bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Actors in transition: shifting roles in Swedish sustainable housing development
Authors: Hagbert Pernilla , Malmqvist Tove
Published: July 2019

In planning for a future that fulfils sustainability goals, there is a need to explore how roles taken in socio-ecological transitions are perceived among different types of actors. Empirical insights from interviews with diverse actors involved in Swedish housing development are presented, addressing the roles, conflicting logics and power relations between different sectoral categories of actors and at different organizational levels. Key aspects that emerge relate to the shift from state to market in contemporary Swedish housing development, where private companies emphasize their role in shaping societal development as inherent to working with sustainability. Conflicting logics can be found between short-term economic interests and long-term planning and policy, as well as intra-organizational differences in competency and leadership. Conclusions point to that the role of third sector or community actors in pushing agendas and norms to bring about transitions could be acknowledged further. Yet there is a need to examine the power relations currently reproduced, and how these could be challenged in future housing development. This includes critically assessing the potential for new types of actors and cross-sectoral collaborations, but also instigating more fundamental discussions of the kind of society strived for, and the radical transitions needed.
Spatial Patterns of Residential Fragmentation and Quality of Life in Nairobi City, Kenya
Authors: Jimmy Eunice Nthambi , Martinez Javier , Verplanke Jeroen
Published: July 2019

Residential fragmentation undermines integration by physically excluding some urban dwellers through walling, fencing and use of barriers limiting interactions. Research has shown that many cities in the Global South are experiencing spatial fragmentation issues associated with increasing inequalities, social exclusion and proliferation of gated communities. This results in distinct residential fragments with limited interactions and unequal quality of life (QoL) conditions of the residents of the fragments. The aim of this paper is to describe the association between residential fragmentation and QoL based on three residential fragments in the city of Nairobi (Kenia). A mixed method approach was applied to understand fragmentation in the city and analyse integration and QoL satisfaction in the fragments. Household surveys and key informant interviews were main data collection methods. Data analysis methods used included descriptive statistics, spatial and content analysis. The results show, as expected, slum residents felt the least integrated symbolically compared to the planned non-gated and gated community residents. Similarly, gated community residents have higher QoL satisfaction compared to other types of fragments. There is a strong positive correlation between symbolic integration and QoL domains related to housing and safety in the slum, indicating that people who are satisfied with housing also have a sense of belonging to their neighbourhood. In contrast, community integration has a negative correlation with safety in the gated community implying that when the residents are satisfied with safety, they tend to have low social networks. Based on the empirical evidence, fragmentation is related to specific domains of QoL as it is associated with spatial exclusion through barriers and gating and marginalization of the poor making it harder for them to feel integrated. The residential fragments reflect the intense divides in Global South cities in terms of QoL conditions and access to services.
Regularity theory for $L^{n}$-viscosity solutions to fully nonlinear elliptic equations with asymptotical approximate convexity
Authors: Huang Qingbo
Published: July 2019

We develop interior

W^{2,p,\mu }

and

W^{2,\text{BMO}}

regularity theories for

L^{n}

-viscosity solutions to fully nonlinear elliptic equations

T(D^{2}u,\:x) = f(x)

, where

T

is approximately convex at infinity. Particularly,

W^{2,\text{BMO}}

regularity theory holds if operator

T

is locally semiconvex near infinity and all eigenvalues of

D^{2}T(M)

are at least

−C\|M\|^{−(1 + \sigma _{0})}

as

M\rightarrow \infty

.

W^{2,\text{BMO}}

regularity for some Isaacs equations is given. We also show that the set of fully nonlinear operators of

W^{2,\text{BMO}}

regularity theory is dense in the space of fully nonlinear uniformly elliptic operators.
Service centre helps John Crane to repair and test dry gas seals locally within Qatar
Authors: Atkinson Simon
Published: July 2019

John Crane, which designs and manufactures a variety of products, including mechanical seals and systems, couplings and predictive digital monitoring technologies, has established Qatar's first dry gas seal repair and testing facility. It will provide the company with the capabilities necessary for aftermarket support for its customers within the region, whilst also enabling it to provide quick turnaround services and reduce downtime costs.
Where Are We Now? Michael Ignatieff’s, The Ordinary Virtues: Moral Order in a Divided World
Authors: MacLaren Malcolm
Published: July 2019

The book that has most stimulated my life in the law over the past year is Michael Ignatieff’s The Ordinary Virtues: Moral Order in a Divided World.1 I write “stimulated” rather than “inspired” because some of its claims are disorientating, others are disputable, and the most important are disconcerting. Despite, or rather due to, that provocation I find the book more engaging. The Ordinary Virtues is a self-described moral progress report amid globalization and as such is a work of sociology, anthropology, and philosophy. However, Ignatieff’s report implicates many important topical issues of international and constitutional law. It should, I believe, inform the thinking of legal scholars on global ethics and public policy today.
Cylinder wakes in shallow oscillatory flow: the coastal island wake problem
Authors: Branson Paul M. , Ghisalberti Marco , Ivey Gregory N. , Hopfinger Emil J.
Published: July 2019

