bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Gene Therapy for Inherited Retinal Disorders: Update on Clinical Trials
Authors: Michalakis Stylianos , Gerhardt Maximilian , Rudolph Günter , Priglinger Siegfried , Priglinger Claudia
Published: March 2021

Within the last decade, continuous advances in molecular biological techniques have made it possible to develop causative therapies for inherited retinal disorders (IRDs). Some of the most promising options are gene-specific approaches using adeno-associated virus-based vectors to express a healthy copy of the disease-causing gene in affected cells of a patient. This concept of gene supplementation therapy is already advocated for the treatment of retinal dystrophy in RPE65-linked Leberʼs congenital amaurosis (LCA) patients. While the concept of gene supplementation therapy can be applied to treat autosomal recessive and X-linked forms of IRD, it is not sufficient for autosomal dominant IRDs, where the pathogenic gene product needs to be removed. Therefore, for autosomal dominant IRDs, alternative approaches that utilize CRISPR/Cas9 or antisense oligonucleotides to edit or deplete the mutant allele or gene product are needed. In recent years, research retinal gene
therapy has intensified and promising approaches for various forms of IRD are currently in preclinical and clinical development. This review article provides an overview of current clinical trials for the treatment of IRDs.
Das gestresste Immunsystem und Autoimmunität
Authors: Pongratz Georg
Published: March 2021

Über einen möglichen Zusammenhang zwischen psychologischem Stress, Immunsystem und Autoimmunität wird schon lange debattiert. Erkenntnisse aus der Grundlagen- und epidemiologischen Forschung, die das Verständnis für diesen komplexen Zusammenhang erhöhen werden in dieser kurzen Übersicht zusammengestellt. Zunächst werden bekannte anatomisch-physiologische Grundlagen für einen Zusammenhang zwischen psychologischem Stress und Immunsystem dargestellt. Es wird beschrieben, dass die Interaktion zwischen Gehirn über autonomes Nervensystem und Hormonsystem bis zur Immunzelle mit entsprechenden Rezeptoren für Neurotransmitter und Hormone mittlerweile bis auf die molekulare Ebene gut beschrieben ist. Im Rahmen der akuten Stressreaktion treten charakteristische Veränderungen im Immunsystem auf, die ebenfalls gut dokumentiert sind. In einem zweiten Teil wird dann beschrieben welche Veränderungen im Rahmen einer chronischen Stressbelastung am Immunsystem auftreten können und zuletzt wird diskutiert inwiefern diese Veränderungen auch für pathophysiologische Zustände des Immunsystems, z. B. im Rahmen von Autoimmunerkrankungen, relevant sein könnten. Zusammenfassend führt akuter Stress, im Sinne der optimalen Vorbereitung einer fight&flight Situation, zu einer Steigerung der Immunfunktion v. a. der humoralen Immunität, wohingegen die Auswirkungen von chronischem Stress weniger klar definiert sind und es eher zu einer Immundysregulation mit verminderter basaler Immunfunktion, v. a. der zytotoxischen Funktion aber einer gesteigerten Reaktion nach Aktivierung, v. a. im angeborenen Immunschenkel kommt. Epidemiologische Daten belegen gut, dass chronischer Stress zu einer erhöhten Suzeptibilität für Autoimmunerkrankungen führt. Erste klinische Anwendungen, wie beispielsweise die gezielte neuronale Stimulation des N. vagus sind in Erprobung, für einen breiteren klinischen Einsatz sollten aber die biologischen Netzwerkstrukturen noch besser verstanden werden, um die besten Angriffspunkte zu finden.
Behandlung opioidabhängiger Inhaftierter – Einstellungen und Behandlungspraxis des medizinischen Personals in bayerischen Justizvollzugsanstalten
Authors: Weiss Maren , Geißelsöder Kerstin , Breuer Maike , Dechant Michael , Endres Johann , Stemmler Mark , Wodarz Norbert
Published: March 2021

Zielsetzung Die vorliegende Studie untersucht die Versorgungspraxis und die Einstellungen des medizinischen Personals bezüglich der Behandlung opioidabhängiger Inhaftierter in bayerischen Vollzugsanstalten.

Methodik Medizinische Mitarbeitende aus 18 bayerischen Haftanstalten (n=20) wurden im Rahmen teilstrukturierter Leitfadeninterviews zur Substitutionspraxis in den Anstalten und zu ihren Einstellungen hierzu befragt.

Ergebnisse In Bezug auf die Behandlungspraxis bei opioidabhängigen Inhaftierten zeigte sich ein gemischtes Bild, ebenso wie bei den Einstellungen des medizinischen Personals. Die Behandlungsentscheidung hängt aus Sicht der Befragten vom Patientenwunsch, von der Schwere und Dauer der Abhängigkeit, von der Strafdauer und von organisatorischen Faktoren ab. Problematisiert wurden insbesondere die Versorgungssituation innerhalb und außerhalb der Haftanstalten und Schwierigkeiten im Übergangsmanagement.

