bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
THE HISTORY OF DEVELOPMENT AND APPLYING OF ANTIOXIDANT ADDITIVES FOR FUEL AND OIL
Authors: Alexanyan K.G. , Stokolos O.A. , Solodova E.V. , Zaytceva Y.N. , Salmanov S. Y. , Yarullin N.R. , Naletova A.V. , Mikhailov E.R.
Published: November 2018

The history of development and improvement of antioxidant additives develops and changes as the development of the engineering industry and in petrochemistry. This article describes the importance of additives for fuels and oils. The requirements for the quality of fuel have become much stricter, in connection with both environmental requirements and the requirements for the operation of the car. As a rule, new additives are developed because the technology is improved and developed and because of environmental standards become more stringent. The article presents the proposed mechanism of action of additives in the fuel. Today, there is a trend in the production of engines that operate at higher temperatures and it expects that the content of antioxidant additives will grow, and it will be use in the systems with higher temperatures. Analysis of world literature over the past 30 years has shown that in the process of creating effective additives for fuels and oils, the possibility of using numerous organic compounds for this purpose was a investigated. The possibility of using for this purpose numerous organic compounds was used. Without exaggeration, we can say that all classes of organic compounds containing various functional groups are used like additives. As an effective antioxidant additive for fuels and oils is phenol-type additives and alkylphenol isomers. It’s effect depends on the position of the alkyl radical in the benzene ring, significantly improve the performance, since the mechanism of action (radical-type antioxidants) is to transfer the free radical from the active peroxide molecule to the phenol molecule to form a low-active, highly shielded radical on the oxygen atom of phenol.

For citation:

Alexanyan K.G., Stokolos O.A., Solodova E.V., Zaytseva Y.N., Salmanov S.Yu., Yarullin N.R., Naletova A.V., Mikhailov E.R. History of development and applying of antioxidant additives for fuel and oil. Izv. Vyssh. Uchebn. Zaved. Khim. Khim. Tekhnol. 2018. V. 61. N 9-10. P. 120-125
INTERACTION OF ALUMINUM-COBALT AND ALUMINUM-NICKEL ALLOYS ACTIVATED BY LIQUID GALLIUM-INDIUM EUTECTIC WITH TERT-BUTYL CHLORIDE FOR FORMATION OF CATALYTIC METAL - ALUMO-CHLORIDE COMPLEXES
Authors: Arbuzov Aleksey B. , Drozdov Vladimir A. , Shlyapin Dmitry A. , Lavrenov Alexander V.
Published: November 2018

It is known that binary alloys of aluminum and metals of the iron group (cobalt, nickel) after their activation with the liquid eutectic gallium-indium by the removal of “passivating” oxide layers sharply increase the reactivity with respect to organochlorines. Corresponding reactions lead to the formation    of metal – alumo - chloride complexes as inorganic products, which are active in many practically important catalytic reactions of liquid-phase conversion of hydrocarbons such as: alkylation, isomerization, oligomerization. This approach which was previously developed by the authors for the polycrystalline aluminum, is of interest in metal-complex catalysis since the formation of catalytic alumo-chloride and/or metal-alumo-chloride complexes can be carried out directly in the reaction medium, i.e. in situ. In this work, the local composition, structure and morphology of surface layers of aluminum-cobalt and aluminum-nickel alloys activated with liquid gallium-indium eutectic were studied using the methods of scanning electron microscopy and X-ray energy-dispersive spectrometry to determine the physicochemical regularities of the dynamics of their interaction with tert-butyl chloride at room temperatures. The formation of metal chloride complexes in the interphase area “activated alloy - tert-butyl chloride” was studied by ATR-FT-IR method in situ. The results obtained indicate that mono- and bi- nuclear alumo-chloride anions stabilized by cobalt and nickel cations are formed during the interaction. It is assumed that the ionic complex pairs formed are the active centers in liquid-phase reactions of hydrocarbons transformation at low temperatures. These structures are responsible for significantly change in the selectivity of catalytic processes compared to aluminum chloride catalyst.

For citation:

Arbuzov A.B., Drozdov V.A., Shlyapin D.A., Lavrenov A.V. Interaction of aluminum-cobalt and aluminum-nickel alloys activated by liquid gallium-indium eutectic with tert-butyl chloride for formation of catalytic metal - alumo-chloride complexes. Izv. Vyssh. Uchebn. Zaved. Khim. Khim. Tekhnol. 2018. V. 61. N 9-10. P. 64-69
VOICES of YOUTH in WARTIME
Authors: Karn Sara
Published: November 2018

This article examines the experiences of adolescents in Canada during the Second World War through a case study of Kitchener-Waterloo Collegiate and Vocational School (K.C.I.) in Kitchener, Ontario. Although many prewar school activities remained a significant part of the student experience at K.C.I., the war impacted the students’ daily lives in ways specific to adolescents who attended school during this time period. Through their participation in various initiatives for the war effort, largely divided along gendered lines, students at K.C.I. contributed towards “school spirit” and developed a sense of responsibility as a future generation of Canadian citizens. This in-depth study of one Ontario high school in wartime demonstrates that age must be emphasized as a prominent factor in shaping experiences on the home front.
The Free School Triumph in London, Canada West, 1840 to 1852
Authors: Murphy Michael Francis
Published: November 2018

