bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Growth and optimization of hybrid perovskite single crystals for optoelectronics/electronics and sensing
Authors: Zhang Xingmo , Li Feng , Zheng Rongkun
Published: August 2020

A comprehensive review on recent advances in optoelectronic and sensing technologies based on hybrid perovskite single crystals.
Dust coagulation feedback on magnetohydrodynamic resistivities in protostellar collapse
Authors: Guillet V. , Hennebelle P. , Pineau des Forêts G. , Marcowith A. , Commerçon B. , Marchand P.
Published: August 2020

Context. The degree of coupling between the gas and the magnetic field during the collapse of a core and the subsequent formation of a disk depends on the assumed dust size distribution.

Aims. We study the impact of grain–grain coagulation on the evolution of magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) resistivities during the collapse of a prestellar core.

Methods. We use a 1D model to follow the evolution of the dust size distribution, out-of-equilibrium ionisation state, and gas chemistry during the collapse of a prestellar core. To compute the grain–grain collisional rate, we consider models for both random and systematic, size-dependent, velocities. We include grain growth through grain–grain coagulation and ice accretion, but ignore grain fragmentation.

Results. Starting with a Mathis-Rumpl-Nordsieck (MRN) size distribution (Mathis et al. 1977, ApJ, 217, 425), we find that coagulation in grain–grain collisions generated by hydrodynamical turbulence is not efficient at removing the smallest grains and, as a consequence, does not have a large effect on the evolution of the Hall and ambipolar diffusion MHD resistivities, which still drop significantly during the collapse like in models without coagulation. The inclusion of systematic velocities, possibly induced by the presence of ambipolar diffusion, increases the coagulation rate between small and large grains, removing small grains earlier in the collapse and therefore limiting the drop in the Hall and ambipolar diffusion resistivities. At intermediate densities (nH ~ 108 cm−3), the Hall and ambipolar diffusion resistivities are found to be higher by 1 to 2 orders of magnitude in models with coagulation than in models where coagulation is ignored, and also higher than in a toy model without coagulation where all grains smaller than 0.1 μm would have been removed in the parent cloud before the collapse.

Conclusions. When grain drift velocities induced by ambipolar diffusion are included, dust coagulation happening during the collapse of a prestellar core starting from an initial MRN dust size distribution appears to be efficient enough to increase the MHD resistivities to the values necessary to strongly modify the magnetically regulated formation of a planet-forming disk. A consistent treatment of the competition between fragmentation and coagulation is, however, necessary before reaching firm conclusions.
Verletzungen im Inline-Skaterhockey
Authors: Burggraf Manuel , Burgsmüller Lars , Meyer Heinz-Lothar , Polan Christina , Husen Martin , Mester Bastian , Dudda Marcel , Kauther Max Daniel
Published: August 2020

Inline-Skaterhockey (ISH) wird in Deutschland von etwa 7500 Aktiven mit einer dem Eishockey vergleichbaren Ausrüstung auf Inlineskates mit einem Hartkunststoffball gespielt. Ziel dieser retrospektiven epidemiologischen Querschnittsstudie ist die Erfassung von Verletzungshäufigkeiten und Verletzungsarten dieser medizinisch unzureichend untersuchten Sportart. Über einen 112 Items umfassenden Fragebogen wurden demografische Daten, Verletzungen in 8 Körperregionen und definierte Überlastungsschäden erfasst. Untersucht wurden 274 ISH-Spieler mit einem Durchschnittsalter von 24,5 ± 6,2 Jahren mit einer Expositionszeit von 2787 ± 2063 Stunden. Es wurden 5701 Verletzungen erfasst, von denen 60,5 % leichte Prellungen, Schürfungen und Wunden waren. Es ergab sich eine Gesamtverletzungsrate pro 1000 h von 9,6 ± 17,7 mit einer verletzungsbedingten Pause von 12,8 ± 21,8 Wochen pro Spieler. Feldspieler mit Visier hatten hochsignifikant weniger Kopfverletzungen (2,8 ± 6,1 vs. 8,9 ± 13,1; p < 0,001) mit hochsignifikant (p < 0,001) weniger Platzwunden, Nasenbeinfrakturen, Augenverletzungen und Zahnverletzungen. Eine schwach negative Korrelation bestand zwischen Gesichtsschutz und Anzahl der Kopfverletzungen (r = –0,386; p < 0,001). Schlussfolgernd zeigt sich die Verletzungshäufigkeit und Verletzungsart im ISH vergleichbar mit dem Eishockey im Training. Die Schutzausrüstung im ISH kann analog zum Eishockey das Auftreten einer Reihe von Verletzungen im Kopfbereich reduzieren. Präventives Augenmerk sollte auf das Tragen eines Vollvisiers und die Aufklärung über das Auftreten von Gehirnerschütterungen trotz Schutzhelms gelegt werden.
Editorial
Authors: Greitemann Bernhard
Published: August 2020

