bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The importance of interactive chemistry for stratosphere–troposphere coupling
Authors: Haase Sabine , Matthes Katja
Published: March 2019

Abstract. Recent observational and modeling studies suggest that
stratospheric ozone depletion not only influences the surface climate in the
Southern Hemisphere (SH), but also impacts Northern Hemisphere (NH) spring,
which implies a strong interaction between dynamics and chemistry. Here, we
systematically analyze the importance of interactive chemistry with respect
to the representation of stratosphere–troposphere coupling and in particular
the effects on NH surface climate during the recent past. We use the
interactive and specified chemistry version of NCAR's Whole Atmosphere Community
Climate Model coupled to an ocean model to investigate differences in the
mean state of the NH stratosphere as well as in stratospheric extreme events,
namely sudden stratospheric warmings (SSWs), and their surface impacts. To be
able to focus on differences that arise from two-way interactions between
chemistry and dynamics in the model, the specified chemistry model version
uses a time-evolving, model-consistent ozone field generated by the
interactive chemistry model version. We also test the effects of zonally
symmetric versus asymmetric prescribed ozone, evaluating the importance of
ozone waves in the representation of stratospheric mean state and
variability. The interactive chemistry simulation is characterized by a significantly
stronger and colder polar night jet (PNJ) during spring when
ozone depletion becomes important. We identify a negative feedback between
lower stratospheric ozone and atmospheric dynamics during the breakdown of
the stratospheric polar vortex in the NH, which contributes to the different
characteristics of the PNJ between the simulations. Not only the mean state,
but also stratospheric variability is better represented in the interactive
chemistry simulation, which shows a more realistic distribution of SSWs as
well as a more persistent surface impact afterwards compared with the
simulation where the feedback between chemistry and dynamics is switched off.
We hypothesize that this is also related to the feedback between ozone and
dynamics via the intrusion of ozone-rich air into polar latitudes during
SSWs. The results from the zonally asymmetric ozone simulation are closer to
the interactive chemistry simulations, implying that under a
model-consistent ozone forcing, a three-dimensional (3-D) representation of the
prescribed ozone field is desirable. This suggests that a 3-D ozone forcing,
as recommended for the upcoming CMIP6 simulations, has the potential to
improve the representation of stratospheric dynamics and chemistry. Our
findings underline the importance of the representation of interactive
chemistry and its feedback on the stratospheric mean state and variability
not only in the SH but also in the NH during the recent past.
Implications of constant CFC-11 concentrations for the future ozone layer
Authors: Dameris Martin , Jöckel Patrick , Nützel Matthias
Published: March 2019

Abstract. This investigation is motivated by the results presented by Montzka et al. (2018). They discussed a strong deviation of the assumed emissions of chlorofluorocarbon-11 (CFC-11, CFCl3) in the past 15 years, which indicates a violation of the Montreal Protocol for the protection of the ozone layer. A Chemistry-Climate Model (CCM) study is performed, investigating the consequences of a constant CFC-11 surface mixing ratio for stratospheric ozone: In comparison to a reference simulation (REF-C2), where a decrease of the CFC-11 surface mixing ratio of about 50 % is assumed from the early 2000s to the middle of the century, a sensitivity simulation (SEN-C2-fCFC11) is carried out where after the year 2002 the CFC-11 surface mixing ratio is kept constant until 2050. Differences between these two simulations are shown. These illustrate possible effects on stratospheric ozone. The total column ozone (TCO) in the 2040s (i.e. the years 2041–2050) is in particular affected in both polar regions in winter and spring. At the end of the 2040s maximum discrepancies of TCO are identified with reduced ozone values of up to around 30 Dobson Units (in the order of 10 %) in the SEN simulation. An analysis of the respective partial column ozone (PCO) for the stratosphere indicates that strongest ozone changes are calculated for the polar lower stratosphere, where they are mainly driven by the enhanced stratospheric chlorine content and associated heterogeneous chemical processes. Furthermore, it turns out that the calculated ozone changes, especially in the upper stratosphere, are smaller than expected. In this altitude region the additional ozone depletion due to the catalysis by reactive chlorine is compensated partly by other processes related to enhanced ozone production or reduced ozone loss, for instance from nitrous oxide (NOx).
Retrieval of liquid water cloud properties from POLDER-3 measurements using a neural network ensemble approach
Authors: Di Noia Antonio , Hasekamp Otto P. , van Diedenhoven Bastiaan , Zhang Zhibo
Published: March 2019

Abstract. This paper describes a neural network algorithm for the estimation of liquid
water cloud optical properties from the Polarization and Directionality of
Earth's Reflectances-3 (POLDER-3) instrument aboard the Polarization &
Anisotropy of Reflectances for Atmospheric Sciences coupled with Observations
from a Lidar (PARASOL) satellite. The algorithm has been trained on synthetic
multi-angle, multi-wavelength measurements of reflectance and polarization
and has been applied to the processing of 1 year of POLDER-3 data.
Comparisons of the retrieved cloud properties with Moderate Resolution
Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) products show that the neural network
algorithm has a low bias of around 2 in cloud optical thickness (COT) and
between 1 and 2 µm in the cloud effective radius. Comparisons with
existing POLDER-3 datasets suggest that the proposed scheme may have enhanced
capabilities for cloud effective radius retrieval, at least over land. An
additional feature of the presented algorithm is that it provides COT and
effective radius retrievals at the native POLDER-3 Level 1B pixel level.
Ozone and temperature decadal solar-cycle responses, and their relation to diurnal variations in the stratosphere, mesosphere, and lower thermosphere, based on measurements from SABER on TIMED
Authors: Huang Frank T. , Mayr Hans
Published: March 2019

