bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Meditation techniques v. relaxation therapies when treating anxiety: a meta-analytic review
Authors: Montero-Marin Jesus , Garcia-Campayo Javier , Pérez-Yus Mari Cruz , Zabaleta-del-Olmo Edurne , Cuijpers Pim
Published: July 2019

To what extent meditation techniques (which incorporate practices to regulate attention, construct individual values, or deconstruct self-related assumptions), are more or less effective than relaxation therapy in the treatment of anxiety, is not clear. The aim of this study was to examine the effectiveness of meditation compared to relaxation in reducing anxiety. A systematic review from PubMed, Embase, PsycInfo and the Cochrane Central was conducted. A meta-analysis of 14 RCTs (n = 862 participants suffering from anxiety disorders or high trait anxiety) was performed. Effect sizes (ESs) were determined by Hedges’ g. Heterogeneity, risk of publication bias, quality of studies/interventions, and researcher allegiance, were evaluated. Meditation techniques incorporated attentional elements, and five of them also added constructive practices. No studies were found using deconstructive exercises. The overall ES was g = −0.23 [95% confidence interval (CI) −0.40 to −0.07], favouring meditation (number needed to treat = 7.74). Heterogeneity was low (I2 = 2; 95% CI 0 to 56). There was no evidence of publication bias, but few studies and interventions were of high quality, and allegiance might be moderating results. Meditation seems to be a bit more effective than relaxation in the treatment of anxiety, and it might also remain more effective at 12-month follow-up. However, more research using the full spectrum of meditation practices to treat different anxiety disorders, including independent studies to avoid researcher allegiance, is needed if we are to have a precise idea of the potential of these techniques compared to relaxation therapy.
The world’s largest breeding colony of Leach’s Storm-petrel Hydrobates leucorhous has declined
Authors: WILHELM SABINA I. , HEDD APRIL , ROBERTSON GREGORY J. , MAILHIOT JOSHUA , REGULAR PAUL M. , RYAN PIERRE C. , ELLIOT RICHARD D.
Published: July 2019

Despite the global significance of the Leach’s Storm-petrel Hydrobates leucorhous colony on Baccalieu Island, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, the estimate of 3.36 million breeding pairs reported for 1984 by Sklepkovych and Montevecchi stands as the single published population estimate for the world’s largest colony. This study increases knowledge of this population by analysing data from additional independent surveys conducted in 1984 and 1985, and by updating the population status with a survey conducted in 2013. Population estimates were derived by extrapolating occupied burrow densities to the estimated occupied area of four main habitat types (heath, forest, grass and fern), which in turn were based on proportions of habitats observed in plots (1984 and 1985) or by using a Geographic Information System approach (2013). Based on these surveys, the Leach’s Storm-petrel breeding population size on Baccalieu Island was estimated at 5.12 ± 0.73 (SE) and 4.60 ± 0.42 (SE) million pairs in 1984 and 1985 respectively, representing estimates 37–51% greater than the original 1984 survey. While discrepancies among these estimates were largely driven by the way occupied areas were estimated, our study confirms that Baccalieu Island hosts the largest Leach’s Storm-petrel colony in the world. Results from the 2013 survey estimate the current breeding Leach’s Storm-petrel population at 1.95 ± 0.14 (SE) million pairs, representing a 42% decline over 29 years (-1.4% per year), relative to the original published estimate of 3.36 ± 0.12 (SE) million pairs. The most prominent change has occurred in the density of storm-petrel burrows found in forest habitat which dropped by 70% despite forest remaining the second most abundant habitat available to nesting storm-petrels on Baccalieu Island. The cause of this decline remains unknown and is likely multi-faceted. Future research focusing on demographic studies is required to understand what is driving the population decline of this internationally important colony.
Effect of the Mediterranean diet in combination with exercise on metabolic syndrome parameters: 1-year randomized controlled trial
Authors: Pavić Eva , Hadžiabdić Maja Ortner , Mucalo Iva , Martinis Irena , Romić Željko , Božikov Velimir , Rahelić Dario
Published: July 2019

Abstract. This work aimed to evaluate and compare the benefits of the energy restricted Mediterranean diet (MD) and Standard hypolipemic diet (SHD) accompanied by exercise on metabolic syndrome parameters. A 12-month, randomized, single-blinded, diet-controlled study was conducted on 124 obese participants in the University Hospital Dubrava. Participants were assigned to the MD (n = 63) or the SHD (n = 61) and received the same amount of nutritional education and guidance on physical activity. The completion rate was 67.7 %. Both diets produced significant beneficial changes in body weight and waist circumference (P < 0.001 for MD and SHD). Compared with the SHD, HDL cholesterol increased (P = 0.031) and systolic blood pressure (SBP) decreased (P = 0.020) in the MD group. Fasting plasma glucose decreased significantly in both diet groups (P < 0.001 for MD; P = 0.026 for SHD). Although both diets accompanied by physical activity yielded similar weight reduction results, adherence to the MD was associated with more prominent reduction of the MetS components, namely HDL level elevation and SBP reduction.
On Estimating the Cross Correlation and Least Squares Fit of One Data Set to Another With Time Shift
Authors: Chao B. F. , Chung C. H.
Published: July 2019

