bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Early athyride brachiopod evolution through the Ordovician-Silurian mass extinction and recovery, Anticosti Island, eastern Canada
Authors: Copper Paul , Jin Jisuo
Published: September 2017

The subfamily Hindellinae is an early group of athyride brachiopods, characterized by a simple jugum that connects the laterally directed spiralia, which are disjunct from the crura. Four genera (Hindella,Cryptothyrella,Koigia, andHyattidina) are reexamined on the basis of their internal structures, such as the crura and their connection to the hinge, the jugum, and spiralia. The internal brachidium and shell of the Aeronian genusCryptothyrelladiffer substantially from those ofHindella.Elkanathyris pallulan. gen. n. sp. is recognized as a posteriorly ribbed hindellide of Aeronian age. These genera are transferred from the Meristellinae to the subfamily Hindellinae (family Hindellidae). On Anticosti Island,Hindellais confined to the Hirnantian (latest Ordovician): it became extinct at the end Ordovician during the last of several mass extinction events that also extinguished the Laframboise reefs at the top of the Ellis Bay Formation. Post-extinction recovery of athyrides was pioneered by small-shelledKoigia, which are abundant in the basal Silurian Becscie Formation.Hyattidina, with a simple brachidium, is abundant in the Aeronian and Telychian of Anticosti, but absent earlier. True meristellines, as envisioned here, first appeared in the Aeronian Gun River Formation. The revised taxonomy and stratigraphic ranges of these earliest athyrides shed light on the nature of the Ordovician–Silurian mass extinction and recovery, and help refine the biostratigraphy of the O-S boundary interval.
Nuns and Guns: Thoughts on Heritage, Histories, and Egyptology
Authors: Riggs Christina
Published: September 2017

In March 2017, the Museo Egizio in Turin, Italy opened an exhibition calledMissione Egitto 1903–1920, exploring the history of the archaeological excavations from which much of the museum's impressive (and impressively displayed) collection derives. Known as the Missione Archeologica Italiana, the excavations were overseen by the museum's then-director, Ernesto Schiaparelli—an esteemed Egyptologist and prominent Catholic philanthropist. “Mission” was one of several terms archaeologists used to identify their work in the colonial Middle East, including Egypt: the Institut Français d'Archéologie Orientale in Cairo originated in 1880 as the “Mission archéologique,” to take just one example (Reid 2002, 175).
(En)countering Orientalist Islamic Cultural Heritage Traditions: Theory, Discourse, and Praxis
Authors: Engmann Rachel Ama Asaa
Published: September 2017

West African Islamic cultural heritage is recurrently overlooked or marginalized in scholarly, museological, and popular imaginaries, despite contemporary burgeoning Western attentiveness to Islam. Historically, Orientalists and/or Islamicists exclude West Africa, and anthropologists study West African Islam due to its alleged lack of written Arabic andAjamitexts (Loimeier 2013; Saul 2006), despite textual and material evidence to the contrary. Existing literature on the material expressions of West African Islam, largely edited volumes and museum catalogues, direct attention to Islamic West Africa, rather than IslaminWest Africa, in other words, predominantly West African Muslim societies, and not those for whom Muslims comprise a minority (Adahl 1995; Insoll 2003; Roberts and Nooter Roberts 2003; for exceptions cf. Bravmann 1974, 1983, 2000). Analytically, the “Islamization of Africa” and “Africanization of Islam,” standard nomenclature customarily employed to describe the simultaneous processes at play in West African Islam (Loimier 2013), note the reciprocal relationship between Islam and pre-existing West African religious traditions shaped by local contexts, circumstances, subjectivities, and exigencies (Fisher 1973; Trimingham 1980). Accordingly, West African Islam's material manifestations labeled “inauthentic,” “syncretic,” “vernacular,” and “popular” are considered, inter alia, antithetical to “classical” Islam. Notwithstanding, so-called classical Islam represents the embodiment of a locally synthesized form that, over time and with repetition, has come to be conceptualized as “classical.” Yet, Islam has incorporated and translated an assortment of pre-existing ideals to adjust in ways viewed as neither regression, apostasy, plurality nor heterodoxy. And, West Africa proves no exception. Indubitably, West African Islamic cultural heritage is the heritage of the “‘Othered’ religion par excellence” (Preston-Blier 1993:148).
Spirits of Heritage, Specters of Ruins: Partnering with the Jinn in the Preservation of the Past
Authors: Straughn Ian
Published: September 2017

In her recent study of the heritage project that is contemporary New Orleans, anthropologist Shanon Dawdy has suggested that “[s]ociety presents itself simultaneously as a ruin and as a kind of playland” (2016, 147). This notion that the ruin is both a product of, and a basis for, heritage practice serves as a useful intervention into long-standing treatments of ruins as exotic, romantic, and awaiting the discovery, glorification, and preservation of those that might give them meaning. In the present essay, I further challenge heritage approaches to ruins through an examination of the ways in which they have been associated, in various Muslim cultural contexts, with a set of distinctly sentient, yet non-human actors, the jinn. This pairing between place and spirits has shaped long-standing affective responses and practical engagements between local (human) inhabitants and their archaeologically rich landscapes across the Middle East and North Africa. This essay examines how those engagements often push against contemporary discourses highlighting the sublime aspects of ruins and the quasi-sacred nature of heritage. To that end, the following guiding questions structure my contribution: Can contemporary heritage discourses accommodate practices in which humans share control and ownership of the material past with spectral others? How might we reframe the mandate to preserve such ruins in light of alternative perspectives that mark these sites as sinister, and/or meaningful, precisely because of their ruination? Can universalizing heritage discourses accommodate practices that derive value from the material past without also subscribing to explicit preservationist goals? Such questions offer an opportunity to consider the inclusion of the Unseen, and perhaps others, whose perspectives have gone unrecognized, within professional heritage management and its hermeneutics of the past.
The effects of nasal lavage with betamethasone cream post-endoscopic sinus surgery: clinical trial
Authors: Dawson B , Gutteridge I , Cervin A , Robinson D
Published: September 2017

