bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A new toroidal metamaterial phase shifter
Authors: Shafaee Meisam , Razavi Seyed Mohammad Javad , Hamidi Emad
Published: February 2019

In this paper, the design of a rectangular waveguide metamaterial (MTM) phase shifter will be introduced in X band. The main disadvantages of the class of waveguide MTM phase shifters include high insertion loss (about 10 dB) and high DC magnetic bias field requirement (6‐7 kOe), that treated in the proposed phase shifter scheme by using toroidal shape ferrite core in conjunction with metalized parallel microstrip lines and implementing the multi‐section matching network, that leads to 3.2 dB insertion loss and a simple bias mechanism such as conventional toroidal phase shifter without consisting any high reluctance air‐gap, which could be implemented by no need of any feather coil system or higher current values. The results of simultaneous ENG and MNG design procedure for 288° differential phase shift with the 2 cm ferrite core length, shows 4 times compactness of proposed phase shifter in comparison with conventional toroidal phase shifter.
Disruption of O‐GlcNAc homeostasis during mammalian oocyte meiotic maturation impacts fertilization
Authors: Zhou Luhan T. , Romar Raquel , Pavone Mary Ellen , Soriano‐Úbeda Cristina , Zhang John , Slawson Chad , Duncan Francesca E.
Published: February 2019

Meiotic maturation and fertilization are metabolically demanding processes, and thus the mammalian oocyte is highly susceptible to changes in nutrient availability. O‐GlcNAcylation—the addition of a single sugar residue (O‐linked β‐N‐acetylglucosamine) on proteins—is a posttranslational modification that acts as a cellular nutrient sensor and likely modulates the function of oocyte proteins. O‐GlcNAcylation is mediated by O‐GlcNAc transferase (OGT), which adds O‐GlcNAc onto proteins, and O‐GlcNAcase (OGA), which removes it. Here we investigated O‐GlcNAcylation dynamics in bovine and human oocytes during meiosis and determined the developmental sequelae of its perturbation. OGA, OGT, and multiple O‐GlcNAcylated proteins were expressed in bovine cumulus oocyte complexes (COCs), and they were localized throughout the gamete but were also enriched at specific subcellular sites. O‐GlcNAcylated proteins were concentrated at the nuclear envelope at prophase I, OGA at the cortex throughout meiosis, and OGT at the meiotic spindles. These expression patterns were evolutionarily conserved in human oocytes. To examine O‐GlcNAc function, we disrupted O‐GlcNAc cycling during meiotic maturation in bovine COCs using Thiamet‐G (TMG), a highly selective OGA inhibitor. Although TMG resulted in a dramatic increase in O‐GlcNAcylated substrates in both cumulus cells and the oocyte, there was no effect on cumulus expansion or meiotic progression. However, zygote development was significantly compromised following in vitro fertilization of COCs matured in TMG due to the effects on sperm penetration, sperm head decondensation, and pronuclear formation. Thus, proper O‐GlcNAc homeostasis during meiotic maturation is important for fertilization and pronuclear stage development.
Outcomes in the elderly patient following enhanced recovery pathways for elective lower‐limb arthroplasty surgery
Authors: U Edmond Chun Ying , Starks Ian
Published: February 2019

Introduction

Enhanced recovery pathways (ERPs) have been shown to reduce both morbidity and mortality, as well as length of stay, in very elderly patients undergoing joint replacement surgery. However, their impact on patient‐reported outcome measures (PROMs) in this vulnerable cohort of patients has not previously been investigated.

Methods

Oxford Hip and Knee Scores were collected pre‐ and postoperatively for patients undergoing joint replacement surgery at Wrexham Maelor Hospital, along with data on patient demographics.

Results

Of the 646 who had total hip replacements, 32 (4.95%) were aged 85 years or over, and of the 875 who had total knee replacements, 39 (4.46%) were aged 85 years or over. Similarly to younger patients, those over the age of 85 years saw a benefit in the outcome at 6 months and 24 months following elective hip and knee arthroplasty on an ERP. This was reflected by a significant increase in the outcome scores at 6 months postoperatively in both age groups undergoing either a total hip replacement or total knee replacement.

Conclusions

We found no detrimental effect of ERPs on PROMs data in older patients. In fact, these patients saw a similar benefit in outcome following elective hip and knee arthroplasty as the younger cohort.
Exposure to phthalate‐containing prescription drugs and the risk of colorectal adenocarcinoma: A Danish nationwide case‐control study
Authors: Ennis Zandra Nymand , Pottegård Anton , Ahern Thomas Patrick , Hallas Jesper , Damkier Per
Published: February 2019

Purpose

Some drug products contain phthalates as excipients, and in vitro studies have demonstrated that phthalates interfere with cellular mechanisms involved in colorectal cancer development. We therefore examined the association between cumulative phthalate exposure from drug products and risk of colorectal adenocarcinomas.

Methods

We used the Danish Cancer Registry to identify all patients with incident colorectal adenocarcinoma from 2008 to 2015 (n = 25 814). Each cancer case was matched to ten population controls. Linking information from Danish registers, we quantified cumulative phthalate exposure to the ortho‐phthalates diethyl phthalate (DEP) and dibutyl phthalate (DBP) as well as enteric phthalate polymers from orally administered drugs. The association between cumulative phthalate exposure and colorectal cancer was estimated using conditional logistic regression.

