bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of Homeopathic Dilutions of Cuprum Arsenicosum on the Electrical Properties of Poly(Vinylidene Fluoride-Co-Hexafluoropropylene)
Authors: Gayen Anandalal , Mondal Dheeraj , Bandyopadhyay Poonam , Bera Debbethi , Bhar Durga , Das Sukhen , Manchanda Raj , Khurana Anil , Nayak Debadatta , Paul Biplab , Nandy Papiya
Published: February 2018

Background We report the effects of nanoparticles in homeopathic preparations of copper salts on the electrical properties of polymer film. Previous work showed that the incorporation of metal-derived homeopathic medicines increases the dielectric constant and alternating current (AC) conductivity of an electroactive polymer film that is commonly used as a capacitor in the electronic industry.

We report here the effect of dilution of one homeopathic medicine, Cuprum arsenicosum (CuAs), at 200C potency on the electrical properties of the polymer film of poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene).

Methods CuAs 200c was incorporated in the film by the solution casting method. The electrical characteristics were measured at different frequencies using an inductance, capacitance, and resistance meter. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was performed to detect phase change in the polymer film due to the incorporation of CuAs. Morphology and particle size were studied using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy.

Results At 10 kHz frequency, both dielectric constant and AC conductivity increased approximately 18 times for the polymer film when incorporated with 2 mL CuAs at 200C potency. FTIR indicated the increase in conducting phase, while FESEM and EDX confirmed the presence of spherical CuAs particles.

Conclusion The incorporation of CuAs in the electroactive polymer film enhances the conductivity and dielectric constant. We conclude that these changes arise from the change in phase of the polymer film, and because of the presence of two different metals that affects the interfacial polarization.
Periprocedural Bleeding Risk Assessment in Chronic Liver Disease
Authors: Fortune Brett , Madoff David , May Benjamin
Published: February 2018

Invasive procedures are common in the management of cirrhosis-related chronic liver disease (CLD). Assessing bleeding risk prior to these procedures is challenging because of commonly seen laboratory abnormalities among traditional testing used to evaluate bleeding risk in patients with advanced liver disease. However, this ‘coagulopathy’ seen in advanced liver disease is not a true bleeding or clotting disorder. The prothrombin time/international normalized ratio (PT/INR) test is frequently elevated in CLD patients, but has been shown to poorly correlate with bleeding risk in this population. A traditional interpretation of this laboratory test can lead to unnecessary transfusion of blood product, procedure delay, or even potential harm to the patient. An understanding of the ‘coagulopathy’ of advanced liver disease and alternative methods, to more accurately assess bleeding risk, allows clinicians to treat safely CLD patients.
Epidemiologie des Übergewichts und der Adipositas bei Kindern und Jugendlichen anhand von deutschen Schuleingangsdaten
Authors: Brandt S. , Moß A. , Klenk J. , Kromeyer-Hauschild K. , Wabitsch M.
Published: February 2018

In Deutschland existiert das System der Schuleingangsuntersuchung. Im Rahmen dieser Untersuchung werden unter anderem Werte zum aktuellen Körpergewicht (kg) und zur aktuellen Körperhöhe (m) des Kindes erhoben. Der BMI (kg/m2) wird berechnet und mit Referenzwerten verglichen. Ein BMI größer dem 90. alters- und geschlechtsspezifischen Perzentil wird als Übergewicht und ein BMI größer dem 97. alters- und geschlechtsspezifischen Perzentil als Adipositas definiert. Eine Arbeitsgruppe bestehend aus Prof. Dr. med. Wabitsch, Dr. biol. hum. Moß, Dr. biol. hum. Klenk und PD Dr. rer. nat. Kromeyer-Hauschild hat in der Vergangenheit zu zwei Zeitpunkten die Daten der Schuleingangsuntersuchung in den einzelnen Bundesländern abgefragt (2004 und 2008). Zusätzlich wurde eine Literatursuche durchgeführt. Die Prävalenzraten für Übergewicht und Adipositas variierten zu beiden Zeitpunkten der Datenabfrage zwischen den Bundesländern. Im Vergleich zu 2004 zeigte sich im Jahr 2008 eine Reduktion der Prävalenzraten für Übergewicht und für Adipositas zum Zeitpunkt der Schuleingangsuntersuchung für die Mehrheit der Bundesländer.
Erfolgreiche Strategien in der Adjuvanz
Authors: Arnheim Dr.
Published: February 2018

In die adjuvante Therapie des operablen Melanoms kommt Bewegung: Im dritten und letzten Presidential Symposium des Kongresses der European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) wurden drei Adjuvanz-Studien vorgestellt, von denen zwei eindeutig positiv ausgingen. Beim metastasierten Melanom werden derzeit neue Kombinationen erfolgreich geprüft.
Pädiatrische Palliativversorgung
Authors: Krome Susanne
Published: February 2018

Bei Erwachsenen umstritten, beginnen pädiatrische Palliativkonzepte (PPV) nicht erst mit der infausten Prognose. Bereits 1998 stellte die WHO fest, dass die aktive und ganzheitliche Betreuung mit dem Ziel der Lebensqualitätssteigerung bei Kindern bereits ab der Diagnose und auch bei einer Chance auf Heilung erfolgen soll. Dies geschieht selten. Als Grund wird u. a. das “they are not ready syndrome” angeführt. Die Studie mit 129 Kind-Eltern-Paaren bestätigte dies nicht.
Ibrutinib/Rituximab oder Ibrutinib allein – es kommt darauf an
Authors: Arnheim Katharina
Published: February 2018

