bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Prophets, saviours and saints: Symbolic governance and the rise of a transnational metrological field
Authors: Grek Sotiria
Published: June 2020

Through their collaborative practices of quantification and standardisation in large-scale comparative literacy and numeracy surveys, international organisations (IOs) are both constituting new realities and being reconstituted themselves. This article aims to substantiate how the dominance of global measurement regimes has had profound implications for the ways in which IOs such as the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the World Bank interact, and for the environments these new interrelationships generate. How is one to make sense of this emerging reality? The author of this article examines the interplay of large IOs in their effort to achieve the targets of the United Nations’ fourth Sustainable Development Goal (the education-focused SDG 4). She argues that the SDGs are not a stand-alone performance measurement exercise, but are rather organised under the rubric of a much larger monitoring programme with its own internal logic, structure and hierarchies. She demonstrates that SDG 4 represents a significant case of transnational governance of education, and more specifically of the infrastructures and interdependencies of IOs in the construction of education data within the SDGs. Her purpose is to offer insights into the labour and infrastructure involved in the joint production of metrics. Drawing on declarations, agreements and reports as well as empirical findings from a series of interviews she conducted with key actors from all the major IOs and civil society, the author uses Bourdieusian theory to suggest that quantification has facilitated symbolic governance of the education policy field. As a result, the joint effort towards achieving the targets of SDG 4 represents the rise, and to a large degree the dominance, of the influence of the transnational field of measurement in education.
Welchen Nutzen bringen Gesundheits-Apps für die Primärversorgung? Ergebnisse einer Befragung von Allgemeinmedizinern
Authors: Wangler Julian , Jansky Michael
Published: June 2020

Hintergrund

Aufgrund einer stetig steigenden Verfügbarkeit und Nutzung von Gesundheits-Apps stellt sich die Frage, wie diese sich so ins Gesundheitswesen integrieren lassen, dass positive Effekte bei Prävention und Therapie erzielt werden können.

Ziel der Arbeit

Die Studie geht der Frage nach, welche Einstellungen Hausärzte in Bezug auf Gesundheits-Apps vertreten, welche Einsatzpotenziale sie wahrnehmen und unter welchen Voraussetzungen Apps stärker in die Patientenversorgung einbezogen werden können.

Material und Methoden

Aufbauend auf einer Vorstudie wurden zwischen Januar und März 2020 insgesamt 1070 Hausärzte in Hessen schriftlich-anonymisiert befragt. Neben der deskriptiven Analyse kam eine Faktorenanalyse zum Einsatz. Zudem wurde ein t‑Test bei unabhängigen Stichproben durchgeführt.

Ergebnisse

Unter den Befragten zeigen sich unterschiedliche Einstellungs- und Erfahrungscluster in Bezug auf den Nutzen von Gesundheits-Apps. Während positiv eingestellte Ärzte (35 %) Motivations- und Compliancevorteile hervorheben, sind skeptische Ärzte (44 %) misstrauisch in Bezug auf die Datensicherheit und Zuverlässigkeit von Apps sowie rechtliche Fragestellungen und haben Sorge vor einer Mehrbelastung. Gleichwohl nimmt eine klare Mehrheit sinnvolle Einsatzpotenziale für Gesundheits-Apps wahr, wenn es um lebensstilunterstützende Funktionen geht (66 %/85 %). Bei Patienten, die Apps einsetzen, beobachten 55 % der Befragten positive Beiträge zur Gesundheitsvorsorge und/oder Genesung. Obwohl die meisten Ärzte bislang eher zurückhaltend sind, Apps zu empfehlen, ist für einen großen Teil (72 %) vorstellbar, solche in Zukunft (stärker) in die Versorgung einzubeziehen.

Schlussfolgerung

Trotz der positiver Effekte, die Gesundheits-Apps für Prävention und Therapie haben können, bestehen bei vielen Hausärzten Vorbehalte hinsichtlich der Überschaubarkeit, Transparenz und Sicherheit von Apps. Diese Bedenken sollten verstärkt adressiert werden, um die richtigen Voraussetzungen für eine erfolgreiche Integration von Gesundheits-Apps in die primärärztliche Patientenversorgung zu schaffen (u. a. verbindliche Datenschutz- und Qualitätsstandards, klare Rechtslage in Bezug auf die Anwendung, Schulungen, Tools zur Übersicht und Einordnung).
ESCRTs in Pflanzen: die Begleitung der Membranproteine zum Abbau
Authors: Nagel Marie-Kristin , Isono Erika
Published: June 2020

The regulation of the abundance of plasma membrane proteins is crucial for the survival of plants in an ever-changing environment. Selective protein degradation of plasma membrane proteins occurs via ubiquitin-dependent and ESCRT-mediated endosomal transport. Endosomal sorting complexes required for transport (ESCRTs) are not only important for plant development, but also for autophagy and pathogen defence in plants. Here we discuss the function of ESCRTs in the regulation of endosomal transport and their physiological implication.
Beweiskraft von DNA-Spuren: Was macht das Y-Chromosom so besonders?
Authors: Caliebe Amke , Krawczak Michael
Published: June 2020