Results

Cumulative exposure to ortho‐phthalates exceeding 500 mg was associated with lower odds of colorectal cancer diagnosis (ORadj = 0.89; 95% CI, 0.81‐0.96). Similar associations were observed for all DEP exposure exceeding 500 mg. Subgroup analysis excluding NSAID users, demonstrated that ortho‐phthalate exposure was positively associated with colorectal cancer (ORadj = 1.26; 95% CI, 1.05‐1.51).

Conclusion

We found an apparent overall protective effect of cumulative phthalate exposure from drug excipients for colorectal adenocarcinoma. Omitting NSAID users reversed the signal and suggested a slightly increased risk associated with high cumulative ortho‐phthalate exposure.
Modelling and forecasting PV production in the absence of behind‐the‐meter measurements
Authors: Landelius Tomas , Andersson Sandra , Abrahamsson Roger
Published: February 2019

This paper deals with hourly day‐ahead prediction of the net electricity load at nine photovoltaic installations in a Swedish regional electricity network. The objective of the study was to develop, test, and evaluate a set of methods to predict the contribution of PV power to the grid without knowing the production and consumption “behind‐the‐meter.” An indirect and a direct approach for prediction of the net load were evaluated. For the indirect approach, a model of the gross production was first estimated based on the open‐source software PVLIB. The model was then used to predict the net load given a forecast of the gross consumption. Since we lacked a model of the latter, we used a “perfect forecast,” in terms of measured gross consumption, to estimate the performance of this approach. In the direct approach, a model of the net load was estimated using either linear regression or an artificial neural network. Here, the model was used for prediction of the net load without any information about the gross consumption. Both approaches rely on information from a numerical weather prediction model together with net load measurements from the previous day. Forecasts using the indirect approach with perfect information about the gross consumption resulted in a normalized (with installed nominal power) RMSEn of 11%. The direct approach with the artificial neural network also resulted in an RMSEn of 11%, even though it did not have any information from behind the meter. Linear regression had an RMSEn of 12%.
Protein Composition Reflects Extracellular Vesicle Heterogeneity
Authors: Vagner Tatyana , Chin Andrew , Mariscal Javier , Bannykh Serguei , Engman David M. , Di Vizio Dolores
Published: February 2019

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are membrane‐enclosed particles that are released by virtually all cells from all living organisms. EVs shuttle biologically active cargo including protein, RNA, and DNA between cells. When shed by cancer cells, they function as potent intercellular messangers with important functional consequences. Cells produce a diverse spectrum of EVs, spanning from small vesicles of 40–150 nm in diameter, to large vesicles up to 10 μm in diameter. While this diversity was initially considered to be purely based on size, it is becoming evident that different classes of EVs, and different populations within one EV class may harbor distinct molecular cargo and play specific functions. Furthermore, there are considerable cell type‐dependent differences in the cargo and function of shed EVs. This review focuses on the most recent proteomic studies that have attempted to capture the EV heterogeneity by directly comparing the protein composition of different EV classes and EV populations derived from the same cell source. Recent studies comparing protein composition of the same EV class(es) derived from different cell types are also summarized. Emerging approaches to study EV heterogeneity and their important implications for future studies are also discussed.
Non‐Isothermal Solid Phase Diffusion in Activated Powder Mixtures. Thermal Regimes and Critical Conditions
Authors: Filimonov Valeriy Y. , Koshelev Konstantin B.
Published: February 2019

In the present paper, the analysis of thermal modes of solid phase synthesis in the volume of mechanically activated powder mixtures was conducted. As a basic model, the Carter‐Valensi model of solid phase interaction in powder systems was used. This model was considered from point of view of non‐isothermal kinetics for the first time. Using the maximum temperature method, the critical ignition conditions of the mixture and the conditions of thermal explosion degeneration were determined. The corresponding diagrams of critical parameters were obtained and the parametric regions of thermal explosion existence were defined. The results presented allows solving the technologically important problem of demarcation of fast (thermal explosion) and slow (isothermal sintering) synthesis modes. Thus, it becomes possible to control the chemical activity of a heterogeneous reaction purposefully.
Reconfigurable Logic Gates with in‐Plane Magnetic Tunnel Junctions Representing Full Boolean Functions
Authors: Bae Gi Yoon , Hwang Yechan , Lee Sangmin , Park Wanjun
Published: February 2019

Logic functions implemented by input terminal extension are proposed, which is uniquely achievable in magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs). With two inputs assigned by the two independent physical variables of magnetic field and spin transfer torque for each terminal, 14 Boolean functions, except XNOR, and XOR, are found among the full 16 Boolean functions, which compute every mathematics and logic algebra. Logic gates of AND, NAND, OR, NOR, two NOTs, two Nulls, True, False, two implementation logics (IMPs), and two not implementation logics (NIMPs) acting as logical operators in computing circuit are also presented with supplementary circuits for amplification to achieve cascading operations where the output of a logic gate directly becomes the input of the next logic gate. The proposed logic gate not only completes the full set of 16 Boolean operators with the sequential wiring of universal logic gates (NAND and NOR) to build XNOR and XOR gates, but also becomes a reconfigurable logic element where multiple operations are performed in a single gate.
Evidence for nonlinear processes in fostering a North Pacific jet retraction
Authors: Breeden Melissa , Martin Jonathan E.
Published: February 2019

