bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Large eddy simulation of transient upstream/downstream vortex interactions
Authors: Forster Kyle J. , Diasinos Sammy , Doig Graham , Barber Tracie J.
Published: January 2019

Experimentally validated large eddy simulations were performed on two NACA0012 vanes at various lateral offsets to observe the transient effects of the near field interactions between two streamwise vortices. The vanes were separated in the streamwise direction, allowing the upstream vortex to impact on the downstream geometry. These vanes were evaluated at an angle of incidence of $8^{\circ }$ and a Reynolds number of 70 000, with rear vane angle reversed to create a co-rotating or counter-rotating vortex pair. The downstream vortex merged with the upstream in the co-rotating condition, driven by the suppression of one of the tip vortices of the downstream vane. At close proximity to the pressure side, the vane elongated the upstream vortex, resulting in it being the weakened and merging into the downstream vortex. This produced a transient production of bifurcated vortices in the wake region. The downstream vortex of the co-rotating pair experienced faster meandering growth, with position oscillations equalising between the vortices. The position oscillation was determined to be responsible for statistical variance in the merging location, with variation in vortex separation causing the vortices at a single plane to merge and separate in a time-dependent manner. In the counter-rotating condition position oscillations were found to be larger, with higher growth, but less uniform periodicity. It was found that the circulation transfer between the vortices was linked to the magnitude of their separation, with high separation fluctuations weakening the upstream vortex and strengthening the downstream vortex. In the case of upstream vortex impingement on the downstream vane, the upstream vortex was found to bifurcate, with a four vortex system being formed by interactions with the shear layer. This eventually resulted in a single dominant vortex, which did not magnify its oscillation amplitudes as it travelled downstream due to the destruction of the interacting vortices.
Emplacement mechanism of the Tafresh granitoids, central part of the Urumieh–Dokhtar Magmatic Arc, Iran: evidence from magnetic fabrics
Authors: Raeisi Davoud , Mirnejad Hassan , Sheibi Maryam
Published: January 2019

Granitoid stocks crop out in the Ghahan and Sarbadan areas near Tafresh city, which is situated in the central part of the Urumieh–Dokhtar Magmatic Arc, Iran. The stocks, consisting of porphyritic and sub-granular diorite and granular granodiorite, intruded into Eocene volcano-sedimentary units. Normalized multi-element diagrams indicate that the analysed rocks are enriched in large-ion lithophile elements and depleted in high field strength elements. These geochemical features are typical of subduction-related calc-alkaline arc magmas. The stocks belong to the ferromagnetic and I-type granitoid series. Anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility provides information about the internal fabric of the granitoids. Susceptibility values range from 5.6 × 10−3 to more than 71.6 × 10−3, averaging 27.9 × 10−3 SI. Relatively low anisotropy values (P%) rarely exceed 10 %. Shape parameters (T) vary between −0.48 and +0.74, averaging + 0.2. Each stock is interpreted to contain a distinct feeder zone in which magnetic lineation plunges steeply (> 60°), suggesting that the magma ascended mainly in a NW–SE conduit and, to a lesser extent, in an E–W direction. Integration of magnetic fabric data, field observations and tectonic setting indicates that the shear zone that was developed between the Indes and Talkhab faults had created an opening into which the Ghahan and Sarbadan stocks were emplaced by way of creating a suitable tensional space for the ascent of magma.
First evidence of insect herbivory on Albian aquatic angiosperms of the NE Iberian Peninsula
Authors: EstÉvez-Gallardo Pablo , Sender Luis M. , Mayoral Eduardo , Diez José B.
Published: January 2019

Evidence of herbivory on Laurasian Nymphaeaceae leaves from Lower Cretaceous (Upper Albian) deposits is presented for the first time. The types of damage on leaves consist of both hole feeding and margin feeding, which were found on foliar remains of the taxa Ploufolia cerciforme and Aquatifolia cf. fluitans. Within the first category of damage, the Damage Type 78 (DT78) type on Ploufolia leaves and type DT02 on Aquatifolia foliar lamina were recorded. The second category of damage has only been identified in Ploufolia leaves, and it corresponds to type DT12. The subsequent palaeoichnologic interpretation made it possible to compare these records with damage caused by the extant water lily pest to make a possible palaeoecological interpretation.
Effect of Fertility Policy Changes on the Population Structure and Economy of China: From the Perspective of the Shared Socioeconomic Pathways
Authors: Huang Jinlong , Qin Dahe , Jiang Tong , Wang Yanjun , Feng Zhiqiang , Zhai Jianqing , Cao Lige , Chao Qingchen , Xu Xinwu , Wang Guofu , Su Buda
Published: January 2019

Beginning in 2016, all couples in China were allowed to have two children without any restrictions. This paper provides population and economic projections under five shared socioeconomic pathways (SSPs) and three fertility policies. By replacing the one‐child policy with the two‐child policy, the population is predicted to continue growing until 2025–2035, with a peak of approximately 1.39–1.42 billion, and then to decline under four SSPs, with the exception of the fragmented world SSP3. As a result, the two‐child policy will lead to mitigation of the pressure from labor shortages and aging problems to a certain extent. In addition, an increase in working‐age people with higher education level relative to projections based on the one‐child policy will lead to an increase in gross domestic product by approximately 38.1–43.9% in the late 21st century. However, labor shortages and aging problems are inevitable, and the proportion of elderly in China will be greater than 14% and 21% by approximately 2025 and 2035, respectively. Full liberalization of fertility is expected to reduce the share of elderly people by 0.7–1.0% and to lead to an increase in gross domestic product by 5.3–6.7% relative to the two‐child policy in the late 21st century. The full liberalization of fertility policies is recommended, supplemented by increases in pension and child‐rearing funds, improvement in the quality of health services for females and children, and extension of compulsory education to meet the needs of an aged society.
Generic Magnetic Field Intensity Profiles of Interplanetary Coronal Mass Ejections at Mercury, Venus, and Earth From Superposed Epoch Analyses
Authors: Janvier Miho , Winslow Reka M. , Good Simon , Bonhomme Elise , Démoulin Pascal , Dasso Sergio , Möstl Christian , Lugaz Noé , Amerstorfer Tanja , Soubrié Elie , Boakes Peter D.
Published: January 2019

