movement. But I fully disagree both with his argumentation and his proposed conclusion which are rather disproportionate with the problem to solve.
Trading Citizenship, Human Capital and the European Union
Authors: Owen David
Published: September 2018

The state as a self-determining agent has a clear and well-established interest in structuring ‘access to citizenship’ in ways that support its goals, whether these goals concern economic development, health and social welfare, cultural standing or sporting glory. The legitimacy of the ways in which it pursues these goals is however another question. Practices that support the emergence of transnational class and status stratification in which mobility rights become radically unequally distributed are not compatible with the democratic legitimacy of states or of the EU. States whose policies are pushing to the neoliberal extreme, help bring into focus a wider range of policies that are hollowing out democratic citizenship from within.
Citizenship for Sale: Could and Should the EU Intervene?
Authors: Shaw Jo
Published: September 2018

‘Intervention’ is much too strong a word for whatever it is that the European Parliament could and should do on 15 January, when it debates the issue of EU citizenship for sale. But a first and wide-ranging reflection on some of the emerging consequences of EU citizenship for national democracies would at least be a start. 2013 was the year of the EU citizen. It did not do much to raise public awareness about EU citizenship and it ended with moves towards its commodification. Wouldn’t it be appropriate for the European Parliament to start the new year with a real debate on the relation between national and EU citizenship?
Bloodlines and Belonging: Time to Abandon Ius Sanguinis?
Authors: Dumbrava Costica
Published: September 2018

The transmission of citizenship status from parents to children is a widespread modern practice that offers certain practical and normative advantages. It is relatively easy to distribute legal status to children according to parents’ citizenship, especially in the context of high mobility where the links between persons and their birthplace are becoming increasingly strained. Granting citizenship status to children of citizens may also be desirable as a way of avoiding statelessness, acknowledging special family links and fostering political links between children and the political community of their parents. These apparent advantages of ius sanguinis citizenship are, however, outweighed by a series of problems. In what follows I argue that ius sanguinis citizenship is (1) historically tainted, (2) increasingly inadequate and (3) normatively unnecessary. Ius sanguinis citizenship is historically tainted because it is rooted in practices and conceptions that rely on ethno-nationalist ideas about political membership. It is inadequate because it becomes increasingly unfit to deal with contemporary issues such as advances in assisted reproduction technologies and changes in family practices and norms. Lastly, ius sanguinis citizenship is normatively unnecessary because its alleged advantages are illusory and can be delivered by other means.
Tainted Law? Why History Cannot provide the Justification for Abandoning Ius Sanguinis
Authors: Panagiotidis Jannis
Published: September 2018

Costica Dumbrava rejects ius sanguinis as 1) historically tainted, 2) increasingly inadequate and 3) normatively unnecessary. In my response, I mainly focus on the first, historical dimension. Drawing on examples from the case of Germany, often used as the prime example to show what is wrong with ius sanguinis, I will contest the idea that ius sanguinis as such has been discredited by history. Its supposed taintedness has to do with issues not intrinsic to this principle of transmitting citizenship, namely restrictive admission practices and racially based exclusion. Its use in certain problematic ways and contexts in the past does not mean it necessarily has to be used like that in the future. If complemented by other, inclusionary mechanisms of allocating citizenship in conjunction with increased tolerance for multiple citizenship it certainly remains a useful – and necessary – method of transmitting citizenship in the day and age of multiple transnational migrations.
Denationalisation, Assassination, Territory: Some (U.S.-Prompted) Reflections
Authors: Bosniak Linda
Published: September 2018

Unlike the several liberal states Macklin cites which have already, or will soon, deploy citizenship revocation as an anti-terrorism mechanism, the United States is unlikely to implement similar policies. The U.S. Constitution has been interpreted to prohibit unilateral citizenship-stripping as a tool of governance. Instead, denationalisation via expatriation in the U.S. requires the individual to specifically consent to relinquish the status, and such consent cannot be inferred from acts alone – even from acts which some (including some commentators in this symposium) would like to characterise as intrinsically antithetical to citizenship identity.
Disowning Citizens
Authors: Ziegler Reuven
Published: September 2018