Grant-aided common schools in Canada West went free between 1850 and 1870. This article attempts to answer why by studying London between 1840 and 1852. It explains how citizens, the power structure, and schools intersected prior to 1850 to marginalize the community’s common schools and most youngsters and to privilege others. It will demonstrate how the centre’s changing character and the Reform impulse (writ both large and small, but reflected in this colony by new laws in 1849-50 covering not only education but also municipal, elections, and assessment matters), transformed education arrangements, bringing almost all school-age children immediately into its now ascendant free, comprehensive common schools.
Accuracy of a neural net classification of closely-related species of microfossils from a sparse dataset of unedited images
Authors: Renaudie Johan , Gray Ryan , Lazarus David B
Published: November 2018

Identification of biologic objects in images is a major source of biodiversity data. Currently this is done by scarce taxonomic experts and data is thus limited in scope and reproducibility. Automated identification in fields such as plankton research or micropaleontology, where enormous numbers of objects are available, would significantly improve data quantity and quality, particularly in applied studies of environmental and climate change. We describe a machine learning workflow based on the MobileNet convolutional network. The software can identify closely related species of radiolarians, a morphologically challenging group of microfossils, and from complete species populations (not only ideal specimens) as they are normally identified in standard transmitted light microscope preparations. Multiple, partial focus, depth of field limited images were obtained for each fossil specimen from multiple radiolarian microslides. Images were normalized and in one test also cropped to remove most systematic slide-linked image biases (e. g. type of background particles) that could be used by a classifier as non-taxonomic clues to species assignment. An average of 60 specimens per species for 16 species in two distinct clusters of closely related forms (9 species in the Antarctissa group and 7 species in the genus Cycladophora) were used to train and test the system. An overall average classification accuracy of ca 73% was achieved, and for some species >85%. Using a cutoff for specimens with classifier-calculated low certainty values boosts overall accuracy close to 90%, but at the cost of ca 1/3 reduction in identifiable specimens. This latter accuracy is close to the reproducibility of human experts, albeit with more unidentifiable specimens. The most important constraint to broader use is the time and effort needed by taxonomic experts to collect and label images to be used in training, as many species in these diverse biotas are rare, and the numbers of taxonomic experts available are very limited.
Phylogenetic and phylogeographic patterns of Didymosphenia geminata on invaded sites in Chile
Authors: Cayupe Bernardita , Ehrenfeld Nicole , Moreno Rodrigo , Labra Fabio A. , Díaz Carolina
Published: November 2018

Understanding the population dynamics of invasive processes has become a pressing concern in a highly connected world faced with ongoing climate change and increased exotic species introduction. In Chile, the invasive freshwater benthic diatom Didymosphenia geminata (Lyngbye) Schmidt has become widespread, expanding across multiple river basins spanning over 3000 km in three years. Here we evaluate the phylogenetic and phylogeographic relationships of D. geminata samples collected throughout the invaded range in Chile, using specific rbcL gene sequence previously published. Genetic sequences for this marker were generated for 19 sample sites, and were compared with available freshwater diatom sequences, as well as with previously published rbcL gene sequences for D. geminata. We find that all genetic sequences collected within Chile present phylogenetic divergences from D. geminata samples collected in Siberia, as well as from samples of the genera Gomphonema, Cymbella and Encyonema. Thus, we validate the invasion by D. geminata, in agreement with existing morphological taxonomic criteria. In addition, a haplotype analysis showed a total of 13 haplotypes, two of which (halpotypes I and IX) found in 12 and 3 populations respectively, while each of the remaining haplotypes presents a single population. Thus, these results are consistent either with the introduction of multiple lineages, or with a rapid genetic differentiation in this invading freshwater diatom. Further genetic sampling, both within Chile and in countries that may have been potential sources of the invasion are needed to test these alternative hypotheses.
New approaches for assembly of short-read metagenomic data
Authors: Ayling Martin , Clark Matthew D , Leggett Richard M
Published: November 2018

In recent years, the use of longer-range read data combined with advances in assembly algorithms has stimulated big improvements in the contiguity and quality of genome assemblies. However, these advances have not directly transferred to metagenomic datasets, as assumptions made by the single genome assembly algorithms do not apply when assembling multiple genomes at varying levels of abundance. The development of dedicated assemblers for metagenomic data was a relatively late innovation and for many years, researchers had to make do using tools designed for single genomes. This has changed in the last few years and we have seen the emergence of a new type of tool built using different principles. In this review, we describe the challenges inherent in metagenomic assemblies and compare the different approaches taken by these novel assembly tools.
Methodology of Selecting Optimal Fare System for Public Transport of Passengers
Authors: Popović Vladimir Dragan , Gladović Pavle , Miličić Milica , Stanković Milan
Published: November 2018

