bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Constraints on dark matter annihilation to fermions and a photon
Authors: Chowdhury Debtosh , Iyer Abhishek M. , Laha Ranjan
Published: May 2018

Abstract

We consider Majorana dark matter annihilation to fermion-anti-fermion pair and a photon in the effective field theory paradigm, by introducing dimension 6 and dimension 8 operators in the Lagrangian. For a given value of the cut-off scale, the latter dominates the annihilation process for heavier dark matter masses. We find a cancellation in the dark matter annihilation to a fermion-anti-fermion pair when considering the interference of the dimension 6 and the dimension 8 operators. Constraints on the effective scale cut-off is derived while considering indirect detection experiments and the relic density requirements and they are compared to the bound coming from collider experiments.
Bootstrapping pentagon functions
Authors: Chicherin Dmitry , Henn Johannes , Mitev Vladimir
Published: May 2018

Abstract

In Phys. Rev. Lett.
116 (2016) 062001, the space of planar pentagon functions that describes all two-loop on-shell five-particle scattering amplitudes was introduced. In the present paper we present a natural extension of this space to non-planar pentagon functions. This provides the basis for our pentagon bootstrap program. We classify the relevant functions up to weight four, which is relevant for two-loop scattering amplitudes. We constrain the first entry of the symbol of the functions using information on branch cuts. Drawing on an analogy from the planar case, we introduce a conjectural second-entry condition on the symbol. We then show that the information on the function space, when complemented with some additional insights, can be used to efficiently bootstrap individual Feynman integrals. The extra information is read off of Mellin-Barnes representations of the integrals, either by evaluating simple asymptotic limits, or by taking discontinuities in the kinematic variables. We use this method to evaluate the symbols of two non-trivial non-planar five-particle integrals, up to and including the finite part.
Calibration of AGRS System Using Transportable Pads in India: An Application to AGRS Data of Aravalli Basin, Banswada Block, South Rajasthan
Authors: Ramayya M. S. , Chaturvedi A. K. , Parihar P. S. , Sharma P. K. , Jiwane D. U. , Srivastava P. K. , Sunil T. C.
Published: May 2018

Calibration of airborne gamma ray spectrometric system (AGRS) over standard radioactive sources of known elemental abundances is essential before carrying out airborne surveys. In India, fixed calibration pads were constructed in 1985. Since then calibration of AGRS system was carried out over the fixed pads. However the fixed pads are expensive to build and maintain. Also the large pads are subject to variations in radiation output due to variable moisture content and radon loss. Alternate approach is to construct transportable calibration pads which are discussed in this paper.

Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration & Research (AMD) under Department of Atomic Energy has recently constructed five transportable calibration pads. Three pads i.e. K, U and Th have been spiked with the respective radioelements while keeping the minor radioelements to the least in order to obtain pure spectra. A composite pad has been constructed which contains all the three radioelements. This helps in cross verifying the obtained calibration results. A background pad has also been constructed which is helpful to obtain the background values during calibration.

Analysis of the data acquired over the transportable pads with airborne gamma ray spectrometer (16.8 ltr) has been carried out and presented in this paper. A comparison with the data acquired over the fixed calibration pads is also included. There is a good agreement of results which suggests the use of transportable pads in future.
Delineation of Fractures through Acoustic Televiewer Log
Authors: Srinivas K. N. S. S. S. , Rao M. Srihari , Kishore P. Pavan , Gopinadh D. , Raza Haris , Arora Kusumita , Satyanarayana H. V. S.
Published: May 2018

Boreholes are the only sources for direct measurements of geological and geophysical characteristics of the shallow sub-surface of the earth. Borehole imaging tool “Acoustic Televiewer (ATV)” is an advanced probe, which records 3D image of the bore hole wall and is used to obtain oriented images of bore hole and provides substantial information regarding lithology, structural information, detection of fractures and casing of the borehole. The images are highly sensitive to the presence of fractures, the delineation of which becomes accurate and reliable based on these acoustic images. Features identified on log-derived images can be correlated with core samples or can be used as substitute in the poor core recovery zones. In the present study, ATV log from a deep borehole drilled at Khadi Kolavan in Koyna-Warna region of Ratnagiri district, Maharashtra located west of the Western Ghat escarpment in the Deccan Volcanic province, India, is used for interpretation of structural characteristics of the formation. The same was correlated with other conventional logging methods such as resistivity and full waveform sonic (FWS) as well as core logging and rock quality designations (RQD) which generated new understanding of the basement and basalt cover in this region.
Work Integrated Learning in International Marketing: Student Insights
Authors: Lu Vinh Nhat , Scholz Brett , Nguyen Long T.V.
Published: May 2018

This study explores students’ perspectives of live business projects, a form of experiential and work integrated learning, as an assessment component in an International Marketing course. Twenty-two focus groups were held with students participating in an international business plan competition organised at an Australian university. Using thematic analysis, we focus on three dominant themes typical of the focus group data: how live business projects prepared students for the future, how such projects motivated students to engage with and take pride in their work, and how the students linked the projects to the wider world outside of the university context. Live business projects might improve employability of graduates and engagement with course content, but students also indicated that the increased workload may be a source of stress. Educators should feel confident in the benefits of live business projects, but may also need consider how to ensure appropriate levels of work and responsibility on students and maintain the art of relationship management with industry partners.
Melding Traditional and Progressive Andragogy in Marketing Education, Using the Hermeneutic Competency Development Strategy
Authors: De Villiers Rouxelle , Hess Alexandra Claudia
Published: May 2018

