bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dairy Products Intake and Endometrial Cancer Risk: A Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies
Authors: Li Xiaofan , Zhao Jing , Li Peiqin , Gao Ying
Published: December 2017

Observational studies have suggested inconsistent findings on the relationship between dairy products intake and endometrial cancer risk. This study aimed to conduct a meta-analysis to evaluate this correlation; moreover, databases including PubMed, ISI Web of Science, and Embase were screened for relevant studies up to 26 February 2017. The inverse variance weighting method and random effects models were used to calculate the overall OR (odds ratio) values and 95% confidence interval (CI). A total of 2 cohort study and 16 case-control studies were included in the current analysis. No significant association was observed between endometrial cancer risk and the intake of total dairy products, milk, or cheese for the highest versus the lowest exposure category (total dairy products (14 studies): OR 1.04, 95% CI: 0.97–1.11, I2 = 73%, p = 0.000; milk (6 studies): 0.99, 95% CI: 0.89–1.10, I2 = 0.0%, p = 0.43; cheese (5 studies): 0.89, 95% CI: 0.76–1.05, I2 = 39%, p = 0.16). The only cohort study with a total of 456,513 participants reported a positive association of butter intake with endometrial cancer risk (OR = 1.14; 95% CI = 1.03–1.26, I2 = 2.6%, p = 0.31). There was a significant negative association of dairy products intake and endometrial cancer risk among women with a higher body mass index (BMI) (5 studies, OR 0.66, 95% CI = 0.46–0.96, I2 = 75.8%, p = 0.002). Stratifying the analyses by risk factors including BMI should be taken into account when exploring the association of dairy products intake with endometrial cancer risk. Further well-designed studies are needed.
Micellization Thermodynamics of Pluronic P123 (EO20PO70EO20) Amphiphilic Block Copolymer in Aqueous Ethylammonium Nitrate (EAN) Solutions
Authors: He Zhiqi , Alexandridis Paschalis
Published: December 2017

Poly(ethylene oxide)-poly(propylene oxide)-poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO-PPO-PEO) block copolymers (commercially available as Pluronics or Poloxamers) can self-assemble into various nanostructures in water and its mixtures with polar organic solvents. Ethylammonium nitrate (EAN) is a well-known protic ionic liquid that is expected to affect amphiphile self-assembly due to its ionic nature and hydrogen bonding ability. By proper design of isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) experiments, we determined the enthalpy and other thermodynamic parameters of Pluronic P123 (EO20PO70EO20) micellization in aqueous solution at varied EAN concentration. Addition of EAN promoted micellization in a manner similar to increasing temperature, e.g., the addition of 1.75 M EAN lowered the critical micelle concentration (CMC) to the same extent as a temperature increase from 20 to 24 °C. The presence of EAN disrupts the water solvation around the PEO-PPO-PEO molecules through electrostatic interactions and hydrogen bonding, which dehydrate PEO and promote micellization. At EAN concentrations lower than 1 M, the PEO-PPO-PEO micellization enthalpy and entropy increase with EAN concentration, while both decrease above 1 M EAN. Such a change can be attributed to the formation by EAN of semi-ordered nano-domains with water at higher EAN concentrations. Pyrene fluorescence suggests that the polarity of the mixed solvent decreased linearly with EAN addition, whereas the polarity of the micelle core remained unaltered. This work contributes to assessing intermolecular interactions in ionic liquid + polymer solutions, which are relevant to a number of applications, e.g., drug delivery, membrane separations, polymer electrolytes, biomass processing and nanomaterial synthesis.
TheoArtistry, and a Contemporary Perspective on Composing Sacred Choral Music
Authors: Corbett George
Published: December 2017

This article presents the methodology and research underpinning the TheoArtistry Composers’ Scheme, a project based in ITIA (the Institute for Theology, Imagination and the Arts), School of Divinity, University of St Andrews (2016–2017). I analyse Sir James MacMillan’s theology of music, outline some practical and theoretical issues that arose in setting up theologian-composer partnerships, and reflect critically on the six new works of sacred choral music that emerged (these are printed as supplementary materials). The article assesses the implications of such collaboration for future work at the interface between theology and music, and between theology and the arts more generally.
Advances and Pitfalls in the Capillary Electrophoresis Analysis of Aggregates of Beta Amyloid Peptides
Authors: Denoroy Luc , Parrot Sandrine
Published: December 2017

Alzheimer’s disease is characterized by the accumulation of brain amyloid plaques composed of aggregates of amyloid β (Aβ) peptides. The present paper describes a novel and easy-to-run capillary electrophoresis with laser-induced fluorescence detection (CE-LIF) method for the specific analysis of fibrillar forms of Aβ aggregates obtained after in vitro incubation of Aβ 1-40 monomer. For that purpose, an affinity CE-LIF approach in which the ligand thioflavine T was added to the running buffer has been used, leading to the separation and detection of various fibrillar aggregates which migrated as spikes. The procedure has been optimized to get spikes only corresponding to Aβ aggregates, through the careful elimination of interfering factors and the electrophoretic validation of the link between spikes and particulate material. This method exhibited semi-quantification capabilities, led to the separation of Aβ fibrillar aggregates of different sizes and showed that highly concentrated solutions of Aβ peptides led to the formation of aggregates of larger size than lower-concentrated solution did. Advances brought by this method as well as future development needed to overcome its present limitations are discussed.
Effects of Building Design Elements on Residential Thermal Environment
Authors: Yang Yingbao , Zhang Xize , Lu Xi , Hu Jia , Pan Xin , Zhu Qin , Su Weizhong
Published: December 2017