Schlussfolgerungen Substitutionstherapie wird mittlerweile in den Haftanstalten als Standard-Behandlungsmethode angesehen, wenn auch deren Nachteile (z. B. Weitergabe des Substituts) problematisiert wurden. Das Abstinenzziel wird zwar von einem Teil der Befragten grundsätzlich positiv bewertet, aber als wenig realistisch eingestuft. Besonderes Augenmerk sollte im Rahmen des Entlassmanagements auf die Kontinuität der gewählten Behandlungsstrategie gelegt werden.
Flow-induced instabilities of springs-mounted plates in viscous flows: A global stability approach
Authors: Moulin Johann , Marquet Olivier
Published: March 2021

The linear stability of a typical aeroelastic section, consisting in a rectangular plate mounted on flexion and torsion springs, is revisited here for low-Reynolds-number incompressible flows. By performing global stability analyses of the coupled fluid-solid equations, we find four types of unstable modes related to different physical instabilities and classically investigated with separate flow models: coupled-mode flutter, single-mode flutter, and static divergence at high reduced velocity U* and vortex-induced vibrations at low U*. Neutral curves for these modes are presented in the parameter space composed of the solid-to-fluid mass ratio and the reduced velocity. Interestingly, the flutter mode is seen to restabilize for high reduced velocities thus leading to a finite extent flutter region, delimited by low-U* and high-U* boundaries. At a particular low mass ratio, both boundaries merge such that no flutter instability is observed for lower mass ratios. The effect of the Reynolds number is then investigated, indicating that the high-U* restabilization strongly depends on viscosity. The global stability results are compared to a statically calibrated Theodorsen model: if both approaches converge in the high mass ratio limit, they significantly differ at lower mass ratios. In addition, the Theodorsen model fails to predict the high-U* restabilization of the flutter mode.
Sodium tracer measurements of an expanded dense aluminum plasma from e-beam isochoric heating
Authors: Ramey N. B. , Coleman J. E. , Hakel P. , Morris H. E. , Colgan J. , Barefield J. E. , Fontes C. J. , Gilgenbach R. M. , McBride R. D.
Published: March 2021

Spatially and temporally resolved visible absorption spectroscopy is performed on sodium D-lines present as surface contaminants on an expanded dense aluminum plasma plume. An 80-ns FWHM, intense, relativistic electron beam deposits 5.4 J into a 100-μm-thick Al foil, which isochorically heats and subsequently hydrodynamically expands the material through the warm dense matter state and into a classical-like plasma state, with a coupling parameter of approximately 0.2 and a degeneracy parameter of approximately 270. The Na contamination, carried along with the expanding plume, shows saturated absorption features in the dense Al continuum for λ> 450 nm. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy confirm Na is a surface contaminant with an atomic concentration of ∼0.1% when interrogating identical foil samples. A spectroscopic-quality radiation transport model is used to post-process 2D hydrodynamic simulations to interpret the plasma conditions based on the measured Na 3p-3s doublet line profiles. A sodium number density of 3×1015 cm−3 best matches the experimental spectra, which originate from a dense surface plasma with ne=3.0±0.8×1018 cm−3.
Re-excitation dynamics of a “cold” charge transfer state at organic donor/acceptor interfaces
Authors: Zhang Maomao , Shi Xueyi , Mu Xinyu , Wang Luxia , Gao Kun
Published: March 2021

By employing a femtosecond electric pump pulse, we theoretically investigate the re-excitation dynamics of a “cold” charge transfer (CCT) state at organic donor/acceptor (D/A) interfaces. It is demonstrated that a relaxed CCT state can be pushed to different “hot” CT (HCT) states via experiencing electron (HCT1 state) and/or hole (HCT2 state) higher-energy transitions, where the transition modes and probabilities are primarily determined by the pulse energy. Without the assistance of a charge driving field, both the two HCT states relax to the initial CCT state through different internal conversion processes, whose dynamics are clearly clarified in this work. However, after a driving field is applied, we find that both of the HCT states can be dissociated into free charges before their relaxations. In particular, the HCT2 state is very easily dissociated compared to the HCT1 state, as well as the CCT state, due to the more delocalized hole charge distribution along the donor. In addition, by enhancing the pulse intensity, we can further improve the hole delocalization along the donor so that the pulsed HCT2 state is more favorable to be dissociated. This work underlines the importance of charge delocalization for the interfacial charge dynamics, including both the internal conversion and charge separation, mediated by different intermediate HCT states in organic solar cells.
Identification of three-dimensional flow features around a square-section building model via spectral proper orthogonal decomposition
Authors: Zhang Bingchao , Ooka Ryozo , Kikumoto Hideki
Published: March 2021

This study reproduced the main flow features around a square-section building model via a spectral proper orthogonal decomposition (SPOD) analysis, performed on the three-dimensional velocity field obtained by large eddy simulation. Using this single technique, we presented a spectrum view of the turbulent structures around the square-section cylinder, quantitatively revealing the primary frequency and relative intensity of all the structures at once. The identified features, including the low-frequency modes related to the fluctuation of the incoming flow, primary wake vortex shedding, tip and base vortices, and primary side vortex shedding, were extracted from the single case. An intuitive estimation of the energy percentage for each flow feature was also presented, which was considered a good reference for the comparison of the intensity between features. In addition, the local-space SPOD spectrum was defined to analyze the composition of the kinetic energy within some local parts of the sampling field. It showed the different composition of the fluctuation on the front, side, and back of the prism.
High thermoelectric power factor in ambient-stable semiconducting rare-earth ErN thin films
Authors: Upadhya Krithika , Bhatia Vijay , Kamalasanan Pillai Ashalatha Indiradevi , Garbrecht Magnus , Saha Bivas
Published: March 2021

