bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Inclusive leadership and innovative work behavior: The role of psychological empowerment
Authors: Javed Basharat , Abdullah Iqra , Zaffar Muhmmad Adeel , Haque Adnan ul , Rubab Ume
Published: September 2018

In this article, we explored the relationship between inclusive leadership and innovative work behavior with the mediating role of psychological empowerment. We collected data from employees in the information technology and cargo sectors within the United Kingdom and Canada. The results revealed that inclusive leadership was positively related to innovative work behavior both directly and indirectly through psychological empowerment. Cognitive evaluation theory was used to support the findings. Implications of the study were discussed.
Anticipating Uncertainty: Straddles around Earnings Announcements
Authors: Gao Chao , Xing Yuhang , Zhang Xiaoyan
Published: September 2018

Straddles on individual stocks generally earn negative and significant returns. However, average at-the-money straddles from 3 days before an earnings announcement to the announcement date yield a highly significant 3.34% return. The positive returns on straddles indicate that investors underestimate the magnitude of uncertainty around earnings announcements. We find that positive straddle returns are more pronounced for smaller firms and firms with higher volatility, higher kurtosis, more volatile past earnings surprises, and less trading volume/higher transaction costs. This suggests that when firm signals are noisy, and/or when it is costlier to trade, investors underestimate the uncertainty associated with earnings announcements.
Hedge Fund Boards and the Market for Independent Directors
Authors: Clifford Christopher P. , Ellis Jesse A. , Gerken William C.
Published: September 2018

We provide the first examination of hedge fund boards and their directors. The majority of directorships are held by extremely busy independent directors. These directors are sought by funds because they have more reputational capital at stake, making them independent and credible monitors whose presence can certify fund quality to investors. Busy independent directors are more likely to be hired by high-quality funds, and their departure from the board is associated with investor withdrawals. Moreover, funds with busy independent directors are less likely to commit fraud, abuse discretionary liquidity restrictions, or engage in performance-based risk shifting.
Good Volatility, Bad Volatility, and Option Pricing
Authors: Feunou Bruno , Okou Cédric
Published: September 2018

Advances in variance analysis permit the splitting of the total quadratic variation of a jump-diffusion process into upside and downside components. Recent studies establish that this decomposition enhances volatility predictions and highlight the upside/downside variance spread as a driver of the asymmetry in stock price distributions. To appraise the economic gain of this decomposition, we design a new and flexible option pricing model in which the underlying asset price exhibits distinct upside and downside semivariance dynamics driven by the model-free proxies of the variances. The new model outperforms common benchmarks, especially the alternative that splits the quadratic variation into diffusive and jump components.
Business Loans and the Transmission of Monetary Policy
Authors: Barraza Santiago , Civelli Andrea , Zaniboni Nicola
Published: September 2018

We study the transmission mechanism of monetary policy through business loans and illustrate subtle aspects of its functioning that relate to the contractual characteristics and the borrower–lender types of loans. We show that the puzzling increase in business loans in response to monetary tightening, documented before the Great Recession, is largely driven by drawdowns from existing commitments at large banks. Spot loans also rise and take a considerable amount of time to adjust. Banks, nonetheless, do curtail credit supply by shortening maturities of new loans. Following the Great Recession, the mechanism has worked differently, with loan responses to monetary tightening displaying a significant downward shift.
Pension Deficits and the Design of Private Debt Contracts
Authors: Balachandran Balasingham , Duong Huu Nhan , Vu Van Hoang
Published: September 2018

We find a positive relation between the amount of pension deficits and the cost of bank loans. The effect of pension deficits on the cost of bank loans is driven by financial constraints, information-asymmetry problems, and higher pension-investment risk. Banks tighten lending terms for firms with larger pension deficits by requiring collateral, increasing the number of loan covenants, and shortening loan maturity. Borrowers with larger pension deficits are also more likely to violate covenants in the future. Collectively, these findings indicate that pension deficits represent an additional source of risk priced by banks.
Best of the Best: A Comparison of Factor Models
Authors: Ahmed Shamim , Bu Ziwen , Tsvetanov Daniel
Published: September 2018

We compare major factor models and find that the Stambaugh and Yuan (2016) 4-factor model is the overall winner in the time-series domain. The Hou, Xue, and Zhang (2015) q-factor model takes second place and the Fama and French (2015) 5-factor model and the Barillas and Shanken (2018) 6-factor model jointly take third place. The pairwise cross-sectional R2 and the multiple model comparison tests show that the Hou et al. (2015) q-factor model, the Fama and French (2015) 5-factor and 4-factor models, and the Barillas and Shanken (2018) 6-factor model take equal first place in the horse race.
Are Buybacks Good for Long-Term Shareholder Value? Evidence from Buybacks around the World
Authors: Manconi Alberto , Peyer Urs , Vermaelen Theo
Published: September 2018

Using a sample of over 9,000 buyback announcements from 31 non-U.S. countries, we find support for the results of studies based on U.S. data: On average, share repurchases are associated with significant positive short- and long-term excess returns. However, excess returns depend on the likelihood of undervaluation and the efficiency and liquidity of equity markets. In contrast to findings in U.S. markets, we do not find that these long-term excess returns are simply a compensation for takeover risk or have become less significant in recent years.
Do Mutual Funds Have Decreasing Returns to Scale? Evidence from Fund Mergers
Authors: McLemore Ping
Published: September 2018

