bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Chemical Properties, Structural Properties, and Energy Storage Applications of Prussian Blue Analogues
Authors: Li Wei‐Jie , Han Chao , Cheng Gang , Chou Shu‐Lei , Liu Hua‐Kun , Dou Shi‐Xue
Published: April 2019

Prussian blue analogues (PBAs, A2T[M(CN)6], A = Li, K, Na; T = Fe, Co, Ni, Mn, Cu, etc.; M = Fe, Mn, Co, etc.) are a large family of materials with an open framework structure. In recent years, they have been intensively investigated as active materials in the field of energy conversion and storage, such as for alkaline‐ion batteries (lithium‐ion, LIBs; sodium‐ion, NIB; and potassium‐ion, KIBs), and as electrochemical catalysts. Nevertheless, few review papers have focused on the intrinsic chemical and structural properties of Prussian blue (PB) and its analogues. In this Review, a comprehensive insight into the PBAs in terms of their structural and chemical properties, and the effects of these properties on their materials synthesis and corresponding performance is provided.
Key Aspects of Lithium Metal Anodes for Lithium Metal Batteries
Authors: Ghazi Zahid Ali , Sun Zhenhua , Sun Chengguo , Qi Fulai , An Baigang , Li Feng , Cheng Hui‐Ming
Published: April 2019

Rechargeable batteries are considered promising replacements for environmentally hazardous fossil fuel‐based energy technologies. High‐energy lithium‐metal batteries have received tremendous attention for use in portable electronic devices and electric vehicles. However, the low Coulombic efficiency, short life cycle, huge volume expansion, uncontrolled dendrite growth, and endless interfacial reactions of the metallic lithium anode are major obstacles in their commercialization. Extensive research efforts have been devoted to address these issues and significant progress has been made by tuning electrolyte chemistry, designing electrode frameworks, discovering nanotechnology‐based solutions, etc. This Review aims to provide a conceptual understanding of the current issues involved in using a lithium metal anode and to unveil its electrochemistry. The most recent advancements in lithium metal battery technology are outlined and suggestions for future research to develop a safe and stable lithium anode are presented.
Low-Dose Pesticide Mixture Induces Accelerated Mesenchymal Stem Cell Aging In Vitro
Authors: Leveque Xavier , Hochane Mazene , Geraldo Fanny , Dumont Solene , Gratas Catherine , Oliver Lisa , Gaignier Claire , Trichet Valérie , Layrolle Pierre , Heymann Dominique , Herault Olivier , Vallette François M. , Olivier Christophe
Published: April 2019

The general population is chronically exposed to multiple environmental contaminants such as pesticides. We have previously demonstrated that human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) exposed in vitro to low doses of a mixture of seven common pesticides showed a permanent phenotype modification with a specific induction of an oxidative stress-related senescence. Pesticide mixture also induced a shift in MSC differentiation toward adipogenesis. Thus, we hypothesized that common combination of pesticides may induce a premature cellular aging of adult MSCs. Our goal was to evaluate if the prolonged exposure to pesticide mixture could accelerate aging-related markers and in particular deteriorate the immunosuppressive properties of MSCs. MSCs exposed to pesticide mixture, under long-term culture and obtained from aging donor, were compared by bulk RNA sequencing analysis. Aging, senescence, and immunomodulatory markers were compared. The protein expression of cellular aging-associated metabolic markers and immune function of MSCs were analyzed. Functional analysis of the secretome impacts on immunomodulatory properties of MSCs was realized after 21 days' exposure to pesticide mixture. The RNA sequencing analysis of MSCs exposed to pesticide showed some similarities with cells from prolonged culture, but also with the MSCs of an aged donor. Changes in the metabolic markers MDH1, GOT and SIRT3, as well as an alteration in the modulation of active T cells and modifications in cytokine production are all associated with cellular aging. A modified functional profile was found with similarities to aging process. Stem Cells  2019;37:1083–1094
p53-TP53-Induced Glycolysis Regulator Mediated Glycolytic Suppression Attenuates DNA Damage and Genomic Instability in Fanconi Anemia Hematopoietic Stem Cells
Authors: Li Xue , Wu Limei , Zopp Morgan , Kopelov Shaina , Du Wei
Published: April 2019

Emerging evidence has shown that resting quiescent hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) prefer to utilize anaerobic glycolysis rather than mitochondrial respiration for energy production. Compelling evidence has also revealed that altered metabolic energetics in HSCs underlies the onset of certain blood diseases; however, the mechanisms responsible for energetic reprogramming remain elusive. We recently found that Fanconi anemia (FA) HSCs in their resting state are more dependent on mitochondrial respiration for energy metabolism than on glycolysis. In the present study, we investigated the role of deficient glycolysis in FA HSC maintenance. We observed significantly reduced glucose consumption, lactate production, and ATP production in HSCs but not in the less primitive multipotent progenitors or restricted hematopoietic progenitors of Fanca−/− and Fancc−/− mice compared with that of wild-type mice, which was associated with an overactivated p53 and TP53-induced glycolysis regulator, the TIGAR-mediated metabolic axis. We utilized Fanca−/− HSCs deficient for p53 to show that the p53-TIGAR axis suppressed glycolysis in FA HSCs, leading to enhanced pentose phosphate pathway and cellular antioxidant function and, consequently, reduced DNA damage and attenuated HSC exhaustion. Furthermore, by using Fanca−/− HSCs carrying the separation-of-function mutant p53R172P transgene that selectively impairs the p53 function in apoptosis but not cell-cycle control, we demonstrated that the cell-cycle function of p53 was not required for glycolytic suppression in FA HSCs. Finally, ectopic expression of the glycolytic rate-limiting enzyme PFKFB3 specifically antagonized p53-TIGAR-mediated metabolic reprogramming in FA HSCs. Together, our results suggest that p53-TIGAR metabolic axis-mediated glycolytic suppression may play a compensatory role in attenuating DNA damage and proliferative exhaustion in FA HSCs. Stem Cells  2019;37:937–947
Seismic behavior of reinforced concrete squat walls with high strength reinforcements: An experimental study
Authors: Chen Xiao‐Lei , Fu Jian‐Ping , Hao Xin , Yang Hong , Zhang De‐Yi
Published: April 2019

