bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Instantaneous polarization statistic property of EM waves incident on time-varying reentry plasma
Authors: Bai Bowen , Liu Yanming , Li Xiaoping , Yao Bo , Shi Lei
Published: May 2018

An analytical method is proposed in this paper to study the effect of time-varying reentry plasma sheath on the instantaneous polarization statistic property of electromagnetic (EM) waves. Based on the disturbance property of the hypersonic fluid, the spatial-temporal model of the time-varying reentry plasma sheath is established. An analytical technique referred to as transmission line analogy is developed to calculate the instantaneous transmission coefficient of EM wave propagation in time-varying plasma. Then, the instantaneous polarization statistic theory of EM wave propagation in the time-varying plasma sheath is developed. Taking the S-band telemetry right hand circularly polarized wave as an example, effects of incident angle and plasma parameters, including the electron density and the collision frequency on the EM wave's polarization statistic property are studied systematically. Statistical results indicate that the lower the collision frequency and the larger the electron density and incident angle is, the worse the deterioration of the polarization property is. Meanwhile, in conditions of critical parameters of certain electron density, collision frequency, and incident angle, the transmitted waves have both the right and left hand polarization mode, and the polarization mode will reverse. The calculation results could provide useful information for adaptive polarization receiving of the spacecraft's reentry communication.
Acoustic manipulating of capsule-shaped particle assisted by phononic crystal plate
Authors: Li Hengyi , Wang Yang , Ke Manzhu , Peng Shasha , Liu Fengming , Qiu Chunyin , Liu Zhengyou
Published: May 2018

In this work, we present theoretical analyses of the acoustic radiation force acting on non-spherical particles, as well as experimental demonstration of particle trapping assisted by the artificially engineered acoustic field of the phononic crystal plate. The capsule-shaped particles, a kind of common non-spherical-shaped particles, in practical cases, are chosen as study objects. The dependence of the acoustic radiation force on different parameters such as the frequency, position, and orientation of a capsule-shaped particle is evaluated, and the analysis shows the orientation angle also has a great influence, which is quite different from the spherical particles. Due to the extraordinary resonant transmission of the phononic crystal plate, the periodically distributed acoustic field is obtained to realize trapping on capsule-shaped particle(s). This method could be envisaged to pave a way of delivering drugs or cells and small fibers in biology and medicine.
Oil-water interfaces with surfactants: A systematic approach to determine coarse-grained model parameters
Authors: Vu Tuan V. , Papavassiliou Dimitrios V.
Published: May 2018

In order to investigate the interfacial region between oil and water with the presence of surfactants using coarse-grained computations, both the interaction between different components of the system and the number of surfactant molecules present at the interface play an important role. However, in many prior studies, the amount of surfactants used was chosen rather arbitrarily. In this work, a systematic approach to develop coarse-grained models for anionic surfactants (such as sodium dodecyl sulfate) and nonionic surfactants (such as octaethylene glycol monododecyl ether) in oil-water interfaces is presented. The key is to place the theoretically calculated number of surfactant molecules on the interface at the critical micelle concentration. Based on this approach, the molecular description of surfactants and the effects of various interaction parameters on the interfacial tension are investigated. The results indicate that the interfacial tension is affected mostly by the head-water and tail-oil interaction. Even though the procedure presented herein is used with dissipative particle dynamics models, it can be applied for other coarse-grained methods to obtain the appropriate set of parameters (or force fields) to describe the surfactant behavior on the oil-water interface.
Sound source localization of flow around circular cylinder by a virtual microphone array technique
Authors: Zhao Qinghe
Published: May 2018

Sound source localization technology is used to study the noise mechanism generated by flow around a circular cylinder. Detached-eddy simulation is performed to compute the flow field and the far-field noise is calculated with the Ffowcs Williams and Hawkings acoustic analogy. At first the simulation method is validated with the flow around circular cylinder at Re=3900. The numerical results are compared with the experimental data by other researchers. The following case is to simulate the flow around circular cylinder at Re=46000. The acoustic result is found in good agreement with the experimental measurements. The acoustic analogy result is used as an input for the noise localization process. Microphone array technique is applied to investigate sound generated by flow around a circular cylinder with emphasis on sound generation mechanism. Two sound source localization methods are considered, including Delay-and-Sum beamforming algorithm and a high resolution beamforming method. The sound source is associated with the lift dipole at the vortex shedding frequency. The sound source is associated with the drag dipole at the double vortex shedding frequency. The sound source can also be shown at other frequency. With frequency increasing, the strength reduces and there are some other sidelobe sources.
Accelerating atomic structure search with cluster regularization
Authors: Sørensen K. H. , Jørgensen M. S. , Bruix A. , Hammer B.
Published: May 2018

We present a method for accelerating the global structure optimization of atomic compounds. The method is demonstrated to speed up the finding of the anatase TiO2(001)-(1 × 4) surface reconstruction within a density functional tight-binding theory framework using an evolutionary algorithm. As a key element of the method, we use unsupervised machine learning techniques to categorize atoms present in a diverse set of partially disordered surface structures into clusters of atoms having similar local atomic environments. Analysis of more than 1000 different structures shows that the total energy of the structures correlates with the summed distances of the atomic environments to their respective cluster centers in feature space, where the sum runs over all atoms in each structure. Our method is formulated as a gradient based minimization of this summed cluster distance for a given structure and alternates with a standard gradient based energy minimization. While the latter minimization ensures local relaxation within a given energy basin, the former enables escapes from meta-stable basins and hence increases the overall performance of the global optimization.
Re
τ
scaling of POD modes in plane channel flow
Authors: Nawab A. , di Mare L.
Published: May 2018

