bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The search for candidate genes associated with natural variation of grain Zn accumulation in barley
Authors: Detterbeck Amelie , Nagel Manuela , Rensch Stefan , Weber Michael , Börner Andreas , Persson Daniel P. , Schjoerring Jan Kofod , Christov Vesselin , Clemens Stephan
Published: June 2019

Combating hidden hunger through molecular breeding of nutritionally enriched crops requires a better understanding of micronutrient accumulation. We studied natural variation in grain micronutrient accumulation in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) and searched for candidate genes by assessing marker-trait associations (MTAs) and by analyzing transcriptional differences between low and high zinc (Zn) accumulating cultivars during grain filling. A collection of 180 barley lines was grown in three different environments. Our results show a pronounced variation in Zn accumulation, which was under strong genotype influence across different environments. Genome-wide association mapping revealed 13 shared MTAs. Across three environments, the most significantly associated marker was on chromosome 2H at 82.8 cM and in close vicinity to two yellow stripe like (YSL) genes. A subset of two pairs of lines with contrasting Zn accumulation was chosen for detailed analysis. Whole ears and flag leaves were analyzed 15 days after pollination to detect transcriptional differences associated with elevated Zn concentrations in the grain. A putative α-amylase/trypsin inhibitor CMb precursor was decidedly higher expressed in high Zn cultivars in whole ears in all comparisons. Additionally, a gene similar to barley metal tolerance protein 5 (MTP5) was found to be a potential candidate gene.
The β-hairpin region of the cyanobacterial F1-ATPase γ-subunit plays a regulatory role in the enzyme activity
Authors: Akiyama Kentaro , Kondo Kumiko , Inabe Kosuke , Murakami Satoshi , Wakabayashi Ken-ichi , Hisabori Toru
Published: June 2019

The γ-subunit of cyanobacterial and chloroplast ATP synthase, the rotary shaft of F1-ATPase, equips a specific insertion region that is only observed in photosynthetic organisms. This region plays a physiologically pivotal role in enzyme regulation, such as in ADP inhibition and redox response. Recently solved crystal structures of the γ-subunit of F1-ATPase from photosynthetic organisms revealed that the insertion region forms a β-hairpin structure, which is positioned along the central stalk. The structure–function relationship of this specific region was studied by constraining the expected conformational change in this region caused by the formation of a disulfide bond between Cys residues introduced on the central stalk and this β-hairpin structure. This fixation of the β-hairpin region in the α3β3γ complex affects both ADP inhibition and the binding of the ε-subunit to the complex, indicating the critical role that the β-hairpin region plays as a regulator of the enzyme. This role must be important for the maintenance of the intracellular ATP levels in photosynthetic organisms.
A compact sept‐band bandpass filter utilising a single multi‐mode resonator
Authors: Bi Xiaojun , Wang Luhua , Ma Qiang , Hu Baoquan , Xu Qinfen
Published: June 2019

This study proposes a compact sept‐band bandpass filter (BPF) with controllable centre frequencies and bandwidths. To achieve compact size and low insertion loss, the filter deploys a single multi‐mode resonator and abandons conventional source–resonator coupling structure to reduce the order of coupling sections. The fabricated BPF demonstrates seven passbands located at 1.0, 1.6, 2.3, 2.8, 3.5, 4.2, and 5 GHz, which are targeted for global system for mobile communications (GSM), wireless local area network, WIFI, and 4G/5G communication. Within the seven passbands, the minimum insertion losses are 0.9, 1.5, 0.5, 1.2, 0.9, 1.9, and 1.6 dB, respectively. The overall size of the fabricated filter is 0.1λg × 0.21λg. This work provides a new approach to obtain the most passbands of BPF while achieving less insertion‐loss and enhanced selectivity simultaneously.
Triple‐band dual‐sense circularly polarised planar monopole antenna
Authors: Midya Manas , Bhattacharjee Shankar , Mitra Monojit
Published: June 2019

A simple and compact triple‐band dual‐sense circularly polarised (CP) microstrip line fed planar monopole antenna is presented here with ultra‐wide impedance bandwidth. The proposed antenna comprised a slit‐loaded semi‐circular radiating patch and a stub‐loaded modified ground plane. By properly embedding a slit into the patch and a stub into the modified ground plane, the proposed monopole structure radiates triple band CP in broadside direction. The overall size of the proposed antenna is 40 × 40 × 1.6 mm3. The proposed antenna is capable of generating right hand CP wave in the lower and upper CP band, while left hand CP wave is generated by the middle CP band. The measured − 10 dB impedance bandwidth is 122% (2.74–11.32 GHz) and 3‐dB axial ratio bandwidths for the triple bands are 41.55% (4.08–6.22 GHz), 17.03% (7.52–8.92 GHz) and 14.68% (9.34–10.82 GHz), respectively. The measured peak gains within three CP bands are 4.24, 4.02 and 3.78 dBic, respectively.
Cratering and age of the small Saturnian satellites
Authors: Rossignoli N. L. , Di Sisto R. P. , Zanardi M. , Dugaro A.
Published: June 2019

Context. The small (≤135 km mean radius) satellites of Saturn are closely related to its rings and together they constitute a complex dynamical system where formation and destruction mechanisms compete against each other. The Cassini-Huygens mission provided high-resolution images of the surfaces of these satellites and therefore allowed for the calculation of observational crater counts.

Aims. We model the cratering process by Centaur objects on the small Saturnian satellites, and compare our results with the observational crater counts obtained from the Voyager and Cassini missions.

