bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ground-based remote-sensing techniques for diagnosis of the current state and recent evolution of the Monte Perdido Glacier, Spanish Pyrenees
Authors: LÓPEZ-MORENO J. I. , ALONSO-GONZÁLEZ E. , MONSERRAT O. , DEL RÍO L. M. , OTERO J. , LAPAZARAN J. , LUZI G. , DEMATTEIS N. , SERRETA A. , RICO I. , SERRANO-CAÑADAS E. , BARTOLOMÉ M. , MORENO A. , BUISAN S. , REVUELTO J.
Published: December 2018

This work combines very detailed measurements from terrestrial laser scanner (TLS), ground-based interferometry radar (GB-SAR) and ground-penetrating radar (GPR) to diagnose current conditions and to analyse the recent evolution of the Monte Perdido Glacier in the Spanish Pyrenees from 2011 to 2017. Thus, this is currently one of the best monitored small glacier (<0.5 km2) worldwide. The evolution of the glacier surface was surveyed with a TLS evidencing an important decline of 6.1 ± 0.3 m on average, with ice losses mainly concentrated over 3 years (2012, 2015 and 2017). Ice loss is unevenly distributed throughout the study period, with 10–15 m thinning in some areas while unchanged areas in others. GB-SAR revealed that areas with higher ice losses are those that are currently with no or very low ice motion. In contrast, sectors located beneath the areas with less ice loss are those that still exhibit noticeable ice movement (average 2–4.5 cm d─1 in summer, and annual movement of 9.98 ma─1 from ablation stakes data). GPR informed that ice thickness was generally <30 m, though locally 30–50 m. Glacier thinning is still accelerating and will lead to extinction of the glacier over the next 50 years.
From balanced enterprise to hostile takeover: how the law forgot about management
Authors: Johnston Andrew , Segrestin Blanche , Hatchuel Armand
Published: December 2018

We show that professional management began to emerge in UK companies during the first half of the twentieth century, a development which was widely theorised and accepted. However, the managerially-led enterprise was accommodated rather than protected by company law, making it vulnerable to changes in the law. The Cohen Report of 1945 paid no attention to these developments, and led to the introduction, in the Companies Act 1948, of important, but previously little appreciated, changes in the name of enhancing the accountability of directors to shareholders. The shareholders’ statutory right to remove the directors by simple majority overturned existing structures overnight and was an important driver of the hostile takeover, which emerged shortly afterwards. This deprived management of the necessary autonomy to balance the competing interests at stake in the enterprise and to foster innovation. The emergence of the current system of shareholder primacy can be traced back to these developments.
Obsessive–compulsive symptoms in schizophrenia: a review
Authors: Grover Sandeep , Sahoo Swapnajeet , Surendran Indu
Published: December 2018

Objective

To review the available literature on obsessive–compulsive symptom (OCS)/obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) in patients with schizophrenia.

Methodology

Electronic searches were carried out to locate studies reporting various aspects of OCS/OCD in patients with schizophrenia.

Results

Available evidence suggests that prevalence of OCS/OCD in patients with schizophrenia is much higher than prevalence in general population and it is seen in all the stages of schizophrenia, starting from at risk mental state to chronic/stabilisation/deficit phases. Symptom profile of OCS/OCD in schizophrenia is similar to that seen in patients with OCD only. Presence of OCS/OCD is associated with higher severity of symptoms of schizophrenia and more negative outcome. At present there is very limited data on the efficacy/effectiveness of various pharmacological measures and psychological interventions, for management of OCS/OCD in patients with schizophrenia. There is some evidence pointing towards beneficial effect of certain antipsychotics, antidepressants and cognitive behaviour therapy. Management of OCS/OCD in patients with schizophrenia involves proper assessment. If the OCS/OCD is related to use of particular antipsychotic use, initial attempt must be made to reduce the dose of antipsychotics, however, if this is not effective, than addition of a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRIs) must be considered. If the OCS/OCD is not related to the use of antipsychotic medication, than depending up on the severity of psychotic symptoms, addition of SSRIs must be considered.

Conclusion

This review suggests that OCS/OCD is highly prevalent among patients with schizophrenia and there is limited good quality evidence to make any specific recommendations for management.
How Much Should We Trust Estimates from Multiplicative Interaction Models? Simple Tools to Improve Empirical Practice
Authors: Hainmueller Jens , Mummolo Jonathan , Xu Yiqing
Published: December 2018

Multiplicative interaction models are widely used in social science to examine whether the relationship between an outcome and an independent variable changes with a moderating variable. Current empirical practice tends to overlook two important problems. First, these models assume a linear interaction effect that changes at a constant rate with the moderator. Second, estimates of the conditional effects of the independent variable can be misleading if there is a lack of common support of the moderator. Replicating 46 interaction effects from 22 recent publications in five top political science journals, we find that these core assumptions often fail in practice, suggesting that a large portion of findings across all political science subfields based on interaction models are fragile and model dependent. We propose a checklist of simple diagnostics to assess the validity of these assumptions and offer flexible estimation strategies that allow for nonlinear interaction effects and safeguard against excessive extrapolation. These statistical routines are available in both R and STATA.
Associations of evolutionary-concordance diet, Mediterranean diet and evolutionary-concordance lifestyle pattern scores with all-cause and cause-specific mortality
Authors: Cheng En , Um Caroline Y. , Prizment Anna , Lazovich DeAnn , Bostick Roberd M.
Published: December 2018

