bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Complications Following Surgical Correction of Medial Patellar Luxation in Small-to-Medium-Size Dogs
Authors: Rossanese Matteo , German Alexander J. , Comerford Eithne , Pettitt Rob , Tomlinson Andrew , de Vicente Felipe
Published: March 2019

Objective The main aim of this study was to describe complications in dogs weighing < 20 kg treated for medial patellar luxation and to determine risk factors associated with these complications.

Materials and Methods Medical records were reviewed and cases were grouped based on four techniques of stabilization for the tibial tuberosity transposition (TTT). Variables including animal signalment, clinical presentation, TTT technique, other concurrent surgical techniques and associated complications were investigated. Multiple logistic regression was used to determine the association of the same variables with specific complications such as tibial tuberosity fractures or avulsions, patellar reluxation and implant-related complications.

Results Of the 100 procedures performed, 37 suffered a complication. There were no significant differences in the overall complication rate between TTT stabilization techniques. Preservation of the tibial tuberosity distal cortical attachment was associated with a reduced risk of implant-related complications, whereas adding a medial release to the surgical techniques was associated with an increased risk of medial patellar reluxation. The type of trochleoplasty performed did not affect the complication rate.

Conclusions In the current study, a high rate of complications was found in dogs < 20 kg undergoing medial patellar luxation surgery. Performing a medial release and preserving the distal cortical attachment of the tibial tuberosity were the only variables associated respectively with an increase and a reduction in the risk of postsurgical complications.
Are Readmissions After Total Knee Arthroplasty Preventable?
Authors: Su Charles A. , Copp Jonathan A. , Weinberg Douglas S. , Kraay Matthew J. , Fitzgerald Steven J. , Wera Glenn D.
Published: March 2019

Readmission within 90 days following total joint arthroplasty has become a central quality measure of reimbursement initiatives; however, the validity of readmission rates as a measure of hospital care quality and the proportion of readmissions that are preventable are unknown. The purpose of this study is to determine if readmissions within 30 and 90 days after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) were related to orthopaedic or medical etiology and identify if these readmissions were preventable. We retrospectively reviewed 1,625 elective TKAs performed between 2011 and 2014 at our institution. Readmissions within 30 and 90 days were categorized into orthopaedic and medical etiologies and an expert research panel determined if readmissions were potentially preventable based on objective criteria from national or peer-reviewed consensus guidelines. Out of the 1,625 TKAs performed during the study period, there were a total of 79 (4.8%) readmissions within 90 days of surgery, of which 17 (22%) were of orthopaedic etiology and 62 (78%) were of medical etiology. Fifty-two (66%) of the 79 readmissions occurred within 30 days, with 11 (21%) of orthopaedic and 41 (80%) of medical etiology. Only 2 of 79 (3%) readmissions within 90 days were deemed potentially preventable, and neither of them were orthopaedic in nature. Hospital readmissions after total joint arthroplasty are inevitable; however, only a small percentage (3%) of readmissions to our health care system was potentially preventable. Orthopaedic readmissions constituted a minority of the proportion of readmissions at 30 or 90 days, and none were deemed preventable.
Inpatient versus Outpatient Total Knee Arthroplasty
Authors: Edwards Paul K. , Milles Jeffrey L. , Stambough Jeffrey B. , Barnes C. Lowry , Mears Simon C.
Published: March 2019

The rise of improved perioperative recovery protocols after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) has led to faster, more streamlined hospital stays for many patients. Combined with the implementation of value-based care and bundled payment initiatives, there has been a paradigm shift toward outpatient TKA surgery. This change to practice has been accelerated by recent policy changes enacted by the Center for Medicaid and Medicare Services regarding the removal of TKA as an inpatient only procedure as well as some insurance companies denying preauthorization for inpatient stays after TKA. Our review aims to address the inclusion and exclusion criteria for outpatient TKA consideration, examine the outcomes for outpatient joint replacement surgery, and discuss limitations of widespread adoption for same-day discharges.
Can We Prevent Stillbirth?
Authors: Fouks Yuval , Tschernichovsky Roi , Greenberg Ariel , Bak Stella , Sinai Noa Brzezinski , Shinar Shiri
Published: March 2019

Objective This study aimed to identify the frequency of potentially preventable causes of stillbirth in a large heterogeneous population.

Study Design This is a retrospective study of all stillbirth cases between January 2011 and December 2016 at a single tertiary medical center. Deliveries resulting from a nonviable fetus prior to 24 weeks of gestation, intrapartum fetal death, and incomplete stillbirth workup were excluded. Potentially preventable stillbirth was defined as that of a nonanomalous fetus that most likely resulted from one or more of the following: (1) placental-mediated complications, (2) postterm pregnancy, (3) monochorionicity-associated complications, (4) cholestasis of pregnancy, (5) preventable or treatable infections, and (6) isoimmunization.

Results During the study period, 312 stillbirths were identified, 228 of which met the inclusion criteria. Of the 110 cases with a recognized cause, 47 (20.6%) were potentially preventable. The most common causes were placental-mediated complications and preventable or treatable infections, accounting for 75 and 9% of all potentially preventable causes, respectively. There were no recognizable maternal risk factors for potentially preventable stillbirth.

