bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Bipolar 1,8-naphthalimides showing high electron mobility and red AIE-active TADF for OLED applications
Authors: Masimukku Naveen , Gudeika Dalius , Volyniuk Dmytro , Bezvikonnyi Oleksandr , Simokaitiene Jurate , Matulis Vitaly , Lyakhov Dmitry , Azovskyi Volodymyr , Gražulevičius Juozas Vidas
Published: January 2022

Aiming to design bipolar red TADF emitters with high electron mobility, D–A compounds were synthesized with 1,8-naphthalimide as an acceptor and phenoxazine, 3,7-di-tert-butylphenothiazine or 2,7-di-tert-butyldimethyl-9,10-dihydroacridine as donors.
Direct decarboxylative Giese reactions
Authors: Kitcatt David M. , Nicolle Simon , Lee Ai-Lan
Published: January 2022

This review summarizes recent progress on using carboxylic acids directly as convenient precursors for the 1,4-radical conjugate addition (Giese) reaction.
Eutectic electrolyte based on N-methylacetamide for highly reversible zinc–iodine battery
Authors: Yang Yongqiang , Liang Shuquan , Lu Bingan , Zhou Jiang
Published: January 2022

A eutectic electrolyte strategy is proposed for zinc-iodine battery. Both the reasonable solvated structure and suppressed generation of I3− as an intermediate product achieve the high reversible I−/I0 conversion.
Toxicity assessment and microbial response to soil antibiotic exposure: differences between individual and mixed antibiotics
Authors: Jiang Bo , Shen Yaoxin , Lu Xin , Du Yufan , Jin Naifu , Li Guanghe , Zhang Dayi , Xing Yi
Published: January 2022

The bioavailability and toxicity of antibiotics were affected in soils. Toxicity of the joint antibiotics was more complex than a simple synergism of individual antibiotics. Soil microorganisms were more sensitive to TC.
Quantitative determination of 137Cs and 90Sr in dissolver solutions without pre-separation by isotope dilution thermal ionization mass spectrometry
Authors: Namitha J. , Bera Suranjan , Joseph M. , Brahmananda Rao C. V. S. , Sivaraman N.
Published: January 2022

Schematic representation of the measurement of isotopes of Cs and Sr present in a dissolver solution based on preferential evaporation.
Design and synthesis of benzothiadiazole-based molecular systems: self-assembly, optical and electronic properties
Authors: Miranda-Olvera Montserrat , Arcos-Ramos Rafael , Maldonado-Domínguez Mauricio , Salmon Lionel , Molnár Gábor , Bousseksou Azzedine , del Pilar Carreón-Castro María
Published: January 2022

A comprehensive study was conducted to determine the effect of the donor-group on the solid-state organization and electronic properties of stimuli-responsive benzothiadiazole-based D–A–D building blocks.
Controlled aggregation properties of single amino acids modified with protecting groups
Authors: Koshti Bharti , Kshtriya Vivekshinh , Naskar Soumick , Narode Hanuman , Gour Nidhi
Published: January 2022

The self-assembling properties of single amino acids modified with protecting groups under controlled conditions of temperature and concentration are illustrated.
Oxo(corrolato)vanadium(iv) catalyzed epoxidation: oxo(peroxo)(corrolato)vanadium(v) is the true catalytic species
Authors: Nayak Panisha , Nayak Manisha , Meena Kiran , Kar Sanjib
Published: January 2022

Oxo(corrolato)vanadium(iv) complexes are highly efficient oxidizers in the presence of H2O2 and KHCO3, and oxo(peroxo)(corrolato)vanadium(v) complexes are the catalytic intermediate.
High ion conductivity based on a polyurethane composite solid electrolyte for all-solid-state lithium batteries
Authors: Cui Peng , Zhang Qi , Sun Chun , Gu Jing , Shu Mengxin , Gao Congqiang , Zhang Qing , Wei Wei
Published: January 2022

Adding inert filler to reduce the coupling effect of functional groups to Li+ and modifying the functional groups to reduce the adsorption of Li+ can lead to high ionic conductivity.
Comprehensive profiling of Platycodonis radix in different growing regions using liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry: from metabolome and lipidome aspects
Authors: Huang Weizhen , Lan Lan , Zhou Heng , Yuan Jiajia , Shui miao  , Mao Xiuhong , Hu Qing , Ji Shen
Published: January 2022

Lipidome and metabolome profiling investigations of Platycodonis radix in different growing regions.
Transformation of the coordination nanostructures of 4,4′,4′′-(1,3,5-triazine-2,4,6-triyl) tribenzoic acid molecules on HOPG triggered by the change in the concentration of metal ions
Authors: Li Sihao , Gong Caimei , Zhang Yuyang , Fu Shizhang , Wang Zhongping , Lu Yan , Gu Siyi , Liu Xiaoqing , Wang Li
Published: January 2022

A Cu2+ ion maintains coordination with two COOH groups, while a Fe3+ ion changes from coordination with three to two COOH groups after increasing the concentration of Cu2+/Fe3+ ions.
Local environment rigidity and the evolution of optical properties in the green-emitting phosphor Ba1−xSrxScO2F:Eu2+
Authors: Hariyani Shruti , Amachraa Mahdi , Khan Mariam , Ong Shyue Ping , Brgoch Jakoah
Published: January 2022

