bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Microarray Profiling and Coexpression Network Analysis of Long Noncoding RNAs in Adipose Tissue of Obesity‐T2DM Mouse
Authors: Yao Zhenyu , Liu Chang , Yu Xiangfang , Meng Jun , Teng Bin , Sun Yutao , Kerem Goher , Ismayil Aynur , Fang Peng , Zhang Jian V. , Ren Pei‐Gen
Published: August 2019

Objective

The aim of this study was to understand more about long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) as potential prediction biomarkers or therapeutic targets for obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). This study aimed to find more lncRNA candidates related to obesity and T2DM.

Methods

In this study, a high‐fat diet (HFD)‐induced obesity‐T2DM mouse model was used, and a mRNA and lncRNA expression map was drawn up in adipose tissue by microarray technology. Then Gene Ontology analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analysis were performed and revealed that the most associated genes and pathways were metabolism‐related ones. The candidate lncRNA expression was further validated in adipose tissue from HFD‐induced mice by quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction analysis.

Results

Transcriptome analyses were performed to show expression profiles of mRNAs and lncRNAs in epididymal adipose tissue in the obesity‐T2DM mice. A total of 124 lncRNAs and 1,606 mRNAs were differentially expressed between the chow and HFD groups. Then, an mRNA‐lncRNA coexpression network was constructed. Based on a series of analyses, 15 candidate lncRNAs were screened, and their expression was further validated by quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction analysis.

Conclusions

The results reveal significant differences between the transcriptomes of the HFD and control groups in adipose tissue that provide clues to the molecular mechanisms of diet‐induced metabolic disorders as well as biomarkers of risk for these disorders.
Induced α,γ‐cyclic peptide rotodimer recognition by nucleobase scaffolds
Authors: Panciera Michele , González‐Freire Eva , Calvelo Martín , Amorín Manuel , Granja Juan R.
Published: August 2019

The β‐sheet‐type structures derived from the stacking of α,γ‐cyclic peptides to form peptides nanotubes can provide different topoisomers, nonequivalent cyclic peptide stacks generated by the relative rotation through the channel axis of one cyclic peptide with respect to the next component. This rotation generates a series of cyclic peptide dimers paired by the same type of hydrogen bond pattern but differentiated by the cross‐strand side chain‐side chain pairwise. The control of this peptide‐peptide relative orientation in stacked supramolecular aggregates is required for practical applications in material sciences, sensing, or biology. We propose the use of small oligonucleotides to control the prevalence of a particular dimer through the formation of specific hydrogen bonds between cyclic peptides bearing a nucleobase attached to a serine side chain with a complementary oligonucleotide (peptide nucleic acid).
Mindfulness‐based interventions for psychological and physical health outcomes in cancer patients and survivors: A systematic review and meta‐analysis of randomized controlled trials
Authors: Cillessen Linda , Johannsen Maja , Speckens Anne E.M. , Zachariae Robert
Published: August 2019

Objective

Mindfulness‐based interventions (MBIs) are increasingly used within psycho‐oncology. Since the publication of the most recent comprehensive meta‐analysis on MBIs in cancer in 2012, the number of published trials has more than doubled. We therefore conducted a systematic review and meta‐analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs), testing the efficacy of MBIs on measures of psychological distress (primary outcome) and other health outcomes in cancer patients and survivors.

Methods

Two authors conducted independent literature searches in electronic databases from first available date to 10 October 2018, selected eligible studies, extracted data for meta‐analysis, and evaluated risk of bias.

Results

Twenty‐nine independent RCTs (reported in 38 papers) with 3274 participants were included. Small and statistically significant pooled effects of MBIs on combined measures of psychological distress were found at post‐intervention (Hedges's g = 0.32; 95%CI: 0.22‐0.41; P < .001) and follow‐up (g = 0.19; 95%CI: 0.07‐0.30; P < .002). Statistically significant effects were also found at either post‐intervention or follow‐up for a range of self‐reported secondary outcomes, including anxiety, depression, fear of cancer recurrence, fatigue, sleep disturbances, and pain (g: 0.20 to 0.51; p: <.001 to.047). Larger effects of MBIs on psychological distress were found in studies (a) adhering to the original MBI manuals, (b) with younger patients, (c) with passive control conditions, and (d) shorter time to follow‐up. Improvements in mindfulness skills were associated with greater reductions in psychological distress at post‐intervention.

Conclusions

MBIs appear efficacious in reducing psychological distress and other symptoms in cancer patients and survivors. However, many of the effects were of small magnitude, suggesting a need for intervention optimization research.
COPD update and new guidance on antibiotics for exacerbations
Authors: Chaplin Steve
Published: August 2019

NICE recently updated its guideline on the diagnosis and management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and at the same time published new antimicrobial prescribing guidance on managing acute exacerbations of COPD. This article provides a summary of these two documents.
Diabetic ketoacidosis ‐ a diagnosis not to be missed
Authors: Harvey John N , Gregory John W
Published: August 2019

Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is the leading cause of death before the age of 30 in people with type 1 diabetes, therefore prompt diagnosis and treatment is vital. This article provides some clinical case studies to illustrate how the presentation of DKA can vary and offers some pointers to aid recognition in patients of all ages.
Improved Properties of Doped BaTiO3 Piezoelectric Ceramics
Authors: Ul Rémy , Marchet Pascal , Pham-Thi Mai , Tran-Huu-Hue Louis-Pascal
Published: August 2019

