bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Convergence behaviour of the enriched scaled boundary finite element method
Authors: Bremm Sophia , Hell Sascha , Becker Wilfried
Published: July 2019

In this work, a very efficient numerical solution of three‐dimensional boundary value problems of linear elasticity including stress singularities is discussed, focussing on its convergence behaviour. For the employed scaled boundary finite element method, a discretization is only needed at the boundary, while the solution is considered analytically in a scaling coordinate. This presents a major advantage for two‐dimensional problems, when the scaling center is placed at a stress singularity. Unfortunately, three‐dimensional problems usually do not only include point singularities but also line singularities, which results in singular gradients in the boundary coordinates and thereby diminishes the method's original advantages. To alleviate this drawback, this work discusses an enrichment of the separation of variables representation with analytical asymptotic near fields of the line singularities. In contrast to previous works, besides the near‐field functions with λ=0.5, also those with λ=1.5 were determined and used for enrichment. This leads to a high accuracy and it is shown that this approach is required to recover the convergence properties of smooth boundary value problems without singularities when using quadratic Lagrange shape functions. In order to recover the convergence rates for higher order shape functions, near‐field functions with higher singularity exponent have to be included for enrichment.
Discovery of 4,6‐bis(2‐((E)‐benzylidene)hydrazinyl)pyrimidin‐2‐Amine with Antibiotic Activity
Authors: Russell Cecilia C. , Stevens Andrew , Young Kelly A. , Baker Jennifer R. , McCluskey Siobhann N. , Khazandi Manouchehr , Pi Hongfei , Ogunniyi Abiodun , Page Stephen W. , Trott Darren J. , McCluskey Adam
Published: July 2019

Robenidine (E)‐N′‐((E)‐1‐(4‐chlorophenyl)ethylidene)‐2‐(1‐(4‐chlorophenyl)ethylidene)hydrazine‐1‐carboximidhydrazide displays methicillin‐resistant Staphyoccoccus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin‐resistant Enterococci (VRE) MICs of 2 μg mL−1. Herein we describe the structure‐activity relationship development of a novel series of guanidine to 2‐aminopyrimidine isosteres that ameliorate the low levels of mammalian cytotoxicity in the lead compound while retaining good antibiotic activity. Removal of the 2‐NH2 pyrimidine moiety renders these analogues inactive. Introduction of a central 2‐NH2 triazine moiety saw a 10‐fold activity reduction. Phenyl to cyclohexyl isosteres were inactive. The 4‐BrPh and 4‐CH3Ph with MIC values of 2 and 4 μg mL−1, against MRSA and VRE respectively, are promising candidates for future development.
Advances in the Physicochemical Profiling of Opioid Compounds of Therapeutic Interest
Authors: Mazák Károly , Noszál Béla , Hosztafi Sándor
Published: July 2019

This review focuses on recent developments in the physicochemical profiling of morphine and other opioids. The acid‐base properties and lipophilicity of these compounds is discussed at the microscopic, species‐specific level. Examples are provided where this type of information can reveal the mechanism of pharmacokinetic processes at the submolecular level. The role of lipophilicity in quantitative structure–activity relationship (QSAR) studies of opioids is reviewed. The physicochemical properties and pharmacology of the main metabolites of morphine are also discussed. Recent studies indicate that the active metabolite morphine‐6‐glucuronide (M6G) can contribute to the analgesic activity of systemically administered morphine. The unexpectedly high lipophilicity of M6G partly accounts for its analgesic activity. When administered parenterally, another suspected minor metabolite, morphine‐6‐sulfate (M6S) has superior antinociceptive effects to those of morphine. However, because sulfate esters of morphine derivatives cannot cross the blood‐brain barrier these esters may be good candidates to develop peripheral analgesic drugs.
Facile Preparation of Organometallic Nanorods from Various Ethynyl‐Substituted Molecules
Authors: Nishijo Junichi , Akashi Takaaki , Enomoto Masaya , Akita Motoko
Published: July 2019

A facile method to prepare one‐dimensional (1D) organometallic nanomaterials from various ethynyl‐substituted molecules is reported. The reactions of 3‐chloro‐1‐ethynylbenzene, p‐tBu‐phenylacetylene and 4‐ethynylbiphenyl with Cu+ ions in acetonitrile yield nanorod‐shaped copper acetylides (Cu−C≡C−R) crystals. In the case of linear alkynes, namely, propyne, 1‐pentyne and 1‐hexyne, it was found that using an aqueous ammonia/ethanol mixed solvent instead of acetonitrile is a better approach to obtain 1D nanostructures. This procedure also enables us to prepare functional 1D nanomaterials. We demonstrate the preparation of a paramagnetic nanorod from the organic radical p‐ethynylphenyl nitronyl nitroxide, and fluorescent nanorods from 9‐ethynylphenanthrene and 2‐ethynyl‐9,9′‐spirobifluorene.
Thoracic growth deficiency in childhood cancer survivors may cause overestimation of lung disease
Authors: Dean Terry , McDonough Joseph M. , Josephson Maureen , Ginsberg Jill P. , Carlson Claire A. , Fiorino Elizabeth K. , Goldfarb Samuel B.
Published: July 2019

Introduction

Survivors of childhood cancers undergo routine pulmonary function testing as they are at an increased lifetime risk for significant lung disease. However, this population also demonstrates growth abnormalities that could influence the interpretation of these tests, as reference equations are based on standing height. We aim to determine the impact of the relative thoracic growth deficiency in childhood cancer survivors on the interpretation of pulmonary function testing.

