bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Diagnosis of idiopathic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopic analysis of patient-derived skin
Authors: Martel Christian , Tsutsumi Tamao , Cément Vincent , Khuong Hélène T. , Dupré Nicolas , Ismail Ashraf A. , Gros-Louis François
Published: April 2020

One of the great challenges in identifying effective therapy in many neurodegenerative diseases, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), is the lack of reliable biomarkers. In this study, we applied infrared imaging microspectroscopy, to identify spectral differences within tALS-derived tissue-engineered skins, paving the way for the identification of biomarkers in ALS.
The synthesis and investigation of the reversible conversion of layered ZrS2 and ZrS3
Authors: Dang Viet Quang , Al-Ali Khalid
Published: April 2020

This work introduces the synthetic method and demonstrates the reversible transformation of ZrS3 and ZrS2.
Integrated design for electrocatalytic carbon dioxide reduction
Authors: Zhao Xin , Du Lijie , You Bo , Sun Yujie
Published: April 2020

We have summarized three novel strategies for electrocatalytic carbon dioxide reduction, including concurrent CO2 electroreduction, tandem CO2 electroreduction and hybrid CO2 electroreduction.
Evaluation of Tenebrio molitor protein as a source of peptides for modulating physiological processes
Authors: Rivero Pino Fernando , Pérez Gálvez Raúl , Espejo Carpio F. Javier , Guadix Emilia M.
Published: April 2020

Tenebrio molitor hydrolysates produced with commercial proteases showed improved ACE inhibitory and antioxidant properties. This source could be employed as functional ingredient in food preparations.
Cleaving protected peptides from 2-chlorotrityl chloride resin. Moving away from dichloromethane
Authors: Alhassan Mahama , Al Musaimi Othman , Collins Jonathan M. , Albericio Fernando , de la Torre Beatriz G.
Published: April 2020

Anisole and 1,3-dimethoybenzene are excellent alternatives to DCM for cleaving protected peptides.
Fulleropyrrolidine-functionalized ceria nanoparticles as a tethered dual nanosystem with improved antioxidant properties
Authors: Pinna Alessandra , Cali Eleonora , Kerherve Gwilherm , Galleri Grazia , Maggini Michele , Innocenzi Plinio , Malfatti Luca
Published: April 2020

Combining nanoceria and fulleropyrrolidine in a tethered nanosystem allows for efficient scavenging of reactive oxygen species and improved protection of mouse fibroblast cells exposed to a UV insult.
Influence of organic promoter gradient on the MoS2 growth dynamics
Authors: Rotunno E. , Bosi M. , Seravalli L. , Salviati G. , Fabbri F.
Published: April 2020

The role of organic promoters is clarified in the growth mechanism of MoS2.
Protein A-mesoporous silica composites for chromatographic purification of immunoglobulin G
Authors: Huang Si , Cheng Si-Yuan , Zhang Shu-Yuan , Yan Yi-Lun , Cai Song-Liang , Li Xin-Le , Zheng Sheng-Run , Fan Jun , Zhang Wei-Guang
Published: April 2020

Protein A-mesoporous silica composites were synthesized by covalently coupling protein A with installed carbonyl imidazole moieties inside the column and used for the chromatographic purification of immunoglobulin G.
Magnetite mesoporous silica nanoparticles embedded in carboxybetaine methacrylate for application in hyperthermia and drug delivery
Authors: Keshavarz Hasan , Khavandi Alireza , Alamolhoda Somaye , Naimi-Jamal M. Reza
Published: April 2020

Magnetite mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MMSNs) are biocompatible and can easily deliver a drug to the target tissue, but there are two challenges: burst effect and protein corona.
Sensing the polar molecules MH3 (M = N, P, or As) with a Janus NbTeSe monolayer
Authors: Yang Xiaoyong , Singh Deobrat , Xu Zhitong , Ahuja Rajeev
Published: April 2020

The unique intrinsic electric field and prominent physical and chemical properties of Janus TMDs have attracted extensive attention for device applications.
Effect of number and different types of proton donors on excited-state intramolecular single and double proton transfer in bipyridine derivatives: theoretical insights
Authors: Chaihan Komsun , Kungwan Nawee
Published: April 2020

Intra-HBs are strengthened upon photoexcitation, confirmed by red-shift in vibrational mode and topology analysis. Number and type of donors result in difference in photophysical properties. Occurrence of ESIPT depends on barrier and reaction energy.
Synthesis of α-CF3-substituted E-dehydroornithine derivatives via copper(i)-catalyzed hydroamination of allenes
Authors: Philippova Anna N. , Vorobyeva Daria V. , Monnier Florian , Osipov Sergey N.
Published: April 2020

Novel α-CF3-substituted E-dehydroornithine derivatives have been synthesized via the Cu(i)-catalyzed hydroamination of α-CF3-α-allenyl-α-aminocarboxylates/phosphonates with different amines.
Three new compounds from the flower branch of Gastrodia elata Blume and anti-microbial activity
Authors: Yang Liu , Jiang Rong , Li Hui-Hui , Pan Ya-Ping , Lu Jing-Jin , Zhang Hong , Liu Shou-Jin , Shen Ji-Lu , Hu Jiang-Miao
Published: April 2020

