An accelerometer-derived ballistocardiogram method for detecting heart rate in free-ranging marine mammals.

Physio-logging methods, which use animal-borne devices to record physiological variables, are entering a new era driven by advances in sensor development. However, existing datasets collected with traditional bio-loggers, such as accelerometers, still contain untapped eco-physiological information. Here, we present a computational method for extracting heart rate from high-resolution accelerometer data using a ballistocardiogram. We validated our method with simultaneous accelerometer-electrocardiogram tag deployments in a controlled setting on a killer whale (Orcinus orca) and demonstrate the predictions correspond with previously observed cardiovascular patterns in a blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus), including the magnitude of apneic bradycardia and increase in heart rate prior to and during ascent. Our ballistocardiogram method may be applied to mine heart rates from previously collected accelerometery data and expand our understanding of comparative cardiovascular physiology.

Publisher Correction: Electronic structure of the parent compound of superconducting infinite-layer nickelates.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

Electronic structure of the parent compound of superconducting infinite-layer nickelates.

The search continues for nickel oxide-based materials with electronic properties similar to cuprate high-temperature superconductors1-10. The recent discovery of superconductivity in the doped infinite-layer nickelate NdNiO2 (refs. 11,12) has strengthened these efforts. Here, we use X-ray spectroscopy and density functional theory to show that the electronic structure of LaNiO2 and NdNiO2, while similar to the cuprates, includes significant distinctions. Unlike cuprates, the rare-earth spacer layer in the infinite-layer nickelate supports a weakly interacting three-dimensional 5d metallic state, which hybridizes with a quasi-two-dimensional, strongly correlated state with [Formula: see text] symmetry in the NiO2 layers. Thus, the infinite-layer nickelate can be regarded as a sibling of the rare-earth intermetallics13-15, which are well known for heavy fermion behaviour, where the NiO2 correlated layers play an analogous role to the 4f states in rare-earth heavy fermion compounds. This Kondo- or Anderson-lattice-like 'oxide-intermetallic' replaces the Mott insulator as the reference state from which superconductivity emerges upon doping.

Ca2+ signalling is critical for autoantibody-induced blistering of human epidermis in pemphigus.

BACKGROUND: Pemphigus is a severe bullous autoimmune skin disease. Pemphigus foliaceus (PF) is characterized by antidesmoglein (Dsg) 1 IgG causing epidermal blistering; mucosal pemphigus vulgaris (mPV) by anti-Dsg3 IgG inducing erosions in the mucosa; and mucocutaneous pemphigus vulgaris (PV) by affecting both, with autoantibodies targeting Dsg1 and Dsg3. OBJECTIVES: To characterize the Ca2+ flux pathway and delineate its importance in pemphigus pathogenesis and clinical phenotypes caused by different antibody profiles. METHODS: Immunoprecipitation, Ca2+ flux analysis, Western blotting, immunofluorescence staining, dissociation assays and a human skin ex vivo model were used. RESULTS: PV IgG and PF IgG, but neither Dsg3-specific monoclonal antibody (AK23) nor mPV IgG, caused Ca2+ influx in primary human keratinocytes. Phosphatidylinositol 4-kinase α interacts with Dsg1 but not with Dsg3. Its downstream target - phospholipase-C-γ1 (PLC) - was activated by PV IgG and PF IgG but not AK23 or mPV IgG. PLC releases inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3) causing IP3 receptor (IP3R) activation and Ca2+ flux from the endoplasmic reticulum into the cytosol, which stimulates Ca2+ release-activated channels (CRAC)-mediated Ca2+ influx. Inhibitors against PLC, IP3R and CRAC effectively blocked PV IgG and PF IgG-induced Ca2+ influx; ameliorated alterations of Dsg1 and Dsg3 localization, and reorganization of keratin and actin filaments; and inhibited loss of cell adhesion in vitro. Finally, inhibiting PLC or IP3R was protective against PV IgG-induced blister formation and redistribution of Dsg1 and Dsg3 in human skin ex vivo. CONCLUSIONS: Ca2+ -mediated signalling is important for epidermal blistering and dependent on the autoantibody profile, which indicates different roles for signalling complexes organized by Dsg1 and Dsg3. Interfering with PLC and Ca2+ signalling may be a promising approach to treat epidermal manifestations of pemphigus.

High-Temperature Charge-Stripe Correlations in La_{1.675}Eu_{0.2}Sr_{0.125}CuO_{4}.