Conclusion One-fifth of all causes of stillbirth are potentially preventable. Due to the significant contribution of placental-mediated complications to preventable stillbirth, close sonographic surveillance and timely delivery may decrease risk substantially.
Establishment and characterization of a multi-purpose large animal exposure chamber for investigating health effects
Authors: Peng Xinze , Maltz Mia R. , Botthoff Jon K. , Aronson Emma L. , Nordgren Tara M. , Lo David D. , Cocker David R.
Published: March 2019

Air pollution poses a significant threat to the environment and human health. Most in vivo health studies conducted regarding air pollutants, including particulate matter (PM) and gas phase pollutants, have been either through traditional medical intranasal treatment or using a tiny chamber, which limit animal activities. In this study, we designed and tested a large, whole-body, multiple animal exposure chamber with uniform dispersion and exposure stability for animal studies. The chamber simultaneously controls particle size distribution and PM mass concentration. Two different methods were used to generate aerosol suspension through either soluble material (Alternaria extract), liquid particle suspension (nanosilica solution), or dry powder (silica powder). We demonstrate that the chamber system provides well controlled and characterized whole animal exposures, where dosage is by inhalation of particulate matter.
Large-scale array of resonant-tunneling-diode terahertz oscillators for high output power at 1 THz
Authors: Kasagi Kouhei , Suzuki Safumi , Asada Masahiro
Published: March 2019

We proposed and fabricated large-scale arrays of resonant tunneling diode (RTD) oscillators for high-output-power terahertz (THz) sources. The array element is composed of an RTD, a slot resonator, and a dipole array antenna on a dielectric layer stacked on the RTD. In this structure, the output power is radiated in the upward direction of the substrate without a hemispherical silicon lens. The dipole array antenna was designed so that the average output power determined by the variation in the size of the RTD in the array was maximized. The experimental output power was proportional to the element number, and its value was 0.73 mW for an 89-element array at ∼1 THz in a pulsed mode with a repetition rate of 300 Hz and a duty ratio of 10%. Multiple peaks were observed in the oscillation spectra, because the elements were not intentionally coupled with each other. The average output power per element was 9 μW in the array, which was lower than that of the separated single oscillators (21 μW). Possible causes of this difference are discussed.
Electric field control of superexchange in multiple linear two-electron quantum dot arrays and mixed-valence molecules
Authors: Palii Andrew , Tsukerblat Boris
Published: March 2019

This paper belongs to the area of electrical manipulation of spins in quantum dots and molecular spins for quantum technologies. We propose a theoretical analysis of the electric field controllable superexchange in the two-electron linear arrays of quantum dots (“physical” molecules) and linear mixed-valence molecules based on metal ions in different oxidation degrees (“chemical” molecules) of increasing length. In this view, we consider the kinetic magnetic exchange in trimeric and tetrameric linear arrays of quantum dots and the field dependence of the exchange interaction between electrons. An attainable electric field in these systems is able to essentially change the electronic distribution in the systems under consideration and subsequently to affect the exchange interaction. The numerical estimations demonstrate the feasibility of the revealed effects of the electric field. At a weak electric field, this control is shown to be more efficient for larger numbers of diamagnetic quantum dots mediating superexchange. The peculiarities of chemical analogs of such quantum dot arrays represented by the linear triferrocenium and tetraferrocenium complexes containing two mobile holes are discussed as well.
A multifunctional molecular spintronic platform with magnetoresistive and memristive responses via a self-assembled monolayer
Authors: Hong Jhen-Yong , Chang Shih-Hang , Ou Yang Kui-Hon , Yeh Piin-Chen , Shiu Hung-Wei , Chen Chia-Hao , Chiang Wen-Chung , Lin Minn-Tsong
Published: March 2019

We report the spin-dependent transport and the I-V hysteretic characteristics in molecular-level organic spin valves containing a self-assembled-monolayer (SAM) barrier of 1,4 benzenedimethanethiol (BDMT). X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy confirms the establishment of an ordered self-assembled monolayer of BDMT with the phosphonic groups coordinated onto the ferromagnet surface. The magnetoresistive (MR) and the I-V curves characterize the transport properties of the SAM-based organic spin valves, which exhibit both types of non-volatile memory switching, i.e., the magnetoresistive and the memristive switching. The results reveal the possibility of integrating organic SAM into the future multifunctional molecular-level spintronic device applications.
Magnetic switching in Ni/Cu(110)-(2 × 1)O induced by CoPc
Authors: Denk M. , Queteschiner D. , Hohage M. , Navarro-Quezada A. , Zeppenfeld P.
Published: March 2019

In this work, we demonstrate the switching of the magnetization in a thin nickel film deposited on a Cu(110)-(2×1)O surface from out-of-plane to in-plane through the deposition of cobalt (II) phthalocyanine (CoPc) thin layers above 2.7 ML. The evolution of the magnetic properties of the CoPc/Ni system has been monitored by in situ magneto-optical spectroscopy, allowing us to follow not only the magnetic switching in real-time during deposition, but also the evolution of the optical properties of the CoPc as a function of coverage on the ferromagnetic Ni film. The observed magnetic switching is attributed to the modification of the surface magnetic anisotropy of the Ni thin film due to the adsorbed CoPc molecules.
Local permittivity measurement of dielectric materials based on the non-contact force curve of microwave atomic force microscopy
Authors: Tong Bo , Zhao Minji , Toku Yuhki , Morita Yasuyuki , Ju Yang
Published: March 2019