Three new compounds (1–3): gastrodinol (1), 2-(4′-hydroxybenzoyl)-3-hydroxyethyl indole (2) and 2-(4′-hydroxybenzoyl)-3-(4′′-hydroxybenzyl)indole (3) were isolated from the flower branch of G. elata, and anti-microbial activity.
Pulmonary Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis
Authors: Shaw Brian , Borchers Michael , Zander Dani , Gupta Nishant
Published: April 2020

Pulmonary Langerhans cell histiocytosis (PLCH) is a diffuse cystic lung disease that is strongly associated with exposure to cigarette smoke. Recently, activating pathogenic mutations in the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway have been described in the dendritic cells in patients with PLCH and have firmly established PLCH to be an inflammatory myeloid neoplasm. Disease course and prognosis in PLCH are highly variable among individual patients, ranging from spontaneous resolution to development of pulmonary hypertension and progression to terminal respiratory failure. A subset of patients with PLCH may have extrapulmonary involvement, typically involving the skeletal system in the form of lytic lesions, skin lesions, or the central nervous system most commonly manifesting in the form of diabetes insipidus. Smoking cessation is the cornerstone of treatment in patients with PLCH and can lead to disease regression or stabilization in a substantial proportion of patients. Further insight into the underlying molecular pathogenesis of PLCH has paved the way for the future development of disease-specific biomarkers and targeted treatment options directed against the central disease-driving mutations.
Pulmonary Alveolar Proteinosis Syndrome
Authors: Kelly Alan , McCarthy Cormac
Published: April 2020

Pulmonary alveolar proteinosis (PAP) is a syndrome characterized by progressive accumulation of pulmonary surfactant. This results in dyspnea, secondary pulmonary and systemic infection, and in some cases respiratory failure. PAP syndrome occurs in distinct diseases, classified according to pathogenetic mechanism; these include primary PAP (due to disruption of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor [GM-CSF] signaling), secondary PAP (due to reduction in alveolar macrophage numbers/functions), and congenital PAP (due to disruption of surfactant production). In primary PAP, the most common cause is autoimmune PAP, which accounts for over 90% of all PAP syndrome. The pathogenesis is driven by reduced GM-CSF-signaling causing abnormal alveolar macrophage function which subsequently results in impaired alveolar surfactant clearance. Autoimmune PAP can be accurately diagnosed by serum GM-CSF autoantibody levels and there now exist other diagnostic tests for rare causes of PAP syndrome. The current standard treatment is whole lung lavage; however, there is emerging evidence to support the use of novel therapeutic approaches, including inhaled GM-CSF, immune modulation, gene and cell therapy, and targeting macrophage cholesterol homeostasis. Furthermore, several innovative approaches to monitor disease severity and response to therapy have recently been developed.
Clinical Decision-Making in Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis: Diagnosis and Management
Authors: Fernández Pérez Evans R. , Koelsch Tilman L. , Leone Paolo M. , Groshong Steve D. , Lynch David A. , Brown Kevin K.
Published: April 2020

This review provides an updated approach to the diagnosis and management of hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP). The importance of using a multidisciplinary discussion to increase diagnostic and treatment confidence is emphasized. The role of Bayesian reasoning is highlighted throughout, underscoring the importance of hypothesis generation (differential diagnosis) and diagnostic test interpretation based on the probability of HP. Probability estimates of diagnostic certainty (i.e., a confident versus a working diagnosis) and treatment thresholds are carefully examined.

Therapeutically, beyond antigen avoidance and newly available antifibrotic therapy for patients with a progressive fibrosing phenotype; the role, timing, and expected response to anti-inflammatory therapy in individual patients are unanswered questions. Since the evidence and validation of testing generally performed during the diagnostic work-up and longitudinal monitoring of HP is feeble at best, the viewpoints discussed are not intended to resolve current controversies but rather to provide a conceptual framework for evaluating discordant information when evaluating and caring for patients with HP.
Combined Pulmonary Fibrosis and Emphysema
Authors: Bolaki Maria , Antoniou Katerina M.
Published: April 2020

Combined pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema (CPFE) is a clinical entity characterized by the combination of upper lobe emphysema and lower lobe fibrosis, the latter owing to various interstitial lung diseases. These patients have a characteristic lung function profile, with relatively preserved dynamic and static lung volumes, contrasting with a significant reduction of carbon monoxide transfer. The pathogenic mechanisms leading to the coexistence of emphysema with fibrosis remain unclear and different theories have been proposed. CPFE is frequently complicated by pulmonary hypertension, acute exacerbations, and lung cancer leading to poor natural history and prognosis. The syndrome of CPFE represents a distinct pulmonary manifestation in the spectrum of lung diseases associated with connective tissue diseases. Currently, there are no established recommendations regarding the management of patients with CPFE. We provide a review on the existing knowledge of CPFE regarding the epidemiology, pathogenesis, clinical manifestations, radiologic appearance, complications, prognosis, and possible treatment options.
Hermansky–Pudlak Syndrome
Authors: De Jesus Rojas Wilfredo , Young Lisa R.
Published: April 2020

