bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Lack of Photon Antibunching Supports Supertrap Model of Photoluminescence Blinking in Perovskite Sub‐Micrometer Crystals
Authors: Eremchev Ivan Yu. , Tarasevich Aleksandr O. , Li Jun , Naumov Andrey V. , Scheblykin Ivan G.
Published: November 2020

Antibunching effect is typically observed in individual systems possessing photoluminescence (PL) blinking and vice versa. Contrary to this common perception, absence of antibunching in strongly blinking methyl ammonium led tri‐iodide (MAPbI3) perovskite crystals of sizes from tens to hundreds of nanometers regardless of the excitation power density is observed. Antibunching effect does not appear even when photon statistics are analyzed for bright and intermediate PL intensity levels independently. This shows that there is no directional energy funneling and accumulation of charge carriers in the small local regions in MAPbI3 crystals where an Auger recombination can potentially suppress the simultaneous emission of two photons. This result allows for the exclusion of the PL blinking mechanism based on the idea of emitting sites previously hypothesized for perovskites. Therefore, the model of PL blinking in perovskite crystals based on the presence of a metastable non‐radiative recombination center (the supertrap) is the only one proposed so far which explains blinking without conflicting with the absence of photon correlations.
What Governs Pickering Emulsion Properties During Preparation via Batch Rotor‐Stator Homogenizers?
Authors: Kempin Maresa Vivien , Drews Anja
Published: November 2020

Pickering emulsions have received increasing interest in many fields of application recently. In designing Pickering emulsion properties, focus is typically laid on composition whereas the preparation process as another possible leverage is not considered in detail. Here, Pickering emulsions of constant composition were prepared using two dispersing heads of a rotor‐stator homogenizer and compared in terms of Sauter mean diameters and rheology. It was found that the ratio of tip speed and gap width between rotor and stator is a better correlating parameter than tip speed only.
Comparing Efficiency per Volume of Uniflow Cyclones and Standard Cyclones
Authors: Muschelknautz Ulrich
Published: November 2020

A competitive alternative to the standard reverse flow cyclone for gas‐solids separation is the uniflow cyclone. Gas and particles passing through it in only one direction, allowing a cost‐effective usage in space limited applications. Comprehensive studies of uniflow cyclones have strongly improved their understanding and led to approved design criteria and calculation methods. Here it is shown that uniflow cyclones can achieve higher efficiencies per volume with a low pressure drop than standard cyclones.
Trait coordination and environmental filters shape functional trait distributions of forest understory herbs
Authors: Candeias Matt , Fraterrigo Jennifer
Published: November 2020

Understanding the drivers of trait selection is critical for resolving community assembly processes. Here, we test the importance of environmental filtering and trait covariance for structuring the functional traits of understory herbaceous communities distributed along a natural environmental resource gradient that varied in soil moisture, temperature, and nitrogen availability, produced by different topographic positions in the southern Appalachian Mountains.

To uncover potential differences in community‐level trait responses to the resource gradient, we quantified the averages and variances of both abundance‐weighted and unweighted values for six functional traits (vegetative height, leaf area, specific leaf area, leaf dry matter content, leaf nitrogen, and leaf δ13C) using 15 individuals of each of the 108 species of understory herbs found at two sites in the southern Appalachians of western North Carolina, USA.

Environmental variables were better predictors of weighted than unweighted community‐level average trait values for all but height and leaf N, indicating strong environmental filtering of plant abundance. Community‐level variance patterns also showed increased convergence of abundance‐weighted traits as resource limitation became more severe.

Functional trait covariance patterns based on weighted averages were uniform across the gradient, whereas coordination based on unweighted averages was inconsistent and varied with environmental context. In line with these results, structural equation modeling revealed that unweighted community‐average traits responded directly to local environmental variation, whereas weighted community‐average traits responded indirectly to local environmental variation through trait coordination.

Our finding that trait coordination is more important for explaining the distribution of weighted than unweighted average trait values along the gradient indicates that environmental filtering acts on multiple traits simultaneously, with abundant species possessing more favorable combinations of traits for maximizing fitness in a given environment.
An asymmetric group key agreement protocol based on attribute threshold for Internet of Things
Authors: Gan Yong , Wang Bingli , Zhuang Yuan , Gao Yuan , Li Zhigang , Zhang Qikun
Published: November 2020

With the development of wireless mobile network and Internet of Things (IoT), users enter the network with a large amount of data and information, including some important personal information, such as ID number, telephone number. Personal privacy disclosure has become one of the focuses of attention. In this article, we propose an asymmetric group key agreement (GKA) protocol based on attribute threshold for IoT to protect user privacy. Users do not need to expose any personal information in the group, but only need to meet the same number of attributes and conduct bidirectional authentication registration with key generation center (KGC) to ensure the legitimacy of mobile terminal members participating in GKA. In the registration phase, user performs heavy preliminary calculations according to the designed protocol, thereby reducing the computation in the key agreement phase and decreasing the complexity of the protocol. The protocol can realize self‐verification, and any member participating in key agreement can verify the correctness of the negotiated key by themselves. Under the assumption of bilinear computational Diffie‐Hellman problem, the security of the protocol is proved. Performance analysis further shows that our protocol has lower energy consumption in terms of communication and computing.
Does crude oil futures price really help to predict spot oil price? New evidence from density forecasting
Authors: Bai Lan , Li Xiafei , Wei Yu , Wei Guiwu
Published: November 2020

