bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Development and utility of a new 3-D magnetron source for high rate deposition of highly conductive ITO thin films near room temperature
Authors: Wen Long , Sahu Bibhuti Bhusan , Han Jeon Geon
Published: January 2018

This study reports the high rate and low-temperature deposition of high-quality ITO films using a new 3-D confined magnetron sputtering method.
Ab initio kinetics of the HOSO2 + 3O2 → SO3 + HO2 reaction
Authors: Mai Tam V.-T. , Duong Minh V. , Nguyen Hieu T. , Huynh Lam K.
Published: January 2018

The detailed kinetic mechanism of the HOSO2 + 3O2 reaction, which plays a pivotal role in the atmospheric oxidation of SO2, was investigated using accurate electronic structure calculations and novel master equation/Rice–Ramsperger–Kassel–Marcus (ME/RRKM) rate model.
Toward a universal polymeric material for electrode buffer layers in organic and perovskite solar cells and organic light-emitting diodes
Authors: Zhang Qiang , Wang Wei-Ting , Chi Cheng-Yu , Wächter Tobias , Chen Jhih-Wei , Tsai Chou-Yi , Huang Ying-Chi , Zharnikov Michael , Tai Yian , Liaw Der-Jang
Published: January 2018

PDTON, exhibiting either hole transporting or reducing electrode WF, can be utilized as a ‘universal’ electrode buffer layer material.
The facile construction of a yolk–shell structured metal–TiO2 nanocomposite with potential for p-nitrophenol reduction
Authors: Lin Xi-Jie , Sun Tian-Qi , Sun Yong-Gang , Zeng Chen , Lu Rong-Wen , Cao An-Min
Published: January 2018

A versatile synthesis method was developed for the construction of a yolk–shell structured metal–TiO2 nanocomposite.
Synthesis, crystal structures, one/two-photon optical properties and bioimaging application of two organic molecules with D–A and D–π–A models containing 6-phenyl-2,2′-bipyridine
Authors: Liu Zhaodi , Hao Fuying , Liu Jie , Zhu Yingzhong , Du Wei , Zhang Qiong , Wu Jieying
Published: January 2018

The structures, one/two-photon optical properties and bioimaging application of two organic molecules with D–A and D–π–A models containing 6-phenyl-2,2′-bipyridine were studied.
Durable oxygen evolution reaction of one dimensional spinel CoFe2O4 nanofibers fabricated by electrospinning
Authors: Zhang Zhengmei , Zhang Jingyan , Wang Tao , Li Zhiwei , Yang Guijin , Bian Haiqin , Li Jinyun , Gao Daqiang
Published: January 2018

One dimensional spinel CoFe2O4 nanofibers were synthesized via the electrospinning technique.
Efficient photocatalytic degradation of gaseous acetaldehyde over ground Rh–Sb co-doped SrTiO3 under visible light irradiation
Authors: Yamaguchi Yuichi , Usuki Sho , Yamatoya Kenji , Suzuki Norihiro , Katsumata Ken-ichi , Terashima Chiaki , Fujishima Akira , Kudo Akihiko , Nakata Kazuya
Published: January 2018

A visible-light-responsive Rh–Sb co-doped SrTiO3 photocatalyst (STO:Rh,Sb) via a solid-state reaction was successfully developed, following pulverization by using ball-milling.
Surface crystal feature-dependent photoactivity of ZnO–ZnS composite rods via hydrothermal sulfidation
Authors: Liang Yuan-Chang , Wang Chein-Chung
Published: January 2018

ZnO–ZnS core–shell composite rods were synthesized using a two-step facile hydrothermal methodology wherein different sulfidation durations were employed.
Effects of electrochemical properties of ferrocenylpyrazolylnickel(ii) and palladium(ii) compounds on their catalytic activities in ethylene oligomerisation reactions
Authors: Obuah Collins , Ainooson Michael K. , Darkwa James
Published: January 2018

Studying the correlation between the electrophilicity of the metal centre and the activity of the resulting catalyst using electrochemistry and computation modelling.
Computational method for estimating progression saturation of analog series
Authors: Kunimoto Ryo , Miyao Tomoyuki , Bajorath Jürgen
Published: January 2018

Chemical space view of an analog series. Shown are inactive (red) and active (blue) analogs together with virtual candidate compounds (green) available to expand the series. Chemical neighborhoods of analogs are depicted in gray.
Solvent-free and biocompatible multiphased organic–inorganic hybrid nanocomposites
Authors: da Silva Laura C. E. , Germiniani Luiz G. L. , Plivelic Tomás S. , Gonçalves Maria C.
Published: January 2018

A combination of electron microscopy and synchrotron X-ray scattering techniques revealed the complex four-phased nanostructure of new solvent-free O–I hybrids.
A lead-free semiconducting hybrid with ultra-high color rendering index white-light emission
Authors: Khan Asma , Zeb Aurang , Li Lina , Zhang Weichuan , Sun Zhihua , Wang Yuyin , Luo Junhua
Published: January 2018

We present a one-dimensional lead-free semiconducting hybrid exhibiting white-light emission with an ultra-high CRI of 96.29 and CIE chromaticity coordinates of (0.32, 0.33).
Effect of electron transfer on the photocatalytic hydrogen evolution efficiency of faceted TiO2/CdSe QDs under visible light
Authors: Chen Weiwei , Yu Shan , Zhong Yunqian , Fan Xiang-Bing , Wu Li-Zhu , Zhou Ying
Published: January 2018

