bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Paraffin/chitosan composite phase change materials fabricated by piercing-solidifying method for thermal energy storage
Authors: Qi Honghua , Zhang Ting , Zhang Deyi , Wang Kunjie , Wang Yi
Published: March 2020

To study the effects of emulsifier content on the structure and thermal properties of encapsulated phase change materials (PCMs), four kinds of paraffin/chitosan (CS) macroencapsulated PCMs with different emulsifier contents were fabricated via the piercing–solidifying method. The effects of emulsifier content on macro-profile, micromorphology, thermal energy storage properties, and thermal durability of the as-prepared composite, as well as the structure of the optimal capsules, were investigated. The results show that the non-spherical degree, average diameter, and compressive strength decreased first and then increased with increase in emulsifier content, resulting in thermal energy storage capacity’s increase at first and then its decrease. The optimal macro-capsules, fabricated at the critical micelle concentration of the emulsifier, present a regular spherical surface and microencapsulated paraffin wax inside. The paraffin content is as high as 85%, with a phase change latent heat of 112.6 J g−1 for melting and 118.7 J g−1 for solidification. The melting enthalpy and weight loss ratio of the optimal paraffin/chitosan composite after 600 heating/cooling cycles only changed to 0.71% and 1.17%, respectively. These results not only suggest that the piercing–solidifying method can be employed to fabricate macro-capsules with high heat storage performance and excellent thermal stability but also reveal that paraffin/CS can be used in thermal management at low temperature.
Insight into the effects of reaction conditions on metal-free surface-initiated atom-transfer radical polymerization of methyl methacrylate from SBA-15
Authors: Xu Xiang , Zou Yu , He Junjie , Zeng Yanning , Yu Caili , Zhang Faai
Published: March 2020

Mesoporous silica nanoparticles/polymer hybrid materials were prepared via metal-free surface-initiated atom-transfer radical polymerization (SI-ATRP). Self-synthesized mesoporous SBA-15 with surface hydroxyl groups was modified with (3-aminopropyl)-triethoxysilane, followed by anchoring of the ATRP initiator α-bromoisobutyryl bromide onto the surface via amide reaction. The SI-ATRP of methyl methacrylate was then carried out with fluorescein (FL) as a photocatalyst and trimethylamine (TEA) as an electron donor under irradiation with blue light. Thus, polymer chains grew directly from mesoporous walls. The hybrid materials were characterized by gel permeation chromatography, N2 adsorption/desorption measurements, and thermogravimetric analysis. The effects of the ligand/photocatalyst molar ratios, solvent, and the monomer/initiator molar ratios on grafting density, molecular weight, and molecular-weight distribution were investigated. The results show that a higher TEA/FL ratio led to a higher reaction rate and better controllability of the polymerization but also to a lower grafting density. These properties were also affected by the solvent. With an increasing monomer/initiator molar ratio, the grafting rate, molecular weight, and grafting density exhibited increasing trends.
Remnants of the disappearing critical point in chain-forming patchy fluids
Authors: Stopper Daniel , Hansen-Goos Hendrik , Roth Roland , Evans Robert
Published: March 2020

For a standard model of patchy colloidal fluids with patch number M = 2, where chain formation (polymerization) occurs, we show that Wertheim theory predicts critical behavior at vanishing density and temperature. The analysis is based on determining lines in the phase diagram of maximal correlation length and compressibility. Simulation studies identify the latter line and confirm our prediction of Fisher–Widom crossover, i.e., the asymptotic decay of the pair correlation function changes from monotonic to damped oscillatory as the density is increased. For M > 2, it is known that phase separation occurs with a true critical point. Our results support the notion that a “disappearing” critical point occurs in the limit M = 2 and we uncover its remnants.
Globally optimal catalytic fields for a Diels–Alder reaction
Authors: Dittner Mark , Hartke Bernd
Published: March 2020

In a previous paper [M. Dittner and B. Hartke, J. Chem. Theory Comput. 14, 3547 (2018)], we introduced a preliminary version of our GOCAT (globally optimal catalyst) concept in which electrostatic catalysts are designed for arbitrary reactions by global optimization of distributed point charges that surround the reaction. In this first version, a pre-defined reaction path was kept fixed. This unrealistic assumption allowed for only small catalytic effects. In the present work, we extend our GOCAT framework by a sophisticated and robust on-the-fly reaction path optimization, plus further concomitant algorithm adaptions. This allows smaller and larger excursions from a pre-defined reaction path under the influence of the GOCAT point-charge surrounding, all the way to drastic mechanistic changes. In contrast to the restricted first GOCAT version, this new version is able to address real-life catalysis. We demonstrate this by applying it to the electrostatic catalysis of a prototypical Diels–Alder reaction. Without using any prior information, this procedure re-discovers theoretically and experimentally established features of electrostatic catalysis of this very reaction, including a field-dependent transition from the synchronous, concerted textbook mechanism to a zwitterionic two-step mechanism, and diastereomeric discrimination by suitable electric field components.
Avalanches and mixing behavior of porous 316L stainless steel under tension
Authors: Chen Yan , Wang Qiangbing , Ding Xiangdong , Sun Jun , Salje Ekhard K. H.
Published: March 2020

