bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Occurrence of meridional and easterly surges and their impact on Malaysian rainfall during the northeast monsoon: a climatology study
Authors: Fakaruddin Fadila Jasmin , Yip Weng Sang , Diong Jeong Yik , Dindang Ambun , K. Chang Nursalleh , Abdullah Muhammad Helmi
Published: August 2019

The cold surge or meridional surge (MS) is known to be one of the main features that contributes to extreme Malaysian rainfall events during the boreal winter or northeast monsoon. This study investigates other factors that contribute to the heavy rainfall, besides the cold surge, as well as their impacts on rainfall in the Malaysian region. Based on known methods, two additional types of surge are identified, namely the easterly surge (ES) and the mixed surge (MES), which is a mixture of both ES and MS. Daily average wind data from the European Centre for Medium‐Range Weather Forecasts Reanalysis ERA‐Interim for 37 seasons of the northeast monsoon (1979–1980 to 2016–2017, October–March) were used to identify the MSs, ESs and MESs. The impact of these surges on rainfall in the Malaysian region was investigated by using the rainfall data from the meteorological stations of the Malaysian Meteorological Department and the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission. The results showed that the MS plays an important role in modulating heavy rainfall in the early season over the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia. Meanwhile, the ES dominates the rainfall distribution over Sarawak in the late middle season. The rainfall modulated by the MES shows a higher intensity and concentrates over the southern part of the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia and Sabah. These findings provide a climatological view of the spatial and temporal distribution of heavy rainfall associated with different types of surge, which can be used as a forecasting tool for predicting surges and their impacts.
Microstrip slot antenna as an indoor wireless RFID with multiband attributes based on composite right‐hand/left‐hand load
Authors: Azizi Shabnam , Naderi Mohammad , Hatami Ahmad , Zarrabi Ferdows B.
Published: August 2019

The goal of the present work is to present a slot antenna for wireless application based on a stack layer and composite right‐hand/left‐hand technique to achieve a multiband characteristic together with miniaturization and gain enhancement. This antenna covers 1.825 to 1.975 GHz for global system for mobile communications 1800, 2.9 to 4.3 GHz for long‐term evolution (LTE) and Worldwide Interoperability in Microwave Access, and 5.2 to 5.8 GHz for Wi‐Fi networks with the return loss of less than −6 dB (VSWR<3). We used a slit ring resonator structure with four vias and strip as the left‐hand circuit. We have also utilized a disk at the center of the top layer to improve the bandwidth and matching. We present the equivalent RLC circuit model for the final antenna which can help us realize the role of capacitance and inductances based on parametric studies. Both layers are fabricated over the FR4 substrate, and experimental results confirm the simulation results obtained by the HFSS. Moreover, the stack layer provides higher directivity and gain in comparison with the conventional slot antenna.
Preliminary results of a 68Ga‐PSMA PET/CT prospective study in prostate cancer patients with occult recurrence: Diagnostic performance and impact on therapeutic decision‐making
Authors: Rousseau Caroline , Le Thiec Maelle , Ferrer Ludovic , Rusu Daniela , Rauscher Aurore , Maucherat Bruno , Frindel Mathieu , Baumgartner Pierre , Fleury Vincent , Denis Antoine , Morel Agnes , Varmenot Nicolas , Debeaupuis Emilie , Campion Loic , Kraeber‐Bodéré Francoise
Published: August 2019

Background

In this prospective study (NCT03443609), we investigated the impact of 68Ga‐PSMA‐11 PET‐CT on the treatment plan and therapeutic response obtained for patients with prostate cancer (PCa) presenting a recurrence with a low rising PSA.

Methods

One hundred thirty hormone‐naive (PSA < 1.5 ng/mL) patients were enrolled. All patients received radical treatment. PET images were recorded 1 and 2  hours after injection of tracer and interpreted by two independent nuclear physicians. Six months after treatment ended, a PSA assay was requested to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of the treatment based on PSMA results.

Results

Data analysis for the first 52 included patients has been completed. 68Ga‐PSMA‐11–positive lesions were detected in 38/52 (73.1%) patients. Ninety‐four lesions were detected as follows, 53/94 in lymph nodes (56.4%), 25/94 in bone (26.6%), and 12/94 into the prostate bed (12.7%). Detection rates were 58%, 81%, and 82% for serum PSA levels lower than 0.25 ng/mL, between 0.25 to ≤ 0.69  ng/mL and 0.70  ng/mL, respectively. As a result of the PSMA PET‐CT, therapeutic management changed in 38/52 patients (73.1%). Patients had undetectable serum PSA levels after treatment guided by 68Ga‐PSMA‐11 PET‐CT results in 10/52 (19.2%) cases and with a PSA decrease of over 60% in 18/52 (34.6%) patients.