Liebe Leserinnen, liebe Leser,

die Corona-Pandemie hat uns weltweit noch fest im Griff. Diejenigen, die gedacht
haben, dass es sich um ein singuläres Phänomen handelt, das schnell
vorbei ist, sehen sich in der Zwischenzeit – hoffentlich –
getäuscht. Es gilt weiterhin, höchste Achtsamkeit zu haben, wie sich
täglich erweist. Immer wieder aufflackernde Infektionsherde, sei es bei
größeren Treffen oder Veranstaltungen, sei es in lokalen
Industriesparten oder in sozialen Brennpunkten, weisen nicht nur auf die
Gefährlichkeit des Erregers, sondern auch u. a. auf erheblichen
Handlungsbedarf in bestimmten Bereichen unseres Industrie- und Sozialsystems hin.
Umso unverständlicher ist es, dass bestimmte Führer großer
Nationen dieses Infektionsgeschehen anscheinend bewusst negieren und dadurch
zahlreiche Tote in ihrer Bevölkerung offenbar bewusst in Kauf nehmen!
The Impact of Lead Aprons on Posture of Orthopaedic Surgeons
Authors: Kabir Koroush , Welle Kristian , Scheidt Sebastian , Ossendorf Robert , Prangenberg Christian , Wirtz Dieter Christian , Burger Christof
Published: August 2020

Background Surgeons working in orthopedics and trauma surgery are frequently exposed to repetitive actions and non-ergonomic positions in their operative activities with the regular use of lead aprons. Musculoskeletal complaints of the neck and back among surgeons are reported in the literature as up to 80%. In this study, the effects of lead aprons on the posture of surgeons are examined using videorasterstereography, foot pressure measurement and questionnaires.

Methodology All subjects (n = 31) were examined before and after exposure to wearing lead aprons during surgery using videorasterstereography and pedography. In addition, a survey with a separately created questionnaire and the Cornell Musculoskeletal Discomfort Questionnaire (CMDQ) was carried out.

Results An average duration of lead apron use of 102.6 min showed an increase in forefoot load (p = 0.002) especially in the elderly subjects and thoracic kyphosis (p < 0.001) especially in the younger doctors with a significant lateral deviation (p = 0.006). In addition, the lateral deviation was shown to correlate with an increasing body size or a shorter period of employment (p = 0.008; r = 0.51/p = 0.026; r = − 0.44). Significantly fewer surgeons experienced back complaints on working days without lead apron use in the operating room compared to days in the OR (p = 0.011).

Conclusion The impact of wearing front covered lead aprons during operations in the field of orthopaedics and trauma surgery leads to more frequent back complaints, even among young and healthy doctors. Under an average duration of surgery of 102 min a temporary postural deviation occurs that can be demonstrated by means of videorasterstereography and foot pressure measurement. The subjects showed a shifted weight distribution on the forefoot, a gain in thoracic kyphosis and an increase in lateral deviation, which also correlated with an increasing height and shorter length of employment.
Zusammenhang zwischen der seitenabhängigen präoperativ bestimmten intraprostatischen Tumorlokalisation mittels Stanzbiopsie und HistoScanning und der Lymphknotenmetastasierung des Prostatakarzinoms
Authors: Niemann Debora , Hamann Claudius , Jünemann Klaus-Peter , Knüpfer Stephanie , Osmonov Daniar
Published: August 2020

Einleitung Anhand dieser Studie soll untersucht werden, ob es präoperativ möglich ist, mittels Stanzbiopsie oder HistoScanning, die Lymphknotenmetastasenseite/n des Prostatakarzinoms vorherzusagen bzw. einzugrenzen.

Material Die Studie ist retrospektiv angelegt. In die Studie werden 56 Patienten eingeschlossen. Einschlusskriterien sind eine radikale Prostatektomie mit extendierter Lymphadenektomie und ein positiver Lymphknotenstatus. Der Zusammenhang zwischen der präoperativ bestimmten Seit des Tumors innerhalb der Prostata und der Seite der Lymphknotenmetastasen wird analysiert.

Methoden Die Datenerhebung erfolgt mittels Microsoft® Office 365 Excel und IBM® SPSS® Statistics Subscription. Zur Testung wird der exakte Fisher-Test angewendet. Als statistisch signifikant werden p-Werte < 0,05 gewertet.

Ergebnisse Ein signifikanter Zusammenhang zeigt sich zwischen der mittels Stanzbiopsie bestimmten Seite/n des Tumors innerhalb der Prostata und der Seite/n der Lymphknotenmetastasen. Bei 83 % der Patienten mit einem einseitig festgestellten Stanzbiopsiebefund zeigt sich eine Lymphknotenmetastasierung in eine Körperhälfte, ipsilateral oder kontralateral. Ein Anteil von 75 % dieser Patienten hat ausschließlich Lymphknotenmetastasen auf der ipsilateralen Körperseite aufzuweisen. Bezüglich des HistoScannings zeigt sich kein signifikanter Zusammenhang. In der histologischen Begutachtung nach radikaler Prostatektomie zeigt sich bei 89 % der Patienten ein beidseits positiver Tumorbefall.

Schlussfolgerung Sowohl die Stanzbiopsie als auch das HistoScanning scheinen die Tumorausdehnung innerhalb der Prostata zu unterschätzen. Auf Grund dieser Ungenauigkeiten ist trotz zum Teil signifikanter Ergebnisse eine Empfehlung der Beschränkung der Lymphadenektomie auf den seitenanalogen Bereich nicht möglich.
GERD und adjuvante Radiochemotherapie prädisponieren für rezidivierende Stimmprotheseninsuffizienz
Authors: Jira Daniel , Pickhard Anja , Mair Lena , Zhu Zhaojun , Wollenberg Barbara , Buchberger Anna Maria Stefanie
Published: August 2020

Die Wiedererlangung einer Stimmfunktion nach Laryngektomie ist ein zentrales Element für die postoperative Lebensqualität. Dazu haben sich Stimmprothesen als probates Mittel etabliert. Häufige Prothesenwechsel stellen für einige Patienten jedoch eine teils große Belastung dar, sodass ein besseres Verständnis der Ätiologie der Stimmprothesen- und Stimmprothesenlagerinsuffizienz benötigt wird.

