bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of the viscoelastic properties of modified starch as a wall material on the surface morphology of microcapsules
Authors: Zhang Chunyu , Xie Yanli , Zou Junjun
Published: March 2019

BACKGROUND

Since microcapsule technology has a good protective effect on unstable bioactive substances, many studies have focused on exploring the best technical conditions for forming microcapsules. Modified starch is a microcapsule wall material with good emulsifying and film‐forming properties. The objective of this work was to study the creep‐recovery behavior of modified starch pastes for various creep time, shear stress and temperature. Furthermore, the effect of creep‐recovery behavior on the morphology of microcapsules made of the modified starch was investigated.

RESULTS

The maximum creep compliance (Jmax), instantaneous compliance (J0) and retardation compliance (J1) of modified starch increased proportionally with increasing creep time and shear stress but decreased with increasing temperature. The Newtonian viscosity (η0) increased with increasing creep time and temperature but decreased with increasing shear stress. The recovery rate of the modified starch pastes varied from 0.92 to 33.68% in the creep‐recovery test conditions. Creep‐recovery data could be well explained by a four‐parameter Burgers model (R2 > 0.918).

CONCLUSIONS

Modified starch pastes exhibited time‐, stress‐ and temperature‐dependent creep‐recovery behavior. The Jmax values of modified starch pastes were low(<0.20 Pa−1) and the η0 values high (>3.5 × 103 Pa s) for all test conditions. The results revealed the modified starch pastes had a good rigid network structure to resist deformation but recovery was difficult once deformation occurred. Microcapsules produced using the modified starch exhibited a small deformation with regular spheres and some dents, consistent with the results of creep‐recovery tests. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry
Investigation of free and conjugated seleno‐amino acids in wheat bran by hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry
Authors: Montone Carmela Maria , Antonelli Michela , Capriotti Anna Laura , Cavaliere Chiara , La Barbera Giorgia , Piovesana Susy , Laganà Aldo
Published: March 2019

An analytical method for determining seleno‐methionine, methyl‐seleno‐cysteine, and seleno‐cystine in wheat bran was developed and validated. Four different extraction procedures were evaluated to simultaneously extract endogenous free and conjugated seleno‐amino acids in wheat bran in order to select the best extraction protocol in terms of seleno amino acid quantitation. The extracted samples were subjected to a clean‐up by a reversed phase/strong cation exchange solid‐phase extraction and analyzed by chiral hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography‐tandem mass spectrometry. The optimized extraction protocol was employed to validate the methodology. Process efficiency ranged from 58 to 112% and trueness from 73 to 98%. Limit of detection and limit of quantification were lower than 1 ng/g. Four wheat bran samples were analyzed for both total Se and single seleno‐amino acids determination. The results showed that Se‐ seleno‐methyl‐lselenocysteine was the major seleno‐amino acid in wheat bran while seleno‐methionine and seleno‐cysteine were both minor species.
Retrieval Practice or Overall Donor and Recipient Risk: What Impacts on Outcomes After Donation After Circulatory Death Liver Transplantation in the United Kingdom?
Authors: Boteon Amanda P. C. S. , Schlegel Andrea , Kalisvaart Marit , Boteon Yuri L. , Abradelo Manuel , Mergental Hynek , Roberts J. Keith , Mirza Darius F. , Perera M. Thamara P. R. , Isaac John R. , Muiesan Paolo
Published: March 2019

Parameters of retrieval surgery are meticulously documented in the United Kingdom, where up to 40% of livers are donation after circulatory death (DCD) donations. This retrospective analysis focuses on outcomes after transplantation of DCD livers, retrieved by different UK centers between 2011 and 2016. Donor and recipient risk factors and the donor retrieval technique were assessed. A total of 236 DCD livers from 9 retrieval centers with a median UK DCD risk score of 5 (low risk) to 7 points (high risk) were compared. The majority used University of Wisconsin solution for aortic flush with a median hepatectomy time of 27‐44 minutes. The overall liver injury rate appeared relatively high (27.1%) with an observed tendency toward more retrieval injuries from centers performing a quicker hepatectomy. Among all included risk factors, the UK DCD risk score remained the best predictor for overall graft loss in the multivariate analysis (P < 0.001). In high‐risk and futile donor‐recipient combinations, the occurrence of liver retrieval injuries had negative impact on graft survival (P = 0.023). Expectedly, more ischemic cholangiopathies (P = 0.003) were found in livers transplanted with a higher cumulative donor‐recipient risk. Although more biliary complications with subsequent graft loss were found in high‐risk donor‐recipient combinations, the impact of the standardized national retrieval practice on outcomes after DCD liver transplantation was minimal.
On the structure of WDC sets
Authors: Pokorný Dušan , Rataj Jan , Zajíček Luděk
Published: March 2019

