bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Formation of concentrated triglyceride nanoemulsions and nanogels: natural emulsifiers and high power ultrasound
Authors: Nejatian Mohammad , Abbasi Soleiman
Published: September 2019

The capability of ultrasonication and natural emulsifiers on nano-emulsification and nano-gelation of concentrated triglyceride oil was verified.
Investigation of mixed-metal (oxy)fluorides as a new class of water oxidation electrocatalysts
Authors: Lemoine Kévin , Lhoste Jérôme , Hémon-Ribaud Annie , Heidary Nina , Maisonneuve Vincent , Guiet Amandine , Kornienko Nikolay
Published: September 2019

The development of electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is one of the principal challenges in the area of renewable energy research.
An inorganic salt reinforced Zn2+-conducting solid-state electrolyte for ultra-stable Zn metal batteries
Authors: Han Qi , Chi Xiaowei , Liu Yunzhao , Wang Liang , Du Yuexiu , Ren Yang , Liu Yu
Published: September 2019

Ultrastrong self-standing gelatin-based Zn2+-conducting solid-state electrolytes (GSEs) are prepared by harnessing the inorganic salt-reinforced effect through a facile soaking strategy.
Callistemon-like Zn and S codoped CoP nanorod clusters as highly efficient electrocatalysts for neutral-pH overall water splitting
Authors: Yan Liang , Zhang Bing , Zhu Junlu , Liu Zhonggang , Zhang Haiyan , Li Yunyong
Published: September 2019

A novel callistemon-like Zn,S–CoP NRCs/CP exhibits exceptional activity in catalyzing both HER and OER under neutral and alkaline conditions.
Synthesis of solvent-free processable and on-demand cross-linkable dielectric elastomers for actuators
Authors: Caspari Philip , Nüesch Frank A. , Opris Dorina M.
Published: September 2019

On-demand and solvent-free synthesis of high permittivity polysiloxane elastic thin films responsive to an electric stimulus is presented.
Reshaping cAMP nanodomains through targeted disruption of compartmentalised phosphodiesterase signalosomes
Authors: Blair Connor M. , Baillie George S.
Published: September 2019

Spatio-temporal regulation of localised cAMP nanodomains is highly dependent upon the compartmentalised activity of phosphodiesterase (PDE) cyclic nucleotide degrading enzymes. Strategically positioned PDE–protein complexes are pivotal to the homeostatic control of cAMP-effector protein activity that in turn orchestrate a wide range of cellular signalling cascades in a variety of cells and tissue types. Unsurprisingly, dysregulated PDE activity is central to the pathophysiology of many diseases warranting the need for effective therapies that target PDEs selectively. This short review focuses on the importance of activating compartmentalised cAMP signalling by displacing the PDE component of signalling complexes using cell-permeable peptide disrupters
XMM-Newton and Fermi/LAT view on the supernova remnant 3C434.1
Authors: Doroshenko V. , Malyshev D. , Pühlhofer G. , Dincel B. , Sasaki M. , Santangelo A.
Published: September 2019

We report on XMM-Newton observations of the supernova remnant (SNR) 3C434.1 (G94.0+1.0), the first in X-rays since the ROSAT era. Our analysis confirms the thermal origin of the observed extended X-ray emission, whose morphology appears more complex than previously reported. In particular, part of the shell shows a significantly harder spectrum which is consistent with a power law, and it is, therefore, likely of non-thermal origin. Motivated by these finding, we revisited the GeV observations of the field taken with the Fermi observatory. A significant excess associated with the remnant was detected, which is likely associated with non-thermal X-ray emission from part of the shell. The analysis of the Fermi data resulted in the serendipity discovery of GeV emission from the nearby SNR G093.7-00.2. Finally, we searched for a possible compact remnants within the shell, however, no obvious candidates could be identified due to the fairly large positional uncertainties.
Herschel map of Saturn’s stratospheric water, delivered by the plumes of Enceladus
Authors: Cavalié T. , Hue V. , Hartogh P. , Moreno R. , Lellouch E. , Feuchtgruber H. , Jarchow C. , Cassidy T. , Fletcher L. N. , Billebaud F. , Dobrijevic M. , Rezac L. , Orton G. S. , Rengel M. , Fouchet T. , Guerlet S.
Published: September 2019

Context. The origin of water in the stratospheres of giant planets has been an outstanding question ever since its first detection by the Infrared Space Observatory some 20 years ago. Water can originate from interplanetary dust particles, icy rings and satellites, and large comet impacts. Analyses of Herschel Space Observatory observations have proven that the bulk of Jupiter’s stratospheric water was delivered by the Shoemaker-Levy 9 impacts in 1994. In 2006, the Cassini mission detected water plumes at the South Pole of Enceladus, which made the moon a serious candidate for Saturn’s stratospheric water. Further evidence was found in 2011 when Herschel demonstrated the presence of a water torus at the orbital distance of Enceladus that was fed by the moon’s plumes. Finally, water falling from the rings onto Saturn’s uppermost atmospheric layers at low latitudes was detected during the final orbits of Cassini’s end-of-mission plunge into the atmosphere.

Aims. In this paper, we use Herschel mapping observations of water in Saturn’s stratosphere to identify its source.

Methods. We tested several empirical models against the Herschel-HIFI and -PACS observations, which were collected on December 30, 2010, and January 2, 2011, respectively.

Results. We demonstrate that Saturn’s stratospheric water is not uniformly mixed as a function of latitude, but peaks at the equator and decreases poleward with a Gaussian distribution. We obtain our best fit with an equatorial mole fraction 1.1 ppb and a half width at half maximum of 25°, when accounting for a temperature increase in the two warm stratospheric vortices produced by Saturn’s Great Storm of 2010–2011.

