bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Changes of grain production potential in farming–pastoral ecotone: a case study in West Jilin, China
Authors: Li Fei , Zhang Shuwen , Zhang Yijing , Yang Haijuan , Yang Jiuchun 
Published: April 2018

AbstractGrain production potential is mainly influenced by agroclimate and land use. In the present study, substantial regional differences associated with the impact of climate change were found (i.e. the degree of climate-related impacts varied among regions). Currently, there is an urgent need for effective responses and adaptations to different agricultural districts and agricultural production modes. Therefore, the aim was to examine ecotones and explore trends and influential factors associated with grain production potential change. Using the Global Agro-ecological Zone model, the grain production potential of West Jilin, China under different conditions during various years were estimated, considering meteorological, soil, topographic, land use and other data. The results showed that total grain production potential (TGrPP) of West Jilin increased continuously from 1976 to 2013. The average annual increase in TGrPP was higher in period 1 (1976–2000) than period 2 (2000–2013). In period 1, grain production potential was influenced mainly by irrigation percentage changes, followed by land use change. The conversion of grassland to farmland was the most important land use change factor that was associated with increased grain production potential. Climate change affected grain production potential in period 1 negatively. In period 2, climate change had the largest impact and land use imparted the smallest effect on grain production potential. Finally, the decrease in irrigation percentage resulted in reduced grain production potential.
Innate valuation, existential framing, and one head for multiple moral hats
Authors: Beal Bree , Rochat Philippe 
Published: April 2018

AbstractWe support John Doris's criticism of “reflectivism” but identify three shortcomings: (1) his neglect of humans' evolved predispositions and tendencies, (2) his failure to appreciate that identity and responsibility arise first from parsing our world ontologically, in a process we call “existential framing,” and (3) a potentially alarming implication of his “dialogic” model of identity formation: if identity is negotiated across diverse social situations, why isn't dissociative identity disorder more common?
Moral agency among the ruins
Authors: Dunning David 
Published: April 2018

AbstractDoris suggests thought-provoking directions for rehabilitating moral agency within a self that is unaware and incoherent. These directions suggest more radical proposals. First, moral reasoning may serve many different functions beyond merely expressing a person's values. Second, social collaboration may not focus on moral reasoning as much as it does on the “defeaters” of that agency. Ultimately, moral agency may not reside in the individual but in social communities or within external situations.
A detail shape grammar. Using Alberti's column system rules to evaluate the longitudinal elevation of the nave of Sant'Andrea church generation
Authors: D'Oliveira Quaresma Pedro Filipe Coutinho Cabral 
Published: April 2018

AbstractThis paper shows the way Leon Battista Alberti treatise De Re Aedificatoria column systematization shape grammar was built, and how the longitudinal elevation of the nave of the Sant'Andrea church was designed, evidencing some steps involved in the grammar construction process, its derivation, and the partial outputs gained from the grammar evaluation. The goal of this grammar is to infer Alberti's treatise rules through a computational approach evidencing its algorithmic nature, illustrating it, and understanding the De Re Aedificatoria rules that may be applied in the generation of some parts of buildings such as the Sant'Andrea church, showing a complementary method to archaeological, bibliographical, historical ones, among others, that have been used to understand the built environment. The rules provided by the grammar may be applied to an initial insertion point to produce a complete column and to a pre-existing plan or section element of a building generating its facade. It was proved, evaluating the grammar with a simple linear regression method, to what extent the treatise influenced the design of the facade in the study.
On age difference in joint lifetime modelling with life insurance annuity applications
Authors: Dufresne François , Hashorva Enkelejd , Ratovomirija Gildas , Toukourou Youssouf 
Published: April 2018

AbstractInsurance and annuity products covering several lives require the modelling of the joint distribution of future lifetimes. In the interest of simplifying calculations, it is common in practice to assume that the future lifetimes among a group of people are independent. However, extensive research over the past decades suggests otherwise. In this paper, a copula approach is used to model the dependence between lifetimes within a married couple using data from a large Canadian insurance company. As a novelty, the age difference and the gender of the elder partner are introduced as an argument of the dependence parameter. Maximum likelihood techniques are thus implemented for the parameter estimation. Not only do the results make clear that the correlation decreases with age difference, but also the dependence between the lifetimes is higher when husband is older than wife. A goodness-of-fit procedure is applied in order to assess the validity of the model. Finally, considering several annuity products available on the life insurance market, the paper concludes with practical illustrations.
Multi-functional D-bandI/Qmodulator/demodulator MMICs in SiGe BiCMOS technology
Authors: Carpenter Sona , He Zhongxia Simon , Zirath Herbert 
Published: April 2018

