bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Efficient handoff based on link quality prediction for video streaming in urban transport systems
Authors: Vallati Carlo , Mingozzi Enzo , Benedetto Carmine
Published: June 2016

The continuously increasing interest in developing efficient vehicle‐roadside communication networks to provide on‐board connectivity has recently brought to the definition of several solutions based on different wireless technologies. Among them, wireless local area network‐based solutions emerged as an attracting alternative to guarantee high‐quality connectivity enabling services, like video streaming, that require stringent quality of service guarantees. In this work, we propose a handoff procedure based on a forecasting model of the link quality for mobile routers operating in vehicle‐roadside wireless local area network‐based networks. First, a preliminary set of experiments is performed in a realistic environment to study the behavior of the wireless channel when mobility in urban environment is considered. Then, considering the hands‐on experience gained from the initial set of experiments, a novel handoff procedure is designed, which exploits a forecasting technique to predict link channel quality. The proposed procedure is then exploited in a cross‐layer manner to proactively reduce the number of transmitted layers during handoff in the case of real‐time video traffic based on H.264/SVC encoding. The proposal is assessed by means of simulation and compared with existing solutions. Results demonstrate that our proposal guarantees performance comparable with other algorithms. The advantage of predicting the handoff point is demonstrated by means of simulations employing a realistic video streaming traffic model, showing how the quality of experience perceived by end‐users can be improved through the adaptation of the traffic load. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Power efficient multicasting for pre‐cached multiple description traffic in a wireless network
Authors: Alganas Abdulelah , Zhao Dongmei
Published: June 2016

In this paper, we study multicasting multiple description traffic to a group of mobile stations (MSs). The traffic is pre‐cached at a number of access points (APs), and the MSs have different quality requirements in terms of number of required descriptions. Each AP transmits one description and forms a single‐hop multicast group to reach a certain number of MSs. Different APs can transmit the same or different descriptions. MSs requiring multiple descriptions should be covered by at least the same number of the APs that transmit different descriptions. We study two problems, description assignments, and power allocations. The former is to assign a description for each AP, and the latter is to allocate the transmission power for each AP. Two objectives are considered subject to satisfying the requirements of the MSs, one is to minimize the total transmission power of all the APs, and another is to minimize the maximum transmission power of the APs. For each objective, a centralized and a distributed scheme are proposed, and their performance is compared with the optimum. Numerical results show very good performance of the heuristic schemes. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Inside Cover Image, Volume 5, Issue 4
Authors: Flaherty Kevin , Singh Nandini , Richtsmeier Joan T.
Published: June 2016

The inside cover image, by Joan T. Richtsmeier et al., is based on the Advanced Review Understanding craniosynostosis as a growth disorder, DOI: 10.1002/wdev.227.

image
Influence of electromagnetic field damping on forced vibrations of induction rotors caused by dynamic rotor eccentricity
Authors: Werner Ulrich
Published: June 2016

The paper shows an analytical rotordynamic model for induction rotors, supported in sleeve bearings, especially focusing on the influence of electromagnetic field damping on the forced rotor vibrations. The analytical model contains electromagnetic forces in respect of electromagnetic field damping, stiffness and internal material damping of the rotor, typical dynamic eccentricities of an induction rotor – mass eccentricity, bent rotor deflection and magnetic eccentricity –, stiffness and damping of the support, and stiffness and damping of the oil film of the sleeve bearings. With this rotordynamic model a useful possibility is shown, how to consider electromagnetic field damping, when analyzing forced vibrations caused by dynamic eccentricities. The aim of the paper is to show a method – based on a simple rotor dynamic model – how to consider electromagnetic field damping, which can also be adopted in Finite‐Element‐Analysis.
Lactobacillus casei as a biocatalyst for biofuel production
Authors: Vinay-Lara Elena , Wang Song , Bai Lina , Phrommao Ekkarat , Broadbent Jeff R , Steele James L
Published: June 2016

Microbial fermentation of sugars from plant biomass to alcohols represents an alternative to petroleum-based fuels. The optimal biocatalyst for such fermentations needs to overcome hurdles such as high concentrations of alcohols and toxic compounds. Lactic acid bacteria, especially lactobacilli, have high innate alcohol tolerance and are remarkably adaptive to harsh environments. This study assessed the potential of five Lactobacillus casei strains as biocatalysts for alcohol production. L. casei 12A was selected based upon its innate alcohol tolerance, high transformation efficiency and ability to utilize plant-derived carbohydrates. A 12A derivative engineered to produce ethanol (L. casei E1) was compared to two other bacterial biocatalysts. Maximal growth rate, maximal optical density and ethanol production were determined under conditions similar to those present during alcohol production from lignocellulosic feedstocks. L. casei E1 exhibited higher innate alcohol tolerance, better growth in the presence of corn stover hydrolysate stressors, and resulted in higher ethanol yields.
Interfacial Tension; a Stabilizing Factor for Janus Emulsions of Silicone Bixa Orellana Oils
Authors: Leonardi Gislaine Ricci , Monteiro e Silva Silas A. , Guimarães Carina M. , Perrechil Fabiana A. , Landgraf Richardt G. , Friberg Stig E.
Published: June 2016