Educators are concerned about dwindling class attendance, while employers call for work-ready, socially skilled, and self-driven graduates. Various andragogies have been proposed to supplement traditional lecture-based methods, but studies have not yet investigated a strategy of methods within a particular marketing topic. The present study focuses on sensory marketing and compares seven experiential teaching methods, designed to improve engagement, enjoyment, inter-personal and higher-order thinking skills. By strategically combining seven teaching methods, this paper proposes an inter-active teaching strategy linked to prior understanding, scaffolded by peer and practitioner advice, and aimed at applying the knowledge to real-world phenomena. Students rate teacher-led discussions highest of all methodologies used to explain marketing theories. Small group discussions were rated low across all domains; enjoyment, understanding and theory application. The hermeneutic competency development strategy (HCD) tested here is successful in achieving all preset learning objectives. This empirical study contributes to enhanced understanding of the value of flipped classrooms from students’ perspectives.
A Scholarship Approach to Embedding Creativity and Sustainability in Marketing Principles Curriculum
Authors: von der Heidt Tania
Published: May 2018

In business, creativity and innovation can be the difference between success and failure, especially in a world challenged by sustainability issues. Yet creativity and sustainability are rarely discussed with students and seldom appear as part of the formal material in tertiary marketing studies, certainly at the introductory level. This article reports on a curriculum initiative which sought to address this gap in the context of a first-year undergraduate Marketing Principles, multi-cohort course. To help warrant the rigour of the initiative, drawing on the literature, a six-step scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) theoretical framework was used to describe the initiative, and to determine its effectiveness. The investigation was informed by a multi-method study comprising descriptive analysis of 323 students’ performance scores, content analysis of 59 student groups’ preliminary marketing plans, descriptive analysis of 113 students’ attitudes (survey), and content analysis of 35 students’ post-assessment reflections. The results indicate that sustainability-oriented creativity can be successfully taught and assessed in large, first-year marketing cohorts, provided the curriculum is scaffolded and the teaching team is ‘on-board’. Further, viewing teaching and learning initiatives through the SOTL lens is a valuable way for scholarly academics to enhance their intellectual contributions to their schools, to improve student learning experience and outcomes and to help the business school faculty, as well as the marketing discipline.
Implementation of the 2016 WHO CNS Classification for infiltrating glioma: the VGH experience
Authors: Levine A.B. , Yip S.
Published: May 2018

The classification system for gliomas has undergone significant revisions in the last several years, with the incorporation of molecular criteria and removal of mixed histologic diagnoses. Large-scale molecular studies have elucidated the biological characteristics of low grade gliomas, and enabled grouping based on IDH mutational and 1p19q codeletion status that outperforms histology in predicting patient outcomes. Mutations in ATRX and TP53 are largely mutually exclusive of 1p19q- codeletion in the context of mutant IDH, and are useful in screening patients for further molecular studies.

At our institution, new testing methods for 1p19q codeletion and ATRX were implemented in 2014, and in this presentation we review all cases submitted for 1p19q testing since this time. In comparing histologic to molecular diagnoses, the majority of histologic oligodendrogliomas indeed have 1p19q codeletion, while oligoastrocytomas and GBMOs largely are re-classified as astrocytomas and glioblastomas, respectively. We have also found that loss of ATRX nuclear expression associated with ATRX mutation is highly indicative of 1p19q retention, however the immunohistochemical test can be challenging to interpret and there have been a small number of discordant results.
Contribution of chromosome 9p deletion and Bcl1, Myc and p16 immunohistochemistry to the characterization of oligodendrogliomas
Authors: Gould P.V. , Michaud K. , de Tayrac M. , D’Astous M. , Paquet C. , Saikali S.
Published: May 2018

Molecular studies suggest that anaplastic oligodendrogliomas (OIII) can be subdivided into clinically relevant subgroups. We analyzed a retrospective series of 40 consecutive OIII operated at our institution and compared them to 10 grade II oligodendrogliomas (OII). Chromosome 9p status was compared to Bcl1, Myc and p16 expression by immunohistochemistry, clinical and histological data, and to event free survival (EFS) and overall survival (OS).

Chromosome 9p deletion was observed in 55 % of OIII (22/40) but not in OII, and correlated with both OS and EFS. Bcl1 expression was significantly higher in OIII (45 % versus 14% for OII) and correlated with MIB-1 expression, vascular proliferation, tumour necrosis and a shorter EFS. Myc expression was correlated with histologic grade (27% in OII, 35% in OIII) and to a shorter EFS in chromosome 9p non-deleted OIII. p16 expression was not correlated with grade but revealed two distinct expression profiles according to chromosome 9p status. In 9p non-deleted oligodendrogliomas, p16 hyperexpression was correlated with shorter OS in both OII and OIII whereas absence of p16 expression was correlated with shorter OS and EFS in 9p deleted OIII.
Executive dysfunction and altered cerebrovascular activity in a rodent model of vascular cognitive impairment
Authors: Langdon K.D. , Cordova C. , Granter-Button S. , Boyd J. , Peeling J. , Murphy T. , Corbett D.
Published: May 2018

