bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Complementary effects of pine bark extract supplementation on inattention, impulsivity, and antioxidative status in children with attention‐deficit hyperactivity disorder: A double‐blinded randomized placebo‐controlled cross‐over study
Authors: Hsu Cheng‐Dien , Hsieh Li‐Hsuan , Chen Ya‐Ling , Lin I‐Cheng , Chen Ying‐Ru , Chen Chih‐Chi , Shirakawa Hitoshi , Yang Suh‐Ching
Published: February 2021

The purpose of this study was to investigate the complementary effects of polyphenolic compounds from pine bark extract (PE) as a strong antioxidative substrate on the symptoms of inattention and impulsivity in children with attention‐deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This was a randomized, double‐blind, crossover, placebo‐controlled study that included two experimental units (4 weeks with PE supplementation and 4 weeks with placebo supplementation) separated by a 2‐week washout period. ADHD participants were supplemented with 25 mg or 50 mg PE. We recruited 20 participants (17 boys and 3 girls) with a mean age of 10.0 ± 2.1 years. PE supplementation caused a significant reduction in the inattention and hyperactivity‐impulsivity items of SNAP‐IV. During the period of PE supplementation, the item of commissions in the Continuous Performance Test III (CPT III) significantly decreased, which was used to evaluate the symptoms of inattention and impulsivity. In addition, the erythrocytic reduced glutathione/oxidized glutathione ratio significantly increased, and the plasma TBARs level significantly decreased after 4 weeks of PE supplementation. However, there was no significant correlation between CPT III (commission) and antioxidative status indictors. PE supplementation may have potential effects of ameliorating inattention and impulsivity, and elevating the antioxidative status in children with ADHD.
Remaining service life prediction based on gray model and empirical Bayesian with applications to compressors and pumps
Authors: Li Xiaochuan , Mba David , Okoroigwe Edmund , Lin Tianran
Published: February 2021

In this study, a three‐step remaining service life (RSL) prediction method, which involves feature extraction, feature selection, and fusion and prognostics, is proposed for large‐scale rotating machinery in the presence of scarce failure data. In the feature extraction step, eight time‐domain degradation features are extracted from the faulty variables. A fitness function as a weighted linear combination of the monotonicity, robustness, correlation, and trendability metrics is defined and used to evaluate the suitability of the features for RSL prediction. The selected features are merged using a canonical variate residuals‐based method. In the prognostic step, gray model is used in combination with empirical Bayesian algorithm for RSL prediction in the presence of scarce failure data. The proposed approach is validated on failure data collected from an operational industrial centrifugal pump and a compressor.
About one method of stability investigation for nonlinear stochastic delay differential equations
Authors: Shaikhet Leonid
Published: February 2021

Stability of equilibria of a nonlinear delay differential equation is investigated under stochastic perturbations. The use of Stiltjes integrals allows to consider both discrete and distributed delays in the investigated equation. Obtained conditions of stability in probability are formulated in terms of linear matrix inequalities. The proposed method of investigation can be applied to a number of very popular in research mathematical models such as Mackey–Glass model, neoclassical growth model and e‐commerce model, Nicholson's blowflies equation, mosquito and glassy‐winged sharpshooter populations, SIR epidemic model, social epidemic models, and many similar other mathematical models which can be considered as particular cases of the investigated nonlinear equation.
Phosphorus‐Doping‐Induced Optimization of Atomic Hydrogen Binding Energy in MoSe2 under High Coverage for Efficient Electrocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution Reactions
Authors: Zhang Long , Li Jiang , Yang Zehui , Sun Lan , Chen Guanjun , An Wangcong , Cheng Hanyue , Wang Hongbo , Wang Xingang , Chen Yongnan , Ma Fei
Published: February 2021

Self‐standing two‐dimensional P‐doped molybdenum diselenide (MoSe2) nanosheets were synthesized on carbon fiber paper (CFP) (P‐doped MoSe2/CFP) using a hydrothermal reaction followed by phosphorization and were subsequently used as a high‐efficiency hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) electrocatalyst. Nanosheet aggregation was remarkably inhibited, and numerous active sites were exposed. The H adsorption and desorption capacities of MoSe2 were optimized by doping P atoms in the MoSe2 lattice. Electrochemical testing indicated that the overpotential (η50) required by P‐doped MoSe2/CFP was only 186 mV, which was much lower than that of the as‐prepared MoSe2/CFP (237 mV). The Tafel slope of P‐doped MoSe2/CFP was 54.3 mV ⋅ dec−1, which was remarkably lower than that of the as‐prepared MoSe2/CFP (79.8 mV ⋅ dec−1). The Gibbs energy of the H atoms adsorbed on P‐doped MoSe2 (ΔGH*) reached the lowest value (0.202 eV) when the hydrogen coverage (θH) was 75 %. For MoSe2, the lowest ΔGH* value was 0.296 eV when θH was 25 %. The adsorption and desorption of H atoms at the active sites of P‐doped MoSe2 occurred easier than at the active sites of MoSe2. Moreover, the P doping effect facilitated the formation of more Hads species during the Volmer reaction and substantially accelerated the kinetics of the HER.
Method for the Preparation of N‐protected β‐Cyano L‐alanine Tertiary Butyl Esters
Authors: Katuri Jashuva V. P. , Nagarajan Kuppuswamy
Published: February 2021

