bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Need for development of low carbon economy in China using analysis of Guangdong textile industry as case study
Authors: Zhou Lixing
Published: August 2021

Textile industry is a high energy-consuming industry, which depends on oil, coal and other energy resources. This paper takes Guangdong textile industry as case study and analyses its current carbon emission from the statistical yearbook. Chinese textile industry should transform and develop a low-carbon economy model. Firstly, the government should strengthen the top-level design and improve the relevant legal system. Secondly, new energy and renewable materials needs to be vigorously explored to save energy. Thirdly, the textile enterprises must speed up the industrial transformation and upgrade to enhance the added value in the industrial chain. Finally, consumers are required to update their concept of low-carbon consumption. These ways are helpful to ensure the minimization of “carbon footprint”. Only by developing a circular economy and low-carbon economy, can we build a resource-saving, environment-friendly and low-carbon-oriented society.
Scaling tendency prediction in water injection well of K2 formation of C68 block
Authors: Yan Zhitao , Hu Ruohan , Li Fengyan , Kang Shouxing , Zhang Liping
Published: August 2021

The K2 formation of C68 block is explored by injecting water to maintain formation pressure, but the continuous decrease of injection rate significantly reduces oil production. Therefore, it is important to predict scaling tendency of injected water in the formation. Firstly, ion composition of formation water and injected water was tested according to recommended practices in petroleum industry. Then, wellbottom temperature distribution of injection wells was simulated under injection water rate requirement of oilfield development. Furthermore, based on the “Oddo-Tomson” prediction model of inorganic scale, the scaling trend of water flooding in K2 formation is predicted according to the possible temperature and pressure. The research indicates that sulfate scale cannot be formed in C68 block and there is a slight possibility of carbonate scaling, which provides a basis to select the correct stimulation technology for increasing production.
Analysis of the inequality of people at risk at the regional level
Authors: Lesnichaya Marina , Kolchina Oksana
Published: August 2021

The phenomenon of poverty occurs in any modern society. The avalanche-like increase of this phenomenon has become the most important problem of social life. Unfortunately, the assessment of the poverty rate is often reduced to the indicator of cost of living, which reflects only the satisfaction of physiological requirements. This indicator is the base of targeted social assistance determination. Therefore, the main condition for providing this type of support is the identification of categories of deprived low-income families. The successful practice of “region’s poverty profile building” was implemented In Rostov region. It aimed at identifying low-income population with maximum decomposition of needy population characteristics. The article proposes a mechanism for improving this service by expanding the typology of low-income population, including the “risk” categories, in other words people who receive wages above the minimum of subsistence, but do not have their own property. On the base of statistical analysis, the study proved the need to include this category of households in the register of those who are eligible for compulsory social support by the authorities, which can significantly affect the improvement in their quality of life. Subsequently, it is possible to amend federal legislation and region’s poverty profile.
Territorial features of consumer behavior in the medical services market
Authors: Belaya Raisa , Morozova Tatyana , Kozyreva Galina
Published: August 2021

Expansion of the commercial medical service market in Russia is a risk factor that promotes social inequality. In remote rural areas, social infrastructure, in particular the healthcare system, has been degrading. As a result, patients have widely taken to the use of commercial medical services. In this situation, such behavioral models are demonstrated not only by well-off, but even by needy rural and small-town residents. In this context, research on the formation mechanisms of user practices in the commercial medical service market in remote rural areas and smaller towns gains more relevance. The objective of the study is to assess the behavior of people in the Republic of Karelia (Russia) as users of commercial services. Methodologically, the study employed the household approach and statistical data analysis methods: factor and discriminant analyses. We demonstrate that the active use of commercial medical services by poor population strata is a necessity-driven activity caused by the absence or low availability of free services of this sort, or their low quality at the local level. The findings can help in decision-making on upgrading the social policy in healthcare.
Digital micromirror device for holographic and Fourier optics applications
Authors: Douet Brice , Tedoldi Téo , Kabacinski Adeline , Morana Ambra , Gallot Guilhem , Bouganne Raphaël
Published: August 2021

The electromagnetic wavefront diffracted by an object carries information about the shape of the object from which the wave was emitted. Being able to record the phase and intensity of such a wave thus allows to reconstruct the object from the information carried by the wave, even if the object is no longer present. Among the reconstruction techniques, holography plays a big part. However the waves may experience a great variety of distortions on their way from the object to the measurement apparatus. Thus being able to shape the wavefront at will is key in holography. Micromirror light modulators are powerful tools for that matter and are well known for holographic applications. This paper explores the fundamental principles for digitally reconstructing a precise image of an object, but also for digitally correcting an imperfectly shaped wavefront, by exploiting the diffraction properties of light on a reflective surface. The methods presented here have been implemented as part of practical work for 2nd year students at the Ecole Polytechnique (last year of undergraduate program).
Im Sommer: Abschalten, Kraft tanken, Neues lernen
Authors: Börner Doris , Zohmann Andreas
Published: August 2021

Liebe Leserin, lieber Leser,

der Sommer ist da. Sommerzeit ist ja Urlaubszeit. Und für viele gibt es nun
auch die ersten „richtigen“ Urlaube seit vielen Monaten. Dank der
sinkenden Corona-Inzidenzwerte sowie dem stetigen Impffortschritt ist es nun auch
wieder einigermaßen möglich, zu verreisen.
SGLT-2 Inhibition – neues Therapiekonzept bei Herzinsuffizienz
Authors: Schütt Katharina , Berger Martin , Marx Nikolaus
Published: August 2021