According to the European Committee (EC) on Transport, the future road transport strategy lies in creating a strong road transport sector which is based on a well-functioning internal market, fair competition and workers’ rights, decarbonization, and use of digital technologies. Urban and suburban passenger transportation systems, according to the principles of the EC, have a key role in achieving the goal of sustainable development and sustainable transport in cities. The fare, ticketing, and payment modes have a significant impact on public urban transport systems, primarily in terms of collecting transport service fees, and represent the basic source of financing of such systems, in addition to subsidies and grants from city budgets. This paper presents the selection methodology of the optimal fare system for urban public transport, applicable for all cities with an organized public city passenger transport (PCPT) system. Based on the established criteria with respect to setting tariff limits and fare systems, passenger demand, and the enterprise organizing the transport, the tariff system was selected. The presented method is that of multi- criteria optimization of the tariff system with numerical results on the example of the City of Novi Sad.
Modeling Travel Mode Choices in Connection to Metro Stations by Mixed Logit Models: A Case Study in Nanjing, China
Authors: Wu Jingxian , Yang Min , Sun Shangjue , Zhao Jingyao
Published: November 2018

Urban rail transit trips usually involve multiple stages, which can be differentiated in terms of transfers that may involve distinct access and egress modes. Most studies on access and egress mode choices of urban rail transit have separately examined the two mode choices. However, in reality, the two choices are temporally correlated. This study, therefore, has sequentially applied the mixed logit to examine the contributors of access and egress mode choices of urban metro commuters using the data from a recent survey conducted in Nanjing, China. 9 typical multimodal combinations constituted by 5 main access modes (walk, bike, electric bike, bus, and car) and 2 main egress modes (walk and bus) are included in the study. The result proves that the model is reliable and reproductive in analyzing access/egress mode choices of metro commuters. Estimation results prove the existence of time constraint and service satisfaction effect of access trip on commuters’ egress mode choice and reveal the importance of transfer infrastructure and environments that serve for biking, walking, bus riding, and car parking in commuter’s connection choice. Also, policy implications are segmentally concluded for the transfer needs of commuters in different groups to encourage the use of metro multimodal trips.
The addition of very light loads into the routine testing of the bench press increases the reliability of the force–velocity relationship
Authors: Cuevas-Aburto Jesualdo , Ulloa-Díaz David , Barboza-González Paola , Chirosa-Ríos Luis Javier , García-Ramos Amador
Published: November 2018

Background

The aim of this study was to examine whether the addition of very light loads for modeling the force–velocity (F–V) relationship during the bench press (BP) exercise can confirm its experimental linearity as well as to increase the reliability and concurrent validity of the F–V relationship parameters (maximum force (F0), maximum velocity (V0), F–V slope, and maximum power (Pmax)).

Method

The F–V relationship of 19 healthy men were determined using three different methods: (I) 6-loads free method: six loads performed during the traditional free-weight BP exercise (≈ 1–8–29–39–49–59 kg), (II) 4-loads free method: four loads performed during the traditional free-weight BP exercise (≈ 29–39–49–59 kg), and (III) 4-loads Smith method: four loads performed during the ballistic bench press throw exercise in a Smith machine (≈ 29–39–49–59 kg).

Results

The linearity of the F–V relationship was very high and comparable for the three F–V methods (p = 0.204; median Pearson’s correlation coefficient (r) = 0.99). The three methods were ranked from the most to the least reliable as follows: 6-loads free (coefficient of variation (CV) range = 3.6–6.7%) > 4-loads Smith (CV range = 4.6–12.4%) > 4-loads free (CV range = 3.8–14.5%). The higher reliability of the 6-loads free method was especially pronounced for F–V slope (CVratio ≥ 1.85) and V0 (CVratio ≥ 1.49) parameters, while the lowest difference in reliability was observed for F0 (CVratio ≤ 1.27). The 6-loads free and 4-loads free methods showed a very high concurrent validity respect to the 4-loads Smith method for F0 and Pmax (r ≥ 0.89), a moderate validity for the F–V slope (r = 0.66–0.82), and a low validity for V0 (r ≤ 0.37).

Discussion

The routine testing of the F–V relationship of upper-body muscles through the BP exercise should include trials with very light loading conditions to enhance the reliability of the F–V relationship.
Analytical CPG model driven by limb velocity input generates accurate temporal locomotor dynamics
Authors: Yakovenko Sergiy , Sobinov Anton , Gritsenko Valeriya
Published: November 2018

The ability of vertebrates to generate rhythm within their spinal neural networks is essential for walking, running, and other rhythmic behaviors. The central pattern generator (CPG) network responsible for these behaviors is well-characterized with experimental and theoretical studies, and it can be formulated as a nonlinear dynamical system. The underlying mechanism responsible for locomotor behavior can be expressed as the process of leaky integration with resetting states generating appropriate phases for changing body velocity. The low-dimensional input to the CPG model generates the bilateral pattern of swing and stance modulation for each limb and is consistent with the desired limb speed as the input command. To test the minimal configuration of required parameters for this model, we reduced the system of equations representing CPG for a single limb and provided the analytical solution with two complementary methods. The analytical and empirical cycle durations were similar (R2 = 0.99) for the full range of walking speeds. The structure of solution is consistent with the use of limb speed as the input domain for the CPG network. Moreover, the reciprocal interaction between two leaky integration processes representing a CPG for two limbs was sufficient to capture fundamental experimental dynamics associated with the control of heading direction. This analysis provides further support for the embedded velocity or limb speed representation within spinal neural pathways involved in rhythm generation.
Changes in stigma and help-seeking in relation to postpartum depression: non-clinical parenting intervention sample
Authors: Thorsteinsson Einar B. , Loi Natasha M. , Farr Kathryn
Published: November 2018

