bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Posterior Condyle Offset and Maximum Knee Flexion Following a Cruciate Retaining Total Knee Arthroplasty
Authors: Wang Wei , Yue Bin , Wang JianHua , Bedair Hany , Rubash Harry , Li Guoan
Published: March 2018

Inconsistent data has been reported on the effect of the femoral posterior condyle offset (PCO) on the maximal knee flexion after total knee arthroplasty (TKA). This study investigated the relationship between the postoperative changes of the PCO and the changes of maximal knee flexion after a cruciate retaining (CR) TKA. Nine patients with medial osteoarthritis (OA) in one knee were investigated. Before operation, each index knee was magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanned for construction of a three-dimensional (3D) knee model. The patient then performed a maximal weight-bearing (WB) flexion and the index knee flexion was measured using a dual fluoroscopy technique. At an average of 8 months after a CR TKA, all patients performed the same WB knee flexion. The postoperative changes of the PCO, the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) elongation, and the posterior tibial slope (PTS) were determined. The postoperative changes of maximal knee flexion were determined by comparing with the preoperative maximal flexion angles of the knee. The correlations of the postoperative changes of PCO and PTS with the postoperative changes of the maximal flexion angle and PCL elongation of the knee were analyzed. The preoperative PCO (28.5 ± 4.5 mm) was significantly smaller than the postoperative PCO (31.1 ± 5.1 mm) (p < 0.05). The increasing of PCO after surgery is correlated with the decreasing of maximal knee flexion angle (r = 0.74) and the increasing of PCL elongation (r = 0.64) after the TKA. The PTS was not found to change significantly after the TKA and was not significantly correlated to the maximal knee flexion angle and PCL elongation. The postoperative increases of the PCO were shown to cause overstretching of the PCL and poor flexion angle of the knee after the CR TKA. Restoration of PCO could help optimize the maximal flexion of the knee after the TKA with consideration about PCL tension.
In-vitro-Studie mit subablativem Er:YAG-Laser und Diodenlaser vs. Thermokauter zur Therapie der mikrobiellen Keratitis
Authors: Kampmeier Jürgen , Werner Jens Ulrich , Wagner Peter , Lang Gerhard K. , Russ Detlef
Published: March 2018

Hintergrund Die Anwendung des Thermokauters bei mikrobieller Keratitis führt zu thermischen Nekrosen mit Keimreduktion. Alternativ kann die Hornhaut subablativ mittels Er:YAG-Laser oder Diodenlaser erwärmt werden. Es wurden sowohl der thermische Effekt als auch die Reproduzierbarkeit der Verfahren untersucht.

Material und Methoden Die thermische Wirkung wurde mittels Infrarotkamera aufgezeichnet und die Temperatur des Hornhautstromas enukleierter Schweineaugen gemessen. Die thermische Wirkung wurde histopathologisch untersucht und fotodokumentiert. Anhand eines Softagargewebemodells mit eingebrachten Escherichia-coli-Bakterien wurde mittels Fluoreszenzfärbung und Laser-Scanning-Mikroskopie die Keimreduktion gemessen.

Ergebnisse Die Schweinehornhäute zeigten nach der Thermokauterbehandlung mit einer Kontaktzeit von 1 – 3 s thermische Schädigungen bis in 110 – 250 µm Tiefe. Die Oberflächentemperatur betrug 70 – 80 °C. Nach Laserbestrahlung betrug die Tiefe der Nekrose 50 – 270 µm bei Temperaturen von 60 – 120 °C. Die subablative Behandlung des Softagarbakterienmodells mit dem CW-Er:YAG-Laser über eine Dauer von 25 s schädigte mehr als 40% der Bakterien bis in 100 µm Tiefe. Ein besserer Effekt war durch die Behandlung mit dem Diodenlaser zu erzielen, nach der mehr als 60% der Bakterien bis in eine Tiefe von 250 µm und mehr als 50% der Bakterien bis in 450 µm Tiefe abgetötet wurden.

Schlussfolgerung Alle Verfahren sind dazu geeignet, hohe Temperaturen in das Hornhautstroma einzubringen und so eine Keimreduktion herbeizuführen. Sowohl der Effekt als auch die Reproduzierbarkeit bei der Thermokauterbehandlung hängen von der Erfahrung des Chirurgen ab. Die Energiedosis und die damit verbundenen thermischen Effekte können für den Er:YAG-Laser und Diodenlaser besser kalkuliert werden, um das infizierte Gewebe selektiv zu behandeln.
Mit(-)Gefühl
Authors: Pfundstein Isabel , Emsden Christian
Published: March 2018

Compassionate Intensive Care Intensivpflegende befinden sich fast
alltäglich in Situationen, in denen sie Mitgefühl für den Patienten und seine
Angehörigen empfinden. Je häufiger sie solchen belastenden Situationen
ausgesetzt sind, desto eher kann es zu einer Mitgefühlsermüdung seitens der
Pflegenden kommen. Der folgende Beitrag liefert Einsichten bezüglich der
Auswirkungen von Mitgefühl der Pflegenden auf die Patienten, auf die
Pflegequalität und auf die Pflegenden selbst.
Was ist eine Katarakt, und wann sollte ihre Operation indiziert werden? Eine Meinung
Authors: Rohrbach Jens Martin
Published: March 2018