Estimating the cross correlation between two data sets and the least squares fit of one data set to another shares closely related numerical procedures. Here we revisit the standard procedure of estimating the cross‐correlation function and cross‐coherence spectrum between two data sets. We attend to and run extensive Monte Carlo simulation to gain insights towards their statistical assessment with respect to the confidence level and degree of freedom which is often overlooked in published literature. We then point out the fallacy, both physically and numerically, of the estimation scheme proposed and practiced by Phillips et al. (2012, https://doi.org/10.1029/2012GL052495) that utilized Hilbert transform for least squares fitting of one time series to another with time shift (which was adopted in subsequent published work). We run Monte Carlo experiments to demonstrate that fallacy and the fact that the Phillips et al.'s scheme can only work for fitting of one trivial single‐period sinusoid while fails in any other circumstances.
Uncoupling of Seasonal Variations Between Phytoplankton Chlorophyll a and Production in the East China Sea
Authors: Liu Xin , Laws Edward A. , Xie Yuyuan , Wang Lei , Lin Lizhen , Huang Bangqin
Published: July 2019

Phytoplankton chlorophyll a (Chla), primary production (PP), and nutrient uptake rates are fundamental and important parameters in marine biogeochemical studies. However, the relationships between them are associated with much uncertainty that reflects gaps in basic understanding of ecosystem dynamic. In this study, we simultaneously measured PP and nitrate assimilation (NA) along with estimated concentrations of nutrients, particulate organic carbon concentrations, phytoplankton Chla, pigments, and carbon biomass in the dynamic shelf ecosystems of the East China Sea (ECS) on four cruises during different seasons. There were large spatial gradients of these parameters, and seasonal patterns of phytoplankton Chla and PP varied between water masses. The results of this study and previous work indicated that seasonal variations of Chla and PP were similar in coastal waters but opposite in off‐shelf waters. During summer in off‐shelf waters, there were patches of high PP and NA associated with low Chla concentrations; this pattern was reversed in the winter. We suggest that there is a global tendency for PP and Chla patterns to be out of phase. This asynchrony is reflected mainly in the seasonal variations of C:Chla ratios driven by the combined influences of light, temperature, and nutrients. Stronger grazing pressure by microzooplankton in summer likely contributed to the high production but low biomass in the ECS. The significant correlation between PP and NA suggested that variations of PP in the ECS were driven largely by nitrate uptake, which may be inhibited by high ammonium concentrations in the Changjiang River plume.
Irrational behavior in C. elegans arises from asymmetric modulatory effects within single sensory neurons
Authors: Iwanir Shachar , Ruach Rotem , Itskovits Eyal , Pritz Christian O. , Bokman Eduard , Zaslaver Alon
Published: July 2019

C. elegansworms exhibit a natural chemotaxis towards food cues. This provides a potential platform to study the interactions between stimulus valence and innate behavioral preferences. Here we perform a comprehensive set of choice assays to measure worms’ relative preference towards various attractants. Surprisingly, we find that when facing a combination of choices, worms’ preferences do not always follow value-based hierarchy. In fact, the innate chemotaxis behavior in worms robustly violates key rationality paradigms of transitivity, independence of irrelevant alternatives and regularity. These violations arise due to asymmetric modulatory effects between the presented options. Functional analysis of the entire chemosensory system at a single-neuron resolution, coupled with analyses of mutants, defective in individual neurons, reveals that these asymmetric effects originate in specific sensory neurons.
Mutagenesis separates ATPase and thioesterase activities of the peroxisomal ABC transporter, Comatose
Authors: Carrier David J. , van Roermund Carlo W. T. , Schaedler Theresia A. , Rong Hong Lin , IJlst Lodewijk , Wanders Ronald J. A. , Baldwin Stephen A. , Waterham Hans R. , Theodoulou Frederica L. , Baker Alison
Published: July 2019

The peroxisomal ABC transporter, Comatose (CTS), a full length transporter from Arabidopsis has intrinsic acyl-CoA thioesterase (ACOT) activity, important for physiological function. We used molecular modelling, mutagenesis and biochemical analysis to identify amino acid residues important for ACOT activity. D863, Q864 and T867 lie within transmembrane helix 9. These residues are orientated such that they might plausibly contribute to a catalytic triad similar to type II Hotdog fold thioesterases. When expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, mutation of these residues to alanine resulted in defective of β-oxidation. All CTS mutants were expressed and targeted to peroxisomes and retained substrate-stimulated ATPase activity. When expressed in insect cell membranes, Q864A and S810N had similar ATPase activity to wild type but greatly reduced ACOT activity, whereas the Walker A mutant K487A had greatly reduced ATPase and no ATP-dependent ACOT activity. In wild type CTS, ATPase but not ACOT was stimulated by non-cleavable C14 ether-CoA. ACOT activity was stimulated by ATP but not by non-hydrolysable AMPPNP. Thus, ACOT activity depends on functional ATPase activity but not vice versa, and these two activities can be separated by mutagenesis. Whether D863, Q864 and T867 have a catalytic role or play a more indirect role in NBD-TMD communication is discussed.
Neurotoxicity of organophosphate pesticides could reduce the ability of fish to escape predation under low doses of exposure
Authors: Sandoval-Herrera Natalia , Mena Freylan , Espinoza Mario , Romero Adarli
Published: July 2019

