bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
THE DENSITY OF -WISE RELATIVELY -PRIME ALGEBRAIC INTEGERS
Authors: SITTINGER BRIAN D.
Published: July 2018

Let $K$ be a number field with a ring of integers ${\mathcal{O}}$. We follow Ferraguti and Micheli [‘On the Mertens–Cèsaro theorem for number fields’, Bull. Aust. Math. Soc.93(2) (2016), 199–210] to define a density for subsets of ${\mathcal{O}}$ and use it to find the density of the set of $j$-wise relatively $r$-prime $m$-tuples of algebraic integers. This provides a generalisation and analogue for several results on natural densities of integers and ideals of algebraic integers.
THE QUESTION OF THEOPPIDA VETERIS LATIIIN PLINY THE ELDER'SNATVRALIS HISTORIA
Authors: Espinosa-Espinosa David
Published: July 2018

This article attempts to provide a plausible explanation of a series of expressions used by Pliny the Elder to designate a significant number of communities in Hispania:[oppida] Latio antiquitus donata,[oppida] Latinorum ueterum,oppidani Latii ueteris,[oppida] Latii antiquiandoppida ueteris Latii(Plin.HN3.7, 3.18, 3.24, 3.25, 4.117). These phrases, commonly explained from a chronological or typological viewpoint, encompass fifty Augustanciuitates, the most important feature of which was the enjoyment of Latin rights before the sources used by Pliny were written under the Early Principate. To address this issue, the meaning and the use of the termoppidumare first examined. In a second stage, the origin and the sense of the adjectivesuetusandantiquum, as well as the adverbantiquitus, are analysed. The results suggest thatoppida ueteris Latiiand its variants may express, in a simple and comprehensible way, the administrative changes that a group of Republican Latin colonies in Hispania underwent through their transformation intomunicipia Latinaduring the reign of Augustus.
Caste Dominance and Territory in South India: Understanding Kammas’ socio-spatial mobility
Authors: BENBABAALI DALEL
Published: July 2018

This article argues that taking territory into account is essential to understand the change in the scale and nature of caste dominance in contemporary India. The demonstration is based on an analysis of the socio-spatial trajectories of the Kammas—a dominant caste from Coastal Andhra, where they continue to own most of the land, even though they have migrated in large numbers towards the interior and southern regions of the Indian peninsula, both to newly irrigated areas and to the cities. The key positions they occupy in the politics and economy of Andhra Pradesh confer upon them a hegemonic character. However, this hegemony is threatened by the growing resistance of Dalits to caste and class oppression, while Kamma cultural domination, long contested in Telangana, is now challenged by the formation of the new state.
From Bonded to Industrial Labour: Precarity, Maoism, and ethnicity in a modern industrial factory in western Nepal
Authors: HOFFMANN MICHAEL PETER
Published: July 2018

This article focuses on how people who formerly worked as bonded labourers adapt to the new realities of an insecure capitalist labour market. It examines how the past shapes the uncertain labour situation of the present, including resistance. The article reflects on the current experiences of precarious labour at industrial sites in western Nepal. It describes how former bonded labourers and their descendants have begun working as contract workers in a modern industrial food-processing factory, with the help of contractors related to them by kin. The article further shows that one of the defining features of their new life as contract labourers is its chronic precariousness. Undisguised forms of confrontation, such as open disregard for management instructions, are also part of their new reality in the labour market. Contract labourers are often strongly assertive in the face of managerial authority, and this assertiveness has been shaped largely by either past experiences or memories of bonded labour. The article contributes to debates about bonded labour and its transformations in South Asia. It also offers a reflection on the limited impact of the Nepali Maoist Revolution on precarious labour and on the ethnic dimensions of this segment of Nepali society. Finally, it contributes to discussions about industrialization and Adivasi communities in South Asia and beyond.
Detection of potentially human infectious assemblages of Giardia duodenalis in fecal samples from beef and dairy cattle in Scotland
Authors: Bartley Paul M. , Roehe Beeke K. , Thomson Sarah , Shaw Hannah J. , Peto Frederieke , Innes Elisabeth A. , Katzer Frank
Published: July 2018

This study aimed to determine the prevalence and assemblages of Giardia duodenalis present in Scottish beef and dairy cattle at different ages, to try to ascertain if cattle could play a role in the spread of zoonotic assemblages of Giardia. A total of 388 fecal samples (128 beef and 253 dairy, seven of unknown breed) were collected from 19 farms in Scotland. Samples were sub-divided by host age, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6, 7–24 and ⩾25 weeks. DNA was extracted and tested by PCR to detect G. duodenalis DNA. Of the 388 samples, 126 tested positive, giving an overall prevalence of 32.5%, with positive samples being observed in all age groups tested. The prevalence in dairy cattle was 44.7% (113/235), which was significantly higher (P < 0.001) than the prevalence in beef cattle 10.1% (13/128). Sequence analysis demonstrated the presence of assemblage E (77.2%, sequence types E-S1–E-S5), assemblage B (18.2%) and assemblage A (sub-assemblages AI-AII) (4.6%). These data demonstrate that G. duodenalis is found routinely in both dairy and beef cattle throughout Scotland; the presence of assemblages A and B also indicates that cattle may play a role in the spread of potentially zoonotic assemblages of Giardia.
Taphonomies of landscape: investigating the immediate environs of Çatalhöyük from prehistory to the present
Authors: Jackson Mark P.C. , Moore Sophie V.
Published: July 2018

