bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Efficiency and robustness of causal effect estimators when noncompliance is measured with error
Authors: Boatman Jeffrey A. , Vock David M. , Koopmeiners Joseph S.
Published: August 2018

Estimating causal effects from randomized controlled trials is often complicated due to participant noncompliance to randomized treatment. Although there are a variety of methods to estimate causal effects in the presence of noncompliance, they generally make the assumption that noncompliance is measured without error. This is frequently an untenable assumption, particularly when noncompliance is based on participant self‐report. To overcome this issue, we treat compliance as an unobserved variable and show how to estimate the probability of compliance given a biomarker of treatment and the other observed data. We present inverse probability weighted estimators, regression‐based estimators, and a doubly‐robust augmented estimator that rely on the estimated probability of compliance rather than an indicator of compliance. We investigate the finite‐sample properties of the estimators and their efficiency and robustness under correctly specified or misspecified models, and we apply the estimators to a recently completed trial of very low nicotine content cigarettes.
Incorporation of frailties into a cure rate regression model and its diagnostics and application to melanoma data
Authors: Leão Jeremias , Leiva Víctor , Saulo Helton , Tomazella Vera
Published: August 2018

Cure rate models have been widely studied to analyze time‐to‐event data with a cured fraction of patients. Our proposal consists of incorporating frailty into a cure rate model, as an alternative to the existing models to describe this type of data, based on the Birnbaum‐Saunders distribution. Such a distribution has theoretical arguments to model medical data and has shown empirically to be a good option for their analysis. An advantage of the proposed model is the possibility to jointly consider the heterogeneity among patients by their frailties and the presence of a cured fraction of them. In addition, the number of competing causes is described by the negative binomial distribution, which absorbs several particular cases. We consider likelihood‐based methods to estimate the model parameters and to derive influence diagnostics for this model. We assess local influence on the parameter estimates under different perturbation schemes. Deriving diagnostic tools is needed in all statistical modeling, which is another novel aspect of our proposal. Numerical evaluation of the considered model is performed by Monte Carlo simulations and by an illustration with melanoma data, both of which show its good performance and its potential applications. Particularly, the illustration confirms the importance of statistical diagnostics in the modeling.
Crystalline Ru0.33Se Nanoparticles‐Decorated TiO2 Nanotube Arrays for Enhanced Hydrogen Evolution Reaction
Authors: Wang Kefeng , Chen Qi , Hu Yingyan , Wei Wei , Wang Songzhu , Shen Qi , Qu Peng
Published: August 2018

Nowadays, the state‐of‐the‐art electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) are platinum group metals. Nonetheless, Pt‐based catalysts show decreased HER activity in alkaline media compared with that in acidic media due to the sluggish dissociation process of H2O on the surface of Pt. With a cost 1/25 that of Pt, Ru demonstrates a favorable dissociation kinetics of absorbed H2O. Herein, crystalline Ru0.33Se nanoparticles are decorated onto TiO2 nanotube arrays (TNAs) to fabricate Ru0.33Se @ TNA hybrid for HER. Owing to the large‐specific surface area, Ru0.33Se nanoparticles are freely distributed and the particle aggregation is eliminated, providing more active sites. The contracted electron transport pathway rendered by TiO2 nanotubes and the synergistic effect at the interface significantly improve the charge transfer efficiency in the hybrid catalyst. Compared with Ru0.33Se nanoparticles deposited directly on the Ti foil (Ru0.33Se/Ti) or carbon cloth (Ru0.33Se/CC), Ru0.33Se @ TNA shows an enhanced catalytic activity with an overpotential of 57 mV to afford a current density of 10 mA cm−2, a Tafel slope of 50.0 mV dec−1. Furthermore, the hybrid catalyst also exhibits an outstanding catalytic stability. The strategy here opens up a new synthetic avenue to the design of highly efficient hybrid electrocatalysts for hydrogen production.
Co‐Present Conversation as “Socialized Trance”: Talk, Involvement Obligations, and Smart‐Phone Disruption
Authors: Walsh Michael James , Clark Shannon Jay
Published: August 2018

In an era where digital and co‐present involvements become entangled, the role of face‐to‐face conversation now vies with mediated communication. Applying insights provided by Erving Goffman, we explore conversational interaction and consider how engrossing face‐to‐face conversation can be understood as a form of socialized trance. We explore how this interaction represents one type of “involvement obligation” that can become disrupted and, increasingly, uniquely impacted by mediated involvements that are enabled through mobile and “smart” devices. The crux of the argument is considered in the context of a burgeoning digital era where conversation is found to become meshed together in uneven ways with mediated interaction. We highlight the efficacy of Goffman's approach with regards to the current information environment, providing insights into how engrossing conversation and its involvement obligations are impacted by mediated interactions and how breaches of conduct are experienced. A video abstract is available at https://youtu.be/ulL8mMN4oig.
QCD3 dualities and the F-theorem
Authors: Sharon Adar
Published: August 2018

