bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Use of Learner Autonomy in English as a Foreign Language Context among Saudi Undergraduates Enrolled in Preparatory Year Deanship at Najran University
Authors: Falah Alzubi Ali Abbas , Kaur Mehar Singh Manjet , Pandian Ambigapathy
Published: May 2017

This paper explores the current practices of learner autonomy among Saudi undergraduates at Preparatory Year, Najran University. The Short List questionnaire developed by Dixon (2011) was administered to measure the use of autonomous learning in English as a foreign language (EFL) context. Quantitative data were gathered from 208 male students in level one. The results of the data analysis showed that the participants experience a low level of learner autonomy (LA) in English language. While the LA dimensions of linguistic confidence, social comparison, and locus of control are considered a weakness for the participants, they had medium averages in information literacy, metacognition, and self-reliance dimensions. Therefore, the study suggests the need for pedagogical treatments like the strategy use instruction to develop LA in the Saudi EFL context.
A Study of the English Translations of “Shen Si” in Wen Xin Diao Long
Authors: Defen Zhu
Published: May 2017

This research aims at finding out how we can benefit from comparing Chinese and Western poetics when translating texts of traditional Chinese literary theories into English. We will try to find out, from the perspectives of comparative poetics, the difficulties and solutions in translating traditional Chinese literary theories into English. We will also see how comparative poetics would affect the translating strategies and the readers’ understanding of the translated texts. The paper starts with a comparison and analysis of the four English translations of the “Shen Si” (《神思》) chapter in WXDL. The comparisons and analyses expose problems in translating traditional Chinese literary theories into English, but it also gives us some insights. We find that some characteristics of the text, such as the critical terms, the figurative use of language, and the numerous quotes and illusions, impose lots of challenges to the translating. We also find that a comparative study of Chinese and Western poetics in many ways is helpful to the translation of the texts of traditional Chinese literary theories.
A new molecular diagnostic tool for surveying and monitoring Triops cancriformis populations
Authors: Sellers Graham S. , Griffin Larry R. , Hänfling Bernd , Gómez Africa
Published: May 2017

The tadpole shrimp, Triops cancriformis, is a freshwater crustacean listed as endangered in the UK and Europe living in ephemeral pools. Populations are threatened by habitat destruction due to land development for agriculture and increased urbanisation. Despite this, there is a lack of efficient methods for discovering and monitoring populations. Established macroinvertebrate monitoring methods, such as net sampling, are unsuitable given the organism’s life history, that include long lived diapausing eggs, benthic habits and ephemerally active populations. Conventional hatching methods, such as sediment incubation, are both time consuming and potentially confounded by bet-hedging hatching strategies of diapausing eggs. Here we develop a new molecular diagnostic method to detect viable egg banks of T. cancriformis, and compare its performance to two conventional monitoring methods involving diapausing egg hatching. We apply this method to a collection of pond sediments from the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust Caerlaverock National Nature Reserve, which holds one of the two remaining British populations of T. cancriformis. DNA barcoding of isolated eggs, using newly designed species-specific primers for a large region of mtDNA, was used to estimate egg viability. These estimates were compared to those obtained by the conventional methods of sediment and isolation hatching. Our method outperformed the conventional methods, revealing six ponds holding viable T. cancriformis diapausing egg banks in Caerlaverock. Additionally, designed species-specific primers for a short region of mtDNA identified degraded, inviable eggs and were used to ascertain the levels of recent mortality within an egg bank. Together with efficient sugar flotation techniques to extract eggs from sediment samples, our molecular method proved to be a faster and more powerful alternative for assessing the viability and condition of T. cancriformis diapausing egg banks.
Toward a better understanding of the mechanisms of symbiosis: a comprehensive proteome map of a nascent insect symbiont
Authors: Renoz François , Champagne Antoine , Degand Hervé , Faber Anne-Marie , Morsomme Pierre , Foray Vincent , Hance Thierry
Published: May 2017

Symbiotic bacteria are common in insects and can affect various aspects of their hosts’ biology. Although the effects of insect symbionts have been clarified for various insect symbiosis models, due to the difficulty of cultivating themin vitro, there is still limited knowledge available on the molecular features that drive symbiosis.Serratia symbioticais one of the most common symbionts found in aphids. The recent findings of free-living strains that are considered as nascent partners of aphids provide the opportunity to examine the molecular mechanisms that a symbiont can deploy at the early stages of the symbiosis (i.e., symbiotic factors). In this work, a proteomic approach was used to establish a comprehensive proteome map of the free-livingS. symbioticastrain CWBI-2.3T. Most of the 720 proteins identified are related to housekeeping or primary metabolism. Of these, 76 were identified as candidate proteins possibly promoting host colonization. Our results provide strong evidence thatS. symbioticaCWBI-2.3Tis well-armed for invading insect host tissues, and suggest that certain molecular features usually harbored by pathogenic bacteria are no longer present. This comprehensive proteome map provides a series of candidate genes for further studies to understand the molecular cross-talk between insects and symbiotic bacteria.
Analysis of RecA-independent recombination events between short direct repeats related to a genomic island and to a plasmid inEscherichia coliK12
Authors: Azpiroz María F. , Laviña Magela
Published: May 2017

