bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Conformational flexibility influences structure–function relationships in nucleic acidN-methyl demethylases
Authors: Waheed Sodiq O. , Ramanan Rajeev , Chaturvedi Shobhit S. , Ainsley Jon , Evison Martin , Ames Jennifer M. , Schofield Christopher J. , Christov Christo Z. , Karabencheva-Christova Tatyana G.
Published: January 2019

Distinct conformational effects influence structure-function correlations in AlkB and FTO.
Suppression of miRNA let-7i-5p promotes cardiomyocyte proliferation and repairs heart function post injury by targetting CCND2 and E2F2
Authors: Hu Yinlan , Jin Guoqing , Li Bing , Chen Yanmei , Zhong Lintao , Chen Guojun , Chen Xiaoqiang , Zhong Jiayuan , Liao Wangjun , Liao Yulin , Wang Yuegang , Bin Jianping
Published: January 2019

MiRNAs regulate the cardiomyocyte (CM) cell cycle at the post-transcriptional level, affect cell proliferation, and intervene in harmed CM repair post-injury. The present study was undertaken to characterize the role of let-7i-5p in the processes of CM cell cycle and proliferation and to reveal the mechanisms thereof. In the present study, we used real-time qPCR (RT-qPCR) to determine the up-regulated let-7i-5p in CMs during the postnatal switch from proliferation to terminal differentiation and further validated the role of let-7i-5p by loss- and gain-of-function of let-7i-5p in CMs in vitro and in vivo. We found that the overexpression of let-7i-5p inhibited CM proliferation, whereas the suppression of let-7i-5p significantly facilitated CM proliferation. E2F2 and CCND2 were identified as the targets of let-7i-5p, mediating its effect in regulating the cell cycle of CMs. Supperession of let-7i-5p promoted the recovery of heart function post-myocardial infarction by enhancing E2F2 and CCND2. Collectively, our results revealed that let-7i-5p is involved in the regulation of the CM cell cycle and further impacts proliferation, which may offer a new potential therapeutic strategy for cardiac repair after ischemic injury.
Energy‐efficient cooperative predictive control for multi‐agent non‐linear systems with transmission delay
Authors: He Defeng , Lu Liangye , Luo Renshi , Zhang Wenan
Published: January 2019

This study proposes a novel distributed economic model predictive control (EMPC) strategy for energy‐efficient cooperative formation of decoupled multi‐agent non‐linear systems with transmission delay. In this system, each subsystem is controlled to maximise the economic performance during tracking the reference trajectory and maintaining its relative position to the neighbouring subsystems. The cooperation between subsystems is executed through the cost functions and coupled constraints associated with the delayed information. A Lyapunov‐based contractive constraint is introduced to establish recursive feasibility of the proposed EMPC strategy. Moreover, stability of any single subsystem with the EMPC is proved rigorously by exploiting the idea of input‐to‐state stability and for both strongly and weakly connected networks, stability of the whole system is then proved by using the generalised small gain condition. The effectiveness of the proposed strategy is illustrated by two numerical simulation experiments.
Finite‐time distributed topology design for optimal network resilience
Authors: Xue Dong , Hirche Sandra
Published: January 2019

The process of enhancing the ability of a complex network against various malicious attacks through link addition/rewiring has been the subject of extensive interest and research. The performance of existing methods often highly depends on full knowledge about the network topology. In this study, the authors devote ourselves to developing new distributed strategies to perform link manipulation sequentially using only local accessible topology information. This strategy is concerned with a matrix‐perturbation‐based approximation of the network‐based optimisation problems and a distributed algorithm to compute eigenvectors and eigenvalues of graph matrices. In addition, the development of a distributed stopping criterion, which provides the desired accuracy on the distributed estimation algorithm, enables us to solve the link‐operation problem in a finite‐time manner. Finally, all results are illustrated and validated using numerical demonstrations and examples.
Optimum design of double ridge horn antennas with general cross‐section
Authors: Oraizi Homayoon , Amini Amrollah , Shakoori Amirhosein , Karimimehr Mehdi
Published: January 2019

In this study, an analytical method is proposed for design of double‐ridged horn (DRH) antenna, which is based on impedance matching of the structure by the method of least squares (MLSs). New basis functions are used for the MLS to obtain optimum impedance functions for the realisation of maximum matching. The resultant reflection coefficients are compared with available methods. The proposed optimum synthesis method is applicable to the arbitrarily tapered DRH antenna with a general cross‐section. As two applications, the proposed method is used for the design of linear and non‐linear flares of DRH antennas with rectangular and elliptical cross‐sections for operation in the frequency band 2–18 GHz. For the proof of concept, a prototype model of the proposed rectangular horn antenna is fabricated and measured in the frequency domain.
Design of miniaturised frequency selective rasorber using parallel LC resonators
Authors: Jiang Wen , Zhang Kunzhe , Zhao Bo , Su Yao , Gong Shuxi
Published: January 2019