Abstract

There has recently been a surge of new ideas and results for 2+1 dimensional gauge theories. We consider a recently proposed duality for 2+1 dimensional QCD, which predicts a symmetry-breaking phase. Using the F-theorem, we find bounds on the range of parameters for which the symmetry-breaking phase (and the corresponding duality) can occur. We find exact bounds for an SU(2) gauge theory, and approximate bounds for an SU(N) gauge theory with N > 2.
In-band pumping avenue based high power superfluorescent fiber source with record power and near-diffraction-limited beam quality
Authors: Xu Jiangming , Ye Jun , Xiao Hu , Leng Jinyong , Liu Wei , Zhou Pu
Published: August 2018

High power superfluorescent fiber sources (SFSs), which could find wide applications in many fields such as middle infrared laser generation, Raman fiber laser pumping and spectral beam combination, have experienced a flourishing time in recent years for its unique properties, such as short coherence length and high temporal stability. The challenge for performance scalability of powerful SFS mainly lies on the physical issues including parasitic laser oscillation and modal instability (MI). In this contribution, by employing in-band pumping avenue and high-order transverse-mode management, we explore a high power SFS with record power, near-diffraction-limited beam quality and spectral manipulation flexibility. An ultimate output power of 3.14 kW can be obtained with high temporal stability and a beam quality of $M^{2}=1.59$ for the amplified light. Furthermore, the dynamics of spectral evolutions, including red-shifting of central wavelength and unsymmetrical broadening in spectral wings, of the main amplifier with different seed linewidths are investigated contrastively. Benefiting from the unique high pump brightness and high MI threshold of in-band pumping scheme, the demonstrated system also manifests promising performance scaling potential.
Changes in Eocene plant diversity and composition of vegetation: the lacustrine archive of Messel (Germany)
Authors: Lenz Olaf K. , Wilde Volker
Published: August 2018

Based on high-resolution palynological analysis of 680 samples from a core, short-term changes in plant diversity and floristic composition within the Paleogene greenhouse were detected in the lacustrine succession of a lower to middle Eocene maar lake at Messel (Federal State of Hesse, Germany). The microfloristic data show that taxonomic diversity increased rapidly within some decades during recolonization of a volcanically devastated area around the lake. With the establishment of a climax vegetation at the end of recolonization, the maximum in palynological diversity was reached within the crater area. During the following 640 Kyr the composition of the palynospectrum changed only gradually. However, different richness and evenness estimations show that alpha and gamma diversity decreased up to 35%, which can be related to the establishment of an equilibrium stage within the climax vegetation that led to the dominance of an assemblage of self-replacing species. Nevertheless, time-series analysis of alpha-diversity changes within the climax vegetation reveals that orbitally controlled climate change of Milankovitch and sub-Milankovitch order influenced the diversity of the vegetation, resulting in a rise of beta diversity. Based on the composition of the vegetation and comparison to modern analogues, our analysis proves that Eocene paratropical plant diversity increased during periods of slightly higher temperature and precipitation. Therefore, both composition and diversity of the vegetation was highly susceptible to minor-scale, short-term changes in climate, even during equable greenhouse conditions.
Assessment of milk quality based on bovine BAF60c gene mutation
Authors: Liao J. , Ku T. , Liu Y. F. , Zhao J.
Published: August 2018

Monitoring milk quality traits and the classification of raw milk are important steps for generating high-quality dairy products. Given the important roles of the BRG1/BRM-associated factor 60c (BAF60c) gene in the regulation of physiological growth and production, the objective of the current study was to analyse the association between the BAF60c gene and milk quality and establish a gene-based method for pre-evaluating raw milk quality. For this purpose, DNA was isolated from 507 milk samples and genotyped using the polymerase chain reaction-restricted fragment length polymorphism method. Milk quality traits including milk protein percentage (MPP), milk fat percentage (MFP), lactose percentage (LP) and total solids content (TSC) were also evaluated from the same 507 milk samples. The newly found 6060 T > C mutation of the BAF60c gene was associated significantly with MPP and LP, but not with MFP and TSC. The results demonstrated that this mutation could be used for the pre-evaluation of MPP and LP; therefore, raw milk could be graded according to different genotypes.
Encounter rate, residency pattern and site fidelity of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) within the Istanbul Strait, Turkey
Authors: Akkaya Baş Aylin , Öztürk Bayram , Amaha Öztürk Ayaka
Published: August 2018

The Istanbul Strait is an important cetacean habitat that is intensely used by humans. Yet little is known about their spatial-temporal distribution. To understand the encounter rates and residency patterns of bottlenose dolphins, photo-identification data were collected between 2011 and 2016 in the Istanbul Strait. The study showed that bottlenose dolphins are a regular, year-round component of the strait. The encounter rate was estimated to be four groups (22 individuals) per 10 km. The adjacent waters of Marmara Sea and Black Sea, that host relatively less marine traffic, had the highest number of encounters in the area. Conversely, the middle sections had the lowest number of encounters but the highest marine vessel density. Further, the encounter rates dropped to zero in the fishing zones, where the number of purse seines reached up to 100 per day. Additionally, dolphins showed varying degrees of residency patterns, with multi-year re-sightings. Maximum re-sighting distance was up to 35 km, which is more than the total length of the strait. This movement pattern should be investigated as it might reveal possible migration between local populations. This study finds that the Istanbul Strait serves as a critical habitat for the regional bottlenose dolphin populations and they are likely to be a part of a resident local population with a home range extending the length of the strait. Dedicated surveys with inter-regional collaborations are needed to evaluate the home range and population status of this endangered species for their effective conservation in one of the busiest waterways of the world.
Solidarity, stance, and class identities
Authors: Snell Julia
Published: August 2018

