bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Can an increase in the pulmonary vein volume measured by three dimensional computed tomography predict the presence of atrial fibrillation?
Authors: Kurata Masaaki , Asano Taku , Mori Hiroyoshi , Mase Hiroshi , Nagumo Sakura , Wakatsuki Daisuke , Shimojima Hisa , Ebato Mio , Miyazaki Akira , Suzuki Hiroshi
Published: February 2019

Background

Left atrial (LA) dilation is associated with morbidity of atrial fibrillation (AF). However, little is known about pulmonary vein (PV) dilation.

Purpose

We investigated the PV volume in the patients with AF.

Methods and results

We performed 3dimensional computed tomography (3DCT) in 155 patients and divided them into three groups: 19 patients without AF (non‐AF group, mean age 66 ± 12 years), 50 with paroxysmal AF (PAF group, mean age 67 ± 8 years) and 24 with persistent AF (PeAF group, mean age 64 ± 10 years). The absence of AF was diagnosed in patients with a cardiac implantable electronic device for at least 1 year (mean: 59 ± 37 months). We determined the PV volume as the total volume from the orifice to the first branch of each PV. According to the echocardiographic data, the LA dimension (LAD) and LA volume index (LAVI) were largest in the PeAF group followed by the PAF and non‐AF group. According to the morphometric data obtained on 3D‐CT, the PV volume was similar in PeAF and PAF groups but significantly smaller in the non‐AF group (median value: 24 vs 21 vs 14 mL, respectively). According to the receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, the area under the curve for the PV volume in the presence of AF was 0.80, and the optimum cut‐off value was 17 mL (sensitivity 74%, specificity 80%).

Conclusion

The PV volume might be useful for predicting the presence of AF before increases in the LAD and LAVI on echocardiography.
Revelation of early repolarization by eliminating accessory pathway in manifest Wolff–Parkinson–White syndrome: A case report
Authors: Nauchi Masahiro , Sakai Tsuyoshi , Sugisaki Yuuta , Ito Yoshiaki
Published: February 2019

A 23‐year‐old male with manifest Wolff–Parkinson–White syndrome presented with a first occurrence of ventricular fibrillation (VF). Initially, we anticipated the occurrence of atrial fibrillation, causing rapid antegrade conduction over the accessory pathway and, thus, resulting in hemodynamic deterioration. Electrophysiological study revealed that the atrioventricular accessory pathway was located at the mid‐septum. After eliminating the pathway, a J‐point elevation was revealed in the inferior and lateral leads. In addition, program ventricular stimulation induced VF, and the administration of isoproterenol suppressed VF. In our case, VF occurrence can be attributed to early repolarization syndrome and ventricular preexcitation‐modified J‐point elevation.
Investigating the involvement of ABA, ABA catabolites and cytokinins in the susceptibility of ‘Nules Clementine’ mandarin to rind breakdown disorder
Authors: Magwaza Lembe S , Carmen Alamar M , Tesfay Samson Z , Mditshwa Asanda , Opara Umezuruike L , Terry Leon A
Published: February 2019

BACKGROUND

‘Nules Clementine’ mandarin was used to investigate the potential involvement of endogenous plant hormones in mediating citrus fruit susceptibility to rind breakdown disorder (RBD). The effect of light exposure (namely canopy position and bagging treatments) on the endogenous concentration of ABA, 7′‐hydroxy‐abscisic acid (7‐OH‐ABA), ABA‐glucose ester (ABA‐GE) and dihydrophaseic acid (DPA), and t‐zeatin was tested using four preharvest treatments: outside, outside bagged, inside and inside bagged. Phytohormones concentration was evaluated during nine weeks of postharvest storage at 8 °C.

RESULTS

The shaded fruit inside the canopy had the highest RBD score (0.88) at the end of postharvest storage, while sun‐exposed fruit had the lowest score (0.12). Before storage, ABA concentration was lowest (462.8 µg kg−1) for inside fruit, and highest in outside bagged fruit (680.5 µg kg−1). Although ABA concentration suddenly increased from the third week, reaching a maximum concentration of 580 µg kg−1 at week 6 in fruit from inside position, it generally reduced 1.6‐fold ranging from 240.52 to 480.65 µg kg−1 throughout storage. The increase of 7‐OH‐ABA was more prominent in fruit from inside canopy. Overall, the concentration of ABA‐GE increased three‐fold with storage time. DPA concentration of bagged fruit from inside canopy position was significantly higher compared to outside fruit. The lower ABA‐GE and higher DPA concentration in inside bagged fruit throughout storage also coincided with higher RBD.

CONCLUSION

The strong positive correlations between 7‐OH‐ABA, DPA and RBD incidence demonstrated that these ABA catabolites could be used as biomarkers for fruit susceptibility to the disorder. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry
Ultrasound Findings of Mammary Duct Ectasia Causing Bloody Nipple Discharge in Infancy and Childhood
Authors: Moon Sungmin , Lim Hyo Soon , Ki So Yeon
Published: February 2019

Bloody nipple discharge in infancy and childhood is extremely rare, and mammary duct ectasia is the most common etiology. Ultrasound (US) findings of mammary duct ectasia include dilated ducts and tubular anechoic lesions that may contain echogenic debris in the subareolar region. However, mammary duct ectasia may show variable US findings, which are not well described in the literature. We report 3 cases of mammary duct ectasia in infancy and childhood with variable imaging findings, including complex cystic and solid lesions. Detailed initial clinical and US findings and serial follow‐up US images are described.
Evaluation of the Mechanical and Thermal Properties of Blended (HDPE/UHMWPE) Nanocomposites with Graphite Nanosheets (GNS)
Authors: da Silva Jullyani M. D. , Coutinho Suellen V.C.R. , Diniz Rayane K.M. , Almeida Ana N.F. , Lima Maria E.A. , de C. Fim Fabiana
Published: February 2019