A diagnostic method for calculating local geostrophic wind tendencies in a piecewise manner within the quasi‐geostrophic framework is introduced. The method is applied to a case‐study of a North Pacific jet retraction that occurred in February 2006, and suggests that nonlinear interactions, which are dependent upon the phasing between potential vorticity anomalies and height anomalies, can lead to a weakening of the jet. The synoptic context in which nonlinear advection weakens the jet is presented, revealing that a positively tilted wave train situated north of the jet is conducive to retraction. This circumstance is consistent with conditions associated with barotropic energy extraction in which the growth of eddies occurs at the expense of the kinetic energy of the mean state. The relationship between this new method and existing methods of assessing geostrophic wind tendencies is explored and, though broad consistency is found, importance differences are identified and considered.
Distributed event‐triggered containment control for dynamical multiagent networks
Authors: Rong Lina , Hua Yuteng , Jiang Guo‐Ping , Xu Shengyuan
Published: February 2019

This paper studies the event‐triggered containment control problem for dynamical multiagent networks of general MIMO linear agents. An event‐triggered containment control strategy is provided, which consists of a control law based on a relative‐state feedback and a distributed triggering rule based on both the relative‐state information and a time‐dependent threshold function. Compared to the previous related works, our main contribution is that the triggering rule depends only on local information of communication networks. It is proved that under the proposed event‐based controller, the containment errors are uniformly ultimately bounded and the Zeno behavior can be excluded. Moreover, when the derivation constant in the threshold function is equal to zero, the containment control problem can be solved. Then, the results are extended to the event‐triggered observer‐based containment controller design.
Distributed hierarchical control for multiple vertical takeoff and landing UAVs with a distance‐based network topology
Authors: Zou Yao , Meng Ziyang
Published: February 2019

A distributed formation control algorithm is proposed for multiple vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in this paper. The neighboring information is obtained by active measurements rather than by nonactive communications as done in the current literatures. By properly expanding the distance‐based network topology structure between each pair of UAVs, a distributed algorithm is proposed such that the switching topology remains connected along the time. Since a VTOL UAV system is typically underactuated, a hierarchical idea is introduced to derive the control design procedure. More specifically, the studied formation control problem of multiple VTOL UAVs is first transformed into the consensus problem of their corresponding error systems. Then, a command force and an applied torque are synthesized for each VTOL UAV such that the error systems reach a consensus. It is demonstrated in terms of Lyapunov theory that the proposed distributed hierarchical control algorithm guarantees the formation realization of multiple VTOL UAVs while maintaining the network connectivity. Finally, simulations are performed to validate the theoretical results.
Conceptual and Methodological Considerations in Researching “Roma Migration”
Authors: Messing Vera
Published: February 2019

This chapter provides a critical overview of research trends on “Roma migration” as they developed over the last decade, contextualizing the issue and setting the stage for the following chapters. Due to the alleged increase in the number of Roma individuals exercising their mobility rights from Eastern European countries to Western Europe –mainly after the 2004 and 2007 EU accession – researchers’ interest has shifted towards this new topic. Many scholars have started focusing in the past decade on the causes and consequences of Roma’s migration patterns, their life in the new countries, and the legal, citizenship and policy questions posed by the appearance of non-Western Roma in Western Europe. Although Romani studies have long been in the constructivist paradigm, “Roma migration” has spurred new tendencies to essentialise Roma groups, at least in political and public debates. This chapter reflects on the conceptual and methodological aspects of researching “Roma migration”. This main question will be addressed through the following sub-questions: What kind of analytical and conceptual tools do researchers employ in order to understand the current migration trends of Roma citizens? What approaches do we adopt, and how do we use ‘old’ concepts, such as “Roma” or “migrant”? In this chapter I also raise the issue of research ethics and of the responsibility of researchers during the processes of knowledge-production on “Roma migration”.
Ethnic Churches as an Important Space of Co-ethnic Resources for Immigrant Entrepreneurs
Authors: Tong Guangyu
Published: February 2019

This paper provides new evidence that religious organizations with high co-ethnicity can be a space utilized by immigrant entrepreneurs for ethnic resources, especially for those with limited familial resources. Although a number of qualitative studies have previously identified the resource attainment through ethnic churches among immigrant entrepreneurs, such evidence is limited in quantitative analysis and the role of coethnicity is unclear. With the data from the New Immigrant Survey, this study shows that regardless of ethnic backgrounds and religious congregations, immigrant entrepreneurs with limited familial resources have a higher level of church involvement, and higher co-ethnicity in churches also increases the church involvement of immigrant entrepreneurs. These findings suggest that immigrant entrepreneurs may actively seek resources in ethnic churches. From a policy perspective, religious organizations that target immigrants in ethnic communities can potentially benefit immigrant entrepreneurs by providing co-ethnic resources and help them overcome initial barriers during economic assimilation.
Don't feed the phish: how to avoid phishing attacks
Authors: Vincent Adam
Published: February 2019

We've all heard the phishing attack stories that start with someone receiving an email that requests an urgent invoice review or password change and ends with a data breach in which personal information is compromised and money is lost. Although many of us may roll our eyes at the prospect of falling for such an obvious scam, we must acknowledge that if those tricks didn't work, malicious actors wouldn't keep trying.