This article studies how the proper orthogonal decomposition eigenvectors and eigenvalues of the two-point velocity correlation tensor scale with Reτ in turbulent channel flows. To this effect, the two-point correlation tensor is computed from velocity fields extracted from the Direct Numerical Simulations (DNS) of plane channel flows at Reτ = 547 and Reτ = 934. The analysis reveals that the eigenvalues exhibit a high degree of scaling with Reτ, across a very wide range of streamwise and spanwise wavenumbers. The eigenvectors also show near complete independence from Reτ, as long as the wall-normal lengthscales larger than the channel height are removed. The poor Reτ scaling of turbulent structures larger than the channel height is well documented in the literature, and thus one would not expect eigenvectors corresponding to these scales to exhibit favorable Reτ scaling. Two-point velocity correlations and their eigenvectors are also computed using Large Eddy Simulations (LES) at Reτ = 1000 and compared to the results of the DNS at Reτ = 934. Both the correlations and eigenvectors matched very well between LES and DNS.
Ultra-fast intramolecular vibronic coupling revealed by RIXS and RPES maps of an aromatic adsorbate on TiO2(110)
Authors: O’Shea James N. , Handrup Karsten , Temperton Robert H. , Gibson Andrew J. , Nicolaou Alessandro , Jaouen Nicolas , Taylor John B. , Mayor Louise C. , Swarbrick Janine C. , Schnadt Joachim
Published: May 2018

Two-dimensional resonant inelastic x-ray scattering (RIXS) and resonant photoelectron spectroscopy (RPES) maps are presented for multilayer and monolayer coverages of an aromatic molecule (bi-isonicotinic acid) on the rutile TiO2(110) single crystal surface. The data reveal ultra-fast intramolecular vibronic coupling upon core excitation from the N 1s orbital into the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) derived resonance. In the RIXS measurements, this results in the splitting of the participator decay channel into a purely elastic line which disperses linearly with excitation energy and a vibronic coupling channel at constant emission energy. In the RPES measurements, the vibronic coupling results in a linear shift in binding energy of the participator channel as the excitation is tuned over the LUMO-derived resonance. Localisation of the vibrations on the molecule on the femtosecond time scale results in predominantly inelastic scattering from the core-excited state in both the physisorbed multilayer and the chemisorbed monolayer.
Narrative dynamics in social groups: A discrete choice model
Authors: Antoci A. , Bellanca N. , Galdi G. , Sodini M.
Published: May 2018

Individuals follow different rules for action: they react swiftly, grasping the short-term advantages in sight, or they waste cognitive resources to complete otherwise easy tasks, but they are able to plan ahead future complex decisions. Scholars from different disciplines studied the conditions under which either decision rule may enhance the fitness of its adopters, with a focus on the environmental features. However, we here propose that a crucial feature of the evolution of populations and their decision rules is rather inter-group interactions. Indeed, we study what happens when two groups support different decision rules, encapsulated in narratives, and their populations interact with each other. In particular, we assume that the payoff of each rule depends on the share of both social groups which adopt such rules. We then describe the most salient dynamics scenarios and identify the conditions which lead to chaotic dynamics and multistability regimes.
Study of cavity effect in micro-Pirani gauge chamber with improved sensitivity for high vacuum regime
Authors: Zhang Guohe , Lai Junhua , Kong Yanmei , Jiao Binbin , Yun Shichang , Ye Yuxin
Published: May 2018

Ultra-low pressure application of Pirani gauge needs significant improvement of sensitivity and expansion of measureable low pressure limit. However, the performance of Pirani gauge in high vacuum regime remains critical concerns since gaseous thermal conduction with high percentage is essential requirement. In this work, the heat transfer mechanism of micro-Pirani gauge packaged in a non-hermetic chamber was investigated and analyzed compared with the one before wafer-level packaging. The cavity effect, extremely important for the efficient detection of low pressure, was numerically and experimentally analyzed considering the influence of the pressure, the temperature and the effective heat transfer area in micro-Pirani gauge chamber. The thermal conduction model is validated by experiment data of MEMS Pirani gauges with and without capping. It is found that nature gaseous convection in chamber, determined by the Rayleigh number, should be taken into consideration. The experiment and model calculated results show that thermal resistance increases in the molecule regime, and further increases after capping due to the suppression of gaseous convection. The gaseous thermal conduction accounts for an increasing percentage of thermal conduction at low pressure while little changes at high pressure after capping because of the existence of cavity effect improving the sensitivity of cavity-effect-influenced Pirani gauge for high vacuum regime.
Impact of magnetic islands in the plasma edge on particle fueling and exhaust in the HSX and W7-X stellarators
Authors: Stephey L. , Bader A. , Effenberg F. , Schmitz O. , Wurden G. A. , Anderson D. T. , Anderson F. S. B. , Biedermann C. , Dinklage A. , Feng Y. , Frerichs H. , Fuchert G. , Geiger J. , Harris J. H. , König R. , Kornejew P. , Krychowiak M. , Lore J. D. , Unterberg E. A. , Waters I. ,   W7-X Team
Published: May 2018

