bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Geochemical Variability of Surface Sediment in Post-Mining Lakes Located in the Muskau Arch (Poland) and Its Relation to Water Chemistry
Authors: Gąsiorowski Michał , Stienss Jacek , Sienkiewicz Elwira , Sekudewicz Ilona
Published: March 2021

Water and sediment chemical compositions were investigated in 75 post-mining lakes in the eastern part of the Muskau Arch region (Western Poland, Central Europe). The lakes, originating from lignite and clay surfaces and underground mining activity, exhibited a wide gradient of physical and chemical water parameters. The most pronounced variability in water parameters was observed in pH values, conductivity, and oxygen concentration in the mixolimnion and monimolimnion. In addition, the lakes varied in terms of their trophic status, indicated by their dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and phosphorous concentrations. In general, lakes with higher pH values had higher trophic states, and some even exhibited hypertrophic conditions. The Monte Carlo test indicated that the water pH, phosphorus, DOC, and silicon concentrations could significantly explain the chemical characteristics of sediments.
Synthesis and Initial Characterization of a Reversible, Selective 18F-Labeled Radiotracer for Human Butyrylcholinesterase
Authors: Gentzsch Christian , Chen Xinyu , Spatz Philipp , Košak Urban , Knez Damijan , Nose Naoko , Gobec Stanislav , Higuchi Takahiro , Decker Michael
Published: March 2021

Purpose

A neuropathological hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the presence of amyloid-β (Aβ) plaques in the brain, which are observed in a significant number of cognitively normal, older adults as well. In AD, butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) becomes associated with Aβ aggregates, making it a promising target for imaging probes to support diagnosis of AD. In this study, we present the synthesis, radiochemistry, in vitro and preliminary ex and in vivo investigations of a selective, reversible BChE inhibitor as PET-tracer for evaluation as an AD diagnostic.

Procedures

Radiolabeling of the inhibitor was achieved by fluorination of a respective tosylated precursor using K[18F]. IC50 values of the fluorinated compound were obtained in a colorimetric assay using recombinant, human (h) BChE. Dissociation constants were determined by measuring hBChE activity in the presence of different concentrations of inhibitor.

Results

Radiofluorination of the tosylate precursor gave the desired radiotracer in an average radiochemical yield of 20 ± 3 %. Identity and > 95.5 % radiochemical purity were confirmed by HPLC and TLC autoradiography. The inhibitory potency determined in Ellman’s assay gave an IC50 value of 118.3 ± 19.6 nM. Dissociation constants measured in kinetic experiments revealed lower affinity of the inhibitor for binding to the acylated enzyme (K2 = 68.0 nM) in comparison to the free enzyme (K1 = 32.9 nM).

Conclusions

The reversibly acting, selective radiotracer is synthetically easily accessible and retains promising activity and binding potential on hBChE. Radiosynthesis with 18F labeling of tosylates was feasible in a reasonable time frame and good radiochemical yield.
Einfluss der Ergometrie sowie der sportlichen Belastung auf die Konzentration der Blutparameter Kreatininkinase, Laktatdehydrogenase und prostataspezifisches Antigen
Authors: Oremek G. M. , Bendels M. H. , Schneider M. , Ohlendorf D.
Published: March 2021

Durch körperliche Aktivität oder auch im Rahmen einer Ergometrie (Laufband oder Fahrrad) wird die Muskulatur derart belastet, dass sich die Herz-Kreislauf-Funktion verändert. Hierdurch ist ca. 2 h nach der Belastung der Anstieg der Kreatininkinase (CK) und der Laktatdehydrogenase (LDH) im Blut als Indikator für die Muskelbeanspruchung messbar. Auch der Wert des prostataspezifischen Antigens (PSA), insbesondere bei Männern, ist ein diagnostischer Parameter zur Beurteilung der Prostatafunktion, der bei Belastung der Prostataregion, wie z. B. Rennradfahren, beeinträchtigt werden kann. CK samt Isoenzyme, LDH und PSA können gezielt als Indikatoren für körperliche Belastung eingesetzt werden, insofern eine Aussage zur Vitalität des Patienten formuliert werden soll.
Towards enriching and isolation of uncultivated archaea from marine sediments using a refined combination of conventional microbial cultivation methods
Authors: Hu Haining , Natarajan Vengadesh Perumal , Wang Fengping
Published: March 2021

The archaea that can be readily cultivated in the laboratory are only a small fraction of the total diversity that exists in nature. Although molecular ecology methods, such as metagenomic sequencing, can provide valuable information independent of cell cultivation, it is only through cultivation-based experiments that they may be fully characterized, both for their physiological and ecological properties. Here, we report our efforts towards enriching and isolation of uncultivated archaea from marine sediments using a refined combination of conventional microbial cultivation methods. Initially, cells were retrieved from the sediment samples through a cell extraction procedure and the sediment-free mixed cells were then divided into different size-range fractions by successive filtration through 0.8 µm, 0.6 µm and 0.2 µm membranes. Archaeal 16S rRNA gene analyses indicated noticeable retention of different archaeal groups in different fractions. For each fraction, supplementation with a variety of defined substrates (e.g., methane, sulfate, and lignin) and stepwise dilutions led to highly active enrichment cultures of several archaeal groups with Bathyarchaeota most prominently enriched. Finally, using a roll-bottle technique, three co-cultures consisting of Bathyarchaeota (subgroup-8) and a bacterial species affiliated with either Pseudomonas or Glutamicibacter were obtained. Our results demonstrate that a combination of cell extraction, size fractionation, and roll-bottle isolation methods could be a useful protocol for the successful enrichment and isolation of numerous slow-growing archaeal groups from marine sediments.
Mediators of the longitudinal relationship between childhood adversity and late adolescent psychopathology
Authors: Healy Colm , Eaton Aisling , Cotter Isabel , Carter Ellen , Dhondt Niamh , Cannon Mary
Published: March 2021

