bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Recent evolution of an ice‐cored moraine at the Gentianes Pass, Valais Alps, Switzerland
Authors: Ravanel Ludovic , Duvillard Pierre‐Allain , Jaboyedoff Michel , Lambiel Christophe
Published: July 2018

Lateral moraines located in permafrost environments often preserve large amounts of both glacier and periglacial ice. To understand how ice‐cored moraines located in high alpine environments evolve in a context of both glacier retreat and permafrost degradation, we performed 11 terrestrial laser‐scanning measurement campaigns between 2007 and 2014 on a highly anthropogenic overprinted moraine prone to instability. Resulting comparison of the subsequent 3D models allowed to qualitatively and quantitatively analyze the morphological evolution of the moraine. The comparisons indicate a very high geomorphic activity of the moraine including large areas affected by downslope movements of blocks and 10 landslides with a volume between 24 ± 1 and 1,138 ± 47 m3. Data also indicated a very strong ice melt with a loss of ice thickness locally reaching 17.7 m at the foot of the moraine. These results, compared with resistivity and thermal measurements of the ground, suggest the combined role of ice loss at the foot of the moraine and the permafrost activity/warming in triggering these processes.
Influence of Acrylic Polymers Stereoregularity on Interface Interactions in Model Thin Film Systems
Authors: Marzec Mateusz M. , Awsiuk Kamil , Daąbczyński Paweł , Rysz Jakub , Budkowski Andrzej , Bernasik Andrzej
Published: July 2018

The origin and formation of the dipole moment at the interface of metal electrode and thin organic film is crucial for the fabrication of high‐performance organic electronic devices. In this work, model polymer multilayer systems are studied in which interfaces are modified heterogeneously with thiol‐based self‐assembled monolayers (SAM). Due to the presence of polar terminal group (‐COOH) in SAM and polar pendant groups (‐COOH, ‐C(O)OCH3) within studied polymers, it is pointed out that the resultant interface energetics differ from the expected ones as one would expect from the chemical character of the self‐assembled molecules used to tune junction properties. This is discussed in terms of inter‐association and depolarization effects between polymer and thiol modified substrate. The presented model systems may serve as an interaction reference for SAMs and semiconducting polymers containing similar moieties, utilized for the fabrication of organic electronic devices.
The Role of Selectively Located Commercial Graphene Nanoplatelets in the Electrical Properties, Morphology, and Stability of EVA/LLDPE Blends
Authors: Kurusu Rafael S. , Helal Emna , Moghimian Nima , David Eric , Demarquette Nicole
Published: July 2018

Graphene nanoplatelets (GN) produced on a large scale by mechanochemical exfoliation of graphite are incorporated in a co‐continuous ethylene‐vinyl acetate/linear low‐density polyethylene (EVA/LLDPE) blend. Two different processing routes are chosen to selectively place GN in the EVA phase or force its migration to the EVA/LLDPE interface. The results show a drastic decrease in the electrical percolation threshold when the blends are compared to the respective single‐polymer composites. Even with the presence of agglomerates, GN particles are able to migrate to the blend interface and stabilize the morphology and hence the electrical properties. Annealing the insulating samples at processing temperatures causes a drastic increase in conductivity due to continued GN migration and blend morphology coarsening. Semi‐conductive samples, in which a more robust GN network is already established during processing, present no change in morphology but a slight increase in conductivity during annealing. The mechanical performance of the materials is also evaluated and some of the blends with GN present similar elongation at break as pure EVA, but with increased tensile modulus and tensile strength. The electrical performance at different working temperatures shows that the EVA/LLDPE/GN composites are good candidates to act as a semi‐conductive screen material in power cables or as anti‐static materials in electronic devices.
On the relationship between Weyl functions of Jacobi matrices and response vectors for special dynamical systems with discrete time
Authors: Mikhaylov Alexander S. , Mikhaylov Victor S. , Simonov Sergey A.
Published: July 2018

We derive special representation for Weyl functions for finite and semi‐infinite Jacobi matrices with bounded entries based on a relationship between spectral problem for Jacobi matrices and initial‐boundary value problem for auxiliary dynamical systems with the discrete time.
An 17O NMR study of diamagnetic and paramagnetic lanthanide‐tris(oxydiacetate) complexes in aqueous solution
Authors: Fusaro Luca
Published: July 2018

17O‐enriched complexes between oxydiacetate ligand and several diamagnetic and paramagnetic lanthanide(III) metal ions (Ln) were investigated by solution‐state 17O NMR spectroscopy. The bound‐state signals of chelating (Oin) and nonchelating (Oout) oxygen atoms of the carboxylate groups were observed for all the samples investigated. The data indicate that the 17O line width is dominated by contributions from both quadrupole relaxation and chemical exchange in the case of Pr and Nd complexes. Dissection of the chemical shift induced by metal ions on Oin into Fermi contact and pseudocontact contributions was performed , and the hyperfine coupling constant (A/ℏ) was estimated. No evidence of structural changes within the series was detected.
Recursive integral method with Cayley transformation
Authors: Huang R. , Sun J. , Yang C.
Published: July 2018

