bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Middle Triassic procolophonid Kapes bentoni: computed tomography of the skull and skeleton
Authors: Zaher Marta , Coram Robert A. , Benton Michael J.
Published: August 2018

Procolophonids were diverse small reptiles through the late Permian and Triassic. Relatively complete specimens of various taxa are known from the Early and Late Triassic, but the 10 or so Middle Triassic taxa, from South Africa, Russia, China and the UK, are mostly incomplete, being known only from skulls or partial and poorly preserved isolated elements. Because of their small size, it has often been difficult to establish details of anatomy using physical preparation methods, so application of scanning technology can massively improve knowledge. Here, we describe the first substantial portion of a skull and anterior postcranial skeleton of the genus Kapes, known from Russia and the UK. CT scanning and 3D digital restoration of the new specimen from the Anisian Otter Sandstone of Devon, UK, reveal anatomical details previously unknown for this taxon, most notably the enlarged quadratojugal processes. This is also one of the few mature procolophonid specimens with a preserved postcranium, and it gives valuable insight into ossification patterns. Fused sutures of the skull, fused scapulocoracoid, and heavily worn teeth show evidence of the common reptilian ossification pattern with a possible limitation in tooth replacement. There is sufficient anatomical information to include Kapes bentoni for the first time in a cladistic analysis, which shows that it is sister to the Russian Kapes majmesculae and part of a clade of Anisian taxa phylogenetically more basal than Procolophon. Inferences on the function of the quadratojugal spines and fossorial mode of life are also considered.
Improvement of dispersive liquid‐liquid microextraction robustness by performing consecutive extractions: Determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in Brazilian sugar cane spirits by GC‐MS
Authors: Will Camila , Huelsmann Ricardo Dagnoni , da Cunha Heloize Cristina , Carasek Eduardo , Martendal Edmar
Published: August 2018

This paper describes the development of a multiple dispersive liquid‐liquid microextraction method for the determination of fifteen polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in samples of Brazilian sugar cane spirit (known as cachaça) with separation and detection by GC‐MS. The results obtained with the multiple extraction approach were compared to those obtained with the conventional dispersive liquid‐liquid microextraction method using the same sample. Sample dilution and solvent volume were optimized using the response surface methodology. The coefficient of determination (R2) for the multiple dispersive liquid‐liquid microextraction method varied from 0.9939 to 0.9999. The limits of detection ranged from 0.06 to 1.5 μg L−1 and precision from 12 and 22%. The recovery values obtained with the proposed method ranged from 84 to 116%. The sum of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons concentrations in six samples ranged from 0.65 to 12.2 μg L−1. Multiple dispersive liquid‐liquid microextraction was shown to be efficient in relation to compensating the matrix effects due to variations in the sample composition and the extraction parameters showed greater robustness compared to the conventional dispersive liquid‐liquid microextraction method, since it simulates an exhaustive extraction.
Development and validation of a GC–MS/MS method for priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons quantification in different types of water samples
Authors: Valera‐Tarifa Noelia María , López‐Martínez Juan Carlos , Martínez Vidal José Luis , Garrido Frenich Antonia
Published: August 2018

A sensitive analytical method has been developed for the determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in water, including priority pollutants according to the European Union, by gas chromatography coupled to triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry (GC‐QqQ‐MS/MS). The sample treatment was based on a solid‐phase extraction method which was validated in four different types of water: seawater, drinking water, untreated inland water and wastewater according to CD 2002/657/EC and SANTE/11813/2017 guidelines. Obtained recovery, studied at three concentration levels (1.7, 5.6 and 25.0 ng/L), was in the range 77–108%. Precision values were ≤ 17% and 22% for intra‐day and inter‐day precision, respectively. Linearity was studied in the range 1.4‐100 ng/L, and the obtained determination coefficients (R2) were ≥ 0.9962. Limits of detection were in the range from 1.0 to 3.0 ng/L, whereas limits of quantification were established from 1.4 to 5.0 ng/L. The validated method was successfully accredited according to ISO/IEC 17025 international standard (including calculation of uncertainty) and applied to routine analysis of real water samples.
Functional boxplots for multivariate curves
Authors: Dai Wenlin , Genton Marc G.
Published: August 2018

A two‐stage functional boxplot is introduced for the visualization and exploratory data analysis of multivariate curves. Specifically, the original functional boxplot is combined with an outlier‐detection procedure on the basis of the functional directional outlyingness, which accounts for both the magnitude and shape outlyingness of functional data. This combination is robust to various types of outliers and, hence, captures the data structures more accurately than does the functional boxplot alone. It also allows for both marginal and joint analysis of the multivariate curves. We apply the proposed tool to Spanish weather data in an illustrative example. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The political impacts of adaptation actions: Social contracts, a research agenda
Authors: Blackburn Sophie , Pelling Mark
Published: August 2018

Managing climate and disaster risk is a deeply political act sitting at the interface of popular expectations, legal mandate, and political fiat. This article makes the case for an expanded research agenda on social contracts in climate and disasters scholarship as a mechanism to better reveal activity across this interface, identify the winners and losers of adaptation, and improve the equity outcomes of negotiated and imposed risk management settlements. Social contracts are defined as multiple and constructed (not singular or fixed), and three distinct yet intersecting forms of social contracts are identified: imagined, practiced, and legal‐institutional. The article argues that mapping the disjunctures, overlaps and transitions between these concurrent social contracts can help reveal gaps between responsibilities held de facto and de jure. This makes a timely contribution to understanding tensions between need, obligation and entitlement that underlie contestations over “who” is responsible for “what” in risk governance. It also helps reveal the dynamic boundaries of social acceptances at the centre of debates around fair adaptation governance. Such work can provide insight on how development relations, including but reaching beyond risk management and climate change adaptation, can be transformed progressively and fairly in a changing climate.

