bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Iron storage capacities and associated ferritin gene expression among marine diatoms
Authors: Cohen Natalie R. , Mann Elizabeth , Stemple Brooke , Moreno Carly M. , Rauschenberg Sara , Jacquot Jeremy E. , Sunda William G. , Twining Benjamin S. , Marchetti Adrian
Published: April 2018

In large regions of the ocean, low iron availability regulates diatom growth and species composition. Diatom species often vary in their physiological response to iron enrichment, with natural and artificial iron additions in iron‐limited regions of the ocean resulting in large blooms of primarily pennate diatoms. The ability of pennate diatoms to proliferate following pulse iron additions has been partly attributed to their ability to acquire and store excess intracellular iron in the iron storage protein ferritin. Recent transcriptome sequencing of diatoms indicate that some centric diatoms also possess ferritin. Using a combination of physiological and molecular techniques, we examined the iron storage capacities and associated ferritin gene expression in phylogenetically diverse centric and pennate diatoms grown under high and low iron concentrations. There were no systematic differences among ferritin‐containing and non‐containing diatom lineages in their ability to store iron in excess of that needed to support maximum growth rates. An exception, however, was the ferritin‐containing pennate diatom Pseudo‐nitzschia granii, native to iron‐limited waters of the Northeast Pacific Ocean. This species exhibited an exceptionally large luxury iron storage capacity and increased ferritin gene expression at high iron concentrations, supporting a role in long‐term iron storage. By contrast, two other diatoms species that exhibited minimal iron storage capacities contained two distinct ferritin genes where one ferritin gene increased in expression under iron limitation while the second showed no variation with cellular iron status. We conclude that ferritin may serve multiple functional roles that are independent of diatom phylogeny.
Rotational Cone Tribometer (RCT) for Approaching the Tribological Behavior of Hard and Soft Sealing Materials Under Dynamic Line Contact
Authors: Frick Achim , Muralidharan Vibunanthan
Published: April 2018

Rotational cone tribometer (RCT) was developed to study the tribological behavior in close to application contact conditions. RCT allows testing of a sample with line contact and also allows direct installation of a radial shaft seal. The RCT test evaluates, on one hand, the frictional behavior of a material sample in line contact, aiding material development for better tribological performance. On the other hand, it is also used to evaluate the frictional behavior of a ready manufactured sealing component. To assess the performance of the tribometer, differently manufactured thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) and acrylonitrile butadiene rubber (NBR) samples were analyzed in sliding contact against a steel contact partner in a sliding speed range of 1 · 10−3 m · s−1 till 2 m · s−1. The effect of the morphology of TPU on the tribological behavior is studied.
Preparation, Characterization, and Biological Activity Against Artemia Salina of News Copolymer PMMA‐g‐PEG Derivatives Incorporated With Fluconazole
Authors: Silveira Benila M. , Novack Kátia M. , Marcondes Helcio C. , Rebello dos Santos Viviane M.
Published: April 2018

The graft copolymer PMMA‐g‐PEG meets characteristics of their origin polymers: PMMA resistance and transparency and appropriate structure, including good solubility in water and organic solvents, lack of toxicity, and easy processing of the PEG, with inserted between the pharmacologically active polymers and can act as drugs or may be used as carriers for other drugs. The PMMA‐G‐PEG copolymer and their derivatives are synthesized previously and subsequently, the copolymer derivatives passed through the process of emulsification and incorporation of the drug fluconazole. Emulsified and Incorporated derivatives copolymers are characterized by Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential thermal analysis (DTA), X‐ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) after the incorporation, in order to evaluate their effectiveness. The efficiency of incorporation is evaluated as well as the influence of polymer chain complexity in the incorporated fluconazole. Their toxicities are determined against Artemia salina Leach. The LD50 values have also been obtained for these copolymers.
Complexation Between Partially Hydrolyzed Polyacrylamide (HPAM) and Quaternized Poly(4‐Vinylpyridine) (QP4VP)
Authors: Tennouga Lahcene , Benali Ahmed , Mansri Ali
Published: April 2018

The evolution of conductivity and potentiometric measurements during complexation process in a system of short chain of quaternized poly(4‐vinylpyridine) (QP4VP) and long chain of partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamide (HPAM) suggest two stages, the first is the formation of initial complex through counter‐ion exchange reaction, the release of counter‐ions have been thought to be ended at the first stage. However, it could extend to the second if the ions trapped in uncharged area inside the complex and if it along with the creation of new opposite charged functions. The second stage is reflected in the reorganization of the initial complex toward an equilibrium state, occur via acid base reaction that lead to hydrogen transfer and the creation of balance state between electrostatic interaction and hydrogen bond in polyelectrolyte exchange reactions between polyions chains within the complex, or with free polymer chains in solution. The first stage is fast comparing with the second; nevertheless, it is slow compared with many other systems of polyelectrolyte complex (PEC) that proceed within milliseconds, this difference is probably caused by the intramolecular and intermolecular association in HPAM that hardens and slows the penetration and the access of QP4VP chains to form the complex. Kinetic studies shows strong dependencies on neutralization degrees of QP4VP in both stages affect the evolution of complexation and the final structure of the PEC formed. The proposed mechanisms of the process may explain all the dependencies found.
Structural and metabolic brain correlates of apathy in Huntington's disease
Authors: Martínez‐Horta Saul , Perez‐Perez Jesús , Sampedro Frederic , Pagonabarraga Javier , Horta‐Barba Andrea , Carceller‐Sindreu Mar , Gomez‐Anson Beatriz , Lozano‐Martinez Gloria Andrea , Lopez‐Mora Diego Alfonso , Camacho Valle , Fernández‐León Alejandro , Carrió Ignasi , Kulisevsky Jaime
Published: April 2018

Background

Apathy is the most prevalent and characteristic neuropsychiatric feature of Huntington's disease. Congruent with the main early pathological changes, apathy is primarily associated with subcortical damage in frontal‐striatal circuits. However, little is known about its precise subserving mechanisms and the contribution of regions other than the basal ganglia.

