bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
L’Hypothèse d’Isochronie Syllabique Initiale appliquée au français L2
Authors: Engel Hugues
Published: August 2020

L’objectif principal de cette étude pilote est de tester expérimentalement ce que nous appelons l’Hypothèse d’Isochronie Syllabique Initiale. Selon cette hypothèse, les apprenants de L2 passent par une phase initiale pendant laquelle leurs productions orales présentent les caractéristiques rythmiques des langues dites à isochronie syllabique (telles que l’espagnol et le français). Pour cela, nous analysons des récits oraux d’apprenantes débutantes de français ayant le suédois pour langue maternelle (n = 6). Ces productions sont comparées à celles d’un groupe de locutrices natives du français (n = 6) et d’un groupe de locutrices natives du suédois (n = 6). Les caractéristiques rythmiques des récits en français L2, français L1 et suédois L1 sont étudiées à partir de deux mesures acoustiques, notamment le coefficient de variation de la durée syllabique, dont l’utilisation est préconisée parPatel (2008)pour déterminer si une langue est de type accentuel ou syllabique. Les mesures acoustiques employées permettent de confirmer que le français et le suédois appartiennent à des familles rythmiques distinctes. Les résultats de l’étude vont cependant à l’encontre de l’Hypothèse d’Isochronie Syllabique Initiale.
Word formation in the earliest stages of L2 Polish
Authors: Saturno Jacopo
Published: August 2020

This paper examines word formation strategies in initial SLA, with particular regard to the implicit processing of the distributional properties of the input. Learners with various L1s and no experience of the target language (n=163) took a 14-hour L2 Polish course under controlled input conditions. In an oral production task, these learners were asked to describe properties of human referents who had never appeared in the input by stating their nationality or profession. In their output, the learners most often referred to the target referents by attaching a-k(-)sound cluster to a lexical morpheme borrowed from a known language. Quantitative analysis shows that indeed, within the input considered, the same-k(-)cluster is characteristic of most words referring to human entities. The study concludes that learners can analyse the morphological structure of target words even after minimal exposure to the input, identifying at first the derivational formants characterised by the strongest association to the intended meaning.
Machine Learning for Many-Body Localization Transition*
Authors: Rao Wen-Jia
Published: August 2020

We employ the methods of machine learning to study the many-body localization (MBL) transition in a 1D random spin system. By using the raw energy spectrum without pre-processing as training data, it is shown that the MBL transition point is correctly predicted by the machine. The structure of the neural network reveals the nature of this dynamical phase transition that involves all energy levels, while the bandwidth of the spectrum and nearest level spacing are the two dominant patterns and the latter stands out to classify phases. We further use a comparative unsupervised learning method, i.e., principal component analysis, to confirm these results.
Negative Thermal Transport in Conduction and Advection
Authors: Xu Liujun , Huang Jiping
Published: August 2020

Negative refractive index has drawn a great deal of attention due to its unique properties and practical applications in wave systems. To promote the related physics in thermotics, here we manage to coin a complex thermal conductivity whose imaginary part corresponds to the real part of complex refractive index. Therefore, the thermal counterpart of negative refractive index is just negative imaginary thermal conductivity, which is featured by the opposite directions of energy flow and wave vector in thermal conduction and advection, thus called negative thermal transport herein. To avoid violating causality, we design an open system with energy exchange and explore three different cases to reveal negative thermal transport. We further provide experimental suggestions with a solid ring structure. All finite-element simulations agree with theoretical analyses, indicating that negative thermal transport is physically feasible. These results have potential applications such as designing the inverse Doppler effect in thermal conduction and advection.
Characterization of Scanning SQUID Probes Based on 3D Nano-Bridge Junctions in Magnetic Field*
Authors: Pan Yin-Ping , Wang Yue , Yang Ruo-Ting , Tang Yan , Liu Xiao-Yu , Jin Hua , Ma Lin-Xian , Lin Yi-Shi , Wang Zhen , Ren Jie , Wang Yi-Hua , Chen Lei
Published: August 2020

We develop superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) probes based on 3D nano-bridge junctions for the scanning SQUID microscopy. The use of these nano-bridge junctions enables imaging in the presence of a high magnetic field. Conventionally, a superconducting ground layer has been employed for better magnetic shielding. In our study, we prepare a number of scanning SQUID probes with and without a ground layer to evaluate their performance in external magnetic fields. The devices show the improved magnetic modulation up to 1.4 T. It is found that the ground layer reduces the inductance, and increases the modulation depth and symmetricity of the gradiometer design in the absence of the field. However, the layer is not compatible with the use of the scanning SQUID probe in the field because it decreases its working field range. Moreover, by adding the layer, the mutual inductance between the feedback coil and the SQUID also decreases linearly as a function of the field.
PT

Symmetry of a Square-Wave Modulated Two-Level System*
Authors: Duan Liwei , Wang Yan-Zhi , Chen Qing-Hu
Published: August 2020

We study a non-Hermitian two-level system with square-wave modulated dissipation and coupling. Based on the Floquet theory, we achieve an effective Hamiltonian from which the boundaries of the