(Ba1−xSrx)0.98Eu0.02ScO2F produces a tunable emission from cyan to green upon Sr2+ substitution. Ab initio molecular dynamics simulations revealed that Sr2+ weakens the local rigidity lowering the efficiency and thermal stability of the phosphors.
Non-fused molecular photovoltaic acceptor with a planar core structure enabled by bulky and embracing-type side chains
Authors: Xue Zhong-Xin , Fang Jin , Li Jia , Zhang Di , Xu Zi-Wen , Liu Li-Na , Yao Jianhua , Ma Chang-Qi , Li Wei-Shi
Published: January 2022

Other than multi-ring fused or non-covalent lock strategies, the work demonstrates the use of bulky and embracing type sidechains to force non-fused rings staying in a coplanar configuration for high performance non-fullerene electron acceptors.
Engineering one-dimensional hollow beta-In2S3/In2O3 hexagonal micro-tubes for efficient broadband-light photocatalytic performance
Authors: Shen Qiuyan , Zhou Shuo , Yang Feng-Lei , Wang Xiaojun , Han Xiguang
Published: January 2022

Tubular-hexagonal beta-In2S3/In2O3 heterojunctions with a porous shell encapsulated by N-doped carbon, show excellent performance towards photocatalyzing the coupling of amines to imines.
BAM: Block attention mechanism for OCT image classification
Authors: Nabijiang Maidina , Wan Xinjuan , Huang Shengsong , Liu Qi , Wei Bixia , Zhu Jianing , Xie Xiaodong
Published: January 2022

Diabetic retinopathy attracts considerable research interest due to the number of diabetic patients increasing rapidly in recent years. Diabetic retinopathy is a common symptom of retinopathy, which damages the patient's eyesight and even causes the patient to lose sight. The authors propose a novel attention mechanism named block attention mechanism to actively explore the role of attention mechanisms in recognizing retinopathy features. Specifically, the block attention mechanism contributions are as follows: (1) The relationship between the blocks in the entire feature map is explored, and the corresponding coefficients are assigned to different blocks to highlight the importance of blocks. (2) Furthermore, the relationship between the edge elements of the feature map and the edge elements is explored, and corresponding coefficients are assigned to the elements at different positions on the feature map to highlight the importance of the elements in the feature map. Experimental results show that the proposed framework outperforms the existing popular attention‐based baselines on two public retina datasets, OCT2017 and SD‐OCT, achieving a 99.64% and 96.54% accuracy rate, respectively.
A hard spectrum diffuse γ-ray component associated with H II gas in the Galactic plane
Authors: Liu Bing , Yang Rui-zhi
Published: January 2022

We analyzed 12-year Fermi Large Area Telescope γ-ray data in the inner Galaxy centered at (l = 30°, b = 0°) and (l = 330°, b = 0°). We found significant hardening of the spectrum of the diffuse γ-ray emission in these regions as previously reported. We further deduced that the diffuse γ rays can be divided into two components from the likelihood analysis. One component is associated with the total gas column density and reveals a soft spectrum, while the other is associated with the H II gas and presents a hard spectrum. Assuming the diffuse γ-ray emissions are mainly produced through the interaction between cosmic rays (CRs) and the ambient gas, these two components are produced by the CR populations with spectral indices of 2.8 (“soft”) and 2.3 (“hard”), respectively. We argue that the hard CR population may come from the vicinity of the CR accelerators. The soft CR population has a similar spectral shape and density as measured in the solar neighborhood, which implies a uniform CR “sea” with a similar density and spectral shape in the Galaxy.
Impact of canopy management practices on phenolic composition and sensory profile of cv. Teran wine
Authors: Bubola Marijan , Sivilotti Paolo , Rossi Sara , Bestulić Ena , Plavša Tomislav , Radeka Sanja
Published: January 2022

The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of early leaf removal (ELR) and cluster thinning (CT) on the phenolic composition of cv. Teran berries and wines, and the sensory profile of wines at 6 and 24 months after fermentation. Although only ELR increased the concentration of total anthocyanins in the berries as compared to the untreated control (UC), both ELR and CT had higher concentration of total anthocyanins and greater colour intensity in the resultant wines than the UC. Similar effects were obtained with total phenolics in the berries and the wines; while CT obtained higher concentration of total phenolics in the berries than UC only in one season, same treatment obtained higher concentration of total phenolics in the wine in both seasons as compared to UC. Only minor sensory differences in wines were obtained at the age of 6 months, while treatments were highly discriminated 24 months after fermentation, when both ELR and CT wines had more enhanced fruitiness, aromatic intensity, complexity, body, balance and wine overall quality than UC. The obtained results indicate that adequate wine aging period is needed for a relevant assessment of the impact of vineyard management practices on wine sensory characteristics.
LIFE VITISOM: innovation in viticulture
Authors: Mulotto Paolo , Ghiglieno Isabella , Valenti Leonardo
Published: January 2022