RecA-independent recombination events between short direct repeats, leading to deletion of the intervening sequences, were found to occur in two genetic models in theEscherichia coliK12 background. The first model was a smallE. coligenomic island which had been shown to be mobile in its strain of origin and, when cloned, also in theE. coliK12 context. However, it did not encode a site-specific recombinase as mobile genomic islands usually do. It was then deduced that the host cells should provide the recombination function. This latter was searched for by means of a PCR approach to detect the island excision inE. coliK12 mutants affected in a number of recombination functions, including the 16E. coliK12 site-specific recombinases, the RecET system, and multiple proteins that participate in the RecA-dependent pathways of homologous recombination. None of these appeared to be involved in the island excision. The second model, analyzed in a RecA deficient context, was a plasmid construction containing a short direct repeat proceeding fromSaccharomyces cerevisiae,which flanked thecatgene. The excision of this gene by recombination of the DNA repeats was confirmed by PCR and through the detection, recovery and characterization of the plasmid deleted form. In sum, we present new evidence on the occurrence of RecA-independent recombination events inE. coliK12. Although the mechanism underlying these processes is still unknown, their existence suggests that RecA-independent recombination may confer mobility to other genetic elements, thus contributing to genome plasticity.
Self-centeredness and selflessness: happiness correlates and mediating psychological processes
Authors: Dambrun Michael
Published: May 2017

The main objective of this research was to test central assumptions from the Self-centeredness/Selflessness Happiness Model. According to this model, while self-centered psychological functioning induces fluctuating happiness, authentic–durable happiness results from selflessness. Distinct mediating processes are supposed to account for these relationships: afflictive affects (e.g., anger, fear, jealousy, frustration) in the case of the former, and both emotional stability and feelings of harmony in the case of the latter. We tested these hypotheses in two studies based on heterogeneous samples of citizens (n = 547). Factor analyses revealed that self-centeredness (assessed through egocentrism and materialism) and selflessness (assessed through self-transcendence and connectedness to other) were two distinct psychological constructs. Second, while self-centeredness was positively and significantly related to fluctuating happiness, selflessness was positively and significantly related to authentic–durable happiness. Finally, distinct psychological processes mediated these relationships (study 2). On one hand, the relationship between self-centeredness and fluctuating happiness was fully mediated by afflictive affects. On the other hand, emotional stability and the feeling of being in harmony partially mediated the relation between selflessness and authentic–durable happiness.
The density and biomass of mesozooplankton and ichthyoplankton in the Negro and the Amazon Rivers during the rainy season: the ecological importance of the confluence boundary
Authors: Nakajima Ryota , Rimachi Elvis V. , Santos-Silva Edinaldo N. , Calixto Laura S.F. , Leite Rosseval G. , Khen Adi , Yamane Tetsuo , Mazeroll Anthony I. , Inuma Jomber C. , Utumi Erika Y.K. , Tanaka Akira
Published: May 2017

The boundary zone between two different hydrological regimes is often a biologically enriched environment with distinct planktonic communities. In the center of the Amazon River basin, muddy white water of the Amazon River meets with black water of the Negro River, creating a conspicuous visible boundary spanning over 10 km along the Amazon River. Here, we tested the hypothesis that the confluence boundary between the white and black water rivers concentrates prey and is used as a feeding habitat for consumers by investigating the density, biomass and distribution of mesozooplankton and ichthyoplankton communities across the two rivers during the rainy season. Our results show that mean mesozooplankton density (2,730 inds. m−3) and biomass (4.8 mg m−3) were higher in the black-water river compared to the white-water river (959 inds. m−3; 2.4 mg m−3); however an exceptionally high mesozooplankton density was not observed in the confluence boundary. Nonetheless we found the highest density of ichthyoplankton in the confluence boundary (9.7 inds. m−3), being up to 9-fold higher than in adjacent rivers. The confluence between white and black waters is sandwiched by both environments with low (white water) and high (black water) zooplankton concentrations and by both environments with low (white water) and high (black water) predation pressures for fish larvae, and may function as a boundary layer that offers benefits of both high prey concentrations and low predation risk. This forms a plausible explanation for the high density of ichthyoplankton in the confluence zone of black and white water rivers.
Regulation of cytokinesis during corticogenesis: focus on the midbody
Authors: Johnson Caroline A. , Wright Catherine E. , Ghashghaei H. Troy
Published: May 2017

Development of the cerebral cortices depends on tight regulation of cell divisions. In this system, stem and progenitor cells undergo symmetric and asymmetric divisions to ultimately produce neurons that establish the layers of the cortex. Cell division culminates with the formation of the midbody, a transient organelle that establishes the site of abscission between nascent daughter cells. During cytokinetic abscission, the final stage of cell division, one daughter cell will inherit the midbody remnant, which can then maintain or expel the remnant, but mechanisms and circumstances influencing this decision are unclear. This review describes the midbody and its constituent proteins, as well as the known consequences of their manipulation during cortical development. The potential functional relevance of midbody mechanisms is discussed.
Effects of electric field methods on modeling the midlatitude ionospheric electrodynamics and inner magnetosphere dynamics
Authors: Yu Yiqun , Jordanova Vania K. , Ridley Aaron J. , Toth Gabor , Heelis Roderick
Published: May 2017

