bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Entlassmanagement Plattformen: Im Kommen: Digitale Entlass- und Belegungs-management Plattformen
Authors: Heeser Alexandra
Published: November 2020

Spätestens mit dem Gesetz zur Stärkung der Versorgung in der gesetzlichen Krankenversicherung und dem darin festgeschriebenen Anspruch auf ein Entlassmanagement rückte dasselbe in den Fokus von Klinikbetreibern. Der Pflegeplatzmanager als webbasierte Plattformlösung, die ein digitales Entlass-, Überleitungs- und Aufnahmemanagement ermöglicht, ist dabei nur eine von vielen digitalen Möglichkeiten, um den bislang eher schwierigen analogen Prozess im Patientenübergang von der stationären Krankenhausversorgung in eine weitergehende medizinische, rehabilitative oder pflegerische Versorgung optimal zu organisieren. Darüber hinaus gibt es natürlich auch andere digitale Überleitungsplattformen wie Recare oder Care-Bridge. Auch bei diesen steht der Gedanke im Fokus, den Patienten nicht nur bei der Aufnahme ins Krankenhaus, sondern auch bei der Entlassung und darüber hinaus bestens zu informieren und zu begleiten und damit die Patient Journey zu vervollständigen.
Monsters and posttraumatic stress: an experiential-processing model of monster imagery in psychological therapy, film and television
Authors: Hamilton Jenny
Published: November 2020

Trauma survivors may see images of monsters in nightmares and visions when experiencing posttraumatic stress. However, there has been little commentary on the significance and meaning of this imagery and the wider relationship between monster imagery and posttraumatic stress. Applying an integrated experiential-processing approach to working with trauma in Counselling and Psychotherapy, emphasis is placed on facilitating ‘processing’ or making sense of the trauma, psychologically, emotionally, existentially and culturally. Examining the interplay of these elements, this paper explores monsters as symbol and metaphor for unspoken or unprocessed personal and cultural trauma, vessels for symbolically representing underlying, unacknowledged fears and experience. This paper discusses how encounters with the monster onscreen, in mental imagery or metaphor, may be allegorical to the individual’s internal struggle with post-traumatic stress. The model presented is applied within an analysis of the symbolic representation of the trauma of cancer, cancer treatment and traumatic loss in survival horror movieThe Shallows(Collet-Serra (dir) (2016). The Shallows. Columbia Pictures). Jungian ideas are integrated to consider monsters as emergent symbolisation of unspoken ‘shadow’ fears, such as those surrounding cancer. In an experiential-processing account of trauma, incongruence between self-concept (our beliefs about self and world) and our actual experience of traumatic events is viewed as a source of psychological distress, prompting a breakdown and reorganisation of the self-structure. It is proposed that trauma experience confronts us with our mortality and fragility, bringing us into contact with the sense of ‘abject’ horror represented by monster imagery. Creeds (2007. The monstrous feminine: film, feminism, psychoanalysis. Routledge, London and New York) description of the abject as the ‘place where meaning collapses’ is applied to an understanding of psychological trauma, given that encounters with existential threats may render the everyday meaningless, engendering a need for meaning-making. Monster imagery psychologically represents the collapsing border between our ideas about self and world, and the destabilising experience of the shattering of pre-trauma assumptions. In this account monsters are located within a wider, adaptive evolutionary drive towards the reduction of trauma-related psychological distress, through symbolising experience into awareness for processing and meaning making. In this way monsters may play a complex role in a human struggle to come to terms with overwhelming events.
Diffusion equations from master equations—A discrete geometric approach
Authors: Goto Shin-itiro , Hino Hideitsu
Published: November 2020

In this paper, continuous-time master equations with finite states employed in nonequilibrium statistical mechanics are formulated in the language of discrete geometry. In this formulation, chains in algebraic topology are used, and master equations are described on graphs that consist of vertices representing states and of directed edges representing transition matrices. It is then shown that master equations under the detailed balance conditions are equivalent to discrete diffusion equations, where the Laplacians are defined as self-adjoint operators with respect to introduced inner products. An isospectral property of these Laplacians is shown for non-zero eigenvalues, and its applications are given. The convergence to the equilibrium state is shown by analyzing this class of diffusion equations. In addition, a systematic way to derive closed dynamical systems for expectation values is given. For the case that the detailed balance conditions are not imposed, master equations are expressed as a form of a continuity equation.
Piezoresponse amplitude and phase quantified for electromechanical characterization
Authors: Neumayer Sabine M. , Saremi Sahar , Martin Lane W. , Collins Liam , Tselev Alexander , Jesse Stephen , Kalinin Sergei V. , Balke Nina
Published: November 2020

Piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM) is a powerful characterization technique to readily image and manipulate the ferroelectric domains. PFM gives an insight into the strength of local piezoelectric coupling and polarization direction through PFM amplitude and phase, respectively. Converting measured arbitrary units into units of effective piezoelectric constant remains a challenge, and insufficient methods are often used. While most quantification efforts have been spent on quantifying the PFM amplitude signal, little attention has been given to the PFM phase, which is often arbitrarily adjusted to fit expectations. This is problematic when investigating materials with unknown or negative sign of the probed effective electrostrictive coefficient or strong frequency dispersion of electromechanical responses, because assumptions about the PFM phase cannot be reliably made. The PFM phase can, however, provide important information on the polarization orientation and the sign of the effective electrostrictive coefficient probed by PFM. Most notably, the orientation of the PFM hysteresis loop is determined by the PFM phase. Moreover, when presenting PFM data as a combined signal, the resulting response can be artificially lowered or asymmetric if the phase data have not been correctly processed. Here, we explain the PFM amplitude quantification process and demonstrate a path to identify the phase offset required to extract correct meaning from the PFM phase data. We explore different sources of phase offsets including the experimental setup, instrumental contributions, and data analysis. We discuss the physical working principles of PFM and develop a strategy to extract physical meaning from the PFM amplitude and phase.
Quantitative gas composition analysis method for a wide pressure range up to atmospheric pressure—CO2 plasma case study
Authors: Hecimovic Ante , D’Isa Federico , Carbone Emile , Drenik Aleksander , Fantz Ursel
Published: November 2020

A mass spectrometer with a custom sampling system comprising one fixed and one variable orifice is presented. The custom sampling system allows the determination of the gas composition in the pressure range from 5 mbar to 1000 mbar, with low gas-demixing (<1.5%). A case study of mass spectrometer optimization and calibration for the measurement of relative concentration of CO2, CO, O2, and N2 gases is presented, together with an example of the CO2 conversion at a microwave plasma torch. The absolute error of the measured conversion of CO2 in CO is found to be less than 1.6% in the complete pressure range. The conversion determination routine presented here allows us to determine relative molar flows of CO2, CO, O2, and N2 and to distinguish between CO and N2 gases, which is important for the determination of the CO2 conversion in the case of air impurities or in the case of CO2/N2 mixtures.
Design and applications of light responsive liquid crystal polymer thin films
Authors: Mehta Kanishk , Peeketi Akhil Reddy , Liu Ling , Broer Dirk , Onck Patrick , Annabattula Ratna Kumar
Published: November 2020

Responding to external stimuli is a trait observed in all living organisms. Modern artificial materials have adopted this profound characteristic, thereby commencing the field of stimuli–responsive systems. Liquid crystal polymers are attractive members of this family of systems owing to the available control on their anisotropic properties capable of generating complex morphologies under external stimuli. Liquid crystal polymer systems have been designed to respond to various stimuli such as heat, light, pH, humidity, and electric and magnetic fields. The attainable shapes and topographies open exciting possibilities for novel applications in a wide range of different fields such as microfluidics, artificial muscles, haptics, and optical functions. The microstructural design of liquid crystal polymers leading to diverse applications is the focus of this review. We conclude by presenting the future prospects and developments in these promising material systems.
Relationship between bio-effects and energy transduction during nanoparticle-mediated photoporation
Authors: Kumar Simple , Chong Cameron , Voorhees Travis , Thadhani Naresh N. , Prausnitz Mark R.
Published: November 2020

When a system comprised of cells, carbon black nanoparticles, and delivery molecules is irradiated with a laser beam, the nanoparticles can absorb and dissipate the laser-delivered energy, producing thermal and acoustic output and fluid mechanical forces. These can then interact with the nearby cell membrane, forming membrane pores that exogenous molecules can diffuse through and access the cytosol. This process, “nanoparticle-mediated photoporation,” can cause bio-effects like intracellular delivery of molecules and, at more extreme conditions, loss of cell viability. Through this work, we found that carbon black and carbon nanotubes generated greater bio-effects compared to graphite, diamond, or non-carbon materials, probably due to their more efficient laser energy absorption. Examining the dependence of bio-effects on energy absorption parameters like total energy absorbed, energy absorbed per nanoparticle, and energy absorbed per nanoparticle mass produced poor correlations. However, the correlation of bio-effects was much better with energy transduction parameters more closely related to the energy form transferred to cells like peak temperature, size, and number of vapor bubbles generated by the nanoparticles heated by the laser. A power-law relationship involving these three parameters indicated that peak nanoparticle temperature was the strongest determinant of bio-effects followed by bubble number and radius. This study provides a better understanding of the roles of energy absorption and transduction parameters on bio-effects during nanoparticle-mediated photoporation and facilitates the design of photoporation parameters that achieve desired bio-effects.
Numerical study of plasma-fluid characteristics and thrust performance of a low-power argon inductively coupled plasma electrothermal thruster
Authors: Fujino T. , Yamauchi M.
Published: November 2020

