bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Suicides of Male Portuguese Police Officers – 10 years of National Data
Authors: Costa Tiago , Passos Fernando , Queiros Cristina
Published: January 2019

Abstract. Background: Police officers, as first responders to difficult situations with ready access to firearms, are frequently considered to be at increased suicide risk. Aims: We aimed to calculate the suicide rate for male officers of the Portuguese National Police (PSP) and compare it with the Portuguese general population. Method: Retrospective review of the PSP male officers' suicides between 2005 and 2014 and comparison with the suicide rate for the general Portuguese population, adjusted for sex and age. Results: A total of 39 suicides were identified, with 34 using a firearm – mostly the service one (30 cases). The average truncated (20–59 years) suicide rate for male officers was 20.6 per 100,000 person-years (95% CI =14.2–27.1). Over the same period, the rate for the general Portuguese population was 13.9 per 100,000 person-years (95% CI = 13.5–14.3). The standardized rate ratio was 1.5 (95% CI = 0.9–2.4). Limitations: Despite the 10-year period of observation, this is a small sample and there are issues with missing data, such as lack of information for retired or dismissed police officers. Denominators were converted to estimates of person-years observations and we should be mindful of the limitations in the validity of the reported rates. Conclusion: Portuguese male police officers mostly die by suicide using service firearms. The suicide rates among them were not statistically different from those of the sex- and age-adjusted general population. However, given that police officers are healthy workers, we would expect lower rates – thus, similar rates could suggest an increased risk in the study sample.
Clarifying the Relative Role of Forcing Uncertainties and Initial‐Condition Unknowns in Spreading the Climate Response to Volcanic Eruptions
Authors: Zanchettin Davide , Timmreck Claudia , Toohey Matthew , Jungclaus Johann H. , Bittner Matthias , Lorenz Stephan J. , Rubino Angelo
Published: January 2019

Radiative forcing from volcanic aerosol impacts surface temperatures; however, the background climate state also affects the response. A key question thus concerns whether constraining forcing estimates is more important than constraining initial conditions for accurate simulation and attribution of posteruption climate anomalies. Here we test whether different realistic volcanic forcing magnitudes for the 1815 Tambora eruption yield distinguishable ensemble surface temperature responses. We perform a cluster analysis on a superensemble of climate simulations including three 30‐member ensembles using the same set of initial conditions but different volcanic forcings based on uncertainty estimates. Results clarify how forcing uncertainties can overwhelm initial‐condition spread in boreal summer due to strong direct radiative impact, while the effect of initial conditions predominate in winter, when dynamics contribute to large ensemble spread. In our setup, current uncertainties affecting reconstruction‐simulation comparisons prevent conclusions about the magnitude of the Tambora eruption and its relation to the “year without summer.”
The Changing Impact Mechanisms of a Diverse El Niño on the Western Pacific Subtropical High
Authors: Chen Mengyan , Yu Jin‐Yi , Wang Xin , Jiang Wenping
Published: January 2019

The composite analyses during 1950–2016 show that the impacts of El Niño on the western Pacific subtropical high (WPSH) are different among the Eastern Pacific type, Central Pacific type‐I (CP‐I), and Central Pacific type‐II (CP‐II). The three types of El Niño produce distinct impacts on WPSH due to the varying importance of the Northwestern Pacific coupling, Indian Ocean capacitor, and Maritime Continent mechanisms. The different enhancements and cancellations among these three mechanisms are related to differences in SST anomaly locations and Indian Ocean conditions among the El Niño types. The CP‐II El Niño becomes the most influential type of El Niño, while the CP‐I El Niño becomes the least influential type. The different impacts and mechanisms for the CP‐I and CP‐II types of El Niño imply that these two subtypes of CP El Niño may involve different forcing from the Indian Ocean and extratropical Pacific for their generation.
Quantifying the Role of Oceanic Feedbacks on ENSO Asymmetry
Authors: Guan Cong , McPhaden Michael J. , Wang Fan , Hu Shijian
Published: January 2019

The role of oceanic feedbacks in determining the asymmetry of El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) magnitude, spatial structure, and duration is quantified on the basis of a novel temperature variance budget. Results confirm previous studies that in the eastern Pacific, El Niño warm temperature anomalies are larger in magnitude than La Niña cold temperature anomalies mainly due to stronger positive oceanic feedbacks for El Niño. We find that La Niña cold anomalies are typically stronger than El Niño warm anomalies in the central Pacific with a faster growth rate for cold anomalies, due to a stronger positive thermocline feedback and weaker nonlinear damping. The thermocline feedback related to recharge oscillator dynamics plays a dominate role and leads to asymmetry in the duration of El Niño and La Niña events. In particular, the thermocline feedback becomes significantly negative during the late decaying phase of El Niño and speeds up its demise.
Regional‐Scale Detection of Fault Scarps and Other Tectonic Landforms: Examples From Northern California
Authors: Sare Robert , Hilley George E. , DeLong Stephen B.
Published: January 2019

