bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Andersson‐Magnéli Phases TinO2n‐1: Recent Progress Inspired by Swedish Scientists
Authors: Zhang Qing , Liu Weiyan , Zhou Yi , Li Junyan , Sun Tu , Liu Qingyuan , Ma Yanhang , Wang Jinghui , Li Jun , Zhao Ruoshi , Sui Yu , Matsumoto Takashi , Muroyama Norihiro , Yamano Akihito , Harris Kenneth D. M. , Shen Zhijian James , Terasaki Osamu
Published: December 2020

Among homologous series of metal oxides, Andersson‐Magnéli phases TinO2n‐1 (n=4–10) have attracted renewed scientific attention because of their behaviour in electrical conductivity and chemical/thermal stability. Various applications have also been reported for the phases with different values of n, or slightly reduced rutile (TiO2). The characteristic properties of these materials depend strongly on the compositional deviation from TiO2 and the way in which the structure accommodates the deviation. Thus, an urgent requirement is to overcome difficulties in characterizing such materials at atomic resolution. Here, we trace the discovery of the Andersson‐Magnéli phases, and report the application of recent developments in electron microscopy to reveal the relation, at the local level, between structural characteristics and electronic states, specifically for the materials TinO2n‐1 with n=4–8. The electrical conductivity of Ti4O7 has been reported previously to show three clearly distinct states on decreasing temperature from 300 K. For this reason, we focus on Ti4O7 as a representative example of the TinO2n‐1 phases and report structural characteristics at temperatures corresponding to each of the three different phases, focusing on the distribution of Ti3+ and Ti4+ cations from analysis of single‐crystal XRD data. Electron diffraction experiments and electrical conductivity measurements are also reported.
B d,s → $$ \gamma \mathrm{\ell}\overline{\mathrm{\ell}} $$ decay with an energetic photon
Authors: Beneke Martin , Bobeth Christoph , Wang Yu-Ming
Published: December 2020

Abstract

We calculate the differential branching fraction, lepton forward-backward asymmetry and direct CP asymmetry forBd,s→$$ \gamma \mathrm{\ell}\overline{\mathrm{\ell}} $$γℓℓ¯decays with an energetic photon. We employ factorization methods, which result in rigorous next-to-leading order predic- tions in the strong coupling at leading power in the large-energy/heavy-quark expansion, together with estimates of power corrections and a resonance parameterization of sub- leading power form factors in the region of small lepton invariant massq2. TheBd,s→$$ \gamma \mathrm{\ell}\overline{\mathrm{\ell}} $$γℓℓ¯decay shares features of the charged-current decayBu→$$ \gamma \mathrm{\ell}{\overline{\nu}}_{\mathrm{\ell}} $$γℓν¯ℓ., and the FCNC decaysB→$$ {K}^{\left(\ast \right)}\mathrm{\ell}\overline{\mathrm{\ell}} $$K∗ℓℓ¯. As in the former, the leading-power decay rates can be expressed in terms of theB-meson light-cone distribution amplitude and short-distance factors. However, similar toB →$$ {K}^{\left(\ast \right)}\mathrm{\ell}\overline{\mathrm{\ell}} $$K∗ℓℓ¯, four-quark and dipole operators contribute to theBd,s→$$ \gamma \mathrm{\ell}\overline{\mathrm{\ell}} $$γℓℓ¯decay in an essential way, limiting the calculation toq2≲ 6 GeV2below the charmonium resonances in the lepton invariant mass spectrum. A detailed analysis of the main observables and theoretical uncertainties is presented.
Topological aspects of 4D Abelian lattice gauge theories with the θ parameter
Authors: Honda Masazumi , Tanizaki Yuya
Published: December 2020

Abstract

We study a four-dimensional U(1) gauge theory with the θ angle, which was originally proposed by Cardy and Rabinovici. It is known that the model has the rich phase diagram thanks to the presence of both electrically and magnetically charged particles. We discuss the topological nature of the oblique confinement phase of the model at θ = π, and show how its appearance can be consistent with the anomaly constraint. We also construct the SL(2, ℤ) self-dual theory out of the Cardy-Rabinovici model by gauging a part of its one-form symmetry. This self-duality has a mixed ’t Hooft anomaly with gravity, and its implications on the phase diagram is uncovered. As the model shares the same global symmetry and ’t Hooft anomaly with those of SU(N) Yang-Mills theory, studying its topological aspects would provide us more hints to explore possible dynamics of non-Abelian gauge theories with nonzero θ angles.
Solar neutrino probes of the muon anomalous magnetic moment in the gauged $$ \mathrm{U}{(1)}_{L_{\mu }-{L}_{\tau }} $$
Authors: Amaral D. W. P. , Cerdeño D. G. , Foldenauer P. , Reid E.
Published: December 2020

Abstract

Models of gauged$$ \mathrm{U}{(1)}_{L_{\mu }-{L}_{\tau }} $$U1Lμ−Lτcan provide a solution to the long-standing discrepancy between the theoretical prediction for the muon anomalous magnetic moment and its measured value. The extra contribution is due to a new light vector mediator, which also helps to alleviate an existing tension in the determination of the Hubble parameter. In this article, we explore ways to probe this solution via the scattering of solar neutrinos with electrons and nuclei in a range of experiments and considering high and low solar metallicity scenarios. In particular, we reevaluate Borexino constraints on neutrino-electron scattering, finding them to be more stringent than previously reported, and already excluding a part of the (g −2)μexplanation with mediator masses smaller than 2×10−2GeV. We then show that future direct dark matter detectors will be able to probe most of the remaining solution. Due to its large exposure, LUX-ZEPLIN will explore regions with mediator masses up to 5×10−2GeV and DARWIN will be able to extend the search beyond 10−1GeV, thereby covering most of the area compatible with (g −2)μ. For completeness, we have also computed the constraints derived from the recent XENON1T electron recoil search and from the CENNS-10 LAr detector, showing that none of them excludes new areas of the parameter space. Should the excess in the muon anomalous magnetic moment be confirmed, our work suggests that direct detection experiments could provide crucial information with which to test the$$ \mathrm{U}{(1)}_{L_{\mu }-{L}_{\tau }} $$U1Lμ−Lτsolution, complementary to efforts in neutrino experiments and accelerators.
Mixed scalar-current bootstrap in three dimensions
Authors: Reehorst Marten , Trevisani Emilio , Vichi Alessandro
Published: December 2020

