bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Parvovirus-Infektionen bei Katzen in Tierheimen
Authors: Rehme Teresa , Hartmann Katrin , Bergmann Michèle
Published: May 2023

Durch weit verbreitete Impfmaßnahmen gegen das feline Panleukopenievirus
(FPV) wird das durch dieses Virus verursachte Krankheitsbild, die feline
Panleukopenie, bei privat gehaltenen Katzen in Deutschland nur noch selten
gesehen. Im Gegensatz dazu ist die Situation in Tierheimen durch den
ständigen Zulauf neuer Katzen, oft mit unvollständigem
Impfschutz, eine andere. In solchen Einrichtungen sind
Panleukopenie-Ausbrüche keine Seltenheit und gehen oft mit einer hohen
Anzahl an Todesfällen einher. Aufgrund der hohen
Kontagiösität des Virus entscheiden sich manche Tierheime,
Katzen mit klinischen Symptomen, die auf Panleukopenie hindeuten, nicht
aufzunehmen, da diese Tiere eine Gefahr für die Tierheimpopulation
darstellen. Jedoch scheiden nicht nur Katzen mit Panleukopenie Parvoviren aus;
auch gesunde, symptomlose Katzen können als subklinische
Parvovirus-Ausscheider fungieren und somit zum Infektionsrisiko beitragen. Das
Risiko für Panleukopenie-Ausbrüche in Tierheimen kann jedoch
durch ein konsequent eingehaltenes Ausbruchsmanagement verringert werden. Dies
schließt zum einen Hygienemaßnahmen mit korrekt
durchgeführten Reinigungs- und Desinfektionsprotokollen,
Quarantänemaßnahmen, eine separate Isolationsstation sowie
spezielle prophylaktische Maßnahmen, wie beispielsweise die
Identifizierung infizierter Tiere und die Immunisierung empfänglicher
Gruppen, ein.
Obstetric and Perinatal Outcomes following Ovulation Induction and Unassisted Pregnancies in the Same Mother
Authors: Ganer Herman Hadas , Mizrachi Yossi , Marom Or , Weissman Ariel , Farhi Jacob , Kovo Michal , Raziel Arieh , Horowitz Eran
Published: May 2023

Objective We aimed to assess whether ovulation induction treatments affect obstetric and neonatal outcomes.

Study Design This was a historic cohort study of deliveries in a single university-affiliated medical center between November 2008 and January 2020. We included women who had one pregnancy following ovulation induction and one unassisted pregnancy. The obstetric and perinatal outcomes were compared between pregnancies following ovulation induction and unassisted pregnancies, so that each woman served as her own control. The primary outcome measure was birth weight.

Results A total of 193 deliveries following ovulation induction and 193 deliveries after unassisted conception by the same women were compared. Ovulation induction pregnancies were characterized by a significantly younger maternal age and a higher rate of nulliparity (62.7 vs. 8.3%, p < 0.001). In pregnancies achieved by ovulation induction, we found a higher rate of preterm birth (8.3 vs. 4.1%, p = 0.02) and instrumental deliveries (8.8 vs. 2.1%, p = 0.005), while cesarean delivery rates were higher following unassisted pregnancies. Birth weight was significantly lower in ovulation induction pregnancies (3,167 ± 436 vs. 3,251 ± 460 g, p = 0.009), although the rate of small for gestational age neonates was similar between the groups. On multivariate analysis, birth weight remained significantly associated with ovulation induction after adjustment for confounders, while preterm birth did not.

Conclusion Pregnancies following ovulation induction treatments are associated with lower birth weight. This may be related to an altered placentation process following uterine exposure to supraphysiological hormonal levels.

Key Points
Medical Student Duty Hours and Shelf Performance: Is There a Correlation?
Authors: Harris Benjamin S. , Harris Hailey M. , Baldwin Melody A. , Dotters-Katz Sarah K.
Published: May 2023

Objective To date, there is limited information about medical student duty hours, shelf scores, and overall clerkship performance in obstetrics and gynecology (OB/GYN). As a result, we were curious to know whether spending more time in the clinical environment translated to an improved learning experience or, in contrast, translated to decreased study time and worse overall clerkship performance.

Study Design A retrospective cohort analysis was performed at a single academic medical center of all medical students on the OB/GYN clerkship from August 2018 to June 2019. Recorded student duty hours were tabulated per day and per week, by student. National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) Subject Exam (Shelf) equated percentile scores for the quarter of year were used.

Results Our statistical analysis showed that working long hours did not translate to higher or lower shelf score, or higher overall clerkship grade. However, working longer hours in the last 2 weeks of the clerkship was associated with high shelf score.

Conclusion Longer medical student duty hours did not correlate to higher shelf scores or overall clerkship grades. Future multicenter studies are necessary to evaluate the importance of medical student duty hours and continue optimizing the educational experience of the OB/GYN clerkship.