This article is categorized under:

Vulnerability and Adaptation to Climate Change > Institutions for Adaptation
4,5‐Dichlorophthalate‐Extended Lanthanide Coordination Polymers with Layer and Ribbon Motifs: Synthesis, Structure, and Luminescence
Authors: Qiao Yan‐Hong , Chen Si‐Hang , Xu Shan , Yang En‐Cui , Zhao Xiao‐Jun
Published: August 2018

Five new 4,5‐dichlorophthalate (dcpa)‐extended lanthanide coordination polymers (CPs) with formulas [Ln2(H2O)(dcpa)3]n (Ln = Tb for 1, Sm for 2, Pr for 3, and Nd for 4) and [Yb(H2O)2(dcpa)(Hdcpa)]n (5) were solvothermally synthesized. Structural determinations demonstrate that CPs 1–4 are crystallographically isostructural, exhibiting an infinite two‐dimensional layer with dimeric {Ln2(COO)3} subunits extended by aromatic skeleton of fully deprotonated dcpa2– connectors. In contrast, complex 5 features a one‐dimensional broad ribbon with centrosymmetric {Yb2(COO)2} subunits propagated by pairs of ditopic dcpa2– ligands. Interestingly, the anionic dcpa2– connector can serve as a good antenna ligand to sensitize the characteristic emissions of the different LnIII ions in both the ultraviolet (for 1–3) and near‐infrared (for 4 and 5) regions.
Supramolecular Chemistry Based on Frustrated Lewis Pairs – Reactions of an Al/P FLP with Potassium Formate and Cesium Fluoride
Authors: Uhl Werner , Lange Merten , Hepp Alexander , Layh Marcus
Published: August 2018

Reactions of the Al/P‐based frustrated Lewis pair Mes2P–C(AltBu2)=C(H)–Ph (1) with the Brønstedt acids HBr, HI, and HCO2H resulted in the formation of the corresponding HXadducts Mes2(H)P–C[Al(X)tBu2]=C(H)–Ph [X= Br (4), I (5), OC(H)O (6)]. Despite the well‐known sensitivity of Al–C bonds towards protolysis, the products were isolated in good yields. Short intramolecular distances between H and Br, I or O are consistent with the presence of P–H···Xhydrogen bonds. Treatment of1with potassium formate or CsF yielded in poor to moderate yields the adducts Mes2P–C(AltBu2)=C(H)Ph·(KO2CH) (7) and Mes2P–C(AltBu2)=C(H)Ph·(CsF) (8). The potassium compounds required the presence of additional solvent molecules to obtain isolable crystalline products. Two monomeric units were joined by interactions of each K+cation with two formate anions. Supramolecular entities resulted by the additional coordination of the K+cations to solvent molecules (7a, toluene;7b, 1,2‐difluorobenzene;7c, THF), weak contacts to a mesityl group and in case of7band7cto atBu group and the P atom. The CsF adduct8crystallizes as a double‐stranded chain with the coordination of the Cs+cation to F–, a mesityl group (η6), a Ph group (η6; leads to an infinite chain), and atBu group (connects two chains to a double strand) of two different neighboring molecules. The Cs–F bond length is with 274.7(1) pm comparatively short, and the adduct may be viewed as a CsF molecule trapped by the FLP functionality.
Microstructure Cluster Analysis with Transfer Learning and Unsupervised Learning
Authors: Kitahara Andrew R. , Holm Elizabeth A.
Published: August 2018

We apply computer vision and machine learning methods to analyze two datasets of microstructural images. A transfer learning pipeline utilizes the fully connected layer of a pre-trained convolutional neural network as the image representation. An unsupervised learning method uses the image representations to discover visually distinct clusters of images within two datasets. A minimally supervised clustering approach classifies micrographs into visually similar groups. This approach successfully classifies images both in a dataset of surface defects in steel, where the image classes are visually distinct and in a dataset of fracture surfaces that humans have difficulty classifying. We find that the unsupervised, transfer learning method gives results comparable to fully supervised, custom-built approaches.
Co-ingestion of whole eggs or egg whites with glucose protects against postprandial hyperglycaemia-induced oxidative stress and dysregulated arginine metabolism in association with improved vascular endothelial function in prediabetic men
Authors: McDonald Joshua D. , Mah Eunice , Chitchumroonchokchai Chureeporn , Reverri Elizabeth J. , Li Jinhui , Volek Jeff S. , Villamena Frederick A. , Bruno Richard S.
Published: August 2018

