bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
DIMENSIONS OF RESPONSIBILITY: FREEDOM OF ACTION AND FREEDOM OF WILL
Authors: Kane Robert
Published: September 2019

In this essay, I distinguish two dimensions of responsibility: (i) responsibility for expressing the will (character, motives, and purposes) one has in action (voluntarily and without constraint) and (ii) responsibility for having the will one expresses in action. I argue that taking both of these dimensions into account is necessary to do full justice to our understanding of moral responsibility and our ordinary practices of holding persons responsible in moral and legal contexts. I further argue that the distinction between these dimensions of responsibility is importantly related to understanding age-old debates about the freedom of the will. For the first dimension of responsibility is historically related to the freedom of action—the power to freely express the will one already has in action. While the second dimension is historically related to the freedom of the will—the power to freely form or shape that will one may later express in action. And I argue that while the freedom of action so defined may be compatible with determinism, the freedom of will, and the deeper responsibility associated with it for forming one’s own will, which I call “ultimate responsibility,” are not compatible with a thoroughgoing determinism. In arguing throughout the essay for these claims and for the need to take into account both of these dimensions to do full justice to our understanding of moral responsibility, I consider ordinary practices of holding persons responsible in a variety of moral and legal contexts, discussing in the process H. L. A. Hart’s “fair opportunity to avoid wrongdoing” criterion for assessing responsibility and blame in legal and criminal contexts, the relevance of recent experimental studies about folk intuitions concerning assessments of responsibility and blame, Harry Frankfurt’s critique of the “principle of alternative possibilities,” the distinction between “will-settled” and “will-setting” actions, and contemporary critiques of the very possibility and intelligibility of an ultimate responsibility for forming one’s own will that would be incompatible with determinism.
A Multimodel Approach for Improving Seasonal Probabilistic Forecasts of Regional Arctic Sea Ice
Authors: Dirkson A. , Denis B. , Merryfield W.J.
Published: September 2019

We formulate seasonal probabilistic forecasts of Arctic sea ice concentration from a multimodel (MM) ensemble constructed from six state‐of‐the‐art climate models. Trend‐adjusted quantile mapping is applied to postprocess individual model forecasts prior to MM combination, and a comparison is made against two benchmark MM ensembles: one uncorrected and another where individual models are adjusted for mean and trend bias. Focusing on September hindcasts over 2000–2015 initialized monthly from April–August, calibration improves forecast skill for all models tested, but greatest skill is achieved by the calibrated MM ensemble. Compared against a climatology adjusted for trends, skill is seen over most of the Arctic for all MM formulations and at all lead times, with highest skill obtained by the calibrated MM ensemble. Furthermore, despite the overall skill for each MM formulation, we find evidence of the “spring predictability skill barrier” for forecasts initialized before June.
Simultaneous Dependence of the Earthquake‐Size Distribution on Faulting Style and Depth
Authors: Petruccelli A. , Gasperini P. , Tormann T. , Schorlemmer D. , Rinaldi A.P. , Vannucci G. , Wiemer S.
Published: September 2019

We analyze two high‐quality Southern Californian earthquake catalogues, one with focal mechanisms, to statistically model and test for dependencies of the earthquake‐size distribution, the b values, on both faulting style and depth. In our null hypothesis, b is assumed constant. We then develop and calibrate one model based only on faulting style, another based only on depth dependence and two models that assume a simultaneous dependence on both parameters. We develop a new maximum‐likelihood estimator corrected for the degrees of freedom to assess models' performances. Our results show that all models significantly reject the null hypothesis. The best performing is the one that simultaneously takes account of depth and faulting style. Our results suggest that differential stress variations in the Earth's crust systematically influence b values and that this variability should be considered for contemporary seismic hazard studies.
Ultra‐long Duration of Seismic Ground Motion Arising From a Thick, Low‐Velocity Sedimentary Wedge
Authors: Kaneko Yoshihiro , Ito Yoshihiro , Chow Bryant , Wallace Laura M. , Tape Carl , Grapenthin Ronni , D'Anastasio Elisabetta , Henrys Stuart , Hino Ryota
Published: September 2019

