bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Hip-hop classes effect on lateral dominance indicator change among the non-sports university students
Authors: Serikova Yuliya , Aleksandrova Veronika
Published: March 2021

The goal of this work to evaluate the efficiency of using a hiphop class method during the educational process of non-sports university female students based on lateral dominance indicator manifestation. One of the most important evaluation parameters of brain hemispheres activity is lateral organization profile presence or absence. Brain lateralization is manifested as a consequence if the brain hemispheres functional asymmetry occurs. Unequal distribution of brain strain on the brain hemispheres’ activity is one of the obvious reasons of both motor and sensory asymmetry occurrence among those, who go in for physical training and sports. This is connected with unilateral character of the training process in sports and in physical training educational process. In the course of pedagogical testing of non-sports university female students, functional motor asymmetry with an individual right-hand type of the lateral profile has been revealed. This fact emphasizes insufficiency of impact on one of the coordination skills indicators in the process of physical training classes with students, which aggravates the processes of brain hemispheres functioning, which, in its turn, leads to inferior development of psychomotor qualities, which manifestation level is directly connected with coordination skills. As a result of the pedagogical experiment, based on using hip-hop as a means of coordination skills refinement, experimental group showed reliable improvement of lateral dominance indicator towards its decrease.
Possibilities of using sprouted wheat grain in meat semi-finished products for a healthy diet
Authors: Belokurova E.S. , Pankina I.A. , Asfondyarova I. , Abdizhapparova B.T.
Published: March 2021

One of the ways to enrich food with essential micronutrients is to use cereals and legumes. The inclusion of wheat germ in the daily diet is the basis of “correct” and “healthy” nutrition systems. One of the most promising ways to create food products with desired properties is the use of a computational method for optimizing the amino acid rate of finished foods. By correctly selecting the component and nutrient composition, it is possible to produce food products for functional, specialized and therapeutic and prophylactic nutrition. Only by using of modern software you can quickly select and adjust the diet for various population groups, taking into account national and regional characteristics. The digitalization of world markets provides prerequisites for the creation of many newest software products that help technologists in the development of recipes for functional and preventive food products, raising food production to a new quality level.
Analysis of a backward Euler-type scheme for Maxwell’s equations in a Havriliak–Negami dispersive medium
Authors: Yang Yubo , Wang Li-Lian , Zeng Fanhai
Published: March 2021

For the Maxwell’s equations in a Havriliak–Negami (H-N) dispersive medium, the associated energy dissipation law has not been settled at both continuous level and discrete level. In this paper, we rigorously show that the energy of the H-N model can be bounded by the initial energy and the model is well-posed. We analyse a backward Euler-type semi-discrete scheme, and prove that the modified discrete energy decays monotonically in time. Such a strong stability ensures that the scheme is unconditionally stable. We also introduce a fast temporal convolution algorithm to alleviate the burden of the history dependence in the polarisation relation involving the singular kernel with the Mittag-Leffler function with three parameters. We provide ample numerical results to demonstrate the efficiency and accuracy of a full-discrete scheme via a spectra-Galerkin method in two dimensions. Finally, we consider an interesting application in the recovery of complex relative permittivity and some related physical quantities.
Das Adipositas-Paradox/Paradigma bei kardiovaskulären Erkrankungen: Fakten und Kommentare
Authors: Döhner Wolfram
Published: March 2021

Patienten mit kardiovaskulären Erkrankungen zeigen oft ein besseres Überleben bei Übergewicht und milder Adipositas als bei normalem Körpergewicht. Darüber hinaus ist bei solchen Patienten ein beobachteter Gewichtsverlust oft mit einer erhöhten Sterblichkeit assoziiert. Dieser Befund steht im Gegensatz zur fest etablierten Erkenntnis für Adipositas als kardiovaskulärer Risikofaktor und wird daher als Adipositas-Paradox beschrieben. Eine zunehmende Evidenz bestätigt die Erkenntnisse bei verschiedenen kardiovaskulären
Erkrankungen. Insbesondere bei Patienten mit chronischer Herzinsuffizienz wurde die auch als inverse Epidemiologie beschriebene geringere Sterblichkeit bei höherem BMI umfangreich beschrieben. In Berechnungsmodellen zur Risikoabschätzung bei Herzinsuffizienz wie dem Seattle Heart Failure Model wird Adipositas daher mittlerweile als protektiver Faktor verwendet. Auch bei Patienten mit koronarer Herzerkrankung, akutem Herzinfarkt, Hypertonus, Vorhofflimmern, Schlaganfall, peripherer Gefäßerkrankung, mit Diabetes und kardiovaskulärem Risikoprofil oder dialysepflichtiger Niereninsuffizienz bestätigt sich ein besseres Überleben für Patienten mit Übergewicht und milder Adipositas, ebenso
bei Patienten mit zahlreichen kardiovaskulären Interventionen wie Herzkatheter, Bypass-Chirurgie, TAVI, Klappenchirurgie oder Herztransplantation. In der vorliegenden Arbeit werden verschiedene methodische, statistische und konzeptionelle Aspekte diskutiert, die die Erkenntnisse kritisch bewerten und eine mutmaßlich fehlerhafte Interpretation der Befunde folgern. Dagegen gibt es auch mechanistische Erklärungen, die einen protektiven Effekt durch erhöhte Körpermasse beschreiben angesichts einer kardiovaskulären Erkrankung mit grundsätzlich gestörter Stoffwechselkontrolle im Sinne einer katabolen/anabolen Imbalance. Der Stellenwert und die Limitationen des Body-Mass-Index als grundlegende Methode zur Einschätzung des Körperbaus, die Besonderheiten eines ungewollten gegenüber eines gewollten Gewichtsverlustes, widersprüchliche Daten aus prospektiven, kontrollierten Studien wie auch der Einfluss des Alters sind Gegenstand der Diskussion. Der Artikel gibt eine Übersicht über die aktuelle Diskussion zum Adipositas-Paradox. Überlegungen zum Körpergewicht und zum Gewichtsmanagement sollten über die Erkenntnisse der Primärprävention hinaus eine differenziertere Sichtweise berücksichtigen, die individuelle Faktoren wie Alter und bestehende Erkrankungen der Patienten einbezieht.
Mind the gap! On the future of AI research
Authors: Dahlin Emma
Published: March 2021

