bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Characterization of subglacial marginal channels using 3-D analysis of high-density ground-penetrating radar data
Authors: Egli Pascal E. , Irving James , Lane Stuart N.
Published: March 2021

Studying subglacial drainage networks is important for understanding the potential relationship between channel dynamics and rapid glacier recession as well as the role of subglacial channels in subglacial sediment evacuation. In order to delineate the planform geometry of snout marginal subglacial channels, densely spaced ground-penetrating radar (GPR) measurements at a frequency of ~70 MHz were carried out over the snout marginal zones of two temperate glaciers in the southwestern Swiss Alps, the Haut Glacier d'Arolla and the Glacier d'Otemma. Three-dimensional (3-D) data processing and amplitude analysis of the GPR reflection along the glacier bed was used to map the channels. At the Haut Glacier d'Arolla, two relatively straight channels of several meters in width were identified. The positions of these channels correspond well with the locations of channel outlets at the glacier terminus, as well as with fractures appearing on the glacier surface one month after the GPR data acquisition. The latter are believed to represent the beginning of ice collapse above the subglacial channels. At the Glacier d'Otemma, a major subglacial conduit was detected with similar dimensions to those identified at the Haut Glacier d'Arolla, but greater sinuosity. The position of this channel was confirmed by drone-based imagery acquired after glacier margin collapse. Our results confirm that high-density 3-D GPR surveys can be used to map subglacial channels near temperate alpine glacier margins.
A systematic review of low-cost simulators in ENT surgery
Authors: Pankhania R , Pelly T , Bowyer H , Shanmugathas N , Wali A
Published: March 2021

Background

Simulation training has become a key part of the surgical curriculum over recent years. Current trainees face significantly reduced operating time as a result of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, alongside increased costs to surgical training, thus creating a need for low-cost simulation models.

Methods

A systematic review of the literature was performed using multiple databases. Each model included was assessed for the ease and expense of its construction, as well as its validity and educational value.

Results

A total of 18 low-cost simulation models were identified, relating to otology, head and neck surgery, laryngeal surgery, rhinology, and tonsil surgery. In only four of these models (22.2 per cent) was an attempt made to demonstrate the educational impact of the model. Validation was rarely formally assessed.

Conclusion

More efforts are required to standardise validation methods and demonstrate the educational value of the available low-cost simulation models in otorhinolaryngology.
Measuring knowledge of multiple word meanings in children with English as a first and an additional language and the relationship to reading comprehension
Authors: BOOTON Sophie A , HODGKISS Alex , MATHERS Sandra , MURPHY Victoria A
Published: March 2021

Polysemy, or the property of words having multiple meanings, is a prevalent feature of vocabulary. In this study we validated a new measure of polysemy knowledge for children with English as an additional language (EAL) and a first language (EL1) and examined the relationship between polysemy knowledge and age, language status, and reading comprehension. Participants were 112 British children aged 5 to 6 (n = 61) or 8 to 9 years (n = 51), 37% of whom had EAL (n = 41). Participants completed the new measure of knowledge of polysemes, along with other measures of language, literacy and cognitive ability. The new measure was reliable and valid with EAL and EL1 children. Age and language status predicted children's polyseme knowledge. Polyseme knowledge uniquely contributed to reading comprehension after controlling for age, language status, non-verbal intelligence, time reading in English, and breadth of vocabulary. This research underscores the importance of polysemy for children's linguistic development.
Staging the Great Victory
Authors: Schuler Catherine
Published: March 2021

A war of history and memory over the Great Patriotic War (WWII) between the Soviet Union and Germany has been raging in Vladimir Putin’s Russia for almost two decades. Putin’s Kremlin deploys all of the mythmaking machinery at its disposal to correct narratives that demonize the Soviet Union and reflect badly on post-Soviet Russia. Victory Day, celebrated annually on 9 May with parades, concerts, films, theatre, art, and music, plays a crucial role in disseminating the Kremlin’s counter narratives.
Entertaining the Forgotten
Authors: Twardowski Weston , Fine Gary Alan
Published: March 2021

During the late 1920s and ’30s, performative populism played a major role in the politics of the American Deep South. In the gubernatorial campaigns of three of the most prominent populist politicians of the era—Huey Long, Theodore Bilbo, and Eugene Talmadge—performance skills and entertainment were key strategies for gaining voter support and crafting personas within a popular imaginary.
Hadestown
Authors: Wilson Nia
Published: March 2021

Hadestown, Anaïs Mitchell and Rachel Chavkin’s musical reimagination of the Orpheus and Eurydice myth, sidelines the issue of white supremacy in its explorations of economic inequality, environmental exploitation, and collective action.
Intelligence decline across major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia
Authors: Ohi Kazutaka , Takai Kentaro , Sugiyama Shunsuke , Kitagawa Hiromi , Kataoka Yuzuru , Soda Midori , Kitaichi Kiyoyuki , Kawasaki Yasuhiro , Ito Munechika , Shioiri Toshiki
Published: March 2021

Background

Major depressive disorder (MDD), bipolar disorder (BD), and schizophrenia (SCZ) are associated with impaired intelligence that predicts poor functional outcomes. However, little is known regarding the extent and severity of intelligence decline, that is, decreased present intelligence quotient (IQ) relative to premorbid levels, across psychiatric disorders and which clinical characteristics affect the decline.

