bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Bayesian Hierarchical Modelling of Growth Curve Derivatives via Sequences of Quotient Differences
Authors: Page Garritt L. , Rodríguez-Álvarez María Xosé , Lee Dae-Jin
Published: February 2020

Growth curve studies are typically conducted to evaluate differences between group or treatment-specific curves. Most analyses focus solely on the growth curves, but it has been argued that the derivative of growth curves can highlight differences between groups that may be masked when considering the raw curves only. Motivated by the desire to estimate derivative curves hierarchically, we introduce a new sequence of quotient differences (empirical derivatives) which, among other things, are well behaved near the boundaries compared with other sequences in the literature. Using the sequence of quotient differences, we develop a Bayesian method to estimate curve derivatives in a multilevel setting (a common scenario in growth studies) and show how the method can be used to estimate individual and group derivative curves and to make comparisons. We apply the new methodology to data collected from a study conducted to explore the effect that radiation-based therapies have on growth in female children diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.
Geobiological model of ripple genesis and preservation in a heterolithic sedimentary sequence for a supratidal area
Authors: Cuadrado Diana G.
Published: February 2020

This study documents the processes involved in forming flaser and wavy bedding governed by microbial activity in sediments. It focuses on a modern marginal‐tidal system providing evidence of the role that biofilms play in the stabilization of ripples and their potential preservation. A combination of detailed field work, analysis of water level records and microscopic petrographic inspection were used to reply to the question: how fine‐grained and coarse‐grained sediments can sequentially be deposited and preserved in a coastal environment. The hydraulic energy was measured by water level sensors recording flooding events that inundate the colonized tidal flat. Changing surface morphologies were monitored after storms, revealing the importance of biological processes in the preservation of ripples. A mud drape over ripples was observed several days after the undulated surface formation, known as a sinoidal sedimentary structure, which is a thin biofilm covering the ripples, caused by the presence of a microbial mat. Because bedforms are essential predictors of palaeoenvironmental reconstruction, interpretation in the geological record should take into consideration the important effect that colonized sediments have on the preservation of ripples. A geobiological model explains the flaser sedimentation, common in depositional coastal environments, suggesting that the hydrodynamic conditions may not be directly reflected by the grain size at the time of deposition. The study reveals that flaser sedimentation involves an interaction with benthic organisms, reflected by the sequence of microbial mats with sand ripple marks. A detailed description of heterolithic sequences shows that the presence of microbial activity can drive ripple preservation. This suggests that hydraulic interpretation of the sedimentary record based only on physical processes might be erroneous.
Internal Battles: Examining How Anger/Hostility Moderate the Association Between Negative Urgency and Suicidal Desire Variables in Military and Civilian Samples
Authors: Martin Rachel L. , Bauer Brian W. , Smith Nicole S. , Daruwala Samantha E. , Green Bradley A. , Anestis Michael D. , Capron Daniel W.
Published: February 2020

Objective

Suicide is consistently within the top ten leading causes of death in the United States. The suicide rate of National Guard personnel is elevated relative to the general population; however, research suggests that many of the suicide risk factors for military personnel are similar to the suicide risk factors for civilians. We examined whether negative urgency moderated the relationships between anger/hostility and perceived burdensomeness/thwarted belongingness in both a military and civilian samples.

Method

There were two samples in the current study: (1) military personnel (majority national guard) and (2) community members oversampled for suicide attempt history.

Results

Our hypotheses were partially supported with the interaction of hostility and negative urgency predicting perceived burdensomeness in the military sample. Within civilians, anger interacted with negative urgency to predict perceived burdensomeness. There were nonsignificant findings for analyses predicting thwarted belongingness. Exploratory analyses indicated that in both samples, anger and hostility interacted with negative urgency to predict suicidal ideation.

Conclusions

Results suggest that aggressive attributes may contribute to individuals feeling as though they are a burden on others when moderate to high levels of negative urgency are present. Additionally, this study provides foundational support for the differences between suicidal desire and ideation.
Unemployment services for newly arrived migrants in Sweden: The privatization and rebureaucratization of the introduction programme
Authors: Ennerberg Elin
Published: February 2020

A recent policy reform in Sweden reorganized the management of newly arrived migrants' entrance into the labour market, which resulted in the Swedish Public Employment Service being given coordinating responsibility and introducing private service providers. Building on qualitative interviews with public employment officers and private actors, this study focuses on how the political contradictions in the new 2‐year introduction programme are managed at the organizational level. In the article, it is argued that although both public employment officers and private actors experience difficulty separating unemployed migrants' need for social support from the workfare ambitions of the programme, aspects of privatization—such as freedom of choice and the service specification—further complicate this situation. Thus, the individualization aspects of the policy should be viewed as countering some of the more controlling aspects of the reform, thus, in effect, neutralizing its liberalizing tendencies.
Radical alternative conceptualizations of the classical welfare state? Contrasting the United Kingdom and the Netherlands with Norway
Authors: van Kersbergen Kees , Metliaas Kjersti
Published: February 2020

