bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Retrieving the transmission spectrum of HD 209458b using CHOCOLATE: a new chromatic Doppler tomography technique
Authors: Esparza-Borges E. , Oshagh M. , Casasayas-Barris N. , Pallé E. , Chen G. , Morello G. , Santos N. C. , Seidel J. V. , Sozzetti A. , Allart R. , Figueira P. , Bourrier V. , Lillo-Box J. , Borsa F. , Zapatero Osorio M. R. , Tabernero H. , Demangeon O. D. S. , Adibekyan V. , González Hernández J. I. , Mehner A. , Allende Prieto C. , Di Marcantonio P. , Alibert Y. , Cristiani S. , Lo Curto G. , Martins C. J. A. P. , Micela G. , Pepe F. , Rebolo R. , Sousa S. G. , Suárez Mascareño A. , Udry S.
Published: October 2021

Multiband photometric transit observations or low-resolution spectroscopy (spectro-photometry) are normally used to retrieve the broadband transmission spectra of transiting exoplanets in order to assess the chemical composition of their atmospheres. In this paper we present an alternative approach for recovering the broadband transmission spectra using chromatic Doppler tomography based on physical modeling through the SOAP tool: CHOCOLATE (CHrOmatiC line prOfiLe tomogrAphy TEchnique). To validate the method and examine its performance, we use observational data recently obtained with the ESPRESSO instrument to retrieve the transmission spectra of the archetypal hot Jupiter HD 209458b. Our findings indicate that the recovered transmission spectrum is in good agreement with the results presented in previous studies, which used different methodologies to extract the spectrum, achieving similar precision. We explored several atmospheric models and inferred from spectral retrieval that a model containing H2O and NH3 is the preferred scenario. The CHOCOLATE methodology is particularly interesting for future studies of exoplanets around young and active stars or moderate to fast rotating stars, considering SOAP’s ability to model stellar active regions and the fact that the rotational broadening of spectral lines favors its application. Furthermore, CHOCOLATE will allow the broad transmission spectrum of a planet to be retrieved using high-S/N, high-resolution spectroscopy with the next generation of extremely large telescopes, where low-resolution spectroscopy will not always be accessible.
Does dark chocolate have an ergogenic impact on emotional state, vegetative nervous system and strength performance?
Authors: Scholler Victor , Marcel-Millet Philémon , Groslambert Alain
Published: October 2021

The aim of this research is to assess the acute effect of consuming a dark chocolate with lemon (DCL) bar on the emotional state, the vegetative nervous system, and strength performance. This protocol was carried out by eleven male trained cyclists and trail runners (age: 27 ± 12 years old), who tested, in random order, either DCL bar containing flavonoids or a white chocolate bar (placebo) before a simulated competition of knee extension force. Their precompetitive state anxiety (SA), blood pressure, heart rate variability (HRV), and electroencephalography (EEG) responses were measured before and after eating the bars. The maximal voluntary force (MVC) of the knee extensor and the time to exhaustion (TTE) at 20% of MVC were recorded 2 h after eating the bars. Compared to placebo, DCL decreases significantly (p < 0.05) the SA and the systolic blood pressure. An increase of α and a decrease of β waves with a moderate effect size (d = 0.7) were found in the prefrontal cortex, whereas no significant change was observed for HRV and MVC. However, an increase (+22%) of TTE with a moderate effect size (d = 0.5) was found. These findings suggest the potential role of flavonoids to decrease precompetitive anxiety as a complementary routine to improve strength performance.
Stellenwert der ASS-Therapie in der kardio- und zerebrovaskulären Prävention
Authors: Gassanov Natig , Eicke Martin , Er Fikret
Published: October 2021

Acetylsalicylsäure (ASS), eines der am meisten verwendeten Medikamente weltweit, spielt als Thrombozytenaggregationshemmer eine bedeutende Rolle bei der Behandlung und Sekundärprophylaxe vieler vaskulärer Erkrankungen. Dagegen ist die primärprophylaktische Indikation umstritten. Nach der neuesten Evidenz wird der Einsatz von ASS zunehmend kritisch bei Patienten ohne bestehende atherosklerotische Erkrankungen bewertet. Zwar senkt die Substanz die ischämischen Ereignisse, dies geht allerdings mit einem erhöhten Blutungsrisiko einher, sodass in der Summe kein relevanter klinischer Vorteil übrigbleibt. Deswegen wird das Mittel bei Patienten ohne nachgewiesene kardio- bzw. zerebrovaskuläre Erkrankung generell nicht empfohlen.
Bewegungstherapie und Sport bei Fettstoffwechselstörungen
Authors: Krüger Karsten
Published: October 2021

Zahlreiche Studien belegen den starken Zusammenhang zwischen Veränderungen des Plasma-Lipidprofils und dem kardiovaskulären Risiko. Körperliche Aktivität stellt eine wirksame Präventions- und Therapiestrategie der Fettstoffwechselstörungen dar und wirkt gleichzeitig gegen zahlreiche Komorbiditäten, die oftmals das Krankheitsbild begleiten. Mechanistische Grundlagen der Sport- und Bewegungstherapie liegen im erhöhten Energieumsatz, den funktionellen und strukturellen Adaptationen an die metabolische Beanspruchung sowie in den immunregulierenden Effekten der Bewegung. Als besonders wirksam auf das Lipidprofil haben sich moderate Ausdauerbelastungen herausgestellt, die jedoch im Sinne einer umfassenden Gesundheitsförderung durch Sport optimiert werden können. Empfohlen werden ein aktiver Alltag sowie ein polarisiertes Training aus aerobem sowie Intervalltraining.
Mykotherapie bei Fettstoffwechselstörungen – wertvoller Beitrag von Vitalpilzen
Authors: Bös Dorothee
Published: October 2021

