bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Assembly‐Induced Emission of Cellulose Nanocrystals for Hiding Information
Authors: Gan Lin , Feng Na , Liu Siyuan , Zheng Shuyu , Li Zhen , Huang Jin
Published: January 2019

Fluorescent‐labeled cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) films have been used to record and protect information in paper materials, whereas the fluorescent materials usually suffer photobleaching. Herein, a strategy of solid‐state emission induced by the vertical assembly of CNCs was established. The assembly‐induced emission starts from the structural diffraction of CNC, whose wavelength is adjusted into the ultraviolet (UV) region for hiding information under natural light. The small diameter (≈10 nm) of CNCs then promotes the resonance between the vertically assembled CNCs and the UV light, leading to a strong blue emission with an emitting quantum efficiency as high as 13.90%. By introducing the vertical‐assembly film with a specific pattern into paper materials, an anti‐counterfeiting image is obtained under a UV radiation. Since CNCs are a kind of cellulose with high crystallinity, this material can be a wear‐resistant anti‐counterfeiting material for banknotes or other paper applications.
Empowering communities with data: Role of data intermediaries for communities' data utilization
Authors: Yoon Ayoung , Copeland Andrea , McNally Paula Jo
Published: February 2019

Data have significant potential to address current societal problems not only at the federal and state levels, but also in smaller communities, in neighborhoods, and in the lives of individuals. While the proposition for this potential is that data are and will be shared with and reused by and for communities at different levels, not all data are systematically or routinely shared for reuse with communities due to social, structural and technical infrastructure barriers. Data intermediary organizations can play a significant role in removing existing barriers while unlocking the potential of data for all, particularly for communities with limited human or financial resources, limited access to existing data infrastructures, and underserved populations. Considering the significance of the data intermediary organizations on local communities, this study aims to explore the role of intermediaries that usually facilitate community members/organizations' data utilization. The findings of this study reveal that data intermediary organizations play four major roles that are crucial in communities' data utilization: (1) democratizing data, (2) adding value to existing data, (3) enhancing communities' data literacy, and (4) building communities' data capacity. This study has several important implications to offer as a solution to overcome the challenges of data reuse at the local level.
Tests for noninferiority trials with binomial endpoints: A guide to modern and quasi‐exact methods for biomedical researchers
Authors: Ripamonti Enrico , Lloyd Chris J.
Published: January 2019

Applied statisticians and pharmaceutical researchers are frequently involved in the design and analysis of clinical trials where at least one of the outcomes is binary. Treatments are judged by the probability of a positive binary response. A typical example is the noninferiority trial, where it is tested whether a new experimental treatment is practically not inferior to an active comparator with a prespecified margin δ. Except for the special case of δ = 0, no exact conditional test is available although approximate conditional methods (also called second‐order methods) can be applied. However, in some situations, the approximation can be poor and the logical argument for approximate conditioning is not compelling. The alternative is to consider an unconditional approach. Standard methods like the pooled z‐test are already unconditional although approximate. In this article, we review and illustrate unconditional methods with a heavy emphasis on modern methods that can deliver exact, or near exact, results. For noninferiority trials based on either rate difference or rate ratio, our recommendation is to use the so‐called E‐procedure, based on either the score or likelihood ratio statistic. This test is effectively exact, computationally efficient, and respects monotonicity constraints in practice. We support our assertions with a numerical study, and we illustrate the concepts developed in theory with a clinical example in pulmonary oncology; R code to conduct all these analyses is available from the authors.
The characteristics of African easterly waves coupled to Saharan mineral dust aerosols
Authors: Grogan Dustin F.P. , Thorncroft Christopher D.
Published: January 2019

The characteristics of African easterly waves (AEWs) and their relationship with synoptic‐scale plumes of Saharan mineral dust (SMD) are examined using 37 summers (July–September, 1980–2016) of 3‐D fields from the Modern‐Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications, version 2 (MERRA‐2). The AEWs and SMD plumes are obtained by projecting the kinematic, thermodynamic and dust fields onto the 2–6‐day time‐filtered aerosol optical depth (AOD) near the west coast of North Africa (15°N, 15°W). Results show that the kinematic fields of the AEWs have significant structure north of the African easterly jet (AEJ). For the SMD, signals occur in two regions relative to the AEW over Africa: in the northerlies ahead of the AEW trough in the Sahel (10–20°N), and in the southerlies behind the AEW trough in the Sahara (20–27°N). The SMD signals are emitted on the flanks of a low surface‐pressure system associated with the northern circulation, mixed vertically in ascent regions below 600 hPa and removed by dry and wet deposition processes. Over the eastern Atlantic Ocean, the kinematic fields of the AEWs weaken, which modifies the propagation of the SMD signals. Consequently, the SMD signals from the two sources merge in the Saharan air layer (SAL) over the Atlantic.

The direct radiative effects of SMD on the AEWs are also investigated over Africa.