Erbium nitride (ErN) is an emerging semiconducting rare-earth pnictide with unique electronic and magnetic properties. ErN has attracted significant interest for spin superlattices and spintronic devices and as a second-stage regenerator for Gifford–McMahon cryo-coolers. Solid-solution alloys of ErN with III-nitride semiconductors such as GaN have been studied extensively for use in solid-state lasers, amplifiers, and light-emitting devices operating in the retina-safe and fiber-optic communication wavelength window of 1.54 μm. However, due to the high affinity of Er toward oxygen, ErN is prone to oxidation in ambient conditions. To date, no reports on the deposition of the high-quality ErN thin film and its thermoelectric properties have been published. In this Letter, semiconducting ErN thin films are deposited inside an ultrahigh-vacuum chamber and capped with thin (3 nm) AlN layers to stabilize it in ambient conditions. Structural, optical, and electronic characterization reveals that ErN thin films (a) grow with (111) and (002) orientations on (0001) Al2O3 and (001) MgO substrates with sharp and abrupt ErN–substrate interfaces, (b) demonstrate a direct bandgap of 1.9 eV, and (c) exhibit a high carrier concentration in the range of 4.3 × 1020 to 1.4 × 1021 cm−3. Thermoelectric measurements show a moderately high Seebeck coefficient of –72.6 μV/K at 640 K and a maximum power factor of 0.44 × 10−3 W/m K2 at 486 K. Demonstration of an ambient-stable semiconducting ErN thin film and its high thermoelectric power factor marks significant progress in rare-earth pnictide research and will help develop ErN-based spintronic and thermoelectric devices.
The critical period for grain yield in chia (
Authors: Diez Josefina , Tiranti Juan Anuch , Sadras Víctor O. , Acreche Martin M.
Published: March 2021

Chia (Salvia hispanica L.) grain is rich in omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, which are important for human nutrition and prevention of cardiovascular disease, as well as dietary fibre and quality protein. Demand for chia grain is increasing worldwide driven by the interest in functional food; however, large gaps exist in our understanding of chia physiology. The objective of this study was to determine the critical period for grain yield in chia. A field experiment was conducted under well-watered conditions during four growing seasons, using sequential shading periods of 7–10 days during the season. Yield of unshaded controls varied from 1418 to 2148 kg ha–1 among seasons. Chia’s critical period for grain yield spanned from 550 degree-days before flowering to 250 degree-days after flowering. Seed number fully accounted for reductions in grain yield, with no responses in grain weight to shading. Shading from 550 to 250 degree-days before flowering reduced yield by as much as 40% and this reduction was associated with reductions in the number of verticillasters on second and third order branches. Shading from 50 degree-days before flowering to 250 degree-days after flowering reduced yield by at least 20% and this reduction was associated with reductions in both the number of verticillasters on second and third order branches and the number of grains per verticillaster on branches of all orders. The findings from this study will aid development of management practices to avoid stresses during periods when grain yield would be penalised, and will contribute to breeding for yield potential and stress adaptation by targeting the critical physiological stages.
ICAM-1 orchestrates the abscopal effect of tumor radiotherapy
Authors: Zhao Yang , Zhang Ting , Wang Yanpu , Lu Dehua , Du Jinhong , Feng Xun , Zhou Haoyi , Liu Ning , Zhu Hua , Qin Shangbin , Liu Chenxin , Gao Xianshu , Yang Zhi , Liu Zhaofei
Published: March 2021

Significance

Although RT serves as a frontline therapy for more than 50% of patients with malignancies, its efficacy is limited to localized tumors. Efforts in harnessing the abscopal effect of RT could systemically eliminate metastatic lesions disseminated beyond the radiation field; however, success has been limited thus far, owing to an inadequate understanding of the underlying mechanisms and an absence of reliable biomarkers for early prediction. Here we demonstrate that noninvasive PET imaging of ICAM-1 expression confers predictive value for abscopal effect efficacy at an early stage. This strategy may also facilitate potential high-throughput screening of current or novel drugs to be used in combination with RT to achieve desired antitumor therapeutic outcomes that eliminate both primary and metastatic lesions.
CD11c+CD88+CD317+myeloid cells are critical mediators of persistent CNS autoimmunity
Authors: Manouchehri Navid , Hussain Rehana Z. , Cravens Petra D. , Esaulova Ekaterina , Artyomov Maxim N. , Edelson Brian T. , Wu Gregory F. , Cross Anne H. , Doelger Richard , Loof Nicolas , Eagar Todd N. , Forsthuber Thomas G. , Calvier Laurent , Herz Joachim , Stüve Olaf
Published: March 2021

Significance

The bone marrow-derived CD11c+CD88+CD317+myeloid cells within the central nervous system are associated with clinical experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. Transcriptional analyses identifyITGAX-(CD11c),C5AR1-(CD88), andBST2-(CD317) expressing cells as a distinct myeloid subset in human cerebrospinal fluid. The disease-propagating effects of these cells in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis can be effectively antagonized using anti-CD317 monoclonal antibody therapy.
A molecular link between cell wall biosynthesis, translation fidelity, and stringent response inStreptococcus pneumoniae
Authors: Aggarwal Surya D. , Lloyd Adrian J. , Yerneni Saigopalakrishna S. , Narciso Ana Rita , Shepherd Jennifer , Roper David I. , Dowson Christopher G. , Filipe Sergio R. , Hiller N. Luisa
Published: March 2021

