bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Electrical control of interlayer exciton dynamics in atomically thin heterostructures
Authors: Jauregui Luis A. , Joe Andrew Y. , Pistunova Kateryna , Wild Dominik S. , High Alexander A. , Zhou You , Scuri Giovanni , De Greve Kristiaan , Sushko Andrey , Yu Che-Hang , Taniguchi Takashi , Watanabe Kenji , Needleman Daniel J. , Lukin Mikhail D. , Park Hongkun , Kim Philip
Published: November 2019

Taking electrical control

Excitons—bound pairs of electrons and holes in a solid—can, in principle, be used as information carriers. However, their lifetime is limited because the electrons and holes tend to quickly recombine. One way to extend this lifetime is to physically separate electrons and holes—for example, by having them reside in different layers of a van der Waals heterostructure. Jauregui
et al.
used this strategy to form long-lived interlayer excitons in a heterostructure made out of monolayers of molybdenum diselenide (MoSe
2
) and tungsten diselenide (WSe
2
). Through electrical control of the layers in the heterostructure, the researchers further increased exciton lifetime and formed and manipulated charged excitons.

Science
, this issue p.
870
Activation of the ISR mediates the behavioral and neurophysiological abnormalities in Down syndrome
Authors: Zhu Ping Jun , Khatiwada Sanjeev , Cui Ya , Reineke Lucas C. , Dooling Sean W. , Kim Jean J. , Li Wei , Walter Peter , Costa-Mattioli Mauro
Published: November 2019

Tuning stress protects cognition

Down syndrome (DS) is a chromosomal disorder that occurs when a person has an extra copy of chromosome 21. DS causes intellectual disabilities, among other health issues, but little is known about the mechanisms underlying the memory deficits in DS. Zhu
et al.
used a multidisciplinary approach to show that a defect in integrated stress response, a conserved pathway that controls protein homeostasis, can explain the cognitive and neuronal deficits in a mouse model of DS (see the Perspective by Halliday and Mallucci). These insights into the biological basis underlying DS could potentially help in the design of treatments for this condition.

Science
, this issue p.
843
; see also p.
797
Engineering bunched Pt-Ni alloy nanocages for efficient oxygen reduction in practical fuel cells
Authors: Tian Xinlong , Zhao Xiao , Su Ya-Qiong , Wang Lijuan , Wang Hongming , Dang Dai , Chi Bin , Liu Hongfang , Hensen Emiel J.M. , Lou Xiong Wen (David) , Xia Bao Yu
Published: November 2019

Nanocage-chain fuel cell catalysts

The expense and scarcity of platinum has driven efforts to improve oxygen-reduction catalysts in proton-exchange membrane fuel cells. Tian
et al.
synthesized chains of platinum-nickel alloy nanospheres connected by necking regions. These structures can be etched to form nanocages with platinum-rich surfaces that are highly active for oxygen reduction. In fuel cells running on air and hydrogen, these catalysts operated for at least 180 hours.

Science
, this issue p.
850
Cellular RNA surveillance in health and disease
Authors: Wolin Sandra L. , Maquat Lynne E.
Published: November 2019

The numerous quality control pathways that target defective ribonucleic acids (RNAs) for degradation play key roles in shaping mammalian transcriptomes and preventing disease. These pathways monitor most steps in the biogenesis of both noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) and protein-coding messenger RNAs (mRNAs), degrading ncRNAs that fail to form functional complexes with one or more proteins and eliminating mRNAs that encode abnormal, potentially toxic proteins. Mutations in components of diverse RNA surveillance pathways manifest as disease. Some mutations are characterized by increased interferon production, suggesting that a major role of these pathways is to prevent aberrant cellular RNAs from being recognized as “non-self.” Other mutations are common in cancer, or result in developmental defects, revealing the importance of RNA surveillance to cell and organismal function.
Mitocellular communication: Shaping health and disease
Authors: Mottis Adrienne , Herzig Sébastien , Auwerx Johan
Published: November 2019

Throughout the animal kingdom, mitochondria are the only organelles that retain their own genome and the transcription and translation machineries that are all essential for energy harvesting. Mitochondria have developed a complex communication network, allowing them to stay in tune with cellular needs and nuclear transcriptional programs and to alleviate mitochondrial dysfunction. Here, we review recent findings on the wide array of mechanisms that contribute to these mitocellular communication networks, spanning from well-studied messenger molecules to mitonuclear genetic interactions. Based on these observations and developments, we advocate a broad and inclusive view on mitocellular interactions, which can have profound impacts on physiological, pathological, and evolutionary processes.
Brain cell type–specific enhancer–promoter interactome maps and disease
-
risk association
Authors: Nott Alexi , Holtman Inge R. , Coufal Nicole G. , Schlachetzki Johannes C. M. , Yu Miao , Hu Rong , Han Claudia Z. , Pena Monique , Xiao Jiayang , Wu Yin , Keulen Zahara , Pasillas Martina P. , O’Connor Carolyn , Nickl Christian K. , Schafer Simon T. , Shen Zeyang , Rissman Robert A. , Brewer James B. , Gosselin David , Gonda David D. , Levy Michael L. , Rosenfeld Michael G. , McVicker Graham , Gage Fred H. , Ren Bing , Glass Christopher K.
Published: November 2019

Linking enhancers to disease

Enhancers are genomic regions that regulate gene expression, sometimes in a cell-dependent manner. However, most of our knowledge of human brain cell–type enhancers derives from studies of bulk human brain tissue. Nott
et al.
examined chromatin and promoter activity in cell nuclei isolated from human brains. Genetic variants associated with brain traits and disease showed cell-specific patterns of enhancer enrichment. These data indicate that Alzheimer's disease is regulated by genetic variants within microglial cells, whereas psychiatric diseases tend to affect neurons.

