bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mechanical, wear, and drop load impact behavior of glass/Caryota urens hybridized fiber‐reinforced nanoclay/SiC toughened epoxy multihybrid composite
Authors: Raju P. , Raja K. , Lingadurai K. , Maridurai T. , Prasanna S. C.
Published: December 2020

High toughness epoxy resin hybrid composites were prepared using nanoclay, SiC, and glass‐caryota intra ply fibers. The main aim of this research was to study the effect of adding Caryota urens natural fiber from biomass as a potential fiber along with synthetic glass fiber in load‐bearing and wear properties of nanoclay and silicon carbide (SiC) particle toughened epoxy composite. The intra‐ply glass‐caryota fiber, silicon carbide, and nanoclay were surface‐treated using 3‐Aminopropyltrimethoxysilane. The composites were prepared using the hand lay‐up method. The tensile result shows that the addition of 1 vol% of the silicon carbide particle along with nanoclay in intra‐ply glass‐caryota fiber‐reinforced epoxy composite gives improved results than other composite designations. The wear properties show that the addition of silicon carbide of 1.0 vol% gives a lower specific wear rate of 0.024 mm3/Nm. Similarly, the composite, which contains 1.0 vol% of silicon carbide and nanoclay gives higher penetration resistance and energy absorption. In all properties, the addition of silicon carbide modifies the values significantly. This high toughness intra‐ply glass‐caryota fiber‐reinforced silicon carbide/nanoclay toughened epoxy resin composite could be used in automotive, sports components, domestic appliances, and structural body applications.
The synthesis of pyrrole from C4‐olefinated isoxazole catalyzed by ruthenium: A density functional theory study
Authors: Liu Haibo
Published: December 2020

The mechanisms of ruthenium‐catalyzed synthesis of pyrrole from C4‐olefinated isoxazole were investigated by employing the density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Three main steps are included in this reaction: NO cleavage, 1,5‐cyclization, and H‐transfer steps. The H‐transfer is calculated to be the rate‐determining step with the overall barrier of 19.7 kcal/mol. The role of Cu(OAc)2 employed in this reaction is to supply HOAc molecule, which could reduce the barrier of the rate‐determining step to make the step more feasible.
Bottom‐Electrode Nanoasperities as a Root of the High‐Performance Resistive‐Switching Effect
Authors: Kuzmichev Dmitry S. , Chouprik Anastasia A. , Slavich Aleksandr S. , Kirtaev Roman V. , Negrov Dmitry V.
Published: December 2020

Resistive random access memory (ReRAM) has attracted considerable attention for next‐generation nonvolatile microelectronic memory because of its advantages, including scalability and fast switching speed. Many different parameters of memory cells contribute to their performance; specifically, the functional dielectric layer and its stoichiometry, interface layers, temperature treatment, etc., have significant influence on the operating voltages, power consumption, and endurance. This study experimentally demonstrates that such a simple property of a ReRAM cell as the nanomorphology of the bottom electrode drastically affects the device performance. Tantalum‐oxide‐based memory cells containing nanoasperities at the electrode surface exhibit a forming‐free resistive‐switching effect with low operating voltage (less than 1.2 V) and an endurance of ≈107 cycles, whereas identical structures with a flat bottom electrode do not exhibit the resistive‐switching effect at all. Conductive atomic force microscopy over the memory cells reveals that the conductive nanofilaments are localized above the nanoasperities. This experimental result is in accordance with the local enhancement of the electric field by 200% predicted by the simulation of the electric field across Ta2O5 functional layer using the particular nanoasperities’ cross section. Therefore, the usage of such nanoasperities offers great potential for control over the forming process and performance in resistive‐switching devices.
Measurement of sulfur in environmental samples using the interference standard method with an O2‐pressurized reaction cell and a single‐quadrupole inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer
Authors: Pérez‐Arvizu Ofelia , Bernal Juan‐Pablo
Published: December 2020

Rationale

Precise and accurate analysis of trace sulfur in environmental samples is essential to understand its biogeochemical cycle. Yet it remains a challenging analytical task for single‐quadrupole inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP‐MS) instrumentation because of the presence of significant isobaric interferences.

Methods

We evaluated the effect that different instrumental parameters have on the formation of SO+ species, and show that, under our instrumental configuration, it is not possible to fully remove all spectral interferences. Consequently, our instrumental optimization is focused on minimizing their contribution while obtaining the best possible sensitivity. We assessed the performance of the interference standard (IFS) method, where the signal corresponding to the SO+ ions formed in the ICP is normalized to that of 36Ar+.

Results

We found that, by pressurizing the cell with O2, there is a significant improvement in sensitivity and detection limits, associated with a more effective production and focalization of SO+ ions. Moreover, by applying the systematics of the IFS with pure O2 injected into the cell (IFS‐O2) we observed a significant improvement in accuracy and detection limits, making this the method of choice for the quantification of trace sulfur in environmental samples by ICP‐MS.

