bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Safety, efficacy, and maneuverability of a self-propelled capsule endoscope for observation of the human gastrointestinal tract
Authors: Ota Kazuhiro , Kojima Yuichi , Kakimoto Kazuki , Nouda Sadaharu , Takeuchi Toshihisa , Shindo Yasunori , Ohtsuka Yoshitake , Ohtsuka Naotake , Higuchi Kazuhide
Published: August 2021

Background and study aims We developed a self-propelled capsule endoscope that can be controlled from outside the body with real-time observation. To improve the device, we conducted a clinical trial of total gastrointestinal capsule endoscopy in healthy subjects to ascertain whether our first-generation, self-propelled capsule endoscope was safe and effective for observing the entire human gastrointestinal tract.

Patients and methods After adequate gastrointestinal pretreatment, five healthy subjects were instructed to swallow a self-propelling capsule endoscope and the safety of a complete gastrointestinal capsule endoscopy with this device was assessed. We also investigated basic problems associated with complete gastrointestinal capsule endoscopy.

Results No adverse effects of the magnetic field were identified in any of the subjects. No mucosal damage was noted in any of the subjects with the use of our first-generation, self-propelling capsule endoscope. We found that it took longer than expected to observe the stomach; the view was compromised by the swallowed saliva. The pylorus was extremely difficult to navigate, and the endoscope’s fin sometimes got caught in the folds of the small intestine and colon.

Conclusions To resolve the problems associated with the existing self-propelling capsule endoscope, it may be necessary to not only improve the capsule endoscopes, but also to control the environment within the gastrointestinal tract with medications and other means. Our results could guide other researchers in developing capsule endoscopes controllable from outside the body, thus allowing real-time observation.
Quantitative Assessment of Ataxia in Multiple Sclerosis Patients using Spatiotemporal Parameters: A Relief-Based Machine Learning Analysis
Authors: Bilek Furkan , Balgetir Ferhat , Demir Caner Feyzi , Alkan Gökhan , Arslan-Tuncer Seda
Published: August 2021

Background and Objective Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic, progressive, and autoimmune disease of the central nervous system (CNS) characterized by inflammation, demyelination, and axonal injury. In patients with newly diagnosed MS (ndMS), ataxia can present either as mild or severe and can be difficult to diagnose in the absence of clinical disability. Such difficulties can be eliminated by using decision support systems supported by machine learning methods. The present study aimed to achieve early diagnosis of ataxia in ndMS patients by using machine learning methods with spatiotemporal parameters.

Materials and Methods The prospective study included 32 ndMS patients with an Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score of≤2.0 and 32 healthy volunteers. A total of 14 parameters were elicited by using a Win-Track platform. The ndMS patients were differentiated from healthy individuals using multiple classifiers including Artificial Neural Network (ANN), Support Vector Machine (SVM), the k-nearest neighbors (K-NN) algorithm, and Decision Tree Learning (DTL). To improve the performance of the classification, a Relief-based feature selection algorithm was applied to select the subset that best represented the whole dataset. Performance evaluation was achieved based on several criteria such as Accuracy (ACC), Sensitivity (SN), Specificity (SP), and Precision (PREC).

Results ANN had a higher classification performance compared to other classifiers, whereby it provided an accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of 89, 87.8, 90.3% with the use of all parameters and provided the values of 93.7, 96.6%, and 91.1% with the use of parameters selected by the Relief algorithm, respectively.

Significance To our knowledge, this is the first study of its kind in the literature to investigate the diagnosis of ataxia in ndMS patients by using machine learning methods with spatiotemporal parameters. The proposed method, i. e. Relief-based ANN method, successfully diagnosed ataxia by using a lower number of parameters compared to the numbers of parameters reported in clinical studies, thereby reducing the costs and increasing the performance of the diagnosis. The method also provided higher rates of accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity in the diagnosis of ataxia in ndMS patients compared to other methods. Taken together, these findings indicate that the proposed method could be helpful in the diagnosis of ataxia in minimally impaired ndMS patients and could be a pathfinder for future studies.
Erworbenes transientes Fanconi-Syndrom nach Fütterung von Trockenfleisch als Leckerchen beim Hund
Authors: Schaalo Stephanie , Miklis Alexandra , Schlüter Charlotte , Neiger Reto
Published: August 2021

Zwischen April 2018 und August 2019 wurden 6 Hunde mit labordiagnostischen Hinweisen auf ein Fanconi-Syndrom in der Tierklinik Hofheim vorgestellt. In allen Fällen ließ sich der Verdacht mittels Untersuchung der Aminosäuren im Harn bestätigen. Bei 5 der 6 Hunde bestand der hochgradige Verdacht auf eine alimentäre Genese, bei 3 Hunden konnte der Verlauf der Krankheit verfolgt werden. Durch unterstützende therapeutische Maßnahmen und Elimination der Leckerchen aus Trockenfleisch vom Speiseplan besserte sich die klinische Symptomatik bei den Hunden mit Verlaufskontrolle. Hierbei handelt es sich um die erste Fallserie von in Deutschland erkrankten Hunden. Die Häufigkeit des Auftretens des Fanconi-Syndroms in etwas mehr als einem Jahr in nur einer Tierklink lässt eine deutlich höhere Inzidenz vermuten, als derzeit angenommen wird.
Cold snare polypectomy without submucosal injection: safety and efficacy in 615 large serrated lesions
Authors: Barros Roberto Augusto , Monteverde Maria Jose , Dumonceau Jean-Marc , Barros Augusto Sebastian , Rainero German Luis , Barros Roberto Federico , Jaroslavsky Maria Jose , de Elizalde Santiago
Published: August 2021

Background and study aim Cold resection is becoming the standard of care for the resection of nonpedunculated colon lesions up to 10 mm in diameter. Sessile serrated adenomas/polyps (SSA/Ps), including those ≥ 10 mm, present various characteristics that make them ideal candidates for cold snare polypectomy (CSP).

