bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Assessment of Reservoir Rock Properties from Rock Physics Modeling and Petrophysical Analysis of Borehole Logging Data to Lessen Uncertainty in Formation Characterization in Ratana Gas Field, Northern Potwar, Pakistan
Authors: Ahmed Nisar , Kausar Tayyaba , Khalid Perveiz , Akram Sohail
Published: June 2018

Petrophysical evaluation and rock physics analysis are the important tools to relate the reservoir properties like porosity, permeability, pore fluids with seismic parameters. Nevertheless, the uncertainties always exist in the quantification of elastic and seismic parameters estimated through wireline logs and rock physics analysis. A workflow based on statistical relationships of rock physics and logs derived elastic and seismic parameters with porosity and the percentage error exist between them is given. The statistical linear regressions are developed for early Eocene Chorgali Formation between various petrophysically factors determined from borehole logging of well Ratana – 03 drilled in tectonically disturbed zone and the seismic and elastic parameters estimated through rock physics modeling. The rock physics constraints such as seismic velocities, effective density and elastic moduli calculated from Gassmann fluid substation analysis are in harmony and close agreement to those estimated from borehole logs. The percentage errors between well logs and rock physics computed saturated bulk modulus (Ksat), effective density (ρeff), compressional and shear wave velocities (VP and VS) are 1.31%, 4.23 %, 5.25% and 4.01% respectively. The permeability of reservoir intervals show fairly strong linear relationship with the porosity, indicating that the reservoir interval of the Chorgali Formation is permeable and porous thus having large potential of hydrocarbon accumulation and production.
Extension, Compression, and Beyond: A Unique Classification System for Mortality Evolution Patterns
Authors: Börger Matthias , Genz Martin , Ruß Jochen
Published: June 2018

A variety of literature addresses the question of how the age distribution of deaths changes over time as life expectancy increases. However, corresponding terms such as extension, compression, or rectangularization are sometimes defined only vaguely, and statistics used to detect certain scenarios can be misleading. The matter is further complicated because mixed scenarios can prevail, and the considered age range can have an impact on observed mortality patterns. In this article, we establish a unique classification framework for realized mortality scenarios that allows for the detection of both pure and mixed scenarios. Our framework determines whether changes of the deaths curve over time show elements of extension or contraction; compression or decompression; left- or right-shifting mortality; and concentration or diffusion. The framework not only can test the presence of a particular scenario but also can assign a unique scenario to any observed mortality evolution. Furthermore, it can detect different mortality scenarios for different age ranges in the same population. We also present a methodology for the implementation of our classification framework and apply it to mortality data for U.S. females.
Uniform boundedness principles for Sobolev maps into manifolds
Authors: Monteil Antonin , Van Schaftingen Jean
Published: June 2018

Given a connected Riemannian manifold

\mathcal{N}

, an

m

-dimensional Riemannian manifold

\mathcal{M}

which is either compact or the Euclidean space,

p \in [1, + \infty)

and

s \in (0,1]

, we establish, for the problems of surjectivity of the trace, of weak-bounded approximation, of lifting and of superposition, that qualitative properties satisfied by every map in a nonlinear Sobolev space

W^{s,p}(\mathcal{M},\mathcal{N})

imply corresponding uniform quantitative bounds. This result is a nonlinear counterpart of the classical Banach–Steinhaus uniform boundedness principle in linear Banach spaces.
Investigating the relationship between DNA methylation age acceleration and risk factors for Alzheimer's disease
Authors: McCartney Daniel L. , Stevenson Anna J. , Walker Rosie M. , Gibson Jude , Morris Stewart W. , Campbell Archie , Murray Alison D. , Whalley Heather C. , Porteous David J. , McIntosh Andrew M. , Evans Kathryn L. , Deary Ian J. , Marioni Riccardo E.
Published: June 2018

Introduction

The “epigenetic clock” is a DNA methylation–based estimate of biological age and is correlated with chronological age—the greatest risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD). Genetic and environmental risk factors exist for AD, several of which are potentially modifiable. In this study, we assess the relationship between the epigenetic clock and AD risk factors.

Methods

Multilevel models were used to assess the relationship between age acceleration (the residual of biological age regressed onto chronological age) and AD risk factors relating to cognitive reserve, lifestyle, disease, and genetics in the Generation Scotland study (n = 5100).

Results

We report significant associations between age acceleration and body mass index, total cholesterol to high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol ratios, socioeconomic status, high blood pressure, and smoking behavior (Bonferroni‐adjusted P < .05).

Discussion

Associations are present between environmental risk factors for AD and age acceleration. Measures to modify such risk factors might improve the risk profile for AD and the rate of biological ageing. Future longitudinal analyses are therefore warranted.
CEO outsiderness and firm performance in an emerging economy: The moderating role of managerial discretion
Authors: Ataay Aylin
Published: June 2018