Key Points
Polyphenols for Preventing Dental Erosion in Pre-clinical Studies with in situ Designs and Simulated Acid Attack
Authors: Leal Isabelly de Carvalho , Rabelo Cibele Sales , de Melo Mary Anne Sampaio , Silva Paulo Goberlânio de Barros , Costa Fábio Wildson Gurgel , Passos Vanara Florêncio
Published: May 2023

Dental erosion is a chemical process characterized by acid dissolution of dental hard tissue, and its etiology is multifactorial. Dietary polyphenols can be a strategy for dental erosion
management, collaborating to preserve dental tissues through resistance to biodegradation. This study describes a comprehensive review to interpret the effects of polyphenols on dental
erosion of pre-clinical models with in situ designs and simulated acid attacks on enamel and dentin samples. We aim to evaluate evidence about Polyphenolsʼ effects in the type of
dental substrate, parameters of erosive cycling chosen in the in situ models, and the possible mechanisms involved. An evidence-based literature review was conducted using appropriate
search strategies developed for main electronic databases (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, LILACS, EMBASE, LIVIVO, CINAHL, and DOSS) and gray literature (Google Scholar). The Joanna Briggs
Institute checklist was used to evaluate the quality of the evidence. From a total of 1900 articles, 8 were selected for evidence synthesis, including 224 specimens treated with polyphenols
and 224 control samples. Considering the studies included in this review, we could observe that polyphenols tend to promote a reduction in erosive and abrasive wear compared to control
groups. However, as the few studies included have a high risk of bias with different methodologies and the estimated effect size is low, this conclusion should not be extrapolated to
clinical reality.
Detecção de Cutibacterium acnes em amostras de tecidos de cirurgias limpas primárias do ombro – Parte II
Authors: Miyazaki Alberto Naoki , Salles Mauro José Costa , Gonçalves Guilherme Vieira , Conte Luiz Henrique Gallego , de Oliveira Thomaz Gê , Santili Ana Beatriz Nappi , Kurihara Mariana Neri Lucas , Santos Ingrid Nayara Marcelino , da Silva Luciana Andrade
Published: May 2023

Objetivo Pesquisa e identificação de Cutibacterium acnes (C. acnes) e de outros microrganismos em amostras de tecidos profundos coletados em cirurgias limpas de ombro em pacientes que não foram submetidos a nenhum procedimento invasivo articular prévio e que não possuíam antecedentes clínicos de infecção.

Métodos Foram analisados os resultados das culturas de amostras de tecidos profundos intraoperatórias de 84 pacientes submetidos à cirurgia limpa primária do ombro. Foram utilizados tubos contendo meio de cultivo para armazenamento e transporte de agentes anaeróbicos, tempo prolongado de incubação e espectrômetro de massa para diagnósticos de agentes bacterianos.

Resultados Foi evidenciado o crescimento de bactérias em 34 pacientes (40,4%) dos 84 incluídos no estudo. Desses, 23 apresentavam crescimento de C. acnes em pelo menos uma amostra de tecido profundo coletada, correspondendo a 27,3% do total de pacientes. O segundo agente mais encontrado foi o Staphylococcus epidermidis, presente em 7,2% do total de indivíduos incluídos. Evidenciamos maior relação da positividade de amostras com o gênero masculino, uma média de idade inferior, a ausência de diabetes mellitus, o escore ASA I e a profilaxia antibiótica na indução anestésica com cefuroxima.

Conclusões Verificou-se um elevado percentual de isolados de diferentes bactérias em amostras de tecidos de ombros de pacientes submetidos a cirurgias limpas e primárias e sem histórico de infecção anterior. A identificação de C. acnes foi elevada (27,6%) e o Staphylococcus epidermidis foi o segundo agente mais frequente (7,2%).
Comparação da perda sanguínea com a utilização do ácido tranexâmico endovenoso e intra-articular versus intra-articular isolado em artroplastia primária de joelho
Authors: Resch Elemar da Silva , Lemos Leandro Silvestro , Santos José Salvador Pantoja dos , Pozzi João Fernando Argento , Konkevicz Ewerton Renato
Published: May 2023

Objetivo O objetivo desse trabalho é comparar a perda sanguínea durante a artroplastia primária de joelho, com a utilização do ácido tranexâmico endovenoso e intra-articular (EV + IA) versus intra-articular (IA) isolado.

Métodos Trata-se de um ensaio clínico randomizado, duplo cego. Pacientes com indicação de artroplastia total primária de joelho foram captados em clínica especializada, onde foram operados pelo mesmo cirurgião, utilizando sempre a mesma técnica cirúrgica. Trinta pacientes foram alocados no grupo ácido tranexâmico EV + IA e 30 pacientes, no grupo IA, conforme randomização. Foi comparada a perda sanguínea através dos níveis de hemoglobina, hematócrito, volume do dreno e estimativa da perda sanguínea (EBL) (cálculo de Gross e Nadler).

Resultados Após a coleta, foram analisados os dados de 40 pacientes, sendo 22 do grupo IA isolado e 18 do grupo EV + IA. Ocorreram 20 perdas por erro de coleta. Entre os grupos IA e EV + IA, não ocorreram diferenças significativas em 24 horas entre os níveis de hemoglobina (10,56 vs. 10,65 g/dL; F1,39 = 0,63, p = 0,429), eritrócito (3,63 vs. 3,73 milhões/mm3; F1,39 = 0,90, p = 0,346), hematócrito (32,14 vs. 32,60%; F1,39 = 1,39; p = 0,240), volume de dreno (197,0 vs. 173,6 mL; F1,39 = 3,38; p = 0,069) e estimativa de perda sanguínea (EBL) (1.002,5 vs. 980,1; F1,39 = 0,09; p = 0,770). O mesmo ocorreu nas comparações realizadas 48 horas pós-operatório. O tempo foi fator significativo para a mudança de todas as variáveis de desfecho. Porém, o tratamento não modificou o efeito do tempo nesses desfechos. Nenhum indivíduo apresentou qualquer evento tromboembólico durante o período do trabalho.