The landscape immediately surrounding the site of Çatalhöyük preserves topographic and ceramic evidence dating from prehistoric times to the present day. This article presents the results of a programme of investigation of the landscape conducted through analysis of remote-sensing, map and field-survey data, with particular emphasis on the first and second millennia AD. The concept of taphonomy, usually defined in archaeology as the process of change after deposition, is applied to the transformation of the settled landscape from its Neolithic origins to its present status as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Taphonomy serves as a linking concept as we explore how past landscapes are mobilised and translated into the ever-changing present.
What is the publication language in humanities? The case of Translation Studies scholars
Authors: Li Xiangdong
Published: July 2018

English is becoming the default language of knowledge construction and dissemination (Kuteeva & McGrath, 2014; Zheng & Gao, 2016; Fuentes & Gómez Soler, 2018). However, English as a monolingual and mono-rhetorical means of disseminating knowledge may maximize its ‘Tyrannosaurus rex’ side (Tardy, 2004; Espinet et al., 2015; Zheng & Gao, 2016). The use of English as an Academic Lingua Franca (EALF) is depicted as hegemonic, totalitarian, colonial and imperialistic, silencing other academic traditions, imposing Anglophone ideologies of norms and rhetorical conventions, and controlling other academic territories (Phillipson, 1992; Bennett, 2013). It is claimed that an orientation towards the norms and rhetorical conventions of the Anglo-Saxon discourse demotes non-English languages, cultures and rhetorical conventions (Tardy, 2004; Espinet, Izquierdo & Garcia–Pujol, 2015), disadvantages non-native English-speaking scholars and their scholarship (Flowerdew, 2013; Zheng & Gao, 2016), erodes alternative forms of knowledge construction (Martín–Martín, 2005; Bennett, 2011), and reduces intellectual, cultural and epistemological diversity (Tardy, 2004; Bennett, 2011).
Andô dilations and inequalities on non-commutative domains
Authors: Popescu Gelu
Published: July 2018

We obtain intertwining dilation theorems for non-commutative regular domains 𝒟f and non-commutative varieties 𝒱J in B(𝓗)n, which generalize Sarason and Szőkefalvi-Nagy and Foiaş's commutant lifting theorem for commuting contractions. We present several applications including a new proof for the commutant lifting theorem for pure elements in the domain 𝒟f (respectively, variety 𝒱J ) as well as a Schur-type representation for the unit ball of the Hardy algebra associated with the variety 𝒱J. We provide Andô-type dilations and inequalities for bi-domains 𝒟f ×c 𝒟g consisting of all pairs (X,Y ) of tuples X := (X1,…, Xn1) ∊ 𝒟f and Y := (Y1,…, Yn2) ∊ 𝒟g that commute, i.e. each entry of X commutes with each entry of Y . The results are new, even when n1 = n2 = 1. In this particular case, we obtain extensions of Andô's results and Agler and McCarthy's inequality for commuting contractions to larger classes of commuting operators. All the results are extended to bi-varieties 𝒱J1×c 𝒱J2, where 𝒱J1 and 𝒱J2 are non-commutative varieties generated by weak-operator-topology-closed two-sided ideals in non-commutative Hardy algebras. The commutative case and the matrix case when n1 = n2 = 1 are also discussed.
Explicit coupling argument for non-uniformly hyperbolic transformations
Authors: Korepanov A. , Kosloff Z. , Melbourne I.
Published: July 2018

The transfer operator corresponding to a uniformly expanding map enjoys good spectral properties. We verify that coupling yields explicit estimates that depend continuously on the expansion and distortion constants of the map. For non-uniformly expanding maps with a uniformly expanding induced map, we obtain explicit estimates for mixing rates (exponential, stretched exponential, polynomial) that again depend continuously on the constants for the induced map together with data associated with the inducing time. Finally, for non-uniformly hyperbolic transformations, we obtain the corresponding estimates for rates of decay of correlations.
Evaluation and comparison of the National Tuberculosis (TB) Surveillance System in Ireland before and after the introduction of the Computerised Electronic Reporting System (CIDR)
Authors: Chaintarli K. , Jackson S. , Cotter S. , O'Donnell J.
Published: July 2018

We evaluated and compared the completeness, timeliness, simplicity, usefulness and flexibility between the former National Tuberculosis (TB) Surveillance System (NTBSS) and the newer Computerised Infectious Disease Reporting System (CIDR). Completeness was assessed by examining the field completion of key variables and median time from diagnosis to notification was calculated to evaluate timeliness. Differences between the two systems on completeness and timeliness were statistically assessed usingχ2and Wilcoxon rank-sum test, respectively. An online questionnaire on simplicity, flexibility and usefulness was sent to key stakeholders. Time and diagnosis-related variables were more complete in NTBSS, while variables on drug susceptibility, HIV and laboratory tests were more complete in CIDR (P< 0.05). The median time notification interval increased significantly in CIDR (P< 0.05). Stakeholders thought that CIDR is simpler (37.5%), more useful (41.7%) and more flexible (29.2%) than NTBSS. This study demonstrated that CIDR did not improve data completeness and decreased timeliness of notification. Simplicity, usefulness and flexibility were improved but qualitative methods should be applied to further explore these results.
Pulmonary atresia with ventricular septal defect and major aortopulmonary collaterals: collateral vessel disease burden and unifocalisation strategies
Authors: Hofferberth Sophie C. , Esch Jesse J. , Zurakowski David , Baird Christopher W. , Mayer John E. , Emani Sitaram M.
Published: July 2018