Macklin’s kick-off focused ‘exclusively on denationalisation for allegedly disloyal conduct by a citizen, while a citizen’. Most contributions to this debate weighed the predicament of the former citizen against state interests. In my contribution, I offer a typology of cases in which revocation could be sought according to some of the contributors. I contend that disowning of citizens by their states is incoherent, tenuous, or disingenuous.
Citizenship in the Era of Blockchain-Based Virtual Nations
Authors: De Filippi Primavera
Published: September 2018

In the last decades, modern democracies have been witnessing a low rate of political participation and civic engagement with existing governmental institutions. Civic participation is not dead, however, it is only shifting to a new space. In the shadow corners of the internet, people are looking at blockchain technology as a means to replace many of our traditional institutions. While most of the attention was put, initially, on Bitcoin disrupting banks and other financial operators, as people understood the full potential of blockchain technology they saw it a means to implement new governance structures that could potentially replace some of our existing systems of governance. At the extreme end of this spectrum are those who envision the creation of new blockchain-based virtual nations, with a view to ultimately replace the nation state, or at least experiment with new and allegedly apolitical governance systems, which nevertheless play a crucial political function.
Escapist Technology in the Service of Neo-Feudalism
Authors: Kochenov Dimitry
Published: September 2018

New technologies, when deployed without addressing the flaws of the current legal-political reality are bound to become anything but an instrument of empowerment and liberation. It would be a grave mistake to put technology to the service of the mythology of citizenship, instead of interrogating citizenship’s essence and functions and questioning its darker corners.
Black holes, complexity and quantum chaos
Authors: Magán Javier M.
Published: September 2018

Abstract

We study aspects of black holes and quantum chaos through the behavior of computational costs, which are distance notions in the manifold of unitaries of the theory. To this end, we enlarge Nielsen geometric approach to quantum computation and provide metrics for finite temperature/energy scenarios and CFT’s. From the framework, it is clear that costs can grow in two different ways: operator vs ‘simple’ growths. The first type mixes operators associated to different penalties, while the second does not. Important examples of simple growths are those related to symmetry transformations, and we describe the costs of rotations, translations, and boosts. For black holes, this analysis shows how infalling particle costs are controlled by the maximal Lyapunov exponent, and motivates a further bound on the growth of chaos. The analysis also suggests a correspondence between proper energies in the bulk and average ‘local’ scaling dimensions in the boundary. Finally, we describe these complexity features from a dual perspective. Using recent results on SYK we compute a lower bound to the computational cost growth in SYK at infinite temperature. At intermediate times it is controlled by the Lyapunov exponent, while at long times it saturates to a linear growth, as expected from the gravity description.
Shear Wave Velocities in the Estimation of Earthquake Hazard Over Alluvium in Seismically Active Region
Authors: Sundararajan Narasimman , Seshunarayana T.
Published: September 2018

It is well known that the potential hazard during an earth-quake is mainly in alluvium or alluvium filled basins; shear wave velocity plays a significant role in estimating the possible hazard during an earth quake in such an area. This paper presents shear wave velocity profile from Jabalpur, Central India mainly dominated by alluvial soil that was moderately affected by an earthquake of magnitude 6.5 in May, 1997. The acquired shear wave velocity by Multichannel Analysis of Surface Wave (MASW) in as many as 36 sites over alluvial soil ranges from 200 m/sec to 400 m/sec and in a few sites marginally less than 200 m/sec corresponding to a sub-surface depth of 30-35 m. Further, the computed N values vary as low as near zero to less than 25. The study is substantiated by the estimation of P-wave velocity by refraction seismic method at the same locations of MASW which ranges from 350 m/sec to 2200 m/sec. The results suggest that the damage during an earth quake appears to be highly unlikely in view of the marginally high Vs up to depth of 30 m. This study on seismic hazard is substantiated by the estimation of frequency of the ground as well as amplification which is found to be a maximum of about 2.5 in the frequency band of 2-6 Hz in west and north western portion of the study area.
Living on the Edge: Neighborhood Boundaries and the Spatial Dynamics of Violent Crime
Authors: Legewie Joscha
Published: September 2018