Methods

Standing height and upper segment length (USL) in childhood cancer survivors undergoing pulmonary function testing at a single academic center were compared to age‐matched historical standards. Additionally, pulmonary function tests were compared to reference values generated from standing height and doubled USL.

Results

Data were obtained from 107 cancer survivors. While the subjects demonstrated an overall 6.8% lower standing height vs historical standards, they also demonstrated relative thoracic growth abnormality with a further 9.9% decrement in the ratio USL to standing height. The use of doubled upper segment length as a surrogate measure for standing height in pulmonary function reference equations decreased the number of patients with restrictive lung disease as indicated by spirometry.

Conclusions

Childhood cancer survivors have disproportionately worse thoracic growth deficiency vs appendicular growth deficiency. As a result, their USL is disproportionately short for their standing height, which is most commonly used in pulmonary function testing reference equations. This leads to an increased likelihood in these patients meeting pulmonary function test criteria for restrictive lung disease.
Using deep‐learning techniques for pulmonary‐thoracic segmentations and improvement of pneumonia diagnosis in pediatric chest radiographs
Authors: E Longjiang , Zhao Baisong , Guo Yunmei , Zheng Changmeng , Zhang Mingjie , Lin Jin , Luo Yunhao , Cai Yi , Song Xingrong , Liang Huiying
Published: July 2019

Purpose

To evaluate the efficacy of a deep‐learning model to segment the lung and thorax regions in pediatric chest X‐rays (CXRs). Validating the diagnosis of bacterial or viral pneumonia could be improved after lung segmentation.

Materials and methods

A clinical‐pediatric CXR set including 1351 patients was proposed to develop a deep‐learning model for the pulmonary‐thoracic segmentations. Model performance was evaluated by Jaccard's similarity coefficient (JSC) and Dice's coefficient (DC). Two adult CXR sets were used to assess the model's generalizability. According to the pulmonary‐thoracic ratio, Pearson's correlation coefficient and the Bland‐Altman plot were generated to demonstrate the correlation and agreement between manual and automatic segmentations. The receiver operating characteristic curves and areas under the curve (AUCs) were used to compare the pneumonia classification performance based on the lung‐extracted images with that based on the original images.

Results

The model achieved JSCs of 0.910 and 0.950, DCs of 0.948 and 0.974 for lung and thorax segmentations, respectively. Pearson's r = 0.96, P < .0001. In the Bland‐Altman plot, the mean difference was 0.0025 with a 95% confidence interval of (−0.0451, 0.0501). For testing with two adult CXR sets, the JSCs were 0.903 and 0.888, respectively, while the DCs were 0.948 and 0.937, respectively. After lung segmentation, the AUC of a classifier to identify bacterial or viral pneumonia increased from 0.815 to 0.879.

Conclusion

We built a pediatric CXR dataset and exploited a deep‐learning model for accurate pulmonary‐thoracic segmentations. Lung segmentation can notably improve the diagnosis of bacterial or viral pneumonia.
Anharmonic Quantum Effects in Cubic Boron Nitride Crystal by Path Integral Monte Carlo Simulations
Authors: Brito Braulio G. A. , DaSilva Linder C. , Hai Guo‐Qiang , Cândido Ladir
Published: July 2019

Using path‐integral Monte Carlo (PIMC) simulations in the isothermal‐isobaric ensemble, the authors investigate the quantum effects on structural and thermodynamic properties of cubic boron nitride (c‐BN) at pressures varying from 0 up to 162 GPa. The Albe–Tersoff potential is employed to describe the interatomic interactions. The differences between the obtained lattice parameters of the crystal from the PIMC simulation and their experimental values are less than 0.1%. The quantum effects of the atomic zero‐point motion are significant for temperature lower than 1000 K. At ambient pressure, the quantum contribution to the lattice vibrational energy overcomes the classical one for  K. This temperature dependent crossover shifts to higher temperature with increasing pressure. The ratio of the kinetic to potential vibrational energy is used to quantify the anharmonicity of the system, indicating that the c‐BN is essentially an anharmonic crystal. Furthermore, the root‐mean‐square displacement (RMSD) analysis shows that the quantum effects become insignificant for temperature higher than 1000 K where different atoms (boron and nitrogen) behave similarly. However, for lower temperatures, the quantum effects arise and the atoms have quite different behaviors resembling those from rare‐gas solids (boron) and covalent materials (nitrogen).
The chondroprotective effect of diosmin on human articular chondrocytes under oxidative stress
Authors: Chen Yi‐Ru , Yang Kai‐Chiang , Lu Dai‐Hua , Wu Wen‐Tien , Wang Chen‐Chie , Tsai Mong‐Hsun
Published: July 2019

