bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The neurological complications of chikungunya virus: A systematic review
Authors: Mehta Ravi , Gerardin Patrick , de Brito Carlos Alexandre Antunes , Soares Cristiane Nascimento , Ferreira Maria Lucia Brito , Solomon Tom
Published: April 2018

We performed a systematic review on the neurological complications of chikungunya virus. Such complications are being reported increasingly, owing primarily to the scale of recent epidemics but also to a growing understanding of the virus' neurovirulence. We performed a thorough literature search using PubMed and Scopus databases, summating the data on all published reports of neurological disease associated with chikungunya virus. We appraised the data for each major condition in adults, children, and neonates, as well as evaluating the latest evidence on disease pathogenesis and management strategies. The review provides a comprehensive summary for clinicians, public health officials, and researchers tackling the challenges associated with this important emerging pathogen.
Indirect adaptive robust control of nonlinear systems with time‐varying parameters in a strict feedback form
Authors: Wu Jinbo , Zhao Jiafeng , Wu Donglai
Published: April 2018

Without any prior knowledge of the physical bounds of unknown parameters and uncertain nonlinearities, an indirect adaptive robust controller is constructed for uncertain nonlinear time‐varying systems in a strict‐feedback form. Firstly, an adaptive strong robust controller is derived based on the command filtered adaptive backstepping approach. This controller not only can guarantee the boundedness of the closed‐loop system signals in the presence of time‐varying (TV) parameters and uncertain nonlinearities but also obviate the need to compute analytic derivatives of virtual control functions. Thus, the problem of “explosion of terms” in the standard adaptive backstepping technique is avoided. Through introduction of a simple adaptation law on the upper bound of uncertainties, a smooth robust control term is used to realize the disturbance attenuation. Afterwards, based on the nonlinear X‐swapping techniques, a modular approach in which the controller and the identifier can be designed separately is exploited. A novel algorithm is proposed to estimate the TV parameters accurately. By adopting the variation trend of the covariance matrix as an indicator of the driving signals' persistent excitation level, this online parameter estimation law is switched between a modified least‐squares algorithm and a gradient algorithm based on fixed σ‐modification. Finally, a series of properties on the asymptotic stability and the global uniform ultimate boundedness of the closed‐loop system is established. Simulation results verify the effectiveness of the suggested method.
Design, control, and visual navigation of the DelftaCopter VTOL tail‐sitter UAV
Authors: De Wagter Christophe , Ruijsink Rick , Smeur Ewoud J. J. , van Hecke Kevin G. , van Tienen Freek , van der Horst Erik , Remes Bart D. W.
Published: April 2018

To participate in the Outback Medical Express UAV Challenge 2016, a vehicle was designed and tested that can autonomously hover precisely, takeoff and land vertically, fly fast forward efficiently, and use computer vision to locate a person and a suitable landing location. The vehicle is a novel hybrid tail‐sitter combining a delta‐shaped biplane fixed‐wing and a conventional helicopter rotor. The rotor and wing are mounted perpendicularly to each other,and the entire vehicle pitches down to transition from hover to fast forward flight where the rotor serves as propulsion. To deliver sufficient thrust in hover while still being efficient in fast forward flight, a custom rotor system was designed. The theoretical design was validated with energy measurements, wind tunnel tests, and application in real‐world missions. A rotor‐head and corresponding control algorithm were developed to allow transitioning flight with the nonconventional rotor dynamics that are caused by the fuselage rotor interaction. Dedicated electronics were designed that meet vehicle needs and comply with regulations to allow safe flight beyond visual line of sight. Vision‐based search and guidance algorithms running on a stereo‐vision fish‐eye camera were developed and tested to locate a person in cluttered terrain never seen before. Flight tests and a competition participation illustrate the applicability of the DelftaCopter concept.
The Volga: Management issues in the largest river basin in Europe
Authors: Schletterer M. , Shaporenko S.I. , Kuzovlev V.V. , Minin A.E. , Van Geest G.J. , Middelkoop H. , Górski K.
Published: April 2018

The Volga is the longest river in Europe and 16th longest in the world. The riverine landscape of the Volga is of exceptional scientific and economic importance to Russia; the basin contains approximately 40% of the Russian population and relates to 45% of the country's industrial and agricultural produce. The Volga River drains an area of 1.4 million km2, covering various biomes from taiga to semidesert. Anthropogenic impacts in the 20th century include pollution as well as hydropower production and navigation purposes, incurring a cost for its historically important migratory fish (e.g., sturgeons) and related fisheries. River basin management in Russia, since 2006, is based on the water code that determines federal competencies in water management. Extensive water quality monitoring programmes provide feedback to regional managers. Monitoring of biological parameters is spatially limited and should be extended in order to provide sufficient data for informed management. Some initiatives have been implemented in recent decades in order to restore the ecological health of the river and manage fisheries resources (e.g., restocking programmes and the definition of total allowable catches). As recreational fishing is popular but presently unregulated in Russia, we suggest additional monitoring. Finally, the headwaters and lower river floodplain of the Volga have remained as free‐flowing and relatively undisturbed systems. Because reference conditions with low levels of anthropogenic disturbance cannot be found in Central European lowland rivers, both the headwaters and lower Volga floodplains below Volgograd are of great importance on European level.
Analysis of bandwidth aggregation techniques for combined use of satellite and xDSL broadband links
Authors: Abdelsalam A. , Luglio M. , Roseti C. , Zampognaro F.
Published: April 2018

