bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Youth Gather to Demand Action on Climate Change
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: March 2019

The US Youth Climate Strike holds events around the country to call for passage of the Green New Deal.
Global Relationships Between River Width, Slope, Catchment Area, Meander Wavelength, Sinuosity, and Discharge
Authors: Frasson Renato Prata de Moraes , Pavelsky Tamlin M. , Fonstad Mark A. , Durand Michael T. , Allen George H. , Schumann Guy , Lion Christine , Beighley R. Edward , Yang Xiao
Published: March 2019

Using river centerlines created with Landsat images and the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission digital elevation model, we created spatially continuous maps of mean annual flow river width, slope, meander wavelength, sinuosity, and catchment area for all rivers wider than 90 m located between 60°N and 56°S. We analyzed the distributions of these properties, identified their typical ranges, and explored relationships between river planform and slope. We found width to be directly associated with the magnitude of meander wavelength and catchment area. Moreover, we found that narrower rivers show a larger range of slope and sinuosity values than wider rivers. Finally, by comparing simulated discharge from a water balance model with measured widths, we show that power laws between mean annual discharge and width can predict width typically to −35% to +81%, even when a single relationship is applied across all rivers with discharge ranging from 100 to 50,000 m3/s.
First In Situ Observations of Gaseous Volcanic Plume Electrification
Authors: Nicoll Keri , Airey Martin , Cimarelli Corrado , Bennett Alec , Harrison Giles , Gaudin Damien , Aplin Karen , Koh Kuang Liang , Knuever Marco , Marlton Graeme
Published: March 2019

Volcanic plumes become electrically charged, often producing spectacular displays of lightning. Previous research has focused on understanding volcanic lightning, primarily the large electric fields produced by charging of ash particles. Here we report on the previously overlooked phenomenon of volcanic plume electrification in the absence of detectable ash. We present the first in situ vertical profile measurements of charge, thermodynamic, and microphysical properties inside predominantly gaseous plumes directly above an erupting volcano. Our measurements demonstrate that substantial charge (at least ±8,000 pC/m3) is present in gaseous volcanic clouds without detectable ash. We suggest that plume charging may be enhanced by the emission of radon gas from the volcano, which causes ionization. This presents a hitherto unrecognized, but likely to be common, mechanism for charge generation in volcanic plumes, which is expected to modulate plume characteristics and lifetime. This process is currently neglected in recognized mechanisms of volcanic plume electrification.
Pillar[5]arene-based spongy supramolecular polymer gel and its properties in multi-responsiveness, dye sorption, ultrasensitive detection and separation of Fe3+
Authors: Guan Xiao-Wen , Lin Qi , Zhang You-Ming , Wei Tai-Bao , Wang Jiao , Fan Yan-Qing , Yao Hong
Published: March 2019

A pillar[5]arene-based spongy supramolecular polymer gel (SHG) with multi-stimuli response, ultrasensitive detection and separation properties for Fe3+ and organic dyes was developed.
Substitution-mediated enhanced adsorption of low concentration As(v) from water by mesoporous MnxFe3−xO4 microspheres
Authors: Xie Yili , Tian Chen , Chen Weiyi , Wu Can , Liu Zhangbin , Ning Ping , Deng Hong , Lin Zhang
Published: March 2019

Manganese ferrite (MnxFe3−xO4) microspheres with a spinel structure are very effective adsorbents for arsenic (As) removal.
Ordered mesoporous carbon with enhanced porosity to support organic amines: efficient nanocomposites for the selective capture of CO2
Authors: Kong Weiping , Liu Jing
Published: March 2019

Highly ordered mesoporous carbon with a much expanded porosity was impregnated with PEI to act as an efficient composite material for the highly selective capture of CO2 from flue gas.
Adaptive tracking and command shaped vibration control of flexible spacecraft
Authors: Zhu Wanwan , Zong Qun , Tian Bailing
Published: March 2019

An adaptive multivariable continuous non‐singular terminal sliding mode (NTSM) control scheme with fast and robust input shaper (FRIS) is developed for flexible spacecraft which is subject to external disturbances. Firstly, the FRIS is proposed to suppress residual vibration of flexible spacecraft. It is shown that the FRIS decreases the duration of the impulse sequence at the meanwhile it is robust to parameter uncertainties. Then the adaptive multivariable continuous NTSM control is proposed to the attitude tracking of flexible spacecraft and the supression of residual vibration in finite time. The remarkable feature of the developed algorithm is to eliminate the overestimation of the control gains, and the tracking errors can be driven into a small region around zero in finite time even in the presence of bounded but unknown disturbances. Finally, some numerical simulations are performed to validate the efficiency of the developed algorithm.
New results on restricted static output feedback controller design with regional pole placement
Authors: Sahoo Pradosh Ranjan , Goyal Jitendra Kumar , Ghosh Sandip , Naskar Asim Kumar
Published: March 2019

This study addresses the design of static output feedback (SOF) controller for continuous time linear systems. New sufficient conditions are derived for designing SOF controllers. The development involves suitable decomposition of Lyapunov matrices and deriving linear matrix inequality (LMI) criterion that ensures performance. LMI criteria for pole placement in the LMI region are also derived. The proposed criteria can be used for restricted SOF controller design effectively. Several numerical examples are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed results.
Practical formation‐containment tracking for multiple autonomous surface vessels system
Authors: Yu Jianglong , Xiao Wei , Dong Xiwang , Li Qingdong , Ren Zhang
Published: March 2019