We study interplanetary coronal mass ejections (ICMEs) measured by probes at different heliocentric distances (0.3–1 AU) to investigate the propagation of ICMEs in the inner heliosphere and determine how the generic features of ICMEs change with heliospheric distance. Using data from the MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging (MESSENGER), Venus Express and ACE spacecraft, we analyze with the superposed epoch technique the profiles of ICME substructures, namely, the sheath and the magnetic ejecta. We determine that the median magnetic field magnitude in the sheath correlates well with ICME speeds at 1 AU, and we use this proxy to order the ICMEs at all spacecraft. We then investigate the typical ICME profiles for three categories equivalent to slow, intermediate, and fast ICMEs. Contrary to fast ICMEs, slow ICMEs have a weaker solar wind field at the front and a more symmetric magnetic field profile. We find the asymmetry to be less pronounced at Earth than at Mercury, indicating a relaxation taking place as ICMEs propagate. We also find that the magnetic field intensities in the wake region of the ICMEs do not go back to the pre‐ICME solar wind intensities, suggesting that the effects of ICMEs on the ambient solar wind last longer than the duration of the transient event. Such results provide an indication of physical processes that need to be reproduced by numerical simulations of ICME propagation. The samples studied here will be greatly improved by future missions dedicated to the exploration of the inner heliosphere, such as Parker Solar Probe and Solar Orbiter.
Evidence for Deep Ingression of the Midlatitude MSTID Into As Low as ~3.5° Magnetic Latitude
Authors: Sivakandan M. , Chakrabarty D. , Ramkumar T. K. , Guharay A. , Taori A. , Parihar N.
Published: January 2019

An observational evidence of medium‐scale traveling ionospheric disturbances (MSTIDs) reaching to magnetic latitude as low as ~3.5° over the Indian sector is provided for the first time based on OI 630‐nm airglow imaging observation from a low‐latitude station, Gadanki (13.5°N, 79.2°E; 6.6° magnetic latitude), on 12 January 2016. The horizontal wavelength, horizontal phase velocity, and period of the MSTID are found to be 160 ± 6 km, 138 ± 14 m/s, and 19.5 ± 3 min, respectively. These phase fronts are observed to move toward southwest with a propagation angle of ~235° ± 1° with respect to north. In addition to the MSTID, a strong quasiperiodic southward moving wave (QPSMW) from the evening to midnight interval and a small‐scale southward moving wave structure with wavelength and periodicity different from the QPSMW are also detected on the same night. Horizontal wavelength, horizontal phase velocity, and period of the QPSMW are estimated to be 367 ± 14 km, 131 ± 18 m/s, and 46.7 ± 13 min, respectively, and those of the small‐scale southward moving wave are found to be 157 ± 4 km, 121 ± 17.8 m/s, and 21.7 ± 3.4 min, respectively. Global Positioning System‐total electron content maps suggest that the weak and asymmetric equatorial ionization anomaly helped deep ingression of the MSTID on this night. The descent of the F layer seems to have caused the dissipation of the MSTID and QPSMW closer to the dip equator on this night. Therefore, the present investigation shows that the midlatitude MSTIDs can influence the F region plasma processes even over very low latitudes under favorable background conditions.
Estimation of the Non‐Darcy Coefficient Using Supercritical CO2 and Various Sandstones
Authors: Choi C. S. , Song J. J.
Published: January 2019

Non‐Darcy flow (also known as high‐velocity flow, inertial flow, etc.) often occurs in the near‐well region of a reservoir during injection or production. This flow needs to be characterized and its origins fully understood, as it is a critical factor in reducing well productivity. The Forchheimer equation, which describes fluid flow considering an inertial effect, can be adopted to analyze non‐Darcy flow. In particular, the non‐Darcy coefficient in the equation represents inertial resistance in a porous medium and is an empirical value that depends on the pore geometry and fluid properties. This study, as part of research on geological CO2 storage, reports non‐Darcy flow tests with a high flow rate and examines the non‐Darcy coefficient by using supercritical CO2 and various sandstones. The dependence of the coefficient on the properties of the supercritical CO2 was also assessed in a series of non‐Darcy tests under different pore pressures. The coefficient varied with the properties of the supercritical CO2 and sandstone. As the permeability of sandstone increased, the non‐Darcy coefficient decreased nonlinearly and converged to a value. The results also indicate that the coefficient is reduced with a decreasing ratio of density to viscosity for the supercritical CO2. An equation predicting the coefficient was derived, having the advantage that both the hydraulic properties of rock and the fluid properties can be considered simultaneously in a dimensionally correct analysis.
Air Temperature Characteristics, Distribution, and Impact on Modeled Ablation for the South Patagonia Icefield
Authors: Bravo C. , Quincey D. J. , Ross A. N. , Rivera A. , Brock B. , Miles E. , Silva A.
Published: January 2019