Objectives

We aimed to define the neural correlates of apathy in Huntington's disease based on gray matter volume and PET/CT of 18F‐fluorodeoxyglucose metabolism.

Methods

We rated the severity of apathy in 40 mild Huntington's disease participants using the Problem Behaviors Assessment for Huntington's disease. Voxelwise regression analysis was performed, controlling for effects of potential confounders, and PET/CT results were corrected for the effects of gray matter atrophy.

Results

Apathy was strongly associated with decreased gray matter within a spatially distributed cortico‐subcortical network, with major compromise of the bilateral amygdala and temporal cortex. PET metabolism was significantly decreased in frontotemporal and parietal regions. Metabolic uptake and gray matter values in the identified clusters showed significant correlations with multiple clinical measures.

Conclusions

Our findings indicate that apathy in Huntington's disease is not exclusively a consequence of basal ganglia and related frontal‐executive alterations. It is subserved by a complex cortico‐subcortical network where critical reward and emotional‐related prefrontal, temporal, and limbic nodes contribute strongly to its severity. This highlights the contribution of damage in regions other than the basal ganglia to the clinical expression of Huntington's disease. © 2018 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society
An unsupervised automatic segmentation algorithm for breast tissue classification of dedicated breast computed tomography images
Authors: Caballo Marco , Boone John M. , Mann Ritse , Sechopoulos Ioannis
Published: April 2018

Purpose

To develop and evaluate a new automatic classification algorithm to identify voxels containing skin, vasculature, adipose, and fibroglandular tissue in dedicated breast CT images.

Methods

The proposed algorithm combines intensity‐ and region‐based segmentation methods with energy minimizing splines and unsupervised data mining approaches for classifying and segmenting the different tissue types. Breast skin segmentation is achieved by a region‐growing method which uses constraints from the previously extracted skin centerline to add robustness to the model and to reduce the false positive rate. An energy minimizing active contour model is then used to classify adipose tissue voxels by including gradient flow and region‐based features. Finally, blood vessels are separated from fibroglandular tissue by a k‐means clustering algorithm based on automatically extracted shape‐based features. To evaluate the accuracy of the algorithm, two sets of 15 different patient breast CT scans, each acquired with different breast CT systems and acquisition settings were obtained. Three slices from each scan were manually segmented under the supervision of an experienced breast radiologist and considered the gold standard. Comparisons with manual segmentation were quantified using five similarity metrics: Dice similarity coefficient (DSC), sensitivity, conformity coefficient, and two Hausdorff distance measures. To evaluate the robustness to image noise, the segmentation was repeated after separately adding Gaussian noise with increasing standard deviation (in four steps, from 0.01 to 0.04) to an additional 15 slices from the first dataset. In addition, to evaluate vasculature classification, three different pre‐ and postcontrast injection patient breast CT images were classified and compared. Finally, DSC was also used for quantitative comparisons with previously proposed approaches for breast CT tissue classification using 10 images from the first dataset.

Results

The algorithm showed a high accuracy in classifying the different tissue types for both breast CT systems, with an average DSC of 95% and 90% for the first and second image dataset, respectively. Furthermore, it demonstrated to be robust to image noise with a robustness to image noise of 85%, 83%, 79%, and 71% for the images corrupted with the four increasing noise levels. Previous methods for breast tissues classification resulted, for the tested dataset, in an average global DSC of 87%, while our approach resulted in a global average DSC of 94.5%.

Conclusions

The proposed algorithm resulted in accurate and robust breast tissue classification, with no prior training or threshold setting. Potential applications include breast density quantification and tissue pattern characterization (both biomarkers of cancer development), simulation‐based radiation dose analysis, and patient data‐based phantom design, which could be used for further breast imaging research.
Evaluation of machine log files/MC‐based treatment planning and delivery QA as compared to ArcCHECK QA
Authors: Stanhope Carl W. , Drake Douglas G. , Liang Jian , Alber Markus , Söhn Matthias , Habib Charbel , Willcut Virgil , Yan Di
Published: April 2018

Purpose

A treatment planning/delivery QA tool using linac log files (LF) and Monte Carlo (MC) dose calculation is investigated as a standalone alternative to phantom‐based patient‐specific QA (ArcCHECK (AC)).