Most basic science research has focused on overt stroke caused by blockage of major blood vessels. Less attention has been paid to small vessel disease giving rise to covert stroke that often leads to vascular cognitive impairment (VCI). One reason for this may be the relative lack of relevant animal models. This talk will describe a model of VCI induced in middle-aged Sprague-Dawley rats exposed to a diet high in saturated fats, salt and refined sugar (HFSS). In Experiment 1, rats fed HFSS and subjected to a small mediodorsal (MD) thalamic stroke with or without concomitant cerebral hypoperfusion experienced significant executive dysfunction. In Experiment 2, dietary influences on functional, physiological and anatomical parameters were assessed. We found significant hypertension, blockage of brain microvessels (2-photon microscopy) and white matter atrophy in HFSS diet animals. As in Experiment 1, profound, specific set-shifting executive dysfunction was noted following both small MD infarcts (0.332 mm3) and the HFSS diet. In summary, these data describe a middle-aged animal model of VCI that includes clinically-relevant metabolic disturbances and small vessel disease and as such may be helpful in developing new cognitive therapies.
II. Just War and Imagination Are Not Mutually Exclusive
Authors: Winright Tobias
Published: May 2018

The Appeal declares, “We believe that there is no ‘just war,’” because it has been “used to endorse rather than prevent or limit war,” and it “undermines the moral imperative to develop tools and capacities for nonviolent transformation of conflict.” In what follows, I offer a response to the latter part of the Appeal’s criticism, one that has been similarly made by the Protestant pacifist theologian Stanley Hauerwas and the Irish Catholic theological ethicist Linda Hogan—namely, that JWT prevents us from imagining alternatives to war. For Hauerwas and Hogan, “just war” has been a dangerous figment of our imagination since the time of Saint Ambrose and Saint Augustine, and it has thereby impeded Catholics’ ability to imagine nonviolence as a faithful and practical way for addressing conflict. Similarly, the Appeal asks us to imagine a church without “just war” and, instead, with “just peace.” However, while I take both the Appeal’s criticism of just war and its call for nonviolence seriously, I think its portrayal of just war is a distortion and fails to acknowledge that just war theorists actually have imaginatively developed tools and capacities for addressing conflict that are directed toward protecting and building just peace. In the end, I will also suggest that the Appeal lacks consideration of the ethic behind just war, which actually provides a method for moral thinking about the use of all forms of force—not only war, but also nonviolent resistance, which is also a form of force—and, indeed, many other questions in applied ethics.
III. Talking about War
Authors: Johnston Laurie
Published: May 2018

Pope Francis titled his recent World Day of Peace message “Nonviolence: A Style of Politics for Peace.” The use of the word “style” is unusual but important. It reveals the significance of the way we talk about the questions of violence and peace—our rhetoric, in other words. It has been suggested that talking about “just war theory” can, in fact, obstruct the development and use of nonviolent techniques for the resolution of conflict. My contribution to this roundtable will examine the extent to which that is the case.
Church Missionary Society evangelists and women's labour in nineteenth-century Abẹ́òkúta
Authors: Alanamu Temilola
Published: May 2018

This article is about women's labour in nineteenth-century Abẹ́òkúta, in present-day south-west Nigeria. It is based on primary research which explores women's economic independence and its intricate connection to the indigenous institution of polygyny. By examining the institution from the perspective of Anglican Church Missionary Society evangelists, it also demonstrates how indigenous culture conflicted with the newly introduced Christian religion and its corresponding Victorian bourgeois ideals of the male breadwinner and the female homemaker. It investigates the extent to which missionaries understood women's work in the Yorùbá context, their representations of the practice, their attempts to halt female labour and their often unsuccessful efforts to extricate their congregations and their own families from these local practices. It argues that European Christian principles not only coloured missionary perceptions of women's labour, but influenced their opinions of the entire Yorùbá matrimonial arrangement.
Workspace optimization of a class of zero-torsion parallel wrists
Authors: Wu Yuanqing , Carricato Marco
Published: May 2018

We present singularity-free workspace optimization of a class of two-degree-of-freedom (2-DoF) parallel wrists with large rotation range capability. The wrists in consideration are kinematically equivalent to two families of 2-DoF homokinetic couplings. The first family comprises fully parallel wrists withN(N≥ 3) double-universal ($\mathcal{UU}$) legs. The second family comprises sphericalN-$\mathcal{UU}$parallel wrists with interconnecting revolute ($\mathcal{R}$) joints. Both families belong to the more general class of zero-torsion parallel manipulators, and are, therefore, collectively referred to as zero-torsion wrists (ZTWs). We carry out a unified singularity-free workspace optimization by utilizing geometric properties of zero-torsion motion manifolds. Our work may serve as a conceptual guide to the design of ZTWs for large tilt-angle applications.
Transition from blastomere to trophectoderm biopsy: comparing two preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidies strategies
Authors: Coll Lluc , Parriego Mònica , Boada Montserrat , Devesa Marta , Arroyo Gemma , Rodríguez Ignacio , Coroleu Bonaventura , Vidal Francesca , Veiga Anna
Published: May 2018