P
T

phase diagram are captured exactly. Two kinds of

P
T

symmetry broken phases are found, whose effective Hamiltonians differ by a constant ω/2. For the time-periodic dissipation, a vanishingly small dissipation strength can lead to the

P
T

symmetry breaking in the (2k – 1)-photon resonance (Δ = (2k – 1) ω), with k = 1,2,3… It is worth noting that such a phenomenon can also happen in 2k-photon resonance (Δ = 2kΔ), as long as the dissipation strengths or the driving times are imbalanced, namely γ
0 ≠ – γ
1 or T
0 ≠ T
1. For the time-periodic coupling, the weak dissipation induced

P
T

symmetry breaking occurs at Δ
eff = kω, where Δ
eff = (Δ
0
T
0 + Δ
1
T
1)/T. In the high frequency limit, the phase boundary is given by a simple relation γ
eff = ±Δ
eff.
A New Cu-Based Metallic Glass Composite with Excellent Mechanical Properties*
Authors: Li Dong-Mei , Chen Lan-Sheng , Yu Peng , Ding Ding , Xia Lei
Published: August 2020

A new Cu-based bulk metallic glass composite of nominal composition (at.%) Cu41Ni27Ti25Al7 with excellent plasticity and a strong work-hardening behavior is fabricated. Strength above 1859 MPa and plasticity more than 11% are achieved under compression and tension modes. The deformation mechanism is proposed to the structural heterogeneities of the composite that promotes multiple shear bands meanwhile inhibits their free propagation, which results in the macroscopically plastic strain and work hardening. The alloy contains relatively cheap metals and has a low cost, which is beneficial to industrial applications.
Type-II Dirac Semimetal State in a Superconductor Tantalum Carbide*
Authors: Cui Zhihai , Qian Yuting , Zhang Wei , Weng Hongming , Fang Zhong
Published: August 2020

The exploration of topological Dirac semimetals with intrinsic superconductivity can be a most plausible way to discover topological superconductors. We propose that type-II Dirac semimetal states exist in the band structure of TaC, a well-known s-wave superconductor, by using the first-principles calculations and the
k
⋅
p
effective model. The tilted gapless Dirac cones, which are composed of Ta d and C p orbitals and are protected by C
4v
symmetry, are found to be below the Fermi level. The bands from Ta d orbitals are greatly coupled with the acoustic modes around the zone boundary, indicating their significant contribution to the superconductivity. The relatively high transition temperature ∼10.5 K is estimated to be consistent with the experimental data. To bring the type-II Dirac points close to chemical potential, hole doping is needed. This seems to decrease the transition temperature a lot, making the realization of topological superconductivity impossible.
Magnetization Reversal of Single-Molecular Magnets by a Spin-Polarized Current*
Authors: Yang Chao , Wang Zheng-Chuan , Su Gang
Published: August 2020

We study the magnetization reversal of single-molecular magnets by a spin-polarized current in the framework of the spinor Boltzmann equation. Because of the spin–orbit coupling, the spin-polarized current will impose a non-zero spin transfer torque on the single-molecular magnets, which will induce the magnetization switching of the latter. Via the s–d exchange interaction between the conducting electrons and single-molecular magnets, we can investigate the magnetization dynamics of single-molecular magnets. We demonstrate the dynamics of the magnetization based on the spin diffusion equation and the Heisenberg-like equation. The results show that when the current is large enough, the magnetization of the single-molecular magnets can be reversed. We also calculate the critical current density required for the magnetization reversal under different anisotropy and external magnetic fields, which is helpful for the corresponding experimental design.
Anisotropy Properties of Mn2P Single Crystals with Antiferromagnetic Transition*
Authors: Na Shi-Hang , Wu Wei , Luo Jian-Lin
Published: August 2020

Single crystals of hexagonal structure Mn2P are synthesized by Sn flux for the first time. Transport and magnetic properties have been performed on the single crystals, which is an antiferromagnet with Neel temperature 103 K. Obvious anisotropy of resistivity is observed below the Neel temperature, which is manifested by metallic behavior with a current along the c-axis and semiconducting behavior with a current along the a-axis. The negative slope of temperature-dependent resistivity is observed above the Neel temperature in both a and c directions. Strong anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility is also evident from the magnetization measurements. A weak metamagnetic transition is observed only in a-axis plane at high magnetic field near 50–60 K compared to the c-axis. We believe these strong anisotropies of magnetic and transport properties are due to the anisotropy of spin arrangement. Mn2P could be a candidate for exploration of possible superconductivity due to the low spin state.
A Simple Time-Resolved Optical Measurement of Diffusion Transport Dynamics of Photoexcited Carriers and Its Demonstration in Intrinsic GaAs Films*
Authors: You Yongyong , Jiang Tianran , Lai Tianshu
Published: August 2020