Patienten mit rezidivierter chronischer lymphatischer Leukämie (rCLL) oder Hochrisiko-CLL profitieren nicht generell von Rituximab zusätzlich zur Ibrutinib-Therapie. Allerdings induziert die Kombination schnellere Remissionen und führt zu einer stärkeren Eradikation der minimalen Resterkrankung (MRD). Sie könnte daher für Patienten, bei denen ein rasches Ansprechen gefordert ist, sinnvoll sein. Dies ergab eine am MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston erstellte Phase-II-Studie, die von Dr. Jan A. Burger, Houston/USA auf dem ASH 2017 vorgestellt wurde.
Auf der Suche nach dem Best Point of Service für hochaltrige, chronisch-kranke und sterbende Menschen: Die medikalisierte geriatrische Langzeitbetreuung der Geriatrischen Gesundheitszentren der Stadt Graz
Authors: Löffler Kerstin , Weidinger Lisa , Granig-Sixt Christine , Hartinger Gerd , Hermann Brigitte
Published: February 2018

Hintergrund Hochaltrigkeit und damit einhergehende Multimorbidität fordern spezialisierte Versorgung von geriatrischen Patienten. Im Vergleich dreier Versorgungsstrukturen (Palliativmedizinische Einrichtung im Akutkrankenhaus, Hospiz, Pflegeheim) wurde der Mehrwert einer Abteilung für medikalisierte geriatrische Langzeitbetreuung (MG) der Geriatrischen Gesundheitszentren (GGZ) der Stadt Graz für hochaltrige Menschen am Lebensende überprüft.

Methodik In einer retrospektiven Untersuchung wurden Kennzahlen der Jahre 2011 und 2015 zu 1398 Patienten in den genannten Versorgungsstrukturen verglichen.

Ergebnisse Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass die MG eine adäquate, qualitativ hochwertige sowie kosteneffiziente Versorgungsstruktur für die beschriebenen Patienten darstellt. Ökonomisch betrachtet, beansprucht eine adäquate Versorgung in einer MG deutlich weniger Ressourcen für die beschriebene Klientel.

Schlussfolgerung Aktuell orientieren sich die Finanzierungsströme im österreichischen Gesundheitssystem nur unzureichend an einer abgestuften Versorgung und dem Best Point of Service. Als Voraussetzung für eine abgestufte Versorgung wird eine Anpassung der Finanzierungsstruktur empfohlen.
Fieber und pulmo-renales Syndrom mit akuter Cholezystitis nach Südostasienreise – eine differenzialdiagnostische Herausforderung
Authors: Schenk Laura , Pavenstädt Hermann , Kümpers Philipp
Published: February 2018

Anamnese Wir berichten über einen 37-jährigen männlichen Patienten, der sich im Winter aufgrund von Fieber, Abgeschlagenheit sowie Kopf- und Gliederschmerzen in der Notaufnahme unserer Klinik vorstellte. Der Patient war 14 Tage zuvor aus einem Urlaub in Thailand zurückgekehrt.

Untersuchungen In klinischer Untersuchung, Laborbefunden, sowie apparativer Diagnostik zeigte sich bei diesem Patienten ein pulmo-renales Syndrom mit Multiorganbeteiligung.

Diagnose Letztendlich konnte eine Leptospirose als Ursache bestätigt werden.

Therapie Es wurde eine Penicillintherapie durchgeführt.

Verlauf Kurz nach Aufnahme musste der Patient aufgrund der Sepsis mit Multiorganaffektion auf die Intensivstation übernommen werden. Unter antibiotischer Therapie, nichtinvasiver Beatmung und mehrmaliger Hämodialyse konnte der Zustand des Patienten stabilisiert werden. Nach knapp vierwöchigem Krankenhausaufenthalt konnte er in gutem Allgemeinzustand nach Hause entlassen werden.

Folgerung Vor Hintergrund der jahreszeitlichen Häufung grippaler Symptome im Winter sowie der Tropenrückkehrer-Anamnese stellte dieser Fall eine differenzialdiagnostische Herausforderung dar. Die Leptospirose ist eine mögliche Ursache des pulmo-renalen Syndroms.
Nahrungsergänzungsmittel bei Diabetes
Authors: van Gemert Theresa , Weber Katharina , Müssig Karsten
Published: February 2018

Dietary supplements are defined as foods intended to complete the general diet especially in special metabolic situations like pregnancy or vitamin deficiencies. Furthermore, dietary supplements seem to get increasingly important with regard to prevention and management of diabetes. So far the German, European and Canadian Diabetes Associations as well as the Diabetes Associations of the US and UK do not give specific recommendation for dietary supplements to reduce the risk of diabetes or improve the glycemic control in patients with diabetes. By assessing new findings, the present article gives a literature overview based on comprehensive meta-analyses of selected dietary supplements, which are frequently discussed in combination with diabetes. Currently, there is a consensus that a balanced diet ensures a sufficient supply of micronutrients. Current studies on the use of magnesium, chrome, selenium, vitamin D, vitamin E and omega-3 fatty acids in people with increased risk of diabetes or manifest diabetes showed inconsistent results. Therefore, further randomized controlled trials with sufficient number of participants are necessary in order to provide concrete evidence-based recommendations.
Response to Lithium in Patients with Bipolar Disorder: What are Psychiatrists’ Experiences and Practices Compared to Literature Review?
Authors: Montlahuc Claire , Curis Emmanuel , Grillault Laroche Diane , Bagoe Gérald , Etain Bruno , Bellivier Frank , Chevret Sylvie
Published: February 2018

Background This study aims at characterizing French psychiatrists’ opinions regarding definition criteria and factors associated with lithium prophylactic response in patients with bipolar disorders.

