bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Robust reliable H∞ control design for networked control systems with nonlinear actuator faults and randomly missing measurements
Authors: Arunagirinathan S. , Muthukumar P. , Joo Y. H.
Published: June 2019

In this paper, the robust reliable H∞ controller is designed for the problem of nonlinear actuator fault case in the uncertain networked control systems with randomly occurring missing data. More precisely, the occurrence of missing measurements is modeled by a stochastic variable in terms of Bernoulli random distribution. Also, the consideration of a nonlinear term in the input control scheme is a novel work for the proposed model. Suitable robust reliable design of control for a practical actuator fault model is constructed to guarantee the asymptotic stability of the system with H∞ performance level. A new form of Lyapunov‐Krasovskii functional with triple integral terms are formulated, and the reciprocally convex technique is utilized to establish the sufficient stability criterion in the form of linear matrix inequalities. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed control method is shown through numerical examples, and we can confirm that the derived condition attained less conservatism than the existing results.
Synthesis, Photophysical Properties, and Biological Importance of Pyrimidinium Ionic Liquids
Authors: Goel Kamna , Bera Smritilekha , Singh Man , Mondal Dhananjoy
Published: June 2019

The synthesis of a family of organic salts and ionic liquids using pyrimidine as a heterocyclic core, an essential structural subunit of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA) has been achieved. The pyrimidine‐containing ionic liquids coupled with tetrafluoroborate and bis(trifluoromethane)sulfonamide (
and
) as counter anions were synthesised via the nucleophilic addition of one of the N‐atoms of a pyrimidine to the arylalkyl and aryloxy alkyl halides followed by anion metathesis using highly stable and non‐hygroscopic sodium tetrafluoroborate (NaBF4) and bis(trifluoromethane)sulfonimide lithium salt (LiN(SO2CF3)2) in good to excellent yield. Further, the synthesised ionic liquids were utilised to explore their in vitro antibacterial activities along with evaluation of their photophysical, physical and thermal properties. The assessment of in vitro minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) study against several pathogenic bacteria revealed that the 1‐(3‐phenylpropyl)pyrimidin‐1‐ium tetrafluoroborate (4 c: [(PhC3)Pym]BF4) is moderately active against Gram‐negative P. aruginosa bacteria (MIC=16 μg/mL) while 1‐phenethylpyrimidin‐1‐ium tetrafluoroborate (4b: [(PhC2)Pym]BF4), 1‐(3‐phenylpropyl)pyrimidin‐1‐ium tetrafluoroborate (4 c: [(PhC3)Pym]BF4), 1‐(phenoxypropyl)pyrimidin‐1‐ium tetrafluoroborate (4 d: [(PhOC3)Pym]BF4) and 1‐(phenoxybutyl)pyrimidin‐1‐ium tetrafluoroborate (4 e: [(PhOC4)Pym]BF4) exhibit moderate to good bioactivities against Gram‐positive S. aureus, and B. pumilis, respectively.
Controllable Enhancement of Capsule‐Membrane Wrinkles by Flow Shear and Preparation of Double‐Layer Polyamide Microcapsules
Authors: Hu Pan , Hadji Edward Mohamed , Shi Tingjing , Tai Mo , Wang Jingtao
Published: June 2019

Monodisperse wrinkled polyamide microcapsules with a size of 480 μm‐750 μm are prepared by tubular microfluidics. The wrinkling, which results from the combined action of heterogeneous interface polymerization and shearing force, can be measured and calculated by solvent soaking. Controllable enhancement of capsule‐membrane wrinkles could be achieved by increasing flow rate or viscosity of the fluid in microchannels. In addition, double‐layer polyamide microcapsules were prepared by taking use of the permeability and the wrinkle morphology of the microcapsule membrane. The double shells of polyamide microcapsules were synthesized by two steps: (i) interface polymerization in continuous microfluidics for the first shell and (ii) wet chemical synthesis for the second shell. The double‐layer polyamide microcapsules have better strength than simple polyamide microcapsules during drying testing and the water inside the double‐layer polyamide microcapsules can be released and absorbed repeatedly. Therefore, the double‐layer polyamide microcapsules can be used as the carrier of both the hydrophilic ingredient and hydrophobic ingredient. The results obtained in this paper will have some potential applications in some fields like printing, dyeing and drug delivery.
A Facile and Effective Method for Patching Sulfur Vacancies of WS2 via Nitrogen Plasma Treatment
Authors: Jiang Jianfeng , Zhang Qinghua , Wang Aizhu , Zhang Yu , Meng Fanqi , Zhang Congcong , Feng Xianjin , Feng Yuanping , Gu Lin , Liu Hong , Han Lin
Published: June 2019

Although transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) are attractive for the next‐generation nanoelectronic era due to their unique optoelectronic and electronic properties, carrier scattering during the transmission of electronic devices, and the distinct contact barrier between the metal and the semiconductors, which is caused by inevitable defects in TMDs, remain formidable challenges. To address these issues, a facile, effective, and universal patching defect approach that uses a nitrogen plasma doping protocol is developed, via which the intrinsic vacancies are repaired effectively. To reveal sulfur vacancies and the nature of the nitrogen doping effects, a high‐resolution spherical aberration corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy is used, which confirms the N atoms doping in sulfur vacancies. In this study, a typical TMD material, namely tungsten disulfide, is employed to fabricate field‐effect transistors (FETs) as a preliminary paradigm to demonstrate the patching defects method. This doping method endows FETs with high electrical performance and excellent contact interface properties. As a result, an electron mobility of up to 184.2 cm2 V−1 s−1 and a threshold voltage of as low as 3.8 V are realized. This study provides a valuable approach to improve the performance of electronic devices that are based on TMDs in practical electronic applications.
Temperature‐Dependent and Aggregation‐Breaking Strategy for Benzodifuran‐Constructed Organic Solar Cells
Authors: Qiao Shanlin , Li Xiaoming , Wang Huan , Zhang Boying , Li Zheng , Zhao Jia , Chen Weichao , Yang Renqiang
Published: June 2019