The recently developed RIM (recursive integral method) finds eigenvalues in a region of the complex plane. It computes an indicator to test if the region contains eigenvalues using an approximate spectral projection. If the indicator shows that the region contains eigenvalues, it is subdivided into smaller regions, which are then recursively tested and subdivided until any eigenvalues are isolated to a specified precision. We propose an enhancement to RIM that uses Cayley transformations and Arnoldi's method to greatly decrease the number of factorizations required to solve the linear systems that arise from a discretized contour integral to compute the indicator, which substantially reduces the computational cost. We demonstrate the efficacy of our method with numerical examples and compare with the implicitly restarted Arnoldi method, as implemented in eigs in MATLAB.
Improved mechanical properties of poly (vinyl alcohol) films with glycerol plasticizer by uniaxial drawing
Authors: Tian Huafeng , Yuan Li , Zhou Dan , Niu Junyi , Cong Hengjiang , Xiang Aimin
Published: July 2018

In this work, the uniaxial stretching poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA) films with glycerol as plasticizer were prepared to explore the influence of drawing temperature and drawing ratio. The structure and property were investigated with scanning electron microscope, wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction, X‐ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry, mechanical tests, etc. With the increase of stretching temperature, the melting and crystallization temperatures increased. The tensile strength and Young modulus of glycerol/PVA films increased first and then decreased; when the temperature was 80°C, the tensile strength and Young modulus reached to maximum values of 197.2 and 470 MPa, respectively. In addition, with the increase of draw ratio, the orientation degree of the PVA molecular chains increased, indicating the improved regularity of molecular chains. When the PVA films were stretched to 4 times, the tensile strength and Young modulus of the films reached 162 and 143 MPa, respectively, which were 4 and 1.3 times compared with those of unoriented films. These environmentally friendly PVA films with excellent mechanical properties would find wide applications in the industry such as packaging, coating, etc.
Effect of European Medicines Agency's restrictions on trimetazidine utilization in Portugal
Authors: Pinto Daniel , Silva Ana , Heleno Bruno , Rodrigues David Silvério , Santos Isabel , Caetano Pedro A.
Published: July 2018

Purpose

Following safety concerns regarding trimetazidine, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) recommended restrictions on its use. Our objective was to determine the impact of regulatory actions on trimetazidine utilization in Portugal.

Methods

Retrospective interrupted time‐series analysis of monthly ambulatory pharmacy reimbursement records for the Portuguese National Health Service between January 2006 and December 2015. Regulatory actions were identified by searching the EMA, Portuguese Medicines Authority, and European Commission's websites. Concurrent factors in the same period were also identified. The main outcome was the dispensing of trimetazidine‐containing products per month in Portugal.

Results

Two interruption periods were defined in the series: May 2011, when EMA announced it would review trimetazidine safety, and June 2012 to January 2013, when EMA announced it had reached a final opinion recommending restrictions; the European Commission approved EMA's recommendation; the Portuguese Medicines Authority issued safety alerts, changed the summary of product characteristics, and approved a direct health‐care professional letter; and a regional bulletin was issued.

Interruption 1 had no effect on trimetazidine use, but interruption 2 resulted in decreases in level and trend—from 8.3 million defined daily doses in 2010 to 2.8 million in 2015. After interruption 2, trimetazidine use tended towards a lower steady state.

Conclusions

There was a significant decrease in trimetazidine use in Portugal following a complex intervention that included safety alerts, changes to the summary of product characteristics, a direct health‐care professional letter, and a regional drug bulletin. No effect was seen when EMA announced its review of trimetazidine safety.
The Relative Risk of Achilles Tendon Injury in Patients Taking Quinolones
Authors: Jupiter Daniel C. , Fang Xiao , Ashmore Zachary , Shibuya Naohiro , Mehta Hemalkumar B.
Published: July 2018

Objective

To examine the association between quinolone use and Achilles tendon injury, comparing well‐matched cohorts of users of quinolone and nonquinolone antibiotics, and well‐matched cohorts of quinolone users and patients not using any nonquinolone antibiotics.

Patients and Methods

This retrospective cohort study used Clinformatics data from 2008–2014. Using the propensity score, we matched quinolone users with other antibiotic users and quinolone users with nonusers. The primary outcome was Achilles tendon injury within 6 months. Bivariate analyses determined risk factors for Achilles tendon injury, and conditional logistic regression assessed the impact of quinolone use on these injuries.

Results

A total of 716,522 fluoroquinolone users were matched with other antibiotic users, and 645,034 fluoroquinolone users were matched with nonusers. Rates of Achilles tendon injury were less than 0.5% in all groups. Quinolone use increased the risk of Achilles tendon injury compared with other antibiotic users (odds ratio [OR] 1.24, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.17–1.31) and nonusers (OR 1.54, 95% CI 1.44–1.64). Interaction with age did not significantly impact the relationship between quinolone use and Achilles injury; however, older quinolone users had a slightly higher relative risk of injury than nonusers versus younger patients. Furthermore, the youngest group of patients had similarly elevated relative risk for injury with quinolone use as did the elderly.