Low-power (from the sub-kilowatt range up to a few kilowatts) inductively coupled plasma (ICP) electrothermal thrusters for space propulsion are potential alternatives to low-power arcjet thrusters, which are often implemented on geostationary satellites for north–south station keeping. We develop an axisymmetric two-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) numerical simulation technique using a two-temperature plasma model as a computer-aided engineering tool for low-power argon ICP electrothermal thrusters. Furthermore, to the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to provide a basic understanding of the plasma-fluid characteristics of low-power ICP electrothermal thrusters. To this end, we perform the MHD numerical simulation for a low-power argon ICP electrothermal thruster model that was developed for thrust measurement experiments to validate the proposed numerical simulation technique. The numerical results indicate that the plasma flow produced in the low-power argon ICP electrothermal thruster model is basically in a strongly thermal and ionizing nonequililbrium state. In addition, the numerical results show that the experimentally measured thrust forces can be reproduced with an underestimation of 10% or less over the RF input power range of 0–0.6 kW considered in the experiment. Moreover, the numerical results suggest that the main reason why the performance of the low-power argon ICP electrothermal thruster model is significantly lower than the target performance is the considerable heat loss of more than 90% of the input power through the flow-channel wall.
Longitudinal waves in a plasma semi-bounded by a sphere
Authors: Andrade Galvão Renato
Published: November 2020

In this work, we treat a plasma semi-bounded by a sphere, where the plasma particles are reflected back to the plasma upon collision with the sphere's surface, and investigate the effects of such reflections on longitudinal electrostatic waves. A dispersion relation as a function of the sphere's radius is obtained, and its roots are compared to Langmuir and ion-sound modes. We have found that it is possible for a Langmuir wave to propagate with frequency below the plasma frequency in certain intervals of the wave number depending on the radius of the sphere. Also, in the limit of cold plasmas, λD→0, we have found that the plasma is still dispersive by reflection of particles on the sphere's surface. The work is developed on the basis of collisionless Vlasov theory.
The Gauss–Bonnet–Chern mass under geometric flows
Authors: Ho Pak Tung
Published: November 2020

The Gauss–Bonnet–Chern mass was defined and studied by Ge, Wang, and Wu [Adv. Math. 266, 84–119 (2014)]. In this paper, we consider the evolution of Gauss–Bonnet–Chern mass along the Ricci flow and the Yamabe flow.
Controlled 3D co-culture of beta cells and endothelial cells in a micropatterned collagen sheet for reproducible construction of an improved pancreatic pseudo-tissue
Authors: Seo Haewon , Son Jaejung , Park Je-Kyun
Published: November 2020

The co-culture of beta cells and endothelial cells in constructing a pancreatic pseudo-tissue can provide a functional advancement for in vitro diabetic-related drug testing and biological studies or in vivo transplantation. In order to mimic the pancreatic tissue more similar to in vivo, it is necessary to control the microenvironment, including cell–cell and cell–extracellular matrix interactions. In this study, we report a geometrically controlled three-dimensional (3D) pancreatic model where MIN6 and MS1 cells are co-cultured within a micropatterned collagen sheet. In 4–10 days, depending on the cell seeding concentration, the MIN6 cells formed islet-like clusters surrounded by an endothelial MS1 cell monolayer. The MS1 cells also formed monolayers at the edge of the micropatterns connecting between the clusters, resulting in a blood vessel-like structure in which no cells were found. It was confirmed that the 3D co-culture structure was not formed in a non-patterned sheet and the structure also helped insulin secretion of MIN6 cells. By simply embedding the cell mixture and the hexagonal micropattern into the collagen sheet, we were also able to achieve the highly reproducible fabrication of a 3D pancreatic pseudo-tissue construct for in vivo and in vitro applications.
Linking information theory and thermodynamics to spatial resolution in photothermal and photoacoustic imaging
Authors: Burgholzer P. , Mayr G. , Thummerer G. , Haltmeier M.
Published: November 2020

In this Tutorial, we combine the different scientific fields of information theory, thermodynamics, regularization theory, and non-destructive imaging, especially for photoacoustic and photothermal imaging. The goal is to get a better understanding of how information gaining for subsurface imaging works and how the spatial resolution limit can be overcome by using additional information. Here, the resolution limit in photoacoustic and photothermal imaging is derived from the irreversibility of attenuation of the pressure wave and of heat diffusion during the propagation of the signals from the imaged subsurface structures to the sample surface, respectively. The acoustic or temperature signals are converted into so-called virtual waves, which are their reversible counterparts and which can be used for image reconstruction by well-known ultrasound reconstruction methods. The conversion into virtual waves is an ill-posed inverse problem, which needs regularization. The reason for that is the information loss during signal propagation to the sample surface, which turns out to be equal to the entropy production. As the entropy production from acoustic attenuation is usually small compared to the entropy production from heat diffusion, the spatial resolution in acoustic imaging is higher than in thermal imaging. Therefore, it is especially necessary to overcome this resolution limit for thermographic imaging by using additional information. Incorporating sparsity and non-negativity in iterative regularization methods gives a significant resolution enhancement, which was experimentally demonstrated by one-dimensional imaging of thin layers with varying depth or by three-dimensional imaging, either from a single detection plane or from three perpendicular detection planes on the surface of a sample cube.
Wide spectral range ultrafast pump–probe magneto-optical spectrometer at low temperature, high-magnetic and electric fields
Authors: Mertens F. , Terschanski M. , Mönkebüscher D. , Ponzoni S. , Bossini D. , Cinchetti M.
Published: November 2020

