bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Simulating the Regional Impact of Dust on the Middle East Climate and the Red Sea
Authors: Osipov Sergey , Stenchikov Georgiy
Published: January 2018

The Red Sea is located between North Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, the largest sources of dust in the world. Satellite retrievals show very high aerosol optical depth in the region, which increases during the summer season, especially over the southern Red Sea. Previously estimated and validated radiative effect from dust is expected to have a profound thermal and dynamic impact on the Red Sea, but that impact has not yet been studied or evaluated. Due to the strong dust radiative effect at the sea surface, uncoupled ocean modeling approaches with prescribed atmospheric boundary conditions result in an unrealistic ocean response. Therefore, to study the impact of dust on the regional climate of the Middle East and the Red Sea, we employed the Regional Ocean Modeling System fully coupled with the Weather Research and Forecasting model. We modified the atmospheric model to account for the radiative effect of dust. The simulations show that, in the equilibrium response, dust cools the Red Sea, reduces the surface wind speed, and weakens both the exchange at the Bab‐el‐Mandeb strait and the overturning circulation. The salinity distribution, freshwater, and heat budgets are significantly altered. A validation of the simulations against satellite products indicates that accounting for radiative effect from dust almost completely removes the bias and reduces errors in the top of the atmosphere fluxes and sea surface temperature. Our results suggest that dust plays an important role in the energy balance, thermal, and circulation regimes in the Red Sea.
Observed Seasonal Variations of the Upper Ocean Structure and Air‐Sea Interactions in the Andaman Sea
Authors: Liu Yanliang , Li Kuiping , Ning Chunlin , Yang Yang , Wang Haiyuan , Liu Jianjun , Skhokiattiwong Somkiat , Yu Weidong
Published: January 2018

The Andaman Sea (AS) is a poorly observed basin, where even the fundamental physical characteristics have not been fully documented. Here the seasonal variations of the upper ocean structure and the air‐sea interactions in the central AS were studied using a moored surface buoy. The seasonal double‐peak pattern of the sea surface temperature (SST) was identified with the corresponding mixed layer variations. Compared with the buoys in the Bay of Bengal (BOB), the thermal stratification in the central AS was much stronger in the winter to spring, when a shallower isothermal layer and a thinner barrier layer were sustained. The temperature inversion was strongest from June to July because of substantial surface heat loss and subsurface prewarming. The heat budget analysis of the mixed layer showed that the net surface heat fluxes dominated the seasonal SST cycle. Vertical entrainment was significant from April to July. It had a strong cooling effect from April to May and a striking warming effect from June to July. A sensitivity experiment highlighted the importance of salinity. The AS warmer surface water in the winter was associated with weak heat loss caused by weaker longwave radiation and latent heat losses. However, the AS latent heat loss was larger than the BOB in summer due to its lower relative humidity.
Assimilation of Ocean‐Color Plankton Functional Types to Improve Marine Ecosystem Simulations
Authors: Ciavatta S. , Brewin R. J. W. , Skákala J. , Polimene L. , de Mora L. , Artioli Y. , Allen J. I.
Published: January 2018

We assimilated phytoplankton functional types (PFTs) derived from ocean color into a marine ecosystem model, to improve the simulation of biogeochemical indicators and emerging properties in a shelf sea. Error‐characterized chlorophyll concentrations of four PFTs (diatoms, dinoflagellates, nanoplankton, and picoplankton), as well as total chlorophyll for comparison, were assimilated into a physical‐biogeochemical model of the North East Atlantic, applying a localized Ensemble Kalman filter. The reanalysis simulations spanned the years 1998–2003. The skill of the reference and reanalysis simulations in estimating ocean color and in situ biogeochemical data were compared by using robust statistics. The reanalysis outperformed both the reference and the assimilation of total chlorophyll in estimating the ocean‐color PFTs (except nanoplankton), as well as the not‐assimilated total chlorophyll, leading the model to simulate better the plankton community structure. Crucially, the reanalysis improved the estimates of not‐assimilated in situ data of PFTs, as well as of phosphate and pCO2, impacting the simulation of the air‐sea carbon flux. However, the reanalysis increased further the model overestimation of nitrate, in spite of increases in plankton nitrate uptake. The method proposed here is easily adaptable for use with other ecosystem models that simulate PFTs, for, e.g., reanalysis of carbon fluxes in the global ocean and for operational forecasts of biogeochemical indicators in shelf‐sea ecosystems.
Vertical Structure and Radiative Forcing of Monsoon Clouds Over Kanpur During the 2016 INCOMPASS Field Campaign
Authors: George Geet , Sarangi Chandan , Tripathi Sachchida Nand , Chakraborty Tirthankar , Turner Andrew
Published: January 2018

