bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of the distribution density of biomass combined heat and power plant networks on total energy utilization efficiency
Authors: Zhang Yifei , Kang Jian
Published: November 2018

Combined heat and power (CHP) plants fueled by biomass can meet heating and power requirements for cold regions in winter. The objective of this research is to investigate the effect of the distribution density of biomass CHP plant networks on the total (heat and electricity) energy utilization efficiency. The distribution density is determined from the heat transmission threshold. The total energy utilization efficiency is determined from the demand distribution, the output efficiency, and the transmission losses of heat and electricity. To determine a suitable heat transmission threshold, a biomass CHP plant network model is derived to compare various candidate network plans with various heat transmission thresholds. Geographic information system software is employed to calculate the above factors, and the total energy utilization efficiencies of the various plans are compared. The results show that when the heat transmission threshold is low, the plant distribution density is high, and the size (capacity) of the CHP plants is small. Conversely, when the heat transmission threshold is high, the plant density is low and the size of the plants is large. A heat transmission threshold of 10 km results in a plant density that produces the greatest total energy utilization efficiency.
Localized thinning for strain concentration in suspended germanium membranes and optical method for precise thickness measurement
Authors: Vaccaro P. O. , Alonso M. I. , Garriga M. , Gutiérrez J. , Peró D. , Wagner M. R. , Reparaz J. S. , Sotomayor Torres C. M. , Vidal X. , Carter E. A. , Lay P. A. , Yoshimoto M. , Goñi A. R.
Published: November 2018

We deposited Ge layers on (001) Si substrates by molecular beam epitaxy and used them to fabricate suspended membranes with high uniaxial tensile strain. We demonstrate a CMOS-compatible fabrication strategy to increase strain concentration and to eliminate the Ge buffer layer near the Ge/Si hetero-interface deposited at low temperature. This is achieved by a two-steps patterning and selective etching process. First, a bridge and neck shape is patterned in the Ge membrane, then the neck is thinned from both top and bottom sides. Uniaxial tensile strain values higher than 3% were measured by Raman scattering in a Ge membrane of 76 nm thickness. For the challenging thickness measurement on micrometer-size membranes suspended far away from the substrate a characterization method based on pump-and-probe reflectivity measurements was applied, using an asynchronous optical sampling technique.
Hydrogenation of the wide-gap oxide semiconductor as a room-temperature and 3D-compatible electron doping technique
Authors: Yajima T. , Oike G. , Yamaguchi S. , Miyoshi S. , Nishimura T. , Toriumi A.
Published: November 2018

A hydrogen atom, characterized by one unpaired electron and the smallest atomic radius, underlies the operations of various solid-state devices such as transistors, capacitors, solar cells, etc. Given its specific character as donor impurity in oxides, hydrogen may also facilitate efficient electron doping in a wide range of oxide devices. Here, we demonstrate room-temperature electrochemical hydrogenation of an archetypical oxide semiconductor (TiO2) thin film to achieve a 3D-compatible electron doping technique. The hydrogenated region can be precisely defined by photolithography without the influence of polycrystalline grain boundaries. Besides, secondary ion mass spectroscopy with deuterium isotope reveals considerable amount of hydrogen condenses around the TiO2 bottom interface indicating the critical influence of the interface on hydrogen stability. This hydrogen shows excellent stability in contrast to its high diffusivity in bulk TiO2, enabling robust electron doping for oxide thin film devices as well as suggesting stable interface hydrogen reservoir for electrochemical phenomena.
High-throughput growth of SmxPr1-xFeO3 all-in-one single crystal rod with quasi-continuous composition distribution
Authors: Li Rubin , Yuan Ning , Hu Tianyi , Feng Zhenjie , Ge Jun-Yi , Wang Yin , Zheng Hongxing , Xing Juanjuan , Gu Hui , Kang Baojuan , Zhang Jincang , Ren Wei , Cao Shixun
Published: November 2018

SmxPr1-xFeO3 (x = 0, 0.4, 0.7, 0.9, 1.0) all-in-one single crystal rod with quasi-continuous composition distribution was successfully grown by a hetero-seed and hetero-feed optical floating zone technique in flowing air. The lattice mismatch between each adjacent composition is very small, leading to the high-quality continuous growth of SmxPr1-xFeO3 single crystal rod. X-ray back-reflection Laue photographs indicate that all single crystals at different positions along the growth direction have good crystallization quality and the same crystallographic axis. The composition change of the quasi-continuous single crystals along growth direction was analyzed by energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), which shows that the composition varies continuously and smoothly near the different composition boundaries. At a distance relatively far away from the boundary, the composition remains constant. Finally, we measured the anisotropic magnetic properties of these single crystals when x = 0.7. Our study shows that the hetero-seed and hetero-feed optical floating zone technique has a great potential for high-throughput growth of crystalline materials, and could serve as an effective method to collect single crystal material properties in materials database research.
The syntax of Dutch gapping
Authors: Broekhuis Hans
Published: November 2018

