bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Fast Postmoisture Treatment of Luminescent Perovskite Films for Efficient Light‐Emitting Diodes
Authors: Wang Haoran , Li Xiaomin , Yuan Mingjian , Yang Xuyong
Published: February 2018

Despite the recent advances in the performance of perovskite light‐emitting diodes (PeLEDs), the effects of water on the perovskite emissive layer and its electroluminescence are still unclear, even though it has been previously demonstrated that moisture has a significant impact on the quality of perovskite films in the fabrication process of perovskite solar cells and is a prerequisite for obtaining high‐performance PeLEDs. Here, the effects of postmoisture on the luminescent CH3NH3PbBr3 (MAPbBr3) perovskite films are systematically investigated. It is found that postmoisture treatment can efficiently control the morphology and growth of perovskite films and only a fast moisture exposure at a 60% high relative humidity results in significantly improved crystallinity, carrier lifetime, and photoluminescence quantum yield of perovskite films. With the optimized moisture‐treated perovskite films, a high‐performance PeLED is fabricated, exhibiting a maximum current efficiency of 20.4 cd A−1, which is an almost 20‐fold enhancement when compared with perovskite films without moisture treatment. The results provide valuable insights into the moisture‐assisted growth of luminescent perovskite films and will aid in the development of high‐performance perovskite light‐emitting devices.
Thermoelectric Effects of Nanogaps between Two Tips
Authors: Huang Hao‐Ting , Ho Guan‐You , Wei Zung‐Hang
Published: February 2018

This study designs a microscaled thermoelectric component featuring a nanogap of varying size (133–900 nm) between the tips of the component. Electricity and heat are transmitted between the gap of the tips through the thermionic emission of electrons. Because the gaps exhibit a discontinuous structure, the phonon's contribution to thermal conductivity can be virtually neglected, thereby enhancing the thermoelectric figure of merit (ZT) of the designed thermoelectric component. The experimental results reveal that a narrow tip gap generates stronger thermoelectric effects, with Seebeck voltage and Seebeck coefficient being respectively, one and two orders of magnitude greater than those of the thermoelectric effects of nanowires. The thermoelectric figure of merit without considering the contributions from other heat carriers is higher than the value of thermoelectric devices developed in recent years. For a set of asymmetrical thin film electrodes of differing sizes, the thermoelectric effects generated in the heating process of large thin films are stronger than those of small thin films. Furthermore, adding nanoparticles to the nanogap facilitate the thermionic emission of electrons, in which electrons hop from the hot end to the cold end, thereby intensifying the thermoelectric effects of the nanogap.
A Room‐Temperature Postsynthetic Ligand Exchange Strategy to Construct Mesoporous Fe‐Doped CoP Hollow Triangle Plate Arrays for Efficient Electrocatalytic Water Splitting
Authors: Hu Enlai , Ning Jiqiang , Zhao Dian , Xu Chunyang , Lin Yingying , Zhong Yijun , Zhang Ziyang , Wang Yongjiang , Hu Yong
Published: February 2018

Hollow nanostructures with mesoporous shells are attractive for their advantageous structure‐dependent high‐efficiency electrochemical catalytic performances. In this work, a novel nanostructure of Fe‐doped CoP hollow triangle plate arrays (Fe–CoP HTPAs) with unique mesoporous shells is designed and synthesized through a room‐temperature postsynthetic ligand exchange reaction followed by a facile phosphorization treatment. The mild postsynthetic ligand exchange reaction of the presynthesized ZIF‐67 TPAs with K4[Fe(CN)6] in an aqueous solution at room temperature is of critical importance in achieving the final hollow nanostructure, which results in the production of CoFe(II)‐PBA HTPAs that not only determine the formation of the interior voids in the nanostructure, but also provide the doping of Fe atoms to the CoP lattice. As expected, the as‐prepared mesoporous Fe–CoP HTPAs exhibit pronounced activity for water splitting owing to the advantages of abundant active reaction sites, short electron and ion pathways, and favorable hydrogen adsorption free energy (ΔGH*). For the hydrogen and oxygen evolution reactions with the Fe–CoP HTPAs in alkaline medium, the low overpotentials of 98 and 230 mV are observed, respectively, and the required cell voltage toward overall water splitting is only as low as 1.59 V for the driving current density of 10 mA cm−2.
Advances in Nanowire Transistor‐Based Biosensors
Authors: Li Qian , Lu Na , Wang Lihua , Fan Chunhai
Published: February 2018

Semiconducting nanowires (NWs) present new opportunities for developing electrical biosensors due to their inherent properties, including large surface‐to‐volume ratio, rapid signal response, configurability in electronic devices, and nanoscale footprint comparable to biomolecular and subcellular structures. Field‐effect transistors (FETs) based on silicon nanowires (SiNWs) have proven to be a powerful and versatile tool in the biomedical fields. Recent advances in SiNW‐FET biosensors, including fundamental aspects and working principles, preparation of nanowires, and surface functionalization, as well as applications in biological analysis and cellular investigation, are discussed here. It is envisioned that nano‐FET devices will have several applications in fields such as clinical diagnosis, point‐of‐care testing, and screening for early disease.
Binary Solvent Additives Treatment Boosts the Efficiency of PTB7:PCBM Polymer Solar Cells to Over 9.5%
Authors: Zheng Yifan , Wang Gang , Huang Di , Kong Jaemin , Goh TengHooi , Huang Wei , Yu Junsheng , Taylor André D.
Published: February 2018