Methods

Premorbid IQ, present IQ, and intelligence decline were compared across patients with MDD (n = 45), BD (n = 30), and SCZ (n = 139), and healthy controls (HCs; n = 135). Furthermore, we investigated which factors contribute to the intelligence decline in each diagnostic group.

Results

Significant differences were observed in premorbid IQ, present IQ, and intelligence decline across the diagnostic groups. Patients with each psychiatric disorder displayed lower premorbid and present IQ and more intelligence decline than HCs. Patients with SCZ displayed lower premorbid and present IQ and more intelligence decline than patients with MDD and BD, while there were no significant differences between patients with MDD and BD. When patients with BD were divided based on bipolar I disorder (BD-I) and bipolar II disorder (BD-II), degrees of intelligence decline were similar between MDD and BD-II and between BD-I and SCZ. Lower educational attainment was correlated with a greater degree of intelligence decline in patients with SCZ and BD but not MDD.

Conclusions

These findings confirm that although all psychiatric disorders display intelligence decline, the severity of intelligence decline differs across psychiatric disorders (SCZ, BD-I > BD-II, MDD > HCs). Higher educational attainment as cognitive reserve contributes to protection against intelligence decline in BD and SCZ.
LRMoE.jl: a software package for insurance loss modelling using mixture of experts regression model
Authors: Tseung Spark C. , Badescu Andrei L. , Fung Tsz Chai , Lin X. Sheldon
Published: March 2021

This paper introduces a newjuliapackage, LRMoE, a statistical software tailor-made for actuarial applications, which allows actuarial researchers and practitioners to model and analyse insurance loss frequencies and severities using the Logit-weighted Reduced Mixture-of-Experts (LRMoE) model. LRMoE offers several new distinctive features which are motivated by various actuarial applications and mostly cannot be achieved using existing packages for mixture models. Key features include a wider coverage on frequency and severity distributions and their zero inflation, the flexibility to vary classes of distributions across components, parameter estimation under data censoring and truncation and a collection of insurance ratemaking and reserving functions. The package also provides several model evaluation and visualisation functions to help users easily analyse the performance of the fitted model and interpret the model in insurance contexts.
Distribution and Production Mechanisms of N2O in the Western Arctic Ocean
Authors: Toyoda Sakae , Kakimoto Takahito , Kudo Kushi , Yoshida Naohiro , Sasano Daisuke , Kosugi Naohiro , Ishii Masao , Kameyama Sohiko , Inagawa Mahomi , Yoshikawa‐Inoue Hisayuki , Nishino Shigeto , Murata Akihiko , Ishidoya Shigeyuki , Morimoto Shinji
Published: March 2021

Ocean–atmosphere gas exchange in the Arctic Ocean is sensitive to global warming because the decrease of sea‐ice covered area enhances the exchange. Melting sea ice affects the vertical transport of dissolved gases. Few reports of Arctic Ocean studies have described observations of dissolved N2O or temporal variation of sea‐to‐atmosphere N2O flux. Therefore, production mechanisms of this greenhouse gas and the stratospheric ozone depleting gas remain unclear. We measured dissolved N2O and its isotopic signatures in the western Arctic shelf region of the Chukchi Sea and surrounding areas during September in 2014 and 2015. In the Chukchi Sea shelf, the N2O concentration was slightly higher than the value expected under sea–air equilibrium in the surface water. It increased with depth to 23 nmol kg−1 in 2014, although it showed a vertically homogeneous distribution in 2015. Isotopocule ratios of N2O, which include 15N‐site preference in the N2O molecule as well as elemental N and O isotope ratios, indicate that N2O in the Chukchi Sea shelf is a mixture of N2O produced in the bottom water and that of atmospheric origin. The isotopic signature of excess N2O (δ15Nbulk = −3.6‰ to −1.4‰, δ18O = 61.5‰–63.0‰, SP = 38.7‰–49.0‰) suggests that it is produced by archeal or bacterial nitrification and that it is partly reduced by denitrification. Although further quantitative observations are necessary, the results confirmed that the western Arctic Ocean can act as a source of N2O to the atmosphere when sea‐ice cover retreats and the pycnocline is weakened.
Off‐Equatorial Source of Magnetosonic Waves Extending Above the Lower Hybrid Resonance Frequency in the Inner Magnetosphere
Authors: Wu Zhiyong , Su Zhenpeng , Liu Nigang , Gao Zhonglei , Zheng Huinan , Wang Yuming , Wang Shui
Published: March 2021

Inner magnetospheric magnetosonic waves are usually considered to grow from the near‐equatorial ion Bernstein instability below the lower hybrid resonance frequency and contribute significantly to the radiation belt electron dynamics. We here present unusual observations of magnetosonic waves extending above the local lower hybrid resonance frequency in the midlatitude ∼15° plasmasphere after the substorm proton injection. Linear instability analyses and ray‐tracing simulations show that, because of the latitudinal variation of normal angles, these waves have little growth near the equator but are amplified accumulatively to the observable level over broad latitudes |λ| < 30° during the bounce‐drift propagation. Our data and modeling illustrate a previously unexplored scenario that off‐equatorial proton ring distributions could be a significant source of magnetosonic waves in the inner magnetosphere. Such off‐equatorially generated magnetosonic waves might differ from the near‐equatorially generated ones in latitudinal coverage, wavevector distribution, and then effect on the radiation belt electrons.
Improved Analysis of STEVE Photographs
Authors: Bennett Charles L. , Bourassa Notanee
Published: March 2021