Patients and methods A prospectively maintained database was searched retrospectively for consecutive patients with lesions ≥ 10 mm resected between March 2013 and March 2018. During that period, all SSA/P-appearing lesions were resected using CSP without submucosal injection, except for lesions with endoscopic suspicion of dysplasia or submucosal invasion. Patients with a pathological diagnosis of SSA/P were included in the analysis. Adverse events were recorded up to 21 days following colonoscopy.

Results 615 SSA/Ps ≥ 10 mm were resected during 452 colonoscopy procedures in 379 patients (mean age 54.1 years; standard deviation [SD] 11.9 years). Mean polyp size was 13.7 (SD 5.2) mm; 122 lesions (19.8 %) were ≥ 20 mm and 479 lesions (77.9 %) underwent piecemeal resection. Immediate adverse events included persistent abdominal pain that resolved spontaneously within 2 hours in three patients (0.8 %; 95 % confidence interval [CI] 0.2 %–2.3 %). One patient with persistent intraprocedural bleeding was successfully treated with a hemostatic clip. No late adverse events were detected. Surveillance colonoscopy was performed in 293 patients (77.3 %) at 23.4 (SD 11.6) months following index colonoscopy; residual/recurrent lesions were diagnosed in 23 patients (7.8 %; 95 %CI 5.0 %–11.6 %).

Conclusion CSP without submucosal injection appeared to be safe and effective for the resection of large SSA/Ps.
Mangankonzentrationen im Vollblut, Plasma und Serum adulter Warmblutpferde an 3 Standorten in Deutschland
Authors: Theiner Elena , Weber Corinna , Müller Elisabeth , Venner Monica , Vervuert Ingrid
Published: August 2021

Ziel Etablierung von Referenzintervallen für Mangan (Mn) im Serum, Plasma und Vollblut bei adulten, gesunden Warmblutpferden mit bekannter Mn-Aufnahme und Vergleich von 2 analytischen Methoden der Mn-Bestimmung im Blut.

Material und Methoden Zwischen Mai 2018 und November 2019 erfolgte auf 3 Gestüten bei 270 gesunden Pferden im Alter von 3–25 Jahren eine einmalige Blutprobenentnahme. In Vollblut, Plasma (Antikoagulans jeweils Lithium-Heparin [LH]) und Serum wurden die Mn-Konzentrationen mittels Massenspektrometrie mit induktiv gekoppeltem Plasma (ICP-MS) sowie mittels Atomabsorptionsspektrometrie (AAS) bestimmt. Die Referenzintervalle für jedes Substrat wurden nach den Empfehlungen der International Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (IFCC) und des Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) berechnet (Bereich zwischen 2,5- und 97,5-Perzentil der analysierten Mn-Blutkonzentration). Zeitgleich mit der Blutprobenentnahme wurden repräsentative Futterproben entnommen, um den Mn-Gehalt der korrespondierenden Fütterung zu bestimmen.

Ergebnisse Die Pferde zeigten im Vollblut mit einer medianen Mn-Konzentration von 12,4 µg/l (Referenzintervall: 4,99–25,1 µg/l [AAS]; 5,99–25,3 µg/l [ICP-MS]) signifikant höhere Mn-Konzentrationen (p < 0,0001) als im korrespondierenden Serum (Median: 1,65 µg/l, Referenzintervall: 0,60–3,50 µg/l [AAS]; 1,11–2,96 µg/l [ICP-MS]) oder LH-Plasma (Median: 1,35 µg/l, Referenzintervall: 0,22–2,68 µg/l [AAS]; 0,59–2,45 µg/l [ICP-MS]). Im Methodenvergleich ergaben sich für LH-Plasma und Serum zwischen der AAS und der ICP-MS statistisch signifikante Abweichungen in den Mn-Bestimmungen, wohingegen sie für das Vollblut vergleichbare Ergebnisse lieferten.

Schlussfolgerung und klinische Relevanz Vollblut weist durchschnittlich 10-fach höhere Mn-Konzentrationen auf als Serum oder LH-Plasma. Bei der Bewertung von Mn-Konzentrationen im Blut muss daher berücksichtigt werden, welches Probenmaterial analysiert wurde und welche Methode zur Anwendung kam, da in Serum und Plasma zwischen AAS und ICP-MS relevante Unterschiede auftreten können.
Zistrosenextrakt zur Prophylaxe einer SARS-CoV-2-Infektion
Authors: Träder Jens-Martin
Published: August 2021

Untersuchungen haben gezeigt, dass sich ein spezieller Extrakt aus Cistus × incanus L. in vitro als effektiv gegen SARS-CoV-2 erwiesen hat. Da die enthaltenen hochpolymeren Polyphenole unspezifisch mit der Virusoberfläche interagieren und dadurch den Eintritt in die Zelle verhindern (Entry-Inhibitor), ist auch eine Wirkung gegen die neuen SARS-CoV-2-Varianten wahrscheinlich.

