bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Marital power and depressive symptoms among older Mexican adults
Authors: Saenz Joseph L. , Rote Sunshine
Published: June 2018

An extensive body of research documents marital status differences in health among older adults. However, few studies have investigated the heterogeneity in depressive symptomatology among older married adults living in developing countries. Our study investigates the interplay of gender and marital power dynamics for mental health among older Mexican adults. Our sample includes older married couples in the 2015 Wave of the Mexican Health and Aging Study (N = 3,621 dyads). We use seemingly unrelated regression to model the association between self-reported distributions of decision-making power within marriages and depressive symptoms for husbands and wives. For approximately 41 per cent of couples, the husband and wife both reported an equal distribution of power in the marriage. Compared to those who reported an equal power distribution, husbands and wives who reported an imbalance of power (having more power or less power than their spouse) reported more depressive symptoms. Levels of depressive symptoms were higher in marriages characterised by power inequality. The relationship between equality in power and depressive symptoms is not explained by health-care needs or living arrangements. Marital quality is an important factor for understanding depressive symptoms among older Mexican adults.
Evaluation of older people's knowledge, awareness, motivation and perceptions about falls and falls prevention in residential aged care homes: a tale of two cities
Authors: Francis-Coad Jacqueline , Watts Tessa , Etherton-Beer Christopher , Panes Gerwyn , Griffiths Howard , Anderson Michelle , Williams Tracy , Griffiths Beth , Nobre Debbie , Hill Anne-Marie
Published: June 2018

Falls prevention strategies can only be effective in reducing falls amongst older people if they are adopted and enacted in their daily lives. There is limited evidence identifying what older people in residential aged care (RAC) homes understand about falls and falls prevention, or what may limit or enable their adoption of strategies. This study was conducted in two countries and explored older people's knowledge and awareness of falls and their preferences, opportunities and motivation to undertake falls prevention strategies. A cross-sectional survey was administered to participants (N = 70) aged 65 years and over, living in six RAC homes in Perth, Australia and six RAC homes in Swansea, Wales, United Kingdom. Participants had limited knowledge about intrinsic falls risk factors and strategies to address these and frequently expressed self-blame regarding falling. Almost all (N = 67, 95.7%) participants felt highly motivated to maintain their current functional mobility and independence in everyday tasks. Key preferences for receiving falls prevention messages favoured a positive approach promoting wellness and independence (N = 41, 58.6%) via pictorial posters or brochures (N = 37, 52.9%) and small group discussions preferably with demonstrations (N = 18, 25.7%). Findings from this study may assist organisations and staff to more effectively engage with older people living in RAC about falls prevention and design targeted resources to address the motivations and preferences of this population.
A reconfigurable tri-prism mobile robot with eight modes
Authors: Wang Jieyu , Yao Yan'an , Kong Xianwen
Published: June 2018

A novel reconfigurable tri-prism mobile robot with eight modes is proposed. The robot is composed of two feet connected by three U-R-U (universal-revolute-universal) limbs. The robot incorporates the kinematic properties of sphere robots, squirming robots, tracked robots, wheeled robots and biped robots. In addition, the somersaulting and turning modes are also explored. After the description of the robot, the DOF (degree-of-freedom) is calculated based on screw theory. The 3D model and simulations indicate that the robot can cross several typical obstacles and can also be folded via two approaches. Finally, the prototype experiments are presented to verify the feasibility of the proposed mobile robot in different motion mode.
A comparative study of pivot selection strategies for unsupervised cross-domain sentiment classification
Authors: Cui Xia , Al-Bazzaz Noor , Bollegala Danushka , Coenen Frans
Published: June 2018

Selecting pivot features that connect a source domain to a target domain is an important first step in unsupervised domain adaptation (UDA). Although different strategies such as the frequency of a feature in a domain, mutual (or pointwise mutual) information have been proposed in prior work in domain adaptation (DA) for selecting pivots, a comparative study into (a) how the pivots selected using existing strategies differ, and (b) how the pivot selection strategy affects the performance of a target DA task remain unknown. In this paper, we perform a comparative study covering different strategies that use both labelled (available for the source domain only) as well as unlabelled (available for both the source and target domains) data for selecting pivots for UDA. Our experiments show that in most cases pivot selection strategies that use labelled data outperform their unlabelled counterparts, emphasising the importance of the source domain labelled data for UDA. Moreover, pointwise mutual information and frequency-based pivot selection strategies obtain the best performances in two state-of-the-art UDA methods.
CHARACTERIZATION ORDERING RESULTS FOR LARGEST ORDER STATISTICS FROM HETEROGENEOUS AND HOMOGENEOUS EXPONENTIATED GENERALIZED GAMMA VARIABLES
Authors: Haidari Abedin , Payandeh Najafabadi Amir T.
Published: June 2018

The main aim of this paper is to present two new results concerning the characterization of likelihood ratio and reversed hazard rate orders between largest order statistics from two sets of independent heterogeneous and homogeneous exponentiated generalized gamma distributed random variables. These characterization results complete and strengthen some previous ones in the literature.
PREHISPANIC MAYA BURNT LIME INDUSTRIES: PREVIOUS STUDIES AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS
Authors: Seligson Kenneth E. , Ortiz Ruiz Soledad , Barba Pingarrón Luis
Published: June 2018