Der Autor geht davon aus, dass heutzutage nicht jede Katarakt, die operiert wird, grundsätzlich schon operationswürdig ist. Das Problem liegt dabei auch in der Terminologie, nämlich der Abgrenzung von „physiologischem, alterungsbedingtem Transparenzverlust“ und „Katarakt“. Liegt eine „wirkliche Katarakt“ vor, ist der autonome Patient bez. der Operation immer „ergebnisoffen und in alle Richtungen“ aufzuklären. Der OP-Zeitpunkt ist vom Patienten, nicht vom Augenarzt zu bestimmen.
Design and development of a low cost, high current density power supply for streamer free atmospheric pressure DBD plasma generation in air
Authors: Jain Vishal , Visani Anand , Srinivasan R. , Agarwal Vivek
Published: March 2018

This paper presents a new power supply architecture for generating a uniform dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma in air medium at atmospheric pressure. It is quite a challenge to generate atmospheric pressure uniform glow discharge plasma, especially in air. This is because air plasma needs very high voltage for initiation of discharge. If the high voltage is used along with high current density, it leads to the formation of streamers, which is undesirable for most applications like textile treatment, etc. Researchers have tried to generate high-density plasma using a RF source, nanosecond pulsed DC source, and medium frequency AC source. However, these solutions suffer from low current discharge and low efficiency due to the addition of an external resistor to control the discharge current. Moreover, they are relatively costly and bulky. This paper presents a new power supply configuration which is very compact and generates high average density (∼0.28 W/cm2) uniform glow DBD plasma in air at atmospheric pressure. The efficiency is also higher as no external resistor is required to control the discharge current. An inherent feature of this topology is that it can drive higher current oscillations (∼50 A peak and 2–3 MHz frequency) into the plasma that damp out due to the plasma dissipation only. A newly proposed model has been used with experimental validation in this paper. Simulations and experimental validation of the proposed topology are included. Also, the application of the generated plasma for polymer film treatment is demonstrated.
Stochasticity in materials structure, properties, and processing—A review
Authors: Hull Robert , Keblinski Pawel , Lewis Dan , Maniatty Antoinette , Meunier Vincent , Oberai Assad A. , Picu Catalin R. , Samuel Johnson , Shephard Mark S. , Tomozawa Minoru , Vashishth Deepak , Zhang Shengbai
Published: March 2018

We review the concept of stochasticity—i.e., unpredictable or uncontrolled fluctuations in structure, chemistry, or kinetic processes—in materials. We first define six broad classes of stochasticity: equilibrium (thermodynamic) fluctuations; structural/compositional fluctuations; kinetic fluctuations; frustration and degeneracy; imprecision in measurements; and stochasticity in modeling and simulation. In this review, we focus on the first four classes that are inherent to materials phenomena. We next develop a mathematical framework for describing materials stochasticity and then show how it can be broadly applied to these four materials-related stochastic classes. In subsequent sections, we describe structural and compositional fluctuations at small length scales that modify material properties and behavior at larger length scales; systems with engineered fluctuations, concentrating primarily on composite materials; systems in which stochasticity is developed through nucleation and kinetic phenomena; and configurations in which constraints in a given system prevent it from attaining its ground state and cause it to attain several, equally likely (degenerate) states. We next describe how stochasticity in these processes results in variations in physical properties and how these variations are then accentuated by—or amplify—stochasticity in processing and manufacturing procedures. In summary, the origins of materials stochasticity, the degree to which it can be predicted and/or controlled, and the possibility of using stochastic descriptions of materials structure, properties, and processing as a new degree of freedom in materials design are described.
Acoustic planar antireflective focusing lens with sub-diffraction-limit resolution based on metamaterials
Authors: Jiang Xue , Liang Bin , Yang Jing , Yang Jun , Cheng Jian-chun
Published: March 2018

Focusing acoustic energy is of fundamental importance for various applications. Traditional acoustic lenses are vulnerable to the backscattering that may be detrimental to the performance. Here, we propose the design of a thin planar acoustic antireflective focusing lens (AFL) based on metamaterials capable of converging the incident energy into a focus spot with the full-width at half-maximum less than λ/2 while preventing the backscattering energy reflecting back to the incident side. Such antireflection functionality results from the coupling of two metastructures as constituent units of the lens that modulates the wavevector of the incident wave and selects the uniformity of wavevectors, respectively, ensuring the precise focusing of the incident wave and the suppression of the backscattered wave. Performance is verified via a comparison against the conventional focusing lens, and numerical results evidence a high contrast of reflected intensity in the incident region between these two lenses surrounded by rough boundaries. Our proposed AFL with a planar profile, compact size, high focus resolution, and unique antireflection ability would open new design possibility for acoustic lens and find diverse applications in relevant fields.
STM-induced light emission enhanced by weakly coupled organic ad-layers
Authors: Cottin M. C. , Ekici E. , Bobisch C. A.
Published: March 2018

We analyze the light emission induced by the tunneling current flowing in a scanning tunneling microscopy experiment. In particular, we study the influence of organic ad-layers on the light emission on the initial monolayer of bismuth (Bi) on Cu(111) in comparison to the well-known case of organic ad-layers on Ag(111). On the Bi/Cu(111)-surface, we find that the scanning tunneling microscopy-induced light emission is considerably enhanced if an organic layer, e.g., the fullerene C60 or the perylene derivate perylene-tetracarboxylic-dianhydride, is introduced into the tip-sample junction. The enhancement can be correlated with a peculiarly weak interaction between the adsorbed molecules and the underlying Bi/Cu(111) substrate as compared to the Ag(111) substrate. This allows us to efficiently enhance and tune the coupling of the tunneling current to localized excitations of the tip-sample junction, which in turn couple to radiative decay channels.
Assessing the role of hydrogen in Fermi-level pinning in chalcopyrite and kesterite solar absorbers from first-principles calculations
Authors: Varley J. B. , Lordi V. , Ogitsu T. , Deangelis A. , Horsley K. , Gaillard N.
Published: March 2018