Background:

Steroid nasal irrigation for chronic rhinosinusitis patients following endoscopic sinus surgery reduces symptom recurrence. There are minimal safety data to recommend this treatment. This study evaluated the safety of betamethasone nasal irrigation by measuring its impact on endogenous cortisol levels.

Methods:

Participants performed daily betamethasone nasal irrigation for six weeks. The impact on pre- and post-intervention serum and 24-hour urinary free cortisol was assessed. Efficacy was evaluated using the 22-item Sino-Nasal Outcome Test.

Results:

Thirty participants completed the study (16 females and 14 males; mean age = 53.9 ± 15.6 years). Serum cortisol levels were unchanged (p = 0.28). However, 24-hour urinary free cortisol levels decreased (47.5 vs 41.5 nmol per 24 hours; p = 0.025). Sino-Nasal Outcome Test scores improved (41.13 ± 21.94 vs 23.4 ± 18.17; p < 0.001). The minimal clinical important difference was reached in 63 per cent of participants.

Conclusion:

Daily betamethasone nasal irrigation is an efficacious treatment modality not associated with changes in morning serum cortisol levels. The changes in 24-hour urinary free cortisol levels are considered clinically negligible. Hence, continued use of betamethasone nasal irrigation remains a viable and safe treatment option for chronic rhinosinusitis patients following functional endoscopic sinus surgery.
The effect of algal blooms on fish in their inshore nursery grounds in the Gulf of Gdańsk
Authors: Pawelec Anna J. , Sapota Mariusz R. , Kobos Justyna
Published: September 2017

Studies of cyanobacterial bloom dynamics show that the highest biomass accumulation of Nodularia spumigena is observed in the shallowest area of the Gulf of Gdańsk in summer. In the same region and time, the highest fish abundance is observed. Mostly young individuals of gobies, small sandeel, flounder, three-spine stickleback and young herring occur. In this work we compare how toxic blooms of cyanobacteria influence the number and structure of fish communities in a coastal zone. The results obtained in our study were rather unexpected. More fish species were caught and the biomass of fish was higher during a bloom than in a month following the sampling (no bloom).
First record of the invasive worm Branchiomma bairdi (Annelida: Sabellidae) in the Balearic Sea (Western Mediterranean)
Authors: Cepeda D. , Rodríguez-Flores P.C.
Published: September 2017

The invasive sabellid Branchiomma bairdi (McIntosh, 1885) was collected in the Estany des Peix lagoon (Formentera Island, Balearic Sea, Western Mediterranean). This species is native to Bermuda (Western Atlantic Ocean), being widely distributed through the Caribbean Sea. However, it has been described as invasive worldwide, being also present in the Indo-Pacific region, the Eastern Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. We here provide the first record of the species for the Balearic Sea, together with a comparison to other morphologically similar alien species, Branchiomma boholense (Grube, 1878), which is supposed to have also been introduced in the Mediterranean basin. We also include comprehensive taxonomic descriptions of both taxa based on the type material, a dichotomous key for the Mediterranean species of Branchiomma and hypothesize the most likely way of introduction of B. bairdi in the Balearic region.
How the Body of Lazarus Helps to Solve a Pauline Problem
Authors: Strawbridge Jennifer R.
Published: September 2017

While thelocus classicusfor early Christian arguments concerning resurrection of the flesh is Paul's first Corinthian letter, the statement in 15.50 that ‘flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God’ complicates early Christian understandings of resurrection and its form. Such explicit denial of fleshly inheritance and resurrection within Paul's writings leads to widely conflicting interpretations of this Corinthian passage. Consequently, early Christian writers such as Irenaeus, Tertullian and Augustine engaged other New Testament texts such as John 11 in order to subvert the claim of 1 Cor 15.50 and develop their argument for fleshly resurrection.
Changes in resting-state brain networks after cognitive–behavioral therapy for chronic pain
Authors: Yoshino A. , Okamoto Y. , Okada G. , Takamura M. , Ichikawa N. , Shibasaki C. , Yokoyama S. , Doi M. , Jinnin R. , Yamashita H. , Horikoshi M. , Yamawaki S.
Published: September 2017

Background

Cognitive–behavioral therapy (CBT) is thought to be useful for chronic pain, with the pathology of the latter being closely associated with cognitive–emotional components. However, there are few resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (R-fMRI) studies. We used the independent component analysis method to examine neural changes after CBT and to assess whether brain regions predict treatment response.

Methods

We performed R-fMRI on a group of 29 chronic pain (somatoform pain disorder) patients and 30 age-matched healthy controls (T1). Patients were enrolled in a weekly 12-session group CBT (T2). We assessed selected regions of interest that exhibited differences in intrinsic connectivity network (ICN) connectivity strength between the patients and controls at T1, and compared T1 and T2. We also examined the correlations between treatment effects and rs-fMRI data.

