bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An asymptotic model based on matching far and near field expansions for thin gratings problems
Authors: Monk Peter B. , Rivas Cinthya , Rodríguez Rodolfo , Solano Manuel E.
Published: July 2020

In this paper, we devise an asymptotic model for calculating electromagnetic diffraction and absorption in planar multilayered structures with a shallow surface-relief grating. Far from the grating, we assume that the solution can be written as a power series in terms of the grating thickness δ, the coefficients of this expansion being smooth up to the grating. However, the expansion approximates the solution only sufficiently far from the grating (far field approximation). Near the grating, we assume that there exists another expansion in powers of δ (near field approximation). Moreover, there is an overlapping zone where both expansion are valid. The proposed model is based on matching the two expansions on this overlapping domain. Then, by truncating terms of order δ2 or higher, we obtain explicitly the equations satisfied by the lowest order terms in the power series. Under appropriate assumptions, we prove second order convergence of the error with respect to δ. Finally, an alternative form, more convenient for implementation, is derived and discretized with finite elements to perform some numerical tests.
Alternative approach based on roots for computing the stationary queue-length distributions in GIX/M(1,b)/1 single working vacation queue
Authors: Yu Miaomiao
Published: July 2020

The purpose of this paper is to present an alternative algorithm for computing the stationary queue-length and system-length distributions of a single working vacation queue with renewal input batch arrival and exponential holding times. Here we assume that a group of customers arrives into the system, and they are served in batches not exceeding a specific number b. Because of batch arrival, the transition probability matrix of the corresponding embedded Markov chain for the working vacation queue has no skip-free-to-the-right property. Without considering whether the transition probability matrix has a special block structure, through the calculation of roots of the associated characteristic equation of the generating function of queue-length distribution immediately before batch arrival, we suggest a procedure to obtain the steady-state distributions of the number of customers in the queue at different epochs. Furthermore, we present the analytic results for the sojourn time of an arbitrary customer in a batch by utilizing the queue-length distribution at the pre-arrival epoch. Finally, various examples are provided to show the applicability of the numerical algorithm.
Aktuelle Betrachtung der Tonsillektomie und Tonsillotomie
Authors: Geißler Katharina , Guntinas-Lichius Orlando
Published: July 2020

What is right? Tonsillotomy or tonsillectomy? Moreover, when and what has to be preferred? Is the discussion never ending? No, and this is good. Tonsil surgery is and will remain a frequent surgical procedure for the otolaryngologist. Especially, because many children are operated, and because – also rare – significant complications can occur, a quality-controlled benefit-risk-analysis is important. Part of this is systematic analysis of the evidence of the benefits and risks of tonsillotomy and tonsillectomy, as it was performed recently by the Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (Institut für Qualität und Wirtschaftlichkeit im Gesundheitswesen, IQWiG) by order of the Federal Joint Committee (Gemeinsamer Bundesausschuss, G-BA). One result was the implementation of the tonsillotomy as a regular service paid by the insurance companies. Nevertheless, the discussion is not yet concluded. Actually, a randomized controlled trial is in preparation sponsored by the G-BA to proof the non-inferiority of tonsillotomy against tonsillectomy for the treatment of patients with recurrent acute tonsillitis. The present article on ENT specialist knowledge should put the reader, especially ENT residents, in a position to advice patients and their relatives on the pros and cons of tonsil surgery.
COVID-19 aus Sicht der Infektiologie
Authors: Khatamzas Elham , Rothe Camilla , Kroidl Inge
Published: July 2020

The control and management of infection with the novel SARS-CoV-2 virus requires multidisciplinary work between specialists on all levels. This article aims to provide an overview of the current knowledge of COVID-19 from the view of infectious diseases physicians including all the uncertainties of our understanding of the pathogenesis and immunity.
COVID-19 aus Sicht der Intensivmedizin
Authors: Stecher Stephanie-Susanne , Stemmler Hans Joachim , Eichenauer Dennis , Kochanek Matthias , Shimabukuro-Vornhagen Alexander , von Bergwelt-Baildon Michael , Böll Boris
Published: July 2020

Approx. 93 % of COVID-19 infections are mild, and not all severely ill patients are transferred to the intensive care unit. But the Corona crisis implies high demands on intensive care medicine. Many treatment modalities of COVID patients are “best practice”, but some aspects remain unclear at present. This article deals with diagnostics, monitoring and therapy with COVID-19 patients in intensive care units and with a suitable hygiene concepts.

A hygiene concept is obligatory and must ensure – in addition to general measures – the training of employees and the hygienic discharge of material. Ideally, a cohort isolation is implemented.

Monitoring of patients with COVID-19 is not different from other intensive care patients and should be adapted to the clinical situation of the individual patient. In laboratory analysis the typical abnormality of COVID-19 patients should be taken into account. In case of increasing inflammatory parameters, fungal infections should be tested.