Material und Methoden Es erfolgte die retrospektive Auswertung klinischer Daten von 58 Patienten nach Laryngektomie. Des Weiteren wurde prä- und postoperative CT-Bildgebung von 22 Patienten mit der Frage nach Stenosen im Bereich des Neopharynx verglichen.

Ergebnisse In dem untersuchten Kollektiv wurde bei 40 Patienten mindestens ein Wechsel der Stimmprothese durchgeführt; es zeigte sich ein medianes Wechselintervall von 235 Tagen. Patienten nach adjuvanter Radiochemotherapie zeigten signifikant kürzere Wechselintervalle als nach adjuvanter Radiotherapie (p = 0,002). Des Weiteren konnte eine gastroösophageale Refluxerkrankung (GERD) als Risikofaktor für kürzere Stimmprothesenwechselintervalle nachgewiesen werden (p = 0,04).

Klinisch relevante Stenosen zeigten sich bei 17 Patienten (42,5 %), davon wurden 14 Patienten (82 %) mittels Bougierung therapiert und zeigten keine verkürzte Stimmprothesenverweildauer (p = 0,892).

Schlussfolgerung GERD stellt einen Risikofaktor für häufige Stimmprotheseninsuffizienz dar und sollte daher nach Laryngektomie suffizient therapiert werden. Mit zunehmender Eskalation der adjuvanten Therapie zeigt sich ein kürzeres Wechselintervall.

Stenosen werden häufig nach Laryngektomie beobachtet, stellen aber unter Therapie keinen alleinigen Risikofaktor für eine kurze Stimmprothesenverweildauer dar.
Demystifying Palmar Midcarpal Instability
Authors: Jing Shan Shan , Smith Gemma , Deshmukh Subodh
Published: August 2020

Palmar midcarpal instability is an uncommon condition diagnosed clinically with a painful pathognomonic clunk on terminal ulnar deviation of the wrist. Various causes have been described, but congenital laxity of the carpal ligaments is thought to be a key contributor. Treatment commences with conservative measures. This includes proprioceptive training based on more recent concepts on the sensorimotor function of the wrist. When these measures plateau, surgery is considered. The lack of high-level evidence and consensus on its cause continue to hamper our understanding and knowledge of this condition. The purpose of this review is to examine the current evidence to conceptualize this mysterious, yet infrequent phenomenon, and to provide an algorithm on its management.
Alcohol Use Disorder and Hepatitis C Prevention and Care in People Who Inject Drugs: The State of Play
Authors: Marcellin Fabienne , Jaquet Antoine , Lazarus Jeffrey V. , Molina Patricia , Carrieri Patrizia
Published: August 2020

Safe and effective treatment with direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) has ushered in an era in which hepatitis C virus (HCV) elimination, as set out by the World Health Organization, is possible. However, alcohol use disorder (AUD) has the potential to reduce the benefits of prevention interventions and reduce access to and continuity of HCV care in at-risk populations, such as people who inject drugs (PWID). We review the literature on the consequences of AUD on the effectiveness of HCV prevention and the cascade of care in PWID and provide recommendations for future research in the field of alcohol use and HCV.
Correction: Sordid genealogies: a conjectural history of Cambridge Analytica’s eugenic roots
Authors: Wintroub Michael
Published: August 2020

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.
Population persistence, breeding seasonality and sexual dimorphism in the red-necked wallaby
Authors: Garnick Sarah , Coulson Graeme
Published: August 2020

The red-necked wallaby (Notamacropus rufogriseus) has a broad geographic range along the eastern seaboard of Australia, but ecological research on the mainland subspecies has been limited. We aimed to assess long-term monitoring (1974 to 2017) of abundance at a site in the Grampians National Park in Victoria. Our second aim was to evaluate trap success, sexual dimorphism, breeding seasonality, longevity and home range size from intensive studies (between 2008 and 2017) at this site. The abundance of red-necked wallabies increased over time, showing no negative effect of the arrival of the swamp wallaby (Wallabia bicolor) in the 1970s. Red-necked wallabies were highly trappable: 64% of individuals were retrapped at least once, one was retrapped 38 times, and trap success did not vary seasonally. Red-necked wallabies showed high site-fidelity, with no instances of long-range movements and no sex bias in likelihood of remaining on site. One female was regularly resighted for almost eight years after her initial capture and one male lived to an estimated age of 20 years. All births occurred in the first half of the year, with a marked peak of births in February, and over three-quarters of births occurred in February and March. Red-necked wallabies were highly sexually dimorphic: the largest male (24.5kg) was nearly 10kg heavier than the largest female (15kg), and male home ranges were over five times larger than those of females.
Quantifying disease and defect carcass losses at processing to improve feedback in the lamb supply chain: an arthritis case study
Authors: Mazoudier P. F. , Campbell M. A. , Guy S. Z. Y. , Henry M. L. E.
Published: August 2020

Context
Lamb producers are currently limited in their ability to make informed on-farm management changes with respect to disease and defects identified at processing. This is due to the limited accuracy and detail of information included in disease and defect feedback supplied by processors. Increasing transparency of the feedback can allow producers to make more informed on-farm decisions, and, subsequently, improve productivity and animal welfare.

Aims
Using arthritis as a case study, the aim was to develop a scoring system that estimates hot standard carcass weight (HSCW) losses due to trimming at processing, so as to improve feedback to lamb producers.