This article takes as its point of departureNeijt’s (1979)claim that gapping is a rule of syntax with properties also found inwh-movement constructions. I will refine this proposal by concluding that gapping remnants are A′-moved into the clause-initial position (SpecCP) and/or the specifiers of functional projections such as TopP, FocP and NegP found in the middle field of the clause. I will further show that this approach sheds new light on various problems (such as the distribution of modal and polarity particles) not satisfactorily solved in earlier analyses.
Voice and information structure in Surinamese Javanese
Authors: Villerius Sophie
Published: November 2018

This paper examines the grammatical voice system of Indonesian and Surinamese Javanese speakers. Alongside Javanese, the Surinamese speakers also speak Sranantongo and Dutch. Studying the use of voice in both speaker groups shows that it depends both on givenness and animacy of arguments. This interacts with the speaker group. The Surinamese speakers were found to be less discourse-dependent, due to general language contact processes as well as convergence to Dutch and Sranantongo.
Charting the semantics of labour relations in House of Commons debates spanning two hundred years
Authors: Demmen Jane , Jeffries Lesley , Walker Brian
Published: November 2018

In this chapter we use new corpus linguistic software tools to investigate the discourse(s) of labour relations in UK House of Commons debates over the 19th and 20th centuries. Our data is from the Hansard Corpus (1803–2005), and benefits from the annotation of meaning and sense categories with the newly-developed Historical Thesaurus Semantic Tagger (Alexander et al. 2015; Piao et al. 2014). Using the bespoke corpus interface CQPweb Hansard, we carry out automated searches for words tagged with relevant semantic category codes. Our quantitative results enable us to chart the semantics of parliamentary discourse on labour relations over time, providing a detailed empirical basis which, we argue, would usefully support further qualitative analysis in linguistic and other research.
Cross-talk in political discourse
Authors: Toft Amoshaun
Published: November 2018

This chapter examines the ways that speakers connect movements through language use as they build support for their cause, and position it in a broader understanding of the political terrain. Using a corpus of spoken word transcripts aired between 2003–2013 from US broadcast news programme Democracy Now!, we developed a dictionary of named issue movements using corpus linguistics techniques. Semantic network analysis of issue-movement co-mentions revealed that the civil rights movement occupied a central role in facilitating cross-movement talk, and a purposive sub-sample of those stories was examined using qualitative discourse analysis tools to understand how and why. Several language strategies are explored that participants used to make relational connections between issue movements, and I offer some suggestions on how to approach the mixed methods analysis of cross-issue movement talk as political discourse.
Conceptual vs. inter-lexical polysemy
Authors: Evans Vyvyan
Published: November 2018

In this chapter I consider two types of polysemy that have not received wide attention in the cognitive linguistics literature. First, I argue that polysemy can arise from the non-linguistic knowledge to which words facilitate access. This phenomenon I refer to as conceptual polysemy. I illustrate this with an analysis of the lexical item book. Moreover, polysemy also arises from different word forms, which, at least on first blush, appear to share a common semantic representation. This phenomenon I refer to as inter-lexical polysemy. I illustrate with a detailed case study involving an analysis of the prepositional forms in and on. I draw on the Theory of Lexical Concepts and Cognitive Models to account for these phenomena.
The use of hedging devices in L2 legal writing
Authors: Dolgova Jacobsen Natalia
Published: November 2018

The focus of this chapter is to determine the conceptual profile of the rhetorical phenomenon of hedging and to investigate how hedging devices are represented in legal memos produced by L2 writers of English. Because it addresses negotiation of various poles on the reality spectrum, hedging is crucial for the construction of an effective legal memo. A sample of 14 memos is analyzed utilizing a mixed method approach. The analysis demonstrates that the differences in the objective “success” of memos are conditioned by each writer’s textual and functional patterns of hedging. These conclusions elucidate the processes guiding legal memo writing and the longitudinal development of the hedging function in the writing patterns of non-native legal writers.
“A pretty village is a welcome sight”
Authors: Malamatidou Sofia
Published: November 2018

This paper analyses adjectival descriptions used to frame and promote physical space in tourism texts in English and in Greek, and
how any differences are negotiated in translation. A comparison is drawn across three categories of space (human-made, natural,
and abstract) to investigate how each locality affects and is affected by linguistic choices. Methodologically, a corpus
triangulation approach is employed, combining corpora created from three types of tourism websites: original or non-translated
Greek websites; their translations into English; and non-translated websites in English. Results reveal that, while important
differences are observed between English and Greek non-translated texts, translations tend to stay very close to their source
texts, with small differences observed across the three categories of space. This study contributes to both tourism and
translation studies by offering insight into how space is framed across languages, which can inform, and ultimately, transform,
translation practice.
TADOSS: computational estimation of tandem domain swap stability
Authors: Lafita Aleix , Tian Pengfei , Best Robert B , Bateman Alex
Published: November 2018

Proteins with highly similar tandem domains have shown an increased propensity for misfolding and aggregation. Several molecular explanations have been put forward, such as swapping of adjacent domains, but there is a lack of computational tools to systematically analyze them. We present the TAndem DOmain Swap Stability predictor (TADOSS), a method to computationally estimate the stability of tandem domain-swapped conformations from the structures of single domains, based on previous coarse-grained simulation studies. The tool is able to discriminate domains susceptible to domain swapping and to identify structural regions with high propensity to form hinge loops. TADOSS is a scalable method and suitable for large scale analyses.