In this paper, we detect the contributions of various predictors in terms of density forecasts of monthly West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil prices. In the first step, we use a simple predictive regression of crude oil prices on different predictors one‐by‐one as explanatory variables, and then two kinds of criteria, Log Score and Continuous Ranked Probability Score (CRPS), are employed to evaluate the density forecasting accuracy of them. In the second step, we utilize a CRPS‐weighted combination and an equal‐weighted combination, respectively, to assemble various density forecasting results in the first step. Finally, a novel test proposed by Rossi and Sekhposyan (2019) is adopted to verify the correct calibration of predictive densities by these two combination methods as well as an AR benchmark model. The empirical results indicate that those predictors proved to perform well (poor) in point forecasts of crude oil price in extant literature do not necessarily offer high (low) density forecasting accuracy. Interestingly, WTI oil futures price is the only predictor that can produce good out‐of‐sample density forecasts across various time horizons. In addition, we find that the two model combination methods can beat the AR benchmark in density forecasting of crude oil price. However, no model can produce correct calibration of predictive densities for crude oil price at time horizons longer than about 5 years.
It's Not Just Counting the Women: Gender Diversity and Systems Engineering
Authors: Palmer Erika , Farstad Maja
Published: November 2020

With an increasing focus on women in systems engineering at INCOSE, through groups such as Empowering Women Leaders in Systems Engineering (EWLSE), and the desire to develop policy to increase gender diversity, it is important to: (1) conceptually understand what gender diversity means in a systems engineering context and (2) gain a deeper understanding of the value increased gender diversity has for systems engineering. Using a social science perspective together with engineering ethics, in this paper, we conceptually outline what gender diversity is in a systems engineering context. We discuss the value this could have for engineering products and the social systems in which they are embedded.
Predicting polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon formation with an automatically generated mechanism for acetylene pyrolysis
Authors: Liu Mengjie , Chu Te‐Chun , Jocher Agnes , Smith Mica C. , Lengyel Istvan , Green William H.
Published: November 2020

Using Reaction Mechanism Generator (RMG), we have automatically constructed a detailed mechanism for acetylene pyrolysis, which predicts formation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) up to pyrene. To improve the data available for formation pathways from naphthalene to pyrene, new high‐pressure limit reaction rate coefficients and species thermochemistry were calculated using a combination of electronic structure data from the literature and new quantum calculations. Pressure‐dependent kinetics for the CH potential energy surface calculated by Zádor et al. were incorporated to ensure accurate pathways for acetylene initiation reactions. After adding these new data into the RMG database, a pressure‐dependent mechanism was generated in a single RMG simulation which captures chemistry from C to C. In general, the RMG‐generated model accurately predicts major species profiles in comparison to plug‐flow reactor data from the literature. The primary shortcoming of the model is that formation of anthracene, phenanthrene, and pyrene are underpredicted, and PAHs beyond pyrene are not captured. Reaction path analysis was performed for the RMG model to identify key pathways. Notable conclusions include the importance of accounting for the acetone impurity in acetylene in accurately predicting formation of odd‐carbon species, the remarkably low contribution of acetylene dimerization to vinylacetylene or diacetylene, and the dominance of the hydrogen abstraction CH addition (HACA) mechanism in the formation pathways to all PAH species in the model. This work demonstrates the improved ability of RMG to model PAH formation, while highlighting the need for more kinetics data for elementary reaction pathways to larger PAHs.
Comparison of venous couplers versus hand‐sewn technique in 4577 cases of DIEP‐flap breast reconstructions – A multicenter study
Authors: Heidekrueger Paul , von Fritschen Uwe , Moellhoff Nicholas , Germann Gunter , Giunta Riccardo , Zeman Florian , Prantl Lukas
Published: November 2020

Introduction

Venous anastomosis remains to be a challenging step in microsurgical tissue transfer and venous complications constitute to a common reason for free flap failure. While several studies have compared mechanical vs. hand‐sewn venous anastomoses, there is no large‐series study comparing the type of anastomosis exclusively in DIEP flap breast reconstructions.

Patients and Methods

Between 2011 and 2019, 3926 female patients underwent 4577 free DIEP‐flap breast reconstructions in 22 different breast cancer centers. Patient data was collected via an online database, files were screened and cases were divided into a hand‐ (HA) and a coupler‐anastomosis (CA) group. Complications were accounted for and the two groups were then compared.

Results

Mean ischemia time was significantly shorter in the CA group (46.88 ± 26.17 vs. 55.48 ± 24.70 min; p < .001), whereas mean operative time was comparable (316 ± 134.01 vs. 320.77 ± 120.29 minutes; p = .294). We found no significant difference between both groups regarding the rate of partial (CA: 1.0% vs. HA: 1.3%) and total flap loss (CA: 2.2% vs. HA: 1.8%). However, revision rates were significantly higher in the CA group (CA: 10.5% vs. HA: 7.9%; p = .003), with higher numbers of arterial (2.3 vs. 0.9%; p < .001) and venous thromboses (3.4 vs. 1.8%; p = .001) accounting for this finding.