Due to the formation of aerosols, disconnection of the respiratory system must be avoided in invasive ventilation. If a disconnection from the respirator is necessary, the tube should be disconnected. After extubation, an intermittent NIV treatment for atelectase prophylaxis can be performed.
COVID-19 aus Sicht der Kardiologie
Authors: Weckbach Ludwig T. , Kellnar Antonia , Stremmel Christopher , Stark Konstantin , Kääb Stefan
Published: July 2020

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has rapidly spread around the world and has led to a substantial morbidity and mortality in many countries. Although Corona Virus Disease 19 (COVID-19) is primarily a respiratory tract infection, there is growing evidence that other organs including the cardiovascular system are affected by COVID-19. In this review, we summarize the association of myocardial injury with in-hospital mortality of COVID-19 patients. Furthermore, we discuss potential mechanisms of myocardial injury including myocarditis and vascular thrombosis. Last, we review the current evidence on drugs which have been evaluated or are currently tested for the treatment of COVID-19 patients.
Migräne in der Pubertät
Authors: Pothmann Raymund
Published: July 2020

Keine andere Gesundheitsstörung kommt bei Schülerinnen und Schülern so häufig vor, wie Kopfschmerzen. Migräne ist dabei mit dem höchsten Leidensdruck verbunden. Die differenzialdiagnostische Abklärung muss symptomatische Kopfschmerzen sicher ausschließen. Eine ausführliche Anamnese unter Einschluss psychosozialer Aspekte, eine kinderneurologische Untersuchung, sowie eine ophthalmologische Abklärung stellen die Basis dar. Für die akute Schmerztherapie ist komplementär eine bitemporale Akupunktur an Ex-KH5 einen Versuch wert. Bei fehlendem Ansprechen sowie vier und mehr Attacken pro Monat, einer Migränedauer über zwei Tage und persistierender neurologischer Begleitsymptomatik ist eine Intervalltherapie angezeigt. Hierfür sollten bevorzugt nicht-medikamentöse Verfahren wie Entspannung, Ablenkung, Bewältigungstraining, Biofeedback und triggerarme Ernährung zum Einsatz kommen. (Laser-)Akupunktur ist nachweislich im Rahmen einer kurmäßigen Anwendung mit 4–8 Behandlungen pro Monat wirksam.
Shōnishin bei Kindern und Jugendlichen
Authors: Wernicke Thomas
Published: July 2020

Seit der Einführung der Akupunktur aus China nach Japan werden Kinder auch in Japan mit Akupunktur behandelt – daher der japanische Begriff Shōnishin (shōni = Kind; shin = Nadel/Nadelung). Zu Beginn des 20. Jh. veränderte sich die Behandlungstechnik: Die einst invasive, stechende Akupunktur entwickelte sich zu einer sanften, nicht-invasiven Behandlungsmethode.

Keine 100 Jahre später erfuhr Shōnishin eine nochmalige Weiterentwicklung und eröffnete durch die Verbindung der sino-japanischen Medizintradition mit dem heutigen Wissensstand der Entwicklungsphysiologie neue Behandlungsstrategien.
Gänseblümchen
Authors: Houben Martina
Published: July 2020

Das Gänseblümchen ist seit altersher nicht nur bekannt als Blumenorakel für Verliebte, sondern auch als Heilpflanze mit vielfältigen Wirkungen.
Functionalization of Bipyrenol: Potential Precursors for Advanced Chiral Molecules
Authors: Sugiura Ken-ichi , Liza Umme Aiman
Published: July 2020

Considering the widespread interest in the chiroptical properties of materials, especially circularly polarized luminescence (CPL), the functionalization of bipyrenol (BPy) was carried out aiming at future advanced chiral materials (ACMs) in which BPy shows a high quantum yield and clear CPL spectra. To create ACMs using BPy units that contain nucleophilic substituents, amine and thiol were selected as the functional group and attached to BPy by means of alkyl linkages. The obtained thiol and amine derivatives are stable under ambient conditions. To demonstrate the potential of these molecules, photoinduced electron-transfer systems were synthesized.
Arthroscopic Trapeziectomy and Suture Button Suspensionplasty: A Review of the Literature and Description of the “Three-Step Arthroscopic Trapeziectomy Technique”
Authors: Corella Fernando , Ocampos Montserrat , Laredo Rafael , Tabuenca José , Carnicer Maribel , Larrainzar-Garijo Ricardo
Published: July 2020

In the last two decades, surgeons have rapidly developed arthroscopic techniques to treat basal joint osteoarthritis. Such techniques spare the joint capsule and ligaments, allow more accurate staging of cartilage degeneration to determine the most appropriate treatment, and decrease the risk of injury to the radial artery and superficial branch of the radial nerve. Arthroscopic resection arthroplasty of the trapezium can be performed as either partial or complete trapeziectomy. Many papers have described partial trapeziectomy but few have discussed complete trapeziectomy.

Suture button implants avoid the drawbacks of temporary fixation using Kirschner wire, as well as the drawbacks of ligament reconstruction, which necessitates the sacrifice of a tendon and involves both wide exposure and scar tissue.

