bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Truth-Telling in the Eighteenth-Century English Courtroom
Authors: Oldham James
Published: May 2019

Mirjan Damaška, in his 1973 comparative study of criminal procedure in the Anglo-American and continental traditions, asserts that “the continental non-adversary system of procedure is more committed to the search for truth than is the Anglo-American adversary system.” He reasons that the stronger procedural obstacles to truth-finding in the adversary system derive from a collective horror of convicting innocent people.
Chattel Property Rules and the Construction of Englishness, 1660–1800
Authors: Staves Susan
Published: May 2019

To think of property as “things” owned by “persons” may be to miss a more interesting relation in which personhood itself can be constructed out of ownership rights, especially out of what a particular person is privileged or forbidden to own. Moreover, what is sometimes thought of as “private property” might more accurately be understood as the product of a joint venture engaged in by both individuals and the state. Now, instead of personhood and property existing outside of and independent of the state, both are significantly creatures of the modern state. In early modern England we can see the extent to which “England” and “Englishness” were themselves invented through rules of ownership and through the state's use of rules of ownership to project and to enforce certain ideas of desirable Englishness. A wide variety of statutory changes in the rules of property ownership conferred ownership rights on some persons previously lacking them and took away ownership rights from other persons previously possessing them; these rule changes were intended to promote certain kinds of personhood judged desirable by the legislature and to stigmatize and limit other kinds. Since early modern politicians and social theorists were quite self-conscious about the relations between property law and social structure, it is often possible to discern in the rule changes and in the debates about them what contemporaries supposed the ideological implications of the legal changes they advocated or resisted were.
The classroom performance and behavior of sexually abused females
Authors: Trickett Penelope K. , McBride-Chang Catherine , Putnam Frank W.
Published: May 2019

This study examines the relationship of child sexual abuse to classroom academic performance and behavior in a sample of 6–16-year-old girls. Half of the sample was sexually abused by a family member. The other half is a demographically similar nonabused comparison group. Measures of academic performance include school records, teacher's ratings of classroom behavior and performance, and parental reports of school performance. Possible mediators of the impact of sexual abuse on classroom performance and behavior – cognitive capability, perceived competence, and behavior problems–are also measured. Results can be summarized as follows, (a) A history of sexual abuse does predict academic performance: Abuse is directly negatively related to ratings of classroom social competence, competent learner, and overall academic performance and positively related to school avoidant behavior, but is not related to grades, (b) Sexual abuse is negatively related to cognitive ability and positively related to measures of behavior problems indicating depression, destructiveness, and dissociation, (c) Cognitive ability and perceived competence predict the more “academic” aspects of academic performance—grades, ratings as a competent learner, and overall academic performance. Behavior problems predict ratings as a competent learner, classroom social competence, school avoidant behavior, and overall academmic performance.
Special Education Computing: Current Courses and Future Directions
Authors: Bailey Jeff
Published: May 2019

While there is a great deal of activity in the area of educational computing in Australia, little is known of the courses being taught to teachers to equip them to deal with this technology in classrooms. This report summarises a survey of teacher education faculties in Australian universities, the aim of which was to determine the amount and content of special education computing courses being offered to teachers.
People in Need: Challenges and Dilemmas
Authors: Brown Roy I
Published: May 2019

Historical Overview

The recorded history of disability is long yet, apart from the past 50 years, sparse. There is anthropological evidence that early man may on occasion have cared and protected persons with disabilities. For example Hadingham (1979) cites evidence of formal burial, around 45 thousand BC, of an individual (40 years plus) with long standing physical disabilities, but in later records there is also evidence of exploitation. In more recent times the records of the American Mental Deficiency Society - A Century of Concern (Sloan and Stevens, 1976) - indicate that a variety of both benign and restrictive approaches have been tried. The ideas of normalization, vocational employment, sterilization, incarceration were all proposed though sometimes not under these headings.

Developments during the past 50 years have been rapid and have been directed to scientific, practical and, more recently, societal approaches to disability. Yet, as I have indicated, these changes had their roots in earlier developments in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Itard and Seguin developed learning strategies which forecast modern learning and behavioural management techniques. Binet’s (1916) concern with disadvantaged students paved the way for intelligence testing, but also added fuel to the development of the nature-nurture controversy which was influenced by the views of Galton and Darwin.
NLP commercialisation in the last 25 years
Authors: Dale Robert
Published: May 2019

The Journal of Natural Language Engineering is now in its 25th year. The editorial preface to the first issue emphasised that the focus of the journal was to be on the practical application of natural language processing (NLP) technologies: the time was ripe for a serious publication that helped encourage research ideas to find their way into real products. The commercialisation of NLP technologies had already started by that point, but things have advanced tremendously over the last quarter-century. So, to celebrate the journal’s anniversary, we look at how commercial NLP products have developed over the last 25 years.
Second language acquisition of American Sign Language influences co-speech gesture production
Authors: Weisberg Jill , Casey Shannon , Sevcikova Sehyr Zed , Emmorey Karen
Published: May 2019