We report a non-contact and quantitative method to measure the local permittivity of dielectric materials with a nanometer-scale spatial resolution. A theoretical model based on near-field approximation was developed to describe the effect of a microwave on the interaction between a probe and a sample. Under the non-contact mode, we successfully measured the force curves of Si, Al2O3, Ge, and ZrO2 using microwave atomic force microscopy and observed the variation in the force caused by the microwave. According to the established theoretical model, a quantitative non-contact evaluation of the local permittivity of dielectric materials was performed.
Enhanced terahertz emission from strain-induced InGaAs/InAlAs superlattices
Authors: Ponomarev D. S. , Gorodetsky A. , Yachmenev A. E. , Pushkarev S. S. , Khabibullin R. A. , Grekhov M. M. , Zaytsev K. I. , Khusyainov D. I. , Buryakov A. M. , Mishina E. D.
Published: March 2019

We propose, fabricate, and evaluate strain-induced InGaAs/InAlAs superlattice (SL), which can efficiently radiate broadband terahertz (THz) waves. By means of optical pump-probe measurements, we demonstrate ultrashort photocarriers relaxation times of τ∼1.7ps without Be-doping of InGaAs photoconductive layers. We assume two dominant mechanisms to be responsible for a sharp reduction of τ in strained SL, which are photocarriers scattering at InGaAs/InAlAs heterointerface roughness and the decrease in the energy bandgap of InGaAs photoconductive layers due to the residual strain. The THz time-domain spectroscopic measurements reveal the rise in both emitted THz waveform and spectrum amplitudes with an increase of the residual strain in SL, in particular, at the low-frequency region. We refer this to the band structure engineering due to the residual strain in SL—since InGaAs photoconductive layers become compressively strained, this reduces the semiconductor’s energy bandgap, thus more photocarriers can contribute to the THz emission. The results might be of specific interest for the development of portable THz pulsed spectroscopic and imaging systems and other fundamental and applied aspects of the THz science and technology.
Numerical model of the eddy current magnetic signature (EC-MS) non-destructive micro-magnetic technique
Authors: Matsumoto T. , Ducharne B. , Uchimoto T.
Published: March 2019

Micro-magnetic nondestructive evaluation and testing techniques are particularly efficient for the evaluation of plastic strain in steel components. A new method derived from the magnetic incremental permeability experimental setup and called Eddy Current Magnetic Signature (EC-MS) seems to be the particularly adapted for such evaluation. Numerical simulation of EC-MS has never been done before. In this article, the EC-MS method is described first, then a lump scalar phenomenological model based on a modified Jiles-Atherton model and extended to dynamic behavior is proposed for its simulation. All the simulation details are exposed and justified with physical observations.
An apparatus and methodology for high-power SQUID-detected ferromagnetic resonance measurements
Authors: O’Reilly J. M. , Stamenov P.
Published: March 2019

Historically, ferromagnetic resonance has been dominated by inductive techniques, for the best part of the last 80 years. It has been only in the last 20 years that non-inductive techniques, such as Ferromagnetic Resonance Force Microscopy (FMRFM) and Magneto-optical Kerr Effect (MOKE), have been used to study, for example, the spatial distribution of resonance modes. Neither of these techniques is absolute - i.e. provides information on the amplitude of excitation as a function of absorbed microwave power. Here we extend on the recent demonstration of SQUID-detected FMR [J. M. O’Reilly and P. Stamenov, Rev. Sci. Instrum. 89, 044701 (2018)], of absolute scalar resonance measurements in single-crystalline and poly-crystalline YIG, at various fields and temperatures, by introducing a new set-up, where the microwave power, instead of being sunk in a matched load at the cryogenic end of the measurement probe is brought back to the ambient environment and is both metered and sunk in high dissipation power (>50 W @ 50 Ω) matching load. The here suggested methodology allows for the absolute excitation amplitude of modes excited during high-power operation of critical microwave devices, such as filters and Y-junction stripline circulators, to be predicted based on direct measurements of the same material in a known geometry.
Polycrystalline ZnO nanorods for lasing applications
Authors: Tazri N. I. Maad , Muskens O. L. , Shakfa M. K. , Maryam W.
Published: March 2019

Single and double mode random lasing were observed in a polycrystalline ZnO nanorod array. The double mode random lasing showed mode competition when the mode spacing was 2.3 nm or below. Structurally, X-ray diffraction measurements confirmed the formation of the polycrystalline phase, and photoluminescence measurements revealed a broad visible peak due to point defects, suggesting enhanced oxygen diffusion due to annealing. Our results suggest polycrystalline nanorods prepared by chemical bath deposition as a material system for obtaining random lasing for optoelectronic applications and devices.
Model of microwave effects on bacterial spores
Authors: Malyshev Dmitry , Williams Catrin F. , Lees Jonathan , Baillie Les , Porch Adrian
Published: March 2019