Postpartum depression (PPD) is a prevalent mental illness affecting women, and less commonly, men in the weeks and months after giving birth. Despite the high incidence of PPD in Australia, rates for help-seeking remain low, with stigma and discrimination frequently cited as the most common deterrents to seeking help from a professional source. The present study sought to investigate PPD stigma in a sample of parents and to examine the effects of an intervention on stigma and help-seeking behaviour. A total of 212 parents aged 18–71 years (M = 36.88, 194 females) completed measures of personal and perceived PPD stigma and attitudes towards seeking mental health services and were randomly assigned to one of four groups: an intervention group (video documentary or factsheet related to PPD) or a control group (video documentary or factsheet not related to PPD). Results showed that there were no effects for type of intervention on either personal or perceived PPD stigma scores. No effect was found for help-seeking propensity. Males had higher personal PPD stigma than females and older age was associated with lower personal PPD stigma. Familiarity with PPD was associated with perceived PPD stigma in others but not personal PPD stigma. More work needs to be conducted to develop interventions to reduce PPD stigma in the community.
Amphibian life history in a temperate environment of the Mexican Plateau: dimorphism, phenology and trophic ecology of a hylid frog,Hyla eximia(=Dryophytes eximius)
Authors: Hernández-Salinas Uriel , Ramírez-Bautista Aurelio , Stephenson Barry P. , Cruz-Elizalde Raciel , Berriozabal-Islas Christian , Jesús Balderas-Valdivia Carlos
Published: November 2018

The study of demographic and life history aspects of an organism provides valuable information for its conservation. Here, we analyze the phenology of the Mountain TreefrogHyla eximia(=Dryophytes eximius) in a temperate environment of the Mexican Plateau. Females were larger in snout-vent length and body mass than males. The peak period of activity occurred in the rainy season (May–September), with amplexus and egg deposition occurring between June and July, and larval development from July to August. A logistic model best explained observed male growth patterns, while the Von Bertalanffy model better described female growth. Notably, males grew faster than females, although females reached a larger overall body size. The diet of this species is made up of 10 prey categories. The index of diet importance indicated that males feed mainly on Coleoptera and Diptera, while females feed on Coleoptera, Diptera, Hemiptera, and Aranea. Both females and males showed a significant abundance of plant material in their stomachs, suggesting thatH. eximiamight exhibit highly specialized feeding behavior. Reproduction was seasonal, and both female and male reproductive cycles are synchronized with the rainy season. These natural history characteristics provide information to better understand their responses to environmental conditions.
Porewater salinity in a southeastern United States salt marsh: controls and interannual variation
Authors: Miklesh David , Meile Christof
Published: November 2018

In coastal marsh ecosystems, porewater salinity strongly affects vegetation distribution and productivity. To simulate marsh porewater salinity, an integrated, spatially explicit model was developed, accounting for tidal inundation, evaporation, and precipitation, as well as lateral and vertical exchanges in both surface waters and the subsurface. It was applied to the Duplin River marsh, Sapelo Island, USA, over a 3-year period, which covered both drought and wet conditions. Simulated porewater salinity in the low and high marsh correlated with Duplin River salinity, with evapotranspiration and precipitation leading to substantial variations in porewater salinities across seasons, in particular in the high marsh. The model revealed substantial interannual variability in marsh soil conditions, and—due to its process-based approach linked to external forcings—can be used to explore effects of sea level rise and changes in hydrological forcings on marsh soil conditions.
Risk and protective factors for drug dependence in two Moroccan high-risk male populations
Authors: Sfendla Anis , Lemrani Dina , Ahlström Britt Hedman , Senhaji Meftaha , Kerekes Nóra
Published: November 2018

Background

Substance use is linked to biological, environmental, and social factors. This study provides insights on protective and risk factors for drug dependence in two Moroccan, high-risk, male samples.

Methods

Data from the “Mental and Somatic Health without borders” (MeSHe) survey were utilized in the present study. The MeSHe survey assesses somatic and mental health parameters by self-report from prison inmates (n= 177) and outpatients from an addiction institution (n= 54). The “Drug dependence” and the “No drug dependence” groups were identified based on the Arabic version of the Drug Use Disorder Identification Test’s (DUDIT) validated cutoff for identifying individuals with drug dependence, specifically in Morocco.

Results

The majority of participants who had at least high school competence (67.6%), were living in a partnership (53.7%), were a parent (43.1%), and/or had a job (86.8%) belonged to the “No drug dependence” group, while the presence of mental health problems was typical among the “Drug dependence” group (47.4%). A multivariable regression model (χ2(df= 5,N= 156) = 63.90,p< 0.001) revealed that the presence of depression diagnosis remains a significant risk factor, while a higher level of education, having a child, and being employed are protective factors from drug dependence.