The investigation of acoustic emission (AE) reveals mixing of avalanche processes in porous 316L stainless steel. One avalanche mechanism relates to the movement of dislocations, the other to crack propagation. Both mechanisms occur under different external tensions: small tension dislodges dislocations while crack propagation occurs at much higher tension close to the mechanical failure point. In an intermediate overlap regime, both effects occur simultaneously. The avalanche related power laws show a mixing behavior where the higher avalanche exponents form an upper limit for the mixing curve and the lower exponent is approached asymptotically for strong AE signals. The power law probability distribution functions, show a characteristic upwards bend near the crossover between the two mechanisms. The three regimes, namely, the dislocation movement, mixing, and crack propagation, are confirmed by other avalanche characteristics: the sparseness of the AE spectra, the avalanche exponents of energy, amplitude, and duration. Only the crack propagation follows mean field predictions, while the dislocation movements (in confined spaces) deviates significantly from mean field behavior with much greater exponents than those predicted in this approximation. We demonstrate that apparent deviations from scale invariance are, in reality, the result of two superimposed avalanche processes whereby each of them remains scale invariant. The seeming deviations from scale invariance are actually superposition effects.
The guiding role of dissipation in kinetic proofreading networks: Implications for protein synthesis
Authors: Banerjee Kinshuk , Das Biswajit , Gangopadhyay Gautam
Published: March 2020

Major biological polymerization processes achieve remarkable accuracy while operating out of thermodynamic equilibrium by utilizing the mechanism known as kinetic proofreading. Here, we study the interplay of the thermodynamic and kinetic aspects of proofreading by exploring the dissipation and catalytic rate, respectively, under the realistic constraint of fixed chemical potential difference. Theoretical analyses reveal no-monotonic variations of the catalytic rate and total entropy production rate (EPR), the latter quantifying the dissipation, at steady state. Applying this finding to a tRNA selection network in protein synthesis, we observe that the network tends to maximize both the EPR and catalytic rate, but not the accuracy. Simultaneously, the system tries to minimize the ratio of the EPRs due to the proofreading steps and the catalytic steps. Therefore, dissipation plays a guiding role in the optimization of the catalytic rate in the tRNA selection network of protein synthesis.
Effect of lattice distortions on the electron and thermal transport properties of transparent oxide semiconductor Ba1 − xSrxSnO3 solid solution films
Authors: Cho Hai Jun , Sato Koichi , Wei Mian , Kim Gowoon , Ohta Hiromichi
Published: March 2020

La-doped ASnO3 (A = Ba and Sr) have great potential as advanced transparent oxide semiconductors due to their large optical bandgap and relatively high electron mobility. The bandgap of Ba1 − xSrxSnO3 solid solution increases from 3.2 eV (BaSnO3) to 4.6 eV (SrSnO3) with x. However, the increase in the bandgap is accompanied by reductions in the electrical conductivity. The versatility in the changes in the electrical properties is not trivial, and property optimization has been challenging. Here, we propose a simple metric for quantifying the transport properties of ASnO3. We investigated the electron/thermal transport properties of Ba1 − xSrxSnO3 solid solution films and their relationship with the lattice distortion. The results suggest that all the transport properties of Ba1 − xSrxSnO3 are dominated by the lattice distortion. This phenomenon is attributed to the distortions in the SnO6 octahedron, which consists of the conduction band.
Strong beta relaxation in high entropy bulk metallic glasses
Authors: Jiang Wei , Zhang Bo
Published: March 2020

β relaxation of metallic glasses (MGs) has already been researched deeply in recent years. In contrast to MGs, which are usually composed of a principal element and another less solute element, we develop a series of new near equal-atomic high-entropy bulk MGs (HE-BMGs) that exhibit fully amorphous structures. The dynamic mechanical properties of HE-BMGs were investigated following a dynamic mechanical analysis. Pronounced β relaxation behaviors were observed in HE-BMGs over a wide range of temperatures and frequencies for each HE-BMG. The larger negative values of average chemical enthalpy and entropy can enhance β relaxation in HE-BMGs. These HE-BMGs may provide a new system to investigate and understand the origin of β relaxation in glassy solids.
COVID-19: a novel zoonotic disease caused by a coronavirus from China: what we know and what we don't
Authors: Mackenzie John S , Smith David W
Published: March 2020

At the end of December, 2019, a new disease of unknown aetiology appeared in Wuhan, China. It was quickly identified as a novel betacoronavirus, and related to SARS-CoV and a number of other bat-borne SARS-like coronaviruses. The virus rapidly spread to all provinces in China, as well as a number of countries overseas, and was declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern by the Director-General of the World Health Organization on 30 January 2020. This paper describes the evolution of the outbreak, and the known properties of the novel virus, SARS-CoV-2 and the clinical disease it causes, COVID-19, and comments on some of the important gaps in our knowledge of the virus and the disease it causes. The virus is the third zoonotic coronavirus, after SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV, but appears to be the only one with pandemic potential.
A muddy time capsule: using sediment environmental DNA for the long-term monitoring of coastal vegetated ecosystems
Authors: Foster N. R. , Gillanders B. M. , Jones A. R. , Young J. M. , Waycott M.
Published: March 2020

