bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Upcycling of food industry side streams by basidiomycetes for production of a vegan protein source
Authors: Ahlborn Jenny , Stephan Alexander , Meckel Theresa , Maheshwari Garima , Rühl Martin , Zorn Holger
Published: December 2019

Purpose

Novel protein sources are urgently needed to meet the increasing protein demand of a continuously growing world population. This study is focused on the production of protein rich mushroom mycelia on industrial side streams.

Methods

Submerged propagation of mushrooms was carried out in shake flasks which contained agro-industrial side streams as the sole carbon source. The biomass obtained was analyzed for its crude protein, ash and fat content as well as for its fatty acid and amino acid profiles. Vitamin D2 production from ergosterol in the biomass was induced by UV-B irradiation and determined by HPLC–DAD. The share of fungal mycelium in the total biomass was determined by extraction and quantitation of ergosterol. Additionally, water and oil binding capacity (WBC and OBC) were evaluated.

Results

A screening of basidiomycetes grown on agro-industrial side streams indicated a fast growth of Pleurotus sapidus on apple pomace. After 4 days of cultivation, the biomass obtained from this mushroom–substrate combination contained 21% true protein in dry matter. In addition to proteins, the amounts of lipids (4%), ash (2%) and carbohydrates (74%) were quantitated. The dominating fatty and amino acids of Pleurotus sapidus grown on apple pomace were linoleic acid and glutamic acid/glutamine, respectively. Concentrations of up to 115 µg (g dry matter)−1 vitamin D2 were formed from ergosterol by UV-B irradiation. Ergosterol was used as a biomarker to monitor the amount of fungal content.

Conclusion

The nutritional value of agro-industrial side streams such as apple pomace can be upcycled by biotransformation with basidiomycetes.
Simulation study to find suitable dopants of CdS buffer layer for CZTS solar cell
Authors: Jhuma Farjana Akter , Rashid Mohammad Junaebur
Published: December 2019

The performance of CZTS solar cell, a promising candidate in the field of energy production from sunlight, can be improved by optimizing the parameters of most widely used CdS buffer layer. In this work, numerical study have been done on the typical CZTS solar cell structures containing Mo thin film as back contact on glass substrate using SCAPS-1D solar cell simulation software. Then, the CZTS has been used as the absorber layer followed by CdS buffer later. Following, ZnO and transparent conducting oxide n-ITO layers have been considered as window layer and front contact, respectively. In the simulations, the CdS buffer layer has been doped with three different materials such as Silver (Ag), Copper (Cu) and Chlorine (Cl) for a wide acceptable range of carrier concentration. After obtaining the suitable carrier concentration, the thickness of the doped buffer layer has been varied keeping other layer parameters constant to see the variation of performance parameters open circuit voltage (Voc), short circuit current density (Jsc), fill factor (FF) and efficiency (η) of the CZTS solar cell.
Multivariate Hardy and Littlewood inequalities on time scales
Authors: Nosheen Ammara , Nawaz Aneela , Khan Khuram Ali , Awan Khalid Mahmood
Published: December 2019

In the paper we extend some Hardy and Littlewood type inequalities on time scales for the function of n variables. Special cases of obtained results include generalized Wirtinger, Hardy and Littlewood type inequalities.
State-of-the-art and recent developments in micro/nanoscale pressure sensors for smart wearable devices and health monitoring systems
Authors: Chang Ye , Zuo Jingjing , Zhang Hainan , Duan Xuexin
Published: December 2019

Small-sized, low-cost, and high-sensitivity sensors are required for pressure-sensing applications because of their critical role in consumer electronics, automotive applications, and industrial environments. Thus, micro/nanoscale pressure sensors based on micro/nanofabrication and micro/nanoelectromechanical system technologies have emerged as a promising class of pressure sensors on account of their remarkable miniaturization and performance. These sensors have recently been developed to feature multifunctionality and applicability to novel scenarios, such as smart wearable devices and health monitoring systems. In this review, we summarize the major sensing principles used in micro/nanoscale pressure sensors and discuss recent progress in the development of four major categories of these sensors, namely, novel material-based, flexible, implantable, and self-powered pressure sensors.
Older boards are better boards, so beware of diversity targets
Authors: Prior Jonson Elizabeth , McGuire Linda , Rasel Sharif , Cooper Brian
Published: December 2019

This study examined 130 Australian companies from the ASX 500 All Ordinaries between 2011 and 2015. We performed regression analysis on the effects of age of the board (mean age and age diversity) upon financial performance (measured by ROA and Tobin'sQ). Controlling for board size, firm size and industry sector, we found that the average age of board members is positively associated with firm performance as measured by ROA. Boards with an older average age of directors perform better than boards with a younger average age. There was no significant relationship between age diversity as measured by the within-board standard deviation on the two performance measures. The primary focus of our study was age. However, an interesting concomitant finding is that the focus on increasing female representation on boards will lower the average age of a board (as female directors tend to be significantly younger than their male counterparts) and this may have an adverse impact on financial performance.
How Saudi Crackdowns Fail to Silence Online Dissent
Authors: PAN JENNIFER , SIEGEL ALEXANDRA A.
Published: December 2019