We report a self‐consistent electric field coupling between the midlatitude ionospheric electrodynamics and inner magnetosphere dynamics represented in a kinetic ring current model. This implementation in the model features another self‐consistency in addition to its already existing self‐consistent magnetic field coupling with plasma. The model is therefore named as Ring current‐Atmosphere interaction Model with Self‐Consistent magnetic (B) and electric (E) fields, or RAM‐SCB‐E. With this new model, we explore, by comparing with previously employed empirical Weimer potential, the impact of using self‐consistent electric fields on the modeling of storm time global electric potential distribution, plasma sheet particle injection, and the subauroral polarization streams (SAPS) which heavily rely on the coupled interplay between the inner magnetosphere and midlatitude ionosphere. We find the following phenomena in the self‐consistent model: (1) The spatially localized enhancement of electric field is produced within 2.5 < L < 4 during geomagnetic active time in the dusk‐premidnight sector, with a similar dynamic penetration as found in statistical observations. (2) The electric potential contours show more substantial skewing toward the postmidnight than the Weimer potential, suggesting the resistance on the particles from directly injecting toward the low‐L region. (3) The proton flux indeed indicates that the plasma sheet inner boundary at the dusk‐premidnight sector is located further away from the Earth than in the Weimer potential, and a “tongue” of low‐energy protons extends eastward toward the dawn, leading to the Harang reversal. (4) SAPS are reproduced in the subauroral region, and their magnitude and latitudinal width are in reasonable agreement with data.
Sichuan Basin and beyond: Eastward foreland growth of the Tibetan Plateau from an integration of Late Cretaceous‐Cenozoic fission track and (U‐Th)/He ages of the eastern Tibetan Plateau, Qinling, and Daba Shan
Authors: Yang Zhao , Shen Chuanbo , Ratschbacher Lothar , Enkelmann Eva , Jonckheere Raymond , Wauschkuhn Bastian , Dong Yunpeng
Published: May 2017

Combining 121 new fission track and (U‐Th)/He ages with published thermochronologic data, we investigate the Late Cretaceous‐Cenozoic exhumation/cooling history of the eastern Tibetan Plateau, Qinling, Daba Shan, and Sichuan Basin of east central China. The Qinling orogen shows terminal southwestward foreland growth in the northern Daba Shan thrust belt at 100–90 Ma and in the southern Daba Shan fold belt at 85–70 Ma. The eastern margin of Tibetan Plateau experienced major exhumation phases at 70–40 Ma (exhumation rate 0.05–0.08 mm/yr), 25–15 Ma (≤1 mm/yr in the Pengguan Massif; ~0.2 mm/yr in the imbricated western Sichuan Basin), and since ~11–10 Ma along the Longmen Shan (~0.80 mm/yr) and the interior of the eastern Tibetan Plateau (Dadu River gorge, Min Shan; ~0.50 mm/yr). The Sichuan Basin records two basin‐wide denudation phases, likely a result of the reorganization of the upper Yangtze River drainage system. The first phase commenced at ~45 Ma and probably ended before the Miocene; >1 km of rocks were eroded from the central and eastern Sichuan Basin. The second phase commenced at ~12 Ma and denudated the central Sichuan Basin, Longmen Shan, and southern Daba Shan; more than 2 km of rocks were eroded after the lower Yangtze River had cut through the Three Gorges and captured the Sichuan Basin drainage. In contrast to the East Qinling, which was weakly effected by late Cenozoic exhumation, the West Qinling and Daba Shan have experienced rapid exhumation/cooling since ~15–13 Ma, a result of growth of the Tibetan Plateau beyond the Sichuan Basin.
High cloud variations with surface temperature from 2002 to 2015: Contributions to atmospheric radiative cooling rate and precipitation changes
Authors: Liu Run , Liou Kuo‐Nan , Su Hui , Gu Yu , Zhao Bin , Jiang Jonathan H. , Liu Shaw Chen
Published: May 2017

The global mean precipitation is largely constrained by atmospheric radiative cooling rates (Qr), which are sensitive to changes in high cloud fraction. We investigate variations of high cloud fraction with surface temperature (Ts) from July 2002 to June 2015 and compute their radiative effects on Qr using the Fu‐Liou‐Gu plane‐parallel radiation model. We find that the tropical mean (30°S–30°N) high cloud fraction decreases with increasing Ts at a rate of about −1.0 ± 0.34% K−1 from 2002 to 2015, which leads to an enhanced atmospheric cooling around 0.86 W m−2 K−1. On the other hand, the northern midlatitudes (30°N–60°N) high cloud fraction increases with surface warming at a rate of 1.85 ± 0.65% K−1 and the near‐global mean (60°S–60°N) high cloud fraction shows a statistically insignificant decreasing trend with increasing Ts over the analysis period. Dividing high clouds into cirrus, cirrostratus, and deep convective clouds, we find that cirrus cloud fraction increases with surface warming at a rate of 0.32 ± 0.11% K−1 (0.01 ± 0.17% K−1) for the near‐global mean (tropical mean), while cirrostratus and deep convective clouds decrease with surface warming at a rate of −0.02 ± 0.18% K−1 and −0.33 ± 0.18% K−1 for the near‐global mean and −0.64 ± 0.23% K−1 and −0.37 ± 0.13% K−1 for the tropical mean, respectively. High cloud fraction response to feedback to Ts accounts for approximately 1.9 ± 0.7% and 16.0 ± 6.1% of the increase in precipitation per unit surface warming over the period of 2002–2015 for the near‐global mean and the tropical mean, respectively.
Detecting remotely triggered microseismicity around Changbaishan Volcano following nuclear explosions in North Korea and large distant earthquakes around the world
Authors: Liu Guoming , Li Chenyu , Peng Zhigang , Li Xuemei , Wu Jing
Published: May 2017