Discussion

Findings support the importance of increasing academic competence and treating depression as prevention from the persistence of drug addiction in male high-risk populations.
Preparation of Ordered Mesoporous Au using Double Gyroid Mesoporous Silica KIT‐6 via a Seed‐Mediated Growth Process
Authors: Shimasaki Yuta , Kitahara Masaki , Shoji Miho , Shimojima Atsushi , Wada Hiroaki , Kuroda Kazuyuki
Published: November 2018

Ordered mesoporous Au was prepared using double gyroid (cubic Ia‐3d) mesoporous silica KIT‐6 as a template. The Au frameworks were formed within the template via a seed‐mediated growth process. Au nanoparticles were initially prepared as seeds within the mesopores, and subsequently, they were grown under mild and controlled reducing conditions. The transmission electron micrographs and scanning electron micrographs of mesoporous Au after the removal of the template revealed the formation of mesoporous Au replicas. The small‐angle X‐ray scattering pattern of mesoporous Au reveals that the obtained mesoporous Au has a cubic I4132 mesostructure, which is different from that of the original template, implying that Au was deposited within only one mesochannel of the two interconnected ones. The seed‐mediated growth process is a key factor in the successful formation of ordered mesoporous Au using a mesoporous silica template. Our preparative method can serve as a guide for further development of synthetic and materials chemistry of mesoporous Au.
Functional anatomy of the female reproductive system of the American lobster (Homarus americanus)
Authors: Comeau Michel , Benhalima Kadra
Published: November 2018

Light microscopy studies of the female American lobster Homarus americanus reproductive system are essentially nonexistent or outdated. Based on samples taken in the spring, summer, and autumn from the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence between 1994 and 2014, and using a combination of histological and scanning electron microscope techniques, we propose an ovarian cycle with 10 stages, identifying for the first time a recovery stage. Also, an atypical resorption stage, characterized by massive reabsorption of mature oocytes, is occasionally observed during summer months. The oviducts are composed of connective tissue (elastic and collagen fibers) with no muscle or secretory activities. Their epithelium shows a cyclic pattern and phagocytosis activities linked to spawning. Although the role of the seminal receptacle is to store and protect semen, free spermatozoa (i.e., without the spermatophoric wall and the acellular gelatinous substance that constitute the semen) were also observed in its posteriolateral grooves immediately prior to spawning, which is consistent with an external fertilization mechanism at the seminal receptacle. Unexpectedly, free spermatozoa were observed externally near two pore‐like structures located on the gonopore's operculum, not at the seminal receptacle, after spawning; hence, more work is needed to fully understand the fertilization mechanism for the American lobster.
Mapping land enclosures and vegetation cover changes in the surroundings of Kenya's Dadaab refugee camps with very high resolution satellite imagery
Authors: Rossi Massimiliano , Rembold Felix , Bolognesi Michele , Nori Michele , Mureithi Stephen , Nyberg Gert
Published: November 2018

The immediate surroundings of refugee camps in drylands are among the areas exposed to highest pressure on natural resources including vegetation and soil. Understanding the dynamics of land fencing in these areas is critical for sustainable camp management and can help to improve the knowledge about land management in drylands in general. Very high resolution satellite imagery provides a means to observe such areas over time and to document land cover and use changes. This study uses satellite images to map fenced areas, which can be divided into pastoral enclosures and the so called ‘green belts’ (areas fenced for afforestation) around the Hagadera Camp in Dadaab (Kenya). It then analyses change dynamics between 2006 and 2013, a period where the refugee camp has been subject to high oscillations in camp population, due to a combination of conflicts and droughts in Somalia. The applied methodology allows detailed fence mapping and shows a large increase in fenced area (56%) over the 7‐year period. Although new pastoral enclosures expanded into more densely vegetated surroundings, land cover density inside already fenced areas either decreased or remained stable. Green belt areas grew at a similar rate (58%) but did not show evidence of greening over time and their longer term success is strongly dependent on maintenance. The settlement area did also expand remarkably in the same time (65%), and human and animal movements in the surroundings intensified with a negative impact on vegetation density. The study could not fully investigate the socio‐economic drivers and impacts linked to the rapid increase of enclosures, which are inextricably linked to evolutions in local agro‐pastoral practices. However, by documenting spatial and temporal dynamics of fenced areas, it adds new evidence to their increasing relevance in rangeland management, and opens the way to a number of hypotheses, stimulating the debate about long‐term ecological and socio‐economic impact.
Closing the window on single leptoquark solutions to the B-physics anomalies
Authors: Angelescu A. , Bečirević D. , Faroughy D. A. , Sumensari O.
Published: November 2018

Abstract

We examine various scenarios in which the Standard Model is extended by a light leptoquark state to solve for one or both B-physics anomalies, viz.