In this work, a 9.5% of power conversion efficiency (PCE) is obtained in the thieno [3,4‐b] thiophene/benzodithiophene (PTB7): (6,6)‐phenyl‐C70‐butyric acid methyl ester (PC70BM) based polymer solar cell (PSC) by using a novel binary solvent additive of diphenyl ether (DPE): 1,8‐diiodoctane (DIO). We find that this binary solvent additive approach increases the PTB7 donor crystallinity using DPE and enhances the PC70BM dispersion using DIO. This amended aggregation results in a better donor/acceptor phase separation. We show that the improved crystallization and face‐on orientation preference of PTB7 contributes to higher light absorption and charge transport efficiency in the active layer. Moreover, a better D/A phase separation provides more efficient charge extraction and suppresses the charge recombination, leading to an improved FF >70%.
Effect of Rolling Deformation on Nanograins and Mechanical Properties of Exceptional Nano/Microcrystalline 304 Stainless Steel
Authors: Wang Keliang , Song Yi , La Peiqing , Wei Fuan , Ma Fuliang , Sheng Jie , Guo Xin , Li Zhengning , Shi Yu
Published: February 2018

The nanostructural evolution and mechanical properties during rolling with 30, 50, and 70% deformation of exceptional nano/microcrystalline 304 stainless steel prepared by the aluminothermic reaction casting method are investigated in this paper. The results of the microstructural evolution show that the grain size of the nano/sub‐micrograins have minor changes in which the volume fraction decrease dramatically, but the distribution of the nanograins become uniform with increased rolling deformation. The results of mechanical tests show that the increase in rolling deformation causes great increase in hardness and in yield strength from 274 to 364 HV and from 616 to 743 MPa, respectively. However, the tensile strength increases slightly from 925 to 995 MPa, and elongation decreases slightly from 24.5 to 21.9%. Conclusively, this work proves that an increase in rolling deformation causes a significant improvement in the hardness and strength and no considerable loss of the ductility in nano/microcrystalline 304 stainless steel.
Magneto‐Mechanical Surfaces Design
Authors: Galera Andrés C. , San Miguel Verónica , Baselga Juan
Published: February 2018

Magneto‐mechanically active surfaces (MMAS) represent a new family of nano/micro‐structured surfaces in which motion is induced by an external magnetic field. Under the name of “artificial cilia”, “biomimetic cilia”, “magnetic actuated patterns”, “nanopillars”, etc., published works in this area continue their quick growth in number. Notwithstanding their potential application in microfluidic, chemical sensors, catalytic processes and microelectronics to increase device perfomances, there is still a lot to do in the development of these materials. Improvement and optimization of the performance of these structures are essential tasks in order to fulfil their complete development. Along this article, a critical review involving the main aspects in the design of the patterned nanocomposites will be presented.
Islam, entrepreneurship, and embeddedness
Authors: Tok M. Evren , Kaminski Joseph Jon
Published: February 2018

This study centers on the premise that entrepreneurship is an embedded process. Although “the entrepreneur” is inherently an “individual,” entrepreneurship can never be fully disembedded from the more general social settings within which any business venture is situated. An Islamic‐based economic discursive framework should be cognizant of the different forms of sociality, spatiality, and community as well as the various norms, codes, and symbols that define society more generally. The work of Karl Polanyi on embeddedness is engaged and juxtaposed with Islam's understanding of the ideal mode of economic discursive practices. Islamic economic models and Polanyi are both critical of the corrosive effects of unbridled capitalism and individualism that ultimately lead to reification and exploitation. The conclusion recommends more small‐Ncase studies by researchers and entrepreneurial educational materials that emphasize the importance of networks and local embeddedness.
Beyond theEnglish LearnerLabel: Recognizing the Richness of Bi/Multilingual Students’ Linguistic Repertoires
Authors: Martínez Ramón Antonio
Published: February 2018

The terminology that we use to refer to English learners has shifted over the past two decades, fromlimited English proficienttoEnglish language learnerto what is now the preferred term in California and, increasingly, other states:English learner. Yet, what has not changed is how this category continues to limit our thinking about bilingual/multilingual students.English learneris a label that conceals more than it reveals. It emphasizes what these students supposedly donotknow instead of highlighting what theydoknow. As a category, “English learner” constrains our ability to perceive the many strengths that bilingual/multilingual students bring to the classroom—strengths on which we might build to support their language and literacy learning. The author describes how this label distorts our view of bilingual/multilingual students and proposes an alternative perspective that highlights the richness of these students’ linguistic repertoires.
Observation‐based detection and attribution of 21st century climate change
Authors: Lean Judith L.
Published: February 2018

Climate change detection and attribution have proven unexpectedly challenging during the 21st century. Earth’s global surface temperature increased less rapidly from 2000 to 2015 than during the last half of the 20th century, even though greenhouse gas concentrations continued to increase. A probable explanation is the mitigation of anthropogenic warming by La Niña cooling and declining solar irradiance. Physical climate models overestimated recent global warming because they did not generate the observed phase of La Niña cooling and may also have underestimated cooling by declining solar irradiance. Ongoing scientific investigations continue to seek alternative explanations to account for the divergence of simulated and observed climate change in the early 21st century, which IPCC termed a “global warming hiatus.” Amplified by media commentary, the suggestions by these studies that “missing” mechanisms may be influencing climate exacerbates confusion among policy makers, the public and other stakeholders about the causes and reality of modern climate change.