Conclusion

Whilst our patient population presented a very low PSA level, preliminary results of the 68Ga‐PSMA PET‐CT study showed recurrence localization in more than half of the patients and this had a major clinical impact, as it resulted in treatment change in more than half of the patients and a significant decrease in PSA levels in a third of patients.
Physiologically Based Pharmacokinetic Models for Adults and Children Reveal a Role of Intracellular Tubulin Binding in Vincristine Disposition
Authors: Lee Christine M. , Zane Nicole R. , Veal Gareth , Thakker Dhiren R.
Published: August 2019

Vincristine is a cytotoxic chemotherapeutic agent used as first‐line therapy for pediatric acute lymphocytic leukemia. It is cleared by hepatic oxidative metabolism by CYP3A4 and CYP3A5 and via hepatic (biliary) efflux mediated by P‐glycoprotein (P‐gp) transporter. Bottom‐up physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) models were developed to predict vincristine disposition in pediatric and adult populations. The models incorporated physicochemical properties, metabolism by CYP3A4/5, efflux by P‐gp, and intracellular binding to β‐tubulin. The adult and pediatric PBPK models predicted pharmacokinetics (PK) within twofold of the observed PK parameters (area under the curve, terminal half‐life, volume of distribution, and clearance). Simulating a higher hypothetical (4.9‐fold) pediatric expression of β‐tubulin relative to adult improved predictions of vincristine PKs. To our knowledge, this is the first time that intracellular binding has been incorporated into a pediatric PBPK model. Utilizing this PBPK modeling approach, safe and effective doses of vincristine could be predicted.
Suspended Spot‐Size Converters for Scalable Single‐Photon Devices
Authors: Uğurlu Aslı D. , Thyrrestrup Henri , Uppu Ravitej , Ouellet‐Plamondon Claudéric , Schott Rüdiger , Wieck Andreas D. , Ludwig Arne , Lodahl Peter , Midolo Leonardo
Published: August 2019

The realization of a highly efficient optical spot‐size converter for the end‐face coupling of single photons from GaAs‐based nanophotonic waveguides with embedded quantum dots is reported. The converter is realized using an inverted taper and an epoxy polymer overlay providing a 1.3 µm output mode field diameter. The collection of single photons from a quantum dot into a lensed fiber with a rate of 5.84 ± 0.01 MHz is demonstrated and a chip‐to‐fiber coupling efficiency of is estimated. The stability and compatibility with cryogenic temperatures make the epoxy waveguides a promising material to realize efficient and scalable interconnects between heterogeneous quantum photonic integrated circuits.
Engaging ‘the crowd’ in remote sensing to learn about habitat affinity of the Weddell seal in Antarctica
Authors: LaRue Michelle A. , Ainley David G. , Pennycook Jean , Stamatiou Kostas , Salas Leo , Nur Nadav , Stammerjohn Sharon , Barrington Luke
Published: August 2019

Satellites Over Seals (SOS), a project initiated in late 2016, is a crowdsourced method to determine factors behind the presence/absence patterns and to ultimately determine the global population of the Weddell seal (Leptonychotes weddellii). An iconic species, the Weddell seal is proposed to be part of the Antarctic Research and Monitoring Program required in the newly designated Ross Sea Region Marine Protected Area. This species is easy to detect via satellite imagery, due to its large size (3–4 m long, 1 m wide) and its dark color contrasting with the Antarctic coastal fast ice, where it aggregates on during breeding season. Using very high‐resolution satellite imagery (VHR; 0.31–0.60 m resolution) and the online platform Tomnod, we used VHR images from November 2010 and 2011 to cover the entirety of available fast ice around Antarctica. Before correcting for time of day or date, we searched for the presence/absence to identify a subset of where abundance estimates should be concentrated. More than 325 000 citizen scientists searched 790 VHR images, covering 268 611 km2of fast ice, to determine the locations of seals. Algorithms ranked searchers to the degree their votes corresponded with others, a measure of searcher relative quality that we used to filter out unreliable searchers. Seal presence was detected on only 0.55% of available maps (totaln = 1 116 058) within fast ice, revealing a sparse, irregular distribution. The rate of false‐negative detections was 1.7%, though false positives were high (67%), highlighting the importance of training for image interpretation to ensure differentiation between seals and landscape features (such as large rocks, ice chunks or depressions/holes in the ice). This approach not only allowed us to assess image resolution and quality, but also training, outreach and the effectiveness of this platform for introducing citizen scientists to the ecology of the Southern Ocean.
Near‐Infrared Nonfullerene Acceptors Based on Benzobis(thiazole) Unit for Efficient Organic Solar Cells with Low Energy Loss
Authors: Li Shuixing , Zhan Lingling , Lau Tsz‐Ki , Yu Zhi‐Peng , Yang Weitao , Andersen Thomas R. , Fu Zhisheng , Li Chang‐Zhi , Lu Xinhui , Shi Minmin , Chen Hongzheng
Published: August 2019

The simultaneous achievement of a low energy loss and high external quantum efficiency (EQE) response is the prerequisite for high power conversion efficiencies of organic solar cells (OSCs). Herein, this issue is examined through the design of two novel near‐infrared (NIR) nonfullerene acceptors (X‐PCIC and X1‐PCIC) with an absorption extending to 900 nm, which is realized by using benzobis(thiazole) unit as the core. This study reveals that benzobis(thiazole) unit with the quinoid‐resonance effect and electron‐withdrawing property is a good building block in extending absorption and maintaining suitable energy levels. Single crystal cultivation proves the function of S···N noncovalent interaction in locking molecular geometry. Besides, through adopting two different terminals (fluorinated terminal for X‐PCIC and thiophene‐fused terminal for X1‐PCIC), it is found that an increase in the J‐aggregation strength has a significant positive effect on the EQE response of the devices through the formation of more suitable domain sizes and crystallinity in the films, while the energy loss remains low (≈0.53 eV) and unaffected. Thus, a high efficiency of 11.50% is presented for OSC based on the X‐PCIC with stronger J‐aggregation strength, better than that (10.17%) based on the X1‐PCIC with weaker J‐aggregation strength. This work clearly demonstrates the application of benzobis(thiazole) unit in efficient small molecule acceptors and the importance of J‐aggregation modulation for the simultaneous achievement of low energy loss and high EQE response.
Detection, occurrence, and fate of emerging contaminants in agricultural environments (2019)
Authors: Snow Daniel D. , Cassada David A. , Biswas Saptashati , Malakar Arindam , D’Alessio Matteo , Carter Laura J. , Johnson Rachel D. , Sallach Jonathan Brett
Published: August 2019