Inconsistent findings from prior research on the performance consequences of new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) origin led us to study the moderating effect of managerial discretion on the link between CEO outsiderness and firms’ post-succession performance. Data from 75 CEO succession events from an emerging economy show that new CEO outsiderness, without managerial discretion context influences, has no direct impact on post-succession performance. Further, our findings emphasise the moderating impacts of managerial discretion, stemming from factors in a company’s external and internal contingencies, which either strengthen or weaken the association between new CEO outsiderness and post-succession firm performance. It is found that market complexity, but not munificence, provides CEOs with more discretion in the Turkish context, thus strengthening the positive associations between CEO origin and firm performance. Firms inertia weakens both managerial discretion level and the association between CEO outsiderness and firm performance. The results show that internal corporate governance also matters. Finally, when a CEO assumes the dual role of both the chairman and the CEO, the link between CEO outsiderness and performance of the firm becomes stronger.
A new crinoid fauna from the Taiyuan Formation (early Permian) of Henan, North China
Authors: Mao Yingyan , Webster Gary D. , Ausich William I. , Li Yue , Wang Qiulai , Reich Mike
Published: June 2018

A diverse Permian crinoid fauna is reported from the Taiyuan Formation, Dajian Member (Asselian) at Anyang, northeastern Henan Province of the North China Craton. The specimens are well preserved, including articulated crowns and cups. The fauna contains representatives of each of the major Paleozoic crinoid clades: Cladida (including the Flexibilia), Disparida, and Camerata. Identified genera suggest a greater affinity with North American faunas than with Tethyan faunas. Four new species,Neoprotencrinus anyangensis,Ulocrinus qiaoi,Artichthyocrinus limani, andSynbathocrinus chenae, are proposed herein.

UUID:http://zoobank.org/D08DDDCD-485C-45CC-A014-C1CB58C26588
INTERREGIONAL INTERACTION IN TERMINAL CLASSIC YUCATAN: RECENT OBSIDIAN AND CERAMIC DATA FROM VISTA ALEGRE, QUINTANA ROO, MEXICO
Authors: Glover Jeffrey B. , Hruby Zachary X. , Rissolo Dominique , Ball Joseph W. , Glascock Michael D. , Shackley M. Steven
Published: June 2018

We use ceramic and obsidian data from the ancient Maya port site of Vista Alegre to discuss long-distance exchange during the Terminal Classic (c. AD 850–1100) period. This is a time often associated with increased international trade relations and the growth of Chichen Itza as a dominant regional power in the northern Maya lowlands. Critical to the increased volume of international trade were the merchants who transported goods along the coast of Yucatan in large trading canoes. By combining a macroscopic assessment of the ceramics with visual, XRF, and INAA analyses of the obsidian artifacts, we gain insight into the various socioeconomic forces at work moving goods around the Peninsula. Given the paucity of Terminal Classic settlement in the interior Yalahau region, Vista Alegre appears to be an isolated site during this period, approximately 40 km from the nearest coastal neighbor. This allows us to focus on coastal exchange as the sole means by which goods arrived at the site. Our preliminary data contribute to the growing literature on the role market economies played in the Maya area, and the increased opportunities this afforded coastal peoples as circum-peninsular trade became more common through time.
Effects of constant and fluctuating temperature on the development of the oriental fruit moth, Grapholita molesta (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae)
Authors: Chen Z.-Z. , Xu L.-X. , Li L.-L. , Wu H.-B. , Xu Y.-Y.
Published: June 2018

The oriental fruit moth, Grapholita molesta, is an important pest in many commercial orchards including apple, pear and peach orchards, and responsible for substantial economic losses every year. To help in attaining a comprehensive and thorough understanding of the ecological tolerances of G. molesta, we collected life history data of individuals reared on apples under different constant temperature regimes and compared the data with moths reared under a variable outdoor temperature environment. Because G. molesta individuals reared at a constant 25°C had the heaviest pupal weight, the highest survival rate from egg to adult, highest finite rate of increase, and greatest fecundity, 25°C was considered as the optimum developmental temperature. The G. molesta population reared at a constant 31°C had the shortest development time, lowest survival rate and fecundity, resulting in population parameters of r < 0, λ < 1, lead to negative population growth. The population parameters r and λ reared under fluctuating temperature were higher than that reared under constant temperatures, the mean generation time (T) was shorter than it was in all of the constant temperatures treatments. This would imply that the outdoor G. molesta population would have a higher population growth potential and faster growth rate than indoor populations raised at constant temperatures. G. molesta moths reared under fluctuating temperature also had a higher fertility than moths reared under constant temperatures (except at 25°C). Our findings indicated that the population raised under outdoor fluctuating temperature conditions had strong environment adaptiveness.
FREQUENTLY HYPERCYCLIC BILATERAL SHIFTS
Authors: GROSSE-ERDMANN KARL-G.
Published: June 2018

It is not known whether the inverse of a frequently hypercyclic bilateral weighted shift on c0(ℤ) is again frequently hypercyclic. We show that the corresponding problem for upper frequent hypercyclicity has a positive answer. We characterise, more generally, when bilateral weighted shifts on Banach sequence spaces are (upper) frequently hypercyclic.
The Husainabad Trust: The case of a Shi‘a heartland?
Authors: PANDIT AISHWARYA
Published: June 2018

This article explores the history of the Husainabad Trust (‘the Trust’), a quasi-religious endowment that supported a number of key Shi‘a institutions in Uttar Pradesh (UP). It asks how Shi‘a elites were able to sustain their political clout and cultural independence in India whereas, in neighbouring Pakistan, they struggled. The fate of the Trust after independence led to a contest between the Shi‘as and the state, but also among Shi‘as themselves. The resulting confrontation between the Shi‘a community in Lucknow and across UP was, it shows, complicated by internal divisions among Shi‘as who, though united against state interference in their religious and royal trusts, were divided on how best to manage them. The Trust assumed importance for Shi‘as after independence because they lost some of the Trust properties to Pakistan and also because the Trust provided the means to support the largest public manifestation of Shi‘a presence in Awadh, Muharram. Husainabad, it suggests, helps to explain how and why Lucknow re-emerged after independence as the heartland of the Shi‘as of India, and arguably of South Asia.
An explicit dense universal Hilbert set
Authors: FILASETA MICHAEL , WILCOX ROBERT
Published: June 2018

