bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
POVERTY AND RESPECTABILITY IN EARLY TWENTIETH-CENTURY CAPE TOWN
Authors: DOOLING WAYNE
Published: January 2019

Cape Town's black population of the early twentieth century actively pursued lifestyles that might be described as respectable. But respectability was expensive, and poverty —characterised by poor housing, ill health and shortened lifespans — stood in the way of some of its most essential elements: cleanliness, sexual restraint, sobriety, and the creation of nuclear and gendered households. Black respectability, therefore, could not simply replicate that of the dominant white bourgeoisie. Most challenging was the development of rampant black criminality, often seen by contemporary observers as the result of the failure of black women to realise respectable households. Even attempts on the part of the state to create respectable citizenries floundered, partly because these initiatives were incompatible with the policies of racial segregation. The state and the dominant bourgeoisie put their faith in the black elite as the standard-bearers of respectability, but the reality was that the respectability of the ‘superior’ class was frequently indistinguishable from those below, a consequence of the fact that the boundary between these classes was highly porous.
The question of form in the forming of questions: The meaning and use of cleftedwh-interrogatives in Swedish
Authors: BRANDTLER JOHAN
Published: January 2019

This paper addresses the meaning and use of cleftedwh-interrogatives (I-clefts) in Swedish. It is shown that I-clefts always relate immediately to the topic under discussion and serve to clarify a matter in relation to this topic. They are never used in out-of-the-blue contexts. I argue that I-clefts have the same information structure as typically assumed for declarative clefts: the clefted clause expresses an existential presupposition and the cleft phrase is the identificational focus of the utterance. I further argue that the implication of existence commonly associated withcanonicalargument questions is weaker (a conversational implicature) than the existential presupposition associated with clefts. The results from an extensive corpus survey show that argument I-clefts (who,what) constitute no less than 98% of the total number of I-clefts in my material. This frequency is linked to the presuppositional status of the cleft construction: in contexts where the denoted event is presupposed as part of the common ground, the clefted variety is the more effective choice, due to its clear partitioning of focus and ground. The ‘cost’ of using a more complex syntactic structure (the cleft) is thus counterbalanced by the benefit of being able to pose a question adjusted to the contextual requirements. As non-argument questions are typically presuppositional irrespective of syntactic form, the gain of using a cleft is less obvious – hence their infrequency in the material.
Civil Address and the Early Colonial Petition in Madras
Authors: RAMAN BHAVANI
Published: January 2019

In recent years, petitioning cultures have attracted scholarly interest because they are seen as germane to the infrastructure of political communication and modern associative life. Using materials from early colonial Madras, this article discloses a trajectory of the appeal which is different from its conventional place in the social theory of political communication. Colonial petitions carried with them the idea of law as equity through which a paternalist government sought to shape a consenting subject, even as this sense of equity was layered by other meanings of justice. In this sense petitions reworked and exceeded the idioms of imperial law and justice. Thus two aspects of the colonial petition are the focus of this article: its genealogies in the institutional history of the early modern corporation that transmitted notions of law as equity, and the recursive and heteroglossic nature of the language of appeal that enabled this text-form to be an enduring site for refashioning terms of address.
White matter microstructure of the extended limbic system in male and female youth with conduct disorder
Authors: González-Madruga Karen , Rogers Jack , Toschi Nicola , Riccelli Roberta , Smaragdi Areti , Puzzo Ignazio , Clanton Roberta , Andersson Jesper , Baumann Sarah , Kohls Gregor , Raschle Nora , Fehlbaum Lynn , Menks Willeke , Stadler Christina , Konrad Kerstin , Freitag Christine M. , De Brito Stephane A. , Sonuga-Barke Edmund , Fairchild Graeme
Published: January 2019

Background

Previous studies of conduct disorder (CD) have reported structural and functional alterations in the limbic system. However, the white matter tracts that connect limbic regions have not been comprehensively studied. The uncinate fasciculus (UF), a tract connecting limbic to prefrontal regions, has been implicated in CD. However, CD-related alterations in other limbic tracts, such as the cingulum and the fornix, have not been investigated. Furthermore, few studies have examined the influence of sex and none have been adequately powered to test whether the relationship between CD and structural connectivity differs by sex. We examined whether adolescent males and females with CD exhibit differences in structural connectivity compared with typically developing controls.

Methods

We acquired diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging data from 101 adolescents with CD (52 females) and 99 controls (50 females). Data were processed for deterministic spherical deconvolution tractography. Virtual dissections of the UF, the three subdivisions of the cingulum [retrosplenial cingulum (RSC), parahippocampal and subgenual cingulum], and the fornix were performed and measures of fractional anisotropy (FA) and hindrance-modulated orientational anisotropy (HMOA) were analysed.

Results

The CD group had lower FA and HMOA in the right RSC tract relative to controls. Importantly, these effects were moderated by sex – males with CD significantly lower FA compared to male controls, whereas CD and control females did not differ.