Understanding the impact of impurities in solar absorbers is critical to engineering high-performance in devices, particularly over extended periods of time. Here, we use hybrid functional calculations to explore the role of hydrogen interstitial (Hi) defects in the electronic properties of a number of attractive solar absorbers within the chalcopyrite and kesterite families to identify how this common impurity may influence device performance. Our results identify that Hi can inhibit the highly p-type conditions desirable for several higher-band gap absorbers and that H incorporation could detrimentally affect the open-circuit voltage (Voc) and limit device efficiencies. Additionally, we find that Hi can drive the Fermi level away from the valence band edge enough to lead to n-type conductivity in a number of chalcopyrite and kesterite absorbers, particularly those containing Ag rather than Cu. We find that these effects can lead to interfacial Fermi-level pinning that can qualitatively explain the observed performance in high-Ga content CIGSe solar cells that exhibit saturation in the Voc with increasing band gap. Our results suggest that compositional grading rather than bulk alloying, such as by creating In-rich surfaces, may be a better strategy to favorably engineering improved thin-film photovoltaics with larger-band gap absorbers.
Nonlocal transport hydrodynamic model for laser heated plasmas
Authors: Holec M. , Nikl J. , Weber S.
Published: March 2018

The interaction of lasers with plasmas, whether pre-formed or due to ablation processes, very often takes place under nonlocal transport conditions. The nonlocality affects the transport of particles, mostly electrons, as much as it does radiation. In this study, the nonlocal transport is investigated for the plasma corona generated due to the deposition of laser energy. The nonlocal theory of the energy transport in radiative plasmas of the arbitrary ratio of the characteristic spatial scale length to the photon and electron mean free paths is applied to define closure relations of the hydrodynamic system. The corresponding transport phenomena cannot be described accurately with the usual fluid approach dealing only with local values and derivatives. Thus, the usual diffusive energy flux is instead calculated directly by solving a simplified transport equation allowing one to take into account the effect of long-range particle transport. The key feature of the proposed hydrodynamic closure is a direct solution of the simplified Bhatnagar-Gross-Krook form of the Boltzmann transport equation for electrons and the proper form of the radiation transport equation.
Application of surface enhanced Raman scattering and competitive adaptive reweighted sampling on detecting furfural dissolved in transformer oil
Authors: Chen Weigen , Zou Jingxin , Wan Fu , Fan Zhou , Yang Dingkun
Published: March 2018

Detecting the dissolving furfural in mineral oil is an essential technical method to evaluate the ageing condition of oil-paper insulation and the degradation of mechanical properties. Compared with the traditional detection method, Raman spectroscopy is obviously convenient and timesaving in operation. This study explored the method of applying surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) on quantitative analysis of the furfural dissolved in oil. Oil solution with different concentration of furfural were prepared and calibrated by high-performance liquid chromatography. Confocal laser Raman spectroscopy (CLRS) and SERS technology were employed to acquire Raman spectral data. Monte Carlo cross validation (MCCV) was used to eliminate the outliers in sample set, then competitive adaptive reweighted sampling (CARS) was developed to select an optimal combination of informative variables that most reflect the chemical properties of concern. Based on selected Raman spectral features, support vector machine (SVM) combined with particle swarm algorithm (PSO) was used to set up a furfural quantitative analysis model. Finally, the generalization ability and prediction precision of the established method were verified by the samples made in lab. In summary, a new spectral method is proposed to quickly detect furfural in oil, which lays a foundation for evaluating the ageing of oil-paper insulation in oil immersed electrical equipment.
Gamma non-ionizing energy loss: Comparison with the damage factor in silicon devices
Authors: El Allam E. , Inguimbert C. , Meulenberg A. , Jorio A. , Zorkani I.
Published: March 2018

The concept of non-ionizing energy loss (NIEL) has been demonstrated to be a successful approach to describe the displacement damage effects in silicon materials and devices. However, some discrepancies exist in the literature between experimental damage factors and theoretical NIELs. 60Co gamma rays having a low NIEL are an interesting particle source that can be used to validate the NIEL scaling approach. This paper presents different 60Co gamma ray NIEL values for silicon targets. They are compared with the radiation-induced increase in the thermal generation rate of carriers per unit fluence. The differences between the different models, including one using molecular dynamics, are discussed.
Light tuning DC and AC electrical properties of ZnO-rGO based hybrid nanocomposite film
Authors: Nath Debarati , Mandal S. K. , Deb Debajit , Rakshit J. K. , Dey P. , Roy J. N.
Published: March 2018