Excessive oxidative stress, which can amplify inflammatory responses, is involved in the pathologic progression of knee osteoarthritis. Diosmin is known to possess a variety of biological functions such as antiinflammatory and antioxidant activities. We therefore demonstrated the chondroprotective potentials of diosmin on human articular chondrocytes under oxidative stress. The cytotoxicity of diosmin (5, 10, 50, and 100 μM) to chondrocytes was first evaluated. Subsequently, the cells were treated with diosmin (5 and 10 μM) after hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) exposure. We found that the cytotoxicity of diosmin occurred in a dose‐dependent manner (10, 50, and 100 μM), and low‐dose diosmin (5 μM) slightly impaired cell viability. Diosmin supplementations (5 and 10 μM) did not show beneficial effects on mitochondrial activity, cytotoxicity, proliferation, and survival and the cell senescence was ameliorated in H2O2‐exposed chondrocytes. On the other hand, diosmin down‐regulated the mRNA levels of iNOS, COX‐2, IL‐1β, COL1A1, MMP‐3, and MMP‐9; up‐regulated TIMP‐1 and SOX9; and improved COL2A1 in chondrocytes under oxidative stresses. Furthermore, diosmin also regulated glutathione reductase and glutathione peroxidase of H2O2‐exposed chondrocytes. In conclusion, diosmin displayed a remarkable antiinflammatory effect compared with the antioxidant capacity on human chondrocytes. Diosmin can maintain the homeostasis of extracellular matrix of articular cartilage.
Very low‐dose intrapleural tPA for indwelling pleural catheter‐associated symptomatic fluid loculation
Authors: Lan Norris Si Hao , Vekaria Sona , Sidhu Calvinjit , Lee Yun Chor Gary
Published: July 2019

Indwelling pleural catheters (IPCs) are effective management options for malignant pleural effusion. Symptomatic fluid loculation is a recognized complication of IPC use and is usually managed with intrapleural instillation of fibrinolytic drugs, such as tissue plasminogen activator (tPA). A previous multicentre observational study showed significant heterogeneity among centres in their dosing regimen for tPA (from 2 to 20 mg) in treating symptomatic loculations. Potential pleural bleeding, especially in high‐risk patients, often deters clinicians from initiating intrapleural fibrinolytic therapy. Lower doses of tPA may reduce bleeding risks. This case report describes the successful use of 0.5 mg (the lowest reported dose) of tPA in a patient with significant bleeding risks whose IPC was complicated by symptomatic loculation.
Distributed observer‐based leader‐follower attitude consensus control for multiple rigid bodies using rotation matrices
Authors: Peng Xiuhui , Geng Zhiyong
Published: July 2019

This paper addresses the distributed observer‐based leader‐follower attitude consensus control problem for multiple rigid bodies. An intrinsic distributed observer is proposed for each follower to estimate the leader's trajectory, which is only available to a subset of followers. The proposed observer can guarantee that the estimated attitude evolves on rotation matrices all the time, and it provides us with a simple way to design the attitude consensus control law. The dynamics of rigid bodies and distributed observer are both modeled directly on rotation matrices, so that the singularity and ambiguity can be avoided. Furthermore, adopting the idea of disturbance observer on vector space, a gyro bias observer on the rotation matrices is proposed. Based on the distributed observer, three types of attitude consensus control law are proposed, which are respectively on the basis of full‐state, biased angular velocity, and external disturbance combined with biased angular velocity. Finally, the SimMechanics experiments are provided to illustrate effectiveness of the proposed theoretical results.
Data‐driven optimal event‐triggered consensus control for unknown nonlinear multiagent systems with control constraints
Authors: Zhang Huaipin , Park Ju H. , Yue Dong , Dou Chunxia
Published: July 2019

This paper considers optimal consensus control problem for unknown nonlinear multiagent systems (MASs) subjected to control constraints by utilizing event‐triggered adaptive dynamic programming (ETADP) technique. To deal with the control constraints, we introduce nonquadratic energy consumption functions into performance indices and formulate the Hamilton‐Jacobi‐Bellman (HJB) equations. Then, based on the Bellman's optimality principle, constrained optimal consensus control policies are designed from the HJB equations. In order to implement the ETADP algorithm, the critic networks and action networks are developed to approximate the value functions and consensus control policies respectively based on the measurable system data. Under the event‐triggered control framework, the weights of the critic networks and action networks are only updated at the triggering instants which are decided by the designed adaptive triggered conditions. The Lyapunov method is used to prove that the local neighbor consensus errors and the weight estimation errors of the critic networks and action networks are ultimately bounded. Finally, a numerical example is provided to show the effectiveness of the proposed ETADP method.
Economic benefits of improved water quality in the Delaware River (USA)
Authors: Kauffman Gerald J.
Published: July 2019

Water quality in the Delaware River, USA, has improved significantly since the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (1948), Clean Water Act of 1972, and authorization of the Delaware River Basin Commission Compact in 1961. Initial economic analysis by the Federal Water Pollution Administration in 1966 concluded the multimillion dollar pollution abatement programme would generate $350 million in annual benefits by improving dissolved oxygen levels to fishable standards in the Delaware River. Although water quality in the Delaware has improved substantially, scientists have called for raising the 1960s dissolved oxygen criteria from 3.5 mg/L to 5.0 mg/L to ensure year‐round propagation of anadromous American shad and Atlantic sturgeon. This higher level would also mitigate atmospheric warming resulting in increased water temperatures and sea water incursion, both of which would lead to reductions in dissolved oxygen saturation in the river. Additional economic valuation of this water quality improvement shows direct use benefits in the Delaware River to range from $371 million to $1.1 billion per year. Other economic sectors benefiting from improved water quality include recreational boating ($46–$334 million), recreational fishing ($129–$202 million), agriculture ($8–$188 million), nonuse value ($76–$115 million), viewing/boating/fishing ($55–$68 million), bird watching ($15–$33 million), property value ($13–27 million), water supply ($12–$24 million), commercial fishing (up to $17 million), and navigation ($7–$16 million). Future economic research is needed in the Delaware River watershed to more precisely measure nonuse benefits by public willingness to pay for improved water quality.
Synthesis of Sulfonated Poly(arylene ether)s in a One‐Pot Polymerization Process and Their Nafion‐Blend Membranes for Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell Applications
Authors: Fang Zhou , Xu Hulin , Gao Shuitao , Wu Zeyu , Yin Zhechang , Wang Jie , Yang Jun , Zhu Changjin
Published: July 2019