Using mergers as shocks to fund size, I analyze the return-to-scale property of mutual funds. I find that acquiring funds’ performance deteriorates after experiencing a positive shock in size resulting from mergers, and liquidity plays an important role in the negative relationship between size and performance. I also find that the decline in performance is not due to higher performance prior to the merger, nor driven by higher integration costs after the event. These findings are consistent with mutual funds having decreasing returns to scale and thus provide empirical evidence that supports the theoretical model of Berk and Green (2004).
‘Satan's bludy clawses’: how religious persecution, exile and radicalisation moulded British Protestant identities
Authors: Dawson Jane E. A.
Published: September 2018

The study examines the radicalisation experienced by one group of religious exiles in the middle of the sixteenth century. The English-speaking congregation in Geneva formed in 1555 produced a Bible, metrical psalter and order of worship that shaped the Anglophone Reformed tradition. Study of the congregation's output shows how watching the martyrdoms in England generated a dynamic anger and fresh interpretations of persecution, tyranny and resistance. Conveyed by the worship texts, this radical legacy passed into the identities of Reformed Protestants in the British Isles, the Atlantic world and subsequently across the globe.
The grammar of the gospel: justification as a theological criterion in the Reformation and in Paul's letter to the Galatians
Authors: Linebaugh Jonathan
Published: September 2018

Since at least the time of Albert Schweitzer's attempt to move justification fromdie Mitteto the margins, the question of the centre of Paul's theology has included a criticism of the Reformation's classification of justification as ‘the lord, ruler, and judge’ of theology. For the reformers, however, this designation is not so much a claim about the centrality of the vocabulary of justification as it is a claim about the grammar of the gospel: justification, because it is articulated as an antithesis, says both what the gospel is not and what the gospel is. With this understanding of the theological function of justification in view, the role of justification in Paul's letter to the Galatians can be reconsidered: the antithetical grammar of justification is a critical and hermeneutical criterion in Galatians, both identifying and negating the ‘other gospel’ even as it picks out and proclaims ‘the gospel of Christ’.
Robust Ship Tracking via Multi-view Learning and Sparse Representation
Authors: Chen Xinqiang , Wang Shengzheng , Shi Chaojian , Wu Huafeng , Zhao Jiansen , Fu Junjie
Published: September 2018

Conventional visual ship tracking methods employ single and shallow features for the ship tracking task, which may fail when a ship presents a different appearance and shape in maritime surveillance videos. To overcome this difficulty, we propose to employ a multi-view learning algorithm to extract a highly coupled and robust ship descriptor from multiple distinct ship feature sets. First, we explore multiple distinct ship feature sets consisting of a Laplacian-of-Gaussian (LoG) descriptor, a Local Binary Patterns (LBP) descriptor, a Gabor filter, a Histogram of Oriented Gradients (HOG) descriptor and a Canny descriptor, which present geometry structure, texture and contour information, and more. Then, we propose a framework for integrating a multi-view learning algorithm and a sparse representation method to track ships efficiently and effectively. Finally, our framework is evaluated in four typical maritime surveillance scenarios. The experimental results show that the proposed framework outperforms the conventional and typical ship tracking methods.
Waterbird Communities in Subsidence Wetlands Created by Underground Coal Mining in China: Effects of Multi-Scale Environmental and Anthropogenic Variables
Authors: Li Chunlin , Yang Sen , Zha Daode , Zhang Yong , de Boer Willem F.
Published: September 2018

Underground coal mining in the North China Plain has created large-scale subsidence wetlands that may attract waterbirds that use them as complementary habitats. However, no study has been conducted to understand avian use of these created wetlands, inhibiting the formulation of effective management plans. Here, we carried out 12 semi-monthly surveys in 55 subsidence wetlands during the 2016–2017 migration and wintering period and performed direct multivariate analyses, combined with variance partitioning, to test the effects of multi-scale habitat variables on the waterbird assemblages. A total of 89 349 waterbirds representing 60 species were recorded, with seasonal fluctuations in species richness and bird abundance. Waterbird community structures were shaped by four groups of variables at local, landscape and human levels with different effects among seasons. Anthropogenic disturbance was the most important factor group, negatively affecting most guilds. Waterbirds in this human-dominated environment are under a variety of potential threats that should be further studied. The subsidence wetlands are still expanding, and if managed effectively, may provide important complementary habitats for a wide array of waterbird species, particularly for those migrating along the East Asian–Australasian Flyway. Our study provides key baseline data regarding the waterbird communities and may help with the designing of effective management and conservation plans.
Cardiovascular risk factors in relation to dietary patterns in 50-year-old men and women: a feasibility study of a short FFQ
Authors: Persson Christina E , Rothenberg Elisabet , Hansson Per-Olof , Welin Catharina , Strandhagen Elisabeth
Published: September 2018

Objective

We aimed to assess the feasibility of a simple new fifteen-item FFQ as a tool for screening risk of poor dietary patterns in a healthy middle-aged population and to investigate how the results of the FFQ correlated with cardiovascular risk factors and socio-economic factors.