Background

Childhood adversity (CA) is commonly associated with an increased risk of subsequent psychopathology. It is important to identify potential mediators of this relationship which can allow for the development of interventions. In a large population-based cohort study we investigated the relationship between CA and late adolescent psychopathology and early adolescent candidate mediators of this relationship.

Methods

We used data from three waves (n = 6039) of Cohort 98′ of the Growing up in Ireland Study (age 9, 13 and 17). We used doubly robust counterfactual analyses to investigate the relationship between CA (reported at age-9) with psychopathology (internalizing and externalizing problems), measured using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire at age-17. Counterfactual and traditional mediation was used to investigate the mediating effects of the parent-child relationship, peer relations, self-concept, computer usage and physical activity.

Results

CA was associated with an increased risk of internalizing and externalizing problems at age-17. Parent-child conflict mediated 35 and 42% of the relationship between CA and late adolescent externalizing problems and internalizing problems, respectively. Self-concept and physical activity mediated an additional proportion of the relationship between CA and internalizing problems. These results were robust to unmeasured confounding.

Conclusions

Parent-child conflict explains more than a third of the relationship between CA and later psychopathology. Self-concept and physical activity explain the additional proportion of the relationship between CA and internalizing problems. This suggests that these factors may be good targets for intervention in young people who have experienced CA to prevent subsequent psychopathology.
Beyond four decades of Elaeidobius kamerunicus Faust (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) in the Malaysian oil palm industry: a review
Authors: Zulkefli Muhamad Haziq Hadif , Jamian Syari , Adam Nur Azura , Jalinas Johari , Mohamad Saharul Abillah , Mohd Masri Mohamed Mazmira
Published: March 2021

Oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq) is an economically important crop in South-east Asia, especially in Malaysia and Indonesia. In Malaysia, oil palm is the most profitable commodity in the agriculture sector. The future of oil palm lies in obtaining a higher yield that is aligned and directed towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) by 2030. Elaeidobius kamerunicus was introduced into Malaysia during the late 1980s to boost the production of oil palm fruit bunches. Almost 40 years since the introduction of E. kamerunicus, significant improvements have been witnessed in the increase of oil palm yield. Nevertheless, the current concern in the oil palm sector is regarding the decreasing of fruit set that may be affected by E. kamerunicus. The weevil population plays a crucial factor in the pollination of oil palm. Several factors had been reported to reduce the weevil population such as natural enemies, interaction with local insects, pesticides, climate and male inflorescence. These factors have been addressed in this article based on various studies conducted since the first investigation in Cameroon by Syed in 1977. The role of the pollinator in terms of its biology, behaviour and pollination mechanism is also described in this article, together with the population management of the weevils. This review article will provide a summary of the current state of Elaeidobius kamerunicus in Malaysia and other neighbouring oil palm-producing countries.
ʾABŪ SAʿĪD AL-SIǦZĪ AND THE “STRUCTURE OF THE ORBS,” THE EARLIEST KNOWN WORK ON HAYʾA
Authors: Mahdavi Younes
Published: March 2021

ʾAbū Saʿīd al-Siǧzī was a prominent fourth/tenth century astronomer and mathematician who was one of the first contributors to the new genre of ʿilm al-hayʾa (science of the configuration). However, little is known about the initial steps taken in the formation of the discipline, or its independence from other astronomical writings and practices. In this paper, I will discuss new findings about Siǧzī’s life to determine details of his biography and a more precise time period for his scientific activities. I then describe, for the first time, a composition in theoretical astronomy from the fourth/tenth century, the “Structure of the orbs” (Tarkīb al-aflāk) by Siǧzī to show its place in the formation of the discipline of ʿilm al-hayʾa, comparing Siǧzī’s book to the earlier work of al-Farġānī on the size of the earth and the number of celestial spheres. I conclude that Siǧzī’s Tarkīb al-aflāk is the earliest known example of a book that contains only topics found in later hayʾa and may be the first appearance of the ninth celestial orb that became standard in the later genre.
Keynes's trading on Wall Street: did he follow the same behaviour when investing for himself and for King's?
Authors: Sanfilippo Eleonora
Published: March 2021