This paper aimed to review the published data on the arthroscopic treatment of basal thumb osteoarthritis, with a special focus on stabilization using suture button suspensionplasty, and to present a technique that structures this procedure into three steps, allowing it to be performed in an easier, more organized, and faster way.
Tackling child malnutrition in Jamaica, 1962–2020
Authors: Altink Henrice
Published: July 2020

On the eve of independence in 1962, malnutrition was the largest single cause of death in Jamaica for children under one. Although child malnutrition rates have rapidly declined since 1962, today Jamaica experiences a double burden of malnutrition: the coexistence of pockets of high child malnutrition with rising levels of childhood obesity. Based on a wide range of sources, including public documents, newspaper reports, scientific studies and reports by international agencies, this article examines a gradual decline in child malnutrition and the rise of the double burden of malnutrition in Jamaica from independence to the present. It will first of all show that changes in the global economy and overseas loans and aid both aided and limited the ability of the Jamaican government to lower child malnutrition levels and also contributed to a rise in childhood obesity. Second, it will illustrate that a traditional deficit-led approach to child malnutrition was followed in post-independent Jamaica, focussing on the public and individuals as targets for intervention and using quantitative measures to trace progress. And third, it will question whether the double burden of child malnutrition will give rise to ‘healthy publics’—‘dynamic collectives of people, ideas and environments that can enable health and well-being’.
Angry by design: toxic communication and technical architectures
Authors: Munn Luke
Published: July 2020

Hate speech and toxic communication online is on the rise. Responses to this issue tend to offer technical (automated) or non-technical (human content moderation) solutions, or see hate speech as a natural product of hateful people. In contrast, this article begins by recognizing platforms as designed environments that support particular practices while discouraging others. In what ways might these design architectures be contributing to polarizing, impulsive, or antagonistic behaviors? Two platforms are examined: Facebook and YouTube. Based on engagement, Facebook’s Feed drives views but also privileges incendiary content, setting up a stimulus–response loop that promotes outrage expression. YouTube’s recommendation system is a key interface for content consumption, yet this same design has been criticized for leading users towards more extreme content. Across both platforms, design is central and influential, proving to be a productive lens for understanding toxic communication.
The critical properties of the Ising model in a magnetic field
Authors: Badiev M. K. , Murtazaev A. K. , Ramazanov M. K. , Magomedov M. A.
Published: July 2020

The phase transitions and critical properties of the three-dimensional stacked triangular-lattice Ising antiferromagnet in a magnetic field are studied using the replica Monte Carlo method. The nature of the phase transitions is analyzed on the basis of the histogram method. It is established that a second-order transition occurs in the field range of 0 ≤ h ≤ 6. At a high field, the degeneracy of the ground state is lifted and the phase transition is smeared. Depending on the magnitude of the magnetic field, disordered, partially ordered, and completely ordered phases are observed.
Sizable spin-transfer torque in the Bi/Ni80Fe20 bilayer film
Authors: Matsushima Masayuki , Miwa Shinji , Sakamoto Shoya , Shinjo Teruya , Ohshima Ryo , Ando Yuichiro , Fuseya Yuki , Shiraishi Masashi
Published: July 2020

The search for efficient spin conversion in Bi has attracted great attention in spin–orbitronics. In the present work, we employ spin-torque ferromagnetic resonance to investigate spin conversion in Bi/Ni80Fe20(Py) bilayer films with a continuously varying Bi thickness. In contrast with previous studies, sizable spin-transfer torque (i.e., a sizable spin-conversion effect) is observed in the Bi/Py bilayer film. Considering the absence of spin conversion in Bi/yttrium–iron–garnet bilayers and the enhancement of spin conversion in the Bi-doped Cu, the present results indicate the importance of material combinations to generate substantial spin-conversion effects in Bi.
Enhanced intrinsic piezoelectric response in (001)-epitaxial single c-domain Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 nanorods
Authors: Okamoto Kazuki , Yamada Tomoaki , Nakamura Kentaro , Takana Hidenori , Sakata Osami , Phillips Mick , Kiguchi Takanori , Yoshino Masahito , Funakubo Hiroshi , Nagasaki Takanori
Published: July 2020

In this study, (001)-epitaxial tetragonal phase Pb(Zr, Ti)O3 (PZT) nanorods were fabricated on SrRuO3/SrTiO3 substrates by pulsed laser deposition. The PZT nanorods were self-assembled and grown on the substrate at an elevated oxygen pressure, and showed a complete c-domain structure. Time-resolved x-ray diffraction measurements under an applied electric field show that the fabricated PZT nanorods exhibit a piezoelectric constant, d33, that is significantly higher than that of thin PZT films and comparable to that for unclamped single-domain bulk crystals, which is thought to be due to a significant reduction in substrate clamping. The obtained results demonstrate that the self-assembled nanorods can achieve an enhanced intrinsic piezoelectric response, which makes them attractive for a range of practical applications.
Molecular dynamics modeling of nonlinear propagation of surface acoustic waves
Authors: Shugaev Maxim V. , Wu Chengping , Zaitsev Vladimir Yu. , Zhigilei Leonid V.
Published: July 2020