Various individual diet and lifestyle factors are associated with mortality. Investigating these factors collectively may help clarify whether dietary and lifestyle patterns contribute to life expectancy. We investigated the association of previously described evolutionary-concordance and Mediterranean diet pattern scores and a novel evolutionary-concordance lifestyle pattern score with all-cause and cause-specific mortality in the prospective Iowa Women’s Health Study (1986–2012). We created the diet pattern scores from Willett FFQ responses, and the lifestyle pattern score from self-reported physical activity, BMI and smoking status, and assessed their associations with mortality, using multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression. Of the 35 221 55- to 69-year-old cancer-free women at baseline, 18 687 died during follow-up. The adjusted hazard ratios (HR) and 95 % CI for all-cause, all CVD, and all-cancer mortality among participants in the highest relative to the lowest quintile of the evolutionary-concordance lifestyle score were, respectively, 0·52 (95 % CI 0·50, 0·55), 0·53 (95 % CI 0·49, 0·57) and 0·51 (95 % CI 0·46, 0·57). The corresponding findings for the Mediterranean diet score were HR 0·85 (95 % CI 0·82, 0·90), 0·83 (95 % CI 0·76, 0·90) and 0·93 (95 % CI 0·84, 1·03), and for the evolutionary-concordance diet score they were close to null and not statistically significant. The lowest estimated risk was among those in the highest joint quintile of the lifestyle score and either diet score (both Pinteraction <0·01). Our findings suggest that (1) a more Mediterranean-like diet pattern and (2) a more evolutionary-concordant lifestyle pattern, alone and in interaction with a more evolutionary-concordant or Mediterranean diet pattern, may be inversely associated with mortality.
Cosmic Meaning, Awe, and Absurdity in the Secular Age: A Critique of Religious Non-Theism
Authors: Gillespie Ryan
Published: December 2018

The notion of a meaningful life in secular modernism is often caught between two worlds: a deep human yearning for cosmic meaning, on the one hand, and a seemingly random, impersonal, contingent universe on the other hand. This is often referred to as absurdity. One response to absurdity is classical theism, and another is scientific reductionism. A third response, and the subject of this article, is religious non-theism. This article: (a) explicates the primary tensions of absurdity, in relation to both human expectations and discussions of beauty in contemporary physics and cosmology; (b) analyzes the arguments and motivations of religious non-theists and the attitude of awe toward the cosmos as a rapprochement between—or at least alternative to—classical theism and scientific reductionism, as a sort of post-secular response to absurdity; and (c) begins a critique of the religious non-theist perspective, explicating four worries, expressed as the Commitment Problem, the Standards Problem, the Moral Problem, and the Awe Problem.
Competition and Operating Volatilities around the World
Authors: Makaew Tanakorn , Maksimovic Vojislav
Published: December 2018

Numerous papers have shown that developing economies are more volatile. We show that, despite greater aggregate and industry stability, performance and size of individual firms in developed countries are more volatile. In developing countries, market imperfections insulate incumbent firms from competition. Consistent with this, firms in developing countries have higher profit, higher market concentration, and less capital raising. Cross-country differences in operating risk and competition intensity are greater in industries that are dependent on external finance, where we expect higher impacts of capital-market imperfections. We show the inverse relation between aggregate and firm-level volatilities has important implications for international studies of cash holding.
Olfactory bulb volume and olfactory sulcus depth in patients with Behçet's disease
Authors: Doğan A , Bayar Muluk N , Asal N , Şahan M H , Inal M , Gündüz Ö , Arıkan O K
Published: December 2018

Objective

To investigate olfactory bulb volume and olfactory sulcus depth in patients with Behçet's disease, using magnetic resonance imaging.

Methods

Cranial magnetic resonance imaging scans of 27 adults with Behçet's disease (10 males and 17 females) and 27 healthy controls were examined. Olfactory bulb volume and olfactory sulcus depth were measured on coronal, T2-weighted, spectral pre-saturation with inversion recovery sequences.

Results

Bilateral olfactory bulb volume and right-sided olfactory sulcus depth were significantly lower in the Behçet's disease group than in the control group (p < 0.05). Left-sided olfactory sulcus depth increased with Behçet's disease duration. In both groups, olfactory bulb volume was significantly higher in the left than the right side. There were no gender differences for olfactory bulb volume and olfactory sulcus depth. Positive correlations were determined between right- and left-sided olfactory bulb volume values and between right- and left-sided olfactory sulcus depth values.

Conclusion

Behçet's disease may decrease olfactory functions, related to lower olfactory bulb volume and olfactory sulcus depth. The affected vascular system and possibly damaged neural system, nasal mucosal lesions, and prolonged nasal mucociliary clearance time may cause olfactory dysfunction. Patient follow up is recommended, with magnetic resonance imaging examinations of the olfactory system if necessary.
Bloom of the heterotrophic dinoflagellateNoctiluca scintillans(Macartney) Kofoid & Swezy, 1921 and tunicatesSalpa fusiformisCuvier, 1804 andSalpa maximaForskål, 1775 in the open southern Adriatic in 2009
Authors: Batistić Mirna , Garić Rade , Jasprica Nenad , Ljubimir Stijepo , Mikuš Josip
Published: December 2018

