bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Phase‐Controlled Synthesis of Monolayer Ternary Telluride with a Random Local Displacement of Tellurium Atoms
Authors: Tang Bijun , Zhou Jiadong , Sun Pingping , Wang Xiaowei , Bai Lichun , Dan Jiadong , Yang Jiefu , Zhou Kun , Zhao Xiaoxu , Pennycook Stephen J. , Liu Zheng
Published: April 2019

Alloying 2D transition metal dichalcogenides has opened up new opportunities for bandgap engineering and phase control. Developing a simple and scalable synthetic route is therefore essential to explore the full potential of these alloys with tunable optical and electrical properties. Here, the direct synthesis of monolayer WTe2xS2(1−x) alloys via one‐step chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is demonstrated. The WTe2xS2(1−x) alloys exhibit two distinct phases (1H semiconducting and 1T ′ metallic) under different chemical compositions, which can be controlled by the ratio of chalcogen precursors as well as the H2 flow rate. Atomic‐resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy–annular dark field (STEM‐ADF) imaging reveals the atomic structure of as‐formed 1H and 1T ′ alloys. Unlike the commonly observed displacement of metal atoms in the 1T ′ phase, local displacement of Te atoms from original 1H lattice sites is discovered by combined STEM‐ADF imaging and ab initio molecular dynamics calculations. The structure distortion provides new insights into the structure formation of alloys. This generic synthetic approach is also demonstrated for other telluride‐based ternary monolayers such as WTe2xSe2(1−x) single crystals.
Tuning the Electromechanical Properties of PEDOT:PSS Films for Stretchable Transistors And Pressure Sensors
Authors: Zhang Shiming , Li Yang , Tomasello Gaia , Anthonisen Madeleine , Li Xinda , Mazzeo Marco , Genco Armando , Grutter Peter , Cicoira Fabio
Published: April 2019

Poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene) doped with polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) based organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs) have been widely applied in bioelectronics because of their low power consumption, biocompatibility, and ability to convert ionic biological signals into electronic signals with high sensitivity. Here, the processing of PEDOT:PSS thin films on soft substrates is reported for stretchable OECT applications. Enhanced stretchability of PEDOT:PSS films on elastic substrates is obtained by synergistically reducing the film thickness and decreasing the baking temperature. The resultant films, together with ultrathin Au electrodes, enable the assembling of fully stretchable OECTs using conventional fabrication techniques, without prestretching the substrates. The stretchable OECTs maintain similar electrical characteristics within 30% applied strain. It is also demonstrated that brittle PEDOT:PSS films, which are not suitable for making stretchable OECTs, can be used for transparent pressure sensors.
Controlling Fluoride‐Forming Reactions for Improved Rate Capability in Lithium‐Perfluorinated Gas Conversion Batteries
Authors: Gao Haining , Li Yuanda , Guo Rui , Gallant Betar M.
Published: April 2019

Nonaqueous metal–gas batteries based on halogenated reactants exhibit strong potential for future high‐energy electrochemical systems. The lithium–sulfur hexafluoride (Li–SF6) primary battery, which utilizes a safe, noncombustible, energy‐dense gas as cathode, demonstrates attractive eight‐electron transfer reduction during discharge and high attainable capacities (>3000 mAh g−1carbon) at voltages above 2.2 VLi. However, improved rate capability is needed for practical applications. Here, two viable strategies are reported to achieve this by targeting the solubility of the passivating discharge product, lithium fluoride (LiF). Operating at moderately elevated temperatures, e.g., 50 °C, in DMSO dramatically improves LiF solubility and promotes sparser and larger LiF nuclei on gas diffusion layer electrodes, leading to capacity improvements of ≈10× at 120 µA cm−2. More aggressive chemical modification of the electrolyte by including a tris(pentafluorophenyl)borane anion receptor further promotes LiF solubilization; capacity increases even at room temperature by a factor of 25 at 120 µA cm−2, with attainable capacities up to 3 mAh cm−2. This work shows that bulk fluoride‐forming conversion reactions can be strongly manipulated by tuning the electrolyte environment to be solvating toward F−, and that significantly improved rates can be achieved, leading a step closer to practical applications.
Bacterial community structure and function distinguish gut sites in captive red‐shanked doucs (Pygathrix nemaeus)
Authors: Clayton Jonathan B. , Shields‐Cutler Robin R. , Hoops Susan L. , Al‐Ghalith Gabriel A. , Sha John C. M. , Johnson Timothy J. , Knights Dan
Published: April 2019

The mammalian order primates contains wide species diversity. Members of the subfamily Colobinae are unique amongst extant primates in that their gastrointestinal systems more closely resemble those of ruminants than other members of the primate order. In the growing literature surrounding nonhuman primate microbiomes, analysis of microbial communities has been limited to the hindgut, since few studies have captured data on other gut sites, including the foregut of colobine primates. In this study, we used the red‐shanked douc (Pygathrix nemaeus) as a model for colobine primates to study the relationship between gastrointestinal bacterial community structure and gut site within and between subjects. We analyzed fecal and pregastric stomach content samples, representative of the hindgut and foregut respectively, using 16S recombinant DNA (rDNA) sequencing and identified microbiota using closed‐reference operational taxonomic unit (OTU) picking against the GreenGenes database. Our results show divergent bacterial communities clearly distinguish the foregut and hindgut microbiomes. We found higher bacterial biodiversity and a higher Firmicutes:Bacteroides ratio in the hindgut as opposed to the foregut. These gut sites showed strong associations with bacterial function. Specifically, energy metabolism was upregulated in the hindgut, whereas detoxification was increased in the foregut. Our results suggest a red‐shanked douc's foregut microbiome is no more concordant with its own hindgut than it is with any other red‐shanked douc's hindgut microbiome, thus reinforcing the notion that the bacterial communities of the foregut and hindgut are distinctly unique.