Sedimentary basins are known to amplify and increase the duration of ground motions that accompany earthquakes. A similar phenomenon is expected, but not as well documented, in low seismic‐velocity accretionary prisms along subduction margins. In this study, we report anomalously long duration of long‐period ground motions observed in the North Island of New Zealand during seismic wave propagation from the M7.8 Kaikoura earthquake ∼600 km away. Unique waveform data captured by strong‐motion, high‐rate GPS and ocean bottom pressure sensors reveal that long‐period ground motions lasted longer than 450 s in the northeastern North Island. These waveforms indicate one of the longest durations of long‐period (>10 s) ground motions ever recorded at similar epicentral distances for comparable, large earthquakes. To understand the underlying mechanism, we use numerical simulations of seismic wave propagation. We find that a velocity model that includes an accretionary prism, modeled as a large‐scale (∼30,000 km2) wedge characterized by extremely low seismic wave speeds, can explain the observed long durations of long‐period ground motions as the reverberations of seismic waves within the low‐velocity wedge. We show that the long duration of long‐period ground motions leads to prolonged dynamic stressing on the plate interface, likely accentuating the triggering of slow slip that occurred following the Kaikoura earthquake. Accretionary prisms characterized by extremely low seismic velocities may enhance the generation of tsunami earthquakes and dynamic triggering of slow slip events observed in the northern Hikurangi and other subduction margins.
PaCTS 1.0: A Crowdsourced Reporting Standard for Paleoclimate Data
Authors: Khider D. , Emile‐Geay J. , McKay N. P. , Gil Y. , Garijo D. , Ratnakar V. , Alonso‐Garcia M. , Bertrand S. , Bothe O. , Brewer P. , Bunn A. , Chevalier M. , Comas‐Bru L. , Csank A. , Dassié E. , DeLong K. , Felis T. , Francus P. , Frappier A. , Gray W. , Goring S. , Jonkers L. , Kahle M. , Kaufman D. , Kehrwald N. M. , Martrat B. , McGregor H. , Richey J. , Schmittner A. , Scroxton N. , Sutherland E. , Thirumalai K. , Allen K. , Arnaud F. , Axford Y. , Barrows T. , Bazin L. , Pilaar Birch S. E. , Bradley E. , Bregy J. , Capron E. , Cartapanis O. , Chiang H.‐W. , Cobb K. M. , Debret M. , Dommain R. , Du J. , Dyez K. , Emerick S. , Erb M. P. , Falster G. , Finsinger W. , Fortier D. , Gauthier Nicolas , George S. , Grimm E. , Hertzberg J. , Hibbert F. , Hillman A. , Hobbs W. , Huber M. , Hughes A. L. C. , Jaccard S. , Ruan J. , Kienast M. , Konecky B. , Le Roux G. , Lyubchich V. , Novello V. F. , Olaka L. , Partin J. W. , Pearce C. , Phipps S. J. , Pignol C. , Piotrowska N. , Poli M.‐S. , Prokopenko A. , Schwanck F. , Stepanek C. , Swann G. E. A. , Telford R. , Thomas E. , Thomas Z. , Truebe S. , von Gunten L. , Waite A. , Weitzel N. , Wilhelm B. , Williams J. , Williams J. J. , Winstrup M. , Zhao N. , Zhou Y.
Published: September 2019

The progress of science is tied to the standardization of measurements, instruments, and data. This is especially true in the Big Data age, where analyzing large data volumes critically hinges on the data being standardized. Accordingly, the lack of community‐sanctioned data standards in paleoclimatology has largely precluded the benefits of Big Data advances in the field. Building upon recent efforts to standardize the format and terminology of paleoclimate data, this article describes the Paleoclimate Community reporTing Standard (PaCTS), a crowdsourced reporting standard for such data. PaCTS captures which information should be included when reporting paleoclimate data, with the goal of maximizing the reuse value of paleoclimate data sets, particularly for synthesis work and comparison to climate model simulations. Initiated by the LinkedEarth project, the process to elicit a reporting standard involved an international workshop in 2016, various forms of digital community engagement over the next few years, and grassroots working groups. Participants in this process identified important properties across paleoclimate archives, in addition to the reporting of uncertainties and chronologies; they also identified archive‐specific properties and distinguished reporting standards for new versus legacy data sets. This work shows that at least 135 respondents overwhelmingly support a drastic increase in the amount of metadata accompanying paleoclimate data sets. Since such goals are at odds with present practices, we discuss a transparent path toward implementing or revising these recommendations in the near future, using both bottom‐up and top‐down approaches.
Space Weather Journal: Into the Future
Authors: Knipp Delores J.
Published: September 2019

The Editor in Chief discusses the vitality of Space Weather Journal.
PTSS in Fathers of VLBW Infants Two to Four Years Postpartum: A Pilot Study
Authors: Alexander Amy L. , Clarke Paul , Rushworth Imogen , Mastroyannopoulou Kiki
Published: September 2019

Aim: The aim of the study was to conduct a pilot study to compare fathers of very low birth weight (VLBW; <1,500 g) infants and term infants at 2–4 years postpartum for self-reported posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) related to the previous birth of their baby and for depression and anxiety. The prevalence of paternal PTSS was compared with that of a historical cohort of mothers of VLBW infants followed up at a similar postnatal age. Method: Twenty-six fathers of VLBW infants and 22 fathers of term infants completed 4 validated psychological questionnaires at 2–4 years postpartum. Results: PTSS levels were significantly higher in fathers of VLBW infants than in fathers of term infants, and PTSS levels did not differ significantly between fathers and the mothers of VLBW infants of a historical cohort. There was a significant association between perceived levels of social support and PTSS severity in fathers of VLBW infants but not for their anxiety or depression severity. Conclusion: PTSS directly related to the birth of their VLBW infants are present in fathers at 2–4 years postpartum and occur at similar levels to those found in mothers of VLBW infants. Routine screening for PTSS in fathers of VLBW infants is important, and targeted psychological support should be offered. Larger-scale studies in the area are needed to elucidate further information about PTSS in fathers postpartum.