Abstract

We study the mixed system of correlation functions involving a scalar field charged under a global U(1) symmetry and the associated conserved spin-1 current Jμ. Using numerical bootstrap techniques we obtain bounds on new observables not accessible in the usual scalar bootstrap. We then specialize to the O(2) model and extract rigorous bounds on the three-point function coefficient of two currents and the unique relevant scalar singlet, as well as those of two currents and the stress tensor. Using these results, and comparing with a quantum Monte Carlo simulation of the O(2) model conductivity, we give estimates of the thermal one-point function of the relevant singlet and the stress tensor. We also obtain new bounds on operators in various sectors.
Feebly coupled vector boson dark matter in effective theory
Authors: Barman Basabendu , Bhattacharya Subhaditya , Grzadkowski Bohdan
Published: December 2020

Abstract

A model of dark matter (DM) that communicates with the Standard Model (SM) exclusively through suppressed dimension five operator is discussed. The SM is augmented with a symmetry U(1)X ⊗ Z2, where U(1)X is gauged and broken spontaneously by a very heavy decoupled scalar. The massive U(1)X vector boson (Xμ) is stabilized being odd under unbroken Z2 and therefore may contribute as the DM component of the universe. Dark sector field strength tensor Xμν couples to the SM hypercharge tensor Bμν via the presence of a heavier Z2 odd real scalar Φ, i.e. 1/Λ XμνBμνΦ, with Λ being a scale of new physics. The freeze-in production of the vector boson dark matter feebly coupled to the SM is advocated in this analysis. Limitations of the so-called UV freeze-in mechanism that emerge when the maximum reheat temperature TRH drops down close to the scale of DM mass are discussed. The parameter space of the model consistent with the observed DM abundance is determined. The model easily and naturally avoids both direct and indirect DM searches. Possibility for detection at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is also considered. A Stueckelberg formulation of the model is derived.
Five-brane webs, Higgs branches and unitary/orthosymplectic magnetic quivers
Authors: Akhond Mohammad , Carta Federico , Dwivedi Siddharth , Hayashi Hirotaka , Kim Sung-Soo , Yagi Futoshi
Published: December 2020

Abstract

We study the Higgs branch of 5d superconformal theories engineered from brane webs with orientifold five-planes. We propose a generalization of the rules to derive magnetic quivers from brane webs pioneered in [1], by analyzing theories that can be described with a brane web with and without O5 planes. Our proposed magnetic quivers include novel features, such as hypermultiplets transforming in the fundamental-fundamental representation of two gauge nodes, antisymmetric matter, and ℤ2 gauge nodes. We test our results by computing the Coulomb and Higgs branch Hilbert series of the magnetic quivers obtained from the two distinct constructions and find agreement in all cases.
Bose–Einstein Condensation Beyond the Gross–Pitaevskii Regime
Authors: Adhikari Arka , Brennecke Christian , Schlein Benjamin
Published: December 2020

We consider N bosons in a box with volume one, interacting through a two-body potential with scattering length of the order $$N^{-1+\kappa }$$

N

-
1
+
κ

, for $$\kappa >0$$

κ
>
0

. Assuming that $$\kappa \in (0;1/43)$$

κ
∈
(
0
;
1
/
43
)

, we show that low-energy states exhibit Bose–Einstein condensation and we provide bounds on the expectation and on higher moments of the number of excitations.
Lessons from a GWAS study of a wheat pre-breeding program: pyramiding resistance alleles to Fusarium crown rot
Authors: Malosetti Marcos , Zwep Laura B. , Forrest Kerrie , van Eeuwijk Fred A. , Dieters Mark
Published: December 2020

Much has been published on QTL detection for complex traits using bi-parental and multi-parental crosses (linkage analysis) or diversity panels (GWAS studies). While successful for detection, transferability of results to real applications has proven more difficult. Here, we combined a QTL detection approach using a pre-breeding populations which utilized intensive phenotypic selection for the target trait across multiple plant generations, combined with rapid generation turnover (i.e. “speed breeding”) to allow cycling of multiple plant generations each year. The reasoning is that QTL mapping information would complement the selection process by identifying the genome regions under selection within the relevant germplasm. Questions to answer were the location of the genomic regions determining response to selection and the origin of the favourable alleles within the pedigree. We used data from a pre-breeding program that aimed at pyramiding different resistance sources to Fusarium crown rot into elite (but susceptible) wheat backgrounds. The population resulted from a complex backcrossing scheme involving multiple resistance donors and multiple elite backgrounds, akin to a MAGIC population (985 genotypes in total, with founders, and two major offspring layers within the pedigree). A significant increase in the resistance level was observed (i.e. a positive response to selection) after the selection process, and 17 regions significantly associated with that response were identified using a GWAS approach. Those regions included known QTL as well as potentially novel regions contributing resistance to Fusarium crown rot. In addition, we were able to trace back the sources of the favourable alleles for each QTL. We demonstrate that QTL detection using breeding populations under selection for the target trait can identify QTL controlling the target trait and that the frequency of the favourable alleles was increased as a response to selection, thereby validating the QTL detected. This is a valuable opportunistic approach that can provide QTL information that is more easily transferred to breeding applications.
Cardiac transthyretin amyloidosis 99mTc-DPD SPECT correlates with strain echocardiography and biomarkers
Authors: Löfbacka Viktor , Axelsson Jan , Pilebro Björn , Suhr Ole B. , Lindqvist Per , Sundström Torbjörn
Published: December 2020

