bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Transmission Electron Microscope Specimen Preparation of Metal Matrix Composites Using the Focused Ion Beam Miller
Authors: Cairney Julie M. , Smith Robert D. , Munroe Paul R. 
Published: June 2020

AbstractTransmission electron microscope samples of two types of metal matrix composites were prepared using both traditional thinning methods and the more novel focused ion beam miller. Electropolishing methods were able to produce, very rapidly, thin foils where the matrix was electron transparent, but the ceramic reinforcement particles remained unthinned. Thus, it was not possible in these foils to study either the matrix-reinforcement interface or the microstructure of the reinforcement particles themselves. In contrast, both phases in the composites prepared using the focused ion beam miller thinned uniformly. The interfaces in these materials were clearly visible and the ceramic reinforcement was electron transparent. However, microstructural artifacts associated with ion beam damage were also observed. The extent of these artifacts and methods of minimizing their effect were dependent on both the materials and the milling conditions used.
Fluorescence Microscopy Study of Heterogeneity in Polymer-supported Luminescence-based Oxygen Sensors
Authors: Kneas Kristi A. , Demas J.N. , DeGraff B.A. , Periasamy Ammasi 
Published: June 2020

AbstractDespite the great potential of fluorescence microscopy, its application to date has largely been in the study of biological specimens. It will be shown that conventional fluorescence microscopy provides an invaluable tool with which to study the photophysics of polymer-supported luminescence-based oxygen sensors. The design of the imaging system, the measurement methods, and the data analysis used in the investigation of sensor systems are described. Fluorescence microscopic images of sensor films in which microheterogeneous regions exhibiting enhanced luminescence intensity and poorer oxygen quenching relative to the bulk response are shown. This is the first direct evidence that sensor molecules in various domains of the polymer support can exhibit different oxygen quenching properties. It will be shown that μ- and nano-crystallization of the sensor molecule are the probable source of both the observed heterogeneous microscopic responses and the microscopic and macroscopic nonlinear Stern-Volmer plots. The implications of these results in the rational design of luminescence-based oxygen sensors are discussed.
Extracellular Adenosine Triphosphate Triggers Arrhythmias and Elemental Redistribution in Electrically Stimulated Rat Cardiac Myocytes
Authors: Zhang Bin-Xian , Desnoyer Russell W. , Bond Meredith 
Published: June 2020

AbstractAn increase in extracellular adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is arrhythmogenic in rat cardiac myocytes and extracellular ATP levels are elevated during cardiac ischemia. To gain insight into the mechanism by which the arrhythmic contractions are generated, we investigated changes in subcellular elemental content by electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) in isolated adult rat cardiac myocytes stimulated by the ATP analog, 2-methylthio- ATP (2-M-S-ATP). We also measured the effects of 2-M-S-ATP stimulation on myocyte cell shortening. In electrically stimulated myocytes, 2-M-S-ATP stimulation generated arrhythmic contractions and also increased the amplitude of cell shortening. However, only the arrhythmic contractions were reversed by 2-MS- ATP washout. EPMA of freeze-dried cryosections of rapidly frozen 2-M-S-ATP-stimulated myocytes showed increased cytosolic Na and Cl, decreased K, but no significant change in mitochondrial Ca upon 2-M-S-ATP stimulation. The arrhythmias were abolished upon 2-M-S-ATP washout, and the observed changes in cytosolic elemental content also reversed upon agonist washout, thus suggesting that the increased Na and Cl, and decreased K, are specifically associated with the ATP-dependent spontaneous contractile activity. The observed increase in intracellular Na upon 2-M-S-ATP stimulation may explain our observation of prolonged relaxation time of 2-M-S-ATP-stimulated contractions. This may be due to inhibition of Ca2+ efflux via the Na+ Ca2+ exchanger.
Preparation and Certification of K-411 Glass Microspheres
Authors: Marinenko Ryna B. , Roberson Sonya , Small John S. , Thorne Barbara B. , Blackburn Douglas , Kauffman Dale , Leigh Stefan 
Published: June 2020