This study was conducted in February, April and June 2009 at three stations in the southern Adriatic. Occurrence of the dinoflagellateNoctiluca scintillansand tunicatesSalpa fusiformisandSalpa maximain high abundances for the oligotrophic open sea, indicates the importance of physical forcing (vertical mixing) and inflow of nutrient-enriched Atlantic water, due to the Bimodal Oscillating System (BiOS) mechanism, into the Adriatic Sea thus creating an environment favourable for their rapid increase. This is the first time a bloom ofN. scintillanshas been recorded in the open southern Adriatic (OSA). High abundance ofNoctilucaand salp populations in the OSA was characterized by low abundance of phytoplankton and other zooplankton, with obvious trophic implications (reduction of food availability to crustacean primary consumers). Moreover, during theS. maximabloom in June 2009, calanoid copepods and appendicularians were almost completely absent (<1 ind. m−3).
Predicted distribution and habitat loss for the Endangered black-faced black spider monkey Ateles chamek in the Amazon
Authors: Rabelo Rafael M. , Gonçalves Jonas R. , Silva Felipe E. , Rocha Daniel G. , Canale Gustavo R. , Bernardo Christine S.S. , Boubli Jean P.
Published: December 2018

The rate of deforestation in the Amazon is increasing. Predictive models estimate that as a result of agricultural expansion 40% of these forests will be lost by 2050. As a consequence the habitat of forest-dwelling species such as the Endangered black-faced black spider monkey Ateles chamek is being lost, particularly along the arc of deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon. We used species distribution modelling to (1) define the distribution of this spider monkey, using environmental predictors, (2) calculate the area of this distribution covered by the protected area network, and (3) calculate the expected loss of the species’ habitat under future scenarios of deforestation. We found that the species occupies only c. 28% of its extent of occurrence. Only 32% of the species’ area of occupancy is legally protected, and the modelling suggests that 31–40% of the species’ habitat will be lost by 2050. We highlight three unprotected regions with extensive forest cover that are predicted to become severely deforested by 2050 as priority regions for expanding the protected area network. We also propose landscape management and restoration in three human-modified regions. Our study provides an example of how species distribution modelling can be applied to assess threats to species and support decision makers in implementing conservation actions.
Yartsagunbu: transforming people's livelihoods in the Western Himalaya
Authors: Yadav Pramod Kumar , Saha Subhajit , Mishra Ashish Kumar , Kapoor Mohnish , Kaneria Manendra , Kaneria Manish , Dasgupta Sabyasachi , Shrestha Uttam Babu
Published: December 2018

Rural communities in developing countries extract provisioning ecosystem services from the natural environment to meet their subsistence needs, generate cash income and create employment opportunities. Caterpillar fungus Ophiocordyceps sinensis, known as yartsagunbu in Tibet and in the literature on this subject, is a medicinal resource extracted by the mountain communities of the Himalaya. Studies of the contribution of the fungus to local livelihoods in the Indian Himalaya are scarce. We investigated trade and harvest and analysed the contribution of caterpillar fungus to household economies in 32 villages in Dhauliganga Valley, Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve, in the Western Himalaya. Caterpillar fungus harvesting has become an integral part of local livelihoods in the study area, and on average contributes c. 74% of household cash income. The majority of harvesters perceived that harvesting had become more difficult during 2010–2015 as a result of competition and a decline in abundance of the species. The mean annual per capita harvest declined by 54 pieces during 2011–2015. Increasing harvesting and trade, coupled with the dependency of local communities on the fungus, may result in greater extraction of the resource for short-term economic benefits, and could eventually lead to depletion and ecological damage. Harvesting of the fungus has already created environmental, legal and social challenges, although it has become a lucrative livelihood opportunity. The ongoing decline of the fungus threatens local livelihoods. Good governance and livelihood security should be integrated with biodiversity conservation when devising government policies and plans for sustainable management of the caterpillar fungus.
Using polarization control plate to suppress transverse stimulated Raman scattering in large-aperture KDP crystal
Authors: Fan Xinmin , Li Sensen , Huang Xiaodong , Zhang Jianxin , Wang Chunyan , Li Hourong , Sun Yongzhi , Sun Haizhu
Published: December 2018

Transverse stimulated Raman scattering (TSRS) is strongly generated in the third-harmonic-generation crystal potassium dihydrogen phosphate (KDP) and can even damage the KDP crystal in inertial confinement fusion drivers. In this work, a method to suppress TSRS is proposed in which the polarization control plate (PCP) is moved to a new position in the existing optical path. The proposed method can suppress TSRS significantly and doubles the laser threshold intensity in KDP crystal when the order of the PCP is 16. This result is attributed to the reduction of the gain length for the Stokes radiation. The proposed method may also be used to suppress other nonlinear effects, including transverse stimulated Brillouin scattering in large-aperture optical components.
COST-EFFECTIVENESS ANALYSIS OF IVABRADINE IN TREATMENT OF PATIENTS WITH HEART FAILURE IN IRAN
Authors: Taheri Saeed , Heidari Elham , Aivazi Mohammad Ali , Shams-Beyranvand Mehran , Varmaghani Mehdi
Published: December 2018

Objectives:

This study aimed to assess the cost-effectiveness of ivabradine plus standard of care (SoC) in comparison with current SoC alone from the Iranian payer perspective.

Methods:

A cohort-based Markov model was developed to assess the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) over a 10-year time horizon in a cohort of 1,000 patients. The baseline transition probabilities between New York Heart Association (NYHA), mortality rate, and hospitalization rate were extracted from the literature. The effect of ivabradine on mortality, hospitalization, and NYHA improvement or worsening were retrieved from the SHIFT study. The effectiveness was measured as quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) using the utility values derived from Iranian Heart Failure Quality of Life study. Direct medical costs were obtained from hospital records and national tariffs. Deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were conducted to show the robustness of the model.