Conclusions

Our results highlight the importance of considering sex when studying the neurobiological basis of CD. Sex differences in RSC connectivity may contribute to sex differences in the clinical presentation of CD.
Japanese co-occurrence restrictions influence second language perception
Authors: KILPATRICK ALEXANDER J. , BUNDGAARD-NIELSEN RIKKE L. , BAKER BRETT J.
Published: January 2019

Most current models of nonnative speech perception (e.g., extended perceptual assimilation model, PAM-L2, Best & Tyler, 2007; speech learning model, Flege, 1995; native language magnet model, Kuhl, 1993) base their predictions on the native/nonnative status of individual phonetic/phonological segments. This paper demonstrates that the phonotactic properties of Japanese influence the perception of natively contrasting consonants and suggests that phonotactic influence must be formally incorporated in these models. We first propose that by extending the perceptual categories outlined in PAM-L2 to incorporate sequences of sounds, we can account for the effects of differences in native and nonnative phonotactics on nonnative and cross-language segmental perception. In addition, we test predictions based on such an extension in two perceptual experiments. In Experiment 1, Japanese listeners categorized and rated vowel–consonant–vowel strings in combinations that either obeyed or violated Japanese phonotactics. The participants categorized phonotactically illegal strings to the perceptually nearest (legal) categories. In Experiment 2, participants discriminated the same strings in AXB discrimination tests. Our results show that Japanese listeners are more accurate and have faster response times when discriminating between legal strings than between legal and illegal strings. These findings expose serious shortcomings in currently accepted nonnative perception models, which offer no framework for the influence of native language phonotactics.
Dengue, chikungunya and zika virus coinfection: results of the national surveillance during the zika epidemic in Colombia
Authors: Mercado-Reyes Marcela , Acosta-Reyes Jorge , Navarro-Lechuga Edgar , Corchuelo Sherill , Rico Angélica , Parra Edgar , Tolosa Natalia , Pardo Lissethe , González Maritza , Martìn-Rodriguez-Hernández Jorge , Karime-Osorio Luz , Ospina-Martinez Martha , Rodriguez-Perea Helena , Del Rio-Pertuz Gaspar , Viasus Diego
Published: January 2019

Our objective was to determine the frequency of zika (ZIKV), chikungunya (CHIKV) and dengue (DENV) virus coinfection and describe the mortality cases that occurred during the epidemiologic surveillance of the ZIKV epidemic in Colombia. We analysed all cases of suspected ZIKV infection that were reported to the National Institute of Health (October 2015–December 2016). DENV, CHIKV and ZIKV RNA were detected in serum or tissue samples using polymerase chain reaction assay. Medical records of the fatal cases were reviewed. We identified that 23 871 samples were processed. The frequency of viral agents was 439 (1.84%) for DENV, 257 (1.07%) for CHIKV and 10118 (42.38%) for ZIKV. Thirty-four (0.14%) cases of coinfection were identified. The CHIKV–ZIKV coinfection was present in 28 cases (82.3%), DENV–CHIKV in three (8.8%) and DENV–ZIKV in three (8.8%). Seven (20.6%) coinfection cases were fatal (two DENV–CHIKV cases and five CHIKV–ZIKV cases). Two cases were foetal deaths and the others were related to neurological syndrome and sepsis. In conclusion, the frequency of arbovirus coinfection during epidemic of ZIKV was low, and CHIKV–ZIKV coinfection was the most common. Mortality was high among coinfection patients. The role of each virus in the mortality cases of coinfection warrants further studies.
THE MERCURY MODELS OF IBN AL-ŠĀṬIR AND COPERNICUS
Authors: Nikfahm-Khubravan Sajjad , Ragep F. Jamil
Published: January 2019

Copernicus' complex Mercury model in De revolutionibus is virtually identical, geometrically, to Ibn al-Šāṭir's (ca. 1305 – ca. 1375). However, the model in his earlier Commentariolus is different and in many ways unworkable. This has led some to claim that the younger Copernicus did not understand his predecessor's model; others have maintained that Copernicus was working totally independently of Ibn al-Šāṭir. We argue that Copernicus did have Ibn al-Šāṭir's models but needed to modify them to conform to a “quasi-homocentricity” in the Commentariolus. This modification, and the move from a geocentric to heliocentric cosmology, was facilitated by the “heliocentric bias” of Ibn al-Šāṭir's models, in which the Earth was the actual center of mean motion, in contrast to Ptolemy and most Islamicate astronomers. We show that: 1) Ibn al-Šāṭir sought to reproduce Ptolemy's critical elongation at the trines(±120°), but changed the Ptolemaic values at 0, ±90, and 180°; 2) in the Commentariolus, Copernicus does not try to produce viable elongations for Mercury; and 3) by the time of writing De revolutionibus, Copernicus is in full control of the Mercury model and is able to faithfully reproduce Ptolemy's elongations at all critical points. We also argue that claims regarding “natural” solutions undermining transmission are belied by historical evidence.
Younger age remains a risk factor for prolonged length of stay after bidirectional cavopulmonary anastomosis
Authors: Koth Andrew M. , Algaze Claudia A. , Sakarovitch Charlotte , Long Jin , Kamra Komal , Wright Gail E. , Alexander-Banys Bambi , Maeda Katsuhide , Shin Andrew Y.
Published: January 2019

Objective

This study sets out to determine the influence of age at the time of surgery as a risk factor for post-operative length of stay after bidirectional cavopulmonary anastomosis.

Methods

All patients undergoing a Glenn procedure between January 2010 and July 2015 were included in this retrospective cohort study. Demographic data were examined. Standard descriptive statistics was used. A univariable analysis was conducted using the appropriate test based on data distribution. A propensity score for balancing the group difference was included in the multi-variable analysis, which was then completed using predictors from the univariable analysis that achieved significance of p<0.1.

