bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
SINGLE-PARTY INCUMBENCY ADVANTAGE IN VIETNAM: A CONJOINT SURVEY ANALYSIS OF PUBLIC ELECTORAL SUPPORT
Authors: Malesky Edmund , Schuler Paul
Published: February 2020

Why do voters in single-party regimes express support for the ruling party in such large numbers? Scholars offer three sets of explanations: 1) Support is manipulated by regime leaders or falsified by frightened voters; 2) Support is due to genuine popularity or “performance legitimacy”; 3) The incumbent party holds an extreme incumbency advantage due to voters’ certainty about their candidates’ policy positions or access to state resources. Despite the impressive theoretical development in this literature, these arguments have not been subjected to a research design capable of examining the relative importance of each of these factors. We use a unique survey experiment on nearly 42,000 Vietnamese citizens over three years that reduces the threat of preference falsification and allows us to isolate voter's true preferences as much as possible. While we find some evidence for all three explanations, we find substantial support for incumbency bias. An important subset of Vietnamese voters—those inclined to vote for non-party candidates—sincerely favor the party under conditions of uncertainty about the candidates’ policy stances or experience in the legislature.
A Family Matter Asymmetrical Metonymy and Regional LGBT Discourse in Italy
Authors: Fugazzola Caterina
Published: February 2020

In this project, I use the LGBT movement in Italy as a case study to investigate how social movements in culturally diverse social environments strategically employ contentious language to develop discourses that maximize cultural and policy outcomes without encountering discursive fragmentation. My research shows that supporters of LGBT civil rights in different Italian regions relied on a tactical use of particular words in order to respond to regionally specific norms of cultural expression regulating the boundaries drawn around the concept of family. Taking a cultural and linguistic approach to the study of social movements, I present the mechanism of asymmetrical metonymy as an example of the strategic use of polysemic language to achieve discursive convergence through culturally specific tactics, and I argue that discourse and rhetorical analysis offer a way to understand how movements make sense of different cultural limitations in a fragmented social environment.
Combined effect of n-3 fatty acids and phytosterol esters on alleviating hepatic steatosis in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease subjects: a double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial
Authors: Song Lihua , Zhao Xin Gang , Ouyang Peng Ling , Guan Qi , Yang Li , Peng Fengju , Du Huanwang , Yin Fei , Yan Wei , Yu Wen Juan , Yan Hongli
Published: February 2020

The aim of this study was to investigate the combined effect of n-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA, at an EPA:DHA ratio of 150:500) and phytosterol esters (PS) on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) patients. We conducted a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Ninety-six NAFLD subjects were randomly assigned to the following groups: the PS group (receiving 3·3 g/d PS); the FO group (receiving 450 mg EPA + 1500 mg DHA/d); the PS + FO combination group (receiving 3·3 g/d PS and 450 mg EPA + 1500 mg DHA/d) and the PO group (a placebo group). The baseline clinical characteristics of the four groups were similar. The primary outcome was liver:spleen attenuation ratio (L:S ratio). The percentage increase in liver–spleen attenuation (≤1) in the PS + FO group was 36 % (P = 0·083), higher than those in the other three groups (PS group, 11 %, P = 0·519; FO group, 18 %, P = 0·071; PO group, 15 %, P = 0·436). Compared with baseline, transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) was significantly decreased in the three study groups at the end of the trial (PS, P = 0·000; FO, P = 0·002; PS + FO, P = 0·001) and TNF-α was significantly decreased in the FO group (P = 0·036), PS + FO group (P = 0·005) and PO group (P = 0·032) at the end of the intervention. Notably, TGF-β was reduced significantly more in the PS + FO group than in the PO group (P = 0·032). The TAG and total cholesterol levels of the PS + FO group were reduced by 11·57 and 9·55 %, respectively. In conclusion, co-supplementation of PS and EPA + DHA could increase the effectiveness of treatment for hepatic steatosis.
Picturing Distance: Ed Ruscha's Los Angeles Photobooks
Authors: GARLAND SARAH
Published: February 2020

Ed Ruscha's photobooks create a deliberate type of low-key provocation the artist has referred to as a type of “Huh?” – a presentation of the American landscape in a book format that makes it very difficult to locate unambiguous cues for meaning or clear affect in the photographs. This essay lays out an extended reading of the notion of “distance” as uniting these photobooks in their physicality, in the ways in which the postwar industrial landscape of Los Angeles is presented to the viewer obliquely, and in the cooled manner of affect that was so influential for later artists.
Regional Growth and the Persistence of Regional Income Inequality in Argentina in the First Half of the Twentieth Century
Authors: Aráoz María Florencia , Nicolini Esteban A.
Published: February 2020

Southern and central regions of Argentina moved from being relatively poor in the sixteenth century to being the richest in the country today. Although there is some evidence of this reversal, the process of regional growth in Argentina in the first half of the twentieth century is, in the main, unknown. In this paper, we present an estimation of the GDPs of Argentina's 25 provinces in 1914: this is the first consistent estimation of this variable for any period before the 1950s. Our results confirm that in 1914 the city of Buenos Aires and some districts in Patagonia had the highest per capita GDP, and a comparison with the available data for 1953 shows strong persistence in incomes per capita in this period; sectoral analysis of provincial GDPs suggests that growth in the leading districts was driven by economies of agglomeration in some cases and land abundance in others.
Advance care planning and palliative care in ACHD: the healthcare providers’ perspective
Authors: Steiner Jill M. , Oechslin Erwin N. , Veldtman Gruschen , Broberg Craig S. , Stout Karen , Kirkpatrick James , Kovacs Adrienne H.
Published: February 2020

Background:

Advance care planning and palliative care are gaining recognition as critical care components for adults with CHD, yet these often do not occur. Study objectives were to evaluate ACHD providers’ 1) comfort managing patients’ physical symptoms and psychosocial needs and 2) perspectives on the decision/timing of advance care planning initiation and palliative care referral.