Great efforts have been devoted to semiconductive polymers based on the benzo[1,2‐b:4,5‐b’]dithiophene (BDT) unit, and great progress has been achieved in organic solar cells, whereas the analogue core benzo[1,2‐b:4,5‐b’]difuran (BDF) has the similar extended planar structure, and the electronic structure gets less development in the photovoltaic system. Herein, a novel BDF core‐based copolymer PBDFTz‐SBP is synthesized, which decorates with two 2D extended biphenyl side chains and shows a relatively small polymer segments distortion and strong intermolecular π–π interaction in relation to the BDT‐based polymer. Using this polymer, an aggregation‐breaking strategy to suppress the trend of self‐aggregation of polymers’ segment is proposed, which obtains an appropriate phase separation and forms favorable bicontinuous interpenetrating networks for charge transport. It is found that PBDFTz‐SBP:ITIC achieves an excellent power‐conversion efficiency (PCE) of 12.42% with an open‐circuit voltage (VOC) of 0.89 V, a short‐circuit current density (JSC) of 18.56 mA cm−2, and a high fill factor (FF) of 75.19% when the spin‐coating solution is 120 °C, which is higher than that of PBDTTz‐SBP:ITIC‐based devices even under optimized conditions. This proposed strategy may be a good choice for the BDF unit to construct the donor (D)–acceptor (A) type polymers and surpass the counterpart BDT‐based photovoltaic materials and obtain a state‐of‐the‐art PCEs.
Maximum efficiency of induction motors considering iron loss resistance
Authors: Ishikawa Takeo , Qu Haoyang , Kasahara Kouki
Published: June 2019

Although there was an extensive amount of research in the area of high efficiency control of induction motors, the equation of maximized efficiency has not been given. The relationship between the source frequency and the motor speed and the equation of efficiency have been derived when the efficiency is maximized for a given torque and speed, and then, they are verified using a single‐phase equivalent circuit considering iron loss resistance. © 2019 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Heavy neutrinos with dynamic jet vetoes: multilepton searches at $$ \sqrt{s}=14 $$, 27, and 100 TeV
Authors: Pascoli Silvia , Ruiz Richard , Weiland Cedric
Published: June 2019

Abstract

Heavy neutrinos (N) remain one of most promising explanations for the ori-gin of neutrinos’ tiny masses and large mixing angles. In light of broad advances in un-derstanding and modeling of hadron collisions at large momentum transfers, we revisit the long-standard search strategy for heavy N decaying to multiple charged leptons (ℓ), pp → NℓX → 3ℓνX. For electroweak and TeV-scale N, we propose a qualitatively new collider analysis premised on a dynamic jet veto and discriminating, on an event-by-event basis, according to the relative amount of hadronic and leptonic activity. We report that the sensitivity to heavy neutrinos at the CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC) can be improved by roughly an order of magnitude at both ℒ = 300 fb−1 and 3 ab−1. At

$$ \sqrt{s}=14 $$

s

=
14

TeV with ℒ = 3 ab−1, we find active-sterile mixing as small as |V

ℓN
|2 = 10− 2(10− 3) [5 × 10− 4] can be probed at 95% CL for heavy Dirac neutrinos masses m

N
≲ 1200 (300) [200] GeV, well beyond the present |V

ℓN
|2 ≲ 10− 3 − 10− 1 constraints for such heavy states set by indirect searches and precision measurements. The improvement holds also for Majorana N, and is largely independent of whether charged lepton flavor is conserved or violated. The analysis, built almost entirely from inclusive, transverse observables, is designed to be robust across increasing collider energies, and hence serves as a basis for searches at future colliders: with ℒ = 15ab
− 1 at

$$ \sqrt{s} = 27 $$

s

=

27

TeV,onecanprobemixingbelow |V

ℓN
|2 = 10− 2(10− 3)[2 × 10− 4] for m

N
≲ 3500 (700) [200] GeV. At a hypothetical 100 TeV pp collider with ℒ = 30 ab
− 1, one can probe mixing down to 9 × 10−5 for m

N
≲ 200 GeV, below 10−3 for m

N
≲ 4 TeV, and below 10−2 for m

N
≲ 15 TeV. We anticipate these results can be further improved with detector-specific tuning and application of multi-variant / machines learning techniques. To facilitate such investigations, we make publicly available Monte Carlo libraries needed for the precision computations/simulations used in our study.
Loop-induced direct detection signatures from CP-violating scalar mediators
Authors: Ertas Fatih , Kahlhoefer Felix
Published: June 2019

Abstract

We investigate direct detection signatures of dark matter particles interacting with quarks via a light spin-0 mediator with general CP phases. Since tree-level scattering may be strongly suppressed in the non-relativistic limit, loop contributions play an important role and can lead to observable signals in near-future experiments. We study the phenomenology of different mediator masses and CP phases with an emphasis on scenarios with maximal CP violation and Higgs portal models. Intriguingly, the sum of the rates obtained at tree- and loop-level can give a characteristic recoil spectrum not obtainable from a single type of interaction. We furthermore develop a novel method for decomposing the two-loop contribution to effective interactions between dark matter and gluons into two separate one-loop diagrams, which in our case substantially simplifies the calculation of the important top-quark contribution.
Classical open string amplitudes from boundary string field theory
Authors: Chiaffrino Christoph , Sachs Ivo
Published: June 2019