Many crime cases require clarification whether or not a trace was left by a suspect. This is achieved by comparing their DNA profiles, a match indicating identity of suspect and donor. In sexual crimes, the trace is often a mixture of male and female material. This renders the analysis of the Y chromosome useful, but the interpretation of the genetic results is complicated by the specific mode of inheritance. We review some of the arising challenges as well as recently suggested solutions.
Single-particle tracking von GPCRs
Authors: Franken Sebastian , Bussmann Hendrik , Häberlein Hanns , Bonke Erik , End Caroline
Published: June 2020

Single-particle tracking (SPT) is a method of high-resolution microscopy to investigate the dynamics of single molecules inside cells or on the cell surface. Here we describe for the first time the applicability of the HiBiT Protein Tagging System combined with the HaloTag® self-labeling protein technology for monitoring the lateral diffusion of a pharmacological relevant G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) by SPT.
Wie ein rotierender Typ-IV-Pilus Archaeen das Schwimmen beibrachte
Authors: Tripp Patrick , Albers Sonja-Verena
Published: June 2020

Swimming motility in Archaea is mediated by the archaellum, a rotating type IV pilus. Archaellum-based motility is the only known way of active locomotion in Archaea to date. Here, we describe the way of how the archaellum was discovered to be a unique structure in nature and highlight the latest findings on archaellar components.
Maßgeschneiderte Polyketidsynthasen zur Herstellung von Polyketid-Derivaten
Authors: Musiol-Kroll Ewa M. , Wohlleben Wolfgang
Published: June 2020

Polyketides (PKs) are secondary metabolites with valuable properties, including antibiotic, antifungal, antiviral, anticancer, and immunosuppressive activity. The biosynthesis of PKs is accomplished by multifunctional megaenzymes, the polyketide synthases (PKSs). The molecular architecture of those remarkable assembly lines provides opportunities for their engineering and generation of PK derivatives with potentially improved pharmacokinetics and/or expanded spectrum of bioactivity.
Facile Fabrication of Biomimetic Water Pinning Microstructures on Polyethylene Surfaces with Robust Superhydrophobic Wetting State
Authors: Li Yuzhu , Gao Hang , Ma Yunhai , Chen Donghui
Published: June 2020

Applying hot-embossing technology, a simple and cost-effective method for the fabrication of microstructured High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) surfaces with a robust superhydrophobic wetting state is proposed. Micro-meshes and micro-grooves in the flexible template are filled by the PE melt in the hot embossing process. Subsequently, a two-stage microstructure on the PE film surface is formed. This PE film exhibits a contact angle of 151.8° ± 2° and roll-off angle of > 90° when a 5 µL water droplet is dropped on its surface. Water pinning ability on the surface is figured out and roll-off angles are as a quadratic function of specified water droplet volume. Specifically, a 356 µN water pinng force appears on the HDPE film due to the solid-vapor composite interface on its surface. Meanwhile, self-cleaning and immersion tests reveal that the HDPE surface with micro-pillars exhibit robust Cassie impregnating wetting state against external pressure. The proposed method for facial fabrication of microstructured surfaces is an appropriate candidate for the development of droplet manipulation and functional biomimetic polymer surfaces.
COVID-19 compassion in self-isolating old age: looking forward from family to regional and global concerns
Authors: Douglas Ian
Published: June 2020

Self-isolating with my wife, I feel gratitude and compassion for all those supporting us, particularly those who regularly deliver our food and our immediate family members who check on us frequently. My compassion goes out to those on the “frontline”, particularly my niece and her daughter who are both nurses in a major hospital and who developed and recovered from COVID-19 symptoms. More broadly, I recognise that there are many communities that have had to cope with both geophysical and socio-politically created disasters while facing the COVID-19 pandemic, among then some young women bee-keepers in Uganda. In the UK context, I have great concern that severe funding cuts for regional and local public health services and disaster planning handicapped the country’s response to coronavirus and may have been a factor in the UK’s high coronavirus death rate. I see both positive and negative changes in air pollution and urban nature in our towns and cities, but also am concerned that we collectively may lose sight of the greater crises of climate change and species extinction. We have to work for a better future by taking forward the opportunities and lessons from our reactions to the pandemic. This leads to compassion for the yet unborn, our grandchildren’s children, who might enter a less habitable, more unequal less collaborative world than the imperfect one we now enjoy.
An evolutionary approach to international political economy: the case of corporate tax avoidance
Authors: Palan Ronen Peter
Published: June 2020

Corporate tax avoidance is both widespread and diverse in its practical mechanics. The scope of the phenomenon often leads economists to conclude that in the jungle of economic competition, tax planning (or optimisation) is among the necessary tools to ensure the survival of the fittest. This theory is increasingly associated with a Darwinian theory of economic evolution. In this paper, I develop a contrasting framework of the evolutionary political economy of corporate tax avoidance. Analysing core concepts of Old Institutionalist Economics (OIE), I examine the core drivers of corporate tax avoidance in a globalised system of states. The major contrast, I find, is between that of the corporate and legal personality and the institutional environment in which it operates. Historically, each corporate entity has been considered a separate legal person, yet a series of ‘mutations’ of incorporations laws created a widening gap between theory and reality, and these, in turn, give rise to tax arbitrage. Narrowing this gap, however, impinges on another venerable historical institution, the institution of sovereignty and sovereign inequality.
The Unavoidability of Evaluation for Interest Theories of Rights
Authors: McBride Mark
Published: June 2020