Replacing a portion of a glucose challenge with whole eggs (EGG) or egg whites (WHITE) was shown to protect against glucose-induced impairments in vascular function. We hypothesised in the present study that previously observed vasoprotection following co-ingestion of EGG or WHITE with glucose was attributed to limiting postprandial hyperglycaemia-induced oxidative stress that improves NO∙ bioavailability. Prediabetic men completed a randomised, cross-over study in which they ingested isoenergetic meals containing 100 g glucose (GLU), or 75 g glucose with 1·5 EGG, seven WHITE or two egg yolks (YOLK). At 30 min intervals for 3 h, we assessed plasma NO∙ metabolites, the lipid peroxidation biomarker malondialdehyde, antioxidants, arginine and its methylated metabolites (asymmetric dimethylarginine and symmetric dimethylarginine), tetrahydrobiopterin redox status, vasoconstrictors and inflammatory markers. Compared with GLU, malondialdehyde was lower and NO∙ metabolites were greater in EGG and WHITE, but YOLK was not different from GLU. Malondialdehyde was inversely correlated with NO∙ metabolites and vascular function, whereas NO∙ metabolites were positively correlated with vascular function. Compared with GLU, arginine was greater, but asymmetric and symmetric dimethylarginine and angiotensin-II were lower in all egg-based meals. Antioxidants, tetrahydrobiopterin redox status and inflammatory markers did not differ among treatments. Thus, while each egg-based meal improved arginine metabolism, only EGG and WHITE limited lipid peroxidation. This suggests that vasoprotection mediated by EGG and WHITE likely occurs in an NO∙-dependent manner by improving arginine metabolism and attenuating oxidative stress that otherwise limit NO∙ biosynthesis and bioavailability to the vascular endothelium.
Beyond market behavior: Evolved cognition and folk political economic beliefs
Authors: Andrews Talbot M. , Delton Andrew W.
Published: August 2018

Boyer & Petersen (B&P) lay out a compelling theory for folk-economic beliefs, focusing on beliefs about markets. However, societies also allocate resources through mechanisms involving power and group decision-making (e.g., voting), through the political economy. We encourage future work to keep folkpoliticaleconomic beliefs in mind, and sketch an example involving pollution and climate change mitigation policy.
Callixylon wendtiisp. nov., a new species of archaeopteridalean progymnosperm from the Late Devonian of Anti-Atlas, Morocco
Authors: Tanrattana Mélanie , Meyer-Berthaud Brigitte , Decombeix Anne-Laure
Published: August 2018

Archaeopterid trees were the main components of most Late Devonian forests. Their aerial axes characterised by a eustele with mesarch primary xylem strands, leaf traces departing radially from cauline bundles and secondary xylem tracheids with radial pits arranged in groups, are referred to the genusCallixylonZalessky. The nineteen species ofCallixylondescribed to date from North America, North Africa, Europe, Xinjiang and several parts of Russia range from the late Givetian to the Mississippian. In this paper, we describe a new species ofCallixylonfrom two specimens collected in the Famennian locality of Mader el Mrakib in eastern Anti-Atlas.Callixylon wendtiisp. nov. is characterised by the presence of sclerotic nests in the pith, a new character for the genus. Its wood shows narrow rays of variable height, with unevenly distributed ray tracheids. Small vascular traces crossing the wood within the two innermost growth rings are interpreted as evidence for short-lived leaves. This discovery adds to the diversity of the genusCallixylonin an area of northern Gondwana that may have been favourable to the establishment of a diverse community of archaeopterid trees.
A Faulted Thin‐Sheet Model of Plate Boundary Deformation That Fits Observations
Authors: Haines John , Sutherland Rupert
Published: August 2018

We present a thin‐sheet approach to modeling deformation at diffuse plate boundaries. We specify plate motion boundary conditions, geometry of the boundary, locations and weakness values of faults, the distribution of sheet weakness, and force potentials that result from surface loads, gravitational potential energy, and flow beneath the sheet. Model optimization is achieved by repeating three steps: (1) a work rate functional is minimized to determine a physical model defined by a priori information; (2) an a posteriori model with identical dimensions and parameters, but different functional form, is constructed, to find a better kinematic fit to observations; and (3) a priori parameters are adjusted, based on comparison of a priori and a posteriori models, and subject to considerations such as constitutive relationships, along‐fault slip distribution profiles, or spatial models of weakness based on other data. Diverse observations of velocity, strain rate, fault slip rate, or fault slip direction are weighted and simultaneously compared with predictions, without bias introduced by arbitrary grouping. We propose an efficient method for estimating optimized model parameters (sheet and fault weakness values and force potentials) that has a wide range of applications: synthesis of observations and boundary conditions into a uniform kinematic model of plate boundary deformation at Earth's surface, physical consideration of long‐term average weakness/stress at the top of the lithosphere and fault weakness/traction, and construction of hypotheses to guide future theoretical or observational studies. We illustrate application of the modeling method to plate boundary deformation in northern South Island, New Zealand.
Tracking Submarine Volcanic Activity at Monowai: Constraints From Long‐Range Hydroacoustic Measurements
Authors: Metz D. , Watts A. B. , Grevemeyer I. , Rodgers M.
Published: August 2018

Monowai is a submarine volcanic center in the Kermadec Arc, Southwest Pacific Ocean. In the past, activity at the volcano had been intermittently observed in the form of fallout at the sea surface, discolored water, changes in seafloor topography, and T phase seismicity, but there is no continuous record for more recent years. In this study, we investigated 3.5 years of recordings at a hydrophone array of the International Monitoring System, located near Juan Fernández Islands, for long‐range underwater sound waves from Monowai. Results from direction‐of‐arrival calculations and density‐based spatial clustering indicate that 82 discrete episodes of activity occurred between July 2003 and March 2004 and from April 2014 to January 2017. Volcanic episodes are typically spaced days to weeks apart, range from hours to days in length, and amount to a cumulative sum of 137 days of arrivals in total, making Monowai one of the most active submarine arc volcanoes on Earth. The resolution of the hydrophone recordings surpasses broadband network data by at least 1 order of magnitude, identifying seismic events as low as 2.2 mb in the Kermadec Arc region. Further observations suggest volcanic activity at a location approximately 400 km north of Monowai in the Tonga Arc and at Healy or Brothers volcano in the southern Kermadec Arc. Our findings are consistent with previous studies and highlight the exceptional capabilities of the International Monitoring System network for the scientific study of active volcanism in the global ocean.
Precipitation Redistribution Method for Regional Simulations of Radioactive Material Transport During the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Accident
Authors: Saya Akane , Yoshikane Takao , Chang Eun‐Chul , Yoshimura Kei , Oki Taikan
Published: August 2018