Scholars have explained working-class speakers’ continued use of stigmatised vernaculars as a response to their relative powerlessness in relation to the standard language market. Research has shown how, in the face of this powerlessness, working-class communities turn to group solidarity, and use of the vernacular is seen as part of this more general orientation. As a result, two competing social values—status and solidarity—have featured prominently in discussions around language and class. I expand these discussions using data from a linguistic ethnographic study of children's language in Teesside, England. I argue that meanings related to status and solidarity operate at multiple levels and cannot be taken for granted, and demonstrate that vernacular forms thatlackstatus within the dominant sociolinguistic economy may be used toassertstatus within local interactional use. I further advance discussion of the ways local vernaculars might be intimately linked to classed subjectivities. (Social class, variation, solidarity, status, stance, indexicality, identity, interaction, ethnography)*
Parametric dynamic analysis of walking within a cable-based gait trainer
Authors: Lamine Houssein , Romdhane Lotfi , Bennour Sami
Published: August 2018

In this paper, a parametric analysis of the inverse dynamics of an upright partially unloaded walking is performed. This motion is produced through a gait-training machine emulating the over-ground walking using a body weight support mechanism and a cable-driven robot. The input motion is the kinematics of a normal gait, and the ultimate output result is the required tensions to be generated by the cable robot in order to drive the lower limb. The dynamic analysis is carried out based on the Newton–Euler approach. A Matlab Simscape model is also built to validate the analytical results. The obtained dynamic model is used to investigate the effect of the variation of the gait simulation parameters on the actuation wrench and the cable tensions. The obtained results could be used to determine the optimal design of the gait trainer actuators and they are useful in estimating optimal gait training parameters.
‘There is Music in It, But It is Not Music’: A Reception History ofMusique Concrètein Britain
Authors: NIEBUR LOUIS
Published: August 2018

The traditional narrative of the development ofmusique concrèteandelektronische Musiktells a story of esoteric, academic branches of musical modernism emerging out of Paris and Cologne in the 1950s. But this narrative clouds our understanding of the unique ways this music developed in Britain, largely filtered through the BBC, as a relatively populist, accessible iteration of Continental techniques. This article explores how British reactions to contemporary music and, in particular,musique concrèteandelektronische Musik, reflected on the one hand continued suspicion towards Continental music and on the other a deep insecurity about Britain's musical position in the world. The predominantly hostile attitude towards electronic music from within establishment musical cultures betray profound concerns about trends that were seen to exert a harmful influence on British musical society.
Can a shift in the purchase of local foods by Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients impact the local economy?
Authors: Becot Florence A. , Sitaker Marilyn , Kolodinsky Jane M. , Morgan Emily H. , Wang Weiwei , Garner Jennifer , Ammerman Alice , Jilcott Pitts Stephanie , Seguin Rebecca A.
Published: August 2018

In recent years, several initiatives have sought to encourage redemption of food assistance benefits at direct-to-consumer (DTC) market venues such as community supported agriculture programs and farmers’ markets in the USA, with the dual goal of increasing access to healthy foods for low-income families and sales of locally-grown foods for farmers. Proponents of these interventions assert that these programs have a positive impact on local economies yet there is limited evidence to validate this argument. This research project used a customized input-output model to simulate potential economic impacts of programs and policies that enable Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients to shift purchases from traditional food retailers to DTC venues in four states. Two different scenarios were explored: (1) increased outreach to low-income consumers and (2) financial support for using SNAP benefits at DTC market channels. We found a positive, though modest, economic impact at the state level under both scenarios when accounting for (a) business losses in the food retail and wholesale sectors, (b) a shift in acreage from commodity to specialty crops and (c) the cost to taxpayers. Since most of the increased economic activity would be in the produce farming sector, we discuss the opportunities and challenges for this sector along with potential policy implications.
Protecting cultural property in Syria: New opportunities for States to enhance compliance with international law?
Authors: Mahnad Polina Levina
Published: August 2018

The war in Syria has lasted for six years and has led to massive destruction and loss of life. Stymieing international peace efforts from the outset, there is increasing doubt that the conflict will reach a resolution or political settlement in the near future. This frustration has triggered an appetite among States, civil society and the international community for finite and concrete measures that can contribute to greater protection and compliance with international law. A recent constellation of events around the protection of cultural property appears to herald a shift in the response of the international community toward prescribing practical and actionable measures for third-party States. Drawing on the responsibility of third States “to respect and ensure respect for” international humanitarian law, this article examines the legal framework protecting cultural property and recent innovative protection responses that contribute to ensuring compliance with international law in Syria, short of military assistance and intervention.
Meeting report: a close look at oral biofilms and microbiomes
Authors: Xu Xin , Chen Feng , Huang Zhengwei , Ma Lvyan , Chen Li , Pan Yaping , Xu Jian , Kim Syngcuk , Kinane Denis , Koo Hyun , Zhou Xuedong
Published: August 2018