Topographic complexity on continental shelves is the catalyst that transforms the barotropic tide into the secondary and residual circulations that dominate vertical and cross-shelf mixing processes. Island wakes are one such example that are observed to significantly influence the transport and distribution of biological and physical scalars. Despite the importance of island wakes, to date, no sufficient, mechanistic description of the physical processes governing their development exists for the general case of unsteady tidal forcing. Controlled laboratory experiments are necessary for the understanding of this complex flow phenomenon. Here, three-dimensional velocity field measurements of cylinder wakes in shallow-water oscillatory flow are conducted across a parameter space that is typical of tidal flow around shallow islands. The wake form in steady flows is typically described in terms of the stability parameter $S=c_{f}D/h$ (where $D$ is the island diameter, $h$ is the water depth and $c_{f}$ is the bottom boundary friction coefficient); in tidal flows, there is an additional dependence on the Keulegan–Carpenter number $KC=U_{0}T/D$ (where $U_{0}$ is the tidal velocity amplitude and $T$ is the tidal period). In this study we demonstrate that when the influence of bottom friction is confined to a Stokes boundary layer the stability parameter is given by $S=\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FF}^{+}/KC$ where $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FF}^{+}$ is the ratio of the wavelength of the Stokes bottom boundary layer to the depth. Three classes of wake form are observed with decreasing wake stability: (i) steady bubble for $S\gtrsim 0.1$; (ii) unsteady bubble for $0.06\lesssim S\lesssim 0.1$; and (iii) vortex shedding for $S\lesssim 0.06$. Transitions in wake form and wake stability are shown to depend on the magnitude and temporal evolution of the wake return flow. Scaling laws are developed to allow upscaling of the laboratory results to island wakes. Vertical and lateral transport depend on three parameters: (i) the flow aspect ratio $h/D$; (ii) the amplitude of tidal motion relative to the island size, given by $KC$; and (iii) the relative influence of bottom friction to the flow depth, given by $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FF}^{+}$. A model of wake upwelling based on Ekman pumping from the bottom boundary layer demonstrates that upwelling in the near-wake region of an island scales with $U_{0}(h/D)KC^{1/6}$ and is independent of the wake form. Finally, we demonstrate an intrinsic link between the dynamical eddy scales, predicted by the Ekman pumping model, and the island wake form and stability.
Inertial gravity current produced by the drainage of a cylindrical reservoir from an outer or inner edge
Authors: Ungarish Marius , Zhu Lailai , Stone Howard A.
Published: July 2019

We consider the time-dependent flow of a fluid of density $\unicode[STIX]{x1D70C}_{1}$ in a vertical cylindrical container embedded in a fluid of density $\unicode[STIX]{x1D70C}_{2}~({<}\unicode[STIX]{x1D70C}_{1})$ whose side boundary is suddenly removed and the fluid drains freely from the edge. We show that in the inertial–buoyancy regime (large initial Reynolds number) the flow is modelled by the shallow-water equations and bears similarities to a gravity current released from a lock (the dam-break problem) driven by the reduced gravity $g^{\prime }=(1-\unicode[STIX]{x1D70C}_{2}/\unicode[STIX]{x1D70C}_{1})g$. This formulation is amenable to an efficient finite-difference solution. Moreover, we demonstrate that similarity solutions exist, and show that the flow created by the dam break approaches the predicted self-similar behaviour when the volume ratio ${\mathcal{V}}(t)/{\mathcal{V}}(0)\approx 1/2$ where $t$ is time elapsed from the dam break. We considered two cases of drainage: (i) outward from the outer boundary in a full-radius reservoir; and (ii) inward from the inner radius in an annular-shaped reservoir. For the first case the similarity solution is expressed analytically, while the second case is more complicated and requires a numerical solution. In both cases ${\mathcal{V}}(t)/{\mathcal{V}}(0)$ decays like $t^{-2}$, but the details are different. The similarity solutions admit an adjustable virtual-origin constant, which we determine by matching with the finite-difference solution. The analysis is valid for both Boussinesq and non-Boussinesq systems, and a wide range of geometric parameters (inner and outer radii, and height). The importance of the neglected viscous terms increases with time, and eventually the inertial–buoyancy model becomes invalid. An estimate for this occurrence is also provided. The predictions of the model are compared to results of direct numerical simulations; there is good agreement for the position of the interface and for the averaged radial velocity, and excellent agreement for ${\mathcal{V}}(t)/{\mathcal{V}}(0)$. A box model is used for estimating the effect of a partial (over a sector) dam break. This study is an extension of the work for a rectangular reservoir of Momen et al. (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 827, 2017, pp. 640–663). We demonstrate that there are some similarities, but also significant differences, between the rectangular and the cylindrical reservoirs concerning the velocity, shape of the interface and rate of drainage, which are of interest in applications. The overall conclusion is that this simple model captures very well the flow field under consideration.
Re-engineering justice? Robot judges, computerised courts and (semi) automated legal decision-making
Authors: Morison John , Harkens Adam
Published: July 2019