Seagrass, saltmarsh and mangrove habitats are declining around the world as anthropogenic activity and climate change intensify. To be able to effectively restore and maintain healthy coastal-vegetation communities, we must understand how and why they have changed in the past. Identifying shifts in vegetation communities, and the environmental or human drivers of these, can inform successful management and restoration strategies. Unfortunately, long-term data (i.e. decades to hundreds of years) on coastal vegetated ecosystems that can discern community-level changes are mostly non-existent in the scientific record. We propose implementing DNA extracted from coastal sediments to provide an alternative approach to long-term ecological reconstruction for coastal vegetated ecosystems. This type of DNA is called ‘environmental DNA’ and has previously been used to generate long-term datasets for other vegetated systems but has not yet been applied to vegetation change in coastal settings. In this overview, we explore the idea of using sediment eDNA as a long-term monitoring tool for seagrass, saltmarsh and mangrove communities. We see real potential in this approach for reconstructing long-term ecological histories of coastal vegetated ecosystems, and advocate that further research be undertaken to develop appropriate methods for its use.
ER membranes exhibit phase behavior at sites of organelle contact
Authors: King Christopher , Sengupta Prabuddha , Seo Arnold Y. , Lippincott-Schwartz Jennifer
Published: March 2020

Significance

Membrane phase behavior in cells permits transient concentration of specific proteins and lipids into dynamic nanoscopic domains. Here, we tested the existence and role of such phase behavior in endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membranes. Employing hypotonic cell swelling, we created large intracellular vesicles (LICVs) from internal organelles. ER LICVs maintained stable interorganelle contacts, with known protein tethers concentrated at the contact sites. Cooled ER LICVs underwent reversible phase separation into microscopically visible domains with different lipid order and membrane fluidity. The phase-separated domains specified sites of contact between the ER and different organelles.
Maternal activation of the EGFR prevents translocation of gut-residing pathogenic
Escherichia coli
in a model of late-onset neonatal sepsis
Authors: Knoop Kathryn A. , Coughlin Paige E. , Floyd Alexandria N. , Ndao I. Malick , Hall-Moore Carla , Shaikh Nurmohammad , Gasparrini Andrew J. , Rusconi Brigida , Escobedo Marilyn , Good Misty , Warner Barbara B. , Tarr Phillip I. , Newberry Rodney D.
Published: March 2020

Late-onset sepsis (LOS) is a highly consequential complication of preterm birth and is defined by a positive blood culture obtained after 72 h of age. The causative bacteria can be found in patients’ intestinal tracts days before dissemination, and cohort studies suggest reduced LOS risk in breastfed preterm infants through unknown mechanisms. Reduced concentrations of epidermal growth factor (EGF) of maternal origin within the intestinal tract of mice correlated to the translocation of a gut-resident human pathogen
Escherichia coli
, which spreads systemically and caused a rapid, fatal disease in pups. Translocation of
Escherichia coli
was associated with the formation of colonic goblet cell-associated antigen passages (GAPs), which translocate enteric bacteria across the intestinal epithelium. Thus, maternally derived EGF, and potentially other EGFR ligands, prevents dissemination of a gut-resident pathogen by inhibiting goblet cell-mediated bacterial translocation. Through manipulation of maternally derived EGF and alteration of the earliest gut defenses, we have developed an animal model of pathogen dissemination which recapitulates gut-origin neonatal LOS.
Structural basis for DEAH-helicase activation by G-patch proteins
Authors: Studer Michael K. , Ivanović Lazar , Weber Marco E. , Marti Sabrina , Jonas Stefanie
Published: March 2020

RNA helicases of the DEAH/RHA family are involved in many essential cellular processes, such as splicing or ribosome biogenesis, where they remodel large RNA–protein complexes to facilitate transitions to the next intermediate. DEAH helicases couple adenosine triphosphate (ATP) hydrolysis to conformational changes of their catalytic core. This movement results in translocation along RNA, which is held in place by auxiliary C-terminal domains. The activity of DEAH proteins is strongly enhanced by the large and diverse class of G-patch activators. Despite their central roles in RNA metabolism, insight into the molecular basis of G-patch–mediated helicase activation is missing. Here, we have solved the structure of human helicase DHX15/Prp43, which has a dual role in splicing and ribosome assembly, in complex with the G-patch motif of the ribosome biogenesis factor NKRF. The G-patch motif binds in an extended conformation across the helicase surface. It tethers the catalytic core to the flexibly attached C-terminal domains, thereby fixing a conformation that is compatible with RNA binding. Structures in the presence or absence of adenosine diphosphate (ADP) suggest that motions of the catalytic core, which are required for ATP binding, are still permitted. Concomitantly, RNA affinity, helicase, and ATPase activity of DHX15 are increased when G-patch is bound. Mutations that detach one end of the tether but maintain overall binding severely impair this enhancement. Collectively, our data suggest that the G-patch motif acts like a flexible brace between dynamic portions of DHX15 that restricts excessive domain motions but maintains sufficient flexibility for catalysis.
Oxaliplatin Pt(IV) prodrugs conjugated to gadolinium-texaphyrin as potential antitumor agents
Authors: Thiabaud Grégory , He Guangan , Sen Sajal , Shelton Kathryn A. , Baze Wallace B. , Segura Luke , Alaniz Julie , Munoz Macias Ruben , Lyness Greg , Watts Alan B. , Kim Hyun Min , Lee Hyunseung , Cho Mi Young , Hong Kwan Soo , Finch Rick , Siddik Zahid H. , Arambula Jonathan F. , Sessler Jonathan L.
Published: March 2020