Conclusions

The method described here represents an effective and affordable alternative for the accurate and precise determination of sulfur using single‐quadrupole ICP‐MS in environmental samples, with LODs and LOQs comparable with those obtained with more expensive instrumentation.
Fully distributed bipartite leader‐following consensus for uncertain linear multi‐agent systems with event‐triggered mechanism
Authors: Cai Yuliang , Zhang Huaguang , He Qiang , Song Weizhao
Published: December 2020

This paper investigates the distributed bipartite leader‐following consensus for uncertain linear multi‐agent systems based on event‐triggered mechanism. Both cooperative communication and hostile communication between neighbor agents are taken into account. The distributed static bipartite event‐triggered controller is first proposed to address the consensus issue. Note that the communication in both controller updating and triggering condition monitoring is intermittent, thus the communication resources can be greatly saved. Then the fully distributed adaptive bipartite event‐triggered controller is designed such that the bipartite leader‐following consensus problem can be achieved. Different from the existing control schemes, the proposed controller can be independent of the global information of the communication topology, can achieve the intermittent communication between neighbors, can suppress the effect of uncertainty, and is applicable for the signed communication topology. Moreover, the Zeno behavior in both triggering mechanisms can be excluded. Finally, some numerical examples are given to illustrate the feasibility of the main theoretical findings.
Clear and Organized Teaching: Simple in Concept, but Hard in Practice
Authors: Blaich Charles , Wise Kathleen
Published: December 2020

This chapter reviews research on the effectiveness of clear and organized teaching and presents evidence that students often perceive clarity and organization differently from instructors, leading to recommendations for instructors and administrators to more fully realize the benefits of this good practice.
Classroom Assessment Techniques: A Critical Component for Effective Instruction
Authors: Hanson Jana M. , Florestano Megan
Published: December 2020

Classroom assessment techniques (CATs) provide instructors with the opportunity to get feedback about what students are learning, where they need help, and provide instructors with an important tool to tailor course design and student learning.
Who, Where, and in What Contexts? Applications of Teaching Practices Espoused by the Learning Sciences to Higher Education
Authors: Campbell Corbin M. , Chadi Diana , Avila Pablo
Published: December 2020

This chapter describes four concepts from the learning sciences that provide research‐based recommendations for instructional practice. The authors explore how these teaching approaches manifest in different institutional, disciplinary, and course contexts.
Understanding and Using Growth Mindset to Foster College Student Learning and Achievement
Authors: Bowman Nicholas A. , Levtov Anat H.
Published: December 2020

Growth mindset is an important psychological factor for effective instruction. This chapter discusses how mindset affects learning and achievement, offering a wealth of tools that can help students and instructors understand and utilize a growth mindset.
Virus‐mimetic systems for cancer diagnosis and therapy
Authors: Gao Xihui , Ding Junqiang , Long Qianqian , Zhan Changyou
Published: December 2020

Over past decades, various strategies have been developed to enhance the delivery efficiency of therapeutics and imaging agents to tumor tissues. However, the therapeutic outcome of tumors to date have not been significantly improved, which can be partly attributed to the weak targeting ability, fast elimination, and low stability of conventional delivery systems. Viruses are the most efficient agents for gene transfer, serving as a valuable source of inspiration for designing nanoparticle‐based delivery systems. Based on the properties of viruses, including well‐defined geometry, precise composition, easy modification, stable construction, and specific infection, researchers attempt to design biocompatible delivery vectors by mimicking virus assembly and using the vector system to selectively concentrate drugs or imaging probes in tumors with mitigated toxicity and improved efficacy. In this review, we introduce common viruses features and provide an overview of various virus‐mimetic strategies for cancer therapy and diagnosis. The challenges faced by virus‐mimetic systems are also discussed.

This article is categorized under:

Therapeutic Approaches and Drug Discovery > Nanomedicine for Oncologic Disease
Analysis of Multiple Redox Sites in Complexes [M(C5Me5)(Q)(NO)]n, M=Ru or Os, Q=o‐Quinones
Authors: Scherer Thomas M. , Hartenbach Ingo , Lissner Falk , Schwederski Brigitte , Hübner Ralph , Fiedler Jan , Záliš Stanislav , Sarkar Biprajit , Kaim Wolfgang
Published: December 2020

Neutral complexes [MII(C5Me5)(Q2−)(NO+)] with M=Ru or Os and the catecholates Q2− with 3,5‐di‐tert‐butyl (dtbc) or 3,4,5,6‐tetrachloro substituents (tcc) were identified with the oxidation and charge states indicated. Reversible electron transfer was analyzed spectroelectrochemically (EPR, UV‐vis‐NIR, IR), supported by DFT calculations. Reversible reduction was observed for [Ru(C5Me5)(tcc)(NO)] to occur on the nitrosyl ligand to yield the NO radical complex [RuII(C5Me5)(tcc2−)(NO.)]−, whereas the stepwise oxidation yielded o‐semiquinone cations, [MII(C5Me5)(Q.−)(NO+)]+, and dications. The metals remained in the stable low‐spin d6 states, RuII and OsII, respectively. Redox potentials were found to depend strongly on the donor or acceptor substitution pattern at Qn.
The Properties of Hydrotris(3‐mesitylpyrazol‐1‐yl) Borate Iron(II) Complexes with Aryl Carboxylate Co‐ligands – Stabilization of an Iron(III) Alkylperoxide
Authors: Müller Lars , Baturin Kirill , Hoof Santina , Lau Caroline , Herwig Christian , Limberg Christian
Published: December 2020