The “Biofilms, Microbiomes and Oral Diseases: Challenges and Future Perspectives” symposium jointly organized by Penn Dental Medicine and West China School of Stomatology was held on 30 September 2017 at Penn Wharton China Center (PWCC) in Beijing, China. The topics included the pathogenicity of oral biofilms, novel strategies for the control of biofilm-related diseases, oral microbiome and single-cell approaches, and the link between oral diseases and overall health. Researchers from a number of disciplines, representing institutions from China and Penn Dental Medicine, gathered to discuss advances in our understanding of biofilms, as well as future directions for the control of biofilm-related oral and systemic diseases.
Novel oncogenic and chemoresistance-inducing functions of resistin in ovarian cancer cells require miRNAs-mediated induction of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition
Authors: Qiu Ling , Zhang Guo-Feng , Yu Lei , Wang Hong-Yong , Jia Xiao-Jing , Wang Tie-Jun
Published: August 2018

Resistin plays a role in the growth, proliferation, angiogenesis, metastasis and therapeutic resistance in different cancers. However, such effects of resistin have never been evaluated in ovarian cancer, a deadly gynecological malignancy. We observed a significant induction of ovarian cancer cells’ growth, invasion and cisplatin resistance, and established a mechanism of resistin action that included induction of EMT and stemness, as evidenced by down-regulated epithelial marker e-cadherin and up-regulated mesenchymal markers vimentin/ ZEB1 and stemness markers sox2, oct4 and nanog. The mechanism also included suppression of tumor suppressor miRNAs, let-7a, miR-200c and miR-186. Over-expression of these miRNAs significantly reversed the resistin-mediated effects on invasion and chemoresistance. We further validated our results in vivo where resistin administration significantly enhanced tumor growth in mice. Our results provide first evidence for such oncogenic effects of resistin in ovarian cancer models and a rationale for future studies to further understand the mechanistic role of resistin in ovarian cancer invasiveness, metastasis and therapy resistance.
Distributed asynchronous consensus‐based algorithm for blind calibration of sensor networks with autonomous gain correction
Authors: Stanković Maja
Published: August 2018

In this study, a new algorithm is proposed for distributed asynchronous consensus‐based blind calibration of sensor networks with noisy communications and measurements. The algorithm consists of one autonomous recursion of the instrumental variable type for gain correction and one additional recursion of gradient type for offset correction based on the corrected gains. It is proved using asynchronous stochastic approximation arguments that the algorithm achieves asymptotic consensus with regard to both the corrected sensor gains and offsets in the mean square sense and with probability one. The algorithm is more flexible than the existing similar algorithms for blind macro‐calibration and provides a superior convergence rate, especially when used in networks with one fixed reference node. Simulation results confirm the main theoretical statements.
Location awareness method for spot beam emitters
Authors: Yang Weicai , Chang Qing , Li Hui , Gao Yang , Bao Lina
Published: August 2018

As more and more spacecraft launched into the space, the probability of radiofrequency (RF) interference raises and the burden of RF spectrum management increases as well. The monitoring of global RF beam information and identifying of spot beam emitters location can effectively obtain space data resources, which will do great help for mitigating global RF interference and optimising space spectrum resources. This study proposes a novel location awareness method for spot beam emitters based on the nanosatellite platform. The proposed method identifies the position of spot beam emitters on a global scale by flying a low earth orbit CubeSat constellation through the coverage of the spot beams. The properties such as geometry, the target motion equation, the measurement process, and the Particle Filter equations are all addressed with respect to the location methods. The authors illustrate a realistic scenario simulated within the Systems Tool Kit, in which CubeSats receive signals from the spot beam emitters. The scenario shows that their location awareness method proposed in this study is available and efficient.
Influence of railway line characteristics in inductive interference on railway track circuits
Authors: Lucca Giovanni
Published: August 2018

This study firstly presents an algorithm for the study of the 50–60 Hz inductive electromagnetic interference produced by a High Voltage power line on nearby not parallel railway track circuits used for signalling purposes; secondly the algorithm is used for a sensitivity analysis relevant to the level of generated electromagnetic interference depending on the characteristics of the railway line (electrified/not electrified, single/double track) and with reference to the state of rails insulation from the soil.
Boundary element method reconstruction of two‐dimensional magnetic‐field maps from measured boundary data in accelerator magnets
Authors: Biccioli Leonardo , Di Rienzo Luca , Petrone Carlo , Russenschuck Stephan
Published: August 2018

Rotating‐coil magnetometers are standard devices for measuring integrated magnetic fields of accelerator magnets. The coil intercepts the magnetic flux at a radius given by the dimensions of the measurement shaft that comprises a set of induction coils. For magnets of a rectangular aperture with a large aspect ratio (larger than 3:1) the cylindrical domain will cover only a portion of the magnet aperture. We, therefore, explore an alternative sampling technique using boundary data acquired from a displaced stretched‐wire or from a translating fluxmeter. The method presented in this study concerns the reconstruction of the two‐dimensional map of the integrated magnetic field distribution in the entire magnet aperture using the measured boundary data.
Hetero‐material CPTFET with high‐frequency and linearity analysis for ultra‐low power applications
Authors: Yadav Dharmendra Singh , Sharma Dheeraj , Tirkey Sukeshni , Sharma Deepak Ganesh , Bajpai Shriya , Soni Deepak , Yadav Shivendra , Aslam Mohd. , Sharma Neeraj
Published: August 2018