This study describes a method for designing miniaturised frequency selective rasorbers (FSRs) with a transmission band located between two adjacent absorption bands. The proposed FSR composes of a bandpass frequency selective surface at the bottom and an absorptive surface (APS) with lumped resistors and parallel LC resonators printed on the top. The absorptive surface is a 2.5‐dimensional geometry for the purpose of miniaturisation. The mounted parallel LC resonators mounted in the APS are utilised to implement the transmission characteristics of the proposed FSR while the constructed lumped resistors in the APS are used to realise the absorption performance. A prototype is fabricated and measured in an anechoic chamber under the guidance of a free‐space measurement system to verify this method. Experiments show that the proposed FSR has a transmission band at the centre frequency of 7.24 GHz and over the bands from 4.85 to 6.82 GHz and from 8.05 to 9.36 GHz, both reflection and transmission coefficients are less than −10 dB. The performances of the proposed FSR with different incident angles and polarisations are also investigated and results show that it is insensitive to electromagnetic wave polarisations and has a stable performance when the incident angles up to 45°.
Bandwidth enhanced dual‐band patch‐coupling microstrip antenna with omnidirectional CP and unidirectional CP characteristics
Authors: Cao Wenquan , Lv Xinmeng , Zeng Zhiyuan , Jin Jun , Liu Han
Published: January 2019

Patch‐coupling method is adopted to broaden the bandwidth of one dual‐band dual‐mode dual‐circular polarisation (DBDMDCP) circular microstrip antenna in this paper. The function of dual‐band dual‐mode (DBDM) is excited by simplified metamaterial structure. Curved branches loaded on the ground plane and slots perturbation of radiating patches are used to excite the circular polarisation (CP) property for both n = 0 omnidirectional mode and n = 1 mode unidirectional mode, respectively. By loading four parasitical coplanar coupling patches on the top surface, the impedance of the patch mode is obviously broadened. Furthermore, methods of coplanar coupling and cascade coupling with circular patches are both adopted to broaden the axial ratio (AR) bandwidth maintaining the impedance matching condition. Considering the processing precision, the cascade coupling type is finally fabricated and compared with the probe‐fed type for verification. Measurement results show that impedance bandwidths of 4% (centered at 4.52 GHz) and 17% (centered at 5.89 GHz) with maximum gain of 1.0 dBic and 7.1 dBic are realised for the dipole mode and patch mode, respectively. Furthermore, the 3 dB axial ratio (AR) bandwidth of the patch mode is 9.2% (520 MHz centered at 5.66 GHz). Compared with the former designs, this one owns simpler structure, considerable bandwidth besides of pattern and polarisation diversity.
Penta‐band antenna for global system for mobile communications/digital cellular system/personal communications service/universal mobile telecommunications system/wireless local area network operation in portable devices
Authors: Seko Murilo H. , Correra Fatima S.
Published: January 2019

This study presents a planar inverted‐F antenna for penta‐band operation in portable devices, in accordance with the following wireless communication standards: global system for mobile communications, digital cellular system, personal communications service, universal mobile telecommunications system, and wireless local area network. The proposed antenna consists of a folded planar radiator with two slots – a J‐shaped and a rectangular one – suspended above a substrate partially covered with a ground plane, to which a printed radiating strip is connected. Multiple resonances excited in this structure generate the radiation bands of the antenna, covering all required frequency ranges. A parametric analysis is conducted with the aid of electromagnetic simulation in order to evaluate the influence of geometrical dimensions of the antenna on its performance. The fabricated antenna prototype exhibits overall dimensions of 45 mm × 90 mm × 6.6 mm, and the experimental 10 dB return‐loss bands of the antenna are 869–966, 1653–2200, and 2390–2505 MHz, with a measured linearly polarised gain of 2.2 dB at 915 MHz, 2.0 dB at 1900 MHz, and 1.0 dB at 2450 MHz, on the principal cut planes. A good agreement is observed between simulated and experimental results.
Design of compact quad‐band bandpass filter with good selectivity using two‐/tri‐section SIRs and stepped impedance inverters
Authors: Li Daotong , Yu Yaqing , Song Rongguang , Tang Ming‐Chun , Ai Jing , Liao Yong
Published: January 2019

A compact quad‐band filter with controllable central frequencies and bandwidths based on the SIR, K inverters and multiple signal transmission paths technique is presented. Two synthesis design approaches and procedures for dual‐band filter are firstly proposed, and then the investigations on two kinds of SIRs, uniform and stepped impedance K inverters are carried out, respectively. Moreover, it is worth mentioning that the impacts of key design parameters, Ws1, Ls1, Rz, and α, on the impedance characteristics and electrical lengths of K inverters are numerically investigated. Based on the analysis, two demonstrations of dual‐band filters are designed. One utilises the two‐section SIR and uniform impedance K inverter, and the other uses the tri‐section SIR and stepped impedance K inverter. As the cells of the quad‐band filter, the two designs of dual‐band filters employed as upper and lower sub filters, respectively, are combined based on the multiple signal transmission paths technique. The upper sub filter creates the second and third passbands and the lower sub filter forms the first and fourth passbands, respectively. The surface current distributions are also studied to verify the design strategy. Finally, a example is implemented, the measured and simulated results agree well.
Differential pulse‐amplitude modulation signalling for free‐space optical communications
Authors: Dabiri Mohammad Taghi , Sadough Seyed Mohammad Sajad , Khalighi Mohammad Ali
Published: January 2019

To improve the bandwidth efficiency of free‐space optical systems and at the same time to reduce the impact of the background noise, a differential M‐ary pulse‐amplitude modulation (M‐PAM) signalling scheme that uses two laser transmitters is proposed. The authors first consider the condition that the receiver perfectly knows the instantaneous channel coefficient and compare the performance of the proposed differential PAM with the conventional PAM signalling and show the improved performance when the background noise level is relatively high. Second, the practical situation where the receiver has to estimate the channel for signal detection is considered. The authors propose an estimation scheme based on the characteristics of the differential PAM signalling while requiring no pilot symbol transmission. The proposed data‐aided channel estimation is performed on a sequence of received PAM symbols. The authors also show that for a sufficiently large observation window, the proposed estimation method allows achieving a performance close to the perfect channel knowledge.
The complexity of concatenation on deterministic and alternating finite automata
Authors: Hospodár Michal , Jirásková Galina
Published: January 2019

