bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
THEORY OF INTERNAL FRICTION IN A FACE-CENTRED CUBIC LATTICE
Authors: CHENG KAI-CHIA  , CHANG SHEN-KWAI  ,   南京大学
Published: November 2020

It is now well-established that stress-induced micro-diffusion of carbon atoms in the interstitial lattice points will take place in body-centred cubic lattices such as in α-iron. This is the result of the lattice asymmetry introduced by an oscillating strain in the crystal. In a pure face-centred cubic metal, this phenomenon could not happen, namely, not in γ-iron. Nevertheless experimental evidences show to the contrary.The present note advances a criterion concerning the possible types of mechanisms which would give rise to internal friction in a face-centred cubic crystal. By the application of the general thermodynamical theory of internal friction, proposed by one of the present authors, we have calculated the relaxation strength for two important cases. If the asymmetry in the interstitial lattice points is to be ascribed to the presence of impurity or alloying atoms, then it can be shown that the relaxation strength will be proportional to the expression CxA (1-xA) , where xA. is the density in atom percentage of the impurity or alloying atoms and C is the density of the carbon atoms. However, recent experimental result of Ke and Tsien indicates that there is nothing like this sort of density dependence, i. e. it is rather structure insensitive. Hence, it is not likely that this micro-diffusion can be ascribed to the action of the alloying (substitutional) atoms.A second possible mechanism is proposed in the text. The asymmetry is due to the presence of the Schottky defects, in which a pair of carbon atoms settle down and orientates itself in accordance with the direction of external strain; the possible location of the pair may be such that one carbon atom is located in the centre of the hole while the other is in an interstitial point immediate to the hole. The calculated relaxation strength is proportional to the expression AC2/(B +C), where A and B are such constants that B is structure insensitive. A comparison of the calculated and the experimental curve for the internal friction strength is made in the text, which shows a remarkable agreement. Furthermore, one can thereby estimate the free energy evolved in trapping a carbon atom in a Schottky hole to about the order of 0.14 eV. It seems that the above proposed vacancy-induced asymmetry might be a possible correct explanation.The authors like to tend their appreciation to Dr. Ke Ting-sui and his collaborators for the kindness to communicate to us their results before publication and to their valuable discussions.
ON THE THEORY OF INJECTION OF MINORITY CARRIERS IN p-n ALLOY JUNCTIONS
Authors: WANG SHOU-WU  ,   中国科学院应用物理研究所
Published: November 2020

A general theory of injection of minority carriers in p-n alloy junctions was developed by using one-dimensional model. It was assumed that the recombination rate is proportional to the density of injected carriers. Two extreme cases of low injection levels and high injection levels were first considered, and the result of which was then used as the zero-order approximation in calculating the distribution of the injected minority carriers in p-n junctions. By the method of successive approximation, an analytical expression for the relationship between the injection efficiency and the injection level (i. e. the ratio of the density of injected minority carriers to that of original majority carriers) was obtained. A similar expression for the relationship between the total current density flowing through the junction and the injection level was developed on the same basis. The results of the present theory show that for an ordinary alloy junction transistor, the injection efficiency of the emitter decreases gradually as the emitter current increases. At very highinjection levels, the injection efficiency approaches a limiting value of 1/(1+b) , where6 is the ratio of electron mobility to hole mobility. For a p-n alloy junction with very low injection efficiency, the injection efficiency is proportional to the total current flowing through the junction when the injection current is small, and itapproaches a limiting value of 1/(1+b) as the injection current becomes very large. Itwas also shown that for low injection levels, the total current flowing through a p-n alloy junction is proportional to the injection level, while for high injection levels, it is proportional to the square of the injection level.
Atomic-level mechanism for isothermal crystallization in supercooled liquid tantalum
Authors: Wen Da-Dong , Deng Yong-He , Dai Xiong-Ying , Wu An-Ru , Tian Ze-An ,   School of Computational Science & Electronics, Hunan Institute of Engineering, Xiangtan 411104, China,   Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Vehicle Power and Transmission System, Hunan Institute of Engineering, Xiangtan 411104, China,   School of Materials Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, China
Published: November 2020