Hermansky–Pudlak syndrome (HPS) is a multisystemic autosomal recessive disorder characterized by oculocutaneous albinism, bleeding diathesis, and lethal pulmonary fibrosis (PF) in some HPS subtypes. During middle adulthood, ground-glass opacities, reticulation, and traction bronchiectasis develop with progression of PF. HPS is an orphan disease occurring in 1 in 500,000 to 1,000,000 individuals worldwide, though the prevalence is 1 in 1,800 in individuals with Puerto Rican heritage. Recessive mutations or disruptions in HPS genes alter the function of HPS proteins which are components of biogenesis of lysosome-related organelle complexes and are critical for intracellular protein trafficking. Diagnosis and management of HPS-related comorbidities represent a challenge to physicians, and a multidisciplinary clinical approach is necessary for early detection, health management, and surveillance of PF in patients with HPS types 1, 2, and 4. Treatment options for individuals with HPS-PF include pirfenidone and lung transplantation. In this article, we describe the epidemiology, genetics, clinical manifestations, and management of HPS.
New Developments in the Pathogenesis of Pulmonary Cysts in Birt–Hogg–Dubé Syndrome
Authors: Kennedy John C. , Khabibullin Damir , Boku Yoseph , Shi Wei , Henske Elizabeth P.
Published: April 2020

Birt–Hogg–Dubé (BHD) syndrome is an autosomal dominant disorder caused by germline loss-of-function mutations in Folliculin gene (FLCN). BHD is characterized by lower lobe-predominant pulmonary cysts with risk of pneumothorax, benign skin tumors (fibrofolliculomas), and renal cell carcinoma, often of an unusual chromophobe/oncocytic hybrid histology. The FLCN protein functions in multiple signaling and metabolic pathways including positive regulation of mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) activity via FLCN's GTPase (GAP) activity for Rag C, positive regulation of Wnt signaling (in mesenchymal cells), and negative regulation of TFE3 nuclear localization. Therefore, FLCN-deficient cells are predicted to have reduced mTORC1 and Wnt activity and enhanced TFE3 activity. Folliculin also has functions in autophagy, mitochondrial biogenesis, cell-cell adhesion, 5′ AMP activated protein kinase activity, and other pathways. The specific contributions of these pathways to the lung manifestations of BHD are largely unknown. This review is focused on the pulmonary manifestations of BHD, highlighting selected recent advances in elucidating the cellular functions of FLCN and current hypotheses related to the pathogenesis of cystic lung disease in BHD, including the “stretch hypothesis.” We also discuss important knowledge gaps in the field, including the genetic, cellular and physical mechanisms of cyst pathogenesis, and the timing of cyst initiation, which may occur during lung development.
Unveiling controlling factors of the S/S1 minimum energy conical intersection (2): Application to penalty function method
Authors: Inamori Mayu , Ikabata Yasuhiro , Yoshikawa Takeshi , Nakai Hiromi
Published: April 2020

Minimum-energy conical intersection (MECI) geometries play an important role in photophysics, photochemistry, and photobiology. In a previous study [Nakai et al., J. Phys. Chem. A 122, 8905 (2018)], frozen orbital analysis at the MECI geometries between the ground and first electronic excited states (S0/S1 MECI), which considers the main configurations contributing to the excitation, inductively clarified two controlling factors. First, the exchange integral between the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) and the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) approximately becomes zero. Second, the HOMO–LUMO gap becomes close to the HOMO–LUMO Coulomb integral. This study applies the controlling factors to the penalty function method, which is the standard MECI optimization technique, and minimizes the energy average of the two states with the constraint that the energy gap between the states vanishes. Numerical assessments clarified that the present method could obtain the S0/S1 MECI geometries more efficiently than the conventional one.
Dielectric behavior of single iron atoms dispersed on nitrogen-doped nanocarbon
Authors: Yuan Haoran , Li Bei , Zhu Chunling , Xie Ying , Jiang Yongjie , Chen Yujin
Published: April 2020

We report the enhanced dielectric properties of iron atomically dispersed on nanocarbon. Theoretical simulations and calculations based on the Havriliak–Negami model and the first principles demonstrate that the increased dielectric property can be explained by the increased electrical conductivity and dielectric relaxations caused by the introduction of single iron atoms. Nanocarbon with single iron atoms exhibited enhanced electromagnetic wave absorption properties and could be further improved when being coupled with reduced graphene oxide. Our findings open a way for exploring high-performance materials with single metal atoms for practical applications in electromagnetic fields.
MnO2-doping induced enhanced multiferroicity in Bi0.83Sm0.17Fe0.95Sc0.05O3 ceramics
Authors: Wang Wei , Chen Jianwei , Li Leiyu , Li Qianjie , Zeng Min , Hou Zhipeng , Lu Chengliang , Gao Xingsen , Lu Xubing , Li Qiliang , Liu Jun-Ming
Published: April 2020

