bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Distinct antibacterial activity of a vertically aligned graphene coating against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria
Authors: Wei Wei , Li Jiurong , Liu Zeyang , Deng Yuan , Chen Da , Gu Ping , Wang Gang , Fan Xianqun
Published: June 2020

The distinct antibacterial mechanism of vertical graphene Si toward bacteria. Vertical graphene kills Gram-positive bacteria through physical disruption and Si substrate kills Gram-negative bacteria by extracting electrons from bacterial membranes.
Direct solid-state nucleation and charge-transport dynamics of alkali metal-intercalated M2Mo6S6 (M = K, Rb, Cs) nanorods
Authors: Perryman Joseph T. , Kulkarni Ambarish R. , Velázquez Jesús M.
Published: June 2020

Microwave-assisted solid-state heating has been employed to induce anisotropic nucleation of M2Mo6S6 (M = K, Rb, Cs) nanorods without a template for the first time, and interfacial charge-transport properties of these rods are evaluated.
Long non-coding RNA CACNA1G-AS1 promotes proliferation and invasion and inhibits apoptosis by regulating expression of miR-205 in human keloid fibroblasts
Authors: Zhao Xu , Jie Xiang , Gao Ya-kun , Nie Bing , Jiang Hua
Published: June 2020

Background: Keloid is a fibrous tissue proliferative disease in which proliferative scars grow beyond the boundary of the original wound skin. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), as competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs), bind to microRNAs (miRNAs) to regulate various biological processes. The present study was aim to illuminate the mechanism of calcium voltage-gated channel subunit alpha1 G antisense RNA 1 (CACNA1G-AS1) in human keloid fibroblasts. Methods: CACNA1G-AS1 and miR-205 levels were detected using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay was used to measure the proliferation and transwell assay was performed to evaluate cell invasion. Furthermore, the apoptosis rates of cells were evaluated by flow cytometry analysis, and the activity of caspase-3 in keloid fibroblasts was tested by Caspase-3 activity assay. Dual luciferase reporter assay was carried out to examine the relationship between CACNA1G-AS1 and miR-205 and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assay was conducted to further confirm the relation. Results: CACNA1G-AS1 level was up-regulated in keloid tissues and keloid fibroblasts. CACNA1G-AS1 overexpression promoted proliferation and invasion and suppressed apoptosis of keloid fibroblasts. Moreover, miR-205 was targeted by CACNA1G-AS1 and miR-205 was markedly decreased in keloid tissues and keloid fibroblasts. Also, miR-205 expression was negatively regulated by CACNA1G-AS1 and miR-205 silencing enhanced proliferation and invasion and inhibited apoptosis. Furthermore, CACNA1G-AS1 and miR-205 played the antagonistic role in miR-205 expression, proliferation, invasion, and apoptosis of keloid fibroblasts. Conclusion: CACNA1G-AS1 suppressed miR-205 expression to promote proliferation and invasion and inhibit apoptosis in human keloid fibroblasts.
The self-renewal dental pulp stem cell microtissues challenged by a toxic dental monomer
Authors: Kaufman Gili , Kiburi Naima Makena , Skrtic Drago
Published: June 2020

Dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) regenerate injured/diseased pulp tissue and deposit tertiary dentin. DPSCs stress response can be activated by exposing cells to the monomer triethyleneglycol dimethacrylate (TEGDMA) and inducing the DNA-damage inducible transcript 4 (DDIT4) protein expression. The goal of the present study was to determine the impact of TEGDMA on the ability of DPSCs to maintain their self-renewal capabilities, develop and preserve their 3D structures and deposit the mineral. Human primary and immortalized DPSCs were cultured in extracellular matrix/basement membrane (ECM/BM) to support stemness and to create multicellular interacting layers (microtissues). The microtissues were exposed to the toxic concentrations of TEGDMA (0.5 and 1.5 mmol/l). The DPSCs spatial architecture was assessed by confocal microscopy. Mineral deposition was detected by alizarin red staining and visualized by stereoscopy. Cellular self-renewal transcription factor SOX2 was determined by immunocytochemistry. The microtissue thicknesses/vertical growth, surface area of the mineralizing microtissues, the percentage of area covered by the deposited mineral, and the fluorescence intensity of the immunostained cells were quantified ImageJ. DDIT4 expression was determined by a single molecule RNA-FISH technique and the cell phenotype was determined morphologically. DDIT4 expression was correlated with the cytotoxic phenotype. TEGDMA affected the structures of developing and mature microtissues. It inhibited the deposition of the mineral in the matrix while not affecting the SOX2 expression. Our data demonstrate that DPSCs retained their self-renewal capacity although their other functions were impeded. Since the DPSCs pool remained preserved, properties effected by the irritant should be restored by a proper rescue therapy.
Graph‐based approach towards hardware Trojan vulnerability analysis
Authors: Islam S.A.
Published: June 2020

