Coexistence of the Radial-Guided Mode and WGM in Azimuthal-Grating-Integrated Microring Lasers.

Whispering-gallery mode (WGM) resonators, renowned for their high Q-factors and narrow line widths, are widely utilized in integrated photonics. Integrating diffraction gratings onto WGM cavities has gained significant attention because these gratings function as azimuthal refractive index modulators, enabling single-mode WGM emissions and supporting beams with orbital angular momentum (OAM). The introduction of curved grating structures facilitates guided mode resonances by coupling high-order diffracted waves with leaking modes from the waveguide.

Globally occurring pelagiphage infections create ribosome-deprived cells.

Phages play an essential role in controlling bacterial populations. Those infecting Pelagibacterales (SAR11), the dominant bacteria in surface oceans, have been studied in silico and by cultivation attempts. However, little is known about the quantity of phage-infected cells in the environment.

Biodegradable plastics in Mediterranean coastal environments feature contrasting microbial succession.

Plastic pollution of the ocean is a top environmental concern. Biodegradable plastics present a potential "solution" in combating the accumulation of plastic pollution, and their production is currently increasing. While these polymers will contribute to the future plastic marine debris budget, very little is known still about the behavior of biodegradable plastics in different natural environments.

Incommensurate magnetic structure of CrAs at low temperatures and high pressures.

The magnetic structure of chromium arsenide CrAs is studied with neutron powder diffraction at ambient pressure in the temperature range 1.5-300 K as well as with neutron single-crystal diffraction at 2 K and 0.12 GPa.

Bacterial diversity of biofilms on polyhydroxybutyrate exposed to marine conditions: Ex-situ vs. in-situ tests.

Biofilms form on any available surface and, depending on the characteristics of the material and the environmental conditions, biodegradation can take place. We compared the bacterial composition of polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB)-related biofilm communities from marine ex-situ and in-situ tests to assess the differences in diversity and abundance between these two biofilms. This comparison will help to better assess the transferability of tank tests to real-life scenarios.

How automation level influences moral decisions of humans collaborating with industrial robots in different scenarios.

Introduction: Digitalization in intelligent manufacturing leads to the development of Industry 4.0/5.0 and human-cyber-physical systems.

Site dependence of the magnetocaloric effect in Mn Fe Si.

The nuclear and magnetic structures of MnFeSi are investigated in the temperature range from 20 to 300 K. The magnetic properties of MnFeSi were measured on a single crystal. The compound undergoes a paramagnetic to antiferromagnetic transition at ≃ 120 K and an antiferromagnetic to antiferromagnetic transition at ≃ 69 K.

Disintegration half-life of biodegradable plastic films on different marine beach sediments.

The seafloor is considered the major sink for plastic debris in the world's oceans. Biodegradable polymers are available on the market as a substitute for conventional plastic and could potentially end up in the same environment. To gain more insight into the effects of different sediments on the degradation rate of biodegradable plastic we performed two iterative seawater tank experiments.

Microaerobic growth-decoupled production of α-ketoglutarate and succinate from xylose in a one-pot process using Corynebacterium glutamicum.

Background: Lignocellulosic biomass is the most abundant raw material on earth. Its efficient use for novel bio-based materials is essential for an emerging bioeconomy. Possible building blocks for such materials are the key TCA-cycle intermediates α-ketoglutarate and succinate.

Repatriations of Ill and Injured Travelers and Emigrants to Switzerland: A Retrospective Analysis at a Tertiary Emergency Department from 2013-2018.

: As more and more people are travelling abroad, there are also increasing numbers who fall ill or have accidents in foreign countries. Some patients must be repatriated. While it has been reported that the number of repatriations is rising steadily, little is known about patients' characteristics, calling for in depth investigations of this patient group.

Field and mesocosm methods to test biodegradable plastic film under marine conditions.

The pollution of the natural environment, especially the world's oceans, with conventional plastic is of major concern. Biodegradable plastics are an emerging market bringing along potential chances and risks. The fate of these materials in the environment and their possible effects on organisms and ecosystems has rarely been studied systematically and is not well understood.

Self-induced spin glass state in elemental and crystalline neodymium.

Spin glasses are a highly complex magnetic state of matter intricately linked to spin frustration and structural disorder. They exhibit no long-range order and exude aging phenomena, distinguishing them from quantum spin liquids. We report a previously unknown type of spin glass state, the spin-Q glass, observable in bulk-like crystalline metallic neodymium thick films.

Broadband out-of-plane coupling at visible wavelengths.

Photonic integrated circuits require efficient interfaces to fiber optic components for applications in optical communication, computing, and sensing. Current optical interconnects rely on edge or grating couplers with limitations in terms of alignment tolerances, efficiency, and bandwidth, respectively. Here, we present a scalable coupling concept that allows fiber-to-chip coupling to the fundamental transverse electric and transverse magnetic modes based on three-dimensional nanostructures exploiting total internal reflection.

New insights on the GeSeTe phase diagram from theory and experiment.

The high-pressure and low-temperature behaviour of the GeSeTe system (x = 0, 0.2, 0.5, 0.

Positive association between epiphytes and competitiveness of the brown algal genus against corals.

Observations of coral-algal competition can provide valuable information about the state of coral reef ecosystems. Here, we report contact rates and apparent competition states for six shallow lagoonal reefs in Fiji. A total of 81.

Pseudodoping of a metallic two-dimensional material by the supporting substrate.