Design

A randomized population-based cross-sectional study. Metabolic measurements for cardiovascular risk factors and information about lifestyle were collected. A fifteen-item FFQ was created to obtain information about dietary patterns. From the FFQ, a healthy eating index was created with three dietary groups: good, average and poor. Multivariate logistic regression was used to assess relationships between dietary patterns and cardiovascular risk factors.

Setting

Sweden.

Subjects

Men and women aged 50 years and living in Gothenburg, Sweden.

Results

In total, 521 middle-aged adults (257 men, 264 women) were examined. With good dietary pattern as the reference, there was a gradient association of having obesity, hypertension and high serum TAG in those with average and poor dietary patterns. After adjustment for education and lifestyle factors, individuals with a poor dietary pattern still had significantly higher risk (OR; 95 % CI) of obesity (2·33; 1·10, 4·94), hypertension (2·73; 1·44, 5·20) and high serum TAG (2·62; 1·33, 5·14) compared with those with a good dietary pattern.

Conclusions

Baseline data collected by a short FFQ can predict cardiovascular risk factors in middle-aged Swedish men and women. The FFQ could be a useful tool in health-care settings, when screening for risk of poor dietary patterns.
Enabling reasoning with LegalRuleML
Authors: LAM HO-PUN , HASHMI MUSTAFA
Published: September 2018

In order to automate verification process, regulatory rules written in natural language need to be translated into a format that machines can understand. However, none of the existing formalisms can fully represent the elements that appear in legal norms. For instance, most of these formalisms do not provide features to capture the behavior of deontic effects, which is an important aspect in automated compliance checking. This paper presents an approach for transforming legal norms represented using legalruleml to a variant of modal defeasible logic (and vice versa) such that a legal statement represented using LegalRuleML can be transformed into a machine-readable format that can be understood and reasoned about depending upon the client's preferences.
Assessing the Association between Late Career Working Time Reduction and Retirement Plans. A Cross-National Comparison Using the 2012 Labour Force Survey ad hoc Module
Authors: Wels Jacques
Published: September 2018

As public policies are focusing on retaining the ageing workforce, flexible working time arrangements in late career have gained visibility over the past decades. However, given the institutional nature of these arrangements, little is known about the extent to which older workers reduce working hours at a cross-country level. Using data from the 2012 Labour Force Survey ad hoc module, the article aims to provide estimates about the number of workers aged fifty-five to sixty-nine reducing working time in a move towards retirement (before and after the first old-age pension) and assessing, using a multilevel modelling, whether these arrangements play a role in explaining the decision to work beyond the pension age in thirty European countries. Descriptive results show important variations among countries and between genders. The multilevel model shows that the impact of working time reductions in late career varies from one country to another.
Getting to agreement: mechanisms of deliberative decision-making
Authors: Eriksen Erik O.
Published: September 2018

Deliberation has not only epistemic and moral value, it also has transformative value. Even if deliberation faces the problem of indeterminacy, it is assumed to have explanatory power. This article spells out why this is so and suggests a way to establish the causing effect of deliberation. It outlines a reason-based (RB) model of political decision-making applicable also to international affairs. By specifying a theory of argumentation on collective decision-making, we get to the nuts and bolts of deliberative decision-making, which, when supported by institutional powers, ensures a justified and well-grounded decision. The model contains a set of rules of inference and offers ‘mechanismic’ accounts of social events. It allows for explanations, but not predictions. The RB model conceives of decision-making as consisting of three sequences: claims-making, justification, and learning, each containing a set of explanatory mechanisms: values referring to conceptions of the common good, mandatory norms concerning the right thing to do, and evidence to the fact that non-compliance is wrong. The explanatory potential of this scheme is exemplified with reference to agreement making in the European Union. Some actors changed opinion voluntarily with regard to empowering the European parliament.
Differential Germination Characteristics of Dicamba-Resistant Kochia (Bassia scoparia) Populations in Response to Temperature
Authors: Kumar Vipan , Jha Prashant , Lim Charlemagne A. , Stahlman Phillip W.
Published: September 2018

Dicamba-resistant (DR) kochia [Bassia scoparia(L.) A. J. Scott] has been reported in six U.S. states and one Canadian province. To develop effectiveB. scopariacontrol tactics, it is necessary to understand the seed germination pattern of DRB. scoparia. The objective of this study was to compare the germination characteristics of DR versus dicamba-susceptible (DS)B. scopariapopulations from Montana and Kansas under constant (5 to 35 C) and/or alternating temperatures (5/10 to 30/35 C). DRB. scoparialines from Montana were generated after three generations of recurrent selection of field-collected populations with dicamba. Seeds of DR or DS lines from Kansas were obtained after one generation of restricted self-pollination. DRB. scoparialines from both Montana and Kansas had a lower maximum cumulative germination than the DS lines across all temperature treatments. A majority of DRB. scoparialines from Montana showed a temperature-mediated seed germination response, with a higher thermal requirement (30 to 35 C or 25/30 to 30/35 C) to attain the maximum cumulative germination compared with DS lines. Germination rates at 5 to 30 C were lower for DR versus DSB. scoparialines from Kansas. All DR lines from Montana took more time than DS lines to initiate germination at 5 and 10 C or 5/10 and 20/25 C. Similarly, there was a delayed onset of germination of the DR versus DS line from Kansas at 5, 10, 15, and 20 C. Furthermore, the DRB. scopariafrom both Kansas and Montana had a slower germination pattern relative to the DSB. scoparia. Diversified crop rotations using winter wheat (Triticum aestivumL.), fall-sown cover crops, or early-spring planted crops (e.g., wheat or barley [Hordeum vulgareL.]) that are competitive against late-emergingB. scopariain conjunction with strategic tillage and late-season weed control tactics should be used to facilitate depletion of DRB. scopariaseedbanks.
Estimating the Magnitude of the Relation Between Bullying, E-Bullying, and Suicidal Behaviors Among United States Youth, 2015
Authors: Kuehn Kevin S. , Wagner Annelise , Velloza Jennifer
Published: September 2018