A total of 15 squat reinforced concrete (RC) shear walls (12 of them were reinforced with high strength reinforcement of HRB600 [Grade 600 MPa] and the remaining 3 with normal grade reinforcement of HRB400 [Grade 400 MPa]) have been tested under the cyclic loading. The influencing parameters considered in the test specimens include the grade of reinforcement, axial load ratio, types of cross section, and reinforcement ratio. The seismic performances of the squat RC shear walls have been studied using the test results based on the failure mode, hysteretic behaviors, peak shear strength, deformation capacity, secant stiffness degradation, and inelastic energy dissipation capacity. The test results reveal that the failure modes of the walls with HRB600 steel bars are similar to those walls with HRB400 reinforcement. The walls with high strength reinforcement tend to achieve a larger ultimate deformation but slightly lower load carrying capacity. Both the initial stiffness and energy dissipation of the specimen hysteretic curves decrease as the reinforcement ratio increases and the parameters of cross section and reinforcement ratios have more significant effect on the seismic behavior of shear walls than that by the axial load ratio. Comparing with the walls reinforced with lower reinforcement ratio, the ones with higher reinforcement ratio exhibit larger and better peak load and deformation capacities. Shear walls with symmetrical cross section have better seismic performance than those having the asymmetric ones. When the specimens are subjected to the peak load, the stress in 90% horizontal reinforcement could reach 425 and 385 MPa for the 95% horizontal reinforcement.
Use of Drones in Fishery Science
Authors: Harris J. Mason , Nelson James A. , Rieucau Guillaume , Broussard Whitney P.
Published: April 2019

The use of unmanned aircraft systems (UASs), commonly referred to as drones, has rapidly expanded across many scientific disciplines. Like other fields, fisheries research would benefit significantly from broader use of this emerging technology but has lagged behind other disciplines. Like the implementation of satellite and aircraft‐based remote sensing technology in previous decades brought a greater understanding of large‐scale spatial patterns and processes, UAS technology has the potential to put those tools in the hands of individual researchers, allowing implementation at finer spatial and temporal scales for a fraction of the cost. Our goal is to provide a “how‐to” for fisheries researchers interested in using UAS technology. We outline the necessary steps for any UAS project from choosing the appropriate platform and sensors to data acquisition and analysis. We also present the current ways in which UASs are being used in a fisheries research context as well as potential future research directions.
Reviewing benefits and costs of hydropower development evidence from the Lower Mekong River Basin
Authors: Intralawan Apisom , Smajgl Alex , McConnell William , Ahlquist Daniel B. , Ward John , Kramer Daniel B.
Published: April 2019

In this paper, we examine the benefits and costs of hydropower development in the Mekong River Basin. We compare four major reports—the Mekong River Commission's (MRC's) Basin Development Plan Programme, Phase 2 (BDP2), the Strategic Environmental Assessment of Hydropower on the Mekong Mainstream (SEA), the Study on the Impacts of Mainstream Hydropower on the Mekong River (MDS), and the MRC's recent council study (CS)—in order to provide the basis for a comparative analysis of the major impact evaluation literature on mainstream dam construction in the Mekong River Basin for the period of 2010–2018. The primary objective of the review is to identify points of agreement, disagreement, inconsistency, and knowledge gaps. Both Mekong River Commission reports (BDP2 and CS) suggest extensive economic benefits for proposed hydropower development, whereas the SEA and MDS indicate that the net impact would be negative. The projected impacts of hydropower development on fisheries, sediment flows, and ecosystems vary widely both in economic and biophysical terms. However, all four reports point to decreased food security and loss of local livelihoods for millions of people as major concerns related to dam development. While considerable resources have been devoted to producing these important studies, the lack of standardization across reports, especially assumptions and methodologies for economic impacts, frustrates efforts at meaningful comparison of their findings and precludes the prospect of clear analytical outcomes or policy impacts.