WDC sets in were recently defined as sublevel sets of DC functions (differences of convex functions) at weakly regular values. They form a natural and substantial generalization of sets with positive reach and still admit the definition of curvature measures. Using results on singularities of convex functions, we obtain regularity results on the boundaries of WDC sets. In particular, the boundary of a compact WDC set can be covered by finitely many DC surfaces. More generally, we prove that any compact WDC set M of topological dimension can be decomposed into the union of two sets, one of them being a k‐dimensional DC manifold open in M, and the other can be covered by finitely many DC surfaces of dimension . We also characterize locally WDC sets among closed Lipschitz domains and among lower‐dimensional Lipschitz manifolds. Finally, we find a full characterization of locally WDC sets in the plane.
Two further patients with Warsaw breakage syndrome. Is a mild phenotype possible?
Authors: Bottega Roberta , Napolitano Luisa M. R. , Carbone Anna , Cappelli Enrico , Corsolini Fabio , Onesti Silvia , Savoia Anna , Gasparini Paolo , Faletra Flavio
Published: March 2019

Background

Warsaw Breakage Syndrome (WABS) is an ultra rare cohesinopathy caused by biallelic mutation of DDX11 gene. It is clinically characterized by pre and postnatal growth delay, microcephaly, hearing loss with cochlear hypoplasia, skin color abnormalities, and dysmorphisms.

Methods

Mutational screening and functional analyses (protein expression and 3D‐modeling) were performed in order to investigate the presence and pathogenicity of DDX11 variant identified in our patients.

Results

We report the clinical history of two sisters affected by WABS with a pathological mytomicin C test carrying compound heterozygous mutations (c.2507T > C / c.907_920del) of the DDX11 gene. The pathogenicity of this variant was confirmed in the light of a bioinformatic study and protein three‐dimensional modeling, as well as expression analysis.

Conclusion

These findings further extend the clinical and molecular knowledge about the WABS showing a possible mild phenotype without major malformations or intellectual disability.
Luteolin Ameliorates Testis Injury and Blood–Testis Barrier Disruption through the Nrf2 Signaling Pathway and by Upregulating Cx43
Authors: Ma Bo , Zhang Jie , Zhu Zhiming , Zhao Ang , Zhou Yanfen , Ying Hanjie , Zhang Qi
Published: March 2019

Scope

Luteolin, a natural flavonoid, displays protective activities to testicular tissue. However, the molecular mechanisms are still unclear. In this study, the aim is to identify the protective effects and underlying mechanisms of luteolin against triptolide (TP)‐induced damage of testicular tissue.

Methods and results

Pre‐incubation of Sertoli cells (SCs) with luteolin results in a significant reduction of TP‐induced apoptotic cells, which occurs concomitantly with the effective inhibition of reactive oxygen species accumulation. Luteolin results in a significant reduction in testicular damage and spermatogenesis dysfunction in a mouse model of testicular damage. Mechanistic studies reveal that luteolin significantly triggers Nrf2 translocation, increases antioxidant response element‐luciferase reporter activity, and induces antioxidant enzyme expression. Nrf2 siRNA reduces luteolin‐induced protection in SCs. Besides inhibiting apoptosis, luteolin recovers the blood–testis barrier (BTB) integrity by upregulating connexin43 (Cx43) expression. Moreover, specifically blocked Cx43 activity completely blocks repairmen of luteolin to BTB values. In accordance with in vitro results, luteolin suppresses testicular injury and spermatogenesis dysfunction by activation of Nrf2 and Cx43 in a testicular injury model.

Conclusion

Luteolin is identified as a novel active ingredient that contributes to the protective activity in testicular damage through activating the Nrf2 signaling pathway and by upregulating Cx43.
NMR quantification of lactate production and efflux and glutamate fractional enrichment in living human prostate biopsies cultured with [1,6‐13C2]glucose
Authors: Bancroft Brown Jeremy , Sriram Renuka , VanCriekinge Mark , Delos Santos Romelyn , Sun Jinny , Delos Santos Justin , Tabatabai Z. Laura , Shinohara Katsuto , Nguyen Hao , Peehl Donna M. , Kurhanewicz John
Published: March 2019

Purpose

Image‐guided prostate biopsies are routinely acquired in the diagnosis and treatment monitoring of prostate cancer, yielding useful tissue for identifying metabolic biomarkers and therapeutic targets. We developed an optimized biopsy tissue culture protocol in combination with [1,6‐13C2]glucose labeling and quantitative high‐resolution NMR to measure glycolysis and tricarboxcylic acid (TCA) cycle activity in freshly acquired living human prostate biopsies.

Methods

We acquired 34 MRI‐ultrasound fusion‐guided prostate biopsies in vials on ice from 22 previously untreated patients. Within 15 min, biopsies were transferred to rotary tissue culture in 37°C prostate medium containing [1,6‐13C2]glucose. Following 24 h of culture, tissue lactate and glutamate pool sizes and fractional enrichments were quantified using quantitative 1H high resolution magic angle spinning Carr‐Purcell‐Meiboom‐Gill (CPMG) spectroscopy at 1°C with and without 13C decoupling. Lactate effluxed from the biopsy tissue was quantified in the culture medium using quantitative solution‐state high‐resolution NMR.

Results

Lactate concentration in low‐grade cancer (1.15 ± 0.78 nmol/mg) and benign (0.74 ± 0.15 nmol/mg) biopsies agreed with prior published measurements of snap‐frozen biopsies. There was substantial fractional enrichment of [3‐13C]lactate (≈70%) and [4‐13C]glutamate (≈24%) in both low‐grade cancer and benign biopsies. Although a significant difference in tissue [3‐13C]lactate fractional enrichment was not observed, lactate efflux was significantly higher (P < 0.05) in low‐grade cancer biopsies (0.55 ± 0.14 nmol/min/mg) versus benign biopsies (0.31 ± 0.04 nmol/min/mg).