The glaciers of Patagonia are the largest in South America and are shrinking rapidly, raising concerns about their contribution to sea level rise in the face of ongoing climatic change. However, modeling studies forecasting future glacier recession are limited by the scarcity of measured on‐glacier air temperatures and thus tend to use spatially and temporally constant lapse rates. This study presents 9 months of air temperature observations. The network consists of five automatic weather stations and three on‐glacier air temperature sensors installed on the South Patagonia Icefield along a transect at 48°45′S. Observed lapse rates are, overall, steeper on the east (−0.0072 °C/m) compared to the west (−0.0055 °C/m) and vary between the lower section (tongue, ablation zone) and the upper section (plateau, accumulation zone) of the glaciers. Warmer off‐glacier temperatures are found in the east compared to the west for similar elevations. However, on‐glacier observations suggest that the glacier cooling effect is higher in the east compared to the west. Through application of distributed temperature‐index and point‐scale energy balance models we show that modeled ablation rates vary by up to 60%, depending on the air temperature extrapolation method applied, and that melt is overestimated and sublimation is underestimated if the glacier cooling effect is not included in the distributed air temperature data. These results can improve current and future modeling efforts of the energy and mass balance of the whole South Patagonia Icefield.
Synoptic Conditions and Moisture Sources for Extreme Snowfall Events Over East China
Authors: Yang Zifan , Huang Wenyu , He Xinsheng , Wang Yong , Qiu Tianpei , Wright Jonathon S. , Wang Bin
Published: January 2019

The favorable circulation pattern and moisture sources for wintertime extreme snowfall events over East China during 1979–2017 are explored. A coupling between a Rossby wave train along the subtropical jet stream (i.e., the circumglobal teleconnection) and central Siberian blocking activities plays a leading role in triggering these events. This coupling leads to the formation of cyclonic anomalies, strong southwesterly winds, large‐scale moisture convergence, and powerful updrafts over East China, all of which prompt the occurrence of precipitation. The central Siberian blocking activities increase the fraction of the precipitation that falls as snowfall through enhancing cold air intrusion into East China. An Eulerian moisture budget analysis reveals that moisture fluxes across the southern and western boundaries of the East China region provide the moisture for the precipitation during the extreme snowfall events, while the increase in the precipitable water helps extend the duration of these events. The geographic distributions of the evaporative moisture sources for both the snowfall and rainfall during these extreme events are estimated using a Lagrangian approach. This analysis reveals that the major moisture sources for snowfall originate from land areas, while those for the rainfall originate from sea areas. In addition, local moisture recycling over East China provides a remarkably higher relative contribution to snowfall than it does to rainfall. The identification of the synoptic conditions and moisture sources not only improves our understanding of the formation of extreme snowfall events over East China but also provides forecast guidance for extreme snow disasters.
A Nonstationary Geostatistical Framework for Soil Moisture Prediction in the Presence of Surface Heterogeneity
Authors: Kathuria Dhruva , Mohanty Binayak P. , Katzfuss Matthias
Published: January 2019

Soil moisture is spatially variable due to complex interactions between geologic, topographic, vegetation, and atmospheric variables. Correct representation of subgrid soil moisture variability is crucial in improving land surface modeling schemes and remote sensing retrievals. In addition to the mean structure, the variance and correlation of soil moisture are affected by the underlying land surface heterogeneity. This often violates the underlying assumption of stationarity/isotropy made by classical geostatistical models. The present study proposes a geostatistical framework to predict and upscale soil moisture in a nonstationary setting using a flexible spatial model whose variance/correlation structure varies with changing land surface characteristics. The proposed framework is applied to model soil moisture distribution using in situ data in the Red River watershed in Southern Manitoba, Canada. It is seen that both the variance and correlation structure exhibits spatial nonstationarity for the given surface heterogeneity driven primarily by vegetation and soil texture. At the beginning of the crop season, soil texture plays a critical role in the drying cycle by decreasing variance and increasing correlation as the soil becomes drier. Once the crops begin to mature, vegetation becomes the dominant driver, promoting spatial correlation and reducing SM variance. We upscale our point scale soil moisture predictions to the airborne extent (∼1.5 km) and find that the upscaled soil moisture agrees well with the observed airborne data with root‐mean‐square error values ranging from 0.04 to 0.08 (v/v). The proposed framework can be used to predict and upscale soil moisture in heterogeneous environments.
Assessing the Potential of the Surface Water and Ocean Topography Mission for Reservoir Monitoring in the Mekong River Basin
Authors: Bonnema Matthew , Hossain Faisal
Published: January 2019

The planned Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) mission, scheduled to launch in 2021, is designed to significantly improve on current lake and reservoir remote monitoring capacity. These improvements are especially important for the Mekong River Basin (MRB), where rapid dam construction puts downstream food security at risk and upstream dam operations are largely unknown to downstream water managers due to lack of upstream hydrologic information. This study aims to answer: How accurately will SWOT estimate reservoir storage change in the MRB? A physically based simulation tool developed by NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory to mimic SWOT‐like observations of water bodies was applied to 20 reservoirs in the MRB and for 17 of those reservoirs, synthetic SWOT‐based storage change estimates demonstrated high skill, with errors typically less than 8%. The remaining three reservoirs showed higher errors due to complex neighboring topography or long narrow reservoir shape. In comparison with current satellite observations of six reservoirs in the MRB, the synthetic SWOT observations showed between 4% and 10% lower storage change normalized root‐mean‐square error. Finally, the simulated elevation and surface area was successfully used to estimate the area‐elevation relationships for each reservoir, with a median percent difference of 6.9%. These relationships are a potential avenue for multisensor cooperation toward improved understanding of reservoir dynamics. Such cooperation, where observations from many difference remote sensors are synthesized to provide a more complete view of human interactions on the river system, is vital for the MRB as more dams as human influence over the system increases.
An Analysis of LSPIV‐Based Surface Velocity Measurement Techniques for Stormwater Detention Basin Management
Authors: Zhu Xiaoxiao , Lipeme Kouyi Gislain
Published: January 2019