Practical formation‐containment tracking issues for the multiple autonomous surface vessels system with multiple leader vessels are considered. The follower vessels' states are designed to track the convex combination of the leader vessels' states, which are required to actualise the predefined time‐varying formation tracking. Firstly, this study establishes the dynamic models of the multiple vessels system, where the outer‐loop kinematic model and inner‐loop dynamic model are considered simultaneously. Then, the practical formation‐containment tracking protocols are devised based on distributed extended state observers, where the mismatched uncertainties and leader vessels' control input signals are estimated and compensated. Thirdly, an algorithm is presented to give the procedures for designing the control protocols, in which the feasible time‐varying formations of leader's vessels are raised. A series of linear matrix inequalities are solved for obtaining the control parameters. Sufficient conditions for actualising the practical formation‐containment tracking are derived. Finally, numerical simulation results reveal the effectiveness of the acquired theories.
Comprehensive study of linear antenna array optimisation using the cuckoo search algorithm
Authors: Khodier Majid
Published: March 2019

This study presents a comprehensive study of the design and optimisation of linear antenna arrays using the cuckoo search (CS) algorithm. The method is used to control important radiation characteristics of the antenna arrays (such as side‐lobe level, beamwidth, nulls) by optimising the parameters of the array elements (amplitude, phase, and position). Different design examples are presented that illustrate the robustness of the CS algorithm and its ability in achieving the design goals. The considered design examples clearly show that the CS algorithm is a simple and yet a powerful optimisation tool that can be used in antenna array design problems with great confidence.
Measurements and analysis of vehicular radio channels in the inland lake bridge area
Authors: Li Changzhen , Yu Junyi , Chen Wei , Wang Kehao , Yang Kun
Published: March 2019

Vehicular communication plays a vital role in intelligent transportation systems and smart cities. The huge data transmission and high mobility require a high‐speed and stable wireless channel as a basis. This study presents a 5.9 GHz vehicle‐to‐vehicle (V2V) measurement, covering a complete inland lake bridge communication environment. Analysis of the channel characteristics is carried out according to three main propagation scenarios: ramp merging, a rear vehicle overtaking the front vehicle, and an urban scenario. Channel characteristics including the power delay profile, Doppler spectral density, amplitude distribution, and fading depth (FD) is extracted and analysed. An FD of ∼2.5 dB is determined in V2V communication. Furthermore, it is observed that, in addition to the impact from the ramp structure, metallic traffic signs, road lights, pedestrian bridges, and large trucks can also make significant contributions to vehicular communication. Moreover, a triple Gaussian mixture distribution is proposed to model the channel characterisation. The results demonstrate that the specific structure of the ramp will influence the channel performance more significantly than the general traffic road structure, which can provide a meaningful reference for the future research of V2V radio channels and is useful for the design and layout of vehicular communication systems.
Compact dual‐output inverter based on flying‐capacitor: modelling, control, and prototype validation
Authors: Yousofi‐Darmian Saeed , Barakati S. Masoud
Published: March 2019

A new DC/AC inverter with ability of supplying two AC loads, independently, based on flying‐capacitor topology is proposed. Flying capacitor enables the converter to have three‐level output voltages which results in high‐quality output waveforms. Comparing to conventional flying capacitor inverter (FCI) for supplying two loads, the new inverter has lower numbers of semiconductor switches and flying capacitors, up to 25 and 50%, respectively. Comparing to recent works, proposed inverter provides better trade‐off between number of components and independent control of loads. Three‐phase topology of the proposed inverter consists of three parallel single‐phase modules. The inverter can operate in both constant and variable output frequencies. A switched model along with an effective control strategy based on Karnauph Map is also derived for the proposed inverter. High performance of the inverter is verified with both simulation and experimental results. The proposed inverter can mostly be used in applications, such as motor drive, UPS systems, hybrid electric vehicles, and photovoltaic (PV) systems.
Non‐contact method based on intensity modulation of light for measurement of vibration of a thin cantilever beam
Authors: Roy Ram Kishore , Bezboruah Tulshi
Published: March 2019

A non‐contact method based on intensity modulation of light for measurement of vibration of a thin cantilever beam (CB) is presented in this study. The system consists of a laser source, a photo‐detector‐based signal conditioning and comparator circuit, an ATmega8 microcontroller based data acquisition system and an interface with personal computer. The sensing principle is based on modulation of intensity of light falling laterally on a vibrating CB. The photo‐detector detects the modulated light and generates pulses, which is processed by signal conditioning and comparator circuit. The output of the comparator consists of alternative high and low transistor–transistor logic pulses, interfaced to two pins of the microcontroller simultaneously; one to external event counter and the other to input wave capture. The microcontroller is used to measure the frequency, width of high and low pulses. The system is calibrated using a Tektronix AFG3251C Arbitrary Function Generator. The % error in measurement of width of pulses is found to be within the range +0.12 to −0.41%, whereas 0% measurement error is observed in the measurement of frequency. Experimental results obtained under free vibration tests of two samples of thin CB of 0.4 and 0.5 mm thickness are also presented.
Stochastic solar harvesting characterisation for sustainable sensor node operation
Authors: Kaushik K , Mishra Deepak , De Swades
Published: March 2019