Saudi Arabia has imprisoned and tortured activists, religious leaders, and journalists for voicing dissent online. This reflects a growing worldwide trend in the use of physical repression to censor online speech. In this paper, we systematically examine the consequences of imprisoning well-known Saudis for online dissent by analyzing over 300 million tweets as well as detailed Google search data from 2010 to 2017 using automated text analysis and crowd-sourced human evaluation of content. We find that repression deterred imprisoned Saudis from continuing to dissent online. However, it did not suppress dissent overall. Twitter followers of the imprisoned Saudis engaged in more online dissent, including criticizing the ruling family and calling for regime change. Repression drew public attention to arrested Saudis and their causes, and other prominent figures in Saudi Arabia were not deterred by the repression of their peers and continued to dissent online.
A Formal Theory of Democratic Deliberation
Authors: CHUNG HUN , DUGGAN JOHN
Published: December 2019

Inspired by impossibility theorems of social choice theory, many democratic theorists have argued that aggregative forms of democracy cannot lend full democratic justification for the collective decisions reached. Hence, democratic theorists have turned their attention to deliberative democracy, according to which “outcomes are democratically legitimate if and only if they could be the object of a free and reasoned agreement among equals” (Cohen 1997a, 73). However, relatively little work has been done to offer a formal theory of democratic deliberation. This article helps fill that gap by offering a formal theory of three different modes of democratic deliberation: myopic discussion, constructive discussion, and debate. We show that myopic discussion suffers from indeterminacy of long run outcomes, while constructive discussion and debate are conclusive. Finally, unlike the other two modes of deliberation, debate is path independent and converges to a unique compromise position, irrespective of the initial status quo.
Prison, Where Is Thy Victory? A Black Panther Theology of Mass Incarceration
Authors: Sowers Brian P.
Published: December 2019

On 12 July 1969, Huey P. Newton, cofounder of the Black Panther Party, wrote “Prison, Where Is Thy Victory?,” a socialist critique of America’s penal system that focused on its inability to rehabilitate prisoners. Beyond its explicit rejection of American capitalism, his essay, with its very title, also invokes two passages from the Bible—Paul’s epistle to the Corinthians (1 Cor 15:55) and the book of the prophet Hosea (Hos 13:14) —although Newton never elaborates on their allusive force. Intertextually bound to Newton’s title, these biblical passages function as a type of guiding lens through which “full-knowing readers” can engage Newton’s treatment of mass incarceration. This essay provides such an intertextual reading of “Prison” vis-à-vis 1 Cor 15 and Hos 13, with particular attention to the ways Newton’s biblical models simultaneously enrich and complicate interpretations of “Prison.”
Samuel Hirsch, Hegel, and the Legacy of Ethical Monotheism
Authors: Erlewine Robert
Published: December 2019

This essay examines Samuel Hirsch’s Religious Philosophy of the Jews as a forerunner of twentieth-century works of ethical monotheism in modern Jewish thought. In particular, it explores Hirsch’s use of the dichotomy between monotheism and idolatry as a way to resist Hegel’s attempts to incorporate Judaism into his developmental history of religion. Hirsch frames his opposition to the Hegelian account of religion by means of providing a rival interpretation of Genesis 3 to that offered by Hegel in the Lectures on the Philosophy of Religion. After juxtaposing Hegel’s and Hirsch’s respective interpretations of Genesis 3, I explore Hirsch’s account of religion, which, unlike Hegel’s, is presented in terms of the dichotomy of true and false religion. Finally, I will briefly highlight how Hirsch’s basic strategy for understanding Judaism vis-à-vis other religions—namely, casting the dichotomy between monotheism and idolatry in starkly ethical terms—is taken up and utilized by Hermann Cohen and Emmanuel Levinas in the twentieth century.
The Conflation of Morality and “the Fair and Just Solution” in the Determination of Restitution Claims Involving Nazi-Looted Art: An Unsatisfactory Premise in Need of Change
Authors: De Girolamo Debbie
Published: December 2019

In recent literature on the restitution of Nazi-looted art, reference can be found to notions of morality as impetus for the return of cultural property to claimants who, although they may be able to evidence their ownership to an object, are stymied by onerous legal frameworks. With such claims, it is often the recognition of a moral entitlement or obligation that leads to a resolution regarding restitution. This conflation of morality with justice seems to have taken hold, in particular, with the articulation of the Washington Principles in 1998, which call on nation-states to create alternative dispute resolution processes for the fair and just resolution of Nazi-looted art claims. In determining what is fair and just in the resolution of these looted art claims, regard is often made to the strength of a party’s moral claim to the property. The exercise of notions of morality is often seen as resulting in a fair and just outcome, linking morality with the fair and just solution of such cultural property claims. But, it is justice on what ground? Is morality the proper yardstick by which to determine whether outcomes of restitution claims are just and fair? This article explores the use of morality and offers an argument that it should not be the basis on which entitlement should be determined, primarily due to its amorphous nature and undefined relationship to justice. This is further supported by a claimant narrative suggesting that concepts of reconciliation and procedural fairness are of concern to claimants rather than recognition of moral entitlement. Having regard to these concerns, the article recognizes a need for a new conceptual framework from which to assess the delivery of the just and fair solution and that reflects these concerns.
How Do African States Think about Cultural Property? Re-Visiting Management Elites in Southern Africa
Authors: King Rachel
Published: December 2019