We study the state complexity of the concatenation operation on regular languages represented by deterministic and alternating finite automata. For deterministic automata, we show that the upper bound m2n − k2n−1 on the state complexity of concatenation can be met by ternary languages, the first of which is accepted by an m-state DFA with k final states, and the second one by an n-state DFA with ℓ final states for arbitrary integers m, n, k, ℓ with 1 ≤ k ≤ m − 1 and 1 ≤ ℓ ≤ n − 1. In the case of k ≤ m − 2, we are able to provide appropriate binary witnesses. In the case of k = m − 1 and ℓ ≥ 2, we provide a lower bound which is smaller than the upper bound just by one. We use our binary witnesses for concatenation on deterministic automata to describe binary languages meeting the upper bound 2m + n + 1 for the concatenation on alternating finite automata. This solves an open problem stated by Fellah et al. [Int. J. Comput. Math. 35 (1990) 117–132].
Factors affecting aquatic beetle communities of Northern Western Ghats of India (Arthropoda: Insecta: Coleoptera)
Authors: Sheth Sayali D. , Padhye Anand D. , Ghate Hemant V.
Published: January 2019

We studied faunistic and ecological factors influencing distributions of aquatic beetles in the Northern Western Ghats (NWG) of India. In the period 2013–2017, we collected 213 samples from 105 localities within the area and obtained 66 species, the majority of which belong to Dytiscidae. Relative occurrence based on incidence data revealed that dytiscid water beetleLaccophilus inefficiensas the most widespread species. Non-parametric richness estimators Chao2, Jackknife1 and Bootstrap showed that 70–80% of the fauna was covered in the sampling efforts from different types of freshwater habitats. Sample-based rarefaction suggested that more sampling efforts within the region can yield additional species. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) revealed that altitude, salinity, hydroperiod and depth influenced the distribution of aquatic beetles. Further, CCA also revealed habitat preference and co-occurrence of various aquatic beetle species. For instance, while co-occurring species under Laccophilinae and Hydroporinae were eurytopic, other co-occurring speciesClypeodytes hemani,Microdytes sabitaeandLacconectus lambaiwere restricted to temporary habitats. Multiple correspondence analysis (MCA) showed a strong association between altitudinal classes and species distribution where many species were restricted within a particular altitudinal gradient. For example,M. sabitae,C. hemani,Hygrotus nilghiricus,L. lambaiandRhantus taprobanicuswith classes 900–1199 and 1200–1499 whileHyphydrus flavicans,Laccophilus ceylonicus,Lacconectus andrewesi,Sternolophus inconspicuusandCanthydrus laetabiliswith the class 300–599. The present work on aquatic beetles is the first attempt to study the influence of environmental factors on species diversity and distribution in the Northern Western Ghats of India.
Mikrokosmos Praxisanleitung
Authors: Bender Andreas
Published: January 2019

Eine gute pflegerische Ausbildung ist die Grundlage für die Arbeit mit Patienten
und ein erfüllendes Berufsleben. Wichtig ist dabei, dass die Anleitung
systematisch verläuft und sowohl den Bedürfnissen der Auszubildenden als auch
der Anleiterinnen entspricht. Unser Autor erläutert an einem Praxisbeispiel, wie
eine Anleitungssystematik auf einer allgemeinen, offen psychiatrischen
Akutstation erfolgreich implementiert wurde.
Motivierende Gesprächsführung
Authors: Weißkerber Maria
Published: January 2019

Suchtkranke Straftäter in der Forensik zu einer Behandlung zu motivieren, ist
häufig ein aussichtsloses Unterfangen. Wie es mithilfe der motivierenden
Gesprächsführung gelingen kann, ambivalentes Verhalten aufzulösen und die
Bereitschaft zur Veränderung zu wecken, erläutert unsere Autorin.
Die praktische Prüfung in der Psychiatrie
Authors: Rau Fritz-Stefan
Published: January 2019

Beim praktischen Examen in der Psychiatrie liegt der Fokus häufig auf der
Körperpflege. Doch ist das tatsächlich noch zeitgemäß und pädagogisch sinnvoll?
Unser Autor zeigt Alternativen auf und schildert, wie die praktische Prüfung an
seiner Schule gestaltet wird – dabei dürfen auch schon mal Waffeln gebacken
werden.
Forward-viewing echoendoscope versus standard echoendoscope for endoscopic ultrasound-guided tissue acquisition of solid lesions: a randomized, multicenter study
Authors: Larghi Alberto , Ibrahim Mostafa , Fuccio Lorenzo , Lekkerkerker Selma , Eisendrath Pierre , Frazzoni Leonardo , Fockens Paul , La Marca Marina , van Hooft Jeanin E. , Deviere Jacques , Costamagna Guido
Published: January 2019

Background A forward-viewing linear (FVL) echoendoscope has been developed with the aim of overcoming some of the limitations of standard curved linear-array (CLA) echoendoscopes. There are no existing studies comparing the performance of the two echoendoscopes for endoscopic ultrasound-guided tissue acquisition (EUS-TA) of solid lesions other than subepithelial lesions.