We develop a tightly focused pump-probe absorption technique to study diffusion dynamics of photoexcited carriers. It has many advantages including the simple setup and operations, higher detection sensitivity, an analytic descriptive model and fast data samplings. Diffusion dynamics are measured twice, separately using two different-sized probe spots, instead of many time-delayed diffusion profiles of a carrier pocket measured using spatially probe-spot scanning. An analytic model is derived to describe diffusion dynamics. Diffusion dynamics in GaAs are measured to demonstrate the feasibility of this technique. The diffusion coefficient is obtained and agrees well with the reported experimental and theoretical results.
Polymer-Decorated 2D MoS2 Synaptic Transistors for Biological Bipolar Metaplasticities Emulation*
Authors: Zhao Yuhang , Liu Biao , Yang Junliang , He Jun , Jiang Jie
Published: August 2020

Biological bipolar metaplasticities were successfully mimicked in two-dimensional (2D) MoS2 transistors via the implementation of two different MoS2 surface decorations, poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and chitosan bio-polymers. Interestingly, the depressing metaplasticity was successfully mimicked when the PVA bio-polymer was used as the surface decoration layer, whereas the metaplasticity of long-term potentiation was realized when the chitosan bio-polymer was taken as the surface decoration layer. Furthermore, the electronic band structures of the 2D MoS2 devices with different surface decorations were further investigated using first-principles calculations for understanding the underlying mechanisms of such bipolar metaplasticities. These results will deepen our understanding of metaplasticity, and have great potential in neuromorphic computing applications.
Development of a plasma electroacoustic actuator for active noise control applications
Authors: Sergeev S , Lissek H , Howling A , Furno I , Plyushchev G , Leyland P
Published: August 2020

Conventional loudspeakers generate sound through the vibration of a diaphragm, attached to a rigid frame through elastic suspensions. Although such construction is satisfactory for sound diffusion in steady environments, it is likely to fail in harsh conditions, which is often the case for active noise control applications. Plasma-based actuators appear to be a promising alternative since they do not involve any fragile moving parts. In this paper, a positive corona discharge actuator in a wire-to-mesh geometry is proposed in the perspective of active noise control applications, as it is capable of generating sufficient sound pressure levels with limited signal distortion. The study introduces analytical and numerical models aiming at characterizing the sound field generated by the corona discharge actuator. The numerical simulation can facilitate the designing of such transducers. The acoustic power of the experimental prototype is increased through the optimization of emitter wires arrangement. The comparison of analytical model and numerical simulation with the experiment is presented. The analytical model successively describes the low frequency sound pressure field, while the numerical simulation is valid in the broader frequency range.
Phase-field study on the effect of initial particle aggregation on the transient coarsening behaviors
Authors: Wang Yujian , Li Junjie , Zhang Lei , Wang Zhijun , Wang Jincheng
Published: August 2020

The transient coarsening behavior of poly-disperse particles that aggregate into clusters was studied using a phase-field model in two dimensions. The effects of two characters of the cluster, i.e., particle number N
c and particle density ρ
c in a cluster, on the kinetics of transient coarsening are systematically investigated. The transient coarsening experiences two stages: the merging of multiple particles in a cluster into a single particle and further evolution towards the steady state. The evolutions of the scaled particle size distribution and the coarsening rate are non-monotonic during the transient stage. The length of the transient stage for the system with uniform cluster size increases with N
c but is insensitive to ρ
c. Reducing the cluster size homogenization can shorten the transient stage. Moreover, if the coarsening time is scaled by the moment at which multiple particles in all clusters complete the merging, the temporal evolutions of particle radius and particle size distribution are almost uniform for systems with different N
c. This uniform relationship can be used to predict the long transient stage for the system with large N
c, which cannot be directly obtained with limited simulation time.
Modulation of the transport properties of metal/MoS2 interfaces using BN-graphene lateral tunneling layers
Authors: Guo Rui , Su Jie , Zhang Pengliang , He Fuchao , Lin Zhenhua , Zhang Jincheng , Chang Jingjing , Hao Yue
Published: August 2020

Modulating the n- and p-type interfacial charge transport properties of the metal–semiconductor interface is vital to realizing high performance two-dimensional material nanodevices and is still a significant challenge. Here, a boron nitride (BN)-graphene lateral heterostructure (LH) was used as the interfacial tunneling layer to control the Schottky barrier, Fermi level pinning and charge injection efficiency of the metal–MoS2 interface. The BN-graphene LH with graphene-N junction structure decreased the n-type vertical Schottky barrier and enhanced the interfacial tunneling probability, while the graphene-B junction structure decreased the p-type vertical Schottky barrier. Consequently, the n-type Au/LH–MoS2 interface with Ohmic character and high tunneling probability (∼0.242) and the p-type vertical Schottky barrier of about 0.20 eV for the Pt/LH–MoS2 interface were achieved. Compared to other reported BN or graphene tunneling layers, such a BN-graphene LH tunneling layer not only suppressed the charge scattering from the metal electrode to the MoS2 layer and the Fermi level pinning effect, but also reduced the contact resistance between metal electrode and tunneling layer. The underlying mechanisms were revealed to be due to the charge transfer, orbitals and interfacial dipole. This work improves the current understanding of the metal–MoS2 interface and proposes a new way to overcome the current severe contact issues for future nanoelectronic and optoelectronic applications.
An unsupervised deep learning method for multi-coil cine MRI
Authors: Ke Ziwen , Cheng Jing , Ying Leslie , Zheng Hairong , Zhu Yanjie , Liang Dong
Published: August 2020

