bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
PM2.5 Spatiotemporal Evolution and Drivers in the Yangtze River Delta between 2005 and 2015
Authors: Yun Guoliang , He Yuanrong , Jiang Yuantong , Dou Panfeng , Dai Shaoqing
Published: February 2019

High concentrations of PM2.5 are a primary cause of haze in the lower atmosphere. A better understanding of the spatial heterogeneity and driving factors of PM2.5 concentrations is important for effective regional prevention and control. In this study, we carried out remote sensing inversion of PM2.5 concentration data over a long time series and used spatial statistical analyses and a geographical detector model to reveal the spatial distribution and variation characteristics of PM2.5 and the main influencing factors in the Yangtze River Delta from 2005 to 2015. Our results show that (1) The average annual PM2.5 concentration in the Yangtze River Delta prior to 2007 displayed an increasing trend, followed by a decreasing trend after 2007 which eventually stabilized; and (2) climate regionalization and geomorphology were the dominant natural factors driving PM2.5 concentration diffusion, while total carbon dioxide emissions and population density were the dominant socioeconomic factors affecting the formation of PM2.5. Natural factors and socioeconomic factors together lead to PM2.5 pollution. These findings provide an interpretation of PM2.5 spatial distribution and the mechanisms influencing PM2.5 pollution, which can help the Chinese government develop effective abatement strategies.
An Investigation of the Differences between the North American Dipole and North Atlantic Oscillation
Authors: Zhou Xuejing , Wang Wei , Ding Ruiqiang , Li Jianping , Hou Zhaolu , Xie Wei
Published: February 2019

This study examines the differences between the North American dipole (NAD) and the North American Oscillation (NAO) in terms of their spatial structure, temporal variations, and climate impacts. The results indicate that the sea level pressure anomalies associated with the NAD are located in more western and southern areas than those associated with the NAO, and that the NAD has its own temporal variability. In addition, the NAD has a greater influence on sea surface temperature (SST) and precipitation anomalies in the northern tropical Atlantic (NTA) than the NAO does in the North Atlantic. In the tropical Pacific, the NAD tends to be more effective in forcing SST warming during spring in the northeastern subtropical Pacific (NESP). This can extend equatorward to reach the equatorial central Pacific in the autumn, finally leading to a central Pacific (CP)-type El Niño event. In contrast, the NAO induces only weak SST warming over the NESP, so that a CP-type El Niño event does not occur. Additional analysis indicates that the influence of the NAO can pass to the tropical Pacific only when the NAD and NAO have the same sign, suggesting that the NAD may serve as an important bridge linking the NAO to El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO).
The 2017–2018 Winter Drought in North China and Its Causes
Authors: Wang Lijuan , Wang Lin , Liu Yuyun , Chen Wen
Published: February 2019

A meteorological drought was observed over North China in the 2017–2018 winter, which was accompanied by record-breaking consecutive non-precipitation days over many regions of central North China. Inspection on historical observations beginning in 1951 suggest that it was the fourth driest winter during the past 67 years. The possible cause of this drought was then analyzed. It has been suggested that the co-occurrence of the positive phase of the Eurasian (EU) teleconnection pattern and La Niña have played a crucial role. On one hand, both the positive phase of the EU pattern and La Niña could have enhanced the lower-tropospheric northerly winds over East Asia. The northward water vapor transport towards North China was thereby weakened, providing an unfavorable moisture environment for precipitation. On the other hand, the EU-like wave pattern in the mid-latitude was conducive to anomalous descending motion over mid-latitude East Asia, creating an unfavorable dynamical condition for precipitation. A combination of the above two effects lead to the occurrence of the North China drought in the 2017 winter.
Spatiotemporal Patterns and Evolution of Storm Surge Threats along the Southeastern Coastline of China
Authors: Zhang Yue , Li Guosheng , Guo Tengjiao
Published: February 2019

The variability of storm surge poses a significant threat to coastal areas. A new metric named Accumulated Storm surge Potential Impact (ASPI) is proposed based on a new intensity parameter that removes other components from storm surge-induced water level rise. This new metric quantifies storm surge threat by combining frequency and intensity. The results show that storm surge threat has increased since the late 1990s due to greater general storm surges. The extreme storm surge threat did not follow the increasing trend until the mid-2000s. Different regional distribution patterns are found along this coast. The storm surge threat exhibited a -++ zonal tripole pattern, the negative phase was along the north coastline of Hangzhou Gulf and the positive phase was from the center to southern coast area of Zhejiang province and along the eastern coast area of Leizhou Peninsula. Long-term storm surge threats change spatial distribution pattern in three periods. More precarious threats from the center to southern coast areas of Zhejiang province illustrated a poleward shift of storm surge threats consistent with the trend of long-term tropical cyclone landfall. Meanwhile, the strong threat along the eastern coast line of Leizhou Peninsula was sustained from 1960 to 1995, then became weaker from 1996 to 2015. The evolution pattern of storm surge threat along the southeastern coastline of China could be applied for coastal adaptation research under climate change scenarios.
Bioinspired ZnS:Gd Nanoparticles Synthesized from an Endophytic Fungi Aspergillus flavus for Fluorescence-Based Metal Detection
Authors: Uddandarao Priyanka , Balakrishnan Raj Mohan , Ashok Apoorva , Swarup Sai , Sinha Priti
Published: February 2019