Neighborhood boundaries are a defining aspect of highly segregated urban areas. Yet, few studies examine the particular challenges and spatial processes that occur at the bordering region between two neighborhoods. Extending the growing literature on spatial interdependence, this article argues that neighborhood boundaries—defined as sharp changes in the racial or socioeconomic composition of neighborhoods—are a salient feature of the spatial structure with implications for violent crime and other outcomes. Boundaries lack the social control and cohesion of adjacent homogeneous areas, are contested between groups provoking intergroup conflict, and create opportunities for criminal behavior. This article presents evidence linking racial neighborhood boundaries to increased violent crime. The findings illustrate the importance of neighborhood boundaries for our understanding of spatial dimensions of population dynamics above and beyond the characteristics of neighborhoods.
Vitamin D deficiency and graft-versus-host disease in hematopoietic stem cell transplant population
Authors: Arain Abeer , Matthiesen Chance
Published: September 2018

Vitamins are the organic compounds that have long been known to play a significant role in our body by functioning as hormones and antioxidants. Vitamin D, a fat-soluble vitamin, is the main regulator of calcium hemostasis in our body. At the same time, it is also known to show its potential effects on the immune system by modulating the differentiation, activation, and proliferation of T and B lymphocytes. The immunomodulatory properties of vitamin D are also known to have a crucial role in the prevention and treatment of graft-versus-host disease. Patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation are particularly at risk of vitamin D deficiency. This review article expands our understanding of vitamin D, its immunomodulatory effects, and its role in prevention and treatment of graft-versus-host disease.
A review of interventions against fetal alcohol spectrum disorder targeting oxidative stress
Authors: Zhang Yuanpei , Wang Hongxuan , Li Yi , Peng Ying
Published: September 2018

Introduction

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder is caused by maternal ethanol exposure; it causes physical, behavioral, cognitive, and neural impairments (Murawski et al., 2015). Mechanisms of FASD causing damage are not yet fully elucidated. Oxidative stress might be one of its mechanisms (Henderson et al., 1995). Yet no effective treatment against FASD has been found other than ethanol abstention (Long et al., 2010).

Methods

This review summarizes relevant literatures regarding interventions targeting oxidative stress that may relieve fetal alcohol spectrum disorder.

Results

Astaxanthin was found to mitigate embryonic growth retardation induced by prenatal ethanol treatment through ameliorating the down regulation of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and malondialdehyde (MDA) caused by alcohol in a mice model (Zheng et al., 2014; Vabulas et al., 2002). Vitamin E protected against fatal alchol spectrum disorders by ameliorating oxidative stress in rat models (Mitchell et al., 1999a), and yielded a better outcome when it was combined with Vitamin C (Packer et al., 1979; Peng et al., 2005). Vitamin C mitigated embryonic retardation caused by alcohol and reversed ethanol induced NF‐κB activation and ROS (reactive oxygen species) formation in a Xenopus laevis model (Peng et al., 2005). Beta carotene supplement was proved to protect against neurotoxicity in hippocampal cultures of embryos induced by alcohol in a rats model (Mitchell et al., 1999a). Prenatal folic acid supplement reversed the decrease of body weight caused by maternal ethanol treatment and ameliorated the increment of glutathione reductase specific activities as well as the increase of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) induced by alcohol in a rats model (Cano et al., 2001). Omega‐3 fatty acids reversed the decrease of reduced glutathione (GSH) levels in brain caused by prenatal ethanol treatment in a rats model (Patten et al., 2013). EUK‐134 treatment reduced the incidence of forelimb defects caused by ethanol treatment in a mice model (Chen et al., 2004). Pretreatment of activity‐dependent neurotrophic factor‐9 (ADNF‐9) and NAPVSIPQ (NAP) protected against prenatal ethanol induced fetal death as well as fetal growth abnormalities in a mice model, and such treatment reversed the decrease of the rate of reduced glutathione (GSH)/ oxidative glutathione (GSSG) caused by alcohol (Spong et al., 2001).