Conclusions. This work demonstrates that Enceladus is the main source of Saturn’s stratospheric water.
Oxygen isotopic ratios in Martian water vapour observed by ACS MIR on board the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter
Authors: Alday J. , Wilson C. F. , Irwin P. G. J. , Olsen K. S. , Baggio L. , Montmessin F. , Trokhimovskiy A. , Korablev O. , Fedorova A. A. , Belyaev D. A. , Grigoriev A. , Patrakeev A. , Shakun A.
Published: September 2019

Oxygen isotope ratios provide important constraints on the history of the Martian volatile system, revealing the impact of several processes that might fractionate them, such as atmospheric loss into space or interaction with the surface. We report infrared measurements of the Martian atmosphere obtained with the mid-infrared channel (MIR) of the Atmospheric Chemistry Suite (ACS), onboard the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter. Absorption lines of the three main oxygen isotopologues of water vapour (H216O, H218O, and H217O) observed in the transmission spectra allow, for the first time, the measurement of vertical profiles of the 18O/16O and 17O/16O ratios in atmospheric water vapour. The observed ratios are enriched with respect to Earth-like values (δ18O = 200 ± 80‰ and δ17O = 230 ± 110‰ corresponding to the Vienna Standard Mean Ocean Water). The vertical structure of these ratios does not appear to show significant evidence of altitudinal variations.
Multilevel axicon for perfect optical vortex generation
Authors: Tudor Rebeca , Kusko Mihai , Kusko Cristian , Avram Andrei
Published: September 2019

We present the fabrication of a beam shaper with 32 levels for the generation of nondiffractive optical fields representing quasi-Bessel beams of order zero. This optical element is designed for visible light (λ=633 nm) and fabricated using standard photolithography and a fine calibrated reactive ion etching process. A large number of levels approximates a continuous conical surface so that the optical quality of the element is very good. It is investigated the possibility of generating perfect optical vortices with this class of optical elements.
Towards accessible nanophotonics: multimode interferometer on strip-loaded slot waveguide
Authors: Roussey M. , Rao R. , Pélisset S.
Published: September 2019

Nano- and micro-photonics are the key-enabling tools for future integrated components and circuitry operating at low power and high speed. By using a strip-loaded platform, we show how we can dramatically reduce the complexity, in terms of fabrication and tolerances, of the most advanced devices. Different configurations of multimode interference devices are presented. We show the design, fabrication, and optical characterization of these components.
Direct Laser Fabrication of Cylindrical Lenses in Wide Band Gap Materials
Authors: Buettner Sebastian , Pfeifer Michael , Weissmantel Steffen
Published: September 2019

The Fluorine laser microstructuring technique enables the direct laser fabrication of cylindrical lenses and lens arrays thereof in wide band gap materials. For the mask projection technique, a special mask geometry was calculated, which allows the fabrication of cylindrical lenses with a nearly optimum curved surface. Based on our results of processing fused silica and borosilicate glass, we investigated the possibility to apply these microstructuring technique to wide band gap materials like calcium fluoride. The radius of curvature (ROC) can be adjusted by the process parameters laser pulse fluence and pulse-to-pulse overlap in a range of 130 to 450 µm micrometer. A minimal surface roughness of 100 nm RMS can be reached.
Reactive ion beam etching – based finishing of optical aluminium surfaces
Authors: Ulitschka Melanie , Bauer Jens , Frost Frank , Arnold Thomas
Published: September 2019

Reactively driven low-energy ion beam machining is a widely used finishing technique for optical aluminium surfaces. Direct RIBE machining with oxygen or nitrogen process gas permits figure error correction of diversely shaped aluminium optics while preserving the initial roughness up to 1 µm etching depth. Those optical surfaces are appropriate for applications in the infrared spectral range. For increasing demands on optical surfaces for short - wavelength applications in the visible and ultraviolet spectral range ion beam polishing techniques with the aid of a sacrificial layer are a promising process route. Turning marks situated in the high-to –mid spatial frequency range are remarkably reduced while preserving the initial microroughness resulting in an enhancement of the full range roughness.
Machine learning robot polishing cell
Authors: Schneckenburger Max , Garcia Luis , Börret Rainer
Published: September 2019

The quality of optical components such as lenses or mirrors can be described by shape errors and surface roughness. With increasing optic sizes, the stability of the polishing process becomes more and more important. Parameters such as chemical stability of the polishing slurry or tool wear are key elements for a deterministic computer controlled polishing (CCP) process. High sophisticated CCP processes such as magnetorheological finishing (MRF) or the zeeko bonnet polishing process rely on the stability of the relevant process parameters for the prediction of the desired material removal. The aim of this work is to monitor many process-relevant parameters by using sensors attached to the polishing head and to the polishing process. Examples are a rpm and a torque sensor mounted close to the polishing pad, a vibration sensor for the oscillation bearings, as well as a tilt sensor and a force sensor for measuring the polishing pressure. By means of a machine learning system, predictions of tool wear and the related surface quality shall be made. The aim is the detection of the critical influence factors during the polishing process and to have a predictive maintenance system for tool path planning and for tool change intervals.
Steel mould surface improvement by robot fluid jet polishing and robot pad polishing for polymer optic production
Authors: Almeida Rui , Ebert Timon , Börret Rainer , Pohl Mario
Published: September 2019