This work presents the preparation of blended (HDPE/UHMWPE) nanocomposites with graphite nanosheets (GNS) by melt mixing (differing compositions) in an internal mixer. After graphite flake treatments to obtain GNS; HDPE/UHMWPE blends are produced using a Haake internal mixer with further compression molding. The blends were prepared as mixes of 0, 10, 20, and 30 wt% of UHMWPE in HDPE. The blend with the best mechanical and thermal properties is chosen to prepare the nanocomposites. The nanocomposites are produced from the 10 wt% UHMWPE in HDPE blend, with 0.5 and 1.0 wt% GNS using the same method as used for obtaining the blends. The functionalized graphite FTIR spectrum revealed functionalization with silane. However, after the ultrasonic bath these groups left the graphitic structure, and as shown by the diffractogram (XRD) and SEM images, good exfoliation continued. The nanocomposite blend with 10 wt% UHMWPE presented higher tensile strength values than pure UHMWPE, and the nanocomposite blend with the lower GNS percentage (0.5 wt%) presented the highest tensile strength. However the nanocomposite with 1.0 wt% GNS presented an increase in crystallization temperature.
Thermal and Rheological Behavior of Binary Blends of Poly(hydroxybutyrate‐co‐hydroxyvalerate) and Poly(ethylene‐co‐vinyl acetate) with Different Vinyl Acetate Content
Authors: Souza Junior Osvaldo F. , Staffa Lucas H. , Costa Lidiane C. , Chinelatto Marcelo A.
Published: February 2019

The aim of this study is to investigate the influence of vinyl acetate (VA) content on the thermal and rheological properties of poly(hydroxybutyrate‐co‐hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV)/poly(ethylene‐co‐vinyl acetate) (EVA) blends. Binary blends of PHBV and EVA containing 65 wt% (EVA65) and 90 wt% (EVA90) VA were prepared by torque rheometry and their thermal properties were studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Rheograms of PHBV/EVA65 containing up to 40 wt% EVA showed that the torque values decrease as a function of mixing time due to the thermo‐mechanical degradation, which preferentially for PHBV is chain scission. The increase in the EVA65 concentration results in torque stability probably due to the balance between chain scission of the PHBV and chain branching of the EVA65. For PHBV/EVA90 blends, the torque values are stable indicating that the presence of EVA90 decreases the degradation process of the PHBV and hence increases the thermal stability of blends. DSC curves showed that the PHBV cold crystallization temperature (Tcc) increased and cold crystallization (ΔHcc) and melting enthalpies (ΔHm) decreased with the increase in the EVA content, independently of VA content and blend morphology. DSC curves of PHBV/EVA65 showed two glass transition temperatures and clear phase separations, in all studied formulations, typical of immiscible systems. In contrast to it, PHBV/EVA90 blends showed a single glass transition, suggesting total miscibility. Both findings were corroborated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis.
Production of Nanostructured Aluminosilicate Fibers from Poly(ethylene glycol) Based Electrospun Fibers
Authors: Dorneles Matheus F. , Oréfice Rodrigo L.
Published: February 2019

In this work, nanostructured aluminosilicate fibers are prepared by submitting poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) electrospun fibers containing sol‐gel derived aluminosilicate nanoparticles to a calcination treatment. The prepared materials are characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), dynamic light scattering (DLS), infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), x‐ray diffraction (XRD) and thermal analyses (DSC and TGA). The calcination of hybrid electrospun PEG fibers containing 20 wt% of nanoparticles generated well‐defined high‐surface area aluminosilicate fibers containing residual carbon. The production of nanostructured aluminosilicate fibers displaying high porosity and residual carbon can improve the performance of catalysts and membranes.
Influence of nickel on secondary hardening of a modified AISI H13 hot work die steel
Authors: Xia S.W. , Zuo P. , Zeng Y. , Wu X.
Published: February 2019

This paper focuses on the effects of nickel on secondary hardening of a modified H13 hot work die steel. Both the non‐nickel steel and the nickel‐added steel get a secondary hardening peak at 520 °C, and the secondary hardening peak trends to increase in the nickel‐added steel. On the basis of scanning electron microscope and transmission electron microscope observation, the rise of the secondary hardening peak is in connection with the precipitation of M3C type carbides. More strip‐shaped and needle‐shaped M3C type carbides precipitated from matrix. By means of internal friction, the result suggests that nickel does not affect the position of the Snoek‐Kê‐Köster peak, but the height of Snoek‐Kê‐Köster peak of the nickel‐added steel is higher, which indicates nickel enhances the interaction between dislocations and interstitial atoms, promoting the precipitation of carbides.
A qualitative study of sexual and reproductive health communication with adolescent and young adult oncology patients
Authors: Frederick Natasha N. , Revette Anna , Michaud Alexis , Bober Sharon L.
Published: February 2019

Background

Adolescent and young adult patients with cancer (AYAs) identify sexual and reproductive health (SRH) as an important but often neglected aspect of their comprehensive cancer care. The purpose of this study was to explore AYA perceptions and experiences of SRH communication with oncology clinicians.