$$ {R}_{D^{\left(*\right)}}^{\exp }>{R}_{D^{\left(*\right)}}^{\mathrm{SM}} $$

R

D

*

exp

>

R

D

*

S
M

or/and

$$ {R}_{K^{\left(*\right)}}^{\exp }>{R}_{K^{\left(*\right)}}^{\mathrm{SM}} $$

R

K

*

exp

>

R

K

*

S
M

. To do so we combine the constraints arising both from the low-energy observables and from direct searches at the LHC. We find that none of the scalar leptoquarks of mass m
LQ ≃ 1 TeV can alone accommodate the above mentioned anomalies. The only single leptoquark scenario which can provide a viable solution for m
LQ ≃ 1÷2 TeV is a vector leptoquark, known as U
1, which we re-examine in its minimal form (letting only left-handed couplings to have non-zero values). We find that the limits deduced from direct searches are complementary to the low-energy physics constraints. In particular, we find a rather stable lower bound on the lepton flavor violating b → sℓ
1
±
ℓ
2
∓
modes, such as ℬ(B → Kμτ). Improving the experimental upper bound on ℬ(B → Kμτ) by two orders of magnitude could compromise the viability of the minimal U
1 model as well.
Color matrix element corrections for parton showers
Authors: Plätzer Simon , Sjodahl Malin , Thorén Johan
Published: November 2018

Abstract

We investigate the effects of keeping the full color structure for parton emissions in parton showers for both LEP and LHC. This is done within the Herwig 7 dipole shower, and includes gluon emission, gluon splitting, initial state branching processes, as well as hadronization. The subleading N

c
terms are included as color matrix element corrections to the splitting kernels by evolving an amplitude-level density operator and correcting the radiation pattern for each parton multiplicity, up to a fixed number of full color emissions, after which a standard leading color shower takes over. Our results are compared to data for a wide range of LEP and LHC observables and show that the subleading N

c
corrections tend to be small for most observables probing hard, perturbative dynamics, for both LEP and LHC. However, for some of these observables they exceed 10%. On soft physics we find signs of significantly larger effects.
Unraveling the Origins of Australia’s Ancient Mountain Chains
Authors: Cook Terri
Published: November 2018

New data synthesis suggests that varying rates of trench retreat along the margin of the Gondwana supercontinent were responsible for the curvature of the Tasmanide mountain chains.
The Formation of an Oxygen Wave by Magnetic Reconnection
Authors: Tenfjord P. , Hesse M. , Norgren C.
Published: November 2018

Oxygen of ionospheric origin is a ubiquitous particle species in magnetospheric dynamics. We investigate how an oxygen population influences magnetic reconnection and how it is energized, using particle‐in‐cell simulations. The oxygen population is inserted initially in the inflow region, at two equal distances above and below the current sheet, and as time evolves it is captured by the reconnection process. Three simulations with different initial oxygen temperature are investigated. As the oxygen gets involved, layers of high‐oxygen density forms in a region bounded by the Hall electric field. These density striations consist of a quasi‐steady horizontal layer and a dynamic, inclined, wavefront‐like layer. The acceleration of the oxygen population is dominated by electric forces, as the oxygen remains approximately demagnetized for the relevant timescales of the simulation. We describe two mechanisms of oxygen acceleration that lead to these two different structures.
Evaluation of Simulated Snow and Snowmelt Timing in the Community Land Model Using Satellite‐Based Products and Streamflow Observations
Authors: Toure Ally M. , Luojus Kari , Rodell Matthew , Beaudoing Hiroko , Getirana Augusto
Published: November 2018

The purpose of this study was to evaluate snow and snowmelt simulated by version 4 of the Community Land Model (CLM4). We performed uncoupled CLM4 simulations, forced by Modern‐Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications Land‐only meteorological fields. GlobSnow snow cover fraction, snow water equivalent (SWE), and satellite‐based passive microwave snowmelt‐off day of year (MoD) data were used to evaluate snow cover fraction, SWE, and snowmelt simulations. Simulated runoff was then fed into a river routing scheme and evaluation was performed at 408 snow‐dominated catchments using gauge observations. CLM4 and GlobSnow snow cover extent showed a strong agreement, especially during the peak snow cover months. Overall there was a good correlation between simulated and observed SWE (correlation coefficient, R = 0.6). Simulated and observed SWE were similar over areas with relatively flat terrain and moderate forest density. The simulated MoD agreed (MoD differences [CLM4‐passive microwave] = ±7 days) with observations over 39.4% of the study domain. Snowmelt‐off occurred earlier in the model compared to the observations over 39.5% of the domain and later over 21.1% of the domain. Large differences of MoD were seen in the areas with complex terrain and dense forest cover. We also found that, although streamflow seasonal phase was accurately modeled (R = 0.9), the peaks controlled by snowmelt were underestimated. Routed CLM4 streamflow tended to occur early (by 10 days on average).
In silico identification and characterization of a diverse subset of conserved microRNAs in bioenergy crop Arundo donax L.
Authors: Jike Wuhe , Sablok Gaurav , Bertorelle Giorgio , Li Mingai , Varotto Claudio
Published: November 2018

