bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ptychographic imaging and micromagnetic modeling of thermal melting of nanoscale magnetic domains in antidot lattices
Authors: Gräfe Joachim , Skripnik Maxim , Dieterle Georg , Haering Felix , Weigand Markus , Bykova Iuliia , Träger Nick , Stoll Hermann , Tyliszczak Tolek , Vine David , Ziemann Paul , Wiedwald Ulf , Shapiro David , Nowak Ulrich , Schütz Gisela , Goering Eberhard J.
Published: December 2020

Antidot lattices are potential candidates to act as bit patterned media for data storage as they are able to trap nanoscale magnetic domains between two adjacent holes. Here, we demonstrate the combination of micromagnetic modeling and x-ray microscopy. Detailed simulation of these systems can only be achieved by micromagnetic modeling that takes thermal effects into account. For this purpose, a Landau–Lifshitz–Bloch approach is used here. The calculated melting of magnetic domains within the antidot lattice is reproduced experimentally by x-ray microscopy. Furthermore, we compare conventional scanning transmission x-ray microscopy with resolution enhanced ptychography. Hence, we achieve a resolution of 13 nm. The results demonstrate that ptychographic imaging can also recover magnetic contrast in the presence of a strong topological variation and is generally applicable toward magnetic samples requiring ultimate resolution.
Fine-tuning of localized surface plasmon resonance of metal nanostructures from near-Infrared to blue prepared by nanosphere lithography
Authors: Rahaman Mahfujur , Moras Stefan , He Lu , Madeira Teresa I. , Zahn Dietrich R. T.
Published: December 2020

Plasmonics using metal nanoparticles (MNPs) has emerged as an important research subject in the field of photonics, electronics, and nanotechnology. Despite spectacular progress in recent years, accurate tuning and modeling of plasmon resonances over a wide spectral range using state-of-the-art fabrication methods are still challenging tasks. Here, we report on the fine-tuning of the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) of metal nanoparticles over a wide spectral range from near-infrared to blue using nanosphere lithography (NSL). In this systematic study, we use NSL to fabricate triangular shaped metal nanostructures using gold, silver, copper, and aluminum. All structures were annealed up to 500 °C under a nitrogen atmosphere in order to study the effect of annealing on the LSPR. Structural changes were investigated using scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. UV-VIS spectroscopy was used to determine the LSPR spectral position for these structures. The LSPR peak position is ordered as copper, gold, silver, and aluminum (from low to high photon energy—ranging from near-infrared to blue). The rate at which the LSPR changes with respect to the increasing annealing temperature is determined to be (2.3 ± 0.3) nm/°C and (1.3 ± 0.1) nm/°C for Ag and Au, respectively, while Cu MNPs show a two-step relation with a steeper slope of (1.4 ± 0.3) nm/°C initially up to 275 °C followed by a shallower slope of (0.5 ± 0.1) nm/°C. The full width at half maximum of the LSPR increases from gold over silver and copper to aluminum. We also performed finite element method simulations to validate the experimental findings. Our results can have a significant impact in plasmonic applications where fine-tuning and accurate designing of the LSPR are important.
Reliability of UVC LEDs fabricated on AlN/sapphire templates with different threading dislocation densities
Authors: Ruschel Jan , Glaab Johannes , Susilo Norman , Hagedorn Sylvia , Walde Sebastian , Ziffer Eviathar , Cho Hyun Kyong , Ploch Neysha Lobo , Wernicke Tim , Weyers Markus , Einfeldt Sven , Kneissl Michael
Published: December 2020

The impact of different AlN/sapphire template technologies [i.e., planar, epitaxial lateral overgrown (ELO), and high temperature annealed sputtered ELO] is studied with respect to the operation-induced degradation of 265 nm UVC LEDs. UVC LEDs with identical heterostructures were grown on templates providing different threading dislocation densities in the range of 0.8 × 109 cm−2 to 5.8 × 109 cm−2. A long-term stress experiment was performed on batches of LEDs, which were operated at a direct current of 200 mA corresponding to a current density of 60 A/cm2 and at a heat sink temperature of 20 °C. The UVC LEDs on templates with lower threading dislocation densities were found to provide a higher optical power and to degrade slower during 2000 h of operation. The experiment demonstrates an extrapolated L70 lifetime of more than 10 000 h for the high temperature annealed sputtered ELO technology. The results suggest that degradation is caused by operation-induced activation of defects whose density scales with the dislocation density.
Anomalous multi-ramp fractional vortex beams with arbitrary topological charge jumps
Authors: Zeng Jun , Zhang Hao , Xu Zhiheng , Zhao Chengliang , Cai Yangjian , Gbur Greg
Published: December 2020

Traditional fractional vortex beams are well-known “jump” beams: that is, their net topological charge jumps by unity as the effective topological charge of the source passes a half-integer value. Here, we propose an anomalous multi-ramp fractional vortex (AMRFV) beam. Unlike the traditional fractional vortex beams, an AMRFV beam can be designed to have arbitrary jumps in topological charge at any critical threshold of the source charge. We walk through some examples of AMRFV beams using simulations and present a clear interpretation of the multi-jump characteristic based on the evolution of phase singularities.
IRMPD spectroscopy and quantum chemistry calculations on mono- and bi-metallic complexes of acetylacetonate ligands with aluminum, iron, and ruthenium ions
Authors: Nieuwjaer N. , Beydoun A. , Lecomte F. , Manil B. , Cappelluti F. , Guidoni L. , Scuderi D. , Desfrançois C.
Published: December 2020