Stormwater detention basins are significant components for the sustainable management of urban stormwater, aiming to control stormwater quantity (prevent from flooding) and quality (trap particulate pollutants by settling). The design and management of such facilities need knowledge of the hydrodynamic characteristics and the sedimentation zones for cleaning purposes. Large‐scale particle image velocimetry (LSPIV), mostly applied in riverine environments, has been proven as a low‐cost, highly efficient, and convenient image‐based methodology for surface velocity measurement. In this study, LSPIV technology is employed to investigate free surface velocity in a field stormwater detention basin. The method is first evaluated by comparing its results with those obtained by acoustic Doppler velocimeter at pilot scale. Then, the technique is applied to better understand the main flow field and to explain spatial sediment distribution within an extended stormwater detention basin. Results illustrate two main flow patterns, which are consistent with observations and preliminary simulated results. LSPIV‐based free surface velocity field measurements can be used to evaluate numerical models and as a support to predict sediment deposition zones in stormwater detention basins and to help for their retrofit and management.
Fragmentation of the Hyporheic Zone Due to Regional Groundwater Circulation
Authors: Mojarrad B. B. , Riml J. , Wörman A. , Laudon H.
Published: January 2019

By use of numerical modeling and field observations, this work quantified the effects of catchment‐scale upwelling groundwater on the hyporheic (below stream) fluxes over a wide range of spatial scales. A groundwater flow model was developed that specifically accounted for the hydrostatic and dynamic head fluctuations induced by the streambed topography. Although the magnitudes and relative importance of these streambed‐induced fluxes were found to be highly sensitive to site‐specific hydromorphological properties, we showed that streambed topographic structures exert a predominant control on the magnitude of hyporheic exchange fluxes in a Swedish boreal catchment. The magnitude of the exchange intensity evaluated at the streambed interface was found to be dominated by the streambed‐induced hydraulic head across stream order. However, the catchment‐scale groundwater flow field substantially affected the distribution of groundwater discharge points and thus decreased the fragmentation of the hyporheic zone, specifically by shifting the cumulative density function toward larger areas of coherent upwelling at the streambed interface. This work highlights the spectrum of spatial scales affecting the surface water‐groundwater exchange patterns and resolves the roles of key mechanisms in controlling the fragmentation of the hyporheic zone.
Peptidyl-prolyl isomerase-B is involved in Mycobacterium tuberculosis biofilm formation and a generic target for drug repurposing-based intervention
Authors: Kumar Ashutosh , Alam Anwar , Grover Sonam , Pandey Saurabh , Tripathi Deeksha , Kumari Monika , Rani Mamta , Singh Aditi , Akhter Yusuf , Ehtesham Nasreen Z. , Hasnain Seyed E.
Published: January 2019

Tuberculosis (TB), a disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb), takes one human life every 15 s globally. Disease relapse occurs due to incomplete clearance of the pathogen and reactivation of the antibiotic tolerant bacilli. M.tb, like other bacterial pathogens, creates an ecosystem of biofilm formed by several proteins including the cyclophilins. We show that the M.tb cyclophilin peptidyl-prolyl isomerase (PpiB), an essential gene, is involved in biofilm formation and tolerance to anti-mycobacterial drugs. We predicted interaction between PpiB and US FDA approved drugs (cyclosporine-A and acarbose) by in-silico docking studies and this was confirmed by surface plasmon resonance (SPR) spectroscopy. While all these drugs inhibited growth of Mycobacterium smegmatis (M.smegmatis) when cultured in vitro, acarbose and cyclosporine-A showed bacteriostatic effect while gallium nanoparticle (GaNP) exhibited bactericidal effect. Cyclosporine-A and GaNP additionally disrupted M.tb H37Rv biofilm formation. Co-culturing M.tb in their presence resulted in significant (2–4 fold) decrease in dosage of anti-tubercular drugs- isoniazid and ethambutol. Comparison of the cyclosporine-A and acarbose binding sites in PpiB homologues of other biofilm forming infectious pathogens revealed that these have largely remained unaltered across bacterial species. Targeting bacterial biofilms could be a generic strategy for intervention against bacterial pathogens.
Dual endothelin receptor inhibition enhances T-DM1 efficacy in brain metastases from HER2-positive breast cancer
Authors: Askoxylakis Vasileios , Ferraro Gino B. , Badeaux Mark , Kodack David P. , Kirst Isabelle , Shankaraiah Ram C. , Wong Christina S. F. , Duda Dan G. , Fukumura Dai , Jain Rakesh K.
Published: January 2019

