bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ernährungsmedizinischer Bedarf und reale Versorgung von Brustkrebspatientinnen
Authors: Ostermann Jasmin , Smollich Martin
Published: August 2022

Einleitung Für die Primärtherapie und Rezidivprävention des Mammakarzinoms sind der Ernährungsstatus und mögliche Effekte von Nahrungsergänzungsmitteln von großer klinischer Relevanz. Ziel der vorliegenden Untersuchung war die Beantwortung der Frage, ob es eine Diskrepanz zwischen dem ernährungsmedizinischen Bedarf von Brustkrebspatientinnen und der realen Versorgungssituation gibt.

Methoden Von Dezember 2019 bis März 2020 wurden Brustkrebspatientinnen mittels eines Online-Fragebogens zu den persönlichen Erfahrungen während ihrer onkologischen Therapie befragt. Die erhobenen Daten wurden statistisch ausgewertet und kritisch diskutiert.

Ergebnisse Von den befragten Brustkrebspatientinnen (n=166) gaben 64,5% an, keine Ernährungsberatung erhalten zu haben, wobei sich von diesen Frauen 71,8% eine Ernährungsberatung gewünscht hätten. 56% der Frauen gaben an, keinerlei Beratung bezüglich der Einnahme von Nahrungsergänzungsmitteln erhalten zu haben; gleichzeitig hatten aber 80,8% der Frauen während ihrer onkologischen Therapie Nahrungsergänzungsmittel eingenommen. 83,7% der Frauen informierten sich selbstständig über mögliche therapiebegleitende Ernährungstherapien, wobei die Informationen mit 71,2% am häufigsten von Internetseiten und Online-Foren stammten.

Diskussion Die Ergebnisse zeigen eine erhebliche Diskrepanz zwischen ernährungsmedizinischem Bedarf und realer Beratungssituation von Frauen mit Brustkrebs. Trotz des mehrheitlich artikulierten Bedarfs einer individuellen Ernährungsberatung wird diese in der Regel nicht angeboten. Die strukturelle Implementierung einer qualifizierten Ernährungsberatung für alle Brustkrebspatientinnen wäre dringend notwendig, um durch einen optimierten Ernährungsstatus die Wirksamkeit und Verträglichkeit der onkologischen Therapie zu verbessern und potenziell gefährliche Wechselwirkungen mit Nahrungsergänzungsmitteln zu vermeiden.
Complication rates of direct puncture and pull-through techniques for percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy: Results from a large multicenter cohort
Authors: Schuhmacher Leonie , Bojarski Christian , Reich Victoria , Adler Andreas , Veltzke-Schlieker Winfried , Jürgensen Christian , Wiedenmann Bertran , Siegmund Britta , Branchi Federika , Buchkremer Julianne , Hornoff Steffen , Hartmann Dirk , Treese Christoph
Published: August 2022

Background and study aims Two different techniques for percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) have been developed: classical pull-through and direct puncture techniques. This study compared the complication rate for both techniques in a large retrospective patient cohort.

Patients and methods Clinical data from patients who received a PEG in four high-volume centers for endoscopy were included retrospectively between January 2016 and December 2018. Patient characteristics and complication rates were correlated in univariate and multivariate analyses.

Results Data from 1014 patients undergoing a PEG insertion by the pull-through technique were compared to 183 patients for whom the direct puncture technique was used. The direct puncture technique was associated with a 50 % reduction in minor and 85.7 % reduction in major complications when compared to the pull-through technique. Multivariate analysis of these data revealed an odds ratio of 0.067 (0.02–0.226; P < 0.001) for major complications in the direct puncture group.

Conclusions Compared to the pull-through technique, the direct puncture technique resulted in a significant reduction in complications. Despite the retrospective design of this study, these results suggest that the direct puncture technique may be preferable to improve patient safety.
Rapidly frequency-tuneable, in-vacuum, and magnetic levitation chopper for fast modulation of infrared light
Authors: Lekkas Ioannis , Frogley Mark D. , Achtnich Timon , Cinque Gianfelice
Published: August 2022

We present an in-vacuum mechanical chopper running at high speed and integrated into a magnetic levitating motor for modulating optical beams up to 200 kHz. The compact chopper rotor allows fast acceleration (10 kHz s−1 as standard) for rapid tuning of the modulation frequency, while 1 mm diameter slots provide high optical throughput for larger infrared beams. The modulation performances are assessed using a reference visible laser and the high brightness, broadband, infrared (IR) beam of synchrotron radiation at the MIRIAM beamline B22 at Diamond Light Source, UK. For our application of IR nanospectroscopy, minimizing the temporal jitter on the modulated beam due to chopper manufacturing and control tolerances is essential to limit the noise level in measurements via lock-in detection, while high modulation frequencies are needed to achieve high spatial resolution in photothermal nanospectroscopy. When reaching the maximum chopping frequency of 200 kHz, the jitter was found to be 0.9% peak-to-peak. The described chopper now replaces the standard ball-bearing chopper in our synchrotron-based FTIR photothermal nanospectroscopy system, and we demonstrate improved spectroscopy results on a 200 nm thickness polymer film.
Anomalous structural phase transformation in swift heavy ion-irradiated δ-Sc4Hf3O12
Authors: Iwasaki Masanari , Kanazawa Yusuke , Manago Daiki , Patel Maulik K. , Baldinozzi Gianguido , Sickafus Kurt E. , Ishimaru Manabu
Published: August 2022