In order to improve the quality of injection-moulded polymer optic parts, it is necessary to improve the quality of the respective steel moulds. For this reason, it is not only necessary to improve the surface roughness of the mould, but also its geometrical shape. The material removal obtained from robot pad polishing is too low. This makes a shape correction after the milling step a very prolonged process. The aim of this work is to use a polishing chain to improve the surface quality of steel samples in terms of shape deviation and surface roughness. This correction polishing chain uses the robot fluid jet polishing for the geometrical shape correction and afterwards the robot pad polishing for the improvement of the surface roughness. Due to the high material removal rates of the fluid jet polishing, it is possible to correct the geometrical shape of steel moulds very fast up to a certain deviation. The pad polishing process improves the surface roughness of the steel samples. A correction of the shape deviation of more than 80% with a RMS of approximately 8 nm was obtained.
Development and Application of MRF Based on Robot Arm
Authors: Xuejun Zhang , Longxiang Li , Donglin Xue , Chi Song , Bo Ai
Published: September 2019

Magnetorheological Finishing (MRF) is widely regarded as an effective technique to polish and figure aspheric optics. MRF based on Robot Arm is developed by us. This new machine is more flexible, efficient, cost-effective and smaller space-usage in optical shop, compared with the traditional MRF machines. The components of MRF based on Robot Arm are introduced firstly. Position-attitude control and polishing tool path are also studied in this paper. The experiments and application of MRF based on Robot Arm demonstrate the effectiveness and validity of MRF based on Robot Arm in optical fabrication.
Fast Fabrication of 1.26-Meter-Long Optic for Elliptic Cylindrical Focusing Bending Mirror
Authors: Wu Jieli , Liu Haitao , Yan Fengtao , Zhou Min , Zhuo Bing , Yongjian Wan
Published: September 2019

As beamline emittance reaching the diffraction limit, the demand for focusing mirrors over one meter in length is ever increasing. Bending mirrors, are competitive for its adjustable radius and high manufacture precision, whose final surface form is managed by a delicate bending of a high precision plane. A special contour plays an essential role and benefits this final touch, given that the computed torque along the length closely correlates with the corresponding width of the optics. However, it poses main challenges with severe edge effect, deformation and metrology to the fabrication of the precursor plane mirror. This paper reports on a fast processing technology for a 1.26-meter-long plane as a bending mirror with irregular shape. A smooth surface with a slope error of 0.67 urad(RMS) and 0.3nm roughness is achieved through deterministic flexible finishing of robot polishing system and annular polishing, providing a high precision and cost-effective method to meet the growing needs for long X-ray mirrors.
Learning The Fluid/Flow Properties Using Microfluidics
Authors: Hadikhani Pooria , Borhani Navid , Hashemi S. Mohammad H. , Psaltis Demetri
Published: September 2019

Deep neural networks (DNN) are employed to measure the flow rate and the concentration of the liquid using the images of the droplets in a microfluidic device. The trained networks are able to measure flow rates and concentrations with good accuracy.
Guided Mode Resonances For Sensing And Imaging
Authors: Juan-Colas Jose , Conteduca Donato , Barth Isabel , Krauss Thomas F
Published: September 2019

We discuss the latest developments in guided mode resonances for sensing and imaging and compare them to alternative approaches such as plasmonic nanohole arrays.
Advanced Optical Imaging of Blood Thrombus
Authors: He Xuefei , Montague Samantha J. , Tao Xu , Gardiner Elizabeth E. , Ming Lee Woei
Published: September 2019

The application of advanced optical imaging technology for platelet biology is in its infancy. In this talk, we shall introduce the potential impact of optical imaging in understanding the roles of platelets in thrombus formation and in hemostasis. We will summarize how techniques in optical imaging has enabled exploration of morphological, molecular and fluidic parameters that determine platelet adhesion, activation and consequent roles in thrombus formation. Finally, we discuss the convergence of multiple imaging modalities towards a complete understanding of platelet roles in thrombus formation.
Equilibrium joining strategies in the single-server constant retrial queues with Bernoulli vacations
Authors: Sun Ke , Wang Jinting
Published: September 2019

We consider the equilibrium joining strategies in an M/M/1 constant retrial queue with Bernoulli vacations. There is no buffer in front of the server, thus an arriving customer will be served immediately if the server is available, and blocked ones wait in a queue if the server is busy or under vacation. The queue length information of orbit is observable to customers upon their arrivals. Then, blocked customers decide whether to join the orbit or not based on a reward-cost structure and their information level. After completing service, the server begins a vacation or remains available and it becomes available again when a vacation ends. The available server seeks to serve the customer in the head of the orbit queue. During the seeking process, an external arrival can interrupt it and obtain service. Our goal is to explore equilibrium behavior of customers in two information cases, fully observable case and almost observable case, which corresponding to whether blocked arrivals can differentiate the state of unavailable server. We obtain the threshold strategies of blocked customers in two information cases and provide numerical experiments to characterize the influence of different parameters on the equilibrium joining strategies.
Liebe Leserinnen und Leser,
Authors: Buchner Helmut
Published: September 2019

Liebe Leserinnen und Leser,

haben EEG, Neuro-Myografie, Evozierte Potenziale und Hirnstammreflexe in Zeiten der Magnettomografie und funktionellen Bildgebung noch einen Wert, ja gar eine Zukunft?