The edge magnetic structure in the Helically Symmetric eXperiment (HSX) and Wendelstein 7X (W7-X) stellarators has been shown to have a significant impact on the particle fueling and exhaust of the plasma main species (hydrogen) as well as impurity helium. For HSX, the plasma sourcing to exhaust ratio, quantified by the effective and global particle confinement times τp* and τp,H, respectively, increases when a magnetic island chain is located in the plasma edge. The fueling efficiency is reduced by 25% when the plasma boundary is deformed by the magnetic islands. The X-point geometry also yields higher plasma temperatures in front of the main recycling region. When the island is moved radially inward, both τp* and τp decrease by 10%–25% depending on plasma density. The τp,H results rely heavily on EMC3-EIRENE modeling which confirms reduced fueling efficiency due to more rapid ionization in the outward shifted island position. These findings suggest that for a helically optimized system like HSX, the plasma fueling from the recycling source, as well as from active gas injection, can be controlled by the magnetic island chain in the plasma edge—which is a basic requirement for a divertor system. This process is also effective for the control of effective helium exhaust times, as τp,He* measured by perturbative gas puff experiments is reduced by up to 40% when the islands are shifted inwards. For Wendelstein 7-X, a similar reduction of τp,He* was inferred when magnetic islands were moved from the far plasma edge into the confined plasma region. However, the effective confinement features of H as the main plasma species were not affected due to the non-optimal position of the magnetic islands with respect to the highly localized ionization domain during the limiter startup campaign.
Predissociation dynamics of the HCl–(H2O)3 tetramer: An experimental and theoretical investigation
Authors: Zuraski Kristen , Wang Qingfeng (Kee) , Kwasniewski Daniel , Bowman Joel M. , Reisler Hanna
Published: May 2018

The cyclic HCl–(H2O)3 tetramer is the largest observed neutral HCl–(H2O)n cluster. The vibrational predissociation of HCl–(H2O)3 is investigated by theory, quasiclassical trajectory (QCT) calculations, and experiment, following the infrared excitation of the hydrogen-bonded OH-stretch fundamental. The energetically possible dissociation pathways are HCl + (H2O)3 (Pathway 1) and H2O + HCl–(H2O)2 (Pathway 2). The HCl and H2O monomer fragments are observed by 2 + 1 resonance enhanced multiphoton ionization combined with time-of-flight mass spectrometry, and their rotational energy distributions are inferred and compared to the theoretical results. Velocity map images of the monomer fragments in selected rotational levels are used for each pathway to obtain pair-correlated speed distributions. The fragment speed distributions obtained by experiment and QCT calculations are broad and structureless, encompassing the entire range of allowed speeds for each pathway. Bond dissociation energies, D0, are estimated experimentally from the endpoints of the speed distributions: 2100 ± 300 cm−1 and 2400 ± 100 cm−1 for Pathway 1 and Pathway 2, respectively. These values are lower but in the same order as the corresponding calculated D0: 2426 ± 23 cm−1 and 2826 ± 19 cm−1. The differences are attributed to contributions from vibrational hot bands of the clusters that appear in the high-speed tails of the experimental pair-correlated distributions. Satisfactory agreement between theory and experiment is achieved when comparing the monomer fragments’ rotational energies, the shapes of the speed distributions, and the average fragment speeds and center-of-mass translational energies. Insights into the dissociation mechanism and lifetime are gained from QCT calculations performed on a previously reported many-body potential energy surface. It is concluded that the dissociation lifetime is on the order of 10 ps and that the final trimer products are in their lowest energy cyclic forms.
A bioinspired microfluidic model of liquid plug-induced mechanical airway injury
Authors: Song Joseph W. , Paek Jungwook , Park Kyu-Tae , Seo Jeongyun , Huh Dongeun
Published: May 2018

Occlusion of distal airways due to mucus plugs is a key pathological feature common to a wide variety of obstructive pulmonary diseases. Breathing-induced movement of airway mucus plugs along the respiratory tract has been shown to generate abnormally large mechanical stresses, acting as an insult that can incite acute injury to the airway epithelium. Here, we describe a unique microengineering strategy to model this pathophysiological process using a bioinspired microfluidic device. Our system combines an air-liquid interface culture of primary human small airway epithelial cells with a microengineered biomimetic platform to replicate the process of mucus exudation induced by airway constriction that leads to the formation of mucus plugs across the airway lumen. Specifically, we constructed a compartmentalized three-dimensional (3D) microfluidic device in which extracellular matrix hydrogel scaffolds reminiscent of airway stroma were compressed to discharge fluid into the airway compartment and form liquid plugs. We demonstrated that this plug formation process and subsequent movement of liquid plugs through the airway channel can be regulated in a precisely controlled manner. Furthermore, we examined the detrimental effect of plug propagation on the airway epithelium to simulate acute epithelial injury during airway closure. Our system allows for a novel biomimetic approach to modeling a complex and dynamic biophysical microenvironment of diseased human airways and may serve as an enabling platform for mechanistic investigation of key disease processes that drive the progression and exacerbation of obstructive pulmonary diseases.
Carrier relaxation bottleneck in type-II InAs/InGaAlAs/InP(001) coupled quantum dots-quantum well structure emitting at 1.55 μm
Authors: Syperek M. , Andrzejewski J. , Rogowicz E. , Misiewicz J. , Bauer S. , Sichkovskyi V. I. , Reithmaier J. P. , Sȩk G.
Published: May 2018