AbstractThe production and characterization of NBS K-411 glass microspheres in the 2–40 μm range for certification as NIST Standard Reference Material® 2066 (SRM®) are described. Quantitative analysis and heterogeneity testing of the microspheres were done with an electron probe microanalyzer-X-ray energy dispersive spectrometry (EPMA-EDS) automated particle analysis procedure. Results for the trimmed and normalized data produced mean compositions for the elements Mg, Si, Ca, Fe, and O (calculated from stoichiometry) that are in good agreement with the certified values for the K-411 bulk glass (NBS SRM 470 Glasses for Mineral Analysis), but with uncertainties about twice as large as those for the bulk material. Differences from the bulk are attributable to microsphere geometry as well as mass and size effects.
Morphometrical Method for Estimating Mean Cell Volume of Phagocytosing Cells
Authors: Bos Hendrik , de Souza Wanderley 
Published: June 2020

AbstractA method is described for the estimation of mean cell volume of phagocytosing cells. The cells are coembedded with yeast particles of known size. By combination of data obtained from morphometrical analysis of sections in both the light and transmission electron microscopes, an estimate of the ratio between cell volume and yeast particle volume is obtained. The method makes use of the dissector but does not require measurements on serial sections or knowledge of section thickness. Evaluation of the method was done by studying the effect of phagocytosis of latex beads on macrophage cell volume and surface area. It was found that the surface area of phagocytosing macrophages remained constant although the cell volume increased by 27%. Furthermore, in phagocytosing macrophages, the amount of membrane enclosing intracellular vacuoles decreased by 28%, but this loss of membrane was balanced by the appearance of membrane enclosing the phagocytosed latex beads. The method described here may prove useful for morphometrical studies on phagocytosing leukocytes, as well as on intracellular parasites located within these cells.
Cardiac Defects Associated with the Absence of the Platelet-derived Growth Factor α Receptor in the Patch Mouse
Authors: Price Robert L. , Thielen Thomas E. , Borg Thomas K. , Terracio Louis 
Published: June 2020

AbstractIn this report, we describe the distribution of the platelet-derived growth factor receptor α (PDGFRα) by immunolocalization in the embryonic day 10.5 mouse heart and defects in heart development associated with the absence of this receptor in the Patch mouse. The Patch mouse is a naturally occurring mutant that has been accepted as a model for determining the role of the PDGFRα in early cardiac development. Even though other genetic defects exist in this naturally occurring mutant, most defects associated with cardiac development are believed to be a result of the absence of this receptor. Gross morphological defects including improper septation of the outflow tract, dysmorphic shape of the heart, and lack of trabecular development are similar to those that have been previously described. Many of these defects have been attributed to the failure of a subset of non-neuronal neural crest cells to properly migrate into the region of the developing outflow tract. In these studies, we have also used confocal scanning laser and transmission electron microscopy to describe and compare the organization and differentiation of the cytoskeletal proteins actin and myosin in littermate control and Patch mouse hearts. Cytoskeletal organization of the cardiac myocytes in Patch mouse hearts has not previously been described. In most cardiac myocytes of Patch mice, actin was found only on the periphery of the cells, and the organization of actin, myosin, and precursor Z-band material into distinct myofibrils was greatly reduced.
Method for Cross-sectional Thin Specimen Preparation from a Specific Site Using a Combination of a Focused Ion Beam System and Intermediate Voltage Electron Microscope and Its Application to the Characterization of a Precipitate in a Steel
Authors: Yaguchi Toshie , Matsumoto Hiroaki , Kamino Takeo , Ishitani Tohru , Urao Ryoichi 
Published: June 2020

