bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A role for 5-HT4 receptors in human learning and memory
Authors: Murphy Susannah E. , Wright Lucy C. , Browning Michael , Cowen Philip J. , Harmer Catherine J.
Published: October 2019

Background

5-HT4 receptor stimulation has pro-cognitive and antidepressant-like effects in animal experimental studies; however, this pharmacological approach has not yet been tested in humans. Here we used the 5-HT4 receptor partial agonist prucalopride to assess the translatability of these effects and characterise, for the first time, the consequences of 5-HT4 receptor activation on human cognition and emotion.

Methods

Forty one healthy volunteers were randomised, double-blind, to a single dose of prucalopride (1 mg) or placebo in a parallel group design. They completed a battery of cognitive tests measuring learning and memory, emotional processing and reward sensitivity.

Results

Prucalopride increased recall of words in a verbal learning task, increased the accuracy of recall and recognition of words in an incidental emotional memory task and increased the probability of choosing a symbol associated with a high likelihood of reward or absence of loss in a probabilistic instrumental learning task. Thus acute prucalopride produced pro-cognitive effects in healthy volunteers across three separate tasks.

Conclusions

These findings are a translation of the memory enhancing effects of 5-HT4 receptor agonism seen in animal studies, and lend weight to the idea that the 5-HT4 receptor could be an innovative target for the treatment of cognitive deficits associated with depression and other neuropsychiatric disorders. Contrary to the effects reported in animal models, prucalopride did not reveal an antidepressant profile in human measures of emotional processing.
Function of leukaemia inhibitory factor in spermatogenesis of a teleost fish, the medakaOryzias latipes
Authors: Satoh Ryuichi , Bando Hisanori , Sakai Noriyoshi , Kotani Tomoya , Yamashita Masakane
Published: October 2019

In response to gonadotropins and androgens, testicular cells produce various molecules that control proper proliferation and differentiation of spermatogenic cells through their paracrine and autocrine actions. However, molecules functioning downstream of the hormonal stimulation are poorly understood. Leukaemia inhibitory factor (Lif) is known to maintain the pluripotency of stem cells including embryonic stem cells and primordial germ cells at leastin vitro, but its actual rolesin vivoremain to be elucidated. To clarify the function of Lif in teleost (medaka) testes, we examined the effects of Lif on spermatogenesis in a newly established cell culture system using a cell line (named Mtp1) derived from medaka testicular somatic cells as feeder cells. We found that addition of baculovirus-produced recombinant medaka Lif to the culture medium or co-culture with Lif-overexpressing Mtp1 cells increased the number of spermatogonia.In situhybridization and immunohistochemical analyses of the medaka testes showed that mRNAs and proteins of Lif are expressed in spermatogonia and the surrounding Sertoli cells, with higher expression levels in type A (undifferentiated) spermatogonia than in type B (differentiated) spermatogonia. Our findings suggest that Lif regulates spermatogonial cell proliferation in the medaka.
Bilingualism and statistical learning: Lessons from studies using artificial languages
Authors: Weiss Daniel J. , Schwob Natalie , Lebkuecher Amy L.
Published: October 2019

Studies of statistical learning have shaped our understanding of the processes involved in the early stages of language acquisition. Many of these advances were made using experimental paradigms with artificial languages that allow for careful manipulation of the statistical regularities in the input. This article summarizes how these paradigms have begun to inform bilingualism research. We focus on two complementary goals that have emerged from studies of statistical learning in bilinguals. The first is to identify whether bilinguals differ from monolinguals in how they track distributional regularities. The second is determining how learners are capable of tracking multiple inputs, which arguably is an important facet of becoming proficient in more than one language.
Segen oder Fluch? Das Internet als Informationsquelle über Autismus und Asperger-Syndrom
Authors: Kamp-Becker Inge , Stroth Sanna , Stehr Thomas , Weber Lisa
Published: October 2019

Zusammenfassung. Fragestellung: Sehr viele Menschen informieren sich heutzutage über gesundheitsrelevante Themen im Internet, wobei die Qualität dieser Informationen fraglich ist. In der vorliegenden Studie soll beispielhaft für ein psychisches Störungsbild (Autismus-Spektrum-Störung) die Qualität der Informationsquelle Internet sowie die sich daraus ergebenden Implikationen diskutiert werden. Methodik: Es wurde eine systematische Auswertung von 96 deutschsprachigen Internetseiten durchgeführt mit dem Ziel, neben konkreten Charakteristika der Internetseiten auch die Zuverlässigkeit der Publikationen, die Informationsdarstellung sowie die Gesamtqualität der Internetseiten zu bewerten und die sich aus der Darstellung ergebenden klinischen Implikationen zu analysieren. Ergebnisse: Nur bei 39 % der Internetseiten ließen sich Referenzen für wissenschaftlich fundierte Informationen feststellen, Werbung war hingegen auf 53 % der Internetseiten vorhanden. Die meisten falschen Informationen wurden im Bereich der „Behandlung“ (17 %) verbreitet. Bei 75 % der Internetseiten traf die Vollständigkeit nicht zu. Lediglich 10 % der Internetseiten thematisierte die Beeinträchtigung bzw. Belastung der Familien. Die Qualität der Seiten wurde bei 30 % als ungenügend, bei 41 % als mangelhaft und nur bei 6 % als gut beurteilt. Schlussfolgerungen: Ähnlich wie durch die bereits vorliegenden Analysen zu englischsprachigen Internetseiten festgestellt, können für viele der deutschsprachigen Seiten deutliche Qualitätsmängel konstatiert werden. Die Implikationen in Bezug auf Bestätigungsfehler, Stigmatisierung, Überidentifikation, Ingroup-Outgroup-Effekte, Kontrast- und Schneeballeffekte werden diskutiert.
Effizienz der Direktansprache bei der Führungskräftevermittlung
Authors: Stephan Ekkehard , Menzl Anna
Published: October 2019