Here we report a simple, efficient and scalable one‐pot procedure for the synthesis of N‐protected β‐cyano L‐alanine tertiary butyl esters from N‐protected L‐asparagines. Reaction of N‐protected L‐asparagines with 2.2 equivalents of (Boc)2O and catalytic amount of N,N‐dimethylamino pyridine (DMAP) in tertiary butanol at room temperature resulted N‐protected β‐cyano L‐alanine tertiary butyl esters. We also synthesized N‐protected β‐cyano L‐alanines from the obtained crude N‐protected β‐cyano L‐alanine tertiary butyl esters without column chromatography on gram scale in good yields. Control experiments gave the corresponding nitrile acids over the tertiary butyl esters. Later, we synthesized nitrile containing dipeptides by coupling N‐Boc‐β‐cyano L‐alanine 4 a with amino acid methyl ester hydrochlorides.
Modified Carbon Nanotubes Decorated with ZIFs as New Immobilized Metal Ion Affinity Chromatography Platform for Enrichment of Phosphopeptides
Authors: Du Jianglong , Yan Yinghua , Tang Keqi , Ding Chuan‐Fan
Published: February 2021

ZIF‐8, as one of the most representative zeolite imidazolate frameworks, is rarely used for the enrichment of phosphopeptides due to its dissolution in acid solution. By introducing branched‐chain polyethyleneimine (PEI), we have overcome the acid‐intolerance shortcoming of ZIF‐8 and applied it for phosphopeptides enrichment. A material with magnetic carbon nanotube (mCNT) as substrate, polydopamine (PDA) as hydrophilic interlayer and PEI‐ZIF‐8 as functional groups (denoted as mCNT@PDA@PEI‐ZIF‐8) was prepared through a facile method. The obtained material exhibited excellent performance on phosphopeptides enrichment, including high sensitivity (0.5 fmol), outstanding selectivity (molar ratio of β‐casein: BSA=1 : 2000), reusability of at least 6 times and so on. The enrichment performance on complicated biological samples was also remarkable, 20 phosphopeptides were successfully detected from human saliva and 4 phosphopeptides from human serum, exhibiting its great potential and bright prospects in phosphopeptides enrichment.
Deposition of Extended Ordered Ultrathin Films of Au38(SC2H4Ph)24 Nanocluster using Langmuir–Blodgett Technique
Authors: Swierczewski Michal , Maroni Plinio , Chenneviere Alexis , Dadras Mohammad M. , Lee Lay‐Theng , Bürgi Thomas
Published: February 2021

Langmuir–Blodgett technique is utilized to deposit ultrathin films of Au38(SC2H4Ph)24 nanocluster onto solid surfaces such as mica and silicon. The morphologies of the films transferred at various surface pressures within the mono/bi/trilayer regime are studied by atomic force microscopy (AFM). The time spent on the water surface before the deposition has a decisive effect on the final ordering of nanoclusters within the network and is studied by fast AFM, X‐ray reflectivity, and grazing‐incidence wide‐angle X‐ray scattering.
A novel strength prediction model of mortars with different types of cement and SCMs
Authors: Sun Bochao , Zhao Weijian , Cai Gaochuang , Noguchi Takafumi , Wang Wei
Published: February 2021

Based on fib Model Code 2010, a time‐dependent strength prediction model was improved by reconsidering the coefficient s for the cementitious materials with different types of cement and mix proportions. The relationship between s and mineral composition was investigated experimentally. The results indicate that the values of s show an approximately linear decreasing tendency with the C3S + C3A content in cement. An empirical function was proposed to describe the variation of s with different water‐to‐binder (W/b) ratio and different ratios of ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS) and fly ash (FA) to the binder, GGBS/b and FA/b ratio. Based on regression analysis, the proposed function presented a correlation of the variation of s with W/b ratios and/or SCM/b ratios. Through the new modified strength prediction model, the predicted results of the compressive strengths of mortars were compared to the experimental results in this study and previous studies. The results show that the new model can provide an accurate evaluation of the early‐age strength development of cementitious materials.
Extension of the ζ‐method for calculating deflections of two‐way slabs based on linear elastic finite element analysis
Authors: Tošić Nikola , Pecić Nenad , Poliotti Mauro , Marí Antonio , Torres Lluis , Dragaš Jelena
Published: February 2021

Deflections are among the most complex aspects of reinforced concrete behavior. Furthermore, deflection control is increasingly a governing criterion in design, especially in the case of two‐way members such as flat slabs or edge‐supported slabs. However, simple and theoretically sound and adequately verified methods for calculating deflections of two‐way reinforced concrete members have been lacking. Therefore, in this study, a novel method is proposed for deflection control of two‐way slabs. The method is an extension of the ζ‐method (as defined by Eurocode 2 and the fib Model Code 2010) of interpolating deflections between the uncracked and fully cracked state. As a basis, the method uses elastic deflections that are obtained through linear elastic analyses in finite element software. The elastic deflection is then adequately transformed based on the properties of a representative section, to account for cracking, shrinkage and creep according to a modified version of the ζ‐method. Finally, the method is validated against available experimental results from literature, obtaining satisfactory precision and accuracy. The method proposed in this study aims at providing an easy‐to‐use tool for designers carrying out deflection control of two‐way reinforced concrete slabs.
Impact of condensed silica fume on splitting tensile strength and brittleness of high strength self‐compacting concrete
Authors: Wang Qing , Yao Boyu , He Jianqiang , He Xixi , Ho J. C. M.
Published: February 2021