Die Mykotherapie – synonym auch als Pilzheilkunde bezeichnet – findet heute breite therapeutische Anwendung, insbesondere bei zahlreichen Zivilisationskrankheiten. Das vornehmlich aus der TCM überlieferte mykotherapeutische Wissen wurde mittlerweile durch zahlreiche Untersuchungen und Studien bestätigt. Eine große Vielzahl der bioaktiven Inhaltsstoffe von Vital- bzw. Heilpilzen konnte analysiert und zahlreiche Wirkmechanismen konnten aufgeklärt werden. Die gewonnenen Erkenntnisse zeigen, dass Pilze bei den mit Fettstoffwechselstörungen einhergehenden Erkrankungen sowohl als Nahrungsmittel als auch als Vitalpilztherapeutikum die Situation verbessern.
Therapeutic versus Prophylactic Bemiparin in Hospitalized Patients with Nonsevere COVID-19 Pneumonia (BEMICOP Study): An Open-Label, Multicenter, Randomized, Controlled Trial
Authors: Marcos-Jubilar María , Carmona-Torre Francisco , Vidal Rosa , Ruiz-Artacho Pedro , Filella David , Carbonell Cristina , Jiménez-Yuste Víctor , Schwartz Juana , Llamas Pilar , Alegre Félix , Sádaba Belén , Núñez-Córdoba Jorge , Yuste José R. , Fernández-García Javier , Lecumberri Ramón ,   for the BEMICOP Investigators
Published: October 2021

Thromboprophylaxis with low molecular weight heparin in hospitalized patients with COVID-19 is mandatory, unless contraindicated. Given the links between inflammation and thrombosis, the use of higher doses of anticoagulants could improve outcomes. We conducted an open-label, multicenter, randomized, controlled trial in adult patients hospitalized with nonsevere COVID-19 pneumonia and elevated D-dimer. Patients were randomized to therapeutic-dose bemiparin (115 IU/kg daily) versus standard prophylaxis (bemiparin 3,500 IU daily), for 10 days. The primary efficacy outcome was a composite of death, intensive care unit admission, need of mechanical ventilation support, development of moderate/severe acute respiratory distress, and venous or arterial thrombosis within 10 days of enrollment. The primary safety outcome was major bleeding (International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis criteria). A prespecified interim analysis was performed when 40% of the planned study population was reached. From October 2020 to May 2021, 70 patients were randomized at 5 sites and 65 were included in the primary analysis; 32 patients allocated to therapeutic dose and 33 to standard prophylactic dose. The primary efficacy outcome occurred in 7 patients (22%) in the therapeutic-dose group and 6 patients (18%) in the prophylactic-dose (absolute risk difference 3.6% [95% confidence interval [CI], –16% –24%]; odds ratio 1.26 [95% CI, 0.37–4.26]; p = 0.95). Discharge in the first 10 days was possible in 66 and 79% of patients, respectively. No major bleeding event was registered. Therefore, in patients with COVID-19 hospitalized with nonsevere pneumonia but elevated D-dimer, the use of a short course of therapeutic-dose bemiparin does not appear to improve clinical outcomes compared with standard prophylactic doses. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04604327.
A Case Report of Giant Ascending Aortic Aneurysm: Role of Multimodality Imaging
Authors: Shah Shabir H. , Shah Muhammad A. , Alganadi Abudar A. M. , Alshehri Halia Z. , Mir Mudasir S. , Alshammari Abdulaziz M.
Published: October 2021

Giant ascending aortic aneurysm (AscAA >10 cm) is an uncommon entity with a variable presentation. The size of the aneurysm, rapid expansion, and calcification are associated with an increased risk of rupture. Atherosclerosis is the most common etiology of aortic aneurysm in the elderly population. Multimodality imaging can be wisely used for diagnosis, risk stratification, and follow-up. We herein report a case of successfully repaired giant calcified AscAA with a maximum diameter of 10 cm. We also provide a brief discussion on the role of multimodality imaging.
Challenges in Image-Guided Drainage of Infected Pleural Collections: A Review
Authors: Bhalla Ashu S. , Jana Manisha , Naranje Priyanka , Singh Swish K. , Banday Irshad
Published: October 2021

Infected pleural fluid collections (IPFCs) commonly occur as a part of bacterial, fungal, or tubercular pneumonia or due to involvement of pleura through hematogenous route. Management requires early initiation of therapeutic drugs, as well as complete drainage of the fluid, to relieve patients' symptoms and prevent pleural fibrosis. Image-guided drainage plays an important role in achieving these goals and improving outcomes. Intrapleural fibrinolytic therapy (IPFT) is also a vital component of the management. The concepts of image-guided drainage procedures, IPFT, and nonexpanding lung are discussed in this review.
Electron spin relaxation induced by a cantilever when the spin frequency matches the cantilever frequency
Authors: Berman Gennady P. , Gorshkov Vyacheslav N. , Tsifrinovich Vladimir I.
Published: October 2021