Recently, several nonconventional sources have emerged as strong hotspots for the biosynthesis of chalcogenide quantum dots. However, studies that have ascertained the biomimetic methodologies that initiate biosynthesis are rather limited. The present investigation portrays a few perspectives of rare-earth(Gd)-doped ZnS biosynthesis using the endophytic fungi Aspergillus flavus for sensing metals based on their fluorescence. Analysis of ZnS:Gd nanoparticles was performed by elemental analysis, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), atomic force microscopy (AFM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), photoluminescence (PL), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results of TEM demonstrated that the particles were polycrystalline in nature, with a mean size of 10–18 nm. The fluorescence amenability of the biogenic ZnS nanoparticles was further used for the development of a simple and efficient sensing array. The results showed sensitive and detectable quenching/enhancement in the fluorescence of biogenic colloidal ZnS nanoparticles, in the presence of Pb (II), Cd (II), Hg (II), Cu (II) and Ni (II), respectively. The fluorescence intensity of the biogenic ZnS:Gd nanoparticles was found to increase compared to that of the ZnS nanoparticles that capacitate these systems as a reliable fluorescence sensing platform with selective environmental applications.
Synthetic Cannabinoids Influence the Invasion of Glioblastoma Cell Lines in a Cell- and Receptor-Dependent Manner.
Authors: Hohmann Tim , Feese Kerstin , Greither Thomas , Ghadban Chalid , Jäger Vivian , Dehghani Faramarz , Grabiec Urszula
Published: February 2019

The current treatment of glioblastoma is not sufficient, since they are heterogeneous and often resistant to chemotherapy. Earlier studies demonstrated effects of specific cannabinoid receptor (CB) agonists on the invasiveness of glioblastoma cell lines, but the exact mechanism remained unclear. Three human glioblastoma cell lines were treated with synthetic CB ligands. The effect of cannabinoids on microRNAs (miRs), Akt, and on the expression of proliferation and apoptosis markers were analyzed. Furthermore, in a model of organotypic hippocampal slice cultures cannabinoid mediated changes in the invasiveness were assessed. MicroRNAs and the activation of Akt which are related to cell migration, apoptosis, and proliferation were evaluated and found not to be associated with changes in the invasiveness after treatment with CB ligands. Also proliferation and/or apoptosis were not altered after treatment. The effects of cannabinoids on invasiveness could be blocked by the application of receptor antagonists and are likely mediated via CB1/CB2. In conclusion, our results suggest that cannabinoids can influence glioblastoma cell invasion in a receptor and cell type specific manner that is independent of proliferation and apoptosis. Thus, cannabinoids can potentially be used in the future as an addition to current therapy.
Detection and Prognostic Relevance of Circulating and Disseminated Tumour Cell in Dogs with Metastatic Mammary Carcinoma: A Pilot Study
Authors: Marconato Laura , Facchinetti Antonella , Zanardello Claudia , Rossi Elisabetta , Vidotto Riccardo , Capello Katia , Melchiotti Erica , Laganga Paola , Zamarchi Rita , Vascellari Marta
Published: February 2019

In human breast cancer, both circulating tumour cells (CTCs) in peripheral blood and disseminated tumour cells (DTCs) in the bone marrow are predictive of short survival and may be used as liquid biopsy to guide therapy. Herein we investigate, for the first time, the feasibility to quantify CTCs and DTCs in canine metastatic mammary carcinoma (MMC) with the automated CellSearch platform, which identifies tumour cells by immune-magnetic enrichment and fluorescent labelling. Using this approach before start of treatment, we could detect at least 1 CTC per 7.5 mL of peripheral blood in 12 out of 27 evaluable samples (44.4%) and at least 1 DTC per 1 mL of bone marrow in 11 out of 14 evaluable samples (78.6%). Conversely, we did not find any CTCs in the healthy, negative control dogs (n = 5) that we analysed in parallel. Interestingly, the levels of CTCs/DTCs and the prevalence of positive dogs closely resemble results obtained by CellSearch assay in metastatic breast cancer patients at diagnosis. Moreover, in the canine cohort, the presence of CTCs was significantly associated with poor outcome. These observations identify the first actionable marker in veterinarian oncology to guide treatment of canine MMC. Furthermore, our findings have important implications for human research, since it reinforce the value of canine MMC as model useful to speed up pharmacological studies with primary endpoint of overall survival, given the reduced life-span of the canine species.
PI3k and Stat3: Oncogenes that are Required for Gap Junctional, Intercellular Communication
Authors: Geletu Mulu , Taha Zaid , Gunning Patrick T. , Raptis Leda
Published: February 2019

