bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Restoration increases transient storages in boreal headwater streams
Authors: Marttila Hannu , Turunen Jarno , Aroviita Jukka , Tammela Simo , Luhta Pirkko‐Liisa , Muotka Timo , Kløve Bjørn
Published: September 2018

Bed siltation can drastically alter the physical conditions of headwater streams and is therefore a stressor for stream ecosystems. We studied 32 headwater streams that represented near‐natural (reference; N = 11), sediment‐impacted (N = 12), or wood‐ (N = 4) or stone‐restored (N = 5) streams to quantify how extensive siltation and restoration with either large woody debris (LWD) or boulder structures influence transient storage conditions. We carried out repeated stream tracer experiments, field measurements of habitat characteristics, and numerical simulations to determine the effects of siltation and restoration on total transient storage. Compared with reference streams, impacted streams had a smaller storage zone cross‐sectional area (As/A) ratio and fraction of median travel time due to transient storage (F200), whereas restored streams had transient storage conditions similar to near‐natural conditions. Both of the two restoration methods had positive but differing impacts on bed sediment and transient storage properties. The LWD restoration created diverse total transient storage conditions, whereas boulder restoration decreased fine sediment cover. Addition of both LWD and boulders could thus aid the recovery of headwater streams from excessive sediment input and increase transient storage and in‐stream habitat complexity.
Reducing the network overhead of user mobility–induced virtual machine migration in mobile edge computing
Authors: Zhang Fei , Liu Guangming , Zhao Bo , Fu Xiaoming , Yahyapour Ramin
Published: September 2018

With the popularity of mobile devices (such as smartphones and tablets) and the development of the Internet of Things, mobile edge computing is envisioned as a promising approach to improving the computation capabilities and energy efficiencies of mobile devices. It deploys cloud data centers at the edge of the network to lower service latency. To satisfy the high latency requirement of mobile applications, virtual machines (VMs) have to be correspondingly migrated between edge cloud data centers because of user mobility. In this paper, we try to minimize the network overhead resulting from constantly migrating a VM to cater for the movement of its user. First, we elaborate on two simple migration algorithms (M‐All and M‐Edge), and then, two optimized algorithms are designed by classifying user mobilities into two categories (certain and uncertain moving trajectories). Specifically, a weight‐based algorithm (M‐Weight) and a mobility prediction–based heuristic algorithm (M‐Predict) are proposed for the two types of user mobilities, respectively. Numerical results demonstrate that the two optimized algorithms can significantly lower the network overhead of user mobility–induced VM migration in mobile edge computing environments.
A corporate entrepreneurship perspective of pre‐entry strategies for internationalization: A case study of a Chinese business conglomerate
Authors: Zhang Mingqiong M. , Zhu Cherrie J. , De Cieri Helen , Dowling Peter J. , Chen Zhenxiong
Published: September 2018

The international expansion of Chinese firms is a remarkable phenomenon of contemporary international business. However, international expansion is particularly challenging for firms expanding from emerging market economies such as China because they have relatively few ownership advantages and suffer disadvantages. We apply a corporate entrepreneurship perspective to explore this under‐researched topic via a longitudinal case study of a large Chinese business conglomerate. Thirty‐one semistructured interviews and seven focus‐group discussions were conducted with 55 informants; company documents were also analyzed. We found sophisticated pre‐entry entrepreneurial initiatives are critical for successful internationalization, as they enable emerging market firms to overcome some constraints, leverage their assets, and build competences for international venturing.
mRNA expression profiling in cotyledons reveals significant up‐regulation of the two bovine pregnancy‐associated glycoprotein genes boPAG‐8 and boPAG‐11 in early gestation
Authors: Wiedemann Isabel , Krebs Tony , Momberg Niklas , Knorr Christoph , Tetens Jens
Published: September 2018

The multigene family of pregnancy‐associated glycoproteins (PAGs) belongs to a group of aspartic proteases that are exclusively expressed by trophoblast cells in the placenta of even‐toed ungulates. In Bovidae, 22 different PAG genes (boPAGs) with a wide range of temporal and spatial expression‐ and glycosylation patterns have been reported to date. In this study we describe the mRNA expression patterns using real‐time quantitative PCR (qPCR) for selected modern (boPAG‐1, ‐9, ‐21) and ancient bovine PAGs (boPAG‐2, ‐8, ‐10, ‐11, ‐12) in cotyledonary tissue. The highest mean expression was detected in boPAG‐8 and lowest in boPAG‐10 (P < 0.05). Furthermore, boPAG‐8 and ‐11 were significantly greater expressed in early gestation compared with later pregnancy stages. The characterization of boPAG mRNA‐expression levels gives important insights for further protein analyses which will be valuable information for the development of new pregnancy detection systems.
Angiogenesis‐related gene expression profile in clinical cases of canine cancer
Authors: Tanabe Atsushi , Kobayashi Daisuke , Maeda Koki , Taguchi Masayuki , Sahara Hiroeki
Published: September 2018

