bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Diversity of trion states and substrate effects in the optical properties of an MoS2 monolayer
Authors: Drüppel Matthias , Deilmann Thorsten , Krüger Peter , Rohlfing Michael 
Published: December 2017

AbstractAlmost all experiments and future applications of transition metal dichalcogenide monolayers rely on a substrate for mechanical stability, which can significantly modify the optical spectra of the monolayer. Doping from the substrate might lead to the domination of the spectra by trions. Here we show by ab initio many-body theory that the negative trion (A−) splits into three excitations, with both inter- and intra-valley character, while the positive counterpart (A+) consists of only one inter-valley excitation. Furthermore, the substrate enhances the screening, which renormalizes both band gap and exciton as well as the trion-binding energies. We verify that these two effects do not perfectly cancel each other, but lead to red-shifts of the excitation energies for three different substrates ranging from a wide-bandgap semiconductor up to a metal. Our results explain recently found experimental splittings of the lowest trion line as well as excitation red-shifts on substrates.
Variations in cochlear duct shape revealed on clinical CT images with an automatic tracing method
Authors: Jagt Annerie M. A. van der , Kalkman Randy K. , Briaire Jeroen J. , Verbist Berit M. , Frijns Johan H. M. 
Published: December 2017

AbstractCochlear size and morphology vary greatly and may influence the course of a cochlear implant electrode array during insertion and its final intra-cochlear position. Detailed insight into these variations is valuable for characterizing each cochlea and offers the opportunity to study possible correlations with surgical or speech perception outcomes. This study presents an automatic tracing method to assess individual cochlear duct shapes from clinical CT images. On pre-operative CT scans of 479 inner ears the cochlear walls were discriminated by interpolating voxel intensities along radial and perpendicular lines within multiplanar reconstructions at 1 degree intervals from the round window. In all 479 cochleas, the outer wall could be traced automatically up to 720 degrees. The inner wall and floor of the scala tympani in 192 cochleas. The shape of the cochlear walls were modelled using a logarithmic spiral function including an offset value. The vertical trajectories of the scala tympani exhibited a non-monotonous spiral slope with specific regions at risk for CI-related insertion trauma, and three slope categories could be distinguished. This presented automatic tracing method allows the detailed description of cochlear morphology and can be used for both individual and large cohort evaluation of cochlear implant patients.
Adding loci improves phylogeographic resolution in red mangroves despite increased missing data: comparing microsatellites and RAD-Seq and investigating loci filtering
Authors: Hodel Richard G. J. , Chen Shichao , Payton Adam C. , McDaniel Stuart F. , Soltis Pamela , Soltis Douglas E. 
Published: December 2017

AbstractThe widespread adoption of RAD-Seq data in phylogeography means genealogical relationships previously evaluated using relatively few genetic markers can now be addressed with thousands of loci. One challenge, however, is that RAD-Seq generates complete genotypes for only a small subset of loci or individuals. Simulations indicate that loci with missing data can produce biased estimates of key population genetic parameters, although the influence of such biases in empirical studies is not well understood. Here we compare microsatellite data (8 loci) and RAD-Seq data (six datasets ranging from 239 to 25,198 loci) from red mangroves (Rhizophora mangle) in Florida to evaluate how different levels of data filtering influence phylogeographic inferences. For all datasets, we calculated population genetic statistics and evaluated population structure, and for RAD-Seq datasets, we additionally examined population structure using coalescence. We found higher F
ST
using microsatellites, but that RAD-Seq-based estimates approached those based on microsatellites as more loci with more missing data were included. Analyses of RAD-Seq datasets resolved the classic Gulf-Atlantic coastal phylogeographic break, which was not significant in the microsatellite analyses. Applying multiple levels of filtering to RAD-Seq datasets can provide a more complete picture of potential biases in the data and elucidate subtle phylogeographic patterns.
Automated tracking to measure behavioural changes in pigs for health and welfare monitoring
Authors: Matthews Stephen G. , Miller Amy L. , PlÖtz Thomas , Kyriazakis Ilias 
Published: December 2017