Availability and implementation

Source code and documentation are freely available under an MIT license on GitHub at https://github.com/lafita/tadoss.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
GUESS: projecting machine learning scores to well-calibrated probability estimates for clinical decision-making
Authors: Schwarz Johanna , Heider Dominik
Published: November 2018

Motivation

Clinical decision support systems have been applied in numerous fields, ranging from cancer survival toward drug resistance prediction. Nevertheless, clinical decision support systems typically have a caveat: many of them are perceived as black-boxes by non-experts and, unfortunately, the obtained scores cannot usually be interpreted as class probability estimates. In probability-focused medical applications, it is not sufficient to perform well with regards to discrimination and, consequently, various calibration methods have been developed to enable probabilistic interpretation. The aims of this study were (i) to develop a tool for fast and comparative analysis of different calibration methods, (ii) to demonstrate their limitations for the use on clinical data and (iii) to introduce our novel method GUESS.

Results

We compared the performances of two different state-of-the-art calibration methods, namely histogram binning and Bayesian Binning in Quantiles, as well as our novel method GUESS on both, simulated and real-world datasets. GUESS demonstrated calibration performance comparable to the state-of-the-art methods and always retained accurate class discrimination. GUESS showed superior calibration performance in small datasets and therefore may be an optimal calibration method for typical clinical datasets. Moreover, we provide a framework (CalibratR) for R, which can be used to identify the most suitable calibration method for novel datasets in a timely and efficient manner. Using calibrated probability estimates instead of original classifier scores will contribute to the acceptance and dissemination of machine learning based classification models in cost-sensitive applications, such as clinical research.

Availability and implementation

GUESS as part of CalibratR can be downloaded at CRAN.
Does robot-assisted minimally invasive esophagectomy really have the advantage of lymphadenectomy over video-assisted minimally invasive esophagectomy in treating esophageal squamous cell carcinoma? A propensity score-matched analysis based on short-term outcomes
Authors: Deng H-Y , Luo J , Li S-X , Li G , Alai G , Wang Y , Liu L-X , Lin Y-D
Published: November 2018

This study aims to investigate advantages of robot-assisted minimally invasive esophagectomy (RAMIE) over video-assisted minimally invasive esophagectomy (VAMIE) in treating esophageal squamous cell carcinoma by applying propensity score-matched analysis. From April 2016 to January 2018, consecutive patients undergoing a McKeown RAMIE or VAMIE for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma were prospectively included for analysis. Baseline data, pathological findings, and short-term outcomes of the two groups (RAMIE group and VAMIE group) were collected and compared. Propensity score-matched analysis was applied to generate matched pairs for further comparison. Finally, we included a total of 151 patients (RAMIE group: 79 patients, VAMIE group: 72 patients) for analysis. In the analysis of unmatched cohort, RAMIE yielded a significantly larger number of total dissected lymph nodes (mean: 20.6 ± 8.8 vs. 17.9 ± 7.7; P = 0.048) and abdominal lymph nodes (mean: 9.5 ± 6.8 vs. 7.4 ± 5.1; P = 0.039) than VAMIE. However, there was no significantly different risk of major complications between the two groups. In the analysis of matched cohort, RAMIE still yielded a significantly larger number of total dissected lymph nodes (P = 0.006) and abdominal lymph nodes (P = 0.042) than VAMIE. There was still no increased risk of postoperative major complications in the RAMIE group compared to the VAMIE group. Moreover, RAMIE was found to yield significantly more left recurrent laryngeal nerve lymph nodes (mean: 1.0 ± 1.8 vs. 0.4 ± 0.8; P = 0.033) than VAMIE without increasing the risk of recurrent laryngeal nerve paralysis. Therefore, RAMIE may have the advantage of lymphadenectomy over VAMIE without increasing any risk of postoperative major complications. Further well-conducted studies, however, are needed to confirm our conclusions.
Valve-sparing aortic root and aortic arch replacement in a 5-year-old boy with Loeys–Dietz syndrome
Authors: Ajmi Houda , Arifa Nadia , Boughzela Essia , Ben Mime Lotfi
Published: November 2018

In this study, we describe the case of a 5-year-old boy who presumably presented with Loeys–Dietz syndrome. A huge aneurysm of the ascending aorta and the aortic arch extended beyond the left subclavian artery and was accompanied by a slight narrowing of the aortic isthmus.
Bringing it back from Mexico
Authors: Mason Peter , Pardo-Tomás José
Published: November 2018

I cinque libri delle piante of Pier’Antonio Michiel (1510–1576) are kept in the Biblioteca Marciana in Venice. Eleven of the 1,028 plant drawings contained in their five volumes stand out for their notable stylistic differences from the rest. The authors advance the hypothesis that these eleven drawings derive from the work of indigenous scribe-artists in the Valley of Mexico. In tracing the various series of copies of them that circulated between New Spain, the Iberian peninsula and Italy, they highlight the important role played in the production and transportation of copies by Marcantonio Da Mula (1506–1572), and suggest the Spanish nobleman Diego Hurtado de Mendoza (c.1503–1575) as the link between the Spanish court and Michiel’s native Venice.
Low-Fat Dietary Pattern and Cancer Mortality in the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Chlebowski Rowan T , Anderson Garnet L , Manson JoAnn E , Prentice Ross L , Aragaki Aaron K , Snetselaar Linda , Beresford Shirley A A , Kuller Lewis H , Johnson Karen , Lane Dorothy , Luo Juhua , Rohan Thomas E , Jiao Li , Barac Ana , Womack Catherine , Coday Mace , Datta Mridul , Thomson Cynthia A
Published: November 2018

Background

In the Women’s Health Initiative Dietary Modification trial, a low-fat dietary pattern reduced deaths after breast cancer. Mortality from other cancer sites has not been reported.