Swift heavy ion irradiation was carried out to examine the ionization effects on structural changes of δ-Sc4Hf3O12 in which oxygen vacancies are regularly arranged. The specimens were irradiated at room temperature with 92 MeV xenon ions to fluences ranging from 3 × 1012 to 1 × 1014/cm2 and characterized by grazing (glancing) incidence x-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and scanning transmission electron microscopy. It was found that the pristine long-range ordered rhombohedral δ-phase undergoes a reconstructive transformation toward a long-range disordered cubic oxygen-deficient fluorite phase promoted by ionization effects. In addition, an ordered phase with a short-range structure different from the δ-type was formed in a layer going from the surface to a depth of ∼4.5 μm in the specimen irradiated to a fluence of 1 × 1014/cm2. It was found that the ordered phase is formed from the disordered cubic fluorite phase. This structural change is anomalous, because it is the opposite process of the usual irradiation-induced structural change, the order-to-disorder phase transformation. Electron diffraction experiments revealed that short-range ordered regions in this layer possess an oxygen-excess bixbyite organization (C-type heavy rare-earth oxides) with randomly filled anion vacant sites to account for the different stoichiometry and a long-range average oxygen-deficient fluorite phase.
Charge delocalization error in Piris natural orbital functionals
Authors: Lew-Yee Juan Felipe Huan , M. del Campo Jorge
Published: August 2022

Piris Natural Orbital Functionals (PNOFs) have been recognized as a low-scaling alternative to study strong correlated systems. In this work, we address the performance of the fifth functional (PNOF5) and the seventh functional (PNOF7) to deal with another common problem, the charge delocalization error. The effects of this problem can be observed in charged systems of repeated well-separated fragments, where the energy should be the sum of the charged and neutral fragments, regardless of how the charge is distributed. In practice, an energetic overstabilization of fractional charged fragments leads to a preference for having the charge delocalized throughout the system. To establish the performance of PNOFs regarding charge delocalization error, charged chains of helium atoms and the W4-17-MR set molecules were used as base fragments, and their energy, charge distribution, and correlation regime were studied. It was found that PNOF5 prefers localized charge distributions, while PNOF7 improves the treatment of interpair static correlation and tends to the correct energetic limit for several cases, although a preference for delocalized charge distributions may arise in highly strong correlation regimes. Overall, it is concluded that PNOFs can simultaneously deal with static correlation and charge delocalization errors, resulting in a promising choice to study charge-related problems.
Nucleation and growth of crystals inside polyethylene nano-droplets
Authors: Zerze Hasan
Published: August 2022

Polymer crystallization is a long-standing interesting problem both in fundamental polymer physics and in polymer manufacturing. Fundamentally, the connectivity of the macromolecules provides a unique feature for the study of nucleation and growth of crystals in contrast to the crystallization of smaller molecules. In addition, understanding the crystallization in polymers is industrially important due to the necessity of its control to achieve mechanically durable plastic materials. Molecular dynamics simulations offer a suitable way of studying this phenomenon due to their capability to probe the small time and length scales that are characteristic of nucleation. In this paper, we use a long alkane chain model to study nucleation and the growth of polyethylene crystals both within bulk and nano-droplets whose diameters range from about 6 to 11 nm. It is found that the droplets approach being more spherical during the nucleation whereas they deviate from this shape during the growth regime. Strikingly, a mean first passage time analysis indicates that the nucleation rate per unit volume decreases as the droplet size is increased. Finally, visual inspection of the simulation snapshots suggests that nuclei majorly emerged from the surface of the droplets.
Radiation and hybridization underpin the spread of the fire ant social supergene
Authors: Helleu Quentin , Roux Camille , Ross Kenneth G. , Keller Laurent
Published: August 2022

Supergenes are clusters of tightly linked genes that jointly produce complex phenotypes. Although widespread in nature, how such genomic elements are formed and how they spread are in most cases unclear. In the fire ant
Solenopsis invicta
and closely related species, a “social supergene controls whether a colony maintains one or multiple queens. Here, we show that the three inversions constituting the
Social b
(
Sb
) supergene emerged sequentially during the separation of the ancestral lineages of
S. invicta
and
Solenopsis richteri
. The two first inversions arose in the ancestral population of both species, while the third one arose in the
S. richteri
lineage. Once completely assembled in the
S. richteri
lineage, the supergene first introgressed into
S. invicta
, and from there into the other species of the socially polymorphic group of South American fire ant species. Surprisingly, the introgression of this large and important genomic element occurred despite recent hybridization being uncommon between several of the species. These results highlight how supergenes can readily move across species boundaries, possibly because of fitness benefits they provide and/or expression of selfish properties favoring their transmission.
Quenching singlet oxygen via intersystem crossing for a stable Li-O2battery
Authors: Jiang Zhuoliang , Huang Yaohui , Zhu Zhuo , Gao Suning , Lv Qingliang , Li Fujun
Published: August 2022