We study the electron spin relaxation induced by a high frequency nanomechanical cantilever with an attached ferromagnetic particle in a situation when the spin Larmor frequency matches the cantilever frequency. We consider a situation when the spin–cantilever system is described by the Jaynes–Cummings model. We have obtained an analytical solution describing the spin relaxation caused by the spin–cantilever interaction. Based on these results, we suggest a “spin thermometer” that could measure the temperature of nanomechanical cantilevers.
Effects of forces on chromatin
Authors: Amar Kshitij , Wei Fuxiang , Chen Junwei , Wang Ning
Published: October 2021

Chromatin is a unique structure of DNA and histone proteins in the cell nucleus and the site of dynamic regulation of gene expression. Soluble factors are known to affect the chromatin structure and function via activating or inhibiting specific transcription factors. Forces on chromatin come from exogenous stresses on the cell surface and/or endogenous stresses, which are regulated by substrate mechanics, geometry, and topology. Forces on chromatin involve direct (via adhesion molecules, cytoskeleton, and the linker of nucleoskeleton and cytoskeleton complexes) and indirect (via diffusion and/or translocation processes) signaling pathways to modulate levels of chromatin folding and deformation to regulate transcription, which is controlled by histone modifications and depends on magnitude, direction, rate/frequency, duration, and modes of stresses. The rapid force transmission pathway activates multiple genes simultaneously, and the force may act like a “supertranscription factor.” The indirect mechanotransduction pathways and the rapid force transmission pathway together exert sustained impacts on the chromatin, the nucleus, and cell functions.
Impact dynamics of a charged droplet onto different substrates
Authors: Xu Haojie , Wang Junfeng , Wang Zhentao , Yu Kai , Xu Huibin , Wang Dongbao , Zhang Wei
Published: October 2021

Impact behaviors of an electrically charged water droplet on different solid substrates and subsequent dynamic mechanisms were experimentally investigated in this study. Droplets were generated from a metal capillary by a syringe pump with a constant diameter of about 2.2 mm. The capillary was directly connected to a high voltage direct current power supply, while a lower counter ring electrode was grounded. A high-speed camera was utilized to visualize the droplet impact morphology. The influences of the droplet charge density, substrate wettability, and surface temperature were analyzed. The results showed that the impact on hydrophilic surfaces exhibited a greater spreading diameter but a smaller recoiling height than that on a hydrophobic surface, which was attributed to the increased viscous dissipation on the substrate. In addition, compared with a neutral droplet, the maximum spreading diameter of a charged droplet was found to be improved by about 8.4%, where the enhancing effects were proportional to the droplet charge ratio. This was due to the weakening effects of the Coulomb repulsion on the liquid surface tension. Moreover, the impact of charged droplets on a hot copper substrate in three different boiling regimes, called convection, nucleate and film boiling, was also discussed. Finally, a model of the maximum spreading ratio of a charged droplet based on the Weber number, charge ratio, and wettability was established. This study demonstrated that the free charges in a droplet was able to influence its impact behaviors, which would hold great promise for some related technologies.
Enhanced biodegradation of 17α-ethinylestradiol by rhamnolipids in sediment/water systems
Authors: Guo Yanping , Guan Zhijie , Lin Hui , Ou Xuelian
Published: October 2021

Environmental context The steroid hormone 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE2) has been established as a highly estrogenic substance, which potentially causes serious harm to environmental health. Rhamnolipids are a widely researched glycolipid used for the degradation of organic pollutants. Therefore, this study focused on the change of biodegradation of EE2 affected by rhamnolipids in sediment/water systems, showing increased and more rapid degradation. Abstract Rhamnolipids can enhance the remediation of hydrophobic organic pollutants in the environment. However, the rhamnolipid-associated biodegradation of hormones has rarely been investigated. In this study, aerobic biodegradation shake-flask experiments were conducted to investigate biosurfactant-associated biodegradation of 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE2) in sediment/water systems and to assess how the biodegradation rate is influenced by rhamnolipids produced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa MIG-N146. Results showed that EE2 biodegradability is significantly increased with increasing rhamnolipid concentration. An improved pseudo-first-order kinetic equation was established to simulate enhanced EE2 biodegradation at varying rhamnolipid concentrations. The biodegradation rate (k) initially increased marginally, and then increased rapidly with rhamnolipid concentrations exceeding the effective critical micelle concentration. The degree of enhancement of organic biodegradation was mainly affected by organic mass transfer, owing to rhamnolipidic micellar solubilisation, and by rhamnolipids acting as a primary substrate to stimulate the microbial consortium. Analysis results through various techniques indicated the formation of three main types of metabolic intermediates, with diverse polarity and biodegradability characteristics, in the process of EE2 biodegradation. Thus, it was concluded that the presence of rhamnolipids did not negatively affect the processes of EE2 biotransformation by indigenous microorganisms in the original sediment/water systems. This study presents an effective potential application of rhamnolipidic surfactants for enhancement of EE2 biodegradation in sediment/water systems.
Carbon and nitrogen in particle-size fractions of organic matter of soils fertilised with surface and injected applications of pig slurry
Authors: Francisco Cremildo António Luís , Loss Arcângelo , Brunetto Gustavo , Gonzatto Rogério , Giacomini Sandro José , Aita Celso , Piccolo Marisa de Cássia , Torres José Luiz Rodrigues , Marchezan Carina , Scopel Gustavo , Vidal Ricardo Fagan
Published: October 2021

