bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Influence of Annealing Time of Aluminum AA1050 on the Quality of Cu and Co Nanocones
Authors: Skibinska Katarzyna , Smola Grzegorz , Bialo Lukasz , Kutyla Dawid , Kolczyk-Siedlecka Karolina , Kwiecinska Anna , Wojnicki Marek , Zabinski Piotr
Published: November 2020

Anodization is a widespread surface treatment method for aluminum and its alloys; it also allows the formation of 1D nanostructures by a two-step process. Microstructure of the Al substrate and crystallographic texture after rolling and annealing have influence on the properties of AAO templates with conical nanopores. Synthesized free-standing 1D nanostructures ensure better electrocatalytic properties than bulk materials due to larger active surface area. In this work, the influence of annealing time at 500 °C on Vickers hardness and microstructure of aluminum AA1050 used in a two-step anodization process was investigated. The geometrical features of the templates such as interpore distance and number of pores per 1 μm2 were determined and compared. There is dependence between the time of the annealing process and surface quality of synthesized 1D Cu nanocone layers. The template, after 1 h of annealing, due to the largest active area and satisfactory quality of the nanocone surface, was chosen for synthesis of Co nanocones. The electrocatalytic properties of samples were measured in 1 M NaOH solution and compared with bulk material electrodeposited in the same conditions. The open circuit potential, connected with starting of hydrogen evolution reaction, was determined from the LSV curves. Active surface areas were determined for all samples using SEM photographs and taken into consideration during electrocatalytic tests. Possible behavior of hydrogen bubbles for the formation of nanostructures was considered.
Toward Closing a Loophole: Recovering Rare Earth Elements from Uranium Metallurgical Process Tailings
Authors: Vaughan James , Tungpalan Kate , Parbhakar-Fox Anita , Fu Weng , Gagen Emma J. , Nkrumah Philip Nti , Southam Gordon , van der Ent Antony , Erskine Peter D. , Gow Paul , Valenta Rick
Published: November 2020

Rare earth elements are increasingly required for use in modern high-tech components, and primary production is necessary to meet the demand. Reprocessing legacy metallurgical tailings is advantageous, as the material has already been mined, beneficiated, upgraded, and contained in a single accessible location. The Mary Kathleen uranium process tailings in Queensland, Australia, provides an opportunity for this. The geology and historic process methods for the Mary Kathleen uranium mine are described along with known characteristics of the tailings material. Conventional and alternative REE processing options are reviewed, including phyto-extraction and other bio-technologies. Approaches to determining the appropriate pathway forward for Mary Kathleen tailings are then discussed.
Smart mobility – an analysis of potential customers’ preference structures
Authors: Schulz Thomas , Böhm Markus , Gewald Heiko , Krcmar Helmut
Published: November 2020

Cities around the world face major challenges caused by the extensive use of private cars. To counteract these problems, a new paradigm is necessary which promotes alternative mobility services. ‘Smart mobility’ refers to a new mobility behaviour that makes use of innovative technical solutions, such as the IT-supported combination of different alternative mobility services during a trip from an origin to a destination. Unfortunately, relatively few customers use apps that provide recommendations for smart mobility and there is limited knowledge about the desires, priorities and needs of potential customers. To fill this gap, we use conjoint analysis to explore differences in smart mobility app preferences across groups of people with varying mobility behaviour. Our study also considers the effect of age and place of residence on preference structures. Our results show, for example, that only car drivers do not consider the price of the smart mobility app to be particularly important for their selection decision.
An Adaptive Analytic Continuation Method for Computing the Perturbed Two-Body Problem State Transition Matrix
Authors: Tasif Tahsinul Haque , Elgohary Tarek A.
Published: November 2020

In this work, the Taylor series based technique, Analytic Continuation is implemented to develop a method for the computation of the gravity and drag perturbed State Transition Matrix (STM) incorporating adaptive time steps and expansion order. Analytic Continuation has been developed for the two-body problem based on two scalar variables f and gp and their higher order time derivatives using Leibniz rule. The method has been proven to be very precise and efficient in trajectory propagation. The method is expanded to include the computation of the STM for the perturbed two-body problem. Leibniz product rule is used to compute the partials for the recursive formulas and an arbitrary order Taylor series is used to compute the STM. Four types of orbits, LEO, MEO, GTO and HEO, are presented and the simulations are run for 10 orbit periods. The accuracy of the STM is evaluated via RMS error for the unperturbed cases, symplectic check for the gravity perturbed cases and error propagation for the gravity and drag perturbed orbits. The results are compared against analytical and high order numerical solvers (ODE45, ODE113 and ODE87) in terms of accuracy. The results show that the method maintains double-precision accuracy for all test cases and 1-2 orders of magnitude improvement in linear prediction results compared to ODE87. The present approach is simple, adaptive and can readily be expanded to compute the full spherical harmonics gravity perturbations as well as the higher order state transition tensors.
Detecting problematic transactions in a consumer-to-consumer e-commerce network
Authors: Kodate Shun , Chiba Ryusuke , Kimura Shunya , Masuda Naoki
Published: November 2020