Results

Abnormal ICN connectivity of the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and inferior parietal lobule within the dorsal attention network (DAN) and of the paracentral lobule within the sensorimotor network in patients with chronic pain normalized after CBT. Higher ICN connectivity strength in the OFC indicated greater improvements in pain intensity. Furthermore, ICN connectivity strength in the dorsal posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) within the DAN at T1 was negatively correlated with CBT-related clinical improvements.

Conclusions

We conclude that the OFC is crucial for CBT-related improvement of pain intensity, and that the dorsal PCC activation at pretreatment also plays an important role in improvement of clinical symptoms via CBT.
Magnetic instability of filaments in different solar regions
Authors: Palacios J. , Guerrero A. , Cid C. , Saiz E. , Cerrato Y.
Published: September 2017

Magnetic instability is a key consideration for filament eruptions and subsequent CMEs. In this contribution we are considering different magnetic conditions for active and non-active regions, such as coronal hole regions and quiet sun, and also active regions of a simple magnetic configuration. The aim is to assess magnetic instability through potential and non-potential field modelling and 3D evaluation of the magnetic decay index. Some eruptive examples from solar cycle 24 using HMI/SDO data are presented, complemented with observations of AIA/SDO.
Space Weather Storm Responses at Mars: Lessons from A Weakly Magnetized Terrestrial Planet
Authors: Luhmann J. G. , Dong C. F. , Ma Y. J. , Curry S. M. , Li Yan , Lee C. O. , Hara T. , Lillis R. , Halekas J. , Connerney J. E. , Espley J. , Brain D. A. , Dong Y. , Jakosky B. M. , Thiemann E. , Eparvier F. , Leblanc F. , Withers P. , Russell C. T.
Published: September 2017

Much can be learned from terrestrial planets that appear to have had the potential to be habitable, but failed to realize that potential. Mars shows evidence of a once hospitable surface environment. The reasons for its current state, and in particular its thin atmosphere and dry surface, are of great interest for what they can tell us about habitable zone planet outcomes. A main goal of the MAVEN mission is to observe Mars’ atmosphere responses to solar and space weather influences, and in particular atmosphere escape related to space weather ‘storms’ caused by interplanetary coronal mass ejections (ICMEs). Numerical experiments with a data-validated MHD model suggest how the effects of an observed moderately strong ICME compare to what happens during a more extreme event. The results suggest the kinds of solar and space weather conditions that can have evolutionary importance at a planet like Mars.
Contribution of energetic ion secondary particles to solar flare radio spectra
Authors: Tuneu Jordi , Szpigel Sérgio , de Castro Guillermo Giménez , MacKinnon Alexander
Published: September 2017

Recent observations of solar flares at high frequencies have provided evidence of a new spectral component with flux increasing with frequency in the THz range. Its origin remains unclear. Here, we present preliminary results of simulations of synchrotron emission due to secondary positrons and electrons produced in nuclear reactions during a solar flare. We use the general purpose Monte-Carlo code FLUKA to obtain distributions of secondary particles resulting from accelerated protons interacting in the solar atmosphere. We calculate the synchrotron radiation spectrum and compare our results to observations of the November 4th, 2003 burst event.
Preliminary Design of the Brazilian's National Institute for Space Research Broadband Radiometer for Solar Observations
Authors: Berni L. A. , Vieira L. E. A. , Savonov G.S. , Lago A. Dal , Mendes O. , Silva M. R. , Guarnieri F. , Sampaio M. , Barbosa M. J. , Boas J. V. Vilas , Branco R. H. F. , Nishimori M. , Silva L. A. , Carlesso F. , Gómez J. M. Rodríguez , Alves L. R. , Castilho B. Vaz , Santos J. , Paula A. Silva , Cardoso F.
Published: September 2017

The Total Solar Irradiance (TSI), which is the total radiation arriving at Earth's atmosphere from the Sun, is one of the most important forcing of the Earths climate. Measurements of the TSI have been made employing instruments on board several space-based platforms during the last four solar cycles. However, combining these measurements is still challenging due to the degradation of the sensor elements and the long-term stability of the electronics. Here we describe the preliminary efforts to design an absolute radiometer based on the principle of electrical substitution that is under development at Brazilian's National Institute for Space Research (INPE).
On the influence of magnetic fields in neutral planetary wakes
Authors: D’Angelo C. Villarreal , Schneiter M. , Esquivel A.
Published: September 2017

We present a 3D magnetohydrodynamic study of the effect that stellar and planetary magnetic fields have on the calculated Lyα absorption during the planetary transit, employing parameters that resemble the exoplanet HD209458b. We assume a dipolar magnetic field for both the star and the planet, and use the Parker solution to initialize the stellar wind. We also consider the radiative processes and the radiation pressure.

We use the numerical MHD code Guacho to run several models varying the values of the planetary and stellar magnetic moments within the range reported in the literature.

We found that the presence of magnetic fields influences the escaping neutral planetary material spreading the absorption Lyα line for large stellar magnetic fields.
Solar activity forcing of terrestrial hydrological phenomena
Authors: Mauas Pablo J. D. , Buccino Andrea P. , Flamenco Eduardo
Published: September 2017

Recently, the study of the influence of solar activity on the Earth's climate received strong attention, mainly due to the possibility, proposed by several authors, that global warming is not anthropogenic, but is due to an increase in solar activity. Although this possibility has been ruled out, there are strong evidences that solar variability has an influence on Earth's climate, in regional scales.