We present a new approach for the analysis of high‐resolution digital camera photographs taken by photographers who have fortuitous been able to capture rare events, such as the glowing sky phenomenon known as strong thermal emission velocity enhancement (STEVE). This method is especially effective with a time lapse series of images of the night sky taken under constant camera settings with a steady pointing. Stars, planets, and satellites seen in such images can be used to determine the precise and accurate registration of camera pixels to coordinates of angular altitude and azimuth. The location of satellites in the image enables precise and accurate synchronization of the images. We apply these techniques to the series of photographs of STEVE taken on July 25, 2016. We confirm the altitude structure previously found for STEVE. We find it most likely that the green picket fence features often seen during STEVE events are produced by auroral electron precipitation. With the precipitation assumption, we are able to extract novel information about the energy spectrum of the particles responsible for the production of STEVE luminosity in this particular event. Similarly, analyses of archived digital photographs may constitute a treasure trove of important data for improved understanding of rare and transient events, such as STEVE.
Electrical Conductivity of CO2 and H2O‐Bearing Nephelinitic Melt
Authors: Guo Xuan , Wang Qinxia , Li Bin , Zha Xiang‐Ping , Gong Bing , Ni Huaiwei
Published: March 2021

Despite previous measurements on electrical conductivity of carbonate or carbonatite melts, the effect of several wt% CO2 on electrical conductivity of silicate melts has never been experimentally examined. This study investigated the CO2 effect on electrical conductivity of nephelinitic melt at 500°C–1,150°C and 0.5–1.0 GPa with 0.1–6.0 wt% CO2 and 0.2–1.6 wt% H2O in piston cylinder apparatus using sweeping frequency impedance analyses. Experimental results show that volatile‐bearing nephelinitic melt is highly conductive. In contrast with the strong enhancing effect of H2O on electrical conductivity of silicate melts, CO2 shows weak and even slightly negative influence on electrical conductivity of nephelinitic melt within the investigated CO2 range. Literature data of electrical conductivity of hydrous carbonated basaltic melts suggested strong positive CO2 effect at CO2 >10 wt%, but their model prediction at <6 wt% CO2 is consistent with our results. A weak CO2 effect implies that does not contribute to electrical conduction in any significant way at CO2 <6 wt%. Our results suggest that magnetotelluric survey is much less sensitive to CO2 content than to H2O content of crustal magma reservoirs.
Comprehensive Record of Volcanic Eruptions in the Holocene (11,000 years) From the WAIS Divide, Antarctica Ice Core
Authors: Cole‐Dai Jihong , Ferris David G. , Kennedy Joshua A. , Sigl Michael , McConnell Joseph R. , Fudge T. J. , Geng Lei , Maselli Olivia J. , Taylor Kendrick C. , Souney Joseph M.
Published: March 2021

A comprehensive record (WHV2020) of explosive volcanic eruptions in the last 11,000 years is reconstructed from the West Antarctica Ice Sheet Divide deep ice core (WDC). The chronological list of 426 large volcanic eruptions in the Southern Hemisphere and the low latitudes during the Holocene are of the highest quality of all volcanic records from ice cores, owing to the high‐resolution chemical measurement of the ice core and the exceptionally accurate WDC timescale. No apparent trend is found in the frequency (number of eruptions per millennium) of volcanic eruptions, and the number of eruptions in the most recent millennium (1,000–2,000 CE) is only slightly higher than the average in the last 11 millennia. The atmospheric aerosol mass loading of climate‐impacting sulfur, estimated from measured volcanic sulfate deposition, is dominated by explosive eruptions with extraordinarily high sulfur mass loading. Signals of three major volcanic eruptions are detected in the second half of the 17th century (1700–1600) BCE when the Thera volcano in the eastern Mediterranean was suspected to have erupted; the fact that these signals are synchronous with three volcanic eruptions detected in Greenland ice cores suggests that these are likely eruptions in the low latitudes and none should be attributed exclusively to Thera. A number of eruptions with very high sulfur mass loading took place shortly before and during an early Holocene climatic episode, the so‐called 8.2 ka event, and are speculated to have contributed to the initiation and magnitude of the cold event.
Evaluating Landscape Complexity and the Contribution of Non‐Locality to Geomorphometry
Authors: Keylock Christopher James , Singh Arvind , Passalacqua Paola , Foufoula‐Georgiou Efi
Published: March 2021

A long‐standing question in geomorphology concerns the extent that statistical models of terrain elevations have adequate characteristics with respect to the known scaling properties of landscapes. In previous work, it has been challenging to ascribe statistical significance to metrics adopted to measure landscape properties. Here, we use a recently developed surrogate data algorithm to generate synthetic surfaces with identical elevation values to the source data set, while also preserving the value of the Hölder exponent at any point (the underpinning characteristic of a multifractal surface). Our primary source data are from a laboratory experiment on landscape evolution. This allows us to examine how the statistical properties of the surfaces evolve through time and the extent to which they depart from the simple (multi)fractal formalisms. We show that there is a strong departure that is driven by the diffusive processes in operation. The number of sub‐basins of a given channel order (for orders sufficiently small relative to the basin order) exhibits a clear increase in complexity after a steady‐state for sediment flux is established. We also study elevation data from Florida and Washington States, where the relative departure from simple multifractality is even more strongly expressed but is similar for two very different locations. Our results show that at the very least, the minimum complexity for a stochastic model for terrain statistics with appropriate geomorphic scalings needs to incorporate a conditioning between the pointwise Hölder exponents and elevation.
Recovery: Fast and Slow—Vegetation Response During the 2012–2016 California Drought
Authors: Yang Xi , Xu Xiangtao , Stovall Atticus , Chen Min , Lee Jung‐Eun
Published: March 2021