Results:

Ivabradine therapy was associated with an incremental cost per QALY of USD $5,437 (incremental cost of USD $2,207 and QALYs gained 0.41) versus SoC. The probabilistic sensitivity analysis showed that ivabradine is expected to have a 60 percent chance of being cost-effective accepting a threshold of USD $6,550 per QALY. Furthermore, deterministic sensitivity analysis indicated that the model is sensitive to the ivabradine drug acquisition cost.

Conclusions:

The cost-effectiveness model suggested that the addition of ivabradine to SoC therapy was associated with improved clinical outcomes along with increased costs. The analysis indicates that the clinical benefit of ivabradine can be achieved at a reasonable cost in eligible heart failure patients with sinus rhythm and a baseline heart rate ≥ 75 beats per minute (bpm).
TESTING GENERALIZED REGRESSION MONOTONICITY
Authors: Hsu Yu-Chin , Liu Chu-An , Shi Xiaoxia
Published: December 2018

We propose a test for a generalized regression monotonicity (GRM) hypothesis. The GRM hypothesis is the sharp testable implication of the monotonicity of certain latent structures, as we show in this article. Examples include the monotonicity of the conditional mean function when only interval data are available for the dependent variable and the monotone instrumental variable assumption of Manski and Pepper (2000). These instances of latent monotonicity can be tested using our test. Moreover, the GRM hypothesis includes regression monotonicity and stochastic monotonicity as special cases. Thus, our test also serves as an alternative to existing tests for those hypotheses. We show that our test controls the size uniformly over a broad set of data generating processes asymptotically, is consistent against fixed alternatives, and has nontrivial power against some${n^{ - 1/2}}$local alternatives.
Towards life-long adaptive agents: using metareasoning for combining knowledge-based planning with situated learning
Authors: Parashar Priyam , Goel Ashok K. , Sheneman Bradley , Christensen Henrik I.
Published: December 2018

We consider task planning for long-living intelligent agents situated in dynamic environments. Specifically, we address the problem of incomplete knowledge of the world due to the addition of new objects with unknown action models. We propose a multilayered agent architecture that uses meta-reasoning to control hierarchical task planning and situated learning, monitor expectations generated by a plan against world observations, forms goals and rewards for the situated reinforcement learner, and learns the missing planning knowledge relevant to the new objects. We use occupancy grids as a low-level representation for the high-level expectations to capture changes in the physical world due to the additional objects, and provide a similarity method for detecting discrepancies between the expectations and the observations at run-time; the meta-reasoner uses these discrepancies to formulate goals and rewards for the learner, and the learned policies are added to the hierarchical task network plan library for future re-use. We describe our experiments in the Minecraft and Gazebo microworlds to demonstrate the efficacy of the architecture and the technique for learning. We test our approach against an ablated reinforcement learning (RL) version, and our results indicate this form of expectation enhances the learning curve for RL while being more generic than propositional representations.
Sex as the secret: counterinsurgency in Afghanistan
Authors: Kinsella Helen M.
Published: December 2018

I explore the construction of women as the secret for the ‘successful’ prosecution of war in Afghanistan. To do so, I take up the mobilization of gender in the US counterinsurgency doctrine as deployed in Afghanistan. I draw on the 2006 Counterinsurgency Field Manual, human rights and humanitarian reports, and scholarly works to identify and analyze this mobilization, paying attention to the colonial histories upon which COIN explicitly and implicitly relies. By critically integrating these sources and the paradigmatic moments that exemplify COIN, I demonstrate the constitutive relationship of gender and COIN. The valence of the secret – of women as concealing, revealing, being, and bearing the secret – is still a lesser explored element in the analysis of the gendering of COIN and of its ‘military orientalism’. Even as scholars have powerfully shown how, in the case of Afghanistan and elsewhere, the veil functions as an overdetermined and ‘multilayered signifier’ in its own right, symbolizing the ‘tension between disclosure and concealment that defines the dominant conception of the secret’, less subject to detailed analysis in case of Afghanistan is the ways in which Afghan women are constituted through COIN in polysemous relation to the notion of the secret.
Palate and braincase ofWhatcheeria deltaeLombard & Bolt, 1995
Authors: BOLT John R. , LOMBARD R. Eric
Published: December 2018

The reconstructed palate ofWhatcheeria deltaeindicates a skull that was unusually narrow: at least 2.2 times longer than wide if the pterygoids are conservatively placed in the horizontal plane. This maximum width is narrower than any other early tetrapod reconstructed so far. Rotating the pterygoids to produce a vaulted palate would produce an even narrower skull. Primitive palatal features include very narrow interpterygoid vacuities and a vomer, palatine, and ectopterygoid with fang-sized replacement pairs. It is derived in that there is no anterior palatal fenestra and the premaxilla has a substantial palatal shelf – a combination of characters shared only with Proterogyrinus among early tetrapods. There is a possible septomaxilla in one specimen.Whatcheeriadiffers from and is more derived thanPederpes, its likely sister taxon, in that only the pterygoid is covered with denticles, the vomer, palatine, and ectopterygoid containing labyrinthine teeth only. Reconstructed dental occlusion indicates that the large choana apparently accommodated the large dentary fangs; this would be a unique feature among early tetrapods. The palatal ramus of the pterygoid is longer than the quadrate ramus, which does not have a descending flange. Like Meckel's cartilage in the lower jaw, the palatoquadrate is fully ossified in larger specimens, such that in a posterior view of the skull the pterygoid is mostly hidden from sight by the epipterygoid. The ossified neurocranium consists of the basiparasphenoid and basioccipital; no ossified sphenethmoid has been found. Remains of otic capsules are partial, crushed, and smeared, so no useful morphology is available. The stapes appears to be more columnar and less plate-like than in many other primitive, early tetrapods.
Beneficial effects of maternal swimming during pregnancy on offspring metabolism when the father is obese
Authors: Tarevnic R. , Ornellas F. , Mandarim-de-Lacerda C. A. , Aguila M. B.
Published: December 2018