We developed a table-top setup to perform magneto-optical pump–probe measurements with the possibility to independently tune the photon-energy of both pump and probe beams in the 0.5 eV–3.5 eV range. Our apparatus relies on a commercial turn-key amplified laser system, able to generate light pulses with duration shorter than or comparable to 100 fs throughout the whole spectral range. The repetition rate of the source can be modified via the computer in the 1 kHz to 1 MHz range. A commercial balanced detector is connected to a high-frequency digitizer, allowing for a highly-sensitive detection scheme: rotations of the probe polarization as small as 70 μdeg can be measured. Additionally, a DC magnetic field as high as 9 T and voltages in the kV regime can be applied on the sample. A cryostat allows us to precisely set the temperature of the specimen in the 4 K–420 K interval. We prove the performance of our setup by measuring the ultrafast demagnetization of a cobalt crystal as a function of a wide variety of experimental parameters.
Existence conditions for phononic frequency combs
Authors: Qi Zhen , Menyuk Curtis R. , Gorman Jason J. , Ganesan Adarsh
Published: November 2020

The mechanical analog of optical frequency combs, phononic frequency combs, has recently been demonstrated in mechanical resonators and has been attributed to coupling between multiple phonon modes. This paper investigates the influence of the mode structure on comb generation using a model of two nonlinearly coupled phonon modes. The model predicts that there is only one region within the amplitude-frequency space where combs exist, and this region is a subset of the Arnold tongue that describes a 2:1 autoparametric resonance between the two modes. In addition, the location and shape of the comb region are analytically defined by the resonance frequencies, quality factors, mode coupling strength, and detuning of the driving force frequency from the mechanical resonances, providing clear conditions for comb generation. These results enable comb structure engineering for applications in areas as broad as sensing, communications, quantum information science, materials science, and molecular science.
Interface-induced localization of phonons in BeSe/ZnSe superlattices
Authors: Talwar Devki N. , Semone Sky , Becla P.
Published: November 2020

The impact of interfacial transition layer thickness Δ is methodically investigated in the (BeSe)10–Δ/(Be0.5Zn0.5Se)Δ/(ZnSe)10–Δ/(Be0.5Zn0.5Se)Δ superlattices (SLs) for comprehending their phonon dispersions, Raman intensity profiles, and atomic displacements. By varying Δ from one to three monolayers, we have noticed a dramatic increase in the Raman intensity peaks with slight upward shifts of ZnSe-related optical phonons. An insignificant change is perceived, however, in the Raman features with remarkable downward shifts of the BeSe-type confined optical modes. These effects are ascribed to the localization of atomic displacements at the interfacial regions. The variations in phonon frequencies and enhancement of Raman line shapes can be used as vital tools for establishing the interfacial structures in SLs of technological importance.
Optical Raman measurements of low frequency magnons under high pressure
Authors: Li Xiang , Cooper S. E. , Krishnadas A. , Silevitch D. M. , Rosenbaum T. F. , Feng Yejun
Published: November 2020

The application of giga-Pascal scale pressures has been widely used as a tool to systematically tune the properties of materials in order to access such general questions as the driving mechanisms underlying phase transitions. While there is a large and growing set of experimental tools successfully applied to high-pressure environments, the compatibility between diamond anvil cells and optical probes offers further potential for examining lattice, magnetic, and electronic states, along with their excitations. Here, we describe the construction of a highly efficient optical Raman spectrometer that enables measurements of magnetic excitations in single crystals down to energies of 9 cm−1 (1.1 meV or 13 K) at cryogenic temperatures and under pressures of tens of GPa.
Deep learning for variational multiscale molecular modeling
Authors: Zhang Jun , Lei Yao-Kun , Yang Yi Isaac , Gao Yi Qin
Published: November 2020

Molecular simulations are widely applied in the study of chemical and bio-physical problems. However, the accessible timescales of atomistic simulations are limited, and extracting equilibrium properties of systems containing rare events remains challenging. Two distinct strategies are usually adopted in this regard: either sticking to the atomistic level and performing enhanced sampling or trading details for speed by leveraging coarse-grained models. Although both strategies are promising, either of them, if adopted individually, exhibits severe limitations. In this paper, we propose a machine-learning approach to ally both strategies so that simulations on different scales can benefit mutually from their crosstalks: Accurate coarse-grained (CG) models can be inferred from the fine-grained (FG) simulations through deep generative learning; in turn, FG simulations can be boosted by the guidance of CG models via deep reinforcement learning. Our method defines a variational and adaptive training objective, which allows end-to-end training of parametric molecular models using deep neural networks. Through multiple experiments, we show that our method is efficient and flexible and performs well on challenging chemical and bio-molecular systems.
Tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy for nanoscale probing of dynamic chemical systems
Authors: Sartin Matthew M. , Su Hai-Sheng , Wang Xiang , Ren Bin
Published: November 2020