Open Practices

This article has been awarded Open Materials and Open Data badges. All materials and data are publicly accessible via the IRIS Repository at https://www.iris-database.org/iris/app/home/detail?id=york:934328. Learn more about the Open Practices badges from the Center for Open Science: https://osf.io/tvyxz/wiki.
Mediated Semi‐Quantum Key Distribution Using Single Photons
Authors: Lin Po‐Hua , Tsai Chia‐Wei , Hwang Tzonelih
Published: April 2019

A new mediated semi‐quantum key distribution (SQKD) protocol is proposed, allowing two classical participants to share a secret key with the help of an untrusted third party, who only needs to generate single photons and perform Bell measurements. This is the first work attempting to reduce the quantum overhead of the untrusted third party, which makes the mediated SQKD even more practical. The proposed protocol is shown to be free from several well‐known attacks.
Adding hydroxyurea in combination with ruxolitinib improves clinical responses in hyperproliferative forms of myelofibrosis
Authors: Pugliese Novella , Giordano Claudia , Nappi Davide , Luciano Luigiana , Cerchione Claudio , Annunziata Mario , Casale Beniamino , Crisà Elena , Villa Maria Rosaria , Pezzullo Luca , Iovine Maria , Picardi Marco , Grimaldi Francesco , Pane Fabrizio , Martinelli Vincenzo
Published: April 2019

Ruxolitinib, an orally bioavailable and selective inhibitor of Janus kinase 1 (JAK1) and JAK2, significantly reduces splenomegaly and disease‐related symptoms in patients with myelofibrosis (MF). However, no clear survival benefit has been demonstrated, which may in part reflect suboptimal drug exposure related to lower dosages needed to minimize hematological toxicity, specifically cytopenias. Furthermore, the optimal management of specific conditions such as leukocytosis or thrombocytosis in patients under ruxolitinib therapy is still undefined. In these cases, combining ruxolitinib with a cytoreductive agent like hydroxyurea might improve hematological response. This observational multi‐center study enrolled 20 adult patients with intermediate‐ or high‐risk primary MF, post‐ polycythemia vera MF, or postessential thrombocythemia MF with hyperproliferative manifestations of the disease and WBC and/or platelet counts not controlled by ruxolitinib therapy. The patients received treatment with a combination of ruxolitinib and hydroxyurea. A clinical response of any type was obtained in 8 patients (40%) during ruxolitinib monotherapy and in 17 patients (85%) during ruxolitinib‐hydroxyurea combination (P = 0.003). After a median duration of 12.4 months of combination therapy, 16/20 patients had a hematological response; 14/17 patients who had started combination therapy to control WBC count and 2/3 who started in order to reduce platelets count. The number of patients requiring ruxolitinib dosage reduction or discontinuations was lower during combination therapy and, at the end of follow‐up the median ruxolitinib dose was increased in 50% of patients. In conclusion, the combination of hydroxyurea with ruxolitinib yielded a high clinical response rate and increased ruxolitinib exposure in patients with hyperproliferative forms of MF.
Disordered eating and the perinatal period: A systematic review and best evidence synthesis of mental health and psychosocial correlates
Authors: Baskin Rachel , Galligan Roslyn
Published: April 2019

Objective

This paper systematically reviews the literature to date on the relationship between disordered eating and mental health, psychological and social factors during pregnancy and the post‐partum period, as well as the direction of associations.

Methods

Peer reviewed articles were sourced from seven databases: PsycINFO, CINAHL, Psychology and Behavioural Sciences Collection, Academic Search Complete, Scopus (MEDLINE), Web of Science, and Proquest. A quality review and best evidence synthesis was conducted.

Results

The final review included 11 prospective cohort and 14 cross sectional/retrospective studies. According to a synthesis of findings, a strong level of evidence supports an association between disordered eating during pregnancy and depressive and anxiety symptoms during pregnancy. There was also a limited level of evidence for the association between disordered eating and obsessive‐compulsive symptoms during pregnancy and between disordered eating and depressive symptoms during the post‐partum period. No directions of associations could be determined.

Conclusions

On the basis of initial findings, it is recommended that depressive and anxiety symptoms be monitored in conjunction with any disordered eating concerns during perinatal care. Given the significance of the childbearing years to the health and well‐being of both mother and infant, further prospective cohort studies in this area are necessitated.
Numerical simulation of a coupled gas flow and geomechanics process in fractured coalbed methane reservoirs
Authors: Zhang Liehui , Lu Guang , Chang Chen , Wu Jianfa , Zhao Yulong , Liu Wentao
Published: April 2019