Introduction

The optimal approach to unifocalisation in pulmonary atresia with ventricular septal defect and major aortopulmonary collateral arteries (pulmonary artery/ventricular septal defect/major aortopulmonary collaterals) remains controversial. Moreover, the impact of collateral vessel disease burden on surgical decision-making and late outcomes remains poorly defined. We investigated our centre’s experience in the surgical management of pulmonary artery/ventricular septal defect/major aortopulmonary collaterals.

Materials and methods

Between 1996 and 2015, 84 consecutive patients with pulmonary artery/ventricular septal defect/major aortopulmonary collaterals underwent unifocalisation. In all, 41 patients received single-stage unifocalisation (Group 1) and 43 patients underwent multi-stage repair (Group 2). Preoperative collateral vessel anatomy, branch pulmonary artery reinterventions, ventricular septal defect status, and late right ventricle/left ventricle pressure ratio were evaluated.

Results

Median follow-up was 4.8 compared with 5.7 years for Groups 1 and 2, respectively, p = 0.65. Median number of major aortopulmonary collaterals/patient was 3, ranging from 1 to 8, in Group 1 compared with 4, ranging from 1 to 8, in Group 2, p = 0.09. Group 2 had a higher number of lobar/segmental stenoses within collateral vessels (p = 0.02). Group 1 had fewer catheter-based branch pulmonary artery reinterventions, with 5 (inter-quartile range from 1 to 7) per patient, compared with 9 (inter-quartile range from 4 to 14) in Group 2, p = 0.009. Among patients who achieved ventricular septal defect closure, median right ventricle/left ventricle pressure was 0.48 in Group 1 compared with 0.78 in Group 2, p = 0.03. Overall mortality was 6 (17%) in Group 1 compared with 9 (21%) in Group 2.

Discussion

Single-stage unifocalisation is a promising repair strategy in select patients, achieving low rates of reintervention for branch pulmonary artery restenosis and excellent mid-term haemodynamic outcomes. However, specific anatomic substrates of pulmonary artery/ventricular septal defect/major aortopulmonary collaterals may be better suited to multi-stage repair. Preoperative evaluation of collateral vessel calibre and function may help inform more patient-specific surgical management.
Investigation of myocardial dysfunction using three-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography in a genetic positive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy Chinese family
Authors: Wang Jing , Guo Rui-Qi , Guo Jian-Ying , Zuo Lei , Lei Chang-Hui , Shao Hong , Wang Li-Feng , Zhang Yan-Min , Liu Li-Wen
Published: July 2018

Background

We previously reported four heterozygous missense mutations of MYH7, KCNQ1, MYLK2, and TMEM70 in a single three-generation Chinese family with dual Long QT and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy phenotypes for the first time. However, the clinical course among the family members was various, and the potential myocardial dysfunction has not been investigated.

Objectives

The objective of this study was to investigate the echocardiographic and electrocardiographic characteristics in a genetic positive Chinese family with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and further to explore the association between myocardial dysfunction and electric activity, and the identified mutations.

Methods

A comprehensive echocardiogram – standard two-dimensional Doppler echocardiography and three-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography – and electrocardiogram were obtained for members in this family.

Results

As previously reported, four missense mutations – MYH7-H1717Q, KCNQ1-R190W, MYLK2-K324E, and TMEM70-I147T – were identified in this family. The MYH7-H1717Q mutation carriers had significantly increased left ventricular mass indices, elevated E/e’ ratio, deteriorated global longitudinal stain, but enhanced global circumferential and radial strain compared with those in non-mutation patients (all p<0.05). The KCNQ1-R190W carriers showed significantly prolonged QTc intervals, and the MYLK2-K324E mutation carriers showed inverted T-waves (both p<0.05). However, the TMEM70-I147T mutation carriers had similar echocardiography and electrocardiographic data as non-mutation patients.

Conclusions

Three of the identified four mutations had potential pathogenic effects in this family: MYH7-H1717Q was associated with increased left ventricular thickness, elevated left ventricular filling pressure, and altered myocardial deformation; KCNQ1-R190W and MYLK2-K324E mutations were correlated with electrocardiographic abnormalities reflected in long QT phenotype and inverted T-waves, respectively.
Assessing the relative validity of a new, web-based, self-administered 24 h dietary recall in a French-Canadian population
Authors: Lafrenière Jacynthe , Laramée Catherine , Robitaille Julie , Lamarche Benoît , Lemieux Simone
Published: July 2018

Objective

To assess the relative validity of a new, web-based, self-administered 24 h dietary recall, the R24W, for assessment of energy and nutrient intakes among French Canadians.

Design

Each participant completed a 3d food record (FR) and the R24W on three occasions over a 4-week period. Intakes of energy and of twenty-four selected nutrients assessed by both methods were compared.

Setting

Québec City metropolitan area.