Shortly after the implementation of comprehensive chromosome screening (CCS) techniques for preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidies (PGT-A), the discussion about the transition from day 3 to blastocyst stage biopsy was initiated. Trophectoderm biopsy with CCS is meant to overcome the limitations of cleavage-stage biopsy and single-cell analysis. The aim of this study was to assess the results obtained in our PGT-A programme after the implementation of this new strategy. Comparisons between the results obtained in 179 PGT-A cycles with day 3 biopsy (D+3) and fresh embryo transfer, and 204 cycles with trophectoderm biopsy and deferred (frozen–thawed) embryo transfer were established. Fewer embryos were biopsied and a higher euploidy rate was observed in the trophectoderm biopsy group. No differences in implantation (50.3% vs. 61.4%) and clinical pregnancy rate per transfer (56.1% vs. 65.3%) were found. Although the mean number of euploid embryos per cycle did not differ between groups (1.5 ± 1.7 vs. 1.7 ± 1.8), the final number of euploid blastocysts available for transfer per cycle was significantly higher in the trophectoderm biopsy group (1.1 ± 1.3 vs. 1.7 ± 1.8). This factor led to an increased cumulative live birth rate in this last group (34.1% vs. 44.6%). Although both strategies can offer good results, trophectoderm biopsy offers a more robust diagnosis and the intervention is less harmful for the embryos so more euploid blastocysts are finally available for transfer and/or vitrification.
Solvency capital requirement and the claims development result
Authors: Munroe D. , Zehnwirth B. , Goldenberg I.
Published: May 2018

In this paper, four variants of calculating the Solvency Capital Requirement for long-tail liabilities satisfying Solvency II regulations are discussed. The merits of each metric are related to the stated objectives of Solvency II. Assumptions made in the calculations are assessed for suitability for the determination of an appropriate level of Solvency Capital. We show that two methods for calculating Solvency Capital provide insufficient capital to restore the Economic Balance Sheet in the event of distress. The standard formula referencing the Claims Development Result is shown to be too conservative when models are correctly specified.
A POROUS VISCOELASTIC MODEL FOR THE CELL CYTOSKELETON
Authors: COPOS CALINA A. , GUY ROBERT D.
Published: May 2018

The immersed boundary method is a widely used mixed Eulerian/Lagrangian framework for simulating the motion of elastic structures immersed in viscous fluids. In this work, we consider a poroelastic immersed boundary method in which a fluid permeates a porous, elastic structure of negligible volume fraction, and extend this method to include stress relaxation of the material. The porous viscoelastic method presented here is validated for a prescribed oscillatory shear and for an expansion driven by the motion at the boundary of a circular material by comparing numerical solutions to an analytical solution of the Maxwell model for viscoelasticity. Finally, an application of the modelling framework to cell biology is provided: passage of a cell through a microfluidic channel. We demonstrate that the rheology of the cell cytoplasm is important for capturing the transit time through a narrow channel in the presence of a pressure drop in the extracellular fluid.
Developing students' ideas of diversity in the ancient and modern worlds through the topic of Alexandria in the Cambridge Latin Course, Book II
Authors: Barnes Jonathan
Published: May 2018

My interest in undertaking a study relating to Classics and issues of diversity in the classroom is the result of several personal and circumstantial approaches to the subject, which have become more pronounced in my mind since the start of my Postgraduate Certificate of Education at the University of Cambridge.
How far does Choice Theory Succeed, Within Classics, as a Form of Differentiation in the Classroom?
Authors: Platt Jessica
Published: May 2018

This therefore suggests that the Year 11 class will not concur with studies to suggest that choice provides students with the motivation to achieve, rather that the boys are more likely to obstruct their learning by choosing the easier choice of task. The second class is a Year 9 Latin class, and there is a lower percentage of mixed-ability students in this class. Owing to this, the class will, I hope, further demonstrate whether choice in the classroom is linked to motivation and high performance. The reason why I have chosen two different classes and subjects is because, generally, the atmosphere in the classes and the preparation of lessons in each are very different from each other. It will therefore be worthwhile to determine how choice theory works in both instances.
Formation of a Rain Shadow: O and H Stable Isotope Records in Authigenic Clays From the Siwalik Group in Eastern Bhutan
Authors: Grujic Djordje , Govin Gwladys , Barrier Laurie , Bookhagen Bodo , Coutand Isabelle , Cowan Beth , Hren Michael T. , Najman Yani
Published: May 2018

We measure the oxygen and hydrogen stable isotope composition of authigenic clays from Himalayan foreland sediments (Siwalik Group), and from present day small stream waters in eastern Bhutan to explore the impact of uplift of the Shillong Plateau on rain shadow formation over the Himalayan foothills. Stable isotope data from authigenic clay minerals (<2 μm) suggest the presence of three paleoclimatic periods during deposition of the Siwalik Group, between ∼7 and ∼1 Ma. The mean δ18O value in paleometeoric waters, which were in equilibrium with clay minerals, is ∼2.5‰ lower than in modern meteoric and stream waters at the elevation of the foreland basin. We discuss the factors that could have changed the isotopic composition of water over time and we conclude that (a) the most likely and significant cause for the increase in meteoric water δ18O values over time is the “amount effect,” specifically, a decrease in mean annual precipitation. (b) The change in mean annual precipitation over the foreland basin and foothills of the Himalaya is the result of orographic effect caused by the Shillong Plateau's uplift. The critical elevation of the Shillong Plateau required to induce significant orographic precipitation was attained after ∼1.2 Ma. (c) By applying scale analysis, we estimate that the mean annual precipitation over the foreland basin of the eastern Bhutan Himalayas has decreased by a factor of 1.7–2.5 over the last 1–3 million years.
DEM Resolution Effects on Coastal Flood Vulnerability Assessment: Deterministic and Probabilistic Approach
Authors: Fereshtehpour M. , Karamouz M.
Published: May 2018