(CazBa1 − z)(Ti1 − x − wCoxNbw)O3 − δ lead‐free piezoelectric ceramics are prepared using solid‐state reactions. The use of a Li2O sintering aid enables one to obtain dense ceramics at a temperature of 1100 °C instead of the 1350 °C used for BaTiO3 (BT) in conventional sintering. X‐ray diffraction (XRD) data indicate structural modifications, suggesting insertion of the doping elements into the tetragonal structure. The insertion of Li/Ca/Co/Nb improves piezoelectric properties: for micrograin‐size ceramics, a piezoelectric charge constant and an electromechanical coupling factor of d33 = 255 pC N−1 and kp = 43.5% are reached, respectively. Furthermore, a thermal annealing of the cobalt‐doped sample at 1080 °C under O2 atmosphere leads to d33 = 280 pC N−1 and kp = 44.6%. BaTiO3:Co ceramics present distorted ferroelectric cycles due to the occurrence of an internal bias field. The high mechanical quality factors (Qm > 1000) obtained for the doped BT ceramics afford stability against electrical stress of up to 500 VRMS mm−1, which makes these materials competitive with PZT4 for some applications.
Characterisation of phenylethanoid glycosides by multiple‐stage mass spectrometry
Authors: Kite Geoffrey C.
Published: August 2019

Rationale

Although phenylethanoid glycosides (PhGs) occur widely in plants, their characterisation by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) is less well studied than other phenolic glycosides such as flavonoid glycosides. The multiple‐stage mass spectrometry (MSn) experiments required to improve the annotation of common verbascoside‐type PhGs are described here.

Methods

Deprotonated, ammoniated and sodiated molecules of nine PhGs were subjected to low‐energy collision‐induced dissociation (CID) in a hybrid ion trap/orbitrap mass spectrometer. Most experiments were recorded at nominal mass using the linear ion trap analyser for wider applicability in the plant metabolomics community. Data interpretation was supported by high‐resolution orbitrap scanning of product ions. Comparative data was acquired on the same instrument by performing higher‐energy collisional dissociation (HCD) in the C‐trap.

Results

Low‐energy CID‐MS2 of the deprotonated and ammoniated molecules generated diagnostic product ions from which the molecular masses of the phenolic acid and phenylethanoid moieties, respectively, could be determined. The sugar at C‐3′ of the core glucose was preferentially lost from the sodiated molecule following CID‐MS2, while CID‐MSn produced a sodiated product ion from ring cleavage of the core glucose bearing the sugar at C‐6′. Evidence of a disaccharide substitution came from a sodiated disaccharide residue in CID‐MSn spectra.

Conclusions

The consistency of PhG dissociation following low‐energy CID‐MSn of various ions is sufficient to enable annotation of verbascoside‐type PhGs in LC/MS analyses of crude plant extracts. This can be achieved on a low‐resolution instrument capable of MSn.
Input/output‐to‐state stability of nonlinear impulsive delay systems based on a new impulsive inequality
Authors: Jiang Bangxin , Lu Jianquan , Li Xiaodi , Qiu Jianlong
Published: August 2019

In this paper, input/output‐to‐state stability (IOSS) and integral IOSS (iIOSS) are investigated for nonlinear impulsive systems with delay. Based on a new impulsive inequality, we propose some sufficient criteria for IOSS and iIOSS of impulsive delay systems. It is shown that the obtained results for IOSS and iIOSS are regardless of the length of the impulsive interval and the size of time delay if the impulsive gain satisfies a given condition. In addition, based on the average impulsive interval method, some more useful sufficient conditions are derived for IOSS and iIOSS of impulsive delay systems with persistent large‐scale destabilizing impulses. Furthermore, a relationship is established among the average impulsive interval, impulses, time delay, and the decay of the system without impulses such that the impulsive delay system is input/output‐to‐state stable and integral input/output‐to‐state stable, respectively. Two examples are given to show the validity of the obtained results.
Delaminating Vanadium Carbides for Zinc‐Ion Storage: Hydrate Precipitation and H+/Zn2+ Co‐Action Mechanism
Authors: Wang Changda , Wei Shiqiang , Chen Shuangming , Cao Dengfeng , Song Li
Published: August 2019

Aqueous zinc (Zn) ion energy devices have demonstrated remarkable significance as a substitute of their lithium counterparts. Developing cheap and nontoxic electrode active materials is crucial for maximizing the storage of Zn ions. As a new star of 2D materials, MXenes can pose unique layered structure and abundant surface chemistry, largely benefiting the surface storage of ions. Herein, carbon nanotube (CNT) delaminated V2C MXene (DV2C@CNT) has been demonstrated, as a promising electrode for high‐performance Zn‐ion supercapacitor. The as‐prepared DV2C@CNT electrodes display favorable electrochemical activity with reversible proton (H+) and Zn ion (Zn2+) co‐insertion/extraction process in ZnSO4 solutions. Due to the superior conductive network formed by CNT, the delaminated MXene exhibit a high specific capacity of 190.2 F g−1 at 0.5 A g−1 with excellent rate performance and durability. More interestingly, the characterizations clearly reveal that zinc hydroxide sulfate hydrate nanoflakes can immediately precipitate onto the electrode even at the initial assembly process, which can be ascribed to the spontaneous formation of the electrostatic field in the primary battery. The operando X‐ray absorption spectroscopic measurements further confirm the dynamic hydrate precipitation during charging/discharging cycles, offering a better understanding of energy storage mechanism in Zn‐ion devices with MXene electrodes.
Electron Transport Bilayer with Cascade Energy Alignment for Efficient Perovskite Solar Cells
Authors: Cao Qi , Li Zhen , Han Jian , Wang Shuangjie , Zhu Jinmeng , Tang Huijie , Li Xiaoqiang , Li Xuanhua
Published: August 2019