Understanding and communicating the causes of climate change in the next 20 years may be equally challenging. Predictions of the modulation of projected anthropogenic warming by natural processes have limited skill. The rapid warming at the end of 2015, for example, is not a resumption of anthropogenic warming but rather an amplification of ongoing warming by El Niño. Furthermore, emerging feedbacks and tipping points precipitated by, for example, melting summer Arctic sea ice may alter Earth’s global temperature in ways that even the most sophisticated physical climate models do not yet replicate.

This article is categorized under:

Paleoclimates and Current Trends > Climate Forcing
Computational observations of the tip loss mechanism experienced by horizontal axis rotors
Authors: Wimshurst A. , Willden R. H. J.
Published: February 2018

Blade resolved computations of two different horizontal axis rotors are conducted to investigate the tip loss mechanism experienced by horizontal axis rotors. The tip loss mechanism specifically refers to the effect of the vorticity that is shed from the outboard blade sections, which results in the blade loading dropping off as the tip is approached. In this paper, the shed vorticity is shown to induce a downwash at the rotor plane and spanwise flow accelerations along the blade surfaces. While the downwash reduces the angle of attack of the approach flow, the spanwise flow accelerations lead to additional momentum transport along the blade. This spanwise momentum transport reduces the magnitude and changes the distribution of the static pressure developed on the pressure and suction surfaces of the outboard blade sections. As a result of this modification, the torque producing force drops off faster than the thrust producing force as the tip is approached, resulting in a rotation of the net force vector towards the streamwise direction. This anisotropy must be accounted for by tip flow corrections if the loading on the outboard blade sections is to be computed with sufficient accuracy. In addition, it is also shown that changes in the static pressure distribution cannot be accurately approximated by only modifying the angle of attack of the approach flow, as this would lead to blade loading changes that are inconsistent with the observed behaviour of the lift and drag coefficients on the outboard blade sections.
Nanomaterial exposure, toxicity, and impact on human health
Authors: Pietroiusti Antonio , Stockmann‐Juvala Helene , Lucaroni Francesca , Savolainen Kai
Published: February 2018

The use of engineered nanomaterials (ENM) has grown after the turn of the 21st century. Also, the production of ENM has globally grown, and exposure of workers especially via the lungs to ENM has increased. This review tackles with effects of ENM on workers’ health because occupational environment is the main source of exposure to ENM. Assessment of exposure to ENM is demanding, and today there are no occupational exposure level (OEL) for ENM. This is partly due to challenges of such measurements, and in part to the unknown causality between ENM metrics and effects. There are also marked gaps in systematic knowledge on ENM hazards. Human health surveys of exposed workers, or human field studies have not identified specific effects of ENM linking them with a specific exposure. There is, however, a consensus that material characteristics such as size, and chemistry influence effects of ENM. Available data suggest that multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) affect the immunological system and cause inflammation of the lungs, or signs of asthma whereas carbon nanofibers (CNF) may cause interstitial fibrosis. Metallic and metal oxide nanoparticles together with MWCNT induce genotoxicity, and a given type of MWCNT has been identified as a possible human carcinogen. Currently, lack of understanding of mechanisms of effects of ENM renders assessment of hazards and risks of ENM material‐by‐material a necessity. The so called “omics” approaches utilizing ENM‐induced alterations in gene and protein expression may be useful in the development of a new paradigm for ENM hazard and risk assessment.

This article is categorized under:

Toxicology and Regulatory Issues in Nanomedicine > Toxicology of Nanomaterials
In Situ Hydrogenation and Crystal Chemistry Studies of Co2Si Type Compounds MgPd2 and Pd2Zn
Authors: Götze André , Zapp Nicolas , Peretzki Andrea J. , Pomjakushin V. , Hansen Thomas C. , Kohlmann Holger
Published: February 2018

The hydrogenation properties of the intermetallic compounds MgPd2 and Pd2Zn, crystallizing in the Co2Si type, were studied by in situ thermal analysis (DSC) under hydrogen pressure. Pd2Zn does not show any reaction with hydrogen while MgPd2 reversibly forms the hydride MgPd2H. Neutron diffraction on the deuterides reveals the compositions MgPd2D0.861(6) (ambient) and MgPd2D0.97(1) [308(2) K, 2.56(5) MPa deuterium] with hydrogen (deuterium) occupying distorted [MgPd5] octahedral voids. Quantum mechanical calculations support the structure models and show the hydrogenation to be exergonic for MgPd2 and endergonic for Pd2Zn. MgPd2H releases hydrogen under normal conditions or vacuum. Heating under hydrogen pressure leads first reversibly to MgPd2H≈0.2 and subsequently irreversibly to MgPd3H≈1 and MgH2. MgPd2, Pd2Zn, and MgPd2H were classified in a structure map. Trends of axial ratio changes upon hydrogenation of TiNiSi type and ZrBeSi type compounds are discussed.
Incidental Diagnosis of Parathyroid Lesions by Preoperative Use of Next‐Generation Molecular Testing
Authors: Bo Wu , Schoedel Karen E. , Carty Sally E. , Radkay Lisa A. , Ohori N. Paul , Nikiforov Yuri E. , Nikiforova Marina N. , Yip Linwah
Published: February 2018

Background

Parathyroid glands can mimic thyroid follicular lesions on fine‐needle aspiration (FNA) cytology and can lead to unnecessary or incorrect surgery. Newer molecular panel tests using next‐generation sequencing (NGS) include analysis of cell type‐specific gene expression profiles such as parathyroid. The study aim is to determine the frequency and clinical implications of parathyroid tissue identification by molecular testing in cytologically indeterminate “thyroid” lesions.