We have investigated the electrical and optoelectrical properties of a zinc oxide (ZnO):reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanocomposite film prepared through the sol gel process on a glass substrate under dark and illumination conditions of light. The bandgap of the composite film is decreased from the pure ZnO nanofilm due to the formation of a Zn-O-C bond in the composite film. The linear behavior in the Current-Voltage curve is attributed to Ohmic contact between ZnO and rGO grains. The photocurrent of the composite film is found to increase with an increase in light intensity having two different slopes, indicating an enhancement of the mobility of carriers and dissociation rate of excitons. The observed decrement of the impedance value with the intensity of light may be due to the flow of charge carriers and the presence of the light dependent relaxation process in the system. Nyquist plots have been fitted using a parallel combination of grain boundary resistances and grain boundary capacitance at different intensities of light. The relaxation frequency is observed to shift towards the high frequency regime. Carrier transit time has been calculated from relaxation frequency showing opposite behavior with the intensity of light. These results indicate the higher generations of photogenerated carriers at the interface between rGO and ZnO grains and an enhancement of the charge transport process due to the increment of the mobility of charge carriers in the system.
Gaussian process regression for geometry optimization
Authors: Denzel Alexander , Kästner Johannes
Published: March 2018

We implemented a geometry optimizer based on Gaussian process regression (GPR) to find minimum structures on potential energy surfaces. We tested both a two times differentiable form of the Matérn kernel and the squared exponential kernel. The Matérn kernel performs much better. We give a detailed description of the optimization procedures. These include overshooting the step resulting from GPR in order to obtain a higher degree of interpolation vs. extrapolation. In a benchmark against the Limited-memory Broyden–Fletcher–Goldfarb–Shanno optimizer of the DL-FIND library on 26 test systems, we found the new optimizer to generally reduce the number of required optimization steps.
Connecting thermodynamic and dynamical anomalies of water-like liquid-liquid phase transition in the Fermi–Jagla model
Authors: Higuchi Saki , Kato Daiki , Awaji Daisuke , Kim Kang
Published: March 2018

We present a study using molecular dynamics simulations based on the Fermi–Jagla potential model, which is the continuous version of the mono-atomic core-softened Jagla model [J. Y. Abraham, S. V. Buldyrev, and N. Giovambattista, J. Phys. Chem. B 115, 14229 (2011)]. This model shows the water-like liquid-liquid phase transition between high-density and low-density liquids at the liquid-liquid critical point. In particular, the slope of the coexistence line becomes weakly negative, which is expected to represent one of the anomalies of liquid polyamorphism. In this study, we examined the density, dynamic, and thermodynamic anomalies in the vicinity of the liquid-liquid critical point. The boundaries of density, self-diffusion, shear viscosity, and excess entropy anomalies were characterized. Furthermore, these anomalies are connected according to Rosenfeld’s scaling relationship between the excess entropy and the transport coefficients such as diffusion and viscosity. The results demonstrate the hierarchical and nested structures regarding the thermodynamic and dynamic anomalies of the Fermi–Jagla model.
Fluorescence and absorption spectroscopy for warm dense matter studies and ICF plasma diagnostics
Authors: Hansen S. B. , Harding E. C. , Knapp P. F. , Gomez M. R. , Nagayama T. , Bailey J. E.
Published: March 2018

The burning core of an inertial confinement fusion (ICF) plasma produces bright x-rays at stagnation that can directly diagnose core conditions essential for comparison to simulations and understanding fusion yields. These x-rays also backlight the surrounding shell of warm, dense matter, whose properties are critical to understanding the efficacy of the inertial confinement and global morphology. We show that the absorption and fluorescence spectra of mid-Z impurities or dopants in the warm dense shell can reveal the optical depth, temperature, and density of the shell and help constrain models of warm, dense matter. This is illustrated by the example of a high-resolution spectrum collected from an ICF plasma with a beryllium shell containing native iron impurities. Analysis of the iron K-edge provides model-independent diagnostics of the shell density (2.3 × 1024 e/cm3) and temperature (10 eV), while a 12-eV red shift in Kβ and 5-eV blue shift in the K-edge discriminate among models of warm dense matter: Both shifts are well described by a self-consistent field model based on density functional theory but are not fully consistent with isolated-atom models using ad-hoc density effects.
Rapid calculation of maximum particle lifetime for diffusion in complex geometries
Authors: Carr Elliot J. , Simpson Matthew J.
Published: March 2018

Diffusion of molecules within biological cells and tissues is strongly influenced by crowding. A key quantity to characterize diffusion is the particle lifetime, which is the time taken for a diffusing particle to exit by hitting an absorbing boundary. Calculating the particle lifetime provides valuable information, for example, by allowing us to compare the timescale of diffusion and the timescale of the reaction, thereby helping us to develop appropriate mathematical models. Previous methods to quantify particle lifetimes focus on the mean particle lifetime. Here, we take a different approach and present a simple method for calculating the maximum particle lifetime. This is the time after which only a small specified proportion of particles in an ensemble remain in the system. Our approach produces accurate estimates of the maximum particle lifetime, whereas the mean particle lifetime always underestimates this value compared with data from stochastic simulations. Furthermore, we find that differences between the mean and maximum particle lifetimes become increasingly important when considering diffusion hindered by obstacles.
Note: A unibody NIR transmission probe for in situ liquid detection
Authors: Wang Huijie , Wang Yang , Ma Xiangyun , Zhao Yang , Chen Da , Chen Wenliang , Xu Kexin , Li Qifeng
Published: March 2018