This article addresses a methodological lacuna in studies of African cultural property: states are rarely subjected to the same detailed ethnographic enquiry as communities local to heritage sites. I argue that this is the result of historical circumstances and disciplinary trends treating states as nebulous “up there” entities distinct from the grassroots—and, thus, subject to different modes of enquiry. I demonstrate a corrective approach through a historical ethnographic examination of the government of Lesotho’s archives, examining a period from 1991 to 1993 that saw early efforts to create a national monument at Thaba Bosiu. This detailed view reveals habits of thinking about heritage among bureaucrat-intellectuals, administrators, and international consultants. It offers new insights into how state actors articulated visions for new industries, public participation, and spirituality in public life as well as how to demonstrate incapacity to secure future development funds.
The Invisible Crime: Exploring How Perceptions of Victimhood and the Art Market May Influence Art Fraud Reporting
Authors: Mazurek Sara K.
Published: December 2019

Scholars argue for greater law enforcement resources for art fraud and forgery investigations, yet these victims rarely report their victimization. While fraud victims generally report at lower rates than street crimes, statistics show they do come forward. Using Niels Christie’s ideal victim theory, this article will argue that art fraud victims occupy a lower position in a hierarchy of victims—where some are more worthy of justice, social support, and public sympathy—than those of other kinds of fraud. This may be due to their perceived personal shortcomings and participation in a market that leaves openings for fraud. Public antipathy toward art fraud victims and the silence of the art community may contribute to what many view as insufficient law enforcement resources for investigations because of the collaborative nature of community policing in many Western countries. Increased reporting and communication with law enforcement could address this problematic cycle.
Conflict of Laws and the Return of Indigenous Peoples’ Cultural Property: A Latin American Perspective
Authors: Ochoa Jiménez María Julia
Published: December 2019

In Latin America, conflict-of-law norms have not appropriately considered the cultural diversity that exists in their legal systems. However, developments towards the recognition of Indigenous peoples’ human rights, at the international and national levels, impose the task of considering such diversity. In that regard, within the conflict-of-law realm, interpersonal law offers a useful perspective. This article proposes a conflict-of-law rule that can contribute to clarity and legal certainty, offering a sound way of dealing at the national level with Indigenous peoples’ claims for restitution of property with a cultural value for them, which is framed in international instruments on human rights.
Violence and Monumental Complexes: The Fate of Cambodia’s Buddhist Heritage during the Turbulent Years: 1969—79
Authors: Phillpotts A. C. L.
Published: December 2019

The Khmer Rouge’s impact on Cambodia’s ancient heritage has been understudied. There are, at present, no major resources that explicitly present a centralized compilation of data or information regarding the relationship between the communist regime and the temples of Angkor nor the various damaging effects that a decade of internecine upheavals have had on the monuments. This absence of primary material is surprising considering the extensive archaeological and conservational work that has taken place in Cambodia, and not to mention the international fascination with Angkor. This article aims to take the first steps in redressing this palpable gap in the literature—it is a brief inquiry into the cause and effect of damage, desecration, and destruction committed to the major Angkorian monuments and the treatment of Cambodia’s ancient, tangible heritage by successive political regimes. It also attempts to deal with the inadequate nature of existing documentation that has hindered any analysis of the issues at hand. I restrict my attention to the Buddhist complexes in Cambodia with a focus on four phases of violence: “Operation Menu” or the American bombardment of 1969–70; the Cambodian Civil War, 1970–75; Democratic Kampuchea’s occupancy of power, 1975–79; and the Vietnamese invasion of 1978–79. In regard to what exactly happened to these monumental complexes at the hands of the Khmer Rouge, I have covered structural damage from conventional weaponry; the use, and, in most cases, misuse, of the temples by various political factions (including strategic, practical and quotidian, and propagandistic use); and the effect of conservation interruption and looting. In light of the recent destruction of cultural heritage in the ongoing conflicts in Syria and Iraq and the recent conflict in Mali, these issues remain perpetually relevant in world affairs.
Steroids as a possible effective therapy in the management of large isolated chylopericardium following open heart surgery
Authors: Fakhri Ghina , Abutaqa Mohammed , Abdulhalim Nour , Houssein Haytham Bou , Al Halees Zohair , El-Rassi Issam , Bitar Fadi , Arabi Mariam
Published: December 2019

Background:

Chylopericardium is the collection of lymph fluid inside the pericardial cavity. The incidence of chylopericardium is very low, as this diagnosis is rarely reported following cardiac procedures in children. While some reports were published worldwide on isolated chylopericardium after cardiac surgeries for diverse reasons, it has never been reported after repair for partial anomalous pulmonary venous return. In addition, management of this diagnosis ends up being surgical with minimal concentration on medical treatment which proved unsuccessful. We present a medical approach with corticosteroids as an effective method to treat isolated chylopericardium.