The availability of multiple technologies to access the Internet is even more common in today's connectivity scenarios. As an example, smartphones make use of 3G/4G data technology but, when a Wi‐Fi access point is available, they switch from 3G/4G (which typically is a paid per volume service) to the wireless local access. The same principle is applicable for fixed access, when terrestrial ADSL or optical fiber and satellite technologies can be typically available in the same place. This paper focuses on the simultaneous availability of different access technologies with the capability to use them in combination, to offer better performance than the traditional single technology access.
Improving testing and description of treatment effect in clinical trials with survival outcomes
Authors: Yang Song
Published: April 2018

Cox model inference and the log‐rank test have been the cornerstones for design and analysis of clinical trials with survival outcomes. In this article, we summarize some recently developed methods for analyzing survival data when the hazards may possibly be nonproportional and also propose some new estimators for summary measures of the treatment effect. These methods utilize the short‐term and long‐term hazard ratio model proposed in Yang and Prentice (2005), which contains the Cox model and also accommodates various nonproportional hazards scenarios. Without the proportional hazards assumption, these methods often improve the log‐rank test and inference procedures based on the Cox model, as well as nonparametric procedures currently available in the literature. The proposed methods have sound theoretical justifications and can be computed quickly. R codes for implementing them are available. Detailed illustrations with 3 clinical trials are provided.
The association between smartphone use, stress, and anxiety: A meta‐analytic review
Authors: Vahedi Zahra , Saiphoo Alyssa
Published: April 2018

Research investigating the various mental, physical, and social effects of smartphone use has proliferated in the previous decade. Two variables of interest in this literature are the levels of anxiety and stress associated with smartphone use. The current meta‐analysis aimed to provide the first quantitative review of this literature, as well as determine potential moderators that might influence this relationship. A total of 39 independent samples (N = 21, 736) were used to compute a summary effect size ofr = .22,p < .001, CI [.17–.28] indicating a small‐to‐medium association between smartphone use and stress and anxiety. Significant moderators included the year in which the article was published, as well as whether problematic or nonproblematic phone use was assessed. In addition, studies using validated measures of smartphone use indicated a (nonsignificantly) larger association than studies using nonvalidated measures. Strengths and limitations of the meta‐analysis, as well as future directions of research are discussed.
Ripple: Reflection analysis for Android apps in incomplete information environments
Authors: Zhang Yifei , Li Yue , Tan Tian , Xue Jingling
Published: April 2018

Reflection poses grave problems for static security analysis, despite its widespread use in Android apps. In general, string inference has been mainly used to handle reflection, resulting in significantly missed security vulnerabilities. In this work, we bring forward the ubiquity of incomplete information environments (IIEs) for Android apps, where some critical dataflows are missing during static analysis and the need for resolving reflective calls under IIEs. We present Ripple, the first IIE‐aware static reflection analysis for Android apps that resolves reflective calls more soundly than string inference. Validation with 17 popular Android apps from Google Play demonstrates the effectiveness of Ripple in discovering reflective targets with a low false positive rate (due to its trade‐off made among soundness, precision, and scalability). As a result, Ripple enables FlowDroid, a taint analysis for Android apps, to find hundreds of sensitive data leakages that would otherwise be missed. As a fundamental analysis, Ripple will be valuable for many security analysis clients, since more program behaviors can now be analyzed under IIEs.
Hybrid α‐Diimine/Bis(chalcogenoether) Ligands for Copper(I) and Copper(II) Complexes
Authors: Bubrin Martina , Kvapilová Hana , Fiedler Jan , Ehret Fabian , Záliš Stanislav , Kaim Wolfgang
Published: April 2018

The new ligands L = 1,4‐bis(2‐methylchalcogenophenyl)‐2,3‐dimethyl‐1,4‐diaza‐1,3‐diene [chalcogen = O (1), S (2) or Se (3)] have been studied in their coordination behavior towards CuI and CuII. Whereas the O‐ether containing ligand forms complex ions [Cu(L)2]n+ = 4n+, with exclusive N‐coordination (n = 1) or N and weaker O coordination (n = 2), the species with E = S or Se contain tetradentate ligands in [Cu(L)]+ (5+, 6+) and [Cu(L)L′]n+ [n = 1, L′ = TfO– (E = S) or n = 2 and L′ = H2O (E = Se)]. Molecular structures in the crystals of 5+ and 6+ show distorted tetrahedral N coordination at the metal and innocently behaving α‐diimine functions, in agreement with spectroscopic and computational data. The copper(II) ions [Cu(L)L′]2+ with one tetradentate ligand L = 2 or 3 exhibit a square‐pyramidal configuration at the metal. Two isolated crystalline forms of 42+ show weak coordination (2.636–2.96 Å) of three or four ether oxygen atoms, resulting in 4+3 or 4+4 coordination arrangements for N and O donors, respectively. In agreement with the rather different CuI and CuII structures the electrochemical oxidation of the copper(I) complexes and the reduction of the corresponding CuII species reveal an ECEC behavior within a square scheme, whereas the reduction of the CuI compounds, most likely at the diimine site, proceeds irreversibly. UV/Vis spectroelectrochemical results showing intense MLCT and IL absorptions were analyzed with the help of TD‐DFT calculations.
Jet angularity measurements for single inclusive jet production
Authors: Kang Zhong-Bo , Lee Kyle , Ringer Felix
Published: April 2018