A series of sulfonated poly(arylene ether) (SPAE) was designed and successfully synthesized via one‐step polycondensation reaction, then giving flexible, transparent and uniform membranes through solution casting method. The degree of sulfonation (DS) of the yielded polymers, confirmed by1H NMR analysis, could be controlled by adjusting the ratio of non‐sulfonated to sulfonated monomers, and physicochemical as well as electrochemical properties of the resulting SPAE membranes were systematically characterized. The ion exchange capacity (IEC) value and water uptake were elevated with the increasing of sulfonation of degree without excessive swelling issue. The membranes exhibited good thermal, oxidative and dimensional stability. Among all the SPAE membranes, proton conductivity of SPAE‐80 (0.232 S cm−1) is higher than that of Nafion 212 (0.205 S cm−1) at 80 °C under 100% relative humidity (RH). In the H2/air single cell test, a higher power density of 93 mW cm−2was generated for SPAE‐80 membrane doped with 10 wt% Nafion at 50 °C under 30% RH, whereas 89 mW cm−2for the pristine SPAE‐80 membrane. The fuel cell durability of SPAE membrane was elevated when doped with Nafion.
Au Nanoparticles Immobilized in Fe3O4/SBA‐16 Functionalized Melamine–α–Chloroacetic Acid as a Recoverable Nanocatalyst for Reduction of Dye Pollutants in Water
Authors: Sayyadi Khalilollah , Mohammadi Pourya , Abaszadeh Mehdi , Sheibani Hassan
Published: July 2019

Fe3O4/SBA‐16‐functionalized melamine–α–chloroacetic acid group‐supported Au nanoparticles are found to serve as heterogeneous and recyclable materials for the reduction of organic dyes such as Methylene Blue (MB) and Methyl Orange (MO) in aqueous solutions. A mesoporous structure with an average pore size of 3.39 nm and a surface area of 376 m2 /g was characterized with the transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X‐ray diffraction (XRD) patterns, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), small angle x‐ray scattering (SAXS), and FT‐IR. Moreover, the specific surface area of the structure was determined using the Braunauer‐Emmett‐Teller (BET) method. The dye reduction activity of Fe3O4/SBA‐16‐MH−Au was investigated by reducing the MB and MO. The results demonstrated that the nonporous silica (NPS) was an effective system with high catalytic activities and had a prospective application for catalytic MB and MO.
Efficient Synthesis of Titaniosilicalite‐1 Zeolite Nanoparticles Under Solvent‐free Conditions for the Oxidation of Dibenzothiophene: Impact of Silica Precursor
Authors: Shakeri Mozaffar
Published: July 2019

Various silica precursors of tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS), mesocellular silica foam (MCF), and a combination of TEOS and MCF are investigated under solvent‐free conditions to achieve efficient TS‐1 catalyst. The obtained TS‐1 catalysts were characterized by powder XRD, FTIR, diffusive reflectance UV‐Vis, FE‐SEM, TEM, N2 sorption, DLS, and EDS. The TS‐1 synthesized by combination of TEOS and MCF possesses smaller crystal size, higher yield of solid materials, and enhanced Ti incorporation than that obtained by either only MCF or TEOS. The average particle size of TS‐1 catalysts synthesized by using MCF, TEOS, and the combination of TEOS and MCF were about 350, 170, and 105 nm, respectively. The yield of solid TS‐1 by using MCF, TEOS, and the combination of TEOS and MCF were 0.28, 0.80, and 1.20 g‐TS‐1/g‐TPAOH, respectively. Oxidation of 1000 ppm of the bulky substrate of dibenzothiophene (DBT; kinetic diameter 0.9 nm) by TS‐1 synthesized by combination of TEOS and MCF was about two times higher than that by the TS‐1 catalyst prepared either by TEOS or MCF. Furthermore, oxidation of 5000 ppm of DBT (equally to 5 separate batches) by this catalyst resulted in full conversion in 24 h. Consequently, the use of combination of TEOS and amorphous silica of MCF as silica precursor under solvent‐free conditions is a practical approach to prepare efficient TS‐1 catalyst.
A Two‐Step Method Synthesis and Gas Sensing Properties of CoSnO3 Nanoparticles
Authors: Li Ting , Lin Zhidong , Fu Ping , Wang Shenggao , Chen Zhe , Zhang Xiaowen , Liu Liming
Published: July 2019

