bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Anticoagulant Properties of Rabbit Lungs in Tissue Thromboplastin-induced Intravascular Coagulation
Authors: Vad Henrik , Tvedskov Tove F , Hansen Knud B , Albrechtsen Ole K , Jespersen Jørgen , Gram Jørgen
Published: July 2018

This study was conducted in order to examine possible anticoagulant properties of the lungs during tissue thromboplastin-induced intravascular coagulation. Rabbit brain tissue thromboplastin (n = 17) or saline (n = 6 + 3) was infused above the right atrium (n = 11 + 3) of the heart or in the arcus aorta (n = 6) for a period of 120 min in non-pregnant New Zealand rabbits. Rabbits infused with tissue thromboplastin responded with significantly (p <0.05) more excessive changes in a number of haemodynamic variables (heart rate, paO2> paCO2, blood pH etc.) compared with rabbits infused with saline.

Similarly, the prothrombin time (p <0.05) and the activated partial thromboplastin time (p <0.05) were significantly more prolonged in rabbits receiving tissue thromboplastin compared with control animals. Also the concentration of blood platelets (p<0.05), plasma fibrinogen (p <0.05), antithrombin (p <0.05), and protein C (p <0.05) decreased significantly in thromboplastin-treated animals compared with control animals. In all these haemostatic variables there was a common trend that animals infused with tissue thromboplastin in the arcus aorta responded more excessively than animals infused in the right atrium of the heart, and these deviations were statistically significant for fibrinogen (p <0.05) and prothrombin time (p <0.05). Similarly, animals infused with tissue thromboplastin in the arcus aorta had an increased number of microthrombi in the lungs and kidneys compared with animals receiving tissue thromboplastin above the right atrium.

As the lungs are the first pass organ when you infuse above the right atrium the results from this study suggest that the lungs play a key role in protecting the organism against excessive tissue thromboplastin-induced activation of coagulation.
Inhibition rather than Enhancement of Hemostatic System Activation during Initiation of Oral Anticoagulant Treatment
Authors: Kyrle Paul A , Brockmeier Johannes , Weltermann Ansgar , Eichinger Sabine , Speiser Wolfgang , Lechner Klaus , Eichler Hans-Georg
Published: July 2018

Coumarin-induced skin necrosis is believed to be due to a transient hypercoagulable state resulting from a more rapid decline of the protein C activity relative to that of coagulation factors (F) II, IX and X during initiation of oral anticoagulant therapy. We studied hemostatic system activation during early oral anticoagulant treatment with a technique that investigates coagulation activation in the microcirculation.

We determined in 10 healthy volunteers the concentrations of prothrombin fragment F1+2 (f1.2) and thrombin-antithrombin complex (TAT) in blood emerging from an injury of the microvasculature (bleeding time incision) before and after initiation of both high-inten- sity and low-intensity coumarin therapy. In addition, f1.2, TAT, activated F VII (F Vila) and the activities of FII, F VII, F X and protein C were measured in venous blood.

A rapid decline of F VII and protein C was observed in venous blood with activities at 24 h of 7 ± 1% and 43 ± 2%, respectively, during the high-intensity regimen. A 20 to 30% reduction of f1.2 and TAT was seen in venous blood at 72 h with no major difference between the high- and the low-intensity regimen. F Vila levels were substantially affected by anticoagulation with a >90% reduction at 48 h during the high-intensity regimen. Following high-intensity coumarin, a >50% decrease in the fl.2 and TAT levels was found in shed blood at 48 h suggesting substantial inhibition of thrombin generation during early oral anticoagulation. An increase in the f1.2 and TAT levels was seen neither in shed blood nor in venous blood.

Our data do not support the concept of a transient imbalance between generation and inhibition of thrombin as the underlying pathomechanism of coumarin-induced skin nekrosis.
Modulation of Blood Cell Activation by Four Commonly Used Anticoagulants
Authors: Engstad Charlotte Sissener , Gutteberg Tore Jarl , Østerud Bjarne
Published: July 2018

In the past years, our group has made several observations suggesting that blood cells behave differently and when stimulated, release different levels of cytokines, depending on which anticoagulant the blood has been drawn into. The aim of this study was therefore to compare the effect of the four anticoagulants EDTA, citrate, heparin and hirudin on monocyte, neutrophil (PMN), and platelet function in human whole blood. Human whole blood was employed as an ex vivo model of cytokine production and protein secretion, and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced tissue factor (TF) activity in monocytes and LPS induced tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) release were chosen as parameters of monocyte activation. Platelet factor 4 (PF4) secretion and LPS induced lacto ferrin release were chosen as parameters of platelet and PMN activation, respectively. When human whole blood was stimulated with 5 ng/ml LPS for 2 h, TF activity in monocytes isolated from EDTA blood was found to be 2.9 mU/106 cells, whereas TF activity in monocytes isolated from citrated, heparinized and hirudinized blood was 14.7, 24.7 and 28.5 mU/106 cells, respectively. TNFα concentrations in platelet poor plasma (PPP) isolated from whole blood stimulated with 5 ng/ml LPS for 2 h was increased with 200,400 and 350% in citrated, heparinized and hirudinized blood respectively, as compared to EDTA blood. Next, the effect of the anticoagulant on PMN secretion was measured. PPP isolated from whole blood incubated with 5 ng/ml LPS for 90 min contained 1170 ng/ml (EDTA blood), 2880 ng/ml (citrated blood), 4220 ng/ml (heparinized blood), and 5520 ng/ml lactoferrin (hirudinized blood). When studying the platelet parameter PF4, whole blood was incubated without any stimuli for 60 min, and we found that heparin PPP contained 1180 ng/ml PF4, while hirudin PPP contained 469 ng/ml, citrate PPP 440 ng/ml, and EDTA PPP 217 ng/ml PF4, respectively. Finally, the low molecular weight heparin compound Fragmin had no enhancing effect on PF4 levels in whole blood. It is concluded that the anticoagulant used in in vitro experiments has a large influence on the parameters measured.
Thrombin Generation Markers and Coronary Heart Disease Risk Factors in a Polish Population Sample
Authors: Musiał Jacek , Pająk Andrzej , undas Anetta , Kawalec Ewa , Topór-Mądry Roman , Pażucha Tadeusz , Grzywacz Marek , Szczeklik Andrzej
Published: July 2018

