bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Läsionen des Nervus interosseus anterior – Differenzierung zwischen Nervenkompression und Neuritis
Authors: Poetschke Julian , Schwarz Daniel , Kremer Thomas , Rein Susanne
Published: February 2021

Hintergrund Im klinischen Alltag ist bei einem Nervus-interosseus-anterior-Syndrom die Differenzierung der Ätiologie zwischen Kompressionsneuropathie und neuritischem Syndrom häufig komplex.

Material und Methoden Anhand eines aktuellen Literaturüberblicks erfolgt die Analyse der klinischen Besonderheiten sowie der Möglichkeit der diagnostischen Aufarbeitung des neuritischen Nervus-interosseus-anterior-Syndroms in Abgrenzung zur Kompressionsneuropathie, um darauf basierend die therapeutischen Möglichkeiten darzulegen.

Ergebnisse Das Nervus-interosseus-anterior-Syndrom geht oft auf eine Neuritis der Fasern des Nervus interosseus anterior im Hauptstamm des Nervus medianus zurück. Die diagnostische Differenzierung von der Kompressionsneuropathie des Nervus interosseus anterior ist mithilfe einer dezidierten neurophysiologischen Abklärung sowie der Bildgebung mittels MR-Neurografie und Neurosonografie zuverlässig möglich. Therapeutisch stehen konservative Maßnahmen im Vordergrund, operative, mikrochirurgische Interventionen gewinnen jedoch zunehmend an Bedeutung.

Schlussfolgerung Das Nervus-interosseus-anterior-Syndrom erfordert eine differenzierte Abklärung, um die Behandlung optimal steuern zu können. Während die konservative Therapie der Neuritis weiter der Goldstandard ist, kann bei bildmorphologischem Nachweis von Konstriktionen und Torsionen die interfaszikuläre Neurolyse erwogen werden und scheint hier zu einer Verbesserung der Ergebnisse zu führen.
Continuous Bupivacaine Infusion versus Liposomal Bupivacaine in Adductor Canal Block for Total Knee Arthroplasty
Authors: Chen Chang-Hwa Mary , Yun Andrew G. , Fan Teresa
Published: February 2021

Multimodal pain management for total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is essential to enhance functional recovery. Regional anesthesia became a vital component to decrease pain after TKA. Several studies compared femoral versus adductor canal blocks, including evaluating medications that can prolong adductor canal blocks. Liposomal bupivacaine (LB) and continuous local infusion (OnQ) both extend local anesthetic delivery beyond 24 hours. This superiority study compared the use of OnQ versus LB in adductor canal blocks. A retrospective study was conducted between two cohorts of consecutive patients who received adductor canal blocks with either LB or a continuous ropivacaine infusion catheter. Morphine equivalent dose (MED), pain scores, and length of stay (LOS) were compared between the two groups by using the analysis of covariance test. There were 106 patients in the OnQ group and 146 in the LB group. The OnQ group consumed significantly fewer opioids compared with the LB group in the recovery room (5.7 MED vs. 11.7 MED, p = 0.002) and over the entire hospitalization (the recovery room plus on the floor; 33.3 MED vs. 42.8 MED, p = 0.009). Opioid use between the OnQ and LB group did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.21). The average pain scores at rest and with activity were similar in both groups (p = 0.894, p = 0.882). The LOS between the OnQ and LB groups was not statistically significant (1.2 vs. 1.3, p = 0.462). OnQ and LB were equally effective in decreasing opioid consumption on the floor over the averaged 1.3 days of hospitalization; however, the OnQ group significantly reduced opioid use in the recovery room. There was no difference in pain scores or LOS between the two groups. OnQ comparatively prolonged infusion of local anesthetic is a potential edge over LB. This advantage may offset the inconvenience of catheter management and infrequent catheter complications.
Design of a compact and versatile radiation heater with an additively manufactured Nb radiation shield for UHV high-temperature sample preparation
Authors: Schmidt T. , Schlander D. , Jüchter V. , Baranyai J. , Neuberger F. , Schäfer R.
Published: February 2021

A compact, ultrahigh vacuum, radiative heater based on pyrolytic boron nitride that efficiently directs nearly all of its radiation to the sample was designed and constructed. It is shown that the heater reaches temperatures of 1300 K experimentally at 60% of its maximum power. A COMSOL Multiphysics® simulation and an analytical model predict an ultimate temperature of up to 1500 K. Furthermore, the heater does not introduce any contamination to the sample. This is accomplished by a custom-made Nb radiation shield, which was manufactured by selective laser melting and holds a flag-style sample holder. Before manufacturing, the whole assembly was simulated with COMSOL Multiphysics to validate the design of the radiation shield.
Wide-angle static and dynamic light scattering under shear
Authors: Kushnir D. , Beyer N. , Bartsch E. , Hébraud P.
Published: February 2021