Here we review some of these evidences, focusing in a particular aspect of climate: atmospheric moisture and related quantities like precipitation. In particular, we studied the influence of activity on South American precipitations during centuries. First, we analyzed the stream flow of the Paraná and other rivers of the region, and found a very strong correlation with Sunspot Number in decadal time scales. We found a similar correlation between Sunspot Number and tree-ring chronologies, which allows us to extend our study to cover the last two centuries.
Starspot Activity and Superflares on Solar-type Stars
Authors: Maehara Hiroyuki
Published: September 2017

Recent high-precision photometry from space (e.g., Kepler) enables us to investigate the nature of “superflares” on solar-type stars. The bolometric energy of superflares detected by Kepler ranges from 1033 erg to 1036 erg which is 10-10,000 times larger than that released by a typical X10 class solar flare. The occurrence frequency (dN/dE) of superflares as a function of flare energy (E) shows the power-law distribution with the power-law index of ~−1.8 for 1034 < E < 1036 erg. Most of superflare stars show quasi-periodic light variations which suggest the presence of large starspots. The bolometric energy released by flares is consistent with the magnetic energy stored near the starspots. The occurrence frequency of superflares increases as the rotation period decreases. However, the energy of the largest flares observed in a given period bin does not show any clear correlation with the rotation period. These results suggest that superflares would occur on the slowly-rotating stars.
The Puzzling Dynamos of Stars: Recent Progress With Global Numerical Simulations
Authors: Strugarek Antoine , Beaudoin Patrice , Charbonneau Paul , Brun Allan S.
Published: September 2017

The origin of magnetic cycles in the Sun and other cool stars is one of the great theoretical challenge in stellar astrophysics that still resists our understanding. Ab-initio numerical simulations are today required to explore the extreme turbulent regime in which stars operate and sustain their large-scale, cyclic magnetic field. We report in this work on recent progresses made with high performance numerical simulations of global turbulent convective envelopes. We rapidly review previous prominent results from numerical simulations, and present for the first time a series of turbulent, global simulations producing regular magnetic cycles whose period varies systematically with the convective envelope parameters (rotation rate, convective luminosity). We find that the fundamentally non-linear character of the dynamo simulated in this work leads the magnetic cycle period to be inversely proportional to the Rossby number. These results promote an original interpretation of stellar magnetic cycles, and could help reconcile the cyclic behaviour of the Sun and other solar-type stars.
Are tachoclines important for solar and stellar dynamos? What can we learn from global simulations
Authors: Guerrero G. , Smolarkiewicz P. K. , de Gouveia Dal Pino E. M. , Kosovichev A. G. , Zaire B. , Mansour N. N.
Published: September 2017

The role of tachoclines, the thin shear layers that separate solid body from differential rotation in the interior of late-type stars, in stellar dynamos is still controversial. In this work we discuss their relevance in view of recent results from global dynamo simulations performed with the EULAG-MHD code. The models have solar-like stratification and different rotation rates (i.e., different Rossby number). Three arguments supporting the key role of tachoclines are presented: the solar dynamo cycle period, the origin of torsional oscillations and the scaling law of stellar magnetic fields as function of the Rossby number. This scaling shows a regime where the field strength increases with the rotation and a saturated regime for fast rotating stars. These properties are better reproduced by models that consider the convection zone and a fraction of the radiative core, naturally developing a tachocline, than by those that consider only the convection zone.
Relationships Between Sequential Chromospheric Brightening and the Corona
Authors: Kirk M. S. , Balasubramaniam K. S. , Jackiewicz J. , Gilbert H. R.
Published: September 2017

The chromosphere is a complex region that acts as an intermediary between the magnetic flux emergence in the photosphere and the magnetic features seen in the corona. Large eruptions in the chromosphere of flares and filaments are often accompanied by ejections of coronal mass off the sun. Several studies have observed fast-moving progressive trains of compact bright points (called Sequential Chromospheric Brightenings or SCBs) streaming away from chromospheric flares that also produce a coronal mass ejection (CME). In this work, we review studies of SCBs and search for commonalties between them. We place these findings into a larger context with contemporary chromospheric and coronal observations. SCBs are fleeting indicators of the solar atmospheric environment as it existed before their associated eruption. Since they appear at the very outset of a flare eruption, SCBs are good early indication of a CME measured in the chromosphere.
Analysis Of Kepler-71 Activity Through Planetary Transit
Authors: Gusmão Eber A. , Selhorst Caius L. , Oliveira Alexandre S.
Published: September 2017

An exoplanet transiting in front of the disk of its parent star may hide a dark starspot causing a detectable change in the light curve, that allows to infer physical characteristics of the spot such as size and intensity. We have analysed the Kepler Space Telescope observations of the star Kepler-71 in order to search for variabilities in 28 transit light curves. Kepler-71 is a star with 0.923 M⊙ and 0.816 R⊙ orbited by the hot Jupiter planet Kepler-71b with radius of 1.0452 RJ. The physical parameters of the starspots are determined by fitting the data with a model that simulates planetary transits and enables the inclusion of spots on the stellar surface with different sizes, intensities, and positions. The results show that Kepler-71 is a very active star, with several spot detections, with a mean value of 6 spots per transit with size 0.6 RP and 0.5 IC, as a function of stellar intensity at disk center (maximum value).
The behavior of the spotless active regions during the solar minimum 23-24
Authors: de Oliveira e Silva Alexandre José , Selhorst Caius Lucius
Published: September 2017