SGLT2-Inhibitoren stellen eine neue Substanzklasse in der Therapie der Herzinsuffizienz dar, die initial zur Therapie des Typ-2-Diabetes entwickelt wurde. In großen kardiovaskulären Endpunktstudien konnte zunächst bei Patienten mit Typ-2-Diabetes gezeigt werden, dass SGLT2-Inhibitoren Herzinsuffizienz-assoziierte Endpunkte reduzieren. Daher wurden im Verlauf gezielt Studien bei Patienten mit Herzinsuffizienz mit eingeschränkter LV-Funktion (HFrEF) durchgeführt. In den bislang veröffentlichten Studien konnte gezeigt werden, dass Dapagliflozin oder Empagliflozin zu einer signifikanten Reduktion des Endpunktes Hospitalisierung für Herzinsuffizienz oder kardiovaskulären Tod führt. Damit stellt diese Substanzklasse eine neue Therapieoption für Patienten mit HFrEF dar. Der vorliegende Artikel gibt einen Überblick über die aktuelle Datenlage und stellt SGLT2-Inhibitoren in den Kontext der bisherigen Behandlung bei Herzinsuffizienz.
DNQP-Expertenstandard Entlassungsmanagement 2019 mit Blick auf pflegende Angehörige
Authors: Lebeda Dorothee , Carmona-Hernandez Manja
Published: August 2021

Im Rahmen der Familialen Pflege sollen speziell ausgebildete Pflegetrainerinnen die Familien nach einem Krankenhausaufenthalt begleiten. Dabei stehen nicht die Patienten, sondern die pflegenden Angehörigen im Fokus.
The Standardized Wood Extract of Albizia myriophylla: Its Potential as an Active Ingredient in an Anti-inflammatory Herbal Gel Formulation
Authors: Bakasatae Nazneen , Sangkaew Warissara , Kunworarath Nongluk , Ontong Julalak Chorachoo , Phoopha Sathianpong , Takahashi Yupanqui Chutha , Voravuthikunchai Supayang Piyawan , Joycharat Nantiya
Published: August 2021

Albizia myriophylla has been used in Thai folk medicine for treating inflammation-related diseases. The wood of this medicinal plant is traditionally used as a single herbal drug in the form of an aqueous decoction and as a component in several Thai herbal formulations for the remedy of fever, sore throat, and aphthous ulcers. This study aimed to evaluate in vivo the anti-inflammatory potential and possible mechanism of action of the standardized wood extract of A. myriophylla as well as to investigate the anti-inflammatory activity and physicochemical properties of the developed herbal gel formulation containing standardized wood extract of A. myriophylla. Results of quantitative HPLC analysis demonstrated that the standardized wood extract of A. myriophylla contained 22.95 mg/g of 8-methoxy-7,3′,4′-trihydroxyflavone, a bioactive marker compound of A. myriophylla. The standardized wood extract of A. myriophylla (1% w/v)
exhibited remarkable inhibition (54.4 – 80.3%) in the croton oil model of topical inflammation at all assessment times, comparable to standard indomethacin (55.3 – 63.6%). Real-time quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction was performed to clarify the anti-inflammatory mechanism of standardized wood extract of A. myriophylla, and the result showed that this standardized extract decreased lipopolysaccharide-induced nitric oxide synthase mRNA levels in a dose-dependent manner. The developed herbal gel containing standardized wood extract of A. myriophylla (1% w/w) had good physicochemical characteristics and exhibited potent inhibition (51.4 – 77.8%) of inflammation in a rat ear edema model at all assessment times, comparable to indomethacin gel (33.3 – 40.5%). The notable anti-inflammatory activity of standardized wood extract of A. myriophylla and its developed herbal gel formulation indicates their potential application as
natural anti-inflammatory agents.
Competitive CatSper Activators of Progesterone from Rhynchosia volubilis
Authors: Xiang Jin , Kang Hang , Li Hong-Gang , Shi Yu-Long , Zhang Ya-Li , Ruan Chang-Lei , Liu Lin-Hui , Gao Han-Qi , Luo Tao , Hu Gao-Sheng , Zhu Wei-Liang , Jia Jing-Ming , Chen Jia-Chun , Fang Jin-Bo
Published: August 2021

The root Rhynchosia volubilis was widely used for contraception in folk medicine, although its molecular mechanism on antifertility has not yet been revealed. In human sperm, it was reported that the cation channel of sperm, an indispensable cation channel for the fertilization process, could be regulated by various steroid-like compounds in plants. Interestingly, these nonphysiological ligands would also disturb the activation of the cation channel of sperm induced by progesterone. Therefore, this study aimed to explore whether the compounds in R. volubilis affect the physiological regulation of the cation channel of sperm. The bioguided isolation of the whole herb of R. volubilis has resulted in the novel discovery of five new prenylated isoflavonoids, rhynchones A – E (1 – 5), a new natural product, 5′-O-methylphaseolinisoflavan (6) (1H and 13C NMR data, Supporting Information), together with twelve known compounds (7 – 18). Their structures were established by extensive spectroscopic analyses and drawing a comparison with literature data, while their absolute configurations were determined by electronic circular dichroism calculations. The experiments of intracellular Ca2+ signals and patch clamping recordings showed that rhynchone A (1) significantly reduced cation channel of sperm activation by competing with progesterone. In conclusion, our findings indicat that rhynchone A might act as a contraceptive compound by impairing the activation of the cation channel of sperm and thus prevent fertilization.
Can Non-Invasive Capnography and Integrated Pulmonary Index Contribute to Patient Monitoring in the Pediatric Emergency Department?
Authors: Gurlu Ramazan , Tolu Kendir Ozlem , Baspinar Omer , Erkek Nilgun
Published: August 2021

Objectives Noninvasive capnography (NICG) devices can measure oxygen saturation, end-tidal carbon dioxide (EtCO2), respiratory rate, heart rate values and integrated pulmonary index (IPI). This study aimed to evaluate patients who were monitored using NICG for various indications in a pediatric emergency department and to determine its contribution to patient management in the pediatric emergency department (PED).