The morphology and physical properties of crystal as well as the glass-forming ability (GFA) of metals are closely related to the evolution pathway of atomic structures in the early stage of nucleation in supercooled liquids. Therefore, the study of the evolution of atomic structures in the isothermal crystallization process of supercooled liquids, is of great significance not only for predicting and accurately controlling the crystal nucleation and growth, but also for understanding the local atomic structural origin of the GFA. In the present work, the atomic-level mechanism for isothermal crystallization in the supercooled liquid tantalum is studied by molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. The microstructural evolution of metal Ta system is characterized and analyzed by using the potential energy per atom (PE), the pair distribution function (PDF) g(r), and the largest standard cluster (LSC). Two crystallization paths of Ta supercooled liquid can be observed during isothermal relaxations. For each pathway the incubation time of the formation critical nucleus increases with annealing temperature (T) rising. At 1800 K ≤ T ≤ 1850 K, the crystallization of supercooled liquid Ta conforms to the Ostwald's step rule: first, Z12 (i.e. icosahedron) and Z14 (Kasper cluster with 14 coordination number) clusters in supercooled liquids are hinged into medium-range order (i.e., Z-MRO); then the Z-MRO are merged and ordered into A15 crystal phase; finally, BCC crystal nucleus inside of the A15 phase grows rapidly into BCC single crystal at the cost of the atoms in A15 phase. While at 1900 K ≤ T ≤ 1950 K, Ta supercooled liquid is directly transformed into A15 phase. The A15 crystal phase is mainly formed by the continuous merging of the largest Z-MRO with the small Z-MRO, which is similar to the picture of the classical nucleation theory (CNT). However, whether the phase transition from A15 to BCC will occur above 1900 K remains to be further confirmed by a longer-time MD simulation. Relative to the supercooled liquids of monoatomic metals with lower melting point, the good GFA of Ta may originate from the slowly growing A15 crystal nucleus in its supercooled liquid.
Experimental study on gliding discharge mode of rotating gliding arc discharge plasma
Authors: Lei Jian-Ping , He Li-Ming , Chen Yi , Chen Gao-Cheng , Zhao Bing-Bing , Zhao Zhi-Yu , Zhang Hua-Lei , Deng Jun , Fei Li ,   Aeronautics Engineering College, Air Force Engineering University, Xi’an 710038, China,   Institute of Aviation Operation Service, Aviation University of Air Force, Changchun 130022, China
Published: November 2020

Alternating current rotating gliding arc discharge can produce large-scale, wide-range non-equilibrium plasma at atmospheric pressure. In order to investigate the gliding discharge mode, discharge characteristics and Spectral characteristics of AC rotating gliding arc discharge plasma, high speed camera, oscilloscope and spectrometer are used to collect discharge images and electrical signals of rotating gliding arc synchronously. Thus the dynamic behavior of arc and the characteristics of electric signal in the process of rotating gliding arc can be analyzed. The experimental results show that there are two different discharge modes in the rotating gliding arc discharge process, namely the breakdown gliding discharge mode (B-G mode) and the stable gliding discharge mode (A-G mode). The B-G mode is mainly characterized by high-frequency breakdown phenomenon (breakdown-extinguish-breakdown) during the arc gliding process, while the A-G mode is mainly characterized by stable continuous arc sliding. The paper also discusses the working mechanism in which the working parameters influence the gliding arc discharge characteristics. It is shown that the discharge mode and discharge characteristics of arc are the result of the combined action of excitation voltage and gas flow. When the gas flow is large and the excitation voltage is small, the gliding arc is an unstable discharge dominated by the B-G mode. Conversely, when the excitation voltage is large and the gas flow is small, the gliding arc is a stable gliding discharge dominated by the A-G mode. In addition, in B-G mode, the energy consumption is mainly concentrated in the breakdown moment, and the energy release is mainly pulsed. However, when the gliding arc discharge is in A-G mode, the energy dissipation is mainly used to maintain the continuous existence of the arc without extinguishing, and the energy release is stable and continuous. Affected by the gas flow rate and excitation voltage, the breakdown frequency of the B-G mode is greater than that of the A-G mode. Higher repeat breakdown frequency can cause multiple ionization in the process of gliding arc discharge, which produces more active particles. The research conclusions in this paper provide theoretical support for regulating the operating characteristics of the gliding arc discharge. In engineering application, the discharge mode, breakdown frequency and breakdown current of the gliding arc can be adjusted by changing the working parameters to obtain plasma sources with different characteristics.
Quasi-two-dimensional van der Waals semiconducting magnet CrSiTe3 studied by using THz spectroscopy
Authors: Suo Peng , Xia Wei , Zhang Wen-Jie , Zhu Xiao-Qing , Guo Jia-Jia , Fu Ji-Bo , Lin Xian , Guo Yan-Feng , Ma Guo-Hong ,   Department of Physics, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China,   School of Physical Science and Technology, Shanghai Tech University, Shanghai 201210, China,   STU & SIOM Joint Laboratory for Superintense Lasers and Applications, Shanghai 201210, China
Published: November 2020

Quasi-two-dimensional van der Waals ferromagnetic semiconductor CrSiTe3 with wide potential applications in optoelectronics and nanospintronics has aroused the immense interest of researchers due to the coexistence of intrinsic magnetism and semiconductivity. By combining untrafast femtosecond laser and terahertz spectroscopy, including terahertz time-domain spectroscopy, optical pump-terahertz probe spectroscopy and terahertz emission spectroscopy, we carry out systematic investigation into the van der Waals ferromagnetic semiconductor CrSiTe3 crystal. The experimental results indicate that the conductivity of the sample is robust against the temperature change and isotropic terahertz transmission in the ab-plane. Moreover, it is also observed that the photocarriers induced by 800 nm optical pump exhibit a relaxation in the biexponential form and the complex photoconductivity can be well reproduced by the Drude-Smith model. The main relaxation channel of photocarriers is the recombination of electron-hole pairs. With femtosecond pulse illuminating the surface of sample, a strong terahertz radiation signal with a broad band of 0–2 THz is observed. The present study provides the responses of CrSiTe3 to optical and terahertz frequency and offers crucial information for the future design of CrSiTe3-based electronic and optoelectronic devices.
HYDRODYNAMIC THEORY OF LUBRICATION FOR PLANE SLIDERS OF FINITE WIDTH
Authors: WEI-ZANG CHIEN  ,   Department of Mechanieal Engineering,National Tsing Una University.
Published: November 2020