Methods. Using a theoretical model previously developed we calculate the crater production on these satellites considering two slopes of the size-frequency distribution (SFD) for the smaller objects of the Centaur population and compare our results with the available observations. In addition, we consider the case of catastrophic collisions between these satellites and Centaur objects and calculate the age of formation of those satellites that suffer one or more disruptions.

Results. In general we find that the observed crater distributions are best modeled by the crater size distribution corresponding to the s2 = 3.5 index of the SFD of impactors with diameters smaller than 60 km. However, for crater diameters D ≲ 3–8 km (which correspond to impactor diameters d ~ 0.04–0.15 km), the observed distributions become flatter and deviate from our results, which may evidence processes of erosion and/or crater saturation at small crater sizes or a possible break in the SFD of impactors at d ~ 0.04–0.15 km to a much shallower differential slope of approximately − 1.5. Our results suggest that Pan, Daphnis, Atlas, Aegaeon, Methone, Anthe, Pallene, Calypso, and Polydeuces suffered one or more catastrophic collisions over the age of the solar system, the younger being associated to arcs with ages of ~108 yr. We have also calculated surface ages for the satellites, which indicate ongoing resurfacing processes.
The effect of the terminal penalty in Receding Horizon Control for a class of stabilization problems
Authors: Kunisch Karl , Pfeiffer Laurent
Published: June 2019

The Receding Horizon Control (RHC) strategy consists in replacing an infinite-horizon stabilization problem by a sequence of finite-horizon optimal control problems, which are numerically more tractable. The dynamic programming principle ensures that if the finite-horizon problems are formulated with the exact value function as a terminal penalty function, then the RHC method generates an optimal control. This article deals with the case where the terminal cost function is chosen as a cut-off Taylor approximation of the value function. The main result is an error rate estimate for the control generated by such a method, when compared with the optimal control. The obtained estimate is of the same order as the employed Taylor approximation and decreases at an exponential rate with respect to the prediction horizon. To illustrate the methodology, the article focuses on a class of bilinear optimal control problems in infinite-dimensional Hilbert spaces.
L∞-algebras and their cohomology
Authors: Reinhold Ben
Published: June 2019

We give an overview of different characterisations of L∞-structures in terms of symmetric brackets and (co)differentials on the symmetric (co)algebra. We then do the same for their representations (up to homotopy) and approach L∞-algebra cohomology using the commutator bracket on the space of coderivations of the symmetric coalgebra. This leads to abelian extensions of L∞-algebras by 2-cocycles.
Tailored ZnS/Ag/TiOx transparent and conductive electrode for organic solar cells
Authors: Cherif Mohamed Ahmed , Labiod Amina , Barakel Damien , Touihri Saad , Torchio Philippe
Published: June 2019

Organic photovoltaic cells (OPVCs) attract high interest for solar energy harvesting. They are based on organic thin films sandwiched between two electrodes, one of them being transparent and conductive. Nowadays, ITO remains the most widely used transparent conductive electrode (TCE) because of its excellent optical and electrical properties compared to other TCEs. However, it has some drawbacks such as scarcity of indium, high fabrication cost, and mechanical properties poorly adapted to use as flexible substrates. To keep these performances without indium, several materials can replace ITO such as MoO3, ZnO, ZnS, TiO2,… as dielectric and Ag, Cu,... as metal inside a dielectric/metal/dielectric three-layer structure. A Transfer Matrix Method (TMM) based numerical model is used to predict the optical behavior of the considered electrodes. ZnS/Ag/TiOx electrodes are manufactured by a vacuum electron beam evaporator on glass substrates, then characterized by UV-Visible spectrophotometer for obtaining transmittance and reflectance and by a four-point method for the measurement of sheet resistance. It is found that the simulation and experimental curves are quite similar. The transmittance is measured to be higher than 80% on a wide spectral band that can be tailored by the thickness of the upper dielectric material. The optical window Δλ, for T > 80%, can be tuned in the 400–800 nm spectral band, according to the thickness of TiOx in the 25–50 nm range. This variation allows us to adapt our electrode to organic materials in order to optimize the performance of organic solar cells. The sheet resistance obtained is around to 7 Ω/sq, which gives our electrodes the transparent and conductive character simultaneously. A typical parameter to compare the electrodes is the merit figure, which questions the average optical transmission T
av in the visible range and the sheet resistance R
sq. By applying this figure to many manufactured electrodes, the obtained optimal structure of our TCEs is demonstrated to be ZnS (40 nm)/Ag (10 nm)/TiOx (30 nm).
Removal behavior and output quality for laser chemical machining of tool steels
Authors: Messaoudi Hamza , Mikulewitsch Merlin , Brand Daniel , von Freyberg Axel , Fischer Andreas
Published: June 2019

Laser chemical machining represents a promising technology for manufacturing metallic micro parts. It is usually based on the selective thermal activation of electrochemical material dissolution of self-passivating metals in an electrolyte environment. Prior to widespread industrial acceptance, its machining quality needs to be classified within the subtractive machining processes and the range of machinable materials needs to be expanded. For this purpose, line and square cavities with dimensions ≤300 μm are machined into high speed steel HS10-4-3-10 in a H3PO4-environment and compared to those of the self-passivating cobalt-chrome alloy Stellite 21. As a result, the laser-induced removal velocities in HS10-4-3-10 amount to 50 μm/s. These are two orders of magnitudes higher than the background etching (2 nm/s at room temperature) and three times higher than those obtained in Stellite 21 (12 μm/s). However, the microscopic and spectroscopic analyses of both materials reveal a high shape accuracy with edge radii from 10 to 20 μm, a surface roughness down to 0.8 μm and a negligible microstructural impact. Despite lower removal rates and higher surface roughness, laser chemical machining provides higher dimensional accuracy in comparison with micro milling and shows its suitability for micro machining of structures <200 μm.
Nosokomiale Pneumonie – neue Leitlinien
Authors: Kramme Evelyn , Dalhoff Klaus
Published: June 2019

Was ist neu?