Biomarkers are frequently used in ecotoxicology as they allow to study toxicant effects happening at low concentrations of exposure. However, most sublethal studies only evaluate cellular biomarkers which lack evident ecological relevance. We used a multibiomarker approach to estimate the toxic effects of ethoprophos, an organophosphate insecticide commonly used in banana plantations, on the tropical fish Astyanax aeneus (Characidae). We measured biomarkers at sub-individual (cellular) and individual (metabolism, behavior) levels and examined relationships among these responses. A sublethal exposure to ethoprophos caused a significant (54%) reduction of brain Cholinesterase (ChE) activity, reflecting the pesticide’s high neurotoxicity. However, other biomarkers like oxidative stress, biotransformation reactions, and resting metabolic rate were not affected. Exposure to ethoprophos modified antipredator behaviors such as escape response and detection avoidance (light/dark preference): exposed fish escaped slower from a simulated attack and preferred brighter areas in a novel tank. The relationship between ChE activity and reaction time suggests that pesticide-induced ChE inhibition reduces escape ability in fish. Our results provide evidence that impacts of organophosphate pesticides on fish ecological fitness can occur even with short exposures at very low concentrations.
Directed differentiation of human induced pluripotent stem cells into mature stratified bladder urothelium
Authors: Suzuki Kotaro , Koyanagi-Aoi Michiyo , Uehara Keiichiro , Hinata Nobuyuki , Fujisawa Masato , Aoi Takashi
Published: July 2019

For augmentation or reconstruction of urinary bladder after cystectomy, bladder urothelium derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) has recently received focus. However, previous studies have only shown the emergence of cells expressing some urothelial markers among derivatives of hiPSCs, and no report has demonstrated the stratified structure, which is a particularly important attribute of the barrier function of mature bladder urothelium. In present study, we developed a method for the directed differentiation of hiPSCs into mature stratified bladder urothelium. The caudal hindgut, from which the bladder urothelium develops, was predominantly induced via the high-dose administration of CHIR99021 during definitive endoderm induction, and this treatment subsequently increased the expressions of uroplakins. Terminal differentiation, characterized by the increased expression of uroplakins, CK13, and CK20, was induced with the combination of Troglitazone + PD153035. FGF10 enhanced the expression of uroplakins and the stratification of the epithelium, and the transwell culture system further enhanced such stratification. Furthermore, the barrier function of our urothelium was demonstrated by a permeability assay using FITC-dextran. According to an immunohistological analysis, the stratified uroplakin II-positive epithelium was observed in the transwells. This method might be useful in the field of regenerative medicine of the bladder.
Discovery of a kleptoplastic ‘dinotom’ dinoflagellate and the unique nuclear dynamics of converting kleptoplastids to permanent plastids
Authors: Yamada Norico , Bolton John J. , Trobajo Rosa , Mann David G. , Dąbek Przemysław , Witkowski Andrzej , Onuma Ryo , Horiguchi Takeo , Kroth Peter G.
Published: July 2019

A monophyletic group of dinoflagellates, called ‘dinotoms’, are known to possess evolutionarily intermediate plastids derived from diatoms. The diatoms maintain their nuclei, mitochondria, and the endoplasmic reticulum in addition with their plastids, while it has been observed that the host dinoflagellates retain the diatoms permanently by controlling diatom karyokinesis. Previously, we showed that dinotoms have repeatedly replaced their diatoms. Here, we show the process of replacements is at two different evolutionary stages in two closely related dinotoms,Durinskia capensisandD. kwazulunatalensis. We clarify thatD. capensisis a kleptoplastic protist keeping its diatoms temporarily, only for two months. On the other hand,D. kwazulunatalensisis able to keep several diatoms permanently and exhibits unique dynamics to maintain the diatom nuclei: the nuclei change their morphologies into a complex string-shape alongside the plastids during interphase and these string-shaped nuclei then condense into multiple round nuclei when the host divides. These dynamics have been observed in other dinotoms that possess permanent diatoms, while they have never been observed in any other eukaryotes. We suggest that the establishment of this unique mechanism might be a critical step for dinotoms to be able to convert kleptoplastids into permanent plastids.
Wx: a neural network-based feature selection algorithm for transcriptomic data
Authors: Park Sungsoo , Shin Bonggun , Sang Shim Won , Choi Yoonjung , Kang Kilsoo , Kang Keunsoo
Published: July 2019

Next-generation sequencing (NGS), which allows the simultaneous sequencing of billions of DNA fragments simultaneously, has revolutionized how we study genomics and molecular biology by generating genome-wide molecular maps of molecules of interest. However, the amount of information produced by NGS has made it difficult for researchers to choose the optimal set of genes. We have sought to resolve this issue by developing a neural network-based feature (gene) selection algorithm called Wx. The Wx algorithm ranks genes based on the discriminative index (DI) score that represents the classification power for distinguishing given groups. With a gene list ranked by DI score, researchers can institutively select the optimal set of genes from the highest-ranking ones. We applied the Wx algorithm to a TCGA pan-cancer gene-expression cohort to identify an optimal set of gene-expression biomarker candidates that can distinguish cancer samples from normal samples for 12 different types of cancer. The 14 gene-expression biomarker candidates identified by Wx were comparable to or outperformed previously reported universal gene expression biomarkers, highlighting the usefulness of the Wx algorithm for next-generation sequencing data. Thus, we anticipate that the Wx algorithm can complement current state-of-the-art analytical applications for the identification of biomarker candidates as an alternative method. The stand-alone and web versions of the Wx algorithm are available at https://github.com/deargen/DearWXpub and https://wx.deargendev.me/, respectively.
Beneficial effect of estrogen on nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons in drug-naïve postmenopausal Parkinson’s disease
Authors: Lee Yang Hyun , Cha Jungho , Chung Seok Jong , Yoo Han Soo , Sohn Young H. , Ye Byoung Seok , Lee Phil Hyu
Published: July 2019