The author proposes an incremental windowing technique based on graph technique to detect hardware Trojan triggering signal. First, they analyse the switching activity file generated during simulation. Then, based on the window size of choice, they extract paths of n‐HT (n‐hardware Trojan; n is the number of triggering signals) and compare the path information with the HT instances from HT database to determine HTs' earliest/farthest activation time. They experiment with the incremental windowing technique on 420 combinational HT instances for four combinational designs. The results indicate that small and stealthy HT is active for a limited set of the time window and the number of test patterns during these windows is compact instead of exhaustive traditional random vector based Automatic Test Pattern Generation (ATPG).
Evaluating impact damage in Kevlar/carbon composites by using laser vibrometry and active infrared thermography
Authors: Derusova D.A. , Vavilov V. P. , Chulkov A.O. , Shagdirov B.I. , Saeed N. , Omar M.
Published: June 2020

Recent developments in electronics have demonstrated some advantages of using carbon fibres in manufacturing flexible PCBs thus requiring to elaborate some new approaches for checking PCB quality. Barely visible impact damage (BVID) represents a typical type of defects in carbon‐based composites. In this study, the two inspection techniques, namely active infrared thermography and laser vibrometry, were comparatively used for detecting BVID in composite materials manufactured by three‐dimensional printing from kevlar and carbon fibres. The comparative analysis of the composite resistance towards multifold impacting with the total energy of up to 15 J has demonstrated advantages of the hybrid configuration obtained by using the technology of additive manufacturing. The measurement of damping characteristics of the composites in the 50–100 kHz frequency range has also confirmed the ability of the hybrid composite to absorb more energy than classical single component materials.
Gain and bandwidth enhancement of a singly‐fed circularly polarised dielectric resonator antenna
Authors: Varshney Gaurav
Published: June 2020

A technique is proposed for the enhancement of gain and circularly polarised (CP) bandwidth of a singly‐fed CP dielectric resonator (DR) antenna. The specific geometry of DR is used to generate the orthogonal modes required for obtaining the CP response. The incremental harmonics of the fundamental and third‐order modes, and , are generated by stacking of the similar DR layer topped with metallic patch after an air gap. This enhances the gain and CP bandwidth of the antenna maintaining the generated orthogonal modes with the required phase difference. The antenna with single DR layer provides the CP bandwidth of 13.56% and gain 4.04 dBic. After stacking, the antenna provides the measured CP bandwidth of 24.75% and 7.32 dBic stable gain over the passband. In addition, the antenna provides 92.87% radiation efficiency in the passband.
Spatial diversity techniques for non‐line‐of‐sight ultraviolet communication systems over atmospheric turbulence channels
Authors: Hasan Hariq Sayed , Odabasioglu Niyazi
Published: June 2020

Rich scattering of ultraviolet signals enables the non‐line‐of‐sight outdoor wireless connectivity and eliminates the line‐of‐sight requirement of free‐space optical links. Besides scattering losses, ultraviolet signals also suffer from the atmospheric turbulence‐induced fading. One of the strong fading mitigation techniques is the spatial diversity, which has been extensively studied in the context of wireless radio frequency and infrared networks. In this study, spatial diversity techniques for non‐line‐of‐sight ultraviolet communication links are considered. In particular, multiple‐input‐single‐output (MISO), single‐input‐multiple‐output (SIMO), and multiple‐input‐multiple‐output (MIMO) non‐line‐of‐sight ultraviolet communication systems are derived. The BER performance of the single‐input‐single‐output (SISO) link is also derived as a benchmark. The accuracy of the derivations is confirmed through Monte Carlo simulations. The results demonstrate the significant performance improvements in spatial diversity schemes over SISO counterparts. The authors further investigate the effect of spatial correlation on the performance of non‐line‐of‐sight ultraviolet links with spatial diversity. They demonstrate that the spatial correlation degrades the performance significantly, and efficient separation between apertures is crucial to achieve the maximum diversity gain.
Modelling of phase‐shift modulated bidirectional CLLC resonant converter
Authors: Farias Martins Lais , Stone David , Foster Martin
Published: June 2020

The study proposes the application of two modelling techniques for analysis of bidirectional CLLC resonant converters. The state‐variable and cyclic‐averaging techniques are applied for converters operating under two types of phase‐shift modulation: single‐phase‐shift and pulse‐phase modulation. The converter is analysed considering forward and reverse power flow directions and a state‐variable equation description is obtained for both modes. The models are first validated through simulation, comparing the state‐variable and cyclic‐averaging results to a simulation program with integrated circuit emphasis (SPICE)‐based simulation. Additionally, a low power prototype is built, experimental results are presented and the influence of parasitic elements and system delays is discussed. Simulation and experimental results show the models can accurately represent the behaviour of CLLC converters for both types of phase‐shift modulation. In addition, using the cyclic‐averaging technique results in a considerably faster execution compared to state‐variable and SPICE‐based models.
Pseudo affine projection assisted multitasking approach for power quality improvement in grid‐interactive photovoltaic (PV) system
Authors: Patel Nirav , Gupta Nitin , Kumar Ajay , Babu B. Chitti
Published: June 2020