Erregerspektrum: Die Rolle multiresistenter Erreger Das nationale Referenzzentrum verzeichnet insgesamt eine Zunahme der Nachweise gramnegativer multiresistenter Erreger (MRE), was sich nach bisheriger Datenlage noch nicht auf das Erregerspektrum der HAP (hospital aquired pneumonia) ausgewirkt hat. Das individuelle Risikoprofil für das Auftreten von MRE bleibt entscheidend für die kalkulierte Therapie.

Diagnostik Als ergänzende diagnostische Maßnahme wurde die Thoraxsonografie in die Empfehlung aufgenommen. Besondere Bedeutung misst die Leitlinie der Messung von PCT und Laktat bei, um frühzeitig eine Sepsis/einen septischen Schock zu erkennen. Als Empfehlung zur virologischen Diagnostik kam die Durchführung einer PCR in der Influenza-Saison hinzu.

Kalkulierte Therapie: Initial Mono- oder Kombinationstherapie? Eine Kombinationstherapie wird nur noch bei sehr schwerer Erkrankung (invasive Beatmung, septischer Schock) und hohem Risiko für MRE empfohlen, da sie sich in zahlreichen Studien nur in diesen Konstellationen als überlegen erwiesen hat. Es wird eine deutliche Empfehlung zur zügigen Deeskalation nach klinischen und mikrobiologischen Kriterien ausgesprochen.

Aufgrund pharmakokinetischer/pharmakodynamischer Erwägungen sollte bei Patienten mit Sepsis/septischem Schock in der Initialphase eine prolongierte Infusion von hierfür geeigneten Betalaktam-Antibiotika nach initialer Kurzinfusion erwogen werden.

Inhalative Therapie Eine adjunktive aerosolierte Therapie sollte nur in erfahrenen Zentren bei Nachweis von Erregern mit multiplen Resistenzen durchgeführt werden, wenn der Therapieerfolg einer systemischen Therapie fraglich ist.
Die Polypill – Ein praktikables Konzept?
Authors: Thürmann Petra A. , Kleinerüschkamp Adina G. , Boehme Philip
Published: June 2019

Was ist neu?

Vor- und Nachteile des Polypill-Konzepts Polypills können die Therapieadhärenz erhöhen, während insbesondere die Aspekte aus ärztlicher Sicht Therapiesicherheit und -flexibilität das Thema aktueller Diskussionen sind.

Die Polypill in der Primärprävention Aufgrund der Nichtberücksichtigung individueller Risikofaktoren durch ihren „Massenmedikations“-Ansatz sollte die Polypill zur Primärprävention nur einem ausgewählten Hochrisikopatientengut vorbehalten bleiben.

Sekundärprävention bei bereits optimal eingestellten Patienten sowie Primärprävention bei Hochrisikopatienten Zukünftige Studien müssen zeigen, dass die Anwendung von Polypills nicht nur einen positiven Einfluss auf Adhärenz und Surrogatparameter hat, sondern auch zu einer Reduktion kardiovaskulärer Ereignisse und letztendlich der Letalität führt.
Pädiatrische MRT-Untersuchungen ohne Sedierung bei Kleinkindern
Authors: Huber Evelyn , Brenner Nicole
Published: June 2019

Kinder fassen die Medizin und die damit verbundenen Untersuchungen völlig anders auf als Erwachsene. Demzufolge wird von Radiologietechnologen eine große Menge an Geduld benötigt. Eine kinderfreundliche Aufklärung und spielerische Erklärung ist für eine erfolgreiche Untersuchung obligat, besonders in der MRT. In diesem Beitrag werden Lösungsvorschläge für einen günstigen Arbeitsablauf in der pädiatrischen MRT ohne Sedierung aufgezeigt.
Chancen und Grenzen eines zeitgemäßen Onlineauftrittes für Urologen
Authors: Cebulla Angelika , Marx Maria , Struck Julian Peter
Published: June 2019

Hintergrund Eine angemessene und zeitgemäße Onlinepräsenz hat unter Medizinern und speziell Urologen zunehmend an Relevanz gewonnen. Studien konnten zeigen, dass Patienten vermehrt Onlineangebote nutzen, um sich über Gesundheitsthemen zu informieren. Neben dem reinen Informationserhalt gewinnt der Onlineauftritt bei der Arztsuche und für die Arzt-Patienten-Kommunikation immer mehr an Bedeutung. Zudem nutzen Fachgesellschaften und Journals soziale Medien, um ihre Reichweite in der urologischen bzw. medizinischen Welt zu maximieren.

Ziel der Arbeit Diese Arbeit soll Chancen und Risiken des urologischen Onlineauftrittes aufzeigen und Hinweise zur Umsetzbarkeit geben.