AbstractThis paper presents the design and characterization of a D-band (110–170 GHz) monolithic microwave integrated direct carrier quadrature modulator and demodulator circuits with on-chip quadrature local oscillator (LO) phase shifter and radio frequency (RF) balun fabricated in a 130 nm SiGe BiCMOS process withft/fmaxof 250 GHz/400 GHz. These circuits are suitable for low-power ultra-high-speed wireless communication and can be used in both homodyne and heterodyne architectures. In single-sideband operation, the modulator demonstrates a maximum conversion gain of 9.8 dB with 3-dB RF bandwidth of 33 GHz (from 119 GHz to 152 GHz). The measured image rejection ratio (IRR) and LO suppression are 19 dB and 31 dB, respectively. The outputP1dBis −4 dBm at 140 GHz RF and 1 GHz intermediate frequency (IF) and the chip consumes 53 mW dc power. The demodulator, characterized as an image reject mixer, exhibits 10 dB conversion gain with 23-dB IRR. The measured 3-dB RF bandwidth is 36 GHz and the IF bandwidth is 18 GHz. The active area of both the chips is 620 µm × 480 µm including the RF and LO baluns. A 12-Gbit/s QPSK data transmission using 131-GHz carrier signal is demonstrated on modulator with measured modulator-to-receiver error vector magnitude of 21%.
Spatial distribution of arable and abandoned land across former Soviet Union countries
Authors: Lesiv Myroslava , Schepaschenko Dmitry , Moltchanova Elena , Bun Rostyslav , Dürauer Martina , Prishchepov Alexander V. , Schierhorn Florian , Estel Stephan , Kuemmerle Tobias , Alcántara Camilo , Kussul Natalia , Shchepashchenko Maria , Kutovaya Olga , Martynenko Olga , Karminov Viktor , Shvidenko Anatoly , Havlik Petr , Kraxner Florian , See Linda , Fritz Steffen 
Published: April 2018

AbstractKnowledge of the spatial distribution of agricultural abandonment following the collapse of the Soviet Union is highly uncertain. To help improve this situation, we have developed a new map of arable and abandoned land for 2010 at a 10 arc-second resolution. We have fused together existing land cover and land use maps at different temporal and spatial scales for the former Soviet Union (fSU) using a training data set collected from visual interpretation of very high resolution (VHR) imagery. We have also collected an independent validation data set to assess the map accuracy. The overall accuracies of the map by region and country, i.e. Caucasus, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Republic of Moldova, Russian Federation and Ukraine, are 90±2%, 84±2%, 92±1%, 78±3%, 95±1%, 83±2%, respectively. This new product can be used for numerous applications including the modelling of biogeochemical cycles, land-use modelling, the assessment of trade-offs between ecosystem services and land-use potentials (e.g., agricultural production), among others.
Contribution of Factor VIII A2 Domain Residues 400–409 to a Factor X-Interactive Site in the Factor Xase Complex
Authors: Takeyama Masahiro , Sasai Kana , Furukawa Shoko , Shima Midori , Nogami Keiji 
Published: April 2018

