bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Aeroacoustic characteristics of subsonic flow from axisymmetric pipe-cavities
Authors: Baskaran Kabilan , Srinivasan K.
Published: October 2019

A detailed experimental study on the acoustic characteristics of an axisymmetric pipe-cavity jet is conducted for different ratios of cavity depth to length, over a range of subsonic Mach numbers. Power spectral analysis and Scalogram are implemented to unravel the physics of the pipe-cavity resonance. Proper Orthogonal Decomposition analysis is used to understand the flow dynamics of the pipe-cavity jet. The results show that the pipe-cavity resonates close to the first tangential mode for a wide range of Mach numbers. However, an increase in the depth and Mach number leads to the onset of combined resonance modes. Experimentally obtained resonance frequencies are validated against numerical simulations and theoretical predictions. Scalogram results show the existence of nonlinear interactions and mode shifting of resonance modes. A parametric space plot demarcates the domains of operation of various oscillation modes, over the relevant parametric range. The results reveal that the upstream cavity significantly affects the downstream jet flow dynamics, and its far-field noise radiation. Deeper cavities have a stronger influence on the far-field acoustics compared to shallow cavities.
Computation of the equilibrium three-particle entropy for dense atomic fluids by molecular dynamics simulation
Authors: Maffioli Luca , Clisby Nathan , Frascoli Federico , Todd B. D.
Published: October 2019

We have computed the two- and three-particle contribution to the entropy of a Weeks-Chandler-Andersen fluid via molecular dynamics simulations. The three-particle correlation function and entropy were computed with a new method which simplified the calculation. Results are qualitatively similar to Lennard-Jones systems. We observed a numerical instability in the three-particle contribution. This phenomenon has been previously detected when the traditional method is used; thus, it is likely to be intrinsic in the computation. While the effect of statistical fluctuations can be removed through an extrapolation procedure, the discretization error due to the finite bin size is more difficult to characterize. With a correct choice of the bin size, a good estimate of the three-particle entropy contribution can be achieved at any state, even close to the freezing point. We observed that, despite the fact that the magnitude of the three-particle contribution increases significantly compared to that of the two-particle contribution as freezing is approached, the error induced from overestimation of the excess entropy by the two- and three-body terms exceeds that induced by approximating the excess entropy with the two body term alone.
Diffusion-influenced reaction rates in the presence of pair interactions
Authors: Dibak Manuel , Fröhner Christoph , Noé Frank , Höfling Felix
Published: October 2019

The kinetics of bimolecular reactions in solution depends, among other factors, on intermolecular forces such as steric repulsion or electrostatic interaction. Microscopically, a pair of molecules first has to meet by diffusion before the reaction can take place. In this work, we establish an extension of Doi’s volume reaction model to molecules interacting via pair potentials, which is a key ingredient for interacting-particle-based reaction–diffusion (iPRD) simulations. As a central result, we relate model parameters and macroscopic reaction rate constants in this situation. We solve the corresponding reaction–diffusion equation in the steady state and derive semi-analytical expressions for the reaction rate constant and the local concentration profiles. Our results apply to the full spectrum from well-mixed to diffusion-limited kinetics. For limiting cases, we give explicit formulas, and we provide a computationally inexpensive numerical scheme for the general case, including the intermediate, diffusion-influenced regime. The obtained rate constants decompose uniquely into encounter and formation rates, and we discuss the effect of the potential on both subprocesses, exemplified for a soft harmonic repulsion and a Lennard-Jones potential. The analysis is complemented by extensive stochastic iPRD simulations, and we find excellent agreement with the theoretical predictions.
Two efficient calculations of edit distance between marked point processes
Authors: Hirata Yoshito , Sukegawa Noriyoshi
Published: October 2019

In this paper, we propose to use linear programming methods or a more specialized method, namely, the Hungarian method, for speeding up the exact calculation of an edit distance for marked point processes [Y. Hirata and K. Aihara, Chaos 25, 123117 (2015)]. The key observation is that the problem of calculating the edit distance reduces to a matching problem on a bipartite graph. Our preliminary numerical results show that the proposed implementations are faster than the conventional ones by a factor of 10–1000.
Control of the metal-to-insulator transition by substrate orientation in nickelates
Authors: Peng J. J. , Ouyang B. , Liu H. Y. , Hao C. S. , Tang S. S. , Gu Y. D. , Yan Y.
Published: October 2019

We proved that the critical thickness for metal-to-insulator transition (MIT) of LaNiO3 could be controlled by substrate orientation. By means of density functional theory calculations, films grown on SrTiO3 substrates with (001), (110) and (111) orientations have different amount of charge transfer across the interface. Different charge transfer induces different interfacial conductivity behavior and at the same time modifies the carrier density of adjacent LaNiO3 films. The manipulation of MIT by substrate orientation can be achieved through interfacial charge transfer induced interfacial conductive layer with the modified conductivity of LNO layer.
Tunneling noise and defects in exfoliated hexagonal boron nitride
Authors: Zhao Xuanhan , Zhou Panpan , Chen Liyang , Watanabe Kenji , Taniguchi Takashi , Natelson Douglas
Published: October 2019

Hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) has become a mainstay as an insulating barrier in stackable nanoelectronics because of its large bandgap and chemical stability. At mono- and bilayer thicknesses, hBN can function as a tunnel barrier for electronic spectroscopy measurements. Noise spectroscopy is of particular interest, as noise can be a sensitive probe for electronic correlations not detectable by first-moment current measurements. In addition to the expected Johnson-Nyquist thermal noise and nonequilibrium shot noise, low frequency (<100 kHz) noise measurements in Au/hBN/Au tunneling structures as a function of temperature and bias reveal the presence of thermally excited dynamic defects, as manifested through a flicker noise contribution at high bias that freezes out as temperature is decreased. In contrast, broad-band high frequency (∼250MHz – 580MHz) measurements on the same device show shot noise with no flicker noise contribution. The presence of the flicker noise through multiple fabrication approaches and processing treatments suggests that the fluctuators are in the hBN layer itself. Device-to-device variation and the approximate 1/f dependence of the flicker noise constrain the fluctuator density to on the order of a few per square micron.
Mapping XANES spectra on structural descriptors of copper oxide clusters using supervised machine learning
Authors: Liu Yang , Marcella Nicholas , Timoshenko Janis , Halder Avik , Yang Bing , Kolipaka Lakshmi , Pellin Michael. J. , Seifert Soenke , Vajda Stefan , Liu Ping , Frenkel Anatoly I.
Published: October 2019

Understanding the origins of enhanced reactivity of supported, subnanometer in size, metal oxide clusters is challenging due to the scarcity of methods capable to extract atomic-level information from the experimental data. Due to both the sensitivity of X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy to the local geometry around metal ions and reliability of theoretical spectroscopy codes for modeling XANES spectra, supervised machine learning approach has become a powerful tool for extracting structural information from the experimental spectra. Here, we present the application of this method to grazing incidence XANES spectra of size-selective Cu oxide clusters on flat support, measured in operando conditions of the methanation reaction. We demonstrate that the convolution neural network can be trained on theoretical spectra and utilized to “invert” experimental XANES data to obtain structural descriptors—the Cu–Cu coordination numbers. As a result, we were able to distinguish between different structural motifs (Cu2O-like and CuO-like) of Cu oxide clusters, transforming in reaction conditions, and reliably evaluate average cluster sizes, with important implications for the understanding of structure, composition, and function relationships in catalysis.
Data-driven discovery of coordinates and governing equations
Authors: Champion Kathleen , Lusch Bethany , Kutz J. Nathan , Brunton Steven L.
Published: October 2019

The discovery of governing equations from scientific data has the potential to transform data-rich fields that lack well-characterized quantitative descriptions. Advances in sparse regression are currently enabling the tractable identification of both the structure and parameters of a nonlinear dynamical system from data. The resulting models have the fewest terms necessary to describe the dynamics, balancing model complexity with descriptive ability, and thus promoting interpretability and generalizability. This provides an algorithmic approach to Occam’s razor for model discovery. However, this approach fundamentally relies on an effective coordinate system in which the dynamics have a simple representation. In this work, we design a custom deep autoencoder network to discover a coordinate transformation into a reduced space where the dynamics may be sparsely represented. Thus, we simultaneously learn the governing equations and the associated coordinate system. We demonstrate this approach on several example high-dimensional systems with low-dimensional behavior. The resulting modeling framework combines the strengths of deep neural networks for flexible representation and sparse identification of nonlinear dynamics (SINDy) for parsimonious models. This method places the discovery of coordinates and models on an equal footing.
Long-range
Pitx2c
enhancer–promoter interactions prevent predisposition to atrial fibrillation
Authors: Zhang Min , Hill Matthew C. , Kadow Zachary A. , Suh Ji Ho , Tucker Nathan R. , Hall Amelia W. , Tran Tien T. , Swinton Paul S. , Leach John P. , Margulies Kenneth B. , Ellinor Patrick T. , Li Na , Martin James F.
Published: October 2019

Genome-wide association studies found that increased risk for atrial fibrillation (AF), the most common human heart arrhythmia, is associated with noncoding sequence variants located in proximity to
PITX2
. Cardiomyocyte-specific epigenomic and comparative genomics uncovered 2 AF-associated enhancers neighboring
PITX2
with varying conservation in mice. Chromosome conformation capture experiments in mice revealed that the
Pitx2c
promoter directly contacted the AF-associated enhancer regions. CRISPR/Cas9-mediated deletion of a 20-kb topologically engaged enhancer led to reduced
Pitx2c
transcription and AF predisposition. Allele-specific chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing on hybrid heterozygous enhancer knockout mice revealed that long-range interaction of an AF-associated region with the
Pitx2c
promoter was required for maintenance of the
Pitx2
c promoter chromatin state. Long-range looping was mediated by CCCTC-binding factor (CTCF), since genetic disruption of the intronic CTCF-binding site caused reduced
Pitx2c
expression, AF predisposition, and diminished active chromatin marks on
Pitx2
. AF risk variants located at 4q25 reside in genomic regions possessing long-range transcriptional regulatory functions directed at
PITX2
.
Modeling trade-offs across carbon sequestration, biodiversity conservation, and equity in the distribution of global REDD+ funds
Authors: Palomo Ignacio , Dujardin Yann , Midler Estelle , Robin Manon , Sanz María J. , Pascual Unai
Published: October 2019