Methods

Molecular analysis of indeterminate thyroid FNA specimens is obtained routinely and relies on amplification‐based NGS inclusive of PTH‐specific expression profiles. For this study, we retrospectively examined the clinical data and management of patients with molecular results positive for PTH expression from May 2014 until May 2016.

Results

Among 4765 consecutive patients with indeterminate cytology for a presumed thyroid nodule, NGS instead indicated a parathyroid lesion in 20 patients (0.42%). The clinical data of 15 patients were available, and the subsequent clinical management was altered in 93% (14/15 patients), including five (33%) eucalcemic patients who could avoid unnecessary surgery. Primary hyperparathyroidism was not suspected in seven patients until the molecular analysis results, and primary hyperparathyroidism was diagnosed in one (14%). During parathyroid exploration, most patients (6/8, 75%) required concurrent thyroidectomy or lobectomy, but thyroid preservation was still possible in two patients. A parathyroid gland was histologically confirmed in 89%.

Conclusions

In 0.42% of patients with indeterminate cytology results, next‐generation molecular results will indicate the presence of a parathyroid lesion. When this occurs, it is accurate and can robustly impact clinical management (93%).
Pregnant Women's Perspectives on Expanded Carrier Screening
Authors: Propst Lauren , Connor Gwendolyn , Hinton Megan , Poorvu Tabitha , Dungan Jeffrey
Published: February 2018

Expanded carrier screening (ECS) is a relatively new carrier screening option that assesses many conditions simultaneously, as opposed to traditional ethnicity‐based carrier screening for a limited number of conditions. This study aimed to explore pregnant women's perspectives on ECS, including reasons for electing or declining and anxiety associated with this decision‐making. A total of 80 pregnant women were surveyed from Northwestern Medicine's Clinical Genetics Division after presenting for aneuploidy screening. Of the 80 participants, 40 elected and 40 declined ECS. Trends regarding reasons for electing or declining ECS include ethnicity, desire for genetic risk information, lack of family history, perceived likelihood of being a carrier, and perceived impact on reproductive decisions. Individuals who declined ECS seemed to prefer ethnicity‐based carrier screening and believed that ECS would increase their anxiety, whereas individuals who elected ECS seemed to prefer more screening and tended to believe that ECS would reduce their anxiety. These findings provide insight on decision‐making with regard to ECS and can help guide interactions that genetic counselors and other healthcare providers have with patients, including assisting patients in the decision‐making process.
Tau positron emission tomography imaging in tauopathies: The added hurdle of off‐target binding
Authors: Lemoine Laetitia , Leuzy Antoine , Chiotis Konstantinos , Rodriguez‐Vieitez Elena , Nordberg Agneta
Published: February 2018

Ligands targeting tau for use with positron emission tomography have rapidly been developed during the past several years, enabling the in vivo study of tau pathology in patients with Alzheimer's disease and related non‐Alzheimer's disease tauopathies. Several candidate compounds have been developed, showing good in vitro characteristics with respect to their ability to bind tau deposits; off‐target binding, however, has also been observed. In this short commentary, we briefly summarize the available in vivo and in vitro evidence pertaining to their off‐target binding and discuss the different approaches that are needed for the future development of tau positron emission tomography tracers.
Behavioral and neuroanatomical outcomes in a rat model of preterm hypoxic‐ischemic brain Injury: Effects of caffeine and hypothermia
Authors: Potter Molly , Rosenkrantz Ted , Fitch R. Holly
Published: February 2018

The current study investigated behavioral and post mortem neuroanatomical outcomes in Wistar rats with a neonatal hypoxic‐ischemic (HI) brain injury induced on postnatal day 6 (P6; Rice‐Vannucci HI method; Rice et al., 1981). This preparation models brain injury seen in premature infants (gestational age (GA) 32–35 weeks) based on shared neurodevelopmental markers at time of insult, coupled with similar neuropathologic sequelae (Rice et al., 1981; Workman et al., 2013). Clinically, HI insult during this window is associated with poor outcomes that include attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), motor coordination deficits, spatial memory deficits, and language/learning disabilities. To assess therapies that might offer translational potential for improved outcomes, we used a P6 HI rat model to measure the behavioral and neuroanatomical effects of two prospective preterm neuroprotective treatments – hypothermia and caffeine. Hypothermia (aka “cooling”) is an approved and moderately efficacious intervention therapy for fullterm infants with perinatal hypoxic‐ischemic (HI) injury, but is not currently approved for preterm use. Caffeine is a respiratory stimulant used during removal of infants from ventilation but has shown surprising long‐term benefits, leading to consideration as a therapy for HI of prematurity. Current findings support caffeine as a preterm neuroprotectant; treatment significantly improved some behavioral outcomes in a P6 HI rat model and partially rescued neuropathology. Hypothermia treatment (involving core temperature reduction by 4 °C for 5 h), conversely, was found to be largely ineffective and even deleterious for some measures in both HI and sham rats. These results have important implications for therapeutic intervention in at‐risk preterm populations, and promote caution in the application of hypothermia protocols to at‐risk premature infants without further research.
The Importance of Developing Narrative Capacity
Authors: Lehmann Jennifer
Published: February 2018