We aimed to evaluate the impact of maternal exercise training on the offspring metabolism and body size caused by father obesity. C57BL/6 male 4-week-old mice were fed a high-fat diet (HF father) or control diet (C father), while equal age female mice were fed only a C diet and were separated into two groups: trained (T mother) and non-trained (NT mother), and at 12 weeks of age mice were mated. A continuous swimming protocol was applied for 10 weeks (before and during gestation), and offspring were followed since weaning until sacrifice (at 12 weeks of age). HF father, compared to C father, showed obesity, elevated total cholesterol (TC) and triglycerides (TG), and glucose intolerance. Both sexes HF/NT offspring showed hyperglycemia, glucose intolerance and high levels of TC and TG, without obesity. However, HF/T offspring showed data close to C/NT, demonstrating the beneficial effect of maternal exercise in the offspring of obese fathers.
Waves in Kinetic‐Scale Magnetic Dips: MMS Observations in the Magnetosheath
Authors: Yao S. T. , Shi Q. Q. , Yao Z. H. , Li J. X. , Yue C. , Tao X. , Degeling A. W. , Zong Q. G. , Wang X. G. , Tian A. M. , Russell C. T. , Zhou X. Z. , Guo R. L. , Rae I. J. , Fu H. S. , Zhang H. , Li L. , Le Contel O. , Torbert R. B. , Ergun R. E. , Lindqvist P.‐A. , Pollock C. J. , Giles B. L.
Published: December 2018

Kinetic‐scale magnetic dips (KSMDs), with a significant depression in magnetic field strength, and scale length close to and less than one proton gyroradius, were reported in the turbulent plasmas both in recent observation and numerical simulation studies. These KSMDs likely play important roles in energy conversion and dissipation. In this study, we present observations of the KSMDs that are labeled whistler mode waves, electrostatic solitary waves, and electron cyclotron waves in the magnetosheath. The observations suggest that electron temperature anisotropy or beams within KSMD structures provide free energy to generate these waves. In addition, the occurrence rates of the waves are higher in the center of the magnetic dips than at their edges, implying that the KSMDs might be the origin of various kinds of waves. We suggest that the KSMDs could provide favorable conditions for the generation of waves and transfer energy to the waves in turbulent magnetosheath plasmas.
An Axisymmetric Limit for the Width of the Hadley Cell on Planets With Large Obliquity and Long Seasonality
Authors: Guendelman I. , Kaspi Y.
Published: December 2018

Hadley cells dominate the meridional circulation of terrestrial atmospheres. The solar system terrestrial atmospheres, Venus, Earth, Mars, and Titan, exhibit a large variety in the strength, width, and seasonality of their Hadley circulation. Despite the Hadley cell being thermally driven, in all planets, the ascending branch does not coincide with the warmest latitude, even in cases with very long seasonality (e.g., Titan) or very small thermal inertia (e.g., Mars). In order to understand the characteristics of the Hadley circulation in cases of extreme planetary characteristics, we show both theoretically, using axisymmetric theory, and numerically, using a set of idealized GCM simulations, that the thermal Rossby number dictates the character of the circulation. Given the possible variation of thermal Rossby number parameters, the rotation rate is found to be the most critical factor controlling the circulation characteristics. The results also explain the location of the Hadley cell ascending branch on Mars and Titan.
Subseasonal Week 3–5 Surface Air Temperature Prediction During Boreal Wintertime in a GFDL Model
Authors: Xiang Baoqiang , Lin Shian‐Jiann , Zhao Ming , Johnson Nathaniel C. , Yang Xiaosong , Jiang Xianan
Published: December 2018

With a Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (GFDL) coupled model, the subseasonal prediction of wintertime (December–February) surface air temperature (SAT) is investigated through the analysis of 11‐year hindcasts. Significant subseasonal week 3–5 correlation skill exists over a large portion of the global land domain, and the predictability originates primarily from the eight most predictable SAT modes. The first three modes, identified as the El Niño‐Southern Oscillation mode, the North Atlantic Oscillation mode, and the Eurasia Meridional Dipole mode, can be skillfully predicted more than 5 weeks in advance. The North Atlantic Oscillation and Eurasia Meridional Dipole modes are strongly correlated with the initial stratospheric polar vortex strength, highlighting the role of stratosphere in subseasonal prediction. Interestingly, the Madden‐Julian Oscillation is not essential for the subseasonal land SAT prediction in the Northern Hemisphere extratropics. The spatial correlation skill exhibits considerable intraseasonal and interannual fluctuations, indicative of the importance to identify the time window of opportunity for subseasonal prediction.
Molecular and epigenetic regulatory mechanisms of normal stem cell radiosensitivity
Authors: Fabbrizi Maria Rita , Warshowsky Kacie E. , Zobel Cheri L. , Hallahan Dennis E. , Sharma Girdhar G.
Published: December 2018