Abstract. Background: Suicide is the second leading cause of death among US adolescents aged 12–19 years. Researchers would benefit from a better understanding of the direct effects of bullying and e-bullying on adolescent suicide to inform intervention work. Aims: To explore the direct and indirect effects of bullying and e-bullying on adolescent suicide attempts (SAs) and to estimate the magnitude of these effects controlling for significant covariates. Method: This study uses data from the 2015 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Survey (YRBS), a nationally representative sample of US high school youth. We quantified the association between bullying and the likelihood of SA, after adjusting for covariates (i.e., sexual orientation, obesity, sleep, etc.) identified with the PC algorithm. Results: Bullying and e-bullying were significantly associated with SA in logistic regression analyses. Bullying had an estimated average causal effect (ACE) of 2.46%, while e-bullying had an ACE of 4.16%. Limitations: Data are cross-sectional and temporal precedence is not known. Conclusion: These findings highlight the strong association between bullying, e-bullying, and SA.
Field and Remote‐Sensing Evidence for Hydro‐mechanical Isolation of a Long‐Lived Earthflow in Central California
Authors: Nereson A. L. , Davila Olivera S. , Finnegan N. J.
Published: September 2018

Persistent motion of slow‐moving landslides has been linked to entrapment of water in slide masses by weak, low‐permeability shear zones at their basal and lateral margins. This so‐called “bathtub effect” should have remotely sensible effects on soil moisture and vegetation health. Here we assess this effect at a seasonally active earthflow in northern California with analysis of soil properties and nine years (2009–2018) of multispectral satellite imagery. The shear zone has low hydraulic conductivity, and the earthflow shows elevated water content relative to its surroundings. Spectral indices suggest that the earthflow is perennially wetter, and its vegetation thrives for longer into the dry season as a result. The magnitude of the bathtub effect is correlated with cumulative multiyear rainfall, and its surface expression disappears during the driest year of the 2012–2015 drought. These findings demonstrate a new method for identifying and monitoring mechanical and hydrological interactions that enable persistent landslide motion.
Seismogenic Index of Underground Fluid Injections and Productions
Authors: Shapiro S. A.
Published: September 2018

The seismogenic index quantifies a seismogenic reaction of rocks to a unit volume fluid impact. This quantity helps to forecast seismogenic effects of planned subsurface fluid operations. It facilitates a quantitative comparison of tectonic conditions and fluid operations in terms of their potential to induce earthquakes and to produce seismic hazard. The higher the seismogenic index, the higher the induced seismic hazard. Originally, the seismogenic index was proposed for seismicity induced by underground fluid injections. However, its broader applications are of interest. I derive the seismogenic index for fluid productions. In the case of production, the poroelastic coupling becomes principally important. I consider two limiting (end‐member) situations: a production or injection in a point of a poroelastic infinite continuum and a production or injection in a poroelastic layer embedded in an elastic half‐space. These two basic fluid source/sink configurations are prototypes of practical situations like a stimulation of an enhanced geothermal system and hydrocarbon production from a large‐area underground reservoir, respectively. I show that estimates of the seismogenic index from productions can be adopted for injections and vice versa. I provide estimates of the seismogenic index and of the poroelastic coupling characterizing the Groningen gas field. In an idealized homogeneous reservoir layer being similarly to the Groningen field at normal faulting, the presence of production‐induced seismicity indicates a combination of the friction coefficient and of the poroelastic coupling unfavorable for inducing seismicity by injections.
Interannual Variability of Atmospheric Conditions and Surface Melt in Greenland in 2000–2014
Authors: Välisuo I. , Vihma T. , Pirazzini R. , Schäfer M.
Published: September 2018