Through the reaction of [TpMesFeCl] with different benzoic acids, namely salicylic acid (HOBzo−OH), m‐chloro benzoic acid (HOBzm−Cl), p‐dimethylamino benzoic acid (OBzp−N(Me)2) and benzoic acid itself, in the presence of triethylamine corresponding complexes [TpMesFeOBzR] with varying residues R could be isolated and fully characterized (including paramagnetic NMR spectroscopy, elemental analysis, IR, cyclic voltammetry). From acetonitrile solutions they crystallized as acetonitrile adducts [TpMesFe(NCMe)OBzR], which indicates, that a coordination and activation of an exogeneous substrate is principally possible. While no reactivity towards O2 could be observed, in contact with tBuOOH all complexes were found to form iron(III) tert‐butylperoxide complexes [TpMesFe(OBzR)(OOtBu)], as evidenced by UV‐vis, EPR and Raman spectroscopy. Through UV‐vis studies it was shown, that both the formation rate and the stability of [TpMesFe(OBzR)(OOtBu)] are influenced by the basicity of the benzoate co‐ligands, which is determined by the substituents. An extraordinarily high stability was observed for the salicylate representative, which, however, cannot be explained on basis of such electronic effects; other potential stabilizing factors that may play an important role are discussed.
Fluide Teams in agilen Kontexten – Grenzziehung und innere Strukturierung als Herausforderung für Selbstorganisation
Authors: Neumer Judith , Nicklich Manuel
Published: December 2020

Selbstorganisierte Teamarbeit ist ein zentrales Moment agilen Arbeitens. Häufig machen die räumliche Verteilung von Teams, der zentrale Anspruch der Kundenintegration und die sich überlappenden Organisationsprinzipien von agilen Teams und nicht agilen Organisationsumwelten eine eindeutige Teamabgrenzung schwer. Es zeigt sich eine Fluidität agiler Teams, in der weder die innere Struktur, noch die Zugehörigkeit und die Grenzen nach außen immer klar benannt werden können. Ziel des Beitrags ist daher die genauere Bestimmung der Konstitution von fluiden Teams in konkreten agilen Arbeitskontexten und ihrer Bedeutung für selbstorganisierte Arbeitsprozesse. Es zeigt sich, dass Grenzziehung und innere Strukturierung zentrale Bedingungen für die Selbstorganisation fluider Teams in agilen Kontexten sind. In diesem Kontext nimmt auch die Digitalisierung eine ambivalente Rolle ein. Gilt sie unter anderem als Treiber bzw. Garant für die Entwicklung agiler Ansätze in der Projektarbeit so zeigt sich in unseren Untersuchungen, dass insbesondere die räumliche Verteilung von Teams auch durch digitale Tools nur begrenzt überbrückt werden kann. „Wer“ und „wie“ das Team ist, ist dabei grundlegend offen und muss immer wieder – bspw. unter Nutzung der vorgestellten Modelle – bestimmt werden.
Führung hybrider Formen virtueller Teams – Herausforderungen und Implikationen auf Team- und Individualebene
Authors: Bernardy Valeria , Müller Rebecca , Röltgen Anna T. , Antoni Conny H.
Published: December 2020

Hybride Formen virtueller Teamarbeit, bei denen Teile des Teams vor Ort im Büro sind und Teile aufgrund von Home-Office oder Dienstreisen mobil mit dem Rest des Teams zusammenarbeiten, sind heutzutage in der Wissensarbeit Normalität. Diese Art der Zusammenarbeit wirkt sich anders auf die Entwicklung von Teamkognitionen und –emotionen aus als die komplett virtuelle Zusammenarbeit, deren einziger Kommunikationskanal digital ist. Es zeigen sich spezifische Herausforderungen für die Führung solcher Teams, die sowohl an die Führungskraft als auch an die Teammitglieder neue Anforderungen an Kompetenzen stellen. Unser Beitrag stellt hierzu die Ergebnisse einer qualitativen Untersuchung vor und bettet diese in den derzeitigen Forschungsstand zur Führung virtueller Teams ein. Wir leiten konkrete Handlungsempfehlungen für Führungskräfte ab und stellen das in unserem Forschungsprojekt entwickelte Online-Tool TeamCheck vor, welches Reflexionsprozesse zu Teamkognitionen, -emotionen und –prozessen anregt und als strukturelle Unterstützung zur Führung virtueller Teams dienen kann.
Simplified abductor pollicis longus suspension interposition arthroplasty for thumb carpometacarpal joint osteoarthritis
Authors: Sander Anna Lena , Buhrmann Clara Friederike , Sommer Katharina , Frank Johannes
Published: December 2020

Purpose

The primary treatment goals for advanced-stage thumb carpometacarpal (CMC) joint osteoarthritis are complete pain relief and restoration of thumb strength. The purpose of the present study was to introduce a variation of the abductor pollicis longus (APL) suspension arthroplasty using a single looping of a radial slip from the APL tendon around the flexor carpi radialis (FCR) tendon combined with RegJoint™ interposition and to determine its efficacy in the treatment of thumb CMC joint osteoarthritis.

Methods

Between 2015 and 2017, 21 patients were included. The average age was 60.8 years (range 48–79). The mean follow-up was 27.7 months (range 8–50). Evaluation included pain, radial and palmar abduction, tip pinch and grip strength, and Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (DASH) score.

Results

Pain averaged 0.3 (range 0–4) at rest and 1.4 (range 0–4) on exertion. The radial and palmar abduction were 97% and 99% compared to the contralateral side. The tip pinch and grip strength were 4.1 kg (range 3–6.5) and 22 kg (range 13.3–40), respectively. The DASH score accounted for 18.5 (range 0.8–41.7).