Methods In this study, children aged <18 years who had been monitored with a NICG at the PED in our university between August 2018-May 2019 were evaluated. Of them 48 patients' file records and monitored capnography parameters such as heart rate, respiratory rate, blood pressure, capillary refill time, Glasgow Coma Score, SpO2, EtCO2, IPI recorded in the forms were reviewed.

Results Patients most often presented to the emergency room due to seizures (35.4%), change in consciousness (22.9%), other neurological reasons (18.8%) with %50 were female. Seizure treatment(16.7%), circulatory–respiratory support(16.7%), and antiedema treatments(6.3%) were required for 39.5% patients as life-saving interventions, and 72.9% patients were hospitalized. Patients with low IPI(<8) values at the beginning and decreasing IPI (<8) measurements within monitoring period needed more life-saving treatments(p=0.005 and p=0.001, respectively). Low IPI values of the patients during monitoring showed a significant difference in the decision to be hospitalized(p=0.048).

Conclusions The results of the present study indicate that monitoring with NICG in the pediatric emergency room can be an important early indicator in establishing clinical prediction. The study particularly points out that the IPI value can be a guide in decisions regarding life-saving treatment and hospitalization. Among the capnographic data of these patients who had a change in consciousness IPI values those measured at the beginning and within the monitorizarion period showed a significant correlation with low GCS (<8) (r=0.478, p=0.001 and r=0.456, p=0.02, respectively). Prospective comprehensive large scale studies are needed to examine the use of NICG and IPI in routine PED practice for various indications.
Bulbine natalensis (currently Bulbine latifolia) and select bulbine knipholones modulate the activity of AhR, CYP1A2, CYP2B6, and P-gp
Authors: Husain Islam , Dale Olivia R. , Manda Vamshi , Ali Zulfiqar , Gurley Bill J. , Chittiboyina Amar G. , Khan Ikhlas A. , Khan Shabana I.
Published: August 2021

Bulbine natalensis, an emerging medicinal herb on the global market with androgenic properties, is often formulated in dietary supplements that promote perceived sexual enhancement. However, to date, comprehensive safety studies of B. natalensis are lacking, particularly those related to its herb-drug interaction potential. The purpose of this study was to assess the inductive and inhibitory effects of extracts and pure compounds of B. natalensis on human cytochrome P-450 isozymes in vitro. Our findings demonstrated that both water and methanolic extracts of B. natalensis as well as knipholone, bulbine-knipholone, and 6′-O-methylknipholone dose-dependently increased mRNA expression encoded by CYP2B6, CYP1A2, and ABCB1 genes. Functional analyses showed that water (60 to 2.20 µg/mL) and methanolic (30 to 3.75 µg/mL) extracts and knipholones (10 to 0.33 µM) increased CYP2B6 and CYP1A2 activity in a dose-dependent
manner. Additionally, water extract (60 µg/mL), methanolic extract (30 µg/mL), and knipholone (10 µM) caused activation of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor up to 11.1 ± 0.7, 8.9 ± 0.6, and 7.1 ± 2.0-fold, respectively. Furthermore, inhibition studies revealed that methanolic extract attenuated the activity of metabolically active CYP1A2 (IC50, 22.6 ± 0.4 µg/mL) and CYP2B6 (IC50, 34.2 ± 6.6 µg/mL) proteins, whereas water extracts had no inhibitory effect on either isoform. These findings suggest that chronic consumption of B. natalensis may affect normal homeostasis of select CYPs with subsequent risks for HDIs when concomitantly ingested with conventional medications that are substrates of CYP2B6 and CYP1A2. However, more in-depth translational studies are required to validate our current findings and their clinical relevance.
One-Pot Synthesis of Cyclic Isothioureas
Authors: Sun Zhihua , Wang Jun
Published: August 2021

The one-pot synthesis of cyclic isothioureas is reported. This method provides a straightforward and efficient approach to the synthesis of a broad range of cyclic isothioureas with yields of up to 90% and in quantities of up to 5 g. It is of great value for the preparation of classic organocatalysts, such as benzotetramisole and homobenzotetramisole.
Growth, phase transition, and island motion of Au on Ge(111)
Authors: Giacomo J. A. , Mullet C. H. , Chiang S.
Published: August 2021

Using low energy electron microscopy, Au on Ge(111) is determined to follow a Stranski–Krastanov growth mode consisting of a single layer up to one monolayer (ML), followed by three-dimensional Au–Ge alloy droplets. Near 600 °C, we report the first observation of a reversible first-order phase transition that occurs from the (3 × 3)R30° phase to a (1 × 1) phase, which has a coverage of 0.367 ML. The transition gradually occurs through a coexistence region with a temperature range of about 2 °C and weakly depends on coverage, varying from 640 °C at 1 ML down to 580 °C at 0.8 ML. The phase transition is accompanied by phase fluctuations of small domains or the fluctuations of phase boundaries of large domains. At coverage >1 ML and above 250 °C, the 3D droplets move with stick-slip hopping behavior that has previously been explained by dissolution of Ge at step edges into the alloy droplet, which then comes to concentration and thermal equilibrium via the island motion.
Time-dependent atomistic simulations of the CP29 light-harvesting complex
Authors: Maity Sayan , Sarngadharan Pooja , Daskalakis Vangelis , Kleinekathöfer Ulrich
Published: August 2021