The 2012–2016 California Drought severely impacted natural vegetation across a wide range of environmental gradient. Although several studies have reported an increase in plant water stress and mortality, the spatiotemporal variations of ecosystem productivity responses and the associated environmental and biological drivers remain unclear. Here, using Enhanced Vegetation Index from the Moderate resolution imaging spectrometer, we found that 45% of the natural ecosystems showed an abrupt change (breakpoint [BP]) in productivity during 2012–2016. There were three major contrasting temporal patterns of productivity responses: (i) a steady increase under higher temperature followed by a decline due to accumulated moisture depletion (high elevation forest) or temperature decrease (high elevation nonforest), (ii) gradual decline during the drought followed by a rapid recovery within 1 year after drought stress was partially relieved, and (iii) both a gradual decline and an abrupt decline. The magnitude of abrupt changes was negatively correlated (r = −0.80, p < 0.001) with initial gradual changes. Overall, changes during BP offset, on average, 57% of the preceding gradual responses. The spatial variability in ecosystem response patterns is driven by both environmental and biological factors. Particularly, for forests, positive BP was driven by increasing rainfall and decreasing temperature, while negative BP was mainly driven by the precipitation anomaly. By 2019, 33% of the natural vegetation have recovered to the level of EVI in 2010. Ecosystem responses to multiyear droughts can influence ecosystem dynamics in a complex pattern. Multiple ecohydrological factors should be considered to understand and predict the long‐term drought impacts on ecosystems.
Process‐Based Climate Model Development Harnessing Machine Learning: III. The Representation of Cumulus Geometry and Their 3D Radiative Effects
Authors: Villefranque Najda , Blanco Stéphane , Couvreux Fleur , Fournier Richard , Gautrais Jacques , Hogan Robin J. , Hourdin Frédéric , Volodina Victoria , Williamson Daniel
Published: March 2021

Process‐scale development, evaluation, and calibration of physically based parameterizations of clouds and radiation are powerful levers for improving weather and climate models. In a series of papers, we propose a strategy for process‐based calibration of climate models that uses machine learning techniques. It relies on systematic comparisons of single‐column versions of climate models with explicit simulations of boundary‐layer dynamics and clouds (Large‐Eddy Simulations [LES]). This paper focuses on the calibration of cloud geometry parameters (vertical overlap, horizontal heterogeneity, and cloud size) that appear in the parameterization of radiation. The solar component of a radiative transfer (RT) scheme that includes a parameterization for 3D radiative effects of clouds (SPARTACUS) is run in offline single‐column mode on an ensemble of input cloud profiles synthesized from LES outputs. The space of cloud geometry parameter values is efficiently explored by sampling a large number of parameter sets (configurations) from which radiative metrics are computed using fast surrogate models that emulate the SPARTACUS solver. The sampled configurations are evaluated by comparing these radiative metrics to reference values provided by a 3D RT Monte Carlo model. The best calibrated configurations yield better predictions of TOA and surface fluxes than the one that uses parameter values computed from the 3D cloud fields: The root‐mean‐square errors averaged over cumulus cloud fields and solar angles are reduced from ∼10 Wm−2 with LES‐derived parameters to ∼5 Wm−2 with adjusted parameters. However, the calibration of cloud geometry fails to reduce the errors on absorption, which remain around 2–4 Wm−2.
Frequent Mass Movements From Glacial and Lahar Terraces, Controlled by Both Hillslope Characteristics and Fluvial Erosion, are an Important Sediment Source to Puget Sound Rivers
Authors: Scott Daniel N. , Collins Brian D.
Published: March 2021

Mass movements from glacial and lahar terraces in the middle and lower reaches of rivers draining the Washington Cascade Range to Puget Sound may represent a substantial but poorly quantified portion of those rivers' sediment supply and pose significant mass movement hazards. We used repeat LiDAR elevation data, aerial imagery, and well logs to quantify and characterize terrace sediment delivery in nine major watersheds over a median period of 12 years. In the 1,946 river kilometers for which repeat LiDAR was available (71% of the 2,736 total river kilometers flanked by terraces), 167 mass movements eroded 853,600 ± 19,400 m3/yr. Analysis of mass movement frequency and volume indicates that terrace sediment delivery is dominated by small, frequent mass movements, as opposed to large, infrequent ones like the 2014 Oso landslide. This sediment source is low in river networks, well connected to streams, and has a substantial coarse‐grained and durable component, all of which increase its significance to sedimentation in developed, lowland reaches. However, rates of terrace sediment delivery vary among basins and between adjacent terraces, which are stratigraphically laterally heterogeneous. While lateral fluvial erosion is usually necessary to initiate terrace mass movements, valley bottom geometry and terrace stratigraphy poorly predict erosion volume, which is better predicted by hillslope geometry and mass movement style. Effective management of sedimentation and mass movement hazard should acknowledge the importance of terrace sediment delivery and the variability among and within watersheds in sediment delivery, sediment characteristics, and failure mechanisms.
Discerning Structure and Seismic Hazards in the Sikkim Himalayas
Authors: Uthaman Mita , Singh Arun , Singh Chandrani , Dubey Arun , Kumar Gaurav
Published: March 2021