Methods

Delivering a variety of fields onto MapCHECK2 and ArcCHECK, diode sensitivity dependence on dose rate (in‐field) and energy (primarily out‐of‐field) was quantified. AC and LF QAs were analyzed with respect to delivery complexity by delivering 12 × 12 cm static fields/arcs comprised of varying numbers of abutting sub‐fields onto ArcCHECK. About 11 clinical dual‐arc VMAT patients planned using Pinnacle's convolution–superposition (CS) were delivered on ArcCHECK and log file dose (LF‐CS and LF‐MC) calculated. To minimize calculation time, reduced LF‐CS sampling (1/2/3/4° control point spacing) was investigated. Planned (“Plan”) and LF‐reconstructed CS and MC doses were compared with each other and AC measurement via statistical [mean ± StdDev(σ)] and gamma analyses to isolate dosimetric uncertainties and quantify the relative accuracies of AC QA and MC‐based LF QA.

Results

Calculation and ArcCHECK measurement differed by up to 1.5% in‐field due to variation in dose rate and up to 5% out‐of‐field. For the experimental segment‐varying plans, despite CS calculation deviating by as much as 13% from measurement, Plan‐MC and LF‐MC doses generally matched AC measurement within 3%. Utilizing 1° control point spacing, 2%/2 mm LF‐CS vs AC pass rates (97%) were slightly lower than Plan‐CS vs AC pass rates (97.5%). Utilizing all log file samples, 2%/2 mm LF‐MC vs AC pass rates (97.3%) were higher than Plan‐MC vs AC (96.5%). Phantom‐dependent, calculation algorithm‐dependent (MC vs CS), and delivery error‐dependent dose uncertainties were 0.8 ± 1.2%, 0.2 ± 1.1%, and 0.1 ± 0.9% respectively.

Conclusion

Reconstructing every log file sample with no increase in computational cost, MC‐based LF QA is faster and more accurate than CS‐based LF QA. Offering similar dosimetric accuracy compared to AC measurement, MC‐based log files can be used for treatment planning QA.
Polynomial coefficients. Application to spin–spin splitting by N equivalent nuclei of spin I > 1/2
Authors: Perrin Charles L.
Published: April 2018

The NMR intensity pattern of a nucleus split by N identical nuclei of spin 1/2 is given by the binomial coefficients. These are conveniently obtained from Pascal's triangle, equivalent to the chemist's branching diagram. Much less well‐known is the pattern from splitting by N identical nuclei of spin I > 1/2. This was originally presented in terms of multinomial coefficients, but polynomial coefficients are more convenient. These describe the number of ways that N objects can be distributed to 2I + 1 numbered boxes. They arise in the polynomial expansion and are conveniently obtained from generalizations of Pascal's triangle. Examples and predictions are given.
Relationship of anxiety with joint pain and its management: A population survey
Authors: Barnett Lauren A. , Pritchard Mark G. , Edwards John J. , Afolabi Ebenezer K. , Jordan Kelvin P. , Healey Emma L. , Finney Andrew G. , Chew‐Graham Carolyn A. , Mallen Christian D. , Dziedzic Krysia S.
Published: April 2018

Objectives

The aims of the present study was to examine the associations between the severity of pain and anxiety in a community population reporting joint pain, and to investigate the management of joint pain in the presence of comorbid anxiety.

Methods

A population survey was carried out of people aged ≥45 years, registered with eight general practices in Cheshire, Shropshire and Staffordshire, UK. Respondents were asked to report pain intensity in their hands, hips, knees and feet (on a numerical rating scale), anxiety symptoms (Generalized Anxiety Disorder seven‐item [GAD‐7] scale) and guideline‐recommended treatments used to manage pain. Clinical anxiety was defined by a GAD‐7 score of 10 or more.

Results

A total of 11,222 respondents with joint pain were included in the analysis, with 1,802 (16.1%) reporting clinical anxiety. Respondents reporting more severe pain were more likely to report clinical anxiety (severe versus mild pain, odds ratio [OR] 5.36, 95% confidence interval [CI] 4.56 to 6.31). The number of pain sites was also positively associated with clinical anxiety (four versus one site; OR 3.64, 95% CI 3.09 to 4.30). Those with clinical anxiety were less likely to undertake general fitness exercises (OR 0.60, 95% CI 0.52 to 0.70), but more likely to diet (OR 1.43, 95% CI 1.21 to 1.69), use walking aids (OR 1.53, 95% CI 1.32 to 1.77) and assistive devices (OR 1.24, 95% CI 1.04 to 1.49), and more likely to use opioids (OR 1.34, 95% CI 1.18 to1.52).

Conclusions

Anxiety is common among patients presenting to primary care with joint pain. Patients with anxiety are likely to manage their joint pain differently to those without. Case‐finding to identify and treat anxiety would be appropriate in this population, with caution about opioid prescribing and consideration of exercise as an intervention.
Development and psychometric evaluation of ICIQ‐PadPROM: A quality of life questionnaire to assess the treatment effect of absorbent continence products
Authors: Yearwood Martin Charlotte , Murphy Catherine , Cotterill Nikki , Williams Sarah , Cottenden Alan , Fader Mandy
Published: April 2018

Aim

To describe the development and evaluation of the ICIQ‐PadPROM, the first self‐reported quality of life questionnaire to assess the treatment effect of absorbent continence products, a new addition to the set of ICIQ modules providing international standardized assessment of lower pelvic dysfunction.