Conclusions

All taken into account, our findings do support the feasibility of venous coupler anastomoses in principle, however the inflationary use of coupler devices should be evaluated critically.
On novel nondifferentiable exact solutions to local fractional Gardner's equation using an effective technique
Authors: Ghanbari Behzad
Published: November 2020

One of the most interesting branches of fractional calculus is the local fractional calculus, which has been used successfully to describe many fractal problems in science and engineering. The main purpose of this contribution is to construct a novel efficient technique to retrieve exact fractional solutions to local fractional Gardner's equation defined on Cantor sets by an effective numerical methodology. In the framework of this technique, first a set of elementary functions are defined on the contour set. Taking these functions into account, the general structure of the exact solution for the equation is suggested as a specific combination of the defined basis functions. By determining the unknown coefficients in this expansion and by placing them in the original equation, specific forms of solutions to the fractional equation are determined. Several interesting numerical simulations of the achieved results are also presented in the article to give a better understanding of the dynamic behavior of these results. The results obtained in this research confirm that the method used is very simple and efficient in terms of application. Moreover, it is accurate and free of any errors in terms of calculation. Therefore, it can be employed to handle other partial differential equations including local fractional derivatives.
Packing returning secretaries
Authors: Hoefer Martin , Wilhelmi Lisa
Published: November 2020

We study online secretary problems with returns in combinatorial packing domains with n candidates that arrive sequentially over time in random order. The goal is to determine a feasible packing of candidates of maximum total value. In the first variant, each candidate arrives exactly twice. All 2n arrivals occur in random order. We propose a simple 0.5‐competitive algorithm. For the online bipartite matching problem, we obtain an algorithm with ratio at least 0.5721 − o(1), and an algorithm with ratio at least 0.5459 for all n ≥ 1. We extend all algorithms and ratios to k ≥ 2 arrivals per candidate. In the second variant, there is a pool of undecided candidates. In each round, a random candidate from the pool arrives. Upon arrival a candidate can be either decided (accept/reject) or postponed. We focus on minimizing the expected number of postponements when computing an optimal solution. An expected number of Θ(n log n) is always sufficient. For bipartite matching, we can show a tight bound of O(r log n), where r is the size of the optimum matching. For matroids, we can improve this further to a tight bound of O(r′ log(n/r′)), where r′ is the minimum rank of the matroid and the dual matroid.
Association between sleep quality, anxiety and depression among Korean breast cancer survivors
Authors: Cho Ok‐Hee , Hwang Kyung‐Hye
Published: November 2020

Aim

This study aimed to examine the sleep pattern of breast cancer survivors and anxiety and depression associated with sleep quality to provide evidence‐based information for the development of interventions to improve sleep disorders in these survivors.

Design

A cross‐sectional study.

Methods

The subjects were 266 breast cancer survivors in South Korea. Structured questionnaires regarding sleep quality, anxiety and depression were used. The data were analysed using t test, ANOVA and multiple regression analysis.

Results

Sleep duration and sleep disturbance were found to affect anxiety, whereas sleep latency and subjective sleep quality were found to affect depression. These results suggest that various factors affecting sleep quality should be considered when providing care for anxiety and depression in breast cancer survivors.
Syntheses of Acyclic and Macrocyclic Compounds Derived from 9,9‐Diethylfluorene (Part I)
Authors: Seidel Pierre , Mazik Monika
Published: November 2020

A series of new 9,9‐diethylfluorenes consisting of three side‐arms each bearing a heterocyclic, bis(carboxymethyl)amino, bis(carbamoylmethyl)amino, bis(ethoxycarbonylmethyl)amino or an amino group were prepared on the basis of 2,4,7‐tris(bromomethyl)‐9,9‐diethylfluorene. Imidazolyl, benzimidazolyl, pyrazolyl, pyrrolyl, 1,3‐dioxoisoindolyl and pyridinium groups were taken into account as heterocyclic units, attached to the aromatic skeleton via −CH2−, −CH2NHCH2− or −CH2N=CH− linkers. In addition to the seventeen 2,4,7‐trisubstituted 9,9‐diethylfluorenes, two macrocyclic compounds were prepared on the basis of 2,7‐bis(aminomethyl)‐9,9‐diethylfluorene. The excellent yield of the macrocyclization reaction is worth a special mention. Both the acyclic and the macrocyclic fluorene‐based compounds have, among other things, the potential to act as artificial receptors for different substrates in analogy to the known receptors consisting of a benzene or biphenyl core.
The plant microbiome: The dark and dirty secrets of plant growth
Authors: Tkacz Andrzej , Poole Philip
Published: November 2020

Social Impact Statement

Terrestrial life depends on a thin layer of top‐soil measuring no more than a few cm to around a meter. This nutrient rich zone supports the growth of plants by providing minerals and water they need for growth and photosynthesis. It is in the dark underworld of soil that plant roots interact with perhaps the most complex microcosm of organisms, from bacteria, archaea and fungi to single‐celled animals as well as multicellular animals such as nematodes and earth worms. This soil microbiome profoundly alters plant growth and in turn depends on root secretion and is shaped by plant immunity.