Abstract. There is evidence that the ozone and temperature responses to the solar cycle of ~ 11 years depend on the local times of measurements. Here we present relevant results based on SABER data over a full diurnal cycle, not available previously. In this area, almost all satellite data used are made at only one or two fixed local times, which can be different among various satellites. Consequently, estimates of responses can be different depending on the specific data set. Also, over years, due to orbital drift, the local times of measurements of some satellites have also drifted. In contrast, SABER makes measurements at various local times, providing the opportunity to estimate diurnal variations over 24 hrs. We can then also estimate responses to the solar cycle over both a diurnal cycle and at the fixed local times of specific satellite data for comparison. Our results of responses, based on zonal means of SABER measurements, agree favorably with previous studies based on data from the HALOE instrument, which measured data only at sunrise and sunset, thereby supporting the analysis of both studies. We find that for ozone above ~ 40 km, zonal means reflecting specific local times (e.g., 6, 12, 18, 24 hrs) lead to different values of responses, and to different responses based on zonal means that are also averages over the 24 hours of local time, as in 3D models. For temperature, effects of diurnal variations on the responses are not negligible even at ~ 30 km and above. We also have considered the consequences of local-time variations due to orbital drifts of certain operational satellites, and for both ozone and temperature, their effects can be significant above ~ 30 km. Previous studies based other satellite data do not describe their treatment, if any, of local times. Some studies also analyzed data merged from different sources, with measurements made at different local times. Generally, the results of these studies do not agree so well among themselves. Although responses are a function of diurnal variations, this is not to say that they are the major reason for the differences, as there are likely other data-related issues. The effects due to satellite orbital drift may explain some unexpected variations in the responses, especially above 40 km.
ESD Ideas: Why are glacial inceptions slower than terminations?
Authors: Ramadhin Christine , Yi Chuixiang
Published: March 2019

Abstract. The Earth’s climate during the Quaternary is dominated by short warm interglacials and longer cold glaciations paced by external forcings such as changes in insolation. Although not observed in the solar radiation changes, the time series of the cycles display asymmetry since transitions to full glacial conditions are slower than termination of glaciations. Here an idea is proposed for the slower transition by identifying and describing two negative sea ice feedbacks, dominant during the glaciation process that could serve as a control of the intermediate stage and decrease the pace of the process.
Developing GIS-based water poverty and rainwater harvesting suitability maps for domestic use in the Dead Sea region (West Bank, Palestine)
Authors: Shadeed Sameer M. , Judeh Tariq G. , Almasri Mohammad N.
Published: March 2019

Abstract. In the arid region of the Dead Sea, water shortage and the inability to
satisfy the increasing domestic water demand threatens sustainable
development. In such situations, domestic rainwater harvesting is considered
an efficient way to combat water poverty. This paper aims to develop domestic
water poverty (DWP) and domestic rainwater harvesting suitability (DRWHS)
maps for the West Bank, Palestine. The analytical hierarchy process (AHP) and
the GIS-based weighted overlay summation process (WOSP) were utilized in the
development of these maps. Results of the DWP map indicate that 57 % of
the West Bank is under high to very high poverty of domestic water. The DRWHS
map shows that 60 % of the West Bank is highly suitable for domestic
rainwater harvesting. Spatial intersection (combined mapping) between DWP and
DRWHS maps indicates that around 31 % of the total West Bank areas could
be classified as high potential locations (hotspot areas) for adopting
rainwater harvesting techniques for domestic purposes. The developed maps are
valuable to the stakeholders to better identify the best areas of rainwater
harvesting in the West Bank.
Resolving the influence of temperature forcing through heat conduction on rock glacier dynamics: a numerical modelling approach
Authors: Cicoira Alessandro , Beutel Jan , Faillettaz Jérome , Gärtner-Roer Isabelle , Vieli Andreas
Published: March 2019

Abstract. In recent years, observations have highlighted seasonal and
interannual variability in rock glacier flow. Temperature forcing, through
heat conduction, has been proposed as one of the key processes to explain
these variations in kinematics. However, this mechanism has not yet been
quantitatively assessed against real-world data. We present a 1-D numerical modelling approach that couples heat conduction to
an empirically derived creep model for ice-rich frozen soils. We use this
model to investigate the effect of thermal heat conduction on seasonal and
interannual variability in rock glacier flow velocity. We compare the model
results with borehole temperature data and surface velocity measurements from
the PERMOS and PermaSense monitoring network available for the Swiss Alps. We
further conduct a model sensitivity analysis in order to resolve the
importance of the different model parameters. Using the prescribed
empirically derived rheology and observed near-surface temperatures, we are
able to model the correct order of magnitude of creep. However, both
interannual and seasonal variability are underestimated by an order of
magnitude, implying that heat conduction alone cannot explain the observed
variations. Therefore, we conclude that non-conductive processes, likely
linked to water availability, must dominate the short-term velocity signal.
Proximal Radius Fractures in Children
Authors: Nicholson Luke T. , Skaggs David L.
Published: March 2019