Providers of online marketplaces are constantly combatting against problematic transactions, such as selling illegal items and posting fictive items, exercised by some of their users. A typical approach to detect fraud activity has been to analyze registered user profiles, user’s behavior, and texts attached to individual transactions and the user. However, this traditional approach may be limited because malicious users can easily conceal their information. Given this background, network indices have been exploited for detecting frauds in various online transaction platforms. In the present study, we analyzed networks of users of an online consumer-to-consumer marketplace in which a seller and the corresponding buyer of a transaction are connected by a directed edge. We constructed egocentric networks of each of several hundreds of fraudulent users and those of a similar number of normal users. We calculated eight local network indices based on up to connectivity between the neighbors of the focal node. Based on the present descriptive analysis of these network indices, we fed twelve features that we constructed from the eight network indices to random forest classifiers with the aim of distinguishing between normal users and fraudulent users engaged in each one of the four types of problematic transactions. We found that the classifier accurately distinguished the fraudulent users from normal users and that the classification performance did not depend on the type of problematic transaction.
Non-linear source term and scenario for an operational oil spill model
Authors: Chang Kuo-Hsien , Marcotte Guillaume , Pestieau Paul , Legault-Ouellet Éric , Pelletier Yves
Published: November 2020

This study presents time-varying oil spill discharge functions and scenarios for operational oil spill models. This study prescribes non-linear models based on experimental measurements (Tavakoli et al. in Ocean Eng 38(17–18):1894–1907, 2011) and then upscaled to the spill duration and discharge quantity for actual oil spill incidents. Scenarios consist in collision and grounding incidents for the instantaneous spill mode; light, medium, and severe incidents for the continuous spill mode; spilt, containment, and retention practices for the spill management mode. A performance analysis of deterministic simulations indicates that the non-linear source terms and scenarios present realistic and reasonable results, showing the detailed spill patterns on the surface ocean, tail-off oil sheens along the areas swept by the dispersion and significantly different results when oil spill management and mitigation practices are activated. For oil spill modelling in support of field operations, responders and decision makers should be made aware of the variability of oil sheen spatial patterns induced by the oil spill source term to better interpret simulation results and assess the impact of source uncertainty on the clean-up, mitigation, ecological and socio-economic risk.
“Current concepts in assisted mechanical ventilation in the neonate” - Part 2
Authors: Chakkarapani Aravanan Anbu , Adappa Roshan , Mohammad Ali Sanoj Karayil , Gupta Samir , Soni Naharmal B. , Chicoine Louis , Hummler Helmut D.
Published: November 2020

Mechanical ventilation is a lifesaving intervention in critically ill preterm and term neonates. However, it has the potential to cause significant damage to the lungs resulting in long-term complications. Understanding the pathophysiological process and having a good grasp of the basic concepts of conventional and high-frequency ventilation is essential for any medical or allied healthcare practitioner involved in the neonates' respiratory management. This review aims to describe the various types and modes of ventilation usually available in neonatal units. It also describes recommendations of an individualized disease-based approach to mechanical ventilation strategies implemented in the authors' institutions.
Systematic review of outcomes for endoscopic sinus surgery and subsequent aspirin desensitization in aspirin‐exacerbated respiratory disease
Authors: Ryan Lindsey , Segarra Daniel , Tabor Mark , Parasher Arjun
Published: November 2020

Objective

To review and evaluate outcomes of patients with aspirin‐exacerbated respiratory disease (AERD) following endoscopic sinus surgery and subsequent aspirin desensitization.

Methods

Electronic searches of OVID MEDLINE (1948 to September 10, 2019), EMBASE (1980 to September 10, 2019), and PubMed were performed on September 10, 2019. A systematic review of the literature was performed using the 2009 PRISMA guidelines. Studies with both preoperative and postoperative data for patients with AERD who underwent sinus surgery and aspirin desensitization were considered appropriate for inclusion. Publications were written in English and included patients aged 18 years or older.

Results

Six studies met inclusion criteria for this systematic review. The primary outcome measure was change in symptom profile measured by patient‐reported quality of life scores. The results demonstrate statistically significant improvement in symptoms following endoscopic sinus surgery, with sustained improvement following aspirin desensitization. Revision surgery rates were significantly lower in patients maintained on aspirin therapy.

Conclusion

This review suggests that surgery followed by aspirin desensitization results in improvement in both subjective and objective outcome measures. The adjunctive use of aspirin desensitization allows for long‐term stability in symptom scores. Recurrence of polyps and worsening symptoms requiring revision surgery occurs when aspirin maintenance therapy is interrupted.
Corporate Governance and Responsible Investment in Private Equity
Authors: Witney Simon
Published: November 2020

Private equity-backed companies are ubiquitous and economically significant. Consequently, the corporate governance of these companies matters to all of us, and – not surprisingly – is coming under increasing scrutiny. Simon Witney, a practicing private equity lawyer, positions private equity portfolio companies within existing academic theory and examines the laws that apply to them in the UK. He analyses the actual governance frameworks that are put in place and identifies problems created by the legal rules – as well as the market's solutions to them. This book not only explains why these governance mechanisms are established, but also what they are expected to achieve. Witney suggests that private equity owners have both the incentives and the capability to focus on responsible investment practices. Good governance, he argues, is a critical success factor for the private equity industry.
Non-existence of bi-infinite geodesics in the exponential corner growth model
Authors: Balázs Márton , Busani Ofer , Seppäläinen Timo
Published: November 2020