Deep learning has achieved good success in cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) reconstruction, in which convolutional neural networks (CNNs) learn a mapping from the undersampled k-space to the fully sampled images. Although these deep learning methods can improve the reconstruction quality compared with iterative methods without requiring complex parameter selection or lengthy reconstruction time, the following issues still need to be addressed: 1) all these methods are based on big data and require a large amount of fully sampled MRI data, which is always difficult to obtain for cardiac MRI; 2) the effect of coil correlation on reconstruction in deep learning methods for dynamic MR imaging has never been studied. In this paper, we propose an unsupervised deep learning method for multi-coil cine MRI via a time-interleaved sampling strategy. Specifically, a time-interleaved acquisition scheme is utilized to build a set of fully encoded reference data by directly merging the k-space data of adjacent time frames. Then these fully encoded data can be used to train a parallel network for reconstructing images of each coil separately. Finally, the images from each coil are combined via a CNN to implicitly explore the correlations between coils. The comparisons with classic k-t FOCUSS, k-t SLR, L+S and KLR methods on in vivo datasets show that our method can achieve improved reconstruction results in an extremely short amount of time.
Radiation emission at Langmuir frequency from laser wake in longitudinally stratified plasma column
Authors: Kalmykov Serge , Elle Jennifer , Schmitt-Sody Andreas
Published: August 2020

Theoretical analysis shows that a small-amplitude laser wake (an electrostatic Langmuir wave), driven in a periodically stratified, cylindrical plasma column, generates a superluminal, azimuthally polarized rotational current at a Langmuir frequency. The current radiates a radially polarized (i.e. transverse magnetic) Cherenkov signal into the plasma-free space. The opening angle of the Cherenkov emission cone is defined by the spatial period of stratification. Lifetime of the laser wake, limited by wave breaking in the inhomogeneous plasma, defines the terahertz (THz) signal length. This length ranges from a few picoseconds to hundreds of picoseconds, depending on the wake amplitude, amplitude of background density modulation, and stratification period. Monochromaticity and coherence distinguishes this THz signal from the ultrashort, uncollimated, broadband signals generated by photoionization currents in plasma filaments. The efficiency of electromagnetic energy conversion, from optical to THz, reaches its peak when the drive pulse waist size is close to the column radius. The efficiency increases with an increase in the drive pulse wavelength, and reaches the maximum when the drive pulse becomes near-critical for relativistic self-focusing. Numerical examples with sub-Joule, near-infrared terawatt drive pulses demonstrate the highest conversion efficiency of the order 10−5, with the total emitted energy of several µJ, a few-hundred MV m−1 electric field at the column surface, and an MV m−1 field 10 cm away from the source.
The effect of climatic factors on nutrients in foods: evidence from a systematic map
Authors: Giulia Scarpa , Lea Berrang-Ford , Carol Zavaleta-Cortijo , Lisa Marshall , Harper Sherilee L , Elizabeth Cade Janet
Published: August 2020

Climate change is projected to negatively affect human health and nutrition. There is a growing literature on the effects of climatic changes on food availability, quantity, and agricultural production, but impacts on the nutritional content of foods has not been widely studied. The aim of this paper is to systematically characterise empirical literature exploring the effects of climatic drivers on macronutrients and micronutrients in foods causing malnutrition globally. 69 peer-reviewed empirical articles (excluding experimental and modelling studies) analysing the effect of climatic drivers on nutrients in foods were retrieved from Web of ScienceTM, Scopus® and PubMed® databases (2013–2019). Publication frequency and trends, and existing evidence of the extent of nutrient change associated with variation in climate-related conditions were assessed. There is relatively limited literature on associations between climate and nutrients in foods. Where it exists, only crude proxies of climate (e.g. wet/dry season) are used, with limited interrogation of the potential causal mechanisms linking climate to nutrient content. 98% of the articles showed a change in nutrient content in relation to a seasonal or meteorological variable. Most analysed the association of nutrient changes between seasons over 1–2 years, rarely over longer periods of time. Preliminary descriptive estimates point to variation in nutrient content by meteorological variability, particularly in ocean and freshwater food sources. Robust assessment of potential climate impacts on nutrient content of foods would benefit from more precise estimation of specific causal pathways and variables that mediate climate impacts on food, going beyond seasonal or crude proxies. There is need for clear articulation of how climate change might impact nutrient content given mechanisms linking meteorological and seasonal variation with nutrients. This research highlights emerging evidence that climate change may have impacts beyond agricultural productivity by affecting food nutrient content, an understudied but potentially important pathway for climate impact on global food and nutrition security.
Bulk entanglement entropy and matrices
Authors: Das Sumit R , Kaushal Anurag , Mandal Gautam , Trivedi Sandip P
Published: August 2020