In many countries, new, broad, and normative “conceptions of society” gained prominence that represent fundamentally different discursive alternatives to the classical welfare state. We present two political projects that contain radical alternative conceptualizations of the classical welfare state, the “Big Society” in Britain and the “Participation Society” in the Netherlands, and contrast these with Norwegian developments, where no such a radical alternative conceptualization of the welfare state can be found. We show that the British and Dutch political projects were attempts to replace the welfare state, whereas there is no comparable big idea about a radical overhaul of the welfare state in Norway. Our analysis contributes to a better understanding of a fundamental shift in welfare state reform, namely a radical reconsidering of the ideational and normative foundation that defines and underpins what the welfare state is or should be.
Characterization of the novel HLA‐B*44:192:04 allele by sequencing‐based typing
Authors: Cargou Marine , Elsermans Vincent , Top Isabelle , Ralazamahaleo Mamy , Visentin Jonathan
Published: February 2020

HLA‐B*44:192:04 differs from HLA‐B*44:03:14 by one nucleotide substitution in codon 131 in exon 3.
Characterization of the novel KIR3DL2 allele, KIR3DL2*113
Authors: Chen Chen , Wang Jielin , Xu Gang , He Ji , Zhu Faming
Published: February 2020

The new allele KIR3DL2*113 showed one nucleotide difference with KIR3DL2*0020101 at codon 345.
Characterization of the novel HLA‐C*04:408 allele by sequencing‐based typing
Authors: Cargou Marine , Elsermans Vincent , Top Isabelle , Ralazamahaleo Mamy , Visentin Jonathan
Published: February 2020

HLA‐C*04:408 differs from HLA‐C*04:01:01:01 by one nucleotide substitution in codon 93 in exon 3.
HLA‐B*38:165N and HLA‐B*51:309 alleles identified in two Chinese cervical intraepithelial neoplasia patients
Authors: Li Chuanyin , Wang Yanpeng , Shi Li , Yao Yufeng , Yan Zhiling
Published: February 2020

The new HLA‐B*38:165N and HLA‐B*51:309 alleles in two Chinese cervical intraepithelial neoplasia patients.
The novel HLA‐A*02:916 allele identified in a Brazilian candidate donor for bone marrow donation
Authors: Vianna Romulo , Secco Danielle , Santos Angela , Porto Luís Cristóvão
Published: February 2020

Identification of the novel HLA‐A*02:916 allele that differs from HLA‐A*02:01:01:01 in exon 5.
Characterization of the novel HLA‐DPA1*01:03:19 allele by sequencing‐based typing
Authors: Cargou Marine , Andreani Marco , Locatelli Franco , Blouin Laura , Visentin Jonathan
Published: February 2020

HLA‐DPA1*01:03:19 differs from DPA1*01:03:01:02 by one nucleotide substitution in codon 190 in exon 4.
SUBERMAN regulates developmental suberization of the Arabidopsis root endodermis
Authors: Cohen Hagai , Fedyuk Vadim , Wang Chunhua , Wu Shuang , Aharoni Asaph
Published: February 2020

Root endodermis, the innermost cortical layer surrounding the root vasculature, serves as the foremost barrier to water, solutes, and nutrients taken up from soil. Endodermis barrier functionality is achieved via its hydrophobic coating of lignified Casparian strips and the suberin lamellae; nonetheless the regulatory mechanisms underlying endodermis suberization are still elusive. Here, we discovered that the Arabidopsis SUBERMAN (SUB) transcription factor controls the establishment of the root suberin lamellae. Transient expression of SUB in Nicotiana benthamiana leaves resulted in the induction of heterologous suberin genes, the accumulation of suberin‐type monomers, and consequent deposition of suberin‐like lamellae. We demonstrate that SUB exerts its regulatory roles by transactivating promoters of suberin genes. In Arabidopsis, SUB is expressed in patchy and continuous suberization root endodermal cells, and thus roots with higher or lower expression of SUB display altered suberin polymer deposition patterns and modified composition. While these changes did not interfere with Casparian strip formation they had a substantial effect on root uptake capacity, resulting in varied root and leaf ionomic phenotypes. Gene expression profiling revealed that SUB function impacts transcriptional networks associated with suberin, phenylpropanoids, lignin, and cuticular lipid biosynthesis, as well as root transport activities, hormone signalling, and cell wall modification. Our findings highlight SUB as a regulator of root endodermis suberization during normal development, and its characterization is thus a key step towards dissecting the molecular mechanisms partaking in root endodermal barrier functionalities.
Detection of hepatitis B virus infection in German blood donors 2008–2015
Authors: Scheiblauer Heinrich , Heiden Margarethe , Funk Markus , Oberle Doris , Kreß Julia , Jork Christine , Chudy Michael
Published: February 2020

Background and objectives

Assessment of HBV‐NAT testing compared to HBsAg and anti‐HBc screening in German blood establishments for the period 2008–2015.

Materials and methods

Blood donations screened for HBsAg and anti‐HBc along with HBV‐NAT were evaluated. Sensitivity of HBsAg and HBV‐NAT tests was compared in 30 HBV seroconversion panels and with the viral load of the NAT‐only cases. Residual risk for HBV in the WP was modelled.