Implications for Impact Statement

Fathers of very low birth weight (VLBW) infants infants experience significantly greater levels of posttraumatic stress symptoms than fathers of term infants, 2–4 years postpartum. Fathers of VLBW infants experience similarly high levels of posttraumatic stress symptoms to mothers of VLBW infants at 2–4 years postpartum. These findings highlight the importance of screening fathers for such difficulties and the need to implement psychological support for them.
A hybrid organic–inorganic polariton LED
Authors: Jayaprakash Rahul , Georgiou Kyriacos , Coulthard Harriet , Askitopoulos Alexis , Rajendran Sai K. , Coles David M. , Musser Andrew J. , Clark Jenny , Samuel Ifor D. W. , Turnbull Graham A. , Lagoudakis Pavlos G. , Lidzey David G.
Published: September 2019

Polaritons are quasi-particles composed of a superposition of excitons and photons that can be created within a strongly coupled optical microcavity. Here, we describe a structure in which a strongly coupled microcavity containing an organic semiconductor is coupled to a second microcavity containing a series of weakly coupled inorganic quantum wells. We show that optical hybridisation occurs between the optical modes of the two cavities, creating a delocalised polaritonic state. By electrically injecting electron–hole pairs into the inorganic quantum-well system, we are able to transfer energy between the cavities and populate organic-exciton polaritons. Our approach represents a new strategy to create highly efficient devices for emerging ‘polaritonic’ technologies.
Retraction Note: BRD7 inhibits the Warburg effect and tumor progression through inactivation of HIF1α/LDHA axis in breast cancer
Authors: Niu Weihong , Luo Yanwei , Wang Xinye , Zhou Yao , Li Hui , Wang Heran , Fu Yaojie , Liu Shanshan , Yin Shanghelin , Li Jianglei , Zhao Ran , Liu Yukun , Fan Songqing , Li Zheng , Xiong Wei , Li Xiaoling , Li Guiyuan , Ren Caiping , Tan Ming , Zhou Ming
Published: September 2019

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.
Examining charitable giving in real-world online donations
Authors: Sisco Matthew R. , Weber Elke U.
Published: September 2019

The current study uses big data to study prosocial behavior by analyzing donations made on the GoFundMe platform. In a dataset of more than $44 million in online donations, we find that 21% were made while opting to be anonymous to the public, with survey results indicating that 11% of these anonymous donations (2.3% of all donations) are not attributable to any egoistic goal. Additionally, we find that donors gave significantly more to recipients who had the same last name as them. We find evidence that men and women donated more when more donors of the opposite sex were visible on the screen at the time of donating. Our results suggest that men and women were both significantly affected by the average donation amounts visible at the time of their decisions, and men were influenced more. We find that women expressed significantly more empathy than men in messages accompanying their donations.
Genetic programming of macrophages to perform anti-tumor functions using targeted mRNA nanocarriers
Authors: Zhang F. , Parayath N. N. , Ene C. I. , Stephan S. B. , Koehne A. L. , Coon M. E. , Holland E. C. , Stephan M. T.
Published: September 2019

Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) usually express an M2 phenotype, which enables them to perform immunosuppressive and tumor-promoting functions. Reprogramming these TAMs toward an M1 phenotype could thwart their pro-cancer activities and unleash anti-tumor immunity, but efforts to accomplish this are nonspecific and elicit systemic inflammation. Here we describe a targeted nanocarrier that can deliver in vitro-transcribed mRNA encoding M1-polarizing transcription factors to reprogram TAMs without causing systemic toxicity. We demonstrate in models of ovarian cancer, melanoma, and glioblastoma that infusions of nanoparticles formulated with mRNAs encoding interferon regulatory factor 5 in combination with its activating kinase IKKβ reverse the immunosuppressive, tumor-supporting state of TAMs and reprogram them to a phenotype that induces anti-tumor immunity and promotes tumor regression. We further establish that these nanoreagents are safe for repeated dosing. Implemented in the clinic, this immunotherapy could enable physicians to obviate suppressive tumors while avoiding systemic treatments that disrupt immune homeostasis.
The moderating role of SES on genetic differences in educational achievement in the Netherlands
Authors: de Zeeuw Eveline L. , Kan Kees-Jan , van Beijsterveldt Catharina E. M. , Mbarek Hamdi , Hottenga Jouke-Jan , Davies Gareth E. , Neale Michael C. , Dolan Conor V. , Boomsma Dorret I.
Published: September 2019

Parental socioeconomic status (SES) is a strong predictor of children’s educational achievement (EA), with an increasing effect throughout development. Inequality in educational outcomes between children from different SES backgrounds exists in all Western countries. It has been proposed that a cause of this inequality lies in the interplay between genetic effects and SES on EA, which might depend on society and the equality of the education system. This study adopted two approaches, a classical twin design and polygenic score (PGS) approach, to address the effect of parental SES on EA in a large sample of 12-year-old Dutch twin pairs (2479 MZ and 4450 DZ twin pairs with PGSs for educational attainment available in 2335 children) from the Netherlands Twin Register (NTR). The findings of this study indicated that average EA increased with increasing parental SES. The difference in EA between boys and girls became smaller in the higher SES groups. The classical twin design analyses based on genetic covariance structure modeling pointed to lower genetic, environmental, and thus phenotypic variation in EA at higher SES. Independent from a child’s PGS, parental SES predicted EA. However, the strength of the association between PGS and EA did not depend on parental SES. In a within-family design, the twin with a higher PGS scored higher on EA than the co-twin, demonstrating that the effect of the PGS on EA was at least partly independent from parental SES. To conclude, EA depended on SES both directly and indirectly, and SES moderated the additive genetic and environmental components of EA. Adding information from PGS, in addition to parental SES, improved the prediction of children’s EA.
Creating reproducible pharmacogenomic analysis pipelines
Authors: Mammoliti Anthony , Smirnov Petr , Safikhani Zhaleh , Ba-Alawi Wail , Haibe-Kains Benjamin
Published: September 2019