Subjects

Fifty-seven women and fifty men (mean (sd) age: 47·2 (13·3) years).

Results

Equivalent proportions of under-reporters were found with the R24W (15·0%) and the FR (23·4%). Mean (sd) energy intake from the R24W was 7·2% higher than that from the FR (10 857 (3184) kJ/d (2595 (761) kcal/d) v. 10 075 (2971) kJ/d (2408 (710) kcal/d); P<0·01). Significant differences in mean nutrient intakes between the R24W and the FR ranged from –54·8% (i.e. lower value with R24W) for niacin to +40·0% (i.e. higher value with R24W) for alcohol. Sex- and energy-adjusted deattenuated correlations between the two methods were significant for all nutrients except Zn (range: 0·35–0·72; P<0·01). Cross-classification demonstrated that 40·0% of participants were classified in the same quartile with both methods, while 40·0% were classified in the adjacent quartile and only 3·6% were grossly misclassified (1st v. 4th quartile). Analysis of Bland–Altman plots revealed proportional bias between the two assessment methods for 8/24 nutrients.

Conclusions

These data suggest that the R24W presents an acceptable relative validity as compared with the FR for estimating usual dietary intakes in a cohort of French Canadians.
Individual and food environmental factors: association with diet
Authors: Menezes Mariana Carvalho de , Diez Roux Ana Victoria , Costa Bruna Vieira de Lima , Lopes Aline Cristine Souza
Published: July 2018

Objective

To examine the associations of individual and food environmental factors with fruit and vegetable (F&V) intake in a city in a low-to-middle-income country (LMIC).

Design

Cross-sectional.

Setting

Representative sample of the Brazilian Primary Care service known as the Health Academy Program (HAP) in Belo Horizonte, a Brazilian city.

Subjects

Using a conceptual model as a guide, individual and food environment data were obtained through: (i) face-to-face interviews with participants aged 20 years or older; and (ii) F&V food store audits. A broad set of individual, household, and community and consumer nutrition environment variables was investigated. Multilevel linear regression was used to quantify area-level variations in F&V intake and to estimate associations with the factors.

Results

Eighteen HAP centres were selected and 2944 participants and 336 food stores were included. F&V intake varied between contexts, being higher in areas with better socio-economic conditions and food store quality, such as specialised F&V markets. Individual-level factors, including age, income, food insecurity, stage of change, self-efficacy and decisional balance, were significantly associated with F&V intake. After controlling for individual-level characteristics, greater F&V intake was also associated with higher quality of food stores.

Conclusions

In one of the first studies to comprehensively assess the food environment in an LMIC, individual-level factors accounted for the largest variation in F&V intake; however, the food environment was also important, because area-level variables explained 10·5 % of the F&V intake variation. The consumer nutrition environment was more predictive of healthy eating than was the community nutrition environment. The findings suggest new possibilities for interventions.
Using formative research with older adults to inform a community physical activity programme: Get Healthy, Get Active
Authors: Sanders George J. , Roe Brenda , Knowles Zoe R. , Kaehne Axel , Fairclough Stuart J.
Published: July 2018

Aim

The purpose of this formative study was to explore current knowledge and attitudes towards physical activity, as well as perceived barriers, facilitators and opportunities for physical activity participation among older adults living in the community. The findings have subsequently informed the design, delivery and recruitment strategies of a local community physical activity intervention programme which forms part of Sport England’s national Get Healthy, Get Active initiative.

Background

There is a growing public health concern regarding the amount of time spent in sedentary and physical activity behaviours within the older adult population.

Methods

Between March and June 2016, 34 participants took part in one of six focus groups as part of a descriptive formative study. A homogenous purposive sample of 28 community dwelling white, British older adults (six male), aged 65–90 years (M=78, SD=7 years) participated in one of five focus group sessions. An additional convenience pragmatic sub-sample of six participants (three male), aged 65–90 years (M=75, SD=4 years), recruited from an assisted living retirement home participated in a sixth focus group. Questions for focus groups were structured around the PRECEDE stage of the PRECEDE–PROCEDE model of health programme design, implementation and evaluation. Questions addressed knowledge, attitudes and beliefs towards physical activity, as well as views on barriers and opportunities for physical activity participation. All data were transcribed verbatim. Thematic analysis was then conducted with outcomes represented as pen profiles.

Findings

Consistent views regarding both the potential physical and psychosocial benefits of physical activity were noted regardless of living status. The themes of, opportunities and awareness for physical activity participation, cost, transport, location and season/weather varied between participants living in an assisted living retirement home and community dwelling older adults. Further comparative research on the physical activity requirements of older adults living in assisted living versus community settings are warranted.
Nurse practitioner consultations in primary health care: an observational interaction analysis of social interactions and consultation outcomes
Authors: Barratt Julian , Thomas Nicola
Published: July 2018

Objective

To determine the discrete nature of social interactions occurring in nurse practitioner consultations and investigate the relationship between consultation social interaction styles (biomedical and patient-centred) and the outcomes of patient satisfaction, patient enablement, and consultation time lengths.

Methods

A case study-based observational interaction analysis of verbal social interactions, arising from 30 primary health care nurse practitioner consultations, linked with questionnaire measures of patient satisfaction and enablement.