A review of 82 papers published in 2018 is presented. The topics ranged from detailed descriptions of analytical methods, to fate and occurrence studies, to ecological effects and sampling techniques for a wide variety of emerging contaminants likely to occur in agricultural environments. New methods and studies on veterinary pharmaceuticals, microplastics, and engineered nanomaterials in agricultural environments continue to expand our knowledge base on the occurrence and potential impacts of these compounds. This review is divided into the following sections: Introduction, Analytical Methods, Fate and Occurrence, Pharmaceutical Metabolites, Anthelmintics, Microplastics, and Engineered Nanomaterials.

Practitioner points

New research describes innovative new techniques for emerging contaminant detection in agricultural settings.

Newer classes of contaminants include human and veterinary pharmaceuticals.

Research in microplastics and nanomaterials shows that these also occur in agricultural environments and will likely be topics of future work.
Correction to: The effect of stress on customer perception of the frontline employee: an experimental study
Authors: Papen Marie-Christin , Niemand Thomas , Siems Florian U. , Kraus Sascha
Published: August 2019

The article ‘The effect of stress on customer perception of the frontline employee: an experimental study’, written by Marie-Christin Papen, Thomas Niemand, Florian U. Siems, Sascha Kraus, was originally published electronically on the publisher’s Internet portal (currently SpringerLink) on 15 November 2017 without open access.
Etiology of lower gastrointestinal bleeding in Sulaimani governorate-Kurdistan region-Iraq- retrospective cross-sectional study
Authors: Ahmed Hiwa Omer , Ahmed Saiwan Hameed
Published: August 2019

ABSTRACT

Background:

Acute lower gastrointestinal bleeding is arbitrarily defined as bleeding of less than 3 days in duration, while chronic lower gastrointestinal bleeding is the passage of blood from the rectum over a period of several days or longer and usually implies that blood loss is intermittent or slow.

Objectives:

To find the causes of lower gastrointestinal bleeding and to find the commonest cause to raise awareness of the gastroenterologist personnel, surgeons and internists.

Patients and methods:

The study was conducted as a retrospective cross-sectional study, 734 patients from a total number of 854 patients, underwent colonoscopy in Kurdistan Center for Gastroenterology and Hepatology in Sulaimani governorate, Kurdistan region-Iraq, were recruited, it took a period of 10 months; from 2nd January 2018 to 31st October in 2018. Clinical examination, digital rectal examination, and colonoscopy with biopsy were arranged for each patient.

Results:

Bleeding due to hemorrhoid was the most frequent diagnosis (n = 211, 28.74%) which reported during colonoscopy, which was more common in males (n = 113, 15.3%) than females (n = 98, 13.3%) with female to male ratio of (0.86).

Conclusion:

The most common cause of lower gastrointestinal bleeding in the area is hemorrhoid. Colonoscopy is superior to physical and digital rectal examination in detecting cause of bleeding in lower GIT bleeding.

Highlights:
Mild cognitive impairment has similar alterations as Alzheimer's disease in gut microbiota
Authors: Li Binyin , He Yixi , Ma Jianfang , Huang Pei , Du Juanjuan , Cao Li , Wang Yan , Xiao Qin , Tang Huidong , Chen Shengdi
Published: August 2019

Objective

Gut microbiota changes before the onset of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and the alterations could be detected in the stage of mild cognitive impairment (MCI). The findings might offer diagnostic biomarkers before the onset of dementia.

Background

AD is the most common cause of dementia, and MCI is the predementia state. Recent studies suggest the alterations in the gut microbial communities associated with AD, whereas the microbiota in MCI before the onset of dementia has not been discovered and characterized in humans.

New/Updated Hypothesis

We hypothesize that the dysbiosis happens in the MCI stage. Patients with AD and MCI have decreased microbial diversity, and changes in gut microbiota could be detected for early detection of AD. In our preliminary study, we identified differences between AD and normal controls in 11 genera from the feces and 11 genera from the blood. No difference in genera between AD and MCI was detected. Using the diagnostic model from fecal samples with all different genera input, 93% (28 in 30) of patients with MCI could be identified correctly.

Major Challenges for the Hypothesis

The diagnosis of MCI and AD in the study was based on symptoms and neuroimaging, and AD biomarkers should be included for precise diagnosis in further validating studies. Besides, as the microbiota changes longitudinally, their relationship with the progress of dementia needs to be studied in the prospective studies.