Energy alignment between electron transport layers (ETLs) and perovskite has a strong influence on the device performance of perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Two approaches are deployed to tune the energy level of ETLs: 1) doping ETLs with aliovalent metal cations and 2) constructing heterojunction bilayers with different materials. However, the abrupt interfaces in the heterojunction bilayers introduce undesirable carrier recombination. Herein, a homojunction bilayer ETL is developed by stacking Sb‐doped SnO2 (Sb‐SnO2) and SnO2 ETLs via low‐temperature spin‐coating processes. The energy levels of ETLs are tuned by the incorporation of Sb and altering stacking orders. Bilayer ETL of Sb‐SnO2/SnO2 with cascade energy alignment promotes the best power conversion efficiency of 20.73%, surpassing single‐layer ETLs of SnO2 (18.23%) and Sb‐SnO2 (19.15%), whereas the SnO2/Sb‐SnO2 bilayer with barricade energy alignment receives the poorest device performance. The cascade bilayer ETL facilitates charge separation and suppresses carrier recombination in PSCs, which is verified by photoluminescence, conductivity, and impedance characterizations. The homojunction bilayer ETLs with adjustable energy levels open a new direction for interface engineering toward efficient PSCs.
Fatigue behavior of prefatigued reinforced concrete beams rehabilitated with near surface mounted carbon fiber reinforced polymer reinforcement
Authors: Eljufout Tamer , Toutanji Houssam
Published: August 2019

This paper investigates the influence of cyclic preloading on the fatigue behavior of reinforced concrete (RC) beams rehabilitated with near surface mounted (NSM) carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) reinforcement. The study includes eight RC beams with dimensions of 152.4 × 152.4 × 1,521 mm. Strengthened and nonstrengthened specimens were tested under monotonic loading to obtain the flexural static capacity. Two strengthened specimens were tested as a reference under constant amplitude cyclic stress without prefatiguing. Four nonrehabilitated RC beams were prefatigued to simulate service loading conditions. Later, these RC beams were rehabilitated with NSM CFRP reinforcement and tested under the same cyclic stress range of the reference specimens. Mid‐span deflection, strain of tension steel rebars and CFRP rods, stiffness degradation, and energy dissipation were analyzed and evaluated. Experimental results show that the rehabilitated prefatigued RC beams had similar stiffness degradation and failure modes to the reference strengthened RC beams. The rehabilitated RC beams had an improvement in the fatigue responses when compared to the reference strengthened RC beams. Moreover, the postfatigue monotonic behavior of the rehabilitated RC beams showed an increase in the elastic modulus and a decrease in ductility.
Creating Multimodal Compositions: Young Belizeans Dialogue Across Cultures
Authors: Cappello Marva
Published: August 2019

The International Literacy Association is a global advocacy organization, and literacy is viewed as a human right worldwide. This department highlights research and research‐to‐practice at the international level to bring global best teaching practices to the forefront. Topics may include best practices for literacy instruction in Europe or other continents/countries, partnership and collaborative projects between international schools/teachers, and advocacy.
The optimal time‐decay estimate of solutions to two‐fluid Euler‐Maxwell equations in the critical Besov space
Authors: Wu Limiao , Shi Weixuan , Xu Jiang
Published: August 2019

We obtain the optimal time‐decay rate of classical solutions to two‐fluid Euler‐Maxwell equations in , which is a remaining question in the framework of critical Besov space (see [1]). The system is of regularity‐loss, so it is difficult to get decay rates in the solution space. In this paper, the new estimate of ‐‐ type and something like “square formula of Duhamel principle” are mainly used. It is shown that in the critical Besov space, the solution decays to constant equilibrium at the rate with if and if .
Identifying miRNA‐disease association based on integrating miRNA topological similarity and functional similarity
Authors: Chen Qingfeng , Zhe Zhao , Lan Wei , Zhang Ruchang , Wang Zhiqiang , Luo Cheng , Pheobe Chen Yi‐Ping
Published: August 2019

Background

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a significant type of non‐coding RNAs, which usually were encoded by endogenous genes with about ~22 nt nucleotides. Accumulating biological experiments have shown that miRNAs have close associations with various human diseases. Although traditional experimental methods achieve great successes in miRNA‐disease interaction identification, these methods also have some limitations. Therefore, it is necessary to develop computational method to predict miRNA‐disease interactions.