Fractures of the proximal radius represent 5% to 10% of all elbow fractures in children. These fractures have many treatment options and have a high risk of complication, particularly loss of forearm rotation. Nonsurgical management of minimally displaced radial neck fractures produces excellent results in most patients. For displaced fractures, numerous methods of closed and percutaneous reduction have been proposed, whereas open reduction has been associated with particularly poor outcome. Many additional factors, including fracture angulation, patient age, associated injury, articular involvement, and internal fixation, may lead to worse outcomes. Because the literature is limited to retrospective case series, few studies provide high-level evidence to guide the treatment of pediatric proximal radius fractures; however, certain management principles have been established that are reviewed here.
Síndrome PFAPA: Diagnóstico e Tratamento na Atenção Primária à Saúde
Authors: Bueno Laniel Aparecido , Paiva Débora Magalhães , Carvalho Paulo Henrique Pimenta de
Published: March 2019

Objetivo: Apresentar informações sobre o diagnóstico e tratamento da síndrome PFAPA na Atenção Primária à Saúde. Métodos: Revisão sistemática de literatura baseada na recomendação PRISMA e realizada nas bases de dados Scielo, Lilacs, Medline, IBECS e PubMed, incluindo estudos publicados no período de 2004 a 2018, além da consulta a outros documentos específicos da síndrome PFAPA. Resultados: Após busca e seleção, foram incluídos 31 artigos. Avaliação e Diagnóstico: A síndrome PFAPA acomete principalmente crianças, sendo caracterizada por febre periódica acompanhada por faringite, estomatite aftosa e/ou adenite cervical. Seu diagnóstico é clínico e por exclusão, baseado em critérios estabelecidos. Recomendações: Os episódios costumam responder a prednisona e, em graus variáveis, a cimetidina e colchicina. Casos refratários e acompanhados de hipertrofia tonsilar são candidatos a tonsilectomia, devendo ser encaminhados à avaliação otorrinolaringológica.
A LEI ESTADUAL NO 1.320/2018 E O PROCEDIMENTO DE LANÇAMENTO TRIBUTÁRIO
Authors: Marcel Goto Carlos , França Teixeira Marcio
Published: March 2019

The complementary state law n. 1.320 / 2018 added in the scope of the State of São Paulo the
Program of Encouragement to Tax Conformity. This law defines principles of relationship between
taxpayers and the State of São Paulo, establishing rules of tax compliance. In this context, the
purpose of this article is to verify whether or not this law belongs to the the administrative
procedure for tax registration. The method applied was the legal deductive, from the analysis
of national legislation and articles. It was verified that the launch procedure in its definition does
not belong to the law of conformity. However, taking into account a systematic interpretation, it is
possible to say that the law of conformity has its merits and can coexist in harmony with the
launch procedure for tax registration
APONTAMENTOS SOBRE OS NEGÓCIOS JURÍDICOS PROCESSUAIS NO NCPC 2015
Authors: Samuel Paião Olivie , Teixeira Rainho Murilo
Published: March 2019

This paper provides notes on the legal and procedural business, as well as the legal relevance
they gained with the insertion and validity in the New Code of Civil Procedure of 2015. It was
discussed the conceptualization of the juridical proceedings, in summary, that is the possibility
of the parties to agree on what best suits them as regards procedural matters. It also corroborates such negotiation for procedural delimitations expeditiously, seeking a consensual solution
of conflicts without the total intervention of the judiciary, avoiding, even, the formation of a
process of knowledge. Thus, after the introduction, the institute will be addressed in more
depth, in the part of the discussion, pointing out the new clothing in the civil process, that is, to
reduce the demands in the judiciary. Finally, the paper concludes the work demonstrating the
innovations brought by the NCPC regarding the procedural legal business, as well as the importance of this article
BREVES CONSIDERAÇÕES SOBRE O ESTADO DE DIREITO NA MODERNIDADE
LÍQUIDA E AS LEIS DE EMERGÊNCIA
Authors: Claudio Araujo Gean
Published: March 2019

Postmodernity brought a certain ephemerality to many aspects of society with constant
changes, including in the criminal sphere. The purpose of the present study is to analyze these
changes, through research on the legislative process in periods of trouble for society, the
methodology found that faced with events of great popular commotion, the legislative
response consists in the creation of emergency laws, the illusory sense of being curbed by
crime and ensuring security. It is imperative to analyze the real efficiency of legislative
proposals that arise in this context; the results demonstrate the ineffectiveness of such
projects. We used the present study to study the use of criminal law as an instrument of
political response to society
Frequency of Trichomoniasis and Related Risk Factors in the Women Referred to Bandar Abbas Health Centers, Iran, 2017-2018
Authors: Ghobahi Maryam , Hamedi Yaghoob , Shamseddin Jebreil , Heydari-Hengami Mehrgan , Sharifi-Sarasiabi Khojasteh
Published: March 2019