Flood modeling is highly influenced by topography data set. Lower resolution digital elevation models (DEMs) are usually used because of their availability and less computational burden when they are used in modeling applications. However, low accuracy of these DEMs yields to even lower accuracy in flood risk analysis through spatial modeling. This study aims to explore the DEM resolution effects on coastal flood risk assessments. For this purpose, deterministic and probabilistic approaches are employed for flood inundation modeling utilizing hydrologically connected bathtub method. High‐resolution light detection and ranging (LiDAR) DEM is considered as the most accurate data from which different resolution maps are obtained using resampling techniques. This is incorporated into an error analysis framework along with U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Elevation Dataset (NED) DEMs. The probabilistic framework is developed by simulating the spatial variability of elevation errors compared to LiDAR DEM through a Monte Carlo‐based method called sequential Gaussian simulation. The proposed methodology is applied to the lower Manhattan in New York City. By integrating the flood model into the developed framework, flood inundation probability at each grid cells is obtained. Furthermore, using the concept of accuracy‐efficiency tradeoffs, a framework for selecting a suitable spatial resolution for probabilistic flood risk assessment has been suggested. The results show that by exercising a range of options presented in this paper, a broader insight into mapping resolution can be provided, improving flood assessment, evacuation zones, and mitigation plans depending upon the data availability in a region.
Seeing Green: A Stratospheric View of the 2017 Total Eclipse
Authors: Cartier Kimberly
Published: May 2018

Airborne telescopes gave scientists a sky-high view of the 2017 Great American Eclipse as they took measurements that are difficult to obtain from the ground.
The Changing Face of the Lithosphere‐Asthenosphere Boundary: Imaging Continental Scale Patterns in Upper Mantle Structure Across the Contiguous U.S. With Sp Converted Waves
Authors: Hopper Emily , Fischer Karen M.
Published: May 2018

Juxtaposed terranes of highly varied tectonic history make up the contiguous U.S.: the tectonically active western U.S., the largely quiescent Archean and Proterozoic cratons of the central U.S., and the Phanerozoic orogen and rifted margin of the eastern U.S. The transitions between these regions are clearly observed with Sp converted wave images of the uppermost mantle. We use common conversion point stacked Sp waves recorded by EarthScope's Transportable Array and other permanent and temporary broadband stations to image the transition from a strong velocity decrease at the lithosphere‐asthenosphere boundary (or LAB) beneath the western U.S. to deeper, less continuous features moving east that largely lie within the lithosphere. Only sparse, localized, weak phases are seen at LAB depths beneath the cratonic interior. Instead, we observe structures within the cratonic lithosphere that are most prominent within the Archean lithosphere of the Superior Craton. The transition from west to east is clearly revealed by cluster analysis, which also shows eastern U.S. mantle velocity gradients as more similar to the western U.S. than the ancient interior, particularly beneath New England and Virginia. In the western U.S., the observed strong LAB indicates a large enough velocity gradient (an average velocity drop of 10 ± 4.5% distributed over 30 ± 15 km) to imply that melt has ponded beneath the lithosphere.
Atomic Oxygen Retrieved From the SABER 2.0‐ and 1.6‐μm Radiances Using New First‐Principles Nighttime OH(v) Model
Authors: Panka Peter A. , Kutepov Alexander A. , Rezac Ladislav , Kalogerakis Konstantinos S. , Feofilov Artem G. , Marsh Daniel , Janches Diego , Yiğit Erdal
Published: May 2018

The recently discovered fast, multiquantum OH(v)+O(3P) vibrational‐to‐electronic relaxation mechanism provided new insight into the OH(v) Meinel band nighttime emission formation. Using a new detailed OH(v) model and novel retrieval algorithm, we obtained O(3P) densities in the nighttime mesosphere and lower thermosphere (MLT) from the Sounding of the Atmosphere using Broadband Emission Radiometry (SABER) 2.0‐ and 1.6‐μm radiances. We demonstrate how critical the new OH(v) relaxation mechanism is in the estimation of the abundance of O(3P) in the nighttime MLT. Furthermore, the inclusion of this mechanism enables us to reconcile historically large discrepancies with O(3P) results in the MLT obtained with different physical models and retrieval techniques from WIND Imaging Interferometer, Optical Spectrograph and Infrared Imager System, and Scanning Imaging Absorption Spectrometer for Atmospheric Chartography observations of other airglow emissions. Whereas previous SABER O(3P) densities were up to 60% higher compared to other measurements the new retrievals agree with them within the range (±25%) of retrieval uncertainties. We also elaborate on the implications of this outcome for the aeronomy and energy budget of the MLT region.
Radiation Dose Nowcast for the Ground Level Enhancement on 10–11 September 2017
Authors: Kataoka Ryuho , Sato Tatsuhiko , Miyake Shoko , Shiota Daikou , Kubo Yûki
Published: May 2018