A recent application of microwaves in the healthcare area is for the rapid detection of bacterial spores, particularly of clinically significant spores such as Clostridium difficile. Here, we present a working model of C. difficile spore disruption by the action of a 2.45 GHz microwave electric field, independent of overall sample heating. The model shows how inner layers of the spore with the lower complex permittivity values will be subject to higher values of the electric field. The model also shows how the electric effects can be enhanced, focusing the electric field into “hotspots” using “angled” nanoparticles, yielding effective DNA release even at low microwave power levels. The model’s predictions have been validated through experimental results, which show an enhancement of DNA release from spores.
Modeling studies of heterogeneities in glycolytic oscillations in HeLa cervical cancer cells
Authors: Amemiya Takashi , Shibata Kenichi , Du Yichen , Nakata Satoshi , Yamaguchi Tomohiko
Published: March 2019

Previous experiments demonstrated that a population of HeLa cells starved of glucose or both glucose and serum exhibited a strong heterogeneity in the glycolytic oscillations in terms of the number of oscillatory cells, periods of oscillations, and duration of oscillations. Here, we report numerical simulations of this heterogeneous oscillatory behavior in HeLa cells by using a newly developed mathematical model. It is simple enough that we can apply a mathematical analysis, but capture the core of the glycolytic pathway and the activity of the glucose transporter (GLUT). Lognormal distributions of the values of the four rate constants in the model were obtained from the experimental distributions in the periods of oscillations. Thus, the heterogeneity in the periods of oscillations can be attributed to the difference in the rate constants of the enzymatic reactions. The activity of GLUT is found to determine whether the HeLa cells were oscillatory or non-oscillatory under the same experimental conditions. Simulation with the log-normal distribution of the maximum uptake velocity of glucose and the four randomized rate constants based on the log-normal distributions successfully reproduced the time-dependent number of oscillatory cells (oscillatory ratios) under the two starving conditions. The difference in the initial values of the metabolites has little effect on the simulated results.
High-temperature electronic devices enabled by hBN-encapsulated graphene
Authors: Šiškins Makars , Mullan Ciaran , Son Seok-Kyun , Yin Jun , Watanabe Kenji , Taniguchi Takashi , Ghazaryan Davit , Novoselov Kostya S. , Mishchenko Artem
Published: March 2019

Numerous applications call for electronics capable of operation at high temperatures where conventional Si-based electrical devices fail. In this work, we show that graphene-based devices are capable of performing in an extended temperature range up to 500 °C without noticeable thermally induced degradation when encapsulated by hexagonal boron nitride (hBN). The performance of these devices near the neutrality point is dominated by thermal excitations at elevated temperatures. Non-linearity pronounced in electric field-mediated resistance of the aligned graphene/hBN allowed us to realize heterodyne signal mixing at temperatures comparable to that of the Venus atmosphere (∼460 °C).
Unpredictability and robustness of chaotic dynamics for physical random number generation
Authors: Inubushi Masanobu
Published: March 2019

Random number generation is a fundamental technology behind information security. Recently, physical random number generators (RNGs), which especially harness optical chaos such as in delay-feedback lasers, have been studied intensively. Although these are promising technologies for future information security, there is little theoretical foundation. In this paper, we newly introduce a mathematical formulation of physical RNGs based on a model of chaotic dynamics and give the first rigorous results. In particular, by combining ergodic theory, information theory, and response theory of statistical physics, our theory guarantees, for the model of chaotic dynamics, the coexistence of two crucial properties necessary for physical RNGs: fast random number generation and robustness. Compared with other types of physical RNGs, our theoretical findings highlight an unnoticed advantage of chaotic dynamics utilized for physical RNGs.
Vibrationally mediated photodissociation dynamics of pyrrole
Authors: Grygoryeva Kateryna , Rakovský Jozef , Vinklárek Ivo S. , Votava Ondřej , Fárník Michal , Poterya Viktoriya
Published: March 2019

We investigate photodissociation of vibrationally excited pyrrole molecules in a velocity map imaging experiment with IR excitation of N–H bond stretching vibration v1 = 1, νIR= 3532 cm−1, and UV photodissociation at λUV= 243 nm. In the IR+UV experiment, the H-fragment signal is enhanced with respect to the 243 nm UV-only photodissociation due to a more favorable Franck-Condon factor for the vibrationally excited molecule. In the measured H-fragment kinetic energy distribution, the maximum of the fast peak in the IR+UV experiment is shifted by 0.23 eV compared to the UV-only photodissociation which corresponds to 53 % of the vibrational energy deposited into the fragment kinetic energy. We compare our results with an isoenergetic UV-only photodissociation at λUV= 224 nm. About 72 % of the total available energy, is released into the fragment kinetic energy in the IR+UV experiment, while it is only 61 % in the UV-only photodissociation. This can be substantiated by the coupling of the N–H bond stretching vibration into the kinetic energy of the departing H-fragment. We also probe the time-dependent dynamics by a nanosecond pump-probe experiment. The IR excitation enhances the N–H bond dissociation even when the UV photodissociation is delayed by 150 ns. This enhancement increases also the yield of the fast fragments at the position of the peak corresponding to the IR+UV excitation, i.e. even 150 ns after the IR vibrational excitation, the same amount of the IR excitation energy can be converted into the H-fragment velocity as immediately after the excitation.
Comparing plant–insect trophic transfer of Cu from lab-synthesised nano-Cu(OH)2 with a commercial nano-Cu(OH)2 fungicide formulation
Authors: Li Jieran , Rodrigues Sónia , Tsyusko Olga V. , Unrine Jason M.
Published: March 2019