We addressed the variations of surface melt in Greenland in association with summertime atmospheric conditions from 2000 to 2014. We quantified melt as the number of melt days (NMD), cumulative and maximum melt extent (based on microwave radiometer data), and modeled melt amount. Interannual variations of the maximum melt extent, occurring in timescales of days, differed from those in NMD, cumulative melt extent, and modeled melt amount, which accumulate over the entire melt season. Averaged over the Greenland ice sheet, interannual variations in total column water strongly correlated with NMD (squared correlation coefficient 0.83), cumulative melt extent (0.84), and modeled melt amount (0.82). Significant but less strong correlations were detected between NMD and the Greenland Blocking Index, NMD and North Atlantic Oscillation Index, as well as the modeled melt amount and NAOI. The NMD was strongly linked with the strength of the total column water anomaly in the coastal areas. In individual summers, positive anomalies in southerly winds coincided with positive NMD anomalies. At the eastern coast, positive NMD anomalies occurred under stronger downslope winds, suggesting that subsidence heating dominated over cold‐air advection from the inner ice sheet. Differences between the summers of extreme melt in 2012 and minimal melt in 2013 were partly explained by the larger (smaller) occurrence of air masses of southwesterly (southeasterly) origin in 2012 than 2013 at northeastern Greenland. For the 15‐year period, the occurrence of northeasterly air‐mass origin at Summit was the variable with strongest (negative) correlation with the maximum melt extent.
A Generalized Evaporation Model for Chinese Pans
Authors: Wang Kaiwen , Liu Xiaomang , Li Yuqi , Liu Changming , Yang Xiaohua
Published: September 2018

Pan evaporation (Epan) measurements are used for gauging the atmospheric evaporative demand, and Epan observation networks were established and maintained for a long history. However, due to the replacement of D20 pans with 601B pans across China in 2000, Epan observation networks in China, which is the largest networks in East Asia, became discontinuous. Thus, it is important to develop a robust method to update and complement Epan of two Chinese pans. PenPan model is a robust model in Epan estimation, while the previous versions of PenPan are derived for a specific type of pan. This study developed a generalized model, that is, PenPan‐V3 model, to simulate Epan for Chinese pans. The PenPan‐V3 model simulated the irradiance of each part of pans; that is, pan water surface, pan rim, side wall and pan bottom, and the simulated Epan coincided with the observations of D20 and 601B pans. For D20 pans, aerodynamic component (Epan,A) and radiative component (Epan,R) of Epan were 60% and 40%, respectively. The contributions of pan water surface, inside and outside pan rim, side wall, and pan bottom to Epan,R were 23%, 38%, 26%, 6%, and 7%, respectively. For 601B pans, Epan,A and Epan,R were 42% and 58% of Epan, respectively. The contributions of pan water surface and inside and outside pan rim to Epan,R were 94%, 5% and 1%, respectively. The PenPan‐V3 model benefits establishing the long‐term continuous Epan networks in China, which can be used for evaluating the long‐term trends of atmospheric evaporative demand in East Asia.
The Impact of Comet Siding Spring's Meteors on the Martian Atmosphere and Ionosphere
Authors: Crismani M. M. J. , Schneider N. M. , Evans J. S. , Plane J. M. C. , Carrillo‐Sánchez J. D. , Jain S. , Deighan J. , Yelle R.
Published: September 2018

On 19 October 2014, comet C/2013 A1 (Siding Spring) had a close encounter with Mars and deposited cometary dust particles into the Martian atmosphere. We report a comprehensive analysis of the resulting meteor shower and its perturbation on Mars' atmosphere and ionosphere. Using Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN/Imaging Ultraviolet Spectrograph observations of ablated meteoric metallic species, we show this shower lasted less than 3 hr and was therefore limited to one hemisphere. Meteoric ablation occurred in a narrow altitude layer, with Mg+, Mg, Fe+, and Fe deposited between about 105 and 120 km, consistent with comet Siding Spring's relative velocity of 56 km/s. We find that 82 ± 25 t of dust was deposited, improving previous measurements and a thousand times larger than model expectations. With regular observations over two Mars days, we show that horizontal winds globally redistribute this material and also suggest new vertical transport mechanisms for metallic ions. Such transport is inconsistent with diffusion and may be related to electrodynamic processes. The rapid loss of neutral species and presence of ions at high altitudes indicate that our understanding of existing Martian meteoric chemistry modeling and ionospheric dynamics is incomplete.
The Role of Viscoelastic Stress Transfer in Long‐Term Earthquake Cascades: Insights After the Central Italy 2016–2017 Seismic Sequence
Authors: Verdecchia A. , Pace B. , Visini F. , Scotti O. , Peruzza L. , Benedetti L.
Published: September 2018

Central Italy is characterized by a network of active faults that interact in a complex manner. Coseismic Coulomb stress changes have been invoked by several authors to explain the concentration of moderate‐to‐strong earthquakes in this region, but none has considered the time‐dependent viscoelastic relaxation of the lower crust and upper mantle as a possible additional source of stress changes at a regional scale. Here starting from the 1915Mw6.9 ± 0.2 Fucino earthquake, we calculated the coseismic plus postseismic Coulomb failure stress changes (ΔCFS) due to eight moderate‐to‐strong earthquakes that have struck Central Italy in the last century and culminated with the 2016–2017 sequence. Results from this modeling coupled with some synthetic tests simulating normal fault earthquakes with different magnitudes allowed us to highlight the importance of postseismic processes. In particular, the viscoelastic stress transfer due to events ofMw ≥ 6.5 can modify the spatial distribution of ΔCFS on a centennial timescale and therefore trigger events at larger distances. In addition, using these results, we identified other earthquake clusters in the historical catalogue (last 618 years), which, like the 1915–2017 series, were potentially modulated by both coseismic and postseismic processes. Finally, considering our calculations combined with historical and paleoseismological data, we suggest that several faults in Central Italy may be at present close to failure.
LNMAT1 promotes lymphatic metastasis of bladder cancer via CCL2 dependent macrophage recruitment
Authors: Chen Changhao , He Wang , Huang Jian , Wang Bo , Li Hui , Cai Qingqing , Su Feng , Bi Junming , Liu Hongwei , Zhang Bin , Jiang Ning , Zhong Guangzheng , Zhao Yue , Dong Wen , Lin Tianxin
Published: September 2018

Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are the most abundant inflammatory infiltrates in the tumor microenvironment and contribute to lymph node (LN) metastasis. However, the precise mechanisms of TAMs-induced LN metastasis remain largely unknown. Herein, we identify a long noncoding RNA, termed Lymph Node Metastasis Associated Transcript 1 (LNMAT1), which is upregulated in LN-positive bladder cancer and associated with LN metastasis and prognosis. Through gain and loss of function approaches, we find that LNMAT1 promotes bladder cancer-associated lymphangiogenesis and lymphatic metastasis. Mechanistically, LNMAT1 epigenetically activates CCL2 expression by recruiting hnRNPL to CCL2 promoter, which leads to increased H3K4 tri-methylation that ensures hnRNPL binding and enhances transcription. Furthermore, LNMAT1-induced upregulation of CCL2 recruits macrophages into the tumor, which promotes lymphatic metastasis via VEGF-C excretion. These findings provide a plausible mechanism for LNMAT1-modulated tumor microenvironment in lymphatic metastasis and suggest that LNMAT1 may represent a potential therapeutic target for clinical intervention in LN-metastatic bladder cancer.
Processive chitinase is Brownian monorail operated by fast catalysis after peeling rail from crystalline chitin
Authors: Nakamura Akihiko , Okazaki Kei-ichi , Furuta Tadaomi , Sakurai Minoru , Iino Ryota
Published: September 2018

Processive chitinase is a linear molecular motor which moves on the surface of crystalline chitin driven by processive hydrolysis of single chitin chain. Here, we analyse the mechanism underlying unidirectional movement of Serratia marcescens chitinase A (SmChiA) using high-precision single-molecule imaging, X-ray crystallography, and all-atom molecular dynamics simulation. SmChiA shows fast unidirectional movement of ~50 nm s−1 with 1 nm forward and backward steps, consistent with the length of reaction product chitobiose. Analysis of the kinetic isotope effect reveals fast substrate-assisted catalysis with time constant of ~3 ms. Decrystallization of the single chitin chain from crystal surface is the rate-limiting step of movement with time constant of ~17 ms, achieved by binding free energy at the product-binding site of SmChiA. Our results demonstrate that SmChiA operates as a burnt-bridge Brownian ratchet wherein the Brownian motion along the single chitin chain is rectified forward by substrate-assisted catalysis.
Insights into frequent asthma exacerbations from a primary care perspective and the implications of UK National Review of Asthma Deaths recommendations
Authors: Yang Jieqiong Freda , Chaudhuri Rekha , Thomson Neil C. , Ramparsad Nitish , O’Pray Hugh , Barclay Stephen , MacBride-Stewart Sean , McCallum Craig , Sharma Varun , McSharry Charles , Murray Dianne , Shepherd Malcolm , Lee Wai-Ting Nicola
Published: September 2018

The United Kingdom National Review of Asthma Deaths (NRAD) recommends that patients who require ≥3 courses of oral corticosteroids (OCS) for exacerbations in the past year or those on British Thoracic Society (BTS) Step 4/5 treatment must be referred to a specialist asthma service. The aim of the study was to identify the proportion of asthma patients in primary care that fulfil NRAD criteria for specialist referral and factors associated with frequent exacerbations. A total of 2639 adult asthma patients from 10 primary care practices in Glasgow, UK were retrospectively studied between 2014 and 2015. Frequent exacerbators and short-acting β2-agonist (SABA) over-users were identified if they received ≥2 confirmed OCS courses for asthma and ≥13 SABA inhalers in the past year, respectively. Community dispensing data were used to assess treatment adherence defined as taking ≥75% of prescribed inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) dose. The study population included 185 (7%) frequent exacerbators, 137 (5%) SABA over-users, and 319 (12%) patients on BTS Step 4/5 treatment. Among frequent exacerbators, 41% required BTS Step 4/5 treatment, 46% had suboptimal ICS adherence, 42% had not attended an asthma review in the past year and 42% had no previous input from a specialist asthma service. Older age, female gender, BTS Step 4/5, SABA over-use and co-existing COPD diagnosis increased the risk of frequent exacerbations independently. Fourteen per 100 asthma patients would fulfil the NRAD criteria for specialist referral. Better collaboration between primary and secondary care asthma services is needed to improve chronic asthma care.
Revealing of Core Shell Effect on Frequency-Dependent Properties of Bi-based Relaxor/Ferroelectric Ceramic Composites
Authors: Saleem Mohsin , Hwan Lim Dong , Kim In-sung , Kim Min-Soo , Maqbool Adnan , Nisar Umair , Pervez Syed Atif , Farooq Umer , Farooq Muhammad Umer , Khalil Hafiz Muhammad Waseem , Jeong Soon-Jong
Published: September 2018