Welcome to our first Issue of Children Australia for 2018. We hope you have had a wonderful Christmas and entered the New Year with energy and enthusiasm for the challenges ahead. We also welcome back many of our Editorial Consultants and especially want to make our new members of the team feel engaged in the journal's activities for 2018. One of our new Editorial Consultants is Shraddha Kapoor who is Associate Professor at Department of Human Development and Childhood Studies, Lady Irwin College, University of Delhi. Dr Neerja Sharma, now retired, who has supported Children Australia for some years, was Shraddha's Professor before becoming her colleague and now a dear friend. Shraddha herself has been teaching in the department for last 27 years in the subjects of developmental psychology, child development, wellbeing, family and gender. Her particular interests are childcare, early childhood education and gender.
Ice breaking by a collapsing bubble
Authors: Cui Pu , Zhang A-Man , Wang Shiping , Khoo Boo Cheong
Published: February 2018

This work focuses on using the power of a collapsing bubble in ice breaking. We experimentally validated the possibility and investigated the mechanism of ice breaking with a single collapsing bubble, where the bubble was generated by underwater electric discharge and collapsed at various distances under ice plates with different thicknesses. Characteristics of the ice fracturing, bubble jets and shock waves emitted during the collapse of the bubble were captured. The pattern of the ice fracturing is related to the ice thickness and the bubble–ice distance. Fractures develop from the top of the ice plate, i.e. the ice–air interface, and this is attributed to the tension caused by the reflection of the shock waves at the interface. Such fracturing is lessened when the thickness of the ice plate or the bubble–ice distance increases. Fractures may also form from the bottom of the ice plate upon the shock wave incidence when the bubble–ice distance is sufficiently small. The ice plate motion and its effect on the bubble behaviour were analysed. The ice plate motion results in higher jet speed and greater elongation of the bubble shape along the vertical direction. It also causes the bubble initiated close to the ice plate to split and emit multiple shock waves at the end of the collapse. The findings suggest that collapsing bubbles can be used as a brand new way of ice breaking.
Toward a Redefinition of Bilingualism
Authors: Mackey William F.
Published: February 2018

Bilingualism is one of the most important problems of linguistics; yet it is also one of the most neglected. More than a quarter of a century ago certain linguists agreed that of all the problems with which linguistics was faced at the time none had more significance than those of bilingualism. Yet linguists have not yet given these problems the attention they deserve. As a result, the work done in bilingualism in related fields such as education has lacked the necessary linguistic foundation and guidance and has consequently led to conclusions which are often meaningless.
Interpretations of the English Suprasegmentals
Authors: Robinson R. H. , Theall D. F. , Wevers J. W.
Published: February 2018

In a brief declaration in the last issue of this journal, our colleagues P. Drysdale, W. Mackey and M. Scargill outlined their objections to the Smith-Trager description of English stress, pitch and juncture. Their article calls into question the most fundamental American research works in English linguistics. At the outset, we would like to observe that in adopting attitudes towards the great tradition of linguistics in the United States, it is imperative that we avoid the two extremes of total belief and of rash rejection. This tradition is the product of several decades of intense, patient research by men with eminent ability to observe sounds and patterns, and an extraordinary flair for generating verifiable hypotheses. Thus the critic can condemn any part of the tradition only when he candemonstratethat it is false. On the other hand, the American tradition is empirical and positivist. It is evolving rapidly, and its conclusions and postulates are constantly being modified. Furthermore, it is not a monolithic tradition. Though there is a consensus of views at any given time, there are also hot debates, such as the current one on the interpretation of the English vowels and suprasegmentals. Thus anyone whobelievesthis year’s conclusions may soon find himself cherishing obsolete positions that their originators have long transcended.
Canadian-American Speech Differences Along the Middle Border
Authors: Allen Harold B.
Published: February 2018

Recent evidence of renewed interest in the Linguistic Atlas of Canada makes pertinent the publishing of relevant data gathered for the comparable regional atlases of the United States. To the information already published from the files of the Linguistic Atlas of the North Central States there can now be added that from the collections of the Linguistic Atlas of the Upper Midwest.