The electronically interfaced photovoltaic (PV) system and its control approach form an intrinsic part of the distributed generation (DG) system. This study proposes pseudo affine projection (PAP)‐assisted multitasking control scheme for grid‐integrated DG inverter under input grid voltage disturbances. The PAP approach is based on the convergence of active weighted values and is independent of the input signal property, which manifests a discrete characteristic. Additionally, it exhibits a unique capability of updating weight based on multiple, delayed input signal vectors. The fundamental distinguishing feature of the proposed PAP is its intrinsic learning behaviour and therefore it provides an optimal solution to the ingrained paradox between steady‐state misadjustment and convergence speed compared to its conventional counterpart affine projection. The PAP‐assisted algorithm practically enables DG inverter to perform multiple tasks including suppression of source current harmonics, unbalancing, and neutral current. It also provides load reactive current support with unity power factor operation while transferring the maximum active power into the utility grid. The practicality of the proposed PAP algorithm is investigated through MATLAB/Simulink software. Finally, the experimental results recorded with the dSPACE‐1104 based real‐time control platform show good to excellent agreement with simulations in the steady‐state, as well as transient phenomena.
Multivariable generalised predictive control with measurement noise rejection and speed ripple mitigation for PMSM drives
Authors: Wang Tao , Zhu Ziqiang , Freire Nuno Miguel Amaral , Wu Zhanyuan , Odavic Milijana , Foster Martin , Stone David
Published: June 2020

Generalised predictive control (GPC) is known for its good dynamic performance and long prediction horizon, but the performance can be severely deteriorated when measurement noises exist due to the wide control bandwidth of GPC. Meanwhile, the unmodelled periodic disturbances can cause ripples to the output variables. In this study, a practical permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) drive system with speed measurement noise and periodic disturbances is considered, for which a novel multivariable GPC method is proposed to achieve both good dynamic performance and speed ripple mitigation. The proposed method has a simple structure, since the traditional cascaded speed and current control loops are replaced by a non‐cascaded one. To reject the measurement noise without jeopardising the system stability, an internal low‐pass filter is embedded in the GPC. Meanwhile, external resonant loops are added to the GPC to mitigate the low‐order speed ripples caused by the periodic disturbances. Furthermore, a deadbeat‐based current constraint method is proposed to avoid overcurrent during transient processes. Theoretical stability analysis of the proposed method is presented. Experimental results show that the proposed method has good steady‐state and dynamic performances, including measurement noise rejection and speed ripple mitigation.
Space and time distribution of subsurface H2concentration in so-called “fairy circles”: Insight from a conceptual 2-D transport model
Authors: Myagkiy Andrey , Moretti Isabelle , Brunet Fabrice
Published: June 2020

Natural H2emissions from the ground have now been measured in many places worldwide. These emissions can be localized on faults or be more diffuse in some sedimentary basins, usually of Proterozoic age. In such a case, emanation zones are often visible from aerial images or on high-resolution topographic maps since they correspond to slight depressions of circular to elliptic shape. Furthermore, the rounded depressions are covered with a scrubby vegetation which often contrasts with the surrounding vegetation. Although the emission structure displays a very regular shape, the distribution of H2concentration in the first meter of soil in such a structure does show a clear pattern. For example, the maximum concentration is almost never measured in the center of the structure and the few time-resolved data show that the soil H2concentration is variable with time. Here, the time and space evolution of H2concentration is simulated using a 2-D advective-diffusive model of H2transport in porous media. Several parameters have been tested as the depth and periodicity of the H2point source (pulsed), bacterial H2consumption and permeability heterogeneities of the soil. The radius of the structure is linked to the time spent by the H2in the soil that depends on the soil permeability, the depth of the gas leakage point and the pressure of the bubble. To account for field observations, the case of a shaly, less permeable, heterogeneity in the center of the structures has been modeled. It resulted in an increase of the concentration toward the rim of the structure and a close to zero signal in its center. If the deep signal is periodic with a frequency smaller than a few hours, H2concentration within the soil is almost constant; in other cases, the near surface concentration wave reflects the concentration periodicity of the source with a delay (in the range of 12 h for 30 m of soil) and so the near surface H2concentration values will be highly dependent on the time at which the measurement is performed. H2monitoring through a sensor network is thus mandatory to characterize the H2dynamics in the soil of fairy circles.
A matheuristic-based approach for the multi-depot home health care assignment, routing and scheduling problem
Authors: Decerle Jérémy , Grunder Olivier , El Hassani Amir Hajjam , Barakat Oussama
Published: June 2020

Home health care structures provide care for the elderly, people with disabilities as well as patients with chronic conditions. Since there has been an increase in demand, organizations providing home health care are eager to optimize their activities. In addition, the increase in patient numbers has led organizations to expand their geographical reach. As a result, home health care structures tend to be located in different offices to limit their travel time and, consequently, caregivers employed by these various structures must be assigned to one of the offices so they start and end their workday at their associated office. Unlike the existing literature where an upstream assignment of caregivers is performed to become a parameter of the model, the assignment of caregivers to offices is solved during the resolution of the problem in order to obtain the best possible combinations. Thus, we suggest a mixed-integer programming model of the multi-depot home health care assignment, routing, and scheduling problem without prior assignment of caregivers to the home health care offices. In addition, we propose an original matheuristic-based approach with different assignment strategies to assign visits and caregivers to the home health care offices in order to solve the problem. The experiments are conducted on a set of 56 heterogeneous instances of various sizes. Results are compared with best solutions obtained by a commercial solver, and with a lower bound obtained by Lagrangian relaxation. The results highlight the efficiency of the matheuristic-based approach since it provides a low deviation ratio with a faster computational time.
Teaching und Training in der robotergestützten Chirurgie
Authors: Schmelzle Moritz , Malinka Thomas , Bahra Marcus , Pratschke Johann
Published: June 2020