Zusammenfassung. In der Sozialpsychologie wird eine Reihe von Kommunikationsstrategien beschrieben, die den Zweck verfolgen, Einstellung oder Verhalten einer Person in Richtung der Ziele des Kommunikators zu verändern. Besondere Aufmerksamkeit haben in der Persuasionsforschung die sog. Compliance-Techniken erfahren ( Cialdini, 2013 ), die eine Person dazu bewegen sollen, der Bitte einer anderen Person nachzukommen. Drei dieser Gesprächstechniken, die Foot-in-the-Door-Technik (FITD), die Door-in-the-Face-Technik (DITF) und die Hard-to-Get-Technik (HTG), werden hier auf ein neues Anwendungsfeld übertragen, nämlich auf die telefonische Direktansprache von Kandidaten bei der Führungskräftevermittlung. In einem Feldexperiment mit insgesamt 128 potenziellen Jobkandidaten wird überprüft, ob die drei genannten Gesprächstechniken erfolgreicher sind als eine Standard-Ansprache, welche keinen Gebrauch von diesen Techniken macht. Der Vorteil der Compliance-Techniken gegenüber der Standard-Ansprache ist insgesamt betrachtet von mittlerer Stärke. Einzeln betrachtet erzeugt die FITD-Technik das höchste Interesse an dem Jobangebot, gefolgt von der HTG-Technik und der DITF-Technik. Die letztgenannte Technik erbringt keinen signifikant höheren Persuasionserfolg als die Standard-Ansprache. Neben theoretischen Implikationen der Ergebnisse werden Möglichkeiten zur Verbesserung der telefonischen Direktansprache im kommerziellen und nicht-kommerziellen Sektor diskutiert.
First Class of Austin Student Travel Endowment Grantees Awarded
Authors: McEntee Chris
Published: October 2019

Gifts from the AGU community enable students and early-career scientists to travel to Fall Meeting for the first time.
Temperature Spatiotemporal Correlation Scales in the Brazil‐Malvinas Confluence from High‐Resolution In Situ and Remote Sensing Data
Authors: Orúe‐Echevarría Dorleta , Castellanos Paola , Sans Joel , Emelianov Mikhail , Vallès‐Casanova Ignasi , Pelegrí Josep L.
Published: October 2019

Ocean frontal systems may act both as barriers and mixers between different water masses, the latter thanks to very energetic structures with relatively short temporal and spatial scales. Here, we explore the high‐frequency temperature variability in the Brazil‐Malvinas Confluence through the joint analysis of novel high‐resolution SeaSoar measurements and sea surface temperature imagery. Surface spatiotemporal correlation scales range between 1.5 and 6 days and between 20 and 50 km, with the shortest scales along the shelf‐break path of the Brazil Current and over the confluence and the longest ones along the Malvinas Current. The spatial scales display minima along the front, at the surface because of the presence of brackish shelf waters and at the subsurface due to both mesoscale and submesoscale thermohaline intrusions. The smallest cross‐frontal vertical correlations, in the 5‐ to 10‐m range, are associated with submesoscale processes. Overall, temperature variability is enhanced at depth in the frontal system.
Migrations and Clusters of Shallow Very Low Frequency Earthquakes in the Regions Surrounding Shear Stress Accumulation Peaks Along the Nankai Trough
Authors: Takemura Shunsuke , Noda Akemi , Kubota Tatsuya , Asano Youichi , Matsuzawa Takanori , Shiomi Katsuhiko
Published: October 2019

The spatiotemporal characteristics of shallow slow earthquake activity are linked to the tectonic environments of shallow plate boundaries. In this work, the spatiotemporal variations of shallow very low frequency earthquake (SVLFE) activity along the Nankai Trough were investigated using a cross‐correlation analysis. The SVLFEs migrated or spread eastward along the strike direction of the trench during large SVLFE episodes. Migrations and clusters of SVLFEs suggest the occurrence of shallow slow slip events. The observed lateral variations in SVLFE activity patterns reflect the heterogeneous distributions of effective strengths at the shallow plate boundary along the Nankai Trough. Migrations and clusters of SVLFEs tended to be concentrated in the regions surrounding the stress accumulation peaks on the Philippine Sea Plate boundary. The stress accumulated in the transitional regions between high‐strength and low‐strength zones can be released by shallow slow earthquakes.
One‐Year Analysis of Dust Impact‐Like Events Onto the MMS Spacecraft
Authors: Vaverka Jakub , Pavlů Jiří , Nouzák Libor , Šafránková Jana , Němeček Zdeněk , Mann Ingrid , Ye Shengyi , Lindqvist Per‐Arne
Published: October 2019