The balance between pro‐ and anti‐angiogenic signalling is tightly regulated in normal tissues to maintain the functions of the vasculature. In contrast, the overproduction of angiogenic factors and enhanced angiogenesis are frequently observed in several types of tumours. Although there have been many reports on the correlation between tumour progression and angiogenesis in humans, little is known about tumour angiogenesis in canines. Hence, we attempted to clarify whether angiogenesis contributes to tumour progression in canines as well as humans. In this study, we investigated the expression of several angiogenesis‐related genes, including CD34, VEGF‐A, VEGFR‐1, VEGFR‐2, Ang‐1, Ang‐2, Tie1, and Tie2, in 66 canine tumour tissues and in the normal tissues surrounding the tumours by quantitative real‐time PCR analysis. Our comparative analysis between canine tumour tissues and normal tissues revealed that several angiogenesis‐related genes, such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and VEGF‐receptor genes, were significantly upregulated in canine tumour tissues when compared to the normal tissues. We also found that the angiopoietin (Ang)‐1/Ang‐2 gene expression ratio was lower in canine tumour tissues than in the normal tissues, suggesting less association between vascular endothelial cells and perivascular cells in the canine tumour tissues. Taken together, our results suggest that several angiogenesis‐related genes may contribute to the malignant progression of canine tumours via tumour angiogenesis.
Water and film: Fluidity of time and space and its somatic perception
Authors: Heller Franziska
Published: September 2018

Throughout the history of cinema, water has been—and still is—omnipresent in various forms. The relationship between water and moving images extends to multiple levels. First and foremost, there are interesting theoretical implications: Water and the ways it can be perceived pose an apt analogy to conceptualize how the sensual relationship between moving images and the viewer can be understood. This approach is based on the analysis of aesthetical forms that stage water and expose fluidity in moving images. The study of numerous film examples—as well as of some recent music videos—shows that the dissolution of stable distinctions between what is perceived as reality and what as a dream becomes crucial: the transitions become literally fluid within the images. This leads to the investigation of how films position the human subject in relation to unreliable, fluid mirrors. Moreover, the human body can also be shown as fully immersed in liquid spaces. Suchfloating bodiesare often staged within specific settings such as swimming pools or aquariums. As an extreme existential form, thedrowned bodyplays a significant role in cultural history. Finally, the discussion of the physical and tactile experience in aquatic surroundings and cinema's voyeurism leads to the topic of eroticism.

The potential of audio‐visual images to convey the experience of fluidity of time and space is pivotal for the specific imaginary and for the sensual and corporal perception mode in which we not only see but actuallyfeelfilms.

This article is categorized under:

Human Water > Water as Imagined and Represented
Variational integrator based optimal feedback control for constrained mechanical systems
Authors: Glaas Daniel , Leyendecker Sigrid
Published: September 2018

Today, a lot of mechanical systems have to operate with an improved performance compared to equal constructions decades ago. To stay competitive, engineers need to optimise all aspects of a mechanical system including its feedback control. An approach to minimize the control costs and ensuring a stable deviation control is the Riccati controller. To describe the discrete dynamics, a constrained variational integrator is used, which is a variant of a structure‐preserving integration scheme. The desired optimal trajectory and according control input is determined solving the discrete mechanics and optimal control (DMOC) algorithm based on the variational integrator. Then, during time stepping of the perturbed system, the discrete Riccati equations yield the optimal deviation control input. Adding the optimal control input to the deviation control value causes a structure preserving trajectory as both DMOC and Riccati equations are based on the same variational integrator. In this work, criteria for the choice of quadrature rules required to derive the variational integrator are investigated to close a gap of previous works in this field.

This procedure is applied to three different coordinate choices, minimal, redundant and nullspace coordinates. Simulation examples show that a stable handling of highly‐nonlinear systems is assured. With applying the formulas derived in this work, a transformation between different coordinate parametrisations and the corresponding cost matrices leads to the same deviation control and thus to the same system behaviour. Nevertheless, it is in the responsibility of the application engineer to choose appropriate cost‐matrices for the occurring perturbations.
On the (A)dS decoupling limits of massive gravity
Authors: de Rham Claudia , Hinterbichler Kurt , Johnson Laura A.
Published: September 2018

Abstract

We consider various decoupling limits of ghost-free massive gravity on (A)dS. The first is a decoupling limit on AdS space where the mass goes to zero while the AdS radius is held fixed. This results in an interacting massive Proca vector theory with a Λ2 ∼ (M
Pl
m)1/2 strong coupling scale which is ghost-free by construction and yet can not be put in the form of the generalized Proca theories considered so far. We comment on the existence of a potential duality between this Proca theory and a CFT on the boundary. The second decoupling limit we consider is a new limit on dS, obtained by sending the mass towards the finite partially massless value. We do this by introducing the scalar Stückelberg field which restores the partially massless symmetry. For generic values of the parameters, only a finite number of operators enter the partially massless decoupling limit and take the form of dS Galileons. If the interactions are chosen to be precisely those of the ‘candidate’ non-linear partially massless theory, the resulting strong coupling scale has a higher value and the resulting decoupling limit includes an infinite number of interactions which we give in closed form. These interactions preserve both the linear partially massless symmetry and the dS version of the Galileon shift symmetry.
Insight in Information Provision Prior to Obtaining Surgical Informed Consent—by Audiotaping Outpatient Consultations
Authors: Burger B. B. , Veerman M. M. , Tellier M. A. , Leclercq W. K. G. , Mouës‐Vink C. M. , Werker P. M. N.
Published: September 2018

Background

Literature suggests that patient‐informing process prior to obtaining surgical informed consent (SIC) does not function well. This study aimed to provide insight into the current practice of SIC in the Netherlands.