Previous work indicates that 1) adults with native sign language experience produce more manual co-speech gestures than monolingual non-signers, and 2) one year of ASL instruction increases gesture production in adults, but not enough to differentiate them from non-signers. To elucidate these effects, we asked early ASL–English bilinguals, fluent late second language (L2) signers (≥ 10 years of experience signing), and monolingual non-signers to retell a story depicted in cartoon clips to a monolingual partner. Early and L2 signers produced manual gestures at higher rates compared to non-signers, particularly iconic gestures, and used a greater variety of handshapes. These results indicate susceptibility of the co-speech gesture system to modification by extensive sign language experience, regardless of the age of acquisition. L2 signers produced more ASL signs and more handshape varieties than early signers, suggesting less separation between the ASL lexicon and the co-speech gesture system for L2 signers.
EVOLUTION OF A PAIR OF RANDOM INHOMOGENEOUS WAVE SYSTEMS OVER INFINITE-DEPTH WATER
Authors: DEBSARMA S. , CHOWDHURY D.
Published: May 2019

A system of two coupled nonlinear spectral transport equations is derived for two obliquely interacting narrowband Gaussian random surface wavetrains, slowly varying in space and time. Using these two equations, stability analysis is performed for two initially homogeneous wave spectra, subject to unidirectional perturbations. We observe that the effect of randomness produces a decrease in the growth rate of instability, but it is higher than the growth for a single wavetrain. The growth rate of instability is observed to decrease with the increase in spectral width.
A five-step approach for developing and implementing a Rural Primary Health Care Model for Dementia: a community–academic partnership
Authors: Morgan Debra , Kosteniuk Julie , Seitz Dallas , O’Connell Megan E. , Kirk Andrew , Stewart Norma J. , Holroyd-Leduc Jayna , Daku Jean , Hack Tracy , Hoium Faye , Kennett-Russill Deb , Sauter Kristen
Published: May 2019

Aim

This study is aimed at developing a Rural Primary Health Care (PHC) Model for delivering comprehensive PHC for dementia in rural settings and addressing the gap in knowledge about disseminating and implementing evidence-based dementia care in a rural PHC context.

Background

Limited access to specialists and services in rural areas leads to increased responsibility for dementia diagnosis and management in PHC, yet a gap exists in evidence-based best practices for rural dementia care.

Methods

Elements of the Rural PHC Model for Dementia were based on seven principles of effective PHC for dementia identified from published research and organized into three domains: team-based care, decision support, and specialist-to-provider support. Since 2013 the researchers have collaborated with a rural PHC team in a community of 1000 people in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan to operationalize these elements in ways that were feasible in the local context. The five-step approach included: building relationships; conducting a problem analysis/needs assessment; identifying core and adaptable elements of a decision support tool embedded in the model and resolving applicability issues; implementing and adapting the intervention with local stakeholders; and sustaining the model while incrementally scaling up.

Results

Developing and sustaining relationships at regional and PHC team levels was critical. A comprehensive needs assessment identified challenges related to all domains of the Rural PHC Model. An existing decision support tool for dementia diagnosis and management was adapted and embedded in the team’s electronic medical record. Strategies for operationalizing other model elements included integrating team-based care co-ordination into the decision support tool and family-centered case conferences. Research team specialists provided educational sessions on topics identified by the PHC team. This paper provides an example of a community-based process for adapting evidence-based practice principles to a real-world setting.
Satellite Measurement of GHG Emissions: Prospects for Enhancing Transparency and Answerability under International Law
Authors: Aganaba-Jeanty Timiebi , Huggins Anna
Published: May 2019

Recent technological advancements are facilitating the use of satellite remote-sensing techniques for the measurement of atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gas emissions. This article evaluates the potential for these satellite-enabled measurements to contribute to transparency and answerability for state emissions, with a focus on international space law and policy, and the Paris Agreement to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. We show that in the context of the international space governance framework, the dissemination of integrated emissions data sets has the potential to enhance public answerability for the mitigation performance of states. Under the Paris Agreement, there is scope for space-based measurement techniques to provide an independent data source to support verification activities for national emissions inventories, and for aggregated data to be utilized as part of the global stocktake under Article 14. There are, however, a number of impediments to translating these transparency gains into enhanced answerability for states’ emissions reduction pledges.
More Than 30,000 Earthquakes Trace the Movement of Magma
Authors: Kornei Katherine
Published: May 2019

Seismometers near Iceland’s B�r�arbunga volcanic system pinpointed thousands of earthquakes in 2014–2015, revealing where molten rock was moving underground before any eruptions occurred.
Green New Deal Backers Rouse Enthusiastic Crowd
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: May 2019

Congressional leaders call for strong action to fight climate change at a campaign-style rally in Washington, D.C.
How the Kuroshio Current Delivers Nutrients to Sunlit Layers on the Continental Shelves With Aid of Near‐Inertial Waves and Turbulence
Authors: Nagai Takeyoshi , Durán Gloria Silvana , Otero Diego André , Mori Yasutaka , Yoshie Naoki , Ohgi Kazuki , Hasegawa Daisuke , Nishina Ayako , Kobari Toru
Published: May 2019