Burnt lime has played a significant role in daily Maya life since at least as far back as 1100b.c., and yet its ephemeral nature has limited archaeological studies of its production. The application of new surveying and remote sensing technologies in recent decades is now allowing for a more in-depth investigation of the burnt lime industries that existed in different subregions of the Maya area. This article provides an overview of the current understanding of pre-Hispanic Maya burnt lime production. It then presents an analysis of the factors influencing the development and identification of distinct subregional lime production industries, including: lime consumption requirements and inter-site spacing; natural environment; local social and economic trajectories; and the objectives and survey universes of archaeological investigations. In reporting the tremendous advances made over the past few decades, this paper encourages archaeologists to include a focus on identifying lime production features in their research agendas.
The need for a universal computational model of bilingual word recognition and word translation
Authors: VAN HEUVEN WALTER J. B. , WEN YUN
Published: June 2018

Dijkstra, Wahl, Buytenhuijs, van Halem, Al-jibouri, de Korte, and Rekké (2018) present in their keynote article a promising computational model of word recognition and word production in monolinguals and bilinguals, called Multilink. We agree with the authors that the model is a “basis for the development of a more general computational model of word retrieval” (Dijkstra et al., 2018). However, it is also important that such a model is universal.
Investigating Sensitivity of East Asian Monsoon to Orbital Forcing During the Late Pliocene Warm Period
Authors: Yan Qing , Zhang Zhongshi , Zhang Ran
Published: June 2018

The Late Pliocene climate (3.264–3.025 Ma) is thought to be relatively warm and stable compared with the Pleistocene, but with clear orbital‐scale climate variability. Using the Community Earth System Model, we investigate the sensitivity of East Asian monsoon to realistic orbital forcing during the Late Pliocene. Initial evaluation shows that the Community Earth System Model broadly captures modern East Asian monsoon climatology and reproduces the reconstructed stronger (weaker) East Asian summer (winter) monsoon in the Late Pliocene under the PRISM3D (Pliocene Research, Interpretation and Synoptic Mapping) boundary conditions that use present‐day orbital configurations. Sensitivity experiments indicate that summer and winter temperatures averaged over the East Asia continent remain higher for different orbital configurations in the Late Pliocene than the preindustrial, but with different warming magnitude. Variation of East Asian summer monsoon is significantly modulated by orbital forcing in the Late Pliocene. Under several extreme orbital configurations, the summer monsoon becomes weaker relative to the preindustrial. This is attributed to the fact that the orbitally induced decrease in land‐sea thermal contrast exceeds the increase arising from the PRISM3D boundary conditions. East Asian winter monsoon exhibits a relatively stable feature and remains weaker in the Late Pliocene even with extreme orbital forcing, as the effect of PRISM3D boundary conditions that lead to reduced land‐sea thermal contrast overwhelms the influence of orbital forcing. Given limitations of snapshottime slabsimulation and different model sensitivity, the orbital‐scale variability of East Asian monsoon in the Late Pliocene should be further explored using transient simulation and with other coupled models.
Mitigating Public Concerns About Recycled Drinking Water: Leveraging the Power of Voting and Communication
Authors: Kecinski Maik , Messer Kent D.
Published: June 2018

This research studies the perceptions of individuals concerning reused drinking water. Individuals' visceral responses may stigmatize reused water as the water's immediate origin is too clear. In this context, we show how individuals grow more accepting of reused water when their decisions consider others, as opposed to just themselves. First, differences between private and public decision making are quantified using willingness to accept (WTA) data collected in economic experiments. Adult participants first made decisions in a second‐price auction (private rounds) followed by majority‐rule voting (public rounds) on the median price collected in the private rounds. Our results show that participants in the public rounds significantly reduce their WTA. Moreover, a communication treatment using chat boxes further reduced participants' WTA. The recorded chat indicated that particularly messages related to humor and persuasion were powerful influences on participants' voting decisions. The results have applications for sustainable, cost‐effective recycled water projects.
THEMIS‐VIS Investigations of Sand at Gale Crater
Authors: Bennett Kristen A. , Hill Jonathon R. , Murray Kimberly C. , Edwards Christopher S. , Bell James F. , Christensen Phillip R.
Published: June 2018

Gale crater is the landing site of the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) rover, Curiosity. Here we present Thermal Emission Imaging System Visible Imaging Subsystem (THEMIS‐VIS) mosaics in gray scale and in false color of Gale crater. We use these data products, in addition to THEMIS thermal infrared decorrelation stretch (DCS) mosaics, thermal inertia derivations, and near‐infrared spectra to investigate the MSL traverse area and sand across Gale crater. We identified several THEMIS‐VIS color units in the MSL traverse area that may correlate to the amount of sand cover that is present on each unit. This suggests that THEMIS‐VIS color is extremely useful in identifying dark basaltic sand, which appears as blue in THEMIS‐VIS false color images. We test this hypothesis by identifying small (~several pixels) blue patches on the southeast side of the central mound in Gale crater and confirming that they are patches of sand in High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) images. Sand dunes on the crater floor exhibit variations in all data sets utilized in this study, with the Bagnold dunes and the western sand sea exhibiting the most notable differences. We propose that these differences are the result of a thin layer of dust that covers the western sand sea, although we do not rule out possible effects from grain size sorting.
How Subduction Interface Roughness Influences the Occurrence of Large Interplate Earthquakes
Authors: van Rijsingen Elenora , Lallemand Serge , Peyret Michel , Arcay Diane , Heuret Arnauld , Funiciello Francesca , Corbi Fabio
Published: June 2018