Although many of us may roll our eyes at crude phishing attacks, we must acknowledge that if those tricks didn't work, malicious actors wouldn't keep trying.

While many individuals have wised up to the cruder attempts on their bank details via email, education is clearly still needed for the silent majority that are still clicking through. People continue to respond to the humble phish and would-be hackers are still profiting from it. Adam Vincent of ThreatConnect lays out some essential guidelines for how not to get caught.
Joining the dots: how to approach compliance and data governance
Authors: Bindley Phil
Published: February 2019

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is now in force and it's been a while since companies were bombarded with scaremongering messages urging them to get their data in order – or else. By now, you would hope that most, if not all, organisations understand why being compliant with a particular standard or having good data governance is critical for success.
Did Jews Rinse their Hands ‘with a Fist’ (Mark 7.3)?
Authors: Burkett Delbert
Published: February 2019

According to UBS5and NA28, Mark 7.3 says that Pharisees and other Jews do not eat unless they rinse their hands ‘with a fist’ (πυγμῇ). This notoriouscrux interpretumhas resisted all efforts to give it a plausible meaning. The present article reviews these efforts and suggests that it is time to abandon this reading in favour of the variant reading πυκνά in the sense ‘repeatedly’. This translation best fits the practice described in the Mishnah and other rabbinic literature, in which devout Jews rinsed their hands twice before the meal, twice after, and often twice or more during.
Editorial Fatigue and the Existence of Q
Authors: Hägerland Tobias
Published: February 2019

This article challenges Mark Goodacre's contention that the distribution of editorial fatigue in Matthew and Luke points not only to Markan priority but also to Luke's dependence on Matthew. Goodacre's argument is criticised through questioning the assumptions that Matthew's handling of Q would have been analogous to his handling of Mark and to Luke's handling of Q, as well as the claim that no instances of editorial fatigue can be detected in Matthew's handling of the double tradition. The conclusion is that the argument from editorial fatigue cannot be used to establish that the existence of Q is improbable.
Der Weg der Völker: Die eschatologische Begründung der Völkermission im Matthäusevangelium
Authors: Popa Romeo
Published: February 2019

This article focuses on the theological justification of the mission to the nations in the Gospel of Matthew. As a starting point, debates pro and contra are supposed in the community. The argument then takes two directions. The prophetic announcement concerning the eschatological salvation of the nations with special regard to the pilgrimage to Zion is assumed as a background for Matt 28.16–20 against the majority reference to Dan 7.13–14. Against the view that the Son of God is the christological category on which Matthew justifies the mission to the nations, the ecclesiological significance of this title is emphasised here. The title Son of God does indeed play a role in the mission, not, however, as an argumentative tool, but as the core content of the own group culture that is transmitted through mission. The eschatological horizon forms the justification of both the Israel and the nations’ mission. Finally, the question is asked whether the ideological support of the mission to the nations can be understood in the context of a generation change in the community.
A generalisation of von Staudt’s theorem on cross-ratios
Authors: HALEVI YATIR , KAPLAN ITAY
Published: February 2019

A generalisation of von Staudt’s theorem that every permutation of the projective line that preserves harmonic quadruples is a projective semilinear map is given. It is then concluded that any proper supergroup of permutations of the projective semilinear group over an algebraically closed field of transcendence degree at least 1 is 4-transitive.
Emergence of serotype 19AStreptococcus pneumoniaeafter PCV10 associated with a ST320 in adult population, in Porto Alegre, Brazil
Authors: Mott M.P. , Caierão J. , Cunha G.R. , Del Maschi M.M. , Pizzutti K. , d'Azevedo P. , Dias C.A.G.
Published: February 2019

Use of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines has caused emergence of non-vaccine serotypes. No Brazilian data specifically about serotype 19A are available. We aimed to evaluate the frequency of occurrence, susceptibility profile and molecular epidemiology of serotype 19A before and after vaccine introduction in Brazil. Pneumococcal identification was performed by the conventional method. Strain serotype was determined by multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and/or Quellung reaction. Resistance was determined by Etest®and PCR was performed to determine the presence of macrolide resistance genes,ermB and/ormefA. Pneumococci were typed by Multilocus Sequence Typing. Thirty-eight serotype 19AStreptococcus pneumoniaewere recovered, mostly from invasive diseases. Prevalence of serotype 19A increased following vaccination (from 3.5% before vaccination to 8.1% after,p= 0.04196). Non-susceptibility increased to most antimicrobials after vaccine introduction and was associated with clonal complex (CC)320. MLST showed nine different STs, which were grouped in one main CC: CC320 (63.9%). During the post-vaccination era, the frequency of this serotype increased significantly from 1.2% in 2011 to 18.5% in 2014 (p= 0.00001), with a concomitant decrease in the genetic variability: ST320 consistently predominated after vaccine-introduction (61.1%). Overall, our results showed a post-PCV10 increase in the frequency of serotype 19A. This was accompanied by a selection of CC320 and antimicrobial resistance.
A hospital qPCR-based survey of 10 gastrointestinal parasites in routine diagnostic screening, Marseille, France
Authors: Menu E. , Mary C. , Toga I. , Raoult D. , Ranque S. , Bittar F.
Published: February 2019