Higher photocatalytic hydrogen evolution efficiency of {001}-TiO2/CdSe QDs was obtained because of their faster electron transfer rate, compared to that of {101}-TiO2/CdSe QDs.
Spotting high-z molecular absorbers using neutral carbon
Authors: Noterdaeme P. , Ledoux C. , Zou S. , Petitjean P. , Srianand R. , Balashev S. , López S.
Published: January 2018

While molecular quasar absorption systems provide unique probes of the physical and chemical properties of the gas as well as original constraints on fundamental physics and cosmology, their detection remains challenging. Here we present the results from a complete survey for molecular gas in thirty-nine absorption systems selected solely upon the detection of neutral carbon lines in Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) spectra, without any prior knowledge of the atomic or molecular gas content. H2 is found in all twelve systems (including seven new detections) where the corresponding lines are covered by the instrument setups and measured to have logN(H2) ≳ 18, indicating a self-shielded regime. We also report seven CO detections (7/39) down to logN(CO)  ~ 13.5, including a new one, and put stringent constraints on N(CO) for the remaining 32 systems. N(CO) and N(C I) are found to be strongly correlated with N(CO)/N(C I) ~ 1/10. This suggests that the C I-selected absorber population is probing gas deeper than the H I–H2 transition in which a substantial fraction of the total hydrogen in the cloud is in the form of H2. We conclude that targeting C I-bearing absorbers is a very efficient way to find high-metallicity molecular absorbers. However, probing the molecular content in lower-metallicity regimes as well as high-column-density neutral gas remains to be undertaken to unravel the processes of gas conversion in normal high-z galaxies.
Long-term fishing impact on the Senegalese coastal demersal resources: diagnosing from stock assessment models
Authors: Ba Kamarel , Thiaw Modou , Fall Massal , Thiam Ndiaga , Meissa Beyah , Jouffre Didier , Thiaw Omar Thiom , Gascuel Didier
Published: January 2018

For the first time in Senegal, assessments based on both stochastic and deterministic production models were used to draw a global diagnosis of the fishing impact on coastal demersal stocks. Based one national fisheries databases and scientific trawl surveys data: (i) trends in landings since 1971 were examined, (ii) abundance indices of 10 stocks were estimated using linear models fitted to surveys data and commercial catch per unit efforts, and (iii) stock assessments were carried out using pseudo-equilibrium Fox and Pella-Tomlinson models and a Biomass dynamic production model fitted in a Bayesian framework to abundance indices. Most stocks have seen their abundance sharply declining over time. All stocks combined, results of stock assessments suggest a 63% reduction compared to virgin state. Three fifth of demersal stocks are overexploited and excess in fishing effort was estimated until 75% for the worst case. We conclude by suggesting that the fishing of such species must be regulated and an ecosystem approach to fisheries management should be implemented in order to monitor the whole ecosystem.
Analysis of post-mining excavations as places for municipal waste
Authors: Górniak-Zimroz Justyna
Published: January 2018

Waste management planning is an interdisciplinary task covering a wide range of issues including costs, legal requirements, spatial planning, environmental protection, geography, demographics, and techniques used in collecting, transporting, processing and disposing of waste. Designing and analyzing this issue is difficult and requires the use of advanced analysis methods and tools available in GIS geographic information systems containing readily available graphical and descriptive databases, data analysis tools providing expert decision support while selecting the best-designed alternative, and simulation models that allow the user to simulate many variants of waste management together with graphical visualization of the results of performed analyzes. As part of the research study, there have been works undertaken concerning the use of multi-criteria data analysis in waste management in areas located in southwestern Poland. These works have proposed the inclusion in waste management of post-mining excavations as places for the final or temporary collection of waste assessed in terms of their suitability with the tools available in GIS systems.
Map of the terminal moraine of the Werenskioldbreen glacier (South-West Spitsbergen) from 2015
Authors: Downar-Zapolska Laura , Głowacki Tadeusz
Published: January 2018

The first direct field measurement of the entire terminal moraine of the Werenskioldbreen glacier on Spitsbergen took place at the end of July and the beginning of August 2015. The results of the measurements were the basis for the development of the large-scale terminal moraine map. The article presents the stages of map creation and editing based on measurement points established by the GNSS method. The map editing required knowledge of the morphologically complex terrain. Key documentation was field notes and documentary photographs, enabling the cartographic interpretation of the varied topographic features of the terrain's surface. Based on the documentation, the water bodies on the moraine were located, the outline of the structure and the boundary points were executed and the latter were excluded from the triangulation process. The glacial river was also excluded from triangulation, which allowed a DTM to be developed. An important step in point cloud mapping was to generate a topologically correct digital elevation model of satisfactory accuracy. On the basis of the DTM, contour lines were generated showing the topographic features of the terrain's surface. The printable resultant map's scale is 1: 5000; it is in the UTM coordinate system, in the 33X zone. Complementing the content of the map, a grid of geographic coordinates, a kilometer grid, and map key descriptions were
added.
Conditions for the lawful exercise of the right of self-defence in international law
Authors: Upeniece V.
Published: January 2018

The Charter of the United Nations wasthought to establish a normative order, maintain international peace and security. According to the Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations “Nothing in the present Charter shall impair the inherent right of individual or collective self-defence if an armed attack occurs”[1]. However the Article 51 doesnot propose a legal definition of the conduct which is considered as an armed attack or the commencement of such an attack. It does not propose strict criterions for the use of force for self-defence. As a result different interpretations of this norm have been arising and continuing to change in response to new situations and threats.
Interest group impact on E-health implementation in Latvia
Authors: Bikava I. , Kreituse I.
Published: January 2018

Democratic state governance should provide the society with mechanisms to impact policy development and implementation. Society members are presented by interest groups that can use internal and external ways to have impact on the government and reform implementation processes.