This
paper gives a self-contained proof of the non-existence of nontrivial bi-infinite geodesics in directed planar last-passage percolation with exponential weights. The techniques used are couplings, coarse graining, and control of geodesics through planarity and estimates derived from increment-stationary versions of the last-passage percolation process.
The Private School Pivot: The Shrouded Persistence of Massive Resistance in the Black Belt and Beyond
Authors: Edmonds Matthew C.
Published: November 2020

In 1969, four years after passage of the Voting Rights Act, African Americans in Greene County, Alabama, reclaimed control of local government, becoming the first community in the South to do so since Reconstruction. A half century later, however, Greene County remains an impoverished and largely segregated area with poor educational outcomes, especially for Black children. This essay explores the history of Greene County from 1954 to the recent past, with a particular focus on Warrior Academy, a segregated private school (“segregation academy”) founded by Whites in 1965. As a case study of “school choice” in the context of the “long civil rights movement,” it complicates scholarly definitions of “massive resistance.” Furthermore, it demonstrates the ways in which an emerging “color-blind” conservatism premised on White concerns about “educational quality” thwarted Black efforts to achieve educational equality, even in places where African Americans achieved significant political victories.
A CONSIDERATION OF EASTWARD SPREAD OF THE SAMARRAN PHENOMENON IN THE LIGHT OF NEW EVIDENCE ALONG THE ZAGROS PIEDMONT
Authors: Darabi Hojjat
Published: November 2020

The Samarran phenomenon has been under discussion since the early 20th century. Over the past several decades, increasing evidence has indicated that it was geographically distributed in a very large area across the Near East. In this regard, the eastward spread of the Samarran phenomenon across the Iranian frontier was little known, because related finds had mostly been recovered in the 1960–70s. This article highlights the discovery of new evidence in the transitional zone that connects the Zagros highlands with the Mesopotamian lowlands. During recent surveys in the plains of Mehran, Meimak, Soumar and Sarpol-e Zahab, a number of sites were found. They yielded ceramics identical with those already reported from nearby late Samarran sites such as Chogha Mami, Songor A and Rihan I. Chronologically, surface materials indicate that these newly found Iranian sites should belong to the late phase of Samarran period, coinciding with the so-called Chogha Mami Transitional (CMT). As seen from the natural setting of the sites along streams, and due to the predominance of nomadic herders in this transitional zone, we may assume that transhumant herders played a role in the eastward spread of the late Samarran phenomenon via the river valleys and that the site's inhabitants might have been familiar with a primitive irrigation system. Furthermore, it is speculated that the cold dry climatic event of 8.2 kya might have resulted in an increased intensity of population in the lowlands. Nevertheless, the subsequent climatic optimum appears to have paved the way for the eastward spread of late Samarran/CMT elements. Regardless of what was the major trigger of such an expansion, however, intensive economic interactions of societies probably played a role in the very early sixth millennium B.C., when natural raw materials such as bitumen were imported from western/southwestern Iran to central/southern Mesopotamia.
When the “People” Leave: On the Limits of Nationalist (Bio)Politics in Postwar Bosnia-Herzegovina
Authors: Kurtović Larisa
Published: November 2020

This article examines the social and political effects produced by the most recent wave of emigration in postwar Bosnia, widely understood to be the result of continued political instability and economic decline that followed the 1992–95 war. Drawing on ethnographic research in a deindustrialized Bosnian town and analysis of popular discourses seeking to make sense of this new wave of departures, I show how the phenomenon of postwar exit impacts those staying behind and inspires new forms of reflection that link past histories of violence to more recent forms of dispossession. The emergence of such forms of historical consciousness reveals that postwar migration is haunted both by the memory of wartime expulsions and ethnic cleansing, as well as by the often-unacknowledged violence of postwar economic restructuring glossed as the postsocialist transition. In asking what happens to nationalist regimes, as well as scholarship on nationalist politics, when the “people” leave, I demonstrate the need to analyze the ongoing out-migration both in terms of Bosnia’s historical specificity and global political-economic dynamics. In so doing, I show how absences created by these departures create new vantage points that bring to light and expose unsettling political configurations left behind by the Bosnian war.
A simple differential geometry for complex networks
Authors: Saucan Emil , Samal Areejit , Jost Jürgen
Published: November 2020

We introduce new definitions of sectional, Ricci, and scalar curvatures for networks and their higher dimensional counterparts, derived from two classical notions of curvature for curves in general metric spaces, namely, the Menger curvature and the Haantjes curvature. These curvatures are applicable to unweighted or weighted and undirected or directed networks and are more intuitive and easier to compute than other network curvatures. In particular, the proposed curvatures based on the interpretation of Haantjes definition as geodesic curvature allow us to give a network analogue of the classical local Gauss–Bonnet theorem. Furthermore, we propose even simpler and more intuitive proxies for the Haantjes curvature that allow for even faster and easier computations in large-scale networks. In addition, we also investigate the embedding properties of the proposed Ricci curvatures. Lastly, we also investigate the behavior, both on model and real-world networks, of the curvatures introduced herein with more established notions of Ricci curvature and other widely used network measures.
Causes and implications of Mid- to Late Holocene relative sea-level change in the Gulf of Kachchh, western India
Authors: Sharma Shubhra , Chauhan Gaurav , Shukla Anil Dutt , Nambiar Romi , Bhushan Ravi , Desai Bhawanisingh G. , Pandey Shilpa , Dabhi Madhavi , Bhandari Subhash , Bhosale Suraj , Lakhote Abhishek , Juyal Navin
Published: November 2020