This study aimed to investigate the potential beneficial effects of estrogen on nigrostriatal dopaminergic neuron degeneration in postmenopausal drug-naïve Parkinson’s disease (PD). Based on the ratio of lifetime estrogen exposure length to the total length of the estrogen exposure and deprivation period, postmenopausal women with drug-naïve PD were divided into low (n = 31) and high (n = 31) estrogen exposure ratio groups. We performed a comparative analysis of the striatal dopamine transporter (DAT) availability between the two groups. Additionally, we evaluated the longitudinal change in the levodopa equivalent dose per month using a linear mixed model. The motor symptoms were more severe in the low estrogen exposure ratio group than in the high estrogen exposure ratio group (P = 0.016). PD patients in the two groups had significantly lower DAT availability on all striatal sub-regions except for ventral striatum than did age- and sex-matched normal controls. When comparing the two groups, PD patients in the low estrogen exposure ratio group exhibited significantly lower DAT availability in the posterior putamen (P = 0.024) and in the ventral putamen (P = 0.036) than those in the high estrogen exposure ratio group. The estimated monthly levodopa equivalent dose changes were 10.9 in the low estrogen exposure ratio group and 7.1 in the high estrogen exposure ratio group with a significant interaction between the two groups (P = 0.001). These in vivo data provide indirect evidence showing that estrogen may elicit a beneficial effect on nigrostriatal dopamine neurons in PD.
Hypolipidemic effects of herbal extracts by reduction of adipocyte differentiation, intracellular neutral lipid content, lipolysis, fatty acid exchange and lipid droplet motility
Authors: Haselgrübler Renate , Lanzerstorfer Peter , Röhrl Clemens , Stübl Flora , Schurr Jonas , Schwarzinger Bettina , Schwarzinger Clemens , Brameshuber Mario , Wieser Stefan , Winkler Stephan M. , Weghuber Julian
Published: July 2019

An increase in adipose tissue is caused by the increased size and number of adipocytes. Lipids accumulate in intracellular stores, known as lipid droplets (LDs). Recent studies suggest that parameters such as LD size, shape and dynamics are closely related to the development of obesity. Berberine (BBR), a natural plant alkaloid, has been demonstrated to possess anti-obesity effects. However, it remains unknown which cellular processes are affected by this compound or how effective herbal extracts containing BBR and other alkaloids actually are. For this study, we used extracts of Coptis chinensis, Mahonia aquifolium, Berberis vulgaris and Chelidonium majus containing BBR and other alkaloids and studied various processes related to adipocyte functionality. The presence of extracts resulted in reduced adipocyte differentiation, as well as neutral lipid content and rate of lipolysis. We observed that the intracellular fatty acid exchange was reduced in different LD size fractions upon treatment with BBR and Coptis chinensis. In addition, LD motility was decreased upon incubation with BBR, Coptis chinensis and Chelidonium majus extracts. Furthermore, Chelidonium majus was identified as a potent fatty acid uptake inhibitor. This is the first study that demonstrates the selected regulatory effects of herbal extracts on adipocyte function.
Amplification-free library preparation with SAFE Hi-C uses ligation products for deep sequencing to improve traditional Hi-C analysis
Authors: Niu Longjian , Shen Wei , Huang Yingzhang , He Na , Zhang Yuedong , Sun Jialei , Wan Jing , Jiang Daxin , Yang Manyun , Tse Yu Chung , Li Li , Hou Chunhui
Published: July 2019

PCR amplification of Hi-C libraries introduces unusable duplicates and results in a biased representation of chromatin interactions. We present a simplified, fast, and economically efficient Hi-C library preparation procedure, SAFE Hi-C, which generates sufficient non-amplified ligation products for deep sequencing from 30 million Drosophila cells. Comprehensive analysis of the resulting data shows that amplification-free Hi-C preserves higher complexity of chromatin interaction and lowers sequencing depth for the same number of unique paired reads. For human cells which have a large genome, SAFE Hi-C recovers enough ligated fragments for direct high-throughput sequencing without amplification from as few as 250,000 cells. Comparison with published in situ Hi-C data from millions of human cells demonstrates that amplification introduces distance-dependent amplification bias, which results in an increased background noise level against genomic distance. With amplification bias avoided, SAFE Hi-C may produce a chromatin interaction network more faithfully reflecting the real three-dimensional genomic architecture.
Chemoenzymatic conversion of amides to enantioenriched alcohols in aqueous medium
Authors: Dander Jacob E. , Giroud Maude , Racine Sophie , Darzi Evan R. , Alvizo Oscar , Entwistle David , Garg Neil K.
Published: July 2019

One-pot reactions that combine non-enzymatic and biocatalytic transformations represent an emerging strategy in chemical synthesis. Some of the most powerful chemoenzymatic methodologies, although uncommon, are those that form a carbon–carbon (C–C) bond and a stereocenter at one of the reacting carbons, thereby streamlining traditional retrosynthetic disconnections. Here we report the one-pot, chemoenzymatic conversion of amides to enantioenriched alcohols. This transformation combines a nickel-catalyzed Suzuki–Miyaura coupling of amides in aqueous medium with an asymmetric, biocatalytic reduction to provide diarylmethanol derivatives in high yields and enantiomeric excesses. The synthetic utility of this platform is underscored by the formal syntheses of both antipodes of the pharmaceutical orphenadrine, which rely on ketoreductase enzymes that instill complementary stereoselectivities. We provide an explanation for the origins of stereoselectivity based on an analysis of the enzyme binding pockets.
Near-infrared photothermally activated nanomachines for cancer theragnosis
Authors: He Zhimei , Zhu Jun-Jie
Published: July 2019