In debates over rights, as much as, or perhaps more than, in any philosophical debate, it is important to see the wood from the trees. A little while ago, new life was breathed into debates over rights, as a new candidate theory emerged to rival the extant options. More specifically, Gopal Sreenivasan’s hybrid theory of (claim-) rights emerged to rival both will theory and interest theory. This new hybrid theory underwent a series of skirmishes with the interest theory. Moving from the wood, one principal ground over which battle ensued is the so-called third party beneficiary issue. And, more specifically still, descending into the trees, a particular problem within the foregoing third party beneficiary debate centred on what I shall dub Gopal’s Granny, a case wielded by Gopal Sreenivasan, particularly against one of the foremost defenders of the interest theory, Matthew Kramer.
SMALL-SCALE HOUSEHOLD CERAMIC PRODUCTION: NEUTRON ACTIVATION ANALYSIS OF PLAIN AND DECORATED CERAMICS FROM PRE-AZTEC XALTOCAN, MEXICO
Authors: De Lucia Kristin , Boulanger Matthew T. , Glascock Michael D.
Published: June 2020

This study examines small-scale household ceramic production at the site of Xaltocan, Mexico, to understand the organization of household ceramic production prior to the development of the Aztec Empire. We examine utilitarian vessels and serving wares from an Early Postclassic (a.d.900–1200) domestic context using neutron activation analysis (NAA). We also examine archaeological evidence for ceramic manufacture. The NAA data reveal that similar raw materials and paste recipes were used for both utilitarian and decorated wares, suggesting that households produced both plain and decorated pottery. We conclude that ceramic production was an intermittent activity that took place alongside other crafts and agriculture. By looking at ceramics within their contexts of use and production, we consider the practices and choices made by individual social units, which is crucial to interpreting broader Early Postclassic economic systems and the ways in which commoners influenced these systems.
The Fractal and GLCM Textural Parameters of Chromatin May Be Potential Biomarkers of Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma in Hashimoto's Thyroiditis Specimens
Authors: Dinčić Marko , Todorović Jasna , Nešović Ostojić Jelena , Kovačević Sanjin , Dunđerović Duško , Lopičić Srđan , Spasić Svetolik , Radojević-Škodrić Sanja , Stanisavljević Dejana , Ilić Andjelija Ž.
Published: June 2020

Occasionally, Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) and papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) share similar nuclear features. The current study aims to quantify the differences between the investigated specimens of HT-associated PTC versus the HT alone, to reduce the subjective experience of an observer, by the use of fractal parameters as well as gray-level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM) textural parameters. We have analyzed 250 segmented nuclei per group (nn= 25 per patient andnp= 10 patients per group) using the ImageJ software (NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA) as well as an in-house written code for the GLCM analysis. The mean values of parameters were calculated for each patient. The results demonstrated that the malignant cells from the HT-associated PTC specimens showed lower chromatin fractal dimension (p= 0.0321) and higher lacunarity (p= 0.0038) compared with the corresponding cells from the HT specimens. Also, there was a statistically significant difference between the investigated specimens, in the contrast, correlation, angular second moment, and homogeneity, of the GLCM corresponding to the visual texture of follicular cell chromatin. The differences in chromatin fractal and GLCM parameters could be integrated with other diagnostic methods for the improved evaluation of distinctive features of the HT-associated PTC versus the HT in cytology and surgical pathology specimens.
Neuropsychological Aspects of Focal Dystonia in Musicians
Authors: Borngräber Friederike , Schmidt Alexander
Published: June 2020

Abstract. Musician’s dystonia (MD) is a focal, task-specific neurological movement disorder that presents with loss of voluntary motor control when playing the instrument and affects up to 1–2 % of professional musicians. The current pathophysiological understanding of MD is that of a network disease, involving the sensorimotor cortex, basal ganglia, cerebellum and the limbic system. Various extrinsic factors, e.g. high temporal and spatial sensorimotor constraints on the instrument or more than 10 000 hours of accumulated practice time, as well as intrinsic factors, e.g. high levels of anxiety and perfectionism, and even genetic factors have been identified to increase the risk to develop MD. From a neuropsychological point of view, two phenotypes of MD can be distinguished with high or low psychological stress, which should be taken into account to adapt the individual therapy. Treatment options for MD include medication with trihexyphenidyl, local injections of botulinum toxin A, retraining, ergonomic changes of the instrument, and in patients with high psychological stress also antidepressants and behavioral therapy.
Musical Experience Shapes Neural Processing
Authors: Nager Wido , Franke Tilla , Wagner-Altendorf Tobias , Altenmüller Eckart , Münte Thomas F.
Published: June 2020

Abstract. Playing a musical instrument professionally has been shown to lead to structural and functional neural adaptations, making musicians valuable subjects for neuroplasticity research. Here, we follow the hypothesis that specific musical demands further shape neural processing. To test this assumption, we subjected groups of professional drummers, professional woodwind players, and nonmusicians to pure tone sequences and drum sequences in which infrequent anticipations of tones or drum beats had been inserted. Passively listening to these sequences elicited a mismatch negativity to the temporally deviant stimuli which was greater in the musicians for tone series and particularly large for drummers for drum sequences. In active listening conditions drummers more accurately and more quickly detected temporally deviant stimuli.
Psychological Test Adaptation and Development – How Papers Are Structured and Why
Authors: Ziegler Matthias
Published: June 2020

Abstract. This article explains how papers should be structured to guide the preparation of papers to be submitted to Psychological Test Adaptation and Development. Each submission should adhere as strictly as possible to the following structure. If, for any reason, certain aspects cannot be provided, this should be explained and considered in the limitations and recommendations. The outline in Table 1 is followed by a detailed explanation for each section.