In the last few years Keynes's investment activity, both as an individual trader and as a manager of institutions’ portfolios, has attracted attention in the specialised literature. Recently his investments on Wall Street, in particular – both on his own account (Cristiano, Marcuzzo and Sanfilippo 2018) and on behalf of King's College, Cambridge (Chambers and Kabiri 2016) – have been analysed, and the evident connection with his theoretical analysis of the functioning of the financial markets contained in chapter 12 of The General Theory has been duly stressed. This article aims to contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of Keynes's trading behaviour on Wall Street by providing a detailed comparison of his investment choices when he traded for himself and for King's. There are similarities, as might be expected, but also significant differences, well worth investigating. As far as the differences are concerned, one of the most striking is to be seen, for instance, in his attitude when, after a period of bull market in 1936, he had to face the spring 1937 burst of the speculative bubble and subsequent recession. Analysis of his behaviour in this specific case reveals that the event took him by surprise but his reaction differed with regard to his personal investments and the King's investments. The prevalence of a ‘buy and hold’ strategy, which, according to Chambers and Kabiri's reconstruction (2016), marked Keynes's behaviour in general (and also in this particular case) when he invested on behalf of King's, was not always his typical choice when the investments were undertaken on his own account. A tentative explanation of this result, which is also grounded on some different features characterising the two portfolios and not sufficiently investigated in previous studies, is at last provided in the article.
CME/Réponses: L’hypertension artérielle et la pandémie COVID-19: Ce qu’il faut retenir en pratique médicale
Authors: Wuerzner Grégoire , Waeber Bernard
Published: March 2021

Zusammenfassung.
CME: Riskanter Alkoholkonsum im Alter
Authors: Schnoz Domenic , Suter Paolo M.
Published: March 2021

Zusammenfassung. Schädlicher Alkoholkonsum im Alter ist für viele Patient_innen und unser Gesundheitssystem eine grosse Bürde. Exzessiver Alkoholkonsum wird oft stigmatisiert und nicht angesprochen, obwohl bei Früherkennung gute therapeutische Erfolgsaussichten bestehen. Hausärzte/Hausärztinnen und Allgemeinmediziner_innen haben eine Schlüsselrolle in der (Früh-)Erkennung, Einleitung von erfolgversprechenden Behandlungsmassnahmen und nachhaltigen Begleitung der Patient_innen mit konsequenter Rebound-Prophylaxe bei Anzeichen von einem Rebound-Risiko. Einen idealen Einstieg zur Therapie in der Praxis stellt die «Kurzintervention» dar. Das praktische Vorgehen der einzelnen Komponenten der Kurzintervention und Empfehlungen werden diskutiert.
CME-EKG 68: Der Einfluss des Geschlechts bei Herzrhythmusstörungen
Authors: Markendorf Susanne , Saguner Ardan M. , Brunckhorst Corinna B.
Published: March 2021

Zusammenfassung. Bei Herzrhythmusstörungen bestehen geschlechterspezifische Unterschiede, insbesondere aufgrund der Unterschiede im Hormonhaushalt von Frauen und Männern. Frauen haben eine höhere Herzfrequenz als Männer und eine kürzere Refraktärzeit in fast allen Herzstrukturen, ausser den Ventrikeln. Dies ist insbesondere beim Auftreten paroxysmaler supraventrikulärer Tachykardien objektivierbar. Die Inzidenz einer dualen Leitungsphysiologie im AV-Knoten ist bei Männern und Frauen zwar gleich hoch, Frauen entwickeln jedoch deutlich häufiger manifeste AV-Knoten Reentrytachykardien als Männer. Eine akzessorische Leitungsbahn zwischen Vorhof und Ventrikel ist bei Männern öfter embryonal angelegt, bei diesen tritt entsprechend häufiger eine manifeste AV-Reentrytachykardie auf. Die fokale atriale Tachykardie tritt bei Männern und Frauen ungefähr gleich oft auf. Kenntnis über diese geschlechterspezifischen Unterschiede sind bei der Diagnostik einer Herzrhythmusstörung von grosser Bedeutung, weshalb wir mit diesem Artikel genauer darauf eingehen möchten.
Flow Intensification Due to the Superposition of Near‐Inertial Internal Waves in the Abyssal Yamato and Tsushima Basins of the Japan Sea (East Sea)
Authors: Senjyu Tomoharu , Shin Hong‐Ryeol
Published: March 2021

Near‐inertial internal waves (NIWs) in the abyssal Yamato and Tsushima Basins of the Japan Sea (East Sea) were investigated using data from a moored acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) and single‐point current meters. The NIW events with duration of 3–5 days were observed intermittently in both basins. In particular, an active NIW event occurred below 2,475 m in the Yamato Basin during May 12–16, 2014. This was followed by the upward propagation of a wave packet from 2,475 to 950 m. The near‐inertial flows (1.07f) during the event exhibited a vertically coherent phase and intensification with depth by a factor of 1.5 from 2,475 to 2,635 m. The near‐inertial flows (1.05f) in the Tsushima Basin also showed a vertically coherent phase and intensification with depth, although the amplitude of the flow exhibited a middepth maximum rather than monotonic intensification. As a possible explanation of the observed flow characteristics, the superposition of downward‐propagating NIWs that can be excited by a strong wind event and upward‐propagating NIWs that bounced off the seabed was examined. The time series of the Richardson number based on the observed shear showed sporadic unstable conditions during the initial stage of the NIW event during May 2014 in the Yamato Basin. In addition, relatively small values of Richardson number were observed over the range of 2,475–2,635 m during the period of active NIWs. This suggests the promotion of vertical mixing in the deep sea during significant NIW events.
Ice Age Testing Reveals Challenges in Climate Model Sensitivity
Authors: Rehnberg Morgan
Published: March 2021

Increased reflection of incoming sunlight by clouds led one current-generation climate model to predict unrealistically cold temperatures during the last ice age.
Climate Change May Reduce Children’s Diet Diversity
Authors: Fogerty Christian
Published: March 2021