Significance

Currently, cisplatin, carboplatin, and oxaliplatin are the only platinum agents approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for use in therapeutic regimens. While effective in select cancers, their clinical utility remains limited by intrinsic or acquired resistance. This is attributed, in part, to poor drug tumor localization and uptake. Additionally, one of the more formidable mechanisms of platinum resistance involves dysfunction of the tumor suppressor p53. Lack of wild-type p53 activation can translate to a significant reduction in the 5-y survival rate compared with mutant p53 in some cancers. The inability to overcome p53 dysfunction in concert with the dose-limiting toxicities and poor tumor-specific drug delivery of Pt provides an incentive to develop agents as described in this report.
Macroscopic information-based taste representations in insular cortex are shaped by stimulus concentration
Authors: Porcu Emanuele , Benz Karsta M. , Ball Felix , Tempelmann Claus , Hanke Michael , Noesselt Toemme
Published: March 2020

Taste processing is an essential ability in all animals signaling potential harm or benefit of ingestive behavior. However, current evidence for cortical taste representations remains contradictory. To address this issue, high-resolution functional MRI (fMRI) and multivariate pattern analysis were used to characterize taste-related informational content in human insular cortex, which contains primary gustatory cortex. Human participants judged pleasantness and intensity of low- and high-concentration tastes (salty, sweet, sour, and bitter) in two fMRI experiments on two different days to test for task- and concentration-invariant taste representations. We observed patterns of fMRI activity within insular cortex narrowly tuned to specific tastants consistently across tasks in all participants. Fewer patterns responded to more than one taste category. Importantly, changes in taste concentration altered the spatial layout of putative taste-specific patterns with distinct, almost nonoverlapping patterns for each taste category at different concentration levels. Together, our results point at macroscopic representations in human insular cortex as a complex function of taste category and concentration rather than representations based solely on taste identity.
G
q/11
-dependent regulation of endosomal cAMP generation by parathyroid hormone class B GPCR
Authors: White Alex D. , Jean-Alphonse Frederic G. , Fang Fei , Peña Karina A. , Liu Shi , König Gabriele M. , Inoue Asuka , Aslanoglou Despoina , Gellman Samuel H. , Kostenis Evi , Xiao Kunhong , Vilardaga Jean-Pierre
Published: March 2020

cAMP production upon activation of G
s
by G protein-coupled receptors has classically been considered to be plasma membrane-delimited, but a shift in this paradigm has occurred in recent years with the identification of several receptors that continue to signal from early endosomes after internalization. The molecular mechanisms regulating this aspect of signaling remain incompletely understood. Here, we investigated the role of G
q/11
activation by the parathyroid hormone (PTH) type 1 receptor (PTHR) in mediating endosomal cAMP responses. Inhibition of G
q/11
signaling by FR900359 markedly reduced the duration of PTH-induced cAMP production, and this effect was mimicked in cells lacking endogenous Gα
q/11
. We determined that modulation of cAMP generation by G
q/11
occurs at the level of the heterotrimeric G protein via liberation of cell surface Gβγ subunits, which, in turn, act in a phosphoinositide-3 kinase-dependent manner to promote the assembly of PTHR–βarrestin–Gβγ signaling complexes that mediate endosomal cAMP responses. These results unveil insights into the spatiotemporal regulation of G
s
-dependent cAMP signaling.
Absolute yeast mitochondrial proteome quantification reveals trade-off between biosynthesis and energy generation during diauxic shift
Authors: Di Bartolomeo Francesca , Malina Carl , Campbell Kate , Mormino Maurizio , Fuchs Johannes , Vorontsov Egor , Gustafsson Claes M. , Nielsen Jens
Published: March 2020

Saccharomyces cerevisiae
constitutes a popular eukaryal model for research on mitochondrial physiology. Being Crabtree-positive, this yeast has evolved the ability to ferment glucose to ethanol and respire ethanol once glucose is consumed. Its transition phase from fermentative to respiratory metabolism, known as the diauxic shift, is reflected by dramatic rearrangements of mitochondrial function and structure. To date, the metabolic adaptations that occur during the diauxic shift have not been fully characterized at the organelle level. In this study, the absolute proteome of mitochondria was quantified alongside precise parametrization of biophysical properties associated with the mitochondrial network using state-of-the-art optical-imaging techniques. This allowed the determination of absolute protein abundances at a subcellular level. By tracking the transformation of mitochondrial mass and volume, alongside changes in the absolute mitochondrial proteome allocation, we could quantify how mitochondria balance their dual role as a biosynthetic hub as well as a center for cellular respiration. Furthermore, our findings suggest that in the transition from a fermentative to a respiratory metabolism, the diauxic shift represents the stage where major structural and functional reorganizations in mitochondrial metabolism occur. This metabolic transition, initiated at the mitochondria level, is then extended to the rest of the yeast cell.
A pheromone antagonist liberates female sea lamprey from a sensory trap to enable reliable communication
Authors: Buchinger Tyler J. , Scott Anne M. , Fissette Skye D. , Brant Cory O. , Huertas Mar , Li Ke , Johnson Nicholas S. , Li Weiming
Published: March 2020