The destabilization process was investigated for a Janus emulsion of silicone and Bixa Orellana oils stabilized by polyoxyethylene sorbitan monooleate (Tw 80) and carboxymethyl cellulose. The emulsion stabilized with Tw 80 showed significant and fast creaming, a process that was prevented by the addition of the polymer. During the extensive coalescence of the emulsions stabilized by Tw 80, the Janus topology was retained for months of storage until, finally, separation of the oils occurred. This result strongly indicates an unexpected stabilizing action of the i nterfacial free energy. This conclusion was supported by a calculation for a realistic model system of the interfacial energy difference between two cases of coalescence. In the first case, the two coalescing Janus drops united into a larger Janus drop, while in the second case two drops formed, each with only one oil. The first case gave a spontaneous reaction (reduced interfacial energy), while the second one meant an increase of energy, i.e. it cannot happen without adding energy. The authors are aware that this stabilization is a new phenomenon in emulsion science with potential ramifications in future emulsion technology. However, it is essential to realize that the stabilization is of temporary occurrence in the destabilization process, and the free energy to give a final emulsion state with separated oils is overwhelmingly dominant. In short, Janus emulsions will, in the end, separate into layers of the liquids, like all emulsions.
Design and optimization of photonic crystal fiber for liquid sensing applications
Authors: Arif Md. Faizul Huq , Ahmed Kawsar , Asaduzzaman Sayed , Azad Md. Abul Kalam
Published: June 2016

This paper proposes a hexagonal photonic crystal fiber (H-PCF) structure with high relative sensitivity for liquid sensing; in which both core and cladding are microstructures. Numerical investigation is carried out by employing the full vectorial finite element method (FEM). The analysis has been done in four stages of the proposed structure. The investigation shows that the proposed structure achieves higher relative sensitivity by increasing the diameter of the innermost ring air holes in the cladding. Moreover, placing a single channel instead of using a group of tiny channels increases the relative sensitivity effectively. Investigating the effects of different parameters, the optimized structure shows significantly higher relative sensitivity with a low confinement loss.
Investigation into the electromagnetic impulses from long-pulse laser illuminating solid targets inside a laser facility
Authors: Yi Tao , Yang Jinwen , Yang Ming , Wang Chuanke , Yang Weiming , Li Tingshuai , Liu Shenye , Jiang Shaoen , Ding Yongkun , Xiao Shaoqiu
Published: June 2016

Emission of the electromagnetic pulses (EMP) due to laser-target interaction in laser facility had been evaluated using a cone antenna in this work. The microwave in frequencies ranging from several hundreds of MHz to 2 GHz was recorded when long-pulse lasers with several thousands of joules illuminated the solid targets, meanwhile the voltage signals from 1 V to 4 V were captured as functions of laser energy and backlight laser, where the corresponding electric field strengths were obtained by simulating the cone antenna in combination with conducting a mathematical process (Tiknohov Regularization with L curve). All the typical coupled voltage oscillations displayed multiple peaks and had duration of up to 80 ns before decaying into noise and mechanisms of the EMP generation was schematically interpreted in basis of the practical measuring environments. The resultant data were expected to offer basic know-how to achieve inertial confinement fusion.
Sedimentology and sequence stratigraphy of the Paleogene lower second member of the Shahejie Formation, W79 Block, Wenliu Oilfield, Bohai Bay Basin, China
Authors: Li J. , Zhang J. , Liu S. , Fan Z. , Xue H. , Sun Z. , Yu T.
Published: June 2016

High-resolution stratigraphic analysis of the lower second member of the Shahejie Formation of the W79 Block of Bohai Bay Basin, China, has revealed that the study area, previously interpreted as a shallow water delta system, actually mainly originated in a subaerial setting with a distributive pattern. Depositional systems of the distributive fluvial complex (DFC) have been recognized. The regional correlation of the lithofacies within the different depositional systems has led to a high-resolution-stratigraphic framework of two long-term base level cycles, six middle-term base level cycles, and more than 58 short-term base level cycles. Sequence boundary SB1 marks the top of the target interval and is characterized by thick and continuous mudstone overlying sand-rich channel sediments. Sequence boundary SB2 marks the bottom of the target interval and is characterized by stably distributed shales between sand-rich sediments. The base-level fluctuation has a strong tectonic component consistent with the regional tectonic setting; during the active subsidence stage, base-level rising semicycles were recorded in the strata, and during the relatively stable stage, base-level falling semicycles were recorded.
Geodynamic regimes of thermochemical mantle plumes
Authors: Kirdyashkin A.A. , Kirdyashkin A.G. , Distanov V.E. , Gladkov I.N.
Published: June 2016