This article is categorized under:

Engineering Water > Planning Water

Human Water > Value of Water

Engineering Water > Methods
Neuromorphic vision: From sensors to event‐based algorithms
Authors: Lakshmi Annamalai , Chakraborty Anirban , Thakur Chetan S.
Published: April 2019

Regardless of the marvels brought by the conventional frame‐based cameras, they have significant drawbacks due to their redundancy in data and temporal latency. This causes problem in applications where low‐latency transmission and high‐speed processing are mandatory. Proceeding along this line of thought, the neurobiological principles of the biological retina have been adapted to accomplish data sparsity and high dynamic range at the pixel level. These bio‐inspired neuromorphic vision sensors alleviate the more serious bottleneck of data redundancy by responding to changes in illumination rather than to illumination itself. This paper reviews in brief one such representative of neuromorphic sensors, the activity‐driven event‐based vision sensor, which mimics human eyes. Spatio‐temporal encoding of event data permits incorporation of time correlation in addition to spatial correlation in vision processing, which enables more robustness. Henceforth, the conventional vision algorithms have to be reformulated to adapt to this new generation vision sensor data. It involves design of algorithms for sparse, asynchronous, and accurately timed information. Theories and new researches have begun emerging recently in the domain of event‐based vision. The necessity to compile the vision research carried out in this sensor domain has turned out to be considerably more essential. Towards this, this paper reviews the state‐of‐the‐art event‐based vision algorithms by categorizing them into three major vision applications, object detection/recognition, object tracking, localization and mapping.

This article is categorized under:

Technologies > Machine Learning
Instability of a magnetized QGP sourced by a scalar operator
Authors: Ávila Daniel , Patiño Leonardo
Published: April 2019

Abstract

We use the gauge/gravity correspondence to study the thermodynamics of a magnetized quark-gluon plasma in the presence of a scalar operator of dimension Δ = 2. We proceed by working in a five-dimensional gauged supergravity theory, where we numerically construct an asymptotically AdS5 background that describes a black D3-brane in the presence of a magnetic and a scalar fields. We study the asymptotic behavior of the background and its fields close to the AdS5 region to latter perform a thermodynamic analysis of the solution that includes the renormalization of the free energy associated to it. We find that because of the presence of the scalar operator, there exists a maximum intensity for the magnetic field that the plasma can hold, while for any given intensity smaller than that value, there are two states that differ in their vacuum expectation value for the scalar operator. We show that one of the two branches just mentioned is thermodynamically favored over the other.
Therapie der akuten diabetischen Stoffwechselentgleisungen bei Erwachsenen (Update 2019)
Authors: Kaser Susanne , Sourij Harald , Clodi Martin , Schneeweiß Bruno , Laggner Anton N. , Luger Anton
Published: April 2019

Akute Stoffwechselentgleisungen können für Erwachsene in Abhängigkeit von ihrem Ausmaß lebensbedrohlich sein. Dementsprechend sind eine rasche umfassende Diagnostik und Therapie sowie eine enge Überwachung der Vitalparameter und Laborbefunde erforderlich. Bei der Therapie, die sich bei der ketoazidotischen (DKA) und hyperglykämisch-hyperosmolaren (HHS) Form nicht wesentlich unterscheidet, kommt dem Ausgleich des meist beträchtlichen Flüssigkeitsdefizits mit mehreren Litern einer physiologischen kristalloiden Lösung eine vorrangige Rolle zu. Bei den Elektrolyten ist insbesondere auf eine ausgeglichene Serum-Kalium-Konzentration zu achten. Normal-Insulin oder rasch wirksame Analoga können initial als i.v.-Bolus verabreicht werden, in der Folge jedoch kontinuierlich über einen Perfusor. Die Umstellung auf eine subkutane Insulintherapie soll erst bei ausgeglichenem Säure-Basen-Haushalt und zufriedenstellender Glykämie erfolgen.
Purpose in adolescents diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder
Authors: Quinn Brandy P. , Stark Marcella D. , Hunter Allison K. , Evans Alyssa , Hennessey Katharine A.
Published: April 2019

Introduction

Drawing from positive youth development theory, the research team examined purpose in life among adolescents diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Methods

Members of the research team conducted paired interviews about purpose in life with adolescents diagnosed with an ASD and one of each adolescent's parents. Data collection took place in the south‐central region of the US. The eight adolescent participants were in middle school, high school, and early college. The research team open‐coded interview transcripts and condensed these codes into meta‐codes to aid in determining the form of purpose for each participant.

Results

Similar to what has been found in studies of neurotypical youth, participants distributed diversely across the forms of purpose, with all but one participant demonstrating some aspect of purpose.

Conclusions

The authors recommend practitioners consider the variety of supports they could provide to adolescents diagnosed with an ASD and consider encouraging these youth when their creative interests are sparked. Additionally, the research team invites the scholarly community to further investigate specific contextual supports and to develop ways of measuring purpose that do not rely on advanced language and social skills.
Standardization of endometriosis surgery – the coloproctologist's vision
Authors: Lara Barbara Pereira , Ebrahim Karina Correa , Sagae Univaldo Etsuo , Kurachi Gustavo , Regadas Francisco Sérgio Pinheiro , Regadas Sthela Maria Murad , Lima Doryane Maria dos Reis
Published: April 2019

Objective To demonstrate the standardization of deep endometriosis surgery with intestinal involvement.

Methods Prospective study evaluating 74 women undergoing standardized surgery for deep intestinal endometriosis. Divided into two groups, according to the findings of three-dimensional anorectal ultrasound, Group I with lesions affecting perirectal fat and Group II with lesions affecting at least the muscular layer of the rectum.