Self‐compacting concrete (SCC) is a type of concrete that can consolidate itself without external compaction. High‐strength SCC (HS‐SCC) is becoming more popular having a very broad range of application in Civil Engineering, such as piles, columns of tall buildings and piers for long‐span bridges. However, HS‐SCC is very brittle that limits its application above. To this, present study aims at mitigating the brittleness of HS‐SCC having a fixed water/binder ratio of 0.30 and binder content of 500 kg/m3 by blending cement with condensed silica fume (CSF). The percentage of CSF that replaced cement was 0–15% by weight. Apart from measuring the brittleness, mechanical property such as splitting tensile and compressive strength, as well as fresh property, such as slump flow, V‐funnel time, and L‐box passing ability was also obtained. The experimental results indicated that 10% replacement of cement by CSF could effectively decrease the brittleness of HS‐SCC and simultaneously increase the 28‐day compressive strength. On the other hand, the slump flow of concrete decreased as the content of CSF increased, but nonetheless was able to maintain at above 600 mm, which is a commonly accepted criteria for SCC. Lastly, scanning electron microscope figures showed that the microstructure of concrete and hydration morphology were enhanced by CSF particle.
Implement paperless veterans’ certification process
Authors: Pavlik Amelia
Published: February 2021

Wasted time and energy. These are two headaches that are likely common for both your staff and students when it comes to paper‐driven veterans certification processes.
Know how to balance student privacy, health in pandemic
Authors: Javanshir Leila , Rice David
Published: February 2021

Institutions of higher education face the difficult challenge of balancing student privacy with public health concerns presented by the COVID‐19 pandemic. The following guidance addresses the most common questions institutions are facing today.
Advancing hydrological process understanding from long‐term resistivity monitoring systems
Authors: Slater Lee , Binley Andrew
Published: February 2021

Monitoring subsurface flow and transport processes over a wide range of spatiotemporal scales remains one of the greatest challenges in hydrology. Electrical geophysical techniques have been implemented to noninvasively investigate a broad range of subsurface hydrological processes. Recent advances in instrumentation and interpretational tools highlight the emerging opportunities to adopt long‐term resistivity monitoring (LTRM) to improve understanding of flow and transport processes operating over monthly to decadal timescales that are not adequately captured in short‐term monitoring data sets and are temporally aliased in data sets constructed from occasional reoccupation of a study site. The emergence of LTRM as a robust tool in hydrology represents a paradigm shift in geophysical data acquisition and analysis, with resistivity monitoring now evolving into a hydrological decision support technology. We describe the theoretical basis for adopting LTRM for noninvasive monitoring of hydrological state variables over multiple spatial scales and with higher temporal resolution than achieved from periodic reoccupation of a field site. Instrumentation developments facilitating autonomous data acquisition at off the grid field sites are discussed, along with advances in data processing that enhance the hydrological information content inherent in LTRM data sets. Case studies from a diverse range of hydrology subdisciplines highlight the largely untapped potential for LTRM to provide information beyond the reach of established hydrology tools. Future opportunities and challenges relating to the more widespread adoption of LTRM, including addressing inherent uncertainty in resistivity interpretation, upscaling, computational, and modeling needs are critically discussed.

This article is categorized under:

Science of Water (WCAA)
Sulfate transport mutants affect hydrogen sulfide and sulfite production during alcoholic fermentation
Authors: Walker Michelle E. , Zhang Jin , Sumby Krista M. , Lee Andrea , Houlès Anne , Li Sijing , Jiranek Vladimir
Published: February 2021

Hydrogen sulfide is a common wine fault, with a rotten‐egg odour, which is directly related to yeast metabolism in response to nitrogen and sulfur availability. In grape juice, sulfate is the most abundant inorganic sulfur compound, which is taken up by yeast through two high‐affinity sulfate transporters, Sul1p and Sul2p, and a low affinity transporter, Soa1p. Sulfate contributes to H2S production under nitrogen limitation, by being reduced via the Sulfur Assimilation Pathway (SAP). Therefore, yeast strains with limited H2S are highly desirable. We report on the use of toxic analogues of sulfate following ethyl methane sulfate treatment, to isolate six wine yeast mutants that produce no or reduced H2S and SO2 during fermentation in synthetic and natural juice. Four amino acid substitutions (A99V, G380R, N588K and E856K) in Sul1p were found in all strains except D25‐1 which had heterozygous alleles. Two changes were also identified in Sul2p (L268S and A470T). The Sul1p (G380R) and Sul2p (A470T) mutations were chosen for further investigation as these residues are conserved amongst SLC26 membrane proteins (including sulfate permeases). The mutations were introduced into EC1118 using Crispr cas9 technology and shown to reduce accumulation of H2S and do not result in increased SO2 production during fermentation of model medium (chemically defined grape juice) or Riesling juice. The Sul1p (G380R) and Sul2p (A470T) mutations are newly reported as causal mutations. Our findings contribute to knowledge of the genetic basis of H2S production as well as the potential use of these strains for winemaking and in yeast breeding programmes.
Gauge/gravity dual dynamics for the strongly coupled sector of composite Higgs models
Authors: Erdmenger Johanna , Evans Nick , Porod Werner , Rigatos Konstantinos S.
Published: February 2021