Methods

Here, we propose a computational framework (MDVSI) to predict interactions between miRNAs and diseases by integrating miRNA topological similarity and functional similarity. Firstly, the CosRA index is utilized to measure miRNA similarity based on network topological feature. Then, in order to enhance the reliability of miRNA similarity, the functional similarity and CosRA similarity are integrated based on linear weight method. Further, the potential miRNA‐disease associations are predicted by using recommendation method. In addition, in order to overcome limitation of recommendation method, for new disease, a new strategy is proposed to predict potential interactions between miRNAs and new disease based on disease functional similarity.

Results

To evaluate the performance of different methods, we conduct ten‐fold cross validation and de novo test in experiment and compare MDVSI with two the‐state‐of‐art methods. The experimental result shows that MDVSI achieves an AUC of 0.91, which is at least 0.012 higher than other compared methods.

Conclusions

In summary, we propose a computational framework (MDSVI) for miRNA‐disease interaction prediction. The experiment results demonstrate that it outperforms other the‐state‐of‐the‐art methods. Case study shows that it can effectively identify potential miRNA‐disease interactions.
Via media: Role and responsibilities of the independent safety officer
Authors: Holbein M. E. B. , Hammack Barbara N. , Melvin Ann J. , Knox Tamsin A.
Published: August 2019

Every research study that includes volunteer participants requires safety assurances in proportion to the risks of the study. Investigator-initiated clinical research can present unique regulatory challenges particularly for studies with a risk profile that warrants more oversight than minimal risk but less than for large, commercial, or high-risk research. The use of an independent safety officer (ISO) offers a middle way of right-sizing oversight to match the risk. ISOs are clinicians or researchers with relevant expertise who are independent of the investigator and the research study. Their relationship to the study is defined by a formal charter which is aligned with the protocol and Data and Safety Monitoring Plan to address the oversight process, responsibilities of the ISO, and clearly describe the variables to be monitored. The ISO responsibilities include reviewing safety data, adverse events, recruitment, demographics, study progress, data quality, protocol changes, and any new scientific information that pertains to the trial. Finally, the ISO reports in their review on any significant findings may propose modifications to the study or a need to stop the trial.
HAMEL SPACES AND DISTAL EXPANSIONS
Authors: GEHRET ALLEN , NELL TRAVIS
Published: August 2019

In this note, we construct a distal expansion for the structure $$\left( {; + , < ,H} \right)$$, where $H \subseteq $ is a dense $Q$-vector space basis of $R$ (a so-called Hamel basis). Our construction is also an expansion of the dense pair $\left( {; + , < ,} \right)$ and has full quantifier elimination in a natural language.
Hybrid Security Governance in South America: An Empirical Assessment
Authors: Villa Rafael Duarte , Chagas-Bastos Fabrício H. , Braga Camila de Macedo
Published: August 2019

Contending rationales of peace and conflict coexist between countries and within regional spaces as conditions that motivate or constrain militarized behaviors. While the idea of balancing is still a relevant concept to understand contemporary security in South America, the region produces patterns of a nascent security community. This article argues that the regional repertoire of foreign and security policy practices draws on a hybrid security governance mechanism. The novelty brought by the cumulative interaction among South American countries is that the coexistence turns into a hybrid between both practices and discourses. To explain how hybrid formations are produced, this study analyzes the most empirically intense and academically controversial political and security interactions from interstate relations in the two security complexes in the region, the Southern Cone and the Northern Andes.
Reflection-driven magnetohydrodynamic turbulence in the solar atmosphere and solar wind
Authors: Chandran Benjamin D. G. , Perez Jean C.
Published: August 2019

We present three-dimensional direct numerical simulations and an analytic model of reflection-driven magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) turbulence in the solar wind. Our simulations describe transverse, non-compressive MHD fluctuations within a narrow magnetic flux tube that extends from the photosphere, through the chromosphere and corona and out to a heliocentric distance $r$of 21 solar radii $(R_{\odot })$. We launch outward-propagating ‘$\boldsymbol{z}^{+}$fluctuations’ into the simulation domain by imposing a randomly evolving photospheric velocity field. As these fluctuations propagate away from the Sun, they undergo partial reflection, producing inward-propagating ‘$\boldsymbol{z}^{-}$fluctuations’. Counter-propagating fluctuations subsequently interact, causing fluctuation energy to cascade to small scales and dissipate. Our analytic model incorporates dynamic alignment, allows for strongly or weakly turbulent nonlinear interactions and divides the$\boldsymbol{z}^{+}$fluctuations into two populations with different characteristic radial correlation lengths. The inertial-range power spectra of$\boldsymbol{z}^{+}$and$\boldsymbol{z}^{-}$fluctuations in our simulations evolve toward a$k_{\bot }^{-3/2}$scaling at$r>10R_{\odot }$, where$k_{\bot }$is the wave-vector component perpendicular to the background magnetic field. In two of our simulations, the$\boldsymbol{z}^{+}$power spectra are much flatter between the coronal base and$r\simeq 4R_{\odot }$. We argue that these spectral scalings are caused by: (i) high-pass filtering in the upper chromosphere; (ii) the anomalous coherence of inertial-range$\boldsymbol{z}^{-}$fluctuations in a reference frame propagating outwards with the$\boldsymbol{z}^{+}$fluctuations; and (iii) the change in the sign of the radial derivative of the Alfvén speed at$r=r_{\text{m}}\simeq 1.7R_{\odot }$, which disrupts this anomalous coherence between$r=r_{\text{m}}$and$r\simeq 2r_{\text{m}}$. At$r>1.3R_{\odot }$, the turbulent heating rate in our simulations is comparable to the turbulent heating rate in a previously developed solar-wind model that agreed with a number of observational constraints, consistent with the hypothesis that MHD turbulence accounts for much of the heating of the fast solar wind.
Healthy women with severe early life trauma show altered neural facilitation of emotion inhibition under acute stress
Authors: Golde Sabrina , Wingenfeld Katja , Riepenhausen Antje , Schröter Nina , Fleischer Juliane , Prüssner Jens , Grimm Simone , Fan Yan , Hellmann-Regen Julian , Beck Anne , Gold Stefan M. , Otte Christian
Published: August 2019