Significance

During infection, microbes must survive the hostile environmental conditions of the human host. When exposed to stresses, bacteria activate an intracellular response, known as the stringent response pathway, to ensure their survival. This study connects two fundamental pathways important for cellular growth in a Gram-positive pathogen: it demonstrates that enzymes responsible for cell wall biosynthesis are connected to the stringent response pathway via their ability to ameliorate errors in protein translation. Our study was performed onS. pneumoniae, where the MurM cell wall biosynthesis enzyme, a tRNA-dependent amino acyl transferase, is linked to penicillin resistance. We now demonstrate the importance of MurM in translation quality control and establish that it serves as a gatekeeper of the stringent response pathway.
Azadirachta indica (neem tree).
Authors: Rojas-Sandoval Julissa , Acevedo-Rodríguez Pedro
Published: March 2021

A. indica, grown pantropically, has received worldwide attention in recent years. It is considered to be a 'wonder' tree with an unlimited number of uses. A report prepared by an ad hoc advisory panel has called it 'a tree for solving global problems' (Vietmeyer, 1992). The tree has great religious, economic, medicinal and ornamental value, and nearly every part of the tree (roots, trunk, bark, leaves, flowers, fruits and seeds) can be used for some purpose (Tewari, 1992; Luna, 1996). Commonly known as 'neem', A. indica can be grown under a range of climatic and soil conditions. It produces timber, fuelwood, fodder, medicines, pesticides and oil. It is said that the value of its byproducts is greater than that of its wood and serves the role of 'village dispensary' (Vietmeyer, 1992; Gupta, 1993; Siddiqui, 1995).It is seldom leafless and the shade it provides in dry, hot climatic regions of India and Pakistan is highly valued. There are an estimated 18 million neem trees in India and Pakistan, most of them lined along roadsides or clustered around the backyards of houses and markets, providing relief from the sun (Vietmeyer, 1992).
Synaptic activity controls autophagic vacuole motility and function in dendrites
Authors: Kulkarni Vineet Vinay , Anand Anip , Herr Jessica Brandt , Miranda Christina , Vogel Maria Chalokh , Maday Sandra
Published: March 2021

Macroautophagy (hereafter “autophagy”) is a lysosomal degradation pathway that is important for learning and memory, suggesting critical roles for autophagy at the neuronal synapse. Little is known, however, about the molecular details of how autophagy is regulated with synaptic activity. Here, we used live-cell confocal microscopy to define the autophagy pathway in primary hippocampal neurons under various paradigms of synaptic activity. We found that synaptic activity regulates the motility of autophagic vacuoles (AVs) in dendrites. Stimulation of synaptic activity dampens AV motility, whereas silencing synaptic activity induces AV motility. Activity-dependent effects on dendritic AV motility are local and reversible. Importantly, these effects are compartment specific, occurring in dendrites and not in axons. Most strikingly, synaptic activity increases the presence of degradative autolysosomes in dendrites and not in axons. On the basis of our findings, we propose a model whereby synaptic activity locally controls AV dynamics and function within dendrites that may regulate the synaptic proteome.
Ferromagnetism and intrinsic half-metallicity of two-dimensional MnN monolayer with square–octagonal structure
Authors: Lin Xiang , Mao Zhuo , Dong Shengjie , Jian Xiaodong , Han Rong , Wu Ping
Published: March 2021

The MnN monolayer with square–octagonal structure (so-MnN) is explored using density functional calculations. The results show that the so-MnN monolayer is energetically, dynamically, thermally and mechanically stable, and exhibits the ferromagnetism and intrinsic half-metallicity. The total magnetic moment is 16 μ
B in unit cell (Mn4N4). The energy band of spin-up crosses the Fermi energy level (E
F), while the spin-down channel has semiconductor characteristic with a direct band gap of 3.0 eV at Γ-point. By applying the biaxial strain, the band gap in spin-down channel can be tuned, and the so-MnN monolayer still possesses the characteristic of ferromagnetism and intrinsic half-metallicity. Finally, the Curie temperature T
C increases gradually under biaxial strains from 0 to +3%, while the T
C has a decreasing trend under the biaxial strains from 0 to −3%.
SEM-visualization of a spatial charge and a giant potassium peak in a corona-poled glass
Authors: Scherbak S A , Kaasik V P , Zhurikhina V V , Lipovskii A A
Published: March 2021

We visualized a region of a spatial electric charge in a corona-poled soda-lime glass using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The SEM image obtained perfectly coincides with a numerically calculated distribution of the spatial charge in the structure. Compositional depth profiles of the glass were characterized with energy dispersive x-ray (EDX) analysis. The measurements showed that K+ ions, the total concentration of which in pristine glass is practically negligible, pile-up significantly just beside a backfront of fast Na+ ions, and their peak concentration exceeds initial K+ content by about 15 times. This is in a good agreement with an analytical model recently presented by Oven. However, diffusion smearing of the spatial charge distribution and the poling profiles turns out to be much larger than the theory predicts.
Atomic forces from Dirac–Kohn–Sham equations: implementation in flexible (APW + lo/LAPW) + LO basis set
Authors: Kutepov A L
Published: March 2021