A ground level enhancement event occurred on 10–11 September 2017, associated with an X8.2 solar flare on the western limb of the Sun. We report the results of our manually conducted nowcast using WArning System for AVIation Exposure to Solar energetic particles. The maximum radiation dose rate at a flight altitude of 12 km was estimated to be approximately 3 μSv/h, which is less than half of the dose rate due to galactic cosmic rays. We also discuss a possible quasi‐parallel shock‐acceleration mechanism that may have led to the exceptionally soft proton energy spectrum as ground level enhancement events.
A Study of Intense Local dB/dt Variations During Two Geomagnetic Storms
Authors: Ngwira Chigomezyo M. , Sibeck David , Silveira Marcos V. D. , Georgiou Marina , Weygand James M. , Nishimura Yukitoshi , Hampton Donald
Published: May 2018

Interactions between the solar wind and the Earth's magnetosphere manifest many important space weather phenomena. In this paper, magnetosphere‐ionosphere drivers of intense dB/dt produced during geomagnetic storms that occurred on 9 March 2012 and 17 March 2015 are analyzed. A multi‐instrument approach combining Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms (THEMIS) mission space‐borne and ground‐based observations was adopted to examine the magnetosphere‐ionosphere signatures associated with the dB/dt extremes during each storm. To complement the THEMIS measurements, ground‐based magnetometer recordings and All‐Sky Imager observations, equivalent ionospheric currents derived from magnetometer chains across North America and Greenland, and geosynchronous observations from the Los Alamos National Laboratory Synchronous Orbit Particle Analyzer are also examined. Our results show that the most extreme dB/dt variations are associated with marked perturbations in the THEMIS magnetospheric measurements, poleward expanding discrete aurora passing over the magnetometer sites (seen by the ground‐based THEMIS All‐Sky Imagers), intense Pc5 waves, rapid injection of energetic particles, and intense auroral westward currents. Substorms are considered as the major driver with a possible contribution from magnetospheric waves. The findings of this study strongly suggest that the localization of extreme dB/dt variations is most likely related to the mapping of magnetosphere currents to local ionospheric structures.
Correction: Author Correction: Asymmetric Suzuki-Miyaura coupling of heterocycles via Rhodium-catalysed allylic arylation of racemates
Authors: Schäfer Philipp , Palacin Thomas , Sidera Mireia , Fletcher Stephen P.
Published: May 2018

Nature Communications 8: Article number: 15762 (2017); Published 13 June 2017; Updated 25 May 2018. The authors became aware of an error in the original version of this Article, in that two products, 17 and 72, were incorrectly assigned as the 1,1-alkenylated products, but the products obtained in these experiments were in fact 1,2-alkenylated isomers.
Quenching of the red Mn4+ luminescence in Mn4+-doped fluoride LED phosphors
Authors: Senden Tim , van Dijk-Moes Relinde J.A. , Meijerink Andries
Published: May 2018

Red-emitting Mn4+-doped fluorides are a promising class of materials to improve the color rendering and luminous efficacy of white light-emitting diodes (w-LEDs). For w-LEDs, the luminescence quenching temperature is very important, but surprisingly no systematic research has been conducted to understand the mechanism for thermal quenching in Mn4+-doped fluorides. Furthermore, concentration quenching of the Mn4+ luminescence can be an issue but detailed investigations are lacking. In this work, we study thermal quenching and concentration quenching in Mn4+-doped fluorides by measuring luminescence spectra and decay curves of K2TiF6:Mn4+ between 4 and 600 K and for Mn4+ concentrations from 0.01% to 15.7%. Temperature-dependent measurements on K2TiF6:Mn4+ and other Mn4+-doped phosphors show that quenching occurs through thermally activated crossover between the 4T2 excited state and 4A2 ground state. The quenching temperature can be optimized by designing host lattices in which Mn4+ has a high 4T2 state energy. Concentration-dependent studies reveal that concentration quenching effects are limited in K2TiF6:Mn4+ up to 5% Mn4+. This is important, as high Mn4+ concentrations are required for sufficient absorption of blue LED light in the parity-forbidden Mn4+d–d transitions. At even higher Mn4+ concentrations (>10%), the quantum efficiency decreases, mostly due to direct energy transfer to quenching sites (defects and impurity ions). Optimization of the synthesis to reduce quenchers is crucial for developing more efficient highly absorbing Mn4+ phosphors. The present systematic study provides detailed insights into temperature and concentration quenching of Mn4+ emission and can be used to realize superior narrow-band red Mn4+ phosphors for w-LEDs.
Publisher Correction: Cytological, physiological, and transcriptomic analyses of golden leaf coloration in Ginkgo biloba L
Authors: Li Wei-xing , Yang Shun-bo , Lu Zhaogeng , He Zhi-chong , Ye Yun-ling , Zhao Bei-bei , Wang Li , Jin Biao
Published: May 2018

In the original publication of this article [1] the article did not list all the authors incorrectly. In this correction article the full author list is given. The original publication has been corrected.
ADAR1-mediated regulation of melanoma invasion
Authors: Nemlich Yael , Baruch Erez Nissim , Besser Michal Judith , Shoshan Einav , Bar-Eli Menashe , Anafi Liat , Barshack Iris , Schachter Jacob , Ortenberg Rona , Markel Gal
Published: May 2018