Case presentation:

In this manuscript, we present an approach to treat isolated post-operative chylopericardium in a child following repair of partial anomalous pulmonary venous return. Chylous drainage responded to corticosteroids and completely ceased. There was no need for surgical intervention.

Conclusion:

Until now, isolated chylopericardium has never been reported to occur with partial anomalous pulmonary venous return repair. A review of the literature showed that most patients follow a conservative approach consisting of diuretics and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents with some of them undergoing surgical re-intervention. With future research on the topic still needed, we hope that this will encourage physicians worldwide to consider administering a trial of corticosteroids as an option to treat chylopericardium.
A new race of sunflower broomrape (Orobanche cumana) with a wider host range due to changes in seed response to strigolactones
Authors: Dor Evgenia , Plakhine Dina , Joel Daniel M. , Larose Hailey , Westwood James H. , Smirnov Evgeny , Ziadna Hammam , Hershenhorn Joseph
Published: December 2019

Broomrapes (Orobanche and Phelipanche species, Orobanchaceae) are obligate root parasites of dicotyledonous plants. This taxonomic group includes seven weedy parasites of agricultural crops that damage vegetables, sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.), and legumes. Processing-tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) fields in Israel have been recently found infested with a new broomrape, first identified as nodding broomrape (Orobanche cernua Loefl.) based on its host. However, its morphology resembled the closely related sunflower broomrape (Orobanche cumana Wallr.), an obligate parasite of sunflower. The new race (CUCE) parasitized sunflower, tomato, and tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) in vitro, in a polyethylene bag system and in pots. Its seeds germinated in response to strigolactones (orobanchol, 5-deoxystrigol, 2′-epiorobanchol, and GR24) and dehydrocostus lactone (DCL), whereas O. cumana seeds responded only to DCL and GR24, and O. cernua only to strigolactones. Based on morphological similarities with O. cumana, shared molecular markers with O. cumana, ability to parasitize sunflower and respond to sunflower-germination stimulants, it was concluded that CUCE is a new race of O. cumana, with a host range expanding to Solanaceae crops. While being an important noxious weed of sunflower, this new O. cumana race is currently spreading and posing a threat to processing tomato in Israel. This finding is an alarming indication that broomrapes can shift host range and that similar new races of O. cumana could potentially appear in other countries.
Height Variation of Gaps in 150‐km Echoes and Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model Electron Densities Suggest Link to Upper Hybrid Resonance
Authors: Lehmacher Gerald A. , Wu Haonan , Kudeki Erhan , Reyes Pablo M. , Hysell David L. , Milla Marco
Published: December 2019

Radar echoes from the daytime lower
region near the magnetic equator, so‐called 150‐km echoes, have been puzzling researchers for decades. Neither the mechanisms that generate the enhanced backscatter at very high frequencies (typically 30–50 MHz), the sharp lower cutoff height, the intricate layering with multiple echo layers separated by narrow gaps, nor the modulation of the echoes by short‐period gravity waves is well understood. Here we focus on the diurnal variation of the echo layers—specifically, certain wide gaps in the vertical structure—which apparently descend in the morning, reach their lowest altitude near local noon, and ascend in the afternoon, sometimes described as necklace structure based on the appearance of the layers in range‐time‐intensity diagrams. Analyzing high‐resolution data obtained with the Jicamarca radar between 2005 and 2017, spanning more than one solar cycle, we find that (a) wide gaps and narrow lines occur in vertically stacked, systematically repeating pattern; (b) the gap heights vary with season and solar cycle; and (c) the gap heights can be associated with specific contours of plasma frequencies or electron densities. The last two findings are supported by simultaneous observations of VIPIR ionosonde reflection heights and by comparison of gap heights with electron density contours obtained with the WACCM‐X 2.0 global model. Finally, the wide gaps appear to coincide with the double resonance condition, where the upper hybrid frequency equals integer multiples of the electron gyrofrequency. This may explain why field‐aligned plasma irregularities are suppressed and enhanced radar backscatter is not observed inside the gaps.
Unusual Atmospheric‐River‐Like Structures Coming From Africa Induce Extreme Precipitation Over the Western Mediterranean Sea
Authors: Lorente‐Plazas R. , Montavez J. P. , Ramos A. M. , Jerez S. , Trigo R. M. , Jimenez‐Guerrero P.
Published: December 2019