Gap junctional, intercellular communication (GJIC) is interrupted in cells transformed by oncogenes such as activated Src. The Src effector, Ras, is required for this effect, so that Ras inhibition restores GJIC in Src-transformed cells. Interestingly, the inhibition of the Src effector phosphatidyl-inositol-3 kinase (PI3k) or Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription-3 (Stat3) pathways does not restore GJIC. In the contrary, inhibition of PI3k or Stat3 in non-transformed rodent fibroblasts or epithelial cells or certain human lung carcinoma lines with extensive GJIC inhibits communication, while mutational activation of PI3k or Stat3 increases GJIC. Therefore, it appears that oncogenes such as activated Src have a dual role upon GJIC; acting as inhibitors of communication through the Ras pathway, and as activators through activation of PI3k or Stat3. In the presence of high Src activity the inhibitory functions prevail so that the net effect is gap junction closure. PI3k and Stat3 constitute potent survival signals, so that their inhibition in non-transformed cells triggers apoptosis which, in turn, has been independently demonstrated to suppress GJIC. The interruption of gap junctional communication would confine the apoptotic event to single cells and this might be essential for the maintenance of tissue integrity. We hypothesize that the GJIC activation by PI3k or Stat3 may be linked to their survival function.
Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 and Programmed Cell Death-ligand 1 Co-expression Predicts Poor Pathologic Response and Recurrence in Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma after Neoadjuvant Chemoradiotherapy
Authors: Zhou Sha , Zhao Lei , Liang Zhaohui , Liu Songran , Li Yong , Liu Shiliang , Yang Hong , Liu Mengzhong , Xi Mian
Published: February 2019

This study aimed to investigate the impact of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1) expression, programmed cell death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression, CD8+ tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) status, and their combination on pathologic complete response (pCR) and recurrence in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) treated with neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (CRT). Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1, PD-L1, and CD8+ TIL statuses were evaluated by immunohistochemical analysis on pre-CRT biopsies of 158 patients. Sixty-eight patients (43.0%) achieved pCR after neoadjuvant CRT and 48 patients (30.4%) developed recurrences after surgery. IDO1 and PD-L1 proteins were co-expressed in 28 patients (17.7%). Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 positive patients showed a significantly lower pCR rate than IDO1 negative patients (28.6% vs. 51.0%, P = 0.007). Similarly, PD-L1 high expression was significantly negatively correlated with pCR rate (27.3% vs. 51.5%, P = 0.004). On multivariate analysis, IDO1 expression was an independent prognostic factor for developing recurrences. Stratification analysis revealed that patients with co-expression of IDO1 and PD-L1 were significantly associated with a lower pCR rate and worse recurrence-free survival than those with one or none positive protein. In conclusion, IDO1 and PD-L1 co-expression could predict poor pathologic response and high risk of recurrence in ESCC after neoadjuvant CRT, indicating a subset of patients who may benefit from CRT combined with immunotherapy.
Potential Applications of DNA, RNA and Protein Biomarkers in Diagnosis, Therapy and Prognosis for Colorectal Cancer: A Study from Databases to AI-Assisted Verification
Authors: Zhang Xueli , Sun Xiao-Feng , Shen Bairong , Zhang Hong
Published: February 2019

In order to find out the most valuable biomarkers and pathways for diagnosis, therapy and prognosis in colorectal cancer (CRC) we have collected the published CRC biomarkers and established a CRC biomarker database (CBD: http://sysbio.suda.edu.cn/CBD/index.html). In this study, we analysed the single and multiple DNA, RNA and protein biomarkers as well as their positions in cancer related pathways and protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks to describe their potential applications in diagnosis, therapy and prognosis. CRC biomarkers were collected from the CBD. The RNA and protein biomarkers were matched to their corresponding DNAs by the miRDB database and the PubMed Gene database, respectively. The PPI networks were used to investigate the relationships between protein biomarkers and further detect the multiple biomarkers. The Kyoto Encyclopaedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis and Gene Ontology (GO) annotation were used to analyse biological functions of the biomarkers. AI classification techniques were utilized to further verify the significances of the multiple biomarkers in diagnosis and prognosis for CRC. We showed that a large number of the DNA, RNA and protein biomarkers were associated with the diagnosis, therapy and prognosis in various degrees in the CRC biomarker networks. The CRC biomarkers were closely related to the CRC initiation and progression. Moreover, the biomarkers played critical roles in cellular proliferation, apoptosis and angiogenesis and they were involved in Ras, p53 and PI3K pathways. There were overlaps among the DNA, RNA and protein biomarkers. AI classification verifications showed that the combined multiple protein biomarkers played important roles to accurate early diagnosis and predict outcome for CRC. There were several single and multiple CRC protein biomarkers which were associated with diagnosis, therapy and prognosis in CRC. Further, AI-assisted analysis revealed that multiple biomarkers had potential applications for diagnosis and prognosis in CRC.
Association between Paclitaxel Clearance and Tumor Response in Patients with Esophageal Cancer
Authors: Toxopeus Eelke L.A. , de Man Femke M. , Krak Nanda , Biermann Katharina , Nieuweboer Annemieke J.M. , Friberg Lena E. , Oomen-de Hoop Esther , van Lanschot Jan J.B. , Shapiro Joel , Wijnhoven Bas P.L. , Mathijssen Ron H.J.
Published: February 2019