Methods After a literature review, an online survey targeted French psychiatrists in 2016.

Results Literature review showed inconsistencies in reported definition criteria and clinical predictors of lithium prophylactic response. A total of 104 psychiatrists, mostly working in hospitals, completed the survey. The inconsistencies regarding definition criteria and predictors of lithium response were confirmed. Five factors were commonly reported by psychiatrists as positively associated with successful response (family history of lithium response and of bipolar I disorder, and lithium efficacy in acute mood phases treatment) or with an unsuccessful response (rapid cycling and alcohol misuse).

Discussion The divergence in psychiatrists’ opinions surely plays a major role in the variability of lithium prescriptions among psychiatrists. Currently, the large variations in response definitions, and in study designs used to quantify each factor’s effect, preclude synthesizing the findings. A standardization of response measures is needed to explore factors that influence the prophylactic lithium efficacy.
Ernährungstherapie bei Allergien
Authors: Pirlet-Gottwald Monika
Published: February 2018

Der Entstehungsort einer allergischen Reaktion und das Symptomorgan liegen oft weit auseinander. Die orale Aufnahme eines Allergens kann z. B. Hautreaktionen verursachen oder verstärken. Irritationen des inflammatorischen Systems können zusätzlich das Auftreten oder die Ausprägung einer Allergie beeinflussen.

Kaum ein anderes therapeutisches Verfahren greift so grundlegend und tief in den Genesungsprozess ein wie die Sanierung des Verdauungssystems. Wenn die intestinale Intoxikation und bakterielle Dyspepsie ausheilen, kommen das Immunsystem und bestehende entzündliche Reaktionen zur Ruhe.

Der Artikel erläutert das therapeutische Vorgehen und die möglichen Erfolge anhand von Fällen aus der Praxis.
Allergie und Āyurveda
Authors: Chopra Ananda Samir
Published: February 2018

Der modern definierte Begriff der Allergie findet in der traditionellen medizinischen Wissenschaft des Ayurveda keine direkte Entsprechung. Für die therapeutische Praxis ist es sinnvoller, auf Basis der allgemeinen Symptomatik eine ayurvedische Einordnung vorzunehmen. Demnach können Allergien verschiedene Ursachen haben: individuelle Unzuträglichkeiten und Zuträglichkeiten, unzuträgliche Nahrungsmittel, Agni-Schwäche sowie eine Vielzahl individueller Faktoren wie die Grundkonstitution. Die ayurvedische Diagnosestellung und Behandlung erfolgt über die genaue Einschätzung der individuellen Krankheitserscheinungen, der Konstitution und der psychischen Verfassung. Auf dieser Basis wird eine Therapiestrategie entwickelt, deren Ziel die Wiederherstellung der Selbstregulation des Organismus ist. Die mehrdimensionale Therapie setzt sich aus Empfehlungen zur richtigen Ernährung, dem Einsatz von Gewürzen und pflanzlichen Arzneien sowie ggf. einer Pancakarma-Therapie zusammen. In der klinischen Ayurveda-Praxis in Deutschland hat sich gezeigt, dass die Behandlung auf dieser Grundlage häufig zu einer signifikanten Linderung allergischer Beschwerden führt.
Exploring the Effect of Familiarity and Advisory Services on Innovation Outcomes in Outsourcing Settings
Authors: Oshri Ilan , Arkhipova Daria , Vaia Giovanni
Published: February 2018

Innovation through outsourcing can be hindered as a result of opportunistic behaviour. As a remedy, the extant literature encourages firms to enhance familiarity between the parties and/or consider using advisory services. In this paper, we seek to examine the effect of knowledge familiarity (client-supplier and supplier-client) and relational familiarity on innovation outcomes. Further, we also examine whether the presence of advisors improves innovation outcomes. Our results suggest that a higher degree of relational familiarity and client-supplier knowledge familiarity are associated with better innovation outcomes. We also reveal that client-supplier knowledge familiarity mediates the effect of supplier-client knowledge familiarity on innovation outcomes. We did not find support for the direct effect of advisors on innovation outcomes. Instead, the presence of advisors moderates the effect of supplier-client and relational familiarity on innovation outcomes. We consider the implications for the IS outsourcing literature and practice.
Developing Enterprise-wide Business Process Management Capability: A Teaching Case from the Financial Sector
Authors: Bandara Wasana , Abbott Charon , Mathiesen Paul , Meyers Lara , Nagra Mindy
Published: February 2018

Continuously managing business processes is globally a high organisational priority. The necessity for organisation-wide process management approaches (as opposed to ad hoc initiatives) is widely recognised. Yet, the required skills and capabilities for such enterprise-wide BPM is a well-known gap, with little resources to date to address this. This teaching case is based on the Bank of Queensland (BOQ—one of the oldest financial institutions in Australia). The narrative provides an overview of a range of Enterprise level business process management (hereafter referred to as ‘E-BPM’) activities that have taken place to date at BOQ to build its E-BPM capability. The teaching case presents how the development of E-BPM capability is a continuous journey which requires applied management and strong governance, and articulates some of the issues encountered when embedding BPM within an organisational structure. Based on the case, a series of student activities pertaining to E-BPM practices covering key aspects of BPM governance, strategic alignment, culture, people, IT, methods, etc., is provided (with model answers). This case is complemented by a rich set of teaching notes, making it a valuable resource that can be easily and directly applied for E-BPM training.
Modulation of terahertz emission in time-domain waveform via a photoinduced phase transition in a charge ordered organic ferroelectric
Authors: Itoh Hirotake , Fujiwara Rina , Kawakami Yohei , Yamamoto Kaoru , Nakamura Yuto , Kishida Hideo , Iwai Shinichiro
Published: February 2018