In this work, the authors have focused on increasing the current driving capability, speed of operation, suppression of parasitic capacitance and ambipolarity of the charge plasma tunnel field effect transistor (CPTFET). Gate dielectric and hetero‐material engineering are employed in the CPTFET to obtain better drain current. Introduction of high‐k dielectric increases the injection of charge carriers in the intrinsic body while a low‐energy bandgap III–V material reduces the tunnelling width leading to the increased rate of band‐to‐band tunnelling of electrons and thus, enhancing the ON‐state current of the device. Hence, the proposed device shows superior performance when operated in regime of DC and high frequency. For reducing the ambipolar conduction in the device, a widely used concept of underlapping of gate electrode is employed which reduces the leakage current in the device. Further, to determine the reliability of the device at high frequency, an analysis of linearity parameters is carried out. The proposed device is highly reliable to function at high‐frequency regime. Therefore, the overall introduction of gate dielectric engineering, hetero‐material engineering and underlapping of gate electrode improves the performance and characteristics of CPTFET.
Eco‐friendly approach for synthesis of AgNPs and their catalytic application toward 4‐nitrophenol to 4‐aminophenol reduction
Authors: Singh Jagpreet , Kaur Navneet , Rawat Mohit
Published: August 2018

The present work emphasises on the synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) through the treatment of aqueous solutions of Ag nitrate with commonly available sugars, i.e. sucrose as reducing agents. The average particle size, morphology and elemental composition of the NPs are studied through transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy and ultraviolet–visible (UV–vis) spectroscopic techniques. UV–vis absorption spectroscopy confirms the formation of AgNPs with the strong absorption band at 408 nm. TEM reveals the spherical nature of synthesised AgNPs with a size range of 25–40 nm. Furthermore, catalytic potential of the NPs was examined for reduction of 4‐nitrophenol (4‐NP) to 4‐aminophenol in the alkaline medium by using UV–vis spectroscopy. Complete reduction of the 4‐NP was achieved within 35 min, thus validating the efficacy of AgNPs as an efficient catalyst. These catalytic capabilities firmly advocate the applications of AgNPs in the purification of polluted water.
Detection of scattered light from the hot dust in HD 172555
Authors: Engler N. , Schmid H. M. , Quanz S. P. , Avenhaus H. , Bazzon A.
Published: August 2018

Context. Debris disks or belts are important signposts for the presence of colliding planetesimals and, therefore, for ongoing planet formation and evolution processes in young planetary systems. Imaging of debris material at small separations from the star is very challenging but provides valuable insights into the spatial distribution of the so-called hot dust produced by solid bodies located in or near the habitable zone. We report the first detection of scattered light from the hot dust around the nearby (d = 28.33 pc) A star HD 172555.

Aims. We want to constrain the geometric structure of the detected debris disk using polarimetric differential imaging (PDI) with a spatial resolution of 25 mas and an inner working angle of about 0.1″.

Methods. We measured the polarized light of HD 172555, with SPHERE/ZIMPOL, in the very broadband (VBB) or RI filter (λc = 735 nm, Δλ = 290 nm) for the projected separations between 0.08″ (2.3 au) and 0.77″ (22 au). We constrained the disk parameters by fitting models for scattering of an optically thin dust disk taking the limited spatial resolution and coronagraphic attenuation of our data into account.

Results. The geometric structure of the disk in polarized light shows roughly the same orientation and outer extent as obtained from thermal emission at 18 μm. Our image indicates the presence of a strongly inclined (i ≈ 103.5°), roughly axisymmetric dust belt with an outer radius in the range between 0.3″ (8.5 au) and 0.4″ (11.3 au). An inner disk edge is not detected in the data. We derive a lower limit for the polarized flux contrast ratio for the disk of (Fpol)disk/F∗ > (6.2 ± 0.6) × 10−5 in the VBB filter. This ratio is small, only ~9%, when compared to the fractional infrared flux excess (≈ 7.2 × 10−4). The model simulations show that more polarized light could be produced by the dust located inside ≈2 au, which cannot be detected with the instrument configuration used.

Conclusions. Our data confirm previous infrared imaging and provide a higher resolution map of the system, which could be further improved with future observations.
Atmospheres and wind properties of non-spherical AGB stars
Authors: Liljegren S. , Höfner S. , Freytag B. , Bladh S.
Published: August 2018

Context. The wind-driving mechanism of asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars is commonly attributed to a two-step process: first, gas in the stellar atmosphere is levitated by shockwaves caused by stellar pulsation, then accelerated outwards by radiative pressure on newly formed dust, inducing a wind. Dynamical modelling of such winds usually assumes a spherically symmetric star.

Aims. We explore the potential consequences of complex stellar surface structures, as predicted by three-dimensional (3D) star-in-a-box modelling of M-type AGB stars, on the resulting wind properties with the aim to improve the current wind models.