We use resonant inelastic x-ray scattering to investigate charge-stripe correlations in La_{1.675}Eu_{0.2}Sr_{0.125}CuO_{4}. By differentiating elastic from inelastic scattering, it is demonstrated that charge-stripe correlations precede both the structural low-temperature tetragonal phase and the transport-defined pseudogap onset. The scattering peak amplitude from charge stripes decays approximately as T^{-2} towards our detection limit. The in-plane integrated intensity, however, remains roughly temperature independent. Therefore, although the incommensurability shows a remarkably large increase at high temperature, our results are interpreted via a single scattering constituent. In fact, direct comparison to other stripe-ordered compounds (La_{1.875}Ba_{0.125}CuO_{4}, La_{1.475}Nd_{0.4}Sr_{0.125}CuO_{4}, and La_{1.875}Sr_{0.125}CuO_{4}) suggests a roughly constant integrated scattering intensity across all these compounds. Our results therefore provide a unifying picture for the charge-stripe ordering in La-based cuprates. As charge correlations in La_{1.675}Eu_{0.2}Sr_{0.125}CuO_{4} extend beyond the low-temperature tetragonal and pseudogap phase, their emergence heralds a spontaneous symmetry breaking in this compound.

Is brachioplasty acceptable as an outpatient procedure? A prospective study comparing ambulatory and traditional hospitalization procedures.

BACKGROUND: Ambulatory or outpatient surgery is defined as surgery that does not require an overnight hospital stay. It offers patients both convenience and reduced costs. With the increased use of bariatric surgery, Extended L-shaped Lipo-brachioplasty is now frequently requested as a follow-up procedure. Although numerous studies have focused on its technique and outcomes, none have evaluated its acceptability as an outpatient procedure. This was the aim of this prospective study. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This study was performed between January 2016 and September 2019. All patients undergoing extended L-shaped Lipo-brachioplasty during that period were included and divided into two groups, according to the type of hospitalization. For both groups, we recorded the demographics, medical and surgical data, as well as any postoperative complications. In the outpatient group, we also recorded discharge failures at day 0. RESULTS: 75 patients were included in the study (40 outpatients, 35 hospitalizations). There were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of demographics, surgical data, or the incidence of complications. In the outpatient group, three patients could not be discharged the evening of the procedure and had to stay overnight. No readmissions or major complications were reported in this group. CONCLUSION: Our prospective study shows that outpatient Extended L-shaped Lipo-brachioplasty safely provides the same outcomes as those performed during traditional hospitalization. We believe that for eligible patients, it should routinely be performed as an outpatient procedure.

Three-Dimensional Fermi Surface of Overdoped La-Based Cuprates.

We present a soft x-ray angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy study of overdoped high-temperature superconductors. In-plane and out-of-plane components of the Fermi surface are mapped by varying the photoemission angle and the incident photon energy. No k_{z} dispersion is observed along the nodal direction, whereas a significant antinodal k_{z} dispersion is identified for La-based cuprates. Based on a tight-binding parametrization, we discuss the implications for the density of states near the van Hove singularity. Our results suggest that the large electronic specific heat found in overdoped La_{2-x}Sr_{x}CuO_{4} cannot be assigned to the van Hove singularity alone. We therefore propose quantum criticality induced by a collapsing pseudogap phase as a plausible explanation for observed enhancement of electronic specific heat.

Spin-orbital separation in the quasi-one-dimensional Mott insulator Sr2CuO3.

When viewed as an elementary particle, the electron has spin and charge. When binding to the atomic nucleus, it also acquires an angular momentum quantum number corresponding to the quantized atomic orbital it occupies. Even if electrons in solids form bands and delocalize from the nuclei, in Mott insulators they retain their three fundamental quantum numbers: spin, charge and orbital. The hallmark of one-dimensional physics is a breaking up of the elementary electron into its separate degrees of freedom. The separation of the electron into independent quasi-particles that carry either spin (spinons) or charge (holons) was first observed fifteen years ago. Here we report observation of the separation of the orbital degree of freedom (orbiton) using resonant inelastic X-ray scattering on the one-dimensional Mott insulator Sr2CuO3. We resolve an orbiton separating itself from spinons and propagating through the lattice as a distinct quasi-particle with a substantial dispersion in energy over momentum, of about 0.2 electronvolts, over nearly one Brillouin zone.

Doping Evolution of Magnetic Order and Magnetic Excitations in (Sr_{1-x}La_{x})_{3}Ir_{2}O_{7}.