The time-domain waveform of the terahertz (THz) electric field emitted from the charge-ordered organic ferroelectrics α − (ET)2I3 [ET:bis(ethylenedithio)-tetrathiafulvalene)] can be significantly modulated depending on incident fluence of femtosecond pulses. Weak irradiation triggers the emission, showing ∼1 THz oscillation in the time-domain waveform with more than 5 oscillation cycles and a corresponding narrow spectral shape. In contrast, strong irradiation almost completely suppresses the trailing portion of the waveform after the first cycle, resulting in over 3 times broader bandwidth. As revealed by time-resolved experiments, this modulation arises from the cooperative nature of photoinduced melting of the charge order accompanying quenching of infrared-activity of the intermolecular vibrations which strongly couple with the emission.
Gate-tunable supercurrent and multiple Andreev reflections in a superconductor-topological insulator nanoribbon-superconductor hybrid device
Authors: Jauregui Luis A. , Kayyalha Morteza , Kazakov Aleksandr , Miotkowski Ireneusz , Rokhinson Leonid P. , Chen Yong P.
Published: February 2018

We report on the observation of gate-tunable proximity-induced superconductivity and multiple Andreev reflections (MARs) in a bulk-insulating BiSbTeSe2 topological insulator nanoribbon (TINR) Josephson junction with superconducting Nb contacts. We observe a gate-tunable critical current (IC) for gate voltages (Vg) above the charge neutrality point (VCNP), with IC as large as 430 nA. We also observe MAR peaks in the differential conductance (dI/dV) versus DC voltage (Vdc) across the junction corresponding to sub-harmonic peaks (at Vdc = Vn = 2ΔNb/en, where ΔNb is the superconducting gap of the Nb contacts and n is the sub-harmonic order). The sub-harmonic order, n, exhibits a Vg-dependence and reaches n = 13 for Vg = 40 V, indicating the high transparency of the Nb contacts to TINR. Our observations pave the way toward exploring the possibilities of using TINR in topologically protected devices that may host exotic physics such as Majorana fermions.
Free energy and entropy of a dipolar liquid by computer simulations
Authors: Palomar Ricardo , Sesé Gemma
Published: February 2018

Thermodynamic properties for a system composed of dipolar molecules are computed. Free energy is evaluated by means of the thermodynamic integration technique, and it is also estimated by using a perturbation theory approach, in which every molecule is modeled as a hard sphere within a square well, with an electric dipole at its center. The hard sphere diameter, the range and depth of the well, and the dipole moment have been calculated from properties easily obtained in molecular dynamics simulations. Connection between entropy and dynamical properties is explored in the liquid and supercooled states by using instantaneous normal mode calculations. A model is proposed in order to analyze translation and rotation contributions to entropy separately. Both contributions decrease upon cooling, and a logarithmic correlation between excess entropy associated with translation and the corresponding proportion of imaginary frequency modes is encountered. Rosenfeld scaling law between reduced diffusion and excess entropy is tested, and the origin of its failure at low temperatures is investigated.
Importance of rotational adiabaticity in collisions of CO2 super rotors with Ar and He
Authors: Murray Matthew J. , Ogden Hannah M. , Mullin Amy S.
Published: February 2018

The collision dynamics of optically centrifuged CO2 with Ar and He are reported here. The optical centrifuge produces an ensemble of CO2 molecules in high rotational states (with J ∼ 220) with oriented angular momentum. Polarization-dependent high-resolution transient IR absorption spectroscopy was used to measure the relaxation dynamics in the presence of Ar or He by probing the CO2 J = 76 and 100 states with Erot=2306 and 3979 cm−1, respectively. The data show that He relaxes the CO2 super rotors more quickly than Ar. Doppler-broadened line profiles show that He collisions induce substantially larger rotation-to-translation energy transfer. CO2 super rotors have greater orientational anisotropy with He collisions and the anisotropy from the He collisions persists longer than with Ar. Super rotor relaxation dynamics are discussed in terms of mass effects related to classical gyroscope physics and collisional rotational adiabaticity.
Non-destructive determination of ultra-thin GaN cap layer thickness in AlGaN/GaN HEMT structure by angle resolved x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (ARXPS)
Authors: Goyal Anshu , Yadav Brajesh S. , Raman R. , Kapoor Ashok K.
Published: February 2018

Angle resolved X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (ARXPS) and secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) investigations have been carried out to characterize the GaN cap layer in AlGaN/GaN HEMT structure. The paper discusses the qualitative (presence or absence of a cap layer) and quantitative (cap layer thickness) characterization of cap layer in HEMT structure non-destructively using ARXPS measurements in conjunction with the theoretical modeling. Further the relative sensitive factor (RSF=σGaσAl) for Ga to Al ratio was estimated to be 0.963 and was used in the quantification of GaN cap layer thickness. Our results show that Al/Ga intensity ratio varies with the emission angle in the presence of GaN cap layer and otherwise remains constant. Also, the modeling of this intensity ratio gives its thickness. The finding of ARXPS was also substantiated by SIMS depth profiling studies.
A remotely triggered fast neutron detection instrument based on a plastic organic scintillator
Authors: Jones A. R. , Aspinall M. D. , Joyce M. J.
Published: February 2018