Inter-individual variability in paclitaxel pharmacokinetics may play a role in the response to chemotherapy. Therefore, we studied the association between paclitaxel clearance and treatment response in patients with esophageal cancer. All patients who received paclitaxel (plus carboplatin) treatment for esophageal cancer between 2007 and 2013 were included. The treatment was given as neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT), induction chemotherapy (iCT), or palliative chemotherapy (pCT). The treatment response was assessed by the tumor regression grade (TRG) or by the RECIST1.1 criteria, respectively. The unbound paclitaxel clearance (CL) was estimated with NONMEM. The log-transformed clearance was related to response with ANOVA and independent sample t-tests. A total of 166 patients were included, of whom 113 received nCRT, 23 iCT and 30 pCT. In patients receiving nCRT, paclitaxel clearance was not associated with tumor regression grade (p-value = 0.25), nor with pathologically complete response (geometric mean 561.6 L/h) and residual disease (geometric mean 566.1 L/h, p-value = 0.90). In patients who underwent iCT or pCT, also no association between paclitaxel clearance and RECIST outcome was identified (iCT: p-value = 0.08 and pCT: p-value = 0.81, respectively). In conclusion, systemic paclitaxel exposure was not associated with response to common paclitaxel-based treatment regimens for esophageal cancer. Future studies should focus on tumor exposure in relation to systemic exposure and treatment outcome.
N-Acylphthalimides: Efficient Acyl Coupling Reagents in Suzuki–Miyaura Cross-Coupling by N–C Cleavage Catalyzed by Pd–PEPPSI Precatalysts
Authors: Rahman Md. Mahbubur , Buchspies Jonathan , Szostak Michal
Published: February 2019

We report a general, highly selective method for Suzuki–Miyaura cross-coupling of N-acylphthalimides via N–C(O) acyl cleavage catalyzed by Pd–PEPPSI-type precatalysts. Of broad synthetic interest, the method introduces N-acylphthalimides as new, bench-stable, highly reactive, twist-controlled, amide-based precursors to acyl-metal intermediates. The reaction delivers functionalized biaryl ketones by acylative Suzuki–Miyaura cross-coupling with readily available boronic acids. Studies demonstrate that cheap, easily prepared, and broadly applicable Pd–PEPPSI-type precatalysts supported by a sterically demanding IPr (1,3-Bis-(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)imidazol-2-ylidene) ancillary ligand provide high yields in this reaction. Preliminary selectivity studies and the effect of Pd–N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHC) complexes with allyl-type throw-away ligands are described. We expect that N-acylphthalimides will find significant use as amide-based acyl coupling reagents and cross-coupling precursors to acyl-metal intermediates.
Highlights of Major Progress on Single-Atom Catalysis in 2017
Authors: Guo Yalin , Lang Rui , Qiao Botao
Published: February 2019

Single-atom catalysis has rapidly progressed during the last few years. In 2017, single-atom catalysts (SACs) were fabricated with higher metal loadings and designed into more delicate structures. SACs also found wide applications in C1 chemical conversion, such as selective oxidation of methane and conversion of carbon dioxide. Both experimental characterizations and computational modeling revealed the presence of tunable interactions between single atom species and their surrounding chemical environment, and thus SACs may be more effective and more stable than their nanoparticle counterparts. In this mini-review, we summarize the major achievements of SACs into three main aspects: (a) the advanced synthetic methodologies, (b) catalytic performance in C1 chemistry, and (c) strong metal-support interaction induced unexpected durability. These accomplishments will shed new light on the recognition of single-atom catalysis and encourage more efforts to explore potential applications of SACs.
Identification of Extrachromosomal Linear microDNAs Interacted with microRNAs in the Cell Nuclei
Authors: Sun Teng , Wang Kun , Liu Cuiyun , Wang Yin , Wang Jianxun , Li Peifeng
Published: February 2019

Extrachromosomal DNA exists in two forms: Covalently closed circular and linear. While diverse types of circular extrachromosomal DNA have been identified with validated in vivo functions, little is known about linear extrachromosomal DNA. In this study, we identified small, single-stranded linear extrachromosomal DNAs (SSLmicroDNAs) in the nuclei of mouse hearts, mouse brains, HEK293, and HeLa cells. We used a pull-down system based on the single-stranded DNA binding protein RecAf. We found that SSLmicroDNAs aligned predominantly to intergenic and intragenic regions of the genome, owned a variety of single nucleotide polymorphism sites, and strongly associated with H3K27Ac marks. The regions were tens to hundreds of nucleotides long, periodically separated by AT, TT, or AA dinucleotides. It has been demonstrated that SSLmicroDNAs in the nuclei of normal cells target microRNAs, which regulate biological processes. In summary, our present work identified a new form of extrachromosomal DNAs, which function inside nuclei and interact with microRNAs. This finding provides a possible research field into the function of extrachromosomal DNA.
Suppression of IgE-Independent Degranulation of Murine Connective Tissue-Type Mast Cells by Dexamethasone
Authors: Yamada Keiko , Sato Hitomi , Sakamaki Kazuma , Kamada Mayumi , Okuno Yasushi , Fukuishi Nobuyuki , Furuta Kazuyuki , Tanaka Satoshi
Published: February 2019

Steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are widely used for the treatment of chronic cutaneous inflammation, such as atopic dermatitis, although it remains unknown how they modulate cutaneous mast cell functions. We investigated the effects of prolonged treatment with a synthetic glucocorticoid, dexamethasone, on murine connective tissue-type mast cells using in vitro and in vivo models. Our connective tissue-type bone marrow-derived cultured mast cell model was found to be sensitive to mast cell secretagogues, such as compound 48/80 and substance P, and higher expression levels of α subunit of a trimeric G protein, Gi1, and several Mas-related G protein-coupled receptor (Mrgpr) subtypes were observed in comparison with immature cultured mast cells. Secretagogue-induced degranulation and up-regulation of these genes was suppressed when cultured in the presence of dexamethasone. The profiles of granule constituents were drastically altered by dexamethasone. Topical application of dexamethasone down-modulated secretagogue-induced degranulation and the expression levels of several Mrgpr subtypes in cutaneous tissue. These results suggest that mast cell-mediated IgE-independent cutaneous inflammation could be suppressed by steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs through the down-regulation of G αi1 and several Mrgpr subtypes in mast cells.
Outdoor Air Temperature Measurement: A Semi-Empirical Model to Characterize Shelter Performance
Authors: Bernard Jérémy , Kéravec Pascal , Morille Benjamin , Bocher Erwan , Musy Marjorie , Calmet Isabelle
Published: February 2019

Shelters used to protect air temperature sensors from solar radiation induce a measurement error. This work presents a semi-empirical model based on meteorological variables to evaluate this error. The model equation is based on the analytical solution of a simplified energy balance performed on a naturally ventilated shelter. Two main physical error causes are identified from this equation: one is due to the shelter response time and the other is due to its solar radiation sensitivity. A shelter intercomparison measurement campaign performed by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) is used to perform a non-linear regression of the model coefficients. The regression coefficient values obtained for each shelter are found to be consistent with their expected physical behavior. They are then used to simply classify shelters according to their response time and radiation sensitivity characteristics. Finally, the ability of the model to estimate the temperature error within a given shelter is assessed and compared to the one of two existing models (proposed by Cheng and by Nakamura). For low-response-time shelters, our results reduce the root mean square error by about 15% (0.07 K) on average when compared with other compensation schemes.
What Can Policy-Makers Do to Increase the Effectiveness of Building Renovation Subsidies?
Authors: Studer Sibylle , Rieder Stefan
Published: February 2019

Heating is responsible for a substantial share of global energy consumption and still relies strongly on fossil fuels. In order to reduce energy consumption for heating, subsidies for building renovations are a common policy measure in Europe. Policy makers often combine them with information and advice measures. Policy mixes of this kind have been acknowledged widely in the literature, but their effectiveness needs further empirical examination. Based on a survey of the recipients of renovation subsidies and on four focus groups, we examine the (cost) effectiveness of subsidies, as follows: The effectiveness of renovation subsidies was measured by the extent to which receiving subsidies contributed either to the decision to renovate at all, or to the decision to enhance the quality or scope of the renovation. Fifty percent of the recipients surveyed reported that the subsidies contributed to a more energy-efficient renovation than was initially intended. The other fifty percent must be considered as free riders. Multivariate analyses further show that homeowners who used advice services and attributed outstandingly positive characteristics to the policy implementer were more likely to spend subsidies to improve energy efficiency. The findings demonstrate the importance of applying a combination of financial and persuasive policy measures. Additionally, they illustrate the importance of non-financial and non-technical factors, such as the communication competencies of the implementer, when designing policy measures.
Relationship between East Asian Cold Surges and Synoptic Patterns: A New Coupling Framework
Authors: Kumar Anupam , Lo Edmond Y.M. , Switzer Adam D.
Published: February 2019

Strong cold surge events (CSEs) are some of the most distinct winter weather events in East Asia, impacting natural ecosystems and over 100 million individuals. The impact of such extreme CSEs as driven by synoptic systems is direct and immediate. Changes in large-scale synoptic patterns as potentially affected by changes in the Arctic are further expected to influence CSE occurrences in East Asia. Defying a straightforward analysis, semi-permanent atmospheric systems such as the Siberian High (SH), influencing large-scale synoptic patterns, make the atmospheric circulation highly variable and assessment of CSE onset difficult. Rather varied region-specific metrics are currently adopted for predicting CSE occurrence locally but the fundamental understanding of the onset of CSEs continues to be a major challenge. Based on an analysis of monthly synoptic patterns for three unusual CSEs in East Asia and further extended for eight strong to extreme CSEs, we propose a new coupling framework for an improved understanding and interpretation of the atmosphere dynamics driving CSE onset. The coupling framework involves linkages between the Siberian High, Aleutian Low, and Jet Stream. We also present the first meteorological scale for categorizing the intensity of such unusual CSEs.
Tetrahydrofuran (THF)-Mediated Structure of THF·(H2O)n=1–10: A Computational Study on the Formation of the THF Hydrate
Authors: Liu Jinxiang , Yan Yujie , Yan Youguo , Zhang Jun
Published: February 2019

Tetrahydrofuran (THF) is well known as a former and a promoter of clathrate hydrates, but the molecular mechanism for the formation of these compounds is not yet well understood. We performed ab initio calculations and ab initio molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the formation, structure, and stability of THF·(H2O)n=1–10 and its significance to the formation of the THF hydrate. Weak hydrogen bonds were found between THF and water molecules, and THF could promote water molecules from the planar pentagonal or hexagonal ring. As a promoter, THF could increase the binding ability of the CH4, CO2, or H2 molecule onto a water face, but could also enhance the adsorption of other THF molecules, causing an enrichment effect.
Role of Hydrogen in Active Layer of Oxide-Semiconductor-Based Thin Film Transistors
Authors: Noh Hee Yeon , Kim Joonwoo , Kim June-Seo , Lee Myoung-Jae , Lee Hyeon-Jun
Published: February 2019