Aprotic Li-O2batteries are a promising energy storage technology, however severe side reactions during cycles lead to their poor rechargeability. Herein, highly reactive singlet oxygen (1O2) is revealed to generate in both the discharging and charging processes and is deterimental to battery stability. Electron-rich triphenylamine (TPA) is demonstrated as an effective quencher in the electrolyte to mitigate1O2and its associated parasitic reactions, which has the tertiary amine and phenyl groups to manifest excellent electrochemical stability and chemical reversibility. It reacts with electrophilic1O2to form a singlet complex during cycles, and it then quickly transforms to a triplet complex through nonradiative intersystem crossing (ISC). This efficiently accelerates the conversion of1O2to the ground-state triplet oxygen to eliminate its derived side reactions, and the regeneration of TPA. These enable the Li-O2battery with obviously reduced overvoltages and prolonged lifetime for over 310 cycles when coupled with a RuO2catalyst. This work highlights the ISC mechanism to quench1O2in Li-O2battery.
Allosteric inhibitors targeting the calmodulin-PIP2 interface of SK4 K
+
channels for atrial fibrillation treatment
Authors: Burg Shira , Shapiro Shir , Peretz Asher , Haimov Elvira , Redko Boris , Yeheskel Adva , Simhaev Luba , Engel Hamutal , Raveh Avi , Ben-Bassat Ariel , Murninkas Michael , Polak Rotem , Haitin Yoni , Etzion Yoram , Attali Bernard
Published: August 2022

The Ca
2+
-activated SK4 K
+
channel is gated by Ca
2+
–calmodulin (CaM) and is expressed in immune cells, brain, and heart. A cryoelectron microscopy (cryo-EM) structure of the human SK4 K
+
channel recently revealed four CaM molecules per channel tetramer, where the apo CaM C-lobe and the holo CaM
N
-lobe interact with the proximal carboxyl terminus and the linker S4–S5, respectively, to gate the channel. Here, we show that phosphatidylinositol 4-5 bisphosphate (PIP2) potently activates SK4 channels by docking to the boundary of the CaM-binding domain. An allosteric blocker, BA6b9, was designed to act to the CaM–PIP2-binding domain, a previously untargeted region of SK4 channels, at the interface of the proximal carboxyl terminus and the linker S4–S5. Site-directed mutagenesis, molecular docking, and patch-clamp electrophysiology indicate that BA6b9 inhibits SK4 channels by interacting with two specific residues, Arg191 and His192 in the linker S4–S5, not conserved in SK1–SK3 subunits, thereby conferring selectivity and preventing the Ca
2+
–CaM
N
-lobe from properly interacting with the channel linker region. Immunohistochemistry of the SK4 channel protein in rat hearts showed a widespread expression in the sarcolemma of atrial myocytes, with a sarcomeric striated Z-band pattern, and a weaker occurrence in the ventricle but a marked incidence at the intercalated discs. BA6b9 significantly prolonged atrial and atrioventricular effective refractory periods in rat isolated hearts and reduced atrial fibrillation induction ex vivo. Our work suggests that inhibition of SK4 K
+
channels by targeting drugs to the CaM–PIP2-binding domain provides a promising anti-arrhythmic therapy.
On the formation of ordered protein assemblies in cell–cell interfaces
Authors: Boni Nadir , Shapiro Lawrence , Honig Barry , Wu Yinghao , Rubinstein Rotem
Published: August 2022

Crystal structures of many cell–cell adhesion receptors reveal the formation of linear “molecular zippers” comprising an ordered one-dimensional array of proteins that form both intercellular (
trans
) and intracellular (
cis
) interactions. The clustered protocadherins (cPcdhs) provide an exemplar of this phenomenon and use it as a basis of barcoding of vertebrate neurons. Here, we report both Metropolis and kinetic Monte Carlo simulations of cPcdh zipper formation using simplified models of cPcdhs that nevertheless capture essential features of their three-dimensional structure. The simulations reveal that the formation of long zippers is an implicit feature of cPcdh structure and is driven by their
cis
and
trans
interactions that have been quantitatively characterized in previous work. Moreover, in agreement with cryo-electron tomography studies, the zippers are found to organize into two-dimensional arrays even in the absence of attractive interactions between individual zippers. Our results suggest that the formation of ordered two-dimensional arrays of linear zippers of adhesion proteins is a common feature of cell–cell interfaces. From the perspective of simulations, they demonstrate the importance of a realistic depiction of adhesion protein structure and interactions if important biological phenomena are to be properly captured.
The glioblastoma multiforme tumor site promotes the commitment of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes to the TH17 lineage in humans
Authors: Mitsdoerffer Meike , Aly Lilian , Barz Melanie , Engleitner Thomas , Sie Christopher , Delbridge Claire , Lepennetier Gildas , Öllinger Rupert , Pfaller Monika , Wiestler Benedikt , Rad Roland , Meyer Bernhard , Knier Benjamin , Schmidt-Graf Friederike , Gempt Jens , Korn Thomas
Published: August 2022

Although glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is not an invariably cold tumor, checkpoint inhibition has largely failed in GBM. In order to investigate T cell–intrinsic properties that contribute to the resistance of GBM to endogenous or therapeutically enhanced adaptive immune responses, we sorted CD4+and CD8+T cells from the peripheral blood, normal-appearing brain tissue, and tumor bed of nine treatment-naive patients with GBM. Bulk RNA sequencing of highly pure T cell populations from these different compartments was used to obtain deep transcriptomes of tumor-infiltrating T cells (TILs). While the transcriptome of CD8+TILs suggested that they were partly locked in a dysfunctional state, CD4+TILs showed a robust commitment to the type 17 T helper cell (TH17) lineage, which was corroborated by flow cytometry in four additional GBM cases. Therefore, our study illustrates that the brain tumor environment in GBM might instruct TH17 commitment of infiltrating T helper cells. Whether these properties of CD4+TILs facilitate a tumor-promoting milieu and thus could be a target for adjuvant anti-TH17 cell interventions needs to be further investigated.
Sorting of mitochondrial and plastid heteroplasmy in
Arabidopsis
is extremely rapid and depends on MSH1 activity
Authors: Broz Amanda K. , Keene Alexandra , Fernandes Gyorfy Matheus , Hodous Mychaela , Johnston Iain G. , Sloan Daniel B.
Published: August 2022