This article represents research that was made on E-health implementation in Latvia – identifying main obstacles and reasons of delayed implementation, and analyses active interest groups and their impact on the implementation process.

The research results showed that the main reason of delayed implementation was poor governance from the responsible authority and lack of interest group involvement in the reform development and implementation process.
Latvian health care competitiveness in relation to its infrastructure and available resources
Authors: Kokarevica A. , Villerusa A. , Behmane D. , Berkis U. , Cauce V.
Published: January 2018

Resources are one of the essential indicators for the functioning of the health care system. Better health care provision is an essential prerequisite for the export of services. Traditionally a competitive health care system is linked to a number of factors (price, quality, reliability, products and services) largely determined by the new technologies, innovations and implementation the new methods. The authors of this article analyzed and collected data from the European Commission Eurostat and OECD data. Current situation in health care in Latvia is characterized by populations’ restricted access to health care services, high out-of-pocket payments and poor health outcomes of the population. More than 10% of Latvian population can’t afford medical care. The ratio of public funding for healthcare in Latvia is among the lowest in EU countries. Latvia spends 5.3% (USD PPP 1217) of GDP on health, lower than the OCED country average of 8.9% (USD PPP 3453). Latvia is facing a dramatic gap between the availability of hospital beds and long term care beds and the lowest prevalence of general medical practitioners among all Baltic States 321.6 per 100 000. These mentioned factors may hinder the development of health care in Latvia and reduce the ability to participate in international health service market.
Impact of different physical activities on executive functioning
Authors: Sneidere K. , Harlamova J. , Arnis V. , Ulmane Z. , Mintale I. , Kupcs K. , Stepens A.
Published: January 2018

The aging of the Western society has become one of the key issues in research. Lately research has shown relationship between improvement in cognitive functioning and involvement in physical activities. The aim of the study was to examine the impact of different types of physical activities on executive functioning. Overall 30 seniors aged from 65 participated in a two-day study. They were divided into three groups per their life-style – aerobic activity, strength training and sedentary. Results indicated differences between the groups in cognitive efficiency (F = 6.791, p < 0.01) and working memory (F = 6.179, p < 0.01) as well as the inhibition of attention (F = 4.311, p < 0.01). The mean scores were higher in the aerobic group. The results indicate that involvement in aerobic physical activity might lessen the decline in executive functioning in seniors.
Electric field induced non-90° rotation of the easy axis of a ferromagnetic film
Authors: Guo Zhe , Yang Xiaofei , Liu Xiangli , Ou-Yang Jun , Zhu Benpeng , Chen Shi , Zhang Yue
Published: January 2018

We report that an electric field can induce a non-90° rotation of an in-plane easy axis of a magnetic thin film. Based on the magnetic hysteresis loop measurements for a FeCoSiB/0.7Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-0.3PbTiO3 multiferroic heterostructure, we found that when an electric field induced uniaxial anisotropy field HK1 is generated in a magnetic film with an initial uniaxial anisotropy field HK2, and there is a non-90° angle between these fields, the combination of these two fields effectively rotates HK2 by a non-90° angle. Based on the measurement of anisotropic magnetoresistance, one can see that the non-90° rotation of the easy axis changes the direction of the magnetic field for observing the maximum and minimum magnetoresistance. The mechanism for this non-90° rotation of the easy axis was discussed using the theory of magnetic anisotropy. This research paves a way for the development of magnetic sensors with an ability to control the direction of the measured magnetic field by using an external electric field.
Magnetic island dynamics in magnetic reconnection in UTST experiments
Authors: Kamio S. , Inomoto M. , Yamasaki K. , Yamada T. , Cheng C. Z. , Ono Y.
Published: January 2018

The dynamics of the magnetic island formed inside the reconnection current layer was investigated under the strong guide field in the UTST spherical tokamak merging experiment. A pair of proximately located O- and X-points was generated at ∼5 cm away from the other X-point. The formed O- and X-points immediately started to move toward the downstream region inside the current layer, but the O-point had larger velocity and caught up the preceding X-point within 0.5 μs. The results from Doppler spectroscopy indicated that the ion flow velocity had the intermediate value between the O- and X-point velocities, suggesting that the ions flowed with approximately the same velocity with the magnetic island.
Efficient red up-conversion emission from Er3+-Yb3+ co-doped rubidium lead iodide perovskite nanowires with surface plasmons
Authors: Arumugam Gowri Manohari , Xu Chunxiang , Karunakaran Santhosh Kumar , Shi Zengliang , Zhu Can , Wei Ming , Feifei Qin
Published: January 2018