Significance

In many animals, males deceive females into mating using traits that mimic cues of food, predators, preferred habitats, or offspring in need of care. However, if and how these deceptive signals guide reliable communication without females confusing the mimic and the model remain unclear. We discovered that female sea lamprey discriminate a nonsexual cue of productive habitat from the deceptive male sex pheromone that mimics it and identify a pheromone antagonist as the underlying mechanism. Our results implicate a means by which females can detect and benefit from male deceit and could have applications for control of destructive populations of sea lamprey in the Laurentian Great Lakes.
Honey bees harbor a diverse gut virome engaging in nested strain-level interactions with the microbiota
Authors: Bonilla-Rosso Germán , Steiner Théodora , Wichmann Fabienne , Bexkens Evan , Engel Philipp
Published: March 2020

The honey bee gut microbiota influences bee health and has become an important model to study the ecology and evolution of microbiota–host interactions. Yet, little is known about the phage community associated with the bee gut, despite its potential to modulate bacterial diversity or to govern important symbiotic functions. Here we analyzed two metagenomes derived from virus-like particles, analyzed the prevalence of the identified phages across 73 bacterial metagenomes from individual bees, and tested the host range of isolated phages. Our results show that the honey bee gut virome is composed of at least 118 distinct clusters corresponding to both temperate and lytic phages and representing novel genera with a large repertoire of unknown gene functions. We find that the phage community is prevalent in honey bees across space and time and targets the core members of the bee gut microbiota. The large number and high genetic diversity of the viral clusters seems to mirror the high extent of strain-level diversity in the bee gut microbiota. We isolated eight lytic phages that target the core microbiota member
Bifidobacterium asteroides
, but that exhibited different host ranges at the strain level, resulting in a nested interaction network of coexisting phages and bacterial strains. Collectively, our results show that the honey bee gut virome consists of a complex and diverse phage community that likely plays an important role in regulating strain-level diversity in the bee gut and that holds promise as an experimental model to study bacteria–phage dynamics in natural microbial communities.
Interleukin-2 druggability is modulated by global conformational transitions controlled by a helical capping switch
Authors: De Paula Viviane S. , Jude Kevin M. , Nerli Santrupti , Glassman Caleb R. , Garcia K. Christopher , Sgourakis Nikolaos G.
Published: March 2020

Interleukin-2 (IL-2) is a small α-helical cytokine that regulates immune cell homeostasis through its recruitment to a high-affinity heterotrimeric receptor complex (IL-2Rα/IL-2Rβ/γ
c
). IL-2 has been shown to have therapeutic efficacy for immune diseases by preferentially expanding distinct T cell compartments, and several regulatory T cell (T
reg
)-biasing anti–IL-2 antibodies have been developed for combination therapies. The conformational plasticity of IL-2 plays an important role in its biological actions by modulating the strength of receptor and drug interactions. Through an NMR analysis of milliseconds-timescale dynamics of free mouse IL-2 (mIL-2), we identify a global transition to a sparse conformation which is regulated by an α-helical capping “switch” at the loop between the A and B helices (AB loop). Binding to either an anti-mouse IL-2 monoclonal antibody (mAb) or a small molecule inhibitor near the loop induces a measurable response at the core of the structure, while locking the switch to a single conformation through a designed point mutation leads to a global quenching of core dynamics accompanied by a pronounced effect in mAb binding. By elucidating key details of the long-range allosteric communication between the receptor binding surfaces and the core of the IL-2 structure, our results offer a direct blueprint for designing precision therapeutics targeting a continuum of conformational states.
Non-canonical passives in Chinese
Authors: Zhang Yi
Published: March 2020

This paper examines a non-canonical passive construction in Chinese. In this construction, the passive markerbeican proceed a constituent including intransitive verbs, adjectives and nouns, in such expressions asbei zisha/‘commit suicide,’bei xingfu/‘happy’ orbei gaotie/‘high speed train.’ Following Mental Space Theory (Fauconnier 1994,1997), this paper argues that the construction serves as a space builder, which prompts conceptualizers to build a counterfactual space to hold the event conveyed by the constituent but deny the event or its associated assumption in the base space. The Mental Space operations produce the interpretations of the construction featured by ambiguity and irony. This study demonstrates the existence of dedicated counterfactual constructions in Chinese. It showcases an attempt to posit cognitive operations as the constructional function and outlines a cognitively plausible procedure to derive specific interpretations of the construction in the context.
The principle of proportionality
Authors: Zhou Yan
Published: March 2020

In Mandarin conversation, utterances about future actions with severe consequences are observed to correlate with bigger promises, marked by devices indicating greater illocutionary force, as compared with those about actions with less serious consequences. Applying the principle of proportionality proposed byGoffman (1971), I argue that participants’ design of promise is proportional to the severity of the action consequences, which is evaluated by the participants on a moment-by-moment basis. The ad hoc construction of promises shows that promising is a dynamic process, rather than a one-time action. The proportionality principle may also account for the differences between promises in institutional discourse and ordinary conversation.
A comparison between the professional backgrounds of translation
scholars in South Korea and Europe
Authors: Lee Hyang Marina , Cho Hye-jin , Choi Eun-sil
Published: March 2020