This paper takes a sceptical look at the possibility of advanced computer technology replacing judges. Looking first at the example of alternative dispute resolution, where considerable progress has been made in developing tools to assist parties to come to agreement, attention then shifts to evaluating a number of other algorithmic instruments in a criminal justice context. The possibility of human judges being fully replaced within the courtroom strictu sensu is examined, and the various elements of the judicial role that need to be reproduced are considered. Drawing upon understandings of the legal process as an essentially socially determined activity, the paper sounds a note of caution about the capacity of algorithmic approaches to ever fully penetrate this socio-legal milieu and reproduce the activity of judging, properly understood. Finally, the possibilities and dangers of semi-automated justice are reviewed. The risks of seeing this approach as avoiding the recognised problems of fully automated decision-making are highlighted, and attention is directed towards the problems that remain when an algorithmic frame of reference is admitted into the human process of judging.
The Device of Weighted Votes in Blocking the Removal of Directors from Office under the South African Companies Act 71 of 2008
Authors: Cassim Rehana
Published: July 2019

A director may serve a company in more than one capacity. In his capacity as a shareholder, a director may hold voting rights in the company. One consideration regarding the removal of a director from office is their removal by shareholders in circumstances where the directors are themselves shareholders in the company and hold weighted votes. This article appraises whether, under the South African Companies Act 71 of 2008, a shareholding-director who holds shares with weighted votes would validly and lawfully be able to block his removal from office by the company's shareholders. This article makes suggestions regarding the use of weighted votes to block the removal of directors from office, and calls for an important amendment to the South African Companies Act 71 of 2008 to prevent weighted votes being used as a device to block the removal of directors from office.
Private Prosecution in Nigeria under the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015
Authors: Mujuzi Jamil Ddamulira
Published: July 2019

Private prosecutions have been part of the Nigerian legal system for a long time. In 2015, the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) came into force. The ACJA provides for, inter alia, circumstances in which a person may institute a private prosecution. In this article, relying on jurisprudence emanating from Nigerian courts before the ACJA came into force, the author suggests ways in which Nigerian courts could approach the right to institute a private prosecution under the act. To achieve this objective, the author discusses: the right to institute a private prosecution; locus standi to institute a private prosecution; and measures to prevent abuse of the right to institute a private prosecution.
Endoscopic transnasal image-guided approach to diagnosis in orbital apex and optic canal lesions
Authors: Unadkat S N , Rennie C E , Grant W E
Published: July 2019

Objective

Prompted by a recurring skull base multidisciplinary team debate on the necessity of securing a definitive tissue diagnosis before initiating treatment for lesions of the orbital apex, a review of anterior skull base procedures over an 11-year period was undertaken.

Methods

Data collected prospectively on cases from 2006 to 2017 were analysed. Presenting symptoms, imaging and histology findings, outcomes, complications, and impact on treatment were evaluated. All surgery was carried out endoscopically with the aid of image guidance.

Results

Twenty-one patients undergoing endoscopic orbital apex and/or optic canal biopsy were included. The mean patient age was 49 years. Five malignant tumours were identified, five benign tumours, seven infective cases (two tuberculosis and five fungal) and two cases of immunoglobulin G4 related disease. Two patients had non-diagnostic biopsies (one lesional) and were treated successfully as Tolosa–Hunt syndrome cases.

Conclusion

A successful diagnosis was achieved in nearly all cases without adverse impact, other than one cerebrospinal fluid leakage case. Management was directly influenced by the outcome in all cases.
‘WHERE YOU PLANT THE SEED, THE TREE WILL GROW’: GWYN PRITCHARD AT 70
Authors: Rutherford-Johnson Tim
Published: July 2019

The British composer Gwyn Pritchard turned 70 in 2018. The present article offers the first substantial overview of Pritchard's life and work from his earliest public compositions of the late 1960s to some of his most recent music. His early life, training and periods of self-study are covered, as well as his time as founder-director of the Uroboros Ensemble. The second half of the article offers some insights into Pritchard's methods – particularly his use of permutating six-number series to generate pitch material – revealed in conversation with the composer and supported by unpublished pre-compositional materials.
Claire Chase: Density 2036, part vi. The Kitchen, NYC.
Authors: Reardon-Smith Hannah
Published: July 2019

In a 2013 article Claire Chase muses on her dream to commission and premiere the ‘21st-century Density’. This performance demonstrated some of the difficulties with this idea in the actuality of twenty-first-century composition – the Work as it was perceived in the mid-twentieth century is largely displaced; the performer and her body has been rendered visible, her contribution central, and this concert is far more a portrait of Claire Chase than it is of her instrument. But Chase had in fact already accounted for this. ‘Of what will the Density of our time be made?’ she wrote, prophetically. ‘Of osmium? Of signal processing? Of wood? Of carbon? Of flesh? Of air?’
The transition to technology-enriched supported accommodation (TESA) for people living with dementia: the experience of formal carers
Authors: Rondon-Sulbaran Janeet , Daly Lynn Jean , McCormack Brendan , Ryan Assumpta , Martin Suzanne
Published: July 2019