Fault scarps and fault‐related landforms provide important information about fault zone activity over timescales that are not captured by instrumental measurements or historic records. Semiautomated methods for delineating these landforms using topographic data from light detection and ranging (lidar) and spaceborne imaging systems offer the opportunity to characterize fault zones on a global scale. We present a computationally efficient method for extracting scarp‐like landforms from high‐resolution (≤2 m), regional‐scale (≥ 100‐km‐long) digital topographic data sets. We identify fault‐related landforms using a curvature template based on the diffusion model for scarp degradation and extract scarp heights and morphologic ages at each pixel. The method was applied to the GeoEarthScope Northern California data set, an airborne lidar acquisition imaging nearly 2,500 km2 of the northern San Andreas Fault system, by adapting the algorithm to use cloud computing resources. Template results and fault trace mapping show spatial agreement in active fault zones with clear topographic expression, including detection of fault scarps, shutter ridges, and elongated drainages. Comparison of the method against field‐based morphologic dating of scarps along the southern San Andreas reveals a trade‐off between template window size and morphologic age contrasts resolved between strike‐slip fault scarps of different relative ages. Detection performance suggests that window size and orientation constraints may play a key role in improving the accuracy of methods for semiautomated fault zone mapping. As data availability grows, these methods could constrain key earthquake simulation parameters such as damage zone width or rupture length and improve fault maps worldwide.
Response of the Arctic Marine Inorganic Carbon System to Ice Algae and Under‐Ice Phytoplankton Blooms: A Case Study Along the Fast‐Ice Edge of Baffin Bay
Authors: Else Brent G. T. , Whitehead Jeremy J. , Galindo Virginie , Ferland Joannie , Mundy C. J. , Gonski Stephen F. , Ehn Jens K. , Rysgaard Søren , Babin Marcel
Published: January 2019

Past research in seasonally ice‐covered Arctic seas has suggested that ice algae play a role in reducing dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) during spring, preconditioning surface waters to low dissolved CO2 (pCO2sw), and uptake of atmospheric CO2 during the ice‐free season. The potential role of under‐ice phytoplankton blooms on DIC and pCO2sw has not often been considered. In this study we examined the inorganic carbon system beneath landfast sea ice starting midway through a bottom ice algae bloom and concluding in the early stages of an under‐ice phytoplankton bloom. During most of the ice algae bloom we observed a slight increase in DIC/pCO2sw in surface waters, as opposed to the expected reduction. Biomass calculations confirm that the role of ice algae on DIC/pCO2sw in the study region were minor and that this null result may be widely applicable. During snow melt, we observed an under‐ice phytoplankton bloom (to 10 mg/m3 Chl a) that did reduce DIC and pCO2sw. We conclude that under‐ice phytoplankton blooms are an important biological mechanism that may predispose some Arctic seas to act as a CO2 sink at the time of ice breakup. We also found that pCO2sw was undersaturated at the study location even at the beginning of our sampling period, consistent with several other studies that have measured under‐ice pCO2sw in late winter or early spring. Finally, we present the first measurements of carbonate saturation states for this region, which may be useful for assessing the vulnerability of a local soft‐shelled clam fishery to ocean acidification.
Why Gliders Appreciate Good Company: Glider Assimilation in the Oregon‐Washington Coastal Ocean 4DVAR System With and Without Surface Observations
Authors: Pasmans I. , Kurapov A. L. , Barth J. A. , Ignatov A. , Kosro P. M. , Shearman R. K.
Published: January 2019

Gliders are low‐power autonomous underwater vehicles used to obtain oceanic measurements in vertical sections. Assimilation of glider temperature and salinity into coastal ocean circulation models holds the potential to improve the ocean subsurface structure estimate. In this study, the impact of assimilation of glider observations is studied using a four‐dimensional variational (4DVAR) data assimilation and forecast system set offshore of Oregon and Washington on the U.S. West Coast. Four test cases are compared: (1) no assimilation, (2) assimilation of glider temperature and salinity data alone, (3) assimilation of the glider data in combination with the surface observations including satellite sea surface temperature, sea surface height, and high‐frequency radar surface velocities, and (4) assimilation of the surface data alone. It is found that the assimilation of glider observations alone creates unphysical eddies in the vicinity of the glider transect. As a consequence, the forecast errors in the surface velocity and temperature increase compared to the case without data assimilation. Assimilation of surface and subsurface observations in combination prevents these features from forming and reduces the errors in the forecasts for the subsurface fields compared to the other three experiments. These improvements persisted in 21‐day forecasts run after the last data assimilation cycle.
Advancing Short‐Term Forecasts of Ice Conditions in the Beaufort Sea
Authors: Yaremchuk M. , Townsend T. , Panteleev G. , Hebert D. , Allard R.
Published: January 2019

Numerical experiments with a regional configuration of the CICE model (Los‐Alamos Community sea Ice CodE) in the Beaufort Sea assimilating Special Sensor Microwave Imager/Sounder ice concentration (IC) and CryoSat ice thickness (IT) data acquired for September–December of 2015 are presented. We explore sensitivity of the 24‐hr IT/IC forecast skill to the system updates, which include introduction of the IT assimilation capability, flow‐dependent correlations, and Gaussianization of IC innovations. Experiments with IC data assimilation have shown that the flow‐dependent correlations provide 5–7% improvement of the forecast skill during the freezing period (10 September to 10 November) while Gaussianization contributes an additional improvement of 3–4% in most of the cases. In winter (11 November to 31 December) IC assimilation did not produce any statistically significant improvement of the skill due to the loss of dynamical information in the IC fields associated saturation of the ice cover. In contrast, IT assimilation provides larger improvement in December compared to October–November due to the better coverage of the Beaufort Sea by observations and their higher relative accuracy in winter. Comparison of the IT forecast fields with independent in situ observations by two upward looking sonars demonstrates statistically insignificant improvements. Much better improvement (15–25%) is observed when comparing monthly mean IT assimilation runs against independent Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer for Earth observing system (AMSR‐E) data. Introduction of the heuristic in situ IC/IT correlations into the background covariance model did not produce any improvements of the forecast skill.
Observed and Simulated Teleconnections Between the Stratospheric Quasi‐Biennial Oscillation and Northern Hemisphere Winter Atmospheric Circulation
Authors: Andrews Martin B. , Knight Jeff R. , Scaife Adam A. , Lu Yixiong , Wu Tongwen , Gray Lesley J. , Schenzinger Verena
Published: January 2019