Methods

A low-fat dietary pattern influence on deaths from and after site-specific cancers was examined during 8.5 years (median) of dietary intervention and cumulatively during 17.7 years (median) of follow-up. A total 48 835 postmenopausal women, ages 50–79 years, were randomly assigned from 1993 to 1998 at 40 US clinical centers to dietary intervention (40%, n = 19 541 or a usual diet comparison group (60%, n = 29 294). Dietary intervention influence on mortality from protocol-specified cancers (breast, colon and rectum, endometrium and ovary), individually and as a composite, represented the primary analyses.

Results

During the dietary intervention period, a reduction in deaths after breast cancer (HR = 0.65 95% CI = 0.45 to 0.94, P = .02) was the only statistically significant cancer mortality finding. During intervention, the HRs for deaths after the protocol-specified cancer composite were 0.90 (95% CI = 0.73 to 1.10) and 0.95 (95% CI = 0.85 to 1.06) for deaths after all cancers. During 17.7 years of follow-up with 3867 deaths after all cancers, reduction in deaths after breast cancer continued in the dietary intervention group (HR = 0.85, 95% CI = 0.74 to 0.99, P = .03). However, no dietary intervention influence on deaths from or after any other cancer or cancer composite was seen.

Conclusions

A low-fat dietary pattern reduced deaths after breast cancer. No reduction in mortality from or after any other cancer or cancer composite was seen.
A method to determine the evolution history of the mean neutral Hydrogen fraction
Authors: Mondal Rajesh , Bharadwaj Somnath , Iliev Ilian T , Datta Kanan K , Majumdar Suman , Shaw Abinash K , Sarkar Anjan K
Published: November 2018

The light-cone (LC) effect imprints the cosmological evolution of the redshifted 21-cm signal $T_{\rm b} (\hat{\boldsymbol {n}}, \nu)$ along the frequency axis that is the line-of-sight (LoS) direction of an observer. The effect is particularly pronounced during the epoch of reionization (EoR) when the mean hydrogen neutral fraction $\bar{x}_{\rm \rm{H\,{\small I}}}(\nu)$ falls rapidly as the universe evolves. The multifrequency angular power spectrum ${\mathcal {C}}_{\ell }(\nu _1,\nu _2)$ quantifies the entire second-order statistics of $T_{\rm b}(\hat{\boldsymbol {n}},\nu)$ considering both the systematic variation along ν due to the cosmological evolution and also the statistically homogeneous and isotropic fluctuations along all the three spatial directions encoded in $\hat{\boldsymbol {n}}$ and ν. Here, we propose a simple model where the systematic frequency (ν1, ν2) dependence of ${\mathcal {C}}_{\ell }(\nu _1,\nu _2)$ arises entirely due to the evolution of $\bar{x}_{\rm \rm{H\,{\small I}}}(\nu)$. This provides a new method to observationally determine the reionization history. Considering an LC simulation of the EoR 21-cm signal, we use the diagonal elements ν1 = ν2 of ${\mathcal {C}}_{\ell }(\nu _1,\nu _2)$ to validate our model. We demonstrate that it is possible to recover the reionization history across the entire observational bandwidth provided we have the value $\bar{x}_{\rm \rm{H\,{\small I}}}$ at a single frequency as an external input.
Awake Transcortical Approach Resection of Dominant Posterior Cingulate Gyrus Glioma: 2-Dimensional Operative Video
Authors: Hameed N U Farrukh , Wu Bin , Gong Fangyuan , Zhang Jie , Chen Hong , Wu Jinsong
Published: November 2018

Two techniques, the translongitudinal cerebral fissure and transfrontal cortical approach, can be employed to resect posterior cingulate gyrus tumors. We demonstrate the transcortical technique comprising of multimodal imaging guidance and awake brain mapping which enabled maximum safe resection of dominant cingulate gyrus glioma.

 The patient, a 49-yr-old female, came to clinic after experiencing headache for a month. Initial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans revealed a nonenhancing lesion of the left posterior cingulate gyrus. Three-dimensional magnetic resonance spectroscopy was used to analyze the choline/N-acetyl-aspartate index (CNI) which strongly suggested a low-grade glioma diagnosis.