A new computational setup suitable for the exploration of nonlinear effects in free propagation and dissipation of surface acoustic waves (SAWs) is developed based on the molecular dynamics (MD) simulation method. First applications of the computational model demonstrate the ability of atomistic simulations to reproduce the key features of the nonlinear SAW evolution, which are distinct from their well-known counterparts in bulk wave propagation. In particular, the MD simulations predict the increasing localization of the acoustic energy near the surface of the substrate during the nonlinear sharpening of the wave profile, which leads to the formation of a shock front with characteristic cusps in the horizontal strain and velocity profiles. The peak values of surface strain and velocity associated with the cusps can significantly exceed those of the initial wave. Some of the effects revealed in the MD simulations are outside the capabilities of continuum-level models and have not been explored so far. These include the observation of an unusual quadratic correction to the dispersion relation at short wavelengths defined by the frequency-dependent localization of SAWs near the surface of the substrate, the establishment of a new mechanism of the energy dissipation at the SAW shock front, where SAW harmonics generated at the limit of frequency up-conversion transform very effectively into clouds of phonon wave packets descending into the substrate bulk, and the generation of localized zones of plastic deformation at a substantial distance from the wave source. Overall, the MD methodology developed for atomistic modeling of free SAW propagation not only enables detailed analysis of the intrinsic properties of nonlinear SAWs and verification of theoretical models but also opens up a broad range of opportunities for investigation of acoustically induced surface processes, material modification by SAWs, and the interaction of SAWs with preexisting crystal defects and other material heterogeneities.
Coercivity mechanism and effect of Dy element in anisotropic LaPrFeB multilayers with Dy diffusion
Authors: Li Y. , Zhao X. T. , Liu W. , Ma J. , Liu L. , Song Y. H. , Deng W. Y. , Qi L. J. , Zhao X. G. , Zhang Z. D.
Published: July 2020

In composite magnets, an in-depth understanding of magnetization reversal behaviors promotes optimizing the structure design of a magnet and improving its performance. In this work, the perpendicular magnetic anisotropic Ta/La–Pr–Fe–B/Dy/La–Pr–Fe–B/Ta multilayers have been prepared by adjusting the thickness of the Dy layer. The domain reversal evolutionary procedure has been investigated in different aspects including the characterization of domain morphology, micromagnetic analysis, and irreversible reversal distribution. It is confirmed that the nucleation mechanism is dominant in determining the coercivity of the multilayers with Dy diffusion. Dy diffusion helps to enhance the coercivity of the multilayers. The formation of Dy-containing hard magnetic phases and rare-earth-rich grain boundary phases by adding the Dy element leads to a strong nucleation field and isolation of hard magnetic phase grains, respectively. Our results aid in the understanding of magnetization reversal behaviors and enhance the magnetic properties of highly abundant rare-earth permanent magnetic multilayer films with the doping element.
Scalable molecular dynamics on CPU and GPU architectures with NAMD
Authors: Phillips James C. , Hardy David J. , Maia Julio D. C. , Stone John E. , Ribeiro João V. , Bernardi Rafael C. , Buch Ronak , Fiorin Giacomo , Hénin Jérôme , Jiang Wei , McGreevy Ryan , Melo Marcelo C. R. , Radak Brian K. , Skeel Robert D. , Singharoy Abhishek , Wang Yi , Roux Benoît , Aksimentiev Aleksei , Luthey-Schulten Zaida , Kalé Laxmikant V. , Schulten Klaus , Chipot Christophe , Tajkhorshid Emad
Published: July 2020

NAMD is a molecular dynamics program designed for high-performance simulations of very large biological objects on CPU- and GPU-based architectures. NAMD offers scalable performance on petascale parallel supercomputers consisting of hundreds of thousands of cores, as well as on inexpensive commodity clusters commonly found in academic environments. It is written in C++ and leans on Charm++ parallel objects for optimal performance on low-latency architectures. NAMD is a versatile, multipurpose code that gathers state-of-the-art algorithms to carry out simulations in apt thermodynamic ensembles, using the widely popular CHARMM, AMBER, OPLS, and GROMOS biomolecular force fields. Here, we review the main features of NAMD that allow both equilibrium and enhanced-sampling molecular dynamics simulations with numerical efficiency. We describe the underlying concepts utilized by NAMD and their implementation, most notably for handling long-range electrostatics; controlling the temperature, pressure, and pH; applying external potentials on tailored grids; leveraging massively parallel resources in multiple-copy simulations; and hybrid quantum-mechanical/molecular-mechanical descriptions. We detail the variety of options offered by NAMD for enhanced-sampling simulations aimed at determining free-energy differences of either alchemical or geometrical transformations and outline their applicability to specific problems. Last, we discuss the roadmap for the development of NAMD and our current efforts toward achieving optimal performance on GPU-based architectures, for pushing back the limitations that have prevented biologically realistic billion-atom objects to be fruitfully simulated, and for making large-scale simulations less expensive and easier to set up, run, and analyze. NAMD is distributed free of charge with its source code at www.ks.uiuc.edu.
The optical signature of few-layer ReSe2
Authors: Kipczak Ł. , Grzeszczyk M. , Olkowska-Pucko K. , Babiński A. , Molas M. R.
Published: July 2020