This paper presents the experiences of formal carers working in technology-enriched supported accommodation for people living with dementia, examining their care-giving role from a person-centred care perspective. Within a qualitative study, 21 semi-structured interviews were conducted with formal carers and data were analysed following a thematic approach. Four main themes were identified that mapped to the attributes of the person-centred practice framework (PCPF): promoting choice and autonomy, staffing model, using assistive technology and feeling that ‘you're doing a good job’. Central to person-centred practice in these settings was the promotion of choice, autonomy and independence. The dichotomy between safety and independence was evident, curtailing the opportunities within the environmental enablers and associated embedded assistive technologies. Formal carers reported considerable job satisfaction working in these settings. The small-scale, home-like facilities seemed to have a positive effect on job satisfaction. These findings are relevant to policy makers, commissioners and service providers, highlighting the facilitators of person-centred care in community dwellings for people living with dementia and the role of formal carers in promoting this approach.
‘Practice time!’Doxic futuresin security and defence diplomacy after Brexit
Authors: Svendsen Øyvind
Published: July 2019

Time constitutes social life and time management is central to the everyday conduct of international politics. For some reason, however, the practice turn in International Relations (IR) has produced knowledge about how past practices constitute international politics but not about how the future is also a constitutive feature in and on social life. Introducing a novel perspective on practice and temporality, the article argues that intersubjectively situated representations of the future by practitioners in international politics contribute substantially to our understanding of political processes and the making of international politics. To develop what appears a contradiction in terms – that ‘future-practices’ are driven by tacit know-how and conscious reflection simultaneously – the article develops the concept of doxic futures: representations of the future rooted in practical knowledge and tacit assumptions about the self-evident nature of the social world. The argument is illustrated with a case study of European security and defence diplomacy after the UK voted to leave the EU. Through the envisioning of two concrete doxic futures, a ‘Europe of buying together’ and the UK as a third country in EU defence, diplomats effectively tried to save European security and defence cooperation from the potentially disintegrating effects of Brexit.
Reimagining the Framework for Resolving Intra-African Commercial Disputes in the Context of the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement
Authors: Onyema Emilia
Published: July 2019

This article examines the effectiveness of the framework for the resolution of intra-African cross-border commercial disputes, arising from the projected increase in intra-African trade in goods, services, and investments under the African Continental Free Trade Area. It examines the peculiar nature of intra-African trade and of the participating entities to provide the context to discuss the three major processes adopted in commercial dispute resolution (litigation, mediation, and arbitration) in Africa. It then argues for the promotion of arbitration as the dispute resolution process of choice for such disputes. It reimagined the framework for arbitration at the continental level and made two proposals targeted at the greater efficiency of the process: the designation of Regional Arbitration Centres across the African Union's eight recognized Regional Economic Communities, to administer such references; and the establishment of an African Commercial Court as a one-stop court for the enforcement or annulment of the final award.
The Spanish Flu and the Sanitary Dictatorship: Mexico's Response to the 1918 Influenza Pandemic
Authors: Alexander Ryan M.
Published: July 2019

The influenza of 1918, the disastrous global pandemic known to many as the Spanish Flu, could not have come at a worse time for Mexico. The nation was eight years into its decade-long revolutionary struggle, a conflict that claimed the lives of well over a million citizens. Of those lost, several hundred thousand perished due to the influenza alone, usually from secondary complications such as pneumonia or bronchitis. Along with exposure, famine, and a myriad of other wartime ailments, the 1918 flu ranked as one of the leading causes of death in the Revolution, far surpassing combat casualties.
“With colleagues like that, who needs enemies?”:Doctors and Repression under Military and Post-Authoritarian Brazil
Authors: Weinberg Eyal
Published: July 2019

As young medical students at Guanabara State University, Luiz Roberto Tenório and Ricardo Agnese Fayad received some of the best medical education offered in 1960s Brazil. For six years, the peers in the same entering class had studied the principles of the healing arts and practiced their application at the university's teaching hospital. They had also witnessed the Brazilian military oust a democratically elected president and install a dictatorship that ruled the country for 21 years (1964–85). After graduating, however, Tenório and Fayad embarked on very distinct paths. The former became a political dissident in opposition to the military regime and provided medical assistance to members of the armed left. The latter joined the armed forces and, as a military physician, participated in the brutal torture and cruel treatment of political prisoners. At the end of military rule, Brazil's medical board would find him guilty of violating the Brazilian code of medical ethics and revoke his license.
The compelling arguments for the need of medical vascular physicians	in Europe
Authors: Heiss Christian , Madaric Juraj , Belch Jill , Brodmann Marianne , Mazzolai Lucia
Published: July 2019