There is a scarcity of recent epidemiological data on intestinal parasitic infections in France. We conducted a prospective study aimed at estimating the prevalence of 10 enteric parasites in Marseille, France, using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based diagnosis. A total of 643 faeces from 488 patients referred to the Parasitology-Mycology Laboratory of the University Hospital of Marseille over a 6 months period were included. DNA was extracted using a semi-automated method. Parasites of interest were detected using singleplex quantitative PCRs (qPCRs). For positive samples, theBlastocystissubtype was determined by sequence analysis. During the study, the overall prevalence of enteric parasites was 17%.Blastocystis sp.was the most frequent species (10.5%), followed byDientamoeba fragilis(2.3%) andGiardia intestinalis(2.3%). The prevalence of other parasites was <1% each. The ST3Blastocystissubtype was predominant (43.6%) and the other subtypes identified were ST1, ST2, ST4 and ST6. This is the first time that a qPCR-based diagnosis has been used to survey the prevalence of 10 enteric parasites in a French University Hospital. This study confirms that fast, specific, sensitive and simultaneous detection in a single stool sample by qPCR clearly outperforms conventional microscopy-based diagnosis. Furthermore, qPCR is particularly well suited to surveying gastroenteritis agents.
Proof nets for multiplicative cyclic linear logic and Lambek calculus
Authors: Abrusci V. Michele , Maieli Roberto
Published: February 2019

This paper presents a simple and intuitive syntax for proof nets of the multiplicative cyclic fragment (McyLL) of linear logic (LL). The main technical achievement of this work is to propose a correctness criterion that allows for sequentialization (recovering a proof from a proof net) for all McyLL proof nets, including those containing cut links. This is achieved by adapting the idea of contractibility (originally introduced by Danos to give a quadratic time procedure for proof nets correctness) to cyclic LL. This paper also gives a characterization of McyLL proof nets for Lambek Calculus and thus a geometrical (i.e., non-inductive) way to parse phrases or sentences by means of Lambek proof nets.
Predictors of lexical retrieval in Hindi–English bilingual speakers
Authors: Ramanujan Keerthi , Weekes Brendan S.
Published: February 2019

When bilinguals name pictures while in ‘monolingual mode’, we expect that under conditions of language-constraint and no cognate facilitation, factors influencing lexical retrieval in monolinguals ought to exert similar effects on bilinguals. To this end, we carried out a L1-only naming task on early Hindi–English bilinguals. Results of linear mixed effects analysis reveal AoA, Familiarity, Image Agreement and Codability (availability of alternate names) to be the most significant predictors of lexical retrieval speed for early bilinguals, confirming our expectations. However, we report, for the first time, a by-subject variation in Codability for bilinguals. Implications of the results are discussed in the context of current theories of bilingual lexical access and competition. In preparation for this study, Hindi norms from bilinguals for items in the Snodgrass and Vanderwart set have been established, which will be of use for stimuli selection in experimental studies involving bilinguals.
Tracking Magmatic Hydrogen Sulfur Circulations Using Electrical Impedance: Complex Electrical Properties of Core Samples at the Krafla Volcano, Iceland
Authors: Lévy L. , Gibert B. , Sigmundsson F. , Deldicque D. , Parat F. , Hersir G. P.
Published: February 2019

Interaction of H2S escaping from magma and basaltic rocks leads to pyrite mineralization, witnessing active hydrothermal circulation. We study the possibility to track this process using geoelectrical methods. Complex conductivity spectra of 30 core samples from the Krafla volcano, Iceland, measured in the laboratory, indicate that pyrite can be discriminated from other minerals present in volcanic environments, such as iron oxides and clays. Joint evaluation of the maximum phase angle of electrical impedance and its real part at low frequency is required. The volume of metallic particles (pyrite or iron oxides) can be estimated from the maximum phase angle, but a decrease of the maximum phase angle with increased fluid conductivity or smectite volume is also observed and needs to be considered in the estimation. The laboratory observations can guide interpretation of field observations for estimation of pyrite volume in volcanic environments.
Reframing Sensitivity Analysis in Earth System Models
Authors: Cook Terri
Published: February 2019

According to a new study, the performance metric–based methods currently used to evaluate dynamical model sensitivity are based upon faulty reasoning and need to be reenvisioned.
Deep neural networks for understanding noisy data applied to physical property extraction in scanning probe microscopy
Authors: Borodinov Nikolay , Neumayer Sabine , Kalinin Sergei V. , Ovchinnikova Olga S. , Vasudevan Rama K. , Jesse Stephen
Published: February 2019