Research on AI tends to analytically separate technical and social issues, viewing AI first as a technical object that only later, after it has been implemented, may have social consequences. This commentary paper discusses how some of the challenges of AI research relate to the gap between technological and social analyses, and it proposes steps ahead for how to practically achieve prosperous collaborations for future AI research. The discussion draws upon three examples to illustrate the analytical gap in different phases of the development of AI systems. Attending to the planning phase, the first example highlights the risk of oversimplifying the task for an AI system by not incorporating a social analysis at the outset of the development. The second example illuminates the issue of system acceptance, where the paper elaborates on why acceptance is multifaceted and need not be approached as merely a technical problem. With the third example, the paper notes that AI systems may change a practice, suggesting that a continuous analysis of such changes is necessary for projects to maintain relevance as well as to consider the broader impact of the developed technology. The paper argues that systematic and substantial social analyses should be integral to AI development. Exploring the connections between an AI’s technical design and its social implications is key to ensuring feasible and sustainable AI systems that benefit society. The paper calls for further multi-disciplinary research initiatives that explore new ways to close the analytical gap between technical and social approaches to AI.
Characteristics of Ni-based ohmic contacts on n-type 4H-SiC using different annealing methods
Authors: Zhou Ziwei , He Weiwei , Zhang Zhenzhong , Sun Jun , Schöner Adolf , Zheng Zedong
Published: March 2021

Nickel is an excellent ohmic-contact metal on 4H-SiC. This paper discusses the formation mechanism of nickel ohmic contact on 4H-SiC by assessing the electrical properties and microstructural change. Under high-temperature annealing, the phase of nickel-silicon compound can be observed with X-ray diffraction, and the contact resistance also changes. A comparative experiment was designed to use X-ray diffraction and energy-dispersive spectroscopy to clarify the difference of ohmic-contact material composition and elemental analysis between samples prepared using pulsed laser annealing and rapid thermal annealing. It is found that more Ni2Si and carbon vacancies formed at the interface in the sample prepared using pulsed laser annealing, resulting in a better ohmic-contact characteristic.
Low temperature and high magnetic field performance of a commercial piezo-actuator probed via laser interferometry
Authors: Adhikari R. , Doesinger K. , Lindner P. , Faina B. , Bonanni A.
Published: March 2021

The advances in the fields of scanning probe microscopy, scanning tunneling spectroscopy, point contact spectroscopy, and point contact Andreev reflection spectroscopy to study the properties of conventional and quantum materials under cryogenic conditions have prompted the development of nanopositioners and nanoscanners with enhanced spatial resolution. Piezoelectric-actuator stacks as nanopositioners with working strokes of 10 μm and positioning resolution ∼(1–10) nm are desirable for both basic research and industrial applications. However, information on the performance of most commercial piezoelectric actuators in cryogenic environment and in the presence of magnetic fields in excess of 5 T is generally not available. In particular, the magnitude, the rate, and the associated hysteresis of the piezo-displacement at cryogenic temperatures are the most relevant parameters that determine whether a particular piezoelectric actuator can be used as a nanopositioner. Here, the design and realization of an experimental setup based on interferometric techniques to characterize a commercial piezoelectric actuator over a temperature range of 2 K ≤ T ≤ 260 K and magnetic fields up to 6 T are presented. The studied piezoelectric actuator has a maximum displacement of 30 μm at room temperature for a maximum driving voltage of 75 V, which reduces to 1.2 μm with an absolute hysteresis of 9.1±3.3nm at T = 2 K. The magnetic field is shown to have no substantial effect on the piezo-properties of the studied piezoelectric-actuator stack.
A volumetric finite-difference method for the design of three-dimensional, arbitrary-structured MRI gradient coil
Authors: Kang Liyi , Xia Ling , Wang Qiuliang , Wang Yaohui , Tang Fangfang , Liu Feng
Published: March 2021