Summary. The burden of vascular diseases is growing worldwide, as the population ages, prompting a call to action not only in terms of awareness but also and most urgently in recognizing the need for vascular physicians, also called angiologists. Vascular medicine views the vascular system (arteries, veins, and lymphatics) as a whole, unique, and independent entity requiring specialized competencies. Vascular physicians offer a holistic and comprehensive approach to vascular patients including provision of interventional procedures, management of a heterogeneous group of multi-morbid and frail patients affected by multi-vessel diseases, and connecting different specialists in a multidisciplinary effort. Vascular medicine practise varies across European countries. While it is a firmly accepted medical speciality in many European countries it is not formally recognized by the European Union limiting adoption in the other countries. The lack of vascular physicians likely accounts for inequality of care of vascular patients as compared for example to patients with heart disease and might contribute to adverse outcomes and healthcare costs associated with vascular diseases. To move forward in the struggle to provide efficient care for multimorbid poly-vascular patients, it is essential to establish vascular medicine programs in Europe and worldwide. Important steps to achieve this goal include improving public awareness of vascular diseases, attain formal recognition by the EU of angiology/vascular medicine as a medical specialty, creating specialized treatment guidelines, and to harmonize vascular care in Europe.
Pitch Angle Scattering of Sub‐MeV Relativistic Electrons by Electromagnetic Ion Cyclotron Waves
Authors: Denton R. E. , Ofman L. , Shprits Y. Y. , Bortnik J. , Millan R. M. , Rodger C. J. , da Silva C. L. , Rogers B. N. , Hudson M. K. , Liu K. , Min K. , Glocer A. , Komar C.
Published: July 2019

Electromagnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC) waves have long been considered to be a significant loss mechanism for relativistic electrons. This has most often been attributed to resonant interactions with the highest amplitude waves. But recent observations have suggested that the dominant energy of electrons precipitated to the atmosphere may often be relatively low, less than 1 MeV, whereas the minimum resonant energy of the highest amplitude waves is often greater than 2 MeV. Here we use relativistic electron test particle simulations in the wavefields of a hybrid code simulation of EMIC waves in dipole geometry in order to show that significant pitch angle scattering can occur due to interaction with low‐amplitude short‐wavelength EMIC waves. In the case we examined, these waves are in the H band (at frequencies above the He+ gyrofrequency), even though the highest amplitude waves were in the He band frequency range (below the He+ gyrofrequency). We also present wave power distributions for 29 EMIC simulations in straight magnetic field line geometry that show that the high wave number portion of the spectrum is in every case mostly due to the H band waves. Though He band waves are often associated with relativistic electron precipitation, it is possible that the He band waves do not directly scatter the sub‐megaelectron volts (sub‐MeV) electrons, but that the presence of He band waves is associated with high plasma density which lowers the minimum resonant energy so that these electrons can more easily resonate with the H band waves.
Methods for Assessing Expected Flood Potential and Variability: Southern Rocky Mountains Region
Authors: Yochum Steven E. , Scott Julian A. , Levinson David H.
Published: July 2019

Enhanced understanding of flood hazards, and how they vary across regions and continents, is needed to help protect lives and develop more resilient communities. Using the greater Southern Rocky Mountains region as a study area, a novel methodology was developed to predict, rank, and communicate expected flood magnitudes across similar responding areas (zones). Using 463 streamgages, up to 93% of the variance was explained by regression models developed for 11 derived zones. These regressions define the expected flood potential of each zone, a term introduced to assist practitioners, policy makers, and the public in understanding what flood magnitudes can be expected given the maximum recorded streamgage floods in nearby watersheds. Discharges above the 90% prediction limit, the maximum likely flood potential, are considered extreme; departure above this limit denotes the degree of extremity. The seasonality of the largest 5% floods varied substantially between zones, with the greatest frequency in July, August, and September in some zones (due to the North American monsoon) and May and June in other zones (due to snowmelt and rainfall). Using the lowest flood potential zone as an index area, flood potential and hazard indices were developed for comparing flood hazards across broad regions. The largest floods occur in the southern portion of the eastern slopes of the Southern Rocky Mountains and the adjacent Great Plains, with these events being 15 times larger than floods experienced in central Colorado and New Mexico mountain valleys, on average for a given watershed area.
Steady‐State Solution of a Solar Wind‐Generated Electron Cloud in a Lunar Crater
Authors: Rhodes Dov J. , Farrell W. M.
Published: July 2019

We formulate an analytic description of a steady‐state electron cloud and affiliated surface charge, formed in the plasma wake generated as the solar wind flows horizontally over a lunar crater. The solution is complementary to the well‐known self‐similar plasma expansion formulation, which breaks down at the plasma wake front and thus fails to capture a substantial region of the crater interior. The present model establishes a theoretical basis for existing simulation results, which suggest that the cavity formed below the wake front is populated mainly by electrons, resulting in a substantial negative surface charge. The electrostatic potential throughout this subwake region is determined by solving Poisson's equation for a Maxwellian electron cloud, bounded above by the self‐similar plasma expansion front and below by the electrostatically charged surface.
The Variation of Resonating Magnetospheric Field Lines With Changing Geomagnetic and Solar Wind Conditions
Authors: Wharton S. J. , Wright D. M. , Yeoman T. K. , James M. K. , Sandhu J. K.
Published: July 2019