Motivated by the Bekenstein–Hawkingformula and the area law behaviour of entanglement entropy, we propose that in any UV finite theory of quantum gravity with a smooth spacetime, the total entropy for a pure state in a co-dimension one spatial region, to leading order, is given by

S
=

A

4

G

N

, where A is the area of the co-dimension two boundary. In the context of Dp brane holography we show that for some specially chosen regions bulk entanglement can be mapped to ‘target space’ entanglement in the boundary theory. Our conjecture then leads to a precise proposal for target space entanglement in the boundary theory at strong coupling and large N. In particular, it leads to the conclusion that the target space entanglement would scale like O(N
2) which is quite plausible in a system with O(N
2) degrees of freedom. Recent numerical advances in studying the D0 brane system hold out the hope that this proposal can be tested in a precise way in the future.
General state transitions with exact resource morphisms: a unified resource-theoretic approach
Authors: Zhou Wenbin , Buscemi Francesco
Published: August 2020

Given a non-empty closed convex subset F of density matrices, we formulate conditions that guarantee the existence of an F-morphism (namely, a completely positive trace-preserving linear map that maps F into itself) between two arbitrarily chosen density matrices. While we allow errors in the transition, the corresponding map is required to be an exact F-morphism. Our findings, though purely geometrical, are formulated in a resource-theoretic language and provide a common framework that comprises various resource theories, including the resource theories of bipartite and multipartite entanglement, coherence, athermality, and asymmetric distinguishability. We show how, when specialized to some situations of physical interest, our general results are able to unify and extend previous analyses. We also study conditions for the existence of maximally resourceful states, defined here as density matrices from which any other one can be obtained by means of a suitable F-morphism. Moreover, we quantitatively characterize the paradigmatic tasks of optimal resource dilution and distillation, as special transitions in which one of the two endpoints is maximally resourceful.
Coaxial printing of double-layered and free-standing blood vessel analogues without ultraviolet illumination for high-volume vascularised tissue
Authors: Duong Van Thuy , Dang Thi Thao , Hwang Chang Ho , Back Sung Hoon , Koo Kyo-in
Published: August 2020

Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and human aortic smooth muscle cells (HASMCs) were coaxially and continuously extruded without ultraviolet illumination using a microfluidic-based nozzle. Type I collagen (3 mg ml−1) containing HUVECs and a crosslinking reagent (100 mM CaCl2) were supplied as the core material. A mixture of 3 mg ml−1 of type I collagen (25%) and 1.8% weight volume−1 of sodium alginate (75%) was provided as the shell layer material surrounding the core material. The HUVECs were well proliferated at the core and reshaped into a monolayer formation along the axial direction of the scaffold. The HASMCs showed more than 90% cell viability in the shell layer. Fluorescent beads were passed through the inside channel of the scaffold with the HUVEC core and HASMC shell using an in-house connector. This double-layered scaffold showed higher angiogenesis in growth factor-free medium than the scaffold with only a HUVEC core. The HASMCs in the shell layer affected angiogenesis, extracellular matrix secretion, and outer diameter. The proposed technique could be applied to three-dimensional bioprinting for the production of high-volume vascularised tissue.
Fiber-based all-optical modulation based on two-dimensional materials
Authors: Zhang Meng , Wu Qing , Chen Hualong , Zheng Zheng , Zhang Han
Published: August 2020

All-optical modulation with two-dimensional (2D) layered materials are becoming an indispensable tool in a variety of applications due to their superior performance in photonics and optoelectronics. Here, we review recent progress demonstrating the application of optical modulators utilizing their nonlinear optical properties of 2D materials. We focus specially on transition metal dichalcogenides, black phosphorus, and MXenes. We discuss the fabrication and integrating procedure of the layered materials and highlight recent demonstrations of all-optical passive modulators for ultrashort pulse generation and thermo-optic switches that applied in versatile interferometers. We also conclude with an outlook exploring the future perspectives that may accelerate the practical applications in this vibrant field.
Effects and optimization of ratio of particle size grading on compaction density of calcined coke particles
Authors: Hou Wenyuan , Li Hesong , Li Mao , Cheng Benjun
Published: August 2020

The bulk density of the anodes affects the energy consumption and associated carbon emissions of the calcined anodes over the course of the Hall-Héroult process. The bulk density of the anode mainly depends on the compaction density of calcined coke particles. In this paper, the vibro-compacting process of calcined coke particles is simulated using discrete element method. The particle behavior during vibro-compacting process and the inter-particle contact information with different ratios of particle size grading are investigated. The effects of different ratios of particle size grading on the compaction density and microstructure are studied. The critical average diameter which can distinguish whether the compaction density meets standard requirement is first proposed and obtained. The triangular coordinate graphical is introduced to optimize the ratio of particle size grading which is different from conventional method. The results show that the larger the proportion of coarse particle and medium particle, the more large voids between particles, and the increase of fine particle can effectively fill the inter-particle gap. The critical average diameter of calcined coke particles is 2.26 mm, and average diameter less than 2.26 mm can meet the standard requirement. The optimal ratio of particle size grading is 46% for coarse particle, 12% for medium particle and 42% for fine particle.
Removal capability of 4-Nonylphenol using new nano-adsorbents produced in sand filters of water treatment plants
Authors: Safari Mastaneh , Mehrdadi Nasser , Baghdadi Majid , Nabi Bidhendi Gholamreza
Published: August 2020