Abstract

We calculate the corrections to the open string BRST charge in boundary string field theory and show that the expansion coefficients agree with the perturbative S-matrix to all orders. In mathematical terms, boundary string field theory describes the minimal model of open string field theory.
Modular forms and SL(2, ℤ)-covariance of type IIB superstring theory
Authors: Green Michael B. , Wen Congkao
Published: June 2019

Abstract

The local higher-derivative interactions that enter into the low-energy expansion of the effective action of type IIB superstring theory with constant complex modulus generally violate the U(1) R-symmetry of IIB supergravity by q

U
units. These interactions have coefficients that transform as non-holomorphic modular forms under SL(2, ℤ) transformations with holomorphic and anti-holomorphic weights (w, −w), where q

U
= −2w.

In this paper SL(2, ℤ)-covariance and supersymmetry are used to determine first-order differential equations on moduli space that relate the modular form coefficients of classes of BPS-protected maximal U(1)-violating interactions that arise at low orders in the lowenergy expansion. These are the moduli-dependent coefficients of BPS interactions of the form d

2p

$$ \mathcal{P} $$

P

n
in linearised approximation, where

$$ \mathcal{P} $$

P

n
is the product of n fields that has dimension = 8 with q

U
= 8 − 2n, and p = 0, 2 or 3. These first-order equations imply that the coefficients satisfy SL(2, ℤ)-covariant Laplace eigenvalue equations on moduli space with solutions that contain information concerning perturbative and non-perturbative contributions to superstring amplitudes. For p = 3 and n ≥ 6 there are two independent modular forms, one of which has a vanishing tree-level contribution.

The analysis of super-amplitudes for U(1)-violating processes involving arbitrary numbers of external fluctuations of the complex modulus leads to a diagrammatic derivation of the first-order differential relations and Laplace equations satisfied by the coefficient modular forms. Combining this with a SL(2, ℤ)-covariant soft axio-dilaton limit that relates amplitudes with different values of n determines most of the modular invariant coefficients, leaving a single undetermined constant.
Primary Aldosteronism: Does Underlying Pathology Impact Clinical Presentation and Outcomes Following Unilateral Adrenalectomy?
Authors: Shariq Omair A. , Mehta Kabir , Thompson Geoffrey B. , Lyden Melanie L. , Farley David R. , Bancos Irina , Dy Benzon M. , Young William F. , McKenzie Travis J.
Published: June 2019

Introduction

Patients undergoing unilateral adrenalectomy for primary aldosteronism (PA) may have a solitary adenoma, unilateral hyperplasia, or multiple adenomas on final pathology. This study investigated whether the underlying pathological diagnosis was associated with differences in clinical presentation and postoperative outcomes.

Methods

A retrospective cohort study of patients undergoing unilateral adrenalectomy for PA from 2004 to 2015 at our institution was performed. Baseline clinical and laboratory parameters, as well as postoperative biochemical and hypertension cure rates, were compared across the three aforementioned pathological groups.

Results

Of 206 patients who met criteria for inclusion, 152 (73.8%) had a single adenoma, 33 (16%) had unilateral hyperplasia, and 21 (10.2%) had multiple unilateral adenomas. Patients with unilateral hyperplasia were more likely to be male (81.2% vs 57.9%, P = .03), undergo left‐sided adrenalectomy (78.8% vs 47.4%, P < .01), and had a lower median adrenal venous sampling lateralization index (9.8 vs 19.8, P = .04) compared to those with solitary, but not multiple unilateral adenomas. No differences were seen in age, duration of hypertension, preoperative plasma aldosterone levels, plasma renin activities, 24‐h urinary aldosterone excretion, serum potassium concentrations, and the number of preoperative antihypertensive medications across all three pathological groups. All patients achieved biochemical cure following adrenalectomy, and no significant differences in the rates of hypertension cure or improvement were observed in comparisons across pathological subtype.

Conclusions

Clinical presentation and postoperative outcomes are similar regardless of underlying pathology in patients with PA. Because one in four patients may harbor unilateral hyperplasia or multiple adenomas, total unilateral adrenalectomy should be performed as the operation of choice over adrenal‐sparing approaches.
Grand corruption and government change: an analysis of partisan favoritism in public procurement
Authors: Dávid-Barrett Elizabeth , Fazekas Mihály
Published: June 2019

Incoming governments sometimes abuse their power to manipulate the allocation of government contracts so as to buy loyalty from cronies. While scandals suggest such practices are relatively widespread, the extent of such partisan favoritism is difficult to measure and the conditions under which it flourishes under-theorized. Drawing on theory regarding the role of institutions as constraints on corruption, we identify three spheres of political influence over government contracting and show how elites can manipulate two of those spheres to increase their opportunities to influence the procurement process and minimize external accountability, facilitating the corrupt allocation of contracts to partisan allies. Using an innovative big data methodology, we then identify the effects of a change in government on procurement markets in two countries, Hungary and the United Kingdom, which differ in terms of political influence over these institutions. We find that politically-favored companies secure 50–60% of the central government contracting market in Hungary but only 10% in the UK.
Molecular diagnostics of Mendelian disorders via combined DNA and RNA sequencing
Authors: Prokisch Holger
Published: June 2019