The perturbation diabatic heating rate is combined with the perturbation temperature field to infer the structure of the diabatic generation term in the energetics of the AEWs. The implied energetics show that an SMD‐induced generation region of eddy potential energy occurs at mid‐levels (850–650 hPa) north of the AEJ, which replenishes energy that is converted by baroclinic processes.
Passivity‐based sliding mode controller/observer for second‐order nonlinear systems
Authors: Chang Jeang‐Lin
Published: January 2019

A passivity‐based sliding mode control for a class of second‐order nonlinear systems with matched disturbances is proposed in this paper. Firstly, a nonlinear sliding surface is designed using feedback passification, in which the passivity is employed to guarantee the closed‐loop system's stability. The passivity‐based controller comprising a discontinuous term guarantees globally asymptotical convergence to the sliding surface. A sliding mode‐based control law that satisfies the reaching and sliding condition is also developed. Moreover, the passivity‐based sliding mode observer is also developed to effectively estimate the system states. Compared with conventional sliding mode control, the proposed control scheme has a shorter reaching time; and hence, the system performance is less affected by disturbances, thus eliminating the need to increase the control input gain. Finally, simulation results demonstrate the validity of the proposed method.
Robust RHC for wheeled vehicles with bounded disturbances
Authors: Wang Peng , Feng Xinxi , Li Weihua , Ping Xubin , Yu Wangsheng
Published: January 2019

The robust receding horizon control (RHC) synthesis approach is developed in this paper, for the simultaneous tracking and regulation problem (STRP) of wheeled vehicles with bounded disturbances. Considering the bounded disturbances, we firstly provide a robust positively invariant (RPI) set and associated feedback controller for the perturbed vehicles, which contribute to the foundation of the robust RHC synthesis approach. Then, by extending the tube‐based approach introduced in the article of Mayne et al (robust model predictive control of constrained linear systems with bounded disturbances in Automatica, 2005, vol. 41) to the STRP of wheeled vehicles, we employ the designed RPI set to determine the robust tube and terminal state region, and further construct a nominal optimal control problem. The actual control input is implemented by correcting the solved nominal input with the designed feedback controller. Following the contributed properties of the developed RPI set and extended tube‐based approach, a robust RHC algorithm is finally proposed with the guarantees of recursive feasibility and robust convergence, which can also be adapted for real‐time implementation. Additionally, due to the elaborate control design, the effect of disturbances can be completely nullified to achieve better tracking performance. The effectiveness and advantage of the proposed approach are illustrated by two simulation examples.
A New Approach of Controlled Single Step In Situ Fabrication of Graphene Composite Sensor for Simultaneous Sensing of Small Biomolecules in Human Urine
Authors: Baig Nadeem , Kawde Abdel‐Nasser , Ibrahim Mohamed
Published: February 2019

A new approach is introduced to develop a nanostructured pseudo‐cup‐shaped 3D graphene composite (s3D‐GR) on the graphite pencil electrode (GPE) surface for simultaneous sensitive sensing of small biomolecules. A pseudo‐cup‐shaped 3D architecture of graphene was achieved by instant composition controlled interaction of the methylene blue (MTLB) with graphene oxide. The 3D graphene architecture appeared with inner, outer, upper walls and the pseudo‐cup‐shaped bottom. The SEM images revealed the formation of 3D graphene network on graphite pencil electrode. 3D pseudo‐cup‐shaped wrinkled graphene displayed a huge electroactive surface area (2.353 cm2) compared to 2D graphene (0.141 cm2). The 3D graphene composite contained more electroactive sites and improved surface kinetics. The fabricated electrode surface was comprehensively evaluated by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE‐SEM), Raman spectroscopy, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and cyclic voltammetry (CV). The s3D‐MTLB‐GR/GPE was exceptionally sensitive for dopamine (DA), uric acid (UA), l‐tyrosine (Tyr) and displayed low limit of detection (LOD) 15, 27, 247 nM, respectively. The peak separation between DA‐UA, UA‐Tyr, and DA‐Tyr were observed 140 mV, 319 mV, and 459 mV, respectively. Sensor behaved well in the presence of potential interferences and real urine sample. The pseudo‐cup‐shaped 3D graphene sensor can be proved a valuable tool for the simultaneous sensing of small biomolecules.
Corn Stalks ‐Derived Carbon‐SnO2 Composite as Anodes for Lithium‐Ion Batteries
Authors: Zhang Zhiqiang , Xue Jinshen , Song Kexian , Wang Xiaofeng , Yu Kaifeng , Li Xiangji
Published: February 2019

SnO2 is known as a promising anode candidate for lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs), but suffers from the low electrical conductivity and severe volume variation during cycling, which restraint its practical applications. To solve these issues, we successfully fabricated the three‐dimensional structure of carbon obtained from corn stalks and SnO2 composites. The materials exhibit excellent electrochemical performance. After 100 cycles, it shows a reversible capacity of 691 mA h g−1 at a current density of 0.2 C. Excellent cycle performance is due to the unique structure, which has a strong internal chemical bond between the SnO2 nanoparticles (SnO2 NPs) and the carbon skeleton, preventing SnO2 NPs from falling off the 3D network during the cycle. This work may provide a broader vision into synthesising C‐SnO2 composites for high‐performance anode materials of LIBs.
Tailoring academic words to multidisciplinary EAP classes
Authors: Pojanapunya Punjaporn
Published: January 2019