In this study, electromechanical characteristics of (1-x) Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3–xSrTiO3 (ST26, x = 0.26)/(1-y) Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3–ySrTiO3 (ST10, y = 0.1) (matrix/seed) composites were studied. The ST26 (high relaxor phase) and ST10 (a relaxor ferroelectric (RF), high ferroelectric phase) composite with large (r-ST26-ST10) and small (t-ST26-ST10) grains exhibited frequency-related dielectric properties and large strain response at a low triggering electric field (an incipient piezoelectricity). It is ascribed to a matrix-seed effect originating from the inhomogeneous composition due to the presence of two phases. The r-ST26-ST10 composite sintered at 4 h, prominent material, showed a high normalized dynamic strain (d33*) of ~700 pm/V (large grains) with stable frequency dependence properties at a low field of 40 kV/cm. The properties of the r-ST26-ST10 composite exhibit less decay with frequency-related polarization and strain compared to those of t-ST26-ST10 composite. The increase in soaking time promotes the diffusion and homogenization of the microstructure in composites, leading to changes in the core-shell structure in the solid solution. The polarization and strain of the ST26-ST10 composites with the frequency are linked to the stability of the internal random fields created by non-ergodic relaxor phase of seed and the amount of phase change in the ergodic relaxor matrix.
Recurrent large earthquakes related with an active fault-volcano system, southwest Japan
Authors: Lin Aiming , Chen Peng , Sado Koichiro
Published: September 2018

Based on fieldworks, trench excavation, archaeological evidence, and radiocarbon dating ages, we have identified at least three large normal faulting events within Aso caldera in the past ~3000 years, excluding the 2016 Mw7.1 Kumamoto earthquake. These events took place in AD ~1000, BC ~100, and BC ~1100, respectively, suggesting an average recurrence interval of ~1000 years. These events coincide with the timings of three large inferred paleoearthquakes within the Hinagu–Futagawa Fault Zone (HFFZ), where the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake rupture began. On the basis of geological, geophysical, and seismic data, we conclude that the recurrent normal faulting events within Aso caldera were triggered by the active faults of the HFFZ. As for the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake, seismic rupture initiated on the southwest side of the caldera, propagated northeastward, and terminated inside it. These findings demonstrate that large recurring earthquakes within an active fault-volcano system can be studied to improve our understanding of the termination of coseismic rupture propagation, and that the magma chamber beneath Mt. Aso probably hinders the propagation of coseismic rupture during large earthquakes.
Genetic analysis of ATP13A2, PLA2G6 and FBXO7 in a cohort of Chinese patients with early-onset Parkinson’s disease
Authors: Shen Ting , Pu Jiali , Lai Hsin-Yi , Xu Lingjia , Si Xiaoli , Yan Yaping , Jiang Yasi , Zhang Baorong
Published: September 2018

Several genes have already been certified as causative genes in patients with autosomal recessive early-onset Parkinson’s syndrome with pyramidal tract signs, including ATP13A2, PLA2G6 and FBXO7. Variants in these three genes may also play roles in early-onset Parkinson’s disease (EOPD). In order to investigate the contribution of genetic variants in these three genes to Chinese sporadic EOPD patients, we screened 101 Chinese sporadic EOPD patients and 83 age- and sex-matched healthy controls using direct sequencing. Interpretation of those detected variants was performed based on the guidelines developed by the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG). Two missense variants, p.G360E and p.T733M, with “uncertain significance” classification were identified in the ATP13A2 gene and five synonymous variants were significantly over-represented in EOPD patients. Two missense variants, p.R53C and p.T319M, were absent in both our control group and online databases, classified as “likely pathogenic” in the PLA2G6 gene. Only benign variants were identified in the FBXO7 gene. These results indicate that rare variants of PLA2G6 may contribute to PD susceptibility in Chinese population, the ATP13A2 might be associated with higher risk for sporadic EOPD, while the FBXO7 gene doesn’t seem to be a risk factor to develop sporadic PD in Chinese population. Further biochemical and molecular biological studies needs to be conducted to support our main results in our future researches.
Comparative study of precise measurements of natural radionuclides and radiation dose using in-situ and laboratory γ-ray spectroscopy techniques
Authors: Hassan N. M. , Kim Y. J. , Jang J. , Chang B. U. , Chae J. S.
Published: September 2018

In this study, in-situ and laboratory γ-ray spectroscopy techniques were compared to evaluate the activity concentration of natural radionuclides in soil. The activity concentrations of 238U (226Ra), 232Th, and 40K in the soil in 11 sites were simultaneously measured with in-situ portable HPGe and the NaI(Tl) detectors. In parallel, 55 soil samples collected from these sites were analyzed with a laboratory γ-ray spectroscopy technique (HPGe). A strong correlation was observed between the in-situ and laboratory HPGe techniques with a linear correlation coefficient (R2) of 0.99 for 226Ra and 232Th and 0.975 for 40K, respectively. The in-situ HPGe technique shows a strong correlation with the NaI(Tl) detector. γ-Rays cps of 226Ra, 232Th, and 40K of the NaI (Tl) detector were then converted to specific activities (Bq kg−1 unit) in soil using the empirical formulas obtained in this study. The absorbed dose rate in air at 1 m height above ground due to these radionuclides was calculated using the Beck’s formula and the results were compared with measured values obtained with an high pressure ionization chamber. The results of the calculated and measured dose rate show a strong correlation of R2 = 0.96. The reliability and precision of analytical spectroscopy techniques of radioactivity and radiation dose were confirmed in this work.
Identification and characterization of G-quadruplex formation within the EP0 promoter of pseudorabies virus
Authors: kong Jiang-Nan , Zhang Chao , Zhu Yan-Ce , Zhong Kai , Wang Jiang , Chu Bei-Bei , Yang Guo-Yu
Published: September 2018