Hydrogen in oxide systems plays a very important role in determining the major physical characteristics of such systems. In this study, we investigated the effect of hydrogen in oxide host systems for various oxygen environments that acted as amorphous oxide semiconductors. The oxygen environment in the sample was controlled by the oxygen gas partial pressure in the radio-frequency-sputtering process. It was confirmed that the hydrogen introduced by the passivation layer not only acted as a “killer” of oxygen deficiencies but also as the “creator” of the defects depending on the density of oxide states. Even if hydrogen is not injected, its role can change owing to unintentionally injected hydrogen, which leads to conflicting results. We discuss herein the correlation with hydrogen in the oxide semiconductor with excess or lack of oxygen through device simulation and elemental analysis.
A Magnetocaloric Booster Unit for Energy-Efficient Air-Conditioning
Authors: Krautz Maria , Beyer Maximilian , Jäschke Christian , Schinke Lars , Waske Anja , Seifert Joachim
Published: February 2019

A concept for the application of a magnetocaloric device in energy-efficient air conditioners is introduced. In order to evaluate this concept, a test stand has been developed equipped with a magnetic field source providing about a 1.5-T flux density change into which different regenerator geometries can be implemented and evaluated. A processing route for the production of profiled magnetocaloric LaFeSiMn-based composite plates by tape casting is presented. The processed plates show a maximum isothermal entropy change of about 3.8 J kg − 1 K − 1 at a magnetic field change of 1.5 T at 285 K. The hydraulic and thermal performance of regenerator geometries that can be realized by profiled plates is assessed by calculations.
Liquid-Phase Epitaxial Growth and Characterization of Nd:YAl3(BO3)4 Optical Waveguides
Authors: Lu Yi , Dekker Peter , Dawes Judith
Published: February 2019

We investigated the fabrication of neodymium doped thin film optical waveguide-based devices as potential active sources for planar integrated optics. Liquid-phase epitaxial growth was used to fabricate neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum borate films on compatible lattice-matched, un-doped yttrium aluminum borate substrates. We observed the refractive index contrast of the doped and un-doped crystal layers via differential interference contrast microscopy. In addition, characterization by X-ray powder diffraction, optical absorption and luminescence spectra demonstrated the crystal quality, uniformity and optical guiding of the resulting thin films.
First Principles Calculation of the Entropy of Liquid Aluminum
Authors: Widom Michael , Gao Michael
Published: February 2019

The information required to specify a liquid structure equals, in suitable units, its thermodynamic entropy. Hence, an expansion of the entropy in terms of multi-particle correlation functions can be interpreted as a hierarchy of information measures. Utilizing first principles molecular dynamics simulations, we simulate the structure of liquid aluminum to obtain its density, pair and triplet correlation functions, allowing us to approximate the experimentally measured entropy and relate the excess entropy to the information content of the correlation functions. We discuss the accuracy and convergence of the method.
Application of Entropy Spectral Method for Streamflow Forecasting in Northwest China
Authors: Zhang Gengxi , Zhou Zhenghong , Su Xiaoling , Ayantobo Olusola O.
Published: February 2019

Streamflow forecasting is vital for reservoir operation, flood control, power generation, river ecological restoration, irrigation and navigation. Although monthly streamflow time series are statistic, they also exhibit seasonal and periodic patterns. Using maximum Burg entropy, maximum configurational entropy and minimum relative entropy, the forecasting models for monthly streamflow series were constructed for five hydrological stations in northwest China. The evaluation criteria of average relative error (RE), root mean square error (RMSE), correlation coefficient (R) and determination coefficient (DC) were selected as performance metrics. Results indicated that the RESA model had the highest forecasting accuracy, followed by the CESA model. However, the BESA model had the highest forecasting accuracy in a low-flow period, and the prediction accuracies of RESA and CESA models in the flood season were relatively higher. In future research, these entropy spectral analysis methods can further be applied to other rivers to verify the applicability in the forecasting of monthly streamflow in China.
Lattice Boltzmann Model for Gas Flow through Tight Porous Media with Multiple Mechanisms
Authors: Ren Junjie , Zheng Qiao , Guo Ping , Zhao Chunlan
Published: February 2019