Standing ultralow frequency waves redistribute energy and momentum around the Earth's magnetosphere. The eigenfrequencies of these standing waves can be measured by applying the cross‐phase technique to ground magnetometer data. To make a detection, the flux tubes in the vicinity of the magnetometers must all be driven at their local eigenfrequencies by a source with a sufficient frequency width. Therefore, successful measurement of the local eigenfrequencies indicates that a broadband source is exciting the flux tubes. We have analyzed 10 years of magnetometer data with an automated cross‐phase algorithm and used correlations with the OMNI data set to understand under what conditions broadband excitation occurs and how the conditions affect the eigenfrequency values. This is the largest such survey of its kind to date. We found that lower eigenfrequencies at higher latitudes (L>5) and higher eigenfrequencies at lower latitudes (L<4) were excited under different conditions. It was also possible to directly compare the first and third harmonics at midlatitudes. The lower eigenfrequencies were excited during more disturbed conditions, and we suggest that these harmonics are driven by solar wind pressure pulses or the Kelvin‐Helmholtz instability at the magnetopause. The higher eigenfrequencies were excited when the magnetosphere was relatively quiet, and we suggest that the cause was waves generated upstream of the Earth's bow shock. The eigenfrequencies were observed to decrease in the middle magnetosphere during disturbed intervals. This is because the intensification of the ring current weakens the magnetic field. Variations in magnetic local time and latitude were also investigated.
Melatonin prevents lung injury by regulating apelin 13 to improve mitochondrial dysfunction
Authors: Zhang Lu , Li Fang , Su Xiaomin , Li Yue , Wang Yining , Fang Ruonan , Guo Yingying , Jin Tongzhu , Shan Huitong , Zhao Xiaoguang , Yang Rui , Shan Hongli , Liang Haihai
Published: July 2019

Pulmonary fibrosis is a progressive disease characterized by epithelial cell damage, fibroblast proliferation, excessive extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition, and lung tissue scarring. Melatonin, a hormone produced by the pineal gland, plays an important role in multiple physiological and pathological responses in organisms. However, the function of melatonin in the development of bleomycin-induced pulmonary injury is poorly understood. In the present study, we found that melatonin significantly decreased mortality and restored the function of the alveolar epithelium in bleomycin-treated mice. However, pulmonary function mainly depends on type II alveolar epithelial cells (AECIIs) and is linked to mitochondrial integrity. We also found that melatonin reduced the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and prevented apoptosis and senescence in AECIIs. Luzindole, a nonselective melatonin receptor antagonist, blocked the protective action of melatonin. Interestingly, we found that the expression of apelin 13 was significantly downregulated in vitro and in vivo and that this downregulation was reversed by melatonin. Furthermore, ML221, an apelin inhibitor, disrupted the beneficial effects of melatonin on alveolar epithelial cells. Taken together, these results suggest that melatonin alleviates lung injury through regulating apelin 13 to improve mitochondrial dysfunction in the process of bleomycin-induced pulmonary injury.
Long noncoding RNA SNHG14 facilitates colorectal cancer metastasis through targeting EZH2-regulated EPHA7
Authors: Di Wu , Weinan Xue , Xin Li , Zhiwei Yu , Xinyue Gu , Jinxue Tong , Mingqi Li
Published: July 2019

Accumulating evidence suggested the participation of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) in regulating various biological processes so as to affecting cancer progression. However, the functional role of most lncRNAs in colorectal carcer (CRC) is still largely covered. In the present study, we disclosed SNHG14 as a carcinogene in CRC development, as it was low-expressed in normal colon tissues but markedly upregulated in CRC cell lines. Besides, SNHG14 contributed to CRC cell proliferation, motility and EMT in vitro, and inhibition of it confined CRC tumor growth and liver metastasis in vivo. Next, the mechanistic investigations confirmed that SNHG14-promoted CRC progression was mediated by EPHA7, which was negatively regulated by SNHG14 in CRC via an EZH2-dependent way. Importantly, EZH2 was proved as a transcription factor of EPHA7 and functioned as a repressor in EPHA7 transcription by enhancing methylation on EPHA7 promoter. Meanwhile, SNHG14 increased EZH2 expression in CRC via stabilizing its mRNA by interacting with FUS, and via freeing its mRNA from miR-186-5p-induced silence. All in all, our observations demonstrated that SNHG14 serves as a facilitator in CRC through targeting EZH2-repressed EPHA7 by enhancing EZH2 via recruiting FUS and absorbing miR-186-5p, indicating a promising new road for CRC diagnosis and treatment.
Long noncoding RNA PCAT1, a novel serum-based biomarker, enhances cell growth by sponging miR-326 in oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Huang Lijie , Wang Yan , Chen Jiao , Wang Yu , Zhao Yabing , Wang Yali , Ma Yunping , Chen Xin , Liu Wenzhong , Li Zhengzheng , Zhao Lianmei , Shan Baoen , Dong Xin , Li Dan , Shao Shujuan , Song Yongmei , Zhan Qimin , Liu Xuefeng
Published: July 2019