Science
, this issue p.
1134
Catchment properties and the photosynthetic trait composition of freshwater plant communities
Authors: Iversen L. L. , Winkel A. , Baastrup-Spohr L. , Hinke A. B. , Alahuhta J. , Baattrup-Pedersen A. , Birk S. , Brodersen P. , Chambers P. A. , Ecke F. , Feldmann T. , Gebler D. , Heino J. , Jespersen T. S. , Moe S. J. , Riis T. , Sass L. , Vestergaard O. , Maberly S. C. , Sand-Jensen K. , Pedersen O.
Published: November 2019

Change in plants as bicarbonate rises

Freshwater plants can be broadly divided into two major categories according to their photosynthetic traits: Some use carbon dioxide as their carbon source, whereas others use bicarbonate. Iversen
et al.
found that the relative concentrations of these two inorganic carbon forms in water determine the functional composition of plant communities across freshwater ecosystems (see the Perspective by Marcé and Obrador). They created global maps revealing that community composition is structured by catchment geology and not climate (in contrast to the terrestrial realm, where the trait composition is structured by temperature and rainfall). Anthropogenic influences from land-use change are causing large-scale increases in bicarbonate concentrations in freshwater catchments and are thus leading to wholesale changes in the composition of their aquatic plant communities.

Science
, this issue p.
878
; see also p.
805
Widely tunable compact terahertz gas lasers
Authors: Chevalier Paul , Amirzhan Arman , Wang Fan , Piccardo Marco , Johnson Steven G. , Capasso Federico , Everitt Henry O.
Published: November 2019

Filling the terahertz gap

Compared with other wavelengths, coherent sources of electromagnetic radiation in the terahertz regime are relatively scarce. Despite a number of applications in security imaging, spectroscopy, and chemical analysis, it has been experimentally challenging to produce such light. Chevalieret al.demonstrate an approach involving the excitation of a molecular gas with a quantum cascade laser. They show that they can tune into a broad range of desired wavelengths by carefully selecting the required molecular transition. A compact platform—the size of a shoe box—and widely tunable source of coherent terahertz radiation should find immediate application across a number of fields.

Science, this issue p.856
Attosecond coherent manipulation of electrons in tunneling microscopy
Authors: Garg M. , Kern K.
Published: November 2019

Shining a light on STM

Whereas ultrafast light pulses can provide a window into the dynamics of some of the fastest processes in condensed matter systems, scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) provides snapshots of atomic-scale spatial resolution of surfaces. By irradiating the tunnel junction with carrier-enveloped, phase-stabilized femtosecond light pulses, Garg and Kern effectively combined the two methods to demonstrate a technique capable of both high temporal and high spatial resolution of the elementary processes in matter (see the Perspective by Aiello). By tracking the decay dynamics of plasmonic excitations on the surface of gold nanorods, they illustrate the power of the technique for the tracking and control of ultrafast electronic processes on the atomic scale.

Science
, this issue p.
411
; see also p.
368
Response to Comment on “Eocene Fagaceae from Patagonia and Gondwanan legacy in Asian rainforests”
Authors: Wilf Peter , Nixon Kevin C. , Gandolfo María A. , Cúneo N. Rubén
Published: November 2019

Denk
et al
. agree that we reported the first fossil Fagaceae from the Southern Hemisphere. We appreciate their general enthusiasm for our findings, but we reject their critiques, which we find misleading and biased. The new fossils unequivocally belong to
Castanopsis
, and substantial evidence supports our Southern Route to Asia hypothesis.
TTC5 mediates autoregulation of tubulin via mRNA degradation
Authors: Lin Zhewang , Gasic Ivana , Chandrasekaran Viswanathan , Peters Niklas , Shao Sichen , Mitchison Timothy J. , Hegde Ramanujan S.
Published: November 2019

Mechanism of tubulin autoregulation

Cells tightly control the abundance of key housekeeping factors, such as ribosomes and chaperones, to maintain them at optimal levels needed for homeostasis. Most abundance control mechanisms involve feedback regulation of mRNA transcription, but others, such as tubulins, are regulated by highly specific mRNA degradation. Lin
et al.
found that tetratricopeptide protein 5 (TTC5) binds to nascent alpha and beta tubulins on translating ribosomes to trigger degradation of their associated mRNAs when excess tubulin is present (see the Perspective by Shoshani and Cleveland). In the absence of TTC5-mediated tubulin autoregulation, cells display error-prone chromosome segregation, a process critically dependent on tubulin concentration.