Background: Trichomonas vaginalis is one of the most important parasites transmitted through sexual contact. Therefore, it is considered a major public health problem. Best to our knowledge, there are no new reports about the prevalence of T. vaginalis in Bandar Abbas. Objectives: The present study aimed to determine the frequency of T. vaginalis in women referred to the urban and rural health centers of Bandar Abbas, Iran. In addition, other risk factors associated with this parasite were investigated. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted between October 2017 and June 2018. Five hundred samples obtained from vaginal discharges or fluid were examined using wet mount and culture in Diamond medium. Moreover, the demographic data and related risk factors were gathered as a questionnaire. To analyze the data, SPSS ver. 20 was used and the statistical tests of chi-square and Fisher’s exact were applied. Results: In this study, T. vaginalis was detected in 13 (2.6%) out of 500 samples of the vaginal discharges or fluids in which 12 (2.4%) were detected by wet mount and 13 (2.6%) by culture method, respectively. A significant difference was observed between the incidence of the parasite and place of residence, the level of education, and abortion. Conclusions: The relatively low parasite outbreak in the studied samples is likely as a result of continuous monitoring and appropriate treatment.
Estratégias de letramento voltadas à intervenção fonoaudiológica em pessoas com síndrome de Down
Authors: Delgado Isabelle Cahino , Barbosa Talita Maria Monteiro Farias , Macêdo Bruna Samyres Oliveira de , Lima Cynderella Karla Moraes de , Régis Mariane Sousa , Lima Ivonaldo Leidson Barbosa , Alves Giorvan Ânderson dos Santos
Published: March 2019

Esse estudo objetivou caracterizar e discutir as estratégias de letramento utilizadas na intervenção fonoaudiológica em sujeitos com síndrome de Down. Para isso, foram analisados os prontuários de 29 sujeitos, de ambos os sexos, atendidos em um projeto de extensão universitária, com idades entre dois e trinta e um anos. A análise dos dados observou as práticas de letramento utilizadas com os indivíduos, seguido da categorização em dois grupos de acordo com os objetivos da intervenção. O primeiro grupo focava o desenvolvimento das estratégias com foco na modalidade oral da língua, como: leitura de livros infantis; atividades de psicomotricidade associando à linguagem oral; leitura de histórias e recontagem; uso de músicas infantis, explorando o conteúdo da mesma. Já o objetivo do segundo grupo era o de desenvolver a linguagem escrita, fazendo com que o indivíduo entendesse e utilizasse a escrita em sua funcionalidade, como: leitura de histórias que sejam do interesse do sujeito, produção de diversos gêneros textuais, jogos que explorem a consciência fonológica, uso dos gêneros digitais. Observou-se que as estratégias de letramento encontradas puderam contribuir para o desenvolvimento linguístico, educacional e social da pessoa com síndrome de Down, as mesmas buscam envolver a linguagem nas práticas sociais. As estratégias são benéficas para o trabalho do fonoaudiólogo, assim como, para outros profissionais que lidam com a população estudada.
Temas em altas habilidades/superdotação na perspectiva de gênero: um estudo de revisão sistemática
Authors: Massuda Mayra Berto , Orlando Rosimeire Maria
Published: March 2019

As pesquisas acerca das altas habilidades/superdotação (ah/sd) cresceram consideravelmente no cenário nacional após 1990 e mais vertiginosamente após 2008. Apesar disso, ainda são escassos os estudos que relacionam a temática das ah/sd e o gênero feminino. Assim, na tentativa de compreender os caminhos percorridos e os vales a serem desbravados nas pesquisas sobre esse tema, este estudo tem por objetivo analisar artigos pertinentes à temática, publicados em periódicos científicos entre os anos 2007 e 2016, a fim de discutir principalmente a que objetivos eles atendem, quais foram os avanços alcançados e quais pontos têm sido negligenciados nesse contexto. O método adotado na pesquisa foi exploratório do tipo revisão sistemática de pesquisas empíricas publicadas em periódicos indexados em duas bases de dados: a Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO) e os Periódicos da Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES). As buscas resultaram em 25 artigos que foram submetidos à técnica de revisão sistemática. Dentre os resultados levantados, destacam-se três grandes temáticas: análise das diferenças entre gêneros, estereótipos de gênero e aspirações profissionais. Nesse cenário, enfatiza-se a frequente utilização de escalas, scores e provas psicométricas na comparação entre as diferenças de gênero, a presença de estereótipos de gênero nos processos de identificação das ah/sd e também as diferenças de aspirações de carreira e de estilo de vida de homens e mulheres com ah/sd.
Perfil escolar de estudantes com deficiência na Educação de Jovens e Adultos, nível ensino médio
Authors: Leite Graciliana Garcia , Campos Juliane Aparecida de Paula Perez
Published: March 2019