In this work, we analysed the physical parameters of the spotless actives regions observed during solar minimum 23 – 24 (2007 – 2010). The study was based on radio maps at 17 GHz obtained by the Nobeyama Radioheliograph (NoRH) and magnetograms provided by the Michelson Doppler Imager (MDI) on board the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO). The results shows that the spotless active regions presents the same radio characteristics of a ordinary one, they can live in the solar surface for long periods (>10 days), and also can present small flares.
Starspots properties and stellar activity from planetary transits
Authors: Valio Adriana
Published: September 2017

Magnetic activity of stars manifests itself in the form of dark spots on the stellar surface. This in turn will cause variations of a few percent in the star light curve as it rotates. When an orbiting planet eclipses its host a star, it may cross in front of one of these spots. In this case, a “bump” will be detected in the transit lightcurve. By fitting these spot signatures with a model, it is possible to determine the spots physical properties such as size, temperature, location, magnetic field, and lifetime. Moreover, the monitoring of the spots longitude provides estimates of the stellar rotation and differential rotation. For long time series of transits during multiple years, magnetic cycles can also be determined. This model has been applied successfully to CoRoT-2, CoRoT-4, CoRot-5, CoRoT-6, CoRoT-8, CoRoT-18, Kepler-17, and Kepler-63.
On the connections between solar and stellar dynamo models
Authors: Jouve Laurène , Kumar Rohit
Published: September 2017

We here discuss the various dynamo models which have been designed to explain the generation and evolution of large-scale magnetic fields in stars. We focus on the models that have been applied to the Sun and can be tested for other solar-type stars now that modern observational techniques provide us with detailed stellar magnetic field observations. Mean-field flux-transport dynamo models have been developed for decades to explain the solar cycle and applications to more rapidly-rotating stars are discussed. Tremendous recent progress has been made on 3D global convective dynamo models. They do not however for now produce regular flux emergence that could be responsible for surface active regions and questions about the role of these active regions in the dynamo mechanism are still difficult to address with such models. We finally discuss 3D kinematic dynamo models which could constitute a promising combined approach, in which data assimilation could be applied.
Extreme solar-terrestrial events
Authors: Lago A. Dal , Vieira L. E. Antunes , Echer E. , Balmaceda L. A. , Rockenbach M. , Gonzalez W. D.
Published: September 2017

Extreme solar-terrestrial events are those in which very energetic solar ejections hit the earth?s magnetosphere, causing intense energization of the earth?s ring current. Statistically, their occurrence is approximately once per Gleissberg solar cycle (70-100yrs). The solar transient occurred on July, 23rd (2012) was potentially one of such extreme events. The associated coronal mass ejection (CME), however, was not ejected towards the earth. Instead, it hit the STEREO A spacecraft, located 120 degrees away from the Sun-Earth line. Estimates of the geoeffectiveness of such a CME point to a scenario of extreme Space Weather conditions. In terms of the ring current energization, as measured by the Disturbance Storm-Time index (Dst), had this CME hit the Earth, it would have caused the strongest geomagnetic storm in space era.
The Environment of the Young Earth in the Perspective of An Young Sun
Authors: Airapetian Vladimir S.
Published: September 2017

Our Sun, a magnetically mild star, exhibits space weather in the form of magnetically driven solar explosive events (SEE) including solar flares, coronal mass ejections and energetic particle events. We use Kepler data and reconstruction of X-ray and UV emission from young solar-like stars to recover the frequency and energy fluxes from extreme events from active stars including the young Sun. Extreme SEEs from a magnetically active young Sun could significantly perturb the young Earth's magnetosphere, cause strong geomagnetic storms, initiate escape and introduce chemical changes in its lower atmosphere. I present our recent simulations results based on multi-dimensional multi-fluid hydrodynamic and magnetohydrodynamic models of interactions of extreme CME and SEP events with magnetospheres and lower atmospheres of early Earth and exoplanets around active stars. We also discuss the implications of the impact of these effects on evolving habitability conditions of the early Earth and prebiotic chemistry introduced by space weather events at the early phase of evolution of our Sun.
Carrington Class Solar Events and How to Recognize Them
Authors: Russell C. T. , Luhmann J. G. , Riley P.
Published: September 2017

The so-called Carrington Event on September 1, 1859, is clearly the solar outburst that brought the realization to the inhabitants of Earth that weather existed in space, and that space weather was important to the rapidly developing technological infrastructure on Earth. It is important to understand not only how space weather affects our technological systems, but like the case of atmospheric weather, the possible intensity of such weather, the frequency of extreme events, and how to predict them. This paper reviews what we know about one class of extreme space weather events, the superfast arrival events, how best to compare them given our limited diagnostics in past events and even at the current time, and suggests a direction for progress in this field.
A chip-integrated coherent photonic-phononic memory
Authors: Merklein Moritz , Stiller Birgit , Vu Khu , Madden Stephen J. , Eggleton Benjamin J.
Published: September 2017