The field of pharmacogenomics presents great challenges for researchers that are willing to make their studies reproducible and shareable. This is attributed to the generation of large volumes of high-throughput multimodal data, and the lack of standardized workflows that are robust, scalable, and flexible to perform large-scale analyses. To address this issue, we developed pharmacogenomic workflows in the Common Workflow Language to process two breast cancer datasets in a reproducible and transparent manner. Our pipelines combine both pharmacological and molecular profiles into a portable data object that can be used for future analyses in cancer research. Our data objects and workflows are shared on Harvard Dataverse and Code Ocean where they have been assigned a unique Digital Object Identifier, providing a level of data provenance and a persistent location to access and share our data with the community.
Assessing the Protective Metabolome Using Machine Learning in World Trade Center Particulate Exposed Firefighters at Risk for Lung Injury
Authors: Crowley George , Kwon Sophia , Ostrofsky Dean F. , Clementi Emily A. , Haider Syed Hissam , Caraher Erin J. , Lam Rachel , St-Jules David E. , Liu Mengling , Prezant David J. , Nolan Anna
Published: September 2019

The metabolome of World Trade Center (WTC) particulate matter (PM) exposure has yet to be fully defined and may yield information that will further define bioactive pathways relevant to lung injury. A subset of Fire Department of New York firefighters demonstrated resistance to subsequent loss of lung function. We intend to characterize the metabolome of never smoking WTC-exposed firefighters, stratified by resistance to WTC-Lung Injury (WTC-LI) to determine metabolite pathways significant in subjects resistant to the loss of lung function. The global serum metabolome was determined in those resistant to WTC-LI and controls (n = 15 in each). Metabolites most important to class separation (top 5% by Random Forest (RF) of 594 qualified metabolites) included elevated amino acid and long-chain fatty acid metabolites, and reduced hexose monophosphate shunt metabolites in the resistant cohort. RF using the refined metabolic profile was able to classify cases and controls with an estimated success rate of 93.3%, and performed similarly upon cross-validation. Agglomerative hierarchical clustering identified potential influential pathways of resistance to the development of WTC-LI. These pathways represent potential therapeutic targets and warrant further research.
Phosphorylation-dependent modulation of CFTR macromolecular signalling complex activity by cigarette smoke condensate in airway epithelia
Authors: Schnúr Andrea , Premchandar Aiswarya , Bagdany Miklos , Lukacs Gergely L.
Published: September 2019

Genetic and acquired loss-of-function defect of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) compromise airway surface liquid homeostasis and mucociliary clearance (MCC), culminating in recurrent lung inflammation/infection. While chronic cigarette smoke (CS), CS extract (CSE; water-soluble compounds) and CS condensate (CSC; particulate, organic fraction) exposure inhibit CFTR activity at transcriptional, biochemical, and functional levels, the acute impact of CSC remains incompletely understood. We report that CSC transiently activates CFTR chloride secretion in airway epithelia. The comparable CFTR phospho-occupancy after CSC- and forskolin-exposure, determined by affinity-enriched tandem mass spectrometry and pharmacology, suggest that localised cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) stimulation by CSC causes the channel opening. Due to the inhibition of the MRP4/ABCC4, a cAMP-exporter confined to the CFTR macromolecular signalling-complex, PKA activation is accomplished by the subcompartmentalised elevation of cytosolic cAMP. In line, MRP4 inhibition results in CFTR activation and phospho-occupancy similar to that by forskolin. In contrast, acute CSC exposure reversibly inhibits the phosphorylated CFTR both in vivo and in phospholipid bilayers, without altering its cell surface density and phospho-occupancy. We propose that components of CSC elicit both a transient protective CFTR activation, as well as subsequent channel block in airway epithelia, contributing to the subacute MCC defect in acquired CF lung diseases.
Innate immune responses to paraquat exposure in a Drosophila model of Parkinson’s disease
Authors: Maitra Urmila , Scaglione Michael N. , Chtarbanova Stanislava , O’Donnell Janis M.
Published: September 2019

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a progressive, neurodegenerative movement disorder characterized by the loss of dopaminergic (DA) neurons. Limited understanding of the early molecular pathways associated with the demise of DA neurons, including those of inflammatory exacerbation of neurodegeneration, is a major impediment to therapeutic development. Recent studies have implicated gene-environment interactions in PD susceptibility. We used transcriptomic profiling in a Drosophila PD model in response to paraquat (PQ)-induced oxidative stress to identify pre-symptomatic signatures of impending neuron dysfunction. Our RNAseq data analysis revealed extensive regulation of innate immune response genes following PQ ingestion. We found that PQ exposure leads to the activation of the NF-κB transcription factor, Relish, and the stress signaling factor JNK, encoded by the gene basket in Drosophila. Relish knockdown in the dopaminergic neurons confers PQ resistance and rescues mobility defects and DA neuron loss. Furthermore, PQ-induced toxicity is mediated through the immune deficiency signaling pathway. Surprisingly, the expression of Relish-dependent anti-microbial peptide (AMPs) genes is suppressed upon PQ exposure causing increased sensitivity to Gram-negative bacterial infection. This work provides a novel link between PQ exposure and innate immune system modulation underlying environmental toxin-induced neurodegeneration, thereby underscoring the role of the innate immune system in PD pathogenesis.
Delay effect and burden of weather-related tuberculosis cases in Rajshahi province, Bangladesh, 2007–2012
Authors: Kuddus Md Abdul , McBryde Emma S. , Adegboye Oyelola A.
Published: September 2019