Conclusões O uso do ácido tranexâmico EV + IA não demonstrou vantagem em redução de perda sanguínea quando comparado ao uso de ácido tranexâmico IA isolado nas artroplastias primárias de joelho. Esta técnica demonstrou-se segura, visto que nenhum evento trombo-embólico ocorreu durante o desenvolvimento do trabalho.
A Prospective Study to Evaluate Role of Middle Ear Risk Index in Tympanoplasty with Mastoidectomy as a Prognostic Parameter
Authors: Mathri Archana , Neelamkavi Niya Joseph
Published: May 2023

Introduction Chronic otitis media (COM) is an otological challenge in the developing countries as it is a persistent disease causing severe destruction of middle ear with irreversible sequalae. To assess Middle Ear Risk Index (MERI) score and study its prognostic effect in postoperative outcome following mastoidectomy with tympanoplasty. To evaluate MERI score with respect to graft uptake and A-B gap closure.

Materials and Methods This prospective study comprised 25 patients suffering from COM who presented to the Department of ENT, HSK Hospital, Bagalkot, over a period of 1 year from November 2020 to November 2021. The patients underwent tympanoplasty with mastoidectomy. MERI 2001 was used in the current study, and risk factors were assessed based on pre- and intra-operative findings to obtain the MERI score. Patients were segregated into those with mild (1–3), moderate (4–7), and severe (8–15) MERI. They were evaluated at 1 month follow-up visit.

Results and Conclusion The study reveals the degree to which MERI score can predict the extent of disease and indicate outcome of surgery. In the present study, patients with lower MERI score benefitted more favorably in terms of graft uptake and hearing improvement as compared with success rate of severe MERI score. MERI index is in fact a very reliable predictor of graft uptake and audiological alteration in patients undergoing tympanoplasty with mastoidectomy surgeries for COM.
The Distensibility of Reissner’s Membrane: A Comparative Analysis
Authors: Pender Daniel J
Published: May 2023

Background Distention of Reissner’s membrane in endolymphatic hydrops is a classical otopathologic finding in cases of Meniere’s disease. A recent double hit analysis raised the possibility that the variability in the distensile behavior in Reissner’s membrane may contribute to the vagaries of membrane pathology encountered in this disease. Such distensile variability is suspected to stem from the viscoelastoplastic behavior of the type IV collagen in Reissner’s basement membrane.

Objective To analyze the known distensile characteristics of Reissner’s membrane for evidence of viscoelastoplastic behavior.

Methods Extant data on human Reissner’s membrane were analyzed for distensile characteristics. These features were then compared to the known characteristics of viscoelastoplasticity as manifested by polymers in general as well as a variety of collagenous tissues. These tissues included a synthetic collagen membrane as well as selected mammalian tissues.

Results The limited extant data on human Reissner’s membrane distensile behavior was found to manifest sigmoid load deformation at a lower strain rate of 0.47%/sec and a rigid rupture pattern at a 10-fold higher strain rate of 5.5%/sec. These characteristics were found to be similar to the general characteristics of polymer viscoelasticity, namely a sigmoid load deformation pattern at lower strain rate that stiffens and straightens as strain rate increases. Tensometric data from a synthetic collagen membrane and selected mammalian tissues were found to exhibit comparable load deformation patterns. These findings support the conclusion that human Reissner’s membrane behaves in a viscoelastoplastic manner.

Conclusions Human Reissner’s membrane appears to exhibit viscoelastoplastic behavior comparable to that observed in other collagenous tissues. Such variable distensile behavior provides insight into why the degree of lesion distention before rupture in Meniere’s disease might vary depending on the dynamics of membrane loading and the resultant rate of membrane strain.
Ankle and Foot: Focus on Inflammatory Disease
Authors: Giraudo Chiara , Fichera Giulia , Ganguly Sujata , Arumugam Moorthy , Cecchin Diego , Rennie Winston J.
Published: May 2023

The ankle and foot have numerous bones and complex joints that can be affected by several types of inflammatory arthritis with different patterns and various radiologic signs, depending on the phase of the disease. Involvement of these joints is most frequently seen in peripheral spondyloarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis in adults and juvenile idiopathic arthritis in children. Although radiographs are a mainstay in the diagnostic process, ultrasonography and especially magnetic resonance imaging allow early diagnosis and are crucial diagnostic tools. Some diseases have typical features based on target populations (e.g., adults versus children, men versus women), but others may have overlapping imaging characteristics. We highlight key diagnostic features and describe appropriate investigations to guide clinicians toward the correct diagnosis and provide support during disease monitoring.
Severe Depressive Episode with Psychotic Symptoms: A Homoeopathic Case Study
Authors: Gilla Deepthi , Aswathy B.A. , KR Sreeja
Published: May 2023

Background Global burden of depression has increased in the recent years with reduction in productivity, reduced quality of life, increased morbidity and mortality. Although there is an evidence base for effectiveness of homoeopathy in depression, severe depressive episode (SDE) with psychotic symptoms is challenging for homoeopaths to treat.

Case Summary A 27-year-old female patient presented with dullness, easy fatiguability, withdrawn nature with loathing of life, lack of interest in daily and pleasurable activities. She believed that her body was disfigured and was suspicious that someone was spying on her. The case was diagnosed as SDE with psychotic symptoms (F-32.3 according to International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision). Natrum muriaticum 30 was given as the first prescription and repeated as necessary in the follow-up visits. Carcinosinum 200 was given as intercurrent on the basis of past history of thyroid malignancy. This case presents an example for Hahnemann's concept of Somato-psychic disorder mentioned in §216 of Organon of Medicine.

Results Hamilton Depression Rating Scale score at baseline which was 42 turned to 0 at the end of 6 months and remained the same over a 3 year observation period.