The relict intertidal deposits from the Kharod River Estuary, Gulf of Kachchh, and the distal end of Kori Creek are used to infer the Mid- to Late Holocene relative sea-level (RSL) change in western India. Employing sedimentology, geochemistry, palynology, ichnology, and optical and radiocarbon dating, the study suggests the dominance of fluvial activity between 16.5 ± 1.6 and 9.9 ± 0.7 ka. After ~7 ka (7.3 ± 0.4, 6.8 ± 0.5 ka), the sea level showed a positive tendency until 4.7 ± 0.2 ka. The tectonically corrected Mid-Holocene RSL change is estimated as 1.45 ± 0.33 m between ~7 and ~5 ka. The study suggests that the Mid-Holocene RSL high was due to the meltwater contribution from the Himalayan cryosphere, with subordinate contribution from glacio-isostatic adjustment and crustal subsidence. The Late Holocene tectonically corrected RSL change at ~1 ka (1.1 ± 0.1 ka and 1045 ± 175 cal yr BP) is estimated as 0.53 ± 0.43 m. This is ascribed to monsoon wind-driven tidal ingression that might have affected the tidal amplitude positively. The study suggests that the Mid-Holocene RSL change did not play a deterministic role in the abandonment of the Harappan coastal settlements.
TEXTUAL NOTES ON PINDAR'S ELEVENTHNEMEAN
Authors: Lane Nicholas
Published: November 2020

εἰ δέ τιϲ ὄλβον ἔχων μορφᾷ παραμεύϲεται ἄλλουϲ,ἔν τ᾽ ἀέθλοιϲιν ἀριϲτεύων ἐπέδειξεν βίαν,θνατὰ μεμνάϲθω περιϲτέλλων μέλη, 15καὶ τελευτὰν ἁπάντων γᾶν ἐπιεϲϲόμενοϲ.ἐν λόγοιϲ δ᾽ ἀϲτῶν ἀγαθοῖϲί νιν αἰνεῖϲθαι χρεὼνκαὶ μελιγδούποιϲι δαιδαλθέντα μελίζεν ἀοιδαῖϲ.The Loeb translates lines 15–16 ʻlet him remember that mortal are the limbs he clothes and that earth is the last garment of all he will wear'. It is debatable whether τελευτάν is an adverbial accusative with ἁπάντων added as a qualifying genitive, as it seems more natural to take the phrase as a simple apposition to γᾶν. But there is a real difficulty in that τελευτὰν ἁπάντων could be taken to indicate that death is ‘the end of everything’ (or ʻof all men') and that contradicts indications elsewhere in Pindar that death is not, or at least not quite, the end.
To Be or Not To Be … a Global Citizen: Three doctors, three empires, and one subcontinent
Authors: FRENZ MARGRET
Published: November 2020

This article investigates the circular intra- and transimperial movements of medical experts from colonial India in three imperial settings. The analysis of the trajectories of José Camillo Lisboa, Paramananda Mariadassou, and Mary Poonen Lukose highlights, first, how crucial freedom of movement—not only between parts of the same empire, but also across empire borders and between their metropoles as well as their colonies—was for individuals; secondly, how questions of citizenship, the recognition of degrees and certificates, and notions of gender, race, class, and place of origin played a role in enabling or preventing Indians living in Portuguese, French, or British India from studying or working elsewhere; and thirdly, how this in turn had an effect on their potential social mobility, which depended on the historical contingency of time and place, and the opportunities and limitations in these contexts. The article argues that through their chosen careers and their sociopolitical activities they expanded conventional notions of citizenship and lived as global citizens.
Impact of Cognitive Impairment and Dysarthria on Spoken Language in Multiple Sclerosis
Authors: Feenaughty Lynda , Guo Ling-Yu , Weinstock-Guttman Bianca , Ray Meredith , Benedict Ralph H.B. , Tjaden Kris
Published: November 2020

Objective:

To investigate the impact of cognitive impairment on spoken language produced by speakers with multiple sclerosis (MS) with and without dysarthria.

Method:

Sixty speakers comprised operationally defined groups. Speakers produced a spontaneous speech sample to obtain speech timing measures of speech rate, articulation rate, and silent pause frequency and duration. Twenty listeners judged the overall perceptual severity of the samples using a visual analog scale that ranged from no impairment to severe impairment (speech severity). A 2 × 2 factorial design examined main and interaction effects of dysarthria and cognitive impairment on speech timing measures and speech severity in individuals with MS. Each speaker group with MS was further compared to a healthy control group. Exploratory regression analyses examined relationships between cognitive and biopsychosocial variables and speech timing measures and perceptual judgments of speech severity, for speakers with MS.