We conduct a systematic survey on locally triggered earthquakes by large distant earthquakes in Changbaishan Volcano, an active intraplate volcano on the border between China and North Korea. We examine waveforms of distant earthquakes recorded at broadband station Changbaishan (CBS) near the volcano with estimated dynamic stresses over 5 kPa between 2000 and 2016. Out of 26 selected distant earthquakes, three of them show positive evidence of triggering during large‐amplitude surface waves. The earthquakes that had positive or possible evidences of triggering generated larger long‐period surface waves, indicating that they are more efficient in triggering microseismicity. In addition, since 2006 North Korea has conducted five underground nuclear explosion (UNE) tests only ~140 km away from Changbaishan Volcano. By systematically examining waveforms of these UNEs recorded at station CBS, we find that none of them have triggered microearthquakes in Changbaishan Volcano.
Stream power controls the braiding intensity of submarine channels similarly to rivers
Authors: Lai Steven Y. J. , Hung Samuel S. C. , Foreman Brady Z. , Limaye Ajay B. , Grimaud Jean‐Louis , Paola Chris
Published: May 2017

We use physical experiments to investigate the response of submarine braided channels driven by saline density currents to increasing inflow discharge and bed slope. We find that, similarly to braided rivers, only a fraction of submarine braided networks have active sediment transport. We then find similar response to imposed change between submarine and fluvial braided systems: (1) both the active and total braiding intensities increase with increasing discharge and slope; (2) the ratio of active braiding intensity to total braiding intensity is 0.5 in submarine braided systems regardless of discharge and slope; and (3) the active braiding intensity scales linearly with dimensionless stream power. Thus, braided submarine channels and braided rivers are similar in some important aspects of their behavior and responses to changes in stream power and bed slope. In light of the scale independence of braided channel planform organization, these results are likely to apply beyond experimental scales.
Role of the ocean's AMOC in setting the uptake efficiency of transient tracers
Authors: Romanou A. , Marshall J. , Kelley M. , Scott J.
Published: May 2017

The central role played by the ocean's Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) in the uptake and sequestration of transient tracers is studied in a series of experiments with the Goddard Institute for Space Studies and Massachusetts Institute of Technology ocean circulation models. Forced by observed atmospheric time series of CFC‐11, both models exhibit realistic distributions in the ocean, with similar surface biases but different response over time. To better understand what controls uptake, we ran idealized forcing experiments in which the AMOC strength varied over a wide range, bracketing the observations. We found that differences in the strength and vertical scale of the AMOC largely accounted for the different rates of CFC‐11 uptake and vertical distribution thereof. A two‐box model enables us to quantify and relate uptake efficiency of passive tracers to AMOC strength and how uptake efficiency decreases in time. We also discuss the relationship between passive tracer and heat uptake efficiency, of which the latter controls the transient climate response to anthropogenic forcing in the North Atlantic. We find that heat uptake efficiency is substantially less (by about a factor of 5) than that for a passive tracer.
Thermoremanence acquisition and demagnetization for titanomagnetite under lithospheric pressures
Authors: Launay Nicolas , Rochette Pierre , Quesnel Yoann , Demory François , Bezaeva Natalia S. , Lattard Dominique
Published: May 2017

The geological sources of large‐scale lithospheric magnetic field anomalies are poorly constrained. Understanding the magnetic behavior of rocks and minerals under the pressures and temperatures encountered at large crustal depths is particularly important in that task. The impact of lithospheric pressure is not well known and most of the time neglected in numerical models of the geological sources of magnetic anomalies. We present thermal remanent magnetization (TRM) acquisition and stepwise thermal demagnetization on synthetic titanomagnetite dispersed powder, within an amagnetic cell under hydrostatic pressure up to 1 GPa. TRM is measured after thermal cycling within a cryogenic magnetometer. Pressure‐dependent increase in the Curie temperature (initially in the 50–70°C range) is observed, mostly between 0.3 and 0.6 GPa, on the order of 20 K/GPa. TRM intensity also increases with pressure up to 200% at 675 MPa, although the pressure variation with temperature inside the cell complicates the interpretation.
Atmospheric deposition of glacial iron in the Gulf of Alaska impacted by the position of the Aleutian Low
Authors: Schroth Andrew W. , Crusius John , Gassó Santiago , Moy Christopher M. , Buck Nathan J. , Resing Joseph A. , Campbell Robert W.
Published: May 2017

Our understanding of glacial flour dust storm delivery of iron to the Gulf of Alaska (GoA) is limited. Here we interpret concurrent time series satellite, meteorological, and aerosol geochemical data from the GoA to examine how interannual variability in regional weather patterns impacts offshore aerosol glacial Fe deposition. In 2011, when a northerly Aleutian Low (AL) was persistent during fall, dust emission was suppressed and highly intermittent due to prevalent wet conditions, low winds, and a deep early season snowpack. Conversely, in 2012, frequent and prolonged fall dust storms and high offshore glacial Fe transport were driven by dry conditions and strong offshore winds generated by persistent strong high pressure over the Alaskan interior and Bering Sea and a southerly AL. Twenty‐five‐fold interannual variability in regional offshore glacial aerosol Fe deposition indicates that glacial dust's impact on GoA nutrient budgets is highly dynamic and particularly sensitive to regional climate forcing.
Glacial reduction of the North American Monsoon via surface cooling and atmospheric ventilation
Authors: Bhattacharya Tripti , Tierney Jessica E. , DiNezio Pedro
Published: May 2017