Conclusion

Although quinolone use increases the risk of Achilles tendon injury, the absolute risk increase is minimal, especially when compared with similar morbidity patients taking other nonquinolone antibiotics. In relatively healthy populations, such as the one studied here, quinolone use may not make a clinically significant contribution to risk of Achilles tendon injury, at any age range, among those in need of such drugs.
Effects of Precursor Concentration on Dimensional Size, Defect State, and Gas Sensing Performance of MoS2 Sheets Synthesized by Hydrothermal Method
Authors: Lee Chang Min , Park Geun Chul , Ahn Cheol Hyoun , Choi Jong Won , Park Chae Hee , Cho Hyung Koun , Lim Jun Hyung , Joo Jinho
Published: July 2018

The objective of this study is to investigate effects of precursor concentration on dimensional size, defect state, and gas sensing performance of MoS2 sheets synthesized by hydrothermal method with various precursor concentrations (0.14–1.4 m) in fixed HCl solution (7 m). The MoS2 sheets show a defect‐rich and strained structure. When precursor concentration is increased, dimensional size of the sheet is increased while the specific surface area of the sheet is decreased. The MoS2 sensor made with 0.14 m precursor solution exhibits superior sensing performance with high sensitivity (372%) and rapid recovery time (<16 min) at room temperature in a 500 ppm NO2 gas atmosphere due to enhanced active site resulting from the highest specific surface area. In addition, all MoS2 samples show a complete recovery after response to NO2 gas probably related to the defective and strained surface resulting from the use of HCl surfactant.
Theory for Strained Graphene Beyond the Cauchy–Born Rule
Authors: Oliva‐Leyva Maurice , Wang Chumin
Published: July 2018

The low‐energy electronic properties of strained graphene are usually obtained by transforming the bond vectors according to the Cauchy–Born rule. In this work, we derive a new effective Dirac Hamiltonian by assuming a more general transformation rule for the bond vectors under uniform strain, which takes into account the strain‐induced relative displacement between the two sublattices of graphene. Our analytical results show that the consideration of such relative displacement yields a qualitatively different Fermi velocity with respect to previous reports. Furthermore, from the derived Hamiltonian, we analyze effects of this relative displacement on the local density of states and the optical conductivity, as well as the implications on the scanning tunneling spectroscopy, including external magnetic field, and optical transmittance experiments of strained graphene.
Improvements in Light Yield and Energy Resolution by Li+ Codoping (Lu0.75Y0.25)3Al5O12:Pr3+ Single Crystal Scintillators
Authors: Foster Camera , Wu Yuntao , Koschan Merry , Melcher Charles L.
Published: July 2018

In this study, we demonstrated a drastic improvement in energy resolution of (Lu0.75Y0.25)3Al5O12:Pr (LuYAG) single crystal scintillators from 4.8% to 4.1% at 662 keV upon Li+ codoping, which is the best value ever reported in the class of oxide single crystal scintillators. Li+ codoping can also significantly enhance its scintillation yield from 16 000 to 25 000 photons MeV−1, but slightly prolong the scintillation decay time. As Li+ codoping was found to have a negligible effect on the light yield non‐proportionality, we attributed the significant improvement in energy resolution to the reduced statistical variance in the number of photoelectrons produced in the photomultiplier tube (Rstat).
Chitosan nanocomposite films incorporating cellulose nanocrystals and grape pomace extracts
Authors: Xu Yixiang , Willis Shakeyla , Jordan Krystle , Sismour Edward
Published: July 2018

Chitosan nanocomposite films incorporating grape pomace extract (GPE), either Cabernet Franc (CF; a red variety) or Viognier (a white variety), and cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) were prepared using a solvent casting method. Mechanical properties, water vapour permeability, color and opacity, crystalline structure, thermal properties, total phenolic content, and antioxidant activity of the films were characterized. Incorporating CNC alone significantly (P < .05) increased tensile strength of the films and decreased their percent elongation at break and water vapour permeability. Grape pomace extract had an opposite effect on mechanical properties by decreasing tensile strength but increasing percent elongation at break. Film color was mainly influenced by the presence and type of GPE. Films containing CF extract exhibited the darkest appearance with increased reddish and bluish hues. Addition of CNC significantly increased film opacity and the alignment of chitosan chains, while the effect of GPE was not significant. Thermal analysis showed that chitosan and CNC were partially miscible and that the addition of CNC did not significantly change decomposition temperature of the films. Incorporation of GPE significantly (P < .05) increase total phenolic content and antioxidant activity. Films containing CF had higher DPPH• radical scavenging capacity than their counterparts with Viognier. Film incorporating both CNC and CF shows greater potential for food packaging application because of a combination of improved physical properties and high antioxidant activity.
Ion formation in droplet‐assisted ionization
Authors: Apsokardu Michael J. , Kerecman Devan E. , Johnston Murray V.
Published: July 2018

Rationale

In droplet‐assisted ionization (DAI), intact molecular ions are generated from molecules in aerosol droplets by passing the droplets through a temperature‐controlled capillary inlet. Ion formation is explored through the effects of analyte mass flow, droplet solvent composition, and capillary temperature on ion signal intensity.

Methods

A Waters SYNAPT G2‐S is adapted for DAI by reconfiguring the inlet with a temperature‐controlled capillary. Droplets are generated by atomization of a solution containing analyte and then sampled through the inlet. If desired, solvent can be removed from the droplets prior to analysis by sending the aerosol through a series of diffusion dryers. Size distributions of the dried aerosols allow the mass flow of analyte into the inlet to be determined.