Mit einem Abschnitt aus der Einführung, die Robert Wartenberg für sein Buch „Neurologische Untersuchungsmethoden in der Sprechstunde“ Thieme Verlag 1954 geschrieben hat, möchte ich Sie zum Nachdenken anregen:
Personalsituation auf neonatologischen und pädiatrischen Intensivstationen – eine europaweite Umfrage
Authors: Michel Jörg , Hofbeck Michael , Gerster Lisa , Neunhoeffer Felix
Published: September 2019

Hintergrund In den vergangenen Jahren zeichnet sich ein zunehmender Fachkräfte- und Pflegemangel im Gesundheitswesen der Bundesrepublik Deutschland ab. Insbesondere im hochspezialisierten Bereich der neonatologischen und pädiatrischen Intensivmedizin kann dies zu Versorgungsengpässen führen.

Methode Wir führten eine Umfrage zur Erfassung der Personalsituation auf 583 neonatologischen und pädiatrischen Intensivstationen in Europa durch.

Ergebnisse Die Rücklaufquote betrug 48,5%. Als wesentliches Ergebnis zeigte sich in Deutschland eine geringere Stellenbesetzung im pflegerischen Bereich im Vergleich zu den anderen teilnehmenden Ländern (90,4% gegenüber 95,8%, p<0,001). Zudem werden in Deutschland durchschnittlich mehr neonatologische Patienten pro Pflegekraft versorgt (3,0 gegenüber 2,3, p<0,001). Die Anwesenheit von Fach- und Oberärzten ist auf deutschen Intensivstationen werktags (12,0 h gegenüber 14,6 h, p=0,04) und am Wochenende (8,9 h gegenüber 13,2 h, p=0,003) geringer als in den anderen Ländern, wobei länderübergreifend der Wunsch nach einer längeren Facharztanwesenheit besteht.

Diskussion Unsere Ergebnisse zeigen eine im internationalen Vergleich schlechtere Besetzung von Pflegestellen auf neonatologischen und pädiatrischen Intensivstationen in Deutschland. Der dadurch drohende Qualitätsverlust in der Patientenversorgung wird dadurch verstärkt, dass im Vergleich in Deutschland vergleichsweise weniger Zeit durch fach- und oberärztliche Anwesenheit abgedeckt wird. Mögliche Folgen sind Zunahme von Komplikationen mit Gefährdung des Behandlungserfolgs, Versorgungsengpässen und psychischen sowie physischen Erkrankungen der Mitarbeiter führen.

Schlussfolgerung Im internationalen Vergleich zeigt sich ein Fachkräftemangel auf neonatologischen und pädiatrischen Intensivstationen in Deutschland. Dies unterstreicht die Notwendigkeit von energischen Maßnahmen zur Beseitigung des Pflegenotstands und Prävention eines drohenden Ärztemangel.
Bildgebung bei axialer Spondyloarthritis – Herausforderungen und Limitationen
Authors: Kiefer David , Baraliakos Xenofon
Published: September 2019

Die Bildgebung hat in der Diagnostik der axialen Spondyloarthritis, neben Anamnese, Klinik und der Bestimmung von HLA B27, einen zentralen Stellenwert, zum einen in der täglichen klinischen Praxis zur Diagnosefindung und zum anderen in der klinischen Forschung. Patienten mit axialer Spondyloarthritis leiden unter tiefsitzenden entzündlichen Rückenschmerzen sowie einer morgendlich betonten Steifigkeit des Achsenskelettes. Die zugrunde liegenden z. T. pathognomonischen bildgebenden Befunde sind osteoresorptive und osteoproliferative Veränderungen der Sakroiliakalgelenke und der Wirbelsäule. Initial sind entzündliche Veränderungen, hinweisend auf eine Sakroiliitis oder Spondylitis, die hauptsächlichen Manifestationen im Achsenskelett, gefolgt von strukturellen Läsionen, die zu Knochenneubildungen bis hin zur vollständigen Ankylose, wie sie bei fortgeschrittenen Erkrankungen zu beobachten sind, führen können. Die Darstellung von aktiven und chronischen Veränderungen sowie ihre richtige Interpretation ist die Herausforderung an die bildgebenden Verfahren sowie an die Befunder. Derzeit kann in der klinischen Routine nur die MRT, durch gleichzeitige Darstellung von aktiven und strukturellen Läsionen und ihrer anatomischen Lage, sowohl Entzündungen als auch Knochenumbauten erfassen. Da Knochenmarködeme in der MRT der Sakroiliakalgelenke auch bei Gesunden oder Sportlern auftreten können, sollten sie im Kontext mit gleichzeitig bestehenden strukturellen Schäden sowie zusammen mit den klinischen Symptomen und der Anamnese interpretiert werden. Obwohl die klassische Röntgenaufnahme des Beckens noch der aktuelle Standard der Bildgebung zur Diagnostik der axSpA ist und ein fester Bestandteil der New York Kriterien, ist ein kritisches Auseinandersetzen mit dem konventionellen Röntgen aufgrund eingeschränkter Sensitivität und Interreaderrealibilität sowie der bestehenden Strahlenbelastung durchaus gerechtfertigt. Die CT ist, v. a. zur detaillierten Darstellung struktureller Läsionen, weiterhin eher Gegenstand der klinischen Forschung. Wenn die apparative Möglichkeit besteht, sollte die MRT die bevorzugte bildgebende Methode zur Diagnostik der axSpA sein, um die Diagnose frühzeitig zu stellen. Die kontextbezogene Interpretation der bildgebenden Verfahren sowie die enge Zusammenarbeit zwischen Radiologen und Rheumatologen ist von größter Bedeutung.
A Case Report of Burning Mouth Syndrome Treated with Individualised Homeopathy
Authors: Gaertner Katharina , Frei-Erb Martin
Published: September 2019

Introduction Burning mouth syndrome (BMS) is a rare disease of unknown origin. No efficient treatment is known, and integrative approaches are warranted. So far, individualised homeopathy (iHOM) has not been evaluated or reported in any peer-reviewed journal as a treatment option.