Science
, this issue p.
100
; see also p.
29
Translating translation in Down syndrome
Authors: Halliday Mark , Mallucci Giovanna R.
Published: November 2019

Protein quality control mechanisms may hold the key to treatment of cognitive disability
Epidemiology of
Salmonella enterica
Serovar Dublin in Cattle and Humans in Denmark, 1996 to 2016: a Retrospective Whole-Genome-Based Study
Authors: Kudirkiene Eglė , Sørensen Gitte , Torpdahl Mia , de Knegt Leonardo V. , Nielsen Liza R. , Rattenborg Erik , Ahmed Shahana , Olsen John E.
Published: November 2019

S
. Dublin causes economic losses in cattle production, and the bacterium is a public health concern. A surveillance and control program has been in place in Denmark since 2002 with the ultimate goal to eradicate
S
. Dublin from Danish cattle herds; however, a small proportion of herds have remained positive for many years. In this study, we demonstrate that herds with persistent infection often were infected with the same strain for many years, indicating that internal biosecurity has to be improved to curb the infection. Further, domestic cases of
S
. Dublin infection in humans were found to be caused both by Danish cattle isolates and by isolates acquired abroad. This study shows the strength of whole-genome sequencing to obtain detailed information on epidemiology of
S
. Dublin and allows us to suggest internal biosecurity as a main way to control this bacterium in Danish cattle herds.
Burkholderia cepaciacomplex infection complicating long-term urethral catheterisation
Authors: Ogundipe Olayinka Ayodele , Pearson Rebecca Claire , Campbell Amy
Published: November 2019

This report describes a 79-year-old Caucasian man with a history of syringomyelia, paraplegia and a long-term urethral catheter, presenting with recurrent catheter-related or catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) and persistent delirium. On one occasion, urine cultured bacteria from theBurkholderia cepaciacomplex (BCC). This organism is recognised as being a coloniser of fluid or aquatic settings. However, in certain circumstances (eg, immunosuppression, immunocompromise, multimorbidity), BCC has been recognised to cause infection, that is, rather than merely contamination or colonisation. In this unwell older patient, treatment of the BCC CAUTI was guided by antibiotic sensitivities and microbiology advice. The report incorporates a brief discussion of some relevant microbiological terminology, and refers to associations and commoner sites of BCC-related infection. The report concludes by exploring how three philosophical concepts (Occam’s razor, Hickam’s dictum and Crabtree’s bludgeon) proved relevant in supporting clinical decision-making in this case.
Exploring the gap between diagnostic research outputs and clinical use of OCT for diagnosing glaucoma
Authors: Michelessi Manuele , Quaranta Luciano , Riva Ivano , Martini Enrico , Figus Michele , Frezzotti Paolo , Agnifili Luca , Manni Gianluca , Miglior Stefano , Posarelli Chiara , Fazio Stefano , Oddone Francesco
Published: November 2019

Aims

To explore the gap between diagnostic research outputs and clinical use of optical coherence tomography (OCT) in glaucoma and assess the reliability of a specific reference database when applied to a morphological imaging parameter for diagnostic purposes.

Methods

Consecutive subjects enrolled in the Multicenter Italian Glaucoma Imaging Study (MIGIS) have been included in this cross-sectional, comparative evaluation of diagnostic tests study. Patients underwent measurement of global and sectorial peripapillary retinal nerve fibre thickness (pRNFL) and minimum rim width (MRW) by OCT. The sensitivity and specificity of reference-database categorical classifications were calculated by means of 2×2 tables and sensitivity was compared with that of the corresponding continuous parameter extracted from the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves by matching the specificity.

Results

280 Caucasian subjects have been included. At matched specificities, the sensitivity of pRNFL categorical classifications was statistically similar to that of the corresponding continuous parameters, whereas the sensitivity of the MRW categorical classifications was significantly lower than that of the corresponding continuous parameters.

Conclusions

The diagnostic accuracy of reference database classifications might be lower than that extrapolated from the ROC curves of continuous parameters used in diagnostic research. The gap between the accuracy of these two approaches may be used to estimate the reliability of a specific reference database when applied to a continuous parameter for diagnostic purposes.
DNA methylation changes and improved sleep quality in adults with obstructive sleep apnea and diabetes
Authors: Bigini Evelyn G , Chasens Eileen R , Conley Yvette P , Imes Christopher C
Published: November 2019

Objective

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is common among adults with diabetes. However, little is known about the impact of OSA treatment on DNA methylation levels. The purpose of this study is to explore changes in DNA methylation levels among adults with these conditions enrolled in a randomized controlled trial.

Research design and methods

Participants were randomized to continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment or sham-CPAP placebo for 12 weeks. All participants received diabetes education and counseling. At baseline and 12 weeks, white blood cell DNA methylation levels for five candidate genes (ANGPTL4,DAPK3,KAT5,PER1, andTNFAIP3) and hemoglobin A1C (A1C) levels were obtained from blood. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) assessed sleep quality and daytime sleepiness, respectively. T-tests examined within-subject changes from baseline to 12 weeks. Regression analyses explored associations between DNA methylation changes and baseline variables, minutes of therapeutic CPAP use, and changes in A1C levels, PSQI scores, and ESS scores.