 In surgery, after creating a tailed bone window and dural opening, strip electrode was placed across the central sulcus for continuous motor evoked potential monitoring. Next, direct cortical stimulation was done to map functional cortical areas. The transcortical approach was chosen at this point because many veins hindered hemisphere retraction. Noneloquent cortical incisions were made and the tumor was carefully debunked with a cavitron ultrasonic surgical aspirator. The corpus callosum marked the deep end of dissection. Subcortical mapping combined with diffusion tensor imaging tractography-based navigation was performed to localize motor and language tracks. Intraoperative MRI evaluation confirmed a gross total resection. Pathological and molecular analysis revealed a World Health Organization Grade II IDH-wildtype Diffuse Astrocytoma diagnosis. Since the patient falls in high-risk group, she was also administered radiation and chemotherapy. Long-term cognitive evaluation follow-up of the patient showed she had good functional recovery with no obvious long-term deficits.

 Informed patient consent was obtained.
Robust quantification of fish early life CO
2
sensitivities via serial experimentation
Authors: Baumann Hannes , Cross Emma L. , Murray Chris S.
Published: November 2018

Despite the remarkable expansion of laboratory studies, robust estimates of single species CO
2
sensitivities remain largely elusive. We conducted a meta-analysis of 20 CO
2
exposure experiments conducted over 6 years on offspring of wild Atlantic silversides (
Menidia menidia
) to robustly constrain CO
2
effects on early life survival and growth. We conclude that early stages of this species are generally tolerant to CO
2
levels of approximately 2000 µatm, likely because they already experience these conditions on diel to seasonal timescales. Still, high CO
2
conditions measurably reduced fitness in this species by significantly decreasing average embryo survival (−9%) and embryo+larval survival (−13%). Survival traits had much larger coefficients of variation (greater than 30%) than larval length or growth (3–11%). CO
2
sensitivities varied seasonally and were highest at the beginning and end of the species' spawning season (April–July), likely due to the combined effects of transgenerational plasticity and maternal provisioning. Our analyses suggest that serial experimentation is a powerful, yet underused tool for robustly estimating small but true CO
2
effects in fish early life stages.
The attenuated spline reconstruction technique for single photon emission computed tomography
Authors: Protonotarios Nicholas E. , Fokas Athanassios S. , Kostarelos Kostas , Kastis George A.
Published: November 2018

We present the
attenuated spline reconstruction technique
(aSRT) which provides an innovative algorithm for single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) image reconstruction. aSRT is based on an analytic formula of the inverse attenuated Radon transform. It involves the computation of the Hilbert transforms of the linear attenuation function and of two sinusoidal functions of the so-called
attenuated sinogram
. These computations are achieved by employing the attenuation information provided by computed tomography (CT) scans and by utilizing custom-made cubic spline interpolation. The purpose of this work is: (i) to present the mathematics of aSRT, (ii) to reconstruct simulated and real SPECT/CT data using aSRT and (iii) to evaluate aSRT by comparing it to filtered backprojection (FBP) and to ordered subsets expectation minimization (OSEM) reconstruction algorithms. Simulation studies were performed by using an image quality phantom and an appropriate attenuation map. Reconstructed images were generated for 45, 90 and 180 views over 360 degrees with 20 realizations and involved Poisson noise of three different levels (NL), namely 100% (NL1), 50% (NL2) and 10% (NL3) of the total counts, respectively. Moreover, real attenuated SPECT sinograms were reconstructed from a real study of a Jaszczak phantom, as well as from a real clinical myocardial SPECT/CT study. Comparisons between aSRT, FBP and OSEM reconstructions were performed using contrast, bias and image roughness. The results suggest that aSRT can efficiently produce accurate attenuation-corrected reconstructions for simulated and real phantoms, as well as for clinical data. In particular, in the case of the clinical myocardial study, aSRT produced reconstructions with higher cold contrast than both FBP and OSEM. aSRT, by incorporating the attenuation correction within itself, may provide an improved alternative to FBP. This is particularly promising for ‘cold’ regions as those occurring in myocardial ischaemia.
Niche squeeze induced by climate change of the cold-tolerant subtropical montanePodocarpus parlatorei
Authors: Quiroga María Paula , Premoli Andrea C. , Kitzberger Thomas
Published: November 2018

Under changing climates, the persistence of montane subtropical taxa may be threatened as suitable habitats decrease with elevation. We developed future environmental niche models (ENNMs) forPodocarpus parlatorei,the only conifer from southern Yungas in South America, and projected it onto two greenhouse gas concentration scenarios based on 13 global climate models for the years 2050 and 2070. Modelling identified thatP. parlatoreiis sensitive and restricted to a relatively narrow range of both warm season temperature and precipitation. By the mid-late twenty-first century areas of high suitability forP. parlatoreiwill not migrate but overall suitability will become substantially reduced across its whole range and surrounding areas. Despite extensive areas in high mountain ranges where the species may encounter thermally optimal conditions to potentially allow upward local migration, these same areas will likely become strongly aridified under future conditions. On the other hand, in lowland locations where rainfall levels will not change substantially (e.g. northern range), excessive warming will likely generate abiotic and biotic restrictions (e.g. competition with lowland species) for this cold-tolerant species. Urgent measures should be developed for the local long-term preservation of the gene pool of the unique conifer that characterizes Yungas forests for reasons of biodiversity conservation and ecosystem services.
Novel Fourier quadrature transforms and analytic signal representations for nonlinear and non-stationary time-series analysis
Authors: Singh Pushpendra
Published: November 2018