Methods

This is a prospective, observational, and multicenter study, conducted in one academic and two non‐academic teaching hospitals in the Netherlands. Audio recordings were made during outpatient consultations with patients presenting with Dupuytren Disease. The recorded informing process was scored according to a checklist. Written documentation of the SIC process in the patient’s chart was compared to these scored checklists. Time spent on SIC during the consultations was also recorded.

Results

A total of 41 outpatient consultations were included in the study. Consultations were conducted by 25 plastic surgeons and their residents. Average time spent on SIC was 55.6% of the total consultation time. Considerable variation was observed concerning the amount and type of information given and discussed. In 59% of the consultations, discrepancies were observed between written documentation of consultations and audio recordings. Information on treatment risks, the postoperative period, and the operating surgeon was addressed the least.

Conclusion

Despite a relatively large part of the consultation time being spent on SIC, patients received scarce information concerning treatment risks, postoperative period, and who their operating surgeon would be. Discrepancies were observed between the written documentation of SIC and information recorded on the audio recordings. This occurred predominantly in one hospital that used a pre‐made list of ‘discussed information’ in its digital patient chart.
Correction to: Lessons from a systematic literature review of the effectiveness of recombinant factor VIIa in acquired haemophilia
Authors: Tiede Andreas , Worster Andrew
Published: September 2018

The article Lessons from a systematic literature review of the effectiveness of recombinant factor VIIa in acquired haemophilia, written by Andreas Tiede and Andrew Worster, was originally published electronically on the publisher’s internet portal (currently SpringerLink) on 26 May 2018 without open access.
Why do business processes deviate? Results from a Delphi study
Authors: König Ulrich Matthias , Linhart Alexander , Röglinger Maximilian
Published: September 2018

Despite substantial investments in business process management (BPM), every organization experiences deviant processes, i.e., processes that show different behavior than intended. Thus, process deviance is an essential topic of BPM research and practice. Today, research on process deviance is mainly driven from a computer science perspective. IT-based methods and tools (e.g., deviance mining and prediction or compliance checking) detect process deviance by comparing log data from past process instances with normative process models or execution traces of currently running instances. However, requiring process models and event logs as input, existing approaches are expensive and limited to processes executed in automated workflow environments. Further, they can only detect process deviance, not explain why it occurs. Thus, knowledge about reasons for process deviance is immature. What is missing is a systematic exploration of reasons for process deviance. Against this backdrop, we compiled and structured reasons for process deviance based on a rating-type Delphi study with more than 30 experts from industry and academia. Thereby, we chose a process manager’s perspective as analytical lens, as process managers are familiar with and responsible for business processes end-to-end. We also analyzed the reasons’ importance for causing deviance in routine and nonroutine processes, two process types that capture the nature of processes in terms of variation and variety. Our results contribute to the descriptive knowledge on process deviance and serve as foundation for prescriptive research.
Fusion of deep learning models of MRI scans, Mini–Mental State Examination, and logical memory test enhances diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment
Authors: Qiu Shangran , Chang Gary H. , Panagia Marcello , Gopal Deepa M. , Au Rhoda , Kolachalama Vijaya B.
Published: September 2018

Introduction

Our aim was to investigate if the accuracy of diagnosing mild cognitive impairment (MCI) using the Mini–Mental State Examination (MMSE) and logical memory (LM) test could be enhanced by adding MRI data.

Methods

Data of individuals with normal cognition and MCI were obtained from the National Alzheimer Coordinating Center database (n = 386). Deep learning models trained on MRI slices were combined to generate a fused MRI model using different voting techniques to predict normal cognition versus MCI. Two multilayer perceptron (MLP) models were developed with MMSE and LM test results. Finally, the fused MRI model and the MLP models were combined using majority voting.

Results

The fusion model was superior to the individual models alone and achieved an overall accuracy of 90.9%.

Discussion

This study is a proof of principle that multimodal fusion of models developed using MRI scans, MMSE, and LM test data is feasible and can better predict MCI.
Concordance and Discordance of Sexual Identity, Sexual Experience, and Current Sexual Behavior in 45-Year-Old Men: Results From the German Male Sex-Study
Authors: Goethe Veronika E. , Angerer Hannes , Dinkel Andreas , Arsov Christian , Hadaschik Boris , Imkamp Florian , Gschwend Jürgen E. , Herkommer Kathleen
Published: September 2018

Introduction

Discordance of various aspects of sexual orientation has been mostly studied in young adults or in small samples of heterosexual men. Studies focusing on concordance and discordance of aspects of sexual orientation in representative samples of middle-aged men including homosexual men are scarce.

Aim

To investigate concordant and discordant sexual behavior in 45-year-old German men with a special focus on homosexual identified men.