A detector system for the characterization of radiation fields of both fast neutrons and γ rays is described comprising of a gated photomultiplier tube (PMT), an EJ299-33 solid organic scintillator detector, and an external trigger circuit. The objective of this development was to conceive a means by which the PMT in such a system can be actuated remotely during the high-intensity bursts of pulsed γ-ray contamination that can arise during active interrogation procedures. The system is used to detect neutrons and γ rays using established pulse-shape discrimination (PSD) techniques. The gating circuit enables the PMT to be switched off remotely. This is compatible with use during intense radiation transients to avoid saturation and the disruption of the operation of the PMT during the burst. Data are presented in the form of pulse-height spectra and PSD scatter plots for the system triggered with a strobed light source. These confirm that the gain of the system and the throughput for both triggered and un-triggered scenarios are as expected, given the duty cycle of the stimulating radiation. This demonstrates that the triggering function does not perturb the system response of the detector.
Spatio-temporally resolved spectral measurements of laser-produced plasma and semiautomated spectral measurement-control and analysis software
Authors: Cao S. Q. , Su M. G. , Min Q. , Sun D. X. , O'Sullivan G. , Dong C. Z.
Published: February 2018

A spatio-temporally resolved spectral measurement system of highly charged ions from laser-produced plasmas is presented. Corresponding semiautomated computer software for measurement control and spectral analysis has been written to achieve the best synchronicity possible among the instruments. This avoids the tedious comparative processes between experimental and theoretical results. To demonstrate the capabilities of this system, a series of spatio-temporally resolved experiments of laser-produced Al plasmas have been performed and applied to benchmark the software. The system is a useful tool for studying the spectral structures of highly charged ions and for evaluating the spatio-temporal evolution of laser-produced plasmas.
Thin-film topological insulators for continuously tunable terahertz absorption
Authors: West D. , Zhang S. B.
Published: February 2018

One of the defining characteristics of a three-dimensional topological insulator (TI) is the appearance of a Dirac cone on its surface when it creates an interface with vacuum. For thin film TIs, however, the Dirac cones on opposite surfaces interact forming a small gap. For the case of three quintuple layers of Bi2Se3, we show that this gap can be continuously tuned between 128 meV and 0 meV with the application of modest perpendicular electric fields of less than 30 meV Å−1. Through both the Hamiltonian model and first-principles density functional theory calculations, we show that the inherent nonlinearity in realistic Dirac cone interaction leads to a gap which can be continuously tuned through the application of an external electric field. This tunability, coupled with the high optical absorption of thin film TIs, make this a very promising platform for terahertz and infrared detection.
Investigation of surface evolution for stainless steel electrode under pulsed megagauss magnetic field
Authors: Zou Wenkang , Dan Jiakun , Wang Guilin , Duan Shuchao , Wei Bing , Zhang Hengdi , Huang Xianbin , Zhang Zhaohui , Guo Fan , Gong Boyi , Chen Lin , Wang Meng , Feng Shuping , Xie Weiping , Deng Jianjun
Published: February 2018

Surface evolution for a conductor electrode under pulsed megagauss (MG) magnetic field was investigated. Stainless steel rods with 3 mm diameter were driven by 8 MA, 130 ns (10%–90%) current pulse in a series of shots on the Primary Test Stand. Experimental data from two complementary diagnostic systems and simulation results from one-dimensional magneto-hydrodynamics code reveal a transition phase for instability development. The transition, which begins as the conductor surface starts to expand, lasts about 40 ns in the pulse. It ends after the thermal plasma is formed, and striation electrothermal instability growth stops but magneto-Rayleigh-Taylor instability (MRTI) starts to develop. An expanding velocity which grows to about 2.0 km/s during the transition phase was directly measured for the first time. The threshold magnetic field for thermal plasma formation on the stainless steel surface was inferred to be 3.3 MG under a rising rate of about 66 MG/μs, and after that MRTI becomes predominant for amplitude growth in surface perturbation.
Liquid-drop model for fragmentation of multiply charged mercury clusters
Authors: Nakamura Masato , Tarento René-Jean
Published: February 2018

The fragmentation of doubly and triply charged mercury clusters is theoretically studied to analyze an experiment performed by Katakuse’s group at Osaka University [T. Satoh et al., J. Mass Spectrom. Soc. Jpn. 51, 391 (2003)]. The fission barrier is calculated using a liquid-drop model proposed by Echt et al. In the decay of doubly charged clusters, the barrier height is found to take the minimum value for nearly symmetric fission. On the other hand, in the decay of triply charged clusters, the barrier is the lowest for strongly asymmetric fission. These results well explain the product size distribution observed in the experiment. The appearance size for multiply charged clusters measured in the experiment is found to be the size where the fission barrier is equal to the monomer evaporation energy. These findings provide evidence that small mercury clusters behave like van der Waals clusters in the process of fragmentation.
Inverse-designed stretchable metalens with tunable focal distance
Authors: Callewaert Francois , Velev Vesselin , Jiang Shizhou , Sahakian Alan Varteres , Kumar Prem , Aydin Koray
Published: February 2018

In this paper, we present an inverse-designed 3D-printed all-dielectric stretchable millimeter wave metalens with a tunable focal distance. A computational inverse-design method is used to design a flat metalens made of disconnected polymer building blocks with complex shapes, as opposed to conventional monolithic lenses. The proposed metalens provides better performance than a conventional Fresnel lens, using lesser amount of material and enabling larger focal distance tunability. The metalens is fabricated using a commercial 3D-printer and attached to a stretchable platform. Measurements and simulations show that the focal distance can be tuned by a factor of 4 with a stretching factor of only 75%, a nearly diffraction-limited focal spot, and with a 70% relative focusing efficiency, defined as the ratio between power focused in the focal spot and power going through the focal plane. The proposed platform can be extended for design and fabrication of multiple electromagnetic devices working from visible to microwave radiation depending on scaling of the devices.
High performance perpendicular magnetic tunnel junction with Co/Ir interfacial anisotropy for embedded and standalone STT-MRAM applications
Authors: Huai Yiming , Gan Huadong , Wang Zihui , Xu Pengfa , Hao Xiaojie , Yen Bing K. , Malmhall Roger , Pakala Nirav , Wang Cory , Zhang Jing , Zhou Yuchen , Jung Dongha , Satoh Kimihiro , Wang Rongjun , Xue Lin , Pakala Mahendra
Published: February 2018