Results

Analyte signal intensities are orders of magnitude higher from droplets containing a protic solvent (water) than an aprotic solvent (acetonitrile). The highest signal intensities for DAI are obtained with inlet temperatures above 500°C, though the optimum temperature is analyte dependent. At elevated temperatures, droplets are thought to undergo rapid solvent evaporation and bursting to produce ions. The lowest signal intensities are generally obtained in the 100–350°C range, where slow solvent evaporation is thought to inhibit ion formation. As the temperature decreases from 100°C down to 25°C, the signal intensity increases significantly. When 3‐nitrobenzonitrile, a common matrix for solid‐state matrix‐assisted ionization (MAI), is added to droplets consisting of 50/50 v/v water and acetonitrile, the matrix enhances ion formation to produce a signal intensity comparable to DAI in 100% water.

Conclusions

The results are consistent with other inlet ionization techniques, suggesting that similar ion formation mechanisms are operative. Optimized ion yields (the combined effects of ionization probability and ion transmission) for DAI are currently in the 10−5 to 10−6 range, which is sufficient for many aerosol applications.
Weaver: Hexapod robot for autonomous navigation on unstructured terrain
Authors: Bjelonic Marko , Kottege Navinda , Homberger Timon , Borges Paulo , Beckerle Philipp , Chli Margarita
Published: July 2018

Legged robots are an efficient alternative for navigation in challenging terrain. In this paper we describe Weaver, a six‐legged robot that is designed to perform autonomous navigation in unstructured terrain. It uses stereo vision and proprioceptive sensing based terrain perception for adaptive control while using visual‐inertial odometry for autonomous waypoint‐based navigation. Terrain perception generates a minimal representation of the traversed environment in terms of roughness and step height. This reduces the complexity of the terrain model significantly, enabling the robot to feed back information about the environment into its controller. Furthermore, we combine exteroceptive and proprioceptive sensing to enhance the terrain perception capabilities, especially in situations in which the stereo camera is not able to generate an accurate representation of the environment. The adaptation approach described also exploits the unique properties of legged robots by adapting the virtual stiffness, stride frequency, and stride height. Weaver's unique leg design with five joints per leg improves locomotion on high gradient slopes, and this novel configuration is further analyzed. Using these approaches, we present an experimental evaluation of this fully self‐contained hexapod performing autonomous navigation on a multiterrain testbed and in outdoor terrain.
Semiparametric varying‐coefficient regression analysis of recurrent events with applications to treatment switching
Authors: Li Yang , Qi Li , Sun Yanqing
Published: July 2018

This paper investigates the semiparametric statistical methods for recurrent events. The mean number of the recurrent events are modeled with the generalized semiparametric varying‐coefficient model that can flexibly model three types of covariate effects: time‐constant effects, time‐varying effects, and covariate‐varying effects. We assume that the time‐varying effects are unspecified functions of time and the covariate‐varying effects are parametric functions of an exposure variable specified up to a finite number of unknown parameters. Different link functions can be selected to provide a rich family of models for recurrent events data. The profile estimation methods are developed for the parametric and nonparametric components. The asymptotic properties are established. We also develop some hypothesis testing procedures to test validity of the parametric forms of covariate‐varying effects. The simulation study shows that both estimation and hypothesis testing procedures perform well. The proposed method is applied to analyze a data set from an acyclovir study and investigate whether acyclovir treatment reduces the mean relapse recurrences.
K3Bi2Cl5O2(SO4)2: A Novel Pentanary Chloride Oxide Sulfate
Authors: Lu Zhen‐Tao , Chi Yang , Xue Huai‐Guo , Guo Sheng‐Ping
Published: July 2018

Reported are the synthesis, crystal structure and electronic structure of K3Bi2Cl5O2(SO4)2, which is a novel pentanary chloride oxide sulfate containing three types of anions, Cl–, O2–, and (SO4)2– by using a solution method. It crystallizes in the triclinic space group P
, and the structure features layers built by (BiO5Cl3)8– anionic units and (SO4)2– tetrahedra with K+ ions insertion between layers as counter ions. The band gap of K3Bi2Cl5O2(SO4)2 was determined to be 3.62(2) eV and its electronic structure was also investigated to compare with the experimental results.
Experimental study on effect of length of service hole on seismic behavior of exterior precast beam–column connections
Authors: Liu Yangqing , Cai Jianguo , Deng Xiaowei , Cao Yunfeng , Feng Jian
Published: July 2018

Experimental study is reported on the seismic behavior of a type of exterior beam–column connections, which feature service holes in the connecting ends of the beams. Specimens with three typical lengths of the holes (450, 500, and 400 mm) are tested under quasi‐static reversed cyclic loading with constant axial compression on columns. Failure modes, hysteretic and skeleton curves, energy dissipation capacity and ductility are investigated and effect of the length of the hole on the seismic behavior of the connection is studied. The results reveal satisfactory seismic performance of the connections with plastic hinges developed at the connecting ends of the beams and no damage to the joint regions. Comparisons between the specimens demonstrate that the connection with 500‐mm long hole performs the greatest energy dissipation capacity and the greatest ductility with comparable load‐carrying capacity to the connection with 400‐mm long hole. Finally, it is feasible and reliable to follow the Chinese code to predict the load‐carrying capacity of the connection, when the longitudinal reinforcement is symmetrically arranged.
Rate of β‐amyloid accumulation varies with baseline amyloid burden: Implications for anti‐amyloid drug trials
Authors: Guo Tengfei , Dukart Juergen , Brendel Matthias , Rominger Axel , Grimmer Timo , Yakushev Igor ,   Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative
Published: July 2018

Introduction

This study examined a longitudinal trajectory of β‐amyloid (Aβ) accumulation at the predementia stage of Alzheimer's disease in the context of clinical trials.