Methods:

Cross-sectional study of ACHD providers. Six hypothetical patients were described in case format, followed by questions regarding provider comfort managing symptoms, initiating advance care planning, and palliative care referral.

Results:

Fifty providers (72% physicians) completed surveys. Participants reported low levels of personal palliative care knowledge, without variation by gender, years in practice, or prior palliative care training. Providers appeared more comfortable managing physical symptoms and discussing prognosis than addressing psychosocial needs. Providers recognised advance directives as important, although the percentage who would initiate advance care planning ranged from 18 to 67% and referral to palliative care from 14 to 32%. Barriers and facilitators to discussing advance care planning with patients were identified. Over 20% indicated that advance care planning and end-of-life discussions are best initiated with the development of at least one life-threatening complication/hospitalisation.

Conclusions:

Providers noted high value in advance directives yet were themselves less likely to initiate advance care planning or refer to palliative care. This raises the critical questions of when, how, and by whom discussion of these important matters should be initiated and how best to support ACHD providers in these endeavours.
Meta-Regulation of Private Standards: The Role of Regional and International Organizations in Comparison with the WTO
Authors: Naiki Yoshiko
Published: February 2020

The rise and proliferation of private standards have been recognized in international trade law, and various concerns have been raised. Existing literature analyses how the World Trade Organization (WTO), particularly the SPS (Sanitary and Phytosanitary) Committee and the TBT (Technical Barriers to Trade) Committee, have responded (or cannot respond) to the proliferation of private standards. This paper goes one step further by focusing specifically on the meta-regulatory function performed by regional and international organizations other than the WTO. This paper sheds light on three types of governance techniques that can serve as meta-regulatory activities in relation to private standards by regional and international organizations: (1) governance by delegation; (2) governance by information; and (3) governance by soft law. This paper analyses features of these governance techniques and considers the relation between these governance techniques and the WTO's approach.
He Said, She Said: The Gender Double Bind in Legislator–Constituent Communication
Authors: Costa Mia
Published: February 2020

Citizens hold gender-specific stereotypes about women in political office, yet scholars disagree on whether these stereotypes lead to a “double bind” in which female legislators are held to higher standards than male legislators. Two survey experiments reveal how citizen evaluations of elite responsiveness to constituent mail are conditioned by gender and sexist attitudes. The findings suggest that a double bind does exist in legislator–constituent communication, even among people who have positive views of women. For instance, although the least sexist respondents favor communication from female legislators regardless of the quality of communication, they also punish women, but not men, for taking longer to respond to constituent mail. Male legislators are also more likely to be rewarded for being friendly as respondents’ sexism increases, but female legislators do not enjoy the same advantage, likely due to gender stereotypes and expectations regarding women's behavior.
The “Mnemonic Time-Travel Effect”
Authors: Mieth Laura , Bell Raoul , Buchner Axel
Published: February 2020

Abstract. This registered report aims at replicating the so-called “mnemonic time-travel” effect. Aksentijevic, Brandt, Tsakanikos, and Thorpe (2019) reported that memory was improved when their participants experienced backward motion before a memory test in comparison to when they experienced forward motion or no motion. This finding was interpreted as suggesting that backward motion brought individuals back to the moment of encoding. In the original study, the mnemonic time-travel effect was robustly found with various types of backward motion (real, simulated, and imagined). Such a spectacular finding calls for a preregistered replication. To determine the robustness of the effect, we performed a close replication of Experiment 4 of Aksentijevic et al. in which the mnemonic time-travel effect was most pronounced. Despite sufficient statistical power to detect an even considerably smaller effect than the one reported by Aksentijevic et al., we found no significant differences among the different motion conditions. The present results thus disconfirm the idea that experiencing backward motion improves memory which suggests that the empirical robustness of the mnemonic time travel effect should be further scrutinized before any conclusions about mnemonic space and time can be drawn.
A Dynamical‐Statistical Approach to Retrieve the Ocean Interior Structure From Surface Data: SQG‐mEOF‐R
Authors: Yan Hengqian , Wang Huizan , Zhang Ren , Chen Jian , Bao Senliang , Wang Gongjie
Published: February 2020

Combining the dynamical surface‐trapped mode derived from the Surface Quasi‐Geostrophic (SQG) function with the statistical mode calculated from multivariate empirical orthogonal function (EOF) reconstruction (mEOF‐R) method, this paper proposes a new method, SQG‐mEOF‐R, to estimate the interior density from the sea surface density and sea surface height. This method is applied to the eddy‐resolving Ocean General Circulation Model For the Earth simulator simulation and compared with the conventional SQG, isQG (interior plus SQG), and mEOF‐R methods. Two different dynamical regimes were considered: the NorthWest Pacific, dominated by surface‐intensified eddies, and the Southeast Pacific, characterized by the occurrence of subsurface‐intensified eddies. In both regions, the proposed method proves to be robust in reconstructing mesoscale features, with reduced root‐mean square error and relatively high correlation coefficient. The superiority of SQG‐mEOF‐R is highlighted in those subsurface‐intensified eddies that are little or nothing reconstructed by SQG or isQG method.
Transport and Water Age Dynamics in Soils: A Comparative Study of Spatially Integrated and Spatially Explicit Models
Authors: Asadollahi Mitra , Stumpp Christine , Rinaldo Andrea , Benettin Paolo
Published: February 2020