Methods

Twenty‐three AYA patients and survivors ages 15‐25 years from a large academic oncology center participated in semistructured qualitative interviews investigating their experiences discussing SRH issues, including specific topics discussed, conversation barriers and facilitators, suggestions for clinicians on how to improve conversations, and education and resource needs. Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed, and coded using a thematic analysis approach.

Results

Interviews with AYAs revealed two primary themes—a need for oncology clinicians to discuss SRH and critical gaps in current SRH communication practices. AYAs reported a need for improved SRH communication for the purposes of general education, addressing specific SRH issues experienced, and understanding the long‐term impact of cancer and treatment on SRH. The current communication gaps are exacerbated by patient discomfort initiating conversations and the presence of family members. AYAs shared six key recommendations for clinicians on how to improve SRH communication.

Conclusions

AYAs identify a role for oncology clinicians in discussing SRH as a primary aspect of comprehensive health care during cancer treatment and in survivorship; however, multiple gaps and barriers interfere with such discussions. Future efforts must focus on clinician education and training in SRH as well as education and intervention opportunities for AYAs to optimize the care provided.
A review on microfabrication of thermoplastic polymer‐based microneedle arrays
Authors: Juster Herwig , van der Aar Bart , de Brouwer Hans
Published: February 2019

This article will provide an overview of recent developments for microneedles made using injection molding and hot embossing techniques for active transdermal drug delivery. Microneedle arrays are developed for pain‐free and efficient drug delivery without using a cold chain. The focus of this article will be on the use of engineering thermoplastics and microneedle manufacturing techniques including patterning. Recent developments demonstrate that commercialization of polymer‐based microneedle systems is feasible. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 59:877–890, 2019. © 2019 Society of Plastics Engineers
Microscopic investigations of surface texture of siloxane‐hydrogel contact lenses
Authors: Stach Sebastian , Ţălu Ştefan , Głuchaczka Alicja , Siek Patrycja , Zając Joanna , Tavazzi Silvia
Published: February 2019

Purpose: The objective of this article was to investigate experimentally the 3‐D surface of unworn/worn contact lenses (CLs) using stereometric analysis applied to atomic force microscopy (AFM) micrographs. Materials and methods: Fractal and stereometric analyses were applied in micromorphology investigations of siloxane‐hydrogel CLs made of Filcon V. Qualitative and quantitative study of surface texture was made using statistical parameters of 3‐D surface roughness, according with ISO 25178‐2: 2012 for: CLrins (unworn CLs taken from the blister and rinsed with deionized water); CLworn‐smooth (worn for 8 h and presenting a smooth‐type morphology), and CLworn‐sharp (worn for 8 h and presenting a sharp‐type morphology). Results: Fractal analysis reveals fractal nature at nanometer scale of all surface samples. The fractal dimensions determined by enclosing boxes method of the studied samples are: Df = 2.25 ± 0.01 for CLrins, Df = 2.29 ± 0.01 for CLworn‐smooth and Df = 2.40 ± 0.01 for CLworn‐sharp. Conclusions: Surface statistical parameters can be deduced by analyses of micromorphology and fractal structure of the 3‐D surface of CLs. The variation of these parameters provides quantitative information on the effects of wear, such as in the cases of the two morphologies which can be found after 8 h wear of Filcon V CLs. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 59:E442–E451, 2019. © 2019 Society of Plastics Engineers
Child victims of sexual abuse: Teachers' evaluation of emotion regulation and social adaptation in school
Authors: Amédée Laetitia Mélissande , Tremblay‐Perreault Amélie , Hébert Martine , Cyr Chantal
Published: February 2019

This study assessed the social adaptation of sexually abused children and tested whether children's emotion regulation competencies mediated the association between child sexual abuse (CSA) and two outcomes of the social domain (i.e. withdrawal and social difficulties). A group of 283 child victims of sexual abuse and a comparison group composed of 60 nonabused children was recruited. Teachers completed questionnaires assessing the children's emotion regulation competencies, withdrawal, and social difficulties exhibited in the school context. Results showed that sexually abused children displayed poorer emotion regulation skills and higher levels of both withdrawal and social difficulties relative to nonabused children. CSA was associated with social difficulties and withdrawn behavior through the mediation of emotion regulation competencies. Teachers and school psychologists should be assisted in identifying children at risk of social difficulties and emotional dysregulation and schools be encouraged to adopt a trauma‐informed approach.
Optical Properties of Oxidized, Hydrogenated, and Native Zirconium Surfaces for Wavelengths from 0.3 to 25 µm − A Study by Ex Situ and In Situ Spectroscopic Ellipsometry
Authors: Petrik Peter , Romanenko Alekszej , Kalas Benjamin , Péter László , Novotny Tamás , Perez‐Feró Erzsébet , Fodor Bálint , Agocs Emil , Lohner Tivadar , Kurunczi Sándor , Stoica Mihai , Gartner Mariuca , Hózer Zoltán
Published: February 2019