Conclusion Homoeopathic medicines are effective in the management of SDE with psychotic symptoms. Effectiveness of Natrum muriaticum in reducing depressive symptoms and its effect on neurotransmitters is the arena of future research.
Síndrome facetária lombar e a utilização da técnica de ablação por radiofrequência como terapia alternativa: uma revisão sistemática
Authors: Bernardes Anna Luisa Paiva Romano , Correa Renato Ferraz , Trajano Larissa Alexsandra da Silva Neto , Fontes Iberico Alves
Published: May 2023

Em um contexto de aumento da prevalência de queixas de dores na coluna, a síndrome facetária se destaca como um importante causador. Alternativas como a ablação por radiofrequência (RF) podem ser uma opção de terapia para alívio da dor crônica que essa patologia pode causar. É necessário analisar a eficácia do tratamento da síndrome facetária pela técnica de ablação por radiofrequência tradicional e o alívio gerado nas dores lombares crônicas (DLC). O presente estudo trata-se de uma revisão sistemática cujo os critérios de inclusão para análise foram: título; estudos observacionais; ensaios clínicos; ensaio clínico controlado; estudos clínicos e publicação nos últimos dezessete anos (2005–2022). Já os critérios de exclusão foram: artigos que abordavam outras temáticas e artigos de revisão. As bases utilizadas para coleta de dados incluíram Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System online (Medline), Pubmed, Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO), Lilacs, Biblioteca Virtual em Saúde. Os termos utilizados para a pesquisa foram: facet; pain; lumbar; radiofrequency. Aplicando-se os filtros foram encontrados 142 estudos, 12 foram incluídos. Os estudos em sua maioria apontaram ser benéfica a técnica de ablação por radiofrequência tradicional no alívio das dores lombares crônicas refratárias ao tratamento conservador.
Prevalence of Tinnitus and its Characteristics Among Indian Adult Population
Authors: Aryal Sajana , Sharma Yoshita , Prabhu Prashanth
Published: May 2023

Introduction Tinnitus is a sound heard in the ears or head that originates from both external and internal sources. Tinnitus epidemiological data are critical for proper assessment and management of tinnitus sufferers. The study’s goal was to determine the prevalence of tinnitus and its characteristics among middle-aged Indian individuals, as there has been no previous research in this area in India.

Methods A descriptive cross-sectional study was performed in 273 Indian adult populations ranging in age from 18 to 60 years old, utilizing a random sampling approach and an online survey mode. The SPSS 25.0 software was used to conduct the statistical analysis. The descriptive statistics were used to assess the data, and the chi-square test was used to see whether there was any correlation between the variables.

Results Studies related to tinnitus prevalence show larger variability across countries, which may be due to inconsistent research methods used. Our survey found the prevalence of tinnitus to be 6.7% among the Indian adult population, and most of the participants 76 (76%) reported that their tinnitus is of intermittent nature. In our study, we found that 15% of participants have problem with sleep and none of the participants reported perception of tinnitus in their dreams.

Conclusion Tinnitus is the most prevalent otological condition, which may have a great impact on the quality of life of sufferers as well as their family members. As the prevalence of tinnitus is high among adult population, it is very much essential to develop proper assessment and management protocols to help the patient with tinnitus.
A negative capacitor emulator circuit and its application in chaotic
circuits
Authors: Shi Shuyu , Liang Yan , Lv Weifeng , Gu Meiyuan , Wang Guangyi
Published: May 2023

Negative capacitance usually exists in ferroelectric materials, and its instinct nonlinearity and negative capacitance render its potential applications. To date, the single negative capacitance device is commonly unavailable. Hence, it is necessary to build a negative capacitor emulator in hardware for further investigating its electrical characteristics and applications. Based on a simple negative capacitor mathematical model, an emulator circuit that can mimic the S-shaped voltage–charge characteristics of the negative capacitor is proposed. The proposed emulator is composed of commercial off-the-shelf components, such as operational amplifiers, resistors, and capacitors. Based on the negative capacitor, we design a new chaotic circuit that can generate the single-period, double-period, single-scroll chaos, double-scroll chaos, and so on. The theoretical calculation, simulation analysis, and hardware experimental verification manifest that this proposed emulator circuit can be operated as a negative capacitor and applied in the chaotic circuit.
Power spectral estimate for discrete data
Authors: Marwan Norbert , Braun Tobias
Published: May 2023

The identification of cycles in periodic signals is a ubiquitous problem in time series analysis. Many real-world datasets only record a signal as a series of discrete events or symbols. In some cases, only a sequence of (non-equidistant) times can be assessed. Many of these signals are furthermore corrupted by noise and offer a limited number of samples, e.g., cardiac signals, astronomical light curves, stock market data, or extreme weather events. We propose a novel method that provides a power spectral estimate for discrete data. The edit distance is a distance measure that allows us to quantify similarities between non-equidistant event sequences of unequal lengths. However, its potential to quantify the frequency content of discrete signals has so far remained unexplored. We define a measure of serial dependence based on the edit distance, which can be transformed into a power spectral estimate (EDSPEC), analogous to the Wiener–Khinchin theorem for continuous signals. The proposed method is applied to a variety of discrete paradigmatic signals representing random, correlated, chaotic, and periodic occurrences of events. It is effective at detecting periodic cycles even in the presence of noise and for short event series. Finally, we apply the EDSPEC method to a novel catalog of European atmospheric rivers (ARs). ARs are narrow filaments of extensive water vapor transport in the lower troposphere and can cause hazardous extreme precipitation events. Using the EDSPEC method, we conduct the first spectral analysis of European ARs, uncovering seasonal and multi-annual cycles along different spatial domains. The proposed method opens new research avenues in studying of periodic discrete signals in complex real-world systems.
Cryogenic sensor enabling broad-band and traceable power measurements
Authors: Girard J.-P. , Lake R. E. , Liu W. , Kokkoniemi R. , Visakorpi E. , Govenius J. , Möttönen M.
Published: May 2023