A volumetric finite-difference based method is presented in this paper for the design of three-dimensional (3D), arbitrarily structured gradient coils in magnetic resonance imaging. In the proposed method, the coil space is discretized with quasi-rectangular elements, and the current density of each element is expressed by a finite-difference based numerical approximation of stream functions. The magnetic flux density at target field points can be calculated by those stream function values at all grids of the coil space. The optimization problem is constructed and solved to determine the stream function and coil patterns. This proposed method has been tested on several designs that include a shielded, ultra-short cylindrical coil, a partially shielded biplanar coil, and an asymmetric head coil with 3D geometries. The numerical results show that the proposed method is straightforward to implement and is versatile and suitable for designing complex structured gradient coils with high electromagnetic performance.
Domain wall-magnetic tunnel junction spin–orbit torque devices and circuits for in-memory computing
Authors: Alamdar Mahshid , Leonard Thomas , Cui Can , Rimal Bishweshwor P. , Xue Lin , Akinola Otitoaleke G. , Patrick Xiao T. , Friedman Joseph S. , Bennett Christopher H. , Marinella Matthew J. , Incorvia Jean Anne C.
Published: March 2021

There are pressing problems with traditional computing, especially for accomplishing data-intensive and real-time tasks, that motivate the development of in-memory computing devices to both store information and perform computation. Magnetic tunnel junction memory elements can be used for computation by manipulating a domain wall, a transition region between magnetic domains, but the experimental study of such devices has been limited by high current densities and low tunnel magnetoresistance. Here, we study prototypes of three-terminal domain wall-magnetic tunnel junction in-memory computing devices that can address data processing bottlenecks and resolve these challenges by using perpendicular magnetic anisotropy, spin–orbit torque switching, and an optimized lithography process to produce average device tunnel magnetoresistance TMR = 171% and average resistance-area product RA = 29 Ω μm2, close to the RA of the unpatterned film. Device initialization variation in switching voltage is shown to be curtailed to 7%–10% by controlling the domain wall initial position, which we show corresponds to 90%–96% accuracy in a domain wall-magnetic tunnel junction full adder simulation. Repeatability of writing and resetting the device is shown. A circuit shows an inverter operation between two devices, showing that a voltage window is large enough, compared to the variation noise, to repeatably operate a domain wall-magnetic tunnel junction circuit. These results make strides in using magnetic tunnel junctions and domain walls for in-memory and neuromorphic computing applications.
Real-time time-dependent density functional theory implementation of electronic circular dichroism applied to nanoscale metal–organic clusters
Authors: Makkonen Esko , Rossi Tuomas P. , Larsen Ask Hjorth , Lopez-Acevedo Olga , Rinke Patrick , Kuisma Mikael , Chen Xi
Published: March 2021

Electronic circular dichroism (ECD) is a powerful spectroscopy method for investigating chiral properties at the molecular level. ECD calculations with the commonly used linear-response time-dependent density functional theory (LR-TDDFT) framework can be prohibitively costly for large systems. To alleviate this problem, we present here an ECD implementation within the projector augmented-wave method in a real-time-propagation TDDFT framework in the open-source GPAW code. Our implementation supports both local atomic basis sets and real-space finite-difference representations of wave functions. We benchmark our implementation against an existing LR-TDDFT implementation in GPAW for small chiral molecules. We then demonstrate the efficiency of our local atomic basis set implementation for a large hybrid nanocluster and discuss the chiroptical properties of the cluster.
Imaging ellipsometry for structured and plasmonic materials
Authors: Hingerl Kurt
Published: March 2021

For approximately a decade, imaging ellipsometers have been available commercially. These allow one to measure the properties of graphene flakes, organic layers on amorphous substrates, plasmonic structures, among many other examples. These imaging ellipsometers opened a path to recognize and interpret pattern formations on surfaces or mapping field enhancement. However, for a full understanding of the optical response of patterned substrates, one should be aware that the well-known Fresnel reflection and transmission equations are, strictly speaking, not correct anymore. In this contribution, the ellipsometric response is explained in detail using heuristic physical arguments, hopefully without getting lost in the complexities of numerical computations.
Modeling nonadiabatic dynamics with degenerate electronic states, intersystem crossing, and spin separation: A key goal for chemical physics
Authors: Bian Xuezhi , Wu Yanze , Teh Hung-Hsuan , Zhou Zeyu , Chen Hsing-Ta , Subotnik Joseph E.
Published: March 2021

We examine the many open questions that arise for nonadiabatic dynamics in the presence of degenerate electronic states, e.g., for singlet-to-triplet intersystem crossing where a minimal Hamiltonian must include four states (two of which are always degenerate). In such circumstances, the standard surface hopping approach is not sufficient as the algorithm does not include Berry force. Yet, we hypothesize that such a Berry force may be crucial as far as creating chiral induced spin separation, which is now a burgeoning field of study. Thus, this Perspective highlights the fact that if one can generate a robust and accurate semiclassical approach for the case of degenerate states, one will take a big step forward toward merging chemical physics with spintronics.
Excitonic nonlinear shifts in photonic crystal nanocavities with buried multiple quantum wells
Authors: Takiguchi Masato , Nozaki Kengo , Sumikura Hisashi , Takemura Naotomo , Fujii Takuro , Kuramochi Eiichi , Shinya Akihiko , Matsuo Shinji , Notomi Masaya
Published: March 2021