Metal–ligand cluster ions are structurally characterized by means of gas-phase infrared multiple photon dissociation spectroscopy. The mass-selected complexes consist of one or two metal cations M3+ (M = Al, Fe, or Ru) and two to five anionic bidentate acetylacetonate ligands. Experimental IR spectra are compared with different density functional theory calculations, namely, PBE/TZVP, B3LYP/6-31G*, and M06/6-31+G**. Frequency analysis was also performed at different levels, namely, scaled static harmonic and unscaled static anharmonic, or with ab initio molecular dynamics simulations at the PBE/TZVP level. All methods lead to simulated spectra that fit rather well with experimental data, and the spectral red shifts of several main bands, in the 1200 cm−1–1800 cm−1 range, are sensitive to the strength of the metal–ligand interaction and to the spin state of the ion. Due to the rigidity of those complexes, first principles molecular dynamics calculations provide spectra similar to that produced by static calculations that are already able to catch the main spectral signatures using harmonic calculations at the B3LYP/6-31G* level.
Curved-boundary particle-in-cell simulation for the investigation of the target erosion effect of DC magnetron sputtering system
Authors: Jo Young Hyun , Park Hee Sung , Hur Min Young , Lee Hae June
Published: December 2020

A two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulation with a curved-boundary field solver makes it possible to investigate the target erosion effects in a direct current magnetron sputtering system. The correlation between the ion flux deformation and the sputtering yield profile for the eroded target has been investigated, considering the ion energy and angle distributions. It was found that the sputtering yield profile does not change abruptly, although the ion flux profile changes sensitively with the increase in the erosion depth. The criteria for the judgment of the critical erosion depth are provided based on the sputtering yield profile.
The law of the wall: A new perspective
Authors: Ali Sk Zeeshan , Dey Subhasish
Published: December 2020

The law of the wall, regarded as one of the very few pieces of turbulence hypothesis, predicts the mean-velocity profile (MVP) in a wall-bound flow. For about nine decades, the underlying physics of the law is deemed to be governed by an ad hoc mixing-length hypothesis. Here, we seek the origin of the law, for the first time, with the aid of a new hypothesis, which we call the mixing-instability hypothesis. The hypothesis unveils the previously unknown universal scaling behavior for the amplitude of turbulent ripples or waves (that cause spontaneous stretching and shrinking of turbulent eddies) within the overlap layer and accurately maps the experimental data of the MVPs for moderate to extremely large Reynolds numbers. This study offers a new mechanism of the momentum transfer in a turbulent wall-bound flow, calling for a revision of the conventional mixing-length hypothesis, which has persisted in standard textbooks on turbulence for many decades.
Growth and Sexual Dimorphism in the Dibbler,
Parantechinus apicalis (Marsupialia, Dasyuridae)
Authors: Mills H. , German R Z. , Lambert C. , Bradley M P.
Published: December 2020

Sexual dimorphism in animals has been recognised as being associated with particular breeding strategies or mating systems since Darwin's Origin of Species. Frequently, in polygamous situations, females express a variety of attributes to attract males, and males compete with each other for access to females. This produces different selective pressures in each sex, which in tum produces differing morphologies (Leigh 1995). Thus, the emphasis of morphological studies of sexual differences tends to focus on adults and not the growth patterns that generate those differences. Growth patterns in marsupials have been shown to be variable between species (Gemmell and Hendrikz 1993). Previous studies of dasyurid species in captivity concluded that the onset of dimorphism occurs prior to or during weaning (Whitford, Fanning and White 1982; Williams and Williams 1982), but wild animals are not sexually dimorphic until after weaning (Soderquist 1995). These studies have generally examined the growth rates of males and females and the timing of the onset of sexual dimorphism, but little attention has been focussed on how the differences between the sexes are generated.
Sexual Differences in Habitat Use by Rattus lutreolus (Rodentia: Muridae): The Emergence of Patterns in Native Rodent Community Structure.
Authors: Monamy V.
Published: December 2020

The successful long-term conservation of Australian fauna relies on a clear understanding of how coexisting species partition limited resources. Such partitioning results in complex levels of habitat selection, dependent on dynamic interactions between biotic and abiotic processes. In small mammal communities where native Rattus spp. are present and there are substantial interspecific competitive effects, habitat selection by female Rattus may drive habitat use by other rodent species (particularly native mice). This has been demonstrated in Tasmania where the velvet-furred rat, R. lutreolus velutinus, and the long-tailed mouse, Pseudomys higginsi, occupy wet sclerophyll forest in sympatry. Differential habitat use is exhibited by male and female R. l. velutinus which may determine the extent of habitat use by P. higginsi. Here, I report a similar pattern of coexistence between the swamp rat, R. l. lutreolus, and the eastern chestnut mouse, P. gracilicaudatus, in coastal heathland in New South Wales. As in the Tasmanian model, female R. l. lutreolus were significantly more likely to be trapped in areas of densest vegetation, and male R. l. lutreolus and both sexes of P. gracilicaudatus were more often trapped in areas where cover was less dense. This finding introduces the possibility that there exists a clear and possibly widespread mechanism of coexistence that involves intersexual differences in habitat use by the dominant species in communities where substantive interspecific competition has been demonstrated.
Reproductive Seasonality in Female Platypuses, Ornithorhynchus anatinus, in the Upper Barnard River, New South Wales.
Authors: Jakubowski J.M. , New N.P. , Stone G.M. , Jones R.C.
Published: December 2020

