bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Multicriteria optimization based comprehensive comparative analyses of single- and two-stage (series/parallel) thermoelectric generators including the influence of Thomson effect
Authors: Arora Rajesh , Arora Ranjana
Published: July 2018

The thermodynamic investigations on the thermoelectric devices (TEs) discard the influence produced by the non-linear Thomson effect. It could direct the incomplete/partial modelling solutions laterally through some critical gaps in the performance evaluation of these devices. On the contrary, a suitable arrangement of several designing constraints for TEs is essential to improve their operating characteristics. In this context, the modeling of multi-element single- and two-stage thermoelectric generators based on the thermodynamic principles is done in MATLAB 9.2. The irreversibility due to Thomson influence along with Joule/Fourier effects are undertaken for the system modelling. The optimization of the generators is done in pursuance of obtaining the optimal values of four input parameters using two different evolutionary algorithms, viz., NSGA-II and MOEA/D. The optimum solutions from the Pareto front of two-/three- objective are found using different decision-making methods, viz., TOPSIS, Fuzzy, and LINMAP. It is observed that the proposed optimization yields trivial variances amongst ideal/obtained solutions, named as the deviation index, in comparison with the single/dual ones. In addition to this, sensitivity analysis is done to examine the impact of Thomson effect on the output power/thermal efficiency of the generators. The test results obtained through NSGA-II are in coherence with those of the data and figures reported in the available literature.
Exploration of exciton behavior in atomically thin WS2 layers by ionic gating
Authors: He Xin , Zhang Zehui , Zhang Chenhui , Yang Yang , Hu Ming , Ge Weikun , Zhang Xixiang
Published: July 2018

The photoluminescence spectra of mono- and bilayer WS2, gated by the ionic liquid, were systematically studied at 77 K. Interesting phenomena, such as a redshift of the exciton peaks and a change in the spectral weight of the exciton, trion, and biexciton peaks, were observed at intermediate doping levels. By increasing the doping level, all the exciton, trion, and biexciton peaks vanished, which is attributed to the phase-space filling effect and the Coulomb screening effect. The variation in the band structure, which was induced by the quantum-confined Stark effect in both the mono- and bilayer WS2, was also studied using first-principle calculations.
Bridging molecular simulation models and elastic theories for amphiphilic membranes
Authors: Berthault Adrien , Werner Marco , Baulin Vladimir A.
Published: July 2018

The Single Chain Mean Field theory is used to link coarse-grained models of amphiphilic molecules with analytical models for membrane elasticity, where phenomenological parameters are deduced from explicit molecular models and force fields. We estimate the elastic constants based on the free energy of the amphiphilic bilayer in planar and cylindrical geometries on the example of four amphiphilic molecules that differ in length and stiffness. We study how these variations affect the equilibrium bilayer structure, the equilibrium free energy, and the elastic constants. Bending rigidities are obtained within the typical range of experimental values for phospholipid membranes in a liquid state.
Absolute instability and transient growth near the band edges of a traveling wave tube
Authors: Antoulinakis Foivos , Wong Patrick , Jassem Abhijit , Lau Y. Y.
Published: July 2018

An electron beam in the slow wave structure of a traveling wave tube may be subjected to absolute instability at the lower and upper band edges, where the group velocity is zero. From a careful re-examination of the immediate vicinity of these band edges, we use the Briggs-Bers criterion to show that, contrary to previous findings, an absolute instability may arise at the lower band edge if the beam current is sufficiently high, even if the beam mode intersects with the circuit mode with a positive group velocity. However, the upper band edge was found to be more susceptible to absolute instability than the lower band edge. The threshold condition for the onset of absolute instabilities is derived analytically at both band edges. The Green's function shows possible transient temporal growth with an exponentiation rate proportional to t1/3, whether or not the band edge is subject to an absolute instability.
Time-resolved orientation detection system with quantum cascade lasers
Authors: Ye Ke , Chen Xiaowei , Zhang Wenwen , Lv Yankun , Meng Lingpu , Ji Youxin , Li Liangbin
Published: July 2018

A system with the combination of quantum cascade lasers (QCLs) and a photoelastic modulator (PEM) has been designed and constructed, which can achieve orientation detection with a time resolution of nearly 20 µs based on the principle of infrared dichroism, several orders of magnitude higher than that of the general mid-infrared spectrum. PEM with an inherent frequency of 50 kHz is employed to modulate the polarization direction of infrared light rapidly, the controller of which is used to provide the external trigger signal. A double frequency and delay circuit is fabricated to match the frequency of QCLs and PEM as well as overcome the delay during transfer of the trigger signal to a QCL controller, which can realize a minimum delay resolution of 5 ns. Also, a data acquisition program is compiled to reduce the data size, making continuous collection possible and lowering difficulty in data processing. The system is combined with the home-made biaxial stretching equipment to conduct the sequential biaxial stretching of β-polypropylene (PP) films. It shows that the orientation factor of polymer chains increases from 0.04 to 0.36 during machine stretching, which decreases to 0 during transverse stretching, fitting well with the orientation factors estimated with FTIR. The result robustly proves the feasibility of the system for rapid orientation detection.
Self-organized patterns by a DC pin liquid anode discharge in ambient air: Effect of liquid types on formation
Authors: Zhang Shiqiang , Dufour Thierry
Published: July 2018