Sand filters are a physical treatment unit in water treatment plants that have considerable potential for removing large suspended matter. However, these filters are somewhat inefficient in removing micro-pollutants. In this study, using waste leachate, carbon nanoparticles were coated on the silica particles to increase the surface adsorption capacity on silica substrates of rapid sand filters. The surface properties of nano-adsorbents produced by scanning electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy and EDS test were investigated. Furthermore, the adsorption capacity of 4-Nonylphenol was examined using a new nanocomposite under different operational conditions (contact time, temperature and initial concentration) and after obtaining pHzpc, the effect of pH, total dissolved solids (TDS) and total organic carbon (TOC) on the efficacy of 4-Nonylphenol removal was tested. The adsorption isotherms in three temperature amounts of 15, 25, and 50 °C were also studied and Langmuir isotherm well fit the experimental data. To evaluate the thermal effect on the adsorption process, the thermodynamic study was also conducted. The results demonstrated that this reaction is spontaneous, endothermic and thermodynamically desirable. The experimental data also showed that the new engineered material is a good reusable adsorbent in water treatment.
Quantum speedups of some general-purpose numerical optimisation algorithms
Authors: Alexandru Cezar-Mihail , Bridgett-Tomkinson Ella , Linden Noah , MacManus Joseph , Montanaro Ashley , Morris Hannah
Published: August 2020

We give quantum speedups of several general-purpose numerical optimisation methods for minimising a function

f
:

R

n

→
R

. First, we show that many techniques for global optimisation under a Lipschitz constraint can be accelerated near-quadratically. Second, we show that backtracking line search, an ingredient in quasi-Newton optimisation algorithms, can be accelerated up to quadratically. Third, we show that a component of the Nelder–Mead algorithm can be accelerated by up to a multiplicative factor of

O

(

n

)

. Fourth, we show that a quantum gradient computation algorithm of Gilyén et al can be used to approximately compute gradients in the framework of stochastic gradient descent. In each case, our results are based on applying existing quantum algorithms to accelerate specific components of the classical algorithms, rather than developing new quantum techniques.
Solitary waves on falling liquid films in the low Reynolds number regime
Authors: Williams Hollis
Published: August 2020

We study the problem of a thin liquid film falling down an inclined slope. We use a simplified model to study the evolution and morphology of the solitary waves on a thin film with a periodic forcing at the inlet. In recent work by Denner et al (2016 Phys. Rev. E 93, 033121), the regime for high Re was studied and results obtained on the geometry and dispersion of the waves. We wish to establish whether similar results are observed in a regime of smaller Re and examine quantities which can be compared with experiment, such as the maximum and minimum film height as a function of a rescaled Reynolds number which accounts for the inclination of the substrate. Our results show some evidence that h
min collapses onto a single curve when plotted as a function of Re*, and approaches the absolute value of h
min/h

N
 = 0.375 in agreement with results obtained at higher Re. We also obtain a curve for d/λ which can be compared with the results reported in (Denner et al 2016 Phys. Rev. E 93, 033121).
Reflective and Non-reflective Aesthetic Ideas in Kant’s Theory of Art
Authors: Kuplen Mojca
Published: August 2020

The aim of this paper is to resolve some of the inconsistencies within Kant’s theory of aesthetic ideas that have been left unaddressed by previous interpretations. Specifically, Kant’s text appears to be imbued with the following two tensions. First, there appears to be a conflict between his commitment to the view that mere sensations cannot function as vehicles for the communication of aesthetic ideas and his claim that musical tones, on account of being mere sensations, can express aesthetic ideas. Second, his description of musical form as consisting of a play of aesthetic ideas that leave behind no thoughts appears to be incongruous with his formulation of aesthetic ideas as free imaginative representations that contain a wealth of thoughts and meanings. If what it means to express aesthetic ideas is precisely to stimulate much thinking, then how can an object exist that expresses aesthetic ideas, but without leaving any thoughts behind? I attempt to resolve these two perceived tensions by proposing a distinction between reflective and non-reflective aesthetic ideas communicated by form and mere sensations respectively.
Vocabula Amatoria: A Glossary of French Culinary Sex Terms
Authors: Cleves Rachel Hope
Published: August 2020

John Stephen Farmer’s Vocabula Amatoria, published in 1896, is a French-English erotic dictionary that is a gold mine of popular sexual discourse. Farmer, editor of a seven-volume dictionary of English slang, based Vocabula Amatoria on three French erotic dictionaries published between 1861 and 1869 by Auguste Scheler, Alfred Delvau, and Jules Choux. The first of the three drew on literary sources, but Delvau’s and Choux’s dictionaries incorporated vernacular that they encountered in Paris’s cafés, cabarets, theaters, and brothels. Farmer’s translations also integrated English slang from the late nineteenth century that he either had collected for his dictionaries or had learned through his work as a journalist and editor living on the margins of respectability. Many of the French sexual idioms collected in Vocabula Amatoria incorporate food metaphors—for example, likening the penis to root vegetables, or the vagina to cooking tools. The English idioms are less food focused. Farmer’s dictionary is a valuable source for understanding the differences between French and English popular attitudes toward food and sex in the late nineteenth century.
Acalculia in Aphasia
Authors: Gonzalez Rafael , Rojas Macarena , Rosselli Mónica , Ardila Alfredo
Published: August 2020

Background

Patients with aphasia can present a type of acalculia referred to as aphasic acalculia.