The injection of pig slurry in the soil, associated with the no-tillage system and the reduction of carbon and nitrogen losses through volatilisation, can positively influence the carbon and nitrogen contents in the soil organic matter (SOM) fractions. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effect of surface and injected applications of pig slurry to soils under a no-tillage system on soil organic carbon (SOC) and soil total nitrogen (STN) contents in particle-size fractions of the SOM. The no-tillage system included a crop rotation with grass species, summer maize, and winter black oat and wheat grown from 2011 to 2015. The treatments consisted of injected application of pig slurry, surface applications of pig slurry, application of chemical fertiliser (NPK), and a control with no soil fertiliser application. The 0–5, 5–10, and 10–20 cm soil layers were evaluated for SOC and STN contents, and for particle-size fractions: particulate organic carbon, particulate organic nitrogen, mineral-associated organic carbon, and mineral-associated organic nitrogen. We also evaluated the carbon and nitrogen contents and mass in the light organic matter. The injection of pig slurry increased carbon and nitrogen contents of all SOM fractions compared to surface application of pig slurry. These results suggest that the use of injected pig slurry to the soil under crop rotation in no-tillage reduces carbon and nitrogen losses by volatilisation and emissions to the atmosphere. We recommend the application of pig slurry by injecting in soil because it promotes higher increases in the SOM fractions. This form of application of pig slurry to the soil was shown as an effective and environmentally sustainable method for the conservation and improvement of soil quality.
Change in early childhood classroom interaction quality after a professional development programme (Cambio en la calidad de las interacciones pedagógicas en Educación Infantil tras un programa de desarrollo profesional)
Authors: Torres Elisa , Narea Marigen , Mendive Susana
Published: October 2021

The goal of this study was to analyse changes in classroom interaction quality in 85 early childhood classrooms in vulnerable social contexts in Santiago de Chile which participated in the first year of a professional development programme. Classroom interaction quality was measured using the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) at the beginning and end of the school year. Contingency tables were built in the experimental and control groups and subsequently analysed with the chi-square and odds ratio. Results show that most classrooms maintained low quality levels, even after having received the intervention. A significant decrease in quality level of emotional support was also observed in the control group. These results have important implications for quality evaluation policy and practices and for the design and implementation of professional development programmes in early childhood education.
Energy landscapes for a modified repulsive Weeks–Chandler–Andersen potential
Authors: Banerjee Atreyee , Wales David J
Published: October 2021

The short-range nature of the repulsive Weeks–Chandler–Anderson (WCA) potential can create free particles/rattlers in a condensed system. The presence of rattlers complicates the analysis of the energy landscape due to extra zero-frequency normal modes. By employing a long-range Gaussian tail modification, we remove the rattlers without changing the structure and the dynamics of the system, and successfully describe the potential energy landscape in terms of minima and transition states. This coarse-grained description of the landscape and the dynamical properties of the modified potential exhibit characteristic signatures of glass-forming liquids. However, we show that despite having qualitatively similar behaviour, the modified WCA potential is less frustrated compared to its attractive counterpart.
Monte Carlo modelling of an x-ray chamber for providing inactivation exposures to viruses
Authors: Eakins J S , Afrough B , Hewson R
Published: October 2021

The Monte Carlo radiation transport code MCNP6 has been used to model dosimetry for biological pathogen samples placed within a MultiRad 225 irradiation chamber, in order to inform virus deactivation protocols. Full characterisations of the photon spectra generated by the chamber’s x-ray tube were achieved for both 190 and 220 kV potentials, with and without aluminium and copper beam filters of different thicknesses. Dose rate maps to air and water within the chamber were then derived, along with corresponding conversion coefficient data. The maps were determined for samples located both on a shelf and on a dry ice refrigeration chamber, at different distances from the source. The potential depth-dose profiles through samples were also investigated. The optimum choice of filter for use in virus inactivation procedures will rely on a compromise between dose homogeneity and dose rate.
Revealing Chern number from quantum metric
Authors: Zhang Anwei
Published: October 2021

Chern number is usually characterized by Berry curvature. Here, by investigating the Dirac model of even-dimensional Chern insulator, we give the general relation between Berry curvature and quantum metric, which indicates that the Chern number can be encoded in quantum metric as well as the surface area of the Brillouin zone on the hypersphere embedded in Euclidean parameter space. We find that there is a corresponding relationship between the quantum metric and the metric on such a hypersphere. We give the geometrical property of quantum metric. Besides, we give a protocol to measure the quantum metric in the degenerate system.
Copper ion beam emission in solid electrolyte Rb4Cu16I6.5Cl13.5
Authors: Abudouwufu Tushagu , Zhang Xiangyu , Zuo Wenbin , Luo Jinbao , Lan Yueqiang , Tian Canxin , Zou Changwei , Tolstoguzov Alexander , Fu Dejun
Published: October 2021