AbstractSince animals express their internal state through behaviour, changes in said behaviour may be used to detect early signs of problems, such as in animal health. Continuous observation of livestock by farm staff is impractical in a commercial setting to the degree required to detect behavioural changes relevant for early intervention. An automated monitoring system is developed; it automatically tracks pig movement with depth video cameras, and automatically measures standing, feeding, drinking, and locomotor activities from 3D trajectories. Predictions of standing, feeding, and drinking were validated, but not locomotor activities. An artificial, disruptive challenge; i.e., introduction of a novel object, is used to cause reproducible behavioural changes to enable development of a system to detect the changes automatically. Validation of the automated monitoring system with the controlled challenge study provides a reproducible framework for further development of robust early warning systems for pigs. The automated system is practical in commercial settings because it provides continuous monitoring of multiple behaviours, with metrics of behaviours that may be considered more intuitive and have diagnostic validity. The method has the potential to transform how livestock are monitored, directly impact their health and welfare, and address issues in livestock farming, such as antimicrobial use.
Cumulant expansion for fast estimate of non-Condon effects in vibronic transition profiles
Authors: Huh Joonsuk , Berger Robert 
Published: December 2017

AbstractWhen existing, cumulants can provide valuable information about a given distribution and can in principle be used to either fully reconstruct or approximate the parent distribution function. A previously reported cumulant expansion approach for Franck–Condon profiles [Faraday Discuss., 150, 363 (2011)] is extended to describe also the profiles of vibronic transitions that are weakly allowed or forbidden in the Franck–Condon approximation (non-Condon profiles). In the harmonic approximation the cumulants of the vibronic profile can be evaluated analytically and numerically with a coherent state-based generating function that accounts for the Duschinsky effect. As illustration, the one-photon 1 1Ag → 1 1B2u UV absorption profile of benzene in the electric dipole and (linear) Herzberg–Teller approximation is presented herein for zero Kelvin and finite temperatures.
Intrinsic interactive reinforcement learning – Using error-related potentials for real world human-robot interaction
Authors: Kim Su Kyoung , Kirchner Elsa Andrea , Stefes Arne , Kirchner Frank 
Published: December 2017

AbstractReinforcement learning (RL) enables robots to learn its optimal behavioral strategy in dynamic environments based on feedback. Explicit human feedback during robot RL is advantageous, since an explicit reward function can be easily adapted. However, it is very demanding and tiresome for a human to continuously and explicitly generate feedback. Therefore, the development of implicit approaches is of high relevance. In this paper, we used an error-related potential (ErrP), an event-related activity in the human electroencephalogram (EEG), as an intrinsically generated implicit feedback (rewards) for RL. Initially we validated our approach with seven subjects in a simulated robot learning scenario. ErrPs were detected online in single trial with a balanced accuracy (bACC) of 91%, which was sufficient to learn to recognize gestures and the correct mapping between human gestures and robot actions in parallel. Finally, we validated our approach in a real robot scenario, in which seven subjects freely chose gestures and the real robot correctly learned the mapping between gestures and actions (ErrP detection (90% bACC)). In this paper, we demonstrated that intrinsically generated EEG-based human feedback in RL can successfully be used to implicitly improve gesture-based robot control during human-robot interaction. We call our approach intrinsic interactive RL.
Altered heart rate regulation by the autonomic nervous system in mice lacking natriuretic peptide receptor C (NPR-C)
Authors: Moghtadaei Motahareh , Langille Ellen , Rafferty Sara A. , Bogachev Oleg , Rose Robert A. 
Published: December 2017