A pin liquid anode DC discharge is generated in open air without any additional gas feeding to form self-organized patterns (SOPs) on various liquid interfaces. Axially resolved emission spectra of the whole discharge reveal that the self-organized patterns are formed below a dark region and are visible mainly due to the N2(C 3Π − B 3Π) transitions. The high energy N2(C) level is mainly excited by the impact of electrons heated by the local increased electric field at the interface. For the first time, the effect of the liquid type on the SOP formation is presented. With almost the same other discharge conditions, the formed SOPs are significantly different from HCl and H2SO4 liquid anodes. The SOP difference is repeated when the discharge current and gap distance change for both liquid anodes. The variations of SOP size and discretization as a function of discharge current and gap distance are discussed and confirm that different SOPs are formed by the HCl liquid anode from tap water or the H2SO4 liquid anode. A possible explanation is brought up to explain the dependence of SOPs on the liquid type.
Kinetic theory of transport driven current in centrally fuelled plasmas
Authors: Rax J. M. , Robiche J. , Gueroult R. , Ehrlacher C.
Published: July 2018

When a steady-state cylindrical plasma discharge is centrally fuelled, the collisionless radial electron flux is canonically coupled to an axial current. The identification and analysis of this transport driven current, previously reported in collisionless simulations [W. J. Nunan and J. M. Dawson, Phys. Rev. Lett. 73, 1628 (1994)], are addressed analytically and extended to the collisional regime by means of first-principles kinetic models. Collisionless radial transport is described with the standard quasilinear model and collisional velocity anisotropy relaxation with the Landau kinetic equation. When trapped particle corrections are taken into account, the solution of this kinetic model provides the analytical expression for the transport driven current in a centrally fuelled steady-state tokamak as a function of the thermonuclear power and discharge parameters. For ITER type discharges, with central fuelling, a current of about one mega-ampere is predicted by this first-principles analytical kinetic model.
Development of a tomographic Mueller-matrix scatterometer for nanostructure metrology
Authors: Tan Yinyin , Chen Chao , Chen Xiuguo , Du Weichao , Gu Honggang , Liu Shiyuan
Published: July 2018

In this paper, we describe the development of a novel instrument, tentatively called tomographic Mueller-matrix scatterometer (TMS), which enables illuminating sequentially a sample by a plane wave with varying illumination directions and recording, for each illumination, the polarized scattered field along various directions of observation in the form of scattering Mueller matrices. The incidence angle is varied from 0° to 65.6° with the rotation of a flat mirror that changes the position of the focal point of a light beam on the back focal plane of a high numerical aperture objective lens. The scattering Mueller matrices are collected over a wide range of scattering angles (0°–67°) and azimuthal angles (0°–360°). The developed instrument was then applied for the measurement of nanostructures in combination with an inverse scattering problem solving technique. The experiment performed on a periodic nanostructure preliminarily demonstrates the performance of TMS as well as its potential in nanostructure metrology. It is expected that the TMS would be a powerful tool for characterizing the polarized scattered-field distributions and measuring nanostructures in nanomanufacturing.
Deep imaging in highly scattering media by combining reflection matrix measurement with Bessel-like beam based optical coherence tomography
Authors: Yang Qiang , Miao Yusi , Huo Tiancheng , Li Yan , Heidari Emon , Zhu Jiang , Chen Zhongping
Published: July 2018

Multiple scattering in biomedical tissue limits the imaging depth within a range of 1–2 mm for conventional optical imaging techniques. To extend the imaging depth into the scattering medium, a computational method based on the reflection matrix measurement has been developed to retrieve the singly back-scattered signal light from the dominant detrimental multiple-scattered background. After applying singular value decomposition on the measured matrix in the post-process, the target image underneath the turbid media is clearly recovered. To increase the depth of focus of the incident light by elongating the focal spot along the optical axis, a digital grating pattern is specially designed and displayed on a phase-only spatial light modulator to generate the Bessel-like beam for lateral point scanning. According to the results, the depth of focus is increased up to 2.4 mm which is much longer than the value of ∼50 μm obtained by using the conventional focused Gaussian beam, leading to a deeper penetration depth due to the self-healing feature of the Bessel-like beam. In addition, generation of the Bessel-like beam simplifies the axial scanning process by getting rid of the need to mechanically translate the focal zone along the optical axis of an objective with a high numerical aperture. By combining this method with an optical coherence tomography system with a low coherence light source, a depth-resolved optical image is obtained underneath a highly turbid medium.
Isotropic piezoresistance of p-type 4H-SiC in (0001) plane
Authors: Nguyen Tuan-Khoa , Phan Hoang-Phuong , Dinh Toan , Toriyama Toshiyuki , Nakamura Koichi , Foisal Abu Riduan Md , Nguyen Nam-Trung , Dao Dzung Viet
Published: July 2018

In this work, the isotropic piezoresistance in the (0001) plane of p-type 4H-SiC was discovered by means of the hole energy shift calculation and the coordinate transformation. These results were also confirmed by the measurement of the piezoresistance using a bending beam method. The fundamental longitudinal and transverse piezoresistive coefficients π11 and π12 were found to be 6.43 × 10−11 Pa−1 and −5.12 × 10−11 Pa−1, respectively. The isotropy of the piezoresistance in the basal plane of p-type 4H-SiC is attributed to the isotropic hole energy shift under uniaxial strain. This interesting phenomenon in p-type 4H-SiC is promising for the design and fabrication of mechanical sensors and strain-engineered electronics since high sensitivity and consistent performance can be achieved regardless of the crystallographic orientation.
Theory of nonionic hydrophobic solutes in mixture solvent: Solvent-mediated interaction and solute-induced phase separation
Authors: Okamoto Ryuichi , Onuki Akira
Published: July 2018