The North American Monsoon (NAM) provides critical water resources to the U.S. southwest and northwestern Mexico. Despite its importance to regional hydrology, the mechanisms that shape this monsoon are not fully understood. In this paper, we use model simulations of the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM, 21 ka B.P.) to assess the sensitivity of the NAM to glacial boundary conditions and shed light on its fundamental dynamics. We find that atmospheric changes induced by ice sheet albedo reduce NAM intensity at the LGM. The high albedo of the Laurentide ice sheet cools the surface and drives anomalous northwesterly winds that reduce the monsoon circulation and import cold, dry air into the core NAM region. Our work emphasizes the role of ice sheet albedo rather than topography in driving the atmospheric changes that modulate the glacial NAM, and ties our understanding of the NAM to broader theories of monsoon systems.
Subsurface intensification of marine heatwaves off southeastern Australia: The role of stratification and local winds
Authors: Schaeffer A. , Roughan M.
Published: May 2017

Marine heatwaves (MHWs) are becoming more common with record events occurring around the world and unprecedented biological impacts including mass mortality and habitat shifts. However, little is known about the statistical characteristics of MHWs due to the lack of long‐term in situ observations. Using two historical data sets spanning from 1953 (and 1992) to 2016, we use a seasonally varying climatology and temperature anomalies to identify and characterize MHW events down to 100 m depth in coastal waters off southeastern Australia. We show that MHWs regularly extend the full depth of the water column, with a maximum intensity below the surface. Extreme temperatures at depth are driven by local downwelling favorable winds that mix the water column and reduce the stratification. These results show the importance of considering subsurface hydrography and that sea surface temperature is insufficient to fully understand MHWs which are having disastrous ecological consequences in coastal regions globally.
Land‐sea thermal contrast determines the trend of Walker circulation simulated in atmospheric general circulation models
Authors: Yim Bo Young , Yeh Sang‐Wook , Song Hwan‐Jin , Dommenget Dietmar , Sohn B. J.
Published: May 2017

Strengthening or weakening of the Walker circulation can highly influence the global weather and climate variability by altering the location and strength of tropical heating. Therefore, there is considerable interest in understanding the mechanisms that lead to the trends in the Walker circulation intensity. Conventional wisdom indicates that a strengthening or weakening of the Walker circulation is primarily controlled by inhomogeneous sea surface temperature (SST) patterns across the tropical Pacific basin. However, we show that Atmospheric Model Intercomparison Project climate model simulations with identical SST forcing have different Walker circulation trends that can be linked to differences in land surface temperatures. More prominently, stronger land‐sea thermal contrast leads to increases in the precipitation in South America as well as the sea level pressure in the eastern tropical Pacific through a local circulation, resulting in a strengthening of the Walker circulation trend. This implies that correctly simulating the land temperature in atmospheric models is crucial to simulating the intensity of the Walker circulation in the present climate as well as its future change.
Correlated Multinomial Data
Authors: Zhu Yiliang
Published: May 2017

Correlated multinomial data, including correlated binomial, arise from clustered sampling schemes such as grouped sampling or repeated measurements. Clustering‐induced correlation can be of interest in its own right but should be accounted for in analyses to avoid inprecise or inefficient inference. This article discusses common approaches to the treatment of correlated multinomial data and illustrates dose–response modeling via generalized estimating equations using an example from developmental toxicity experiment.
Astrostatistics
Authors: Hilbe Joseph M.
Published: May 2017

Astrostatistics may be defined as the statistical analysis of astronomical data. Although there were a few conferences and collaborations in astrostatistics during the 1990s, the scientific discipline of astrostatistics has only recently become recognized as being important to the future understanding of astronomical data, with the first astrostatistics committee being authorized within any astronomical or statistical organization in 2009. The first major website for the discipline, ASAIP, was initiated in 2012, the same year that the International Astrostatistics Association was formed. Astrostatistics has now become formally incorporated within the scope of the International Astronomical Union and is a recognized new branch of statistics. Given the huge amount of data being gathered by the new astronomical surveys, much of astrostatistics focuses on dealing with large data collected across the electromagnetic spectrum.
Liquid‐Phase Exfoliated Metallic Antimony Nanosheets toward High Volumetric Sodium Storage
Authors: Gu Jianan , Du Zhiguo , Zhang Chao , Ma Jingui , Li Bin , Yang Shubin
Published: May 2017

Metallic antimony (Sb) with gray allotrope has rarely been considered from the viewpoint of two‐dimension layered system is actually a graphite‐like material, in which Sb layers consist of fused, ruffled, and six‐membered rings. Given that metallic Sb nanosheets can be played like graphene, it would be anticipated to obtain a new anode material with superior electrochemical performances for sodium storage. In this work, we propose an efficient strategy to fabricate free‐standing metallic Sb nanosheets via liquid‐phase exfoliation of gray Sb powder in an ios‐propyle alcohol (IPA) solution with a constant concentration of sodium hydroxide. As a proof of the concept, several hybrid films composed of metallic Sb nanosheets and graphene with tunable densities are achieved, in which the notorious volume change of metallic Sb can be efficiently alleviated with the aid of the good flexible graphene, and the whole density of electrode films can be significantly improved by harnessing the high density of Sb nanosheets. As a consequence, the optimized metallic Sb nanosheets‐graphene (SbNS‐G) film displays a high volumetric capacity of 1226 mAh cm–3, high‐rate capability and good cycle performance for sodium storage.
Minimal residual disease eradication with epigenetic therapy in core binding factor acute myeloid leukemia
Authors: Ragon Brittany Knick , Daver Naval , Garcia‐Manero Guillermo , Ravandi Farhad , Cortes Jorge , Kadia Tapan , Oran Betul , Ohanian Maro , Ferrajoli Alessandra , Pemmaraju Naveen , Kantarjian Hagop M. , Borthakur Gautam
Published: May 2017