AbstractIn this study, we discuss a method for cross-sectional thin specimen preparation from a specific site using a combination of a focused ion beam (FIB) system and an intermediate voltage transmission electron microscope (TEM). A FIB-TEM compatible specimen holder was newly developed for the method. The thinning of the specimen using the FIB system and the observation of inside structure of the ion milled area in a TEM to localize a specific site were alternately carried out. The TEM fitted with both scanning transmitted electron detector and secondary electron detector enabled us to localize the specific site in a halfway milled specimen with the positional accuracy of better than 0.1 µm. The method was applied to the characterization of a precipitate in a steel. A submicron large precipitate was thinned exactly at its center for the characterization by a high-resolution electron microscopy and an elemental mapping.
Scanning Probe Microscope Observation of Recorded Marks in Phase Change Disks
Authors: Kikukawa Takashi , Utsunomiya Hajime 
Published: June 2020

AbstractThis is the first report on observation of phase change recorded marks by use of the scanning probe microscope (SPM). The amorphous mark and crystalline blank were clearly observed by surface potential mode (SPoM) that visualized the surface potential difference among phases or materials. SPoM observation has an advantage over conventional transmission electron microscope (TEM) observation in that the sample preparation is much easier, and that amorphous mark and crystalline blank are clearly distinguished. The possibility of a novel readout method of phase change disks, and the possibility of the novel medium with a surface potential detection method are also proposed.
Deep learning-based effective fine-grained weather forecasting model
Authors: Hewage Pradeep , Trovati Marcello , Pereira Ella , Behera Ardhendu 
Published: June 2020

AbstractIt is well-known that numerical weather prediction (NWP) models require considerable computer power to solve complex mathematical equations to obtain a forecast based on current weather conditions. In this article, we propose a novel lightweight data-driven weather forecasting model by exploring temporal modelling approaches of long short-term memory (LSTM) and temporal convolutional networks (TCN) and compare its performance with the existing classical machine learning approaches, statistical forecasting approaches, and a dynamic ensemble method, as well as the well-established weather research and forecasting (WRF) NWP model. More specifically Standard Regression (SR), Support Vector Regression (SVR), and Random Forest (RF) are implemented as the classical machine learning approaches, and Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA), Vector Auto Regression (VAR), and Vector Error Correction Model (VECM) are implemented as the statistical forecasting approaches. Furthermore, Arbitrage of Forecasting Expert (AFE) is implemented as the dynamic ensemble method in this article. Weather information is captured by time-series data and thus, we explore the state-of-art LSTM and TCN models, which is a specialised form of neural network for weather prediction. The proposed deep model consists of a number of layers that use surface weather parameters over a given period of time for weather forecasting. The proposed deep learning networks with LSTM and TCN layers are assessed in two different regressions, namely multi-input multi-output and multi-input single-output. Our experiment shows that the proposed lightweight model produces better results compared to the well-known and complex WRF model, demonstrating its potential for efficient and accurate weather forecasting up to 12 h.
An outcome of expert-oriented digitalization of university processes
Authors: Lagstedt Altti , Lindstedt Juha P. , Kauppinen Raine 
Published: June 2020

AbstractDigitalization challenges the way in which business processes are seen. The potential for enhancement is even recognized in business areas that traditionally have little to do with IT. Even though universities have long-standing traditions of how work is organized, they have not been eager to adopt digitalized processes. Because core university processes rely on highly skilled experts, digitalizing processes are not as straightforward as they would be in more mechanical work. We developed an expert-oriented digitalization model (EXOD) for the digitalization of university processes and tested it using a case study. After digitalizing a core process, we interviewed the experts involved. The results show the usefulness and adaptability of the model. Based on the results, we recommend further studies to refine and test the model more comprehensively. In addition, based on the adaptability of the model, we recommend it as a baseline for university process digitalization projects in general.
The effect of crop residues, cover crops, manures and nitrogen fertilization on soil organic carbon changes in agroecosystems: a synthesis of reviews
Authors: Bolinder Martin A. , Crotty Felicity , Elsen Annemie , Frac Magdalena , Kismányoky Tamás , Lipiec Jerzy , Tits Mia , Tóth Zoltán , Kätterer Thomas 
Published: June 2020