Results

Participants (n=10) were 70% female, 80% white, and 61.7±7.9 years old. Among all participants from baseline and 12 weeks,TNFAIP3andPER1DNA methylation levels decreased. At baseline,PER1methylation levels were significantly higher in males and sex-based difference in methylation level changes was observed from baseline to 12 weeks. Changes in DNA methylation levels were not associated with minutes of therapeutic CPAP use or changes in A1C, PSQI scores, and ESS scores.

Conclusions

While DNA methylation level changes were observed in the study, the causal mechanism is unclear and additional work is needed. Although the methylation changes were small, the long-term effects are unknown.
Screening of genetic variants inELANEmutation negative congenital neutropenia by next generation sequencing
Authors: Arunachalam Arun Kumar , Suresh Hemamalini , Edison Eunice Sindhuvi , Korula Anu , Aboobacker Fouzia N , George Biju , Shaji Ramachandran V , Mathews Vikram , Balasubramanian Poonkuzhali
Published: November 2019

Aims

Congenital neutropenia (CN) is a rare inherited disease that results in recurrent, life-threatening bacterial infections due to a deficiency of mature neutrophils. They are usually caused by heterozygousELANEmutations although mutations in other genes likeHAX-1, G6PC3andGFI1have also been reported. Identifying the causative mutation aids in the establishment of diagnosis and rules out other secondary causes of neutropenia like autoimmune cytopenia and evolving aplasia. We aimed to identify the molecular defects in CN patients who had no mutations inELANEgene, by next generation sequencing (NGS) targeting a customised panel of genes.

Methods

DNA samples were sequenced with an Illumina NextSeq sequencer using an in-house customised panel of genes at ≥100× depth. Bioinformatics analysis was carried out and the pathogenic variants were identified using a stepwise filtering and analysis strategy. Specific mutations identified were subsequently validated by Sanger sequencing.

Results

The pathogenic variants identified in the study includes previously reported variants inSBDS(compound heterozygous c.258+2T>C and c.1A>T),GATA2(heterozygous c.1186C>T) and novel variants inWAS(hemizygous c.812T>C),JAGN1(homozygous c.70G>A) andRTEL1(heterozygous c.2893G>C) genes.

Conclusion

This study highlights that the absence ofELANEmutations does not rule out the diagnosis of CN and this NGS based approach with a customised panel will help in diagnostic confirmation in such patients. The early onset of the disease, clinical severity and associated high risk of malignant transformation in CN strongly suggests the need for early diagnosis and therapeutic intervention.
Community-based cooking programme ‘Eat Better Feel Better’ can improve child and family eating behaviours in low socioeconomic groups
Authors: Garcia Ada Lizbeth , Athifa Nurie , Hammond Elizabeth , Parrett Alison , Gebbie-Diben Anne
Published: November 2019

Background

The immediate and sustained impacts of the Eat Better Feel Better cooking programme (EBFBCP) on food choices and eating behaviours in families and children were evaluated.

Methods

The EBFBCP (6 weeks, 2 hours/week) was delivered by community-based organisations in Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Scotland. Before, after and at follow-up, parents/caregivers completed short pictorial questionnaires to report family/child eating behaviours and food literacy.

Results

In total, 83 EBFBCPs were delivered and 516 participants enrolled, of which 432 were parents and caregivers. Questionnaire completion rates were 57% (n=250) for before and after and 13% (n=58) for follow-up. Most participants (80%) were female, 25–44 years old (51%) and considered socioeconomically deprived (80%). The immediate effects of the EBFBCP on eating behaviours and food literacy were families ate less takeaway/fast foods (10% reduction, p=0.019) and ready meals (15% reduction, p=0.003) and cooked more from scratch (20% increase, p<0.001). Children’s consumption of discretionary food/drinks was significantly reduced after the EBFBCP for sugary drinks (10% reduction, p=0.012), savoury snacks (18%, p=0.012), biscuits (17%, p=0.007), sweets/chocolates (23%, p=0.002), fried/roasted potatoes (17%, p<0.001) and savoury pastries (11%, p<0.001). The number of fruit (15%, p=0.008) and vegetable portions (10%, p<0.001) increased, while the number of biscuit portions decreased (13%, p=0.005). Parental food label reading increased (calories, 22%; fat, 23%; sugar, 22%; ingredients, 19%; and portion size, 19%). Most changes were sustained at a median of 10 months’ follow-up.

Conclusion

The EBFBCP improved children’s and families’ food choices and behaviours. The EBFBCP can be recommended to support families to make better food choices.
Reconceptualising risk–benefit analyses: the case of HIV cure research
Authors: Steel Robert
Published: November 2019

Modern antiretroviral therapies (ART) are capable of suppressing HIV in the bloodstream to undetectable levels. Nonetheless, people living with HIV must maintain lifelong adherence to ART to avoid the re-emergence of the infection. So despite the existence and efficacy of ART, there is still substantial interest in development of a cure. But HIV cure trials can be risky, their success is as of yet unlikely, and the medical gain of being cured is limited against a baseline of ART access. The medical prospect associated with participation in cure research thus look poor. Are the risks and burdens that HIV cure research places on participants so high that it is unethical, at present, to conduct it? In this paper, I answer ‘no’. I start my argument by describing a foundational way of thinking about the ethical justification for regulatory limits on research risk; I then apply this way of thinking to HIV cure trials. In offering this analysis, I confine my attention to studies enrolling competent adults and I also do not consider risks research may pose to third parties or society. Rather, my concern is to engage with the thought that some trials are so risky that performing them is an ethically unacceptable way to treat the participants themselves. I reject this thought and instead argue that there is no level of risk, no matter how high, that inherently mistreats a participant.
Burkholderia cenocepaciaET12 transmission in adults with cystic fibrosis
Authors: Blanchard Ana C , Tang Lin , Tadros Manal , Muller Matthew , Spilker Theodore , Waters Valerie J , LiPuma John J , Tullis Elizabeth
Published: November 2019