Researchers synthesize climate and health data to statistically quantify the relationship between diet diversity and climate variables.
Weight loss and risk reduction of obesity-related outcomes in 0.5 million people: evidence from a UK primary care database
Authors: Haase Christiane Lundegaard , Lopes Sandra , Olsen Anne Helene , Satylganova Altynai , Schnecke Volker , McEwan Phil
Published: March 2021

High body mass index (BMI) is known to be associated with various conditions, including type 2 diabetes (T2D), osteoarthritis, cardiovascular disease (CVD) and sleep apnoea; however, the impact of intentional weight loss on the risk of these and other outcomes is not well quantified. We examined the effect of weight loss on ten selected outcomes in a population from the UK Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD) GOLD database. Included individuals were >18 years old at the index date (first BMI value between January 2001 and December 2010). They were categorised by their weight pattern between year 1 post-index and year 4 post-index (baseline period) as having stable weight (−5% to +5%) or weight loss (−25% to −10%, plus evidence of intervention or dietary advice to confirm intention to lose weight). For inclusion, individuals also required a BMI of 25.0–50.0 kg/m2 at the start of the follow-up period, during which the occurrence of ten obesity-related outcomes was recorded. Cox proportional hazard models adjusted for BMI, comorbidities, age, sex and smoking status were used to estimate relative risks for weight loss compared with stable weight. Individuals in the weight-loss cohort had median 13% weight loss. Assuming a BMI of 40 kg/m2 before weight loss, this resulted in risk reductions for T2D (41%), sleep apnoea (40%), hypertension (22%), dyslipidaemia (19%) and asthma (18%). Furthermore, weight loss was associated with additional benefits, with lower risk of T2D, chronic kidney disease, hypertension and dyslipidaemia compared with maintaining the corresponding stable lower BMI throughout the study. This study provides objective, real-world quantification of the effects of weight loss on selected outcomes, with the greatest benefits observed for the established CVD risk factors T2D, hypertension and dyslipidaemia.
Frequent post-operative monitoring of colorectal cancer using individualised ctDNA validated by multiregional molecular profiling
Authors: Yaegashi Mizunori , Iwaya Takeshi , Sasaki Noriyuki , Fujita Masashi , Ju Zhenlin , Siwak Doris , Hachiya Tsuyoshi , Sato Kei , Endo Fumitaka , Kimura Toshimoto , Otsuka Koki , Sugimoto Ryo , Sugai Tamotsu , Liotta Lance , Lu Yiling , Mills Gordon B. , Nakagawa Hidewaki , Nishizuka Satoshi S.
Published: March 2021

Background

Circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) is known as a tumour-specific personalised biomarker, but the mutation-selection criteria from heterogeneous tumours remain a challenge.

Methods

We conducted multiregional sequencing of 42 specimens from 14 colorectal tumours of 12 patients, including two double-cancer cases, to identify mutational heterogeneity to develop personalised ctDNA assays using 175 plasma samples.

Results

“Founder” mutations, defined as a mutation that is present in all regions of the tumour in a binary manner (i.e., present or absent), were identified in 12/14 tumours. In contrast, “truncal” mutations, which are the first mutation that occurs prior to the divergence of branches in the phylogenetic tree using variant allele frequency (VAF) as continuous variables, were identified in 12/14 tumours. Two tumours without founder and truncal mutations were hypermutators. Most founder and truncal mutations exhibited higher VAFs than “non-founder” and “branch” mutations, resulting in a high chance to be detected in ctDNA. In post-operative long-term observation for 10/12 patients, early relapse prediction, treatment efficacy and non-relapse corroboration were achievable from frequent ctDNA monitoring.

Conclusions

A single biopsy is sufficient to develop custom dPCR probes for monitoring tumour burden in most CRC patients. However, it may not be effective for those with hypermutated tumours.
An approach for security evaluation and certification of a complete quantum communication system
Authors: Sajeed Shihan , Chaiwongkhot Poompong , Huang Anqi , Qin Hao , Egorov Vladimir , Kozubov Anton , Gaidash Andrei , Chistiakov Vladimir , Vasiliev Artur , Gleim Artur , Makarov Vadim
Published: March 2021

Although quantum communication systems are being deployed on a global scale, their realistic security certification is not yet available. Here we present a security evaluation and improvement protocol for complete quantum communication systems. The protocol subdivides a system by defining seven system implementation sub-layers based on a hierarchical order of information flow; then it categorises the known system implementation imperfections by hardness of protection and practical risk. Next, an initial analysis report lists all potential loopholes in its quantum-optical part. It is followed by interactions with the system manufacturer, testing and patching most loopholes, and re-assessing their status. Our protocol has been applied on multiple commercial quantum key distribution systems to improve their security. A detailed description of our methodology is presented with the example of a subcarrier-wave system. Our protocol is a step towards future security evaluation and security certification standards.
Habitual fish intake negatively correlates with prevalence of frailty among patients with rheumatoid arthritis
Authors: Minamino Hiroto , Katsushima Masao , Torii Mie , Hashimoto Motomu , Fujita Yoshihito , Ikeda Kaori , Yamamoto Wataru , Watanabe Ryu , Murakami Kosaku , Murata Koichi , Nishitani Kohei , Tanaka Masao , Ito Hiromu , Ohmura Koichiro , Arai Hidenori , Inagaki Nobuya , Matsuda Shuichi
Published: March 2021