Methods
An observational cross-sectional study was conducted at a southern New South Wales commercial processing facility, over 6 months and in five week-long blocks, from 21 February 2019 to 5 July 2019. Carcass trim components removed due to the presence of arthritis (shank or leg) were recorded for 217 of the 42164 lamb carcasses processed. Utilising average lot HSCWs, the total proportion of HSCW lost due to arthritis trimming (TPL) was calculated for each arthritic carcass. Linear regression analysis, with a logit-transform of TPL, was fitted to the data.

Key results
Processing lot and trim-component category were found to be significant (P << 0.001) explanatory variables for variation in TPL. Trim-component categories that were not significantly (P > 0.05) different were combined, with final categories being assigned arthritis trim scores as follows: 1, any forequarter shank; 2, any hindquarter shank; 3, any forequarter leg; and 4, any hindquarter leg. At an over-the-hooks carcass price of AU$7.83/kg and an average HSCW of 23.13 kg, these scores were used to estimate producer revenue losses per carcass (range AU$2.95–AU$18.08).

Conclusions
The accuracy and detail of information provided as feedback to lamb producers can be improved. For arthritis, this can be achieved using a trim-scoring system.

Implications
Altering feedback to include HSCW losses for processed lots in both kilograms and dollars against the associated disease or defect will better equip producers to make cost-effective on-farm management changes and reduce the impact on the lamb supply chain.
Calcium modulates the domain flexibility and function of an α-actinin similar to the ancestral α-actinin
Authors: Pinotsis Nikos , Zielinska Karolina , Babuta Mrigya , Arolas Joan L. , Kostan Julius , Khan Muhammad Bashir , Schreiner Claudia , Salmazo Anita , Ciccarelli Luciano , Puchinger Martin , Gkougkoulia Eirini A. , Ribeiro Euripedes de Almeida , Marlovits Thomas C. , Bhattacharya Alok , Djinovic-Carugo Kristina
Published: August 2020

Significance

Actin is one of the most abundant proteins in eukaryotic cells. Actin filaments together with a large number of actin-binding proteins are critical players in many cellular functions, ranging from cell motility and muscle contraction to maintenance of cell shape and transcription regulation. α-Actinin—a member of the spectrin superfamily—is an archetypical F-actin–binding and –bundling protein. It is known that Ca
2+
inhibits α-actinin capacity to bundle F-actin. We present a structure of a Ca
2+
-regulated α-actinin and propose the mechanism for its regulation. We uncover that Ca
2+
binding triggers an increase in protein rigidity, leading to reduced conformational flexibility and bundling activity. The proposed molecular mechanism is likely to be a blueprint for regulation of spectrin-like proteins.
‘We cannot abandon the two worlds, we have to be in both’
Authors: Sheldon Elena
Published: August 2020

This study investigates how the importance of English in academia has impacted the academic life of fourteen researchers in the humanities and social sciences (HSS) at one university in Chile and uses semi-structured interviews focussing on scholarly publication. The study intends to discover, firstly, what the national and the university policies are regarding publishing in Spanish and English in Chile; secondly, how important it is to publish in English and Spanish, with respect to the researchers’ disciplines; and, thirdly, whether researchers with expertise in English are better off in terms of publication than those who lack this expertise. Findings suggest that these researchers write more publications in Spanish than in English, but favour publishing in both languages, counterbalancing the spread of English as the dominant language of publication in academia because Spanish and English can co-exist without threatening the scholarly cultural traditions of Spanish scholars. These scholars also recognise that publishing in English assists them to attain a wider readership, and to gain greater monetary rewards for publication in high impact journals, usually in English, as a result of increased grants and promotions. Finally, the paper suggests considering practices for teaching English for Research Publication Purposes.
Extracellular vesicles from human iPSC‐derived neural stem cells: miRNA and protein signatures, and anti‐inflammatory and neurogenic properties
Authors: Upadhya Raghavendra , Madhu Leelavathi N. , Attaluri Sahithi , Gitaí Daniel Leite Góes , Pinson Marisa R , Kodali Maheedhar , Shetty Geetha , Zanirati Gabriele , Kumar Smrithi , Shuai Bing , Weintraub Susan T , Shetty Ashok K.
Published: August 2020

Grafting of neural stem cells (NSCs) derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) has shown promise for brain repair after injury or disease, but safety issues have hindered their clinical application. Employing nano‐sized extracellular vesicles (EVs) derived from hiPSC‐NSCs appears to be a safer alternative because they likely have similar neuroreparative properties as NSCs and are amenable for non‐invasive administration as an autologous or allogeneic off‐the‐shelf product. However, reliable methods for isolation, characterization and testing the biological properties of EVs are critically needed for translation. We investigated signatures of miRNAs and proteins and the biological activity of EVs, isolated from hiPSC‐NSCs through a combination of anion‐exchange chromatography (AEC) and size‐exclusion chromatography (SEC). AEC and SEC facilitated the isolation of EVs with intact ultrastructure and expressing CD9, CD63, CD81, ALIX and TSG 101. Small RNA sequencing, proteomic analysis, pathway analysis and validation of select miRNAs and proteins revealed that EVs were enriched with miRNAs and proteins involved in neuroprotective, anti‐apoptotic, antioxidant, anti‐inflammatory, blood‐brain barrier repairing, neurogenic and Aβ reducing activities. Besides, EVs comprised miRNAs and/or proteins capable of promoting synaptogenesis, synaptic plasticity and better cognitive function. Investigations using an in vitro macrophage assay and a mouse model of status epilepticus confirmed the anti‐inflammatory activity of EVs. Furthermore, the intranasal administration of EVs resulted in the incorporation of EVs by neurons, microglia and astrocytes in virtually all adult rat and mouse brain regions, and enhancement of hippocampal neurogenesis. Thus, biologically active EVs containing miRNAs and proteins relevant to brain repair could be isolated from hiPSC‐NSC cultures, making them a suitable biologic for treating neurodegenerative disorders.
Analysis of copy number alterations reveals the lncRNA ALAL-1 as a regulator of lung cancer immune evasion
Authors: Athie Alejandro , Marchese Francesco P. , González Jovanna , Lozano Teresa , Raimondi Ivan , Juvvuna Prasanna Kumar , Abad Amaya , Marin-Bejar Oskar , Serizay Jacques , Martínez Dannys , Ajona Daniel , Pajares Maria Jose , Sandoval Juan , Montuenga Luis M. , Kanduri Chandrasekhar , Lasarte Juan J. , Huarte Maite
Published: August 2020