Background

Across psychopathologies, trauma-exposed individuals suffer from difficulties in inhibiting emotions and regulating attention. In trauma-exposed individuals without psychopathology, only subtle alterations of neural activity involved in regulating emotions have been reported. It remains unclear how these neural systems react to demanding environments, when acute (non-traumatic but ordinary) stress serves to perturbate the system. Moreover, associations with subthreshold clinical symptoms are poorly understood.

Methods

The present fMRI study investigated response inhibition of emotional faces before and after psychosocial stress situations. Specifically, it compared 25 women (mean age 31.5 ± 9.7 years) who had suffered severe early life trauma but who did not have a history of or current psychiatric disorder, with 25 age- and education-matched trauma-naïve women.

Results

Under stress, response inhibition related to fearful faces was reduced in both groups. Compared to controls, trauma-exposed women showed decreased left inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) activation under stress when inhibiting responses to fearful faces, while activation of the right anterior insula was slightly increased. Also, groups differed in brain–behaviour correlations. Whereas stress-induced false alarm rates on fearful stimuli negatively correlated with stress-induced IFG signal in controls, in trauma-exposed participants, they positively correlated with stress-induced insula activation.

Conclusion

Neural facilitation of emotion inhibition during stress appears to be altered in trauma-exposed women, even without a history of or current psychopathology. Decreased activation of the IFG in concert with heightened bottom-up salience of fear related cues may increase vulnerability to stress-related diseases.
How to philosophize about religion globally and critically . . . with undergraduates
Authors: KNEPPER TIMOTHY D.
Published: August 2019

This article explores some critical issues pertinent to the practice of ‘global-critical’ philosophy of religion. Here, I focus on two general issues, especially as they have arisen in the production of a textbook and other pedagogical materials for an undergraduate course in philosophy of religion that is globally diverse and critically engaged: (1) how to restructure philosophy of religion with topics and questions suitable for ‘global’ enquiry; (2) how to philosophize about (global) religion in a manner that is ‘critically’ aware of theoretical and methodological issues in the academic study of religion, yet also pursues philosophical questions of meaning, value, and truth.
A Comparison of Mental Workload in Individuals with Transtibial and Transfemoral Lower Limb Loss during Dual-Task Walking under Varying Demand
Authors: Shaw Emma P. , Rietschel Jeremy C. , Hendershot Brad D. , Pruziner Alison L. , Wolf Erik J. , Dearth Christopher L. , Miller Matthew W. , Hatfield Bradley D. , Gentili Rodolphe J.
Published: August 2019

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the influence of lower limb loss (LL) on mental workload by assessing neurocognitive measures in individuals with unilateral transtibial (TT) versus those with transfemoral (TF) LL while dual-task walking under varying cognitive demand. Methods: Electroencephalography (EEG) was recorded as participants performed a task of varying cognitive demand while being seated or walking (i.e., varying physical demand). Results: The findings revealed both groups of participants (TT LL vs. TF LL) exhibited a similar EEG theta synchrony response as either the cognitive or the physical demand increased. Also, while individuals with TT LL maintained similar performance on the cognitive task during seated and walking conditions, those with TF LL exhibited performance decrements (slower response times) on the cognitive task during the walking in comparison to the seated conditions. Furthermore, those with TF LL neither exhibited regional differences in EEG low-alpha power while walking, nor EEG high-alpha desynchrony as a function of cognitive task difficulty while walking. This lack of alpha modulation coincided with no elevation of theta/alpha ratio power as a function of cognitive task difficulty in the TF LL group. Conclusions: This work suggests that both groups share some common but also different neurocognitive features during dual-task walking. Although all participants were able to recruit neural mechanisms critical for the maintenance of cognitive-motor performance under elevated cognitive or physical demands, the observed differences indicate that walking with a prosthesis, while concurrently performing a cognitive task, imposes additional cognitive demand in individuals with more proximal levels of amputation.
Is neighbourhood social deprivation in a Brazilian city associated with the availability, variety, quality and price of food in supermarkets?
Authors: Leite Maria Alvim , Assis Maíra Macário de , Carmo Ariene Silva do , Costa Bruna Vieira de Lima , Claro Rafael Moreira , Castro Inês Rugani de , Cardoso Letícia de Oliveira , Netto Michele Pereira , Mendes Larissa Loures
Published: August 2019

Objective:

To verify differences in the availability, variety, quality and price of unprocessed and ultra-processed foods in supermarkets and similar establishments in neighbourhoods with different social deprivation levels at Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, Brazil.

Design:

Cross-sectional study.

Setting:

The Obesogenic Environment Study in São Paulo’s Food Store Observation Tool (ESAO-S) was applied in thirty-three supermarket chains, wholesale and retail supermarkets.