Results

Over the study period, 50 patients met the inclusion criteria. Patients were separated into two cohorts of ⩾4 months (28 patients) and <4 months (22 patients). Other than height and weight, the two cohorts were indistinguishable in their pre-operative saturation, medications, catheterisation haemodynamics, atrioventricular valve regurgitation, and ventricular function. After adjusting group differences, younger age was associated with longer post-operative length of hospitalisation – adjusted mean 15 (±2.53) versus 8 (±2.15) days (p=0.03). In a multi-variable regression analysis, in addition to ventricular dysfunction (β coefficient=8.8, p=0.05), Glenn procedures performed before 4 months were independently associated with longer length of stay (β coefficient=−6.9, p=0.03).

Conclusion

We found that Glenn procedures performed after 4 months of age had shorter post-operative length of stay when compared to a younger cohort. These findings suggest that balancing timing of surgery to decrease the inter-stage period should take into consideration differences in post-operative recovery with earlier operations.
Assessing Planning Ability Across the Adult Life Span in a Large Population-Representative Sample: Reliability Estimates and Normative Data for the Tower of London (TOL-F) Task
Authors: Unterrainer Josef M. , Rahm Benjamin , Kaller Christoph P. , Wild Philipp S. , Münzel Thomas , Blettner Maria , Lackner Karl , Pfeiffer Norbert , Beutel Manfred E.
Published: January 2019

Objectives:The Tower of London (TOL) test has probably become the most often used task to assess planning ability in clinical and experimental settings. Since its implementation, efforts were made to provide a task version with adequate psychometric properties, but extensive normative data are not publicly available until now. The computerized TOL-Freiburg Version (TOL-F) was developed based on theory-grounded task analyses, and its psychometric adequacy has been repeatedly demonstrated in several studies but often with small and selective samples.Method:In the present study, we now report reliability estimates and normative data for the TOL-F stratified for age, sex, and education from a large population-representative sample collected in the Gutenberg Health Study in Mainz, Germany (n=7703; 40–80 years).Results:The present data confirm previously reported adequate indices of reliability (>.70) of the TOL-F. We also provide normative data for the TOL-F stratified for age (5-year intervals), sex, and education (lowvs. high education).Conclusions:Together, its adequate reliability and the representative age-, sex-, and education-fair normative data render the computerized TOL-F a suitable diagnostic instrument to assess planning ability. (JINS, 2019,25, 520–529)
Smallholder land clearing and the Forest Code in the Brazilian Amazon
Authors: Schons Stella Z. , Lima Eirivelton , Amacher Gregory S. , Merry Frank
Published: January 2019

Small landholders’ contribution to Amazon deforestation in Brazil has been persistent even after government actions have allowed a steep reduction in the overall annual deforestation area since 2004. We investigate land clearing and the incentives to comply versus not to comply with environmental legislation, allowing for selection into compliance or noncompliance due to unobserved perceptions of Forest Code enforcement. Our dynamic land clearing model is empirically tested through an endogenous switching regression method applied to data collected from households in the Transamazon-BR163 region between 2003 and 2014, when Forest Code enforcement supposedly increased. We show that smallholder compliance and noncompliance preferences lead to a selection problem that must be addressed in any land clearing behavior examination. We find that greater marginalization, longer land tenure and transitions to cattle grazing, but not agricultural rents, are major contributors to forest clearance and incentives not to comply with the Forest Code.
Thiamine deficiency observed in a cancer patient's caregiver
Authors: Onishi Hideki , Ishida Mayumi , Uchida Nozomu , Takahashi Takao , Furuya Daisuke , Ebihara Yasuhiro , Sato Izumi , Akechi Tatsuo
Published: January 2019

Objective

Thiamine deficiency (TD) is recognized in various kinds of disease with associated loss of appetite including cancer; however, TD has not been recognized in the family caregivers of cancer patients to date.

Method

From a series of cancer patient caregivers, we reported an aged family caregiver who developed TD while caring for the cancer patient.

Result

The caregiver was a 90-year-old male. He had been accompanying his wife, who was diagnosed with colon cancer 4 years previously, on hospital visits as the primary caregiver, but because of psychological issues, he was recommended to visit the psycho-oncology department's “caregiver's clinic” for a consultation. Detailed examination revealed that his appetite had been only about 50% of usual from about one year before, and he had lost 12 kg in weight in one year. The diagnosis of TD was supported by his abnormally low serum thiamine level.

Significance of the results

This report demonstrates that there is a possibility that care providers could develop TD from the burdens associated with caregiving. TD should be considered whenever there is a loss of appetite lasting for more than 2 weeks, and medical staff should pay careful attention to the physical condition of care providers to prevent complications resulting from TD.
Network analysis of the relationship between depressive symptoms, demographics, nutrition, quality of life and medical condition factors in the Osteoarthritis Initiative database cohort of elderly North-American adults with or at risk for osteoarthritis
Authors: Solmi Marco , Koyanagi Ai , Thompson Trevor , Fornaro Michele , Correll Christoph U , Veronese Nicola
Published: January 2019

Aims

A complex interaction exists between age, body mass index, medical conditions, polypharmacotherapy, smoking, alcohol use, education, nutrition, depressive symptoms, functioning and quality of life (QoL). We aimed to examine the inter-relationships among these variables, test whether depressive symptomology plays a central role in a large sample of adults, and determine the degree of association with life-style and health variables.