Methods. Two different modelling approaches are used; the CO5BOLD 3D star-in-a-box code to simulate the convective, pulsating interior and lower atmosphere of the star, and the DARWIN one-dimensional (1D) code to describe the dynamical atmosphere where the wind is accelerated. The gas dynamics of the inner atmosphere region at distances of R ∼ 1−2 R⋆, which both modelling approaches simulate, are compared. Dynamical properties and luminosity variations derived from CO5BOLD interior models are used as input for the inner boundary in DARWIN wind models in order to emulate the effects of giant convection cells and pulsation, and explore their influence on the dynamical properties.

Results. The CO5BOLD models are inherently anisotropic, with non-uniform shock fronts and varying luminosity amplitudes, in contrast to the spherically symmetrical DARWIN wind models. DARWIN wind models with CO5BOLD-derived inner boundary conditions produced wind velocities and mass-loss rates comparable to the standard DARWIN models, however the winds show large density variations on time-scales of 10–20 yr.

Conclusions. The method outlined in this paper derives pulsation properties from the 3D star-in-a-box CO5BOLD models, to be used in the DARWIN models. If the current grid of CO5BOLD models is extended, it will be possible to construct extensive DARWIN grids with inner boundary conditions derived from 3D interior modelling of convection and pulsation, and avoid the free parameters of the current approach.
Learner autonomy in modern higher education
Authors: Danilenko Alexey , Kosmidis Irina , Shershneva Victoria , Vainshtein Yulia
Published: August 2018

This article deals with the concept of learner autonomy as well as the peculiarities of the use of the learner autonomy-based educational technology in the educational system of Russia. The analysis of the concept of learner autonomy is given basing on the works of both foreign and Russian specialists: the origin of the concept is traced back, different variants of defining the concept are given, and the teacher role in the context of learner autonomy is laid emphasis on. Generalizing the views the authors put forward their own definition of the concept of learner autonomy. The authors also point out the correlation of learner autonomy and the concept of communicative concept proposing their own view of communicative competence structure. Besides, the authors consider the prospect of implementing the learner autonomy-based educational technology into the realm of adaptive learning, which is also topical for modern Russian Education.
Threshold Approaches to Architectural Design Studio
Authors: Alakavuk Ebru
Published: August 2018

Threshold is a popular design theory in architecture that can be defined in many ways. One definition is “a barrier space that is located for separating the volumes”. This is “dictionary definition” of the threshold, but in fact this term can has various meanings according to the different perspectives. The threshold can be physical, psychological, emotional, social, economic, etc. definitions. There are many ways of expressing threshold in to architectural design considering the terms mentioned above. In this paper different ways of expressing “threshold” term in to the architectural design is discussed. For this purpose third year architecture design studio is taken as a case study. The student projects by the ways of defining and expressing the threshold term in to design is taken in consideration. The aim of this paper to put forward the integration of various meanings of threshold in to the architectural design by the case studies that are obtained from the architectural design studio.
An Investigation on the Digital Addiction of the Students of Faculty of Sports of Kocaeli University
Authors: Karagün Elif , Ekiz Zekiye Dilay , Sarper Kahveci Müge
Published: August 2018

The purpose of this study is to investigate the digital addiction levels of the students studying at the Faculty of Sports of Kocaeli University in terms of variables such as their gender, age, school type, parental education level, income status, class level and success level. To this end, following the permission from the faculty administration, the Digital Addiction Scale, developed by Arslan, Kırık, Karaman and Çetinkaya (2015), was administered to a random sample of voluntary students. Data was analyzed by using the SPSS version 25.0. The results showed that digital addiction levels of the students in terms of their gender, age, school type, income level, parental education level, class level and success level were not significant; however, significant differences were found in favor of those who played sports only in class regarding playing sports, and those who attended the evening education regarding type of education programs.
Assessment of genetic diversity in Narbon vetch (Vicia narbonensis L.) germplasm using morphological and molecular markers
Authors: Bouabid Siwar , Kourda H. Chennaoui , Boussaha A. , Ben Naceur M. , Khélil A. Zoghlami
Published: August 2018

Narbon vetch (Vicia narbonensis L.) is a promising forage legume with good resistance to cold and drought. The assessment of genetic diversity of Narbon vetch is an essential component in germplasm management. In this study, we analysed the genetic diversity of 13 local and introduced Narbon vetch accessions from three continents using 27 morphological traits and 13 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. Significant differences among accessions for morphological and phenological traits were observed. The SSR markers showed a total of 126 alleles with a mean number of two alleles per locus. Polymorphic information content values were in the range of 0.772–0.915 with an average of 0.858. A high level of diversity (Nei’s genetic differentiation index of 59) was observed among accessions. Analysis of genetic distances separated the studied accessions into three groups based on both morphological and SSR markers. Cluster analysis of the SSR markers separated the accessions into three groups according to geographical origin. The Tunisian populations shared the same morphological traits but differed genetically from each other and were similar to those from Lebanon. A significant correlation was detected between morphological traits and SSR markers. The results suggested that SSR markers can be used to efficiently distinguish Narbon vetch accessions and estimate their genetic diversity.
On stochastic resonance in a model of double diffusion
Authors: Chattopadhyay Amit K. , He Xi , Tsambali A.-A. , Konstantinidis A. A. , Aifantis E. C.
Published: August 2018

The double diffusion model was proposed in the late 1970s and extended in 1980s and 1990s by Aifantis and co-workers. It is a continuum model that assumes two local non-equilibrium concentration fields abiding separate mass–momentum equations mediated by a linear mass exchange term. The present work deals with stochastic double diffusion of two competing phase densities to study transport in nanocrystals. We show that the presence of surface inhomogeneities and temporal delay, represented by stochastic dynamics, could have substantial impact at the interface of the two phases. The effect is most pronounced at a critical point (stochastic resonance), where maximum energy transfer occurs, thereby quantifying the impact of surface imperfections in nanocrystal dynamics. The results have been favourably compared with experimental data.