Carrier relaxation in self-assembled InAs/In0.53Ga0.23Al0.24As/InP(001) quantum dots emitting at 1.55 μm and quantum dots coupled to the In0.64Ga0.36As/In0.53Ga0.23Al0.24As quantum well through a thin In0.53Ga0.23Al0.24As barrier is investigated employing high-temporal-resolution (< 0.3 ps), time-resolved spectroscopic techniques at cryogenic temperatures, supported additionally with photoluminescence, photoluminescence excitation, and theoretical modelling. We focused on intra-band carrier relaxation pathways that solely determine the observed non-equilibrium carrier population kinetics. We ascertained relatively fast carrier capture and intra-band relaxation process in a reference structure with quantum dots only (∼8 ps time constant) and even faster initial relaxation in the coupled system (∼4 ps). An evident bottleneck effect is observed for the final relaxation stage in the coupled quantum dots-quantum well system slowing down the overall relaxation process by a factor of 5. The effect is attributed to a peculiar picture of the confined conduction band states in the coupled system exhibiting significant changes in the spatial distribution between the relevant lowest-lying electronic states.
Temperature-dependent radiative and non-radiative dynamics of photo-excited carriers in extremely high-density and small InGaN nanodisks fabricated by neutral-beam etching using bio-nano-templates
Authors: Chen Yafeng , Kiba Takayuki , Takayama Junichi , Higo Akio , Tanikawa Tomoyuki , Chen Shula , Samukawa Seiji , Murayama Akihiro
Published: May 2018

Temperature-dependent radiative and non-radiative dynamics of photoexcited carriers were studied in In0.3Ga0.7N nanodisks (NDs) fabricated from quantum wells (QWs) by neutral-beam etching using bio-nano-templates. The NDs had a diameter of 5 nm, a thickness of 2 and 3 nm, and a sheet density of 2 × 1011 cm–2. The radiative decay time, reflecting the displacement between the electron and hole wavefunctions, is about 0.2 ns; this value is almost constant as a function of temperature in the NDs and not dependent on their thickness. We observed non-exponential decay curves of photoluminescence (PL) in the NDs, particularly at temperatures above 150 K. The thermal activation energies of PL quenching in the NDs are revealed to be about 110 meV, corresponding to the barrier heights of the valence bands in the disks. Therefore, hole escape is deemed responsible for the PL quenching, while thermal activation energies of 12 meV due to the trapping of carriers by defects were dominant in the mother QWs. The above-mentioned non-exponential PL decay curves can be attributed to variations in the rate of hole escape in the NDs because of fluctuations in the valence-band barrier height, which, in turn, is possibly due to compositional fluctuations in the QWs. We found that non-radiative trapping, characteristic of the original QW, also exists in about 1% of the NDs in a form that is not masked by other newly formable defects. Therefore, we suggest that additional defect formation is not significant during our ND fabrication process.
Single molecule studies reveal temperature independence of lifetime of dynamic heterogeneity in polystyrene
Authors: Manz Alyssa S. , Paeng Keewook , Kaufman Laura J.
Published: May 2018

Polymeric systems close to their glass transition temperature are known to exhibit heterogeneous dynamics that evolve both over time and space, comparable to the dynamics of small molecule glass formers. It remains unclear how temperature influences the degree of heterogeneous dynamics in such systems. In the following report, a fluorescent perylene dicarboximide probe molecule that reflects the full breadth of heterogeneity of the host was used to examine the temperature dependence of the dynamic heterogeneity lifetime in polystyrene at several temperatures ranging from the glass transition to 10 K above this temperature via single molecule microscopy. Contrary to prior reports, no apparent temperature dependence of time scales associated with dynamic heterogeneity was detected; indeed, the probe molecules report characteristic dynamic heterogeneity lifetimes 100–300 times the average alpha-relaxation time (τα) of the polystyrene host at all temperatures studied.
Phase portrait analysis of super solitary waves and flat top solutions
Authors: Steffy S. V. , Ghosh S. S.
Published: May 2018

The phase portrait analysis of super solitary waves has revealed a new kind of intermediate solution which defines the boundary between the two types of super solitary waves, viz., Type I and Type II. A Type I super solitary wave is known to be associated with an intermediate double layer while a Type II solution has no such association. The intermediate solution at the boundary has a flat top structure and is called a flat top solitary wave. Its characteristics resemble an amalgamation of a solitary wave and a double layer. It was found that, mathematically, such kinds of structures may emerge due to the presence of an extra nonlinearity. Although they are relatively unfamiliar in the realm of plasma physics, they have much wider applications in other physical systems.
Realization of deep 3D metal electrodes in diamond radiation detectors
Authors: Wulz Thomas , Gerding William , Lavrik Nickolay , Briggs Dayrl , Srijanto Bernadeta , Lester Kevin , Hensley Dale , Spanier Stefan , Lukosi Eric
Published: May 2018