We present a theory of nonionic solutes in a mixture solvent composed of water-like and alcohol-like species. First, we show the relationship among the solvation chemical potential, the partial volumes vi, the Kirkwood-Buff integrals, the second osmotic virial coefficient, and the Gibbs transfer free energy. We examine how the solute density n3 is coupled to the solvent densities n1 and n2 in thermodynamics. In the limit of small compressibility, we show that the space-filling condition ∑i vini = 1 nearly holds for inhomogeneous densities ni, where the concentration fluctuations of the solvent can give rise to a large solute-solute attractive interaction. We also derive a solute spinodal density n3spi for solute-induced instability. Next, we examine gas-liquid and liquid-liquid phase transitions induced by a small amount of a solute using the Mansoori, Carnahan, Starling, and Leland model for hard-sphere mixtures [J. Chem. Phys. 54, 1523–1525 (1971)]. Here, we assume that the solvent is close to its gas-liquid coexistence and the solute interacts repulsively with the water-like species but attractively with the alcohol-like one. We calculate the binodal and spinodal curves in the phase diagrams and examine nucleation for these two phase transitions.
Temperature dependence bending rigidity of 2D membranes: Graphene as an example
Authors: Yi Lijun
Published: July 2018

Bending rigidity plays an important role in graphene from mechanical behavior to magnetic and electrical properties. However, it is still in a theoretical debate whether the bending rigidity of graphene increase or decrease with increasing temperature. The liquid membranes renormalization theory is always used to calculate the bending modulus of 2D membrane (graphene) at different temperatures. Although this theory has been successfully used to describe the mechanical behavior of liquid membranes like cell membrane, we point out some possible unsuitable places when it is used to evaluate the temperature effect on the bending rigidity of graphene. The energy difference between the notional planar and pure bending graphene is related to the definition of the bending rigidity directly. Based on this energy variation analysis, we demonstrate that the bending rigidity of graphene increases with increasing temperature. Moreover, we reveal the mechanism is that the configurational entropy plays a crucial role in the variation of the free energy of graphene with increasing temperature. Our approach also paves a way to investigate the temperature effect on the bending rigidity of other 2D materials.
The role of cavity shape on spatially confined laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy
Authors: Wang Qiuyun , Chen Anmin , Zhang Dan , Wang Ying , Sui Laizhi , Li Suyu , Jiang Yuanfei , Jin Mingxing
Published: July 2018

The influence of a columnar cavity with different shapes on laser-induced Cu plasma was investigated by optical emission spectroscopy. The circle, square, triangle, and bilateral cavities were used to confine the plasmas. The measured spectral lines were Cu (I) 510.5 nm, 515.3 nm, and 521.8 nm. An obvious enhancement in the emission intensity and plasma temperature was observed when the cavities with different shapes were used to confine the laser-induced Cu plasma. By comparing the spectral intensities under the cavities with different shapes, it was found that the emission intensity was the strongest and the plasma temperature was the highest under the spatial confinement with the cylindrical cavity. Therefore, the spatial confinement effect with the cylindrical cavity is the most appropriate. The spatial confinement effect is attributed to the plasma plume compressed by the reflected shock wave.
Dielectric-induced interface states in black phosphorus and tungsten diselenide capacitors
Authors: Liu Jialun , Zhou Yujie , Zhu Wenjuan
Published: July 2018

The interfaces between two-dimensional (2D) materials and gate dielectrics play an important role in the performance and reliability of 2D electronic devices. In this work, we systematically studied the capacitance and interface states of a narrow bandgap material (black phosphorus, BP) and an intermediate bandgap material (tungsten diselenide, WSe2). We found that their capacitance–voltage (CV) characteristics are drastically different. The BP capacitor CVs demonstrate ambipolar and low-frequency properties, while WSe2 capacitor CVs shows unipolar (p-type) and high-frequency behavior. The narrow bandgap of BP (∼0.3 eV) enables large amounts of minority carriers, low generation-recombination resistance, and short minority carrier lifetime, giving low-frequency behavior of the CVs, while the wide bandgap of WSe2 (∼1.21 eV) leads to the high-frequency behavior of the CVs. The nearly intrinsic (low) doping of the BP flake results in ambipolar CVs which are symmetric about the midgap. The naturally p-type doping in WSe2 gives unipolar CVs similar to p-type silicon. In both materials, the interface state density is as high as 1013 cm−2 eV−1. Although 2D materials are free of dangling bonds, their intimate contact with high-k dielectrics like Al2O3 could generate a larger number of interface states and degrades the device performance. Hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) effectively reduces the interface state density as dielectrics. The interface state for BP/hBN capacitor shows much lower density than counterpart with Al2O3 gate dielectric. We also found that the interface state density increases exponentially with the gate voltage when the surface Fermi level is swept from the midgap toward the band edge.
Experimental verification of the operational efficiency of a hybrid energy harvester
Authors: DeJarnette Drew
Published: July 2018