A dense seismic network in operation since 2019 will provide new insights into the tectonics of seismically active Himalayan regions.
Molecular docking, pharmacokinetic studies, and in vivo pharmacological study of indole derivative 2-(5-methoxy-2-methyl-1H-indole-3-yl)-N′-[(E)-(3-nitrophenyl) methylidene] acetohydrazide as a promising chemoprotective agent against cisplatin induced organ damage
Authors: Razak Suhail , Afsar Tayyaba , Bibi Nousheen , Abulmeaty Mahmoud , Qamar Wajhul , Almajwal Ali , Inam Anam , Al Disi Dara , Shabbir Maria , Bhat Mashooq Ahmad
Published: March 2021

Cisplatin is an efficient anticancer drug against various types of cancers however, its usage involves side effects. We investigated the mechanisms of action of indole derivative, 2-(5-methoxy-2-methyl-1H-indol-3-yl)-N'-[(E)-(3-nitrophenyl) methylidene] acetohydrazide (MMINA) against anticancer drug (cisplatin) induced organ damage using a rodent model. MMINA treatment reversed Cisplatin-induced NO and malondialdehyde (MDA) augmentation while boosted the activity of glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and superoxide dismutase (SOD). The animals were divided into five groups (n = 7). Group1: Control (Normal) group, Group 2: DMSO group, Group 3: cisplatin group, Group 4: cisplatin + MMINA group, Group 5: MMINA group. MMINA treatment normalized plasma levels of biochemical enzymes. We observed a significant decrease in CD4+COX-2, STAT3, and TNF-α cell population in whole blood after MMINA dosage. MMINA downregulated the expression of various signal transduction pathways regulating the genes involved in inflammation i.e. NF-κB, STAT-3, IL-1, COX-2, iNOS, and TNF-α. The protein expression of these regulatory factors was also downregulated in the liver, kidney, heart, and brain. In silico docking and dynamic simulations data were in agreement with the experimental findings. The physiochemical properties of MMINA predicted it as a good drug-like molecule and its mechanism of action is predictably through inhibition of ROS and inflammation.
In vivo uptake of antisense oligonucleotide drugs predicted by ab initio quantum mechanical calculations
Authors: Hansen Henrik Frydenlund , Albaek Nanna , Hansen Bo Rode , Shim Irene , Bohr Henrik , Koch Troels
Published: March 2021

Liver and kidney uptake and antisense activity is studied for a series of Locked Nucleic Acid (LNA) oligonucleotides with fully stereo-defined, internucleoside linkages. These stereo-specific phosphorothioates are made with a newly developed synthesis method and are being analyzed both theoretically and experimentally. Their structures are obtained theoretically by using many-body Schrödinger equations applied to a group of 11 stereo-defined LNA antisense oligonucleotides selected for biological experiments. The fully converged electronic structures were obtained from ab initio quantum calculations providing the specific electronic structures. One important result was the observation that the calculated electronic structure, represented by the iso-surface area of the electron density in Å2, correlated linearly with LNA oligonucleotide uptake in the liver and kidney. This study also shows that more complex biological phenomena, such as drug activity, will require more molecular and cellular identifiers than used here before a correlation can be found. Establishing biological correlations between quantum mechanical (QM) calculated structures and antisense oligonucleotides is novel, and this method may constitute new tools in drug discovery.
Influence of provenance origin on the early performance of two sclerophyllous Mediterranean species established in burned drylands
Authors: Espinoza Sergio E. , Yañez Marco A. , Martínez Eduardo E. , Carrasco-Benavides Marcos R. , Vaswani Suraj A. , Gajardo John , Magni Carlos R.
Published: March 2021

Forest restoration have had limited success due to intense and prolonged droughts in Mediterranean-type ecosystems. In this context, knowledge of growth and physiology in seedlings of different provenances can be useful in the selection of appropriate seed sources for restoration. In this study we investigated variations in survival, growth, and leaf-level physiology of five provenances ofQuillaja saponariaMol. and five provenances ofCryptocarya albaMol. originated from coastal and Pre Andean sites exhibiting latitudinal-related climate differences in central Chile. Seedlings were grown in a nursery on 600 mL pots for 18 months and then planted in a dryland site severely damaged by fire. One year after establishment, we measured survival, growth, and leaf-level physiology. We also analyzed the relationship between outplanting survival with seedling characteristics prior to planting, and the relationship between growth and survival with physiological traits and with climate variables. Growth and survival were similar among provenances ofQ.saponariaandC. alba, with the exception of differing heights observed within the provenance ofQ.saponaria. Initial root collar diameter ofQ.saponariawas observed to be positively correlated to outplanting survival. With the exception of photosynthesis inQ.saponaria, all provenances of both species differed in the leaf-level physiological traits. Those provenances originating from interior dryland sites exhibited lower stomatal conductance and used water more efficiently. The opposite was true for provenances coming from coastal sites. In outplanting sites with Mediterranean-type climates that have been damage by severe fire, selections based on larger diameter seedlings, especially forQ.saponariaand from interior and pre-Andean provenances, will likely improve outplanting success.
Irrelevant background context decreases mnemonic discrimination and increases false memory
Authors: Racsmány Mihály , Bencze Dorottya , Pajkossy Péter , Szőllősi Ágnes , Marián Miklós
Published: March 2021