To characterize zirconium surfaces in forms of tubes and plates for nuclear applications, ellipsometry has been used. It has been shown earlier that ellipsometry can be used even on the surface of tubes with a diameter of 9.1 mm, when applying proper focusing. Reference refractive indices have also been determined for both zirconium and zirconium oxide, and demonstrated the capability of ellipsometry for the determination of the thickness and refractive index of the surface oxide applying different oxidation parameters. In this study, processed zirconium surfaces using the technique developed in author's previous work is characterized. Both ultra violet‐visible‐near infrared and mid‐infrared ellipsometry to study the thicknesses of the surface layers as well as the dielectric functions of both the layers and the substrate are used. A heat cell that allows multiple angle of incidence ellipsometry measurement at elevated temperatures is also developed. This setup is used to monitor the temporal behavior of hydrogenated and oxidized zirconium surfaces.
Materials data analytics for 9% Cr family steel
Authors: Romanov Vyacheslav N. , Krishnamurthy Narayanan , Verma Amit K. , Bruckman Laura S. , French Roger H. , Carter Jennifer L.W. , Hawk Jeffrey A.
Published: February 2019

A materials data analytics (MDA) methodology was developed in this study to evaluate publicly available information on 9% Cr family steel and to handle nonlinear relationships and the sparsity in materials data for this alloy class. The overarching goal is to accelerate the design process as well as to reduce the time and expense associated with qualification testing of new alloys for fossil energy applications. Data entries in the analyzed data set for 82 iron‐base alloy compositions, several processing parameters, and results of tensile mechanical tests selected for this study were arranged in 34 columns by 915 rows. While detailed microstructural information was not available, it is assumed that the compositional space for the 9 to 12% Cr steels is limited such that all data entries have a tempered martensitic microstructure during service. Establishing a hierarchy of first‐order trends in the publicly available data requires the MDA to filter out the biases. Complexity of the phase transformations and microstructure evolution in the multicomponent alloys (using 21 chemical elements) with major influence on mechanical properties, leads to inefficiency in direct application of unbiased linear regression across the entire data space. To address the nonlinearity, analyses of tensile data were performed in composition‐based clusters. Clusters corresponding to moderately frequent patterns and maximized information gain were further refined by using p‐norm distance measures, matching the alloy classification groups adopted by industry. The evolutionary method of propagating an ensemble of competing cluster‐based models proved to be a viable option in dealing with scarce, multidimensional data.
Deactivation Model for an Industrial γ‐Alumina Supported Iron Catalyst in the Fischer Tropsch Synthesis
Authors: Ghofran Pakdel Maliheh , Atashi Hossein , Mirzaei Ali Akbar , Zohdi‐Fasaei Hossein
Published: February 2019

In this research, deactivation model of an industrial γ‐alumina‐supported iron catalyst was investigated. Experiments were carried out in a fixed‐bed micro reactor over one‐time and four‐time impregnated catalysts at a reaction temperature of 250 °C, H2/CO ratio of 1, gas hourly space velocity (GHSV) of 3000 h−1, and reaction pressure of 2 bar. Neural networks strategy was used to predict the steady‐state catalytic activity for the ultimate purpose of determining the best deactivation model. Non‐linear regression and statistical analyses showed that the second‐order generalized power‐law equation (GPLE) could adequately described the deactivation behaviors of the considered catalysts. A comparison on the model parameters indicated higher deactivation rate of the four‐time impregnated catalyst, as compared to the one‐time one.
Facial Synthesis of 1T Phase MoS2 Nanoflowers via Anion Exchange Method for Efficient Hydrogen Evolution
Authors: Li Jinming , Qi Weihong , Li Yejun
Published: February 2019

In this work, a low cost and high yield method is proposed to synthesize 1T phase MoS2 nanoflowers (NFs) by means of anion exchange using MoO3 nanosheets as the exchange template. The synthesized MoS2 NFs are composed of ultrathin MoS2 nanoflakes with plenty of active edge sites, large specific surface area, and rich defects, as well as reduced intrinsic resistance. Therefore, they show enhanced hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) activity with an overpotential of 166 mV at 10 mA cm−2 and Tafel slope of 47 mV dec−1, better than those of previously reported MoS2‐based HER catalysts. A systematic study is carried out on the effects of mass loading and reaction temperature on its catalytic performance. It is shown that, with reaction temperature of 200 °C and mass loading of 0.43 mg cm−2, the obtained MoS2 NFs show the optimal HER activity. The present work provides a facile and cost‐effective way to synthesize 1T MoS2 NFs with advanced HER performances, indicating significant potential for larger‐scale production in practical industrial applications.
N‐Acyloxyphthalimide as Multitasking Directing Group for Sequential C‐H Functionalization
Authors: Sun Huan , Jiang Yue , Chen Xiao‐Wei , Zhou Yi−Bo , Feng Tao , Huang Rong , Zheng Yongsheng , Li Zheng‐Hui , Liu Ji‐Kai
Published: February 2019

N‐Acyloxyphthalimide has been demonstrated as a multitasking directing group considering its easy accessibility, multiple reactive sites, and multifarious transformations available to generate valuable structural diversified scaffolds. Polysubstituted heterocycles, such as isocoumarin, isoquinolone, and its second annulation products, could be obtained from N‐acyloxyphthalimide and alkynes through a one‐pot reaction in the presence of nucleophilic reagents. Additionally, the ester group possessed on the resulting heterocycles could serve as a new building block to direct further functionalization.
Attempts at vacuum counterexamples to cosmic censorship in AdS
Authors: Crisford Toby , Horowitz Gary T. , Santos Jorge E.
Published: February 2019

Abstract

We consider vacuum solutions of four dimensional general relativity with Λ < 0. We numerically construct stationary solutions that asymptotically approach a boundary metric with differential rotation. Smooth solutions only exist up to a critical rotation. We thus argue that increasing the differential rotation by a finite amount will cause the curvature to grow without bound. This holds for both zero and nonzero temperature, and both compact and noncompact boundaries. However, the boundary metric always develops an ergoregion before reaching the critical rotation, which probably means that the energy is unbounded from below for these counterexamples to cosmic censorship.
Spontaneous Penile Tumescence by Sparing Cavernous Tissue in the Course of Malleable Penile Prosthesis Implantation
Authors: Zaazaa Adham , Mostafa Taymour
Published: February 2019

Introduction

Spontaneous penile tumescence after penile prosthesis implantation has been sporadically reported in the literature.