Results

A total of 45 270 111 donations were evaluated. There were 29 NAT‐only cases in the HBsAg‐negative HBV‐WP, one by ID‐NAT and 28 by MP‐NAT. MP‐NAT, on average, showed higher sensitivity than HBsAg testing: MP‐NAT‐LoD of 146 IU/ml vs. 362 IU/ml HBV DNA for positive HBsAg detection (range 135–1502 IU/ml), resulting in 3·1 days (range 2·0–4·8 days) earlier HBV detection. Viral loads of the NAT‐only cases confirmed the sensitivity of the HBV tests in the seroconversion study. One HBsAg‐negative case was due to a new HBsAg mutant combination. There was one HBsAg‐reactive only case. In addition, HBV incidence in the HBV‐WP included 41 HBsAg‐/HBV‐NAT‐positives and three HBV transmission cases. The residual risk for HBsAg was estimated to be 1:1 619 419–1 268 474 compared to 1:2 793 365–2 134 702 for MP‐NAT. Within chronic HBV (HBsAg‐/anti‐HBc‐positive and MP‐NAT‐negative) 70% were ID‐NAT positive at low viral load (median 20 IU/ml). Among anti‐HBc‐only, supplementary ID‐NAT detected 23 occult HBV infections.

Conclusions

In the HBV‐WP, MP‐NAT provided a higher sensitivity than HBsAg testing, obtained a considerably higher yield and reduced the risk for HBV transmission. In later HBV stages, anti‐HBc screening and HBV‐ID‐NAT intercepted potentially infectious donations.
Ordinary primes in Hilbert modular varieties
Authors: Suh Junecue
Published: February 2020

A well-known conjecture, often attributed to Serre, asserts that any motive over any number field has infinitely many ordinary reductions (in the sense that the Newton polygon coincides with the Hodge polygon). In the case of Hilbert modular cuspforms $f$ of parallel weight $(2,\ldots ,2)$, we show how to produce more ordinary primes by using the Sato–Tate equidistribution and combining it with the Galois theory of the Hecke field. Under the assumption of stronger forms of Sato–Tate equidistribution, we get stronger (but conditional) results. In the case of higher weights, we formulate the ordinariness conjecture for submotives of the intersection cohomology of proper algebraic varieties with motivic coefficients, and verify it for the motives whose $\ell$-adic Galois realisations are abelian on a finite-index subgroup. We get some results for Hilbert cuspforms of weight $(3,\ldots ,3)$, weaker than those for $(2,\ldots ,2)$.
Impacts of simulated infaunal activities on acoustic wave propagation in marine sediments
Authors: Dorgan Kelly M. , Ballentine Will , Lockridge Grant , Kiskaddon Erin , Ballard Megan S. , Lee Kevin M. , Wilson Preston S.
Published: February 2020

The activities of infaunal organisms, including feeding, locomotion, and home building, alter sediment physical properties including grain size and sorting, porosity, bulk density, permeability, packing, tortuosity, and consolidation behavior. These activities are also known to affect the acoustic properties of marine sediments, although previous studies have demonstrated complicated relationships between infaunal activities and geoacoustic properties. To avoid difficulties associated with real animals, whose exact locations and activities are unknown, this work uses artificial burrows and simulates infaunal activities such as irrigation, compaction, and tube building in controlled laboratory experiments. The results show statistically significant changes in sound speed and attenuation over a frequency range of 100–400 kHz, corresponding to wavelengths on the order of the burrow diameter. The greatest effects were observed for tubes constructed of hard shells which increased the attenuation by ∼30 dB m−1 across the measurement band. These results highlight the importance of biogenic hard structures such as tubes on sound attenuation and suggest that organisms that create hard structures may be good targets for acoustic mapping of infaunal abundance and distribution.
Transition bandwidths for stimuli with sparse spectral densities (L)
Authors: Turner Matthew D. , Berg Bruce G.
Published: February 2020

Transition bandwidths, observed as peaks in threshold functions in band-widening discrimination experiments, exhibit a number of notable features, such as a tenfold range of individual differences. The transition from a discrimination process based on temporal features to a process akin to profile analysis occurs automatically when the stimulus becomes wide enough to support across channel comparisons. A challenging finding is that transition bandwidths are unaffected by spectral density, tolerating frequency differences between spectral components as great as 400 Hz. Theoretical considerations based on this fact favor distinguishing between spectral and temporal processes as early as the initial stage of peripheral filtering.
Green's function approach for the transmission loss of concentrically multi-layered circular dissipative chamber
Authors: Veerababu D. , Venkatesham B.
Published: February 2020

An analytical method has been proposed by using Green's function analysis to find the transmission loss (TL) of a concentrically multi-layered circular dissipative chamber. Each layer of the chamber is filled with a porous acoustic absorptive material and is separated from the adjacent one by a thin perforated screen. A tailored Green's function for this configuration, in the absence of mean flow, is expressed as the summation of eigenfunctions of the central duct. In the analysis, the walls of the chamber are assumed to be acoustically rigid. The cumulative effect of the layers has been incorporated in terms of the reflection coefficient in the eigenfunctions of the central duct. By using the piston analogy approach at the inlet and outlet ports of the chamber, the total velocity potential generated inside the central duct is estimated. Thence, the transfer matrix is evaluated to predict the TL. The results obtained from the current method are in good agreement with the numerical models and available literature. A parametric study has been conducted to investigate the effect of the number of layers, and their arrangement with respect to thickness and flow resistivity, on the acoustic performance of the chamber.
Kansas Athletics: Fumbling on Football
Authors: Terry Ryan P.
Published: February 2020