The Quasi‐Biennial Oscillation (QBO) is the dominant mode of interannual variability in the tropical stratosphere, with easterly and westerly zonal wind regimes alternating over a period of about 28 months. It appears to influence the Northern Hemisphere winter stratospheric polar vortex and atmospheric circulation near the Earth's surface. However, the short observational record makes unequivocal identification of these surface connections challenging. To overcome this, we use a multicentury control simulation of a climate model with a realistic, spontaneously generated QBO to examine teleconnections with extratropical winter surface pressure patterns. Using a 30‐hPa index of the QBO, we demonstrate that the observed teleconnection with the Arctic Oscillation (AO) is likely to be real, and a teleconnection with the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) is probable, but not certain. Simulated QBO‐AO teleconnections are robust, but appear weaker than in observations. Despite this, inconsistency with the observational record cannot be formally demonstrated. To assess the robustness of our results, we use an alternative measure of the QBO, which selects QBO phases with westerly or easterly winds extending over a wider range of altitudes than phases selected by the single‐level index. We find increased strength and significance for both the AO and NAO responses, and better reproduction of the observed surface teleconnection patterns. Further, this QBO metric reveals that the simulated AO response is indeed likely to be weaker than observed. We conclude that the QBO can potentially provide another source of skill for Northern Hemisphere winter prediction, if its surface teleconnections can be accurately simulated.
High‐Speed Video and Lightning Mapping Array Observations of In‐Cloud Lightning Leaders and an M Component to Ground
Authors: Kotovsky D. A. , Uman M. A. , Wilkes R. A. , Jordan D. M.
Published: January 2019

High‐speed video (46,000 frames per second) and lightning‐mapping‐array (LMA) data are correlated to determine three‐dimensional properties of in‐cloud lightning leaders (altitudes ranging from 2.78 to 3.81 km) observed in a rocket‐and‐wire triggered lightning flash. Three positive leaders were observed with speeds ranging from 6.1 × 104 to 1.0 × 105 m/s, one of which branched within the camera frame. The upper branch was then traversed twice by attempted negative leaders propagating toward the main channel to ground (speeds of 2.4 × 106 and 1.1 × 107 m/s). Both attempted negative leaders terminated abruptly at the branch point of the remnant channel. In the remnants of a separate positive leader channel, a bidirectional leader initiated, which resulted in an M component whose luminosity and current were measured at ground. Analysis shows that the luminosity wave associated with the entire M component process (propagating 8.8 km from initiation to ground) is highly dispersive, with calculated group velocities ranging from 1 × 107 to 5 × 107 m/s over the dominant signal bandwidth of DC (0 Hz) to 2 kHz.
Moist Entropy and Water Isotopologues in a Zonal Overturning Circulation Framework of the Madden‐Julian Oscillation
Authors: Hurley John V. , Verlinden Kathryn L. , Blossey Peter N. , Kuang Zhiming , Noone David
Published: January 2019

The Madden‐Julian oscillation (MJO) is the principal source of tropical intraseasonal variability, yet challenges remain to accurately simulate its observed convective behavior and eastward propagation. There is specific need for evaluating the role of water within the MJO, including evaporation, vertical transport, precipitation, and latent heating of the coupled atmosphere‐ocean system. Hydrogen isotope ratios are particularly useful for investigating these aspects of the water cycle. This study complements previous characterization of MJO joint distributions for water vapor and isotopologue concentrations (δD) with consideration of moist entropy in the tropical zonal overturning circulation framework of the MJO. The goals are to distinguish the roles of convective and large‐scale dynamic processes through the life cycle of the MJO and identify shortcomings for modeling MJO humidity, clouds, and convection. From MJO composite analyses, wet equivalent potential temperature (θq) anomalies are largest at 500 hPa and tilt westward with altitude. A positive θq anomaly co‐occurs with the precipitation maxima, and negative θq anomalies co‐occur with subsidence both trailing and leading the convective center. Out of phase with θq, δD anomalies are positive east and negative west of the convective center, coherent with the regional zonal overturning stream function. These results point to a decoupling in the MJO between midtroposphere water vapor, which is tied to convective processes, and the isotopologue ratios, which are tied to the large‐scale circulation. A conceptual model is presented to describe the physical processes that explain the MJO life‐cycle for joint distributions of humidity (q) and water vapor δD.
A Decadal Data Set of Global Atmospheric Dust Retrieved From IASI Satellite Measurements
Authors: Clarisse L. , Clerbaux C. , Franco B. , Hadji‐Lazaro J. , Whitburn S. , Kopp A. K. , Hurtmans D. , Coheur P.‐F.
Published: January 2019

Aerosol is an important component of the Earth's atmosphere, affecting weather, climate, and diverse elements of the biosphere. Satellite sounders are an essential tool for measuring the highly variable distributions of atmospheric aerosol. Here we present a new algorithm for estimating atmospheric dust optical depths and associated retrieval uncertainties from spectral radiance measurements of the Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI). The retrieval is based on the calculation of a dust index and on a neural network trained with synthetic IASI spectra. It has an inherent high sensitivity to dust and efficiently discriminates dust from other aerosols. In particular, over remote dust‐free areas, the retrieved levels of optical depth have a low bias. Over sea, noise levels are markedly lower than over land. Performance over deserts is comparable to that of other land surfaces. We use ground‐based coarse mode aerosol measurements from the AErosol RObotic NETwork to validate the new product. The overall assessment is favorable, with standard deviations in line with estimated uncertainties, low biases, and high correlation coefficients. However, a systematic relative bias occurs between sites dominated by African and Asian dust sources respectively, likely linked to differences in mineralogy. The retrieval has been performed on over a decade of IASI data, and the resulting data set is now publicly available. We present a global seasonal dust climatology based on this record and compare it with those obtained from independent satellite measurements (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer and a third‐party IASI product) and dust optical depth from the ECMWF model.
Young Receives 2018 Athelstan Spilhaus Award
Authors:   AGU
Published: January 2019