Residential thermal environment affects the life of residents in terms of their physical and mental health. Many studies have shown that building design elements affect the urban thermal environment. In this study, Nanjing City was used as the study area. A three-dimensional microclimate model was used to simulate and analyze the effects of four main factors, namely, building height, density, layout and green ratio, on thermal environment in residential areas. Results showed that 25% building density obtained a low average air temperature (ATa) and average predicted mean vote (APMV) during 24 h. Thus, a higher building height indicates a lower ATa and APMV and better outdoor comfort level. In addition, peripheral layout had the lowest ATa and APMV, followed by the determinant and point group layouts. The green ratio increased from 0% to 50% with a 10% step and the ATa and APMV decreased gradually. However, when the green ratio increased from 30% to 40%, ATa and APMV decreased most. The effects of building height, density and green ratio on the thermal environment in residential areas were interactive. The effects of building density, green ratio and layout on hourly air temperature and hourly predicted mean vote in daytime varied from these indicators during night time. How the four building design elements interact with thermal environment were probed from two aspects of air temperature and thermal comfort based on the validated ENVI-met, which is the element of novelty in this study. However, thermal comfort has rarely been considered in the past studies about urban outdoor thermal environment.
A Transformative Turn towards Sustainability in the Context of Urban-Related Studies? A Systematic Review from 1957 to 2016
Authors: Koch Florian , Kabisch Sigrun , Krellenberg Kerstin
Published: December 2017

This article evaluates if the increasing use of the term “urban transformations” in academic research and the widely acknowledged importance of cities in sustainability transformations has led to a transformative turn towards sustainability and Global Environmental Change (GEC) in urban-related studies. This is done through a systematic review of the scientific literature on urban transformations for the last six decades. This way, the multiplicity of uses of the term urban transformations is identified and a contextualization of the urban transformations to sustainability-debate within the wider sphere of urban-related studies is achieved. Our findings show that until now the term is very heterogeneously used in the scientific literature and that the number of articles referring to urban transformations to sustainability has significantly increased during the last five years. While first steps towards a transformative turn can be identified, empirical cases of successful urban transformations towards sustainability hardly appear in the articles. A gap between the theoretical concept and the empirical cases of urban transformations is clearly visible, which also has implications for future research on urban sustainability.
Research and Development Strategy for Fishery Technology Innovation for Sustainable Fishery Resource Management in North-East Asia
Authors: Fujii Hidemichi , Sakakura Yoshitaka , Hagiwara Atsushi , Bostock John , Soyano Kiyoshi , Matsushita Yoshiki
Published: December 2017

The development of fishery technologies supports food sustainability to achieve a steady supply of fish and fishery products. However, the priorities for research and development (R&D) in fishery technologies vary by region due to differences in fish resource availability, environmental concerns, and consumer preferences for fishery products. This study examines trends in fishery technology innovations using data on patents granted as an indicator of changing R&D priorities. To clarify changes in R&D priorities, we apply a decomposition analysis framework that classifies fishery technologies into three types: harvesting, aquaculture, and new products. This study mainly focuses on China, Japan, and Korea as the major fishing countries in the north-east Asia region. The results show that the number of fishery technology patents granted increased between 1993 and 2015; in particular, the number of aquaculture patents granted has grown rapidly since 2012. However, the trend in Japan was the opposite, as the apparent priority given to aquaculture technology innovation decreased between 1993 and 2015. The trends and priority changes for fishery technology inventions vary by country and technology group. This implies that an international policy framework for fishery technology development should recognize that R&D priorities need to reflect diverse characteristics across countries and the technologies employed.
Developing and Assessing Alternative Land-Use Scenarios from the MOLAND Model: A Scenario-Based Impact Analysis Approach for the Evaluation of Rapid Rail Provisions and Urban Development in the Greater Dublin Region
Authors: Ustaoglu Eda , Williams Brendan , Petrov Laura , Shahumyan Harutyun , Van Delden Hedwig
Published: December 2017

In this study, environmental sustainability implications of planned rail infrastructure investments on the urban form and development in the Greater Dublin Region (GDR) have been analysed incorporating the scenario analysis approach. Various scenarios are developed using the MOLAND Model applications including: A baseline scenario incorporating a continuation of the present dispersed pattern of urban development and an alternative scenario with rail-oriented corridor development, under varying conditions of economic growth. An alternative scenario was also developed for the recessionary development case considering the prolonged recession in the GDR. Further explorations incorporating a Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA) approach are developed to evaluate the sustainability implications of different land development scenarios in the Dublin Region. This is assisted by focussing on the impacts of rail investments on urban form and development as raised in the international comparative literature. The findings from the CBA assessment positively indicate that containment policies-as represented by the public transport oriented development indicate benefits over the dispersed development case by reducing the negative consequences of sprawl type of developments. In contrast, dispersed development in the baseline scenario indicates costs of continuation of such development patterns exceed the benefits in the long term. This study will contribute to policy support evaluation measures relating to the integration of scenario analysis tool with the CBA approach in assisting the evaluation of new transport infrastructure proposals.
Spatial-Temporal Dynamics of the Economic Efficiency of Construction Land in the Pearl River Delta Megalopolis from 1998 to 2012
Authors: Ye Yuyao , Li Shengfa , Zhang Hongou , Su Yongxian , Wu Qitao , Wang Changjian
Published: December 2017