Up-conversion nanostructures play a vital role in the application of bioimaging, but improving their red up-conversion emission is still a challenging issue. In this regard, an up-conversion system of RbPbI3:Er3+, Yb3+ nanowires with surface plasmons has been employed for improving the red up-conversion emission. It represents the dominant red emission at 652 nm and moderate green emission at 548 nm with a R/G ratio of 1.068. When introducing the oleate complex as a surface ligand in the formation of RbPbI3:Er3+, Yb3+ nanowires, the red emission becomes more dominant which is 8 times greater than that without the surface ligand. The decoration of Au NPs as surface plasmons on the surface of the up-conversion system greatly enhances the red emission as well as lifetime with a R/G ratio of 26:1 based on the local field enhancement effect, and the value is higher than that of previously reported values. Hence, the proposed up-conversion system can cause a dramatic change in the field of bioimaging.
Hybrid top-gate transistors based on ink-jet printed zinc tin oxide and different organic dielectrics
Authors: Sykora Benedikt , von Seggern Heinz
Published: January 2018

We report about hybrid top-gate transistors based on ink-jet printed zinc tin oxide (ZTO) and different spin-coated organic dielectrics. Transistors using the polar dielectric poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and the nonpolar polystyrene (PS) were evaluated. By applying PMMA, we were able to process field-effect transistors with a saturation mobility of up to 4.3 cm2 V−1 s−1. This is the highest reported mobility of an ink-jet printed ZTO top-gate transistor using a spin-coated PMMA dielectric. This transistor also exhibits a small threshold voltage of 1.7 V and an on/off-current ratio exceeding 105. The usage of PS as another organic dielectric leads to functional devices with inferior performance, meaning a saturation mobility of 0.2 cm2 V−1 s−1 and a threshold voltage of 9.7 V. The more polar character of the PMMA compared to the PS dielectric leading to a better adhesion on the quite hydrophilic ZTO surface could explain the improved device performance of the ZTO top-gate transistor using PMMA.
Effect of temperature degeneracy and Landau quantization on drift solitary waves and double layers
Authors: Shan Shaukat Ali , Haque Q.
Published: January 2018

The linear and nonlinear drift ion acoustic waves have been investigated in an inhomogeneous, magnetized, dense degenerate, and quantized magnetic field plasma. The linear drift ion acoustic wave propagation along with the nonlinear structures like double layers and solitary waves has been found to be strongly dependent on the drift speed, magnetic field quantization parameter β, and the temperature degeneracy. The graphical illustrations show that the frequency of linear waves and the amplitude of the solitary waves increase with the increase in temperature degeneracy and Landau quantization effect, while the amplitude of the double layers decreases with the increase in η and T. The relevance of the present study is pointed out in the plasma environment of fast ignition inertial confinement fusion, the white dwarf stars, and short pulsed petawatt laser technology.
Ionization instability induced striations in low frequency and pulsed He/H2O atmospheric pressure plasmas
Authors: Kawamura E. , Lieberman M. A. , Lichtenberg A. J.
Published: January 2018

In previous work [Kawamura et al., Plasma Sources Sci. Technol. 25, 054009 (2016)] and [Kawamura et al., J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 50, 145204 (2017)], 1D kinetic particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations of narrow gap (1 to 4 mm), high frequency (27 MHz) or dc-driven, He/2%H2O atmospheric pressure plasmas (APPs) showed an ionization instability resulting in standing striations (spatial oscillations) in the bulk plasma. We developed a steady-state striation theory which showed that the striations are due to non-local electron kinetics. In both the high frequency and dc-driven cases, the equilibrium electron density n0 in the plasma bulk was stationary. In this work, we first conduct 1D PIC simulations of a 1 mm gap He/2%H2O APP, driven by a sinusoidal current at a low frequency of f = 50 kHz such that ω = 2πf is well below the ionization frequency νiz. In this case, n0 varies with time, and we observe a time-varying instability which quasistatically depends on n0(t). At each phase of the rf cycle, the discharge resembles a dc discharge at the same n0. At higher frequencies (200 kHz–1 MHz), ω approaches νiz, and quasistatic equilibrium at each phase breaks down. The discharge is also driven with a 200 kHz, 50% duty cycle square wave pulse with a short rise and fall time of 0.1 μs in an attempt to directly measure the striation growth rate s during the on-cycle before it saturated. However, the spike in current during the rise time leads to a spike in electron temperature Te and hence νiz and s at the beginning of the rise which saturated during the beginning of the on-cycle. To predict the instability growth rate and saturation during and after the current spike, we extend our striation theory to include time-varying n0, Te, νiz, as well as terms for the nonlinear saturation and noise floor of the striation amplitude. The time-varying global model predictions are compared to the PIC simulations, showing reasonable agreement.
LPCVD homoepitaxy of Si doped β-Ga2O3 thin films on (010) and (001) substrates
Authors: Rafique Subrina , Karim Md Rezaul , Johnson Jared M. , Hwang Jinwoo , Zhao Hongping
Published: January 2018