C. Alex Young received the Athelstan Spilhaus Award at the 2018 AGU Fall Meeting Honors Ceremony, held 12 December 2018 in Washington, D. C. The award honors an individual for the “enhancement of the public engagement with Earth and space sciences.”
Modeling the Climates of Worlds Beyond Earth
Authors: Kornei Katherine
Published: January 2019

Scientists are applying climate models to distant planets to determine their habitability.
Genetic basis for the establishment of endosymbiosis in Paramecium
Authors: He Ming , Wang Jinfeng , Fan Xinpeng , Liu Xiaohui , Shi Wenyu , Huang Ning , Zhao Fangqing , Miao Miao
Published: January 2019

The single-celled ciliate Paramecium bursaria is an indispensable model for investigating endosymbiosis between protists and green-algal symbionts. To elucidate the mechanism of this type of endosymbiosis, we combined PacBio and Illumina sequencing to assemble a high-quality and near-complete macronuclear genome of P. bursaria. The genomic characteristics and phylogenetic analyses indicate that P. bursaria is the basal clade of the Paramecium genus. Through comparative genomic analyses with its close relatives, we found that P. bursaria encodes more genes related to nitrogen metabolism and mineral absorption, but encodes fewer genes involved in oxygen binding and N-glycan biosynthesis. A comparison of the transcriptomic profiles between P. bursaria with and without endosymbiotic Chlorella showed differential expression of a wide range of metabolic genes. We selected 32 most differentially expressed genes to perform RNA interference experiment in P. bursaria, and found that P. bursaria can regulate the abundance of their symbionts through glutamine supply. This study provides novel insights into Paramecium evolution and will extend our knowledge of the molecular mechanism for the induction of endosymbiosis between P. bursaria and green algae.
Bacterial persistence promotes the evolution of antibiotic resistance by increasing survival and mutation rates
Authors: Windels Etthel Martha , Michiels Joran Elie , Fauvart Maarten , Wenseleers Tom , Van den Bergh Bram , Michiels Jan
Published: January 2019

Persisters are transiently antibiotic-tolerant cells that complicate the treatment of bacterial infections. Both theory and experiments have suggested that persisters facilitate genetic resistance by constituting an evolutionary reservoir of viable cells. Here, we provide evidence for a strong positive correlation between persistence and the likelihood to become genetically resistant in natural and lab strains of E. coli. This correlation can be partly attributed to the increased availability of viable cells associated with persistence. However, our data additionally show that persistence is pleiotropically linked with mutation rates. Our theoretical model further demonstrates that increased survival and mutation rates jointly affect the likelihood of evolving clinical resistance. Overall, these results suggest that the battle against antibiotic resistance will benefit from incorporating anti-persister therapies.
Anaerobic degradation of xenobiotic isophthalate by the fermenting bacterium Syntrophorhabdus aromaticivorans
Authors: Junghare Madan , Spiteller Dieter , Schink Bernhard
Published: January 2019

Syntrophorhabdus aromaticivorans is a syntrophically fermenting bacterium that can degrade isophthalate (3-carboxybenzoate). It is a xenobiotic compound which has accumulated in the environment for more than 50 years due to its global industrial usage and can cause negative effects on the environment. Isophthalate degradation by the strictly anaerobic S. aromaticivorans was investigated to advance our understanding of the degradation of xenobiotics introduced into nature, and to identify enzymes that might have ecological significance for bioremediation. Differential proteome analysis of isophthalate- vs benzoate-grown cells revealed over 400 differentially expressed proteins of which only four were unique to isophthalate-grown cells. The isophthalate-induced proteins include a phenylacetate:CoA ligase, a UbiD-like decarboxylase, a UbiX-like flavin prenyltransferase, and a hypothetical protein. These proteins are encoded by genes forming a single gene cluster that putatively codes for anaerobic conversion of isophthalate to benzoyl-CoA. Subsequently, benzoyl-CoA is metabolized by the enzymes of the anaerobic benzoate degradation pathway that were identified in the proteomic analysis. In vitro enzyme assays with cell-free extracts of isophthalate-grown cells indicated that isophthalate is activated to isophthalyl-CoA by an ATP-dependent isophthalate:CoA ligase (IPCL), and subsequently decarboxylated to benzoyl-CoA by a UbiD family isophthalyl-CoA decarboxylase (IPCD) that requires a prenylated flavin mononucleotide (prFMN) cofactor supplied by UbiX to effect decarboxylation. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that IPCD is a novel member of the functionally diverse UbiD family (de)carboxylases. Homologs of the IPCD encoding genes are found in several other bacteria, such as aromatic compound-degrading denitrifiers, marine sulfate-reducers, and methanogenic communities in a terephthalate-degrading reactor. These results suggest that metabolic strategies adapted for degradation of isophthalate and other phthalate are conserved between microorganisms that are involved in the anaerobic degradation of environmentally relevant aromatic compounds.
Superior efficacy of cotreatment with BET protein inhibitor and BCL2 or MCL1 inhibitor against AML blast progenitor cells
Authors: Fiskus Warren , Cai Tianyu , DiNardo Courtney D. , Kornblau Steven M. , Borthakur Gautam , Kadia Tapan M. , Pemmaraju Naveen , Bose Prithviraj , Masarova Lucia , Rajapakshe Kimal , Perera Dimuthu , Coarfa Cristian , Mill Christopher P. , Saenz Dyana T. , Saenz David N. , Sun Baohua , Khoury Joseph D. , Shen Yu , Konopleva Marina , Bhalla Kapil N.
Published: January 2019