Results There was no statistically significant difference between the groups in relation to the size of the focus and the distance of the lesion to the puborectalis muscle (p > 0.05). The type of surgery performed was laparoscopy without lesions in one patient (1.35%), disk resection in 13 patients (17.56%), shaving in 45 patients (60.81%), and rectosigmoidectomy in 15 patients (20.27%). The complications were bleeding from the drain with conservative treatment in three patients (4.05%), fistula in two patients submitted to the shaving method (2.70%), and three patients (4.05%) with lower anterior recession syndrome (LARS), with improvement from conservative treatment. Lesions in other organs were also observed during videolaparoscopy.

Conclusion Surgical standardization is important to guide the general/colorectal surgeon in the effective approach of intestinal endometriosis.
Take your lead: The pleasures of power in universities and beyond
Authors: Gosling Jonathan Robert
Published: April 2019

Ken Parry once asked me why I wanted to take the lead on a particular initiative. This paper summarises the answer I'd like to have given him. Taking the lead is pleasurable in three principle ways: it affirms or modifies self-concept, confirms a degree of control over the external world and promises self-transcendence through relationship with others. The paper proposes three categories: identity, influence and interaction, as the basis of an analytic framework for further research into the pleasures of power.
Positive relationship between consumption of specific fish type andn-3 PUFA in milk of Hong Kong lactating mothers
Authors: Wong Vincy Wing-Si , Ng Yuk-Fan , Chan Suk-Mei , Su Yi-Xiang , Kwok Kevin Wing-Hin , Chan Hing-Man , Cheung Chi-Leung , Lee Hang-Wai , Pak Wing-Yiu , Li Shi-Ying , Wong Man-Sau
Published: April 2019

Residents of Hong Kong have undergone a dietary transition from a traditional Chinese diet that is high in seafood to a more Western diet. This may have affected the nutritional composition of breast milk of Hong Kong mothers. The present study aims to investigate the relationship between the dietary pattern and the fatty acid profile of the breast milk of lactating women in Hong Kong. Seventy-three volunteering healthy Hong Kong lactating mothers participated in the study. Their dietary intakes were assessed by using a 3-d dietary record and FFQ. The meann-3 fatty acid levels were approximately 0·4 % (EPA) and 0·9 % (DHA) of total fatty acids in the breast milk of lactating mothers who had exclusively breastfed their infants aged 2–6 months. Maternal dietary intakes ofn-3 fatty acids were positively associated with their levels in the breast milk. The levels of maternal intakes of freshwater and saltwater fish, especially the consumption of salmon, croaker and mandarin, were significantly correlated with the content of DHA in breast milk. The present study is among the very few in the literature to determine the fatty acid profile of breast milk in Hong Kong populations and verify certain dietary factors that influence this profile. High levels ofn-3 PUFA, especially DHA, were observed in the breast milk of Hong Kong lactating women. The findings may serve as a dietary reference for lactating mothers to optimise the fatty acid profile of their breast milk.
Development of a nutrient quality score for the complementary diets of Indonesian infants and relationships with linear growth and stunting: a longitudinal analysis
Authors: Haszard Jillian J. , Diana Aly , Daniels Lisa , Houghton Lisa A. , Gibson Rosalind S.
Published: April 2019

Reducing multifactorial stunting is a priority for the 2025 WHO Global Nutrition Target. In the plant-based complementary diets of low-income countries, deficits in several growth-limiting micronutrients may contribute to stunting. Hence the intercorrelation between multiple micronutrients in terms of their intake and impact is important. Therefore, our aim was to develop a nutrient quality score using principal component analysis (PCA) in a sample of Indonesian infants at 6, 9 and 12 months of age and to evaluate the association of the scores with linear growth and stunting. At 6 months, 217 infants were recruited from Sumedang District, West Java, with 195 and 189 followed at 9 and 12 months of age, respectively. Complementary food intakes were assessed using 2-d weighed food records. Eight correlated nutrients (vitamin A, ascorbic acid, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, Ca, Fe and Zn) were summarised using PCA into a single nutrient pattern that explained 56–65 % of the total variability. Nutrient quality scores were related to demographic, inflammation and complementary food indicator variables in hypothesised directions. While no significant relationships were apparent with linear growth, the odds of being stunted at ages 9 and 12 months was lower for infants with a higher nutrient quality score at 9 months (OR 0·75, 95 % CI 0·59, 0·95 and OR 0·69, 95 % CI 0·55, 0·88), respectively, for the fully adjusted models. A data-driven nutrient quality score is a valid tool to assess the influence of nutrient quality on stunting in at-risk infants.
Improved method for genotyping the causative agent of crayfish plague (Aphanomyces astaci) based on mitochondrial DNA
Authors: Minardi Diana , Studholme David J. , Oidtmann Birgit , Pretto Tobia , van der Giezen Mark
Published: April 2019