The transmission probe is widely used for in situ spectroscopic detection in various fields. Conventional transmission probes are always assembled from parts, which require accurate assembly and good sealing. In this paper, a universal and reliable near-infrared (NIR) transmission probe is proposed, which is simply made up of a unibody fused silica rod. The proposed NIR transmission probe has been successfully used to measure the alcohol by volume of the Chinese spirit for quality control. This unibody NIR transmission probe has great potential for the detection of corrosive substances, owing to the good chemical resistance.
Ferroelectric HfZrOx-based MoS2 negative capacitance transistor with ITO capping layers for steep-slope device application
Authors: Xu Jing , Jiang Shu-Ye , Zhang Min , Zhu Hao , Chen Lin , Sun Qing-Qing , Zhang David Wei
Published: March 2018

A negative capacitance field-effect transistor (NCFET) built with hafnium-based oxide is one of the most promising candidates for low power-density devices due to the extremely steep subthreshold swing (SS) and high on-state current induced by incorporating the ferroelectric material in the gate stack. Here, we demonstrated a two-dimensional (2D) back-gate NCFET with the integration of ferroelectric HfZrOx in the gate stack and few-layer MoS2 as the channel. Instead of using the conventional TiN capping metal to form ferroelectricity in HfZrOx, the NCFET was fabricated on a thickness-optimized Al2O3/indium tin oxide (ITO)/HfZrOx/ITO/SiO2/Si stack, in which the two ITO layers sandwiching the HfZrOx film acted as the control back gate and ferroelectric gate, respectively. The thickness of each layer in the stack was engineered for distinguishable optical identification of the exfoliated 2D flakes on the surface. The NCFET exhibited small off-state current and steep switching behavior with minimum SS as low as 47 mV/dec. Such a steep-slope transistor is compatible with the standard CMOS fabrication process and is very attractive for 2D logic and sensor applications and future energy-efficient nanoelectronic devices with scaling power supply.
An ionization pressure gauge with LaB6 emitter for long-term operation in strong magnetic fields
Authors: Wenzel U. , Pedersen T. S. , Marquardt M. , Singer M.
Published: March 2018

We report here on a potentially significant improvement in the design of neutral pressure gauges of the so-called ASDEX-type which were first used in the Axially Symmetric Divertor EXperiment (ASDEX). Such gauges are considered state-of-the-art and are in wide use in fusion experiments, but they nonetheless suffer from a relatively high failure rate when operated at high magnetic field strengths for long times. This is therefore a significant concern for long-pulse, high-field experiments such as Wendelstein 7-X (W7-X) and ITER. The new design is much more robust. The improvement is to use a LaB6 crystal instead of a tungsten wire as the thermionic emitter of electrons in the gauge. Such a LaB6 prototype gauge was successfully operated for a total of 60 h in B = 3.1 T, confirming the significantly improved robustness of the new design and qualifying it for near-term operation in W7-X. With the LaB6 crystal, an order of magnitude reduction in heating current is achieved, relative to the tungsten filament based gauges, from 15-20 A to 1-2 A. This reduces the Lorenz forces and the heating power by an order of magnitude also and is presumably the reason for the much improved robustness. The new gauge design, test environment setup at the superconducting magnet, and results from test operation are described.
Schottky x-ray detectors based on a bulk β-Ga2O3 substrate
Authors: Lu Xing , Zhou Leidang , Chen Liang , Ouyang Xiaoping , Liu Bo , Xu Jun , Tang Huili
Published: March 2018

β-Ga2O3 Schottky barrier diodes (SBDs) have been fabricated on a bulk (100) β-Ga2O3 substrate and tested as X-ray detectors in this study. The devices exhibited good rectification properties, such as a high rectification ratio and a close-to-unity ideality factor. A high photo-to-dark current ratio exceeding 800 was achieved for X-ray detection, which was mainly attributed to the low reverse leakage current in the β-Ga2O3 SBDs. Furthermore, transient response of the β-Ga2O3 X-ray detectors was investigated, and two different detection mechanisms, photovoltaic and photoconductive, were identified. The results imply the great potential of β-Ga2O3 based devices for X-ray detection.
High precision single qubit tuning via thermo-magnetic field control
Authors: Broadway David A. , Lillie Scott E. , Dontschuk Nikolai , Stacey Alastair , Hall Liam T. , Tetienne Jean-Philippe , Hollenberg Lloyd C. L.
Published: March 2018

Precise control of the resonant frequency of a spin qubit is of fundamental importance to quantum sensing protocols. We demonstrate a control technique on a single nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centre in diamond where the applied magnetic field is modified by fine-tuning a permanent magnet's magnetisation via temperature control. Through this control mechanism, nanoscale cross-relaxation spectroscopy of both electron and nuclear spins in the vicinity of the NV centre is performed. We then show that through maintaining the magnet at a constant temperature, an order of magnitude improvement in the stability of the NV qubit frequency can be achieved. This improved stability is tested in the polarisation of a small ensemble of nearby 13C spins via resonant cross-relaxation, and the lifetime of this polarisation explored. The effectiveness and relative simplicity of this technique may find use in the realisation of portable spectroscopy and/or hyperpolarisation systems.
Adiabatic decay of internal solitons due to Earth's rotation within the framework of the Gardner–Ostrovsky equation
Authors: Obregon Maria , Raj Nawin , Stepanyants Yury
Published: March 2018