A new type of multi‐metal oxide gas‐sensing material, CoSnO3 was synthesized by a simple hydrothermal method, in which CoSn(OH)6 was used as a precursor, and it was calcined into amorphous CoSnO3. The CoSnO3 nanoparticles were characterized by means of XRD, FE‐SEM, TEM and N2 adsorption‐desorption analysis. The average size of the CoSnO3 nanoparticles was of 90 nm. The sensor based on the CoSnO3 nanoparticles showed good gas‐sensing performances to n‐butanol. The highest response was about 23 to 100 ppm n‐butanol at 200 °C. Moreover, CoSnO3 nanoparticles exhibits promising candidate material for fast, sensitive and selective detection of n‐butanol.
Dynamic Antisolvent Engineering for Spin Coating of 10 × 10 cm2 Perovskite Solar Module Approaching 18%
Authors: Bu Tongle , Liu Xueping , Li Jing , Huang Wenchao , Wu Zhengli , Huang Fuzhi , Cheng Yi-Bing , Zhong Jie
Published: July 2019

Perovskite solar cells represent a promising photovoltaic technology, which achieves record power conversion efficiencies over 24%. However, a problem on the commercial processing is the unavoidable efficiency loss during the scalable fabrication of perovskite solar module. The efficient and reliable fabrications of high‐quality large‐area perovskite films guarantee commercialized up‐scaling of perovskite solar cells with high efficiency. Herein, a simple dynamic antisolvent quenching (DAS) process is presented to understand large‐area uniform perovskite films to obtain an efficient perovskite solar module. This method provides a facile and universal approach to fabricate cracks‐free and uniform large‐area mixed‐cation perovskite films. A champion module device (10 × 10 cm2) with efficiency of 17.82% (another module with certified efficiency of 17.4%) is obtained using DAS process.
Adipose Stem Cells and Cancer: Concise Review
Authors: Sabol Rachel A. , Giacomelli Paulina , Beighley Adam , Bunnell Bruce A.
Published: July 2019

It is well established that the tumor microenvironment plays an important role in cancer development and progression. The tumor microenvironment is composed of neoplastic cells, endothelial cells, pericytes, adipocytes, fibroblasts and other connective tissue cells, extracellular matrix components, multiple stem and progenitor cells, and a diverse array of innate and adaptive immune cells [Nat Rev Cancer 2007;7:139–147]. Understanding the mechanisms behind cell–cell communication in the tumor microenvironment is critical to understanding the drivers of tumorigenesis and metastasis. In this review, we discuss the interactions between adipose stem cells, a critical component of the tumor microenvironment, and various forms of cancer. Stem Cells  2019;37:1261–1266
Beyond Good Teaching Practices: Language Teacher Leadership From the Learners’ Perspective
Authors: Whitehead George E. K. , Greenier Vincent T.
Published: July 2019

Teacher leadership has been given increased recognition in general education as a means to empower teachers as professionals and improve educational outcomes. However, it has not received as much attention in the field of English language teaching (ELT), and research that has been conducted in this area has tended to focus predominantly on program management. This study focused on examining learners’ perspectives of language teacher leadership with the aim of contributing to a more complete conceptualization of teacher leadership in ELT. Twenty South Korean university students were interviewed to explore their opinions of what language teacher leadership entails in terms of teacher practices and characteristics. The findings reveal an ensemble of qualities—under the categories of passion, rapport, purpose, and balance and flexibility—that learners believe to be essential to language teacher leadership. The findings also indicate that learners’ ideas about leadership in the language classroom go beyond classroom practices, are distinct from traditional views of leadership, and differ from the way in which many language teachers see leadership in their classrooms.
The behavioral effects of exhibit size versus complexity in African elephants: A potential solution for smaller spaces
Authors: Scott Nancy L. , LaDue Chase A.
Published: July 2019

Population‐level analyses suggest that habitat complexity, but not necessarily space availability, has important welfare outcomes for elephants in human care. At the Dallas Zoo, the opening of a new exhibit complex allowed us to measure the behavior of two female African elephants across three treatments to evaluate the independent effects of complexity and space. Preoccupancy observations were conducted in the elephants’ older exhibit, which consisted of a smaller, more simple yard (630 m2). Subsequent postoccupancy observations measured behavior in two different spaces in the new exhibit: a larger, complex yard (15,000 m2), and a smaller, but complex yard (1,520 m2). The elephants’ overall activity levels were greater in complex habitats, regardless of their size. Similar effects of habitat complexity oversize were observed with greater rates of foraging and lower rates of being stationary. Furthermore, elephants were out of view of visitors significantly more in the small, simple yard compared to either of the more complex habitats. However, exhibit size affected the incidence of stereotypic behavior (with lower rates of stereotypy in the larger exhibit compared to the smaller yards) and investigatory behavior (elephants investigated their environments more with increasing size and complexity). Behavioral diversity also increased with exhibit size and complexity. These results indicate that space availability alone is not sufficient to enhance the behavioral welfare of zoo elephants. Therefore, facilities with limited space can still encourage species‐appropriate behaviors and improved welfare for the elephants in their care by converting a small, simple area into a more complex habitat.
Introduction
Authors: Reay Dave
Published: July 2019

Climate change poses a severe and growing threat to food security around the world. Our food is also a major driver of climate change. Here we provide an overview of these intertwined global challenges and the current state of progress (or lack thereof) in addressing them. We introduce the concept of climate-smart food, whereby climate resilience and productivity are increased while greenhouse gas emissions are simultaneously reduced. Finally, we map out the specific foods to be explored in-depth, from farm, vineyard or ocean to Scottish dinner table.
Climate-Smart Rice
Authors: Reay Dave
Published: July 2019