The rapid development of spectral-imaging methods in scanning probe, electron, and optical microscopy in the last decade have given rise for large multidimensional datasets. In many cases, the reduction of hyperspectral data to the lower-dimension materials-specific parameters is based on functional fitting, where an approximate form of the fitting function is known, but the parameters of the function need to be determined. However, functional fits of noisy data realized via iterative methods, such as least-square gradient descent, often yield spurious results and are very sensitive to initial guesses. Here, we demonstrate an approach for the reduction of the hyperspectral data using a deep neural network approach. A combined deep neural network/least-square approach is shown to improve the effective signal-to-noise ratio of band-excitation piezoresponse force microscopy by more than an order of magnitude, allowing characterization when very small driving signals are used or when a material’s response is weak.
Developmental and hemocytological effects of ingesting Fukushima’s radiocesium on the cabbage white butterfly Pieris rapae
Authors: Taira Wataru , Toki Mariko , Kakinohana Keisuke , Sakauchi Ko , Otaki Joji M.
Published: February 2019

High morphological abnormality and mortality rates have been reported in the pale grass blue butterfly, Zizeeria maha, since the Fukushima nuclear accident. However, it remains uncertain if these effects are restricted to this butterfly. Here, we evaluated the effects of ingesting cabbage leaves grown with contaminated soils from Fukushima on the development and hemocytes of the cabbage white butterfly, Pieris rapae. Contaminated cabbage leaves containing various low levels of anthropogenic 134Cs and 137Cs radioactivity (less than natural 40K radioactivity) were fed to larvae from Okinawa, the least contaminated locality in Japan. Negative developmental and morphological effects were detected in the experimental groups. The cesium (but not potassium) radioactivity concentration was negatively correlated with the granulocyte percentage in hemolymph, and the granulocyte percentage was positively correlated with the pupal eclosion rate, the adult achievement rate, and the total normality rate. These results demonstrated that ingesting low-level radiocesium contaminants in Fukushima (but not natural radiopotassium) imposed biologically negative effects on the cabbage white butterfly, as in the pale grass blue butterfly, at both cellular and organismal levels.
Jordan–Wigner transformations for tree structures
Authors: Backens Stefan , Shnirman Alexander , Makhlin Yuriy
Published: February 2019

The celebrated Jordan–Wigner transformation provides an efficient mapping between spin chains and fermionic systems in one dimension. Here we extend this spin–fermion mapping to arbitrary tree structures, which enables mapping between fermionic and spin systems with nearest-neighbor coupling. The mapping is achieved with the help of additional spins at the junctions between one-dimensional chains. This property allows for straightforward simulation of Majorana braiding in spin or qubit systems.
Heterosubtypic cross-protection correlates with cross-reactive interferon-gamma-secreting lymphocytes in the ferret model of influenza
Authors: Gooch Karen E. , Marriott Anthony C. , Ryan Kathryn A. , Yeates Paul , Slack Gillian S. , Brown Phillip J. , Fothergill Ross , Whittaker Catherine J. , Carroll Miles W.
Published: February 2019

An effective universal vaccine for influenza will likely need to induce virus-specific T-cells, which are the major mediator of heterosubtypic cross-protection between different subtypes of influenza A virus. In this study we characterise the cell-mediated immune response in ferrets during heterosubtypic protection induced by low-dose H1N1 virus infection against an H3N2 virus challenge, given 4 weeks later. Although the ferrets were not protected against the infection by H3N2 virus, the duration of virus shedding was shortened, and clinical disease was markedly reduced. No cross-reactive neutralizing antibodies were detected, but cross-reactive interferon-gamma-secreting T cells were detected in the circulation prior to H3N2 challenge. These T-cells peaked at 11 days post-H1N1 infection, and were strongly induced in blood and in lung following H3N2 infection. The rapid induction of interferon-gamma-secreting cells in ferrets previously infected with H1N1 virus, but not in naïve ferrets, suggests induction of memory T-cells. These results are in accord with the observations that pre-existing cross-reactive T-cells correlate with protection in humans and have implications for outbreak modelling and universal vaccine design.
A nature inspired modularity function for unsupervised learning involving spatially embedded networks
Authors: Kishore Raj , Gogineni Ajay K. , Nussinov Zohar , Sahu Kisor K.
Published: February 2019

The quality of network clustering is often measured in terms of a commonly used metric known as “modularity”. Modularity compares the clusters found in a network to those present in a random graph (a “null model”). Unfortunately, modularity is somewhat ill suited for studying spatially embedded networks, since a random graph contains no basic geometrical notions. Regardless of their distance, the null model assigns a nonzero probability for an edge to appear between any pair of nodes. Here, we propose a variant of modularity that does not rely on the use of a null model. To demonstrate the essentials of our method, we analyze networks generated from granular ensemble. We show that our method performs better than the most commonly used Newman-Girvan (NG) modularity in detecting the best (physically transparent) partitions in those systems. Our measure further properly detects hierarchical structures, whenever these are present.
Solid-state fermentation of palm kernels by Yarrowia lipolytica modulates the aroma of palm kernel oil
Authors: Zhang Wencan , Zhao Feifei , Zhao Fangju , Yang Tiankui , Liu Shaoquan
Published: February 2019