Results:

Speech timing was significantly slower for speakers with dysarthria compared to speakers with MS without dysarthria. Silent pause durations also significantly differed for speakers with both dysarthria and cognitive impairment compared to MS speakers without either impairment. Significant interactions between dysarthria and cognitive factors revealed comorbid dysarthria and cognitive impairment contributed to slowed speech rates in MS, whereas dysarthria alone impacted perceptual judgments of speech severity. Speech severity was strongly related to pause duration.

Conclusions:

The findings suggest the nature in which dysarthria and cognitive symptoms manifest in objective, acoustic measures of speech timing and perceptual judgments of severity is complex.
Who Controls the Purse Strings? A Longitudinal Study of Gender and Donations in Canadian Politics
Authors: Tolley Erin , Besco Randy , Sevi Semra
Published: November 2020

Gender gaps in voter turnout and electoral representation have narrowed, but other forms of gender inequality remain. We examine gendered differences in donations: who donates and to whom? Donations furnish campaigns with necessary resources, provide voters with cues about candidate viability, and influence which issues politicians prioritize. We exploit an administrative data set to analyze donations to Canadian parties and candidates over a 25-year period. We use an automated classifier to estimate donor gender and then link these data to candidate and party characteristics. Importantly, and in contrast to null effects from research on gender affinity voting, we find women are more likely to donate to women candidates, but women donate less often and in smaller amounts than men. The lack of formal gendered donor networks and the reliance on more informal, male-dominated local connections may influence women donors’ behavior. Change over a quarter century has been modest, and large gender gaps persist.
Pupil Constrictions and Their Associations With Increased Negative	Affect During Responses to Recalled Memories of Interpersonal	Stress
Authors: Ozawa Sachiyo , Yoshimoto Hiromasa , Okanoya Kazuo , Hiraki Kazuo
Published: November 2020

Abstract. Pupil diameter change is indicative of emotional processing. Most previous findings regarding pupillary response and emotion have reported that the pupil enlarges in response to the presentation of emotional perceptual stimuli (e.g., visual images) within several seconds. It is considered that such stimuli activate the sympathetic nervous system, leading to pupil dilation. In order to examine the effects of emotions similar to daily emotional experiences of mood, the present study examined pupil diameter changes and their relationships with subjective emotional changes while recalling a topic of stressful interpersonal events in daily life. The data of 20 university students (11 males, Mage = 20.36 ± 2.38 years; 9 females, Mage = 22.33 ± 3.57) were analyzed. In the experimental task, participants were instructed to recall their memories concerning the topic through instructions and questions presented on a monitor, which proceeded at their own pace, through a key press. Subsequently, after baseline and instruction periods, participants were instructed to freely recall their memories. They were then asked to respond silently to a series of questions concerning the freely recalled memories. In the analysis, we compared the pupil diameters between these different periods and observed that pupil diameters significantly decreased during the response period relative to the free recall or baseline periods. Furthermore, pupil constrictions during the response period were negatively correlated with increases in negative affect scale scores. Pupil constriction, which is indicative of decreased arousal level and parasympathetic activation, was presumably caused by multiple factors including less cognitive difficulty and a relatively long experimental task period. As the result of a less tonic mode in the response period, the attention of participants might be more successfully focused on ongoing tasks, which might lead to optimal performance in recalling memories, possibly leading to correlations between pupil diameter and negative emotional changes.
Increase in Lower Stratospheric Water Vapor in the Past 100 Years Related to Tropical Atlantic Warming
Authors: Xie Fei , Tian Wenshou , Zhou Xin , Zhang Jiankai , Xia Yan , Lu Jinping
Published: November 2020

Lower Stratospheric water vapor (SWV) is one of important drivers of global climate change. Increases and decreases in lower SWV have been found to strengthen and offset global warming effects, respectively. Using several data sets, we find that sea surface temperature (SST) warming in the past 100 years has caused an increase in SWV. SST warming over the tropical Indian Ocean and the western Pacific has resulted in a drier stratosphere. However, tropical Atlantic Ocean warming has resulted in a significantly wetter stratosphere and is the main contributor to the increasing trend of SWV in the past 100 years. The responses of Rossby and Kelvin waves over the Indian Ocean and western Pacific to Atlantic warming have led to a warmer tropopause temperature, resulting in more water vapor entering the stratosphere. This study suggests that SWV trend may simply be the result of a game between warm pool SST and tropical Atlantic SST changes.
Supersaturation in the Wake of a Precipitating Hydrometeor and Its Impact on Aerosol Activation
Authors: Bhowmick Taraprasad , Wang Yong , Iovieno Michele , Bagheri Gholamhossein , Bodenschatz Eberhard
Published: November 2020