We provide the first explicit example of a universal Hilbert set${\Ncal S}$having asymptotic density 1 in the set of integers. More precisely, the number of integersnotin${\Ncal S}$with absolute value ≤Xis bounded byX/(logX)δ, where δ = 1 − (1 + loglog 2)/(log 2) = 0.086071. . ..
Post-concussion Symptom Factors and Neuropsychological Outcomes in Collegiate Athletes
Authors: Guty Erin , Arnett Peter
Published: June 2018

Objectives:Research indicates that symptoms following a concussion are related to cognitive dysfunction; however, less is known about how different types of symptoms may be related to cognitive outcomes or how specific domains of cognition are affected. The present study explored the relationship between specific types of symptoms and these various cognitive outcomes following a concussion.Methods:One-hundred twenty-two student-athletes with sports-related concussion were tested with a battery that included a symptom report measure and various cognitive tests. Symptoms factors were: Physical, Sleep, Cognitive, Affective and Headache. Participants were grouped into “symptom” and “no symptom” groups for each factor. Cognitive outcomes included both overall performance as well as impairment scores in which individuals were grouped into impaired and not impaired based on a cutoff of 2 or more tests at the impaired level (<80 in standard scores). These cognitive outcomes were examined for all the tests combined and then specifically for the memory tests and attention/processing speed tests. A Bonferroni correction was used, and the results were considered significant at a level ofp<.008.Results:Headache symptoms were significantly (p<.008) associated with overall cognitive impairment as well as memory and attention/processing speed impairment. Sleep symptoms were related to memory impairments.Conclusions:The symptom specific relationships to cognitive outcomes demonstrated by our study can help guide treatment and accommodations for athletes following concussion. (JINS, 2018,24, 1–9)
Suicidal thoughts and attempts in First Nations communities: links to parental Indian residential school attendance across development
Authors: Bombay A. , McQuaid R. J. , Schwartz F. , Thomas A. , Anisman H. , Matheson K.
Published: June 2018

The Indian residential school (IRS) system in Canada ran for over a century until the last school closed in 1996. Conditions in the IRSs resulted in generations of Indigenous children being exposed to chronic childhood adversity. The current investigation used data from the 2008–2010 First Nations Regional Health Survey to explore whether parental IRS attendance was associated with suicidal thoughts and attempts in childhood, adolescence and in adulthood among a representative sample of First Nations peoples living on-reserve across Canada. Analyses of the adult sample in Study 1 (unweightedn=7716; weightedn=186,830) revealed that having a parent who attended IRS was linked with increased risk for suicidal thoughts and attempts in adolescence and adulthood. Although females were negatively affected by having a parent who attended IRS, the link with suicidal ideation in adulthood was greater for males. Analyses of the youth sample in Study 2 (unweightedn=2883; weightedn=30,190) confirmed that parental IRS attendance was associated with an increased risk for suicidal ideation and attempts. In contrast to the adult sample, parental IRS attendance had a significantly greater relation with suicidal ideation among female youth. A significant interaction also emerged between parental IRS attendance and age in the youth sample, with the influence of parental attendance being particularly strong among youth ages 12–14, compared with those 15–17 years. These results underscore the need for culturally relevant early interventions for the large proportions of Indigenous children and youth intergenerationally affected by IRSs and other collective traumas.
Vorerkrankungen als «Stolperstein» – ein Fall von Multimorbidität in der Klinik
Authors: Kühlewindt Tobias , Thienemann Friedrich
Published: June 2018

Zusammenfassung. Wir berichten über einen 83-jährigen Patienten mit kardialer Synkope, Schädel-Hirn-Trauma und intrakranieller Blutung unter Antikoagulation. Bei dem Patienten entwickelte sich eine «medizinische Zwickmühle» aufgrund des Sturzes und bestehender chronischer Vorerkrankungen. Vorgängig nicht diagnostizierte kardiale Grunderkrankungen führten in diesem Fall zu einer Synkope. Die konsekutiven intrakraniellen Blutungen wurden durch die aufgrund rezidivierender unprovozierter Lungenembolien indizierte Antikoagulation begünstigt. Die Blutungen selbst verhinderten eine kausale Behandlung der kardialen Grundproblematik, was im Falle dieses Patienten nach mehreren Komplikationen zum Tode führte.
Simulation and Assimilation of Passive Microwave Data Using a Snowpack Model Coupled to a Calibrated Radiative Transfer Model Over Northeastern Canada
Authors: Larue F. , Royer A. , De Sève D. , Roy A. , Picard G. , Vionnet V. , Cosme E.
Published: June 2018