Progesterone concentrations were determined in samples of blood, urine and faeces collected from female platypuses which were captured in the Upper Barnard River, NSW, from February to November, 1996. Mean concentrations in blood plasma were higher in July, August and September than in other months with the highest concentrations being in August. Progesterone concentrations in dried urine and faeces were highly correlated with values for blood plasma (r = 0.61, P<0.05 and 0.7 1, P<O.OI, respectively), and the coefficient of variation for progesterone determinations was lower for samples of urine and faeces than blood. There was a seasonal change in mean concentration of cortisol in blood (being elevated in May-August), but the concentrations of progesterone and cortisol in blood were not significantly correlated.
Seasonal Pattern of Androgen Secretion in the Male Platypus, Ornithorhynchus anatinus, in the Upper Barnard River, New South Wales.
Authors: New N.P. , Jakubowski J.M. , Stone G.M. , Jones R.C.
Published: December 2020

The seasonal pattern of androgen secretion in free-ranging male platypuses was determined in samples of peripheral blood plasma and rectal contents collected between February and November 1996, from animals captured in the Upper Barnard River, New South Wales. Cortisol concentrations in peripheral blood were also measured and seasonal changes in body condition were assessed. Androgen concentrations in samples from the different sources all followed a distinctly seasonal pattern, being low from February to June, rising in July to reach the highest values in August before reducing to lower values by September. The high concentrations occurred within a relatively narrow time frame and appeared to be well synchronised among individuals. Within animal comparisons showed that androgen concentrations in excreta were highly correlated with values for blood. Cortisol concentrations were higher in July and August than other months. Males lost body condition during this period (as indicated by changes in the Tail Volume Index) and it is suggested that they were under increased stress at this time due to rivalry between males around the mating season.
The Status and Distribution of The Platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) In the Australian Capital Territory with Notes on Some Localised Declines.
Authors: Linternmans M.
Published: December 2020

Incidental captures of platypuses have been recorded during fisheries research programs conducted in the Australian Capital Territory over the past 25 years. Ad hoc records have also been recorded from Australian Capital Territory Parks and Conservation Service staff and members of the public as part of an ongoing database project known as the ACT Vertebrate Atlas. Information is presented on the distribution and relative abundance of platypuses in the major ACT streams. There appear to have been some localised declines in a number of ACT platypus populations in the Murrumbidgee, Molonglo and Queanbeyan River systems. Possible reasons behind these declines are discussed.
Encephalization of The Koala, Phascolarctos cinereus.
Authors: De Miguel C. , Henneberg M.
Published: December 2020

Brain size relative to body size is considered to be an indicator of variously defined 'braininess' (=encephalization). Indices of encephalization are based on the ratio of the animal's actual brain size to its expected brain size calculated from an allometric equation derived from a brain size I body weight relationship in a series of taxa Freshly collected data on brain and body weights of 27 adult koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) from South Australia are analysed here. Sex- averaged brain weight in this sample is 19.2 g and body weight is 8.0 kg. General equations for mammals produce encephalization values for the koala well below the mammalian average: EQ=38.9% ac- cording to Jerison's equation (1973), EQ= 49.7% applying Eisenberg's equation (1981) and EQ= 35.3% using Martin's equation (1990). When a 'basal' insectivore line is used, the koala appears to be progressive: IP =155.9% according to Stephan's equation (1972) and ICC= 131.7% using Martin's equation (1990). Use of 'basal' marsupial lines also indicates progressive encephalization of the koala: Pl=l l6.5% according to Pirlot's equation (1981}, E=108.4% following Nelson and Stephan's equation (1982) and E=107.9% using Haight and Nelson's equation (1987). These new results are clearly higher than the indices for the koala reported earlier by other authors (Nelson and Stephan 1982; Haight and Nelson 1987). It follows that choice of samples and equations influences conclusions regarding encephalization of a species.
Yearly Activity Patterns of Bats at Belair National Park, In Adelaide, South Australia.
Authors: Sanderson K. , Kirkley D.
Published: December 2020