Recently, great progress has been made in the field of ultrasensitive microwave detectors, reaching even the threshold for utilization in circuit quantum electrodynamics. However, cryogenic sensors lack the compatibility with broad-band metrologically traceable power absorption measurements at ultralow powers, which restricts their range of applications. Here, we demonstrate such measurements using an ultralow-noise nanobolometer, which we extend by an additional direct-current (dc) heater input. The tracing of the absorbed power relies on comparing the response of the bolometer between radio frequency and dc-heating powers traced to the Josephson voltage and quantum Hall resistance. To illustrate this technique, we demonstrate two different methods of dc-substitution to calibrate the power that is delivered to the base temperature stage of a dilution refrigerator using our in situ power sensor. As an example, we demonstrate the ability to accurately measure the attenuation of a coaxial input line between the frequencies of 50 MHz and 7 GHz with an uncertainty down to 0.1 dB at a typical input power of −114 dBm.
Preferential substitution at cationic sites in 9-4-9 Zintl phase Ca9−
yEuyZn4.5+

δ
Sb9
Authors: Xue Wenhua , Yao Honghao , Chen Chen , Zhang Qian , Wang Yumei
Published: May 2023

Ca9Zn4.5Sb9 Zintl compound is one of the promising thermoelectric materials with excellent performance, which can be further improved by Eu alloying. In this work, a series of Ca9−yEuyZn4.5+δSb9 compounds is investigated by using the advanced Cs-corrected high-angle annular dark field scanning transmission electron microscope (HAADF-STEM) imaging technique at an atomic level. The HAADF-STEM images show that alloying Eu will lead to preferential substitution of Eu atoms at Ca(1) and Ca(5) sites. The further structural analysis and first-principles density functional theory calculation elucidate the origin that the Eu atoms are prone to replace Ca(1) and Ca(5) sites in Ca9−yEuyZn4.5+δSb9. The preferential substitutions may provide a new insight into revealing the structural transformation commonly found in Zintl phase thermoelectric materials.
CASPT2 study of the electronic structure and photochemistry of protonated N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA-H+) at 453 nm
Authors: Soto Juan , Peláez Daniel , Algarra Manuel
Published: May 2023

In this work, we have studied the photodissociation of the protonated derivatives of N-nitrosodimethylamine [(CH3)2N–NO] with the CASPT2 method. It is found that only one of the four possible protonated species of the dialkylnitrosamine compound absorbs in the visible region at 453 nm, that is, N-nitrosoammonium ion [(CH3)2NH-NO]+. This species is also the only one whose first singlet excited state is dissociative to directly yield the aminium radical cation [(CH3)2NHN·]+ and nitric oxide. In addition, we have studied the intramolecular proton migration reaction {[(CH3)2N–NOH]+ → [(CH3)2NH–NO]+} both in the ground and excited state (ESIPT/GSIPT); our results indicate that this process is not accessible neither in the ground nor in the first excited state. Furthermore, as a first approximation, MP2/HF calculations on the nitrosamine–acid complex indicate that in acidic solutions of aprotic solvents, only [(CH3)2NH–NO]+ is formed.
The pressure-induced crystal structure transformations in the high-pressure annealed Bi1−
xTbxFeO3 compounds (x = 0.05, 0.1, and 0.3)
Authors: Salamatin D. A. , Kichanov S. E. , Kostyleva I. E. , Kulikova L. F. , Bokov A. V. , Zibrov I. P. , Kozlenko D. P. , Tsvyashchenko A. V.
Published: May 2023

The substitution of Bi by rare-earth ions is one of the common approaches for improving the electrical, magnetic, and multiferroic properties of the most studied multiferroic material BiFeO3. In this work, Bi1−xTbxFeO3 compounds with x = 0.05, 0.1, and 0.3 were synthesized using a two-step process: standard solid-state synthesis and high-pressure annealing. The obtained samples were studied by means of x-ray diffraction at normal pressure and neutron powder diffraction at high pressure. It was shown that high-pressure annealing could increase the Tb solubility limit to 10 at. %. It is proposed that the maximum solubility limit is even higher and could be achieved with high-pressure annealing in bulk samples. The transition from the R3c phase to the Pnma phase for the compounds with x = 0.05, 0.1 occurs through a two-phase region and starts at P≈4.4 and 1.7 GPa, respectively. The Pnma phase is stable in the compound with x = 0.3 up to P≈3.2 GPa. The values of Fe magnetic moments decrease with an increase in the Tb concentration or with external pressure for the compounds with x=0.05,0.3 in one-phase regions. The results will help to optimize the synthesis of multiferroic materials with improved magnetoelectric coupling for use in technological applications.
A new three dimensional cumulant phase field lattice Boltzmann method to study soluble surfactant
Authors: Kian Far Ehsan , Gorakifard Mohsen , Goraki Fard Mojtaba
Published: May 2023