The Kuroshio Current carries a large amount of nutrients in dark subsurface layer along the southern coast of Japan. However, due to lack of sufficient multidisciplinary high‐resolution observations, it has been unclear whether and how the subsurface nutrients are injected to sunlit layers on the continental shelf. In this study, using a state‐of‐the‐art tow‐yo microstructure profiler and nitrate measurements, we show that the Kuroshio flowing on the shelfbreak induces very strong turbulent dissipation rate ∼O(10−7W·kg−1) and diffusivity ∼O(10−3 m2·s−1) over an across frontal scale of 20–30 km. This strong turbulence could provide a diffusive nitrate flux to euphotic zone of >O(1 mmol N·m−2·day−1). As the Kuroshio steadily runs on the continental shelves along the path, the nutrient injection found in this study is a very important supply for biological production on the continental margin along the southern coast of Japan.
Using Heat as a Predictor of CO2 Breakthrough in Highly Heterogeneous Reservoirs
Authors: Jayne Richard S. , Zhang Yingqi , Pollyea Ryan M.
Published: May 2019

Injecting supercritical CO2 into the subsurface changes the temperature, pressure, and geochemistry of the storage reservoir. Understanding these perturbations within the reservoir may be used to monitor the CO2 plume during a carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) project. Here we analyze results from 1‐D, 2‐D, and 3‐D numerical modeling studies to investigate how the thermal signature of the CO2‐water system evolves during CCS. These models show that the thermodynamic processes of the CO2‐water system results in a characteristic thermal profile within a homogeneous storage reservoir during a CO2 injection. This thermal signature is characterized by warming front of up to 4 °C, which is caused by CO2 dissolution and migrates contemporaneously with free‐phase CO2 migration. When reservoir properties are highly heterogeneous, this thermal front travels well ahead of free‐phase CO2, thus implying that thermal monitoring may be an effective predictor of CO2 breakthrough.
Clinical utilization of Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-cells (CAR-T) in B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL)–an expert opinion from the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT) and the American Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (ASBMT)
Authors: Kansagra Ankit J. , Frey Noelle V. , Bar Merav , Laetsch Theodore W. , Carpenter Paul A. , Savani Bipin N. , Heslop Helen E. , Bollard Catherine M. , Komanduri Krishna V. , Gastineau Dennis A. , Chabannon Christian , Perales Miguel A. , Hudecek Michael , Aljurf Mahmoud , Andritsos Leslie , Barrett John A. , Bachanova Veronika , Bonini Chiara , Ghobadi Armin , Gill Saar I. , Hill Joshua A. , Kenderian Saad , Kebriaei Partow , Nagler Arnon , Maloney David , Liu Hien D. , Shah Nirali N. , Kharfan-Dabaja Mohamed A. , Shpall Elizabeth J. , Mufti Ghulam J. , Johnston Laura , Jacoby Elad , Bazarbachi Ali , DiPersio John F. , Pavletic Steven Z. , Porter David L. , Grupp Stephan A. , Sadelain Michel , Litzow Mark R. , Mohty Mohamad , Hashmi Shahrukh K.
Published: May 2019

On August 30, 2017, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (US-FDA) approved tisagenlecleucel (KYMRIAH, Novartis, Basel, Switzerland), a synthetic bioimmune product of anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor-T cells (CAR-T), for the treatment of children and young adults with relapsed/refractory B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL). With this new era of personalized cancer immunotherapy, multiple challenges are present ranging from implementation of a CAR-T program to safe delivery of the drug, long-term toxicity monitoring and disease assessments. To address these issues, experts representing the American Society for Blood and Marrow Transplant (ASBMT), the European Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT), the International Society of Cell and Gene Therapy (ISCT), and the Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy (FACT), formed a global CAR-T task force to identify and address key questions pertinent for hematologists and transplant physicians regarding the clinical use of anti CD19 CAR-T therapy in patients with B-ALL. This article presents an initial roadmap for navigating common clinical practice scenarios that will become more prevalent now that the first commercially available CAR-T product for B-ALL has been approved.
Development of a ribonuclease containing a G4-specific binding motif for programmable RNA cleavage
Authors: Dang Dung Thanh , Phan Anh Tuân
Published: May 2019

We developed a ribonuclease for site-specific targeting and cleavage of single-stranded RNA. The engineered RNase protein was constructed by incorporating two independent functional domains, an RNase HI domain that could cleave the RNA strand in a DNA-RNA hybrid, and a domain of the RHAU protein that could selectively recognize a parallel DNA G-quadruplex (G4). The newly designed RNase first recruits a DNA guide oligonucleotide containing both a parallel G4 motif and a template sequence complementary to the target RNA. This RNase:DNA complex targets and efficiently cleaves the single-stranded RNA in a site-specific manner. A major cleavage site occurs at the RNA region that is complementary to the DNA template sequence. The newly designed RNase can serve as a simple tool for RNA manipulation and probing RNA structure.
Vitamin D3 constrains estrogen’s effects and influences mammary epithelial organization in 3D cultures
Authors: Hasan Nafis , Sonnenschein Carlos , Soto Ana M.
Published: May 2019