The pores and throats of coal seam are narrow, and the permeability is very low. It is a porous medium with complicated deformation mechanism. In the process of gas production, the change of stress, pore pressure, gas adsorption and desorption will lead to the change of grains, pore volume, and the seepage capacity of coal seam. Based on the theory of poroelastic and seepage mechanics, a physical model of fractured horizontal well and a coupled mathematic model of coal deformation and gas flow are established. The dynamic change model of permeability is deduced too. The development characteristics and laws of coalbed methane are numerically simulated by using numerical analysis software Comsol Multiphysics. Finally, the sensitivity of the key parameters in the model and the influence of the fracture parameters are analyzed. The results show that the application of fractured horizontal well is an effective measure to increase production of coalbed reservoirs; with the increase of Langmuir volumetric strain constant, fracture half‐length, and the numbers of fracture, the production of coalbed methane is increasing. In the case of constant total fracture length, number, and spacing, when fracture half‐lengths are long and short interlaced distribution, the production is the highest and it is the best fracture distribution pattern. The study provides a theoretical basis for the further study of coalbed deformation, gas migration, efficient, and rational development of coalbed methane reservoirs.
Better Guidance for Surrogates
Authors: Kaebnick Gregory E.
Published: April 2019

The March–April issue of the Hastings Center Report offers another in a series of articles over the last few years on the structure and the ethics of surrogate decision‐making. Here, Daniel Brudney addresses how to help the surrogate deal with a treatment decision. A core insight he offers is that the structure of the surrogate’s decision has been misunderstood and the misunderstanding makes the task yet harder. As usually understood, the surrogate is supposed to be guided by the question, what would the patient choose, if the patient were making the choice herself? Brudney argues that this conception is impossible, and that the surrogate’s task is instead to consider the patient’s best interests, as illuminated in part by the patient’s expressed values and past choices. This understanding leads, he argues, to a different guiding question: what could the patient choose, given her values?
Prediction of pharyngocutaneous fistula and survival after salvage laryngectomy for laryngohypopharyngeal carcinoma
Authors: Kim Yong Han , Roh Jong‐Lyel , Choi Seung‐Ho , Nam Soon Yuhl , Kim Sang Yoon
Published: April 2019

Background

This study examined the risk factors of pharyngocutaneous fistula development and poor survival after salvage laryngectomy.

Methods

Binary logistic regression analyses were carried out to analyze the relationship between post‐salvage fistula development and variables. Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression analyses were performed to evaluate prognostic factors associated with disease‐free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) after salvage laryngectomy.

Results

Multivariate analyses showed that previous radiotherapy and pre‐salvage tracheostomy were the independent variables predictive of post‐salvage fistula development (all P < .05). The 5‐year DFS and OS rates were 58.8% and 45.9%, respectively. Multivariate analyses showed that nodal positivity at salvage remained the independent factor predictive of both DFS (hazard ratio [HR] 2.83, P = .002) and OS (HR 2.22, P = .006).

Conclusions

Fistula development after salvage laryngectomy might be predicted by a history of radiotherapy or tracheostomy. Post‐salvage survival is associated with nodal positivity at salvage.

Condensed Abstract

This study examined the risk factors of pharyngocutaneous fistula development and survival in 103 patients who underwent salvage laryngectomy. Previous radiotherapy and tracheostomy were the independent variables predictive of post‐salvage fistula development, and nodal positivity at salvage was the independent factor predictive of both disease‐free survival and overall survival.
New graphical methods for estimating aquifer hydraulic parameters using pumping tests with exponentially decreasing rates
Authors: Zhuang Chao , Zhou Zhifang , Zhan Hongbin , Wang Jinguo , Li Yabing , Dou Zhi
Published: April 2019

Actual pumping tests may involve continuously decreasing rates over a certain period of time, and the hydraulic conductivity (K) and specific storage (Ss) of the tested confined aquifer cannot be interpreted from the classical constant‐rate test model. In this study, we revisit the aquifer drawdown characteristics of a pumping test with an exponentially decreasing rate using the dimensionless analytical solution for such a variable‐rate model. The drawdown may decrease with time for a short period of time at intermediate pumping times for such pumping tests. A larger ratio of initial to final pumping rate and a smaller radial distance of the observation well will enhance the decreasing feature. A larger decay constant results in an earlier decrease, but it weakens the extent of such a decrease. Based on the proposed dimensionless transformation, we have proposed two graphical methods for estimating K and Ss of the tested aquifer. The first is a new type curve method that does not employ the well function as commonly done in standard type curve analysis. Another is a new analytic method that takes advantage of the decreasing features of aquifer drawdown during the intermediate pumping stage. We have demonstrated the applicability and robustness of the two new graphical methods for aquifer characterization through a synthetic pumping test.
Straightforward and Highly Diastereoselective Synthesis of a New Set of Functionalized Dispiropyrrolidines Involving Multicomponent 1,3‐Dipolar Cycloaddition with Azomethine Ylides
Authors: Boudriga Sarra , Elmhawech Besma , Moheddine Askri
Published: April 2019

The diastereoselective synthesis of novel series of dispiropyrrolidines has been achieved by a one‐pot three‐component [3 + 2] cycloaddition reaction of (E)‐2‐arylideneindanones, glycine ethyl ester, and the cyclic diketones 1H‐indole‐2,3‐dione (isatin) or acenaphthenequinone. Moreover, we disclose an unprecedented epimerization of spiroadducts leading to a new family of dispiropyrrolidines with an unusual relative stereochemistry.
Dispersive liquid‐liquid microextraction coupled with pressure‐assisted electrokinetic injection for simultaneous enrichment of seven phenolic compounds in water samples followed by determination using capillary electrophoresis
Authors: Ma Suya , Gao Fangfang , Lu Wenhui , Zhou Na , You Huiyan , Li Jinhua , Chen Lingxin
Published: April 2019