To reproduce more accurate deposition maps of radioactive materials released in the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident in March 2011, our study focuses on the uncertainty of atmospheric transport simulations caused by precipitation. In our new method, simulated wet deposition distribution of 137Cs is modified by high‐resolution radar rain gauge data of observed precipitation. Sensitivity experiments are conducted to examine the impact of using both different reanalyzed meteorological data sets as boundary condition and the observation data of precipitation as the redistribution of simulated precipitation. Among the results, the experiment modified by high‐resolution radar rain gauge data realized the most accurate cumulative 137Cs deposition from 18 to 27 March. While the meteorological field is reasonably simulated in the atmospheric transport model in the experiments, the results showed that applying observed precipitation also contributes to improve the accuracy of simulated wet deposition amount.
Potential Impacts of Climate Variation on Potato Field Evapotranspiration: Field Experiment and Numerical Simulation of Potato Water Use in an Arid Site
Authors: Hou Lizhu , Hu Bill X. , Li Huan , Wan Li
Published: August 2018

Climate change would significantly affect crop evapotranspiration processes. Many studies have been conducted for various crops. However, there is a lack of sufficient observational evidence on how climate change would influence potato evapotranspiration. In this paper, an experimental potato field in Maowusu Desert, northwest of China, was used to investigate the effect of climate change on potato evapotranspiration. Temporal variations in reference evapotranspiration (ET0) were comprehensively investigated during 1954–2013, which shows that annual temperature and ET0 had significant increasing trends in the past 60 years. Meanwhile, an experimental crop of potato was grown in Maowusu Desert to investigate water‐soil‐air‐plant‐human nexus in 2016, and a HYDRUS‐1D model for the unsaturated flow in a potato field was calibrated and validated with measured soil water tensions and soil water contents at various depths during the potato growing periods from 8 to 16 August 2016 and from 6 September to 3 October 2016, respectively. The model computed the actual potato evapotranspiration (ETa) as 183 mm during the whole growing period from 5 June to 3 October 2016. The groundwater contribution to potato water use was calculated to be 320 mm during the growing season in 2016. As the atmospheric temperature increases, the reference crop evapotranspiration increases, the actual potato evapotranspiration increases too. The actual potato evapotranspiration increase with temperature increase will lead to a bigger water resource pressure in this area. The study results provide the basis for managing crop irrigation in the region in the future.
Did Smoke From City Fires in World War II Cause Global Cooling?
Authors: Robock Alan , Zambri Brian
Published: August 2018

Between 3 February and 9 August 1945, an area of 461 km2 in 69 Japanese cities, including Hiroshima and Nagasaki, was burned during the U.S. B‐29 Superfortress air raids. In the previous 5 years, 205 km2 in German cities were destroyed, so the smoke that was generated was spread out over a much longer period of time than that from Japan in 1945. Observations of solar irradiance show reductions consistent with the hypothesis that smoke was injected into the stratosphere by the city fires. Historical simulations from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project 5, with no smoke in their forcing, showed no postwar cooling. Global average surface air temperature observations during and following World War II are problematic, because of issues with measuring sea surface temperatures, but there were no large volcanic eruptions, El Niño, or La Niña during this period to confuse the record. Nevertheless, 1945 and 1946 global average land surface air temperatures were not significantly lower than the average for 1940–1944. Estimates of the amount of smoke generated by the fires are somewhat uncertain. Although the climate record is consistent with an expected 0.1–0.2 K cooling, because of multiple uncertainties in smoke injected to the stratosphere, solar radiation observations, and surface temperature observations, it is not possible to formally detect a cooling signal from World War II smoke.
The Influences of the Arctic Troposphere on the Midlatitude Climate Variability and the Recent Eurasian Cooling
Authors: Ye Kunhui , Jung Thomas , Semmler Tido
Published: August 2018

Understanding the influence of the Arctic troposphere on the climate at midlatitudes is critical for projecting the impacts of ongoing and anticipated Arctic changes such as Arctic amplification and rapid sea ice decline over the Northern Hemisphere. In this study, we analyze a suite of atmospheric model experiments, with and without atmospheric relaxation toward reanalysis data, to study the impacts of the Arctic troposphere on the midlatitude atmospheric circulation and climate variability. The Arctic troposphere is found to strongly impact the interannual variability of the atmospheric circulation and temperature over the midlatitude continents. The major mechanisms for the impacts of Arctic troposphere include the modulation of the large‐scale atmospheric circulation, the associated heat transport over the continents, and the impacts on synoptic variations in the North Atlantic‐European sector. The impact of the Arctic troposphere on the intensity of the Siberian High is an important factor for how the Arctic can influence temperature variability in south Siberia and East Asia. The trends in the Arctic troposphere in recent decades are closely linked to the recent winter cooling in Northern Eurasia. These recent cooling trends are not driven by the trends in sea surface temperature/sea ice, tropical atmosphere, and the stratosphere. It is argued that the temperature trend pattern of warm Arctic‐cold Eurasia is a manifestation of two possibly independent phenomena and the cooling trend is contributed to by the Arctic troposphere through impacting the large‐scale atmospheric circulation, the atmospheric blocking frequency, and the intensity of the Siberian High.
Lithium and fluoxetine regulate the rate of phosphoinositide synthesis in neurons: a new view of their mechanisms of action in bipolar disorder
Authors: Saiardi Adolfo , Mudge Anne W.
Published: August 2018