Um dies zu verifizieren, wurde am Institut für Medizinische Virologie der Goethe-Universität in einem Zellmodell mit menschlichen Darmzellen (Caco-2) die Inhibition des cytopathischen Effekts (CPE) durch den Zistrosenextrakt untersucht. Es konnte eine fast vollständige Hemmung des Viruswachstums bei Konzentrationen von mehr als 100 µg/ml bei beiden Varianten beobachtet werden. Die errechnete EC50 (mittlere effektive Konzentration) liegt für die britische Variante (B.1.1.7) bei 48,9 µg/ml und für die südafrikanische Variante (B.1.351) bei 45,2 µg/ml. Aufgrund der hohen In-vitro-Aktivität auch gegen die neuen Varianten erscheint es sinnvoll, den Zistrosenextrakt lokal als Prophylaxe gegen Infektionen mit SARS-CoV-2 einzusetzen.
Schmerzbewertung bei der Kastration von Pferden
Authors: Längerer Lina
Published: August 2021

Dalla Costa E, Dai F, Lecchi C et al. Towards an improved pain assessment in castrated horses using facial expressions (HGS) and circulating miRNAs. Vet Rec 2021; 188 (9): e82

Ziel dieser Studie war eine Verbesserung der Schmerzbeurteilung und der Analgesie im Rahmen der Kastration von Hengsten. Die analgetische Behandlung wurde anhand der equinen Schmerzgesicht-Skala (horse grimace scale, HGS), der zusammengesetzten Schmerzskala (composite pain scale, CPS) und der Konzentrationen spezifischer im Blut zirkulierender Micro-RNAs (miRNAs) beurteilt. In der Pferdemedizin werden miRNAs als innovativer Ansatz zur Bestimmung von akuten Schmerzen untersucht. So fiel bei Pferden mit akuter Hufrehe ein Anstieg der zirkulierenden miR-23b-3p, miR-145–5p und miR-200b-3p auf. Weitere Studien zu diesen molekularen Indikatoren sind erforderlich, um besser zu verstehen, ob ihre Modulation mit der akuten Schmerzwahrnehmung, Entzündung oder beidem zusammenhängt. Diesbezüglich sind neue Erkenntnisse entscheidend für den Beginn einer effektiven Schmerzbewertung.
Ängste homöopathisch behandeln
Authors: Boeddri Ute
Published: August 2021

Angst ist ein evolutionär elementares Gefühl und gehört zum Leben. Im Laufe des Lebens lernt man aus den Erfahrungen heraus, damit umzugehen. Die diffuse Angst kann sich jedoch zur konkreten Furcht entwickeln. Am Beispiel der Ängste von Kindern und Jugendlichen werden in diesem Artikel einige medikamentöse Therapiemöglichkeiten in Form von Einzelhomöopathika und fixen Kombinationen vorgestellt.

Im Lüscher-Farbtest lässt sich das pathologische Selbstwertgefühl entdecken, das hinter der Angst steht.
Comparison of the Efficacy of Septoplasty with Nonsurgical Management in Improving Nasal Obstruction in Patients with Deviated Nasal Septum – A Randomized Clinical Trial
Authors: Srinivasan Dharanya Gopalakrishnan , Hegde Jyotirmay , Ramasamy Karthikeyan , Raja Kalaiarasi , Rajaa Sathish , Ganesan Sivaraman , Velayutham Prabu , Alexander Arun , Saxena Sunil Kumar
Published: August 2021

Introduction In the current era, the major indication for septoplasty is nasal obstruction due to deviated nasal septum (DNS). Even though septoplasty is a commonly performed surgery, its effectiveness in relieving nasal obstruction in DNS has not been proven.

Objective The present study involved the measurement of both objective (nasal patency) and subjective (quality of life measures) outcome measures for the evaluation of the efficacy of septoplasty as compared with medical management.

Methods Patients with DNS presenting with nasal obstruction were included and randomized into a septoplasty group or into a nonsurgical management group, with 70 patients in each group. The improvement in nasal obstruction was assessed subjectively by the visual analogue scale (VAS), and the sino-nasal outcome test-22 (SNOT-22) and the nasal obstruction symptom evaluation (NOSE) questionnaires and was measured objectively by assessment of nasal patency by peak nasal inspiratory flow (PNIF) at 0, 1, 3, and 6 months of treatment in both groups.

Results The average VAS, SNOT-22 and NOSE scores for the septoplasty versus the nonsurgical group before treatment were 6.28 versus 6.0, 19.5 versus 15, and 14 versus 12, respectively, and at 6 months post-treatment, the scores were 2.9 versus 5.26, 10 versus 12, and 8 versus 10 (p = 0.001), respectively. The average PNIF scores at 0 and 6 months were 60/50 l/min and 70/60 l/min, respectively, in the septoplasty group (p = 0.001); the scores at 0 and 6 months in the nonsurgical management group were 60/60 l/min and 70/70 l/min, respectively (p = 0.001).

Conclusion Surgical correction of DNS by septoplasty improves nasal obstruction better than nonsurgical management at 6 months postsurgery.
Selecting the Right Plane of Dissection in Thyroidectomy: Along the Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve or the Thyroid Capsule? A Retrospective Analysis
Authors: Waseem Talat , Ahmed Safia Zahir , Zahara Fatima Tuz , Ashraf Muhammad Hasham , Azim Khwaja Muhammad
Published: August 2021

Introduction Total thyroidectomy remains highly technical, with a significant risk of recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) compromise and hypoparathyroidism. After identifying RLN, at the level of the ligament of Berry, local factors may compel the surgeon to either dissect along the nerve or the thyroid capsule.