Over northern snowmelt‐dominated basins, the snow water equivalent (SWE) is of primary interest for hydrological forecasting. This paper evaluates first the performance of a detailed multilayer snowpack model (Crocus), driven by meteorological predictions generated by the Canadian Global Environmental Multiscale model, for hydrological applications. Simulations were compared to daily snow depth and SWE measurements over Québec, northeastern Canada (56–45°N), for 2012–2016, highlighting an overestimation of the annual maximum snow depth (35%) and of the annual maximum SWE (16%), which is not accurate enough for hydrological applications. To improve SWE simulations, a chain of models is implemented to simulate and to assimilate passive microwave satellite observations. The snowpack model is coupled to a microwave snow emission model (Dense Media Radiative Transfer‐Multilayers model, DMRT‐ML), and the comparison of simulated brightness temperatures (TBs) with surface‐based TB measurements (at 11, 19 and 37 GHz) shows best results when the snow stickiness parameter is set to 0.17 in DMRT‐ML. The overall root‐mean‐square error (RMSE) obtained by the calibrated coupling reaches 27 K, significantly better than the RMSE obtained by considering nonsticky spheres in DMRT‐ML (43.0 K). The relevance of TB assimilation is tested with synthetic observations to evaluate the information content of each frequency for SWE estimates. The assimilation scheme is a Sequential Importance Resampling Particle filter using an ensemble of perturbed meteorological forcing data. The results show a SWE RMSE reduced by 82% with TB assimilation compared to without assimilation.
Effects of Drainage and Subsequent Restoration on Peatland Hydrological Processes at Catchment Scale
Authors: Menberu Meseret Walle , Haghighi Ali Torabi , Ronkanen Anna‐Kaisa , Marttila Hannu , Kløve Bjørn
Published: June 2018

Potential benefits of peatland restoration by rewetting include carbon sequestration, restored biodiversity, and improved hydrological functions. There is great uncertainty about how catchment hydrological processes change after restoration, with a particular lack of well‐documented catchment runoff data. This study compared five formerly Disturbed (now Restored) and two undisturbed peatlands. In total, 455 and 728 hydrological events were selected for the analysis, using a three‐event selection technique. Mean event runoff coefficient (RC) values varied greatly between conditions and hydrological events. RC in Disturbed conditions was slightly higher than in undisturbed conditions, but RC in Restored conditions was higher than under other conditions. Mean transit time revealed that event rainfall water reached the outlet faster in Disturbed conditions. Mean event peak flow in Disturbed conditions was higher and peaked faster than under other conditions. However, the base flow showed no noticeable difference between treatments. Significantly higher watertable (WT) rise per rainfall input (0.36–0.85 cm/mm) was observed in Disturbed conditions, due to lower specific yield (Sy) values (0.13–0.24) than under Restored and undisturbed conditions (Sy 0.25–0.50). Shallow WT showed significant positive correlations with runoff and storage properties and was a key component of the runoff generation mechanisms in peatlands. Storage‐related parameters (Sy, WT rise per rainfall input) and catchment response time parameters revealed disturbance‐related hydrological changes in peatlands more clearly than other runoff parameters tested (e.g., RC). Overall, with restoration, WT and storage properties recovered to the levels at undisturbed sites but increased runoff was observed occasionally due to wetter antecedent moisture conditions.
Climate Dictates Magnitude of Asymmetry in Soil Depth and Hillslope Gradient
Authors: Inbar Assaf , Nyman Petter , Rengers Francis K. , Lane Patrick N. J. , Sheridan Gary J.
Published: June 2018

Hillslope asymmetry is often attributed to differential eco‐hydro‐geomorphic processes resulting from aspect‐related differences in insolation. At midlatitudes, polar facing hillslopes are steeper, wetter, have denser vegetation, and deeper soils than their equatorial facing counterparts. We propose that at regional scales, the magnitude in insolation‐driven hillslope asymmetry is sensitive to variations in climate, and investigate the fire‐prone landscapes in southeastern Australia to evaluate this hypothesis. Patterns of asymmetry in soil depth and landform were quantified using soil depth measurements and topographic analysis across a contemporary rainfall gradient. Results show that polar facing hillslopes are steeper, and have greater soil depth, than equatorial facing slopes. Furthermore, we show that the magnitude of this asymmetry varies systematically with aridity index, with a maximum at the transition between water and energy limitation, suggesting a possible long‐term role of climate in hillslope development.
UV Dayglow Variability on Mars: Simulation With a Global Climate Model and Comparison With SPICAM/MEx Data
Authors: González‐Galindo F. , Chaufray J.‐Y. , Forget F. , García‐Comas M. , Montmessin F. , Jain S. K. , Stiepen A.
Published: June 2018

A model able to simulate the CO Cameron bands and the CO
UV doublet, two of the most prominent UV emissions in the Martian dayside, has been incorporated into a Mars global climate model. The model self‐consistently quantifies the effects of atmospheric variability on the simulated dayglow for the first time. Comparison of the modeled peak intensities with Mars Express (MEx) SPICAM (Spectroscopy for Investigation of Characteristics of the Atmosphere of Mars) observations confirms previous suggestions that electron impact cross sections on CO2 and CO need to be reduced. The peak altitudes are well predicted by the model, except for the period of MY28 characterized by the presence of a global dust storm. Global maps of the simulated emission systems have been produced, showing a seasonal variability of the peak intensities dominated by the eccentricity of the Martian orbit. A significant contribution of the CO electron impact excitation to the Cameron bands is found, with variability linked to that of the CO abundance. This is in disagreement with previous theoretical models, due to the larger CO abundance predicted by our model. In addition, the contribution of this process increases with altitude, indicating that care should be taken when trying to derive temperatures from the scale height of this emission. The analysis of the geographical variability of the predicted intensities reflects the predicted density variability. In particular, a longitudinal variability dominated by a wave‐3 pattern is obtained both in the predicted density and in the predicted peak altitudes.
A New Transformative Framework for Data Assimilation and Calibration of Physical Ionosphere‐Thermosphere Models
Authors: Mehta Piyush M. , Linares Richard
Published: June 2018