Frailty is a geriatric syndrome characterized by anabolic-catabolic imbalance and multisystem dysregulation resulting in increased adverse health outcomes, and is closely related with dietary habits in the general population. Although chronic inflammatory diseases are thought to accelerate development of frailty, correlations between rheumatoid arthritis (RA), frailty and dietary habits have not been examined. We performed a cross-sectional study using our cohort database (KURAMA cohort), and classified 306 participants into three groups (robust, prefrail and frail) according to the Study of Osteoporotic Fracture (SOF) criteria. Multivariate logistic analysis revealed that the presence of frailty/prefrailty was significantly correlated with the disease activity score (DAS28-ESR) (OR 1.70 (1.30–2.22), p < 0.0001). Additional analyses of frailty and food intake showed that 5 foods (fish, meat, milk, vegetables and fruits) of 20 groups on the questionnaire were inversely associated with the prevalence of frail/prefrail categories. In multivariate analysis with the five nutrients, fish intake (> two times a week) was an independent covariate negatively correlated with frailty/prefrailty (OR 0.35 (0.19–0.63), p = 0.00060). In conclusion, habitual fish intake may play a key role in nutritional intervention to prevent progression of frailty and RA.
Smart optical cross dipole nanoantenna with multibeam pattern
Authors: Moshiri Seyyed Mohammad Mehdi , Nozhat Najmeh
Published: March 2021

In this paper, an optical smart multibeam cross dipole nano-antenna has been proposed by combining the absorption characteristic of graphene and applying different arrangements of directors. By introducing a cross dipole nano-antenna with two V-shaped coupled elements, the maximum directivity of 8.79 dBi has been obtained for unidirectional radiation pattern. Also, by applying various arrangements of circular sectors as director, different types of radiation pattern such as bi- and quad-directional have been attained with directivities of 8.63 and 8.42 dBi, respectively, at the wavelength of 1550 nm. The maximum absorption power of graphene can be tuned by choosing an appropriate chemical potential. Therefore, the radiation beam of the proposed multibeam cross dipole nano-antenna has been controlled dynamically by applying a monolayer graphene. By choosing a suitable chemical potential of graphene for each arm of the suggested cross dipole nano-antenna without the director, the unidirectional radiation pattern shifts ± 13° at the wavelength of 1550 nm. Also, for the multibeam nano-antenna with different arrangements of directors, the bi- and quad-directional radiation patterns have been smartly modified to uni- and bi-directional ones with the directivities of 10.1 and 9.54 dBi, respectively. It is because of the graphene performance as an absorptive or transparent element for different chemical potentials. This feature helps us to create a multipath wireless link with the capability to control the accessibility of each receiver.
Conformation-induced vibrational spectral dynamics of hydrogen peroxide and vicinal water molecules
Authors: Biswas Aritri , Mallik Bhabani S.
Published: March 2021

We studied the conformation-induced spectral response of water molecules due to site-specific structural alterations of solvated hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) employing DFT-based first principles molecular dynamics (FPMD) simulations.
Electron stimulated desorption of vanadyl-groups from vanadium oxide thin films on Ru(0001) probed with STM
Authors: Wang Ying , Wemhoff Piotr Igor , Lewandowski Mikołaj , Nilius Niklas
Published: March 2021

Electron injection from an STM tip has been used to desorb individual vanadyl groups from vanadium oxide thin films. The underlying mechanism is analyzed from the bias and current dependence of the desorption rate.
Highly tunable electronic structure and linear dichroism in 90° twisted α-phosphorus carbide bilayer: a first-principles calculation
Authors: Liu Weiwei , Bao Hongwei , Li Yan , Ma Fei
Published: March 2021

The electronic and optical anisotropies in a 90° twisted α-PC can be switched by gating and strain techniques.
Reorientational dynamics of highly asymmetric binary non-polymeric mixtures – a dielectric spectroscopy study
Authors: Körber Thomas , Krohn Felix , Neuber Christian , Schmidt Hans-Werner , Rössler Ernst A.
Published: March 2021

Two separated relaxations α1 and α2 with different temperature dependences are identified in the mixtures. They are attributed to the dynamics associated with the high-Tg (α1) and the low-Tg component (α2) with distinct Tg concentration dependences.
Mass spectrometry for multi-dimensional characterization of natural and synthetic materials at the nanoscale
Authors: Huang Xiu , Liu Huihui , Lu Dawei , Lin Yue , Liu Jingfu , Liu Qian , Nie Zongxiu , Jiang Guibin
Published: March 2021

This article reviews mass spectrometry techniques for multi-dimensional characterization of natural and synthetic materials at the nanoscale by offering accurate mass, isotopic, and molecular structural information.
Determination of picogram amounts of uranium in micrometre-sized particles by isotope dilution mass spectrometry
Authors: Venchiarutti C. , Stadelmann G. , Middendorp R. , Macsik Z. , Venzin A.
Published: March 2021

Micro-manipulated uranium micrometer-sized particles under optical microscope, measured at picogram level by two mass spectrometric techniques.
Highly efficient room-temperature phosphorescent materials with a heavy-atom effect of bromine
Authors: Xia Youfu , Du Yanqing , Xiang Qian , Humphrey Mark G.
Published: March 2021