Conclusion

The modified APL suspension interposition arthroplasty was an efficient and simplified option for the treatment of thumb CMC joint osteoarthritis, with results comparable or better than other published procedures. The APL suspension technique was easy to perform avoiding difficult bone tunneling and incision of the FCR tendon. The RegJoint™ interposition as spacer prevented impingement of the first metacarpal base on the second metacarpal base or the trapezoid bone.
Ultrashort-pulsed laser separation of glass-silicone-glass substrates: influence of material properties and laser parameters on dicing process and cutting edge geometry
Authors: Stroj Sandra , Plank Wolfgang , Muendlein Martin
Published: December 2020

In recent years, ultrashort-pulsed lasers have increased their applicability for industrial requirements, as reliable femtosecond and picosecond laser sources with high output power are available on the market. Compared to conventional laser sources, high quality processing of a large number of material classes with different mechanical and optical properties is possible. In the field of laser cutting, these properties enable the cutting of multilayer substrates with changing material properties. In this work, the femtosecond laser cutting of phosphor sheets is demonstrated. The substrate contains a 230 µm thick silicone layer filled with phosphor, which is embedded between two glass plates. Due to the softness and thermal sensitivity of the silicone layer in combination with the hard and brittle dielectric material, the separation of such a material combination is challenging for both mechanical separation processes and cutting with conventional laser sources. In our work, we show that the femtosecond laser is suitable to cut the substrate with a high cutting edge quality. In addition to the experimental results of the laser dicing process, we present a universal model that allows predicting the final cutting edge geometry of a multilayer substrate.
Bone transport with magnetic intramedullary nails in long bone defects
Authors: Summers Selina , Krkovic Matija
Published: December 2020

Background

This study describes the outcomes of internal bone transport with magnetic nails in five cases of traumatic segmental femoral bone defects.

Methods

Five patients with open fracture of the femur and diaphyseal bone loss were included between May 2018 and August 2020. The mean femoral defect was 8.7 cm (range 5.6–16.0).

Intervention

We used plate-assisted bone segment transport (PABST) with PRECICE magnetic nails.

Results

All five patients have fully consolidated. The mean consolidation time and index were 7.5 months and 0.8 mo/cm, respectively. The mean follow-up was 21.3 months. The main complications were reduced knee ROM, mild varus deformity and plate bending. Post-operative SF-36, Oxford Knee scores and ED-5Q-5L scores were also compiled for four of five patients. SF-36 and Oxford Knee scores were reported without pre-injury data for comparison. ED-5Q-5L index and VAS were compared UK population norm and were both found to be statistically insignificant (p = 0.071 andp = 0.068, respectively).

Conclusion

Bone transport with magnetic nails has the capacity to obtain good functional recovery in long bone defects despite variable outcome pictures. In response to variable outcome reporting in the literature, we propose a standard reporting template for future studies to facilitate more rigorous analyses.
Development of coral–sponge–microbialite reefs in a coated grain-dominated carbonate ramp (Upper Jurassic, eastern Sardinia, Italy)
Authors: Nembrini Mattia , Della Porta Giovanna , Berra Fabrizio
Published: December 2020

The Late Jurassic is a peak time of diversification of reefs with corals, stromatoporoids, calcareous and siliceous sponges, and microbialites during the Phanerozoic. This study focuses on the Callovian–Kimmeridgian carbonate succession of eastern Sardinia, deposited at tropical latitudes on the European passive margin that recorded from the late Oxfordian the evolution from a coated grain-dominated to a reef-bearing carbonate ramp. The coated grain-dominated carbonate ramp (phase 1; Callovian–middle Oxfordian) includes inner ramp ooidal shoals and peloidal packstone in the middle-to-outer ramp. The overlying reef-bearing ramp (phase 2; late Oxfordian–late Kimmeridgian) is characterized by three types (1–3) of bioconstructions. The distribution of these build-ups along the middle-to-outer ramp depositional profile reflects bathymetric parameters, related to the interplay of water energy and light penetration. Type 1 build-ups developed in the proximal middle ramp and consist of 45 m thick, 100 m wide, coral-stromatoporoid boundstone associated with coral–stromatoporoid rudstone–grainstone. Type 2 build-ups, colonizing deeper environments in the middle ramp, are lens-shaped coral–calcareous sponge–diceratid boundstone including stromatoporoids and chaetetid sponges, 1–2 m thick and 3–4 m wide, associated with bioclastic packstone–grainstone. Type 3 lens-shaped calcareous and siliceous sponge–coral–microbialite boundstone build-ups (1 m thick and a few metres wide) formed in lower energy, distal middle-to-outer ramp settings. The evolution of the eastern Sardinian carbonate ramp reflects the Oxfordian–Kimmeridgian spread of the coral–sponge-microbialite reefs along the Tethyan European passive margin.
Palaeoecological analysis of maximum flooding zones from the Tithonian (Upper Jurassic) of the Kachchh Basin, western India
Authors: Fürsich Franz T. , Alberti Matthias , Pandey Dhirendra K.
Published: December 2020