The fate of new mitochondrial and plastid mutations depends on their ability to persist and spread among the numerous organellar genome copies within a cell (heteroplasmy). The extent to which heteroplasmies are transmitted across generations or eliminated through genetic bottlenecks is not well understood in plants, in part because their low mutation rates make these variants so infrequent. Disruption of
MutS Homolog 1
(
MSH1
), a gene involved in plant organellar DNA repair, results in numerous de novo point mutations, which we used to quantitatively track the inheritance of single nucleotide variants in mitochondrial and plastid genomes in
Arabidopsis
. We found that heteroplasmic sorting (the fixation or loss of a variant) was rapid for both organelles, greatly exceeding rates observed in animals. In
msh1
mutants, plastid variants sorted faster than those in mitochondria and were typically fixed or lost within a single generation. Effective transmission bottleneck sizes (
N
) for plastids and mitochondria were
N
∼ 1 and 4, respectively. Restoring MSH1 function further increased the rate of heteroplasmic sorting in mitochondria (
N
∼ 1.3), potentially because of its hypothesized role in promoting gene conversion as a mechanism of DNA repair, which is expected to homogenize genome copies within a cell. Heteroplasmic sorting also favored GC base pairs. Therefore, recombinational repair and gene conversion in plant organellar genomes can potentially accelerate the elimination of heteroplasmies and bias the outcome of this sorting process.
Differential effects of Wnt-β-catenin signaling in Purkinje cells and Bergmann glia in spinocerebellar ataxia type 1
Authors: Luttik Kimberly , Tejwani Leon , Ju Hyoungseok , Driessen Terri , Smeets Cleo J. L. M. , Edamakanti Chandrakanth Reddy , Khan Aryaan , Yun Joy , Opal Puneet , Lim Janghoo
Published: August 2022

Spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 (SCA1) is a dominantly inherited neurodegenerative disease characterized by progressive ataxia and degeneration of specific neuronal populations, including Purkinje cells (PCs) in the cerebellum. Previous studies have demonstrated a critical role for various evolutionarily conserved signaling pathways in cerebellar patterning, such as the Wnt-β-catenin pathway; however, the roles of these pathways in adult cerebellar function and cerebellar neurodegeneration are largely unknown. In this study, we found that Wnt-β-catenin signaling activity was progressively enhanced in multiple cell types in the adult SCA1 mouse cerebellum, and that activation of this signaling occurs in an ataxin-1 polyglutamine (polyQ) expansion-dependent manner. Genetic manipulation of the Wnt-β-catenin signaling pathway in specific cerebellar cell populations revealed that activation of Wnt-β-catenin signaling in PCs alone was not sufficient to induce SCA1-like phenotypes, while its activation in astrocytes, including Bergmann glia (BG), resulted in gliosis and disrupted BG localization, which was replicated in SCA1 mouse models. Our studies identify a mechanism in which polyQ-expanded ataxin-1 positively regulates Wnt-β-catenin signaling and demonstrate that different cell types have distinct responses to the enhanced Wnt-β-catenin signaling in the SCA1 cerebellum, underscoring an important role of BG in SCA1 pathogenesis.
Fujian cytoplasmic male sterility and the fertility restorer gene
OsRf19
provide a promising breeding system for hybrid rice
Authors: Jiang Haichao , Lu Qing , Qiu Shuqing , Yu Huihui , Wang Zhengji , Yu Zhichao , Lu Yunrui , Wang Lei , Xia Fan , Wu Yuying , Li Fan , Zhang Qinglu , Liu Gang , Song Dingding , Ma Chonglie , Ding Qi , Zhang Xiaobo , Zhang Lin , Zhang Xuetang , Li Xu , Zhang Jianwei , Xiao Jinghua , Li Xianghua , Wang Naiyuan , Ouyang Yidan , Zhou Fasong , Zhang Qifa
Published: August 2022

Cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) determined by mitochondrial genes and restorer of fertility (
Rf
) controlled by nuclear-encoded genes provide the breeding systems of many hybrid crops for the utilization of heterosis. Although several CMS/
Rf
systems have been widely exploited in rice, hybrid breeding using these systems has encountered difficulties due to either fertility instability or complications of two-locus inheritance or both. In this work, we characterized a type of CMS, Fujian Abortive cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS-FA), with stable sporophytic male sterility and a nuclear restorer gene that completely restores hybrid fertility. CMS is caused by the chimeric open reading frame
FA182
that specifically occurs in the mitochondrial genome of CMS-FA rice. The restorer gene
OsRf19
encodes a pentatricopeptide repeat (PPR) protein targeted to mitochondria, where it mediates the cleavage of
FA182
transcripts, thus restoring male fertility. Comparative sequence analysis revealed that
OsRf19
originated through a recent duplication in wild rice relatives, sharing a common ancestor with
OsRf1a
/
OsRf5
, a fertility restorer gene for Boro II and Hong-Lian CMS. We developed six restorer lines by introgressing
OsRf19
into parental lines of elite CMS-WA hybrids; hybrids produced from these lines showed equivalent or better agronomic performance relative to their counterparts based on the CMS-WA system. These results demonstrate that CMS-FA/
OsRf19
provides a highly promising system for future hybrid rice breeding.
A regularization-driven Mean Teacher model based on semi-supervised learning for medical image segmentation
Authors: Wang Qing , Li Xiang , Chen Mingzhi , Chen Lingna , Chen Junxi
Published: August 2022