Methods

Regularised network analysis was applied to 3532 North-American adults aged ⩾45 years drawn from the Osteoarthritis Initiative. Network stability (autocorrelation after case-dropping), centrality of nodes (strength, M, the sum of weight of the connections for each node), and edges/regularised partial correlations connecting the nodes were assessed.

Results

Physical and mental health-related QoL (M = 1.681; M = 1.342), income (M = 1.891), age (M = 1.416), depressive symptoms (M = 1.214) and education (M = 1.173) were central nodes. Depressive symptoms’ stronger negative connections were found with mental health-related QoL (−0.702), income (−0.090), education (−0.068) and physical health-related QoL (−0.354). This latter was a ‘bridge node’ that connected depressive symptoms with Charlson comorbidity index, and number of medications. Physical activity and Mediterranean diet adherence were associated with income and physical health-related QoL. This latter was a ‘bridge node’ between the former two and depressive symptoms. The network was stable (stability coefficient = 0.75, i.e. highest possible value) for all centrality measures.

Conclusions

A stable network exists between life-style behaviors and social, environmental, medical and psychiatric variables. QoL, income, age and depressive symptoms were central in the multidimensional network. Physical health-related QoL seems to be a ‘bridge node’ connecting depressive symptoms with several life-style and health variables. Further studies should assess such interactions in the general population.
Prevalence of DSM-5 mental disorders in a nationally representative sample of children in Taiwan: methodology and main findings
Authors: Chen Yi-Lung , Chen Wei J. , Lin Kuan-Chia , Shen Lih-Jong , Gau Susan Shur-Fen
Published: January 2019

Aims

There has been a lack of prevalence estimates of DSM-5 mental disorders in child populations at the national level worldwide. This study estimated the lifetime and 6-month prevalence of mental disorders according to the DSM-5 diagnostic criteria in Taiwanese children.

Methods

Taiwan's National Epidemiological Study of Child Mental Disorders used the stratified cluster sampling to select 69 schools in Taiwan resulting in a nationally representative sample of 4816 children in grades 3 (n = 1352), 5 (n = 1297) and 7 (n = 2167). All the participants underwent face-to-face psychiatric interviews using the Kiddie-Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia-Epidemiological version, modified for the DSM-5, and they and their parents completed questionnaires. The inverse probability censoring weighting (IPCW)-adjusted prevalence was reported to minimise non-response bias.

Results

The IPCW-adjusted prevalence rates of mental disorders decreased by 0.1–0.5% than raw weighted prevalence. The IPCW-adjusted weighted lifetime and 6-month prevalence rates for overall mental disorders were 31.6 and 25.0%, respectively. The most prevalent mental disorders (lifetime, 6-month) were anxiety disorders (15.2, 12.0%) and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (10.1, 8.7%), followed by sleep disorders, tic disorders, oppositional defiant disorder and autism spectrum disorder. The prevalence rates of new DSM-5 mental disorders, avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder and disruptive mood dysregulation disorder were low (<1%).

Conclusions

Our findings, similar to the DSM-IV prevalence rates reported in Western countries, indicate that DSM-5 mental disorders are common in the Taiwanese child population and suggest the need for public awareness, early detection and prevention.
Herbicide Options for Control of Palmer Amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri) and Common Waterhemp (Amaranthus rudis) in Double-Crop Soybean
Authors: Hay Marshall M. , Shoup Douglas E. , Peterson Dallas E.
Published: January 2019

Double-crop soybean after winter wheat is a component of many cropping systems across eastern and central Kansas. Until recently, control of Palmer amaranth and common waterhemp has been both easy and economical with the use of sequential applications of glyphosate in glyphosate-resistant soybean. Many populations of Palmer amaranth and common waterhemp have become resistant to glyphosate. During 2015 and 2016, a total of five field experiments were conducted near Manhattan, Hutchinson, and Ottawa, KS, to assess various non-glyphosate herbicide programs at three different application timings for the control of Palmer amaranth and waterhemp in double-crop soybean after winter wheat. Spring-POST treatments of pyroxasulfone (119 g ai ha–1) and pendimethalin (1065 g ai ha–1) were applied to winter wheat to evaluate residual control of Palmer amaranth and waterhemp. Less than 40% control of Palmer amaranth and waterhemp was observed in both treatments 2 wk after planting (WAP) double-crop soybean. Preharvest treatments of 2,4-D (561 g ae ha–1) and flumioxazin (107 g ai ha–1) were also applied to the winter wheat to assess control of emerged Palmer amaranth and waterhemp. 2,4-D resulted in highly variable Palmer amaranth and waterhemp control, whereas flumioxazin resulted in control similar to PRE treatments that contained paraquat (841 g ai ha–1) plus residual herbicide(s). Excellent control of both species was observed 2 WAP with a PRE paraquat application; however, reduced control of Palmer amaranth and waterhemp was noted 8 WAP due to subsequent emergence. Results indicate that Palmer amaranth and waterhemp control was 85% or greater 8 WAP for PRE treatments that included a combination of paraquat plus residual herbicide(s). PRE treatments that did not include both paraquat and residual herbicide(s) did not provide acceptable control.
Statistical Bias Correction for Simulated Wind Speeds Over CORDEX‐East Asia
Authors: Li Delei , Feng Jianlong , Xu Zhenhua , Yin Baoshu , Shi Hongyuan , Qi Jifeng
Published: January 2019