Thrombosis plays a major role in the development of atherosclerosis and its acute vascular complications. Epidemiological studies have shown that elevated levels of plasma fibrinogen are associated with an increased risk of coronary heart disease (CHD). It is not clear whether this association is linked to hemostatic functions of fibrinogen which serves as a substrate for thrombin. Generation of thrombin in vivo can be evaluated by measurement of its specific markers in plasma, i.e. thrombin-antithrombin III complex (TAT) and prothrombin fragment 1+2 (F1+2). We determined plasma levels of TAT and F1+2 in a population sample of southeastern Poland and evaluated relations of these markers with plasma fibrinogen, factor VII coagulant activity (FVIIc), and other known CHD risk factors. The population studied consisted of 215 men and 251 women, aged 43-75 years. Final analysis was performed on 195 men and 222 women.

The distribution of plasma TAT and F1+2 concentrations were highly skewed with the higher median values for women than for men. Log values of TAT correlated with log values of F1+2 in men (r = 0.27, p <0.01) and in women (r = 0.15, p <0.05). In the regression analysis both markers were positively related to age in women but not in men. After adjustment to age there was a positive relation between TAT and fibrinogen in both sexes. In women, but not in men, F1+2 showed a positive association with FVIIc. Total plasma cholesterol was negatively related to TAT in women only. There was no association between thrombin generation markers and plasma triglycerides, HDL-choles- terol, LDL-cholesterol, blood pressure, cigarette smoking and body mass index (BMI).

The association of plasma fibrinogen and FVIIc with thrombin generation markers points to an important role of the hemostatic system in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease in humans.
Thrombin Interaction with Platelet GPIB: Role of the Heparin Binding Domain
Authors: De Candia Erica , De Cristofaro Raimondo , De Marco Lulgi , Mazzucato Moreno , Picozzi Matilde , Landolfi Raffaele
Published: July 2018

The platelet membrane glycoprotein lb (Gplb) has a high affinity binding site for α-thrombin whose occupancy is thought to positively modulate the thrombin-induced platelet activation. In this study, aimed at further characterizing the thrombin-GpIb interaction, two thrombin anion exosites referred to as “heparin binding site” (HBS) and “fibrino#gen recognition site” (FRS) were investigated as the possible domains involved in Gplb binding. The role of thrombin HBS was explored by performing binding measurements of 125I-α-thrombin to purified glycocalicin (GC), the extracytoplasmic portion of Gplb, in the presence of heparin as well as after chemical modifications of the thrombin heparin binding site (thrombin-HBS phosphopyridoxylation). These studies showed that a) thrombin binding to GC could be competitively inhibited by heparin and b) the equilibrium association constant for thrombin-GC interaction was reduced up to ten-fold by chemical modifications at the HBS. On the other hand, the role of FRS in the thrombin-GC interaction could be excluded by other experiments showing that GC in solution could not influence the interaction of α-thrombin with two substrates which bind to both the catalytic site and the fibrinogen recognition site: 1) the thrombin receptor peptide 38-60 (TR, L38-E60) and 2) the A α-chain of fibrinogen. Altogether these results demonstrated that GC interaction with thrombin involves the enzyme heparin binding site, whereas the fibrinogen recognition site does not play a significant role.
CD1lb/CD 18 Mediates the Neutrophil Chemotactic Activity of Fibrin Degradation Product D Domain
Authors: Gross Thomas J , Leavell Keith J , Peterson Michael W
Published: July 2018

Coagulation and fibrinolysis universally accompany tissue injury and repair. The accumulation of regionally generated fibrin degradation products (FDP) may modify the local inflammatory response. We have found FDP to be potent neutrophil chemotaxins. We separated plasmin FDP by chromatofocusing and found chemotactic activity limited to fractions containing the fibrinogen D domain (D-D dimer and D monomer). The bioactivity of the D-D dimer did not require an intact cross link site as removal of this sequence with puff adder venom or hypocalcemic plasmic digestion did not decrease chemotaxis. Peptide inhibition studies confirmed that the chemotactic region did not involve terminal gamma chain sequences or alpha chain RGD motifs. The internal gamma chain peptide KYGWTVFQKRLDGSV (PI), known to bind CDllb/CD18, exhibited concentration dependent chemotactic activity. Similarly, monoclonal antibodies directed against CD1lb/CD18 blocked PMN migration to FDP without similar inhibition of chemotaxis to IL-8 or LTB4. Thus, neutrophil chemotaxis to FDP is mediated by interactions between the fibrinogen D domain and CD1lb/CD18.
The Coagulation and Fibrinolytic Responses of Baboons after In Vivo Thrombin Generation – Effect of Interleukin 6
Authors: Kruithof Egbert K O , Mestries Jean Claude , Gascon Marie-Paule , Ythier Arnaud
Published: July 2018

Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) may lead to severe thrombotic or hemorrhagic complications. The present work was undertaken to study the effect of interleukin 6 (IL-6) on variations of key coagulation and fibrinolytic parameters in plasma in a baboon model of experimental DIC induced by injection of factor Xa and phospholipids at dosages leading to partial (48%) or complete fibrinogen depletion. Transient increases of D-dimer, fibrinopeptide A, thrombin-antithrombin and the activated partial thromboplastin time were observed. Each parameter had a particular (time and Xa/phospho- lipid dose dependent) pattern of changes. The principal effect of IL-6 was a more rapid restoration of fibrinogen concentrations and of overall coagulation tests. Injection of factor Xa/phospholipids led also to a rapid increase of tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) the extent of which was dependent on Xa/phospholipid dose. Pretreatment with IL-6 induced a threefold increase of basal t-PA and a corresponding increase of the t-PA response. Plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 (PAI-1) concentrations did not change after low dose Xa/phospholipids, but increased eightfold after high dose Xa/phospholipids. IL-6 pretreatment induced within 8 h a twentyfold increase of PAI-1 but no further increase was observed after injection of factor Xa/phospholipids.

Thus, in vivo thrombin generation leads to dynamic modifications of the coagulation and fibrinolytic systems. The principal effect of IL-6 is a more rapid normalization of overall coagulation tests, due to normalization of fibrinogen, and an increased t-PA release response which is partially counteracted by increased PAI-1 concentrations.
Aggregation of Human Blood Platelets by Remnant Like Lipoprotein Particles of Plasma Chylomicrons and Very Low Density Lipoproteins
Authors: Saniabadi Abby R , Umemura Kazou , Shimoyama Makiko , Adachi Masakazu , Nakano Minoru , Nakashima Mitsuyoshi
Published: July 2018

Remnant like lipoprotein particles (RLP) of partially catabolised human plasma chylomicrons (CM) and very low density lipoproteins (VLDL) were separated from CM and VLDL using two monoclonal antibodies, anti apo B-100 (JI-H) and anti apo A-I (H-12) coupled to Sepharose 4B gel to form an immunoaffinity column. Lipoproteins containing apo B-100 or apo E, including VLDL and LDL adsorb to (JI-H)-gel, while CM and HDL with apo A-I adsorb to (H-12)-gel. The unbound fraction (RLP) is rich in apo B-48, apo E and apo E rich apo B-100 which has not been recognized by JI-H. The RLP fraction with a total triglyceride of 12.35 ± 6.22 mg/ml; total cholesterol, 0.32 ± 0.08 mg/ml and total protein, 0.72 ± 0.12 mg/ml (mean ± S.E.M, n = 9) was added to blood from healthy persons at 2.5-200 |xl/ml and agitated gently at 37° C for 40 s. Platelet aggregation was assessed by measuring the loss of single platelets. At 2.5-10 μl, RLP induced platelet aggegation increased with the dose of RLP, but decreased at 25-200
julL
Scanning electron microscopy revealed that within 20 s of agitation in the presence of RLP, activated platelets had appeared on the red cell membrane and within 40 s of agitation, platelet aggregates had formed on the red cells. The platelet responses were unaffected by aspirin (10 or 20 μg/ml) but were inhibited by cilostazol, a phosphodiesterase type III inhibitor (0.4 to 1.6 μg/ml). It is likely that the platelet effect of RLP is a consequence of RLP dependent red cell-platelet interaction. This is the first report of platelet aggregation induced by RLP without an added platelet agonist.
Prognostic Evaluation of Mortality after Pediatric Resuscitation Assisted by Extracorporeal Life Support
Authors: De Mul Aurélie , Nguyen Duy-Anh , Doell Carsten , Perez Marie-Hélène , Cannizzaro Vincenzo , Karam Oliver
Published: July 2018

To improve survival rates during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), some patients are put on extracorporeal life support (ECLS) during active resuscitation (ECPR). Our objective was to assess the clinical outcomes after pediatric ECPR in Switzerland and to determine pre-ECPR prognostic factors for mortality. The present study is a retrospective analysis. The study setting included three pediatric intensive care units in Switzerland that use ECPR. All patients (<16 years old) undergoing ECPR from 2008 to 2016 were included in the study. There were no interventions. Data before ECLS initiation and clinical outcomes were collected. An ECPR score was designed to predict mortality, based on variables significantly different between survivors and non-survivors. Fifty-five patients were included, with a median age of 13.5 months. Eighty percent were cardiac patients. The mortality rate was 75%. Mortality was significantly associated with CPR duration (p = 0.02), last lactate (p = 0.05), and last pH (p = 0.01) before ECLS initiation. Based on these three variables, an ECPR score was designed as follows: CPR duration (in minutes): 1 point if < 40; 2 points if ≥ 40; 3 points if ≥ 60; 6 points if ≥ 105. Lactate (in mmol/L): 1 point if < 8; 2 points if ≥ 8; 3 points if ≥ 14; 6 points if ≥ 18. pH: 1 point if > 7.00; 2 points if ≤ 7.00; 3 points if ≤ 6.85; 6 points if ≤ 6.60. The area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve was 0.74. The positive predictive value of a score ≥ 9 was 94%. In our population, a score based on three variables easily available prior to ECLS initiation had good discrimination and could appropriately predict mortality. This score now needs validation in a larger population.
The quoter model: A paradigmatic model of the social flow of written information
Authors: Bagrow James P. , Mitchell Lewis
Published: July 2018