Results

A significant majority of observed social interactions used patient-centred communication styles (P=0.005), with neither nurse practitioners nor patients or carers being significantly more verbally dominant. Nurse practitioners guided the sequence of consultation interaction sequences, but patients actively participated through interactions such as asking questions. Usage of either patient-centred or biomedical interaction styles were not significantly associated with increased levels of patient satisfaction or patient enablement. The median consultation time length of 10.1 min (quartiles 8.2, 13.7) was not significantly extended by high levels of patient-centred interactions being used in the observed consultations.

Conclusion

High usage levels of patient-centred interaction styles are not necessarily contingent upon having longer consultation times available, and clinicians can encourage patients to use participatory interactions, whilst still then retaining overall guidance of the phased sequences of consultations, and not concurrently extending consultation time lengths. This study adds to the body of nurse practitioner consultation communication research by providing a more detailed understanding of the nature of social interactions occurring in nurse practitioner consultations, linked to the outcomes of patient satisfaction and enablement.
Conceptualisations of Family and Social Work Family Practice in Chile, Mexico and Norway
Authors: Studsrød Ingunn , Ellingsen Ingunn T. , Guzmán Carolina Muñoz , Espinoza Sandra E. Mancinas
Published: July 2018

Social workers all around the world work with families and family complexity in their everyday practice. In this article, we present findings from a cross-national study exploring how social workers in child welfare conceptualise ‘family’, and how they relate to ‘family’ in their practice. Data presented is taken from focus groups with twenty-eight social workers from Chile, Mexico and Norway. The findings reveal that in Chilean, Mexican, and Norwegian social work, the conceptualisation of family has expanded over time, acknowledging various family forms and displays, and an increased orientation towards networks regardless of biological ties. However, differences were found, particularly in the way professionals view extended family, perspectives on family intervention, and the position of children in the family. Practical implications will be discussed.
LIBERALISM, CULTURAL PARTICULARISM, AND THE RULE OF LAW IN MODERN EAST ASIA: THE ANTI-CONFUCIAN ESSENTIALISMS OF CHEN DUXIU AND FUKUZAWA YUKICHI COMPARED
Authors: PARAMORE KIRI
Published: July 2018

How and why are universalist modes of political thought transformed into culturally essentialist and exclusionary practices of governance and law? This article considers this question by analyzing the interaction between Confucianism and liberalism in East Asia. It argues that liberalism, particularly as it was used in attacking Confucianism, was instrumental in embedding ideas of cultural particularism and cultural essentialism in the emergence of modern political thought and law in both China and Japan. Both Confucianism and liberalism are self-imagined as universalist traditions, theoretically applicable to all global societies. Yet in practice both have regularly been defined in culturally determined, culturally exclusivist terms: Confucianism as “Chinese,” liberalism as “British” or “Western.” The meeting of Confucian and liberal visions of universalism and globalism in nineteenth-century East Asia provides an intriguing case study for considering the interaction between universalism and cultural exclusivism. This article focuses on the role of nineteenth-century global liberalism in attacks upon the previous Confucian order in East Asia, demonstrating the complicity of liberalism in new, culturally essentialist and particularist constructions of governance and law in both China and Japan.
International Law Obligations Arising in relation to Nationally Determined Contributions
Authors: Mayer Benoit
Published: July 2018

This article analyzes the international law obligations that arise in relation to nationally determined contributions (NDCs). It argues that distinct and concurrent obligations arise from two separate sources. On the one hand, treaty obligations arise under the Paris Agreement, which imposes an obligation of conduct on parties: they must take adequate measures towards the realization of the mitigation targets contained in their NDCs. On the other hand, communications such as NDCs may constitute unilateral declarations that also create legal obligations. These unilateral declarations impose obligations of various types, which may extend beyond mitigation. For example, they may specify measures of implementation or demand the achievement of a particular result. The potential ‘double-bindingness’ of NDCs should be a central consideration in the interpretation of international law obligations regarding climate change.
How Many Water Droplets Are in a Cloud?
Authors: Grosvenor Daniel
Published: July 2018

The number of droplets in clouds affects how much of the Sun’s warming energy is reflected back to space. But how reliable are our attempts to count them?
Impact of Ocean Eddy Resolution on the Sensitivity of Precipitation to CO2 Increase
Authors: He Jie , Kirtman Ben , Soden Brian J. , Vecchi Gabriel A. , Zhang Honghai , Winton Michael
Published: July 2018

The past few years have seen a growing investment in the development of global eddy‐resolving ocean models, but the impact of incorporating such high ocean resolution on precipitation responses to CO2 forcing has yet to be investigated. This study analyzes precipitation changes from a suite of Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory models incorporating eddy‐resolving (0.1°), eddy‐permitting (0.25°), and eddy‐parameterizing (1°) ocean models. The incorporation of eddy resolution does not challenge the large‐scale structure of precipitation changes but results in substantial regional differences, particularly over ocean. These oceanic differences are primarily driven by the pattern of sea surface temperature (SST) changes with greater sensitivity in lower latitudes. The largest impact of ocean resolution on SST changes occurs in eddy‐rich regions (e.g., boundary currents and the Southern Ocean), where impact on precipitation changes is also found to various degrees. In the Gulf Stream region where previous studies found considerable impact of eddy resolution on the simulation of climatological precipitation, we do not find such impact from the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory models, but we do find substantial impact on precipitation changes. The eddy‐parameterizing model projects a banded structure common to the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (Phase 5) models, whereas the higher‐resolution models project a poleward shift of precipitation maxima associated with an enhanced Gulf Stream warming. Over land, precipitation changes are generally not very sensitive to ocean resolution. In eastern North America adjacent to the Gulf Stream region, moderate differences are found between resolutions. We discuss the mechanisms of land differences, which arise through the simulation of both climatological SST and SST changes.
Disentangling the drivers of functional complexity at the metagenomic level in Shark Bay microbial mat microbiomes
Authors: Wong Hon Lun , White Richard Allen , Visscher Pieter T , Charlesworth James C , Vázquez-Campos Xabier , Burns Brendan P
Published: July 2018