In the development of tight gas reservoirs, gas flow through porous media usually takes place deep underground with multiple mechanisms, including gas slippage and stress sensitivity of permeability and porosity. However, little work has been done to simultaneously incorporate these mechanisms in the lattice Boltzmann model for simulating gas flow through porous media. This paper presents a lattice Boltzmann model for gas flow through porous media with a consideration of these effects. The apparent permeability and porosity are calculated based on the intrinsic permeability, intrinsic porosity, permeability modulus, porosity sensitivity exponent, and pressure. Gas flow in a two-dimensional channel filled with a homogeneous porous medium is simulated to validate the present model. Simulation results reveal that gas slippage can enhance the flow rate in tight porous media, while stress sensitivity of permeability and porosity reduces the flow rate. The simulation results of gas flow in a porous medium with different mineral components show that the gas slippage and stress sensitivity of permeability and porosity not only affect the global velocity magnitude, but also have an effect on the flow field. In addition, gas flow in a porous medium with fractures is also investigated. It is found that the fractures along the pressure-gradient direction significantly enhance the total flow rate, while the fractures perpendicular to the pressure-gradient direction have little effect on the global permeability of the porous medium. For the porous medium without fractures, the gas-slippage effect is a major influence factor on the global permeability, especially under low pressure; for the porous medium with fractures, the stress-sensitivity effect plays a more important role in gas flow.
A Neighborhood Rough Sets-Based Attribute Reduction Method Using Lebesgue and Entropy Measures
Authors: Sun Lin , Wang Lanying , Xu Jiucheng , Zhang Shiguang
Published: February 2019

For continuous numerical data sets, neighborhood rough sets-based attribute reduction is an important step for improving classification performance. However, most of the traditional reduction algorithms can only handle finite sets, and yield low accuracy and high cardinality. In this paper, a novel attribute reduction method using Lebesgue and entropy measures in neighborhood rough sets is proposed, which has the ability of dealing with continuous numerical data whilst maintaining the original classification information. First, Fisher score method is employed to eliminate irrelevant attributes to significantly reduce computation complexity for high-dimensional data sets. Then, Lebesgue measure is introduced into neighborhood rough sets to investigate uncertainty measure. In order to analyze the uncertainty and noisy of neighborhood decision systems well, based on Lebesgue and entropy measures, some neighborhood entropy-based uncertainty measures are presented, and by combining algebra view with information view in neighborhood rough sets, a neighborhood roughness joint entropy is developed in neighborhood decision systems. Moreover, some of their properties are derived and the relationships are established, which help to understand the essence of knowledge and the uncertainty of neighborhood decision systems. Finally, a heuristic attribute reduction algorithm is designed to improve the classification performance of large-scale complex data. The experimental results under an instance and several public data sets show that the proposed method is very effective for selecting the most relevant attributes with high classification accuracy.
Applications of Information Theory in Solar and Space Physics
Authors: Wing Simon , Johnson Jay R.
Published: February 2019

Characterizing and modeling processes at the sun and space plasma in our solar system are difficult because the underlying physics is often complex, nonlinear, and not well understood. The drivers of a system are often nonlinearly correlated with one another, which makes it a challenge to understand the relative effects caused by each driver. However, entropy-based information theory can be a valuable tool that can be used to determine the information flow among various parameters, causalities, untangle the drivers, and provide observational constraints that can help guide the development of the theories and physics-based models. We review two examples of the applications of the information theoretic tools at the Sun and near-Earth space environment. In the first example, the solar wind drivers of radiation belt electrons are investigated using mutual information (MI), conditional mutual information (CMI), and transfer entropy (TE). As previously reported, radiation belt electron flux (Je) is anticorrelated with solar wind density (nsw) with a lag of 1 day. However, this lag time and anticorrelation can be attributed mainly to the Je(t + 2 days) correlation with solar wind velocity (Vsw)(t) and nsw(t + 1 day) anticorrelation with Vsw(t). Analyses of solar wind driving of the magnetosphere need to consider the large lag times, up to 3 days, in the (Vsw, nsw) anticorrelation. Using CMI to remove the effects of Vsw, the response of Je to nsw is 30% smaller and has a lag time <24 h, suggesting that the loss mechanism due to nsw or solar wind dynamic pressure has to start operating in <24 h. Nonstationarity in the system dynamics is investigated using windowed TE. The triangle distribution in Je(t + 2 days) vs. Vsw(t) can be better understood with TE. In the second example, the previously identified causal parameters of the solar cycle in the Babcock–Leighton type model such as the solar polar field, meridional flow, polar faculae (proxy for polar field), and flux emergence are investigated using TE. The transfer of information from the polar field to the sunspot number (SSN) peaks at lag times of 3–4 years. Both the flux emergence and the meridional flow contribute to the polar field, but at different time scales. The polar fields from at least the last 3 cycles contain information about SSN.
Market Efficiency and News Dynamics: Evidence from International Equity Markets
Authors: Chiang Thomas C.
Published: February 2019

This paper examines the efficient market hypothesis by applying monthly data for 15 international equity markets. With the exceptions of Canada and the U.S., the null for the absence of autocorrelations of stock returns is rejected for 13 out of 15 markets. The evidence also rejects the independence of market volatility correlations. The null for testing the absence of correlations between stock returns and lagged news measured by lagged economic policy uncertainty (EPU) is rejected for all markets under investigation. The evidence indicates that a change of lagged EPUs positively predicts conditional variance.
Acknowledgement to Reviewers of Economies in 2018
Authors:   Economies Editorial Office
Published: February 2019

Rigorous peer-review is the corner-stone of high-quality academic publishing [...]
Connecting Local to Global: A Case Study of Public Engagement
Authors: Hambidge Sarah , Minocha Sonal , Hristov Dean
Published: February 2019