An overview of cloud vertical structure (CVS) and cloud radiative forcing (CRF) during Indian summer monsoon is obtained over Kanpur, through observations made during the Interaction of Convective Organisation and Monsoon Precipitation, Atmosphere, Surface and Sea field campaign of 2016. Associations of CVS parameters with CRF at surface and top of atmosphere (TOA) are also investigated. One hundred thirty‐seven radiosondes were launched at Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, between 5 and 28 July 2016. CVS is determined using an algorithm that identifies cloud layers from vertical profiles of relative humidity, with altitude‐dependent relative humidity thresholds. CVS is analyzed by separating the campaign period on the basis of presence and absence of depressions/low‐pressure systems. Compared to nondepression periods, low‐pressure events showed significant difference in all CVS and CRF parameters except cloud top height. CVS was multilayered in ∼75% launches, with deep, mixed‐phase clouds being present in ∼70% launches. CRF was calculated from clear‐sky measurements and TOA observations from Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System satellite retrievals, and surface measurements. A net cooling effect was found overall, with instantaneous shortwave CRF (mean values of −95.92 and −101.89 W/m2 at surface and TOA, respectively) dominating longwave cloud radiative forcing (LWCRF) (mean values of 15.33 and 66.55 W/m2 at surface and TOA, respectively). Results suggest that shortwave CRF depends on total depth of cloud layers and is independent of cloud altitude, whereas LWCRF depends on both depth and vertical location of cloud layers, with base and top heights regulating LWCRF at surface and TOA, respectively.
Precipitation Dynamical Downscaling Over the Great Plains
Authors: Hu Xiao‐Ming , Xue Ming , McPherson Renee A. , Martin Elinor , Rosendahl Derek H. , Qiao Lei
Published: January 2018

Detailed, regional climate projections, particularly for precipitation, are critical for many applications. Accurate precipitation downscaling in the United States Great Plains remains a great challenge for most Regional Climate Models, particularly for warm months. Most previous dynamic downscaling simulations significantly underestimate warm‐season precipitation in the region. This study aims to achieve a better precipitation downscaling in the Great Plains with the Weather Research and Forecast (WRF) model. To this end, WRF simulations with different physics schemes and nudging strategies are first conducted for a representative warm season. Results show that different cumulus schemes lead to more pronounced difference in simulated precipitation than other tested physics schemes. Simply choosing different physics schemes is not enough to alleviate the dry bias over the southern Great Plains, which is related to an anticyclonic circulation anomaly over the central and western parts of continental U.S. in the simulations. Spectral nudging emerges as an effective solution for alleviating the precipitation bias. Spectral nudging ensures that large and synoptic‐scale circulations are faithfully reproduced while still allowing WRF to develop small‐scale dynamics, thus effectively suppressing the large‐scale circulation anomaly in the downscaling. As a result, a better precipitation downscaling is achieved. With the carefully validated configurations, WRF downscaling is conducted for 1980–2015. The downscaling captures well the spatial distribution of monthly climatology precipitation and the monthly/yearly variability, showing improvement over at least two previously published precipitation downscaling studies. With the improved precipitation downscaling, a better hydrological simulation over the trans‐state Oologah watershed is also achieved.
All‐Carbon‐Electrode‐Based Endurable Flexible Perovskite Solar Cells
Authors: Luo Qiang , Ma He , Hou Qinzhi , Li Yingxiang , Ren Jing , Dai Xuezeng , Yao Zhibo , Zhou Yu , Xiang Lichen , Du Huayun , He Hongcai , Wang Ning , Jiang Kaili , Lin Hong , Zhang Huaiwu , Guo Zhanhu
Published: January 2018

Endured, low‐cost, and high‐performance flexible perovskite solar cells (PSCs) featuring lightweight and mechanical flexibility have attracted tremendous attention for portable power source applications. However, flexible PSCs typically use expensive and fragile indium–tin oxide as transparent anode and high‐vacuum processed noble metal as cathode, resulting in dramatic performance degradation after continuous bending or thermal stress. Here, all‐carbon‐electrode‐based flexible PSCs are fabricated employing graphene as transparent anode and carbon nanotubes as cathode. All‐carbon‐electrode‐based flexible devices with and without spiro‐OMeTAD (2,2′,7,7′‐tetrakis‐(N,N‐di‐p‐methoxyphenylamine)‐9,9′‐spirobifluorene) hole conductor achieve power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of 11.9% and 8.4%, respectively. The flexible carbon‐electrode‐based solar cells demonstrate superior robustness against mechanical deformation in comparison with their counterparts fabricated on flexible indium–tin oxide substrates. Moreover, all carbon‐electrode‐based flexible PSCs also show significantly enhanced stability compared to the flexible devices with gold and silver cathodes under continuous light soaking or 60 °C thermal stress in air, retaining over 90% of their original PCEs after 1000 h. The promising durability and stability highlight that flexible PSCs are fully compatible with carbon materials and pave the way toward the realization of rollable and low‐cost flexible perovskite photovoltaic devices.
Glioma‐Targeted Delivery of a Theranostic Liposome Integrated with Quantum Dots, Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide, and Cilengitide for Dual‐Imaging Guiding Cancer Surgery
Authors: Xu He‐Lin , Yang Jing‐Jing , ZhuGe De‐Li , Lin Meng‐Ting , Zhu Qun‐Yan , Jin Bing‐Hui , Tong Meng‐Qi , Shen Bi‐Xin , Xiao Jian , Zhao Ying‐Zheng
Published: January 2018