We present an analysis of 1‐year data of dust impacts observed on two of the Earth‐orbiting Magnetospheric Multiscale mission (MMS) spacecraft. The dust impact signals were identified in observations of the electric field probes and were registered simultaneously by monopole and dipole configurations of the instrument. This unique setup allows us to reliably identify changes in the spacecraft potential as candidates for dust impacts. We present a detailed study of the properties of the pulses generated by the dust impacts and show the influence of the local plasma environment (spacecraft location in the Earth magnetosphere) on signals generated by dust impacts and their detection. We discuss the credibility of impact identification and possible sources of signal misinterpretation. We find a total of 784 observed events that we can interpret as dust impacts and that we use to derive a dust flux. We show that MMS1 registered 0.7 and MMS3 0.8 dust impact‐like events per hour. This corresponds to dust flux of 2.5–6 × 10−5 m−2 s−1.
Late Miocene Hinterland Crustal Shortening in the Longmen Shan Thrust Belt, the Eastern Margin of the Tibetan Plateau
Authors: Shen Xiaoming , Tian Yuntao , Zhang Guihong , Zhang Shimin , Carter Andrew , Kohn Barry , Vermeesch Pieter , Liu Rui , Li Wei
Published: October 2019

Long‐term (million year time scale) fault‐slip history is crucial for understanding the processes and mechanisms of mountain building in active orogens. Such information remains elusive in the Longmen Shan, the eastern Tibetan Plateau margin affected by the devastating 2008 Wenchuan earthquake. While this event drew attention to fault deformation on the foreland side (the Yingxiu‐Beichuan fault), little is known about the deformation history of the hinterland Wenchuan‐Maoxian fault. To address this gap, thermochronological data were obtained from two vertical transects from the Xuelongbao massif, located in the hanging wall of the Wenchuan‐Maoxian fault. The data record late Miocene rapid cooling and rock exhumation at a rate of 0.9–1.2 km/m.y. from ~13 Ma to present. The exhumation rate is significantly higher than that in the footwall (~0.3–0.5 km/m.y.), indicating a differential exhumation of ~0.6 km/m.y. across the fault. This differential exhumation provides the first and minimum constraint on the long‐term throw rate (~0.6 km/m.y) of the Wenchuan‐Maoxian fault since the late Miocene. This new result implies continuous crustal shortening along the hinterland fault of Longmen Shan, even though it has not been ruptured by major historic earthquakes. Our study lends support to geodynamic models that highlight crustal shortening as dominating deformation along the eastern Tibetan Plateau.
Laboratory Observation of Turbulence and Wave Shear Stresses Under Large Scale Breaking Waves Over a Mild Slope
Authors: Hsu Wen‐Yang , Huang Zhi‐Cheng , Na Byoungjoon , Chang Kuang‐An , Chuang Wei‐Liang , Yang Ray‐Yeng
Published: October 2019

Laboratory measurements of turbulent flow and shear stresses in a surf zone under monochromatic breaking waves in a large‐scale wave flume are presented. Waves with various surf similarity parameters were generated to break at nearly identical water depths over a 1/100 mild slope. Free surface elevations were measured along the plane beach. Velocities in a water column located at the breaking region were measured by acoustic Doppler velocimeters. Results from wave shoaling coefficient, breaking index, and images are inconsistent with the breaker type categorizations from the surf similarity parameter. This suggests that a modification of the surf similarity parameter for very mild slopes may be necessary. For the plunging breakers, the ensemble‐averaged results indicate that intense turbulence kinetic energy was initially generated by large eddies at the surface then transported to the bottom frequently. The instantaneous results demonstrate that the intermittency of turbulence kinetic energy near the bed was caused by large eddies generated by wave overturning and relatively smaller obliquely descending eddies. Moreover, the magnitude of the wave shear stress (WSS) is one order of magnitude larger than that of the turbulent shear stress, indicating that the effects of the bottom slope, wave breaking, and bed friction are significant in the surf zone. The sign of the time‐averaged WSS switched between positive and negative, depending on the occurrences of phase lag and phase lead of the vertical coherent velocity. It suggests that a change may be required in Zou et al.'s (2006, https://doi.org/10.1029/2005JC003300) theory on the formulation of wave‐breaking induced WSS.
Volcanic Plume Aging During Passive Degassing and Low Eruptive Events of Etna and Stromboli Volcanoes
Authors: Pianezze J. , Tulet P. , Foucart B. , Leriche M. , Liuzzo M. , Salerno G. , Colomb A. , Freney E. , Sellegri K.
Published: October 2019

Volcanic gases and aerosols emissions from passive degassing or low eruptive events are now included in most climate models despite large uncertainties still exist about their injection height and their temporal and spatial variability. The aim of this study is to quantify the evolution of the gas and aerosols inside volcanic plumes with high kilometric‐resolution simulations. With online chemistry and aerosols, these simulations are carried out together with in situ measurements of aerosol and gas‐phase properties to assess the impact of Etna and Stromboli volcanic plumes produced by passive degassing and regular Strombolian activity, respectively. Comparison between simulation and observations show that the simulation reproduces the main characteristics of the volcanic plume evolution and confirms that volcanic plumes produced by passive degassing or low eruptive events have a strong impact on cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) formation increasing the number of CCN by a factor of 5. It was also shown that depending on the plume location, the aerosols will act as CCN at different distance from the vent. In the marine atmospheric boundary layer, the aerosols will act as CCN at proximity to the vent (less than 50 km) because of strong condensation sink inhibiting nucleation. In comparison, in the free troposphere, aerosols will act as CCN far from the vent, at more than 200 km. To the best of our knowledge, this study using in situ measurements as well as subkilometric simulations is unique.
The Production and Fate of Volatile Organosulfur Compounds in Sulfidic and Ferruginous Sediment
Authors: Wilkening Jean V. , Turchyn Alexandra V. , Redeker Kelly R. , Mills Jennifer V. , Antler Gilad , Carrión Ornella , Todd Jonathan D.
Published: October 2019