We propose a model for the social flow of information in the form of text data, which simulates the posting and sharing of short social media posts. Nodes in a graph representing a social network take turns generating words, leading to a symbolic time series associated with each node. Information propagates over the graph via a quoting mechanism, where nodes randomly copy short segments of text from each other. We characterize information flows from these text via information-theoretic estimators, and we derive analytic relationships between model parameters and the values of these estimators. We explore and validate the model with simulations on small network motifs and larger random graphs. Tractable models such as ours that generate symbolic data while controlling the information flow allow us to test and compare measures of information flow applicable to real social media data. In particular, by choosing different network structures, we can develop test scenarios to determine whether or not measures of information flow can distinguish between true and spurious interactions, and how topological network properties relate to information flow.
Electrical behavior of exploding copper wire in ambient air
Authors: Barbaglia Mario Oscar , Rodriguez Prieto Gonzalo
Published: July 2018

This work experimentally investigates the electrical behavior of an exploding wire when the initial energy of the system varies from 28 to 709 J. This experiment uses 50-μm-diameter, 33-mm-long copper wires. The wire is surrounded by air at normal atmospheric pressure and temperature. The experiment monitored the current derivative, voltage between wire ends, total visible radiation emitted, and the shadow image of the wire to study how the electrical parameters vary as a function of initial energy. The results indicate a change in the initial discharge mechanism.
Bandt-Pompe symbolization dynamics for time series with tied values: A data-driven approach
Authors: Traversaro Francisco , Redelico Francisco O. , Risk Marcelo R. , Frery Alejandro C. , Rosso Osvaldo A.
Published: July 2018

In 2002, Bandt and Pompe [Phys. Rev. Lett. 88, 174102 (2002)] introduced a successfully symbolic encoding scheme based on the ordinal relation between the amplitude of neighboring values of a given data sequence, from which the permutation entropy can be evaluated. Equalities in the analyzed sequence, for example, repeated equal values, deserve special attention and treatment as was shown recently by Zunino and co-workers [Phys. Lett. A 381, 1883 (2017)]. A significant number of equal values can give rise to false conclusions regarding the underlying temporal structures in practical contexts. In the present contribution, we review the different existing methodologies for treating time series with tied values by classifying them according to their different strategies. In addition, a novel data-driven imputation is presented that proves to outperform the existing methodologies and avoid the false conclusions pointed by Zunino and co-workers.
A novel constitutive model for the mechanical properties of silica aerogels
Authors: Lei Jincheng , Liu Zishun
Published: July 2018

Most studies on the mechanical properties of silica aerogels neglected the influence of structural randomness and dead-ends of nano-porous materials, whereas both of them have a considerable effect on the mechanical properties of silica aerogels. In this study, we propose a cubic frame model with random orientation as the representative volume element of a silica aerogel to investigate the dead-ends' effect on its mechanical properties. To characterize the structural randomness in open-cell porous materials, a new constitutive model is established by a statistical average of the mechanical response of the random structure. This constitutive model reveals the inherent isotropy of open-cell porous materials. It also indicates that the widely used Gibson-Ashby model may overestimate the Young's modulus and shear modulus for open-cell porous materials. Then the mass ratio of dead-ends and effective skeleton is derived using the available experimental results. It shows that the mass ratio of dead-ends increases with the decreasing density of silica aerogels because of the additional space resulting from the slimmer effective skeleton, which results in the abnormal exponent of the Young's modulus-density power-law relation. We suggest the mass ratio of the effective skeleton to be an intuitive and practical index to reflect the connectivity in silica aerogels. Besides, the dead-ends can significantly enhance the compressive strength of silica aerogels, especially for low-density silica aerogels. We hope this work can provide a new idea to consider the structural randomness in porous materials and give guidance on the mechanical reinforcement of aerogels.
Relation between image charge and potential alignment corrections for charged defects in periodic boundary conditions
Authors: Durrant T. R. , Murphy S. T. , Watkins M. B. , Shluger A. L.
Published: July 2018

Charged defects are often studied within the periodic density functional theory (DFT), but this introduces strong finite-size artifacts. In this work, we develop an electrostatic image interaction correction (IIC) method based on the direct solution of the Poisson equation for charge models constructed directly from DFT calculations. These IICs are found to be detail-insensitive, depending almost entirely on bulk dielectric properties. As these IICs are not able to fully explain the observed finite-size scaling, we explore potential alignment in detail and introduce a novel decomposition to separate out different contributions. We find that the two main sources of potential alignment are defect image interactions and changes in the number of atoms present in the supercell. This first effect is accurately predicted by the periodic part of our IIC. The second contribution is unrelated to the IIC and justifies the common observation that the magnitude of finite-size dependence can strongly vary between vacancy and interstitial defects. It can be approximately predicted using atomic radius, but is strongly sensitive to the pseudopotential employed. Combined, these developments provide a new justification for known finite-size scaling rules. Our results suggest that for cubic supercells, the Lany-Zunger IIC, combined with simplified potential alignment between neutral systems, can yield accurate corrections in spite of the simplicity of the approach.
A two-dimensional position-sensitive microchannel plate detector realized with two independent one-dimensional resistive anodes
Authors: Zhang Yuezhao , Yu Deyang , Liu Junliang , Yang Liping , Wang Wei , Li Xiaoxiao , Zhu Xiaona , Song Xiaoxun , Hui Xinfei , Xi Wei , Li Xin , Liu Huiping , Cai Xiaohong
Published: July 2018