Robotergestützte Operationsmethoden haben die minimalinvasive Chirurgie nachhaltig beeinflusst und werden auch in Zukunft ihren Stellenwert einfordern. In der Folge sind strukturierte Trainingsprogramme essenziell, um Chirurgen für den Operationssaal der Zukunft bestmöglich vorzubereiten. Eine Anlehnung an Programme aus dem Bereich der Aviatik scheinen hierbei sinnvoll und können die Ausbildung mit speziellem Augenmerk auf Effektivität, Effizienz sowie Patientensicherheit nachhaltig beeinflussen. In diesem Zusammenhang konnten simulationsgestützte Ausbildungskonzepte und OP-Workshops bereits ihre Sicherheit sowie positive Kosteneffektivität fachübergreifend aufzeigen. Proctoring und sog. Flying-Doctor-Modelle sind weitere wichtige Konzepte vor allem in der fortgeschrittenen Weiterbildung. Dieser Artikel gibt eine Übersicht der aktuellen Entwicklungen zum Thema Training und Teaching in der robotergestützten Chirurgie und möge als Grundlage für eine kontroverse Diskussion dienen.
Coagulopathy in COVID-19 and Its Implication for Safe and Efficacious Thromboprophylaxis
Authors: Langer Florian , Kluge Stefan , Klamroth Robert , Oldenburg Johannes
Published: June 2020

The novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, is causing a global pandemic of life-threatening multiorgan disease, called COVID-19. Accumulating evidence indicates that patients with COVID-19 are at significant risk of thromboembolic complications, mainly affecting the venous, but also the arterial vascular system. While the risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) appears to be higher in patients requiring intensive care unit support compared to those admitted to general wards, recent autopsy findings and data on the timing of VTE diagnosis relative to hospitalization clearly suggest that thromboembolic events also contribute to morbidity and mortality in the ambulatory setting. In addition to a severe hypercoagulable state caused by systemic inflammation and viral endotheliitis, some patients with advanced COVID-19 may develop a coagulopathy, which meets established laboratory criteria for disseminated intravascular coagulation, but is not typically associated with relevant bleeding. Similar to other medical societies, the Society of Thrombosis and Haemostasis Research has issued empirical recommendations on initiation, dosing, and duration of pharmacological VTE prophylaxis in COVID-19 patients.
Convulsive Status Epilepticus in Children: A Prospective Observational Study from India
Authors: Arya Adhi , Azad Chandrika , Mahajan Vidushi , Guglani Vishal
Published: June 2020

Convulsive status epilepticus (CSE) is one of the commonest and life threatening pediatric neurological emergencies. Only few studies on pediatric status epilepticus (SE) are available from the Indian subcontinent. The aim was to study the etiology and immediate outcome of CSE in children getting admitted in pediatric emergency during the study period and to study association of various clinical presentations with immediate outcome. A prospective observational study was conducted in tertiary care institute of Northern India. Children aged between 1 month and 18 years with CSE were enrolled and followed up till discharge. Primary outcome was kept as hospital survival/mortality; those who survived were further graded on the basis of disability at discharge. A total of 81 patients with CSE were assessed for primary outcome. The mortality rate was found to be 15% (12/81); 83% deaths were due to acute central nervous system (CNS) infection. Ten percent of children (8/81) had disability at discharge, five had mild, and three had moderate disability. The neurocysticercosis was the most common etiology seen in 23% (19/81) of the children followed by febrile SE in 20% (13/81) of the study participants. CSE responded to first-line antiepileptic drugs (AED) in 15% children (12/81). Refractory status was seen in 13.5% (11/81) cases. Prehospital treatment was received only in 15% patients. Young age, low Glasgow coma scale score at admission, and requirement of critical care support were the factors found to be significantly associated with mortality. CSE has a high mortality especially in young children and acute CNS infections are the most common cause of it.
Epidemiology of New Onset Seizures and Epilepsy Cases: A Prospective Cohort Study
Authors: Goel Deepak , Aggarwal Pradeep , Kandpal Sunil Dutt , Kakkar Rakesh , Negi Deepak , Mittal Nidhi
Published: June 2020

Introduction Incidence is the number of new epilepsy cases occurring during a given time interval, usually in 1 year, in a specified population. Most incidence studies of epilepsy are from developed countries with a rate of 40 to 70 per 100,000 population.

Aims We conducted this survey to study incidence of all new onset unprovoked in rural and semiurban areas of the Uttarakhand State. This study is conducted on more than 100,000 of population with longitudinal follow-up of 3 years.

Methods This was a community-based, longitudinal, observational study in two blocks of Dehradun district of Uttarakhand state. Total population of approximately 100,000 from two blocks will be surveyed (50,000 in each block). This door-to-door survey was conducted annually for 3 years duration from May 2014 to April 2017. The initial data were collected on National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS) questionnaire by door-to-door survey.