This article is about life underground. More specifically it is about the rhizosphere, the zone where plant roots meet the soil. The whole of terrestrial life depends on a few inches of soil. Soil is complicated. The nature of the soil is shaped by the presence of roots. In turn, the microbes in the soil immediately surrounding roots have a profound influence on plant growth and development. The soil microbiome is the community of soil microorganisms. Sampling and analyzing the soil microbiome and the way in which microbes and roots recognize and associate with each other are technically challenging. Here, we discuss new ways to reveal what is happening hidden beneath the soil surface.
Simulation model of disease incidence driven by diagnostic activity
Authors: Westerberg Marcus , Larsson Rolf , Holmberg Lars , Stattin Pär , Garmo Hans
Published: November 2020

It is imperative to understand the effects of early detection and treatment of chronic diseases, such as prostate cancer, regarding incidence, overtreatment and mortality. Previous simulation models have emulated clinical trials, and relied on extensive assumptions on the natural history of the disease. In addition, model parameters were typically calibrated to a variety of data sources. We propose a model designed to emulate real‐life scenarios of chronic disease using a proxy for the diagnostic activity without explicitly modeling the natural history of the disease and properties of clinical tests. Our model was applied to Swedish nation‐wide population‐based prostate cancer data, and demonstrated good performance in terms of reconstructing observed incidence and mortality. The model was used to predict the number of prostate cancer diagnoses with a high or limited diagnostic activity between 2017 and 2060. In the long term, high diagnostic activity resulted in a substantial increase in the number of men diagnosed with lower risk disease, fewer men with metastatic disease, and decreased prostate cancer mortality. The model can be used for prediction of outcome, to guide decision‐making, and to evaluate diagnostic activity in real‐life settings with respect to overdiagnosis and prostate cancer mortality.
How cognitive psychology changed the face of medical education research
Authors: Schmidt Henk G. , Mamede Silvia
Published: November 2020

In this article, the contributions of cognitive psychology to research and development of medical education are assessed. The cognitive psychology of learning consists of activation of prior knowledge while processing new information and elaboration on the resulting new knowledge to facilitate storing in long-term memory. This process is limited by the size of working memory. Six interventions based on cognitive theory that facilitate learning and expertise development are discussed: (1) Fostering self-explanation, (2) elaborative discussion, and (3) distributed practice; (4) help with decreasing cognitive load, (5) promoting retrieval practice, and (6) supporting interleaving practice. These interventions contribute in different measure to various instructional methods in use in medical education: problem-based learning, team-based learning, worked examples, mixed practice, serial-cue presentation, and deliberate reflection. The article concludes that systematic research into the applicability of these ideas to the practice of medical education presently is limited and should be intensified.
Ultrafiltration is better than diuretic therapy for volume-overloaded acute heart failure patients: a meta-analysis
Authors: Wobbe Bastian , Wagner Juliane , Szabó Dorottya Kata , Rostás Ildikó , Farkas Nelli , Garami András , Balaskó Márta , Hartmann Petra , Solymár Margit , Tenk Judit , Ottóffy Máté , Nagy Arnold , Habon Tamás , Hegyi Péter , Czopf László
Published: November 2020

Studies on the effectiveness of ultrafiltration (UF) in patients hospitalized with acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) have led to heterogeneous study outcomes. This meta-analysis aimed to assess the impact of UF therapy in ADHF patients. We searched the medical literature to identify well-designed studies comparing UF with the usual diuretic therapy in this setting. Systematic evaluation of 8 randomized controlled trials enrolling 801 participants showed greater fluid removal (difference in means 1372.5 mL, 95% CI 849.6 to 1895.4 mL; p < 0.001), weight loss (difference in means 1.592 kg, 95% CI 1.039 to 2.144 kg; p < 0.001) and lower incidences of worsening heart failure (OR 0.63, 95% CI 0.43 to 0.94, p = 0.022) and rehospitalization for heart failure (OR 0.54, 95% CI 0.36 to 0.82, p = 0.003) without a difference in renal impairment (OR 1.386, 95% CI 0.870 to 2.209; p = 0.169) or all-cause mortality (OR 1.13, 95% CI 0.75 to 1.71, p = 0.546). UF increases fluid removal and weight loss and reduces rehospitalization and the risk of worsening heart failure in congestive patients, suggesting ultrafiltration as a safe and effective treatment option for volume-overloaded heart failure patients.
Characterization of Rome’s rainwater in the early of 2018 aiming to find correlations between chemical-physical parameters and sources of pollution: a statistical study
Authors: Fontanella Luca Ugo , Tomassetti Mauro , Visco Giovanni , Sammartino Maria Pia
Published: November 2020

Analysis of rainwater in historical cities plays a key role to save ancient monuments from atmospheric agents. In this study we sampled the Rome’s rainwater from February to July of 2018 and we analysed them to determine their chemical and physical parameters: pH, redox potential, conductivity, temperature, and the concentration of the main inorganic ions (Na+, K+, Ca++, Mg++, F−, Cl−, NO3−, SO4−−). The volume of the daily fallen rainwater, the speed and direction of the wind in the sampling site were also collected. In order to find a correlation between all the above data we used the Principal Component Analysis (PCA). Results evidenced that there aren’t authentic “acid rains” as the minimum pH value that we found is 5.2. In some cases high concentrations of nitrates and sulphates were found with maximum values of 12.4 ppm and 18.7 ppm respectively. We also found no correlation between the rainwater’s composition and the seasonal period; on the contrary, the speed and direction of the wind, especially when coming from the sea or industrial country near Rome, play a noticeable role on the rainwater composition.
The Safety and Feasibility of a Family First Aid Approach for the Management of Postpartum Hemorrhage in Home Births: A Pre-post Intervention Study in Rural Pakistan
Authors: Mary Meighan , Jafarey Sadiqua , Dabash Rasha , Kamal Imtiaz , Rabbani Arjumand , Abbas Dina , Durocher Jill , Tan Yi-Ling , Winikoff Beverly
Published: November 2020

Objective

To evaluate the safety and feasibility of a Family First Aid approach whereby women and their families are provided misoprostol in advance to manage postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) in home births.