Accurate specification and prediction of the ionosphere‐thermosphere environment, driven by external forcing, is crucial to the space community. In this work, we present a new transformative framework for data assimilation and calibration of the physical ionosphere‐thermosphere models. The framework has two main components: (i) the development of a quasi‐physical dynamic reduced‐order model (ROM) that uses a linear approximation of the underlying dynamics and effect of the drivers, and (ii) data assimilation and calibration of the ROM through estimation of the ROM coefficients that represent the model parameters. A reduced‐order surrogate for thermospheric mass density from the Thermosphere‐Ionosphere‐Electrodynamics General Circulation Model (TIE‐GCM) was developed in previous work. This work concentrates on the second component of the framework—data assimilation and calibration of the TIE‐GCM ROM. The new framework has two major advantages: (i) a dynamic ROM that combines the speed of empirical models for real‐time capabilities with the predictive capabilities of physical models, which has the potential to facilitate improved uncertainty quantification using large ensembles, and (ii) estimation of model parameters rather than the driver(s)/input(s), which allows calibration of the model, thus avoiding degradation of model performance in the absence of continuous data. We demonstrate and validate the framework using simulated and real measurement scenarios. The simulated case uses Mass Spectrometer and Incoherent Scatter model output as measurements, while the real data case uses accelerometer‐derived density estimates from CHAllenging Minisatellite Payload and Gravity Field and Steady‐State Ocean Circulation Explorer. The framework is a first of its kind, simple yet robust and accurate method with high potential for providing real‐time operational updates to the state of the upper atmosphere in the context of drag modeling for space situational awareness and space traffic management.
Co-Imagination of Fictional Worlds in Film Viewing
Authors: Tan Eduard Sioe-Hao , Visch Valentijn
Published: June 2018

The typical experience of narrative film is characterized by a remarkable intensity as to absorption and emotion. Current explanations attribute the experience to the realistic perceptual impact of the film. This theoretical article sets out to explain the experience as the result first of the film-viewer's acts of imagination of fictional worlds. More specifically, it seems suitable to conceptualize the film experience as arising from pretense play. Pretense play can afford room for free imagination leading to intense emotion, as well as restrictions to the imagination “quarantining” ( Leslie, 1987 ) pretended fictional worlds from the real world, thus safeguarding the enjoyability and adaptiveness of the experience. Applying the concept of joint pretense for the first time to film, we follow Walton (1990) in his account of fiction as an institutionalized form of pretense play enabling intense emotional experiences in the cinema, including unpleasant ones to be appreciated by film-viewers. Thus, the model of co-imagination has as components (a) the generation of fictional film worlds—the acts of pretense in the narrower sense; (b) the participation in; and (c) the appreciation of these. We argue that the account of the experience can be improved if it is conceived as the outcome of joint pretense, in which film-viewers in their imagination activity team up with filmmakers—experts by eminence in prompting the viewers’ imagination. Finally, in our model of co-imagination in popular film joint pretense acts are layered ( Clark, 1996 ) as to the contents of the fictional worlds, with the lowest layer representing the collaboration for imagination between filmmaker and film-viewer in the actual world and the higher ones representing fictional worlds of increasing depth of imagination. Because of asymmetric access relations among layers, returns to the actual world in advanced pretense are difficult, which helps quarantining and the sense of absorption.
Selective excitation and imaging of ultraslow phonon polaritons in thin hexagonal boron nitride crystals
Authors: Ambrosio Antonio , Tamagnone Michele , Chaudhary Kundan , Jauregui Luis A. , Kim Philip , Wilson William L. , Capasso Federico
Published: June 2018

We selectively excite and study two new types of phonon-polariton guided modes that are found in hexagonal boron nitride thin flakes on a gold substrate. Such modes show substantially improved confinement and a group velocity that is hundreds of times slower than the speed of light, thereby providing a new way to create slow light in the mid-infrared range with a simple structure that does not require nano-patterning. One mode is the fundamental mode in the first Restrahlen band of hexagonal boron nitride thin crystals on a gold substrate; the other mode is equivalent to the second mode of the second Restrahlen band of hexagonal boron nitride flakes that are suspended in vacuum.

The new modes also couple efficiently with incident light at the hexagonal boron nitride edges, as we demonstrate experimentally using photo-induced force microscopy and scanning near-field optical microscopy. The high confinement of these modes allows for Purcell factors that are on the order of tens of thousands directly above boron nitride and a wide band, with new perspectives for enhanced light-matter interaction. Our findings demonstrate a new approach to engineering the dispersion of polaritons in 2D materials to improve confinement and light-matter interaction, thereby paving the way for new applications in mid-infrared nano-optics.
A novel MLH1 mutation in a Japanese family with Lynch syndrome associated with small bowel cancer
Authors: Akizawa Yoshika , Yamamoto Toshiyuki , Tamura Kazuo , Kanno Toshiyuki , Takahashi Nobuko , Ohki Takeshi , Omori Teppei , Tokushige Katsutoshi , Yamamoto Masakazu , Saito Kayoko
Published: June 2018