One of the greatest commonplaces in memory research is that context improves recall and enhances or leaves recognition intact. Here we present results which draw attention to the fact that the reappearance of irrelevant and unattended background contexts of encoding significantly impairs memory discrimination functions. This manuscript presents the results of two experiments in which participants made indoor/outdoor judgements for a large number of object images presented together with individual, irrelevant and presumably unattended background scenes. On a subsequent unexpected recognition test participants saw the incidentally encoded target objects, visually similar lures or new foil objects on the same or new background scenes. Our results showed that although the reappearance of the background scene raised the hit rate for target objects, it decreased mnemonic discrimination, a behavioral score for pattern separation, a hippocampal function that is affected in early dementia. Furthermore, the presence of the encoded background scene at the recognition test increased the false recognition of lure objects, even when participants were explicitly instructed to neglect the context scene. Altogether these results gave evidence that if context increases recognition hits for target memories, it does so at the cost of increasing false recognition and diminished discriminability for similar information.
Folate transporter dynamics and therapy with classic and tumor-targeted antifolates
Authors: O’Connor Carrie , Wallace-Povirk Adrianne , Ning Changwen , Frühauf Josephine , Tong Nian , Gangjee Aleem , Matherly Larry H. , Hou Zhanjun
Published: March 2021

There are three major folate uptake systems in human tissues and tumors, including the reduced folate carrier (RFC), folate receptors (FRs) and proton-coupled folate transporter (PCFT). We studied the functional interrelationships among these systems for the novel tumor-targeted antifolates AGF94 (transported by PCFT and FRs but not RFC) and AGF102 (selective for FRs) versus the classic antifolates pemetrexed, methotrexate and PT523 (variously transported by FRs, PCFT and RFC). We engineered HeLa cell models to express FRα or RFC under control of a tetracycline-inducible promoter with or without constitutive PCFT. We showed that cellular accumulations of extracellular folates were determined by the type and levels of the major folate transporters, with PCFT and RFC prevailing over FRα, depending on expression levels and pH. Based on patterns of cell proliferation in the presence of the inhibitors, we established transport redundancy for RFC and PCFT in pemetrexed uptake, and for PCFT and FRα in AGF94 uptake; uptake by PCFT predominated for pemetrexed and FRα for AGF94. For methotrexate and PT523, uptake by RFC predominated even in the presence of PCFT or FRα. For both classic (methotrexate, PT523) and FRα-targeted (AGF102) antifolates, anti-proliferative activities were antagonized by PCFT, likely due to its robust activity in mediating folate accumulation. Collectively, our findings describe a previously unrecognized interplay among the major folate transport systems that depends on transporter levels and extracellular pH, and that determines their contributions to the uptake and anti-tumor efficacies of targeted and untargeted antifolates.
Epidemiological survey of human echinococcosis in east Gansu, China
Authors: Yan Shuai , Wang Dong , Zhang Junrui , Mo Xiaojin , Feng Yu , Duan Liling , Liu Deyu , Li Fan , Dao Yongchun , Zhang Ting , Hu Wei , Feng Zheng , Zheng Bin
Published: March 2021

Echinococcosis is endemic in pastoral regions of south, west and mid-Gansu province, China. The present study aimed to determine the prevalence of echinococcosis in east Gansu, and analyze its associated risk factors. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in 2011 in 12 villages of Xiaonangou township, Huan County in east Gansu province by ultrasound abdominal scan and auxiliary serotest, and a prevalence surveillance study from 2008 to 2014 was performed in one villages by ultrasonography screening. Questionnaire information analysis indicates that the risk factors are in association with the gender, age, and education level. The cross-sectional survey found a cystic echinococcosis prevalence of 2.21% (107/4837). Higher prevalence was seen in females (χ2 = 4.198,P < 0.05), older ages (> 60 years) (χ2trend = 96.30,P < 0.05), and illiterates (χ2 = 90.101,P < 0.05). Prevalence surveillance showed changing profile of 3.35% in 2011 to 0.88% (1/113) in 2014.
Population pharmacokinetic model development and its relationship with adverse events of oxcarbazepine in adult patients with epilepsy
Authors: Jang Yoonhyuk , Yoon Seonghae , Kim Tae-Joon , Lee SeungHwan , Yu Kyung-Sang , Jang In-Jin , Chu Kon , Lee Sang Kun
Published: March 2021

This study aimed to develop a pharmacokinetic (PK) model of oxcarbazepine (OXC) and analyse the relationship between monohydroxylated derivative (MHD), an active metabolite of OXC, and the adverse events of OXC. We obtained 711 OXC samples from 618 patients with epilepsy who were enrolled in the Epilepsy Registry Cohort of Seoul National University Hospital from February 2011 to January 2014. The plasma PK model was developed using a nonlinear mixed-effect modelling method with NONMEM (ver 7.3). A one-compartment model with a first-order absorption model and proportional residual error adequately described the MHD concentration–time profiles. The only covariate incorporated for CL/F and V/F was body weight. Of the 447 patients analysed, 28 (6.26%) had dose-related adverse events (DRAEs), which were dizziness, somnolence, headache, and diplopia. For DRAE occurrence, the cut-off values of the MHD trough and AUC were 12.27 mg/L (specificity 0.570, sensitivity 0.643) and 698.5 mg h/L (specificity, sensitivity 0.571), respectively. Multivariate analysis showed the sole dizziness symptom was significantly associated with both the MHD trough and the AUC (p = 0.013, p = 0.038, respectively). We newly developed a population PK model using sparse sampling data from patients with epilepsy, and the model better reflects the actual clinical situation.
Stimulus-cleavable chemistry in the field of controlled drug delivery
Authors: Xue Yufei , Bai Hua , Peng Bo , Fang Bin , Baell Jonathan , Li Lin , Huang Wei , Voelcker Nicolas Hans
Published: March 2021