Cancer is characterized by genomic instability leading to deletion or amplification of oncogenes or tumor suppressors. However, most of the altered regions are devoid of known cancer drivers. Here, we identify lncRNAs frequently lost or amplified in cancer. Among them, we found amplified lncRNA associated with lung cancer-1 (ALAL-1) as frequently amplified in lung adenocarcinomas. ALAL-1 is also overexpressed in additional tumor types, such as lung squamous carcinoma. The RNA product of ALAL-1 is able to promote the proliferation and tumorigenicity of lung cancer cells. ALAL-1 is a TNFα− and NF-κB–induced cytoplasmic lncRNA that specifically interacts with SART3, regulating the subcellular localization of the protein deubiquitinase USP4 and, in turn, its function in the cell. Interestingly, ALAL-1 expression inversely correlates with the immune infiltration of lung squamous tumors, while tumors with ALAL-1 amplification show lower infiltration of several types of immune cells. We have thus unveiled a pro-oncogenic lncRNA that mediates cancer immune evasion, pointing to a new target for immune potentiation.
A brief introduction to gauge-invariant dynamical systems
Authors: Thibes Ronaldo
Published: August 2020

We describe gauge symmetry at the elementary level aiming at undergraduate and first-year graduate theoretical physics students. The formal definition of gauge invariance as a local symmetry of the action is given and further elaborated and interpreted in detail in two physical models, namely, a mechanical system and the prototypical gauge field theory of electrodynamics. The first model, consisting of two interacting particles with gauge symmetry, sets the background and paves the way for the canonical analysis of the electromagnetic field as a constrained system. The Dirac–Bergmann algorithm and the necessity of Dirac brackets for the canonical quantization of constrained systems are discussed within the two models context. The whole analysis is written in a didactical way trying to guide and motivate undergraduate students along an introduction to gauge symmetry. After going through this present brief introduction, the reader should be well prepared to boldly continue their journey through more advanced standard textbooks on the subject.
Semiconductor enhanced plasma synthetic jet actuator
Authors: Miao Huifeng , Zhang Zhibo , Wu Yun , Cui Wei , Li Yinghong
Published: August 2020

Designing a plasma synthetic jet actuator (PSJA) with high efficiency and low driving voltage is a permanent and unchangeable pursuit for researchers. Based on the surface flashover phenomenon of semiconductors, a novel semiconductor enhanced PSJA (SEPSJA) is put forward. The electrical characteristics and jet performance of the SEPSJA are investigated based on electrical measurements and a high speed schlieren image system. The minimum driving voltage of the SEPSJA with a 6 mm electrode distance can be reduced to about 2.64 kV at 1 atm and kept fixed over a large range of air pressure. With the same input energy, the performance of the SEPSJA is better than the traditional PSJA with a short electrode distance restricted by high breakdown voltage. Owing to the long inter-electrode gap, the average discharge efficiency can be improved by 40%–50% compared with the PSJA. An increase of over 70% of the maximum jet velocity is validated by the schlieren image. The maximum shock wave velocity of the SEPSJA (545 m s−1) increased by about 24% more than that of the traditional PSJA (439 m s−1). It can be concluded that the SEPSJA is worthy to be further studied in flow control field.
In-situ formation and evolution of atomic defects in monolayer WSe2 under electron irradiation
Authors: Leiter Robert , Li Yueliang , Kaiser Ute
Published: August 2020

Transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) monolayers such as MoS2, MoSe2, MoTe2, WS2 and WSe2 have attracted significant interest due to their remarkable electronic and optical properties, exhibiting a direct band gap, enabling usability in electronics and optics. Their properties can be altered further by the introduction of lattice defects. In this work, the dynamics of the formation of electron-beam-induced lattice defects in monolayer WSe2 are investigated by in-situ spherical and chromatic aberration-corrected low-voltage transmission electron microscopy. We show and analyze the electron-dose-limited life of a monolayer WSe2 from the formation of isolated Se vacancies over extended defects such as vacancy lines, mirror twin boundaries (MTBs) and inversion domains towards the loss of W atoms leading to the formation of holes and finally the destruction of the monolayer. We identify, moreover, a new type of MTB. Our study extends the basic understanding of defect dynamics in monolayer WSe2, sheds further light on the electron radiation response and suggests new ways for engineering the in-plane architecture of TMDs.
Insight the process of hydrazine gas adsorption on layered WS2: a first principle study
Authors: Khan Musa Md Rajib , Zhang Congyan , Alruqui Adel Bandar A , Zhao Rong , Jasinski Jacek B , Sumanasekera Gamini , Yu Ming
Published: August 2020