Ergebnisse Eine professionelle sowie visuell ansprechende Homepage ist ein wichtiges Werkzeug im Patientenkontakt. Beim Aufbau einer professionellen, digitalen Identität gilt es sowohl rechtliche als auch strategische Gesichtspunkte zu beachten. Es existieren bereits Leitfäden und Empfehlungen, die Hinweise zum Umgang mit sozialen Medien und zur inhaltlichen Gestaltung von Homepages geben. V. a. die rechtlichen Auflagen sind komplex, hier bedürfen Mediziner einer eingehenden, professionellen Beratung.

Diskussion Unabhängig vom Medium ist ein sensibler Umgang mit online veröffentlichten Inhalten anzuraten. Hierbei empfiehlt sich eine strenge Trennung von privaten und professionellen Onlineauftritten. Weiterhin sollten die Ziele des eigenen Internetauftrittes in regelmäßigen Abständen reevaluiert und ggf. angepasst werden.
MR Imaging of the Hip: An Update on Bone Marrow Edema
Authors: Vassalou Evangelia E. , Spanakis Konstantinos , Tsifountoudis Ioannis P. , Karantanas Apostolos H.
Published: June 2019

Bone marrow edema (BME) represents a frequent and easily detected MR imaging finding that is recognized as a common source of pain. It is considered a nonspecific finding that constitutes a central component of a wide spectrum of pathologies affecting the hip joint, showing high variability in terms of prognosis and treatment requirements. Solid knowledge of the various BME patterns and associated imaging findings indicative of these conditions can aid in differentiation. Additionally, correlation with clinical and laboratory data are essential for arriving at a final diagnosis in several cases. In this review, we describe the disease characteristics and imaging findings and also highlight the differential diagnostic clues regarding common hip disorders associated with BME including avascular necrosis, transient osteoporosis, stress injuries, and infectious/inflammatory disorders.
Conventional and Arthrographic Magnetic Resonance Techniques for Hip Evaluation: What the Radiologist Should Know
Authors: Schmaranzer Florian , Cerezal Luis , Llopis Eva
Published: June 2019

Over the last 2 decades, the definition of pathomechanical concepts that link osseous deformities to chondrolabral damage and expose young and active patients to the risk of early osteoarthritis has led to a tremendous increase in the number of joint-preserving surgeries performed. The rise in arthroscopic procedures has led to an increasing demand for comprehensive preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) assessment of the hip joint. This includes conventional MRI for the assessment of extra-articular and periarticular pathologies such as greater trochanteric pain, deep gluteal pain syndrome, and sports injuries. Magnetic resonance arthrography with or without traction is reserved for the accurate evaluation of deformities associated with impingement and hip instability and for detecting the resulting intra-articular lesions. This article summarizes the current standard imaging techniques that the radiologist should know. It also explores the potential of computer-assisted analysis of three-dimensional MRI for virtual impingement simulation and volumetric analysis of cartilage composition and geometry.
Ultrasound-guided Musculoskeletal Interventions for the Most Common Hip and Pelvis Conditions: A Step-by-Step Approach
Authors: Allen Georgina , Obradov Marina , Chianca Vito , Messina Carmelo , Sconfienza Luca Maria
Published: June 2019

Pain around the hip and pelvis is a very common condition. Pain may be generated within the joint space (i.e. the hip joint itself, the sacroiliac joints or the pubic symphysis) or from surrounding myotendinous, bursal, or nerve structures. Over the years, percutaneous musculoskeletal procedures have become increasingly popular to diagnose and treat painful conditions around the hip and the pelvis. Most intra- and extra-articular procedures are performed under ultrasound guidance. This article reviews the most common diagnostic and therapeutic procedures that can be performed around the hip and the pelvis under ultrasound guidance.
Artificial Intelligence in Musculoskeletal Imaging: Review of Current Literature, Challenges, and Trends
Authors: Hirschmann Anna , Cyriac Joshy , Stieltjes Bram , Kober Tobias , Richiardi Jonas , Omoumi Patrick
Published: June 2019

Artificial intelligence (AI) has gained major attention with a rapid increase in the number of published articles, mostly recently. This review provides a general understanding of how AI can or will be useful to the musculoskeletal radiologist. After a brief technical background on AI, machine learning, and deep learning, we illustrate, through examples from the musculoskeletal literature, potential AI applications in the various steps of the radiologist's workflow, from managing the request to communication of results. The implementation of AI solutions does not go without challenges and limitations. These are also discussed, as well as the trends and perspectives.
Update on Whole-body MRI in Musculoskeletal Applications
Authors: Vilanova Joan C. , García-Figueiras Roberto , Luna Antonio , Baleato-González Sandra , Tomás Xavier , Narváez José A.
Published: June 2019

Whole-body magnetic resonance imaging (WB-MRI) is a powerful tool increasingly used to assess oncologic and nononcologic diseases. WB-MRI provides information about diffuse multifocal pathologies with excellent anatomical definition through high soft tissue contrast and spatial resolution as well as valuable functional information from diffusion-weighted images. In addition to its roles in establishing the diagnosis and assessing the extent and severity of disease, WB-MRI is also useful for monitoring the response to treatment for malignant and benign systemic diseases affecting the musculoskeletal system. This article reviews and updates the applications of WB-MRI in current practice, discussing the role of this helpful tool in various conditions involving the musculoskeletal system including bone metastases, hematologic cancers, inflammatory processes, infections, and multisystemic-multifocal bone, nerve, vascular, and muscle/soft tissue disorders, as well as other idiopathic conditions.
Imaging of Articular and Extra-articular Sports Injuries of the Hip
Authors: Boric Igor , Isaac Amanda , Dalili Danoob , Ouchinsky Michel , De Maeseneer Michel , Shahabpour Maryam
Published: June 2019

Sports-related articular and periarticular hip injuries are common in athletes. Knowledge of patient complaints and clinical findings are crucial for adequate interpretation of imaging examinations. However, asymptomatic athletes can present abnormal imaging findings, and clinical presentation of hip injuries may be nonspecific. Therefore, a thorough examination of the hip and surrounding soft tissue images is essential.