Laboratory and numerical experiments simulating the heat transfer and flow structure of thermochemical mantle plumes provide insights into the mechanisms of plume eruption onto the surface depending on the relative thermal power of plumes Ka = N/N1, where N and N1 are the heat transferred from the plume base to the plume conduit and the heat transferred from the plume conduit to the surrounding mantle, respectively, under steady thermal conduction. There are three main types of plumes according to the Ka criterion: (i) plumes with low thermal power (Ka < 1.15), which fail to reach the surface, (ii) plumes with intermediate thermal power (1.15 < Ka < 1.9), which occur beneath cratons and transport melts from depths below 150 km, where diamond is stable (diamondiferous plumes), and (iii) plumes with a mushroom-shaped head (1.9 < Ka < 10), which are responsible for large intrusive bodies, including batholiths. The volume of erupted melt and the depth from which the melt is transported to the surface are estimated for plumes of types (ii) and (iii). The relationship between the plume head area (along with the plume head diameter) and the relative thermal power is obtained. The relationship between the thickness of the block above the plume head and the relative thermal power is derived. On the basis of the results obtained, the geodynamic-regime diagram of thermochemical mantle plumes, including the plumes with Ka > 10, has been constructed.
Using patient reported outcomes in oncology clinical practice
Authors: Kelleher Sarah A. , Somers Tamara J. , Locklear Tracie , Crosswell Alexandra D. , Abernethy Amy P.
Published: June 2016

Background and aims

Patient reported outcomes (PROs) are increasingly being implemented into the care of patients with cancer. The use of a standard set of PROs (e.g., pain) in cancer is becoming established and there is interest in what additional PROs might provide valuable information. The goal of this observational study was to examine how the PROs of self-efficacy for pain and other symptoms assessed at the point of service were associated with pain, symptom severity and distress, and physical and psychosocial functioning in a sample of breast and gastrointestinal patients. We also sought to examine differences in these relationships by cancer type (breast and gastrointestinal) as well as understand differences in self-assessment mode (paper/pencil or electronic tablet).

Methods

178 patients with breast (n = 65) and gastrointestinal cancer (n = 113) completed the Chronic Pain Self Efficacy Scale, M.D. Anderson Symptom Inventory, and Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy – General questionnaires. Measures were completed with paper and pencil and electronically using a tablet computer while patients waited for their clinical appointment. Responses from the initial completed questionnaires on both the paper and electronic instruments were analyzed.

Results

Patients’ self-efficacy scores for pain and other symptoms correlated positively with pain, symptom severity and distress, and physical and psychosocial functioning; patients with lower levels of self-efficacy reported poorer outcomes and functioning overall. The results were independent of cancer type and mode of assessment. No statistically significant differences were found in the PROs when collected by electronic technology versus paper-pencil mode; patients were very satisfied with using the tablet computer to complete the PRO measures.

Conclusions and implications

Our results suggest that self-efficacy for pain and symptom management may be a beneficial addition to clinic-based PRO assessment batteries for patients with cancer and other chronic diseases. Existing short, validated symptom self-efficacy scales could easily be integrated into clinical practice to help healthcare providers identify patients that might benefit from intervention. Study results also support existing research that suggests electronic approaches are a practical way to collect PRO data, including self-efficacy data, in the clinic. Overall, our data suggest that patients who have particularly low levels of self-efficacy for pain and symptom management may be at risk for higher levels of pain and disability. Thus, if self-efficacy for pain and symptom management were routinely collected at the time of clinical service, psychosocial interventions to improve self-efficacy for pain and symptom management, and in turn overall quality of life, could be implemented in a timely fashion.
Total sleep deprivation and pain perception during cold noxious stimuli in humans
Authors: Larson Robert A. , Carter Jason R.
Published: June 2016

Background and aims

A substantial portion of the population suffers from chronic pain leading to significant health care costs and lost productivity. Loss of sleep duration and quality are widely reported in patients suffering from a variety of acute orchronicpain conditions. Conversely, sleep loss has been known to elevate pain perception; thus a potential bi-directional relationship exists between sleep deprivation and pain. To date, the majority of studies examining the relationship between experimentally induced pain and sleep loss have focused on the measurement of pain threshold. Additionally, despite evidence of sex differences in ratings of perceived pain, previous studies examining pain following sleep loss have not probed for sex differences. We examined the effects of 24-h total sleep deprivation (TSD) on perceived pain during a 2-min cold pressor test (CPT). We hypothesized that TSD would augment perceived pain and that women would demonstrate an elevated pain response compared to men.

Methods

Testing was carried out in 14 men and 13 women. All subjects reported to be nonsmokers with no history of cardiovascular disease, autonomic dysfunction, asthma, or diabetes. All female subjects were free of oral contraceptive use, and were tested during the early follicular phase of the menstrual cycle. Trial order was randomized and testing sessions (Normal sleep (NS) and TSD) were separated by approximately one month. Subjects immersed their left hand, up to the wrist, in an ice water bath (∼1° C), and perceived pain was recorded every 15 s from a modified Borg scale (6–20 arbitrary units a.u.).

Results

Perceived pain responses during CPT were augmented following TSD (Δ 1.2 a.u.; time × condition, p < 0.05). The augmented pain response following TSD was noted when perceived pain was expressed as mean (NS Δ 7.0 ± 0.5 vs. TSD Δ 8.2 ± 0.5 a.u.; p < 0.05) or peak (NS Δ 8.9 ± 0.6 vs. TSD Δ 10.2 ± 0.5 a.u.; p < 0.05) perceived pain. The effects of TSD on perceived pain were similar in both men and women (condition × time × sex, p > 0.05).