Lithium is widely used to treat bipolar disorder, but its primary mechanism of action is uncertain. One proposal has been that lithium’s ability to inhibit the enzyme inositol monophosphatase (IMPase) reduces the supply of recycled inositol used for membrane phosphoinositide (PIns) synthesis. This 28-year-old hypothesis is still widely debated, however, largely because total levels of PIns in brain or in cultured neurons do not decrease after lithium treatment. Here we use mature cultured cortical neurons to show that, although lithium has little effect on steady-state levels of either inositol or PIns, it markedly inhibits the rate of PIns synthesis. Moreover, we show that rapid synthesis of membrane PIns preferentially uses inositol newly imported from the extracellular space. Unexpectedly, we also find that the antidepressant drug fluoxetine (FLUO: Prozac) stimulates the rate of PIns synthesis. The convergence of both lithium and FLUO in regulating the rate of synthesis of PIns in opposite ways highlights PIns turnover in neurons as a potential new drug target, as well as for understanding mood control in BD. Our results also indicate new avenues for investigation of how neurons regulate their supply of inositol.
Towards a unifying mechanistic model for silicate glass corrosion
Authors: Lenting Christoph , Plümper Oliver , Kilburn Matt , Guagliardo Paul , Klinkenberg Martina , Geisler Thorsten
Published: August 2018

Borosilicate glasses are currently used for the immobilization of highly radioactive waste and are materials of choice for many biomedical and research industries. They are metastable materials that corrode in aqueous solutions, reflected by the formation of silica-rich surface alteration layers (SAL). Until now, there is no consensus in the scientific community about the reaction and transport mechanism(s) and the rate-limiting steps involved in the formation of SALs. Here we report the results of multi-isotope tracer (2H,18O,10B, 30Si, 44Ca) corrosion experiments that were performed with precorroded and pristine glass monoliths prepared from the six-component international simple glass and a quaternary aluminum borosilicate glass. Results of transmission electron microscopy and nanoscale analyses by secondary ion mass spectrometry reveal a nanometer-sharp interface between the SAL and the glass, where decoupling of isotope tracer occurs, while proton diffusion and ion exchange can be observed within the glass. We propose a unifying mechanistic model that accounts for all critical observations so far made on naturally and experimentally corroded glasses. It is based on an interface-coupled glass dissolution-silica precipitation reaction as the main SAL forming process. However, a diffusion-controlled ion exchange front may evolve in the glass ahead of the dissolution front if SAL formation at the reaction interface significantly slows down due to transport limitations.
Feature-dependent intrinsic functional connectivity across cortical depths in the human auditory cortex
Authors: Wu Pu-Yeh , Chu Ying-Hua , Lin Jo-Fu Lotus , Kuo Wen-Jui , Lin Fa-Hsuan
Published: August 2018

Frequency preference and spectral tuning are two cardinal features of information processing in the auditory cortex. However, sounds should not only be processed in separate frequency bands because information needs to be integrated to be meaningful. One way to better understand the integration of acoustic information is to examine the functional connectivity across cortical depths, as neurons are already connected differently across laminar layers. Using a tailored receiver array and surface-based cortical depth analysis, we revealed the frequency–preference as well as tuning–width dependent intrinsic functional connectivity (iFC) across cortical depths in the human auditory cortex using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). We demonstrated feature-dependent iFC in both core and noncore regions at all cortical depths. The selectivity of frequency–preference dependent iFC was higher at deeper depths than at intermediate and superficial depths in the core region. Both the selectivity of frequency–preference and tuning–width dependent iFC were stronger in the core than in the noncore region at deep cortical depths. Taken together, our findings provide evidence for a cortical depth-specific feature-dependent functional connectivity in the human auditory cortex.
Peptidyl arginine deiminase 2 (Padi2) is expressed in Sertoli cells in a specific manner and regulated by SOX9 during testicular development
Authors: Tsuji-Hosokawa Atsumi , Kashimada Kenichi , Kato Tomoko , Ogawa Yuya , Nomura Risa , Takasawa Kei , Lavery Rowena , Coschiera Andrea , Schlessinger David , Harley Vincent R. , Takada Shuji , Morio Tomohiro
Published: August 2018