Dynamics are fundamental to all aspects of chemistry and play a central role in the mechanism and product distribution of a chemical reaction. All dynamic processes are influenced by the local environment, so it is of fundamental and practical value to understand the structure of the environment and the dynamics with nanoscale resolution. Most techniques for measuring dynamic processes have microscopic spatial resolution and can only measure the average behavior of a large ensemble of sites within their sampling volumes. Tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (TERS) is a powerful tool for overcoming this limitation due to its combination of high chemical specificity and spatial resolution that is on the nanometer scale. Adapting it for the study of dynamic systems remains a work in progress, but the increasing sophistication of TERS is making such studies more routine, and there are now growing efforts to use TERS to examine more complex processes. This Perspective aims to promote development in this area of research by highlighting recent progress in using TERS to understand reacting and dynamic systems, ranging from simple model reactions to complex processes with practical applications. We discuss the unique challenges and opportunities that TERS presents for future studies.
Construction grammar for monkeys?
Authors: Pleyer Michael , Hartmann Stefan
Published: November 2020

In recent years, multiple researchers working on the evolution of language have put forward the idea that the theoretical framework of usage-based approaches and Construction Grammar is highly suitable for modelling the emergence of human language from pre-linguistic or proto-linguistic communication systems. This also raises the question of whether usage-based and constructionist approaches can be integrated with the analysis of animal communication systems. In this paper, we review possible avenues where usage-based, constructionist approaches can make contact with animal communication research, which in turn also has implications for theories of language evolution. To this end, we first give an overview of key assumptions of usage-based and constructionist approaches before reviewing some key issues in animal communication research through the lens of usage-based, constructionist approaches. Specifically, we will discuss how research on alarm calls, gestural communication and symbol-trained animals can be brought into contact with usage-based, constructionist theorizing. We argue that a constructionist view of animal communication can yield new perspectives on its relation to human language, which in turn has important implications regarding the evolution of language. Importantly, this theoretical approach also generates hypotheses that have the potential of complementing and extending results from the more formalist approaches that often underlie current animal communication research.
Narratives of dialogue in parliamentary discourse
Authors: Truan Naomi
Published: November 2020

This paper puts forward an argument about the relation between narratives and constructed dialogue in political discourse.
Narratives of dialogue are special cases of constructed dialogue that emphasize the embeddedness of the speaker, displayed as a discourse
participant engaging in a conversation with an ordinary citizen or a public figure. Close analysis of British, German, and French
parliamentary debates reveals how narratives of dialogue shape an image of the speaker involved in a dialogue. While being engaged in the
activity of debating, parliamentarians simultaneously perform the act of debating. I argue that the main point of narratives of dialogue is
not so much to report on a prior or hypothetical situation, but to create the ethos of a Member of Parliament receptive to their
interlocutors.
Sur les verbes de réalisation en anglo-normand
Authors: Blanco Xavier
Published: November 2020

L’article étudie les collocations correspondant aux verbes de réalisation et leurs bases nominales en anglo-normand à partir du dépouillement exhaustif de la chanson de gesteBeuve de Hamptone(fin du XIIesiècle). Les observations concernant les verbes de réalisation sont formalisées moyennant les trois fonctions lexicales standard simplesReali,FactietLabrealij, ainsi que des fonctions complexes et des configurations de fonctions lexicales incluant les trois fonctions mentionnées. Les bases des collocations sont décrites moyennant des étiquettes sémantiques qui, comme les fonctions lexicales, relèvent de la Lexicologie Explicative et Combinatoire. L’article présente un grand nombre d’exemples et de nombreuses observations concernant la traduction de l’anglo-normand au français moderne.
Variation diatopique de la langue espagnole : variantes, synonymies et homonymies en phraséologie
Authors: Oddo Alexandra
Published: November 2020

Dans son fonctionnement, la langue se caractérise par une évidente hétérogénéité qui naît de l’existence de variétés linguistiques et de la production de variantes lexicales souvent recensées dans les dictionnaires d’usage ou dans des supports méta-lexicographiques divers. Dans le domaine lexical, la variation dans le champ des unités phraséologiques a surtout fait l’objet d’un recensement de variantes de sens équivalents mais des travaux récents sur la synonymie et l’homonymie ouvrent des perspectives intéressantes pour une nouvelle typologie de ces phénomènes. Ils exigent une redéfinition des différents produits de la variation et peuvent alimenter une réflexion fructueuse sur les conséquences de la fragmentation géographique d’une langue pour l’intercompréhension de ses usagers.
Hepatic stellate and endothelial cells maintain hematopoietic stem cells in the developing liver
Authors: Lee Yeojin , Leslie Juliana , Yang Ying , Ding Lei
Published: November 2020