Conclusions and implications

We conclude that TSD significantly augments perceived pain during CPT, but this response was not sex dependent. These findings support emerging evidence that adequate sleep represents a relevant, and cost effective, preventative/therapeutic strategy to reduce self-perceived pain in both men and women.
Calving of Fuerza Aérea Glacier (Greenwich Island, Antarctica) observed with terrestrial laser scanning and continuous video monitoring
Authors: PĘTLICKI MICHAŁ , KINNARD CHRISTOPHE
Published: June 2016

A short-term series of quantitative observations of calving activity of Fuerza Aérea Glacier (Greenwich Island, the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica) was conducted in order to test new methods of monitoring calving. The volume of single calving events was quantified by combining terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) surveys with continuous video recording of the ice front. An empirical formula for area/volume scaling of the calved ice block was proposed based on the TLS measured calved ice volume and the calved ice front area obtained by manual delineation on the images acquired with the video camera. This combination of methods proves to be a valuable tool for glacier monitoring, providing both high-temporal resolution and precise quantitative measurements of the calving volume. The size distribution of calving events is best approximated by a power law and within the short period of observations (14 d) calving was found to be an intrinsic process not dependent on environmental forcings. Over the period of 21 January–04 February 2013 the ice flow velocity at the terminus of Fuerza Aérea Glacier was 0.26 ± 0.07 m d−1and the calving rate was 0.41 ± 0.07 m d−1.
Visual working memory deterioration preceding relapse in psychosis
Authors: Hui C. L. M. , Li Y. K. , Li A. W. Y. , Lee E. H. M. , Chang W. C. , Chan S. K. W. , Lam S. Y. , Thornton A. E. , Sham P. , Honer W. G. , Chen E. Y. H.
Published: June 2016

Background

Relapse is distressingly common after the first episode of psychosis, yet it is poorly understood and difficult to predict. Investigating changes in cognitive function preceding relapse may provide new insights into the underlying mechanism of relapse in psychosis. We hypothesized that relapse in fully remitted first-episode psychosis patients was preceded by working memory deterioration.

Method

Visual memory and verbal working memory were monitored prospectively in a 1-year randomized controlled trial of remitted first-episode psychosis patients assigned to medication continuation (quetiapine 400 mg/day) or discontinuation (placebo). Relapse (recurrence of positive symptoms of psychosis), visual (Visual Patterns Test) and verbal (Letter–Number span test) working memory and stressful life events were assessed monthly.

Results

Remitted first-episode patients (n = 102) participated in the study. Relapsers (n = 53) and non-relapsers (n = 49) had similar baseline demographic and clinical profiles. Logistic regression analyses indicated relapse was associated with visual working memory deterioration 2 months before relapse [odds ratio (OR) 3.07, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.19–7.92, P = 0.02], more stressful life events 1 month before relapse (OR 2.11, 95% CI 1.20–3.72, P = 0.01) and medication discontinuation (OR 5.52, 95% CI 2.08–14.62, P = 0.001).

Conclusions

Visual working memory deterioration beginning 2 months before relapse in remitted first-episode psychosis patients (not baseline predictor) may reflect early brain dysfunction that heralds a psychotic relapse. The deterioration was found to be unrelated to a worsening of psychotic symptoms preceding relapse. Testable predictors offer insight into the brain processes underlying relapse in psychosis.
A transformation-driven approach for recognizing textual entailment
Authors: ZANOLI ROBERTO , COLOMBO SILVIA
Published: June 2016

Textual Entailment is a directional relation between two text fragments. The relation holds whenever the truth of one text fragment, called Hypothesis (H), follows from another text fragment, called Text (T). Up until now, using machine learning approaches for recognizing textual entailment has been hampered by the limited availability of data. We present an approach based on syntactic transformations and machine learning techniques which is designed to fit well with a new type of available data sets that are larger but less complex than data sets used in the past. The transformations are not predefined, but calculated from the data sets, and then used as features in a supervised learning classifier. The method has been evaluated using two data sets: the SICK data set and the EXCITEMENT English data set. While both data sets are of a larger order of magnitude than data sets such as RTE-3, they are also of lower levels of complexity, each in its own way. SICK consists of pairs created by applying a predefined set of syntactic and lexical rules to its T and H pairs, which can be accurately captured by our transformations. The EXCITEMENT English data contains short pieces of text that do not require a high degree of text understanding to be annotated. The resulting AdArte system is simple to understand and implement, but also effective when compared with other existing systems. AdArte has been made freely available with the EXCITEMENT Open Platform, an open source platform for textual inference.
Medicinal plant transcriptomes: the new gateways for accelerated understanding of plant secondary metabolism
Authors: Tripathi Sandhya , Jadaun Jyoti Singh , Chandra Muktesh , Sangwan Neelam S.
Published: June 2016