Near-infrared photothermal-activated nanoagents: a promising platform for accurate diagnosis and efficient cancer eradication.
Sulfonic nucleic acids (SNAs): a new class of substrate mimics for ribonuclease A inhibition
Authors: Datta Dhrubajyoti , Dasgupta Swagata , Pathak Tanmaya
Published: July 2019

Incorporation of a sulfonic acid group at the 3′-end of pyrimidine nucleosides leads to a new class of RNase A inhibitors: sulfonic nucleic acids.
Supercapacitive properties of amorphous MoS3 and crystalline MoS2 nanosheets in an organic electrolyte
Authors: Pazhamalai Parthiban , Krishnamoorthy Karthikeyan , Sahoo Surjit , Mariappan Vimal Kumar , Kim Sang-Jae
Published: July 2019

Amorphous-MoS3 and crystalline-MoS2 prepared via thermal decomposition of ammonium tetrathiomolybdate and their electrochemical energy-storage properties reveals better capacitive and charge-transfer nature for MoS2 SSC over amorphous-MoS3 SSC.
Shaping well-defined noble-metal-based nanostructures for fabricating high-performance electrocatalysts: advances and perspectives
Authors: Yin Hai-Jing , Zhou Jun-Hao , Zhang Ya-Wen
Published: July 2019

This review highlights recent advances in shaping protocols and structure-activity relationships of noble-metal-based catalysts with well-defined nanostructures in electrochemical reactions.
Tunable photochromic properties of hybrid solids controlled by the conjugated length of non-photochromic units
Authors: Ge Bang-Di , Han Yue , Han Song-De , Li Jin-Hua , Wang Guo-Ming
Published: July 2019

The photochromic performance of two hybrid zincophosphite frames could be tuned via enlarging the conjugated length of the non-photochromic bipyridine unit.
More than a CO source: palladium-catalyzed carbonylative synthesis of butenolides from propargyl alcohols and TFBen
Authors: Le Zhengjie , Ying Jun , Wu Xiao-Feng
Published: July 2019

Palladium-catalyzed direct carbonylation of propargyl alcohols for the synthesis of butenolides has been achieved.
Nitrogen doped small molecular structures of nano-graphene for high-performance anodes suitable for lithium ion storage
Authors: Lv Zhixiang , Wang Zhou , Chen Jianhong
Published: July 2019

N-doped nano-graphene derivatives were prepared by a bottom-up organic synthesis method.
Wide potential and high energy density for an asymmetric aqueous supercapacitor
Authors: Wu Xinming , Huang Bin , Wang Qiguan , Wang Yan
Published: July 2019

In this paper, a 2.7 V Na-FG-CC//C@Mn3O4-CC asymmetric aqueous-supercapacitor was successfully designed and delivered high energy density.
Rechargeable aqueous hybrid ion batteries: developments and prospects
Authors: Ao Huaisheng , Zhao Yingyue , Zhou Jie , Cai Wenlong , Zhang Xiaotan , Zhu Yongchun , Qian Yitai
Published: July 2019

A comprehensive description of the advantage, types, developments and future prospects of rechargeable aqueous hybrid ion batteries.
The inner dust shell of Betelgeuse detected by polarimetric aperture-masking interferometry
Authors: Haubois X. , Norris B. , Tuthill P. G. , Pinte C. , Kervella P. , Girard J. H. , Kostogryz N. M. , Berdyugina S. V. , Perrin G. , Lacour S. , Chiavassa A. , Ridgway S. T.
Published: July 2019

Context. Theory surrounding the origin of the dust-laden winds from evolved stars remains mired in controversy. Characterizing the formation loci and the dust distribution within approximately the first stellar radius above the surface is crucial for understanding the physics that underlie the mass-loss phenomenon.

Aims. By exploiting interferometric polarimetry, we derive the fundamental parameters that govern the dust structure at the wind base of a red supergiant.

Methods. We present near-infrared aperture-masking observations of Betelgeuse in polarimetric mode obtained with the NACO/SAMPol instrument. We used both parametric models and radiative transfer simulations to predict polarimetric differential visibility data and compared them to SPHERE/ZIMPOL measurements.

Results. Using a thin dust shell model, we report the discovery of a dust halo that is located at only 0.5 R⋆ above the photosphere (i.e. an inner radius of the dust halo of 1.5 R⋆). By fitting the data under the assumption of Mie scattering, we estimate the grain size and density for various dust species. By extrapolating to the visible wavelengths using radiative transfer simulations, we compare our model with SPHERE/ZIMPOL data and find that models based on dust mixtures that are dominated by forsterite are most favored. Such a close dusty atmosphere has profound implications for the dust formation mechanisms around red supergiants.
„Letztendlich ist alles Übung“ – Interview mit Susanna Freivogel
Authors: Huber Martin
Published: July 2019