We develop and characterize a wide angle static and dynamic light scattering under shear setup. The apparatus is suitable for the study of the structure and the dynamics of soft materials systems with a sub-micron characteristic length scale. The shear device consists in two parallel plates, and the optical setup allows us to perform light scattering measurements in any plane that contains the gradient of the velocity field direction. We demonstrate several capabilities of our apparatus: a measurement of the evolution with shear of the first peak of the structure factor of a concentrated suspension of spherical particles, both in the compression and extension quadrants of the shear flow, and the measurement of the velocity profile in dynamic light scattering. We present a theoretical treatment of light scattering under flow that takes into account the Gaussian character of the illumination and detection optical paths, in the case where the scattering volume extension is smaller than the gap of the flow cell, and compare with experimental measurements.
DR-RINS: Digital real-time relative intensity noise suppressor for pump–probe spectroscopy and microscopy
Authors: Gupta Saurabh , Wang Erkang , Derrien Steven , Wilson Jesse W.
Published: February 2021

Relative intensity noise (RIN) inherent in fiber lasers poses a serious obstacle to their use in pump–probe spectroscopy and imaging. RIN can be removed through an analog balanced detector, or, as we have previously shown, software adaptive noise cancellation (ANC) on digitized signals. One major drawback to software ANC is the added time required for digitizing and post-processing. In this article, we describe a design for ANC on a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), making use of high-level synthesis tools and fixed-point arithmetic to achieve real-time laser RIN suppression at 25 MHz sample rates. Unlike the software-ANC approach, the FPGA-ANC device can serve as a dedicated drop-in denoiser, placed between the detectors and a commercial lock-in amplifier. We demonstrate its application to transient absorption spectroscopy and microscopy, lowering the noise floor to ∼17 dB above the shot noise limit. Furthermore, we demonstrate a dramatic improvement in data acquisition time from ∼6 h to ∼5 min in a real-time imaging scenario.
The upgraded TOMAS device: A toroidal plasma facility for wall conditioning, plasma production, and plasma–surface interaction studies
Authors: Goriaev A. , Wauters T. , Möller S. , Brakel R. , Brezinsek S. , Buermans J. , Crombé K. , Dinklage A. , Habrichs R. , Höschen D. , Krause M. , Kovtun Yu. , López-Rodríguez D. , Louche F. , Moon S. , Nicolai D. , Thomas J. , Ragona R. , Rubel M. , Rüttgers T. , Petersson P. , Brunsell P. , Linsmeier Ch. , Van Schoor M.
Published: February 2021

The Toroidal Magnetized System device has been significantly upgraded to enable development of various wall conditioning techniques, including methods based on ion and electron cyclotron (IC/EC) range of frequency plasmas, and to complement plasma–wall interaction research in tokamaks and stellarators. The toroidal magnetic field generated by 16 coils can reach its maximum of 125 mT on the toroidal axis. The EC system is operated at 2.45 GHz with up to 6 kW forward power. The IC system can couple up to 6 kW in the frequency range of 10 MHz–50 MHz. The direct current glow discharge system is based on a graphite anode with a maximum voltage of 1.5 kV and a current of 6 A. A load-lock system with a vertical manipulator allows exposure of material samples. A number of diagnostics have been installed: single- and triple-pin Langmuir probes for radial plasma profiles, a time-of-flight neutral particle analyzer capable of detecting neutrals in the energy range of 10 eV–1000 eV, and a quadrupole mass spectrometer and video systems for plasma imaging. The majority of systems and diagnostics are controlled by the Siemens SIMATIC S7 system, which also provides safety interlocks.
Wavelength tunable single-mode lasing from cesium lead halide perovskite microwires
Authors: Li Fangtao , Yang Zheng , Jiang Mingming , Wang Chunfeng , Xi Jianguo , Zhang Yufei , Pan Caofeng , Lu Junfeng , Wang Rongming
Published: February 2021

Cesium lead halide perovskites have shown great potential applications in photoelectric devices because of their high quantum efficiency, good stability, and tunable bandgap. Herein, we prepared CsPbBr3 microwires with a high crystal quality, smooth surface, and rectangular cross section via the solution method. The as-prepared microwires presented a high quality whispering gallery mode lasing with a low threshold of 9.1 μJ cm−2 and a high quality factor of ∼3000. Furthermore, we obtained the alloys of CsPbClxBr3−x (0 < x < 2) microwires through the gas-phase anion exchange method and realized the wavelength tunable single-mode lasing emission ranging from ∼546.8 nm to ∼468.0 nm. This work will expand the practical application of lead halide perovskites in spectrograph, optical communication, and in-chip photoelectric devices.
A novel vibrational spectroscopy using spintronic–plasmonic antennas: Magneto-refractive surface-enhanced infrared absorption
Authors: Armelles Gaspar , Bergamini Luca , Cebollada Alfonso , Zabala Nerea , Aizpurua Javier
Published: February 2021

We present experimental and theoretical results of the molecular sensing performance of a novel platform based on magnetic modulation of surface-enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy. For this, we study the effect that molecular infrared vibrations of a PMMA layer have on the optical and magneto-refractive response of spintronic antennas. Specifically, a periodic array of rods is fabricated from giant-magneto-resistance Au/Ni81Fe19 metallic multilayers, and the effect of depositing a layer of PMMA on top of the array is investigated from both experimental and theoretical points of view. We find that the relative changes induced by the infrared vibrations of PMMA on the magneto-refractive signal are larger than the relative changes induced on the optical transmission. This result indicates that the magneto-refractive response is more sensitive to the excitation of molecular vibrations than the optical response and fosters the development of a novel type of an infrared sensing technique based on spintronic antennas: Magneto-Refractive Surface-Enhanced Infrared Absorption (SEIRA) Spectroscopy.
Uncertainty estimation for molecular dynamics and sampling
Authors: Imbalzano Giulio , Zhuang Yongbin , Kapil Venkat , Rossi Kevin , Engel Edgar A. , Grasselli Federico , Ceriotti Michele
Published: February 2021