Since the 1980s, the rapid, extensive, and dispersed urban expansion in the Pearl River Delta megalopolis (PRDM) has led to landscape fragmentation and the inefficient use of construction land. Like other developed regions in China that are subject to the dual challenges of shortages of construction land and deterioration of the ecological environment, it is becoming increasingly important in the PRDM to improve the land-use efficiency of urban construction. However, current methods for assessing land-use efficiency do not meet the emerging needs of land-use planning and policymaking. Therefore, using the American Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP)/Operational Linescan System (OLS) nighttime light imagery and Landsat TM data, this study aims to develop a timely and efficient approach to model the high-resolution economic efficiency of construction land (EECL). With this approach, we mapped the reliable EECL of the PRDM at township level and with a one-kilometer grid. Next, the study compared the temporal changes and revealed the spatial-temporal dynamics in order to provide a scientific reference for informed land-use planning and policymaking. The results show that since 1998, the economic efficiency of construction land in the PRDM increased in general but varied significantly throughout the area. Further, these disparities widened from 1998 to 2012 between the PRDM’s inner and peripheral circles. Only one-fifth of the towns and subdistricts were categorized as fast-growth or ultrafast-growth, with the majority located in the most developed areas of the PRDM’s inner circle. In order to improve the efficiency of construction land in the PRDM and realize sustainable development, differentiated land-use policies for the inner and peripheral circles were proposed. The inner circle should focus on promoting the efficiency of existing construction land and encourage urban renewal, while the peripheral circle should enhance the control of new construction land and improve its efficiency.
Solar Heat Gain Reduction of Ventilated Double Skin Windows without a Shading Device
Authors: Koo Bokyoung , Lee Keonho , An Youngsub , Lee Kyudong
Published: December 2017

With global efforts to strengthen various energy-saving policies for buildings to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, in South Korea, new laws and regulations have been in force since May 2015 to install shading devices in public buildings and to include the solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC) reduction performance of shading devices in the evaluation of building performance. By making a ventilated air layer outer glass and inner glass to lower the temperatures of the air layer and glass surface, it is possible to reduce the amount of heat flowing into the building while maintaining the same level of light transmission as plain window systems. This study proposes a double-skin façade window with a 20 mm ventilated air cavity, and assumes that insolation inflow indoors would be reduced through ventilation in the air cavity. The artificial solar lab test results show that the SHGC can be lowered through ventilation by 28% to 52.9%. Additionally, in an outdoor test cell experiment, the results show that the mean temperature was 0.6 K and the peak temperature was 0.9 K lower with ventilation in the air cavity than that without ventilation in the air cavity.
Spatial–Temporal Patterns and Driving Forces of Ecological-Living-Production Land in Hubei Province, Central China
Authors: Cai Enxiang , Jing Ying , Liu Yaolin , Yin Chaohui , Gao Yuan , Wei Junqing
Published: December 2017

Ecological-living-production land (ELPL) is gaining an increasing attention of governors, planners and scholars to alleviate ecological deterioration on the premise of ensuring regional sustainable development in China. This paper has built an ecological-living-production land classification system (ELCS) by the reclassification method, and further analyzed the spatio-temporal characteristics and evolution mechanism of ELPL from 2009 to 2014 with a case study of Hubei Province of Central China. The results show that (1) land with an ecological function held a dominant role in Hubei Province. Ecological land (EL) and production-eco land (PEL) covered the largest areas. The area of EL was the largest in Western Hubei Eco-cultural Tourism Circle (WHETC), and the area of PEL accounted for the largest proportion in Wuhan Urban Circle (WUC). (2) Land with an ecological function was decreasing continuously, while the land with living function expanded rapidly. Additionally, the intensity of ELPL changes in the WUC was higher than that in the WHETC. (3) The changes of ELPL threatened the food and ecological security and adversely affected the sustainable development. The factors of population growth and GDP increase were the main driving forces of ELPL change. The results of this study provide valuable information for planning decision makings (e.g., the ELPL spatial pattern optimization).
General k-Dimensional Solvable Systems of Difference Equations
Authors: Stević Stevo
Published: December 2017

The solvability of a k-dimensional system of difference equations of interest, which extends several recently studied ones, is investigated. A general sufficient condition for the solvability of the system is given, considerably extending some recent results in the literature.
Supersymmetric Higher Spin Models in Three Dimensional Spaces
Authors: Buchbinder Ioseph , Snegirev Timofey , Zinoviev Yurii
Published: December 2017