Linkage to Other Major Theories

Escherichia was observed increased at genus level in both fecal and blood samples from AD and MCI. For AD biomarker, postmortem brain tissue from patients with AD showed lipopolysaccharides and gram‐negative Escherichia coli fragments colocalize with amyloid plaque. In this way, the amyloid pathogenesis for AD would be triggered during MCI by gut microbiota shifting. Besides, systemic inflammatory reactions caused by compounds secreted by bacteria may impair the blood‐brain barrier and promote neuroinflammation and/or neurodegeneration. Furthermore, abnormal metabolites caused by microbial gene functions have an impact on neurodegeneration.
AM cleans up its act
Authors: Nickels Liz
Published: August 2019

Removing residual metal powder after a part has been 3D printing is a perennial, and often hazardous problem. Liz Nickels spoke to a company offering a smart, automated solution to giving AM metal parts a spring clean in postprocess.
Formation of Asymmetric Electron Acoustic Double Layers in the Earth's Inner Magnetosphere
Authors: Lotekar Ajay , Kakad Amar , Kakad Bharati
Published: August 2019

The Van Allen Probes have observed both symmetric and asymmetric bipolar electric field structures in the Earth's inner magnetosphere. In general, the symmetric bipolar structures are identified as electron‐phase space holes, whereas the asymmetric structures are interpreted as electron acoustic double layers (EADLs). The generation mechanism of these EADLs is not entirely understood yet. We have modeled the EADLs observed on 13 November 2012 by Van Allen Probe‐B. We performed a fluid simulation of the EADLs and tracked their formation and evolution in the simulation. We found that the localized depletion and enhancement in the electron populations act as a perturbation to excite the symmetric bipolar electron acoustic solitary waves, which later evolve into the EADLs. The Ponderomotive force is found to be the main driver behind transformation of the symmetric electron acoustic solitary waves to EADLs via formation of the electron acoustic shocks.
Investing in Science to Improve Climate Risk Management
Authors: Srikrishnan Vivek , Alley Richard , Keller Klaus
Published: August 2019

Integrating Earth science research and observations into adaptation planning helps identify effective strategies to manage climate risks.
Time‐Dependent Behavior of a Near‐Trench Slow‐Slip Event at the Hikurangi Subduction Zone
Authors: Yohler R. , Bartlow N. , Wallace L. M. , Williams C.
Published: August 2019

Studying offshore slow‐slip events (SSEs) along subduction zone interfaces is important for constraining the overall slip budget and potential for seismic slip and the relationship with large megathrust earthquakes. Models using only onshore data increasingly lack model resolution the further from the shore the SSE occurs. In this study, we combine data from the Hikurangi Ocean Bottom Investigation of Tremor and Slow Slip seafloor absolute pressure gauge (APG) network with daily position time series from New Zealand's GeoNet to create time‐dependent models of slip during the 2014 Gisborne, New Zealand SSE using the Network Inversion Filter. We compare models assuming heterogeneous versus homogenous elastic properties to explore their influence on our models. The time‐dependent results show that slip uncertainties under the APGs drop by about 23%. We also find that the peak value of slip increases with heterogeneous elastic properties as compared to homogenous models. The inclusion of the offshore APG data in our models places more slip near the trench and detects a more defined migration of slip, especially in the heterogeneous model. These differences are important for interpreting the relationship between the SSE and associated tremor, which occurs after the peak SSE slip rate. Additionally, we use a static “potency bounding” technique in order to gauge the range of models that can fit the data. This analysis demonstrates that the inclusion of offshore data helps to substantially narrow the range of plausible slip models.
Dynamic Probabilistic Hazard Mapping in the Long Valley Volcanic Region CA: Integrating Vent Opening Maps and Statistical Surrogates of Physical Models of Pyroclastic Density Currents
Authors: Rutarindwa Regis , Spiller Elaine T. , Bevilacqua Andrea , Bursik Marcus I. , Patra Abani K.
Published: August 2019

Ideally, probabilistic hazard assessments combine available knowledge about physical mechanisms of the hazard, data on past hazards, and any precursor information. Systematically assessing the probability of rare, yet catastrophic hazards adds a layer of difficulty due to limited observation data. Via computer models, one can exercise potentially dangerous scenarios that may not have happened in the past but are probabilistically consistent with the aleatoric nature of previous volcanic behavior in the record. Traditional Monte Carlo‐based methods to calculate such hazard probabilities suffer from two issues: they are computationally expensive, and they are static. In light of new information, newly available data, signs of unrest, and new probabilistic analysis describing uncertainty about scenarios the Monte Carlo calculation would need to be redone under the same computational constraints. Here we present an alternative approach utilizing statistical emulators that provide an efficient way to overcome the computational bottleneck of typical Monte Carlo approaches. Moreover, this approach is independent of an aleatoric scenario model and yet can be applied rapidly to any scenario model making it dynamic. We present and apply this emulator‐based approach to create multiple probabilistic hazard maps for inundation of pyroclastic density currents in the Long Valley Volcanic Region. Further, we illustrate how this approach enables an exploration of the impact of epistemic uncertainties on these probabilistic hazard forecasts. Particularly, we focus on the uncertainty of vent opening models and how that uncertainty both aleatoric and epistemic impacts the resulting probabilistic hazard maps of pyroclastic density current inundation.
Interseismic Quiescence and Triggered Slip of Active Normal Faults of Kīlauea Volcano's South Flank During 2001–2018
Authors: Wang K. , MacArthur H. S. , Johanson I. , Montgomery‐Brown E. K. , Poland M. P. , Cannon E. C. , d'Alessio M. A. , Bürgmann R.
Published: August 2019