Herein, a theranostic liposome (QSC‐Lip) integrated with superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) and quantum dots (QDs) and cilengitide (CGT) into one platform is constructed to target glioma under magnetic targeting (MT) for guiding surgical resection of glioma. Transmission electron microscopy and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy confirm the complete coencapsulation of SPIONs and QDs in liposome. Besides, CGT is also effectively encapsulated into the liposome with an encapsulation efficiency of ∼88.9%. QSC‐Lip exhibits a diameter of 100 ± 1.24 nm, zeta potential of −17.10 ± 0.11 mV, and good stability in several mediums. Moreover, each cargo shows a biphasic release pattern from QSC‐Lip, a rapid initial release within initial 10 h followed by a sustained release. Cellular uptake of QSC‐Lip is significantly enhanced by C6 cells under MT. In vivo dual‐imaging studies show that QSC‐Lip not only produces an obvious negative‐contrast enhancement effect on glioma by magnetic resonance imaging but also makes tumor emitting fluorescence under MT. The dual‐imaging of QSC‐Lip guides the accurate resection of glioma by surgery. Besides, CGT is also specifically distributed to glioma after administration of QSC‐Lip under MT, resulting in an effective inhibition of tumors. The integrated liposome may be a potential carrier for theranostics of tumor.
Pd‐Catalyzed One‐Pot Dehydroxylative Coupling of Phenols and Amines under a Carbon Monoxide Atmosphere: A Chemical‐Specific Discrimination for Arylcarboxylic Amide Synthesis
Authors: Fang Wan‐Yin , Huang Yu‐Mei , Leng Jing , Qin Hua‐Li
Published: January 2018

A simple one‐pot process for the synthesis of amides through Pd‐catalyzed dehydroxylative coupling of phenols and amines with the insertion of carbon monoxide was developed. This protocol afforded exclusive chemical selectivity for accessing arylcarboxylic amides from phenols by using acyclic amines. The same reaction provided sulfonamides if cyclic amines were used. The reaction proceeds smoothly under mild conditions and tolerates a variety of functional groups. The versatility of this method represents an alternative to the known processes for the preparation of amides.
A twitter case study for assessing digital sound
Authors: Giannetti Francesca
Published: January 2018

Academic and cultural heritage institutions around the world have made measurable strides in the development of digital sound archives oriented towards research and access, but their impact on scholarship and society has been little studied. Traditionally, impact has been measured by citations; yet these are problematic metrics for nontraditional outputs like sound recordings. Social media data provide a promising avenue of investigation for measuring scholarly as well as societal impact. Twitter in particular has been shown to provide a high number of references for cultural and research outputs in all disciplines. This study analyzes Twitter references pertaining to the collections of five digital sound archives: British Library Sounds, Europeana Sounds, the Internet Archive Audio Archive, PennSound, and UbuWeb. By using text analysis methods to identify high‐frequency events and trends, and labeling them with a rubric designed for measuring the impact of digital heritage resources, this study provides preliminary insights on user values as they relate to digital sound collections. Despite the limitations of using social media data, the evidence gathered in this case study characterizes aspects of the use of digital sound collections, and may point to future priorities for the digital preservation of sound.
Epistemology beyond the brain
Authors: Weissenberger Lynnsey K. , Budd John M. , Herold Ken R.
Published: January 2018

Recent and emerging viewpoints in embodiment and knowledge necessitate a reexamination of epistemology within and beyond the brain. Taking a sociocultural approach, this article covers two main types of epistemology beyond the brain, namely, embodied epistemology and nonindividualist epistemology. Using citizen science and music to illustrate related concepts of intuition, experience, and embodiment, this article describes intuition as a cultural system, beyond a purely individual possession. We describe how—in cultural practices such as music—intuition acts as mediator between knowledge and embodiment, and intuition is built and modified by experience over time. Building on Dick's () notion of “holistic perspectivism,” we pose a holistic epistemology approach that embraces knowledge that extends well beyond the purely cognitive, in both embodied situations and systemic manifestations. As information research becomes increasingly interested in the role of the body and its relationship to information, knowledge, intuition, and memory, we argue that such an approach will uncover further dimensions of nonindividualist, systemic, and embodied knowledge.
Exponential Stabilization of Time‐varying Delayed Complex‐valued Memristor‐based Neural Networks Via Impulsive Control
Authors: Li Xiaofan , Fang Jian‐an , Li Huiyuan , Duan Wenyong
Published: January 2018

The exponential stabilization problem for a class of time‐varying delayed complex‐valued memristor‐based neural networks via discontinuous impulsive control is investigated in this paper. Firstly, the time‐varying delayed complex‐valued memristor‐based neural networks is translated to real‐valued memristor‐based neural networks. Secondly, an impulsive control law is constructed to guarantee exponential stabilization of the complex‐valued memristor‐based neural networks with time‐varying delays. Thirdly, by constructing an appropriate Lyapunov Krasovskii functional and adopting linear matrix inequality (LMI) technique, some sufficient exponential stabilization criteria are derived. Finally, an illustrative example is provided to illustrate the effectiveness of the obtained theoretical results.
Collaborative Fault Tolerant Control for Non‐Gaussian Stochastic Distribution Systems Based on Adaptive Control Strategy
Authors: Ren Yuwei , Fang Yixian , Yao Lina , Zhang Huaxiang
Published: January 2018

This paper presents a new fault tolerant controller design method for a class of interconnected non‐Gaussian stochastic distribution system with boundary conditions. In order to obtain the fault estimation value, an observer based fault detection and fault diagnosis algorithms are presented at first, then a collaborative fault tolerant controller is designed based on the adaptive control strategy. Different from most of the existing fault tolerant controllers, when fault occurs the controller need to be reconstructed is for the healthy subsystem in this paper. That is to say, the fault is compensated not by the faulty subsystem itself but by the healthy one. The proposed method is used to a simulation example for demonstration, and the effectiveness is verified.
A new approach for short‐spacing correction of radio interferometric datasets
Authors: Faridani S. , Bigiel F. , Flöer L. , Kerp J. , Stanimirović S.
Published: January 2018