The atomic forces formulation based on the Dirac–Kohn–Sham equation and the flexible (APW + lo/LAPW) + LO basis set is presented. The formulation was implemented in the code FlapwMBPT and allows a user to easily switch between different basis functions of the augmentation type (APW or LAPW) and between different kind of local orbitals. Similar to the work (2015 Phys. Rev. B
91 035105), the implementation takes into account small discontinuities of the wave functions, density, and potential at the muffin-tin sphere boundaries. Applications to the materials with strong relativistic effects, such as α-uranium, PuCoGa5, and FePt, demonstrate robustness of the method. The comparison of the calculated forces with the ones obtained by numerical differentiation of electronic free energy shows close agreement with deviations about 0.1% or less.
Magnetic field-controlled spin-dependent thermoelectric current in a single-molecule magnet transistor
Authors: Zhang Zhengzhong , Yin Fan , Wang Chao , Li Zhongwen , Liu Hao
Published: March 2021

Control of the charge, spin, and heat currents in thermoelectric devices is an interesting research field that is currently experiencing a burst of activity. In this work, a new type of spin-current generator is proposed that consists of a single-molecule magnet sandwiched between a pair of nonmagnetic electrodes. By applying an external magnetic field, this tunneling junction can generate a 100% spin-polarized current via thermoelectric effects, and the flow direction and spin polarization can be changed by adjusting the gate voltage or magnetic field. Moreover, regardless of whether the external magnetic field exists, the thermoelectric current is always highly spin polarized and can be switched by using different gate voltage windows. This molecular electrical device can be realized with current technologies and may have practical use in spin caloritronics and quantum information processing.
The temperature–strain phase diagrams of ferromagnetic thin films under different magnetic fields
Authors: Wang Yu , Wang Jie
Published: March 2021

The topological magnetic structures in ferromagnetic thin films, such as magnetic skyrmions, are considered as the potential information carriers for future spintronics memory and logic devices due to their topological stability and controllability. In the application, ferromagnetic thin films often experience different temperatures, strains and magnetic fields. To understand the stability of topological magnetic structures in ferromagnetic thin films under different external conditions is not only of scientific significance but also of practical importance. In this work, a temperature-dependent real space phase field model is proposed to investigate the stable topological magnetic structures in ferromagnetic thin films under different magnetic fields, temperatures and strains. The skyrmions phase, helical phase and ferromagnetic phase are predicted in the ferromagnetic thin films with different magnetic fields, temperatures and strains. The strain is applied in the plane of the films, whereas the magnetic field is applied perpendicular to the plane of the thin films. The temperature–strain phase diagrams of ferromagnetic thin films are constructed under different magnetic fields. It is found that a tensile biaxial strain enhances the stability of skyrmions while skyrmions gradually become unstable when the biaxial strain changes from tensile to compressive. For the uniaxial strain, however, skyrmions can be stabilized under both tensile and compressive strains, which indicates the uniaxial strain is more preferable than biaxial strain for the stability of skyrmions.
Real-time simulation of accidental passive transport of radioactive pollutant from a proposed nuclear power plant
Authors: Ahmad Idrees , Muhammad Osama Bin , Ahmed Rizwan , Ahmad Shakeel
Published: March 2021

Power plant’s site selection is a complex task and involves through analyses of multi-disciplinary processes which are interlinked with each other. The site selection for nuclear power plants additionally requires an assessment of radiation doses to the environment and public during normal operation and in the case of an accident. This demands the problem of radioactive particles’ dispersion in atmosphere to be analysed in real time for a comprehensive set of radioactive release scenarios in prevailing meteorological conditions in the plant surroundings. In this study, a local scale atmospheric dispersion problem, considering a hypothetical accidental release (1 Bq s−1 of I-131) from a nuclear power plant is simulated with a combination of weather forecasting and particle dispersion codes on a multiprocessor computer system. The meteorological parameters are predicted with a weather research and forecasting (WRF) model and used in Lagrangian particle dispersion model based code FLEXPART to calculate the trajectory of released particles, and thereby, the estimation of spatial I-131 dose distribution. The concentration of particles and radiation doses were calculated for release heights of 10, 57, and 107 m and found in a reasonable agreement with the observed data and better than an earlier investigation done with regional atmospheric modelling system (RAMS) code. A comparison between the results of WRF and RAMS for various meteorological parameters revealed that better space–time predictions of wind speeds and directions by WRF had a profound effect on tracing the trajectories of particles and thereby the spatial dose distribution. The particles followed the changes in wind direction predicted by WRF that were known to prevail in the region.
Virtual estimation of effective dose in neutron fields
Authors: Eakins J , Abdelrahman M , Hager L , Jansen J T M , Kouroukla E , Lombardo P , Tanner R , Vanhavere F , Van Hoey O
Published: March 2021

The PODIUM project aims to provide real-time assessments of occupationally exposed workers by tracking their motion and combining this with a simulation of the radiation field. The present work describes the approach that would be taken in mixed neutron-gamma fields, and details the methods for generating and applying an effective dose rate map; the required fluence to effective dose conversion coefficients at intercardinal angles are also presented. A proof-of-concept of the approach is demonstrated using a simple simulated workplace field within a calibration laboratory, with corroborative comparisons made against survey instrument measurements generally confirming good agreement. Simulated tracking of an individual within the facility was performed, recording a 1.25 μSv total effective dose and accounting for dose rates as low as 0.5 nSv h−1, which is much lower than anything that could be accurately measured by physical neutron dosemeters in such a field.
Three-dimensional Nanoporous Cu-Doped Ni Coating as Bifunctional Electrocatalyst for Hydrazine Sensing and Hydrogen Evolution Reaction
Authors: Wang Yajing , Xie Taiping , Zhu Quanxi , Fu Junjie , Peng Yuan , Wang Jiankang , Liu Songli
Published: March 2021