A two-dimensional position-sensitive microchannel plate detector, with a Ø100 mm sensitive area and equipped with four integrated amplifiers, is realized with a new anode scheme. The anode is constructed by two independent one-dimensional resistive anodes, each consisting of an array of parallel copper strips connected by resistors in series on a printed circuit board (PCB). The arrays are perpendicularly aligned to realize two-dimensional position resolution, with the intervals between the adjacent strips on the PCB nearer to the microchannel plate cut out to allow electrons passing through. The detector is tested with an 55Fe x-ray source, and a position resolution of 0.38 mm is achieved.
Model of dielectric breakdown in hafnia-based ferroelectric capacitors
Authors: Xue Kan-Hao , Su Hai-Lei , Li Yi , Sun Hua-Jun , He Wei-Fan , Chang Ting-Chang , Chen Lin , Zhang David Wei , Miao Xiang-Shui
Published: July 2018

Ultra-thin ferroelectric hafnia-based thin films are very promising candidates for nanoscale ferroelectric random access memories. However, dielectric breakdown is a main failure mechanism during repeated polarization switching. Generalizing Lou et al.'s local phase decomposition model, originally for ferroelectric fatigue, we propose a dielectric breakdown model for ferroelectric hafnia. While charging injection during the polarization reversal is regarded as a key step, eventual phase separation of the Hf cluster accounts for the dielectric breakdown. Using this model, we explain why TaN/HfO2/TaN ferroelectric capacitors are more prone to dielectric breakdown than TiN/HfO2/TiN, and conclude that the lower Schottky barrier for the TaN/Pca21-HfO2 interface stabilizes neutral oxygen vacancies within the dielectric. On the other hand, when TiN electrodes are employed, oxygen vacancies tend to be positively charged. They can further pin the domain walls, resulting in ferroelectric fatigue. The relationship between the conductive filament formation, dielectric breakdown, wake up, and fatigue in ferroelectric HfO2 is discussed within the framework of our model.
Investigation of colliding nonlinear structures in a relativistically degenerate plasma
Authors: Hasan Usman , Masood W. , Jahangir R. , Mirza Arshad M.
Published: July 2018

In this paper, we have investigated the head-on collision of quantum ion acoustic solitons with relativistically degenerate electrons by deriving a set of Korteweg–de Vries equations. Using the refined Poincaré-Lighthill-Kuo method, we have derived the expressions for phase shifts of colliding solitons. It has been found that the system under consideration admits only compressive electrostatic solitary structures. The solitons have also been found to form only for the sub-acoustic velocities of the nonlinear structures. It has been observed that the soliton interaction happens over long spatial and temporal scales in the non-relativistic limit whereas the converse happens in the ultrarelativistic regime. It has been found that the phase shift of the solitons after interaction is more pronounced in the ultra-relativistic limit by comparison with its non-relativistic counterpart. It has also been found that the phase shift settles to a constant value in the nonrelativistic limit. Using the parameters that are customarily found in white dwarf stars, we have given an estimate of the spatial scales over which the nonlinear structures are expected to interact with each other both in the non-relativistic and in the ultra-relativistic regimes.
Bistability in a multiferroic composite resonator
Authors: Fetisov Yuri K. , Burdin Dmitri A. , Ekonomov Nikolai A. , Fetisov Leonid Y. , Berzin Alexey A. , Hayes Patrick , Quandt Eckhard
Published: July 2018

Bistable characteristics of a nonlinear multiferroic composite resonator containing ferromagnetic and piezoelectric layers are investigated. The resonator was a borosilicate glass substrate of 25 mm × 2 mm dimensions and 150 μm thickness with a 2 μm thick amorphous ferromagnetic FeCoSiB layer and a 2 μm thick piezoelectric AlN layer deposited on its sides by magnetron sputtering. The resonator was excited by ac voltage at a frequency of 156 kHz, matching its longitudinal acoustic resonance frequency. The bistability loops were observed with increasing and decreasing frequency at constant excitation voltage and with increasing and decreasing voltage at constant frequency. With increasing excitation voltage, the resonator frequency first decreases by ∼0.7 kHz and then increases again to the initial value. A bistability model is suggested that uses Lorentzian shape resonance line and measured dependences of the resonance frequency and transmission coefficient on the output signal, which quantitatively describes experimental data. It is shown that bistability in a multiferroic resonator arises due to the nonlinearity of the ferromagnetic layer.
Possible universal relation between short time β-relaxation and long time α-relaxation in glass-forming liquids
Authors: Das Rajsekhar , Tah Indrajit , Karmakar Smarajit
Published: July 2018