Recurrent translocations, t(8;21) or inv(16), in core binding factor acute myeloid leukemia (CBF‐AML) are amenable to monitoring for minimal residual disease (MRD) with reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RTPCR). Despite a favorable prognosis, disease relapse remains the single cause of treatment failure in CBF‐AML. Fusion products of these translocations recruit epigenetic silencing complexes resulting in hematopoietic maturation arrest. We hypothesized that maintenance therapy with hypomethylating agents (HMA), including decitabine (DAC) and azacitidine (AZA) after induction/consolidation, can be used for MRD elimination to ultimately prolong relapse free survival. Real‐time quantitative (RTPCR) trends were reviewed in 23 patients (median age 53 years) with CBF‐AML that received HMA therapy following induction/consolidation with fludarabine, cytarabine, and G‐CSF (FLAG) with low dose gemtuzumab or idarubicin (NCT00801489). Of the 23 patients evaluated, 17 had a detectable RTPCR at HMA initiation. Five patients had progressive disease and a notable increase in RTPCR values over 1‐2 cycles of HMA therapy. Twelve patients did not fail HMA and had a median RTPCR at HMA initiation of 0.06 (range, 0.01‐0.91). Unlike the HMA failure subset, 11 of these patients had a reduction in RTPCR after the first or second cycle of HMA. Our data suggests that CBF‐AML patients with low levels of RTPCR (between 0.01 and 0.05) at the conclusion of induction/consolidation chemotherapy benefit most from maintenance HMA, particularly those that have a reduction in the RTPCR within the first two cycles of HMA therapy.
Acute radiology rarely confirms sinus disease in suspected recurrent acute rhinosinusitis
Authors: Barham Henry P. , Zhang Alexander S. , Christensen Jenna M. , Sacks Raymond , Harvey Richard J.
Published: May 2017

Background

Episodic or recurrent sinonasal symptoms are often suspected as “sinus” in origin. With normal sinus radiology between events, the diagnosis of recurrent acute rhinosinusitis (RecARS) is made. However, other conditions can produce episodic symptoms. In this study we analyze acutely performed computed tomography (CT) in a population with suspected or self‐diagnosed “sinus” disease.

Methods

Patients referred to a tertiary clinic for suspected RecARS were assessed. Sinus changes were defined by CT (initial assessment) and during the acute event, by a semiurgent CT performed during the symptomatic episode. Mucosal thickening, ostiomeatal compromise, and severe septal deformity were recorded. Symptom profile was assessed during both time‐points with the 22‐item Sino‐Nasal Outcome Test (SNOT‐22).

Results

Forty‐eight patients (49.5 ± 14.7 years of age, 70.8% female) were assessed. At presentation, 75% were resolute in a diagnosis of “sinus.” Baseline Lund‐Mackay scores were <6 (median 0 [interquartile range 1]). Ostiomeatal compromise was 6.8% left and 4.5% right at baseline. Of the patients who returned for acute CT (n = 27), SNOT‐22 and subdomains were similar to baseline. Septal deviation was similar (13.6% vs 15.3%). Acutely, ostiomeatal compromise was 0% left and 7.4% right (n = 2). Of these 2 patients with ostiomeatal compromise, 1 was diagnosed with RecARS (4%) and the other with triptan‐responsive migraine, with incidental sinus changes. Final diagnosis was rhinitis (47%), headache/migraine (37%), and facial pain otherwise undefined (12.5%).

Conclusion

Patients with a history of "recurrent acute sinusitis" and normal CT scans between episodes rarely have abnormal CT findings during acute exacerbations of symptoms. Antibiotics and surgical intervention are often inappropriate in this population.
Oxidative‐Insertion Reactivity Across a Geometrically Constrained Metal→Borane Interaction
Authors: Barnett Brandon R. , Neville Michael L. , Moore Curtis E. , Rheingold Arnold L. , Figueroa Joshua S.
Published: May 2017

While interest in cooperative reactivity of transition metals and Lewis acids is receiving significant attention, the scope of known reactions that directly exploit the polarized reverse‐dative σ‐bond of metal‐borane complexes (i.e., M→BR3) remains limited. Described herein is that the platinum (boryl)iminomethane (BIM) complex [Pt(κ2‐N,B‐Cy2BIM)(CNArDipp2)] can effect the oxidative insertion of a range of unsaturated organic substrates, including azides, isocyantes, and nitriles, as well as CO2 and elemental sulfur (S8). In addition, alkyl migration processes available to the BIM framework allow for post‐insertion reaction sequences resulting in product release from the metal center.
Enzyme‐Inspired Chiral Secondary‐Phosphine‐Oxide Ligand with Dual Noncovalent Interactions for Asymmetric Hydrogenation
Authors: Chen Caiyou , Zhang Zhefan , Jin Shicheng , Fan Xiangru , Geng Mingyu , Zhou Yan , Wen Songwei , Wang Xinrui , Chung Lung Wa , Dong Xiu‐Qin , Zhang Xumu
Published: May 2017

Inspired by the unique character of enzymes, we developed novel chiral SPO (secondary‐phosphine‐oxide) ligand (SPO‐Wudaphos) which can enter into both ion pair and H‐bond noncovalent interactions. The novel chiral SPO‐Wudaphos exhibited excellent results in the asymmetric hydrogenation of α‐methylene‐γ‐keto carboxylic acids, affording the chiral γ‐keto acids with up to over 99 % ee. A series of control experiments and DFT calculations were conducted to illustrate the critical roles of both the ion pair and H‐bond noncovalent interactions.
Capturing the Role of Explicit Solvent in the Dimerization of RuV(bda) Water Oxidation Catalysts
Authors: Zhan Shaoqi , Mårtensson Daniel , Purg Miha , Kamerlin Shina C. L. , Ahlquist Mårten S. G.
Published: May 2017