We investigate strong excitonic absorption and large nonlinear wavelength shifts in buried multiple-quantum-well photonic crystal L3 nanocavities that well confine the carriers. The confined carriers can survive as long as the radiative lifetime because carrier diffusion is negligible and surface recombination is well suppressed. In addition, strong optical confinement and small mode volume provided by photonic crystals can enhance excitonic nonlinearity. Therefore, our structure shows a strong excitonic effect that induces large refractive index changes by exciton bleaching and exhibits a large cavity-frequency shift. Our results will contribute to the development of ultralow energy all-optical switching devices in the future.
Voronoi analysis of vortex clustering in homogeneous isotropic turbulence
Authors: Osawa K. , Minamoto Y. , Shimura M. , Tanahashi M.
Published: March 2021

Clustering of fine-scale dissipative vortices is quantified using a new technique based on the Voronoi diagram. We consider datasets of numerical simulations of decaying and forced homogeneous turbulence up to Reλ≈400. Velocity gradient events are more intense and intermittent if fine-scale vortices have a higher number density. However, clustering is observed only if the vortices are thresholded according to their intensity. Therefore, a fine-scale vortex cluster is the accumulation among stronger vortices rather than the accumulation of all of the vortices in the flow. Turbulence statistics in intense vortex clusters share characteristics with those of the outside when they are renormalized by their local magnitude. This suggests that the clusters are the product of passive amplification of the swirling intensity by underlying larger-scale motions. Comparing the decaying and forced flows reveals that the large-scale forcing affects the vortex distribution although other turbulence statistics are unaffected. The rotation axes of the vortices in the cluster are not preferentially aligned for either flow, which implies that large-scale shear layers are not a vital feature of the clusters.
Evaluation of the work of adhesion at the interface between a surface-modified metal oxide and an organic solvent using molecular dynamics simulations
Authors: Saito Takamasa , Shoji Eita , Kubo Masaki , Tsukada Takao , Kikugawa Gota , Surblys Donatas
Published: March 2021

Advancing the practical applications of surface-modified nanoparticles requires that their dispersion in solvents can be controlled. The degree of dispersion depends on the affinity between surface-modified nanoparticles and solvents, which can be quantified using the work of adhesion at the interface. Herein, the affinity between a surface-modified inorganic solid and an organic solvent was evaluated by calculating the work of adhesion at the interface. The phantom-wall method, which is a thermodynamic route for evaluating the work of adhesion at an interface using molecular dynamics simulations, was applied to the decanoic acid-modified Al2O3/hexane interface. Molecular dynamics simulations were performed for flat interface systems to focus on the interactions between substances that affect the affinity on the surface. As a result, the surface coverage of decanoic acid was found to affect the work of adhesion, with a maximum value of 45.66 ± 0.75 mJ/m2 at a surface coverage of 75%. An analysis of the mass density profiles of Al2O3, decanoic acid, and hexane in the vicinity of the interface showed that the increase in the work of adhesion with the surface coverage was due to the penetration of hexane molecules into the decanoic acid layer on the Al2O3 surface. At a surface coverage of 75%, some hexane molecules were trapped in the layer of oriented decanoic acid molecules. These results suggested that the interfacial affinity can be enhanced by controlling the surface modification so that the solvent can penetrate the layer of the modifier.
Estimating transition path times and shapes from single-molecule photon trajectories: A simulation analysis
Authors: Taumoefolau Grace H. , Best Robert B.
Published: March 2021

In a two-state molecular system, transition paths comprise the portions of trajectories during which the system transits from one stable state to the other. Because of their low population, it is essentially impossible to obtain information on transition paths from experiments on a large sample of molecules. However, single-molecule experiments such as laser optical tweezers or Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) spectroscopy have allowed transition-path durations to be estimated. Here, we use molecular simulations to test the methodology for obtaining information on transition paths in single-molecule FRET by generating photon trajectories from the distance trajectories obtained in the simulation. Encouragingly, we find that this maximum likelihood analysis yields transition-path times within a factor of 2–4 of the values estimated using a good coordinate for folding, but tends to systematically underestimate them. The underestimation can be attributed partly to the fact that the large changes in the end–end distance occur mostly early in a folding trajectory. However, even if the transfer efficiency is a good reaction coordinate for folding, the assumption that the transition-path shape is a step function still leads to an underestimation of the transition-path time as defined here. We find that allowing more flexibility in the form of the transition path model allows more accurate transition-path times to be extracted and points the way toward further improvements in methods for estimating transition-path time and transition-path shape.
Linear and nonlinear flux-flow behaviors in superconducting hot-electron bolometer mixers
Authors: Miao Wei , Li Feiming , Gao Hao , Zhou Kangmin , Zhong Jiaqiang , Ren Yuan , Zhang Wen , Shi Shengcai , Delorme Yan
Published: March 2021