Volatile organic sulfur compounds (VOSCs) link the atmospheric, marine, and terrestrial sulfur cycles in marine and marginal marine environments. Despite the important role VOSCs play in global biogeochemical sulfur cycling, less is known about how the local geochemical conditions influence production and consumption of VOSCs. We present a study of dimethyl sulfide (DMS), methanethiol (MeSH), and dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) in sulfide‐rich (sulfidic) and iron‐rich (ferruginous) salt marsh sediment from north Norfolk, UK. Initial results illustrate the importance of minimizing time between sampling in remote field locations and laboratory analysis, due to rapid degradation of VOSCs. With rapid analysis of sediment from different depths, we observe high concentrations of DMS, MeSH, and DMSP, with concentrations in surface sediment an order of magnitude higher than those in previous studies of surface water. We measure systematic differences in the concentration and depth distribution of MeSH and DMS between sediment environments; DMS concentrations are higher in ferruginous sediment, and MeSH concentrations are higher in sulfidic sediment. With repeated measurements over a short time period, we show that the degradation patterns for DMS and MeSH are different in the ferruginous versus sulfidic sediment. We discuss potential biogeochemical interactions that could be driving the observed differences in VOSC dynamics in ferruginous and sulfidic sediment.
Barotropic Instability of a Cyclone Core at Kilometer‐Scale Resolution
Authors: Leutwyler David , Schär Christoph
Published: October 2019

Secondary disturbances spawning frontal waves along the fronts of mature midlatitude low‐pressure systems were identified decades ago from satellite images and during field campaigns. Today's flagship supercomputers allow performing simulations at kilometer‐scale resolution on computational domains covering the entire lifecycle of synoptic‐scale systems and thus enable explicit representation of small‐scale disturbances embedded in large‐scale circulations. Here we demonstrate these capabilities in two different types of kilometer‐scale simulations. The first is a 10‐day‐long near‐global simulation of an idealized moist baroclinic wave, performed at 1 km grid spacing and employing 16,001 × 36,006 × 60 grid points. The second is a real‐case simulation of an extratropical low‐pressure system, driven by the European Centre for Medium‐Range Weather Forecasts's operational analysis. At kilometer‐scale resolution, both simulations display clear evidence of embedded mesoscale vortices spawning along frontal systems of mature extratropical cyclones. The vortices appearing in the real‐case simulation can also be identified in satellite imagery of the system. The simulated developments are due to a barotropic instability mechanism and driven by strong low‐level horizontal wind shear. While the simulation of the frontal systems is amenable at model resolutions around 10–50 km, the instability mechanism itself relies on the representation of a narrow shear zone, requiring about 5 times finer resolution. Results suggest that the flow regimes suppressing or fostering barotropic vortices can coexist in the same synoptic system. Far away from the cyclone core, the instability is suppressed by deformation associated with the large‐scale flow, while close to the mature cyclone core, the narrow frontal structure becomes unstable.
Publisher Correction: Carrier lifetime enhancement in halide perovskite via remote epitaxy
Authors: Jiang Jie , Sun Xin , Chen Xinchun , Wang Baiwei , Chen Zhizhong , Hu Yang , Guo Yuwei , Zhang Lifu , Ma Yuan , Gao Lei , Zheng Fengshan , Jin Lei , Chen Min , Ma Zhiwei , Zhou Yuanyuan , Padture Nitin P. , Beach Kory , Terrones Humberto , Shi Yunfeng , Gall Daniel , Lu Toh-Ming , Wertz Esther , Feng Jing , Shi Jian
Published: October 2019

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.
Mercury concentrations in biota in the Mediterranean Sea, a compilation of 40 years of surveys
Authors: Cinnirella S. , Bruno D. E. , Pirrone N. , Horvat M. , Živković I. , Evers D. C. , Johnson S. , Sunderland E. M.
Published: October 2019

The Mediterranean Region has a long lasting legacy of mercury mining activities and a high density of sub-marine volcanoes that has strongly contributed to its mercury budget. In the last forty years, there have been recorded increases in mercury concentrations in biota that have spurred a growing number of research activities to assess the impact of mercury pollution on human health and environment. Field investigations that quantify mercury concentrations in marine biota have led to a large amount of experimental data scattered in many peer-reviewed publications making it difficult for modelling applications and regional environmental assessments. This paper reviews existing peer-reviewed literature and datasets on mercury concentration in marine flora and fauna (Animal, Plants and Chromista Kingdoms) in the Mediterranean basin. A total of 24,465 records have been retrieved from 539 sources and included in Mercury in Mediterranean Biota (M2B). Well-defined specimens account for 24,407 observations, while a few records include generic plankton and unidentified fish species. Among all considered species, we selected Diplodus sargus, Sardina pilchardus, Thunnus thynnus and Xiphias gladius to show trends of mercury concentration against WHO and EU limits. Few notes on how M2B is intended to support the implementation of the Minamata Convention on Mercury by a user-driven Knowledge Hub are finally reported.
Generation of highly integrated multiple vivid colours using a three-dimensional broadband perfect absorber
Authors: Kim Soo-Jung , Jung Pil-Hoon , Kim Wonjoong , Lee Heon , Hong Sung-Hoon
Published: October 2019