Light harvesting as the first step in photosynthesis is of prime importance for life on earth. For a theoretical description of photochemical processes during light harvesting, spectral densities are key quantities. They serve as input functions for modeling the excitation energy transfer dynamics and spectroscopic properties. Herein, a recently developed procedure is applied to determine the spectral densities of the pigments in the minor antenna complex CP29 of photosystem II, which has recently gained attention because of its active role in non-photochemical quenching processes in higher plants. To this end, the density functional-based tight binding (DFTB) method has been employed to enable simulation of the ground state dynamics in a quantum-mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) scheme for each chlorophyll pigment. Subsequently, the time-dependent extension of the long-range corrected DFTB approach has been used to obtain the excitation energy fluctuations along the ground-state trajectories also in a QM/MM setting. From these results, the spectral densities have been determined and compared for different force fields and to spectral densities from other light-harvesting complexes. In addition, time-dependent and time-independent excitonic Hamiltonians of the system have been constructed and applied to the determination of absorption spectra as well as exciton dynamics.
Origin of the high-temperature ferromagnetism in Co-doped PbPdO2 semiconductors: A theoretical and experimental study
Authors: Yang Yanmin , Zhang Jian-Min , Jia Hai , Zhong Kehua , Xu Guigui , Huang Zhigao
Published: August 2021

High-temperature ferromagnetism has always been a classic and interesting subject, especially in spin gapless semiconductor PbPdO2 with exotic properties. Here, a combination of theoretical and experimental studies was employed to clarify the origin of high Tc. First, based on first-principles calculations, electronic band structures of PbPd0.875Co0.125O2 at different Co substitution positions were studied. Our results indicate that Co atoms tend to form an antiferromagnetic ground state due to the Co–O–Co (180°) indirect exchange effect, while ferromagnetism is favored in Co-doped PbPdO2 when a unique molecular field effect induced band crossover and p–d coupling occurs. It is revealed that metallic or semiconductor properties have an important connection with ferromagnetism or antiferromagnetism. Subsequently, a Monte Carlo simulation was carried out based on the first-principles results to predict the ferromagnetism of PbPd0.875Co0.125O2. Finally, the moment-magnetic field and moment-temperature curves were also measured for PbPd0.875Co0.125O2 samples, which was found well consistent with the theoretical findings. The ground state of PbPd0.875Co0.125O2 was confirmed to be ferromagnetic. Our results well explain the origin of high-temperature ferromagnetism in diluted magnetic semiconductors and provide new approaches for the design of future high Tc spintronic devices.
Gas-phase kinetics in atmospheric-pressure plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition of silicon films
Authors: Kakiuchi Hiroaki , Ohmi Hiromasa , Yasutake Kiyoshi
Published: August 2021

Atmospheric-pressure (AP) plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition of silicon (Si) films was numerically simulated. The AP plasma used for Si depositions was excited by a 150-MHz very high-frequency (VHF) electric power, which was capable of generating continuous glow discharges covering the entire electrode surface. The experimental film thickness profiles could be well fitted by the simulations by adjusting the electron density in the plasma. The results showed that, although neutral–neutral reactions proceed very rapidly due to the frequent collisions between the gas species, the dissociation of the source SiH4 molecules by electron impact is the key factor that governs the chemistry occurring in the AP-VHF plasma and promotes the film growth on the substrate. The input power dependences of electrical property of the Si films could be explained by the contribution of SiH3 radical to the deposition. It was also shown that, even though the plasma was continuous glow, the electron density changed in the direction of gas flow, suggesting that the very rapid nucleation of clusters and their growth into nanoparticles were occurring in the AP-VHF plasma.
Multi-object aerodynamic design optimization using deep reinforcement learning
Authors: Hui Xinyu , Wang Hui , Li Wenqiang , Bai Junqiang , Qin Fei , He Guoqiang
Published: August 2021

Aerodynamic design optimization is a key aspect in aircraft design. The further evolution of advanced aircraft derivatives requires a powerful optimization toolbox. Reinforcement learning (RL) is a powerful optimization tool but has rarely been utilized in the aerodynamic design. It can potentially obtain results similar to those of a human designer, by accumulating experience from training. In this work, a popular RL method called proximal policy optimization (PPO) is proposed to investigate multi-object aerodynamic design optimization. By observing the aerodynamic performances of different airfoils, the PPO updates a reasonable policy to generate the optimal airfoils in a single step. In a Pareto optimization problem with constraints, the PPO requires only 15% of the computational time of the non-dominated sorted genetic algorithm (II) to achieve the same accuracy. The results from testing show that the agent learns a policy that can achieve ∼4.3%–10.1% improvements of the aerodynamic performance compared with the results of baseline.
Instabilities during convection–diffusion of binary mixtures in a non-isothermal flow: A linear stability analysis
Authors: Khandelwal Manish K. , Singh Nidhi , Sharma Abhishek K. , Yu Peng
Published: August 2021