Environmental contextNanomaterials are being extensively researched for use as agrochemicals, and some commercial formulations containing nanomaterials are already on the market. Information on environmental fate and effects of nanomaterials, however, are largely based on laboratory-synthesised materials. This study questions whether data on trophic transfer of Cu from pure, laboratory-synthesised Cu(OH)2 nanomaterials can be used to predict trophic transfer of Cu from a complex commercial fungicide formulation containing Cu(OH)2 nanomaterials.
AbstractTo examine whether studies conducted with highly purified, laboratory-synthesised nanomaterials are predictive of behaviour of commercial nanopesticide formulations, we studied the trophic transfer of Cu(OH)2 manufactured nanomaterials (MNMs) by tobacco hornworms (Manduca sexta) feeding on surface-treated tomato leaves (Solanum lycopersicum). We compared laboratory-synthesised copper(II) hydroxide (Cu(OH)2) nanowire with the widely used fungicide Kocide® 3000, whose active ingredient is nano-needles of copper(II) hydroxide (nCu(OH)2). All leaves were treated at rates in accordance with the product label (1.5kgha−1 or 150mgm−2). As a control, we used highly soluble CuSO4. Over the course of the study (exposure up to 7 days followed by up to 20 days of elimination), hornworms accumulated Cu from all three treatments far exceeding controls (ranging from ~55 to 105 times greater for nCu(OH)2 and CuSO4 respectively). There were also significant differences in accumulation of Cu among treatments, with the greatest accumulation in the CuSO4 treatment (up to 105±18μg Cu per g dry mass) and the least in the nCu(OH)2 treatment (up to 55±12μg Cu per g dry mass. The difference in their toxicity and accumulation and elimination dynamics was found to be correlated with the solubility of the materials in the exposure suspensions (r2=0.99). We also found that first-instar larvae are more susceptible to toxicity from all forms of Cu than second-instar larvae. Our results provide valuable knowledge on whether the ecotoxicity of commercial MNM products such as Kocide can be compared with laboratory-synthesised counterparts and suggests that predictions can be made based on functional assays such as measurement of solubility.
Phasor histone FLIM-FRET microscopy quantifies spatiotemporal rearrangement of chromatin architecture during the DNA damage response
Authors: Lou Jieqiong , Scipioni Lorenzo , Wright Belinda K. , Bartolec Tara K. , Zhang Jessie , Masamsetti V. Pragathi , Gaus Katharina , Gratton Enrico , Cesare Anthony J. , Hinde Elizabeth
Published: March 2019

To investigate how chromatin architecture is spatiotemporally organized at a double-strand break (DSB) repair locus, we established a biophysical method to quantify chromatin compaction at the nucleosome level during the DNA damage response (DDR). The method is based on phasor image-correlation spectroscopy of histone fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM)-Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) microscopy data acquired in live cells coexpressing H2B-eGFP and H2B-mCherry. This multiplexed approach generates spatiotemporal maps of nuclear-wide chromatin compaction that, when coupled with laser microirradiation-induced DSBs, quantify the size, stability, and spacing between compact chromatin foci throughout the DDR. Using this technology, we identify that ataxia–telangiectasia mutated (ATM) and RNF8 regulate rapid chromatin decompaction at DSBs and formation of compact chromatin foci surrounding the repair locus. This chromatin architecture serves to demarcate the repair locus from the surrounding nuclear environment and modulate 53BP1 mobility.
Low-cost high-efficiency system for solar-driven conversion of CO
2
to hydrocarbons
Authors: Huan Tran Ngoc , Dalla Corte Daniel Alves , Lamaison Sarah , Karapinar Dilan , Lutz Lukas , Menguy Nicolas , Foldyna Martin , Turren-Cruz Silver-Hamill , Hagfeldt Anders , Bella Federico , Fontecave Marc , Mougel Victor
Published: March 2019

Significance

Carbon dioxide electroreduction may constitute a key technology in coming years to valorize CO
2
as high value-added chemicals such as hydrocarbons and a way to store intermittent solar energy durably. Based on readily available technologies, systems combining a photovoltaic (PV) cell with an electrolyzer cell (EC) for CO
2
reduction to hydrocarbons are likely to constitute a key strategy for tackling this challenge. However, a low-cost, sustainable, and highly efficient PV–EC system has yet to be developed. In this article, we show that this goal can be reached using a low-cost and easily processable perovskite photovoltaic minimodule combined to an electrolyzer device using the same Cu-based catalysts at both electrodes and in which all energy losses have been minimized.
Ultrastructural organization of NompC in the mechanoreceptive organelle of
Drosophila
campaniform mechanoreceptors
Authors: Sun Landi , Gao Yuan , He Jianfeng , Cui Lihong , Meissner Jana , Verbavatz Jean-Marc , Li Bo , Feng Xiqiao , Liang Xin
Published: March 2019