Significance

Deforestation is a key driver of climate change. The program on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) is one of the major attempts to tackle climate change mitigation in developing countries. The program intends to provide result-based incentives to countries that reduce deforestation. We model various future scenarios of the distribution of REDD+ funds and assess how each scenario would contribute to reducing carbon emissions and to conserving biodiversity under different distributional equity rules. Results help to understand how the inclusion of distributional equity affects biodiversity and climate objectives under REDD+, and they provide insights about potential synergies and trade-offs between environmental and equity targets in broader policy arenas such as those related to the Sustainable Development Goals.
Invariable stoichiometry of ribosomal proteins in mouse brain tissues with aging
Authors: Amirbeigiarab Susan , Kiani Parnian , Velazquez Sanchez Ana , Krisp Christoph , Kazantsev Andriy , Fester Lars , Schlüter Hartmut , Ignatova Zoya
Published: October 2019

Across phyla, the ribosomes—the central molecular machines for translation of genetic information—exhibit an overall preserved architecture and a conserved functional core. The natural heterogeneity of the ribosome periodically phases a debate on their functional specialization and the tissue-specific variations of the ribosomal protein (RP) pool. Using sensitive differential proteomics, we performed a thorough quantitative inventory of the protein composition of ribosomes from 3 different mouse brain tissues, i.e., hippocampus, cortex, and cerebellum, across various ages, i.e., juvenile, adult, and middle-aged mouse groups. In all 3 brain tissues, in both monosomal and polysomal ribosome fractions, we detected an invariant set of 72 of 79 core RPs, RACK1 and 2 of the 8 RP paralogs, the stoichiometry of which remained constant across different ages. The amount of a few RPs punctually varied in either one tissue or one age group, but these fluctuations were within the tight bounds of the measurement noise. Further comparison with the ribosomes from a high-metabolic-rate organ, e.g., the liver, revealed protein composition identical to that of the ribosomes from the 3 brain tissues. Together, our data show an invariant protein composition of ribosomes from 4 tissues across different ages of mice and support the idea that functional heterogeneity may arise from factors other than simply ribosomal protein stoichiometry.
Quantifying cellulose accessibility during enzyme-mediated deconstruction using 2 fluorescence-tagged carbohydrate-binding modules
Authors: Novy Vera , Aïssa Kevin , Nielsen Fredrik , Straus Suzana K. , Ciesielski Peter , Hunt Christopher G. , Saddler Jack
Published: October 2019

Significance

It is recognized that an optimized mixture of endo- and exo-glucanases, beta-glucosidases, and accessory enzymes need to work cooperatively to result in effective cellulose hydrolysis. However, a key factor that impacts hydrolysis is the effectiveness of enzyme access to the cellulose. A quantitative method based on fluorescence-tagged CBMs and CLSM was developed to assess the cellulose structure, quantify its accessibility, and elucidate how this might influence the efficiency of cellulose hydrolysis. This work provides insights into the substrate–enzyme interactions that occur during enzyme-mediated hydrolysis of cellulose.
UV light suppression of EAE (a mouse model of multiple sclerosis) is independent of vitamin D and its receptor
Authors: Irving Amy A. , Marling Steven J. , Seeman Jeremy , Plum Lori A. , DeLuca Hector F.
Published: October 2019

Significance

Sunlight exposure has long been associated with the suppression of MS with the reduction in risk credited to vitamin D production. Vitamin D and sunlight have each been reported to protect against EAE, the mouse model of MS. However, little work has focused on conclusively showing whether sunlight is acting via vitamin D. Here, we examine whether UV can suppress EAE either in animals lacking the ability to make vitamin D or in animals lacking the VDR. In each case, UV fully retained its ability to suppress disease, demonstrating that neither vitamin D nor its receptor is required. Future investigation can now focus on uncovering the mechanism whereby UV suppresses EAE and presumably MS.
PDZD8 mediates a Rab7-dependent interaction of the ER with late endosomes and lysosomes
Authors: Guillén-Samander Andrés , Bian Xin , De Camilli Pietro
Published: October 2019

Significance

Membrane lipid homeostasis within cells requires a cooperation of vesicular transport and of lipid transfer proteins that mediate lipid exchange between membranes independent of bilayer fusion. Many such proteins also function as tethers connecting adjacent bilayers. For membranes that travel along the exo- and endocytic pathways, these tethers must be regulated to ensure their action selectively at specific stations of their journey. Here we identify a mechanism that recruits the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) to late endosomes/lysosomes and that may promote exchange of lipids between their membranes. These contacts rely on the binding of an ER-anchored lipid transfer protein to a key player in endosomal maturation, the small GTPase Rab7, thus explaining how their formation is regulated in time and space.
Global selective sweep of a highly inbred genome of the cattle parasiteNeospora caninum
Authors: Khan Asis , Fujita Ayako Wendy , Randle Nadine , Regidor-Cerrillo Javier , Shaik Jahangheer S. , Shen Kui , Oler Andrew J. , Quinones Mariam , Latham Sophia M. , Akanmori Bartholomew D. , Cleaveland Sarah , Innes Elisabeth A. , Ryan Una , Šlapeta Jan , Schares Gereon , Ortega-Mora Luis M. , Dubey Jitender P. , Wastling Jonathan M. , Grigg Michael E.
Published: October 2019