This paper reports a fully developed thermo–solutal mixed convection flow of the binary mixture of some important chemical species and its linear stability characteristics in a vertical channel. The flow is jointly driven by an external pressure gradient as well as simultaneous buoyancy effects of thermal and chemical species diffusion. A spectral collocation method is adopted to solve the governing equations numerically. The numerical calculation is performed for a wide range of the governing flow parameters. The main emphasis is given to examine the effect of the buoyancy ratio, which is defined as N, on basic flow characteristics and the instability mechanism for chemical species diffusion of interest in the air (Pr = 0.7) over a Schmidt number (Sc) range 0.2–2.01. A comprehensive investigation shows that when N≥−1, the heat and mass transfer rates increase monotonically on increasing the thermal buoyant force, whereas for N<−1 they are in a sinusoidal form. The velocity profiles contain the point of inflection for N>−1; however, both the point of inflection and flow separation are present when N<−1. The stability of the flow decreases on increasing the value of Sc, when the buoyant force from species diffusion acts in the same direction as the thermal buoyant force. The flow is also unstable under mild heating conditions for a relatively large magnitude of N. The disturbance kinetic energy analysis at the linear stability critical point shows that more contribution of the shear term in the production of disturbance kinetic energy effectively stabilizes the flow.
A unified immersed boundary-lattice Boltzmann flux solver (UIB-LBFS) for simulation of flows past porous bodies
Authors: Chen H. , Yu P. , Shu C.
Published: August 2021

A novel numerical method named the unified immersed boundary-lattice Boltzmann flux solver (UIB-LBFS) for simulating incompressible flows past homogeneous porous bodies is proposed in this paper. A diffuse layer through which the porosity is smoothly changed is introduced. As a consequence, the governing equations in the porous domain and the pure-fluid domain can be unified. The solutions to each domain can be smoothly transitioned from one to the other through the diffuse layer around the domain interface. A fractional-step technique is employed to split the computational procedure into the predictor step and the corrector step, respectively. In the predictor step, an intermediate flow field is first predicted without considering the domain interface by the unified lattice Boltzmann flux solver. Then, the physical conditions at the fluid–porous interface are implemented through the immersed boundary method to correct the flow field in the corrector step. All the flow quantities are evaluated at the cell centers, while the viscous and the inviscid numerical fluxes are locally reconstructed at each cell interface simultaneously. Numerical validations are carried out, and excellent agreements between the present and published results are achieved. The accuracy and the reliability of the UIB-LBFS are thus proven.
Optimizing GaAs nanowire-based visible-light photodetectors
Authors: Li Xiao , Yu Xuezhe , Zeng Haotian , Boras Giorgos , Shen Kai , Zhang Yunyan , Wu Jiang , Choy Kwang Leong , Liu Huiyun
Published: August 2021

Sole surface passivation for III–V nanowire photodetectors exhibits limited photoresponse improvement. Consequently, a well-customized contact design is crucial. Here, GaAs nanowire-based metal-semiconductor-metal photodetectors via surface treatment and interfacial contact optimization are reported. The passivation strategy inhibits the surface recombination and, importantly, effectively reduces the Fermi-level pinning effect by the redistribution of surface states. It leads to the Schottky barrier height reduced from ∼0.63 to ∼0.36 eV at the Ni/GaAs nanowire contact. The design contributes to the prominently enhanced more than tenfold photoresponsivity and the much-shortened response time, in comparison with the pristine ones. When applying the design to the intrinsic GaAs nanowire photodetector, it demonstrates a responsivity of 4.5 × 104 A/W, a specific detectivity of 3.3 × 1014 Jones, and response time less than 50 ms under 520 nm laser illumination. Additionally, good repeatability of dynamic photo-switching characteristics and stability measured with slight degradation after 2 months are demonstrated. With the same approach, it is found that the responsivity could be further enhanced by over 50 times up to 6.4 × 105 A/W via fermi level adjustment in a p-doped single GaAs nanowire device. Featuring the nanoscale footprint and compact size, the results establish the GaAs nanowire as a promising and competitive candidate for high-performance and reliable nano-photodetection operating in the visible range.
Thermoelectric and optical properties of 2D hexagonal Dirac material Be3X2 (X = C, Si, Ge, Sn): A density functional theory study
Authors: Nath Subhadip
Published: August 2021

The thermoelectric and optical properties of the 2D hexagonal Dirac material Be3X2 (X=C, Si, Ge, Sn) have been investigated by the first-principles method. These structures have thermoelectric properties superior to graphene. The pristine Be3C2, Be3Si2, Be3Ge2 structures show an extraordinary large Seebeck coefficient, power factor, and ZT∼1 at a low temperature. The maximum thermoelectric efficiency is observed at T∼100–400 K and chemical potential in the range of −0.2 to 0.2 eV. The system performs better when they are n-doped. The optical properties indicate a contribution from both interband and intraband transitions. At a low frequency, the system shows optically metallic and semiconducting characteristics for parallel and perpendicular polarization of incident light, respectively. The materials behave as optically transparent for visible light. A σ–σ∗ interband transition is observed in the UV region of the electromagnetic spectrum. Both π and π+σ plasmon peaks are identified in the infrared and UV regions, respectively. All these intriguing properties of the Be3X2 monolayer may motivate fabricating this material and its application in smart thermoelectric and opto-electronic devices.
Dynamin deficiency causes insulin secretion failure and hyperglycemia
Authors: Fan Fan , Wu Yumei , Hara Manami , Rizk Adam , Ji Chen , Nerad Dan , Tamarina Natalia , Lou Xuelin
Published: August 2021