The liver maintains hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) during development. However, it is not clear what cells are the components of the developing liver niche in vivo. Here, we genetically dissected the developing liver niche by systematically determining the cellular source of a key HSC niche factor, stem cell factor (SCF). Most HSCs were closely associated with sinusoidal vasculature. Using Scfgfp knockin mice, we found that Scf was primarily expressed by endothelial and perisinusoidal hepatic stellate cells. Conditional deletion of Scf from hepatocytes, hematopoietic cells, Ng2+ cells, or endothelial cells did not affect HSC number or function. Deletion of Scf from hepatic stellate cells depleted HSCs. Nearly all HSCs were lost when Scf was deleted from both endothelial and hepatic stellate cells. The expression of several niche factors was down-regulated in stellate cells around birth, when HSCs egress the developing liver. Thus, hepatic stellate and endothelial cells create perisinusoidal vascular HSC niche in the developing liver by producing SCF.
Curved passive mixing structures: a robust design to obtain efficient mixing and mass transfer in microfluidic channels
Authors: Oevreeide Ingrid H , Zoellner Andreas , Mielnik Michal M , Stokke Bjørn T
Published: November 2020

Analyte mixing and delivery to a functionalized sensor surface are important to realize several advantages associated with biosensors integrated with microfluidic channels. Here, we present a comparison between a herringbone structure (HBS) and a curved passive mixing structure of their efficiency at facilitating mixing and surface saturation using fluorescein included in one of the inlets of a Y-channel microfluidic device. We performed a large parametric study to assess the effects of varying the height of the microfluidic channel as well as the height, width, and spacing of the passive mixing structures. Scanning confocal microscopy combined with a custom-designed image-analysis procedure were utilized to visualize and quantify the observed changes in efficiency in inducing solute mixing by the different designs. The flow patterns within the channels were found to vary significantly with changes in the geometry of the passive mixing structures, which in turn affected the efficiency of the channel at mixing the fluid and saturating the surface opposite the mixing structures. The solute mixing as a function of the channel length was also determined; an initial slow mixing rate does not always coincide with a low mixing index (MI). We found that the range of MIs for the curved mixing structure 1 cm downstream from the inlet was 0.85–0.99 whilst for our HBS it was 0.74–0.98, depending on the design parameters of the passive mixing structures. Overall, this study shows that the curved passive mixing structure family is more robust in inducing efficient mixing than the HBSs.
Thermoelectric figure of merit enhancement in dissipative superlattice structures
Authors: Priyadarshi Pankaj , Muralidharan Bhaskaran
Published: November 2020

Utilizing the non-coherent quantum transport formalism, we investigate thermoelectric (TE) performance across dissipative superlattice (SL) configurations in the linear regime of operation. Using the dissipative non-equilibrium Green’s function formalism coupled self-consistently with the Poisson’s equation, we report an enhanced figure of merit zT in the multi-barrier device designs. The proposed enhancement, we show, is a result of a drastic reduction in the electronic thermal conductance triggered via non-coherent transport. We show that a maximum zT value of 18 can be achieved via the inclusion of momentum relaxation processes. There is also a reasonable enhancement in the Seebeck coefficient, with a maximum of 1000 µV K−1, which we attribute to an enhancement in electronic filtering arising from the non-coherent transport. Distinctly the thermal conduction is drastically reduced as the length of the SL scales up, although the power factor shows an overall degradation. While the presence of interfaces is known to kill phonon thermal conduction, our analysis shows that momentum relaxation processes in SL structures can effectively kill electronic thermal conduction also. We believe that the analysis presented here could set the stage to understand better the interplay between relaxation processes and coherent quantum processes in the electronic engineering of heterostructure TE devices.
The interactions between spin wave and stacked domain walls
Authors: Gao Zhong-Chen , Yang Yuxuan , Su Yuanchang , Hu Jingguo , Park Chan
Published: November 2020

In this study, the interactions between spin wave (SW) and stacked domain walls in a magnetic nanostrip are investigated via micromagnetic simulation. It is found that under the excitation of SW, the metastable TWVW structure consisting of a transverse wall (TW) and a vortex wall (VW) may transform into a 360° wall or may completely annihilate depending on the frequency and amplitude of the SW. In contrast, stacked TWs (STWs) structure shows good robustness. Similar to a single TW, the STWs can be moved by SW and the inside TWs exhibit coherent motions. Notably, the frequency dependence of STWs’ velocity demonstrates obvious emergence, shift and disappearance of the resonant peaks. Such changes are found to be in accordance with SW reflection, which thus agrees with the mechanism of linear momentum transfer torque (LMTT). In concern with the SW transmission through STWs, we show that by varying TWs number and SW frequency, a wide range of transmission efficiency η can be obtained. At certain frequencies, η may increase with TWs number and may go beyond 100%, which indicates a lowered attenuation by STWs. On the other hand, the phase shift of the transmitted SW always increases linearly with the TWs number and can be resonantly enhanced at frequencies same as that of TWs normal modes. Mapping of SW reveals that the phase shift is a result of fast propagation of SW through TWs. The fast propagation and the low attenuation of SW through STWs suggests that STWs may serve as an excellent SW channel. Meanwhile, the induced STWs motion and the controlled SW transmission and phase shift by STWs also promises great uses of STWs in future magnonic devices and domain wall devices.
Simultaneous detection of multiple exosomal microRNAs for exosome screening based on rolling circle amplification
Authors: Wang Zhile , Zong Shenfei , Liu Yun , Qian Ziting , Zhu Kai , Yang Zhaoyan , Wang Zhuyuan , Cui Yiping
Published: November 2020