This review comprehensively summarises stimulus-cleavable linkers from various research areas and their cleavage mechanisms, thus provides an insightful guideline to extend their potential applications to controlled drug release from nanomaterials.
Selective electrochemical hydrogenation of furfural to 2-methylfuran over a single atom Cu catalyst under mild pH conditions
Authors: Zhou Peng , Chen Yu , Luan Peng , Zhang Xiaolong , Yuan Ziliang , Guo Si-Xuan , Gu Qinfen , Johannessen Bernt , Mollah Mamun , Chaffee Alan L. , Turner David R. , Zhang Jie
Published: March 2021

Furfural can be electrochemically hydrogenated to 2-methylfuran in mild conditions with high selectivity using a catalyst containing single atom copper active sites and oxophilic phosphorus dopants.
Recent progress and future prospects of atomic layer deposition to prepare/modify solid-state electrolytes and interfaces between electrodes for next-generation lithium batteries
Authors: Han Lu , Hsieh Chien-Te , Chandra Mallick Bikash , Li Jianlin , Ashraf Gandomi Yasser
Published: March 2021

Comparison of ionic conductivity (at room temperature) of different solid-state electrolytes (SSEs) prepared by the atomic layer deposition (ALD) for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs).
Ionic framework constructed with protic ionic liquid units for improving ammonia uptake
Authors: Li Jiaran , Luo Li , Yang Le , Zhao Chaoyang , Liu Yibang , Wu Zhixin , Luo Xiaoyan , Lin Jinqing
Published: March 2021

A [Ph3ImH][Tf2N]2 framework constructed from ionic liquid units frustrated with ammonia presents high reversible ammonia uptake of 13.53 mmol g−1.
Liquid-phase synthesis of highly oxophilic zerovalent niobium and tantalum nanoparticles
Authors: Egeberg Alexander , Faden Lara-Pauline , Zimina Anna , Grunwaldt Jan-Dierk , Gerthsen Dagmar , Feldmann Claus
Published: March 2021

Zerovalent Nb(0) and Ta(0) nanoparticles are prepared via a one-pot, liquid-phase synthesis for the first time. This is a challenge due to the basic and highly oxophilic character of both metals.
3,6-Fluoren[5]arenes: synthesis, structure and complexation with fullerenes C60 and C70
Authors: Wang Jia-Qi , Han Ying , Chen Chuan-Feng
Published: March 2021

3,6-Fluoren[5]arenes with big and rich-electron cavities were conveniently synthesized, which could form stable 1 : 1 complexes with fullerenes in solution.
Multiscale QM/MM molecular dynamics simulations of the trimeric major light-harvesting complex II
Authors: Maity Sayan , Daskalakis Vangelis , Elstner Marcus , Kleinekathöfer Ulrich
Published: March 2021

The site energies and spectral densities of the major light-harvesting complex LHCII have been determined using QM/MM molecular dynamics simulations. In particular, the spectral densities show a remarkable agreement with experimental findings.
Dual nanozyme characteristics of iron oxide nanoparticles alleviate salinity stress and promote the growth of an agroforestry tree, Eucalyptus tereticornis Sm.
Authors: Singh Davinder , Sillu Devendra , Kumar Anil , Agnihotri Shekhar
Published: March 2021

Iron oxide nanoparticles, at a specific dose, improved the salt tolerance capacity of an agroforestry tree under saline stress and also acted as a source of iron micronutrients even under normal conditions.
Access to tough and transparent nanocomposites via Pickering emulsion polymerization using biocatalytic hybrid lignin nanoparticles as functional surfactants
Authors: Moreno Adrian , Morsali Mohammad , Liu Jinrong , Sipponen Mika H.
Published: March 2021

Coating of lignin nanoparticles with chitosan and glucose oxidase allows for the green synthesis of acrylic and vinyl polymers in Pickering emulsions. The resulting dispersions offer a green route to tough composites equipped with antioxidant activity.
Enhanced linear thermosensitivity of gel-immobilized colloidal photonic crystal film bound on glass substrate
Authors: Kanai Toshimitsu , Kobayashi Naoto , Tajima Hiroyuki
Published: March 2021

The linear thermosensitivity of colloidal crystals immobilized in a copolymer hydrogel film composed of PNIPAM and PNMAM could be enhanced by chemically binding them on a glass substrate using a silane coupling agent.
Supramolecular kinetic effects by pillararenes: the synergism between spatiotemporal and preorganization concepts in decarboxylation reactions
Authors: Vieira Silveira Eduardo , Montecinos Rodrigo , Scorsin Leandro , Garcia-Rio Luis , Medeiros Michelle , Nascimento Vanessa , Nome Faruk , Affeldt Ricardo F. , Micke Gustavo A.
Published: March 2021