Aim

To preserve residual erectile function of patients’ spontaneous penile tumescence by sparing cavernous tissue in the course of malleable penile prosthesis implantation.

Methods

Overall, 92 patients were randomized into 2 equal arms; patients undergoing conventional malleable penile prosthesis implantation, and patients undergoing the cavernous tissue–sparing technique. 1 month after surgery, these patients underwent penile duplex examination to assess the maximal cavernous tissue thickness around the implant cylinders. Additionally, they were asked about the occurrence of any spontaneous or arousal-induced penile tumescence.

Main Outcome Measures

Postoperative changes were compared with the preoperative ones.

Results

The mean maximal cavernous tissue thickness was shown to be significantly higher in the cavernous tissue–sparing group compared with the conventional surgery group (5.2 ± 0.8 mm vs 2.2 ± 1.04 mm, P < .01). In the cavernous tissue–sparing group, 41 of 46 patients (89.13%) reported having a significantly higher incidence of residual penile tumescence vs 7 of 46 patients (15.2%) in the conventional surgery group (P < .001). The postoperative penile girth was significantly higher in the cavernous tissue–sparing group than in the conventional surgery group (11.16 ± 1.1 cm vs 10.11 ± 1.15 cm, P < .001).

Clinical Implications

This study provides a step-by-step approach to maintaining post-implantation penile tumescence and preserving penile girth in a reproducible manner.

Strengths & Limitations

This is the first study to demonstrate the benefits of implanting a penile prosthesis while the penis is in a pharmacologically induced tumescent state. It is also the first to make use of ultrasound imaging in assessing postoperative corporal tissue. The main limitations are the short postoperative follow-up period and the non-blinding of measurements.

Conclusion

It could be concluded that the cavernous tissue–sparing technique is a reproducible technique that has the added value of preserving residual erectile function in the form of retained postoperative penile tumescence and preserved penile girth.
SUSZKO’S PROBLEM: MIXED CONSEQUENCE AND COMPOSITIONALITY
Authors: CHEMLA EMMANUEL , ÉGRÉ PAUL
Published: February 2019

Suszko’s problem is the problem of finding the minimal number of truth values needed to semantically characterize a syntactic consequence relation. Suszko proved that every Tarskian consequence relation can be characterized using only two truth values. Malinowski showed that this number can equal three if some of Tarski’s structural constraints are relaxed. By so doing, Malinowski introduced a case of so-called mixed consequence, allowing the notion of a designated value to vary between the premises and the conclusions of an argument. In this article we give a more systematic perspective on Suszko’s problem and on mixed consequence. First, we prove general representation theorems relating structural properties of a consequence relation to their semantic interpretation, uncovering the semantic counterpart of substitution-invariance, and establishing that (intersective) mixed consequence is fundamentally the semantic counterpart of the structural property of monotonicity. We use those theorems to derive maximum-rank results proved recently in a different setting by French and Ripley, as well as by Blasio, Marcos, and Wansing, for logics with various structural properties (reflexivity, transitivity, none, or both). We strengthen these results into exact rank results for nonpermeable logics (roughly, those which distinguish the role of premises and conclusions). We discuss the underlying notion of rank, and the associated reduction proposed independently by Scott and Suszko. As emphasized by Suszko, that reduction fails to preserve compositionality in general, meaning that the resulting semantics is no longer truth-functional. We propose a modification of that notion of reduction, allowing us to prove that over compact logics with what we call regular connectives, rank results are maintained even if we request the preservation of truth-functionality and additional semantic properties.
Inversion Estimates of Lognormally Distributed Methane Emission Rates From the Haynesville‐Bossier Oil and Gas Production Region Using Airborne Measurements
Authors: Cui Yu Yan , Henze Daven K. , Brioude Jerome , Angevine Wayne M. , Liu Zhen , Bousserez Nicolas , Guerrette Jonathan , McKeen Stuart A. , Peischl Jeff , Yuan Bin , Ryerson Thomas , Frost Gregory , Trainer Michael
Published: February 2019

Quantifying methane (CH4) emissions from the oil and natural gas (O/NG) production sector is an important regulatory challenge in the United States. In this study, we conduct a set of inversion calculations using different methods to quantify lognormal distributed CH4 surface fluxes in the Haynesville‐Bossier O/NG production basin in Texas and Louisiana, combining three statistical cost functions, four meteorological configurations, and two days of aircraft measurements from a 2013 field campaign. We aggregate our posterior flux estimates to derive our best estimate of the basin‐wide CH4 emissions, 76 metric tons/hr, with a 95% highest density interval of 51–104 metric tons/hr, in agreement with previous estimates using mass balance and eddy covariance approaches with the same aircraft measurements. Our inversion estimate of basin‐wide CH4 emissions is 133% (89%–182%, 95% highest density interval) of a gridded Environmental Protection Agency's inventory for 2012, and the largest discrepancies between our study and this inventory are located in the northeastern quadrant of the basin containing active unconventional O/NG wells. Our inversion approach provides a new spatiotemporal characterization of CH4 emissions in this O/NG production region and shows the usefulness of inverse modeling for improving O/NG CH4 emission estimates.
Evolution Model for the Absheron Mud Volcano: From In Situ Observations to Numerical Modeling
Authors: Blouin Arthur , Imbert Patrice , Sultan Nabil , Callot Jean‐Paul
Published: February 2019