Results:

Fruits, vegetables and ultra-processed foods were available in almost all establishments, without differences according to Health Vulnerability Index (HVI; which varies from 0 to 1 point and the higher the worse; P > 0·05). Most establishments were concentrated in low vulnerability areas and offered healthy foods with greater variety and quality, despite higher prices. The Healthy Food Store Index (HFSI; which varies from 0 to 16 points and the higher the best) was calculated from the ESAO-S and the mean score was 8·91 (sd 1·51). The presence and variety of unprocessed foods count as positive points, as do the absence of ultra-processed products. When HFSI was stratified by HVI, low HVI neighbourhoods presented higher HFSI scores, compared with medium, high and very high HVI neighbourhoods (P = 0·001).

Conclusions:

Supermarkets and similar establishments are less dense in areas of greater social deprivation and have lower prices of healthy foods, but the variety and quality of those foods are worse, compared with areas of low vulnerability. We found worse HFSI for supermarkets located in areas with greater vulnerability. Those findings can guide specific public policies improving the urban food environment.
Fast Radio Bursts: from Multi-Beam Receivers to Interferometers
Authors: Caleb M.
Published: August 2019

Radio astronomy is currently exploring an intriguing new phase-space that probes the dynamic Universe on time-scales of milliseconds. Recent developments of sensitive, high-time-resolution instruments has made possible the discovery of millisecond-duration fast radio bursts (FRBs). The FRB class encompasses a number of single pulses, each unique in its own way, hindering a consensus for their origin. The key to de-mystifying FRBs lies in discovering many of them in real time in order to identify commonalities. The recently upgraded UTMOST, in Australia, has undergone a digital back-end transformation to rise as a fast-transient detection machine. The talk presented the first interferometric detections of FRBs made by this telescope at less that a quarter of its target sensitivity, placing their origin beyond the near-field region of the telescope and thus ruling out local sources of interference as a possible origin. Despite rigorous follow-ups, none of the FRBs observed with the upgraded UTMOST has been seen to repeat, suggesting the possibility of there being two independent classes of FRBs with two classes of possible progenitors. The talk then discussed the recent developments in the field, some of the open questions in FRB astronomy, and how the next-generation telescopes are vital in the quest to understand this enigmatic population.
Time-Domain Astroinformatics
Authors: Djorgovski S. G.
Published: August 2019

Time-Domain astronomy exercises all aspects of the Virtual Observatory framework and Astroinformatics. Applications of machine learning and statistics to the analysis of large numbers of light-curves will increasingly yield new results as the data accumulate. However, the most challenging problems remain in the arena of rapid classification of transient events and their automated follow-up prioritisation. The talk illustrated those issues with examples from recent or ongoing synoptic sky surveys.
Forming the Progenitors of Explosive Stellar Transients
Authors: Justham S.
Published: August 2019

Explosive stellar transients arise from diverse situations, including deaths of massive stars, a variety of thermonuclear outbursts, and compact-object mergers. Stellar interactions are heavily implicated in explaining the observed populations of events, and not only those where binarity is obviously involved. Relationships between these classes probably help to elucidate our understanding; for example; the production of double neutron-star mergers from field binaries is thought to be heavily biased towards routes involving stripped core-collapse supernovæ. As we gain an ever more synoptic view of the changing sky, theorists should be mindful of developing an ability to take robust quantitative advantage of the availablepopulationinformation to help constrain the physics. This is complementary to aiming for deep understanding of individual events.
Discovering Radio Transients using ‘Triggered’ and ‘Targeted’ Observations
Authors: Anderson G. E.
Published: August 2019

As the era of the Square Kilometre Array approaches, astronomers are investigating how to make good use of its facilities for studying radio transients. This talk presented two different methods for radio transient discovery – ‘triggered’ and ‘targeted’ observations – which can be used to supplement the blind survey approach. Both techniques focus on performing radio observations of sky regions in which we expect to find radio transients. ‘Triggered’ observations are obtained by telescopes capable of responding rapidly to transient alerts; they automatically repoint and begin collecting data within minutes of the alert being given. ‘Targeted’ observational techniques involve radio monitoring of specific sources or regions such as nearby, face-on galaxies, globular clusters, and the Galactic Plane. Such observations are sensitive to transient radio jets from black holes accreting at, or above, the Eddington limit, with the additional benefit of providing many potential sources within a single field of view. Both observing strategies illustrate important techniques for radio transient discovery that can be employed by the SKA.
Multi-Wavelength Jet Studies in Cataclysmic Variables and Super-Luminous Supernovæ
Authors: Coppejans D. L.
Published: August 2019

Astrophysical jets have been detected in objects as diverse as protostellar objects and supermassive black holes, yet we still have not answered the key question of what system properties are necessary to launch a jet. This talk described multi-wavelength time-domain studies to determine if two classes of objects at opposite ends of the energy scale are launching jets. First, Cataclysmic Variables (binaries with mass accretion rates of ≤ 10−8 M⊙y−1) were previously thought not to launch jets, and have been used to constrain jet launching models. Nevertheless, recent radio observations have indicated a jet in one system, and have shown that that system is not unique. As regards the other end of the energy scale, we still do not know if the most powerful stellar explosions (Super-Luminous Supernovæ) launch jets. Recent improvements in sensitivity (particularly at radio wavelengths), higher-cadence transient surveys, significantly improved telescope response times and longer-term monitoring have led to substantial advances in these fields. The talk discussed how we are using multi-wavelength studies (with different cadences and coverage times) of these two extremely different classes of object to determine if they launch jets, thereby to constrain the properties necessary to do so.
A Dust-Enshrouded Tidal Disruption Event in a Luminous Infared Galaxy
Authors: Mattila S.
Published: August 2019