[Table: see text]
Paleomagnetic Constraint on the Carboniferous Paleoposition of Indochina and Its Implications for the Evolution of Eastern Paleo‐Tethys Ocean
Authors: Yan Yonggang , Duan Lei , Liang Shumin , Wang Junhui , Huang Baochun , Zheng Wenjun , Zhang Peizhen
Published: June 2020

To better understand the rifting history and mechanism of the Indochina Block from eastern Gondwana, we report a paleomagnetic study on middle Carboniferous (~315 Ma) limestones from the southernmost Yunnan of China. Characteristic remanent magnetizations (ChRMs) were isolated from samples in 14 sites after secondary magnetizations were erased at relatively low temperature ranges, of which magnetites were interpreted to be the magnetic carriers for the former while goethites and pyrrhotites for the latter. The rock‐magnetically interpreted minerals are confirmed with a scanning electron microscope (SEM) on samples with a high concentration of magnetic minerals, of which the calcium carbonates were dissolved with a mixed solution of CH3COOH and CH3COONa. The ChRMs passed reversal and fold tests and are very likely a primary magnetization, which correspond a paleomagnetic pole of 76.1°S/181.3°E (A95 = 4.0°, N = 14) and locate the Indochina Block at 18.4 ± 4.0°S. A relatively quiet tectonic period was suggested for the North Qiangtang, Indochina, and South China blocks during the middle Carboniferous‐early Permian, and a sequential start of rapid drifting of these blocks was recognized, which is coeval with the rifting of Cimmerian terranes from Gondwana.
COVID-19 and cancer research
Authors: Harris Adrian L.
Published: June 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating effect on human lives and society. The accompanying editorial summarises some of the major effects on cancer patients and impacts on cancer research. These may be mitigated by appropriate responses from governments, research funders, charities, universities, industry and the public. It is already clear that different approaches to management have drastically different outcomes.
Turning induced plasticity into refined adaptations during range expansion
Authors: Potticary Ahva L. , Morrison Erin S. , Badyaev Alexander V.
Published: June 2020

Robustness against environmental fluctuations within an adaptive state should preclude exploration of new adaptive states when the environment changes. Here, we study transitions between adaptive associations of feather structure and carotenoid uptake to understand how robustness and evolvability can be reconciled. We show that feather modifications induced by unfamiliar carotenoids during a range expansion are repeatedly converted into precise coadaptations of feather development and carotenoid accommodation as populations persist in a region. We find that this conversion is underlain by a uniform and coordinated increase in the sensitivity of feather development to local carotenoid uptake, indicative of cooption and modification of the homeostatic mechanism that buffers feather growth in the evolution of new adaptations. Stress-buffering mechanisms are well placed to alternate between robustness and evolvability and we suggest that this is particularly evident in adaptations that require close integration between widely fluctuating external inputs and intricate internal structures.
Reduced neural selectivity for mental states in deaf children with delayed exposure to sign language
Authors: Richardson Hilary , Koster-Hale Jorie , Caselli Naomi , Magid Rachel , Benedict Rachel , Olson Halie , Pyers Jennie , Saxe Rebecca
Published: June 2020

Language provides a rich source of information about other people’s thoughts and feelings. Consequently, delayed access to language may influence conceptual development in Theory of Mind (ToM). We use functional magnetic resonance imaging and behavioral tasks to study ToM development in child (n = 33, 4–12 years old) and adult (n = 36) fluent signers of American Sign Language (ASL), and characterize neural ToM responses during ASL and movie-viewing tasks. Participants include deaf children whose first exposure to ASL was delayed up to 7 years (n = 12). Neural responses to ToM stories (specifically, selectivity of the right temporo-parietal junction) in these children resembles responses previously observed in young children, who have similar linguistic experience, rather than those in age-matched native-signing children, who have similar biological maturation. Early linguistic experience may facilitate ToM development, via the development of a selective brain region for ToM.
Dynamic perceptual feature selectivity in primary somatosensory cortex upon reversal learning
Authors: Chéreau Ronan , Bawa Tanika , Fodoulian Leon , Carleton Alan , Pagès Stéphane , Holtmaat Anthony
Published: June 2020

Neurons in primary sensory cortex encode a variety of stimulus features upon perceptual learning. However, it is unclear whether the acquired stimulus selectivity remains stable when the same input is perceived in a different context. Here, we monitor the activity of individual neurons in the mouse primary somatosensory cortex during reward-based texture discrimination. We track their stimulus selectivity before and after changing reward contingencies, which allows us to identify various classes of neurons. We find neurons that stably represented a texture or the upcoming behavioral choice, but the majority is dynamic. Among those, a subpopulation of neurons regains texture selectivity contingent on the associated reward value. These value-sensitive neurons forecast the onset of learning by displaying a distinct and transient increase in activity, depending on past behavioral experience. Thus, stimulus selectivity of excitatory neurons during perceptual learning is dynamic and largely relies on behavioral contingencies, even in primary sensory cortex.
Closed-loop atomic force microscopy-infrared spectroscopic imaging for nanoscale molecular characterization
Authors: Kenkel Seth , Mittal Shachi , Bhargava Rohit
Published: June 2020