Results After longitudinal follow-up for 3 years of 103,610 of population in two blocks of Uttarakhand state, we found age-adjusted prevalence rate of unprovoked seizures to the tune of 623.63 cases per 100,000 of population. Age-adjusted incidence rate of epilepsy was 38.28 per 100,000 population and annual incidence of acute symptomatic seizures was 14.79 per 100,000 of population. Overall annual incidence rate of all afebrile seizures was 51.63 per of 100,000 people. Among all sociodemographic factors, age, poverty, diet, and hygiene were significantly associated with seizures.

Conclusion Age-adjusted incidence rate of unprovoked seizure in Uttarakhand state was 38.28 per 100,000 people. Diet and hygiene were significant risk factors for seizures.
Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction in a Postpartum Patient with Superimposed Preeclampsia and COVID-19
Authors: Sinkey Rachel G. , Rajapreyar Indranee , Robbins Lindsay S. , Dionne-Odom Jodie , Pogwizd Steven M. , Casey Brian M. , Tita Alan T.N.
Published: June 2020

Our understanding of COVID-19 in pregnant and postpartum women is rapidly evolving. We present a case from March 2020 of a 25-year-old G2P2002 whose delivery was complicated by preeclampsia with severe features who presented to the emergency department 9 days after cesarean delivery with chest tightness and dyspnea on exertion. On presentation she had severe hypertension, pulmonary edema, elevated brain natriuretic peptide, and high-sensitivity troponin-I, suggesting a diagnosis of hypertensive emergency leading to heart failure with a preserved ejection fraction resulting in pulmonary edema and abnormal cardiac screening tests. However, bilateral opacities were seen on a computed tomography of the chest, and COVID-19 testing was positive. A high index of suspicion for both COVID-19 and cardiovascular complications are critical for optimal patient outcomes and protection of health care workers.
An investigation into experimental in situ scanning electron microscope (SEM) imaging at high temperature
Authors: Heard Rhiannon , Huber John E. , Siviour Clive , Edwards Gary , Williamson-Brown Ed , Dragnevski Kalin
Published: June 2020

This paper presents an investigation into high temperature imaging of metals through the use of a novel heat stage for in situ Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The results obtained demonstrate the benefits and challenges of SEM imaging at elevated temperatures of up to 850 °C using Secondary Electron (SE) and Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD) detectors. The data collected using the heat stage demonstrate good beam, vacuum, and detector stability at high temperatures without the need for shielding or detector modification owing to the heat stage geometry. SE imaging highlighted one possible application: carrying out thermal etching, a process in which surface grooves form along a material’s grain boundaries during heating in situ. The data suggest that using the heat stage to perform imaging during the process gives a more accurate representation of a material’s microstructure at temperature than examining the thermally etched specimen after cooling. This study also highlights some of the challenges of high temperature in situ EBSD imaging in both steel and nickel at a variety of temperatures and time scales. In particular, the data demonstrate the effect of surface roughness on EBSD imaging and how microstructural changes during heating may affect this. Additionally, the ease with which a material can be imaged using EBSD at temperature may be affected by the material’s magnetic properties. For the first time, it is shown that at temperatures close to the Curie temperature of ferromagnetic materials, in this case Nickel, there is a loss of EBSD image quality. Quality was regained when temperatures were further increased. Despite these challenges, good quality EBSD scans were produced, further highlighting the benefits of in situ testing for providing information on grain boundaries, orientations, and phase change at elevated temperatures.
Neural network synchronization of fractional-order chaotic systems subject to backlash nonlinearity
Authors: Zhang Xiulan , Yang Chunzhi
Published: June 2020

This paper investigates the neural network (NN) synchronization controller design problem of fractional-order chaotic systems (FOCSs) subject to disturbances and backlash-like hysteresis input. First, we divide the backlash-like hysteresis input into two parts, one of which is the actual controller and the other that can be approximated by NNs. Then, an adaptive NN synchronization control input is implemented to drive the synchronization error between two identical FOCSs into a small domain. Finally, the effect of our approach is indicated by simulation results.
Ultralow operation voltages of a transparent memristor based on bilayer ITO
Authors: Wang Yuchen , Hu Lingxiang , Wei Xianhua , Zhuge Fei
Published: June 2020

Traditional memristors based on metal/insulator/metal sandwich structures generally require the operation voltages of several volts to switch the device between different resistance states. In this work, we report the ultralow set and reset voltages of 14 mV and 0.3 V in a simple bilayer device, respectively, which is composed of the widely used indium tin oxide (ITO) solely. Such low operation voltages might be ascribed to the synergistic effect of the loose porous structure in the upper ITO layer deposited by electron beam evaporation, the amorphous interface between two ITO layers, and the formation of an oxygen concentration gradient triggered by an initiation process. Based on the superior resistive switching properties of this kind bilayer device, synaptic functions and image memorization are achieved by applying ultralow electrical stimulus. The prototype device not only paves the way for simplifying the device structure and the fabrication process but also offers possibilities to develop transparent multifunctional devices with low power consumption.
Two-dimensional growth of conductive ultra-thin Sn films on insulating substrate with an Fe buffer layer
Authors: Zheng Dingheng , Shiogai Junichi , Inoue Hisashi , Souma Seigo , Sato Takafumi , Tsukazaki Atsushi
Published: June 2020