The effective treatment of cerebral metastases from HER2-positive breast cancer remains an unmet need. Recent studies indicate that activated astrocytes and brain endothelial cells exert chemoprotective effects on cancer cells through direct physical interaction. Here we report that the endothelin axis mediates protection of HER2-amplified brain metastatic breast cancers to the anti-HER2 antibody–drug conjugate ado-trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1). Macitentan, a dual inhibitor of endothelin receptors A and B, improves the efficacy of T-DM1 against breast cancers grown in the brain. We show that direct contact of brain stroma with cancer cells is required for protection to T-DM1. Our data suggest that targeting the endothelin axis may be beneficial when anti-signaling agent and cytotoxic agent are combined. These findings may contribute to the development of therapeutic approaches with enhanced efficacy in the brain microenvironment.
Giant isotropic negative thermal expansion in Y-doped samarium monosulfides by intra-atomic charge transfer
Authors: Takenaka Koshi , Asai Daigo , Kaizu Ryoichi , Mizuno Yosuke , Yokoyama Yasunori , Okamoto Yoshihiko , Katayama Naoyuki , Suzuki Hiroyuki S. , Imanaka Yasutaka
Published: January 2019

Stimulated by strong demand for thermal expansion control from advanced modern industries, various giant negative thermal expansion (NTE) materials have been developed during the last decade. Nevertheless, most such materials exhibit anisotropic thermal expansion in the crystal lattice. Therefore, strains and cracks induced during repeated thermal cycling degrade their performance as thermal-expansion compensators. Here we achieved giantisotropicNTE with volume change exceeding 3%, up to 4.1%, via control of the electronic configuration in Sm atoms of SmS, (4 f)6or (4 f)5(5d)1, by partial replacement of Sm with Y. Contrary to NTE originating from cooperative phenomena such as magnetism, the present NTE attributable to theintra-atomicphenomenon avoids the size effect of NTE and therefore provides us with fine-grained thermal-expansion compensators, which are strongly desired to control thermal expansion of microregions such as underfill of a three-dimensional integrated circuit. Volume control of lanthanide monosulfides via tuning of the 4 felectronic configuration presents avenues for novel mechanical functions of a material, such as avolume-changedriven actuator by an electrical field, which has a different drive principle from those of conventional strain-driven actuators such as piezostrictive or magnetostrictive materials.
Discovering the pharmacodynamics of conolidine and cannabidiol using a cultured neuronal network based workflow
Authors: Mendis G. D. C. , Berecki G. , Morrisroe E. , Pachernegg S. , Li M. , Varney M. , Osborne P. B. , Reid C. A. , Halgamuge S. , Petrou S.
Published: January 2019

Determining the mechanism of action (MOA) of novel or naturally occurring compounds mostly relies on assays tailored for individual target proteins. Here we explore an alternative approach based on pattern matching response profiles obtained using cultured neuronal networks. Conolidine and cannabidiol are plant-derivatives with known antinociceptive activity but unknown MOA. Application of conolidine/cannabidiol to cultured neuronal networks altered network firing in a highly reproducible manner and created similar impact on network properties suggesting engagement with a common biological target. We used principal component analysis (PCA) and multi-dimensional scaling (MDS) to compare network activity profiles of conolidine/cannabidiol to a series of well-studied compounds with known MOA. Network activity profiles evoked by conolidine and cannabidiol closely matched that of ω-conotoxin CVIE, a potent and selective Cav2.2 calcium channel blocker with proposed antinociceptive action suggesting that they too would block this channel. To verify this, Cav2.2 channels were heterologously expressed, recorded with whole-cell patch clamp and conolidine/cannabidiol was applied. Remarkably, conolidine and cannabidiol both inhibited Cav2.2, providing a glimpse into the MOA that could underlie their antinociceptive action. These data highlight the utility of cultured neuronal network-based workflows to efficiently identify MOA of drugs in a highly scalable assay.
Multi-step planning of eye movements in visual search
Authors: Hoppe David , Rothkopf Constantin A.
Published: January 2019

The capability of directing gaze to relevant parts in the environment is crucial for our survival. Computational models have proposed quantitative accounts of human gaze selection in a range of visual search tasks. Initially, models suggested that gaze is directed to the locations in a visual scene at which some criterion such as the probability of target location, the reduction of uncertainty or the maximization of reward appear to be maximal. But subsequent studies established, that in some tasks humans instead direct their gaze to locations, such that after the single next look the criterion is expected to become maximal. However, in tasks going beyond a single action, the entire action sequence may determine future rewards thereby necessitating planning beyond a single next gaze shift. While previous empirical studies have suggested that human gaze sequences are planned, quantitative evidence for whether the human visual system is capable of finding optimal eye movement sequences according to probabilistic planning is missing. Here we employ a series of computational models to investigate whether humans are capable of looking ahead more than the next single eye movement. We found clear evidence that subjects’ behavior was better explained by the model of a planning observer compared to a myopic, greedy observer, which selects only a single saccade at a time. In particular, the location of our subjects’ first fixation differed depending on the stimulus and the time available for the search, which was well predicted quantitatively by a probabilistic planning model. Overall, our results are the first evidence that the human visual system’s gaze selection agrees with optimal planning under uncertainty.
An efficient “Ratiometric” fluorescent chemosensor for the selective detection of Hg2+ ions based on phosphonates: its live cell imaging and molecular keypad lock applications
Authors: Vinoth Kumar Gujuluva Gangatharan , Kannan Ramaraj Sayee , Chung-Kuang Yang Thomas , Rajesh Jegathalaprathaban , Sivaraman Gandhi
Published: January 2019