Optical properties of thin layers of rhenium diselenide (ReSe2) with thicknesses ranging from mono- (1 ML) to nona-layer (9 MLs) are demonstrated. The photoluminescence (PL) and Raman scattering were measured at low (T=5K) and room (T=300K) temperature, respectively. The PL spectra of ReSe2 layers display two well-resolved emission lines, which blueshift by about 120 meV when the layer thickness decreases from 9 MLs to a monolayer. A rich structure of the observed low-energy Raman scattering modes can be explained within a linear chain model. The two phonon modes of intralayer vibrations, observed in Raman scattering spectra at about 120cm−1, exhibit very sensitive and opposite evolution as a function of layer thickness. It is shown that their energy difference can serve as a convenient and reliable tool to determine the thickness of ReSe2 flakes in the few-layer limit.
Moiré patterns in graphene–rhenium disulfide vertical heterostructures
Authors: Plumadore Ryan , Al Ezzi Mohammed M. , Adam Shaffique , Luican-Mayer Adina
Published: July 2020

Vertical stacking of atomically thin materials offers a large platform for realizing novel properties enabled by proximity effects and moiré patterns. Here, we focus on mechanically assembled heterostructures of graphene and ReS2, a van der Waals layered semiconductor. Using scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy, we image the sharp edge between the two materials as well as areas of overlap. Locally resolved topographic images revealed the presence of a striped superpattern originating in the interlayer interactions between graphene's hexagonal structure and the triclinic, low in-plane symmetry of ReS2. We compare the results with a theoretical model that estimates the shape and angle dependence of the moiré pattern between graphene and ReS2. These results shed light on the complex interface phenomena between van der Waals materials with different lattice symmetries.
Perpendicular magnetic tunnel junctions based on half-metallic NiCo2O4
Authors: Shen Yufan , Kan Daisuke , Lin I-Ching , Chu Ming-Wen , Suzuki Ikumi , Shimakawa Yuichi
Published: July 2020

Spin polarization and magnetic anisotropy are key properties that determine the performance of magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs), which are utilized in various spintronic devices. Although materials that have both high spin polarization and sufficient perpendicular magnetic anisotropy are desirable for further developments of MTJs, such materials are rare because electronic structures necessary for achieving these two properties are distinct. Here, we experimentally show the inverse spinel ferrimagnet NiCo2O4 (NCO), whose band structure is theoretically predicted to be half-metallic, has both high spin polarization and perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. Perpendicular MTJs with NCO magnetic electrodes exhibit magnetoresistance up to 230%, indicating that the spin polarization of perpendicularly magnetized NCO is as high as −73%. Our experimental results demonstrate the potential of NCO as a half-metal with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy, which will lead to new paradigms for designing and developing all-oxide spintronic devices.
LRCH1 deficiency enhances LAT signalosome formation and CD8+T cell responses against tumors and pathogens
Authors: Liu Chang , Xu Xiaoyan , Han Lei , Wan Xiaopeng , Zheng Lingming , Li Chunyang , Liao Zhaohui , Xiao Jun , Zhong Ruiyue , Zheng Xin , Wang Qiong , Li Zonghai , Chen Hualan , Wei Bin , Wang Hongyan
Published: July 2020

Significance

Improving cytotoxicity, proliferation, and infiltration ability of CD8+T cells is critical in T cell immunotherapies against tumors. This study has identified LRCH1 as a negative regulator of LAT-mediated TCR signal transduction, as LRCH1 inhibits LAT signalosome formation and facilitates the endocytosis of LAT on the plasma membrane. LRCH1-deficient CD8+T cells are more proliferative and effective at pathogen control and tumor elimination. Importantly, CRISPR-Cas9–mediated knockout ofLRCH1in human T cells also increases IFN-γ production, cell proliferation, and migration ability in vitro. These data suggest LRCH1 as a potential target to improve CD8+T cell responses against tumors and pathogens.
Characterization of a novel class of glyoxylate reductase belonging to the β-hydroxyacid dehydrogenase family in Acetobacter aceti
Authors: Kumsab Jakkaphan , Tobe Ryuta , Kurihara Tatsuo , Hirose Yuu , Omori Taketo , Mihara Hisaaki
Published: July 2020

Enzymes related to β-hydroxyacid dehydrogenases/3-hydroxyisobutyrate dehydrogenases are ubiquitous, but most of them have not been characterized. An uncharacterized protein with moderate sequence similarities to Gluconobacter oxydans succinic semialdehyde reductase and plant glyoxylate reductases/succinic semialdehyde reductases was found in the genome of Acetobacter aceti JCM20276. The corresponding gene was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. The gene product was purified and identified as a glyoxylate reductase that exclusively catalyzed the NAD(P)H-dependent reduction of glyoxylate to glycolate. The strict substrate specificity of this enzyme to glyoxylate, the diverged sequence motifs for its binding sites with cofactors and substrates, and its phylogenetic relationship to homologous enzymes suggested that this enzyme represents a novel class of enzymes in the β-hydroxyacid dehydrogenase family. This study may provide an important clue to clarify the metabolism of glyoxylate in bacteria.