We address transport by transit times (i.e., the age of water parcels leaving a storage as discharge, deep loss, or evapotranspiration) in subvertical soil systems, key to our understanding of water quality in catchments and streams. While the use of field and lysimeter observations to constrain and validate modeling approaches is generally accepted, different views exist on the relative ranges of applicability of spatially integrated or spatially explicit approaches. This study specifically illustrates how one class of spatially integrated models of transport, based on StorAge Selection (SAS) functions, fares with respect to spatially explicit hydrologic models in a case where detailed tracer data from experimental lysimeters exist and for which both approaches are viable. Data from two lysimeters experiments that differ in atmospheric conditions, size of the installation, tracer type, soil texture, and vegetation are used to contrast results from two transport models: tran‐SAS (space implicit) and HYDRUS‐1D (space explicit). Results suggest that although the two lysimeters are characterized by different transit time distributions, their underlying transport mechanisms are similar and represented well by both models. The comparison between the two models results in robust estimates of the transport timescales and clearly shows that percolation fluxes at the bottom of a lysimeter tend to drain the relatively old components of the soil storage. We conclude that the convergence of the approaches in a geomorphologically simple and data‐rich problem supports extensive uses of the spatially integrated approach in cases where the scale of the problem, or subgrid parameterization needs, may limit the applicability of detailed modeling approaches.
Multiple Myeloma DREAM Challenge reveals epigenetic regulator PHF19 as marker of aggressive disease
Authors:   Multiple Myeloma DREAM Consortium, Mason Mike J. , Schinke Carolina , Eng Christine L. P. , Towfic Fadi , Gruber Fred , Dervan Andrew , White Brian S. , Pratapa Aditya , Guan Yuanfang , Chen Hongjie , Cui Yi , Li Bailiang , Yu Thomas , Chaibub Neto Elias , Mavrommatis Konstantinos , Ortiz Maria , Lyzogubov Valeriy , Bisht Kamlesh , Dai Hongyue Y. , Schmitz Frank , Flynt Erin , Dan Rozelle  , Danziger Samuel A. , Ratushny Alexander , Dalton William S. , Goldschmidt Hartmut , Avet-Loiseau Herve , Samur Mehmet , Hayete Boris , Sonneveld Pieter , Shain Kenneth H. , Munshi Nikhil , Auclair Daniel , Hose Dirk , Morgan Gareth , Trotter Matthew , Bassett Douglas , Goke Jonathan , Walker Brian A. , Thakurta Anjan , Guinney Justin
Published: February 2020

While the past decade has seen meaningful improvements in clinical outcomes for multiple myeloma patients, a subset of patients does not benefit from current therapeutics for unclear reasons. Many gene expression-based models of risk have been developed, but each model uses a different combination of genes and often involves assaying many genes making them difficult to implement. We organized the Multiple Myeloma DREAM Challenge, a crowdsourced effort to develop models of rapid progression in newly diagnosed myeloma patients and to benchmark these against previously published models. This effort lead to more robust predictors and found that incorporating specific demographic and clinical features improved gene expression-based models of high risk. Furthermore, post-challenge analysis identified a novel expression-based risk marker, PHF19, which has recently been found to have an important biological role in multiple myeloma. Lastly, we show that a simple four feature predictor composed of age, ISS, and expression of PHF19 and MMSET performs similarly to more complex models with many more gene expression features included.
Potential targeted therapy and diagnosis based on novel insight into growth factors, receptors, and downstream effectors in acute kidney injury and acute kidney injury-chronic kidney disease progression
Authors: Gao Li , Zhong Xiang , Jin Juan , Li Jun , Meng Xiao-ming
Published: February 2020

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is defined as a rapid decline in renal function and is characterized by excessive renal inflammation and programmed death of resident cells. AKI shows high morbidity and mortality, and severe or repeated AKI can transition to chronic kidney disease (CKD) or even end-stage renal disease (ESRD); however, very few effective and specific therapies are available, except for supportive treatment. Growth factors, such as epidermal growth factor (EGF), insulin-like growth factor (IGF), and transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), are significantly altered in AKI models and have been suggested to play critical roles in the repair process of AKI because of their roles in cell regeneration and renal repair. In recent years, a series of studies have shown evidence that growth factors, receptors, and downstream effectors may be highly involved in the mechanism of AKI and may function in the early stage of AKI in response to stimuli by regulating inflammation and programmed cell death. Moreover, certain growth factors or correlated proteins act as biomarkers for AKI due to their sensitivity and specificity. Furthermore, growth factors originating from mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) via paracrine signaling or extracellular vesicles recruit leukocytes or repair intrinsic cells and may participate in AKI repair or the AKI-CKD transition. In addition, growth factor-modified MSCs show superior therapeutic potential compared to that of unmodified controls. In this review, we summarized the current therapeutic and diagnostic strategies targeting growth factors to treat AKI in clinical trials. We also evaluated the possibilities of other growth factor-correlated molecules as therapeutic targets in the treatment of AKI and the AKI-CKD transition.
Silencing MYH9 blocks HBx-induced GSK3β ubiquitination and degradation to inhibit tumor stemness in hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Lin Xian , Li Ai-min , Li Yong-Hao , Luo Rong-Cheng , Zou Yu-Jiao , Liu Yi-Yi , Liu Chen , Xie Ying-Ying , Zuo Shi , Liu Zhan , Liu Zhen , Fang Wei-Yi
Published: February 2020