Herein, we have reported the ability of smart chemosensors (L1 and L2) to selectively detect Hg(ii) ions over other metal ions and examined this phenomenon by various spectroscopy techniques.
N,P-Doped carbon with encapsulated Co nanoparticles as efficient electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reactions
Authors: Fan Lili , Du Xinxin , Zhang Yuming , Li Mengfei , Wen Meilian , Ge Xiyang , Kang Zixi , Sun Daofeng
Published: January 2019

N,P-doped carbon with encapsulated Co nanoparticles is fabricated from a Co-MOF and triphenylphosphine mixture as an efficient electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction reaction.
C-Halide bond cleavage by a two-coordinate iron(i) complex
Authors: Werncke C. G. , Pfeiffer J. , Müller I. , Vendier L. , Sabo-Etienne S. , Bontemps S.
Published: January 2019

The two-coordinate iron(i) complex [FeI(N(SiMe3)2)2]− is highly efficient in the cleavage of C-halide bonds.
Evaluation of ciprofloxacin destruction between ordered mesoporous and bulk NiMn2O4/CF cathode: efficient mineralization in a heterogeneous electro-Fenton-like process
Authors: Sun Yan , Li Yi , Mi Xueyue , Zhan Sihui , Hu Wenping
Published: January 2019

An electro-Fenton-like process was extensively applied to eliminate ciprofloxacin antibiotics pollution in water systems.
Assessing the potential of fluorescence spectroscopy to monitor contaminants in source waters and water reuse systems
Authors: Wasswa Joseph , Mladenov Natalie , Pearce William
Published: January 2019

It is of ongoing interest to evaluate real-time instruments for monitoring water contaminants for source water control and water reuse system performance applications.
Overcoming ammonia inhibition in anaerobic blackwater treatment with granular activated carbon: the role of electroactive microorganisms
Authors: Florentino Anna Patrícya , Sharaf Ahmed , Zhang Lei , Liu Yang
Published: January 2019

Methanogenesis and enrichment of microorganisms capable of interspecies electron and/or hydrogen exchange was investigated with addition of granular activated carbon (GAC) to batch anaerobic digesters treating vacuum collected blackwater with high ammonia concentration.
A highly durable, stretchable, transparent and conductive carbon nanotube–polymeric acid hybrid film
Authors: Zhou Ying , Azumi Reiko , Shimada Satoru
Published: January 2019

A highly durable and stretchable carbon nanotube–polymeric acid transparent conductive film by utilizing polymer wrapping is demonstrated.
Yolk–shell structured SnSe as a high-performance anode for Na-ion batteries
Authors: Zhao Xixia , Wang Wenhui , Hou Zhen , Fan Xiaokun , Wei Guijuan , Yu Yikang , Di Qian , Liu Yubin , Quan Zewei , Zhang Jun
Published: January 2019

Yolk–shell structured SnSe nanoparticles have been investigated as anode materials in Na-ion batteries for the first time, and exhibit excellent Na+ storage performance.
All-small-molecule dynamic covalent hydrogels with multistimuli responsiveness
Authors: Wang Hui , Cheng Yiyun
Published: January 2019

All-small-molecule dynamic covalent hydrogels with multistimuli-responsiveness, including temperature, acid, alkali cations and halogen anions.
High open circuit voltages in pin-type perovskite solar cells through strontium addition
Authors: Caprioglio Pietro , Zu Fengshuo , Wolff Christian M. , Márquez Prieto José A. , Stolterfoht Martin , Becker Pascal , Koch Norbert , Unold Thomas , Rech Bernd , Albrecht Steve , Neher Dieter
Published: January 2019

The incorporation of strontium into perovskite solar cells spontaneously modifies the surface increasing the Voc by reducing the non-radiative losses.
Comparative study of light- and thermal-induced degradation for both fullerene and non-fullerene-based organic solar cells
Authors: Duan Leiping , Yi Haimang , Zhang Yu , Haque Faiazul , Xu Cheng , Uddin Ashraf
Published: January 2019

Solution-processed organic solar cells (OSCs) have become a promising renewable energy technology in recent years.
Barrier kinetics of adsorption–desorption of alcohol monolayers on water under constant surface tension
Authors: Minkov Ivan L. , Arabadzhieva Dimitrinka , Salama Ibrahim E. , Mileva Elena , Slavchov Radomir I.
Published: January 2019

The desorption rate stands between the theoretical curves for pure barrier control (intensive convection) and mixed barrier + diffusion control (no convection).
Structure architecture of micro/nanoscale ZIF-L on a 3D printed membrane for a superhydrophobic and underwater superoleophobic surface
Authors: Yuan Shushan , Zhu Junyong , Li Yi , Zhao Yan , Li Jian , Van Puyvelde Peter , Van der Bruggen Bart
Published: January 2019

A micro/nanoscale hierarchical ZIF-L layer on a 3D printed membrane for superhydrophobic and underwater superoleophobic surfaces.
Regulating spatial charge transfer over intrinsically ultrathin-carbon-encapsulated photoanodes toward solar water splitting
Authors: Dai Xiao-Cheng , Huang Ming-Hui , Li Yu-Bing , Li Tao , Zhang Bei-Bei , He Yunhui , Xiao Guangcan , Xiao Fang-Xing
Published: January 2019

Ultrathin carbon encapsulation, stibnite photosensitization and Co-Pi co-catalyst decoration were synergistically integrated to regulate spatial charge transfer for solar water splitting.
Facile synthesis of nanoporous Ni–Fe–P bifunctional catalysts with high performance for overall water splitting
Authors: Wang Kaihang , Sun Kaili , Yu Tianpeng , Liu Xin , Wang GuiXue , Jiang Luhua , Xie Guangwen
Published: January 2019