We study experimentally the resistive behaviors of a niobium nitride superconducting hot-electron bolometer (HEB) device driven by magnetic field and terahertz radiation. We find that the resistance of the superconducting HEB device emerges due to time-dependent changes of the macroscopic quantum phase by flux-flow events. The flux-flow resistance is found to be increased linearly with magnetic field at low vortex velocities and is enhanced by terahertz radiation. At high vortex velocities, there is an obvious non-linear change, which can be well interpreted by viscous flux-flow instability predicted by the Larkin and Ovchinnikov theory. In addition, we demonstrate a technique taking use of the device resistance dependence on magnetic field to stabilize the superconducting HEB device.
Modulation of a protein-folding landscape revealed by AFM-based force spectroscopy notwithstanding instrumental limitations
Authors: Edwards Devin T. , LeBlanc Marc-Andre , Perkins Thomas T.
Published: March 2021

Significance

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is widely applied to unfold proteins. Using advanced cantilevers in a commercial AFM to improve stability and precision, we unfolded and then refolded an individual fast-folding, mechanically labile protein—a technically challenging sample—thousands of times. To address concerns that the measured dynamics of such proteins are dominated by the AFM assay, we modulated the protein’s folding rate using pH. Kinetic analysis demonstrated changes in free-energy landscape parameters with pH, despite the reconstructed landscape being dominated by the assay. Hence, AFM using advanced cantilevers can yield biophysical insight into proteins, even if they unfold at low force.
Flood risk behaviors of United States riverine metropolitan areas are driven by local hydrology and shaped by race
Authors: Knighton James , Hondula Kelly , Sharkus Cielo , Guzman Christian , Elliott Rebecca
Published: March 2021

Significance

Flooding remains one of the costliest natural disasters globally. Perceptions of—and strategies for mitigating—riverine flooding risk vary both within and across communities, yet this is often overlooked in formal planning efforts. We fit a sociohydrologic model to 50 US metropolitan areas to understand divergent community risk behaviors. We identified two archetypes: “risk-enduring” communities with lower flood defenses and longer memory of past floods and “risk-averse” communities with higher defenses but shorter memory. Behaviors were correlated with streamflow conditions, local dam heights, and the proportion of White to non-White residents. Our findings highlight a potential awareness of local hydrology that may drive perceptions of risk as well as racial inequity in flood exposure and resilience within the United States.
Discovery of a caspase cleavage motif antibody reveals insights into noncanonical inflammasome function
Authors: Davies Christopher W. , Stowe Irma , Phung Qui T. , Ho Hoangdung , Bakalarski Corey E. , Gupta Aaron , Zhang Yingnan , Lill Jennie R. , Payandeh Jian , Kayagaki Nobuhiko , Koerber James T.
Published: March 2021

Significance

Inflammasomes, cytosolic multicomponent complexes, sense patterns of pathogenesis or metabolic changes and initiate a cellular response via the activation of the inflammatory caspases (iCasps). A more comprehensive substrate analysis for iCasps will greatly improve our understanding of this pathway and provide potential blood-based biomarkers for inflammasome activation in disease. Antibodies typically exhibit high affinity and specificity for a single modification site, in direct contrast to a protease that exhibits a more degenerate recognition profile. Here, we generate antibodies that defy this convention and exhibit a degenerate recognition motif similar to the iCasps and apply these new tools to elucidate hundreds of putative iCasp substrates. Our findings reveal insights into inflammasome function.
Neuronal circuits overcome imbalance in excitation and inhibition by adjusting connection numbers
Authors: Sukenik Nirit , Vinogradov Oleg , Weinreb Eyal , Segal Menahem , Levina Anna , Moses Elisha
Published: March 2021

Significance

Standard hippocampal circuitry contains about 20 to 30% inhibitory neurons. We show that cultured hippocampal networks maintain stable and robust dynamics in a wide range of precisely controlled cellular excitatory/inhibitory ratios. To uncover the mechanism underlying the stability of network dynamics, we use single-cell patch-clamp recordings. We suggest that the networks adapt to altered excitation/inhibition compositions by adjusting the number of connections. Our modeling of the collective dynamics observed experimentally demonstrates that neuronal networks self-organize toward excitation/inhibition balance via changes in connectivity.
Evolution and global charge conservation for polarization singularities emerging from non-Hermitian degeneracies
Authors: Chen Weijin , Yang Qingdong , Chen Yuntian , Liu Wei
Published: March 2021

Significance

Relying on a two-level Hamiltonian with an extra chirality term, we establish subtle connections between Berry phase defined for near-field Bloch modes in open photonic crystal slabs and polarization singularities of their far-field radiations. With non-Hermitian degeneracies, it is revealed for different contours enclosing both degeneracies, despite a constant nontrivial

π

Berry phase, far-field polarization charges are variable in a discontinuous manner, which could even be the trivial zero. It is further revealed that the charge of the Fermi arc is actually not well defined, which could be different on opposite bands. Such seemingly complex evolutions of charge distributions are mediated by extra points of circular polarizations, which guarantee the global charge conservation that is consistent with Berry phase invariance.
On the effects of the ocean on atmospheric CFC-11 lifetimes and emissions
Authors: Wang Peidong , Scott Jeffery R. , Solomon Susan , Marshall John , Babbin Andrew R. , Lickley Megan , Thompson David W. J. , DeVries Timothy , Liang Qing , Prinn Ronald G.
Published: March 2021