Offline dispersive liquid‐liquid microextraction combined with online pressure‐assisted electrokinetic injection was developed to simultaneously enrich seven phenolic compounds in water samples, followed by determination using capillary electrophoresis, namely phenol, 4‐chlorophenol, pentachlorophenol, 2,4,6‐trichlorophenol, 2,4‐dichlorophenol, 2‐chlorophenol, and 2,6‐dichlorophenol. Several parameters affecting separation performance of capillary electrophoresis and the enrichment efficiency of pressure‐assisted electrokinetic injection and dispersive liquid‐liquid microextraction were systematically investigated. Under the optimal conditions, seven phenolic compounds were completely separated within 14 min and good enrichment factors were obtained of 61, 236, 3705, 3288, 920, 86, and 1807 for phenol, 4‐chlorophenol, pentachlorophenol, 2,4,6‐trichlorophenol, 2,4‐dichlorophenol, 2‐chlorophenol, and 2,6‐dichlorophenol, respectively. Good linearity was attained in the range of 0.1–200 μg/L for 2,4‐dichlorophenol, 0.5–200 μg/L for 4‐chlorophenol, pentachlorophenol, 2,4,6‐trichlorophenol, 2‐chlorophenol, and 2,6‐dichlorophenol, as well as 1–200 μg/L for phenol, with correlation coefficients (r) over 0.9905. The limits of detection and quantification ranging from 0.03–0.28 and 0.07–0.94 μg/L were attained. This two step enrichment method was potentially applicable for the rapid and simultaneous determination of phenolic compounds in water samples.
A three‐dimensional heat transfer and thermal cracking model considering the effect of cracks on heat transfer
Authors: Yan Chengzeng , Jiao Yu‐Yong , Zheng Hong
Published: April 2019

A simple three‐dimensional heat transfer model is developed to consider the hindering effect of cracks on heat transfer. The 3D heat transfer model can also be applied to numerical methods such as the combined finite‐discrete element method (FDEM), discrete element method (DEM), discontinuous deformation analysis (DDA), the numerical manifold method (NMM), and the finite element method (FEM) to construct thermo‐mechanical coupling models that allow these methods to solve thermal cracking problems and dynamically consider the hindering effect of cracks on heat transfer. In the 3D heat transfer model, the continuous‐discontinuous medium is discretized into independent tetrahedral elements, and joint elements are inserted between adjacent tetrahedral elements. Heat transfer calculations for continuous‐discontinuous media are converted to heat conduction in tetrahedral elements and the heat exchange between the adjacent tetrahedral elements through the joint element. If the joint element between adjacent tetrahedral elements breaks (ie, a crack generates), the heat exchange coefficient of the joint element is reduced to account for the hindering effect of cracks on heat conduction. Then the model and the FDEM are combined to build a thermo‐mechanical coupling model to simulate thermal cracking. The thermally induced deformation, stress, and cracking are investigated by the thermo‐mechanical coupling model, and the numerical results are compared with analytical solutions or experimental results. The 3D heat transfer model and thermo‐mechanical model can provide a powerful tool for simulating heat transfer and thermal cracking in a continuous‐discontinuous medium.
Monitoring the growing use of esomeprazole
Authors: Thompson Angus
Published: April 2019

Like all proton‐pump inhibitors (PPIs), esomeprazole has a generally good safety record. However, there is no true lowpotency formulation of esomeprazole available and therefore the growing use of this drug may increase the risk of dosedependent PPI adverse effects, argues Angus Thompson.
One‐step validation method for surrogate endpoints using data from multiple randomized cancer clinical trials with failure‐time endpoints
Authors: Sofeu Casimir Ledoux , Emura Takeshi , Rondeau Virginie
Published: April 2019

A surrogate endpoint can be used instead of the most relevant clinical endpoint to assess the efficiency of a new treatment. Before being used, a surrogate endpoint must be validated based on appropriate methods. Numerous validation approaches have been proposed with the most popular used in a context of meta‐analysis, based on a two‐step analysis strategy. For two failure‐time endpoints, two association measurements are usually used, Kendall's τ at the individual level and the adjusted coefficient of determination (
) at the trial level. However,
is not always available due to model estimation constraints. We propose a one‐step validation approach based on a joint frailty model, including both individual‐level and trial‐level random effects. Parameters have been estimated using a semiparametric penalized marginal log‐likelihood method, and various numerical integration approaches were considered. Both individual‐ and trial‐level surrogacy were evaluated using a new definition of Kendall's τ and the coefficient of determination. Estimators' performances were evaluated using simulation studies and satisfactory results were found. The model was applied to individual patient data meta‐analyses in gastric cancer to assess disease‐free survival as a surrogate for overall survival, as part of the evaluation of adjuvant therapy.
High‐Stability MnOxNanowires@C@MnOxNanosheet Core–Shell Heterostructure Pseudocapacitance Electrode Based on Reversible Phase Transition Mechanism
Authors: Ma Zhipeng , Jing Fengyang , Fan Yuqian , Hou Liyin , Su Li , Fan Lukai , Shao Guangjie
Published: April 2019