Abstract

A holographic model of chiral symmetry breaking is used to study the dynamics plus the meson and baryon spectrum of the underlying strong dynamics in composite Higgs models. The model is inspired by top-down D-brane constructions. We introduce this model by applying it to Nf = 2 QCD. We compute meson masses, decay constants and the nucleon mass. The spectrum is improved by including higher dimensional operators to reflect the UV physics of QCD. Moving to composite Higgs models, we impose perturbative running for the anomalous dimension of the quark condensate in a variety of theories with varying number of colors and flavours. We compare our results in detail to lattice simulations for the following theories: SU(2) gauge theory with two Dirac fundamentals; Sp(4) gauge theory with fundamental and sextet matter; and SU(4) gauge theory with fundamental and sextet quarks. In each case, the holographic results are encouraging since they are close to lattice results for masses and decay constants. Moreover, our models allow us to compute additional observables not yet computed on the lattice, to relax the quenched approximation and move to the precise fermion content of more realistic composite Higgs models not possible on the lattice. We also provide a new holographic description of the top partners including their masses and structure functions. With the addition of higher dimension operators, we show the top Yukawa coupling can be made of order one, to generate the observed top mass. Finally, we predict the spectrum for the full set of models with top partners proposed by Ferretti and Karateev.
Discreteness and integrality in Conformal Field Theory
Authors: Kaidi Justin , Perlmutter Eric
Published: February 2021

Abstract

Various observables in compact CFTs are required to obey positivity, discreteness, and integrality. Positivity forms the crux of the conformal bootstrap, but understanding of the abstract implications of discreteness and integrality for the space of CFTs is lacking. We systematically study these constraints in two-dimensional, non-holomorphic CFTs, making use of two main mathematical results. First, we prove a theorem constraining the behavior near the cusp of integral, vector-valued modular functions. Second, we explicitly construct non-factorizable, non-holomorphic cuspidal functions satisfying discreteness and integrality, and prove the non-existence of such functions once positivity is added. Application of these results yields several bootstrap-type bounds on OPE data of both rational and irrational CFTs, including some powerful bounds for theories with conformal manifolds, as well as insights into questions of spectral determinacy. We prove that in rational CFT, the spectrum of operator twists $$ t\ge \frac{c}{12} $$
t
≥

c
12

is uniquely determined by its complement. Likewise, we argue that in generic CFTs, the spectrum of operator dimensions $$ \Delta >\frac{c-1}{12} $$
Δ
>

c
−
1

12

is uniquely determined by its complement, absent fine-tuning in a sense we articulate. Finally, we discuss implications for black hole physics and the (non-)uniqueness of a possible ensemble interpretation of AdS3 gravity.
Sterblichkeit bei Sepsis und septischem Schock in Deutschland. Ergebnisse eines systematischen Reviews mit Metaanalyse
Authors: Bauer Michael , Groesdonk Heinrich Volker , Preissing Franziska , Dickmann Petra , Vogelmann Tobias , Gerlach Herwig
Published: February 2021

Hintergrund

Verschiedene Autoren diskutieren, ob fehlende Qualitätsinitiativen und Behandlungsstandards in Deutschland im internationalen Vergleich zu höherer Sterblichkeit bei Sepsis und septischem Schock führen könnten. Dem gegenüber steht eine international anerkannte intensivmedizinische Versorgung in Deutschland, z. B. während der COVID-19-Pandemie.

Ziel der Arbeit

Ziel dieser Studie war es, die Sterblichkeit bei Sepsis und septischem Schock in Deutschland zu ermitteln und mit anderen Industrienationen zu vergleichen.

Material und Methoden

In eine systematischen Literaturrecherche wurden alle zwischen 2009 und 2020 veröffentlichten Interventions- und Beobachtungsstudien aus den Datenbanken PubMed und Cochrane Library eingeschlossen. Die 30- und 90-Tages-Sterblichkeit bei Sepsis und septischem Schock wurde in einer Metaanalyse mittels „Random-effects“-Modells gepoolt.

Ergebnisse

Insgesamt wurden 134 Studien in die Meta-Analyse eingeschlossen. Die 30-Tages-Sterblichkeit bei Sepsis betrug in Deutschland 26,50 % (95 %-KI: 19,86–33,15 %), in Europa (ohne Deutschland) 23,85 % (95%-KI: 20,49–27,21 %) und in Nordamerika 19,58 % (95%-KI: 14,03–25,14 %). Die 30-Tages-Sterblichkeit bei septischem Schock betrug 30,48 % (95 %-KI: 29,30–31,67 %), 34,57 % (95 %-KI: 33,51–35,64 %) bzw. 33,69 % (95 %-KI: 31,51–35,86 %). Die 90-Tages-Sterblichkeit bei septischem Schock betrug 38,78 % (95 %-KI: 32,70–44,86 %), 41,90 % (95 %-KI: 38,88–44,91 %) beziehungsweise 34,41 % (95 %-KI: 25,66–43,16 %).

Diskussion

Es ergaben sich somit keine Anhaltspunkte dafür, dass die Sterblichkeit bei Sepsis/septischem Schock im internationalen Vergleich in Deutschland erhöht ist.
3 Jahre Cannabis als Medizin – Zwischenergebnisse der Cannabisbegleiterhebung
Authors: Schmidt-Wolf Gabriele , Cremer-Schaeffer Peter
Published: February 2021

In Deutschland sind Ärztinnen und Ärzte, die Cannabisarzneimittel zulasten der gesetzlichen Krankenversicherung verschreiben, verpflichtet, an einer bis zum 31.03.2022 laufenden nichtinterventionellen Begleiterhebung zur Anwendung dieser Cannabisarzneimittel teilzunehmen.