Neospora caninum, a cyst-forming apicomplexan parasite, is a leading cause of neuromuscular diseases in dogs as well as fetal abortion in cattle worldwide. The importance of the domestic and sylvatic life cycles ofNeospora, and the role of vertical transmission in the expansion and transmission of infection in cattle, is not sufficiently understood. To elucidate the population genomics ofNeospora, we genotyped 50 isolates collected worldwide from a wide range of hosts using 19 linked and unlinked genetic markers. Phylogenetic analysis and genetic distance indices resolved a single genotype ofN. caninum. Whole-genome sequencing of 7 isolates from 2 different continents identified high linkage disequilibrium, significant structural variation, but only limited polymorphism genome-wide, with only 5,766 biallelic single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) total. Greater than half of these SNPs (∼3,000) clustered into 6 distinct haploblocks and each block possessed limited allelic diversity (with only 4 to 6 haplotypes resolved at each cluster). Importantly, the alleles at each haploblock had independently segregated across the strains sequenced, supporting a unisexual expansion model that is mosaic at 6 genomic blocks. Integrating seroprevalence data from African cattle, our data support a global selective sweep of a highly inbred livestock pathogen that originated within European dairy stock and expanded transcontinentally via unisexual mating and vertical transmission very recently, likely the result of human activities, including recurrent migration, domestication, and breed development of bovid and canid hosts within similar proximities.
Subregion-specific rules govern the distribution of neuronal immediate-early gene induction
Authors: Gonzales Ben Jerry , Mukherjee Diptendu , Ashwal-Fluss Reut , Loewenstein Yonatan , Citri Ami
Published: October 2019

Significance

We are the cumulative product of past experiences, which define our interaction with the world. Experiences leave their mark, at least in part, through the induction of immediate-early genes (IEGs) within neuronal assemblies. However, the rules governing the distribution of IEG expression within neuronal assemblies have not been comprehensively studied. To this end, we applied single-molecule fluorescence in situ hybridization (smFISH) on striatal tissue following cocaine experience and analyzed a published dataset of single-cell RNA sequencing from cortical tissue following light exposure. We report principles governing IEG induction and identify region-specific rules defining cell-specific recruitment. Our results suggest the existence of “superensembles” of neurons found in spatially defined clusters and characterized by the coherent and robust expression of multiple IEGs.
The exacerbation of Ebola outbreaks by conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Authors: Wells Chad R. , Pandey Abhishek , Ndeffo Mbah Martial L. , Gaüzère Bernard-A. , Malvy Denis , Singer Burton H. , Galvani Alison P.
Published: October 2019

Significance

There is limited understanding of what ramifications conflict events have on disease transmission and control in regions plagued by civil unrest and violence. Furthermore, the multifaceted nature of the conflict events during an epidemic is yet to be characterized. Using conflict data, ethnographic appraisal, and a mathematical model, we provide a descriptive timeline of the events during the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. We quantified the unrest preceding a conflict event and its subsequent impact on control activities to demonstrate how conflict events are contributing to the persistence of the epidemic. Our model framework can be extended to other infectious diseases in areas that have experienced chronic conflict and violence.
Deletions associated with stabilization of the Top1 cleavage complex in yeast are products of the nonhomologous end-joining pathway
Authors: Cho Jang-Eun , Jinks-Robertson Sue
Published: October 2019

Topoisomerase I (Top1) resolves supercoils by nicking one DNA strand and facilitating religation after torsional stress has been relieved. During its reaction cycle, Top1 forms a covalent cleavage complex (Top1cc) with the nicked DNA, and this intermediate can be converted into a toxic double-strand break (DSB) during DNA replication. We previously reported that Top1cc trapping in yeast increases DSB-independent, short deletions at tandemly repeated sequences. In the current study, we report a type of DSB-dependent mutation associated with Top1cc stabilization: large deletions (median size, ∼100 bp) with little or no homology at deletion junctions. Genetic analyses demonstrated that Top1cc-dependent large deletions are products of the nonhomologous end-joining (NHEJ) pathway and require Top1cc removal from DNA ends. Furthermore, these events accumulated in quiescent cells, suggesting that the causative DSBs may arise outside the context of replication. We propose a model in which the ends of different, Top1-associated DSBs are joined via NHEJ, which results in deletion of the intervening sequence. These findings have important implications for understanding the mutagenic effects of chemotherapeutic drugs that stabilize the Top1cc.
The senator’s discriminatory intent
Authors: Santa Ana Otto
Published: October 2019