Soil organic matter (SOM) is considered a fundamental element for the vitality of agricultural soils. The depletion of SOM is a main concern for grape-growing compartment as the increase of mechanical approach is fastening its degradation. SOM loss in vineyard soils lead to a decrease of yield and quality of products as a consequence of a reduction of soil chemical and biological fertility. In order to contrast SOM erosion, research aiming at finding sustainable management practices are enhancing in agricultural sector. In the present study a three-year research was carried out in vineyard with the aim to compare the application of three different organic fertilizers. The effects of organic fertilisation on vines, grapes and wines were investigated in five different Italian wine-growing areas. The positive effect of organic fertilisation is highlighted, especially in the conservation of acidic content of the must. The effect of fertilization is also revealed in differences in wine aromas at wine tasting.
Fertilization with different soil types in viticulture: a three-year experience in Trentino Alto Adige
Authors: Pedò Stefano , Bona Daniela , Cristoforetti Andrea , Ippolito Marco , Porro Duilio , Trainotti Diego
Published: January 2022

The work aimed at investigating the impact of various good quality soils of on vineyard productivity. Manure matured with a fast and controlled process and compost obtained from digestate of an organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) were applied one time on a grapevine row, in two CAVIT vineyards. A physico-chemical characterization of the soils was carried out and biological quality indices QBS-ar (Arthropodological Biocenosis) were calculated. The vegeto-productive monitoring was performed by foliar nutrients analysis and measuring NDVI and SPAD indices. The organic source had a significant fertilizing effect, especially manure, which determined a nutrient increase in soil (P, K and Mg), a rise in photosynthetically active biomass, available nitrogen and potassium in plants. The effects on the biological community of soils and musts quality were negligible. The use of soil improvers could be an efficient strategy for the nutrition of not vigorous vineyards, which do not require high nitrogen inputs.
Trattamenti fogliari conArthrospira platensisin viticoltura: primi risultati da esperimenti in campo
Authors: Salvi Linda , Cataldo Eleonora , Niccolai Alberto , Rodolfi Liliana , Tredici Mario R. , Storchi Paolo , Mattii Giovan Battista
Published: January 2022

Biostimulants are increasingly assuming a key role in viticulture, thanks to the well-known ability to influence the physiological behavior of plants, promoting the quality of the grapes and improving vine response to abiotic stress. Seaweed extracts are among the most used and studied biostimulants, while there are very few cyanobacterial-based biostimulants currently available on the market. This work had the purpose of investigating the effects of an extract ofArthrospira platensison eco-physiology, water potential, yield and quality of grapes inVitis viniferaExperiments were conducted in open field (seasons 2017 and 2018) in Tuscany, carrying out foliar treatments with theA. platensisextract 20 days and ten days before the expected harvest. Following the treatments, gas exchanges and water potential were monitored, and berry samples were collected to evaluate the technological and phenolic quality of the grapes. In general, the treatments only marginally influenced gas exchanges and water potential, with diversified results in relation to the seasonal climatic trend (2017 season, hot and drought; 2018 milder season), indicating a more conservative behavior of the treated vines compared to the control vines. In addition,A. platensisalways increased the berry weight, maintaining unchanged or improving the technological and phenolic quality of the grapes at harvest compared to the control. Although no univocal response to treatment emerges, the results globally suggest a positive impact of the leaf distribution ofA. platensison the eco-physiology and quanti-qualitative characteristics inV. viniferacandidating cyanobacteria for the formulation of new biostimulants.
Evaluation of the activity of a plant extract against Plasmopara viticola in grapes
Authors: Sudiro Cristina , Saccozza Gregory , Guglielmi Federico , Hochart Marie , Giacomello Damiano , Altissimo Adriano
Published: January 2022

Downy mildew, caused by Plasmopara viticola in grapevine, is one of the most devastating and widespread fungal disease on causing serious harm to grape production. The heavy use of chemical pesticides, necessary to control the pests and pathogens, has caused issues with the resistance, resurgence and residues in food, as well as creating diffuse environmental pollution. In the last decade, biological control started to offer an alternative safe(r) and effective method to control diseases. In this paper, we investigate the potential activity of a plant extract to protect grapevine from downy mildew when used in strategy with a reduced dosage of the conventional fungicides (PPP). Four strategies were tested, with two of them giving the best results. Indeed, the use of LL017 increased the tolerance of the vine against P. viticola compared to its control with the same dosage of PPP, and with an efficacy closer to the full dosage of the PPP. In the tests where the yield was evaluated, the treatment with LL017 always resulted in a higher yield than the respective control with the same dosage of PPP and, in some cases, it gave a higher yield than even the positive control.
Artificial ripening of grape seed phenolics in Pinot noir and Cabernet Sauvignon
Authors: Del Zozzo Filippo , VanderWeide Joshua , Nasrollahiazar Esmaeil , Peterlunger Enrico , Rustioni Laura , Sabbatini Paolo
Published: January 2022

Red Vitis vinifera cultivars are often limited in their performance by climate conditions (e.g., rain, humidity, cold winters, and cool summers). Cool climate viticulture regions are characterized by short growing seasons that reduce fruit quality, limiting technological and phenolic maturity. Management of fruit technological ripening, in vineyard or post-harvest, is pivotal for wine quality. However, the impact of vineyard or cellar practices on seed phenolic fraction remains poorly understood. The aim of our project was to evaluate seed color change, phenolic composition, and their extraction potential after an oxidation induced by a freezing treatment. The freezing treatment was followed by 24 hours of incubation at different temperatures in two Vitis vinifera cultivars: Pinot noir and Cabernet Sauvignon. Results are reporting that the freezing caused the seed color darkening and significant phenolic changes, suggesting similarities with the natural process. The phenolic evolution reported different behaviour between cultivars and compound classes. Most of the changes occurred during the first three hours of incubation, indicating that the oxidation reactions take place at the beginning of the thawing process.
Experimental study of liquid droplets impact on powder surface: The application of effective dimensionless parameters in analysis
Authors: Li Siqi , Yu Hourong , Fang Haisheng
Published: January 2022