Multiferroic material BiFeO3 (BFO) that possesses spin and dipole orders simultaneously at ambient temperature shows great potential in multi-state memory and spintronic devices. Nevertheless, the presence of low polarization and weak magnetism in ceramics heavily restricts their applications. Here, the charge compensation method was utilized to reduce leakage current and enhance dielectric breakdown strength (Eb) by introducing MnO2 in Bi0.83Sm0.17Fe0.95Sc0.05O3 ceramics. It was revealed that all the ceramics have the coexistence of polar R3c and nonpolar Pnma phases. With increasing MnO2, Eb is significantly improved, leading to the enhanced ferroelectric polarization. A high remanent polarization of ≈51.54 μC/cm2 was achieved in the composition with 0.9 wt. % MnO2 doping, which is the maximum in the reported BFO-based ceramics. Meanwhile, a rather high remanent magnetization of ≈0.31 emu/g was obtained in the same compound. Therefore, this work reveals an interesting route to tailor BFO-based ceramics toward enhanced multiferroicity.
Mechanism of droplet-formation in a supersonic microfluidic spray device
Authors: Kartanas T. , Toprakcioglu Z. , Hakala T. A. , Levin A. , Herling T. W. , Daly R. , Charmet J. , Knowles T. P. J.
Published: April 2020

Spray drying is an approach employed in automotive, food, and pharmaceutical industries as a robust and cost efficient liquid atomization technique offering direct control over droplet dimensions. The majority of commercially available spray nozzles are designed for large throughput spray drying applications or uniform surface coating, but microfluidic nebulizers have recently been developed as small scale alternatives. Here, we explore the physical parameters that define the droplet size and formation under supersonic flow conditions commonly found in microfluidic spray drying systems. We examined the spray nozzle operation using high speed imaging and laser scattering measurements, which allowed us to describe the spray regimes and droplet size distributions. It was determined that by using this spray nozzle device, droplets with diameters of 4–8 μm could be generated. Moreover, we show that the supersonic de Laval nozzle model can be used to predict the average droplet size. Our approach can be used as a platform for interfacing fluid microprocessing with gas phase detection and characterization.
Corrugating pore membranes improves filtration technology
Authors: Mandel Savannah
Published: April 2020

Corrugation ratio and length in ceramic membrane pores found to be deciding factors for ideal filtration.
A combined approach of atom probe tomography and unsupervised machine learning to understand phase transformation in (AlxGa1−x)2O3
Authors: Sarker Jith , Broderick Scott , Bhuiyan A. F. M. Anhar Uddin , Feng Zixuan , Zhao Hongping , Mazumder Baishakhi
Published: April 2020

In this paper, we investigated the evolution of microstructural chemistry of metal organic chemical vapor deposition grown (010) (AlxGa1−x)2O3 films with varying Al contents, x = 0.10–1.0, using atom probe tomography (APT). At a low Al content (x ≤ 0.25), the films are homogeneous, where layer inhomogeneity appears at a high Al content (x > 0.25). Further increasing the Al content up to x ≥ 0.60 results in a homogeneous (AlxGa1−x)2O3 layer. This change in microstructural features was linked to the phase transformation of (AlxGa1−x)2O3 using a manifold learning approach to capture the governing features hidden in the data dimensionality. Combining APT to unsupervised machine learning enables APT to be an independent material characterization tool to investigate the microstructure, chemical composition, and phase related information.
Dissipative ion-acoustic solitons in ion-beam plasma obeying a

κ

-distribution
Authors: Emmanuel Kengne , Wuming Liu
Published: April 2020

The amplitude modulation of ion-acoustic waves is investigated in a plasma system consisting of ions and electrons obeying κ-distribution. Taking into account the dissipative mechanisms that consist of the ionization and applying a reductive perturbation technique, a one-parameter dissipative nonlinear Schrödinger (DNLS) equation of electrostatic potential governing the dynamics of these modulated ion-acoustic waves is derived and expressed in terms of the system parameters only. The modulational instability and its dependence on the system’s physical parameters is presented. Within the unstable region, the dynamics of dissipative ion-acoustic bright solitons propagating on a non-vanishing continuous wave background is analyzed analytically with the help of an approximative soliton solutions of the DNLS equation of the system. The effect of the plasma parameters on the dynamics of dissipative bright solitons is also presented. We find that the ion to electron temperature ratio (σ = Ti/Te) plays an important role in our analytical investigation.
Domain structure formation by local switching in the ion sliced lithium niobate thin films
Authors: Slautin B. N. , Turygin A. P. , Greshnyakov E. D. , Akhmatkhanov A. R. , Zhu H. , Shur V. Ya.
Published: April 2020

The creation of the periodical domain patterns with a submicron period in lithium niobate on insulator (LNOI) wafers is a key problem for nonlinear-optical applications, including second harmonic generation, backscattering optical parametric oscillator, etc. We have experimentally studied the domain formation and evolution during local polarization reversal in Z+ LNOI wafers with a metal bottom electrode. It has been shown that domain growth occurs by the formation of the spikes at the charged domain wall (CDW). The complicated shape of isolated domains with a jagged CDW has been revealed. The obtained weak domain–domain interaction has been attributed to effective bulk screening by charge injection. The revealed dependence of the domain sizes on humidity caused by the adsorbed water layer should be taken into account during periodical poling.
Michelson laser interferometer-based vibration noise contribution measurement method for cold atom interferometry gravimeter*
Authors: Zhang Ning , Hu Qingqing , Wang Qian , Ji Qingchen , Zhao Weijing , Wei Rong , Wang Yuzhu
Published: April 2020