Developing a cost-effective and efficient bifunctional electrocatalyst with simple synthesis strategy for hydrazine sensing and H evolution reaction (HER) is of utmost importance. Herein, a three-dimensional porous Cu-doped metallic Ni coating on Ti mesh (Ni(Cu) coating/TM) was successfully electrodeposited by a facile electrochemical method. Electrochemical etching of the electrodeposited Ni(Cu) coating with metallic Ni and Cu mixed phase on a Ti mesh contributed to the formation of a three-dimensional porous Cu-doped metallic Ni coating. Owing to the large specific surface area and enhanced electroconductivity caused by the porous structure and Cu doping, respectively, the developed Ni(Cu) coating/TM exhibited superior hydrazine sensing performance and electrocatalytic activity toward hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). The Ni(Cu) coating/TM electrode presented a good sensitivity of 3909 μA mM−1 cm−2 and two relatively broad linear ranges from 0.004 mM to 2.915 mM and from 2.915 mM to 5.691 mM as well as a low detection limit of 1.90 μM. In addition, the Ni(Cu) coating/TM required a relatively low HER overpotential of 140 mV to reach −10 mA cm−2 and exhibited robust durability in alkaline solution. The excellent hydrazine electrooxidation and HER performance guarantee its promising application in hydrazine detection and energy conversion.
The effect of short and continuous absorbent patch application on local skin temperature underneath
Authors: Klous Lisa , Folkerts Mireille , Daanen Hein , Gerrett Nicola
Published: March 2021

Objective. By attaching absorbent patches to the skin to collect sweat, an increase in local skin temperature (T
sk) underneath the patches seems unavoidable. Yet this effect has not been quantified. The present study investigates the effect of absorbent patch application on local T
sk underneath. Approach. Ten healthy participants cycled for 60 min at an exercise intensity relative to their body surface area (40 W.m−2) in three environmental conditions (temperate: 25 °C 45% RH, hot-humid: 33 °C 65% RH and hot-dry: 40 °C 30% RH). The effect of short sweat sampling (i.e. from min 25–30 to min 55–60) on T
sk was examined on the right scapula. T
sk of the left scapula served as control. The effect of continuous sweat sampling (i.e. four consecutive 15 min periods) on T
sk was examined on the right upper arm. T
sk of the left upper arm served as control. Main results. Neither short nor continuous application of absorbent sweat patches affected T
sk underneath the patches in the hot-humid and hot-dry condition (P > 0.05). In the temperate condition, continuous application led to a significant increase in T
sk underneath the patches during the first and second minute. This increase remained throughout the experiment (1.8 ± 0.6 °C; P < 0.001). Short application of sweat patches did not affect the local T
sk underneath (P > 0.05) in the temperate condition. Significance. To avoid a significant increase in local T
sk underneath sweat patches, continuous application should be prevented in, especially, a temperate condition. Timely removal of sweat patches should be taken into account during longer periods of collecting sweat in field or laboratories settings.
Application of multiple regression for sensitivity analysis of helium line emissions to the electron density and temperature in Magnum-PSI
Authors: Kajita Shin , Nishijima Daisuke , Fujii Keisuke , Akkermans Gijs , van der Meiden Hennie
Published: March 2021

Helium line intensities have been utilized to measure the electron density, n

e
, and temperature, T

e
, by comparing measured line intensities to a collisional-radiative model (CRM). In this study, we use multiple regression analysis to train a model of the helium line intensities and n

e
/T

e
obtained from a Thomson scattering system in the linear plasma device Magnum-PSI; based on the trained model, we predict n

e
and T

e
from line intensities. We show that this method can also obtain radial profiles of n

e
and T

e
. We discuss appropriate selections of line pairs for the prediction based on the multiple regression analysis. A big advantage of this method against the standard technique using CRM is that modeling of atomic population distributions is not required, which sometimes needs to take into account various effects such as radiation trapping, transport of helium atoms in metastable states, etc.
Properties of millisecond-scale modulated pulsed power magnetron discharge applied for reactive sputtering of zirconia
Authors: Kaziev Andrey V , Kolodko Dobrynya V , Sergeev Nikita S
Published: March 2021

The electrical properties of a modulated pulsed power (MPP) magnetron discharge were experimentally and theoretically studied in case of reactive sputtering of metallic zirconium target in argon/oxygen mixtures. The high-power pulsing was assisted by pre-ionization provided by a low-power direct current (DC) magnetron discharge filling the pulse-off period. The ranges of stable discharge operation parameters (applied voltage and oxygen flow rate) were determined for pulse-on time of 3 ms and pulse-off time 100–1000 ms. The maximum stable peak power density was 2.1 kW cm−2. Strong dependence of the MPP discharge current waveforms on the pulse-off time was found, indicating the important role of the pre-ionizing DC discharge. In presence of oxygen, discharge peak current was observed with characteristic width up to 1.5 ms, followed by non-reactive-like plateau region. For theoretical treatment of the observed discharge current behavior, we modified the well-known Berg model of reactive sputtering by introducing the terms required for adequate description of time-dependent poisoning and sputtering processes. The reactive ion implantation term was also transformed to account for the process saturation at high ion current densities. Calculation results from the modified Berg model demonstrated good agreement between our experimental observations of discharge current evolution and target poisoning dynamics in the timescale of milliseconds.
Simultaneous quantification of atomic oxygen and ozone by full photo-fragmentation two-photon absorption laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy
Authors: Shu Zhan , Qiao Junjie , Wang Chuanqi , Xiong Qing
Published: March 2021