Aphanomyces astacicauses crayfish plague, which is a devastating disease of European freshwater crayfish. The likely first introduction ofA. astaciinto Europe was in the mid-19th century in Italy, presumably with the introduction of North American crayfish. These crayfish can carryA. astaciin their cuticle as a benign infection.Aphanomyces astacirapidly spread across Europe causing the decline of the highly susceptible indigenous crayfish species. Random amplified polymorphic DNA-PCR analysis ofA. astacipure cultures characterized five genotype groups (A, B, C, D and E). CurrentA. astacigenotyping techniques (microsatellites and genotype-specific regions, both targeting nuclear DNA) can be applied directly to DNA extracted from infected cuticles but require high infection levels. Therefore, they are not suitable for genotyping benign infections in North American crayfish (carriers). In the present study, we combine bioinformatics and molecular biology techniques to developA. astacigenotyping molecular markers that target the mitochondrial DNA, increasing the sensitivity of the genotyping tools. The assays were validated on DNA extracts ofA. astacipure cultures, crayfish tissue extractions from crayfish plague outbreaks and tissue extractions from North American carriers. We demonstrate the presence ofA. astacigenotype groups A and B in UK waters.
Parasite prevalence increases with temperature in an avian metapopulation in northern Norway
Authors: Holand H. , Jensen H. , Kvalnes T. , Tufto J. , Pärn H. , Sæther B-E. , Ringsby T. H.
Published: April 2019

Climate and weather conditions may have substantial effects on the ecology of both parasites and hosts in natural populations. The strength and shape of the effects of weather on parasites and hosts are likely to change as global warming affects local climate. These changes may in turn alter fundamental elements of parasite–host dynamics. We explored the influence of temperature and precipitation on parasite prevalence in a metapopulation of avian hosts in northern Norway. We also investigated if annual change in parasite prevalence was related to winter climate, as described by the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). We found that parasite prevalence increased with temperature within-years and decreased slightly with increasing precipitation. We also found that a mild winter (positive winter NAO index) was associated with higher mean parasite prevalence the following year. Our results indicate that both local and large scale weather conditions may affect the proportion of hosts that become infected by parasites in natural populations. Understanding the effect of climate and weather on parasite–host relationships in natural populations is vital in order to predict the full consequence of global warming.
Long-term outcomes for bilinguals in minority language contexts: Welsh–English teenagers’ performance on measures of grammatical gender and plural morphology in Welsh
Authors: Binks Hanna L. , Thomas Enlli Môn
Published: April 2019

This study explored the long-term effects of limited input on bilingual teenagers’ acquisition of complex morphology in Welsh. Study 1 assessed 168 12–13 and 16–17-year-old teenagers, across three bilingual groups: those whose first language was Welsh (L1 Welsh), those who learned Welsh and English simultaneously (L1 Welsh–English), and those who learned Welsh as a second language (L2 Welsh), on their receptive knowledge of grammatical gender. Study 2 assessed the same participants on their production of plural morphology. While the results of Study 1 revealed continuous progression toward adult norms among L1 Welsh-speaking bilinguals, with the simultaneous bilinguals progressing at a slower rate, the results of Study 2 revealed performances on plural morphology that were comparable to adult norms among the 16–17-year-old L1 Welsh-speaking bilinguals, and some progression among the simultaneous bilinguals. In contrast, delayed progression was seen among the L2 Welsh-speaking bilinguals across the board, with 16–17-year-old L2 participants lagging behind their L1 peers on both grammatical gender and plural morphology. The implications of these findings for our understanding of the long-term outcomes for bilinguals learning complex structures under minority language conditions are discussed.
Non-native contrasts in Tongan loans
Authors: Zuraw Kie , O'Flynn Kathleen Chase , Ward Kaeli
Published: April 2019

We present three case studies of marginal contrasts in Tongan loans from English, working with data from three speakers. Although Tongan lacks contrasts in stress or in CCvs.CVC sequences, secondary stress in loans is contrastive, and is sensitive to whether a vowel has a correspondent in the English source word; vowel deletion is also sensitive to whether a vowel is epenthetic as compared to the English source; and final vowel length is sensitive to whether the penultimate vowel is epenthetic, and if not, whether it corresponds to a stressed or unstressed vowel in the English source. We provide an analysis in the multilevel model of Boersma (1998) and Boersma & Hamann (2009), and show that the loan patterns can be captured using only constraints that plausibly are needed for native-word phonology, including constraints that reflect perceptual strategies.
The Church of England and Same-Sex Marriage: Beyond a Rights-Based Analysis
Authors: Smith Charlotte
Published: April 2019

Some scholars, faced with the apparent conflict between the Church of England's teaching on marriage and the idea of equal marriage embraced by the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013, have focused on the implications of that Act for the constitutional relationship between Church, State and nation. More frequently, noting the position of the Church of England under that Act, academics have critiqued the legislation as an exercise in balancing competing human rights. This article by contrast, leaving behind a tendency to treat religion as a monolithic ‘other’, and leaving behind the neat binaries of rights-based analyses, interrogates the internal agonies of the Church of England as it has striven to negotiate an institutional response to the secular legalisation of same-sex marriage. It explores the struggles of the Church to do so in a manner which holds in balance a wide array of doctrinal positions and the demands of mission, pastoral care and the continued apostolic identity of the Church of England.
Vultures attacking livestock: a problem of vulture behavioural change or farmers’ perception?
Authors: DURIEZ OLIVIER , DESCAVES SANDRINE , GALLAIS REGIS , NEOUZE RAPHAËL , FLUHR JULIE , DECANTE FREDERIC
Published: April 2019