Tuberculosis (TB) is a potentially fatal infectious disease that continues to be a public health problem in Bangladesh. Each year in Bangladesh an estimated 70,000 people die of TB and 300,000 new cases are projected. It is important to understand the association between TB incidence and weather factors in Bangladesh in order to develop proper intervention programs. In this study, we examine the delayed effect of weather variables on TB occurrence and estimate the burden of the disease that can be attributed to weather factors. We used generalized linear Poisson regression models to investigate the association between weather factors and TB cases reported to the Bangladesh National TB control program between 2007 and 2012 in three known endemic districts of North-East Bangladesh. The associated risk of TB in the three districts increases with prolonged exposure to temperature and rainfall, and persisted at lag periods beyond 6 quarters. The association between humidity and TB is strong and immediate at low humidity, but the risk decreases with increasing lag. Using the optimum weather values corresponding to the lowest risk of infection, the risk of TB is highest at low temperature, low humidity and low rainfall. Measures of the risk attributable to weather variables revealed that weather-TB cases attributed to humidity is higher than that of temperature and rainfall in each of the three districts. Our results highlight the high linearity of temporal lagged effects and magnitudes of the burden attributable to temperature, humidity, and rainfall on TB endemics. The results can hopefully advise the Bangladesh National TB control program and act as a practical reference for the early warning of TB cases.
Rapid and Highly Controlled Generation of Monodisperse Multiple Emulsions via a One-Step Hybrid Microfluidic Device
Authors: Azarmanesh Milad , Bawazeer Saleh , Mohamad Abdulmajeed A. , Sanati-Nezhad Amir
Published: September 2019

Multiple Emulsions (MEs) contain a drop laden with many micro-droplets. A single-step microfluidic-based synthesis process of MEs is presented to provide a rapid and controlled generation of monodisperse MEs. The design relies on the interaction of three immiscible fluids with each other in subsequent droplet formation steps to generate monodisperse ME constructs. The design is within a microchannel consists of two compartments of cross-junction and T-junction. The high shear stress at the cross-junction creates a stagnation point that splits the first immiscible phase to four jet streams each of which are sprayed to micrometer droplets surrounded by the second phase. The resulted structure is then supported by the third phase at the T-junction to generate and transport MEs. The ME formation within microfluidics is numerically simulated and the effects of several key parameters on properties of MEs are investigated. The dimensionless modeling of ME formation enables to change only one parameter at the time and analyze the sensitivity of the system to each parameter. The results demonstrate the capability of highly controlled and high-throughput MEs formation in a one-step synthesis process. The consecutive MEs are monodisperse in size which open avenues for the generation of controlled MEs for different applications.
Immobilisation of α-amylase on activated amidrazone acrylic fabric: a new approach for the enhancement of enzyme stability and reusability
Authors: Al-Najada Ahmed R. , Almulaiky Yaaser Q. , Aldhahri Musab , El-Shishtawy Reda M. , Mohamed Saleh A. , Baeshen Mohammed , AL-Farga Ammar , Abdulaal Wesam H. , Al-Harbi Sami A.
Published: September 2019

In this study, amidrazone acrylic fabric was applied as an immobilising support for α-amylase. The immobilised α-amylase was characterised by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Furthermore, the optimum conditions for immobilisation efficiency, immobilisation time, reusability, kinetic parameters and pH, for the immobilisation process were examined. The study demonstrated that with 4% cyanuric chloride, and a pH of 7.0, the highest immobilization efficiency of 81% was obtained. Around 65% of the initial activity was maintained after storage at 4 °C for 8 weeks. The immobilised enzyme retained 53% of its original activity after being reused 15 times and exhibited improved stability compared with the free enzyme in relation to heavy metal ions, pH, temperature and inhibitors. The immobilised enzyme presented kinetic parameters of 2.6 mg starch and 0.65 µmol maltose/mL for Km and Vmax respectively, compared with 3.7 mg starch and 0.83 µmol maltose/ mL for the free enzyme. The improvements in the enzyme’s catalytic properties, stability and reusability obtained from immobilisation make amidrazone acrylic fabric support a good promising candidate for bio-industrial applications.
Quantum confinement-induced semimetal-to-semiconductor evolution in large-area ultra-thin PtSe2 films grown at 400 °C
Authors: Ansari Lida , Monaghan Scott , McEvoy Niall , Coileáin Cormac Ó , Cullen Conor P. , Lin Jun , Siris Rita , Stimpel-Lindner Tanja , Burke Kevin F. , Mirabelli Gioele , Duffy Ray , Caruso Enrico , Nagle Roger E. , Duesberg Georg S. , Hurley Paul K. , Gity Farzan
Published: September 2019

In this work, we present a comprehensive theoretical and experimental study of quantum confinement in layered platinum diselenide (PtSe2) films as a function of film thickness. Our electrical measurements, in combination with density functional theory calculations, show distinct layer-dependent semimetal-to-semiconductor evolution in PtSe2 films, and highlight the importance of including van der Waals interactions, Green’s function calibration, and screened Coulomb interactions in the determination of the thickness-dependent PtSe2 energy gap. Large-area PtSe2 films of varying thickness (2.5–6.5 nm) were formed at 400 °C by thermally assisted conversion of ultra-thin platinum films on Si/SiO2 substrates. The PtSe2 films exhibit p-type semiconducting behavior with hole mobility values up to 13 cm2/V·s. Metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors have been fabricated using the grown PtSe2 films and a gate field-controlled switching performance with an ION/IOFF ratio of >230 has been measured at room temperature for a 2.5–3 nm PtSe2 film, while the ratio drops to <2 for 5–6.5 nm-thick PtSe2 films, consistent with a semiconducting-to-semimetallic transition with increasing PtSe2 film thickness. These experimental observations indicate that the low-temperature growth of semimetallic or semiconducting PtSe2 could be integrated into the back-end-of-line of a silicon complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor process.
Variation in appendages in early Cambrian bradoriids reveals a wide range of body plans in stem-euarthropods
Authors: Zhai Dayou , Williams Mark , Siveter David J. , Harvey Thomas H. P. , Sansom Robert S. , Gabbott Sarah E. , Siveter Derek J. , Ma Xiaoya , Zhou Runqing , Liu Yu , Hou Xianguang
Published: September 2019