The colour printing technology based on interactions between geometric structures and light has various advantages over the pigment-based colour technology in terms of nontoxicity and ultrasmall pixel size. The asymmetric Fabry–Perot (F–P) cavity absorber is the simplest light-interacting structure, which can easily represent and control the colour by the thickness of the dielectric layer. However, for practical applications, an advanced manufacturing technique for the simultaneous generation of multiple reflective colours is required. In this study, we demonstrate F–P cavity absorbers with micropixels by overcoming the difficulties of multi-level pattern fabrication using a nanoimprinting approach. Our asymmetric F–P cavity absorber exhibited a high absorption (approximately 99%) in a wide visible light range upon the incorporation of lossy metallic materials, yielding vivid colours. A high-resolution image of eight different reflective colours was obtained by a one-step process. This demonstrates the potential of this technology for device applications such as high-resolution colour displays and colour patterns used for security functions.
Organic mulches reduce crop attack by sweetpotato weevil (Cylas formicarius)
Authors: Rehman Mudassir , Liu Jian , Johnson Anne C. , Dada Taiwo Esther , Gurr Geoff M.
Published: October 2019

Mulching with organic materials is a management practice with long history for weed suppression, soil water conservation and erosion control. Its potential impact on crop pests is less well explored. Here we report its utility for reducing crop damage by the serious pest, sweetpotato weevil (Cylas formicarius). Laboratory bioassays measured the response of adult female weevils to sweetpotato storage roots beneath mulches of fresh or dried plant materials. Weevils were significant repelled by fresh basil, catnip, basil lime and dry eucalyptus, cypress, lucerne and sugarcane. A subsequent field study found that mulches of dry cypress, eucalyptus and lucerne reduced movement of weevils from a release point to reach sweetpotato plants and lowered level of damage to storage roots. Results demonstrate that mulching with organic materials merits further testing as part of the integrated management of sweetpotato weevil, particularly to protect developing storage roots during dry periods when soil cracking can facilitate access by pests.
Using the Belinfante momentum to retrieve the polarization state of light inside waveguides
Authors: Ginis Vincent , Liu Lulu , She Alan , Capasso Federico
Published: October 2019

Current day high speed optical communication systems employ photonic circuits using platforms such as silicon photonics. In these systems, the polarization state of light drifts due to effects such as polarization mode dispersion and nonlinear phenomena generated by photonic circuit building blocks. As the complexity, the number, and the variety of these building blocks grows, the demand increases for an in-situ polarization determination strategy. Here, we show that the transfer of the Belinfante momentum to particles in the evanescent field of waveguides depends in a non-trivial way on the polarization state of light within that waveguide. Surprisingly, we find that the maxima and minima of the lateral force are not produced with circularly polarized light, corresponding to the north and south poles of the Poincaré sphere. Instead, the maxima are shifted along the great circle of the sphere due to the phase differences between the scattered TE and TM components of light. This effect allows for an unambiguous reconstruction of the local polarization state of light inside a waveguide. Importantly, this technique depends on interaction with only the evanescent tails of the fields, allowing for a minimally invasive method to probe the polarization within a photonic chip.
The influence that different urban development models has on PM2.5 elemental and bioaccessible profiles
Authors: Polezer Gabriela , Oliveira Andrea , Potgieter-Vermaak Sanja , Godoi Ana F. L. , de Souza Rodrigo A. F. , Yamamoto Carlos I. , Andreoli Rita V. , Medeiros Adan S. , Machado Cristine M. D. , dos Santos Erickson O. , de André Paulo A. , Pauliquevis Theotonio , Saldiva Paulo H. N. , Martin Scot T. , Godoi Ricardo H. M.
Published: October 2019

Limited studies have reported on in-vitro analysis of PM2.5 but as far as the authors are aware, bioaccessibility of PM2.5 in artificial lysosomal fluid (ALF) has not been linked to urban development models before. The Brazilian cities Manaus (Amazon) and Curitiba (South region) have different geographical locations, climates, and urban development strategies. Manaus drives its industrialization using the free trade zone policy and Curitiba adopted a services centered economy driven by sustainability. Therefore, these two cities were used to illustrate the influence that these different models have on PM2.5in vitro profile. We compared PM2.5 mass concentrations and the average total elemental and bioaccessible profiles for Cu, Cr, Mn, and Pb. The total average elemental concentrations followed Mn > Pb > Cu > Cr in Manaus and Pb > Mn > Cu > Cr in Curitiba. Mn had the lowest solubility while Cu showed the highest bioaccessibility (100%) and was significantly higher in Curitiba than Manaus. Cr and Pb had higher bioaccessibility in Manaus than Curitiba. Despite similar mass concentrations, the public health risk in Manaus was higher than in Curitiba indicating that the free trade zone had a profound effect on the emission levels and sources of airborne PM. These findings illustrate the importance of adopting sustainable air quality strategies in urban planning.
Serum markers of type III and IV procollagen processing predict recurrence of fibrosis in liver transplanted patients
Authors: Nielsen Mette Juul , Villesen Ida Falk , Gudmann Natasja Stæhr , Leeming Diana Julie , Krag Aleksander , Karsdal Morten Asser , Zimmermann Tim , Schuppan Detlef
Published: October 2019

Following liver transplantation (LT), 10–30% of patients develop recurrent cirrhosis (RC). There is an urgent need for predictive non-invasive markers for improved monitoring of these patients. Here we studied extracellular matrix biomarkers as predictors of RC after LT. Forty-seven LT patients were divided into groups of fast, intermediate or non-progressors towards RC (<1 year, 3–5 years or no advanced fibrosis >5 years after LT), assessed by follow-up liver biopsies. Markers of interstitial matrix type III and V collagen formation (PRO-C3 and PRO-C5), basement membrane type IV collagen formation (PRO-C4) and degradation (C4M) were assessed in serum samples collected 3, 6 and 12 months post-LT using specific ELISAs. PRO-C3, PRO-C4, and C4M were elevated in fast progressors compared to non-progressors 3 months after LT. C4M and PRO-C4 additionally differentiated between intermediate and fast progressors at 3 months. PRO-C3 was best predictor of survival, with LT patients in the highest PRO-C3 tertile having significantly shorter survival time. This shows that interstitial matrix and basement membrane remodeling in RC may be distinguishable. Markers originating from different sites in the extracellular matrix could be valuable tools for a more dynamic monitoring of patients at risk of RC. However, this needs validation in larger cohorts.
Author Correction: Comparison of Four Complete Chloroplast Genomes of Medicinal and Ornamental Meconopsis Species: Genome Organization and Species Discrimination
Authors: Li Xiaoxue , Tan Wei , Sun Jiqi , Du Junhua , Zheng Chenguang , Tian Xiaoxuan , Zheng Min , Xiang Beibei , Wang Yong
Published: October 2019