MYH9 has dual functions in tumors. However, its role in inducing tumor stemness in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is not yet determined. Here, we found that MYH9 is an effective promoter of tumor stemness that facilitates hepatocellular carcinoma pathogenesis. Importantly, targeting MYH9 remarkably improved the survival of hepatocellular carcinoma-bearing mice and promoted sorafenib sensitivity of hepatocellular carcinoma cells in vivo. Mechanistic analysis suggested that MYH9 interacted with GSK3β and reduced its protein expression by ubiquitin-mediated degradation, which therefore dysregulated the β-catenin destruction complex and induced the downstream tumor stemness phenotype, epithelial–mesenchymal transition, and c-Jun signaling in HCC. C-Jun transcriptionally stimulated MYH9 expression and formed an MYH9/GSK3β/β-catenin/c-Jun feedback loop. X protein is a hepatitis B virus (HBV)-encoded key oncogenic protein that promotes HCC pathogenesis. Interestingly, we observed that HBV X protein (HBX) interacted with MYH9 and induced its expression by modulating GSK3β/β-catenin/c-Jun signaling. Targeting MYH9 blocked HBX-induced GSK3β ubiquitination to activate the β-catenin destruction complex and suppressed cancer stemness and EMT. Based on TCGA database analysis, MYH9 was found to be elevated and conferred poor prognosis for hepatocellular carcinoma patients. In clinical samples, high MYH9 expression levels predicted poor prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma patients. These findings identify the suppression of MYH9 as an alternative approach for the effective eradication of CSC properties to inhibit cancer migration, invasion, growth, and sorafenib resistance in HCC patients. Our study demonstrated that MYH9 is a crucial therapeutic target in HCC.
Single-photon emission from single-electron transport in a SAW-driven lateral light-emitting diode
Authors: Hsiao Tzu-Kan , Rubino Antonio , Chung Yousun , Son Seok-Kyun , Hou Hangtian , Pedrós Jorge , Nasir Ateeq , Éthier-Majcher Gabriel , Stanley Megan J. , Phillips Richard T. , Mitchell Thomas A. , Griffiths Jonathan P. , Farrer Ian , Ritchie David A. , Ford Christopher J. B.
Published: February 2020

The long-distance quantum transfer between electron-spin qubits in semiconductors is important for realising large-scale quantum computing circuits. Electron-spin to photon-polarisation conversion is a promising technology for achieving free-space or fibre-coupled quantum transfer. In this work, using only regular lithography techniques on a conventional 15 nm GaAs quantum well, we demonstrate acoustically-driven generation of single photons from single electrons, without the need for a self-assembled quantum dot. In this device, a single electron is carried in a potential minimum of a surface acoustic wave (SAW) and is transported to a region of holes to form an exciton. The exciton then decays and creates a single optical photon within 100 ps. This SAW-driven electroluminescence, without optimisation, yields photon antibunching with g(2)(0) = 0.39 ± 0.05 in the single-electron limit (g(2)(0) = 0.63 ± 0.03 in the raw histogram). Our work marks the first step towards electron-to-photon (spin-to-polarisation) qubit conversion for scaleable quantum computing architectures.
Emergent electric field control of phase transformation in oxide superlattices
Authors: Yi Di , Wang Yujia , van ʼt Erve Olaf M. J. , Xu Liubin , Yuan Hongtao , Veit Michael J. , Balakrishnan Purnima P. , Choi Yongseong , N’Diaye Alpha T. , Shafer Padraic , Arenholz Elke , Grutter Alexander , Xu Haixuan , Yu Pu , Jonker Berend T. , Suzuki Yuri
Published: February 2020

Electric fields can transform materials with respect to their structure and properties, enabling various applications ranging from batteries to spintronics. Recently electrolytic gating, which can generate large electric fields and voltage-driven ion transfer, has been identified as a powerful means to achieve electric-field-controlled phase transformations. The class of transition metal oxides provide many potential candidates that present a strong response under electrolytic gating. However, very few show a reversible structural transformation at room-temperature. Here, we report the realization of a digitally synthesized transition metal oxide that shows a reversible, electric-field-controlled transformation between distinct crystalline phases at room-temperature. In superlattices comprised of alternating one-unit-cell of SrIrO3 and La0.2Sr0.8MnO3, we find a reversible phase transformation with a 7% lattice change and dramatic modulation in chemical, electronic, magnetic and optical properties, mediated by the reversible transfer of oxygen and hydrogen ions. Strikingly, this phase transformation is absent in the constituent oxides, solid solutions and larger period superlattices. Our findings open up this class of materials for voltage-controlled functionality.
Machine-learning-assisted insight into spin ice Dy2Ti2O7
Authors: Samarakoon Anjana M. , Barros Kipton , Li Ying Wai , Eisenbach Markus , Zhang Qiang , Ye Feng , Sharma V. , Dun Z. L. , Zhou Haidong , Grigera Santiago A. , Batista Cristian D. , Tennant D. Alan
Published: February 2020