The hydrodynamic theory of viscous lubrication is studied from Navier-Stokes differential equations ,by the method of successive approximation based upon the smallness of the film thickness. It is found that the first approximation gives the Reynolds equation of viscous lubrication. To simplify the numerical nature of the solution of Reynolds equation, the equivalent variational problem is formulated. The approximate solution obtained from the variational problem involves only a very small error, but much less amount of numerical work.
ON THE RADIATION CORRECTIONS IN ELASTIC SCATTERING OF ELECTRONS BY PROTONS
Authors: KAI-CHIA CHENG  ,   浙江大学物理系
Published: November 2020

The Mφller scattering of electrons by protons has been considered. The matrix element of transition in the e4 has been evaluated and shown to be identical with the usual one, in obtaining which, the potential field produced by proton is assumed to be a C-number potential.
DETERMINATION OF THE PHASE FOR NUCLEON-NUCLEON SCATTERING BY HULTHEN'S VARIATIONAL METHOD
Authors: H. W. PENG  , HUANG TZU-CHIA  ,   中国科学院近代物理研究所
Published: November 2020

A variational method for the determination of the phase,originally devcloped by Hulthén is appledhere to a two nuclecon system,the nuclcar potential being taken as a superposition of Yukawa potentialsof different ranges.Hulthén's method is also gencralized to include a Coulomb potential when necessary,Formulac are obtained in the form of power series which are useful for encrgies less that 40 Mev.
DEVIATION OF VAN DER WAALS INTERACTION FROM ADDITIVE RELATIONS
Authors: KUN HUANG  , AVRIL RHYS  ,   北京大学物理系
Published: November 2020

With a lattice of isotropic point-oscillators as an idealized model, the error of the usual additive approximation for the van der Waals interaction in solids is estimated. For a few common crystals, the estimated errors for van der Waals energy and its first and second derivatives have values up to 13%, 34% and 70% respectively. The model moreover points to the possible importance of the long range dipolar interaction as a mechanism determining the structure of the exciton-band in. insulators.
ON THE OPTIMUM ADJUSTMENT OF GRID LEAK RESISTANCE OF A POWER OSCILLATOR
Authors: PING-CHENG HSU  ,   岭南大学电机系
Published: November 2020

This paper presents an experimental method to determine the optimum grid leak resistance of a power oscillator. The effect of excitation ratio on the plate efficiency and the proper method of connection of the grid leak resistance are also discussed. The experimental results are checked against the calculated values obtained from graphical method.
SAINT-VENANT'S TORSION PROBLEM WITH STRESS FUNCTION IN THE FORM OF A THIRD DEGREE POLYNOMIAL
Authors: YEH KAI-YUAN  ,   北京大学力学专业
Published: November 2020

The free torsion problem, solved by Saint-Venant with semi-inverse method, is well known in the theory of elasticity. "In this paper we discuss this problem systematically by considering a cylindrical bar whose cross section is a simply connected region under twist moment M, and assume that the stress function ψ is in the form of a third degree polynomial.
MECHANICAL CONDITIONS FOR ISOTHERMAL RUPTURE OF METALS
Authors: LIU SHU-I  ,   北京钢铁学院
Published: November 2020

The theoretical conditions for brittle rupture were found with one single normal stress as the only mechanical variable. But, for the conditions of ductile rupture, experi-mental facts demand the specification of some stress states instead of a single stress and certain arbitrary stress functions were taken for this purpose. A theoretical formulation of the conditions for ductile rupture has not been made up to this date. Fundamentally, such problem would be approached from the dislocation theory, but quantitative treatment is difficult in the present state of this theory. Alternatively it may be possible to approach this problem from the view point of relaxation, should the basic phenomenon of strain hardening associated with ductile fracturing be well interrepted from this view point. It is believed that future studies along such lines will throw more light on the understanding of this problem. Yet, it was thought that if one considers the thermodynamic relation among various types of energy involved in ductile fracture instead of simply taking some arbitrary stress functions as criterion, the conclusions thus obtained would be helpful in understanding this problem, Thus this paper was written.
Negative feedback and modern anti‐cancer strategies targeting the ER stress response
Authors: Liu Yaofu , Tan Zhenzhi , Yang Yili
Published: November 2020

Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress is a cell state in which misfolded or unfolded proteins are aberrantly accumulated in the ER. ER stress induces an evolutionarily conserved adaptive response, named the ER stress response, that deploys a self‐regulated machinery to maintain cellular proteostasis. However, compared to its well‐established canonical activation mechanism, the negative feedback mechanisms regulating the ER stress response remain unclear and no accepted methods or markers have been established. Several studies have documented that both endogenous and exogenous insults can induce ER stress in cancer. Based on this evidence, small molecule inhibitors targeting ER stress response have been designed to kill cancer cells, with some of them showing excellent curative effects. Here, we review recent advances in our understanding of negative feedback of the ER stress response and compare the markers used to date. We also summarize therapeutic inhibitors targeting ER stress response and highlight the promises and challenges ahead.
Low‐Voltage Operable and Strain‐Insensitive Stretchable All‐Carbon Nanotube Integrated Circuits with Local Strain Suppression Layer
Authors: Nishio Yuya , Hirotani Jun , Kishimoto Shigeru , Kataura Hiromichi , Ohno Yutaka
Published: November 2020