Bat activity was surveyed at Belair National Park, Adelaide and an adjacent house in Glenalta, March 1996 to March 1997, using the Anabat system. 44 bats of 6 species (Chalinolobus gouldii, C. morio, Vespadelus darlingtoni, V. regulus, V. vulturnus, and Nyctophilus geoffroyi) were captured, providing positive identification of calls. Three additional species were recorded (Tadarida australis, Mormopterus planiceps and an unidentified species). At Playford Lake, Belair, 2522 bat calls were recorded in 35 h, with most calls from V. darlingtoni (76.3% of total). At Glenalta, 1521 calls were recorded in 238 h, with most calls from C. gouldii (69.2% of total). V. darlingtoni, V. regulus and M. planiceps showed significantly more activity at Playford Lake, Belair, a wooded site beside a lake, than at Glenalta, a suburban site with artificial lighting, while activity of C. gouldii and T. australis was similar at the two sites. Most bats showed significant lower activity in winter, apart from V darlingtoni, which was active all year round at Belair. Nocturnal temperatures during the study varied from 6-31°C. The activity of most bat species showed no significant correlation with temperature, apart from C. gouldii at Belair, which averaged 1.2 passes per hour below 13°C and 9.3 passes per hour above l3°C.
Conservation Values and Management of Australian Islands for Non-Volant Mammal Conservation.
Authors: Burbidge A.A.
Published: December 2020

At least 16 species of Australian mammals have become extinct over the past 200 years. Without islands, however, this figure would be even worse as nine species that were formerly widespread on mainland Australia were or are restricted to land-bridge islands. In addition, 13 species and subspecies of endangered and vulnerable mainland mammals that still occur on the mainland have island populations, reducing their chance of extinction. In all, 43 islands protect 29 taxa of Australian threatened mammals. Since European settlement some island mammal populations have become extinct, while many new populations, of both Australian and exotic mammals, have been established. The extinction of island native mammal populations is significantly correlated with the introduction of exotic mammals. Management of islands needs to concentrate on four areas: quarantine, monitoring (of both native mammals and possible introduction of exotics), eradication of exotics and translocations of native species. Prevention of introduction and establishment of further exotics to important islands through quarantine procedures is vital, especially for islands with permanent or temporary human habitation. Eradication or control of existing exotics is required for many islands and eradication of further introductions, as soon after detection as possible, should be a high priority action for nature conservation agencies. Past exotic mammal eradications and needs for the future are discussed. Translocations of island mammal populations to the mainland should take place only where the species is extinct on the mainland. Translocation to islands, where translocation to or on the mainland is not feasible, is an important conservation technique. Islands with exotics can be of value for re-introduction of locally extinct mammals or introductions (marooning) of threatened species that are at risk from feral predators on the mainland once the exotics have been eliminated.
Responses of Australian Mammals to Disturbance: A Review.
Authors: Wilson B.A. , Friend G.R.
Published: December 2020

The Australian native mammal fauna has evolved in an environment where 'natural' or endogenous disturbance is ongoing and widespread, be it fire, flood, drought or cyclones. Since European settlement, however, the type, scale, frequency and intensity of disturbance has changed and added a new suite of exogenous impacts including introduced predators and herbivores, vegetation clearance, habitat fragmentation, altered fire regimes, grazing and timber harvesting. This has presented novel and significant adaptive challenges to native mammals over a compressed time-scale, resulting in major extinctions, population declines and disruption to community structure. In this paper we examine the ecology of Australian mammals in the context of these new disturbances, and compare the response patterns observed, and assess the processes operating. In general, Australian mammalian successional patterns are closely tied to vegetation regeneration, which is related to the degree of disruption. Disturbances such as predation do not fall within this pattern. Mammalian successional states vary between different disturbance types within an ecosystem, depending on the critical elements of vegetation structure and composition. Landscape and climatic factors also affect successional patterns and need to be further investigated.
Notes on The Temporary Displacement of Pteropus alecto and P. poliocephalus By P. scapulaius Within a daytime Campsite.
Authors: Birt P. , Markus N.
Published: December 2020

na
Copulation and Associated Behaviour in The Quokka, Setonix brachyurus.
Authors: McLean I.G. , Schmitt N.T.
Published: December 2020

While preparing a review of published descriptions of copulatory behaviour in macropod marsupials (McLean, Lundie-Smith and Jarman 1993), we were surprised to find no description for one of the most studied species, the quokka (Setonix brachyurus, e.g. see Bradshaw 1983). Copulating quokkas have been seen previously by researchers (e.g. Kitchener 1970), but no account was given. Here we provide descriptions of copulatory behaviour in quokkas, and comment on levels of sexual behaviour and activity by quokkas in the wild and in captivity.
Blood glucose testing in the community: who are the users and do they have elevated blood glucose?
Authors: Reynolds Andrew N , Li Xiao Amelie , Mann Jim
Published: December 2020

ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTIONOn-the-spot blood glucose testing is a health service performed in public spaces to raise diabetes awareness and screen for elevated blood glucose levels.
AIMTo describe the users of this service and the frequency of detecting elevated blood glucose.
METHODSData collected at point-of-testing on a standardised form over 20 months in two regions of New Zealand were audited. Descriptive and simple inferential statistics report on population demographics and presence of elevated blood glucose (mmol/L).
RESULTSData from 2156 individuals were audited. Most (1680, 78%) were female, the mean age was 52 years (standard deviation 18 years) and all major ethnic groups and socioeconomic quintiles were represented. For 53% of responders, this was their first blood glucose test. In total, 153 (7.1%) cases with elevated blood glucose were identified, including 94 who did not report a previous pre-diabetes or diabetes diagnosis. Blood glucose was not correlated with socioeconomic status (r=0.04; P=0.07), but weakly correlated with age (r=0.19; P<0.001). Blood glucose values did not appear to differ between ethnicities (P=0.052). Men had a higher mean value than women (P=0.003). People with elevated blood glucose access their general practitioner more often than people with normal blood glucose, irrespective of a diabetes diagnosis (P=0.002).
DISCUSSIONOn-the-spot blood glucose testing is a health service accessed by a wide range of people, although more commonly by women than men. Future interventions targeting men may better engage them in health screening. Alongside awareness raising, on-the-spot community testing identified previously unknown elevated blood glucose levels at a rate of 1-in-22, and may lead to the earlier identification and treatment of prediabetes or diabetes.
The impact of a short-term stay abroad on L2 Spanish syntactic complexity development in narratives
Authors: Long Avizia Y. , Solon Megan
Published: December 2020