Zum Zeitpunkt der Zwischenauswertung am 11.05.2020 lagen 10.010 vollständige Datensätze vor. Am häufigsten wurden Schmerzen (73 %) als primär therapierte Symptomatik genannt, gefolgt von Spastik (10 %) sowie Anorexie/Wasting (6 %). Verordnet wurden in 65 % der Fälle Dronabinol (z. B. als Rezeptur oder Marinol® [AbbVie, IL, USA]), in 18 % Cannabisblüten, in 13 % Sativex® (GW Pharma, Cambridge, UK), in 0,3 % Nabilon (z. B. Canemes® [AOP Orphan Pharmaceuticals AG, Wien, Österreich]) und in 4 % (mit zunehmender Tendenz) Cannabisextrakt. Die Fallzahl von 6485 Fällen erlaubt bei Dronabinol bereits die Auswertung von Subgruppen hinsichtlich der therapeutischen Wirksamkeit. Für Cannabis typische Nebenwirkungen, wie Müdigkeit, Schwindel, Schläfrigkeit, Übelkeit und Mundtrockenheit, traten bei der Verwendung aller Cannabisarzneimittel auf und sind bereits aus den Fachinformationen der cannabisbasierten Fertigarzneimittel bekannt. Potenziell schwerwiegende Nebenwirkungen wie Depression, Suizidgedanken, Wahnvorstellungen, Halluzinationen, Dissoziation und Sinnestäuschungen sind in jeweils mehr als einem von 1000 Fällen gemeldet worden.

Mit Cannabisblüten behandelte Personen sind deutlich jünger und weisen einen erheblich höheren Männeranteil auf. Sie werden häufiger hausärztlich behandelt (Allgemeinmedizin, innere Medizin), weichen häufiger von den üblicherweise behandelten Diagnosen (Schmerz, Spastik und Anorexie/Wasting) ab und verfügen über mehr Vorerfahrungen mit Cannabis. Das in der Begleiterhebung bestehende Underreporting betrifft diese Fallgruppe am stärksten.
Relaxed gradient projection algorithm for constrained node-based shape optimization
Authors: Antonau Ihar , Hojjat Majid , Bletzinger Kai-Uwe
Published: February 2021

In node-based shape optimization, there are a vast amount of design parameters, and the objectives, as well as the physical constraints, are non-linear in state and design. Robust optimization algorithms are required. The methods of feasible directions are widely used in practical optimization problems and know to be quite robust. A subclass of these methods is the gradient projection method. It is an active-set method, it can be used with equality and non-equality constraints, and it has gained significant popularity for its intuitive implementation. One significant issue around efficiency is that the algorithm may suffer from zigzagging behavior while it follows non-linear design boundaries. In this work, we propose a modification to Rosen’s gradient projection algorithm. It includes the efficient techniques to damp the zigzagging behavior of the original algorithm while following the non-linear design boundaries, thus improving the performance of the method.
Suitability of sugar, amino acid, and inorganic ion compositions to distinguish fir and spruce honey
Authors: Shaaban Basel , Seeburger Victoria , Schroeder Annette , Lohaus Gertrud
Published: February 2021

Honeydew honey is produced by bees from excretions of plant-feeding insects, such as aphids and scale insects. Honeydew on conifers, like fir (Abies alba) or spruce (Picea abies), is produced by different species of the genera Cinara and Physokermes. This means that honeydew honey can stem from different botanical as well as zoological origins, but so far it is not possible to clearly distinguish the different types of honeys. In the attempt to identify distinguishing markers, 19 sugars, 25 amino acids and 9 inorganic ions were quantified in three groups of honeydew honey (fir/Cinara, spruce/Cinara and spruce/Physokermes) with 20 honey samples each. It could be demonstrated that the contents of isomaltose, raffinose, erlose, two undefined oligosaccharides, several amino acids, sulfate, and phosphate differed significantly between the three groups of honey. Furthermore, multivariate analyses resulted in a separation of spruce/Physokermes honey from spruce- or fir/Cinara honey due to its higher contents of phosphate, sulfate, erlose and two undefined oligosaccharides. Moreover, the amino acid composition and the isomaltose as well as the raffinose contents proved useful in the distinction between fir/Cinara and spruce/Cinara honey. In sum, the contents of sugars, amino acids, and inorganic ions in German fir and spruce honeys provide useful information about the botanical and zoological origin of honeydew honeys.
Trading Locality for Time: Certifiable Randomness from Low-Depth Circuits
Authors: Coudron Matthew , Stark Jalex , Vidick Thomas
Published: February 2021

The generation of certifiable randomness is the most fundamental information-theoretic task that meaningfully separates quantum devices from their classical counterparts. We propose a protocol for exponential certified randomness expansion using a single quantum device. The protocol calls for the device to implement a simple quantum circuit of constant depth on a 2D lattice of qubits. The output of the circuit can be verified classically in linear time, and is guaranteed to contain a polynomial number of certified random bits assuming that the device used to generate the output operated using a (classical or quantum) circuit of sub-logarithmic depth. This assumption contrasts with the locality assumption used for randomness certification based on Bell inequality violation and more recent proposals for randomness certification based on computational assumptions. Furthermore, to demonstrate randomness generation it is sufficient for a device to sample from the ideal output distribution within constant statistical distance. Our procedure is inspired by recent work of Bravyi et al. (Science 362(6412):308–311, 2018), who introduced a relational problem that can be solved by a constant-depth quantum circuit, but provably cannot be solved by any classical circuit of sub-logarithmic depth. We develop the discovery of Bravyi et al. into a framework for robust randomness expansion. Our results lead to a new proposal for a demonstrated quantum advantage that has some advantages compared to existing proposals. First, our proposal does not rest on any complexity-theoretic conjectures, but relies on the physical assumption that the adversarial device being tested implements a circuit of sub-logarithmic depth. Second, success on our task can be easily verified in classical linear time. Finally, our task is more noise-tolerant than most other existing proposals that can only tolerate multiplicative error, or require additional conjectures from complexity theory; in contrast, we are able to allow a small constant additive error in total variation distance between the sampled and ideal distributions.
Deep learning-based auto-delineation of gross tumour volumes and involved nodes in PET/CT images of head and neck cancer patients
Authors: Moe Yngve Mardal , Groendahl Aurora Rosvoll , Tomic Oliver , Dale Einar , Malinen Eirik , Futsaether Cecilia Marie
Published: February 2021

Purpose

Identification and delineation of the gross tumour and malignant nodal volume (GTV) in medical images are vital in radiotherapy. We assessed the applicability of convolutional neural networks (CNNs) for fully automatic delineation of the GTV from FDG-PET/CT images of patients with head and neck cancer (HNC). CNN models were compared to manual GTV delineations made by experienced specialists. New structure-based performance metrics were introduced to enable in-depth assessment of auto-delineation of multiple malignant structures in individual patients.