AbstractNatriuretic peptides (NPs) play essential roles in the regulation of cardiovascular function. NP effects are mediated by receptors known as NPR-A, NPR-B or NPR-C. NPs have potent effects on regulation of heart rate (HR) by the autonomic nervous system (ANS), but the role of NPR-C in these effects has not been investigated. Accordingly, we have used telemetric ECG recordings in awake, freely moving wildtype and NPR-C knockout (NPR-C−/−) mice and performed heart rate variability (HRV) analysis to assess alterations in sympatho-vagal balance on the heart following loss of NPR-C. Our novel data demonstrate that NPR-C−/− mice are characterized by elevations in HR, reductions in circadian changes in HR and enhanced occurrence of sinus pauses, indicating increased arrhythmogenesis and a loss of HRV. Time domain and frequency domain analyses further demonstrate that HRV is reduced in NPR-C−/− mice in association with a reduction in parasympathetic activity. Importantly, the low frequency to high frequency ratio was increased in NPR-C−/− mice indicating that sympathetic activity is also enhanced. These changes in autonomic regulation were confirmed using atropine and propranolol to antagonize the ANS. These findings illustrate that loss of NPR-C reduces HRV due to perturbations in the regulation of the heart by the ANS.
Surface enhancement of THz wave by coupling a subwavelength LiNbO3 slab waveguide with a composite antenna structure
Authors: Zhang Qi , Qi Jiwei , Wu Qiang , Lu Yao , Zhao Wenjuan , Wang Ride , Pan Chongpei , Wang Shibiao , Xu Jingjun 
Published: December 2017

AbstractHighly intense terahertz electromagnetic field and efficiently surface localized terahertz field in subwavelength volumes are of vital importance for terahertz photonics integration, also will greatly accelerate the development for integrated applications in biochemical sensing, imaging, terahertz spectroscopy, enhancement of nonlinear effects and even quantum research. In this paper, we achieved large terahertz field enhancement and surface field localization through depositing a pair of Au composite antennas on a LiNbO3 subwavelength slab waveguide, which can serve as an excellent on-chip platform for terahertz research and application. The antennas consist of two opposing tip-to-tip triangles separated by a gap, and each triangle combines with a strip antenna. Time-resolved imaging and finite-difference time-domain method were used to resolve the characteristics of the designed antennas experimentally and simulatively. Through these methods, we demonstrated outstanding abilities of the platform: leading to a large electric field enhancement, concentrating almost full terahertz energy on the waveguide’s surface when they are resonant with the terahertz waves and tunable resonant frequency. These abilities make the subwavelength waveguide coupling with the composite antennas be able to sever as a good integrated device to identify terahertz-sensitive small objects, or an excellent platform to terahertz spectroscopy and quantum research.
Response of pedogenic magnetite to changing vegetation in soils developed under uniform climate, topography, and parent material
Authors: Maxbauer Daniel P. , Feinberg Joshua M. , Fox David L. , Nater Edward A. 
Published: December 2017

AbstractPedogenesis produces fine-grained magnetic minerals that record important information about the ambient climatic conditions present during soil formation. Yet, differentiating the compounding effects of non-climate soil forming factors is a nontrivial challenge that must be overcome to establish soil magnetism as a trusted paleoenvironmental tool. Here, we isolate the influence of vegetation by investigating magnetic properties of soils developing under uniform climate, topography, and parent material but changing vegetation along the forest-prairie ecotone in NW Minnesota. Greater absolute magnetic enhancement in prairie soils is related to some combination of increased production of pedogenic magnetite in prairie soils, increased deposition of detrital magnetite in prairies from eolian processes, or increased dissolution of fine-grained magnetite in forest soils due to increased soil moisture and lower pH. Yet, grain-size specific magnetic properties associated with pedogenesis, for example relative frequency dependence of susceptibility and the ratio of anhysteretic to isothermal remanent magnetization, are insensitive to changing vegetation. Further, quantitative unmixing methods support a fraction of fine-grained pedogenic magnetite that is highly consistent. Together, our findings support climate as a primary control on magnetite production in soils, while demonstrating how careful decomposition of bulk magnetic properties is necessary for proper interpretation of environmental magnetic data.
Programing stimuli-responsiveness of gelatin with electron beams: basic effects and development of a hydration-controlled biocompatible demonstrator
Authors: Riedel Stefanie , Heyart Benedikt , Apel Katharina S. , Mayr Stefan G. 
Published: December 2017