Conclusion

By now interventions against fetal alcohol spectrum disorder targeting oxidative stress includes astaxanthin, Ascorbic acid (Vitamin C), Vitamin E, beta‐carotene, (–)‐Epigallocatechin‐3‐gallate (EGCG), Omega‐3 fatty acids, etc (see Fig. 1). However, most interventions are only assayed in animal models, more clinical trials are needed to show whether antioxidants make an effort against FASD damage.
Bacterial diversity in snow from mid-latitude mountain areas: Alps, Eastern Anatolia, Karakoram and Himalaya
Authors: Azzoni Roberto Sergio , Tagliaferri Ilario , Franzetti Andrea , Mayer Christoph , Lambrecht Astrid , Compostella Chiara , Caccianiga Marco , Minora Umberto Filippo , Garzonio Carlo Alberto , Meraldi Eraldo , Smiraglia Claudio , Diolaiuti Guglielmina Adele , Ambrosini Roberto
Published: September 2018

Snow can be considered an independent ecosystem that hosts active microbial communities. Snow microbial communities have been extensively investigated in the Arctic and in the Antarctica, but rarely in mid-latitude mountain areas. In this study, we investigated the bacterial communities of snow collected in four glacierized areas (Alps, Eastern Anatolia, Karakoram and Himalaya) by high-throughput DNA sequencing. We also investigated the origin of the air masses that produced the sampled snowfalls by reconstructing back-trajectories. A standardized approach was applied to all the analyses in order to ease comparison among different communities and geographical areas. The bacterial communities hosted from 25 to 211 Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs), and their structure differed significantly between geographical areas. This suggests that snow bacterial communities may largely derive from ‘local’ air bacteria, maybe by deposition of airborne particulate of local origin that occurs during snowfall. However, some evidences suggest that a contribution of bacteria collected during air mass uplift to snow communities cannot be excluded, particularly when the air mass that originated the snow event is particularly rich in dust.
LINEAR INDEPENDENCE OF POWERS OF SINGULAR MODULI OF DEGREE THREE
Authors: LUCA FLORIAN , RIFFAUT ANTONIN
Published: September 2018

We show that two distinct singular moduli $j(\unicode[STIX]{x1D70F}),j(\unicode[STIX]{x1D70F}^{\prime })$, such that for some positive integers $m$ and $n$ the numbers $1,j(\unicode[STIX]{x1D70F})^{m}$ and $j(\unicode[STIX]{x1D70F}^{\prime })^{n}$ are linearly dependent over $\mathbb{Q}$, generate the same number field of degree at most two. This completes a result of Riffaut [‘Equations with powers of singular moduli’, Int. J. Number Theory, to appear], who proved the above theorem except for two explicit pairs of exceptions consisting of numbers of degree three. The purpose of this article is to treat these two remaining cases.
The DutchMogharaer,ArabicMuḥarrar,and Javanese Law Books: A VOC Experiment with Muslim Law in Java, 1747–1767
Authors: Kooria Mahmood
Published: September 2018

This article examines the claims of Dutch East India Company (VOC) officials in the mid-eighteenth century regarding the Islamic source of a legal code prepared for the local population in Semarang, northeast Java. Although the VOC had encountered local legal cultures in Indonesia since the mid-seventeenth century, it preferred to circumvent those in favour of European laws whenever possible. But in the eighteenth century, VOC officials addressed indigenous legal systems more directly when the company sought possibilities for direct control. This resulted in the production of many codes on the legal status of Muslim and Chinese subjects of Indonesia. In the process of codification, some officials claimed to have consulted Islamic legal texts and Muslim jurists. One criminal code that came out of the effort supposedly took its rulings accurately from theMugharrar,which is possibly theMuḥarrarwritten by the Islamic jurist ʿAbd al-Karīm al-Rāfiʿī (d. 1226). I argue that this assertion is baseless, and demonstrate that the very pretense is part of a larger colonial project that sought legitimacy from the indigenous subjects at a time of political and economic crises.
Private words, public emotions: performing confession in indie music
Authors: Phillips-Hutton Ariana
Published: September 2018

This essay examines the work of singer-songwriter William Fitzsimmons as an example of how confessional performance is constructed within indie music. I contend that both audiences and artists participate in a discourse that draws on narratives of personal communication, intimacy and authenticity in order to create a distinctively confessional aesthetic. This aesthetic orientation is then reflected in performances that are framed as autobiographical and truth-telling. After surveying aspects of indie music that contribute to the formation of this aesthetic, I trace the implications of performed confession through an exploration of the sonic, visual and relational characteristics of Fitzsimmons's performances from his 2008 albumThe Sparrow and the Crow.By examining how artist and audience construct the confessional, I suggest a new perspective on how the confessional trope operates in indie music.
Affective reactivity to daily racial discrimination as a prospective predictor of depressive symptoms in African American graduate and postgraduate students
Authors: Ong Anthony D. , Burrow Anthony L.
Published: September 2018