This is part of a thematic issue on Small Scale Mechanics - EUROMAT.
Transcriptomic Analysis With the Progress of Symbiosis in ‘Crack-Entry’ Legume Arachis hypogaea Highlights Its Contrast With ‘Infection Thread’ Adapted Legumes
Authors: Karmakar Kanchan , Kundu Anindya , Rizvi Ahsan Z , Dubois Emeric , Severac Dany , Czernic Pierre , Cartieaux Fabienne , DasGupta Maitrayee
Published: August 2018

In root-nodule symbiosis, rhizobial invasion and nodule organogenesis is host controlled. In most legumes, rhizobia enter through infection threads and nodule primordium in the cortex is induced from a distance. But in dalbergoid legumes like Arachis hypogaea, rhizobia directly invade cortical cells through epidermal cracks to generate the primordia. Herein, we report the transcriptional dynamics with the progress of symbiosis in A. hypogaea at 1 day postinfection (dpi) (invasion), 4 dpi (nodule primordia), 8 dpi (spread of infection in nodule-like structure), 12 dpi (immature nodules containing rod-shaped rhizobia), and 21 dpi (mature nodules with spherical symbiosomes). Expression of putative ortholog of symbiotic genes in ‘crack entry’ legume A. hypogaea was compared with infection thread–adapted model legumes. The contrasting features were i) higher expression of receptors like LYR3 and EPR3 as compared with canonical Nod factor receptors, ii) late induction of transcription factors like NIN and NSP2 and constitutive high expression of ERF1, EIN2, bHLH476, and iii) induction of divergent pathogenesis-responsive PR-1 genes. Additionally, symbiotic orthologs of SymCRK, ROP6, RR9, SEN1, and DNF2 were not detectable and microsynteny analysis indicated the absence of a RPG homolog in diploid parental genomes of A. hypogaea. The implications are discussed and a molecular framework that guides crack-entry symbiosis in A. hypogaea is proposed.
Understanding diseases as increased heterogeneity: a complex network computational framework
Authors: Zanin Massimiliano , Tuñas Juan Manuel , Menasalvas Ernestina
Published: August 2018

Owing to the complexity of the human body, most diseases present a high interpersonal variability in the way they manifest, i.e. in their phenotype, which has important clinical repercussions—for instance, the difficulty in defining objective diagnostic rules. Here we explore the hypothesis that signs and symptoms used to define a disease should be understood in terms of the dispersion (as opposed to the average) of physical observables. To that end, we propose a computational framework, based on complex networks theory, to map groups of subjects to a network structure, based on their pairwise phenotypical similarity. We demonstrate that the resulting structure can be used to improve the performance of classification algorithms, especially in the case of a limited number of instances, with both synthetic and real datasets. Beyond providing an alternative conceptual understanding of diseases, the proposed framework could be of special relevance in the growing field of personalized, orN-to-1, medicine.
Mitochondrial Na+controls oxidative phosphorylation and hypoxic redox signalling
Authors: Hernansanz-Agustín Pablo , Choya-Foces Carmen , Carregal-Romero Susana , Ramos Elena , Oliva Tamara , Villa-Piña Tamara , Moreno Laura , Izquierdo-Álvarez Alicia , Cabrera-García J. Daniel , Cortés Ana , Lechuga-Vieco Ana Victoria , Jadiya Pooja , Navarro Elisa , Parada Esther , Palomino-Antolín Alejandra , Tello Daniel , Acín-Pérez Rebeca , Rodríguez-Aguilera Juan Carlos , Navas Plácido , Cogolludo Ángel , López-Montero Iván , Martínez-del-Pozo Álvaro , Egea Javier , López Manuela G. , Elrod John W. , Ruiz-Cabello Jesús , Bogdanova Anna , Antonio Enríquez José , Martínez-Ruiz Antonio
Published: August 2018