Stretchable devices, which can intimately contact dynamic free‐form surfaces, show great promise for wearable and implantable devices for human beings and multifunctional electronic skins for soft robotics. Although some successful stretchable devices have been reported, there are still remaining issues; in particular, the fundamental requirements for wearable devices, including low‐voltage operation, operation speed, mechanical stretchability and robustness, and easy circuit design, are needed to be satisfied simultaneously. Here, a local strain suppression layer (L‐SSL) is introduced into all‐carbon nanotube (CNT) stretchable thin‐film transistors (TFTs) and integrated circuits (ICs) to address these issues. The L‐SSL, which has a high Young's modulus, is placed on top of the active channel region to suppress the induced local strain. The resulting CNT TFTs show no drain current degradation under externally applied tensile strain of up to 35%. Furthermore, stretchable all‐CNT ICs, such as inverters and ring oscillators, can operate at low supply voltage as 0.7 V, because high‐k material can be used underneath the L‐SSL. Biaxial stretching, an indispensable ability for wearable devices on 3D deformable surfaces such as the human body, is also achieved. The all‐CNT devices, equipped with an L‐SSL, demonstrate potential for strain‐insensitive stretchable devices with low‐voltage operation.
Utilization of polyethylene terephthalate waste as a carbon filler in polypropylene matrix: Investigation of mechanical, rheological, and thermal properties
Authors: Poulose Anesh Manjaly , Elnour Ahmed Yagoub , Kumar Nadavala Siva , Alhamidi Abdullah , George Justin , Al‐Ghurabi Ebrahim H. , Boumaza Mourad , Al‐Zahrani Saeed
Published: November 2020

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) waste was converted into carbon and the feasibility of utilizing it as a reinforcing filler material in a polypropylene (PP) matrix was investigated. The carbon produced by the pyrolysis of waste PET at 900°C in nitrogen atmosphere contains high carbon content (>70 wt%). PP/carbon composites were produced by melt blending process at varying loading concentrations. Scanning electron microscopy images at the fractured surface revealed that the carbon filler has better compatibility with the PP matrix. The mechanical, thermal, and rheological properties and surface morphology of the prepared composites were studied. The thermogravimetric analysis studies showed that the thermal stability of the PP/carbon composites was enhanced from 300 to 370°C with 20 wt% of carbon. At lower angular frequency (0.01 rad/s), the storage modulus (G′) of PP was 0.27 Pa and those of PP with 10 and 20 wt% carbon was 4.06 and 7.25 Pa, respectively. Among the PP/carbon composite prepared, PP with 5 wt% carbon showed the highest tensile strength of 38 MPa, greater than that of neat PP (35 MPa). The tensile modulus was enhanced from 0.9 to 1.2 GPa when the carbon content was increased from 0 to 20 wt%.
Challenges in Determining Child Maltreatment Fatalities: What Do We Really Know?
Authors: Douglas Emily M. , Lee Kerry A.
Published: November 2020

The challenges associated with determining causes of fatal child maltreatment have been documented by multiple professional fields and by the US government. This study explored these challenges, as well as the relative lethality of determinations of general neglect, medical neglect and physical abuse. Existing sources of information were used for this study: (1) data from the US National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS) data set extracted from annualChild Maltreatmentreports published by the US Department of Health and Human Services; and (2) information published in recent state‐level child death review team (CDRT) reports. Results from the NCANDS data set indicated that more children died from general neglect (x̅= 70.9%) than abuse (x̅= 44.8%) or medical neglect (x̅= 8.2%). Children who experienced medical neglect died at the highest rate (6.82 per 1000 medical neglect victims), making it the most lethal, followed by physical abuse and general neglect. The findings from CDRT reports were inconsistent, with some states indicating that more children died from abuse than neglect, which is in direct contrast to national statistics. The inconsistent and confusing use of language and constructs from CDRTs has important implications for multiple child‐serving fields.

Key Practitioner Messages

Professional child‐serving fields struggle with making accurate determinations of abuse or neglect‐related fatalities.

Most child maltreatment fatalities are related to neglect. In terms of lethality, medical neglect appears to be most lethal, followed by physical abuse, and then general neglect.

US‐state CDRT reports are not consistent in their use of terms and confuse constructs such as ‘neglect’ and ‘accident’. This makes it challenging to use their reviews as reliable sources of information.

We recommend the adoption of consistency in the use and understanding of terms related to child maltreatment deaths, at a minimum across all jurisdictions in the USA, if not across all nations.
Prisoners' understanding and experiences of parole
Authors: Kelly Lynn , McIvor Gill , Richard Karen
Published: November 2020

Background

In Scotland, as elsewhere, there has been growing political and public interest in the function and process of parole accompanied by a lack of empirical research on the operation and effectiveness of parole.