Medicinal plants are the vital source of numerous structurally diverse pharmacologically active metabolites collectively called as secondary metabolites finding extensive applications in traditional systems of medicine and in pharmaceutical industries. Several distinctive and complex pathways operate in an interactive manner via metabolic networks that are responsible for the accumulation of such highly specialized metabolites. Secondary metabolites are believed to play a wide spectrum of physiological and functional roles in plants, many of which being investigated and supported by the experimental studies. Biosynthetic pathway related studies on various aspects in these medicinal plants have been found very tedious owing to several issues in plants such as considerably lower metabolite concentrations in native tissues, existence at different locations, and highly complex multi-step pathways, etc. Pathway elucidation and gene/enzyme discovery for studying metabolic pathway evolution and subsequent engineering could be better achieved by mining various pathway databases and reconstruction of metabolic networks available at different omics databases. Though medicinal plants have a limited range of genomic sequences available, however recently, next generation sequencing is being widely used to generate a comprehensive transcriptomic resource for these plants. It is anticipated that databases and resources generated from these studies are likely to play a key role towards the study and exploitation of metabolites from medicinal plants in near future. In this review, we have discussed next generation sequencing approaches, which were used for the generation of transcriptomic resources for several medicinally important plants. The relevance of transcriptomic approaches in curation of the pathways linked with the synthesis of major secondary metabolites along with their precursors of pharmaceutical importance in medicinal plants is also comprehensively analysed.
THE TENOR OF BELONGING: THE FISK JUBILEE SINGERS AND THE POPULAR CULTURES OF POSTBELLUM CITIZENSHIP
Authors: Milner Gabriel
Published: June 2016

“The Tenor of Belonging” examines the origins of the Fisk Jubilee Singers, a chorus of college students from Fisk University, amidst the official promises of the Reconstruction era, as well as their reception during their first national tour in 1871 and 1872. The article explores the bifurcated meanings behind the spiritual as the singers performed it in this new context. Publicly, it became, for well-to-do white Northern audiences, an image of a quintessential American identity rooted in the soil, “primitive Christianity,” and the trope of redemption through suffering that seemed increasingly threatened in modern, incorporated America. And yet, spirituals had embodied ideals of self-making, piety, communal solidarity, and liberation for their singers since the late eighteenth century; and performing them, as the Jubilee Singers did, likewise became a vehicle for achieving financial security after the Civil War, as the chorus marketed its past in an effort to secure its future. The singers, like their slave forebears, used the spiritual to achieve a level of autonomy, cohesion, and pride as they negotiated the contours of citizenship in a reconfigured nation. As such, their work both prefigures Booker T. Washington's “bootstraps” ethos and W.E.B. Du Bois's “double-consciousness.”
Theological Doubt and Institutional Certainty: An Anglican Paradox
Authors: Williams Rowan
Published: June 2016

Explicating John Donne's ‘doubt wisely’, this essay argues for the theological and psychological sophistication of Richard Hooker's distinction of wise from unwise doubt and shows why this led him to support compulsory adherence to the Church of England. Framed by consideration of how his ideas were adopted by Thomas Browne's Religio Medici (1643), it explores Hooker's thinking on what is certain in itself and where we can properly doubt. If true, the revealed character of God and the consequent acknowledgement of God as faithful to his elect, is true by necessity, or definition, and may be held with certainty of adherence: whatever my emotional state, adhering is proof that I have not denied my faith and am therefore sincere in my profession. It is wise to doubt the absolute importance of issues such as the right definition of Christ's presence in the sacrament, the God-given character of any specific Church order, and assumptions about the spiritual state of any other baptized person. We cannot, however, be doubtful about the Church to which allegiance is commanded by law. For Hooker, legal enforcement of conformity is a pastoral good: it enables the unsure to establish a practice likely to offer them some anchorage for fluctuating convictions and ‘affections’.
Unbelief, the Senses and the Body in Nicholas Bownde's The vnbeleefe of S. Thomas (1608)
Authors: McGhee Patrick S.
Published: June 2016

Doubt and unbelief were central to the ways in which ministers and theologians in post-Reformation England thought and wrote about religion. Far from signalling spiritual failure, grappling with unbelief could be an important stage in developing the faith and religious understanding of the individual believer while establishing a role for physicality and the senses. Nicholas Bownde's The vnbeleefe of S. Thomas the Apostle, laid open for the comfort of all that desire to beleeue (1608) suggests that unbelief was relational and that belief required not only an acknowledgement of doubt but also extensive exploration of what doubtful and unbelieving experiences involved and how they were to be overcome. Bownde's work demonstrates that this ongoing spiritual conversation could make use of important scriptural examples such as the ‘Doubting Thomas’ episode in order to elucidate intimate theological problems for contemporary believers. This process suggests that early modern religion can only be properly understood with close reference to the role of doubt, unbelief and spiritual uncertainty in religious discourse because belief itself was predicated on the logical possibility of unbelief.
‘Telling lies on behalf of the Bible’: S. R. Gardiner's Doubts about Catholic Apostolic Teaching
Authors: Grass Tim
Published: June 2016

The reasons for the historian Samuel Rawson Gardiner's departure from the Catholic Apostolic Church in the mid-1860s are speculated upon but not generally known. This essay makes use of letters, hitherto in family hands and unknown to researchers, from Gardiner and his wife Isabella to her brother Martin Irving in order to trace the growth of Gardiner's doubts and his alienation from the Catholic Apostolic Church. In particular, the letters show how Gardiner felt the Church was mishandling the intellectual challenges exercising contemporary churchmen. The aim is to shed light on an aspect of Gardiner's biography which has not previously been explained adequately, and so to illuminate the response of one conservative religious movement – the Catholic Apostolic Church – towards the challenges presented by developments in the disciplines of geology and Biblical studies. It is argued that for Gardiner doubt was a necessary function of the quest for truth.
‘Sancte fidei omnino deiciar’: Ugolino dei Conti di Segni's Doubts and Jacques de Vitry's Intervention
Authors: Vandeburie Jan
Published: June 2016