Surface wind is significant for ocean state climate, ocean mixing, and viability of wind energy techniques. However, surface wind simulated from the regional climate model generally features substantial bias from observation. For the first time, this study compares the performance of five bias correction techniques, (1) linear scaling, (2) variance scaling, (3) quantile mapping based on empirical distribution, (4) quantile mapping based on Weibull distribution, and (5) cumulative distribution functions transformation, in reducing the statistical bias of a regional climate model wind output, which was downscaled from a global climate model CNRM‐CM5 during 1991–2000. The surface wind of JRA55 reanalysis data is used as reference. Results show that all bias correction methods are consistent in reducing the climatological mean bias in spatial patterns and intensities. The linear scaling method always performs the worst among all methods in correcting higher‐order statistical biases such as skewness, kurtosis, and wind power density. The other four bias correction methods are generally similar in reducing the statistical biases of different measures based on spatial distribution maps. However, when it comes to spatial averaged mean of statistical measures over CORDEX‐East Asia in January and July, the quantile mapping based on Weibull distribution generally shows the best skills among all methods in bias reduction.
Influence of Atmospheric Transport on Estimates of Variability in the Global Methane Burden
Authors: Pandey Sudhanshu , Houweling Sander , Krol Maarten , Aben Ilse , Nechita‐Banda Narcisa , Thoning Kirk , Röckmann Thomas , Yin Yi , Segers Arjo , Dlugokencky Edward J.
Published: January 2019

We quantify the impact of atmospheric transport and limited marine boundary layer sampling on changes in global and regional methane burdens estimate using tracer transport model simulations with annually repeating methane emissions and sinks but varying atmospheric transport patterns. We find the 1σ error due to this transport and sampling effect on annual global methane increases to be 1.11 ppb/year and on zonal growth rates to be 3.8 ppb/year, indicating that it becomes more critical at smaller spatiotemporal scales. We also find that the trends in inter‐hemispheric and inter‐polar difference of methane are significantly influenced by the effect. Contrary to a negligible trend in the inter‐hemispheric difference of measurements, we find, after adjusting for the transport and sampling, a trend of 0.37 ± 0.06 ppb/year. This is consistent with the emission trend from a 3‐D inversion of the measurements, suggesting a faster increase in emissions in the Northern Hemisphere than in the Southern Hemisphere.
The Effect of Internal Variability on Ocean Temperature Adjustment in a Low‐Resolution CESM Initial Condition Ensemble
Authors: Hogan E. , Sriver R. L.
Published: January 2019

Due to its large heat capacity and circulation, the ocean contributes significantly to global heat uptake, global heat transport, spatial temperature patterns, and variability. Quantifying ocean heat uptake across different temporal and spatial scales is important to quantify Earth's climate response to anthropogenic warming. Here we evaluate ocean adjustment time scales from two different fully coupled climate model ensembles using the Community Earth System Model. Both ensembles use the same model version, anthropogenic and natural forcings, and coupling configurations, but we initialize the ensembles in two different ways: (1) sampling joint internal variability of the ocean–atmosphere system (unique atmosphere and ocean conditions) and (2) sampling the internal variability of the atmosphere only (unique atmosphere, identical ocean conditions). Uncertainty due to internal variability is used as a proxy to quantify the time scales of ocean temperature adjustment at different depths and basins in Community Earth System Model. Time scales of equilibration are longer in the deep ocean than the upper ocean, highlighting the vertical structure of dynamic adjustment. The Atlantic equilibrates on shorter time scales (82 years above 1,000 m, 140 years below 1,000 m) relative to the Pacific (106 years above 1,000 m, 444 years below 1,000 m) in Community Earth System Model due to the large North Atlantic Deep Water formation and strong overturning circulation in the Atlantic. These results have broad implications for analyzing internal climate variability, ocean adjustment, and drift in global coupled model experiments and intercomparisons.
Dust Emission Inversion Using Himawari‐8 AODs Over East Asia: An Extreme Dust Event in May 2017
Authors: Jin Jianbing , Segers Arjo , Heemink Arnold , Yoshida Mayumi , Han Wei , Lin Hai‐Xiang
Published: January 2019

Aerosol optical depths (AODs) from the new Himawari‐8 satellite instrument have been assimilated in a dust simulation model over East Asia. This advanced geostationary instrument is capable of monitoring the East Asian dust storms which usually have great spatial and temporal variability. The quality of the data has been verified through a comparison with AErosol RObotic NETwork AODs. This study focuses on extreme dust events only when dust aerosols are dominant; promising results are obtained in AOD assimilation experiments during a case in May 2017. The dust emission fields that drive the simulation model are strongly improved by the inverse modeling, and consequently, the simulated dust concentrations are in better agreements with the observed AOD as well as ground‐based observations of PM10. However, some satellite AODs show significant inconsistence with the simulations and the PM10 and AErosol RObotic NETwork observations, which might arise from retrieval errors over a partially clouded scene. The data assimilation procedure therefore includes a screening method to exclude these observations in order to avoid unrealistic results. A dust mask screening method is designed, which is based on selecting only those observations where the deterministic model produces a substantial amount of dust. This screen algorithm is tested to give more accurate result compared to the traditional method based on background covariance in the case study. Note that our screen method would exclude valuable information in case the model is not able to simulate the dust plume shape correctly; hence, applications in related studies require inspections of simulations and observations by user.
Hydrological Model Diversity Enhances Streamflow Forecast Skill at Short‐ to Medium‐Range Timescales
Authors: Sharma Sanjib , Siddique Ridwan , Reed Seann , Ahnert Peter , Mejia Alfonso
Published: January 2019