This paper presents the homoepitaxy of Si-doped β-Ga2O3 thin films on semi-insulating (010) and (001) Ga2O3 substrates via low pressure chemical vapor deposition with a growth rate of ≥1 μm/h. Both high resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction measurements demonstrated high crystalline quality homoepitaxial growth of these thin films. Atomic resolution STEM images of the as-grown β-Ga2O3 thin films on (010) and (001) substrates show high quality material without extended defects or dislocations. The charge carrier transport properties of the as-grown Si-doped β-Ga2O3 thin films were characterized by the temperature dependent Hall measurement using van der Pauw patterns. The room temperature carrier concentrations achieved for the (010) and (001) homoepitaxial thin films were ∼1.2 × 1018 cm−3 and ∼9.5 × 1017 cm−3 with mobilities of ∼72 cm2/V s and ∼42 cm2/V s, respectively.
Nature of magnetism in thiol-capped gold nanoparticles investigated with Muon spin rotation
Authors: Dehn M. H. , Arseneau D. J. , Buck T. , Cortie D. L. , Fleming D. G. , King S. R. , MacFarlane W. A. , McDonagh A. M. , McFadden R. M. L. , Mitchell D. R. G. , Kiefl R. F.
Published: January 2018

Muon spin rotation/relaxation measurements show clear evidence for magnetism in 2.2 nm gold nanoparticles capped with butanethiol. At low temperatures (1.8 K), there is significant spin relaxation which decreases as a function of both the applied longitudinal magnetic field and increasing temperature. The results indicate that there are spatially inhomogeneous electronic moments that fluctuate with a wide distribution of correlation times. Possible explanations are discussed.
Influence of electric field on the amyloid-β(29-42) peptides embedded in a membrane bilayer
Authors: Lu Yan , Shi Xiao-Feng , Salsbury Freddie R. , Derreumaux Philippe
Published: January 2018

Alzheimer’s disease is linked to various types of aggregates of amyloid-β (Aβ) peptide and their interactions with protein receptors and neuronal cell membranes. Little is known on the impact of the electric field on membrane-embedded Aβ. Here we use atomistic molecular dynamics simulations to study the effects of a constant electric field on the conformations of Aβ29–42 dimer inside a membrane, where the electric field has a strength of 20 mV/nm which exists across the membrane of a human neuron. Starting from α-helix peptides, the transmembrane electric field (TMEF) accelerates the conversion from the Gly-out substate to the Gly-side and Gly-in substates. Starting from β-sheet peptides, TMEF induces changes of the kink and tilt angles at Gly33 and Gly37. Overall, in the simulations totaling 10 μs, TMEF establishes new ground states for the dimer, similar to induced-fit in ligand binding. Our findings indicate that TMEF can stabilize rare conformations of amyloid peptides, and this could influence the cleavage of the amyloid precursor protein and the formation of β-sheet oligomers in membrane bilayers.
Cooling rate dependence of structural order in Ni62Nb38 metallic glass
Authors: Wen Tongqi , Sun Yang , Ye Beilin , Tang Ling , Yang Zejin , Ho Kai-Ming , Wang Cai-Zhuang , Wang Nan
Published: January 2018

Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations are performed to study the structure of Ni62Nb38 bulk metallic glass at the atomistic level. Structural analysis based on the cluster alignment method is carried out and a new Ni-centered distorted-icosahedra (DISICO) motif is excavated. We show that the short-range order and medium-range order in the glass are enhanced with lower cooling rate. Almost 50% of the clusters around the Ni atoms in the well-annealed Ni62Nb38 glass sample from our MD simulations can be classified as DISICO. It is revealed that the structural distortion with respect to the perfect icosahedra is driven by chemical ordering in the distorted region of the DISICO motif. The relationship between the structure, energy, and dynamics in this glass-forming alloy during the cooling and annealing processes is also established.
Efficiency of gyrotrons with a tapered magnetic field in the regime of soft self-excitation
Authors: Dumbrajs O. , Nusinovich G. S.
Published: January 2018

As a rule, gyrotron operation with high efficiency is realized in the regime of hard self-excitation that requires a special start-up scenario: either a tuning of the external magnetic field or providing certain relations between mod-anode and beam voltages. This paper describes a study of gyrotron operation in slightly tapered external magnetic fields. It is shown how the use of tapered magnetic fields affects the maximum efficiency realizable in hard and soft excitation regimes. First, a model of gyrotron with the Gaussian axial profile of the resonator field is studied. Then, a similar treatment is done for a realistic resonator designed for a 140 GHz Karlsruhe Institute for Technology gyrotron.
Flies, endemicity, and the Atlantic Forest: a biogeographical study using topographic units of analysis
Authors: Amorim Dalton S. , Santos Charles M. D.
Published: January 2018

We present a study of the endemicity patterns in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest on the basis of the distribution of 107 fly species belonging to 24 genera of 15 families. This is the first picture of endemism for Diptera in the Atlantic Forest. Instead of the traditional grid of geographical coordinates, we used a system of topographic units (TUs) for the analysis, delimited after gathering information on rivers and altitude for each state and country. A parsimony analysis of the data matrix with the species records for the TUs was performed, named topographic-unit parsimony analysis (TUPA). The same distributional data was used in a NDM/VNDM analysis. The combination of the resulting patterns from both analyses indicated the existence of the following three major areas of endemism for flies in the Atlantic Forest: a Northern Atlantic Forest, north of Rio Doce; a Southern Atlantic Forest, south of Rio Doce along the coast, extending to the west and to the south at the level of the state of Paraná; and a Semideciduous Seasonal Forest, west to the ombrophilous forest along the coast. None of these areas seems to be shaped solely by vicariance events. They can possibly be the result of biotic fusion of ancestral areas of endemism as a result of barrier collapse and secondary overlap of sister biotas, a hypothesis yet to be tested. The recognition of a separate area of endemism for flies in the Semideciduous Forest agrees with phytogeographical reconstructions and raises an important alert for the scarcity of biological reserves for this vegetation.
Respecifying human iPSC-derived blood cells into highly engraftable hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells with a single factor
Authors: Tan Yu-Ting , Ye Lin , Xie Fei , Beyer Ashley I. , Muench Marcus O. , Wang Jiaming , Chen Zhu , Liu Han , Chen Sai-Juan , Kan Yuet Wai
Published: January 2018