Significance

Mechanosensory cells convert environmental mechanical stimuli into intracellular signals. This process, termed mechanotransduction, occurs in specialized mechanoreceptive organelles. Using electron tomography we discovered that the mechanoreceptive organelle in fly campaniform mechanoreceptors contains thousands of force-sensitive ion channels that are arranged in a regular pattern, aligned to the intracellular microtubule cytoskeleton. A mechanical model suggests that the pattern is structurally and functionally optimized, because more force-sensitive channels are located at regions that are subject to larger activating forces. We propose that such a pattern enhances the sensitivity and broadens the dynamic range of mechanosensation in this type of mechanoreceptor.
Temporal signals underlying a cognitive process in the dorsal premotor cortex
Authors: Rossi-Pool Román , Zizumbo Jerónimo , Alvarez Manuel , Vergara José , Zainos Antonio , Romo Ranulfo
Published: March 2019

During discrimination between two sequential vibrotactile stimulus patterns, the primate dorsal premotor cortex (DPC) neurons exhibit a complex repertoire of coding dynamics associated with the working memory, comparison, and decision components of this task. In addition, these neurons and neurons with no coding responses show complex strong fluctuations in their firing rate associated with the temporal sequence of task events. Here, to make sense of this temporal complexity, we extracted the temporal signals that were latent in the population. We found a strong link between the individual and population response, suggesting a common neural substrate. Notably, in contrast to coding dynamics, these time-dependent responses were unaffected during error trials. However, in a nondemanding task in which monkeys did not require discrimination for reward, these time-dependent signals were largely reduced and changed. These results suggest that temporal dynamics in DPC reflect the underlying cognitive processes of this task.
A spatially dynamic network underlies the generation of inspiratory behaviors
Authors: Baertsch Nathan A. , Severs Liza J. , Anderson Tatiana M. , Ramirez Jan-Marino
Published: March 2019

Significance

Breathing is a vital rhythmic behavior that originates from neural networks within the brainstem. It is hypothesized that the breathing rhythm is generated by spatially distinct networks localized to discrete kernels or compartments. Here, we provide evidence that the functional boundaries of these compartments expand and contract dynamically based on behavioral or physiological demands. The ability of these rhythmic networks to change in size may allow the breathing rhythm to be very reliable, yet flexible enough to accommodate the large repertoire of mammalian behaviors that must be integrated with breathing.
From linguistic innovation to language change
Authors: Viola Lorella
Published: March 2019

This study investigates the diachrony of the Italian expressionnon c’è problema‘no problem’ when used as a response marker (e.g.,Tottie 1991;Ward 2006) to establish if it represents a case of language change (Milroy, 1992: 171). If on the one hand, the expression was indeed reported to be a neologism by Radtke in1990, a careful exploration of the relevant literature on the other has revealed that a diachronic, quantitative and pragmatic investigation of its distribution has not been conducted yet. Methodologically, the study conducts lexicographic, quantitative and qualitative analyses over a range of historical and contemporary dictionaries and corpora and it performs statistical significance tests, such as the Log Likelihood and the Fisher’s exact test. The results will reveal not only that this marker started to be used in 1977, but also that today, it is the response marker preferred by language users, thus qualifying as a case of language change. Furthermore, by analysing the diachronic distribution ofno problemin English, the article will also explore the possibility that English may have been the source language for such change.
In-use product and steel stocks sustaining the urbanization of Xiamen, China
Authors: Song Lulu , Zhang Chao , Han Ji , Chen Wei-Qiang
Published: March 2019

Introduction:
In-use product and material stocks are the amount of concerned manufactured products and materials in active use, and are essential components of urban ecosystem.

Methods:
This study estimates the dynamic in-use stocks of steel-containing products and steel in the city of Xiamen, China, during 1980–2015 by applying a bottom-up accounting approach. We incorporate 55 categories of steel-containing products that are classified into five end-use sectors (i.e., buildings, infrastructure, transportation equipment, machinery, and domestic appliances). Outcomes and Discussion: In-use stocks of 51% of the studied products kept increasing during 1980–2015, especially after 2000. Steel stocks have grown up to 4.9 ± 1.4 tons per capita (t/cap) in 2015, from 0.5 ± 0.2 t/cap in 1980. Buildings are the largest reservoirs, although its share decreased from 89% in 1980 to 68% in 2015. The dynamic spatial distribution indicates that steel stocks gradually expanded from urban core to suburban areas.