A stable MnOx@C@MnOxcore–shell heterostructure consisting of vertical MnOxnanosheets grown evenly on the surface of the MnOx@carbon nanowires are obtained by simple liquid phase method combined with thermal treatment. The hierarchical MnOx@C@MnOxheterostructure electrode possesses a high specific capacitance of 350 F g−1and an excellent cycle performance owing to the existence of the pore structure among the ultrasmall MnOxnanoparticles and the rapid transmission of electrons between the active material and carbon coating layer. Particularly, according to the in situ Raman spectra analysis, no characteristic peaks corresponding to MnOOH are found during charging/discharging, indicating that pseudocapacitive behavior of the MnOxelectrode have no relevance to the intercalation/deintercalation of protons (H+) in the electrolyte. Further combining in situ X‐ray powder diffraction analysis, the diffraction peak of α‐MnO2can be detected in the process of charging, while Mn3O4phase is found in discharge products. Therefore, these results demonstrate that the MnOxundergoes a reversible phase transformation reaction of Mn3O4↔α‐MnO2. Moreover, the assembled all‐solid‐state asymmetric supercapacitor with a MnOx@C@MnOxelectrode delivers a high energy density of 23 Wh kg−1, an acceptable power density of 2500 W kg−1, and an excellent cyclic stability performance of 94% after 2000 cycles, showing the potential for practical application.
Responsive Porous Microcarriers With Controllable Oxygen Delivery for Wound Healing
Authors: Liu Yuxiao , Zhao Xin , Zhao Cheng , Zhang Hui , Zhao Yuanjin
Published: April 2019

Microcarriers with oxygen‐delivering capacity have attracted increasing interest in the field of tissue regeneration. Here, a kind of molybdenum disulfide quantum dots (MoS2 QDs) integrated responsive porous microcarriers with controllable oxygen‐delivering ability for wound healing is presented. The specific gelatin methacryloyl (GelMa) porous microcarriers are derived from inverse opal microparticles which can be decorated with the oxygen‐carrying protein hemoglobin. Because of their characteristic porous structure, interconnected nanochannels, and excellent biocompatibility, the resultant microcarriers could carry oxygen extensively and provide support for tissue repair physically and biologically. Besides, since the typical photothermal effect of 2D materials and their derived 2D QDs, the inverse opal particles integrated with MoS2 QDs are imparted with photo‐responsive capacity, which makes them able to release oxygen photo‐controllably. It is demonstrated that the designed microcarriers can promote the repair of abdominal wall defects effectively with their multifunctional features. These remarkable properties point to the potential value of the microcarriers in wound healing and tissue engineering.
The Lost Art of the Book Talk: What Students Want
Authors: Batchelor Katherine E. , Cassidy Rebecca
Published: April 2019

The authors share an activity in which two fifth‐grade teachers and one sixth‐grade teacher received book talk videos via Flipgrid from preservice literacy teachers and watched the videos with their students. Students responded with feedback and suggestions for how to better represent each book. The authors compiled and coded students' comments and created a checklist with six criteria, based on what the fifth and sixth graders suggested, that teachers can use when conducting book talks with their students.
RETRACTED ARTICLE: Enhanced approach using trust based decision making for secured wireless streaming video sensor networks
Authors: Ramesh S. , Yaashuwanth C.
Published: April 2019

The advances in the expanse of image sensors have made it conceivable to make high-resolution picture sensors easily accessible. The amelioration of wireless interactive media sensor networks are found to be greatly increased due to the day to day usage of cameras, microphones and smart devices. A secured multi-hop routing mechanism is addressed in surveillance areas which could be incorporated to the multimedia sensors that are capable of peruse the detected data comprises of recorded images and videos. Also, malevolent sensor hubs could be interjected into the vigilance area in an untrusted environment. In this contemplated venture, a novel lightweight trust decision-making framework is accomplished for QoS clustering to give secure routing in both intercluster and intracluster communication. A quantifiable aberrant trust value is the variable determined by the Cluster Head (CH) for its Cluster Member (CM) inside the cluster. The LEACH (Low Energy Adaptive Clustering Hierarchy) protocol is adopted for group formation and also for the exchange of the trust values among the master nodes, member nodes and Base station. In this way, the correspondence overhead, likelihood of dynamic assaults for example sinkhole and black hole assaults mount by eavesdroppers can be reduced by maintenance of trust values by cluster heads rather than cluster members. Besides, in wireless streaming video sensor networks this approach authorizes us to predict and counteract malicious untrusted and flawed nodes. Simulation results using NS-2 is examined and the suggested trust decision-making model escalates the dependability, elasticity and low memory aloft in comparison with the current trust models adopted for wireless video sensor network security.
Colonial America Today: U.S. Empire and the Political Status of Native American Nations
Authors: Bacon J. M. , Norton Matthew
Published: April 2019

The article systematically assesses U.S.-Native relations today and their historical foundations in light of a narrow, empirical definition of colonial empire. Examining three core elements of colonial empire—the formal impairment of sovereignty, the intensive practical impairment of sovereignty through practices of governance and administration, and the continuing otherness of the dominated and dominant groups—we compare contemporary U.S.-Native political relations to canonical instances of formal colonial indirect rule empires. Based on this analysis, we argue that the United States today is a paradigmatic case of formal colonial empire in the narrow, traditional sense, one that should be better integrated into the comparative, historical, and sociological study of such formal empires. Furthermore, this prominent contemporary case stands against the idea that the era of formal colonial empire is over.
Predictive models and abstract argumentation: the case of high-complexity semantics
Authors: Vallati Mauro , Cerutti Federico , Giacomin Massimiliano
Published: April 2019