Methods

Data for this cross-sectional study were collected within the German Male Sex-Study. Participants were 45-year-old Caucasian males from the general population. Men self-reported on sexual identity, sexual experience, and current sexual behavior. Associations between sexual identity, experience, and behavior were analyzed using the chi-square test.

Main Outcome Measure

Associations of sexual identity with sexual experience and behavior in a community-based sample of men, and discordance of sexual identity and behavior especially in the subgroup of homosexual men.

Results

12,354 men were included in the study. 95.1% (n = 11.749) self-identified as heterosexual, 3.8% (n = 471) as homosexual, and 1.1% (n = 134) as bisexual. Sexual identity was significantly associated with sexual experience and behavior. 85.5% of all men had recently been sexually active, but prevalence of sexual practices varied. In hetero- and bisexuals, vaginal intercourse was the most common sexual practice, whereas oral sex was the most common in homosexuals. A discordance of sexual identity was especially found in homosexual men: 5.5% of homosexuals only had sexual experiences with women, and 10.3% of homosexuals recently had vaginal intercourse. In this latter subgroup, only one-quarter ever had sexual experience with a man, and three-quarters had only engaged in sexual activity with a woman.

Conclusion

Sexual identity is associated with differences in sexual experience and behavior in German middle-aged men. A considerable proportion of homosexual identified men live a heterosexual life.
The biochemical characterization of a missense mutation m.8914C>T in ATP6 gene associated with mitochondrial encephalomyopathy
Authors: Guo Ya , Zhang Yu , Li Fei , Liu Peipei , Liu Yedan , Yang Chengqing , Song Jie , Zhang Na , Chen Zongbo
Published: September 2018

Mutations in ATP6 gene are frequent causes of mitochondrial encephalomyopathies. ATP6 gene encodes one subunit of complexⅤ. The present study described a missense mutation in ATP6 gene in a 8‐year‐old Chinese boy with mitochondrial encephalomyopathy. We identified one missense mutation in ATP6 gene (m.8914C>T) by mitochondrial DNA sequencing. This mutation altered the amino acid proline in serine, and alterative protein is predicted to be harmful. The mutation load in blood sample of patient is 59.49%. Activity of all mitochondrial complexes in blood are normal, however, the total function of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation were declined (including pathwayⅠ, pathwayⅡ and pathwayⅣ). The missense mutation (m.8914C>T) in ATP6 gene could result in abnormal function of complexV and is related with mitochondrial encephalomyopathy.
SUMERIAN TEXTS FROM THE ARCHIVE OF THE PRINCESS ŠĀT-EŠTAR IN THE COLLECTIONS OF THE IRAQ MUSEUM
Authors: Saadoon Abather Rahi
Published: September 2018

The princesses in the royal family of the Ur III state had a role in developing and revitalizing the economy. In ancient Iraqi society women operated in all fields of work. Cuneiform texts recorded their activities in the processes of receiving, delivery, distribution and mediating between people. Living in the community, Iraqi women played an important and positive role in ancient Iraq's society. Šāt-Eštar first became known as a princess in the texts treated in the author's MA Thesis in 2010. The study of the texts which mention princess Šat-Eštar shows that this character played an important role in processes of receiving, delivering, distributing and mediating between people. She was specialized in trading several materials, primarily barley and flour and then dates, as well as textiles and clothing types. The people she dealt with were Agatia, Šulgi-mudah, Abituni, Šāt-Su'en, Šāt-Nūnu, Šeškala, and Lugal-nisaĝ-e.
Effects of helicity on dissipation in homogeneous box turbulence
Authors: Linkmann Moritz
Published: September 2018

The dimensionless dissipation coefficient $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FD}=\unicode[STIX]{x1D700}L/U^{3}$, where $\unicode[STIX]{x1D700}$ is the dissipation rate, $U$ the root-mean-square velocity and $L$ the integral length scale, is an important characteristic of statistically stationary homogeneous turbulence. In studies of $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FD}$, the external force is typically isotropic and large scale, and its helicity $H_{f}$ either zero or not measured. Here, we study the dependence of $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FD}$ on $H_{f}$ and find that it decreases $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FD}$ by up to 10 % for both isotropic forces and shear flows. The numerical finding is supported by static and dynamical upper bound theory. Both show a relative reduction similar to the numerical results. That is, the qualitative and quantitative dependence of $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FD}$ on the helicity of the force is well captured by upper bound theory. Consequences for the value of the Kolmogorov constant and theoretical aspects of turbulence control and modelling are discussed in connection with the properties of the external force. In particular, the eddy viscosity in large-eddy simulations of homogeneous turbulence should be decreased by at least 10 % in the case of strongly helical forcing.
A Step towards the Harmonization of the Regulation of Financial Misconduct in BRICS: A Comparison of the Chinese and South African Regimes for the Prohibition of Insider Dealing
Authors: Kawadza Herbert
Published: September 2018

With the growing globalization of financial markets comes the need for regulatory convergence as well as standardization of the enforcement of the regulatory environment. Aligning regulatory approaches is crucial in empowering market players to maximize the regulatory benefits provided by foreign jurisdictions and platforms. Attaining that objective necessitates an understanding of the existing regulatory setting by comparing the approaches adopted by different jurisdictions. This article seeks to understand the strategies and mechanisms adopted by two of the most strategically linked nations within the BRICS bloc, China and South Africa, regarding insider trading regulation and its enforcement. What emerges suggests that, while these jurisdictions recognize the threat that insider trading poses to the integrity of their markets, they face serious resourcing and political challenges that weaken regulatory and enforcement efforts aimed at reducing incidence of the offence.
Successful hearing improvement with direct acoustic stimulation in a patient with schizophrenia
Authors: Rebol J , Kravos M , Ložar M
Published: September 2018

Objective

A direct acoustic cochlear implant provides its power directly to the inner ear by vibrating the perilymph via a conventional stapes prosthesis. Our experience with a patient with severe mixed hearing loss due to otosclerosis is described.