The Hilbert transform (HT) and associated Gabor analytic signal (GAS) representation are well known and widely used mathematical formulations for modelling and analysis of signals in various applications. In this study, like the HT, to obtain quadrature component of a signal, we propose novel discrete Fourier cosine quadrature transforms (FCQTs) and discrete Fourier sine quadrature transforms (FSQTs), designated as Fourier quadrature transforms (FQTs). Using these FQTs, we propose 16 Fourier quadrature analytic signal (FQAS) representations with following properties: (1) real part of eight FQAS representations is the original signal, and imaginary part of each representation is FCQT of real part; (2) imaginary part of eight FQAS representations is the original signal, and real part of each representation is FSQT of imaginary part; (3) like the GAS, Fourier spectrum of all FQAS representations has only positive frequencies; however, unlike the GAS, real and imaginary parts of FQAS representations are not orthogonal. The Fourier decomposition method (FDM) is an adaptive data analysis approach to decompose a signal into a set Fourier intrinsic band functions. This study also proposes new formulations of the FDM using discrete cosine transform with GAS and FQAS representations, and demonstrates its efficacy for improved time-frequency-energy representation and analysis of many real-life nonlinear and non-stationary signals.
Systematic polypharmacology and drug repurposing via an integrated L1000-based Connectivity Map database mining
Authors: Liu Tsang-Pai , Hsieh Yao-Yu , Chou Chia-Jung , Yang Pei-Ming
Published: November 2018

Drug repurposing aims to find novel indications of clinically used or experimental drugs. Because drug data already exist, drug repurposing may save time and cost, and bypass safety concerns. Polypharmacology, one drug with multiple targets, serves as a basis for drug repurposing. Large-scale databases have been accumulated in recent years, and utilization and integration of these databases would be highly helpful for polypharmacology and drug repurposing. The Connectivity Map (CMap) is a database collecting gene-expression profiles of drug-treated human cancer cells, which has been widely used for investigation of polypharmacology and drug repurposing. In this study, we integrated the next-generation L1000-based CMap and an analytic Web tool, the L1000FWD, for systematic analyses of polypharmacology and drug repurposing. Two different types of anti-cancer drugs were used as proof-of-concept examples, including histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors and topoisomerase inhibitors. We identified KM-00927 and BRD-K75081836 as novel HDAC inhibitors and mitomycin C as a topoisomerase IIB inhibitor. Our study provides a prime example of utilization and integration of the freely available public resources for systematic polypharmacology analysis and drug repurposing.
Direct measurement of the unjacketed pore modulus of porous solids
Authors: Tarokh Ali , Detournay Emmanuel , Labuz Joseph
Published: November 2018

Pressure decline caused by the extraction of oil from deep sedimentary layers depends on the pore modulus

K
pp

, a poroelastic parameter that characterizes the effect of pressure change on pore volume under constant mean stress. Measurement of

K
pp

is difficult, however, as it requires calibration to account for fluid compressibility and compliance of the testing system. Nevertheless, knowing the easily measurable drained pore modulus

K
p

and adopting an assumption on the unjacketed pore modulus
K

s

″, it is possible to determine

K
pp

because these pore moduli are related. Previous work on indirectly estimating
K

s

″ claimed that
K

s

″ is strongly dependent on Terzaghi effective pressure
P′
and therefore not a constant; also,
K

s

″ might be different from

K
s

, the solid bulk modulus of the major mineral constituent. We overcome the limitations of the indirect approach by directly measuring
K

s

″. The experiments reveal that
K

s

″ is indeed a constant and that for an ideal porous rock, the assumption of

K
s

′
′

=

K
s

holds. Furthermore, a constant
K

s

″ implies that

K
p

and

K
pp

are functions of Terzaghi effective pressure only. These results provide a framework to accurately determine the Skempton coefficient
B
.
Ageing via perception costs of reproduction magnifies sexual selection
Authors: García-Roa Roberto , Serra Manuel , Carazo Pau
Published: November 2018

Understanding what factors modulate sexual selection intensity is crucial to a wide variety of evolutionary processes. Recent studies show that perception of sex pheromones can severely impact male mortality when it is not followed by mating (perception costs of reproduction). Here, we examine the idea that this may magnify sexual selection by further decreasing the fitness of males with inherently low mating success, hence increasing the opportunity for sexual selection. We use mathematical modelling to show that even modest mortality perception costs can significantly increase variability in male reproductive success under a wide range of demographic conditions. We then conduct a series of assays suggesting that, in
Drosophila melanogaster
, failure to reproduce early in life may, via perception costs of reproduction, significantly reduces the subsequent fitness of males (
ca
25%), due mostly to increased reproductive ageing. Altogether, our results strongly suggest that perception costs of reproduction can magnify sexual selection in a biologically significant way. Finally, we estimate that around 29% of available studies quantify sexual selection based on short-term fitness estimates that may fail to capture these effects (if they were present in their subject species), and suggest addressing the existence and impact of perception costs of reproduction across taxa should thus be a priority.
Theachaete–scutecomplex contains a single gene that controls bristle development in the semi-aquatic bugs
Authors: Finet Cédric , Decaras Amélie , Armisén David , Khila Abderrahman
Published: November 2018