Methods

Analyzed were baseline (BL) and 2 years' follow‐up 18F‐florbetapir positron emission tomography data of 246 Aβ‐positive subjects with normal cognition and mild cognitive impairment. We studied the relationship between annual accumulation rates of 18F‐florbetapir and BL standard uptake value ratios in whole gray matter (SUVRGM).

Results

Subjects with BL SUVRGM of 0.56 to 0.92 (n = 134) appeared to accumulate Aβ approximately 1.5 times faster than remaining subjects. In subjects with SUVRGM above 0.95, most regions with the highest annual accumulation rate were outside the established set of Alzheimer's disease typical regions.

Conclusion

There are global and regional variations in annual accumulation rate at the predementia stage of Alzheimer's disease. When taken into account, the sample size in anti‐amyloid trials can be substantially reduced. Critically, treated and placebo groups should be matched for BL SUVRGM.
Tones from a Narrowing Race: Polling and Online Political Communication during the 2014 Scottish Referendum Campaign
Authors: Brie Evelyne , Dufresne Yannick
Published: July 2018

The use of negative political communication is a predominant characteristic of modern politics. However, literature doesn't provide an answer to the following question: what explains fluctuations in the use of negative messages within political organisations during a given political campaign? The present paper examines this question in the context of the 2014 Scottish independence referendum. Data consists of all tweets distributed by the official Twitter account of both campaign organisations (@YesScotlandand@UK_Together) between June 16, 2014 and September 17, 2014. Results are obtained by a non-parametric local regression and by time-series regression analyses. Our model demonstrates that having an advance in the polls had a statistically significant influence on the tweet sentiment of at least one organisation during the referendum campaign: Better Together's messages were more negative when it was ahead in the polls. Meanwhile, Yes Scotland's messages were more negative after each of the leaders' debates.
IMITATING THE COSMOS: THE ROLE OF MICROCOSM–MACROCOSM RELATIONSHIPS IN THE HIPPOCRATIC TREATISEON REGIMEN
Authors: Rosella Schluderer Laura
Published: July 2018

Despite its often daunting obscurity, the ‘Hippocratic’ treatiseDe Victuis a text of particular interest, not only because it presents the first clear formulation in an entirely preserved Greek text of the microcosm–macrocosm relationship but also for the sophisticated use it makes of this pervasive pattern of Greek thought in the context of dietetics.
Anticipating innovations in structural biology
Authors: Berman Helen M. , Lawson Catherine L. , Vallat Brinda , Gabanyi Margaret J.
Published: July 2018

In this review, we describe how the interplay among science, technology and community interests contributed to the evolution of four structural biology data resources. We present the method by which data deposited by scientists are prepared for worldwide distribution, and argue that data archiving in a trusted repository must be an integral part of any scientific investigation.
The Politics of Judicial Accountability in Italy: Shifting the Balance
Authors: Benvenuti Simone
Published: July 2018

Judicial accountability – Court administration – Judicial politics – Judicial councils – Assessment and appointment of judges – Disciplinary responsibility – Liability of judges – Italy
Neo-extractivist controversies in Bolivia: indigenous perspectives on global norms
Authors: Eichler Jessika
Published: July 2018

Ever since Evo Morales Ayma became Bolivia's first indigenous president in 2006 and the promulgation of a human-rights-enhancing Constitution (2009) thereafter, indigenous peoples’ rights were gradually recognised. Yet, with the increasing demand for natural resources, indigenous communities have been adversely affected by the state's neo-extractivist policies. While global indigenous rights norms protect their fundamental rights, legal-implementation processes in the country's lowlands reveal dilemmas in terms of the value of laws in practice as well as its reinterpretation on the ground. Namely, in the communities, different positions and camps have emerged in terms of the role and functions of participatory rights. Despite the potential of the latter in strengthening collective-rights regimes and self-determination, community leaders, advisers and other members report how such processes fracture and weaken decision-making mechanisms and human rights claims.
Depiction and analysis of a modified H-shaped double-negative meta atom for satellite communication
Authors: Alam Md. Jubaer , Faruque Mohammad Rashed Iqbal , Azim Rezaul , Islam Mohammad Tariqul
Published: July 2018

A modified H-shaped metamaterial is imparted in this paper that has a multiple band coverage for reflection and transmission coefficient. The proposed structure exhibits triple band coverage for the permittivity and permeability. Two split ring resonators (SRR) are connected with the substantial H-shaped structure. The 12 × 12 mm2 structure has been printed on FR-4 and a correlation is made between the basic unit-cell and array structures. A comparison is made among 1 × 2, 2 × 2, and 4 × 4 array structures with 1 × 2, 2 × 2, and 4 × 4 unit-cell configurations to validate the performance of the proposed metamaterial. A great transmission coefficient having a band of 13 GHz with a 500 MHz band gap in the middle is demonstrated for all of these configurations. The effective parameters of the resonators cover C, X, and Ku bands independently with double-negative phenomena at X and Ku bands with a frequency range of about 2.5 GHz. The reflection and transmission coefficients of the unit cell are obtained by CST microwave studio. Having an auspicious design and wide range double-negative characteristics, this structure can be applied to satellite communication.
Scientific Validity of Proposed Public Education Materials for Balanced Treatment of Creationism and Evolution in Elementary Science Classrooms of Alabama
Authors: Brande Scott
Published: July 2018