The measurement performance of the atom interferometry absolute gravimeter is strongly affected by the ground vibration noise. We propose a vibration noise evaluation scheme using a Michelson laser interferometer constructed by the intrinsic Raman laser of the atomic gravimeter. Theoretical analysis shows that the vibration phase measurement accuracy is better than 4 mrad, which corresponds to about 10−10
g accuracy for a single shot gravity measurement. Compared with the commercial seismometer or accelerometer, this method is a simple, low cost, direct, and fully synchronized measurement of the vibration phase which should benefit the development of the atomic gravimeter. On the other side, limited by equivalence principle, the result of the laser interferometer is not absolute but relative vibration measurement. Triangular cap method could be used to evaluation the noise contribution of vibration, which is a different method from others and should benefit the development of the atomic gravimeter.
Exact solution of a topological spin ring with an impurity*
Authors: Huang Xu-Chu , Song Yi-Hua , Sun Yi
Published: April 2020

The spin-1/2 Heisenberg chain coupled to a spin-S impurity moment with anti-periodic boundary condition is studied via the off-diagonal Bethe ansatz method. The twisted boundary breaks the U(1) symmetry of the system, which leads to that the spin ring with impurity can not be solved by the conventional Bethe ansatz methods. By combining the properties of the R-matrix, the transfer matrix, and the quantum determinant, we derive the T–Q relation and the corresponding Bethe ansatz equations. The residual magnetizations of the ground states and the impurity specific heat are investigated. It is found that the residual magnetizations in this model strongly depend on the constraint of the topological boundary condition, the inhomogeneity of the impurity comparing with the hosts could depress the impurity specific heat in the thermodynamic limit. This method can be expand to other integrable impurity models without U(1) symmetry.
Biases of estimated signals in x-ray analyzer-based imaging*
Authors: Xia Jianlin , Xu Wen , Zhou Ruicheng , Shi Xiaomin , Ren Kun , Chen Heng , Wang Zhili
Published: April 2020

Recently, a novel three-image algorithm has been proposed to retrieve the sample’s absorption, refraction, and scattering properties in x-ray analyzer-based imaging. The feasibility of the three-image algorithm was validated by synchrotron radiation experiments. However, it is unclear yet whether the estimated refraction and scattering signals are biased or not and how the analyzer angular position affects the biases in the estimated signals. For this purpose, the biases of the extracted refraction and scattering signals are theoretically derived for the three-image algorithm. The theoretical models are further confirmed by numerical experiments. The results show that both the estimated refraction and scattering signals are biased, and the biases are strongly dependent on the analyzer angular position. Besides, the biases also show dependence on the sample’s refraction and scattering properties locally. Those results can be used as general guidelines to optimize experimental parameters for bias reduction and accurate imaging of different features within the sample.
Quasiparticle interference testing the possible pairing symmetry in Sr2RuO4*
Authors: Zhang Cong-Cong , Sun Jin-Hua , Yang-Yang 阳 , Wang Wan-Sheng
Published: April 2020

The quasiparticle interference (QPI) patterns of the superconducting state in Sr2RuO4 are theoretically studied by taking into account the spin–orbital coupling and two different pairing modes, chiral p-wave pairing and equal d-wave pairing, in order to propose an experimental method to test them. Both of the QPI spectra for the two pairing modes have clearly peaks evolving with energy, and their locations can be determined from the tips of the constant energy contour. But the number, location, and evolution of these peaks with energy are different between the two pairing modes. The different behaviors of the QPI patterns in these two pairing modes may help to resolve whether Sr2RuO4 is a chiral p-wave or d-wave superconductor.
Probing the Majorana bound states in a hybrid nanowire double-quantum-dot system by scanning tunneling microscopy*
Authors: Liu Jia , Li Ke-Man , Chi Feng , Fu Zhen-Guo , Hou Yue-Fei , Wang Zhigang , Zhang Ping
Published: April 2020

We propose an interferometer composing of a scanning tunneling microscope (STM), double quantum dots (DQDs), and a semiconductor nanowire carrying Majorana bound states (MBSs) at its ends induced by the proximity effect of an s-wave superconductor, to probe the existence of the MBSs in the dots. Our results show that when the energy levels of DQDs are aligned to the energy of MBSs, the zero-energy spectral functions of DQDs are always equal to 1/2, which indicates the formation of the MBSs in the DQDs and is also responsible for the zero-bias conductance peak. Our findings suggest that the spectral functions of the DQDs may be an excellent and convenient quantity for detecting the formation and stability of the spatially separated MBSs in quantum dots.
Exact solution of the (1+2)-dimensional generalized Kemmer oscillator in the cosmic string background with the magnetic field*
Authors: Yang Yi , Cai Shao-Hong , Long Zheng-Wen , Chen Hao , Long Chao-Yun
Published: April 2020

We study a two-dimensional generalized Kemmer oscillator in the cosmic string spacetime with the magnetic field to better understand the contribution from gravitational field caused by topology defects, and present the exact solutions to the generalized Kemmer equation in the cosmic string with the Morse potential and Coulomb-liked potential through using the Nikiforov–Uvarov (NU) method and biconfluent Heun equation method, respectively. Our results give the topological defect’s correction for the wave function, energy spectrum and motion equation, and show that the energy levels of the generalized Kemmer oscillator rely on the angular deficit α connected with the linear mass density m of the cosmic string and characterized the metric’s structure in the cosmic string spacetime.
Carbon nanotube-based nanoelectromechanical resonator as mass biosensor
Authors: Elseddawy Ahmed M. , Phillips Adel H. , Bayoumi Ahmed S
Published: April 2020