Charge transfers resulting from weak bondings between two-dimensional materials and the supporting substrates are often tacitly associated with their work function differences. In this context, two-dimensional materials could be normally doped at relatively low levels. Here, we demonstrate how even weak hybridization with substrates can lead to an apparent heavy doping, using the example of monolayer 1H-TaS grown on Au(111).

Design and performance of an ultra-high vacuum spin-polarized scanning tunneling microscope operating at 30 mK and in a vector magnetic field.

We describe the design and performance of a scanning tunneling microscope (STM) that operates at a base temperature of 30 mK in a vector magnetic field. The cryogenics is based on an ultra-high vacuum (UHV) top-loading wet dilution refrigerator that contains a vector magnet allowing for fields up to 9 T perpendicular and 4 T parallel to the sample. The STM is placed in a multi-chamber UHV system, which allows in situ preparation and exchange of samples and tips.

Inhaled Steroids and Active Smoking Drive Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Symptoms and Biomarkers to a Greater Degree Than Airflow Limitation.

Rationale: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a heterogeneous disease, and development of novel therapeutics requires an understanding of pathophysiologic phenotypes.

Objectives: The purpose of the Airways Disease Endotyping for Personalized Therapeutics (ADEPT) study was to correlate clinical features and biomarkers with molecular characteristics in a well-profiled COPD cohort.

Methods: A total of 67 COPD subjects (forced expiratory volume in the first second of expiration [FEV]: 45%-80% predicted) and 63 healthy smoking and nonsmoking controls underwent multiple assessments including patient questionnaires, lung function, and clinical biomarkers including fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FENO), induced sputum, and blood.

A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Phase 2 Trial of CNTO 6785 in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

Interleukin (IL)-17A may be an underlying factor in the pathophysiology of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Anti-IL-17 monoclonal antibodies have been used successfully in treating several immune-mediated inflammatory diseases. This phase 2, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, parallel-group, proof-of-concept study is the first clinical study evaluating the efficacy and safety of the anti-IL-17A monoclonal antibody CNTO 6785 in patients with symptomatic moderate-to-severe COPD.

Toll-like receptor 3 blockade in rhinovirus-induced experimental asthma exacerbations: A randomized controlled study.

Background: Human rhinoviruses (HRVs) commonly precipitate asthma exacerbations. Toll-like receptor 3, an innate pattern recognition receptor, is triggered by HRV, driving inflammation that can worsen asthma.

Objective: We sought to evaluate an inhibitory mAb to Toll-like receptor 3, CNTO3157, on experimental HRV-16 inoculation in healthy subjects and asthmatic patients.

Asthma characteristics and biomarkers from the Airways Disease Endotyping for Personalized Therapeutics (ADEPT) longitudinal profiling study.

Background: Asthma is a heterogeneous disease and development of novel therapeutics requires an understanding of pathophysiologic phenotypes. The purpose of the ADEPT study was to correlate clinical features and biomarkers with molecular characteristics, by profiling asthma (NCT01274507). This report presents for the first time the study design, and characteristics of the recruited subjects.

Biofilm and Diatom Succession on Polyethylene (PE) and Biodegradable Plastic Bags in Two Marine Habitats: Early Signs of Degradation in the Pelagic and Benthic Zone?

The production of biodegradable plastic is increasing. Given the augmented littering of these products an increasing input into the sea is expected. Previous laboratory experiments have shown that degradation of plastic starts within days to weeks.

Mixed pentele-chalcogen cationic chains from aluminum and gallium halide melts.

The reactions of tellurium or selenium with bismuth or antimony in chloridogallate and iodidoaluminate melts in the presence of group 15 trihalides as weak oxidants yielded the compounds (Sb2Te2)[GaCl4] (1), (Sb2Te2)I[AlI4] (2), (Bi2Te2)Cl[GaCl4] (3a), (Bi2Se2)Cl[GaCl4] (3b), (Sb3Te4)[GaCl4] (4), and (SbTe4)[Ga2Cl7] (5). In the crystal structures one-dimensional polymeric cations (Sb2Te2(+))n (1), (Sb2Te2(2+))n (2), (Bi2Te2(2+))n (3a), (Bi2Se2(2+))n (3b), (Sb3Te4(+))n (4), and (SbTe4(+))n (5) are present. The polymeric cationic strands in 2, 3a, 3b, and 4 consist of pentele/chalcogen dumbbells, which are connected to ladder-shaped bands.

Electronic screening-enhanced hole pairing in two-leg spin ladders studied by high-resolution resonant inelastic x-ray scattering at Cu M edges.

We study the electronic screening mechanisms of the effective Coulomb on-site repulsion in hole-doped Sr(14)Cu(24)O(41) compared to undoped La(6)Ca(8)Cu(24)O(41) using polarization dependent high-resolution resonant inelastic x-ray scattering at Cu M edges. By measuring the energy of the effective Coulomb on-site repulsion and the spin excitations, we estimate superexchange and hopping matrix element energies along rungs and legs, respectively. Interestingly, hole doping locally screens the Coulomb on-site repulsion reducing it by as much as 25%.

Controllable magnetic doping of the surface state of a topological insulator.

A combined experimental and theoretical study of doping individual Fe atoms into Bi(2)Se(3) is presented. It is shown through a scanning tunneling microscopy study that single Fe atoms initially located at hollow sites on top of the surface (adatoms) can be incorporated into subsurface layers by thermally activated diffusion. Angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy in combination with ab initio calculations suggest that the doping behavior changes from electron donation for the Fe adatom to neutral or electron acceptance for Fe incorporated into substitutional Bi sites.