Vitamin D3 (vitD3) and its active metabolite, calcitriol (1,25-(OH)2D3), affect multiple tissue types by interacting with the vitamin D receptor (VDR). Although vitD3 deficiency has been correlated with increased incidence of breast cancer and less favorable outcomes, randomized clinical trials have yet to provide conclusive evidence on the efficacy of vitD3 in preventing or treating breast cancer. Additionally, experimental studies are needed to assess the biological plausibility of these outcomes. The mammary gland of VDR KO mice shows a florid phenotype revealing alterations of developmental processes that are largely regulated by mammotropic hormones. However, most research conducted on vitD3’s effects used 2D cell cultures and supra-physiological doses of vitD3, conditions that spare the microenvironment in which morphogenesis takes place. We investigated the role of vitD3 in mammary epithelial morphogenesis using two 3D culture models. VitD3 interfered with estrogen’s actions on T47D human breast cancer cells in 3D differently at different doses, and recapitulated what is observed in vivo. Also, vitD3 can act autonomously and affected the organization of estrogen-insensitive MCF10A cells in 3D collagen matrix by influencing collagen fiber organization. Thus, vitD3 modulates mammary tissue organization independent of its effects on cell proliferation.
Improved Biobutanol Production in 2-L Simultaneous Saccharification and Fermentation with Delayed Yeast Extract Feeding and in-situ Recovery
Authors: Salleh Muhammad Siddiq Mohamed , Ibrahim Mohamad Faizal , Roslan Ahmad Muhaimin , Abd-Aziz Suraini
Published: May 2019

Simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) with delayed yeast extract feeding (DYEF) was conducted in a 2-L bioreactor equipped with in-situ recovery using a gas stripping in order to enhance biobutanol production from lignocellulosic biomass of oil palm empty fruit bunch (OPEFB). This study showed that 2.88 g/L of biobutanol has been produced from SSF with a similar yield of 0.23 g/g as compared to separate hydrolysis and fermentation (SHF). An increase of 42% of biobutanol concentration was observed when DYEF was introduced in the SSF at 39 h of fermentation operation. Biobutanol production was further enhanced up to 11% with a total improvement of 72% when in-situ recovery using a gas stripping was implemented to reduce the solvents inhibition in the bioreactor. In overall, DYEF and in-situ recovery were able to enhance biobutanol production in SSF.
Determination and analysis of agonist and antagonist potential of naturally occurring flavonoids for estrogen receptor (ERα) by various parameters and molecular modelling approach
Authors: Puranik Ninad V. , Srivastava Pratibha , Bhatt Gaurav , John Mary Dixcy Jaba Sheeba , Limaye Anil M. , Sivaraman Jayanthi
Published: May 2019

Most estrogen receptor α (ERα) ligands target the ligand binding domain (LBD). Agonist 17β-estradiol (E2) and tamoxifen (TM, known SERM), bind to the same site within the LBD. However, structures of ligand-bound complexes show that E2 and TM induce different conformations of helix 12 (H12). During the molecular modelling studies of some naturally occurring flavonoids such as quercetin, luteolin, myricetin, kaempferol, naringin, hesperidin, galangin, baicalein and epicatechin with human ERα (3ERT and 1GWR), we observed that most of the ligands bound to the active site pocket of both 3ERT and 1GWR. The docking scores, interaction analyses, and conformation of H12 provided the data to support for the estrogenic or antiestrogenic potential of these flavonoids to a limited degree. Explicit molecular dynamics for 50 ns was performed to identify the stability and compatibility pattern of protein-ligand complex and RMSD were obtained. Baicalein, epicatechin, and kaempferol with 1GWR complex showed similar RMSD trend with minor deviations in the protein backbone RMSD against 1GWR-E2 complex that provided clear indications that ligands were stable throughout the explicit molecular simulations in the protein and outcome of naringin-3ERT complex had an upward trend but stable throughout the simulations and all molecular dynamics showed stability with less than overall 1 Å deviation throughout the simulations. To examine their estrogenic or antiestrogenic potential, we studied the effect of the flavonoids on viability, progesterone receptor expression and 3xERE/3XERRE-driven reporter gene expression in ERα positive and estrogen responsive MCF-7 breast cancer cells. Epicatechin, myricetin, and kaempferol showed estrogenic potential at 5 µM concentration.
Low-cost, sub-micron resolution, wide-field computational microscopy using opensource hardware
Authors: Aidukas Tomas , Eckert Regina , Harvey Andrew R. , Waller Laura , Konda Pavan C.
Published: May 2019

The revolution in low-cost consumer photography and computation provides fertile opportunity for a disruptive reduction in the cost of biomedical imaging. Conventional approaches to low-cost microscopy are fundamentally restricted, however, to modest field of view (FOV) and/or resolution. We report a low-cost microscopy technique, implemented with a Raspberry Pi single-board computer and color camera combined with Fourier ptychography (FP), to computationally construct 25-megapixel images with sub-micron resolution. New image-construction techniques were developed to enable the use of the low-cost Bayer color sensor, to compensate for the highly aberrated re-used camera lens and to compensate for misalignments associated with the 3D-printed microscope structure. This high ratio of performance to cost is of particular interest to high-throughput microscopy applications, ranging from drug discovery and digital pathology to health screening in low-income countries. 3D models and assembly instructions of our microscope are made available for open source use.
Extraction and antioxidant activity of total triterpenoids in the mycelium of a medicinal fungus, Sanghuangporus sanghuang
Authors: Cai Chengshan , Ma Jiexin , Han Chunrui , Jin Yi , Zhao Guozhu , He Xiangwei
Published: May 2019