The diagnostic yield in rare disorders is currently less than 50% although sequencing technologies in use are able to detect the majority of possible variants in our genome. The diagnostic gap is in part due to limitations in prioritizing and interpreting identified variants. The integration of functional data, such as transcriptomics, is emerging as a powerful complementary tool in diagnostics. It is able to quantify aberrant splicing, validate nonsense-mediated mRNA decay for potential loss-of-function variants, identify mono-allelically expressed variants, and help prioritize variants not predicted to change the encoded protein. Moreover, RNA-sequencing has been validated as a tool for the discovery of pathogenic variants in novel Mendelian disease genes. As RNA sequencing provides complementary information to DNA sequencing and can easily be established in addition to DNA sequencing, it has great potential for implementation as a routine tool for improving molecular diagnosis.
The Reliability of Noninvasive Blood Pressure Measurement Through Layers of Autumn/Winter Clothing: A Prospective Study
Authors: Wołoszyn Przemysław , Baumberg Ignacy , Baker David
Published: June 2019

Introduction

In recent years a number of publications have appeared describing noninvasive blood pressure (NIBP) measurement with 1 layer of light cloth between the patient's skin and the NIBP cuff. In this study we investigated the reliability of NIBP measurements performed through 2 and 3 layers of autumn/winter clothing in 2 research groups: healthy volunteers and patients.

Methods

Oscillometric NIBP measurements were made in a random order: 1) on the exposed arm; 2) on the arm covered by a standardized cotton and polar fabric test sleeve; and 3) with the arm covered by a cotton–polar fabric and down jacket test sleeve. The time taken for measurement was also recorded.

Results

We performed measurement in 101 volunteers and 50 patients and found no clinically or statistically significant differences in NIBP. Mean±SD values in the volunteer group were 1) 130/80±14/8 mm Hg; 2) 130/81±15/8 mm Hg; and 3) 128/81±14/8 mm Hg. In the patient group the values were 1) 140/82±34/15 mm Hg; 2) 140/84±33/15 mm Hg; and 3) 137/84±32/15 mm Hg. Measuring over a sleeved arm extended the time of measurement by an average of 3.5 s in comparison with bare arm measurement.

Conclusions

Our findings confirm that it is possible to perform reliable NIBP measurements over 2 and 3 layers of autumn/winter clothing. Measuring NIBP with a clothed arm does not show clinical or statistically significant differences in comparison with measurements performed on the bare arm.
A framework for effective threat hunting
Authors: Bhardwaj Akashdeep , Goundar Sam
Published: June 2019

In today's dynamic cyber security environment, with its rapidly changing threat landscape, companies are becoming increasingly aware of the necessity of getting ahead of new cyber attack trends. It is for this reason that threat hunting has become so popular. A new wave of attacks has become exceptionally proficient in successful, undetected intrusions, breaching network defences, exploiting system vulnerabilities and obtaining access to organisations’ systems and data.
Internal solitary waves with subsurface cores
Authors: He Yangxin , Lamb Kevin G. , Lien Ren-Chieh
Published: June 2019

Large internal solitary waves with subsurface cores have recently been observed in the South China Sea. Here fully nonlinear solutions of the Dubreil–Jacotin–Long equation are used to study the conditions under which such cores exist. We find that the location of the cores, either at the surface or below the surface, is largely determined by the sign of the vorticity of the near-surface background current. The results of a numerical simulation of a two-dimensional shoaling internal solitary wave are presented which illustrate the formation of a subsurface core.
How Do Remittances Shape Electoral Strategies Back Home? Evidence from Mexico’s 2006 Presidential Election
Authors: Álvarez-Mingote Cristina
Published: June 2019

How does international migration affect political parties’ electoral strategies in the sending countries? This article argues that remittances help political parties decide whom to target during elections. Drawing from theories of vote targeting and those on the effects of remittances, this study addresses how political parties’ electoral strategies follow the specific characteristics of remittance recipients. Using individual-level data from Mexico’s 2006 presidential elections, the results show that receiving remittances had a significant impact on experiencing electoral targeting, especially by the then-incumbent PAN. This study reveals the importance of remittances in shaping the strategies of Mexican political parties.
Identity, Contingency, and Interaction: Historical Research and Social Science Analysis of Nation-State Proliferation
Authors: Tesser Lynn M.
Published: June 2019

Scholars of nation-building and secession tend to prioritize elite or broader nationalist activism when explaining the proliferation of nation-states. Yet, recent historical research reveals a major finding: the influence of great powers tended to eclipse nationalist mobilization for new states in Latin America, the Balkans, Anatolia, and Central and Eastern Europe. Drawing on recent trends in historical research largely unknown in other fields, this article examines context, timing, and event sequencing to provide a new approach to multi-case research on nation-state proliferation. Major power recognition of new states in the Balkans also emerges as transformational for the post-World War I replacement of dynastic empires with nation-states in Europe. These findings suggest a shift of focus to the interplay of nationalist activism and great power policy for explaining the spread of nation-states.
Circulating calcium levels and the risk of type 2 diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Zhu J. , Xun P. , Bae J. C. , Kim J. H. , Kim D. J. , Yang K. , He K.
Published: June 2019