The adiabatic decay of different types of internal wave solitons caused by the Earth's rotation is studied within the framework of the Gardner–Ostrovsky equation. The governing equation describing such processes includes quadratic and cubic nonlinear terms, as well as the Boussinesq and Coriolis dispersions: (ut + c ux + α u ux + α1 u2 ux + β uxxx)x = γ u. It is shown that at the early stage of evolution solitons gradually decay under the influence of weak Earth's rotation described by the parameter γ. The characteristic decay time is derived for different types of solitons for positive and negative coefficients of cubic nonlinearity α1 (both signs of that parameter may occur in the oceans). The coefficient of quadratic nonlinearity α determines only a polarity of solitary wave when α1 < 0 or the asymmetry of solitary waves of opposite polarity when α1 > 0. It is found that the adiabatic theory describes well the decay of solitons having bell-shaped profiles. In contrast to that, large amplitude table-top solitons, which can exist when α1 is negative, are structurally unstable. Under the influence of Earth's rotation, they transfer first to the bell-shaped solitons, which decay then adiabatically. Estimates of the characteristic decay time of internal solitons are presented for the real oceanographic conditions.
Varifocal liquid lens actuated by laser-induced thermal Marangoni forces
Authors: Malyuk A. Yu. , Ivanova N. A.
Published: March 2018

This paper proposes a simple and easily implemented configuration of a varifocal liquid lens actuated by laser-induced thermal Marangoni forces. The lens consists of a sessile droplet of low-volatile liquid placed on a transparent solid surface. The focal length tunability is achieved by changing a local curvature of the droplet surface due to the thermocapillary displacement of liquid from the core part of the droplet to its edge caused by heating with a laser beam. Depending on the power of the laser beam, the droplet can operate as a varifocal convergent or varifocal divergent lens. In the convergent mode, the curvature of the droplet surface varies from an initial positive value to a near zero value (flat surface), whereas in the divergent mode, the curvature changes from a positive value to a negative value due to the formation of a thermocapillary dimple in the droplet.
Determination of donor and DX center capture characteristics by pulsed photoluminescence
Authors: Lamprecht M. , Thonke K.
Published: March 2018

In AlN, several broad defect-related photoluminescence bands in the range from 1.6 eV to 2.4 eV have been observed and were associated with donor or DX– to deep electron trap transitions. By the variation of the length of sub-bandgap laser excitation pulses, we find remarkable changes in the wavelength and intensity of the photoluminescence band at 2.4 eV. Purely based on photoluminescence experiments with variable pulsed excitation, we can determine the capture cross sections for the capture of free electrons into the initial D+ and D0 states and the photon absorption cross section for the excitation of the deep electron trap.
Training in Office-Based Opioid Treatment with Buprenorphine in US Residency Programs: A National Survey of Residency Program Directors
Authors: Tesema Lello , Marshall Jeffrey , Hathaway Rachel , Pham Christina , Clarke Camille , Bergeron Genevieve , Yeh James , Soliman Michael , McCormick Danny
Published: March 2018

Background: The prevalence of opioid use disorder (OUD) has increased sharply. Office-based opioid treatment with buprenorphine (OBOT) is effective but often underutilized because of physicians’ lack of experience prescribing this therapy. Little is known about US residency training programs’ provision of OBOT and addiction medicine training. Methods: The authors conducted a survey of residency program directors (RPDs) at all US residency programs in internal medicine, family medicine, and psychiatry to assess the frequency with which their residents provide care for OUD, presence and features of curricula in OBOT and addiction medicine, RPDs’ beliefs about OBOT, and potential barriers to providing OBOT training. Results: The response rate was 49.5% (476 of 962). Although 76.9% of RPDs reported that residents frequently manage patients with OUD, only 23.5% reported that their program dedicates 12 or more hours of curricular time to addiction medicine, 35.9% reported that their program encourages/requires training in OBOT, and 22.6% reported that their program encourages/requires obtaining a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) waiver to prescribe buprenorphine. Most RPDs believe that OBOT is an important treatment option for OUD (88.1%) and that increased residency training in OBOT would improve access to OBOT (73.7%). The authors also found that programs whose RPD had favorable views of OBOT were more likely to provide OBOT and addiction medicine training. Psychiatry programs were most likely to provide OBOT training and their RPDs most likely to have beliefs about OBOT that were positive. Commonly cited barriers to implementing OBOT training include a lack of waivered preceptors (76.9%), competing curricular priorities (64.1%), and a lack of support (social work and counseling) services (54.0%). Conclusions: Internal medicine, family medicine, and psychiatry residents often care for patients with OUD, and most RPDs believe that increased residency training in OBOT would increase access to this treatment. Yet, only a minority of programs offer training in OBOT.
Asymptotic Teichmüller space of a closed set of the Riemann sphere
Authors: Qi Yi , Wu Yan
Published: March 2018

The asymptotic Teichmüller space

A
T
(
E
)

AT(E)

of a closed subset

E
E

of the Riemann sphere

C

^

\hat {\mathbb {C}}

with at least

4
4

points and the natural asymptotic Teichmüller metric are introduced. It is proved that

A
T
(
E
)

AT(E)

is isometrically isomorphic to the product space of the asymptotic Teichmüller spaces of the connected components of

C

^

∖
E

\hat {\mathbb {C}}\setminus E

and the Banach space of the Beltrami coefficients defined on

E
E

. Furthermore, it is proved that there is a complex Banach manifold structure on

A
T
(
E
)

AT(E)

.
The configuration category of a product
Authors: de Brito Pedro , Weiss Michael
Published: March 2018

A construction related to the Boardman-Vogt tensor product of operads allows us to describe the configuration category of a product manifold