Methods At the Centre of Complementary Medicine at a university institute in Switzerland, a 38-year-old patient with BMS and various co-morbidities was treated with iHOM between July 2014 and August 2018. The treatment involved prescription of individually selected homeopathic single remedies. During follow-up visits, outcome was assessed with two validated questionnaires concerning patient-reported outcomes. To assess whether the documented changes were likely to be associated with the homeopathic intervention, an assessment using the modified Naranjo criteria was performed.

Results Over an observation period of 4 years, an increasingly beneficial result from iHOM was noted for oral dysaesthesia and pains as well as for the concomitant symptoms.

Conclusion Considering the multi-factorial aetiology of BMS, a therapeutic approach such as iHOM that integrates the totality of symptoms and complaints of a patient might be of value in cases where an association of psychological factors and the neuralgic complaints is likely.
Ligation of Left Atrial Appendage during Off-Pump Coronary Surgery
Authors: Enginoev Soslan , Koz'min Dmitry , Magomedov Gasan , Makeev Sergey , Chernov Igor , Ilov Nikolay , Tarasov Dmiry , Zhigalov Konstantin , Weymann Alexander
Published: September 2019

Objective The main purpose of this article is to evaluate an impact of epicardial ligation of the left atrial appendage (LAA) in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) undergoing off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCAB) on the development of ischemic stroke and mortality.

Methods From 2009 to 2013, a total of 125 patients (86.4% men, mean age 64 ± 7 years, 95% confidence interval: 61–65 years) received a combined OPCAB and LAA ligation because of coronary artery disease and AF. All the subjects were divided into two groups: group 1 (n = 57)—LAA ligation during OPCAB, group 2 (n = 68) without LAA ligation during OPCAB. Primary endpoints were postoperative incidence of ischemic stroke and mortality.

Results No difference in the number of ischemic stroke (0 vs. 5.9%) and death (0 vs. 4.4%) in both groups during the hospital period (p > 0.05). Median overall follow-up was 41 (22–61) months: without difference for groups (p > 0.05). During follow-up, there was a difference in the number of ischemic stroke (0 vs. 17.6%, p < 0.001), while there was no difference in mortality in two study groups (5.3 vs. 16.2%, p > 0.05).

Conclusion Epicardial ligation of LAA during OPCAB in patients with AF may reduce the risk of ischemic stroke in long-term follow-up and does not affect the mortality.
SAVR versus TAVI: What about the Hemodynamic Performance? An In Vivo and In Vitro Analysis
Authors: Rahmanian Parwis Baradaran , Eghbalzadeh Kaveh , Giese Daniel , Kuhn Elmar W. , Djordjevic Ilija , Kaya Süreyya , Weber Carolyn , Baldus Stephan , Mader Navid , Wahlers Thorsten C.W.
Published: September 2019

Background Surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) is nowadays discussed whether it remains the gold standard of treatment. In the last decade, there has been a tremendous increase in transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) due to the growing expertise and excellent results of the catheter-based approach. We, therefore, retrospectively compared the rapid deployment valve (RDV), the Edwards Intuity valve (IEV), with the Edwards Sapien 3 (S3V) with regard to post-procedural hemodynamics.

Methods A total of 246 patients treated with TAVI or SAVR between February 2009 and November 2015 were included. One-hundred twenty-five patients were analyzed in the SAVR group and compared with 121 patients undergoing TAVI. Transvalvular pressure gradients (PGs) and the incidence and extent of aortic regurgitation (AR) were compared post-procedurally by echocardiography for each valve size. In vitro hemodynamics were analyzed by placing both valves into an aortic silicone phantom connected to a pulsatile flow pump and measured using phase-contrast magnetic resonance imaging (4D flow MRI).

Results Post-procedurally, mean transvalvular PGs for the 23 mm valves were 9 (7;11.5) versus 13 (9;18) (p < 0.001), whereas maximum PGs were 16.5 (14;22) versus 25.5 mm Hg (17.5;34) (p < 0.001) in IEV and S3V patients, respectively. The 21 mm IEV showed significantly lower transvalvular PGs compared with the 23 mm S3V: mean PGs: 11 (8;13) versus 13 (9;18) (p < 0.05); maximum PG: 19.5 (13;24) versus 25.5 (18;34) mm Hg (p < 0.05). Analysis revealed significantly lower post-procedural transvalvular PGs for larger valves sizes. With respect to AR, the incidence of AR was significantly lower in IEV group (p < 0.05). In vitro velocities and turbulent kinetic energy values showed similar results between both valves.

Conclusion Implanted RDVs presented a lower incidence of paravalvular regurgitation and were associated with significantly lower post-procedural transvalvular PGs, especially for small valve sizes. Our data might support the application of rapid deployment aortic valves in patients with small aortic annulus in the TAVI era.
Childhood Dystonia-Parkinsonism Following Infantile Spasms—Clinical Clue to Diagnosis in Early Beta-Propeller Protein-Associated Neurodegeneration
Authors: Hornemann Frauke , Le Duc Diana , Roth Christian , Pfäffle Roland , Huhle Dagmar , Merkenschlager Andreas
Published: September 2019

Introduction Beta-propeller protein-associated neurodegeneration (BPAN) is a very rare, X-linked dominant (XLD) inherited member of the neurodegeneration with brain iron accumulation (NBIA) disease family.

Case report We present a female case of BPAN with infantile spasms in the first year, Rett-like symptomatology, focal epilepsy, and loss of motor skills in childhood. Menarche occurred at the age of 9, after precocious pubarche and puberty.