Copper ion conducting solid electrolyte Rb4Cu16I6.5Cl13.5 was prepared by means of mechano-chemical method. The structure and morphology of the powder was investigated by x-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. The grain size was estimated to be 0.2–0.9 μm and the ionic conductivity at room temperature was approximately 0.206 S/cm. The solid electrolyte Rb4Cu16I6.5Cl13.5 was exploited for copper ion beam generation. The copper ion emission current of several nA was successfully obtained at acceleration voltages of 15 kV and temperature of 197 °C in vacuum of 2.1 × 10−4 Pa. A good linear correlation between the logarithmic ion current (log I) and the square root of the acceleration voltage (U
acc) at high voltage range was obtained, suggesting the Schottky emission mechanism in the process of copper ion beam generation.
Bioinspired design and optimization for thin film wearable and building cooling systems
Authors: Grinham Jonathan , Hancock Matthew J , Kumar Kitty , Bechthold Martin , Ingber Donald E , Aizenberg Joanna
Published: October 2021

In this work, we report a paradigmatic shift in bioinspired microchannel heat exchanger design toward its integration into thin film wearable devices, thermally active surfaces in buildings, photovoltaic devices, and other thermoregulating devices whose typical cooling fluxes are below 1 kW m−2. The transparent thermoregulation device is fabricated by bonding a thin corrugated elastomeric film to the surface of a substrate to form a microchannel water-circuit with bioinspired unit cell geometry. Inspired by the dynamic scaling of flow systems in nature, we introduce empirically derived sizing rules and a novel numerical optimization method to maximize the thermoregulation performance of the microchannel network by enhancing the uniformity of flow distribution. The optimized network design results in a 25% to 37% increase in the heat flux compared to non-optimized designs. The study demonstrates the versatility of the presented design and architecture by fabricating and testing a scaled-up numerically optimized heat exchanger device for building-scale and wearable applications.
Predicting hotspots for invasive species introduction in Europe
Authors: Schneider Kevin , Makowski David , van der Werf Wopke
Published: October 2021

Plant pest invasions cost billions of Euros each year in Europe. Prediction of likely places of pest introduction could greatly help focus efforts on prevention and control and thus reduce societal costs of pest invasions. Here, we test whether generic data-driven risk maps of pest introduction, valid for multiple species and produced by machine learning methods, could supplement the costly species-specific risk analyses currently conducted by governmental agencies. An elastic-net algorithm was trained on a dataset covering 243 invasive species to map risk of new introductions in Europe as a function of climate, soils, water, and anthropogenic factors. Results revealed that the BeNeLux states, Northern Italy, the Northern Balkans, and the United Kingdom, and areas around container ports such as Antwerp, London, Rijeka, and Saint Petersburg were at higher risk of introductions. Our analysis shows that machine learning can produce hotspot maps for pest introductions with a high predictive accuracy, but that systematically collected data on species’ presences and absences are required to further validate and improve these maps.
Projected changes in seasonal and extreme summertime temperature and precipitation in India in response to COVID-19 recovery emissions scenarios
Authors: D’Souza Jonathan , Prasanna Felix , Valayannopoulos-Akrivou Luna-Nefeli , Sherman Peter , Penn Elise , Song Shaojie , Archibald Alexander T , McElroy Michael B
Published: October 2021

Fossil fuel and aerosol emissions have played important roles on climate over the Indian subcontinent over the last century. As the world transitions toward decarbonization in the next few decades, emissions pathways could have major impacts on India’s climate and people. Pathways for future emissions are highly uncertain, particularly at present as countries recover from COVID-19. This paper explores a multimodel ensemble of Earth system models leveraging potential global emissions pathways following COVID-19 and the consequences for India’s summertime (June–July–August–September) climate in the near- and long-term. We investigate specifically scenarios which envisage a fossil-based recovery, a strong renewable-based recovery and a moderate scenario in between the two. We find that near-term climate changes are dominated by natural climate variability, and thus likely independent of the emissions pathway. By 2050, pathway-induced spatial patterns in the seasonally-aggregated precipitation become clearer with a slight drying in the fossil-based scenario and wetting in the strong renewable scenario. Additionally, extreme temperature and precipitation events in India are expected to increase in magnitude and frequency regardless of the emissions scenario, though the spatial patterns of these changes as well as the extent of the change are pathway dependent. This study provides an important discussion on the impacts of emissions recover pathways following COVID-19 on India, a nation which is likely to be particularly susceptible to climate change over the coming decades.
Spectral properties of confining superexponential potentials
Authors: Schmelcher Peter
Published: October 2021

We explore the spectral properties and behaviour of confining superexponential potentials. Several prototypes of these highly nonlinear potentials are analysed in terms of the eigenvalues and eigenstates of the underlying stationary Schrödinger equation up to several hundreds of excited states. A generalization of the superexponential self-interacting oscillator shows a scaling behaviour of the spacing of the eigenvalues which turns into an alternating behaviour for the power law modified oscillator. Superexponential potentials with an oscillating power show a very rich spectral structure with varying amplitudes and wave vectors. In the parity symmetric case doublets of near degenerate energy eigenvalues emerge in the spectrum. The corresponding eigenstates are strongly localized in the outer wells of the potential and occur as even–odd pairs which are interspersed into the spectrum of delocalized states. We provide an outlook on future perspectives including the possibility to use these features for applications in e.g. cold atom physics.
Electronic work function modulation of phosphorene by thermal oxidation
Authors: Gómez-Pérez Juan , Pravda Bartus Cora , Szamosvölgyi Ákos , Sapi András , Kónya Zoltán , Kukovecz Ákos
Published: October 2021