Rice is grown in a huge range of locations across over 160 million hectares of the planet, from the cool temperate regions of Northeast Asia, through low-lying river deltas in the tropics, to lofty Himalayan mountain slopes at altitudes of over 2 kilometres. To produce each kilogram bag of Basmati rice, the climate-warming equivalent of over a kilogram of carbon dioxide (mainly in the form of methane) is also emitted. Along with some nitrous oxide from the use of nitrogen fertilisers on the fields, the life-cycle emissions can top 1.5 kilograms per kilogram. In Britain rice wastage amounts to over 40,000 tonnes each year and so the equivalent of around 60,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions. Drought, flood, heat and disease are all major risks that may be exacerbated by climate change. Loss of irrigation water supplies due to melting of glaciers in the Himalayas is a major concern for rice growers in South Asia. Improved water management can give greater resilience to climate change and radically reduce methane emissions at the same time.
Climate-Smart Cod
Authors: Reay Dave
Published: July 2019

We eat over 150 million fish & chip meals each year in the UK. For fish and shellfish more generally, average consumption is now around 20 kilograms per person each year in the UK and US, but this is dwarfed by consumption in Asia—in China, it is nudging 35 kilograms per person a year for a population of over 1.3 billion. Cod remains the common source of British fish and chips, but stocks have experienced intense overfishing in the past and many have still not recovered. Warming in the North Sea has pushed Atlantic cod stocks further north, and most cod eaten in the UK now comes from Iceland and Norway. An uncooked cod fillet has a carbon footprint of around 300 grams. For a full portion of deep fried fish and chips, this rises to a kilogram of emissions. Cutting household wastage and improving the efficiency of cooking can reduce this. At sea, a switch from bottom trawling to pelagic fishing would reduce fuel use and also help to protect cod stocks and their food supplies on the ocean bed. For all fisheries, increased protection from overexploitation and pollution can lend them greater resilience in the face of climate change.
Climate-Smart Bananas
Authors: Reay Dave
Published: July 2019

Some 130 countries grow bananas, with the 120 million tonnes they produce each year mainly being grown by smallholders for home consumption or sale at local markets. Around 800,000 tonnes are imported to the UK each year with each banana having a carbon footprint of 100–200 grams. We waste over a million bananas a day in Britain, at a cost to the climate of over 30,000 tonnes of emissions annually. Disease is the number one threat as almost all our bananas come from a single variety called Cavendish. A fungal disease called Topical Race 4 is already destroying large numbers of banana plants around the world. Storm damage, floods and drought likewise pose an increasing risk. Boosting plant health through good water and nutrient management can help to give resilience to climate change and disease threats alike. Organic production and the use of biological pest control are also proving successful.
Climate-Smart Coffee
Authors: Reay Dave
Published: July 2019

Coffee is grown widely along a tropical bean belt stretching across Central and South America, Africa and Asia. Brazil alone produces over two million tonnes a year and global production now tops ten million tonnes annually—over two billion cups of the stuff every day. Coffee’s life-cycle carbon footprint ranges from around 70 grams per cup for instant to as much as 150 grams per cup for filter coffee. Major pests and diseases like leaf rust and the coffee berry borer are predicted to become even more prevalent under a future climate. In the highlands of Ethiopia—coffee’s birthplace—warmer and wetter conditions in the future may allow fungal diseases to spread to higher altitudes and so threaten areas that are so far fungus free. Moving farms uphill, using shade and irrigation, and potentially switching to new hybrid varieties can all boost resilience and help reduce emissions. Access to training, advice and technology remains a major barrier to this for many coffee farmers.
Covariant cosmological quantum space-time, higher-spin and gravity in the IKKT matrix model
Authors: Sperling Marcus , Steinacker Harold C.
Published: July 2019

Abstract

We discuss a (3+1)-dimensional covariant quantum space-time describing a FLRW cosmology with Big Bounce, obtained by a projection of the fuzzy hyperboloid H

n

4
. This provides a background solution of the IKKT matrix model with mass term. We characterize the bosonic fluctuation spectrum, which consists of a tower of higher-spin modes, truncated at n. The modes are organized in terms of an underlying SO(4, 2) structure group, which is broken to the SO(3, 1) isometry of the background. The resulting higher-spin gauge theory includes all degrees of freedom required for gravity, and should be well suited for quantization. All modes propagate with the same speed of light, even though local boost invariance is not manifest. The propagating metric perturbation modes comprise those of a massless graviton, as well as a scalar mode. Gauge invariance allows to obtain the analog of the linearized Einstein-Hilbert action, which is expected to be induced upon quantization.
Disaster Training Needs and Expectations Among Turkish Emergency Medicine Physicians – A National Survey
Authors: Gunay Erkan , Ersel Murat , Yax Justin A. , Sheele Johnathan M. , Karakurt Gunnur , Acar Kerim , Frank Scott H.
Published: July 2019

Objectives:

Earthquakes, landslides, and floods are the most frequent natural disasters in Turkey. The country has also recently experienced an increased number of terrorist attacks. The purpose of this study is to understand the expectations and training of Turkish emergency medicine attending physicians in disaster medicine.

Methods:

An online questionnaire was administered to the 937 members of the Emergency Medicine Association of Turkey, of which 191 completed the survey (20%).

Results:

Most participants (68%) worked at a Training and Research Hospital (TRH) or a University Hospital (UH), and 69% had practiced as an attending for 5 years or less. Mass immigration, refugee problems, and war/terror attacks were considered to be the highest perceived risk topics. Most (95%) agreed that disaster medicine trainings should occur during residency training. Regular disaster drills and exercises and weekly or monthly trainings were the most preferred educational modalities. Most respondents (85%) were interested in advanced training in disaster medicine, and this was highest for those working less than 5 years as an attending. UH and TRH residency training programs were not considered in themselves to be sufficient for learning disaster medicine.