All metazoans depend on O2delivery and consumption by the mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) system to produce energy. A decrease in O2availability (hypoxia) leads to profound metabolic rewiring. In addition, OXPHOS uses O2to produce reactive oxygen species (ROS) that can drive cell adaptations through redox signalling, but also trigger cell damage1–4, and both phenomena occur in hypoxia4–8. However, the precise mechanism by which acute hypoxia triggers mitochondrial ROS production is still unknown. Ca2+is one of the best known examples of an ion acting as a second messenger9, yet the role ascribed to Na+is to serve as a mere mediator of membrane potential and collaborating in ion transport10. Here we show that Na+acts as a second messenger regulating OXPHOS function and ROS production by modulating fluidity of the inner mitochondrial membrane (IMM). We found that a conformational shift in mitochondrial complex I during acute hypoxia11drives the acidification of the matrix and solubilization of calcium phosphate precipitates. The concomitant increase in matrix free-Ca2+activates the mitochondrial Na+/Ca2+exchanger (NCLX), which imports Na+into the matrix. Na+interacts with phospholipids reducing IMM fluidity and mobility of free ubiquinone between complex II and complex III, but not inside supercomplexes. As a consequence, superoxide is produced at complex III, generating a redox signal. Inhibition of mitochondrial Na+import through NCLX is sufficient to block this pathway, preventing adaptation to hypoxia. These results reveal that Na+import into the mitochondrial matrix controls OXPHOS function and redox signalling through an unexpected interaction with phospholipids, with profound consequences in cellular metabolism.
LRRK2 kinase inhibitors induce a reversible effect in the lungs of non-human primates with no measurable pulmonary deficits
Authors: Baptista Marco A.S. , Merchant Kalpana , Barrett Ted , Bryce Diane K. , Ellis Michael , Estrada Anthony A. , Fell Matthew J. , Fiske Brian K. , Fuji Reina N. , Galatsis Paul , Henry Anastasia G. , Hill Sue , Hirst Warren , Houle Christopher , Kennedy Matthew E. , Liu Xingrong , Maddess Matthew L. , Markgraf Carrie , Mei Hong , Meier William A. , Ploch Stephen , Royer Christopher , Rudolph Karin , Sharma Alok K. , Stepan Antonia , Steyn Stefan , Trost Craig , Yin Zhizhang , Yu Hongshi , Wang Xiang , Sherer Todd B.
Published: August 2018

Putative gain-of-function mutations in leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2), resulting in increased kinase activity and cellular toxicity, are a leading genetic cause of Parkinson’s disease (PD). Hence, there is strong interest in developing LRRK2 kinase inhibitors as a disease-modifying therapy. Published reports that repeat dosing with two LRRK2 kinase inhibitors (GNE-7915 and GNE-0877) induce histopathological changes in the lung of non-human primates Fuji et al. 2015 (1) raised concerns about potential safety liability of LRRK2 kinase inhibitors. In the present study, we sought to determine whether previously observed effects in the lung: (a) represent on-target pharmacology, but with the potential for margin of safety, (b) are reversible upon drug withdrawal, and (c) are associated with pulmonary function deficits. To this end, we evaluated the histopathological effects, toxicokinetics and target inhibition of three structurally diverse LRRK2 kinase inhibitors, GNE-7915 (30 mg/kg, BID, as a positive control), MLi-2 (15 and 50 mg/kg, QD) and PFE-360 (3 and 6 mg/kg, QD) following 2 weeks of dosing in non-human primates. Subsets of animals dosed with GNE-7915 or MLi-2 were evaluated after 2-week dose-free periods. All three LRRK2 kinase inhibitors induced mild cytoplasmic vacuolation of type II pneumocytes, as reported previously, confirming an on-target effect of these compounds. Interestingly, despite lower doses of both PFE-360 and MLi-2 producing nearly complete inhibition of LRRK2 kinase activity in the brain as assessed by levels of pS935-LRRK2, histopathological changes in lung were absent in animals treated with low-dose PFE-360 and observed only sporadically in the low-dose MLi-2 group. The lung effect was fully reversible at 2 weeks post-dosing of GNE-7915. In a second study of identical dosing with MLi-2 and GNE-7915, no deficits were observed in a battery of translational pulmonary functional tests. In aggregate, these results do not preclude the development of LRRK2 kinase inhibitors for clinical investigation in Parkinson’s disease.
Transcription factor activity and nucleosome organisation in mitosis
Authors: Festuccia Nicola , Owens Nick , Papadopoulou Thaleia , Gonzalez Inma , Tachtsidi Alexandra , Vandoermel-Pournin Sandrine , Gallego Elena , Gutierrez Nancy , Dubois Agnès , Cohen-Tannoudj Michel , Navarro Pablo
Published: August 2018

Mitotic bookmarking transcription factors (BFs) maintain the capacity to bind to their targets during mitosis, despite major rearrangements of the chromatin. While they were thought to propagate gene regulatory information through mitosis by statically occupying their DNA targets, it has recently become clear that BFs are highly dynamic in mitotic cells. This represents both a technical and a conceptual challenge to study and understand the function of BFs: first, formaldehyde has been suggested to be unable to efficiently capture these transient interactions, leading to profound contradictions in the literature; second, if BFs are not permanently bound to their targets during mitosis, it becomes unclear how they convey regulatory information to daughter cells. Here, comparing formaldehyde to alternative fixatives we clarify the nature of the chromosomal association of previously proposed BFs in embryonic stem cells: while Esrrb can be considered as a canonical BF that binds at selected regulatory regions in mitosis, Sox2 and Oct4 establish DNA sequence independent interactions with the mitotic chromosomes, either throughout the chromosomal arms (Sox2) or at pericentromeric regions (Oct4). Moreover, we show that ordered nucleosomal arrays are retained during mitosis at Esrrb book-marked sites, whereas regions losing transcription factor binding display a profound loss of order. By maintaining nucleosome positioning during mitosis, Esrrb might ensure the rapid post-mitotic re-establishment of functional regulatory complexes at selected enhancers and promoters. Our results provide a mechanistic framework that reconciles dynamic mitotic binding with the transmission of gene regulatory information across cell division.