The political fight for the inclusion of “scientific creationism” in public school curricula has generated reactions of scientists from many disciplines, who nearly unanimously dismiss this material as unfit for science teaching. Because some “creationist” materials were written specifically for science classes, such as general science, biology, and geological modules, they should be evaluated prior to use for scientific content and accuracy. Should these materials fail to conform with the body of generally accepted, modern scientific knowledge, then they do not belong in the science classrooms of our public schools.

I have examined several of the books written by “creationists” for public school science classes, and evaluated them for bias and distortion in their treatment of scientific facts, hypotheses and conclusions. All of the materials I examined exhibit statements of distortion and bias.

In addition to unsatisfactory scientific content, I have also noted a degree of dogmatism. This is curious because one of the objections of the “scientific creationists” to current content in public school science classrooms is the teaching of modern science in dogmatic fashion: for example, Darwinian evolution is taught as dogma, in conjunction with no other alternatives (i.e. “scientific creationism”).

These materials proposed for the public school science classroom do not belong there, because they do not teach modern science. The lack of scientific validity of “science creationist” literature should be emphasized in debate and discussion at especially the local level.
Zur prognostischen Güte von Zulassungskriterien im Psychologiestudium für Studienerfolgsindikatoren
Authors: Janke Stefan , Dickhäuser Oliver
Published: July 2018

Zusammenfassung. Grundständige Bachelorprogramme im Fach Psychologie unterliegen deutschlandweit Zulassungsbeschränkungen. Um geeignete Bewerberinnen und Bewerber auszuwählen, verwenden Universitäten innerhalb des jeweiligen gesetzlichen Rahmens eine Vielzahl an Zulassungskriterien. Anhand von Zulassungsdaten einer deutschen Universität (N = 10.‍‍605 Bewerberinnen und Bewerber aus fünf Kohorten) untersuchten wir die prognostische Güte von Zulassungskriterien (Note der Hochschulzugangsberechtigung [HZB], einschlägige Einzelnoten sowie praktische Erfahrungen) für Studienerfolgsindikatoren (Note in der ersten Statistikklausur, Abschlussnote und Studiendauer). Pfadanalysen zeigten, dass die durchschnittliche Note der HZB positiv prädiktiv für die durch Noten operationalisierten Studienerfolgsindikatoren war. Die Einzelnoten aus den Fächern Mathematik und Englisch im Abitur zeigten genauso wenig inkrementelle Vorhersagekraft wie einschlägige praktische Erfahrung. Gesetzeskonforme Veränderungen in der Gewichtung der Kriterien zugunsten der HZB verbesserten die Gesamtprognosegüte. Hinsichtlich der Studiendauer erwiesen sich die vier betrachteten Zulassungskriterien als nicht prädiktiv. Der Beitrag illustriert den Nutzen evidenzbasierten Handelns bei der Studienzulassung und diskutiert gleichzeitig Grenzen eines solchen Vorgehens in den verschiedenen Bundesländern.
Characteristics of Thunderstorm Structure and Lightning Activity Causing Negative and Positive Sprites
Authors: Yang Jing , Liu Ningyu , Sato Mitsuteru , Lu Gaopeng , Wang Yu , Feng Guili
Published: July 2018

This paper reports observation of five sprites captured over a mesoscale convective system in a 15‐min window. One of them (11:49 hr sprite) was preceded by a negative cloud‐to‐ground with peak current of −40.9 kA that was detected both by the local lightning detection network (sprite time delay <70–90 ms) and the extremely low frequency (ELF) magnetic field data. Another sprite (11:46 hr sprite) was preceded by a negative stroke (sprite time delay <10 ms) with peak current of −106.6 kA but the ELF signal of the stroke could not be recognized. In addition, no positive strokes were recorded 1.5 min before the 11:46 hr sprite. The rest of the sprites were confirmed as positive both by the local lightning detection network and the ELF magnetic field data. The negative sprite occurred during strong convection, indicated by the increase of the area of the thundercloud with radar echo top of 8–11, 9–11, and 6–12 km. The strong convection and large wind shear in the thunderstorm middle and upper region provide favorable conditions to produce the parent cloud‐to‐ground lightning discharges of the negative sprites.
Understanding Global Model Systematic Shortwave Radiation Errors in Subtropical Marine Boundary Layer Cloud Regimes
Authors: Ahlgrimm Maike , Forbes Richard M. , Hogan Robin J. , Sandu Irina
Published: July 2018