Given the notable increase in participation in short-term (e.g., eight weeks or less) study abroad, especially in the US, recent empirical work on the role of context in second language (L2) learning has sought to investigate the impact of a short-term stay abroad on language development. The present study examined English-speaking learners’ syntactic complexity development in oral narratives after a four-week stay abroad. With regard to three measures of syntactic complexity (length of analysis of speech [AS]-units, number of clauses per AS-unit, length of clause), findings revealed that the study abroad group demonstrated no statistically significant change over the study period. However, individual-level analyses revealed that over half of the study abroad learners increased complexity in narratives in terms of clause length. Further, half of the study abroad learners exhibited increases in syntactic complexity on at least two of the three syntactic complexity measures examined.
A critical review of corrosion characteristics of additively manufactured stainless steels
Authors: Laleh Majid , Hughes Anthony E. , Xu Wei , Gibson Ian , Tan Mike Y.
Published: December 2020

Additive manufacturing (AM) is associated with a sequence of rapid heating and cooling cycles along with large temperature gradients, developing complex thermal histories which have direct influence on resultant microstructures. Such a dynamic and far-from-equilibrium process leads to distinct microstructural features that are expected to cause changes in the corrosion characteristics of AM stainless steels. Currently such changes are not well understood, consequently inconsistencies and disagreements are frequently found in the literature on the corrosion behaviour of AM stainless steels. This paper performs a critical review of corrosion characteristics of AM stainless steels by assessing the effects of their unique microstructural features on corrosion behaviour, with particular focus on new corrosion phenomena and selected critical forms of localised corrosion including pitting corrosion, erosion-corrosion, intergranular corrosion, fatigue corrosion, and stress corrosion cracking. Discussion on the mechanisms of these corrosion phenomena and behaviour, as well as major influencing factors, are undertaken, leading to recommendations and suggestions for future development of AM stainless steels for various corrosive conditions.
Low electric current density enhances the calcification rate of the colonial Stony Coral Galaxea fascicularis
Authors: Huang Baowei , Yuan Tao , Liang Yuxian , Guo Yajuan , Yuan Xiangcheng , Zhou Weihua , Huang Hui , Liu Sheng
Published: December 2020

This study assessed the effects of different electric current densities on the calcification and photosynthetic physiology of a massive, colonial stony coral species. Coral survivorship, calcification rate, and photosynthetic parameters (zooxanthellae density and chlorophyll fluorescence) were measured to determine the physiological and photosynthetic performance of Galaxea fascicularis after exposure to different electric current densities. After 60 days of treatment, survival of G. fascicularis was higher at low electric current density (10 mA m−2) than in the control and at high electric current density (100 mA m−2). Electric current did not alter zooxanthellae densities, but did enhance the photosynthetic processes (e.g. maximum electron transport rates (rETRm), and maximum quantum yield (Fv/Fm)) within 45 days. Coral calcification rate increased in response to low electric current density up to 30 days, but the effects of the electric current were not significant after a longer period of treatment. Overall, our results indicated that mineral accretion technology with appropriate electric current density conditions was somewhat helpful in enhancing coral growth, and thus this technique may be used in the restoration and management of massive stony coral reefs.
The relationship of macrobenthic functional group composition and hypoxia in the Changjiang River estuary and its adjacent areas
Authors: He Liuzhen , Shou Lu , Liao Yibo , Tang Yanbin , Chen Quanzhen , Chen Jianfang , Gao Aigen
Published: December 2020

This study investigates the relationship between macrobenthic functional group composition and hypoxia in the Changjiang River estuary and its adjacent sea areas. A total of 82 stations were divided into three areas, named non-hypoxic area, hypoxic area and the Changjiang River, respectively. A total of 256 macrobenthic species were collected, which were divided into five functional groups, including carnivorous, detritivorous, omnivorous, phytophagous, and the planktivorous functional group. A similarity analysis performed on the macrobenthic functional groups of the three zones indicates that the functional group distributions of non-hypoxic and hypoxic zones are not significantly different, whereas the functional group compositions of the Changjiang River estuary and the other two zones are rather different. The results of canonical correspondence analysis reveal that the distribution of macrobenthic functional groups is compounded by various environmental factors, of which dissolved inorganic nitrogen, salinity, and temperature exert a significant effect. Combining the results of previous studies, we speculate that macrobenthos are able to adapt to the occurrence of hypoxia by changing their body morphology, distribution location, and community structure. When the environmental conditions prevent the hypoxia from occurring, persisitent hypoxic zones can recover their marine microbenthic community.
Development of a periphyton-based index for biological integrity for lakes and reservoirs in Baiyangdian Watershed, China
Authors: Ma Muyuan , Wang Xuemei , Cui Lijuan
Published: December 2020