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNA molecules involved in the post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression in plants. Arundo donax L. is a perennial C3 grass considered one of the most promising bioenergy crops. Despite its relevance, many fundamental aspects of its biology still remain to be elucidated. In the present study we carried out the first in silico mining and tissue-specific characterization of microRNAs and their putative targets in A. donax. We identified a total of 141 miRNAs belonging to 14 families along with the corresponding primary miRNAs, precursor miRNAs and a total of 462 high-confidence predicted targets and novel target sites were validated by 5′-race. Gene Ontology functional annotation showed that miRNA targets are constituted mainly by transcription factors, but three of the newly validated targets are enzymes involved in novel functions like RNA editing, acyl lipid metabolism and post-Golgi trafficking. Folding variability of pre-miRNA loops and phylogenetic analyses indicate variable selective pressure acting on the different miRNA families. The set of miRNAs identified in this study will pave the road to further miRNA research in Arundo donax and contribute towards a better understanding of miRNA-mediated gene regulatory processes in other bioenergy crops.
Metabolomics analysis of gut barrier dysfunction in a trauma-hemorrhagic shock rat model
Authors: Li Zhongqi , Li Jian , Zhang Shouwei , Chen Gang , Chi Shaohua , Li Xugang , Guo Fei , Zhu Jianbo , Sun Baoxi
Published: November 2018

Intestinal barrier dysfunction has been implicated in the development of multiorgan dysfunction syndrome caused by the trauma-hemorrhagic shock (THS). However, the mechanisms underlying THS-induced gut barrier injury are still poorly understood. In the present study, we used the metabolomics analysis to test the hypothesis that altered metabolites might be related to the development of THS-induced barrier dysfunction in the large intestine. Under the induction of THS, gut barrier failure was characterized by injury of permeability and mucus layer, which were companied by the decreased expression of zonula occludens-1 in the colon and increased levels of inflammatory factors including tumor necrosis factor-α, interferon-γ, interleukin (IL)-6, and IL-1β in the serum. A total of 16 differential metabolites were identified in colonic tissues from THS-treated rats compared with control rats. These altered metabolites included dihydroxy acetone phosphate, ribose-5-phosphate, fructose, glyceric acid, succinic acid, and adenosine, which are critical intermediates or end products that are involved in pentose phosphate pathway, glycolysis, and tricarboxylic acid cycle as well as mitochondrial adenosine triphosphate biosynthesis. These findings may offer important insight into the metabolic alterations in THS-treated gut injury, which will be helpful for developing effective metabolites-based strategies to prevent THS-induced gut barrier dysfunction.
Gene expression profiles analysis identifies a novel two-gene signature to predict overall survival in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma
Authors: Sun Chengtao , Cheng Xianfeng , Wang Chaoyu , Wang Xi , Xia Bing , Zhang Yizhuo
Published: November 2018

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most common hematologic malignancy, however, specific tumor-associated genes and signaling pathways are yet to be deciphered. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were computed based on gene expression profiles from GSE32018, GSE56315, and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) DLBC. Overlapping DEGs were then evaluated for gene ontology (GO), pathways enrichment, DNA methylation, protein–protein interaction (PPI) network analysis as well as survival analysis. Seventy-four up-regulated and 79 down-regulated DEGs were identified. From PPI network analysis, majority of the DEGs were involved in cell cycle, oocyte meiosis, and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) pathways. Six hub genes including CDC20, MELK, PBK, prostaglandin D2 synthase (PTGDS), PCNA, and CDK1 were selected using the Molecular Complex Detection (MCODE). CDC20 and PTGDS were able to predict overall survival (OS) in TCGA DLBC and in an additional independent cohort GSE31312. Furthermore, CDC20 DNA methylation negatively regulated CDC20 expression and was able to predict OS in DLBCL. A two-gene panel consisting of CDC20 and PTGDS had a better prognostic value compared with CDC20 or PTGDS alone in the TCGA cohort (P=0.026 and 0.039). Overall, the present study identified a set of novel genes and pathways that may play a significant role in the initiation and progression of DLBCL. In addition, CDC20 and PTGDS will provide useful guidance for therapeutic applications.
Maggot protein ameliorates dextran sulphate sodium-induced ulcerative colitis in mice
Authors: Wang Rong , Wang Lei , Luo Yongzheng , Wang Daojuan , Du Ronghui , Du Jiancheng , Wang Yong
Published: November 2018

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a common chronic remitting disease but without satisfactory treatment. Maggots are known as a traditional Chinese medicine named as ‘wu gu chong’. The aim of the present study was to investigate the therapeutic effect of the maggot protein on dextran sulphate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis in C57BL/6 mice. In the present study, female C57BL/6 mice were given sterile water containing 3% DSS to establish the model of UC. Mice were randomly divided into five groups: control group (sterile water), model group (DSS), treatment group (DSS + maggot protein), mesalazine group (DSS + mesalazine), and maggot protein group (sterile water + maggot protein). The mental state, defecate traits, and changes in body weights were recorded daily. The disease activity index (DAI) as a disease severity criterion was calculated based on body weights and stool consistency and bleeding. All the mice were killed on the 12th day. Colon length, colon histological changes, and other inflammatory factors were analyzed and evaluated. The results showed that colitis models of mice were established successfully. Administration of maggot protein markedly suppressed the severity of UC compared with the DSS model group. Furthermore, maggot protein potently ameliorated DSS-induced weight loss, colon shortening, and colon histological injury. Moreover, the maggot protein exerted anti-inflammatory effects via inhibition of the activation of the nuclear factor κB (NFκB) signaling pathway. In summary, treatment by maggot protein was able to improve not only the symptoms of colitis, but also the microscopic inflammation in mice with DSS-induced colitis. The present study may have implications for developing an effective therapeutic strategy for inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs).
Rapamycin inhibits proliferation and induces autophagy in human neuroblastoma cells
Authors: Lin Xiaokun , Han Lei , Weng Jialei , Wang Kelai , Chen Tongke
Published: November 2018