Purpose

Hereditary transthyretin-amyloid amyloidosis (ATTRv) is an underdiagnosed condition commonly manifesting as congestive heart failure. Recently, scintigraphy utilizing DPD as a tracer was shown to identify ATTRv and wild-type ATTR cardiomyopathy. The aim of this study was to determine the value of quantified scintigraphy utilizing 99mTc-3,3-diphosphono-1,2-propanodicarboxylic acid (DPD) single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT)/CT, and to correlate its uptake with well-established cardiac functional parameters.

Methods

Forty-eight patients with genetically verified ATTRv type-A fibril composition, positive 99mTc-DPD SPECT/CT, were retrospectively analyzed. Manual mapping of volumes of interest (VOIs) on DPD SPECT/CT examinations was used to quantify heart uptake. DPD mean and maximum uptake together with a calculated DPD-based amyloid burden (DPDload) was correlated with echocardiographic strain values and cardiac biomarkers.

Results

Statistically significant correlations were seen in VOIs between DPD uptakes and the corresponding echocardiographic strain values. Furthermore, DPDload had a strong correlation with echocardiographic strain parameters and also correlated with biomarkers troponin T and logarithmic NT-ProBNP.

Conclusions

In patients with ATTRv cardiomyopathy, DPD SPECT/CT measures the amyloid distribution and provides information on cardiac amyloid load. DPD amyloid load correlates with functional cardiac parameters.
BDNF influences neural cue-reactivity to food stimuli and food craving in obesity
Authors: Bumb Jan Malte , Bach Patrick , Grosshans Martin , Wagner Xenija , Koopmann Anne , Vollstädt-Klein Sabine , Schuster Rilana , Wiedemann Klaus , Kiefer Falk
Published: December 2020

There is increasing evidence that brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) impacts on the development of obesity. We are the first to test the hypothesis that BDNF levels might be associated with neural reactivity to food cues in patients suffering from obesity and healthy controls. We assessed visual food cue-induced neural response in 19 obese patients and 20 matched controls using functional magnetic resonance imaging and analyzed the associations between BDNF levels, food cue-reactivity and food craving. Whole-brain analysis in both groups revealed that food cues elicited higher neural activation in clusters of mesolimbic brain areas including the insula (food > neutral). Patients suffering from obesity showed a significant positive correlation between plasma BDNF levels and visual food cue-reactivity in the bilateral insulae. In addition, patients suffering from obesity with positive food cue-induced insula activation also reported significantly higher food craving than those with low cue-reactivity—an effect that was absent in normal weight participants. The present findings implicate that BDNF levels in patients suffering from obesity might be involved in food craving and obesity in humans. This highlights the importance to consider BDNF pathways when investigating obesity and obesity treatment.
Measuring optokinetic after-nystagmus: potential for detecting patients with signs of visual dependence following concussion
Authors: Bertolini Giovanni , Romano Fausto , Straumann Dominik , Keller Katharine , Palla Antonella , Feddermann-Demont Nina
Published: December 2020

Concussed patients with chronic symptoms commonly report dizziness during exposure to environments with complex visual stimuli (e.g. supermarket aisles, busy crossroads). Such visual induced dizziness is well-known in patients with vestibular deficits, in whom it indicates an overreliance on visual cues in sensory integration. Considering that optokinetic after-nystagmus (OKAN) reflects the response of the central network integrating visual and vestibular self-motion signals (velocity storage network), we investigated OKAN in 71 patients [17 (23.9%) females, 30.36 ± 9.05 years old] who suffered from persistent symptoms after a concussion and presented clinical signs suggesting visual dependence. Data were retrospectively compared with 21 healthy individuals [13 (61.9%) females, 26.29 ± 10.00 years old]. The median values of the slow cumulative eye position and of the time constant of OKAN were significantly higher in patients than in healthy individuals (slow cumulative eye position: 124.15 ± 55.61° in patients and 77.87 ± 45.63° in healthy individuals—p = 0.012; time constant: 25.17 ± 10.27 s in patients and 13.95 ± 4.92 s in healthy individuals—p = 0.003). The receiving operating curve (ROC) estimated on the time constant had an overall area under the curve of 0.73. Analysis of the ROC suggests that a test measuring the OKAN time constant could obtain a sensitivity of 0.73 and specificity of 0.72 in determining the origin of the visual-related disturbances in those patients (threshold 16.6 s). In a subset of 43 patients who also performed the Sensory Organization Test (SOT), the proposed OKAN test was twice as sensitive as the SOT. This study suggests that concussed patients with persisting visual symptoms may have an underlying impairment of the velocity storage mechanism and that measuring the OKAN time constant can objectify such impairment.
Covert eye-tracking: an innovative method to investigate compliance with instructions
Authors: Riege Anine , Gourdon-Kanhukamwe Amélie , Vallée-Tourangeau Gaëlle
Published: December 2020