Machine-learning models have emerged as a very effective strategy to sidestep time-consuming electronic-structure calculations, enabling accurate simulations of greater size, time scale, and complexity. Given the interpolative nature of these models, the reliability of predictions depends on the position in phase space, and it is crucial to obtain an estimate of the error that derives from the finite number of reference structures included during model training. When using a machine-learning potential to sample a finite-temperature ensemble, the uncertainty on individual configurations translates into an error on thermodynamic averages and leads to a loss of accuracy when the simulation enters a previously unexplored region. Here, we discuss how uncertainty quantification can be used, together with a baseline energy model, or a more robust but less accurate interatomic potential, to obtain more resilient simulations and to support active-learning strategies. Furthermore, we introduce an on-the-fly reweighing scheme that makes it possible to estimate the uncertainty in thermodynamic averages extracted from long trajectories. We present examples covering different types of structural and thermodynamic properties and systems as diverse as water and liquid gallium.
Experimental implementation of an active synthesis of a gyroscopic-nonreciprocal acoustic metamaterial
Authors: Raval S. , Zhou H. , Baz A.
Published: February 2021

Experimental realization of a new class of active Nonreciprocal Gyroscopic Meta-Material (NGMM) is presented. The proposed active NGMM system consists of a one-dimensional acoustic cavity provided with piezoelectric boundaries that act as sensors and actuators. These active boundaries are integrated with linear dynamic control capabilities that virtually synthesize a gyroscopic control action in order to generate desirable non-reciprocal characteristics of tunable magnitude and phase shift. The dynamics of a prototype of the NGMM cell are identified experimentally and the theoretical characteristics of the virtual gyroscopic controller are predicted for various control gains for both forward and backward propagations. The theoretical predictions are validated experimentally using a dummy NGMM cell to act as a physical dynamic controller. Such a preferred arrangement is coupled with analog controllers in order to enable fast execution of the controller and, in turn, enhance the bandwidth of its operating frequency. The time and frequency response characteristics of the NGMM cell are measured for different control gain and the behavior is evaluated for both forward and backward propagations. The obtained experimental results are found to be in close agreement with the theoretical predictions. The presented concept, controller design, and implementation of the NGMM can be extended to various critical structures to achieve realistic acoustic diode configurations in a simple and programmable manner.
Unusual anomalous Hall effect in the ferrimagnetic GdFeCo alloy
Authors: Wang Yangping , Li Chaozhong , Zhou Hongyan , Wang Junshuai , Chai Guozhi , Jiang Changjun
Published: February 2021

We have investigated the anomalous Hall effect (AHE) of a ferrimagnetic GdFeCo film with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. In the vicinity of magnetization compensation temperature TM, the peak structure or triple loop of the Hall resistance loops is mainly caused by the opposite magnetic moments of the two sublattices of Gd and FeCo, and that can be explained by the mechanism of the two-channel AHE. Furthermore, we demonstrated that the transport properties of the GdFeCo film can be manipulated by ionic liquid gating. When the gate voltage is −4 V, the TM of the GdFeCo film was changed up to 29 K. Our research provides experimental evidence for the design of novel electronic devices.
Theoretical study of surface segregation and ordering in Ni-based bimetallic surface alloys
Authors: Luan Dong , Jiang Hong
Published: February 2021

Ni-based bimetallic materials are promising for a series of important heterogeneous catalytic reactions because of their low cost and potential high activity. In order to understand their catalytic performances in catalytic processes, it is important to know the structural properties of these bimetallic surfaces, including, in particular, how the guest metal is distributed in the nickle host at finite temperature. By using the cluster expansion model built on density-functional theory calculations, combined with Monte Carlo simulation, we study the segregation and ordering behaviors in several frequently studied Ni-based bimetallic catalysts NiX (X = Fe, Co, and Cu). We found that Ni tends to segregate to the top most layer of the surface in NiFe and NiCo, while Cu tends to segregate to the topmost layer of NiCu surfaces. NiCo and NiCu lose short-range order quickly as the temperature increases. Under low temperature, NiFe forms an ordered Ni3Fe structure, which, however, disappears above 550 K because of the order–disorder transition. These findings can provide important information for the understanding of the stability and activity of Ni-based bimetallic catalysts at high temperatures.
Free-standing and flexible graphene supercapacitors of high areal capacitance fabricated by laser holography reduction of graphene oxide
Authors: Fu Xiu-Yan , Cai Qing , Ma Jia-Nan , Zhu Lin , Han Dong-Dong , Zhang Yong-Lai
Published: February 2021