Spreading dynamics of liquid droplets impacting onto powder bed are experimentally studied using high-speed photography. Dimensionless numbers—We, Re, the modified We* and Re∗ corrected by substrate deformation—are used to analyze the impact behaviors of droplets. The spreading time and the maximum spreading factor are further analyzed. The spreading time is accurately described by a universal scaling law that is obtained from the modified dimensionless time vs. the effective Weber number (We∗), and the maximum spreading factor is found to follow the modified classic scaling law βmax = f(We*, Re*).
Remote sensing comprehensive evaluation of land degradation based on relative rain use efficiency of vegetation
Authors: Xing Yu , Yang Jinzhong , Sun Yaqing , Jiang Cunhao , Chen Dong
Published: January 2022

China is one of the countries with serious land degradation problems in the world. Land degradation directly threatens the food security of our country and determines the sustainable development of social economy. In this paper, the potential evapotranspiration and moisture index are calculated to divide the climatic zone of China. Based on the NPP and precipitation data, the national rRUE is obtained by the edge function. With the climate "relative benchmark", the rules of threshold analysis is used to comprehensively evaluate the land degradation in China. The results show that: excellent land is concentrated in northeast China, western Xinjiang and eastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau; mildly degraded land is widely and sporadically distributed in the eastern plain of China; moderately degraded land and severely degraded land are concentrated in western Inner Mongolia, southern Xinjiang and northern Qinghai-Xizang Plateau.
Improved hydropower utilization design of the entire Wuding river in Yulin, Shaanxi
Authors: Liu Tuo
Published: January 2022

Below Cuijiawan, the main stream of Wuding River is basically a canyon section with exposed bedrock in the channel, intermittent plunging rapids, steep riverbed ratio and steep rock walls on both sides, which has favorable conditions for the construction of hydropower projects and is a key section for hydropower exploitation. Through research and analysis of the current water energy development and utilization, this paper combines the comprehensive improvement planning objectives and design ideas to propose a water energy utilization design that is consistent with the actual situation of Wuding River and reasonably budgeted, so that the abundant water energy resources of Wuding River can be fully utilized and the social, economic and ecological benefits can be unified.
Energy-saving and influencing factors of household electricity consumption in China
Authors: Wen Ming , Zhang Yun , Xiao Hao , Huang Rui
Published: January 2022

Energy conservation and environmental protection are crucial to green development. This article distinguishes the relationship between the electricity literacy, energy saving awareness and information feedback. We found that i) electricity literacy and information feedback are negatively correlated with electricity consumption, ii) there is a positive correlation between electricity consumption and living area, household income, permanent resident population and education level, iii) electricity consumption presents an inverted U shape with education level.
Calculate of hunan industrial early warning index
Authors: Ren Lang , Li Dan , Zhou Junlin , Liu Yongli
Published: January 2022

Electric Power data has the characteristics of strong real-time, fine granularity and high accuracy. It can more accurately reflect the current industrial structure and is suitable for the monitoring of high-quality economic development. In order to better play the role of power data monitoring and early warning, based on the prosperity signal lamp method, combining the principle of mathematical probability method, the early warning index system of electric power economic monitoring is constructed. The results show that the index can monitor the power situation of Hunan Province, and can be used in the construction of green energy and promote the energy conservation and high-quality economic development of Hunan Province.
Analysis and research on energy utilization efficiency of port portal crane
Authors: Liu Leilei , Guan Kun , Wu Peisen
Published: January 2022

Portal crane is one of the important equipment of bulk terminal, which is specially used for shore loading and unloading operation. It mainly consumes electric energy. In order to clarify the utilization of electric energy during the operation of portal crane and analyze the energy utilization efficiency, a portal crane of a bulk terminal was selected as the research object and the energy utilization was tested. The voltage, current, imbalance, harmonic, power and energy efficiency of portal crane were analyzed in his paper. Some suggestions were put forward to improve the energy utilization efficiency and reduce energy consumption of portal crane.
Strength analysis of the lightweight-designed power battery boxes in electric vehicle
Authors: An Yuhang , Wang Xishu , Dou Nannan , Wu Zhengbin
Published: January 2022

The weight lightening of electric vehicles’ power battery box not only improves the vehicles’ mileage but also extends the service life of the power battery, while in practice the design of lightweight shall not sacrifice its strength for safety reason. Herein, three materials including the glass fiber composite, carbon fiber composite, and metal steel are used to develop the same power battery box and their strengths are simulated. The results show that the sheet molding compound (SMC, a kind of glass fiber composite) power battery pack shall be damaged when the loaded extrusion force is increased to 98.2 kN; for the metal power battery pack, a force of 81 kN would make the deformation more than 30%; while for the carbon fiber composite one, it can stand the extrusion test up to 100 kN, and the specific gravity and specific strength are higher than the former two materials under the same design model condition. This study proves the carbon fiber composite has the advantages of high strength and light weight when applied to the power battery box.
Study on the development of sansheng space in pastoral areas of Inner Mongolia
Authors: Qu Huan , Ma Jun
Published: January 2022