The present study introduces a covert eye-tracking procedure as an innovative approach to investigate the adequacy of research paradigms used in psychology. In light of the ongoing debate regarding ego depletion, the frequently used “attention-control video task” was chosen to illustrate the method. Most participants did not guess that their eyes had been monitored, but some participants had to be excluded due to poor tracking ratio. The eye-tracking data revealed that the attention-control instructions had a significant impact on the number of fixations, revisits, fixation durations, and proportion of long fixation durations on the AOIs (all BF10 > 18.2). However, number of fixations and proportions of long fixation durations did not mediate cognitive performance. The results illustrate the promise of covert eye-tracking methodology to assess task compliance, as well as adding to the current discussion regarding whether the difficulties of replicating “ego depletion” may be in part due to poor task compliance in the video task.
On systems of parabolic variational inequalities with multivalued terms
Authors: Carl Siegfried , Le Vy. K.
Published: December 2020

In this paper we present an analytical framework for the following system of multivalued parabolic variational inequalities in a cylindrical domain $$Q=\varOmega \times (0,\tau )$$

Q
=
Ω
×
(
0
,
τ
)

: For $$k=1,\dots , m$$

k
=
1
,
⋯
,
m

, find $$u_k\in K_k$$

u
k

∈

K
k

and $$\eta _k\in L^{p'_k}(Q)$$

η
k

∈

L

p
k
′

(
Q
)

such that $$\begin{aligned}&u_k(\cdot ,0)=0\ \text{ in } \varOmega ,\ \ \eta _k(x,t)\in f_k(x,t,u_1(x,t), \dots , u_m(x,t)), \\&\langle u_{kt}+A_k u_k, v_k-u_k\rangle +\int _Q \eta _k\, (v_k-u_k)\,dxdt\ge 0,\ \ \forall \ v_k\in K_k, \end{aligned}$$

u
k

(
·
,
0
)

=
0

in

Ω
,

η
k

(
x
,
t
)

∈

f
k

(
x
,
t
,

u
1

(
x
,
t
)

,
⋯
,

u
m

(
x
,
t
)

)

,

⟨

u

kt

+

A
k

u
k

,

v
k

-

u
k

⟩

+

∫
Q

η
k

(

v
k

-

u
k

)

d
x
d
t
≥
0
,

∀

v
k

∈

K
k

,

where $$K_k $$

K
k

is a closed and convex subset of $$L^{p_k}(0,\tau ;W_0^{1,p_k}(\varOmega ))$$

L

p
k

(
0
,
τ
;

W
0

1
,

p
k

(
Ω
)

)

, $$A_k$$

A
k

is a time-dependent quasilinear elliptic operator, and $$f_k:Q\times \mathbb {R}^m\rightarrow 2^{\mathbb {R}}$$

f
k

:
Q
×

R

m

→

2
R

is an upper semicontinuous multivalued function with respect to $$s\in {\mathbb R}^m$$

s
∈

R

m

. We provide an existence theory for the above system under certain coercivity assumptions. In the noncoercive case, we establish an appropriate sub-supersolution method that allows us to get existence and enclosure results. As an application, a multivalued parabolic obstacle system is treated. Moreover, under a lattice condition on the constraints $$K_k$$

K
k

, systems of evolutionary variational-hemivariational inequalities are shown to be a subclass of the above system of multivalued parabolic variational inequalities.
Zur Zukunft der EU-Finanzen nach Corona
Authors: Broer Michael , Henke Klaus-Dirk , Zimmermann Horst
Published: December 2020

Im Zuge der Corona-Krise erfuhr die Finanzierungsgrundlage der EU größere Änderungen, die in der Frage resultieren, welche Form die zukünftige Finanzverfassung der EU annehmen wird. Der zusätzliche Wiederaufbaupakt mit einem Volumen von drei Vierteln des neuen mehrjährigen Finanzrahmens wird durch die erstmalige Verschuldung der EU selbst finanziert. Reicht dieses beispiellose fiskalische Volumen, um zukünftig im Wettbewerb mit China bestehen zu können? Oder braucht die EU eine Neuausrichtung: zum einen in Bezug auf Umfang und Differenzierung ihrer verschiedenen Aufgaben und zum anderen bezüglich der gleichen Rechte ihrer 27 Mitgliedstaaten? Die Umbrüche infolge der Corona-Krise sollten für eine größere Reform der EU-Finanzen genutzt werden.
Gleicht Schulbildung soziale Unterschiede aus?
Authors: Mergele Lukas , Raith Johanna , Zierow Larissa
Published: December 2020

Bildungsungleichheit ist ein Hauptgrund dafür, dass Einkommensunterschiede über Generationen hinweg bestehen bleiben. Da das im Erwachsenenalter erzielte Einkommen mit kognitiven Fähigkeiten im Schulalter zusammenhängt, werden die schulischen Fähigkeiten von Kindern mit deren sozioökonomischem Hintergrund verglichen. Unsere Untersuchungen mit Paneldaten zu Schulkindern in Deutschland führen zu dem Ergebnis, dass Performanceunterschiede bereits zu Schulbeginn bestehen und die Lücken im Lauf der Schulzeit nicht geschlossen werden. Diese Ergebnisse sind relevant für politische Maßnahmen, die darauf zielen, die Einkommensmobilität zwischen Generationen zu erhöhen und Chancengleichheit zu schaffen. Frühkindliche Maßnahmen können helfen, bereits vor Schulbeginn bestehende Leistungsunterschiede zu verringern.
Mehr Nachhaltigkeit im deutschen Leitindex DAX
Authors: Brühl Volker
Published: December 2020