The role of seafloor roughness on the seismogenic behavior of subduction zones has been increasingly addressed over the past years, although their exact relationship remains unclear. Do subducting features like seamounts, fracture zones, or submarine ridges act as barriers, preventing ruptures from propagating, or do they initiate megathrust earthquakes instead? We address this question using a global approach, taking into account all oceanic subduction zones and a 117‐year time window of megathrust earthquake recording. We first compile a global database, SubQuake, that provides the location of a rupture epicenter, the overall rupture area, and the region where the largest displacement occurs (the seismic asperity) for MW ≥ 7.5 subduction interplate earthquakes. With these data, we made a quantitative comparison with the seafloor roughness seaward of the trench, which is assumed to be a reasonable proxy for the subduction interface roughness. We compare the spatial occurrence of megathrust ruptures, seismic asperities, and epicenters, with two roughness parameters: the short‐wavelength roughness RSW (12–20 km) and the long‐wavelength roughness RLW (80–100 km). We observe that ruptures with MW ≥ 7.5 tend to occur preferentially on smooth subducting seafloor at long wavelengths, which is especially clear for the MW > 8.5 events. At both short and long wavelengths, seismic asperities show a more amplified relation with smooth seafloor than rupture segments in general. For the epicenter correlation, we see a slight difference in roughness signal, which suggests that there might be a physical relationship between rupture nucleation and subduction interface roughness.
Spatiotemporal Variability of Seasonality of Rainfall Over India
Authors: Sahany Sandeep , Mishra Saroj K. , Pathak Raju , Rajagopalan Balaji
Published: June 2018

We analyzed 113 years (1901–2013) of daily rainfall over India to investigate spatiotemporal variability of rainfall seasonality. Rainfall seasonality and mean annual rainfall were found to be high over the Western Ghats, central, and northeastern parts of India and over the Indo‐Gangetic plains, and low over northwest, southern, and northernmost parts of India. Significant decreasing trends in seasonality coupled with decreasing rainfall were found over parts of central India, the Indo‐Gangetic plains, and parts of Western Ghats. Trends in timing of peak rainfall indicate later occurrence in the season, especially over southern Indo‐Gangetic plains, by ~10–20 days per century. In addition, there is a general decrease in the wet‐season duration throughout India by ~10–20 days per century. El Niño–Southern Oscillation and Indian Ocean sea surface temperatures were found to strongly influence seasonality and rainfall over large parts of India. The changes to rainfall and its seasonality will have profound socioeconomic implications for India.
A High‐Resolution Land Model With Groundwater Lateral Flow, Water Use, and Soil Freeze‐Thaw Front Dynamics and its Applications in an Endorheic Basin
Authors: Xie Zhenghui , Liu Shuang , Zeng Yujin , Gao Junqiang , Qin Peihua , Jia Binghao , Xie Jinbo , Liu Bin , Li Ruichao , Wang Yan , Wang Longhuan
Published: June 2018

Human water regulation, groundwater lateral flow, and the movement of frost and thaw fronts (FTFs) affect soil water and thermal processes, as well as energy and water exchanges between the land surface and atmosphere. Reasonable representation of these processes in land surface models is very important to improving the understanding of land‐atmosphere interactions. In this study, mathematical descriptions of groundwater lateral flow, human water regulation, and FTFs were synchronously incorporated into a high‐resolution community land model, which is then named the Land Surface Model for Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS‐LSM). With a series of atmospheric forcings and high‐resolution land surface data from the Heihe Watershed Allied Telemetry Experimental Research (HiWATER) program, numerical simulations of the period 1981–2013 using CAS‐LSM with 1‐km resolution were conducted for an endorheic basin, the Heihe River Basin in China. Compared with observations, CAS‐LSM reproduced the distributions of groundwater, evapotranspiration, and permafrost reasonably and well matched the temporal changes in ground temperature, heat fluxes, and FTFs. Results illuminate the temporal and spatial characteristics of frozen soil and the changes in the land‐atmosphere exchange of carbon, water, and energy. The permafrost and seasonally frozen soil were distinguished. In the seasonally frozen areas, the maximum soil frost depth increased by 0.65 mm/year within natural areas and decreased by 2.12 mm/year in human‐dominated areas. The active layer thickness increased 8.63 mm/year for permafrost. In the permafrost zone evapotranspiration and latent heat flux increased, and the sensible heat flux declined. In the human‐dominated areas water use raised the latent heat flux and reduced the sensible heat flux, net ecosystem exchange, and streamflow recharging to the eco‐fragile region in the lower reaches. Results suggested that the land surface model CAS‐LSM is a potential tool for studying land surface processes, especially in cold and arid regions experiencing human interventions.
How Hydrologic Processes Differ Spatially in a Large Basin: Multisite and Multiobjective Modeling in the Tarim River Basin
Authors: Fang Gonghuan , Yang Jing , Chen Yaning , Li Zhi , Ji Huiping , De Maeyer Philippe
Published: June 2018