We investigate the ability of hydrological multimodel ensemble predictions to enhance the skill of streamflow forecasts at short‐ to medium‐range timescales. To generate the multimodel ensembles, we implement a new statistical postprocessor, namely, quantile regression‐Bayesian model averaging (QR‐BMA). Quantile regression‐Bayesian model averaging uses quantile regression to bias correct the ensemble streamflow forecasts from the individual models and Bayesian model averaging to optimally combine their probability density functions. Additionally, we use an information‐theoretic measure, namely, conditional mutual information, to quantify the skill enhancements from the multimodel forecasts. We generate ensemble streamflow forecasts at lead times from 1 to 7 days using three hydrological models: (i) Antecedent Precipitation Index‐Continuous, (ii) Hydrology Laboratory‐Research Distributed Hydrologic Model, and (iii) Weather Research and Forecasting Hydrological modeling system. As forcing to the hydrological models, we use weather ensemble forecasts from the National Centers for Environmental Prediction 11‐member Global Ensemble Forecast System Reforecast version 2. The forecasting experiments are performed for four nested basins of the North Branch Susquehanna River, USA. We find that after bias correcting the streamflow forecasts from each model, their skill performance becomes comparable. We find that the multimodel ensemble forecasts have higher skill than the best single‐model forecasts. Furthermore, the skill enhancements obtained by the multimodel ensemble forecasts are found to be dominated by model diversity, rather than by increased ensemble size alone. This result, obtained using conditional mutual information, indicates that each hydrological model contributes additional information to enhance forecast skill. Overall, our results highlight benefits of hydrological multimodel forecasting for improving streamflow predictions.
SciArt: Teaching Across the Interface
Authors: Illingworth Sam , Griffiths Dave
Published: January 2019

A new program brings undergraduates together to collaborate across disciplines and to see their respective fields with new eyes.
Beyond EGFR inhibition: multilateral combat strategies to stop the progression of head and neck cancer
Authors: Byeon Hyung Kwon , Ku Minhee , Yang Jaemoon
Published: January 2019

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) overexpression is common in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Targeted therapy specifically directed towards EGFR has been an area of keen interest in head and neck cancer research, as EGFR is potentially an integration point for convergent signaling. Despite the latest advancements in cancer diagnostics and therapeutics against EGFR, the survival rates of patients with advanced head and neck cancer remain disappointing due to anti-EGFR resistance. This review article will discuss recent multilateral efforts to discover and validate actionable strategies that involve signaling pathways in heterogenous head and neck cancer and to overcome anti-EGFR resistance in the era of precision medicine. Particularly, this review will discuss in detail the issue of cancer metabolism, which has recently emerged as a novel mechanism by which head and neck cancer may be successfully controlled according to different perspectives.
Quantitative imaging of the complexity in liquid bubbles’ evolution reveals the dynamics of film retraction
Authors: Mandracchia Biagio , Wang Zhe , Ferraro Vincenzo , Villone Massimiliano Maria , Di Maio Ernesto , Maffettone Pier Luca , Ferraro Pietro
Published: January 2019

The dynamics and stability of thin liquid films have fascinated scientists over many decades. Thin film flows are central to numerous areas of engineering, geophysics, and biophysics and occur over a wide range of lengths, velocities, and liquid property scales. In spite of many significant developments in this area, we still lack appropriate quantitative experimental tools with the spatial and temporal resolution necessary for a comprehensive study of film evolution. We propose tackling this problem with a holographic technique that combines quantitative phase imaging with a custom setup designed to form and manipulate bubbles. The results, gathered on a model aqueous polymeric solution, provide unparalleled insight into bubble dynamics through the combination of a full-field thickness estimation, three-dimensional imaging, and a fast acquisition time. The unprecedented level of detail offered by the proposed methodology will promote a deeper understanding of the underlying physics of thin film dynamics.
Microbial functional traits are sensitive indicators of mild disturbance by lamb grazing
Authors: Ma Xingyu , Zhang Qiuting , Zheng Mengmei , Gao Ying , Yuan Tong , Hale Lauren , Van Nostrand Joy D , Zhou Jizhong , Wan Shiqiang , Yang Yunfeng
Published: January 2019

Mild disturbances are prevalent in the environment, which may not be easily notable but could have considerable ecological consequences over prolonged periods. To evaluate this, a field study was designed to examine the effects of very light-intensity lamb grazing on grassland soil microbiomes with different soil backgrounds. No significant change (P > 0.05) was observed in any vegetation and soil variables. Nonetheless, hundreds of microbial functional gene families, but not bacterial taxonomy, were significantly (P < 0.05) shifted. The relative abundances of both taxonomic markers and functional genes related to nitrifying bacteria were also changed. The observation highlighted herein, showing a high level of sensitivity with respect to functional traits (functionally categorized taxa or genes) in differentiating mild environmental disturbance, suggests that the key level at which to address microbial responses may not be “species” (by means of rRNA taxonomy), but rather at the functional gene level.
Loss of function dysbiosis associated with antibiotics and high fat, high sugar diet
Authors: Miller Aaron W , Orr Teri , Dearing Denise , Monga Manoj
Published: January 2019