AbstractThe link between factor (F)VIII and FX is essential for optimum activity of the tenase complex. The interactive site(s) in FVIII for FX remains to be completely clarified, however. We investigated the FVIII A2 domain-FX association that was speculated from inhibitory mechanism(s) by an anti-A2 autoantibody. SDS-PAGE demonstrated that the purified inhibitor IgG recognizing residues 373–562 blocked FXa cleavage at Arg372 in FVIII, and surface-plasmon resonance (SPR)-based assays showed that intact A2 subunit directly bound to FX (K
d; 63 nM). The FVIII structure model indicated possible FX-binding site(s) in residues 400–429 in A2. One peptide corresponding to residues 400–409 competitively inhibited both the A2–FX binding and FVIIIa/FIXa-dependent FXa generation. Covalent cross-linking was observed between this peptide and FX following reaction with EDC (1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)-carbodiimide) using SDS-PAGE. K408 and S409 were not evident in N-terminal sequence analysis of the cross-linked product, suggesting that two residues participated in cross-link formation. SPR-based assays using recombinant FVIII mutants with one or both residues substituted to alanine demonstrated that K408A and K408A/S409A had approximately fourfold high K
d values of wild-type (WT-)FVIII. FXa cleavages at Arg372 in both mutants were significantly delayed, suggesting a contribution of K408 for FXa cleavage at Arg372. Furthermore, FXa generation assays with these mutants demonstrated that the K
m values were 1.4- to 1.7-fold greater, and overall catalytic efficiency (k
cat/K
m) was 0.49- to 0.89-fold lower than with WT-FVIII, suggesting a significant contribution of K408 for FVIII–FX interaction in tenase assembly. We concluded that the K408 in the A2 domain provided an interactive-site for FX.
Contribution of Smoking to Tuberculosis Incidence and Mortality in High-Tuberculosis-Burden Countries
Authors: Amere Genet A , Nayak Pratibha , Salindri Argita D , Narayan K M V , Magee Matthew J 
Published: April 2018

Abstract
Globally, 10 million incident cases of tuberculosis (TB) are reported annually, and 95% of TB cases and 80% of tobacco users reside in low- and middle-income countries. Smoking approximately doubles the risk of TB disease and TB mortality. We estimated the proportion of annual incident TB cases and TB mortality attributable to tobacco smoking in 32 high-TB-burden countries. We obtained country-specific estimates of TB incidence, TB mortality, and smoking prevalence from the World Health Organization Global TB Report (2017), tobacco surveillance reports (2015), and the Tobacco Atlas. Risk ratios for the effect of smoking on TB incidence and TB mortality were obtained from published meta-analyses. An estimated 17.6% (95% confidence interval (CI): 8.4, 21.4) of TB cases and 15.2% (95% CI: 1.8, 31.9) of TB mortality were attributable to smoking. Among high-TB-burden countries, Russia had the highest proportion of smoking-attributable TB disease (31.6%, 95% CI: 15.9, 37.6) and deaths (28.1%, 95% CI: 3.8, 51.4). Men had a greater proportion of TB cases attributable to smoking (30.3%, 95% CI: 14.7, 36.6) than did women (4.3, 95% CI: 1.7, 5.7). Our findings highlight the need for tobacco control in high-TB-burden countries to combat TB incidence and TB mortality.
Microbial activity during a coastal phytoplankton bloom on the Western Antarctic Peninsula in late summer
Authors: Alcamán-Arias María E , Farías Laura , Verdugo Josefa , Alarcón-Schumacher Tomás , Díez Beatriz 
Published: April 2018

Abstract
Phytoplankton biomass during the austral summer is influenced by freezing and melting cycles as well as oceanographic processes that enable nutrient redistribution in the West Antarctic Peninsula (WAP). Microbial functional capabilities, metagenomic and metatranscriptomic activities as well as inorganic 13C- and 15N-assimilation rates were studied in the surface waters of Chile Bay during two contrasting summer periods in 2014. Concentrations of Chlorophyll a (Chla) varied from 0.3 mg m−3 in February to a maximum of 2.5 mg m−3 in March, together with a decrease in nutrients; however, nutrients were never depleted. The microbial community composition remained similar throughout both sampling periods; however, microbial abundance and activity changed with Chla levels. An increased biomass of Bacillariophyta, Haptophyceae and Cryptophyceae was observed along with night-grazing activity of Dinophyceae and ciliates (Alveolates). During high Chla conditions, HCO3− uptake rates during daytime incubations increased 5-fold (&gt;2516 nmol C L−1 d−1), and increased photosynthetic transcript numbers that were mainly associated with cryptophytes; meanwhile night time NO3− (&gt;706 nmol N L−1 d−1) and NH4+ (41.7 nmol N L−1 d−1) uptake rates were 2- and 3-fold higher, respectively, due to activity from Alpha-/Gammaproteobacteria and Bacteroidetes (Flavobacteriia). Due to a projected acceleration in climate change in the WAP, this information is valuable for predicting the composition and functional changes in Antarctic microbial communities.
Phase retrieval via randomized Kaczmarz: theoretical guarantees
Authors: Tan Yan Shuo , Vershynin Roman 
Published: April 2018