Conclusion

A protocol was developed for quantification of lactate production–efflux and TCA cycle activity in single living human prostate biopsies, allowing metabolic labeling on a wide spectrum of human tissues (e.g., metastatic, post‐non‐surgical therapy) from patients not receiving surgery.
Early detection of changes in phospholipid metabolism during neoadjuvant chemotherapy in breast cancer patients using phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopy at 7T
Authors: Krikken Erwin , van der Kemp Wybe J.M. , van Diest Paul J. , van Dalen Thijs , van Laarhoven Hanneke W.M. , Luijten Peter R. , Klomp Dennis W.J. , Wijnen Jannie P.
Published: March 2019

The purpose of this work was to investigate whether noninvasive early detection (after the first cycle) of response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) in breast cancer patients was possible. 31P‐MRSI at 7 T was used to determine different phosphor metabolites ratios and correlate this to pathological response.

31P‐MRSI was performed in 12 breast cancer patients treated with NAC. 31P spectra were fitted and aligned to the frequency of phosphoethanolamine (PE). Metabolic signal ratios for phosphomonoesters/phosphodiesters (PME/PDE), phosphocholine/glycerophosphatidylcholine (PC/GPtC), phosphoethanolamine/glycerophosphoethanolamine (PE/GPE) and phosphomonoesters/in‐organic phosphate (PME/Pi) were determined from spectral fitting of the individual spectra and the summed spectra before and after the first cycle of NAC. Metabolic ratios were subsequently related to pathological response. Additionally, the correlation between the measured metabolic ratios and Ki‐67 levels was determined using linear regression.

Four patients had a pathological complete response after treatment, five patients a partial pathological response, and three patients did not respond to NAC. In the summed spectrum after the first cycle of NAC, PME/Pi and PME/PDE decreased by 18 and 13%, respectively. A subtle difference among the different response groups was observed in PME/PDE, where the nonresponders showed an increase and the partial and complete responders a decrease (P = 0.32). No significant changes in metabolic ratios were found. However, a significant association between PE/Pi and the Ki‐67 index was found (P = 0.03).

We demonstrated that it is possible to detect subtle changes in 31P metabolites with a 7 T MR system after the first cycle of NAC treatment in breast cancer patients. Nonresponders showed different changes in metabolic ratios compared with partial and complete responders, in particular for PME/PDE; however, more patients need to be included to investigate its clinical value.
The Japanese version of the Richards‐Campbell Sleep Questionnaire: Reliability and validity assessment
Authors: Murata Hiroaki , Oono Yoko , Sanui Masamitsu , Saito Keita , Yamaguchi Yoko , Takinami Masanori , Richards Kathy C. , Henker Richard
Published: March 2019

Aims

The purpose of this study was to determine the reliability and validity of the Japanese version of the Richards‐Campbell Sleep Questionnaire as a measure of sleep among intensive care unit patients in a Japanese hospital.

Design

Cross‐sectional survey.

Methods

The Richards‐Campbell Sleep Questionnaire was initially translated into Japanese using the back‐translation method. Validity was evaluated by determining the association between sleep efficiency, measured using simplified polysomnography, and the total score on the Japanese version of the Richards‐Campbell Sleep Questionnaire. Adult non‐intubated intensive care unit patients who completed the five‐item visual analogue scale underwent polysomnography for one night. Reliability was tested using Cronbach's alpha coefficient.

Results

Thirty‐three patients were included in the analysis. After excluding four patients with subsyndromal delirium, the Pearson correlation coefficient was 0.602 (p = 0.001). Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0.911.

Conclusion

The Japanese version of the Richards‐Campbell Sleep Questionnaire could be used as an alternative to polysomnography when assessing sleep quality in lucid intensive care unit patients.
Racial Comparisons of Postoperative Weight Loss and Eating‐Disorder Psychopathology Among Patients Following Sleeve Gastrectomy Surgery
Authors: Ivezaj Valentina , Fu Emily , Lydecker Janet A. , Duffy Andrew J. , Grilo Carlos M.
Published: March 2019

Objective

This study aimed to examine racial differences in postoperative eating‐disorder psychopathology, psychosocial functioning, and weight loss among adults with loss‐of‐control (LOC) eating following sleeve gastrectomy.

Methods

Participants were 123 patients (n = 74 non‐Hispanic White and n = 49 non‐Hispanic Black) who underwent sleeve gastrectomy surgery within the previous 4 to 9 months and reported regular LOC eating during the previous month. The Eating Disorder Examination Bariatric Surgery Version assessed LOC eating, eating‐disorder psychopathology, and meal patterns. Participants completed self‐report measures, including the Beck Depression Inventory‐II and Medical Outcomes Study Short‐Form Health Survey.