The siliciclastic Jhuran Formation of the Kachchh Basin, a rift basin bordering the Malagasy Seaway, documents the filling of the basin during the late syn-rift stage. The marine, more than 700-m-thick Tithonian part of the succession in the western part of the basin is composed of highly asymmetric transgressive–regressive cycles and is nearly unfossiliferous except for two intervals, the Lower Tithonian Hildoglochiceras Bed (HB) and the upper Lower Tithonian to lowermost Cretaceous Green Ammonite Beds (GAB). Both horizons represent maximum flooding zones (MFZ) and contain a rich fauna composed of ammonites and benthic macroinvertebrates. Within the HB the benthic assemblages change, concomitant with an increase in the carbonate content, from the predominantly infaunal “Lucina” rotundata to the epifaunal Actinostreon marshii and finally to the partly epifaunal, partly infaunal Eoseebachia sowerbyana assemblage. The Green Ammonite Beds are composed of three highly ferruginous beds, which are the MFZ of transgressive–regressive cycles forming the MFZ of a 3rd-order depositional sequence. The GAB are highly ferruginous, containing berthieroid ooids and grains. GAB I is characterized by the reworked Gryphaea moondanensis assemblage, GAB II by an autochthonous high-diversity assemblage dominated by the brachiopods Acanthorhynchia multistriata and Somalithyris lakhaparensis, whereas GAB III is devoid of fossils except for scarce ammonites. The GAB are interpreted to occupy different positions along an onshore–offshore transect with increasing condensation offshore. Integrated analyses of sedimentological, taphonomic, and palaeoecological data allow to reconstruct, in detail, the sequence stratigraphic architecture of sedimentary successions and to evaluate their degree of faunal condensation.
Presence in Digital Spaces. A Phenomenological Concept of Presence in Mediatized Communication
Authors: Lindemann Gesa , Schünemann David
Published: December 2020

Theories of face-to-face interaction employ a concept of spatial presence and view communication via digital technologies as an inferior version of interaction, often with pathological implications. Current studies of mediatized communication challenge this notion with empirical evidence of “telepresence”, suggesting that users of such technologies experience their interactions as immediate. We argue that the phenomenological concepts of the lived body and mediated immediacy (Helmuth Plessner) combined with the concept of embodied space (Hermann Schmitz) can help overcome the pathologizing of digital communication in social theory and enable descriptions which are truer to the experience of using said technology. From this perspective it appears as an ethnocentric premise to restrict interaction to human actors being present in local space. This restricted understanding of interaction does not allow for an appropriate empirical analysis of the emerging structures of digital communication.
Drought sensitivity of Empetrum nigrum shrub growth at the species’ southern lowland distribution range margin
Authors: Hein Nils , Merkelbach Julia , Zech Katharina , Weijers Stef
Published: December 2020

The ongoing warming of the Earth’s atmosphere is projected to cause a northward shift of species’ distributions, as they track their climatic optimum. In the rapidly warming Arctic, this has already led to an increase of shrubs in tundra ecosystems. While this northern expansion of woody biomass has been studied relatively extensively over the last decade, little research has been devoted to shrub growth responses at the southern margins of Northern Hemisphere shrubs. Here, we studied shoot length growth, its responses to climate over the period 2010–2017, and differences in leaf C and N content of the evergreen dwarf shrubEmpetrum nigrum, as well as the vegetation composition and soil parameters at four sites located along a gradient of increasing dune age on the island Spiekeroog, northern Germany. The sites are located in the tri-national UNESCO world heritage site, the Wadden Sea.E. nigrumhas a predominantly circum-arctic-boreal distribution and its southern distribution margin in European lowlands runs through northern Germany, where it is retreating northwards. We found a negative response to autumn (surface) temperatures and previous summer surface temperatures and/or a positive response to summer precipitation ofE. nigrumgrowth, except at the oldest dune with the strongestE. nigrumdominance. Growth rates and plant species diversity declined with dune age. Our results suggest thatE. nigrumgrowth is drought sensitive at its European southern range margin. We hypothesize that this sensitivity may form the basis for its northward retreat, which is supported by recent observations ofE. nigrumdieback in Germany after the extreme drought in 2018 and model projections.
Aerobic fitness is a potential crucial factor in protecting paralympic athletes with locomotor impairments from atherosclerotic cardiovascular risk
Authors: Bernardi Marco , Romano Silvio , Squeo Maria Rosaria , Guerra Emanuele , Adami Paolo Emilio , Alviti Federica , Mattei Antonella , Corsi Loretta , Lanzano Riccardo , Curatulo Pietro Giacomo , Mandolesi Dimitri , Parisi Fabiana , Di Giacinto Barbara , Dante Donatella , Marini Claudio , Mashkovskiy Evgeny , Ordonez Francisco Javier , Spataro Antonio
Published: December 2020

Purpose

To test the hypothesis that aerobic fitness is inversely related to the risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ACVD) in athletes with locomotor impairments deriving from health conditions, such as spinal cord injury (SCI), lower limb amputation, cerebral palsy, poliomyelitis, and other health conditions different from the previous ones.

Methods

A total of 68 male athletes who competed in either summer or winter Paralympic games were divided in two health conditions groups (35 with SCI, mean age 37.2 ± 8.0 years, and 33 with different health conditions, mean age 37.8 ± 9.9 years) and in four sport type groups (skill, power, intermittent—mixed metabolism—and endurance). They were evaluated through anthropometric and blood pressure measurements, laboratory blood tests, and graded cardiopulmonary maximal arm cranking exercise test, with oxygen uptake peak (VO2peak) measurement. Cardiovascular risk profile was assessed in each athlete.