Objective. A semi-supervised learning method is an essential tool for applying medical image segmentation. However, the existing semi-supervised learning methods rely heavily on the limited labeled data. The generalization performance of image segmentation is improved to reduce the need for the number of labeled samples and the difficulty of parameter tuning by extending the consistency regularization. Approach. We propose a new regularization-driven Mean Teacher model based on semi-supervised learning for medical image segmentation in this work. We introduce a regularization-driven strategy with virtual adversarial training to improve segmentation performance and the robustness of the Mean Teacher model. We optimize the unsupervised loss function and the regularization term with an entropy minimum to smooth the decision boundary. Main results. We extensively evaluate the proposed method on the International Skin Imaging Cooperation 2017(ISIC2017) and COVID-19 CT segmentation datasets. Our proposed approach gains more accurate results on challenging 2D images for semi-supervised medical image segmentation. Compared with the state-of-the-art methods, the proposed approach has significantly improved and is superior to other semi-supervised segmentation methods. Significance. The proposed approach can be extended to other medical segmentation tasks and can reduce the burden of physicians to some extent.
Risk analysis of wall forces in high-current RFP plasma operations
Authors: Abate D
Published: August 2022

In this paper, the definition of a framework for assessing and managing the risk related to magnetic forces on the wall during high-current reversed field pinch (RFP) plasma operations is presented. The magnetic forces occurring in 582 RFX-mod shots with fast termination are computed for the whole discharge duration. The resulting force distribution is examined using statistical tools from extreme value theory to estimate the magnitude and probability of large potential values of forces during the operations. Starting from RFX-mod results, the risk related to wall forces is quantified for RFX-mod2 operations.
Comparison between SOLPS-ITER and B2.5-Eunomia for simulating Magnum-PSI
Authors: Gonzalez J , Chandra R , de Blank H J , Westerhof E
Published: August 2022

The interaction between plasma, neutrals and surfaces in fusion reactors is of immense importance for heat and particle control, especially for the next generation of devices. Heat loads of

10

MW

m

−
2

are expected for steady state operation at ITER and up to

20

MW

m

−
2

in slow transient situations. To study the complex physics appearing between the plasma and the divertor material, as well as techniques for heat flux mitigation, plasma linear devices are employed. Magnum-PSI, located at DIFFER, can reproduce the heat and particle loads expected at ITER. However, due to the complexity of the plasma–wall interaction, numerical models are required to better understand the experiments and to extrapolate the results to a tokamak divertor configuration. For tokamak geometries, SOLPS-ITER (formerly known as B2.5-Eirene) is employed to solve the plasma and neutral distribution in a coupled way. However, the utilization of this code for linear devices is not straightforward. Thus, a neutral module was developed with linear devices in mind, named Eunomia. Nevertheless, there is still a relevant interest in using SOLPS-ITER with linear devices, as it allows to easily transfer knowledge about relevant atomic and molecular processes close to the surface and the effect of different mitigation techniques. This work presents a systematic comparison between the two neutral modules, Eirene and Eunomia, in stand-alone and coupled runs. Special attention is paid to the implementation of plasma-neutral interactions, in which both codes diverge significantly. The sources of particles and energy that are used by B2.5 in a coupled run are analysed. Significant differences in the implementation of electron impact ionization, molecular assisted recombination and proton–molecule elastic collisions lead to disparate sources of particles and energy and, in some cases, differences in the distribution of neutrals achieved by each code. Moreover, a double counting in proton–atom collisions was identified in Eunomia as a result of this analysis, artificially increasing the plasma-neutral sink of energy. This would lead to different plasma evolutions in coupled runs. Nevertheless, additional-free parameters in both coupled code suites leave sufficient freedom to match experimental data. Additional data would be required to further constrain these parameters and the coupled solution.
Transport simulations of pre-thermal quench shattered pellet injection in ITER: code verification and assessment of key trends
Authors: Matsuyama A , Hu D , Lehnen M , Nardon E , Artola J
Published: August 2022

The material assimilation of the shattered pellet injection (SPI) in the pre-thermal quench phase in ITER is studied numerically by means of one-dimensional (1D) transport simulations. Such a simplified 1D approach is useful to perform extensive and systematic studies of key engineering parameters to optimize the ITER Disruption Mitigation System. The simulation results are compared with two-dimensional (2D) axisymmetric simulations by the nonlinear magnetohydrodynamic code JOREK for 5