Methods

Developed in four phases, question items semi‐structured interviews were conducted with pad using men (n = 19), women (n = 6), with secondary analysis undertaken on transcripts (n = 15 women) from a previous study. Validity of a draft 67 item questionnaire was tested through cognitive debriefing interviews (n = 34) and postal survey (n = 239). Reliability was evaluated by 65 users with a 3 week interval between completions. Expert opinion and factor analysis were used to reduce the final questionnaire to 17 scored and 3 unscored items.

Results

The questionnaire comprises four scored domains: Pad design and Physical Effects (seven items), Psychological Effects (four items), Social Effects and Pad Leakage (three items) and Burden of Pad Use (three items), plus three unscored items. Levels of missing data ranged from 0 to 7.6%, with fair‐to‐moderate agreement. The Cronbach's alpha coefficient for all question items was 0.91 and factor analysis was undertaken to reduce redundancy.

Conclusion

Existing incontinence‐related outcome tools measure change in symptoms and quality of life impact. The ICIQ PadPROM questionnaire is the first to measure the impact of absorbent continence products on quality of life in the absence of any change in symptoms and will help policy‐makers, clinicians, industry, and researchers to evaluate different products designs and materials for different patient populations.
Effect of prenatal diagnosis on hospital costs in complete transposition of the great arteries
Authors: Gupta Dipankar , Mowitz Meredith E. , Lopez‐Colon Dalia , Nixon Connie S. , Vyas Himesh V. , Co‐Vu Jennifer G.
Published: April 2018

What's already known about this topic?

Congenital heart disease continues to be a resource‐intense field.

Prenatal diagnosis of congenital heart disease is associated with improved clinical outcomes

Its financial implications are not well known.

What does this study add?

We performed the first ever direct inpatient hospital cost comparison in infants with and without a prenatal diagnosis of complete transposition of the great arteries.

Transportation costs contributed significantly to the difference in total hospital cost.
Supergravity in the Group‐Geometric Framework: A Primer
Authors: Castellani Leonardo
Published: April 2018

We review the group‐geometric approach to supergravity theories, in the perspective of recent developments and applications. Usual diffeomorphisms, gauge symmetries and supersymmetries are unified as superdiffeomorphisms in a supergroup manifold. Integration on supermanifolds is briefly revisited, and used as a tool to provide a bridge between component and superspace actions. As an illustration of the constructive techniques, the cases of off‐shell supergravities and Chern‐Simons supergravity are discussed in detail. A cursory account of supergravity is also included. We recall a covariant canonical formalism, well adapted to theories described by Lagrangians d‐forms, that allows to define a form hamiltonian and to recast constrained hamiltonian systems in a covariant form language. Finally, group geometry and properties of spinors and gamma matrices in dimensions are summarized in Appendices.
Spacetime Supersymmetry in Low‐Dimensional Perturbative Heterotic Compactifications
Authors: Melnikov Ilarion V. , Minasian Ruben , Sethi Savdeep
Published: April 2018

We study the constraints of spacetime supersymmetry for perturbative three– and two–dimensional Minkowski vacua of the critical heterotic string. Assuming a standard RNS construction of the spacetime supersymmetry generators and a compact unitary internal superconformal worldsheet theory, we describe the worldsheet structures associated to various spacetime supersymmetries. In three dimensions we show that there are no CFT surprises: each allowed spacetime supersymmetry is realized by a supergravity compactification. As a recent orbifold construction shows, in two dimensions there are more exotic possibilities, and we discuss how these fit into our analysis.
Nanocellulose Modified Polyethylene Separators for Lithium Metal Batteries
Authors: Pan Ruijun , Xu Xingxing , Sun Rui , Wang Zhaohui , Lindh Jonas , Edström Kristina , Strømme Maria , Nyholm Leif
Published: April 2018

Poor cycling stability and safety concerns regarding lithium (Li) metal anodes are two major issues preventing the commercialization of high‐energy density Li metal‐based batteries. Herein, a novel tri‐layer separator design that significantly enhances the cycling stability and safety of Li metal‐based batteries is presented. A thin, thermally stable, flexible, and hydrophilic cellulose nanofiber layer, produced using a straightforward paper‐making process, is directly laminated on each side of a plasma‐treated polyethylene (PE) separator. The 2.5 µm thick, mesoporous (≈20 nm average pore size) cellulose nanofiber layer stabilizes the Li metal anodes by generating a uniform Li+ flux toward the electrode through its homogenous nanochannels, leading to improved cycling stability. As the tri‐layer separator maintains its dimensional stability even at 200 °C when the internal PE layer is melted and blocks the ion transport through the separator, the separator also provides an effective thermal shutdown function. The present nanocellulose‐based tri‐layer separator design thus significantly facilitates the realization of high‐energy density Li metal‐based batteries.
Design of Novel Wearable, Stretchable, and Waterproof Cable‐Type Supercapacitors Based on High‐Performance Nickel Cobalt Sulfide‐Coated Etching‐Annealed Yarn Electrodes
Authors: Chen Yuejiao , Xu Bingang , Wen Jianfeng , Gong Jianliang , Hua Tao , Kan Chi‐Wai , Deng Jiwei
Published: April 2018