Significance

Insulin secretion regulates broad cellular function and glucose homeostasis, and its disruption causes diabetes. Insulin secretion requires granule fusion with the plasma membrane to allow insulin release (called exocytosis). Exocytosis is coupled with robust endocytosis, a process that retrieves materials from the cell surface. There exists an ongoing debate around the contributions of coupled endocytosis to insulin secretion. Here, we investigate this issue in adult mouse β cells by deleting all three mammalian dynamin genes. Interestingly, dynamin triple-knockout β cells still contain abundant insulin granules but cannot release insulin effectively, causing the disrupted glucose homeostasis in vivo. These findings demonstrate the pivotal role of dynamin in insulin secretion by coordinating the “in” and “out” of membrane trafficking in endocrine cells.
Elucidation of an anaerobic pathway for metabolism of
l
-carnitine–derived γ-butyrobetaine to trimethylamine in human gut bacteria
Authors: Rajakovich Lauren J. , Fu Beverly , Bollenbach Maud , Balskus Emily P.
Published: August 2021

Significance

Trimethylamine (TMA) is a disease-associated metabolite produced in the human body exclusively by microbes. Gut microbes generate TMA from essential nutrients consumed in the human diet, including
l
-carnitine. However, our understanding of the biochemical mechanisms involved in these transformations is incomplete. In this work, we define the biochemical pathway and genetic components in gut bacteria required for anaerobic production of TMA from γ-butyrobetaine, a metabolite derived from
l
-carnitine. This discovery identifies a new type of TMA-producing enzyme and fills a critical gap in our knowledge of
l
-carnitine metabolism to TMA in the anaerobic environment of the human gut. This knowledge will enable evaluation of the link between
l
-carnitine metabolism and human disease and the design of potential therapeutics.
Empirical evidence to understand the human factor for effective rapid testing against SARS-CoV-2
Authors: Betsch Cornelia , Sprengholz Philipp , Siegers Regina , Eitze Sarah , Korn Lars , Goldhahn Laura , Schmitz Jule Marie , Giesler Paula , Knauer Gesine , Jenny Mirjam A.
Published: August 2021

Significance

Rapid testing with antigen tests accompanies efforts for controlling the disease dynamics in the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic. A high willingness to carry out these tests and high test literacy of potential users are needed. In four cross-sectional data collections with more than 4,000 participants, we showed that incentives can increase the willingness to undertake a test, while mandatory reporting was not perceived as a major barrier. However, participants had difficulties correctly interpreting test results. A short health communication intervention effectively reduced complacent behavior after negative test results. In sum, rapid tests have great potential to help fight the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic but only when effective health communication enables people to test and act appropriately.
Venturia rumicis
. [Descriptions of Fungi and Bacteria].
Authors: UK, CAB International  , Sivanesan A.
Published: August 2021

A description is provided for
Venturia rumicis
. Information is included on the disease caused by the organism, its transmission, geographical distribution, and hosts. HOSTS: On living and dead leaves of
Rumex
sp. DISEASE: Leaf spot. GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION: Europe and North America. TRANSMISSION: By ascospores dispersed by air currents.
Aphanomyces euteiches
. [Descriptions of Fungi and Bacteria].
Authors: UK, CAB International  , Stamps D. J.
Published: August 2021

A description is provided for
Aphanomyces euteiches
. Information is included on the disease caused by the organism, its transmission, geographical distribution, and hosts. HOSTS: Pea,
Arabis
, pansy, sweet pea, clover, bean, lupin, vetch, lucerne,
Melilotus
, barley, oats,
Echinodorus brevipedicellatus
. Conifer seedlings and other hosts were infected by inoculation. DISEASE: Root rot of pea. GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION: Asia (Japan); Australia (Tasmania); Europe (UK, Denmark, France, Norway, Sweden, USSR); N. America (USA). (CMI Map 78, ed. 3, 1977). TRANSMISSION: Soil-borne, persisting in the soil for many years. Studies in Wisconsin suggested that
A. euteiches
may live as a weak parasite in the roots of many plants and occur naturally in some virgin soils (6, 523). Oospores were indicated to be the primary inocula for new outbreaks of pea root rot, zoospores the primary infective agents (39, 646). Survival between pea crops depended on oospore durability and possible alternative hosts, not saprophytic activity (41, 689). Studies were made of population dynamics in the soil (48, 2067) and penetration and infection of roots by zoospores (42, 287).
Metarhizium anisopliae
. [Descriptions of Fungi and Bacteria].
Authors: UK, CAB International  , Brady B. L. K.
Published: August 2021

A description is provided for
Metarhizium anisopliae
. Information is included on the disease caused by the organism, its transmission, geographical distribution, and hosts. HOSTS: Wide range of insects, including
Orthoptera, Coleoptera, Lepidoptera, Hemiptera
and
Hymenoptera
, also
Arachnida
, from soil and from a crocodile (Austwick in Tulloch, 1976). Latch (1965) quotes 166 insect species attacked in nature, and Veen (1968) lists 204 hosts under their respective orders from the literature up to 1965. GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION: World wide. DISEASE: The green muscardine fungus. Entry is probably both by ingestion of spores and by penetration through the integument. For an account of the work of Zacharuk (1970-1974) on the germination of spores, formation of appressorial cells, penetrant pegs through the epicuticle and sub-epicuticular penetrant plates giving rise to hyphal bodies that circulate in thehaemolymph, see Ferron (1978). All stages of the host are affected, chlamydospores forming in the cadaver and subsequently germinating to produce the familiar green spores on the surface. On a given host, strains vary in their virulence (Ferron, 1978). The fungus causes an economically important disease of silkworms, and Veen (1968) gives an account of the disease in the locust.
Verticillium lecanii
. [Descriptions of Fungi and Bacteria].
Authors: UK, CAB International  , Brady B. L. K.
Published: August 2021