Results

Presurgical BMI did not differ by race, but Black patients had significantly less percent total weight loss and percent excess weight loss than White patients. Black and White patients did not differ significantly in LOC eating frequency, onset time of postoperative LOC eating, eating‐disorder psychopathology, depressive symptoms, or physical or mental health‐related quality of life. White patients were significantly more likely to meet criteria for lifetime binge‐eating disorder than Black patients. Black patients were significantly more likely to skip breakfast and dinner and engage in night eating than White patients.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that among patients with LOC eating following sleeve gastrectomy surgery, there exist few racial differences in current eating‐disorder psychopathology and psychosocial functioning, although Black patients achieved less weight loss than White patients.
The association between proton pump inhibitor use and the risk of tuberculosis: A case‐control study
Authors: Song Hyun Jin , Park Haesuk , Park Susan , Kwon Jin‐Won
Published: March 2019

Purpose

Few studies have reported an association between proton pump inhibitor (PPI) use and tuberculosis. Tuberculosis incidence is relatively high in Asian people, and an increase in PPI prescriptions has been reported in South Korea. Thus, we investigated the association between PPI use and tuberculosis development.

Methods

We conducted a case‐control study on 25 672 newly diagnosed tuberculosis patients using the National Health Insurance Service‐National Sample Cohort (NHIS‐NSC) database (2002‐2013). We selected a control group without tuberculosis using 1:1 exact matching based on age, sex, index year, insurance type, and income level. We investigated PPI exposure 2 years prior to the index date and classified the subjects into nonuser, continuous user, recent user, and former user groups. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for tuberculosis development were calculated using conditional logistic regression.

Results

A total of 51 344 cases and controls were analyzed. Recent PPI use (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.28; 95% CI, 1.18‐1.39) and continuous PPI use (aOR, 1.13; 95% CI 1.10‐1.28) were significantly associated with tuberculosis development, compared with nonuse of PPIs. An increased tuberculosis incidence was not observed in the former use group compared with the nonuse group (aOR 1.05, 95% CI 0.95‐1.17).

Conclusions

In this case‐control study, we found that recent PPI use and continuous PPI use were associated with increased tuberculosis development. Although further investigation is needed, the tuberculosis risk accompanying PPI treatment should be considered.
Stability and bonding in rare gas inserted interhalogens FRgXFn (X = Br and I, n = 0 and 2)
Authors: Li Zhuo Zhe , Wen Mei , Li An Yong
Published: March 2019

Structures, stabilities, and bonding nature of the Rg inserted interhalogens FRgXFn (Rg = Kr, Xe, and Rn, X = Br and I, n = 0 and 2) have been studied using PBE0, MP2, and CCSD(T) methods. In these compounds, the dissociation energy for FRg bonds ranging from 160 kcal mol−1 to 180 kcal mol−1 could be best described as ionic bonds. RgX bonds have some covalent character with lower interaction energies within the range 20‐50 kcal mol−1. NBO, ELF, and EDA calculations were used to further confirm the nature of the Rg inserted compounds and present a clear description of Rg bonding properties.
Interpretation of bulk nitrogen and carbon isotopes in archaeological foodcrusts on potsherds
Authors: Yoneda Minoru , Kisida Kaisei , Gakuhari Takashi , Omori Takayuki , Abe Yoshiro
Published: March 2019

Rationale

Foodcrust, the charred deposit adhering to the surface of containers, is a possible source of information on the function of ancient vessels and the subsistence of prehistoric humans. While the carbon isotope ratios in those materials are useful in detecting the usage of C4 plants, the reliability of nitrogen isotopic signatures has not been fully investigated.

Methods

The validity of bulk nitrogen isotope ratios has previously been investigated in coastal or riverine environments, where multiple resources from terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems were available, but not in terrestrial settings which provide a simpler mixing of terrestrial animals and plants. Hence, we conducted an exhaustive study on charred deposits on potsherds at two inland archaeological sites belonging to prehistoric Jomon hunter‐gathers in central Japan, focusing on δ15N values and atomic N/C ratios determined using an isotope ratio mass spectrometer and an elemental analyzer, respectively.

Results

For both sites, the δ15N values showed significant correlations with the N/C ratios among samples from the inner surface, suggesting that these have recorded animal contribution. Furthermore, previous studies of Neolithic pottery from North Europe and Far East Russia bearing strong marine signatures had shown reasonably higher δ15N values and N/C ratios in comparison with our data from terrestrial settings. On the other hand, some charred materials probably originating from plant starch showed lower values with both parameters. Samples from the outer surface produced less meaningful isotopic and elemental ratios altered by a thermal effect and/or contamination from soot.

Conclusions

When the samples of foodcrusts were selected carefully from the inner surface, bulk nitrogen isotopes and N/C ratios reflect the composition of what was cooked or processed in containers. This will provide useful information for understanding the human adaptation from the Late Pleistocene to the Holocene in conjunction with residual lipid analyses.
Transfer learning between crop types for semantic segmentation of crops versus weeds in precision agriculture
Authors: Bosilj Petra , Aptoula Erchan , Duckett Tom , Cielniak Grzegorz
Published: March 2019