%

neon/95

%

hydrogen SPI in the 15 MA hydrogen L-mode discharge to clarify the characteristics of SPI assimilation that can be analyzed within the range of the 1D model. Reasonable agreement between the 1D SPI simulation by the INDEX code and the 2D simulations by the JOREK code is found for total ablation rates, the radiation power, and the density and temperature profile evolution. The key process that was studied with the transport code is the onset of the radiative cold front that destabilizes the plasma current profiles. The injection parameters for the neon mixed hydrogen SPI are widely scanned to identify the timescale for the radiative cold front to form. Depending on the relative velocity of the cold front and the SPI fragments, the plasma cooling process can differ significantly. SPI with high injection velocities and large shard sizes results even in an inside-out plasma cooling that leads to hollow temperature profiles in the simulations reported here.
Numerical study of various scenarios for the formation of atmospheric pressure DC discharge characteristics in argon: from glow to arc discharge
Authors: Saifutdinov A I
Published: August 2022

In this work, on the basis of a unified model from the point of view of describing the gas discharge gap and electrodes for 2D geometry, numerical calculations were carried out to study various modes of direct current discharges in argon at atmospheric pressure. The influence of the cooling conditions of the electrodes on the current–voltage characteristic of the discharge is shown: the transition from normal glow to arc discharge with the formation of an abnormal glow mode and without it. It is shown that, depending on the cooling conditions of the electrodes, two forms of arc discharge can be obtained: with a diffuse or contracted current spot. In the low-current mode, current and voltage oscillations were obtained during the transition from the Townsend to the normal glow discharge.
Magnetic field deflection in a 100 W Hall thruster with permanent magnets
Authors: Zhang Guangchuan , Ren Junxue , Tang Haibin , Zhang Zhe , Cao Jinbin
Published: August 2022

The compact structure restrains the application of magnetic shielding in low-power Hall thrusters (LpHTs), leading to an asymmetric magnetic field or partial magnetic shielding of the channel wall. This study employs a trim coil to implement an asymmetric magnetic configuration in a 100 W laboratory Hall thruster. The locations of the maximum curvature of magnetic lines are deflected toward the inner and outer channel wall corresponding to the inward and outward deflected magnetic field configurations. Effects of the magnetic field deflection on the position of the ionization zone, efficiency of the thruster, discharge oscillations, and wall erosion are studied. Optical imaging and electrostatic probes are employed to monitor and scan the plasma beam. Experimental results show that the outward deflection induces a change in the magnetic mirror effect and alters the location of the ionization zone. The radial movement of the ionization zone away from the inner channel wall decreases the near-wall conductivity, reducing the electron current by 13.5% and promoting the current efficiency. Discharge oscillations are suppressed, and the propellant utilization efficiency is improved by 8.2%. Erosion of the channel wall shows an improvement of 40%. Generally, an outward deflected magnetic configuration can significantly improve the performance of LpHTs.
Non-invasive dual attention TCN for electromyography and motion data fusion in lower limb ambulation prediction
Authors: Zhou Bin , Feng Naishi , Wang Hong , Lu Yanzheng , Wei Chunfeng , Jiang Daqi , Li Ziyang
Published: August 2022

Objective. Recent technological advances show the feasibility of fusing surface electromyography (sEMG) signals and movement data to predict lower limb ambulation intentions. However, since the invasive fusion of different signals is a major impediment to improving predictive performance, searching for a non-invasive (NI) fusion mechanism for lower limb ambulation pattern recognition based on different modal features is crucial. Approach. We propose an end-to-end sequence prediction model with NI dual attention temporal convolutional networks (NIDA-TCNs) as a core to elegantly address the essential deficiencies of traditional decision models with heterogeneous signal fusion. Notably, the NIDA-TCN is a weighted fusion of sEMG and inertial measurement units with time-dependent effective hidden information in the temporal and channel dimensions using TCN and self-attentive mechanisms. The new model can better discriminate between walking, jumping, downstairs, and upstairs four lower limb activities of daily living. Main results. The results of this study show that the NIDA-TCN models produce predictions that significantly outperform both frame-wise and TCN models in terms of accuracy, sensitivity, precision, F1 score, and stability. Particularly, the NIDA-TCN with sequence decision fusion (NIDA-TCN-SDF) models, have maximum accuracy and stability increments of 3.37% and 4.95% relative to the frame-wise model, respectively, without manual feature-encoding and complex model parameters. Significance. It is concluded that the results demonstrate the validity and feasibility of the NIDA-TCN-SDF models to ensure the prediction of daily lower limb ambulation activities, paving the way to the development of fused heterogeneous signal decoding with better prediction performance.
Patient compliance with Twin Block appliance during treatment of Class II malocclusion: a randomized controlled trial on two check-up prescriptions
Authors: Frilund Erik , Sonesson Mikael , Magnusson Anders
Published: August 2022

Background

Compliance is crucial for the treatment outcome with removable appliances. Previous studies on treatment with the Twin Block appliance have focused on effectiveness in relation to other treatment methods or wear-time. Studies on different check-up intervals to improve compliance seem to be lacking.

Objectives

To compare the impact of two different check-up prescriptions on patient compliance and treatment outcome during treatment with Twin Block.

Trial Design

Two-arm parallel group, single-centre, randomized controlled trial.

Materials and Methods

Seventy-three patients, 38 boys, and 35 girls, mean age 11.2 years, were included and block-randomized into two groups treated with a Twin Block appliance. Group 1 was called for check-up visit every sixth week and group 2 every fourth week. Compliance was evaluated with a TheraMon® microsensor, moulded into the appliance, measuring wear-time. Overjet, overbite, and molar relationships were assessed on study casts before and after treatment. The treatment outcomes were analysed on an intention-to-treat basis.