Rapid advances in functional electronics bring tremendous demands on innovation toward effective designs of device structures. Yarn supercapacitors (SCs) show advantages of flexibility, knittability, and small size, and can be integrated into various electronic devices with low cost and high efficiency for energy storage. In this work, functionalized stainless steel yarns are developed to support active materials of positive and negative electrodes, which not only enhance capacitance of both electrodes but can also be designed into stretchable configurations. The as‐made asymmetric yarn SCs show a high energy density of 0.0487 mWh cm−2 (10.19 mWh cm−3) at a power density of 0.553 mW cm−2 (129.1 mW cm−3) and a specific capacitance of 127.2 mF cm−2 under an operating voltage window of 1.7 V. The fabricated SC is then made into a stretchable configuration by a prestraining‐then‐releasing approach using polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) tube, and its electrochemical performance can be well maintained when stretching up to a high strain of 100%. Moreover, the stretchable cable‐type SCs are stably workable under water‐immersed condition. The method opens up new ways for fabricating flexible, stretchable, and waterproof devices.
An evaluation of video cameras for collecting observational data on sanctuary‐housed chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes)
Authors: Hansen Bethany K. , Fultz Amy L. , Hopper Lydia M. , Ross Stephen R.
Published: April 2018

Video cameras are increasingly being used to monitor captive animals in zoo, laboratory, and agricultural settings. This technology may also be useful in sanctuaries with large and/or complex enclosures. However, the cost of camera equipment and a lack of formal evaluations regarding the use of cameras in sanctuary settings make it challenging for facilities to decide whether and how to implement this technology. To address this, we evaluated the feasibility of using a video camera system to monitor chimpanzees at Chimp Haven. We viewed a group of resident chimpanzees in a large forested enclosure and compared observations collected in person and with remote video cameras. We found that via camera, the observer viewed fewer chimpanzees in some outdoor locations (GLMM post hoc test: est. = 1.4503, SE = 0.1457, Z = 9.951, p < 0.001) and identified a lower proportion of chimpanzees (GLMM post hoc test: est. = −2.17914, SE = 0.08490, Z = −25.666, p < 0.001) compared to in‐person observations. However, the observer could view the 2 ha enclosure 15 times faster by camera compared to in person. In addition to these results, we provide recommendations to animal facilities considering the installation of a video camera system. Despite some limitations of remote monitoring, we posit that there are substantial benefits of using camera systems in sanctuaries to facilitate animal care and observational research.
The sex change of the caridean shrimp Hippolyte inermis Leach: temporal development of the gonopore morphology
Authors: Mutalipassi Mirko , Maibam Chingoileima , Zupo Valerio
Published: April 2018

Sex reversal is a process observed in several marine organisms, including some lineages of caridean shrimps. We investigated the gonopore shape and size, to study the sex reversal using Hippolyte inermis as a model. A method was developed which can be applied to identify the sex in juveniles of H. inermis, especially, useful when the standard method of sex assessment is not applicable. The position and the shape of gonopores was recorded under a light macroscope. The sex of mature individuals was then determined by observing the presence/absence of the appendix masculina. In addition, analysis of ontogenetic changes of gonopores were performed to compare their morphology with other species of shrimps whose gonopore morphology was previously known. Female gonopores are located at the far proximo-medial end of the third pair of pereiopod coxae and distally they bear cup-shaped structures, whilst male gonopores are located at the far proximo-medial end of the fifth pair of pereiopod coxae and they have a simpler structure. The shape and structure of gonopores in H. inermis resembled that of other caridean decapods. Intersex individuals were never observed, although this species was demonstrated to be protandric. This observation confirmed previous assumptions indicating that the process of sex reversal is very fast in H. inermis and that it takes place within a single moult. The identification of sex based on the position and shape of gonopores is feasible in this species, and it provides helpful insights for studying sex reversal in small decapods.
AJEE Special Issue: 2016 Australian Association for Environmental Education Conference: ‘Tomorrow Making — Our Present to the Future’
Authors: White Peta , Birdsall Sally
Published: April 2018

The 19th Biennial Conference for the Australian Association for Environmental Education (AAEE) was a wonderful milestone for any national organisation. Our South Australian hosts were very excited to see us all descend on Adelaide in September 2016 to take up their offer of ‘Tomorrow Making’. ‘Our Present to the Future’ was four days filled with considering what we were working on and what we are working towards, both individually and collectively. Youth presentations, collegial collaborations, and sharing of goodwill and thought resulted in a generative conference, just like we have come to expect from environmental educators. Sally and I are pleased to maintain the tradition of guest editing the AJEE Special Issue, showcasing six papers as a representation of the knowledge shared, considered, adapted, and devised at the conference.
Becoming Researchers: Making Academic Kin in the Chthulucene
Authors:   #aaeeer, Verlie Blanche , Emery Sherridan , Osborn Maia , Beasy Kim , Coleman Bianca , Kezabu Kevin , Nicholls Jennifer
Published: April 2018

Graduate students are often plagued by stress and anxiety in their journeys of becoming researchers. Concerned by the prevalence of poor graduate student wellbeing in Australia, we share our experiences of kin-making and collaboration within #aaeeer (Australasian Association for Environmental Education Emerging Researchers), a collective of graduate students and early career researchers formed in response to the Australian Association for Environmental Education (AAEE) conference in Hobart, Tasmania, in 2014. In this article, we begin to address the shortage of research into graduate student wellbeing, led by graduate students. Inspired by Donna Haraway's work on making kin in the Chthulucene, we present an exploration that draws together stories from the authors about the positive experiences our kin-making collective enables, and how it has supported our wellbeing and allowed us to work collaboratively. Specifically, we find that #aaeeer offers us a form of refuge from academic stressors, creating spaces for ‘composting together’ through processes of ‘decomposing’ and ‘recomposing’. Our rejection of neoliberal norms has gifted us experiences of joyful collective pleasures. We share our experiences here in the hope of supporting and inspiring other emerging and established researchers to ‘make kin’ and challenge the potentially isolating processes of becoming researchers.
Certain Activities Carried Out by Nicaragua in the Border Area (Costa Rica v. Nicaragua)
Authors: Rudall Jason
Published: April 2018