This report describes transmission of aBurkholderia cenocepaciaET12 strain (ET12-Bc) at the Toronto Adult Cystic Fibrosis (CF) Centre occurring from 2008 to 2017. Epidemiological and genomic data from 11 patients with CF were evaluated. Isolates were analysed using whole genome sequencing (WGS). Epidemiological investigation and WGS analysis suggested nosocomial transmission, despite enhanced infection control precautions. This was associated with subsequent deaths in 10 patients. ET12-Bc positive patients are no longer cared for on the same unit as ET12-Bc negative patients.
Isothermal hydrodynamic pressure and load carrying capacity of parallel rough surfaces based on FFT techniques
Authors: Ma Wan
Published: November 2019

In lubricated contacts, the component macrogeometry (radius of curvature) determines the pressure generation, and the surface microgeometry (i.e., roughness) alters it somewhat. However, for parallel surfaces, the microgeometry completely determines the hydrodynamic lubrication. This paper extends earlier work to numerically solve the isothermal hydrodynamic pressure generation and load carrying capacity (LCC) of surfaces with more complicated roughness features. A fast Fourier transform (FFT)-based method is described to quickly obtain the pressure distribution. The method is applicable to both real surface topographies and artificially generated rough surfaces. Results show that it enables one to predict the hydrodynamic pressure, when cavitation is negligible. The relative error of the LCC over the central domain is smaller than 8% and a 500× time saving, compared with the numerical method, is obtained.
AC charge transport in holographic Horndeski gravity
Authors: Wang Xi-Jing , Liu Hai-Shan , Li Wei-Jia
Published: November 2019

In this paper, we investigate the AC charge transport in the holographic Horndeski gravity and identify a metal-semiconductor like transition that is driven by the Horndeski coupling. Moreover, we fit our numeric data by the Drude formula in slow relaxation cases.
Constraints on mapping the Lounesto’s classes
Authors: Bueno Rogerio R. J.
Published: November 2019

The so-called Lounesto’s classification engenders six distinct classes of spinors, divided into two sectors: one composed by regular spinors (single-helicity spinors) and the other composed by singular spinors (comprising dual-helicity spinors). In the present essay we develop a mechanism to fully define the right class within the Lounesto’s classification a spinor belongs to, without necessity to evaluate the 16 bilinear forms. The analysis lies in the following criteria: a judicious inspection of the phases factor present in both spinor’s components. Thus, the machinery developed here works for both regular and singular spinors. Taking advantage of the present algorithm, we analyse, under certain conditions, the possibility to transmute between the six classes.
Black hole shadow with a cosmological constant for cosmological observers
Authors: Firouzjaee Javad T. , Allahyari Alireza
Published: November 2019

We investigate the effect of the cosmological constant on the angular size of a black hole shadow. It is known that the accelerated expansion which is created by the cosmological constant changes the angular size of the black hole shadow for static observers. However, the shadow size must be calculated for the appropriate cosmological observes. We calculate the angular size of the shadow measured by cosmological comoving observers by projecting the shadow angle to this observer rest frame. We show that the shadow size tends to zero as the observer approaches the cosmological horizon. We estimate the angular size of the shadow for a typical supermassive black hole, e.g M87. It is found that the angular size of the shadow for cosmological observers and static observers is approximately the same at these scales of mass and distance. We present a catalog of supermassive black holes and calculate the effect of the cosmological constant on their shadow size and find that the effect could be $$3\ precent$$3precent for distant sources.
FINTECH, GROWTH AND INEQUALITY: EVIDENCE FROM CHINA’S HOUSEHOLD SURVEY DATA
Authors: ZHANG XUN , ZHANG JIAJIA , WAN GUANGHUA , LUO ZHI
Published: November 2019

This paper represents an early attempt to investigate the growth and distributional effects of Fintech development, using household survey data from China. China’s rapid expansion of Fintech in the past decade has significantly improved the accessibility and affordability of financial services, particularly for formerly financially excluded population groups. Linking the index of digital financial inclusion with China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) data, we find that Fintech development is positively correlated with household income, and the positive effect is larger for rural households than the urban counterpart, suggesting that Fintech development has helped narrow the urban–rural income gap. Moreover, the poor gain more than the rich from Fintech development in rural China, indicating its benign distributive impacts within rural China.
Second-Order Composed Contingent Derivative of the Perturbation Map in Multiobjective Optimization
Authors: Peng Zhenhua , Wan Zhongping
Published: November 2019