This study examined whether individual differences in affective reactivity, defined as changes in positive or negative affect in response to daily racial discrimination, predicted subsequent depressive symptoms. Participants were African American graduate and postgraduate students (N = 174; M age = 30 years) recruited for a measurement-burst study. Data on depressive symptoms were gathered at two assessment points 1 year apart. Affective reactivity data was obtained from participants via a 14-day diary study of daily racial discrimination and affect. Participants who experienced pronounced increases in negative affect on days when racial discrimination occurred had elevated depressive symptoms 1 year later. Heightened positive affect reactivity was also associated with more depressive symptoms at follow-up. The results suggest that affective reactivity (either greater increases in negative affect or greater decreases in positive affect in the context of racial discrimination) may be an underlying psychological mechanism that confers vulnerability to future depressive symptoms.
Desert cyanobacteria under space and planetary simulations: a tool for searching for life beyond Earth and supporting human space exploration
Authors: Billi Daniela
Published: September 2018

The astonishing capability of life to adapt to extreme conditions has provided a new perspective on what ‘habitable’ means. On Earth extremophiles thrive in hostile habitats, such as hot and cold deserts or Antarctic sub-glacial lakes considered as Earth analogues of Mars and icy moons of Jupiter and Saturn. Recently desert cyanobacteria were exposed to ground-based simulations of space and Martian conditions and to real space and Martian conditions simulated in low Earth orbit using facilities attached outside the International Space Station. When exposure to such conditions does not exceed repair capabilities, more data are available regarding the physico-chemical constraints that life can withstand. When the accumulated damage exceeds the survival potential, the persistence of biomarkers contributes to the search for life elsewhere. Knowledge concerning the endurance of desert cyanobacteria under space and Martian conditions contributes to the development of life support systems.
Collaboration and diverse stakeholder participation in food system planning: a case study from Central New York
Authors: Weissman Evan , Potteiger Matthew
Published: September 2018

The Onondaga County Agriculture Council was created in 2012 to promote and support the county's farms, improve the connections between the county's urban core of Syracuse and the surrounding agricultural areas, and to develop policy to support agricultural production and food system development. In short, the purpose of the Council is to strengthen the Onondaga County food system. This goal, however, is ambiguous and Council members recognized a limited understanding of the current structure and function of the Central New York (CNY) food system. As such, the Council provided support for FoodPlanCNY, a project designed to identify food system assets and opportunities to strengthen the economic opportunities, public health outcomes and environmental sustainability of the CNY food system. This paper reports preliminary findings from this initial effort to engage participatory food system planning in CNY.
Organic labeling controversies: a means to an end within global value chains
Authors: Alonso González Pablo , Parga-Dans Eva
Published: September 2018

This commentary argues for strengthening the dialogue between the social and natural sciences as part of a more comprehensive sustainable approach to ecological farming practices that go beyond a focus on specific labels and certifications. It nuances the approach provided by Homeet al. in their study of Swiss farms converting to organic agriculture, in emphasizing the need to deepen the study of such farming practices by including a broad vision of global value chains and a pragmatic approach to innovation and the different stakeholders involved. Ultimately, it calls for a more complex approach to eco-agriculture in its widest sense, that goes beyond dichotomies about conversion, certification and labeling. This would provide alternatives for researchers and other actors to move forward in theory and practice.
Lithologic Controls on Focused Erosion and Intraplate Earthquakes in the Eastern Tennessee Seismic Zone
Authors: Gallen Sean F. , Thigpen J. Ryan
Published: September 2018