Lynch syndrome is a genetic disorder related to cancer predisposition, including colorectal cancer, endometrial cancer, and ovarian cancer. Germline mutations in mismatch repair genes, including MLH1, MSH2, MSH6, and PMS2, are responsible for this condition. Cancer tissue specimens resected from small bowel adenocarcinoma in a Japanese patient showed decreased expression of MLH1 and PMS2 by immunohistochemistry testing. Finally, a novel MLH1 mutation, c.1833dup, was identified in this patient.
Large-scale genetic analysis reveals mammalian mtDNA heteroplasmy dynamics and variance increase through lifetimes and generations
Authors: Burgstaller Joerg P. , Kolbe Thomas , Havlicek Vitezslav , Hembach Stephanie , Poulton Joanna , Piálek Jaroslav , Steinborn Ralf , Rülicke Thomas , Brem Gottfried , Jones Nick S. , Johnston Iain G.
Published: June 2018

Vital mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) populations exist in cells and may consist of heteroplasmic mixtures of mtDNA types. The evolution of these heteroplasmic populations through development, ageing, and generations is central to genetic diseases, but is poorly understood in mammals. Here we dissect these population dynamics using a dataset of unprecedented size and temporal span, comprising 1947 single-cell oocyte and 899 somatic measurements of heteroplasmy change throughout lifetimes and generations in two genetically distinct mouse models. We provide a novel and detailed quantitative characterisation of the linear increase in heteroplasmy variance throughout mammalian life courses in oocytes and pups. We find that differences in mean heteroplasmy are induced between generations, and the heteroplasmy of germline and somatic precursors diverge early in development, with a haplotype-specific direction of segregation. We develop stochastic theory predicting the implications of these dynamics for ageing and disease manifestation and discuss its application to human mtDNA dynamics.
Nuclear Smad6 promotes gliomagenesis by negatively regulating PIAS3-mediated STAT3 inhibition
Authors: Jiao Jiantong , Zhang Rui , Li Zheng , Yin Ying , Fang Xiangming , Ding Xiaopeng , Cai Ying , Yang Shudong , Mu Huijun , Zong Da , Chen Yuexin , Zhang Yansong , Zou Jian , Shao Junfei , Huang Zhaohui
Published: June 2018

To date, the molecular mechanism underlying constitutive signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) activation in gliomas is largely unclear. In this study, we report that Smad6 is overexpressed in nuclei of glioma cells, which correlates with poor patient survival and regulates STAT3 activity via negatively regulating the Protein Inhibitors of Activated STAT3 (PIAS3). Mechanically, Smad6 interacts directly with PIAS3, and this interaction is mediated through the Mad homology 2 (MH2) domain of Smad6 and the Ring domain of PIAS3. Smad6 recruits Smurf1 to facilitate PIAS3 ubiquitination and degradation, which also depends on the MH2 domain and the PY motif of Smad6. Consequently, Smad6 reduces PIAS3-mediated STAT3 inhibition and promotes glioma cell growth and stem-like cell initiation. Moreover, the Smad6 MH2 transducible protein restores PIAS3 expression and subsequently reduces gliomagenesis. Collectively, we conclude that nuclear-Smad6 enhances glioma development by inducing PIAS3 degradation and subsequent STAT3 activity upregulation.
Validation of a simple screening tool for early diagnosis of advanced Parkinson’s disease in daily practice: the CDEPA questionnaire
Authors: Martinez-Martin Pablo , Kulisevsky Jaime , Mir Pablo , Tolosa Eduardo , García-Delgado Pilar , Luquin María-Rosario
Published: June 2018

Early clinical diagnosis of advanced Parkinson’s disease (APD) may be difficult. This study aimed to validate a simple screening tool, the CDEPA questionnaire (“Cuestionario De Enfermedad de Parkinson Avanzada” [Questionnaire for Advanced Parkinson’s Disease]), for the identification of APD in daily practice. The study included 173 consecutively selected patients with PD (40% were women, mean age was 68.4 ± 10.5 years), stratified according to the Hoehn and Yahr (HY) scale. The CDEPA questionnaire defined APD as the presence of severe disability requiring help for activities of daily living (ADL), motor fluctuations with limitation or inability to perform ADL, severe dysphagia, recurrent falls, or dementia. The diagnostic performance of the questionnaire was assessed against the gold standard criterion based on clinical judgment. PD was categorized as advanced in 65 (38%) patients when using the gold standard and in 109 (63%) patients when the CDEPA questionnaire was used. The CDEPA questionnaire and the gold standard agreed moderately (kappa statistic of 0.48, P < 0.001). The CDEPA classified APD with a sensitivity of 97%; specificity of 57%; total accuracy of 72.3%; and area under the curve (for a binary classifier) of 77.2%. Significant differences were found between the groups created by the CDEPA in several usual PD evaluations (HY Scale, SCOPA Motor Scale, Non-motor Symptoms Scale for PD, Clinical Impression of Severity Index for PD, Clinical Global Impression–Severity Scale, and Patient Global Impression–Severity Scale). CDEPA showed satisfactory inter-rater agreement (kappa = 0.88) and test–retest concordance (kappa 0.83). In conclusion, the CDEPA questionnaire is a valid, reliable, and useful instrument for easily screening APD.
Author Correction: Preoperative prognostic nutritional index is a powerful predictor of prognosis in patients with stage III ovarian cancer
Authors: Zhang Weiwei , Ye Bin , Liang Weijiang , Ren Yazhou
Published: June 2018