Melanoma cells use different migratory strategies to exit the primary tumor mass and invade surrounding and subsequently distant tissues. We reported previously that ADAR1 expression is downregulated in metastatic melanoma, thereby facilitating proliferation. Here we show that ADAR1 silencing enhances melanoma cell invasiveness and ITGB3 expression. The enhanced invasion is reversed when ITGB3 is blocked with antibodies. Re-expression of wild-type or catalytically inactive ADAR1 establishes this mechanism as independent of RNA editing. We demonstrate that ADAR1 controls ITGB3 expression both at the post-transcriptional and transcriptional levels, via miR-22 and PAX6 transcription factor, respectively. These are proven here as direct regulators of ITGB3 expression. miR-22 expression is controlled by ADAR1 via FOXD1 transcription factor. Clinical relevance is demonstrated in patient-paired progression tissue microarray using immunohistochemistry. The novel ADAR1-dependent and RNA-editing-independent regulation of invasion, mediated by ITGB3, strongly points to a central involvement of ADAR1 in cancer progression and metastasis.
Curcumin decreases Warburg effect in cancer cells by down-regulating pyruvate kinase M2 via mTOR-HIF1α inhibition
Authors: Siddiqui Farid Ahmad , Prakasam Gopinath , Chattopadhyay Shilpi , Rehman Asad Ur , Padder Rayees Ahmad , Ansari Mohammad Afaque , Irshad Rasha , Mangalhara Kailash , Bamezai Rameshwar N. K. , Husain Mohammad , Ali Syed Mansoor , Iqbal Mohammad Askandar
Published: May 2018

Warburg effect is an emerging hallmark of cancer cells with pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2) as its key regulator. Curcumin is an extensively-studied anti-cancer compound, however, its role in affecting cancer metabolism remains poorly understood. Herein, we show that curcumin inhibits glucose uptake and lactate production (Warburg effect) in a variety of cancer cell lines by down-regulating PKM2 expression, via inhibition of mTOR-HIF1α axis. Stable PKM2 silencing revealed that PKM2 is required for Warburg effect and proliferation of cancer cells. PKM2 over-expression abrogated the effects of curcumin, demonstrating that inhibition of Warburg effect by curcumin is PKM2-mediated. High PKM2 expression correlated strongly with poor overall survival in cancer, suggesting the requirement of PKM2 in cancer progression. The study unravels novel PKM2-mediated inhibitory effect of curcumin on metabolic capacities of cancer cells. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study linking curcumin with PKM2-driven cancer glycolysis, thus, providing new perspectives into the mechanism of its anticancer activity.
Author Correction: Variation in diagnostic test requests and outcomes: a preliminary metric for OpenPathology.net
Authors: O’Sullivan Jack W. , Heneghan Carl , Perera Rafael , Oke Jason , Aronson Jeffrey K. , Shine Brian , Goldacre Ben
Published: May 2018

A correction to this article has been published and is linked from the HTML and PDF versions of this paper. The error has not been fixed in the paper.
LncRNA MALAT1 promotes high glucose-induced inflammatory response of microglial cells via provoking MyD88/IRAK1/TRAF6 signaling
Authors: Wang Li-Qing , Zhou Heng-Jun
Published: May 2018

Although a large number of studies have confirmed from multiple levels that diabetes mellitus (DM) promotes cerebral ischemic reperfusion (I/R) injury, but the precise mechanism is still unclear. A cerebral I/R injury model in diabetic rats was established. The neurological deficit scores and brain edema were monitored at 24 and 72 hours after injury. The peri-infarct cortical tissues of rats were isolated for molecular biology detection. The rat primary microglia and microglia line HAPI were cultured to establish the cell model of DM-I/R by high glucose (HG) and hypoxia-reoxygenation (H/R). The endogenous expression of MALAT1 and MyD88 was regulated by the transfection with pcDNA-MALAT1, si-MALAT1 and si-MyD88, respectively. The cerebral I/R injury model in diabetic rats had more severe neuronal injury as shown by the significantly higher neurological deficit scores and an obvious increasing brain edema at 24 and 72 hours after injury. Moreover, the microglia were activated and induced a large number of inflammatory cytokines TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6 in the peri-infarct cortical tissues during cerebral I/R injury associated with DM. The expression of MALAT1, MyD88, IRAK1 and TRAF6 protein were significantly up-regulated by DM-I/R in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, the HG-H/R-induced MALAT1 promoted the inflammatory response in microglia via MyD88/IRAK1/TRAF6 signaling. Our results suggested that MALAT1 mediated the exacerbation of cerebral I/R injury induced by DM through triggering the inflammatory response in microglia via MyD88 signaling.
Correlative atomic force microscopy quantitative imaging-laser scanning confocal microscopy quantifies the impact of stressors on live cells in real-time
Authors: Bhat Supriya V. , Sultana Taranum , Körnig André , McGrath Seamus , Shahina Zinnat , Dahms Tanya E. S.
Published: May 2018