We should take the initiative to seize opportunities, scientifically respond to challenges, reasonably solve problems existing in development. effectively promote the accelerated transformation of development mode and the optimization and upgrading of industrial structure in pastoral areas of Inner Mongolia, and promote their coordinated development, innovative development, green development and modernization. By analyzing the development status of ecology, production and life in pastoral areas of Inner Mongolia, this paper finds out the problems existing in its development, and puts forward policy suggestions.
Study on influencing factors and monitoring cycle of wall thickness at key locations of natural gas station
Authors: Cao Wenchen , Song Ying , Feng Liang , Gao Shiyu
Published: January 2022

In recent years, the safe and stable operation of natural gas pipeline has become the focus of the whole society. Long distance natural gas pipelines are mostly large-diameter and high pressure pipelines, so their safe operation is particularly critical. In the high-pressure natural gas pipeline transportation industry, the wall thickness of key points (elbows and tees) will be thinned due to long-term erosion of gas, resulting in serious consequences. Therefore, its wall thickness monitoring is a key work of long-distance natural gas pipeline operation units. At present, most of them adopt off-line monitoring, but the standardized monitoring cycle cannot be effectively determined, and there are no relevant standards in the industry. The author uses fluent simulation software to establish the model, and then modifies the model combined with the field data. Then, the model is used to analyze the influencing factors of key points (elbow and TEE) one by one, and select more important influencing factors to formulate the monitoring cycle of different points. The monitoring cycle can provide reference for the daily work of on-site operators, and then ensure the safe and stable operation of long-distance natural gas pipeline.
Gesundheitskompetenz der Bevölkerung in Deutschland im
Zeitvergleich der Jahre 2014 und 2020
Authors: Hurrelmann Klaus , Klinger Julia , Schaeffer Doris
Published: January 2022

Ziel In dem Artikel werden die Ergebnisse von zwei Erhebungen der
Gesundheitskompetenz (GK) der Bevölkerung in Deutschland im
Zeitvergleich analysiert. Die erste Erhebung erfolgte 2014, die zweite 2020.
Untersucht werden die Veränderungen der GK, gemessen über den
Grad der subjektiv eingeschätzten Schwierigkeiten bei einzelnen
Informationsaufgaben in den drei Bereichen
Krankheitsbewältigung/Versorgung, Prävention,
Gesundheitsförderung, in der Gesamtbevölkerung und in einzelnen
Teilgruppen.

Methodik Die Analysen basieren auf
bevölkerungsrepräsentativen Querschnittsdaten, die 2014 im
HLS-GER 1 und 2020 im HLS-GER 1‘ erhoben wurden. Dabei kam das
international abgestimmte Instrument HLS-EU-Q47 zur Messung der GK zum Einsatz.
Veränderungen in den Bevölkerungsgruppen wurden in einer
Trendanalyse sowohl uni- und bivariat als auch multivariat analysiert.

Ergebnisse Die GK der Bevölkerung in Deutschland hat sich im
Zeitvergleich innerhalb von sechs Jahren statistisch signifikant verschlechtert.
Dies lässt sich in allen drei untersuchten Handlungsbereichen
beobachten. Der Effekt zeigt sich besonders bei Menschen mit niedrigem
Sozialstatus und finanzieller Deprivation.

Schlussfolgerung Im Zeitverlauf ist der Umgang mit gesundheits- und
krankheitsbezogenen Informationen schwieriger geworden. Diese Entwicklung ist
besonders stark bei sozioökonomisch benachteiligten
Bevölkerungsgruppen zu beobachten, was die soziale Ungleichheit im
Gesundheitsbereich verstärkt. Die Förderung der GK ist –
wie diese und andere Studien zeigen – gesellschaftlich wichtiger denn je
und sollte den genannten Bevölkerungsgruppen besondere Beachtung
schenken.
Bleeding Risk Assessment in End-Stage Kidney Disease: Validation of Existing Risk Scores and Evaluation of a Machine Learning-Based Approach
Authors: Nopp Stephan , Spielvogel Clemens P. , Schmaldienst Sabine , Klauser-Braun Renate , Lorenz Matthias , Bauer Benedikt N. , Pabinger Ingrid , Säemann Marcus , Königsbrügge Oliver , Ay Cihan
Published: January 2022

Background Patients with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) on hemodialysis (HD) are at increased risk for bleeding. However, despite relevant clinical implications regarding dialysis modalities or anticoagulation, no bleeding risk assessment strategy has been established in this challenging population.

Methods Analyses on bleeding risk assessment models were performed in the population-based Vienna InVestigation of Atrial fibrillation and thromboemboLism in patients on hemoDialysIs (VIVALDI) study including 625 patients. In this cohort study, patients were prospectively followed for a median observation period of 3.5 years for the occurrence of major bleeding. First, performances of existing bleeding risk scores (i.e., HAS-BLED, HEMORR2HAGES, ATRIA, and four others) were evaluated in terms of discrimination and calibration. Second, four machine learning-based prediction models that included clinical, dialysis-specific, and laboratory parameters were developed and tested using Monte Carlo cross-validation.

Results Of 625 patients (median age: 66 years, 37% women), 89 (14.2%) developed major bleeding, with a 1-year, 2-year, and 3-year cumulative incidence of 6.1% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 4.2–8.0), 10.3% (95% CI: 8.0–12.8), and 13.5% (95% CI: 10.8–16.2), respectively. C-statistics of the seven contemporary bleeding risk scores ranged between 0.54 and 0.59 indicating poor discriminatory performance. The HAS-BLED score showed the highest C-statistic of 0.59 (95% CI: 0.53–0.66). Similarly, all four machine learning-based predictions models performed poorly in internal validation (C-statistics ranging from 0.49 to 0.55).