Atomic force microscopy-infrared (AFM-IR) spectroscopic imaging offers non-perturbative, molecular contrast for nanoscale characterization. The need to mitigate measurement artifacts and enhance sensitivity, however, requires narrowly-defined and strict sample preparation protocols. This limits reliable and facile characterization; for example, when using common substrates such as Silicon or glass. Here, we demonstrate a closed-loop (CL) piezo controller design for responsivity-corrected AFM-IR imaging. Instead of the usual mode of recording cantilever deflection driven by sample expansion, the principle of our approach is to maintain a zero amplitude harmonic cantilever deflection by CL control of a subsample piezo. We show that the piezo voltage used to maintain a null deflection provides a reliable measure of the local IR absorption with significantly reduced noise. A complete analytical description of the CL operation and characterization of the controller for achieving robust performance are presented. Accurate measurement of IR absorption of nanothin PMMA films on glass and Silicon validates the robust capability of CL AFM-IR in routine mapping of nanoscale molecular information.
The dynamics of overlayer formation on catalyst nanoparticles and strong metal-support interaction
Authors: Beck Arik , Huang Xing , Artiglia Luca , Zabilskiy Maxim , Wang Xing , Rzepka Przemyslaw , Palagin Dennis , Willinger Marc-Georg , van Bokhoven Jeroen A.
Published: June 2020

Heterogeneous catalysts play a pivotal role in the chemical industry. The strong metal-support interaction (SMSI), which affects the catalytic activity, is a phenomenon researched for decades. However, detailed mechanistic understanding on real catalytic systems is lacking. Here, this surface phenomenon was studied on an actual platinum-titania catalyst by state-of-the-art in situ electron microscopy, in situ X-ray photoemission spectroscopy and in situ X-ray diffraction, aided by density functional theory calculations, providing a novel real time view on how the phenomenon occurs. The migration of reduced titanium oxide, limited in thickness, and the formation of an alloy are competing mechanisms during high temperature reduction. Subsequent exposure to oxygen segregates the titanium from the alloy, and a thicker titania overlayer forms. This role of oxygen in the formation process and stabilization of the overlayer was not recognized before. It provides new application potential in catalysis and materials science.
A universal Bayesian inference framework for complicated creep constitutive equations
Authors: Mototake Yoh-ichi , Izuno Hitoshi , Nagata Kenji , Demura Masahiko , Okada Masato
Published: June 2020

Evaluating the creep deformation process of heat-resistant steels is important for improving the energy efficiency of power plants by increasing the operating temperature. There is an analysis framework that estimates the rupture time of this process by regressing the strain–time relationship of the creep process using a regression model called the creep constitutive equation. Because many creep constitutive equations have been proposed, it is important to construct a framework to determine which one is best for the creep processes of different steel types at various temperatures and stresses. A Bayesian model selection framework is one of the best frameworks for evaluating the constitutive equations. In previous studies, approximate-expression methods such as the Laplace approximation were used to develop the Bayesian model selection frameworks for creep. Such frameworks are not applicable to creep constitutive equations or data that violate the assumption of the approximation. In this study, we propose a universal Bayesian model selection framework for creep that is applicable to the evaluation of various types of creep constitutive equations. Using the replica exchange Monte Carlo method, we develop a Bayesian model selection framework for creep without an approximate-expression method. To assess the effectiveness of the proposed framework, we applied it to the evaluation of a creep constitutive equation called the Kimura model, which is difficult to evaluate by existing frameworks. Through a model evaluation using the creep measurement data of Grade 91 steel, we confirmed that our proposed framework gives a more reasonable evaluation of the Kimura model than existing frameworks. Investigating the posterior distribution obtained by the proposed framework, we also found a model candidate that could improve the Kimura model.
Magneto-Hybrid Nanofluids Flow via Mixed Convection past a Radiative Circular Cylinder
Authors: EL-Zahar E. R. , Rashad A. M. , Saad W. , Seddek L. F.
Published: June 2020

The goal of the current analysis is to scrutinize the magneto-mixed convective flow of aqueous-based hybrid-nanofluid comprising Alumina and Copper nanoparticles across a horizontal circular cylinder with convective boundary condition. The energy equation is modelled by interpolating the non-linear radiation phenomenon with the assisting and opposing flows. The original equations describing the magneto-hybrid nanofluid motion and energy are converted into non-dimensional equations and solved numerically using a new hybrid linearization-Chebyshev spectral method (HLCSM). HLCSM is a high order spectral semi-analytical numerical method that results in an analytical solution in η-direction and thereby the solution is valid in overall the η-domain, not only at the grid points. The impacts of diverse parameters on the allied apportionment are inspected, and the fallouts are described graphically in the investigation. The physical quantities of interest containing the drag coefficient and the heat transfer rate are predestined versus fundamental parameters, and their outcomes are elucidated. It is witnessed that both drag coefficient and Nusselt number have greater magnitude for Cu-water followed by hybrid nanofluid and Al2O3-water. Moreover, the value of the drag coefficient declines versus the enlarged solid volume fraction. To emphasize the originality of the current analysis, the outcomes are compared with quoted works, and excellent accord is achieved in this consideration.
Prioritization of causal genes for coronary artery disease based on cumulative evidence from experimental and in silico studies
Authors: Shadrina Alexandra S. , Shashkova Tatiana I. , Torgasheva Anna A. , Sharapov Sodbo Z. , Klarić Lucija , Pakhomov Eugene D. , Alexeev Dmitry G. , Wilson James F. , Tsepilov Yakov A. , Joshi Peter K. , Aulchenko Yurii S.
Published: June 2020