The scientific name of the traditional Chinese medicinal fungus, Sanghuang, has been clarified and confirmed that it is a new species -Sanghuangporus sanghuang in the recently discovered genus, Sanghuangporus. To maximize the yield of the active ingredients such as the triterpenoids from authentic Sanghuangporus sanghuang, four parameters of the extraction process, including the extraction time, solid–liquid ratio, extraction temperature, and ethanol concentration were determined. The Box–Behnken experimental design and the response surface method were used to optimize the triterpenoid extraction processes of Sanghuangporus sanghuang mycelium. The results showed that the parameters of the triterpenoid extraction processes were not simple linear relationships. Optimum conditions of ultrasonic extraction required an 80% ethanol concentration, a 1:20 solid–liquid ratio, a 20-min extraction time, and a 60 °C extraction temperature, to obtain a maximum triterpenoid extraction of 13.30 mg/g. Antioxidant capacity tests showed that the Sanghuangporus sanghuang triterpenoids had high clearance capabilities for hydroxyl free radicals, superoxide anions, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl free radicals, and 2,2’-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonate) radicals, indicating that the Sanghuangporus sanghuang triterpenoids had high antioxidant activities.
A single-ion conducting hyperbranched polymer as a high performance solid-state electrolyte for lithium ion batteries
Authors: Zhang Meng , Yu Songrui , Mai Yiyong , Zhang Shaodong , Zhou Yongfeng
Published: May 2019

“Crown-PEG”-assisted Li+ migration in a hyperbranched single-ion polyelectrolyte.
Near-infrared circularly polarized luminescence from chiral Yb(iii)-diketonates
Authors: Zinna Francesco , Arrico Lorenzo , Di Bari Lorenzo
Published: May 2019

We report a rare example of near infrared circularly polarized luminescence (NIR-CPL) in the 920–1050 nm region associated with the f–f transitions of Yb diketonate complexes bearing chiral ancillary ligands.
A fluorogenic BODIPY molecular rotor as an apoptosis marker
Authors: Ashokkumar Pichandi , Ashoka Anila Hoskere , Collot Mayeul , Das Amitava , Klymchenko Andrey S.
Published: May 2019

Based on a BODIPY molecular rotor, we designed a probe that lights up its green fluorescence in apoptotic cells and distinguishes between early and late apoptosis.
Achieving rapid analysis of Li isotopes in high-matrix and low-Li samples with MC-ICP-MS: new developments in sample preparation and mass bias behavior of Li in ICPMS
Authors: Zhu Zhi-Yong , Yang Tao , Zhu Xiang-Kun
Published: May 2019

Lithium isotopes of high-matrix and low-Li samples could be analyzed rapidly and precisely.
The Art in Science of MicroTAS 2018
Authors: Cooksey Gregory A.
Published: May 2019

Nam-Trung Nguyen from Griffith University, Australia, was the winner of the 2018 MicroTAS Art in Science competition. He received the award certificate from Simon Neil from Lab on a Chip and Greg Cooksey from NIST.
Ultrasonochemically-induced MnCo2O4 nanospheres synergized with graphene sheet as a non-precious bi-functional cathode catalyst for rechargeable zinc–air battery
Authors: Chandrappa Shivaraju Guddehalli , Moni Prabu , Karkera Guruprakash , Prakash Annigere S.
Published: May 2019

MnCo2O4–GS nano composite by a one-pot sonochemical method and its high performance as an active cathode catalyst for a Zn–air battery.
Effects of substituents on the enrichment of the optical limiting action of novel imidazo[2,1-b][1,3,4]thiadiazole fused thiophene-based small molecules
Authors: Kakekochi Viprabha , D. Udaya Kumar , P. P. Nikhil , Chandrasekharan Keloth
Published: May 2019

Schematic of the optical limiting action of a novel imidazo[2,1-b][1,3,4]thiadiazole based small molecule (ThITD3), which blocks high irradiance and transmits low-intensity (less harmful) light.
Organocatalysis by a multidentate halogen-bond donor: an alternative to hydrogen-bond based catalysis
Authors: Perera Manomi D. , Aakeröy Christer B.
Published: May 2019

Stoichiometric organocatalysis using a charge-neutral bis-iodoethynyl halogen-bond decorated scaffold.
Porous surface of an achiral trimer in the chiral conglomerate phase catalyzes a direct aldol reaction
Authors: Yoshizawa Atsushi , Kurata Misaki
Published: May 2019

The honeycomb-like porous surface consisting of linear trimer molecules catalyzes the direct aldol reaction of acetone with benzaldehyde at room temperature to give racemic β-hydroxyketone.
Thorough utilization of rice husk: metabolite extracts for silver nanocomposite biosynthesis and residues for silica nanomaterials fabrication
Authors: Song Chun , Ye Fang , Liu Sijie , Li Fangfang , Huang Yuxiong , Ji Rong , Zhao Lijuan
Published: May 2019

Utilizing rice husk extracts and residues to synthesize AgNPs and SiO2 nanomaterials with antioxidant and heavy metal removal capacities.
A highly efficient and AIE-active theranostic agent from natural herbs
Authors: Lee Michelle M. S. , Zheng Liang , Yu Bingran , Xu Wenhan , Kwok Ryan T. K. , Lam Jacky W. Y. , Xu Fujian , Wang Dong , Tang Ben Zhong
Published: May 2019