Abnormal Ca homeostasis has been associated with impaired glucose metabolism. However, the epidemiological evidence is controversial. We aimed to assess the association between circulating Ca levels and the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) or abnormal glucose homeostasis through conducting a systematic review and meta-analysis. Eligible studies were identified by searching electronic database (PubMed, Embase and Google Scholar) and related references withde novoresults from primary studies up to December 2018. A random-effects meta-analysis was performed to estimate the weighted relative risks (RR) and 95 % CI for the associations. The search yielded twenty eligible publications with eight cohort studies identified for the meta-analysis, which included a total of 89 165 participants. Comparing the highest with the lowest category of albumin-adjusted serum Ca, the pooled RR was 1·14 (95 % CI 1·05, 1·24) for T2DM (n51 489). Similarly, serum total Ca was associated with incident T2DM (RR 1·25; 95 % CI 1·10, 1·42) (n64 502). Additionally, the adjusted RR for 1 mg/dl increments in albumin-adjusted serum Ca or serum total Ca levels was 1·16 (95 % CI 1·07, 1·27) and 1·19 (95 % CI 1·11, 1·28), respectively. The observed associations remained with the inclusion of a cohort study with ionised Ca as the exposure. However, data pooled from neither case–control (n4) nor cross-sectional (n8) studies manifested a significant correlation between circulating Ca and glucose homeostasis. In conclusion, accumulated data from the cohort studies suggest that higher circulating Ca levels are associated with an augmented risk of T2DM.
Mixed local and ultra-distal volcanic ash deposition within the Upper Cretaceous Kanguk Formation, Sverdrup Basin, Canadian Arctic Islands
Authors: Pointon Michael A , Flowerdew Michael J , Hülse Peter , Schneider Simon , Whitehouse Martin J
Published: June 2019

The Upper Cretaceous Kanguk Formation of the Sverdrup Basin, Canadian Arctic Islands, contains numerous diagenetically altered volcanic ash layers (bentonites). Eleven bentonites were sampled from an outcrop section on Ellesmere Island for U–Pb zircon secondary ion mass spectrometry dating and whole-rock geochemical analysis. Two distinct types of bentonite are identified from the geochemical data. Relatively thick (0.1 to 5 m) peralkaline rhyolitic to trachytic bentonites erupted in an intraplate tectonic setting. These occur throughout the upper Turonian to lower Campanian (c. 92–83 Ma) outcrop section and are likely associated with the alkaline phase of the High Arctic Large Igneous Province. Two thinner (<5 cm) subalkaline dacitic to rhyolitic bentonites of late Turonian to early Coniacian age (c. 90–88 Ma) are also identified. The geochemistry of these bentonites is consistent with derivation from volcanoes within an active continental margin tectonic setting. The lack of nearby potential sources of subalkaline magmatism, together with the thinner bed thickness of the subalkaline bentonites and the small size of zircon phenocrysts therein (typically 50–80 μm in length) are consistent with a more distal source area. The zircon U–Pb age and whole-rock geochemistry of these two subalkaline bentonites correlate with an interval of intense volcanism in the Okhotsk–Chukotka Volcanic Belt, Russia. It is proposed that during late Turonian to early Coniacian times intense volcanism within the Okhotsk–Chukotka Volcanic Belt resulted in widespread volcanic ash dispersal across Arctic Alaska and Canada, reaching as far east as the Sverdrup Basin, more than 3000 km away.
Travelling waves in a reaction-diffusion system modelling farmer and hunter-gatherer interaction in the Neolithic transition in Europe
Authors: TSAI JE-CHIANG , KABIR M. HUMAYUN , MIMURA MASAYASU
Published: June 2019

Recently we have proposed a monostable reaction-diffusion system to explain the Neolithic transition from hunter-gatherer life to farmer life in Europe. The system is described by a three-component system for the populations of hunter-gatherer (H), sedentary farmer (F1) and migratory one (F2). The conversion between F1 and F2 is specified by such a way that if the total farmers F1 + F2 are overcrowded, F1 actively changes to F2, while if it is less crowded, the situation is vice versa. In order to include this property in the system, the system incorporates a critical parameter (say F0) depending on the development of farming technology in a monotonically increasing way. It determines whether the total farmers are either over crowded (F1 + F2 >F0) or less crowded (F1 + F2 <F0) ( [9, 20]). Previous numerical studies indicate that the structure of travelling wave solutions of the system is qualitatively similar to the one of the Fisher-KPP equation, that the asymptotically expanding velocity of farmers is equal to the minimal velocity (say cm(F0)) of travelling wave solutions, and that cm(F0) is monotonically decreasing as F0 increases. The latter result suggests that the development of farming technology suppresses the expanding velocity of farmers. As a partial analytical result to this property, the purpose of this paper is to consider the two limiting cases where F0 = 0 and F0 → ∞, and to prove cm(0)>cm(∞).
Exchange of material between solar systems by random stellar encounters
Authors: Zubrin Robert
Published: June 2019