In view of the structural advantage of second-order composed derivatives, the purpose of this paper is to analyze quantitatively the behavior of perturbation maps for the first time by using this concept. First, new concepts of the second-order composed adjacent derivative and the second-order composed lower Dini derivative are introduced. Some relationships among the second-order composed contingent derivative, the second-order composed adjacent derivative and the second-order composed lower Dini derivative are discussed. Second, the relationships between second-order composed lower Dini derivable and Aubin property are provided. Third, by virtue of second-order composed contingent derivatives and the above relationships, some results concerning second-order sensitivity analysis are established without the assumption of the locally Lipschitz property or the locally Hölder continuity. Finally, we give some complete characterizations of second-order composed contingent derivatives of the perturbation maps.
Model-independent investigation of the RJ/ψ,ηc and ratios of decay widths of semileptonic Bc decays into a P-wave charmonium
Authors: Wang Wei , Zhu Ruilin
Published: November 2019

Experimental measurements of decay branching fractions of semitaunic and semimuonic [Formula: see text] into [Formula: see text] have challenged the lepton flavor universality in standard models with about two standard deviations. In this paper, we first investigate the unitary constraint on form factors of [Formula: see text] meson into [Formula: see text]-wave and [Formula: see text]-wave charmonium. Such constraint leads to the exploration of the [Formula: see text] and other ratios [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], and [Formula: see text] in a model-independent way. These results together with future experimental measurements can be used to explore the lepton flavor universality in a more systematic way. In addition, we point out that the helicity-dependent ratios [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] can also provide complementary information.
Embedded System Implementation of Shunt Active Power Filter with Direct Compensation Component Generation Using Linear Operational Amplifiers
Authors: Kumaresan S. , Sait H. Habeebullah
Published: November 2019

In this paper, the principles, the design, the methodology of low cost implementation and the results of implementation of a shunt active power filter (SAPF) in the embedded system environment are presented. The system for which the SAPF is considered has a combination of linear reactive load and a three-phase-fed diode bridge rectifier that drives an RL load. The generation of the compensating signal or the reference signal is based upon the direct calculations implemented using the linear operational amplifiers. Further, the generation of the pulse width modulation (PWM) pulses is much similar to the conventional sinusoidal PWM but implemented in the embedded system platform. In this work, the built-in PWM and ADC sections of the microcontroller PIC 16F877A have been utilized for generating the PWM pulses without the requirement of an explicit carrier signal. The proposed method has been validated in MATLAB SIMULINK environment and also by an experimental prototype.
Recent Domain-Specific Applications of Artificial Intelligence Using IoT
Authors: Mali Amol D.
Published: November 2019

This is a survey of recent domain-specific applications involving IoT (Internet of Things) and various areas of artificial intelligence. The domains and problems include malthouse, zoo management, protection of humans in hot working conditions, factory-floor scheduling, prediction of tool-wear-compensation offset, forecasting flooding, reduction in traffic congestion, prediction of flight delays, alcohol-consumption monitoring, recognition of activities at home, prediction of consumption of hot water, search and rescue, steel manufacturing, stroke-survivor monitoring, preventing overcrowding on beaches, and identifying people who are at risk for falls at homes. These applications show the depth, breadth, and diversity of the synergistic combination of AI and IoT.
The Kauffman bracket skein module of the handlebody of genus 2 via braids
Authors: Diamantis Ioannis
Published: November 2019

In this paper we present two new bases, [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text], for the Kauffman bracket skein module of the handlebody of genus 2 [Formula: see text], KBSM[Formula: see text]. We start from the well-known Przytycki-basis of KBSM[Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], and using the technique of parting we present elements in [Formula: see text] in open braid form. We define an ordering relation on an augmented set [Formula: see text] consisting of monomials of all different “loopings” in [Formula: see text], that contains the sets [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] as proper subsets. Using the Kauffman bracket skein relation we relate [Formula: see text] to the sets [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] via a lower triangular infinite matrix with invertible elements in the diagonal. The basis [Formula: see text] is an intermediate step in order to reach at elements in [Formula: see text] that have no crossings on the level of braids, and in that sense, [Formula: see text] is a more natural basis of KBSM[Formula: see text]. Moreover, this basis is appropriate in order to compute Kauffman bracket skein modules of closed–connected–oriented (c.c.o.) 3-manifolds [Formula: see text] that are obtained from [Formula: see text] by surgery, since isotopy moves in [Formula: see text] are naturally described by elements in [Formula: see text].
Classification of Legendrian knots of topological type 76 with maximal Thurston–Bennequin number
Authors: Dynnikov Ivan , Prasolov Maxim
Published: November 2019

We classify Legendrian knots of topological type [Formula: see text] having maximal Thurston–Bennequin number confirming the corresponding conjectures of [W. Chongchitmate and L. Ng, An atlas of Legendrian knots, Exp. Math. 22(1) (2013) 26–37, arXiv:1010.3997].
Robust Optimization Models for Flight Rerouting
Authors: Yang Shangwen , Yan Yongjie , Chen Ping
Published: November 2019