Relaxation processes in supercooled liquids are known to exhibit interesting complex behavior. One of the hallmarks of this relaxation process observed in the measured auto correlation function is the occurrence of multiple steps of relaxations. The shorter time relaxation is known as the β-relaxation which is believed to be due to the motion of particles in the cage formed by their neighbors. The longer time relaxation is called the α-relaxation. The time scales of these two relaxations processes dramatically separate out with supercooling. In spite of decades of research, it is still not clearly known how these relaxation processes are related to each other. In this work, we show that there is a possible universal relation between short time β-relaxation and long time α-relaxation. We also show that the proposed relation can be rationalized within random first order transition theory of glass transition if power law relation is assumed between static and dynamic length scales.
Comparing strategies for improving efficiencies in vacuum processed Cu2ZnSnSe4 solar cells
Authors: Grenet Louis , Suzon Md Abdul Aziz , Emieux Fabrice , Roux Frédéric
Published: July 2018

In this study, we detail a Cu2ZnSnSe4 based solar cell fabrication process based on the selenization of metallic precursor stacks with elemental Se. 9.4% efficient devices without antireflection coating have been obtained. First, reproducibility issues of the process are carefully shown and discussed. It is demonstrated that device performances are strongly impacted by the precise control of the precursor composition. Then, starting from this robust process, a review of existing strategies to improve kesterite efficiencies is conducted. A significant increase in efficiency (+1.4% absolute efficiency and +50 mV VOC) is obtained with absorber surface treatment and post-annealing, while no effect of Ge incorporation in the precursor stack is observed. This contradictory result to most of the recent publications raises the question of the universality of this strategy to improve kesterite solar cell performance. Finding a universal activation step to boost kesterite efficiencies and bring it to the market remains a crucial need for the community.
Radio frequency measurements of energetic-particle-driven emission using the ion cyclotron emission diagnostic on the DIII-D tokamak
Authors: Thome K. E. , Pace D. C. , Pinsker R. I. , Meneghini O. , del Castillo C. A. , Zhu Y.
Published: July 2018

The Ion Cyclotron Emission (ICE) diagnostic on the DIII-D tokamak consists of two outboard midplane systems. In the first system, straps of an ion cyclotron range of frequencies antenna are configured as receiving antennas. For the second system, dedicated magnetic probes incorporated into the outer wall of carbon tiles have recently been restored. These systems collected a large set of radio frequency measurements in the 2015–2018 experimental campaigns by digitizing signals at 200 MSamples/s for ∼5 s per discharge. Each shot typically yields 32 GB of data; techniques for successful handling and analysis of this challengingly large dataset are discussed. The raw voltage fluctuations (<0.2 V and <1 mW) are analyzed in frequency space via fast Fourier transforms. Signals can be analyzed between 1 and 200 MHz with appropriate filtering and aliasing; this frequency range is limited by DC breaks used to provide 5 kV DC isolation. These high-frequency signals are driven by energetic ions and electrons. In particular, energetic-ion-driven ICE occurs at harmonics of the ion cyclotron frequency, enabling the frequency to be mapped to lab space via equilibrium reconstruction. In many DIII-D plasmas, ICE is emitted from the radial center of the plasma.
Testing of the ITER plasma position reflectometry high-field side in-vessel antenna assembly prototype
Authors: Varela P. , Silva A. , Belo J. H.
Published: July 2018

The ITER plasma position reflectometry diagnostic aims to provide measurements of the edge plasma to correct or supplement the magnetics for plasma position control. It consists of five reflectometers, two of which have components installed inside the vessel. One of these systems probes the plasma from the high-field side using a bistatic array of small pyramidal horns located in the gap between two blankets. Electromagnetic simulations have shown that the blankets shape the radiation pattern and need to be considered as part of the antenna. Full-wave plasma simulations have confirmed these results and have also shown that the first-wall geometry may induce measurement errors above the required margin. To further address these issues, we manufactured a prototype of the high-field side antenna, which includes a mock-up of the blanket modules. Here, we present the results of the prototype tests, with and without the blankets, using a metallic mirror as a target. The signals reflected from the mirror are used to derive the mirror distance and assess the precision of the measurements under different arrangements. The sensitivity to the blankets’ installation tolerances is also assessed by changing the antennas’ position with respect to the blankets’ surfaces and cut-outs.
Cherenkov detector analysis for implosions with multiple nuclear reactions
Authors: Zylstra A. B. , Herrmann H. W. , Kim Y. H. , Meaney K. , Geppert-Kleinrath H. , Schmitt M. J. , Hoffman N. M. , Leatherland A. , Gales S.
Published: July 2018

Nuclear reactions that produce γ rays occur in inertial fusion implosions and are commonly measured with Cherenkov detectors. Typically a detector is primarily sensitive to a single reaction, but in some implosions, multiple fusion reactions can occur and are combined in the data. We discuss an analysis technique using multiple thresholded detectors to reproduce the individual burn histories from reactions like DT and HT fusion, which is applicable to separated-reactant mix experiments. Requirements for this technique and resulting analysis uncertainties are quantified using synthetic data.
CD52 glycan binds the proinflammatory B box of HMGB1 to engage the Siglec-10 receptor and suppress human T cell function
Authors: Bandala-Sanchez Esther , G. Bediaga Naiara , Goddard-Borger Ethan D. , Ngui Katrina , Naselli Gaetano , Stone Natalie L. , Neale Alana M. , Pearce Lesley A. , Wardak Ahmad , Czabotar Peter , Haselhorst Thomas , Maggioni Andrea , Hartley-Tassell Lauren A. , Adams Timothy E. , Harrison Leonard C.
Published: July 2018