Thomas de Cantimpré, in hisSupplementumto Jacques de Vitry'sVitaof Marie d'Oignies, provides us with an account of how Cardinal Ugolino dei Conti di Segni, the future Pope Gregory IX, was struggling with his faith. At this decisive moment in Ugolino's career, the illustrious preacher and bishop of Acre, Jacques de Vitry, made an appearance at the curia. To combat Ugolino's doubt with a saintly intercession, Jacques presented him with the relic of Marie d'Oignies's finger, which he kept around his neck and which had protected him on several occasions. This well-known anecdote has not yet received any comprehensive attention and this essay seeks to analyse as well as contextualize the account of Jacques's intervention. By shedding light on the role of Marie d'Oignies and her finger relic and on the meaning of the ‘spirit of blasphemy’ plaguing Ugolino, I argue that the anecdote not only gives us a glimpse of the nature of the cardinal's spiritual concerns but also reflects Thomas's efforts to promote both Jacques de Vitry's influence on Gregory IX and the reputation of Marie d'Oignies.
Diabolical Doubt: The Peculiar Account of Brother Bernard's Demonic Possession in Jordan of Saxony'sLibellus
Authors: Watts Steven
Published: June 2016

Jordan of Saxony'sLibellus, first produced in 1233, has struck scholars as an unwieldy combination of hagiography and early Dominican history. Compounding its somewhat awkward nature are its various jumps in chronology and idiosyncratic biographical asides. Perhaps the most idiosyncratic of them all is Jordan's lengthy account of Brother Bernard's demonic possession. While this account provides the setting for the institution of the Dominican custom of chanting theSalve Reginaafter compline, it is difficult to see at first glance what benefit the story as told would have had for Jordan's audience. Upon closer inspection, however, some method appears in the madness. From a pedagogical point of view – theLibellusis described in the mid-thirteenth-centuryVitas fratrumas a journal Jordan read to novices in Paris – the revelation of Jordan's various attempts at identifying the demon's wiles suggests a master willing to allow his students to witness his own doubts about how to proceed. Furthermore, the possessed brother shows a remarkable capacity to imitate ideals central to Dominican identity, in so far as Jordan reveals such ideals in hisLibellus: a master of theology, a charismatic preacher and a prospective saint. This essay offers a close analysis of this perplexing narrative, describing the significance of the various demonic phenomena and Jordan's reactions to them, and reflecting on the pedagogical implications of the portrayal of Jordan's uncertainty.
Heresy, Doubt and Identity: Late Medieval Friars in the Kingdom of Aragon
Authors: Graham Emily E.
Published: June 2016

The fourteenth-century Kingdom of Aragon enjoyed a reputation as a haven for religious dissidents, doubters, heretical refugees and malcontents. This is particularly true of those fleeing the upheaval that the Franciscan Order experienced early in the century, as debates over the nature of poverty within the order created serious conflicts within communities, between friars and superiors, and between the order and the papacy. These visitors operated at the highest levels of the royal court, as has been well documented in the recent surge of interest in figures such as Ramon Llull and Arnald of Villanova. But the effects were also felt in rural communities, arousing suspicion among local bishops. Court proceedings and other documents reveal the pervasive atmosphere of doubt and suspicion that focused on several Franciscan houses in the diocese of Barcelona as late as the middle of the fourteenth century.
Defining the Onset and End of the Indian Summer Monsoon
Authors: Stanley Sarah
Published: June 2016

A new, objective definition of the onset of the summer monsoon could improve predictions of rainfall in India.
Silty Streams Muddy Freshwater Conservation Issues
Authors: Deatrick Elizabeth
Published: June 2016

Throughout the Pacific Northwest, dirt from unpaved roads can clog streams, threatening fish habitats. Scientists have only a murky understanding of how to clear up these turbid waters.
Suspension survival mediated by PP2A-STAT3-Col XVII determines tumour initiation and metastasis in cancer stem cells
Authors: Liu Chen-Chi , Lin Shih-Pei , Hsu Han-Shui , Yang Shung-Haur , Lin Chiu-Hua , Yang Muh-Hwa , Hung Mien-Chie , Hung Shih-Chieh
Published: June 2016

Targeting tumour-initiating cells (TICs) would lead to new therapies to cure cancer. We previously demonstrated that TICs have the capacity to survive under suspension conditions, while other cells undergo anoikis. Here we show that TICs exhibit increased phosphorylation levels of S727STAT3 because of PP2A inactivation. Collagen 17 gene expression is upregulated in a STAT3-dependent manner, which also stabilizes laminin 5 and engages cells to form hemidesmosome-like junctions in response. Blocking the PP2A-S727STAT3-collagen 17 pathway inhibits the suspension survival of TICs and their ability to form tumours in mice, while activation of the same pathway increases the suspension survival and tumour-initiation capacities of bulk cancer cells. The S727STAT3 phosphorylation levels correlate with collagen 17 expression in colon tumour samples, and correlate inversely with survival. Finally, this signalling axis enhances the ability of TIC to form tumours in mouse models of malignant lung cancer pleural effusion and spontaneous colon cancer metastasis.
Observing the release of twist by magnetic reconnection in a solar filament eruption
Authors: Xue Zhike , Yan Xiaoli , Cheng Xin , Yang Liheng , Su Yingna , Kliem Bernhard , Zhang Jun , Liu Zhong , Bi Yi , Xiang Yongyuan , Yang Kai , Zhao Li
Published: June 2016