The mobile south flank of Kīlauea Volcano hosts two normal fault systems, the Koa'e fault system (KFS) and the Hilina fault system (HFS). In historical time, at least three M>6.5 earthquakes have occurred on the basal detachment of the Kīlauea Volcano's south flank, with the most recent being the 4 May 2018 M6.9 earthquake. Here we analyze kinematic Global Positioning System data collected from 2001 to 2017 and interferometric synthetic aperture radar data before, during, and after the 2018 M6.9 earthquake to determine the crustal motion across the HFS and KFS faults. Our results indicate that the HFS faults did not significantly slip during the interseismic period from 2007 to 2011. Despite its substantial magnitude, interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) data show that the 2018 M6.9 earthquake triggered subcentimeter level slip along sections of the previously mapped HFS branches. Up to 20 cm of offset occurred on what appears to be a newly formed (or previously unknown) fault near the eastern end of the HFS. During the 3 months following the M6.9 earthquake, up to ~30 cm of slip occurred along the KFS, which helps accommodate rapid large‐scale subsidence of Kīlauea's summit region as large volumes of summit reservoir magma fed the lower East Rift Zone eruption. The HFS appears to activate only in concert with large earthquakes on the basal detachment. The KFS, on the other hand, moves both seismically during small local earthquakes and aseismically in response to nearby earthquakes and caldera subsidence.
Pyroxene 40Ar/39Ar Dating of Basalt and Applications to Large Igneous Provinces and Precambrian Stratigraphic Correlations
Authors: Zi Jian‐Wei , Haines Peter W. , Wang Xuan‐Ce , Jourdan Fred , Rasmussen Birger , Halverson Galen P. , Sheppard Stephen , Li Chao‐Feng
Published: August 2019

Correlations within and between Precambrian basins are heavily reliant on precise dating of volcanic units (i.e., tuff beds and lava flows) in the absence of biostratigraphy. However, felsic tuffs and lavas are rare or absent in many basins, and direct age determinations of Precambrian basaltic lavas have proven to be challenging. In this paper, we report the first successful application of 40Ar/39Ar dating to pyroxene from a Neoproterozoic basalt unit, the Keene Basalt in the Officer Basin of central Australia. 40Ar/39Ar analyses of igneous pyroxene crystals yielded an age of 752 ± 4 Ma (mean squared weighted deviation = 0.69, p = 72%), which is underpinned by 40Ar/39Ar plagioclase age (753.04 ± 0.84 Ma) from the basalt. This age is significant because the Keene Basalt is one of the very few extrusive igneous rocks identified within the Neoproterozoic successions of central Australia and is potentially an important time marker for correlating the Neoproterozoic stratigraphy within, and beyond, the central Australian basins. Our geochronological and geochemical data show that the Keene Basalt, which is characterized by enriched elemental and Nd‐Pb isotopic signatures, is strikingly similar to, and coeval with, the 755 ± 3 Ma Mundine Well Dolerite in northwestern Australia. Here we suggest that both are part of the same large igneous province (~6.5 × 105 km2) related to breakup of the supercontinent Rodinia. This study demonstrates the potential of pyroxene 40Ar/39Ar geochronology to date ancient flood basalts and to provide pivotal time constraints for stratigraphic correlations of Precambrian basins.
Lithospheric SH Wave Velocity Structure Beneath the Northeastern Tibetan Plateau From Love Wave Tomography
Authors: Fu Yuanyuan V. , Li Lun , Xiao Zhuo
Published: August 2019

The northeastern (NE) Tibetan plateau has been a prime site to understand the dynamic processes responsible for the rise and lateral growth of the Tibetan plateau. Here we construct a high‐resolution lithospheric scale isotropic SH wave velocity model (down to the depth of 130 km) for the NE Tibetan plateau and its adjacent regions based on the measurements of fundamental‐mode Love wave dispersions (20–100 s) with seismic data recorded by ChinArray II and China Digital Seismic Array using two‐plane wave method. Prominent slow SH wave velocity (VSH) is observed in the midlower crust of the NE Tibetan plateau, specifically in the Qilian Orogenic Belt and the Songpan‐Ganzi Terrane regions, coincident with previously indicated significantly slow SV wave velocity (VSV), probably implying the existence of partial melts in the midlower crust. This low SH wave velocity anomaly could be traced down to the uppermost mantle, indicating a weak and warm lithosphere, which we interpret as a consequence of asthenosphere upwelling after lithospheric mantle removal in the NE Tibetan plateau. The asthenosphere upwelling and associated deep‐seated thermal buoyancy could explain the occurrence of partial melting in the mid‐lower crust and account for parts of high elevations in the NE Tibetan plateau. The western Qinling orogenic belt is characterized with a high velocity anomaly in most of lithosphere, which is inconsistent with the existence of channel flow within the lithosphere along the Qinling orogenic belt from the Tibetan plateau.
Tsunamigenic Potential of the Baiyun Slide Complex in the South China Sea
Authors: Li Linlin , Shi Fengyan , Ma Gangfeng , Qiu Qiang
Published: August 2019