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.
Headspace Sampling: An “Evergreen” Method in Constant Evolution to Characterize Food Flavors through their Volatile Fraction
Authors: Liberto E. , Bicchi C. , Cagliero C. , Cordero C. , Rubiolo P. , Sgorbini B.
Published: October 2019

This chapter is a survey on a sampling technique grown in parallel to gas chromatography since its early years, and which nowadays enjoys a remarkable renewal of interest thanks to the new strategies of analysis introduced with the “omics” sciences and adopted in food (aroma) analysis, and the continuous evolution of technology (mainly multidimensional separation techniques and mass spectrometry) and data elaboration. After the introductory sections concerning headspace definitions and history, the chapter describes the approaches to static headspace (S-HS) and dynamic headspace (D-HS), and to high-concentration capacity sampling techniques. The latter are techniques bridging the two approaches S-HS to D-HS, where the analytes are accumulated from a vapor or liquid phase on a stationary phase by sorption or adsorption. The following sections deal with quantitation with headspace sampling in both static and dynamic modes illustrating the approaches that can be adopted as a function of the physical status (liquid or solid) of the investigated matrix. The last section describes the use of headspace with non-separative methods, i.e., directly combined to mass spectrometry and chemometric elaboration without a preliminary chromatographic separation.
Overview of the latest developments in the field of drug-eluting stent technology
Authors: Majewska Paula , Oledzka Ewa , Sobczak Marcin
Published: October 2019

Angioplasty with stent implantation is considered to be the basic treatment method of stenosis of blood vessels.
Understanding fecal sludge drying in membrane-lined container-based toilets for developing countries with CFD modeling
Authors: Ebrazi Bakhshayesh Babak , Saxena Shray , Imhoff Paul T.
Published: October 2019

CFD model evaluated toilet container lined with laminated hydrophobic membrane. Model predicted drying accurately for cm- to m-scale systems. Model predicted performance of laminate-lined toilet for developing countries.
Omega-3 fatty acids and plant sterols as cardioprotective ingredients in beef patties: composition and relevance of nutritional information on sensory characterization
Authors: Alejandre Marta , Astiasarán Icíar , Ansorena Diana
Published: October 2019

Gel emulsion with cholesterol lowering properties and reduced saturated fat is used to substitute animal fat in beef patties.
Extending the chemical product tree: a novel value chain for the production of N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidones from biogenic acids
Authors: Haus Moritz Otto , Louven Yannik , Palkovits Regina
Published: October 2019

Bio-based monomers are synthesized in a two-step process starting from common platform chemicals. The featured sequence of heterogeneously-catalyzed reduction and gas phase dehydration makes for a promising alternative to traditional Reppe chemistry.
Current and emerging therapeutic targets of alzheimer's disease for the design of multi-target directed ligands
Authors: Blaikie Laura , Kay Graeme , Kong Thoo Lin Paul
Published: October 2019

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most prevalent neurodegenerative disease, and a major cause of death worldwide. Since AD is a multi-factorial disease, a MTDL approach to drug discovery is discussed.
Elucidating ligand effects in thiolate-protected metal clusters using Au24Pt(TBBT)18 as a model cluster
Authors: Hossain Sakiat , Imai Yukari , Suzuki Daiki , Choi Woojun , Chen Zhaoheng , Suzuki Taiyo , Yoshioka Mahiro , Kawawaki Tokuhisa , Lee Dongil , Negishi Yuichi
Published: October 2019

Successful synthesis of [Au24Pt(SR)18]0 (SR = PET or TBBT) revealed effects of ligand change from PET to TBBT on [Au24Pt(SR)18]0.
Reduced SrTiO3-supported Pt–Cu alloy nanoparticles for preferential oxidation of CO in excess hydrogen
Authors: Jain Noopur , Roy Ahin , Nair Sreejith
Published: October 2019

Tuning CO PrOx catalysis through oxygen storage capacity (OSC) of support (SrTiO3) and composition of metal (PtCu) in heterostructure catalyst.
Resolving single Cu nanoparticle oxidation and Kirkendall void formation with in situ plasmonic nanospectroscopy and electrodynamic simulations
Authors: Nilsson Sara , Albinsson David , Antosiewicz Tomasz J. , Fritzsche Joachim , Langhammer Christoph
Published: October 2019

Copper nanostructures are ubiquitous in microelectronics and heterogeneous catalysis and their oxidation is a topic of high current interest and broad relevance.
Fluoride-ion solvation in non-aqueous electrolyte solutions
Authors: Davis Victoria K. , Munoz Stephen , Kim Jeongmin , Bates Christopher M. , Momčilović Nebojša , Billings Keith J. , Miller Thomas F. , Grubbs Robert H. , Jones Simon C.
Published: October 2019