We use resonant elastic and inelastic x-ray scattering at the Ir-L_{3} edge to study the doping-dependent magnetic order, magnetic excitations, and spin-orbit excitons in the electron-doped bilayer iridate (Sr_{1-x}La_{x})_{3}Ir_{2}O_{7} (0≤x≤0.065). With increasing doping x, the three-dimensional long range antiferromagnetic order is gradually suppressed and evolves into a three-dimensional short range order across the insulator-to-metal transition from x=0 to 0.05, followed by a transition to two-dimensional short range order between x=0.05 and 0.065. Because of the interactions between the J_{eff}=1/2 pseudospins and the emergent itinerant electrons, magnetic excitations undergo damping, anisotropic softening, and gap collapse, accompanied by weakly doping-dependent spin-orbit excitons. Therefore, we conclude that electron doping suppresses the magnetic anisotropy and interlayer couplings and drives (Sr_{1-x}La_{x})_{3}Ir_{2}O_{7} into a correlated metallic state with two-dimensional short range antiferromagnetic order. Strong antiferromagnetic fluctuations of the J_{eff}=1/2 moments persist deep in this correlated metallic state, with the magnon gap strongly suppressed.

Three-Dimensional Electronic Structure of the Type-II Weyl Semimetal WTe_{2}.

By combining bulk sensitive soft-x-ray angular-resolved photoemission spectroscopy and first-principles calculations we explored the bulk electron states of WTe_{2}, a candidate type-II Weyl semimetal featuring a large nonsaturating magnetoresistance. Despite the layered geometry suggesting a two-dimensional electronic structure, we directly observe a three-dimensional electronic dispersion. We report a band dispersion in the reciprocal direction perpendicular to the layers, implying that electrons can also travel coherently when crossing from one layer to the other. The measured Fermi surface is characterized by two well-separated electron and hole pockets at either side of the Γ point, differently from previous more surface sensitive angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy experiments that additionally found a pronounced quasiparticle weight at the zone center. Moreover, we observe a significant sensitivity of the bulk electronic structure of WTe_{2} around the Fermi level to electronic correlations and renormalizations due to self-energy effects, previously neglected in first-principles descriptions.

Doping Dependence of Collective Spin and Orbital Excitations in the Spin-1 Quantum Antiferromagnet La_{2-x}Sr_{x}NiO_{4} Observed by X Rays.

We report the first empirical demonstration that resonant inelastic x-ray scattering (RIXS) is sensitive to collective magnetic excitations in S=1 systems by probing the Ni L_{3} edge of La_{2-x}Sr_{x}NiO_{4} (x=0, 0.33, 0.45). The magnetic excitation peak is asymmetric, indicating the presence of single and multi-spin-flip excitations. As the hole doping level is increased, the zone boundary magnon energy is suppressed at a much larger rate than that in hole doped cuprates. Based on the analysis of the orbital and charge excitations observed by RIXS, we argue that this difference is related to the orbital character of the doped holes in these two families. This work establishes RIXS as a probe of fundamental magnetic interactions in nickelates opening the way towards studies of heterostructures and ultrafast pump-probe experiments.

Crossover from Collective to Incoherent Spin Excitations in Superconducting Cuprates Probed by Detuned Resonant Inelastic X-Ray Scattering.

Spin excitations in the overdoped high temperature superconductors Tl_{2}Ba_{2}CuO_{6+δ} and (Bi,Pb)_{2}(Sr,La)_{2}CuO_{6+δ} were investigated by resonant inelastic x-ray scattering (RIXS) as functions of doping and detuning of the incoming photon energy above the Cu-L_{3} absorption peak. The RIXS spectra at optimal doping are dominated by a paramagnon feature with peak energy independent of photon energy, similar to prior results on underdoped cuprates. Beyond optimal doping, the RIXS data indicate a sharp crossover to a regime with a strong contribution from incoherent particle-hole excitations whose maximum shows a fluorescencelike shift upon detuning. The spectra of both compound families are closely similar, and their salient features are reproduced by exact-diagonalization calculations of the single-band Hubbard model on a finite cluster. The results are discussed in the light of recent transport experiments indicating a quantum phase transition near optimal doping.

The evolution of a complex trait: cuticular hydrocarbons in ants evolve independent from phylogenetic constraints.

Cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) are ubiquitous and highly diverse in insects, serving as communication signal and waterproofing agent. Despite their vital function, the causes, mechanisms and constraints on CHC diversification are still poorly understood. Here, we investigated phylogenetic constraints on the evolution of CHC profiles, using a global data set of the species-rich and chemically diverse ant genus Crematogaster. We decomposed CHC profiles into quantitative (relative abundances, chain length) and qualitative traits (presence/absence of CHC classes). A species-level phylogeny was estimated using newly generated and previously published sequences from five nuclear markers. Moreover, we reconstructed a phylogeny for the chemically diverse Crematogaster levior species group using cytochrome oxidase I. Phylogenetic signal was measured for these traits on genus and clade level and within the chemically diverse C. levior group. For most quantitative CHC traits, phylogenetic signal was low and did not differ from random expectation. This was true on the level of genus, clade and species group, indicating that CHC traits are evolutionary labile. In contrast, the presence or absence of alkenes and alkadienes was highly conserved within the C. levior group. Hence, the presence or absence of biosynthetic pathways may be phylogenetically constrained, especially at lower taxonomic levels. Our study shows that CHC composition can evolve rapidly, allowing insects to quickly adapt their chemical profiles to external selection pressures, whereas the presence of biosynthetic pathways appears more constrained. However, our results stress the importance to consider the taxonomic level when investigating phylogenetic constraints.

Energetic flexibility on wastewater treatment plants.

In the future, an additional potential of control reserve as well as storage capacities will be required to compensate fluctuating renewable energy availability. The operation of energy systems will change and flexibility in energy generation and consumption will rise to a valuable asset. Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are capable of providing the flexibility needed, not only with their energy generators but also in terms of their energy consuming aggregates on the plant. To meet challenges of the future in regard to energy purchase and to participate in and contribute to such a volatile energy market, WWTPs have to reveal their energetic potential as a flexible service provider. Based on the evaluated literature and a detailed analysis of aggregates on a pilot WWTP an aggregate management has been developed to shift loads and provide a procedure to identify usable aggregates, characteristic values and control parameters to ensure effluent quality. The results show that WWTPs have a significant potential to provide energetic flexibility. Even for vulnerable components such as aeration systems, load-shifting is possible with appropriate control parameters and reasonable time slots without endangering system functionality.

[When love becomes eternal: Two embedded rings, a case report]. / Quand l'amour devient éternel : l'intégration sous-cutanée de deux bagues, un cas clinique.

Embedded ring injury is a rare condition often associated with mental illness or cognitive disorders. Clinical presentation varies from simple oedema to serious neurovascular deficits. We report the unusual case of a 69-year-old woman presenting with two embedded ring injuries. The rings had been in place for over 20 years, however she had no past medical history of psychiatric or neurological disorder. A non-invasive approach was decided to treat the patient by simply cutting the rings allowing to resolve the situation without further morbidity.

Orbital Engineering in Nickelate Heterostructures Driven by Anisotropic Oxygen Hybridization rather than Orbital Energy Levels.

Resonant inelastic x-ray scattering is used to investigate the electronic origin of orbital polarization in nickelate heterostructures taking LaTiO_{3}-LaNiO_{3}-3×(LaAlO_{3}), a system with exceptionally large polarization, as a model system. We find that heterostructuring generates only minor changes in the Ni 3d orbital energy levels, contradicting the often-invoked picture in which changes in orbital energy levels generate orbital polarization. Instead, O K-edge x-ray absorption spectroscopy demonstrates that orbital polarization is caused by an anisotropic reconstruction of the oxygen ligand hole states. This provides an explanation for the limited success of theoretical predictions based on tuning orbital energy levels and implies that future theories should focus on anisotropic hybridization as the most effective means to drive large changes in electronic structure and realize novel emergent phenomena.

Electronic structure of (In,Mn)As quantum dots buried in GaAs investigated by soft-x-ray ARPES.

Electronic structure of a molecular beam epitaxy-grown system of (In,Mn)As quantum dots (QDs) buried in GaAs is explored with soft-x-ray angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy (ARPES) using photon energies around 1 keV. This technique, ideally suited for buried systems, extends the momentum-resolving capabilities of conventional ARPES with enhanced probing depth as well as elemental and chemical state specificity achieved with resonant photoexcitation. The experimental results resolve the dispersive energy bands of the GaAs substrate buried in ∼2 nm below the surface, and the impurity states (ISs) derived from the substitutional Mn atoms in the (In,Mn)As QDs and oxidized Mn atoms distributed near the surface. An energy shift of the Mn ISs in the QDs compared to (In,Mn)As DMS is attributed to the band offset and proximity effect at the interface with the surrounding GaAs. The absence of any ISs in the vicinity of the VBM relates the electron transport in (In,Mn)As QDs to the prototype (In,Mn)As diluted magnetic semiconductor. The SX-ARPES results are supported by measurements of the shallow core levels under variation of probing depth through photon energy. X-ray absorption measurements identify significant diffusion of interstitial Mn atoms out of the QDs towards the surface, and the role of magnetic circular dichroism is to block the ferromagnetic response of the (In,Mn)As QDs. Possible routes are drawn to tune the growth procedure aiming at practical applications of the (In,Mn)As based systems.