This paper presented the discovery of an energetic nuclear transient from near-infrared monitoring of nearby starburst and luminous infrared galaxies. The transient radiated at least 1.5E+52 erg in the infrared but remained elusive at optical and X-ray wavelengths. We interpret its properties as arising from a stellar tidal disruption event (TDE) close to a supermassive black hole. Much of its emission must have been reprocessed by dense gas and re-radiated at infrared wavelengths by dust, suggesting a way for reducing the tension between theoretical luminosity predictions and observations of TDEs. Such events are not detectable by optical, UV or soft X-ray observations, and might represent just the tip of the iceberg of a missed TDE population in the local Universe. That population could be more numerous at higher redshifts where luminous infrared galaxies are more common.
Progress of the Chinese Plate-Digitizing Project
Authors: Tang Z-H. , Zhao J-H. , Yu Y. , Shang Z-J.
Published: August 2019

About 30,000 astronomical photographic plates were digitised between 2012–2017 with a special digitising machine that has high precision in both astrometry and photometry. All the images from the plates, together with plate information and measured coordinates of all the objects on the plates, have been stored in the Chinese Virtual Observatory.
Photometric Variability of Luminous Blue Variable Stars on Different Time-Scales
Authors: Gantchev G. , Nedialkov P.
Published: August 2019

We have compiled historical observations, spanning ∼100 years, for a dozen of the best-studied LBVs in the Local Group. We described how we prepared structure functions for their light-curves and calculated two parameters (the structure function slope and the characteristic time-scale) to describe the behaviour of the LBVs. The sensitivity of those parameters to the variability behaviour of the stars was tested with a number of photometric data sets. The slope of the structure function may anticorrelate with the time-scale. These types of variable stellar objects are crucial to studies of stellar variability and the final stages of stellar evolution.
The Hubble Catalog of Variables (HCV)
Authors: Sokolovsky K. V. , Bonanos A. Z. , Gavras P. , Yang M. , Hatzidimitriou D. , Moretti M. I. , Karampelas A. , Bellas-Velidis I. , Spetsieri Z. , Pouliasis E. , Georgantopoulos I. , Charmandaris V. , Tsinganos K. , Laskaris N. , Kakaletris G. , Nota A. , Lennon D. , Arviset C. , Whitmore B. C. , Budavari T. , Downes R. , Lubow S. , Rest A. , Strolger L. , White R.
Published: August 2019

The Hubble Source Catalog (HSC) combines lists of sources detected on images obtained with the WFPC2, ACS and WFC3 instruments aboard the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) and now available in the Hubble Legacy Archive. The catalogue contains time-domain information for about two million of its sources detected using the same instrument and filter on at least five HST visits. The Hubble Catalog of Variables (HCV) aims to identify HSC sources showing significant brightness variations. A magnitude-dependent threshold in the median absolute deviation of photometric measurements (an outlier-resistant measure of light-curve scatter) is adopted as the variability detection statistic. It is supplemented with a cut in χred2 that removes sources with large photometric errors. A pre-processing procedure involving bad image identification, outlier rejection and computation of local magnitude zero-point corrections is applied to the HSC light-curves before computing the variability detection statistics. About 52 000 HSC sources have been identified as candidate variables, among which 7,800 show variability in more than one filter. Visual inspection suggests that ∼70% of the candidates detected in multiple filters are true variables, while the remaining ∼30% are sources with aperture photometry corrupted by blending, imaging artefacts or image processing anomalies. The candidate variables have AB magnitudes in the range 15–27m, with a median of 22m. Among them are the stars in our own and nearby galaxies, and active galactic nuclei.
Measuring and Decoding Gravito-Inertial Modes in Intermediate- and High-Mass Stars
Authors: Aerts C. , Pedersen M. G. , Van Reeth T.
Published: August 2019

This talk discussed the basics of gravito-inertial asteroseismology as recently developed for stars born with a convective core. Photometric space missions originally built for exoplanet hunting, notably Kepler, have opened up the low-frequency regime of stellar oscillations and revealed a larger diversity in variability than anticipated prior to the era of high-precision space photometry. The talk explained the basics of forward seismic modelling based on gravito-inertial modes, which probe the deep stellar interior. It described how a hierarchical fitting approach allows us to derive the near-core rotation period, the amount and shape of convective core overshooting, and the level of chemical mixing in the radiative envelope for stars born with a convective core and burning hydrogen in their core. A summary of the current status, covering the mass range 1.4 ≲ M ≲ 5 M⊙, is provided here through references to numerous recent papers.
Transient X-ray Binaries in the Magellanic Clouds and Milky Way
Authors: Charles P. C. , Buckley D. , Mata Sánchez D. , Meintjes P. , Rajoelimanana A. , Townsend L.
Published: August 2019