M
×
N

M\times N

in terms of the configuration categories of the factors

M
M

and

N
N

.
Solving \overline{∂} with prescribed support on Hartogs triangles in ℂ² and ℂℙ²
Authors: Laurent-Thiébaut Christine , Shaw Mei-Chi
Published: March 2018

In this paper, we consider the problem of solving the Cauchy–Riemann equation with prescribed support in a domain of a complex manifold for forms or currents. We are especially interested in the case when the domain is a Hartogs triangle in

C

2

\mathbb {C}^2

or

C

P

2

\mathbb {C}\mathbb {P}^2

. In particular, we show that the strong

L
2

L^2

Dolbeault cohomology group on the Hartogs triangle in

C

P

2

\mathbb {C}\mathbb {P}^2

is infinitely dimensional.
Kernelized rank learning for personalized drug recommendation
Authors: He Xiao , Folkman Lukas , Borgwardt Karsten
Published: March 2018

Motivation

Large-scale screenings of cancer cell lines with detailed molecular profiles against libraries of pharmacological compounds are currently being performed in order to gain a better understanding of the genetic component of drug response and to enhance our ability to recommend therapies given a patient's molecular profile. These comprehensive screens differ from the clinical setting in which (i) medical records only contain the response of a patient to very few drugs, (ii) drugs are recommended by doctors based on their expert judgment and (iii) selecting the most promising therapy is often more important than accurately predicting the sensitivity to all potential drugs. Current regression models for drug sensitivity prediction fail to account for these three properties.

Results

We present a machine learning approach, named Kernelized Rank Learning (KRL), that ranks drugs based on their predicted effect per cell line (patient), circumventing the difficult problem of precisely predicting the sensitivity to the given drug. Our approach outperforms several state-of-the-art predictors in drug recommendation, particularly if the training dataset is sparse, and generalizes to patient data. Our work phrases personalized drug recommendation as a new type of machine learning problem with translational potential to the clinic.

Availability and implementation

The Python implementation of KRL and scripts for running our experiments are available at https://github.com/BorgwardtLab/Kernelized-Rank-Learning.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
iFeature: a Python package and web server for features extraction and selection from protein and peptide sequences
Authors: Chen Zhen , Zhao Pei , Li Fuyi , Leier André , Marquez-Lago Tatiana T , Wang Yanan , Webb Geoffrey I , Smith A Ian , Daly Roger J , Chou Kuo-Chen , Song Jiangning
Published: March 2018

Structural and physiochemical descriptors extracted from sequence data have been widely used to represent sequences and predict structural, functional, expression and interaction profiles of proteins and peptides as well as DNAs/RNAs. Here, we present iFeature, a versatile Python-based toolkit for generating various numerical feature representation schemes for both protein and peptide sequences. iFeature is capable of calculating and extracting a comprehensive spectrum of 18 major sequence encoding schemes that encompass 53 different types of feature descriptors. It also allows users to extract specific amino acid properties from the AAindex database. Furthermore, iFeature integrates 12 different types of commonly used feature clustering, selection and dimensionality reduction algorithms, greatly facilitating training, analysis and benchmarking of machine-learning models. The functionality of iFeature is made freely available via an online web server and a stand-alone toolkit.

Availability and implementation

http://iFeature.erc.monash.edu/; https://github.com/Superzchen/iFeature/.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
NeSSie: a tool for the identification of approximate DNA sequence symmetries
Authors: Berselli Michele , Lavezzo Enrico , Toppo Stefano
Published: March 2018

Motivation

Non-B DNA conformations play an important role in genomic rearrangements, structural three-dimensional organization and gene regulation. Many non-B DNA structures show symmetrical properties as palindromes and mirrors that can form hairpins, cruciform structures or triplexes. A comprehensive tool, capable to perform a fast genome wide search for exact and degenerate symmetrical patterns, is needed for further investigating nucleotide tracts potentially forming non-B DNA structures.

Results

We developed NeSSie, an easily customizable C/C++ 64-bit library and tool, based on dynamic programming, to quickly scan for perfect and degenerate DNA palindromes, mirrors and potential triplex forming patterns. In addition, the tool computes linguistic complexity and Shannon entropy measures to verify the repetitive nature of the DNA regions enriched in these motifs. As a case study, the analysis of the Mycobacterium bovis genome is presented.

Availability and implementation

http://www.medcomp.medicina.unipd.it/main_site/doku.php? id=nessie and https://github.com/B3rse/nessie

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Isometric sketching of any set via the Restricted Isometry Property
Authors: Oymak Samet , Recht Benjamin , Soltanolkotabi Mahdi
Published: March 2018

In this paper we show that for the purposes of dimensionality reduction certain class of structured random matrices behave similarly to random Gaussian matrices. This class includes several matrices for which matrix-vector multiply can be computed in log-linear time, providing efficient dimensionality reduction of general sets. In particular, we show that using such matrices any set from high dimensions can be embedded into lower dimensions with near optimal distortion. We obtain our results by connecting dimensionality reduction of any set to dimensionality reduction of sparse vectors via a chaining argument.
Impact of residual kidney function on hemodialysis adequacy and patient survival
Authors: Wang Mengjing , Obi Yoshitsugu , Streja Elani , Rhee Connie M , Chen Jing , Hao Chuanming , Kovesdy Csaba P , Kalantar-Zadeh Kamyar
Published: March 2018

Background

Both dialysis dose and residual kidney function (RKF) contribute to solute clearance and are associated with outcomes in hemodialysis patients. We hypothesized that the association between dialysis dose and mortality is attenuated with greater RKF.