On the basis of the unique defects of amorphous metals, more defects are exposed as effective active sites by dealloying.
Ladder-type dithienocyclopentadibenzothiophene-cored wide-bandgap polymers for efficient non-fullerene solar cells with large open-circuit voltages
Authors: Tu Qisheng , Tang Changquan , Zheng Qingdong
Published: January 2019

Novel wide-bandgap copolymers based on ladder-type dithienocyclopentadibenzothiophene were developed for polymer solar cells with 9.46% efficiency and excellent stability.
Photonic crystal enhanced laser desorption and ionization substrate for detection of stress biomarkers under atmospheric pressure
Authors: Chen Shan , Guo Liuyang , Ji Muhuo , Chen Jialun , Liu Panmiao , Ding Hailong , Qi Dan , Xie Zhuoying , Gu Zhongze
Published: January 2019

WO3–TiO2 inverse opal photonic crystals served as an energy-transfer medium and enhanced the laser desorption/ionization efficiency.
A holey graphene film as a high performance planar field emitter
Authors: Lee Jeong Seok , Seo Dong Kyun , Kim Taewoo , Kim Yong Hyup
Published: January 2019

A new kind of planar emitter with an array of holes has been introduced that outperforms by far a conventional planar emitter.
Recent progress on highly sensitive perovskite photodetectors
Authors: Miao Jianli , Zhang Fujun
Published: January 2019

The recent progress and developments on perovskite photodetectors are summarized from the perspective of device physics and materials science.
Ablation of brainstem C1 neurons improves cardiac function in volume overload heart failure
Authors: Andrade David C. , Toledo Camilo , Díaz Hugo S. , Lucero Claudia , Arce-Álvarez Alexis , Oliveira Luiz M. , Takakura Ana C. , Moreira Thiago S. , Schultz Harold D. , Marcus Noah J. , Alcayaga Julio , Del Rio Rodrigo
Published: January 2019

Activation of the sympathetic nervous system is a hallmark of heart failure (HF) and is positively correlated with disease progression. Catecholaminergic (C1) neurons located in the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM) are known to modulate sympathetic outflow and are hyperactivated in volume overload HF. However, there is no conclusive evidence showing a contribution of RVLM-C1 neurons to the development of cardiac dysfunction in the setting of HF. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the role of RVLM-C1 neurons in cardiac autonomic control and deterioration of cardiac function in HF rats. A surgical arteriovenous shunt was created in adult male Sprague-Dawley rats to induce HF. RVLM-C1 neurons were selectively ablated using cell-specific immunotoxin (dopamine-β hydroxylase saporin [DβH-SAP]) and measures of cardiac autonomic tone, function, and arrhythmia incidence were evaluated. Cardiac autonomic imbalance, arrhythmogenesis and cardiac dysfunction were present in HF rats and improved after DβH-SAP toxin treatment. Most importantly, the progressive decline in fractional shortening observed in HF rats was reduced by DβH-SAP toxin. Our results unveil a pivotal role played by RVLM-C1 neurons in cardiac autonomic imbalance, arrhythmogenesis and cardiac dysfunction in volume overload-induced HF.
Three‐hot‐wire acoustic particle velocity sensor with improved detection capability
Authors: Li Zhe , Chang Wenhan , Gao Chengchen , Hao Yilong
Published: January 2019

This Letter proposes a novel 3‐hot‐wire acoustic particle velocity sensor with high sensitivity and low self‐noise for the first time. Three parallel wires, covered with platinum film, are suspended on silicon substrate by MEMS process. The middle wire works as a heater and the left and right ones work as both heaters and temperature sensors. Compared with the 1‐hot‐wire and 2‐hot‐wire counterparts, this sensor has higher sensitivity and lower self‐noise, showing its potential for sound source localisation, acoustic camera and so on. The self‐noise of the sensor is about at 1 kHz and the relative direction sensitivity is as high as 42 dB.
Grid‐tied single source quasi‐Z‐source cascaded multilevel inverter for PV applications
Authors: Guisso R.A. , Andrade A.M.S.S. , Hey H.L. , Martins M.L. da S.
Published: January 2019

A new cascaded multilevel topology is proposed in this study. It is denominated single DC source quasi‐Z‐source cascaded multilevel inverter (SS qZS‐CMI). The SS qZS‐CMI performs at maximum power point tracking of the photovoltaic (PV) array with a single inverter module and each of the inverter modules shares an equal amount of the power of the whole system. The SS qZS‐CMI has the capacity to equally regulate the peak voltage on each inverter module by means of the dual control loop of the main inverter module and the shoot‐trough state of the auxiliary inverter modules, ensuring the symmetry of the cascaded multilevel inverter. Experimental results verify the proposed topology.
Effect of epitaxial layer's thickness on spectral response of 4H‐SiC p‐i‐n ultraviolet photodiodes
Authors: Hou Yansong , Sun Cunzhi , Wu Junkang , Hong Rongdun , Cai Jiafa , Chen Xiaping , Lin Dingqu , Wu Zhengyun
Published: January 2019