It is shown that a mechanism involving only random motion of the sun with respect to the surrounding star field can account for the ~1 per 25 Myr characteristic frequency of large cometary impacts on Earth. In the proposed mechanism, the sun travels through the Oort Cloud of an encounter star, most typically a Type M dwarf, while the dwarf flies through the Oort cloud of our Sun. As a result, Oort Cloud objects from our Solar System are precipitated in large numbers to impact planets in the dwarf star system, while the dwarf's Oort Cloud objects are destabilized to impact planets in our Solar System. It is shown that it is this exchange of Oort cloud object between stellar systems, rather than the precipitation of Oort Cloud objects within a stellar system, that can account for the apparent periodicity of mass extinctions. Because the sun is more massive than ~90% of stars, its Oort cloud extends further, resulting in it delivering about a factor of three more bombardments on other solar systems than our Solar System receives. About 60% of the bombardments on our Solar System are found to be delivered by Type M dwarfs, about 20% by type K dwarfs, with the remaining 20% being delivered by stars of type G or larger. Foreign star Oort cloud objects can be captured by our Sun at typical ranges of 10 AU, resulting in a cometary approach to perihelion within a few years. It is found that assuming an effective Oort Cloud radius of 40 000 AU for a star of solar mass, increasing in size with the square root of the mass, accounts for the observed characteristic frequency of mass extinction events on Earth, given the local stellar number density of 0.003 stars per cubic light year. The frequency of mass extinction events in other solar systems would increase or decrease in linear proportion to the local stellar number density. It is shown that this exchange of materials between solar systems during close stellar encounters could be an important mechanism for spreading life throughout the galaxy. Implications for the evolution of life on Earth and in other solar systems are discussed.
Liberalizing, state building, and getting to Denmark: analyzing 21st-century institutional change
Authors: Murphy Ryan H.
Published: June 2019

This paper undertakes a descriptive analysis of changes in economic institutions across countries from 2000 to 2016, using Economic Freedom of the World and the “State Economic Modernity” index. This latter index is a recent creation, similar conceptually to state capacity, measuring what can variously be thought of as state building, effectiveness, and economic power. These two indexes are used in concert with one another to classify countries into eight directions of institutional change. Despite recent pessimism, countries besides those at the top world income bracket have continued to liberalize, while wealthy countries have merely stagnated. At the high level aggregates, there is little movement in state economic modernity over this period, although there is considerably heterogeneity among individual countries. Of those measured, Rwanda is the single country to make the greatest movement toward the development benchmark of “Getting to Denmark.”
Air‐Sea Turbulent Fluxes From a Wave‐Following Platform During Six Experiments at Sea
Authors: Bourras Denis , Cambra Rémi , Marié Louis , Bouin Marie‐Noëlle , Baggio Lucio , Branger Hubert , Beghoura Houda , Reverdin Gilles , Dewitte Boris , Paulmier Aurélien , Maes Christophe , Ardhuin Fabrice , Pairaud Ivane , Fraunié Philippe , Luneau Christopher , Hauser Danièle
Published: June 2019

Turbulent fluxes at the air‐sea interface are estimated with data collected in 2011 to 2017 with a low‐profile platform during six experiments in four regions. The observations were carried out with moderate winds (2–10 m/s) and averaged wave heights of 1.5 m. Most of the time, there was a swell, with an averaged wave age (the ratio between wave phase speed and wind speed) being equal to 2.8 ± 1.6. Three flux calculation methods are used, namely, the eddy covariance (EC), the inertial dissipation (ID), and the bulk methods. For the EC method, a spectral technique is proposed to correct wind data from platform motion. A mean bias affecting the friction velocity (u*) is then evaluated. The comparison between EC u* and ID u* estimates suggests that a constant imbalance term (ϕimb) equal to 0.4 is required in the ID method, possibly due to wave influence on our data. Overall, the confidence in the calculated u* estimates is found to be on the order of 10%. The values of the drag coefficient (CD) are in good agreement with the parameterizations of Smith (1988, https://doi.org/10.1029/JC093iC12p15467) in medium‐range winds and of Edson et al. (2013, https://doi.org/10.1175/JPO‐D‐12‐0173.1) in light winds. According to our data, the inverse wave age varies linearly with wind speed, as in Edson et al. (2013, https://doi.org/10.1175/JPO‐D‐12‐0173.1), but our estimates of the Charnock coefficient do not increase with wind speed, which is possibly related to sampling swell‐dominated seas. We find that the Stanton number is independent from wind speed.
Impact of Near‐Inertial Waves on Vertical Mixing and Air‐Sea CO2 Fluxes in the Southern Ocean
Authors: Song Hajoon , Marshall John , Campin Jean‐Michel , McGillicuddy Dennis J.
Published: June 2019

We report the significant impact of near‐inertial waves (NIWs) on vertical mixing and air‐sea carbon dioxide (CO2) fluxes in the Southern Ocean using a biogeochemical model coupled to an eddy‐rich ocean circulation model. The effects of high‐frequency processes are quantified by comparing the fully coupled solution (ONLINE) to two offline simulations based on 5‐day‐averaged output of the ONLINE simulation: one that uses vertical mixing archived from the ONLINE model (CTRL) and another in which vertical mixing is recomputed from the 5‐day average hydrodynamic fields (5dAVG). In this latter simulation, processes with temporal variabilities of a few days including NIWs are excluded in the biogeochemical simulation. Suppression of these processes reduces vertical shear and vertical mixing in the upper ocean, leading to decreased supply of carbon‐rich water from below, less CO2 outgassing in austral winter, and more uptake in summer. The net change amounts up to one third of the seasonal variability in Southern Ocean CO2 flux. Our results clearly demonstrate the importance of resolving high‐frequency processes such as NIWs to better estimate the carbon cycle in numerical model simulations.
Monitoring Volcanic Craters with Infrasound “Music”
Authors: Johnson Jeffrey , Watson Leighton
Published: June 2019

Volcanic craters act as giant horns that emit intense low-frequency sounds. Changes in this infrasound may be used to track rising lava lakes and identify signals of future eruptions.
Rupture Energetics in Crustal Rock From Laboratory‐Scale Seismic Tomography
Authors: Aben Franciscus M. , Brantut Nicolas , Mitchell Thomas M. , David Emmanuel C.
Published: June 2019