Agricultural robots rely on semantic segmentation for distinguishing between crops and weeds to perform selective treatments and increase yield and crop health while reducing the amount of chemicals used. Deep‐learning approaches have recently achieved both excellent classification performance and real‐time execution. However, these techniques also rely on a large amount of training data, requiring a substantial labeling effort, both of which are scarce in precision agriculture. Additional design efforts are required to achieve commercially viable performance levels under varying environmental conditions and crop growth stages. In this paper, we explore the role of knowledge transfer between deep‐learning‐based classifiers for different crop types, with the goal of reducing the retraining time and labeling efforts required for a new crop. We examine the classification performance on three datasets with different crop types and containing a variety of weeds and compare the performance and retraining efforts required when using data labeled at pixel level with partially labeled data obtained through a less time‐consuming procedure of annotating the segmentation output. We show that transfer learning between different crop types is possible and reduces training times for up to 80%. Furthermore, we show that even when the data used for retraining are imperfectly annotated, the classification performance is within 2% of that of networks trained with laboriously annotated pixel‐precision data.
The economic value of water: The contradictions and consequences of a prominent development model in Namibia
Authors: Schnegg Michael , Kiaka Richard Dimba
Published: March 2019

Since the 1990s, access to water has profoundly changed in rural Namibia. The institutional transformation was informed by the then dominant discourse in the global policy debate on water, most importantly the idea of community‐based management (CBM). While the supporters of the development regime promised that it would bring sustainability, economic development, and water for all, ethnographic research in pastoral communities reveals that quite the opposite is the case. The aim of this article is to explore why this is so. We use the concept of traveling models as a theoretical guide. We trace the emergence of CBM since the 1970s and reveal how competing meanings became attached to it. Tracing the model's path, we further show how specific aims and strategies became salient when the CBM model was applied in Namibia, most notably by treating water as an economic good. The final implementation of CBM water policies in Namibia reveals contradictions with which the model became infused over the years of its development and application. Our theoretical intervention is to show how, in addition to translations between actors and sites, the growth of the model led to tensions and contradictions in the model itself. A focus on these contradictions helps to explain why pricing water did not become an accelerator of economic development in northwestern Namibia but became instead a field of social conflict.
Cytotoxic 2‐(2′‐Hydroxyphenyl)benzothiazolylquinoline Analogues and their In Vitro Screening through Developmental Assays†
Authors: Jadhav Gajanan Raosaheb , Paira Priyankar
Published: March 2019

Xenobiotics good pharmacodynamic effect should be evaluated with acceptable drug like properties during the drug discovery process. Benzothiazolyl‐quinoline derivatives are with reported biological and anticancer activity. In the present study, compounds were screened for potency determination in Caco‐2 (Human Epithelial Colorectal Adenocarcinoma) cell line and the most potent compound was evaluated through some of the drug development assays. Experimental protocols were set for stability and solubility (in buffer pH 7.4), metabolic stability, metabolite profiling, Caco‐2 permeability, P‐gp (P‐glycoprotein) inhibition in MDCK (Madin‐Darbey Canine Kidney)‐MDR1 overexpressed cells and CYP induction study by using LC‐MS/MS(Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass spectrometry) method. The compound was stable and soluble in buffer pH 7.4, less permeable across Caco‐2 cell monolayer, unstable in microsomes, inhibitor of efflux P‐gp transporter and an inducer CYP (Cytochrome P450) 1 A2. The most potent compound (i. e. 6 k) was with high solubility, low permeability and high CLint (intrinsic clearance) in liver microsomes. Therefore it was preliminary classified as class III compound as per biopharmaceutics classification system (BCS) and Class I compound as per biopharmaceutical drug disposition classification system (BDDCS).
Hydrotalcite‐Supported Ceria Nanoparticles as a Heterogeneous Catalyst for One‐Pot Synthesis of Imines under Atmospheric Air
Authors: Tomar Ravi , Ebitani Kohki , Chandra Ramesh
Published: March 2019

Herein, we report a catalytic method for the one‐pot synthesis of imines from benzyl alcohols using air. The Ceria (CeO2) nanoparticles were supported on (HT, TiO2, SiO2, Al2O3) synthesised by Co‐precipitation in alcohol/water mixed solvents. The best catalytic activity was obtained with CeO2/HT for the oxidation of benzyl alcohols. CeO2/HT was investigated for oxidation and imines of various benzyl alcohols. Higher yield and a better reusability were observed under mild condition with air as oxidants.
Native Oxide Barrier Layer for Selective Electroplated Metallization of Silicon Heterojunction Solar Cells
Authors: Hatt Thibaud , Kluska Sven , Yamin Mananchaya , Bartsch Jonas , Glatthaar Markus
Published: March 2019

The metallization of silicon heterojunction (SHJ) solar cells by electroplating of highly conductive copper onto a multifunctional patterned metal layer stack is demonstrated. The approach features several advantages: low temperature processing, high metal conductivity of plated copper, no organic making, and low material costs (almost Ag‐free). A PVD layer stack of copper and aluminum is deposited onto the cell subsequently to TCO deposition. The aluminum layer is patterned with a printed etchant and its native oxide on the remaining areas inhibits plating. The full area aluminum layer while electroplating supports plating current distribution and allows homogeneous plating height distributions over the cell. The NOBLE (native oxide barrier layer for selective electroplating) approach allows reaching a first encouraging SHJ solar cell efficiency of 20.2% with low contact resistivity.
Additive partially linear models for ultra‐high‐dimensional regression
Authors: Li Xinyi , Wang Li , Nettleton Dan
Published: March 2019