Abstract

We study jet angularity measurements for single-inclusive jet production at the LHC. Jet angularities depend on a continuous parameter a allowing for a smooth interpolation between different traditional jet shape observables. We establish a factorization theorem within Soft Collinear Effective Theory (SCET) where we consistently take into account in- and out-of-jet radiation by making use of semi-inclusive jet functions. For comparison, we elaborate on the differences to jet angularities measured on an exclusive jet sample. All the necessary ingredients for the resummation at next-to-leading logarithmic (NLL) accuracy are presented within the effective field theory framework. We expect semiinclusive jet angularity measurements to be feasible at the LHC and we present theoretical predictions for the relevant kinematic range. In addition, we investigate the potential impact of jet angularities for quark-gluon discrimination.
Differential influence of elevated CO2 on gas exchange and water use efficiency of four indigenous shrub species distributed in different sandy environments in central Inner Mongolia
Authors: Li Qiaoyan , Lai Liming , Zhou Jihua , Du Hui , Guan Tianyu , Zhang Xiaolong , Jiang Lianhe , Zheng Yuanrun , Yu Yi , Gao Yong , An Ping , Shimizu Hideyuki
Published: April 2018

In view of the increase in global warming and carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations, it is essential to investigate the influences of climate change on plant growth and water use in arid and semi‐arid grassland species. Experiments were conducted to understand the ecophysiological response of four indigenous species to elevated CO2 in the semi‐arid sandy grassland of central Inner Mongolia. Seedlings of the four species were grown for 8 weeks at four different consistently elevated CO2 concentrations in the environment‐controlled growth chambers. All four elevated CO2 concentrations (400, 800, 1200, 1600 ppm) were found to result in decreased stomatal conductance (26–86%), decreased transpiration rate (21–80%), increased shoot water potential (1–42%) and increased water use efficiency (WUE) (10–412%) for two Artemisia species and Caragana korshinskii. Under our experimental conditions, the two Artemisia species and C. korshinskii would benefit more than Hedysarum laeve from exposure to elevated CO2 in terms of higher shoot water potential and WUE combined with lower stomatal conductance and transpiration rate. The results indicate that in a warmer, CO2‐enriched future atmospheric environment, WUE in semi‐arid grasslands may be higher than previously expected. Our findings will provide information for screening appropriate species for restoration of the degraded sandy grasslands in semi‐arid areas under future climate change scenarios.
Catherine Zuckert on Politics and Literature
Authors: Zuckert Michael
Published: April 2018

Catherine Zuckert's earliest published work was in the area of Politics and Literature. From the start she saw this work as an important supplement to the dominant forms of political science and American political thought. Her work in this area, especially her manifesto-like journal articles and her first book, Natural Right and the American Imagination, made the case that literature provides insight into both the internal and hidden lives of democratic citizens as well as into the elusive broader regime-character of the political community.
‘Reappropriating’ Romeo and Juliet: the Play Restored to Italy
Authors: Paravano Cristina
Published: April 2018

The story of Romeo and Juliet has been reinvented in a number of musical adaptations. One of the boldest and most sophisticated attempts is Giulietta e Romeo (2007), a two-act Italian production with the music of the French-Italian singer and composer Riccardo Cocciante and with a libretto by the poet Pasquale Panella. As Cristina Paravano argues in this article, the work offers a unique opportunity to rethink Shakespeare and Italy from a suggestive contemporary Italian perspective. What distinguished this production from other musical adaptations was its strong intertextuality on a musical and textual level. By embracing forms of re-creation and re -vision, it created a profoundly and intrinsically Italian version of the story, drawing on and combining Italian musical, literary, and cultural traditions. The result was a combination of Cocciante's pop-rock background, contemporary pop-electronic music, operatic conventions and techniques, and Italian musical tradition, all filtered through the memory of Nino Rota's tunes written for Zeffirelli's Romeo and Juliet. On the other hand, Panella's libretto taps into Shakespeare's Italian sources: while keeping to the Shakespearean plot line, the author adds interpolations from Luigi da Porto's Istoria novellamente ritrovata di due nobili amanti (1530) and Matteo Bandello's novella (1554, 2: IX). The present paper evaluates how this innovative rendition enacts a further exchange between England and Italy so that metaphorically Italy ‘reappropriates'’ its own story.
THE CONTRIBUTION OF ROBERT TORRENS TO RICARDO’S THEORY OF NATURAL WAGE
Authors: Rosell Olivier
Published: April 2018

This paper reconsiders the anteriority of Robert Torrens’s theory of natural wage to that of David Ricardo. Ricardo was influenced by Torrens’s thinking when writing the chapter on “Wages” of the Principles. For many historians of economic thought, this influence is limited to Torrens’s focus on the socio-cultural aspect of necessity goods, which determine the natural price of labor. While this interpretation is consistent with that of Ricardo, we argue that the anteriority of Torrens to Ricardo more generally focuses on the method used by the latter to justify the indexation of money wages on the money price of subsistence goods. Finally, this paper shows that the tribute paid to Torrens by Ricardo paradoxically explains posterity’s misunderstanding of his theory.
Neuropsychological Test Performance in Parkinsonism Without Dopaminergic Deficiency on [123I]-FP-CIT SPECT Imaging
Authors: Wyman-Chick Kathryn A. , Martin Phillip K. , Minár Michal , Menéndez-González Manuel , Erickson Lauren O. , Álvarez-Avellón Tania , Schroeder Ryan W.
Published: April 2018