Genome-wide association studies have led to a significant progress in identification of genomic loci affecting coronary artery disease (CAD) risk. However, revealing the causal genes responsible for the observed associations is challenging. In the present study, we aimed to prioritize CAD-relevant genes based on cumulative evidence from the published studies and our own study of colocalization between eQTLs and loci associated with CAD using SMR/HEIDI approach. Prior knowledge of candidate genes was extracted from both experimental and in silico studies, employing different prioritization algorithms. Our review systematized information for a total of 51 CAD-associated loci. We pinpointed 37 genes in 36 loci. For 27 genes we infer they are causal for CAD, and for 10 further genes we judge them most likely causal. Colocalization analysis showed that for 18 out of these loci, association with CAD can be explained by changes in gene expression in one or more CAD-relevant tissues. Furthermore, for 8 out of 36 loci, existing evidence suggested additional CAD-associated genes. For the remaining 15 loci, we concluded that evidence for gene prioritization remains inconsistent, insufficient, or absent. Our results provide deeper insights into the genetic etiology of CAD and demonstrate knowledge gaps where further research is warranted.
Models and regressions to describe primary damage in silicon carbide
Authors: Bonny G. , Buongiorno L. , Bakaev A. , Castin N.
Published: June 2020

Silicon carbide (SiC) and SiC/SiC composites are important candidate materials for use in the nuclear industry. Coarse grain models are the only tools capable of modelling defect accumulation under different irradiation conditions at a realistic time and length scale. The core of any such model is the so-called “source term”, which is described by the primary damage. In the present work, classical molecular dynamics (MD), binary collision approximation (BCA) and NRT model are applied to describe collision cascades in 3C-SiC with primary knock-on atom (PKA) energy in the range 1–100 keV. As such, BCA and NRT are benchmarked against MD. Particular care was taken to account for electronic stopping and the use of a threshold displacement energy consistent with density functional theory and experiment. Models and regressions are developed to characterize the primary damage in terms of number of stable Frenkel pairs and their cluster size distribution, anti-sites, and defect type. As such, an accurate cascade database is developed with simple descriptors. One of the main results shows that the defect cluster size distribution follows the geometric distribution rather than a power law.
Ecological opportunity and upward prey-predator radiation cascades
Authors: Pontarp Mikael
Published: June 2020

A general goal in community ecology and evolutionary biology is to understand how diversity has arisen. In our attempts to reach such goals we become increasingly aware of interacting ecological and evolutionary processes shaping biodiversity. Ecological opportunity and adaptive radiations can, for example, drive diversification in competitive communities but little is known about how such processes propagate through trophic levels in adaptive radiation cascades. I use an eco-evolutionary model of trait-based ecological interactions and micro-evolutionary processes to investigate the macro-evolutionary aspects of predator diversification in such cascades. Prey diversification facilitates predator radiation through predator feeding opportunity and disruptive selection. Predator radiation, however, often disconnects from the prey radiation as the diversification progresses. Only when predators have an intermediate niche width, high predatory efficiency, and high evolutionary potential can radiation cascades be maintained over macro-evolutionary time scales. These results provide expectations for predator response to prey divergence and insight into eco-evolutionary feedbacks between trophic levels. Such expectations are crucial for future studies that aim for a better understanding of how diversity is generated and maintained in complex communities.
Voxels Optimization in 3D Laser Nanoprinting
Authors: Bougdid Yahya , Sekkat Zouheir
Published: June 2020

Voxels, the 3D equivalent of 2D pixels, are obtained by individual point exposures in 3D laser nanoprinting, and are the building blocks of laser printed 3D micro/nano-structures, and their optimization is important in determining the resolution of printed 3D objects. Here, we report what is believed the first detailed study of the voxel size dependence on the z-potion of the laser spot in 3D nano-printing. That is, we study the evolution and the low-limit size (diameter and length) of voxels fabricated in the vicinity of the substrate/resin interface. We use two-photon absorption in a photopolymerizable resin, and we vary the position of the laser’s focal spot, with respect to the cover glass/resin interface; i.e. in the longitudinal direction (z-direction). We found that the minimum lateral and the longitudinal sizes of complete voxels depend on the extent of penetration of the laser focal spot inside the resin. Truncated voxels, which are fabricated by partial overlap of the resin and the laser spot, allow for the fabrication of nano-features that are not diffraction limited, and we achieved near 100 nm feature sizes in our 3D fabricated objects. Our work is of central interest to 3D nanoprinting, since it addresses the spatial resolution of 3D printing technology, and might have potential impact for industry.
A comparative study on the micro-surface characteristics at black shale initial oxidation stage
Authors: Li Qi , Zhu Baolong , Li Jing
Published: June 2020