A survey of 80 translation scholars in South Korea was conducted
to shed light on their professional backgrounds and how their profiles compare
with those of the translation scholars in Europe surveyed by Torres-Simón and Pym in 2016. The
survey results suggest that Korean scholars tend to be younger than scholars in
Europe (84 percent of the former are under fifty, compared to 68 percent of the
latter), more female-dominated (85 percent versus 70 percent), and less
internationally mobile. The great majority of both Korean scholars (84 percent)
and scholars in Europe (96 percent) have translated or interpreted on a regular
basis. Both groups generally agree that there is a beneficial relationship
between translation theory and practice. In both samples, the respondents who
said practice helps theory outnumber those that said theory helps practice. The
last section of this study is a word-cloud analysis on the adjectives that
Korean scholars used to describe the relationship between theory and
practice.
Timorese talking back
Authors: Taylor-Leech Kerry
Published: March 2020

Taking the dispute between East Timor and Australia over their maritime boundary as an illustrative context, this
article discusses the role of semiotic resources in constructing chronotopes of protest. Reflecting first on language choice in
urban protests during East Timor’s struggle for independence, the paper goes on to analyse the deployment of material and virtual
resources in East Timorese-led demonstrations against the Australian government’s stance in the dispute. Using ‘entanglement’ as a
structuring metaphor, and looking at language choice, social and grammatical indexicality, imagery, embodied cultural capital, and
the choreography of assembly, the paper explores how protesters constructed a set of chronotopes that drew on the injuries of the
colonial past, and re-emplaced and re-framed them in the post-colonial present. The paper looks at the linguistic landscape of
protest as a semiotic aggregate in which the periphery claims a voice and ‘talks back’ to the centre.
Survey area selection in Variationist Linguistic Landscape Study (VaLLS)
Authors: Soukup Barbara
Published: March 2020

This article addresses the unresolved issue of systematic survey area selection for large-scale quantitative Linguistic Landscape (LL) studies. It presents a strategy of ‘hypothesis-driven stratified sampling’ whereby survey areas are picked out in a nested, multi-step process on the basis of the configuration of local LL audiences (regarding age, multilingualism, and tourism) and ambient activity types (commercial vs. residential). The rationale for this strategy is drawn from variationist sociolinguistics; and the undertaking is accordingly cast as ‘Variationist Linguistic Landscape Study (VaLLS)’. The details of the design are showcased and implications discussed in the context of the large-scale project ‘ELLViA – English in the Linguistic Landscape of Vienna, Austria’. More generally, it is shown how the application of state-of-the-art variationist principles and methodology to quantitative LL research significantly enhances the latter’s scientific rigor, which has been a major point of criticism.
The copula system of Tawang Monpa
Authors: Helgestad Tombleson Anette
Published: March 2020

This paper is a description of the copula system of Tawang Monpa [Dakpa], an East-Bodish language, spoken in Arunachal Pradesh in India and by small groups of speakers in Bhutan and Tibet. There are two equative copulas in Tawang Monpa: personaljinand neutraljim, and three existential copulas: testimonialni, neutralnumand personalnou. In addition, there are separate negative copulas; equative: personalmenand neutralmenum, and existential: testimonialmon, neutralmunumand personalmonou. There is also one example of a past positive copulaneand a past negative copulamonelu.
Understanding Conversational Joking
Authors: Thielemann Nadine
Published: March 2020

This book examines the diverse forms of conversational humor with the help of examples drawn from casual interactions among Russian speakers. It argues that neither an exclusively discourse-analytic perspective on the phenomenon nor an exclusively cognitive one can adequately account for conversational joking. Instead, the work advocates reconciling these two perspectives in order to describe such humor as a form of cognitive and communicative creativity, by means of which interlocutors convey additional meanings and imply further interpretive frames. Accordingly, in order to analyze cognition in interaction, it introduces a discourse-semantic framework which complements mental spaces and blending theory with ideas from discourse analysis. On the one hand, this enables both the emergent and interactive character and the surface features of conversational joking to be addressed. On the other, it incorporates into the analysis those normally backgrounded cognitive processes responsible for the additional meanings emerging from, and communicated by jocular utterances.
Reaction kinetics of Cu–Ni and B4C in Cu–Ni alloy under solid-state sintering
Authors: Jia Lei , Xu Jin , Li Shu-feng , Lu Zhen-lin , Xie Hui , Kondoh Katsuyoshi
Published: March 2020

Cu–Ni/B4C diffusion couples were prepared by pressure-assisted sintering at different temperatures for different lengths of time under vacuum condition, and then phase composition and reaction kinetics of the products in the Cu–Ni alloy were investigated systematically. Results show that there is a reaction that occur between the Cu–Ni alloy and B4C, whose reaction products are Ni2B particles inside the Cu–Ni alloy along with a mixture of Ni2B and amorphous C at the interface between them. The diffusion of B into Cu–Ni alloys, important to the preparation of (Ni2B + C)/Cu composites, is interface-controlled and the thickness of the reaction layer containing Ni2B particles inside the Cu–Ni alloys can be expressed as [Formula: see text].
Improvement of a miRNA inhibitor by intracellular selection
Authors: Tachibana Akira , Yamamoto Aiko
Published: March 2020

Sequences surrounding the miRNA binding domain of the miRNA inhibitor LidNA were selected intracellularly. The library was transfected into cells, and then, inhibitors that were associated with argonaute 2 were selected. The potent inhibitors were slowly degraded intracellularly, while the lower-activity inhibitors were rapidly degraded. A combination of the selected sequences surrounding the miRNA binding domain enhanced miRNA inhibitory activity.