Abstract
We consider the problem of phase retrieval, i.e. that of solving systems of quadratic equations. A simple variant of the randomized Kaczmarz method was recently proposed for phase retrieval, and it was shown numerically to have a computational edge over state-of-the-art Wirtinger flow methods. In this paper, we provide the first theoretical guarantee for the convergence of the randomized Kaczmarz method for phase retrieval. We show that it is sufficient to have as many Gaussian measurements as the dimension, up to a constant factor. Along the way, we introduce a sufficient condition on measurement sets for which the randomized Kaczmarz method is guaranteed to work. We show that Gaussian sampling vectors satisfy this property with high probability; this is proved using a chaining argument coupled with bounds on Vapnik–Chervonenkis (VC) dimension and metric entropy.
The Transitional Justice and Foreign Policy Nexus: The Inefficient Causation of State Ontological Security-Seeking
Authors: Mälksoo Maria 
Published: April 2018

AbstractHow does an approach towards transitional justice produce preconditions for a country's international action, enabling certain policies and practices in the immediate neighborhood and international society at large? This article unpacks ontological security-seeking as a generic social mechanism in international politics, which makes it possible to productively conceptualize the connection between a state's transitional justice and foreign policies. Going beyond the dichotomy of transitional justice compliance and noncompliance by gauging the role of states’ subjective sense of self in driving their behavior, I develop an analytical framework to explain how state ontological security-seeking relates to major transitions and consequent state identity disjuncture, the ensuing politics of truth-and-justice-seeking, and its international resonance in framing and executing particular foreign policies. I offer a typology of the international consequences of states’ transitional justice politics, distinguishing between reflective and mnemonical security-oriented approaches, spawning cooperative and conflictual foreign policy behavior, respectively. The empirical purchase of the purported nexus is illustrated with the example of post-Soviet Russia's limited politics of accountability toward the repressions of its antecedent regime and its increasingly self-assertive and confrontational stance in contemporary international politics.
Case Report: Double Oberlin Nerve Transfer to Restore Elbow Flexion Following C5-C6 Avulsion Injury
Authors: Moses Michael J , Dai Amoz Z , Lowe Dylan T , Chu Alice , Protopsaltis Themistocles S 
Published: April 2018

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND IMPORTANCE
The use of nerve transfers to restore nerve function following traumatic avulsion injuries has been described, though there is still a paucity in the literature documenting technique and long-term outcomes for these procedures. The double Oberlin nerve transfer involves transferring fascicles from the median and ulnar nerves to the musculocutaneous nerve to restore elbow flexion in patients with a C5-C6 avulsion injury. The purpose of this case report is to present our indications and technique for a double Oberlin transfer in addition to exhibiting video footage at follow-up time points documenting the incremental improvement in elbow flexion following the injury.

CLINICAL PRESENTATION
The patient is a 25-yr old, left-hand dominant male who presented 5 mo following a motor vehicle accident. He had 0/5 biceps muscle strength on the left with a computed tomography myelogram that demonstrated pseudomeningoceles from C2-C3 to C7-T1 with root avulsions of C5 and C6. He was subsequently indicated for a double Oberlin nerve transfer to restore elbow flexion.

CONCLUSION
In this case report, we present our technique and outcomes for a double Oberlin transfer with restoration of elbow flexion at 1-yr follow-up for a patient with traumatic brachial plexus injury. We believe that the double Oberlin transfer serves as a safe and effective method to restore elbow flexion in this patient population.
Sphingosine-1-phosphate Receptor 2 Signaling Promotes Caspase-11–dependent Macrophage Pyroptosis and Worsens Escherichia coli Sepsis Outcome
Authors: Song Fang , Hou Jinchao , Chen Zhecong , Cheng Baoli , Lei Ruyi , Cui Ping , Sun Yaqi , Wang Haihong , Fang Xiangming 
Published: April 2018

Abstract

What We Already Know about This Topic

What This Article Tells Us That Is New

Background
Pyroptosis, a type of proinflammatory programmed cell death, drives cytokine storm. Caspase-11–dependent macrophage pyroptosis contributes to mortality during sepsis. Sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor 2 (S1PR2) signaling can amplify interleukin-1β secretion in endotoxin-induced inflammation. Here, we hypothesized that S1PR2 signaling increases caspase-11–dependent macrophage pyroptosis and worsens Gram-negative sepsis outcome.