AbstractInternational initiatives are emphasizing the capture of atmospheric CO2 in soil organic C (SOC) to reduce the climatic footprint from agroecosystems. One approach to quantify the contribution of management practices towards that goal is through analysis of long-term experiments (LTEs). Our objectives were to analyze knowledge gained in literature reviews on SOC changes in LTEs, to evaluate the results regarding interactions with pedo-climatological factors, and to discuss disparities among reviews in data selection criteria. We summarized mean response ratios (RRs) and stock change rate (SCR) effect size indices from twenty reviews using paired comparisons (N). The highest RRs were found with manure applications (30%, N = 418), followed by aboveground crop residue retention and the use of cover crops (9–10%, N = 995 and 129), while the effect of nitrogen fertilization was lowest (6%, N = 846). SCR for nitrogen fertilization exceeded that for aboveground crop residue retention (233 versus 117 kg C ha−1 year−1, N = 183 and 279) and was highest for manure applications and cover crops (409 and 331 kg C ha−1 year−1, N = 217 and 176). When data allows, we recommend calculating both RR and SCR because it improves the interpretation. Our synthesis shows that results are not always consistent among reviews and that interaction with texture and climate remain inconclusive. Selection criteria for study durations are highly variable, resulting in irregular conclusions for the effect of time on changes in SOC. We also discuss the relationships of SOC changes with yield and cropping systems, as well as conceptual problems when scaling-up results obtained from field studies to regional levels.
Is reading a feminine domain? The role of gender identity and stereotypes in reading motivation in Chile
Authors: Espinoza Ana María , Strasser Katherine 
Published: June 2020

AbstractIn Chile, as in other countries, there are large gender gaps in reading achievement. One factor that may explain some of these results is male and female students’ motivation towards reading and books. The present study examined gender-related factors that contribute to explain students’ reading motivation. One hundred and fifteen Chilean secondary students completed measures of reading motivation, gender identity and reading gender stereotypes. A multivariate analysis of variance showed that after controlling for language arts achievement, female students exhibited higher levels of reading motivation, in both dimensions: self-concept and value. Paired samples t-tests showed that all participants, male and female, viewed reading as a more feminine endeavor, revealing reading gender stereotypes. A multiple regression analysis showed that reading gender stereotypes explained significant variance in students’ reading self-concept. Expressive identity traits (stereotypically feminine) as well as self-reported sexism both explained significant variance in the value that students associated with reading. The study offers empirical evidence about a relevant but understudied topic, especially in this region. These findings may contribute to the promotion of equal literacy development opportunities for students of both sexes in Latin America.
Differences in influence: different types of university employees compared
Authors: Kallenberg Ton 
Published: June 2020

AbstractChanges, improvements and innovations in university organisations regularly end up in sluggish processes and get stuck ‘somewhere’ in the organisation. It is argued that cooperation and mutual influencing of work processes between academic and professional employees of different departments can have a positive effect on these innovations. Because little is known about this mutual influence of work processes, research has been conducted on the extent of the experienced and desired influence on different types of university employees’ own work processes and the work processes of other departments. This article reports the results of a survey among different types of employees from universities from three different countries (the Netherlands, Flanders, Denmark), in which four groups of employees have been distinguished (academic staff, professional staff, academic middle managers and educational administrators). The results of the survey (N = 1397) show that the university may be seen as a patchwork in which departments and teams work independently of each other. A comparison between the groups shows that the academic middle managers and educational administrators do experience significant more influence on various processes. It is argued that these groups can play an important role during changes, improvements and innovation processes.
Level set band method: A combination of density-based and level set methods for the topology optimization of continuums
Authors: Wei Peng , Wang Wenwen , Yang Yang , Wang Michael Yu 
Published: June 2020