Significance

Inflammation is a protective response of the body’s immune system against harmful stimuli such as pathogenic microorganisms, toxins, or damaged cells. However, if excessive or prolonged, inflammation may be harmful and therefore has to be regulated. Soluble CD52 is a natural sialoglycopeptide and immune regulator that suppresses inflammatory responses. We elucidated the mechanism of this effect by showing that soluble CD52 first sequesters a mediator of inflammation called HMGB1; in turn, this promotes binding of the sialylated CD52 glycan to an inhibitory receptor, sialic acid-binding immunoglobulin-like lectin (Siglec)-10, present on activated T cells and other immune cells. This concerted antiinflammatory mechanism driven by soluble CD52 may contribute to immune-inflammatory homeostasis and underscores the therapeutic potential of soluble CD52.
Affinity switching of the LEDGF/p75 IBD interactome is governed by kinase-dependent phosphorylation
Authors: Sharma Subhalakshmi , Čermáková Kateřina , De Rijck Jan , Demeulemeester Jonas , Fábry Milan , El Ashkar Sara , Van Belle Siska , Lepšík Martin , Tesina Petr , Duchoslav Vojtěch , Novák Petr , Hubálek Martin , Srb Pavel , Christ Frauke , Řezáčová Pavlína , Hodges H. Courtney , Debyser Zeger , Veverka Václav
Published: July 2018

Significance

The transcription coactivator LEDGF/p75 contributes to regulation of gene expression by tethering other factors to actively transcribed genes on chromatin. Its chromatin-tethering activity is hijacked in two important disease settings, HIV and mixed-lineage leukemia; however, the basis for the biological regulation of LEDGF/p75’s interaction to binding partners has remained unknown. This has represented a gap in our understanding of LEDGF/p75’s fundamental biological function and a major limitation for development of therapeutic targeting of LEDGF/p75 in human disease. Our work provides a mechanistic understanding of how the lens epithelium-derived growth factor interaction network is regulated at the molecular level.
Bridging the gap toward understanding short-term synaptic plasticity
Authors: Sedwick Caitlin
Published: July 2018

JGP study explores a new way to conceptualize an enduring neuronal mystery.
D-minimal expansions of the real field have the zero set property
Authors: Miller Chris , Thamrongthanyalak Athipat
Published: July 2018

If

E
⊆

R

n

E\subseteq \mathbb R^n

is closed and the structure

(

R

,
+
,
⋅
,
E
)

(\mathbb R,+,\cdot ,E)

is d-minimal

(that is, in every structure elementarily equivalent to

(

R

,
+
,
⋅
,
E
)

(\mathbb R,+,\cdot ,E)

, every unary definable set is a disjoint union of open intervals and finitely many discrete sets), then for each

p
∈

N

p\in \mathbb {N}

, there exist

C
p

C^p

functions

f
:

R

n

→

R

f\colon \mathbb R^n\to \mathbb R

definable in

(

R

,
+
,
⋅
,
E
)

(\mathbb R,+,\cdot ,E)

such that

E
E

is the zero set of

f
f

.
From dimers to webs
Authors: Fraser Chris , Lam Thomas , Le Ian
Published: July 2018

We formulate a higher-rank version of the boundary measurement map for weighted planar bipartite networks in the disk. It sends a network to a linear combination of

S
L

r

\mathrm {SL}_r

-webs and is built upon the

r
r

-fold dimer model on the network. When

r
r

equals 1, our map is a reformulation of Postnikov’s boundary measurement used to coordinatize positroid strata. When

r
r

equals 2 or 3, it is a reformulation of the

S
L

2

\mathrm {SL}_2

- and

S
L

3

\mathrm {SL}_3

-web immanants defined by the second author. The basic result is that the higher-rank map factors through Postnikov’s map. As an application, we deduce generators and relations for the space of

S
L

r

\mathrm {SL}_r

-webs, re-proving a result of Cautis-Kamnitzer-Morrison. We establish compatibility between our map and restriction to positroid strata and thus between webs and total positivity.
Doing Tricks
Authors: Borba Rodrigo
Published: July 2018

Sex work has long been of interest to a variety of fields, among them anthropology, sociology, public health, and feminist theory, to name but a few. However, with very few exceptions, sociolinguistics seems to have ignored the fact that commercial sex, as an intersubjective business transaction, is primarily negotiated in embodied linguistic interaction. By reviewing publications in distinct social scientific areas that directly or indirectly discuss the role of language in the sex industry, this chapter critically assesses the analytical affordances and methodological challenges for a sociolinguistics of sex work. It does so by discussing the “tricks” played by sex work, as a power-infused context of language use in which issues of agency (or lack thereof) are paramount, on sociolinguistic theory and methods. The chapter concludes that the study of language in commercial sex venues is sociolinguistically promising and epistemologically timely.
Documents, Ethics, and the Disability Historian
Authors: Richards Penny , Burch Susan
Published: July 2018

The factors driving research into disability history methodology in its practical dimensions (such as finding and analyzing sources and presenting findings), the cultural values that inform it, and who populates intended audiences all contribute to the invisible infrastructure of historical production. When historians of disability access a rich source of data, they also must ask who created it, who benefited from its preservation, and whose stories are left untold. Sharing knowledge—through preservation and dissemination—equally shapes disability historical work. In all of this, access and accessibility—from built spaces and source types to research aids and scholarly products—remain paramount. Ways to proceed with sensitivity and creativity in the exploration of disabled peoples’ and disability’s pasts are presented from the perspective of the United States.
Monstrous Births, Birth Defects, Unusual Anatomy, and Disability in Europe and North America
Authors: Reagan Leslie J.
Published: July 2018