Photoreduction of graphene oxide (GO) holds great potential for developing graphene-based electrodes for high-performance supercapacitors (SCs). However, the insufficient micro-nanostructure on photoreduced GO (PRGO) restricts its electrochemical performance. Here, a hierarchically structured PRGO-based planar SC is reported by combining two-beam-laser-interference with the masking technique. The hierarchical structures improve the surface area between PRGO and electrolyte and contribute to format electric double-layer capacitors. Planar device structures with PRGO-based interdigital finger current collectors are beneficial for rapid ion diffusion paths. As a result, the hierarchically structured PRGO-based planar SC achieves an areal capacitance of 3.97 mF cm−2 at 10 mV s−1. The proposed strategy of employing hierarchically structured PRGO in the planar SC design offers a new route for manufacturing high-performance integrated energy storage devices.
Using millimeter-sized carbon–deuterium foils for high-precision deuterium–tritium neutron spectrum measurements in direct-drive inertial confinement fusion at the OMEGA laser facility
Authors: Gatu Johnson M. , Aguirre B. , Armstrong J. , Fooks J. A. , Forrest C. , Frenje J. A. , Glebov V. Yu. , Hoppe M. , Katz J. , Knauer J. P. , Martin W. , Parker C. E. , Reynolds H. G. , Schoff M. E. , Séguin F. H. , Sorce C. , Sperry B. , Stoeckl C. , Petrasso R. D.
Published: February 2021

Millimeter-sized CD foils fielded close (order mm) to inertial confinement fusion (ICF) implosions have been proposed as a game-changer for improving energy resolution and allowing time-resolution in neutron spectrum measurements using the magnetic recoil technique. This paper presents results from initial experiments testing this concept for direct drive ICF at the OMEGA Laser Facility. While the foils are shown to produce reasonable signals, inferred spectral broadening is seen to be high (∼5 keV) and signal levels are low (by ∼20%) compared to expectation. Before this type of foil is used for precision experiments, the foil mount must be improved, oxygen uptake in the foils must be better characterized, and impact of uncontrolled foil motion prior to detection must be investigated.
Mid-infrared quantum cascade laser frequency combs with a microstrip-like line waveguide geometry
Authors: Kapsalidis Filippos , Schneider Barbara , Singleton Matthew , Bertrand Mathieu , Gini Emilio , Beck Mattias , Faist Jérôme
Published: February 2021

In this work, a design for a mid-infrared quantum cascade laser frequency comb source that enhances the high frequency response and the comb characteristics of the device is presented. A state-of-the-art active region, grown on a heavily n-doped InP:Si substrate, was processed into a buried heterostructure with a microstrip-like line waveguide. As a result, the repetition rate frequency frep, around 11.09 GHz, can be locked to an injected narrow-linewidth radio frequency (RF) signal, over a range of more than 200 kHz with an injected power of −10 dBm, which outperforms normal buried heterostructure schemes by an order of magnitude. Moreover, under RF injection at powers higher than 20 dBm, the lasing spectrum is flattened and significantly broadened, from 24 cm−1 to 65 cm−1 in bandwidth, while at the same time, the coherence of the comb is maintained and verified.
Surface mobility in amorphous selenium and comparison with organic molecular glasses
Authors: Barták Jaroslav , Málek Jirí , Bagchi Kushal , Ediger M. D. , Li Yuhui , Yu Lian
Published: February 2021

Surface diffusion is important for a broad range of chemical and physical processes that take place at the surfaces of amorphous solids, including surface crystallization. In this work, the temporal evolution of nanoholes is monitored with atomic force microscopy to quantify the surface dynamics of amorphous selenium. In molecular glasses, the surface diffusion coefficient has been shown to scale with the surface crystal growth rate (us) according to the power relation us ≈ Ds0.87. In this study, we observe that the same power law applies to surface crystallization of amorphous selenium, a representative inorganic polymer glass. Our study shows that the surface diffusion coefficient can be used to quantitatively predict surface crystallization rates in a chemically diverse range of materials.
Factors associated with past HIV testing among men who have sex with men attending university in China: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Ye Rongyi , Liu Chunfang , Tan Shengkui , Li Juntong , Simoni Jane M. , Turner DeAnne , Nelson LaRon E. , Vermund Sten H. , Wang Na , Qian Han-Zhu
Published: February 2021

Background
HIV prevalence has been rapidly increasing among men who have sex with men (MSM) attending university in China, but HIV testing rates remain suboptimal. The factors associated with past HIV testing in this population in Beijing, China, were investigated. Methods: This study used data from the baseline survey of an HIV intervention clinical trial among MSM who did not have a history of a positive HIV diagnosis. This analysis focused on the HIV testing experience in a subgroup of university student MSM participants. Log-binomial models were used to evaluate factors associated with past HIV testing. Results: Of 375 university student MSM, the median age was 22 years; 89.3% were Han ethnic. Approximately half (50.4%, n = 189) had ever taken an HIV test before the survey. In a multivariable log-binomial model, older age (adjusted prevalence ratio (APR), 1.04; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.02–1.06), had first sexual intercourse at age <18 years (APR, 1.35; 95% CI, 1.08–1.45) and knew someone living with HIV (APR, 1.33; 95% CI, 1.07–1.61) were associated with a higher likelihood of past testing. Self-reported barriers to taking a test included perceived low HIV risk, fear of a positive diagnosis, did not know where to get tested and fear of discrimination. Facilitators included anonymity in taking a test, confidentiality of testing results and availability of home-based and rapid testing. Conclusions: The HIV testing rate among university student MSM was low. Interventions should be implemented to address structural, institutional and individual barriers to HIV testing in this vulnerable population.
INTERMEDIUM-Mencodes anHvAP2L-H5ortholog and is required for inflorescence indeterminacy and spikelet determinacy in barley
Authors: Zhong Jinshun , van Esse G. Wilma , Bi Xiaojing , Lan Tianyu , Walla Agatha , Sang Qing , Franzen Rainer , von Korff Maria
Published: February 2021