A periphyton-based index for biological integrity was developed to assess the ecological status of lakes and reservoirs in Baiyangdian Watershed, China. Periphyton and environmental surveys were conducted at 20 sites during 2009-2010. A total of 22 surveyed metrics of periphyton, which were classified into 6 categories: biomass groups, community structure, pigment ratios, bacteria diversity, enzyme activities, and metabolism were evaluated in order to understand their responsiveness to environmental degradation. Out of these 22 metrics, six metrics were selected to constitute the periphyton-based index for biological integrity: chlorophyll b, chlorophyll c: chlorophyll a ratio, alkaline phosphatase activity, bacteria dominance, net daily metabolism, and autotrophic index by sensitivity and redundancy analysis. Then the periphyton-based index for biological integrity was verified by an independent validation-site data set. The test results indicated the index could not only discriminate disturbed sites from reference sites, but also be triggered by land use types. The scores of periphyton-based index for biological integrity were significantly correlated with the environmental parameters, especially ammonia nitrogen and total phosphorus. These results suggest that this index may be a potential tool for assessing the ecological status of lakes and reservoirs, polluted mainly by organic contaminants in Baiyangdian Watershed.
Kinetic analysis of the wrist and fingers during fastball and curveball pitches
Authors: Shibata Shohei , Kageyama Masahiro , Inaba Yuki , Yoshioka Shinsuke , Fukashiro Senshi
Published: December 2020

This study had two objectives: (a) revealing kinetic parameter differences at the fingers during a fastball and curveball, and (b) examining timing control between the wrist and finger torques. The participants were eight baseball pitchers. The kinetics of the wrist and fingers were calculated using an inverse dynamics method. The peak torque and work of finger adduction during the curveball was significantly larger than that during the fastball. During the fastball pitch, the maximal correlation coefficient between the wrist flexion torque and finger flexion torque was very high (r = 0.94 ± 0.05). The reasons for this result are twofold: (a) the extrinsic finger muscles cross the wrist (biarticular muscle) and (b) the wrist flexion torque during the fastball pitch acts in the direction of acceleration of the ball. During the curveball pitch, we found two typical types of wrist and finger torque control. Furthermore, the two pitchers exerted large wrist extension and radial torque, and finger adduction torque. Although the other six pitchers hardly exerted these torques, they exerted wrist flexion torque predominantly. It was considered that the six pitchers selected wrist flexion torque as the control for the fastball and curveball pitch to confuse the batter.
An extremely simplified optics laboratory for teaching the fundamentals of Fourier analysis
Authors: Potenza M A C
Published: December 2020

In this paper, we describe easy and cheap optics experiences for teaching undergraduate students the fundamental properties of Fourier transforms on an experimental basis. By exploiting the eye as the Fourier transforming device, a common magnifying lens, and quasi-coherent light from a small white LED, quantitative results can be easily obtained about the fundamental theorems used in Fourier analysis. The concept of coherence is also introduced in an elementary way. This approach has been successfully adopted to teach third-year students in physics, who operated in a completely autonomous way during the COVID-19 lockdown, without access to a laboratory. This proves the effectiveness of the method. Thanks to its experimental simplicity, it can easily be extended to teach and show the fundamental effects to a larger audience, including high-school students.
Learning a superficial correlated representation using a local mapping strategy for bearing performance degradation assessment
Authors: Kuang Jiachen , Xu Guanghua , Zhang Sicong , Wang Bo
Published: December 2020

As a prime technique for proactive maintenance, bearing performance degradation assessment (PDA), which aims to build a health index (HI) to assess the performance degradation process, has drawn more and more attention in recent years. To construct an HI of high quality, we propose a novel and robust fuzzy c-means (FCM) model, based on locally linear embedding (LLE), that aims to learn a superficial correlated representation using a local mapping strategy. First, a great mass of commonly used features from the time-domain, the frequency-domain, and the time–frequency domain are extracted from the original vibration signature. Features are then implemented to obtain the initial dimensions by maximum likelihood estimation (MLE). Subsequently, local mapping produced by LLE with the initial dimensions extracts the underlying manifold structure from all the remaining features, and a superficial correlated representation is obtained, generated from the space expanded by the features. Finally, an HI based on the subjection of the FCM model is used to assess the bearing degradation process. To validate the superiority of the proposed method, it is compared with three advanced PDA models through experiments on three public datasets. A comparison of the proposed method with those of the other studies confirms the potential of MLE-LLE as an effective feature-fusion tool for the PDA of bearings.
Well-dispersed tin nanoparticles encapsulated in amorphous carbon tubes as high-performance anode for lithium ion batteries
Authors: Zhuo Renfu , Quan Weiwei , Huang Xiaozhong , He Qiang , Sun Zhonggui , Zhang Zhiya , Wang Jun
Published: December 2020