Human-wildlife conflicts are often partly due to biased human perceptions about the real damage caused by wildlife. While Griffon Vultures Gyps fulvus are obligate scavengers, 156 complaint reports about vultures attacking livestock were officially recorded over eight years (2007–2014) in France. We investigated whether this conflict could be explained by a change in vulture behaviour, or by a biased perception by farmers. If vultures became predators, as a consequence of density-dependent processes, we predicted that reports would concern mostly ante-mortem consumption of healthy livestock and would be temporally and spatially correlated to vulture population size and space use. Under the hypothesis of perception bias of farmers, we predicted that reports would concern mostly post-mortem consumption, and would be more numerous in areas where farmers are less familiar with vultures and where herds are less attended by shepherds. The spatio-temporal distribution of reports was not correlated with the vulture’s population trend and was not centred on the core area of vulture home range. In 67% of reports, vultures consumed post-mortem an animal that had died for other reasons. In 18% of reports, vultures consumed ante-mortem an animal that was immobile and close to death before vulture arrival. The fact that 90% of complaining farmers did not own vulture supplementary feeding stations and that 40% of these farms were located outside protected areas (where most education programmes take place) suggests that most farmers had little familiarity or personal knowledge of vultures. There was no shepherd witness present in 95% of the reports. Therefore, the hypothesis of a perception bias due to lack of knowledge was most likely to explain this vulture-livestock conflict rather than the hypothesis of a recent change in vulture feeding behaviour. Environmental education should be better included in conservation programmes and enhanced in areas where vultures are expanding to recolonise their former distribution range.
Quantitative Measurement of Iron-Silicides by EPMA Using the Fe Lα and Lβ X-ray Lines: A New Twist to an Old Approach
Authors: Moy Aurélien , Fournelle John , von der Handt Anette
Published: April 2019

The recent availability of Schottky-type field emission electron microprobes provides incentive to consider analyzing micrometer-sized features. Yet, to quantify sub-micrometer-sized features, the electron interaction volume must be reduced by decreasing accelerating voltage. However, the K lines of the transition elements (e.g., Fe) then cannot be excited, and the L lines must be used. The Fe Lα1,2 line is the most intense of the L series but bonding effects change its atomic parameters because it involves a valence band electron transition. For successful traditional electron probe microanalysis, the mass absorption coefficient (MAC) must be accurately known, but the MAC of Fe Lα1,2 radiation by Fe atoms varies from one Fe-compound to another and is not well known. We show that the conventional method of measuring the MAC by an electron probe cannot be used in close proximity to absorption edges, making its accurate determination impossible. Fortunately, we demonstrate, using a set of Fe–silicide compounds, that it is possible to derive an accurate calibration curve, for a given accelerating voltage and takeoff angle, which can be used to quantify Fe in Fe–silicide compounds. The calibration curve can be applied to any spectrometer without calibration and gives accurate quantification results.
Transforming health care: the policy and politics of service reconfiguration in the UK's four health systems
Authors: Stewart Ellen , Greer Scott L. , Ercia Angelo , Donnelly Peter D.
Published: April 2019

Public involvement in service change has been identified as a key facilitator of health care transformation (Foley et al., 2017) but little is known about how health policy influences whether and how organisations involve the public in change processes. This qualitative study compares policy and practice for involving the public in major service changes across the UK's four health systems (England, Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland). We analysed policy documents, and conducted interviews with officials, stakeholders, NHS staff and public campaigners (total number of interviewees = 47). Involving the public in major service change was acknowledged as a policy challenge in all four systems. Despite ostensible similarities, there were some clear differences between the four health systems' processes for involving patients and the public in major changes to health services. The extent of central Government oversight, the prescriptiveness of Government guidance, the role for intermediary bodies and arrangements for independent scrutiny of contentious decisions all vary. We analyse how health policy in the four systems has used ‘sticks’ and ‘sermons’ to promote particular approaches, and conclude that both policy and the wider system context within which health care organisations try to effect change are significant, and understudied aspect of contemporary practice.
The Effect of Foehn‐Induced Surface Melt on Firn Evolution Over the Northeast Antarctic Peninsula
Authors: Datta Rajashree Tri , Tedesco Marco , Fettweis Xavier , Agosta Cecile , Lhermitte Stef , Lenaerts Jan T. M. , Wever Nander
Published: April 2019

Surface meltwater ponding has been implicated as a major driver for recent ice shelf collapse as well as the speedup of tributary glaciers in the northeast Antarctic Peninsula. Surface melt on the NAP is impacted by the strength and frequency of westerly winds, which result in sporadic foehn flow. We estimate changes in the frequency of foehn flow and the associated impact on snow melt, density, and the percolation depth of meltwater over the period 1982–2017 using a regional climate model and passive microwave data. The first of two methods extracts spatial patterns of melt occurrence using empirical orthogonal function analysis. The second method applies the Foehn Index, introduced here to capture foehn occurrence over the full study domain. Both methods show substantial foehn‐induced melt late in the melt season since 2015, resulting in compounded densification of the near‐surface snow, with potential implications for future ice shelf stability.
Impact of Coral Reef Mining Pits on Nearshore Hydrodynamics and Wave Runup During Extreme Wave Events
Authors: Klaver S. , Nederhoff C. M. , Giardino A. , Tissier M. F. S. , van Dongeren A. R. , van der Spek A. J. F.
Published: April 2019