Results

In group 1, the reduction of overjet was 5.2 mm and the mean wear-time was 6.9 hours. In group 2, the reduction was 4.7 mm and the wear-time was 6.1 hours. Seventy-four per cent of the patients presented an overjet of 4 mm or less. Wear-time did not correlate to age, gender, or severity of malocclusion.

Harms

No harm was observed in any patient. Lateral open bites were registered during treatment but were normalized at the end of the treatment.

Limitations

The trial was a single-centre study and long-term effects were not evaluated.

Conclusions

During treatment with the Twin Block appliance, a 4-week check-up interval did not improve treatment outcome or increase wear-time, compared to a 6-week check-up interval. The mean wear-time was 6.5 hours per day, even if the recommendation was 12 hours.

Clinical Trial Registration

NCT05155774
Graded Specht Modules as Bernstein–Zelevinsky Derivatives of the RSK Model
Authors: Gurevich Maxim
Published: August 2022

We clarify the links between the graded Specht construction of modules over cyclotomic Hecke algebras and the Robinson-Schensted-Knuth (RSK) construction for quiver Hecke algebras of type $A$, which was recently imported from the setting of representations of $p$-adic groups. For that goal we develop a theory of crystal derivative operators on quiver Hecke algebra modules that categorifies the Berenstein–Zelevinsky strings framework on quantum groups and generalizes a graded variant of the classical Bernstein–Zelevinsky derivatives from the $p$-adic setting. Graded cyclotomic decomposition numbers are shown to be a special subfamily of the wider concept of RSK decomposition numbers.
Effects of a mildly cooked human-grade dog diet on gene expression, skin and coat health measures, and fecal microbiota of healthy adult dogs
Authors: Geary Elizabeth L , Oba Patrícia M , Applegate Catherine C , Clark Lindsay V , Fields Christopher J , Swanson Kelly S
Published: August 2022

Purported benefits of human-grade pet foods include reduced inflammation, enhanced coat quality, and improved gut health, but research is scarce. Therefore, we compared gene expression, skin and coat health measures, and the fecal microbiome of dogs consuming a mildly cooked human-grade or extruded kibble diet. Twenty beagles (BW = 10.25 ± 0.82 kg; age = 3.85 ± 1.84 yr) were used in a completely randomized design. Test diets included: 1) chicken and brown rice recipe [feed-grade; extruded; blue buffalo (BB)]; and 2) chicken and white rice [human-grade; mildly cooked; Just Food for Dogs (JFFD)]. The study consisted of a 4-week baseline when all dogs ate BB, and a 12-week treatment phase when dogs were randomized to either diet (n = 10/group). After the baseline and treatment phases, fresh fecal samples were scored and collected for pH, dry matter (DM), and microbiome analysis; blood samples were collected for gene expression analysis; hair samples were microscopically imaged; and skin was analyzed for delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH), sebum concentration, hydration status, and transepidermal water loss (TEWL). Data were analyzed as a change from baseline (CFB) using the Mixed Models procedure of SAS (version 9.4). At baseline, fecal pH was higher (P < 0.05) and hair surface score, superoxide dismutase (SOD) expression, and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) expression was lower (P < 0.05) in dogs allotted to JFFD. The decrease in CFB fecal pH and DM was greater (P < 0.05) in dogs fed JFFD, but fecal scores were not different. The increase in CFB hair surface score was higher (P < 0.05) in dogs fed JFFD. The decrease in CFB TEWL (back region) was greater (P < 0.05) in dogs fed JFFD, but TEWL (inguinal and ear regions), hydration status, and sebum concentrations in all regions were not different. Hair cortex scores and DTH responses were not affected by diet. The increase in CFB gene expression of SOD, COX-2, and TNF-α was greater (P < 0.05) in dogs fed JFFD. PCoA plots based on Bray–Curtis distances of bacterial genera and species showed small shifts over time in dogs fed BB, but dramatic shifts in those fed JFFD. JFFD increased (adj. P < 0.05) relative abundances of 4 bacterial genera, 11 bacterial species, 68 KEGG pathways, and 167 MetaCyc pathways, and decreased (adj. P < 0.05) 16 genera, 25 species, 98 KEGG pathways, and 87 MetaCyc pathways. In conclusion, the JFFD diet dramatically shifted the fecal microbiome but had minor effects on skin and coat measures and gene expression.
mOTUpan: a robust Bayesian approach to leverage metagenome-assembled genomes for core-genome estimation
Authors: Buck Moritz , Mehrshad Maliheh , Bertilsson Stefan
Published: August 2022