Im Rahmen der Aufarbeitung des Wirecard-Skandals wird auch eine Änderung der Kriterien zur Aufnahme in den deutschen Leitindex DAX diskutiert. Die bislang von der Deutschen Börse vorgesehenen Maßnahmen gehen in die richtige Richtung, sind aber nicht weitreichend genug. Es bedarf eines deutlichen Zeichens, dass sich künftig nur solche Unternehmen für den DAX qualifizieren können, die ein zumindest befriedigendes Maß an Nachhaltigkeit gemessen durch einen ESG-Risk-Score (Environment, Social, Governance) in ihrer Geschäftstätigkeit erreichen. Eine Simulation verdeutlicht, dass nach ESG-Kriterien seit langem kritisch betrachtete Unternehmen dem DAX nicht mehr angehören würden. Damit könnte mehr Kapital in nachhaltig wirtschaftende Unternehmen und Sektoren fließen.
Nobelpreis für Robert Wilson und Paul Milgrom: Zwei Ökonomen, die echte Märkte schufen
Authors: Haucap Justus
Published: December 2020

Robert Wilson und Paul Milgrom erhielten am 10. Dezember 2020 den Preis der Schwedischen Nationalbank für Wirtschaftswissenschaften zu Ehren von Alfred Nobel. Die Ökonomen erhielten den Preis für ihre Beiträge zur Auktionstheorie und für die Entwicklung neuer Auktionsformate.
Low-quality animal by-product streams for the production of PHA-biopolymers: fats, fat/protein-emulsions and materials with high ash content as low-cost feedstocks
Authors: Saad Victoria , Gutschmann Björn , Grimm Thomas , Widmer Torsten , Neubauer Peter , Riedel Sebastian L.
Published: December 2020

Objective

The rapid accumulation of crude-oil based plastics in the environment is posing a fundamental threat to the future of mankind. The biodegradable and bio-based polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) can replace conventional plastics, however, their current production costs are not competitive and therefore prohibiting PHAs from fulfilling their potential.

Results

Different low-quality animal by-products, which were separated by thermal hydrolysis into a fat-, fat/protein-emulsion- and mineral-fat-mixture- (material with high ash content) phase, were successfully screened as carbon sources for the production of PHA. Thereby, Ralstonia eutropha Re2058/pCB113 accumulated the short- and medium-chain-length copolymer poly(hydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxyhexanoate) [P(HB-co-HHx)]. Up to 90 wt% PHA per cell dry weight with HHx-contents of 12–26 mol% were produced in shake flask cultivations.

Conclusion

In future, the PHA production cost could be lowered by using the described animal by-product streams as feedstock.

Graphical abstract
Evaluation of Different Processor Architecture Organizations for On-Site Electronics in Harsh Environments
Authors: Gesper Sven , Weißbrich Moritz , Stuckenberg Tobias , Jääskeläinen Pekka , Blume Holger , Payá-Vayá Guillermo
Published: December 2020

Microcontrollers to be used in harsh environmental conditions, e.g., at high temperatures or radiation exposition, need to be fabricated in robust technology nodes in order to operate reliably. However, these nodes are considerably larger than cutting-edge semiconductor technologies and provide less speed, drastically reducing system performance. In order to achieve low silicon area costs, low power consumption and reasonable performance, the processor architecture organization itself is a major influential design point. Parameters like data path width, instruction execution paradigm, code density, memory requirements, advanced control flow mechanisms etc., may have large effects on the design constraints. Application characteristics, like exploitable data parallelism and required arithmetic operations, have to be considered in order to use the implemented processor resources efficiently. In this paper, a design space exploration of five different architectures with MIPS- or ARM-compatible instruction set architectures, as well as transport-triggered instruction execution is presented. Using a 0.18 $$\upmu $$
μ
m SOI CMOS technology for high temperature and an exemplary case study from the fields of communication, i.e., powerline communication encoder, the influence of architectural parameters on performance and hardware efficiency is compared. For this application, a transport-triggered architecture configuration has an 8.5$$\times $$
×
higher performance and 2.4$$\times $$
×
higher computational energy efficiency at a 1.6$$\times $$
×
larger total silicon area than an off-the-shelf ARM Cortex-M0 embedded processor, showing the considerable range of design trade-offs for different architectures.
Inverse multiobjective optimization: Inferring decision criteria from data
Authors: Gebken Bennet , Peitz Sebastian
Published: December 2020

It is a challenging task to identify the objectives on which a certain decision was based, in particular if several, potentially conflicting criteria are equally important and a continuous set of optimal compromise decisions exists. This task can be understood as the inverse problem of multiobjective optimization, where the goal is to find the objective function vector of a given Pareto set. To this end, we present a method to construct the objective function vector of an unconstrained multiobjective optimization problem (MOP) such that the Pareto critical set contains a given set of data points with prescribed KKT multipliers. If such an MOP can not be found, then the method instead produces an MOP whose Pareto critical set is at least close to the data points. The key idea is to consider the objective function vector in the multiobjective KKT conditions as variable and then search for the objectives that minimize the Euclidean norm of the resulting system of equations. By expressing the objectives in a finite-dimensional basis, we transform this problem into a homogeneous, linear system of equations that can be solved efficiently. Potential applications of this approach include the identification of objectives (both from clean and noisy data) and the construction of surrogate models for expensive MOPs.
Zooming in Time—Exploring Students’ Interpretations of a Dynamic Tree of Life
Authors: Stenlund Jörgen Ingemar , Schönborn Konrad Janek , Tibell Lena Anna Elisabet
Published: December 2020