Objective The objective of the present study is to compare these two approaches in terms of outcomes and complication rates.

Methods This is a retrospective analysis from September, 2013 to April 2019 of 511 consecutive patients undergoing thyroidectomy. General demographics and disease parameters were recorded. At the discretion of the surgeon and according to the demands of the local operative factors, the patients either had dissection along the RLN or along the thyroid capsule. Perioperative and postoperative parameters such as blood loss, duration of surgery, hospital stay, pain scores, analgesia requirements and complications were recorded. The groups were compared with the Pearson chi-squared test or with the Fisher exact test. A p-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results The incidence of transient hypocalcaemia and transient RLN compromise were higher when dissection was performed along the nerve as opposed to the plane along the thyroid capsule. Other parameters including operative time, hospital stay, pain scores, analgesia requirement, wound infection, seroma, hemorrhage, and recurrence did not differ between the groups. Subgroup analysis of the patients who presented with complications showed that local factors, malignancy, and extent of surgery correlated positively with complications when dissected along the RLN.

Conclusion Dissection along the capsule of the thyroid during thyroidectomy is a safer plane in terms of low rate of transient RLN injury and hypoparathyroidism as opposed to dissection along the nerve.
The Pipeline for Standardizing Russian Unstructured Allergy Anamnesis Using FHIR AllergyIntolerance Resource
Authors: Lenivtceva Iuliia D. , Kopanitsa Georgy
Published: August 2021

Background The larger part of essential medical knowledge is stored as free text which is complicated to process. Standardization of medical narratives is an important task for data exchange, integration, and semantic interoperability.

Objectives The article aims to develop the end-to-end pipeline for structuring Russian free-text allergy anamnesis using international standards.

Methods The pipeline for free-text data standardization is based on FHIR (Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources) and SNOMED CT (Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine Clinical Terms) to ensure semantic interoperability. The pipeline solves common tasks such as data preprocessing, classification, categorization, entities extraction, and semantic codes assignment. Machine learning methods, rule-based, and dictionary-based approaches were used to compose the pipeline. The pipeline was evaluated on 166 randomly chosen medical records.

Results AllergyIntolerance resource was used to represent allergy anamnesis. The module for data preprocessing included the dictionary with over 90,000 words, including specific medication terms, and more than 20 regular expressions for errors correction, classification, and categorization modules resulted in four dictionaries with allergy terms (total 2,675 terms), which were mapped to SNOMED CT concepts. F-scores for different steps are: 0.945 for filtering, 0.90 to 0.96 for allergy categorization, 0.90 and 0.93 for allergens reactions extraction, respectively. The allergy terminology coverage is more than 95%.

Conclusion The proposed pipeline is a step to ensure semantic interoperability of Russian free-text medical records and could be effective in standardization systems for further data exchange and integration.
Utility of Digital Breast Tomosynthesis with Two-Dimensional Synthesized Mammography Images: A Pictorial Essay
Authors: Hande Pradipta C. , Desai Sabita S. , Arneja Sarabjeet K. , Sathian Sreedevi
Published: August 2021

Background Mammography has been established as the key modality in the detection and diagnosis of breast cancers. Digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) has emerged as a mammographic technique which allows improved visualization of abnormalities by reducing the effect of overlapping breast tissue.

Purpose This article is a pictorial essay which highlights the advantages of DBT with two-dimensional (2D) synthesized mammography (2DSM) images, its clinical applications, and its role in breast imaging.

Materials and Methods Selenia Dimensions HD mammography machine performs DBT which acquires a series of low-dose digital mammographic images of the compressed breast followed by full-field digital mammography. Software using specialized algorithms helps to create a 2DSM image reconstructed from the DBT data set. The images are interpreted on a dedicated work station on high-resolution monitors by the radiologist. American College of Radiology Breast Imaging-Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) lexicon is used for reporting. High-resolution breast ultrasound which includes evaluation of the axilla is done for all cases.

Conclusion DBT improves detection and better characterization of lesions which thereby increases confidence of interpretation of mammograms and assigning BI-RADS categories for further management.
Myocardial Infarction or Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy? A Case Report of a Rare Clinical Dilemma in the Setting of Atrial Myxoma
Authors: Ganesh Balasubramaniyan Amirtha , Rangasamy Sasinthar , Aashish Arumugam , Karthikeyan Selvaraj
Published: August 2021

Background Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) secondary to coronary embolization is one of the rare complications of atrial myxoma. Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TCM), a close mimic of AMI, is extremely rare in the setting of atrial myxoma. We report a patient with atrial myxoma presenting with features leading to a clinical dilemma between these two entities.

Case summary  A 60-year-old woman presented with acute chest pain with ST segment elevation. Echocardiogram revealed left ventricular (LV) apical ballooning which is typical of TCM, coexisting with a fragile left atrial mass. Emergency coronary angiogram showed a hazy lesion in the circumflex ostium and an intermediate lesion in ramus without any obstruction. Surgical excision of the tumor was done due to features of recurrent coronary embolism. The histopathology examination confirmed it as a myxoma. Regional wall motion abnormalities reversed within a month and LV function normalized. Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging at follow-up suggested myocardial infarction.