Susanna Freivogel kämpft seit über 30 Jahren für eine moderne evidenzbasierte motorische Neurorehabilitation. Dabei scheute sie nie davor zurück, unbequeme Wahrheiten auszusprechen. Im Interview erzählt sie, wie es dazu kam, dass sie sich schon lange vor der Akademisierung der Physiotherapie in Deutschland mit der Evidenz therapeutischer Maßnahmen auseinandergesetzt hat.
Das Fibromyalgiesyndrom – FMS
Authors: Winkelmann Andreas , Wetzel Stephanie , Benischek Johanna , Lindemann Hanna
Published: July 2019

Das Fibromyalgiesyndrom (FMS) ist eine chronische Schmerzerkrankung, die mit
vielen verschiedenen Symptomen einhergeht. Die Diagnosestellung ist bei
Fokussierung auf Einzelsymptome nicht einfach. Dementsprechend lange kann es
dauern, bis Patienten adäquat behandelt werden. Entsprechende Fragebogen,
Diagnosekriterien und die S3-Leitlinie Fibromyalgiesyndrom unterstützen darin,
das FMS zu erkennen und zu therapieren.
Interview mit Dr. Marion Baschin
Authors: Lucae Christian
Published: July 2019

Dr. phil. Marion Baschin studierte Geschichte, Politikwissenschaft und Soziologie an der Universität Stuttgart und promovierte 2009 / 2010 zu dem Thema „Wer lässt sich von einem Homöopathen behandeln? Die Patienten des Clemens Maria Franz von Bönninghausen (1785–1864)“. Anschließend bearbeitete sie als wissenschaftliche Mitarbeiterin am Institut für Geschichte der Medizin (IGM) der Robert Bosch Stiftung in Stuttgart verschiedene Drittmittelprojekte. Zwischen 2016 und 2018 absolvierte sie das Referendariat für den höheren Archivdienst am Landesarchiv Baden-Württemberg und an der Archivschule Marburg. Seit 2018 ist sie nun neben ihrer wissenschaftlichen Tätigkeit als Archivarin am IGM tätig. Damit tritt sie die Nachfolge von Prof. Dr. Martin Dinges an, der im April 2019 in den Ruhestand trat.
NbN superconducting nanowire single-photon detector with an active area of 300 μm-in-diameter
Authors: Zhang Chengjun , Zhang Weijun , Huang Jia , You Lixing , Li Hao , lv Chaolin , Sugihara Tatsuki , Watanabe Masahiko , Zhou Hui , Wang Zhen , Xie Xiaoming
Published: July 2019

Superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPDs) with both an ultra-large-active area and a high count rate (CR) are challenging from the design and fabrication. Here, we develop a NbN SNSPD with a circular active area of 300 μm-in-diameter and use multiple approaches to boost the maximal count rate (MCR). This large-active-area SNSPD is divided into nine pixels (parts). Each pixel consists of serially connected two superconducting nanowire avalanche photodetectors (SC-2SNAP), which yielded a four-fold reduction in the kinetic inductance of a single pixel. To further increase MCR, an optimized series resistance of about 380 Ω is added to each pixel, reducing the full recovery time of each pixel from a few microseconds to approximately 90 ns. All nine pixels show uniform superconducting critical temperatures of ∼7.4 K and switching currents in the range of 15.3–16.7 μA. When the detector coupled to a single-mode fiber and illuminated with 1064-nm photons, the single-pixel exhibits a well-saturated system detection efficiency (SDE) of 67% at a dark CR of 30 Hz, and its CR exceeds 10 MHz with an SDE of 50%. When coupled to a 200-μm multi-mode fiber, the total SDE of nine pixels is approximately 42% and the total MCR exceeds 43 MHz.
Sound waves in polarized fluids
Authors: Joshi Amey S.
Published: July 2019

The speed of sound is known to depend only on the properties of the medium through which it travels. In this paper, we show that polarizing a dielectric fluid reduces the speed of sound waves in it. We also show that the reduction depends on the magnitude of the field. The striction force causing the slowing of sound in dielectric fluids is also present in a polarized ferrofluid. However, it is far too feeble to cause an observable effect.
Vortex-induced vibrations of dual-step cylinders with different diameter ratios in laminar flows
Authors: Ji Chunning , Cui Yuting , Xu Dong , Yang Xiaoxiao , Srinil Narakorn
Published: July 2019

Vortex-induced vibrations of dual-step cylinders in laminar flows at the Reynolds number of 200 based on a larger diameter are investigated through three-dimensional direct numerical simulations. Four larger-to-smaller diameter ratios (D/d) of 4.0, 2.0, 1.43, and 1.19 are considered for the cylinder with a low mass ratio of 2. Numerical results reveal that D/d significantly influences vibration responses and the vortex shedding process. The case with D/d = 1.43 can effectively reduce vibration amplitudes. The wake vortices are shed in cellular patterns along the cylinder span, with a distinct frequency for each cell. A direct and “X-shaped” connection of wake vortex-shedding modes occurs between different vortex cells, and a loop connection appears between the same cell vortices. A new wake pattern entitled the “out-of-phase vortex shedding” is found downstream of the smaller cylinder at D/d = 2.0. This is manifested by the wake vortices not being shed at a fixed frequency and intensity. The essential reason for this phenomenon lies in a non-lock-in condition between the structural vibration and vortex shedding frequencies of the smaller cylinder. As D/d decreases, a coherence between vortex cells is enhanced, leading to a disappearance of the “out-of-phase vortex shedding.”
Contributions of hydrodynamic features of a swirling flow to thermoacoustic instabilities in a lean premixed swirl stabilized combustor
Authors: Zhang Bo , Shahsavari Mohammad , Rao Zhuming , Yang Shangrong , Wang Bing
Published: July 2019