Methods This was a prospective, multicenter, randomized trial with a noninferiority design comparing FVL vs. CLA echoendoscopes in patients with solid lesions of the gastrointestinal tract or adjacent organs. Primary outcomes were successful identification of the lesion and success of EUS-TA. Secondary outcomes were safety, sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic accuracy of the two different scopes for EUS-TA.

Results 126 patients with solid lesions were randomly assigned to the CLA group (63 patients) or the FVL group (63 patients). The two groups were homogeneous with no differences in terms of needle type used, mean number of passes, and site of EUS-TA. No differences were observed between the FVL vs. CLA scopes in identification of the lesion (96.8 % vs. 98.4 %; P > 0.99) and technical success of EUS-TA (92.1 % vs. 96.8 %; P = 0.44). No adverse events occurred. Overall, diagnostic accuracy (77.8 % vs. 84.1 %), sensitivity (76.6 % vs. 84.1 %), and specificity (81.3 % vs. 84.2 %) did not differ between the two groups.

Conclusions Our results strongly suggest that the FVL echoendoscope is noninferior to the CLA scope for the detection and performance of EUS-TA in patients with solid lesions of the gastrointestinal tract and adjacent organs. In addition, the FVL scope has the same diagnostic yield, accuracy, and safety as the CLA scope.
Entwicklung eines Okulopressors zur Evaluation der Funktionalität von Glaukomdrainage-Implantaten
Authors: Kopp Franziska , Koschmieder Anita , Stahnke Thomas , Pfensig Sylvia , Specht Olaf , Grabow Niels , Schmitz Klaus-Peter , Guthoff Rudolf , Siewert Stefan
Published: January 2019

Hintergrund Die Evaluation der langfristigen Wirksamkeit von MIGS-Implantaten ist zurzeit noch schwierig, da entsprechende Langzeitstudien fehlen. Auch werden unterschiedliche Wirkmechanismen der verschiedenen Implantate nicht immer diskutiert. Ziel dieser Studie war die Entwicklung einer Okulopressions-Methode zur Untersuchung der Funktionalität und der Effektivität von Glaukomdrainage-Implantaten.

Material und Methoden Explantierte Schweinebulbi wurden 3 verschiedenen Okulopressoren mit unterschiedlichen Funktionsprinzipien und Belastungsniveaus ausgesetzt. Der zeitabhängige Verlauf des Augeninnendruckes wurde über einen Infusionsstutzen direkt in der Vorderkammer gemessen. Der Honan-Ballon übt über eine Pelotte variablen Druck auf das Auge aus, während der Taylor-Okulopressor mit einem definierten Gewicht das Auge belastet. Es wurde ein neuer Okulopressor mit einem Auflagegewicht von 60 g entwickelt und mithilfe von 3-D-Druck-Technologie gefertigt.

Ergebnisse Die beobachteten Druckverläufe waren für alle Okulopressoren gleich, mit je nach Gerät und Belastungsniveau unterschiedlichen Maximalwerten. Die Handhabung des Honan-Ballons war für die vorgesehene Anwendung aufgrund der schlechten Standardisierbarkeit der Belastung nicht geeignet. Die Okulopression mit einem definierten Gewicht erschien geeigneter. Aufgrund der mit dem Taylor-Okulopressor erreichten sehr hohen Druckwerte von bis zu 203,3 ± 38,4 mmHg ist dieser jedoch für eine Anwendung bei Glaukompatienten ausgeschlossen. Basierend auf diesen Daten wurde der neu entwickelte Okulopressor im Rahmen erster Untersuchungen mit Probanden getestet und damit der Einsatz im Rahmen klinischer Studien vorbereitet.

Schlussfolgerung Das Prinzip der Okulopression ermöglicht potenziell eine Funktionsüberprüfung von Glaukomdrainage-Implantaten. Die kommerziell verfügbaren Okulopressoren sind für diesen Zweck jedoch nicht unmittelbar anwendbar. Die komplizierte Handhabung, die sehr hohen Druckwerte, die erzeugt werden, und die schlechte Standardisierbarkeit lassen nur bedingt einen Einsatz am Glaukompatienten zu. Im Rahmen der vorliegenden Arbeit wurde ein einfach zu handhabender Okulopressor entwickelt, der eine definierte IOD-Steigerung ermöglicht. Dieser Okulopressor wird aktuell in einer klinischen Studie erfolgreich eingesetzt, um die Wirksamkeit von MIGS-Implantaten zu untersuchen.
TACE, DEE-TACE, and Its Evolution in Metastatic Disease
Authors: Byers Luke , Brown Matthew , Johnson D. , Rochon Paul
Published: January 2019

Intra-arterial hepatic therapy is a relatively new technique popularized in the 1990s and 2000s and is built on decades of incremental development and discovery. Intra-arterial oncologic embolization therapy broadly includes transarterial embolization, transarterial chemoembolization (TACE), drug-eluting embolic transarterial chemoembolization, and transarterial radioembolization. These therapies have been included in the multidisciplinary treatment algorithm of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and metastatic disease. Barcelona Clinic for Liver Cancer treatment guidelines specifically recommends TACE for the treatment of intermediate stage HCC. Research and clinical practice have seen extension of intra-arterial therapy to also broadly include unresectable HCC in many circumstances including palliation and a bridge to transplant. Some evidence also suggests an expanding role for intra-arterial therapy in the context of other primary liver neoplasms as well as metastatic disease with general considerations carrying over from the experience of treating HCC. In general, the efficacy of these treatments is similar, and selection of therapy is based on physician expertise and preference.
Machine Learning and Data Analytics in Pervasive Health
Authors: Oliver Nuria , Marschollek Michael , Mayora Oscar
Published: January 2019

Introduction: This accompanying editorial provides a brief introduction to this focus theme, focused on “Machine Learning and Data Analytics in Pervasive Health”.