The energy released during earthquake rupture is partly radiated as seismic waves and mostly dissipated by frictional heating on the fault interface and by off‐fault fracturing of surrounding host rock. Quantification of these individual components is crucial to understand the physics of rupture. We use a quasi‐static rock fracture experiment combined with a novel seismic tomography method to quantify the contribution of off‐fault fracturing to the energy budget of a rupture and find that this contribution is around 3% of the total energy budget and 10% of the fracture energy Gc. The off‐fault dissipated energy changes the physical properties of the rock at the early stages of rupture, illustrated by the 50% drop in elastic moduli of the rock near the fault, and thus is expected to greatly influence later stages of rupture and slip. These constraints are a unique benchmark for calibration of dynamic rupture models.
Snowpack Contributions and Temperature Characterization of Landfalling Atmospheric Rivers in the Western Cordillera of the United States
Authors: Hu J. Michelle , Nolin Anne W.
Published: June 2019

Atmospheric rivers (ARs) are regions of high water vapor transport in the lower atmosphere. When these air masses encounter mountain ranges, they can produce significantly enhanced orographic precipitation. AR events may substantially influence seasonal mountain snow, an important ecologic and economic resource for Washington, Oregon, and California. To better understand how ARs affect the montane snowpack of these U.S. West Coast states, we used 33 years of Snow Telemetry and Topography Weather data to examine AR and non‐AR storm day temperatures and impacts on snow water equivalent (SWE). We found mean daily minimum temperatures of AR storm days to be 1 to 4 °C warmer and mean daily increases in SWE to be 23% to 57% higher than non‐AR storm days. AR storm days have contributed an average of 23% of effective snowfall to seasonal SWE in the California Sierra Nevada and 34% of effective snowfall to seasonal SWE in the Washington and Oregon Cascades.
Regional Distribution of Mesospheric Small‐Scale Gravity Waves During DEEPWAVE
Authors: Pautet P.‐D. , Taylor M. J. , Eckermann S. D. , Criddle N.
Published: June 2019

The Deep Propagating Gravity Wave Experiment project took place in June and July 2014 in New Zealand. Its overarching goal was to study gravity waves (GWs) as they propagate from the ground up to ~100 km, with a large number of ground‐based, airborne, and satellite instruments, combined with numerical forecast models. A suite of three mesospheric airglow imagers operated onboard the NSF Gulfstream V (GV) aircraft during 25 nighttime flights, recording the GW activity at OH altitude over a large region (>7,000,000 km2). Analysis of this data set reveals the distribution of the small‐scale GW mean power and direction of propagation. GW activity occurred everywhere and during every flight, even over open oceans with no neighboring tropospheric sources. Over the mountainous regions (New Zealand, Tasmania, isolated islands), mean power reached high values (more than 100 times larger than over the waters), but with a considerable variability. This variability existed from day to day over the same region, but even during the same flight, depending on forcing strength and on the middle atmosphere conditions. Results reveal a strong correlation between tropospheric sources, satellite stratospheric measurements, and mesosphere lower thermosphere airglow observations. The large‐amplitude GWs only account for a small amount of the total (~6%), even though they carry the most momentum and energy. The weaker wave activity measured over the oceans might originate from distance sources (polar vortex, weather fronts), implying that a ducted mechanism helped for their long range propagation.
A Simple Method to Design Irrigation Rate and Duration and Improve Water Use Efficiency
Authors: Assouline Shmuel
Published: June 2019

Irrigated agriculture will have to increase production to meet the demand for food of the population of the world. A simple physically based method is presented that allows to determine appropriate irrigation rate and duration to avoid runoff, thus contributing to the design of efficient irrigation. The method relies on the infiltration capacity curve of the soil under interest. This curve allows determination of two important relationships: (a) maximal irrigation rate vs. irrigation dose and (b) irrigation duration versus rate. Two case studies illustrate the application of the method to adapt irrigation to the reduction of soil infiltration capacity resulting from the quality of the irrigation water (treated wastewater) or soil surface sealing. The range of irrigation rates for which duration can be estimated as the ratio between the required dose and the application rate is defined.
Effects of insulin and pathway inhibitors on the PI3K-Akt-mTOR phosphorylation profile in acute myeloid leukemia cells
Authors: Nepstad Ina , Hatfield Kimberley Joanne , Grønningsæter Ida Sofie , Aasebø Elise , Hernandez-Valladares Maria , Hagen Karen Marie , Rye Kristin Paulsen , Berven Frode S. , Selheim Frode , Reikvam Håkon , Bruserud Øystein
Published: June 2019