Magnetic reconnection is a fundamental process of topology change and energy release, taking place in plasmas on the Sun, in space, in astrophysical objects and in the laboratory. However, observational evidence has been relatively rare and typically only partial. Here we present evidence of fast reconnection in a solar filament eruption using high-resolution H-alpha images from the New Vacuum Solar Telescope, supplemented by extreme ultraviolet observations. The reconnection is seen to occur between a set of ambient chromospheric fibrils and the filament itself. This allows for the relaxation of magnetic tension in the filament by an untwisting motion, demonstrating a flux rope structure. The topology change and untwisting are also found through nonlinear force-free field modelling of the active region in combination with magnetohydrodynamic simulation. These results demonstrate a new role for reconnection in solar eruptions: the release of magnetic twist.
Hypothalamic CRH neurons orchestrate complex behaviours after stress
Authors: Füzesi Tamás , Daviu Nuria , Wamsteeker Cusulin Jaclyn I. , Bonin Robert P. , Bains Jaideep S.
Published: June 2016

All organisms possess innate behavioural and physiological programmes that ensure survival. In order to have maximum adaptive benefit, these programmes must be sufficiently flexible to account for changes in the environment. Here we show that hypothalamic CRH neurons orchestrate an environmentally flexible repertoire of behaviours that emerge after acute stress in mice. Optical silencing of CRH neurons disrupts the organization of individual behaviours after acute stress. These behavioural patterns shift according to the environment after stress, but this environmental sensitivity is blunted by activation of PVN CRH neurons. These findings provide evidence that PVN CRH cells are part of a previously unexplored circuit that matches precise behavioural patterns to environmental context following stress. Overactivity in this network in the absence of stress may contribute to environmental ambivalence, resulting in context-inappropriate behavioural strategies.
Nickel–vanadium monolayer double hydroxide for efficient electrochemical water oxidation
Authors: Fan Ke , Chen Hong , Ji Yongfei , Huang Hui , Claesson Per Martin , Daniel Quentin , Philippe Bertrand , Rensmo Håkan , Li Fusheng , Luo Yi , Sun Licheng
Published: June 2016

Highly active and low-cost electrocatalysts for water oxidation are required due to the demands on sustainable solar fuels; however, developing highly efficient catalysts to meet industrial requirements remains a challenge. Herein, we report a monolayer of nickel–vanadium-layered double hydroxide that shows a current density of 27 mA cm−2(57 mA cm−2after ohmic-drop correction) at an overpotential of 350 mV for water oxidation. Such performance is comparable to those of the best-performing nickel–iron-layered double hydroxides for water oxidation in alkaline media. Mechanistic studies indicate that the nickel–vanadium-layered double hydroxides can provide high intrinsic catalytic activity, mainly due to enhanced conductivity, facile electron transfer and abundant active sites. This work may expand the scope of cost-effective electrocatalysts for water splitting.
Diversity in tooth eruption and life history in humans: illustration from a Pygmy population
Authors: Ramirez Rozzi Fernando
Published: June 2016

Life history variables (LHV) in primates are closely correlated with the ages of tooth eruption, which are a useful proxy to predict growth and development in extant and extinct species. However, it is not known how tooth eruption ages interact with LHV in polymorphic species such as modern humans. African pygmies are at the one extreme in the range of human size variation. LHV in the Baka pygmies are similar to those in standard populations. We would therefore expect tooth eruption ages to be similar also. This mixed (longitudinal and cross-sectional) study of tooth eruption in Baka individuals of known age reveals that eruption in all tooth classes occurs earlier than in any other human population. Earlier tooth eruption can be related to the particular somatic growth in the Baka but cannot be correlated with LHV. The link between LHV and tooth eruption seems disrupted in H. sapiens, allowing adaptive variations in tooth eruption in response to different environmental constraints while maintaining the unique human life cycle.
Fatal canine distemper virus infection of giant pandas in China
Authors: Feng Na , Yu Yicong , Wang Tiecheng , Wilker Peter , Wang Jianzhong , Li Yuanguo , Sun Zhe , Gao Yuwei , Xia Xianzhu
Published: June 2016

We report an outbreak of canine distemper virus (CDV) infection among endangered giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca). Five of six CDV infected giant pandas died. The surviving giant panda was previously vaccinated against CDV. Genomic sequencing of CDV isolated from one of the infected pandas (giant panda/SX/2014) suggests it belongs to the Asia-1 cluster. The hemagglutinin protein of the isolated virus and virus sequenced from lung samples originating from deceased giant pandas all possessed the substitutions V26M, T213A, K281R, S300N, P340Q, and Y549H. The presence of the Y549H substitution is notable as it is found at the signaling lymphocytic activation molecule (SLAM) receptor-binding site and has been implicated in the emergence of highly pathogenic CDV and host switching. These findings demonstrate that giant pandas are susceptible to CDV and suggest that surveillance and vaccination among all captive giant pandas are warranted to support conservation efforts for this endangered species.
Respiratory metabolism and calorie restriction relieve persistent endoplasmic reticulum stress induced by calcium shortage in yeast
Authors: Busti Stefano , Mapelli Valeria , Tripodi Farida , Sanvito Rossella , Magni Fulvio , Coccetti Paola , Rocchetti Marcella , Nielsen Jens , Alberghina Lilia , Vanoni Marco
Published: June 2016