A ground‐breaking empirical valence bond study for a soluble transition‐metal complex is presented. The full reaction of catalyst monomers approaching and reacting in the RuV oxidation state were studied. Analysis of the solvation shell in the reactant and along the reaction coordinate revealed that the oxo itself is hydrophobic, which adds a significant driving force to form the dimer. The effect of the solvent on the reaction between the prereactive dimer and the product was small. The solvent seems to lower the barrier for the isoquinoline (isoq) complex while it is increased for pyridines. By comparing the reaction in the gas phase and solution, the proposed π‐stacking interaction of the isoq ligands is found to be entirely driven by the water medium.
Biomimetic Total Synthesis of (±)‐Homodimericin A
Authors: Ma Donghui , Liu Yangbin , Wang Zhang
Published: May 2017

A biomimetic total synthesis of racemic homodimericin A was achieved in seven steps, including two cascade reactions. Aqueous buffer solutions are found to help both the oxidative dimerization cascade and the intramolecular Diels–Alder cascade. This synthetic sequence validates key steps in the biogenetic proposal of homodimericin A.
Strong Short‐Range Cooperativity in Hydrogen‐Bond Chains
Authors: Dominelli‐Whiteley Nicholas , Brown James J. , Muchowska Kamila B. , Mati Ioulia K. , Adam Catherine , Hubbard Thomas A. , Elmi Alex , Brown Alisdair J. , Bell Ian A. W. , Cockroft Scott L.
Published: May 2017

Chains of hydrogen bonds such as those found in water and proteins are often presumed to be more stable than the sum of the individual H bonds. However, the energetics of cooperativity are complicated by solvent effects and the dynamics of intermolecular interactions, meaning that information on cooperativity typically is derived from theory or indirect structural data. Herein, we present direct measurements of energetic cooperativity in an experimental system in which the geometry and the number of H bonds in a chain were systematically controlled. Strikingly, we found that adding a second H‐bond donor to form a chain can almost double the strength of the terminal H bond, while further extensions have little effect. The experimental observations add weight to computations which have suggested that strong, but short‐range cooperative effects may occur in H‐bond chains.
Engineering a Small HOMO–LUMO Gap and Intramolecular C−H Borylation by Diborene/Anthracene Orbital Intercalation
Authors: Wang Sunewang R. , Arrowsmith Merle , Böhnke Julian , Braunschweig Holger , Dellermann Theresa , Dewhurst Rian D. , Kelch Hauke , Krummenacher Ivo , Mattock James D. , Müssig Jonas H. , Thiess Torsten , Vargas Alfredo , Zhang Jiji
Published: May 2017

The diborene 1 was synthesized by reduction of a mixture of 1,2‐di‐9‐anthryl‐1,2‐dibromodiborane(4) (6) and trimethylphosphine with potassium graphite. The X‐ray structure of 1 shows the two anthryl rings to be parallel and their π(C14) systems perpendicular to the diborene π(B=B) system. This twisted conformation allows for intercalation of the relatively high‐lying π(B=B) orbital and the low‐lying π* orbital of the anthryl moiety with no significant conjugation, resulting in a small HOMO–LUMO gap (HLG) and ultimately a C−H borylation of the anthryl unit. The HLG of 1 was estimated to be 1.57 eV from the onset of the long wavelength band in its UV/Vis absorption spectrum (THF, λonset=788 nm). The oxidation of 1 with elemental selenium afforded diboraselenirane 8 in quantitative yield. By oxidative abstraction of one phosphine ligand by another equivalent of elemental selenium, the B−B and C1−H bonds of 8 were cleaved to give the cyclic 1,9‐diborylanthracene 9.
Nano–Mn‐[4‐nitrophenyl‐salicylaldimine‐methyl pyranopyrazole]Cl2 as a new nanostructured Schiff base complex and catalyst for the synthesis of hexahydroquinolines
Authors: Moosavi‐Zare Ahmad Reza , Goudarziafshar Hamid , Ghaffari Lida
Published: May 2017

By the reaction of 4‐nitrobenzaldehyde with ethyl acetoacetate, malononitrile and hydrazine hydrate, pyranopyrazole derivative as an active biological compound was synthsized and then reacted with salicylaldehyde and MnCl2.4H2O to afford nano‐Mn‐[4‐nitrophenyl‐salicylaldimine‐methyl pyranopyrazole]Cl2 (nano‐[Mn‐4NSMP]Cl2) for the first time. The produced Schiff base complex with nanostructured was fully characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT‐IR), X‐ray diffraction (XRD), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), differential thermal gravimetric (DTG) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) and used it as an efficient catalyst for the preparation of hexahydroquinolines.
Preparation and application of a multiwalled carbon nanotube composite monolithic column
Authors: Li X. Y. , Wang X. X. , Jiang X. Y. , Xu F. , Liu H. Y. , Bai L. G. , Yan H. Y. , Qiao X. Q.
Published: May 2017

A multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) composite monolithic column was prepared by the redox initiation method, and MWCNTs were embedded into the monolithic material. In this experiment, 1‐octene was used as monomer, triethylene glycol dimethacrylate was used as the crosslinking agent, propanol and 1‐dodecanol were used as porogens, hydroxyl‐functionalized MWCNTs were used as the inorganic material, and dibenzoyl peroxide and N,N‐dimethyl aniline were used as initiators. The MWCNT composite monolithic column was characterized by scanning electron microscopy, mercury intrusion porosimetry, and nitrogen adsorption–desorption isotherm measurements. The MWCNT composite monolith showed a uniform structure and a high permeability. The MWCNT composite monolithic column uses the high‐performance liquid chromatography to analyze the sample. Compared with the monolithic column without MWCNTs, the MWCNT composite monolith not only improved the column efficiency but also shortened the separation time. Six small molecules were successfully separated by the MWCNT composite monolith in 3 min, with the highest column efficiency reaching 36,000 plates/m In addition, the monolith was also used to separate complex protein samples, including snailase, plasma, and egg white. Therefore, the monolithic column was suitable both for the separation of macromolecules and small molecules. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2017, 134, 45070.
Mechanism of MxOy nanoparticles/CNTs for catalytic carbonization of polyethylene and application to flame retardancy
Authors: Wenelska Karolina , Chen Xuecheng , Zielinska Beata , Kaleńczuk Ryszard J. , Chu Paul K. , Tang Tao , Mijowska Ewa
Published: May 2017

Three kinds of metal oxide nanoparticles (Fe3O4, Co3O4, and Ni2O3) are produced on carbon nanotubes (CNTs). The synergistic effects rendered by the CNTs and metal oxide nanoparticles on carbonization of polyethylene (PE) are studied and applications to flame retardancy of PE are investigated systematically. The CNT‐Ni2O3 delivers the best performance and the mechanism pertaining to the enhanced flame retardancy is proposed and discussed. It is found that under the same conditions, the carbonization rate can be a factor to influence the flame retardancy performance. Among Fe, Co, and Ni, Ni has the fastest carbonation rate, which leads to the best flame retardancy performance. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2017, 134, 45233.
Lipid and hyperglycemia factors in first‐ever penetrating artery infarction, a comparison between different subtypes
Authors: Sun Shaoyang , Wang Yanqiang , Wang Yuge , Men Xuejiao , Bao Jian , Hu Xueqiang , Lu Zhengqi
Published: May 2017

Background

The pathogenesis and progression of branch atheromatous disease (BAD), which differs from lipohyalinotic degeneration (LD), remains controversial. Few studies have investigated the lipid indices and glycometabolism status factors for BAD in first‐ever penetrating artery infarction (PAI).

Methods

We retrospectively examined acute stroke patients with PAI admitted within 3 days after stroke. All patients underwent diffusion weight magnetic resonance imaging (DWI) and magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) and/or computed tomography angiography (CTA). Progression was defined as an increase by 2 point or higher in the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score. The characteristics, clinical data were statistically analyzed.

Results

BAD and LD were diagnosed in 142 (57%) and 107 (43%) patients, respectively. Patients with BAD had higher low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL‐C) compared with those with LD (p = .013). Elevated LDL‐C was related to early neurological deterioration in patients with BAD (p = .045). The percentage of lenticulostriate arterial (LSA) infarction was greater than that of the pontine penetrating arterial (PPA) infarction in acute PAI (75.1% vs. 24.9%; p < .001). PPA infarction was more prevalent in the BAD group compared with the LD group (34.5% vs. 12.1%, p < .001). The PPA infarction had older age at onset and higher HbA1c concentrations than those with the LSA infarction (p = .014, p = .036 respectively) in the BAD and LD patients, respectively.

Conclusion

LDL‐C may be associated with both the pathogenesis and progression of intracranial BAD. The LSA infarction was the most frequently subtypes in PAI. Age at onset and HbA1c seem to be closely associated with the PPA infarction of first‐ever PAI.
Reassessment of alkaline phosphatase as serum tumor marker with high specificity in osteosarcoma
Authors: Kim Seung Hyun , Shin Kyoo‐Ho , Moon Seong‐Hwan , Jang Jinyoung , Kim Hyo Song , Suh Jin‐Suck , Yang Woo‐Ick
Published: May 2017

The goal of this study was to reassess serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP) as tumor marker in osteosarcoma. We retrospectively examined serum ALP levels at diagnosis, every therapeutic step (neoadjuvant chemotherapy, surgery, and adjuvant chemotherapy), metastasis, and follow‐up and analyzed the role of ALP as tumor marker in 210 osteosarcomas. The diagnostic performances of ALP were validated with pathology‐proven 899 other primary bone lesions. Elevated ALP at diagnosis was associated with inferior overall survival (OS) (Log Rank P < 0.001) and disease‐free survival (Log Rank P = 0.005) and independently significant for OS in multivariate analysis (hazard ratio [HR]=2.12, P = 0.032). During therapy, the ALP level significantly changed according to therapeutic steps (P < 0.001 for patients ≥15 years old, P < 0.001 for patients <15 years old) and survival (P = 0.015 for ≥15 years, P = 0.002 for <15 years), and the response of ALP to therapy and survival were associated (P = 0.042 for ≥15 years, P = 0.036 for <15 years). Initial ALP level was linearly correlated with tumor burden (total tumor volume; P = 0.016 for ≥15 years, bone tumor volume; P = 0.012 for ≥15 years). The sensitivity and specificity of ALP on diagnosis were 53.2% (95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 0.475–0.586) and 90.1% (95% CI: 0.888–0.913). The sensitivity of ALP on metastasis was 53.2% (95% CI: 0.431–0.624), and the specificity was 78.2% (95% CI: 0.720–0.839) at15 months postoperative and 90.0% (95% CI: 0.824–0.952) at 3 years postoperative. Serum ALP was found to be a valuable tumor marker with high specificity in osteosarcoma.