O objetivo do estudo foi analisar o perfil escolar de estudantes com deficiência matriculados na Educação de Jovens e Adultos (EJA), nível ensino médio.  O estudo contou com a participação de 10 estudantes de diferentes escolas estaduais de três municípios do interior do estado de São Paulo. Para coleta de dados, aplicou-se o questionário socioeconômico adaptado do Exame Nacional para Certificação de Competências de Jovens e Adultos (ENCEJA 2013). Os resultados indicaram perfil jovem dos estudantes, predominância do sexo masculino, baixo nível escolaridade dos pais, perfil econômico baixo e fragmentação do processo de escolarização, caracterizado pela interrupção dos estudos. Foi possível concluir que os estudantes reconhecem que o retorna a escola representa a oportunidade ascensão profissional, rompendo com o processo de fragmentação escolar. Destacamos a relevância do estudo, pois é necessário conhecer o perfil dos estudantes que frequentam a EJA, como forma de compreender sua caracterização e trajetória escolar, oportunizando o desenvolvimento educacional destes sujeitos no contexto do ensino regular.
Qualificação profissional para pessoas com deficiência intelectual: perspectiva dos professores
Authors: Costa Mariela Cristina de Aguiar , Carvalho-Freitas Maria Nivalda de , Freitas Marina Carvalho
Published: March 2019

Este estudo investigou a percepção dos professores acerca da qualificação profissional para pessoas com deficiência intelectual oferecido nas APAEs de Minas Gerais. Realizou-se um estudo com uma amostra de 47 professores de 21 APAEs do Estado por meio do método quantitativo – survey, cuja análise envolveu técnicas estatísticas, como: análise descritiva e análise do coeficiente de correlação de Spearman. Também foi utilizado o método qualitativo, por meio de entrevistas semiestruturadas, em três instituições apaeanas com nove professores, transcritas e submetidas à análise de conteúdo. Os resultados indicam que as oficinas profissionalizantes para pessoas com deficiência intelectual oferecidas nas APAEs contribuem em vários aspectos para a ocupação e o desenvolvimento dos alunos. Verificou-se também que o processo de qualificação profissional está associado à necessidade das famílias em relação ao Benefício de Prestação Continuada e às concepções de deficiência dos professores, indicando que as discussões sobre qualificação profissional de pessoas com deficiência intelectual envolvem outros fatores para além das ações de formação propriamente ditas.
Attribution of non-ClinicalTrials.gov registries among WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform-registered trials from 2014 to 2018: A protocol for a meta-epidemiological study
Authors: Banno Masahiro , Tsujimoto Yasushi , Kataoka Yuki
Published: March 2019

Background. The attribution of non-ClinicalTrials.gov registries among registered trials of the World Health Organization (WHO) International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP) had increased until 2013. However, the attribution after 2013 is unknown. Moreover, no study has investigated the usage of non-ClinicalTrials.gov registries after 2015 or compared the characteristics of trials under non-ClinicalTrials.gov and ClinicalTrials.gov registries. Methods. This will be a meta-epidemiological study. It will include all trials registered on the ICTRP from January 1, 2014, to December 31, 2018. First, we will describe the total attribution of non-ClinicalTrials.gov registries among the ICTRP-registered trials for each year and each registry worldwide. Second, we will compare the recruitment status, target sample size, study type, countries, retrospective registration, funding, and study phase of the trials on ClinicalTrials.gov and other registries from 2014 to 2018. Third, we will report on the distribution of primary registries of trials from the top five countries in order of the quantity of registered trials on the ICTRP. We will separately report the results from interventional and other studies. Inclusion criteria for interventional studies will be studies that include the word “intervention” or “interventional” in “study type” of the data set. Other studies will refer to studies other than interventional studies such as cohort, case-control, and cross-sectional studies. Ethics & Dissemination. Ethics approval is not required for this study. This protocol has been registered in the University Hospital Medical Information Network Clinical Trials Registry (UMIN-CTR). The findings will be published in a peer-reviewed journal and may be presented at conferences. Trial Registration Number. UMIN000034401
The excavating sponge Cliona orientalis as a coral reef competitor’s on Krakatau Islands colonisation, Indonesia
Authors: Putra Singgih Afifa
Published: March 2019

The recovery of coral reefs on Krakatau Islands after the destructive eruption in 1883 has been reported in very limited study. Coral reefs began to grow on all islands in the Krakatau volcanic complex, including the highly active volcano island i.e. Anak Krakatau (north to west coast). Survival of coral reefs in the Krakatau Islands influenced by several factors such as predation, diseases, soft coral overgrowth, and also sediment covers. Somehow, sponges as one of killer-competitor of coral reefs have never been reported in the Krakatau Islands.
Using 3D micro-geomorphometry to quantify interstitial spaces of an oyster cluster
Authors: Kim Kwanmok , Lecours Vincent , C. Frederick Peter
Published: March 2019

In ecology, it is assumed that the characteristics (e.g. shape, size) of interstitial spaces found in a variety of habitats affect the colonization of species, species interactions, and species composition. However, those characteristics have traditionally been difficult to measure due to technological limitations. In this study, we used the Structure-from-Motion (SfM) photogrammetry technique to measure the physical characteristics of interstitial spaces in a small oyster cluster. The point cloud (and mesh) of the oyster cluster derived from SfM photogrammetry was found to be accurate enough (mean error of 0.654 mm) to conduct 3D geomorphometric analyses. We present an example of measures of curvature, roughness, interstitial volume, surface area, and openness for three 3D interstitial spaces. The interpretation of those measures enabled establishing which interstitial spaces were the most likely to be used as a shelter for an average crab. Those spaces are characterized by smaller openness and higher roughness and curvature measures. This initial quantitative 3D characterization of an oyster cluster is the first step in establishing empirical relationships between structural complexity of biological structures like oyster clusters and their ecological role for instance in predator-prey interactions. Overall, this study demonstrates the feasibility of combining SfM photogrammetry with geomorphometry for fine-scale ecological studies.
Melatonin improves the efficiency of super-ovulation and timed artificial insemination in sheep
Authors: Song Yukun , Wu Hao , Wang Xuguang , Hairy Aerman , Zhang Xiaosheng , Zhang Jinlong , Wu Yingjie , Lian Zhengxing , Fu Juncai , Liu Guoshi , Wusiman Abulizi
Published: March 2019