This is a critical analysis of the discourse of an elected state official in the years leading up to the passage of arguably racist legislation. It was submitted to a U.S. court of law to support the plaintiffs’ claim that since the legislator publicly expressed racial bias against the groups of people affected by the law, then his legislation should be voided because the United States Constitution requires that laws treat citizens equally. The fact that critical discourse analytic findings have been entered into the U.S. courts leads to the question whether such analyses of public pronouncements May ever be permitted to serve as legally probative evidence.
Floquet engineering of optical lattices with spatial features and periodicity below the diffraction limit
Authors: Subhankar S , Bienias P , Titum P , Tsui T-C , Wang Y , Gorshkov A V , Rolston S L , Porto J V
Published: October 2019

Floquet engineering or coherent time-periodic driving of quantum systems has been successfully used to synthesize Hamiltonians with novel properties. In ultracold atomic systems, this has led to experimental realizations of artificial gauge fields, topological bandstructures, and observation of dynamical localization, to name a few. Here we present a Floquet-based framework to stroboscopically engineer Hamiltonians with spatial features and periodicity below the diffraction limit of light used to create them by time-averaging over various configurations of a 1D optical Kronig–Penney (KP) lattice. The KP potential is a lattice of narrow subwavelength barriers spaced by half the optical wavelength (λ/2) and arises from the nonlinear optical response of the atomic dark state. Stroboscopic control over the strength and position of this lattice requires time-dependent adiabatic manipulation of the dark-state spin composition. We investigate adiabaticity requirements and shape our time-dependent light fields to respect the requirements. We apply this framework to show that a λ/4-spaced lattice can be synthesized using realistic experimental parameters as an example, discuss mechanisms that limit lifetimes in these lattices, explore candidate systems and their limitations, and treat adiabatic loading into the ground band of these lattices.
Superconducting properties of (NH3)yLixFeSe0.5Te0.5 under pressure
Authors: Yang Xiaofan , He Tong , Taguchi Tomoya , Li Huan , Wang Yanan , Goto Hidenori , Eguchi Ritsuko , Miyazaki Takafumi , Yamaoka Hitoshi , Ishii Hirofumi , Liao Yen-Fa , Kubozono Yoshihiro
Published: October 2019

We prepared two superconducting phases of (NH3)
y
Li
x
FeSe0.5Te0.5, which show superconducting transition temperatures (T
c’s) as high as 20.2 and 29.5 K at ambient pressure, here called the ‘low-T
c phase’ and ‘high-T
c phase’. The temperature dependence of electrical resistance (R) was measured for the low-T
c phase of (NH3)
y
Li
x
FeSe0.5Te0.5 over a pressure (p) range of 0–14 GPa, and for the high-T
c phase of (NH3)
y
Li
x
FeSe0.5Te0.5 over 0–19 GPa, yielding double-dome superconducting T
c–p phase diagrams, i.e. two superconducting phases (SC-I and SC-II) were found for both the low-T
c and high-T
c phases under pressure. For the low-T
c phase, the maximum T
c was 20.2 K at 0 GPa for SC-I, and 19.9 K at 8.98 GPa for SC-II. For the high-T
c phase, the maximum T
c was 33.0 K at 1.00 GPa for SC-I, and 24.0 K at 11.5–13.2 GPa for SC-II. These results imply that the maximum T
c value of the high pressure phase (SC-II) does not exceed the maximum value of the SC-I, unlike what was shown in the T
c–p phase diagrams of (NH3)
y
Li
x
FeSe and (NH3)
y
Cs
x
FeSe investigated previously. Nevertheless, the double-dome T
c–p phase diagram was found in metal-doped FeSe0.5Te0.5, indicating that this feature is universal in metal-doped FeSe1−z
Te
z
. Moreover, no structural phase transitions were observed for either the low-T
c or high-T
c phases of (NH3)
y
Li
x
FeSe0.5Te0.5 over the wide pressure range of 0–15.3 GPa, and the T
c-lattice constant (c) plots for both phases were recorded to determine the critical point separating SC-I and SC-II.
Strong coupling in silver-molecular J-aggregates-silver structure sandwiched between two dielectric media*
Authors: Pang Kunwei , Li Haihong , Song Gang , Yu Li
Published: October 2019

We theoretically investigate the strong coupling in silver-molecular J-aggregates-silver structure sandwiched between two dielectric media by using classical methods. Fresnel equations are employed to solve our proposed structure. The results show that both the reflection and transmission spectra show a Rabi splitting-like line shape, revealing the strong coupling phenomenon. Furthermore, the radiative angle versus incident wavelength exhibits a Fano line shape. The strong coupling phenomenon can be well tuned by controlling the surface plasmon excitation, such as the incident angle and the thickness of the silver films. Our structure has potential applications in quantum networks, optical switches, and so on.
The need for understanding the indoor environmental factors and its effects on occupants through an integrated analysis
Authors: Bluyssen Philomena M.
Published: October 2019