Significance

Meristem determinacy/indeterminacy influences flower number and seed production in crops. Two closely related cool-season cereals, barley and wheat, produce variable and defined numbers of spikelets in their inflorescences, respectively. In this study, we identify a series of allelic barley mutants namedintermedium-manddouble seed1that develop wheat-like determinate inflorescences producing a terminal spikelet and a reduced number of spikelets. INT-M/DUB1 is an APETALA2-like transcription factor that promotes an active inflorescence meristem via suppression of spikelet initiation and the maintenance of meristem identity. Our work has identified key regulators that may prolong meristem activities and could be genetically engineered in barley, wheat, and other cereals to improve grain yield.
A backward-spinning star with two coplanar planets
Authors: Hjorth Maria , Albrecht Simon , Hirano Teruyuki , Winn Joshua N. , Dawson Rebekah I. , Zanazzi J. J. , Knudstrup Emil , Sato Bun’ei
Published: February 2021

Significance

The Sun’s equator lines up with the orbits of the planets. This fact supports the theory that stars and their planets inherit their angular momentum from the same source: the gravitational collapse of a molecular cloud. Most astronomers expected spin-orbit alignment to be a universal feature of planetary systems. This proved false: many drastic misalignments are known, and many possible reasons have been offered. In one theory, a distant companion star upsets the alignment at an early stage, while the star is still surrounded by a protoplanetary disk. Here, the K2-290 system is shown to be the best-known candidate for such a primordial misalignment. The star rotates backward, and a companion star with suitable properties has been identified.
Influenza hemagglutinin-specific IgA Fc-effector functionality is restricted to stalk epitopes
Authors: Freyn Alec W. , Han Julianna , Guthmiller Jenna J. , Bailey Mark J. , Neu Karlynn , Turner Hannah L. , Rosado Victoria C. , Chromikova Veronika , Huang Min , Strohmeier Shirin , Liu Sean T. H. , Simon Viviana , Krammer Florian , Ward Andrew B. , Palese Peter , Wilson Patrick C. , Nachbagauer Raffael
Published: February 2021

Significance

A panel of 80 human IgA monoclonal antibodies isolated after seasonal influenza virus vaccination was interrogated. We have discovered an IgA monoclonal antibody binding to an epitope for H1N1 viruses at the head–stalk interface that displays antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity activity. Also, a mechanism of antibody Fc-mediated effector function activation was refined for influenza virus, which describes that low-affinity Fc receptors require an additional point of contact between influenza HA and its cognate sialic acid-bearing receptor for activation, while high-affinity Fc receptors can be activated without this contact.
Neural interfacing architecture enables enhanced motor control and residual limb functionality postamputation
Authors: Srinivasan Shriya S. , Gutierrez-Arango Samantha , Teng Ashley Chia-En , Israel Erica , Song Hyungeun , Bailey Zachary Keith , Carty Matthew J. , Freed Lisa E. , Herr Hugh M.
Published: February 2021

Significance

Despite advancements in prosthetic technologies, persons with amputation today suffer great diminution in mobility and quality of life. This is largely due to an outdated amputation paradigm that precludes efficacious communication between the residual limb and prosthesis. An amputation method utilizing agonist–antagonist myoneural interfaces (AMIs) constructs neuromuscular substrates in the residual limb to avail enhanced sensorimotor signaling. In our study, subjects with AMI amputation demonstrate improved motor control, phantom sensations, range of motion, and decreased pain when compared to patients with traditional amputation. With the demonstrated increases in motor coordination and position differentiation, our results suggest that patients with AMI amputation will be able to more efficaciously control bionic prostheses.
Mambalgin-3 potentiates human acid-sensing ion channel 1b under mild to moderate acidosis: Implications as an analgesic lead
Authors: Cristofori-Armstrong Ben , Budusan Elena , Rash Lachlan D.
Published: February 2021

Acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) are expressed in the nervous system, activated by acidosis, and implicated in pain pathways. Mambalgins are peptide inhibitors of ASIC1 and analgesic in rodents via inhibition of centrally expressed ASIC1a and peripheral ASIC1b. This activity has generated interest in mambalgins as potential therapeutics. However, most mechanism and structure–activity relationship work on mambalgins has focused on ASIC1a, and neglected the peripheral analgesic target ASIC1b. Here, we compare mambalgin potency and mechanism of action at heterologously expressed rat and human ASIC1 variants. Unlike the nanomolar inhibition at ASIC1a and rodent ASIC1b, we find mambalgin-3 only weakly inhibits human ASIC1b and ASIC1b/3 under severe acidosis, but potentiates currents under mild/moderate acidosis. Our data highlight the importance of understanding the activity of potential ASIC-targeting pharmaceuticals at human channels.
The ecdysone-induced protein 93 is a key factor regulating gonadotrophic cycles in the adult female mosquito
Aedes aegypti
Authors: Wang Xueli , Ding Yike , Lu Xiangyang , Geng Danqian , Li Shan , Raikhel Alexander S. , Zou Zhen
Published: February 2021