Methods

U-Net CNN models were trained and evaluated on images and manual GTV delineations from 197 HNC patients. The dataset was split into training, validation and test cohorts (n= 142, n = 15 and n = 40, respectively). The Dice score, surface distance metrics and the new structure-based metrics were used for model evaluation. Additionally, auto-delineations were manually assessed by an oncologist for 15 randomly selected patients in the test cohort.

Results

The mean Dice scores of the auto-delineations were 55%, 69% and 71% for the CT-based, PET-based and PET/CT-based CNN models, respectively. The PET signal was essential for delineating all structures. Models based on PET/CT images identified 86% of the true GTV structures, whereas models built solely on CT images identified only 55% of the true structures. The oncologist reported very high-quality auto-delineations for 14 out of the 15 randomly selected patients.

Conclusions

CNNs provided high-quality auto-delineations for HNC using multimodality PET/CT. The introduced structure-wise evaluation metrics provided valuable information on CNN model strengths and weaknesses for multi-structure auto-delineation.
The Effect of Conflict on Obstetric and Non‐Obstetric Surgical Needs and Operative Mortality in Fragile States
Authors: Rahman Arifeen S. , Chao Tiffany E. , Trelles Miguel , Dominguez Lynette , Mupenda Jerome , Kasonga Cheride , Akemani Clemence , Kondo Kalla Moussa , Chu Kathryn M.
Published: February 2021

Background

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) provides surgical care in fragile states, which are more vulnerable to conflict. The primary objective of this study was to compare the indications for operative intervention in surgical projects in fragile states during periods of active conflict (CON) and non‐conflict (NON‐CON). In addition, risk factors for non‐obstetric and obstetric operative mortality were identified.

Methods

This was a retrospective analysis of MSF surgical projects in fragile states January 1, 2008–December 31, 2017. Variables considered in the analysis include age, gender, American Society of Anesthesiology physical status, emergency status, re‐intervention status, indication for surgical intervention, and conflict/non‐conflict time period.

Results

There were 30 surgical projects in 13 fragile states with 87,968 surgical interventions in 68,667 patients. Obstetric needs were the most common indication for surgical intervention (n = 28,060, 31.9%) but were more common during NON‐CON (n = 23,142, 35.7%) compared to CON periods (n = 4,918, 21.2%, p < 0.001). Trauma was more common during CON (42.0%) compared to NON‐CON (23.0%) periods (p < 0.001). Non‐obstetric operative mortality was similar during CON (0.2%) compared to NON‐CON (0.2%, p = 0.920), but obstetric operative mortality was higher (0.5%) during CON compared to NON‐CON (0.2%, p < 0.001) periods. Risk factors for obstetric and non‐obstetric mortality included age ≥ 30 years, ASA greater than 1, and emergency intervention.

Conclusion

Humanitarian surgeons working in fragile states should be prepared to treat a range of surgical needs including trauma and obstetrics during conflict and non‐conflict periods. The mortality in obstetric patients was higher during conflict periods, and further research to understand ways to protect this vulnerable group is needed.
Zwanghaftes Sexualverhalten – Welche Rolle spielen sexuelle Grenzverletzungen und Paraphilien
Authors: Engel Jannis , Veit Maria , Krüger Tillmann
Published: February 2021

Hintergrund

Zwanghaftes Sexualverhalten (ZS) ist gekennzeichnet durch intensive, repetitive sexuelle Fantasien, dranghaftes Erleben und Verhaltensweisen, die zu klinisch signifikanten psychischen Beeinträchtigungen führen. Neue Untersuchungen zeigen, dass ZS mit interpersonellen Konflikten assoziiert ist. Die Beziehung von ZS zu sexuellen Grenzverletzungen und Paraphilien bleibt jedoch unklar.

Fragestellung

Das Ziel der vorliegenden Untersuchung war es, das Wissen über die Rolle von sexuellen Grenzverletzungen und Paraphilien bei Männern mit ZS zu erweitern.

Material und Methoden

Eine Gruppe von Männern mit ZS (n = 47) wurde mit einer Gruppe gesunder Kontrollprobanden (GK, n = 38) verglichen. Anhand von Fragebogen wurde untersucht, ob sexuelle Grenzverletzungen und Paraphilien als sexuelle Vorlieben vorliegen, und ob sie in der Realität ausgelebt wurden.

Ergebnisse

Es zeigte sich, dass Männer mit ZS eine stärkere sexuelle Erregung durch sexuelle Grenzverletzungen in Masturbationsfantasien erlebten und in der Vergangenheit häufiger sexuelle Grenzverletzungen wie nichtkonsensuelles Eindringen auslebten als GK (Männer mit ZS 17 % vs. GK 3 %). Des Weiteren waren die paraphilen Interessen bei Männern mit ZS stärker ausgeprägt im Vergleich zu GK.