AbstractThe level set method (LSM), which is transplanted from the computer graphics field, has been successfully introduced into the structural topology optimization field for about two decades, but it still has not been widely applied to practical engineering problems as density-based methods do. One of the reasons is that it acts as a boundary evolution algorithm, which is not as flexible as density-based methods at controlling topology changes. In this study, a level set band method is proposed to overcome this drawback in handling topology changes in the level set framework. This scheme is proposed to improve the continuity of objective and constraint functions by incorporating one parameter, namely, level set band, to seamlessly combine LSM and density-based method to utilize their advantages. The proposed method demonstrates a flexible topology change by applying a certain size of the level set band and can converge to a clear boundary representation methodology. The method is easy to implement for improving existing LSMs and does not require the introduction of penalization or filtering factors that are prone to numerical issues. Several 2D and 3D numerical examples of compliance minimization problems are studied to illustrate the effects of the proposed method.
Patrolling the Borders: Experience with Multiple Out-Group Members is Associated with the Own-Ethnicity Effect
Authors: Sporer Siegfried Ludwig , Gehrke Jürgen , McClure Kimberley A. 
Published: June 2020

AbstractThe own-ethnicity effect (OEE) is a recognition deficit for faces of other ethnic groups compared to one’s own group. Thirty-two border patrol (i.e., police) officers at a major international airport expected to have high frequency contact with multiple other ethnic group faces were compared with 32 bank employees and 64 students. German participants viewed out-group faces of African Americans, Mexican Americans/Mexican Nationals, and Turkish faces and German (in-group) faces in a standard recognition and a delayed-matching task. Generally, performance was better as a function of self-reported daily job contact for both tasks. Patrol officers were better with Black faces, while students were better with German faces for the standard recognition task. Although an OEE was present for all groups, it was attenuated for border patrol officers. Job contact with multiple out-groups was associated with face processing. Errors in recognition and matching faces of other ethnic groups pose problems for security in an increasingly global society. Customs agencies and security organizations employing an ethnically diverse workforce along with perceptual training for recognizing and matching out-group members will be better prepared to meet the demands of international security.
Polymer Waveguide Coupled Surface Plasmon Refractive Index Sensor: A Theoretical Study
Authors: Ji Lanting , Yang Shuqing , Shi Rongna , Fu Yujie , Su Juan , Wu Chi 
Published: June 2020

AbstractA waveguide coupled surface plasmon sensor for detection of liquid with high refractive index (RI) is designed based on polymer materials. The effects of variation of the thickness of the Au film, polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) buffer, and waveguide layer on the sensing performance of the waveguide are comprehensively investigated by using the finite difference method. Numerical simulations show that a thinner gold film gives rise to a more sensitive structure, while the variation of the thickness of the PMMA buffer and waveguide layer has a little effect on the sensitivity. For liquid with high RI, the sensitivity of the sensor increases significantly. When RI of liquid to be measured increases from 1.45 to 1.52, the sensitivity is as high as 4518.14nm/RIU, and a high figure of merit of 114.07 is obtained. The waveguide coupled surface plasmon RI sensor shows potential applications in the fields of environment, industry, and agriculture sensing with the merits of compact size, low cost, and high integration density.
Microstructure and properties of 1050A/AZ31 bimetallic bars produced by explosive cladding and subsequent groove rolling process
Authors: Mróz Sebastian , Mola Renata , Szota Piotr , Stefanik Andrzej 
Published: June 2020

Abstract
Within the framework of this study, the 1050A/AZ31 round bimetal bars were produced by the explosive cladding method and subsequent groove rolling process. LM/SEM investigation shown that by proper selection of the explosive cladding parameters (mainly initial distance between 1050A tube and AZ31 core and detonation velocity) it is possible to produce 1050A/AZ31 feedstocks without a continuous layer of Mg–Al intermetallic phases on the interface between joined materials. The experimental tests of the groove rolling process of 1050A/AZ31 bars were supplemented with a theoretical analysis using FEM-based numerical modelling. Based on the test results obtained, it was found that the interface of the 1050A/AZ31 bar rolling at a temperature (300 °C) was characterized by the generation of a thin continuous intermetallic layer without cracks. Applying a higher rolling temperature of 400 °C, which is usually used in hot forming processes of Mg alloys, led to the production of a thicker intermetallic layer, which cracked during the rolling process as a result of deformation. Strength of the fabricated bimetal joints was high, they did not delaminate during shear tests.