Results

The prevalence of ACVD-risk factors in the overall population was 20.6% for hypertension; 47% and 55.9% for high values of total and LDL cholesterol, respectively; 22.1% for reduce glucose tolerance; and 8.8% for obesity. No difference was found between athletes with and without SCI, while the prevalence of obesity was significantly higher in those practicing skill sports (22.7%, p = 0.035), which was the sport type group with Paralympic athletes with the lowest VO2peak (22.5 ± 5.70 ml kg−1 min−1). VO2peak was lower in athletes with SCI than those with different health conditions (28.6 ± 10.0 vs 33.6 ± 8.9 ml kg−1 min−1p = 0.03), and in those with 3–4 risk factors (19.09 ± 5.34 ml kg−1 min−1) than those with 2 risk factors (27.1 ± 5.50 ml kg−1 min−1), 1 risk factor (31.6 ± 8.55 ml kg−1 min−1), or none (36.4 ± 8.76 ml kg−1 min−1) (p < 0.001).

Conclusions

The present study suggests that having higher VO2peak seems to offer greater protection against ACVD in individuals with a locomotor impairment. Prescribing physical exercise at an intensity similar to that of endurance and intermittent sports should become a fundamental tool to promote health among people with a locomotor impairment.
A large-scale comprehensive evaluation of single-slice ring oscillator and PicoPUF bit cells on 28-nm Xilinx FPGAs
Authors: Gu Chongyan , Chang Chip-Hong , Liu Weiqiang , Hanley Neil , Miskelly Jack , O’Neill Máire
Published: December 2020

Lightweight implementation of security primitives, e.g., physical unclonable functions (PUFs) and true random number generator, in field programmable gate array (FPGA) is crucial replacement of the conventional decryption key stored in battery-backed random access memory or E-Fuses for the protection of field reconfigurable assets. A slice is the smallest reconfigurable logic block in an Xilinx FPGA. The entropy exploitable from each slice of an FPGA is an important factor for the design of security primitives. Previous research has shown that the locations of slices can impact the quality of delay-based PUF designs implemented on FPGAs. To investigate the effect of the placement of each single-bit PUF cell free from the routing resource constraint between slices, single-bit ring oscillator (RO) and identity-based PUF design (Pi-coPUF) cells that can each be fully fitted into a single slice are evaluated. To accurately evaluate their statistical performance, data from a large number of devices are required. To this end, 217 Xilinx Artix-7 FPGAs has been employed to provide a large-scale comprehensive analysis for the two designs. This is the first time single-slice disorder-based security entities have been investigated and compared on 28-nm Xilinx FPGA. Uniqueness, uniformity, correlation, reliability, bit-aliasing and min-entropy of each type of cell are evaluated for four different types of cell placement. Our experimental results corroborate that the location of both cell types in the FPGA affects their performances. For both cell types, the lower the correlation between devices, the higher the min-entropy and uniqueness. Overall, the min-entropy, correlation and uniqueness of PicoPUF are slightly higher than those of RO. Otherwise, the uniformity, bit-aliasing and reliability of the PicoPUF are slightly lower than those of the RO. Comparing the resource usage and metrics of the PicoPUF, ring oscillator PUF and some existing memory-based PUF implementations, PicoPUF stands out as a lightweight FPGA-based weak PUF design. The raw data for the PicoPUF design are made publicly available to enable the research community to use them for benchmarking and/or validation.
SCA secure and updatable crypto engines for FPGA SoC bitstream decryption: extended version
Authors: Unterstein Florian , Jacob Nisha , Hanley Neil , Gu Chongyan , Heyszl Johann
Published: December 2020

FPGA system on chips (SoCs) are ideal computing platforms for edge devices in applications which require high performance through hardware acceleration and updatability due to long operation in the field. A secure update of hardware functionality can in general be achieved by using built-in cryptographic engines and provided secret key storage. However, reported examples have shown that such cryptographic engines may become insecure against side-channel attacks at any later point in time. This leaves already deployed systems vulnerable without any clear mitigation options. To solve this, we propose a comprehensive concept that uses an alternative and side-channel protected cryptographic engine within the FPGA logic instead of the built-in one for the crucial task of bitstream decryption. Remarkably this concept even allows to update the cryptographic engine itself. As proof of concept, we describe an application to the Xilinx Zynq-7020 FPGA SoC in detail. We provide two options for a leakage resilient decryption engine which are based on the same primitive, a leakage resilient pseudorandom function (LR-PRF). Depending on a side-channel evaluation of this primitive on the target platform, either a version with additional side-channel countermeasures or a more efficient variant is deployed. The lack of accessible secret key storage poses a significant challenge and requires the use of a physical unclonable function (PUF) to generate a device intrinsic secret within the FPGA logic. At the same time this means that manufacturer-provided secret key storage or cryptography is no longer required; only a public key for signature verification of the first stage bootloader and initial static bitstream. We provide empirical results proving the side-channel security of the protected cryptographic engine as well as an evaluation of the PUF quality. The full design and source code is made available to encourage further research in this direction.
The Wolfiporia Cocos Genome and Transcriptome Shed Light on the Formation of Its Edible and Medicinal Sclerotium
Authors: Luo Hongmei , Qian Jun , Xu Zhichao , Liu Wanjing , Xu Lei , Li Ying , Xu Jiang , Zhang Jianhong , Xu Xiaolan , Liu Chang , He Liu , Li Jianqin , Sun Chao , Martin Francis , Song Jingyuan , Chen Shilin
Published: December 2020