The functional metagenomic potential of Shark Bay microbial mats was examined for the first time at a millimeter scale, employing shotgun sequencing of communities via the Illumina NextSeq 500 platform in conjunction with defined chemical analyses. A detailed functional metagenomic profile has elucidated key pathways and facilitated inference of critical microbial interactions. In addition, 87 medium-to-high-quality metagenome-assembled genomes (MAG) were assembled, including potentially novel bins under the deep-branching archaeal Asgard group (Thorarchaetoa and Lokiarchaeota). A range of pathways involved in carbon, nitrogen, sulfur, and phosphorus cycles were identified in mat metagenomes, with the Wood–Ljungdahl pathway over-represented and inferred as a major carbon fixation mode. The top five sets of genes were affiliated to sulfate assimilation (cysNC cysNCD, sat), methanogenesis (hdrABC), Wood–Ljungdahl pathways (cooS, coxSML), phosphate transport (pstB), and copper efflux (copA). Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) synthase genes were over-represented at the surface, with PHA serving as a potential storage of fixed carbon. Sulfur metabolism genes were highly represented, in particular complete sets of genes responsible for both assimilatory and dissimilatory sulfate reduction. Pathways of environmental adaptation (UV, hypersalinity, oxidative stress, and heavy metal resistance) were also delineated, as well as putative viral defensive mechanisms (core genes of the CRISPR, BREX, and DISARM systems). This study provides new metagenome-based models of how biogeochemical cycles and adaptive responses may be partitioned in the microbial mats of Shark Bay.
Determining lineage-specific bacterial growth curves with a novel approach based on amplicon reads normalization using internal standard (ARNIS)
Authors: Piwosz Kasia , Shabarova Tanja , Tomasch Jürgen , Šimek Karel , Kopejtka Karel , Kahl Silke , Pieper Dietmar H , Koblížek Michal
Published: July 2018

The growth rate is a fundamental characteristic of bacterial species, determining its contributions to the microbial community and carbon flow. High-throughput sequencing can reveal bacterial diversity, but its quantitative inaccuracy precludes estimation of abundances and growth rates from the read numbers. Here, we overcame this limitation by normalizing Illumina-derived amplicon reads using an internal standard: a constant amount of Escherichia coli cells added to samples just before biomass collection. This approach made it possible to reconstruct growth curves for 319 individual OTUs during the grazer-removal experiment conducted in a freshwater reservoir Římov. The high resolution data signalize significant functional heterogeneity inside the commonly investigated bacterial groups. For instance, many Actinobacterial phylotypes, a group considered to harbor slow-growing defense specialists, grew rapidly upon grazers’ removal, demonstrating their considerable importance in carbon flow through food webs, while most Verrucomicrobial phylotypes were particle associated. Such differences indicate distinct life strategies and roles in food webs of specific bacterial phylotypes and groups. The impact of grazers on the specific growth rate distributions supports the hypothesis that bacterivory reduces competition and allows existence of diverse bacterial communities. It suggests that the community changes were driven mainly by abundant, fast, or moderately growing, and not by rare fast growing, phylotypes. We believe amplicon read normalization using internal standard (ARNIS) can shed new light on in situ growth dynamics of both abundant and rare bacteria.
Domino-like multi-emissions across red and near infrared from solid-state 2-/2,6-aryl substituted BODIPY dyes
Authors: Tian Dan , Qi Fen , Ma Huili , Wang Xiaoqing , Pan Yue , Chen Runfeng , Shen Zhen , Liu Zhipeng , Huang Ling , Huang Wei
Published: July 2018

Considerable achievements on multiple emission capabilities and tunable wavelengths have been obtained in inorganic luminescent materials. However, the development of organic counterparts remains a grand challenge. Herein we report a series of 2-/2,6-aryl substituted boron-dipyrromethene dyes with wide-range and multi-fluorescence emissions across red and near infrared in their aggregation states. Experimental data of X-ray diffraction, UV–vis absorption, and room temperature fluorescence spectra have proved the multiple excitation and easy-adjustable emission features in aggregated boron-dipyrromethene dyes. Temperature-dependent and time-resolved fluorescence studies have indicated a successive energy transfer from high to step-wisely lower-located energy levels that correspond to different excitation states of aggregates. Consistent quantum chemical calculation results have proposed possible aggregation modes of boron-dipyrromethene dyes to further support the above-described scenario. Thus, this study greatly enriches the fundamental recognition of conventional boron-dipyrromethene dyes by illustrating the relationships between multiple emission behaviors and the aggregation states of boron-dipyrromethene molecules.
Co6Se8(PEt3)6 superatoms as tunable chemical dopants for two-dimensional semiconductors
Authors: Reber Arthur C. , Khanna Shiv N.
Published: July 2018