Conclusion:
Theresults help to explore how a city’s urbanization is sustained by the in-use stocks growth. In-use steel stocks, of which the growth is highly correlated to and probably driven by the population growth, GDP increase, and urban built-up area expansion, may serve as a supplementary indicator for urbanization.
ATG9A shapes the forming autophagosome through Arfaptin 2 and phosphatidylinositol 4-kinase IIIβ
Authors: Judith Delphine , Jefferies Harold B.J. , Boeing Stefan , Frith David , Snijders Ambrosius P. , Tooze Sharon A.
Published: March 2019

ATG9A is a multispanning membrane protein essential for autophagy. Normally resident in Golgi membranes and endosomes, during amino acid starvation, ATG9A traffics to sites of autophagosome formation. ATG9A is not incorporated into autophagosomes but is proposed to supply so-far-unidentified proteins and lipids to the autophagosome. To address this function of ATG9A, a quantitative analysis of ATG9A-positive compartments immunoisolated from amino acid–starved cells was performed. These ATG9A vesicles are depleted of Golgi proteins and enriched in BAR-domain containing proteins, Arfaptins, and phosphoinositide-metabolizing enzymes. Arfaptin2 regulates the starvation-dependent distribution of ATG9A vesicles, and these ATG9A vesicles deliver the PI4-kinase, PI4KIIIβ, to the autophagosome initiation site. PI4KIIIβ interacts with ATG9A and ATG13 to control PI4P production at the initiation membrane site and the autophagic response. PI4KIIIβ and PI4P likely function by recruiting the ULK1/2 initiation kinase complex subunit ATG13 to nascent autophagosomes.
Spectral functions of Sr2IrO4: theory versus experiment
Authors: Lenz B , Martins C , Biermann S
Published: March 2019

The spin–orbit Mott insulator Sr2IrO4 has attracted a lot of interest in recent years from theory and experiment due to its close connection to isostructural high-temperature copper oxide superconductors. Despite not being superconductive, its spectral features closely resemble those of the cuprates, including Fermi surface and pseudogap properties. In this article, we review and extend recent work in the theoretical description of the spectral function of pure and electron-doped Sr2IrO4 based on a cluster extension of dynamical mean-field theory (‘oriented-cluster DMFT’) and compare it to available angle-resolved photoemission data. Current theories provide surprisingly good agreement for pure and electron-doped Sr2IrO4, both in the paramagnetic and antiferromagnetic phases. Most notably, one obtains simple explanations for the experimentally observed steep feature around the M point and the pseudo-gap-like spectral feature in electron-doped Sr2IrO4.
3. Ideals versus interests
Authors: Neiberg Michael S.
Published: March 2019

“Ideals versus interests” considers the workings of the Paris Peace Conference by examining four different rationales for the shifting of post-imperial borders in Europe. Unfortunately, they often stood at cross purposes to one another. The most obvious, and most traditional, rationale would award the winners pieces of territory taken away from the losers. A second rationale, supported by Woodrow Wilson, was national self-determination, which proved maddeningly difficult to administer. The third rationale was strategic: the new states needed to have borders that they could defend and had to be able to play a role in stabilizing and balancing the postwar order. The fourth rationale was economic: the new states needed to feed themselves.
3. The Third Reich’s world of camps
Authors: Stone Dan
Published: March 2019

‘The Third Reich’s world of camps’ examines the history of the Nazi camp system, comparing labour camps devised to build the ‘racial community’ with concentration camps set up to exclude political opponents and eventually to eradicate unwanted others—‘asocials’ and then Jews. The SS concentration camps at Buchenwald, Dachau, and Sachsenhausen, which were designed to brutalize the inmates and at which death was common, can be distinguished from the death camps at Chełmno, Bełżec, Sobibór, and Treblinka. Exceptions were Majdanek and Auschwitz, which by 1942 combined the functions of concentration and death camps. The images and testimonies of the liberation of the Nazi camps have shaped our definition of concentration camps.
5. The wide world of camps
Authors: Stone Dan
Published: March 2019

Concentration camps constitute a worldwide phenomenon that has developed over time as different states and regimes have learned from others in other parts of the world. ‘The wide world of camps’ considers some of the less well-known settings: the American internment of Japanese-American citizens during World War II; Franco’s camps during and after the Spanish Civil War; Britain’s use of camps for Jewish displaced persons in Cyprus; the colonial powers’ camps during the wars of decolonization in Algeria, Malaya, and Kenya; the Chinese Maoist camps; the Khmer Rouge’s camps in Cambodia in the 1970s; the camps during the genocide in Bosnia in the 1990s; and the contemporary camp system in North Korea.
Matter: A Very Short Introduction
Authors: Cottrell Geoff
Published: March 2019

Matter: A Very Short Introduction explains matter—the stuff of which your body and the universe is made—from elementary particles, to atoms, humans, planets, up to the superclusters of galaxies. Familiar solids, liquids, and gases are described, as well as plasmas, exotic forms of quantum matter, and antimatter. This VSI outlines the quantum properties of atoms, the fundamental forces of nature, and how the different forms of matter arise. The origins of matter are traced to the Big Bang, 13.8 billion years ago. However, all the familiar normal matter constitutes only 5% of the matter that exists. The remainder comes in two mysterious forms: dark matter and dark energy, which are discussed.
3. Forms of matter
Authors: Cottrell Geoff
Published: March 2019