Case report

The patient, a 47-year-old male, had a pre-operative speech recognition score of 10 per cent and had been treated for many years for schizophrenia, both of which made him a poor candidate for a direct acoustic stimulation device. Nevertheless, the surgery was performed, which preserved the pre-operative bone conduction level and significantly improved hearing. His speech recognition score rose to 100 per cent. He uses the device all day and his auditory hallucinations have subsided. Improvement of schizophrenia symptoms has enabled the patient to reduce his psychiatric medications intake.

Conclusion

Hearing restoration was the main reason for the reduction of auditory hallucinations in our patient. Hearing loss is a potentially reversible risk factor for psychosis, but this association is often overlooked.
Dung burial by roller dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeinae): An individual and specific-level study
Authors: Carvalho R. L. , Frazão F. , Ferreira–Châline R.S. , Louzada J. , Cordeiro L. , França F.
Published: September 2018

Dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeinae) mediate many ecological functions that are important to maintain the ecosystem functioning of terrestrial environments. Although a large amount of literature explores the dung beetle-mediated ecological processes, little is known about the individual contribution from distinct species. Here, we aimed to examine the intra and interspecific variations in dung burial rates performed by two roller dung beetle species (Canthon smaragdulusFabricius, 1781 andCanthon sulcatusCastelnau, 1840). Furthermore, we evaluated the relationship between dung beetle biomass and dung burial rates. We set up a laboratorial experiment with three treatments (two males, two females, and a couple) and 10 replicates per treatment for each dung beetle species, and dung burial rates were measured after exposing 100 g of mixed pig and human excrement for 48 hours. Our results demonstrate that dung burial rates of males, females, and couples within each species do not differ. However,C. smaragdulusindividuals performed a larger dung burial thanC. sulcatusindividuals did. In addition, we found no effect of individual biomass on the amount of dung burial on intra and interspecific levels. These findings highlight the need for further research considering that distinct species, even from the same genus, may perform different rates of ecological processes, as well as about the importance for considering the beetle biomass when measuring their ecological functions. We call for studies to fill in the knowledge gap about the individual species’ contribution to the maintenance of different dung beetle-mediated ecological processes.
Modeling and measurement of microwave propagation multipath channels in drill pipe bore
Authors: Xia Wenhe , Guan Wenting , Jiang Zujun , Meng Yingfeng , Tang Bo
Published: September 2018

In this paper, the characteristics of microwave propagation channels in drill pipe bore are analyzed by regarding the drill pipe as an irregular lossy cylindrical waveguide. An attenuation law is modeled using multipath propagation theory and an experimental statistical method. It is shown from physical measurement results that 5″ and $5^{1/2 \prime \prime} $ drill pipe bores, widely applied in the field of air drilling, can be used as 2.4 GHz band microwave channels with the caveat that the numerous reflective surfaces in the joint section of the drill pipe produce a great deal of reflected waves. Hence, the drill pipe bore has the characteristics of a dual cluster multipath channel, and multipath fading and delay are the primary factors affecting propagation quality. The study's constructed microwave attenuation model, based on multipath channels, can be regarded as the average attenuation of the unit length in the drill pipe bore, and can be used as the basis for simulation and analysis of the longer drill pipe string. In addition, a large delay between the two clusters leads to a significant increase of the root mean square delay spread. Consequently, multipath fading and delay are the main factors affecting the channel transmission rate.
Modeling Intraindividual Variability in Three-Level Multilevel	Models
Authors: Nestler Steffen , Geukes Katharina , Back Mitja D.
Published: September 2018

Abstract. The mixed-effects location scale model is an extension of a multilevel model for longitudinal data. It allows covariates to affect both the within-subject variance and the between-subject variance (i.e., the intercept variance) beyond their influence on the means. Typically, the model is applied to two-level data (e.g., the repeated measurements of persons), although researchers are often faced with three-level data (e.g., the repeated measurements of persons within specific situations). Here, we describe an extension of the two-level mixed-effects location scale model to such three-level data. Furthermore, we show how the suggested model can be estimated with Bayesian software, and we present the results of a small simulation study that was conducted to investigate the statistical properties of the suggested approach. Finally, we illustrate the approach by presenting an example from a psychological study that employed ecological momentary assessment.
California's Drought of the Future: A Midcentury Recreation of the Exceptional Conditions of 2012–2017
Authors: Ullrich P. A. , Xu Z. , Rhoades A.M. , Dettinger M.D. , Mount J.F. , Jones A.D. , Vahmani P.
Published: September 2018