Discussion TCM can occur very rarely in the setting of atrial myxoma. In a patient with atrial myxoma presenting with features of TCM, differentiating it from coronary embolization is important.
Assessing the Influence of Failed Implant Reconstruction on Patient Satisfaction and Decision Regret after Salvage Free-Flap Breast Reconstruction
Authors: Shammas Ronnie L. , Sergesketter Amanda R. , Taskindoust Mahsa , Biswas Sonali , Hollenbeck Scott T. , Phillips Brett T.
Published: August 2021

Background Free-flap breast reconstruction after failed implant reconstruction is associated with improved patient outcomes. How the level of satisfaction achieved compares between patients with and without previously failed implant reconstruction remains unknown. The aim of this study was to assess the influence of prior failed implant-based reconstruction on long-term patient-reported outcomes after free-flap breast reconstruction.

Methods All patients undergoing free-flap breast reconstruction between 2015 and 2019 were identified. Patient satisfaction using the BREAST-Q and decisional regret using the Decision Regret Scale were compared between patients with and without a history of implant breast reconstruction.

Results Overall, 207 patients were contacted and 131 completed the BREAST-Q and Decision Regret Scale. A total of 23 patients had a history of failed implant-based reconstruction requiring free-flap-flap salvage, most commonly due to infection (39.1%), chronic pain (34.8%), capsular contracture (26%), and implant malposition (26.1%). Following definitive free-flap reconstruction, patients with prior failed implant reconstruction had significantly lower BREAST-Q scores for satisfaction with breast (61.2 ± 16.7 vs. 70.4 ± 18.7; p = 0.04) and sexual well-being (38.5 ± 18.2 vs. 52.8 ± 24.7; p = 0.01) and reported higher decision regret (19.1 ± 18.6 vs. 9.6 ± 15.6, respectively). There were no significant differences for psychosocial well-being (p = 0.67), physical well-being (chest; p = 0.27), and physical well-being (abdomen; p = 0.91).

Conclusion A history of failed implant-based reconstruction is associated with reduced satisfaction and increased decision regret with the final reconstructive outcome. This data underscores the importance of appropriate patient selection at the initial consultation, and informed preoperative counseling regarding long-term outcomes in patients presenting for free-flap reconstruction after a failed implant-based reconstruction.
A testing assembly for combination measurements on gas hydrate-bearing sediments using x-ray computed tomography and low-field nuclear magnetic resonance
Authors: Zhang Zhun , Liu Lele , Li Chengfeng , Liu Changling , Ning Fulong , Liu Zhichao , Meng Qingguo
Published: August 2021

Studying the pore-scale characteristics of gas hydrate-bearing sediments (GHBS) is very important for a deep understanding of (i) how fluid flows therein and (ii) the corresponding gas production. Micro X-ray computed tomography (X-CT) and low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) are often used independently to characterize the pore structure of GHBS. Here, we present a new testing assembly that combines X-CT scans and low-field NMR tests to determine the pore-scale characteristics of GHBS in situ. The main parts of the testing assembly are a removable core holder made of polyether ether ketone, an X-CT system, and a low-field NMR system. The core holder allows for independent pressure control for the formation/dissociation of gas hydrates, which is xenon hydrate here. X-CT scans and low-field NMR tests are conducted successively to obtain not only the hydrate pore-scale behavior but also the transverse relaxation time distributions of GHBS. Correlation analysis between the pore size distributions and the transverse relaxation time curves gives the transverse surface relaxivity of xenon hydrate-bearing sediments during hydrate dissociation. The results show that the hydrate pore occurs as a mixture of grain-coating, cementing, pore-filling, and patchy clusters in a gas-dissolved solution. The peak pore size at the maximum frequency ratio increases with decreasing hydrate saturation. In addition, the transverse surface relaxivity dependence on hydrate pore occurrences is in the range of 67.1–129.3 µm/s when the hydrate saturation is lower than 0.4. The combination measurements for GHBS have a promising potential in understanding the structure evaluation of pore space during gas recovery.
Memory properties of electromigrated Au nanogaps to realize reservoir computing
Authors: Sakai Keita , Yagi Mamiko , Ito Mitsuki , Shirakashi Jun-ichi
Published: August 2021

The reservoir computing (RC) scheme, which employs the inherent computational capabilities of dynamical systems, is a key technology to implement artificial intelligence systems physically. Ensuring the nonlinear expansion of input data through the dynamics of physical systems is a necessary aspect of RC. Previously, we developed artificial synapses of Au nanogaps by using the “activation” technique, which allowed the implementation of synaptic functions such as short-term plasticity, long-term plasticity, and spike-timing-dependent plasticity. The activation technique is an electromigration-based method to control the tunnel resistance of nanogaps. In this study, the memory property of the Au nanogap, using activation for RC, was evaluated via short-term memory (STM) and parity check (PC) tasks. More specifically, memory capacity was introduced to evaluate the performance of the Au nanogap, defined as the sum of squares of the correlation between the outputs of RC and the teacher for delay D = 1 to 6. By utilizing the simple dynamics of short-term plasticity, the memory capacities of the STM and PC tasks were found to be 1.07 and 0.90, respectively, when 10 virtual nodes were used. This demonstrates that the dynamic process of the activation technique enables the Au nanogap-based reservoir to process information directly in the temporal domain. The experimental results can facilitate the development of compact devices to realize physical RC.
Suppression of chaotic bursting synchronization in clustered scale-free networks by an external feedback signal
Authors: Reis Adriane S. , Brugnago Eduardo L. , Caldas Iberê L. , Batista Antonio M. , Iarosz Kelly C. , Ferrari Fabiano A. S. , Viana Ricardo L.
Published: August 2021