Conclusions:

Turkish emergency medicine residency training should include more disaster medicine education and training.
Pre-formulated Declarations of Data Subject Consent—Citizen-Consumer Empowerment and the Alignment of Data, Consumer and Competition Law Protections
Authors: Clifford Damian , Graef Inge , Valcke Peggy
Published: July 2019

One of the novelties brought about by the new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a strengthening of the concept of consent. For instance, although the freely given stipulation existed in the old framework—the Data Protection Directive 95/46/EC—the changes introduced by the GDPR arguably imply that access to services may no longer depend on data subject consent. In reality however, data subjects often find themselves confronted with standard privacy policies and take-it-or-leave-it offers. Against this background, this Article aims to examine the alignment of the respective data protection and privacy, consumer protection, and competition law policy agendas through the lens of pre-formulated declarations of consent. The Article aims to delineate the role of each area with specific reference to the GDPR and ePrivacy Directive, the Unfair Terms Directive, the Consumer Rights Directive, and the Digital Content Directive (Compromise), in addition to market dominance. Competition law analysis is explored vis-à-vis whether it could offer indicators of when a clear imbalance in controller-data subject relations may occur in the context of the requirement for consent to be freely given, as per its definition in the GDPR. This complements the data protection and consumer protection analysis which focuses on the specific reference to the Unfair Terms Directive in Recital 42 GDPR, stating that pre-formulated declarations of consent should not contain unfair terms.
The Foundational Myth of Mercosur and the European Union Analogy
Authors: Vauthier Borges de Macedo Paulo Emílio
Published: July 2019

This Article criticizes two trends on the Brazilian literature of communitarian law: A mental exercise that can only be termed as an “EU analogy” and a need to evoke the Congress of Panama of 1826 as the origin of Mercosur. As odd as it may seem, those trends are somewhat connected. Comparisons between the European Union and Mercosur abound in scholarly works, and they became so popular that a more simplified version of this comparison came into being. When explaining the current dilemma that Mercosur faces—or any other predicament as well—Brazilian scholars often tend to provide only one solution consisting in a vague reference to the supranational character of the European Union. This reference appears out of context and solves any problem. A trend so common as the EU analogy exemplifies that some Brazilian experts on communitarian law have also assumed an idealized version of our neighbors’ take on the Latin America integration. Apparently, Mercosur dates back to the Congress of Panama of 1826 and Simón Bolívar’s ideals on Latin American integration. The story faces several historical obstacles and yet has spread so rapidly that it has acquired the stature of a true myth. This work presents these two inclinations and contends that one relies on the other. Rather than providing an accurate explanation, as one would expect on a scientific text, they justify a certain concealed intent. This Article employs an inductive method of approach and relies on primary sources to explain the foundational myth so to prevent historical misconceptions.
Vertical shear alters chemical front speed in thin-layer flows
Authors: Nevins Thomas D. , Kelley Douglas H.
Published: July 2019

The mixing of a reactive scalar by a fluid flow can have a significant impact on reaction dynamics and the growth of reacted regions. However, experimental studies of the fluid mechanics of reactive mixing present significant challenges and puzzling results. The observed speed at which reacted regions expand can be separated into a contribution from the underlying flow and a contribution from reaction–diffusion dynamics, which we call the chemical front speed. In prior work (Nevins & Kelley,Chaos, vol. 28 (4), 2018, 043122), we were surprised to observe that the chemical front speed increased where the underlying flow in a thin layer was faster. In this paper, we show that the increase is physical and is caused by smearing of reaction fronts by vertical shear. We show that the increase occurs not only in thin-layer flows with a free surface, but also in Hele-Shaw systems. We draw these conclusions from a series of simulations in which reaction fronts are located according to depth-averaged concentration, as is common in laboratory experiments. Where the front profile is deformed by shear, the apparent front speed changes as well. We compare the simulations to new experimental results and find close quantitative agreement. We also show that changes to the apparent front speed are reduced approximately 80 % by adding a lubrication layer.
Federating the Raj: Hyderabad, sovereign kingship, and partition
Authors: PURUSHOTHAM SUNIL
Published: July 2019

This article explores the idea of federation in late-colonial India. Projects of federation sought to codify the uncodified and fragmented sovereign landscape of the British Raj. They were ambitious projects that raised crucial questions about sovereignty, kingship, territoriality, the potential of constitutional law in transforming the colonial state into a democratic one, and India's political future more broadly. In the years after 1919, federation became a capacious model for imagining a wide array of political futures. An all-India Indian federation was seen as the most plausible means of maintaining India's unity, introducing representative government, and overcoming the Hindu–Muslim majority–minority problem. By bringing together ‘princely’ India and British India, federation made the Indian states central players in late-colonial contestations over sovereignty. This article explores the role of the states in constitutional debates, their place in Indian political imaginaries, and articulations of kingship in late-colonial India. It does so through the example of Hyderabad, the premier princely state, whose ruler made an unsuccessful bid for independence between 1947 and 1948. Hyderabad occupied a curious position in competing visions of India's future. Ultimately, the princely states were a decisive factor in the failure of federation and the turn to partition as a means of overcoming India's constitutional impasse.
AN INTRODUCTION TO THE MUSIC OF HELEN GRIME
Authors: Carey Christian
Published: July 2019