A description is provided for
Verticillium lecanii
. Information is included on the disease caused by the organism, its transmission, geographical distribution, and hosts. HOSTS & SUBSTRATA: Parasitises all stages of development of insects of all groups and
Arachnida
; hyperparasitises rust fungi and macrofungi; found on plant material, soil, surface of optical glass. For the literature of fungal hypoparasitism see Domsch & Gams. GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION: World wide. DISEASE: Referring to it as the 'farmer's friend', Viegas described the white halo formed by the fungus around dead
Coccus (Lecanium) viridis
scale insects on the coffee plant. Aerial hyphae arising from dead hosts and covering the body are characteristic.
Sclerotinia fructicola
. [Descriptions of Fungi and Bacteria].
Authors: UK, CAB International  , Mordue J. E. M.
Published: August 2021

A description is provided for
Sclerotinia fructicola
[Monilinia fructicola]
. Information is included on the disease caused by the organism, its transmission, geographical distribution, and hosts. HOSTS: On almond, apple, apricot, cherry, cherry plum hybrids, nectarine, peach, pear, plum,
Prunus
spp., grapevine. DISEASE: Brown rot of stone fruits, especially of plum, cherry, peach nectarine and apricot; of quince and occasionally of apple and pear; black apples. Blossom wilt important on plum, cherry, peach and nectarine; twig and spur blight, canker, on these hosts and on apple and quince. GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION: Japan; Australia, NewZealand; Canada, USA; CentralAmerica; Argentina, Bolivia, Peru, Venezuela. There are records from S. Africa (31: 515) and from Egypt (54, 2887; 55, 2783). CMI Map 50, ed. 4, 1976. TRANSMISSION: Conidia formed on overwintered mummified fruits and other infected organs and disseminated by wind and rain are the major source of infection. Apothecia form relatively frequently and ascospores are capable of initiating infection (54, 1805; 41, 398), nitidulid and certain other beetles act as vectors (42, 177; 55, 1863) and conidia are carried by bees at flowering (43, 657).
Sclerotinia homoeocarpa
. [Descriptions of Fungi and Bacteria].
Authors: UK, CAB International  , Mordue J. E. M.
Published: August 2021

A description is provided for
Sclerotinia homoeocarpa
. Information is included on the disease caused by the organism, its transmission, geographical distribution, and hosts. HOSTS: On turf grasses:
Agrostis alba, A. canina, A. palustris, A. stolonifera, A. stolonifera
subsp.
compacta, A. tenuis, Avena, Cynodon dactylon, Digitaria didacryla, Festuca ovina, F. rubra, F. rubra
subsp.
comutata, F. rubra
var.
fallax, Holcus lanatus, Lolium, Paspalum notatum, Pennisetum clandestinum, Poa annua, P. pratensis, P. trivialis, Puccinellia maritima, Cyperus rotundus
. By inoculation on radish, lettuce, beet, tomato, subterranean clover, pea, bean and wheat seedlings, barley, onion. DISEASE: Dollar spot of turf. The spots are about 5 cm diam. and approximately circular, though they sometimes coalesce to form irregular patches. They are brown at first, later becoming bleached to straw coloured. The fungus is present on leaves, stems and basal parts of the plants, which eventually die. GEOGRAPHICAL DISTIBUTION: Britain and Northern Ireland, Netherlands, Australia, New Zealand (57, 4372), USA. TRANSMISSION: No detailed studies made. The fungus is known to tee capable of overwintering in individual dollar spots (40, 689). Dissemination by infected leaf fragments has been reported (Smith, 1955).
Metarhizium flavoviride
. [Descriptions of Fungi and Bacteria].
Authors: UK, CAB International  , Brady B. L. K.
Published: August 2021

A description is provided for
Metarhizium flavoviride
. Information is included on the disease caused by the organism, its transmission, geographical distribution, and hosts. HOST: Larvae and pupae of the curculionids (weevils),
Ceutorrhynchus macula-alba
and
C. albovittatus, Otiorhynchus sulcatus
and soil. GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION: Europe (France, Germany, Netherlands, Czechoslovakia).
Ascochyta sorghi
. [Descriptions of Fungi and Bacteria].
Authors: UK, CAB International  , Punithalingam E.
Published: August 2021

A description is provided for
Ascochyta sorghi
. Information is included on the disease caused by the organism, its transmission, geographical distribution, and hosts. HOSTS:
Sorghum bicolor
and wild sorghums. DISEASE: Rough leaf spot of sorghum. On leaves symptoms appear as small circular to oblong light coloured spots with well defined reddish margin. Older lesions become broadly elliptic, greyish to yellow brown or purplish red, reaching 4-9 × 8-14 mm. Lesions often merge with one another to form large irregular necrotic areas up to 12.5 × 2.5 cm and the whole leaves may be killed. The variety of host plant mostly determines whether the leaf spots have a distinct red margin or an indistinct margin (Tarr, 1962; Edmunds & Zummo, 1975). Lesions may also occur on leaf sheaths and sometimes on leaf stalks. The disease appears to be severe on young plants whilst older plants have been reported to be resistant to attack (13, 746). GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION: Africa (Eritrea, Gambia, Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal, Sudan, Tanzania, Zaire); Asia (Burma, India); Europe (Italy); N. America (USA, Alabama, Georgia); USSR. TRANSMISSION: Infection has been claimed to be spread by air-borne conidia in wet weather or heavy dews and also by insects (Singh
et al.
, 1951; Tarr, 1962; Edmunds & Zummo, 1975). The fungus has been reported to be carried over on crop residues of sorghum and debris in the soil (Singh
et al.
, 1951; Edmunds & Zummo, 1975).
Arthroderma simii
. [Descriptions of Fungi and Bacteria].
Authors: UK, CAB International  , Stockdale P. M.
Published: August 2021