A correction to this article has been published and is linked from the HTML and PDF versions of this paper. The error has been fixed in the paper.
Fight outcome briefly affects the reproductive fitness of male crickets
Authors: Zeng Yang , Zhou Feng-Hao , Zhu Dao-Hong
Published: June 2018

Sexual selection allows male individuals to adopt different evolutionary strategies in mating system. In this study, we determined whether dominance affected reproductive fitness of male crickets Velarifictorus aspersus during both pre-copulatory and post-copulatory selection when we excluded male–male competition. The results showed that females mated more often with male winners only during the first 2 h after a fight when male winners were more likely to produce courtship songs than losers. However, females did not retain the attached spermatophores of male winners longer than those of male losers, and the fecundity and fertilization success also did not differ significantly between females mated different times with male winners and losers. Instead, the fertilization success was positively correlated with male body weight. These results suggest that a recent wining experience increases reproductive fitness of males during pre-copulatory selection, but females may prefer larger males rather than winners during post-copulatory selection. The incoordination between pre- and post-copulatory selection may allow males to adopt different evolutionary strategies in mating system.
Metabolites Re-programming and Physiological Changes Induced in Scenedesmus regularis under Nitrate Treatment
Authors: Ma Nyuk-Ling , Aziz Ahmad , Teh Kit-Yinn , Lam Su Shiung , Cha Thye-San
Published: June 2018

Nitrate is required to maintain the growth and metabolism of plant and animals. Nevertheless, in excess amount such as polluted water, its concentration can be harmful to living organisms such as microalgae. Recently, studies on microalgae response towards nutrient fluctuation are usually limited to lipid accumulation for the production of biofuels, disregarding the other potential of microalgae to be used in wastewater treatments and as source of important metabolites. Our study therefore captures the need to investigate overall metabolite changes via NMR spectroscopy approach coupled with multivariate data to understand the complex molecular process under high (4X) and low (1/4X) concentrations of nitrate ($${{\bf{NO}}}_{{\bf{3}}}^{{\boldsymbol{-}}}$$

NO

3

−

). NMR spectra with the aid of chemometric analysis revealed contrasting metabolites makeup under abundance and limited nitrate treatment. By using NMR technique, 43 types of metabolites and 8 types of fatty acid chains were detected. Nevertheless, only 20 key changes were observed and 16 were down regulated in limited nitrate condition. This paper has demonstrated the feasibility of NMR-based metabolomics approach to study the physiological impact of changing environment such as pollution to the implications for growth and productivity of microalgae population.
A hybrid computational approach for efficient Alzheimer’s disease classification based on heterogeneous data
Authors: Ding Xuemei , Bucholc Magda , Wang Haiying , Glass David H. , Wang Hui , Clarke Dave H. , Bjourson Anthony John , Dowey Le Roy C. , O’Kane Maurice , Prasad Girijesh , Maguire Liam , Wong-Lin KongFatt
Published: June 2018

There is currently a lack of an efficient, objective and systemic approach towards the classification of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), due to its complex etiology and pathogenesis. As AD is inherently dynamic, it is also not clear how the relationships among AD indicators vary over time. To address these issues, we propose a hybrid computational approach for AD classification and evaluate it on the heterogeneous longitudinal AIBL dataset. Specifically, using clinical dementia rating as an index of AD severity, the most important indicators (mini-mental state examination, logical memory recall, grey matter and cerebrospinal volumes from MRI and active voxels from PiB-PET brain scans, ApoE, and age) can be automatically identified from parallel data mining algorithms. In this work, Bayesian network modelling across different time points is used to identify and visualize time-varying relationships among the significant features, and importantly, in an efficient way using only coarse-grained data. Crucially, our approach suggests key data features and their appropriate combinations that are relevant for AD severity classification with high accuracy. Overall, our study provides insights into AD developments and demonstrates the potential of our approach in supporting efficient AD diagnosis.
Biomarker discovery by integrated joint non-negative matrix factorization and pathway signature analyses
Authors: Fujita Naoya , Mizuarai Shinji , Murakami Katsuhiko , Nakai Kenta
Published: June 2018

Predictive biomarkers are important for selecting appropriate patients for particular treatments. Comprehensive genomic, transcriptomic, and pharmacological data provide clues for understanding relationships between biomarkers and drugs. However, it is still difficult to mine biologically meaningful biomarkers from multi-omics data. Here, we developed an approach for mining multi-omics cell line data by integrating joint non-negative matrix factorization (JNMF) and pathway signature analyses to identify candidate biomarkers. The JNMF detected known associations between biomarkers and drugs such as BRAF mutation with PLX4720 and HER2 amplification with lapatinib. Furthermore, we observed that tumours with both BRAF mutation and MITF activation were more sensitive to BRAF inhibitors compared to tumours with BRAF mutation without MITF activation. Therefore, activation of the BRAF/MITF axis seems to be a more appropriate biomarker for predicting the efficacy of a BRAF inhibitor than the conventional biomarker of BRAF mutation alone. Our biomarker discovery scheme represents an integration of JNMF multi-omics clustering and multi-layer interpretation based on pathway gene signature analyses. This approach is also expected to be useful for establishing drug development strategies, identifying pharmacodynamic biomarkers, in mode of action analysis, as well as for mining drug response data in a clinical setting.
Generation of hydroxyl radicals by Fe-polyphenol-activated CaO2 as a potential treatment for soil-borne diseases
Authors: Morikawa Cláudio Kendi
Published: June 2018