Public engagement is recognised as having an increasingly important role in the changing landscape of higher education in the United Kingdom (UK), and is promoted as a ‘pathway to impact’ by many higher education funding bodies. However, there is limited evidence to support the outreach and impact gained by higher education institutes that undertake international public engagement activities. Similarly, little is known about higher education staff and student’s experiences of participating in such public engagement activities. This study focusses on a Global Festival of Learning (GFoL) in delivering public engagement on an international stage through an integrated approach involving the fusion of education, research, and professional practice, and the perceived impact on staff and students. This paper proposes an adaptive model for public engagement founded on five strategic public engagement areas that can be transferred to other higher education institutes with an interest in developing their international outreach and impact.
Active Eavesdropping Detection Based on Large-Dimensional Random Matrix Theory for Massive MIMO-Enabled IoT
Authors: Xu Li , Chen Jiaqi , Liu Ming , Wang Xiaoyi
Published: February 2019

The increasing Internet-of-Things (IoT) applications will take a significant share of the services of the fifth generation mobile network (5G). However, IoT devices are vulnerable to security threats due to the limitation of their simple hardware and communication protocol. Massive multiple-input multiple-output (massive MIMO) is recognized as a promising technique to support massive connections of IoT devices, but it faces potential physical layer breaches. An active eavesdropper can compromises the communication security of massive MIMO systems by purposely contaminating the uplink pilots. According to the random matrix theory (RMT), the eigenvalue distribution of a large dimensional matrix composed of data samples converges to the limit spectrum distribution that can be characterized by matrix dimensions. With the assistance of RMT, we propose an active eavesdropping detection method in this paper. The theoretical limit spectrum distribution is exploited to determine the distribution range of the eigenvalues of a legitimate user signal. In addition the noise components are removed using the Marčenko–Pastur law of RMT. Hypothesis testing is then carried out to determine whether the spread range of eigenvalues is “normal” or not. Simulation results show that, compared with the classical Minimum Description Length (MDL)-based detection algorithm, the proposed method significantly improves active eavesdropping detection performance.
Multi-Sensor Satellite Data Processing for Marine Traffic Understanding
Authors: Reggiannini Marco , Bedini Luigi
Published: February 2019

The work described in this document concerns the estimation of the kinematics of a navigating vessel. This task can be accomplished through the exploitation of satellite-borne systems for Earth observation. Indeed, Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) and optical sensors installed aboard satellites (European Space Agency Sentinel, ImageSat International Earth Remote Observation System, Italian Space Agency Constellation of Small Satellites for Mediterranean basin Observation) return multi-resolution maps providing information about the marine surface. A moving ship represented through satellite imaging results in a bright oblong object, with a peculiar wake pattern generated by the ship’s passage throughout the water. By employing specifically tailored computer vision methods, these vessel features can be identified and individually analyzed for what concerns geometrical and radiometric properties, backscatterers spatial distribution and the spectral content of the wake components. This paper proposes a method for the automatic detection of the vessel’s motion-related features and their exploitation to provide an estimation of the vessel velocity vector. In particular, the ship’s related wake pattern is considered as a crucial target of interest for the purposes mentioned. The corresponding wake detection module has been implemented adopting a novel approach, i.e., by introducing a specifically tailored gradient estimator in the early processing stages. This results in the enhancement of the turbulent wake detection performance. The resulting overall procedure may also be included in marine surveillance systems in charge of detecting illegal maritime traffic, combating unauthorized fishing, irregular migration and related smuggling activities.
Multiresolution Virtual Experiments for Microwave Imaging of Complex Scenarios
Authors: Bevacqua Martina , Palmeri Roberta , Scapaticci Rosa
Published: February 2019

In this paper, a multiresolution approach for the quantitative microwave imaging of complex scenarios is introduced. The proposed strategy takes advantage of the combined use of a recently introduced iterative method known as distorted iterated virtual experiments (DIVE), based on the paradigm of “virtual experiments”, and a wavelet-based projection scheme. This strategy allows the unknown profiles to be represented at different resolution scales and, as such, it is particularly suitable for the imaging of highly heterogeneous targets. Moreover, the developed algorithm blends together the intrinsic multiresolution feature of the wavelet projection with the one gained by means of a frequency hopping technique. The method was tested against realistic heterogeneous scenarios of practical interest, such as breast and tree trunk phantoms, which are of interest in non-invasive medical diagnostics and the health monitoring of standing trees.
DC-Link Capacitor Voltage Imbalance Compensation Method Based Injecting Harmonic Voltage for Cascaded Multi-Module Neutral Point Clamped Inverter
Authors: Kang Kyoung-Pil , Cho Younghoon , Kim Ho-Sung , Baek Ju-won
Published: February 2019

In a three-level (NPC) converter, the voltage imbalance problem in the DC-link capacitors is major issue. This paper proposes the DC-link capacitor voltage imbalance compensation method, where a common offset voltage is injected for a multi-module NPC inverter. The offset voltage consists of a harmonic voltage and a voltage difference between the upper and lower capacitors. The proposed method does not require any hardware modification, so that it is easily implemented. In order to show the effectiveness of the proposed balancing method, theoretical analysis is provided to balance the voltages, and both the simulations and the experiments were carried out to show that the voltage difference of the DC-link was decreased by the proposed method.