Objectives: To examine neuropsychological test performance among individuals clinically diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease (PD) without evidence of dopaminergic deficiency on [123]I-CIT single photon emission computed tomography imaging. Methods: Data were obtained from the Parkinson’s Progression Marker Initiative. The sample included 59 participants with scans without evidence of dopaminergic deficiency (SWEDD), 412 with PD, and 114 healthy controls (HC). Tests included Judgment of Line Orientation, Letter-Number Sequencing, Symbol Digit Modalities, Hopkins Verbal Learning Test-Revised, and Letter and Category Fluency. Multivariate analysis of variance was used to compare standardized scores between the groups. Results: There was a statistically significant difference in performances between the groups, F(14,1155)=5.04; p<.001; partial η2=.058. Pairwise comparisons revealed significant differences in Category Fluency between SWEDD (M=0.22; SD=1.08) and HC (M=0.86; SD=1.15) and in Symbol Digit Modalities Test performance between SWEDD (M=45.09; SD=11.54) and HC (M=51.75; SD=9.79). No significant differences between SWEDD and PD were found. Using established criteria, approximately one in four participants in the SWEDD and PD groups met criteria for mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Conclusions: Individuals with SWEDD demonstrate significantly worse mental processing speed and semantic fluency than HC. The neuropsychological test performances and rates of MCI were similar between the SWEDD group and PD groups, which may reflect a common pathology outside of the nigrostriatal pathway. (JINS, 2018, 24, 646–651)
Estimates of Surface and Subsurface Boundary Current Transport Around Australia
Authors: Wijeratne Sarath , Pattiaratchi Charitha , Proctor Roger
Published: April 2018

A 15 year (2000–2014) simulation of the oceans around Australia, with the shelf‐scale model ozROMS, was used to estimate the mean, seasonal, and interannual variability of the surface and subsurface boundary currents and associated inflows. The simulation clarified some previous points of uncertainty and provided new information previously unknown and this is listed here. In the Indian Ocean, flow through the Timor Passage was linked to southeast Australia through the Holloway (HLC), Leeuwin (LC), South Australian (SAC), and Zeehan (ZC) Currents. The main inflows were from the Indonesian Throughflow and Eastern Gyral Current in the north whilst the central and southern branches of the South Indian Counter Current (SICC) provided major (>60%) inflows to the LC in the west. The HLC at North‐west Cape was at a maximum in April–May and its annual cycle accounted for 70% of the seasonal variance of LC, SAC, and ZC. In the Pacific Ocean, the northern branches of the South Equatorial Current were the main inputs to initiate the Hiri and East Australian (EAC) Currents flowing north and south, respectively, at ∼15°S. Inflow from the South Caledonia Jet to the EAC was ∼35%. The Flinders Current (FC) contributed to the Leeuwin Undercurrent (LU) directly as a northward flow and LU was enhanced from inflow from the subsurface southern SICC in the west (∼32–33°S). The majority of LU flowed westward offshore between 24 and 29°S while ∼25% continued northward to the northwest shelf. All Australian surface boundary currents systems were enhanced during the 2011–2013 La Niña.
Tidally Induced Instability Processes Suppressing River Plume Spread in a Nonrotating and Nonhydrostatic Regime
Authors: Iwanaka Yuichi , Isobe Atsuhiko
Published: April 2018

Field surveys near a river mouth and numerical model experiments were conducted to investigate how fine structures generated in a tidally influenced river plume (tidal plume) affect plume behavior. The estuarine front, which was accompanied by a meander with a wavelength of several tens of meters, was visualized based on accumulated foam and debris visible in aerial photographs taken by a ship‐towed balloon equipped with a digital camera. The conductivity‐temperature‐depth sensor casts suggested the bottom of the river plume with a thickness of <5 m undulated because of the development of small eddies with horizontal lengths of <100 m. A nonhydrostatic numerical model was able to reproduce the observed fine‐scale disturbances in the tidal plume. The river plume without tidal currents expanded offshoreward like a balloon, while the tidal plume was confined near the river mouth. It was found that the tidal plume was dynamically equilibrated between the pressure gradient term and the advection term. The latter was composed mainly of contributions from the fine‐scale disturbances, which act as friction because of the momentum exchange between the plume and ambient saline water. The horizontal and vertical components of the disturbances were generated by inertial and Kelvin‐Helmholtz instability processes, respectively. It is considered that a combination of the river plume and tidal currents enhances the current shear favorable for such instabilities to occur.
Influence of River‐Induced Fronts on Hydrocarbon Transport: A Multiplatform Observational Study
Authors: Androulidakis Yannis , Kourafalou Vassiliki , Özgökmen Tamay , Garcia‐Pineda Oscar , Lund Björn , Le Hénaff Matthieu , Hu Chuanmin , Haus Brian K. , Novelli Guillaume , Guigand Cedric , Kang HeeSook , Hole Lars , Horstmann Jochen
Published: April 2018

The Taylor Energy Site is located in the vicinity of the Mississippi Delta region over the Northern Gulf of Mexico (NGoM). Surface oil patches have been persistently observed within this site since 2004, when an oil rig was destroyed by Hurricane Ivan. A multiplatform observational experiment was conducted in April 2017 to investigate, for the first time, the main hydrocarbon pathways from the Taylor Energy Site toward the NGoM continental shelves, and the Gulf interior, under the influence of local and regional physical processes. Results indicate that the Mississippi River (MR)‐induced fronts over the Taylor Energy Site, in combination with local circulation, prevailing winds and broader regional dynamics determine the hydrocarbon transport. The drifters deployed during the field experiment, in tandem with satellite data, drone imagery, wind measurements, and radar‐derived data, efficiently described three major hydrocarbon pathways, associated with MR plume dynamics (downstream/upstream coastal currents) and basin‐wide circulation (offshore pathway). Two different types of drifters, drogued and undrogued, showed clearly different pathways, which suggest potential differences in the expected advection of oil, depending on whether it forms a surface slick or whether it is partially mixed below the surface. The existence of multiple river fronts influenced the fate of oiled waters, preventing the hydrocarbons from reaching the Delta, like a natural boom barrier, trapping and directing the oil either westward or eastward. Thermohaline measurements showed that the MR plume near Taylor was 5–10 m deep, while the clearer ocean was characterized by a 40 m upper ocean homogenous layer.
In Situ and Satellite Observations of Phytoplankton Size Classes in the Entire Continental Shelf Sea, China
Authors: Sun Xuerong , Shen Fang , Liu Dongyan , Bellerby Richard G. J. , Liu Yangyang , Tang Rugang
Published: April 2018