Methods

Among 32 251 incident hemodialysis patients in a large US dialysis organization (2007–11), we examined the interaction between single-pool Kt/V (spKt/V) and renal urea clearance (rCLurea) levels in survival analyses using multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression model.

Results

The median rCLurea and mean baseline spKt/V were 3.06 [interquartile range (IQR) 1.74–4.85] mL/min/1.73 m2 and 1.32 ± 0.28, respectively. A total of 7444 (23%) patients died during the median follow-up of 1.2 years (IQR 0.5–2.2 years) with an incidence of 15.4 deaths per 100 patient-years. The Cox model with adjustment for case-mix and laboratory variables showed that rCLurea modified the association between spKt/V and mortality (Pinteraction = 0.03); lower spKt/V was associated with higher mortality among patients with low rCLurea (i.e. <3  mL/min/1.73 m2) but not among those with higher rCLurea. The adjusted mortality hazard ratios (aHRs) and 95% confidence intervals of the low (<1.2) versus high (≥1.2) spKt/V were 1.40 (1.12–1.74), 1.21 (1.10–1.33), 1.06 (0.98–1.14), and 1.00 (0.93–1.08) for patients with rCLurea of 0.0, 1.0, 3.0 and 6.0 mL/min/1.73 m2, respectively.

Conclusions

Incident hemodialysis patients with substantial RKF do not exhibit the expected better survival at higher hemodialysis doses. RKF levels should be taken into account when deciding on the dose of dialysis treatment among incident hemodialysis patients.
Comparative Safety and Efficacy of Modified TICI 2b and TICI 3 Reperfusion in Acute Ischemic Strokes Treated With Mechanical Thrombectomy
Authors: Goyal Nitin , Tsivgoulis Georgios , Frei Donald , Turk Aquilla , Baxter Blaise , Froehler Michael T , Mocco J , Ishfaq Muhammad Fawad , Malhotra Konark , Chang Jason J , Hoit Daniel , Elijovich Lucas , Loy David , Turner Raymond D , Mascitelli Justin , Espaillat Kiersten , Alexandrov Andrei V , Arthur Adam S
Published: March 2018

BACKGROUND

Mechanical thrombectomy (MT) is the current standard of care for acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients with emergent large-vessel occlusions (ELVO). Successful reperfusion of ELVO is traditionally defined by modified Thrombolysis in Cerebral Infarction (mTICI) grades of 2b or 3.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the comparative safety and efficacy of mTICI 2b and mTICI 3 reperfusion in AIS patients treated with MT.

METHODS

Consecutive ELVO patients who underwent MT at 6 high-volume centers were included in this analysis. Standard safety (3-mo mortality, symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage [sICH]) and efficacy (absolute and relative reduction in NIHSS-scores during hospitalization, functional-improvement [shift analysis in mRS-scores], and functional-independence [mRS-scores of 0-2] at 3-mo) were compared between patients who had mTICI 2b and mTICI 3 reperfusion post MT.

RESULTS

A total of 416 ELVO patients achieved successful reperfusion with mTICI 2b (n = 216) and mTICI 3 (n = 200) following MT. The mTICI 3 group had significantly (P < .05) greater absolute (11 vs 9 points) and relative (77% vs 63%) reduction in NIHSS-scores during hospitalization, lower sICH (6% vs 12%), and higher 3-mo functional-independence (55% vs 44%) rates. Successful reperfusion with mTICI 3 was independently (P < .05) associated with greater absolute and relative reduction in NIHSS-scores during hospitalization as well as higher odds of 3-mo functional improvement (common odds ratios: 1.67; 95% confidence interval: 1.10-2.56) and functional independence (odds ratio: 2.08; 95% confidence interval: 1.22-3.53) in multivariable regression models adjusting for confounders.

CONCLUSION

Successful reperfusion with mTICI 3 was associated with greater neurological improvement during hospitalization and better 3-mo functional outcomes in comparison to mTICI 2b reperfusion.
White Protestants and the Civil Rights Movement
Authors: Dupont Carolyn
Published: March 2018

A small but highly visible minority of white Christian leaders vigorously supported the African American struggle for full freedom. However, these leaders represented an exception, not the mainstream, in the history American Protestantism, which has only rarely championed racial equality. Protestant leaders who openly joined civil rights initiatives came from the most liberal ranks of the Protestant traditions, and they often pursued civil rights activity over strenuous objections from their parishioners. The civil rights years exacted significant changes in the American religious landscape. Those traditions that most visibly supported the freedom struggle lost members in droves, while conservative traditions thrived.
Genes and Status Achievement
Authors: Nielsen François
Published: March 2018

A number of human traits that are predictive of socioeconomic success (e.g., intelligence, certain personality traits, and educational attainment) or reflective of success (e.g., occupational prestige and earnings) have been found to be substantially affected by individual genetic endowments; some outcomes, such as educational attainment, are also affected by the family environment, although usually to a lesser extent. The associations among status-related traits are themselves largely due to genetic causes. By reshuffling the genes of parents at each generation, sexual reproduction produces a regression of status-relevant traits of offspring toward the population mean—downward for high-status parents, upward for low-status parents—generating social mobility in an achievement-oriented society. Incorporating the quantitative genetic decomposition of trait variance into genetic, shared environmental, and nonshared environmental sources into the classic sociological model of status achievement allows for a better understanding and measurement of central social stratification concepts, such as opportunity and ascription.