A fabrication technique to create 3D diamond detectors is presented. Deep reactive ion etching was used to create an array of through-diamond vias (TDVs) in a 2 × 2 × 0.15 mm3 electronic grade single crystal diamond detector. The diameter of the TDVs was nominally 30 μm with a pitch of 100 μm between them. The TDVs were filled with chromium using hexavalent chromium electroplating to create 3D electrodes, which were connected electrically by interdigitated electrodes. The fabricated 3D diamond detector responded to both alpha particles and X-rays, exhibiting a charge collection efficiency of 52.3% at 200 V. Comparing to a diamond detector with the same interdigitated electrodes, but no 3D electrodes, confirms that the 3D electrodes are electrically active within the device. The average resistivity of the 3D electrodes is 2.89 ± 0.03 × 10−5 Ω cm, near that of bulk chromium. These results indicate that this fabrication technique is a potential option for 3D diamond detector fabrication.
Improving access to important recovery information for heart patients with low health literacy: reflections on practice-based initiatives
Authors: Naccarella Lucio , Biuso Catuscia , Jennings Amanda , Patsamanis Harry
Published: May 2018

Evidence exists for the association between health literacy and heart health outcomes. Cardiac rehabilitation is critical for recovery from heart attack and reducing hospital readmissions. Despite this, <30% of people participate in a program. Significant patient, hospital and health system challenges exist to improve recovery through increased heart health literacy. This brief case study reflects and documents practice-based initiatives by Heart Foundation Victoria to improve access to recovery information for patients with low literacy levels. Three key initiatives, namely the Six Steps To Cardiac Recovery resource, the Love Your Heart book and the nurse ambassador program, were implemented informed by mixed methods that assessed need and capacity at the individual, organisational and systems levels. Key outcomes included increased access to recovery information for patients with low health literacy, nurse knowledge and confidence to engage with patients on recovery information, improved education of patients and improved availability and accessibility of information for patients in diverse formats. Given the challenges involved in addressing heart health literacy, multifaceted practice-based approaches are essential to improve access to recovery information for patients with low literacy levels.

What is known about the topic?
Significant challenges exist for patients with lower health literacy receiving recovery information after a heart attack in hospitals.

What does this paper add?
This case study provides insights into a practice-based initiative by Heart Foundation Victoria to improve access to recovery information for patients with low literacy levels.

What are the implications for practitioners?
Strategies to improve recovery through increased heart health literacy must address the needs of patients, nursing staff and the health system within hospitals. Such strategies need to be multifaceted and designed to build the capacity of nurses, heart patients and their carers, as well as support from hospital management.
Amino-Functional Ionic Liquids as Efficient Catalysts for the Cycloaddition of Carbon Dioxide to Yield Cyclic Carbonates: Catalytic and Kinetic Investigation
Authors: Yue Shuang , Song Qian , Zang Shuliang , Deng Guichun , Li Jun
Published: May 2018

Various amino-functional ionic liquids were developed as homogeneous catalysts for the cycloaddition of carbon dioxide to different epoxides yielding the corresponding cyclic carbonates under metal- and solvent-free conditions. The effects of reaction temperature, reaction time, CO2 pressure, and the amount of catalyst on the cycloaddition reaction were investigated. The catalysts could be easily recovered after the reaction and then reused at least eight times without noticeable loss of activity and selectivity. Reaction kinetic studies were undertaken, the reaction was apparently first order with respect to the concentration of epoxide and catalyst. Furthermore, the rate constants were determined over a temperature range of 100–130°C and the activation energy was determined to be 45.9 kJ mol−1. Finally, a possible reaction mechanism was proposed. The amino-functional ionic liquids showed the advantage of high catalytic activity and were easily recyclable for CO2 chemical fixation into valuable chemicals.
Screening and diagnosis of chronic kidney disease in people with type 2 diabetes attending Australian general practice
Authors: Manski-Nankervis Jo-Anne E. , Thuraisingam Sharmala , Lau Phyllis , Blackberry Irene , Sluggett Janet K. , Ilomaki Jenni , Bell J. Simon , Furler John
Published: May 2018

Australian guidelines recommend annual screening and monitoring of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in people with type 2 diabetes (T2D). A cross-sectional study utilising data from NPS MedicineWise MedicineInsight program from June 2015 to May 2016 was undertaken to explore: (1) the proportion of patients with T2D attending general practice who have had screening for, or ongoing monitoring of, CKD; (2) the proportion of patients without a documented diagnosis of CKD who have pathology consistent with CKD diagnosis; and (3) the patient factors associated with screening and the recording of a diagnosis of CKD. Of 90550 patients with T2D, 44394 (49.0%) were appropriately screened or monitored. There were 8030 (8.9%) patients with a recorded diagnosis of CKD, whereas 6597 (7.3%) patients had no recorded diagnosis of CKD despite pathology consistent with a diagnosis. Older age and diagnosis of hypertension or hyperlipidaemia were associated with increased odds of CKD diagnosis being recorded. Older patients, males, those with recorded diagnoses of hypertension or hyperlipidaemia and those who had their medical record opened more frequently were more likely to be screened appropriately. Screening and monitoring of CKD appears suboptimal. Research to explore barriers to screening, recording and monitoring of CKD, and strategies to address these, is required.
Consequences of resistance evolution in a Cas9-based sex conversion-suppression gene drive for insect pest management
Authors: Carrami Eli M. , Eckermann Kolja N. , Ahmed Hassan M. M. , Sánchez C. Héctor M. , Dippel Stefan , Marshall John M. , Wimmer Ernst A.
Published: May 2018