Objective: The innovative use of machine learning technologies combining small and big data analytics will support a better provisioning of healthcare to citizens. This focus theme aims to present contributions at the crossroads of pervasive health technologies and data analytics as key enablers for achieving personalised medicine for diagnosis and treatment purposes.

Methods: A call for paper was announced to all participants of the “11th International Conference on Pervasive Computing Technologies for Healthcare”, to different working groups of the International Medical Informatics Association (IMIA) and European Federation of Medical Informatics (EFMI) and was published in June 2017 on the website of Methods of Information in Medicine. A peer review process was conducted to select the papers for this focus theme.

Results: Four papers were selected to be included in this focus theme. The paper topics cover a broad range of machine learning and data analytics applications in healthcare including detection of injurious subtypes of patient-ventilator asynchrony, early detection of cognitive impairment, effective use of small data sets for estimating the performance of radiotherapy in bladder cancer treatment, and the use negation detection in and information extraction from unstructured medical texts.

Conclusions: The use of machine learning and data analytics technologies in healthcare is facing a renewed impulse due to the availability of large amounts and new sources of human behavioral and physiological data, such as that captured by mobile and pervasive devices traditionally considered as nonmainstream for healthcare provision and management.
Multispectral multidimensional spectrometer spanning the ultraviolet to the mid-infrared
Authors: Song Yin , Konar Arkaprabha , Sechrist Riley , Roy Ved Prakash , Duan Rong , Dziurgot Jared , Policht Veronica , Matutes Yassel Acosta , Kubarych Kevin J. , Ogilvie Jennifer P.
Published: January 2019

Multidimensional spectroscopy is the optical analog to nuclear magnetic resonance, probing dynamical processes with ultrafast time resolution. At optical frequencies, the technical challenges of multidimensional spectroscopy have hindered its progress until recently, where advances in laser sources and pulse-shaping have removed many obstacles to its implementation. Multidimensional spectroscopy in the visible and infrared (IR) regimes has already enabled respective advances in our understanding of photosynthesis and the structural rearrangements of liquid water. A frontier of ultrafast spectroscopy is to extend and combine multidimensional techniques and frequency ranges, which have been largely restricted to operating in the distinct visible or IR regimes. By employing two independent amplifiers seeded by a single oscillator, it is straightforward to span a wide range of time scales (femtoseconds to seconds), all of which are often relevant to the most important energy conversion and catalysis problems in chemistry, physics, and materials science. Complex condensed phase systems have optical transitions spanning the ultraviolet (UV) to the IR and exhibit dynamics relevant to function on time scales of femtoseconds to seconds and beyond. We describe the development of the Multispectral Multidimensional Nonlinear Spectrometer (MMDS) to enable studies of dynamical processes in atomic, molecular, and material systems spanning femtoseconds to seconds, from the UV to the IR regimes. The MMDS employs pulse-shaping methods to provide an easy-to-use instrument with an unprecedented spectral range that enables unique combination spectroscopies. We demonstrate the multispectral capabilities of the MMDS on several model systems.
High performance passive vibration isolation system for optical tables using six-degree-of-freedom viscous damping combined with steel springs
Authors: Hermsdorf Gero L. , Szilagyi Sven A. , Rösch Sebastian , Schäffer Erik
Published: January 2019

Mechanical vibrations in buildings are ubiquitous. Such vibrations limit the performance of sensitive instruments used, for example, for high-precision manufacturing, nanofabrication, metrology, medical systems, or microscopy. For improved precision, instruments and optical tables need to be isolated from mechanical vibrations. However, common active or passive vibration isolation systems often perform poorly when low-frequency vibration isolation is required or are expensive. Furthermore, a simple solution such as suspension from common bungee cords may require high ceilings. Here we developed a vibration isolation system that uses steel springs to suspend an optical table from a common-height ceiling. The system was designed for a fundamental resonance frequency of 0.5 Hz. Resonances and vibrations were efficiently damped in all translational and rotational degrees of freedom of the optical table by spheres, which were mounted underneath the table and immersed in a highly viscous silicone oil. Our low-cost, passive system outperformed several state-of-the-art passive and active systems in particular in the frequency range between 1 and 10 Hz. We attribute this performance to a minimal coupling between the degrees of freedom and the truly three dimensional viscous damping combined with a nonlinear hydrodynamic finite-size effect. Furthermore, the system can be adapted to different loads, resonance frequencies, and dimensions. In the long term, the excellent performance of the system will allow high-precision measurements for many different instruments.
Confinement and manipulation of electron plasmas in a multicell trap
Authors: Hurst N. C. , Danielson J. R. , Baker C. J. , Surko C. M.
Published: January 2019