Exosomal microRNAs (miRNAs) have attracted great attention as predictive and prognostic biomarkers of cancer. Profiling of miRNAs plays a key role in the effective diagnosis of cancers. However, simultaneous quantification of multiple miRNAs is challenging due to their homology and low abundance especially in exosomes. Here, we developed a sensitive detection method for multiple exosomal miRNAs with the help of rolling circle amplification (RCA). In contrast of the traditional ways, this method takes the advantages of both the multiplex sensing ability and the simplicity of RCA. Specifically, multiple exosomal miRNAs from different cell lines were replicated simultaneously through RCA and detected using designed molecular beacons (MBs). miRNA-21, miRNA-122 and miRNA-155 were chosen as the targets, which are overexpressed in cancers. Normalized fluorescence intensities of MB were used to imply the relative concentrations of these miRNAs. The obtained relative miRNAs expression levels could be used to distinguish the breast cancer exosome from normal one. If the varieties of the detected exosomal miRNAs are abundant enough, the concentration ratios of miRNAs could basically indicate the corresponding exosome and exosome screening could be realized. Such exosomal miRNA profiling and exosome screening can assist cancer diagnosis, which is promising in clinical application.
Foundations of capacitive and inductive radio-frequency discharges
Authors: Chabert Pascal , Tsankov Tsanko Vaskov , Czarnetzki Uwe
Published: November 2020

This paper is the first from a set of two companion papers on radio-frequency (RF) discharges. These two papers are in turn part of a larger series on the foundations of plasma and discharge physics. In this part we cover the basics of non-magnetized capacitive and inductive RF discharges, introduce the main concepts related to them and provide reference literature for further reading. In the second part we concentrate on RF discharges in the presence of external magnetic field. These types of RF discharges find a wide range of applications in various industries. Among the most prominent examples are the microelectronics industry for etching and deposition of thin films, the medical and food industry for the application of various coatings and changing the wettability of surfaces, the space industry to power ion-gridded thrusters for satellites, the fusion and elementary particle research for the production of beams of energetic ions or atoms. The paper introduces the basic concepts of RF power deposition and describes in more detail the operating conditions of the plasma reactors. The most important physical phenomena encountered in these discharges are outlined through the use of simplified models. The paper is intended as an entry point for newcomers to the field and provides ample of references (including textbooks) for further reading on the more specific and/or subtle aspects of the operation of these types of RF discharges.
The variation in self-organized anode plasma pattern structure with solution electrolyte type in 1 atm DC glow discharge
Authors: Kovach Yao E , Garcia Maria C , Foster John E
Published: November 2020

Plasma self-organization on anode surfaces in 1 atm DC glow discharges remains poorly understood. This effort aims to elucidate the nature of self-organization through the experimental study of resulting patterns on liquid anode surfaces with 13 different electrolytes and thus improves our understanding of the underlying physical processes that give rise to self-organization by investigating electrolyte sensitivity. Self-organization pattern formation and behavior were studied as a function of discharge current, solution ionic strength, and their chemical property evaluation. The response of the patterns to variation in these parameters was measured using an imaging camera and optical emission spectroscopy. Observed pattern characteristic length scales for all of the electrolytes were ranged from 2 to 13 mm and typically increased with current over the investigated range of 20–80 mA. Complex self-organized pattern structures not reported to date were also observed. The parameters associated with pattern formation and morphology complexity are discussed and summarized.
The inverse proximity effect in strong ferromagnet–superconductor structures
Authors: Yagovtsev V O , Gusev N A , Pugach N G , Eschrig M
Published: November 2020

The magnetization in a superconductor induced due to the inverse proximity effect is investigated in hybrid bilayers containing a superconductor and a ferromagnetic insulator or a strongly spin-polarized ferromagnetic metal. The study is performed within a quasiclassical Green function framework, wherein Usadel equations are solved with boundary conditions appropriate for strongly spin-polarized ferromagnetic materials. A comparison with recent experimental data is presented. The singlet to triplet conversion of the superconducting correlations as a result of the proximity effect with a ferromagnet is studied.
Advances in Nb3Sn superconducting radiofrequency cavities towards first practical accelerator applications
Authors: Posen S , Lee J , Seidman D N , Romanenko A , Tennis B , Melnychuk O S , Sergatskov D A
Published: November 2020

Nb3Sn is a promising next-generation material for superconducting radiofrequency cavities, with significant potential for both large scale and compact accelerator applications. However, so far, Nb3Sn cavities have been limited to continuous wave accelerating fields <18 MV m−1. In this paper, new results are presented with significantly higher fields, as high as 24 MV m−1 in single cell cavities. Results are also presented from the first ever Nb3Sn-coated 1.3 GHz 9-cell cavity, a full-scale demonstration on the cavity type used in production for the European XFEL and LCLS-II. Results are presented together with heat dissipation curves to emphasize the potential for industrial accelerator applications using cryocooler-based cooling systems. The cavities studied have an atypical shiny visual appearance, and microscopy studies of witness samples reveal significantly reduced surface roughness and smaller film thickness compared to typical Nb3Sn films for superconducting cavities. Possible mechanisms for increased maximum field are discussed as well as implications for physics of RF superconductivity in the low coherence length regime. Outlook for continued development is presented.
Effects of packing particles on the partial discharge behavior and the electrical characterization of oxygen PBRs
Authors: NI Sijia , CAI Yixi , SHI Yunxi , WANG Weikai , ZHAO Nan , LU Yirui
Published: November 2020