Abbreviations: GR: glyoxylate reductase; GRHPR: glyoxylate reductase/hydroxypyruvate reductase; HIBADH: 3-hydroxyisobutyrate dehydrogenase; SSA: succinic semialdehyde; SSAR: succinic semialdehyde reductase
Purification and characterization of molybdenum-containing aldehyde dehydrogenase that oxidizes benzyl maltol derivative from Pseudomonas nitroreducens SB32154
Authors: Kozono Iori , Hibi Makoto , Takeuchi Michiki , Ogawa Jun
Published: July 2020

Maltol derivatives are used in a variety of fields due to their metal-chelating abilities. In the previous study, it was found that cytochrome P450 monooxygenase, P450nov, which has the ability to effectively convert the 2-methyl group in a maltol derivative, transformed 3-benzyloxy-2-methyl-4-pyrone (BMAL) to 2-(hydroxymethyl)-3-(phenylmethoxy)-4H-pyran-4-one (BMAL-OH) and slightly to 3-benzyloxy-4-oxo-4 H-pyran-2-carboxaldehyde (BMAL-CHO). We isolated Pseudomonas nitroreducens SB32154 with the ability to convert BMAL-CHO to BMAL-COOH from soil. The enzyme responsible for aldehyde oxidation, a BMAL-CHO dehydrogenase, was purified from P. nitroreducens SB32154 and characterized. The purified BMAL-CHO dehydrogenase was found to be a xanthine oxidase family enzyme with unique structure of heterodimer composed of 75 and 15 kDa subunits containing a molybdenum cofactor and [Fe-S] clusters, respectively. The enzyme showed broad substrate specificity toward benzaldehyde derivatives. Furthermore, one-pot conversion of BMAL to BMAL-COOH via BMAL-CHO by the combination of the BMAL-CHO dehydrogenase with P450nov was achieved.
Function of PoLAE2, a laeA homolog, in appressorium formation and cAMP signal transduction in Pyricularia oryzae
Authors: Prajanket Pradabrat , Vu Kim-Chi Thi , Arai Jun , Sornkom Worawan , Abe Ayumi , Sone Teruo
Published: July 2020

A novel homolog of laeA, a global regulatory gene in filamentous fungi, was identified from Pyricularia oryzae. A deletion mutant of the homolog (PoLAE2) exhibited lowered intracellular cAMP levels, and decreased appressorium formation on non-host surface; the decrease was recovered using exogenous cAMP and IBMX, indicating that PoLAE2 deletion affected the cAMP signaling pathway.
A novel robust filter for outliers and time-varying delay on an SINS/USBL integrated navigation model
Authors: Xu Bo , Zhang Jiao , Razzaqi Asghar A
Published: July 2020

A novel robust filter called a Huber M-estimation delay Kalman filter is proposed for a strapdown inertial navigation system/ultra-short baseline (SINS/USBL) integrated navigation system to deal with time-varying delay in underwater acoustic communication and simultaneously cope with non-Gaussian noises induced by outliers. First, considering the influence of platform error angle, an SINS/USBL integrated navigation system is constructed and, according to the delay characteristics of USBL acoustic communication, a delay system model based on state inversion is derived to deal with the time-varying observations. Second, a linear recursive model based on the delay system model is constructed to update the posterior estimation and covariance matrix by combining it with Huber’s M-estimation theory whose performance has robustness when encountering outliers. Simultaneously, a fixed-point iteration method is introduced to obtain optimal estimation. The proposed algorithm not only solves the time-varying delay problem but also prevents outliers in the process and measurement noises. Simulation and experimental results verify that the proposed filter has improved accuracy and robustness compared with other existing filters.
Relativistic mid-wavelength infrared pulses generated in intense-laser mass-limited target interactions
Authors: Qu J F , Liu P , Liu X Y , Gray R J , McKenna P , Li X F , Kawata S , Kong Q
Published: July 2020

Infrared spectroscopy, ultra-fast x-ray high harmonic generation, and time-resolved imaging of molecular structures benefit from the availability of intense mid-infrared wavelength pulses. Here we present a new approach to generating these, in which an intense short laser pulse is incident upon a near-critical density, spherical, mass-limited carbon target. After the laser pulse interaction, the carbon ions produced form a central force field. Plasma electrons accelerated by the laser return to the positively charged carbon target under the action of this field. The energy of these electrons is reduced and is lower than their energy in the laser field. These low-energy refluxing electrons start to oscillate with a rotating figure-of-eight motion around the positively charged carbon target and emit relativistically intense mid-infrared pulses with the wavelength in the range 1 to 4 μm.
Enhanced sensitivity of optical gyroscope in a mechanical parity-time-symmetric system based on exceptional point
Authors: Mao Xuan , Qin Guo-Qing , Yang Hong , Zhang Hao , Wang Min , Long Gui-Lu
Published: July 2020