Water resources are essential to ecosystems and social economies worldwide, especially in the deserts and oases of the Tarim River Basin, whose water originates largely from alpine mountains characterized by complicated hydrological processes and scarce hydrometeorological observations. This paper presents multisite and multiobjective modeling of hydrological processes in the whole Tarim River Basin, covering 32 catchments in total. The study uses the Soil and Water Assessment Tool, extended by incorporating a degree‐day glacier melt module to enable modeling of glacier melt in the alpine mountains. The multiobjective calibration approach of ε‐Nondominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm‐II was implemented with the two objective functions of the Nash‐Sutcliffe value of daily streamflow and the bias of simulated glacier melt contribution to streamflow. Based on the combined use of the Morris sensitivity technique and hierarchy cluster, the 32 catchments in the study area are divided into six groups according to their dominating hydrological processes, for example, glacier melt, snowmelt, groundwater, and routing. The multiobjective calibration was satisfactory, with 22 of the 32 catchments showing Nash‐Sutcliffe values of daily streamflow larger than 0.6 and the bias of simulated glacier melt contribution to streamflow values smaller than 0.05. Model performance was highly dependent on meteorological data availability, in that low data availability led to poor model performance, while factors such as catchment area and mean annual snowfall had little influence on model performance. The results indicate that multisite and multiobjective calibration enables consistent and comprehensive examination of the spatially different hydrological processes in a large basin and provides information for further assessment of the impact of climate change on water availability.
Dynamics and Predictability of the Rapid Intensification of Super Typhoon Usagi (2013)
Authors: Liu Su , Tao Dandan , Zhao Kun , Minamide Masashi , Zhang Fuqing
Published: June 2018

This study explores the dynamics and predictability of the rapid intensification (RI) of Super Typhoon Usagi (2013) through a 60‐member convection‐permitting ensemble using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model and an ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF) data assimilation method. The surface maximum wind speed of Usagi, which was an intense category 4 western North Pacific tropical cyclone (TC), increased by 33 m s−1 over a 24‐hr period. The RI process was captured by the WRF simulation initialized with the global analysis but with a unique forecast challenge of early prediction. We improved the intensity forecasts by assimilating satellite‐derived atmospheric motion vectors into the WRF‐EnKF, which primarily reduced the strength of both the primary and secondary circulations in the TC vortex. Nevertheless, our ensemble forecasts initialized with the EnKF analysis ensemble predicted a significant spread in the intensity with considerable differences in the RI onset timing among individual members. Our analyses show that variation in the RI timing is most sensitive to differences in the initial TC vortex intensity and inner‐core moisture. Ensemble members with similar initial intensities but greater tropospheric moisture content exhibited earlier vortex axisymmetrization and consequently earlier RI. Further sensitivity experiments showed that variations in the inner‐core moisture content have an immediate impact on the structure and strength of inner‐core convection. These variations in inner‐core convection gradually caused differences in intensity between the TC vortices. In this study, we highlight the importance of accurate estimates of the inner‐core moisture content in the modeling and forecasting of TC intensity.
Sources of Black Carbon Deposition to the Himalayan Glaciers in Current and Future Climates
Authors: Alvarado Matthew J. , Winijkul Ekbordin , Adams‐Selin Rebecca , Hunt Eric , Brodowski Christopher , Lonsdale Chantelle R. , Shindell Drew T. , Faluvegi Gregory , Kleiman Gary , Mosier Thomas M. , Kumar Rajesh
Published: June 2018

The Weather Research and Forecasting model coupled with Chemistry and a modified version of the Evaluating the Climate and Air Quality Impacts of Short‐Lived Pollutants (ECLIPSE) 5a emission inventory were used to investigate the sources impacting black carbon (BC) deposition to the Himalaya, Karakoram, and Hindu Kush (HKHK) region. This work extends previous studies by simulating deposition to the HKHK region not only under current conditions but also in the 2040–2050 period under two realistic emission scenarios and in three different phases of the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO). Under current conditions, sources from outside our South Asian modeling domain have a similar impact on total BC deposition to the HKHK region (35–87%, varying with month) as South Asian anthropogenic sources (13–62%). Industry (primarily brick kilns) and residential solid fuel burning combined account for 45–66% of the in‐domain anthropogenic BC deposition to the HKHK region. Under a no further control emission scenario for 2040–2050, the relative contributions to BC deposition in the HKHK region are more skewed toward in‐domain anthropogenic sources (45–65%) relative to sources outside the domain (26–52%). The in‐domain anthropogenic BC deposition has significant contributions from industry (32–42%), solid fuel burning (17–28%), and diesel fuel burning (17–27%). Under a scenario in which emissions in South Asia are mitigated, the relative contribution from South Asian anthropogenic sources is significantly reduced to 11–34%. The changes due to phase of ENSO do not seem to follow consistent patterns with ENSO. Future work will use the high‐resolution deposition maps developed here to determine the impact of different sources of BC on glacier melt and water availability in the region.
A River Channel Extraction Method for Urban Environments Based on Terrain Transition Lines
Authors: Qin Lianjie , Xu Wei , Tian Yugang , Chen Bo , Wang Siyue
Published: June 2018