Schlussfolgerung

Die Befunde unterstreichen die Wichtigkeit der Arbeit mit Patienten mit ZS und haben weitreichende Implikationen für die therapeutische Arbeit, insbesondere was die therapeutische Grundhaltung gegenüber Patienten mit ZS betrifft.
A PET/CT nomogram incorporating SUVmax and CT radiomics for preoperative nodal staging in non-small cell lung cancer
Authors: Xie Yunming , Zhao Hongguang , Guo Yan , Meng Fanyang , Liu Xiangchun , Zhang Yiying , Huai Xiaochen , Wong Qianting , Fu Yu , Zhang Huimao
Published: February 2021

Objectives

To develop and validate a PET/CT nomogram for preoperative estimation of lymph node (LN) staging in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Methods

A total of 263 pathologically confirmed LNs from 124 patients with NCSLC were retrospectively analyzed. Positron-emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) examination was performed before treatment according to the clinical schedule. In the training cohort (N = 185), malignancy-related features, such as SUVmax, short-axis diameter (SAD), and CT radiomics features, were extracted from the regions of LN based on the PET/CT scan. The Minimum-Redundancy Maximum-Relevance (mRMR) algorithm and the Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) regression model were used for feature selection and radiomics score building. The radiomics score (Rad-Score) and SUVmax were incorporated in a PET/CT nomogram using the multivariable logistic regression analysis. The performance of the proposed model was evaluated with discrimination, calibration, and clinical application in an independent testing cohort (N = 78).

Results

The radiomics scores consisting of 14 selected features were significantly associated with LN status for both training cohort with AUC of 0.849 (95% confidence interval (CI), 0.796–0.903) and testing cohort with AUC of 0.828 (95% CI, 0.782–0.919). The PET/CT nomogram incorporating radiomics score and SUVmax showed moderate improvement of the efficiency with AUC of 0.881 (95% CI, 0.834–0.928) in the training cohort and AUC of 0.872 (95% CI, 0.797–0.946) in the testing cohort. The decision curve analysis indicated that the PET/CT nomogram was clinically useful.

Conclusion

The PET/CT nomogram, which incorporates Rad-Score and SUVmax, can improve the diagnostic performance of LN metastasis.

Key Points

• The PET/CT nomogram (Int-Score) based on lymph node (LN) PET/CT images can reliably predict LN status in NSCLC.

• Int-Score is a relatively objective diagnostic method, which can play an auxiliary role in the process of clinicians making treatment decisions.
Should all hip and knee prosthetic joints be aspirated prior to revision surgery?
Authors: Staphorst Femke , Jutte Paul C. , Boerboom Alexander L. , Kampinga Greetje A. , Ploegmakers Joris J. W. , Wouthuyzen-Bakker Marjan
Published: February 2021

Aims

It is essential to exclude a periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) prior to revision surgery. It is recommended to routinely aspirate the joint before surgery. However, this may not be necessary in a subgroup of patients. The aim of our study was to investigate if specific clinical and implant characteristics could be identified to rule out a PJI prior to revision surgery.

Methods

We retrospectively evaluated clinical and implant characteristics of patients who underwent a hip or knee revision surgery between October 2015 and October 2018. Patients were diagnosed with a PJI according to the MSIS diagnostic criteria.

Results

A total of 156 patients were analyzed, including 107 implants that were revised because of prosthetic loosening and 49 because of mechanical failure (i.e. instability, malalignment or malpositioning). No PJI was diagnosed in the group with mechanical failure. In the prosthetic loosening group, 20 of 107 were diagnosed with a PJI (19%). Although there was a significantly lower chance of having a PJI with an implant age of > 5 years combined with a CRP < 5 mg/L, an infection was still present in 3 out of 39 cases (8%).

Conclusion

Implants with solely mechanical failure without signs of loosening and low inflammatory parameters probably do not require a synovial fluid aspiration. These results need to be confirmed in a larger cohort of patients. In case of prosthetic loosening, all joints need to be aspirated before surgery as no specific characteristic could be identified to rule out an infection.
Prospective study on health-related quality of life in patients before and after cochlear implantation
Authors: Plath Michaela , Marienfeld Theresa , Sand Matthias , van de Weyer Philipp S. , Praetorius Mark , Plinkert Peter K. , Baumann Ingo , Zaoui Karim
Published: February 2021

Purpose

Assessing cochlear implant (CI)-associated patient outcomes is a focus of implant research. Most studies have analyzed outcomes retrospectively with low patient numbers and few measurement time points. In addition, standardized CI-specific health-related quality of life (HRQoL) instruments have not been used. To address this, we prospectively assessed HRQoL in patients before and after implantation.

Methods

We assessed HRQoL using the Nijmegen Cochlear Implant Questionnaire (NCIQ), Abbreviated Profile of Hearing Aid Benefit (APHAB), Hearing Participation Scale (HPS), and the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) in 100 deaf or severely hearing-impaired patients (57 unilaterally deaf and 43 bilaterally deaf) before and 3, 6, and 12 months after cochlear implantation. We compared the results of unilaterally and bilaterally hearing-impaired patients and patients with or without a hearing aid. Principal component (PCA) and exploratory factor analyses (EFA) were also conducted.

Results

The NCIQ measured improvements in all 6 domains after CI and correlated well with other QoL instruments. The PCA revealed that the NCIQ can be better explained by physical, physical advanced, and socio-psychological components. The APHAB score ameliorated over time, except for the background noise domain. The overall HPS score improved over time, but the hearing handicap subscore significantly decreased. Sociodemographic influences on the questionnaire scores were relatively weak.