Significance

In female mosquitoes, repeated blood feedings are essential for maintaining gonadotrophic cycles and serve as the basis for pathogen transmission. We demonstrate that the ecdysone-induced protein 93 (E93), a transcription factor implicated in insect metamorphic transitions, regulates reproductive switches in adult females of the major arboviral vector
Aedes aegypti
.
E93
RNA interference before the first gonadotrophic cycle disrupts the second.
E93
silencing disturbed the expression of
Hormone Receptor 3
and autophagy, both essential for vitellogenesis termination. Transcriptomic analysis reveals a E93-mediated shutdown of gene expression during the end of a reproductive cycle, particularly genes linked to translation, yolk protein precursors, and metabolism. This study has advanced our understanding of the E93 role in controlling the gonadotrophic cyclicity in female mosquitoes.
Nanoindentation into FeCoNiCrCu high-entropy alloy: An atomistic study
Authors: Mu Anran , Han Ye , Song Xiaojie , Dong Yihang , Hong Yancheng , Zhang Guosong , Hua Rong
Published: February 2021

The mechanical behaviours of FeCoNiCrCu high entropy alloys (HEAs) were studied via large-scale molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. A rigid indenter was applied in the indentation to investigate the microstructural evolution and mechanical properties of HEAs in terms of indentation force, Young's modulus, dislocation behaviours, and shear strain distributions. Effects of Cu precipitation on the mechanical properties of HEAs were discussed. The modulus calculated from simulations were inconsistent with experiments. The precipitation of Cu will increase the elastic modulus of the matrix, while the solution of Cu into the matrix can increase the work strengthening rate. The coherent interface of Cu precipitation can contribute to a high work strengthening rate, while the incoherent interface will lead to a lower deformation resistance.
Dendritic cells: The first step
Authors: Randolph Gwendalyn J.
Published: February 2021

Ralph M. Steinman’s work on dendritic cells began in 1973 when he described and named the cells. Reminiscent of the late Justice Ginsburg’s perspective that enduring change happens not suddenly but one step at a time, the paper (1973. J. Exp. Med.https://doi.org/10.1084/jem.137.5.1142) was notably the first step in many steps of important work that revealed the nature of dendritic cells.
A conical pendulum model of a rotating chain
Authors: Cross Rod
Published: February 2021

An experiment is described using double and triple conical pendulums to simulate the behaviour of a rotating chain. The first few rotation modes are calculated theoretically and provide good agreement with experimental results. By contrast, a chain containing many links is difficult to analyse, even though the first few nonlinear modes of a vertically suspended chain are easy to excite and are easily observed using a video camera. The experiment would be suitable as a student project since it is easy to set up and the physics is easily understood, unlike a conventional double pendulum.
Numerical solution of an inverse random source problem for the time fractional diffusion equation via PhaseLift
Authors: Gong Yuxuan , Li Peijun , Wang Xu , Xu Xiang
Published: February 2021

This paper is concerned with the inverse random source problem for a stochastic time fractional diffusion equation, where the source is assumed to be driven by a Gaussian random field. The direct problem is shown to be well-posed by examining the well-posedness and regularity of the solution for the equivalent stochastic two-point boundary value problem in the frequency domain. For the inverse problem, the Fourier modulus of the diffusion coefficient of the random source is proved to be uniquely determined by the variance of the Fourier transform of the boundary data. As a phase retrieval for the inverse problem, the phaselift method with random masks is applied to recover the diffusion coefficient from its Fourier modulus. Numerical experiments are reported to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.
A correlation of lattice distortion with the magnetic properties of calcium doped bismuth ferrite thin films
Authors: Pani Tapan Kumar , Sundaray Bibekananda
Published: February 2021

In this work, Bi1−x
Ca
x
FeO3 (for x = 0.00–0.30) single-phase thin films were developed on clean glass substrates via simple spray pyrolysis technique. The microscopic crystal structure and magnetic characteristics of the Ca modified thin films were investigated. X-ray diffraction study confirms the hexagonal structure with the space group R3c for all the prepared thin film samples. The crystallite sizes and lattice strains were computed by using the Williamson–Hall plot. The morphology of the samples was viewed by field emission scanning electron microscopy which shows that the average size of grains systematically decreases with the addition of Ca atom at Bi site. The compositions of samples were confirmed by using energy dispersive spectroscopy. The structural phase transition and the position of different Raman modes were observed by using the Raman spectroscopy technique. The elementary compositions, different oxidation states, and the effect of oxygen vacancies of the elements were observed by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The magnetic field (H) dependence of magnetization (M) (i.e. M–H hysteresis loops) of the pure bismuth ferrite (BFO) and Ca doped BFO thin film samples conducted at room temperature using a vibrating sample magnetometer with an applied magnetic field of ±30 kOe and confirmed that the value of magnetization significantly increases with Ca addition at Bi-site in BFO atom. The maximum value saturation magnetization of 3.8176 emu g−1 and remanent magnetization of 0.1408 emu g−1 obtained for the 25% Ca doped BFO thin films.
Determination of the preferred reaction pathway of acetophenone on Si(001) using photoelectron diffraction
Authors: Lalaguna Paula L , Hedgeland Holly , Ryan Paul T P , Warschkow Oliver , Muntwiler Matthias K , Teplyakov Andrew V , Schofield Steven R , Duncan David A
Published: February 2021