We review the component Lagrangian construction of the supersymmetric higher spin models in three-dimensional (3D) Minkowski and anti de Sitter ( A d S ) spaces. The approach is based on the frame-like gauge-invariant formulation, where massive higher spin fields are realized through a system of massless ones. We develop a supersymmetric generalization of this formulation to the Lagrangian construction of the on-shell N = 1 , 3D higher spin supermultiplets. In 3D Minkowski space, we show that the massive supermultiplets can be constructed from one extended massless supermultiplet by adding the mass terms to the Lagrangian and the corresponding corrections to the supertransformations of the fermionic fields. In 3D A d S space, we construct massive supermultiplets using a formulation of the massive fields in terms of the set of gauge-invariant objects (curvatures) in the process of their consistent supersymmetric deformation.
Ultrasound Guidance for Botulinum Neurotoxin Chemodenervation Procedures
Authors: Alter Katharine , Karp Barbara
Published: December 2017

Injections of botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs) are prescribed by clinicians for a variety of disorders that cause over-activity of muscles; glands; pain and other structures. Accurately targeting the structure for injection is one of the principle goals when performing BoNTs procedures. Traditionally; injections have been guided by anatomic landmarks; palpation; range of motion; electromyography or electrical stimulation. Ultrasound (US) based imaging based guidance overcomes some of the limitations of traditional techniques. US and/or US combined with traditional guidance techniques is utilized and or recommended by many expert clinicians; authors and in practice guidelines by professional academies. This article reviews the advantages and disadvantages of available guidance techniques including US as well as technical aspects of US guidance and a focused literature review related to US guidance for chemodenervation procedures including BoNTs injection.
Impact of the Oral Adsorbent AST-120 on Organ-Specific Accumulation of Uremic Toxins: LC-MS/MS and MS Imaging Techniques
Authors: Sato Emiko , Saigusa Daisuke , Mishima Eikan , Uchida Taeko , Miura Daisuke , Morikawa-Ichinose Tomomi , Kisu Kiyomi , Sekimoto Akiyo , Saito Ritsumi , Oe Yuji , Matsumoto Yotaro , Tomioka Yoshihisa , Mori Takefumi , Takahashi Nobuyuki , Sato Hiroshi , Abe Takaaki , Niwa Toshimitsu , Ito Sadayoshi
Published: December 2017

Elevated circulating uremic toxins are associated with a variety of symptoms and organ dysfunction observed in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Indoxyl sulfate (IS) and p-cresyl sulfate (PCS) are representative uremic toxins that exert various harmful effects. We recently showed that IS induces metabolic alteration in skeletal muscle and causes sarcopenia in mice. However, whether organ-specific accumulation of IS and PCS is associated with tissue dysfunction is still unclear. We investigated the accumulation of IS and PCS using liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry in various tissues from mice with adenine-induced CKD. IS and PCS accumulated in all 15 organs analyzed, including kidney, skeletal muscle, and brain. We also visualized the tissue accumulation of IS and PCS with immunohistochemistry and mass spectrometry imaging techniques. The oral adsorbent AST-120 prevented some tissue accumulation of IS and PCS. In skeletal muscle, reduced accumulation following AST-120 treatment resulted in the amelioration of renal failure-associated muscle atrophy. We conclude that uremic toxins can accumulate in various organs and that AST-120 may be useful in treating or preventing organ dysfunction in CKD, possibly by reducing tissue accumulation of uremic toxins.
Quinone-catalyzed oxidative deformylation: synthesis of imines from amino alcohols
Authors: Liu Xinyun , Phan Johnny H , Haugeberg Benjamin J , Londhe Shrikant S , Clift Michael D
Published: December 2017

A new method for imine synthesis by way of quinone-catalyzed oxidative deformylation of 1,2-amino alcohols is reported. A wide range of readily accessible amino alcohols and primary amines can be reacted to provide N-protected imine products. The methodology presented provides a novel organocatalytic approach for imine synthesis and demonstrates the synthetic versatility of quinone-catalyzed oxidative C–C bond cleavage.
Dynamical Origin and Terrestrial Impact Flux of Large Near-Earth Asteroids
Authors: Nesvorný David , Roig Fernando
Published: December 2017

Dynamical models of the asteroid delivery from the main belt suggest that the current impact flux of diameter

km asteroids on the Earth is ≃0.5–1 Gyr−1. Studies of the Near-Earth Asteroid (NEA) population find a much higher flux, with

km asteroid impacts per Gyr. Here we show that this problem is rooted in the application of impact probability of small NEAs (≃1.5 Gyr−1 per object), whose population is well characterized, to large NEAs. In reality, large NEAs evolve from the main belt by different escape routes, have a different orbital distribution, and lower impact probabilities (0.8 ± 0.3 Gyr−1 per object) than small NEAs. In addition, we find that the current population of two

km NEAs (Ganymed and Eros) is a slight fluctuation over the long-term average of

km NEAs in a steady state. These results have important implications for our understanding of the occurrence of the K/T-scale impacts on the terrestrial worlds.
Variability Properties of Four Million Sources in the TESS Input Catalog Observed with the Kilodegree Extremely Little Telescope Survey
Authors: Oelkers Ryan J. , Rodriguez Joseph E. , Stassun Keivan G. , Pepper Joshua , Somers Garrett , Kafka Stella , Stevens Daniel J. , Beatty Thomas G. , Siverd Robert J. , Lund Michael B. , Kuhn Rudolf B. , James David , Gaudi B. Scott
Published: December 2017