The pyrite oxidation is crucial to the overall black shale oxidation process. A. ferrooxidans was documented an effective oxidation ability on pure pyrite, but its role in black shale oxidation is unclear. In this study, a comparative study of acid solution and A. ferrooxidans on the micro-surface characteristics at the initial stage (7 days) was conducted on black shale slices, a comprehensive approach combining the micro-morphologies, micro-structures, micro-environmental pH and micro-surface elemental content were investigated by using polarizing microscopies, SEM, fluorescent staining and EDX line scan analysis. The pyrite oxidation rate was employed to the index for black shale oxidation degree, and analyzed by XRD, aqueous pH, oxidation-reduction potential (ORP), ferrous and ferric ions concentrations measurement. The results show that the micro-surface characteristics are different in acid solution and A. ferrooxidans groups, which significantly impact the pyrite oxidation rate. A. ferrooxidans promote the jarosite formation and elemental C accumulation on the rocks micro-surface, which is assumed to inhibit further reactions. Two reaction phases named “pyrite oxidized phase” and “jarosite formation phase” are proposed to occur in the initial stage of A. ferrooxidans oxidizing black shale. These findings provide experimental data to evaluate the micro-surface reactions during black shale oxidation process.
Synthesis and catalytic performance of polydopamine supported metal nanoparticles
Authors: Li Haoqi , Xi Jiaxin , Donaghue Adrienne G. , Keum Jong , Zhao Yao , An Ke , McKenzie Erica R. , Ren Fei
Published: June 2020

Polydopamine (PDA) is an emerging nature-inspired biopolymer material that possesses many interesting properties including self-assembly and universal adhesion. PDA is also able to form coordination bonds with various metal ions, which can be reduced to metal nanoparticles (NPs) as a result of thermal annealing under protective environment. In this study, PDA has been utilized as a support material to synthesize Pt NPs in an aqueous solution at room temperature. The catalytic performance of the resulting PDA-Pt nanocomposite was evaluated using an electrochemical workstation which showed comparable activity to Pt/C material for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Furthermore, Cu, Ni, and Cu–Ni NPs supported on PDA were also obtained using this strategy with assistance of subsequent thermal annealing. The phase evolution of the NPs was studied by in-situ X-ray diffraction while the morphology of the nanoparticles was investigated using electron microscopic techniques. Preliminary results showed the NPs supported on PDA also possessed HER activity. This work demonstrates that PDA can be utilized as a potential support for synthesis of metal NPs that can be exploited in engineering applications such as catalysts.
Horseback riding pathways and harbors at the beginning of the colonial era in Mexico
Authors: Lugo Igor , Alatriste-Contreras Martha G.
Published: June 2020

The introduction of horses in the New World changed the way of traveling on complex terrains. This change reconfigured the land transport network connecting harbors in the region. However, data of horseback riding pathways among harbors is scarce. We analyzed the case of Mexico at the beginning of the colonial period to recreate routes that connected ancient harbors and to identify the network characteristics of a large-scale system of routes. We used the complex systems approach as a framework in which we applied the least cost path analysis to reconstruct a network of horseback paths, and we computed the node betweenness centrality to identify the most probable locations that controlled de flow of travels. Findings suggest that horses modified the transportation system by expanding the connections and increasing the speed of traveling across the New Spain territory. The node betweenness centrality suggests that some locations organized the flow of traveling based on a few harbors located at the central region. Therefore, the horse allowed the Spaniards to reshape the spatial organization in the colonial era in Mexico.
Guidelines for wrist-worn consumer wearable assessment of heart rate in biobehavioral research
Authors: Nelson Benjamin W. , Low Carissa A. , Jacobson Nicholas , Areán Patricia , Torous John , Allen Nicholas B.
Published: June 2020

Researchers have increasingly begun to use consumer wearables or wrist-worn smartwatches and fitness monitors for measurement of cardiovascular psychophysiological processes related to mental and physical health outcomes. These devices have strong appeal because they allow for continuous, scalable, unobtrusive, and ecologically valid data collection of cardiac activity in “big data” studies. However, replicability and reproducibility may be hampered moving forward due to the lack of standardization of data collection and processing procedures, and inconsistent reporting of technological factors (e.g., device type, firmware versions, and sampling rate), biobehavioral variables (e.g., body mass index, wrist dominance and circumference), and participant demographic characteristics, such as skin tone, that may influence heart rate measurement. These limitations introduce unnecessary noise into measurement, which can cloud interpretation and generalizability of findings. This paper provides a brief overview of research using commercial wearable devices to measure heart rate, reviews literature on device accuracy, and outlines the challenges that non-standardized reporting pose for the field. We also discuss study design, technological, biobehavioral, and demographic factors that can impact the accuracy of the passive sensing of heart rate measurements, and provide guidelines and corresponding checklist handouts for future study data collection and design, data cleaning and processing, analysis, and reporting that may help ameliorate some of these barriers and inconsistencies in the literature.
Spatial molecular-dynamically ordered NMR spectroscopy of intact bodies and heterogeneous systems
Authors: Ito Kengo , Tsuboi Yuuri , Kikuchi Jun
Published: June 2020