Peptidyl arginine deiminases (PADIs) are enzymes that change the charge of proteins through citrullination. We recently foundPadi2was expressed exclusively in fetal Sertoli cells. In this study, we analyzed the transcriptional regulation ofPadi2and the role of PADI2 in testicular development. We showed SOX9 positively regulatedPadi2transcription and FOXL2 antagonized it in TM3 cells, a model of Sertoli cells. The responsive region to SOX9 and FOXL2 was identified within thePadi2sequence by reporter assay. In fetal testes fromSox9knockout (AMH-Cre:Sox9flox/flox) mice,Padi2expression was greatly reduced, indicating SOX9 regulatesPadi2 in vivo.In vitroanalysis using siRNA suggested PADI2 modified transcriptional regulation by SOX9. However,Padi2−/−XY mice were fertile and showed no apparent reproductive anomalies. Although, PADI2 is known as an epigenetic transcriptional regulator through H3 citrullination, no significant difference in H3 citrullination between wildtype andPadi2−/−XY gonads was observed. These results suggestPadi2is a novel gene involved in testis development that is specifically expressed in Sertoli cells through the regulation by SOX9 and FOXL2 and PADI2 supports regulation of target genes by SOX9. Analysis of thePadi2−/−XY phenotype suggested a redundant factor compensated for PADI2 function in testicular development.
Numerical Simulation of Particulate Matter 2.5 Distribution in a Roadway
Authors: Feng Guorui , Liao Qi , Hu Shengyong
Published: August 2018

Large amounts of dust particles pose serious hazards to the health and safety of China’s coal miners during roadway blasting processes. It is known that among these dust particles, Particulate Matter 2.5 (PM2.5) does the greatest amount of harm. In order to study the distributions of the PM2.5 in roadway blasting processes, a mathematical model of the gas-solid two-phase flow was established in this study, which was based on a Direct Simulation Monte Carlo Method (DSMC). Then, a multiphase flow program was developed. This study’s results indicated that following the blasting processes, fine dust particles gradually floated up and were suspended for long durations in the underground roadway space. The medium-sized dust particles slowly sink to the ground and were eventually expelled before settling to the floor of the roadway. The coarse particles were rapidly settled to the roadway floor. It was determined that the PM2.5 particles in the front end of the dust group could not be quickly diluted, and the concentrations were high until it is expelled from the roadway, whereas the PM2.5 dust particles in the back end of the underground roadway were found to be gradually diluted. Eventually, the PM2.5 concentrations exhibited an alternating thin to dense phase distribution. When compared with the Particulate Matter 5 (PM5), it was found that the PM2.5 was more difficult to discharge, and easily formed serious PM2.5 dust air pollution. This study’s results were determined to be conductive to the future control of PM2.5 in the underground roadway blasting processes.
The use of random forests modelling to detect yeast-mannan sensitive bacterial changes in the broiler cecum
Authors: Corrigan A. , Russell N. , Welge M. , Auvil L. , Bushell C. , White B. A. , Murphy R. A.
Published: August 2018

In this study, sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene targeting the V4-V6 regions was conducted to assess the cecal microbial alterations in response to dietary supplementation with a yeast derived mannan rich fraction (MRF) in standard commercial broiler production settings across four separate broiler trials. The resulting data was analysed to identify consistent changes in the bacterial community structure of the broiler cecum in response to MRF supplementation. Subsequently, the datasets from each individual trial were pooled and analysed for differences between control and MRF supplemented diets at day 35 posthatch. The results from this analysis showed that Phylum Firmicutes was decreased and Phylum Bacteroidetes was increased across all four trials at day 35 posthatch when compared to the control. An extension of the random forest bioinformatics approach to discover a highly relevant set of microbial operational taxonomic units (OTUs) which are indicative of MRF supplementation in the broiler cecum was then used. This approach has enabled the identification of a novel set of yeast-mannan sensitive bacterial OTUs in the cecal microbiome. This information will be helpful in developing potential future nutritional strategies and will be favourable to the poultry industry.
Attending to Visual Stimuli versus Performing Visual Imagery as a Control Strategy for EEG-based Brain-Computer Interfaces
Authors: Kosmyna Nataliya , Lindgren Jussi T. , Lécuyer Anatole
Published: August 2018

Currently the most common imagery task used in Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCIs) is motor imagery, asking a user to imagine moving a part of the body. This study investigates the possibility to build BCIs based on another kind of mental imagery, namely “visual imagery”. We study to what extent can we distinguish alternative mental processes of observing visual stimuli and imagining it to obtain EEG-based BCIs. Per trial, we instructed each of 26 users who participated in the study to observe a visual cue of one of two predefined images (a flower or a hammer) and then imagine the same cue, followed by rest. We investigated if we can differentiate between the different subtrial types from the EEG alone, as well as detect which image was shown in the trial. We obtained the following classifier performances: (i) visual imagery vs. visual observation task (71% of classification accuracy), (ii) visual observation task towards different visual stimuli (classifying one observation cue versus another observation cue with an accuracy of 61%) and (iii) resting vs. observation/imagery (77% of accuracy between imagery task versus resting state, and the accuracy of 75% between observation task versus resting state). Our results show that the presence of visual imagery and specifically related alpha power changes are useful to broaden the range of BCI control strategies.
Malignant Transformation of Human Bronchial Epithelial Cells Induced by Arsenic through STAT3/miR-301a/SMAD4 Loop
Authors: Zhong Mingtian , Huang Zhujuan , Wang Lei , Lin Zhanwen , Cao Zhi , Li Xun , Zhang Fengxue , Wang Hongqi , Li Yong , Ma Xiaodong
Published: August 2018