This case focuses on the University of Kansas football program’s fall from relevance over a nine-year period and the personnel decisions that were made as it happened. The case provides a background on the competitive landscape of intercollegiate athletics, including the importance of conference affiliation, the associated revenues that stem from such affiliations, and the potential threat of conference realignment to demonstrate the importance of a competitive football program. The case then walks the reader through football-related personnel decisions, providing detailed backgrounds of the coaches to identify job-market signals and assess their fit with the job and organization. Details of raises and contract extensions made by the outgoing chancellor and incumbent athletic director are also provided to examine performance standards within Kansas Athletics. As a change in university leadership takes place, the reader is asked to consider what actions, if any, the incoming chancellor should take to turn around a struggling football program and ensure a viable athletic department.
Process Theories of Motivation Inside Tour Operations Staff
Authors: Todd Samuel Y. , Jones Charles W. , Ross Walker
Published: February 2020

This case provides a platform for instructors to engage in meaningful dialog with students on the topic of work motivation. Using Vroom’s Expectancy and Adam’s Equity Theory, readers encounter the dynamic relationships of four employees in a Professional Bowlers Association tour setting and examine how individual motivation can be a process that is informed by perceptions employees have. In particular, two characters, Shelley and Andy, begin to slowly experience an erosion of workplace morale and motivation as a function of the deteriorating relationships detailed in the case. Students then use theory to suggest a response that would be appropriate for the supervisor.
Effectiveness of an Unexpected Disturbance Program in the Early Stage of Rehabilitation in Athletes With Unilateral Knee Ligament Injury
Authors: Teichmann Joerg , Tan Rachel , Hébert-Losier Kim , Kian Yeo Wee , Jalal Din Shabana , Subramaniam Ananthi , Schmidtbleicher Dietmar , Beaven C. Martyn
Published: February 2020

Context: Sensorimotor, proprioceptive, and neuromuscular programs are critical for the successful rehabilitation of injured athletes, and these decrease reinjury rates. Objective: To investigate the effects of an unexpected disturbance program (UDP) on balance and unilateral strength metrics in athletes with unilateral knee ligament injury. Design: A 3-week parallel-group experimental design consisting of 9 rehabilitation sessions. Setting: National Sports Institute. Participants: Twenty-one national-level athletes (age 21.4 [4.4] y, body mass 63.9 [10.8] kg, height 169.0 [10.2] cm) who had sustained a unilateral knee ligament injury. Intervention: An UDP program designed to evoke rapid sensorimotor responses was compared with traditional training and a nonexercise control group. Main Outcome Measures: Unilateral total, anteroposterior, and mediolateral sway with eyes open and closed and unilateral isometric strength. Results: Traditional exercises tended to outperform the UDP when unilateral balance testing was performed with eyes open; however, balance improvement following UDP tended to be greater in the eyes-closed condition. Significant strength gains in both the injured and uninjured legs were only observed following the UDP. This increase in unilateral isometric strength was 23.4 and 35.1 kg greater than the strength improvements seen in the traditional rehabilitation and control groups (P < .05). Conclusions: UDP could improve neural aspects of rehabilitation to improve rehabilitation outcomes by improving strength, sensorimotor function, and proprioception. Given the complementary adaptations, an UDP could provide an effective adjunct to traditional rehabilitation protocols and improve return-to-play outcomes.
Intrarater and Interrater Reliability of a Passive Shoulder Flexion Range of Motion Measurement for Latissimus Dorsi Flexibility in Young Competitive Swimmers
Authors: Feijen Stef , Tate Angela , Kuppens Kevin , Struyf Thomas , Claes Anke , Struyf Filip
Published: February 2020

Context: The latissimus dorsi plays a major role in generating the propulsive force during swimming. In addition, stiffness of this muscle may result in altered stroke biomechanics and predispose swimmers to shoulder pain. Measuring the flexibility of the latissimus dorsi can be of interest to reduce injury. However, the reliability of such measurement has not yet been investigated in competitive swimmers. Objective: To assess the within-session intrarater and interrater reliability of a passive shoulder flexion range of motion measurement for latissimus dorsi flexibility in competitive swimmers. Design: Within-session intrarater and interrater reliability. Setting: Competitive swimming clubs in Flanders, Belgium. Participants: Twenty-six competitive swimmers (15.46 [2.98] y; 16 men and 10 women). Intervention: Each rater performed 2 alternating (eg, left-right-left-right) measurements of passive shoulder flexion range of motion twice, with a 30-second rest period in between. Main Outcome Measures: The intraclass correlation coefficients were calculated to assess intrarater and interrater reliability. Results: Interrater intraclass correlation coefficient ranged from .54 (95% confidence interval [CI], −.16 to .81) to .57 (95% CI, −.24 to .85). Results for the intrarater reliability ranged from .91 (95% CI, .81 to .96) to .94 (95% CI, .87 to .97). Conclusion: Results of this study suggest that shoulder flexion range of motion in young competitive swimmers can be measured reliably by a single rater within the same session.
The Uses of Running: Urban Homelessness, Creative Initiatives, and “Recovery” in the Neoliberal City
Authors: Clift Bryan C.
Published: February 2020