Packed-bed reactors (PBRs) hold great promise for environmental applications, but a deeper understanding of the behavior of plasma discharge within PBRs is required. To this end, a partial-discharge alternative equivalent circuit for PBRs was established in this work. Dielectric particles (glass beads or glass sand) were used to place focus on the effects of the particle size and shape on the partial discharge behavior of the oxygen PBRs. Some electrical characterizations were explored (e.g. the effective dielectric capacitance, partial discharge coefficient, and corrected burning voltage) that may differ from long-standing interpretations. The findings indicate that the suppressive effect of surface discharge on filament discharge is stronger with the decrease of the particle size. For partial discharge, the effective dielectric capacitance is always less than the dielectric capacitance. The corrected burning voltage and partial discharge tendency increase with the decrease of the particle size. As compared to an empty reactor, the average electric field in the PBR was found to be improved by 3–4 times, and the ozone energy efficiency and production were promoted by more than 20% and 15%, respectively. The plasma processing capacity can therefore be improved by choosing a relatively large size or a complex, irregularly-shaped packing material that is suitable for the discharge gap.
The color center of beryllium-treated yellow sapphires
Authors: Monarumit N , Lhuaamporn T , Sakkaravej S , Wathanakul P , Wongkokua W
Published: November 2020

Yellow color in gem corundum is commonly caused by Fe3+ impurity replacing Al3+ in the Al2O3 structure. For two decades beryllium-assisted heat treatment has been introduced to produce yellow sapphires from colorless, green, or light blue sapphires. The roles of beryllium atoms in corundum structure have been proposed in different ways either triggering structural defects or being as catalysts. Thus, the research experiments were conducted to evaluate these contradictions by applying the UV–vis excitation spectra and Fe K-edge x-ray absorption near edge structure spectra (XANES) of the samples, in combinations with Tauc plots of the UV–vis absorption spectra. The trace element content of the samples was analyzed by laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). As a result, iron impurity in the samples has been confirmed as Fe3+ by XANES spectra, and hence, revealed as the cause of yellow color in natural yellow sapphire samples. Besides, the absorptions at 423 nm, 457 nm, 487 nm and 553 nm and emissions at 609 nm and 841 nm of Fe3+-Be2+ mixed donor states were detected by UV–vis excitation, which is the novel finding on the origin of yellow coloration in beryllium-treated sapphires. Therefore, an energy band model for mixed Fe3+-Be2+ donor states is proposed to be responsible for the yellow color center in beryllium-treated yellow sapphires, comparable to Fe3+ and Fe3+/Fe3+ states for the natural yellow sapphires commonly contain high iron.
High-dimensional neural network atomic potentials for examining energy materials: some recent simulations
Authors: Watanabe Satoshi , Li Wenwen , Jeong Wonseok , Lee Dongheon , Shimizu Koji , Mimanitani Emi , Ando Yasunobu , Han Seungwu
Published: November 2020

Owing to their simultaneous accuracy and computational efficiency, interatomic potentials machine-learned using first-principles calculation data are promising for investigating phenomena closely related to atomic motion in various energy materials. We have been working with one type of these potentials, high-dimensional (HD) neural network potentials (NNPs), and their applications, but we realized that our current understanding of HD NNPs, e.g. the meaning of the atomic energy mapping, remained insufficient, and that tuning their prediction performance for different target properties/phenomena often requires much trial and error. In this article, we illustrate the usefulness of NNPs through our studies on ion migration and thermal transport in energy and related materials. We also share our experiences with data sampling and training strategies and discuss the meaning of atomic energy mapping in HD NNPs.
Classifying global state preparation via deep reinforcement learning
Authors: Haug Tobias , Mok Wai-Keong , You Jia-Bin , Zhang Wenzu , Eng Png Ching , Kwek Leong-Chuan
Published: November 2020

Quantum information processing often requires the preparation of arbitrary quantum states, such as all the states on the Bloch sphere for two-level systems. While numerical optimization can prepare individual target states, they lack the ability to find general control protocols that can generate many different target states. Here, we demonstrate global quantum control by preparing a continuous set of states with deep reinforcement learning. The protocols are represented using neural networks, which automatically groups the protocols into similar types, which could be useful for finding classes of protocols and extracting physical insights. As application, we generate arbitrary superposition states for the electron spin in complex multi-level nitrogen-vacancy centers, revealing classes of protocols characterized by specific preparation timescales. Our method could help improve control of near-term quantum computers, quantum sensing devices and quantum simulations.