Long filaments of high integrated water vapor transport (IVT) content, widely known as atmospheric rivers (ARs), play a relevant role in the water cycle being also associated to many extreme flooding events worldwide. In this work we inspect whether similar structures can be found over the western Mediterranean. The methodology used here to detect these AR‐like structures is based on standard ARs detection methods but imposing a strong IVT advection westward component. The ERA5 global reanalysis and Spain02 high‐resolution gridded observational data set are used covering the period 1979–2017 to analyze the composites of mesoscale features and associated impacts on rainfall. Results show that AR‐like structures over the Mediterranean (abbreviated here Med‐ARs) have an approximately once‐per‐year frequency, but they are associated with extreme orographic precipitation contributing to more than 40% to the annual precipitation in some cases. During Med‐AR, IVT increases due to high horizontal winds and water vapor contents. Med‐ARs are associated to a cutoff cyclone with a cold core over northwestern Africa and warmer air mass over northern Europe. The vertical structure of Med‐ARs suggests an occluded front with a low level jet in the warmer front where Med‐ARs reside and moisture penetrating into high atmospheric levels where cold and warm front intersect. In conclusion, long filaments of IVT can be found over the western Mediterranean Sea playing a relevant role on hydrometeorological impacts. Although these structures share some features with ARs over the Pacific/Atlantic Ocean, they may not be considered the same meteorological phenomenon.
Detection of Non‐Gaussian Behavior Using Machine Learning Techniques: A Case Study on the Lorenz 63 Model
Authors: Goodliff Michael , Fletcher Steven , Kliewer Anton , Forsythe John , Jones Andrew
Published: December 2019

An important assumption made in most variational, ensemble, and hybrid‐based data assimilation systems is that all minimized errors are Gaussian random variables. A theory developed at the Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere enables for the Gaussian assumption for the different types of errors to be relaxed to a lognormally distributed random variable. While this is a first step toward using more consistent distributions to model the errors involved in numerical weather/ocean prediction, we still need to be able to identify when we need to assign a lognormal distribution in a mixed Gaussian‐lognormal approach. In this paper, we present some machine learning techniques and experiments with the Lorenz 63 model. Using these machine learning techniques, we show detection of non‐Gaussian distributions can be done using two methods: a support vector machine and a neural network. This is done by training past data to classify (1) differences with the distribution statistics (means and modes) and (2) the skewness of the probability density function.
Differences in Northward Propagation of Convection Over the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal During Boreal Summer
Authors: Karmakar Nirupam , Misra Vasubandhu
Published: December 2019

The governing dynamics that modulate the propagation characteristics of intraseasonal oscillations (ISO) during summer monsoon over the two ocean basins, Bay of Bengal (BoB) and Arabian Sea (AS), are investigated using observational analysis and high‐resolution regional coupled ocean‐atmosphere climate model simulations. ISO features are extracted over the Indian region using a data‐adaptive spectral method called multichannel singular spectrum analysis. ISO exhibits stronger intensity over the BoB than over the AS. But ISO‐filtered rainfall propagates at a faster rate (
1.25°/day) over AS as compared to BoB (
.74°/day), giving rise to a northwest‐southeast tilted band of rainfall anomalies. However, the composite diagrams of several atmospheric fields associated with northward propagation like vorticity, low‐level convergence, and oceanic variables like sea surface temperature and mixed layer depth do not show this difference in propagation speed and all exhibit a speed of nearly 0.75°/day in both the ocean basins. The difference in speed of ISO‐filtered rainfall is explained through moisture flux convergence. Anomalous horizontal moisture advection plays a major role over AS in preconditioning the atmosphere and making it favorable for convection. Anomalous wind acting on climatological moisture gradient is the dominant term in the moisture advection equation. Easterly wind anomalies associated with a low‐level anticyclone over India helps advect moisture from the eastern side of the domain. The northwest‐southeast tilt of ISO is dictated by the atmospheric processes of moisture advection with the upper ocean playing a more passive role in causing the tilt.
The Use of Whole Exome Sequencing in a Cohort of Transgender Individuals to Identify Rare Genetic Variants
Authors: Theisen J. Graham , Sundaram Viji , Filchak Mary S. , Chorich Lynn P. , Sullivan Megan E. , Knight James , Kim Hyung-Goo , Layman Lawrence C.
Published: December 2019

Approximately 0.5–1.4% of natal males and 0.2–0.3% of natal females meet DSM-5 criteria for gender dysphoria, with many of these individuals self-describing as transgender men or women. Despite recent improvements both in social acceptance of transgender individuals as well as access to gender affirming therapy, progress in both areas has been hampered by poor understanding of the etiology of gender dysphoria. Prior studies have suggested a genetic contribution to gender dysphoria, but previously proposed candidate genes have not yet been verified in follow-up investigation. In this study, we expand on the topic of gender identity genomics by identifying rare variants in genes associated with sexually dimorphic brain development and exploring how they could contribute to gender dysphoria. To accomplish this, we performed whole exome sequencing on the genomic DNA of 13 transgender males and 17 transgender females. Whole exome sequencing revealed 120,582 genetic variants. After filtering, 441 variants in 421 genes remained for further consideration, including 21 nonsense, 28 frameshift, 13 splice-region, and 225 missense variants. Of these, 21 variants in 19 genes were found to have associations with previously described estrogen receptor activated pathways of sexually dimorphic brain development. These variants were confirmed by Sanger Sequencing. Our findings suggest a new avenue for investigation of genes involved in estrogen signaling pathways related to sexually dimorphic brain development and their relationship to gender dysphoria.
A study on Chinese ancient jades with mercury alteration unearthed from Lizhou’ao Tomb
Authors: Bao Yi , Xu Changqing , Zhu Qinwen , Li Yuesheng
Published: December 2019