The use of single walled carbon nanotube-based nanoelectromechanical system (NEMS) resonator to sense the biomolecules’ mass is investigated under the influence of an external ac-field. A single walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) cantilever has been proposed and studied if the mass is attached at the tip or various intermediate positions. The shift of the resonant frequency and the quality factor have been investigated and show high sensitivity to the attached mass of biomolecule and its position. The proposed SWCNT-based NEMS resonator is a good candidate for sensing and tracing biomolecules’ mass as concentration of acetone in human exhale, resulting in a painless, correct, and simple diabetics’ diagnosis.
Analysis of extreme ultraviolet spectra of laser-produced Cd plasmas*
Authors: Bakhiet Mohammedelnazier , Su Maogen , Cao Shiquan , Min Qi , Sun Duixiong , He Siqi , Wu Lei , Dong Chenzhong
Published: April 2020

In order to provide detailed information about Cd structure and gain more insight regarding ionization degrees and types of transition, as well as the understanding of the temporal evolution behavior of laser produced Cd plasmas, extreme ultraviolet spectra of laser-produced cadmium (Cd) plasmas have been measured in the 8.4–12 nm region using spatio-temporally resolved laser-produced plasma spectroscopy technique. Spectral features were analyzed by the Hartree–Fock (HF) method with relativistic correlations (HFR) using the Cowan code. The results showed that the 4p–5s resonance transition arrays from Cd9+ to Cd13+ merged to form intense lines in this spectral region. A number of new spectral features from Cd9+ and Cd10+ ions are reported in this study. Based on the assumption of a normalized Boltzmann distribution among the excited states associated with a steady-state collisional–radiative model, the plasma parameters were obtained by comparing the experimental and simulated spectra. As a result, we succeeded in reproducing the synthetic spectra for different time delays, which yielded good agreement with the experiments. The temporal evolution behaviors of electron temperature and electron density of plasma were also analyzed.
Extra-narrowband metallic filters with an ultrathin single-layer metallic grating*
Authors: Wang Ran , Gong Qi-Huang , Chen Jian-Jun
Published: April 2020

Narrowband and high-transmission optical filters are extensively used in color display technology, optical information processing, and high-sensitive sensing. Because of large ohmic losses in metallic nanostructures, metallic filters usually exhibit low transmittances and broad bandwidths. By employing both strong field enhancements in metallic nano-slits and the Wood’s anomaly in a periodic metallic grating, an extra-narrowband and high-transmission metallic filter is numerically predicted in an ultrathin single-layer metallic grating. Simulation results show that the Wood’s anomaly in the ultrathin (thickness H = 60 nm) single-layer metallic grating results in large field enhancements in the substrate and low losses in the metallic grating. As a result, the transmission bandwidth (transmittance T > 60%) at λ = 1200 nm is as small as Δλ
FWHM = 1.6 nm, which is smaller than 4% of that in the previous thin dielectric and metallic filters. The corresponding quality factor is as high as Q = λ/Δλ
FWHM = 750, which is 40 times greater than that in the previous reports. Moreover, the thickness of our metallic filter (H = 60 nm) is smaller than 40% of that in the previous reports, and its maximum transmittance can reach up to 80%. In experiments, a narrowband metallic filter with a bandwidth of about Δλ
FWHM = 10 nm, which is smaller than 25% of that in the previous metallic filters, is demonstrated.
Mechanism analysis of reaction

S+(2D)+H2(X1Σg+)→SH+(X3Σ−)+H(2S)

based on the quantum state-to-state dynamics*
Authors: Zhang Jin-Yu , Xu Ting , Ge Zhi-Wei , Zhao Juan , Gao Shou-Bao , Meng Qing-Tian
Published: April 2020

We present a state-to-state dynamical calculation on the reaction S++H2→ SH+ + H based on an accurate X2A″ potential surface. Some reaction properties, such as reaction probability, integral cross sections, product distribution, etc., are found to be those with characteristics of an indirect reaction. The oscillating structures appearing in reaction probability versus collision energy are considered to be the consequence of the deep potential well in the reaction. The comparison of the present total integral cross sections with the previous quasi-classical trajectory results shows that the quantum effect is more important at low collision energies. In addition, the quantum number inversion in the rotational distribution of the product is regarded as the result of the heavy–light–light mass combination, which is not effective for the vibrational excitation. For the collision energies considered, the product differential cross sections of the title reaction are mainly concentrated in the forward and backward regions, which suggests that there is a long-life intermediate complex in the reaction process.
Rational design of peptides for identification of linear epitopes and generation of neutralizing monoclonal antibodies against DKK2 for cancer therapy
Authors: Zhao Rongqing , Xiao Qian , Li Maohua , Ren Wenlin , Xia Chenxi , Liu Xudong , Li Yingzi , Tan Tan , Wu Dianqing , Sun Le
Published: April 2020