This review describes the intra-articular pathologies encountered in sports activities including labrum or cartilage lesions, associated or not with femoroacetabular hip impingement syndromes, as well as ligament teres injuries, using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or computed tomography arthrography. Different causes of snapping hip syndrome (from intra- and extra-articular origins) are also discussed and illustrated. The extra-articular forms of hip impingement syndromes including ischiofemoral and subspine impingement are depicted with MRI and ultrasound. Diagnostic imaging of bone avulsions, greater trochanteric syndrome, athletic pubalgia, and myotendinous injuries is also described.
N-Methyl-D-Aspartate Receptor Encephalitis with Psychiatric Symptoms and an Ovarian Teratoma Detected by MRI in a 17-Year-Old Girl
Authors: Barth A. , Nassenstein I. , Tröbs R.B. , Tannapfel A. , Dercks H. , Rostásy K. , Wegener-Panzer A.
Published: June 2019

N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) encephalitis is a rare antibody-mediated autoimmune encephalitis often associated with an ovarian teratoma in adolescent females. Here we present a 17-year-old girl with only and unusual psychiatric symptoms as part of her NMDAR encephalitis in combination with a very small ovarian teratoma suspected by magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and finally histologically confirmed. We further review the literature of NMDAR encephalitis in combination with an ovarian teratoma and discuss the recommended radiological workup in children with a suspected ovarian tumor.
Kalkulierte parenterale Initialtherapie bakterieller Erkrankungen bei Erwachsenen – Update 2018
Authors: Bodmann Klaus-Friedrich
Published: June 2019

Was ist neu?

Darstellung und Klassifizierung neuer Substanzen: Bei der Klassifizierung neuer Substanzen werden die neuen Cephalosporin/Betalactamaseinhibitor-Kombinationen sowie die Cephalosporine mit MRSA-Wirksamkeit eingearbeitet.

Pharmakokinetik/Pharmakodynamik: Dieses Kapitel fokussiert auf die Notwendigkeit eines therapeutischen Drug-Monitorings.

Respiratorische Infektionen: Das Kapitel „Respiratorische Infektionen“ vergleicht im Bereich der nosokomialen Pneumonie die S3-Leitlinie mit dem risikoadaptierten Punktescore der PEG.

Sepsis: Im Kapitel „Sepsis“ werden die neuen Sepsisdefinitionen erklärt sowie neue therapeutische Alternativen für die kalkulierte Initialtherapie der Sepsis bei unbekanntem Fokus und beim Fokus Atemwege aufgezeigt.
Why people die in novels: testing the ordeal simulation hypothesis
Authors: Morin Olivier , Acerbi Alberto , Sobchuk Oleg
Published: June 2019

What is fiction about, and what is it good for? An influential family of theories sees fiction as rooted in adaptive simulation mechanisms. In this view, our propensity to create and enjoy narrative fictions was selected and maintained due to the training that we get from mentally simulating situations relevant to our survival and reproduction. We put forward and test a precise version of this claim, the “ordeal simulation hypothesis”. It states that fictional narrative primarily simulates “ordeals”: situations where a person’s reaction might dramatically improve or decrease her fitness, such as deadly aggressions, or decisions on long-term matrimonial commitments. Experience does not prepare us well for these rare, high-stakes occasions, in contrast with situations that are just as fitness-relevant but more frequent (e.g., exposure to pathogens). We study mortality in fictional and non-fictional texts as a partial test for this view. Based on an analysis of 744 extensive summaries of twentieth century American novels of various genres, we show that the odds of dying (in a given year) are vastly exaggerated in fiction compared to reality, but specifically more exaggerated for homicides as compared to suicides, accidents, war-related, or natural deaths. This evidence supports the ordeal simulation hypothesis but is also compatible with other accounts. For a more specific test, we look for indications that this focus on death, and in particular on death caused by an agent, is specific to narrative fiction as distinct from other verbal productions. In a comparison of 10,810 private letters and personal diary entries written by American women, with a set of 811 novels (also written by American women), we measure the occurrence of words related to natural death or agentive death. Private letters and diaries are as likely, or more likely, to use words relating to natural or agentive death. Novels written for an adult audience contain more words relating to natural deaths than do letters (though not diary entries), but this is not true for agentive death. Violent death, in spite of its clear appeal for fiction, does not necessarily provide a clear demarcation point between fictional and non-fictional content.
‘I see you sharing, thus I share with you’: indirect reciprocity in toddlers but not infants
Authors: Nava Elena , Croci Emanuela , Turati Chiara
Published: June 2019