Non-aqueous electrolytes comprising the fluoride ion are characterized using a variety of experimental and computational methods.
Toward improved wound dressings: effects of polydopamine-decorated poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) electrospinning incorporating basic fibroblast growth factor and ponericin G1
Authors: Zhao Jia , Han Fanglei , Zhang Wenjing , Yang Yang , You Di , Li Longyun
Published: October 2019

Artificial dressings composed of degradable polymer materials have a wide range of applications in skin repair.
Correction: Enhancing the anti-ovarian cancer activity of quercetin using a self-assembling micelle and thermosensitive hydrogel drug delivery system
Authors: Xu Guangya , Li Bin , Wang Ting , Wan Jun , Zhang Yan , Huang Jingwei , Shen Yangmei
Published: October 2019

Correction for ‘Enhancing the anti-ovarian cancer activity of quercetin using a self-assembling micelle and thermosensitive hydrogel drug delivery system’ by Guangya Xu et al., RSC Adv., 2018, 8, 21229–21242.
Ambient aqueous-phase synthesis of covalent organic frameworks for degradation of organic pollutants
Authors: Liu Yaozu , Wang Yujie , Li Hui , Guan Xinyu , Zhu Liangkui , Xue Ming , Yan Yushan , Valtchev Valentin , Qiu Shilun , Fang Qianrong
Published: October 2019

Herein we report the first case of a β-ketoenamine based Michael addition–elimination reaction as well as ambient aqueous-phase synthesis of highly crystalline COF materials.
Tailoring the composition of a one-step electrodeposited Co,Ni/Co,Ni(OH)2 composite coating for a highly active hydrogen evolution electrode
Authors: Kordek Karolina , Lorenc-Grabowska Ewa , Rutkowski Piotr
Published: October 2019

Design and formation of a low-cost, robust and high-performance carbon cloth-based composite electrocatalyst for alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction.
Tuning the surface segregation composition of a PdCo alloy by the atmosphere for increasing electrocatalytic activity
Authors: Li Tongtong , Wang Rong , Yang Minghe , Zhao Shuaishuai , Li Zhijie , Miao Junjian , Gao Zhi-Da , Gao Yi , Song Yan-Yan
Published: October 2019

The surface composition of PdCo alloy was tuned by the annealing atmosphere. By electrochemical etching Co atoms, the alloy with Pd-rich surfaces was rearranged with abundant high-index facets, which leads to an enhanced HER performance.
The molecular mechanisms of LncRNA-correlated PKM2 in cancer metabolism
Authors: Tao Ting , Wu Shiyuan , Sun Zheng , Ma Wei , Zhou Sichun , Deng Jun , Su Qiongli , Peng Mei , Xu Gaosheng , Yang Xiaoping
Published: October 2019

Reprogrammed metabolism is an important hallmark of cancer cells. Pyruvate kinase (PK) is one of the major rate-limiting enzymes in glucose metabolism. The M2 isoform of PK (PKM2), is considered to be an important marker of metabolic reprogramming and one of the key enzymes. Recently, through the continuous development of genome-wide analysis and functional studies, accumulating evidence has demonstrated that long non-coding RNAs (LncRNAs) play vital regulatory roles in cancer progression by acting as either potential oncogenes or tumor suppressors. Furthermore, several studies have shown that up-regulation of PKM2 in cancer tissues is associated with LncRNAs expression and patient survival. Thus, scientists have begun to unveil the mechanism of LncRNA-associated PKM2 in cancer metabolic progression. Based on these novel findings, in this mini-review, we summarize the detailed molecular mechanisms of LncRNA related to PKM2 in cancer metabolism. We expect that this work will promote a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms of PKM2, and provide a profound potential for targeting PKM2 to treat tumors.
Long noncoding RNA FAM83A-AS1 facilitates hepatocellular carcinoma progression by binding with NOP58 to enhance the mRNA stability of FAM83A
Authors: He Jinyu , Yu Jiao
Published: October 2019

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), as one of the commonest cancers globally, is a primary malignancy in human liver with a characteristic of high mortality rate. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are confirmed to be implicated with multiple cancers including HCC. LncRNA FAM83A-AS1 has also been validated as an oncogene in lung cancer, but its mechanism in HCC is poorly understood. Our research is intended to investigate the underlying mechanism of FAM83A-AS1 in HCC. In the present study, we found the abundantly increased expression level of FAM83A-AS1 in HCC tissues and cells. FAM83A-AS1 inhibition hampered cell proliferation, migration and elevated cell apoptosis in HCC. Moreover, FAM83A-AS1 could positively regulate FAM83A, and FAM83A could also promote the progression of HCC. In addition, FAM83A-AS1 and FAM83A were both verified to bind with NOP58, and FAM83A-AS1 enhanced the mRNA stability of FAM83A by binding with NOP58. In rescue assays, the suppressed influence of down-regulated FAM83A-AS1#1 on cell proliferation, migration as well as the accelerated influence of FAM83A-AS1#1 knockdown on cell apoptosis could be partially recovered by overexpression of FAM83A. In conclusion, FAM83A-AS1 facilitated HCC progression by binding with NOP58 to enhance the stability of FAM83A. These findings offer a novel biological insight into HCC treatment.
An Application of eHealth Technology Toward the Digitization of the Health Records of Older Patients With Cochlear Implants
Authors: Tognola Gabriella , Murri Alessandra , Cuda Domenico
Published: October 2019

Purpose

Despite the current legislative indications toward the digitization of patient health records, 80% of health data are unstructured and in a format that cannot be used in electronic archives or in registries of diseases. An innovative automated system is here proposed to efficiently retrieve and digitize clinical information from original unstructured ear, nose, and throat (ENT) medical records, in order to reduce the manual workload in the retrieval and digitization process.