In this paper, we describe how predictive models can be positively exploited in abstract argumentation. In particular, we present two main sets of results. On one side, we show that predictive models are effective for performing algorithm selection in order to determine which approach is better to enumerate the preferred extensions of a given argumentation framework. On the other side, we show that predictive models predict significant aspects of the solution to the preferred extensions enumeration problem. By exploiting an extensive set of argumentation framework features—that is, values that summarize a potentially important property of a framework—the proposed approach is able to provide an accurate prediction about which algorithm would be faster on a given problem instance, as well as of the structure of the solution, where the complete knowledge of such structure would require a computationally hard problem to be solved. Improving the ability of existing argumentation-based systems to support human sense-making and decision processes is just one of the possible exploitations of such knowledge obtained in an inexpensive way.
Numerical Modeling of the Propagation of Infrasonic Acoustic Waves Through the Turbulent Field Generated by the Breaking of Mountain Gravity Waves
Authors: Sabatini R. , Snively J. B. , Bailly C. , Hickey M. P. , Garrison J. L.
Published: April 2019

The nonlinear propagation of low‐frequency acoustic waves through the turbulent fluctuations induced by breaking mountain gravity waves is investigated via 2‐D numerical simulations of the Navier‐Stokes equations, to understand the effects of atmospheric dynamics on ground‐based infrasound measurements. Emphasis is placed on acoustic signals of frequency around 0.1 Hz, traveling through tens‐of‐kilometers‐scale gravity waves and subkilometer‐scale turbulence. The sensitivity of the infrasonic phases to small‐scale fluctuations is found to depend on the altitudes through which they are refracted toward the Earth. For the considered cases, the dynamics in the stratosphere impact the refracting acoustic waves to a greater extent than those in the thermosphere. This work clearly demonstrates the need for accurate descriptions of the effects of atmospheric dynamics on acoustic propagation, such as here captured by the full set of fluid dynamic equations, as well as of the subsequent effects on measured signals.
Nicotinamide mononucleotide promotes osteogenesis and reduces adipogenesis by regulating mesenchymal stromal cells via the SIRT1 pathway in aged bone marrow
Authors: Song Jie , Li Jing , Yang Fangji , Ning Gang , Zhen Limin , Wu Lina , Zheng Yongyuan , Zhang Qi , Lin Dongjun , Xie Chan , Peng Liang
Published: April 2019

Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) can differentiate to various cell types including osteoblasts, chondrocytes, and adipocytes. This cellular flexibility contributes to widespread clinical use of MSCs in tissue repair. However, challenges remain in efficient cellular expansion of MSCs for stem cell therapy. Current MSC culture methods have resulted in reduced self-renewal of MSCs and compromised therapeutic outcomes. This study identifies that nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN), a key natural NAD+ intermediate, effectively encourages MSC expansion in vitro and in vivo. The in vitro expanded MSCs had heightened osteogenesis, but reduced adipogenesis. Furthermore, NMN supplementation stimulated osteogenesis of endogenous MSCs, and protected bone from aging and irradiation induced damage in mice. Mechanistically, we found that NMN treatment upregulated SIRT1. Genetically overexpressing SIRT1 in MSCs by using Prx1 cre; ColA1flox-stop-flox-SIRT1 mice promoted osteogenesis and reduced adipogenesis in aged mice. Overall, our data demonstrate that NMN promoted MSC self-renewal with strengthened osteogenesis and reduced adipogenesis via upregulating SIRT1 in aged mice.
Unusual substrate and halide versatility of phenolic halogenase PltM
Authors: Mori Shogo , Pang Allan H. , Thamban Chandrika Nishad , Garneau-Tsodikova Sylvie , Tsodikov Oleg V.
Published: April 2019

Controlled halogenation of chemically versatile substrates is difficult to achieve. Here we describe a unique flavin-dependent halogenase, PltM, which is capable of utilizing a wide range of halides for installation on a diverse array of phenolic compounds, including FDA-approved drugs and natural products, such as terbutaline, fenoterol, resveratrol, and catechin. Crystal structures of PltM in complex with phloroglucinol and FAD in different states yield insight into substrate recognition and the FAD recycling mechanism of this halogenase.
Author Correction: Environment-responsive nanophores for therapy and treatment monitoring via molecular MRI quenching
Authors: Kaittanis Charalambos , Shaffer Travis M. , Ogirala Anuja , Santra Santimukul , Perez J. Manuel , Chiosis Gabriela , Li Yueming , Josephson Lee , Grimm Jan
Published: April 2019

This Article contains an error in Figure 6. In panel b, the left-hand image is mistakenly described as showing fluorescence before treatment, while it in fact shows the same white light image as the right-hand panel without fluorescent overlay to better visualize the tumour location. A correct version of Figure 6b is presented in the accompanying Author Correction. The error has not been corrected in the original version of the Article.
Measuring social, environmental and health inequalities using deep learning and street imagery
Authors: Suel Esra , Polak John W. , Bennett James E. , Ezzati Majid
Published: April 2019