Room-temperature phosphorescent (RTP) materials with long luminescence lifetimes have stimulated considerable interest.
Study on the morphology of dislocation-related etch pits on pyramidal faces of KDP crystals
Authors: Xu Longyun , Yu Bo , Yu Guangwei , Liu Hui , Zhang Liyuan , Li Xianglin , Huang Pingping , Wang Bo , Wang Shenglai
Published: March 2021

The dislocation related etch pits on pyramidal faces of KDP crystals were created by an improved wet etching method and investigated using an optical microscope and 3D confocal microscope.
A Schiff base sensor for relay monitoring of In3+ and Fe3+ through “off–on–off” fluorescent signals
Authors: Li Bing , Liu Zhihua , Li Linlin , Xing Yujing , Liu Yuanying , Yang Xiaofeng , Pei Meishan , Zhang Guangyou
Published: March 2021

A Schiff base N′-(3-ethoxy-2-hydroxybenzylidene)-4,5-dihydronaphtho[1,2-b]thiophene-2-carbohydrazide (LB2) was designed and synthesized and could be used as a sensor to identify In3+ and Fe3+ through fluorescence ‘off–on–off’ behavior.
A network‐decomposition‐based multi‐rate parallel transient simulation technique for active distribution networks
Authors: Wang Zhaoqi , Tang Wei , Wang Yue , Zhang Bo , Cai Yongxiang , Zhang Lu , Zhang Han
Published: March 2021

Emerging power sources and load demands penetrating the power system on demand side lead to diversified dynamic processes of distribution networks and thus create challenges for transient simulation of large‐scale active distribution networks. This paper proposes a network‐decomposition‐based multi‐rate parallel transient simulation technique for active distribution networks. Prominent advantages of the proposed method are accentuated by balancing computational complexities of CPU cores and devised core‐oriented adaptive step sizes in terms of the simulated elements with various dynamic characteristics. First, an optimised decomposition strategy of active distribution networks is proposed with the goals of balancing the computational burden of each core and minimising interactive data between cores. On that basis, coordinating models of multi‐port networks and equivalent models of interfaces are established. Then, a parallel simulation method of coordinated adaptive step sizes is proposed to accelerate the transient simulation. Case studies on eight feeders connecting to a common 10‐kV bus are carried out to verify the simulation speed and precision of the proposed parallel simulation method.
Kernel correlation filter tracking strategy based on adaptive fusion response map
Authors: Xiu Chunbo , Ma Yunfei
Published: March 2021

Aiming at the problem that the tracking performance of the traditional kernel correlation filter tracking algorithm is easy to be affected by illumination variation, occlusion and motion blur during tracking, an improved tracking strategy is proposed. A new Histogram of Hue Gradient (HHG) feature is designed, and the new HOG‐HHG feature is obtained by connecting the HOG and the HHG in series. Two features, CN and HOG‐HHG, are extracted respectively, and two kernel correlation filter classifiers are constructed base on the two features above to establish the corresponding response maps of the tracking scenes, respectively. The response maps are fused adaptively to improve the tracking robustness to the complex situations in the tracking process. The updating strategy of the target model is designed based on peak sidelobe ratio (PSR) and its difference, and the adaptive thresholds are used to improve the stability of the target model. Simulation results show that the proposed method has better tracking adaptability to the illumination variation, occlusion and motion blur. Both the precision and the success rate can be enhanced.
High‐gain, high‐isolation, and wideband millimetre‐wave closely spaced multiple‐input multiple‐output antenna with metamaterial wall and metamaterial superstrate for 5G applications
Authors: Khajeh‐Khalili Farzad , Honarvar Mohammad Amin , Naser‐Moghadasi Mohammad , Dolatshahi Mehdi
Published: March 2021

A method to significantly increase the gain and isolation of a wideband multiple‐input multiple‐output (MIMO) antenna using metamaterial structures is reported. The proposed metamaterial medium includes just one wall and one superstrate, which are fixed in xz and xy planes of the MIMO antenna, respectively. The dimensions of the proposed MIMO antenna are 13×13×3.5 mm3 at 30 GHz. A comparison between a simulated MIMO antenna and a conventional microstrip antenna demonstrates the good performance of the proposed metamaterial environment. The corresponding return‐loss of the antenna is better than 10 dB over 28–32 GHz for 5G applications. The maximum simulated gain of the antenna is 17.1 dB at 30 GHz, generating a maximum gain enhancement of 11.8 dB in comparison with a MIMO antenna without any metamaterial structures. The isolation (insertion‐loss) is 36.7 dB at 30 GHz, which has improved by more than 29.4 dB compared to the conventional one.
High gain and wideband patch antenna with wide 3‐dB axial ratio bandwidth operating at TM01 and TM11 modes
Authors: Fakhte Rasoul , Aryanian Iman
Published: March 2021