Surfactants play a critical role in the physics of paint and coating formulations, affecting key rheological properties such as viscosity, yield stress, and thixotropy. This paper proposes a new three-dimensional phase-field model that uses the cumulant lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) to simulate soluble surfactants. Although current phase-field models commonly use Langmuir's relationship, they cannot calculate interfacial tension analytically, or the LBM models used are unstable when viscosities are low. However, the proposed method overcomes these limitations through two main features. First, the main parameters for modeling and controlling the surfactant's strength and interaction with other phases are directly obtained from a given initial interfacial tension and bulk surfactant, eliminating the need for trial-and-error simulations. Second, a new equilibrium distribution function in the moment space that includes diagonal and off diagonal elements of the pressure tensor is used to minimize Galilean invariance violation. Additionally, there is no need to use an external force to recover multiphase flows, which could break mass conservation. Furthermore, this method has significant potential for parallelization since only one neighbor's cell is used for discretization. The method shows Langmuir relation behavior and is validated with analytical solutions for various interfacial tensions and surfactant concentrations. Moreover, the paper demonstrates the influence of interfacial tension and surfactants on spurious velocities, indicating the method's stability at low viscosities. The dynamics of droplets in the presence of the surfactants is studied in spinodal decomposition and under various external forces. The method accurately simulates the breaking-up and coalescence for these cases. Furthermore, the method successfully simulates the breakage of a liquid thread at a high viscosity ratio.
Equivalent small-signal model of InP-based HEMTs with accurate
radiation effects characterization
Authors: Yun H. Q. , Mei B. , Su Y. B. , Yang F. , Ding P. , Zhang J. L. , Meng S. H. , Zhang C. , Sun Y. , Zhang H. M. , Jin Z. , Zhong Y. H.
Published: May 2023

In this paper, an effective equivalent modeling technique has been proposed to describe small-signal characteristics of InP-based high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) after proton radiation, which is composed of an artificial neural network and equivalent-circuit models. Small-signal intrinsic parameters of InP-based HEMTs are extracted from S-parameters before and after 2 MeV proton radiation as modeling objects. The deep learning model of a generative adversarial network has been explored to expand the measured finite data samples. Four feedforward neural networks are incorporated to equivalent-circuit topology to form the equivalent model, which are trained to accurately predict the radiation-induced variations of Cgs, Cgd, Rds, and gm, respectively. The prediction accuracy of the developed equivalent model has been well verified in terms of the broad-band S-parameters under radiation fluence of 1 × 1014 and 5 × 1013 H+/cm2. This equivalent modeling method with characterization of radiation damage effects could provide significant guidance for the aerospace monolithic millimeter-wave integrated circuit design.
Analytical integration of the heater and sensor 3ω signals of anisotropic bulk materials and thin films
Authors: Ordonez-Miranda Jose , Jalabert Laurent , Wu Yunhui , Volz Sebastian , Nomura Masahiro
Published: May 2023

We derive and analytically integrate the models for the heater and sensor 3ω signals of the temperature field of anisotropic bulk materials and thin films. This integration is done by using the Fourier transform and expressing the frequency dependence of temperature in terms of the modified Bessel and Struve functions, which are well-implemented in major computation software. The effects of the radiative losses and interface thermal resistance are also evaluated for different frequency regimes. Further, by fitting the 3ω model integrated over the heater and sensor widths to experimental data recorded up to 31 kHz, the thermal conductivity and thermal diffusivity of a quartz glass wafer are determined for temperatures ranging from 300 to 800 K. The obtained results show that the usual log-linear approximation can induce an uncertainty of about 5% on the thermal conductivity values. The exact integrated models are thus expected to facilitate the accurate determination of the thermal conductivity and thermal diffusivity of anisotropic materials through a wide spectrum of modulation frequencies and without time-consuming numerical integration.
Dimension reduction in higher-order contagious phenomena
Authors: Ghosh Subrata , Khanra Pitambar , Kundu Prosenjit , Ji Peng , Ghosh Dibakar , Hens Chittaranjan
Published: May 2023

We investigate epidemic spreading in a deterministic susceptible-infected-susceptible model on uncorrelated heterogeneous networks with higher-order interactions. We provide a recipe for the construction of one-dimensional reduced model (resilience function) of the N-dimensional susceptible-infected-susceptible dynamics in the presence of higher-order interactions. Utilizing this reduction process, we are able to capture the microscopic and macroscopic behavior of infectious networks. We find that the microscopic state of nodes (fraction of stable healthy individual of each node) inversely scales with their degree, and it becomes diminished due to the presence of higher-order interactions. In this case, we analytically obtain that the macroscopic state of the system (fraction of infectious or healthy population) undergoes abrupt transition. Additionally, we quantify the network’s resilience, i.e., how the topological changes affect the stable infected population. Finally, we provide an alternative framework of dimension reduction based on the spectral analysis of the network, which can identify the critical onset of the disease in the presence or absence of higher-order interactions. Both reduction methods can be extended for a large class of dynamical models.
Phenotypic, genotypic and nutritional divergence in cowpea and implications for drought tolerance breeding: a review
Authors: Masemola Bogaleng Milcah , Gerrano Abe Shegro , Labuschagne Maryke , Minnaar-Ontong Adre , Mbuma Ntombokulunga W.
Published: May 2023

Genetic diversity is crucial for crop improvement in any breeding program. Cowpea is an important indigenous grain vegetable legume crop. The crop has a significant potential to improve food and nutritional security in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), and family income for resource poor famers. Cowpea is a source of proteins, vitamins (folate, thiamine and vitamin C), minerals (Fe, Zn, Mn and Ca) and amino acids such as lysine and tryptophan, hence, has a high potential for combating nutrient deficiencies. The SSA countries, including South Africa, have been experiencing many dry seasons, which have negatively affected agricultural production and productivity. Cowpea has a long taproot with the ability to grow in arid and semi-arid regions; however, lasting exposure to severe droughts will result in significant yield and grain quality reduction. There has been limited progress in drought tolerance research in cowpea due to the complexity of this trait, as it involves numerous genes, which in turn are affected by environmental conditions. It is therefore important to review research done on the nutritional, phenotypic and genotypic diversity of cowpea and the importance of diversity when breeding for complex quantitative traits such as drought tolerance and yield. The review will also outline the important omics tools used for drought tolerance breeding, cultivar development and as reference for future cowpea breeding.
Effects of language familiarity, utterance length, and speech quality
in prosodic boundary identification
Authors: Kuo Chen-Hsiu Grace
Published: May 2023