Should trees have standing? The decision of the International Court of Justice (ICJ or Court) in its Question of Compensation (Costa Rica v. Nicaragua) case of February 2, 2018 provides a pioneering example of damage to the environment being litigated before an international tribunal. The judgment is the first time that the ICJ has adjudicated compensation for environmental damage, and it is only the third time the ICJ has awarded compensation at all. Nevertheless, the ICJ boldly asserted in this case that “damage to the environment, and the consequent impairment or loss of the ability of the environment to provide goods and services, is compensable under international law” (para. 42). That said, the reasoning employed by the Court leaves much to be desired. Given the increasing number of cases involving the environment, it is unfortunate that international courts and tribunals will garner only limited guidance from the methodology adopted by the ICJ in valuing environmental damage.
Endoparasitic Paradiplectanotrema klimpeli sp. nov. (Monogenea: Ancyrocephalidae) from the Greater Lizardfish Saurida tumbil (Teleostei: Synodontidae) in Indonesia
Authors: Theisen Stefan , Palm Harry W , Stolz Hendrik , Al-Jufaili Sarah H , Kleinertz Sonja
Published: April 2018

A new endoparasitic monogenean of Paradiplectanotrema Gerasev, Gayevskaya & Kovaleva, 1987, Paradiplectanotrema klimpeli sp. nov., is described from the southern Balinese coast, Indonesia. The new species is much larger, wider and characterized by the longest dorsal anchors compared with the congeners. Ventral anchors and ventral bars are the smallest in the genus, with a distinct ratio of 1:1. This is the first species with a gladiator breast-plate-shaped dorsal bar, with a length:width ratio of 1:1. Oesophagi of the Common Grinner Saurida tumbil (Bloch, 1795) (Synodontidae) were infected (prevalence = 17%) at an intensity of 12 (1–21). This is the first record of the genus from the eastern Indian Ocean, and lizardfishes represent a new host family. We provide light microscopy (in situ in oesophagal folds), three-dimensional confocal illustrations and a morphometric comparison of all congeners, with remarks on the recently described first Indonesian endoparasitic Monogenea Pseudempleurosoma haywardi Theisen, Palm, Al-Jufaili & Kleinertz, 2017. First 28S DNA sequences for Paradiplectanotrema allocate the new species close to endoparasitc freshwater monogeneans. Its ecology differs from Pseudempleurosoma Yamaguti, 1965 by utilizing deep-water fishes instead of coastal, coral reef-associated hosts; however, both are infecting schooling, bottom-dwelling fishes.
RETHINKING THE GLOBAL ANTI-MONEY LAUNDERING REGULATIONS TO DETER CORRUPTION
Authors: Kang Sungyong
Published: April 2018

While ‘global anti-money laundering (AML)’ regulations aim to detect and deter corrupt ‘politically exposed persons (PEPs)’, they have caused tremendous collateral damage to many innocent PEPs, particularly foreign PEPs. Due to the significant compliance costs of identifying and managing accounts of foreign PEPs coupled with an increased risk of serious fines against compliance failures, financial institutions have voluntarily terminated the accounts of foreign PEPs. Global AML regulations could avoid the collateral damage while maximising the deterrence of corruption if high degrees of coordination along two dimensions are satisfied, namely, transborder coordination and coordination between public enforcement entities and private actors. This study illustrates a cornerstone change made in 2012 to fulfil the first dimension and offers policy recommendations to build on this cornerstone by pursuing coordination along the second dimension.
Machiavelli and the Contestable Surface: Zuckert and Strauss
Authors: Duff Alexander S.
Published: April 2018

Both Zuckert and Strauss take the “surface” of Machiavelli's work as the necessary starting point for their interpretations. Zuckert differs from Strauss, however, with respect to what she takes the surface to be. She focuses more attentively on the literary character of the work, as written or literary, and so is led to a different series of observations and emphases in her interpretation of Machiavelli.
On the Coherence ofPlato's Philosophers
Authors: Davis Michael
Published: April 2018

BecausePlato's Philosophers:The Coherence of the Dialoguesis such a monumental book, understanding its own coherence is a daunting task. The dialogueTheaetetushas as its theme the problem of knowledge, and so the part ofPlato's Philosophersthat deals with theTheaetetusseems a promising place to begin to think through what Zuckert's book means to be as a whole. In theTheaetetuswe learn how knowledge, as a story that must begin and unfold for us in time, while necessarily partial, provides indirect, if imperfect, access to the whole and leads to a kind of self- knowledge. Plato makes this self-knowledge, the true goal of philosophy, most fully manifest in the drama of the life of his philosopher, Socrates, to whichPlato's Philosophers, in meticulously tracing the dramatic order of the dialogues, means to provide access.
DYING FAST AND DYING SLOW IN BLACK SPACE
Authors: Kwate Naa Oyo A. , Threadcraft Shatema
Published: April 2018