Self‐sustainability of wireless sensor nodes is the need of the hour to realise ubiquitous wireless networks. To this end, the authors investigate practical feasibility of a sustainable green sensor network with solar‐powered nodes. They propose simple‐yet‐efficient (i) analytical circuit model for solar‐assisted supercapacitor charging and (ii) statistical model for characterising the solar intensity distribution. Combining these circuit and statistical models, they derive a novel solar charging rate distribution for supercapacitor. For analytical insights, they also propose an ideal diode‐based tight approximation for the practical supercapacitor charging circuit model. Accuracy of these proposed analytical models are validated by extensive numerical simulations based on real‐world solar intensity profile and panel characteristics. The derived solar charging rate distribution is used to investigate the energy outage probability of a sensor node for a given sensing rate. The results suggest that, for an energy outage probability of 0.1, at New Delhi, a 40 F supercapacitor and a 3 W solar panel can support the operation of Waspmote with six on‐board gas sensors at a rate of 65 samples per day. Furthermore, they use the proposed models to estimate the practical supercapacitor and panel sizes for sustainable operation at different geographical locations with varying sensing rate.
Non‐zero‐sum game‐based trust model to enhance wireless sensor networks security for IoT applications
Authors: Abdalzaher Mohamed S. , Samy Lotfy , Muta Osamu
Published: March 2019

Nowadays, trust models of wireless sensor networks (WSNs) security have flourished due to the day‐to‐day attack challenges, which are most popular for internet of things (IoT). This article proposes a trust model based on non‐zero‐sum game approach for clustered‐WSNs (CWSNs) security to maximise the data trustworthiness transmission. The proposed model is developed for two different attack‐defence scenarios. In the first scenario, the trust model is used to face a denial‐of‐service (DoS) attack in which the attacker is able to drop or partially drop the delivered acknowledgments (ACKs) from a cluster member (CM) to the cluster head (CH). In the second scenario, the model target is to protect CWSNs from ON–OFF attack where the attacker is capable to frequently infect the CMs. Simulation results show improved performance of protecting the CWSNs against DoS/ON–OFF attacks and maximising data trustworthiness represented by the CMs compliance of sending the ACKs to the CH. Consequently, this mechanism can attain the appropriate security and performance for WSN‐based IoT systems.
Fuzzy logic approach to repair coverage holes in internet of things monitoring applications
Authors: Khalifa Banafsj , Khedr Ahmed , Al Aghbari Zaher , Abawajy Jemal
Published: March 2019

Using the internet of things paradigm for monitoring applications requires sufficient coverage of a monitored region to collect accurate data and observe events. The problem of a coverage hole arises when a sensor fails (loses connectivity with its neighbouring sensors) for reasons such as energy exhaustion or physical damage due to deployment in harsh environments. It is vital to detect and repair coverage holes as soon as they appear because they can have debilitating effects on network coverage and connectivity if left unattended. The authors propose a novel approach that employs a fuzzy inference system to select a neighbouring sensor that moves to recover the lost area. All neighbouring sensors communicate with each other to estimate the size and location of the coverage hole. Each sensor considers its own energy level, its distance from the approximated hole, and its redundancy ratio to evaluate its eligibility. The most eligible sensor is then selected to patch the coverage hole. Through extensive simulations, they analysed the performance of the proposed approach and compared it with baseline approaches in terms of coverage recovery effectiveness. The results show that the proposed approach is much more effective in repairing the holes as compared to the baseline approaches.
Sensitivität und Spezifität des Sprachstandserhebungstests für Kinder im Alter zwischen 3 und 5 Jahren
Authors: Rennecke Lisa , Melzer Jessica , Ronniger Pola , Petermann Franz
Published: March 2019

Hintergrund Um sprachliche Defizite im Kindergartenalter frühzeitig zu erkennen, ist eine zuverlässige und störungsspezifische Diagnostik bedeutsam. Die vorliegende Studie überprüft, inwieweit der Sprachstandserhebungstest für Kinder im Alter zwischen 3 und 5 Jahren (SET 3 – 5) zwischen Kindern mit und ohne Sprachentwicklungsstörungen sowie zwischen verschiedenen Störungsschwerpunkten (expressive oder gemischt rezeptiv-expressive Störungen) differenzieren kann.

Methode Es wurden N = 80 Kinder zwischen 4;0 – 5;11 Jahren berücksichtigt, anhand von ROC-Analysen wurden Sensitivität und Spezifität untersucht.

Ergebnisse Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass der SET 3 – 5 je nach Untertest Sensitivitäten zwischen 0,75 und 0,95 und Spezifitäten zwischen 0,75 und 0,93 aufweist und somit in der Lage ist, Sprachentwicklungsstörungen zu spezifizieren.