A river channel network is an important geomorphological feature in a catchment. A method to extract river channels in urban environments from a high‐resolution digital elevation model (DEM) is introduced in this paper. The method utilizes terrain transition lines to delineate channel networks. First, terrain transition lines are extracted from the DEM. Then, shallow road ditches are removed based on elevation from the terrain transition lines, and then, noise is removed using the region growing method. Subsequently, most of the road ditches are removed by pixel block expansion, and then, the nonchannel pixels are removed by fitting a quadratic surface. The computational efficiency and accurate localization of river channel extraction using the proposed method is demonstrated using light detection and ranging (LiDAR) data for an urban environment in Johnson County, Iowa. The proposed method is effective for extracting channels and removing road ditches in this urban environment. A potential application of this method is to provide the river channels required for riverine flood modeling and geomorphological studies.
Hydrogen sulfide maintains dental pulp stem cell function via TRPV1-mediated calcium influx
Authors: Yang Ruili , Liu Yi , Yu Tingting , Liu Dawei , Shi Songtao , Zhou Yongsheng , Zhou Yanheng
Published: June 2018

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S), an endogenous gasotransmitter, mediated a variety of biological processes through multiple signaling pathways, and aberrant H2S metabolism has been associated with mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) dysfunction. Here we employed the small interfering RNA treatment for cystathionine β-synthase (CBS), cystathionine γ-lyase, the main enzymes to synthesize H2S, and CBS-knockout mice to analyze the effect of H2S on dental pulp homeostasis. We showed that H2S deficiency attenuated dental pulp stem cell (DPSC) osteogenic/dentinogenic differentiation in vitro and in vivo with enhanced cell proliferation. Mechanically, H2S facilitated the transient receptor potential action channel subfamily V member 1-mediated calcium (Ca2+) influx, which subsequently activated the β-catenin pathway. While H2S deficiency decreased Ca2+, resulting in glycogen synthase kinase-3β-mediated β-catenin degradation, which controls proliferation and differentiation of DPSCs. Consistently, H2S-deficient mice displayed disturbed pattern of dental pulp and less dentin formation. In this study, we identified a previously unknown mechanism by which H2S regulates DPSC lineage determination and dental pulp homeostasis.
Postprandial FGF19-induced phosphorylation by Src is critical for FXR function in bile acid homeostasis
Authors: Byun Sangwon , Kim Dong-Hyun , Ryerson Daniel , Kim Young-Chae , Sun Hao , Kong Bo , Yau Peter , Guo Grace , Xu H. Eric , Kemper Byron , Kemper Jongsook Kim
Published: June 2018

Farnesoid-X-Receptor (FXR) plays a central role in maintaining bile acid (BA) homeostasis by transcriptional control of numerous enterohepatic genes, including intestinal FGF19, a hormone that strongly represses hepatic BA synthesis. How activation of the FGF19 receptor at the membrane is transmitted to the nucleus for transcriptional regulation of BA levels and whether FGF19 signaling posttranslationally modulates FXR function remain largely unknown. Here we show that FXR is phosphorylated at Y67 by non-receptor tyrosine kinase, Src, in response to postprandial FGF19, which is critical for its nuclear localization and transcriptional regulation of BA levels. Liver-specific expression of phospho-defective Y67F-FXR or Src downregulation in mice results in impaired homeostatic responses to acute BA feeding, and exacerbates cholestatic pathologies upon drug-induced hepatobiliary insults. Also, the hepatic FGF19-Src-FXR pathway is defective in primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) patients. This study identifies Src-mediated FXR phosphorylation as a potential therapeutic target and biomarker for BA-related enterohepatic diseases.
The role of momentum-dark excitons in the elementary optical response of bilayer WSe2
Authors: Lindlau Jessica , Selig Malte , Neumann Andre , Colombier Léo , Förste Jonathan , Funk Victor , Förg Michael , Kim Jonghwan , Berghäuser Gunnar , Taniguchi Takashi , Watanabe Kenji , Wang Feng , Malic Ermin , Högele Alexander
Published: June 2018

Monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) undergo substantial changes in the single-particle band structure and excitonic optical response upon the addition of just one layer. As opposed to the single-layer limit, the bandgap of bilayer (BL) TMD semiconductors is indirect which results in reduced photoluminescence with richly structured spectra that have eluded a detailed understanding to date. Here, we provide a closed interpretation of cryogenic emission from BL WSe2 as a representative material for the wider class of TMD semiconductors. By combining theoretical calculations with comprehensive spectroscopy experiments, we identify the crucial role of momentum-indirect excitons for the understanding of BL TMD emission. Our results shed light on the origin of quantum dot formation in BL crystals and will facilitate further advances directed at opto-electronic applications of layered TMD semiconductors in van der Waals heterostructures and devices.
High energy flexible supercapacitors formed via bottom-up infilling of gel electrolytes into thick porous electrodes
Authors: Li Xiangming , Shao Jinyou , Kim Sung-Kon , Yao Chaochao , Wang Junjie , Miao Yu-Run , Zheng Qiye , Sun Pengcheng , Zhang Runyu , Braun Paul V.
Published: June 2018