The Kilodegree Extremely Little Telescope (KELT) has been surveying more than 70% of the celestial sphere for nearly a decade. While the primary science goal of the survey is the discovery of transiting, large-radii planets around bright host stars, the survey has collected more than 106 images, with a typical cadence between 10–30 minutes, for more than four million sources with apparent visual magnitudes in the approximate range

. Here, we provide a catalog of 52,741 objects showing significant large-amplitude fluctuations likely caused by stellar variability, as well as 62,229 objects identified with likely stellar rotation periods. The detected variability ranges in rms-amplitude from ∼3 mmag to ∼2.3 mag, and the detected periods range from ∼0.1 to ≳2000 days. We provide variability upper limits for all other ∼4,000,000 sources. These upper limits are principally a function of stellar brightness, but we achieve typical 1σ sensitivity on 30 min timescales down to ∼5 mmag at

, and down to ∼43 mmag at

. We have matched our catalog to the TESS Input catalog and the AAVSO Variable Star Index to precipitate the follow-up and classification of each source. The catalog is maintained as a living database on the Filtergraph visualization portal at the URL https://filtergraph.com/kelt_vars.
The Rotation of M Dwarfs Observed by the Apache Point Galactic Evolution Experiment
Authors: Gilhool Steven H. , Blake Cullen H. , Terrien Ryan C. , Bender Chad , Mahadevan Suvrath , Deshpande Rohit
Published: December 2017

We present the results of a spectroscopic analysis of rotational velocities in 714 M-dwarf stars observed by the SDSS-III Apache Point Galactic Evolution Experiment (APOGEE) survey. We use a template-fitting technique to estimate

while simultaneously estimating

,

, and

. We conservatively estimate that our detection limit is 8 km s−1. We compare our results to M-dwarf rotation studies in the literature based on both spectroscopic and photometric measurements. Like other authors, we find an increase in the fraction of rapid rotators with decreasing stellar temperature, exemplified by a sharp increase in rotation near the M4 transition to fully convective stellar interiors, which is consistent with the hypothesis that fully convective stars are unable to shed angular momentum as efficiently as those with radiative cores. We compare a sample of targets observed both by APOGEE and the MEarth transiting planet survey and find no cases where the measured

 and rotation period are physically inconsistent, requiring

. We compare our spectroscopic results to the fraction of rotators inferred from photometric surveys and find that while the results are broadly consistent, the photometric surveys exhibit a smaller fraction of rotators beyond the M4 transition by a factor of ∼2. We discuss possible reasons for this discrepancy. Given our detection limit, our results are consistent with a bimodal distribution in rotation that is seen in photometric surveys.
Forward Global Photometric Calibration of the Dark Energy Survey
Authors: Burke D. L. , Rykoff E. S. , Allam S. , Annis J. , Bechtol K. , Bernstein G. M. , Drlica-Wagner A. , Finley D. A. , Gruendl R. A. , James D. J. , Kent S. , Kessler R. , Kuhlmann S. , Lasker J. , Li T. S. , Scolnic D. , Smith J. , Tucker D. L. , Wester W. , Yanny B. , Abbott T. M. C. , Abdalla F. B. , Benoit-Lévy A. , Bertin E. , Rosell A. Carnero , Kind M. Carrasco , Carretero J. , Cunha C. E. , D’Andrea C. B. , da Costa L. N. , Desai S. , Diehl H. T. , Doel P. , Estrada J. , García-Bellido J. , Gruen D. , Gutierrez G. , Honscheid K. , Kuehn K. , Kuropatkin N. , Maia M. A. G. , March M. , Marshall J. L. , Melchior P. , Menanteau F. , Miquel R. , Plazas A. A. , Sako M. , Sanchez E. , Scarpine V. , Schindler R. , Sevilla-Noarbe I. , Smith M. , Smith R. C. , Soares-Santos M. , Sobreira F. , Suchyta E. , Tarle G. , Walker A. R. ,   (DES Collaboration)
Published: December 2017

Many scientific goals for the Dark Energy Survey (DES) require the calibration of optical/NIR broadband b = grizY photometry that is stable in time and uniform over the celestial sky to one percent or better. It is also necessary to limit to similar accuracy systematic uncertainty in the calibrated broadband magnitudes due to uncertainty in the spectrum of the source. Here we present a “Forward Global Calibration Method (FGCM)” for photometric calibration of the DES, and we present results of its application to the first three years of the survey (Y3A1). The FGCM combines data taken with auxiliary instrumentation at the observatory with data from the broadband survey imaging itself and models of the instrument and atmosphere to estimate the spatial and time dependences of the passbands of individual DES survey exposures. “Standard” passbands that are typical of the passbands encountered during the survey are chosen. The passband of any individual observation is combined with an estimate of the source spectral shape to yield a magnitude

in the standard system. This “chromatic correction” to the standard system is necessary to achieve subpercent calibrations and in particular, to resolve ambiguity between the broadband brightness of a source and the shape of its SED. The FGCM achieves a reproducible and stable photometric calibration of standard magnitudes

of stellar sources over the multiyear Y3A1 data sample with residual random calibration errors of

per exposure. The accuracy of the calibration is uniform across the

DES footprint to within

. The systematic uncertainties of magnitudes in the standard system due to the spectra of sources are less than

for main-sequence stars with

.
The VLA Nascent Disk And Multiplicity Survey of Perseus Protostars (VANDAM). III. Extended Radio Emission from Protostars in Perseus
Authors: Tychoniec Łukasz , Tobin John J. , Karska Agata , Chandler Claire , Dunham Michael M. , Li Zhi-Yun , Looney Leslie W. , Segura-Cox Dominique , Harris Robert J. , Melis Carl , Sadavoy Sarah I.
Published: December 2017