The use of a site-specific homing-based gene drive for insect pest control has long been discussed, but the easy design of such systems has become possible only with the recent establishment of CRISPR/Cas9 technology. In this respect, novel targets for insect pest management are provided by new discoveries regarding sex determination. Here, we present a model for a suppression gene drive designed to cause an all-male population collapse in an agricultural pest insect. To evaluate the molecular details of such a sex conversion-based suppression gene drive experimentally, we implemented this strategy in
Drosophila melanogaster
to serve as a safe model organism. We generated a Cas9-based homing gene-drive element targeting the
transformer
gene and showed its high efficiency for sex conversion from females to males. However, nonhomologous end joining increased the rate of mutagenesis at the target site, which resulted in the emergence of drive-resistant alleles and therefore curbed the gene drive. This confirms previous studies that simple homing CRISPR/Cas9 gene-drive designs will be ineffective. Nevertheless, by performing population dynamics simulations using the parameters we obtained in
D. melanogaster
and by adjusting the model for the agricultural pest
Ceratitis capitata
, we were able to identify adequate modifications that could be successfully applied for the management of wild Mediterranean fruit fly populations using our proposed sex conversion-based suppression gene-drive strategy.
Geometric hydrodynamics via Madelung transform
Authors: Khesin Boris , Misiolek Gerard , Modin Klas
Published: May 2018

Significance

Geometry has always played a fundamental role in theoretical physics via symmetries and conservation laws. We present a geometric framework revealing a closer link between hydrodynamics and quantum mechanics than previously recognized. Newton’s equations, generalized to infinite-dimensional spaces of fluid flow maps (diffeomorphisms), are used to develop a unified setting and uncover new connections between many equations of mathematical physics. These include equations of compressible fluids, motion of particles on spheres in quadratic potentials, and the Klein–Gordon and nonlinear Schrödinger equations, as well as their relation to information geometry and optimal mass transport. This work contributes toward a better understanding of geometric structures arising in hydrodynamics and quantum mechanics.
Local apoptotic-like mechanisms underlie complement-mediated synaptic pruning
Authors: Györffy Balázs A. , Kun Judit , Török György , Bulyáki Éva , Borhegyi Zsolt , Gulyássy Péter , Kis Viktor , Szocsics Péter , Micsonai András , Matkó János , Drahos László , Juhász Gábor , Kékesi Katalin A. , Kardos József
Published: May 2018

Significance

Synaptic pruning is dominant in early ontogenesis when a large number of unnecessary synapses are eliminated, and it maintains synaptic plasticity in the mature healthy brain, e.g., in memory processes. Its malfunction is involved in degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease. C1q, a member of the immune complement system, plays a central role in the selective pruning of synapses by microglial phagocytosis. Understanding the molecular aspects of complement-mediated synapse elimination is of high importance for developing effective therapeutic interventions in the future. Our analysis on C1q-tagged synaptosomes revealed that C1q label-based synaptic pruning is linked to local apoptotic-like processes in synapses.
Dynamic action potential clamp predicts functional separation in mild familial and severe de novo forms of
SCN2A
epilepsy
Authors: Berecki Géza , Howell Katherine B. , Deerasooriya Yadeesha H. , Cilio Maria Roberta , Oliva Megan K. , Kaplan David , Scheffer Ingrid E. , Berkovic Samuel F. , Petrou Steven
Published: May 2018

Significance

SCN2A
, encoding the voltage-gated sodium channel Na
v
1.2, has emerged as a major gene implicated in neonatal-, infantile-, and even childhood-onset epilepsies. Many of these epilepsies are also associated with cognitive and behavioral impairments that range in type and severity. The biophysical, neurophysiological, and clinical impacts of
SCN2A
mutations are poorly understood. Here, we use clinical evaluation and biophysical analyses to explore the mechanisms underpinning distinctive phenotypes produced by
SCN2A
variants associated with mild familial or severe de novo forms of epilepsy. We show that dynamic clamp analysis provides clear benefits over conventional voltage clamp for a rapid and definitive prediction of neuron-scale phenotypic consequences, and is well positioned to impact diagnosis and drug discovery in genetic epilepsy.
Mediator subunit MED31 is required for radial patterning of
Arabidopsis
roots
Authors: Zhang Xiaoyue , Zhou Wenkun , Chen Qian , Fang Mingming , Zheng Shuangshuang , Scheres Ben , Li Chuanyou
Published: May 2018

Significance

SHORTROOT (SHR) and SCARECROW (SCR) orchestrate a transcriptional program that is essential for ground tissue patterning. The regulation of the transcriptional output of SHR/SCR remains unclear. We show that MED31, a subunit of the plant Mediator coactivator complex, bridges the communication between SHR/SCR and the RNA polymerase II general transcriptional machinery. MED31 and SHR bind to the same protein domain of SCR, and the relative abundance of MED31 and SHR determines the dynamic formation of a MED31/SCR/SHR ternary complex. We studied the role of the MED31/SCR/SHR ternary complex in controlling the spatiotemporal expression of
CYCLIND6;1
during ground tissue patterning. This study provides insight into the mechanisms by which master transcriptional regulators control organ patterning.
Experimental evidence for delayed contingent cooperation among wild dwarf mongooses
Authors: Kern Julie M. , Radford Andrew N.
Published: May 2018