Berberine chloride, an AIE-active natural product, can be utilized as a highly efficient theranostic agent for cancer and bacteria.
Facile synthesis of a zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 with reduced graphene oxide hybrid material as an efficient electrocatalyst for nonenzymatic H2O2sensing
Authors: Yang Suling , Xia Ning , Li Mengyu , Liu Panpan , Wang Yuxin , Qu Lingbo
Published: May 2019

A zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8)/reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanocomposite was formed by using an efficient synthetic method.
Efficient solar-driven hydrogen generation using colloidal heterostructured quantum dots
Authors: Wang Kanghong , Tong Xin , Zhou Yufeng , Zhang Hui , Navarro-Pardo Fabiola , Selopal Gurpreet S. , Liu Guiju , Tang Jie , Wang Yiqian , Sun Shuhui , Ma Dongling , Wang Zhiming M. , Vidal François , Zhao Haiguang , Sun Xuhui , Rosei Federico
Published: May 2019

Here, we report a CdSe/CdSeS alloy/CdS core/shell/shell QD sensitized mesoporous TiO2 photoanode, which exhibits high performance and long-term stability for solar-driven hydrogen generation.
Stable large area organic solar cells realized by using random terpolymers donors combined with a ternary blend
Authors: Xu Xiaopeng , Bi Zhaozhao , Ma Wei , Zhang Guangjun , Yan He , Li Ying , Peng Qiang
Published: May 2019

The combination of terpolymer and ternary blend strategies contributed to stable nonfullerene organic solar cells with improved absorption, energy and charge transfer as well as optimized morphology, resulting in a high PCE of 13.63% in small area devices and 11.43% in large area devices.
A multifunctional low-generation dendrimer-based nanoprobe for the targeted dual mode MR/CT imaging of orthotopic brain gliomas
Authors: Xu Xiaoying , Liu Kang , Wang Yue , Zhang Changchang , Shi Menghan , Wang Peng , Shen Linghong , Xia Jindong , Ye Ling , Shi Xiangyang , Shen Mingwu
Published: May 2019

An RGD peptide-targeted low-generation dendrimer nanoprobe can cross the blood-brain barrier for dual-modal MR/CT imaging of an orthotopic brain glioma.
Modification of the p-GaP(001) work function by surface dipole bonds formed in sulfide solution
Authors: Lebedev Mikhail V. , Dementev Peter A. , Lvova Tatiana V. , Berkovits Vladimir L.
Published: May 2019

Sulfur treatment of p-GaP(001) surfaces increases the ionization energy and near-surface electric field due to a dipole layer consisting of gallium sulfates.
Ultrahigh stress response and storage properties in a single CdS nanobelt-based flexible device for an erasable nonvolatile stress sensing and memory effect
Authors: Yang Xiaoqian , Zhou Huiying , Chen Taowen , Zhao Jie , Tong Tao , Xiao Yanhe , Lei Shuijin , Cheng Baochang
Published: May 2019

A single CdS nanobelt with numerous stacking faults can not only show a giant response to compressive and tensile strains with excellent sensitivity, responsivity, and response and recovery speed, but also an erasable nonvolatile stress sensing and memory effect.
Tunable dielectric and other properties in high-performance sandwich-type polyimide films achieved by adjusting the porous structure
Authors: Ma Yingyi , Xu Le , He Zian , Xie Junwen , Shi Lei , Zhang Mingyan , Zhang Wenlong , Cui Weiwei
Published: May 2019

Excellent dielectric and other properties of PI films were realized and tuned through the introduction of a sandwich-type porous structure.
Tissue-specific characterization of mitochondrial branched-chain keto acid oxidation using a multiplexed assay platform
Authors: Goldberg Emma J. , Buddo Katherine A. , McLaughlin Kelsey L. , Fernandez Regina F. , Pereyra Andrea S. , Psaltis Christine E. , Lin Chien-Te , Hagen James T. , Boykov Ilya N. , Nguyen Tiffany K. , Gowdy Kymberly M. , Ellis Jessica M. , Neufer P. Darrell , McClung Joseph M. , Fisher-Wellman Kelsey H.
Published: May 2019

Alterations to branched-chain keto acid (BCKA) oxidation have been implicated in a wide variety of human diseases, ranging from diabetes to cancer. Although global shifts in BCKA metabolism—evident by gene transcription, metabolite profiling, and in vivo flux analyses have been documented across various pathological conditions, the underlying biochemical mechanism(s) within the mitochondrion remain largely unknown. In vitro experiments using isolated mitochondria represent a powerful biochemical tool for elucidating the role of the mitochondrion in driving disease. Such analyses have routinely been utilized across disciplines to shed valuable insight into mitochondrial-linked pathologies. That said, few studies have attempted to model in vitro BCKA oxidation in isolated organelles. The impetus for the present study stemmed from the knowledge that complete oxidation of each of the three BCKAs involves a reaction dependent upon bicarbonate and ATP, both of which are not typically included in respiration experiments. Based on this, it was hypothesized that the inclusion of exogenous bicarbonate and stimulation of respiration using physiological shifts in ATP-free energy, rather than excess ADP, would allow for maximal BCKA-supported respiratory flux in isolated mitochondria. This hypothesis was confirmed in mitochondria from several mouse tissues, including heart, liver and skeletal muscle. What follows is a thorough characterization and validation of a novel biochemical tool for investigating BCKA metabolism in isolated mitochondria.
Short-term and long-term prognostic value of circulating soluble suppression of tumorigenicity-2 concentration in acute coronary syndrome: a meta-analysis
Authors: Gu Linlin , Li Jing
Published: May 2019

Background: Higher circulating soluble suppression of tumorigenicity-2 (sST2) concentration is suggested as a marker of prognosis in many cardiovascular diseases. However, the short-term and long-term prognostic value of sST2 concentration in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) remains to be summarized.