The activation of aerosols impacts the life cycle of a cloud. A detailed understanding is necessary for reliable climate prediction. Recent laboratory experiments demonstrate that aerosols can be activated in the wake of precipitating hydrometeors. However, many quantitative aspects of this wake‐induced activation of aerosols remain unclear. Here, we report a detailed numerical investigation of the activation potential of wake‐induced supersaturation. By Lagrangian tracking of aerosols, we show that a significant fraction of aerosols are activated in the supersaturated wake. These “lucky aerosols” are entrained in the wake's vortices and reside in the supersaturated environment sufficiently long to be activated. Our analyses show that this wake‐induced activation of aerosols can contribute to the life cycle of the clouds.
A New Fractal Approach to Account for Capillary and Adsorption Phenomena in the Water Retention and Transfer Properties of Unsaturated Soils
Authors: Stanić Filip , Delage Pierre , Tchiguirinskaia Ioulia , Versini Pierre‐Antoine , Cui Yu‐Jun , Schertzer Daniel
Published: November 2020

To describe the water retention and transfer properties of an unsaturated soil over the whole range of matric suction, it is necessary to account for both capillary and adsorption phenomena. Existing models combine well‐known empirical functions for capillary water at lower suctions and more physically based ones for adsorptive water at higher suctions. To determine their full set of parameters, they however require different optimization procedures, among which those coming from capillary models are empirical. In this context, the main objective of this work is to develop a simple and robust physically based model of the water retention and transfer properties of unsaturated soils valid from saturation to oven dryness. To do so, new capillary‐based water retention and hydraulic conductivity functions founded on the fractal approach have been derived from the pore size distribution, by means of the Young‐Laplace law and Mualem's model. To describe adsorption phenomena, these functions are combined with those used in the Peters‐Iden‐Durner (PID) model, providing a model along the full range of suctions, with less parameters than the existing models. Our work also shows that some parameters are directly determined from the experimental grain size distribution data (the fractal dimension), or from the water retention data (air entry suction and residual water content), leaving only two parameters to be optimized. The model was successfully validated with respect to published experimental data from 10 different coarse, sandy, and clayey soils.
Epigenetic modification and a role for the E3 ligase RNF40 in cancer development and metastasis
Authors: Fu Junjiang , Liao Li , Balaji Kyathegowdanadoddi Srinivasa , Wei Chunli , Kim Jaehoon , Peng Jiangzhou
Published: November 2020

RNF40 (OMIM: 607700) is a really interesting new gene (RING) finger E3 ubiquitin ligase containing multiple coiled-coil domains and a C-terminal RING finger motif, which engage in protein–DNA and protein–protein interactions. RNF40 encodes a polypeptide of 1001 amino acids with a predicted molecular mass of 113,678 Da. RNF40 and its paralog RNF20 form a stable heterodimer complex that can monoubiquitylate histone H2B at lysine 120 as well as other nonhistone proteins. Cancer is a major public health problem and the second leading cause of death. Through its protein ubiquitylation activity, RNF40 acts as a tumor suppressor or oncogene to play major epigenetic roles in cancer development, progression, and metastasis, highlighting the essential function of RNF40 and the importance of studying it. In this review, we summarize current knowledge about RNF40 gene structure and the role of RNF40 in histone H2B monoubiquitylation, DNA damage repair, apoptosis, cancer development, and metastasis. We also underscore challenges in applying this information to cancer prognosis and prevention and highlight the urgent need for additional investigations of RNF40 as a potential target for cancer therapeutics.
The influence of circadian rhythms and aerobic glycolysis in autism spectrum disorder
Authors: Vallée Alexandre , Lecarpentier Yves , Guillevin Rémy , Vallée Jean-Noël
Published: November 2020

Intellectual abilities and their clinical presentations are extremely heterogeneous in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The main causes of ASD remain unclear. ASD is frequently associated with sleep disorders. Biologic rhythms are complex systems interacting with the environment and controlling several physiological pathways, including brain development and behavioral processes. Recent findings have shown that the deregulation of the core clock neurodevelopmental signaling is correlated with ASD clinical presentation. One of the main pathways involved in developmental cognitive disorders is the canonical WNT/β-catenin pathway. Circadian clocks have a main role in some tissues by driving circadian expression of genes involved in physiologic and metabolic functions. In ASD, the increase of the canonical WNT/β-catenin pathway is enhancing by the dysregulation of circadian rhythms. ASD progression is associated with a major metabolic reprogramming, initiated by aberrant WNT/β-catenin pathway, the aerobic glycolysis. This review focuses on the interest of circadian rhythms dysregulation in metabolic reprogramming in ASD through the aberrant upregulation of the canonical WNT/β-catenin pathway.
Proteoglycan-4 is correlated with longer survival in HCC patients and enhances sorafenib and regorafenib effectiveness via CD44 in vitro
Authors: Dituri Francesco , Scialpi Rosanna , Schmidt Tannin A. , Frusciante Martina , Mancarella Serena , Lupo Luigi Giovanni , Villa Erica , Giannelli Gianluigi
Published: November 2020