Aims

Against the backdrop of a Scottish Government review of parole aimed, among other things, at improving the transparency of the process, the aim of the study was to explore the experiences of prisoners seeking early release on licence.

Methods

In conjunction with the Scottish Prison Service a national survey was conducted of 197 long‐term prisoners who had experience of seeking early release on parole.

Findings

The survey revealed that prisoners did not have a clear understanding of parole and often did not feel fully engaged in the process.

Conclusions

It is argued that better support for prisoners prior to, during and following parole hearings might foster their increased engagement and alleviate some of the anxiety associated with the parole process.
Azide‐Terminated RAFT Polymers for Biological Applications
Authors: Jiang Ziwen , He Huan , Liu Hongxu , Thayumanavan S.
Published: November 2020

Reversible addition‐fragmentation chain‐transfer (RAFT) polymerization is a commonly used polymerization methodology to generate synthetic polymers. The products of RAFT polymerization, i.e., RAFT polymers, have been widely employed in several biologically relevant areas, including drug delivery, biomedical imaging, and tissue engineering. In this article, we summarize a synthetic methodology to display an azide group at the chain end of a RAFT polymer, thus presenting a reactive site on the polymer terminus. This platform enables a click reaction between azide‐terminated polymers and alkyne‐containing molecules, providing a broadly applicable scaffold for chemical and bioconjugation reactions on RAFT polymers. We also highlight applications of these azide‐terminated RAFT polymers in fluorophore labeling and for promoting organelle targeting capability. © 2020 Wiley Periodicals LLC.

Basic Protocol 1: Synthesis of the azide derivatives of chain transfer agent and radical initiator

Basic Protocol 2: Installation of an azide group on the α‐end of RAFT polymers

Alternate Protocol: Installation of an azide group on the ω‐end of RAFT polymers

Basic Protocol 3: Click reaction between azide‐terminated RAFT polymers and alkyne derivatives
Evaluation of the quality of life and satisfaction in patients using complete dentures versus mandibular overdentures. Systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Egido Moreno Sonia , Ayuso Montero Raul , Schemel Suárez Mayra , Roca‐Umbert Joan Valls , Izquierdo Gómez Keila , López López José
Published: November 2020

Background

The World Health Organization (WHO) recognizes edentulism as a physical impairment that results in a negative impact in the daily activities.

Objective

The study aimed to compare the satisfaction and the quality of life, in patients treated with implant retained overdentures with two mandibular implants (IOD) against those with mandibular conventional complete dentures (CCD).

Methods

Different search strategies were used to screen for articles in Pubmed/Medline, Cochrane Library and Scielo of the last 17 years (2003–2020). The keywords used were: “quality of life OR satisfaction” AND “complete denture OR conventional denture” AND “overdenture OR implant retained.”

Results

Six articles and two more were added by manual search. The population was 400 in the CCD and 412 for IOD. The mean age was 64.3 ± 6.41 years. The group was comprised of 283 men and 427 women. The scores obtained in the visual analog scale (VAS) before and after the treatment were statistically significant in favor of the IOD for overall satisfaction, (WMD: 12.329; 95% CI: 4.873 to 19.784, p‐value = 0.001), comfort, speech and stability. For esthetics and chewing there was non‐significant improvement while hygiene worsened for the IOD. For the comparison after the treatment between both treatment modalities a statistically significant improvement was found in overall satisfaction (WMD: 14.408; 95% CI: 8.589 to 20.226, p‐value < 0.001), comfort, speech, chewing and stability in favor of the IOD but not in esthetics or hygiene.

Conclusions

This systematic review and meta‐analysis show the superiority of the IOD, despite is not achieved in all aspects.
Quantity–quality trade‐offs revealed using a multiscale test of herbivore resource selection on elemental landscapes
Authors: Balluffi‐Fry Juliana , Leroux Shawn J. , Wiersma Yolanda F. , Heckford Travis R. , Rizzuto Matteo , Richmond Isabella C. , Vander Wal Eric
Published: November 2020

Herbivores consider the variation of forage qualities (nutritional content and digestibility) as well as quantities (biomass) when foraging. Such selection patterns may change based on the scale of foraging, particularly in the case of ungulates that forage at many scales.

To test selection for quality and quantity in free‐ranging herbivores across scales, however, we must first develop landscape‐wide quantitative estimates of both forage quantity and quality. Stoichiometric distribution models (StDMs) bring opportunity to address this because they predict the elemental measures and stoichiometry of resources at landscape extents.

Here, we use StDMs to predict elemental measures of understory white birch quality (% nitrogen) and quantity (g carbon/m2) across two boreal landscapes. We analyzed global positioning system (GPS) collared moose (n = 14) selection for forage quantity and quality at the landscape, home range, and patch extents using both individual and pooled resource selection analyses. We predicted that as the scale of resource selection decreased from the landscape to the patch, selection for white birch quantity would decrease and selection for quality would increase.