Research has shown that, even though the conditions seem to comply with current standards for indoor environmental quality (IEQ) based on single-dose response relationships, staying indoors is not good for our health. In the last three decades, many studies all over the world have been performed to identify and solve health and comfort problems of occupants. In our current standards, IEQ is still described with quantitative dose-related indicators, expressed in number and/or ranges of numbers for each of the factors (indoor air, lighting, acoustics and thermal aspects). Individual differences in needs and preferences of occupants (over time) are not accounted for. Other stressors and factors, whether of psychological, physiological, personal, social or environmental nature, are rarely considered. Interactions of stressors and effects at and between human and environment level are ignored. The focus is on preventing negative effects: positive effects are usually not considered. There is a need for an integrated analysis approach for assessing indoor environmental quality, which takes account of the combined effects of positive and negative stress factors in buildings on people (patterns), interactions, as well as the (dynamic) preferences and needs of occupants (profiles) and dynamics of the environment.
Research on the performance of sidewall perforated plate air supply system that suitable for prefabricated buildings
Authors: Dong Junwei , Li Hongqiang , Zhang Guoqiang
Published: October 2019

Taking the rural prefabricated residential building as research object, prefabricated sidewall partitioned perforated plate air supply model and traditional jet air supply model were established respectively. Then, CFD commercial software was used to simulate the temperature field, velocity field, formaldehyde concentration of indoor air-flow distribution of the two air supply model that mentioned above. Simulation results show that in the indoor breathing zone, the valuation index of prefabricated sidewall partitioned perforated plate air supply system, such as the velocity non-uniformity coefficient, air diffusion performance index, ventilation efficiency are entirely superior to the traditional jet air supply system. Moreover, the maximum vertical temperature gradient and maximum horizontal temperature gradient of the prefabricated sidewall partition perforated plate air supply system were also small which means the new air supply system could satisfy the indoor air quality and human thermal comfort requirements.
Thermal performance in single-zone occupied space ancient Myanmar multistage roof buildings
Authors: Zune May , Rodrigues Lucelia , Gillott Mark
Published: October 2019

Multistage roofs are dominant features in the ancient Myanmar buildings. They describe the cultural context, social status and are a response to the local climates. However, little is known about the thermal performance of multistage roof buildings. The authors believe that this is the first study to access the thermal performance of multistage roof buildings taking into account their typologies, ventilation modes and roof materials. The findings revealed that the three-stage roof buildings received a shorter duration of a year for thermal discomfort compared to the single gable roof buildings. However, there were insignificant improvements in annual mean air temperature by using three-stage roofs. On the other hand, the roof space of three-stage roof buildings received a very high indoor air temperature that caused abandon roof spaces apart from acting as a response to the local climate contexts. The study highlights that the beautiful use of Le-baw allows adding the gable vents easily for better ventilation performance. The results from this study substantiate the findings of another computational fluid dynamic simulation and support the conclusion with a discussion that the three-stage roof buildings have more potential to improve a better thermal performance if they have gable vents.
Natural ventilation with a supply air window and motorized skylight: a field study
Authors: Bastien Diane
Published: October 2019

Fenestration systems that allow air to circulate between window panes, also called ventilated or airflow windows, can be a simple and efficient way to provide or remove air in a building. This contribution presents modelled and experimental results from a field study where a triple-glazed supply air window is installed in the bedroom of a small, airtight house. A motorized skylight in the living room completes this natural ventilation system. Simulations of the ventilated cavity following ISO 15099 reveal an effective U-value 12-26% lower and a heat recovery efficiency of 58-38% when under a natural ventilation regime and a constant airflow of 14.4 m3/s. The temperature and CO2 levels in the bedroom and living room and window air outlet velocity were measured during 2 nights of single occupancy and 2 nights of double occupancy. Experimental data reveal a dynamic airflow through the ventilated window where local wind conditions have a large influence on the airflow. Effective average room ventilation flow rate between 27 and 42 m3/s were calculated with the transient mass method. This ventilation system is simple, silent and provided satisfactory indoor air quality in the building.
The Klein-Alfvén cosmology revisited
Authors: Hansson Johan
Published: October 2019

The Klein-Alfvén model is based on the pragmatic belief that also cosmology, just like all other fields of physics, should be based on physical laws independently tested in the laboratory. It actually has a number of attractive features, described in this article. As almost all matter in the known universe is in the plasma state, the model is by necessity based on both gravity and electromagnetism, and as most cosmic plasmas are inhomogeneous and magnetized, it is automatically inhomogeneous (as is the real universe). It is not perfect (no models are), but many of the outstanding unsolved ‘problems’ of the contemporary standard big bang-model of cosmology are either solved/sidestepped by, or non-existent in, the Klein-Alfvén model. One should remember that the standard model of cosmology also is just that—a model, and highly idealized at that, with many ad hoc ingredients and a large number of free parameters and hypothetical ingredients that are fixed only through comparison with cosmological data in a global best-fit fashion. It is not, and should never be considered to be, sacrosanct. If a comparable number of man-hours had been invested in the direction of the Klein-Alfvén model it is plausible that it would describe the real observed universe as good as, or even better than, the big bang-model—with much fewer speculative additions to known physics.
Light-sheet engineering using the Field Synthesis theorem
Authors: Chang Bo-Jui , Fiolka Reto
Published: October 2019