Plasma dynamics and transport are studied experimentally in a multicell Penning-Malmberg trap. The goal is to develop methods for accumulation and long-term confinement of larger numbers of charged particles (e.g., positrons) than is presently possible. In this scheme, the particles constitute non-neutral plasmas which are confined separately in a parallel array of storage cells. Experiments are presented in which pure electron plasmas are transferred from a large-diameter “master cell” trapping region into four smaller, parallel “storage cells,” three of which are offset from the magnetic symmetry axis. The physics of the transfer process, as well as the confinement properties of plasmas in the storage cells, is discussed. We show that plasmas can be transferred into the storage cells and held there for up to a day or more using the rotating wall technique, provided that the plasma radius is sufficiently small compared to that of the cell wall. Experiments regarding the confinement of plasmas with kilovolt space charge are discussed. Recommendations are provided for future efforts with high-capacity multicell traps.
Theoretical analysis of screened many-body electrostatic interactions between charged polarizable particles
Authors: Lindgren Eric B. , Quan Chaoyu , Stamm Benjamin
Published: January 2019

This paper builds on two previous studies [Lindgren et al., J. Comput. Phys. 371, 712 (2018) and Quan et al., “A domain decomposition method for the Poisson-Boltzmann solvation models,” SIAM J. Sci. Comput. (to be published); e-print arXiv:1807.05384] to devise a new method to solve the problem of calculating electrostatic interactions in a system composed by many dielectric particles, embedded in a homogeneous dielectric medium, which in turn can also be permeated by charge carriers. The system is defined by the charge, size, position, and dielectric constant of each particle, as well as the dielectric constant and the Debye length of the medium. The effects of taking into account the dielectric nature of the particles are explored in selected scenarios where the presence of electrolytes in the medium can significantly influence the total undergoing interactions. The description of the mutual interactions between all particles in the system as being truly of many-body nature reveals how such effects can effectively influence the magnitudes and even directions of the resulting forces, especially those acting on particles that have a null net charge. Particular attention is given to a situation that can be related to colloidal particles in an electrolyte solution, where it is shown that polarization effects alone can substantially raise or lower—depending on the dielectric contrast between the particles and the medium—the energy barrier that divides particle coagulation and flocculation regions, when an interplay between electrostatic and additional van der Waals forces is considered. Overall, the results suggest that for an accurate description of the type of system in question, it is essential to consider particle polarization if the separation between the interacting particles are comparable to or smaller than the Debye length of the medium.
Analysis of a fractional eigenvalue problem involving Atangana-Baleanu fractional derivative: A maximum principle and applications
Authors: Al-Refai Mohammed , Hajji Mohamed Ali
Published: January 2019

In this paper, we study linear and nonlinear fractional eigenvalue problems involving the Atangana-Baleanu fractional derivative of the order 1<δ<2. We first estimate the fractional derivative of a function at its extreme points and apply it to obtain a maximum principle for the linear fractional boundary value problem. We then estimate the eigenvalues of the nonlinear eigenvalue problem and obtain necessary conditions to guarantee the existence of eigenfunctions. We also obtain a uniqueness result and a norm estimate of solutions of the linear problem. The obtained maximum principle and results are based on a condition that connects the boundary conditions, the order of the fractional derivative, and the Mittag-Leffler kernel. This condition is different from the ones obtained in previous results with different types of fractional derivatives.
Cytotoxic CD8+T lymphocytes expressing ALS-causing SOD1 mutant selectively trigger death of spinal motoneurons
Authors: Coque Emmanuelle , Salsac Céline , Espinosa-Carrasco Gabriel , Varga Béla , Degauque Nicolas , Cadoux Marion , Crabé Roxane , Virenque Anaïs , Soulard Claire , Fierle Julie K. , Brodovitch Alexandre , Libralato Margot , Végh Attila G. , Venteo Stéphanie , Scamps Frédérique , Boucraut José , Laplaud David , Hernandez Javier , Gergely Csilla , Vincent Thierry , Raoul Cédric
Published: January 2019

Significance

CD8+T lymphocytes, which are typically devoted to eliminate malignant and infected cells, have been described in the central nervous system (CNS) of patients and mice with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). However, their role in ALS pathogenesis has yet to be unraveled. Here, we show that ablation of CD8+T cells in ALS mice increased the number of surviving motoneurons. CD8+T cells expressing the ALS-causing superoxide dismutase-1 mutant protein recognize and selectively kill motoneurons in vitro. To exert their cytotoxic function, mutant CD8+T cells required presentation of the antigen-MHC-I complex at the surface of the motoneurons. Analysis of T cell receptor diversity supports the evidence that self-reactive CD8+T lymphocytes infiltrate the CNS of ALS mice to exert cytotoxic function.
Molecular mechanism for NLRP6 inflammasome assembly and activation
Authors: Shen Chen , Lu Alvin , Xie Wen Jun , Ruan Jianbin , Negro Roberto , Egelman Edward H. , Fu Tian-Min , Wu Hao
Published: January 2019

Inflammasomes are large protein complexes that trigger host defense in cells by activating inflammatory caspases for cytokine maturation and pyroptosis. NLRP6 is a sensor protein in the nucleotide-binding domain (NBD) and leucine-rich repeat (LRR)-containing (NLR) inflammasome family that has been shown to play multiple roles in regulating inflammation and host defenses. Despite the significance of the NLRP6 inflammasome, little is known about the molecular mechanism behind its assembly and activation. Here we present cryo-EM and crystal structures of NLRP6 pyrin domain (PYD). We show that NLRP6 PYD alone is able to self-assemble into filamentous structures accompanied by large conformational changes and can recruit the ASC adaptor using PYD–PYD interactions. Using molecular dynamics simulations, we identify the surface that the NLRP6 PYD filament uses to recruit ASC PYD. We further find that full-length NLRP6 assembles in a concentration-dependent manner into wider filaments with a PYD core surrounded by the NBD and the LRR domain. These findings provide a structural understanding of inflammasome assembly by NLRP6 and other members of the NLR family.
One-megadalton metalloenzyme complex in
Geobacter metallireducens
involved in benzene ring reduction beyond the biological redox window
Authors: Huwiler Simona G. , Löffler Claudia , Anselmann Sebastian E. L. , Stärk Hans-Joachim , von Bergen Martin , Flechsler Jennifer , Rachel Reinhard , Boll Matthias
Published: January 2019