Counter to our prediction, pooled‐models showed selection for our estimates of quantity and quality to be neutral with low explanatory power and no scalar trends. At the individual‐level, however, we found evidence for quality and quantity trade‐offs, most notably at the home‐range scale where resource selection models explain the largest amount of variation in selection. Furthermore, individuals did not follow the same trade‐off tactic, with some preferring forage quantity over quality and vice versa.

Such individual trade‐offs show that moose may be flexible in attaining a limiting nutrient. Our findings suggest that herbivores may respond to forage elemental compositions and quantities, giving tools like StDMs merit toward animal ecology applications. The integration of StDMs and animal movement data represents a promising avenue for progress in the field of zoogeochemistry.
The effects of taxonomy, diet, and ecology on the microbiota of riverine macroinvertebrates
Authors: Kroetsch Shawn A. , Kidd Karen A. , Monk Wendy A. , Culp Joseph M. , Compson Zacchaeus G. , Pavey Scott A.
Published: November 2020

Freshwater macroinvertebrates play key ecological roles in riverine food webs, such as the transfer of nutrients to consumers and decomposition of organic matter. Although local habitat quality drives macroinvertebrate diversity and abundance, little is known about their microbiota. In most animals, the microbiota provides benefits, such as increasing the rate at which nutrients are metabolized, facilitating immune system development, and defending against pathogenic attack. Our objectives were to identify the bacteria within aquatic invertebrates and determine whether their composition varied with taxonomy, habitat, diet, and time of sample collection. In 2016 and 2017, we collected 264 aquatic invertebrates from the mainstem Saint John (Wolastoq) River in New Brunswick, Canada, representing 15 orders. We then amplified the V3‐V4 hypervariable region of the 16S rRNA gene within each individual, which revealed nearly 20,000 bacterial operational taxonomic units (OTUs). The microbiota across all aquatic invertebrates were dominated by Proteobacteria (69.25% of the total sequence reads), but they differed significantly in beta diversity, both among host invertebrate taxa (genus‐, family‐, and order‐levels) and temporally. In contrast to previous work, we observed no microbiota differences among functional feeding groups or traditional feeding habits, and neither water velocity nor microhabitat type structured microbiota variability. Our findings suggest that host invertebrate taxonomy was the most important factor in modulating the composition of the microbiota, likely through a combination of vertical and horizontal bacterial transmission, and evolutionary processes. This is one of the most comprehensive studies of freshwater invertebrate microbiota to date, and it underscores the need for future studies of invertebrate microbiota evolution and linkages to environmental bacteria and physico‐chemical conditions.
Numerical response of predators to large variations of grassland vole abundance and long‐term community changes
Authors: Giraudoux Patrick , Levret Aurélien , Afonso Eve , Coeurdassier Michael , Couval Geoffroy
Published: November 2020

Voles can reach high densities with multiannual population fluctuations of large amplitude, and they are at the base of predator communities in Northern Eurasia and Northern America. This status places them at the heart of management conflicts wherein crop protection and health concerns are often raised against conservation issues. Here, a 20‐year survey describes the effects of large variations in grassland vole populations on the densities and the daily theoretical food intakes (TFI) of vole predators based on roadside counts. Our results show how the predator community responded to prey variations of large amplitude and how it reorganized with the increase in a dominant predator, here the red fox, which likely negatively impacted hare, European wildcat, and domestic cat populations. This population increase did not lead to an increase in the average number of predators present in the study area, suggesting compensations among resident species due to intraguild predation or competition. Large variations in vole predator number could be clearly attributed to the temporary increase in the populations of mobile birds of prey in response to grassland vole outbreaks. Our study provides empirical support for more timely and better focused actions in wildlife management and vole population control, and it supports an evidence‐based and constructive dialogue about management targets and options between all stakeholders of such socio‐ecosystems.
Functional connectivity with the anterior and posterior hippocampus during spatial memory
Authors: Fritch Haley A. , Spets Dylan S. , Slotnick Scott D.
Published: November 2020

Evidence of differential connectivity and activity patterns across the long‐axis of the hippocampus has led to many hypotheses about functional specialization of the anterior and posterior hippocampus, including a hypothesis linking the anterior hippocampus to memory encoding and the posterior hippocampus to memory retrieval. The hippocampal encoding/retrieval and network (HERNET) model of memory predicts that encoding should engage the anterior hippocampus and the attention network, whereas retrieval should engage the posterior hippocampus and the default network. In a previous fMRI study that employed multivoxel pattern analysis, we found that the patterns of activity in the anterior hippocampus predicted the quadrant of spatial memory encoding. In the current fMRI study, we investigated whether the spatial memory encoding activity in the anterior hippocampus and retrieval activity in the posterior hippocampus had a higher degree of connectivity to the attention network or the default network. During the study phase, abstract shapes were presented in each quadrant of the visual field and participants were instructed to remember each shape's location while maintaining central fixation. During the test phase, the same shapes were presented in the center of the screen and participants identified the previous location of each shape. Generalized psychophysiological interaction analyses were conducted between the anatomically defined anterior and posterior hippocampus and the rest of the brain. This revealed preferential connectivity between the anterior hippocampus and regions of the attention network during encoding and between the posterior hippocampus and regions of the default network during retrieval. In addition, there were location‐specific patterns of connectivity with the anterior hippocampus and posterior hippocampus during encoding and retrieval of right visual field items. These results suggest that the anterior and posterior hippocampus interact with regions of the attention network and default network during spatial memory encoding and retrieval, respectively, and support the HERNET model of memory.
Assessment of dental residents’ professionalism through Professionalism Mini‐Evaluation Exercise (P‐MEX)
Authors: Kazemipoor Maryam , Keshmiri Fatemeh , Owlia Fatemeh , Rashidi Maybodi Fahimeh
Published: November 2020

Purpose/objectives

The aim of the study was to assess the professional behavior of dental residents through Professionalism Mini‐Evaluation Exercise (P‐MEX).