A description is provided for
Arthroderma simii
. Information is included on the disease caused by the organism, its transmission, geographical distribution, and hosts. HOSTS: The natural habitat of this species is uncertain. It was first isolated from the rhesus monkey but occurs more frequently on the fowl and it has been suggested that the fowl is the primary host, the monkey becoming infected when it raids the chicken yard for food. Also recorded from man (particularly poultry attendants), chimpanzee, dog and domestic rabbit. It has also been isolated from small mammals (gerbil, guineapig, mouse, shrew, squirrel, rat) without apparent lesions (RMVM 6, 1188; 8, 440; 11, 1889) and sporadically from soil (especially chicken yard soil). The fowl, guineapig, man, cynomolgus monkey, mouse and rabbit have been experimentally infected. DISEASE: Ringworm (dermatophytosis, tinea). In the fowl lesions are usually detected on the comb and wattles, occasionally at the base of the flank feathers. In man the body (tinea corporis) and less frequently the groin (tinea cruris), feet (tinea pedis), scalp (tinea capitis) and beard (tinea barbae) may be infected. Lesions in animals and man are scaling and very inflammatory and kerion formation is usual in scalp and beard infections of man (RMVM 7, 1241). Hair invasion is minimal except in experimental infections of guineapigs; in these the infected hairs show an ecto-endothrix type of invasion and usually a vivid green fluorescence under Wood's light. GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION: India [see NOTES].
Epidermophyton floccosum
. [Descriptions of Fungi and Bacteria].
Authors: UK, CAB International  , Stockdale P. M.
Published: August 2021

A description is provided for
Epidermophyton floccosum
. Information is included on the disease caused by the organism, its transmission, geographical distribution, and hosts. HOSTS: Primarily a pathogen of man (causing mycoses). Also recorded from dog (RMVM 6, 1920) and mouse (RMVM 6, 639). Animal inoculation is rarely successful; the guineapig (RMVM 14, 804), monkey (RMVM 1, 182) and the chorio-allantoic membrane of the hen's egg (RMVM 2, 1676; 4, 82) have been infected experimentally. DISEASE: Ringworm (dermatophytosis, tinea). The groin (tinea cruris, eczema marginatum, dobie itch) and feet (tinea pedis) are most frequently infected. The body (tinea corporis), hands (tinea manuum) and nails (onychomycosis, tinea unguium) may also be infected. Infections of the scalp (tinea capitis) are rare and the hair is never invaded
in vivo
. Skin lesions are scaling and erythematous, well-marginated with minute vesicopapules in the border. GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION: Worldwide.
Filobasidiella neoformans
. [Descriptions of Fungi and Bacteria].
Authors: UK, CAB International  , Kwon-Chung Kyung Joo
Published: August 2021

A description is provided for
Filobasidiella neoformans
. Information is included on the disease caused by the organism, its transmission, geographical distribution, and hosts. HOSTS: Bird droppings, particularly pigeon droppings, and soil contaminated with droppings are the best known source of
F. neoformans
in the environment. In addition to man, naturally-acquired infections have been recorded in the baboon, buffalo, cat, cattle, cheetah, civet, dog, fennec, ferret, fox, goat, guineapig, horse, koala, mink, monkeys, mouse, ox, peccary, pig, hare and sheep (causing mycoses). Experimental infection can be regularly produced in laboratory animals, mice being the animals of choice for most experimental work. DISEASE: Cryptococcosis (torulosis, European blastomycosis, Busse-Buschke's disease). This is a subacute or chronic pulmonary disease with a marked tendency to spread to the brain and sometimes other organs. The pulmonary form is usually transitory, mild and unrecognized. Cutaneous, skeletal and visceral lesions may occur during dissemination of the disease. Involvement of the central nervous system with meningoencephalitis is both the most common localization and the most common cause of death from the disease. Cryptococcosis of the central nervous system is invariably fatal unless treated. The symptoms of central nervous system Cryptococcosis are headache, nausea, dizziness, impaired memory, irritability, lethargy, ataxia and sometimes nuchal rigidity. Fever is low grade or absent. If the cranial nerves are involved, the patient may experience facial numbness or weakness or diplopia. The duration of the disease varies from a few weeks to 15 or 20 years. In cattle, cryptococcal mastitis is a not uncommon disease. GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION: Worldwide.
Filobasidiella bacillispora
. [Descriptions of Fungi and Bacteria].
Authors: UK, CAB International  , Kwon-Chung Kyung Joo
Published: August 2021

A description is provided for
Filobasidiella bacillispora
. Information is included on the disease caused by the organism, its transmission, geographical distribution, and hosts. HOSTS: Unlike
F. neoformans, F. bacillispora
has been recorded only rarely from bird droppings and the natural habitat of this species is not known (RMVM 13, 480). Naturally-acquired infections have been recorded only in man and cat. DISEASE: Cryptococcosis (see
CMI Description
No. 649). GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION: Cryptococcosis due to
F. bacillispora
is frequent in Southern California, but rare in other parts of the world.