First-generation bromodomain extra-terminal protein (BETP) inhibitors (BETi) (e.g., OTX015) that disrupt binding of BETP BRD4 to chromatin transcriptionally attenuate AML-relevant progrowth and prosurvival oncoproteins. BETi treatment induces apoptosis of AML BPCs, reduces in vivo AML burden and induces clinical remissions in a minority of AML patients. Clinical efficacy of more potent BETis, e.g., ABBV-075 (AbbVie, Inc.), is being evaluated. Venetoclax and A-1210477 bind and inhibit the antiapoptotic activity of BCL2 and MCL1, respectively, lowering the threshold for apoptosis. BETi treatment is shown here to perturb accessible chromatin and activity of enhancers/promoters, attenuating MYC, CDK6, MCL1 and BCL2, while inducing BIM, HEXIM1, CDKN1A expressions and apoptosis of AML cells. Treatment with venetoclax increased MCL1 protein levels, but cotreatment with ABBV-075 reduced MCL1 and Bcl-xL levels. ABBV-075 cotreatment synergistically induced apoptosis with venetoclax or A-1210477 in patient-derived, CD34+ AML cells. Compared to treatment with either agent alone, cotreatment with ABBV-075 and venetoclax was significantly more effective in reducing AML cell-burden and improving survival, without inducing toxicity, in AML-engrafted immune-depleted mice. These findings highlight the basis of superior activity and support interrogation of clinical efficacy and safety of cotreatment with BETi and BCL2 or MCL1 inhibitor in AML.
Publisher Correction: Aligning academia and industry for unified battery performance metrics
Authors: Lin Zhan , Liu Tiefeng , Ai Xinping , Liang Chengdu
Published: January 2019

The original PDF version of this Article contained an error in Fig. 2, in which only the central part of the figure, between ‘Mass loading’ and ‘Gravimetric performance’, was visible. This has been corrected in the PDF version of the Article. The HTML version was correct from the time of publication.
Publisher Correction: Non-canonical nucleosides and chemistry of the emergence of life
Authors: Becker Sidney , Schneider Christina , Crisp Antony , Carell Thomas
Published: January 2019

The original version of this Article contained errors in the citations in the second, third and fourth sentences of the first paragraph of the ‘Life and LUCA’ section, which incorrectly read ‘Its development is explained by Darwinian evolution, which must have begun with rudimentary “living” vesicles that at some point transitioned into what we call the last universal common ancestor (LUCA)2. LUCA is a hypothetical life form obtained from phylogenetic analysis from which all three kingdoms of life originated3. To our understanding, LUCA already possessed the capacity to synthesize specific building blocks such as amino acids, nucleotides and lipids2.’ The correct version states ‘(LUCA)1’ in place of ‘(LUCA)2’, ‘originated2’ instead of ‘originated3’ and ‘lipids1’ rather than ‘lipids2’. This has been corrected in both the PDF and HTML versions of the Article.
Episodes of fever in neutropenia in pediatric patients with cancer in Bern, Switzerland, 1993–2012
Authors: Zermatten Maxime G. , Koenig Christa , von Allmen Annina , Agyeman Philipp , Ammann Roland A.
Published: January 2019

Fever in neutropenia (FN) is the most frequent potentially life threatening complication of chemotherapy for cancer. Prediction of the risk to develop complications, integrated into clinical decision rules, would allow for risk-stratified treatment of FN. This retrospective, single center cohort study in pediatric patients diagnosed with cancer before 17 years, covered two decades, 1993 to 2012. In total, 703 FN episodes in 291 patients with chemotherapy (maximum per patient, 9) were reported here. Twenty-nine characteristics of FN were collected: 6 were patient- and cancer-related, 8 were characteristics of history, 8 of clinical examination, and 7 laboratory results in peripheral blood, all known at FN diagnosis. In total 28 FN outcomes were assessed: 8 described treatment of FN, 6 described microbiologically defined infections (MDI), 4 clinically defined infections, 4 were additional clinical composite outcomes, and 6 outcomes were related to discharge. These data can mainly be used to study FN characteristics and their association with outcomes over time and between centers, and for derivation and external validation of clinical decision rules.
Rare metal-ion metathesis of a tetrahedral Zn(ii) core of a noncentrosymmetric (3,4)-connected 3D MOF
Authors: Lee Li-Wei , Kao Ya-Chuan , Chung Mei-Ying , Chang Bor-Chen , Lee Gene-Hsiang , Peng Shie-Ming , Wang Chih-Min , Liu Yen-Hsiang , Lee Sheng-Long , Lu Kuang-Lieh
Published: January 2019

An SHG-active framework of 1-Zn can undergo metal metathesis, in which the tetrahedrally coordinated Zn(ii) ions are completely exchanged with Cu(ii) ions while retaining the integrity of the network.
A metal–organic-framework approach to engineer hollow bimetal oxide microspheres towards enhanced electrochemical performances of lithium storage
Authors: Sun Weiwei , Chen Si , Wang Yong
Published: January 2019

A MOF-derived approach is used to fabricate a Fe–Mn–O/C hollow microsphere anode, which delivers excellent electrochemical performance for lithium-ion batteries.
Metastable phosphorus neutral monoradical: a key intermediate in the bicyclic cage formation
Authors: Chen Xiaodan , Hinz Alexander , Harmer Jeffrey R. , Li Zhongshu
Published: January 2019

A key intermediate in the formation of a bicyclic cage formed between a biradical (LCP)2 (L = carbene) and an unsaturated substrate via a [2 + 2] cycloaddition reaction has been isolated and fully characterized including by X-ray diffraction analysis.
Degradation of ciprofloxacin by 185/254 nm vacuum ultraviolet: kinetics, mechanism and toxicology
Authors: Hu Han , Chen Ya , Ye Jinshao , Zhuang Li , Zhang Hongling , Ou Huase
Published: January 2019