Phytoplankton size classes (PSCs) is of great significance for exploring marine ecological and biogeochemical processes. Remote sensing of PSCs has been successfully applied to open oceans; however, it is still quite limited for optically complex coastal oceans. In this study, the entire continental shelf sea of China including Bohai Sea (BS), Yellow Sea (YS), and East China Sea (ECS) characterized by distinctive turbid waters and impacted by plumes of large world‐class river (the Changjiang River) was taken as an example of turbid coastal ocean for remotely sensed spatial‐temporal distributions of PSCs. In situ data were collected from cruises during April to June in 2014 and an improved algorithm for PSCs retrieval was proposed. PSCs derived from GOCI (Geostationary Ocean Color Imager) images revealed that microplankton was dominant in the BS, the YS, and the nearshore ECS and nanoplankton distributed widely in the entire study area, while picoplankton mainly distributed in the offshore ECS in April, which was consistent with in situ investigation and related to environmental factors. Validation indicated that the improved algorithm provided a more accurate estimation of PSCs, with the root mean square error (RMSE) between estimated and measured size‐fractionated concentrations been 0.774, 0.257, and 0.142 mg m−3 for micro, nano, and picoplankton, respectively. Diurnal variations of PSCs were mainly affected by tidal currents and light intensity depending on different water types. These illustrated that remote sensed spatial distributions as well as diurnal variations of PSCs are effective in turbid continental shelf seas of China.
Investigating the Effects of Pacific Sea Surface Temperatures on the Wind Drought of 2015 Over the United States
Authors: Lledó Llorenç , Bellprat Omar , Doblas‐Reyes Francisco J. , Soret Albert
Published: April 2018

During the first quarter of 2015 the United States experienced a widespread and extended episode of low surface wind speeds. This episode had a strong impact on wind power generation. Some wind farms did not generate enough cash for their steady payments, and the value of some assets decreased. Although the wind industry expressed their concerns, the episode has not received much attention from the scientific community and remains weakly understood. In this paper we aim to fill this gap and advance understanding of the underlying processes at seasonal time scales. Using retrospective climate predictions, we find that high sea surface temperatures in the western tropical Pacific ocean associated with a strongly positive phase of the North Pacific Mode played a central role to establish and maintain those wind anomalies. In a more general way it has also been shown that interannual variability of wind speed over North America is not only dominated by El Niño/Southern Oscillation but also by other sea surface temperature variations in the tropical Pacific. This new knowledge can be useful for industry stakeholders to anticipate future periods of low wind speed.
Atmospheric and Surface Climate Associated With 1986–2013 Wildfires in North America
Authors: Hostetler S. W. , Bartlein P. J. , Alder J. R.
Published: April 2018

We analyze climate simulations conducted with the RegCM3 regional climate model on 50‐ and 15‐km model grids to diagnose the dependence of wildfire incidence and area burned variations on monthly climate long‐term means and anomalies over North America for the period 1986–2013. We created a new wildfire database by merging the Fire Program Analysis Fire‐Occurrence Database, the National Interagency Fire Center Fire History Data, and the Canadian National Fire Database. The database includes 2,083,865 daily fire starts that burned a total of 1.25 × 108 ha in North America. We derive long‐term climatologies, standardized gamma indices, and composite climate anomalies of atmospheric circulation (500‐hPa height and wind) and various surface fields (e.g., solar radiation, soil moisture, vapor pressure deficit, and latent and sensible heat fluxes) to illustrate the climatology of burned area. The immediate and lagged monthly atmospheric circulation and surface climate anomalies differentiate high‐ and low‐fire years and the role of El Niño–Southern Oscillation in wildfire occurrence. Our approach demonstrates the association of the seasonal cycles of wildfire and climate and the strong role of climatic variability in modulating the seasonal cycle as a control of wildfire on monthly time scales.
MEK inhibitors overcome resistance to BET inhibition across a number of solid and hematologic cancers
Authors: Wyce Anastasia , Matteo Jeanne J. , Foley Shawn W. , Felitsky Daniel J. , Rajapurkar Satyajit R. , Zhang Xi-Ping , Musso Melissa C. , Korenchuk Susan , Karpinich Natalie O. , Keenan Kathryn M. , Stern Melissa , Mathew Lijoy K. , McHugh Charles F. , McCabe Michael T. , Tummino Peter J. , Kruger Ryan G. , Carpenter Christopher , Barbash Olena
Published: April 2018