AbstractBiomimetic materials with programmable stimuli responsiveness constitute a highly attractive material class for building bioactuators, sensors and active control elements in future biomedical applications. With this background, we demonstrate how energetic electron beams can be utilized to construct tailored stimuli responsive actuators for biomedical applications. Composed of collagen-derived gelatin, they reveal a mechanical response to hydration and changes in pH-value and ion concentration, while maintaining their excellent biocompatibility and biodegradability. While this is explicitly demonstrated by systematic characterizing an electron-beam synthesized gelatin-based actuator of cantilever geometry, the underlying materials processes are also discussed, based on the fundamental physical and chemical principles. When applied within classical electron beam lithography systems, these findings pave the way for a novel class of highly versatile integrated bioactuators from micro- to macroscales.
Re-calibration of coronary risk prediction: an example of the Seven Countries Study
Authors: Puddu Paolo Emilio , Piras Paolo , Kromhout Daan , Tolonen Hanna , Kafatos Anthony , Menotti Alessandro 
Published: December 2017

AbstractWe aimed at performing a calibration and re-calibration process using six standard risk factors from Northern (NE, N = 2360) or Southern European (SE, N = 2789) middle-aged men of the Seven Countries Study, whose parameters and data were fully known, to establish whether re-calibration gave the right answer. Greenwood-Nam-D’Agostino technique as modified by Demler (GNDD) in 2015 produced chi-squared statistics using 10 deciles of observed/expected CHD mortality risk, corresponding to Hosmer-Lemeshaw chi-squared employed for multiple logistic equations whereby binary data are used. Instead of the number of events, the GNDD test uses survival probabilities of observed and predicted events. The exercise applied, in five different ways, the parameters of the NE-predictive model to SE (and vice-versa) and compared the outcome of the simulated re-calibration with the real data. Good re-calibration could be obtained only when risk factor coefficients were substituted, being similar in magnitude and not significantly different between NE-SE. In all other ways, a good re-calibration could not be obtained. This is enough to praise for an overall need of re-evaluation of most investigations that, without GNDD or another proper technique for statistically assessing the potential differences, concluded that re-calibration is a fair method and might therefore be used, with no specific caution.
Young’s double-slit interference with two-color biphotons
Authors: Zhang De-Jian , Wu Shuang , Li Hong-Guo , Wang Hai-Bo , Xiong Jun , Wang Kaige 
Published: December 2017

AbstractIn classical optics, Young’s double-slit experiment with colored coherent light gives rise to individual interference fringes for each light frequency, referring to single-photon interference. However, two-photon double-slit interference has been widely studied only for wavelength-degenerate biphoton, known as subwavelength quantum lithography. In this work, we report double-slit interference experiments with two-color biphoton. Different from the degenerate case, the experimental results depend on the measurement methods. From a two-axis coincidence measurement pattern we can extract complete interference information about two colors. The conceptual model provides an intuitional picture of the in-phase and out-of-phase photon correlations and a complete quantum understanding about the which-path information of two colored photons.
Plant-derived compounds strigolactone GR24 and pinosylvin activate SIRT1 and enhance glucose uptake in rat skeletal muscle cells
Authors: Modi Shalem , Yaluri Nagendra , Kokkola Tarja , Laakso Markku 
Published: December 2017

AbstractInsulin resistance is a characteristic finding in hyperglycaemia and type 2 diabetes. SIRT1 is a NAD+ dependent deacetylase that plays a central role in glucose homeostasis and energy metabolism. SIRT1 activators, including plant polyphenols such as resveratrol, improve insulin sensitivity in skeletal muscle tissue. We hypothesised that the novel plant-derived compounds, strigolactone and pinosylvin, beneficially enhance SIRT1 function, insulin signalling, glucose uptake, and mitochondrial biogenesis in skeletal muscle cells. Rat L6 skeletal muscle myotubes were treated with strigolactone analogue GR24 and pinosylvin. Resveratrol was included in experiments as a reference compound. We measured the effects of these compounds on SIRT1 function, insulin signalling, glucose uptake, mitochondrial biogenesis and gene expression profiles. Strigolactone GR24 upregulated and activated SIRT1 without activating AMPK, enhanced insulin signalling, glucose uptake, GLUT4 translocation and mitochondrial biogenesis. Pinosylvin activated SIRT1 in vitro and stimulated glucose uptake through the activation of AMPK. The regulation of SIRT1 by strigolactone GR24 and the activation of AMPK by pinosylvin may offer novel therapeutic approaches in the treatment of insulin resistance in skeletal muscle.
Rheological Droplet Interface Bilayers (rheo-DIBs): Probing the Unstirred Water Layer Effect on Membrane Permeability via Spinning Disk Induced Shear Stress
Authors: Barlow Nathan E. , Bolognesi Guido , Haylock Stuart , Flemming Anthony J. , Brooks Nicholas J. , Barter Laura M. C. , Ces Oscar 
Published: December 2017