Dystonia-parkinsonism as extrapyramidal sign at the age of 10 years resulted in radiological and genetic work-up.

Results Burke–Fahn–Marsden Dystonia Rating Scale (BFMDRS) measured 66/120 points in body part-related dystonia symptoms. Cerebrospinal fluid examination showed dopamine depletion.

T2 and B0 sequences of the diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging showed susceptibility artifacts with NBIA-typical hypointense globus pallidus (GP) and substantia nigra (SN). Next-generation sequencing revealed a BPAN-causing pathogenic variant in WDR45 (WD repeat-containing protein 45) gene (c.830 + 1G > A, XLD, heterozygous, de novo). Skewed X-inactivation was measured (2:98).

Conclusions Autophagy-related X-linked BPAN disease might still be underdiagnosed in female cases of infantile spasms.

Skewed X-inactivation will have mainly influenced the uncommon, very early childhood neurodegenerative symptomatology in the present BPAN case. Oral levodopa substitution led to improvement in sleep disorder, hypersalivation, and swallowing.

Reduced white matter and hypointense signals in SN and GP on susceptibility sequences in magnetic resonance imaging are characteristic radiological findings of advanced disease in NBIA. No BPAN-typical halo sign in T1-weighted scan at midbrain level was seen at the age of 11 years. NBIA panel is recommended for early diagnosis.
An open-source high-frequency lock-in amplifier
Authors: Stimpson G. A. , Skilbeck M. S. , Patel R. L. , Green B. L. , Morley G. W.
Published: September 2019

We present characterization of a lock-in amplifier based on a field programmable gate array capable of demodulation at up to 50 MHz. The system exhibits 90 nV/√Hz of input noise at an optimum demodulation frequency of 500 kHz. The passband has a full-width half-maximum of 2.6 kHz for modulation frequencies above 100 kHz. Our code is open source and operates on a commercially available platform.
Zeta-regularized vacuum expectation values
Authors: Hartung T. , Jansen K.
Published: September 2019

It has recently been shown that vacuum expectation values and Feynman path integrals can be regularized using the Fourier integral operator ζ-function, yet the physical meaning of these ζ-regularized objects was unknown. Here, we show that ζ-regularized vacuum expectations appear as continuum limits using a certain discretization scheme. Furthermore, we study the rate of convergence for the discretization scheme using the example of a one-dimensional hydrogen atom in (−π, π) which we evaluate classically, using the Rigetti quantum virtual machine and on the Rigetti 8Q quantum chip “Agave” device. We also provide the free radiation field as an example for the computation of ζ-regularized vacuum expectation values in a gauge theory.
Semi-classical limit of large fermionic systems at positive temperature
Authors: Lewin Mathieu , Madsen Peter S. , Triay Arnaud
Published: September 2019

We study a system of N interacting fermions at positive temperature in a confining potential. In the regime where the intensity of the interaction scales as 1/N and with an effective semiclassical parameter ℏ = N−1/d where d is the space dimension, we prove the convergence to the corresponding Thomas-Fermi model at positive temperature.
Surface condensation sensor board for damp heat chamber
Authors: Vijayasai Ashwin , Yu Qianhuan , Du Yan , Ovenstone Bill
Published: September 2019

In this paper, we demonstrate the use of a surface condensation sensor board for characterizing interior space in a damp heat chamber. The sensor board is approximately 18 in. × 12 in. in dimension. A total of 324 sense electrodes are designed on the board. The uniform gap between the sense electrodes is 250 μm throughout the surface area of the board. First, the surface leakage current of the sensor board is characterized with other commercially available humidity sensors. The relationship of leakage current to humidity is determined. Surface leakage current is spatially measured inside the chamber, and localized condensation spots are identified at 85 °C/85%RH stress condition. The main goal of this article is to characterize interior space and identify less-risky locations prior to qualification of semiconductor components, optical subassemblies, and optical modules.
Pulsed laser deposition with rapid beam deflection by a galvanometer mirror scanner
Authors: Maruyama S. , Sannodo N. , Harada R. , Anada Y. , Takahashi R. , Lippmaa M. , Matsumoto Y.
Published: September 2019

A pulsed laser deposition system with rapid beam deflection (RBD-PLD) by a galvanometer mirror scanner has been developed for alternating ablation of multiple targets with a single laser instrument. In this system, the alternating deposition of different target materials is carried out by scanning the laser beam between the positionally fixed targets with a galvanometer mirror instead of mechanically switching the target positions on a fixed optical path of the laser beam as is done in conventional pulsed laser deposition (PLD) systems. Thus, the “wait” time required for switching target materials to be deposited, which typically takes several seconds in a conventional system, can be made as short as a few milliseconds. We demonstrate some of the advantages of this PLD system in several technologically important aspects of thin film synthesis: (1) fast fabrication of binary alloy films, (2) preparation of natural composition spread libraries, (3) effect of the target switching time on the deposition of volatile compounds, (4) control of the degree of mixing of two different materials in a film, and (5) efficient growth of compositionally graded thin films.
Numerical simulation of the production of three-dimensional sediment dunes
Authors: Liu Y. , Fang H. , Huang L. , He G.
Published: September 2019