Global numerical weather prediction and climate models are subject to long‐standing systematic shortwave radiation errors due to deficiencies in the representation of boundary layer clouds over the ocean. In the subtropics, clouds are typically too reflective in the cumulus regime and not reflective enough in the stratocumulus regime. Potential sources of error include cloud cover, liquid water path, effective radius, and subgrid heterogeneity, but diagnosing the absolute contributions of each to the radiation bias is hampered by uncertainties and sometimes contradictory information from different observational products. This paper draws on a set of ship‐based observations of boundary layer clouds obtained during the ARM MAGIC campaign along a northeast Pacific Ocean transect, crossing both stratocumulus and shallow cumulus cloud regimes. The surface‐based observations of cloud properties are compared with various satellite products, taking account of the diurnal cycle, to provide an improved quantitative assessment of the deficiencies in the European Centre for Medium‐Range Weather Forecasts global numerical weather prediction model. A series of off‐line radiation calculations are then performed to assess the impact on the shortwave radiation bias of correcting each of the model's deficiencies in cloud characteristics along the transect. A reduction in the bias is achieved by improving the agreement between modeled and observed in‐cloud liquid water path frequency distributions. In the cumulus regime, this is accomplished primarily by reducing the all‐sky water path, while for the stratocumulus regime, an underestimate of cloud cover and liquid water and an overestimate in effective radius and subgrid heterogeneity all contribute to a lack of reflected shortwave radiation.
Single cell transcriptome profiling of retinal ganglion cells identifies cellular subtypes
Authors: Rheaume Bruce A. , Jereen Amyeo , Bolisetty Mohan , Sajid Muhammad S. , Yang Yue , Renna Kathleen , Sun Lili , Robson Paul , Trakhtenberg Ephraim F.
Published: July 2018

Retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) convey the major output of information collected from the eye to the brain. Thirty subtypes of RGCs have been identified to date. Here, we analyze 6225 RGCs (average of 5000 genes per cell) from right and left eyes by single-cell RNA-seq and classify them into 40 subtypes using clustering algorithms. We identify additional subtypes and markers, as well as transcription factors predicted to cooperate in specifying RGC subtypes. Zic1, a marker of the right eye-enriched subtype, is validated by immunostaining in situ. Runx1 and Fst, the markers of other subtypes, are validated in purified RGCs by fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) and immunostaining. We show the extent of gene expression variability needed for subtype segregation, and we show a hierarchy in diversification from a cell-type population to subtypes. Finally, we present a website for comparing the gene expression of RGC subtypes.
Catalyst-TiO(OH)2 could drastically reduce the energy consumption of CO2 capture
Authors: Lai Qinghua , Toan Sam , Assiri Mohammed A. , Cheng Huaigang , Russell Armistead G. , Adidharma Hertanto , Radosz Maciej , Fan Maohong
Published: July 2018

Implementing Paris Climate Accord is inhibited by the high energy consumption of the state-of-the-art CO2 capture technologies due to the notoriously slow kinetics in CO2 desorption step of CO2 capture. To address the challenge, here we report that nanostructured TiO(OH)2 as a catalyst is capable of drastically increasing the rates of CO2 desorption from spent monoethanolamine (MEA) by over 4500%. This discovery makes CO2 capture successful at much lower temperatures, which not only dramatically reduces energy consumption but also amine losses and prevents emission of carcinogenic amine-decomposition byproducts. The catalytic effect of TiO(OH)2 is observed with Raman characterization. The stabilities of the catalyst and MEA are confirmed with 50 cyclic CO2 sorption and sorption. A possible mechanism is proposed for the TiO(OH)2-catalyzed CO2 capture. TiO(OH)2 could be a key to the future success of Paris Climat e Accord.
Adding chemically selective subtraction to multi-material 3D additive manufacturing
Authors: Gräfe David , Wickberg Andreas , Zieger Markus Michael , Wegener Martin , Blasco Eva , Barner-Kowollik Christopher
Published: July 2018

Existing photoresists for 3D laser lithography that can be removed after development in a subtractive manner typically suffer from harsh cleavage conditions. Here, we report chemoselectively cleavable photoresists for 3D laser lithography based on silane crosslinkers, allowing the targeted degradation of 3D printed microstructures under mild conditions. Three bifunctional silane crosslinkers carrying various substitutions on the silicon atom are synthesized. The photoresists are prepared by mixing these silane crosslinkers with pentaerythritol triacrylate and a two-photon photoinitiator. The presence of pentaerythritol triacrylate significantly enhances the direct laser written structures with regard to resolution, while the microstructures remain cleavable. For the targeted cleavage of the fabricated 3D microstructures, simply a methanol solution including inorganic salts is required, highlighting the mild cleavage conditions. Critically, the photoresists can be cleaved selectively, which enables the sequential degradation of direct laser written structures and allows for subtractive manufacturing at the micro- and nanoscale.
Self-healing and superstretchable conductors from hierarchical nanowire assemblies
Authors: Song Pin , Qin Haili , Gao Huai-Ling , Cong Huai-Ping , Yu Shu-Hong
Published: July 2018