The short‐spacing problem describes the inherent inability of radio‐interferometric arrays to measure the integrated flux and structure of diffuse emission associated with extended sources. New interferometric arrays, such as Square Kilometer Array (SKA), require solutions to efficiently combine interferometer and single‐dish data. We present a new and open‐source approach for merging single‐dish and cleaned interferometric datasets, requiring a minimum of data manipulation while offering a rigid flux determination and full high‐angular resolution. Our approach combines single‐dish and cleaned interferometric data in the image domain. This approach is tested for both galactic and extragalactic Hi datasets. Furthermore, a quantitative comparison of our results with commonly used methods is provided. Additionally, for the interferometric datasets of NGC 4214 and NGC 5055, we study the impact of different imaging parameters as well as their influence on the combination for NGC 4214. The approach does not require raw data (visibilities) or any additional special information, such as antenna patterns. This is advantageous, especially in the light of upcoming radio surveys with heterogeneous antenna designs.
Nitrogen Atom Abstraction of Nitrogen Chemisorbed on W(100) Surface
Authors: Ree Jinkyue , Ree Jongbaik , Kim Do Hwan , Shin Hyung Kyu
Published: January 2018

We have computed the probability of N2 formation and the partitioning of the reaction exothermic energy of the product N2 molecule in the reaction N(g) + N(ad)/W → N2(g) + W. The N2 formation probability at the on‐top sites of the W(100) surface is approximately 0.01 at a gas temperature of 1800 K and surface temperature of 300 K. The total cross‐section of N2 formation at the on‐top sites of the W(100) surface as a function of the collision energy is significantly smaller than that at the hollow sites of the W(100) surface. The majority of the reaction energy is shared by the vibrational and translational motions of the newly produced N2. The vibrational excitations of the adsorbed nitrogen atom from the ground state to the higher levels 1, 2, and 3, do not significantly alter the energy shared by the product. In addition, strong vibrational excitation in N2 causes population inversion for the vibrational population. The energy transferred to the heat bath is negative, which denotes an energy transfer from the surface to the desorbed product. While the N2 formation probabilities do not depend significantly on the surface temperature (0–1500 K), they depend strongly on the gas temperature, which is consistent with the Eley‐Rideal reaction.
An educational tool for introducing power engineering students with modal extraction concepts
Authors: Córdova‐Acosta Aminadab , Calderón‐Guizar Jorge G. , Fragoso‐Díaz Olivia G.
Published: January 2018

Undergraduate power engineering students find difficult to apply modal analysis to characterize the dynamical behavior of a power system, although they know some basic concepts of modal analysis from courses such as linear algebra and differential equations. This paper presents an educational software tool for the identification of dominant oscillatory modes from time domain responses. It is aimed to help power engineering systems students to understand and to gain experience on the application of modal analysis for assessing the system dynamics from measured signals of a power system, in terms its dynamic properties such as oscillation frequency and its associated damping.
Range contraction and increasing isolation of a polar bear subpopulation in an era of sea‐ice loss
Authors: Laidre Kristin L. , Born Erik W. , Atkinson Stephen N. , Wiig Øystein , Andersen Liselotte W. , Lunn Nicholas J. , Dyck Markus , Regehr Eric V. , McGovern Richard , Heagerty Patrick
Published: January 2018

Climate change is expected to result in range shifts and habitat fragmentation for many species. In the Arctic, loss of sea ice will reduce barriers to dispersal or eliminate movement corridors, resulting in increased connectivity or geographic isolation with sweeping implications for conservation. We used satellite telemetry, data from individually marked animals (research and harvest), and microsatellite genetic data to examine changes in geographic range, emigration, and interpopulation connectivity of the Baffin Bay (BB) polar bear (Ursus maritimus) subpopulation over a 25‐year period of sea‐ice loss. Satellite telemetry collected from n = 43 (1991–1995) and 38 (2009–2015) adult females revealed a significant contraction in subpopulation range size (95% bivariate normal kernel range) in most months and seasons, with the most marked reduction being a 70% decline in summer from 716,000 km2 (SE 58,000) to 211,000 km2 (SE 23,000) (p < .001). Between the 1990s and 2000s, there was a significant shift northward during the on‐ice seasons (2.6° shift in winter median latitude, 1.1° shift in spring median latitude) and a significant range contraction in the ice‐free summers. Bears in the 2000s were less likely to leave BB, with significant reductions in the numbers of bears moving into Davis Strait (DS) in winter and Lancaster Sound (LS) in summer. Harvest recoveries suggested both short and long‐term fidelity to BB remained high over both periods (83–99% of marked bears remained in BB). Genetic analyses using eight polymorphic microsatellites confirmed a previously documented differentiation between BB, DS, and LS; yet weakly differentiated BB from Kane Basin (KB) for the first time. Our results provide the first multiple lines of evidence for an increasingly geographically and functionally isolated subpopulation of polar bears in the context of long‐term sea‐ice loss. This may be indicative of future patterns for other polar bear subpopulations under climate change.
The effect of isolation, fragmentation, and population bottlenecks on song structure of a Hawaiian honeycreeper
Authors: Pang‐Ching Joshua M. , Paxton Kristina L. , Paxton Eben H. , Pack Adam A. , Hart Patrick J.
Published: January 2018