Methods

A 12-month prospective, pre-post intervention study was conducted from February 2017 to February 2018. Women in their second and third trimesters were enrolled at home visits. Participants and their families received educational materials and were counseled on how to diagnose excessive bleeding and the importance of seeking care at a facility if PPH occurs. In the intervention phase, participants were also given misoprostol and counselled on how to administer the four 200 mcg tablets for first aid in case of PPH. Participants were followed-up postpartum to collect data on use of misoprostol for Family First Aid at home deliveries (primary outcome) and record maternal and perinatal outcomes.

Results

Of the 4008 participants enrolled, 97% were successfully followed-up postpartum. Half of the participants in each phase delivered at home. Among home deliveries, the odds of reporting PPH almost doubled among in the intervention phase (OR 1.98; CI 1.43, 2.76). Among those reporting PPH, women in the intervention phase were significantly more likely to have received PPH treatment (OR 10.49; CI 3.37, 32.71) and 90% administered the dose correctly. No maternal deaths, invasive procedures or surgery were reported in either phase after home deliveries.

Conclusions

The Family First Aid approach is a safe and feasible model of care that provides timely PPH treatment to women delivering at home in rural communities.
Absenteeism and presenteeism in healthcare workers due to respiratory illness
Authors: Kuster Stefan P. , Böni Jürg , Kouyos Roger D. , Huber Michael , Schmutz Stefan , Shah Cyril , Bischoff-Ferrari Heike A. , Distler Oliver , Battegay Edouard , Giovanoli Pietro , Guckenberger Matthias , Kohler Malcolm , Müller Rouven , Petry Heidi , Ruschitzka Frank , McGeer Allison , Coleman Brenda L. , Sax Hugo , Weber Rainer , Trkola Alexandra
Published: November 2020

Objective:

To assess influenza symptoms, adherence to mask use recommendations, absenteesm and presenteeism in acute care healthcare workers (HCWs) during influenza epidemics.

Methods:

The TransFLUas influenza transmission study in acute healthcare prospectively followed HCWs prospectively over 2 consecutive influenza seasons. Symptom diaries asking for respiratory symptoms and adherence with mask use recommendations were recorded on a daily basis, and study participants provided midturbinate nasal swabs for influenza testing.

Results:

In total, 152 HCWs (65.8% nurses and 13.2% physicians) were included: 89.1% of study participants reported at least 1 influenza symptom during their study season and 77.8% suffered from respiratory symptoms. Also, 28.3% of HCW missed at least 1 working day during the study period: 82.6% of these days were missed because of symptoms of influenza illness. Of all participating HCWs, 67.9% worked with symptoms of influenza infection on 8.8% of study days. On 0.3% of study days, symptomatic HCWs were shedding influenza virus while at work. Among HCWs with respiratory symptoms, 74.1% adhered to the policy to wear a mask at work on 59.1% of days with respiratory symptoms.

Conclusions:

Respiratory disease is frequent among HCWs and imposes a significant economic burden on hospitals due to the number of working days lost. Presenteesm with respiratory illness, including influenza, is also frequent and poses a risk for patients and staff.

Trial registration:

NCT02478905 (clinicaltrials.gov)
ABSOLUTE DENDROCHRONOLOGICAL SCALE FOR PINE (PINUS SYLVESTRIS L.) FROM UJŚCIE (NW POLAND), DATED USING RAPID ATMOSPHERIC 14C CHANGES
Authors: Krąpiec Marek , Rakowski Andrzej , Pawlyta Jacek , Wiktorowski Damian , Bolka Monika
Published: November 2020

Radiocarbon (14C) analyses are commonly used to determine the absolute age of floating tree-ring chronologies. At best, with the wiggle-matching method, a precision of 10 years could be achieved. For the early Middle Ages, this situation has been markedly improved by the discovery of rapid changes in atmospheric 14C concentrations in tree-rings dated to 774/775 and 993/994 AD. These high-resolution changes can be used to secure other floating tree-ring sequences to within 1-year accuracy. While a number of studies have used the 774 even to secure floating tree-ring sequences, the less abrupt 993 event has not been so well utilized. This study dates a floating pine chronology from Ujście in Wielkopolska (Greater Poland) (NW Poland), which covers the 10th century period and is critical for studies on the beginning of the Polish State to the calendar years 859–1085 AD using the changes in single year radiocarbon around 993/4 AD.
Racial Reclassification and Political Identity Formation
Authors: De Micheli David
Published: November 2020