Theoretical and experimental results agree for phase and frequency differences in magnetic and vibrational environments for a hybrid energy harvesting device showing efficiencies above the state-of-the-art.
Factors associated with declining to report the number of sexual partners using computer-assisted self-interviewing: a cross-sectional study among individuals attending a sexual health centre in Melbourne, Australia
Authors: Chow Eric P. F. , Carlin John B. , Read Tim R. H. , Chen Marcus Y. , Bradshaw Catriona S. , Sze Jun K. , Fairley Christopher K.
Published: July 2018

Background The number of sexual partners is one of the most important risk factors for sexually transmissible infections (STIs), including HIV. The aim of the present study was to examine the association between declining to report the number of partners using computer-assisted self-interviewing (CASI) and HIV or STI positivity at a public sexual health centre in Melbourne, Australia, in 2016. Methods: Individuals were categorised into three risk populations: women, men who have sex with women only (MSW) and men who have sex with men (MSM). Logistic regression analysis was used to examine the association between declining to report the number of sexual partners in the past 12 months and HIV or STI positivity for women and MSW, with generalised estimating equations (GEE) used for estimation in MSM to address repeated-measures within individuals. Results: In all, 18085 individuals (5579 women, 6013 MSW, 6493 MSM) were included in the final analysis. There was no association between chlamydia positivity and declining to respond among women and MSW. MSM who declined to respond were more likely to be chlamydia positive (adjusted odds ratio1.21; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.01–1.43). Known HIV-positive MSM and MSM newly diagnosed with HIV had 3.31-fold (95% CI 2.48–4.42) and 2.82-fold (95% CI 1.84–4.32) greater odds respectively of declining to respond compared with HIV-negative MSM. Gonorrhoea and syphilis positivity in MSM were not associated with declining to respond. Conclusions: There was no association between declining to report the number of partners and chlamydia positivity among women and MSW. However, MSM who declined to report the number of partners were slightly more likely to have chlamydia and substantially more likely to be HIV positive.
Stocks, composition and vulnerability to loss of soil organic carbon predicted using mid-infrared spectroscopy
Authors: Baldock J. A. , Beare M. H. , Curtin D. , Hawke B.
Published: July 2018

Developing a routine and cost effective capability for measuring soil organic carbon (SOC) content and composition will allow identification of land management practices with a potential to maintain or enhance SOC stocks. Coupling SOC content data and mid-infrared (MIR) spectra through the application of partial least-squares regression (PLSR) analyses has been used to develop such a prediction capability. The objective of this study was to determine whether MIR/PLSR analyses provide accurate estimates of the content and composition of SOC that can be used to quantify SOC stocks and its potential vulnerability to loss. Soil was collected from a field trial incorporating a range of land use (pasture, arable cropping and bare fallow) and tillage (intensive, minimum and no tillage) treatments over a nine-year period. The SOC content was measured by dry combustion analysis. Particulate organic carbon was separated from other forms of carbon on the basis of particle size (SOC in the >50 µm fraction). Resistant organic carbon was quantified using solid-state 13C nuclear magnetic resonance. The MIR/PLSR algorithms were successfully developed to predict the natural logarithms of the contents of SOC and POC in the collected soils. With initial calibration, a single MIR analysis could be used in conjunction with PLSR algorithms to predict the content of SOC and its allocation to component fractions. The MIR/PLSR predicted SOC contents provided reliable estimates of the impact of agricultural management on the 0–25-cm SOC stocks, as well as an indication of the vulnerability of SOC to loss. Development of this capability will facilitate the rapid and cost effective collection of SOC content data for detecting the impact of agricultural management treatments on SOC stocks, composition and potential vulnerability to change.
Ferroelectric domain wall dynamics characterized with X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy
Authors: Gorfman Semën , Bokov Alexei A. , Davtyan Arman , Reiser Mario , Xie Yujuan , Ye Zuo-Guang , Zozulya Alexey V. , Sprung Michael , Pietsch Ullrich , Gutt Christian
Published: July 2018

Significance

The dynamics in many complex systems is essentially heterogeneous and involves a series of discrete events—in particular, local structural changes. The nature and scale of these changes may vary greatly, ranging from rearrangements of atomic positions during phase transitions to displacements of tectonic plates during earthquakes. In this work, we introduce X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy (XPCS) as a powerful tool for investigating heterogeneous dynamics of interfaces. We observe the motion of ferroelectric domain walls by means of XPCS and obtain the information about nanoscale changes, which is inaccessible for other techniques. Further experiments can provide important insights into the mechanisms of unusual properties of materials such as anomalously large piezoelectric response in relaxor-based ferroelectrics and magnetoelectric coupling in multiferroics.
Sword bean variants and different pretreatments influence protein extraction and protein properties
Authors: Nishizawa Kaho , Arii Yasuhiro
Published: July 2018

Two variants of the sword bean (Canavalia gladiata), namely the white sword bean (WSB) and the red sword bean (RSB), are known. The MgCl2 concentration-dependent canavalin solubility showed different behavior among the extracts from distinct beans prepared by distinct pretreatments. Pretreatment and bean selection are important factors for use in food chemical and biochemical experiments.
Bones and Recognition: Compensating families of Missing Persons in Post-War Bosnia and Herzegovina
Authors: Hronešová Jessie
Published: July 2018