Small island developing states are among the most vulnerable areas to the impact of natural hazards and climate change. Flooding due to storm surges and extreme waves, coastal erosion, and salinization of freshwater lenses are already a serious threat and could lead to irreversible consequences in the coming decades. Reef flat mining is one of the most common practices to source the required material for the implementation of coastal protection measures, but concerns remain that partial removal of the protective reef could increase wave loading on the islands. However, the available data and knowledge on the effects of these mining pits are currently very limited. This study provides new insights on the effects that pits may have on nearshore hydrodynamics and wave runup. Results are based on a large numerical data set of fringing reefs, derived using the validated XBeach nonhydrostatic+ process‐based model. Model results indicate that excavation pits cause a decrease in infragravity wave energy around the fundamental mode of the reef, which is partly caused by reduced wave transmission. Additionally, changes in sea and swell wave energy are attributed to reduced transmission, a decrease in wave dissipation, and (triad) wave–wave interaction. Furthermore, in 13% of all modeled cases, an increase in wave runup is observed, mainly due to more sea and swell wave energy reaching the shoreline. This probability is lowest for narrow pits relative to the reef flat width or pits located further from shore.
Israeli Spacecraft Will Land on Moon Today
Authors: Cartier Kimberly
Published: April 2019

Beresheet will be the first privately developed craft to attempt a soft landing on the Moon. The landing will be broadcast live.
Atmospheric Circulation Patterns Associated With Wildfires in the Monsoon Regions of China
Authors: Zhao Fengjun , Liu Yongqiang
Published: April 2019

Major atmospheric circulation patterns for wildfires have been identified in regions with boreal, Mediterranean, and semiarid climates. This study investigates such patterns in the monsoon regions of China, where the climate is controlled by multiple atmospheric systems and wildfires have large spatial variability. We identified three patterns. The first pattern was characterized by a high‐pressure ridge in northeast China and contributed to wildfires by creating warmer and drier conditions. The second, meridional pattern contributed to wildfires in north, central, and south China by increasing dry air transport. The third, zonal pattern had a weaker westerly ridge and trough and contributed to wildfires in southwest China by decreasing the transport from westerly systems. We showed that a circulation index defined as the pressure difference between the positive and negative centers of fire‐pressure correlations had higher monthly fire prediction skills for large fire occurrences than local weather.
ZFHX3 is indispensable for ERβ to inhibit cell proliferation via MYC downregulation in prostate cancer cells
Authors: Hu Qingxia , Zhang Baotong , Chen Rui , Fu Changying , A Jun , Fu Xing , Li Juan , Fu Liya , Zhang Zhiqian , Dong Jin-Tang
Published: April 2019

Both estrogen receptor 2 (ESR2, also known as estrogen receptor beta (ERβ)) and the zinc-finger homeobox 3 (ZFHX3, also known as ATBF1 for AT motif-binding factor 1) modulate prostate development and suppress prostatic tumorigenesis in mice. ZFHX3 is integral to proper functions of ESR1 (i.e., estrogen receptor alpha (ERα)), which belongs to the same family of proteins as ESR2, but is hardly expressed in prostate epithelial cells. It is not clear how ZFHX3 suppresses prostatic tumorigenesis. In this study, we investigated whether ZFHX3 and ERβ functionally interact with each other in the suppression of prostatic tumorigenesis. In two androgen receptor (AR)-positive prostate cancer cell lines, C4-2B and LNCaP, we first validated ERβ’s tumor suppressor activity indicated by the inhibition of cell proliferation and repression of MYC expression. We found that loss of ZFHX3 increased cell proliferation and MYC expression, and downregulation of MYC was necessary for ZFHX3 to inhibit cell proliferation in the same cell lines. Importantly, loss of ZFHX3 prevented ERβ from suppressing cell proliferation and repressing MYC transcription. Biochemically, ERβ and ZFHX3 physically interacted with each other and they both occupied the same region of the common MYC promoter, even though ZFHX3 also bound to another region of the MYC promoter. Higher levels of ZFHX3 and ERβ in human prostate cancer tissue samples correlated with better patient survival. These findings establish MYC repression as a mechanism for ZFHX3’s tumor suppressor activity and ZFHX3 as an indispensable factor for ERβ’s tumor suppressor activity in prostate cancer cells. Our data also suggest that intact ZFHX3 function is required for using ERβ-selective agonists to effectively treat prostate cancer.
Closing yield gaps for rice self-sufficiency in China
Authors: Deng Nanyan , Grassini Patricio , Yang Haishun , Huang Jianliang , Cassman Kenneth G. , Peng Shaobing
Published: April 2019