Little is known about how important social behaviors such as song vary within and among populations for any of the endemic Hawaiian honeycreepers. Habitat loss and non‐native diseases (e.g., avian malaria) have resulted in isolation and fragmentation of Hawaiian honeycreepers within primarily high elevation forests. In this study, we examined how isolation of Hawai'i ‘amakihi (Chlorodrepanis virens) populations within a fragmented landscape influences acoustic variability in song. In the last decade, small, isolated populations of disease tolerant ‘amakihi have been found within low elevation forests, allowing us to record ‘amakihi songs across a large elevational gradient (10–1800 m) that parallels disease susceptibility on Hawai'i island. To understand underlying differences among populations, we examined the role of geographic distance, elevation, and habitat structure on acoustic characteristics of ‘amakihi songs. We found that the acoustic characteristics of ‘amakihi songs and song‐type repertoires varied most strongly across an elevational gradient. Differences in ‘amakihi song types were primarily driven by less complex songs (e.g., fewer frequency changes, shorter songs) of individuals recorded at low elevation sites compared to mid and high elevation populations. The reduced complexity of ‘amakihi songs at low elevation sites is most likely shaped by the effects of habitat fragmentation and a disease‐driven population bottleneck associated with avian malaria, and maintained through isolation, localized song learning and sharing, and cultural drift. These results highlight how a non‐native disease through its influence on population demographics may have also indirectly played a role in shaping the acoustic characteristics of a species.
Size‐dependent prey availability affects diet and performance of predatory fish at sea: a case study of Atlantic salmon
Authors: Jacobson Philip , Gårdmark Anna , Östergren Johan , Casini Michele , Huss Magnus
Published: January 2018

Identifying factors determining the performance of individuals is an essential part of resolving what drives population dynamics. For species undergoing ontogenetic shifts in resource and habitat use, this entails assessing individual performance in all habitats used. Whereas survival and growth of anadromous Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., in its juvenile, river habitat are known to depend on size‐dependent foraging and food availability, individual performance of salmon in the growth habitat out at sea is commonly explained only by abiotic factors. Still, individuals undergo this habitat shift to grow large, suggesting performance should be food‐dependent also in the growth habitat. Because fish communities are highly size‐structured, the link between predators and their prey may depend on their respective body sizes. Here, we study whether the performance of Baltic Sea salmon in its growth habitat is food‐ and size‐dependent, by combining extensive diet and body size data of Baltic salmon with spatially resolved monitoring data on abundance and size distribution of their main prey, herring, Clupea harengus L., and sprat, Sprattus sprattus L. We found that both the species and size composition of prey in the diet varied with salmon body size. By accounting for this size‐dependent predation and the spatially varying size distribution of prey species, we could explain the variation in salmon diet composition among salmon individuals in different Baltic Sea basins and of different length. The proportion of sprat in diet of salmon was better explained by size‐specific prey availability (SSP) than total prey biomass, especially for small salmon. Further, salmon body condition increased with SSP, whereas total prey biomass could not explain variation in the condition of salmon. These findings demonstrate that food‐ and size‐dependent processes indeed can influence the performance of anadromous fish also in large marine systems. Thus, we argue that consideration of these processes, stretching across habitats, is important for understanding performance and dynamics of predatory fish in open aquatic systems, as well as for successful management of species such as Atlantic salmon.
Chitosan/Nitrogen Doped Reduced Graphene Oxide Modified Biosensor for Impedimetric Detection of microRNA
Authors: Eksin Ece , Bikkarolla Santosh Kumar , Erdem Arzum , Papakonstantinou Pagona
Published: January 2018

The development of a low‐cost and disposable biosensor platform for the sensitive and rapid detection of microRNAs (miRNAs) is of great interest for healthcare, pharmaceuticals, and medical science. We designed an impedimetric biosensing platform using Chitosan (CHIT)/nitrogen doped reduced graphene oxide (NRGO) conductive composite to modify the surface of pencil graphite electrodes (PGE) for the sensitive detection of miRNAs. An initial optimisation protocol involved investigation of the effect of NRGO concentration and miR 660 DNA probe concentration on the response of the modified electrode. After the optimization protocol, the sequence‐selective hybridization between miR 660 DNA probe and its RNA target was evaluated by measuring changes on charge transfer resistance, Rct values. Moreover, the selectivity of impedimetric biosensor was tested in the presence of non‐complementary miRNA (NC) sequences, such as miR 34a and miR 16. The hybridization process was examined both in phosphate buffer (PBS) and in PBS diluted fetal bovine serum (FBS:PBS) solutions. The biosensor demonstrated a detection limit of 1.72 μg/mL in PBS and 1.65 μg/mL in FBS:PBS diluted solution. Given the easy, quick and disposable attributes, the proposed conductive nanocomposite biosensor platform shows great promise as a low‐cost sensor kit for healthcare monitoring, clinical diagnostics, and biomedical devices.
Energy efficient design using statistical interference constraints for cognitive 5G networks under PU mobility
Authors: Moorthy Yamuna K. , Pillai Sakuntala S. , Gopinathan Shiny
Published: January 2018