We present a new geomorphic model for the intraplate eastern Tennessee seismic zone (ETSZ). Previous studies document that the Upper Tennessee drainage basin is in a transient state of adjustment to ~150 m of base level fall that occurred in the Late Miocene. Using quantitative geomorphology, we demonstrate that base level fall resulted in the erosion of ~3,500 km3 of highly erodibility rock in an ~70 km wide by ~350‐km‐long corridor in the Paleozoic fold‐thrust belt above the ETSZ. Models of modern incision rates show a NE‐SW trending swath of elevated erosion ~30 km southeast of the center of the ETSZ. Stress modeling shows that lithologically focused erosion has affected fault clamping stress on preexisting, favorably oriented faults. We argue that the lithologically controlled transient erosional response to base level fall in the Upper Tennessee basin has given rise to and is sustaining earthquake activity in the ETSZ.
Identifying Physics‐Based Thresholds for Rainfall‐Induced Landsliding
Authors: Thomas Matthew A. , Mirus Benjamin B. , Collins Brian D.
Published: September 2018

Most regional landslide warning systems utilize empirically derived rainfall thresholds that are difficult to improve without recalibration to additional landslide events. To address this limitation, we explored the use of synthetic rainfall to generate thousands of possible storm patterns and coupled them with a physics‐based hydrology and slope stability model for various antecedent soil saturation scenarios to analyze pore water pressure and factor of safety metrics. We used these metrics to generate two‐tiered alert thresholds that can be employed to assess shallow landslide potential for any given combination of storm and antecedent wetness. When applied to the San Francisco Bay region (CA, USA), the results are consistent with events that caused widespread landsliding. Our deterministic modeling approach, which accounts for plausible ranges in soil hydraulic and mechanical properties, can inform the development of the next generation of warning systems for rainfall‐induced landsliding.
A Regional Analysis of Factors Affecting the Antarctic Boundary Layer During the Concordiasi Campaign
Authors: Ganeshan Manisha , Yang Yuekui
Published: September 2018

This study explores the regional variability in factors affecting the atmospheric boundary layer over continental Antarctica using high‐resolution dropsonde observations from the Concordiasi campaign in the austral spring of 2010. Analyses show that although the surface‐based inversion remains the dominant feature, well‐mixed boundary layers, some with convective features, are observed with an occurrence frequency of 33% and 18% in West and East Antarctica, respectively. The boundary layer mixing is dominated by mechanical instability albeit with regional flavors caused by topographically forced winds, shortwave radiation, and air mass influences. In East Antarctica, the downsloping wind regime is prevalent, and related katabatic effects are strongest over high elevation slopes where the wind‐induced turbulence is the primary cause of surface‐based inversion erosion and boundary layer mixing. Previous studies over Dome C have demonstrated the significance of shortwave radiation for mixed layer development during the peak of summer. While such an effect is not dominant during spring, solar forcing may contribute to turbulent mixing in high latitude regions. Finally, well‐mixed boundary layers are most frequently observed in the moist tongue region of West Antarctica, highlighting the importance of dynamical systems for boundary layer mixing.
Inactivation of Stat3 and crosstalk of miRNA155-5p and FOXO3a contribute to the induction of IGFBP1 expression by beta-elemene in human lung cancer
Authors: Zheng Fang , Tang Qing , Zheng Xiao-hua , Wu JingJing , Huang HaiDing , Zhang Haibo , Hann Swei Sunny
Published: September 2018

β-Elemene, an active component of natural plants, has been shown to exhibit anticancer properties. However, the detailed mechanism underlying these effects has yet to be determined. In this study, we show that β-elemene inhibits the growth of lung cancer cells. Mechanistically, we found that β-elemene decreased the phosphorylation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (Stat3) and miRNA155-5p mRNA but induced the protein expression of human forkhead box class O (FOXO)3a; the latter two were abrogated in cells with overexpressed Stat3. Notably, miRNA155-5p mimics reduced FOXO3a luciferase reporter activity in the 3-UTR region and protein expression, whereas overexpressed FOXO3a countered the reduction of the miRNA155-5p levels by β-elemene. Moreover, β-elemene increased the mRNA and protein expression levels as well as promoter activity of insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 1 (IGFBP1); this finding was not observed in cells with a silenced FOXO3a gene and miRNA155-5p mimics. Finally, silencing of IGFBP1 blocked β-elemene-inhibited cell growth. Similar findings were observed in vivo. In summary, our results indicate that β-elemene increases IGFBP1 gene expression via inactivation of Stat3 followed by a reciprocal interaction between miRNA155-5p and FOXO3a. This effect leads to inhibition of human lung cancer cell growth. These findings reveal a novel molecular mechanism underlying the inhibitory effects of β-elemene on lung cancer cells.
PIDD-dependent activation of caspase-2-mediated mitochondrial injury in E1A-induced cellular sensitivity to macrophage nitric oxide-induced apoptosis
Authors: Radke Jay R. , Figueroa Iris , Routes John M. , Cook James L.
Published: September 2018