Methods
A Gram-negative sepsis model was induced through intraperitoneal injection of Escherichia coli. Primary peritoneal macrophages isolated from wild-type, S1pr2-deficient (S1pr2
-/-), or nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor protein-3–deficient mice were treated with E. coli. Caspase-11 activation, macrophage pyroptosis, and Ras homolog gene family, member A-guanosine triphosphate levels were assessed in those cells. Additionally, monocyte caspase-4 (an analog of caspase-11) expression and its correlation with S1PR2 expression were determined in patients with Gram-negative sepsis (n = 11).

Results
Genetic deficiency of S1PR2 significantly improved survival rate (2/10 [20%] in wild-type vs. 7/10 [70%] in S1pr2
-/-, P = 0.004) and decreased peritoneal macrophage pyroptosis (pyroptosis rate: 35 ± 3% in wild-type vs. 10 ± 3% in S1pr2
-/-, P < 0.001). Decreased caspase-11 activation in S1PR2 deficiency cells contributed to the reduced macrophage pyroptosis. In addition, RhoA inhibitor abrogated the amplified caspase-11 activation in wild-type or S1PR2-overexpressing cells. In patients with Gram-negative sepsis, caspase-4 increased significantly in monocytes compared to nonseptic controls and was positively correlated with S1PR2 (r = 0.636, P = 0.035).

Conclusions
S1PR2 deficiency decreased macrophage pyroptosis and improved survival in E. coli sepsis. These beneficial effects were attributed to the decreased caspase-11 activation of S1PR2-deficient macrophages. S1PR2 and caspase-11 may be promising new targets for treatment of sepsis.
Apelin Reduces Nitric Oxide–Induced Relaxation of Cerebral Arteries by Inhibiting Activation of Large-Conductance, Calcium-Activated K Channels
Authors: Mughal Amreen , Sun Chengwen , O'Rourke Stephen T. 
Published: April 2018

Abstract:
Activation of the apelin/APJ receptor signaling system causes endothelium-dependent and nitric oxide (NO)–dependent relaxation in several peripheral arteries. The effects of apelin in cerebral arteries are unknown; however, apelin inhibits voltage-dependent increases in large-conductance, calcium-activated K channel (BKCa) currents in cerebral artery smooth muscle cells. Because NO-induced relaxation of cerebral arteries is mediated, in part, by activation of BKCa channels, the goals of this study were to determine the net effect of apelin in cerebral arteries, as well as test the hypothesis that the actions of apelin in cerebral arteries are secondary to stimulation of APJ receptors. Immunoblot and quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction analyses detected APJ receptors in cerebral arteries of male Sprague-Dawley rats, and immunofluorescence studies using confocal microscopy confirmed APJ receptor localization in smooth muscle cells. In myograph studies, apelin itself had no direct vasomotor effect but inhibited relaxations to the NO-donor, diethylamine NONOate, and to the endothelium-dependent vasodilator, bradykinin. These effects of apelin were mimicked by the selective BKCa-channel blocker, iberiotoxin, and suppressed by the APJ receptor antagonist, F13A. Apelin also inhibited relaxations evoked by the BKCa-channel openers, NS1619 and BMS 191011, but had no effect on relaxation to levcromakalim, a selective KATP-channel opener. Apelin had no effect on diethylamine NONOate–induced or bradykinin-induced increases in cyclic guanosine monophosphate levels. Patch clamp recordings demonstrated that apelin and iberiotoxin each suppressed the increase in BKCa currents induced by DEA and NS1619 in freshly isolated cerebral artery smooth muscle cells. The results demonstrate that apelin inhibits NO-induced relaxation of cerebral arteries through a mechanism involving activation of APJ receptors and inhibition of BKCa channels in cerebral arterial smooth muscle cells.