Electronic, optoelectronic, and other functionalities of semiconductors are controlled by the nature and density of carriers, and the location of the Fermi energy. Developing strategies to tune these parameters holds the key to precise control over semiconductors properties. We propose that ligand exchange on superatoms can offer a systematic strategy to vary these properties. We demonstrate this by considering a WSe2 surface doped with ligated metal chalcogenide Co6Se8(PEt3)6 clusters. These superatoms are characterized by valence quantum states that can readily donate multiple electrons. We find that the WSe2 support binds more strongly to the Co6Se8 cluster than the PEt3 ligand, so ligand exchange between the phosphine ligand and the WSe2 support is energetically favorable. The metal chalcogenide superatoms serves as a donor that may transform the WSe2 p-type film into an n-type semiconductor. The theoretical findings complement recent experiments where WSe2 films with supported Co6Se8(PEt3)6 are indeed found to undergo a change in behavior from p- to n-type. We further show that by replacing the PEt3 ligands by CO ligands, one can control the electronic character of the surface and deposited species.
Single-base resolution methylome analysis shows epigenetic changes in Arabidopsis seedlings exposed to microgravity spaceflight conditions on board the SJ-10 recoverable satellite
Authors: Xu Peipei , Chen Haiying , Jin Jing , Cai Weiming
Published: July 2018

DNA methylation is a very important epigenetic modification that participates in many biological functions. Although many studies of DNA methylation have been reported in various plant species, few studies have assessed the global DNA methylation pattern in plants challenged by exposure to microgravity conditions. In this report, we mapped the Arabidopsis genome methylation pattern changes associated with microgravity conditions on board the Chinese recoverable scientific satellite SJ-10 at single-base resolution. Interestingly, we found epigenetic differences in Arabidopsis seedlings exposed to microgravity in that the Arabidopsis genome exhibits lower methylation levels in the CHG, CHH, and CpG contexts under microgravity conditions. Microgravity stimulation was related to altered methylation of a number of genes, including DNA methylation-associated genes, hormone signaling related genes, cell-wall modification genes and transposable elements (TEs). Relatively unstable DNA methylation of TEs was responsible for the induction of active transposons. These observations suggest that DNA demethylation within TEs may affect the transcription of transposons in response to microgravity conditions. In summary, the results of this investigation are beneficial for understanding the mechanism of plant adaptation to microgravity and improve strategies to allow plants to adapt to space.
Genomic signatures of mitonuclear coevolution across populations of Tigriopus californicus
Authors: Barreto Felipe S. , Watson Eric T. , Lima Thiago G. , Willett Christopher S. , Edmands Suzanne , Li Weizhong , Burton Ronald S.
Published: July 2018

The copepodTigriopus californicusshows extensive population divergence and is becoming a model for understanding allopatric differentiation and the early stages of speciation. Here, we report a high-quality reference genome for one population (~190 megabases across 12 scaffolds, and ~15,500 protein-coding genes). Comparison with other arthropods reveals 2,526 genes presumed to be specific toT. californicus, with an apparent proliferation of genes involved in ion transport and receptor activity. Beyond the reference population, we report re-sequenced genomes of seven additional populations, spanning the continuum of reproductive isolation. Populations show extreme mitochondrial DNA divergence, with higher levels of amino acid differentiation than observed in other taxa. Across the nuclear genome, we find elevated protein evolutionary rates and positive selection in genes predicted to interact with mitochondrial DNA and the proteins and RNA it encodes in multiple pathways. Together, these results support the hypothesis that rapid mitochondrial evolution drives compensatory nuclear evolution within isolated populations, thereby providing a potentially important mechanism for causing intrinsic reproductive isolation.
A comparison of hydrological and topological watersheds
Authors: Burger B. , Andrade J. S. , Herrmann H. J.
Published: July 2018

We introduce the hydrological watershed, a watershed where water can penetrate the soil, and compare it with the topological watershed for a two-dimensional landscape. For this purpose, we measure the fractal dimension of the hydrological watershed for different penetration depths and different grid sizes. Through finite size scaling, we find that the fractal dimension is 1.31 ± 0.02 which is significantly higher than the fractal dimension of the topological watershed. This indicates that the hydrological watershed belongs to a new universality class. We also find that, as opposed to the topological watershed, the hydrodynamic watershed can exhibit disconnected islands.
Variation in fluoroquinolone pharmacodynamic parameter values among isolates of two bacterial pathogens of bovine respiratory disease
Authors: Wen Xuesong , Gehring Ronette , Riviere Jim E. , Lubbers Brian V. , Gaire Tara Nath , Wyche Bre’Anna , Fox Breanna , Quichocho Victoria , Volkova Victoriya V.
Published: July 2018