Complex behavior poses challenges in extracting models from experiment. An example is spin liquid formation in frustrated magnets like Dy2Ti2O7. Understanding has been hindered by issues including disorder, glass formation, and interpretation of scattering data. Here, we use an automated capability to extract model Hamiltonians from data, and to identify different magnetic regimes. This involves training an autoencoder to learn a compressed representation of three-dimensional diffuse scattering, over a wide range of spin Hamiltonians. The autoencoder finds optimal matches according to scattering and heat capacity data and provides confidence intervals. Validation tests indicate that our optimal Hamiltonian accurately predicts temperature and field dependence of both magnetic structure and magnetization, as well as glass formation and irreversibility in Dy2Ti2O7. The autoencoder can also categorize different magnetic behaviors and eliminate background noise and artifacts in raw data. Our methodology is readily applicable to other materials and types of scattering problems.
Spin-rotation coupling observed in neutron interferometry
Authors: Danner Armin , Demirel Bülent , Kersten Wenzel , Lemmel Hartmut , Wagner Richard , Sponar Stephan , Hasegawa Yuji
Published: February 2020

Einstein’s theory of general relativity and quantum theory form the two major pillars of modern physics. However, certain inertial properties of a particle’s intrinsic spin are inconspicuous while the inertial properties of mass are well known. Here, by performing a neutron interferometric experiment, we observe phase shifts arising as a consequence of the spin’s coupling with the angular velocity of a rotating magnetic field. This coupling is a purely quantum mechanical extension of the Sagnac effect. The resulting phase shifts linearly depend on the frequency of the rotation of the magnetic field. Our results agree with the predictions derived from the Pauli–Schrödinger equation.
Peak neutralizing and cross-neutralizing antibody levels to human papillomavirus types 6/16/18/31/33/45/52/58 induced by bivalent and quadrivalent HPV vaccines
Authors: Mariz Filipe Colaço , Bender Noemi , Anantharaman Devasena , Basu Partha , Bhatla Neerja , Pillai Madhavan Radhakrisna , Prabhu Priya R. , Sankaranarayanan Rengaswamy , Eriksson Tiina , Pawlita Michael , Prager Kristina , Sehr Peter , Waterboer Tim , Müller Martin , Lehtinen Matti
Published: February 2020

We performed an independent comparison of neutralizing and cross-neutralizing antibody (ab) levels seven months after initiation of three-dose, six-month vaccination schedules with the bivalent and quadrivalent human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines in adolescent Finnish and Indian females, respectively. We used a semi-automated Pseudovirion-Based Neutralization Assay and observed significantly higher HPV16/18 peak ab-levels in bivalent as compared to quadrivalent vaccine recipients. Bivalent vaccine induced cross-neutralizing HPV31/33/45/52/58 antibodies significantly more frequently and to higher levels than the quadrivalent vaccine. The correlation of bivalent vaccine-induced HPV45 ab-levels with HPV16/18 ab-levels was stronger than that of corresponding quadrivalent vaccine-induced ab-levels, suggesting a qualitatively different cross-reactive response. Our findings on the comparison of the immunogenicity of two HPV vaccine tested in two different populations indicate that further head-to-head studies are warranted.
Active hydrodynamic imaging of a rigid spherical particle
Authors: Takagi Daisuke , Strickler J. Rudi
Published: February 2020

A body with mechanical sensors may remotely detect particles suspended in the surrounding fluid via controlled agitation. Here we propose a sensory mode that relies on generating unsteady flow and sensing particle-induced distortions in the flow field. We demonstrate the basic physical principle in a simple analytical model, which consists of a small spherical particle at some distance from a plate undergoing impulsive or oscillatory motion. The model shows that changes in pressure or shear on the plate can be used to infer the location and size of the sphere. The key ingredient is to produce strong shear or strain around the sphere, which requires careful tuning of the viscous boundary layer on the moving plate. This elucidates how some organisms and devices may control their unsteady dynamics to enhance their range of perception.
Extended-range statistical ENSO prediction through operator-theoretic techniques for nonlinear dynamics
Authors: Wang Xinyang , Slawinska Joanna , Giannakis Dimitrios
Published: February 2020