An Fe-polyphenol catalyst was recently developed using anhydrous iron (III) chloride and coffee grounds as raw materials. The present study aims to test the application of this Fe-polyphenol catalyst with two hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) sources in soil as a new method for controlling the soil-borne disease caused by Ralstonia solanacearum and to test the hypothesis that hydroxyl radicals are involved in the catalytic process. Tomato cv. Momotaro was used as the test species. The results showed that powdered CaO2 (16% W/W) is a more effective H2O2 source for controlling bacterial wilt disease than liquid H2O2 (35% W/W) when applied with an Fe-polyphenol catalyst. An electron paramagnetic resonance spin trapping method using a 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline-N-oxide (DMPO) assay and Fe-caffeic acid and Fe-chlorogenic acid complexes as models showed that these organometallic complexes react with the H2O2 released by CaO2, producing hydroxyl radicals in a manner that is consistent with the proposed catalytic process. The application of Fe-polyphenol with powdered CaO2 to soil could be a new environmentally friendly method for controlling soil-borne diseases.
The pharmacological perturbation of brain zinc impairs BDNF-related signaling and the cognitive performances of young mice
Authors: Frazzini Valerio , Granzotto Alberto , Bomba Manuela , Massetti Noemi , Castelli Vanessa , d’Aurora Marco , Punzi Miriam , Iorio Mariangela , Mosca Alessandra , Delli Pizzi Stefano , Gatta Valentina , Cimini Annamaria , Sensi Stefano L.
Published: June 2018

Zinc (Zn2+) is a pleiotropic modulator of the neuronal and brain activity. The disruption of intraneuronal Zn2+levels triggers neurotoxic processes and affects neuronal functioning. In this study, we investigated how the pharmacological modulation of brain Zn2+affects synaptic plasticity and cognition in wild-type mice. To manipulate brain Zn2+levels, we employed the Zn2+(and copper) chelator 5-chloro-7-iodo-8-hydroxyquinoline (clioquinol, CQ). CQ was administered for two weeks to 2.5-month-old (m.o.) mice, and effects studied on BDNF-related signaling, metalloproteinase activity as well as learning and memory performances. CQ treatment was found to negatively affect short- and long-term memory performances. The CQ-driven perturbation of brain Zn2+was found to reduce levels of BDNF, synaptic plasticity-related proteins and dendritic spine densityin vivo. Our study highlights the importance of choosing “when”, “where”, and “how much” in the modulation of brain Zn2+levels. Our findings confirm the importance of targeting Zn2+as a therapeutic approach against neurodegenerative conditions but, at the same time, underscore the potential drawbacks of reducing brain Zn2+availability upon the early stages of development.
Comparative analysis of xenobiotic metabolising N-acetyltransferases from ten non-human primates as in vitro models of human homologues
Authors: Tsirka Theodora , Konstantopoulou Maria , Sabbagh Audrey , Crouau-Roy Brigitte , Ryan Ali , Sim Edith , Boukouvala Sotiria , Fakis Giannoulis
Published: June 2018

Xenobiotic metabolising N-acetyltransferases (NATs) perform biotransformation of drugs and carcinogens. Human NAT1 is associated with endogenous metabolic pathways of cells and is a candidate drug target for cancer. Human NAT2 is a well-characterised polymorphic xenobiotic metabolising enzyme, modulating susceptibility to drug-induced toxicity. Human NATs are difficult to express to high purification yields, complicating large-scale production for high-throughput screens or use in sophisticated enzymology assays and crystallography. We undertake comparative functional investigation of the NAT homologues of ten non-human primates, to characterise their properties and evaluate their suitability as models of human NATs. Considering the amount of generated recombinant protein, the enzymatic activity and thermal stability, the NAT homologues of non-human primates are demonstrated to be a much more effective resource for in vitro studies compared with human NATs. Certain NAT homologues are proposed as better models, such as the NAT1 of macaques Macaca mulatta and M. sylvanus, the NAT2 of Erythrocebus patas, and both NAT proteins of the gibbon Nomascus gabriellae which show highest homology to human NATs. This comparative investigation will facilitate in vitro screens towards discovery and optimisation of candidate pharmaceutical compounds for human NAT isoenzymes, while enabling better understanding of NAT function and evolution in primates.
Growth of a common planktonic diatom quantified using solid medium culturing
Authors: Kourtchenko Olga , Rajala Tuomas , Godhe Anna
Published: June 2018

The ability to grow on solid culture medium is a pre-requisite for a successful microbial genetic model organism. Skeletonema marinoi, a bloom-forming, planktonic marine microalga, is widely used in ecological, evolutionary and population genetics studies. We have tested and confirmed the ability of this common organism to grow on solid culture medium (agar) under experimentally manipulated conditions. We established a protocol for quantifying growth characteristics – length of lag phase, growth rate, maximum biomass yield – on agar medium. The procedure was tested under experimental treatments and the resulting growth changes correlated with those observed in standard liquid culture. The ability to grow on solid medium broadens the use of S. marinoi as a molecular model, where agar is routinely used for various purposes (growth, selection, storage); and the possibility to quantify colony growth opens the way for high throughput, automated, or semi-automated phenotyping solutions.