To design an antimicrobial treatment regimen for a bacterial disease, data on the drug pharmacodynamics (PD) against selected drug-susceptible strains of the pathogen are used. The regimen is applied across such strains in the field, assuming the PD parameter values remain the same. We used time-kill experiments and PD modeling to investigate the fluoroquinolone enrofloxacin PD against different isolates of two bovine respiratory disease pathogens: four Mannheimia haemolytica and three Pasteurella multocida isolates. The models were fitted as mixed-effects non-linear regression; the fixed-effects PD parameter values were estimated after accounting for random variation among experimental replicates. There was both inter- and intra- bacterial species variability in the PD parameters Hill-coefficient and Emax (maximal decline of bacterial growth rate), with more variable PD responses among M. haemolytica than among P. multocida isolates. Moreover, the Hill-coefficient was correlated to the isolate’s maximal population growth rate in the absence of antimicrobial exposure (a.k.a. specific growth rate; Spearman’s ρ = 0.98, p-value = 0.003, n = 6 isolates excluding one outlier). Thus, the strain’s properties such as growth potential may impact its PD responses. This variability can have clinical implications. Modifying the treatment regimen depending on phenotypic properties of the pathogen strain causing disease may be a precision medicine approach.
Preliminary study of Cell Wall Structure and its Mechanical Properties of C3H and HCT RNAi Transgenic Poplar Sapling
Authors: Zhou Xianwu , Ren Suhong , Lu Mengzhu , Zhao Shutang , Chen Zhangjing , Zhao Rongjun , Lv Jianxiong
Published: July 2018

This research focused on the cell wall structure and its mechanical properties of down-regulated Coumaroyl shikimate 3-hydroxylase (C3H) transgenic poplar and down-regulated hydroxycinnamoyl CoA: shikimate hydroxycinnamoyl transferase (HCT) transgenic poplar (Populus alba × P. glandulosa cv ‘84 k’). The wood samples with respect to microstructure, the longitudinal elastic modulus (MOE) and hardness of wood fiber secondary cell wall were investigated. The results show that the lignin contents in the two transgenic poplar woods were lower than non-modified wood. The C3H transgenic poplar and HCT transgenic poplar have more than 18.5% and 16.1% cellulose crystalline regions than non-modified poplar respectively. The diameter of the fiber cell and the vessel element of transgenic poplars are smaller. Double radial vessel cell wall thicknesses of both transgenic poplars were smaller than non-modified poplar. Cell wall ratios for the transgenic poplar were higher than non-modified poplar and cell wall density was significantly lower in both C3H and HCT transgenic poplar. The cell wall MOEs of C3H and HCT transgenic poplar was 5.8% and 7.0% higher than non-modified poplar. HCT can be more effective than C3H to modify the trees by considerably increasing mechanical properties of the cell wall.
Wavelength-shifting properties of luminescence nanoparticles for high energy particle detection and specific physics process observation
Authors: Sahi Sunil , Magill Stephen , Ma Lun , Xie Junqi , Chen Wei , Jones Benjamin , Nygren David
Published: July 2018

Ultraviolet (UV) photon detection is becoming increasingly important in the quest to understand the fundamental building blocks of our universe. Basic properties of neutrinos and Dark Matter are currently being explored through interactions with noble elements. In response to interactions with fundamental particles, these elements emit scintillation photons in the UV range. However, most available detectors have poor response in the UV so it is typically necessary to shift UV to a wavelength, matching the sensitivity of the viable detectors. We report on development of UV-enhanced photosensors using wavelength-shifting properties of nanoparticles. Several nanoparticle coatings were tested for absorption of UV light with subsequent emission in the visible wavelength for high energy particle detection. ZnS:Mn,Eu, ZnS:Mn, CuCy (Copper Cysteamine) and CdTe nanoparticles all exhibited enhanced detection for wavelengths in the range 200–320 nm in several different tests, while ZnS:Ag and CdS nanoparticle showed little or no enhancement in that range. In addition, various LaF3:Ce nanoparticle concentrations in approximately constant thickness of 2,5-diphenyloxazole (PPO)/polystyrene bases were also tested to optimize the nanoparticle concentration for the best outcome. Our studies indicated that ZnS:Mn,Eu, ZnS:Mn, Cu-Cy, CdTe and LaF3:Ce nanoparticles show potential for light detection from fundamental particle interactions.
Resting-state fMRI study on drug-naive patients of essential tremor with and without head tremor
Authors: Wang Ling , Lei Du , Suo Xueling , Li Nannan , Lu Zhongjiao , Li Junying , Peng Jiaxin , Gong Qiyong , Peng Rong
Published: July 2018

This study used resting-state functional MRI (r-fMRI) to evaluate intrinsic brain activity in drug-naive patients with essential tremor (ET) with and without head tremor. We enrolled 20 patients with ET with hand and head tremor (h-ET), 27 patients with ET without head tremor (a-ET), and 27 healthy controls (HCs). All participants underwent r-fMRI scans on a 3-T MR system. The amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) of blood oxygen level-dependent signals was used to characterize regional cerebral function. We identified increased ALFF value in the bilateral posterior lobe of cerebellum in the h-ET patients relative to a-ET and HCs and demonstrated that h-ET is related to abnormalities in the cerebello-cortical areas, while the a-ET is related to abnormalities in the thalamo-cortical areas. In addition, we observed the ALFF abnormality in the cerebellum (left cerebellum VIII and right cerebellum VI) correlated with the tremor score in h-ET patients and abnormal ALFF in the left precentral gyrus correlated with the age at onset and disease duration in h-ET patients. These findings may be helpful for facilitating further understanding of the potential mechanisms underlying different subtypes of ET.