Knowledge of the relationship between sediment motion and flow conditions is fundamental to our understanding of three-dimensional sediment dune development in river and coastal environments. In this study, numerical simulations were performed on a mobile flat sand bed. The simulation results provide important insights into the coupling between migrating bedforms and turbulent stratified flow in the open channel. The formation of micro sand waves can be divided into three stages. First, the initial defects appear on the bed at the beginning of the process and are closely correlated with the instantaneous flow velocity just before the bed is destabilized. Second, the defects in areas of high instantaneous flow velocity are washed away, while the defects in areas of low instantaneous flow velocity grow in length and height due to sediment deposition. Finally, a constant wake zone where sediment continues to accumulate forms downstream of the micro sand wave. Despite the formation of micro waves, the near-bed flow velocity and turbulent structures play important roles as sand passes from upstream dune crests to downstream ones. The high flow velocity breaks O-shaped dune crests and drives excess sand to the downstream dune crests. The near-bed vortices usually occur at the stoss sides of the dunes, and most are elongated in the spanwise direction.
Setup for multicoincidence experiments of photons in the extreme ultraviolet to visible spectral range and charged particles—The solid angle maximization approach
Authors: Hans A. , Ozga C. , Schmidt Ph. , Hartmann G. , Nehls A. , Wenzel Ph. , Richter C. , Lant C. , Holzapfel X. , Viehmann J. H. , Hergenhahn U. , Ehresmann A. , Knie A.
Published: September 2019

The coincident detection of particles is a powerful method in experimental physics, enabling the investigation of a variety of projectile-target interactions. The vast majority of coincidence experiments is performed with charged particles, as they can be guided by electric or magnetic fields to yield large detection probabilities. When a neutral species or a photon is one of the particles recorded in coincidence, its detection probability typically suffers from small solid angles. Here, we present two optical assemblies considerably enhancing the solid angle for photon detection in the extreme ultraviolet to visible spectral range. The efficiency and versatility of these assemblies are demonstrated for electron-photon coincidence detection, where electrons and photons emerge from fundamental processes after photoexcitation of gaseous samples by synchrotron radiation.
Imaging the nonreactive collisional quenching dynamics of NO (A2Σ+) radicals with O2 (X3Σ
g−)
Authors: Blackshaw K. Jacob , Quartey Naa-Kwarley , Korb Robert T. , Hood David J. , Hettwer Christian D. , Kidwell Nathanael M.
Published: September 2019

Nitric oxide (NO) radicals are ubiquitous chemical intermediates present in the atmosphere and in combustion processes, where laser-induced fluorescence is extensively used on the NO (A2Σ+ ← X2Π) band to report on fuel-burning properties. However, accurate fluorescence quantum yields and NO concentration measurements are impeded by electronic quenching of NO (A2Σ+) to NO (X2Π) with colliding atomic and molecular species. To improve predictive combustion models and develop a molecular-level understanding of NO (A2Σ+) quenching, we report the velocity map ion images and product state distributions of NO (X2Π, v″ = 0, J″, Fn, Λ) following nonreactive collisional quenching of NO (A2Σ+) with molecular oxygen, O2 (X3Σg−). A novel dual-flow pulse valve nozzle is constructed and implemented to carry out the NO (A2Σ+) electronic quenching studies and to limit NO2 formation. The isotropic ion images reveal that the NO–O2 system evolves through a long-lived NO3 collision complex prior to formation of products. Furthermore, the corresponding total kinetic energy release distributions support that O2 collision coproducts are formed primarily in the c1Σu− electronic state with NO (X2Π, v″ = 0, J″, Fn, Λ). The product state distributions also indicate that NO (X2Π) is generated with a propensity to occupy the Π(A″) Λ-doublet state, which is consistent with the NO π* orbital aligned perpendicular to nuclear rotation. The deviations between experimental results and statistical phase space theory simulations illustrate the key role that the conical intersection plays in the quenching dynamics to funnel population to product rovibronic levels.
Achieving excellent metallic magnet-based absorbents by regulating the eddy current effect
Authors: Shi Yupeng , Zhang Miaomiao , Zhang Xuefeng , Zhang Lei , Zhang Yahong , Jiang Zhiyang , Si Haoxu , Gong Chunhong
Published: September 2019

We present the results that a suitable eddy current effect could act as an effective microwave dissipative mechanism for metallic magnet-based electromagnetic wave absorbents. With no need to introduce low or nonconductive components, the strongest absorption of −43.2 dB at 14.7 GHz could be achieved with a thin absorbent layer of 1.1 mm and at the mass fraction of the nickel fibers filler in the composite of 40 wt. %. This work utilizes the intrinsic dependence of electromagnetic wave dissipation on the eddy current effect and opens a simple and feasible way for designing of microwave absorption materials and composites.
Honeycomb-serpentine silicon platform for reconfigurable electronics
Authors: Damdam A. N. , Qaisar N. , Hussain M. M.
Published: September 2019

The shape reconfiguration is an arising concept in advanced electronics research, which allows the electronic platform to change in shape and assume different configurations while maintaining high electrical functionality. The reconfigurable electronic platforms are attractive for state of the art biomedical technologies, where the reshaping feature increases the adaptability and compliance of the electronic platform to the human body. Here, we present an amorphous silicon honeycomb-shaped reconfigurable electronic platform that can reconfigure into three different shapes: the quatrefoil shape, the star shape, and an irregular shape. We show the reconfiguration capabilities of the design in microscale and macroscale fabricated versions. We use finite element method analysis to calculate the stress and strain profiles of the microsized honeycomb-serpentine design at a prescribed displacement of 100 μm. The results show that the reconfiguration capabilities can be improved by eliminating certain interconnects. We further improve the design by optimizing the serpentine interconnect parameters and refabricate the platform on a macroscale to facilitate the reconfiguration process. The macroscale version demonstrates an enhanced reconfiguration capability and elevates the stretchability by 21% along the vertical axis and by 36.6% along the diagonal axis of the platform. The resulting reconfiguring capabilities of the serpentine-honeycomb reconfigurable platform broaden the innovation opportunity for wearable electronics, implantable electronics, and soft robotics.
Achieving self-guiding unidirectional electromagnetic bulk states by breaking time-mirror symmetry
Authors: Li Qingbo , Ma Hui , Wu Rui-Xin
Published: September 2019