Fluoroquinolone antibiotics (FQs) are highly resistant to conventional biological water treatment processes, thus, it is desirable to develop novel water treatment methods for eliminating FQs efficiently.
Uncovering the anti-proliferation mechanism and bioactive compounds in red kidney bean coat against B16-F10 melanoma cells by metabolomics and network pharmacology analysis
Authors: Nie Jia-Hui , Huang Jian-Xiang , Wu Qing-Rong , Qin Xue-Mei , Li Zhen-Yu
Published: January 2019

In this study, coat (RKBC) and kernel (RKBK) extracts of red kidney bean were prepared, and their chemical compositions and potential anti-cancer activity against B16-F10 cells were evaluated.
The nanoencapsulation of curcuminoids extracted fromCurcuma longaL. and an evaluation of their cytotoxic, enzymatic, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities
Authors: dos Santos Priscila Dayane Freitas , Francisco Cristhian Rafael Lopes , Coqueiro Aline , Leimann Fernanda Vitória , Pinela José , Calhelha Ricardo C. , Porto Ineu Rafael , Ferreira Isabel C. F. R. , Bona Evandro , Gonçalves Odinei Hess
Published: January 2019

Curcumin, bisdemethoxycurcumin and demethoxycurcumin are known for their bioactivity.
Agaricus blazei Murrill from Brazil: an ingredient for nutraceutical and cosmeceutical applications
Authors: Taofiq Oludemi , Rodrigues Francisca , Barros Lillian , Peralta Rosane M. , Barreiro Maria F. , Ferreira Isabel C. F. R. , Oliveira M. Beatriz P. P.
Published: January 2019

Agaricus blazei bio-residues were explored as a nutraceutical and cosmaceutical ingredient, by evaluating its effect on cell viability using intestinal and skin cell lines, respectively. A. blazei revealed to be a good ingredient for those applications.
Isatin and its derivatives: a survey of recent syntheses, reactions, and applications
Authors: Varun Varun , Sonam Sonam , Kakkar Rita
Published: January 2019

Isatin (1H-indole-2,3-dione) and its derivatives represent an important class of heterocyclic compounds that can be used as precursors for drug synthesis.
3D printing of ionic conductors for high-sensitivity wearable sensors
Authors: Yin Xiang-Yu , Zhang Yue , Cai Xiaobing , Guo Qiuquan , Yang Jun , Wang Zhong Lin
Published: January 2019

DLP 3D printed ionic hydrogels are designed as sensitivity-improved electrodes in a skin-like sensor.
Two-dimensional spin–valley-coupled Dirac semimetals in functionalized SbAs monolayers
Authors: Liu Zhifeng , Feng Wangxiang , Xin Hongli , Gao Yinlu , Liu Pengfei , Yao Yugui , Weng Hongming , Zhao Jijun
Published: January 2019

A new class of 2D Dirac materials (svc-DMs) is established, which has the desired spin- and valley-polarized Dirac state.
Tailoring adhesion of anionic surfaces using cationic PISA-latexes – towards tough nanocellulose materials in the wet state
Authors: Engström J. , Benselfelt T. , Wågberg L. , D'Agosto F. , Lansalot M. , Carlmark A. , Malmström E.
Published: January 2019

Cationic PISA-latexes exhibit strong adsorption and wet adhesion to anionic surfaces, demonstrated as promising tools for tough materials with high nanocellulose content.
In situ high temperature atomic level dynamics of large inversion domain formations in monolayer MoS2
Authors: Chen Jun , Zhou Si , Wen Yi , Ryu Gyeong Hee , Allen Christopher , Lu Yang , Kirkland Angus I. , Warner Jamie H.
Published: January 2019

Here we study the high-temperature formation and dynamics of large inversion domains (IDs) that form in monolayer MoS2 using atomic-resolution annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy (ADF-STEM) with an in situ heating stage.
Probing the limits of interrupted adenylation domains by engineering a trifunctional enzyme capable of adenylation, N-, and S-methylation
Authors: Lundy Taylor A. , Mori Shogo , Garneau-Tsodikova Sylvie
Published: January 2019

The adenylation (A) domains found in nonribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPSs) exhibit tremendous plasticity.
Molecular assembly-induced charge transfer between a mixed (phthalocyaninato)(porphyrinato) yttrium triple-decker and a fullerene
Authors: Wang Chiming , Wang Hailong , Liu Chenxi , Qi Dongdong , Jiang Jianzhuang
Published: January 2019

A close interface of a mixed (phthalocyaninato)(porphyrinato) yttrium triple-decker and a fullerene in cocrystals affords stronger charge transfer than each individual.
Synthesis and characterization of methylammonium phosphates as crystalline approximants for anhydrous, low melting phosphate glasses
Authors: Mangstl Martin , Wied Jan Konrad , Weber Johannes , Pritzel Christian , Trettin Reinhard , Schmedt auf der Günne Jörn
Published: January 2019

The novel glass shows the lowest glass transition temperature known for binary phosphate glass systems without acidic protons.
Purification and rapid dissolution of potassium sulfate in aqueous solutions
Authors: Li Shoujiang , Sun Kaige , Zhao Yunliang , Nie Guihua , Song Shaoxian
Published: January 2019

Water soluble potassium sulfate dissolves rapidly and completely in water.
An acid-stable positively charged polysulfonamide nanofiltration membrane prepared by interfacial polymerization of polyallylamine and 1,3-benzenedisulfonyl chloride for water treatment
Authors: Wang Hao , Wei Zhong , Wang Heyun , Jiang Haoji , Li Yinchun , Wu Chunlin
Published: January 2019

Here, an acid stable PSA membrane with positively charge was prepared through the IP between macromolecular PAH and BDSC on PES substrate. In addition, the PSA membrane exhibited excellent separation performance to divalent metal ions.
First-principles study of the electric, magnetic, and orbital structure in perovskite ScMnO3
Authors: Song Guang , Chen Yuting , Li Guannan , Gao Benling
Published: January 2019