Forecasting the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) has been a subject of vigorous research due to the important role of the phenomenon in climate dynamics and its worldwide socioeconomic impacts. Over the past decades, numerous models for ENSO prediction have been developed, among which statistical models approximating ENSO evolution by linear dynamics have received significant attention owing to their simplicity and comparable forecast skill to first-principles models at short lead times. Yet, due to highly nonlinear and chaotic dynamics (particularly during ENSO initiation), such models have limited skill for longer-term forecasts beyond half a year. To resolve this limitation, here we employ a new nonparametric statistical approach based on analog forecasting, called kernel analog forecasting (KAF), which avoids assumptions on the underlying dynamics through the use of nonlinear kernel methods for machine learning and dimension reduction of high-dimensional datasets. Through a rigorous connection with Koopman operator theory for dynamical systems, KAF yields statistically optimal predictions of future ENSO states as conditional expectations, given noisy and potentially incomplete data at forecast initialization. Here, using industrial-era Indo-Pacific sea surface temperature (SST) as training data, the method is shown to successfully predict the Niño 3.4 index in a 1998–2017 verification period out to a 10-month lead, which corresponds to an increase of 3–8 months (depending on the decade) over a benchmark linear inverse model (LIM), while significantly improving upon the ENSO predictability “spring barrier”. In particular, KAF successfully predicts the historic 2015/16 El Niño at initialization times as early as June 2015, which is comparable to the skill of current dynamical models. An analysis of a 1300-yr control integration of a comprehensive climate model (CCSM4) further demonstrates that the enhanced predictability afforded by KAF holds over potentially much longer leads, extending to 24 months versus 18 months in the benchmark LIM. Probabilistic forecasts for the occurrence of El Niño/La Niña events are also performed and assessed via information-theoretic metrics, showing an improvement of skill over LIM approaches, thus opening an avenue for environmental risk assessment relevant in a variety of contexts.
Assessing Changes in Characteristics of Hot Extremes Over India in a Warming Environment and their Driving Mechanisms
Authors: Joshi Manish K. , Rai Archana , Kulkarni Ashwini , Kucharski Fred
Published: February 2020

Change in hot extremes is one of the accepted evidence and also a global indicator of an anthropogenic climate change, which has serious environmental and economic impacts. In the present study, the India Meteorological Department gridded temperature data is used to characterize hot extremes over India in terms of frequency and intensity. Results provide compelling evidence that large parts of India, except the Indo-Gangetic plains, have experienced more occurrences of hot days (upsurge by 24.7%) having higher temperatures in the recent period (1976–2018), compared to the past (1951–1975), which suggests a shift in climate. Strong positive geopotential height anomalies at 500 hPa over the northern parts of India, which dynamically produces subsidence and clear sky conditions along with reduced precipitable water and depleted soil moisture are identified to be the crucial factors responsible for an increase of hot extremes in recent decades. Furthermore, the preceding December-February Niño-3.4 sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies are strongly connected with hot days frequency and the mechanism for the lag of several months is related to 3–4 months delayed response of Indian Ocean SSTs to El Niño/Southern Oscillation. Thus, post-Niño hot extremes over India can be potentially anticipated in advance and this will help society to prepare for such extremes.
Short- and long-term impacts of variable hypoxia exposures on kelp forest sea urchins
Authors: Low Natalie H. N. , Micheli Fiorenza
Published: February 2020

Climate change is altering the intensity and variability of environmental stress that organisms and ecosystems experience, but effects of changing stress regimes are not well understood. We examined impacts of constant and variable sublethal hypoxia exposures on multiple biological processes in the sea urchin Strongylocentrotus purpuratus, a key grazer in California Current kelp forests, which experience high variability in physical conditions. We quantified metabolic rates, grazing, growth, calcification, spine regeneration, and gonad production under constant, 3-hour variable, and 6-hour variable exposures to sublethal hypoxia, and compared responses for each hypoxia regime to normoxic conditions. Sea urchins in constant hypoxia maintained baseline metabolic rates, but had lower grazing, gonad development, and calcification rates than those in ambient conditions. The sublethal impacts of variable hypoxia differed among biological processes. Spine regrowth was reduced under all hypoxia treatments, calcification rates under variable hypoxia were intermediate between normoxia and constant hypoxia, and gonad production correlated negatively with continuous time under hypoxia. Therefore, exposure variability can differentially modulate the impacts of sublethal hypoxia, and may impact sea urchin populations and ecosystems via reduced feeding and reproduction. Addressing realistic, multifaceted stressor exposures and multiple biological responses is crucial for understanding climate change impacts on species and ecosystems.
Intraocular Lens power calculation after laser refractive surgery: A Meta-Analysis
Authors: Chen Hui , Chen Xinyi , Wang Hanle , Fang Zhi , Yao Ke
Published: February 2020

There are an increasing number of people who have had refractive surgery now developing cataract. To compare the accuracy of different intraocular lens (IOL) power calculation formulas after laser refractive surgery (photorefractive keratectomy or laser in situ keratomileusis), a comprehensive literature search of PubMed and EMBASE was conducted to identify comparative cohort studies and case series comparing different formulas: Haigis-L, Shammas-PL, SRK/T, Holladay 1 and Hoffer Q. Seven cohort studies and three observational studies including 260 eyes were identified. There were significant differences when Hoffer Q formula compared with SRK/T, Holladay 1. Holladay 1 formula produced less prediction error than SRK/T formula in double-K method. Hoffer Q formula performed best among SRK/T and Holladay 1 formulas in total and single-K method. In eyes with previous data, it is recommended to choose double-K formula except SRK/T formula. In eyes with no previous data, Haigis-L formula is recommended if available, if the fourth formula is unavailable, single-k Hoffer Q is a good choice.
Little if any role of male gonadal androgens in ontogeny of sexual dimorphism in body size and cranial casque in chameleons
Authors: Bauerová Anna , Kratochvíl Lukáš , Kubička Lukáš
Published: February 2020