The semi-aquatic bugs (Heteroptera, Gerromorpha) conquered water surfaces worldwide and diversified to occupy puddles, ponds, streams, lakes, mangroves and even oceans. Critical to this lifestyle is the evolution of sets of hairs that allow these insects to maintain their body weight on the water surface and protect the animals against wetting and drowning. In addition, the legs of these insects are equipped with various grooming combs that are important for cleaning and tidying the hair layers for optimal functional efficiency. Here we show that the hairs covering the legs of water striders represent innervated bristles. Genomic and transcriptomic analyses revealed that in water striders theachaete–scutecomplex, known to control bristle development in flies, contains only theachaete–scute homologue(ASH) gene owing to the loss of the geneasense.Using RNA interference, we show thatASHplays a pivotal role in the development of both bristles and grooming combs in water striders. Our data suggest that theASHlocus may have contributed to the adaptation to water surface lifestyle through shaping the hydrophobic bristles that prevent water striders from wetting and allow them to exploit water surface tension.
ICTV virus taxonomy profile: Birnaviridae
Authors: Delmas Bernard , Attoui Houssam , Ghosh Souvik , Malik Yashpal S. , Mundt Egbert , Vakharia Vikram N. ,   ICTV Report Consortium
Published: November 2018

Birnaviridae is a family of viruses with bi-segmented dsRNA genomes totalling about 6 kbp forming icosahedral, non-enveloped virions. The family includes four genera, members of three of which (Aquabirnavirus, Avibirnavirus and Blosnavirus) infect vertebrates (excluding mammals), whereas members of the fourth genus (Entomobirnavirus) infect insects. Each genus includes 1–3 species. Infectious pancreatic necrosis virus of salmonids and infectious bursal disease virus of poultry are two economically important birnaviruses. This is a summary of the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) Report on the taxonomy of Birnaviridae, which is available at www.ictv.global/report/birnaviridae.
Long-Term Effects of a Novel Continuous Remote Care Intervention Including Nutritional Ketosis for the Management of Type 2 Diabetes: A 2-year Non-randomized Clinical Trial
Authors: Athinarayanan Shaminie J. , Adams Rebecca N. , Hallberg Sarah J. , McKenzie Amy L. , Bhanpuri Nasir H. , Campbell Wayne W. , Volek Jeff S. , Phinney Stephen D. , McCarter James P.
Published: November 2018

OBJECTIVE

Studies on long-term sustainability of low-carbohydrate approaches to treat diabetes are limited. We aim to assess the effects of a continuous care intervention (CCI) on retention, glycemic control, weight, body composition, cardiovascular, liver, kidney, thyroid, inflammatory markers, diabetes medication usage and disease outcomes at 2 years in adults with type 2 diabetes (T2D).

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

An open label, non-randomized, controlled study with 262 and 87 participants with T2D were enrolled in the CCI and usual care (UC) groups, respectively.

RESULTS

Significant changes from baseline to 2 years in the CCI group included: HbA1c (−12% from 7.7±0.1%); fasting glucose (−18% from 163.67±3.90 mg/dL); fasting insulin (−42% from 27.73±1.26 pmol L-1); weight (−10% from 114.56±0.60 kg); systolic blood pressure (−4% from 131.7±0.9 mmHg); diastolic blood pressure (−4% from 81.8±0.5 mmHg); triglycerides (−22% from 197.2±9.1 mg/dL); HDL-C (+19% from 41.8±0.9 mg/dL), and liver alanine transaminase (−21% from 29.16±0.97 U/L). Spine bone mineral density in the CCI group was unchanged. Glycemic control medication use (excluding metformin) among CCI participants declined (from 56.9% to 26.8%, P=1.3×10-11) including prescribed insulin (−62%) and sulfonylureas (−100%). The UC group had no significant changes in these parameters (except uric acid and anion gap) or diabetes medication use. There was also significant resolution of diabetes (reversal, 53.5%; remission, 17.6%) in the CCI group but not in UC. All the reported improvements had p-values <0.00012.

CONCLUSIONS

The CCI sustained long-term beneficial effects on multiple clinical markers of diabetes and cardiometabolic health at 2 years while utilizing less medication. The intervention was also effective in the resolution of diabetes and visceral obesity, with no adverse effect on bone health.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Clinicaltrials.govNCT02519309
Behavioral changes and growth deficits in a CRISPR engineered mouse model of the schizophrenia-associated 3q29 deletion
Authors: Rutkowski Timothy P. , Purcell Ryan H. , Pollak Rebecca M. , Grewenow Stephanie M. , Gafford Georgette M. , Malone Tamika , Khan Uswa A. , Schroeder Jason P. , Epstein Michael P. , Bassell Gary J. , Warren Stephen T. , Weinshenker David , Caspary Tamara , Mulle Jennifer Gladys
Published: November 2018