Tin/carbon (Sn/C) nanocomposite is considered as a promising anode material for high-performance Li-ion batteries (LIBs). However, since the carbon matrix is always derived from high-temperature carbonization of polymers and Sn has a low melting point (232 °C), the Sn nanoparticles in the Sn/C tend to be heavily aggregated during the carbonization process. It is thus challenging to synthesize well-dispersed Sn nanoparticles in a carbon matrix. Here, we report a facile templating method to encapsulate uniform well-dispersed Sn nanoparticles in amorphous carbon tube (Sn@aCT). The electrode fabricated with the hierarchical Sn@aCT exhibits excellent cycle performance. A stable specific capacity of 870 mAh g−1 after 350 cycles and a Li-ion diffusion coefficient as high as

1.2
×

10

−
12

cm

2

s

−
1

are obtained. Meanwhile, the intermediate structure of SnO2@aCT and a carbon-coated Sn yolk-shell nanostructure (Sn@C-YS) are investigated for comparison. The results further manifest the advantage of the architecture of the Sn@aCT. Our strategy provides a feasible way to optimize Sn/C nanocomposite as a high-performance anode material for LIBs.
Copper nanoclusters with/without salicylaldehyde-modulation for multifunctional detection of mercury, cobalt, nitrite and cyanide ions in aqueous solution and bioimaging
Authors: Ding Weihua , Chen Zhichuan , Cao Wei , Gu Yayun , Zhang Ting , Wang Chengniu , Li Wenqing , Sun Fei
Published: December 2020

The sensitive determination of multiple heavy metal ions and toxic anions is important in biological and environmental fields. Here we report a facile strategy to construct a multifunctional chemosensor for the detection of Hg2+,

NO

2

−

Co2+, and CN− in aqueous solution based on the fluorescent copper nanoclusters (Cu NCs). It was interesting to find that salicylaldehyde (SA) could effectively modulate the fluorescence property and sensing behavior of Cu NCs. In the absence of SA, Cu NCs showed ‘on-off’ fluorescence responses at the addition of Hg2+ and

NO

2

−

under different quenching mechanisms. Upon the presence of SA, Cu NCs exhibited a strong intramolecular charge transfer emission at 500 nm, accompanied by the decrease of the initial fluorescence of Cu NCs at 430 nm. This fluorescence on-state of Cu NC–SA at 500 nm was found to be exclusively turned off by Co2+ and enhanced by CN−. Spectroscopy results combined with thermodynamic analysis provided sufficient information to deduce the sensing mechanisms. Finally, the Cu NCs showed high biocompatibility and were able to be used for fluorescence bioimaging in living cells. This study provided a novel and simple strategy to construct the multifunctional chemosensors for bioanalytical applications.
Functionalized magnetic composite nano/microfibres with highly oriented van der Waals CrI3 inclusions by electrospinning
Authors: Bayzi Isfahani Vahideh , Filipe Horta Belo da Silva João , Boddapati Loukya , Rolo Anabela Gomes , Baptista Rosa Maria Ferreira , Deepak Francis Leonard , de Araújo João Pedro Esteves , de Matos Gomes Etelvina , Almeida Bernardo Gonçalves
Published: December 2020

This study reports on the synthesis of highly oriented chromium triiodide (CrI3) magnetic inclusions inside nano/microfibres with a polyethylene oxide matrix, prepared by the electrospinning technique. The structural, microstructural and spectroscopic analysis shows uniformly dispersed CrI3 nanosized inclusions inside the fibres, presenting a C2/m monoclinic structure at room temperature, where their c-axis is perpendicular to the fibre mat plane and the ab layers are in-plane. Analysis of the magnetic properties show that the samples have a ferromagnetic–paramagnetic phase transition at ∼55–56 K, lower than that of bulk CrI3. Noticeably, a field-driven metamagnetic transition is observed below ∼45 K, from M versus H curves, when the applied magnetic field is perpendicular to the fibre mat plane, while it is strongly reduced when the field is in-plane. This anisotropic behaviour is attributed to the field-induced changes from antiferromagnetic to ferromagnetic interlayer magnetic moment alignment along the CrI3
c-axis stacked layers. These CrI3 electrospun fibres then show an efficient cost-effective route to synthesize magnetic composite fibres with highly oriented van der Walls inclusions, for spintronic applications, taking advantage of their anisotropic 2D layered materials properties.
Distinct evolutionary pathways for the synthesis and function of tRNA modifications
Authors: Kimura Satoshi
Published: December 2020

Transfer ribonucleicacids (RNAs) (tRNAs) are essential adaptor molecules for translation. The functions and stability of tRNAs are modulated by their post-transcriptional modifications (tRNA modifications). Each domain of life has a specific set of modifications that include ones shared in multiple domains and ones specific to a domain. In some cases, different tRNA modifications across domains have similar functions to each other. Recent studies uncovered that distinct enzymes synthesize the same modification in different organisms, suggesting that such modifications are acquired through independent evolution. In this short review, I outline the mechanisms by which various modifications contribute to tRNA function, including modulation of decoding and tRNA stability, using recent findings. I also focus on modifications that are synthesized by distinct biosynthetic pathways.
Critical evaluation of web-based DNA N6-methyladenine site prediction tools
Authors: Hasan Md Mehedi , Shoombuatong Watshara , Kurata Hiroyuki , Manavalan Balachandran
Published: December 2020