Prioritizing vocabulary for instruction is central to English for academic purposes (EAP) research. Several word lists have been created to serve different needs, with many of them being restricted to a basic classification as general, academic, and technical words. Although discipline‐specific vocabulary lists are useful for particular disciplines at one end of a continuum, and more general, common core vocabulary lists are useful for a range of disciplines at the other end, this study identified multidisciplinary words that lie in the middle and could be used by disciplines at either end of the continuum. The study identified important words in corpora of research articles collected from six disciplines with regard to common disciplinary domains in the hard and soft sciences. The target words of six disciplines were compared and examined with regard to whether they occurred in only one or many disciplines. With consideration for variability of word use across disciplines in the same disciplinary domain, words in hard sciences showed higher variability than others. The findings are discussed in terms of academic word identification, selection, and use in EAP classes.
Soluble Guanylate Cyclase Stimulators and Activators
Authors: Sandner Peter , Zimmer Daniel P. , Milne G. Todd , Follmann Markus , Hobbs Adrian , Stasch Johannes-Peter
Published: January 2019

When Furchgott, Murad, and Ignarro were honored with the Nobel prize for the identification of nitric oxide (NO) in 1998, the therapeutic implications of this discovery could not be fully anticipated. This was due to the fact that available therapeutics like NO donors did not allow a constant and long-lasting cyclic guanylyl monophosphate (cGMP) stimulation and had a narrow therapeutic window. Now, 20 years later, the stimulator of soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC), riociguat, is on the market and is the only drug approved for the treatment of two forms of pulmonary hypertension (PAH/CTEPH), and a variety of other sGC stimulators and sGC activators are in preclinical and clinical development for additional indications. The discovery of sGC stimulators and sGC activators is a milestone in the field of NO/sGC/cGMP pharmacology. The sGC stimulators and sGC activators bind directly to reduced, heme-containing and oxidized, heme-free sGC, respectively, which results in an increase in cGMP production. The action of sGC stimulators at the heme-containing enzyme is independent of NO but is enhanced in the presence of NO whereas the sGC activators interact with the heme-free form of sGC. These highly innovative pharmacological principles of sGC stimulation and activation seem to have a very broad therapeutic potential. Therefore, in both academia and industry, intensive research and development efforts have been undertaken to fully exploit the therapeutic benefit of these new compound classes. Here we summarize the discovery of sGC stimulators and sGC activators and the current developments in both compound classes, including the mode of action, the chemical structures, and the genesis of the terminology and nomenclature. In addition, preclinical studies exploring multiple aspects of their in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo pharmacology are reviewed, providing an overview of multiple potential applications. Finally, the clinical developments, investigating the treatment potential of these compounds in various diseases like heart failure, diabetic kidney disease, fibrotic diseases, and hypertension, are reported. In summary, sGC stimulators and sGC activators have a unique mode of action with a broad treatment potential in cardiovascular diseases and beyond.

Graphical Abstract
All-orders behaviour and renormalons in top-mass observables
Authors: Ravasio Silvia Ferrario , Nason Paolo , Oleari Carlo
Published: January 2019

Abstract

We study a simplified model of top production and decay, consisting in a virtual vector boson W
* decaying into a massive-massless t-

$$ \overline{b} $$

b
¯

quark-antiquark pair. The top has a finite width and further decays into a stable vector boson W and a b quark. We then consider the emission or the virtual exchange of one gluon, with all possible light-quark loop insertions. These are the dominant diagrams in the limit of an infinite number of light flavours. We devise a procedure to compute this process fully, by analytic and numerical methods, and for any infrared-safe final-state observables. We examine the results at arbitrary orders in perturbation theory, and assess the factorial growth associated with renormalons. We look for renormalon effects leading to corrections of order ΛQCD, that we dub “linear” renormalons, in the inclusive cross section (with and without selection cuts), in the mass of the reconstructed-top system, and in the average energy of the final-state W boson, considering both the pole and the

$$ \overline{\mathrm{MS}} $$

M
S

¯

scheme for the top mass. We find that the total cross section without cuts, if expressed in terms of the

$$ \overline{\mathrm{MS}} $$

M
S

¯

mass, does not exhibit linear renormalons, but, as soon as selection cuts are introduced, jets-related linear renormalons arise in any mass scheme. In addition, we show that the reconstructed mass is affected by linear renormalons in any scheme and that the average energy of the W boson (that we consider as a simplified example of leptonic observable), in any mass scheme, has a renormalon in the narrow-width limit, that is however screened at large orders for finite top widths, provided the top mass is in the

$$ \overline{\mathrm{MS}} $$

M
S

¯

scheme.
Multitype branching processes with inhomogeneous Poisson immigration
Authors: Mitov Kosto V. , Yanev Nikolay M. , Hyrien Ollivier
Published: February 2019