In this study, we evaluate the variation of the work function of phosphorene during thermal oxidation at different temperatures. The ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy results show an N-shaped behaviour that is explained by the oxidation process and the dangling-to-interstitial conversion at elevated temperatures. The exfoliation degree and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy confirm the formation of native oxides in the top-most layer that passivates the material. Ex-situ XPS reveals the full oxidation of monolayers at temperatures higher than 140 °C, but few-layer phosphorene withstands the thermal oxidation even up to 200 °C with slight modifications of the A
2
g/A
1
g and A
2
g/B
2g vibrational mode ratios and a weak fluorescence in the Raman spectra of the heat-treated samples.
Mechanical, corrosion and antibacterial properties of Ti-13Nb-13Zr-based alloys with various Cu contents
Authors: Yuan Yixiang , Ke Zunyu , Zhang Lei , Jiang Yehua , He Zhengyuan
Published: October 2021

The development of Ti-based alloys with antibacterial properties and a low elastic modulus has become a major focus in recent years in metallic biomaterials. In this paper, the influences of Cu content on the microstructure, mechanical properties, corrosion resistance and antibacterial properties of Ti-13Nb-13Zr-xCu alloys were systematically discussed. The results showed that the Ti-13Nb-13Zr-xCu alloys were mainly composed of β-Ti, α-Ti, and Cu-containing phases (Ti2Cu, Cu10Zr7 and CuZr). Compared with the Ti-13Nb-13Zr alloy, the compressive strength and yield strength of the Ti-13Nb-13Zr-xCu alloys increased with increasing Cu content, but the elastic modulus decreased. The Ti-13Nb-13Zr-10Cu alloy exhibited high strength and low elastic modulus. The electrochemical experiments showed that the corrosion current density (Icorr) displayed a decreasing trend. The Ti-13Nb-13Zr-10Cu alloy had the lowest corrosion current (1.23 μA cm−2) and passivation current density (2.47 μA cm−2), indicating excellent corrosion resistance. Antibacterial tests showed that the antibacterial rate of the Ti-13Nb-13Zr-xCu alloy with 10 and 13% Cu content against S. aureus and E. coli were over 99.0%. Therefore, it could be deduced that the Ti-13Nb-13Zr-10Cu alloy with excellent mechnical and antibacterial properties had the potential for biomedical applications.
Forms of Opposition in American Literary Criticism
Authors: Giles Paul
Published: October 2021

Starting from Matthew Arnold’s “The Function of Criticism at the Present Time” (1865), this essay traces the importance of reading US literature and culture in comparative terms. Paying special attention to the work of Stuart Hall, Annette Kolodny, and F. O. Matthiessen, it argues that forms of structural opposition should be seen as embedded within American literature. Rather than understanding the subject itself in merely oppositional terms, it advocates antipodal and planetary critical perspectives that serve effectively to reposition the field within a wider context, one framed in various ways by biogenetic and environmental issues that exceed national boundaries. It concludes that while there are acute dangers for political leaders in a narrowness of vision, the same thing is true for literary criticism, where an undue narrowness of scope can be intellectually debilitating.
SC-MEB: spatial clustering with hidden Markov random field using empirical Bayes
Authors: Yang Yi , Shi Xingjie , Liu Wei , Zhou Qiuzhong , Chan Lau Mai , Chun Tatt Lim Jeffrey , Sun Lei , Ng Cedric Chuan Young , Yeong Joe , Liu Jin
Published: October 2021

Spatial transcriptomics has been emerging as a powerful technique for resolving gene expression profiles while retaining tissue spatial information. These spatially resolved transcriptomics make it feasible to examine the complex multicellular systems of different microenvironments. To answer scientific questions with spatial transcriptomics and expand our understanding of how cell types and states are regulated by microenvironment, the first step is to identify cell clusters by integrating the available spatial information. Here, we introduce SC-MEB, an empirical Bayes approach for spatial clustering analysis using a hidden Markov random field. We have also derived an efficient expectation-maximization algorithm based on an iterative conditional mode for SC-MEB. In contrast to BayesSpace, a recently developed method, SC-MEB is not only computationally efficient and scalable to large sample sizes but is also capable of choosing the smoothness parameter and the number of clusters. We performed comprehensive simulation studies to demonstrate the superiority of SC-MEB over some existing methods. We applied SC-MEB to analyze the spatial transcriptome of human dorsolateral prefrontal cortex tissues and mouse hypothalamic preoptic region. Our analysis results showed that SC-MEB can achieve a similar or better clustering performance to BayesSpace, which uses the true number of clusters and a fixed smoothness parameter. Moreover, SC-MEB is scalable to large ‘sample sizes’. We then employed SC-MEB to analyze a colon dataset from a patient with colorectal cancer (CRC) and COVID-19, and further performed differential expression analysis to identify signature genes related to the clustering results. The heatmap of identified signature genes showed that the clusters identified using SC-MEB were more separable than those obtained with BayesSpace. Using pathway analysis, we identified three immune-related clusters, and in a further comparison, found the mean expression of COVID-19 signature genes was greater in immune than non-immune regions of colon tissue. SC-MEB provides a valuable computational tool for investigating the structural organizations of tissues from spatial transcriptomic data.
Prediction of drug–disease associations by integrating common topologies of heterogeneous networks and specific topologies of subnets
Authors: Gao Ling , Cui Hui , Zhang Tiangang , Sheng Nan , Xuan Ping
Published: October 2021