A wideband and high gain circularly polarised patch antenna has been introduced. The proposed antenna combines an aperture coupled feeding with a T‐slot, four metallic vias and a patch with a diagonal slot to present high gain and wide 3‐dB axial ratio bandwidth (BW) characteristics. In this study, a rectangular patch (0.6 λ0 × 0.5 λ0 at f = 7.5 GHz) with a diagonal slot has been symmetrically located above the T‐slot at the height of 0.07 λ0. A WR90 waveguide with the length of 50 mm and a T‐slot in its extended outer wall has been used as a primary antenna that feeds the patch element. Four metallic vias with shunt inductive effects have been used to virtually enlarge radiating patch dimension, so they present a significant improvement in antenna gain, BW and axial ratio. The proposed antenna shows the BW of 30% with tgain of up to 12 dBi and an axial ratio BW of 21%. Due to its wideband, high gain, and wide 3‐dB axial ratio BW, this antenna is a good candidate for some applications, such as small satellites, and for the global positioning system the high gain, precision and flexibility of the system are crucial.
Electron-impact excitation of Ni II
Authors: Dunleavy N. L. , Ramsbottom C. A. , Ballance C. P.
Published: March 2021

Aims. Energy levels, transition probabilities, and oscillator strengths are calculated for the second most abundant iron peak element Ni II. The difficulty in obtaining an accurate target representation is related to the open d-shell nature of the target, which has a minimum requirement of single and double promotions from the ground state configuration to the n = 4 shells. Therefore, in order to achieve an accurate representation of the target ion, we have also included configurations containing the 4d, 5s, and 5p subshells. We have undertaken a study of the electron impact excitation of Ni II and present here the collision strengths for forbidden and allowed transitions among the lowest 800 fine-structure levels as well as the corresponding Maxwellian-averaged effective collision strengths for a range of astrophysically relevant electron temperatures.

Methods. An accurate Ni II target structure was generated using the modified General-purpose Relativistic Atomic Structure Package (GRASP0) for the lowest lying 1220 jj fine-structure levels, comprising the 11 configurations: 3p63d9, 3p63d84s, 3p63d84p, 3p63d84d, 3p63d85s, 3p63d85p, 3p63d74s2, 3p63d75s2, 3p63d74s4p, 3p63d74s4d, and 3p43d94s4d. The relativistic parallel Dirac atomic R-matrix codes (DARC) were utilised in the scattering calculations to generate the collision strengths for incident electron energies between 0 and 2 Ryd and, by employing infinite dipole and non-dipole limit points, we also generated the effective collision strengths for temperatures in the range from 1000 to 400 000 K. Two separate calculations were performed, both comprised of truncated close-coupling expansions of 800 jj-levels with the first calculation retaining the theoretical ab initio energy levels generated in the GRASP0 evaluations, whereas in the second calculation these energies were shifted to their predicted National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) values where possible. This should provide a lower estimate on the uncertainty.

Results. Comparisons are made between the radiative data and the collisional cross sections with past theoretical and experimental studies. The effective collision strengths when compared with the most recent published calculations, are found to agree to within 10% for the majority of the transitions considered. In addition, the data are used to model the spectrum of Ni II and good agreement is found with previous investigations and observations.
About solvents used in the preparation of oils for cosmetic products complying with the Cosmos standard
Authors: Carré Patrick
Published: March 2021

Solvents have a bad reputation in the cosmetics world, at least as regards the production of specialty vegetable oils used in this market. In order to do without these solvents, the cosmetics industry tends to use only mechanically produced oils. However, there is a range of seeds for which mechanical extraction is not satisfactory. This is the case with rare, expensive, and oil-poor seeds for which pressing does not give good yields, and results in high production costs. These are also hard seeds that cannot be pressed without causing the presses to become intensely hot, and this affects the quality of the oils. In recent years, our laboratory has worked on the development of extraction techniques with ethanol and the EcoXtract® solvent (2-methyloxolane) in order to provide professionals with production methods compatible with the COSMOS standard. Ethanol is not a good solvent for oils, especially in the presence of water and at low temperature. This drawback can be turned into an advantage to recover the oil (without distillation of the solvent) by cold decantation. The extraction is carried out on the hot components, and the oil is recovered by cooling the saturated miscella for the precipitation of the lipid phase. This process makes it possible to limit the energy consumption necessary for the recovery of the oil and the regeneration of the solvent. The great advantage for oils intended for the cosmetic market is that ethanol has a better solvent power for polar lipids compared to hexane and mechanical extraction. It is possible to split the lipid extract into neutral lipids and polar lipids by adjusting the precipitation temperature or by partial distillation. At the refining step, it is also possible to deacidify and remove contaminants from crude oil by liquid-liquid extraction with ethanol. We have recently obtained interesting results by reducing the phthalate concentration of walnut oils by 90%. The use of ethanol for oil neutralization is a process which generates less loss of neutral oil than the alkaline neutralization of a mixture with high acidity, and this is less harmful than physical refining during the production of 3-MCPD esters, esters of glycidol, and trans fatty acids. EcoXtract® is a solvent derived from the chemistry of pentoses in biomass. This solvent has very good oil solvation capacities and less biological toxicity than hexane. Its production has an acceptable carbon footprint and good sustainability characteristics. It is recognised by Ecocert as suitable for producing COSMOS ingredients. Compared to ethanol, its use requires fewer preparation steps (ethanol requires rigorous drying before extraction) and it requires less circulating solvent per kilo of oil extracted. The solvent removal from the meal requires less energy and allows the use of direct steam to aid in the removal of the solvent since the miscibility of water in this solvent is limited to 4.5 g/100g.
Revisiting the Spleen—An Imaging Review of the Common and Uncommon Splenic Pathology
Authors: Nadeem Meshaal , Tiwari Hina Arif , Jambhekar Kedar , Shah Hemendra , Ram Roopa
Published: March 2021