Sorafenib and regorafenib administration is among the preferential approaches to treat hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but does not provide satisfactory benefits. Intensive crosstalk occurring between cancer cells and other multiple non-cancerous cell subsets present in the surrounding microenvironment is assumed to affect tumor progression. This interplay is mediated by a number of soluble and structural extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins enriching the stromal milieu. Here we assess the HCC tumor expression of the ECM protein proteoglycan 4 (PRG4) and its potential pharmacologic activity either alone, or in combination with sorafenib and regorafenib. PRG4 mRNA levels resulted strongly correlated with increased survival rate of HCC patients (p = 0.000) in a prospective study involving 78 HCC subjects. We next showed that transforming growth factor beta stimulates PRG4 expression and secretion by primary human HCC cancer-associated fibroblasts, non-invasive HCC cell lines, and ex vivo specimens. By functional tests we found that recombinant human PRG4 (rhPRG4) impairs HCC cell migration. More importantly, the treatment of HCC cells expressing CD44 (the main PRG4 receptor) with rhPRG4 dramatically enhances the growth-limiting capacity of sorafenib and regorafenib, whereas not significantly affecting cell proliferation per se. Conversely, rhPRG4 only poorly potentiates drug effectiveness on low CD44-expressing or stably CD44-silenced HCC cells. Overall, these data suggest that the physiologically-produced compound PRG4 may function as a novel tumor-suppressive agent by strengthening sorafenib and regorafenib effects in the treatment of HCC.
Deep learning-enabled breast cancer hormonal receptor status determination from base-level H&E stains
Authors: Naik Nikhil , Madani Ali , Esteva Andre , Keskar Nitish Shirish , Press Michael F. , Ruderman Daniel , Agus David B. , Socher Richard
Published: November 2020

For newly diagnosed breast cancer, estrogen receptor status (ERS) is a key molecular marker used for prognosis and treatment decisions. During clinical management, ERS is determined by pathologists from immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining of biopsied tissue for the targeted receptor, which highlights the presence of cellular surface antigens. This is an expensive, time-consuming process which introduces discordance in results due to variability in IHC preparation and pathologist subjectivity. In contrast, hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining—which highlights cellular morphology—is quick, less expensive, and less variable in preparation. Here we show that machine learning can determine molecular marker status, as assessed by hormone receptors, directly from cellular morphology. We develop a multiple instance learning-based deep neural network that determines ERS from H&E-stained whole slide images (WSI). Our algorithm—trained strictly with WSI-level annotations—is accurate on a varied, multi-country dataset of 3,474 patients, achieving an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.92 for sensitivity and specificity. Our approach has the potential to augment clinicians’ capabilities in cancer prognosis and theragnosis by harnessing biological signals imperceptible to the human eye.
Discontinuous transition to loop formation in optimal supply networks
Authors: Kaiser Franz , Ronellenfitsch Henrik , Witthaut Dirk
Published: November 2020

The structure and design of optimal supply networks is an important topic in complex networks research. A fundamental trait of natural and man-made networks is the emergence of loops and the trade-off governing their formation: adding redundant edges to supply networks is costly, yet beneficial for resilience. Loops typically form when costs for new edges are small or inputs uncertain. Here, we shed further light on the transition to loop formation. We demonstrate that loops emerge discontinuously when decreasing the costs for new edges for both an edge-damage model and a fluctuating sink model. Mathematically, new loops are shown to form through a saddle-node bifurcation. Our analysis allows to heuristically predict the location and cost where the first loop emerges. Finally, we unveil an intimate relationship among betweenness measures and optimal tree networks. Our results can be used to understand the evolution of loop formation in real-world biological networks.
Transient commensal clonal interactions can drive tumor metastasis
Authors: Naffar-Abu Amara Suha , Kuiken Hendrik J. , Selfors Laura M. , Butler Timothy , Leung Marco L. , Leung Cheuk T. , Kuhn Elaine P. , Kolarova Teodora , Hage Carina , Ganesh Kripa , Panayiotou Richard , Foster Rosemary , Rueda Bo R. , Aktipis Athena , Spellman Paul , Ince Tan A. , Xiu Joanne , Oberley Matthew , Gatalica Zoran , Navin Nicholas , Mills Gordon B. , Bronson Rodrick T. , Brugge Joan S.
Published: November 2020

The extent and importance of functional heterogeneity and crosstalk between tumor cells is poorly understood. Here, we describe the generation of clonal populations from a patient-derived ovarian clear cell carcinoma model which forms malignant ascites and solid peritoneal tumors upon intraperitoneal transplantation in mice. The clonal populations are engineered with secreted Gaussia luciferase to monitor tumor growth dynamics and tagged with a unique DNA barcode to track their fate in multiclonal mixtures during tumor progression. Only one clone, CL31, grows robustly, generating exclusively malignant ascites. However, multiclonal mixtures form large solid peritoneal metastases, populated almost entirely by CL31, suggesting that transient cooperative interclonal interactions are sufficient to promote metastasis of CL31. CL31 uniquely harbors ERBB2 amplification, and its acquired metastatic activity in clonal mixtures is dependent on transient exposure to amphiregulin, which is exclusively secreted by non-tumorigenic clones. Amphiregulin enhances CL31 mesothelial clearance, a prerequisite for metastasis. These findings demonstrate that transient, ostensibly innocuous tumor subpopulations can promote metastases via “hit-and-run” commensal interactions.
Risk of yellow fever virus transmission in the Asia-Pacific region
Authors: Lataillade Lucy de Guilhem de , Vazeille Marie , Obadia Thomas , Madec Yoann , Mousson Laurence , Kamgang Basile , Chen Chun-Hong , Failloux Anna-Bella , Yen Pei-Shi
Published: November 2020