Wolfiporia cocos (F. A. Wolf) has been praised as a food delicacy and medicine for centuries in China. Here, we present the genome and transcriptome of the Chinese strain CGMCC5.78 of W. cocos. High-confidence functional prediction was made for 9277 genes among the 10,908 total predicted gene models in the W. cocos genome. Up to 2838 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified to be related to sclerotial development by comparing the transcriptomes of mycelial and sclerotial tissues. These DEGs are involved in mating processes, differentiation of fruiting body tissues, and metabolic pathways. A number of genes encoding enzymes and regulatory factors related to polysaccharide and triterpenoid production were strikingly regulated. A potential triterpenoid gene cluster including the signature lanosterol synthase (LSS) gene and its modified components were annotated. In addition, five nonribosomal peptide synthase (NRPS)-like gene clusters, eight polyketide synthase (PKS) gene clusters, and 15 terpene gene clusters were discovered in the genome. The differential expression of the velevt family proteins, transcription factors, carbohydrate-active enzymes, and signaling components indicated their essential roles in the regulation of fungal development and secondary metabolism in W. cocos. These genomic and transcriptomic resources will be valuable for further investigations of the molecular mechanisms controlling sclerotial formation and for its improved medicinal applications.
Statistics for the Social Sciences
Authors: Warne Russell T.
Published: December 2020

The second edition of Statistics for Social Sciences prepares students from a wide range of disciplines to interpret and learn the statistical methods critical to their field of study. By using the General Linear Model (GLM), the author builds a foundation that enables students to see how statistical methods are interrelated enabling them to build on the basic skills. The author makes statistics relevant to students' varying majors by using fascinating real-life examples from the social sciences. Students who use this edition will benefit from clear explanations, warnings against common erroneous beliefs about statistics, and the latest developments in the philosophy, reporting, and practice of statistics in the social sciences. The textbook is packed with helpful pedagogical features including learning goals, guided practice, and reflection questions.
Keeping a Close Eye on the Ocean—from Afar
Authors: Davis R.
Published: December 2020

Remote sensing technology proves effective in monitoring key regions of the world’s oceans, where upwelling and other essential ecosystem services occur.
Monthly Patterns of Ammonia Over the Contiguous United States at 2‐km Resolution
Authors: Wang Rui , Guo Xuehui , Pan Da , Kelly James T. , Bash Jesse O. , Sun Kang , Paulot Fabien , Clarisse Lieven , Van Damme Martin , Whitburn Simon , Coheur Pierre‐François , Clerbaux Cathy , Zondlo Mark A.
Published: December 2020

Monthly, high‐resolution (∼2 km) ammonia (NH3) column maps from the Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI) were developed across the contiguous United States and adjacent areas. Ammonia hotspots (95th percentile of the column distribution) were highly localized with a characteristic length scale of 12 km and median area of 152 km2. Five seasonality clusters were identified with k‐means++ clustering. The Midwest and eastern United States had a broad, spring maximum of NH3 (67% of hotspots in this cluster). The western United States, in contrast, showed a narrower midsummer peak (32% of hotspots). IASI spatiotemporal clustering was consistent with those from the Ammonia Monitoring Network. CMAQ and GFDL‐AM3 modeled NH3 columns have some success replicating the seasonal patterns but did not capture the regional differences. The high spatial‐resolution monthly NH3 maps serve as a constraint for model simulations and as a guide for the placement of future, ground‐based network sites.
Helium and Argon Partitioning Between Liquid Iron and Silicate Melt at High Pressure
Authors: Xiong Zhihua , Tsuchiya Taku , Van Orman James A.
Published: December 2020

Whether Earth’s core is a significant repository of noble gases is an open question because their partitioning between liquid metal and silicate melt during core formation is poorly known. Here we calculated the He and Ar partition coefficients (D) between liquid Fe and MgSiO3 melt from 20 to 135 GPa at 5,000 K using ab initio molecular dynamics combined with thermodynamic integration. Our simulations show that DHe does not change significantly with pressure, while DAr increases strongly with increasing pressure. Furthermore, we found that the metal/silicate partitioning behaviors of He and Ar are controlled by their atomic size and the charge density properties of the host compositions. These results indicate that Earth’s core is a plausible reservoir for 3He and could possibly account for the high 3He/4He ratios in the OIBs that associated with deep‐rooted plumes, but the core is unlikely to be a significant source for 36Ar.
Free‐Surface‐Induced Supershear Transition in 3‐D Simulations of Spontaneous Dynamic Rupture on Oblique Faults
Authors: Tang Rongjiang , Yuan Jie , Gan Lu
Published: December 2020

Several observations and simulations suggested that the supershear rupture induced by free surface invariably occurs in strike‐slip faults rather than in dip‐slip faults. To explore the mechanism of supershear transition induced by free surface on oblique faults, we simulate spontaneous dynamic rupture propagation governed by slip‐weakening friction on nonvertical planar faults. We find that oblique thrust faults are more likely to produce free‐surface‐induced supershear transition than oblique normal faults and significant asymmetry arises between the two opposite directions along fault strike. The supershear rupture may only occur within shallow depth or over the entire seismogenic depth, depending on geometric relations between the slip and rupture propagation vectors. Our results help explain the lack of universal observation of supershear earthquakes. Besides, the asymmetric ground shaking on the oblique faults allows us to predict the possible spatial distribution of the high seismic risk.
Probabilistic Geomagnetic Storm Forecasting via Deep Learning
Authors: Tasistro‐Hart Adrian , Grayver Alexander , Kuvshinov Alexey
Published: December 2020