Energy efficiency (EE) has now become one of the essential parameters in the design of 5G and other next‐generation communication networks mainly due to economic and environmental concerns. In this paper, we develop an EE maximisation algorithm for the orthogonal frequency‐division multiplexing (OFDM)–based cognitive radio (CR) systems where the PU activity is highly dynamic. The problem is formulated as a joint optimisation problem in 3 variables: sensing duration, transmission duration, and transmit power on the subcarrier, with statistical constraint on the primary user (PU) interference. The statistical interference constraint frees the CR transmitter from the additional burden of obtaining the instantaneous channel quality feedback from the PU receivers. Furthermore, PU mobility, which is the main consideration of this work, closely portrays a real and practical CR network. We analyse how the mobility of the PUs affect their Quality of Service, particularly in terms of the interference impinged on PUs by the SUs. Moreover, the mobility of the PUs has been modelled, and PU interference constraints are reformulated by considering collisions between the PUs and SUs during their overlap period. Moreover, closed‐form expressions for secondary throughput and EE have been derived. The original problem, which is mathematically intractable due to its nonconvexity, is reformulated in terms of 3 alternately iterating subproblems. Numerical results show that with the proposed optimal algorithm, CR users can achieve significantly higher EE compared with existing algorithms. The suboptimal algorithm guarantees reduced complexity with a performance gap close to zero with the original optimal problem.
Volatome analysis approach for the taxonomic classification of tree exudate collection using Proton Transfer Reaction Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry
Authors: Taiti Cosimo , Costa Corrado , Figorilli Simone , Billi Marco , Caparrotta Stefania , Comparini Diego , Mancuso Stefano
Published: January 2018

Natural resins exude from trees as viscous liquids, which subsequently harden by evaporation and/or oxidation. Their compositions and textures are complex and vary during the solidification processes, producing a typical volatile fragrant fraction. Many techniques have been applied to the study of resins in order to obtain considerable chemical information but no exploratory work has been conducted using Proton Transfer Reaction Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry (PTR‐ToF‐MS). For this reason its potential to rapidly obtain the Volatiles Organic Compounds (VOCs) mass profiles of several natural resins has been tested. A Partial Least Squares Discriminant Analysis (PLSDA) have been performed to classify all samples based on their species, family or order on the basis of theVOCs emission profiles of 31 natural resins derived from different tree species. The sensitivities and specificities obtained were higher than 95% whilst a correct classification was higher for family (94.23% on 7 classes) and order (94.12% on 6 classes), than that of species (89.06% on 31 classes). Finally confusion matrices based onPLSDAmodels were produced to observe and draw conclusions about non‐correct classifications. In our study we successfully determined the volatile profiles for 31 different tree natural resins assessing the possibility of correctly identify the taxonomic position of the trees by the analysis of their aromatic profiles. This preliminary study could lay down the bases for future studies on theVOCemissions of resins, by qualifyingPTR‐ToF‐MSas a promising tool for a fast resin identification of complex matrix.
Messtechnische und numerische Untersuchungen einer Kippenstabilisierung
Authors: Wegener Dirk , Hering Christian
Published: January 2018

In der Lausitz ist eine Eisenbahnstrecke auf einer Abraumkippe eines ehemaligen Tagebaus geführt. Dabei verblieben nach Einstellung des Tagebaubetriebs weitgehend ungesicherte Kippenbereiche im Untergrund. Das Kippenmaterial besteht aus locker gelagerten Sanden, die aufgrund ihrer Kornzusammensetzung bei hoher Wassersättigung und entsprechendem Initialeintrag zur Verflüssigung neigen. Zur Gewährleistung eines sicheren Eisenbahnbetriebs des eingleisigen Streckenabschnitts war eine Geschwindigkeitsbeschränkung auf 30 km/h und eine permanente geotechnische Überwachung notwendig. Durch den nach dem Ende der Braunkohlenförderung prognostizierten großräumigen Grundwasserwiederanstieg und den vorgesehenen zweigleisigen Eisenbahnbetrieb bestand akuter Handlungsbedarf zur dauerhaften Beseitigung der Setzungsfließgefahr. Dazu wurde mittels Rüttelstopf‐ bzw. Rütteldruckverdichtung ein versteckter Damm hergestellt. Anhand der Ergebnisse von Schwingungs‐ und Porenwasserdruckmessungen wird gezeigt, wie sich der unverdichtete und mittels Rüttelstopf‐ und Rütteldruckverdichtung verdichtete Kippenboden verhält. Mittels numerischen Simulationen und deren Ergebnissen werden die Säulenherstellung realistisch erfasst und die gemessene Porenwasserdruckentwicklung bestätigt.
Medication audit and feedback by a clinical pharmacist decrease medication errors at the PICU: An interrupted time series analysis
Authors: Maaskant Jolanda M. , Tio Marieke A. , van Hest Reinier M. , Vermeulen Hester , Geukers Vincent G.M.
Published: January 2018

Objective

Medication errors (MEs) are one of the most frequently occurring types of adverse events in hospitalized patients and potentially more harmful in children than in adults. To increase medication safety, we studied the effect of structured medication audit and feedback by a clinical pharmacist as part of the multidisciplinary team, on MEs in critically ill children.

Method

We performed an interrupted time series analysis with 6 preintervention and 6 postintervention data collection points, in a tertiary pediatric intensive care unit. We included intensive care patients admitted during July to December 2013 (preintervention) and July to December 2014 (postintervention). The primary endpoint was the prevalence of MEs per 100 prescriptions. We reviewed the clinical records of the patients and the incident reporting system for MEs. If an ME was suspected, a pediatrician‐intensivist and a clinical pharmacist determined causality and preventability. They classified MEs as harmful according to the National Coordinating Council for Medication Error Reporting and Prevention categories.