Dickkopf-related protein 2 (DKK2)is a member of the Dickkopf family in Wnt signaling pathway. Recently, we found that antibodies against DKK2 could activate natural killer (NK) and CD8+ T cells in tumors and inhibit tumor growth. In this paper, we report the rational design of peptides for identification of linear epitopes and generation of neutralizing monoclonal anti-DKK2 antibodies. To break the immune tolerance, we designed and chemically synthesized six peptides corresponding to different regions of DKK2 as immunogens and found five of them could generate mouse polyclonal antibodies that can bind to the active recombinant human DKK2 protein. Neutralizing mouse monoclonal antibodies (5F8 and 1A10) against human DKK2 were successfully developed by immunizing the mice with two different peptides (34KLNSIKSSL42 and 240KVWKDATYS248) conjugated to Keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH). The monoclonal antibodies not only abolish DKK2’s suppression of Wnt signaling in vitro but also inhibits tumor growth in vivo. Currently, those two mAbs are undergoing humanization as immunotherapy candidates and may offer a new drug for treatment of human cancers.
Bulb Cannula Safety for Breast Fat Grafting
Authors: Sforza Marcos , Martinez Nicole , Araujo Nathalia , de Mezerville Roberto , Castro Jose Andrés
Published: April 2020

Autologous fat transfer is a common technique to refine the contour of the breast after prosthetic augmentation or reconstruction, correcting remaining asymmetries by injecting previously harvested fat tissue with a cannula. Current procedures are often performed without visualization of the cannula at the delivery site and may require subsequent verification of the implant’s integrity. The present paper aims to evaluate the safety of a new bulb tip cannula to be used during breast implant procedures for injecting fat adjacent to a breast implant that reduce the risk of damaging the implant. Two conventional cannulae and 3 bulb cannulae, which have an atraumatic distal tip, were tested in a simulated implant-puncture setting in 3 positions (at 0°, 45°, and 90° of incidence). A Tensile Tester (Instron, High Wycombe, UK) was used to apply force with each cannula device and record the amount of force applied in the attempt to penetrate the implants used, with shell layers having a variable thickness. No implant rupture was observed with the bulb tip cannulae regardless of size or the position in which the cannulae were pressed against the implants. The cannula opening was not impeded and tended to bend instead; 27% of the cases with the conventional lipo-cannulae caused an implant rupture. The bulb tip cannula could enhance the safety of the fat transfer procedure by ensuring no iatrogenic implant disruption and optimal delivery of the fat tissue.
A novel deep learning method for predictive modeling of microbiome data
Authors: Wang Ye , Bhattacharya Tathagata , Jiang Yuchao , Qin Xiao , Wang Yue , Liu Yunlong , Saykin Andrew J , Chen Li
Published: April 2020

With the development and decreasing cost of next-generation sequencing technologies, the study of the human microbiome has become a rapid expanding research field, which provides an unprecedented opportunity in various clinical applications such as drug response predictions and disease diagnosis. It is thus essential and desirable to build a prediction model for clinical outcomes based on microbiome data that usually consist of taxon abundance and a phylogenetic tree. Importantly, all microbial species are not uniformly distributed in the phylogenetic tree but tend to be clustered at different phylogenetic depths. Therefore, the phylogenetic tree represents a unique correlation structure of microbiome, which can be an important prior to improve the prediction performance. However, prediction methods that consider the phylogenetic tree in an efficient and rigorous way are under-developed. Here, we develop a novel deep learning prediction method MDeep (microbiome-based deep learning method) to predict both continuous and binary outcomes. Conceptually, MDeep designs convolutional layers to mimic taxonomic ranks with multiple convolutional filters on each convolutional layer to capture the phylogenetic correlation among microbial species in a local receptive field and maintain the correlation structure across different convolutional layers via feature mapping. Taken together, the convolutional layers with its built-in convolutional filters capture microbial signals at different taxonomic levels while encouraging local smoothing and preserving local connectivity induced by the phylogenetic tree. We use both simulation studies and real data applications to demonstrate that MDeep outperforms competing methods in both regression and binary classifications. Availability and Implementation: MDeep software is available at https://github.com/lichen-lab/MDeep Contact:chen61@iu.edu
Depth importance in precision medicine (DIPM): a tree- and forest-based method for right-censored survival outcomes
Authors: Chen Victoria , Zhang Heping
Published: April 2020

Many clinical trials have been conducted to compare right-censored survival outcomes between interventions. Such comparisons are typically made on the basis of the entire group receiving one intervention versus the others. In order to identify subgroups for which the preferential treatment may differ from the overall group, we propose the depth importance in precision medicine (DIPM) method for such data within the precision medicine framework. The approach first modifies the split criteria of the traditional classification tree to fit the precision medicine setting. Then, a random forest of trees is constructed at each node. The forest is used to calculate depth variable importance scores for each candidate split variable. The variable with the highest score is identified as the best variable to split the node. The importance score is a flexible and simply constructed measure that makes use of the observation that more important variables tend to be selected closer to the root nodes of trees. The DIPM method is primarily designed for the analysis of clinical data with two treatment groups. We also present the extension to the case of more than two treatment groups. We use simulation studies to demonstrate the accuracy of our method and provide the results of applications to two real-world data sets. In the case of one data set, the DIPM method outperforms an existing method, and a primary motivation of this article is the ability of the DIPM method to address the shortcomings of this existing method. Altogether, the DIPM method yields promising results that demonstrate its capacity to guide personalized treatment decisions in cases with right-censored survival outcomes.
Better view by detachable string magnetically controlled capsule endoscopy for esophageal observation: a retrospective comparative study
Authors: Song J , Bai T , Zhang L , Xiang X-L , Xie X-P , Hou X-H
Published: April 2020