Solids, liquids, and gases are the great states of matter; a solid has a shape and a volume, a liquid has a volume but no shape, and a gas has neither shape nor volume. ‘Forms of matter’ explains how these different states arise from a competition between opposites: thermal motion driving particles apart and the attractive forces between atoms pulling them together, repulsion and attraction. The ‘glue’ that holds electrons to atoms, brings atoms together to form molecules, and draws molecules together to make solids and liquids, is electricity. Chemical bonds, crystals, intermediate states, and plasma—the fourth state of matter—are discussed.
5. The quantum world of the atom
Authors: Cottrell Geoff
Published: March 2019

‘The quantum world of the atom’ considers the profound discoveries of the early twentieth century that exposed the inner structure of the atom and the revolutionary new physics of quantum mechanics—the behaviour of matter on very small scales. At the microscopic level, ‘particles’ of matter resemble waves, a feature that enables us to understand the structure, stability, and properties of atoms. Key discoveries and concepts are described: the fundamental constant of nature, Planck’s constant; Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle; the Schrödinger equation; quantum tunnelling; the wavelike characteristics of microscopic particles; and the two types of particles, fermions and bosons.
6. Quantum matter
Authors: Cottrell Geoff
Published: March 2019

When vast numbers of particles cluster together, they can, under special conditions, display coherent quantum behaviour at the macroscopic level. ‘Quantum matter’ explains how this produces some of the most exotic matter of which we know: superfluids, in which a quantum fluid suddenly loses all its viscosity, and superconductors, where all electrical resistance is lost. The results are dramatic and spectacular. These phenomena have led to the development of measurement devices that allow the basic unit of mass, the kilogram, to be defined in terms of the fundamental constants of nature to an unprecedented degree of precision.
Homer: A Very Short Introduction
Authors: Graziosi Barbara
Published: March 2019

Homer’s mythological tales of war and homecoming, the Iliad and the Odyssey, are widely considered to be two of the most influential works in the history of world literature. Yet their author, ‘the greatest poet that ever lived’, is something of a mystery. Homer: A Very Short Introduction considers Homer’s famous works, their composition, and their impact on readers throughout the centuries. It also shows how scholars’ notes on ancient manuscripts still influence our interpretation of Homer’s work today. Homer’s poems have inspired artists, writers, philosophers, musicians, playwrights, and film-makers. Exploring the main literary, historical, cultural, and archaeological issues at the heart of Homer’s narratives, this VSI analyses the enduring appeal of Homer and his iconic works.
4. The poet in the poems
Authors: Graziosi Barbara
Published: March 2019

There is little evidence about the person or people responsible for the composition of the Iliad and the Odyssey. Within the epics themselves, however, the voice of the narrator can clearly be heard. That voice was important to ancient audiences and readers, influencing what they thought about the legendary ‘Homer’—and that voice remains important today, not because it reveals the actual author(s) of the poems, but because it characterises the narrative. ‘The poet in the poems’ suggests that two rather different narrative voices emerge from the Iliad and the Odyssey.
6. A poem about Troy
Authors: Graziosi Barbara
Published: March 2019

The Iliad is not just concerned with Achilles’ destructive anger. Its ancient title promises ‘a poem about Troy’. It focuses on just a small part of the Trojan War—a handful of days, which do not include the fall of the city, or even the death of Achilles. And yet it does manage to become the poem about Troy. ‘A poem about Troy’ explains how the Iliad offers an intense exploration of leadership and its failures, making it a political poem. It also shows how the poem confronts death, killing after killing, victim after victim, bereavement after bereavement, and thus invites a clear-sighted reflection on the value of life.
7. The tragedy of Hector
Authors: Graziosi Barbara
Published: March 2019

‘The tragedy of Hector’ explains how the death of this hero becomes a symbol for the fall of Troy. It also argues that the Iliad does not allow us to view it only from that general perspective. The poem explores how Hector himself comes to realise that he is about to die and it is through Hector that we are shown in detail what it means to draw ever closer to death. Hector is an impressive character, and yet has flaws, including his acute sense of shame. He deserves sympathy, yet the gods abandon him. The poet gives us unprecedented access to his state of mind, and contrasts his hope with what we already know will happen to him.
9. Women and monsters
Authors: Graziosi Barbara
Published: March 2019

For all that Odysseus is hard to pin down, several characters try to do so, particularly women. In a poem so interested in pleasure and family, survival and return, ‘Women and monsters’ suggests it is perhaps unsurprising that female characters should be prominent: the loneliness of Odysseus and his constant wanderings suggest that what he needs, above all, is a home. He has one, of course, in Ithaca, but the poem repeatedly hints that he may set up home somewhere else. His story reflects, in part, the concerns of the age in which the Odyssey was composed: the archaic period was a time of rapid expansion, travel, and new settlements.
10. An infernal journey
Authors: Graziosi Barbara
Published: March 2019

Of all his many adventures, Odysseus’ journey to the Underworld is his most extreme. He manages to reach the place most distant from home, and from life itself, yet return even from there. His nekyia—‘dialogue with the dead’—is arguably his greatest feat, and one that has been replayed again and again in literary history. ‘An infernal journey’ describes other ancient heroes who have visited the Underworld: Heracles, Theseus, and Orpheus, and Enkidu, the friend of the Babylonian epic hero, Gilgamesh. For all the difficulties, there is in this Homeric poem, in its protagonist, and his many returns, not just a will to live, but a determination to take pleasure in the tale.