Diskussion Der SET 3 – 5 stellt ein geeignetes Erhebungsverfahren dar, um Sprachentwicklungsstörungen im ambulanten und stationären Sektor im Kindergartenalter zu erfassen. Dabei kann das Verfahren sehr gut zwischen verschiedenen Störungsschwerpunkten differenzieren und betroffene Kinder korrekt identifizieren.
Die Untersuchung zellfreier DNA durch Liquid Biopsy in der Medizin
Authors: Eiben Bernd , Glaubitz Ralf , Schütz Ekkehard , Beck Julia , Eiben Christian , Teubert Anna , Wagner Helmut , Winkler Thomas , Kupatt Wolf , Oellerich Michael
Published: March 2019

Bei Diagnostik und Monitoring von Tumoren stellten bisher bild- oder biopsiebasierte Verfahren den Goldstandard dar. Neuere Verfahren könnten dieses Vorgehen verändern. So ist es gelungen, zirkulierende Tumorzellen direkt aus dem peripheren Blut zu isolieren und zu charakterisieren. Intratumorale Zellheterogenitäten stellen sich hierbei jedoch als problematisch dar, da diese zu fehlerhaften Betrachtungen führen können. Durch die Analyse von zellfreier Tumor-DNA aus Tumorabbauprodukten im peripheren Blut (sog. Liquid Biopsy) mittels neuester Sequenziertechniken (NGS) können nun auch sehr komplexe Zusammenhänge analysiert werden. Dadurch werden sowohl Einzelgenveränderungen als auch gesamtgenomische Kopienzahlveränderungen (sog. copy number variations, CNV) erkennbar. Bei über 90% der malignen Tumoren lassen sich größere CNV-Abweichungen nachweisen. Der Grad der CNV-Abweichung vom Normalzustand lässt sich in copy number instability (CNI)-Scores standardisieren. Dadurch ist der CNI-Score ein vielversprechender klinischer Biomarker für die Risikostratifizierung und das individualisierte Therapiemonitoring mit dem Potenzial, die Gesundheitskosten und die Krankheitsbelastung für Krebspatienten zu senken.
Welcher Anteil der Medikamentenverordnungen in Deutschland ist
evidenzbasiert?
Authors: Hirsch Oliver , Donner-Banzhoff Norbert
Published: March 2019

Hintergrund Die medizinische Versorgung hat sich an der Evidenz aus validen und
relevanten Studien zu orientieren; dieses Prinzip ist in Deutschland sozialrechtlich normiert.
Der Medikationskatalog der Kassenärztlichen Bundesvereinigung bietet für
mehrere Verordnungsgebiete eine systematische Klassifizierung von Medikamenten nach der
zugrundeliegenden Studienevidenz, der Sicherheit und des indikationsgerechten Einsatzes der
entsprechenden Substanz.

Methodik Die Auswertungen beruhen auf den Arzneiverordnungsdaten nach §300 SGB
V des Jahres 2014. Die jeweiligen Substanzen sind als „Standard“ (1.
Priorität), „Reserve“ (2. Priorität) oder „nachrangig
zu verordnen“ (3. Priorität) eingestuft. Es werden die Anteile an den
Verordnungen der 1. und 3. Prioritäten des Medikationskataloges bei den Fachgruppen
der Hausärzte, der Kardiologen und der
Neurologen/Psychiater/Nervenärzte berichtet, da deren Verordnungen
eine hohe Abdeckung durch den Medikationskatalog aufweisen.

Ergebnisse Insgesamt liegt der Anteil bei den Hausärzten in der 1.
Priorität bei etwas mehr als zwei Dritteln. Den höchsten Anteil der Kategorie
1 hat Bremen; die niedrigsten Anteile finden sich in den neuen Bundesländern. In der
kardiologischen Versorgung macht die Priorität 1 ca. 54%, in der
neurologisch-psychiatrischen Versorgung ca. 41% der Verordnungen (DDDs) aus. Der
Anteil der Priorität 3 ist in der Kardiologie mit einem Fünftel der
Verordnungen am höchsten, bei den Hausärzten mit 16% am niedrigsten;
die neurologisch-psychiatrische Versorgung nimmt mit 17.7% eine mittlere Position
ein.

Schlussfolgerungen Überwiegend entsprechen die analysierten Verordnungen der
Priorität 1 des Medikationskatalogs. Dabei ergeben sich jedoch Variationen nach
Fachgebieten und Regionen (Ländern). Der Medikationskatalog bietet die Chance, die
Perspektiven von Qualität und indikationsgerechtem Einsatz zu verbinden.
Evaluation of Skull Base Tumors with Dynamic TurboFLASH MRI during Gadolinium Injection
Authors: Trasimeni Guido , Auconi Marina , Grossi Andrea , Gagliardo Olga , Romano Andrea , Covelli Edoardo , Bozzao Alessandro
Published: March 2019

Background and Purpose This study was aimed to investigate the role of dynamic TurboFLASH gadolinium (Gd) magnetic resonance (MR) imaging in improving the differential diagnosis of skull base tumors.

Methods Eleven patients with skull base tumors underwent standard MR and ultrafast TurboFLASH sequence during gadolinium injection.

Results The characterization of tumor vascularity was performed. Different patterns of gadolinium uptake for each tumor type were observed. This is particularly important to identify tumors at high risk of intraoperative bleeding. All glomus tumors, typically highly vascularized, showed an enhancement at the arterial phase, reflecting the arterialization of these tumors which is not detectable on conventional MR. No signal increase at the arterial phase was instead observed in other cases in which the ruling out of a glomus tumor was important because of the location of the lesion. Moreover TurboFLASH identified the pathognomonic “filling-in” profile of cavernous sinus cavernous hemangiomas (CSCH), that is, the progressive centripetal enhancement of the lesion at the beginning of the venous phase.