Atomic oxygen is one of the key reactive species in plasma chemistry and involved plasma treatments. Quantification of atomic O is essential and often accomplished by the method of two-photon absorption laser-induced fluorescence (TALIF) spectroscopy benefiting from its high resolution in time and space. However, photo-dissociation of ozone (O3), another active molecule formed commonly in O2-added plasmas, by the same UV laser often disturbs the TALIF measurement through in situ additional production of atomic O fragment. This interference of O3 fragmentation needs to be considered and separated from the plasma produced O atoms in the TALIF measurement. In this communication a novel conception benefiting from the photo-fragmentation effect of O3, is proposed for calibrating the TALIF signal of atomic oxygen in studied media. It is realized by TALIF detection of ground-state O(2p4
3P) fragment produced by fully photolyzing O3 by another synchronized 266 nm pulse laser. A robust 1:1 concentration ratio between the O(2p4
3P) fragment and photolyzed O3 is achieved, and therefore the known O3 density, e.g. from an ozonizer, can be utilized as a calibration reference for the TALIF signal of unknown-quantity O atoms in gaseous media of interested. This calibration method is straightforward to implement and simpler if same gas conditions are used in the calibration source (e.g. ozonizer) and diagnosed gaseous media, and no need for noble Xe gas. Furthermore, based on the proposed full photo-fragmentation TALIF principle, the O3 interference is able to be separated from atomic O originated from studied media, and the concentrations of O and O3 are able to be determined simultaneously if their populations are correlated with each other through kinetic chemical reactions, for instance in repetitive pulsed O2-mixed discharges. A successful exemplified diagnose by the proposed method is applied to a typical atmospheric-pressure line-to-plate pulsed-driven dielectric barrier discharge, where the time behaviors of O and O3 productions are quantified simultaneously in the post-discharge.
Zero-biased solar-blind photodetectors based on AlN/β-Ga2O3 heterojunctions
Authors: Xu Zhiyang , Zang Jinhao , Yang Xun , Chen Yancheng , Lou Qing , Li Kaiyong , Lin Chaonan , Zhang Zhenfeng , Shan Chongxin
Published: March 2021

Monoclinic gallium oxide (β-Ga2O3) has drawn much attention in solar-blind detection because of its unique characteristics such as good thermal and chemical stability, intrinsic visible/solar blind, high breakdown electric field, etc. However, the relatively slow response hinders the actual applications of β-Ga2O3 photodetectors. In this work, AlN/β-Ga2O3 heterojunction photodetectors with a fast response speed of 320 ns have been developed. Moreover, the AlN/β-Ga2O3 heterojunction photodetector can work at 0 V with a responsivity of 7.0 mA W−1 and a detectivity of 1.25 × 1013 cm Hz1/2W−1. The results reported in this work indicate that AlN/β-Ga2O3 heterojunctions are feasible for solar-blind photodetectors with fast response and high sensitivity.
Heat and mass transfer in a steady flow of Sutterby nanofluid over the surface of a stretching wedge
Authors: Usman  , Lin Ping , Ghaffari Abuzar
Published: March 2021

The non-Newtonian Sutterby fluid model can be implied to characterize the significant characteristics of shear-thinning and shear-thickening for various ranges of the power-law index. The Sutterby fluid has a vast number of applications in engineering processes and industrial fluid mechanics. The steady two-dimensional stagnant flow of Sutterby nanofluid inside the boundary layer over a stretching wedge placed in a porous medium is investigated. The viscous incompressible fluid is electrically conducting, and a uniform magnetic field is imposed perpendicularly. The heat and mass transfer phenomenon is analyzed by incorporating the effects of nonlinear radiation, viscous dissipation, Joule heating, heat source/sink, and activation energy subject to convective-Nield boundary conditions. The physically modeled partial differential equations (PDEs) are lessened into ordinary differential equations (ODEs) with precise similarity variables. The numerical solution is obtained through the shooting method. The effects of several types of emerging parameters upon the dimensionless distributions of velocity, temperature, and concentration are exhibited graphically. A tabular comparison is presented to show the convergence and accuracy of the shooting method. It can be concluded that the pertinent parameters are altered in such a way that they have produced a substantial influence upon the dimensionless boundary layer distributions. The fluid velocity enhances, whereas temperature and concentration of nanofluid are observing two diverse behaviors for the pertinent parameters. Finally, the present study effectively fills the missing gap in the existing literature.
The effect of laser-activated bleaching with 445 nm and 970 nm diode lasers on pulp chamber temperature rise: an in vitro study
Authors: Saberi Sogol , Shahabi Sima , Tohidkhah Saba , Jafarnia Shiva , Pedram Parham
Published: March 2021

The aim of this study was to determine the pulp chamber temperature changes during bleaching procedures with irradiation from 445 nm and 970 nm diode lasers at different powers. A total of 120 human maxillary central incisors were used for this study. Diode lasers at two different wavelengths were irradiated in this evaluation: 970 nm at 1.5 W of power, 970 nm at 2 W, 445 nm at 1 W and 445 nm at 1.5 W. A thermometer was inserted into the pulp chamber and the temperature increase after bleaching was recorded. The results indicated that there was not a significant difference between the groups at the same wavelengths (P > 0.05). However, there was a significant difference between groups at different wavelengths (P < 0.05). The highest recorded pulp temperature increase was for the 970 nm diode laser with 2 W of power (2.0