The morphology of mud volcanoes (MVs) has been extensively studied over the last few decades. Although recent research has begun to focus on deep processes and structures, little is known about mud generation mechanisms. This study aims to investigate the feeder system and formation of an active kilometer‐scale MV by relying on a 3‐D seismic survey and an in situ data set on the Absheron anticline (South Caspian Basin). Seismic data show a depleted area in the Anhydritic Surakhany Formation (ASF), whose mineralogical composition fits with surface mud. Well data show that the ASF is a succession of evaporitic beds and low‐temperature shales near its fracture pressure. Biostratigraphic analysis confirms a Pliocene origin for the mud, suggesting that the ASF may be the source. Numerical modeling of sedimentation coupled with laboratory test results and well sonic logs fairly reproduces the observed in situ overpressure trend. Two‐dimensional methane diffusion coupled with overpressure caused by rapid sedimentation highlights the superposition of critical fracturing conditions with methane‐saturated sediments at the base of the studied MV. The present study demonstrates the predominant role of fluid overpressure due to sedimentation and gas saturation in the formation of the Absheron MV, and this is shown to occur as follows: (1) methane migration through the thrust‐related faults reaching the ASF, accompanied by (2) lateral overpressure, caused by rapid sedimentation, diffusing along the ASF leading to (3) hydro‐fracturing of overpressured and methane‐saturated sediments resulting in an important decrease in overpressure, causing (4) gas exsolution and expansion triggering sediment remobilization.
Congressional Hearing Considers Paths Forward on Climate Change
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: February 2019

Democrats and Republicans on the House Science Committee sparred about the best ways to deal with climate change but mostly acknowledged the threat.
Expectation effects on brain dopamine responses to methylphenidate in cocaine use disorder
Authors: Wang Gene-Jack , Wiers Corinde E. , Shumay Elena , Tomasi Dardo , Yuan Kai , Wong Christopher T. , Logan Jean , Fowler Joanna S. , Volkow Nora D.
Published: February 2019

The response to drugs of abuse is affected by expectation, which is modulated in part by dopamine (DA), which encodes for a reward prediction error. Here we assessed the effect of expectation on methylphenidate (MP)-induced striatal DA changes in 23 participants with an active cocaine use disorder (CUD) and 23 healthy controls (HC) using [11C]raclopride and PET both after placebo (PL) and after MP (0.5 mg/kg, i.v.). Brain dopamine D2 and D3 receptor availability (D2R: non-displaceable binding potential (BPND)) was measured under four conditions in randomized order: (1) expecting PL/receiving PL, (2) expecting PL/receiving MP, (3) expecting MP/receiving PL, and (4) expecting MP/receiving MP. Expecting MP increased pulse rate compared to expecting PL. Receiving MP decreased D2R in striatum compared to PL, indicating MP-induced striatal DA release, and this effect was significantly blunted in CUD versus HC consistent with prior findings of decreased striatal dopamine responses both in active and detoxified CUD. There was a group × challenge × expectation effect in caudate and midbrain, with expectation of MP increasing MP-induced DA release in HC but not in CUD, and expectation of PL showing a trend to increase MP-induced DA release in CUD but not in HC. These results are consistent with the role of DA in reward prediction error in the human brain: decreasing DA signaling when rewards are less than expected (blunted DA increases to MP in CUD) and increasing them when greater than expected (for PL in CUD reflecting conditioned responses to injection). Our findings also document disruption of the expectation of drug effects in dopamine signaling in participants with CUD compared to non-addicted individuals.
Establishing a generalized polyepigenetic biomarker for tobacco smoking
Authors: Sugden Karen , Hannon Eilis J. , Arseneault Louise , Belsky Daniel W. , Broadbent Jonathan M. , Corcoran David L. , Hancox Robert J. , Houts Renate M. , Moffitt Terrie E. , Poulton Richie , Prinz Joseph A. , Thomson W. Murray , Williams Benjamin S. , Wong Chloe C. Y. , Mill Jonathan , Caspi Avshalom
Published: February 2019

Large-scale epigenome-wide association meta-analyses have identified multiple ‘signatures’’ of smoking. Drawing on these findings, we describe the construction of a polyepigenetic DNA methylation score that indexes smoking behavior and that can be utilized for multiple purposes in population health research. To validate the score, we use data from two birth cohort studies: The Dunedin Longitudinal Study, followed to age-38 years, and the Environmental Risk Study, followed to age-18 years. Longitudinal data show that changes in DNA methylation accumulate with increased exposure to tobacco smoking and attenuate with quitting. Data from twins discordant for smoking behavior show that smoking influences DNA methylation independently of genetic and environmental risk factors. Physiological data show that changes in DNA methylation track smoking-related changes in lung function and gum health over time. Moreover, DNA methylation changes predict corresponding changes in gene expression in pathways related to inflammation, immune response, and cellular trafficking. Finally, we present prospective data about the link between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and epigenetic modifications; these findings document the importance of controlling for smoking-related DNA methylation changes when studying biological embedding of stress in life-course research. We introduce the polyepigenetic DNA methylation score as a tool both for discovery and theory-guided research in epigenetic epidemiology.
Defining rules for cancer cell proliferation in TRAIL stimulation
Authors: Deveaux William , Hayashi Kentaro , Selvarajoo Kumar
Published: February 2019