In this paper we introduce multitype branching processes with inhomogeneous Poisson immigration, and consider in detail the critical Markov case when the local intensity r(t) of the Poisson random measure is a regularly varying function. Various multitype limit distributions (conditional and unconditional) are obtained depending on the rate at which r(t) changes with time. The asymptotic behaviour of the first and second moments, and the probability of nonextinction are investigated.
Phenotypic Variability of Essential Tremor Based on the Age at Onset
Authors: Prasad Shweta , Bhalsing Ketaki Swapnil , Jhunjhunwala Ketan , Lenka Abhishek , Binu VS , Pal Pramod Kumar
Published: January 2019

Background: Essential tremor (ET) is reported to have a bimodal distribution of age at onset (AAO) with phenotypic variability based on the AAO. This study aims to explore the distribution of AAO based on mathematical modeling and ascertain the differences, if any, in the clinical features of groups. Methods: A chart review was conducted for 252 patients with ET diagnosed based on the Consensus statement of the Movement Disorder Society on Tremor. Finite mixture modeling was performed to identify groups of the cohort based on the AAO. Results: Three groups were defined: early onset (EO): AAO ≤ 22 years, n = 63, intermediate onset (IO): 23 ≤ AAO ≤ 35 years, n = 43, and late onset (LO): AAO ≥ 36 years, n = 146. There were no significant differences related to family history or responsiveness to alcohol. The EO group had significantly higher prevalence of upper limb and lower limb tremor. Head tremor and voice tremor was more prevalent in the IO and LO groups. Cerebellar signs showed a significant increase with an increase in AAO. Conclusions: ET shows significant phenotypic variability based on the AAO. Patients with an early AAO are more likely to develop an appendicular tremor, whereas the probability of axial tremor and cerebellar signs increases with increasing AAO.
Time Trends of the Incidence, Prevalence, and Mortality of Parkinsonism
Authors: Wong Jessica J. , Kwong Jeffrey C. , Tu Karen , Butt Debra A. , Copes Ray , Wilton Andrew S. , Murray Brian J. , Kopp Alexander , Chen Hong
Published: January 2019

Objectives:We assessed trends in the incidence, prevalence, and post-diagnosis mortality of parkinsonism in Ontario, Canada over 18 years. We also explored the influence of a range of risk factors for brain health on the trend of incident parkinsonism.Methods:We established an open cohort by linking population-based health administrative databases from 1996 to 2014 in Ontario. The study population comprised residents aged 20–100 years with an incident diagnosis of parkinsonism ascertained using a validated algorithm. We calculated age- and sex-standardized incidence, prevalence, and mortality of parkinsonism, stratified by young onset (20–39 years) and mid/late onset (≥40 years). We assessed trends in incidence using Poisson regression, mortality using negative binomial regression, and prevalence of parkinsonism and pre-existing conditions (e.g., head injury) using the Cochran–Armitage trend test. To better understand trends in the incidence of mid/late-onset parkinsonism, we adjusted for various pre-existing conditions in the Poisson regression model.Results:From 1996 to 2014, we identified 73,129 incident cases of parkinsonism (source population of ∼10.5 million), of whom 56% were male, mean age at diagnosis was 72.6 years, and 99% had mid/late-onset parkinsonism. Over 18 years, the age- and sex-standardized incidence decreased by 13.0% for mid/late-onset parkinsonism but remained unchanged for young-onset parkinsonism. The age- and sex-standardized prevalence increased by 22.8%, while post-diagnosis mortality decreased by 5.5%. Adjustment for pre-existing conditions did not appreciably explain the declining incidence of mid/late-onset parkinsonism.Conclusion:Young-onset and mid/late-onset parkinsonism exhibited differing trends in incidence over 18 years in Ontario. Further research to identify other factors that may appreciably explain trends in incident parkinsonism is warranted.
Direct numerical simulations of ripples in an oscillatory flow
Authors: Mazzuoli Marco , Kidanemariam Aman G. , Uhlmann Markus
Published: January 2019

Sea ripples are small-scale bedforms which originate from the interaction of an oscillatory flow with an erodible sand bed. The phenomenon of sea ripple formation is investigated by means of direct numerical simulation in which the sediment bed is represented by a large number of fully resolved spherical grains (i.e. the flow around each individual particle is accounted for). Two sets of parameter values (differing in the amplitude and frequency of fluid oscillations, among other quantities) are adopted which are motivated by laboratory experiments on the formation of laminar rolling-grain ripples. The knowledge of the origin of ripples is presently enriched by insights and by providing fluid- and sediment-related quantities that are difficult to obtain in the laboratory (e.g. particle forces, statistics of particle motion, bed shear stress). In particular, detailed analysis of flow and sediment bed evolution has confirmed that ripple wavelength is determined by the action of steady recirculating cells which tend to accumulate sediment grains into ripple crests. The ripple amplitude is observed to grow exponentially, consistent with established linear stability analysis theories. Particles at the bed surface exhibit two kinds of motion depending on their position with respect to the recirculating cells: particles at ripple crests are significantly faster and show larger excursions than those lying in ripple troughs. In analogy with the segregation phenomenon of polydisperse sediments, the non-uniform distribution of the velocity field promotes the formation of ripples. The wider the gap between the excursion of fast and slow particles, the larger the resulting growth rate of the ripples. Finally, it is revealed that, in the absence of turbulence, the sediment flow rate is driven by both the bed shear stress and the wave-induced pressure gradient, the dominance of each depending on the phase of the oscillation period. In phases of maximum bed shear stress, the sediment flow rate correlates more with the Shields number while the pressure gradient tends to drive sediment bed motion during phases of minimum bed shear stress.
Three-dimensional capillary waves due to a submerged source with small surface tension
Authors: Lustri Christopher J. , Pethiyagoda Ravindra , Chapman S. Jonathan
Published: January 2019