The adsorption configurations of a technologically relevant model organic adsorbate on the silicon (001) surface were studied using energy scanned x-ray photoelectron diffraction (PhD). Previous work has established the existence of an interesting vertically-aligned (‘flagpole’) configuration, where the acetophenone attaches to Si(001) via the acetyl group carbon and oxygen atoms. Density functional theory calculations have predicted two energetically similar variants of this structure, where the phenyl ring is orientated parallel or perpendicular to the rows of silicon dimers on this reconstructed surface. However, previously published experimental measurements, including scanning tunnelling microscopy, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and near-edge x-ray absorption fine structure investigations were unable to distinguish between these two configurations. Here, we apply the unique experimental capabilities of the PhD technique to this system and demonstrate that the dominant adsorption configuration has the phenyl ring parallel to the dimer rows (the end-bridge structure). This information in turn facilitates the determination of the dominant reaction pathway for acetophenone on Si(001), which has remained elusive until now. Information about subtle preferences in reaction pathways that affect the alignment and orientation of organic adsorbates such as acetophenone on technologically-relevant semiconductor surfaces such as Si(001) is critical for the fabrication of future atomically-precise atomic and molecular-scale electronic devices utilising the organic-silicon interface, and this work demonstrates the unique and complementary capabilities of PhD for providing this information.
Model reduction techniques for the computation of extended Markov parameterizations for generalized Langevin equations
Authors: Bockius N , Shea J , Jung G , Schmid F , Hanke M
Published: February 2021

The generalized Langevin equation is a model for the motion of coarse-grained particles where dissipative forces are represented by a memory term. The numerical realization of such a model requires the implementation of a stochastic delay-differential equation and the estimation of a corresponding memory kernel. Here we develop a new approach for computing a data-driven Markov model for the motion of the particles, given equidistant samples of their velocity autocorrelation function. Our method bypasses the determination of the underlying memory kernel by representing it via up to about twenty auxiliary variables. The algorithm is based on a sophisticated variant of the Prony method for exponential interpolation and employs the positive real lemma from model reduction theory to extract the associated Markov model. We demonstrate the potential of this approach for the test case of anomalous diffusion, where data are given analytically, and then apply our method to velocity autocorrelation data of molecular dynamics simulations of a colloid in a Lennard-Jones fluid. In both cases, the velocity autocorrelation function and the memory kernel can be reproduced very accurately. Moreover, we show that the algorithm can also handle input data with large statistical noise. We anticipate that it will be a very useful tool in future studies that involve dynamic coarse-graining of complex soft matter systems.
Dynamical properties across different coarse-grained models for ionic liquids
Authors: Rudzinski Joseph F , Kloth Sebastian , Wörner Svenja , Pal Tamisra , Kremer Kurt , Bereau Tristan , Vogel Michael
Published: February 2021

Room-temperature ionic liquids (RTILs) stand out among molecular liquids for their rich physicochemical characteristics, including structural and dynamic heterogeneity. The significance of electrostatic interactions in RTILs results in long characteristic length- and timescales, and has motivated the development of a number of coarse-grained (CG) simulation models. In this study, we aim to better understand the connection between certain CG parameterization strategies and the dynamical properties and transferability of the resulting models. We systematically compare five CG models: a model largely parameterized from experimental thermodynamic observables; a refinement of this model to increase its structural accuracy; and three models that reproduce a given set of structural distribution functions by construction, with varying intramolecular parameterizations and reference temperatures. All five CG models display limited structural transferability over temperature, and also result in various effective dynamical speedup factors, relative to a reference atomistic model. On the other hand, the structure-based CG models tend to result in more consistent cation–anion relative diffusion than the thermodynamic-based models, for a single thermodynamic state point. By linking short- and long-timescale dynamical behaviors, we demonstrate that the varying dynamical properties of the different CG models can be largely collapsed onto a single curve, which provides evidence for a route to constructing dynamically-consistent CG models of RTILs.
On the efficiency of CO2 conversion in corona and dielectric-barrier discharges
Authors: Babaeva N Yu , Naidis G V
Published: February 2021

The regimes of CO2 discharges are considered in which conversion of CO2 molecules proceeds mainly due to dissociation by electron impact. The efficiency of this process is estimated in the framework of an approximate analytical approach, using various CO2 dissociation cross sections available in the literature. It is shown that the best fit with the set of experimental data of the conversion efficiency in corona and dielectric-barrier discharges, corresponding to the range of reduced electric field values higher than 90 Td, is provided by using, as the dissociation cross section, of the cross section by Phelps, for excitation of electronic states with the energy threshold of 10.5 eV.
Improvement of device characteristics of plasma-treated indium gallium zinc oxide thin-film transistors through thermal annealing
Authors: Liu Wei-Sheng , Hsu Chih-Hao , Jiang Yu , Lai Yi-Chun , Kuo Hsing-Chun
Published: February 2021