“Alteration” geologically refers to chemical composition and/or structural changes of minerals under the influences of hydrothermal fluids, surface water, seawater, or other environmental conditions. In this paper, we use the word “alteration” to refer to chemical component and structural changes in jade artifacts caused by human activity and natural weathering, which is different from the term in geology. “Mercury alteration”, a kind of black alteration related to Hg, is unique among the several types of alteration that occur in Chinese ancient jades. Mercury alteration often appears on ancient jade artifacts unearthed from high-grade tombs of the pre-Qin period (before 221 B.C.). Therefore, ancient jades with mercury alteration have attracted substantial attention from Chinese archaeologists. This paper reports the use of materials analytic techniques to study such ancient jade fragments. The studied jade samples date to the middle and late periods of the Spring and Autumn Period (~500 B.C.) and were unearthed from Lizhou’ao Tomb in Jiangxi Province, China. Structural analyses revealed the internal microstructure of the ancient jade fragments and the microdistribution of the mercury alteration. The jade fragments exhibit typical characteristics of round holes and structural hierarchy, which imply that the jades were heated before burial. The black alteration on these jade samples was found to be rich in Hg. The results of this study will be widely useful in the study of ancient jade artifacts and jade culture in Chinese archeology.
Acoustic Sensing as a Novel Wearable Approach for Cardiac Monitoring at the Wrist
Authors: Sharma Piyush , Imtiaz Syed Anas , Rodriguez-Villegas Esther
Published: December 2019

This paper introduces the concept of using acoustic sensing over the radial artery to extract cardiac parameters for continuous vital sign monitoring. It proposes a novel measurement principle that allows detection of the heart sounds together with the pulse wave, an attribute not possible with existing photoplethysmography (PPG)-based methods for monitoring at the wrist. The validity of the proposed principle is demonstrated using a new miniature, battery-operated wearable device to sense the acoustic signals and a novel algorithm to extract the heart rate from these signals. The algorithm utilizes the power spectral analysis of the acoustic pulse signal to detect the S1 sounds and additionally, the K-means method to remove motion artifacts for an accurate heartbeat detection. It has been validated on a dataset consisting of 12 subjects with a data length of 6 hours. The results demonstrate an accuracy of 98.78%, mean absolute error of 0.28 bpm, limits of agreement between −1.68 and 1.69 bpm, and a correlation coefficient of 0.998 with reference to a state-of-the-art PPG-based commercial device. The results in this proof of concept study demonstrate the potential of this new sensing modality to be used as an alternative, or to complement existing methods, for continuous monitoring of heart rate at the wrist.
The effect of transcranial focused ultrasound target location on the acoustic feedback control performance during blood-brain barrier opening with nanobubbles
Authors: Cheng Bingbing , Bing Chenchen , Chopra Rajiv
Published: December 2019

Real-time acoustic feedback control based on harmonic emissions of stimulated microbubbles may be important for facilitating the clinical adoption of focused ultrasound (FUS)-induced blood-brain barrier (BBB) opening, both to ensure safe acoustic exposures, and to achieve repeatable and consistent opening. Previously our group demonstrated that successful BBB opening was achievable with both commercially available microbubbles and custom-made nanobubbles under acoustic feedback control. In a recent study, we demonstrated the acoustic control performance was not sensitive to the nanobubble concentration within 109–1011 bubbles/ml. The goal of this study was to examine the effect of the ultrasound target location in the rat brain on the acoustic control quality during BBB opening with nanobubbles. Temporal analysis of the received acoustic signals during each ultrasound pulse indicated that stable nanobubble oscillation was present throughout the entire 10 ms ultrasound exposure. The acoustic feedback control signals were very sensitive to the brain spatial location in rats. There appears to be a shared pattern of acoustic control stability in the brain across different animals, suggesting anatomical features are an underlying cause. The findings emphasize the importance of tuning acoustic feedback control algorithms for specific rodent brain regions of interest to ensure optimal performance.
Changing sex for selfish gain: B chromosomes of Lake Malawi cichlid fish
Authors: Clark Frances E. , Kocher Thomas D.
Published: December 2019

B chromosomes are extra, non-essential chromosomes present in addition to the normal complement of A chromosomes. Many species of cichlid fish in Lake Malawi carry a haploid, female-restricted B chromosome. Here we show that this B chromosome exhibits drive, with an average transmission rate of 70%. The offspring of B-transmitting females exhibit a strongly female-biased sex ratio. Genotyping of these offspring reveals the B chromosome carries a female sex determiner that is epistatically dominant to an XY system on linkage group 7. We suggest that this sex determiner evolved to enhance the meiotic drive of the B chromosome. This is some of the first evidence that female meiotic drive can lead to the invasion of new sex chromosomes solely to benefit the driver, and not to compensate for skewed sex ratios.
Publisher Correction: Deciphering the unique cellulose degradation mechanism of the ruminal bacterium Fibrobacter succinogenes S85
Authors: Raut Mahendra P. , Couto Narciso , Karunakaran Esther , Biggs Catherine A. , Wright Phillip C.
Published: December 2019