The process of hydrazine gas adsorption on layered WS2 has been systematically studied from first principle calculations. Our results demonstrate that this adsorption process is exothermic, and hydrazine molecules are physically adsorbed. The layer-dependent adsorption energy and interlayer separation induced by van der Waals interaction exerted by hydrazine molecules lead to the difficulty in desorbing hydrazine molecules from layered WS2 as the number of layers increases. The most interesting finding is the emergence of localized impurity states below the Fermi level upon the hydrazine adsorption, irrespective of the number of WS2 layers, resulting in a significant effect on the band structures and subsequently changing its electrical conductivity. Furthermore, a layer-dependent small charge transfer occurs between hydrazine and layered WS2, leading to a charge redistribution and considerable polarization in the adsorbed systems. The existence of defects and the humidity, on the other hand, influences the sensitivity of layered WS2 to the hydrazine adsorption. Obtained results show that a perfectly layered WS2 might be a promising candidate as an efficient nanosensor to detect such toxic gas in dry environment.
Intensity non-uniformity correction in MR imaging using residual cycle generative adversarial network
Authors: Dai Xianjin , Lei Yang , Liu Yingzi , Wang Tonghe , Ren Lei , Curran Walter J , Patel Pretesh , Liu Tian , Yang Xiaofeng
Published: August 2020

Correcting or reducing the effects of voxel intensity non-uniformity (INU) within a given tissue type is a crucial issue for quantitative magnetic resonance (MR) image analysis in daily clinical practice. Although having no severe impact on visual diagnosis, the INU can highly degrade the performance of automatic quantitative analysis such as segmentation, registration, feature extraction and radiomics. In this study, we present an advanced deep learning based INU correction algorithm called residual cycle generative adversarial network (res-cycle GAN), which integrates the residual block concept into a cycle-consistent GAN (cycle-GAN). In cycle-GAN, an inverse transformation was implemented between the INU uncorrected and corrected magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) images to constrain the model through forcing the calculation of both an INU corrected MRI and a synthetic corrected MRI. A fully convolution neural network integrating residual blocks was applied in the generator of cycle-GAN to enhance end-to-end raw MRI to INU corrected MRI transformation. A cohort of 55 abdominal patients with T1-weighted MR INU images and their corrections with a clinically established and commonly used method, namely, N4ITK were used as a pair to evaluate the proposed res-cycle GAN based INU correction algorithm. Quantitatively comparisons of normalized mean absolute error (NMAE), peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR), normalized cross-correlation (NCC) indices, and spatial non-uniformity (SNU) were made among the proposed method and other approaches. Our res-cycle GAN based method achieved an NMAE of 0.011 ± 0.002, a PSNR of 28.0 ± 1.9 dB, an NCC of 0.970 ± 0.017, and a SNU of 0.298 ± 0.085. Our proposed method has significant improvements (p < 0.05) in NMAE, PSNR, NCC and SNU over other algorithms including conventional GAN and U-net. Once the model is well trained, our approach can automatically generate the corrected MR images in a few minutes, eliminating the need for manual setting of parameters.
Shortest path of temporal networks: An information spreading-based approach*
Authors: Ma Yixin , Xue Xiaoyu , Cai Meng , Wang Wei
Published: August 2020

The shortest path is a widely studied network science problem and has attracted great attention. Nevertheless, it draws little attention in temporal networks, in which temporal edges determine information dissemination. In this paper, we propose an information spreading-based method to calculate the shortest paths distribution in temporal networks. We verify our method on both artificial and real-world temporal networks and obtain a good agreement. We further generalize our method to identify influential nodes and found an effective method. Finally, we verify the influential nodes identifying method on four networks.
Linear and nonlinear propagation characteristics of multi-Gaussian laser beams
Authors: Gupta Naveen , Kumar Sandeep
Published: August 2020

Theoretical investigation on the propagation characteristics of a new class of laser beams known as multi Gaussian (M.G) laser beams has been presented. To investigate the linear characteristics, propagation of the laser beam in vacuum has been considered. Whereas, the nonlinear characteristics have been investigated in plasmas. Optical nonlinearity of the plasma has been modeled by relativistic mass nonlinearity of the plasma electrons in the field of laser beam. Formulation is based on finding the semi analytical solution of the wave equation for the slowly varying envelope of the laser beam. Particularly, the dynamical evolutions of the beam width and longitudinal phase of the laser beam have been investigated in detail.
Synchronization mechanism of clapping rhythms in mutual interacting individuals*
Authors: Su Shi-Lan , Xiao Jing-Hua , Liu Wei-Qing , Wu Ye
Published: August 2020

In recent years, clapping synchronization between individuals has been widely studied as one of the typical synchronization phenomena. In this paper, we aim to reveal the synchronization mechanism of clapping interactions by observing two individuals’ clapping rhythms in a series of experiments. We find that the two synchronizing clapping rhythm series exhibit long-range cross-correlations (LRCCs); that is, the interaction of clapping rhythms can be seen as a strong-anticipation process. Previous studies have demonstrated that the interactions in local timescales or global matching in statistical structures of fluctuation in long timescales can be sources of the strong-anticipation process. However, the origin of the strong anticipation process often appears elusive in many complex systems. Here, we find that the clapping synchronization process may result from the local interaction between two clapping individuals and may result from the more global coordination between two clapping individuals. We introduce two stochastic models for mutually interacting clapping individuals that generate the LRCCs and prove theoretically that the generation of clapping synchronization process needs to consider both local interaction and global matching. This study provides a statistical framework for studying the internal synchronization mechanism of other complex systems. Our theoretical model can also be applied to study the dynamics of other complex systems with the LRCCs, including finance, transportation, and climate.
Non-material contributions of wildlife to human well-being: a systematic review
Authors: Methorst Joel , Arbieu Ugo , Bonn Aletta , Böhning-Gaese Katrin , Müller Thomas
Published: August 2020