The Upper Midwest atlas, centered at the University of Minnesota, includes the five states of Minnesota, Iowa, the two Dakotas, and Nebraska. Fieldwork for the entire area, begun in 1947, has been completed, and editing of the materials is in process (though interrupted in 1958–59 by the Director’s absence abroad). Besides the records from 202 American field informants based upon personal interviews, these materials include five Canadian records and the responses for 136 lexical items on 1069 checklists returned by mail from informants in all but two of the counties in these five states. The Canadian field records were made at the suggestion of Albert H. Marckwardt of the University of Michigan, Director of the Linguistic Atlas of the North Central States. In advance of future atlas organization in Canada it seemed desirable to supply at least tentative answers to questions about the relationships of Canadian and American regional English.
Pitch and Stress as Phonemes : Analysis or Synthesis ?
Authors: Drysdale P. D. , W. F. Mackey  , Scargil M. H.
Published: February 2018

With the publication of An Outline of English Structure in 1951 linguists were presented with a new phonetic analysis of English. But it was unfortunate that the authors were tempted to suggest that their work would serve as a “phonemic” analysis of English, or, at least, to allow others to interpret it in that way and to suggest that discrete phonetic items are phonematic; that is to pass off a linguistic analysis as a synthesis. In recent years the result has been that some linguists have attempted to combine the syntactical structures set out, for example, by Fries with the phonological analysis by Trager and Smith or, as in the case of Hill's Introduction to Linguistic Structures, to use an American idiolect (Hill's own) as a basis for a set of phonemes to explain English syntax in phonological terms.
Whys and Hows of Collecting for the Dictionary of Canadian English I: Scope and Source Material
Authors: Lovell Charles J.
Published: February 2018

Several serious problems face a Committee on the Historical Dictionary in planning for the proposed Dictionary of Canadian English. At present under study are means of publicizing the project, negotiating adequate financial sponsorship and securing a capable editorial staff, with headquarters handy to research centers and the publisher's offices. These cannot be taken up here, but will be reported upon at ensuing meetings of the Association.

The basic problem concerns acquisition of the dated citations which will serve as the framework of the proposed dictionary. It is an arduous task to collect and digest the huge volume of materials necessary to compilation of any comprehensive dictionary based upon historical principles. The Oxford English Dictionary, garnering 9,000,000 quotations through the unpaid labors of 2,000 members of the Philological Society, took forty-four years to publish; and the much less ambitious Dictionary of American English was eighteen years in the making.
Speech Differences along the Ontario-United States Border
Authors: Avis Walter S.
Published: February 2018

Not long ago a Torontonian shopping in a large department store just across the border asked where he could find chesterfields. On following directions, he was somewhat dismayed to find himself at the cigar counter!

Such experiences often occur in life along the border, as any Ontarioan who has tried to buy blinds or serviettes in New York or Michigan will know. When he has been across the line for some time, however, he discovers that most of his neighbours pull down their shades before retiring and tuck in their table napkins before eating spaghetti Italian style. The visitor from Ontario who stays with American friends just south of the line learns that they turn on faucets at the kitchen sink rather than taps and hold up their pants with suspenders, not braces (trousers is “elegant diction” for most men in both countries.)
Lexicographic Challenges of Canadian English
Authors: Lovell C. J.
Published: February 2018

As a mountaineering enthusiast who holds a life membership in the Sky Line Trail Hikers of the Canadian Rockies, as well as the 1,000-miles emblem of the companion order of Trail Riders, I have made acquaintance with persons from most of the provinces. Mentions of my lexical interests, tracing word origins, have often given rise to impromptu discussions of Canadian speech. These trail-side sessions, while interesting, have rarely proved instructive; the average Canadian is seemingly better informed about American speech than the American is about Canadian, but neither is familiar with the background of his own language. A minority were of the opinion that Canadian English is essentially British English, citing the prevalence of -our and -re endings, as in labour and centre, together with such variants as analyse-analyze, licence-license, cheque-check, and pyjamas-pajamas. A Kansan observed, “Canucks say ‘in hospital’, just like in British whodunits, and not ‘in the hospital’, like we do.“
Canadian English and Canadian Culture in Alberta
Authors: Scargill M. H.
Published: February 2018

What is a Canadian? Have we who call ourselves Canadians a distinctive culture, a distinctive way of life and thought? Or are we “American” or “British”? Or are we perhaps in the unhappy position of being nothing but reflections of two great, yet different, nations? These questions are exercising the minds of a great many people today, and not just within our own borders. To be sure, the historian and the geographer have their answers: the economist has his. And the ethnologist has yet another. But none of them are quite satisfactory. Perhaps the best answer will soon be provided by another scholar—the linguist. And his will embrace those of other scholars and be better than theirs because it will be based on better evidence.
Gender congruency effects in Russian–Spanish and Italian–Spanish bilinguals: The role of language proximity and concreteness of words
Authors: PAOLIERI DANIELA , PADILLA FRANCISCA , KORENEVA OLGA , MORALES LUIS , MACIZO PEDRO
Published: February 2018

Previous studies have shown that bilinguals perform a production task faster when the item is gender-congruent across their two languages than when it is not. The current study aimed to explore three factors that might modulate this effect: the similarity of the gender systems, the need to retrieve grammatical gender to perform the task, and the role of a semantic variable (concreteness) in the processing of gender information. In Experiment 1, Russian–Spanish bilinguals showed gender-congruency effects whether they translated concrete nouns in isolation or in noun-phrases. In contrast, the effect was restricted to noun phrases when they translated abstract words. In Experiment 2, Italian–Spanish bilinguals showed the gender-congruency effect regardless of the translation task. However, the effect was larger with concrete nouns in comparison with abstract nouns. These results are discussed in terms of the proximity of bilingual gender systems and the relationship between semantics and gender.
Kant’s Transcendental Deduction, Non-Conceptualism, and the Fitness-for-Purpose Objection
Authors: Watt Robert
Published: February 2018