We consider a semiparametric additive partially linear regression model (APLM) for analysing ultra‐high‐dimensional data where both the number of linear components and the number of non‐linear components can be much larger than the sample size. We propose a two‐step approach for estimation, selection, and simultaneous inference of the components in the APLM. In the first step, the non‐linear additive components are approximated using polynomial spline basis functions, and a doubly penalized procedure is proposed to select nonzero linear and non‐linear components based on adaptive lasso. In the second step, local linear smoothing is then applied to the data with the selected variables to obtain the asymptotic distribution of the estimators of the nonparametric functions of interest. The proposed method selects the correct model with probability approaching one under regularity conditions. The estimators of both the linear part and the non‐linear part are consistent and asymptotically normal, which enables us to construct confidence intervals and make inferences about the regression coefficients and the component functions. The performance of the method is evaluated by simulation studies. The proposed method is also applied to a dataset on the shoot apical meristem of maize genotypes.
Determination of the REE content, geological age, and absorbed alpha dose of allanite mineral from Palawan, Philippines
Authors: Dingle Cheri Anne M. , Jecong Julius Federico M. , Hila Frederick C. , Ramo Ma. Elina Salvacion V. , Guillermo Neil Raymund D. , Vasquez Jr Magdaleno R. , Samson Vallerie Ann I.
Published: March 2019

Allanite is a common accessory mineral in igneous rocks that contains significant amounts of rare‐earth elements (REEs), thorium (Th), and uranium (U). The presence of Th and U in the allanite exposes it to radiation resulting in radiation damage in its crystal structure and further leads to metamictization. Hence, allanite can be used as a natural analogue to assess the long‐term radiation effects in materials for high‐level nuclear waste disposal. It provides information on the effect of α‐decay on the crystal structure including the stability and integrity of the material. In this study, the absorbed α‐dose of allanite from Ombo, Palawan, Philippines, was estimated from the Th and U content and geological age of the mineral using X‐ray fluorescence and gamma‐ray spectrometry. The amount of Th and REE was measured to be around 1.37 and ~30.4 wt.%, respectively. Radiometric dating using gamma‐ray spectrometry estimated the age of the allanite mineral to be around 24–35 million years. Having obtained the amount of radioactivity and the time of exposure, the corresponding absorbed α‐dose was estimated to be at 2.84 × 1014 α‐decays/mg. Results suggest that the allanite mineral studied has not accumulated significant radiation damage to cause amorphization and still exhibit a crystalline structure. This study may provide data on the properties of allanite or silicate matrices as part of the ongoing studies on silicate minerals as natural analogues.
Diagonal form factors in Landau-Lifshitz models
Authors: Gerotto Lorenzo , Mc Loughlin Tristan
Published: March 2019

Abstract

We perturbatively study form factors in the Landau-Lifshitz model and the generalisation originating in the study of the$$ \mathcal{N} $$N= 4 super-Yang-Mills dilatation generator. In particular we study diagonal form factors which have previously been related to gauge theory structure constants. For the Landau-Lifshitz model, due to the non-relativistic nature of the theory, we are able to compute all orders in perturbation theory and to resum the series to find quantum form factors for low numbers of external particles. We apply our form factors to the study of deformations of the integrable theory by means of form factor perturbation theory. As a check of our method we compute spin-chain S-matrix elements for the Leigh-Strassler family of marginal deformations to leading order in the deformation parameters.
Shockwaves from the operator product expansion
Authors: Afkhami-Jeddi Nima , Hartman Thomas , Kundu Sandipan , Tajdini Amirhossein
Published: March 2019

Abstract

We clarify and further explore the CFT dual of shockwave geometries in Anti-de Sitter. The shockwave is dual to a CFT state produced by a heavy local operator inserted at a complex point. It can also be created by light operators, smeared over complex positions. We describe the dictionary in both cases, and compare to various calculations, old and new. In CFT, we analyze the operator product expansion in the Regge limit, and find that the leading contribution is exactly the shockwave operator, ∫ duh

uu
, localized on a bulk geodesic. For heavy sources this is a simple consequence of conformal invariance, but for light operators it involves a smearing procedure that projects out certain double-trace contributions to the OPE. We revisit causality constraints in large-N CFT from this perspective, and show that the chaos bound in CFT coincides with a bulk condition proposed by Engelhardt and Fischetti. In particular states, this reproduces known constraints on CFT 3-point couplings, and confirms some assumptions about double-trace operators made in previous work.
Emodin induced necroptosis in the glioma cell line U251 via the TNF-α/RIP1/RIP3 pathway
Authors: Zhou Jiabin , Li Genhua , Han Guangkui , Feng Song , Liu Yuhan , Chen Jun , Liu Chen , Zhao Lei , Jin Feng
Published: March 2019