A growing trend in post-war transitional justice posits that structural conditions explain why only some post-war countries award material assistance to survivors of war atrocities. While these explanations provide critical insights into the processes behind compensation adoption across post-war states, they do not explain the great variance in which victims obtain compensation within post-war countries. Using the case of missing persons in Bosnia and Herzegovina, a victim category that secured compensation in 2004, I present a new model to explain compensation using a rationalist approach. The paper shows that compensation adoption is primarily driven by an opportune combination of three factors: international salience (defined as the international attention given to the victim category and/or prioritisation of its demands), moral authority (defined as the level of perceived domestic deservingness for compensation) and mobilisation resources (defined as the victim category's capacities to mobilise and the quality of its networks). Drawing on fieldwork, this article shows that the prominence of the Srebrenica genocide propelled the issue of missing persons on to domestic and external agendas, affording the surviving families an opportunity to demand special compensation.
Female Religious Actors as Peace Agents in Afghanistan
Authors: Fabra-Mata Javier , Jalal Muzhgan
Published: July 2018

With some notably rare exceptions, the literature on religion and peacebuilding has predominantly focused on men as religious actors, leaving the works of female religious actors in the shadows. This research focuses on a group of female religious actors in Afghanistan, their aspirations, and modes of working to build peace in their country. The research draws on structured interviews with 20 female members of a network of religious actors working for peace. In addition, quantitative data on activities carried out by those women and other network members has been employed to contextualise and improve the validity of findings. By examining the experiences and perceptions of these female religious leaders, the article illustrates the importance of religious literacy for Muslim women working for peace in Afghanistan. This research shows that such literacy facilitates social acceptance: it enables women to maximise the impact of the gendered peacebuilding spaces they have and, more importantly, to enlarge those spaces and create opportunities for conflict transformation.
Heat-resistant action potentials require TTX-resistant sodium channels NaV1.8 and NaV1.9
Authors: Touska Filip , Turnquist Brian , Vlachova Viktorie , Reeh Peter W. , Leffler Andreas , Zimmermann Katharina
Published: July 2018

Damage-sensing nociceptors in the skin provide an indispensable protective function thanks to their specialized ability to detect and transmit hot temperatures that would block or inflict irreversible damage in other mammalian neurons. Here we show that the exceptional capacity of skin C-fiber nociceptors to encode noxiously hot temperatures depends on two tetrodotoxin (TTX)-resistant sodium channel α-subunits: NaV1.8 and NaV1.9. We demonstrate that NaV1.9, which is commonly considered an amplifier of subthreshold depolarizations at 20°C, undergoes a large gain of function when temperatures rise to the pain threshold. We also show that this gain of function renders NaV1.9 capable of generating action potentials with a clear inflection point and positive overshoot. In the skin, heat-resistant nociceptors appear as two distinct types with unique and possibly specialized features: one is blocked by TTX and relies on NaV1.9, and the second type is insensitive to TTX and composed of both NaV1.8 and NaV1.9. Independent of rapidly gated TTX-sensitive NaV channels that form the action potential at pain threshold, NaV1.8 is required in all heat-resistant nociceptors to encode temperatures higher than ∼46°C, whereas NaV1.9 is crucial for shaping the action potential upstroke and keeping the NaV1.8 voltage threshold within reach.
No voltage change at skeletal muscle SR membrane during Ca2+ release—just Mermaids on acid
Authors: Melzer Werner
Published: July 2018

Calcium ions control multiple physiological functions by binding to extracellular and intracellular targets. One of the best-studied Ca2+-dependent functions is contraction of smooth and striated muscle tissue, which results from Ca2+ ligation to calmodulin and troponin C, respectively. Ca2+ signaling typically involves flux of the ion across membranes via specifically gated channel proteins. Because calcium ions are charged, they possess the ability to generate changes in the respective transmembrane voltage. Ca2+-dependent voltage alterations of the surface membrane are easily measured using microelectrodes. A well-known example is the characteristic plateau phase of the action potential in cardiac ventricular cells that results from the opening of voltage-gated L-type Ca2+ channels. Ca2+ ions are also released from intracellular storage compartments in many cells, but these membranes are not accessible to direct voltage recording with microelectrodes. In muscle, for example, release of Ca2+ from the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) to the myoplasm constitutes a flux that is considerably larger than the entry flux from the extracellular space. Whether this flux is accompanied by a voltage change across the SR membrane is an obvious question of mechanistic importance and has been the subject of many investigations. Because the tiny spaces enclosed by the SR membrane are inaccessible to microelectrodes, alternative methods have to be applied. In a study by Sanchez et al. (2018. J. Gen. Physiol. https://doi.org/10.1085/jgp.201812035) in this issue, modern confocal light microscopy and genetically encoded voltage probes targeted to the SR were applied in a new approach to search for changes in the membrane potential of the SR during Ca2+ release.
Temporal indexicals are essential
Authors: Morgan Daniel
Published: July 2018

Are non-indexical action rationalizations necessarily incomplete because of a missing indexical component? Bermúdez (‘Yes, indexicals really are essential’, Analysis 2017) argues that they are. Two things make the argument unpersuasive. First, it assumes that all action rationalizations involve attitudes that are about the agent. Second, it assumes that the attitudes expressible using ‘I’ are themselves indexical. Each is an assumption that believers in complete but non-indexical action rationalizations can and do reject. Surprisingly though, a more effective argument can be obtained by switching focus from indexical attitudes about agents to indexical attitudes about times. The debate about the de se and the de nunc has much less in common than is standardly assumed. It is the de nunc not the de se which provides the knock-down case for essential indexicality.
Gender differences in cognitive performance and health status in the Faroese Septuagenarians cohort
Authors: Petersen Maria Skaalum , Debes Fróði , Grandjean Philippe , Weihe Pál
Published: July 2018