Human societies are organised around cooperative interactions, the origins and development of which have become a timely topic. In this study, we investigated the development of indirect reciprocity in 18–24-month-old toddlers, and infants aged 6 months, on a two-phase sharing task with non-familiar individuals. In the first phase, we observed whether infants and toddlers differentiated and manifested a preference toward an individual altruistically sharing or acting selfishly. In the second phase, infants and toddlers interacted with the same prosocial and antisocial individuals seen in the first phase, and we observed whether they were willing to share with one of the two. Indirect reciprocity was assessed as the match between the preferences for the prosocial individual in phase one, and the first-person sharing in the second phase. Evidence showed that toddlers, but not infants, indirectly reciprocated the prosocial individual, suggesting that understanding of such a complex behaviour as indirect reciprocity may require prolonged experience in order to emerge.
Performance improvement of on-chip integrable terahertz microbolometer arrays using nanoscale meander titanium thermistor
Authors: Banerjee Amit , Satoh Hiroaki , Elamaran Durgadevi , Sharma Yash , Hiromoto Norihisa , Inokawa Hiroshi
Published: June 2019

In this study, uncooled antenna-coupled microbolometer arrays were fabricated to detect terahertz waves by using nanoscale meander-shaped Ti thermistors with design widths of DW = 0.1 and 0.2 μm, respectively, on SiO2 and SiNx substrates. Each unit device with a thermistor with DW = 0.1 μm yielded double the electrical responsivity (787 V/W) of unit devices with thermistors with DW = 0.2 μm (386 V/W) at the maximum allowable bias current (Ib = 50 for DW = 0.1 μm and 100 μA for DW = 0.2 μm, respectively). However, the calculated noise-equivalent power (NEP) of unit devices with thermistors with DW = 0.1 μm was 1.85×10−10W/Hz at Ib = 50 μA and 1.58×10−10W/Hz at Ib = 100 μA for unit devices with thermistors with DW = 0.2 μm. Hence, the reduction in DW did not lead to an improvement in NEP. This study validates our previous investigation into the effect of width on such device parameters such as the temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) and resistivity in the context of device miniaturization. The smaller grain size in thinner metal interconnects (thermistors) can be linked to the lower TCR and increased resistivity of the devices. Thus, the enhancement in responsivity in the design was largely due to the nanoscale meander design that, however, was detrimental to the noise response of the devices. These devices with nanoscale Ti meander thermistors deliver high responsivity in unit devices with scope for further miniaturization and have significant potential for application as on-chip integrable detector arrays.
Phase-field modeling of helium bubble evolution in nickel-graphene nanocomposite
Authors: Ge Guojia , Chen Feida , Tang Xiaobin , Huang Hai , Sun Xiangyu , Ji Lulu
Published: June 2019

Metal–graphene (Gr) nanocomposites are regarded as potential anti-irradiation advanced materials for Gen-IV nuclear reactors. In this work, a phase-field model was proposed to simulate helium (He) bubble evolution of nickel–Gr (Ni/Gr) nanocomposite during constant irradiation at 800 K. Ni/Gr nanocomposite presented an earlier onset time of He bubble nucleation but eventually formed bubbles with smaller size and lower density than those of pure Ni. The early He bubbles nucleated along Ni/Gr interfaces, while a He depletion zone formed nearby consequently, which confirmed that Ni/Gr interfaces inhibit He bubble growth. The effects of vacancies and He atoms on the He bubble growth rate were also quantitatively analyzed. The amount of irradiation-induced vacancies acted as an effective rate-controlling factor that determined the bubble growth rate with respect to the He atoms.
Instanton based importance sampling for rare events in stochastic PDEs
Authors: Ebener Lasse , Margazoglou Georgios , Friedrich Jan , Biferale Luca , Grauer Rainer
Published: June 2019

We present a new method for sampling rare and large fluctuations in a nonequilibrium system governed by a stochastic partial differential equation (SPDE) with additive forcing. To this end, we deploy the so-called instanton formalism that corresponds to a saddle-point approximation of the action in the path integral formulation of the underlying SPDE. The crucial step in our approach is the formulation of an alternative SPDE that incorporates knowledge of the instanton solution such that we are able to constrain the dynamical evolutions around extreme flow configurations only. Finally, a reweighting procedure based on the Girsanov theorem is applied to recover the full distribution function of the original system. The entire procedure is demonstrated on the example of the one-dimensional Burgers equation. Furthermore, we compare our method to conventional direct numerical simulations as well as to Hybrid Monte Carlo methods. It will be shown that the instanton-based sampling method outperforms both approaches and allows for an accurate quantification of the whole probability density function of velocity gradients from the core to the very far tails.
Thermionic emission laws for general electron dispersion relations and band structure data
Authors: Gerstenmaier York Christian , Wachutka Gerhard
Published: June 2019

In this article, a thermionic electron emission theory for general electron dispersion relations E(k) is presented, relating electron energy E to wave-vector magnitude k = |k|. This theory does not require the construction of a model Hamiltonian for the electrode's materials, like Dirac or Weyl Hamiltonians. Instead, use is made of the material's band structure data, e.g., the parabolic E(k) approximation for the Richardson–Dushman equation and linear E(k), as used for graphene and 3D Dirac semimetals. This new theory confirms previous findings on parabolic E(k), e.g., that the emission current is independent of effective electron mass in the material as long as it is larger than real electron mass m0. For effective mass lower than m0, the emission is reduced and tends to zero for vanishing effective mass. For materials with negative electron affinity, additional terms arise in the emission current equation. It turns out that the linear E(k) dispersion, e.g., for Dirac semimetals, does not have the potential to surpass the Richardson emission in materials with the same work function. In addition, a more rigorous electron emission theory is established by utilizing real anisotropic band structure data En(k) for electrode materials. For collimated electron emission normal to the surface, the transverse electron velocities tend to zero, i.e., the transverse derivatives of En(k) have to be comparatively small. If stable electrode materials of this kind can be realized, a considerable increase of electron emission by a factor 100 or more can be achieved, compared to the Richardson–Dushman theory, especially for small lattice constants perpendicular to the emission direction.
Physics of bioprinting
Authors: Shafiee Ashkan , Ghadiri Elham , Ramesh Haripriya , Kengla Carlos , Kassis Jareer , Calvert Paul , Williams David , Khademhosseini Ali , Narayan Roger , Forgacs Gabor , Atala Anthony
Published: June 2019