Geomagnetic storms, which are governed by the plasma magnetohydrodynamics of the solar‐interplanetary‐magnetosphere system, entail a formidable challenge for physical forward modeling. Yet, the abundance of high‐quality observational data has been amenable to the application of data‐hungry neural networks to geomagnetic storm forecasting. Almost all applications of neural networks to storm forecasting have utilized solar wind observations from the Earth‐Sun first Lagrangian point (L1) or closer and generated deterministic output without uncertainty estimates. Furthermore, forecasting work has focused on indices that are also sensitive to induced internal magnetic fields, complicating the forecasting problem with another layer of non‐linearity. We address these points, presenting neural networks trained on observations from both the solar disk and the L1 point. Our architecture generates reliable probabilistic forecasts over Est, the external component of the disturbance storm time index, showing that neural networks can gauge confidence in their output.
Identification of single motor units in skeletal muscle under low force isometric voluntary contractions using ultrafast ultrasound
Authors: Rohlén Robin , Stålberg Erik , Grönlund Christer
Published: December 2020

The central nervous system (CNS) controls skeletal muscles by the recruitment of motor units (MUs). Understanding MU function is critical in the diagnosis of neuromuscular diseases, exercise physiology and sports, and rehabilitation medicine. Recording and analyzing the MUs’ electrical depolarization is the basis for state-of-the-art methods. Ultrafast ultrasound is a method that has the potential to study MUs because of the electrical depolarizations and consequent mechanical twitches. In this study, we evaluate if single MUs and their mechanical twitches can be identified using ultrafast ultrasound imaging of voluntary contractions. We compared decomposed spatio-temporal components of ultrasound image sequences against the gold standard needle electromyography. We found that 31% of the MUs could be successfully located and their firing pattern extracted. This method allows new non-invasive opportunities to study mechanical properties of MUs and the CNS control in neuromuscular physiology.
Luminescent polymorphic aggregates of trinuclear Cu(i)–pyrazolate tuned by intertrimeric Cu⋯NPy weak coordination bonds
Authors: Zhan Shun-Ze , Chen Wei , Zheng Ji , Ng Seik Weng , Li Dan
Published: December 2020

Five polymorphic aggregates of trinuclear Cu(i)–pyrazolate were constructed through intertrimeric NPy⋯Cu weak coordination bonds beyond NPz⋯Cu coordination bonds, which trigger their bright emissions.
Pd-Catalyzed sequential B(3)–I/B(4)–H bond activation for the synthesis of 3,4-benzo-o-carboranes
Authors: Ge Yixiu , Zhang Jie , Qiu Zaozao , Xie Zuowei
Published: December 2020

A Pd-catalyzed sequential B(3)–I and B(4)–H bond activation was developed for the synthesis of 3,4-benzo-o-carboranes via a formal [2 + 2 + 2] cycloaddition.
Fragment-based drug discovery: opportunities for organic synthesis
Authors: St. Denis Jeffrey D. , Hall Richard J. , Murray Christopher W. , Heightman Tom D. , Rees David C.
Published: December 2020

Herein is described the concept of fragment sociability and the opportunities for organic chemistry to address the challenges of fragment elaboration.
Facile synthesis of superparamagnetic Fe3O4@noble metal core–shell nanoparticles by thermal decomposition and hydrothermal methods: comparative study and catalytic applications
Authors: Bakr Eman A. , El-Nahass Marwa N. , Hamada Wafaa M. , Fayed Tarek A.
Published: December 2020

We report on developing a facile synthetic route for reusable nanocatalysts based on a combination of the supermagnetic properties of magnetite with the unique optical and catalytic properties of noble metal hybrid nanomaterials.
Multi-photon properties of branched chromophores derived from indenoquinoxaline and oxadiazole heterocyclic units
Authors: Lin Tzu-Chau , Chang Shih-Huang , Hsieh Hsiang-Yu , Chen Zi-Ming , Chu Chun-Yao
Published: December 2020

Multi-branched chromophores derived from indenoquinoxaline and oxadiazole units were developed to possess strong two- and three-photon activities in the NIR-region.
Towards a high MnO2 loading and gravimetric capacity from proton-coupled Mn4+/Mn2+ reactions using a 3D free-standing conducting scaffold
Authors: Singh Arvinder , Sel Ozlem , Perrot Hubert , Balland Véronique , Limoges Benoît , Laberty-Robert Christel
Published: December 2020

The study demonstrates that electrospun CNFs are excellent substrates for reversible Mn4+/Mn2+ reactions in a mild buffered aqueous electrolyte with high mMnO2/mCNF ratio and gravimetric capacity.
A highly active defect engineered Cl-doped carbon catalyst for the N2 reduction reaction
Authors: Huang Minxue , Gong Shipeng , Wang Sini , Yang Kang , Chen Shi , Wang Changlai , Kong Xiangkai , Chen Qianwang
Published: December 2020

A one-step synthesis of precursors by mixing Zn(CH3COO)2, H3BTC, and NaCl solution together, followed by carbonization in a nitrogen flow at 900 °C for 3 h. The defect-rich carbons containing –Cl and –COCl functional groups show a superior e-NRR performance.