Steady and unsteady linearised flow past a submerged source are studied in the small-surface-tension limit, in the absence of gravitational effects. The free-surface capillary waves generated are exponentially small in the surface tension, and are determined using the theory of exponential asymptotics. In the steady problem, capillary waves are found to extend upstream from the source, switching on across curves on the free surface known as Stokes lines. Asymptotic predictions are compared with computational solutions for the position of the free surface. In the unsteady problem, transient effects cause the solution to display more complicated asymptotic behaviour, such as higher-order Stokes lines. The theory of exponential asymptotics is applied to show how the capillary waves evolve over time, and eventually tend to the steady solution.
Hyperbolicity, shadowing directions and sensitivity analysis of a turbulent three-dimensional flow
Authors: Ni Angxiu
Published: January 2019

This paper uses compressible flow simulation to analyse the hyperbolicity, shadowing directions and sensitivities of a weakly turbulent three-dimensional cylinder flow at Reynolds number 525 and Mach number 0.1. By computing the first 40 covariant Lyapunov vectors (CLVs), we find that unstable CLVs are active in the near-wake region, whereas stable CLVs are active in the far-wake region. This phenomenon is related to hyperbolicity since it shows that CLVs point to different directions; it also suggests that for open flows there is a large fraction of CLVs that are stable. However, due to the extra neutral CLV and the occasional tangencies between CLVs, our system is not uniform hyperbolic. By the non-intrusive least-squares shadowing (NILSS) algorithm, we compute shadowing directions and sensitivities of long-time-averaged objectives. Our results suggest that shadowing methods may be valid for general chaotic fluid problems.
Theoretical impulse threshold for particle dislodgement
Authors: Maldonado Sergio , de Almeida Gustavo A. M.
Published: January 2019

The problem of determining the threshold of motion of a sediment particle resting on the bed of an open channel has historically been dominated by an approach based on the time–space-averaged bed shear stress (i.e. Shields criterion). Recently, experimental studies have promoted an alternative approach to predict the dislodgement threshold, which is based on the impulse of the flow-induced force. Nonetheless, theoretical analyses accompanying these studies result in complex expressions that fail to provide a direct estimate of said impulse threshold. We employ the work–energy principle to derive a prediction of the fundamental impulse threshold that the destabilising hydrodynamic force must overcome in order to achieve full particle dislodgement. For the bed configuration studied, which is composed of spheres, the proposed expression depends on the mobile particle’s size and mass, and shows excellent agreement with experimental observations previously published. The derivation presented in this paper may thus represent a robust theoretical framework that aids in the reinterpretation of existing data, as well as in the design of future experiments aimed at analysing the importance of hydrodynamic impulse as a criterion for prediction of particle dislodgement.
Milletic Secularism in the Balkans: Christianity, Islam, and Identity in Bulgaria
Authors: Evstatiev Simeon
Published: January 2019

The article introduces the concept of “milleticsecularism” which invokes the Ottomanmilletsystem to refer to divergent and competing transnational collective identities, loyalties, and frames of reference coexisting within the same nation-state. These identities are conceptualized as resembling the way religious communities functioned under the Ottomanmilletsystem but in a reverse, upended way, as today Muslims are the minority in a pluralist society and secular state governed on the basis of non-Muslim procedures and values symbolically overarched by Orthodox Christianity. Foregrounding the case of Bulgaria, the article highlights the role of the Ottoman legacy vis-à-vis Orthodox Christian heritage for the accommodation of diversity. Milletic secularism draws on the implicit social knowledge that evokes differing antecedents and values underlying the shared identities of Christians and Muslims. Since the 1990s, after half a century dominated by the “secular religion” of Communism, the intersection of religion and politics in Bulgaria is reshaped by the reemergence of religion as a structural force. Milletic secularism has both integrative and emancipatory potential, fostered and challenged today by a variety of factors. Among them, this article foregrounds the increasingly transnational Sunnī Muslim identity and the ongoing re-Islamization in the form of Ḥanafism and Salafism.
Dynamics of National Pride Attitudes in Post-Soviet Russia, 1996–2015
Authors: Fabrykant Marharyta , Magun Vladimir
Published: January 2019

The article examines a key attribute of Russian national identity—national pride—as it is reflected in mass consciousness. To trace the dynamics of multiple facets of national pride and related phenomena from 1996 to 2015, we use data from five surveys. The results demonstrate a substantial growth in Russian national pride in specific country achievements and general pride in Russian citizenship over the last 20 years. This change is the result of the population’s and state’s need for positive social identity as well as from both real and imagined progress in the Russian economy and political influence, and it started long before the Crimea mobilization and Olympics of 2014. The structural difference in pride in various achievements persisted for the 20 years examined here, but became less distinct. Across the years examined here, Russian national pride has become more strongly related to belief in the superiority of the country and is therefore increasingly competitive.
On a second numerical index for Banach spaces
Authors: Kim Sun Kwang , Lee Han Ju , Martín Miguel , Merí Javier
Published: January 2019