Significance

Manufactured CFC-11 is depleting the Antarctic ozone layer. CFC production has been strictly controlled by the Montreal Protocol, but emission estimates are very sensitive to choices of lifetimes, which are often assumed as constant over time. We employ a hierarchy of models to study the effect of the ocean on the time-dependent uptake and release of atmospheric CFC-11. The ocean is a sink for CFC-11 and significantly affects its total lifetime and hence the emission inferred from concentration data of past decades. This has not been explicitly included in international ozone assessments. We show that, as anthropogenic production ceases, ocean fluxes become more important, suggesting a need for further studies with high-resolution global models linking atmospheric chemistry and ocean processes.
Computationally designed pyocyanin demethylase acts synergistically with tobramycin to kill recalcitrant
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
biofilms
Authors: VanDrisse Chelsey M. , Lipsh-Sokolik Rosalie , Khersonsky Olga , Fleishman Sarel J. , Newman Dianne K.
Published: March 2021

Significance

Pseudomonas aeruginosa
is a major cause of hospital-acquired infections due to its formation of biofilms that are highly tolerant to antibiotics. Conventional drugs often fail to kill slowly growing biofilms because they do not target the mechanisms that sustain cells in this state; alternative biofilm control strategies are thus urgently needed. One way in which
P. aeruginosa
builds robust biofilms is through the production of redox-active phenazines such as pyocyanin. We identified an enzyme that degrades pyocyanin but were stymied in studying its potential to combat biofilms due to its poor expression yield. Here we show how protein design can stabilize the enzyme to improve purification yields, enabling physiological studies to reveal a novel enzyme’s therapeutic potential.
Molecular assemblies of the catalytic domain of SOS with KRas and oncogenic mutants
Authors: Moghadamchargari Zahra , Shirzadeh Mehdi , Liu Chang , Schrecke Samantha , Packianathan Charles , Russell David H. , Zhao Minglei , Laganowsky Arthur
Published: March 2021

Significance

Disrupting the interaction between Ras and SOS has emerged as an attractive therapeutic strategy. Here, we characterized the assembly of the catalytic domain of SOS (SOS
cat
) with oncogenic KRas mutants using native mass spectrometry. By resolving distinct molecular species, we show KRas mutants engage SOS
cat
differently and the G13D KRas mutant robustly engages SOS
cat
. A structure of KRas
G13D
in complex with SOS
cat
shows repositioning of switch I and II regions within KRas
G13D
. Moreover, potent small-molecule Ras•SOS disruptors do not dissociate KRas
G13D
•SOS
cat
complexes when KRas
G13D
–GTP is bound at allosteric site of SOS
cat
. These results underscore the need for more potent Ras•SOS disruptors when considering targeting the disruption of different oncogenic Ras mutants in complex with SOS.
Conditions and extent of volatile loss from the Moon during formation of the Procellarum basin
Authors: Tartèse Romain , Sossi Paolo A. , Moynier Frédéric
Published: March 2021

Significance

The depletion of moderately volatile elements in the lunar interior, compared to the Earth’s interior, is accompanied by enrichment in heavy isotopes for most species. This has been explained by vapor loss from the protolunar disk, incomplete accretion of volatiles, or volatile degassing during crystallization of the lunar magma ocean. Importantly, these hypotheses have assumed that volatile depletion and associated isotope fractionations are relevant to the whole Moon. However, our lunar sample collections are biased, as Apollo and Luna samples come from within or around the anomalous Procellarum KREEP Terrane region on the lunar nearside. Here, we propose that these chemical and isotopic features could have resulted from a large-scale impact event on the nearside early in the Moon’s history.
The aryl hydrocarbon receptor facilitates the human cytomegalovirus-mediated G1/S block to cell cycle progression
Authors: Naseri-Nosar Pooya , Nogalski Maciej T. , Shenk Thomas
Published: March 2021

Significance

The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) is a ligand-activated transcription factor. It was originally characterized as a sensor, responding to environmental pollutants and inducing enzymes able to eliminate toxins. AhR is now known to be activated by endogenous ligands as well, such as the tryptophan metabolite, kynurenine. Its activation regulates numerous cell functions, including immunity and proliferation, that impact multiple diseases, such as cancer and infection. Here we show that AhR is activated following infection with human cytomegalovirus (HCMV). Its activation impacts both viral and cellular gene expression. Of note, AhR induces a cell cycle block, providing a mechanistic explanation for a long-known consequence of infection that is believed to reserve metabolic resources for the virus by preventing cellular proliferation.
Oocyte age and preconceptual alcohol use are highly correlated with epigenetic imprinting of a noncoding RNA (
nc886
)
Authors: Carpenter Brittany L. , Remba Tanaka K. , Thomas Stacey L. , Madaj Zachary , Brink Lucy , Tiedemann Rochelle L. , Odendaal Hein J. , Jones Peter A.
Published: March 2021

Significance

Genomic imprinting is essential for human development and occurs in germ cells before fertilization. The noncoding RNA,
nc886
, is the only known example of more than 100 such human genes which shows variable frequencies of maternal imprinting. Here, we show that the DNA methylation imprint is present in oocytes and that the probability of imprinting increases as a function of maternal age. Importantly, we demonstrate that alcohol consumption but not cigarette smoking is associated with a lower frequency of imprinting. While most studies focus on the postconceptional developmental time, our work indicates that maternal age and exposures the year prior to pregnancy may alter the epigenome and therefore the developing child.
Reconceptualising the interpreter’s role
Authors: Yuan Xiaohui
Published: March 2021