The crystal structure and three-dimensional alternating complementary orbital ordering of perovskite ScMnO3.
New functionalized MIL-53(In) solids: syntheses, characterization, sorption, and structural flexibility
Authors: Wu Lei , Chaplais Gérald , Xue Ming , Qiu Shilun , Patarin Joël , Simon-Masseron Angélique , Chen Huaxin
Published: January 2019

Syntheses, characterization, sorption, and structural flexibility of new functionalized MIL-53(In) solids were fully investigated.
P and N type copper phthalocyanines as effective semiconductors in organic thin-film transistor based DNA biosensors at elevated temperatures
Authors: Boileau Nicholas T. , Melville Owen A. , Mirka Brendan , Cranston Rosemary , Lessard Benoît H.
Published: January 2019

This study illustrates the use of an N-type semiconductor, in both temperature and DNA sensors and further elucidates the mechanism of DNA sensing in OTFTs.
Machine learning algorithms enhance the specificity of cancer biomarker detection using SERS-based immunoassays in microfluidic chips
Authors: Banaei Nariman , Moshfegh Javad , Mohseni-Kabir Arman , Houghton Jean Marie , Sun Yubing , Kim Byung
Published: January 2019

Machine learning algorithms enhance the specificity of cancer biomarkers detection using SERS-based immunoassays.
Microfluidic assisted synthesis of PLGA drug delivery systems
Authors: Rezvantalab Sima , Keshavarz Moraveji Mostafa
Published: January 2019

Poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) is a biocompatible and biodegradable polymer that recently attracted attention for use as part of drug delivery systems (DDS).
Enzymatic synthesis of enantiopure alcohols: current state and perspectives
Authors: Chen Bi-Shuang , Ribeiro de Souza Fayene Zeferino
Published: January 2019

Enantiomerically pure alcohols, as key intermediates, play an essential role in the pharmaceutical, agrochemical and chemical industries.
Mono and dual hetero-structured M@poly-1,2 diaminoanthraquinone (M = Pt, Pd and Pt–Pd) catalysts for the electrooxidation of small organic fuels in alkaline medium
Authors: Hathoot Abla Ahmed , Hassan Khalid Mahmoud , Ali Asmaa Galal , Shatla Ahmed Said , Baltruschat Helmut , Abdel-Azzem Magdi
Published: January 2019

Oxidation reaction of some small organic fuels such as methanol, ethanol and ethylene glycol was carried out in alkaline medium at palladium (Pd)–platinum (Pt) nanoparticles/poly1,2-diaminoanthraquinone/glassy carbon catalyst electrodes.
Strategy to construct polyzwitterionic hydrogel coating with antifouling, drag-reducing and weak swelling performance
Authors: Shen Jiajia , Du Miao , Wu Ziliang , Song Yihu , Zheng Qiang
Published: January 2019

Polyzwitterionic hydrogel coatings with weak swelling behavior and strong mechanical properties were prepared and exhibited excellent antifouling and drag-reducing performances.
Fabrication of graphite/MgO-reinforced poly(vinyl chloride) composites by mechanical activation with enhanced thermal properties
Authors: Li Qinghua , Shen Fang , Ji Jingqi , Zhang Yanjuan , Muhammad Yaseen , Huang Zuqiang , Hu Huayu , Zhu Yunpeng , Qin Yuben
Published: January 2019

Fabrication of graphite/MgO reinforced poly(vinyl chloride) composites with enhanced thermal properties by mechanical activation.
Design, synthesis and broad-spectrum Bcr-Abl inhibitory activity of novel thiazolamide–benzamide derivatives
Authors: Liu Juan , Huang Honglin , Deng Xiangping , Xiong Runde , Cao Xuan , Tang Guotao , Wu Xin , Xu Shiyu , Peng Junmei
Published: January 2019

3mshowed good broad-spectrum Bcr-Abl inhibition of wild-type and T315I mutant.
Horseradish peroxidase-catalyzed hydrogelation consuming enzyme-produced hydrogen peroxide in the presence of reducing sugars
Authors: Gantumur Enkhtuul , Sakai Shinji , Nakahata Masaki , Taya Masahito
Published: January 2019

Three kinds of reducing sugars are applied to HRP-catalyzed hydrogelation to promote the generation of H2O2 in the reaction system.
Tailoring relaxation dynamics and mechanical memory of crumpled materials by friction and ductility
Authors: van Bruggen Eric , van der Linden Erik , Habibi Mehdi
Published: January 2019

Crumpled sheets show slow mechanical relaxation and long lasting memory of previous mechanical states.
Active transport in a channel: stabilisation by flow or thermodynamics
Authors: Chandragiri Santhan , Doostmohammadi Amin , Yeomans Julia M. , Thampi Sumesh P.
Published: January 2019

How do different mechanisms of nematic ordering affect the active fluid flows in a channel?
Concurrent coupling of atomistic simulation and mesoscopic hydrodynamics for flows over soft multi-functional surfaces
Authors: Wang Yuying , Li Zhen , Xu Junbo , Yang Chao , Karniadakis George Em
Published: January 2019

We develop an efficient parallel multiscale method that bridges the atomistic and mesoscale regimes, from nanometers to microns and beyond,viaconcurrent coupling of atomistic simulation and mesoscopic dynamics.
1T-Molybdenum disulfide/reduced graphene oxide hybrid fibers as high strength fibrous electrodes for wearable energy storage
Authors: Li Jiahui , Shao Yuanlong , Jiang Piaopiao , Zhang Qinghong , Hou Chengyi , Li Yaogang , Wang Hongzhi
Published: January 2019