Wildlife has important effects on human well-being, ranging from beneficial contributions to life threatening interactions. Here, we systematically reviewed publications of both positive and negative non-material contributions of wildlife to people (WCP) for different taxonomic groups (birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians) and dimensions of human well-being such as health, social well-being, identity and spirituality. Overall, the majority of studies reported negative WCP, such as feelings of insecurity or injuries. However, over the last decade the number of publications on positive WCP such as good mental health, positive emotions or learning increased, mainly in the Global North. These spatial and temporal patterns may hint towards normative influences that drive the relative proportion of reported WCP. However, these normative influences are not yet well understood and future research should examine potential biases by conducting policy assessments or surveys among researchers to understand drivers and motivations behind their research questions. We found almost no joint assessments of positive and negative WCP for any wildlife species. Studies also showed taxon-specific differences in WCP outcomes, with predominantly positive WCP reported for birds and predominantly negative WCP published for mammals or reptiles. Physical health was the most dominant aspect of well-being studied and affected by WCP while other well-being dimensions such as social well-being, learning or identity were less frequently covered in the literature. Future studies should jointly evaluate positive and negative effects of wildlife on human well-being and implement multi-taxon approaches to obtain a more balanced and comprehensive understanding of WCP. These assessments of WCP will provide actionable science outcomes that will shape human-wildlife coexistence and promote human health and well-being.
Understanding the role of phenology and summer physiology in controlling net ecosystem production: a multiscale comparison of satellite, PhenoCam and eddy covariance data
Authors: Liu Ying , Wu Chaoyang
Published: August 2020

Understanding the temporal and spatial variability (SV) of net ecosystem productivity (NEP) is critical for coupling ecosystem carbon (C) cycle and climate system. Previous studies have shown responses of NEP to changes of plant phenology, but impacts of summer physiological status on annual NEP and how this may vary across different ecosystems and spatial scales were largely unknown. Combining large regional satellite derived indices (MODIS), 676 site-year local data (FLUXDATA) covering seven vegetation types, and 57 site-year regional data (PhenoCam), we found that phenological metrics and summer physiological indicators were significantly correlated with their respective gross primary production-based estimates. The interannual variability of NEP was mostly explained by summer physiology than phenology for most ecosystems, while phenology showed a better performance than summer physiology only for grassland sites. In comparison, inconsistent results were derived from three scales when explaining the SV of NEP. Summer physiology showed more potential in interpreting the SV of NEP at large regional scale, but both physiology and the length of growing season exhibited similar performances at local scale. Observations from regional scale were not able to explain NEP, given that the green chromatic coordinate signal cannot track photosynthesis in summer with a high canopy closure. The finding highlights the important role of summer physiology in controlling the C accumulation of terrestrial ecosystems and understanding the responses of summer physiology to environmental drivers is of great significance for improving the simulation accuracy of C sequestration under the global climate change.
Colombia’s transition to peace is enhancing coca-driven deforestation
Authors: Mendoza Juan P
Published: August 2020

Forests cover 70% of the Colombian territory, which includes part of the Amazon. Recent studies have examined how the country’s tree cover dynamics are affected by coca cultivation and its internal armed conflict. In light of Colombia’s recent peace agreement, this study examines whether the impact of coca cultivation on forest loss is conditional on the conflict (i.e. whether the impact varies across different levels of conflict intensity). This conditional association is supported by a state-of-the-art spatial panel data analysis, covering the entire territory throughout 2006–2019. As the conflict becomes less intense, each hectare of coca is associated with a larger extension of forest loss.
The collapse points of increasing trend of vegetation rain-use efficiency under droughts
Authors: Chen Zefeng , Wang Weiguang , Yu Zhongbo , Xia Jun , Schwartz Franklin W
Published: August 2020

The vegetation rain-use efficiency (RUE) represents the ability of an ecosystem to use rainfall and is an important descriptor of ecological functions of terrestrial system. Although studies have been conducted to investigate the impact of droughts on vegetation, we still lack critical understanding of how exactly RUE responds to droughts of different time scales and intensities. Here, we present evidence for a rapid response in RUE, and collapse points of RUE increase trend during droughts by using multi-source meteorological data and satellite-derived vegetation indices. The highest correlation was found consistently between RUE and computed drought index at time scale of 1 month for all biome types and climate regimes. We further discovered that RUE increased significantly with amplification of drought intensity to a maximum RUE, especially for semi-arid and arid biomes. As drought is prolonged, RUE increased till a tipping point was reached across all biomes and climatic conditions, indicating that the long-term droughts weaken the sensitivities of RUE to drought and threaten the resilience of ecosystem. This study comprehensively provides a satellite-based evaluation of RUE response to different drought features. We envisage that the findings would contribute to the development of drought early warning from an ecological perspective and to provide the sustainable environmental management.
Nanjing Massacre
Authors: Yang Daqing
Published: August 2020

Also known as the “Rape of Nanjing,” Nanjing Massacre refers to the mass killings of disarmed Chinese soldiers and civilians, as well as other atrocities such as rape and looting, committed by the Japanese troops after they occupied Nanjing in the winter of 1937–1938. It is widely regarded as one of the worst Japanese war crimes in World War II.