Centimeter continuum emission from protostars offers insight into the innermost part of the outflows, as shock-ionized gas produces free–free emission. We observed a complete population of Class 0 and I protostars in the Perseus molecular cloud at 4.1 and 6.4 cm with resolution and sensitivity superior to previous surveys. From a total of 71 detections, eight sources exhibit resolved emission at 4.1 cm and/or 6.4 cm. In this paper, we focus on this subsample, analyzing their spectral indices along the jet and their alignment with respect to the large-scale molecular outflow. Spectral indices for fluxes integrated toward the position of the protostar are consistent with free–free thermal emission. The value of the spectral index along a radio jet decreases with distance from the protostar. For six sources, emission is well aligned with the outflow central axis, showing that we observe the ionized base of the jet. This is not the case for two sources, where we note misalignment of the emission with respect to the large-scale outflow. This might indicate that the emission does not originate in the radio jet, but rather in an ionized outflow cavity wall or disk surface. For five of the sources, the spectral indices along the jet decrease well below the thermal free–free limit of −0.1 with

significance. This is indicative of synchrotron emission, meaning that high-energy electrons are being produced in the outflows close to the disk. This result can have far-reaching implications for the chemical composition of the embedded disks.
Formation of Cool and Warm Jets by Magnetic Flux Emerging from the Solar Chromosphere to Transition Region
Authors: Yang Liping , Peter Hardi , He Jiansen , Tu Chuanyi , Wang Linghua , Zhang Lei , Yan Limei
Published: December 2017

In the solar atmosphere, jets are ubiquitous at various spatial-temporal scales. They are important for understanding the energy and mass transports in the solar atmosphere. According to recent observational studies, the high-speed network jets are likely to be intermittent but continual sources of mass and energy for the solar wind. Here, we conduct a 2D magnetohydrodynamics simulation to investigate the mechanism of these network jets. A combination of magnetic flux emergence and horizontal advection is used to drive the magnetic reconnection in the transition region between a strong magnetic loop and a background open flux. The simulation results show that not only a fast warm jet, much similar to the network jets, is found, but also an adjacent slow cool jet, mostly like classical spicules, is launched. Differing from the fast warm jet driven by magnetic reconnection, the slow cool jet is mainly accelerated by gradients of both thermal pressure and magnetic pressure near the outer border of the mass-concentrated region compressed by the emerging loop. These results provide a different perspective on our understanding of the formation of both the slow cool jets from the solar chromosphere and the fast warm jets from the solar transition region.
A New Precision Measurement of the Small-scale Line-of-sight Power Spectrum of the Lyα Forest
Authors: Walther Michael , Hennawi Joseph F. , Hiss Hector , Oñorbe Jose , Lee Khee-Gan , Rorai Alberto , O’Meara John
Published: December 2017

We present a new measurement of the Lyα forest power spectrum at 1.8 < z < 3.4 using 74 Keck/HIRES and VLT/UVES high-resolution, high-signal-to-noise-ratio quasar spectra. We developed a custom pipeline to measure the power spectrum and its uncertainty, which fully accounts for finite resolution and noise and corrects for the bias induced by masking missing data, damped Lyα absorption systems, and metal absorption lines. Our measurement results in unprecedented precision on the small-scale modes

, inaccessible to previous SDSS/BOSS analyses. It is well known that these high-k modes are highly sensitive to the thermal state of the intergalactic medium, but contamination by narrow metal lines is a significant concern. We quantify the effect of metals on the small-scale power and find a modest effect on modes with

. As a result, by masking metals and restricting to

, their impact is completely mitigated. We present an end-to-end Bayesian forward-modeling framework whereby mock spectra with the same noise, resolution, and masking as our data are generated from Lyα forest simulations. These mock spectra are used to build a custom emulator, enabling us to interpolate between a sparse grid of models and perform Markov chain Monte Carlo fits. Our results agree well with BOSS on scales

, where the measurements overlap. The combination of the percent-level low-k precision of BOSS with our 5%–15% high-k measurements results in a powerful new data set for precisely constraining the thermal history of the intergalactic medium, cosmological parameters, and the nature of dark matter. The power spectra and their covariance matrices are provided as electronic tables.
The Discovery of Herbig–Haro Objects in LDN 673
Authors: Rector T. A. , Shuping R. Y. , Prato L. , Schweiker H.
Published: December 2017