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play important roles in the development and progression of human cancers. The lncRNA prostate cancer-associated transcript 1 (PCAT1) has been reported to be involved in multiple human cancers, including oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). However, the detailed biological functions, underlying mechanisms and clinical relevance of PCAT1 in ESCC remain unclear. Here, we confirmed that PCAT1 was highly expressed in ESCC tissues and cell lines. Knockdown of PCAT1 inhibited the growth of ESCC cells, whereas overexpression of PCAT1 showed the opposite effect both in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, knockdown of PCAT1 arrested the cell cycle at G2/M phase, reduced the expression of cyclin B1 and CDC2, and caused cells to be more sensitive to paclitaxel. Furthermore, PCAT1 could bind to miR-326, a tumour suppressor in diverse human cancers. Rescue experiments revealed that enforced expression of miR-326 attenuated the promotive effect of PCAT1 on ESCC cell growth. In addition, we discovered that PCAT1 was present in ESCC cell-derived exosomes, was higher in the serum of ESCC patients than those of healthy volunteer donors, and promoted cell growth through exosomes. Thus, our data indicate that PCAT1 promotes ESCC cell proliferation by sponging miR-326 and may serve as a non-invasive biomarker for ESCC.
Induction of memory-like dendritic cell responses in vivo
Authors: Hole Camaron R. , Wager Chrissy M. Leopold , Castro-Lopez Natalia , Campuzano Althea , Cai Hong , Wozniak Karen L. , Wang Yufeng , Wormley Floyd L.
Published: July 2019

Dendritic cells (DCs), a vital component of the innate immune system, are considered to lack antigen specificity and be devoid of immunological memory. Strategies that can induce memory-like responses from innate cells can be utilized to elicit protective immunity in immune deficient persons. Here we utilize an experimental immunization strategy to modulate DC inflammatory and memory-like responses against an opportunistic fungal pathogen that causes significant disease in immunocompromised individuals. Our results show that DCs isolated from protectively immunized mice exhibit enhanced transcriptional activation of interferon and immune signaling pathways. We also show long-term memory-like cytokine responses upon subsequent challenge with the fungal pathogen that are abrogated with inhibitors of specific histone modifications. Altogether, our study demonstrates that immunization strategies can be designed to elicit memory-like DC responses against infectious disease.
Forecasting of the first hour aftershocks by means of the perceived magnitude
Authors: Lippiello E. , Petrillo G. , Godano C. , Tramelli A. , Papadimitriou E. , Karakostas V.
Published: July 2019

The majority of strong earthquakes takes place a few hours after a mainshock, promoting the interest for a real time post-seismic forecasting, which is, however, very inefficient because of the incompleteness of available catalogs. Here we present a novel method that uses, as only information, the ground velocity recorded during the first 30 min after the mainshock and does not require that signals are transferred and elaborated by operational units. The method considers the logarithm of the mainshock ground velocity, its peak value defined as the perceived magnitude and the subsequent temporal decay. We conduct a forecast test on the nine M  ≥ 6 mainshocks that have occurred since 2013 in the Aegean area. We are able to forecast the number of aftershocks recorded during the first 3 days after each mainshock with an accuracy smaller than 18% in all cases but one with an accuracy of 36%.
Serum FHR1 binding to necrotic-type cells activates monocytic inflammasome and marks necrotic sites in vasculopathies
Authors: Irmscher Sarah , Brix Silke R. , Zipfel Svante L. H. , Halder Luke D. , Mutlutürk Sibel , Wulf Sonia , Girdauskas Evaldas , Reichenspurner Hermann , Stahl Rolf A. K. , Jungnickel Berit , Wiech Thorsten , Zipfel Peter F. , Skerka Christine
Published: July 2019

Persistent inflammation is a hallmark of many human diseases, including anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis (AAV) and atherosclerosis. Here, we describe a dominant trigger of inflammation: human serum factor H-related protein FHR1. In vitro, this protein selectively binds to necrotic cells via its N-terminus; in addition, it binds near necrotic glomerular sites of AAV patients and necrotic areas in atherosclerotic plaques. FHR1, but not factor H, FHR2 or FHR3 strongly induces inflammasome NLRP3 in blood-derived human monocytes, which subsequently secrete IL-1β, TNFα, IL-18 and IL-6. FHR1 triggers the phospholipase C-pathway via the G-protein coupled receptor EMR2 independent of complement. Moreover, FHR1 concentrations of AAV patients negatively correlate with glomerular filtration rates and associate with the levels of inflammation and progressive disease. These data highlight an unexpected role for FHR1 during sterile inflammation, may explain why FHR1-deficiency protects against certain diseases, and identifies potential targets for treatment of auto-inflammatory diseases.
Designer photonic dynamics by using non-uniform electron temperature distribution for on-demand all-optical switching times
Authors: Nicholls Luke H. , Stefaniuk Tomasz , Nasir Mazhar E. , Rodríguez-Fortuño Francisco J. , Wurtz Gregory A. , Zayats Anatoly V.
Published: July 2019