Methylation of DNA N6-methyladenosine (6mA) is a type of epigenetic modification that plays pivotal roles in various biological processes. The accurate genome-wide identification of 6mA is a challenging task that leads to understanding the biological functions. For the last 5 years, a number of bioinformatics approaches and tools for 6mA site prediction have been established, and some of them are easily accessible as web application. Nevertheless, the accurate genome-wide identification of 6mA is still one of the challenging works that lead to understanding the biological functions. Especially in practical applications, these tools have implemented diverse encoding schemes, machine learning algorithms and feature selection methods, whereas few systematic performance comparisons of 6mA site predictors have been reported. In this review, 11 publicly available 6mA predictors evaluated with seven different species-specific datasets (Arabidopsis thaliana, Tolypocladium, Diospyros lotus, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Drosophila melanogaster, Caenorhabditis elegans and Escherichia coli). Of those, few species are close homologs, and the remaining datasets are distant sequences. Our independent, validation tests demonstrated that Meta-i6mA and MM-6mAPred models for A. thaliana, Tolypocladium, S. cerevisiae and D. melanogaster achieved excellent overall performance when compared with their counterparts. However, none of the existing methods were suitable for E. coli, C. elegans and D. lotus. A feasibility of the existing predictors is also discussed for the seven species. Our evaluation provides useful guidelines for the development of 6mA site predictors and helps biologists selecting suitable prediction tools.
CNA2Subpathway: identification of dysregulated subpathway driven by copy number alterations in cancer
Authors: Sheng Yuqi , Jiang Ying , Yang Yang , Li Xiangmei , Qiu Jiayue , Wu Jiashuo , Cheng Liang , Han Junwei
Published: December 2020

Biological pathways reflect the key cellular mechanisms that dictate disease states, drug response and altered cellular function. The local areas of pathways are defined as subpathways (SPs), whose dysfunction has been reported to be associated with the occurrence and development of cancer. With the development of high-throughput sequencing technology, identifying dysfunctional SPs by using multi-omics data has become possible. Moreover, the SPs are not isolated in the biological system but interact with each other. Here, we propose a network-based calculated method, CNA2Subpathway, to identify dysfunctional SPs is driven by somatic copy number alterations (CNAs) in cancer through integrating pathway topology information, multi-omics data and SP crosstalk. This provides a novel way of SP analysis by using the SP interactions in the system biological level. Using data sets from breast cancer and head and neck cancer, we validate the effectiveness of CNA2Subpathway in identifying cancer-relevant SPs driven by the somatic CNAs, which are also shown to be associated with cancer immune and prognosis of patients. We further compare our results with five pathway or SP analysis methods based on CNA and gene expression data without considering SP crosstalk. With these analyses, we show that CNA2Subpathway could help to uncover dysfunctional SPs underlying cancer via the use of SP crosstalk. CNA2Subpathway is developed as an R-based tool, which is freely available on GitHub (https://github.com/hanjunwei-lab/CNA2Subpathway).
Cardiac arrest in COVID-19: characteristics and outcomes of in- and out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. A report from the Swedish Registry for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation
Authors: Sultanian Pedram , Lundgren Peter , Strömsöe Anneli , Aune Solveig , Bergström Göran , Hagberg Eva , Hollenberg Jacob , Lindqvist Jonny , Djärv Therese , Castelheim Albert , Thorén Anna , Hessulf Fredrik , Svensson Leif , Claesson Andreas , Friberg Hans , Nordberg Per , Omerovic Elmir , Rosengren Annika , Herlitz Johan , Rawshani Araz
Published: December 2020

Aim

To study the characteristics and outcome among cardiac arrest cases with COVID-19 and differences between the pre-pandemic and the pandemic period in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) and in-hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA).

Method and results

We included all patients reported to the Swedish Registry for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation from 1 January to 20 July 2020. We defined 16 March 2020 as the start of the pandemic. We assessed overall and 30-day mortality using Cox regression and logistic regression, respectively. We studied 1946 cases of OHCA and 1080 cases of IHCA during the entire period. During the pandemic, 88 (10.0%) of OHCAs and 72 (16.1%) of IHCAs had ongoing COVID-19. With regards to OHCA during the pandemic, the odds ratio for 30-day mortality in COVID-19-positive cases, compared with COVID-19-negative cases, was 3.40 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.31–11.64]; the corresponding hazard ratio was 1.45 (95% CI 1.13–1.85). Adjusted 30-day survival was 4.7% for patients with COVID-19, 9.8% for patients without COVID-19, and 7.6% in the pre-pandemic period. With regards to IHCA during the pandemic, the odds ratio for COVID-19-positive cases, compared with COVID-19-negative cases, was 2.27 (95% CI 1.27–4.24); the corresponding hazard ratio was 1.48 (95% CI 1.09–2.01). Adjusted 30-day survival was 23.1% in COVID-19-positive cases, 39.5% in patients without COVID-19, and 36.4% in the pre-pandemic period.

Conclusion

During the pandemic phase, COVID-19 was involved in at least 10% of all OHCAs and 16% of IHCAs, and, among COVID-19 cases, 30-day mortality was increased 3.4-fold in OHCA and 2.3-fold in IHCA.