Significance

Humans frequently trade goods and can track the amount they owe using memories of past exchanges. While nonhuman animals are also known to be capable of trading cooperative acts immediately for one another, more contentious is the possibility that there can be delayed rewards. We use detailed field observations, social-network analyses, and a playback experiment to demonstrate that wild dwarf mongooses provide more grooming to those groupmates who contribute more to sentinel behavior (acting as a raised guard to look out for danger). We therefore provide experimental evidence of delayed contingent cooperation, and cross-commodity exchange, in a wild nonprimate.
Mesenchymal MAPKAPK2/HSP27 drives intestinal carcinogenesis
Authors: Henriques Ana , Koliaraki Vasiliki , Kollias George
Published: May 2018

Significance

Although MK2 inhibition has been proposed as a therapy in cancer, its exact role, as well as the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying it, in the intestine is not known. Here, we show that complete MK2 deletion leads to decreased epithelial cell proliferation, associated with reduced tumor growth and invasive potential in the
Apc
min/+
and colitis-associated cancer model. Notably, this function of MK2 is not mediated by its well-described immunomodulatory roles in inflammatory cells. Instead, MK2 modulates tumor progression mainly via modulating mesenchymal-specific Hsp27-mediated activation of protumorigenic mediators. Our results advance our understanding of mesenchymal MAPK signaling in intestinal cancer progression and demonstrate the value of MK2 inhibition in the treatment of cancer.
Fluctuating hydrogen-bond networks govern anomalous electron transfer kinetics in a blue copper protein
Authors: Kretchmer Joshua S. , Boekelheide Nicholas , Warren Jeffrey J. , Winkler Jay R. , Gray Harry B. , Miller Thomas F.
Published: May 2018

Significance

Protein fluctuations and hydrogen-bond networks play an important—although incompletely understood—role in facilitating efficient biological electron transfer (ET). Experimental mutagenesis results provide evidence for the role of protein motions in Ru-modified azurin ET, a quintessential example of biological ET. A recently developed nonadiabatic molecular dynamics method allows for exploration of the nature of protein fluctuations, providing insight into the conformational motions that accompany ET in Ru-modified azurin. In particular, a fluctuating hydrogen-bond network is identified that transiently ruptures to allow for donor–acceptor compression during ET.
“It keeps me on my toes”
Authors: Wang Jihong
Published: May 2018

This article reports on the findings of a questionnaire survey of 465 telephone interpreters in Australia, focusing on what they
liked and disliked about telephone interpreting, their perceptions of challenges in telephone interpreting, and their coping
strategies. Just over half of the respondents liked working as telephone interpreters. Results also show that interpreters
identified many favourable and unfavourable aspects of telephone interpreting. A key finding is that interpreters perceived many
comprehension-related challenges (e.g., poor sound quality, a lack of non-verbal information), communication-related challenges
(e.g., overlapping speech), and other challenges in telephone interpreting (e.g., low remuneration, casual employment,
work-related stress). Importantly, interpreters adopted various coping strategies, including using high-quality headphones and
requesting briefing or clarification to deal with comprehension-related challenges, explaining the interpreter’s role and
intervening with clients as necessary to address communication-related challenges, and reducing working hours and exercising
self-care to manage work-related stress.
Influence of initial microstructures on intercritical annealing behaviour in a medium Mn steel
Authors: Choi Yong Hoon , Ryu Joo Hyun , Lee Sea Woong , Lee Kyooyoung , Lee Byeong Joo , Kim Jin-Kyung , Lee Jae Sang , Suh Dong-Woo
Published: May 2018

The present work reports the effect of different initial microstructures on reverse transformation kinetics and morphologies of austenite formed during intercritical annealing in Fe-0.14C-7Mn-1Si (wt-%) medium Mn steel. Three different initial microstructures were produced by cold-rolling and cold-rolling followed by austenitisation at 820°C and 900°C. The specimen austenitised at higher temperature shows lath-type austenite after intercritical annealing. The difference in austenitisation temperature leads to different Mn distribution in martensitic initial microstructures, thereby leading to a difference in morphology of austenite. The inhomogeneous Mn profiles in initial microstructures also affect reverse transformation kinetics of austenite upon intercritical annealing. The presence of Mn-enriched regions accelerates austenite growth at an early stage of intercritical annealing but retards the transformation kinetics afterwards.