±

0.5), and the lowest pulp temperature rise was 0.1

±

0.2 for the 445 nm diode laser with 1 W of power. According to the results of this study it can be concluded that the temperature elevation after bleaching with the diode laser at the wavelengths 970 nm and 445 nm is in the safe range, and both wavelengths with the parameters applied in this study can be used as prudent in-office bleaching techniques.
Tossing quantum coins and dice
Authors: Yukalov V I
Published: March 2021

The procedure of tossing quantum coins and dice is described. This case is an important example of a quantum procedure because it presents a typical framework employed in quantum information processing and quantum computing. The emphasis is on the clarification of the difference between quantum and classical conditional probabilities. These probabilities are designed for characterizing different systems, either quantum or classical, and they, generally, cannot be reduced to each other. Thus the Lüders probability cannot be treated as a generalization of the classical conditional probability. The analogies between quantum theory of measurements and quantum decision theory are elucidated.
Possibility to break through limitation of measurement range in dual-wavelength digital holography*
Authors: Li Tuo , Lei Wen-Xiu , Sun Xin-Kai , Dong Jun , Tao Ye , Shi Yi-Shi
Published: March 2021

By using the beat frequency technique, the dual-wavelength digital holography (DWDH) can greatly increase the measurement range of the system. However, the beat frequency technique has a limitation in measurement range. The measurement range is not larger than a synthetic wavelength. Here, to break through this limitation, we propose a novel DWDH method based on the constrained underdetermined equations, which consists of three parts: (i) prove that the constrained underdetermined equation has a unique integer solution, (ii) design an algorithm to search for the unique integer solution, (iii) introduce a third wavelength into the DWDH system, and design a corresponding algorithm to enhance the anti-noise performance of DWDH. As far as we know, it is the first time that we have discovered that the problem of DWDH can belong in a problem of contained underdetermined equations, and it is also the first time that we have given the mathematical proof for breaking through the limitation of the measurement range. A series of results is shown to test the theory and the corresponding algorithms. More importantly, since the principle of proposed DWDH is based on basic mathematical principles, it can be further extended to various fields, such as dual-wavelength microwave imaging and dual-wavelength coherent diffraction imaging.
Effect of the liquid temperature on the interaction behavior for single water droplet impacting on the immiscible liquid*
Authors: Wang Tiantian , Wang Changjian , Rui Shengchao , Pan Kai
Published: March 2021

The interaction of single water droplet impacting on immiscible liquid surface was focused with the temperature varying from 50 °C to 210 °C. The impact behavior is recorded with a high-speed camera running at 2000 frames per second. It is found that droplet diameter, oil temperature, and Weber number have important influences on impact behaviors. Three typical phenomena, including penetration, crater-jet, and crater-jet–secondary jet, were observed. Penetration only occurs when the Weber number is below 105. With Weber number increasing to 302, the jet begins to appear. Moreover, to gain deeper physical insight into the crater formation and jet formation, the energy of droplet impingement onto the liquid pool surface was estimated. The oil temperature has a significant effect on the energy conversion efficiency. High temperature is beneficial to improve energy conversion efficiency.
Effect of the particle temperature on lift force of nanoparticle in a shear rarefied flow*
Authors: Su Jun-Jie , Wang Jun , Xia Guo-Dong
Published: March 2021

The nanoparticles suspended in a shear flow are subjected to a shear lift force, which is of great importance for the nanoparticle transport. In previous theoretical analysis on the shear lift, it is usually assumed that the particle temperature is equal to the temperature of the surrounding gas media. However, in some particular applications, the particle temperature can significantly differ from the gas temperature. In the present study, the effect of particle temperature on the shear lift of nanoparticles is investigated and the corresponding formulas of shear lift force are derived based on the gas kinetic theory. For extremely small nanoparticles (with radius R < 2 nm) or large nanoparticles (R > 20 nm), the influence of the particle temperature can be neglected. For the intermediate particle size, the relative error induced by the equal gas-particle temperature can be significant. Our findings can bring an insight into accurate evaluation of the nanoparticle transport properties.
Free utility model for explaining the social gravity law
Authors: Wang Hao , Yan Xiao-Yong , Wu Jinshan
Published: March 2021

Social gravity law widely exists in human travel, population migration, commodity trade, information communication, scientific collaboration and so on. Why is there such a simple law in many complex social systems is an interesting question. Although scientists from fields of statistical physics, complex systems, economics and transportation science have explained the social gravity law, a theoretical explanation including two dominant mechanisms, namely individual interaction and bounded rationality, is still lacking. Here we present a free utility model, whose objective function is mathematically consistent with the Helmholtz free energy in physics, from the perspective of individual choice behavior to explain the social gravity law. The basic assumption is that bounded rational individuals interacting with each other will trade off the expected utility and information-processing cost to maximize their own utility. The previous explanations of the social gravity law including the maximum entropy model, the free cost model, the Logit model and the destination choice game model are all special cases under our model. Further, we extend the free utility model to the network. This model not only helps us to better understand the underlying mechanisms of spatial interaction patterns in complex social systems, but also provides a new perspective for understanding the potential function in game theory and the user equilibrium model in transportation science.