1T-MoS2 modified reduced graphene oxide hybrid fibers with good energy storage performance were fabricated through a wet-spinning method. The strong fibrous electrode materials can be used in wearable devices and textiles.
Solvent-induced surface disorder and doping-induced lattice distortion in anatase TiO2 nanocrystals for enhanced photoreversible color switching
Authors: Yang Kewei , Chen Xiaoyu , Zheng Zhenhuan , Wan Jiaqi , Feng Miao , Yu Yan
Published: January 2019

Photoreversible color switching based on anatase TiO2 nanocrystals was regulated by solvent-induced surface disorder and Sn2+ doping-induced lattice distortion.
Epitaxial growth of ZnWO4 hole-storage nanolayers on ZnO photoanodes for efficient solar water splitting
Authors: Fu Shurong , Hu Hongyan , Feng Chenchen , Zhang Yajun , Bi Yingpu
Published: January 2019

The epitaxial growth of ZnWO4 hole-storage nanoplates on the top (002) facets of ZnO nanorod arrays could highly improve the photoelectrochemical activities for solar water splitting.
One-step enhancement of solvent transport, stability and photocatalytic properties of graphene oxide/polyimide membranes with multifunctional cross-linkers
Authors: Liu Mei-Ling , Guo Jia-Lin , Japip Susilo , Jia Tian-Zhi , Shao Dan-Dan , Zhang Sui , Li Wen-Jie , Wang Jue , Cao Xue-Li , Sun Shi-Peng
Published: January 2019

Improving the stability and photocatalytic performance of GO/PI composite membranes by a one-step cross-linking method.
The combination of intercalation and conversion reactions to improve the volumetric capacity of the cathode in Li–S batteries
Authors: Zhou Ling , Yao Lin , Li Shixiong , Zai Jiantao , Li Shutang , He Qingquan , He Kai , Li Xiaomin , Wang Donghai , Qian Xuefeng
Published: January 2019

Hollow VO2@S microspheres were designed as cathode materials with high volumetric capacity by combining the intercalation and conversion mechanisms together.
Uniquely structured composite microspheres of metal sulfides and carbon with cubic nanorooms for highly efficient anode materials for sodium-ion batteries
Authors: Kim Jin Koo , Park Seung-Keun , Park Jin-Sung , Kang Yun Chan
Published: January 2019

The facile, generalized method for synthesizing metal sulfides/carbon composite microspheres with cubic nanorooms by spray pyrolysis using NaCl as a washable template is reported.
Ultrafast diffusive cross-sheet motion of lithium through antimonene with 2 + 1 dimensional kinetics
Authors: Kistanov Andrey A. , Kripalani Devesh R. , Cai Yongqing , Dmitriev Sergey V. , Zhou Kun , Zhang Yong-Wei
Published: January 2019

Ultrafast diffusive cross-sheet motion of lithium through antimonene open a new dimension for controlling the motion of lithium atoms.
Observation of a Dirac state in borophene hetero-bilayers by Cr intercalation
Authors: Yao Xiaojing , Yi Ding , Zhang Xiuyun
Published: January 2019

Cr@BHB(α1,β) is a Dirac material with ultrahigh stability and the Dirac state can be conserved under certain tensile strains.
Correction: Benzoflavone derivatives as potent antihyperuricemic agents
Authors: Singh Jatinder V. , Mal Gurbachan , Kaur Gurleen , Gupta Manish K. , Singh Amrit Pal , Nepali Kunal , Singh Harbinder , Sharma Sahil , Bedi Preet Mohinder S.
Published: January 2019

Correction for ‘Benzoflavone derivatives as potent antihyperuricemic agents’ by Jatinder V. Singh et al., MedChemCommun, 2019, DOI: 10.1039/c8md00512e.
Correction: Carbon nanotube-copper exhibiting metal-like thermal conductivity and silicon-like thermal expansion for efficient cooling of electronics
Authors: Subramaniam Chandramouli , Yasuda Yuzuri , Takeya Satoshi , Ata Seisuke , Nishizawa Ayumi , Futaba Don , Yamada Takeo , Hata Kenji
Published: January 2019

Correction for ‘Carbon nanotube-copper exhibiting metal-like thermal conductivity and silicon-like thermal expansion for efficient cooling of electronics’ by Chandramouli Subramaniam and Kenji Hata et al., Nanoscale, 2014, 6, 2669–2674.
A modified SDS-based DNA extraction method from raw soybean
Authors: Xia Yimiao , Chen Fusheng , Du Yan , Liu Chen , Bu Guanhao , Xin Ying , Liu Boye
Published: January 2019

Soybean is the most important genetically modified (GM) oilseed worldwide. Regulations relating to the approval of biotech soybean varieties and product labeling demand accurate and reliable detection techniques to screen for GM soya. High-quality extracted DNA is essential for DNA-based monitoring methods. Thus, four widely used protocols (SDS, CTAB, DP305, and DNeasy Plant Mini Kit) were compared in the present study to explore the most efficient DNA extraction method for raw soya matrix. The SDS-based method showed the highest applicability. Then crucial factors influencing DNA yield and purity, such as SDS lysis buffer component concentrations and organic compounds used to isolate DNA, were further investigated to improve the DNA obtained from raw soybean seeds, which accounts for the innovation of this work. As a result, lysis buffer (2% SDS (w/v), 150 mM NaCl, 50 mM Tris/HCl, 50 mM EDTA, pH 8.0) and organic reagents including chloroform/isoamyl alcohol (24:1, v/v) (C: I), isopropanol, and ethanol corresponding to the extraction and first and second precipitation procedures, respectively, were used in the optimized SDS method. The optimized method was verified by extracting approximately 2020–2444 ng DNA/mg soybean with A260/280 ratios of 1.862–1.954 from five biotech and non-biotech soybean varieties. Only 0.5 mg of soya was required to obtain enough DNA for PCR amplification using the optimized SDS-based method. These results indicate that the screening protocol in the present study achieves the highest suitability and efficiency for DNA isolation from raw soya seed flour.