Across North American cities, emerging forms of urban governance from the 1970s produced forms of racialized, visualized, and spatialized urban poverty. Attempts to revitalize, recast, and spectacularize the urban environment left cities with vexing questions about what should be done with homeless people and also what homeless people should be doing. Amidst the rolling back of State social welfare policies and provision (Peck & Tickell, 2002), creative, informal, communal, or non-governmental initiatives have emerged in response to urban poverty and homelessness. One such organization is Back on My Feet, a national, not-for-profit organization that partners with homeless and addiction recovery facilities, which strives to utilize running as a means of empowerment. This ethnographic inquiry speaks to the ways in which the social practice of running amongst those housed in a temporary recovery facility is imbricated with their lifestyles and identities, an urban context, and homeless discourses and stigmas. It is illustrative of how the rhetoric of “recovery” yokes together the entrepreneurial ethos of neoliberalism with the management of homeless people.
Sight and switch off: Nerve density visualization for interventions targeting nerves in prostate cancer
Authors: You Huijuan , Shang Wenting , Min Xiangde , Weinreb Jeffrey , Li Qiubai , Leapman Michael , Wang Liang , Tian Jie
Published: February 2020

Targeting nanoparticles (PSN NPs) can achieve nerve density visualization and inhibit progression of prostate cancer.
Flavivirus induces and antagonizes antiviral RNA interference in both mammals and mosquitoes
Authors: Qiu Yang , Xu Yan-Peng , Wang Miao , Miao Meng , Zhou Hui , Xu Jiuyue , Kong Jing , Zheng Da , Li Rui-Ting , Zhang Rong-Rong , Guo Yan , Li Xiao-Feng , Cui Jie , Qin Cheng-Feng , Zhou Xi
Published: February 2020

Flaviviruses such as dengue use the same strategy to evade RNAi-based intrinsic antiviral defenses in both mammals and mosquitoes.
Coupling Cas9 to artificial inhibitory domains enhances CRISPR-Cas9 target specificity
Authors: Aschenbrenner Sabine , Kallenberger Stefan M. , Hoffmann Mareike D. , Huck Adrian , Eils Roland , Niopek Dominik
Published: February 2020

Fusing attenuated anti-CRISPR proteins to Cas9 improves specificity via kinetic insulation of ON- and OFF-target editing events.
Kinematic flexibility allows bumblebees to increase energetic efficiency when carrying heavy loads
Authors: Combes Stacey A. , Gagliardi Susan F. , Switzer Callin M. , Dillon Michael E.
Published: February 2020

Flight costs are linked to how quickly bumblebees flap their wings; bees can choose to fly more efficiently when heavily loaded.
The structure of Photosystem I acclimated to far-red light illuminates an ecologically important acclimation process in photosynthesis
Authors: Gisriel Christopher , Shen Gaozhong , Kurashov Vasily , Ho Ming-Yang , Zhang Shangji , Williams Dewight , Golbeck John H. , Fromme Petra , Bryant Donald A.
Published: February 2020

The Photosystem I structure from far-red light cells illuminates an ecologically important acclimation process in photosynthesis.
Undressing drug reactions, one cell at a time
Authors: Kulkarni Rajan P.
Published: February 2020

Single-cell transcriptomic analysis allowed successful treatment of a patient with refractory severe drug-induced hypersensitivity syndrome.
Let’s switch on AAV!
Authors: Ronzitti Giuseppe
Published: February 2020

RNA switches expand the reach of AAV vectors.
Single-Cell Analysis Reveals that the Enterococcal Sex Pheromone Response Results in Expression of Full-Length Conjugation Operon Transcripts in All Induced Cells
Authors: Erickson Rebecca J. B. , Bandyopadhyay Arpan A. , Barnes Aaron M. T. , O’Brien Sofie A. , Hu Wei-Shou , Dunny Gary M.
Published: February 2020

In
Enterococcus faecalis
, conjugative plasmids like pCF10 often carry antibiotic resistance genes. With antibiotic treatment, bacteria benefit from plasmid carriage; however, without antibiotic treatment, plasmid gene expression may have a fitness cost. Transfer of pCF10 is mediated by cell-to-cell signaling, which activates the expression of conjugation genes and leads to efficient plasmid transfer. Yet, not all donor cells in induced populations transfer the plasmid. We examined whether induced cells might not be able to functionally conjugate due to premature induced transcript termination. Single-cell analysis showed that most induced cells do, in fact, express all of the genes required for conjugation, suggesting that premature transcription termination within the
prgQ
operon does not account for failure of induced donor cell gene transfer.
Integrated geophysical characterization of crustal domains in the eastern Black Sea
Authors: Monteleone Vanessa , Minshull Tim A. , Marin-Moreno Hector
Published: February 2020

Rifting may lead ultimately to continental breakup, but the identification and characterization of the resulting crustal distribution remains challenging. Also, spatial and temporal changes in breakup magmatism may affect the geophysical character of the newly formed oceanic crust, resulting in contrasting interpretations of crustal composition and distribution. In the Eastern Black Sea Basin (EBSB), the evolution from rifting to breakup has been long debated, with several interpretations for the distribution of stretched continental and oceanic crust. We interpret basement morphological variations from long-offset seismic reflection profiles, highlighting a northwest-to-southeast transition from faulted and tilted continental blocks to a rough and then smoother basement. We model magnetic anomalies to further constrain the various basement domains, and infer the presence of a weakly magnetized, stretched continental crust in the northwest, and a 0.4–3.8 A/m layer coinciding with the smooth basement in the central and southeastern area. We conclude that the EBSB oceanic crust extends farther to the northwest than was suggested previously from an abrupt change in crustal thickness and lower-crustal velocity. The apparent discrepancy between these different types of geophysical evidence may result from changes in magma supply during breakup, affecting the thickness and velocity structure of the resulting oceanic crust.
Northward migration of the Oregon forearc on the Gales Creek fault
Authors: Wells Ray E. , Blakely Richard J. , Bemis Sean
Published: February 2020