Aggressive policing strategies have come under scrutiny for stark racial and ethnic inequities. New York City, home to the United States’ largest police force, was subject to a federal class action lawsuit that culminated in its “Stop, Question and Frisk” policies being ruled unconstitutional. In this paper we argue that Stop and Frisk not only violates constitutional rights, but also constitutes a public health problem. Operating as one process in the death world, Stop and Frisk transforms urban space from a resource to a source of danger; induces perceptual dysfunctions that stymie possibilities for Black engagement with the state and make blackness a metonym for crime and disorder; depletes economic and civic resources; and is embodied, by imprinting on the Black body, physically and mentally. Taken together this policing practice induces stress, fear and trauma, marks the Black body as the proper target for erasure by those who would restore the moral order of the polity, and sets Black lives on a trajectory of debility. Stop and Frisk, whatever its intent, is a necropolitical project. Though Achille Mbembe defined necropolitics as the sovereign determination of who lives and dies, we argue that necropolitical projects need not produce a dead body immediately to function. We extend Mbembe’s concept to include diffuse, environmental factors that scale up from individual encounters to Black communities. Though Foucault’s widely cited analysis sees the prison as central in the management and regulation of populations, we hold that Stop and Frisk has more in common with necropower than with biopower, producing dysfunctional bodies awaiting death.
HAMILTON’S DERACIALIZATION
Authors: Johnson Richard
Published: April 2018

Many commentators have described Barack Obama as a ‘deracialized’ politician. In contrast to ‘racialized’ Black candidates, deracialized politicians are said to deemphasize their Black racial identity, downplay the racial legacies of American inequality, and favor race-neutral over racially targeted policies. Puzzlingly, this narrative of Obama’s racial politics sits incongruously with his politicalcurriculum vitae, spent largely in contexts which are difficult to describe as deracialized. This article holds that commentators have misjudged Barack Obama’s racial politics by conflating a contingent electoral strategy with a deeper expression of Obama’s racial philosophical commitments. In explaining these commitments, the article finds the deracialized/racialized framing inadequate. Instead, it favors the typology of racial policy alliances situating Obama within the “race-conscious” policy alliance rather than the “color-blind” alliance. By returning to the site of Obama’s political development, Hyde Park in Chicago, the paper uncovers a tradition of racial politics in which Blacks formed coalitions with progressive Whites but also embraced Black racial identity, acknowledged the enduring legacies of slavery and Jim Crow, and supported targeted policies to overturn these racial legacies. The article argues that Obama was an inheritor of this tradition.
Generation Process of Large‐Amplitude Upper‐Band Chorus Emissions Observed by Van Allen Probes
Authors: Kubota Yuko , Omura Yoshiharu , Kletzing Craig , Reeves Geoffrey
Published: April 2018

We analyze large‐amplitude upper‐band chorus emissions measured near the magnetic equator by the Electric and Magnetic Field Instrument Suite and Integrated Science instrument package on board the Van Allen Probes. In setting up the parameters of source electrons exciting the emissions based on theoretical analyses and observational results measured by the Helium Oxygen Proton Electron instrument, we calculate threshold and optimum amplitudes with the nonlinear wave growth theory. We find that the optimum amplitude is larger than the threshold amplitude obtained in the frequency range of the chorus emissions and that the wave amplitudes grow between the threshold and optimum amplitudes. In the frame of the wave growth process, the nonlinear growth rates are much greater than the linear growth rates.
Comparison of Global Martian Plasma Models in the Context of MAVEN Observations
Authors: Egan Hilary , Ma Yingjuan , Dong Chuanfei , Modolo Ronan , Jarvinen Riku , Bougher Stephen , Halekas Jasper , Brain David , Mcfadden James , Connerney John , Mitchell David , Jakosky Bruce
Published: April 2018

Global models of the interaction of the solar wind with the Martian upper atmosphere have proved to be valuable tools for investigating both the escape to space of the Martian atmosphere and the physical processes controlling this complex interaction. The many models currently in use employ different physical assumptions, but it can be difficult to directly compare the effectiveness of the models since they are rarely run for the same input conditions. Here we present the results of a model comparison activity, where five global models (single‐fluid MHD, multifluid MHD, multifluid electron pressure MHD, and two hybrid models) were run for identical conditions corresponding to a single orbit of observations from the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) spacecraft. We find that low‐altitude ion densities are very similar across all models and are comparable to MAVEN ion density measurements from periapsis. Plasma boundaries appear generally symmetric in all models and vary only slightly in extent. Despite these similarities there are clear morphological differences in ion behavior in other regions such as the tail and southern hemisphere. These differences are observable in ion escape loss maps and are necessary to understand in order to accurately use models in aiding our understanding of the Martian plasma environment.
Molecular dynamics modeling framework for overcoming nanoshape retention limits of imprint lithography
Authors: Cherala Anshuman , Sreenivasan S. V.
Published: April 2018