Derivation of human hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) offers considerable promise for cell therapy, disease modeling, and drug screening. However, efficient derivation of functional iPSC-derived HSCs with in vivo engraftability and multilineage potential remains challenging. Here, we demonstrate a tractable approach for respecifying iPSC-derived blood cells into highly engraftable hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) through transient expression of a single transcription factor,
MLL-AF4
. These induced HSPCs (iHSPCs) derived from iPSCs are able to fully reconstitute the human hematopoietic system in the recipient mice without myeloid bias. iHSPCs are long-term engraftable, but they are also prone to leukemic transformation during the long-term engraftment period. On the contrary, primary HSPCs with the same induction sustain the long-term engraftment without leukemic transformation. These findings demonstrate the feasibility of activating the HSC network in human iPSC-derived blood cells through expression of a single factor and suggest iHSPCs are more genomically instable than primary HSPCs, which merits further attention.
α-induced reaction cross sections in the mass range A ≈ 20 − 50: a critical review
Authors: Mohr Peter
Published: January 2018

In a recent review it was shown that the cross sections of α-induced reactions in the A ≈ 20 − 50 mass range follow a general and smooth trend in most cases. For comparison of cross sections of different targets at various energies the method of reduced cross sections σ
red and reduced energies E
red was used. Four outliers were identified: 36Ar and 40Ar with unusal small cross sections and 23Na and 33S with unusual huge cross sections. New data for 23Na were presented at this NPA-7 conference; contrary to the previous data, these new data fit into the general systematics. In addition, a relation between the most effective energy E
0 for astrophysical reaction rates (the so-called Gamow window) and the reduced energy E
red is presented.
MutHTP: mutations in human transmembrane proteins
Authors: Kulandaisamy A , Binny Priya S , Sakthivel R , Tarnovskaya Svetlana , Bizin Ilya , Hönigschmid Peter , Frishman Dmitrij , Gromiha M Michael
Published: January 2018

Motivation

Existing sources of experimental mutation data do not consider the structural environment of amino acid substitutions and distinguish between soluble and membrane proteins. They also suffer from a number of further limitations, including data redundancy, lack of disease classification, incompatible information content, and ambiguous annotations (e.g. the same mutation being annotated as disease and benign).

Results

We have developed a novel database, MutHTP, which contains information on 183 395 disease-associated and 17 827 neutral mutations in human transmembrane proteins. For each mutation site MutHTP provides a description of its location with respect to the membrane protein topology, structural environment (if available) and functional features. Comprehensive visualization, search, display and download options are available.

Availability and implementation

The database is publicly available at http://www.iitm.ac.in/bioinfo/MutHTP/. The website is implemented using HTML, PHP and javascript and supports recent versions of all major browsers, such as Firefox, Chrome and Opera.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Not easy to catch: multiple covariates influence catch rates of brown shrimp (Crangon crangon L.), potentially affecting inferences drawn from catch and landings data
Authors: Schulte Katharina Friederike , Dänhardt Andreas , Hufnagl Marc , Siegel Volker , Wosniok Werner , Temming Axel
Published: January 2018

Brown shrimps (Crangon crangon) occur in high densities in the southern North Sea and support a large, but so far unmanaged fishery with >500 vessels. Cohort-based stock assessment is not possible, and catch per unit effort from scientific surveys and commercial landings are the only variables collected. Landings per unit effort are currently used to approximate the state of stock and to trigger catch restrictions, but, although decisive in interpreting unit catches or landings, factors affecting catch rates are rarely understood. Using data from two long-term (1997–2010) scientific surveys conducted in autumn and winter, respectively, in the southern North Sea and from a vertically resolving stow net deployed at two stations in the German Wadden Sea (2005–2007), we investigate the effects of season, reproductive state, size, tidal state, daylight, and water depth on catch rates of brown shrimp. Log-linear random intercept models revealed an influence of all factors examined on the catch rate. Depth had a clear effect on the composition of size and reproductive state, supporting the hypothesis that brown shrimp utilize selective tidal stream transport to migrate to depths preferred during certain periods within their life cycle. The vertical distribution of brown shrimp across the water column revealed that on average two thirds to three quarters of the brown shrimps were located above reach of the standard shrimp catching gear. Our findings indicate that multiple factors and interactions affect catch rates of brown shrimp and, thus, need to be accounted for when interpreting unit catches or landings for management purposes. We suggest that brown shrimps are not primarily demersal, and that stock size estimates solely relying on beam trawl data may underestimate the true density of shrimps per area.
Policing the ‘Middle of Nowhere’: Officer Working Strategies in Isolated Communities
Authors: Ruddell Rick , Jones Nicholas A
Published: January 2018