To solve the rerouting problem resulted from uncertain adverse weather and multiple flight-confined areas, absolute robust, deviation robust, and relative robust optimization models for flight rerouting were proposed. Maximum flow method was applied for determining the value of maximum flow for the en-route network affected by adverse weather. A numerical test based on the simulated data of a civil airspace unit was performed. Test results show that, compared with the stochastic model under equal probability scenarios, the robust optimization models gain better effect in adapting to scenario changes. The superiority of the models was verified.
Characterization of Polarized Shear Waves in FGPM Composite Structure with Imperfect Boundary: WKB Method
Authors: Sahu Sanjeev Anand , Baroi Juhi , Chattopadhyay A. , Nirwal Sonal
Published: November 2019

Propagation behavior of horizontally polarized shear waves (SH-waves) in a piezo-composite structure is discussed, using the Wentzel–Kramers–Brillouin (WKB) method. The considered model is made by combining the Functionally Graded Piezoelectric Material (FGPM) layer and piezoelectric orthotropic substrate. The linear form spring model is considered to delineate the imperfection of interface. Moreover, the material properties of FGPM layer are varying linearly along the thickness direction. Dispersion relation is obtained for both electrically open and short cases. Numerical example and graphical representation have been provided to illustrate the effect of different parameters on the phase velocity of SH-waves. As a special case, dispersion relation has been obtained when the boundary is perfect. Results are compared for different orthotropic materials to add more specific observations. Finally, the outcome of this study is validated by matching it with classical Love wave result. Observations will be helpful in optimization of Love wave sensors and Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW) devices.
On the Borwein conjecture
Authors: Li Jiyou
Published: November 2019

A conjecture of Borwein asserts that for any positive integers [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text], the coefficient [Formula: see text] of [Formula: see text] in the expansion of [Formula: see text] is nonnegative. In this paper, we prove that for any [Formula: see text], there is a constant [Formula: see text] such that [Formula: see text] In particular, [Formula: see text]
High-Resolution Imaging in the Visible with Faint Reference Stars on Large Ground-Based Telescopes
Authors: Mackay Craig
Published: November 2019

Astronomers working with faint targets will benefit greatly from improved image quality on current and planned ground-based telescopes. At present, most adaptive optic systems are targeted at the highest resolution with bright guide stars. We demonstrate a significantly new approach for measuring low-order wavefront errors by using a pupil-plane curvature wavefront sensor design. By making low order wavefront corrections, we can deliver significant improvements in image resolution in the visible on telescopes in the 2.5–8.2 m range on good astronomical sites. As a minimum, the angular resolution will be improved by a factor of 2.5–3 under any reasonable conditions and, with further correction and image selection, even sharper images may be obtained routinely. We re-examine many of the assumptions about what may be achieved with faint reference stars to achieve this performance. We show how our new design of curvature wavefront sensor combined with wavefront fitting routines based on radon transforms allow this performance to be achieved routinely. Simulations over a wide range of conditions match the performance already achieved in runs with earlier versions of the hardware described. Reference stars significantly fainter than I [Formula: see text]17[Formula: see text]m may be used routinely to produce images with a near diffraction limited core and halo much smaller than that delivered by natural seeing.
Proximity Results and Faster Algorithms for Integer Programming Using the Steinitz Lemma
Authors: Eisenbrand Friedrich , Weismantel Robert
Published: November 2019

We consider integer programming problems in standard form max {
c

T

x
:
Ax
=
b
,
x
⩾ 0,
x
∈ Z

n

} where
A
∈ Z

m
×
n

,
b
∈ Z

m

, and
c
∈ Z

n

. We show that such an integer program can be solved in time (
m
⋅ Δ)

O
(
m
)

⋅ \Vert b\Vert
∞
2
, where Δ is an upper bound on each absolute value of an entry in
A
. This improves upon the longstanding best bound of Papadimitriou [27] of (
m
⋅ Δ)

O
(
m
2
)

, where in addition, the absolute values of the entries of
b
also need to be bounded by Δ. Our result relies on a lemma of Steinitz that states that a set of vectors in R

m

that is contained in the unit ball of a norm and that sum up to zero can be ordered such that all partial sums are of norm bounded by
m
.

We also use the Steinitz lemma to show that the ℓ
1
-distance of an optimal integer and fractional solution, also under the presence of upper bounds on the variables, is bounded by
m
⋅ (2,
m
⋅ Δ +1)

m

. Here Δ is again an upper bound on the absolute values of the entries of
A
. The novel strength of our bound is that it is independent of
n
.

We provide evidence for the significance of our bound by applying it to general knapsack problems where we obtain structural and algorithmic results that improve upon the recent literature.
The Impact of Different Levels of Autonomy and Training on Operators’ Drone Control Strategies
Authors: Zhou Jin , Zhu Haibei , Kim Minwoo , Cummings Mary L.
Published: November 2019

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), also known as drones, have extensive applications in civilian rescue and military surveillance realms. A common drone control scheme among such applications is human supervisory control, in which human operators remotely navigate drones and direct them to conduct high-level tasks. However, different levels of autonomy in the control system and different operator training processes may affect operators’ performance in task success rate and efficiency. An experiment was designed and conducted to investigate such potential impacts. The results showed us that a dedicated supervisory drone control interface tended toward increased operator successful task completion as compared to an enhanced teleoperation control interface, although this difference was not statistically significant. In addition, using Hidden Markov Models, operator behavior models were developed to further study the impact of operators’ drone control strategies as a function of differing levels of autonomy. These models revealed that people with both supervisory and enhanced teleoperation control training were not able to determine the right control action at the right time to the same degree that people with just training in the supervisory control mode. Future work is needed to determine how trust plays a role in such settings.
Robot Expressive Motions
Authors: Venture Gentiane , Kulić Dana
Published: November 2019