Controlling and manipulating quanta of coherent acoustic vibrations—phonons—in integrated circuits has recently drawn a lot of attention, since phonons can function as unique links between radiofrequency and optical signals, allow access to quantum regimes and offer advanced signal processing capabilities. Recent approaches based on optomechanical resonators have achieved impressive quality factors allowing for storage of optical signals. However, so far these techniques have been limited in bandwidth and are incompatible with multi-wavelength operation. In this work, we experimentally demonstrate a coherent buffer in an integrated planar optical waveguide by transferring the optical information coherently to an acoustic hypersound wave. Optical information is extracted using the reverse process. These hypersound phonons have similar wavelengths as the optical photons but travel at five orders of magnitude lower velocity. We demonstrate the storage of phase and amplitude of optical information with gigahertz bandwidth and show operation at separate wavelengths with negligible cross-talk.
Ultrasensitive all-2D MoS2 phototransistors enabled by an out-of-plane MoS2 PN homojunction
Authors: Huo Nengjie , Konstantatos Gerasimos
Published: September 2017

Two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenide-based photodetectors have demonstrated potential for the next generation of 2-dimensional optoelectronics. However, to date, their sensitivity has not been superior to that of other technologies. Here we report an ultrasensitive two-dimensional photodetector employing an in-plane phototransistor with an out-of-plane vertical MoS2 p–n junction as a sensitizing scheme. The vertical built-in field is introduced for the first time in the transport channel of MoS2 phototransistors by facile chemical surface doping, which separates the photo-excited carriers efficiently and produces a photoconductive gain of >105 electrons per photon, external quantum efficiency greater than 10%, responsivity of 7 × 104 A W−1, and a time response on the order of tens of ms. This taken together with a very low noise power density yields a record sensitivity with specific detectivity $$D^*$$

D

*

of 3.5 × 1014 Jones in the visible and a broadband response up to 1000 nm.
Localized-itinerant dichotomy and unconventional magnetism in SrRu2O6
Authors: Okamoto Satoshi , Ochi Masayuki , Arita Ryotaro , Yan Jiaqiang , Trivedi Nandini
Published: September 2017

Electron correlations tend to generate local magnetic moments that usually order if the lattices are not too frustrated. The hexagonal compound SrRu2O6 has a relatively high Neel temperature but small local moments, which seem to be at odds with the nominal valence of Ru5+ in the $${t}_{2g}^{3}$$

t

2
g

3

configuration. Here, we investigate the electronic property of SrRu2O6 using density functional theory (DFT) combined with dynamical-mean-field theory (DMFT). We find that the strong hybridization between Ru d and O p states results in a Ru valence that is closer to +4, leading to the small ordered moment ~1.2 μ
B
. While this is consistent with a DFT prediction, correlation effects are found to play a significant role. The local moment per Ru site remains finite ~2.3 μ
B
in the whole temperature range investigated. Due to the lower symmetry, the t2g
manifold is split and the quasiparticle weight is renormalized significantly in the a1g
state, while the renormalization in $${e}_{g}^{{\rm{^{\prime} }}}$$

e

g

′

states is about a factor of 2–3 weaker. Our theoretical Neel temperature ~700 K is in reasonable agreement with experimental observations. SrRu2O6 is a unique system in which localized and itinerant electrons coexist with the proximity to an orbitally-selective Mott transition within the t2g
sector.
Interfacial Origin of the Magnetisation Suppression of Thin Film Yttrium Iron Garnet
Authors: Mitra A. , Cespedes O. , Ramasse Q. , Ali M. , Marmion S. , Ward M. , Brydson R. M. D. , Kinane C. J. , Cooper J. F. K. , Langridge S. , Hickey B. J.
Published: September 2017

Yttrium iron garnet has a very high Verdet constant, is transparent in the infrared and is an insulating ferrimagnet leading to its use in optical and magneto-optical applications. Its high Q-factor has been exploited to make resonators and filters in microwave devices, but it also has the lowest magnetic damping of any known material. In this article we describe the structural and magnetic properties of single crystal thin-film YIG where the temperature dependence of the magnetisation reveals a decrease in the low temperature region. In order to understand this complex material we bring a large number of structural and magnetic techniques to bear on the same samples. Through a comprehensive analysis we show that at the substrate -YIG interface, an interdiffusion zone of only 4–6 nm exists. Due to the interdiffusion of Y from the YIG and Gd from the substrate, an addition magnetic layer is formed at the interface whose properties are crucially important in samples with a thickness of YIG less than 200 nm.
A Toxic Conformer of Aβ42 with a Turn at 22–23 is a Novel Therapeutic Target for Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: Izuo Naotaka , Kasahara Chihiro , Murakami Kazuma , Kume Toshiaki , Maeda Masahiro , Irie Kazuhiro , Yokote Koutaro , Shimizu Takahiko
Published: September 2017