Methods

This was a descriptive‐analytical study. Content validity of P‐MEX form was investigated for use in the context of dentistry. A total of 24‐item version of P‐MEX consisted of doctor–patient relationship skills (n = 7), reflective skills (n = 5), time management (n = 3), and interprofessional relationship skills (n = 9) was used in the present study. Residents in different dental specialties (n = 56) were evaluated by trained raters (448 times). Data were analyzed by descriptive (mean, SD) and analytical tests (Pearson, ANOVA, and post hoc test (Bonferroni)).

Results

Validity of P‐MEX was approved in the field of dentistry. The mean score of professional behavior in residents were reported 2.79 ± 0.24, with minimum and maximum scores of 2.17 and 3.62, respectively. The residents' professional behavior in the domain of reflective skills and doctor–patient relationship skills were lower than the other domains.

Conclusion(s)

The results showed that the scores of professional behavior among dental residents were classified in the below expectation level and their scores have followed a downward trend from the second year. Therefore, planning for training and continuous assessment of professional behavior among residents in the faculty of dentistry should be considered.
Monocytes differentiated into macrophages and dendritic cells in the presence of human IFN-λ3 or IFN-λ4 show distinct phenotypes
Authors: De Manjarika , Bhushan Anand , Chinnaswamy Sreedhar
Published: November 2020

Human IFN-λ4 is expressed by only a subset of individuals who possess the ΔG variant allele at the dinucleotide polymorphism rs368234815. Recent genetic studies have shown an association between rs368234815 and different infectious and inflammatory disorders. It is not known if IFN-λ4 has immunomodulatory activity. The expression of another type III IFN, IFN-λ3, is also controlled by genetic polymorphisms that are strongly linked to rs368234815. Therefore, it is of interest to compare these two IFNs for their effects on immune cells. Herein, using THP-1 cells, it was confirmed that IFN-λ4 could affect the differentiation status of macrophage-like cells and dendritic cells (DCs). The global gene expression changes induced by IFN-λ4 were also characterized in in vitro generated primary macrophages. Next, human PBMC-derived CD14+ monocytes were used to obtain M1 and M2 macrophages and DCs in the presence of IFN-λ3 or IFN-λ4. These DCs were cocultured with CD4+ Th cells derived from allogenic donors and their in vitro cytokine responses were measured. The specific activity of recombinant IFN-λ4 was much lower than that of IFN-λ3, as shown by induction of IFN-stimulated genes. M1 macrophages differentiated in the presence of IFN-λ4 showed higher IL-10 secretion than those differentiated in IFN-λ3. Coculture experiments suggested that IFN-λ4 could confer a Th2-biased phenotype to allogenic Th cells, wherein IFN-λ3, under similar circumstances, did not induce a significant bias toward either a Th1 or Th2 phenotype. This study shows for the first time that IFN-λ4 may influence immune responses by immunomodulation.
Tuning the Mechanical Properties of Poly(Methyl Acrylate) via Surface‐Functionalized Montmorillonite Nanosheets
Authors: Rauschendorfer Judith Elisabeth , Thien Katharina Maria , Denz Manuela , Köster Sarah , Ehlers Florian , Vana Philipp
Published: November 2020

Polymer layered silicate nanocomposites (PLSNs) made of montmorillonite (MMT) nanosheets and poly(methyl acrylate) (PMA) are synthesized and systematically characterized. MMT is first modified with a surface‐bound monomer and then functionalized with PMA via radical addition–fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization using a grafting through approach. PMA‐modified MMT nanosheets with grafted polymer chains of variable length are obtained. The successful surface modification is demonstrated by near‐field scanning optical microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, small‐angle X‐ray scattering, and size‐exclusion chromatography. The mechanical properties of various nanocomposites are evaluated via tensile testing. It can be shown that the mechanical properties (Young's modulus, tensile strength, toughness, and ductility) of these PLSNs can be fully controlled by using two major strategies, i.e., by the variation of the overall content of polymer‐modified MMT and by the variation of the chain length of the surface‐grafted polymer.
A numerical approach of tumor‐immune model with B cells and monoclonal antibody drug by multi‐step differential transformation method
Authors: Dhar Biplab , Gupta Praveen Kumar
Published: November 2020