High volume spin transfer torque magnetoresistance random access memory (STT-MRAM) for standalone and embedded applications requires a thin perpendicular magnetic tunnel junction (pMTJ) stack (∼10 nm) with a tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR) ratio over 200% after high temperature back-end-of-line (BEOL) processing up to 400 °C. A thin reference layer with low magnetic moment and strong perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) is key to reduce the total thickness of the full pMTJ stack. We demonstrated strong interfacial PMA and a perpendicular Ruderman-Kittel-Kasuya-Yosida exchange interaction in the Co/Ir system. Owing to the additional high PMA at the Ir/Co interface in combination with a conventional CoFeB/MgO interface in the Ir/Co/Mo/CoFeB/MgO reference layer, the full film pMTJ showed a TMR ratio over 210% after annealing at 400 °C for 150 min. The high TMR ratio can be attributed to the thin stack design by combining a thin reference layer with the efficient compensation by a thin pinned layer. The annealing stability may be explained by the absence of solid solution in the Co-Ir system and the low oxygen affinity of Mo in the reference layer and the free layer. High device performance with a TMR ratio over 210% was also confirmed after subjecting the patterned devices to BEOL processing temperatures of up to 400 °C. This proposed pMTJ design is suitable for both standalone and embedded STT-MRAM applications.
The inherent transport anisotropy of rutile tin dioxide (SnO2) determined by van der Pauw measurements and its consequences for applications
Authors: Bierwagen Oliver , Galazka Zbigniew
Published: February 2018

The anisotropic electron mobility of unintentionally doped, single crystalline, bulk, rutile SnO2(100) and (110) wafers is investigated by van der Pauw-Hall measurements. The room temperature average Hall electron mobility of μ ≈ 220 cm2/V s at a Hall electron concentration of n ≈ 1018 cm−3 suggests high-quality samples. The extracted 1.26 times higher mobility in the c-direction than perpendicular to it is in very good agreement with the corresponding anisotropy of the effective electron mass, which is 1.28 times higher perpendicular to c than parallel to c, suggesting rather isotropic scattering mechanisms. At temperatures below 100 K, a higher mobility anisotropy is found and tentatively attributed to low-angle grain boundaries with a surprisingly low energy barrier. Thus, the efficiency of mobility-sensitive applications, such as field effect transistors, increases by aligning the transport direction with the c-direction of the crystal. For transparent contact applications, such as Sb- or F-doped SnO2 (termed “ATO” or “FTO,” respectively), this benefit is expected to be even larger due to the increasing effective mass anisotropy with the increasing electron concentration.
Capillary waves as eigenmodes of the density correlation at liquid surfaces
Authors: Hernández-Muñoz Jose , Chacón Enrique , Tarazona Pedro
Published: February 2018

We analyze the density correlations in a liquid-vapor surface to establish a quantitative connection between the Density Functional (DF) formalism, Molecular Dynamic (MD) simulations, and the Capillary Wave (CW) theory. Instead of the integrated structure factor, we identify the CW fluctuations as eigenmodes of the correlation function. The square-gradient DF approximation appears as fully consistent with the use of the thermodynamic surface tension to describe the surface fluctuations for any wavevector because it misses the upper cutoff in the surface Hamiltonian from the merging of the CW mode with the non-CW band. This mesoscopic cutoff may be accurately predicted from the main peak in the structure factor of the bulk liquid. We explore the difference between the full density-density correlation mode and the bare CW that represents the correlation between the corrugation of the intrinsic surface and the density at the interfacial region. The non-local decay of the CW effects, predicted from DF analysis and observed in MD simulations with the intrinsic sampling method, is found to characterize the bare CW fluctuations, which also require a wavevector-dependent surface tension.
Tri- and tetranuclear molybdenum and tungsten chalcogenide clusters: on the way to new materials and catalysts *
Authors: Gushchin Artem L. , Laricheva Yuliya A. , Sokolov Maxim N. , Llusar Rosa
Published: February 2018

Data on the electronic structure and redox, magnetic, luminescent, nonlinear optical and catalytic properties of tri- and tetranuclear molybdenum and tungsten chalcogenide clusters are analyzed and integrated. The prospects for the applications of this family of clusters for the design of new materials for molecular electronics, nonlinear optics and catalysis are considered.