The aim was to determine cognitive performance and health status in the Faroese Septuagenarians cohort in relation to gender differences. In this cross-sectional study of 713 Faroese septuagenarians who underwent a clinical, neurophysiological and neuropsychological examinations and questionnaire, women performed better on tests covering the memory domain, while there was no gender difference in other cognitive domains. Men suffered more frequently from cardiovascular events while women more frequently suffered from arthrosis, hypothyroidism and muscle pain. We observed a considerable heterogeneity and gender difference in some cognitive domains and health in Faroese septuagenarians.
Microprocessor-based prototype bycatch reduction device reduces bait consumption by spiny dogfish and sandbar shark
Authors: Howard Sunkita , Brill Richard , Hepburn Chris , Rock Jenny
Published: July 2018

Elasmobranchs contribute heavily to bycatch in longline fisheries globally, and an effective method of deterring them from baited fishing gear is needed. Electrosensory stimulus holds promise as a method of disrupting elasmobranch close-range feeding responses as their electric sense guides their final strike during prey capture. We used laboratory experiments to test the hypothesis that weak electric stimuli generated by a prototype electronic bycatch reduction device (BRD) could deter sandbar shark (Carcharhinus plumbeus) and spiny dogfish (Squalus acanthias) from eating bait. Voltage gradients <1 mV cm−1 at the location of bait were produced by an Arduino microcontroller powered by a 9 V battery and attached to carbon electrodes. Median bait consumption by groups of juvenile sandbar shark declined by 74% when bait was located 10 cm vs. 2 m from active electrodes. Spiny dogfish median bait consumption halved when bait was located 10 cm from active vs. inactive electrodes. Although laboratory studies often produce a larger effect for electrosensory shark deterrents than can be demonstrated during field trials, if the effects seen in our laboratory studies produced similar effects in the field, it could meet fishermen’s requirements for a BRD.
Regularized HSS iteration methods for stabilized saddle-point problems
Authors: Bai Zhong-Zhi
Published: July 2018

We extend the regularized Hermitian and skew-Hermitian splitting (RHSS) iteration methods for standard saddle-point problems to stabilized saddle-point problems and establish the corresponding unconditional convergence theory for the resulting methods. Besides being used as stationary iterative solvers, this class of RHSS methods can also be used as preconditioners for Krylov subspace methods. It is shown that the eigenvalues of the corresponding preconditioned matrix are clustered at a small number of points in the interval $(0, \, 2)$ when the iteration parameter is close to $0$ and, furthermore, they can be clustered near $0$ and $2$ when the regularization matrix is appropriately chosen. Numerical results on stabilized saddle-point problems arising from finite element discretizations of an optimal boundary control problem and of a Cahn–Hilliard image inpainting problem, as well as from the Gauss–Newton linearization of a nonlinear image restoration problem, show that the RHSS iteration method significantly outperforms the Hermitian and skew-Hermitian splitting iteration method in iteration counts and computing times when they are used either as linear iterative solvers or as matrix splitting preconditioners for Krylov subspace methods, and optimal convergence behavior can be achieved when using inexact variants of the proposed RHSS preconditioners.
Occurrence, Distribution, and Characteristics of Boscalid-Resistant Corynespora cassiicola in China
Authors: Zhu Fadi , Shi Yanxia , Xie Xuewen , Chai Ali , Li Baoju
Published: July 2018

Corynespora blight, caused by Corynespora cassiicola (Berk. & M.A. Curtis) C.T. Wei, has become an important disease affecting cucumber in China. Its management mainly depends on fungicides; however, no research has been conducted to assess the sensitivity of C. cassiicola in China to boscalid, a succinate dehydrogenase inhibitor (SDHI). To facilitate boscalid resistance monitoring, baseline sensitivity was established. The EC50 value (i.e., the concentration that results in 50% mycelial growth inhibition) frequency distribution was unimodal with a right-hand tail; with the means 0.95 ± 0.51 μg/ml and the range 0.03 to 2.85 μg/ml. We then assessed the sensitivity of C. cassiicola to boscalid using discriminatory doses and EC50 values. In total, 27.8% of the 798 isolates were resistant, distributed in five provinces and two municipalities. Thirty-seven isolates with different resistance levels to boscalid were also evaluated for their sensitivity to carboxin, fluopyram, and penthiopyrad. Seven SDHI resistance patterns were observed (i.e., I: BosMRFluoMRPenLRCarSS; II: BosVHRFluoSSPenMRCarR; III: BosLRFluoMRPenLRCarR; IV: BosMRFluoMRPenMRCarR; V: BosHRFluoMRPenHRCarR; VI: BosHRFluoHRPenHRCarR; and VII: BosHRFluoSSPenLR CarR, VHR: very highly resistant; HR: highly resistant; MR: moderately resistant; LR: low resistant; R: resistant; SS: supersensitive), corresponding to seven mutations in sdhB/C/D genes, respectively.
Grape Sour Rot: A Four-Way Interaction Involving the Host, Yeast, Acetic Acid Bacteria, and Insects
Authors: Hall Megan E. , Loeb Gregory M. , Cadle-Davidson Lance , Evans Katherine J. , Wilcox Wayne F.
Published: July 2018