Solid-state fermentation with Yarrowia lipolytica was applied to palm kernels (PK) with the aim to modulate the aroma of palm kernel oil (PKO) obtained after kernel roasting. The results showed that, the metabolic activities of Y. lipolityca brought about significant changes to the volatile profile of obtained PKO either by providing thermal reaction reactants or by directly contributing aroma compounds. After fermentation, a decreased content in glucose (60%) while an elevated amount (7-fold) in free amino acids was found in PK, which further impacted the formation of volatile compounds by influencing the Maillard reaction and Strecker degradation during roasting. More Strecker aldehydes and N-heterocyclic compounds were formed in PKO derived from fermented PK especially after intensified roasting. In addition, the catabolism of Y. lipolytica imparted some distinct volatile compounds such as 2-phenylethanol to the obtained PKO. However, the lipase excreted by Y. lipolytica hydrolysed PK lipids and released 5-fold more free fatty acids in fermented PKO, relative to the blank and control PKO, which likely contributed to the off-flavor. On the basis of all volatile categories, principal component analysis (PCA) clearly separated the fermented PKO from the blank and control PKO, with light roasted, fermented PKO being correlated with acids, alcohols and aliphatic aldehydes; medium and dark roasted, fermented PKO tending to be dominated by pyrroles, pyrazines and furanones, which is in correspondence with sensory changes of PKO. This study demonstrated that combining fermentation with roasting could provide a novel way to modulate the volatile composition and aroma of PKO.
Urinary metabolic variation analysis during pregnancy and application in Gestational Diabetes Mellitus and spontaneous abortion biomarker discovery
Authors: Liu Xiaoyan , Wang Xiangqing , Sun Haidan , Guo Zhengguang , Liu Xiang , Yuan Tao , Fu Yong , Tang Xiaoyue , Li Jing , Sun Wei , Zhao Weigang
Published: February 2019

Pregnancy is associated with the onset of many adaptation processes that are likely to change over the course of gestation. Understanding normal metabolites’ variation with pregnancy progression is crucial for gaining insights of the key nutrients for normal fetal growth, and for comparative research of pregnancy-related complications. This work presents liquid chromatography-mass spectrum-based urine metabolomics study of 50 health pregnant women at three time points during pregnancy. The influence of maternal physiological factors, including age, BMI, parity and gravity to urine metabolome was explored. Additionally, urine metabolomics was applied for early prediction of two pregnancy complications, gestational diabetes mellitus and spontaneous abortion. Our results suggested that during normal pregnancy progression, pathways of steroid hormone biosynthesis and tyrosine metabolism were significantly regulated. BMI is a factor that should be considered during cross-section analysis. Application analysis discovered potential biomarkers for GDM in the first trimester with AUC of 0.89, and potential biomarkers for SA in the first trimester with AUC of 0.90. In conclusion, our study indicated that urine metabolome could reflect variations during pregnancy progression, and has potential value for pregnancy complications early prediction. The clinical trial number for this study is NCT03246295.
Runoff Response to Soil Moisture and Micro-topographic Structure on the Plot Scale
Authors: Liu Jiakai , Engel Bernard A. , Wang Yu , Wu Yanan , Zhang Zhenming , Zhang Mingxiang
Published: February 2019

Structural hydrological connectivity has been proposed to describe the geological structure of the landscape as well as to explain hydrological behaviors. Indices based on the topological or soil condition were developed to interpret their relationships. While previous studies mainly focused on well-instrumented catchments which are narrow in humidity or temperate zone, the hydrological responses to structural connectivity at the plot and hill slope scale as well as in arid or semi-arid climate conditions remain unclear. This study was conducted in the semi-arid mountainous region of northern China in Haihe Basin which is the source of water of about 350 million people. Experiments were conducted during the rainy season in 2012 and 2013 using four runoff plots. Two indices, flow path length (FL) based on topography and integral connectivity scale length (ICSL) based on soil moisture conditions, developed to represent hydrological connectivity structure and the runoff response to rainfall were analyzed. The results showed that the surface runoff coefficient was strongly and positively linearly correlated to FL, and the correlation between subsurface flow and ICSLs was quadratic. Plots with shorter FL required more rainfall to generate surface runoff. In the shallow soil layer, when the ICSLs are relatively low, the soil can store more water and less rainfall feeds subsurface runoff. Further analysis indicated that improved shallow soil connectivity conditions might enhance the water-holding capacity and lead to lower water yields for each event. This study demonstrated that hydrological structure connectivity could explain the mechanism of runoff generation in semi-arid areas while further experiments should be undertaken to find the threshold-like relationship between FL and surface runoff as well as the influence of plant cover on hydrological behaviors.
Ice Ihvs.ice III along the homogeneous nucleation line
Authors: Espinosa Jorge R. , Diez Angel L. , Vega Carlos , Valeriani Chantal , Ramirez Jorge , Sanz Eduardo
Published: February 2019

The melting and the homogeneous nucleation lines of the TIP4P/Ice water model closely resemble the experimental ones. Computer simulations show that a change in the nucleating ice polymorph from ice Ih to ice III justifies the slope sign inversion of the homogeneous nucleation line.
Rapid catalytic oxidation of As(iii) to As(v) using aBacillusspore–2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl system
Authors: Qin Yuqing , Peng Fei , Hu Yonggang
Published: February 2019

A rapid and green oxidation of As(iii) to As(v) was proposed using aBacillusspore–TEMPO system.
A dual-cycling fluorescence scheme for ultrasensitive DNA detection through signal amplification and target regeneration
Authors: Iwe Idorenyin A. , Li Zhigang , Huang Jiahao
Published: February 2019