Arsenic is a well-known of human carcinogen and miR-301a is an oncogenic microRNA, which links to oncogenesis, however, little is understood about its contribution to arsenic-induced cellular transformation and tumorigenesis. Here, we investigated the role of miR-301a during arsenic-induced cellular transformation and tumor formation. miR-301a was found to be upregulated during arsenic-induced BEAS-2B transformation and the overexpression of miR-301a was dependent on IL-6/STAT3 signaling. Inhibition of miR-301a leads to reduction of cell proliferation, colony formation and cell migration. By using dual luciferase assay, SMAD4 was confirmed to be a direct target of miR-301a in BEAS-2B cells and upregulation of SMAD4 is involved the restraining cell growth and migration. In addition, reducing of miR-301a expression enhances doxorubicin-induced cellular apoptosis of transformed BEAS-2B through up-regulating SMAD4. Furthermore, we demonstrated that downregulation of miR-301a in BEAS-2B attenuates tumor growth in the xenograft model by targeting SMAD4. Of note, the level of miR-301a expression correlated inversely with SMAD4 expression in clinical specimens of human lung cancer. Our findings ascertain that miR-301a is an oncogenic miRNA, which targets SMAD4 to establish an essential mechanism for arsenic-induced carcinogenesis, IL-6/STAT3/miR-301a/SMAD4 signaling pathways.
Addressing nonlinearities in Monte Carlo
Authors: Dauchet Jérémi , Bezian Jean-Jacques , Blanco Stéphane , Caliot Cyril , Charon Julien , Coustet Christophe , El Hafi Mouna , Eymet Vincent , Farges Olivier , Forest Vincent , Fournier Richard , Galtier Mathieu , Gautrais Jacques , Khuong Anaïs , Pelissier Lionel , Piaud Benjamin , Roger Maxime , Terrée Guillaume , Weitz Sebastian
Published: August 2018

Monte Carlo is famous for accepting model extensions and model refinements up to infinite dimension. However, this powerful incremental design is based on a premise which has severely limited its application so far: a state-variable can only be recursively defined as a function of underlying state-variables if this function is linear. Here we show that this premise can be alleviated by projecting nonlinearities onto a polynomial basis and increasing the configuration space dimension. Considering phytoplankton growth in light-limited environments, radiative transfer in planetary atmospheres, electromagnetic scattering by particles, and concentrated solar power plant production, we prove the real-world usability of this advance in four test cases which were previously regarded as impracticable using Monte Carlo approaches. We also illustrate an outstanding feature of our method when applied to acute problems with interacting particles: handling rare events is now straightforward. Overall, our extension preserves the features that made the method popular: addressing nonlinearities does not compromise on model refinement or system complexity, and convergence rates remain independent of dimension.
Insight from Molecular dynamic simulation of reactive oxygen species in oxidized skin membrane
Authors: Kumar Surendra , Yadav Dharmendra Kumar , Choi Eun-Ha , Kim Mi-Hyun
Published: August 2018

Non-enzymatic lipid peroxidation of the skin-lipid bilayer causes perturbations that affect the biomembrane structure, function, and permeability of reactive oxygen species (ROS). In the present study, we employed molecular dynamics simulations to study the effect of lipid peroxidation on the bilayer structural properties and permeability of various ROS. The oxidized skin-lipid bilayer was composed of ceramide, cholesterol, free fatty acid, and 5α-hydroperoxycholesterol (5α-CH). The simulation showed that, upon oxidation, the oxidized group (−OOH) of 5α-CH migrates towards the aqueous phase and the backbone of 5α-CH tilts, which causes the membrane to expand laterally. Measurements of the permeability of all ROS along the oxidized skin-lipid bilayer revealed a decreased breaching barrier for all the species as the degree of peroxidation increased, with a resulting easy passage across the membrane. The insights from the simulations indicate that lipid peroxidation might perturb the membrane barrier, thereby inflicting oxidative stress that leads to apoptosis. This study helps to understand oxidative stress at the atomic level. To our knowledge, this is the first reported molecular dynamics simulation study on oxidized skin-lipid bilayer and permeability of ROS.
No supplementary evidence of attention to a spatial cue when saccadic facilitation is absent
Authors: MacInnes W. Joseph , Bhatnagar Roopali
Published: August 2018

Attending a location in space facilitates responses to targets at that location when the time between cue and target is short. Certain types of exogenous cues – such as sudden peripheral onsets – have been described as reflexive and automatic. Recent studies however, have been showing many cases where exogenous cues are less automatic than previously believed and do not always result in facilitation. A lack of the behavioral facilitation, however, does not automatically necessitate a lack of underlying attention to that location. We test exogenous cueing in two experiments where facilitation is and is not likely to be observed with saccadic responses. We also test alternate measures linked to the allocation of attention such as saccadic curvature, microsaccades and pupil size. As expected, we find early facilitation as measured by saccadic reaction time when CTOAs are predictable but not when they are randomized within a block. We find no impact of the cue on microsaccade direction for either experiment, and only a slight dip in the frequency of microsaccades after the cue. We do find that change in pupil size to the cue predicts the magnitude of the validity effect, but only in the experiment where facilitation was observed. In both experiments, we observed a tendency for saccadic curvature to deviate away from the cued location and this was stronger for early CTOAs and toward vertical targets. Overall, we find that only change in pupil size is consistent with observed facilitation. Saccadic curvature is influenced by the onset of the cue, buts its direction is indicative of oculomotor inhibition whether we see RT facilitation or not. Microsaccades were not diagnostic in either experiment. Finally, we see little to no evidence of attention at the cued location in any additional measures when facilitation of saccadic responses is absent.
Protective effect of 1950 MHz electromagnetic field in human neuroblastoma cells challenged with menadione
Authors: Falone Stefano , Sannino Anna , Romeo Stefania , Zeni Olga , Santini Silvano , Rispoli Roberta , Amicarelli Fernanda , Scarfì Maria Rosaria
Published: August 2018