Abbreviations

LidNA: DNA that puts a lid on miRNA function; LNA: locked nucleic acid; Ago2: argonaute 2; LNA: locked nucleic acid
Eccentric knee flexor strength of professional football players with and without hamstring injury in the prior season
Authors: Ribeiro‐Alvares João Breno , Oliveira Gabriel Dos Santos , De Lima‐E‐Silva Felipe Xavier , Baroni Bruno Manfredini
Published: March 2020

Both injury history and eccentric knee flexor strength have been associated with risk of football players sustaining hamstring strain injury (HSI). However, it remains unclear whether football players who sustained HSIs in the prior season present persistent eccentric strength deficits. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to verify the eccentric knee flexor strength of professional male football players with and without history of HSI in the prior season. This case–control study assessed 210 professional male football players from 10 Brazilian clubs: 182 included in the control group and 28 in the previously injured group. Players from the injured group had suffered unilateral HSI in the prior season. We measured the knee flexors peak force during the Nordic hamstring exercise and calculated the between‐limb asymmetry. Groups were similar for age, body mass and height (p > 0.05). Control group had similar strength values between left and right limbs (376.29 ± 61.77 N vs. 380.28 ± 61.77 N; p = 0.27; d = 0.06), while the previously injured limb was weaker than the contralateral uninjured limb in the injured group (350.87 ± 60.79 N vs. 385.75 ± 63.49 N; p < 0.01; d = 0.56). Thirty‐seven percent of players in the control group and 50% in the injured group presented between‐limb asymmetry >10%. This study demonstrates that players with history of HSI in the prior season present reduced eccentric knee flexor strength in the injured limb, but half of them have between‐limb asymmetry within the most commonly adopted benchmark value of 10%.
Height‐based model for the categorization of athletes in combat sports
Authors: Bešlija Tea , Čular Dražen , Kezić Ana , Tomljanović Mario , Ardigò Luca Paolo , Dhabhi Wissem , Padulo Johnny
Published: March 2020

Reducing bodyweight within a short‐time participating in kicking combat sports can adversely affect health. This study's aim creating an improved model to categorize athletes in kicking combat sports. The investigation focused on 795 athletes (11‐24 years), participating in the Croatian National Taekwondo Championship. The sample included athletes from both sexes (371 males), cadets (n = 325), juniors (n = 247) and seniors (n = 223). Data were collected during the preparatory period and prior to the athletes competing, using a bioelectrical impedance analysis device. According to current categorization rules, athletes are categorized by arbitrarily determined ranges in bodyweight, whereas, in this current study, the authors have devised an improved model, based on body height and the analysis of data collected. The difference in coefficients between the official model and the proposed, improved categorization method in terms of body height (2.70 and 0.71, respectively), showed that the improved model homogenized athletes almost four times more than the official model, reducing the maximal difference in body height from 29 to 9 cm within specific categories. Proposed, improved model had same number of categories as the official structure and directly homogenized differences in height within a category up to a 3‐cm maximum for the middle categories and a 9‐cm maximum on the periphery of the bands. We expect this improved combat sports categorization model will indirectly reduce differences between other longitudinal body dimensions within categories (thus making match results less predictable) as well as reduce bodyweight manipulation potentially endangering athletes' health.
Glioma stem-like cells evade interferon suppression through MBD3/NuRD complex–mediated STAT1 downregulation
Authors: Zhan Xiaoyan , Guo Saisai , Li Yuanyuan , Ran Haowen , Huang Haohao , Mi Lanjuan , Wu Jin , Wang Xinzheng , Xiao Dake , Chen Lishu , Li Da , Zhang Songyang , Yan Xu , Yu Yu , Li Tingting , Han Qiuying , He Kun , Cui Jiuwei , Li Tao , Zhou Tao , Rich Jeremy N. , Bao Shideng , Zhang Xuemin , Li Ailing , Man Jianghong
Published: March 2020

Type I interferons (IFNs) are known to mediate antineoplastic effects during tumor progression. Type I IFNs can be produced by multiple cell types in the tumor microenvironment; however, the molecular mechanisms by which tumor cells evade the inhibition of immune microenvironment remain unknown. Here we demonstrate that glioma stem-like cells (GSCs) evade type I IFN suppression through downregulation of STAT1 to initiate tumor growth under inhospitable conditions. The downregulation of STAT1 is mediated by MBD3, an epigenetic regulator. MBD3 is preferentially expressed in GSCs and recruits NuRD complex to STAT1 promoter to suppress STAT1 expression by histone deacetylation. Importantly, STAT1 overexpression or MBD3 depletion induces p21 transcription, resensitizes GSCs to IFN suppression, attenuates GSC tumor growth, and prolongs animal survival. Our findings demonstrate that inactivation of STAT1 signaling by MBD3/NuRD provides GSCs with a survival advantage to escape type I IFN suppression, suggesting that targeting MBD3 may represent a promising therapeutic opportunity to compromise GSC tumorigenic potential.
Bright-Dark Mode Coupling Model of Plasmons*
Authors: Zhang Jing , Xu Yong-Gang , Zhang Jian-Xin , Guan Lu-Lu , Li Yong-Fang
Published: March 2020