Conclusion The dynamic analysis of tumor contrast enhancement with the TurboFLASH sequence provides useful additional information to that obtained with conventional MR, improving the differential diagnosis of skull base tumors, particularly in the distinction between glomus and nonglomus tumors and in diagnosing CSCH.
Isolated Intramedullary Spinal Rosai–Dorfman Disease in a Child: A Case Report
Authors: Moussa Amgad , Degheidy Mohamed , Osman Noha , Makkeyah Sara , Sattar Shaimaa
Published: March 2019

Rosai–Dorfman disease (RDD) is an uncommon benign histiocytic proliferative disorder commonly involving the cervical lymph nodes and, less frequently, extranodal sites. The histological hallmark of RDD is emperipolesis displayed by lesional histiocytes. Central nervous system involvement is rare and usually intracranial; intramedullary spinal involvement is even less common and, to our knowledge, rarely reported in children. Herein, we report a case of RDD with isolated intramedullary spinal involvement in a child, which, to our knowledge, is the first case reported in an infant.
Elevated signature of a gene module coexpressed with CDC20 marks genomic instability in glioma
Authors: Zhang Yunqiu , Li Jiuyi , Yi Kaikai , Feng Jing , Cong Zhengmin , Wang Zheng , Wei Yanfei , Wu Fan , Cheng Wen , Samo Ayaz Ali , Salomoni Paolo , Yang Qiong , Huang Yu , Kang Chunsheng , Jiang Tao , Fan Xiaolong
Published: March 2019

Significance

Genomic instability fuels tumor progression and treatment resistance in cancer. Causative factors and means for clinical detection of genomic instability in the bulk of gliomas have been inadequately explored. We identify a conserved gene coexpression module centered on CDC20 (CDC20-M) in glioma transcriptomes that encompasses broad activities of cell proliferation and genome maintenance. We show that high CDC20-M expression robustly predicts poor prognosis and severe chromosomal instability and mutation burden in glioma. Core members of CDC20-M, including AURKA, are dysregulated and may provide new therapeutic targets in glioma. These data suggest that the CDC20-M signature could be applied for risk stratification and for the development of treatment protocols for glioma and other cancers.
An integrated bioeconomic local economy-wide assessment of the environmental impacts of poverty programs
Authors: Gilliland Ted E. , Sanchirico James N. , Taylor J. Edward
Published: March 2019

Significance

Cash transfer programs assist hundreds of millions of poor individuals in developing countries. However, they create local demand shocks that can cause environmental damage. Degradation of the local environment has consequences for the well-being of local people, but these impacts have not been quantified. We model how cash transfers affect household incomes and market-driven natural resource use. We find that environmental degradation can reduce income benefits of these programs, particularly for individuals whose livelihoods depend directly on natural resources. Our results suggest that cash transfer programs need to be implemented in tandem with environmental policies to achieve welfare gains and mitigate environmental damages that in turn economically harm communities.
Graphene transistor based on tunable Dirac fermion optics
Authors: Wang Ke , Elahi Mirza M. , Wang Lei , Habib K. M. Masum , Taniguchi Takashi , Watanabe Kenji , Hone James , Ghosh Avik W. , Lee Gil-Ho , Kim Philip
Published: March 2019

Significance

We report an electrically tunable graphene quantum switch based on Dirac fermion optics (DFO), with electrostatically defined analogies of mirror and collimators utilizing angle-dependent Klein tunneling. The device design allows a previously unreported quantitative characterization of the net DFO contribution and leads to improved device performance resilient to abrupt change in temperature, bias, doping, and electrostatic environment. The electrically tunable collimator and reflector demonstrated in this work, and the capability of accurate in situ characterization of their performance, provide the building blocks toward more complicated functional quantum device architecture such as highly integrated electron-optical circuits.
Revealing the mechanism of how cardiac myosin-binding protein C N-terminal fragments sensitize thin filaments for myosin binding
Authors: Inchingolo Alessio V. , Previs Samantha Beck , Previs Michael J. , Warshaw David M. , Kad Neil M.
Published: March 2019

Significance

Diverse demands on cardiac muscle require the fine-tuning of contraction. Cardiac myosin binding protein-C (cMyBP-C) is involved in this regulation; however, its precise molecular mechanism of action remains uncertain. By imaging the interactions of single myosin and cMyBP-C molecules interacting with suspended thin filaments in vitro we observe cMyBP-C N-terminal fragments assist activation and modulate contraction velocity by affecting myosin binding to the thin filament. Fluorescent imaging of Cy3-labeled cMyBP-C revealed that it diffusively scans the thin filament and then strongly binds to displace tropomyosin and activate at low calcium. At high calcium, cMyBP-C decorates the filament more extensively, reducing myosin binding through competing with binding sites. Understanding the mechanism of MyBP-C action has important implications for heart disease.
Detecting different topologies immanent in scale-free networks with the same degree distribution
Authors: Tsiotas Dimitrios
Published: March 2019

Significance

This paper highlights that not all scale-free (SF) networks arise through a Barabási−Albert (BA) preferential attachment process. Although evident from the literature, this fact is often overlooked by many researchers. For this purpose, it is demonstrated, with simulations, that established network measures cannot distinguish between BA networks and other SF networks (random-like and lattice-like) with the same degree distribution. Additionally, it is examined whether an existing self-similarity metric is also capable of distinguishing different SF topologies with the same degree distribution. To contribute to this discrimination, this paper introduces a spectral metric, which is shown to be more capable of distinguishing between different SF topologies with the same degree distribution, in comparison with the existing metrics.
Working memory capacity is enhanced by distributed prefrontal activation and invariant temporal dynamics
Authors: Tang Hua , Qi Xue-Lian , Riley Mitchell R. , Constantinidis Christos
Published: March 2019