Objective To investigate the effect of Rapamycin on proliferation and autophagy in human neuroblastoma (NB) cell lines and to elucidate the possible mechanism. Methods NB cells were treated with different concentrations of Rapamycin. Cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) was used to measure proliferation, and flow cytometry (FCM) was used to analyze the cell cycle. EM was used to observe cell morphological changes. Western blotting (WB) was performed to detect the expression of Beclin-1, LC3-I/II, P62, mammalian target of Rapamycin (mTOR), and p-mTOR. Results Rapamycin inhibited the spread of NB cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner and arrested the cell cycle at the G0/G1 phase. EM showed autophagosomes in NB cells treated with Rapamycin. The WB results showed that the expression levels of Beclin-1 and LC3-II/LC3-I were significantly elevated in NB cells treated with Rapamycin, while the expression levels of P62, mTOR, and p-mTOR proteins were significantly reduced compared with the control cells (P<0.05). Conclusion Rapamycin inhibits cell proliferation and induces autophagy in human NB cell lines. The mechanism may be related to suppression of the mTOR signaling pathway.
Optic disc segmentation in fundus images using adversarial training
Authors: Liu Yang , Fu Dongmei , Huang Zhicheng , Tong Hejun
Published: November 2018

Glaucoma is one of the leading causes of blindness in the world. Optic disc segmentation is an indispensable step for automatic detection of glaucoma with fundus images. In this study, the authors propose an automatic optic disc segmentation approach using adversarial training. The improved ‘U‐Net’ is used as the segmentation network to detect optic disc from fundus images, and then the authors add a ‘Patch‐level’ adversarial network to enhance higher‐order consistency between ground truth and the output from segmentation network, which further boosts the performance of segmentation network. In addition, a new loss function is designed to solve the problem of pixel‐level class imbalance in small target region extraction of medical images. All these improvements have effectively increased the segmentation accuracy on hard examples. Authors’ methods achieve Dice coefficient of 0.967 on Drishti‐GS dataset and 0.951 on RIM‐ONEv3 dataset, which outperform most of the existing methods.
Particle filter‐based vehicle tracking via HOG features after image stabilisation in intelligent drive system
Authors: Kong Xiaofang , Chen Qian , Gu Guohua , Ren Kan , Qian Weixian , Liu Zewei
Published: November 2018

Tracking vehicles automatically are of great importance in the intelligent transportation systems to guarantee the traffic safety, especially for the self‐driving technique. To solve the problem of the tiny jitter of the camera due to the shaking platform and the rough road, and to track the vehicle ahead, a salient feature‐based video stabilisation method is introduced to remove the effect of camera motion, and an improved particle filter‐based vehicle tracking algorithm via histogram of oriented gradient (HOG) features is proposed in this study. For video stabilisation, first, the features from accelerated segment test algorithm are applied to extract salient points from the two adjacent frames. Then, the fast retina keypoint algorithm is used to match the correspondences and the M‐estimator sample consensus algorithm is applied to remove the outliers. Finally, the image with tiny jitter is stabilised by the affine transformation matrix calculated from the retained inliers. After the image stabilisation, an improved particle filter‐based tracking method is proposed for vehicle tracking via the HOG feature extracted from an adaptive searching area determined by the expected vehicle position of the previous frame. Experimental results demonstrate that camera motion can be effectively compensated by the feature‐based stabilisation method, and the forward vehicle can be tracked with stability and robustness in real time.
Effect of electrodes material on transient currents in dielectric liquid
Authors: Beldjilali Abdeslem , Saidi‐Amroun Nadia , Mansour Mahdi , Saidi Mohamed
Published: November 2018

In this study, results of polarisation and depolarisation currents measured on an insulating liquid are presented. The goal is to contribute to a better understanding of mechanisms occurring at the metal–liquid contact. Electrodes of different metallic nature are associated with the same mineral oil, the metal/liquid/metal structure is submitted to DC voltages and the transient current is recorded with a high sensitive electrometer. The current versus time feature shows that the conduction process is in good compliance with the metal work function rather than with its electric conductivity. The current versus field characteristics indicate a predominance of the ohmic behaviour for the low fields. The space charge limited conduction regime appears as soon as the electrical constraint exceeds ∼1 MV/m, which corresponds to 10% of the breakdown voltage. Schottky injection is suspected to occur from the metal into the liquid since the applied fields are uniform and non‐extremely intensified.