Magnetically controlled capsule endoscopy (MCE) system has been used to screen gastric lesions. However, the visualization performance of MCE in the esophagus has not been investigated systematically. String method improved the ability of capsule endoscopy (CE) for esophageal observing; however, the string attachment is complicated and cannot be detached with the CE inside the esophagus. We used a modified string, called detachable string attached to MCE. The aim of the study was to compare the observation performance of MCE with and without the detachable string. A total of 238 participants with upper gastrointestinal symptoms and a healthy check who refused esophagogastroduodenoscopy examination were retrospectively divided into the detachable string MCE group and the MCE alone group from June 2016 to May 2018. A suction cap with a thin, hollow string was attached to the MCE system in the detachable string group. Circumferential visualization of the esophagus including the upper, middle, and lower esophagus and Z-line, and esophageal focal lesion, as well as the recording time, safety and tolerability of the procedure, were assessed. The circumferential visualization of the upper, middle, and lower esophagus and Z-line was more efficient in the detachable string MCE group than in the MCE alone group (P < 0.001). In all, 31 esophageal lesions were detected in the detachable string MCE group, which was more than that in the MCE alone group (10, P < 0.001). The mean recording time was 305 seconds in the string MCE group, which was longer than that in the MCE alone group (48.5 seconds, P < 0.001). In seven participants (6.1%) in the detachable string MCE group, the capsule could not be separated from the string. Detachable string MCE showed better performance in terms of observation of the esophagus. Detachable string MCE can be used to screen for esophageal diseases as an alternative method in the future.
Clinical Characteristics and Outcomes of Older Patients with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Wuhan, China: A Single-Centered, Retrospective Study
Authors: Chen TieLong , Dai Zhe , Mo Pingzheng , Li Xinyu , Ma Zhiyong , Song Shihui , Chen Xiaoping , Luo Mingqi , Liang Ke , Gao Shicheng , Zhang Yongxi , Deng Liping , Xiong Yong
Published: April 2020

Background

In December 2019, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) emerged in Wuhan city and spread rapidly throughout China and the world. In this study, we aimed to describe the clinical course and outcomes of older patients with COVID-19.

Methods

This is a retrospective investigation of hospitalized older patients with confirmed COVID-19 at Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University from January 1, 2020, to February 10, 2020.

Results

In total, 203 patients were diagnosed with COVID-19, with a median age of 54 years (interquartile range, 41–68; range, 20–91 years). Men accounted for 108 (53.2%) of the cases, and 55 patients (27.1%) were more than 65 years of age. Among patients who were 65 years and older, the mortality rate was 34.5% (19/55), which was significantly higher than that of the younger patients at 4.7% (7/148). Common symptoms of older patients with COVID-19 included fever (94.5%; n = 52), dry cough (69.1%; n = 38), and chest distress (63.6%; n = 35). Compared with young patients, older patients had more laboratory abnormalities and comorbidities. Through a multivariate analysis of the causes of death in older patients, we found that males, comorbidities, time from disease onset to hospitalization, abnormal kidney function, and elevated procalcitonin levels were all significantly associated with death.

Conclusions

In the recent outbreak of COVID-19, our local hospital in Wuhan found that patients aged 65 and older had greater initial comorbidities, more severe symptoms, and were more likely to experience multiorgan involvement and death, as compared to younger patients.
Dictionaries, Neologisms, and Linguistic Purism
Authors: ten Hacken Pius , Koliopoulou Maria
Published: April 2020

A discrepancy between the perceptions of the dictionary as gatekeepers and the dictionary as a description of the language can be observed among the general public and lexicographers. This discrepancy is particularly obvious when we consider the inclusion of neologisms. Linguistic purism is generally seen by its advocates as an effort to protect a language. It is particularly relevant when we consider borrowings. These considerations serve as a background for the special issue on New Words and Linguistic Purism, which consists of an article on the background theory, three case studies focused on German, Italian, and Slovak, and a contrastive study of German and Greek which also adds some further theoretical considerations on linguistic purism.
Gaze-based Kinaesthetic Interaction for Virtual Reality
Authors: Li Zhenxing , Akkil Deepak , Raisamo Roope
Published: April 2020

Kinaesthetic interaction using force-feedback devices is promising in virtual reality. However, the devices are currently not suitable for interactions within large virtual spaces because of their limited workspace. We developed a novel gaze-based kinaesthetic interface that employs the user’s gaze to relocate the device workspace. The workspace switches to a new location when the user pulls the mechanical arm of the device to its reset position and gazes at the new target. This design enables the robust relocating of device workspace, thus achieving an infinite interaction space, and simultaneously maintains a flexible hand-based kinaesthetic exploration. We compared the new interface with the scaling-based traditional interface in an experiment involving softness and smoothness discrimination. Our results showed that the gaze-based interface performs better than the traditional interface, in terms of efficiency and kinaesthetic perception. It improves the user experience for kinaesthetic interaction in virtual reality without increasing eye strain.