EP0 is an important early gene that modulates the life cycle of pseudorabies virus (PRV). A guanine-rich sequence overlapping with three Sp1 binding sites is located upstream of the transcription start site (TSS) in the EP0 promoter. Using native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) and circular dichroism (CD), we verified that the G-rich region in the EP0 promoter forms an intramolecular parallel G-quadruplex (G4) in the presence of K+ ions. Further dimethyl sulphate (DMS) footprinting and Taq polymerase stop assays indicates the potential polymorphic folding of G4. In addition, a small chemical ligand, pyridostatin (PDS), promotes and stabilizes the formation of G4. Interestingly, based on the results of electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSA), the Sp1 protein bound to G4-bearing DNA with more affinity than DNA lacking the G4 structure. According to the luciferase reporter assay, G4 negatively regulates the EP0 promoter activity. These results demonstrate that Sp1 and G4 cooperate to regulate EP0 promoter activity.
Exciton Diffusion in Organic Nanofibers: A Monte Carlo Study on the Effects of Temperature and Dimensionality
Authors: de Sousa Leonardo Evaristo , da Silva Filho Demétrio Antônio , de Sousa Rafael Timóteo , de Oliveira Neto Pedro Henrique
Published: September 2018

Organic nanofibers have found various applications in optoelectronic devices. In such devices, exciton diffusion is a major aspect concerning their efficiency. In the case of singlet excitons, Förster transfer is the mechanism responsible for this process. Temperature and morphology are factors known to influence exciton diffusion but are not explicitly considered in the expressions for the Förster rate. In this work, we employ a Kinetic Monte Carlo (KMC) model to investigate singlet exciton diffusion in para-hexaphenyl (P6P) and α-sexithiophene (6T) nanofibers. Building from previous experimental and theoretical studies that managed to obtain temperature dependent values for Förster radii, exciton average lifetimes and intermolecular distances, our model is able to indicate how these parameters translate into diffusion coefficients and diffusion lengths. Our results indicate that these features strongly depend on the coordination number in the material. Furthermore, we show how all these features influence the emitted light color in systems composed of alternating layers of P6P and 6T. Finally, we present evidence that the distribution of exciton displacements may result in overestimation of diffusion lengths in experimental setups.
Coevolution of teaching ability and cooperation in spatial evolutionary games
Authors: Zhang Shuhua , Zhang Zhipeng , Wu Yu’e , Li Yu , Xie Yunya
Published: September 2018

Individuals with higher reputation are able to spread their social strategies easily. At the same time, one’s reputation is changing according to his previous behaviors, which leads to completely different teaching abilities for players. To explore the effect of the teaching ability influenced by reputation, we consider a coevolutionary model in which the reputation score affects the updating rule in spatial evolutionary games. More precisely, the updating probability becomes bigger if his/her partner has a positive reputation. Otherwise, the updating probability becomes smaller. This simple design describes the influence of teaching ability on strategy adoption effectively. Numerical results focus on the proportion of cooperation under different levels of the amplitude of change of reputation and the range of reputation. For this dynamics, the fraction of cooperators presents a growth trend within a wide range of parameters. In addition, to validate the generality of this mechanism, we also employ the snowdrift game. Moreover, the evolution of cooperation on Erdős-Rényi random graph is studied for the prisoner’s dilemma game. Our results may be conducive to understanding the emergence and sustainability of cooperation during the strategy adoptions in reality.
Ultrafast Volumetric Optoacoustic Imaging of Whole Isolated Beating Mouse Heart
Authors: Lin Hsiao-Chun Amy , Déan-Ben Xosé Luís , Reiss Michael , Schöttle Verena , Wahl-Schott Christian A. , Efimov Igor R. , Razansky Daniel
Published: September 2018

The Langendorff-perfused heart technique has become the model of choice for multiparametric optical mapping of cardiac function and electrophysiology. However, photon scattering in tissues represents a significant drawback of the optical imaging approach, fundamentally limiting its mapping capacity to the heart surface. This work presents the first implementation of the optoacoustic approach for 4D imaging of the entire beating isolated mouse heart. The method combines optical excitation and acoustic detection to simultaneously render rich optical contrast and high spatio-temporal resolution at centimeter-scale depths. We demonstrate volumetric imaging of deeply located cardiac features, including the interventricular septum, chordae tendineae, and papillary muscles while further tracking the heart beat cycle and the motion of the pulmonary, mitral, and tricuspid valves in real time. The technique possesses a powerful combination between high imaging depth, fast volumetric imaging speed, functional and molecular imaging capacities not available with other imaging modalities currently used in cardiac research.