Spatiotemporal and preorganization factors were both responsible for the catalytic and inhibitory supramolecular effects in decarboxylation reactions.
Ion-exchange-induced MAPbI3 thin-film 3D–2D and 3D–1D conversions: unveiling structural transformations in films via synergistic and competitive approaches
Authors: Chen Shuhuang , Zhang Jie , Piao Jinhua , Fu Zhiyong
Published: March 2021

Interesting gas-induced structural transformations from 3D MAPbI3 to LD perovskites are investigated, contributing to explore more optoelectronic materials with tunability.
A protecting group–free approach for synthesizing C-glycosides through glycosyl dithiocarbamates
Authors: Li Gefei , Noguchi Masato , Arisaka Genki , Tanaka Yuuki , Shoda Shin-ichiro
Published: March 2021

The first protection/deprotection-free process for radical C-glycosylation has been achieved through one-step preparable glycosyl dithiocarbamates (GDTCs).
Hidden hearing loss is associated with loss of ribbon synapses of cochlea inner hair cells
Authors: Song Feng , Gan Bin , Wang Na , Wang Zhe , Xu An-ting
Published: March 2021

The present study aimed to observe the changes in the cochlea ribbon synapses after repeated exposure to moderate-to-high intensity noise. Guinea pigs received 95 dB SPL white noise exposure 4 h a day for consecutive 7 days (we regarded it a medium-term and moderate-intensity noise, or MTMI noise). Animals were divided into four groups: Control, 1DPN (1-day post noise), 1WPN (1-week post noise), and 1MPN (1-month post noise). Auditory function analysis by auditory brainstem response (ABR) and compound action potential (CAP) recordings, as well as ribbon synapse morphological analyses by immunohistochemistry (Ctbp2 and PSD95 staining) were performed 1 day, 1 week, and 1 month after noise exposure. After MTMI noise exposure, the amplitudes of ABR I and III waves were suppressed. The CAP threshold was elevated, and CAP amplitude was reduced in the 1DPN group. No apparent changes in hair cell shape, arrangement, or number were observed, but the number of ribbon synapse was reduced. The 1WPN and 1MPN groups showed that part of ABR and CAP changes recovered, as well as the synapse number. The defects in cochlea auditory function and synapse changes were observed mainly in the high-frequency region. Together, repeated exposure in MTMI noise can cause hidden hearing loss (HHL), which is partially reversible after leaving the noise environment; and MTMI noise-induced HHL is associated with inner hair cell ribbon synapses.
Static and dynamic eccentricity fault diagnosis of large salient pole synchronous generators by means of external magnetic field
Authors: Ehya Hossein , Nysveen Arne , Nilssen Robert , Liu Yujing
Published: March 2021

Although synchronous generators are robust and long‐lasting equipment of power plants, consistent electricity production depends on their health conditions. Static and dynamic eccentricity faults are among the prevalent faults that may have a costly effect. Although several methods have been proposed in the literature to detect static and dynamic eccentricity faults in salient pole synchronous generators (SPSGs), they are non‐sensitive to a low degree of failure and require a predefined threshold to recognise the fault occurrence that may vary based on machine configuration. This article presents a detailed magnetic analysis of the SPSGs with static and dynamic eccentricity faults by focusing on the external magnetic field. The external magnetic field was measured using two search coils installed on the backside of the stator yoke. Also, advanced signal processing tools based on wavelet entropy were used to analyse the induced electromotive force (emf) in search coils to extract the fault index. The proposed index required no threshold to recognise the starting point of fault occurrence and was sensitive to a low degree of fault. It was also non‐sensitive to load variation and noise that may induce a false alarm.
Scale space Radon transform
Authors: Ziou Djemel , Nacereddine Nafaa , Goumeidane Aicha Baya
Published: March 2021

An extension of Radon transform by using a measure function capturing the user need is proposed. The new transform, called scale space Radon transform, is devoted to the case where the embedded shape in the image is not filiform. A case study is brought on a straight line and an ellipse where the SSRT behaviour in the scale space and in the presence of noise is deeply analyzed. In order to show the effectiveness of the proposed transform, the experiments have been carried out, first, on linear and elliptical structures generated synthetically subjected to strong altering conditions such blur and noise and then on structures images issued from real‐world applications such as road traffic, satellite imagery and weld X‐ray imaging. Comparisons in terms of detection accuracy and computational time with well‐known transforms and recent work dedicated to this purpose are conducted, where the proposed transform shows an outstanding performance in detecting the above‐mentioned structures and targeting accurately their spatial locations even in low‐quality images.
Low voltage colour modulation in hydrothermally grown Ni‐Co nanoneedles for electrochromic application
Authors: Pathak Devesh K. , Chaudhary Anjali , Tanwar Manushree , Kandpal Suchita , Ghosh Tanushree , Rani Chanchal , Kumar Rajesh
Published: March 2021

A nanostructured film of NiCo2O4 has been prepared using a hydrothermal technique by simply using separate precursors to obtain nanoneedle‐like architecture for electrochromic applications. A homogeneous film consisting of packed nanoneedles with moderate density, appearing translucent white in colour, has been obtained and characterized using XRD and Raman spectroscopy techniques for confirming the composition and structure. Electrochemical analysis of the film reveals that the film shows good electrochromic properties under the anodic scan of potential with strong stability. The mechanism of the electrode under the transformation from natural white to opaque dark brown colour has been understood with the help of an in situ optical absorption spectroscopy technique. The electrode is found electrochromically active with a bias of up to 2 V and shows 50% optical contrast which makes it a good candidate for application in a solid state electrochromic device.