This study investigates the effects of several stimulus sources:
language familiarity, utterance length, and speech quality, on listeners’
predictions of the sizes of the upcoming prosodic boundaries. Experiments with
native Taiwanese speakers were conducted, and the stimuli varied in prosodic
boundary units (i.e., word, phrase, and sentence), languages (i.e., Taiwanese,
English, and Swedish), utterance lengths (i.e., 2-second, and 2 syllables; the
latter is approximately 0.416-second long), and speech qualities (i.e., normal
speech, low-pass filtered speech). Results showed that: (a) listeners performed
better when the utterances were longer; (b) listeners performed better in
low-pass filtered speech when they had no prior knowledge of the target
language; (c) there was a tendency for the language familiarity effect, but this
effect was heavily influenced by the extent of similarity of the phonetic
realizations in different prosodic boundaries, and the listeners’ language
proficiency which was associated with working memory storage capacity.
再談漢語「是」字句及幾類相關結構的語義
Authors: Liu Ying , Cheng Gong
Published: May 2023

抽象的

本文通過兩項實證性的研究，再談漢語分裂式「是」句及幾類相關結構的語義。研究發現(i)不同於Paul & Whitman (2008)、Cheng (2008)等分析，句首、句中「是」字句以及「是」字句和「是……的」結構在焦點標記方式和窮盡性的表達等分裂句相關語義屬性上具有一致性，因此應該進行統一化的處理。(ii)分裂式「是」字句的核心語義表達唯一性識別，其預設焦點候選項集合中有且只有一個唯一為真的候選項並斷言其自身表達的命題(prejacent)為真。「是」字句的窮盡性來自於預設和斷言共同作用下的語義推理，而對比性則來自於語篇在此基礎上的進一步限制作用。(iii)「是」字句同幾類相關結構（如斷言命題句，真值焦點句等等）具有共同的語義內核，即表達唯一性識別，而其區別則主要來自於各類句型中焦點成分屬性的不同。這樣的分析不但有助於更精確的語言事實描寫，也可以幫助我們更加系統化的理解漢語分裂句系統。
上聲來源(< -ʔ)新證
Authors: Mei Tsu-Lin
Published: May 2023

抽象的

本文說明(1)「尾、𤈦、苦、雨、九、子、犬、乳、屎、邇」這10個上聲字在藏緬語(Chepang, Lushai)的同源詞帶著-ʔ。由此可見上古漢語的上聲來自漢藏語的*-ʔ。(2)上古漢語的「虎」字*khlaʔ以及古緬語的klaʔ（老虎）都是借自孟高棉語(Mon-Khmer)*klaʔ（老虎）。*klaʔ的-ʔ就是漢語「虎」字上聲的來源。
Improvements in welding continuous cooling transformation diagram of high-strength low-alloy steel weld
Authors: Lai Zi-Yi , Lei Xuan-Wei , Zhang Zhen-Ming , Zhang Yu , Lai Chao-Bin
Published: May 2023

The welding continuous cooling transformation (CCT) diagram concerning microstructure evolution in a fine zone of the weld joint provides essential data for microstructure control in practice. In this study, a welding CCT diagram was improved to be elaborate by using the expanded lever rule. Processes for obtaining pieces of phase information are explained in detail. Improvements are: (i) phase areas are clearly presented, (ii) phase volume percentages are given, and (iii) overlapped phase areas are revealed. To meet high-strength requirement, a heat input of 21 kJ cm−1 was referenced from the welding CCT diagram, for achieving acicular ferrite and lath-like martensite. Transformed phase volume fractions are estimated and high strength and good toughness are obtained due to the elaborate phase information.
Fabrication of low-cost MEMS microfluidic devices using metal embossing technique on glass for lab-on-chip applications
Authors: Madhankumar P , Sujatha L , Sundar R , Viswanadam Gautham
Published: May 2023

This paper discusses a low-cost technology for the fabrication of microfluidic devices on glass substrate using metal embossing technique. The fabrication technique demonstrated is a much simpler approach of embossing on glass using thermo-compression process with a patterned metal layer to define device structure. Well established printed circuit board fabrication photo-process is used to realize the desired planar geometry on metal layer deposited over a glass substrate. The depth of the channel is defined by the thickness of the metal deposited by electro-plating. The embossing technology offers a relatively safer approach conducive to batch processing to enable repeatable, high-yield, low-cost devices fabricated using low-cost equipment. Major challenges of achieving adhesion of the deposited thick nickel layer without peel-off and control of the thermo-compression process to achieve reliable and repeatable embossing without structural distortions were addressed. To prove its suitability for manufacturing, experiments were carried out with full wafer of 6″ × 6″ square glass wafer and optimal process steps for low-cost microfluidic device manufacturing have been well established.
Design and analysis of a metasurface-based wideband wide-angle scanning phased array
Authors: Qi Huanhuan , Liu Haiwen
Published: May 2023