A comprehensive study on influences of hydrodynamic features of a swirling flow on thermoacoustic instabilities in a swirl stabilized combustor is performed by using large eddy simulations along with the dynamically thickened flame combustion model. The governing equations in full compressible form are solved by an in-house developed high-order numerical solver. The combustor is simulated in six different equivalence ratios to assess effects of equivalence ratio on the contributions of hydrodynamic features in inducing thermoacoustic instabilities. The obtained results show that the combustor suffers from combustion instabilities at equivalence ratios of 0.55, 0.6, 0.75, and 0.8, while it is stable at the midrange equivalence ratios (0.65 and 0.7). The results indicate that the instabilities are the result of the lock-in mechanism between heat release fluctuations induced by hydrodynamic features and the mixed first tangential and quarter wave longitudinal mode of the combustor. Investigations are carried out to evaluate contributions of central and side recirculation zones, precessing vortex core, and coherent structures in heat release fluctuations. The results show that contributions of hydrodynamic features highly depend on the combustor operating condition. At low equivalence ratios (0.55 and 0.6), coherent structures and side and central recirculation zones are the key features to induce heat release fluctuations in phase with the acoustic perturbations, while at equivalence ratios of 0.75 and 0.8, coherent structures and precessing vortex core play the main role in inducing combustion instabilities.
Antenatal depression symptoms in Pacific women: evidence from Growing Up in New Zealand
Authors: McDaid Frances , Underwood Lisa , Fa'alili-Fidow Jacinta , Waldie Karen E. , Peterson Elizabeth R. , Bird Amy , D'Souza Stephanie , Morton Susan
Published: July 2019

ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTIONPacific women in New Zealand (NZ) have higher rates of antenatal depression than women from other ethnic groups.
AIMTo identify factors that are significantly associated with depression symptoms in pregnant Pacific women living in NZ.
METHODSData were collected from 5657 pregnant women, 727 of whom identified their ethnicity as Pacific Island. Antenatal depression symptoms were measured using the Edinburgh Depression Scale with scores above 12 indicating elevated antenatal depression symptoms (ADS).
RESULTSPacific women had significantly higher rates of ADS than non-Pacific women, with 23% of pregnant Pacific women experiencing ADS. Factors associated with ADS for Pacific women included age <25 years, moderate to severe nausea during pregnancy, perceived stress, family stress and relationship conflict. Not seeing the importance of maintaining one’s Pacific culture and traditions and negative feelings towards NZ culture were also significantly associated with ADS in Pacific women. One in three Pacific women aged <25 years experienced ADS. Pregnant Pacific women without a family general practitioner (GP) before their pregnancy were 4.5-fold more likely to experience ADS than non-Pacific women with a regular GP.
DISCUSSIONFurther attention is required to providing appropriate primary health care for Pacific women of child-bearing age in NZ. Better screening processes and a greater understanding of effective antenatal support for Pacific women is recommended to respond to the multiple risk factors for antenatal depression among Pacific women.
The Causes of the Legitimacy-Conferring and Republican Schoolmaster Capabilities of Courts
Authors: Woodson Benjamin
Published: July 2019

Some studies examining the effect of court decisions on public opinion examine their legitimacy-conferring role or ability to cause the public to accept specific policies. Others examine when courts act as a “republican schoolmaster” and change substantive policy attitudes. Using two studies, this article shows that these two effects are driven by different processes and caused by a different form of support. Legitimacy perceptions or diffuse support drives the process that causes people to accept specific policies. The process that changes a person’s substantive policy stance is driven by a person’s evaluation of the court’s previous policy decisions or specific support.
When Causal Specificity Does Not Matter (Much): Insights from HIV Treatment
Authors: Neal Jacob P.
Published: July 2019

Philosophers of biology generally agree that causal specificity tracks biological importance: more specific causes are more important. I argue that this correlation does not hold in much research aimed at biomedical intervention. Applying James Woodward’s analysis of causal specificity to the development and design of HIV treatments, I show that drugs that are less causally specific produce better therapeutic outcomes and are more highly valued. Thus, I conclude that the importance of biological causes does not track their specificity but instead varies depending on the biological practice we consider and the goals of that practice.
Species as Models
Authors: Otsuka Jun
Published: July 2019

This article characterizes various species concepts in terms of set-theoretic models that license biological inferences and illustrates the logical connections among different species concepts. Species in this construal are abstract models, rather than biological or even tangible entities, and relate to individual organisms via representation, rather than the membership or mereological whole/part relationship. The proposal sheds new light on vexed issues of species and situates them within broader philosophical contexts of model selection, scientific representation, and scientific realism.
The dielectric properties of skin and their influence on the delivery of tumor treating fields to the torso: a study combining in vivo measurements with numerical simulations
Authors: Hershkovich Hadas Sara , Urman Noa , Yesharim Ofir , Naveh Ariel , Bomzon Ze’ev
Published: July 2019