Cities are home to an increasing majority of the world’s population. Currently, it is difficult to track social, economic, environmental and health outcomes in cities with high spatial and temporal resolution, needed to evaluate policies regarding urban inequalities. We applied a deep learning approach to street images for measuring spatial distributions of income, education, unemployment, housing, living environment, health and crime. Our model predicts different outcomes directly from raw images without extracting intermediate user-defined features. To evaluate the performance of the approach, we first trained neural networks on a subset of images from London using ground truth data at high spatial resolution from official statistics. We then compared how trained networks separated the best-off from worst-off deciles for different outcomes in images not used in training. The best performance was achieved for quality of the living environment and mean income. Allocation was least successful for crime and self-reported health (but not objectively measured health). We also evaluated how networks trained in London predict outcomes three other major cities in the UK: Birmingham, Manchester, and Leeds. The transferability analysis showed that networks trained in London, fine-tuned with only 1% of images in other cities, achieved performances similar to ones from trained on data from target cities themselves. Our findings demonstrate that street imagery has the potential complement traditional survey-based and administrative data sources for high-resolution urban surveillance to measure inequalities and monitor the impacts of policies that aim to address them.
Maternal DCAF13 Regulates Chromatin Tightness to Contribute to Embryonic Development
Authors: Liu Yang , Zhao Long-Wen , Shen Jing-Ling , Fan Heng-Yu , Jin Yan
Published: April 2019

Maternal-zygotic transition (MZT) is critical for the developmental control handed from maternal products to newly synthesized zygotic genome in the earliest stage of embryogenesis. However, the spatiotemporal dynamic regulation of MZT by maternal factors is largely unknown. Here, we reported a novel maternal factor, DCAF13, which was highly expressed in growing oocyte nucleolus and had key maternal effects on oocyte and zygotic chromatin tightness during maternal to zygotic transition. DCAF13 specifically deleted in oocytes resulted in loose chromatin structure in fully grown germinal vesicle oocytes. Despite normal nuclear maturation in maternal DCAF13-deleted oocytes, the chromosomes at MII stage were not properly condensed. Consequently, the nuclear and nucleolar structure reorganized abnormally, and transcription was inactive in zygotic embryos. RNA-seq analysis of MII oocytes and 2-cell embryos demonstrated that the transcriptomes between knockout and control oocyte were similar, but the maternal DCAF13 deleted two-cell embryos showed a significant decrease in transcription. In addition, the maternal DCAF13-deleted embryos displayed arrest at the two-cell stage, which could not be rescued by injecting flag-Dcaf13 mRNA in the zygote. This revealed that DCAF13 was a unique maternal effect factor regulating the nucleolus.
Universality of size-energy ratio in four-body systems
Authors: Stipanović Petar , Vranješ Markić Leandra , Gudyma Andrii , Boronat Jordi
Published: April 2019

Universal relationship of scaled size and scaled energy, which was previously established for two- and three-body systems in their ground state, is examined for four-body systems, using Quantum Monte Carlo simulations. We study in detail the halo region, in which systems are extremely weakly bound. Strengthening the interparticle interaction we extend the exploration all the way to classical systems. Universal size-energy law is found for homogeneous tetramers in the case of interaction potentials decaying predominantly as r−6. In the case of mixed tetramers, we also show under which conditions the universal line can approximately describe the size-energy ratio. The universal law can be used to extract ground-state energy from experimentally measurable structural characteristics, as well as for evaluation of theoretical interaction models.
Identifying A- and P-site locations on ribosome-protected mRNA fragments using Integer Programming
Authors: Ahmed Nabeel , Sormanni Pietro , Ciryam Prajwal , Vendruscolo Michele , Dobson Christopher M. , O’Brien Edward P.
Published: April 2019

Identifying the A- and P-site locations on ribosome-protected mRNA fragments from Ribo-Seq experiments is a fundamental step in the quantitative analysis of transcriptome-wide translation properties at the codon level. Many analyses of Ribo-Seq data have utilized heuristic approaches applied to a narrow range of fragment sizes to identify the A-site. In this study, we use Integer Programming to identify the A-site by maximizing an objective function that reflects the fact that the ribosome’s A-site on ribosome-protected fragments must reside between the second and stop codons of an mRNA. This identifies the A-site location as a function of the fragment’s size and its 5′ end reading frame in Ribo-Seq data generated from S. cerevisiae and mouse embryonic stem cells. The correctness of the identified A-site locations is demonstrated by showing that this method, as compared to others, yields the largest ribosome density at established stalling sites. By providing greater accuracy and utilization of a wider range of fragment sizes, our approach increases the signal-to-noise ratio of underlying biological signals associated with translation elongation at the codon length scale.
Efficient Deep Network Architectures for Fast Chest X-Ray Tuberculosis Screening and Visualization
Authors: Pasa F. , Golkov V. , Pfeiffer F. , Cremers D. , Pfeiffer D.
Published: April 2019

Automated diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB) from chest X-Rays (CXR) has been tackled with either hand-crafted algorithms or machine learning approaches such as support vector machines (SVMs) and convolutional neural networks (CNNs). Most deep neural network applied to the task of tuberculosis diagnosis have been adapted from natural image classification. These models have a large number of parameters as well as high hardware requirements, which makes them prone to overfitting and harder to deploy in mobile settings. We propose a simple convolutional neural network optimized for the problem which is faster and more efficient than previous models but preserves their accuracy. Moreover, the visualization capabilities of CNNs have not been fully investigated. We test saliency maps and grad-CAMs as tuberculosis visualization methods, and discuss them from a radiological perspective.
Alternative paths to realize Majorana Fermions in Superconductor-Ferromagnet Heterostructures
Authors: Livanas G. , Sigrist M. , Varelogiannis G.
Published: April 2019