Two-dimensional (2D) growth of ultra-thin Sn films is a prerequisite for examining exotic quantum phenomena as one of their crystallized forms is a promising candidate for topological materials. In this study, we have investigated the ultra-thin film growth of Sn at room temperature with a Fe buffer layer on an insulating Al2O3 substrate using molecular-beam epitaxy. By the insertion of a 2- or 4-nm-thick Fe layer, the growth mode of Sn thin films varies from a three-dimensional (3D) island-based mode on Al2O3 to a 2D layer-based mode on Fe. However, the 3D growth mode reappeared when the thickness of Sn (dSn) reached the critical value dcSn of about 1.0 nm, corresponding to three atomic layers. A systematic increase in the sheet conductance with increasing dSn on the Fe buffer layer revealed that the sheet conductance of the Sn film can be characterized for a thickness less than dcSn. The saturation of the sheet conductance above dcSn indicates a disconnection of the Sn film grown by the island-based growth mode. In addition, the reduction in anomalous Hall resistance in the Sn/Fe bilayer with increasing dSn is attributed to the shunting and short-circuit effects of the conductive ultra-thin 2D Sn layer. By considering the strong coupling between Sn and Fe providing large anomalous Hall effects in the bilayer, further optimization of the 2D growth of ultra-thin Sn on Fe will pave the way to investigate exotic interfacial physical phenomena through electrical transport measurement.
A step in the direction of resolving the paradox of Perdew–Zunger self-interaction correction. II. Gauge consistency of the energy density at three levels of approximation
Authors: Bhattarai Puskar , Wagle Kamal , Shahi Chandra , Yamamoto Yoh , Romero Selim , Santra Biswajit , Zope Rajendra R. , Peralta Juan E. , Jackson Koblar A. , Perdew John P.
Published: June 2020

The Perdew–Zunger (PZ) self-interaction correction (SIC) was designed to correct the one-electron limit of any approximate density functional for the exchange–correlation (xc) energy, while yielding no correction to the exact functional. Unfortunately, it spoils the slowly varying (in space) limits of the uncorrected approximate functionals, where those functionals are right by construction. The right limits can be restored by locally scaling down the energy density of the PZ SIC in many-electron regions, but then a spurious correction to the exact functional would be found unless the self-Hartree and exact self-xc terms of the PZ SIC energy density were expressed in the same gauge. Only the local density approximation satisfies the same-gauge condition for the energy density, which explains why the recent local-scaling SIC is found here to work excellently for atoms and molecules only with this basic approximation and not with the more advanced generalized gradient approximations (GGAs) and meta-GGAs, which lose the Hartree gauge via simplifying integrations by parts. The transformation of energy density that achieves the Hartree gauge for the exact xc functional can also be applied to approximate functionals. Doing so leads to a simple scaled-down self-interaction correction that is typically much more accurate than PZ SIC in tests for many molecular properties (including equilibrium bond lengths). The present work unambiguously shows that the largest errors of PZ SIC applied to standard functionals at three levels of approximation can be removed by restoring their correct slowly varying density limits. It also confirms the relevance of these limits to atoms and molecules.
Different mowing frequencies affect nutritive value and recovery potential of forage bermudagrass
Authors: Zhang Yinkun , Yin Yanling , Amombo Erick , Li Xiaoning , Fu Jinmin
Published: June 2020

Mowing is one of the most effective methods of pasture management, and frequency plays a critical role in management strategies. Bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.) is a highly valuable forage grass due to its exceptionally high mowing recovery rate and its high potential to be used as a forage crop. In China, bermudagrass is increasingly becoming a crucial forage crop because of the growing demand from the livestock industry. The objective of the present study was to determine the effect of mowing frequencies on forage bermudagrass (‘Wrangler’) yields and nutritive value. Four treatments with different mowing frequencies (2, 4, 6 and 12 weeks) were evaluated. Harvested grasses were assessed for yield and nutritive value. The shoot dry weight, crude fibre and N content did not exhibit any difference at various mowing frequencies. The highest content of crude protein was attained at the 2-weeks mowing frequency, although the 4-weeks mowing frequency resulted in a relatively higher shoot fresh weight, crude fat content, water content, P concentration and plant height. A persistently high upregulation of NRT1, PHT1, PHT2, AOC, AOS, MYC2 and NCED1 genes were observed at 4-weeks frequency. Yield was highest at 4- and 6-weeks mowing frequencies. Consequently, the 4-weeks frequency was considered to be the optimal mowing frequency in view of the forage quality and regrowth capacity.
Genetic variation for tolerance to extreme temperatures in wild and cultivated sunflower (Helianthus annuus) during early vegetative phases
Authors: Hernández Fernando , Poverene Mónica , Mercer Kristin L. , Presotto Alejandro
Published: June 2020