Sour rot, a disease affecting berries of cultivated Vitis spp. worldwide, has not been clearly defined. Reported symptoms of the disease include browning of the berry skin, oozing of disintegrated berry pulp, and the smell of acetic acid, all in the presence of fruit flies (Drosophila spp.). We determined acetic acid concentrations in multiple collections of symptomatic berries, isolated and identified microbes from them, and inoculated commonly isolated organisms into healthy berries with and without concurrent exposure to wild-type or axenic Drosophila melanogaster. Coinoculations combining one of several yeasts (Metschnikowia spp., Pichia spp., and a Saccharomyces sp.) plus an acetic acid bacterium (an Acetobacter sp. and Gluconobacter spp.) reproduced sour rot symptoms, defined here as decaying berries with a loss of turgor and containing acetic acid at a minimum of 0.83 g/liter, based on observed field levels. Symptoms developed only in the presence of D. melanogaster, either wild type or axenic, indicating a nonmicrobial contribution of these insects in addition to a previously suggested microbial role. We conclude that sour rot is the culmination of coinfection by various yeasts, which convert grape sugars to ethanol, and bacteria that oxidize the ethanol to acetic acid, and that this process is mediated by Drosophila spp.
Automated Analysis of Aggregated Datasets to Identify Climatic Predictors of Botrytis Bunch Rot in Wine Grapes
Authors: Hill Gareth N. , Beresford Robert M. , Evans Katherine J.
Published: July 2018

Botrytis bunch rot (BBR), caused by Botrytis cinerea, results in serious losses to wine-grape production in some seasons during the preharvest period. In order to predict seasons that are at risk from BBR, datasets consisting of 25 disease, weather and vine phenology variables were aggregated from 101 SiteYears across seven regions and nine growing seasons. Automated analyses were used to compare a range of statistical methods for their ability to predict BBR epidemics, including the Kruskal-Wallis test, logistic regression, receiver operating characteristic analysis, and skill-scores. Variables based on relative humidity and surface-wetness duration were significant and consistent predictors of BBR epidemics across the range of analyses applied. Variables integrating temperature and wetness duration, including the Bacchus and Broome models, also demonstrated high predictive ability; however, they did not outperform their constituent components in all analyses. Automation of data analyses was an effective way to compare a wide range of statistical methods and a large number of variables with minimal user input, following initial code development. Significant time was needed to check input data and software code, but a greater return on investment would occur should the analytical process be applied to new datasets, including those from other pathosystems.
SUMO‐specific protease 2 (SENP2) suppresses keratinocyte migration by targeting NDR1 for de‐SUMOylation
Authors: Xiao Ning , Li Hui , Yu Weirong , Gu Chuan , Fang Houshun , Peng Yinbo , Mao Heshui , Fang Yong , Ni Wei , Yao Min
Published: July 2018

A key member of the sentrin/small ubiquitin‐like modifier (SUMO)‐specific protease (SENP) family, SENP2 has been shown to implicate embryonic development, fatty acid metabolism, atherosclerosis, and neurodegenerative diseases. However, other biologic functions of SENP2 and its specific targets are incompletely understood. Here, we uncovered a novel role of SENP2 in negative regulation of keratinocyte migration, a process crucial to wound epithelialization. Defects in this function are often associated with the clinical phenotypes of chronic nonhealing wounds. Mechanistically, SENP2 as a specific de‐SUMOylase targets NDR1 (nuclear Dbf2‐related 1), also called STK38 (serine‐threonine kinase 38), for de‐SUMOylation and SUMO conjugation of NDR1 on Lys‐465 attenuates its inhibition of p38/ERK1/2 activation by decreasing the association of NDR1 with MEK kinase 1/2. Significantly, low‐level laser (LLL) irradiation increases NDR1 SUMOylation and subsequent p38/ERK1/2 activation via down‐regulation of SENP2, leading to faster keratinocyte migration. Our findings fill the gaps that linger in the basic mechanisms underlying LLL therapy.—Xiao, N., Li, H., Yu, W., Gu, C., Fang, H., Peng, Y., Mao, H., Fang, Y., Ni, W., Yao, M.SUMO‐specific protease 2 (SENP2) suppresses keratinocyte migration by targeting NDR1 for de‐SUMOylation. FASEB J. 33, 163–174 (2019). www.fasebj.org
Monitoring and Molecular Characterization of Staphylococcus aureus Isolated from Chronic Wounds
Authors: Pires Bruna Maiara Ferreira Barreto , de Oliveira Fernanda Pessanha , de Oliveira Beatriz Guitton Renaud Baptista , Fuly Patrícia dos Santos Claro , Ferreira-Carvalho Bernadete Teixeira , de Paula Geraldo Renato , Teixeira Lenise Arneiro
Published: July 2018

OBJECTIVE:

Researchers analyzed chronic wounds treated with 2% hydrogel to determine whether the presence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is related to the presence of clinical signs of infection.