Thousands of isolated communities across the globe are policed by officers who confront the challenges posed by distinctive geographic and environmental conditions, and many serve in places with a high proportion of economically and politically marginalized peoples in the population. This study reports the results of a survey soliciting the perceptions of 827 Canadian officers working in Indigenous communities; 260 of whom were deployed in isolated locations. Comparison of their responses using t-tests reveal that officers working in isolated communities confront a greater volume and seriousness of crime, and higher levels of social problems contrasted against their counterparts policing non-isolated communities. The results show that officers working in these locations develop a style of policing that is responsive to the characteristics of these places. Considering the perceptions of officers serving in isolated communities is an important step to consider when developing a list of best policing practices that are responsive to the needs of these places, regardless of where in the world they are located.
Characterization of Argentinian EndemicAspergillus flavusIsolates and Their Potential Use as Biocontrol Agents for Mycotoxins in Maize
Authors: Camiletti Boris X. , Moral Juan , Asensio Claudia M. , Torrico Ada Karina , Lucini Enrique I. , Giménez-Pecci María de la Paz , Michailides Themis J.
Published: January 2018

Maize (Zea mays L.) is a highly valuable crop in Argentina, frequently contaminated with the mycotoxins produced by Aspergillus flavus. Biocontrol products formulated with atoxigenic (nontoxic) strains of this fungal species are well known as an effective method to reduce this contamination. In the present study, 83 A. flavus isolates from two maize regions of Argentina were characterized and evaluated for their ability to produce or lack of producing mycotoxins in order to select atoxigenic strains to be used as potential biocontrol agents (BCA). All of the isolates were tested for aflatoxin and cyclopiazonic acid (CPA) production in maize kernels and a liquid culture medium. Genetic diversity of the nonaflatoxigenic isolates was evaluated by analysis of vegetative compatibility groups (VCG) and confirmation of deletions in the aflatoxin biosynthesis cluster. Eight atoxigenic isolates were compared for their ability to reduce aflatoxin and CPA contamination in maize kernels in coinoculation tests. The A. flavus population was composed of 32% aflatoxin and CPA producers and 52% CPA producers, and 16% was determined as atoxigenic. All of the aflatoxin producer isolates also produced CPA. Aflatoxin and CPA production was significantly higher in maize kernels than in liquid medium. The 57 nonaflatoxigenic strains formed six VCG, with AM1 and AM5 being the dominant groups, with a frequency of 58 and 35%, respectively. In coinoculation experiments, all of the atoxigenic strains reduced aflatoxin from 54 to 83% and CPA from 60 to 97%. Members of group AM1 showed a greater aflatoxin reduction than members of AM5 (72 versus 66%) but no differences were detected in CPA production. Here, we described for the first time atoxigenic isolates of A. flavus that show promise to be used as BCA in maize crops in Argentina. This innovating biological control approach should be considered, developed further, and used by the maize industry to preserve the quality properties and food safety of maize kernels in Argentina.
Impact of Telemedicine on Mortality, Length of Stay, and Cost Among Patients in Progressive Care Units: Experience From a Large Healthcare System*
Authors: Armaignac Donna Lee , Saxena Anshul , Rubens Muni , Valle Carlos A. , Williams Lisa-Mae S. , Veledar Emir , Gidel Louis T.
Published: January 2018

Objectives:

To determine whether Telemedicine intervention can affect hospital mortality, length of stay, and direct costs for progressive care unit patients.

Design:

Retrospective observational.

Setting:

Large healthcare system in Florida.

Patients:

Adult patients admitted to progressive care unit (PCU) as their primary admission between December 2011 and August 2016 (n = 16,091).

Interventions:

Progressive care unit patients with telemedicine intervention (telemedicine PCU [TPCU]; n = 8091) and without telemedicine control (nontelemedicine PCU [NTPCU]; n = 8000) were compared concurrently during study period.

Measurements and Main Results:

Primary outcome was progressive care unit and hospital mortality. Secondary outcomes were hospital length of stay, progressive care unit length of stay, and mean direct costs. The mean age NTPCU and TPCU patients were 63.4 years (95% CI, 62.9–63.8 yr) and 71.1 years (95% CI, 70.7–71.4 yr), respectively. All Patient Refined-Diagnosis Related Group Disease Severity (p < 0.0001) and All Patient Refined-Diagnosis Related Group patient Risk of Mortality (p < 0.0001) scores were significantly higher among TPCU versus NTPCU. After adjusting for age, sex, race, disease severity, risk of mortality, hospital entity, and organ systems, TPCU survival benefit was 20%. Mean progressive care unit length of stay was lower among TPCU compared with NTPCU (2.6 vs 3.2 d; p < 0.0001). Postprogressive care unit hospital length of stay was longer for TPCU patients, compared with NTPCU (7.3 vs 6.8 d; p < 0.0001). The overall mean direct cost was higher for TPCU ($13,180), compared with NTPCU ($12,301; p < 0.0001).