Owing to their self-organizing evolutionary plasticity, cancers remain evasive to modern treatment strategies. Previously, for sensitizing tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL)-resistant human fibrosarcoma (HT1080), we developed and validated a dynamic computational model that showed the inhibition of protein kinase (PK)C, using bisindolylmaleimide (BIS) I, enhances apoptosis with 95% cell death. Although promising, the long-term effect of remaining ~ 5% cells is a mystery. Will they remain unchanged or are they able to proliferate? To address this question, here we adopted a discrete spatiotemporal cellular automata model utilizing simple rules modified from the famous “Conway’s game of life”. Based on three experimental initializations: cell numbers obtained from untreated (high), treatment with TRAIL only (moderate), and treatment with TRAIL and BIS I (low), the simulations show cell proliferation in time and space. Notably, when all cells are fixed in their initial space, the proliferation is rapid for high and moderate cell numbers, however, slow and steady for low number of cells. However, when mesenchymal-like random movement was introduced, the proliferation becomes significant even for low cell numbers. Experimental verification showed high proportion of mesenchymal cells in TRAIL and BIS I treatment compared with untreated or TRAIL only treatment. In agreement with the model with cell movement, we observed rapid proliferation of the remnant cells in TRAIL and BIS I treatment over time. Hence, our work highlights the importance of mesenchymal-like cellular movement for cancer proliferation. Nevertheless, re-treatment of TRAIL and BIS I on proliferating cancers is still largely effective.
A signal processing method for alignment-free metagenomic binning: multi-resolution genomic binary patterns
Authors: Kouchaki Samaneh , Tapinos Avraam , Robertson David L.
Published: February 2019

Algorithms in bioinformatics use textual representations of genetic information, sequences of the characters A, T, G and C represented computationally as strings or sub-strings. Signal and related image processing methods offer a rich source of alternative descriptors as they are designed to work in the presence of noisy data without the need for exact matching. Here we introduce a method, multi-resolution local binary patterns (MLBP) adapted from image processing to extract local ‘texture’ changes from nucleotide sequence data. We apply this feature space to the alignment-free binning of metagenomic data. The effectiveness of MLBP is demonstrated using both simulated and real human gut microbial communities. Sequence reads or contigs can be represented as vectors and their ‘texture’ compared efficiently using machine learning algorithms to perform dimensionality reduction to capture eigengenome information and perform clustering (here using randomized singular value decomposition and BH-tSNE). The intuition behind our method is the MLBP feature vectors permit sequence comparisons without the need for explicit pairwise matching. We demonstrate this approach outperforms existing methods based on k-mer frequencies. The signal processing method, MLBP, thus offers a viable alternative feature space to textual representations of sequence data. The source code for our Multi-resolution Genomic Binary Patterns method can be found at https://github.com/skouchaki/MrGBP.
Temporal and Effort cost Decision-making in Healthy Individuals with Subclinical Psychotic Symptoms
Authors: Terenzi Damiano , Mainetto Elena , Barbato Mariapaola , Rumiati Raffaella Ida , Aiello Marilena
Published: February 2019

The value people attribute to rewards is influenced both by the time and the effort required to obtain them. Impairments in these computations are described in patients with schizophrenia and appear associated with negative symptom severity. This study investigated whether deficits in temporal and effort cost computations can be observed in individuals with subclinical psychotic symptoms (PS) to determine if this dysfunction is already present in a potentially pre-psychotic period. Sixty participants, divided into three groups based on the severity of PS (high, medium and low), performed two temporal discounting tasks with food and money and a concurrent schedule task, in which the effort to obtain food increased over time. We observed that in high PS participants the discounting rate appeared linear and flatter than that exhibited by participants with medium and low PS, especially with food. In the concurrent task, compared to those with low PS, participants with high PS exerted tendentially less effort to obtain snacks only when the required effort was high. Participants exerting less effort in the higher effort condition were those with higher negative symptoms. These results suggest that aberrant temporal and effort cost computations might be present in individuals with subclinical PS and therefore could represent a vulnerability marker for psychosis.
Cost-effective and robust genotyping using double-mismatch allele-specific quantitative PCR
Authors: Lefever Steve , Rihani Ali , Van der Meulen Joni , Pattyn Filip , Van Maerken Tom , Van Dorpe Jo , Hellemans Jan , Vandesompele Jo
Published: February 2019

For a wide range of diseases, SNPs in the genome are the underlying mechanism of dysfunction. Therefore, targeted detection of these variations is of high importance for early diagnosis and (familial) screenings. While allele-specific PCR has been around for many years, its adoption for SNP genotyping or somatic mutation detection has been hampered by its low discriminating power and high costs. To tackle this, we developed a cost-effective qPCR based method, able to detect SNPs in a robust and specific manner. This study describes how to combine the basic principles of allele-specific PCR (the combination of a wild type and variant primer) with the straightforward readout of DNA-binding dye based qPCR technology. To enhance the robustness and discriminating power, an artificial mismatch in the allele-specific primer was introduced. The resulting method, called double-mismatch allele-specific qPCR (DMAS-qPCR), was successfully validated using 12 SNPs and 15 clinically relevant somatic mutations on 48 cancer cell lines. It is easy to use, does not require labeled probes and is characterized by high analytical sensitivity and specificity. DMAS-qPCR comes with a complimentary online assay design tool, available for the whole scientific community, enabling researchers to design custom assays and implement those as a diagnostic test.
Screening and identification of a non-peptide antagonist for the peptide hormone receptor in Arabidopsis
Authors: Shinohara Hidefumi , Yasue Naoko , Onuki Tetsuo , Kondoh Yasumitsu , Yoshida Minoru , Matsubayashi Yoshikatsu
Published: February 2019