Immunotherapy targeting Aβ42 is drawing attention as a possible therapeutic approach for Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Considering the significance of reported oligomerized Aβ42 species, selective targeting of the oligomer will increase the therapeutic efficacy. However, what kinds of oligomers are suitable targets for immunotherapy remains unclear. We previously identified a toxic conformer of Aβ42, which has a turn structure at 22–23 (“toxic turn”), among Aβ42 conformations. This toxic conformer of Aβ42 has been reported to show rapid oligomerization and to exhibit strong neurotoxicity and synaptotoxicity. We recently developed a monoclonal antibody against the toxic conformer (24B3), which demonstrated the increase of the toxic conformer in the cerebrospinal fluid of AD patients, indicating its accumulation in AD patients’ brains. In this study, we evaluated the therapeutic efficacy of 24B3 targeting the toxic conformer in AD model mice. The intraperitoneal administration of 24B3 for 3 months improved cognitive impairment and reduced the toxic conformer levels. Notably, this treatment did not reduce the number of senile plaques. Furthermore, the single intravenous administration of 24B3 suppressed the memory deficit in AD mice. These results suggest that the toxic conformer of Aβ42 with a turn at 22–23 represents one of the promising therapeutic targets.
Normal-to-mildly increased albuminuria predicts the risk for diabetic retinopathy in patients with type 2 diabetes
Authors: Lee Min-Kyung , Han Kyung-Do , Lee Jae-Hyuk , Sohn Seo-Young , Hong Oak-Kee , Jeong Jee-Sun , Kim Mee-Kyoung , Baek Ki-Hyun , Song Ki-Ho , Kwon Hyuk-Sang
Published: September 2017

Albuminuria is closely associated with diabetic retinopathy (DR), but the precise role of the albumin-to-creatinine ratio (ACR) in screening for DR remains to be determined. This study aimed to investigate an ACR threshold for predicting DR in patients with type 2 diabetes. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 1,102 type 2 diabetes patients, aged ≥30 years and recruited from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2010–2011. Participants were grouped by stage of DR: mild-to-moderate nonproliferative DR (NPDR), severe NPDR, and proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR). An early morning spot urine sample was obtained for ACR measurement. ROC curve analysis revealed that the optimal cut-off value of ACR for predicting DR was 2.26 mg/mmol (20 μg/mg). The prevalence of ACR ≥ 2.26 mg/mmol tended to increase with severity of DR. The risk for DR in patients with ACR ≥ 2.26 mg/mmol was higher than in those with ACR < 2.26 mg/mmol. The risk for severe NPDR and PDR also increased at ACR ≥ 2.26 mg/mmol. Normal-to-mildly increased albuminuria (an ACR of 2.26 mg/mmol) may predict the risk for DR development and progression in patients with type 2 diabetes.
Molecular mechanisms involved in the non-monotonic effect of bisphenol-a on Ca2+ entry in mouse pancreatic β-cells
Authors: Villar-Pazos Sabrina , Martinez-Pinna Juan , Castellano-Muñoz Manuel , Alonso-Magdalena Paloma , Marroqui Laura , Quesada Ivan , Gustafsson Jan-Ake , Nadal Angel
Published: September 2017

In regulatory toxicology, the dose-response relationship is a key element towards fulfilling safety assessments and satisfying regulatory authorities. Conventionally, the larger the dose, the greater the response, following the dogma “the dose makes the poison”. Many endocrine disrupting chemicals, including bisphenol-A (BPA), induce non-monotonic dose response (NMDR) relationships, which are unconventional and have tremendous implications in risk assessment. Although several molecular mechanisms have been proposed to explain NMDR relationships, they are largely undemonstrated. Using mouse pancreatic β-cells from wild-type and oestrogen receptor ERβ−/− mice, we found that exposure to increasing doses of BPA affected Ca2+ entry in an NMDR manner. Low doses decreased plasma membrane Ca2+ currents after downregulation of Cav2.3 ion channel expression, in a process involving ERβ. High doses decreased Ca2+ currents through an ERβ-mediated mechanism and simultaneously increased Ca2+ currents via oestrogen receptor ERα. The outcome of both molecular mechanisms explains the NMDR relationship between BPA and Ca2+ entry in β-cells.
Structural Transformation of Biochar Black Carbon by C60 Superstructure: Environmental Implications
Authors: Uchimiya Minori , Pignatello Joseph J. , White Jason C. , Hu Szu-Tung , Ferreira Paulo J.
Published: September 2017

Pyrogenic carbon is widespread in soil due to wildfires, soot deposition, and intentional amendment of pyrolyzed waste biomass (biochar). Interactions between engineered carbon nanoparticles and natural pyrogenic carbon (char) are unknown. This study first employed transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) to interpret the superstructure composing aqueous fullerene C60 nanoparticles prepared by prolonged stirring of commercial fullerite in water (nC60-stir). The nC60-stir was a superstructure composed of face-centered cubic (fcc) close-packing of near-spherical C60 superatoms. The nC60-stir superstructure (≈100 nm) reproducibly disintegrated pecan shell biochar pellets (2 mm) made at 700 °C into a stable and homogeneous aqueous colloidal (<100 nm) suspension. The amorphous carbon structure of biochar was preserved after the disintegration, which only occurred above the weight ratio of 30,000 biochar to nC60-stir. Favorable hydrophobic surface interactions between nC60-stir and 700 °C biochar likely disrupted van der Waals forces holding together the amorphous carbon units of biochar and C60 packing in the nC60 superstructure.
The role of social status and testosterone in human conspicuous consumption
Authors: Wu Yin , Eisenegger Christoph , Sivanathan Niro , Crockett Molly J. , Clark Luke
Published: September 2017