In this study, an Ar/O2 plasma mixture treatment with different proportions of O2 was used to reduce the oxygen vacancy density in an amorphous indium gallium zinc oxide (a-IGZO) thin film. The objective was to enhance the field-effect carrier mobility in a thin-film transistor (TFT) with the IGZO film as the channel layer. Atomic force microscopy revealed that the roughness of the IGZO film after plasma treatment was higher than that of the untreated film; however, the surface roughness of the IGZO film decreased after the proportion of O2 was increased in the plasma. The Hall measurement results showed that the resistivity of the plasma-treated IGZO film increased with a decrease in the electron concentration in the film; in addition, the carrier mobility considerably increased. The IGZO TFT fabricated from this film exhibited a high field-effect carrier mobility of 36 cm2 V−1 s−1, a subthreshold swing (SS) of 1.25 V/decade, an I
OFF current of 4.58 × 10−11 A, and an I
ON/I
OFF current ratio of 7.55 × 105. To further improve the device performance, the plasma-treated IGZO films were subjected to thermal annealing with the annealing temperature ranging from 100 °C to 300 °C. After the annealing process, the plasma-treated IGZO TFTs demonstrated a further improvement in the device performance with a field-effect carrier mobility of 38.8 cm2 V−1 s−1, SS of 0.7 V/decade, I
OFF current of 1.04 × 10−11 A, and an I
ON/I
OFF current ratio of 9.93 × 106. In addition, a reliability test was performed to evaluate the stability of the IGZO TFT devices, which revealed that the threshold voltage maintained a high degree of stability during the long-term tests. Therefore, the plasma-treated IGZO TFTs with subsequent postgrowth annealing could be helpful for the fabrication of next-generation flat-panel displays.
Fast solution of the superconducting dynamo benchmark problem
Authors: Prigozhin Leonid , Sokolovsky Vladimir
Published: February 2021

A model of high-temperature superconducting dynamos, a promising type of flux pump capable of wireless injection of a large DC current into a superconducting circuit, has recently been chosen as an applied superconductivity benchmark problem and solved using ten different numerical methods (Ainslie et al 2020 Supercond. Sci. Technol.
33 105009). Using expansions in Chebyshev polynomials for approximation in space and the method of lines for integration in time we derive a simple and accurate numerical method which is much faster. The proposed numerical method was applied also to problems with transport current and a field-dependent sheet critical current density.
Thermal expansion of lanthanum and neodymium oxides from 300–1000 K from measurements of attenuation of gamma rays
Authors: Ranga Rao M , Gopi Krishna N , Chandra Lingam S
Published: February 2021

The present communication is a study of the linear attenuation coefficients, density and thermal expansion of oxides of lanthanum and neodymium as a function of temperature from 300–1000 K. The values of thermal expansion have been determined from linear attenuation coefficient of gamma rays and density in the range 300–1000 K. Measurements on the attenuation of gamma rays have been made with an experimental set up assembled in our laboratory using narrow beam geometry method. Radioactive gamma source 137Cs (0.662 MeV) has been used for making measurements. The results on the linear gamma ray attenuation (μ
l), density (ρ) and the coefficient of linear thermal expansion (α) of Lanthanum oxide (La2O3)and Neodymium oxide (Nd2O3) as a function of temperature have been fit to a second degree polynomial equation. The linear attenuation coefficient (μ
l) of La2O3 shows a decrease from 50.87 m−1 at 350 K to 49.96 m−1 at 1000 K. The linear attenuation coefficient (μ
l) of Nd2O3 shows a decrease from 59.04 m−1 at 350 K to 58.07 m−1 at 1000 K. The decrease in density for lanthanum and neodymium oxides from 350–1000 K is 1.79% and 1.64% respectively. The present results on the thermal expansion of La2O3 and Nd2O3 have been compared with the results obtained from x-ray diffraction method.
Ab-initio study about the electronic, optical and thermoelectric nature of α-, β-, and γ-phases of CdS semiconductor: using the accurate m-BJ approach
Authors: Salman Khan Muhammad , Gul Banat , Khan Gulzar , Benaadad Merieme , Ghlamallah Benabdellah , Ali Khattak Shaukat , Khan Tahirzeb , Zulfiqar Syed , Shah Said Karim , Adil Khan Muhammad
Published: February 2021

In this work the first principles-based calculations with the FP-LAPW (full potential linear augmented plane wave method) are employed to investigate structural, thermal and optoelectronic properties of the three different phases of CdS binary compound. Our electronic band structure calculations display a direct type band transition with a gap value (Γv − Γc) equal to 0.9 eV, and 1.2 eV for β and γ phases respectively. Due to inexistence of VBM (valence band maxima) and the CBM (conduction band minima) located at the same Γ-point an indirect band transition was predicted in case of α-phase. Our calculated T-DOS and P-DOS visualizes to be shifted successively towards higher values along the energy axis. The σ

s−p
bonding character in the V/B is responsible for the instigation of relatively localized states S-p, Cd-d and Cd-p states close to Fermi energy. We also computed and discussed the important optical constants like the complex dielectric constant components, electron energy loss functions, reflectivity spectra, the absorption coefficients, refractive indices, real component of optical conductivity and the extinction coefficient. The inter band contribution resulting due to the corresponding optical nature was also studied and discussed in detail for these three phases. The temperature dependent thermoelectric parameters were studied to explore the thermoelectric behaviour. The thermoelectric parameters like thermal conductivity, Seebeck coefficient, specific heat capacity, Power factor, Electrical conductivity, Susceptibility and figure of merit of the three phases are investigated for their possible thermoelectric applications. The present work could be concluded as a theoretical qualitative type calculation related to optoelectronic and thermoelectric nature of the three studied phases and their efficient device application.