This contribution gave three examples of X-ray transients in the Magellanic Clouds and the Milky Way that have been observed as part of the SALT Transients Large Programme. The transients (SMC X-3, MAXI J1957+032 and ASASSN-16oh) have been triggered from both space-based wide-field monitoring facilities (Swift/XRT, MAXI) and ground-based ones (ASASSN, the All Sky Automated Survey for SN), providing insights into the physics of super-Eddington accretion onto neutron stars and white dwarfs, and also into the long-term properties of accreting millisecond X-ray pulsars.
Discovery and Opportunity in the X-Ray Time Domain
Authors: Haggard D.
Published: August 2019

Ambitious X-ray observatories have enabled a rapid expansion in our knowledge of the X-ray time domain. With state-of-the-art facilities like Chandra, XMM Newton, and Swift performing surveys for over a decade (and counting), variability catalogues are becoming increasingly rich. Meanwhile, high time-resolution from the likes of NuSTAR and NICER (and RXTE before them) continue to uncover the richness of individual systems. These efforts have revealed a likely pulsar-ULX connection and possible magnetar oscillations, and have enabled reverberation mapping of AGN – to name only a few results. The talk reviewed recent highlights from the X-ray time domain, and described briefly what we hope to achieve with up-coming and proposed X-ray missions including HEX-P, Athena, XARM, eROSITA, STROBE-X, eXTP and TAP.
X-Ray Transients in the SRG/eROSITA All-Sky Survey
Authors: Rau A.
Published: August 2019

eROSITA (the extended ROentgen Survey with an Imaging Telescope Array) onboard the Spectrum Roentgen Gamma mission will perform a deep all-sky X-ray survey. During the first four years of operation the satellite will scan the entire sky every once every half year, visiting any position between 8 and 500 times. The eROSITA scanning strategy will test a wide range of times-scales, from seconds to years, and thus provide a powerful window into the X-ray transient and variable sky. This contribution summarised the key science opportunities for time-domain studies with eROSITA, and presented strategies for finding transients in the all-sky survey data.
The Future of AGN Variability Studies
Authors: Graham M. J.
Published: August 2019

AGNs are an inherently variable population but the physical mechanisms behind optical variability remain poorly constrained or not well understood. The advent of large archival collections of astronomical time series together with new analysis techniques is now driving systematic explorations of these phenomena. They reveal both population behaviours and individual extreme sources. This talk reviewed how the Catalina Real-time Transient Survey is transforming our knowledge of AGN behaviour, mentioning in particular the new CRTS Southern Sky Quasar Catalogue (which covers −70 < Dec < 0 down to V ∼ 19), and the potential of the Zwicky Transient Facility for further discoveries.
Recognition of Temporal Phenomena from LSST Alert Streams
Authors: Saha A.
Published: August 2019

LSST will uncover a few million time-domain alerts per night with a latency of a minute. This will provide a huge discovery space, where previously undiscovered rare phenomena may be revealed. The early detection of such previously unknown events from a minimal set of measurements is critical for discovery and follow-up. Analysis methods to recognise such events are being investigated and developed. A discussion of those approaches was presented.
ANTARES: Time-Domain Discovery in the Era of LSST
Authors: Soraisam M. , Matheson T.
Published: August 2019

The revolution in time-domain astronomy has arrived. Large-scale surveys are detecting events at an unparallelled rate, and discoveries of new and exotic objects abound. In just a few short years, the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope will begin operations in Chile. At that point, the rate of production of time-domain events will jump by a factor of at least a hundred. The traditional techniques of handling each detection individually will not scale to those current and future productions. The ANTARES project is a joint venture between NOAO and the University of Arizona Computer Science Department to develop a software infrastructure system to process time-domain events automatically at the scale and rate that LSST will generate them.
Life Beyond PTF
Authors: Bellm E. C.
Published: August 2019

In March 2017, the Intermediate Palomar Transient Factory (iPTF) ceased operations. This Symposium was an appropriate opportunity to review the scientific returns from iPTF and its predecessor survey, the Palomar Transient Factory (PTF), and to summarise the lessons learned. Succeeding iPTF on the Palomar Observatory 48-inch Schmidt telescope is the Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF), a new survey with an order of magnitude faster survey speed that is now being commissioned. I described the design and scientific rationale for ZTF. ZTF is prototyping new alert stream technologies being explored by the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) to distribute millions of transient alerts per night to downstream science users. I described the design of the alert system and discussed it in the context of the wider LSST and community broker ecosystem.
Deep-Learning the Time Domain
Authors: Mahabal A. , Sheth K. , Gieseke F. , Drake A. , Djorgovski G. , Graham M. J.
Published: August 2019

“Deep learning” is finding more and more applications everywhere, and astronomy is not an exception. This talk described the application of convolutional neural networks to time-domain astronomy, specifically to light-curves of sources. The work that is discussed is based on a published paper to which reference can be made for more detail. The talk finished with a note cautioning new practitioners about the pitfalls lurking in out-of-the-box use of deep-learning techniques.
The Large Synoptic Survey Telescope: Overview and Update
Authors: Graham M. L.
Published: August 2019

This talk provided an overview and update of the LSST Project and a review of the Data Management system, with a focus on the products most relevant to the researchers of transients and variables. The open opportunities for user-defined Special Programmes such as Deep Drilling Fields were also presented.