METHODS:

Thirty-five patients were recruited for this descriptive study using a quantitative approach. Staphylococcus aureus was identified by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Antibiotic susceptibility was determined using a disk diffusion test according to Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute standards. Polymerase chain reaction, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, and multilocus sequence typing were performed. Statistical analyses were performed using Spearman correlation coefficients for the variables MRSA and clinical signs of infection.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:

The identification of MRSA or methicillin-sensitive S aureus (MSSA), presence or absence of an infection in the wound, and molecular characterization of bacteria were measured.

MAIN RESULTS:

Of the 35 patients analyzed, 8 (22.9%) were classified as having an infection in their wounds. Spearman ρ indicated a strong positive correlation between the increase in the number of clinical signs of infection and MSSA (P =.84), but only a moderate positive correlation with MRSA (P =.60). The S aureus clonal pattern was unique for each of the major bacteria isolated. Global MRSA sequence-type clones (ST-1 and ST-72) were detected in 2 patients.

CONCLUSIONS:

Compared with those colonized by MSSA, chronic wounds colonized by MRSA did not display a strong correlation with the presence of a greater number of clinical signs of infection.
Mirror Therapy for Phantom Limb Pain at a Pediatric Oncology Institution
Authors: Anghelescu Doralina L. , Kelly Cassandra N. , Steen Brenda D. , Wu Jianrong , Wu Huiyun , DeFeo Brian M. , Scobey Kristin , Burgoyne Laura
Published: July 2018

Background and Purpose/Objective:

Mirror therapy (MT) has not been reported for phantom limb pain (PLP) in pediatric oncology. Our aims are to describe the incidence and duration of PLP postamputation, the duration of follow-up, pain scores and pain medications, and the differences between a group that received MT in addition to the standard treatment and a group that received only the standard treatment (non-MT).

Methods:

A retrospective review of patients' medical records from June 2009 to March 2015 was completed. Data on the demographic characteristics, diagnoses, and types of surgery were collected. The incidence and duration of PLP, duration of pain service follow-up, pain medications, and pain scores were collected and analyzed using the Wilcoxon rank sum test.

Results:

Of 21 patients who underwent amputations (median age = 13 years; range, 8-24 years; most common primary diagnosis osteosarcoma), 18 (85.7%) experienced PLP; 38.9% of them experienced PLP at 1 year postamputation (11.1% of the MT group and 66.7% of the non-MT group). The MT and non-MT groups experienced PLP for a mean (SD) of 246 (200) days and 541 (363) days, respectively (P = .08). The mean (SD) opioid doses (mg/kg per day) in the MT and non-MT groups were 0.81 (0.99) and 0.33 (0.31), respectively; the mean (SD) gabapentin doses (mg/kg per day) were 40.1 (21) for the MT group and 30.5 (11.5) for the non-MT group.

Conclusion:

Mirror therapy in children with cancer-related amputations is associated with lower incidence of PLP at 1 year and shorter duration of PLP.
Psychometric Properties of the Modified Brief Fatigue Inventory and FACIT-Fatigue in Individuals With Cancer of the Head and Neck
Authors: Eden Melissa M. , Kunkel Kevin
Published: July 2018

Purpose:

The purpose of this study was to establish the test-retest reliability and concurrent validity of the Modified Brief Fatigue Inventory (MBFI) and the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy–Fatigue (FACIT-Fatigue) scale in a population of patients treated for cancers of the head and neck.

Methods:

The MBFI and the FACIT-Fatigue were administered to 65 participants in a tertiary medical center with a diagnosis of head and neck cancer (HNC), skin cancer, and thyroid cancer who had undergone surgery within the past 3 months and/or were currently receiving radiation and/or chemotherapy treatments. Test-retest reliability, internal consistency, and concurrent validity are reported.

Results:

For the HNC group, the MBFI had an intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) of 0.825 (0.68-0.91) and an internal consistency of 0.828. The FACIT-Fatigue ICC was 0.866 (0.75-0.93) and internal consistency was 0.874. The MBFI ICC for the skin and thyroid cancer groups was 0.932 (0.76-0.98) and 0.880 (0.60-0.97), and internal consistency of 0.929 and 0.880, respectively. The FACIT-Fatigue ICC for the skin and thyroid cancer groups was 0.945 (0.81-0.99) and 0.941 (0.81-0.98), and the internal consistency was 0.945 and 0.941, respectively. The Spearman ρ correlation coefficient for concurrent validity of the MBFI and FACIT-Fatigue was −0.871 for HNC, −0.838 for skin cancer, and −0.903 for thyroid cancer.

Conclusions:

The MBFI and the FACIT-Fatigue demonstrate good test-retest reliability, internal consistency, and concurrent validity for all subgroups. The FACIT-Fatigue demonstrates a slight advantage over the MBFI with respect to test-retest reliability and internal consistency.
Establishing Guidelines for Safe and Effective Treatment of Pediatric Sarcoma Survivors: A Mission of the Pediatric Oncology Special Interest Group
Authors: O'Mara Kelly , Miale Susan
Published: July 2018

Physical therapists have long been involved in the postoperative care of children with a diagnosis of bone and soft-tissue sarcoma. The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health model provides a guide to identify impairments, performance limitations, and participation restrictions in this population. The Pediatric Oncology Special Interest Group of the APTA Oncology Section is determined to use this information to facilitate improvements in the treatment of these children. Specifically, a Limb Sparing Committee has been formed to more clearly develop and define the role of physical therapy in the management of pediatric patients with sarcoma.