It has been well proved that melatonin participates in the regulation of the seasonal reproduction of ewes. However, the effects of short term treatment of melatonin on ewe’s ovulation are still to be clarified. In this study, the effects of melatonin on the number of embryo s harvested from superovulation, and the pregnant rate in recipients after embryo transferred have been investigated. Hu sheep with synchronous estrus treatment were given melatonin subcutaneously injection (0, 5, and 10 mg/ewe, respectively). It was found that t he estrogen level in the group of 5 mg melatonin was significantly higher than that of other two groups a t the time of sperm insemination ( p < 0.05). The pregnant rate and number of lambs in the group of 5 mg melatonin treatment was also significantly higher than that of the rests of the groups ( P < 0.05). In another study, 31 Suffolk ewes as donors and 103 small-tailed han sheep ewes as recipients were used to produce pronuclear embryo and embryo transfer. Melatonin (5 mg) was given to the donors during estrus. The results showed that, the number of pronuclear embryos and the pregnancy rate were also significantly higher in melatonin group than that in the control group . In addition, 28 donors and 44 recipient ewes were used to produce morula/blastocyst and embryo transferring. Melatonin (5 mg) was given during estrus. The total number of embryos harvested ( 7.40±1.25/ewe vs. 3.96±0.73/ewe, P<0.05 ) and the pregnant rate (72.3±4.6% vs.54.7±4.0%, P<0.05) and number of lambs were also increased in melatonin group compared to the control group. Collectively, the results have suggested that melatonin treatment 36 hours after CIDR withdrawal could promote the number and quality of embryos in the in vivo condition and increased the pregnant rate and number of lambs.
Behavioural and neural signatures of perceptual decision-making are modulated by pupil-linked arousal
Authors: van Kempen Jochem , Loughnane Gerard M , Newman Daniel P , Kelly Simon P , Thiele Alexander , O'Connell Redmond G , Bellgrove Mark A
Published: March 2019

The timing and accuracy of perceptual decision-making is exquisitely sensitive to fluctuations in arousal. Although extensive research has highlighted the role of various neural processing stages in forming decisions, our understanding of how arousal impacts these processes remains limited. Here we isolated electrophysiological signatures of decision-making alongside signals reflecting target selection, attentional engagement and motor output and examined their modulation as a function of tonic and phasic arousal, indexed by baseline and task-evoked pupil diameter, respectively. Reaction times were shorter on trials with lower tonic, and higher phasic arousal. Additionally, these two pupil measures were predictive of a unique set of EEG signatures that together represent multiple information processing steps of decision-making. Finally, behavioural variability associated with fluctuations in tonic and phasic arousal, indicative of neuromodulators acting on multiple timescales, was mediated by its effects on the EEG markers of attentional engagement, sensory processing and the variability in decision processing.
Complementary networks of cortical somatostatin interneurons enforce layer specific control
Authors: Naka Alexander , Veit Julia , Shababo Ben , Chance Rebecca K , Risso Davide , Stafford David , Snyder Benjamin , Egladyous Andrew , Chu Desiree , Sridharan Savitha , Mossing Daniel P , Paninski Liam , Ngai John , Adesnik Hillel
Published: March 2019

The neocortex is functionally organized into layers. Layer four receives the densest bottom up sensory inputs, while layers 2/3 and 5 receive top down inputs that may convey predictive information. A subset of cortical somatostatin (SST) neurons, the Martinotti cells, gate top down input by inhibiting the apical dendrites of pyramidal cells in layers 2/3 and 5, but it is unknown whether an analogous inhibitory mechanism controls activity in layer 4. Using high precision circuit mapping, in vivo optogenetic perturbations, and single cell transcriptional profiling, we reveal complementary circuits in the mouse barrel cortex involving genetically distinct SST subtypes that specifically and reciprocally interconnect with excitatory cells in different layers: Martinotti cells connect with layers 2/3 and 5, whereas non-Martinotti cells connect with layer 4. By enforcing layer-specific inhibition, these parallel SST subnetworks could independently regulate the balance between bottom up and top down input.
Long-term high physical activity modulates event-related potential indices of inhibitory control in postmenopausal women
Authors: Xu Chang , Lu Yingzhi , Wang Biye , Zhou Chenglin
Published: March 2019

Background

Inhibition processing is sensitive to aging, and an age-related decline in inhibition processing has been associated with an accelerated rate of progression to Alzheimer disease. Elderly women are two to three times more likely than age-matched men to have Alzheimer disease. Therefore, this study examined whether long-term high physical activity affects inhibitory processing, specifically among postmenopausal women.