This study aims to assess whether a 1950 MHz radiofrequency (RF) electromagnetic field could protect human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells against a subsequent treatment with menadione, a chemical agent inducing DNA damage via reactive oxygen species formation. Cells were pre-exposed for 20 h to specific absorption rate of either 0.3 or 1.25 W/kg, and 3 h after the end of the exposure, they were treated with 10 µM menadione (MD) for 1 h. No differences were observed between sham- and RF-exposed samples. A statistically significant reduction in menadione-induced DNA damage was detected in cells pre-exposed to either 0.3 or 1.25 W/kg (P < 0.05). Moreover, our analyses of gene expression revealed that the pre-exposure to RF almost inhibited the dramatic loss of glutathione peroxidase-based antioxidant scavenging efficiency that was induced by MD, and in parallel strongly enhanced the gene expression of catalase-based antioxidant protection. In addition, RF abolished the MD-dependent down-regulation of oxoguanine DNA glycosylase, which is a critical DNA repairing enzyme. Overall, our findings suggested that RF pre-exposure reduced menadione-dependent DNA oxidative damage, most probably by enhancing antioxidant scavenging efficiency and restoring DNA repair capability. Our results provided some insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying the RF-induced adaptive response in human neuroblastoma cells challenged with menadione.
Copolymerization of cyclic esters, epoxides and anhydrides: evidence of the dual role of the monomers in the reaction mixture
Authors: Isnard Florence , Carratù Mario , Lamberti Marina , Venditto Vincenzo , Mazzeo Mina
Published: August 2018

A block copolyester derived from ROCOP of CHO/SA followed by ROP of ε-CL was obtained from the mixture of monomers. The lactone comonomer acts as an endogen cocatalyst during the SA/CHO ROCOP step and as a monomer during ROP.
Emerging investigator series: inhibition and recovery of anaerobic granular sludge performance in response to short-term polystyrene nanoparticle exposure
Authors: Feng Yue , Feng Li-Juan , Liu Shu-Chang , Duan Jian-Lu , Zhang Yi-Bing , Li Shi-Chang , Sun Xiao-Dong , Wang Shu-Guang , Yuan Xian-Zheng
Published: August 2018

Microbial communities and methanogenic genes are main reasons for AGS performance recovery from PS-NPs exposure.
Thiyl radical promoted chemo- and regioselective oxidation of CC bonds using molecular oxygenviairon catalysis
Authors: Xiong Baojian , Zeng Xiaoqin , Geng Shasha , Chen Shuo , He Yun , Feng Zhang
Published: August 2018

The first example of the thiyl radical promoted ligand-free iron-catalyzed oxidative cleavage of alkenes using molecular oxygen (1 atm) has been developed.
Lift-off cell lithography for cell patterning with clean background
Authors: Wu Cong , Zhu Xiongfeng , Man Tianxing , Chung Pei-Shan , Teitell Michael A. , Chiou Pei-Yu
Published: August 2018

A novel and simple technique called lift-off cell lithography was developed for high-efficiency cell patterning with nearly zero background defects.
Synthesis, structures and magnetic properties of heterobimetallic RuIII–3d (3d = Mn, Ni) compounds based on the chiral RuIII building block
Authors: Ru Jing , Zhang Ru-Fen , Shi Yang , Zhang Shao-Liang , Li Qian-Li , Ma Chun-Lin
Published: August 2018

Two pairs of new chiral RuIII–Mn/Ni compounds have been successfully synthesized and characterized by IR spectroscopy, X-ray crystallography, circular dichroism (CD) and vibrational circular dichroism (VCD) spectra.
Chirality-sorted carbon nanotube films as high capacity electrode materials
Authors: Krukiewicz Katarzyna , Krzywiecki Maciej , Biggs Manus J. P. , Janas Dawid
Published: August 2018

Films from carbon nanotubes show great promise for energy storage devices.
Metabolomics analysis based on a UPLC-Q-TOF-MS metabolomics approach to compare Lin-Xia-Shan-Shen and garden ginseng
Authors: Chen Jing , Yuan Ying , Ran Xiaoku , Guo Na , Dou Deqiang
Published: August 2018

Panax ginsengMeyer which has been cultivated and grown naturally in mountainous forests is formally called “Lin-Xia-Shan-Shen” (LXSS), but when cultivated it is called garden ginseng (GG), according to theChinese Pharmacopoeia(2015 edition).
Pure exciplex-based white organic light-emitting diodes with imitation daylight emissions
Authors: Luo Dian , Hsieh Chung-Tsung , Wang Yen-Po , Chuang Thomas C. , Chang Hsin-Hua , Chang Chih-Hao
Published: August 2018

Three hole-transporting material (HTM)/electron-transporting material (ETM) combinations are chosen to generate blue, green and red exciplexes, allowing us to design precise device architectures for the fabrication of exciplex-based white OLEDs with daylight-like emissions.
Enhanced output power of a freestanding ball-based triboelectric generator through the electrophorus effect
Authors: Choy Tsz Hin , O Ying Ying , Zhou Feichi , Xu Wei , Wong Man Chung , Ye Tao , Hao Jianhua , Chai Yang
Published: August 2018

We design and construct a ball-based triboelectric generator (B-TEG) to harvest mechanical vibrations and convert them to electricity.