Recent advances in light-sheet microscopy have enabled sensitive imaging with high spatiotemporal resolution. However, the creation of thin light-sheets for high axial resolution is challenging, as the thickness of the sheet, field of view and confinement of the excitation need to be carefully balanced. Some of the thinnest light-sheets created so far have found little practical use as they excite too much out-of-focus fluorescence. In contrast, the most commonly used light-sheet for subcellular imaging, the square lattice, has excellent excitation confinement at the cost of lower axial resolving power. Here we leverage the recently discovered Field Synthesis theorem to create light-sheets where thickness and illumination confinement can be continuously tuned. Explicitly, we scan a line beam across a portion of an annulus mask on the back focal plane of the illumination objective, which we call C-light-sheets. We experimentally characterize these light-sheets and demonstrate their application on biological samples.
Acute kidney injury and adverse outcomes of critical illness: correlation or causation?
Authors: Girling Benedict J , Channon Samuel W , Haines Ryan W , Prowle John R
Published: October 2019

Critically ill patients who develop acute kidney injury (AKI) are more than twice as likely to die in hospital. However, it is not clear to what extent AKI is the cause of excess mortality, or merely a correlate of illness severity. The Bradford Hill criteria for causality (plausibility, temporality, magnitude, specificity, analogy, experiment & coherence, biological gradient and consistency) were applied to assess the extent to which AKI may be causative in adverse short-term outcomes of critical illness.

Plausible mechanisms exist to explain increased risk of death after AKI, both from direct pathophysiological effects of renal dysfunction and mechanisms of organ cross-talk in multiple-organ failure. The temporal relationship between increased mortality following AKI is consistent with its pathophysiology. AKI is associated with substantially increased mortality, an association that persists after accounting for known confounders. A biological gradient exists between increasing severity of AKI and increasing short-term mortality. This graded association shares similar features to the increased mortality observed in ARDS; an analogous condition with a multifactorial aetiology. Evidence for the outcomes of AKI from retrospective cohort studies and experimental animal models is coherent however both of these forms of evidence have intrinsic biases and shortcomings. The relationship between AKI and risk of death is maintained across a range of patient ages, comorbidities and underlying diagnoses.

In conclusion many features of the relationship between AKI and short-term mortality suggest causality. Prevention and mitigation of AKI and its complications are valid targets for studies seeking to improve short-term survival in critical care.
Linking evolutionary mode to palaeoclimate change reveals rapid radiations of staphylinoid beetles in low-energy conditions
Authors: Lü Liang , Cai Chen-Yang , Zhang Xi , Newton Alfred F , Thayer Margaret K , Zhou Hong-Zhang
Published: October 2019

Staphylinoidea (Insecta: Coleoptera) is one of the most species-rich groups in animals, but its huge diversity can hardly be explained by the popular hypothesis (co-radiation with angiosperms) that applies to phytophagous beetles. We estimated the evolutionary mode of staphylinoid beetles and investigated the relationship between the evolutionary mode and palaeoclimate change, and thus the factors underlying the current biodiversity pattern of staphylinoid beetles. Our results demonstrate that staphylinoid beetles originated at around the Triassic–Jurassic bound and the current higher level clades underwent rapid evolution (indicated by increased diversification rate and decreased body size disparity) in the Jurassic and in the Cenozoic, both with low-energy climate, and they evolved much slower during the Cretaceous with high-energy climate. Climate factors, especially low O2 and high CO2, promoted the diversification rate and among-clade body size disparification in the Jurassic. In the Cenozoic, however, climate factors had negative associations with diversification rate but little with body size disparification. Our present study does not support the explosion of staphylinoid beetles as a direct outcome of the Cretaceous Terrestrial Revolution (KTR). We suppose that occupying and diversifying in refuge niches associated with litter may elucidate rapid radiations of staphylinoid beetles in low-energy conditions.
Moving the needle towards the democratization of echocardiography: a case report
Authors: dos Santos Jonathan , Borges Fernandes Patrícia , Rocha Gonçalves Francisco , Gonçalves Alexandra
Published: October 2019

Background

Echocardiography has been traditionally performed in echo labs and the potential benefits of its use by primary care physicians (PCPs) are still unexplored. We present a case where POCUS (point-of-care ultrasound) was used as a complement of physical examination by a family doctor, allowing a prompt clinical decision in a heart failure (HF) patient.

Case summary

An 85-year-old woman, living independently, asks her family doctor for a home consultation due to increasing dyspnoea. On examination, severe dyspnoea and bilateral ankle oedema was noted and a point-of-care echocardiogram was performed by the primary care physician, who observed: severely compromised left ventricular systolic function, moderate mitral and tricuspid regurgitation, and severe dilation of the inferior vena cava. As a result, the diagnosis of HF with decreased ejection fraction was formed supporting the therapeutic decision.