Central to evolution is the concept of a common ancestry from which all life has emerged over immense time scales, but learning and teaching temporal aspects of evolution remain challenging. This study investigated students’ interpretation of evolutionary time when engaging with a multi-touch tabletop application called DeepTree, a dynamic visualization of a phylogenetic tree. Specifically, we explored how interactive finger-based zooming (zooming “in” and “out”) influenced students’ interpretation of evolutionary time, and how temporal information and relationships were conceptualized during interaction. Transcript analysis of videotaped interview data from ten secondary school students while they interacted with DeepTree revealed that zooming was interpreted in two ways: as spatially orientated (movement within the tree itself), or as time-orientated (movement in time). Identified misinterpretations included perceiving an implicit coherent timeline along the y-axis of the tree, that the zooming time duration in the virtual tree was linearly correlated to real time, and that more branch nodes correspond to a longer time. Sources for erroneous interpretations may lie in transferring everyday sensory experiences (e.g., physical movements and observing tree growth) to understanding abstract evolution concepts. Apart from estimating the occurrence of dinosaurs, DeepTree was associated with an improvement in interpretation of relative order of evolutionary events. Although highly promising, zooming interaction in DeepTree does not facilitate an intuitive understanding of evolutionary time. However, the opportunity to combine visual and bodily action in emerging technologies such as Deep Tree suggests a high pedagogical potential of further development of zooming features for optimal scientific understanding.
Disentangling general achievement levels and subject-specific strengths and weaknesses in mathematics, reading, and science
Authors: Gladushyna Olesya , Strietholt Rolf , Steinmann Isa
Published: December 2020

The paper uses data from the combined TIMSS (Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study) and PIRLS (Progress in International Reading Literacy Study) assessment in 2011 to explore the subject-specific strengths and weaknesses among fourth grade students worldwide. Previous research came to the conclusion that students only differed in overall achievement levels and did not exhibit subject-specific strengths and weaknesses. This research did, however, not control for differences in overall performance levels when searching for profile differences. Therefore, the present study uses factor mixture analysis to study qualitatively different performance profiles in mathematics, reading, and science while controlling for differences in performance levels. Our findings suggest that the majority of students do not show pronounced strengths and weaknesses and differ mainly in performance levels across mathematics, reading, and science. At the same time, a smaller share of students does indeed show pronounced subject-specific strengths and weaknesses. This result does not represent an artefact, but we find clear and theory-conforming associations between the identified profiles and covariates. We find evidence for cross-country differences in the frequency of subject-specific strengths and weaknesses and gender differences, as well as differences between students who do not or only sometimes speak the language of test at home.
Evaluation of the importance of ornamental plants for pollinators in urban and suburban areas in Stuttgart, Germany
Authors: Marquardt Melanie , Kienbaum Lydia , Kretschmer Lea Annina , Penell Anja , Schweikert Karsten , Ruttensperger Ute , Rosenkranz Peter
Published: December 2020

Urban landscapes are often characterized by a wide range of diverse flowering plants consisting of native and exotic plants. These flower-rich habitats have proven to be particularly valuable for urban pollinating insects. However, the ability of ornamental plants in supporting urban pollinator communities is still not well documented. For this study, we established flower beds at 13 different urban testing sites, which were planted with identical sets of ornamental garden plants. The pollinator visitation patterns were then observed throughout the summer seasons. Over a two-year period, a total of 10,565 pollinators were recorded with wild bees (> 50%, excluding bumblebees) being the most abundant pollinator group. Our results revealed that (I) the assortment of ornamental plants was visited by a high number of urban pollinators for collecting pollen and nectar, and (II) the pollinator abundance and composition varied significantly within the tested ornamental plants. These differences occurred not only among plant species but to the same extent among cultivars, whereby the number of pollinators was positively correlated with number of flowering units per plant. By using a generalized linear mixed model (GLMM) and redundancy analysis (RDA) we identified further significant impacts of the two variables year and location on the insect pollinator abundance and richness. Despite of the local and yearly variations, our approach provided a good and field-applicable method to evaluate the pollinator friendliness in ornamental plants. Such tools are urgently required to validate labels like ‘bee friendly’ or ‘pollinator friendly’ used by plant breeding companies.
The Pericardial Body of Ciona intestinalis Contains Hemocytes and Degenerating Muscle Cells, But No Parasites
Authors: Rohlfs Lilly , Müller Katja , Stach Thomas
Published: December 2020

Purpose

A ventral heart positioned posterior to the branchial basket and equipped with a pericardium is homologous in tunicates and their sister group, the craniates, yet the tunicate model organism Ciona intestinalis features a pericardial body, a structure peculiar to few ascidian species. Here, we set out to distinguish between two competing hypotheses regarding the function of the pericardial body found in the literature: (H1) The pericardial body performs a role in the removal of dysfunctional myocardial cells, and (H2) it is a specialized niche of the immune system involved in defense against parasites.

Methods

We used histological techniques, transmission electron microscopy, and PCR-based gene sequencing to investigate whether individual ascidians parasitized with apicomplexan protists show signs of infections within the pericardial body.

Results

In individuals of C. intestinalis from the German North Sea infested with apicomplexan protists, the pericardial body contains numerous myocardial cells in various stages of degeneration while no remnants of parasitic cells could be identified.