Proximate control of the development of sexual dimorphism is still hotly debated in reptiles. In some squamates, many male-typical exaggerated traits including body size were assumed to be controlled by masculinization by male gonadal androgens. We performed a manipulative experiment to test the importance of this mechanism in the development of pronounced sexual differences in body size and size of head casque in the chameleonChamaeleo calyptratus. Castrated males attained male-typical body size highly deviating from the body size of control females. Ontogenetic allometries of casque size on head length revealed that sexes depart considerably in casque growth later in the ontogeny; however, castrated males still follow male-typical casque growth. Paradoxically, exogenous testosterone led in females to slight increase of casque size, which might reflect interference with the feminizing effects of female gonadal hormones. The results in males strongly suggest that masculinization by male gonadal androgens during growth is not required for the development of sexual dimorphism in body size and casque size in the chameleon. The ontogeny of sexually dimorphic body size and exaggerated traits in at least some squamates is likely controlled by other proximate mechanism, possibly by feminization by ovarian hormones.
Identifying vital nodes in complex networks by adjacency information entropy
Authors: Xu Xiang , Zhu Cheng , Wang Qingyong , Zhu Xianqiang , Zhou Yun
Published: February 2020

Identifying the vital nodes in networks is of great significance for understanding the function of nodes and the nature of networks. Many centrality indices, such as betweenness centrality (BC), eccentricity centrality (EC), closeness centricity (CC), structural holes (SH), degree centrality (DC), PageRank (PR) and eigenvector centrality (VC), have been proposed to identify the influential nodes of networks. However, some of these indices have limited application scopes. EC and CC are generally only applicable to undirected networks, while PR and VC are generally used for directed networks. To design a more applicable centrality measure, two vital node identification algorithms based on node adjacency information entropy are proposed in this paper. To validate the effectiveness and applicability of the proposed algorithms, contrast experiments are conducted with the BC, EC, CC, SH, DC, PR and VC indices in different kinds of networks. The results show that the index in this paper has a high correlation with the local metric DC, and it also has a certain correlation with the PR and VC indices for directed networks. In addition, the experimental results indicate that our algorithms can effectively identify the vital nodes in different networks.
Interethnic differences in neuroimaging markers and cognition in Asians, a population-based study
Authors: Wong Louis Choon Kit , Wong Mark Yu Zheng , Tan Chuen Seng , Vrooman Henri , Venketasubramanian Narayanaswamy , Cheng Ching-Yu , Chen Christopher , Hilal Saima
Published: February 2020

We examined interethnic differences in the prevalence of neuroimaging markers of cerebrovascular and neurodegenerative disease in 3 major Asian ethnicities (Chinese, Malays, and Indians), as well as their role in cognitive impairment. 3T MRI brain scans were acquired from 792 subjects (mean age: 70.0 ± 6.5years, 52.1% women) in the multi-ethnic Epidemiology of Dementia In Singapore study. Markers of cerebrovascular disease and neurodegeneration were identified. Cognitive performance was evaluated using Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE), Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), and a neuropsychological assessment. Compared to Chinese, Malays had a higher burden of intracranial stenosis (OR: 2.28. 95%CI: 1.23–4.20) and cortical atrophy (β: −0.60. 95%CI: −0.78, −0.41), while Indians had a higher burden of subcortical atrophy (β: −0.23. 95%CI: −0.40, −0.06). Moreover, Malay and Indian ethnicities were likely to be cognitively impaired (OR for Malays: 3.79. 95%CI: 2.29–6.26; OR for Indians: 2.87. 95%CI: 1.74–4.74) and showed worse performance in global cognition (β for Malays: −0.51. 95%CI: −0.66, −0.37; and Indians: −0.32. 95%CI: −0.47, −0.17). A higher burden of cerebrovascular and neurodegenerative markers were found in Malays and Indians when compared to Chinese. Further research is required to fully elucidate the factors and pathways that contribute to these observed differences.
Microwave Irradiation Process for Al–Sc Alloy Production
Authors: Fujii Satoshi , Suzuki Eiichi , Inazu Naomi , Tsubaki Shuntaro , Fukushima Jun , Takizawa Hirotsugu , Wada Yuji
Published: February 2020

Scandium is being explored as an alloying element for aluminium alloys, which are gaining importance as high-performance lightweight structural alloys in the transportation industry. Sc-rich ScAlN thin films show strong piezoelectricity and can be fabricated on a hard substrate for use as wideband surface acoustic wave filters in next-generation wireless mobile communication systems. However, the use of ScAlN thin films in microelectromechanical system devices is limited by the high cost of metallic Sc, which is due to the difficulty in smelting of this material. Here, we propose a novel microwave irradiation process for producing Al-Sc alloys, with Mg ions as a reducing agent. Although scandium oxide is thermodynamically stable, intermetallic Al3Sc is obtained in high yield (69.8%) via a low-temperature (660 °C) reduction reaction under microwave irradiation. Optical spectroscopy results and thermodynamic considerations suggest a non-thermal equilibrium reaction with the univalent magnesium ions excited by microwave irradiation.
Author Correction: Regulatory Role of PlaR (YiaJ) for Plant Utilization in Escherichia coli K-12
Authors: Shimada Tomohiro , Yokoyama Yui , Anzai Takumi , Yamamoto Kaneyoshi , Ishihama Akira
Published: February 2020

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.
Real-time detection of neural oscillation bursts allows behaviourally relevant neurofeedback
Authors: Karvat Golan , Schneider Artur , Alyahyay Mansour , Steenbergen Florian , Tangermann Michael , Diester Ilka
Published: February 2020