Abstract
The increased incidence of extreme temperature events due to global climate change poses a major challenge for crop production. Ability to increase temperature tolerance through genetic improvement requires understanding of how crops and their wild relatives respond to extreme temperatures. We developed a high-throughput technique to evaluate tolerance to freezing stress (FS) and heat stress (HS) in wild, crop–wild hybrid and cultivated sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.). We also investigated whether trade-offs exist between stress tolerance and growth under benign conditions. Eleven experiments were performed under a combination of growth-chamber and field conditions. In growth-chamber experiments, FS and HS consisted of exposing acclimated plants at the 2–4-leaf stage to temperatures ranging from to –2.5°C to –4°C for 2–4 h and from 52°C to 54°C for 2–3 h. In the field, plants were grown for 32 days during midwinter (FS: average Tmean = 9.9°C and Tmin = 3.8°C) or for 10 days in a heat tent (HS: average Tmean = 30.1°C and Tmax = 43.3°C). We observed large differences in tolerance to FS and HS between wild and cultivated sunflower. Wild sunflower showed higher FS tolerance than cultivated in both growth-chamber and field experiments, whereas cultivated sunflower showed higher HS tolerance in growth-chamber experiments. No differences in HS tolerance were observed in the field. Crop–wild hybrids generally showed intermediate HS and FS tolerance. We found no evidence of a growth-tolerance trade-off, which suggests that tolerance might be introgressed into elite germplasm without growth penalties. The study reveals that wide genetic variation for the tolerance to extreme temperatures exists in the primary gene pool of sunflower.
The acquisition of German declension in additive and concept-based approaches to instruction via computer-based cognitive tutors
Authors: Walter Daniel R.
Published: June 2020

This study examines the different learning outcomes of two computer-based cognitive tutors using two approaches to instructing German declension: an additive, bottom-up approach, which focuses on a stepwise introduction of each case, and a concept-based, top-down approach, which focuses on developing students’ conceptual understanding of the functions related to each case form and the case marking system as a whole. The results indicate that both groups learned, but what and how they learned differed depending on the method of instruction. The additive group showed general gains in production and a slight increase in their ability to correctly interpret object-first sentences. The concept-based group showed larger gains, but in fewer areas. Specifically, the production of adjective endings increased, although there were no differences in determiner production or accuracy. The concept-based group also had a larger gain in their ability to interpret non-SVO word order sentences. This study shows how concept-based approaches to grammar can outperform additive ones, and that the development of these concepts can prepare students for future learning.
A model and simulation of lattice vibrations in a superabundant vacancy phase of palladium–deuterium
Authors: Staker M R
Published: June 2020

A one dimensional Bravais lattice model is applied to a superabundant vacancy (SAV) delta δ phase (Pd3VacD4—octahedral), in the palladium–deuterium system. SolidWorks is used to simulate the motion of atoms and ions in the lattice. These two approaches give identical results for the vibrations of the deuterons indicating that large vibrations of deuterons are possible when the microstructure is a mixture of beta deuteride and small volume percent delta SAV phase. These conditions result from the unique geometry and crystallography of δ phase. According to both the model and simulation, as the size of δ phase increases, opportunity for high amplitude vibrations of deuterons increases. Increasing temperature should have a similar effect.
Enhancing gesture decoding performance using signals from posterior parietal cortex: a stereo-electroencephalograhy (SEEG) study
Authors: Wang Meng , Li Guangye , Jiang Shize , Wei Zixuan , Hu Jie , Chen Liang , Zhang Dingguo
Published: June 2020

Objective. Hand movement is a crucial function for humans’ daily life. Developing brain-machine interface (BMI) to control a robotic hand by brain signals would help the severely paralyzed people partially regain the functional independence. Previous intracranial electroencephalography (iEEG)-based BMIs towards gesture decoding mostly used neural signals from the primary sensorimotor cortex while ignoring the hand movement related signals from posterior parietal cortex (PPC). Here, we propose combining iEEG recordings from PPC with that from primary sensorimotor cortex to enhance the gesture decoding performance of iEEG-based BMI. Approach. Stereoelectroencephalography (SEEG) signals from 25 epilepsy subjects were recorded when they performed a three-class hand gesture task. Across all 25 subjects, we identified 524, 114 and 221 electrodes from three regions of interest (ROIs), including PPC, postcentral cortex (POC) and precentral cortex (PRC), respectively. Based on the time-varying high gamma power (55-150 Hz) of SEEG signal, both the general activation in the task and the fine selectivity to gestures of each electrode in these ROIs along time was evaluated by the coefficient of determination r
2. According to the activation along time, we further assessed the first activation time of each ROI. Finally, the decoding accuracy for gestures was obtained by linear support vector machine classifier to comparatively explore if the PPC will assist PRC and POC for gesture decoding. Main results. We find that a majority(L:

>

60%, R:

>

40%) of electrodes in all the three ROIs present significant activation during the task. A large scale temporal activation sequence exists among the ROIs, where PPC activates first, PRC second and POC last. Among the activated electrodes, 15% (PRC), 26% (POC) and 4% (left PPC) of electrodes are significantly selective to gestures. Moreover, decoding accuracy obtained by combining the selective electrodes from three ROIs together is 5%, 3.6%, and 8% higher than that from only PRC and POC when decoding features across, before, and after the movement onset, were used. Significance. This is the first human iEEG study demonstrating that PPC contains neural information about fine hand movement, supporting the role of PPC in hand shape encoding. Combining PPC with primary sensorimotor cortex can provide more information to improve the gesture decoding performance. Our results suggest that PPC could be a rich neural source for iEEG-based BMI. Our findings also demonstrate the early involvement of human PPC in visuomotor task and thus may provide additional implications for further scientific research and BMI applications.
Measuring the sustainable development implications of climate change mitigation
Authors: Fujimori Shinichiro , Hasegawa Tomoko , Takahashi Kiyoshi , Dai Hancheng , Liu Jing-Yu , Ohashi Haruka , Xie Yang , Zhang Yanxu , Matsui Tetsuya , Hijioka Yasuaki
Published: June 2020