This article leverages a phenomenon of racial reclassification in Brazil to shed new light on the processes of identity politicization. Conventional wisdom tells us that race mixture, fluid racial boundaries, and stigmatized blackness lead Brazilians to change their racial identifications—to reclassify—toward whiteness. But in recent years, Brazilians have demonstrated a newfound tendency to reclassify toward blackness. The author argues that this sudden reversal is the unintended consequence of state-led educational expansion for the lower classes. Educational expansion has increased the exposure of newly mobile citizens to information, social networks, and the labor market, leading many to develop racialized political identities and choose blackness. The author develops and tests this argument by drawing on in-depth interview data, systematic analyses of national survey and longitudinal census data, and original survey experiments. This article contributes a novel account of identity politicization and emphasizes the interaction between social structures and citizenship institutions in these processes.
THE IMPACT OF THE FIRST WORLD WAR ON THE SPANISH MONEY MARKET: NEW EVIDENCE FROM MONEY MARKET AND BANK LENDING INTEREST RATES, 1900–1935
Authors: Jorge-Sotelo Enrique
Published: November 2020

This paper provides a new index of money market and bank lending interest rates in Spain for 1900–1935. New archival evidence reveals a structural change in market interest ratesvis-à-visthe official rates charged by theBanco de España(BdE). Before 1914, the BdE rate operated as a ceiling to market rates. The outbreak of the First World War caused market rates to soar and the BdE rate started operating as a floor, as bank liquidity started depending on the BdE. This was accompanied by new banking legislation introduced in 1921, which changed the collateral framework through which the BdE lent to banks. The resulting interest rate index illustrates the persistent impact of financial deglobalisation caused by the outbreak of the War.
High-Variability Phonetic Training enhances second language lexical processing: evidence from online training of French learners of English
Authors: Melnik Gerda Ana , Peperkamp Sharon
Published: November 2020

High-Variability Phonetic Training (HVPT) has been shown to be effective in improving the perception of the hardest non-native sounds. However, it remains unclear whether such training can enhance phonological processing at the lexical level. The present study tested whether HVPT also improves word recognition. Late French learners of English completed eight online sessions of HVPT on the perception of English word-initial /h/. This sound does not exist in French and has been shown to cause difficulty both at the prelexical (Mah, Goad & Steinhauer, 2016) and the lexical level of processing (Melnik & Peperkamp, 2019). In pretest and posttest participants were administered a prelexical identification task and a lexical decision task. Results demonstrate that after training the learners’ accuracy improved in both tasks. Moreover, these improvements were retained four months after posttest. This is the first evidence that short training can enhance not only prelexical perception, but also word recognition.
Tunable rainbow light trapping in ultrathin resonator arrays
Authors: Dixon Katelyn , Montazeri Arthur O. , Shayegannia Moein , Barnard Edward S. , Cabrini Stefano , Matsuura Naomi , Holman Hoi-Ying , Kherani Nazir P.
Published: November 2020

Rainbow light trapping in plasmonic devices allows for field enhancement of multiple wavelengths within a single device. However, many of these devices lack precise control over spatial and spectral enhancement profiles and cannot provide extremely high localised field strengths. Here we present a versatile, analytical design paradigm for rainbow trapping in nanogroove arrays by utilising both the groove-width and groove-length as tuning parameters. We couple this design technique with fabrication through multilayer thin-film deposition and focused ion beam milling, which enables the realisation of unprecedented feature sizes down to 5 nm and corresponding extreme normalised local field enhancements up to 103. We demonstrate rainbow trapping within the devices through hyperspectral microscopy and show agreement between the experimental results and simulation. The combination of expeditious design and precise fabrication underpins the implementation of these nanogroove arrays for manifold applications in sensing and nanoscale optics.
LCVP, The Leipzig catalogue of vascular plants, a new taxonomic reference list for all known vascular plants
Authors: Freiberg Martin , Winter Marten , Gentile Alessandro , Zizka Alexander , Muellner-Riehl Alexandra Nora , Weigelt Alexandra , Wirth Christian
Published: November 2020

The lack of comprehensive and standardized taxonomic reference information is an impediment for robust plant research, e.g. in systematics, biogeography or macroecology. Here we provide an updated and much improved reference list of 1,315,562 scientific names for all described vascular plant species globally. The Leipzig Catalogue of Vascular Plants (LCVP; version 1.0.3) contains 351,180 accepted species names (plus 6,160 natural hybrids), within 13,460 genera, 564 families and 84 orders. The LCVP a) contains more information on the taxonomic status of global plant names than any other similar resource, and b) significantly improves the reliability of our knowledge by e.g. resolving the taxonomic status of ~181,000 names compared to The Plant List, the up to date most commonly used plant name resource. We used ~4,500 publications, existing relevant databases and available studies on molecular phylogenetics to construct a robust reference backbone. For easy access and integration into automated data processing pipelines, we provide an ‘R’-package (lcvplants) with the LCVP.
Impacts of sub-micrometer sediment particles on early-stage growth and survival of the kelp Ecklonia bicyclis
Authors: Matsumoto Akira , Sato Minami , Arakawa Hisayuki
Published: November 2020