The bibliography includes 202 references.
Viruses in corals: hidden drivers of coral bleaching and disease?
Authors: Buerger Patrick , van Oppen Madeleine JH
Published: February 2018

Marine viruses are the largest, but most poorly explored genetic reservoir on the planet. They occur ubiquitously in the ocean at an average density of 5–15 × 106 viruses per mL of seawater, which represents abundances an order of magnitude higher than those of bacteria. While viruses are known agents of a number of diseases in the marine environment, little is known about their beneficial function to corals. Herein, we briefly introduce the topic of viruses as potential drivers of coral bleaching and disease.
Role of a single noncoding nucleotide in the evolution of an epidemic African clade of
Salmonella
Authors: Hammarlöf Disa L. , Kröger Carsten , Owen Siân V. , Canals Rocío , Lacharme-Lora Lizeth , Wenner Nicolas , Schager Anna E. , Wells Timothy J. , Henderson Ian R. , Wigley Paul , Hokamp Karsten , Feasey Nicholas A. , Gordon Melita A. , Hinton Jay C. D.
Published: February 2018

Significance

Invasive nontyphoidal
Salmonella
disease is a major and previously neglected tropical disease responsible for an estimated ∼390,000 deaths per year in Africa, largely caused by a variant of
Salmonella
Typhimurium called ST313. Despite the availability of >100,000
Salmonella
genomes, it has proven challenging to associate individual SNPs with pathogenic traits of this dangerous bacterium. Here, we used a transcriptomic strategy to identify a single-nucleotide change in a promoter region responsible for crucial phenotypic differences of African
S.
Typhimurium. Our findings show that a noncoding nucleotide of the bacterial genome can have a profound effect upon the pathogenesis of infectious disease.
Phosphorylation-dependent activation of the cell wall synthase PBP2a in
Streptococcus pneumoniae
by MacP
Authors: Fenton Andrew K. , Manuse Sylvie , Flores-Kim Josué , Garcia Pierre Simon , Mercy Chryslène , Grangeasse Christophe , Bernhardt Thomas G. , Rudner David Z.
Published: February 2018

Significance

Penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs) synthesize the bacterial cell wall. These enzymes are important therapeutic targets, but little is known about how their activity is controlled to promote proper cell morphogenesis. Uncovering these regulatory mechanisms promises to reveal new approaches for disrupting cell wall biogenesis for antibiotic development. Here, we identify MacP as a factor required for PBP activity in the pathogen
Streptococcus pneumoniae
. We further show that MacP is a substrate of the kinase and global cell cycle regulator StkP and that phosphorylation is required for PBP activation by MacP. Our results support a model in which StkP and MacP form part of the regulatory network that coordinates cell wall synthesis with other morphogenetic activities during the cell cycle.
Target selectivity of septal cholinergic neurons in the medial and lateral entorhinal cortex
Authors: Desikan Srinidhi , Koser David E. , Neitz Angela , Monyer Hannah
Published: February 2018

Significance

Acetylcholine is a key modulator of hippocampal and entorhinal cortex (EC) function. The majority of cholinergic projections targeting these structures originate in the basal forebrain complex, specifically the medial septum. Many studies focused on the behavioral effects involving these projections, but there still is a paucity regarding their connectivity in the target area. Here we provide this missing link. By combining optogenetics with whole-cell recordings in superficial EC layers, we identified the synaptic target cells of septal cholinergic neurons. This level of analysis is an important step toward a better understanding of the modulatory action of acetylcholine in EC in vivo.
Peripherally derived T regulatory and γδ T cells have opposing roles in the pathogenesis of intractable pediatric epilepsy
Authors: Xu Dan , Robinson Andrew P. , Ishii Toshiyuki , Duncan D’Anne S. , Alden Tord D. , Goings Gwendolyn E. , Ifergan Igal , Podojil Joseph R. , Penaloza-MacMaster Pablo , Kearney Jennifer A. , Swanson Geoffrey T. , Miller Stephen D. , Koh Sookyong
Published: February 2018

The pathophysiology of drug-resistant pediatric epilepsy is unknown. Flow cytometric analysis of inflammatory leukocytes in resected brain tissues from 29 pediatric patients with genetic (focal cortical dysplasia) or acquired (encephalomalacia) epilepsy demonstrated significant brain infiltration of blood-borne inflammatory myeloid cells and memory CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. Significantly, proinflammatory (IL-17– and GM-CSF–producing) γδ T cells were concentrated in epileptogenic lesions, and their numbers positively correlated with disease severity. Conversely, numbers of regulatory T (T reg) cells inversely correlated with disease severity. Correspondingly, using the kainic acid model of status epilepticus, we show ameliorated seizure activity in both γδ T cell– and IL-17RA–deficient mice and in recipients of T reg cells, whereas T reg cell depletion heightened seizure severity. Moreover, both IL-17 and GM-CSF induced neuronal hyperexcitability in brain slice cultures. These studies support a major pathological role for peripherally derived innate and adaptive proinflammatory immune responses in the pathogenesis of intractable epilepsy and suggest testing of immunomodulatory therapies.
Early African American Print Culture
Authors: Gardner Eric
Published: February 2018

Not until the end of the 20th century did scholars begin to look at early African American print culture in the depth it deserves. A story painfully intertwined with the transatlantic slave system and racism, early black print engagement combined, from its beginnings, responses to white aggression and a powerful set of individual and communal desires to read about, record, and, via print, share truths of black life in the United States. Some of the first creators of black print in the United States, from the authors of the earliest slave narratives to poet Phillis Wheatley, had to think through questions of individual and communal identity vis-à-vis emerging American socio-political structures and find ways to ensure control over their own voices in a white-dominated culture that tried to exclude, use, or abuse those voices.