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.
Microtiming Deviations and Swing Feel in Jazz
Authors: Datseris George , Ziereis Annika , Albrecht Thorsten , Hagmayer York , Priesemann Viola , Geisel Theo
Published: December 2019

Jazz music that swings has the fascinating power to elicit a pleasant sensation of flow in listeners and the desire to synchronize body movements with the music. Whether microtiming deviations (MTDs), i.e. small timing deviations below the bar or phrase level, enhance the swing feel is highly debated in the current literature. Studies on other groove related genres did not find evidence for a positive impact of MTDs. The present study addresses jazz music and swing in particular, as there is some evidence that microtiming patterns are genre-specific. We recorded twelve piano jazz standards played by a professional pianist and manipulated the natural MTDs of the recordings in systematic ways by quantizing, expanding and inverting them. MTDs were defined with respect to a grid determined by the average swing ratio. The original and manipulated versions were presented in an online survey and evaluated by 160 listeners with various musical skill levels and backgrounds. Across pieces the quantized versions (without MTDs) were rated slightly higher and versions with expanded MTDs were rated lower with regard to swing than the original recordings. Unexpectedly, inversion had no impact on swing ratings except for two pieces. Our results suggest that naturally fluctuating MTDs are not an essential factor for the swing feel.
Tracing the fate of microplastic carbon in the aquatic food web by compound-specific isotope analysis
Authors: Taipale S. J. , Peltomaa E. , Kukkonen J. V. K. , Kainz M. J. , Kautonen P. , Tiirola M.
Published: December 2019

Increasing abundance of microplastics (MP) in marine and freshwaters is currently one of the greatest environmental concerns. Since plastics are fairly resistant to chemical decomposition, breakdown and reutilization of MP carbon complexes requires microbial activity. Currently, only a few microbial isolates have been shown to degrade MPs, and direct measurements of the fate of the MP carbon are still lacking. We used compound-specific isotope analysis to track the fate of fully labelled 13C-polyethylene (PE) MP carbon across the aquatic microbial-animal interface. Isotopic values of respired CO2 and membrane lipids showed that MP carbon was partly mineralized and partly used for cell growth. Microbial mineralization and assimilation of PE-MP carbon was most active when inoculated microbes were obtained from highly humic waters, which contain recalcitrant substrate sources. Mixotrophic algae (Cryptomonas sp.) and herbivorous zooplankton (Daphnia magna) used microbial mediated PE-MP carbon in their cell membrane fatty acids. Moreover, heteronanoflagellates and mixotrophic algae sequestered MP carbon for synthesizing essential ω-6 and ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. Thus, this study demonstrates that aquatic micro-organisms can produce, biochemically upgrade, and trophically transfer nutritionally important biomolecules from PE-MP.
Identification of a proton sensor that regulates conductance and open time of single hERG channels
Authors: Wilson Stacey L. , Dempsey Christopher E. , Hancox Jules C. , Marrion Neil V.
Published: December 2019

The hERG potassium channel influences ventricular action potential duration. Extracellular acidosis occurs in pathological states including cardiac ischaemia. It reduces the amplitude of hERG current and speeds up deactivation, which can alter cardiac excitability. This study aimed to identify the site of action by which extracellular protons regulate the amplitude of macroscopic hERG current. Recordings of macroscopic and single hERG1a and 1b channel activity, mutagenesis, and the recent cryoEM structure for hERG were employed. Single hERG1a and 1b channels displayed open times that decreased with membrane depolarization, suggestive of a blocking mechanism that senses approximately 20% of the membrane electric field. This mechanism was sensitive to pH; extracellular acidosis reduced both hERG1a and1b channel open time and conductance. The effects of acidosis on macroscopic current amplitude and deactivation displayed different sensitivities to protons. Point mutation of a pair of residues (E575/H578) in the pore turret abolished the acidosis-induced decrease of current amplitude, without affecting the change in current deactivation. In single hERG1a channel recordings, the conductance of the double-mutant channel was unaffected by extracellular acidosis. These findings identify residues in the outer turret of the hERG channel that act as a proton sensor to regulate open time and channel conductance.
Care Practices, Morbidity and Mortality of Preterm Neonates in China, 2013–2014: a Retrospective study
Authors: Xu Fengdan , Kong Xiangyong , Duan Shunyan , Lv Hongyan , Ju Rong , Li Zhankui , Zeng Shujuan , Wu Hui , Zhang Xuefeng , Liu Weipeng , Liu Fang , Cheng Hongbin , Ding Yanjie , Chen Tieqiang , Xu Ping , Tong Xiaomei , Feng Zhichun
Published: December 2019