The interpreter’s role and performance in interpreting-facilitated interactions have attracted considerable
scholarly attention since the 1970s. Seminal field research on interpreting in courtrooms, in hospitals, and in war zones describe
interpreters as active participants. Nevertheless, Hale (2006) and Pöchhacker (2006) critique that much data-driven research in the area suffers from a lack
of theoretical conceptualisations, and is short of diversified sociocultural and linguistic contexts for investigation. To
strengthen the theoretical background to research on the interpreters’ role, this study draws on social psychology theories of
social identity and optimal distinctiveness, and the sociolinguistic notion of face, to develop an interdisciplinary framework for
conceptualising how identity claims may influence interpreters’ choice of linguistic strategies in delivery. The English-Mandarin
political press conference interpreting context is examined to illustrate how the proposed framework may shed light on our
understanding of interpreters’ behaviour in action.
The dynamics of English in Namibia
Authors: Schneider Edgar W. , Schröder Anne
Published: March 2021

This paper positions the volume’s findings on
English in Namibia in the wider context of World Englishes. After
briefly summarizing generally important insights of the book’s
contributions, Namibian English is compared to other global
varieties with respect to its sociohistorical embedding (being an
exceptionally young variety), sociolinguistic settings (including
multilingualism, language contact, linguistic mixing), language
policy (found to be unique) and structural properties on the levels
of pronunciation, morphosyntax and lexis (showcasing an
idiosyncratic vowel split and many shared structures). Special
attention is paid to Namibia’s linguistic relationship with South
Africa and other southern African countries. Finally, closer
attention is paid to Namibia’s role in several models of World
Englishes, including traditional, established and more recent lines
of thinking.
How Better Information and Broader Engagement Transformed Tourism in Wyoming’s Teton County
Authors: Russell Nigel
Published: March 2021

Teton County covers huge areas of Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks, as well as the tourism destination of Jackson Hole. The County has been an early adopter of responsible and sustainable tourism practice. In 2014, it made the commitment to obtain formal certification, with the help of the Riverwind Foundation, in partnership with EarthCheck.

EarthCheck logo

© EarthCheck 2021

Information

This case is based on material originally published by EarthCheck, in a different format, on its website (
https://earthcheck.org/media/50772/teton-county-earthcheck-case-study-aug2020.pdf
)

© EarthCheck
Density scaling of error field penetration in radio-frequency-dominant heating plasmas in the EAST tokamak
Authors: Ye Cheng , Sun You-Wen , Wang Hui-Hui , Wang Zheng-Xiong , Wei Lai , Ma Qun , Zang Qing , Gu Shuai , He Kai-Yang , Chu Nan , Wu Xue-Min , Xie Peng-Cheng , Sheng Hui , Sheng Zhi-Cai , Shen Biao , Chen Ying-Jie
Published: March 2021

The density scaling of n = 1 error field penetration is investigated under radio-frequency (RF)-dominant heated L-mode discharges in the EAST tokamak. It is found that the density scaling of the threshold field strength for error field penetration in lower-hybrid current drive (LHCD) plasmas is about

b

r

∝

n

e

0.4

, where b
r represents the error field amplitude. The results show a weaker density dependence compared to that observed in the previous ohmic heated discharges (Wang et al 2018 Nucl. Fusion
58 056024). For a better understanding of the density scaling, it is compared with field penetration theories, and it is found that it lies in the Waelbroeck regime. The observed scaling is consistent with that evaluated with the magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) theory on error field penetration, for which all the physical parameters are determined experimentally. Due to the density dependence of LHCD heating efficiency, the stronger negative correlation between density and temperature results in a weaker density scaling in these LHCD plasmas. Using realistic parameters under LHCD and ohmic heating as input, respectively, the numerical results based on a reduced MHD model reproduce well the scaling from the error field penetration theory and the observations. Besides, the density scaling in various tokamak operational regimes is also numerically investigated. This provides an excellent validation of MHD theory on error field penetration in the RF-dominant heated L-mode discharges.
The planted k-factor problem
Authors: Sicuro Gabriele , Zdeborová Lenka
Published: March 2021

We consider the problem of recovering an unknown k-factor, hidden in a weighted random graph. For k = 1 this is the planted matching problem, while the k = 2 case is closely related to the planted traveling salesman problem. The inference problem is solved by exploiting the information arising from the use of two different distributions for the weights on the edges inside and outside the planted sub-graph. We argue that, in the large size limit, a phase transition can appear between a full and a partial recovery phase as function of the signal-to-noise ratio. We give a criterion for the location of the transition.
Economic Valuation of Kebun Buah Mangunan at Sub-district Dlingo, Bantul
Authors: Al-Azizah L H , Mulyo J H , Perwitasari H
Published: March 2021