4H‐SiC ultraviolet p‐i‐n photodiodes with four different epitaxial structures were fabricated. The experimental results prove that both a thin P+‐type Ohmic contact layer and a thick intrinsic layer were indispensible for a high‐performance ultraviolet p‐i‐n photodiode. A 4H‐SiC p‐i‐n photodiode with responsivity as high as 0.139 A/W at 278 nm incident wavelength was achieved. Meanwhile, within a certain wavelength range, the peak response wavelength of an ultraviolet p‐i‐n photodiode would be modulated by properly varying the thicknesses of P+‐type layer and the intrinsic layer. Moreover, the theoretical calculation was carried out to further authorise the experimental results.
Smart network control with coordinated PV infeed
Authors: Hempel Sabrina , Schmidt Jan‐David , Gambn Pablo , Tröster Eckehard
Published: January 2019

The increasing amount of photovoltaic (PV) systems leads to a voltage rise in the distribution grid. By providing reactive power, PV and battery inverters can reduce the voltage. For this purpose, most inverters have implemented a voltage‐dependent reactive power curve, which is often parameterised once during the installation of the system. In most cases, the parameterisation does not take into account the position of the system in the grid. As a result, inverters closer to the distribution transformer provide less or no reactive power as the voltage at the beginning of a feeder is much smaller. This study presents a regulation tool, which parameterises the reactive power curve in dependence on the position in the grid. This leads to a coordinated behaviour of all inverters in a distribution grid and ensures that all inverters provide a similar amount of reactive power. Moreover, the regulation tool notices if the grid topology has changed and adapts the reactive power control to this change.
Local‐area nanosecond‐accuracy time synchronisation based on GPS L1 observations
Authors: Liu Wenxue , Yuan Hong , Ge Jian
Published: January 2019

To date, high‐precision time synchronisation has been applied in many fields, such as high‐precision indoor positioning, multistatic Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) and etc. This study focuses on the use of only global positioning system (GPS) L1 civilian signals to achieve regional nanosecond time synchronisation. GPS errors are analysed in this study to determine their effect on GPS timing. This study also examines the specific features of the error in fixed‐position timing technology and related error reduction techniques to illustrate the feasibility of nanosecond high‐precision time synchronisation with GPS L1 signals in a fixed‐position timing mode. Then, the results of a specific GPS timing receiver working in a fixed‐position mode and using GPS L1 signals are shown to indicate that the use of GPS L1 signals to achieve nanosecond‐accuracy time synchronisation in a local area is feasible. Finally, this study also analyses the impacts of the imprecise position in a fixed‐position timing mode.
Investigation and realisation of integrated navigation system using optimal pseudo sensor enhancement method
Authors: Madany Yasser M. , El‐Badawy El‐Sayed A. , Ismail Nour Eldin H. , Soliman Adel M.
Published: January 2019

The rapid development of intelligent navigation systems has speed development for its uses in military and civilian applications. On‐board integrated navigation and multiple sensors are essential for real‐time data update. Using multiple sensors may sever from the disconnection of the readings due to sensor(s) transient faults. So, the need for sensor(s) transient fault correction becomes an important action to improve performance. In this study, a novel proposed optimal pseudo sensor enhancement method (OPSEM) is introduced, investigated and implemented. The proposed OPSEM has multiple missions: (i) optimal arrangement for the sensors architecture, (ii) detecting, isolating, and compensating for the sensor(s) transient fault. The simulation results of the traditional and the proposed OPSEMs for multiple sensor architecture have been obtained, analysed and compared. Also, the proposed OPSEM has been applied to the proportional navigation guidance law to check for the improved performance. Finally, the integrated OPSEM navigation system has been realised and implemented. The proposed OPSEM practical system has been examined using unmanned aerial vehicle and fixed wing aircrafts to illustrate the improved operation of the proposed OPSEM system.
Space time adaptive processing based on sparse recovery and clutter reconstructing
Authors: Zhang Wei , He Zishu , Li Huiyong
Published: January 2019

For an airborne‐phased array radar system, space‐time adaptive processing (STAP) is supposed to be a crucial technique for improving its target detection performance in a strong clutter background. Here, the authors consider the extreme heterogeneous case, i.e. the number of available training samples is limited to one. With only one training sample, the sparse recovery (SR) technique is utilized to estimate the clutter patches in the angular‐Doppler plane, i.e. the pair of Doppler frequency and spatial frequency corresponding to the grid in angular‐Doppler plane is determined. Based on the observation that some clutter components may be missed for one secondary data sample, the clutter covariance matrix (CCM) is estimated through reconstructing some missed clutter components by utilising the symmetric property of clutter return. From the simulation results, the proposed approach can achieve great performance of clutter suppression with only one training sample compared with conventional SR‐based STAP algorithms.
Instantaneous method of detecting ionospheric disturbance
Authors: Hou Chengyu , Fu Shanyin , Gao Qingfeng , Chen Di , Yang Lin
Published: January 2019

High‐frequency skywave radar signals propagating through the ionosphere are often affected by travelling ionosphere disturbances (TIDs) which modulate the signal phase and frequency. This obscures slow moving targets. Conventionally, ionospheric contamination is detected by comparing Doppler spectra with different coherent integration times (CITs). However, this approach requires sometimes unacceptable observation time. In this study, the authors propose an alternative and simple, real‐time method which utilises the high‐order instantaneous moment (HIM) and high‐order ambiguous function (HAF) of the echo signal. Their proposed algorithm uses symmetry of the peak structure of HIM and the stationarity of HAF to instantaneously detect contamination of echo signal. The effectiveness and instantaneity of the algorithm in detecting TIDs are demonstrated by comparing the traditional MultiCIT method. The processing time for both methods is of the same order of milliseconds, but the observation time for the new method is half of that for MultiCIT.