High-sensitivity gyroscope is widely used for rotation detection in several practical applications. Recently, exceptional points (EPs) have garnered considerable attention for enhancing the sensitivity of sensors based on optical cavities. Here, we propose an EP-enhanced optical gyroscope based on mechanical parity-time (PT) symmetry in a microcavity system. We demonstrate that by pumping the two optical modes with different colors, i.e., blue and red detuning, an effective mechanical PT-symmetric system can be obtained, and the system can be prepared at EP with appropriate parameters. The sensitivity of gyroscope at EP was enhanced by more than one order of magnitude in the weak perturbation regime as compared to that at diabolic point. This indicates that the sensitivity of gyroscope can be effectively enhanced by monitoring the mechanical modes rather than the optical modes. Overall, our work provides a promising approach to design high-sensitivity gyroscopes in optical microcavities and is potentially useful in a variety of research fields including fundamental physics and precision measurement.
Bioprosthetic heart valves with reduced immunogenic residuals using vacuum-assisted decellularization treatment
Authors: Luo Yu , Ma Lie
Published: July 2020

Despite the good hemodynamic characteristics of bioprosthetic heart valves, it is inevitable that they will suffer from calcification and tissue deterioration. Decellularization has been utilized to reduce the immunogenicity and calcification of bioprosthetic heart valves. However, it can take several days or even weeks to obtain the decellularized tissues or organs. Therefore, time-frame should be taken into consideration during the decellularization process. A detergent-enzymatic-method, combined with vacuum, has been proposed as a method of obtaining desirable decellularized heart valves. In this study, heart valves treated under vacuum and normal atmosphere are investigated via histological, biochemical and mechanical analysis. The results show that the decellularization efficiency of heart valves treated under vacuum is enhanced, based on histological staining, DNA contents and α-Gal quantification. The decellularization procedures decrease the contents of the extracellular matrix. However, the mechanical properties, including elastic modulus, fracture tensile strength and fracture strain, show no significant difference between the samples. In vitro cell cytotoxicity experiments indicate the feasibility of further in vivo experiments. Therefore, we conclude that vacuum-assisted decellularization procedures can significantly enhance decellularization efficiency by reducing the decellularization time, without compromising the properties of the heart valves, which is also beneficial in terms of reducing clinical costs. To the best of our knowledge, vacuum is a novel parameter which can be designed into decellularization procedures for heart valves.
Modeling of cutting of stainless steel AISI 304 by abrasive water jet
Authors: Miao Xiaojin , Wu Meiping
Published: July 2020

Abrasive water jet (AWJ) has distinct advantages in machining stainless steel, titanium alloy and other metals because of its high machining ability and cold working characteristics. In this paper, the depth of cutting stainless steel AISI 304 by abrasive water jet was studied, so as to provide guidance for reasonable setting of process parameters. Firstly, the effect mechanism of main process parameters on cutting depth was analyzed. Then, the simulation model was built by the method of SPH coupled FEM to simulate the erosion process of abrasive water jet. Then, the material removal volume was studied from the micro and macro perspectives. Based on the essential equivalent relationship between the two aspects, the parametric model of cutting depth was deduced. Finally, the two models were compared and verified. The results show that the parametric model can be used to predict the cutting depth of AISI 304 and guide the setting of process parameters.
Coupling colloidal quantum dots to a dielectric slot-waveguide
Authors: Israelsen Niels M , Lu Ying-Wei , Andersen Ulrik L , Huck Alexander
Published: July 2020

The coupling between single photon emitters and integrated photonic circuits is an emerging topic relevant for quantum information science and other nanophotonic applications. We investigate the coupling between a hybrid system of colloidal quantum dots and propagating modes of a silicon nitride waveguide system. We furthermore explore the local density of optical states of the system by using a scanning probe technique and find that the quantum dots couple significantly to the photonic circuit. Our results indicate that a scalable slot-waveguide might serve as a promising platform in future developments of integrated quantum circuitry.
Impersonation
Authors: Browder Laura
Published: July 2020

Impersonator narratives exist at the intersection of literature and history; they serve as interventions during flash points in history. Impersonation takes a number of different forms, but in all cases it is contingent on reader reception. There are narrative impersonations in which reader and writer are willing collaborators and in which readers feel little to no discomfort with an author’s assumption of a voice far from his or her public identity; any novel written in first person is in a sense an impersonation. Yet even when author and reader agree that the work is fictional, this compact between fiction reader and writer can become disrupted when readers question the author’s right to assume a specific voice.

There are literary hoaxes, which generally (although not always) involve a body of work whose author is supposedly dead (and thus it is impossible for any actual impersonation to take place). The most analytically productive for textual scholars, however, are the most committed impersonators—those who (at least part-time) inhabit the literary personae they have created.

For this last group of impersonators, as is true for some of the others, success depends on having a readership with fixed ideas about the identities the impersonator chooses to inhabit. The impersonator succeeds through a deep understanding of stereotypes and, through his or her success, further imprisons his or her readers in caricatured thinking about race and identity. Yet the unmasking of the impersonator offers the possibility of liberation to readers, in that it forces them to consider the preconceptions that led them to believe in these false narratives, no matter how implausible.