AbstractA new rheological droplet interface bilayer (rheo-DIB) device is presented as a tool to apply shear stress on biological lipid membranes. Despite their exciting potential for affecting high-throughput membrane translocation studies, permeability assays conducted using DIBs have neglected the effect of the unstirred water layer (UWL). However as demonstrated in this study, neglecting this phenomenon can cause significant underestimates in membrane permeability measurements which in turn limits their ability to predict key processes such as drug translocation rates across lipid membranes. With the use of the rheo-DIB chip, the effective bilayer permeability can be modulated by applying shear stress to the droplet interfaces, inducing flow parallel to the DIB membranes. By analysing the relation between the effective membrane permeability and the applied stress, both the intrinsic membrane permeability and UWL thickness can be determined for the first time using this model membrane approach, thereby unlocking the potential of DIBs for undertaking diffusion assays. The results are also validated with numerical simulations.
Scalable excitatory synaptic circuit design using floating gate based leaky integrators
Authors: Kornijcuk Vladimir , Lim Hyungkwang , Kim Inho , Park Jong-Keuk , Lee Wook-Seong , Choi Jung-Hae , Choi Byung Joon , Jeong Doo Seok 
Published: December 2017

AbstractWe propose a scalable synaptic circuit realizing spike timing dependent plasticity (STDP)—compatible with randomly spiking neurons. The feasible working of the circuit was examined by circuit simulation using the BSIM 4.6.0 model. A distinguishable feature of the circuit is the use of floating-gate integrators that provide the compact implementation of biologically plausible relaxation time scale. This relaxation occurs on the basis of charge tunneling that mainly relies upon area-independent tunnel barrier properties (e.g. barrier width and height) rather than capacitance. The circuit simulations feature (i) weight-dependent STDP that spontaneously limits the synaptic weight growth, (ii) competitive synaptic adaptation within both unsupervised and supervised frameworks with randomly spiking neurons. The estimated power consumption is merely 34 pW, perhaps meeting one of the most crucial principles (power-efficiency) of neuromorphic engineering. Finally, a means of fine-tuning the STDP behavior is provided.
A Millifluidic System for Analysis of Daphnia magna Locomotory Responses to Water-born Toxicants
Authors: Huang Yushi , Campana Olivia , Wlodkowic Donald 
Published: December 2017

AbstractAquatic toxicity testing in environmental monitoring and chemical risk assessment is critical to assess water quality for human use as well as predict impact of pollutants on ecosystems. In recent years, studies have increasingly focused on the relevance of sub-lethal effects of environmental contaminants. Sub-lethal toxicity endpoints such as behavioural responses are highly integrative and have distinct benefits for assessing water quality because they occur rapidly and thus can be used to sense the presence of toxicants. Our work describes a Lab-on-a-Chip system for the automated analysis of freshwater cladoceranDaphnia magnalocomotory responses to water-born toxicants. The design combines a Lab-on-a-Chip system forDaphnia sp. culture under perfusion with time-resolved videomicroscopy and software tracking locomotory activity of multiple specimens. The application of the system to analyse the swimming behaviour of water fleas exposed to different concentrations of water-born toxicants demonstrated that Lab-on-a-Chip devices can become important research tools for behavioural ecotoxicology and water quality biomonitoring.