The 3q29 deletion confers increased risk for neuropsychiatric phenotypes including intellectual disability, autism spectrum disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and a >40-fold increased risk for schizophrenia. To investigate consequences of the 3q29 deletion in an experimental system, we used CRISPR/Cas9 technology to introduce a heterozygous deletion into the syntenic interval on C57BL/6 mouse chromosome 16. mRNA abundance for 20 of the 21 genes in the interval was reduced by ~50%, while protein levels were reduced for only a subset of these, suggesting a compensatory mechanism. Mice harboring the deletion manifested behavioral impairments in multiple domains including social interaction, cognitive function, acoustic startle, and amphetamine sensitivity, with some sex-dependent manifestations. Additionally, 3q29 deletion mice showed reduced body weight throughout development consistent with the phenotype of 3q29 deletion syndrome patients. Of the genes within the interval, DLG1 has been hypothesized as a contributor to the neuropsychiatric phenotypes. However, we show that Dlg1+/- mice did not exhibit the behavioral deficits seen in mice harboring the full 3q29 deletion. These data demonstrate the following: the 3q29 deletion mice are a valuable experimental system that can be used to interrogate the biology of 3q29 deletion syndrome; behavioral manifestations of the 3q29 deletion may have sex-dependent effects; and mouse-specific behavior phenotypes associated with the 3q29 deletion are not solely due to haploinsufficiency of Dlg1.
A hybrid of WOA and mGWO algorithms for global optimization and analog circuit design automation
Authors: Majeed M.A. Mushahhid , Patri Sreehari Rao
Published: November 2018

Purpose

This paper aims to resolve the sizing issues of analog circuit design by using proposed metaheuristic optimization algorithm.

Design/methodology/approach

The hybridization of whale optimization algorithm and modified gray wolf optimization (WOA-mGWO) algorithm is proposed, and the same is applied for the automated design of analog circuits.

Findings

The proposed hybrid WOA-mGWO algorithm demonstrates better performance in terms of convergence rates and average fitness of the function after testing it with 23 classical benchmark functions. Moreover, a rigorous performance evaluation is done with 20 independent runs using Wilcoxon rank-sum test.

Practical implications

For evaluating the performance of the proposed algorithm, a conventional two-stage operational amplifier is considered. The aspect ratios calculated by simulating the algorithm in MATLAB are later used to design the operational amplifier in Cadence environment using 180nm CMOS standard process.

Originality/value

The hybrid WOA-mGWO algorithm is tailored to improve the exploration ability of the algorithm by combining the abilities of two metaheristic algorithms, i.e. whale optimization algorithm and modified gray wolf optimization algorithm. To build further credence and to prove its profound existence in the latest state of the art, a statistical study is also conducted over 20 independent runs, for the robustness of the proposed algorithm, resulting in best, mean and worst solutions for analog IC sizing problem. A comparison of the best solution with other significant sizing tools proving the efficiency of hybrid WOA-mGWO algorithm is also provided. Montecarlo simulation and corner analysis are also performed to validate the endurance of the design.
Socio-economic sourcing: benefits of small business set-asides in public procurement
Authors: Hawkins Timothy , Gravier Michael , Randall Wesley S.
Published: November 2018

Purpose

Small businesses are critical to economic health and encouraged in government spending by set-asides – annual small business sourcing goals that often are not attained. Little research has explored the negative and risky stigmas associated with small business sourcing.

Design/methodology/approach

This research explores reduced transaction costs of small business sourcing to government buyers. A survey of 350 government source selections reveals lower transaction costs derived from lower perceived risk of receiving a bid protest and via more efficient source selection processes.

Findings

Contrary to common bias, the performance level of small businesses is no less than that of large business. Thus, small businesses engender lower transaction costs for correcting supplier’s performance. On the basis of these findings, managerial and theoretical implications are discussed.
The impacts of in-state procurement preference policies on the economy of South Carolina
Authors: Abutabenjeh Sawsan , Gordon Stephen , Mengistu Berhanu
Published: November 2018

Purpose

This paper aims to answer the question: What are the impacts of implementing in-state procurement preference policies on the economy of the state of South Carolina?

Design/methodology/approach

Toevaluate the impacts, the following six economic indicators were analyzed: jobs, personal income, real disposable income, output (sales), gross state product and value added. The data were collected from the South Carolina Procurement Services Office and were then analyzed using the Regional Economic Model Policy Insight (REMI PI+) for economic forecasting and policy analysis. The results from the REMI PI+ showed that implementing in-state preference policies benefitted the state and its communities economically.

Findings

Specifically, from 2010 until 2017, the total economic impact of implementing preference policies generated $17m in total output, 135 total job-years, $10.22m in gross state product (GSP), $10.27m in value added, $7.52m in income and $5.14m in real disposable personal income. The impact on the wholesale trade industry was over $5m in total industry output and approximately 27 jobs-years. In the manufacturing sector, the total impact was over $4m in output and approximately 17 jobs-years. The impact on the construction industry was approximately $3m in output and approximately 30 jobs-years. Although the values of these economic indicators were very small compared to the size of the state economy, they did outweigh the direct cost of implementing preference policies, thus demonstrating that overall the in-state preference policies contributed to South Carolina’s economy. However, further research is warranted to identify more precisely the benefits and costs of implementing preference policies.