Impersonation can be a means for its practitioners to escape historical traps, or identities that no longer work for them; it can be a way for practitioners to put a historically understood label (Holocaust survivor, AIDS victim) on their private, uncategorizable pain or trauma. Impersonation is meaningless without the underlying belief in an authentic voice. And these authentic voices are usually from speakers outside the literary canon.
Climate Engineering
Authors: Ott Konrad , Neuber Frederike
Published: July 2020

The means to combat dangerous anthropogenic climate change constitutes a portfolio. Beside abatement of greenhouse gas emissions, this portfolio entails adaptation to changing climate conditions, and so-called climate engineering measures. The overall portfolio has to be judged on technical, economic, and moral grounds. This requires an in-depth understanding of the moral aspects of climate engineering options. Climate engineering (CE) is a large-scale intentional intervention either in carbon cycles (carbon dioxide removal; CDR) or in solar radiation (solar radiation management; SRM). The ethical discourse on climate engineering has gained momentum since the 2010s. The set of arguments pro and contra specific CE technologies constitute a vast landscape of discourse. Single arguments must be analyzed with scrutiny according to their ethical background, their normative premises, their inferential logic, and their practical and political consequences. CE ethics, then, has a threefold task: (a) it must suppose a solid understanding of different CE technologies and their risks; (b) it has to analyze the moral arguments that speak in favor or against specific CE technologies; and (c) it has to assess the impacts of accepting or rejecting specific arguments for the overall climate portfolio’s design. The global climate portfolio differs from ordinary investment portfolios since stakes are huge, moral values in dispute, risks and uncertainties pervasive, and collective decision-making urgent. Any argument has implications of how to design the overall portfolio best. From an ethical perspective, however, one must reflect upon the premises and inferential structures of the arguments as such. Analysis of arguments and mapping them logically can be seen as core business of CE ethics. Highly general arguments about CE usually fall short, since the diverse features of individual technologies may not be addressed by overarching arguments that necessarily homogenize different technologies. It can be stated with confidence that the moral profiles of CDR and SRM are highly different. Every single deployment scheme ought to be judged specifically, for it is a huge difference to propose SRM as a substitute for abatement, or to embed it within a comprehensive climate portfolio including abatement and adaptation, where SRM will be used sporadically and only for a matter of decades.
Serbia’s Civil-Military Relations
Authors: Ejdus Filip
Published: July 2020

When, how, why, and to what effect did the military involve itself in Serbia’s politics? Due to its decisive role in national liberation and state-building, the Serbian military has always enjoyed high societal reputation. Since the 19th century, the military also played an important role of a nation-builder and social elevator for the lower strata of society. However, Serbia also has a very long tradition of military involvement in politics with several coups that decisively shaped the course of national history. Since the outset of Serbia’s state-building in the first half of the 19th century, Serbia experienced four successful military coups and many occasions when its armed forces were used to quash domestic unrest. The reasons behind the robust involvement of armed forces in Serbian (and Yugoslav politics) have been diverse and ranged from an ambition to provide internal stability and defend national or corporate interests to a desire to change the country’s foreign policy orientation. Since the end of the Cold War, the military played an ambiguous role on some occasions undermining democracy, while on others being an agent of democratic transformation. Since 2006, the military of Serbia has been placed under civilian democratic control and seems to have internalized its role of a politically neutral and professional force with a mission to defend the country, support civilian authorities in the event of emergency, and contribute to international peace and security. Still, the ongoing democratic backsliding, the lack of clarity about the state’s strategic outlook, and the still unresolved status of Serbia’s former province Kosovo all preserve the potential for civil-military tensions in the future.
Nudging in Public Policy
Authors: Moseley Alice
Published: July 2020

“Nudging” in public policy involves using behavioral, economic, and psychological insights to influence the behavior of policy targets in order to help achieve policy goals. This approach to public policy was advocated by Thaler and Sunstein in their book Nudge in 2008. Nudging is underpinned by a conception that individuals use mental shortcuts (heuristics) in day-to-day decision-making, shortcuts that do not always serve their long-term interests (for instance, in relation to eating and exercise patterns, road safety, or saving for the future). Nudging does not involve seeking to persuade individuals about the merits of pursuing particular courses of action that will better serve their long-term welfare. Rather, it involves altering the choice environment so that when people follow their instincts, using familiar mental shortcuts, the most prominent option available to the policy target will be one that is likely to promote their own welfare, and that of society more widely. Nudging has come to be considered a core part of the policy toolkit in many countries but academic scholarship has also debated the ethical dimensions of nudging, and there is a flourishing research literature on the efficacy, public acceptability, merits, and limitations of this approach within public policy.
Push and Pull: Biological and Psychological Models of Sexuality in Medical Sexology and Psychoanalysis (1870–1930)
Authors: Oosterhuis Harry
Published: July 2020

Sexual science or sexology arose in the last three decades of the 19th century when psychiatrists and neurologists began to study and treat deviant sexualities as sickly “perversions.” The new science of experimental psychology did not engage with this morally contested subject. Research into sexuality was rooted in a biomedical and clinical approach. All the same, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, some medical experts increasingly explained perversion as well as regular sexuality in a psychological way. This trend was intertwined with the changing definition of sexuality as either a pushing or a pulling force, which pertained not only to biological versus psychological interpretations, but also to the contrast between nature and culture, male and female sexuality, and pessimistic and optimistic evaluations. All of this has contributed to the shaping of the modern concept and experience of sexuality and also to its sociopolitical regulation in the 20th-century Western world.