Shortly after the Imperial Japanese Army entered the Chinese capital of Nanjing (previously written as Nanking) on December 13, 1937, Western newspapers reported horrific conditions in the fallen city including mass execution of Chinese captives. Wartime records, mostly compiled by a few Westerners who stayed in the city and organized a refugee zone, showed widespread Japanese atrocities of rape, random killing, and looting that continued for weeks.

After Japan’s defeat in 1945, the Nanjing Massacre became a leading case of Japanese war crime at the military tribunals conducted by the victorious Allies between 1946 and 1948. Citing witness accounts and burial records, these tribunals put the total number of Chinese killed in the Nanjing area variously from 100,000 to over 300,000. In addition, they estimated that there had been around 20,000 cases of rape and that one third of the city had been destroyed by the Japanese troops within six weeks of occupation.

Largely overlooked before the early 1970s, the Nanjing Massacre has since become a hotly contested issue in Japan and between Japan and China. In 1985, China opened a large memorial museum in Nanjing, where the number of 300,000 victims is on prominent display. The Chinese government has designated December 13 a day of national commemoration. Documents related to the Nanjing Massacre submitted by China have become part of the UNESCO Memory of the World registry.

In recent decades, many important first-hand evidence has emerged and makes it both possible and necessary to reassess this historical event. Wartime Japanese military and personal records confirm that at least several tens of thousands of Chinese had been killed in mass executions that were condoned, if not ordered, by the high command of the Japanese army in China. Moreover, killing disarmed Chinese captives and atrocities against Chinese civilians had already begun well before Japanese troops reached Nanjing; many such atrocities continued long afterward, thus suggesting there was more than a temporary breakdown of Japanese army discipline in Nanjing. Western and Chinese accounts add vivid details of sexual violence, indiscriminate killings, and looting by Japanese soldiers. They also reveal grave errors on the part of the Chinese defense that likely made the situation worse. Despite these points of convergence among historians, however, there is still disagreement over the exact number of victims and causes of the Japanese atrocities in Nanjing.
Bouleuterion
Authors: Bell, III Malcolm
Published: August 2020

The bouleuterion housed the boule or council of a Greek polis in the form of a roofed meeting space. Most, if not all, cities had one; the remains of more than fifty buildings are extant. Although there were also bouleuteria in large sanctuaries and federal capitals, the major examples are urban. Bouleuteria were almost always located near a city’s agora. Over time their architects designed increasingly unobstructed interior spaces.

Construction of dedicated bouleuteria began in the late archaic period; earlier councils may have met in porticoes or other buildings. Councils were generally composed of 100–500 bouletai and required a capacious meeting place; the bouleuterion became one of a city’s largest secular buildings. In the 5th and 4th centuries bce, the usual form was a hypostyle hall with symmetrically spaced interior columns, level floors, and seating on benches, as at Argos and Athens. Sloping stone seating was introduced early in the Hellenistic era and became standard; both rectilinear and curvilinear versions are known, the latter much more common. Secondary meeting spaces for committees of prytaneis or probouloi were sometimes adjacent. From c. 250 bce the design of bouleuteria became increasingly ambitious. After adoption of the wooden roofing truss, interior supports could be more widely spaced, as at Priene and Miletus, and eventually eliminated. Often the product of Hellenistic and Roman euergetism, bouleuteria were constructed by private citizens and rulers; sculptures were often dedicated within their precincts. Rare architectural sculpture was limited to motifs symbolizing the council’s role as a defense against a city’s enemies.

A majority of known bouleuteria are in Asia Minor, where Greek cities long retained their civic identity under Rome; membership in the council came to signify high status, in some places becoming hereditary. Many bouleuteria were built between the 2nd century bce and 2nd century ce, often incorporated, as at Ephesus and Aphrodisias, into large urban complexes. As multivalent roofed halls, bouleuteria provided useful settings for civic ceremonies and were often used for cultural activities including oratory and spectacle. Later examples became more like odeia or roofed theaters, with vast open interiors, a raised stage, and a two-storey scaenae frons that was separated from the cavea by parodoi and populated by sculptures of benefactors, deities, and emperors. When epigraphical evidence is lacking, identification of a later building as an odeion or bouleuterion can be uncertain; while some roofed halls may have served both functions, location on or near the agora points at least to political use. In Asia Minor some bouleuteria continued into the late antique period; the building at Nysa may have survived until the 10th or 11th century ce.
Near Eastern Myths, Sumerian-Akkadian
Authors: Johnson J. Cale
Published: August 2020

Sumerian-Akkadian mythology reaches back to the earliest lists of gods in the third millennium bce and preoccupied the Mesopotamian intellectuals for more than 2000 years. This overview describes four major moments in the earlier phases of that history, each putting in place a different type of cosmic building block: ontologies, infrastructures, genealogies, and interfaces. These four phases stretch from the first mythological narratives in the mid-third millennium down to the late second and first millennium bce, when Mesopotamian materials are reconfigured and adapted for cuneiform scribal traditions in northern Mesopotamia, Syria and the Levant. Rather than limiting ourselves to late, somewhat heterodox recompilations such as the Enuma Elish or the Baal Epic, this contribution argues that the most important and long-lived features of the mythological tradition in Mesopotamia came into existence between 2500 and 1500bce.