Conclusions:

Although there are many studies about the effects of telemedicine in ICU, currently there are no studies on the effects of telemedicine in progressive care unit settings. Our study showed that TPCU intervention significantly decreased mortality in progressive care unit and hospital and progressive care unit length of stay despite the fact patients in TPCU were older and had higher disease severity, and risk of mortality. Increased postprogressive care unit hospital length of stay and total mean direct costs inclusive of telemedicine costs coincided with improved survival rates. Telemedicine intervention decreased overall mortality and length of stay within progressive care units without substantial cost incurrences.
Effects of Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibition and Alpha 1-Adrenergic Receptor Blockade on Inflammation and Hemostasis in Human Hypertension
Authors: Ekholm Mikael , Jekell Andreas , Wallén N. Håkan , Gigante Bruna , Kahan Thomas
Published: January 2018

Drugs blocking the renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system may offer benefit on endothelial function, inflammation, and hemostasis in addition to the effects of reducing blood pressure. We examined the contribution of the angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor ramipril and the alpha 1-adrenergic receptor blocker doxazosin on blood pressure and on markers of inflammation and hemostasis in 59 individuals with mild-to-moderate hypertension randomized to receive double-blind ramipril 10 mg od or doxazosin 8 mg od for 12 weeks. Inflammatory markers (interleukin-6, soluble interleukin-6 receptor, interleukin-8, tumor necrosis factor-α, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, and C-reactive protein) and hemostasis (plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 activity, tissue plasminogen activator antigen, thrombin-antithrombin complex, and thrombin generation by calibrated automated thrombogram) were assessed. The treatment reduced blood pressure in both groups. Thrombin-antithrombin complex decreased by treatment, and this was dependent on a reduction in thrombin-antithrombin complex in the ramipril group alone. There were no changes in plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 activity, whereas tissue plasminogen activator antigen increased by ramipril and decreased by doxazosin. Only minor changes were observed in systemic inflammation by treatment. Treatment with ramipril seems to reduce thrombin generation beyond effects on reducing blood pressure. Drugs blocking the renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system may reduce atherothrombotic complications beyond their effects to reduce blood pressure.
INNER CHOROIDAL FLOW SIGNAL ATTENUATION IN PACHYCHOROID DISEASE
Authors: Gal-Or Orly , Dansingani Kunal K. , Sebrow Dov , Dolz-Marco Rosa , Freund K. Bailey
Published: January 2018

Purpose:

To study zones of reduced inner choroidal flow signal, foci of reduced inner choroidal thickness, and pathologically dilated Haller layer vessels (pachyvessels) in eyes with pachychoroid disease using optical coherence tomography (OCT) and OCT angiography.

Methods:

Patients with treatment-naive pachychoroid disease were recruited. All patients prospectively underwent swept-source OCT and OCT angiography. Zones of reduced choriocapillaris flow were labeled and enumerated. Areas where reduced flow signal was attributable to masking/artifacts were excluded. Regions of inner choroidal thinning were identified on structural OCT and labeled. Overlap between reduced choriocapillaris flow and structural inner choroidal attenuation was quantified using Jaccard indices. The relationship of reduced flow to pachyvessels was recorded.

Results:

Twenty-four eyes of 19 patients were identified. All eyes exhibited at least one zone of reduced flow. A total of 146 flow signal attenuation zones were identified. Sixty-two (42%) of 146 zones showed overlap or proximity with structural inner choroidal thinning. The mean Jaccard index per eye was 0.10 (SD = 0.08). Pachyvessels were spatially related to 100 (68%) of 146 zones of flow attenuation.

Conclusion:

Zones of reduced choriocapillaris flow are prevalent in eyes with pachychoroid disease. Approximately 60% of these zones anatomically correlate with pachyvessels. Inner choroidal ischemia seems related to the pathogenesis of pachychoroid diseases.
UTILITY OF ULTRA-WIDEFIELD RETINAL IMAGING FOR THE STAGING AND MANAGEMENT OF SICKLE CELL RETINOPATHY
Authors: Han Ian C. , Zhang Alice Y. , Liu Tin Y. A. , Linz Marguerite O. , Scott Adrienne W.
Published: January 2018

Purpose:

To determine whether ultra-widefield (UWF) retinal imaging changes the staging or management of sickle cell retinopathy compared with clinical examination.

Methods:

Prospective, observational study including patients with sickle cell disease. All patients underwent dilated fundus examination by a fellowship-trained retina specialist, as well as UWF fundus photography (FF) and fluorescein angiography (FA). Sickle retinopathy stage and treatment recommendation per eye were determined after clinical examination, UWF-FF, and UWF-FA, respectively, and differences in retinopathy stage and treatment recommendation were compared.

Results:

A total of 70 eyes from 35 patients (17 women, 48.6%), mean age 30.4 years, were included. Sickle genotypes included 26 patients with sickle SS (74.3%), 7 SC (20.0%), and 2 β(+)thalassemia (5.7%). Based on examination, most eyes (42/70; 60.0%) had no visible retinopathy. Based on UWF-FF, about half of the eyes were found to be Goldberg Stage 2 or above (36/70; 51.4%). Based on UWF-FA, nearly all eyes were Goldberg Stage 2 or above (63/70; 90%). However, clinical examination reliably detected neovascularization, and in no case did the addition of UWF imaging change management relative to examination alone.

Conclusion:

Ultra-widefield imaging detects a higher stage of sickle cell retinopathy compared with clinical examination alone, but these differences may not be clinically significant.