Oscillatory activities in the brain, detected by electroencephalograms, have identified synchronization patterns. These synchronized activities in neurons are related to cognitive processes. Additionally, experimental research studies on neuronal rhythms have shown synchronous oscillations in brain disorders. Mathematical modeling of networks has been used to mimic these neuronal synchronizations. Actually, networks with scale-free properties were identified in some regions of the cortex. In this work, to investigate these brain synchronizations, we focus on neuronal synchronization in a network with coupled scale-free networks. The networks are connected according to a topological organization in the structural cortical regions of the human brain. The neuronal dynamic is given by the Rulkov model, which is a two-dimensional iterated map. The Rulkov neuron can generate quiescence, tonic spiking, and bursting. Depending on the parameters, we identify synchronous behavior among the neurons in the clustered networks. In this work, we aim to suppress the neuronal burst synchronization by the application of an external perturbation as a function of the mean-field of membrane potential. We found that the method we used to suppress synchronization presents better results when compared to the time-delayed feedback method when applied to the same model of the neuronal network.
Bulk dissipation in the quantum anomalous Hall effect
Authors: Rodenbach L. K. , Rosen I. T. , Fox E. J. , Zhang Peng , Pan Lei , Wang Kang L. , Kastner M. A. , Goldhaber-Gordon D.
Published: August 2021

Even at the lowest accessible temperatures, measurements of the quantum anomalous Hall (QAH) effect have indicated the presence of parasitic dissipative conduction channels. There is no consensus whether parasitic conduction is related to processes in the bulk or along the edges. Here, we approach this problem by comparing transport measurements of Hall bar and Corbino geometry devices fabricated from Cr-doped (BiSb)2Te3. We identify bulk conduction as the dominant source of dissipation at all values of temperature and in-plane electric field. Furthermore, we observe identical breakdown phenomenology in both geometries, indicating that breakdown of the QAH phase is a bulk process. The methodology developed in this study could be used to identify dissipative conduction mechanisms in new QAH materials, ultimately guiding material development toward realization of the QAH effect at higher temperatures.
A two-frequency-two-coupling model of coupled oscillators
Authors: Hong Hyunsuk , Martens Erik A.
Published: August 2021

We considered the phase coherence dynamics in a Two-Frequency and Two-Coupling (TFTC) model of coupled oscillators, where coupling strength and natural oscillator frequencies for individual oscillators may assume one of two values (positive/negative). The bimodal distributions for the coupling strengths and frequencies are either correlated or uncorrelated. To study how correlation affects phase coherence, we analyzed the TFTC model by means of numerical simulations and exact dimensional reduction methods allowing to study the collective dynamics in terms of local order parameters [S. Watanabe and S. H. Strogatz, Physica D 74(3–4), 197–253 (1994); E. Ott and T. M. Antonsen, Chaos 18(3), 037113 (2008)]. The competition resulting from distributed coupling strengths and natural frequencies produces nontrivial dynamic states. For correlated disorder in frequencies and coupling strengths, we found that the entire oscillator population splits into two subpopulations, both phase-locked (Lock–Lock) or one phase-locked, and the other drifting (Lock–Drift), where the mean-fields of the subpopulations maintain a constant non-zero phase difference. For uncorrelated disorder, we found that the oscillator population may split into four phase-locked subpopulations, forming phase-locked pairs which are either mutually frequency-locked (Stable Lock–Lock–Lock–Lock) or drifting (Breathing Lock–Lock–Lock–Lock), thus resulting in a periodic motion of the global synchronization level. Finally, we found for both types of disorder that a state of Incoherence exists; however, for correlated coupling strengths and frequencies, incoherence is always unstable, whereas it is only neutrally stable for the uncorrelated case. Numerical simulations performed on the model show good agreement with the analytic predictions. The simplicity of the model promises that real-world systems can be found which display the dynamics induced by correlated/uncorrelated disorder.
Pushing the limits of magnetocaloric high-entropy alloys
Authors: Law Jia Yan , Franco Victorino
Published: August 2021

High-entropy alloys (HEAs) have become a topic of high research interest due to the excellent mechanical properties that can be found in this new type of materials. However, their functional properties are usually modest when compared to conventional materials. The discovery of high-entropy alloys with an optimal combination of mechanical and functional properties would be a leap forward in the reliability of devices that use them as functional elements. This Research Update focuses on magnetocaloric HEAs, showing that a directed search strategy allows us to improve their performance in a significant way, closing the pre-existing gap between magnetocaloric HEAs and high-performance magnetocaloric materials. Further challenges that remain in this line of research are highlighted.
Voltage boost effects in two-step photon upconversion solar cells with a modulation-doped structure
Authors: Watanabe Kohei , Asahi Shigeo , Zhu Yaxing , Kita Takashi
Published: August 2021

A two-step photon upconversion (TPU) solar cell is a single-junction solar cell with a suitably designed heterointerface in the intrinsic layer. At this interface, upconversion can take place by absorbing infrared light, which excites carriers to energies above the heterojunction barrier, and then an electric field extracts these upconverted carriers to the barrier material. In this work, we study this photoabsorption process in a TPU solar cell with a modulation-doped structure. The modulation doping technique enables us to control the electric field at the heterointerface, and we demonstrate that the efficiency of the TPU process strongly depends on the electric field at the heterointerface. While we show that the TPU process induced by infrared light leads to a significant increase in the external quantum efficiency, we also note that this TPU process is an adiabatic process. It is shown that the adiabatic intraband photoexcitation at the heterointerface is able to increase the open-circuit voltage even above the open-circuit voltage that we predict from the diode equation and the actual current increase. We demonstrate obvious voltage boost effects and elucidate the relationship between the current and voltage.
Analytical modeling of the anomalous electron collision frequency in partially magnetized E × B plasmas
Authors: Kwon Kybeom
Published: August 2021