The study of the dielectric properties of tissues plays a key role in understanding the interaction between electromagnetic energy and the human body, for safety assessments of human exposure to electromagnetic fields, as well as for numerous biomedical applications such as tumor treating fields (TTFields). TTFields are low-intensity alternating electric fields in the 100–500 kHz frequency range, which have an antimitotic effect on cancerous cells. TTFields are delivered to the body through pairs of transducer arrays placed on a patient’s skin in close proximity to the tumor. Therefore, it is essential to understand how the skin’s dielectric properties affect TTFields delivery in clinical settings. In this paper, we present a study combining in vivo measurements with numerical simulations that elucidate how different layers of the skin influence TTFields distribution in the body. The dielectric properties of the skin were measured on volunteers using a setup that ensured skin conditions resembled those when TTFields are delivered to patients. The measured properties were incorporated into a realistic human computational phantom and delivery of TTFields to the phantom’s abdomen was simulated. The total impedance of the simulated model was within the mid-range of impedance values measured in patients with pancreatic cancer treated with TTFields. A computational study investigating model sensitivity to the dielectric properties of the skin and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) showed that when skin conductivity increased above a threshold value, the total impedance of the model was largely insensitive to changes in the conductivity of these tissues. Furthermore, for a given current, the field intensity within the internal organs was mostly unaffected by skin properties but was highly sensitive to the conductivity of the organ itself. This study provides a new insight into the role of skin in determining the distribution of TTFields within the body.
China unveils plans for giant underground lab
Authors: Xin Ling
Published: July 2019

A new facility in central China is designed to study gravitational waves as well as test Einstein’s theory of general relativity to unprecedented precision, as Ling Xin reports
Early failure can lead to future success
Authors: Allen Michael
Published: July 2019

When it comes to science, success does not always beget success. That is at least according to researchers in the US who claim that setbacks at the start of a scientist’s career could – counterintuitively – lead to success later.
Learning through interacting
Authors: Šibalić Nikola
Published: July 2019

Nikola Šibalić says that physicists can improve how they communicate their results by using interactive figures
Tennis-ball towers
Authors: Rogava Andria
Published: July 2019

As a physicist and keen tennis player, I would like to share an amusing “discovery” I recently made. In my office, I have about 20 used tennis balls and so decided to try building some tennis-ball “pyramids”.
Weighing water from space
Authors: Stephens Marric
Published: July 2019

By monitoring tiny changes to the Earth’s gravitational field, the GRACE satellites have been pinpointing the distribution of fresh water on our planet for almost two decades. But as Marric Stephens explains, a new follow-on mission is also helping with plans for a space-based gravitational-wave detector
Learning to be astonished
Authors: Carr Lincoln
Published: July 2019

We’re often taught to think of science and the humanities as discrete fields, with the former full of definite truths and the latter open to interpretation. But is that really the case? Lincoln Carr explains how he’s helping science students use the ambiguity essential to the humanities to become better researchers
A cultural and historical fly-by
Authors: Gardner Kate
Published: July 2019

Covering all of physics and astronomy, from the history and the people to the latest hot topics, in 200 pages is a big challenge. That is what theoretical physicist Nicholas Mee set out to do in his new book The Cosmic Mystery Tour: a High-speed Journey Through Space and Time.
The art of continuous transformation
Authors: McEntee Joe
Published: July 2019

How does an industrial physicist end up in an arts faculty working on historic printing processes – and why? Susanne Klein tells Joe McEntee all about it
Domain wall encoding of discrete variables for quantum annealing and QAOA
Authors: Chancellor Nicholas
Published: July 2019

In this paper I propose a new method of encoding discrete variables into Ising model qubits for quantum optimisation. The new method is based on the physics of domain walls in one-dimensional Ising spin chains. I find that these encodings and the encoding of arbitrary two variable interactions is possible with only two body Ising terms Following on from similar results for the ‘one hot’ method of encoding discrete variables (Hadfieldet al2019Algorithms1234) I also demonstrate that it is possible to construct two body mixer terms which do not leave the logical subspace, an important consideration for optimising using the quantum alternating operator ansatz. I additionally discuss how, since the couplings in the domain wall encoding only need to be ferromagnetic and therefore could in principle be much stronger than anti-ferromagnetic couplers, application specific quantum annealers for discrete problems based on this construction may be beneficial. Finally, I compare embedding for synthetic scheduling and colouring problems with the domain wall and one hot encodings on two graphs which are relevant for quantum annealing, the chimera graph and the Pegasus graph. For every case I examine I find a similar or better performance from the domain wall encoding as compared to one hot, but this advantage is highly dependent on the structure of the problem. For encoding some problems, I find an advantage similar to the one found by embedding in a Pegasus graph compared to embedding in a chimera graph.
Vierbein interactions with antisymmetric components
Authors: Markou Chrysoula , Rudolph Felix J , Schmidt-May Angnis
Published: July 2019

In this work we propose a new gravitational setup formulated in terms of two interacting vierbein fields. The theory is the fully diffeomorphism and local Lorentz invariant extension of a previous construction which involved a fixed reference vierbein. Certain vierbein components can be shifted by local Lorentz transformations and do not enter the associated metric tensors. We parameterize these components by an antisymmetric tensor field and give them a kinetic term in the action, thereby promoting them to dynamical variables. In addition, the action contains two Einstein-Hilbert terms and an interaction potential whose form is inspired by ghost-free massive gravity and bimetric theory. The resulting theory describes the interactions of a massless spin-2, a massive spin-2 and an antisymmetric tensor field. It can be generalized to the case of multiple massive spin-2 fields and multiple antisymmetric tensor fields. The absence of additional and potentially pathological degrees of freedom is verified in an ADM analysis. However, the antisymmetric tensor fluctuation around the maximally symmetric background solution has a tachyonic mass pole.