Ionizing radiation (IR) therapy is a major cancer treatment modality and an indispensable auxiliary treatment for primary and metastatic cancers, but invariably results in debilitating organ dysfunctions. IR-induced depletion of neural stem/progenitor cells in the subgranular zone of the dentate gyrus in the hippocampus where neurogenesis occurs is considered largely responsible for deficiencies such as learning, memory, and spatial information processing in patients subjected to cranial irradiation. Similarly, IR therapy-induced intestinal injuries such as diarrhea and malabsorption are common side effects in patients with gastrointestinal tumors and are believed to be caused by intestinal stem cell drop out. Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is currently used to reinstate blood production in leukemia patients and pre-clinical treatments show promising results in other organs such as the skin and kidney, but ethical issues and logistic problems make this route difficult to follow. An alternative way to restore the injured tissue is to preserve the stem cell pool located in that specific tissue/organ niche, but stem cell response to ionizing radiation is inadequately understood at the molecular mechanistic level. Although embryonic and fetal hypersensity to IR has been very well known for many decades, research on embryonic stem cell models in culture concerning molecular mechanisms have been largely inconclusive and often in contradiction of the in vivo observations. This review will summarize the latest discoveries on stem cell radiosensitivity, highlighting the possible molecular and epigenetic mechanism(s) involved in DNA damage response and programmed cell death after ionizing radiation therapy specific to normal stem cells. Finally, we will analyze the possible contribution of stem cell-specific chromatin’s epigenetic constitution in promoting normal stem cell radiosensitivity.
A two-microRNA-based signature predicts first-line chemotherapy outcomes in advanced colorectal cancer patients
Authors: Lu Jia-huan , Zuo Zhi-xiang , Wang Wei , Zhao Qi , Qiu Miao-zhen , Luo Hui-yan , Chen Zhan-hong , Mo Hai-yu , Wang Feng , Yang Dong-dong , Wang Yun , Wei Xiao-li , Wu Qi-nian , Ju Huai-qiang , Xu Rui-hua , Zeng Zhao-lei
Published: December 2018

Prognostic and predictive markers are needed to predict the clinical outcomes of patients with advanced colorectal cancer (CRC) who receive standard first-line treatments. We performed a prospective cohort study in advanced CRC patients to identify a miRNA signature that could predict the benefit of receiving first-line chemotherapy for these patients. Twenty-one paired tumours and adjacent normal tissues were collected from advanced CRC patients and analysed by miRNA microarrays. Between tumour and normal tissues, 33 miRNAs were differentially expressed and was confirmed by qRT-PCR from another group of 67 patients from a prospective cohort study. A two-miRNA-based signature was obtained using the LASSO Cox regression model based on the association between the expression of each miRNA and the PFS of individual patients. Internal and external validation cohorts, including 40 and 44 patients with advanced CRC, respectively, were performed to prove the prognostic and predictive value of this signature. A signature was built based on two miRNAs, miR-125b-2-3p and miR-933. CRC patients were classified into low- and high-risk groups for disease progression based on this tool. The patients with low risk scores generally had better PFS than those with high risk scores. In the training set, the median PFS in the low- and high-risk groups were 12.00 and 7.40 months, respectively. In the internal validation set, the median PFS in the low- and high-risk groups were 9.90 and 5.10 months, respectively. In the external validation set, the median PFS in the low- and high-risk groups were 9.90 and 6.40 months, respectively. Furthermore, we detected miR-125b-2-3p associated with CRC cell sensitivity to first-line chemotherapy. Our two-miRNA-based signature was a reliable prognostic and predictive tool for tumour progression in patients with advanced CRC, and might be able to predict the benefit of receiving standard first-line chemotherapy in CRC.
Topological sound
Authors: Zhang Xiujuan , Xiao Meng , Cheng Ying , Lu Ming-Hui , Christensen Johan
Published: December 2018

Recently, we witnessed a tremendous effort to conquer the realm of acoustics as a possible playground to test with topologically protected sound wave propagation. In this article, we review the latest efforts to explore with sound waves topological states of quantum matter in two- and three-dimensional systems where we discuss how spin and valley degrees of freedom appear as highly novel ingredients to tailor the flow of sound in the form of one-way edge modes and defect-immune protected acoustic waves. Both from a theoretical stand point and based on contemporary experimental verifications, we summarize the latest advancements of the flourishing research frontier on topological sound.
A preclinical micro-computed tomography database including 3D whole body organ segmentations
Authors: Rosenhain Stefanie , Magnuska Zuzanna A. , Yamoah Grace G. , Rawashdeh Wa’el Al , Kiessling Fabian , Gremse Felix
Published: December 2018

The gold-standard of preclinical micro-computed tomography (μCT) data processing is still manual delineation of complete organs or regions by specialists. However, this method is time-consuming, error-prone, has limited reproducibility, and therefore is not suitable for large-scale data analysis. Unfortunately, robust and accurate automated whole body segmentation algorithms are still missing. In this publication, we introduce a database containing 225 murine 3D whole body μCT scans along with manual organ segmentation of most important organs including heart, liver, lung, trachea, spleen, kidneys, stomach, intestine, bladder, thigh muscle, bone, as well as subcutaneous tumors. The database includes native and contrast-enhanced, regarding spleen and liver, μCT data. All scans along with organ segmentation are freely accessible at the online repository Figshare. We encourage researchers to reuse the provided data to evaluate and improve methods and algorithms for accurate automated organ segmentation which may reduce manual segmentation effort, increase reproducibility, and even reduce the number of required laboratory animals by reducing a source of variability and having access to a reliable reference group.
Celastrol-loaded PEG-b-PPS nanocarriers as an anti-inflammatory treatment for atherosclerosis
Authors: Allen Sean D. , Liu Yu-Gang , Kim Taehyeung , Bobbala Sharan , Yi Sijia , Zhang Xiaohan , Choi Jaehyuk , Scott Evan A.
Published: December 2018