Synergies and trade-offs exist between climate mitigation actions and target indicators of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Some studies have assessed such relationships, but the degree of such interaction remains poorly understood. Here, we show the SDG implications associated with CO2emissions reductions. We developed ‘marginal SDG-emissions-reduction values (MSVs)’, which represent the marginal impacts on SDG indicators caused by a unit CO2emissions reduction. This metric is applicable to national assessments and was applied to Asia. We found clear relationships between CO2emissions reduction rates and many SDG targets. For instance, 1% reduction of CO2can avoid 0.57% of air pollution-related premature deaths (SDG3), whereas the mean species richness (SDG15) is decreased by 0.026% with the same reduction (not including climate change impacts). Our findings are useful for assessing the SDG implications associated with CO2emissions reduction targets, which will help inform national climate policies.
Stomatal response to decreased relative humidity constrains the acceleration of terrestrial evapotranspiration
Authors: Xiao Mingzhong , Yu Zhongbo , Kong Dongdong , Gu Xihui , Mammarella Ivan , Montagnani Leonardo , Arain M Altaf , Merbold Lutz , Magliulo Vincenzo , Lohila Annalea , Buchmann Nina , Wolf Sebastian , Gharun Mana , Hörtnagl Lukas , Beringer Jason , Gioli Beniamino
Published: June 2020

Terrestrial evapotranspiration (ET) is thermodynamically expected to increase with increasing atmospheric temperature; however, the actual constraints on the intensification of ET remain uncertain due to a lack of direct observations. Based on the FLUXNET2015 Dataset, we found that relative humidity (RH) is a more important driver of ET than temperature. While actual ET decrease at reduced RH, potential ET increases, consistently with the complementary relationship (CR) framework stating that the fraction of energy not used for actual ET is dissipated as increased sensible heat flux that in turn increases potential ET. In this study, we proposed an improved CR formulation requiring no parameter calibration and assessed its reliability in estimating ET both at site-level with the FLUXNET2015 Dataset and at basin-level. Using the ERA-Interim meteorological dataset for 1979–2017 to calculate ET, we found that the global terrestrial ET showed an increasing trend until 1998, while the trend started to decline afterwards. Such decline was largely associated with a reduced RH, inducing water stress conditions that triggered stomatal closure to conserve water. For the first time, this study quantified the global-scale implications of changes in RH on terrestrial ET, indicating that the temperature-driven acceleration of the terrestrial water cycle will be likely constrained by terrestrial vegetation feedbacks.
Modern Analogue of Shaly Sand Reservoir on Coastal Plain in Selat Baru, Bengkalis Island, Indonesia
Authors: Yuskar Yuniarti , Choanji Tiggi , Eka Putra Dewandra Bagus , Bastira Shanaz Noveta , Suryadi Adi , Sari Dilla Permata , Harisma
Published: June 2020

Coastal environment is one of main reservoir depositional system in the oil industry and becomes the main challenges in defining its characteristic, especially in lateral correlation. Research conducted in Bengkalis Island which has a unique characteristic of coastal depositional environment that affected by a tidal system related to modern analogue for reservoir characterization. The method used for this research is analysing lithofacies from drilled core data, surface sampling, and lateral measurement from foreshore to the tidal limit. It is confirmed from core data that research area consists of sand, shale, and peat with lamination, cross laminations sedimentary structure and also filled with organism activity, which clustered into eight lithofacies. By integrating the core data with surface sampling and lateral measurement, it is interpreted that facies is changing only in near distance (about 30 – 40 m) with sloping 1 – 2 degrees in the surface, so by defining the same characteristic on lithofacies, correlation can clearly define on a shaly sand reservoir in the tidal coastal environment.
Characteristics of Quaternary Deep Sea Sediment in the Sumba Strait based on Grain Size and LoI (Lost on ignition Analysis)
Authors: Zulhikmah  , Yuskar Yuniarti , Putra Purna Sulastya , Nugroho Septriono Hari , Choanji Tiggi
Published: June 2020

This research was conducted in the Sumba Strait, southwest of Sumba East Nusa Tenggara. The Purpose of this study is to determine the depositional facies characteristics of the Quaternary deep sediment. The sample was taken at a depth of 1858 m by gravity core in board of RV Baruna Jaya VII by the geology team of Ekspedisi Widya Nusantara LIPI 2016. The length of the sample was 246 cm. Sedimentology analysis was conducted to measure grain size distribution, organic material and carbonate content in the core. The characteristics of the sediment were dominated by coarse silt, poorly sorted, symmetrical skewness and mesokurtic kurtosis. Generally, the percentage of carbon and carbonate is 20.09% carbon and 9.67% carbonate; it shows that grain size is very influential on organic material in the sediment. The finer the grain of sediment the higher the organic material, which in the sediment results from the grain size analysis indicates the dominant grain size of the fine (Coarse silt).