Traditionally, the origin and evolution of modern arthropod body plans has been revealed through increasing levels of appendage specialisation exhibited by Cambrian euarthropods. Here we show significant variation in limb morphologies and patterns of limb-tagmosis among three early Cambrian arthropod species conventionally assigned to the Bradoriida. These arthropods are recovered as a monophyletic stem-euarthropod group (and sister taxon to crown-group euarthropods, i.e. Chelicerata, Mandibulata and their extinct relatives), thus implying a radiation of stem-euarthropods where trends towards increasing appendage specialisation were explored convergently with other euarthropod groups. The alternative solution, where bradoriids are polyphyletic, representing several independent origins of a small, bivalved body plan in lineages from diverse regions of the euarthropod and mandibulate stems, is only marginally less parsimonious. The new data reveal a previously unknown disparity of body plans in stem-euarthropods and both solutions support remarkable evolutionary convergence, either of fundamental body plans or appendage specialization patterns.
Synthesis of enantiomerically pure alcohols and amines via biocatalytic deracemisation methods
Authors: Musa Musa M. , Hollmann Frank , Mutti Francesco G.
Published: September 2019

Deracemisation via chemo-enzymatic or multi-enzymatic approaches is the optimum substitute for kinetic resolution, which suffers from the limitation of a theoretical maximum 50% yield albeit high enantiomeric excess is attainable.
Amorphous Fe2O3 for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution
Authors: Lin Zhaoyong , Du Chun , Yan Bo , Yang Guowei
Published: September 2019

Fe2O3has drawn significant attention in photocatalysis due to its natural abundance, thermodynamic stability, environmental compatibility, low toxicity and narrow bandgap.
Phosphorylation modification of myofibrillar proteins by sodium pyrophosphate affects emulsion gel formation and oxidative stability under different pH conditions
Authors: Chen Jinyu , Ren Yunxia , Zhang Kunsheng , Qu Jinping , Hu Fangyang , Yan Yijun
Published: September 2019

The work explored the mechanisms responsible for the enhanced emulsion gel properties of myofibrillar proteins by phosphorylation modification.
Measuring phase and polarization singularities of light using spin-multiplexing metasurfaces
Authors: Fu Yanan , Min Changjun , Yu Jiahao , Xie Zhenwei , Si Guangyuan , Wang Xianyou , Zhang Yuquan , Lei Ting , Lin Jiao , Wang Dapeng , Urbach H. P. , Yuan Xiaocong
Published: September 2019

Measuring phase and polarization singularities of light individually or simultaneously.
Transdermal delivery of small interfering RNAs with topically applied mesoporous silica nanoparticles for facile skin cancer treatment
Authors: Lio Daniel Chin Shiuan , Liu Chenghao , Oo Myo Myo Swe , Wiraja Christian , Teo Melissa Hui Yen , Zheng Mengjia , Chew Sharon Wan Ting , Wang Xiaomeng , Xu Chenjie
Published: September 2019

Development of siRNA-loaded mesoporous Silica nanoparticles coated with poly-l-lysine for enhanced transdermal drug delivery in skin cancer treatment.
Amphiphilic Janus nanosheets by grafting reactive rubber brushes for reinforced rubber materials
Authors: Han Xiao , Liang Xincheng , Cai Lei , He Aihua , Nie Huarong
Published: September 2019

An amphiphilic Janus nanosheet with different reactive rubber brushes on two opposite sides can simultaneously strengthen and toughen rubber blends.
In situ synthesis of a 3D highly porous NiO film electrode with enhanced performance for supercapacitors
Authors: Huang Weiwei , Li Lixia , Liang Danyang , Zhou Wenjun , Wang Huijuan , Lu Zuxin , Yu Shengxue , Fan Yuqian
Published: September 2019

The in situ synthesis of a 3D highly porous NiO film on nickel foam has been successfully achieved through a simple hydrothermal-heat treatment strategy and the fabricated NiO electrode exhibited excellent performance for supercapacitor applications.
Topological metal and noncentrosymmetric superconductor α-BiPd as an efficient candidate for the hydrogen evolution reaction
Authors: He Yuan , Yan Dong , Ng Li Ren , Shi Lei , Wang Shu , Lin Hsin , Lin Shi-Hsin , Luo Huixia , Yan Kai
Published: September 2019

Topological metal and noncentrosymmetric superconductor α-BiPd is used for the first time as an efficient electrocatalyst for the hydrogen evolution reaction.
Immobilization of manganese dioxide nanoparticles on modified poly 2,4-dichlorostyrene microspheres: a highly efficient and recyclable catalyst for borrowing hydrogen reactions
Authors: Qiu Ye , Zhang Yilin , Jin Lu , Pan Le , Du Guangming , Ye Dongdong , Wang Dawei
Published: September 2019