Discussion

This case represents an elderly patient with dyspnoea, without previous HF diagnosis. The primary care physician, used portable ultrasound as a complement of physical examination, which confirmed a HF diagnosis, allowing a prompt decision-making on therapy. POCUS, can be a powerful tool to expedite treatment in different settings, including the home consultations by PCPs.
Post-operative myocardial infarction following aortic root surgery with coronary reimplantation: a case series treated with percutaneous coronary intervention
Authors: Adamson Carly , Rocchiccioli Paul , Brogan Richard , Berry Colin , Ford Thomas J
Published: October 2019

Background 

Coronary ostial stenosis is an uncommon but potentially lethal complication following aortic root replacement with or without aortic valve replacement (including Bentall and David procedures). This manifests clinically as acute myocardial ischaemia in the early or late post-operative period. Traditionally, this might be managed with redo open-heart surgery.

Case summary 

This case series describes two presentations where urgent percutaneous coronary intervention was used to manage myocardial infarction complicating aortic root surgery with coronary reimplantation.

Discussion 

This series highlights the risk of acute myocardial infarction after cardiac surgery involving coronary reimplantation. Emergency percutaneous coronary intervention is feasible and illustrates the importance of shared post-operative care involving the cardiac surgeons and the cardiology team.
Outcomes following modified extracardiac Fontan procedure of direct total cavopulmonary connection with autologous vessels: a single-centre 10-year experience
Authors: Liu Xiaobing , Yuan Haiyun , Chen Jimei , Cen Jianzheng , Nie Zhiqiang , Xu Gang , Wen Shusheng , Zhuang Jian
Published: October 2019

OBJECTIVES

The modified extracardiac Fontan of direct total cavopulmonary connection (dTCPC) with entirely autologous vessels is a better solution in selected patients with functionally univentricular hearts because it combines the advantages of a tubular connection and of full growth potential. We investigated the mid-term to long-term outcomes of the physical condition of patients who had the dTCPC and assessed the growth potential of the autologous dTCPC pathway.

METHODS

From July 2005 to June 2014, 31 patients, aged 1.8–14.0 years, underwent a modified extracardiac Fontan with dTCPC at our institution. Twenty-two patients underwent a 1-stage dTCPC and 9 patients underwent a 2-stage dTCPC. The preoperative and postoperative data were reviewed retrospectively.

RESULTS

There were 17 (54.8%) boys and 14 (45.2%) girls, with a median age of 6.4 years (range 1.8–14.0 years) and a mean weight of 17.8 kg (range 9–41 kg). The mean follow-up period was 6.0 years (range 2.1–10.2 years). There was 1 early death and 2 late deaths. The event-free survival rate for the 31 patients was 88.9% at 10 years during the follow-up period. Late protein-losing enteropathy, thromboembolism, arrhythmia or heart failure were not observed. There was a significant difference between the preoperative and postoperative data for body mass index and the diameters of the autologous dTCPC pathway and pulmonary artery branches, confirming that the growth potential of the autologous dTCPC pathway was realized.

CONCLUSIONS

The dTCPC procedure could be performed with satisfactory midterm to long-term outcomes in selected patients. It has the potential of retaining the advantage of the extracardiac Fontan operation together with the potential for growth and the avoidance of prosthetic materials.
Context-dependent bioactivity of versican fragments
Authors: Timms Katherine Payne , Maurice Sean Bertram
Published: October 2019

Versican (VCAN) proteolysis and the accumulation of VCAN fragments occur in many developmental and disease processes, affecting extracellular matrix (ECM) structure and cell phenotype. Little is known about the significance of proteolysis and the roles of fragments, or how this ECM remodeling affects the microenvironment and phenotype of diseased cells. G1-DPEAAE fragments promote aspects of epithelial–mesenchymal transitioning in developing and diseased cells, resulting in cell migration. Enhanced proliferation and invasion of tumor and endothelial cells is directly associated with G1 domain deposition and G1-DPEAAE localization respectively. These tumorigenic and angiogenic roles could explain the disease exacerbating effect often associated with G1-containing fragments, however, the pathogenicity of G1 fragments depends entirely upon the context. Overall, VCAN fragments promote tumorigenesis and inflammation; however, the specific cleavage site, the extent of cleavage activity and the microenvironment in which cleavage occurs collectively determine how this pleiotropic molecule and its fragments influence cells.
Sonine Formulas and Intertwining Operators in Dunkl Theory
Authors: Rösler Margit , Voit Michael
Published: October 2019

Let $V_k$ denote Dunkl’s intertwining operator associated with some root system $R$ and multiplicity $k$. For two multiplicities $k, k^{\prime }$ on $R$, we study the intertwiner $V_{k^{\prime },k} = V_{k^{\prime }}\circ V_k^{-1}$ between Dunkl operators with multiplicities $k$ and $k^{\prime }.$ It has been a long-standing conjecture that $V_{k^{\prime },k}$ is positive if $k^{\prime } \geq k \geq 0.$ We disprove this conjecture by constructing counterexamples for root system $B_n$. This matter is closely related to the existence of Sonine-type integral representations between Dunkl kernels and Bessel functions with different multiplicities. In our examples, such Sonine formulas do not exist. As a consequence, we obtain necessary conditions on Sonine formulas for Heckman–Opdam hypergeometric functions of type $BC_n$ and conditions for positive branching coefficients between multivariable Jacobi polynomials.