The Gales Creek fault (GCF) is a 60-km-long, northwest-striking dextral fault system (west of Portland, Oregon) that accommodates northward motion and uplift of the Oregon Coast Range. New geologic mapping and geophysical models confirm inferred offsets from earlier geophysical surveys and document ∼12 km of right-lateral offset of a basement high in Eocene Siletz River Volcanics since ca. 35 Ma and ∼8.8 km of right-lateral separation of Miocene Columbia River Basalt at Newberg, Oregon, since 15 Ma (∼0.62 ± 0.12 mm/yr, average long-term rate). Relative uplift of Eocene Coast Range basalt basement west of the fault zone is at least 5 km based on depth to basement under the Tualatin Basin from a recent inversion of gravity data. West of the city of Forest Grove, the fault consists of two subparallel strands ∼7 km apart. The westernmost, Parsons Creek strand, forms a linear valley southward to Henry Hagg Lake, where it continues southward to Newberg as a series of en echelon strands forming both extensional and compressive step-overs. Compressive step-overs in the GCF occur at intersections with ESE-striking sinistral faults crossing the Coast Range, suggesting the GCF is the eastern boundary of an R′ Riedel shear domain that could accommodate up to half of the ∼45° of post–40 Ma clockwise rotation of the Coast Range documented by paleomagnetic studies. Gravity and magnetic anomalies suggest the western strands of the GCF extend southward beneath Newberg into the Northern Willamette Valley, where colinear magnetic anomalies have been correlated with the Mount Angel fault, the proposed source of the 1993 M 5.7 Scotts Mills earthquake. The potential-field data and water-well data also indicate the eastern, Gales Creek strand of the fault may link to the NNW-striking Canby fault through the E-W Beaverton fault to form a 30-km-wide compressive step-over along the south side of the Tualatin Basin. LiDAR data reveal right-lateral stream offsets of as much as 1.5 km, shutter ridges, and other youthful geomorphic features for 60 km along the geophysical and geologic trace of the GCF north of Newberg, Oregon. Paleoseismic trenches document Eocene bedrock thrust over 250 ka surficial deposits along a reverse splay of the fault system near Yamhill, Oregon, and Holocene motion has been recently documented on the GCF along Scoggins Creek and Parsons Creek. The GCF could produce earthquakes in excess of Mw 7, if the entire 60 km segment ruptured in one earthquake. The apparent subsurface links of the GCF to other faults in the Northern Willamette Valley suggest that other faults in the system may also be active.
The transition from planar to en echelon morphology in a single vein in shale: Insights from X-ray computed tomography scanning
Authors: Andrews Graham D.M. , Brown Sarah R. , Moore Johnathan , Crandall Dustin , Mackey Paige
Published: February 2020

En echelon fractures and veins are among the most common and distinctive geological structures, yet their three-dimensional forms and relationships to surrounding structures are commonly unclear. X-ray computed tomography (CT) offers an unrivaled ability to examine structures within rocks in three dimensions, and it is applied here to a sample of drill core from the Marcellus Shale of southwestern Pennsylvania (USA). CT images yield qualitative and quantitative data on the transition from a pyrite-rich planar vein to an en echelon veinlet array, and on the heterogeneity of veinlets within the array. Using a combination of three- and two-dimensional images, geometric data, and traditional petrography, we identify a range of veinlet shapes consistent with deformation during formation of an antitaxial graphite-calcite-pyrite vein system. Each of the veinlets is rooted in the underlying planar vein where it is narrowest. The transition from planar vein to en echelon array coincides with a change in bedding, suggesting that competency contrasts between adjacent beds controlled the fracture morphology. Veinlets initiated as short, lenticular fractures at ∼45° to the planar vein before lengthening, dilating, and rotating. None of the veinlets are strongly sigmoidal, nor is there measurable offset across the margins of the planar vein; therefore, finite non-shear strain was very limited, and fluid overpressure–induced fracturing during burial and diagenesis is probably the most likely process for fracturing and vein formation.
Paratesticular colon cancer metastasis in an area of remote trauma
Authors: Wald Moshe
Published: February 2020

A 53-year-old man with a history of colon adenocarcinoma and remote scrotal trauma resulting in a palpable nodule. Gradual increase in the size of this lesion over the year prior to his presentation to our clinic prompted scrotal ultrasound that demonstrated a 1.1 cm solid lesion, which appeared to arise from the right epididymal tail. Subsequent positron emission tomography (PET) scan showed intense focal uptake at the base of the right testicle, suspicious for epididymitis versus underlying neoplasm. Scrotal exploration through an inguinal approach revealed a paratesticular mass. Frozen section from an excisional biopsy was positive for adenocarcinoma. Radical orchiectomy was completed. Final pathology returned as metastatic adenocarcinoma involving soft tissue; testis and spermatic cord were without diagnostic abnormalities and surgical margins were not involved. Subsequent analysis was consistent with colorectal origin. The patient recovered well from surgery and is continuing treatment of metastatic colon cancer per the medical oncology team.
Multifocal circumscribed choroidal hemangioma: a rare occurrence
Authors: Vempuluru Vijitha S , Kaliki Swathi
Published: February 2020