Conclusion Existing bleeding risk scores and a machine learning approach including common clinical parameters fail to assist in bleeding risk prediction of patients on HD. Therefore, new approaches, including novel biomarkers, to improve bleeding risk prediction in patients on HD are needed.
Comparison of Summative Temporal Bone Dissection Scales Demonstrate Equivalence
Authors: Hochman Jordan B. , Pisa Justyn , Singh Shubhi , Gousseau Michael , Unger Bert
Published: January 2022

Introduction Temporal bone surgery is a unique and complicated surgical skill that requires extensive training. There is an educational requirement to maximize trainee experience and provide effective feedback.

Objective We evaluate three temporal bone dissection scales for efficacy, reliability, and accuracy in identifying resident skill during temporal bone surgery.

Methods Residents of various skill levels performed a mastoidectomy with posterior tympanotomy on identic 3D-printed temporal bone models. Four blinded otologic surgeons evaluated each specimen at two separate intervals using three separate dissection scales: the Welling Scale (WS), the Iowa Temporal Bone Assessment Tool (ITBAT), and the CanadaWest Scale (CWS). Scores from each scale were compared in their ability to accurately separate residents by skill level, inter- and intrarater reliability, and efficiency in application.

Results Nineteen residents from 9 postgraduate programs participated. Assessment was clustered into junior (postgraduate year or PGY 1, 2), intermediate (PGY 3) and senior resident (PGY 4, 5) cohorts. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) found significant differences between cohort performance (p < 0.05) for all 3 scales considering the PGY level and the subjective account of temporal bone surgical experience. The inter-rater reliability was consistent across each scale. The intrarater reliability was comparable between the CWS (0.711) and the WS (0.713), but not the ITBAT (0.289). Time (in seconds) to complete scoring for each scale was also comparable between the CWS (42.7 ± 16.8), the WS (76.6 ± 14.5), and the ITBAT (105.6 ± 38.9).

Conclusion All three scales demonstrated construct validity and consistency in performance, and consideration should be given to judicious use in training.
Neurodegeneration and Early Infantile Epilepsy Associated with ITPA Variants: A Case Series and Review of Literature
Authors: Sharma Yashu , Saini Arushi Gahlot , Kaur Rajdeep , Bhatia Vikas , Didwal Gunjan , Kumar Pawan , Uppala Revathi
Published: January 2022

Background Inosine triphosphate pyrophosphohydrolase (ITPase) deficiency associated with mutations in the ITPA gene is a recently characterized purine pathway defect that presents with early infantile epileptic encephalopathy and lethal course. This disorder is rare, and only 12 cases are reported worldwide.

Methods We report two additional cases of ITPA-associated neurodegeneration and two pathogenic compound heterozygous variants. We also reviewed the previously published cases of ITPA-associated encephalopathy.

Results Both cases presented with progressive infantile-onset encephalopathy, severe developmental delay, microcephaly, facial dysmorphism, and epilepsy. Together with the presented two cases, 14 cases were available for analysis. The mean age of presentation was 16.7 ± 12.4 months (range 3–48 m). The most common clinical features at presentation were developmental delay, seizures, microcephaly, and hypotonia, seen in all 14 (100%) patients. The mean age of seizure onset was 4.75 months (range 2–14 m). Cardiomyopathy was noted in 42% of patients where it was explicitly evaluated (n = 5/12). Consanguinity was reported in 77% of the cases. The cardinal neuroradiological features are T2-signal abnormalities and diffusion restriction in the long tracts, especially the posterior limb of the internal capsule and the optic radiation. The majority of the patients died before 4 years of age (85.7%).

Conclusion ITPA-related encephalopathy presents with infantile-onset neurodegeneration, progressive microcephaly, and epilepsy. Progressive brain atrophy and diffusion restriction in the white matter tracts are important radiological clues.
On the Breit interaction in an explicitly correlated variational Dirac–Coulomb framework
Authors: Ferenc Dávid , Jeszenszki Péter , Mátyus Edit
Published: January 2022

The Breit interaction is implemented in the no-pair variational Dirac–Coulomb (DC) framework using an explicitly correlated Gaussian basis reported in the previous paper [P. Jeszenszki, D. Ferenc, and E. Mátyus, J. Chem. Phys. 156, 084111 (2022)]. Both a perturbative and a fully variational inclusion of the Breit term are considered. The no-pair DC plus perturbative Breit and the no-pair DC–Breit energies are compared with perturbation theory results including the Breit–Pauli Hamiltonian and leading-order non-radiative quantum electrodynamics corrections for low Z values. Possible reasons for the observed deviations are discussed.
Substrate rigidity modulates traction forces and stoichiometry of cell–matrix adhesions
Authors: Balcioglu Hayri E. , Harkes Rolf , Danen Erik H. J. , Schmidt Thomas
Published: January 2022