This paper is part of a Thematic Issue on Medium Manganese Steels.
Interval running with self‐selected recovery: Physiology, performance, and perception
Authors: McEwan Gary , Arthur Rosemary , Phillips Shaun M , Gibson Neil V , Easton Chris
Published: May 2018

This study (1) compared the physiological responses and performance during a high‐intensity interval training (HIIT) session incorporating externally regulated (ER) and self‐selected (SS) recovery periods and (2) examined the psychophysiological cues underpinning SS recovery durations. Following an incremental maximal exercise test to determine maximal aerobic speed (MAS), 14 recreationally active males completed 2 HIIT sessions on a non‐motorised treadmill. Participants performed 12 × 30 s running intervals at a target intensity of 105% MAS interspersed with 30 s (ER) or SS recovery periods. During SS, participants were instructed to provide themselves with sufficient recovery to complete all 12 efforts at the required intensity. A semi‐structured interview was undertaken following the completion of SS. Mean recovery duration was longer during SS (51 ± 15 s) compared to ER (30 ± 0 s; p < .001; d = 1.46 ± 0.46). Between‐interval heart rate recovery was higher (SS: 19 ± 9 b min−1; ER: 8 ± 5 b min−1; p < .001; d = 1.43 ± 0.43) and absolute time ≥90% maximal heart rate (HRmax) was lower (SS: 335 ± 193 s; ER: 433 ± 147 s; p = .075; d = 0.52 ± 0.39) during SS compared to ER. Relative time ≥105% MAS was greater during SS (90 ± 6%) compared to ER (74 ± 20%; p < .01; d = 0.87 ± 0.40). Different sources of afferent information underpinned decision‐making during SS. The extended durations of recovery during SS resulted in a reduced time ≥90% HRmax but enhanced time ≥105% MAS, compared with ER exercise. Differences in the afferent cue utilisation of participants likely explain the large levels of inter‐individual variability observed.
A novel high-affinity inhibitor against the human ATP-sensitive Kir6.2 channel
Authors: Ramu Yajamana , Xu Yanping , Lu Zhe
Published: May 2018

The adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-sensitive (KATP) channels in pancreatic β cells couple the blood glucose level to insulin secretion. KATP channels in pancreatic β cells comprise the pore-forming Kir6.2 and the modulatory sulfonylurea receptor 1 (SUR1) subunits. Currently, there is no high-affinity and relatively specific inhibitor for the Kir6.2 pore. The importance of developing such inhibitors is twofold. First, in many cases, the lack of such an inhibitor precludes an unambiguous determination of the Kir6.2's role in certain physiological and pathological processes. This problem is exacerbated because Kir6.2 knockout mice do not yield the expected phenotypes of hyperinsulinemia and hypoglycemia, which in part, may reflect developmental adaptation. Second, mutations in Kir6.2 or SUR1 that increase the KATP current cause permanent neonatal diabetes mellitus (PNDM). Many patients who have PNDM have been successfully treated with sulphonylureas, a common class of antidiabetic drugs that bind to SUR1 and indirectly inhibit Kir6.2, thereby promoting insulin secretion. However, some PNDM-causing mutations render KATP channels insensitive to sulphonylureas. Conceptually, because these mutations are located intracellularly, an inhibitor blocking the Kir6.2 pore from the extracellular side might provide another approach to this problem. Here, by screening the venoms from >200 animals against human Kir6.2 coexpressed with SUR1, we discovered a small protein of 54 residues (SpTx-1) that inhibits the KATP channel from the extracellular side. It inhibits the channel with a dissociation constant value of 15 nM in a relatively specific manner and with an apparent one-to-one stoichiometry. SpTx-1 evidently inhibits the channel by primarily targeting Kir6.2 rather than SUR1; it inhibits not only wild-type Kir6.2 coexpressed with SUR1 but also a Kir6.2 mutant expressed without SUR1. Importantly, SpTx-1 suppresses both sulfonylurea-sensitive and -insensitive, PNDM-causing Kir6.2 mutants. Thus, it will be a valuable tool to investigate the channel's physiological and biophysical properties and to test a new strategy for treating sulfonylurea-resistant PNDM.
The CCL-K11 on-going key comparison. Final report for the year 2017
Authors: Matus M , Şahin E , Acak S , Robertsson L
Published: May 2018

A laser from one national metrological institute (NMI) was compared in 2017 as part of the CCL-K11 on-going key comparison, initiated by the 13th meeting of the Comité Consultative des Longueurs (CCL) in 2007. The absolute frequency of R(127) 11-5 transitions of molecular iodine was measured following the technical protocol for CCL-K11. The result of this measurement is compiled in the present report. The comparison report, as communicated by the participant, is included as an appendix.

This document constitutes the ninth final report for the on-going key comparison CCL-K11.

Main text

To reach the main text of this paper, click on Final Report. Note that this text is that which appears in Appendix B of the BIPM key comparison database kcdb.bipm.org/.

The final report has been peer-reviewed and approved for publication by the CCL, according to the provisions of the CIPM Mutual Recognition Arrangement (CIPM MRA).
The Impact of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Policies on Asset Holdings
Authors: Todd Jessica E , Jo Young , Boohaker James Richard
Published: May 2018

Many states have increased the asset limits used to determine eligibility in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in recent years. Using three panels of the Survey of Income and Program Participation, we estimate the effect of increases in the SNAP vehicle and total asset limits on vehicle and financial assets among low‐education families. We find that higher vehicle limits, together with the elimination of the total asset limit, increase the probability that a family owns a vehicle. Moreover, eliminating the total asset limit increases the value held in liquid accounts. The effect on liquid assets is greater among families in metro areas and for those at the lower end of the asset distribution. The effects on vehicle assets occur mainly among those in non‐metro areas and at the higher end of the asset distribution. Our findings imply that removing asset limits of assistance programs can lead to an increase in assets among the low‐income population.