The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)-Akt-mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway is constitutively activated in human acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells and is regarded as a possible therapeutic target. Insulin is an agonist of this pathway and a growth factor for AML cells. We characterized the effect of insulin on the phosphorylation of 10 mediators in the main track of the PI3K-Akt-mTOR pathway in AML cells from 76 consecutive patients. The overall results showed that insulin significantly increased the phosphorylation of all investigated mediators. However, insulin effects on the pathway activation profile varied among patients, and increased phosphorylation in all mediators was observed only in a minority of patients; in other patients, insulin had divergent effects. Global gene expression profiling and proteomic/phosphoproteomic comparisons suggested that AML cells from these two patient subsets differed with regard to AML cell differentiation, transcriptional regulation, RNA metabolism, and cellular metabolism. Strong insulin-induced phosphorylation was associated with weakened antiproliferative effects of metabolic inhibitors. PI3K, Akt, and mTOR inhibitors also caused divergent effects on the overall pathway phosphorylation profile in the presence of insulin, although PI3K and Akt inhibition caused a general reduction in Akt pT308 and 4EBP1 pT36/pT45 phosphorylation. For Akt inhibition, the phosphorylation of upstream mediators was generally increased or unaltered. In contrast, mTOR inhibition reduced mTOR pS2448 and S6 pS244 phosphorylation but increased Akt pT308 phosphorylation. In conclusion, the effects of both insulin and PI3K-Akt-mTOR inhibitors differ between AML patient subsets, and differences in insulin responsiveness are associated with differential susceptibility to metabolic targeting.
Selection of suitable candidate genes for miRNA expression normalization in Yellow River Carp (Cyprinus carpio. var)
Authors: Wang Fang , Yang Qian-wen , Zhao Wen-Jie , Du Qi-Yan , Chang Zhong-Jie
Published: June 2019

Yellow River carp is widely cultivated in the world due to its economic value in aquaculture, and the faster growth of females compared to males. It is believed that microRNAs (miRNA) are involved in gonadal differentiation and development. qPCR is the most preferred method for miRNA functional analysis. Reliable reference genes for normalization in qRT-PCR are the key to ensuring the accuracy of this method. The aim of present research was to evaluate as well as identify the efficacy of reference genes for miRNA expression using qRT-PCR in Yellow River carp. Nine ncRNAs (miR-101,miR-23a,let7a,miR-26a,miR-146a,miR-451,U6,5S, and 18S) were chosen and tested in four sample sets: (1) different tissues in adult carp, (2) different tissues in juvenile carp, (3) different early developmental stages of carp, and (4) different developmental stages of carp gonads. The stability and suitability values were calculated using NormFinder, geNorm, and BestKeeper software. The results showed that5Swas a suitable reference gene in different tissues of adult and juvenile carp. The genes5S, 18S, andU6were the most stable reference genes in the early developmental stages of carp.Let-7aandmiR-23awere considered as the suitable reference genes in the development of gonads. All these reference genes were subsequently validated usingmiR-430. The results showed that genes5Sand 18Swere the most suitable reference genes to normalize miRNA expression under normal growth conditions in early different developmental stages. The genesLet-7a, andmiR-23awere the most suitable in different developmental stages. The present study is the first comprehensive study of the stability of miRNA reference genes in Yellow River carp, providing valuable as well as basic data for investigating more accurate miRNA expression during gonadal differentiation and development of carp.
Drivers of diet selection of critically endangered Western Derby eland during the food shortage period within conservation breeding in Senegal
Authors: Hejcmanová Pavla , Miřejovská Magdalena , Homolka Petr , Hejcman Michal
Published: June 2019

Browsers represent a challenge for breeding facilities because of their sensitivity to nutritional management. Western Derby eland (Tautrotragus derbianus derbianus, WDE) is a large browsing antelope with a very diverse diet. Because of its critically endangered status, a small WDE population is kept for conservation purposes in the fenced Fathala reserve (Senegal) and during the critical, hot dry season, the animals are offered supplementary Acacia albida pods. We aimed to identify which woody plant species were preferentially selected/avoided by WDE during the period of food shortage, which plant nutritional properties were drivers of animals’ diet selection, and how this selectivity was affected by supplemental feed. The animals were selective for certain plant species, most for Piliostigma thonningi pods. Preferences decreased with a feed supplement, while avoidances remained intact. Diet selection was connected with chemical traits, mostly by negative correlations to N, Mg, Ca and hemicellulose, which disappeared or were weaker when supplemental feed was offered. Our findings indicate that large browsers during periods of food shortage must cope with inappropriate chemical composition in regard to nutrition and seek to alleviate them not only by diversification of plant species in the diet, but also by adjusting chemical diet quality as a whole.
High-affinity Fe3O4/Au probe with synergetic effect of surface plasmon resonance and charge transfer enabling improved SERS sensing of dopamine in biofluids
Authors: Li Pan , Ge Meihong , Cao Chentai , Lin Dongyue , Yang Liangbao
Published: June 2019

Fe3O4/Au composites demonstrated a coupled enhanced mechanism allowing for sensitive detection of dopamine in complicated specimens subjected to simple pretreatment.
A water-stable La-MOF with high fluorescence sensing and supercapacitive performances
Authors: Liu Qian-Qian , Zhang Shi-Hui , Yang Jing , Yue Ke-Fen
Published: June 2019

La-MOFshows excellent chemical stability and high fluorescence sensing.La-MOFelectrode exhibits high specific capacity and good cycling stability.
Correction: Reactivity and relative reaction rates of formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, and acetone coexisting with large quantities of acetone on 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine-impregnated filters
Authors: Inoue Naoko , Takaya Mitsutoshi
Published: June 2019

Correction for ‘Reactivity and relative reaction rates of formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, and acetone coexisting with large quantities of acetone on 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine-impregnated filters’ by Naoko Inoue et al., Anal. Methods, 2019, 11, 2785–2789.
Rolling “wool-balls”: rapid live-cell mapping of membrane sialic acids via poly-p-benzoquinone/ethylenediamine nanoclusters
Authors: Chen Bin-Bin , Wang Xiao-Yuan , Qian Ruo-Can
Published: June 2019

In this work, we design sticky, furry and fluorescent “wool-balls” based on p-benzoquinone/ethylenediamine polymer nanoclusters, which provide a convenient, fast labeling strategy for the imaging of cell surface sialic acids.