Agro-tourism is related to tourism in the agriculture sector that has distinctive characteristics as one that managed in Subdistrict Dlingo in Bantul named Kebun Buah Mangunanthat attracts tourists and travelers both from locals and outside the region of Yogyakarta. This research aims to determine the average value of the Willingness to Pay (WTP) of tourists who visited the Kebun Buah Mangunan, the factors that influence the WTP, and the value of consumer surplus. The primary method used in this study is the quantitative analysis, while the technique in determining the location of research with a purposive sampling method and the sampling method is the accidental sampling. The primary data was collected from 51 respondents of tourists who had and are visiting the Kebun Buah Mangunan. The data was collected through observation, interviews, notes, and google form questionnaires. The Contingent Valuation Method (CVM) and OLS multiple linear regression analysis is used to determine the average WTP value and the factors that influence tourist WTP, respectively. Besides determining the consumer surplus, linear regression is used between the number of tourists and the magnitude of the tourist’s WTP. This research showed that, on average, visitors of Kebun Buah Mangunanwilling to pay IDR 27,333.32 per person per visit. The visitor’s income, benefits, importance, and day of visit (age and participation) can increase (decrease) the value of WTP. The research also finds that the tourist’s consumer surplus is IDR 12,741.68 per person per visit.
Techno-economic Analysis in the Development of Smart Sluice Gate Systems
Authors: Syazili A , Kurniawan A , Widada J , Sembada P T S
Published: March 2021

The agricultural irrigation system is a water supply system in agriculture and one of the determining factors is the used sluice gate that needs developing. However, the development of technological tools or instruments requires further economic analysis in the form of a techno-economic analysis. The development of a smart sluice gate was carried out at the Pusat Inovasi Agroteknologi (PIAT) Universitas Gadjah Mada, Kalitirto, Berbah, Sleman, Yogyakarta. Furthermore, research has achieved many things that can affect the financial calculations of a project or activity, prices, taxes, and grants. Techno-economic calculations were made according to different investment criteria. Based on investments including NPV (Net Present Value), IRR (Internal Rate of Return), and BCR (Benefit Cost Ratio), to collect data using Input parameters from CAPEX and also OPEX, this techno-economic feasibility analysis was expected to be able to meet the Payback Period within 5 years.
The role of outsourcing in the innovative activity development of food manufacturing plants
Authors: Sokolov K O , Valko D V , Sokolova M I , Sergeicheva I A , Tciplakova E M
Published: March 2021

The main reasons of food manufacturing plants seeking for outsourcing are reviewed in this scientific paper. The basic trends in outsourcing are as follows: marketing outsourcing, project management outsourcing, HR outsourcing, accounting outsourcing, transportation outsourcing and transport technical maintenance outsourcing, and IT outsourcing. It is authors’ opinion that the popularity of outsourcing in the intellectual-and-creative field is due to the fact that outsourcing is related to blurring and expansion of property rights. The conditions hindering innovative outsourcing development in food industry of Russia and factors of its progress have been defined.
Features of the formation of ice cover of rivers in the Ob basin
Authors: Tusupbekov Zh A , Ryapolova N L , Nadtochiy V S , Mashtaeva S I
Published: March 2021

The article discusses the issues of assessing the change in the thickness of the ice cover by studying the intensity of growth in different periods of formation. The results of assessing the formation of ice thickness are presented on the basis of 40 gauging sections of rivers located in the Ob river basin. By means of graphical analysis, the features of the intensity of the growth of the ice cover, depending on the heat and power and orographic characteristics of the terrain, are highlighted. An assessment of the influence of ice cover on the change in winter runoff was carried out, as well as an analysis of the influence of the temperature regime of the ambient air in the autumn-winter period, the morphological and morphometric characteristics of the channel and river valley on the process of water crystallization and the intensity of ice formation. The results obtained can be used in the economic development of the rivers of the studied basin during the winter dry season.
Features of anaesthetic echocardiomonitoring in dogs weighing up to 10 kg with heart disease
Authors: Gryadunova F A , Sotnikova L F
Published: March 2021

A traumatic factor affecting tissues causes a complex of morphological and functional disorders of structures. The body responds to this damage with a protective-adaptive reaction, which regulates the effect of the stimulus by the neurohumoral defense of the body. Decreased cell resistance and physiological functions result from disorders of the nervous and endocrine system. In terms of anesthetic complications and mortality related to anesthesiological practice, which are the cause of 25-50% of fatal outcomes after non-cardiological operations. The aim of the work was a comparative assessment of echocardiographic parameters of systolic and diastolic heart function in dogs that were undergoing elective anesthesia. Ultrasonographic examination was performed initially before and after general anesthesia based on propofol, isoflurane and zoletil. In the long term, after 1 month and 1 year after anesthesia. The results of the study showed a decrease in the systolic and diastolic functions of the heart. The criterion for assessing systolic function is a decrease in the ejection fraction, an increase in end-systolic and end-diastolic size. The criterion for assessing diastolic function is a decrease in the maximum speed of the transmitral flow during early diastole and an increase in the maximum speed of the transmitral flow during the late diastole. A month after anesthesia, the progression of a decrease in myocardial contractility was revealed. Due to an increase in the end-diastolic volume in a month and a year after anesthesia, the overloaded left ventricle maintained a normal cardiac output even with a decrease in the fraction of the emission.