There is an urgent need to assess the effect of anthropogenic chemicals on model cells prior to their release, helping to predict their potential impact on the environment and human health. Laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) have each provided an abundance of information on cell physiology. In addition to determining surface architecture, AFM in quantitative imaging (QI) mode probes surface biochemistry and cellular mechanics using minimal applied force, while LSCM offers a window into the cell for imaging fluorescently tagged macromolecules. Correlative AFM-LSCM produces complimentary information on different cellular characteristics for a comprehensive picture of cellular behaviour. We present a correlative AFM-QI-LSCM assay for the simultaneous real-time imaging of living cells in situ, producing multiplexed data on cell morphology and mechanics, surface adhesion and ultrastructure, and real-time localization of multiple fluorescently tagged macromolecules. To demonstrate the broad applicability of this method for disparate cell types, we show altered surface properties, internal molecular arrangement and oxidative stress in model bacterial, fungal and human cells exposed to 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid. AFM-QI-LSCM is broadly applicable to a variety of cell types and can be used to assess the impact of any multitude of contaminants, alone or in combination.
Molecular Diagnosis of 34 Japanese Families with Leber Congenital Amaurosis Using Targeted Next Generation Sequencing
Authors: Hosono Katsuhiro , Nishina Sachiko , Yokoi Tadashi , Katagiri Satoshi , Saitsu Hirotomo , Kurata Kentaro , Miyamichi Daisuke , Hikoya Akiko , Mizobuchi Kei , Nakano Tadashi , Minoshima Shinsei , Fukami Maki , Kondo Hiroyuki , Sato Miho , Hayashi Takaaki , Azuma Noriyuki , Hotta Yoshihiro
Published: May 2018

Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA) is a genetically and clinically heterogeneous disease, and represents the most severe form of inherited retinal dystrophy (IRD). The present study reports the mutation spectra and frequency of known LCA and IRD-associated genes in 34 Japanese families with LCA (including three families that were previously reported). A total of 74 LCA- and IRD-associated genes were analysed via targeted-next generation sequencing (TS), while recently discovered LCA-associated genes, as well as known variants not able to be screened using this approach, were evaluated via additional Sanger sequencing, long-range polymerase chain reaction, and/or copy number variation analyses. The results of these analyses revealed 30 potential pathogenic variants in 12 (nine LCA-associated and three other IRD-associated) genes among 19 of the 34 analysed families. The most frequently mutated genes were CRB1, NMNAT1, and RPGRIP1. The results also showed the mutation spectra and frequencies identified in the analysed Japanese population to be distinctly different from those previously identified for other ethnic backgrounds. Finally, the present study, which is the first to conduct a NGS-based molecular diagnosis of a large Japanese LCA cohort, achieved a detection rate of approximately 56%, indicating that TS is a valuable method for molecular diagnosis of LCA cases in the Japanese population.
Association of assisted reproductive technology and multiple pregnancies with the risks of birth defects and stillbirth: A retrospective cohort study
Authors: Yang Min , Fan Xiao-Bo , Wu Jiang-Nan , Wang Ji-Mei
Published: May 2018

Assisted reproductive technology (ART) has been widely used among women with infertility. However, the association of ART with birth defects and stillbirth remains controversial and has rarely been reported in China. A retrospective cohort study of 112,043 pregnant women and 114,522 newborns from 2006 to 2016 was performed. Compared to spontaneously conceived infants, ART-conceived infants had a higher likelihood of any birth defect, with an adjusted odds ratio (OR) of 2.10 (95% confidence interval, 1.63–2.69). ART-conceived infants also had a significantly increased risk for subcategories of cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, urogenital, gastrointestinal, and respiratory defects. Most (62.25%) of the effect of ART on birth defects was a direct effect, whereas 37.75% of the effect of ART on birth defects was due to multiple pregnancies (i.e., an indirect effect). Compared with naturally conceived singletons, the combined effect of ART and twins on the risk of birth defects was lower than that of the sum of the individual effects of ART and twins on the risk of birth defects, with an adjusted OR of 0.54 (0.32–0.92). These findings clearly show that ART is associated with an increased risk of birth defects in China and may provide guidance to couples and obstetricians in selecting numbers of pregnancies and in identifying organs at a high risk of birth defects.
Associations of passive muscle stiffness, muscle stretch tolerance, and muscle slack angle with range of motion: individual and sex differences
Authors: Miyamoto Naokazu , Hirata Kosuke , Miyamoto-Mikami Eri , Yasuda Osamu , Kanehisa Hiroaki
Published: May 2018

Joint range of motion (ROM) is an important parameter for athletic performance and muscular injury risk. Nonetheless, a complete description of muscular factors influencing ROM among individuals and between men and women is lacking. We examined whether passive muscle stiffness (evaluated by angle-specific muscle shear modulus), tolerance to muscle stretch (evaluated by muscle shear modulus at end-ROM), and muscle slack angle of the triceps surae are associated with the individual variability and sex difference in dorsiflexion ROM, using ultrasound shear wave elastography. For men, ROM was negatively correlated to passive muscle stiffness of the medial and lateral gastrocnemius in a tensioned state and positively to tolerance to muscle stretch in the medial gastrocnemius. For women, ROM was only positively correlated to tolerance to muscle stretch in all muscles but not correlated to passive muscle stiffness. Muscle slack angle was not correlated to ROM in men and women. Significant sex differences were observed only for dorsiflexion ROM and passive muscle stiffness in a tensioned state. These findings suggest that muscular factors associated with ROM are different between men and women. Furthermore, the sex difference in dorsiflexion ROM might be attributed partly to that in passive muscle stiffness of plantar flexors.