Marine forests have declined in many urbanized regions in recent years. One cause is the inflow of fine particles into coastal rocky shores. We examined the influence of sub-micrometre (sub-micro) particles on the early growth stages of the large brown macrophyte Ecklonia bicyclis. The percentage of substrate attachment of zoospores decreased with an increase in sub-micro sediments. As the size of the particles decreased, the negative effect became greater. There was an increase in poor levels of gametophyte survival and growth as more and smaller sediment was deposited. We consider that the causes of these phenomena owing to increasing amounts of sediment is a decrease in availability of substrate for zoospore attachment and that of area for substance exchange on the gametophytes. We also evaluated the effects in sea areas, based on the amount and size distribution of seabed sediment in the algal communities deforested by particles, and found that the inhibition of zoospore attachment and gametophyte growth by sub-micro particles was remarkably large. The sub-micro sediment on the substrate has seriously negative effects on the early stages of macrophytes. Inflow of very fine particles to natural marine forests may result in severe degradation of rocky reef ecosystems.
Cell geometry and the cytoskeleton impact the nucleo-cytoplasmic localisation of the SMYD3 methyltransferase
Authors: Pereira David , Richert Alain , Medjkane Souhila , Hénon Sylvie , Weitzman Jonathan B.
Published: November 2020

Mechanical cues from the cellular microenvironment are converted into biochemical signals controlling diverse cell behaviours, including growth and differentiation. But it is still unclear how mechanotransduction ultimately affects nuclear readouts, genome function and transcriptional programs. Key signaling pathways and transcription factors can be activated, and can relocalize to the nucleus, upon mechanosensing. Here, we tested the hypothesis that epigenetic regulators, such as methyltransferase enzymes, might also contribute to mechanotransduction. We found that the SMYD3 lysine methyltransferase is spatially redistributed dependent on cell geometry (cell shape and aspect ratio) in murine myoblasts. Specifically, elongated rectangles were less permissive than square shapes to SMYD3 nuclear accumulation, via reduced nuclear import. Notably, SMYD3 has both nuclear and cytoplasmic substrates. The distribution of SMYD3 in response to cell geometry correlated with cytoplasmic and nuclear lysine tri-methylation (Kme3) levels, but not Kme2. Moreover, drugs targeting cytoskeletal acto-myosin induced nuclear accumulation of Smyd3. We also observed that square vs rectangular geometry impacted the nuclear-cytoplasmic relocalisation of several mechano-sensitive proteins, notably YAP/TAZ proteins and the SETDB1 methyltransferase. Thus, mechanical cues from cellular geometric shapes are transduced by a combination of transcription factors and epigenetic regulators shuttling between the cell nucleus and cytoplasm. A mechanosensitive epigenetic machinery could potentially affect differentiation programs and cellular memory.
Plasma imatinib levels and ABCB1 polymorphism influences early molecular response and failure-free survival in newly diagnosed chronic phase CML patients
Authors: Rajamani Bharathi M. , Benjamin Esther Sathya Bama , Abraham Aby , Ganesan Sukanya , Lakshmi Kavitha M. , Anandan Senthamizhselvi , Karathedath Sreeja , Varatharajan Savitha , Mohanan Ezhilpavai , Janet Nancy Beryl , Srivastava Vivi M. , Ramachandran Velayudhan Shaji , Kulkarni Uday P. , Devasia Anup J. , Fouzia N. A. , Korula Anu , George Biju , Srivastava Alok , Mathews Vikram , Balasubramanian Poonkuzhali
Published: November 2020

Achieving early molecular response (EMR) has been shown to be associated with better event free survival in patients with chronic phase chronic myeloid leukemia (CP-CML) on Imatinib therapy. We prospectively evaluated the factors influencing the 2-year failure free survival (FFS) and EMR to imatinib therapy in these patients including day29 plasma Imatinib levels, genetic variants and the gene expression of target genes in imatinib transport and biotransformation. Patients with low and intermediate Sokal score had better 2-year FFS compared to those with high Sokal Score (p = 0.02). Patients carrying ABCB1-C1236T variants had high day29 plasma imatinib levels (P = 0.005), increased EMR at 3 months (P = 0.044) and a better 2 year FFS (P = 0.003) when compared to those with wild type genotype. This translates to patients with lower ABCB1 mRNA expression having a significantly higher intracellular imatinib levels (P = 0.029). Higher day29 plasma imatinib levels was found to be strongly associated with patients achieving EMR at 3 months (P = 0.022), MMR at 12 months (P = 0.041) which essentially resulted in better 2-year FFS (p = 0.05). Also, patients who achieved EMR at 3 months, 6 months and MMR at 12 months had better FFS when compared to those who did not. This study suggests the incorporation of these variables in to the imatinib dosing algorithm as predictive biomarkers of response to Imatinib therapy.
Overexpression of corticotropin-releasing factor in intestinal mucosal eosinophils is associated with clinical severity in Diarrhea-Predominant Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Authors: Salvo-Romero Eloísa , Martínez Cristina , Lobo Beatriz , Rodiño-Janeiro Bruno K. , Pigrau Marc , Sánchez-Chardi Alejandro D. , González-Castro Ana M. , Fortea Marina , Pardo-Camacho Cristina , Nieto Adoración , Expósito Elba , Guagnozzi Danila , Rodríguez-Urrutia Amanda , de Torres Inés , Farré Ricard , Azpiroz Fernando , Alonso-Cotoner Carmen , Santos Javier , Vicario María
Published: November 2020

Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) has been identified in intestinal mucosal eosinophils and associated with psychological stress and gut dysfunction. Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is commonly characterized by altered intestinal motility, immune activation, and increased gut barrier permeability along with heightened susceptibility to psychosocial stress. Despite intensive research, the role of mucosal eosinophils in stress-associated gut dysfunction remains uncertain. In this study, we evaluated eosinophil activation profile and CRF content in the jejunal mucosa of diarrhea-predominant IBS (IBS-D) and healthy controls (HC) by gene/protein expression and transmission electron microscopy. We also explored the association between intestinal eosinophil CRF and chronic stress, and the potential mechanisms underlying the stress response by assessing eosinophil response to neuropeptides. We found that mucosal eosinophils displayed higher degranulation profile in IBS-D as compared to HC, with increased content of CRF in the cytoplasmic granules, which significantly correlated with IBS clinical severity, life stress background and depression. Eosinophils responded to substance P and carbachol by increasing secretory activity and CRF synthesis and release, without promoting pro-inflammatory activity, a profile similar to that found in mucosal eosinophils from IBS-D. Collectively, our results suggest that intestinal mucosal eosinophils are potential contributors to stress-mediated gut dysfunction through CRF production and release.
Overdrive pacing of spiral waves in a model of human ventricular tissue
Authors: Pravdin Sergei F. , Epanchintsev Timofei I. , Panfilov Alexander V.
Published: November 2020

High-voltage electrical defibrillation remains the only reliable method of quickly controlling life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias. This paper is devoted to studying an alternative approach, low-voltage cardioversion (LVC), which is based on ideas from non-linear dynamics and aims to remove sources of cardiac arrhythmias by applying high-frequency stimulation to cardiac tissue. We perform a detailed in-silico study of the elimination of arrhythmias caused by rotating spiral waves in a TP06 model of human cardiac tissue. We consider three parameter sets with slopes of the APD restitution curve of 0.7, 1.1 and 1.4, and we study LVC at the baseline and under the blocking of INa and ICaL and under the application of the drugs verapamil and amiodarone. We show that pacing can remove spiral waves; however, its efficiency can be substantially reduced by dynamic instabilities. We classify these instabilities and show that the blocking of INa and the application of amiodarone increase the efficiency of the method, while the blocking of ICaL and the application of verapamil decrease the efficiency. We discuss the mechanisms and the possible clinical applications resulting from our study.
Integron gene cassettes harboring novel variants of d-alanine-d-alanine ligase confer high-level resistance to d-cycloserine
Authors: Rahman Md. Ajijur , Kaiser Frank , Jamshidi Shirin , Freitas Monteiro Marta , Rahman Khondaker Miraz , Mullany Peter , Roberts Adam P.
Published: November 2020

Antibiotic resistance poses an increasing threat to global health. To tackle this problem, the identification of principal reservoirs of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) plus an understanding of drivers for their evolutionary selection are important. During a PCR-based screen of ARGs associated with integrons in saliva-derived metagenomic DNA of healthy human volunteers, two novel variants of genes encoding a d-alanine-d-alanine ligase (ddl6 and ddl7) located within gene cassettes in the first position of a reverse integron were identified. Treponema denticola was identified as the likely host of the ddl cassettes. Both ddl6 and ddl7 conferred high level resistance to d-cycloserine when expressed in Escherichia coli with ddl7 conferring four-fold higher resistance to D-cycloserine compared to ddl6. A SNP was found to be responsible for this difference in resistance phenotype between the two ddl variants. Molecular dynamics simulations were used to explain the mechanism of this phenotypic change at the atomic scale. A hypothesis for the evolutionary selection of ddl containing integron gene cassettes is proposed, based on molecular docking of plant metabolites within the ATP and d-cycloserine binding pockets of Ddl.
Identification of a novel enzyme from E. pacifica that acts as an eicosapentaenoic 8R-LOX and docosahexaenoic 10R-LOX
Authors: Yuki Sayaka , Uemura Aiko , Hakozaki Mayuka , Yano Akira , Abe Masato , Misawa Yoshihisa , Baba Naomichi , Yamada Hidetoshi
Published: November 2020

North Pacific krill (Euphausia pacifica) contain 8R-hydroxy-eicosapentaenoic acid (8R-HEPE), 8R-hydroxy-eicosatetraenoic acid (8R-HETE) and 10R-hydroxy-docosahexaenoic acid (10R-HDHA). These findings indicate that E. pacifica must possess an R type lipoxygenase, although no such enzyme has been identified in krill. We analyzed E. pacifica cDNA sequence using next generation sequencing and identified two lipoxygenase genes (PK-LOX1 and 2). PK-LOX1 and PK-LOX2 encode proteins of 691 and 686 amino acids, respectively. Recombinant PK-LOX1 was generated in Sf9 cells using a baculovirus expression system. PK-LOX1 metabolizes eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) to 8R-HEPE, arachidonic acid (ARA) to 8R-HETE and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) to 10R-HDHA. Moreover, PK-LOX1 had higher activity for EPA than ARA and DHA. In addition, PK-LOX1 also metabolizes 17S-HDHA to 10R,17S-dihydroxy-docosahexaenoic acid (10R,17S-DiHDHA). PK-LOX1 is a novel lipoxygenase that acts as an 8R-lipoxygenase for EPA and 10R-lipoxygenase for DHA and 17S-HDHA. Our findings show PK-LOX1 facilitates the enzymatic production of hydroxy fatty acids, which are of value to the healthcare sector.