Bioprinters are being extensively used for different applications in life sciences and medicine in general and more specifically in regenerative medicine, tissue, and organ fabrication. The technology has matured from its purely academic origin owing to the involvement of materials science, engineering, biology, and physics, as well as commercial entities. Nevertheless, despite the progress in the science and the understanding of the mechanisms underlying the various bioprinting technologies, further efforts are needed to develop more quantitative strategies. In particular, predictive modeling is necessary to optimize the printing parameters and thus enhance the quality of the final products. Here, we review the physics that underpins the most commonly employed approaches, such as extrusion, laser-based, and inkjet bioprinting. We provide an overview of the relevant parameters, their inter-relationships, and the equations that govern the various printing processes and thus allow for their optimization. We present our perspective on the field and views on future strategies for its further advancement. Our intention with this review is to provide the practitioners of bioprinting with additional tools to enhance the quantitative aspects of their work and move the technology beyond its early, mostly “trial and error” character.
Surface plasmon enhanced electric field versus Förster resonance energy transfer near core-shell nanoparticle
Authors: Shishodia Manmohan Singh , Juneja Soniya
Published: June 2019

The process of electric field enhancement and molecular energy transfer near core-shell nanoparticles is compared using multipole spectral expansion based closed form expressions. It is a general notion that localized surface plasmon modes of plasmonic structures greatly enhance the molecular energy transfer between a donor-acceptor pair and the electric field intensity. Most of such studies are conducted for donor-acceptor pairs placed far away so that the bare interaction energy is very small due to its r−6 character. Relative to this tiny bare interaction energy, surface plasmon induced interaction energy may be very large, for example, in the core-shell nanoparticle, which is a hybrid plasmonic structure of a sphere and a cavity. However, when molecules are positioned very close to each other and, therefore, the Coulumbic interaction between them is very strong, the enhancement factor is found to remain quite low. Moreover, the integrated analysis and comparison of electric field enhancement and molecular energy transfer near core-shell nanoparticles has not been done. Since core-shell nanoparticles exhibit rich plasmonic features in their optical spectra, they can be used for spectral fine tuning and have found applications in cancer diagnostics. Importantly, both processes, namely, electric field enhancement and molecular energy transfer, are treated using closed form expressions derived using multipole spectral expansion. Higher order plasmonic modes are shown to play a crucial role. The present work can be directly used as a formula, e.g., for designing surface plasmon based biosensors and estimating energy exchange between proteins and excitonic interactions in quantum dots.
Mechanical and fracture behavior of water submerged graphene
Authors: Sharma Saurabh S. , Sharma Bharat Bhushan , Parashar Avinash
Published: June 2019

In this article, molecular dynamics (MD)-based simulations were performed to study the structural stability, tensile strength, and fracture behavior of graphene submerged in water. MD-based atomistic simulations were performed in conjunction with adaptive intermolecular reactive empirical bond order and TIP3P potentials for capturing the interatomic interaction in graphene and water molecules, respectively, whereas nonbonded interactions between the two were estimated with the help of Lennard-Jones potential. It was predicted from the simulations that water has a significant effect on the structural stability and the fracture behavior of graphene. The structural stability of water submerged graphene decreases as compared to dry graphene, whereas the fracture behavior of water submerged graphene shows dependency on the chirality and the passivation of crack edge atoms with hydrogen. It was also predicted from the simulations that hydrogen passivation helps in reducing the reactivity of crack edge atoms with the water molecules. Results presented in this article will help in exploring the full potential of graphene for water submerged applications.
Dark hollow beams originating terahertz radiation in corrugated plasma under magnetic field
Authors: Malik Hitendra K. , Punia Sheetal
Published: June 2019

In the present process, two laser beams having the same doughnut profiles but different frequencies are explored in space-periodic nonlinear plasma to produce nonlinear oscillatory current that resonantly excites the terahertz (THz) radiation. The interactions are assumed to be under the effect of external magnetic field and electron-neutral collisions. The intensity gradient of the considered dark hollow beams has a doughnut-shaped distribution, which is responsible for the multifocal field profile of the emitted THz radiation. The present scheme is capable of producing laser-to-THz energy conversion efficiency up to ∼10−3 with the optimization of various laser and plasma parameters even in the presence of electron-neutral collisions.
Computational characterization of electron-beam-sustained plasma
Authors: Huang Jialong , Wang Chi , Chang Lijie , Zhang Ya , Wang Zhebin , Yi Lin , Jiang Wei
Published: June 2019