The California drought of 2012–2016 was a record‐breaking event with extensive social, political, and economic repercussions. The impacts were widespread and exposed the difficulty in preparing for the effects of prolonged dry conditions. Although the lessons from this drought drove important changes to state law and policy, there is little doubt that climate change will only exacerbate future droughts. To understand the character of future drought, this paper examines this recent drought period retrospectively and prospectively, that is, as it occurred historically and if similar dynamical conditions to the historical period were to arise 30 years later (2042–2046) subject to the effects of climate change. Simulations were conducted using the Weather Research and Forecasting model using the pseudo global warming method. The simulated historical and future droughts are contrasted in terms of temperature, precipitation, snowpack, soil moisture, evapotranspiration, and forest health. Overall, the midcentury drought is observed to be significantly worse, with many more extreme heat days, record‐low snowpack, increased soil drying, and record‐high forest mortality. With these findings in mind, the data sets developed in this study provide a means to structure future drought planning around a drought scenario that is realistic and modeled after a memorable historical analog.
Lidar Uncovers Thousands of New Maya Structures
Authors: Duncombe Jenessa
Published: September 2018

Jungle-piercing lidar surveys over ancient Maya sites give scientists the most extensive maps of lowland Maya civilization to date.
Evolution of Magma Plumbing System in Miyakejima Volcano: Constraints From Melting Experiments
Authors: Ushioda Masashi , Takahashi Eiichi , Hamada Morihisa , Suzuki Toshihiro , Niihori Kenji
Published: September 2018

The evolution of the magma plumbing system of Miyakejima volcano, an island arc basaltic volcano located on the volcanic front of the Izu arc, Japan, was investigated by combining (i) melting experiments of hydrous basaltic magma, (ii) analysis of melt inclusions in the volcanic rocks, and (iii) thermodynamic modeling using the thermodynamic program (MELTS) to understand the temporal evolution of the magma plumbing system. Basalts of the Ofunato Stage (10,000–4,000 year BP) show limited compositional variation without evidence of magma mixing, and seem to be parental to volcanic rocks of later stages. Hydrous melting experiments were conducted using the Ofunato Scoria (OFS), which represents the most undifferentiated basaltic magma during the past 10,000 years. The magma chamber conditions required to crystallize the phenocryst assemblage of the OFS were constrained to ~150 MPa, ~1100 °C, and ~3 wt% H2O in melt. The constrained H2O content is consistent with H2O content of olivine‐hosted melt inclusions in the OFS. Here we propose that a simple magma plumbing system existed beneath Miyakejima volcano during the Ofunato Stage, comprising a single magma chamber. The MELTS calculations show that andesites of the Tsubota Stage (4,000–2,500 year BP; representing the later part of the Ofunato Stage after a period of dormancy of 3,000 years), can be derived from the Ofunato basalts, provided that H2O content in magma is <1 wt%. The results of modeling indicate that a new magma chamber formed at a shallower depth after the Ofunato Stage, in which the differentiation of degassed basaltic magmas occurred.
Southern Ocean Biogeochemical Float Deployment Strategy, With Example From the Greenwich Meridian Line (GO‐SHIP A12)
Authors: Talley L. D. , Rosso I. , Kamenkovich I. , Mazloff M. R. , Wang J. , Boss E. , Gray A. R. , Johnson K. S. , Key R. M. , Riser S. C. , Williams N. L. , Sarmiento J. L.
Published: September 2018

Biogeochemical Argo floats, profiling to 2,000‐m depth, are being deployed throughout the Southern Ocean by the Southern Ocean Carbon and Climate Observations and Modeling program (SOCCOM). The goal is 200 floats by 2020, to provide the first full set of annual cycles of carbon, oxygen, nitrate, and optical properties across multiple oceanographic regimes. Building from no prior coverage to a sparse array, deployments are based on prior knowledge of water mass properties, mean frontal locations, mean circulation and eddy variability, winds, air‐sea heat/freshwater/carbon exchange, prior Argo trajectories, and float simulations in the Southern Ocean State Estimate and Hybrid Coordinate Ocean Model (HYCOM). Twelve floats deployed from the 2014–2015 Polarstern cruise from South Africa to Antarctica are used as a test case to evaluate the deployment strategy adopted for SOCCOM's 20 deployment cruises and 126 floats to date. After several years, these floats continue to represent the deployment zones targeted in advance: (1) Weddell Gyre sea ice zone, observing the Antarctic Slope Front, and a decadally‐rare polynya over Maud Rise; (2) Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) including the topographically steered Southern Zone chimney where upwelling carbon/nutrient‐rich deep waters produce surprisingly large carbon dioxide outgassing; (3) Subantarctic and Subtropical zones between the ACC and Africa; and (4) Cape Basin. Argo floats and eddy‐resolving HYCOM simulations were the best predictors of individual SOCCOM float pathways, with uncertainty after 2 years of order 1,000 km in the sea ice zone and more than double that in and north of the ACC.
A mitochondrial proteome profile indicative of type 2 diabetes mellitus in skeletal muscles
Authors: Chae Sehyun , Kim Su-Jin , Do Koo Young , Lee Jung Hwa , Kim Hokeun , Ahn Byung Yong , Ha Yong-Chan , Kim Yong-Hak , Jang Mi Gyeong , Koo Kyung-Hoi , Choi Sung Hee , Lim Soo , Park Young Joo , Jang Hak Chul , Hwang Daehee , Lee Sang-Won , Park Kyong Soo
Published: September 2018

The pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is closely associated with mitochondrial functions in insulin-responsive tissues. The mitochondrial proteome, compared with the mitochondrial genome, which only contains 37 genes in humans, can provide more comprehensive information for thousands of mitochondrial proteins regarding T2DM-associated mitochondrial functions. However, T2DM-associated protein signatures in insulin-responsive tissues are still unclear. Here, we performed extensive proteome profiling of mitochondria from skeletal muscles in nine T2DM patients and nine nondiabetic controls. A comparison of the mitochondrial proteomes identified 335 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) between T2DM and nondiabetic samples. Functional and network analyses of the DEPs showed that mitochondrial metabolic processes were downregulated and mitochondria-associated ER membrane (MAM) processes were upregulated. Of the DEPs, we selected two (NDUFS3 and COX2) for downregulated oxidative phosphorylation and three (CALR, SORT, and RAB1A) for upregulated calcium and protein transport as representative mitochondrial and MAM processes, respectively, and then confirmed their differential expression in independent mouse and human samples. Therefore, we propose that these five proteins be used as a potential protein profile that is indicative of the dysregulation of mitochondrial functions in T2DM, representing downregulated oxidative phosphorylation and upregulated MAM functions.
Raman spectroscopy-based identification of toxoid vaccine products
Authors: Silge Anja , Bocklitz Thomas , Becker Bjoern , Matheis Walter , Popp Juergen , Bekeredjian-Ding Isabelle
Published: September 2018

Vaccines are complex biomedicines. Manufacturing is time consuming and requires a high level of quality control (QC) to guarantee consistent safety and potency. An increasing global demand has led to the need to reduce time and cost of manufacturing. The evolving concepts for QC and the upcoming threat of falsification of biomedicines define a new need for methods that allow the fast and reliable identification of vaccines. Raman spectroscopy is a non-destructive technology already established in QC of classical medicines. We hypothesized that Raman spectroscopy could be used for identification and differentiation of vaccine products. Raman maps obtained from air-dried samples of combination vaccines containing antigens from tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis (DTaP vaccines) were summarized to compile product-specific Raman signatures. Sources of technical variance were emphasized to evaluate the robustness and sensitivity in downstream data analysis. The data management approach corrects for spatial inhomogeneities in the dried sample while offering a proper representation of the original samples inherent chemical signature. Reproducibility of the identification was validated by a leave-one-replicate-out cross-validation. The results highlighted the high specificity and sensitivity of Raman measurements in identifying DTaP vaccine products. The results pave the way for further exploitation of the Raman technology for identification of vaccines in batch release and cases of suspected falsification.
Pattern to Knowledge: Deep Knowledge-Directed Machine Learning for Residue-Residue Interaction Prediction
Authors: Wong Andrew K. C. , Sze-To Ho Yin , Johanning Gary L.
Published: September 2018

Residue-residue close contact (R2R-C) data procured from three-dimensional protein-protein interaction (PPI) experiments is currently used for predicting residue-residue interaction (R2R-I) in PPI. However, due to complex physiochemical environments, R2R-I incidences, facilitated by multiple factors, are usually entangled in the source environment and masked in the acquired data. Here we present a novel method, P2K (Pattern to Knowledge), to disentangle R2R-I patterns and render much succinct discriminative information expressed in different specific R2R-I statistical/functional spaces. Since such knowledge is not visible in the data acquired, we refer to it as deep knowledge. Leveraging the deep knowledge discovered to construct machine learning models for sequence-based R2R-I prediction, without trial-and-error combination of the features over external knowledge of sequences, our R2R-I predictor was validated for its effectiveness under stringent leave-one-complex-out-alone cross-validation in a benchmark dataset, and was surprisingly demonstrated to perform better than an existing sequence-based R2R-I predictor by 28% (p: 1.9E-08). P2K is accessible via our web server on https://p2k.uwaterloo.ca.
A multisubstrate reductase from Plantago major: structure-function in the short chain reductase superfamily
Authors: Fellows Rachel , Russo Christopher M. , Silva Catarina S. , Lee Soon Goo , Jez Joseph M. , Chisholm John D. , Zubieta Chloe , Nanao Max H.
Published: September 2018