The incidence of urinary stone disease (USD) has increased four-fold in 50 years. Oxalate, which is degraded exclusively by gut bacteria, is an important constituent in 80% of urinary stones. We quantified the effects of antibiotics and a high fat/high sugar (HFHS) diet on the microbial metabolism of oxalate in the gut. High and low oxalate-degrading mouse models were developed by administering fecal transplants from either the wild mammalian rodent Neotoma albigula or Swiss-Webster mice to Swiss-Webster mice, which produces a microbiota with or without the bacteria necessary for persistent oxalate metabolism, respectively. Antibiotics led to an acute loss of both transplant bacteria and associated oxalate metabolism. Transplant bacteria exhibited some recovery over time but oxalate metabolism did not. In contrast, a HFHS diet led to an acute loss of function coupled with a gradual loss of transplant bacteria, indicative of a shift in overall microbial metabolism. Thus, the effects of oral antibiotics on the microbiome form and function were greater than the effects of diet. Results indicate that both antibiotics and diet strongly influence microbial oxalate metabolism.
Increased cortical reactivity to repeated tones at 8 months in infants with later ASD
Authors: Kolesnik Anna , Begum Ali Jannath , Gliga Teodora , Guiraud Jeanne , Charman Tony , Johnson Mark H. , Jones Emily J. H. ,   The BASIS Team
Published: January 2019

Dysregulation of cortical excitation/inhibition (E/I) has been proposed as a neuropathological mechanism underlying core symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Determining whether dysregulated E/I could contribute to the emergence of behavioural symptoms of ASD requires evidence from human infants prior to diagnosis. In this prospective longitudinal study, we examine differences in neural responses to auditory repetition in infants later diagnosed with ASD. Eight-month-old infants with (high-risk: n = 116) and without (low-risk: n = 27) an older sibling with ASD were tested in a non-linguistic auditory oddball paradigm. Relative to high-risk infants with typical development (n = 44), infants with later ASD (n = 14) showed reduced repetition suppression of 40–60 Hz evoked gamma and significantly greater 10–20 Hz inter-trial coherence (ITC) for repeated tones. Reduced repetition suppression of cortical gamma and increased phase-locking to repeated tones are consistent with cortical hyper-reactivity, which could in turn reflect disturbed E/I balance. Across the whole high-risk sample, a combined index of cortical reactivity (cortical gamma amplitude and ITC) was dimensionally associated with reduced growth in language skills between 8 months and 3 years, as well as elevated levels of parent-rated social communication symptoms at 3 years. Our data show that cortical ‘hyper-reactivity’ may precede the onset of behavioural traits of ASD in development, potentially affecting experience-dependent specialisation of the developing brain.
Solid Earth change and the evolution of the Antarctic Ice Sheet
Authors: Whitehouse Pippa L. , Gomez Natalya , King Matt A. , Wiens Douglas A.
Published: January 2019

Recent studies suggest that Antarctica has the potential to contribute up to ~15 m of sea-level rise over the next few centuries. The evolution of the Antarctic Ice Sheet is driven by a combination of climate forcing and non-climatic feedbacks. In this review we focus on feedbacks between the Antarctic Ice Sheet and the solid Earth, and the role of these feedbacks in shaping the response of the ice sheet to past and future climate changes. The growth and decay of the Antarctic Ice Sheet reshapes the solid Earth via isostasy and erosion. In turn, the shape of the bed exerts a fundamental control on ice dynamics as well as the position of the grounding line—the location where ice starts to float. A complicating issue is the fact that Antarctica is situated on a region of the Earth that displays large spatial variations in rheological properties. These properties affect the timescale and strength of feedbacks between ice-sheet change and solid Earth deformation, and hence must be accounted for when considering the future evolution of the ice sheet.
Quantum mechanics and the covariance of physical laws in quantum reference frames
Authors: Giacomini Flaminia , Castro-Ruiz Esteban , Brukner Časlav
Published: January 2019

In physics, every observation is made with respect to a frame of reference. Although reference frames are usually not considered as degrees of freedom, in all practical situations it is a physical system which constitutes a reference frame. Can a quantum system be considered as a reference frame and, if so, which description would it give of the world? Here, we introduce a general method to quantise reference frame transformations, which generalises the usual reference frame transformation to a “superposition of coordinate transformations”. We describe states, measurement, and dynamical evolution in different quantum reference frames, without appealing to an external, absolute reference frame, and find that entanglement and superposition are frame-dependent features. The transformation also leads to a generalisation of the notion of covariance of dynamical physical laws, to an extension of the weak equivalence principle, and to the possibility of defining the rest frame of a quantum system.
Next-generation muscle-directed gene therapy by in silico vector design
Authors: Sarcar S. , Tulalamba W. , Rincon M. Y. , Tipanee J. , Pham H. Q. , Evens H. , Boon D. , Samara-Kuko E. , Keyaerts M. , Loperfido M. , Berardi E. , Jarmin S. , In’t Veld P. , Dickson G. , Lahoutte T. , Sampaolesi M. , De Bleser P. , VandenDriessche T. , Chuah M. K.
Published: January 2019