Motivation

The development process of a new drug is time-consuming and costly. Thus, identifying new uses for approved drugs, named drug repositioning, is helpful for speeding up the drug development process and reducing development costs. Existing drug-related disease prediction methods mainly focus on single or multiple drug–disease heterogeneous networks. However, heterogeneous networks, and drug subnets and disease subnet contained in heterogeneous networks cover the common topology information between drug and disease nodes, the specific information between drug nodes and the specific information between disease nodes, respectively.

Results

We design a novel model, CTST, to extract and integrate common and specific topologies in multiple heterogeneous networks and subnets. Multiple heterogeneous networks composed of drug and disease nodes are established to integrate multiple kinds of similarities and associations among drug and disease nodes. These heterogeneous networks contain multiple drug subnets and a disease subnet. For multiple heterogeneous networks and subnets, we then define the common and specific representations of drug and disease nodes. The common representations of drug and disease nodes are encoded by a graph convolutional autoencoder with sharing parameters and they integrate the topological relationships of all nodes in heterogeneous networks. The specific representations of nodes are learned by specific graph convolutional autoencoders, respectively, and they fuse the topology and attributes of the nodes in each subnet. We then propose attention mechanisms at common representation level and specific representation level to learn more informative common and specific representations, respectively. Finally, an integration module with representation feature level attention is built to adaptively integrate these two representations for final association prediction. Extensive experimental results confirm the effectiveness of CTST. Comparison with six latest methods and case studies on five drugs further verify CTST has the ability to discover potential candidate diseases.
Desktop scanning electron microscopy in plant–insect interactions research: a fast and effective way to capture electron micrographs with minimal sample preparation
Authors: Watts Sakshi , Kaur Ishveen , Singh Sukhman , Jimenez Bianca , Chavana Jesus , Kariyat Rupesh
Published: October 2021

The ability to visualize cell and tissue morphology at a high magnification using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) has revolutionized plant sciences research. In plant–insect interactions studies, SEM-based imaging has been of immense assistance to understand plant surface morphology including trichomes [plant hairs; physical defense structures against herbivores], spines, waxes, and insect morphological characteristics such as mouth parts, antennae, and legs, that they interact with. While SEM provides finer details of samples, and the imaging process is simpler now with advanced image acquisition and processing, sample preparation methodology has lagged. The need to undergo elaborate sample preparation with cryogenic freezing, multiple alcohol washes, and sputter coating makes SEM imaging expensive, time consuming, and warrants skilled professionals, making it inaccessible to majority of scientists. Here, using a desktop version of SEM (SNE- 4500 Plus Tabletop), we show that the “plug and play” method can efficiently produce SEM images with sufficient details for most morphological studies in plant–insect interactions. We used leaf trichomes of Solanum genus as our primary model, and oviposition by tobacco hornworm (Manduca sexta; Lepidoptera: Sphingidae) and fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda; Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), and leaf surface wax imaging as additional examples to show the effectiveness of this instrument and present a detailed methodology to produce the best results with this instrument. While traditional sample preparation can still produce better resolved images with less distortion, we show that even at a higher magnification, the desktop SEM can deliver quality images. Overall, this study provides detailed methodology with a simpler “no sample preparation” technique for scanning fresh biological samples without the use of any additional chemicals and machinery.
734 Evaluation of A Webinar Based Surgical Teaching Course (EDUCATE) - A Prospective Cohort Study
Authors: Tan L , Mullins W , Gargan K , Shea J , Brice J , Gargan A , Townsend J , Jang C , Shukla S , Asif A , Fricker M , Nathan A , Mohan M
Published: October 2021

Aim

Anecdotal evidence suggests Foundation Year (FY) doctors start surgical rotations with less confidence than medical rotations. The study aimed to determine the effect of a national webinar-based surgical teaching course on participants’ confidence, and to assess attitudes surrounding undergraduate surgical education.

Method

This prospective cohort study is reported with reference to STROBE guidelines and received ethical approval. A series of 15 free-access webinars was developed based on the Royal College of Surgeons Undergraduate Curriculum. An expert-validated questionnaire was used to collect data before and after the course. Inclusion criteria were UK-based medical students and FY doctors who attended at least one webinar. The primary outcome was confidence in completing common tasks during surgical rotations.