This article examines the music of composer Helen Grime. It discusses her use of melodic and harmonic materials derived from a Bothy Ballad in Two Eardley Pictures. It analyzes the frequent use of interpenetration and stratification in her music, and the morphing of motivic material via a number of transformations in her Violin Concerto. Finally, the article discusses the narrative quality found in Grime's Piano Concerto.
Fractional Arithmetic in the Tabula Alimentaria of Veleia
Authors: Stewart Charles
Published: July 2019

The Tabula Alimentaria of Veleia records the details of two second-century a.d. imperial alimentary schemes at the northern Italian town of Veleia, providing a rare insight into the workings of these schemes. Imperial loans are made to local landowners in exchange for pledges of specified property. Interest paid by landowners is used to fund cash subsidies for the upbringing of selected local children. In the early twentieth century, the French scholar Félix de Pachtere came close to demonstrating a consistent arithmetical relationship between a landowner's declared property value and the loan received. However, anomalies remained. This article proposes a revised formula which establishes a precise and consistent linkage between loan amounts and property declarations. Based on this arithmetical dataset, the paper proposes some hypotheses about how these fractional computations might have been performed in second-century Rome.
A Hierarchical Safety Control Strategy for Exoskeleton Robot Based on Maximum Correntropy Kalman Filter and Bounding Box
Authors: Mo Yang , Song Zhenzi , Li Hui , Jiang Zhihong
Published: July 2019

Exoskeleton robots have been widely used in many fields at present. When wearing the exoskeleton to operate, the wearer may be unconscious of the position of exoskeleton or affected by the surrounding environment, causing collision between two arms of exoskeleton or between arms and environment. The collision may result in the exoskeleton destroyed or even the wearer injured. This paper proposes a hierarchical safety control strategy for exoskeleton robots based on maximum correntropy Kalman filter and bounding box to ensure safe operation. Accurate joint angle prediction can be obtained by filtering out non-Gaussian impulsive noise using maximum correntropy criterion as evaluation criterion. Relative position relationship of the arms can be derived based on bounding box to realize hierarchical safe control. Enough experiments have been carried out, and the results validated the feasibility of the proposed method.
Proof of the Brown–Erdős–Sós conjecture in groups
Authors: NENADOV RAJKO , SUDAKOV BENNY , TYOMKYN MYKHAYLO
Published: July 2019

The conjecture of Brown, Erdős and Sós from 1973 states that, for any k ≥ 3, if a 3-uniform hypergraph H with n vertices does not contain a set of k +3 vertices spanning at least k edges then it has o(n2) edges. The case k = 3 of this conjecture is the celebrated (6, 3)-theorem of Ruzsa and Szemerédi which implies Roth’s theorem on 3-term arithmetic progressions in dense sets of integers. Solymosi observed that, in order to prove the conjecture, one can assume that H consists of triples (a, b, ab) of some finite quasigroup Γ. Since this problem remains open for all k ≥ 4, he further proposed to study triple systems coming from finite groups. In this case he proved that the conjecture holds also for k = 4. Here we completely resolve the Brown–Erdős–Sós conjecture for all finite groups and values of k. Moreover, we prove that the hypergraphs coming from groups contain sets of size $\Theta (\sqrt k )$ which span k edges. This is best possible and goes far beyond the conjecture.
Usutu virus: A new threat?
Authors: Clé M. , Beck C. , Salinas S. , Lecollinet S. , Gutierrez S. , Van de Perre P. , Baldet T. , Foulongne V. , Simonin Y.
Published: July 2019

Usutu virus (USUV) is an emerging arbovirus that was first isolated in South Africa in 1959. ThisFlavivirusis maintained in the environment through a typical enzootic cycle involving mosquitoes and birds. USUV has spread to a large part of the European continent over the two decades mainly leading to substantial avian mortalities with a significant recrudescence of bird infections recorded throughout Europe within the few last years. USUV infection in humans is considered to be most often asymptomatic or to cause mild clinical signs. Nonetheless, a few cases of neurological complications such as encephalitis or meningoencephalitis have been reported. USUV and West Nile virus (WNV) share many features, like a close phylogenetic relatedness and a similar ecology, with co-circulation frequently observed in nature. However, USUV has been much less studied and in-depth comparisons of the biology of these viruses are yet rare. In this review, we discuss the main body of knowledge regarding USUV and compare it with the literature on WNV, addressing in particular virological and clinical aspects, and pointing data gaps.
Variability and stability in early language acquisition: Comparing monolingual and bilingual infants' speech perception and word recognition
Authors: Höhle Barbara , Bijeljac-Babic Ranka , Nazzi Thierry
Published: July 2019

Many human infants grow up learning more than one language simultaneously but only recently has research started to study early language acquisition in this population more systematically. The paper gives an overview on findings on early language acquisition in bilingual infants during the first two years of life and compares these findings to current knowledge on early language acquisition in monolingual infants. Given the state of the research, the overview focuses on research on phonological and early lexical development in the first two years of life. We will show that the developmental trajectory of early language acquisition in these areas is very similar in mono- and bilingual infants suggesting that these early steps into language are guided by mechanisms that are rather robust against the differences in the conditions of language exposure that mono- and bilingual infants typically experience.