Method

The system, based on an eHealth technology named
cognitive computing
, interprets medical reports to transform unstructured clinical data (e.g., narrative text) into a structured digital format. The system has been tailored to handle the reports of aged cochlear implant (CI) patients by digitizing the information typically requested in electronic CI registries and by the current ENT/audiology guidelines. Results were obtained from the reports generated by an outpatient ENT care service from 52 older adult CI patients.

Results

The system allowed a quick and automated interpretation and retrieval of all the information required, such as the patient's medical history, risk factors, examination outcomes, communicative performances before and after CI implantation, and CI settings. The accuracy of the system in correctly interpreting and retrieving the above information from the original unstructured medical reports was very good (recall = 0.78; precision = 0.95). The system allowed to reduce the time needed to manually digitize the information from 20–30 min/report to only 20 s/report.

Conclusion

The proposed system is a viable solution for the automated digitization of unstructured health data as recommended by the ENT/audiology clinical best practices.
Active damping technique based on H∞ controller for VSC under parallel compensation grid
Authors: Pang Bo , Nian Heng
Published: October 2019

Aimed at damping the high‐frequency resonance (HFR) which exists in the voltage‐source converter (VSC) system connected to the parallel compensation grid, an active damping method based on the H∞ theory is proposed. Compared to the existing HFR damping methods, the H∞ damping controller has the advantage of strong robustness, which means that the damping effect can be maintained when parameters of VSC system change. For obtaining the H∞ damping controller, the design procedure of weight functions for the synthesis of H∞ controller based on the requirements of HFR damping is investigated. Theoretical analysis and experimental results are given to verify the effectiveness and availability of the proposed active damping technique.
Optimising the design of phased array feeds for survey speed
Authors: Chen Kaiya , Warnick Karl F.
Published: October 2019

The scientific capability of an astronomical phased array feed receiver can be quantified by combining the bandwidth, sensitivity, and field of view into the overall survey speed of the instrument. The authors investigate the relationships between survey speed and reflector geometry, array layout, element spacing and element configuration using numerical simulations, to determine the values of these parameters that lead to optimal system performance. They characterise the array element spacing that leads to maximum survey speed as a function of the reflector f/D. To further improve survey speed in relation to the overall number of array elements, the authors explore the possibility of using elements with modest levels of superdirectivity to sample more of the focal plane Airy pattern and increase optimal spacing for survey speed figure of merit. The results explain how optimal survey speed is controlled primarily by the influence of element type and array layout on the peak achievable aperture efficiency.
Efficient initialisation of iterative linear massive MIMO detectors using a stair matrix
Authors: Albreem M. , Juntti M. , Shahabuddin S.
Published: October 2019

Several approximate matrix inversion methods have been used in linear massive MIMO uplink detectors where their convergence rate, performance, and complexity are greatly affected by the initial solution. In this Letter, the authors exploit a stair matrix, instead of a diagonal matrix, in initialising iterative linear minimum mean square error massive MIMO detector based on several approximate matrix inversion methods, namely, the Gauss–Seidel, successive over relaxation, Richardson iteration, and Newton iteration methods. Numerical results show a significant performance enhancement without a burden of extra complexity using a stair matrix over a diagonal matrix in all methods.
Second harmonic impedance drift‐based islanding detection method
Authors: Malakondaiah Muli , Boddeti Kalyan Kumar , Ramesh Naidu Bonu , Bajpai Prabodh
Published: October 2019

Islanding detection is an important operational aspect of microgrids. Early detection of islanding is essential to avoid unsynchronised reclosing. The possibility for minimal or near zero power mismatch between generation and load of a microgrid is high in a modern reconfigurable distribution network. Hence, at the instant of islanding, the voltage at the Point of Interconnection (PoI) will not change significantly and may lead to failure of over/under voltage and frequency relays in detecting islanding. In this work, second harmonic voltage at PoI of a voltage source inverter‐based distributed generation (DG) is extracted through a sliding window discrete Fourier transform and is used for generating a second harmonic current reference, through virtual admittance. The second harmonic impedance at DG terminal is estimated. This second harmonic impedance remains insignificant in the case of grid‐connected mode but drifts beyond a threshold in islanding mode. The proposed method is validated on two test cases, and the comparative results from simulation studies indicate that the islanding detection is achieved in less time with minimal effect on the power quality, fundamental voltage, and frequency at the PoI.
Deep reinforcement‐learning‐based driving policy for autonomous road vehicles
Authors: Makantasis Konstantinos , Kontorinaki Maria , Nikolos Ioannis
Published: October 2019

In this work, the problem of path planning for an autonomous vehicle that moves on a freeway is considered. The most common approaches that are used to address this problem are based on optimal control methods, which make assumptions about the model of the environment and the system dynamics. On the contrary, this work proposes the development of a driving policy based on reinforcement learning. In this way, the proposed driving policy makes minimal or no assumptions about the environment, since a priori knowledge about the system dynamics is not required. Driving scenarios where the road is occupied both by autonomous and manual driving vehicles are considered. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is one of the first approaches that propose a reinforcement learning driving policy for mixed driving environments. The derived reinforcement learning policy, firstly, is compared against an optimal policy derived via dynamic programming, and, secondly, its efficiency is evaluated under realistic scenarios generated by the established SUMO microscopic traffic flow simulator. Finally, some initial results regarding the effect of autonomous vehicles’ behaviour on the overall traffic flow are presented.