Results

Completed pre-course (484) and post-course (352) questionnaires yielded 92 paired samples (63% female). 85% were medical students, representing 29 UK universities, and 15% FY doctors. Mean confidence in assessing, investigating, and implementing initial management of surgical conditions was greater after the intervention (p ≤ 0.001). Mean confidence in managing on-call tasks and starting a surgical FY job was also higher post-course greater (p ≤ 0.001). These improvements correlated with webinar attendance (p ≤ 0.05). 27.1% of participants were satisfied with the quality of undergraduate surgical education. 22.9% agreed that surgical placements prepared them well to manage surgical tasks.

Conclusions

Medical students and FY doctors report low confidence and feel unprepared in managing surgical tasks. Additionally, they report poor satisfaction with undergraduate surgical education. This shortfall may be improved through delivery of a national, accessible, targeted online webinar series and curriculum.
144 For Audit's Sake: An Audit of Audits
Authors: Wege J , O'Higgins C , Dhanjal G , Townend G
Published: October 2021

Aim

Audit is a mandatory requirement for completion of Dental Core Training. Consequently, many audits undertaken by trainees are to “tick a box”, leading to incomplete or poor-quality audits, with change either not implemented or never measured. This audit assesses the standard of local audits.

Method

All audits registered with the local audit department from 2017-2020 were assessed using a standard that “100% of audits should be full cycle” (BMJ), and “100% audits must be measured against explicit standards" (NICE). The outcome forms and submitted audit presentations were used to evaluate if the completed audits needed re-auditing, and whether they had been re-audited. Whether they were actually audits was also assessed.

Results

38 audit titles were registered. 7 had not been completed. Of 31 remaining audits, 24 needed re-auditing and 7 did not. Of 24 audits needing re-audit, 4 audits had not reached the proposed re-audit deadline, 7 re-audits were completed and 13 were not, leading to 35% (7/20) re-audit compliance. 5 did not have pre-determined standards, leading to 84% standards compliance.

Conclusions

As shown by the results, many audits are either not audits, not completed or never re-audited, leading to no change or no measurement of change. Re-evaluation of mandatory trainee involvement in audit and an emphasis on a more department lead approach to clinical governance could enable improved continuity of audits after rotation of trainees. This may lead to higher quality work and improvement of service provision.
145 Mind the App: A Guide for the Orthopaedic Senior House Officer on Call
Authors: Patel B , Fennelly J , Frazer S , Ahmed M , Granville-Chapman J
Published: October 2021

Aim

Many senior house officers (SHOs) have little experience in Trauma and Orthopaedics. While junior doctors are encouraged to seek help from the registrar during on call shifts, they are also dependent on a variety of guidelines to assist in the management of common orthopaedic presentations to the Emergency Department. The main issue is that site-specific guidance is not readily accessible on a single platform.

Method

Smartphone and web-based applications were designed summarising the initial management for such conditions for the SHO on-call to use as a quick reference tool. The efficacy of this was evaluated with questionnaires specific to the rating of the application and by two closed loop audits of BOAST standards for the management of distal radius and ankle fractures.

Results

Pre-app implementation questionnaire ratings revealed a mediocre confidence levels and high stress during an on-call shift. Post-app implementation questionnaires demonstrated the app was useful. Future use was recommended use for new SHOs. All responders felt that this would improve stress levels on call. Closed-loop audits for BOAST guidelines for ankle and distal radius fracture management were completed. Improvements were evident for obtaining appropriate radiographs ankle fractures (50.0% vs 77.8%) and positions of manipulated distal radius fractures (80% vs 100%).

Conclusions

This application proved a useful reference tool for junior staff to aid and initiate the management of common orthopaedic presentations to the emergency department. This tool could be used to improve confidence and ensure timely management of patients from the take.
193 Evaluation of the ‘One-Stop Diagnostic Head and Neck Lump Clinic' At A Tertiary Head and Neck Centre
Authors: Rajgor A , Sood S , O'Hara J
Published: October 2021

An urgent neck lump service was introduced at the Freeman Hospital (Newcastle-Upon-Tyne) in 2017. All 2-week-wait urgent head and neck referrals were triaged into this service. The clinic involves clinical examination by a head and neck specialist and if appropriate an urgent ultrasound scan (USS) in clinic +/- a fine needle aspiration for cytology (FNAC). This centralised system means patients can be diagnosed earlier and thus receive treatment swiftly.

This audit aimed to primarily identify: The prevalence/pick-up rate of cancer diagnosed through the clinicThe utilisation of USS/FNACThe time-to-treatment initiation

Data was collated retrospectively through the electronic record system. The initial evaluation was conducted between June-November 2018 (n = 191). The subsequent re-evaluation was performed between September-November 2019 (n = 159), following increased clinic capacity, implementation of methods to increase awareness and a formal triage process.

In the initial evaluation over 6 months (n = 191), 9.9% underwent an USS in the clinic and 9.95% at a later date. 18% of patients underwent a FNAC. 6.8% patients were diagnosed with cancer. The mean time-to-treatment initiation was 36 days.

In the re-evaluation over 3 months (n = 159), 23.2% had an USS in the clinic and 30.2% at a later date. 13% of patients underwent a FNAC. 9.4% of patients were diagnosed with cancer. The mean time-to-treatment initiation was 44 days.

This affirms the benefits of a swift ‘one-stop clinic’. On average, patients diagnosed with cancer had treatment initiation 40-days post-review. Furthermore, even with a triage process only 1 in 10 patients had cancer.