China produces 28% of global rice supply and is currently self-sufficient despite a massive rural-to-urban demographic transition that drives intense competition for land and water resources. At issue is whether it will remain self-sufficient, which depends on the potential to raise yields on existing rice land. Here we report a detailed spatial analysis of rice production potential in China and evaluate scenarios to 2030. We find that China is likely to remain self-sufficient in rice assuming current yield and consumption trajectories and no reduction in production area. A focus on increasing yields of double-rice systems on general, and in three single-rice provinces where yield gaps are relatively large, would provide greatest return on investments in research and development to remain self-sufficient. Discrepancies between results from our detailed bottom-up yield-gap analysis and those derived following a top-down methodology show that the two approaches would result in very different research and development priorities.
Oscillatory cortical forces promote three dimensional cell intercalations that shape the murine mandibular arch
Authors: Tao Hirotaka , Zhu Min , Lau Kimberly , Whitley Owen K. W. , Samani Mohammad , Xiao Xiao , Chen Xiao Xiao , Hahn Noah A. , Liu Weifan , Valencia Megan , Wu Min , Wang Xian , Fenelon Kelli D. , Pasiliao Clarissa C. , Hu Di , Wu Jinchun , Spring Shoshana , Ferguson James , Karuna Edith P. , Henkelman R. Mark , Dunn Alexander , Huang Huaxiong , Ho Hsin-Yi Henry , Atit Radhika , Goyal Sidhartha , Sun Yu , Hopyan Sevan
Published: April 2019

Multiple vertebrate embryonic structures such as organ primordia are composed of confluent cells. Although mechanisms that shape tissue sheets are increasingly understood, those which shape a volume of cells remain obscure. Here we show that 3D mesenchymal cell intercalations are essential to shape the mandibular arch of the mouse embryo. Using a genetically encoded vinculin tension sensor that we knock-in to the mouse genome, we show that cortical force oscillations promote these intercalations. Genetic loss- and gain-of-function approaches show thatWnt5afunctions as a spatial cue to coordinate cell polarity and cytoskeletal oscillation. These processes diminish tissue rigidity and help cells to overcome the energy barrier to intercalation. YAP/TAZ and PIEZO1 serve as downstream effectors ofWnt5a-mediated actomyosin polarity and cytosolic calcium transients that orient and drive mesenchymal cell intercalations. These findings advance our understanding of how developmental pathways regulate biophysical properties and forces to shape a solid organ primordium.
Mitochondria-specific drug release and reactive oxygen species burst induced by polyprodrug nanoreactors can enhance chemotherapy
Authors: Zhang Wenjia , Hu Xianglong , Shen Qi , Xing Da
Published: April 2019

Cancer cells exhibit slightly elevated levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) compared with normal cells, and approximately 90% of intracellular ROS is produced in mitochondria. In situ mitochondrial ROS amplification is a promising strategy to enhance cancer therapy. Here we report cancer cell and mitochondria dual-targeting polyprodrug nanoreactors (DT-PNs) covalently tethered with a high content of repeating camptothecin (CPT) units, which release initial free CPT in the presence of endogenous mitochondrial ROS (mtROS). The in situ released CPT acts as a cellular respiration inhibitor, inducing mtROS upregulation, thus achieving subsequent self-circulation of CPT release and mtROS burst. This mtROS amplification endows long-term high oxidative stress to induce cancer cell apoptosis. This current strategy of endogenously activated mtROS amplification for enhanced chemodynamic therapy overcomes the short lifespan and action range of ROS, avoids the penetration limitation of exogenous light in photodynamic therapy, and is promising for theranostics.
Microscopic insight into non-radiative decay in perovskite semiconductors from temperature-dependent luminescence blinking
Authors: Gerhard Marina , Louis Boris , Camacho Rafael , Merdasa Aboma , Li Jun , Kiligaridis Alexander , Dobrovolsky Alexander , Hofkens Johan , Scheblykin Ivan G.
Published: April 2019

Organo-metal halide perovskites are promising solution-processed semiconductors, however, they possess diverse and largely not understood non-radiative mechanisms. Here, we resolve contributions of individual non-radiative recombination centers (quenchers) in nanocrystals of methylammonium lead iodide by studying their photoluminescence blinking caused by random switching of quenchers between active and passive states. We propose a model to describe the observed reduction of blinking upon cooling and determine energetic barriers of 0.2 to 0.8 eV for enabling the switching process, which points to ion migration as the underlying mechanism. Moreover, due to the strong influence of individual quenchers, the crystals show very individually-shaped photoluminescence enhancement upon cooling, suggesting that the high variety of activation energies of the PL enhancement reported in literature is not related to intrinsic properties but rather to the defect chemistry. Stabilizing the fluctuating quenchers in their passive states thus appears to be a promising strategy for improving the material quality.
A high Q piezoelectric resonator as a portable VLF transmitter
Authors: Kemp Mark A. , Franzi Matt , Haase Andy , Jongewaard Erik , Whittaker Matthew T. , Kirkpatrick Michael , Sparr Robert
Published: April 2019

Very low frequency communication systems (3 kHz–30 kHz) enable applications not feasible at higher frequencies. However, the highest radiation efficiency antennas require size at the scale of the wavelength (here, >1 km), making portable transmitters extremely challenging. Facilitating transmitters at the 10 cm scale, we demonstrate an ultra-low loss lithium niobate piezoelectric electric dipole driven at acoustic resonance that radiates with greater than 300x higher efficiency compared to the previous state of the art at a comparable electrical size. A piezoelectric radiating element eliminates the need for large impedance matching networks as it self-resonates at the acoustic wavelength. Temporal modulation of this resonance demonstrates a device bandwidth greater than 83x beyond the conventional Bode-Fano limit, thus increasing the transmitter bitrate while still minimizing losses. These results will open new applications for portable, electrically small antennas.