It is still a great challenge to improve deformability and fatigue-resistance of stretchable conductors when maintaining their high-level conductivity for practical use. Herein, a high-performance stretchable conductor with hierarchically ternary network and self-healing capability is demonstrated through in situ polymerizing N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM) on well-defined sulfur-containing molecule-modified Ag nanowire (AgNW) aerogel framework. Owing to hierarchical architecture from nanoscale to microscale and further to macroscale and strong interactions of polymer chains and AgNWs, the composite exhibits good conductivity of 93 S cm−1, excellent electromechanical stability up to superhigh tensile strain of 800% and strong fatigue-resistant ability through well accommodating the applied deformations and sharing external force in the network. Furthermore, the composite delivers a fast and strong healing capability induced by reversible Ag–S bonds, which enables the healed conductor to hold an impressive electromechanical property. These prominent demonstrations confirm this material as top performer for use as flexible, stretchable electronic devices.
A protonic biotransducer controlling mitochondrial ATP synthesis
Authors: Zhang Z. , Kashiwagi H. , Kimura S. , Kong S. , Ohta Y. , Miyake T.
Published: July 2018

In nature, protons (H+) play an important role in biological activities such as in mitochondrial ATP synthesis, which is driven by a H+ gradient across the inner membrane, or in the activation of acid sensing ion channels in neuron cells. Bioprotonic devices directly interface with the H+ concentration (pH) to facilitate engineered interactions with these biochemical processes. Here we develop a H+ biotransducer that changes the pH in a mitochondrial matrix by controlling the flow of H+ between a conductive polymer of sulfonated polyaniline and solution. We have successfully modulated the rate of ATP synthesis in mitochondria by altering the solution pH. Our H+ biotransducer provides a new way to monitor and modulate pH dependent biological functions at the interface between the electronic devices and biological materials.
Biogenic silica-based microparticles obtained as a sub-product of the nanocellulose extraction process from pineapple peels
Authors: Corrales-Ureña Yendry R. , Villalobos-Bermúdez Carlos , Pereira Reinaldo , Camacho Melissa , Estrada Eugenia , Argüello-Miranda Orlando , Vega-Baudrit Jose R.
Published: July 2018

Silica in plant tissues has been suggested as a component for enhancing mechanical properties, and as a physical barrier. Pineapples present in their shell and bracts rosette-like microparticles that could be associated to biogenic silica. In this study, we show for the first time that silica-based microparticles are co-purified during the extraction process of nanocellulose from pineapple (Ananas comosus). This shows that vegetable biomass could be an underappreciated source, not only for nanocellulose, but also for a highly valuable sub-product, like 10 µm biogenic rosette-like silica-based microparticles. The recovery yield obtained was 7.2 wt.%; based on the dried initial solid. Due to their size and morphology, the microparticles have potential applications as reinforcement in adhesives, polymer composites, in the biomedical field, and even as a source of silica for fertilizers.
Insects with similar social complexity show convergent patterns of adaptive molecular evolution
Authors: Dogantzis Kathleen A. , Harpur Brock A. , Rodrigues André , Beani Laura , Toth Amy L. , Zayed Amro
Published: July 2018

Eusociality has independently evolved multiple times in the hymenoptera, but the patterns of adaptive molecular evolution underlying the evolution and elaboration of eusociality remain uncertain. Here, we performed a population genomics study of primitively eusocialPolistes(paper wasps), and compared their patterns of molecular evolution to two social bees;Bombus(bumblebees), andApis(honey bees). This species triad allowed us to study molecular evolution across a gradient of social complexity (Polistes < Bombus < Apis) and compare species pairs that have similar (i.e.PolistesandBombus) or different (i.e.PolistesandApis) life histories, while controlling for phylogenetic distance. We found that regulatory genes have high levels of positive selection inPolistes; consistent with the prediction that adaptive changes in gene regulation are important during early stages of social evolution.PolistesandBombusexhibit greater similarity in patterns of adaptive evolution including greater overlap of genes experiencing positive selection, and greater positive selection on queen-biased genes. Our findings suggest that either adaptive evolution of a few key genes underlie the evolution of simpler forms of eusociality, or that the initial stages of social evolution lead to selection on a few key traits orchestrated by orthologous genes and networks.
Hydrothermal chimneys host habitat-specific microbial communities: analogues for studying the possible impact of mining seafloor massive sulfide deposits
Authors: Han Yuchen , Gonnella Giorgio , Adam Nicole , Schippers Axel , Burkhardt Lia , Kurtz Stefan , Schwarz-Schampera Ulrich , Franke Henrike , Perner Mirjam
Published: July 2018

To assess the risk that mining of seafloor massive sulfides (SMS) from extinct hydrothermal vent environments has for changing the ecosystem irreversibly, we sampled SMS analogous habitats from the Kairei and the Pelagia vent fields along the Indian Ridge. In total 19.8 million 16S rRNA tags from 14 different sites were analyzed and the microbial communities were compared with each other and with publicly available data sets from other marine environments. The chimneys appear to provide habitats for microorganisms that are not found or only detectable in very low numbers in other marine habitats. The chimneys also host rare organisms and may function as a vital part of the ocean’s seed bank. Many of the reads from active and inactive chimney samples were clustered into OTUs, with low or no resemblance to known species. Since we are unaware of the chemical reactions catalyzed by these unknown organisms, the impact of this diversity loss and bio-geo-coupling is hard to predict. Given that chimney structures can be considered SMS analogues, removal of sulfide deposits from the seafloor in the Kairei and Pelagia fields will most likely alter microbial compositions and affect element cycling in the benthic regions and probably beyond.
Author Correction: Dogs and humans respond to emotionally competent stimuli by producing different facial actions
Authors: Caeiro Cátia , Guo Kun , Mills Daniel
Published: July 2018

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