BET inhibitors exhibit broad activity in cancer models, making predictive biomarkers challenging to define. Here we investigate the biomarkers of activity of the clinical BET inhibitor GSK525762 (I-BET; I-BET762) across cancer cell lines and demonstrate that KRAS mutations are novel resistance biomarkers. This finding led us to combine BET with RAS pathway inhibition using MEK inhibitors to overcome resistance, which resulted in synergistic effects on growth and survival in RAS pathway mutant models as well as a subset of cell lines lacking RAS pathway mutations. GSK525762 treatment up-regulated p-ERK1/2 levels in both RAS pathway wild-type and mutant cell lines, suggesting that MEK/ERK pathway activation may also be a mechanism of adaptive BET inhibitor resistance. Importantly, gene expression studies demonstrated that the BET/MEK combination uniquely sustains down-regulation of genes associated with mitosis, leading to prolonged growth arrest that is not observed with either single agent therapy. These studies highlight a potential to enhance the clinical benefit of BET and MEK inhibitors and provide a strong rationale for clinical evaluation of BET/MEK combination therapies in cancer.
Crystalline polymer nanofibers with ultra-high strength and thermal conductivity
Authors: Shrestha Ramesh , Li Pengfei , Chatterjee Bikramjit , Zheng Teng , Wu Xufei , Liu Zeyu , Luo Tengfei , Choi Sukwon , Hippalgaonkar Kedar , de Boer Maarten P. , Shen Sheng
Published: April 2018

Polymers are widely used in daily life, but exhibit low strength and low thermal conductivity as compared to most structural materials. In this work, we develop crystalline polymer nanofibers that exhibit a superb combination of ultra-high strength (11 GPa) and thermal conductivity, exceeding any existing soft materials. Specifically, we demonstrate unique low-dimensionality phonon physics for thermal transport in the nanofibers by measuring their thermal conductivity in a broad temperature range from 20 to 320 K, where the thermal conductivity increases with increasing temperature following an unusual ~T1 trend below 100 K and eventually peaks around 130–150 K reaching a metal-like value of 90 W m−1 K−1, and then decays as 1/T. The polymer nanofibers are purely electrically insulating and bio-compatible. Combined with their remarkable lightweight-thermal-mechanical concurrent functionality, unique applications in electronics and biology emerge.
Aqueous rechargeable zinc/sodium vanadate batteries with enhanced performance from simultaneous insertion of dual carriers
Authors: Wan Fang , Zhang Linlin , Dai Xi , Wang Xinyu , Niu Zhiqiang , Chen Jun
Published: April 2018

Rechargeable aqueous zinc-ion batteries are promising energy storage devices due to their high safety and low cost. However, they remain in their infancy because of the limited choice of positive electrodes with high capacity and satisfactory cycling performance. Furthermore, their energy storage mechanisms are not well established yet. Here we report a highly reversible zinc/sodium vanadate system, where sodium vanadate hydrate nanobelts serve as positive electrode and zinc sulfate aqueous solution with sodium sulfate additive is used as electrolyte. Different from conventional energy release/storage in zinc-ion batteries with only zinc-ion insertion/extraction, zinc/sodium vanadate hydrate batteries possess a simultaneous proton, and zinc-ion insertion/extraction process that is mainly responsible for their excellent performance, such as a high reversible capacity of 380 mAh g–1 and capacity retention of 82% over 1000 cycles. Moreover, the quasi-solid-state zinc/sodium vanadate hydrate battery is also a good candidate for flexible energy storage device.
Polaron freezing and the quantum liquid-crystal phase in the ferromagnetic metallic La0.67Ca0.33MnO3
Authors: Panopoulos Nikolaos , Pissas Michael , Kim Hae Jin , Kim Jin-Gyu , Yoo Seung Jo , Hassan Jamal , AlWahedi Yasser , Alhassan Saeed , Fardis Michael , Boukos Nikos , Papavassiliou Georgios
Published: April 2018

The remarkable electronic properties of colossal magnetoresistive manganites are widely believed to be caused by the competition between a ferromagnetic metallic state and an antiferromagnetic insulating state with complex spin, charge, and orbital ordering. However, the physics underlying their magnetotransport properties is still not clear, especially the role of correlated Jahn–Teller polarons, which depending on temperature and doping, might form a liquid, glass or stripe polaron state. This question touches one of the most fundamental problems in the physics of doped Mott insulators, i.e. understanding the mechanism that chemical doping makes an insulator becoming superconductive as in the case of cuprates, or exhibiting the colossal magnetoresistance effect, as in the case of manganites. Here, by using 139La NMR and high resolution transmission electron microscopy in the temperature range 3.2–1000 K, we have monitored the formation and evolution of CE-type polarons in optimally doped La0.67Ca0.33MnO3. While NMR experiments show that correlated polarons dominate electron spin dynamics in the ferromagnetic phase, at very low temperatures they appear to form a quantum liquid-crystal like ferromagnetic phase, embedded into a ferromagnetic matrix with 3D polaron correlations. This is evidence that similarly to high Tc cuprates, quantum soft phases underlie the exotic physical properties of colossal magnetoresistive manganites.
Enhancing learning and retrieval of new information: a review of the forward testing effect
Authors: Yang Chunliang , Potts Rosalind , Shanks David R.
Published: April 2018

In recent years evidence has accumulated showing that interim testing of studied information facilitates learning and retrieval of new information—the forward testing effect. In the current article, we review the empirical evidence and putative mechanisms underlying this effect. The possible negative effects of administering interim tests and how these negative effects can be mitigated are discussed. We also propose some important directions for future research to explore. Finally, we summarize the practical implications for optimizing learning and teaching in educational settings.
Author Correction: Machine learning for the meta-analyses of microbial pathogens’ volatile signatures
Authors: Palma Susana I. C. J. , Traguedo Ana P. , Porteira Ana R. , Frias Maria J. , Gamboa Hugo , Roque Ana C. A.
Published: April 2018