Significance

Flavin-based electron bifurcation (FBEB) is a long-hidden mode of energetic coupling in which an endergonic electron transfer process is coupled to an exergonic one. The function of the few FBEB complexes described so far is to achieve ferredoxin reduction at the negative redox limit of the biological redox window. Here, a membrane-associated FBEB complex, isolated and characterized from an anaerobic, aromatic compound-degrading bacterium, achieves a redox reaction beyond this limit possibly by two consecutive FBEB events, with reduced ferredoxin serving as donor. The benzene ring-reducing class II benzoyl-CoA reductase has a [Bam(BC)
2
DEFGHI]
2
composition and represents, with 4 W, 2 Se, 6 FAD, and >50 FeS cofactors, one of the most complex electron transfer machineries in nature.
Banded microstructure in a low-alloyed eutectoid steel
Authors: Kannan Rangasayee , Wang Yiyu , Li Leijun
Published: January 2019

The possible influence of banded microstructure on the fracture performance of a high-carbon steel is investigated using electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction techniques. The banded microstructure was found to be alternating layers of bainite and tempered martensite/retained austenite. Transformation of bainite was promoted by a combined effect of segregation of alloying elements, non-uniform thermal gradient across the steel, and the insufficient austenitisation. The transformation of bainite along the prior austenite grain boundaries (PAGBs) introduces a non-uniform strain distribution at bainite/martensite interface and a higher stress concentration, which may eventually lead to the failure of the heavy section in a brittle intergranular manner. Results provide insights to the importance of understanding the bainitic transformation in such eutectoid steel systems.
Performance evaluation of HVOF sprayed WC-10Co4Cr coatings under slurry erosion
Authors: Liu Xiao-bin , Kang Jia-jie , Yue Wen , Fu Zhi-qiang , Zhu Li-na , She Ding-shun , Liang Jian , Wang Cheng-biao
Published: January 2019

Slurry erosion is one of the main failure modes of the hydraulic turbine parts, mud pumps and drill pipes. The high velocity oxygen fuel (HVOF) spray process has been widely used for depositing protective coatings especially the cermet coatings that can significantly improve the slurry erosion resistance of substrate materials. In this work, conventional WC-10Co4Cr composite coatings and coatings with bimodal structures were deposited on the 35CrMo steel substrate by HVOF, respectively. Structures of the two kinds of coatings were analysed with SEM and XRD methods, and microhardness, porosity and roughness were also measured. Furthermore, the slurry erosion tests were carried out on the coatings to explore the effect of average particle size, slurry concentration and pH value on the erosion behaviours. The erosion failure mechanisms of the coatings were also explored. The results show that the bimodal coating has a denser microstructure, superior mechanical properties, lower porosity and better slurry erosion resistance than the conventional coating. The erosion-corrosion mechanism of the two kinds of coatings is spalling, caused by crack initiation and propagation under fatigue stress.
United States progress in remediating contaminated sediments in Great Lakes Areas of Concern
Authors: Tuchman M. L. , Cieniawski S. E. , Hartig J. H.
Published: January 2019

Starting in 1985, comprehensive Remedial Action Plans were initiated to restore impaired beneficial uses in Great Lakes Areas of Concern. These plans were a catalyst for developing programs to remediate contaminated sediments. In 1987, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency implemented the Assessment and Remediation of Contaminated Sediment Program to: measure contaminant concentrations in sediments and their potential effects on aquatic life; evaluate risks to wildlife and human health; and test technologies that might be used to clean up these contaminated sediments. In 2002, the U.S. Great Lakes Legacy Act was signed into law with the intent to remediate contaminated sediments at Great Lakes Areas of Concern. Before Great Lakes Legacy Act, only limited progress had been made in addressing contaminated sediments, a major, intractable issue impacting 9 of the 14 listed beneficial use impairments in Areas of Concern. Between 2004 and 2017, Great Lakes stakeholders have completed a total of 46 contaminated sediment remediation projects in U.S. Areas of Concern, resulting in the remediation of over 6.6 million m3 of contaminated sediments at a cost of over $1 billion. Although much has been accomplished, more contaminated sediment remediation must be undertaken to fully restore Areas of Concern. The Great Lakes Legacy Act and Great Lakes Restoration Initiative have been essential components for completing this important remediation and restoration work in Areas of Concern that is resulting in significant economic and environmental benefits.
Facilitation of IKr current by some hERG channel blockers suppresses early afterdepolarizations
Authors: Furutani Kazuharu , Tsumoto Kunichika , Chen I-Shan , Handa Kenichiro , Yamakawa Yuko , Sack Jon T. , Kurachi Yoshihisa
Published: January 2019