Modified poly 2,4-dichlorostyrene microspheres were designed and synthesized, and were proved to be an effective carrier to synthesize supported manganese dioxide nanoparticles.
Multi-walled carbon nanotube-based composite materials as catalyst support for water–gas shift and hydroformylation reactions
Authors: Wolf Patrick , Logemann Morten , Schörner Markus , Keller Laura , Haumann Marco , Wessling Matthias
Published: September 2019

Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) show promising behavior in supported ionic liquid phase (SILP) catalyzed hydroformylation and water–gas shift reactions.
Diaminophosphinoboranes: effective reagents for phosphinoboration of CO2
Authors: Szynkiewicz Natalia , Ordyszewska Anna , Chojnacki Jarosław , Grubba Rafał
Published: September 2019

We present the activation of CO2 by aminophosphinoboranes along with the mechanism of CO2 phosphinoboration.
Palladium-catalyzed decarbonylative Suzuki–Miyaura cross-coupling of amides by carbon–nitrogen bond activation
Authors: Zhou Tongliang , Ji Chong-Lei , Hong Xin , Szostak Michal
Published: September 2019

The first palladium-catalyzed decarbonylative Suzuki–Miyaura cross-coupling of amides for the synthesis of biaryls through the selective activation of the N–C(O) bond of amides is reported.
A layered Bi2Te3 nanoplates/graphene composite with high gravimetric and volumetric performance for Na-ion storage
Authors: Sun Dianding , Zhang Guanjun , Li Dan , Liu Sitong , Jia Xiaolong , Zhou Jisheng
Published: September 2019

A one-pot solvothermal method was used to prepare a layered Bi2Te3 nanoplates/graphene composite with outstanding gravimetric and volumetric Na-ion storage performance.
Universality of the collapse transition of sticky polymers
Authors: Santra Aritra , Kumari Kiran , Padinhateeri Ranjith , Dünweg B. , Prakash J. Ravi
Published: September 2019

The swelling of the radius of gyration of a sticky polymer relative to its value in theθstate is identical to the universal swelling of homopolymers in the thermal crossover regime, in terms of a suitably defined renormalised solvent qualityz.
Surfactant-based promotion to gas hydrate formation for energy storage
Authors: He Yan , Sun Meng-Ting , Chen Chen , Zhang Guo-Dong , Chao Kun , Lin Yan , Wang Fei
Published: September 2019

Surfactant-promoted methane hydrate formation during the past 2–3 decades has been reviewed, aiming toward achieving a comprehensive evaluation on the current research status and effective guidance on the research prospects.
Green and tunable fabrication of graphene-like N-doped carbon on a 3D metal substrate as a binder-free anode for high-performance potassium-ion batteries
Authors: An Yongling , Tian Yuan , Li Yuan , Xiong Shenglin , Zhao Guoqun , Feng Jinkui , Qian Yitai
Published: September 2019

A graphene-like N-doped hierarchical porous carbon array on a 3D metal substrate is obtained by a green and one-step vacuum de-metal assisted carbonization process for high performance potassium-ion batteries.
An aligned porous electrospun fibrous scaffold with embedded asiatic acid for accelerating diabetic wound healing
Authors: Han Yiming , Jiang Yuqi , Li You , Wang Minna , Fan Tingting , Liu Mingyao , Ke Qinfei , Xu He , Yi Zhengfang
Published: September 2019

An asiatic acid (AA)-embedded aligned porous poly (l-lactic acid) electrospun fibrous scaffold was successfully prepared for significantly relieving the high oxidative stress in the diabetic wound bed and thereby accelerating diabetic wound healing.
Construction of highly aligned graphene-based aerogels and their epoxy composites towards high thermal conductivity
Authors: Li Ying , Wei Wei , Wang Ying , Kadhim Nabil , Mei Yuan , Zhou Zuowan
Published: September 2019

The oxidation degree of the graphene layers affects the self-assembly behaviors of GA during directional freezing, which govern the thermal contact resistance among the layers and the final thermal conductivity of the GA-based epoxy composites.
Stacking induced indirect-to-direct bandgap transition in layered group-IV monochalcogenides for ideal optoelectronics
Authors: Yang Ji-Hui , Gong Xin-Gao
Published: September 2019

Ideal optoelectronic semiconductors, with suitable direct bandgaps, high optical absorptions, low carrier effective masses, high mobility, low cost, and high stability, are predicted in AB-stacking group-IV monochalcogenides.
Polarized resonance synchronous spectroscopy as a powerful tool for studying the kinetics and optical properties of aggregation-induced emission
Authors: Xu Joanna Xiuzhu , Niu Guangle , Tang Ben Zhong , Zhang Dongmao
Published: September 2019

Light scattering and absorption both contribute to the UV-vis extinction quantified with a UV-vis spectrophotometer, but they differ drastically in their causes and effects.
Danggui buxue tang inhibited mesangial cell proliferation and extracellular matrix accumulation through GAS5/NF-κB pathway
Authors: Zhang Rui , Han Xiao , Huang Tao , Wang Xiuge
Published: September 2019