We propose a coupling model to describe the interaction between the bright and dark modes of the plasmons of a dimer composed of two orthogonal gold nano-rods (GNRs), referred to as the BDMC model. This model shows that the eigen-frequencies of the coupled plasmons are governed by Coulomb potential and electrostatic potential. With the BDMC model, the behaviors of the coupling coefficient and the frequency offset, which is a new parameter introduced here, are revealed. Meanwhile, the asymmetric behavior of two eigen-frequencies related to gap of two GNRs is explained. Using the harmonic oscillator model and the coupled parameters obtained by the BDMC model, the bright mode absorption spectra of the dimer are calculated and the results agree with the numerical simulation.
Modelling the response of potassium vapour in resonance scattering spectroscopy
Authors: Hale S J , Chaplin W J , Davies G R , Elsworth Y P
Published: March 2020

Resonance scattering techniques are often used to study the properties of atoms and molecules. The Birmingham Solar Oscillations Network (BiSON) makes use of Resonance Scattering Spectroscopy by applying the known properties of potassium vapour to achieve ultra-precise Doppler velocity observations of oscillations of the Sun. We present a model of the resonance scattering properties of potassium vapour which can be used to determine the ideal operating vapour temperature and detector parameters within a spectrophotometer. The model is validated against a typical BiSON vapour cell using a tunable diode laser, where the model is fitted to observed absorption profiles at a range of temperatures. Finally we demonstrate using the model to determine the effects of varying scattering detector aperture size, and vapour temperature, and again validate against observed scattering profiles. Such information is essential when designing the next generation of BiSON spectrophotometers (BiSON:NG), where the aim is to make use of off-the-shelf components to simplify and miniaturise the instrumentation as much as practical.
An open source heterogeneous 3D printed mouse phantom utilising a novel bone representative thermoplastic
Authors: Price Gareth , Biglin Emma R , Collins Sean , Aitkinhead Adam , Subiel Anna , Chadwick Amy L , Cullen David, M , Kirkby Karen J , Schettino Giuseppe , Tipping Jill , Robinson Andrew
Published: March 2020

The lack of rigorous quality standards in pre-clinical radiation dosimetry has renewed interest in the development of anthropomorphic phantoms. Using 3D printing customisable phantoms can be created to assess all parts of pre-clinical radiation research: planning, image guidance and treatment delivery. We present the full methodology, including material development and printing designs, for the production of a high spatial resolution, anatomically realistic heterogeneous small animal phantom. A methodology for creating and validating tissue equivalent materials is presented. The technique is demonstrated through the development of a bone-equivalent material. This material is used together with a soft-tissue mimicking ABS plastic filament to reproduce the corresponding structure geometries captured from a CT scan of a nude mouse. Air gaps are used to represent the lungs. Phantom validation was performed through comparison of the geometry and x-ray attenuation of CT images of the phantom and animal images. A 6.6% difference in the attenuation of the bone-equivalent material compared to the reference standard in softer beams (0.5 mm Cu HVL) rapidly decreases as the beam is hardened. CT imaging shows accurate (sub-millimetre) reproduction of the skeleton (Distance-To-Agreement 0.5 mm ± 0.4 mm) and body surface (0.7 mm ± 0.5 mm). Histograms of the voxel intensity profile of the phantom demonstrate suitable similarity to those of both the original mouse image and that of a different animal. We present an approach for the efficient production of an anthropomorphic phantom suitable for the quality assurance of pre-clinical radiotherapy. Our design and full methodology are provided as open source to encourage the pre-clinical radiobiology community to adopt a common QA standard.

Abbreviations

ABS – acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, CBCT – cone beam computed tomography, FDM – fused deposition modelling, HVL – half value layer, HU – Hounsfield units, ICRU - International Commission on Radiation Units and Measurements, NIST – National Institute of Standards and Technology, NPL – National Physical Laboratory, QA – quality assurance, ROI – region of interest, SARRP – small animal radiation research platform, STL – stereolithography.
Low-index quantum-barrier single-pass tapered semiconductor optical amplifiers for efficient coherent beam combining
Authors: Albrodt P , Niemeyer M , Elattar M , Hamperl J , Blume G , Ginolas A , Fricke J , Maaßdorf A , Georges P , Lucas-Leclin G , Paschke K , Crump P
Published: March 2020

The requirements for coherent combination of high power GaAs-based single-pass tapered amplifiers are studied. Changes to the epitaxial layer structure are shown to bring higher beam quality and hence improved combining efficiency for one fixed device geometry. Specifically, structures with large vertical near field and low wave-guiding from the active region show 10% higher beam quality and coherent combining efficiency than reference devices. As a result, coherent combining efficiency is shown to be limited by beam quality, being directly proportional to the power content in the central lobe across a wide range of devices with different construction. In contrast, changes to the in-plane structure did not improve beam quality or combining efficiency. Although poor beam quality does correlate with increased optical intensities near the input aperture, locating monolithically-integrated absorption regions in these areas did not lead to any performance improvement. However, large area devices with subsequently improved cooling do achieve higher output powers. Phase noise can limit coherent combining, but this is shown to be small and independent of device design. Overall, tapered amplifiers are well suited for high power coherent combining applications.