A 32-year-old Asian-Indian woman presented with painless diminution of vision in her left eye (oculus sinister (OS)) and fundus examination OS revealed a large dome-shaped orangish-red subretinal lesion at the macula along with a smaller lesion on the superotemporal arcade. Indocyanine green angiography and optical coherence tomography features confirmed the diagnosis of multifocal circumscribed choroidal hemangioma (CCH). There was no evidence of Sturge-Weber syndrome. CCH is usually solitary with only one reported case of multifocal CCH in the literature.
Comparison of various surgical techniques for optic disc pit maculopathy: vitrectomy with internal limiting membrane (ILM) peeling alone versus inverted ILM flap ‘plug’ versus autologous scleral ‘plug’
Authors: Babu Naresh , Kohli Piyush , Ramasamy Kim
Published: February 2020

Aim

To compare the anatomical and visual outcomes of vitrectomy with internal limiting membrane (ILM) peeling alone versus inverted ILM flap to plug the pit versus autologous scleral plug for the treatment of optic disc pit maculopathy (ODP-M).

Methods

This retrospective study included 23 patients (23 eyes) who underwent 25G pars plana vitrectomy, ILM peeling and gas tamponade. While the pit was not plugged in group 1 (n=8), inverted ILM flap and autologous scleral flap were used to plug the pit in group 2 (n=7) and group 3 (n=8), respectively. Complete anatomical success was defined as total resolution of subretinal fluid (SRF) and macular schisis on optical coherence tomography while visual success was defined as a gain of at least 2 Snellen lines 1 year after surgery.

Results

Baseline characteristics were similar in all three groups. Mean central foveal thickness and SRF decreased in all three groups (p<0.05). Complete anatomical success was achieved in 25.0%, 85.7% and 87.5% eyes while visual success was achieved in 12.5%, 28.6% and 12.5% eyes in groups 1, 2 and 3, respectively. One eye (4.3%) in group 2 developed full-thickness macular hole at 1 month post-surgery. After complete resolution, there was no recurrence of fluid.

Conclusion

OPD-M has a better surgical outcome if the pit is plugged. Both inverted ILM flap and autologous scleral plug are equally efficacious adjuncts to plug the pit.
Instability of flood embankments due to pore-water pressure build-up at the toe: lesson learned from the Adige River case study
Authors: Amabile Alessia , Pozzato Annarita , Tarantino Alessandro
Published: February 2020

A case study is presented of the Adige River embankment, a segment of which experienced instability of the landside slope due to the development of uplift pressures. Soil profile and hydromechanical properties of the embankment and foundation materials have been assessed via site investigation, laboratory testing, and field monitoring for two cross sections, within and outside the failure segment. The hydromechanical model developed thereof was first validated against its ability to reproduce the probability of failure for the two sections with a first-order, second-moment (FOSM)-based approach. Comparison of water flow regimes between the two sections was then used to highlight the importance of the hydraulic properties of the material on the landside for the development of uplift pressures at the toe of the embankment. The lesson learnt from this case study is that the hydraulic response of the ground on the landside may play a critical role on the stability of flood embankments and its characterization should therefore not be overlooked when planning site investigation.
Scleraxis as a prognostic marker of myocardial fibrosis in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (SPARC) study
Authors: Zhu Antonia , Bews Hilary , Cheung David , Nagalingam Raghu S. , Mittal Ishika , Goyal Vineet , Asselin Chantal Y. , Kirkpatrick Iain D.C. , Czubryt Michael P. , Jassal Davinder S.
Published: February 2020

Interstitial fibrosis is a histopathological hallmark of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). Although extracellular matrix (ECM) biomarkers, including matrix metalloproteinases, are overexpressed in HCM patients, they do not correlate with sudden cardiac death (SCD) risk. The objective of this study was to determine whether scleraxis, a transcription factor that regulates collagen gene expression, is detectable in HCM patients and correlates with disease burden. Between 2017 and 2018, a total of 46 HCM patients were enrolled (58 ± 14 years (31 males, 15 females)) with a mean 5 year SCD risk of 2.3% ± 1.3%. Cardiac MRI confirmed HCM in all patients with a mean interventricular septal thickness of 20 ± 2 mm. Late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) was present in 32 (70%) study participants occupying 18% ± 7% of the left ventricular (LV) myocardium. Serum scleraxis levels were significantly higher in the HCM patients by approximately twofold as compared to controls (0.76 ± 0.06 versus 0.32 ± 0.02 ng/mL, p < 0.05). No correlation was demonstrated between serum scleraxis levels and markers of disease severity in HCM patients, including maximum LV wall thickness, %LGE, and SCD risk factors. Serum scleraxis is elevated in the HCM population. Future studies are warranted to evaluate the prognostic value of scleraxis in identifying high-risk HCM patients who require aggressive management for prevention of SCD.
Lubricated sliding friction: Role of interfacial fluid slip and surface roughness
Authors: Rotella C. , Persson B. N. J. , Scaraggi M. , Mangiagalli P.
Published: February 2020

We derive approximate mean field equations for the fluid flow between elastic solids with randomly rough surfaces including interfacial fluid slip and shear thinning. We present numerical results for the fluid flow and friction factors for realistic systems, in particular, we consider the case of an elastic cylinder with random surface roughness in relative sliding contact with a flat rigid (low-energy) counter-surface. We present experimental data for the sliding friction between rubber stoppers and glass barrels lubricated with baked-on silicone oil. We find that the frictional shear stress acting in the rubber asperity contact regions is nearly velocity independent for velocities in the 10-1000μm/s range, and very small $ \tau_{{\rm f}} \approx 0.04$τf≈0.04 MPa, while for bare glass in silicone oil $ \tau_{{\rm f}}$τf is much larger and velocity dependent.