“Monstrous births,” anomalous newborn bodies, or stillbirths, have produced public and scientific reactions of fear and excited voyeuristic interest from the early modern period to the present in Europe and North America. During this time, the category of “monstrous births” expanded even if the term itself was replaced over time with “defectives,” “congenital malformations,” “birth defects,” and “disabilities.” Particular attention is given here to medicine, mothers of “monstrous births,” twentieth-century moments that brought birth defects to international attention (German measles and thalidomide), and gender. In addition, attention is given to the perspective of contemporary people whose sixteenth- and seventeenth-century predecessors (conjoined twins) were considered “monstrous births” and whose bodies are still preserved in museums.
Transnational Interconnections in Nineteenth-Century Western Deaf Communities
Authors: Murray Joseph J.
Published: July 2018

A transnational approach to history brings new perspectives to nationally based historical narratives. In the case of deaf history, it uncovers new patterns of international interaction, resulting in a transnational deaf public sphere, which operated from the latter third of the nineteenth century. Through publications, travel by individual deaf people, and a series of international congresses that took place between 1873 and 1924, deaf Westerners exchanged strategies on how to live as deaf people in auditory societies. A central concern was the preservation of the right to use sign language in the face of ideologies that sought to remove this language from the education of deaf children. Deaf Westerners created transnational strategies of response to transnational ideologies of eugenics and normality. By doing so, they attempted to claim a space for “aberrant” bodies within nationalist ideologies.
Protest, Social Movements, and Spaces for Politically Oriented Consumerist Actions—Nationally, Transnationally, and Locally
Authors: Forno Francesca
Published: July 2018

This chapter discusses the relationship between social movements and political consumerism. Besides traditional consumer organizations that seek to protect customers from corporate abuse (such as unsafe products, predatory lending, or false advertising), political consumer practices have become increasingly employed to achieve diverse political and social goals. Calls to citizens to take action in their role as consumers have been made by social movement organizations of various types, either to build up transnational awareness so as to step up pressure on corporations or to facilitate the purchase of goods/services that meet specific ethical criteria. Along with large-scale boycotting and global fair trade initiatives, market-based actions have entered the repertoire of a number of local grassroots organizations seeking bottom-up solutions for sustainable development, within which the act of shopping moves beyond a form of individuals taking responsibility to become a tool for constructing collective, citizenship-driven alternative styles of provisioning.
Decreasing Supplies, Increasing Risks in Oil Development
Authors: Shearer Christine
Published: July 2018

The ongoing, large demand for oil in the United States has helped push oil companies from onshore to offshore, increasing the complexity of the operations and the risks. This has been encouraged by US policy, which has historically encouraged an increase in both national oil demand and domestic oil production. This chapter focuses on expanded offshore oil drilling in the United States and its risks, highlighting the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil blowout. Such events are examples of explicitly “human-caused” disasters that nonetheless can be expected to increase as we resort to lower quality and harder to reach fossil fuels, offering an interesting example of Charles Perrow’s concept of “normal accidents.”
In Closing
Authors: Gross Matthias , Davidson Debra J.
Published: July 2018

This chapter summarizes the key contributions offered by the authors of the present volume and calls on social scientists to open up the many black boxes that may prevent further understanding of complex energy-society systems, and to use those insights in energy planning. It discusses some of the book’s major themes with respect to energy supply and demand, focusing on the pressures and opportunities for continued development of fossil-fuel resources, the agreement among authors that renewable energy will not be a panacea, the link between energy poverty and climate justice, and the overriding tendency to attribute responsibility for changing energy consumption to middle-class families by voluntary means. The chapter also considers the influence of shifts in supply and demand on markets, politics, and governance, along with the implications of technological optimism for energy-society relations.
Raw Materialism and Socioeconomic Change in the Coal Industry
Authors: Ciccantell Paul S. , Gellert Paul K.
Published: July 2018

In the midst of activist, citizen, and policymaker concerns about and advocacy for the end of coal as a fuel, this chapter takes a long-term historical-materialist perspective on energy and society relations. The historical evolution of coal commodity chains from mines in global peripheries to consumption in world-system cores through four periods of attempted and real hegemonic ascent (British, US, Japanese, and Chinese) are addressed. This analysis from the nineteenth century to 2015 demonstrates that generative sectors based on coal helped drive economic ascent in all four of these cases. Further, coal remains critical for aspiring powers, notably China and India, to produce steel and electricity. China’s and India’s combined coal consumption drove a near doubling of global hard coal production between 2000 and 2015, despite declining coal use in the OECD countries. The medium-term future of coal is therefore far from certain, despite environmental costs and concerns.
Energy Consumption Trends Across the Globe
Authors: York Richard
Published: July 2018

This chapter identifies four important trends in global energy consumption that have emerged in recent decades. First, the consumption of energy and electricity is growing at a faster pace in the twenty-first century than it was at the end of the twentieth century. Second, growth in energy and electricity consumption has slowed in affluent nations, but it is accelerating in some developing nations, particularly China and India. Third, energy efficiency has generally improved around the world, but it has not substantially curtailed energy consumption in most nations. Fourth, despite rapid growth in renewable energy production globally, fossil-fuel consumption continues to grow.