Ultrasensitive DNA detection through dual-cycling, fluorescence amplification mechanisms.
Sulfur-doped graphene for efficient electrocatalytic N2-to-NH3 fixation
Authors: Xia Li , Yang Jiajia , Wang Huanbo , Zhao Runbo , Chen Hongyu , Fang Weihai , Asiri Abdullah M. , Xie Fengyu , Cui Ganglong , Sun Xuping
Published: February 2019

Sulfur-doped graphene (S-G) is superior for electrocatalytic ambient N2-to-NH3 fixation, offering a remarkably large NH3 yield of 27.3 μg h−1 mgcat.−1 and a high Faradaic efficiency of 11.5% at −0.6 and −0.5 V vs. a reversible hydrogen electrode, respectively, in 0.1 M HCl.
Role of direct and inverted undoped spiro-OMeTAD–perovskite architectures in determining solar cells performances: an investigation via electrical impedance spectroscopy
Authors: Ambrico Marianna , Ambrico Paolo F. , De Marco Luisa , Iacobellis Rosabianca , D’Abramo Arianna , Ligonzo Teresa
Published: February 2019

Spiro-OMeTAD/perovskite direct and inverse structure architectures’ influence on the performance of solar cells are elucidated via the analysis of the structure impedance response.
Influence of nanopore density on ethylene/acetylene separation by monolayer graphene
Authors: Jin Bo , Zhang Xin , Li Fei , Zhang Ning , Zong Zewen , Cao Shiwei , Li Zhan , Chen Ximeng
Published: February 2019

We designed a monolayer nanoporous graphene membrane and revealed the influence of nanopore density on its ethylene/acetylene separation performance by employing molecular dynamics simulations. Our results indicate that an optimal nanopore density exists for permeation flux and selectivity.
Visible light sensitized near-infrared luminescence of ytterbium via ILCT states in quadruple-stranded helicates
Authors: Zhang Zihan , Zhou Yanyan , Li Hongfeng , Gao Ting , Yan Pengfei
Published: February 2019

Quadruple-stranded helicates show visible light sensitized near-infrared luminescence of ytterbium via ILCT states.
Copper(i)-catalyzed asymmetric aza Diels–Alder reactions of azoalkenes toward fulvenes: a molecular electron density theory study
Authors: Emamian Saeedreza , Soleymani Mousa , Moosavi Samira Sadat
Published: February 2019

An ADA reaction between AD-2 and FU-3 was theoretically studied within two uncatalyzed as well as catalyzed pathways.
Functionalisable acyclic cucurbiturils
Authors: Bauer Daniel , Andrae Beatrice , Gaß Patrick , Trenz Danjano , Becker Sabine , Kubik Stefan
Published: February 2019

Functionalised acyclic cucurbiturils can be prepared in a straightforward fashion and provide access to a wide variety of substituted derivatives.
Secrecy performance of massive MIMO relay‐aided downlink with multiuser transmission
Authors: Nguyen Do Dung , Bao Vo Nguyen Quoc , Chen Qingchun
Published: February 2019

In this study, the authors study secure multiuser transmission in a massive multiple‐input multiple‐output (MIMO) relaying system, where a base station sends its messages to multiusers via an amplify‐and‐forward relay station. Beamforming matrices of maximum ratio combining/maximum ratio transmission (MRC/MRT) and zero‐forcing reception/zero‐forcing transmission (ZFR/ZFT) at relay are considered. The authors derive exact and asymptotic expressions for user rate and outage secrecy rate for a predetermined secure outage probability of eavesdropper links with channel state information imperfection. They have shown that ZFR/ZFT is a better choice than MRC/MRT from the perspectives of secrecy performance. Furthermore, the asymptotic analysis is proposed to show that almost the eavesdropper rates in all cases are degraded as a number of relay antennas goes to infinity, and simultaneously the transmit power at the base station and the relay can be scaled down significantly. Finally, numerical results provide more insightful validity of the proposed analysis.
Decoding performance analysis of good‐channel relaxed polar codes with 3 × 3 kernel matrix
Authors: Cao Yang , Zhang Han , Tu Qiaoling
Published: February 2019

Relaxed polar codes are proposed to reduce the encoding and decoding complexity of polar codes. The original relaxed polar codes are based on 2 × 2 kernel matrices, but polar codes with 3 × 3 kernel matrices are expected to achieve better error performance. So, in this work, the authors extended relaxed polar codes to N = 3n case. Different from 2 × 2 kernel matrices, there are several choices for 3 × 3 kernel matrices. So, they classified 3 × 3 kernel matrices into three categories and derived transformation formulas of their Bhattacharyya parameters. Based on the formulas, they proved that the proposed relaxed polar codes had better error performance than the corresponding fully polarised codes when successive cancellation decoder was adopted. To estimate the complexity reduction, upper and lower bounds on complexity reduction of the proposed relaxed polar codes were provided. For the kernel selection, size relationship of complexity reduction of the proposed relaxed polar codes with different kernels were analysed. Results showed that relaxed polar codes with different matrices had their own characters and can be used in different channel and polarisation condition. Simulation results show that, with proper selection of matrices, the proposed relaxed polar codes can reduce more complexity and bring more coding gain.