The Baiyun slide complex contains geological evidence for some of the largest landslide ever discovered in the continental slopes of the South China Sea. High‐resolution seismic data suggest that a variety of landslides with varied scales have occurred repeatedly in this area. The largest landslide reconstructed from bathymetric and seismic data has an estimated spatial coverage of ~5,500 km2 and a conservative volume of ~1,035 km3. Here, using geomorphological and geotechnical data, we construct a series of probable landslide scenarios and assess their tsunamigenic capacity. By treating the slides as deformable mudflows, we simulate the dynamics of landslide movements. The simulated landslide motions match the geophysical observations interpreted in previous studies. Particularly, we are able to reproduce the spatial distribution of observed runout, including the distance, shape, and deposit thickness, for the most credible slide scenario. We investigate tsunami impacts generated by different slide scenarios and highlight the importance of initial water depth, sliding direction, and nearshore bathymetry. The worst‐case scenario is capable of producing basin‐wide tsunami, with maximum wave amplitudes reaching ~5 m near Hong Kong and Macau, 1–3 m in western Philippines, and at least 1 m along central Vietnam, southeast Hainan, and southern Taiwan. The most noticeable phenomenon we observed is that the southern Chinese coast is the hardest‐hit region in all the simulated scenarios regardless of the diverse slide features. We conclude that the persistence of high tsunami impact is caused by the unique bathymetric feature of the wide continental shelf in front of southern China.
Reevaluating the Canyon Hypothesis in a Biological Hotspot in the Western Antarctic Peninsula
Authors: Hudson K. , Oliver M. J. , Bernard K. , Cimino M. A. , Fraser W. , Kohut J. , Statscewich H. , Winsor P.
Published: August 2019

In the Western Antarctic Peninsula, increased biological activity at many levels of the food web are spatially coherent with submarine canyons. One possible mechanism that links the presence of these canyons to increased biological productivity is through the local upwelling of nutrient‐rich modified Upper Circumpolar Deep Water (mUCDW) to the surface, which supports high phytoplankton stocks, krill, penguins, and whales. In the austral summer of 2015, we investigated this hypothesis by deploying three autonomous Slocum gliders over Palmer Deep Canyon, near Palmer Station, Antarctica. Although we observed the shallowing of mUCDW consistent with canyon‐driven isopycnal uplift, these deep waters did not penetrate the phytoplankton rich surface mixed layer. Waters below the mixed layer, however, were strongly coherent with bathymetry, suggesting the strong influence of the canyon. The decoupling of the surface mixed layer from the mUCDW suggests that local upwelling may not be the mechanism that supports the biological hotspot. New physical mechanisms that could support the biological hotspot at Palmer Deep Canyon are suggested.
Atmospheric Instability Dominates the Long‐Term Variation of Cloud Vertical Overlap Over the Southern Great Plains Site
Authors: Li Jiming , Jian Bida , Zhao Chuanfeng , Zhao Yuxin , Wang Jing , Huang Jianping
Published: August 2019

Accurate representation of cloud vertical overlap in climate models is particularly significant for predicting the total cloud fraction (TCF) and calculating radiative budget. It refers to the parameterization of overlap parameter—decorrelation length scale L—but the potential of dynamical factors in developing parameterization of L has still received far less attention. Using ground‐based radar observation over Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Southern Great Plains site, here long‐term seasonal‐averaged L is retrieved and shows a very high anticorrelation with TCF from different data sets, indicating that TCF is sensitive to the way of cloud overlap. Therefore, combined with meteorological reanalysis data set, a robust multiple regression model between L and dynamical factors is built and exhibits smaller TCF bias compared with previous parameterization of L. Contribution calculation further verifies that atmospheric instability contributes 70% of L variation, indicating that it dominates the long‐term variation of L over Southern Great Plains site. This finding implies that dynamical factors should be taken into account in the parameterization of L.
Exposure to Light Elicits a Spectrum of Chemical Changes in Soil
Authors: Doane Timothy A. , Silva Lucas C.R. , Horwath William R.
Published: August 2019

The significance of photochemically active solar radiation is well substantiated in Earth's air and water environments, but no broad connection has yet been ascertained between sunlight and the chemical properties of land surfaces. Since it is obvious that sunlight strikes Earth every day, an inquiry into this connection was made in a simple experiment with a diverse group of 20 soils. Light‐induced alteration of most of the major elements in soil was evident, including significant changes in dissolved organic carbon, inorganic nitrogen, pH, phosphorus availability and sorption capacity, and soluble and mineral forms of iron, manganese, aluminum, silicon, and calcium. In many instances the extent of these changes could be predicted from initial values. This broad response to light attests to the vivid photochemistry of soils and has both pedological and edaphological implications that reach beyond the surface. The phenomena reported here affirm the opportunity for novel inquiries into the chemistry of soils and land surfaces in general.
SIRT1-targeted miR-543 autophagy inhibition and epithelial–mesenchymal transition promotion in Helicobacter pylori CagA-associated gastric cancer
Authors: Shi Yanyan , Yang Ziwei , Zhang Ting , Shen Lijuan , Li Yuan , Ding Shigang
Published: August 2019

Gastric cancer is an important cause of death worldwide with Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) considered a leading and known risk factor for its development. More particularly and despite the underlying mechanisms not being very clear, studies have revealed that the H. pylori cytotoxin-associated gene A (CagA) protein plays a key role in this process. In this study it was found that H. pylori increased the expression of miR-543 in human gastric cancer tissue when compared with H. pylori-negative gastric cancer tissue samples. In vitro experiments showed that increased expression of miR-543 induced by CagA is a strong promoter of cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. Conversely, a miR-543 inhibitor suppressed or reversed these effects. It was furthermore found that silencing miR-543 inhibited autophagy and led to epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) under in vitro. The mechanisms by which miR-543 targets SIRT1 to downregulate autophagy was also described. The results suggest that in the progression of H. pylori-associated gastric cancer, CagA induces overexpression of miR-543, which subsequently targets SIRT1 to suppress autophagy. This may be followed by increased expression of EMT causing cell migration and invasion. Consequently, miR-543 might be considered a therapeutic target for H. pylori-associated gastric cancer.
Increase Trichomonas vaginalis detection based on urine routine analysis through a machine learning approach
Authors: Wang Hsin-Yao , Hung Chung-Chih , Chen Chun-Hsien , Lee Tzong-Yi , Huang Kai-Yao , Ning Hsiao-Chen , Lai Nan-Chang , Tsai Ming-Hsiu , Lu Li-Chuan , Tseng Yi-Ju , Lu Jang-Jih
Published: August 2019