Results

We included 254 patients in the preintervention period and 230 patients in the postintervention period. We identified 153 MEs in the preintervention period, corresponding with 2.27 per 100 prescriptions, and 90 MEs in the postintervention period, corresponding with 1.71 per 100 prescriptions. Autoregressive integrated moving average analyses revealed a significant change in slopes between the preintervention and postintervention periods (β = −.21; 95% CI, −0.41 to −0.02; P = .04). We did not observe a significant decrease immediately after the start of the intervention (β = −.61; 95% CI, −1.31 to 0.08; P = .07).

Conclusion

The implementation of a structured medication audit, followed by feedback by a clinical pharmacist as part of the multidisciplinary team, resulted in a significant reduction of MEs in a tertiary pediatric intensive care unit.
Arsenite‐induced histone H3 modification and its effects on EGR1 and FOS expression in HeLa cells
Authors: Suzuki Toshihide , Watanabe Hiroshi , Kita Kayoko , Honma Taro , Ochi Takafumi
Published: January 2018

It is evident that trivalent arsenicals do not have mutagenicity, but they are human carcinogens. Recently, epigenetic modification has been considered as one of the important causes of arsenical carcinogenicity. Here we examined global histone H3 modification by trivalent inorganic arsenite (iAs(III)) and its contribution to gene expression in HeLa cells. iAs(III) induced histone H3K9 dimethylation (H3K9me2) and trimethylation (H3K9me3), histone H3S10 phosphorylation (H3S10p), histone H3T11 phosphorylation (H3T11p) and histone H3K9S10 trimethyl‐phosphorylation (H3K9me3S10p). Among these modifications, H3S10p, H3T11p and H3K9me3S10p were observed as a punctate signal in interphase cells, which seems to associate with remodeling of the chromatin structure at the specific locus. A chromatin immunoprecipitation assay was performed to examine histone H3 modifications around the FOS, EGR1 and IL8 promoters, as previous studies revealed some relation between histone H3 modification and induction of these genes. iAs(III) increased H3S10p and H3K9me3S10p in the FOS promoter around the SRE/ELK1 binding site (–400 to –200) and CRE‐binding site (–50). In contrast, histone H3 around the EGR1 promoter of SRE/CRE‐binding site (–200 to –50) was modified to H3S10p and H3K9me3S10p by iAs(III). Reporter gene assays with deletion mutants of the FOS and EGR1 promoters revealed that the around SRE/ELK1 site is important for iAs(III)‐mediated FOS induction, and SRE/CRE site for EGR1 induction. Collectively, these results demonstrate that iAs(III) induces histone H3 modifications around the transcription factor binding sites of the FOS and EGR1 promoter, and these modifications seem to be important in transcriptional activation of these genes.
HLA‐B27 testing: A journey from flow cytometry to molecular subtyping
Authors: Chheda Pratiksha , Warghade Sandeep , Mathias Jyothi , Dama Tavisha , Matkar Sunmeet , Shah Nilesh , Bendre Rajesh
Published: January 2018

Background

Determination of HLA‐B27 status plays an important role as adjuvant in suspected cases for diagnosis of Ankylosing Spondilytis (AS). Objectives of this study were to evaluate (i) flow cytometry method in comparison with DNA microarray for HLA‐B27 typing and (ii) EUROArray HLA‐B27 Direct assay for HLA‐B27 allele detection along with discrimination of AS/non‐AS subtypes in Indian population.

Methods

A total of 7543 patients with a presumptive clinical diagnosis of AS were referred for screening of HLA‐B27. All samples were initially tested by flow cytometry, and based on its findings, 1560 samples were analyzed for the presence of HLA‐B27 allele by microarray technology. A subset of samples (n = 200) were further tested by DNA sequencing for identification of HLA‐B27 subtypes.

Results

Screening of HLA‐B27 by flow cytometry reported 1551 positive (20.56%) and 5556 negative (73.65%) cases. Remaining 436 (5.78%) samples were identified within equivocal zone. Of cases (n = 1560) analyzed by microarray method, 1333 (85.44%) and 227 (14.55%) were detected microarray positive and negative, respectively. DNA sequencing identified HLA‐B*27:07 as the predominant subtype among cases showing ex2 positivity by microarray method. Of 200 cases, 20 cases (14 of HLA‐B*07 and 6 of HLA‐B*37) of HLA‐B27 cross‐reactive subtypes were also identified.

Conclusion

We recommend DNA typing as a complementary tool along with flow cytometry to accomplish successful HLA‐B27 phenotype determination. This is the first study among Indian population to evaluate efficacy of EUROArray to detect B27 allele and its potential to indicate the presence of nondisease‐associated alleles in Indian population.
Genetic analysis of interleukin 18 gene polymorphisms in alopecia areata
Authors: Celik Sumeyya Deniz , Ates Omer
Published: January 2018

Background

Alopecia areata (AA), which appears as nonscarring hair shedding on any hair‐bearing area, is a common organ‐specific autoimmune condition. Cytokines have important roles in the development of AA. Interleukin (IL) 18 is a significant proinflammatory cytokine that was found higher in the patients with AA. We aimed to investigate whether the IL‐18 (rs187238 and rs1946518) single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) may be associated with AA and/or clinical outcome of patients with AA in Turkish population.

Methods

Genotyping of rs187238 and rs1946518 SNPs were detected using sequence‐specific primer‐polymerase chain reaction (SSP‐PCR) method in 200 patients with AA and 200 control subjects.