Drug-induced block of the cardiac rapid delayed rectifying potassium current (IKr), carried by the human ether-a-go-go-related gene (hERG) channel, is the most common cause of acquired long QT syndrome. Indeed, some, but not all, drugs that block hERG channels cause fatal cardiac arrhythmias. However, there is no clear method to distinguish between drugs that cause deadly arrhythmias and those that are clinically safe. Here we propose a mechanism that could explain why certain clinically used hERG blockers are less proarrhythmic than others. We demonstrate that several drugs that block hERG channels, but have favorable cardiac safety profiles, also evoke another effect; they facilitate the hERG current amplitude in response to low-voltage depolarization. To investigate how hERG facilitation impacts cardiac safety, we develop computational models of IKr block with and without this facilitation. We constrain the models using data from voltage clamp recordings of hERG block and facilitation by nifekalant, a safe class III antiarrhythmic agent. Human ventricular action potential simulations demonstrate the ability of nifekalant to suppress ectopic excitations, with or without facilitation. Without facilitation, excessive IKr block evokes early afterdepolarizations, which cause lethal arrhythmias. When facilitation is introduced, early afterdepolarizations are prevented at the same degree of block. Facilitation appears to prevent early afterdepolarizations by increasing IKr during the repolarization phase of action potentials. We empirically test this prediction in isolated rabbit ventricular myocytes and find that action potential prolongation with nifekalant is less likely to induce early afterdepolarization than action potential prolongation with dofetilide, a hERG channel blocker that does not induce facilitation. Our data suggest that hERG channel blockers that induce facilitation increase the repolarization reserve of cardiac myocytes, rendering them less likely to trigger lethal ventricular arrhythmias.
Cube invariance of higher Chow groups with modulus
Authors: Miyazaki Hiroyasu
Published: January 2019

The higher Chow groups with modulus generalize both Bloch’s higher Chow groups and the additive higher Chow groups. Our first aim is to formulate and prove a generalization ofA1\mathbb {A}^1-homotopy invariance for the higher Chow groups with modulus, called the “cube invariance”. The proof requires a new moving lemma of algebraic cycles. Next, we introduce the obstruction to theA1\mathbb {A}^1-homotopy invariance, called the “nilpotent higher Chow groups”, as analogues of the nilpotentKK-groups. We prove that the nilpotent higher Chow groups admit module structures over the big Witt ring of the base field. This result implies that the higher Chow groups with modulus with appropriate coefficients satisfyA1\mathbb {A}^1-homotopy invariance. We also prove thatA1\mathbb {A}^1-homotopy invariance implies independence from the multiplicity of the modulus divisors.
Effects of Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement Versus Social Support on Negative Affective Interference During Inhibitory Control Among Opioid-Treated Chronic Pain Patients: A Pilot Mechanistic Study
Authors: Garland Eric L , Bryan Myranda A , Priddy Sarah E , Riquino Michael R , Froeliger Brett , Howard Matthew O
Published: January 2019

Background

Among opioid-treated chronic pain patients, deficient response inhibition in the context of emotional distress may contribute to maladaptive pain coping and prescription opioid misuse. Interventions that aim to bolster cognitive control and reduce emotional reactivity (e.g., mindfulness) may remediate response inhibition deficits, with consequent clinical benefits.

Purpose

To test the hypothesis that a mindfulness-based intervention, Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement (MORE), can reduce the impact of clinically relevant, negative affective interference on response inhibition function in an opioid-treated chronic pain sample.

Methods

We examined data from a controlled trial comparing adults with chronic pain and long-term prescription opioid use randomized to either MORE (n = 27) treatment or to an active support group comparison condition (n = 30). Participants completed an Emotional Go/NoGo Task at pre- and post-treatment, which measured response inhibition in neutral and clinically relevant, negative affective contexts (i.e., exposure to pain-related visual stimuli).

Results

Repeated-measures analysis of variance indicated that compared with the support group, participants in MORE evidenced significantly greater reductions from pre- to post-treatment in errors of commission on trials with pain-related distractors relative to trials with neutral distractors, group × time × condition F(1,55) = 4.14, p = .047, η2partial = .07. Mindfulness practice minutes and increased nonreactivity significantly predicted greater emotional response inhibition. A significant inverse association was observed between improvements in emotional response inhibition and treatment-related reductions in pain severity by 3-month follow-up.

Conclusions

Study results provide preliminary evidence that MORE enhances inhibitory control function in the context of negative emotional interference.
2. Quantifying risk
Authors: Davis Mark H. A.
Published: January 2019

A large part of the purpose of the financial markets is to manage, and indeed profit from, risk—the uncertainty surrounding future events, any event, in fact, that affects the views of investors as to the value of securities. ‘Quantifying risk’ reviews the main ideas of probability theory, explaining random variables, normal distribution, standard deviation, strong law of large numbers, and the central limit theorem. It also discusses ‘subjective probability’ or probability as degree of belief, which are based around so-called Dutch Book Arguments that concern the existence or otherwise of arbitrage strategies. It concludes with an explanation of stochastic modelling.
5. Credit risk
Authors: Davis Mark H. A.
Published: January 2019

Credit risk is the risk that your counterparty might default on future obligations. There are a small number of credit rating agencies operating globally that assign a credit rating to each company under consideration. ‘Credit risk’ explains credit risk modelling and analysis, including credit default swaps, multi-asset credit risk, and collateralized debt obligations. Credit risk models are divided into two main categories: ‘structural form’ and ‘reduced form’. A pervasive problem in credit risk modelling is that while some parameters can be backed out by the calibration process, there are usually others about which the available data is insufficient for us to do anything more than take an educated guess.