Encapsulation within poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(propylene sulfide) micelles reduces the toxicity of celastrol and enhances its anti-inflammatory effect during treatment of atherosclerosis.
Correction: In situ growth of ZnO/SnO2(ZnO:Sn)m binary/superlattice heterojunction nanowire arrays
Authors: Jiang Song , Ge Binghui , Xu Bojia , Wang Qinggang , Cao Baobao
Published: December 2018

Correction for ‘In situ growth of ZnO/SnO2(ZnO:Sn)m binary/superlattice heterojunction nanowire arrays’ by Song Jiang et al., CrystEngComm, 2018, 20, 556–562.
Spatially resolved ultrasound diagnostics of Li-ion battery electrodes
Authors: Robinson James B. , Maier Maximilian , Alster George , Compton Tomos , Brett Dan J. L. , Shearing Paul R.
Published: December 2018

This work describes the use of spatially acoustic techniques to identify the condition of electrodes in a commercial lithium-ion battery.
Aggregation of amyloid peptides into fibrils driven by nanoparticles and their curvature effect
Authors: Li Bin , Zhang Ran , Shi Xinghua
Published: December 2018

The adsorption and fibrillation of amyloid peptides on nanoparticles are curvature-dependent.
In pursuit of advanced materials from single-source precursors based on metal carbonyls
Authors: Whitmire Kenton H. , Schipper Desmond E.
Published: December 2018

In this perspective, the development of single-source precursors and their relative advantages over multiple source approaches for the synthesis of metal pnictide solid state materials is explored.
The preparation of new covalent organic framework embedded with silver nanoparticles and its applications in degradation of organic pollutants from waste water
Authors: Wang Rui-Lei , Li Dong-Peng , Wang Lu-Jie , Zhang Xiao , Zhou Zi-Yan , Mu Jing-Lin , Su Zhong-Min
Published: December 2018

Ag@TPHH-COF can be used as efficient catalyst for the reduction of the various nitroaromatic compounds and organic dyes in industrial wastewater.
A framework and pilot tool for the risk-based prioritization and grouping of nano-enabled consumer products
Authors: Rycroft Taylor , Larkin Sabrina , Ganin Alexander , Thomas Treye , Matheson Joanna , Van Grack Tessa , Chen Xinrong , Plourde Kenton , Kennedy Alan , Linkov Igor
Published: December 2018

The growing number of nano-enabled consumer products can now be effectively prioritized according to their potential human health risk.
Combining laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy for the analysis of coal properties
Authors: Qin Huaiqing , Lu Zhimin , Yao Shunchun , Li Zhenghui , Lu Jidong
Published: December 2018

Combining laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy improves the accuracy of the analysis of coal properties.
Ultra-stretchable hydrogels with reactive liquid metals as asymmetric force-sensors
Authors: Peng Hao , Xin Yumeng , Xu Jun , Liu Huaizhi , Zhang Jiuyang
Published: December 2018

Liquid metals (LMs) are used as liquid fillers in hydrophilic polymer networks to realize ultra-stretchable hydrogels as asymmetric force-sensors. The existence of liquid metals endows the hydrogel with unique features in synthetic methods and sensing applications.
Iron catalysed selective reduction of esters to alcohols
Authors: Tamang Sem Raj , Cozzolino Anthony F. , Findlater Michael
Published: December 2018

Exposure of BIANFeCl2 to nBuLi generates an anionic complex which is a competent catalyst for the selective reduction of esters to alcohols.
Synthesis and biophysical characterization of oligonucleotides modified with O2′-alkylated RNA monomers featuring substituted pyrene moieties
Authors: Karmakar Saswata , Horrocks Tyler , Gibbons Bradley C. , Guenther Dale C. , Emehiser Raymond , Hrdlicka Patrick J.
Published: December 2018

Oligonucleotides modified with monomers V or Y display up to 22-fold increases in pyrene fluorescence emission upon binding with complementary RNA.
A novel approach to oxazole-containing diterpenoid synthesis from plant roots: salviamines E and F
Authors: Narita Koichi , Fujisaki Narumi , Sakuma Yuta , Katoh Tadashi
Published: December 2018

Salviamines E and F were efficiently synthesized from a known molecule, 5,7,8-trimethoxy-1-naphthol.
High-quality ultralong copper sulphide nanowires for promising applications in high efficiency solar water evaporation
Authors: Li Na , Yin Dandan , Xu Lingling , Zhao Hongyang , Liu Zhengqing , Du Yaping
Published: December 2018

High-quality ultralong copper sulphide nanowires for highly efficient solar water evaporation performance have been synthesized for the first time.
Lanthanide-centered luminescence evolution and potential anti-counterfeiting application of Tb3+/Eu3+grafted melamine cyanurate hydrogen-bonded triazine frameworks
Authors: Yang Chaoqing , Kaczmarek Anna M. , Folens Karel , Du Laing Gijs , Vrielinck Henk , Khelifi Samira , Li Kai , Van Deun Rik
Published: December 2018