Emodin, an anthraquinone compound extracted from rhubarb and other traditional Chinese medicines, has been proven to have a wide range of pharmacological effects, such as anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and antitumor activities. Previous studies have confirmed that emodin has inhibitory effects on various solid tumors, such as osteosarcoma, liver cancer, prostate cancer and glioma. This study aimed to investigate the effects and mechanisms of emodin-induced necroptosis in the glioma cell line U251 by targeting the TNF-α/RIP1/RIP3 signaling pathway. We found that emodin could significantly inhibit U251 cell proliferation, and the viability of U251 cells treated with emodin was reduced in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Flow cytometry assays and Hoechst-PI staining assays showed that emodin induced apoptosis and necroptosis. Real-time PCR and western blot analysis showed that emodin upregulated the levels of TNF-α, RIP1, RIP3 and MLKL. Furthermore, the RIP1 inhibitor Nec-1 and the RIP3 inhibitor GSK872 attenuated the killing effect of emodin on U251 cells. In addition, emodin could increase the levels of TNF-α, RIP1, RIP3 and MLKL in vivo. The results demonstrate that emodin could induce necroptosis in glioma possibly through the activation of the TNF-α/RIP1/RIP3 axis. These studies provide novel insight into the induction of necroptosis by emodin and indicate that emodin might be a potential candidate for treating glioma through the necroptosis pathway.
The functions of institutions: etiology and teleology
Authors: Hindriks Frank , Guala Francesco
Published: March 2019

Institutions generate cooperative benefits that explain why they exist and persist. Therefore, their etiological function is to promote cooperation. The function of a particular institution, such as money or traffic regulations, is to solve one or more cooperation problems. We go on to argue that the teleological function of institutions is to secure values by means of norms. Values can also be used to redesign an institution and to promote social change. We argue, however, that an adequate theory of institutions should not be ‘moralized’ in that they should not be defined in terms of the values they are supposed to promote.
How much is a calorie worth? A study of willingness to pay for calorie labels in restaurant menus
Authors: RAFIQ SANA
Published: March 2019

We asked individuals about their willingness to pay (WTP) either: (1) for a mandate requiring restaurants to post calorie information on their menus; or (2) to avoid such a mandate. On average, more people were in in favor of the mandate and were willing to pay four times more than those who were against it, thereby leading to a Kaldor–Hicks improvement from this policy. To ensure robustness, we tested the impact of providing three types of information during individuals’ WTP determinations: (1) visual examples of the proposed calorie labels; (2) data on their effectiveness at the individual level; and (3) data on their wider social and economic benefits. For those in favor, providing a simple visual of the label had no impact on WTP. Data on the individual effectiveness of the labels increased the WTP, while evidence on broader obesity reduction and economic benefits reduced it. For opponents, WTP did not change with provision of additional information except when provided with information on social and economic benefits. Under this condition, the opponents increased their WTP 12-fold to avoid a mandate of this policy. Finally, we measured individual well-being under this policy and found directionally similar results, confirming a net improvement in aggregate welfare. Our results suggest that messaging that focuses on private benefits (providing calorie information so that individuals can effectively choose to reduce excessive caloric consumption) rather than wider public benefits (reduction in overall health-related costs and obesity) is more likely to be effective.
Absolute instability modes due to rescattering of stimulated Raman scattering in a large nonuniform plasma
Authors: Zhao Yao , Sheng Zhengming , Weng Suming , Ji Shengzhe , Zhu Jianqiang
Published: March 2019

Absolute instability modes due to secondary scattering of stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) in a large nonuniform plasma are studied theoretically and numerically. The backscattered light of convective SRS can be considered as a pump light with a finite bandwidth. The different frequency components of the backscattered light can be coupled to develop absolute SRS instability near their quarter-critical densities via rescattering process. The absolute SRS mode develops a Langmuir wave with a high phase velocity of about $c/\sqrt{3}$ with $c$ the light speed in vacuum. Given that most electrons are at low velocities in the linear stage, the absolute SRS mode grows with very weak Landau damping. When the interaction evolves into the nonlinear regime, the Langmuir wave can heat abundant electrons up to a few hundred keV via the SRS rescattering. Our theoretical model is validated by particle-in-cell simulations. The absolute instabilities may play a considerable role in the experiments of inertial confinement fusion.
Resolved and subgrid dynamics of Rayleigh–Bénard convection
Authors: Togni Riccardo , Cimarelli Andrea , De Angelis Elisabetta
Published: March 2019

In this work we present and demonstrate the reliability of a theoretical framework for the study of thermally driven turbulence. It consists of scale-by-scale budget equations for the second-order velocity and temperature structure functions and their limiting cases, represented by the turbulent kinetic energy and temperature variance budgets. This framework represents an extension of the classical Kolmogorov and Yaglom equations to inhomogeneous and anisotropic flows, and allows for a novel assessment of the turbulent processes occurring at different scales and locations in the fluid domain. Two relevant characteristic scales, $\ell _{c}^{u}$ for the velocity field and $\ell _{c}^{\unicode[STIX]{x1D703}}$ for the temperature field, are identified. These variables separate the space of scales into a quasi-homogeneous range, characterized by turbulent kinetic energy and temperature variance cascades towards dissipation, and an inhomogeneity-dominated range, where the production and the transport in physical space are important. This theoretical framework is then extended to the context of large-eddy simulation to quantify the effect of a low-pass filtering operation on both resolved and subgrid dynamics of turbulent Rayleigh–Bénard convection. It consists of single-point and scale-by-scale budget equations for the filtered velocity and temperature fields. To evaluate the effect of the filter length $\ell _{F}$ on the resolved and subgrid dynamics, the velocity and temperature fields obtained from a direct numerical simulation are split into filtered and residual components using a spectral cutoff filter. It is found that when $\ell _{F}$ is smaller than the minimum values of the cross-over scales given by $\ell _{c,min}^{\unicode[STIX]{x1D703}\ast }=\ell _{c,min}^{\unicode[STIX]{x1D703}}Nu/H=0.8$, the resolved processes correspond to the exact ones, except for a depletion of viscous and thermal dissipations, and the only role of the subgrid scales is to drain turbulent kinetic energy and temperature variance to dissipate them. On the other hand, the resolved dynamics is much poorer in the near-wall region and the effects of the subgrid scales are more complex for filter lengths of the order of $\ell _{F}\approx 3\ell _{c,min}^{\unicode[STIX]{x1D703}}$ or larger. This study suggests that classic eddy-viscosity/diffusivity models employed in large-eddy simulation may suffer from some limitations for large filter lengths, and that alternative closures should be considered to account for the inhomogeneous processes at subgrid level. Moreover, the theoretical framework based on the filtered Kolmogorov and Yaglom equations may represent a valuable tool for future assessments of the subgrid-scale models.
Lubricating motion of a sphere towards a thin porous slab with Saffman slip condition
Authors: Khabthani Sondes , Sellier Antoine , Feuillebois François
Published: March 2019