Historically endemic to Sub-Saharan Africa and South America, yellow fever is absent from the Asia-Pacific region. Yellow fever virus (YFV) is mainly transmitted by the anthropophilic Aedes mosquitoes whose distribution encompasses a large belt of tropical and sub tropical regions. Increasing exchanges between Africa and Asia have caused imported YFV incidents in non-endemic areas, which are threatening Asia with a new viral emergence. Here, using experimental infections of field-collected mosquitoes, we show that Asian-Pacific Aedes mosquitoes are competent vectors for YFV. We observe that Aedes aegypti populations from Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and New Caledonia are capable of transmitting YFV 14 days after oral infections, with a number of viral particles excreted from saliva reaching up to 23,000 viral particles. These findings represent the most comprehensive assessment of vector competence and show that Ae. aegypti mosquitoes from the Asia-Pacific region are highly competent to YFV, corroborating that vector populations are seemingly not a brake to the emergence of yellow fever in the region.
In-situ monitoring of interface proximity effects in ultrathin ferroelectrics
Authors: Strkalj Nives , Gattinoni Chiara , Vogel Alexander , Campanini Marco , Haerdi Rea , Rossi Antonella , Rossell Marta D. , Spaldin Nicola A. , Fiebig Manfred , Trassin Morgan
Published: November 2020

The development of energy-efficient nanoelectronics based on ferroelectrics is hampered by a notorious polarization loss in the ultrathin regime caused by the unscreened polar discontinuity at the interfaces. So far, engineering charge screening at either the bottom or the top interface has been used to optimize the polarization state. Yet, it is expected that the combined effect of both interfaces determines the final polarization state; in fact the more so the thinner a film is. The competition and cooperation between interfaces have, however, remained unexplored so far. Taking PbTiO3 as a model system, we observe drastic differences between the influence of a single interface and the competition and cooperation of two interfaces. We investigate the impact of these configurations on the PbTiO3 polarization when the interfaces are in close proximity, during thin-film synthesis in the ultrathin limit. By tailoring the interface chemistry towards a cooperative configuration, we stabilize a robust polarization state with giant polarization enhancement. Interface cooperation hence constitutes a powerful route for engineering the polarization in thin-film ferroelectrics towards improved integrability for oxide electronics in reduced dimension.
RRP7A links primary microcephaly to dysfunction of ribosome biogenesis, resorption of primary cilia, and neurogenesis
Authors: Farooq Muhammad , Lindbæk Louise , Krogh Nicolai , Doganli Canan , Keller Cecilie , Mönnich Maren , Gonçalves André Brás , Sakthivel Srinivasan , Mang Yuan , Fatima Ambrin , Andersen Vivi Søgaard , Hussain Muhammad S. , Eiberg Hans , Hansen Lars , Kjaer Klaus Wilbrandt , Gopalakrishnan Jay , Pedersen Lotte Bang , Møllgård Kjeld , Nielsen Henrik , Baig Shahid. M. , Tommerup Niels , Christensen Søren Tvorup , Larsen Lars Allan
Published: November 2020

Primary microcephaly (MCPH) is characterized by reduced brain size and intellectual disability. The exact pathophysiological mechanism underlying MCPH remains to be elucidated, but dysfunction of neuronal progenitors in the developing neocortex plays a major role. We identified a homozygous missense mutation (p.W155C) in Ribosomal RNA Processing 7 Homolog A, RRP7A, segregating with MCPH in a consanguineous family with 10 affected individuals. RRP7A is highly expressed in neural stem cells in developing human forebrain, and targeted mutation of Rrp7a leads to defects in neurogenesis and proliferation in a mouse stem cell model. RRP7A localizes to centrosomes, cilia and nucleoli, and patient-derived fibroblasts display defects in ribosomal RNA processing, primary cilia resorption, and cell cycle progression. Analysis of zebrafish embryos supported that the patient mutation in RRP7A causes reduced brain size, impaired neurogenesis and cell proliferation, and defective ribosomal RNA processing. These findings provide novel insight into human brain development and MCPH.
High-density surface electromyography signals during isometric contractions of elbow muscles of healthy humans
Authors: Rojas-Martínez Mónica , Serna Leidy Yanet , Jordanic Mislav , Marateb Hamid Reza , Merletti Roberto , Mañanas Miguel Ángel
Published: November 2020

This paper presents a dataset of high-density surface EMG signals (HD-sEMG) designed to study patterns of sEMG spatial distribution over upper limb muscles during voluntary isometric contractions. Twelve healthy subjects performed four different isometric tasks at different effort levels associated with movements of the forearm. Three 2-D electrode arrays were used for recording the myoelectric activity from five upper limb muscles: biceps brachii, triceps brachii, anconeus, brachioradialis, and pronator teres. Technical validation comprised a signals quality assessment from outlier detection algorithms based on supervised and non-supervised classification methods. About 6% of the total number of signals were identified as “bad” channels demonstrating the high quality of the recordings. In addition, spatial and intensity features of HD-sEMG maps for identification of effort type and level, have been formulated in the framework of this database, demonstrating better performance than the traditional time-domain features. The presented database can be used for pattern recognition and MUAP identification among other uses.