Calcium homeostasis is crucial to eukaryotic cell survival. By acting as an enzyme cofactor and a second messenger in several signal transduction pathways, the calcium ion controls many essential biological processes. Inside the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) calcium concentration is carefully regulated to safeguard the correct folding and processing of secretory proteins. By using the model organism Saccharomyces cerevisiae we show that calcium shortage leads to a slowdown of cell growth and metabolism. Accumulation of unfolded proteins within the calcium-depleted lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER stress) triggers the unfolded protein response (UPR) and generates a state of oxidative stress that decreases cell viability. These effects are severe during growth on rapidly fermentable carbon sources and can be mitigated by decreasing the protein synthesis rate or by inducing cellular respiration. Calcium homeostasis, protein biosynthesis and the unfolded protein response are tightly intertwined and the consequences of facing calcium starvation are determined by whether cellular energy production is balanced with demands for anabolic functions. Our findings confirm that the connections linking disturbance of ER calcium equilibrium to ER stress and UPR signaling are evolutionary conserved and highlight the crucial role of metabolism in modulating the effects induced by calcium shortage.
Multigene disruption in undomesticated Bacillus subtilis ATCC 6051a using the CRISPR/Cas9 system
Authors: Zhang Kang , Duan Xuguo , Wu Jing
Published: June 2016

Bacillus subtilis ATCC 6051a is an undomesticated strain used in the industrial production of enzymes. Because it is poorly transformable, genetic manipulation in this strain requires a highly efficient genome editing method. In this study, a Streptococcus pyogenes CRISPR/Cas9 system consisting of an all-in-one knockout plasmid containing a target-specific guide RNA, cas9 and a homologous repair template was established for highly efficient gene disruption in B. subtilis ATCC 6051a. With an efficiency of 33% to 53%, this system was used to disrupt the srfC, spoIIAC, nprE, aprE and amyE genes of B. subtilis ATCC 6051a, which hamper its use in industrial fermentation. Compared with B. subtilis ATCC 6051a, the final mutant, BS5 (ΔsrfC, ΔspoIIAC, ΔnprE, ΔaprE, ΔamyE), produces much less foam during fermentation, displays greater resistant to spore formation and secretes 2.5-fold more β-cyclodextrin glycosyltransferase into the fermentation medium. Thus, the CRISPR/Cas9 system proved to be a powerful tool for targeted genome editing in an industrially relevant, poorly transformable strain.
Ultracompact and high efficient silicon-based polarization splitter-rotator using a partially-etched subwavelength grating coupler
Authors: Xu Yin , Xiao Jinbiao
Published: June 2016

On-chip polarization manipulation is pivotal for silicon-on-insulator material platform to realize polarization-transparent circuits and polarization-division-multiplexing transmissions, where polarization splitters and rotators are fundamental components. In this work, we propose an ultracompact and high efficient silicon-based polarization splitter-rotator (PSR) using a partially-etched subwavelength grating (SWG) coupler. The proposed PSR consists of a taper-integrated SWG coupler combined with a partially-etched waveguide between the input and output strip waveguides to make the input transverse-electric (TE) mode couple and convert to the output transverse-magnetic (TM) mode at the cross port while the input TM mode confine well in the strip waveguide during propagation and directly output from the bar port with nearly neglected coupling. Moreover, to better separate input polarizations, an additional tapered waveguide extended from the partially-etched waveguide is also added. From results, an ultracompact PSR of only 8.2 μm in length is achieved, which is so far the reported shortest one. The polarization conversion loss and efficiency are 0.12 dB and 98.52%, respectively, together with the crosstalk and reflection loss of −31.41/−22.43 dB and −34.74/−33.13 dB for input TE/TM mode at wavelength of 1.55 μm. These attributes make the present device suitable for constructing on-chip compact photonic integrated circuits with polarization-independence.
Facile and scalable disposable sensor based on laser engraved graphene for electrochemical detection of glucose
Authors: Tehrani Farshad , Bavarian Behzad
Published: June 2016

A novel and highly sensitive disposable glucose sensor strip was developed using direct laser engraved graphene (DLEG) decorated with pulse deposited copper nanocubes (CuNCs). The high reproducibility (96.8%), stability (97.4%) and low cost demonstrated by this 3-step fabrication method indicates that it could be used for high volume manufacturing of disposable glucose strips. The fabrication method also allows for a high degree of flexibility, allowing for control of the electrode size, design, and functionalization method. Additionally, the excellent selectivity and sensitivity (4,532.2 μA/mM.cm2), low detection limit (250 nM), and suitable linear range of 25 μM–4 mM, suggests that these sensors may be a great potential platform for glucose detection within the physiological range for tear, saliva, and/or sweat.