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is the common complications of diabetes mellitus, but the efficacy of available treatments for the prevention of DN is still unsatisfactory. In the present study, we aimed to explore the effect of Danggui buxue tang (DGT) on the proliferation of high glucose (HG)-induced mesangial cells and accumulation of extracellular matrix in mesangial cells. We found DGT up-regulated the expression of growth arrest specific transcript 5 (GAS5) and IκB kinase (IKK) dose-dependently in mouse mesangial cells (SV40 MES-13). We found DGT regulated the expression IKK and the activity of nuclear transcription factor-κB (NF-κB) via GAS5, and proved that long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) GAS5 was positively related with IKK. And we proved GAS5 regulated the expression of IKK and the activity of NF-κB. In addition, DGT inhibited the viability of MES-13 cells and extracellular matrix-related proteins (laminin (LN), fibronectin (FN) and collagen IV (Col IV)) via GAS5. Moreover, we proved GAS5 regulated the viability of SV40 MES-13 cells and extracellular matrix-related proteins through NF-κB pathway. DGT inhibited the proliferation of mesangial cells and accumulation of extracellular matrix via GAS5/NF-κB, therefore, DGT could be an effective treatment for the prevention of DN.
Interleukin-17 receptor C gene polymorphism reduces treatment effect and promotes poor prognosis of ischemic stroke
Authors: Tian Jing , Bai Yongjie , You Aimin , Shen Ruile , Yan Junqiang , Deng Wenjing , Wen Lijun , Li Meng , Teng Junfang
Published: September 2019

Objective: To study the relationship between Interleukin-17 receptor C (IL-17RC) gene polymorphism and ischemic stroke (IS).

Methods: Three hundred cases of IS patients and 300 cases of the healthy controls were selected. Serum of IS patients and the controls was collected. The relative mRNA levels of IL-17, IL-17RC, IL-6, IL-8, G-CSF and granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) by qRT-PCR. The protein expression of IL-17 and IL-17RC was determined by Western blotting. IL-17RC genotype was identified by PCR amplification. The proportion of IL-17RC, SNP and re37511 in IS and control group was determined. The treatment effect on IS and prognosis of patients with IL-17RC, SNP and re37511 was compared.

Results: The relative mRNA levels of IL-17, IL-17RC, IL-6, IL-8, G-CSF and GM-CSF in IS group were significantly higher than the control group. The protein expression of IL-17 and IL-17RC in IS group was also markedly higher than the control group. The proportion of IL-17RC re37511 in IS group was much larger than control group and proportion of IL-17RC much less. The percent of poor treatment effect in re37511 was much larger than IL-17RC. The percent of death and recrudescence in patients with IL-17RC re37511 was the highest.

Conclusion: IS up-regulates the expression of IL-17 and IL-17RC. IL-17RC re37511 indicates the patients have a poorer treatment effect and prognosis.
Dynamic heartbeat detection algorithm based on RBFNN
Authors: Cui Xiaoqing , Ma Zhifeng
Published: September 2019

The operational environment faced by modern radars is becoming increasingly complex. The timely detection of the failure of a node and the adoption of countermeasures to ensure the stable operation of the system have become the focus of radar network management. In this study, based on traditional heartbeat detection algorithm, we use a radial‐basis neural network model to predict the timeout value. Therefore, a neural network heartbeat detection algorithm is proposed, which is used to detect the failure of the combat platform. The experimental results show that the proposed algorithm can be used to reduce the failure detection delay and misjudge rate as compared with the existing algorithms, and can be applied to a complex radar network environment.
Study on spaceborne HRWS TOPSAR mode based on azimuth multichannel
Authors: Hui Yu , Wenying Wang , Wanming Lei , Ming Hao
Published: September 2019

This article addresses a high‐resolution wide swath (HRWS) Terrain Observation by Progressive Scans (TOPSAR) mode which integrates the azimuth multichannel HRWS imaging technique and TOPSAR technique. More equivalent phase centres are obtained through the azimuth single‐input and multiple‐output technique, which would provide more azimuth samples. Hence, a more reliable and accurate imaging results of the large width terrain profile would be obtained. The performance of this HRWS TOPSAR mode is evaluated theoretically. A new processing method for this mode is provided and the results of simulation data processing validate the analysed results and the new method.
Analysis of amplitude statistical and correlation characteristics of high grazing angle sea‐clutter
Authors: Liu Heng‐Yan , Song Jie , Xiong Wei , Cui Ya‐Qi , Lv Ya‐Fei , Liu Jun
Published: September 2019

Research on the characteristics of sea clutter has always been the focus in the problem of sea target detection as an indispensable part. In recent years, the problem of sea clutter characteristics under medium‐high grazing angle is also paid more and more attention. Combined with the measured data of sea clutter, the temporal correlation, spatial correlation characteristics, and the amplitude distribution at three different grazing angles are studied. The results show that, when the grazing angle is >59°, the sea clutter becomes less correlative in temporal area and less correlative in spatial area as the grazing angle goes up. The sea clutter fitting result of KR distribution is better than both the K distribution, KK distribution, and Rayleigh distribution at high grazing angle in Ku‐band high‐resolution situation.
Parameter estimation of G0 distribution based on improved recursive expectation–maximisation method for clutter modelling
Authors: Lu Jiaxin , Sun Yuze , Zhuo Bangsheng , Yang Xiaopeng
Published: September 2019

Modelling and simulation of clutter are important in radar signal processing, the G0 distribution is generally adopted to simulate the ground clutter in radar echoes. In order to improve the modelling accuracy of clutter modelling, the actual data should be used for model parameter estimation. However, in some special situations, the actual data sample is very small. Existing methods cannot estimate the parameters of G0 distribution efficiently. To solve this problem, an improved recursive expectation–maximisation (EM) method is proposed to estimate the parameters of clutter in this article. This method combines the expectation step and maximisation step in one equation. Through recursive method and simplification of the positive definite matrix, this proposed method can obtain maximum likelihood estimation more efficiently than the conventional EM method and recursive EM method. Simulation results show that the performance of the proposed method is better than that of the conventional methods for a small data sample.