A correction to this article has been published and is linked from the HTML and PDF versions of this paper. The error has not been fixed in the paper.
Author Correction: Gray and white matter integrity influence TMS signal propagation: a multimodal evaluation in cocaine-dependent individuals
Authors: Kearney-Ramos Tonisha E. , Lench Daniel H. , Hoffman Michaela , Correia Brittany , Dowdle Logan T. , Hanlon Colleen A.
Published: April 2018

A correction to this article has been published and is linked from the HTML and PDF versions of this paper. The error has not been fixed in the paper.
miR-9 upregulation leads to inhibition of erythropoiesis by repressing FoxO3
Authors: Zhang Yunyuan , Li Liping , Yu Chunjie , Senyuk Vitalyi , Li Fuxing , Quigley John G. , Zhu Tongyu , Qian Zhijian
Published: April 2018

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are emerging as critical regulators of normal and malignant hematopoiesis. In previous studies of acute myeloid leukemia miR-9 overexpression was commonly observed. Here, we show that ectopic expression of miR-9 in vitro and in vivo significantly blocks differentiation of erythroid progenitor cells with an increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. Consistent with this observation, ROS scavenging enzymes, including superoxide dismutase (Sod2), Catalase (Cat), and glutathine peroxidase (Gpx1), are down-regulated by miR-9. In addition, miR-9 suppresses expression of the erythroid transcriptional regulator FoxO3, and its down-stream targets Btg1 and Cited 2 in erythroid progenitor cells, while expression of a constitutively active form of FoxO3 (FoxO3-3A) reverses miR-9-induced suppression of erythroid differentiation, and inhibits miR-9-induced ROS production. Thus, our findings indicate that aberrant expression of miR-9 blocks erythropoiesis by deregulating FoxO3-mediated pathways, which may contribute to the ineffective erythropoiesis observed in patients with hematological malignancies.
Molecular design of radiocopper-labelled Affibody molecules
Authors: Tolmachev Vladimir , Grönroos Tove J. , Yim Cheng-Bin , Garousi Javad , Yue Ying , Grimm Sebastian , Rajander Johan , Perols Anna , Haaparanta-Solin Merja , Solin Olof , Ferdani Riccardo , Orlova Anna , Anderson Carolyn J. , Karlström Amelie Eriksson
Published: April 2018

The use of long-lived positron emitters 64Cu or 61Cu for labelling of Affibody molecules may improve breast cancer patients’ stratification for HER-targeted therapy. Previous animal studies have shown that the use of triaza chelators for 64Cu labelling of synthetic Affibody molecules is suboptimal. In this study, we tested a hypothesis that the use of cross-bridged chelator, CB-TE2A, in combination with Gly-Glu-Glu-Glu spacer for labelling of Affibody molecules with radiocopper would improve imaging contrast. CB-TE2A was coupled to the N-terminus of synthetic Affibody molecules extended either with a glycine (designation CB-TE2A-G-ZHER2:342) or Gly-Glu-Glu-Glu spacer (CB-TE2A-GEEE-ZHER2:342). Biodistribution and targeting properties of 64Cu-CB-TE2A-G-ZHER2:342 and 64Cu-CB-TE2A-GEEE-ZHER2:342 were compared in tumor-bearing mice with the properties of 64Cu-NODAGA-ZHER2:S1, which had the best targeting properties in the previous study. 64Cu-CB-TE2A-GEEE-ZHER2:342 provided appreciably lower uptake in normal tissues and higher tumor-to-organ ratios than 64Cu-CB-TE2A-G-ZHER2:342 and 64Cu-NODAGA-ZHER2:S1. The most pronounced was a several-fold difference in the hepatic uptake. At the optimal time point, 6 h after injection, the tumor uptake of 64Cu-CB-TE2A-GEEE-ZHER2:342 was 16 ± 6%ID/g and tumor-to-blood ratio was 181 ± 52. In conclusion, a combination of the cross-bridged CB-TE2A chelator and Gly-Glu-Glu-Glu spacer is preferable for radiocopper labelling of Affibody molecules and, possibly, other scaffold proteins having high renal re-absorption.
Author Correction: Optimizing the fragment complementation of APEX2 for detection of specific protein-protein interactions in live cells
Authors: Xue Miaomiao , Hou Junjie , Wang Linlin , Cheng Dongwan , Lu Jingze , Zheng Li , Xu Tao
Published: April 2018

A correction to this article has been published and is linked from the HTML and PDF versions of this paper. The error has been fixed in the paper.
A wheat caffeic acid 3-O-methyltransferase TaCOMT-3D positively contributes to both resistance to sharp eyespot disease and stem mechanical strength
Authors: Wang Minxia , Zhu Xiuliang , Wang Ke , Lu Chungui , Luo Meiying , Shan Tianlei , Zhang Zengyan
Published: April 2018