There is an urgent need to develop the next-generation vectors for gene therapy of muscle disorders, given the relatively modest advances in clinical trials. These vectors should express substantially higher levels of the therapeutic transgene, enabling the use of lower and safer vector doses. In the current study, we identify potent muscle-specific transcriptional cis-regulatory modules (CRMs), containing clusters of transcription factor binding sites, using a genome-wide data-mining strategy. These novel muscle-specific CRMs result in a substantial increase in muscle-specific gene transcription (up to 400-fold) when delivered using adeno-associated viral vectors in mice. Significantly higher and sustained human micro-dystrophin and follistatin expression levels are attained than when conventional promoters are used. This results in robust phenotypic correction in dystrophic mice, without triggering apoptosis or evoking an immune response. This multidisciplinary approach has potentially broad implications for augmenting the efficacy and safety of muscle-directed gene therapy.
Flexible decapyrrylcorannulene hosts
Authors: Xu Yun-Yan , Tian Han-Rui , Li Shu-Hui , Chen Zuo-Chang , Yao Yang-Rong , Wang Shan-Shan , Zhang Xin , Zhu Zheng-Zhong , Deng Shun-Liu , Zhang Qianyan , Yang Shangfeng , Xie Su-Yuan , Huang Rong-Bin , Zheng Lan-Sun
Published: January 2019

The assembly of spherical fullerenes, or buckyballs, into single crystals for crystallographic identification often suffers from disordered arrangement. Here we show a chiral configuration of decapyrrylcorannulene that has a concave ‘palm’ of corannulene and ten flexible electron-rich pyrryl group ‘fingers’ to mimic the smart molecular ‘hands’ for self-adaptably cradling various buckyballs in a (+)hand-ball-hand(−) mode. As exemplified by crystallographic identification of 15 buckyball structures representing pristine, exohedral, endohedral, dimeric and hetero-derivatization, the pyrryl groups twist with varying dihedral angles to adjust the interaction between decapyrrylcorannulene and fullerene. The self-adaptable electron-rich pyrryl groups, susceptible to methylation, are theoretically revealed to contribute more than the bowl-shaped palm of the corannulene in holding buckyball structures. The generality of the present decapyrrylcorannulene host with flexible pyrryl groups facilitates the visualization of numerous unknown/unsolved fullerenes by crystallography and the assembly of the otherwise close-packed spherical fullerenes into two-dimensional layered structures by intercalation.
Ingestible hydrogel device
Authors: Liu Xinyue , Steiger Christoph , Lin Shaoting , Parada German Alberto , Liu Ji , Chan Hon Fai , Yuk Hyunwoo , Phan Nhi V. , Collins Joy , Tamang Siddartha , Traverso Giovanni , Zhao Xuanhe
Published: January 2019

Devices that interact with living organisms are typically made of metals, silicon, ceramics, and plastics. Implantation of such devices for long-term monitoring or treatment generally requires invasive procedures. Hydrogels offer new opportunities for human-machine interactions due to their superior mechanical compliance and biocompatibility. Additionally, oral administration, coupled with gastric residency, serves as a non-invasive alternative to implantation. Achieving gastric residency with hydrogels requires the hydrogels to swell very rapidly and to withstand gastric mechanical forces over time. However, high swelling ratio, high swelling speed, and long-term robustness do not coexist in existing hydrogels. Here, we introduce a hydrogel device that can be ingested as a standard-sized pill, swell rapidly into a large soft sphere, and maintain robustness under repeated mechanical loads in the stomach for up to one month. Large animal tests support the exceptional performance of the ingestible hydrogel device for long-term gastric retention and physiological monitoring.
Photoinduced, reversible phase transitions in all-inorganic perovskite nanocrystals
Authors: Kirschner Matthew S. , Diroll Benjamin T. , Guo Peijun , Harvey Samantha M. , Helweh Waleed , Flanders Nathan C. , Brumberg Alexandra , Watkins Nicolas E. , Leonard Ariel A. , Evans Austin M. , Wasielewski Michael R. , Dichtel William R. , Zhang Xiaoyi , Chen Lin X. , Schaller Richard D.
Published: January 2019

Significant interest exists in lead trihalides that present the perovskite structure owing to their demonstrated potential in photovoltaic, lasing, and display applications. These materials are also notable for their unusual phase behavior often displaying easily accessible phase transitions. In this work, time-resolved X-ray diffraction, performed on perovskite cesium lead bromide nanocrystals, maps the lattice response to controlled excitation fluence. These nanocrystals undergo a reversible, photoinduced orthorhombic-to-cubic phase transition which is discernible at fluences greater than 0.34 mJ cm−2 through the loss of orthorhombic features and shifting of high-symmetry peaks. This transition recovers on the timescale of 510 ± 100 ps. A reversible crystalline-to-amorphous transition, observable through loss of Bragg diffraction intensity, occurs at higher fluences (greater than 2.5 mJ cm−2). These results demonstrate that light-driven phase transitions occur in perovskite materials, which will impact optoelectronic applications and enable the manipulation of non-equilibrium phase characteristics of the broad perovskite material class.