This retrospective cohort study aimed to investigate the prevalence, morbidity, mortality and the maternal/neonatal care of preterm neonates and the perinatal risk factors for mortality. We included data on 13,701 preterm neonates born in 15 hospitals for the period 2013–2014 in China. Results showed a prevalence of preterm neonates of 9.9%. Most infants at 24–27 weeks who survived more than 12 hours were mechanically ventilated (56.1%). Few infants born before 28 weeks received CPAP without first receiving mechanical ventilation (8.1%). Few preterm neonates received antenatal steroid(35.8% at 24–27 weeks, 57.9% at 28–31 weeks, 57.0% at 32–33 weeks and 32.7% at 34–36 weeks). Overall mortality was 1.9%. Most of the deaths at 24–27 weeks of gestation occurred within 12 hours after birth, accounting for 68.1%(32/47), and within 12–72 hours after birth at 28–36 weeks of gestation, accounting for 47.4%(99/209). Rates of survival to discharge increased from 68.2% at 24–27 weeks, 93.3% at 28–31 weeks, 99.2% at 32–33 weeks to 99.4% at 34–36 weeks. The smaller of the GA, there was a greater risk of morbidities due to prematurity. Preterm birth weight (OR = 0.407, 95% CI 0.346–0.478), antenatal steroid (OR = 0.680, 95% CI 0.493–0.938), and neonatal asphyxia (OR = 3.215, 95% CI 2.180–4.741) proved to significantly influence the odds of preterm neonatal death. Overall, our results support that most of the preterm neonates at 28–36 weeks of gestation survived without major morbidity. Rate of survival of GAs less than 28 weeks was still low. Maternal and infant care practices need to be improved in the very preterm births.
Seasonal spreading and transport of buoyant plumes in the shelf off Kochi, South west coast of India- A modeling approach
Authors: Seena G. , Muraleedharan K. R. , Revichandran C. , Abdul Azeez S. , John Sebin
Published: December 2019

We investigated the seasonal spreading and transport of buoyant plume in the shelf off Kochi using Finite Volume Community Ocean Model (FVCOM). The modelled river plume typically consisted of an offshore bulge and a coastal current. The spreading of the bulge extended up to a distance of 19 km from inlet during the summer monsoon to <10 km in the spring inter-monsoon. The Kelvin number varied between 0.1 and 0.9 which revealed that the plume exhibited both the features of small and large scale plumes, resulting in a highly complicated plume pattern. During the southwest monsoon the plume fringe twisted towards the south, while during the northeast monsoon it twisted towards north according to the reversal of monsoonal winds. The fresh water transport with respect to coastal currents varied in accordance with seasonal river discharge such that the value peaked in the wet season and dropped in the dry season. During the non-realistic (no wind) condition the plume initiated barotropic and baroclinic flow, after which it was acted upon by earth’s rotation so that the plume propagated in the direction of Coriolis force (towards north), as geostrophic currents. The model run ‘with wind’ and ‘without wind’ condition revealed that in the shelf off Kochi the plume is transported in accordance with monsoonal winds/currents by nullifying the effect of earth’s rotation. The categorization of plume influenced area and realization of the direction of plume transport can be used for interpreting the dynamically and potentially active zones in the shelf off Kochi.
High-throughput investigation of crystal-to-glass transformation of Ti–Ni–Cu ternary alloy
Authors: Hui Jian , Ma Haiqian , Wu Zheyu , Zhang Zhan , Ren Yang , Zhang Hengrui , Zhang Lanting , Wang Hong
Published: December 2019

A high-throughput investigation of metallic glass formation via solid-state reaction was reported in this paper. Combinatorial multilayered thin-film chips covering the entire Ti–Ni–Cu ternary system were prepared using ion beam sputtering technique. Microbeam synchrotron X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) measurements were conducted, with 1,325 data points collected from each chip, to map out the composition and the phase constitution before and after annealing at 373 K for 110 hours. The composition dependence of the crystal-to-glass transition by solid-state reaction was surveyed using this approach. The resulting composition–phase map is consistent with previously reported results. Time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectroscopy (ToF-SIMS) was performed on the representative compositions to determine the inter-diffusion between layers, the result shows that the diffusion of Ti is the key factor for the crystal-to-glass transition. In addition, both layer thickness and layer sequence play important roles as well. This work demonstrates that combinatorial chip technique is an efficient way for systematic and rapid study of crystal-to-glass transition for multi-component alloy systems.
Transport of impact ejecta from Mars to its moons as a means to reveal Martian history
Authors: Hyodo Ryuki , Kurosawa Kosuke , Genda Hidenori , Usui Tomohiro , Fujita Kazuhisa
Published: December 2019

Throughout the history of the solar system, Mars has experienced continuous asteroidal impacts. These impacts have produced impact-generated Mars ejecta, and a fraction of this debris is delivered to Earth as Martian meteorites. Another fraction of the ejecta is delivered to the moons of Mars, Phobos and Deimos. Here, we studied the amount and condition of recent delivery of impact ejecta from Mars to its moons. Using state-of-the-art numerical approaches, we report, for the first time, that materials delivered from Mars to its moons are physically and chemically different from the Martian meteorites, which are all igneous rocks with a limited range of ages. We show that Mars ejecta mixed in the regolith of its moons potentially covers all its geological eras and consists of all types of rocks, from sedimentary to igneous. A Martian moons sample-return mission will bring such materials back to Earth, and the samples will provide a wealth of “time-resolved” geochemical information about the evolution of Martian surface environments.