Aims

To investigate the correlation and to test regression models for one- and two-digit calculation skills using verbal and nonverbal predictors.

Methods and Procedures

We selected an aphasia sample of 119 men and 81 women with a mean age of 57.37 years (SD = 15.56) and an average level of education of 13.52 years (SD = 4.08). Spanish versions of the Western Aphasia Battery and Boston Diagnostic Aphasia Examination, plus a Written Calculation test, were individually administered. The calculation section of the Western Aphasia Battery and the Written Calculation tests were used to pinpoint calculation difficulties.

Outcomes and Results

Calculation difficulties were more severe in Global and Mixed non-fluent aphasia; they were very similar in Broca, Conduction, and Amnesic Aphasia. All correlations between the two calculation subtests and the other subtests of the Western Aphasia Battery were statistically significant. Calculation subtests correlated negatively with age and positively with schooling. Sex and time post-onset did not show any correlation with the calculation scores. Education, Reading, Block Design, and Raven’s Colored Progressive Matrices were significant predictors of Western Aphasia Battery Calculation. Writing was the only significant predictor of the Written Calculation scores.

Conclusions

Nonverbal abilities were predictors of calculation tests, whereas agraphia defects were predictors of the Written Calculation test. Therefore, calculation abilities can be regarded both as written language-dependent and verbal language-independent.
Analysis, identification and visualization of subgroups in genomics
Authors: Völkel Gunnar , Laban Simon , Fürstberger Axel , Kühlwein Silke D , Ikonomi Nensi , Hoffmann Thomas K , Brunner Cornelia , Neuberg Donna S , Gaidzik Verena , Döhner Hartmut , Kraus Johann M , Kestler Hans A
Published: August 2020

Motivation

Cancer is a complex and heterogeneous disease involving multiple somatic mutations that accumulate during its progression. In the past years, the wide availability of genomic data from patients’ samples opened new perspectives in the analysis of gene mutations and alterations. Hence, visualizing and further identifying genes mutated in massive sets of patients are nowadays a critical task that sheds light on more personalized intervention approaches.

Results

Here, we extensively review existing tools for visualization and analysis of alteration data. We compare different approaches to study mutual exclusivity and sample coverage in large-scale omics data. We complement our review with the standalone software AVAtar (‘analysis and visualization of alteration data’) that integrates diverse aspects known from different tools into a comprehensive platform. AVAtar supplements customizable alteration plots by a multi-objective evolutionary algorithm for subset identification and provides an innovative and user-friendly interface for the evaluation of concurrent solutions. A use case from personalized medicine demonstrates its unique features showing an application on vaccination target selection.

Availability

AVAtar is available at: https://github.com/sysbio-bioinf/avatar

Contact

hans.kestler@uni-ulm.de, phone: +49 (0) 731 500 24 500, fax: +49 (0) 731 500 24 502
aPRBind: protein–RNA interface prediction by combining sequence and I-TASSER model-based structural features learned with convolutional neural networks
Authors: Liu Yang , Gong Weikang , Zhao Yanpeng , Deng Xueqing , Zhang Shan , Li Chunhua
Published: August 2020

Motivation

Protein–RNA interactions play a critical role in various biological processes. The accurate prediction of RNA-binding residues in proteins has been one of the most challenging and intriguing problems in the field of computational biology. The existing methods still have a relatively low accuracy especially for the sequence-based ab-initio methods.

Results

In this work, we propose an approach aPRBind, a convolutional neural network-based ab-initio method for RNA-binding residue prediction. aPRBind is trained with sequence features and structural ones (particularly including residue dynamics information and residue–nucleotide propensity developed by us) that are extracted from the predicted structures by I-TASSER. The analysis of feature contributions indicates the sequence features are most important, followed by dynamics information, and the sequence and structural features are complementary in binding site prediction. The performance comparison of our method with other peer ones on benchmark dataset shows that aPRBind outperforms some state-of-the-art ab-initio methods. Additionally, aPRBind can give a better prediction for the modeled structures with TM-score≥0.5, and meanwhile since the structural features are not very sensitive to the refined 3D structures, aPRBind has only a marginal dependence on the accuracy of the structure model, which allows aPRBind to be applied to the RNA-binding site prediction for the modeled or unbound structures.