We introduce a second numerical index for real Banach spaces with non-trivial Lie algebra, as the best constant of equivalence between the numerical radius and the quotient of the operator norm modulo the Lie algebra. We present a number of examples and results concerning absolute sums, duality, vector-valued function spaces…which show that, in many cases, the behaviour of this second numerical index differs from the one of the classical numerical index. As main results, we prove that Hilbert spaces have second numerical index one and that they are the only spaces with this property among the class of Banach spaces with one-unconditional basis and non-trivial Lie algebra. Besides, an application to the Bishop-Phelps-Bollobás property for the numerical radius is given.
Preliminary investigation of14C migration from RBMK-1500 reactor graphite disposed of in a potential geological repository in crystalline rocks in Lithuania
Authors: Grigaliuniene Dalia , Poskas Povilas , Kilda Raimondas , Narkuniene Asta
Published: January 2019

There are two units with RBMK-1500 type reactors at the Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant (Ignalina NPP) in Lithuania where graphite was used as a neutron moderator and reflector. These reactors are now being decommissioned, and Lithuania has to find a solution for safe irradiated graphite disposal. It cannot be disposed of in a near surface repository due to large amounts of14C (radiocarbon, carbon-14); thus, a deep geological repository (DGR) is analyzed as an option. This study had the aim to evaluate14C migration from the RBMK-1500 irradiated graphite disposed of in a potential DGR in crystalline rocks taking into account the outcomes of the research performed under the collaborative European project CAST (CArbon-14 Source Term) and to identify the potential to reduce the conservatism in the assumptions that was introduced in the lack of data and led in the overestimated14C migration. The information gathered during the CAST project was used to model14C transport in the near field by the water pathway and to perform uncertainty analysis. The study demonstrated that more realistic assumptions could reduce the estimated14C flux from the near field by approximately one order of magnitude in comparison with the previous estimations based on very conservative assumptions.
14C and Other Radionuclides in Impermeable Graphite Material Waste form Long Term Behavior
Authors: Márquez E , Piña G , Fachinger J , Leganés J L
Published: January 2019

The radiocarbon (14C) content of irradiated graphite is the most important problem for the management of Spanish irradiated graphite (Vandellós I NPP) as L&ILW, due to this material exceeding the maximum14C inventory for the C.A. El Cabril repository. Therefore, the encapsulation of graphite in an impermeable matrix and making an appropriate waste form are indicated as potential management options to be studied. The conversion of the graphite to a long-term stable glass matrix, called IGM (impermeable graphite matrix), uses a long-term stable inorganic binder which additionally encloses the graphite pore system. The world’s first IGM samples made with irradiated graphite have been manufactured in CIEMAT facilities. The durability of the matrix is investigated in leaching experiments in deionized water and granitic bentonite water. The results show that ∼0.05% of14C is leached. A species of organic carbon was found as formate and oxalate (∼10–1mg/L). CO was detected as volatile specie in both media in the first leaching steps; for deionized water (∼3.101mg/L) and in granitic bentonite water (ranging 1.101–3.101mg/L). These low values demonstrated the durability of the IGM glass matrix for final disposal.
EMPIRE AND ENLIGHTENMENT IN THREE LETTERS FROM SIR WILLIAM JONES TO GOVERNOR-GENERAL JOHN MACPHERSON
Authors: EHRLICH JOSHUA
Published: January 2019

These newly discovered letters help to reconstruct the close association between two seemingly disparate eighteenth-century Britons in India. Moreover, they suggest that a fixation on clashes of ‘cultural attitudes’ has distorted modern assessments of the politics of scholarly patronage in that era. The long-lauded William Jones and the long-dismissed John Macpherson were not so different after all. The views of each ranged from the sublime heights of Enlightened philosophy to the grubby depths of imperial politics.
REVIEW OF EXECUTIVE ACTION ABROAD: THE UK SUPREME COURT IN THE INTERNATIONAL LEGAL ORDER
Authors: Sanger Andrew
Published: January 2019

In January 2017, the UK Supreme Court handed down landmark judgments in three cases arising out of the UK government's conduct abroad. In Serdar Mohammed v Ministry of Defence, the Court considered whether detention in non-international armed conflicts was compatible with the right of liberty in Article 5 of the European Convention on Human Rights. The second case, Belhaj v Straw, involved an examination of the nature and scope of the foreign act of State doctrine, and its applicability as a defence to tort claims arising out of the alleged complicity of the UK Government in human rights abuses abroad. Finally, Rahmatullah v Ministry of Defence saw the Court examining the nature and scope of the Crown act of State doctrine, and its use as a defence to tort claims alleging unlawful detention and maltreatment. All three cases raise important doctrinal issues and have significant consequences for government accountability and access to a judicial remedy. At the heart of each decision is the relationship between international law and English law, including the ways in which international norms influence the development of English law and public policy, and how different interpretations of domestic law affect how judges resolve questions of international law. These cases also see the judges grapple with the role of the English court in the UK constitutional and international legal orders.
IMMINENCE IN REFUGEE AND HUMAN RIGHTS LAW: A MISPLACED NOTION FOR INTERNATIONAL PROTECTION
Authors: Anderson Adrienne , Foster Michelle , Lambert Hélène , McAdam Jane
Published: January 2019