Significance

Working memory capacity is notoriously limited to a handful of items, creating one of the central bottlenecks of human cognition, but can be improved by training. The neural basis of this improvement remains a matter of debate, as human imaging studies have produced contradictory results about the mechanisms that effect improved capacity. To resolve this controversy, we recorded neuronal activity from monkeys while they were being trained to improve their ability in maintaining multiple stimuli in memory. Our results reveal that improvement of working memory is effected by a more distributed activation of the prefrontal cortex and invariant temporal dynamics of neuronal activity. These changes render the prefrontal network more robust, allowing it to maintain more items in memory.
Genomes of skipper butterflies reveal extensive convergence of wing patterns
Authors: Li Wenlin , Cong Qian , Shen Jinhui , Zhang Jing , Hallwachs Winnie , Janzen Daniel H. , Grishin Nick V.
Published: March 2019

For centuries, biologists have used phenotypes to infer evolution. For decades, a handful of gene markers have given us a glimpse of the genotype to combine with phenotypic traits. Today, we can sequence entire genomes from hundreds of species and gain yet closer scrutiny. To illustrate the power of genomics, we have chosen skipper butterflies (Hesperiidae). The genomes of 250 representative species of skippers reveal rampant inconsistencies between their current classification and a genome-based phylogeny. We use a dated genomic tree to define tribes (six new) and subtribes (six new), to overhaul genera (nine new) and subgenera (three new), and to display convergence in wing patterns that fooled researchers for decades. We find that many skippers with similar appearance are distantly related, and several skippers with distinct morphology are close relatives. These conclusions are strongly supported by different genomic regions and are consistent with some morphological traits. Our work is a forerunner to genomic biology shaping biodiversity research.
Glucocorticoid enhancement of recognition memory via basolateral amygdala-driven facilitation of prelimbic cortex interactions
Authors: Barsegyan Areg , Mirone Gabriele , Ronzoni Giacomo , Guo Chunan , Song Qi , van Kuppeveld Daan , Schut Evelien H. S. , Atsak Piray , Teurlings Selina , McGaugh James L. , Schubert Dirk , Roozendaal Benno
Published: March 2019

Significance

Stress hormones are known to facilitate memory of emotionally arousing experiences, an effect that is mediated by the basolateral amygdala (BLA) and its interaction with other brain regions. Brain activation studies also indicate that emotional arousal activates several functional connections beyond the BLA. However, it is largely unknown whether BLA activity influences these connections. Here, we report that BLA activity enables functional interactions between the prelimbic cortex, anterior insular cortex, and dorsal hippocampus in regulating glucocorticoid hormone effects on recognition memory. These findings increase our understanding of how BLA activity affects emotional memory within large brain networks.
The demanding quest for harmony: China’s polarizing freshwater resilience map
Authors: Varis Olli , Kummu Matti
Published: March 2019

China’s millennial quest for harmony between nature and humanity is as important today as it has always been. Today’s challenges are momentous; but at the same time, China’s capacity to cope with them is strengthening rapidly. We analyse China’s freshwaters using the social-ecological systems approach in a novel way. Quantitative, globally-scaled indicators for freshwater vulnerability, adaptive capacity (AC) and resilience, and their temporal evolution from 1990–2015, are analysed spatially. China’s AC (governance, economy and human development) represents heterogeneity, levelling close to the global range’s mean level. Coastal areas are somewhat better off than other parts. In turn, ecological vulnerability (EV) (environmental footprint, natural hazards, water scarcity) shows more pronounced contrasts across China. The human footprint and natural hazards are greatest in the east and the lowest in the west, whereas water-scarcity woes stand out in the North China Plain and Xinjiang. The North China Plain (above all the Huang basin) is particularly challenging, yet the AC there has grown fast and therefore resilience has started to grow. Nevertheless, China’s capacity is now growing rapidly, allowing improvements in resilience in large parts of the country. It may provide an opportunity for changing the tide in the most challenging areas, too, but requires continuous and massive commitment. Yet China still showed a polarizing development in the years 1990–2015 in terms of spatial development in AC, EV and resilience, meaning that the diversity and heterogeneity of the country have continued to grow.
A review of determinants for dairy farmer decision making on manure management strategies in high-income countries
Authors: Niles Meredith T , Horner Catherine , Chintala Rajesh , Tricarico Juan
Published: March 2019