In cell–matrix adhesions, integrin receptors and associated proteins provide a dynamic coupling of the extracellular matrix (ECM) to the cytoskeleton. This allows bidirectional transmission of forces between the ECM and the cytoskeleton, which tunes intracellular signaling cascades that control survival, proliferation, differentiation, and motility. The quantitative relationships between recruitment of distinct cell–matrix adhesion proteins and local cellular traction forces are not known. Here, we applied quantitative super-resolution microscopy to cell–matrix adhesions formed on fibronectin-stamped elastomeric pillars and developed an approach to relate the number of talin, vinculin, paxillin, and focal adhesion kinase (FAK) molecules to the local cellular traction force. We find that FAK recruitment does not show an association with traction-force application, whereas a ∼60 pN force increase is associated with the recruitment of one talin, two vinculin, and two paxillin molecules on a substrate with an effective stiffness of 47 kPa. On a substrate with a fourfold lower effective stiffness, the stoichiometry of talin:vinculin:paxillin changes to 2:12:6 for the same ∼60 pN traction force. The relative change in force-related vinculin recruitment indicates a stiffness-dependent switch in vinculin function in cell–matrix adhesions. Our results reveal a substrate-stiffness-dependent modulation of the relationship between cellular traction-force and the molecular stoichiometry of cell–matrix adhesions.
High-temperature monolithic SiGe thermoelectric device directly heated by catalytic combustion
Authors: Uchida Shintaro , Lee Minhyeok , Lee Chul-Ho , Suzuki Yuji
Published: January 2022

There has been a strong demand for portable power sources of mobile devices, which can substitute conventional lithium-ion batteries. In this study, a thermoelectric power generation device integrated with a catalytic combustor was developed in order to overcome limitations of previously proposed combustion-based system, such as low temperature difference and large heat loss. Monolithic SiGe thermoelectric generators (TEGs) with operating temperatures higher than 1100 °C were prepared, and Pd catalyst layers supported by porous alumina films were formed on the high-temperature end of the SiGe TEG device for direct heating obtained by catalytic combustion while minimizing the heat loss. A power generation test bench was developed with three SiGe devices. By using a butane/air mixture, the highest temperature and temperature difference over 1100 °C and 800 °C, respectively, were achieved without deterioration of the power generation performance.
Green ultra-wideband antenna utilizing Mie resonances in cactus
Authors: Jain Abhinav , Vovchuk Dmytro , Noskov Roman E. , Socher Eran , Ginzburg Pavel
Published: January 2022

While plants are typically supposed to restrict the performance of radio frequency transceiver systems, they can act as efficient biogenic elements of control. A high fraction of water inside vegetation gives rise to multiple electromagnetic Mie resonances, originating from interplaying a naturally high permittivity and a form factor. Opuntia ficus-indica, known as nopal cactus, is a representative example whose succulent stems or cladodes contain nearly 75–85% water. Here, we present an Opuntia-based broadband omnidirectional antenna element, operating at several Wi-Fi communication bands, spanning from 900 MHz to 7.7 GHz. A high relative permittivity in the GHz range exceeds 20. As a result, a variety of Mie resonances within the cladode are measured and revealed by the multipole expansion technique. Modal hierarchy, resonantly excited with a coaxial cable, is demonstrated to provide a broadband impedance matching below −10 dB over the ∼150% bandwidth. Further investigations of plants as functional electromagnetic elements can contribute to the general trend of environment friendly multifunctional devices, promoting development of green technologies.
Iterative subspace algorithms for finite-temperature solution of Dyson equation
Authors: Pokhilko Pavel , Yeh Chia-Nan , Zgid Dominika
Published: January 2022

One-particle Green’s functions obtained from the self-consistent solution of the Dyson equation can be employed in the evaluation of spectroscopic and thermodynamic properties for both molecules and solids. However, typical acceleration techniques used in the traditional quantum chemistry self-consistent algorithms cannot be easily deployed for the Green’s function methods because of a non-convex grand potential functional and a non-idempotent density matrix. Moreover, the optimization problem can become more challenging due to the inclusion of correlation effects, changing chemical potential, and fluctuations of the number of particles. In this paper, we study acceleration techniques to target the self-consistent solution of the Dyson equation directly. We use the direct inversion in the iterative subspace (DIIS), the least-squared commutator in the iterative subspace (LCIIS), and the Krylov space accelerated inexact Newton method (KAIN). We observe that the definition of the residual has a significant impact on the convergence of the iterative procedure. Based on the Dyson equation, we generalize the concept of the commutator residual used in DIIS and LCIIS and compare it with the difference residual used in DIIS and KAIN. The commutator residuals outperform the difference residuals for all considered molecular and solid systems within both GW and GF2. For a number of bond-breaking problems, we found that an easily obtained high-temperature solution with effectively suppressed correlations is a very effective starting point for reaching convergence of the problematic low-temperature solutions through a sequential reduction of temperature during calculations.
Quantum Computation in Time Domain
Authors: Asavanant Warit , Furusawa Akira
Published: January 2022

Optical systems have been long considered to be appropriate for tasks in quantum communications but not quantum computation. This is because the optical systems are “flying qubits” that need actual physical circuits to implement quantum computation, limiting their scalability. In this chapter, we explain a methodology that does not only overcome this limitation but is also one of the currently most promising methods in terms of scalability: time-domain quantum computation. In this method, quantum states are encoded in a localized temporal wave packet. These wave packets can be multiplexed in time, allowing the generation of large-scale cluster states and multi-step quantum operations using only minimal physical resources. We explain basic ideas of quantum computation in the time domain and show several experimental examples.
Quantum Error Correction in Continuous-Variable System
Authors: Asavanant Warit , Furusawa Akira
Published: January 2022