Conspicuous consumption refers to the phenomenon where individuals purchase goods for signalling social status, rather than for its inherent functional value. This study (n = 166 male participants) investigated how the outcome of a social competition influenced conspicuous consumption, and its association with competition-induced testosterone reactivity. Winning a competition increased both explicit and implicit preferences for higher-status vs. lower-status products, using both natural stimuli (prestigious cars) and laboratory-tagged stimuli of matched value (university T-shirts). Competition also influenced behaviour in an Ultimatum Game, such that winners were more likely to reject unfair offers. Competition outcomes had no discernible influence upon salivary testosterone levels, and neither basal testosterone levels nor testosterone reactivity induced by competition predicted the conspicuous consumption measures. Our data indicate that winning a competition lead to more dominant behaviour, albeit in a manner that is not statistically regulated by testosterone, possibly through increased feeling of entitlement.
Cyanobacterial exopolymer properties differentiate microbial carbonate fabrics
Authors: Shiraishi Fumito , Hanzawa Yusaku , Okumura Tomoyo , Tomioka Naotaka , Kodama Yu , Suga Hiroki , Takahashi Yoshio , Kano Akihiro
Published: September 2017

Although environmental changes and evolution of life are potentially recorded via microbial carbonates, including laminated stromatolites and clotted thrombolites, factors controlling their fabric are still a matter of controversy. Herein, we report that the exopolymer properties of different cyanobacterial taxa primarily control the microbial carbonates fabrics in modern examples. This study shows that the calcite encrustation of filamentous Phormidium sp. secreting acidic exopolymers forms the laminated fabric of stromatolites, whereas the encrustation of coccoid Coelosphaeriopsis sp. secreting acidic exopolymers and poor calcification of filamentous Leptolyngbya sp. secreting non-acidic exopolymers form peloids and fenestral structures, respectively, i.e. the clotted fabric of thrombolites. Based on these findings, we suggest that the rise and decline of cyanobacteria possessing different exopolymer properties caused the expansion of thrombolites around the Proterozoic/Cambrian boundary.
CHST9 rs1436904 genetic variant contributes to prognosis of triple-negative breast cancer
Authors: Yuan Jupeng , Zhang Nasha , Zhu Hui , Liu Jibing , Xing Huaixin , Ma Fei , Yang Ming
Published: September 2017

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) refers to one aggressive histological subtype of breast cancer with high heterogeneity and poor prognosis after standard therapy. Lack of clearly established molecular mechanism driving TNBC progression makes personalized therapy more difficult. Thus, identification of genetic variants associated with TNBC prognosis will show clinic significance for individualized treatments. Our study is aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of the genome wide association study (GWAS)-identified CHST9 rs1436904 and AQP4 rs527616 genetic variants in our established early-stage TNBC sample database. Cox regression was used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). CHST9 rs1436904G allele was significantly associated with decreased disease-free survival time (DFS) (8.5 months shorter in GG genotype carriers compared to TT genotype carriers, HR = 1.70, 95% CI = 1.03–2.81, P = 0.038). Stratified analyses showed an increased risk of cancer progression in CHST9 rs1436904G allele carriers harboring larger tumor (tumor size > 2 cm), without lymph-node metastasis, being premenopausal at diagnosis or with vascular invasion (P = 0.032, 0.017, 0.008 or 0.003). Our findings demonstrate that the GWAS-identified 18q11.2 CHST9 rs1436904 polymorphism significantly contributes to prognosis of early-stage TNBC, suggesting its clinical potential in the screening of high-risk TNBC patients for recurrence and the possibility of patient-tailored therapeutic decisions.
Second Harmonic Generation Response in Thermally reconstructed Multiferroic β′- Gd2(MoO4)3 Thin Films
Authors: Coy Emerson , Graczyk Piotr , Yate Luis , Załęski Karol , Gapiński Jacek , Kuświk Piotr , Mielcarek Sławomir , Stobiecki Feliks , Mróz Bogusław , Ferrater Cesar , Jurga Stefan
Published: September 2017

Gd2(MoO4)3 (GMO) is a well-studied multiferroic material that exhibits full ferroelectric and ferroelastic behavior at room temperature. However, its difficult stabilization in thin films has prevented the study and exploitation of its multiferroic properties in different architectures. Here, we report on the study of GMO thin films deposited on Si(001) substrates by Pulsed Laser Deposition (PLD). The physicochemical properties of the films are discussed and studied. Results obtained by X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, high resolution transmission microscopy and second harmonic generation show that the orthorhombic (β′-GMO) multiferroic phase can be stabilized and homogenized by post deposition thermal reconstruction. Finally, the reconstruction process takes place via a complex surface mechanism with a clear leaf-like behavior.
Genome wide in vivo mouse screen data from studies to assess host regulation of metastatic colonisation
Authors: van der Weyden Louise , Karp Natasha A. , Swiatkowska Agnieszka , Adams David J. , Speak Anneliese O.
Published: September 2017

The process of metastasis is a multi-stage cascade with prior studies suggesting that the colonisation of the secondary site is the rate limiting step. This process involves contributions from the tumour cells and also non-tumour intrinsic factors such as the stroma and the haematopoietic system. In this study, we present data from screening 810 genetically-modified mouse lines with the experimental metastasis assay where intravenous delivery of murine metastatic melanoma B16-F10 cells was used to assess the formation of pulmonary metastasic foci. To date, these data have been studied with a two-step process cumulating in an integrative data analysis to identify genes controlling metastatic colonisation. We present the raw data, and a description to support fresh analyses where researchers can look both within and across gene sets to further elucidate process that regulate metastatic colonisation.