The spleen is the largest lymphatic organ and is responsible for both hematological and immunological functions. Several common etiologies such as trauma, developmental variants, infectious/inflammatory conditions, and benign and malignant lesions can occur in the spleen. The role of imaging modalities such as ultrasound (US), computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in diagnosing these conditions continues to evolve. The main objective of this review article is to illustrate the role of imaging in identifying the common and uncommon pathology of the spleen.
Orbital Surgical Guidelines—Clinical Evaluation
Authors: Krauss Howard R.
Published: March 2021

Orbital disorders may present with change in form or function or may be discovered incidentally during clinical or imaging evaluations. A standardized orbital clinical examination, with appropriate ancillary tests, is helpful in narrowing the differential diagnosis and in the development of plans for management, with an eye toward minimizing the morbidity of the disease or its treatment. Evaluation and management may best be performed with a multidisciplinary team, which has become more common in skull base surgery.
Effective approximation of stochastic sine-Gordon equation with a fast oscillation
Authors: Wang Pin , Chen Guanggan
Published: March 2021

This work is concerned with a stochastic sine-Gordon equation with a fast oscillation governed by a stochastic reaction–diffusion equation. It is shown that the fast component is ergodic, while the slow component is tight. Furthermore, employing the skill of partitioning time interval and borrowing from the averaging principle, the system is reduced into an effective equation. More precisely, the fast oscillation component is averaged out, and there exists an effective process, converging to the original stochastic sine-Gordon equation.
Phase transformations and hysteresis in Si-based anode materials
Authors: Lyubina Julia
Published: March 2021

The use of Si-based materials can increase the energy density of lithium ion batteries by at least 20% compared to the conventional graphite-based anodes. However, Si-containing anodes are susceptible to rapid degradation due to severe volume changes on lithiation/delithiation during cycling. This Perspective presents the current understanding of the phase transformations occurring on lithiation/delithiation of Si-based materials and specifically relates these to hysteresis. Challenges and strategies in the pursuit of higher capacity and longer cycle life anodes are discussed. Thermodynamic considerations are shown to represent an important step in the design of electrode materials with improved electrochemical performance.
Phase transitions in germanium telluride nanoparticle phase-change materials studied by temperature-resolved x-ray diffraction
Authors: Michel Ann-Katrin U. , Donat Felix , Siegfried Aurelia , Yarema Olesya , Fang Hanbing , Yarema Maksym , Wood Vanessa , Müller Christoph R. , Norris David J.
Published: March 2021

Germanium telluride (GeTe), a phase-change material, is known to exhibit four different structural states: three at room-temperature (one amorphous and two crystalline, α and γ) and one at high temperature (crystalline, β). Because transitions between the amorphous and crystalline states lead to significant changes in material properties (e.g., refractive index and resistivity), GeTe has been investigated as a phase-change material for photonics, thermoelectrics, ferroelectrics, and spintronics. Consequently, the temperature-dependent phase transitions in GeTe have been studied for bulk and thin-film GeTe, both fabricated by sputtering. Colloidal synthesis of nanoparticles offers a more flexible fabrication approach for amorphous and crystalline GeTe. These nanoparticles are known to exhibit size-dependent properties, such as an increased crystallization temperature for the amorphous-to-α transition in sub-10 nm GeTe particles. The α-to-β phase transition is also expected to vary with size, but this effect has not yet been investigated for GeTe. Here, we report time-resolved x-ray diffraction of GeTe nanoparticles with different diameters and from different synthetic protocols. We observe a non-volatile amorphous-to-α transition between 210 °C and 240 °C and a volatile α-to-β transition between 370 °C and 420 °C. The latter transition was reversible and repeatable. While the transition temperatures are shifted relative to the values known for bulk GeTe, the nanoparticle-based samples still exhibit the same structural phases reported for sputtered GeTe. Thus, colloidal GeTe maintains the same general phase behavior as bulk GeTe while allowing for more flexible and accessible fabrication. Therefore, nanoparticle-based GeTe films show great potential for applications such as in active photonics.
Coherent diffraction rings induced by thermal–mechanical effect of a flexible Dirac semimetallic composite structure
Authors: Lu Wei , Song Xiaoming , Ling Jiwei , Fan Zipu , Ma Junchao , Zhuo Xiao , Liu Jing , Hu Xiaodong , Xiu Faxian , Sun Dong
Published: March 2021

Concentrically elliptical coherent diffraction rings are observed when a collimated laser beam is reflected from a mica substrate with Cd3As2 nano-films grown on it. The diffraction pattern is found to be an interference effect of light reflected from the elastic deformation of the mica substrate. The deformation of the substrate is induced by the in-plane thermal expansion caused by the heat transfer from the Cd3As2 thin film, which acts as an efficient light absorber. This thermal–mechanical effect is different from various other mechanisms that can produce similar coherent diffraction patterns from a large variety of materials. Furthermore, we show that a quantitative analysis based on a simple optical interference of light beam reflected from the mechanically deformed substrate can interpret all main features of the observed diffraction pattern. The light induced thermal–mechanical effect provides an interesting novel approach to characterize the thermal and mechanical properties of elastic materials through their coherent interaction with light. Our findings may provide interesting opportunities for optical control of the mechanical properties of flexible materials and for in situ characterization of the deformation process.