Expression of the adenovirus E1A oncogene sensitizes tumor cells to innate immune rejection by apoptosis induced by macrophage-produced tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and nitric oxide (NO). E1A sensitizes cells to TNF-α and NO through two distinct mechanisms, by repressing NF-κB-dependent antiapoptotic responses and enhancing caspase-2 activation and mitochondrial injury, respectively. The mechanisms through which E1A enhances caspase-2 activation in response to NO were unknown. Here, we report that E1A-induced sensitization to NO-induced apoptosis is dependent on expression of PIDD (p53-inducible protein with a death domain) and enhancement of primary immunodeficiency diseases (PIDD) processing for formation of the PIDDosome, the core component of the caspase-2 activation complex. NO-induced apoptosis in E1A-expressing cells did not require expression Bak or Bax, indicating that NO-induced caspase-2-mediated mitochondrial injury does not proceed through the activities of typical, proapoptotic Bcl-2 family members that induce mitochondrial cytochrome C release. These results define a PIDD-dependent pathway, through which E1A enhances casapse-2-mediated mitochondrial injury, resulting in increased sensitivity of mammalian cells to macrophage-induced, NO-mediated apoptosis.
Solvatochromic covalent organic frameworks
Authors: Ascherl Laura , Evans Emrys W. , Hennemann Matthias , Di Nuzzo Daniele , Hufnagel Alexander G. , Beetz Michael , Friend Richard H. , Clark Timothy , Bein Thomas , Auras Florian
Published: September 2018

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) are an emerging class of highly tuneable crystalline, porous materials. Here we report the first COFs that change their electronic structure reversibly depending on the surrounding atmosphere. These COFs can act as solid-state supramolecular solvatochromic sensors that show a strong colour change when exposed to humidity or solvent vapours, dependent on vapour concentration and solvent polarity. The excellent accessibility of the pores in vertically oriented films results in ultrafast response times below 200 ms, outperforming commercially available humidity sensors by more than an order of magnitude. Employing a solvatochromic COF film as a vapour-sensitive light filter, we demonstrate a fast humidity sensor with full reversibility and stability over at least 4000 cycles. Considering their immense chemical diversity and modular design, COFs with fine-tuned solvatochromic properties could broaden the range of possible applications for these materials in sensing and optoelectronics.
c-axis pressure-induced antiferromagnetic order in optimally P-doped BaFe2(As0.70P0.30)2 superconductor
Authors: Hu Ding , Wang Weiyi , Zhang Wenliang , Wei Yuan , Gong Dongliang , Tam David W. , Zhou Panpan , Li Yu , Tan Guotai , Song Yu , Georgii Robert , Pedersen Björn , Cao Huibo , Tian Wei , Roessli Bertrand , Yin Zhiping , Dai Pengcheng
Published: September 2018

Superconductivity in BaFe2(As1−xPx)2 iron pnictides emerges when its in-plane two-dimensional (2D) orthorhombic lattice distortion associated with nematic phase at Ts and three-dimensional (3D) collinear antiferromagnetic order at TN (Ts = TN) are gradually suppressed with increasing x, reaching optimal superconductivity around x = 0.30 with Tc ≈ 30 K. Here we show that a moderate uniaxial pressure along the c-axis in BaFe2(As0.70P0.30)2 spontaneously induces a 3D collinear antiferromagnetic order with TN = Ts > 30 K, while only slightly suppresses Tc. Although a ~ 400 MPa pressure compresses the c-axis lattice while expanding the in-plane lattice and increasing the nearest-neighbor Fe–Fe distance, it barely changes the average iron-pnictogen height in BaFe2(As0.70P0.30)2. Therefore, the pressure-induced antiferromagnetic order must arise from a strong in-plane magnetoelastic coupling, suggesting that the 2D nematic phase is a competing state with superconductivity.