On the physical level, digital computers are not error free. However, by adding the redundancy and using the error-correction technique, the errors on the computational level can be mitigated to the point that the probability of error occurring is negligible for most tasks. In quantum computation, a similar strategy can be employed. Here, a main difference between classical computer and quantum computer is that the quantum error correction needs to mitigate the errors, while maintaining the quantum coherence. In this chapter, we will first discuss the conceptual ideas of how to implement quantum error correction and achieve fault tolerance in the continuous-variable system. In the case of the continuous-variable system, we need to first encode the information using a logical qubit which, in a sense, digitize the broad Hilbert space. We will give some examples of the logical qubits and then discuss a particular type of encoding called Gottesman-Kitaev-Preskill (GKP) qubit, which is one of the currently most promising encoding.
Integrated Optics for Quantum Computer
Authors: Asavanant Warit , Furusawa Akira
Published: January 2022

Many of the proof-of-principle experiments in quantum optics have been carried out using table-top free-space optics. While they provide good testbeds for optical quantum optics experiments, to build actual devices and quantum computers, we have to move to the integrated optics where reproducibility and stability are more reliable. In this chapter, we review the developments of the integrated optics for optical quantum computer with the main focus on their applications in continuous-variable optical quantum computation.
Koala road kills are linked to landscape attributes on Central Queensland’s Peak Downs Highway
Authors: Melzer Alistair , Black Leif
Published: January 2022

Koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) road kills occur frequently along the Peak Downs highway through the Clarke-Connors ranges. Highway upgrades allowed mitigation of koala-vehicle collision frequency while maintaining koala population connectivity. This project aimed to understand road kill distribution to inform protective infrastructure investment. Koala road kills were associated with: (1) streams and associated alluvia where the dominant vegetation included Eucalyptus tereticornis and E. platyphylla; (2) ridges supporting E. drepanophylla open forest/woodland abutting streams or alluvia; and (3) mid-lower slopes, dominated by E. drepanophylla that were dissected by minor streams fringed by E. tereticornis ± E. platyphylla. Road kills did not occur in E. drepanophylla open forest/woodland on ridge upper slopes, crests or on hills, although koalas occur in this landscape. Explaining why koala road kills are linked to landscape features requires investigation. It is likely that: (1) landscape elements associated with drainage lines, alluvia and E. tereticornis support a relatively high koala abundance, and hence the road kill risk is correspondingly higher; and (2) the engineered road architecture and road verge characteristics in these landscape elements are conducive to koalas crossing the road.
Vertical distribution patterns of ichthyoplankton in temperate waters of New Zealand
Authors: Kingsford M. J. , Cole R. G.
Published: January 2022

Multifactorial sampling designs were used to determine the vertical distribution of ichthyoplankton at multiple temporal and spatial scales in New Zealand. Hypotheses concerning the vertical distribution of fish larvae were tested in the following: depth strata, surface, near-surface, mid-depth and deep, and near the substratum. The consistency of abundance patterns was examined at three sites separated by 2–20 km over 2 months. We also tested for differences in shallow water columns of two depths (20 and 40 m) and both day and night. Although peak abundance of total larval fish was found at upper and lower strata, regardless of total depth of the water column, consistent taxa specific patterns of vertical distribution were also found. Some taxa were most abundant at the surface (e.g. mullids, hemiramphids, and kyphosids), whereas others were found at multiple depths below the surface and throughout the water column, regardless of site, time or depth of water column (e.g. carangids, engraulids, clupeids, scombrids, sparids and pleuronectids). Some taxa were most abundant in shallow water columns (e.g. mullids, tripterygiids and gobiids). Rank abundance by depth stratum for non-surface dwelling species varied among sites and times. Diel vertical movements were detected, some taxa (e.g. clupeids, scombrids and bothids) that were most abundant at the surface at night whereas for other taxa this pattern was more variable (e.g. carangids). We conclude that diel depth-related patterns in shallow water columns will influence interactions among taxa and the importance of different transport mechanisms for larval transport.
An evaluation of empirical and statistically based smoke plume injection height parametrisations used within air quality models
Authors: Wilkins Joseph L. , Pouliot George , Pierce Thomas , Soja Amber , Choi Hyundeok , Gargulinski Emily , Gilliam Robert , Vukovich Jeffrey , Landis Matthew S.
Published: January 2022

Air quality models are used to assess the impact of smoke from wildland fires, both prescribed and natural, on ambient air quality and human health. However, the accuracy of these models is limited by uncertainties in the parametrisation of smoke plume injection height (PIH) and its vertical distribution. We compared PIH estimates from the plume rise method (Briggs) in the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) modelling system with observations from the 2013 California Rim Fire and 2017 prescribed burns in Kansas. We also examined PIHs estimated using alternative plume rise algorithms, model grid resolutions and temporal burn profiles. For the Rim Fire, the Briggs method performed as well or better than the alternatives evaluated (mean bias of less than ±5–20% and root mean square error lower than 1000 m compared with the alternatives). PIH estimates for the Kansas prescribed burns improved when the burn window was reduced from the standard default of 12 h to 3 h. This analysis suggests that meteorological inputs, temporal allocation and heat release are the primary drivers for accurately modelling PIH.