Conclusion

Thus, we conclude that H2—the pericardial body is a specialized niche of the immune system involved in defense against parasites—can be refuted. Rather, our observations support H1, the hypothesis that the pericardial body performs a role in the removal of dysfunctional myocardial cells.
Early emergency readmission frequency as an indicator of short-, medium- and long-term mortality post-discharge from hospital
Authors: Fluck David , Murray Paul , Robin Jonathan , Fry Christopher Henry , Han Thang Sieu
Published: December 2020

Frequent emergency readmissions, an indicator of quality of care, has been rising in England but the underlying reasons remain unclear. We examined the association of early readmissions with subsequent mortality in adults, taking into account the underlying presenting diagnoses and hospital length of stay (LOS). Data of alive-discharge episodes were prospectively collected between 01/04/2017 and 31/03/2019 in an National Health Service hospital, comprising 32,270 patients (46.1% men) aged 18–107 years (mean = 64.0, ± SD = 20.5 years). The associations of readmission frequency within 28 days of discharge and mortality within 30 days and 6 months of hospital discharge, and over a 2-year period were evaluated, adjusted for presenting diagnoses, LOS, age and sex during the first admission. Analysis of all patients 18–107 years (reference: no readmission) showed mortality within 30 days was increased for 1 readmission: event rate = 9.2%, odds ratio (OR) = 3.4 (95% confidence interval (CI) = 2.9–4.0), and ≥ 2 readmissions: event rate = 10.0%, OR = 2.6 (95%CI = 2.0–3.3), and within 6 months for 1 readmission: event rate = 19.6%, OR = 3.0 (95%CI = 2.7–3.4), and ≥ 2 readmissions: event rate = 27.4%, OR = 3.4 (95%CI = 2.9–4.0), and over a 2-year period for 1 readmission: event rate = 25.5%, hazard ratio = 2.2 (95%CI = 2.0–2.4), and ≥ 2 readmissions: event rate = 36.1%, hazard ratio = 2.5 (95%CI = 2.2–2.8). Within the age groups 18–49, 50–59, 60–69, 70–79 and ≥ 80 years, readmissions were also associated with increased risk of mortality within 3 months and 6 months of discharge, and over 2-year period. In conclusion, early hospital readmission predicts short-, medium- and long-term mortality post-discharge from hospital in adults aged 18–107 years, independent of underlying presenting conditions, LOS, age and sex. Further research focussing on safe discharge and follow-up patient care may help reduce preventable readmissions and post-discharge mortality.
Mechanisms and adsorption capacities of biochar for the removal of organic and inorganic pollutants from industrial wastewater
Authors: Ambaye T. G. , Vaccari M. , van Hullebusch E. D. , Amrane A. , Rtimi S.
Published: December 2020

Currently, due to the rapid growth of urbanization and industrialization in developing countries, a large volume of wastewater is produced from industries that contain chemicals generating high environmental risks affecting human health and the economy if not treated properly. Consequently, the development of a sustainable low-cost wastewater treatment approach has attracted more attention of policymakers and scientists. The present review highlights the recent applications of biochar in removing organic and inorganic pollutants present in industrial effluents. The recent modes of preparation, physicochemical properties and adsorption mechanisms of biochar in removing organic and inorganic industrial pollutants are also reviewed comprehensively. Biochar showed high adsorption of industrial dyes up to 80%. It also discusses the recent application and mechanism of biochar-supported photocatalytic materials for the degradation of organic contaminants in wastewater. We reviewed also the possible optimizations (such as the pyrolysis temperature, solution pH) allowing the increase of the adsorption capabilities of biochar leading to organic contaminants removal. Besides, increasing the pyrolysis temperature of the biochar was seen to lead to an increase in its surface area, while it decreases their amount of oxygen-containing functional groups, consequently leading to a decrease in the adsorption of metal (loid) ions present in the medium. Finally, the review suggests that more research should be carried out to optimize the main parameters involved in biochar production and its regeneration methods. Future efforts should be also carried out towards process engineering to improve its adsorption capacity to increase the economic benefits of its implementation.
Baseline serum TSH levels predict the absence of thyroid dysfunction in cancer patients treated with immunotherapy
Authors: Brilli L. , Danielli R. , Campanile M. , Secchi C. , Ciuoli C. , Calabrò L. , Pilli T. , Cartocci A. , Pacini F. , Di Giacomo A. M. , Castagna M. G.
Published: December 2020

Purpose

Immunotherapy against immune checkpoints has significantly improved survival both in metastatic and adjuvant setting in several types of cancers. Thyroid dysfunction is the most common endocrine adverse event reported. Patients who are at risk of developing thyroid dysfunction remain to be defined. We aimed to identify predictive factors for the development of thyroid dysfunction during immunotherapy.

Methods

This is a retrospective study including a total of 68 patients who were treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) for metastatic or unresectable advanced cancers. The majority of patients were treated with anti-PD1 drugs in monotherapy or in combination with anti-CTLA4 inhibitors. Thyroid function and anti-thyroid antibodies, before starting immunotherapy and during treatment, were evaluated. Thyroid ultrasound was also performed in a subgroup of patients at the time of enrolment in the study.

Results

Eleven out of 68 patients (16.1%) developed immune-related overt thyroid dysfunction. By ROC curve analysis, we found that a serum TSH cut-off of 1.72 mUI/l, at baseline, had a good diagnostic accuracy in identifying patients without overt thyroid dysfunction (NPV = 100%,p = 0.0029). At multivariate analysis, both TSH and positive anti-thyroid antibodies (ATAbs) levels, before ICIs treatment, were independently associated with the development of overt thyroid dysfunction during immunotherapy (p = 0.0001 andp = 0.009, respectively).