The short chain dehydrogenase/reductase superfamily (SDR) is a large family of NAD(P)H-dependent enzymes found in all kingdoms of life. SDRs are particularly well-represented in plants, playing diverse roles in both primary and secondary metabolism. In addition, some plant SDRs are also able to catalyse a reductive cyclisation reaction critical for the biosynthesis of the iridoid backbone that contains a fused 5 and 6-membered ring scaffold. Mining the EST database of Plantago major, a medicinal plant that makes iridoids, we identified a putative 5β-progesterone reductase gene, PmMOR (P. major multisubstrate oxido-reductase), that is 60% identical to the iridoid synthase gene from Catharanthus roseus. The PmMOR protein was recombinantly expressed and its enzymatic activity assayed against three putative substrates, 8-oxogeranial, citral and progesterone. The enzyme demonstrated promiscuous enzymatic activity and was able to not only reduce progesterone and citral, but also to catalyse the reductive cyclisation of 8-oxogeranial. The crystal structures of PmMOR wild type and PmMOR mutants in complex with NADP+ or NAD+ and either 8-oxogeranial, citral or progesterone help to reveal the substrate specificity determinants and catalytic machinery of the protein. Site-directed mutagenesis studies were performed and provide a foundation for understanding the promiscuous activity of the enzyme.
The endless visuomotor calibration of reach-to-grasp actions
Authors: Volcic Robert , Domini Fulvio
Published: September 2018

It is reasonable to assume that when we grasp an object we carry out the movement based only on the currently available sensory information. Unfortunately, our senses are often prone to err. Here, we show that the visuomotor system exploits the mismatch between the predicted and sensory outcomes of the immediately preceding action (sensory prediction error) to attain a degree of robustness against the fallibility of our perceptual processes. Participants performed reach-to-grasp movements toward objects presented at eye level at various distances. Grip aperture was affected by the object distance, even though both visual feedback of the hand and haptic feedback were provided. Crucially, grip aperture as well as the trajectory of the hand were systematically influenced also by the immediately preceding action. These results are well predicted by a model that modifies an internal state of the visuomotor system by adjusting the visuomotor mapping based on the sensory prediction errors. In sum, the visuomotor system appears to be in a constant fine-tuning process which makes the generation and control of grasping movements more resistant to interferences caused by our perceptual errors.
A Next-Generation Sequencing-Based Platform for Quantitative Detection of Hepatitis B Virus Pre-S Mutants in Plasma of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients
Authors: Teng Chiao-Fang , Huang Hsi-Yuan , Li Tsai-Chung , Shyu Woei-Cherng , Wu Han-Chieh , Lin Chien-Yu , Su Ih-Jen , Jeng Long-Bin
Published: September 2018

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Early diagnosis and treatment of HCC remain a key goal for improving patient survival. Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a major risk factor for HCC development. Pre-S mutants harboring deletions in HBV large surface antigen have been well demonstrated as HBV oncoproteins that dysregulate multiple signaling pathways in hepatocytes, leading to HCC formation. The presence of pre-S mutants in plasma represents important predictive and prognostic markers for HCC in patients with chronic HBV infection. However, the method to detect pre-S mutants remains to be optimized. In this study, we developed a platform, based on the next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology, for detection of pre-S mutants in plasma of HBV-related HCC patients. Compared to the current TA cloning-based analysis, the NGS-based analysis could detect pre-S deletion quantitatively, and the detection rate was significantly more sensitive in 49 plasma analyzed (McNemar’s paired proportion test, P value < 0.0001; simple kappa coefficient, κ = 0.29 (95% CI, 0.12 to 0.46)). Our data suggest that the NGS-based platform may hold a promise for improving the clinical application of pre-S mutants in serving as predictive and prognostic markers for HBV-related HCC.
Publisher Correction: A novel two-score system for interferon status segregates autoimmune diseases and correlates with clinical features
Authors: El-Sherbiny Y. M. , Psarras A. , Md Yusof M. Y. , Hensor E. M. A. , Tooze R. , Doody G. , Mohamed A. A. A , McGonagle D. , Wittmann M. , Emery P. , Vital E. M.
Published: September 2018

A correction to this article has been published and is linked from the HTML and PDF versions of this paper. The error has been fixed in the paper.
Calcineurin B homologous protein 3 binds with high affinity to the CHP binding domain of the human sodium/proton exchanger NHE1
Authors: Fuchs Simon , Hansen Sierra C. , Markones Marie , Mymrikov Evgeny V. , Heerklotz Heiko , Hunte Carola
Published: September 2018

The Na+/H+ exchanger NHE1 is critical for cell vitality as it controls intracellular pH and cell volume. Its functionality is influenced by calcineurin B homologous proteins (CHPs). The human isoform CHP3 is important for transport of NHE1 to the plasma membrane and for its activity. Here, we characterized the binding interaction of human CHP3 with the regulatory domain of NHE1. The exact binding site of CHP3 was previously debated. CHP3 as well as both regions of NHE1 in question were produced and purified. CHP3 specifically formed stable complexes with the CHP-binding region (CBD) of NHE1 (residues 503–545) in size-exclusion chromatography (SEC), but not with the C-terminal region (CTD, residues 633–815). CTD was functional as shown by Ca2+-dependent binding of calmodulin in SEC analysis. CHP3 bound with high affinity to CBD with an equilibrium dissociation constant (KD) of 56 nM determined by microscale thermophoresis. The high affinity was substantiated by isothermal calorimetry analysis (KD = 3 nM), which also revealed that the interaction with CBD is strongly exothermic (ΔG° = −48.6 kJ/mol, ΔH = −75.3 kJ/mol, −TΔS° = 26.7 kJ/mol). The data provide insights in the molecular mechanisms that underlie the regulatory interaction of CHP3 and NHE1 and more general of calcineurin homologous proteins with their target proteins.