This paper presents a wideband wide-angle scanning phased array, which employs Φ-shaped unit cells to form a metasurface (MS) for achieving wideband impedance matching. To optimize the impedance matching performance, a design procedure based on an equivalent circuit model is proposed. A quasi-analytical model based on the equivalent circuit model and the permittivity ϵ
r and permeability μ
r of the MS properly predicts the scan range of the full structure, and allows for an accelerated design process. The extensive analysis confirms the effectiveness of the MS as the wideband angle impedance matching layer for the antenna array. The MS has demonstrated a positive impact on the wideband wide-angle scanning performance. Finally, a prototype is fabricated and measured, and the experimental results agree well with the simulation results. The proposed array exhibits wide-angle scanning across a 3.5:1 impedance bandwidth (2–7 GHz) with ±60° scan volume in both E-plane and H-plane.
Reproduced out-of-plane ferroelectricity in monolayer SnTe van der Waals heterostructures
Authors: Song Wenjing , Cao Wang , Zhao Wei , Ding Jianwen
Published: May 2023

Due to the shrinking in size of nonvolatile memory devices, the two-dimensional ferroelectric van der Waals (vdW) heterostructures have received huge attention. However, it is still difficult to maintain the out-of-plane (OOP) ferroelectricity. In this work, we have theoretically investigated the relationship between the ferroelectricity and the strain of bulk and few-layer SnTe by first-principles calculations. The results indicate that the α-SnTe can exist stably within the strain between −6% and 6%, and the complete OOP polarization occurs within the strain between −4% and −2%. Unfortunately, the OOP polarization disappears while the bulk α-SnTe is thinned to a few layers. However, the complete OOP polarization recurs in monolayer SnTe/PbSe vdW heterostructures, which is due to the strong interface coupling. Our findings provide an effective way to enhance ferroelectric performance, which is beneficial for the design of ultra-thin ferroelectric devices.
Piezoelectric bimorph-driven ultrasound scanner for high frequency ultrasound imaging
Authors: He Liyuan , Wen Zhiyi , Wang Boquan , Wu Dawei
Published: May 2023

Ultrasound imaging commonly uses mechanical or electronic scanning methods. However, the mechanical scanning systems are bulky and susceptible to electromagnetic interference, while electronic scanning systems are complex and expensive. A more affordable and compact solution for high frequency preclinical and clinical imaging is single-element transducer based ultrasound imaging. This method offers high spatial resolution with low cost and low complexity. In this study, a novel single-element high frequency ultrasound imaging scanner was introduced. The scanner is based on piezoelectric bimorph drive and designed to be low-cost, compact, and handheld. Tungsten wire phantom imaging was performed on a dedicated ultrasound imaging system, and the obtained results were analyzed and compared. The results demonstrate that piezoelectric bimorph drive allows for high frequency imaging with a scanning speed of up to 208 frames per second. The image quality was higher than that of electromagnetic motor drive. The versatility of the ultrasound imaging system makes it suitable for preclinical and clinical applications, including small animal imaging, ophthalmic imaging, skin imaging, and intraoperative ultrasound imaging.
Dual LIDAR online calibration and mapping and perception system
Authors: Zheng Pengcheng , Li Zhitian , Zheng Shuaikang , Zhang Haifeng , Zou Xudong
Published: May 2023

Making autonomous mobile devices capable of autonomous positioning and map building in a GPS-denied environment as well as being able to circumvent people in the operating area simultaneously, is essential for many UGV appliances. In this paper, a mapping and positioning system using dual LIDAR is proposed for positioning and building maps. The system may also detect people in the operating space of the equipment using infrared heat maps. The localization and mapping information from each LIDAR is unified in a loosely coupled approach after simultaneous extrinsic calibration. We propose a method for constructing factor graph using LIDAR point cloud geometric features to optimally solve the dual LIDAR extrinsic in real time. We tested the localization accuracy with a publicly available dataset and three real-world scenarios and compared it with three existing methods. The test results in open-source datasets and real scenarios show that our proposed method improves the position and attitude estimation by up to 50% compared to the three existing methods, and the proposed dual LIDAR extrinsic calibration method can achieve an estimation accuracy of 0.05 m for the translational extrinsic and 1deg for the rotational extrinsic. In addition, our proposed method achieves well position and attitude estimation when other existing methods show severe drift in trajectory estimation in real scenarios. Thus, our proposed method is suitable for obtaining high accuracy measurements of LIDAR extrinsic parameters and for dense mapping and accurate localization in the environment of GNSS-denied and human mobility.
Spin-dependent polarization and quantum Hall conductivity in decorated graphene: influence of locally induced spin–orbit-couplings and impurities
Authors: Belayadi A , Vasilopoulos P
Published: May 2023

We study spin transport through graphene-like substrates in the presence of one or several, locally induced spin–orbit coupling (SOC) terms resulting from periodically placed strips, on their top and decorated with a random distribution of impurities. Intrinsic SOC, Rashba SOC and/or pseudo-spin-inversion-asymmetry coupling are considered. A systematic investigation of the spin conductance identifies the main SOC terms which lead to its energy dependence as well as the extent to which the impurity concentration and each SOC term can affect or tune it, In addition, the spin current flow is considered in the presence of different SOC impurities and their related group symmetry such C
6v
, C
3v
, D
6h
and D
3h
. Further, we show that the quantum spin-Hall effect (QSHE) related to the spin edge states depends only on the spin character when the PIA and ISO terms are not sublattice resolved, and on both the spin and sublattice character when they are. In addition, we show that the RSO term plays a major role in obtaining edge states that are either protected on both edges or only on one edge against backscattering. This Rashba term creates an anticrosing gap that affects the symmetry in the edge localizations and leads to half-topological states. The results can facilitate the experimental choice of appropriately decorated strips to (i) develop spin-transistor devices by tuning the Fermi energy, (ii) control the robustness of the QSHE against backscattering even in the presence of on-site sublattice asymmetry induced by a transverse electric field or functionalizations, and (iii) provide a strong theoretical support for spintronic quantum devices.