Intercellular signaling mediated by peptide hormones and membrane-localized receptor kinases plays crucial roles in plant developmental processes. Because of their diverse functions, agonistic or antagonistic modulation of peptide signaling holds enormous promise for agricultural applications. Here we established a high-throughput screening system using a bead-immobilized receptor kinase and fluorescent-labeled peptide ligand to identify small molecules that bind peptide hormone receptors in competition with natural ligands. We used the Arabidopsis CLE9-BAM1 ligand-receptor pair to screen a library of ≈30,000 chemicals and identified NPD12704 as an antagonist for BAM1. NPD12704 also inhibited CLV3 binding to BAM1 but only minimally interfered with CLV3 binding to CLV1, the closest homolog of BAM1, demonstrating preferential receptor specificity. Treatment of clv1-101 mutant seedlings with NPD12704 enhanced the enlarged shoot apical meristem phenotype. Our results provide a technological framework enabling high-throughput identification of small non-peptide chemicals that specifically control receptor kinase–mediated peptide hormone signaling in plants.
Bacteria-activated chlorin e6 ionic liquid based on cation and anion dual-mode antibacterial action for enhanced photodynamic efficacy
Authors: Wang Chaoli , chen Peng , Qiao Youbei , Kang Yuan , Guo Songyan , Wu Danfeng , Wang Jian , Wu Hong
Published: February 2019

With the increase in antibiotic resistance, photosensitizers ionic liquid with no detectable resistance and broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity are promising antimicrobial agents.
Skin delivery of hyaluronic acid by the combined use of sponge spicules and flexible liposomes
Authors: Zhang Chi , Zhang Keda , Zhang Jialiang , Ou Huilong , Duan Jiwen , Zhang Saiman , Wang Dexiang , Mitragotri Samir , Chen Ming
Published: February 2019

We demonstrated that the topical combined use of sponge Haliclona sp. spicules (SHS) and flexible liposomes (FL), referred to as SFLS (SHS-Flexible Liposomes combined System), can result in synergy to improve the skin absorption and deposition of hyaluronic acid (HA).
Algae response to engineered nanoparticles: current understanding, mechanisms and implications
Authors: Chen Feiran , Xiao Zhenggao , Yue Le , Wang Jing , Feng Yan , Zhu Xiaoshan , Wang Zhenyu , Xing Baoshan
Published: February 2019

The key algal response mechanisms to cope with NP toxicity and implications for algal bloom control by NPs.
At a high dose even partially degraded beta-glucan with decreased solubility significantly reduced the glycaemic response to bread
Authors: Rieder Anne , Knutsen Svein H. , Sainz Fernandez Aida , Ballance Simon
Published: February 2019

Breads with high beta-glucan contents reduce glycaemic responses. Dilution of nutrients, delayed gastric emptying or mucus-layer interaction are possible explanatory factors, but not bulk viscosity or in vitro starch digestibility.
Fischernolides A–D, four novel diterpene-based meroterpenoid scaffolds with antitumor activities fromEuphorbia fischeriana
Authors: Zhang Jia , He Jun , Cheng Yung-Chi , Zhang Pei-Cheng , Yan Yu , Zhang Hao-Jun , Zhang Wei-Ku , Xu Jie-Kun
Published: February 2019

Fischernolides A–D (1–4), representing the rare 28-carbon meroterpenoid skeleton of abietane and an acylphloroglucinol conjugate, bearing an α-furanone or α-pyrone ring, were isolated and identified from the roots ofEuphorbia fischeriana.
Biomimetic composite scaffold from an in situ hydroxyapatite coating on cellulose nanocrystals
Authors: Huang Chen , Bhagia Samarthya , Hao Naijia , Meng Xianzhi , Liang Luna , Yong Qiang , Ragauskas Arthur J.
Published: February 2019

A novel nanocomposite scaffold was developed by homogeneous deposition of hydroxyapatite (HAP) on a cellulose nanocrystal (CNCs) matrix suspended in a simulated body fluid (SBF).
Good practices for reporting the photocatalytic evaluation of a visible-light active semiconductor: Bi2O3, a case study
Authors: Hernández-Gordillo Agileo , Bizarro Monserrat , Gadhi Tanveer A. , Martínez Ana , Tagliaferro Alberto , Rodil Sandra E.
Published: February 2019

The use of dyes to evaluate visible-light photocatalysts requires a proper determination of the contribution from the competing processes: adsorption, sensitization, photobleaching and degradation.
Auction‐based power allocation for downlink non‐orthogonal multiple access systems
Authors: Lamba A.K. , Kumar R. , Sharma S.
Published: February 2019

Non‐orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) has been considered as one of the key enabling techniques for next‐generation wireless networks and the overall performance of these systems largely depends on the power allocation (PA). In this Letter, the authors address the PA problem in a downlink cellular NOMA network. They propose an auction‐based mechanism in which the users compete for the transmit power being sold by the base station. Each user places his bid iteratively in order to maximise his own utility. Further, the authors prove the existence of an unique Nash equilibrium theoretically. Simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed scheme in terms of the average sum rate of users as compared to an existing algorithm.