The subject of this article is a powerful objection to the non-conceptualist interpretation of Kant’s transcendental deduction of the categories. Part of the purpose of the deduction is to refute the sort of scepticism according to which there are no objects of empirical intuition that instantiate the categories. But if the non-conceptualist interpretation is correct, it does not follow from what Kant is arguing in the transcendental deduction that this sort of scepticism is false. This article explains and assesses a number of possible responses to this objection.
Minding the Gap: Subjectivism and the Deduction
Authors: Gomes Anil
Published: February 2018

Chapter 4 of Dennis Schulting’s bookKant’s Radical Subjectivismtargets those commentators who take there to be a gap in the transcendental deduction of the categories, arguing instead that there is no gap between the necessary application of the categories and their exemplification in the object of experience. In these comments on the chapter, I suggest a minimal sense in which the fact that there is a gap is non-negotiable. The interesting question is not whether there is a gap which needs to be bridged, but how and why Kant makes the step from subjectivity to objectivity.
Deduction Difficulties
Authors: Howell Robert
Published: February 2018

I argue, contrary to Dennis Schulting inKant’s Radical Subjectivism, that the main reasoning of Kant’s transcendental deduction of the categories is progressive, not regressive. Schulting is right, however, to emphasize that the deduction takes the object cognized to be constituted in an idealism-entailing way. But his reasoning has gaps and bypasses Kant’s most explicit deduction argument, independent of the Transcendental Aesthetic, for idealism. Finally, Schulting’s claim that Kantian discursivity itself requires idealism overlooks the fact that Kantian general judgements can be true in a domain of objects without being specificallyofor about any particular ones of those objects.
Shedding Light on the Southern Ocean Carbon Sink
Authors: Witman Sarah
Published: February 2018

One of the world’s largest carbon sinks is still poorly understood.
Skull optical clearing window for in vivo imaging of the mouse cortex at synaptic resolution
Authors: Zhao Yan-Jie , Yu Ting-Ting , Zhang Chao , Li Zhao , Luo Qing-Ming , Xu Tong-Hui , Zhu Dan
Published: February 2018

Imaging cells and microvasculature in the living brain is crucial to understanding an array of neurobiological phenomena. Here, we introduce a skull optical clearing window for imaging cortical structures at synaptic resolution. Combined with two-photon microscopy, this technique allowed us to repeatedly image neurons, microglia and microvasculature of mice. We applied it to study the plasticity of dendritic spines in critical periods and to visualize dendrites and microglia after laser ablation. Given its easy handling and safety, this method holds great promise for application in neuroscience research.
Multi-mW, few-cycle mid-infrared continuum spanning from 500 to 2250 cm−1
Authors: Zhang Jinwei , Fai Mak Ka , Nagl Nathalie , Seidel Marcus , Bauer Dominik , Sutter Dirk , Pervak Vladimir , Krausz Ferenc , Pronin Oleg
Published: February 2018

The demand for and usage of broadband coherent mid-infrared sources, such as those provided by synchrotron facilities, are growing. Since most organic molecules exhibit characteristic vibrational modes in the wavelength range between 500 and 4000 cm−1, such broadband coherent sources enable micro- or even nano-spectroscopic applications at or below the diffraction limit with a high signal-to-noise ratio1, 2, 3. These techniques have been applied in diverse fields ranging from life sciences, material analysis, and time-resolved spectroscopy. Here we demonstrate a broadband, coherent and intrinsically carrier-envelope-phase-stable source with a spectrum spanning from 500 to 2250 cm−1 (−30 dB) at an average power of 24 mW and a repetition rate of 77 MHz. This performance is enabled by the first mode-locked thin-disk oscillator operating at 2 μm wavelength, providing a tenfold increase in average power over femtosecond oscillators previously demonstrated in this wavelength range4. Multi-octave spectral coverage from this compact and power-scalable system opens up a range of time- and frequency-domain spectroscopic applications.
Circular RNA GRB10 as a competitive endogenous RNA regulating nucleus pulposus cells death in degenerative intervertebral disk
Authors: Guo Wei , Zhang Bin , Mu Kun , Feng Shi-Qing , Dong Zhan-Yin , Ning Guang-Zhi , Li Hao-Ran , Liu Shen , Zhao Ling , Li Yan , Yu Bing-Bing , Duan Hui-Quan , Sun Chao , Li Yong-Jin
Published: February 2018

Abstract

Intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) is an important factor leading to low back pain, but the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. Compared with normal nucleus pulposus (NP) tissues, the expression of circ-GRB10 was downregulated in IDD. Furthermore, overexpression of circ-GRB10 inhibited NP cell apoptosis. circ-GRB10 could sequester miR-328-5p, which could potentially lead to the upregulation of target genes related to cell proliferation via the ErbB pathway. In conclusion, the present study revealed that circ-GRB10/miR-328-5p/ERBB2 signaling pathway is involved in IDD development, suggesting that circ-GRB10 might be a novel therapeutic target for IDD.
TCF7L2 positively regulates aerobic glycolysis via the EGLN2/HIF-1α axis and indicates prognosis in pancreatic cancer
Authors: Xiang Jinfeng , Hu Qiangsheng , Qin Yi , Ji Shunrong , Xu Wenyan , Liu Wensheng , Shi Si , Liang Chen , Liu Jiang , Meng Qingcai , Liang Dingkong , Ni Quanxing , Xu Jin , Zhang Bo , Yu Xianjun
Published: February 2018

Patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma have much worse prognoses, and much effort has been directed toward understanding the molecular biological aspects of this disease. Accumulated evidence suggests that constitutive activation of the Wnt/β-catenin signalling contributes to the oncogenesis and progression of pancreatic cancer. Transcription factor 7-like2/transcription factor 4 (TCF7L2/TCF4), a β-catenin transcriptional partner, plays a vital role in the Wnt/β-catenin signalling pathway. In the present study, we investigated the clinicopathological significance of TCF7L2 in pancreatic cancer. Our results demonstrated that patients with higher TCF7L2 expression had worse prognosis. Our in vitro studies demonstrated that TCF7L2 positively regulated aerobic glycolysis by suppressing Egl-9 family hypoxia inducible factor 2 (EGLN2), leading to upregulation of hypoxia inducible factor 1 alpha subunit (HIF-1α). The impact of TCF7L2 on aerobic glycolysis was further confirmed in vivo by assessing 18FDG uptake in pancreatic cancer patients and in a subcutaneous xenograft mouse model. In summary, we identified novel predictive markers for prognosis and suggest a previously unrecognized role for TCF7L2 in control of aerobic glycolysis in pancreatic cancer.
Rapid measurement of inhibitor binding kinetics by isothermal titration calorimetry
Authors: Di Trani Justin M. , De Cesco Stephane , O’Leary Rebecca , Plescia Jessica , do Nascimento Claudia Jorge , Moitessier Nicolas , Mittermaier Anthony K.
Published: February 2018

Although drug development typically focuses on binding thermodynamics, recent studies suggest that kinetic properties can strongly impact a drug candidate’s efficacy. Robust techniques for measuring inhibitor association and dissociation rates are therefore essential. To address this need, we have developed a pair of complementary isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) techniques for measuring the kinetics of enzyme inhibition. The advantages of ITC over standard techniques include speed, generality, and versatility; ITC also measures the rate of catalysis directly, making it ideal for quantifying rapid, inhibitor-dependent changes in enzyme activity. We used our methods to study the reversible covalent and non-covalent inhibitors of prolyl oligopeptidase (POP). We extracted kinetics spanning three orders of magnitude, including those too rapid for standard methods, and measured sub-nM binding affinities below the typical ITC limit. These results shed light on the inhibition of POP and demonstrate the general utility of ITC-based enzyme inhibition kinetic measurements.
Frontal cortex function as derived from hierarchical predictive coding
Authors: Alexander William H. , Brown Joshua W.
Published: February 2018

The frontal lobes are essential for human volition and goal-directed behavior, yet their function remains unclear. While various models have highlighted working memory, reinforcement learning, and cognitive control as key functions, a single framework for interpreting the range of effects observed in prefrontal cortex has yet to emerge. Here we show that a simple computational motif based on predictive coding can be stacked hierarchically to learn and perform arbitrarily complex goal-directed behavior. The resulting Hierarchical Error Representation (HER) model simulates a wide array of findings from fMRI, ERP, single-units, and neuropsychological studies of both lateral and medial prefrontal cortex. By reconceptualizing lateral prefrontal activity as anticipating prediction errors, the HER model provides a novel unifying account of prefrontal cortex function with broad implications for understanding the frontal cortex across multiple levels of description, from the level of single neurons to behavior.
Multipotent Adult Progenitor Cells Support Lymphatic Regeneration at Multiple Anatomical Levels during Wound Healing and Lymphedema
Authors: Beerens Manu , Aranguren Xabier L. , Hendrickx Benoit , Dheedene Wouter , Dresselaers Tom , Himmelreich Uwe , Verfaillie Catherine , Luttun Aernout
Published: February 2018

Lymphatic capillary growth is an integral part of wound healing, yet, the combined effectiveness of stem/progenitor cells on lymphatic and blood vascular regeneration in wounds needs further exploration. Stem/progenitor cell transplantation also emerged as an approach to cure lymphedema, a condition caused by lymphatic system deficiency. While lymphedema treatment requires lymphatic system restoration from the capillary to the collector level, it remains undetermined whether stem/progenitor cells support a complex regenerative response across the entire anatomical spectrum of the system. Here, we demonstrate that, although multipotent adult progenitor cells (MAPCs) showed potential to differentiate down the lymphatic endothelial lineage, they mainly trophically supported lymphatic endothelial cell behaviour in vitro. In vivo, MAPC transplantation supported blood vessel and lymphatic capillary growth in wounds and restored lymph drainage across skin flaps by stimulating capillary and pre-collector vessel regeneration. Finally, human MAPCs mediated survival and functional reconnection of transplanted lymph nodes to the host lymphatic network by improving their (lymph)vascular supply and restoring collector vessels. Thus, MAPC transplantation represents a promising remedy for lymphatic system restoration at different anatomical levels and hence an appealing treatment for lymphedema. Furthermore, its combined efficacy on lymphatic and blood vascular growth is an important asset for wound healing.