While free electrons in metals respond to ultrafast excitation with refractive index changes on femtosecond time scales, typical relaxation mechanisms occur over several picoseconds, governed by electron-phonon energy exchange rates. Here, we propose tailoring these intrinsic rates by engineering a non-uniform electron temperature distribution through nanostructuring, thus, introducing an additional electron temperature relaxation channel. We experimentally demonstrate a sub-300 fs switching time due to the wavelength dependence of the induced hot electron distribution in the nanostructure. The speed of switching is determined by the rate of redistribution of the inhomogeneous electron temperature and not just the rate of heat exchange between electrons and phonons. This effect depends on both the spatial overlap between control and signal fields in the metamaterial and hot-electron diffusion effects. Thus, switching rates can be controlled in nanostructured systems by designing geometrical parameters and selecting wavelengths, which determine the control and signal mode distributions.
Fetal sex determination in twin pregnancies using non-invasive prenatal testing
Authors: Villela Darine , Che Huiwen , Van Ghelue Marijke , Dehaspe Luc , Brison Nathalie , Van Den Bogaert Kris , Devriendt Koen , Lewi Liesbeth , Bayindir Baran , Vermeesch Joris Robert
Published: July 2019

Non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) is accurate for fetal sex determination in singleton pregnancies, but its accuracy is not well established in twin pregnancies. Here, we present an accurate sex prediction model to discriminate fetal sex in both dichorionic diamniotic (DCDA) and monochorionic diamniotic/monochorionic monoamniotic (MCDA/MCMA) twin pregnancies. A retrospective analysis was performed using a total of 198 twin pregnancies with documented sex. The prediction was based on a multinomial logistic regression using the normalized frequency of X and Y chromosomes, and fetal fraction estimation. A second-step regression analysis was applied when one or both twins were predicted to be male. The model determines fetal sex with 100% sensitivity and specificity when both twins are female, and with 98% sensitivity and 95% specificity when a male is present. Since sex determination can be clinically important, implementing fetal sex determination in twins will improve overall twin pregnancies management.
Altered dynamics of visual contextual interactions in Parkinson’s disease
Authors: Vanegas M. Isabel , Blangero Annabelle , Galvin James E. , Di Rocco Alessandro , Quartarone Angelo , Ghilardi M. Felice , Kelly Simon P.
Published: July 2019

Over the last decades, psychophysical and electrophysiological studies in patients and animal models of Parkinson’s disease (PD), have consistently revealed a number of visual abnormalities. In particular, specific alterations of contrast sensitivity curves, electroretinogram (ERG), and visual-evoked potentials (VEP), have been attributed to dopaminergic retinal depletion. However, fundamental mechanisms of cortical visual processing, such as normalization or “gain control” computations, have not yet been examined in PD patients. Here, we measured electrophysiological indices of gain control in both space (surround suppression) and time (sensory adaptation) in PD patients based on steady-state VEP (ssVEP). Compared with controls, patients exhibited a significantly higher initial ssVEP amplitude that quickly decayed over time, and greater relative suppression of ssVEP amplitude as a function of surrounding stimulus contrast. Meanwhile, EEG frequency spectra were broadly elevated in patients relative to controls. Thus, contrary to what might be expected given the reduced contrast sensitivity often reported in PD, visual neural responses are not weaker; rather, they are initially larger but undergo an exaggerated degree of spatial and temporal gain control and are embedded within a greater background noise level. These differences may reflect cortical mechanisms that compensate for dysfunctional center-surround interactions at the retinal level.
Single-cell RNA sequencing of a European and an African lymphoblastoid cell line
Authors: Osorio Daniel , Yu Xue , Yu Peng , Serpedin Erchin , Cai James J.
Published: July 2019

In biomedical research, lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs), often established by in vitro infection of resting B cells with Epstein-Barr virus, are commonly used as surrogates for peripheral blood lymphocytes. Genomic and transcriptomic information on LCLs has been used to study the impact of genetic variation on gene expression in humans. Here we present single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) data on GM12878 and GM18502—two LCLs derived from the blood of female donors of European and African ancestry, respectively. Cells from three samples (the two LCLs and a 1:1 mixture of the two) were prepared separately using a 10x Genomics Chromium Controller and deeply sequenced. The final dataset contained 7,045 cells from GM12878, 5,189 from GM18502, and 5,820 from the mixture, offering valuable information on single-cell gene expression in highly homogenous cell populations. This dataset is a suitable reference for population differentiation in gene expression at the single-cell level. Data from the mixture provide additional valuable information facilitating the development of statistical methods for data normalization and batch effect correction.
Author Correction: Transcriptional Regulation on Aneuploid Chromosomes in Diverse Candida albicans Mutants
Authors: Tucker Christopher , Bhattacharya Soumyaroop , Wakabayashi Hironao , Bellaousov Stanislav , Kravets Anatoliy , Welle Stephen L. , Myers Jason , Hayes Jeffrey J. , Bulger Michael , Rustchenko Elena
Published: July 2019

A correction to this article has been published and is linked from the HTML and PDF versions of this paper. The error has been fixed in the paper.