Noninvasive evaluation of the spatial distribution of chemical composition and diffusion behavior of materials is becoming possible by advanced nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) pulse sequence editing. However, there is room for improvement in the spectral resolution and analytical method for application to heterogeneous samples. Here, we develop applications for comprehensively evaluating compounds and their dynamics in intact bodies and heterogeneous systems from NMR data, including spatial z-position, chemical shift, and diffusion or relaxation. This experiment is collectively named spatial molecular-dynamically ordered spectroscopy (SMOOSY). Pseudo-three-dimensional (3D) SMOOSY spectra of an intact shrimp and two heterogeneous systems are recorded to evaluate this methodology. Information about dynamics is mapped onto two-dimensional (2D) chemical shift imaging spectra using a pseudo-spectral imaging method with a processing tool named SMOOSY processor. Pseudo-2D SMOOSY spectral images can non-invasively assess the different dynamics of the compounds at each spatial z-position of the shrimp’s body and two heterogeneous systems.
Metallically gradated silicon nanowire and palladium nanoparticle composites as robust hydrogenation catalysts
Authors: Yamada Yoichi M. A. , Baek Heeyoel , Sato Takuma , Nakao Aiko , Uozumi Yasuhiro
Published: June 2020

Heterogeneous catalysis of alkenes to alkanes is of great importance in chemical industry, but more efficient and reusable heterogeneous catalysts are still demanded. Here, we report a metallically gradated composite of a silicon nanowire array and palladium nanoparticles which are reused for the hydrogenation of an alkene. The catalyst promotes the hydrogenation of stilbene with atmospheric hydrogen (0.1 MPa) to give diphenylethane quantitatively. The recovered catalyst can be reused, and mediates the reaction without loss of yield more than one hundred times, whereas the stability of Pd/C degrades rapidly over 10 cycles of reuse. The catalyst allows the hydrogenation of a variety of alkenes, including tetra-substituted olefins. Structural investigation reveals that palladium nanoparticles are metallically gradated onto the silicon nanowire array under mild conditions by agglomeration of palladium silicide, as confirmed by XAFS and XPS together with argon-ion sputtering. This means of metal agglomeration immobilization may be applicable to the preparation of a variety of metal nanoparticle catalysts.
Electronic and magnetic characterization of epitaxial VSe2 monolayers on superconducting NbSe2
Authors: Kezilebieke Shawulienu , Huda Md Nurul , Dreher Paul , Manninen Ilkka , Zhou Yifan , Sainio Jani , Mansell Rhodri , Ugeda Miguel M. , van Dijken Sebastiaan , Komsa Hannu-Pekka , Liljeroth Peter
Published: June 2020

There has been enormous recent interest in heterostructures of two-dimensional van der Waals materials. Integrating materials with different quantum ground states in vertical heterostructures is predicted to lead to novel electronic properties that are not found in the constituent layers. Here, we present direct synthesis of a superconductor-magnet hybrid heterostructure by combining superconducting niobium diselenide (NbSe2) with the monolayer vanadium diselenide (VSe2). Molecular-beam epitaxy growth in ultra-high vacuum yields clean and atomically sharp interfaces. Combining different characterization techniques and density-functional theory calculations, we investigate the electronic and magnetic properties of VSe2 on NbSe2. Low temperature scanning tunneling microscopy measurements show an absence of the typical charge density wave on VSe2 and demonstrate a reduction of the superconducting gap of NbSe2 on the VSe2 layer. This suggests magnetization of the VSe2 sheet, at least on the local scale. Our work demonstrates superconducting-magnetic hybrid materials with potential applications in future electronics devices.
The wavelength-dependent optical properties of weakly absorbing aqueous aerosol particles
Authors: Bain Alison , Preston Thomas C.
Published: June 2020

A model for calculating the wavelength-dependent refractive index of multicomponent mixtures is presented and applied to aqueous systems in the atmosphere and oceans.
Mechanistic insights into polyoxometalate self-assembly in organic solvent: conversion of a cyclic polyoxovanadate-ethoxide to its Lindqvist congener
Authors: Meyer Rachel L. , Love Robert , Brennessel William W. , Matson Ellen M.
Published: June 2020

We report the synthesis of a cyclic hexavanadate polyoxovanadate-alkoxide cluster, [VO(OC2H5)2]6, and its conversion, under solvothermal conditions, to an oxygen-deficient Lindqvist assembly, [V6O6(OC2H5)12]n (n = 1−, 0).
Ultrafine Ru nanoclusters anchored on cucurbit[6]uril/rGO for efficient hydrogen evolution in a broad pH range
Authors: Gong Zhiwei , Wu Dongshuang , Cao Minna , Zhao Chuan , Cao Rong
Published: June 2020

Ultrafine Ru nanoclusters uniformly coated on thin layer rGO were successfully synthesized via introducing macrocyclic compound cucurbit[6]uril. The obtained nanohybrid exhibits superior performance toward HER in broad pH range.
Fragment-oriented synthesis: β-elaboration of cyclic amine fragments using enecarbamates as platform intermediates
Authors: Trindade Alexandre F. , Faulkner Emily L. , Leach Andrew G. , Nelson Adam , Marsden Stephen P.
Published: June 2020

Selective β-sp3 functionalisation of cyclic amines is achieved through enecarbamate formation and photoredox-catalysed derivatisation with functionalised alkyl halides.