Methods: A meta-analysis of follow-up studies was performed. Studies were identified via systematic search of databases including PubMed, Cochrane’s Library, and Embase. A fixed- or random-effect model was applied according to the heterogeneity. We reported the prognostic value of sST2 concentration for all-cause mortality, heart failure (HF) events, and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) within 1 month after hospitalization and during subsequent follow-up.

Results: Twelve studies with 11690 ACS patients were included. Higher baseline sST2 concentration as continuous variables predicte the increased risk of all-cause mortality (risk ratio [RR]: 3.16, P=0.002), HF events (RR: 1.48, P<0.001), and MACEs (RR: 1.47, P<0.001) within 1 month after hospitalization, which is consistent with the results with sST2 concentration as categorized variables (RR = 2.14, 2.89, and 2.89 respectively, P all <0.001). Moreover, higher baseline sST2 concentration as continuous variables predict the increased risk of all-cause mortality (RR: 2.20, P<0.001), HF events (RR: 1.39, P<0.001), and MACEs (RR: 1.53, P=0.02) during subsequent follow-up. Meta-analysis with sST2 concentration as categorized variables retrieved similar results (RR = 2.65, 2.59, and 1.81 respectively, P all <0.001).

Conclusions: Higher circulating sST2 concentration at baseline predicts poor clinical outcome in ACS patients.
Single-cell approaches to understand genome organisation throughout the cell cycle
Authors: McClelland Sarah E.
Published: May 2019

Mammalian genomes are ordered at several scales, ranging from nucleosomes (beads on a string), to topologically associated domains (TADs), laminar associated domains (LADs), and chromosome territories. These are described briefly below and we refer the reader to some recent comprehensive reviews on genome architecture summarising the current state of knowledge of the organisational principles of the nucleus [1,2]. Biological observations from populations of millions of individual cells can reveal consensus behaviour. New methods to study and interpret biological data at the single-cell level have recently been instrumental in revealing new understanding of cell-to-cell variation and novel biology. Here we will summarise the recent advances in single-cell technology that have provided insights into the behaviour of the mammalian genome during a cell cycle. We will focus on the interphase domain structure of chromosomes, including TADs and LADs, and how chromosome architecture changes during the cell cycle. The role of genome architecture relating to gene expression has been reviewed elsewhere [3].
SOD‐CED: salient object detection for noisy images using convolution encoder–decoder
Authors: Singh Maheep , Govil Mahesh C. , Pilli Emmanuel S. , Vipparthi Santosh Kumar
Published: May 2019

During the last decade, there has been profound progress in the field of visual saliency. However, there still exist various major challenges that hinder the detection performance for scenes with complex composition, presence of additive noise, objects of diverse scale and rotations etc. Generally, images with additive noise have low spatial resolution and blurred edges, which affects the learning capability of the network and causes inaccurate detection. In order to address these issues, in this study, the authors propose a fully convolutional neural network which jointly denoise the input maps by learning edges and contrast details, followed by learning of residing salient details via colour spatial maps in an end‐to‐end fashion. Their framework employs convolutional layers that use gradient and contrast details of images to denoise the areas with high edge density. After denoising, the denoised images are subjected to salient object detection (SOD) using convolutional layers. The effectiveness of the proposed network is evaluated on benchmark datasets. The experimental results demonstrate the significant performance improvement of the proposed method over state‐of‐the‐art detection techniques.
Crowd counting using a self‐attention multi‐scale cascaded network
Authors: Li He , Zhang Shihui , Kong Weihang
Published: May 2019

Recent developments of crowd analysis and behaviour prediction have attracted much attention. Crowd counting, as the essential and challenging task in crowd analysis, is riddled with many issues, such as large scale variations, serious occlusion, and so on. In this study, a self‐attention‐based multi‐scale cascaded network called SAMC‐Net to estimate density map for crowd counting, especially for high congested scene, is proposed. The proposed SAMC‐Net consists of two components: a classification sub‐network for density estimation and an end‐to‐end multi‐scale convolution neural network for crowd counting. In order to reduce the negative effect of multi‐scale issue on crowd counting task, the main network is designed as a multi‐scale structure similar to U‐Net. In order to enhance the crowd feature representation, this study proposes a self‐attention‐based crowd feature extraction way and uses it in the proposed SAMC‐Net. Extensive experiments demonstrate the feasibility, effectiveness and robustness of the proposed SAMC‐Net.
Event‐triggered hybrid control strategy based on hybrid automata and decision tree for microgrid
Authors: Dou Chunxia , Teng Shengqi , Zhang Tengfei , Zhang Bo , Ma Kai
Published: May 2019