Conclusion

Assessing HRQoL is essential for quantifying the patient outcome after CI. NCIQ scores in our patient cohort showed improved HRQoL in all domains and we recommend that the NCIQ be used as a first-line questionnaire for assessing QoL in hearing-impaired patients after CI.
Bone-anchored hearing system, contralateral routing of signals hearing aid or cochlear implant: what is best in single-sided deafness?
Authors: Jakob Till F. , Speck Iva , Rauch Ann-Kathrin , Hassepass Frederike , Ketterer Manuel C. , Beck Rainer , Aschendorff Antje , Wesarg Thomas , Arndt Susan
Published: February 2021

Purpose

The aim of the study was to compare long-term results after 1 year in patients with single-sided deafness (SSD) who were fitted with different hearing aids. The participants tested contralateral routing of signals (CROS) hearing aids and bone-anchored hearing systems (BAHS). They were also informed about the possibility of a cochlear implant (CI) and chose one of the three devices. We also investigated which factors influenced the choice of device.

Methods

Prospective study with 89 SSD participants who were divided into three groups by choosing BAHS, CROS, or CI. All participants received test batteries with both objective hearing tests (speech perception in noise and sound localisation) and subjective questionnaires.

Results

16 participants opted for BAHS-, 13 for CROS- and 30 for CI-treatment. The greater the subjective impairment caused by SSD, the more likely patients were to opt for surgical treatment (BAHS or CI). The best results in terms of speech perception in noise (especially when sound reaches the deaf ear and noise the hearing ear), sound localization, and subjective results were achieved with CI.

Conclusion

The best results regarding the therapy of SSD are achieved with a CI, followed by BAHS. This was evident both in objective tests and in the subjective questionnaires. Nevertheless, an individual decision is required in each case as to which SSD therapy option is best for the patient. Above all, the patient's subjective impairment and expectations should be included in the decision-making process.
Carbohydrate restriction following strenuous glycogen-depleting exercise does not potentiate the acute molecular response associated with mitochondrial biogenesis in human skeletal muscle
Authors: Ramos Catarina , Cheng Arthur J. , Kamandulis Sigitas , Subocius Andrejus , Brazaitis Marius , Venckunas Tomas , Chaillou Thomas
Published: February 2021

Purpose

Carbohydrate (CHO) restriction could be a potent metabolic regulator of endurance exercise-induced muscle adaptations. Here, we determined whether post-exercise CHO restriction following strenuous exercise combining continuous cycling exercise (CCE) and sprint interval exercise could affect the gene expression related to mitochondrial biogenesis and oxidative metabolism in human skeletal muscle.

Methods

In a randomized cross-over design, 8 recreationally active males performed two cycling exercise sessions separated by 4 weeks. Each session consisted of 60-min CCE and six 30-s all-out sprints, which was followed by ingestion of either a CHO or placebo beverage in the post-exercise recovery period. Muscle glycogen concentration and the mRNA levels of several genes related to mitochondrial biogenesis and oxidative metabolism were determined before, immediately after, and at 3 h after exercise.

Results

Compared to pre-exercise, strenuous cycling led to a severe muscle glycogen depletion (> 90%) and induced a large increase in PGC1A and PDK4 mRNA levels (~ 20-fold and ~ 10-fold, respectively) during the acute recovery period in both trials. The abundance of the other transcripts was not changed or was only moderately increased during this period. CHO restriction during the 3-h post-exercise period blunted muscle glycogen resynthesis but did not increase the mRNA levels of genes associated with muscle adaptation to endurance exercise, as compared with abundant post-exercise CHO consumption.

Conclusion

CHO restriction after a glycogen-depleting and metabolically-demanding cycling session is not effective for increasing the acute mRNA levels of genes involved in mitochondrial biogenesis and oxidative metabolism in human skeletal muscle.
The adapter protein Myd88 plays an important role in limiting mycobacterial growth in a zebrafish model for tuberculosis
Authors: Hosseini Rohola , Lamers Gerda E. M. , Bos Erik , Hogendoorn Pancras C. W. , Koster Abraham J. , Meijer Annemarie H. , Spaink Herman P. , Schaaf Marcel J. M.
Published: February 2021

Tuberculosis (TB) is the most prevalent bacterial infectious disease in the world, caused by the pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). In this study, we have used Mycobacterium marinum (Mm) infection in zebrafish larvae as an animal model for this disease to study the role of the myeloid differentiation factor 88 (Myd88), the key adapter protein of Toll-like receptors. Previously, Myd88 has been shown to enhance innate immune responses against bacterial infections, and in the present study, we have investigated the effect of Myd88 deficiency on the granuloma morphology and the intracellular distribution of bacteria during Mm infection. Our results show that granulomas formed in the tail fin from myd88 mutant larvae have a more compact structure and contain a reduced number of leukocytes compared to the granulomas observed in wild-type larvae. These morphological differences were associated with an increased bacterial burden in the myd88 mutant. Electron microscopy analysis showed that the majority of Mm in the myd88 mutant are located extracellularly, whereas in the wild type, most bacteria were intracellular. In the myd88 mutant, intracellular bacteria were mainly present in compartments that were not electron-dense, suggesting that these compartments had not undergone fusion with a lysosome. In contrast, approximately half of the intracellular bacteria in wild-type larvae were found in electron-dense compartments. These observations in a zebrafish model for tuberculosis suggest a role for Myd88-dependent signalling in two important phenomena that limit mycobacterial growth in the infected tissue. It reduces the number of leukocytes at the site of infection and the acidification of bacteria-containing compartments inside these cells.