But early black print culture is not simply the story of a single genre like the slave narrative or of exceptional individuals like Wheatley. Rather, it is also the story of organizational print tied to churches, conventions, and activist groups. It is as well the story of a diverse range of modes, from the rich pamphleteering tradition (perhaps most excitingly expressed by David Walker) to early black periodicals like those edited by Samuel Cornish and Philip Bell. Especially after 1830, it also became the story of a range of black women (from Maria Stewart and Jarena Lee to Frances Ellen Watkins Harper), of African Americans across the North (and occasionally in the midst of the slave South), and of an increasing number of formats, genres, and approaches. And it became a story of how black activists might interact (in print and beyond) with white antislavery activists, recognizing both shared and different goals and philosophies as they attempted to fight not only for emancipation but for broader civil rights.
Samuel Ajayi Crowther: African and Yoruba Missionary Bishop
Authors: Barnes Andrew
Published: February 2018

Samuel Ajayi Crowther was a Church Missionary Society (CMS) missionary bishop charged with evangelizing the territories that became modern Nigeria. Over the last decades of the 19th century Crowther was the best-known Christian of African descent in the British empire. Pious offerings from British Christians allowed him to build a network of mission stations and schools in the Niger bishopric, as his territories were called. Crowther’s career ended in tragedy with a group of English CMS missionaries that traveled to his bishopric to dismiss as either corrupt or immoral most of the African missionary agents Crowther had recruited over the decades. Crowther resigned his office in protest against what he felt was the usurpation of his authority. Crowther died a short time later. Most of the historical scholarship since Crowther’s death (1891) has been concerned with assessments of two things: Crowther’s missionary strategies and the circumstances behind the events at the end of his career. The events at the end of his life have drawn the greatest amount of attention, but as argued in this article, Crowther is better appreciated for the revolutionary ways in which he rethought the missiological ideas of Henry Venn, his patron and mentor, and applied these ideas to the evangelization of his territories. The schools established under Crowther’s direction offered students a combination of skills aimed at making those students competitive in the society created by the expansion of British overrule in the lands that became Nigeria. The appeal of his schools drew many Africans toward the Anglican Church. By the end of his life, however, Crowther’s schools were coming under increasing criticism from Europeans for making Africans too competitive with Europeans.
Ravenna Cosmographer (Anonymus Ravennas)
Authors: Lozovsky Natalia
Published: February 2018

Ravenna Cosmographer is an anonymous author of a Latin compilation commonly dated to the late 600s to early 700s. The Cosmographer describes the inhabited world, beginning with some theoretical questions and a general overview of the twelve southern and twelve northern regions (Book 1). His extensive lists of locations (Books 2–5) include over 5,000 place names, many otherwise unattested. Following earlier Christian authors such as Orosius, the Cosmographer incorporates Greco-Roman knowledge about the Earth into the framework of Christian scholarship. He cites the Bible and Christian theologians, and he mentions many secular authorities whose names only occur in this text. Although the Cosmographer never acknowledges his use of maps or itineraries, the forms of place names and the arrangement of toponyms by routes in Books 2–5 indicate that he was familiar with these sources. The similarities and differences to the Peutinger Map displayed by the text suggest that these works belong to different branches of the tradition, which ultimately goes back to a common exemplar. The Cosmography preserves the rich legacy of Roman and early medieval geographical knowledge, and its challenging material calls for a fresh examination.
Retracted: Inhibition of MicroRNA-23b Attenuates Immunosuppression During Late Sepsis Through NIK, TRAF1, and XIAP
Authors: Zhang Haiju , Li Hui , Shaikh Aamir , Caudle Yi , Yao Baozhen , Yin Deling
Published: February 2018

Background

microRNA-23b (miR-23b) is a multiple functional miRNA. We hypothesize that miR-23b plays a role in the pathogenesis of sepsis. Our study investigated the effect of miR-23b on sepsis-induced immunosuppression.

Methods

Mice were treated with miR-23b inhibitors by tail vein injection 2 days after cecal ligation puncture (CLP)–induced sepsis. Apoptosis in spleens and apoptotic signals were investigated, and survival was monitored. T-cell immunoreactivities were examined during late sepsis. Nuclear factor κB (NF-κB)–inducing kinase (NIK), tumor necrosis factor (TNF)–receptor associated factor 1 (TRAF1), and X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein (XIAP), the putative targets of miR-23b, were identified by a dual-luciferase reporter assay.

Results

miR-23b expression is upregulated and sustained during sepsis. The activation of the TLR4/TLR9/p38 MAPK/STAT3 signal pathway contributes to the production of miR-23b in CLP-induced sepsis. miR-23b inhibitor decreased the number of spleen cells positive by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick-end labeling and improved survival. miR-23b inhibitor restored the immunoreactivity by alleviating the development of T-cell exhaustion and producing smaller amounts of immunosuppressive interleukin 10 and interleukin 4 during late sepsis. We demonstrated that miR-23b mediated immunosuppression during late sepsis by inhibiting the noncanonical NF-κB signal and promoting the proapoptotic signal pathway by targeting NIK, TRAF1, and XIAP.

Conclusions

Inhibition of miR-23b reduces late-sepsis-induced immunosuppression and improves survival. miR-23b might be a target for immunosuppression.
Multipolarity of cytokine axes in the pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis in terms of age, race, species, disease stage and biomarkers
Authors: Nomura Takashi , Honda Tetsuya , Kabashima Kenji
Published: February 2018

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a common T-cell-mediated inflammatory disease of the skin. Signatures of AD are characterized by an impaired skin barrier, aberrant Th2-type cytokine production and intensive pruritus. Transcriptomic analysis, however, has revealed a heterogeneous pathogenesis and the co-existence of multiple cytokine axes of Th17, Th22 and Th1 types, especially in intrinsic (a subtype of AD without skin barrier impairment), pediatric and Asian types of AD. Furthermore, the therapeutic effect of anti-IL-4 receptor α against AD was not as high as that of IL-17 blockage against psoriasis, which implies a modification of the disease spectrum by non-Th2-type cytokine axes in AD. These lines of evidence indicate a need for personalized or precision medicine appropriate for each subtype of AD.