We report the discovery of 12 faint Herbig–Haro (HH) objects in LDN 673 found using a novel color-composite imaging method that reveals faint Hα emission in complex environments. Follow-up observations in [S ii] confirmed their classification as HH objects. Potential driving sources are identified from the Spitzer c2d Legacy Program catalog and other infrared observations. The 12 new HH objects can be divided into three groups: four are likely associated with a cluster of eight young stellar object class I/II IR sources that lie between them; five are colinear with the T Tauri multiple star system AS 353, and are likely driven by the same source as HH 32 and HH 332; and three are bisected by a very red source that coincides with an infrared dark cloud. We also provide updated coordinates for the three components of HH 332. Inaccurate numbers were given for this object in the discovery paper. The discovery of HH objects and associated driving sources in this region provides new evidence for star formation in the Aquila clouds, implying a much larger T Tauri population in a seldom-studied region.
Magnetic Axis Drift and Magnetic Spot Formation in Neutron Stars with Toroidal Fields
Authors: Gourgouliatos Konstantinos N. , Hollerbach Rainer
Published: December 2017

We explore magnetic field configurations that lead to the formation of magnetic spots on the surface of neutron stars and the displacement of the magnetic dipole axis. We find that a toroidally dominated magnetic field is essential for the generation of a single spot with a strong magnetic field. Once a spot forms, it survives for several million years, even after the total magnetic field has decayed significantly. We find that the dipole axis is not stationary with respect to the neutron star’s surface and does not in general coincide with the location of the magnetic spot. This is due to non-axisymmetric instabilities of the toroidal field that displace the poloidal dipole axis at rates that may reach 0.°4 per century. A misaligned poloidal dipole axis with the toroidal field leads to more significant displacement of the dipole axis than the fully aligned case. Finally we discuss the evolution of neutron stars with such magnetic fields on the

diagram and the observational implications. We find that neutron stars spend a very short time before they cross the Death Line of the

diagram, compared to their characteristic ages. Moreover, the maximum intensity of their surface magnetic field is substantially higher than the dipole component of the field. We argue that SGR 0418+5729 could be an example of this type of behavior, having a weak dipole field, yet hosting a magnetic spot responsible for its magnetar behavior. The evolution on the pulse profile and braking index of the Crab pulsar, which are attributed to an increase of its obliquity, are compatible with the anticipated drift of the magnetic axis.
Capacity measures in context I : la question des conversions
Authors: Chambon Grégory , Marti Lionel
Published: December 2017

Les expressions concernant les mesures de capacité qui apparaissent dans les documentations paléobabylonienne et médioassyrienne sont le plus souvent comprises comme des indications sur les types de standards de mesure utilisés. Certains textes, dans les deux documentations, témoigneraient même de conversions entre standards de mesure différents. En ne nous concentrant pas uniquement sur les aspects terminologiques et en recontextualisant les transactions de denrées dont il est question dans les textes, nous proposons d’interpréter ces expressions non pas comme l’enregistrement de pratiques matérielles de mesure mais plutôt comme des informations administratives, qui renvoient en réalité à des questions de gestion telles que le mode d’acquisition du grain, sa provenance dans le circuit administratif et les acteurs économiques et institutionnels impliqués. À partir de quelques études de cas issues des deux documentations, nous cherchons à montrer que ce qui est écrit dans les textes comptables ne se résume pas au simple enregistrement de données effectives mais intègre également des données prévisionnelles ou organisationnelles indiquant l’engagement de l’institution à fournir ou prélever une part des quantités faisant l’objet de la transaction.
Four Middle-Babylonian legal documents concerning prison
Authors: Levavi Yuval
Published: December 2017

Le concept moderne de prison comme lieu de réinsertion ou comme mesure punitive n’existait pas dans le Proche-Orient ancien. Étant donné les nombreuses sources qui mentionnent des prisons, des prisonniers, et l’administration pénitentiaire, il est clair que l’incarcération était une pratique babylonienne courante. Les quatre textes médio-babyloniens publiés dans la première partie traitent de la libération des prisonniers, et la deuxième partie examine la pratique, le contexte et les fonctions de l’emprisonnement public à la période médio-babylonienne.
A curious document from the Yale Babylonian collection
Authors: Pirngruber Reinhard
Published: December 2017

Cet article fournit une édition et une interprétation du texte YBC 3504, provenant des archives néo-babyloniennes de l’Eanna. Ce texte traite du règlement d’arriérés de bétail et de ses produits, dûs par le berger Būnānu, sous la forme du transfert de propriété d’une esclave et de ses deux fils. Le texte consiste en une juxtaposition sans équivalent d’un (résumé d’un) audit et du premier jet d’un contrat d’enregistrement du transfert des trois individus. L’importance de YBC 3504 est sa contribution bienvenue à la maigre collection des textes qui éclairent la question des tentatives du temple de l’Eanna pour parvenir à obtenir des compensations de la part des débiteurs insolvables.
DELINEATION AND CLASSIFICATION OF LIVER CANCER USING LEVEL SET METHOD IN CT IMAGES
Authors: Das Amita , Panda S. S. , Sabut Sukanta
Published: December 2017