Trichomonas vaginalis (T. vaginalis) detection remains an unsolved problem in using of automated instruments for urinalysis. The study proposes a machine learning (ML)-based strategy to increase the detection rate of T. vaginalis in urine. On the basis of urinalysis data from a teaching hospital during 2009–2013, individuals underwent at least one urinalysis test were included. Logistic regression, support vector machine, and random forest, were used to select specimens with a high risk of T. vaginalis infection for confirmation through microscopic examinations. A total of 410,952 and 428,203 specimens from men and women were tested, of which 91 (0.02%) and 517 (0.12%) T. vaginalis-positive specimens were reported, respectively. The prediction models of T. vaginalis infection attained an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of more than 0.87 for women and 0.83 for men. The Lift values of the top 5% risky specimens were above eight. While the most risky vigintile was picked out by the models and confirmed by microscopic examination, the incremental cost-effectiveness ratios for T. vaginalis detection in men and women were USD$170.1 and USD$29.7, respectively. On the basis of urinalysis, the proposed strategy can significantly increase the detection rate of T. vaginalis in a cost-effective manner.
Novel aza-BODIPY based small molecular NIR-II fluorophores for in vivo imaging
Authors: Bai Lei , Sun Pengfei , Liu Yi , Zhang Hang , Hu Wenbo , Zhang Wansu , Liu Zhipeng , Fan Quli , Li Lin , Huang Wei
Published: August 2019

A new class of small molecular NIR-II fluorophores based on aza-BODIPY with promising photophysical properties (large Stokes shift, superior photostability, good fluorescence brightness), show great potential as NIR-II in vivo imaging agents.
Self-supported nickel iron oxide nanospindles with high hydrophilicity for efficient oxygen evolution
Authors: Liu Jinlong , Yuan Huimin , Wang Zhenyu , Li Jun , Yang Mingyang , Cao Lujie , Liu Guiyu , Qian Dong , Lu Zhouguang
Published: August 2019

Highly hydrophilic NiFe2O4 nanospindle arrays are directly grown on FeNi3 foam through a facile one-step hydrothermal reaction, achieving improved activity and excellent durability as an integrated catalytic electrode for oxygen evolution reaction.
Revelation of the chiral recognition of alanine and leucine in an l-phenylalanine-based metal–organic framework
Authors: Ma Xue , Zhang Yanhao , Gao Yu , Li Xinglin , Wang Cuijie , Yuan Hang , Yu Ajuan , Zhang Shusheng , Cui Yuanyuan
Published: August 2019

An l-phenylalanine-based Zn-MOF, namely [Zn2(l-Phe)2(bpe)2]n, was designed for experimentally revealing the chiral recognition mechanism to alanine and leucine by means of 13C CP MAS NMR spectroscopy, XPS and control experiment.
Superoctahedral two-dimensional metallic boron with peculiar magnetic properties
Authors: Tkachenko Nikolay V. , Steglenko Dmitriy , Fedik Nikita , Boldyreva Natalia M. , Minyaev Ruslan M. , Minkin Vladimir I. , Boldyrev Alexander I.
Published: August 2019

A novel two-dimensional ferromagnetic stable boron material has been predicted and exhaustively studied with DFT methods. Its magnetism can be described by the presence of two unpaired delocalized bonding elements inside each distorted octahedron.
Nanolithography of biointerfaces
Authors: Feizi Ten
Published: August 2019

This article is based on the Concluding remarks made at the Faraday Discussion meeting on Nanolithography of Biointerfaces, held in London, UK, 3–5thJuly 2019.
AQUIVION® perfluorosulfonic acid resin for butyl levulinate production from furfuryl alcohol
Authors: Bernal Hilda Gómez , Oldani Claudio , Funaioli Tiziana , Raspolli Galletti Anna Maria
Published: August 2019

Multivariate analysis allowed the optimization of a reaction catalyzed by a robust solid acid Aquivion® P87S.
Room temperature ultrafast synthesis of N- and O-rich graphene films with an expanded interlayer distance for high volumetric capacitance supercapacitors
Authors: Huang Cong , Hu Aiping , Li Yanhua , Zhou Haifeng , Xu Yali , Zhang Yan , Zhou Shengping , Tang Qunli , Chen Chuansheng , Chen Xiaohua
Published: August 2019

N- and O-rich graphene films are prepared by the electrochemical functionalization method at room temperature in 60 s.
Przewalcyrones A–F, epoxychromene-containing polycyclic polyprenylated acylphloroglucinols with immunosuppressive activity from Hypericum przewalskii Maxim.
Authors: Duan Yulin , Xie Shuangshuang , Guo Yi , Qiao Yuben , Shi Zhengyi , Tao Li , Deng Mengyi , Cao Yunfang , Xue Yongbo , Qi Changxing , Zhang Yonghui
Published: August 2019