Reproductive physiology of the female Magellanic penguin (Spheniscus magellanicus): Insights from the study of a zoological colony.

Eight captive female Magellanic penguins (Spheniscus magellanicus) were monitored over a 10week period, commencing at 5weeks prior to egg lay (EL), to increase our understanding of the species' reproductive biology. Females in cordoned nest sites underwent cloacal artificial insemination (AI) every 4-7days with different semen donors for each insemination. The EL interval was 97.9±3.6h (range: 84-108h) and paternity analyses revealed that conceptive inseminations occurred from 11.5 to 4.5days before oviposition. A biphasic pattern of estradiol, testosterone, progesterone and the biochemical analytes triglyceride, iron, calcium and phosphorus occurred in relation to EL, with values increasing (P<0.05) to maximal concentrations during the three weeks preceding oviposition, then decreasing (P<0.05) rapidly after oviposition completion. In comparison with post-lay (baseline) values, concentrations of estradiol and testosterone relative to the first oviposition were elevated at Week-5, and those of triglyceride, a yolk formation index, as well as iron, calcium and phosphorus, became elevated at Week-4 (P<0.05). Collective data indicate an estimated total egg formation interval of 29days, with oviducal transit of the ovulated ovum occurring over the majority of the ∼4day EL interval. These findings indicate that egg formation is prolonged with folliculogenesis initiated at 5weeks or more prior to oviposition. Consequently, the period of folliculogenesis and egg formation is estimated to overlap with the final ∼3weeks that wild females spend at sea prior to returning to land for breeding.

Ultralow refractive index optical films with enhanced mechanical performance obtained by hybrid glancing angle deposition.

Ultralow refractive index materials (n less than 1.38 at 550 nm) are of particular interest in the context of antireflective coatings, allowing one to enhance their overall optical performance. However, application of such materials is typically limited by their mechanical properties. In this study, we explore the characteristics of a new category of hybrid (organic/inorganic) SiOCH thin films prepared by glancing angle deposition (GLAD) using electron beam evaporation of SiO2 in the presence of an organosilicon precursor. The resulting layers exhibited n as low as 1.2, showed high elastic rebound, and generally better mechanical properties than their inorganic counterparts. In addition, hybrid GLAD films were found to be highly hydrophobic. The performance of the films is discussed in terms of their hybridicity (organic/inorganic) ratio determined by infrared spectroscopic ellipsometry as well as the presence of anisotropy assessed by the nanostructure-based spectroscopic ellipsometry model. Finally, we demonstrate successful implementation of the ultralow-index material in a complete antireflective stack.

Long-term ovarian function in women treated with CHOP or CHOP plus etoposide for aggressive lymphoma.

BACKGROUND: Chemotherapy-associated ovarian damage comprises not only infertility, but also premature menopause. The latter has been reported as a consequence of alkylating chemotherapy for breast cancer or Hodgkin's lymphoma. In this study, we assessed the long-term impact of CHOP (cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone)-like regimens on ovarian function in patients with aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Long-term survivors after CHOP or CHOP plus etoposide (CHOEP) treatment within the Mabthera International Trial or the NHL-B1 trial of the German NHL Study Group were requested to respond to a questionnaire and to consent to blood sampling for hormone assessment. RESULTS: A total of 46 of 81 contacted patients with a median age of 32.5 years at the time of enrolment into the aforementioned clinical trials responded to the questionnaire. The median follow-up after completion of treatment was 14 years. Last menstrual bleeding occurred significantly earlier in patients compared with the general population (47 versus 51 years, P < 0.0001). In comparison to the distribution of menopausal symptoms in the general population, the percentage of women with moderate or severe menopausal symptoms was increased. In 23 patients who agreed to participate in laboratory analyses, anti-Muller hormone as a marker of ovarian reserve was decreased when compared with correspondent age groups of the general population. CONCLUSION: Although most female patients regain fertility after CHOP-like chemotherapy, late ovarian impairment occurs frequently. Therefore, awareness of such delayed side-effects at the time of counselling is of importance.