Unidirectional waves are the waves propagating only in one direction and prohibited in the opposite direction. These kinds of waves can be surface waves realized by the topological edge state or bulk waves in the media with time-reversal and spatial inversion symmetry broken. In this work, we introduced unidirectional waveguide modes in quasi-one-dimensional waveguides composed of T-shaped gyromagnetic rods. The waveguide supported self-guiding unidirectional waves but could be switched to bidirectional waveguides by changing the rods' arrangement. We showed that the unidirectional guided waves resulted from the symmetry broken of mirror reflection, spatial inversion, and time-reversal of the chain. The results were validated by transmission measurements. Our work paves the way for manipulating electromagnetic waves by the symmetry mechanism. It also provides a simple and flexible way to fabricate devices, such as vortex wave generators which were designed and implemented theoretically.
Growth of GaP1 − x − yAsyNx on Si substrates by chemical beam epitaxy
Authors: Ben Saddik K. , Braña A. F. , López N. , Walukiewicz W. , García B. J.
Published: September 2019

Chemical beam epitaxy has been used to grow layers of GaP1 − xNx, GaP1 − yAsy, and nearly lattice-matched layers GaP1 − x − yAsyNx on Si substrates. To address the issue of antiphase domain generation associated with the growth of polar semiconductors on Si, misoriented Si(001) substrates have been used combined with a carefully designed GaP buffer layer growth. The reflection high-energy electron diffraction pattern exhibits a (2 × 4) surface reconstruction after GaP buffer layer and GaP(As,N) graded layer growth, indicating the good surface quality and planarity of the grown layers. Sample composition was obtained by simultaneous acquisition of Rutherford backscattering spectrometry and nuclear reaction analysis, indicating a linear dependence of N and As mole fractions on the flux of their respective precursor. GaP1 − x − yAsyNx layers grown on Si substrates have a lattice mismatch not larger than ±0.005 for N contents in the range 0.02 < x < 0.05. High-resolution X-ray diffraction reciprocal space maps demonstrate a good crystalline quality. Intense photoluminescence spectra have been measured in all GaP1 − xNx and GaP1 − x − yAsyNx layers, as it is expected for direct bandgap materials. Two wide overlapped emission peaks are observed in all the spectra, most likely related to near bandgap recombination. The position of the higher energy peak for GaP1 − xNx and GaP1 − x − yAsyNx layers has been compared to bandgap energy calculations using the band anticrossing model, showing good agreement.
The role of pressure in inverse design for assembly
Authors: Lindquist Beth A. , Jadrich Ryan B. , Howard Michael P. , Truskett Thomas M.
Published: September 2019

Isotropic pairwise interactions that promote the self-assembly of complex particle morphologies have been discovered by inverse design strategies derived from the molecular coarse-graining literature. While such approaches provide an avenue to reproduce structural correlations, thermodynamic quantities such as the pressure have typically not been considered in self-assembly applications. In this work, we demonstrate that relative entropy optimization can be used to discover potentials that self-assemble into targeted cluster morphologies with a prescribed pressure when the iterative simulations are performed in the isothermal-isobaric ensemble. The benefits of this approach are twofold. First, the structure and the thermodynamics associated with the optimized interaction can be controlled simultaneously. Second, by varying the pressure in the optimization, a family of interparticle potentials that all self-assemble the same structure can be systematically discovered, allowing for a deeper understanding of self-assembly of a given target structure and providing multiple assembly routes for its realization. Selecting an appropriate simulation ensemble to control the thermodynamic properties of interest is a general design strategy that could also be used to discover interaction potentials that self-assemble structures having, for example, a specified chemical potential.
A perspective on two-dimensional materials for planar micro-supercapacitors
Authors: Qin Jieqiong , Das Pratteek , Zheng Shuanghao , Wu Zhong-Shuai
Published: September 2019

The increasing demand for portable, wearable, and miniaturized electronics has substantially promoted the immense development of planar microsupercapacitors (MSCs) built on a single substrate. Atomically thin two-dimensional (2D) nanosheets, by virtue of their intrinsically unique structure and fascinating electrochemical properties, provide a new material platform for the creation of high performance planar MSCs in which the electrolyte ions can completely utilize flat architecture and ultrathin thickness of 2D nanosheets, parallel to the direction of ionic diffusion along the plane of 2D nanosheets. Herein, we present an overview and perspective on diverse 2D materials for planar MSCs. First, an introduction is presented to highlight the advances of MSCs, the uniqueness of 2D materials in the assembly of planar MSCs with three different configurations, i.e., stacked, interdigital, and 3D planar geometries, and the progress of microfabrication techniques for microelectrodes of MSCs. Second, the state-of-the-art 2D materials to manufacture planar MSCs, including graphene, transition metal oxides/hydroxides, transition metal dichalcogenides, metal carbides, metal nitrides, phosphorene, boron nitride, metal-organic frameworks, and covalent-organic frameworks, are systemically discussed in detail. Special emphasis is given to the multiple roles of 2D materials for functional components as active materials, current collectors, additives/binders, and separators for planar MSCs. Finally, the existing challenges and prospective solutions of 2D materials for planar MSCs with high performance and various innovative form factors are proposed.