Plant caffeic acid 3-O-methyltransferase (COMT) has been implicated in the lignin biosynthetic pathway through catalyzing the multi-step methylation reactions of hydroxylated monomeric lignin precursors. However, genetic evidence for its function in plant disease resistance is poor. Sharp eyespot, caused primarily by the necrotrophic fungus Rhizoctonia cerealis, is a destructive disease in hexaploid wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). In this study, a wheat COMT gene TaCOMT-3D, is identified to be in response to R. cerealis infection through microarray-based comparative transcriptomics. The TaCOMT-3D gene is localized in the long arm of the chromosome 3D. The transcriptional level of TaCOMT-3D is higher in sharp eyespot-resistant wheat lines than in susceptible wheat lines, and is significantly elevated after R. cerealis inoculation. After R. cerealis inoculation and disease scoring, TaCOMT-3D-silenced wheat plants exhibit greater susceptibility to sharp eyespot compared to unsilenced wheat plants, whereas overexpression of TaCOMT-3D enhances resistance of the transgenic wheat lines to sharp eyespot. Moreover, overexpression of TaCOMT-3D enhances the stem mechanical strength, and lignin (particular syringyl monolignol) accumulation in the transgenic wheat lines. These results suggest that TaCOMT-3D positively contributes to both wheat resistance against sharp eyespot and stem mechanical strength possibly through promoting lignin (especially syringyl monolignol) accumulation.
Low field magneto-tunable photocurrent in CoFe2O4 nanostructure films for enhanced photoelectrochemical properties
Authors: Singh Simrjit , Khare Neeraj
Published: April 2018

Efficient solar to hydrogen conversion using photoelectrochemical (PEC) process requires semiconducting photoelectrodes with advanced functionalities, while exhibiting high optical absorption and charge transport properties. Herein, we demonstrate magneto-tunable photocurrent in CoFe2O4 nanostructure film under low applied magnetic fields for efficient PEC properties. Photocurrent is enhanced from ~1.55 mA/cm2 to ~3.47 mA/cm2 upon the application of external magnetic field of 600 Oe leading to ~123% enhancement. This enhancement in the photocurrent is attributed to the reduction of optical bandgap and increase in the depletion width at CoFe2O4/electrolyte interface resulting in an enhanced generation and separation of the photoexcited charge carriers. The reduction of optical bandgap in the presence of magnetic field is correlated to the shifting of Co2+ ions from octahedral to tetrahedral sites which is supported by the Raman spectroscopy results. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy results confirm a decrease in the charge transfer resistance at the CoFe2O4/electrolyte interface in the presence of magnetic field. This work evidences a coupling of photoexcitation properties with magnetic properties of a ferromagnetic-semiconductor and the effect can be termed as magnetophototronic effect.
A new role for Zinc limitation in bacterial pathogenicity: modulation of α-hemolysin from uropathogenic Escherichia coli
Authors: Velasco Elsa , Wang Suning , Sanet Marianna , Fernández-Vázquez Jorge , Jové Daniel , Glaría Estibaliz , Valledor Annabel F. , O’Halloran Thomas V. , Balsalobre Carlos
Published: April 2018

Metal limitation is a common situation during infection and can have profound effects on the pathogen’s success. In this report, we examine the role of zinc limitation in the expression of a virulence factor in uropathogenic Escherichia coli. The pyelonephritis isolate J96 carries two hlyCABD operons that encode the RTX toxin α-hemolysin. While the coding regions of both operons are largely conserved, the upstream sequences, including the promoters, are unrelated. We show here that the two hlyCABD operons are differently regulated. The hly
II
operon is efficiently silenced in the presence of zinc and highly expressed when zinc is limited. In contrast, the hly
I
operon does not respond to zinc limitation. Genetic studies reveal that zinc-responsive regulation of the hly
II
operon is controlled by the Zur metalloregulatory protein. A Zur binding site was identified in the promoter sequence of the hly
II
operon, and we observe direct binding of Zur to this promoter region. Moreover, we find that Zur regulation of the hly
II
operon modulates the ability of E. coli J96 to induce a cytotoxic response in host cell lines in culture. Our report constitutes the first description of the involvement of the zinc-sensing protein Zur in directly modulating the expression of a virulence factor in bacteria.
Improving the intrinsic thermal stability of the MAPbI3 perovskite by incorporating cesium 5-aminovaleric acetate
Authors: Liu Xue , Zhang Yulong , Hua Jingchen , Peng Yong , Huang Fuzhi , Zhong Jie , Li Wangnan , Ku Zhiliang , Cheng Yi-bing
Published: April 2018

Cesium 5-aminovaleric acetate (NH2C4H8COOCs) was used to improve the intrinsic thermal stability of the methylammonium lead triiodide (MAPbI3) perovskite.
Wrinkle-induced high sorption makes few-layered black phosphorus a superior adsorbent for ionic organic compounds
Authors: Zhao Qing , Ma Wei , Pan Bo , Zhang Qianru , Zhang Xuejiao , Zhang Siyu , Xing Baoshan
Published: April 2018

Wrinkle-induced high sorption makes few-layered black phosphorus a superior adsorbent for both cationic and anionic organic compounds.
Fabrication and characterization of antistatic epoxy composite with multi-walled carbon nanotube-functionalized melamine foam
Authors: Feng Xueliang , Wang Jiangang , Zhang Chen , Du Zhongjie , Li Hangquan , Zou Wei
Published: April 2018

A novel strategy for synthesizing an antistatic epoxy composite was carried out.
Analysis of binding properties of pathogens and toxins using multivalent glycan microarrays
Authors: Kim Hyoung Sub , Hyun Ji Young , Park Seong-Hyun , Shin Injae
Published: April 2018

Microarrays constructed by immobilizing free glycans on multivalent hydrazide-coated surfaces were applied to evaluate multivalent glycan binding properties of pathogens.
Ambipolar organic phototransistors based on 6,6′-dibromoindigo
Authors: Kim Hyoeun , Kim Gyoungsik , Song Inho , Lee Jungho , Abdullah Hanum , Yang Changduk , Oh Joon Hak
Published: April 2018

Ambipolar phototransistors with a natural pigment, 6,6′-dibromoindigo (6-BrIG or tyrian purple), have been investigated.