Recent advances in sequencing and bioinformatics have expanded the tree of life by providing genomes for uncultured environmentally relevant clades, either through metagenome-assembled genomes or through single-cell genomes. While this expanded diversity can provide novel insights into microbial population structure, most tools available for core-genome estimation are sensitive to genome completeness. Consequently, a major portion of the huge phylogenetic diversity uncovered by environmental genomic approaches remains excluded from such analyses. We present mOTUpan, a novel iterative Bayesian method for computing the core genome for sets of genomes of highly diverse completeness range. The likelihood for each gene cluster to belong to core or accessory genome is estimated by computing the probability of its presence/absence pattern in the target genome set. The core-genome prediction is computationally efficient and can be scaled up to thousands of genomes. It has shown comparable estimates to state-of-the-art tools Roary and PPanGGOLiN for high-quality genomes and is capable of using genomes at lower completeness thresholds. mOTUpan wraps a bootstrapping procedure to estimate the quality of a specific core-genome prediction, as the accuracy of each run will depend on the specific completeness distribution and the number of genomes in the dataset under scrutiny. mOTUpan is implemented in the mOTUlizer software package, and available at github.com/moritzbuck/mOTUlizer, under GPL 3.0 license.
Electronic Cigarette Nicotine Flux, Nicotine Yield, and Particulate Matter Emissions: Impact of Device and Liquid Heterogeneity
Authors: Soule Eric K , Mayne Shannon , Snipes William , Do Elizabeth K , Theall Travis , Höchsmann Christoph , Talih Soha , Martin Corby K , Eissenberg Thomas , Fuemmeler Bernard F
Published: August 2022

Introduction

Electronic cigarettes (ECIGs) heat a nicotine-containing liquid to produce an inhalable aerosol. ECIG power (wattage) and liquid nicotine concentration are two factors that predict nicotine emission rate (“flux”). These factors can vary greatly across devices and users.

Aims and Methods

The purpose of this study was to examine ECIG device and liquid heterogeneity in “real world” settings and the association with predicted nicotine flux, nicotine yield, and total particulate matter (TPM) emissions. Past 30-day ECIG users (n = 84; mean age = 23.8 years [SD = 9.6]) reported device and liquid characteristics. Device power was measured via multimeter, device display screens, or obtained via labeling. Liquid nicotine concentration was obtained via labeling or through chemical analysis. Predicted nicotine flux, nicotine yield, and TPM associated with 10 4-second puffs were calculated for participants’ primary devices.

Results

Participants’ primary devices were box mods (42.9%), disposable vapes (20.2%), and pod mods (36.9%). Most participants (65.5%) reported not knowing their primary device wattage. Rebuildable/box mods had the greatest power range (11.1–120.0 W); pod mod power also varied considerably (4.1–21.7 W). Unlike device wattage, most participants (95.2%) reported knowing their liquid nicotine concentration, which ranged from 3.0 to 86.9 mg/ml (M = 36.0, SD = 29.3). Predicted nicotine flux varied greatly across products (range =12.0–160.1 μg/s, M = 85.6 μg/s, SD = 34.3). Box mods had the greatest variability in wattage and predicted nicotine flux, nicotine yield, and TPM yield.

Conclusions

ECIG device and liquid heterogeneity influence nicotine and other toxicant emissions. Better measurement of ECIG device and liquid characteristics is needed to understand nicotine and toxicant emissions and to inform regulatory policy.

Implications

ECIG device and liquid heterogeneity cause great variability in nicotine flux and toxicants emitted. These data demonstrate the need to examine device and liquid characteristics to develop empirically informed, health-promoting regulatory policies. Policies may include setting product standards such that ECIG products cannot (1) have nicotine fluxes much greater than that of a cigarette to decrease the risk of dependence, (2) have nicotine fluxes that are very low and thus would have minimal appeal to cigarette smokers and may serve as starter products for youth or nontobacco users, and (3) emit large amounts of particulate matter and other toxicants.
A preliminary exploration of the impact of experiential learning on animal science undergraduates’ perceptions of humane stunning and slaughter
Authors: Sullivan Paxton , Davis Melissa , Smith Colton L , Delmore Robert , Román-Muñiz Noa , Cramer Catie , Stallones Lorann , Edwards-Callaway Lily
Published: August 2022

It is essential to educate students about humane slaughter as it is a critical component of livestock production, particularly for animal science students who represent future stakeholders in agriculture. There is limited research about the effects of experiential learning on student comfort in participating in education regarding sensitive, yet important topics in the animal sciences. A survey was developed to investigate how a teaching module using an experiential learning activity to teach undergraduates about the slaughter process affected student perceptions of stunning and slaughter. Students enrolled in an animal science course, in which live animals and carcasses are evaluated, were surveyed before and after a teaching module. The module included a lecture about proper stunning and a laboratory activity in which the students had the opportunity to shoot a captive bolt stunner on both model and carcass heads. Respondents completed a pre-survey, attended the laboratory activity, and completed a post-survey; 29 survey responses were recorded. Most respondents were women (23, 79.3%) between the ages of 18 and 21 years (25, 86.2%) and in their first year of college (11, 37.9%). The majority of respondents (22, 75.9%) reported using the captive bolt stunner to stun the model heads during the laboratory activity. After participating in the module, all students strongly agreed that “stunning” is a critical component of livestock slaughter (29, 100%) and most agreed that “stunning is a humane process that ensures animal welfare during the slaughter process” (25, 86.2%). The majority of respondents strongly agreed that the “humane stunning simulation was beneficial to their learning about livestock slaughter” (21, 72.4%) and “improved their understanding of slaughter” (16, 55.2%). Almost all of the survey respondents either agreed or strongly agreed that “the model heads and captive bolt demonstration made them more comfortable with the slaughter process” (14, 48.3%; 14, 48.3%, respectively). This research suggests that experiential learning opportunities are potentially effective teaching strategies for educating undergraduates about the slaughter process. Future research should focus on practical ways to integrate new teaching methods into existing animal science curricula, as this will be critical for educating students on important topics in livestock production and increasing student comfort with sensitive material.