Conclusions

Pre-treatment serum TSH and ATAbs levels may help to identify patients at high risk for primary thyroid dysfunction. Our study suggests guidance for an appropriate timely screening and for a tailored management of thyroid dysfunctions in patients treated with ICIs.
Prevalence of multidrug resistance bacterial isolates from infected wound patients in Dhaka, Bangladesh: A cross-sectional study
Authors: Alam Mohammad Morshad , Islam Nazrul , Hossain Hawlader Mohammad Delwer , Ahmed Shakil , Wahab Abrar , Islam Muzahidul , Uddin KM Roshed , Hossain Ahmed
Published: December 2020

ABSTRACT

Introduction:

Multidrug resistance (MDR) is threatening the adequate coverage of antibiotics. This study aimed to analyze the antimicrobial resistance pattern of bacterial isolates from wound infection and the scenario of multidrug resistance.

Methods:

Microbiological culture results scripts of Medinova Medical Services LTD, representing non-repetitive various wound samples (post-surgical, trauma, superficial skin, burn) reported between January 2017 and March 2018, were retrieved and analyzed for pathogens and their antimicrobial resistance patterns using R version 3.5.3.

Results:

Overall, 1266 bacterial isolates were obtained, and 850 (67.1%) were identified as MDR. The percentage of MDR among gram-positive and gram-negative bacterial isolates were 68.8% and 66.0%, respectively. Among isolates Staphylococcus aureus (n = 401), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (n = 200), and Escherichia coli (n = 193) were predominant. Vancomycin followed linezolid showed most activity against gram-positive bacteria. Whereas, Colistin was found to be the most active against most of the gram-negative bacterium except for the Proteus spp in sensitivity test. Although, carbapenem group was determined to be the best against Proteus spp. About 82% Enterococcus spp and 76% Proteus spp were MDR. Isolates from patients aged >60 years (AOR = 1.774 95%CI: 1.089–2.892) were more prone to becoming MDR in compared to other age group and was a significant determinant (P = 0.02) of MDR.

Conclusions:

Our study revealed that the presence of MDR pathogens in wound infection was noteworthy. The findings of this study would assist in decision making of wound infection treatment.

Highlights
Determination of failure degree of 1.2 kV SiC MOSFETs after short-circuit test using an improved test setup
Authors: Diao Shen , Sun Jun , Zhou Ziwei , Zhang Zhenzhong , Schöner Adolf , Zheng Zedong , He Weiwei
Published: December 2020

Abstract Analysis of the short-circuit characteristics of SiC metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs) is very important for their practical application. This paper studies the SiC MOSFET short-circuit characteristics with an improved test setup under different conditions. A high-current Si insulated gate bipolar transistor is used as a circuit breaker in the test circuit rather than the usual short-circuit test conducted without a circuit breaker. The test platform with a circuit breaker does not influence the calculation results regarding the short-circuit withstand time and energy, but the SiC MOSFET will switch off after failure in a very short time. In addition, the degree of failure will be limited and confined to a small area, such that the damage to the chip will be clearly observable, which is significant for short-circuit failure analysis.
Deep Ductile Shear Zone Facilitates Near‐Orthogonal Strike‐Slip Faulting in a Thin Brittle Lithosphere
Authors: Liang Chao , Ampuero Jean‐Paul , Pino Muñoz Daniel
Published: December 2020

Some active fault systems comprise near‐orthogonal conjugate strike‐slip faults, as highlighted by the 2019 Ridgecrest and the 2012 Indian Ocean earthquake sequences. In conventional Mohr‐Coulomb failure theory, orthogonal faulting requires a zero frictional coefficient (pressure‐insensitive), which is unlikely in the brittle lithosphere. The simulations developed here show that near‐orthogonal faults can form in the brittle layer by inheriting the geometry of orthogonal shear zones nucleated in the deep ductile (pressure‐insensitive) layer. In particular, if the brittle layer is sufficiently thinner than the ductile fault root, near‐orthogonal faulting is preserved at the surface. The preservation is further facilitated by a depth‐dependent strength in the brittle layer. Conversely, faults nucleated within the brittle layer are unlikely to form at orthogonal angles. Our model thus offers a possible explanation for orthogonal strike‐slip faulting and reveals the significant interactions between the structure of faults in the brittle upper lithosphere and their deep ductile roots.
Comparison of Thermospheric Winds Measured by GOCE and Ground‐Based FPIs at Low and Middle Latitudes
Authors: Jiang Guoying , Xiong Chao , Stolle Claudia , Xu Jiyao , Yuan Wei , Makela Jonathan J. , Harding Brian J. , Kerr Robert B. , March Günther , Siemes Christian
Published: December 2020

The re‐estimates of thermospheric winds from the Gravity field and steady‐state Ocean Circulation Explorer (GOCE) accelerometer measurements were released in April 2019. In this study, we compared the new‐released GOCE crosswind (cross‐track wind) data with the horizontal winds measured by four Fabry‐Perot interferometers (FPIs) located at low and middle latitudes. Our results show that during magnetically quiet periods the GOCE crosswind on the dusk side has typical seasonal variations with largest speed around December and the lowest speed around June, which is consistent with the ground‐FPI measurements. The correlation coefficients between the four stations and GOCE crosswind data all reach around 0.6. However, the magnitude of the GOCE crosswind is somehow larger than the FPIs wind, with average ratios between 1.37 and 1.69. During geomagnetically active periods, the GOCE and FPI derived winds have a lower agreement, with average ratios of 0.85 for the Asian station (XL) and about 2.15 for the other three American stations (PAR, Arecibo and CAR). The discrepancies of absolute wind values from the GOCE accelerometer and ground‐based FPIs should be mainly due to the different measurement principles of the two techniques. Our results also suggested that the wind measurements from the XL FPI located at the Asian sector has the same quality with the FPIs at the American sector, although with lower time resolution.