An analytical model for the anomalous electron collision frequency is proposed to predict the cross-field mobility of electrons in partially magnetized E × B plasma devices. The proposed model can be implemented through a dimensional analysis based on the electron momentum equations perpendicular to the magnetic field. To test the validity of the proposed method, it is applied to a 1D steady fluid analysis for a Hall thruster. The results show that compared to the Bohm diffusion model, the proposed model can yield more physically appropriate prediction results in terms of axial distributions for the anomalous electron collision frequency and azimuthal electron mean velocity.
Spiral wave chimera-like transient dynamics in three-dimensional grid of diffusive ecological systems
Authors: Bera Bidesh K. , Kundu Srilena , Muruganandam Paulsamy , Ghosh Dibakar , Lakshmanan M.
Published: August 2021

In the present article, we demonstrate the emergence and existence of the spiral wave chimera-like transient pattern in coupled ecological systems, composed of prey–predator patches, where the patches are connected in a three-dimensional medium through local diffusion. We explore the transition scenarios among several collective dynamical behaviors together with transient spiral wave chimera-like states and investigate the long time behavior of these states. The transition from the transient spiral chimera-like pattern to the long time synchronized or desynchronized pattern appears through the deformation of the incoherent region of the spiral core. We discuss the transient dynamics under the influence of the species diffusion at different time instants. By calculating the instantaneous strength of incoherence of the populations, we estimate the duration of the transient dynamics characterized by the persistence of the chimera-like spatial coexistence of coherent and incoherent patterns over the spatial domain. We generalize our observations on the transient dynamics in a three-dimensional grid of diffusive ecological systems by considering two different prey–predator systems.
Comparing data subsets and transformations for reproducing an expert-based vegetation classification of an Australian tropical savanna
Authors: Lewis Donna , Patykowski John , Nano Catherine
Published: August 2021

Mapping vegetation communities requires considerable investment in field data collection, analysis and interpretation. The methods for data collection and analysis can significantly affect field time and the accuracy of the classifications. We test the ability of field data subsets and data pre-treatments to reproduce an intuitively derived vegetation classification within the Australian tropical savanna biome. The data subsets include all strata, upper strata, ground strata, and tree basal area. A range of multivariate techniques were used to describe patterns in the datasets as they related to the a priori vegetation classification. We tested the degree of floristic correlation among the data subsets and the extent to which several data transformations (square root, fourth root, presence or absence) improved the level of agreement between the numerically and the intuitively derived mapping units. Our results implied high redundancy in sampling both basal area and upper strata species cover, and the ground stratum was poorly correlated with the upper stratum. Across all statistical tests, the groups derived from analysis of square root-transformed upper stratum cover data were closely aligned with the expert classification. We propose that a numerical approach using an optimal dataset will produce a meaningful classification for vegetation mapping in poorly known Australian tropical savanna.
Clock proteins and training modify exercise capacity in a daytime-dependent manner
Authors: Adamovich Yaarit , Dandavate Vaishnavi , Ezagouri Saar , Manella Gal , Zwighaft Ziv , Sobel Jonathan , Kuperman Yael , Golik Marina , Auerbach Asher , Itkin Maxim , Malitsky Sergey , Asher Gad
Published: August 2021

Significance

Studies in mice and humans have revealed daytime variance in exercise performance, yet it is still unclear whether and how these daytime differences are regulated by the circadian clock. Here, we show that exercise performance is circadian clock controlled and that specific clock proteins modify exercise capacity in a time-dependent manner, likely through differences in food consumption and liver glycogen stores. We also demonstrate that the time of day at which training is performed plays a role in improving exercise capacity. Our study suggests that exercise capacity is shaped by clock proteins and training in a daytime-dependent manner.
Unearthing real-time 3D ant tunneling mechanics
Authors: Buarque de Macedo Robert , Andò Edward , Joy Shilpa , Viggiani Gioacchino , Pal Raj Kumar , Parker Joseph , Andrade José E.
Published: August 2021

Significance

Predicting the stability of granular materials under particle removal has wide-reaching applications, including automating tunnel excavations. Searching for general laws that govern granular stability is challenging given the complexity of granular material dynamics. However, knowledge may be gained from the natural world, where organisms have evolved adaptive tunneling strategies. Among these, subterranean-nesting ants execute an innate tunneling behavioral program that can lead to remarkably stable tunnel excavation. We use X-rays to image the process of ant tunnel construction through a particulate substrate. We use these data to create a grain-scale accurate simulation for estimating particle mechanics in the sample during real-time excavation. We present evidence that ants benefit from force redistributions during incremental digging, suggesting techniques for robotic mining.
Identification of a KLF5-dependent program and drug development for skeletal muscle atrophy
Authors: Liu Lin , Koike Hiroyuki , Ono Takehito , Hayashi Shinichiro , Kudo Fujimi , Kaneda Atsushi , Kagechika Hiroyuki , Manabe Ichiro , Nakashima Tomoki , Oishi Yumiko
Published: August 2021