Availability and implementation

The source code is available at https://github.com/ChunhuaLiLab/aPRbind.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
How to Handle Concomitant Asymptomatic Prosthetic Joints During an Episode of Hematogenous Periprosthetic Joint Infection, a Multicenter Analysis
Authors: Wouthuyzen-Bakker Marjan , Sebillotte Marine , Arvieux Cédric , Fernandez-Sampedro Marta , Senneville Eric , Barbero José Maria , Lora-Tamayo Jaime , Aboltins Craig , Trebse Rihard , Salles Mauro José , Kramer Tobias Siegfried , Ferrari Matteo , Garcia-Cañete Joaquín , Benito Natividad , Diaz-Brito Vicens , del Toro Maria Dolores , Scarborough Matthew , Soriano Alex
Published: August 2020

Background

Prosthetic joints are at risk of becoming infected during an episode of bacteremia, especially during Staphylocococcus aureus bacteremia. However, it is unclear how often asymptomatic periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) occurs, and whether additional diagnostics should be considered.

Methods

In this multicenter study, we retrospectively analyzed a cohort of patients with a late acute (hematogenous) PJI between 2005–2015 who had concomitant prosthetic joints in situ. Patients without at least 1 year of follow-up were excluded.

Results

We included 91 patients with a hematogenous PJI and 108 concomitant prosthetic joints. The incident PJI was most frequently caused by Staphylococcus aureus (43%), followed by streptococci (26%) and Gram-negative rods (18%). Of 108 concomitant prosthetic joints, 13 were symptomatic, of which 10 were subsequently diagnosed as a second PJI. Of the 95 asymptomatic prosthetic joints, 1 PJI developed during the follow-up period and was classified as a “missed” PJI at the time of bacteremia with S. aureus (1.1%). Infected prosthetic joints were younger than the noninfected ones in 67% of cases, and prosthetic knees were affected more often than prosthetic hips (78%).

Conclusions

During an episode of hematogenous PJI, concomitant asymptomatic prosthetic joints have a very low risk of being infected, and additional diagnostic work-up for these joints is not necessary.
Dispersion Patterns and Sample Size Estimates for Egg Masses of Spotted Lanternfly (Hemiptera: Fulgoridae)
Authors: Keller J , Rost J , Hoover K , Urban J , Leach H , Porras M , Walsh B , Bosold M , Calvin D
Published: August 2020

The spotted lanternfly, Lycorma delicatula (White), is a new invasive pest in the United States. To quantify spotted lanternfly population abundance, one must understand this pest’s dispersion pattern, that is, the spatial arrangement of individuals within a population. Spotted lanternflies overwinter in egg masses from late fall to May, making this life stage suitable for population assessments. We measured the dispersion pattern of egg masses at two types of sites: a suburban housing development, where we used individual trees as the sampling unit, and rural woodlots, where we used individual trees and also plots with 5.64 m radius as sampling units. Plots were the same size as those recommended for monitoring the gypsy moth, a well-studied pest with similar egg laying habit to the spotted lanternfly. Egg masses in both sampling units were counted up to a height of 3 m. With trees as the sampling unit, egg masses were aggregated in 12 of 20 rural sampling universes, randomly dispersed at 6, and completely absent at 2. Similar patterns were seen when using the 5.64-m radius rural sampling units and for suburban sampling universes. We calculated sample size requirements for a range of mean densities at a precision of 25 and 30%. Additionally, the vertical distribution of egg masses was characterized on the invasive tree of heaven [Ailanthus altissima (Mill.) Swingle], a preferred host for spotted lanternflies. For small trees, there was a positive relationship between number of egg masses in the bottom 3 m of the tree and the total count.
The role of motivational and legal contexts in understanding support for tissue donation across 27 European countries
Authors: Nguyen Nga TQ , Maxwell Alexander P , Donnelly Michael , O’Neill Ciaran
Published: August 2020

Background

There is a mismatch between attitudinal support for tissue donation and its translation into behavioural action (i.e. become registered donor). The legal and motivational context around tissue donation may contribute to better understanding of this mismatch.

Methods

Data were extracted from the Eurobarometer 82.2 survey (2014). Data included socio-demographic characteristics, motivations underlying attitudes to tissue donation and the legal context within which donation was considered (opt-in and opt-out consent). The sample was partitioned based on contextual information and seemingly unrelated bivariate probit regressions were used to explore the relationship between passive and active support for tissue donation.

Results

Approximately 56% of 25 879 respondents stated a willingness to donate tissue after death (passive support) and 9.1% reported that they were a registered donor (active support). We found evidence of unobserved heterogeneity between active and passive support across contexts. Our findings suggest that contexts in which altruistic motives can be supported by self-interest may increase the probability of converting passive to active support. Factors associated with increased support for tissue donation included: higher levels of education; good knowledge of the healthcare system; confidence in the safety of tissue donation; readiness to be a tissue recipient and knowing a recipient of donated tissue.

Conclusions

Our findings demonstrate the value of examining active and passive support for tissue donation together within specific contexts. This more nuanced approach affords clearer insights that may help to guide policy makers confronted with apparently conflicting evidence around strategies intended to promote organ and tissue donation.