Methods

In total, 251 candidates were screened using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment and the Raven’s Standard Progressive Matrices to assess their cognitive abilities and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (Chinese version) to assess their physical activity levels. The participants were then grouped into either a long-term high physical activity group (defined as more than 3 days of high intensity activity per week and gross metabolic equivalent minutes (MET-minutes) higher than 1,500 MET-minutes/week or a gross MET higher than 3,000 MET-minutes/week obtained through walking or other moderate or high intensity activity) or a control group and matched for demographic and health characteristics as well as cognitive scores. Event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded as participants performed a Go/No-go task to assess inhibition processing.

Results

The long-term high physical activity group (n= 30) had faster Go reaction times than the control group (n= 30), whereas no significant difference between the two groups was found in their performance accuracy on the No-go task. For the ERP results, the latency of N2 component was significantly shorter in the long-term high physical activity group than that in the control group.

Discussion

The results of this study suggested that long-term high physical activity may increase the efficiency of the inhibitory control system by increasing the activity of response monitoring processes.
Inductively Coupled Plasma‐Mass Spectrometry in Biodistribution Studies of (Engineered) Nanoparticles
Authors: Krystek Petra , Cirtiu Ciprian M. , Braakhuis Hedwig , Park Margriet , de Jong Wim H.
Published: March 2019

The biodistribution of engineered inorganic nanomaterials with size characteristics of one, two, or three dimensions smaller than 100 nm is a fast‐growing analytical and toxicological research field. This article gives a detailed overview of biodistribution studies with gold (Au), silver (Ag), and titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles (NPs).

Exposure to NPs is possible via inhalation, injection, ingestion, and skin contact. The distribution of NPs in the body is affected by their chemical/elemental composition, size and size distribution, shape, coatings, surface properties, and their stability under the selected circumstances.

The evaluation of the presence of NPs to determine their tissue distribution is not easy. The presence of NP can be identified by electron microscopy (EM), but this is a time‐ and labor‐consuming technique. So, instead of determining the presence of the NPs themselves, distribution studies can use elemental analysis by inductively coupled plasma‐mass spectrometry (ICP‐MS) as indication for the tissue distribution of NPs. In the field of analytical research, the suitable application of ICP‐MS is crucial and discussed in detail. More recent relevant analytical techniques, especially single‐particle inductively coupled plasma‐mass spectrometry (sp‐ICP‐MS) and the hyphenation of field‐flow fractionation (FFF) hyphenated to ICP‐MS, the obtained results, as well as the evaluations are presented too.
Plasma Spectrochemistry in Material Sciences – Theory and Recent Applications
Authors: Richter Silke
Published: March 2019

This article provides an overview about state‐of‐the‐art methods in the field of plasma spectrometry and its application in material science. Different types of plasmas with their special characteristics for various applications are described. Indirect analytical methods involving sample digestion and often also analyte/matrix separation prior to analyzing the samples still represent the most important routine methods. Here, plasma optical emission and mass spectrometry are the most frequently used determination techniques with a wide variety of instruments commercially available. To avoid the risk of analyte loss or of contaminations during an often time consuming and laborious sample preparation, the use of techniques with direct solid sampling is considered an attractive alternative for the analysis of many materials. A survey on applications with a special focus on direct solid sampling techniques such as GDMS, GD‐OES, LA‐ICPMS, ETV‐ICPMS, ETV‐ICP‐OES, DC‐Arc is given. Different possible calibration strategies are discussed.
Applications of Fluorescence Studies in Dentistry
Authors: Thoms Michael , Frentzen Matthias
Published: March 2019

Fluorescence opens up new opportunities to investigate diseases in the oral cavity. The application of fluorescence methods to detect caries, calculus, and cancerous tissue is discussed, and the working principle of devices using fluorescence to detect diseases in the oral cavity is explained. In order to assess the possible benefits of this technique, studies are reviewed that compare the performance to detect diseases of fluorescence devices such as quantitative laser fluorescence (QLF), DIAGNOdent, or VistaProof with conventional techniques such as X‐ray or visual inspection. Related values of the sensitivity and specificity are given. It is found that using fluorescence devices the detection of diseases in the oral cavity can be improved. Therefore, the opportunity evolves to detect diseases in less‐advanced stages and to improve the state of health of patients.
Progress on the Transcriptome Analysis of Medicinal Plants with Next‐Generation Sequencing Technologies
Authors: Luo Hongmei , Chen Shilin
Published: March 2019

Most medicinal plants are sources for the production of valuable natural products. Major natural products possessing pharmacological properties are secondary metabolites of medicinal plants. However, transcriptomes/genomes of most medicinal plants are not available, which hinders biological research on the biosynthetic mechanism of these bioactive secondary metabolites. Transcriptome analysis is a promising tool to illustrate biological processes, such as the biosynthesis of bioactive compounds, growth and development and genetic diversity of medicinal plants. Next‐generation sequencing (NGS) technologies, including second‐generation sequencing (SGS) and third‐generation sequencing (TGS) (e.g. PacBio) technologies, are suitable for the transcriptome analysis of medicinal plants. NGS sequencing is advantageous for the identification of gene expression profiling and facilitates reliable discoveries of secondary metabolite biosynthetic pathway‐related genes. Recently, hybrid sequencing strategies integrating the strength of SGS and PacBio sequencing have made much transcriptome information available. Additionally, NGS sequencing technologies aids in the direct detection of genetic markers and alternative splicing events related to the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites, which facilitates fast‐track breeding of medicinal plants.
Metabolomics: Experimental Design, Methodology, and Data Analysis
Authors: Schripsema Jan , Dagnino Denise
Published: March 2019