Electron-beam-sustained plasmas are of vital importance for separately controlling ion flux and ion energy. In this paper, we use an implicit particle-in-cell Monte Carlo method to study plasma kinetics in an electron-beam-sustained plasma under operating conditions relevant to the use of such plasmas for polymer processing. The results indicate that the electron and ion densities are uniformly distributed because of the uniform ionization rate and heating rate. The electron-energy distribution function is Druyvesteyn-like with an ultrahigh concentration of low-energy electrons and a high-energy tail. Low-energy electrons are beneficial for protecting the substrate in material processing and a high-energy tail is useful for the precise control of plasma-gas chemistry. For ion-energy distribution functions at the electrode surface, the low-energy (<5 eV) ion occupation rate increases with decreasing beam current or beam energy. The proportion of low-energy ions bombarding the electrode exceeds 99%, which indicates the superiority of electron-beam-generated plasma compared with a voltage- or current-driven discharge to obtain independent control of ion flux and ion energy. The results obtained herein are important for nondestructive etching in plasma processing because of the unique plasma characteristics provided by electron-beam injection.
About the nature of the barrier inhomogeneities at Au/Ti/n-InAlAs(001) Schottky contacts
Authors: Aksenov M. S. , Valisheva N. A. , Chistokhin I. B. , Dmitriev D. V. , Kozhukhov A. S. , Zhuravlev K. S.
Published: June 2019

A correlation study of InAlAs surface morphology by atomic force microscopy and a study on the temperature (78–380 K) dependence of Au/Ti/InAlAs(001) Schottky barriers' current-voltage characteristics were performed. It is shown that a change in the growth structural defect (pit) density on the InAlAs surface from 106 to 107 cm−2 practically does not affect the current-voltage dependence at temperatures above 200 K that is well described by the thermionic emission theory with the ideality factor and the barrier height close to 1.1 and 0.69 eV, respectively. At the same time, change in the pit density has a significant effect on the Schottky barrier parameters at temperatures below 200 K, which can be explained by the Tung model suggesting the presence of local inhomogeneities with a lower barrier height and different total occupied areas. Also, the areas at the pit defect periphery that can lead to effective barrier height lowering after the Schottky contact formation were revealed by Kelvin probe force microscopy. Based on the obtained data, it can be concluded that the growth defects on the InAlAs surface shaped as pits cause areas in Schottky contact with a lower barrier height.
Power threshold and saturation of parametric decay instabilities near the upper hybrid resonance in plasmas
Authors: Hansen S. K. , Nielsen S. K. , Stober J. , Rasmussen J. , Salewski M. , Stejner M. ,   ASDEX Upgrade Team
Published: June 2019

Parametric decay instabilities (PDIs) occur for large-amplitude waves in quadratically nonlinear media, where they provide a limit of validity of linear theories and allow efficient coupling between different, well-defined wave modes. We investigate PDIs near the upper hybrid resonance in plasmas by injection of high-power electron cyclotron (EC) waves at the ASDEX Upgrade tokamak. Our measurements of PDIs have an unprecedented frequency resolution, far below the ion cyclotron frequency, allowing the first observations of secondary and tertiary PDIs during the saturation phase in a controlled laboratory setting. Furthermore, we are for the first time able to systematically compare theoretical predictions of the EC wave power thresholds, which must be exceeded to excite such PDIs, with experimental observations, validating the theory. Our findings are relevant for EC wave heating and current drive in tokamaks and stellarators, including future fusion power plants, as well as in low-temperature laboratory and industrial plasmas, inertial confinement fusion, and ionospheric modification experiments.
Design and analysis of a displacement amplifier with high load capacity by combining bridge-type and Scott-Russell mechanisms
Authors: Ding Yan , Lai Lei-Jie
Published: June 2019

To improve the load capacity of flexure-based amplification mechanisms, a flexure-based displacement amplification mechanism is developed in this study by combining the bridge-type and the Scott-Russell mechanisms. The four arms of the traditional bridge mechanism are replaced by four Scott-Russell mechanisms that provide the advantages of good symmetry, compact structure, and higher load capacity. An analytical model is formulated using a stiffness matrix to analyze the natural frequency, input and output stiffnesses, displacement amplification ratio, and load capacity of the proposed mechanism. The design model was subjected to both experimental methods and finite element analysis for verification, and the two sets of results were in good agreement. This proves the effectiveness and applicability of the analytical model and the proposed amplification mechanism. The output stiffnesses of the modified bridge-type amplifier and the traditional bridge-type amplifier are 0.158 N/μm and 0.041 N/μm, respectively, indicating excellent load performance of the modified bridge-type amplifier.
Magneto-dynamic properties of complex oxide—La0.7Sr0.3MnO3/SrTiO3—heterostructure interface
Authors: Singh Suraj , Bolstad Torstein , Hallsteinsen Ingrid , Tybell Thomas , Wahlström Erik
Published: June 2019

We have studied the interface magnetodynamic properties of La0.7Sr0.3MnO3/SrTiO3 (111) heterostructures by Ferromagnetic resonance spectroscopy (FMR). In addition to the bulk FMR mode, the measurements indicate a mode originating from an independently excited ferromagnetic layer at the interface. The peak-to-peak intensity of the interface mode suggests a layer thickness on the order of few unit cells. Angle resolved FMR measurements reveal a hexagonal symmetry of the magnetocrystalline anisotropy of the mode with the easy axis along the in-plane <1–10> crystallographic directions matching with the (111) surface orientation of the substrate, in contrast to bulk mode symmetry which is always found to have uniaxial symmetry caused by magnetostriction. The temperature dependence of the anisotropy and a large temperature variation in the intensity ratio of interface and bulk mode indicate a coupling of the interface to the bulk mode.