A novel type of Tb3+/Eu3+grafted melamine cyanurate hydrogen-bonded triazine framework phosphor (MCA:Ln) has been successfully obtained through an improved co-precipitation route.
Synthesis and evolution of S-Porphin sodium as a potential antitumor agent for photodynamic therapy against breast cancer
Authors: Wang Xiao , Li Li , Zhang Kun , Han Zhen , Ding Zhijian , Lv Mingwei , Wang Pan , Liu Quanhong , Wang Xiaobing
Published: December 2018

The novel sensitizer S-Porphin sodium can generate ROS by radiation with a long wavelength to cause tumor cell death.
Tribological properties of nano-graphite as an additive in mixed oil-based titanium complex grease
Authors: Niu Ming , Qu Jianjun
Published: December 2018

Increasing the size of nano-graphite led to an increase in the optimum additive concentration and decrease in the degree of improvement in the tribological properties of grease.
Hair growth promotion effect of cedrol cream and its dermatopharmacokinetics
Authors: Zhang Yan , Wang Jie-wen , Qu Fan-zhi , Zhang Yu-meng , Su Guang-yue , Zhao Yu-qing
Published: December 2018

Topical use of cedrol ethanol has been reported to have a beneficial effect on hair loss.
The power of fluorescence excitation–emission matrix (EEM) spectroscopy in the identification and characterization of complex mixtures of fluorescent silver clusters
Authors: Ramsay H. , Simon D. , Steele E. , Hebert A. , Oleschuk R. D. , Stamplecoskie K. G.
Published: December 2018

EEM spectroscopy can be implemented as a powerful technique for determining the purity of complex mixtures, especially when other techniques, including mass spectrometry, fail to provide adequate characterization of a given material.
Tracking mobile active sites and intermediates in NH3-SCR over zeolite catalysts by impedance-basedin situspectroscopy
Authors: Chen Peirong , Rizzotto Valentina , Xie Kunpeng , Simon Ulrich
Published: December 2018

Impedance-basedin situspectroscopy allows direct tracking of the mobile active sites and reaction intermediates in NH3-SCR over zeolite catalysts.
Oligo-ethylene-glycol based thin-film composite nanofiltration membranes for effective separation of mono-/di-valent anions
Authors: Ren Dan , Bi Xiao-Tian , Liu Tian-Yin , Wang Xiaolin
Published: December 2018

A novel oligo-ethylene-glycol-containing semi-aromatic polyamide NF membrane with precise pore size shows effective separation for mono-/divalent anions.
Robust heterostructures of a bimetallic sodium–zinc metal–organic framework and reduced graphene oxide for high-performance supercapacitors
Authors: Rajak Richa , Saraf Mohit , Mobin Shaikh M.
Published: December 2018

A robust 2D heterostructure of heterobimetallic Na/Zn-MOF and rGO can be a promising alternative electrode material for next generation supercapacitors.
Photothermally powered conductive films for absorber-free solar thermoelectric harvesting
Authors: Kim Byeonggwan , Han Minsu , Kim Eunkyoung
Published: December 2018

A flexible conductive polymer film is demonstrated via solution casting method with high photothermoelectric effect. Crystallinity and conductivity of the film were controlled with the polymerization solution. The thin-film solar TE harvester shows the first and highest absorber-free organic solar TE output.
Rechargeable Na/Ni batteries based on the Ni(OH)2/NiOOH redox couple with high energy density and good cycling performance
Authors: Park Seungyoung , Khan Ziyauddin , Shin Tae Joo , Kim Youngsik , Ko Hyunhyub
Published: December 2018

Rechargeable battery systems that use Na-based anodes as alternatives to Li-ion batteries are highly desirable for grid-scale energy storage systems owing to the high abundance and low cost of Na.
Preparation and comparison of NP-GLIDE, SLIPS, superhydrophobic, and other coatings from identical precursors at different mixing ratios
Authors: Hu Heng , Liu Guojun , Wang Jiandong
Published: December 2018

Five types of self-cleaning coatings were prepared and compared, and the results facilitate the choice of a coating for targeted applications.
Dual physically crosslinked hydrogels based on the synergistic effects of electrostatic and dipole–dipole interactions
Authors: Cao Jinfeng , Cai Yan , Yu Lisha , Zhou Jinping
Published: December 2018

Dual physically crosslinked hydrogels with high strength and toughness were fabricated through the electrostatic and dipole–dipole interactions.
Understanding the blue-emitting orthoborate phosphor NaBaBO3:Ce3+ through experiment and computation
Authors: Zhong Jiyou , Zhao Weiren , Zhuo Ya , Yan Chunpei , Wen Jun , Brgoch Jakoah
Published: December 2018

Understanding an efficient blue-emitting phosphor NaBaBO3:Ce3+ for UV pumped warm white LEDs through experimental and computational methods.
Vinylene-bridged difluorobenzo[c][1,2,5]-thiadiazole (FBTzE): a new electron-deficient building block for high-performance semiconducting polymers in organic electronics
Authors: Asanuma Yuya , Mori Hiroki , Takahashi Ryosuke , Nishihara Yasushi
Published: December 2018

A new class of an acceptor unit, vinylene-bridged 5,6-difluorobenzothiadiazole FBTzE, and three FBTzE-containing copolymers has been synthesized and characterized.