Complex nanoshaped structures (nanoshape structures here are defined as shapes enabled by sharp corners with radius of curvature <5 nm) have been shown to enable emerging nanoscale applications in energy, electronics, optics, and medicine. This nanoshaped fabrication at high throughput is well beyond the capabilities of advanced optical lithography. While the highest-resolution e-beam processes (Gaussian beam tools with non-chemically amplified resists) can achieve <5 nm resolution, this is only available at very low throughputs. Large-area e-beam processes, needed for photomasks and imprint templates, are limited to ~18 nm half-pitch lines and spaces and ~20 nm half-pitch hole patterns. Using nanoimprint lithography, we have previously demonstrated the ability to fabricate precise diamond-like nanoshapes with ~3 nm radius corners over large areas. An exemplary shaped silicon nanowire ultracapacitor device was fabricated with these nanoshaped structures, wherein the half-pitch was 100 nm. The device significantly exceeded standard nanowire capacitor performance (by 90%) due to relative increase in surface area per unit projected area, enabled by the nanoshape. Going beyond the previous work, in this paper we explore the scaling of these nanoshaped structures to 10 nm half-pitch and below. At these scales a new “shape retention” resolution limit is observed due to polymer relaxation in imprint resists, which cannot be predicted with a linear elastic continuum model. An all-atom molecular dynamics model of the nanoshape structure was developed here to study this shape retention phenomenon and accurately predict the polymer relaxation. The atomistic framework is an essential modeling and design tool to extend the capability of imprint lithography to sub-10 nm nanoshapes. This framework has been used here to propose process refinements that maximize shape retention, and design template assist features (design for nanoshape retention) to achieve targeted nanoshapes.
Epigenetic variability in conversion to psychosis: novel findings from an innovative longitudinal methylomic analysis
Authors: Kebir Oussama , Chaumette Boris , Krebs Marie-Odile
Published: April 2018

Conversion to psychosis is a longitudinal process during which several epigenetic changes have been described. We tested the hypothesis that epigenetic variability in the methylomes of ultra-high risk (UHR) individuals may contribute to the risk of conversion. We studied a longitudinal cohort of UHR individuals (n = 39) and compared two groups (converters, n = 14 vs. non-converters, n = 25). A longitudinal methylomic study was conducted using Infinium HumanMethylation450 BeadChip covering half a million cytosine–phosphate–guanine (CpG) sites across the human genome from whole-blood samples. We used two statistical methods to investigate the variability of methylation probes. (i) The search for longitudinal variable methylation probes (VMPs) based on median comparisons identified two VMPs in converters only. The first CpG was located in the MACROD2 gene and the second CpG was in an intergenic region at 8q24.21. (ii) The detection of outliers using variance analysis related to private epimutations identified a dozen CpGs in converters only and highlighted two genes (RAC1 and SPHK1) from the sphingolipid signaling pathway. Our study is the first to support increased methylome variability during conversion to psychosis. We speculate that stochastic factors could increase DNA methylation variability and have a role in the complex pathophysiology of conversion to psychosis as well as in other psychiatric diseases.
Experimental search for high-temperature ferroelectric perovskites guided by two-step machine learning
Authors: Balachandran Prasanna V. , Kowalski Benjamin , Sehirlioglu Alp , Lookman Turab
Published: April 2018

Experimental search for high-temperature ferroelectric perovskites is a challenging task due to the vast chemical space and lack of predictive guidelines. Here, we demonstrate a two-step machine learning approach to guide experiments in search ofxBi$$[ {{\mathrm{Me}}_y' {\mathrm{Me}}_{(1 - y)}'' } ]$$[Mey′Me(1-y)″]O3–(1 − x)PbTiO3-based perovskites with high ferroelectric Curie temperature. These involve classification learning to screen for compositions in the perovskite structures, and regression coupled to active learning to identify promising perovskites for synthesis and feedback. The problem is challenging because the search space is vast, spanning ~61,500 compositions and only 167 are experimentally studied. Furthermore, not every composition can be synthesized in the perovskite phase. In this work, we predictx,y, Me′, and Me″ such that the resulting compositions have both high Curie temperature and form in the perovskite structure. Outcomes from both successful and failed experiments then iteratively refine the machine learning models via an active learning loop. Our approach finds six perovskites out of ten compositions synthesized, including three previously unexplored {Me′Me″} pairs, with 0.2Bi(Fe0.12Co0.88)O3–0.8PbTiO3showing the highest measured Curie temperature of 898 K among them.
Ineffectiveness of tactile gating shows cortical basis of nociceptive signaling in the Thermal Grill Illusion
Authors: Ferrè E. R. , Iannetti G. D. , van Dijk J. A. , Haggard P.
Published: April 2018

Painful burning sensations can be elicited by a spatially-alternating pattern of warm and cold stimuli applied on the skin, the so called “Thermal Grill Illusion” (TGI). Here we investigated whether the TGI percept originates spinally or centrally. Since the inhibition of nociceptive input by concomitant non-nociceptive somatosensory input has a strong spinal component, we reasoned that, if the afferent input underlying the TGI originates at spinal level, then the TGI should be inhibited by a concomitant non-nociceptive somatosensory input. Conversely, if TGI is the result of supraspinal processing, then no effect of touch on TGI would be expected. We elicited TGI sensations in a purely thermal condition without tactile input, and found no evidence that tactile input affected the TGI. These results provide further evidence against a spinal mechanism generating the afferent input producing the TGI, and indicate that the peculiar burning sensation of the TGI results from supraspinal interactions between thermoceptive and nociceptive systems.