Results

The genotype distribution of rs1946518 (−607C>A) SNP was found to be statistically significantly different among patients with AA and controls (P = .0008). Distribution of CC+CA genotypes and frequency of −607/allele C of rs1946518 SNP were higher in patients with AA (P = .001, P = .001, respectively). The genotype distribution of rs187238 (−137G>C) SNP was found to be statistically significantly different among patients with AA and control subjects (P = .0014). Distribution of GG genotype and frequency of −137/allele G of rs187238 SNP were higher in patients with AA (P = .0003, P = .001, respectively).

Conclusion

The rs1946518 (−607C>A) and rs187238 (−137G>C) polymorphisms were found associated with alopecia areata disease. The study suggests that IL‐18 rs187238 and rs1946518 SNPs may be the cause of the AA susceptibility.
Species differences in circulation and inflammatory responses in children with common respiratory adenovirus infections
Authors: Nakamura Haruna , Fujisawa Takao , Suga Shigeru , Taniguchi Kiyosu , Nagao Mizuho , Ito Masahiro , Ochiai Hitoshi , Konagaya Masami , Hanaoka Nozomu , Fujimoto Tsuguto
Published: January 2018

Human adenoviruses (HAdVs) cause severe inflammatory respiratory infections, but previous epidemiological studies lacked analysis of the characteristics of the inflammation. Consecutive patients <13 years old with acute febrile illness during a 2‐year period were tested. HAdV strains were isolated from nasopharyngeal swabs, and molecular identification was performed by hexon, fiber, and species‐specific PCR methods. Blood inflammatory markers, including the white blood cell (WBC) count, CRP, and 29 cytokines, were measured. A total of 187 patients were enrolled, and HAdV types were identified from 175 patients (93.5%). Species C (types 2, 1, 5, and 6, in order of frequency) was most common at 37.1%, followed by B (type 3) at 30.9% and E (type 4) at 26.9%. Species C was detected predominantly in 1‐year‐old, whereas B and E were in older ages. Species C and B had seasonal circulation patterns, but E was found in only one season during the 2‐year study period. The WBC count was highest in patients with species C. Eleven of the 29 tested serum cytokines were detected. Seven kinds, including G‐CSF, IL‐6, and TNF‐α, were elevated in species C infections, whereas IL‐10 was lowest in species C. Species differences in inflammatory responses, especially regarding serum cytokines were described in common pediatric HAdV infections. Species C causes the strongest inflammatory responses in young children.
Wirkung von organischen Schadstoffen (PAK; PCB) und Schwermetallen in Rieselfeldböden auf Biomasseertrag und Schwermetalltransfer bei Roggen (Secale Cereale)
Authors: Dorn Jana , Metz Reinhart
Published: January 2018

Roggen (Secale cereale) wurde im Gefäßversuch auf unterschiedlich stark belasteten Rieselfeldböden und künstlich stoffspezifisch angereichertem Boden geprüft. Dazu wurde ein niedrig belasteter Rieselfeldboden (Referenzboden R) sowohl einzeln mit 2.21′,5.5′ Tetrachlorbiphenyl, Benzo‐a‐pyren, Cadmium und Kupfer als auch mit Kombinationen dieser organischen Schadstoffe und Schwermetalle kontaminiert. Diese künstlichen Varianten standen einem anthropogen hochbelasteten Rieselfeldboden (Großbeeren GB) gegenüber. Der Roggen zeigte auf allen Cu‐Anrei‐cherungsvarianten typische Schadsymptome, die der Wirkung des in gleicher Höhe kombiniert belasteten Rieselfeldbodens sehr ähnlich waren. Dabei wirkte Cu als Einzelstoff teilweise stärker als die im hochbelasteten Rieselfeld vorliegenden Kombinationen. Das deutet auf eine gegenseitige Wechselwirkung oder eine synergistische Wirkung hin.
Raman spectroscopy and density functional theory study of energetically closely separated C2′‐endo and C3′‐endo pentose forms in purine nucleoside analogue drug‐gold conjugates
Authors: Ganbold Erdene‐Ochir , Nguyen Thanh Danh , Ly Nguyen Hoang , Joo Sang‐Woo , Li Linzi , Kim B. Moon
Published: January 2018

We performed a vibrational analysis of a cyclin‐dependent kinase inhibitor as an anticancer drug using Raman spectroscopy and quantum mechanical calculations. BMK‐Y101, a purine nucleoside analogue cyclin‐dependent kinase inhibitor, was found to adsorb on gold nanoparticles as evidenced by ultraviolet–visible absorption spectroscopy. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations were introduced to examine the energetic stabilities of the tautomeric amino and imino purine rings as well as C3′‐endo and C2′‐endo pentose forms for the possible binding geometries to 6‐atom gold clusters. DFT calculations predicted that the N9 binding mode of the C2′‐endo amino purine conformer would be the most stable in coordination with the gold atoms, despite very small energy differences of 0.026 kcal/mol to the second stable conformer of the N1 coordinated state. Surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectra were analyzed with appropriate vibrational assignments according to the DFT calculations and potential energy distribution analysis. The vibrational band at ~1,460 cm−1, which can be ascribed to the ν(N9–C4)(20%) + ν(N3–C4)(13%) + ν(C10–C7)(12%) + ν(C7–C8)(12%) + ν(N3–C2)(11%) mode for the N9‐coordination on Au6, appeared to be the most prominent in the SERS spectra, as predicted from the DFT calculations. BMK‐Y101 appeared to be detached from gold nanoparticles efficiently not in cell culture media but in hepatocarcinoma cells. Our findings indicate that quantum mechanical DFT calculations can be successfully implemented to interpret the SERS spectral features of the nucleoside drug on Au surfaces.