Monoclonal antibody (mAb) drugs are used to kill malignant tumors by making them able to see into the immune system. In this article, we developed a mathematical model with the help of tumor‐immune system with antibodies effect and efficacy of mAb drug. We defined the existence of solutions of the model, and by the Lyapunov method, we showed that the solutions are bounded; thereafter, we illustrated the local and global stability phenomenon, which is described by the Lyapunov method and localization of compact invariant sets (LCIS) method for disease‐free equilibrium points including the biological significance. In actual fact, this model suggested some ideas about the malignant tumors reciprocate to mAb drug dosage and its efficacy, eventually to overcome malignancy. It is likely to control the steadiness of the tumor, which is very important for any kind of treatment. The numerical calculations for the proposed model have been carried out by multi‐step differential transformation method (Ms‐DTM). The simulation of the model is depicted through Figures 1–5, which shows the effect of interaction rate of tumor cells and antibodies and dose of the drug for various values of efficacy.
Local well‐posedness for a type of periodic fifth‐order Korteweg–de Vries equations without nonlinear dispersive term
Authors: Zhou Deqin
Published: November 2020

We consider the Cauchy problem of the fifth‐order Korteweg–de Vries (KdV) equations without nonlinear dispersive term

Recently, Kappeler‐Molnar (2018) proved that the fifth‐order KdV equation with nonlinear dispersive term and Hamiltonian structure is globally well‐posed in
with s ≥ 0. Without the nonlinear dispersive term, Equation (0.1) is not integrable, and Kappeler–Molnar's approach is not valid. Using the idea of modifying Bourgain space, we prove that Equation (0.1) is locally well‐posed in
with
.
Efficacy of transcutaneous posterior tibial nerve stimulation in children with functional voiding disorders
Authors: Jafarov Ruslan , Ceyhan Erman , Kahraman Oguzhan , Ceylan Taner , Dikmen Zeliha G. , Tekgul Serdar , Dogan Hasan S.
Published: November 2020

Aims

To assess the efficacy of transcutaneous posterior tibial nerve stimulation (TPTNS) on functional voiding disorder (FVD) and investigate the utility of urine biomarkers (UBs: nerve growth factor, transforming growth factor‐beta 1, and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases 2) in diagnosis and follow‐up.

Methods

A total of 44 children were included to this randomized controlled trial prospectively. After randomization, 20 of 30 children with storage phase dysfunction those were unresponsive or noncompliant to medical treatment received TPTNS treatment (test group) and 10 children underwent TPTNS with no current (sham group) for 12 weeks. Fourteen healthy children constituted the nonsymptomatic group. UB levels, dysfunctional voiding and incontinence scoring system (DVISS), voiding diary, and quality of life (QoL) scores were assessed before and after treatment in the treatment groups.

Results

QoL scores, overall and day‐time DVISS scores were significantly decreased in both sham and test groups (p < 0.05). In addition to these findings, the frequency of incontinence and urgency episodes were also significantly reduced (p < 0.05) in the TPTNS treatment group. This effect in the test group was still valid 2 years after intervention. There was no significant difference in UBs measurements between treatment and nonsymptomatic groups and between pretreatment and posttreatment measurements of test and sham groups.

Conclusions

TPTNS is an efficient minimally invasive treatment in children with FVD who do not respond to medical treatment. TPTNS provides a significant improvement on episodes of frequency, episodes of incontinence, overall and day‐time DVISS scores, and QoL scores. The effectiveness of treatment continues even at the end of the second year of intervention. UBs were not found to be predictive in terms of diagnosis and evaluating the treatment response.
Pattern recognition algorithm to identify detrusor overactivity on urodynamics
Authors: Wang Hsin‐Hsiao Scott , Cahill Dylan , Panagides John , Nelson Caleb P. , Wu Hau‐Tieng , Estrada Carlos
Published: November 2020

Aims

Detrusor overactivity (DO) of the bladder is a finding on urodynamic studies (UDS) that often correlates with lower urinary tract symptoms and drives management. However, UDS interpretation remains nonstandardized. We sought to develop a mathematical model to reliably identify DO in UDS.

Methods

We utilized UDS archive files for studies performed at our institution between 2013 and 2019. Raw tracings of vesical pressure, abdominal pressure, detrusor pressure, infused volume, and all annotations during UDS were obtained. Patients less than 1 year old, studies with calibration issues, or those with significant artifacts were excluded.

In the training set, five representative DO patterns were identified. Candidate Pdet signal segments were matched to representative DO patterns. Manifold learning and dynamic time warping algorithms were used. Five‐fold cross validation (CV) was used to evaluate the performance.

Results

A total of 799 UDS studies were included. The median age was 9 years (range, 1–33). There were 1,742 DO events that did not overlap with annotated artifacts (cough, cry, valsalva, movements). The AUC of the training sets from the five‐fold CV was 0.84 ± 0.01. The five‐fold CV leads to an overall accuracy 81.35%, and sensitivity and specificity of detecting DO events are 76.92% and 81.41%, respectively, in the testing set.

Conclusions

Our predictive model using machine learning algorithms provides promising performance to facilitate automated identification of DO in UDS. This would allow for standardization and potentially more reliable UDS interpretation. Signal processing and machine learning interpretation of the other components of UDS are forthcoming.