This article is an output of a major research project examining the notion of imminence in the law on international protection. It is the first piece of scholarship to identify an emerging trend, namely the introduction of imminence—whether invoked implicitly or explicitly—as a potential barrier to refugee status or complementary protection. The article analyses the jurisprudence of relevant international bodies and courts and critiques the validity of this notion as a tool for assessing States’ protection obligations.
sPIF promotes myoblast differentiation and utrophin expression while inhibiting fibrosis in Duchenne muscular dystrophy via the H19/miR-675/let-7 and miR-21 pathways
Authors: Morgoulis Daria , Berenstein Peter , Cazacu Simona , Kazimirsky Gila , Dori Amir , Barnea Eytan R. , Brodie Chaya
Published: January 2019

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a progressive, lethal, X-linked disease of skeletal and cardiac muscles caused by mutations in the dystrophin gene. Loss of dystrophin leads to muscle fiber damage and impairment of satellite cell asymmetric division, which are essential for muscle regeneration. These processes ultimately result in muscle wasting and the replacement of the degenerating muscles by fibrogenic cells, a process that leads to the generation of fibrotic tissues. Preimplantation factor (PIF) is an evolutionary conserved 15-amino acid peptide secreted by viable mammalian embryos. Synthetic PIF (sPIF) reproduces the protective/regenerative effects of the endogenous peptide in immune disorders and transplantation models. In this study, we demonstrated that sPIF treatment promoted mouse and human myoblast differentiation and inhibited the expression of collagen 1A1, collagen 1A2, and TGF-β in DMD patient-derived myoblasts. Additionally, sPIF increased the expression of utrophin, a homolog of dystrophin protein. sPIF effects were mediated via the upregulation of lncRNA H19 and miR-675 and downregulation of let-7. sPIF also inhibited the expression of miR-21, a major fibrosis regulator. The administration of sPIF in mdx mice significantly decreased serum creatine kinase and collagen I and collagen IV expression in the diaphragm, whereas it increased utrophin expression in the diaphragm, heart and quadriceps muscles. In conclusion, sPIF promoted the differentiation of DMD myoblasts, increased utrophin expression via the H19/miRNA-675/let-7 pathway, and reduced muscle fibrosis possibly via the upregulation of miR-675 and inhibition of miR-21 expression. These findings strongly support pursuing sPIF as a potential therapeutic agent for DMD. Moreover, the completion of an sPIF phase I safety trial will further promote the use of sPIF for the treatment of muscular dystrophies.
Autophagy attenuates tubulointerstital fibrosis through regulating transforming growth factor-β and NLRP3 inflammasome signaling pathway
Authors: Nam Sun Ah , Kim Wan-Young , Kim Jin Won , Park Sang Hee , Kim Hong Lim , Lee Myung-Shik , Komatsu Masaaki , Ha Hunjoo , Lim Ji Hee , Park Cheol Whee , Yang Chul Woo , Kim Jin , Kim Yong Kyun
Published: January 2019

Renal fibrosis is the final common pathway of various renal injuries and it leads to chronic kidney disease. Autophagy is a cellular process of degradation of damaged cytoplasmic components and regulates cell death and proliferation. Cellular response during unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) is tubular segment specific. Thus the role of autophagy on renal tubulointerstitial fibrosis (TIF) after UUO may be different according to segment of nephron. The role of autophagy during UUO remains unclear especially in distal tubules. In this study, we investigated the role of autophagy in distal tubules on renal TIF using conditional knockout mice in which Atg7 was genetically ablated specifically in distal tubular epithelial cell (TEC). In green fluorescent protein (GFP)-LC3 transgenic mice, GFP-LC3 puncta was highly expressed in distal tubular cells of the obstructed kidneys after UUO. Genetic deletion of Atg7 specifically in distal TEC increased renal tubulointerstial fibrosis and epithelial-mesenchymal transition-like phenotype change after UUO through Smad4-dependent transforming growth factor (TGF)-β pathway. Distal tubule-specific autophagy-deficient mice increased the accumulation of damaged mitochondria and SQSTM1/p62-positive aggregates in the obstructed kidney and resulted in increased expression of NLRP3 inflammasome, interleukin (IL) 1-β and caspase-1. Distal TEC-specific Atg7 deletion enhanced apoptosis of TECs after UUO. In summary, our data showed that autophagy in distal TEC plays a protective role in development of renal tubulointerstial fibrosis through regulating the expression of TGF-β an IL1-β after UUO.
PD-1/PD-L1 checkpoint blockade harnesses monocyte-derived macrophages to combat cognitive impairment in a tauopathy mouse model
Authors: Rosenzweig Neta , Dvir-Szternfeld Raz , Tsitsou-Kampeli Afroditi , Keren-Shaul Hadas , Ben-Yehuda Hila , Weill-Raynal Pierre , Cahalon Liora , Kertser Alex , Baruch Kuti , Amit Ido , Weiner Assaf , Schwartz Michal
Published: January 2019