The global dairy sector is a major source of human nutrition and farmer livelihoods, while also generating manure, an important nutrient for crop production, but one that must be managed to minimize environmental risk. Manure management—manure handling, processing, storage and application—is an important part of managing a dairy system. Rising awareness of environmental stewardship is increasing for dairy production that meets multiple sustainability goals. Importantly, a large body of research has identified a suite of potential manure management strategies (MMS) that can contribute to reduced environmental impact, and in some cases, provide additional benefits for farmers and society. Despite this growing body of technical and agronomically-focused research, there has been far less research on farmer decision making and adoption of MMS. To explore this gap, we conduct a systematic literature review of peer-reviewed articles exploring the drivers of farmer adoption and decision making related to MMS. We focus on high-income countries, where MMS strategies are more diverse and often involve advanced technologies. We find 36 articles across Europe, the United States, and Canada and focus on four key areas associated with MMS practices: (1) farm size and structural characteristics associated with MMS adoption including the relationship of certain MMS to each other; (2) existing adoption of MMS practices; (3) socio-economic and regulatory factors associated with MMS adoption; and (4) individual information, attitudes, and demographics associated with MMS adoption. We identify and discuss three gaps in the existing literature: (1) a dearth of studies exploring farmer adoption of MMS, especially from certain highly productive milk regions; (2) a lack of comparative studies across multiple regions and/or across time to identify more direct casual pathways of decision making; and (3) technical and other feasibility needs for future MMS adoption. These suggest a clear pathway for future research to better understand the myriad factors that influence dairy farmer decision making as it relates to MMS.
The massive Dirac equation in the Kerr-Newman-de Sitter and Kerr-Newman black hole spacetimes
Authors: Kraniotis G V
Published: March 2019

Exact solutions of the Dirac general relativistic equation that describe the dynamics of a massive, electrically charged particle with half-integer spin in the curved spacetime geometry of an electrically charged, rotating Kerr-Newman-(anti) de Sitter black hole are investigated. We first, derive the Dirac equation in the Kerr-Newman-de Sitter (KNdS) black hole background using a generalised Kinnersley null tetrad in the Newman-Penrose formalism. Subsequently in this frame and in the KNdS black hole spacetime, we prove the separation of the Dirac equation into ordinary differential equations for the radial and angular parts. Under specific transformations of the independent and dependent variables we prove that the transformed radial equation for a massive charged spin

1

2

fermion in the background KNdS black hole constitutes a highly non-trivial generalisation of Heun’s equation since it possess five regular finite singular points. Using a Regge-Wheeler-like independent variable we transform the radial equation in the KNdS background into a Schrödinger like differential equation and investigate its asymptotic behaviour near the event and cosmological horizons. For the case of a massive fermion in the background of a Kerr-Newman (KN) black hole we first prove that the radial and angular equations that result from the separation of Dirac’s equation reduce to the generalised Heun differential equation (GHE). The local solutions of such GHE are derived and can be described by holomorphic functions whose power series coefficients are determined by a four-term recurrence relation. In addition using asymptotic analysis we derive the solutions for the massive fermion far away from the KN black hole and the solutions near the event horizon . The determination of the separation constant as an eigenvalue problem in the KN background is investigated. Using the aforementioned four-term recursion formula we prove that in the non-extreme KN geometry there are no bound states with

ω

2

<

μ

2

, where ω and μ are the energy and mass of the fermion respectively.
The effects of stress and glucocorticoids on vocalizations: a test in North American red squirrels
Authors: Sehrsweeney Matt , Wilson David R , Bain Maggie , Boutin Stan , Lane Jeffrey E , McAdam Andrew G , Dantzer Ben
Published: March 2019

Acoustic signaling is an important means by which animals communicate both stable and labile characteristics. Although it is widely appreciated that vocalizations can convey information on labile state, such as fear and aggression, fewer studies have experimentally examined the acoustic expression of stress state. The transmission of such public information about physiological state could have broad implications, potentially influencing the behavior and life-history traits of neighbors. North American red squirrels (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) produce vocalizations known as rattles that advertise territorial ownership. We examined the influence of changes in physiological stress state on rattle acoustic structure through the application of a stressor (trapping and handling the squirrels) and by provisioning squirrels with exogenous glucocorticoids (GCs). We characterized the acoustic structure of rattles emitted by these squirrels by measuring rattle duration, mean frequency, and entropy. We found evidence that rattles do indeed exhibit a “stress signature.” When squirrels were trapped and handled, they produced rattles that were longer in duration with a higher frequency and increased entropy. However, squirrels that were administered exogenous GCs had similar rattle duration, frequency, and entropy as squirrels that were fed control treatments and unfed squirrels. Our results indicate that short-term stress does affect the acoustic structure of vocalizations, but elevated circulating GC levels do not mediate such changes.
Compressed filesystem for managing large genome collections
Authors: Navarro Gonzalo , Sepúlveda Víctor , Marín Mauricio , González Senén
Published: March 2019

Motivation

Genome repositories are growing faster than our storage capacities, challenging our ability to store, transmit, process and analyze them. While genomes are not very compressible individually, those repositories usually contain myriads of genomes or genome reads of the same species, thereby creating opportunities for orders-of-magnitude compression by exploiting inter-genome similarities. A useful compression system, however, cannot be only usable for archival, but it must allow direct access to the sequences, ideally in transparent form so that applications do not need to be rewritten.

Results

We present a highly compressed filesystem that specializes in storing large collections of genomes and reads. The system obtains orders-of-magnitude compression by using Relative Lempel-Ziv, which exploits the high similarities between genomes of the same species. The filesystem transparently stores the files in compressed form, intervening the system calls of the applications without the need to modify them. A client/server variant of the system stores the compressed files in a server, while the client’s filesystem transparently retrieves and updates the data from the server. The data between client and server are also transferred in compressed form, which saves an order of magnitude network time.