Formation of thick, high energy density, flexible solid supercapacitors is challenging because of difficulties infilling gel electrolytes into porous electrodes. Incomplete infilling results in a low capacitance and poor mechanical properties. Here we report a bottom-up infilling method to overcome these challenges. Electrodes up to 500 μm thick, formed from multi-walled carbon nanotubes and a composite of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene), polystyrene sulfonate and multi-walled carbon nanotubes are successfully infilled with a polyvinyl alcohol/phosphoric acid gel electrolyte. The exceptional mechanical properties of the multi-walled carbon nanotube-based electrode enable it to be rolled into a radius of curvature as small as 0.5 mm without cracking and retain 95% of its initial capacitance after 5000 bending cycles. The areal capacitance of our 500 μm thick poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene), polystyrene sulfonate, multi-walled carbon nanotube-based flexible solid supercapacitor is 2662 mF cm–2 at 2 mV s–1, at least five times greater than current flexible supercapacitors.
Embryos and embryonic stem cells from the white rhinoceros
Authors: Hildebrandt Thomas B. , Hermes Robert , Colleoni Silvia , Diecke Sebastian , Holtze Susanne , Renfree Marilyn B. , Stejskal Jan , Hayashi Katsuhiko , Drukker Micha , Loi Pasqualino , Göritz Frank , Lazzari Giovanna , Galli Cesare
Published: June 2018

The northern white rhinoceros (NWR, Ceratotherium simum cottoni) is the most endangered mammal in the world with only two females surviving. Here we adapt existing assisted reproduction techniques (ART) to fertilize Southern White Rhinoceros (SWR) oocytes with NWR spermatozoa. We show that rhinoceros oocytes can be repeatedly recovered from live SWR females by transrectal ovum pick-up, matured, fertilized by intracytoplasmic sperm injection and developed to the blastocyst stage in vitro. Next, we generate hybrid rhinoceros embryos in vitro using gametes of NWR and SWR. We also establish embryonic stem cell lines from the SWR blastocysts. Blastocysts are cryopreserved for later embryo transfer. Our results indicate that ART could be a viable strategy to rescue genes from the iconic, almost extinct, northern white rhinoceros and may also have broader impact if applied with similar success to other endangered large mammalian species.
Genomic analysis of a pre-elimination Malaysian Plasmodium vivax population reveals selective pressures and changing transmission dynamics
Authors: Auburn Sarah , Benavente Ernest D. , Miotto Olivo , Pearson Richard D. , Amato Roberto , Grigg Matthew J. , Barber Bridget E. , William Timothy , Handayuni Irene , Marfurt Jutta , Trimarsanto Hidayat , Noviyanti Rintis , Sriprawat Kanlaya , Nosten Francois , Campino Susana , Clark Taane G. , Anstey Nicholas M. , Kwiatkowski Dominic P. , Price Ric N.
Published: June 2018

The incidence of Plasmodium vivax infection has declined markedly in Malaysia over the past decade despite evidence of high-grade chloroquine resistance. Here we investigate the genetic changes in a P. vivax population approaching elimination in 51 isolates from Sabah, Malaysia and compare these with data from 104 isolates from Thailand and 104 isolates from Indonesia. Sabah displays extensive population structure, mirroring that previously seen with the emergence of artemisinin-resistant P. falciparum founder populations in Cambodia. Fifty-four percent of the Sabah isolates have identical genomes, consistent with a rapid clonal expansion. Across Sabah, there is a high prevalence of loci known to be associated with antimalarial drug resistance. Measures of differentiation between the three countries reveal several gene regions under putative selection in Sabah. Our findings highlight important factors pertinent to parasite resurgence and molecular cues that can be used to monitor low-endemic populations at the end stages of P. vivax elimination.
Coupling of ocean redox and animal evolution during the Ediacaran-Cambrian transition
Authors: Wang Dan , Ling Hong-Fei , Struck Ulrich , Zhu Xiang-Kun , Zhu Maoyan , He Tianchen , Yang Ben , Gamper Antonia , Shields Graham A.
Published: June 2018

The late Ediacaran to early Cambrian interval witnessed extraordinary radiations of metazoan life. The role of the physical environment in this biological revolution, such as changes to oxygen levels and nutrient availability, has been the focus of longstanding debate. Seemingly contradictory data from geochemical redox proxies help to fuel this controversy. As an essential nutrient, nitrogen can help to resolve this impasse by establishing linkages between nutrient supply, ocean redox, and biological changes. Here we present a comprehensive N-isotope dataset from the Yangtze Basin that reveals remarkable coupling between δ15N, δ13C, and evolutionary events from circa 551 to 515 Ma. The results indicate that increased fixed nitrogen supply may have facilitated episodic animal radiations by reinforcing ocean oxygenation, and restricting anoxia to near, or even at the sediment–water interface. Conversely, sporadic ocean anoxic events interrupted ocean oxygenation, and may have led to extinctions of the Ediacaran biota and small shelly animals.
Evidence for line width and carrier screening effects on excitonic valley relaxation in 2D semiconductors
Authors: Miyauchi Yuhei , Konabe Satoru , Wang Feijiu , Zhang Wenjin , Hwang Alexander , Hasegawa Yusuke , Zhou Lizhong , Mouri Shinichiro , Toh Minglin , Eda Goki , Matsuda Kazunari
Published: June 2018