Near-contact hydrodynamic interactions between a solid sphere and a plane porous slab are investigated in the framework of lubrication theory. The size of pores in the slab is small compared with the slab thickness so that the Darcy law holds there. The slab is thin: that is, its thickness is small compared with the sphere radius. The considered problem involves a sphere translating above the slab together with a permeation flow across the slab and a uniform pressure below. The pressure is continuous across both slab interfaces and the Saffman slip condition applies on its upper interface. An extended Reynolds-like equation is derived for the pressure in the gap between the sphere and the slab. This equation is solved numerically and the drag force on the sphere is calculated therefrom for a wide range of values of the slab interface slip length and of the permeability parameter $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FD}=24k^{\ast }R/(e\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FF}^{2})$, where $k^{\ast }$ is the permeability, $e$ is the porous slab thickness, $R$ is the sphere radius and $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FF}$ is the gap. Moreover, asymptotics expansions for the pressure and drag are derived for high and low $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FD}$. These expansions, which agree with the numerics, are also handy formulae for practical use. All results match with those of other authors in particular cases. The settling trajectory of a sphere towards a porous slab in a fluid at rest is calculated from these results and, as expected, the time for reaching the slab decays for increasing slab permeability and upper interface slip length.
Jiagongchang Household Workshops as Marginal Hubs of Women's Subcontracted Labour in Guangzhou, China
Authors: CHU NELLIE
Published: March 2019

This article introduces South China's jiagongchang household workshops as marginal hubs of affective and industrial labour, which are produced by migrant women's yearnings for people and places far away. Temporary sites and precarious forms of low-wage production serve as fragmented and provisional resources of sociality and labour as migrant workers and urban villages gradually become incorporated within the urban fabric. The unrequited longings of migrant women who work in factories and as caretakers demonstrate how marginal hubs are created through disjunctures of emplacement and mobility, which are intensified as these women attempt to bridge the contradictions entailed in care work and industrial labour across the supply chains.
Marginal Hubs: On conviviality beyond the urban in Asia: Introduction
Authors: MARSDEN MAGNUS , REEVES MADELEINE
Published: March 2019

This special issue explores the forms of coexistence that emerge in what we call ‘marginal hubs’: sites that appear geographically or politically marginal, but which emerge as areas of intense and often volatile sociability, including border posts, container markets, industrial workshops, and pilgrim encampments. Such sites, which often come into being suddenly and are remote from the great urban centres, do not fit easily either within the framework of the Asian urban nor of the continent's villages and small towns. By exploring the forms of sociability that are important to everyday life in such places, we seek to widen the spectrum of settings that are recognized by scholars across the humanities and social sciences as having the potential to offer productive insights into understanding how heterogeneity is handled in Asia and beyond. This Introduction sets out the theoretical stakes of such an approach, as well as introducing the articles in this special issue.
Regulating the Terminal Economy: Difference, disruption, and governance in a Papuan commercial hub
Authors: NERENBERG JACOB
Published: March 2019

What kinds of governance agendas emerge at frontiers of commercial expansion, where routine economic relations traverse differences of ethnicity and degrees of formality? In the Balim Valley in the highlands of Indonesia's easternmost Papua province, mobilities and trade intersect at adjoining peri-urban markets and minivan terminals. The ‘terminal economy’ at the edges of Wamena, the region's bustling hub, is a threshold between rural and urban life, where indigenous livelihoods are subordinated to Indonesia's expanding commercial networks. Here, a cosmopolitan population—including indigenous Papuan highlanders and newcomer merchants from distant Indonesian regions—gathers to buy and sell local horticultural produce and imported commodities, transit between modes of transportation, and engage in a variety of formal and informal economic activities. This article traces the emergence of a multifaceted commercial regulation agenda, in the wake of demands for the recognition of indigenous contributions to the regional economy. It considers recent indigenous-formulated regulation policies in the context of the region's commercial history, one that is marked by a colonial devaluation of indigenous economic life and, more recently, by uprisings, inter-ethnic tensions, and government attempts to control and contain informal vending. The article conceptualizes commercial regulation as a convergence between efforts to contain disruption and demands for the revaluation of marginalized economic practices. It argues that commercial regulation is especially salient in regions that have been relegated to an end-point position in national and global commodity distribution paths.