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a heterogeneous disorder with multiple etiologies. Harnessing the immune system by blocking the programmed cell death receptor (PD)-1 pathway in an amyloid beta mouse model was shown to evoke a sequence of immune responses that lead to disease modification. Here, blocking PD-L1, a PD-1 ligand, was found to have similar efficacy to that of PD-1 blocking in disease modification, in both animal models of AD and of tauopathy. Targeting PD-L1 in a tau-driven disease model resulted in increased immunomodulatory monocyte-derived macrophages within the brain parenchyma. Single cell RNA-seq revealed that the homing macrophages expressed unique scavenger molecules including macrophage scavenger receptor 1 (MSR1), which was shown here to be required for the effect of PD-L1 blockade in disease modification. Overall, our results demonstrate that immune checkpoint blockade targeting the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway leads to modification of common factors that go awry in AD and dementia, and thus can potentially provide an immunotherapy to help combat these diseases.
Author Correction: Pan-cancer analysis of homozygous deletions in primary tumours uncovers rare tumour suppressors
Authors: Cheng Jiqiu , Demeulemeester Jonas , Wedge David C. , Vollan Hans Kristian M. , Pitt Jason J. , Russnes Hege G. , Pandey Bina P. , Nilsen Gro , Nord Silje , Bignell Graham R. , White Kevin P. , Børresen-Dale Anne-Lise , Campbell Peter J. , Kristensen Vessela N. , Stratton Michael R. , Lingjærde Ole Christian , Moreau Yves , Van Loo Peter
Published: January 2019

The original version of this Article omitted a declaration from the competing interests statement, which should have included the following: ‘K.P.W. is President of Tempus Lab, Inc., Chicago, IL, USA’. This has now been corrected in both the PDF and HTML versions of the Article.
Optimal Gaussian measurements for phase estimation in single-mode Gaussian metrology
Authors: Oh Changhun , Lee Changhyoup , Rockstuhl Carsten , Jeong Hyunseok , Kim Jaewan , Nha Hyunchul , Lee Su-Yong
Published: January 2019

The central issue in quantum parameter estimation is to find out the optimal measurement setup that leads to the ultimate lower bound of an estimation error. We address here a question of whether a Gaussian measurement scheme can achieve the ultimate bound for phase estimation in single-mode Gaussian metrology that exploits single-mode Gaussian probe states in a Gaussian environment. We identify three types of optimal Gaussian measurement setups yielding the maximal Fisher information depending on displacement, squeezing, and thermalization of the probe state. We show that the homodyne measurement attains the ultimate bound for both displaced thermal probe states and squeezed vacuum probe states, whereas for the other single-mode Gaussian probe states, the optimized Gaussian measurement cannot be the optimal setup, although they are sometimes nearly optimal. We then demonstrate that the measurement on the basis of the product quadrature operators $$\hat X\hat P + \hat P\hat X$$

X

̂

P

̂

+

P

̂

X

̂

, i.e., a non-Gaussian measurement, is required to be fully optimal.
Multimodal imaging analyses in patients with genetic and sporadic forms of small vessel disease
Authors: Kim Ko Woon , Kwon Hunki , Kim Young-Eun , Yoon Cindy W. , Kim Yeo Jin , Kim Yong Bum , Lee Jong Min , Yoon Won Tae , Kim Hee Jin , Lee Jin San , Jang Young Kyoung , Kim Yeshin , Jang Hyemin , Ki Chang-Seok , Youn Young Chul , Shin Byoung-Soo , Bang Oh Young , Kim Gyeong-Moon , Chung Chin-Sang , Kim Seung Joo , Na Duk L. , Duering Marco , Cho Hanna , Seo Sang Won
Published: January 2019

Cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy (CADASIL) is thought to be a pure genetic form of subcortical vascular cognitive impairment (SVCI). The aim of this study was to compare white matter integrity and cortical thickness between typical CADASIL, a genetic form, and two sporadic forms of SVCI (with NOTCH3 and without NOTCH3 variants). We enrolled typical CADASIL patients (N = 11) and SVCI patients [with NOTCH3 variants (N = 15), without NOTCH3 variants (N = 101)]. To adjust the age difference, which reflects the known difference in clinical and radiologic courses between typical CADASIL patients and SVCI patients, we constructed a W-score of measurement for diffusion tensor image and cortical thickness. Typical CADASIL patients showed more frequent white matter hyperintensities in the bilateral posterior temporal region compared to SVCI patients (p < 0.001, uncorrected). We found that SVCI patients, regardless of the presence of NOTCH3 variants, showed significantly greater microstructural alterations (W-score, p < 0.05, FWE-corrected) and cortical thinning (W-score, p < 0.05, FDR-corrected) than typical CADASIL patients. In this study, typical CADASIL and SVCI showed distinct anatomic vulnerabilities in the cortical and subcortical structures. However, there was no difference between SVCI with NOTCH3 variants and SVCI without NOTCH3 variants.