This article focuses on the practical and potential applications of metabolomics. The different steps of metabolomics experiments are discussed, from the initial design, sampling, and measurements, to chromatograms and spectra, pretreatment of data, and interpretation of data to find marker compounds. The article discusses how to choose the analytical techniques, extraction procedures, and methods for data analysis. The techniques in metabolomics are increasingly standardized, but rapid development is still going on, leading to the introduction of new techniques and methods. The latest developments have been reviewed.
Lithium Metal Anode
Authors: Li Siyuan , Yang Jixiang , Lu Yingying
Published: March 2019

Lithium metal batteries (LMBs) are among the most sought‐after battery chemistries for high‐energy storage devices. However, LMBs always undergo uncontrollable lithium deposition, relatively lower Coulombic efficiency (CE), severe side reactions, and limited power output, which impede their practical applications. In the last 40 years, numerous efforts have been made to solve these issues, ranging from theoretically modeling the lithium dendrite growth behavior to experimentally modifying the lithium metal anode. This article provides an overview of LMBs and its main challenge—dendritic lithium growth. First, the advantages and disadvantages of LMBs are discussed compared with the state‐of‐the‐art lithium‐ion batteries, in which the lithium dendrite growth and fast CE decay are extensively considered. Specific characterization techniques are also summarized to understand the growing behavior of dendritic lithium and anode surface chemistry. To understand the fading mechanisms of LMBs, numerous models and hypotheses are carried out to predict the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) formation, ionic electromigration, and finally dendritic growth behavior. From the insights of the abovementioned theoretical basis, methods concerning on suppressing lithium dendrites and improving the cell CE are categorized as the electrolyte additives, structural electrolyte development, new battery operation mode, multidimensional composite electrode design, and so on. Finally, future directions are given that are expected to drive progress in the development of LMBs.
Association of Arthritis Onset with Influenza: Analysis of the Canadian Early Inflammatory Arthritis Cohort
Authors: Kudaeva Fatima , Speechley Mark , Klar Neil , Schieir Orit , Bartlett Susan J. , Bessette Louis , Boire Gilles , Hazlewood Glen , Hitchon Carol A. , Keystone Edward , Tin Diane , Thorne Carter , Bykerk Vivian P. , Pope Janet E. ,   Canadian Early Arthritis Cohort (CATCH) investigators
Published: March 2019

Objective

To evaluate seasonal patterns of early inflammatory arthritis (IA) onset and potential associations with IA symptom onset.

Methods

The Canadian Early Arthritis Cohort (CATCH) is an inception cohort study of adults with early (12 months or less) IA. We used patient reports of symptom onset as a proxy of IA onset and examined the seasonal distribution of IA onset over 10 years. Influenza time series was based on laboratory‐confirmed influenza A and B from the Canadian FluWatch surveillance from 2010‐2016. Bivariate analysis of influenza and IA was performed using cross‐correlations with different time lags and Poisson regression. IA and influenza were recorded as monthly total frequencies.

Results

Of 2519 IA patients, 88% had confirmed rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Significantly, more IA onsets occurred in winter compared with other seasons (P = 0.03); although IA onset was more frequent in January, the difference between months was not statistically significant. Compared to months with the lowest influenza rates, months with the highest influenza rates had a statistically significant, but trivial, increase of 0.003% in the incidence of IA (incidence rate ratio (95% confidence interval): 1.00003 (1.00005; 1.000053), P = 0.02).

Conclusion

Although IA symptom onset occurs more frequently in winter, we found that flu outbreaks were not associated with a meaningful increase in IA symptom onset in a large, well‐characterized cohort of Canadian adults over 6 years.
Robust adaptive control for unmatched systems with guaranteed parameter estimation convergence
Authors: Yang Jun , Na Jing , Gao Guanbin
Published: March 2019

This paper provides a modified model reference adaptive control (MRAC) scheme to achieve better transient control performance for systems with unknown unmatched dynamics, where an adaptive law with guaranteed convergence is introduced. We first revisit the standard MRAC system and analyze the tracking error bound by using L2‐norm and Cauchy‐Schwartz inequality. Based on this analysis, we suggest a feasible way to compensate the undesired transient dynamics induced by the gradient descent–based adaptive laws subject to sluggish convergence or even parameter drift. Then, a modified adaptive law with an alternative leakage term containing the parameter estimation error is developed. With this adaptive law, the convergence of both the estimation error and tracking error can be proved simultaneously. This enhanced convergence property can contribute to deriving smoother control signal and improved control response. Moreover, this paper provides a simple and numerically feasible approach to online verify the well‐known persistent excitation condition by testing the positive definiteness of an introduced auxiliary matrix. Comparative simulations based on a benchmark 3‐DOF helicopter model are given to validate the effectiveness of the proposed MRAC approach and show the improved performance over several other MRAC schemes.