A fundamental obstacle for achieving quantum computation is local decoherence. One way to circumvent this problem rests on the concepts of topological quantum computation using non-local information storage, for example on pairs of Majorana fermions (MFs). The arguably most promising way to generate MFs relies at present on spin-triplet p-wave states of superconductors (SC), which are not abundant in nature, unfortunately. Thus, proposals for their engineering in devices, usually via proximity effect from a conventional SC into materials with strong spin-orbit coupling (SOC), are intensively investigated nowadays. Here we take an alternative path, exploiting the different connections between fields based on a quartet coupling rule for fields introduced by one of us, we demonstrate that, for instance, coexisting Zeeman field with a charge current would provide the conditions to induce p-wave pairing in the presence of singlet superconductivity. This opens new avenues for the engineering of robust MFs in various, not necessarily (quasi-)one-dimensional, superconductor-ferromagnet heterostructures, including such motivated by recent pioneering experiments that report MFs, in particular, without the need of any exotic materials or special structures of intrinsic SOC.
Elevated carbon dioxide levels lead to proteome-wide alterations for optimal growth of a fast-growing cyanobacterium, Synechococcus elongatus PCC 11801
Authors: Mehta Kanika , Jaiswal Damini , Nayak Monalisha , Prasannan Charulata B. , Wangikar Pramod P. , Srivastava Sanjeeva
Published: April 2019

The environmental considerations attributing to the escalation of carbon dioxide emissions have raised alarmingly. Consequently, the concept of sequestration and biological conversion of CO2 by photosynthetic microorganisms is gaining enormous recognition. In this study, in an attempt to discern the synergistic CO2 tolerance mechanisms, metabolic responses to increasing CO2 concentrations were determined for Synechococcus elongatus PCC 11801, a fast-growing, novel freshwater strain, using quantitative proteomics. The protein expression data revealed that the organism responded to elevated CO2 by not only regulating the cellular transporters involved in carbon-nitrogen uptake and assimilation but also by inducing photosynthesis, carbon fixation and glycolysis. Several components of photosynthetic machinery like photosystem reaction centers, phycobilisomes, cytochromes, etc. showed a marked up-regulation with a concomitant downshift in proteins involved in photoprotection and redox maintenance. Additionally, enzymes belonging to the TCA cycle and oxidative pentose phosphate pathway exhibited a decline in their expression, further highlighting that the demand for reduced cofactors was fulfilled primarily through photosynthesis. The present study brings the first-ever comprehensive assessment of intricate molecular changes in this novel strain while shifting from carbon-limited to carbon-sufficient conditions and may pave the path for future host and pathway engineering for production of sustainable fuels through efficient CO2 capture.
Elevated Glycemic Gap Predicts Acute Respiratory Failure and In-hospital Mortality in Acute Heart Failure Patients with Diabetes
Authors: Liao Wen-I , Wang Jen-Chun , Lin Chin-Sheng , Yang Chih-Jen , Hsu Chia-Ching , Chu Shi-Jye , Chu Chi-Ming , Tsai Shih-Hung
Published: April 2019

Diabetes is a common comorbidity in patients hospitalized for acute heart failure (AHF), but the relationship between admission glucose level, glycemic gap, and in-hospital mortality in patients with both conditions has not been investigated thoroughly. Clinical data for admission glucose, glycemic gap and in-hospital death in 425 diabetic patients hospitalized because of AHF were collected retrospectively. Glycemic gap was calculated as the A1c-derived average glucose subtracted from the admission plasma glucose level. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to determine the optimal cutoff value for glycemic gap to predict all-cause mortality. Patients with glycemic gap levels >43 mg/dL had higher rates of all-cause death (adjusted hazard ratio, 7.225, 95% confidence interval, 1.355–38.520) than those with glycemic gap levels ≤43 mg/dL. The B-type natriuretic peptide levels incorporated with glycemic gap could increase the predictive capacity for in-hospital mortality and increase the area under the ROC from 0.764 to 0.805 (net reclassification improvement = 9.9%, p < 0.05). In conclusion, glycemic gap may be considered a useful parameter for predicting the disease severity and prognosis of patients with diabetes hospitalized for AHF.
Fungal hydrophobins render stones impermeable for water but keep them permeable for vapor
Authors: Winandy Lex , Schlebusch Olexandra , Fischer Reinhard
Published: April 2019

The conservation of architectural heritage is a big challenge in times with increasing air pollution with aggressive gases. A second major threat to buildings is the combination of water and air contaminants which may be used by microorganisms for their metabolism. Hence, myriads of different bacteria and fungi populate stone surfaces and penetrate into the fine pores and cracks. Whereas epoxid-based paintings (or other paintings) may protect the coated surfaces from water and aggressive gases, these chemicals seal the stone surface and prevent also the evaporation of vapor from the inside of the buildings. Here, we tested a natural, fungal protein-based coating method. Fungi use small, amphiphilic proteins to turn their surfaces hydrophobic. We found that Aspergillus nidulans hydrophobin DewA and Trichoderma reesei HFBI confer hydrophobicity to stones but keep their pores open. The effect resembles “Gore-tex” fabric material.