Availability and implementation

The C++ source code of our implementation is available for download in https://github.com/vsepulve/relz_fs.
ScanNeo: identifying indel-derived neoantigens using RNA-Seq data
Authors: Wang Ting-You , Wang Li , Alam Sk Kayum , Hoeppner Luke H , Yang Rendong
Published: March 2019

Insertion and deletion (indels) have been recognized as an important source generating tumor-specific mutant peptides (neoantigens). The focus of indel-derived neoantigen identification has been on leveraging DNA sequencing such as whole exome sequencing, with the effort of using RNA-seq less well explored. Here we present ScanNeo, a fast-streamlined computational pipeline for analyzing RNA-seq to predict neoepitopes derived from small to large-sized indels. We applied ScanNeo in a prostate cancer cell line and validated our predictions with matched mass spectrometry data. Finally, we demonstrated that indel neoantigens predicted from RNA-seq were associated with checkpoint inhibitor response in a cohort of melanoma patients.

Availability and implementation

ScanNeo is implemented in Python. It is freely accessible at the GitHub repository (https://github.com/ylab-hi/ScanNeo).

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Leaking Like a Sieve? Transfer Restraints on Small Arms, Light Weapons and Ammunition
Authors: Alley Roderic
Published: March 2019

Compared to nuclear weapons, chemical and biological weapons or advanced conventional weapons systems, such as missiles, small arms and light weapons (SALW) and the ammunition required to render them lethal, have received less attention from arms control analysts. Accordingly the focus of this commentary is upon two particular inadequacies identified within the existing SALW restraint repertoire. They include, first, a failure to have SALW ammunition designated as an objective deserving explicit restraint designation and, secondly, persisting and largely unresolved state differences over controlling supplies of this weaponry to armed non-state actors. Both concerns illustrate how a use of consensus procedures within relevant rule formulation has favoured the interests of major SALW suppliers. The two deficiencies identified are considered destabilising given their continued capacity to degrade restraints designed to restrict deployments of this long-lasting weaponry—particularly within locations exhibiting limited forms of state capacity. The scope for existing legal mechanisms to remedy these deficiencies is examined, as is their potential to induce enhanced compliance and implementation.
A Retrospective, Epidemiological Review of Hemiplegic Migraines in a Military Population
Authors: Moore Brian A , Hale Willie J , Nabity Paul S , Koehn Tyler R , McGeary Donald , Peterson Alan L
Published: March 2019

Introduction

Headaches are one of the world’s most common disabling conditions. They are also both highly prevalent and debilitating among military personnel and can have a significant impact on fitness for duty. Hemiplegic migraines are an uncommon, yet severely incapacitating, subtype of migraine with aura for which there has been a significant increase amongst US military personnel over the past decade. To date, there has not been a scientific report on hemiplegic migraine in United States military personnel.

Materials and Methods

The aim of this study was to provide an overview of hemiplegic migraine, to analyze data on the incidence of hemiplegic migraine in US military service members, and to evaluate demographic factors associated with hemiplegic migraine diagnoses. First time diagnoses of hemiplegic migraine were extracted from the Defense Medical Epidemiological Database according to ICD-9 and ICD-10 codes for hemiplegic migraine. One sample Chi-Square goodness of fit tests were conducted on weighted demographic samples to determine whether significant proportional differences existed between gender, age, military grade, service component, race, and marital status.

Results

From 1997 to 2007 there were no cases of hemiplegic migraine recorded in the Defense Medical Epidemiological Database. However, from 2008 to 2017 there was a significant increase in the number of initial diagnoses of hemiplegic migraine, from 4 in 2008 to a high of 101 in 2016. From 2008 to 2017, 597 new cases of hemiplegic migraine were reported among US military service members. Disproportional incidence of hemiplegic migraine was observed for gender, X2 (1, 597) = 297.37, p <.001, age, X2 (5, 597) = 62.60, p <.001, service component, X2 (3, 597) = 31.48, p <.001, pay grade X2 (3, 597) = 57.96, p <.001, and race, X2 (2, 597) = 37.32, p <.001, but not for marital status X2 (1, 597) = 2.57, p >.05.

Conclusion

Over the past decade, there has been a significant increase in the number of initial diagnoses of hemiplegic migraine in Active Duty United States military personnel. Based on these diagnosis rates, there is evidence to suggest that hemiplegic migraine has a higher incidence and prevalence rate among post 9/11 service members of the United States military as compared to the general population. Given the sudden increase in new patients diagnosed with hemiplegic migraine in the past decade, the global prevalence estimates of hemiplegic migraine should be reconsidered. Additionally, the impact of hemiplegic migraine on service member’s duties and responsibilities deserves further consideration.
Exponential shapelets: basis functions for data analysis of isolated features
Authors: Bergé Joel , Massey Richard , Baghi Quentin , Touboul Pierre
Published: March 2019

We introduce one- and two-dimensional ‘exponential shapelets’: orthonormal basis functions that efficiently model isolated features in data. They are built from eigenfunctions of the quantum mechanical hydrogen atom, and inherit mathematics with elegant properties under Fourier transform, and hence (de)convolution. For a wide variety of data, exponential shapelets compress information better than Gauss–Hermite/Gauss–Laguerre (‘shapelet’) decomposition, and generalize previous attempts that were limited to 1D or circularly symmetric basis functions. We discuss example applications in astronomy, fundamental physics, and space geodesy.