The paper proposes a modified approach of delineation and classification of two different types of liver cancers viz. Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) and Metastatic Carcinoma (MET) from different slices of computed tomography (CT) scans images. A combined framework of reorganization and extraction of region of interest (ROI), texture feature extraction followed by texture classification by different machine learning approaches has been presented. Initially, adaptive thresholding has been applied to segment the liver region from CT images. Level set algorithm has been used for detecting the region of cancer tissues. In the classification stage, the delineated output lesions have been extracted with 38 features to build up the dataset. Two machine learning classifiers, support vector machine (SVM) and random forest (RF), have been used to train the dataset for correct prediction of cancer classes. Ten-fold cross-validation has been used to evaluate the performance of two classifiers. The efficiency of the proposed algorithm is tested in terms of accuracy, where the RF classifier achieved a higher accuracy of 95% compared to SVM classifier of 87%. The experimental result proves the superiority of RF classifier compared to SVM classifier with level-set features.
Electrical Stimulation Frequency and Skeletal Muscle Characteristics: Effects on Force and Fatigue
Authors: Vromans Maria , Faghri Pouran
Published: December 2017

This investigation aimed to determine the force and muscle surface electromyography (EMG) responses to different frequencies of electrical stimulation (ES) in two groups of muscles with different size and fiber composition (fast- and slow-twitch fiber proportions) during a fatigue-inducing protocol. Progression towards fatigue was evaluated in the abductor pollicis brevis (APB) and vastus lateralis (VL) when activated by ES at three frequencies (10, 35, and 50Hz). Ten healthy adults (mean age: 23.2 ± 3.0 years) were recruited; participants signed an IRB approved consent form prior to participation. Protocols were developed to 1) identify initial ES current intensity required to generate the 25% maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) at each ES frequency and 2) evaluate changes in force and EMG activity during ES-induced contraction at each frequency while progressing towards fatigue. For both muscles, stimulation at 10Hz required higher current intensity of ES to generate the initial force. There was a significant decline in force in response to ES-induced fatigue for all frequencies and for both muscles (p<0.05). However, the EMG response was not consistent between muscles. During the progression towards fatigue, the APB displayed an initial drop in force followed by an increase in EMG activity and the VL displayed a decrease in EMG activity for all frequencies. Overall, it appeared that there were some significant interactions between muscle size and fiber composition during progression towards fatigue for different ES frequencies. It could be postulated that muscle characteristics (size and fiber composition) should be considered when evaluating progression towards fatigue as EMG and force responses are not consistent between muscles.
The road to Cybathlon 2016 - Functional electrical stimulation cycling Team IRPT/SPZ
Authors: Laubacher Marco , Aksöz Efe Anil , Bersch Ines , Hunt Kenneth James
Published: December 2017

Functional electrical stimulation (FES) provides a good possibility to activate paralysed muscles and it has been shown to elicit substantial physiological and health benefits. For successful application of FES, a perfect symbiosis of the bike and the pilot has to be achieved. The road to the Cybathlon 2016 describes the different pieces needed for FES cycling in spinal cord injury. The systematic optimisation of the stimulation parameters and the Cybatrike, and sophisticated training contributed to the team’s success as the fastest surface-electrode team in the competition.
Functional electrical stimulation cycling strategies tested during preparation for the First Cybathlon Competition – a practical report from team ENS de Lyon
Authors: Metani Amine , Popović-Maneski Lana , Mateo Sebastien , Lemahieu Laura , Bergeron Vance
Published: December 2017

Whether it is from the patient’s or the physical therapist’s point of view, FES cycling can be considered either as a recreational activity, or an engaging rehabilitation tool. In both cases, it keeps patients with lower-limb paralysis motivated to sustain a regular physical activity. Thus, it is not surprising that it was selected as one of the six disciplines of the first Cybathlon competition held on October 8, 2016. However, many unresolved issues prevent FES cycling from being an activity practiced outdoors on a daily basis; such as, low power production, rapid muscle fatigue, precise electrode positioning, lack of systematic procedures to determine stimulation patterns, and the difficulty of transferring disabled riders from their wheelchair to the tricycle. This article documents the challenges we faced during preparation for the Cybathlon 2016 FES cycling race, and provides results obtained during different phases of the process. A particular specificity of our team was that, unlike most other teams where pilots were mainly paraplegic, both the primary and backup pilots for team ENS de Lyon are C6/C7 tetraplegics, with neither voluntary control of their abdominal muscles nor hand grip, and only partial use of their arms.
Development of practical functional electrical stimulation cycling systems based on an electromyography study of the Cybathlon 2016
Authors: Arnin Jetsada , Yamsa-ard Traisak , Triponyuwasin Preechapawan , Wongsawat Yodchanan
Published: December 2017

The purpose of this study was to develop a functional electrical stimulation (FES) system based on the motor driving concept for use by spinal cord injury patients participating in the FES Cycling competition at the Cybathlon 2016. The proposed FES system consists of a low-power control system, a precise processor unit, and a 4-channel stimulation unit. Self-adhesive carbon conductive electrodes were utilized for stimulation. A 26-year-old SCI patient was qualified to participate in the competition. The pilot patient underwent training for 16 months, which included experience with FES stimulation, performing FES cycling, and reducing spasticity, to practice using the FES system. In addition, using surface electromyography (EMG) during cycling, the muscle activation pattern for generating the stimulation profile was applied and resulted in good performance. The best FES cycling performance the pilot achieved was 1000 meters translation with the cycling system during twelve minutes of using the FES system. The pilot achieved an 1000 meters translation mobility within an average of 16 minutes of cycling. Nevertheless, the system must be further investigated regarding muscle fatigue and other factors that may affect the stimulation conditions.