The event‐triggered hybrid control is proposed in this study to realise multi‐model switching when the microgrid system is operating in the island mode. The hybrid control includes decentralised control strategy and coordinated control strategy. Firstly, control commands in the hybrid control strategy are triggered by the event triggering mechanism including trigger events and trigger conditions. When a trigger condition is met, the corresponding event is triggered to execute the corresponding control command. Secondly, the microgrid system is divided into an upper control layer and a lower execution layer by using the multi‐agent system theory. For the upper control layer, a coordinated control strategy based on decision tree algorithm is designed, which can not only issue switching control commands to the lower execution layer, but also reduce the number of switching, improve system stability, and enrich the control strategy. For the lower execution layer, a decentralised control strategy is designed to realise distributed operation of the underlying units. Finally, the model of hybrid automata of each unit is established to ensure the smooth switching of working modes of each unit. The simulation results verify the effectiveness of the event‐triggered hybrid control strategy for controlling the microgrid.
Local property study for arbitrary polarised OAM beam
Authors: Zheng Jiayu , Zheng Shilie , Jin Xiaofeng , Chi Hao , Yu Xianbin , Zhang Xianmin
Published: May 2019

The local angular momentum (AM) properties of arbitrary polarised orbital AM (OAM) beams become important when the radio OAM properties are used for remote sensing. In this study, based on the decomposition of ϕ‐directional Poynting vector, the local AM mode is decomposed into a local OAM mode, a local spin AM (SAM) mode, and a new component named local coupling AM mode (CAM), which is related to the ϕ‐directional coupling Poynting vector and dependent on the polarisation state of the OAM beams. The summation of the local OAM mode and the local SAM mode is found to be equal to the local topological charge which is physically related to the flow of the local azimuthal linear momentum density. The above conclusions are theoretically analysed and simulation verified by the different polarised OAM beams generated by different directional circular antenna arrays.
Resistively loaded ultra‐thin FSS absorbers for radio‐frequency enhancement of spacecraft thermal blankets
Authors: Machado Gabriel Gonçalves , Cahill Robert , Fusco Vincent , Conway Gareth
Published: May 2019

This study reports the use of metal‐backed frequency selective surface (FSS) absorbers as a means to control the scattering of electromagnetic energy from satellite platforms which are covered with thermal blankets. This is achieved by exploiting the similarity of the physical construction of this class of absorber and the dielectric clad foil‐backed outermost layer of space blankets. Simulated results are presented for five absorber designs which are suitable for mechanical integration into the top surface of a multi‐layer insulator. These were constructed using polyethylene terephthalate (PET) material with sheet thickness in the range (). The optimum performance around 10 GHz was obtained from an array of hexagonal patch elements with the conductivity of the silver plating adjusted to achieve the desired resistive loading. At normal incidence, the FSS‐based structures presented −10 dB reflectivity bandwidths that are strongly dependent on the thickness of the PET sheet and vary between 2 and 16%. The design methodology is verified by measuring the radar backscatter from and thick absorbers in the frequency range 8–12 GHz.
Effects of the coating on S‐band microstrip filter performance
Authors: Lovascio Antonio , D'Orazio Antonella , Centonze Veto
Published: May 2019

In the past years, the conformal coating on the printed circuit board has been widely used because it offers several advantages in terms of protection and reliability of electronic circuits. However, the coating is a dielectric material, which can impact on the performance of radio‐frequency components such as microstrip filters. Hence, the coating characterisation from the dielectric point of view is essential in order to design filters that meet prefixed requirements. Although the dielectric properties of commercial conformal coatings are well known, specific analyses on the effect of the coating on devices performance for space applications are not present in the literature and the coating manufactures do not often provide an appropriate characterisation of dielectric properties, making the analysis and the design of the microstrip filters difficult. The authors discuss numerical and experimental results regarding the performance of a coupled microstrip filter and show that the presence of CV‐1152 coating causes a significant shift of the S ‐parameters. Moreover, a new configuration of the filter based on a fractal shape is proposed, which is characterised by more compact size and an optimised bandwidth.
Inertial support from WPPs that include VSWTs – a review
Authors: Wu Yuan‐Kang , Hu Yi‐Liang , Hsu Wen‐Hua
Published: May 2019

Maintaining the frequency within an allowable range is the necessity to ensure the stable operation of the grid. When a large‐scale frequency disturbance occurs in the grid, the synchronous generators (SGs) will temporarily release the kinetic energy to make the generation and demand balanced. This is well known as the inertial response of the SG. However, the traditional variable‐speed wind turbines (VSWTs) only generate a negligible inertial response when a frequency disturbance happens. The traditional VSWT is designed to maximise the wind energy injected into the grid. Thus, when a frequency disturbance is detected in the grid, the traditional VSWT cannot change the active power output to support the grid. To solve this problem, the concepts of the inertial control and inertial support capability for VSWT were proposed. The inertial control measures the frequency of the grid and adjusts the active power output of VSWT. Thus, during the frequency disturbance, the VSWT has the inertial support capability. The purpose of this study is to provide a comprehensive review of the inertial control for the wind power plant (WPP) consisting of VSWTs. With the inertial control, the integration of the WPPs can enhance the frequency stability of the grid.