Chemical investigation of Hypericum przewalskii Maxim. resulted in the identification of six new epoxychromene-containing polycyclic polyprenylated acylphloroglucinols with potential immunosuppressive activity.
Approximate analysis of DF ambiguity probabilities for an interferometer direction‐finding system using gamma distributions
Authors: Lee J.H. , Jo J.I. , Ryu H.K. , Park B.J.
Published: August 2019

To obtain high direction‐finding (DF) accuracy in electronic warfare applications, it is necessary to maximise the number of effective data points with a small angle‐of‐arrival error. Thus, a method to obtain the DF ambiguity probability for the selected set of array spacing is required. In this Letter, a novel method to obtain DF ambiguity probabilities for four‐ and five‐element arrays by using gamma distributions is presented. The DF ambiguity probability obtained by the proposed method for the five‐element array was in good agreement with the results of simulations. For the four‐element array, the proposed method produced data that showed approximate agreement with the results of simulations. Thus, the proposed method should be useful for future applications.
Performance analysis for joint processing of pilot and data symbols with channel aging
Authors: Xin Yuanxue , Shi Pengfei , Zhang Xuewu
Published: August 2019

Considering aging channel effect, the joint processing of pilot and data symbols scheme is investigated. Through the analysis of mutual information, the authors decompose the lower bound of the achievable rate into three terms with explicit physical meanings, and obtain the closed‐form expression of the achievable rate. In the derivation of the closed‐form expressions, this Letter proposes two novel joint processing algorithms. Through simulation, the joint processing is found to provide a better performance due to the extra information captured by received data signals. In addition, the joint processing scheme is shown to overcome the saturation area issue which further facilitates the application of joint processing. Moreover, the proposed algorithms are shown to enhance the performance gain comparing with the traditional one‐step prediction method. The channel aging effect on joint processing is further discussed, remarkably, when the terminal moves fast, the joint processing can still support a relatively satisfying performance.
Analysis and control of modular multilevel converter‐based E‐STATCOM to integrate large wind farms with the grid
Authors: Chivukula Anil Bharadwaj , Maiti Suman
Published: August 2019

High‐level penetration of wind energy generating system shows a negative impact on the performance of the existing grid due to injection of fluctuating power generated by the wind farms. This study presents a configuration of E‐STATCOM which is formed by integrating hybrid energy storage system (HESS) into a modular multilevel converter. The E‐STATCOM absorbs the fluctuations of wind power and injects constant power into the grid. It also provides necessary reactive power support to maintain the voltage at point of common coupling within the specified limit. The HESS is formed by combining battery and supercapacitor, which gives high energy density, as well as, high power density features. A control methodology with the dynamically varying limits has been proposed to operate the E‐STATCOM as per the requirements. Apart from this, the effect of HESS on the circulating current is analysed and the corresponding control algorithms are developed. The complete system is simulated in PSCAD/EMTDC and the results show its effectiveness.
Design of vision‐based indoor positioning based on embedded system
Authors: Tsai Tsung‐Han , Chang Chih‐Hao , Chen Shih‐Wei , Yao Chia‐Hsiang
Published: August 2019

Indoor positioning techniques have become very important in recent years. Due to the wide deployment of surveillance cameras, it has become feasible to use the videos for indoor positioning. The success of using this approach can also reduce the load of security persons of watching the monitors all the time. In this study, the authors propose a vision‐based indoor positioning system. The proposed method uses a frame processing technique and applies the Gaussian mixture learning for video background model. The foreground object can be extracted by using the background subtraction. Based on the foreground object, the objects can be tracked and used in the direct linear transform, and generate a bird's‐eye map with camera information. A real‐time demonstration has been also provided. It shows the tracing of the moving objects and the bird's‐eye view.
Systematic experimental analysis of an optical sensing microwave low‐noise amplifier
Authors: Caddemi Alina , Cardillo Emanuele
Published: August 2019

This study presents a systematic experimental analysis of the noise figure and the gain of an optical sensing low‐noise amplifier (LNA) in the X‐band region (8.5–10.5 GHz). The study has been carried out with the purpose of analysing the effects of a 635 nm optical radiation on the gain and noise figure of the LNA, by modifying the bias operating points. Upon varying the bias conditions from those suggested into the component datasheet towards the device pinch‐off, the role of the light exposure changes from causing degradation of the gain and noise figure into a clear performance enhancement. In the middle, a bias condition is found where the above LNA parameters become unresponsive to light exposure. Whilst the detrimental role played by the strong gate current increase under light exposure on the noise figure degradation is already clear, the experimental results show that close to pinch‐off this effect is completely overcome by the drain current and transconductance increases.
Miniaturised wideband four‐way out‐of‐phase power divider based on Marchand balun
Authors: Song Kaijun , Yao Jiachen , Zhong Cuilin , Richard Patience Shema
Published: August 2019

A miniaturised wideband four‐way out‐of‐phase power divider is presented in this study. The presented divider is developed based on a microstrip‐line Marchand balun, which achieves the power‐dividing function through the coupling between parallel microstrip lines (MLs). The coupling performance is improved by etching the rectangular‐ring slots under the coupled MLs, which improved the operating bandwidth. The air‐bridge resistance isolation circuit is used to improve the output impedance matching and isolation. Moreover, the even‐ and odd‐mode equivalent‐circuit method is applied to the presented power divider. The design has been verified by measurements, which show good agreements with simulations. The measured results show that the centre frequency is 3.4 GHz, the 15 dB input return loss bandwidth is >59.6%, and the output isolation is >15 dB.