Graphical abstract
Systematic trends in YAlO3, SrTiO3, BaTiO3, BaZrO3 (001) and (111) surface ab initio calculations
Authors: Eglitis Roberts , Purans J. , Popov A. I. , Jia Ran
Published: February 2020

The paper presents and discusses the results of performed calculations for YAlO3 (111) surfaces using a hybrid B3LYP description of exchange and correlation. Calculation results for SrTiO3, BaTiO3 and BaZrO3 (111) as well as YAlO3, SrTiO3, BaTiO3 and BaZrO3 (001) surfaces are listed for comparison purposes in order to point out systematic trends common for these four ABO3 perovskite (001) and (111) surfaces. According to performed ab initio calculations, the displacement of (001) and (111) surface metal atoms of YAlO3, SrTiO3, BaTiO3 and BaZrO3 perovskite, upper three surface layers for both AO and BO2 (001) as well as AO3 and B (111) surface terminations, in most cases, are considerably larger than that of oxygen atoms. The YAlO3, SrTiO3, BaTiO3 and BaZrO3 (001) surface energies for both calculated terminations, in most cases, are almost equal. In contrast, the (111) surface energies for both AO3 and B-terminations are quite different. Calculated (111) surface energies always are much larger than the (001) surface energies. As follows from performed ab initio calculations for YAlO3, SrTiO3, BaTiO3 and BaZrO3 perovskites, the AO- and BO2-terminated (001) as well as AO3- and B-terminated (111) surface bandgaps are almost always reduced with respect to their bulk bandgap values.
Effect of tin addition on the microstructure, wettability and mechanical properties of Cu–Mn–Ni braze fillers
Authors: Zhang Mingyue , Zhang Song , Li Yuanxing , Zhang Minan , Yang Jing , Xu Yonggang
Published: February 2020

A series of Cu–34Mn–6Ni–[Formula: see text]Sn (wt.%) braze fillers that were used for brazing stainless steel (SS) were prepared. The microstructures, melting temperatures, wettability and mechanical properties of the braze fillers were investigated. An Sn-rich phase was formed in braze fillers with an Sn content above 6 wt.% (including) because of the segregation performance of Sn. The melting temperatures of braze fillers decreased markedly with an increase in Sn content. The addition of 6 wt.% Sn resulted in the highest wettability of braze fillers on the SS. With an increase in Sn content, the tensile strength and hardness increased, whereas the plasticity and toughness of the braze fillers decreased owing to the solid solution and segregation of Sn.
Volume dependence of superconducting state parameters of bismuth-based binary alloys: A pseudopotential approach
Authors: Patel Hiral , Kumar Priyank , Bhatt N. K. , Vyas P. R. , Gohel V. B.
Published: February 2020

A comprehensive and systematic study of superconducting state parameters (SSPs) of Bi-based binary alloys of the form [Formula: see text] has been carried out in the framework of pseudopotential theory at different concentrations ([Formula: see text]) of impurity atom-[Formula: see text] in host atom Bi which varies from 0 to 1. Impurity atom [Formula: see text] has been replaced by In, Tl, Sb and Pb to form four alloy systems. The density-based local form of the pseudopotential proposed by Fiolhais et al. has been used in this study to compute SSPs such as electron–phonon coupling strength ([Formula: see text]), Coulomb pseudopotential ([Formula: see text]), transition temperature ([Formula: see text]), effective interaction strength ([Formula: see text] and isotopic effect parameter ([Formula: see text]) of Bi-based binary alloy systems. Computed results of SSPs of alloys under study are in good agreement with available experimental and other theoretical results. In order to investigate the effect of pressure on SSPs of alloys under study, a theoretical calculation of SSPs as a function of compressed volume is reported. The volume dependence of Debye temperature has been accounted by using Debye–Gruneisen model which involves the Gruneisen parameter. Thus, to describe the effect of pressure on SSPs accurately, the value of Gruneisen parameter should be as accurate as possible. But reported results of Gruneisen parameter in the literature are highly scattered. Due to this reason, we have used two sets of Gruneisen parameter obtained by different methods to understand its role in the computation of SSPs as a function of compressed volume. Further, critical volumes for all alloys at different concentration have been predicted at which electron–phonon coupling strength and Coulomb pseudopotential are equal ([Formula: see text]). At critical volume, superconductivity quenches where transition temperature, [Formula: see text], and effective interaction strength, [Formula: see text], become zero. It is observed that critical volumes predicted by all approaches used in this study are in excellent agreement with each other.
A Comparison of Optimization Algorithms for Deep Learning
Authors: Soydaner Derya
Published: February 2020

In recent years, we have witnessed the rise of deep learning. Deep neural networks have proved their success in many areas. However, the optimization of these networks has become more difficult as neural networks going deeper and datasets becoming bigger. Therefore, more advanced optimization algorithms have been proposed over the past years. In this study, widely used optimization algorithms for deep learning are examined in detail. To this end, these algorithms called adaptive gradient methods are implemented for both supervised and unsupervised tasks. The behavior of the algorithms during training and results on four image datasets, namely, MNIST, CIFAR-10, Kaggle Flowers and Labeled Faces in the Wild are compared by pointing out their differences against basic optimization algorithms.