Robots that have different forms and capabilities are used in a wide variety of situations; however, one common point to all robots interacting with humans is their ability to communicate with them. In addition to verbal communication or purely communicative movements, robots can also use their embodiment to generate expressive movements while achieving a task, to convey additional information to its human partner. This article surveys state-of-the-art techniques that generate whole-body expressive movements in robots and robot avatars. We consider different embodiments such as wheeled, legged, or flying systems and the different metrics used to evaluate the generated movements. Finally, we discuss future areas of improvement and the difficulties to overcome to develop truly expressive motions in artificial agents.
Toward Customized Hybrid Fuel-Cell and Battery-powered Mobile Device for Individual Users
Authors: Yan Kaige , Tan Jingweijia , Liu Longjun , Zhang Xingyao , Brankovic Stanko R. , Chen Jinghong , Fu Xin
Published: November 2019

Rapidly evolving technologies and applications of mobile devices inevitably increase the power demands on the battery. However, the development of batteries can hardly keep pace with the fast-growing demands, leading to short battery life, which becomes the top complaints from customers. In this article, we investigate a novel energy supply technology, fuel cell (FC), and leverage its advantages of providing long-term energy storage to build a hybrid FC-battery power system. Therefore, mobile device operation time is dramatically extended, and users are no longer bothered by battery recharging. We examine real-world smartphone usage data and find that a naive hybrid power system cannot meet many users’ highly diversified power demands. We thus propose an OS-level power management policy that reduces the device power consumption for each power peak to solve this mismatch. This technique trades the quality-of-service (QoS) for a larger FC ratio in the system and thus much longer device operation time. We further observe that the user’s personality largely determines his/her satisfaction with the QoS degradation and the operation time extension. Thus, applying a hybrid system with fixed configuration (i.e., peak throttling level coupled with corresponding FC/battery ratio) fails to satisfy every user. We then explore customized hybrid system configuration based on each individual user’s personality to deliver the optimal satisfaction for him/her. The experimental results show that our personality-aware hybrid FC-battery solution can achieve 4× longer operation time and 25% higher satisfaction score compared to the common setting for state-of-the-art mobile devices.
BTMonitor
Authors: Zhou Jia , Joshi Prachi , Zeng Haibo , Li Renfa
Published: November 2019

With the rapid growth of connectivity and autonomy for today’s automobiles, their security vulnerabilities are becoming one of the most urgent concerns in the automotive industry. The lack of message authentication in Controller Area Network (CAN), which is the most popular in-vehicle communication protocol, makes it susceptible to cyber attack. It has been demonstrated that the remote attackers can take over the maneuver of vehicles after getting access to CAN, which poses serious safety threats to the public.

To mitigate this issue, we propose a novel intrusion detection system (IDS), called BTMonitor (Bit-time-based CAN Bus Monitor). It utilizes the small but measurable discrepancy of bit time in CAN frames to fingerprint their sender Electronic Control Units (ECUs). To reduce the requirement for high sampling rate, we calculate the bit time of recessive bits and dominant bits, respectively, and extract their statistical features as fingerprint. The generated fingerprint is then used to detect intrusion and pinpoint the attacker. BTMonitor can detect new types of masquerade attack that the state-of-the-art clock-skew-based IDS is unable to identify. We implement a prototype system for BTMonitor using Xilinx Spartan 6 FPGA for data collection. We evaluate our method on both a CAN bus prototype and a real vehicle. The results show that BTMonitor can correctly identify the sender with an average probability of 99.76% on the real vehicle.
Glacier Change and Paleoclimate Applications of Cosmogenic-Nuclide Exposure Dating
Authors: Balco Greg
Published: November 2019

Surface exposure dating using cosmic-ray-produced nuclides has been applied to determine the age of thousands of landforms produced by alpine glaciers in mountain areas worldwide. These data are potentially an extensive, easily accessible, and globally distributed paleoclimate record. In particular, exposure-dated glacier chronologies are commonly applied to study the dynamics of massive, abrupt climate changes characteristic of the transition between the Last Glacial Maximum and the present interglacial climate. This article reviews developments in exposure dating from the perspective of whether this goal is achievable and concludes that ( a) individual exposure-dated landforms cannot, in general, be associated with millennial-scale climate events at high confidence, but ( b) dating uncertainties appear to be geographically and temporally unbiased, so the data set as a whole can be used to gain valuable insight into regional and global paleoclimate dynamics. Future applications of exposure-age chronologies of glacier change should move away from reliance on individual dated landforms and toward synoptic analysis of the global data set.

▪  Mountain glaciers worldwide leave a geologic record of their past advances and retreats, which reflect past climate changes. ▪  Geochemical dating methods based on cosmic-ray-produced nuclides have been used to date these deposits at thousands of sites worldwide. ▪  This data set is potentially an extensive, accessible, and globally distributed paleoclimate record.