Significance

Skeletal muscle atrophy occurs as a result of a variety of conditions including aging, disuse, and cachexia. In this study, we show that the transcription factor KLF5 is transiently up-regulated by metabolic and disuse stimulations and plays a pivotal role in the onset of muscle atrophy in vitro and in vivo. KLF5 physically interacts with Foxo1, and together, they regulate the transcription ofFbxo32, a key atrophy-inducing ubiquitin ligase. A synthetic retinoid, Am80, attenuates muscle atrophy in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, publicly available data sets showed that in humans,KLF5expression significantly increased with aging and with sarcopenia and correlated positively with expression of the ubiquitin ligase genesFBXO32andTRIM63.
Enlisting wild grass genes to combat nitrification in wheat farming: A nature-based solution
Authors: Subbarao Guntur V. , Kishii Masahiro , Bozal-Leorri Adrian , Ortiz-Monasterio Ivan , Gao Xiang , Ibba Maria Itria , Karwat Hannes , Gonzalez-Moro M. B. , Gonzalez-Murua Carmen , Yoshihashi Tadashi , Tobita Satoshi , Kommerell Victor , Braun Hans-Joachim , Iwanaga Masa
Published: August 2021

Significance

Globally, wheat farming is a major source of nitrogen pollution. Rapid generation of soil nitrates cause nitrogen leakage and damage ecosystems and human health. Here, we show the 3Ns
b
S chromosome arm in wild grass
(Leymus racemosus)
that controls root nitrification inhibitor production can be transferred into elite wheat cultivars, without disrupting the elite agronomic features. Biological nitrification inhibition (BNI)–enabled wheats can improve soil ammonium levels by slowing down its oxidation and generate significant synergistic benefits from assimilating dual nitrogen forms and improving adaptation to low N systems. Deploying BNI-enabled wheat on a significant proportion of current global wheat area (ca. 225 M ha) could be a powerful nature-based solution for reducing N fertilizer use and nitrogen losses while maintaining productivity.
Monkeys exhibit a paradoxical decrease in performance in high-stakes scenarios
Authors: Smoulder Adam L. , Pavlovsky Nicholas P. , Marino Patrick J. , Degenhart Alan D. , McClain Nicole T. , Batista Aaron P. , Chase Steven M.
Published: August 2021

Significance

Choking under pressure is a frustrating phenomenon experienced sometimes by skilled performers as well as during everyday life. The phenomenon has been extensively studied in humans, but it has not been previously shown whether animals also choke under pressure. Here we report that rhesus monkeys also choke under pressure. This indicates that there may be shared neural mechanisms that underlie the behavior in both humans and monkeys. Introducing an animal model for choking under pressure allows for opportunities to study the neural causes of this paradoxical behavior.
Diachronic change in the ordering of kinship binomials
Authors: Čermáková Anna
Published: August 2021

One of the specific characteristics of binomials is the ordering of their elements and the degree of their reversibility. A
diachronic perspective suggests it is particularly the kinship binomials that show a strong unfreezing trend away from the
male-first ordering. This study explores, diachronically and from an English-Czech contrastive perspective, kinship binomials
in children’s literature. It confirms earlier findings of a gradual diachronic reversal of term ordering in kinship
binomials that extends across languages. However, at the same time, binomial sequencing seems to be a complex interplay of
linguistic, cognitive and real-world influences. The diachronic reversal of preference in the ordering is limited to
particular binomials and may be linked to a more general change in the discourse, namely the shift towards greater
informality.
Tracing processes in auxiliarization
Authors: Johansson Mats , Nordrum Lene
Published: August 2021

This chapter considers the Norwegian verb rekke (‘reach’) and its English correspondences in a bi-directional
translation corpus (ENPC), as well as occurrences of rekke in Norwegian monolingual corpora. We suggest that
rekke is undergoing grammaticalization from a concrete lexical spatial verb towards a (semi-)auxiliary
that contains a component of time sufficiency, similar to Swedish hinna (Johansson & Nordrum 2016), but that rekke is at an earlier stage in this development. We base
this suggestion on the following observations: (1) Swedish hinna was earlier polysemous between space and
time, but can only denote time in present-day Swedish. (2) Norwegian rekke is still polysemous between space
and time, but seems to always denote time when used as a (semi-)auxiliary. The study contributes to the semantic description
of Norwegian rekke, but also has implications for grammaticalization studies as well as for studies of
modality.
Translating verbal tenses between tensed and tenseless languages
Authors: Grisot Cristina , Sun Juan
Published: August 2021

In this chapter, we investigate how verbal tenses are translated into a tenseless language (Chinese) and whether the
translation of temporal information from a tenseless language into tensed languages (English and French) is influenced by the
formal structure of the source language. The results of our corpus analysis show that English and French verbal tenses like
the Present Perfect and Imparfait are not systematically translated into Mandarin using an aspectual marker. We find that
present-time French and English verbal tenses are most often translated into Mandarin using non-marked VPs, past-time verbal
tenses using aspectual, temporal markers and linguistically non-marked VPs, and future-time verbal tenses using temporal
markers. These patterns also apply for the translation of Mandarin VPs into French and English.
From language to language, from time to time
Authors: Levin Magnus , Herold Jenny Ström
Published: August 2021

This study is situated within the broader field of phraseology and concerns repetitive, echoic binomials such as day by
day (NPN) and on and on (‘ADV and ADV’). While the bulk of previous research
has focused on their use in individual languages (Jackendoff 2008; Ziem 2008), this
study takes a comparative approach, using data from two parallel corpora: the Linnaeus University English-German-Swedish
corpus and the English-Swedish Parallel Corpus. The results indicate that binomials, in particular of the NPN type, are most
frequent in Swedish originals. In English originals, they are rare and not very productive. In translations, frequencies
closely mirror those in their originals, but other recurrent patterns (e.g., one X at a
time) are also commonly used as correspondences.