Monolayers of transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDC) have recently emerged as excellent platforms for exploiting new physics and applications relying on electronic valley degrees of freedom in two-dimensional (2D) systems. Here, we demonstrate that Coulomb screening by 2D carriers plays a critical role in excitonic valley pseudospin relaxation processes in naturally carrier-doped WSe2 monolayers (1L-WSe2). The exciton valley relaxation times were examined using polarization- and time-resolved photoluminescence spectroscopy at temperatures ranging from 10 to 160 K. We show that the temperature-dependent exciton valley relaxation times in 1L-WSe2 under various exciton and carrier densities can be understood using a unified framework of intervalley exciton scattering via momentum-dependent long-range electron–hole exchange interactions screened by 2D carriers that depend on the carrier density and the exciton linewidth. Moreover, the developed framework was successfully applied to engineer the valley polarization of excitons in 1L-WSe2. These findings may facilitate the development of TMDC-based opto-valleytronic devices.
Monoacylglycerol lipase regulates cannabinoid receptor 2-dependent macrophage activation and cancer progression
Authors: Xiang Wei , Shi Rongchen , Kang Xia , Zhang Xuan , Chen Peng , Zhang Lili , Hou Along , Wang Rui , Zhao Yuanyin , Zhao Kun , Liu Yingzhe , Ma Yue , Luo Huan , Shang Shenglan , Zhang Jinyu , He Fengtian , Yu Songtao , Gan Lixia , Shi Chunmeng , Li Yongsheng , Yang Wei , Liang Houjie , Miao Hongming
Published: June 2018

Metabolic reprogramming greatly contributes to the regulation of macrophage activation. However, the mechanism of lipid accumulation and the corresponding function in tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) remain unclear. With primary investigation in colon cancer and confirmation in other cancer models, here we determine that deficiency of monoacylglycerol lipase (MGLL) results in lipid overload in TAMs. Functionally, macrophage MGLL inhibits CB2 cannabinoid receptor-dependent tumor progression in inoculated and genetic cancer models. Mechanistically, MGLL deficiency promotes CB2/TLR4-dependent macrophage activation, which further suppresses the function of tumor-associated CD8+ T cells. Treatment with CB2 antagonists delays tumor progression in inoculated and genetic cancer models. Finally, we verify that expression of macrophage MGLL is decreased in cancer tissues and positively correlated with the survival of cancer patients. Taken together, our findings identify MGLL as a switch for CB2/TLR4-dependent macrophage activation and provide potential targets for cancer therapy.
Task-dependent representations of stimulus and choice in mouse parietal cortex
Authors: Pho Gerald N. , Goard Michael J. , Woodson Jonathan , Crawford Benjamin , Sur Mriganka
Published: June 2018

The posterior parietal cortex (PPC) has been implicated in perceptual decisions, but whether its role is specific to sensory processing or sensorimotor transformation is not well understood. Here, we trained mice to perform a go/no-go visual discrimination task and imaged the activity of neurons in primary visual cortex (V1) and PPC during engaged behavior and passive viewing. Unlike V1 neurons, which respond robustly to stimuli in both conditions, most PPC neurons respond exclusively during task engagement. To test whether signals in PPC primarily encoded the stimulus or the animal’s impending choice, we image the same neurons before and after re-training mice with a reversed sensorimotor contingency. Unlike V1 neurons, most PPC neurons reflect the animal’s choice of the new target stimulus after re-training. Mouse PPC is therefore strongly task-dependent, reflects choice more than stimulus, and may play a role in the transformation of visual inputs into motor commands.
Transcriptional synergy as an emergent property defining cell subpopulation identity enables population shift
Authors: Okawa Satoshi , Saltó Carmen , Ravichandran Srikanth , Yang Shanzheng , Toledo Enrique M. , Arenas Ernest , del Sol Antonio
Published: June 2018

Single-cell RNA sequencing allows defining molecularly distinct cell subpopulations. However, the identification of specific sets of transcription factors (TFs) that define the identity of these subpopulations remains a challenge. Here we propose that subpopulation identity emerges from the synergistic activity of multiple TFs. Based on this concept, we develop a computational platform (TransSyn) for identifying synergistic transcriptional cores that determine cell subpopulation identities. TransSyn leverages single-cell RNA-seq data, and performs a dynamic search for an optimal synergistic transcriptional core using an information theoretic measure of synergy. A large-scale TransSyn analysis identifies transcriptional cores for 186 subpopulations, and predicts identity conversion TFs between 3786 pairs of cell subpopulations. Finally, TransSyn predictions enable experimental conversion of human hindbrain neuroepithelial cells into medial floor plate midbrain progenitors, capable of rapidly differentiating into dopaminergic neurons. Thus, TransSyn can facilitate designing strategies for conversion of cell subpopulation identities with potential applications in regenerative medicine.
Tunable and switchable magnetic dipole patterns in nanostructured superconductors
Authors: Ge Jun-Yi , Gladilin Vladimir N. , Tempere Jacques , Devreese Jozef T. , Moshchalkov Victor V.
Published: June 2018