Neural oscillations as important information carrier in the brain, are increasingly interpreted as transient bursts rather than as sustained oscillations. Short (<150 ms) bursts of beta-waves (15–30 Hz) have been documented in humans, monkeys and mice. These events were correlated with memory, movement and perception, and were even suggested as the primary ingredient of all beta-band activity. However, a method to measure these short-lived events in real-time and to investigate their impact on behaviour is missing. Here we present a real-time data analysis system, capable to detect short narrowband bursts, and demonstrate its usefulness to increase the beta-band burst-rate in rats. This neurofeedback training induced changes in overall oscillatory power, and bursts could be decoded from the movement of the rats, thus enabling future investigation of the role of oscillatory bursts.
Few-nm tracking of current-driven magnetic vortex orbits using ultrafast Lorentz microscopy
Authors: Möller Marcel , Gaida John H. , Schäfer Sascha , Ropers Claus
Published: February 2020

Transmission electron microscopy is one of the most powerful techniques to characterize nanoscale magnetic structures. In light of the importance of fast control schemes of magnetic states, time-resolved microscopy techniques are highly sought after in fundamental and applied research. Here, we implement time-resolved Lorentz imaging in combination with synchronous radio-frequency excitation using an ultrafast transmission electron microscope. As a model system, we examine the current-driven gyration of a vortex core in a 2 μm-sized magnetic nanoisland. We record the trajectory of the vortex core for continuous-wave excitation, achieving a localization precision of  ±2 nm with few-minute integration times. Furthermore, by tracking the core position after rapidly switching off the current, we find a transient increase of the free oscillation frequency and the orbital decay rate, both attributed to local disorder in the vortex potential.
1,3-Carboboration of iodonium ylides
Authors: Gazis Theodore A. , Mohajeri Thaker Bayan A. J. , Willcox Darren , Ould Darren M. C. , Wenz Jan , Rawson Jeremy M. , Hill Michael S. , Wirth Thomas , Melen Rebecca L.
Published: February 2020

Herein, we disclose the utilisation of iodonium ylides to access a range of boron dienolates.
Expedient iron-catalyzed stereospecific synthesis of triazinesviacycloaddition of aziridines with diaziridines
Authors: Sarkar Tanumay , Talukdar Kangkan , Roy Subhasish , Punniyamurthy Tharmalingam
Published: February 2020

An iron(iii)-catalyzed [3+3]-annulation of bicyclic diaziridines andN-alkyl aziridines is developed for the synthesis of functionalized [1,2,4]-triazines. Ample substrate scope, functional group diversity, synthetic applications and enantiospecificity are the important practical features.
Microscopic characteristics of Janus nanoparticles prepared via a grafting-from reaction at the immiscible liquid interface
Authors: Li Bing-Yu , Zhao Li , Lu Zhong-Yuan
Published: February 2020

The interfacial tension, initial monomer concentration, and reaction probability can greatly influence the microscopic characteristics of the Janus nanoparticle (JNP) structure. The asymmetric initial monomer concentration in solution and the reaction probability can be used to control the syntheses of asymmetric JNPs.
Probing into the effect of heterojunctions between Cu/Mo2C/Mo2N on HER performance
Authors: Kumar Rajinder , Ahmed Zubair , Kaur Harwinder , Bera Chandan , Bagchi Vivek
Published: February 2020

Hydrogen is one of the cleanest forms of energy and can solve several issues, including environmental pollution and depletion of fossil fuels.
In situone-step synthesis of polymer-functionalized palladium nanoparticles: an efficient anticancer agent against breast cancer
Authors: Ramalingam Vaikundamoorthy , Raja Sakthivel , Harshavardhan Mohan
Published: February 2020

The PVP functionalized palladium nanoparticles induce apoptosis through caspase-mediated signaling pathway in human breast cancer and act as an effective anticancer agent for better treatment.
Ultra-high energy density supercapacitors based on metal–organic framework derived yolk–shell Cu–Co–P hollow nanospheres and CuFeS2 nanosheet arrays
Authors: Mohammadi Zardkhoshoui Akbar , Hosseiny Davarani Saied Saeed
Published: February 2020

A facile method is introduced to synthesise yolk-shell Cu–Co–P hollow nanospheres as a promising positive electrode and CuFeS2 nanosheet arrays as a new negative electrode to enhance the energy density of asymmetric devices.
Balancing water quality and flows in combined sewer systems using real-time control
Authors: Troutman Sara C. , Love Nancy G. , Kerkez Branko
Published: February 2020

An open-source control algorithm for combined sewers demonstrates how treatment plant benefits can be balanced with operation of the collection system.
Influence of Ga2O3, CuGa2O4 and Cu4O3 phases on the sodium-ion storage behaviour of CuO and its gallium composites
Authors: Pilliadugula Rekha , Nithya Chandrasekaran , Gopala Krishnan N.
Published: February 2020

CuO and its gallium composites with various compositions are successfully fabricated by using a hydrothermal technique followed by calcination at 900 °C.
The first examples of triply bonded dirhenium(II,II) complexes that contain bis(diphenylphosphino)methane and dithiocarbamato ligands: spectroscopic, structural, cytotoxicity and computational studies
Authors: Mandal Suman , Mallick Suman , Garu Purnananda , Chowdhury Jagannath , Samadder Asmita , Das Jayeeta , Khuda-Bukhsh Anisur Rahman , Chattopadhyay Swarup
Published: February 2020

The synthesis, structure and properties of the hitherto unreported triply bonded dirhenium(II,II) dithiocarbamato complexes have been reported.