Design and manipulation of magnetic moment arrays have been at the focus of studying the interesting cooperative physical phenomena in various magnetic systems. However, long-range ordered magnetic moments are rather difficult to achieve due to the excited states arising from the relatively weak exchange interactions between the localized moments. Here, using a nanostructured superconductor, we investigate a perfectly ordered magnetic dipole pattern with the magnetic poles having the same distribution as the magnetic charges in an artificial spin ice. The magnetic states can simply be switched on/off by applying a current flowing through nanopatterned area. Moreover, by coupling magnetic dipoles with the pinned vortex lattice, we are able to erase the positive/negative poles, resulting in a magnetic dipole pattern of only one polarity, analogous to the recently predicted vortex ice. These switchable and tunable magnetic dipole patterns open pathways for the study of exotic ordering phenomena in magnetic systems.
Comparison of intestinal bacterial and fungal communities across various xylophagous beetle larvae (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae)
Authors: Mohammed Waleed S. , Ziganshina Elvira E. , Shagimardanova Elena I. , Gogoleva Natalia E. , Ziganshin Ayrat M.
Published: June 2018

The microbial gut communities associated with various xylophagous beetles offer great potential for different biotechnologies and elaboration of novel pest management strategies. In this research, the intestinal bacterial and fungal communities of various cerambycid larvae, including Acmaeops septentrionis, Acanthocinus aedilis, Callidium coriaceum, Trichoferus campestris and Chlorophorus herbstii, were investigated. The intestinal microbial communities of these Cerambycidae species were mostly represented by members of the bacterial phyla Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria and the fungal phylum Ascomycota. However, the bacterial and fungal communities varied by beetle species and between individual organisms. Furthermore, bacterial communities’ metagenomes reconstruction indicated the genes that encode enzymes involved in the lignocellulose degradation (such as peroxidases, alpha-L-fucosidases, beta-xylosidases, beta-mannosidases, endoglucanases, beta-glucosidases and others) and nitrogen fixation (nitrogenases). Most of the predicted genes potentially related to lignocellulose degradation were enriched in the T. campestris,A. aedilis and A. septentrionis larval gut consortia, whereas predicted genes affiliated with the nitrogenase component proteins were enriched in the T. campestris, A. septentrionis and C. herbstii larval gut consortia. Several bacteria and fungi detected in the current work could be involved in the nutrition of beetle larvae.
Fiber density of collagen grafts impacts rabbit urethral regeneration
Authors: Larsson H. M. , Vythilingam G. , Pinnagoda K. , Vardar E. , Engelhardt E. M. , Sothilingam S. , Thambidorai R. C. , Kamarul T. , Hubbell J. A. , Frey P.
Published: June 2018

There is a need for efficient and “off-the-shelf” grafts in urethral reconstructive surgery. Currently available surgical techniques require harvesting of grafts from autologous sites, with increased risk of surgical complications and added patient discomfort. Therefore, a cost-effective and cell-free graft with adequate regenerative potential has a great chance to be translated into clinical practice. Tubular cell-free collagen grafts were prepared by varying the collagen density and fiber distribution, thereby creating a polarized low fiber density collagen graft (LD-graft). A uniform, high fiber density collagen graft (HD-graft) was engineered as a control. These two grafts were implanted to bridge a 2 cm long iatrogenic urethral defect in a rabbit model. Histology revealed that rabbits implanted with the LD-graft had a better smooth muscle regeneration compared to the HD-graft. The overall functional outcome assessed by contrast voiding cystourethrography showed patency of the urethra in 90% for the LD-graft and in 66.6% for the HD-graft. Functional regeneration of the rabbit implanted with the LD-graft could further be demonstrated by successful mating, resulting in healthy offspring. In conclusion, cell-free low-density polarized collagen grafts show better urethral regeneration than high-density collagen grafts.
Complex spectrum of phenobarbital effects in a mouse model of neonatal hypoxia-induced seizures
Authors: Quinlan Sean M. M. , Rodriguez-Alvarez Natalia , Molloy Eleanor J. , Madden Stephen F. , Boylan Geraldine B. , Henshall David C. , Jimenez-Mateos Eva M.
Published: June 2018

Seizures in neonates, mainly caused by hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, are thought to be harmful to the brain. Phenobarbital remains the first line drug therapy for the treatment of suspected neonatal seizures but concerns remain with efficacy and safety. Here we explored the short- and long-term outcomes of phenobarbital treatment in a mouse model of hypoxia-induced neonatal seizures. Seizures were induced in P7 mice by exposure to 5% O2 for 15 minutes. Immediately after hypoxia, pups received a single dose of phenobarbital (25 mg.kg−1) or saline. We observed that after administration of phenobarbital seizure burden and number of seizures were reduced compared to the hypoxic period; however, PhB did not suppress acute histopathology. Behavioural analysis of mice at 5 weeks of age previously subjected to hypoxia-seizures revealed an increase in anxiety-like behaviour and impaired memory function compared to control littermates, and these effects were not normalized by phenobarbital. In a seizure susceptibility test, pups previously exposed to hypoxia, with or without phenobarbital, developed longer and more severe seizures in response to kainic acid injection compared to control mice. Unexpectedly, mice treated with phenobarbital developed less hippocampal damage after kainic acid than untreated counterparts. The present study suggests phenobarbital treatment in immature mice does not improve the long lasting functional deficits induces by hypoxia-induced seizures but, unexpectedly, may reduce neuronal death caused by exposure to a second seizure event in later life.