bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A simple and universal measurement method for the pulsed IV characteristics of high‐power amplifiers
Authors: Fu Chao , He Tian‐Wei , Fang Wen‐Rao , Huang Wen‐Hua , Guo Le‐Tian , Wang Lu‐Lu , Li Jia‐Wei , Zhong Sheng
Published: June 2022

This letter proposes a simple and universal method to measure the current within the pulse of pulsed power amplifiers. Pulsed high‐power amplifiers have large current within the pulse and the current changes very quickly when the pulse turns on or turns off. The conventional method of using a current clamp to measure the current within the pulse needs a large current clamp, which will increase the parasitic inductance of power path and result in a large voltage overshoot that can damage the amplifier. The proposed method measures the average current under several different pulse widths; thus, the current can be concluded with these average currents. Since current clamp is avoided, the proposed method can significantly reduce the parasitic inductance and voltage overshoot. Experiment shows that the voltage overshoot is significantly reduced by the proposed method. The result of the current value calculated by the proposed method is consistent with that measured by the conventional method, and the difference is within 2%.
Investigation of using dynamic phasors for improving the speed of distance protection
Authors: Wijekoon Jagannath , Rajapakse Athula D.
Published: June 2022

The application of dynamic phasors (DPs) in overhead line protection was investigated. Equations to estimate the fault loop inductance and resistance were derived using the principles of DPs. A systematic amplitude comparator‐based line distance protection scheme was developed using the equations derived to estimate the fault loop inductance and resistance. A least‐squares‐based DP extraction method that mitigates the effect of decaying dc components was used to extract the DPs and their derivatives from time‐domain signals. The performance of the algorithm was investigated using a power system simulated in PSCAD/EMTDC. Testing under different fault scenarios with different fault locations, fault resistance, and fault inception angles showed that the proposed line distance protection scheme is capable of operating successfully for forward and reverse faults, short circuits and high impedance faults, evolving fault conditions, and under a wide range of source impedance ratios. The operating time of the proposed scheme was compared with the standard quadrilateral relay, and the results showed that the operating times of the proposed scheme are faster for close‐in phase‐to‐ground faults but not significantly improved for phase‐to‐phase and three‐phase faults compared to the standard quadrilateral distance relay.
Real‐time low/high‐voltage ride‐through capability improvement of micro‐grid based on coordinated robust grid‐following control
Authors: Kordkandi Reza Deihimi , Hagh Mehrdad Tarafdar , Roozbehani Sam
Published: June 2022

This paper proposes a coordinated control strategy to enhance the low/high‐voltage ride‐through (L/HVRT) capability of grid‐tied micro‐grids (MGs). The novel control scheme, which is based on grid‐following concepts, contains two layers for each power source of MG. The former, known as the primary layer, has reverse‐droop and non‐linear robust sliding mode control. Furthermore, the secondary layer detects voltage perturbations based on L/HVRT curves. Then, the reactive power required for supporting the main grid is determined through the dynamic‐voltage‐support requirement of the grid codes. Finally, coordinated reactive power‐sharing among the sources is performed based on the presented method and free capacity of the power sources. Several case studies are carried out to assess the effectiveness of the proposed control scheme, which points out that the aims of this study, such as compliance with the grid codes, sharing reactive power among the sources, tracking the reactive power precisely and feeding local loads, are achieved. The superiority of the presented strategy against its grid‐forming counterparts is demonstrated in comparison tests for the studied grid‐tied MG. Simulations are performed in an offline MATLAB/Simulink environment and then validated by experimental real‐time results.
Design of a current controller for symmetrical six‐phase fault‐tolerant PMSM under fault conditions
Authors: Feng Yixiao , Liao Yong , Ye Fan
Published: June 2022

To achieve the fault‐tolerant operation of motor drives, many control algorithms have been proposed. Among them, it is more flexible and intuitive to find solutions to phase current at phase coordinate. Then it is necessary to track the given phase current. Up to now, several current controllers have been proposed. A hysteresis controller suffers from the drawback of the variable switching frequency. Proportional–integral control cannot track ac signals with zero error. As to the proportional resonant controller, its performance is highly dependent on the accuracy of motor speed detection. Considering this, a current controller is based on the adaptive filter. The adaptive filer is worked as the current controller by adjusting its structure, in which the motor model is extra introduced. The controller updates the tap weight in each control cycle until it outputs the optimal voltage to track the given phase current. Besides, the adaptive algorithm is improved by adding a feedforward term to gain a higher dynamic response. Moreover, to ensure the stability of the controller, the control parameter selection principles are analysed and acquired accordingly. Finally, several groups of experiments are conducted. The experiment results coincide with the analysis.
Upper Extremity Monoplegia following Prone Surrender Position for Spinal Surgery
Authors: Rahmathulla Gazanfar , Lara-Velazquez Montserrat , Pafford Ryan , Hoefnagel Amie , Rao Dinesh
Published: June 2022

Background Secondary peripheral nerve injuries remain a significant perioperative problem due to patient positioning and contribute to reduced patient quality of life and exacerbated professional liability. Comorbidities and concomitant lesions can further elicit these injuries in patients undergoing spinal surgeries.

Case Presentation We report a case of a 70-year-old male polytrauma patient presenting with a left first-rib fracture and an adjacent hematoma around the brachial plexus without preoperative deficits. Subsequent to a lumbar spinal fusion in the prone position, he developed a postoperative left upper extremity monoplegia. The postoperative magnetic resonance imaging revealed an enhanced asymmetric signal in the trunks and cords of the left brachial plexus. He progressively improved with rehabilitation, a year after the initial presentation, with a residual wrist drop.

Conclusions Pan brachial plexus monoplegia, following spine surgery, is rare and under-reported pathology. To minimize the occurrence of this rare morbidity, appropriate considerations in preoperative evaluation and counseling, patient positioning, intraoperative anesthetic, and electrophysiological monitoring should be performed. We emphasize an unreported risk factor in polytrauma patients, predisposing this rare injury that is associated with prone spinal surgery positioning, SEPs being an extremely sensitive test intraoperatively and highlight the importance of counseling patients and families to the possibility of this rare occurrence.
SpyChIP identifies cell type-specific transcription factor occupancy from complex tissues
Authors: Feng Siqian , Mann Richard S.
Published: June 2022

Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) is an important technique for characterizing protein–DNA binding in vivo. One drawback of ChIP-based techniques is the lack of cell type-specificity when profiling complex tissues. To overcome this limitation, we developed SpyChIP to identify cell type-specific transcription factor (TF) binding sites in native physiological contexts without tissue dissociation or nuclei sorting. SpyChIP takes advantage of a specific covalent isopeptide bond that rapidly forms between the 15-amino acid SpyTag and the 17-kDa protein SpyCatcher. In SpyChIP, the target TF is fused with SpyTag by genome engineering, and an epitope tagged SpyCatcher is expressed in cell populations of interest, where it covalently binds to SpyTag-TF. Cell type-specific ChIP is obtained by immunoprecipitating chromatin prepared from whole tissues using antibodies directed against the epitope-tagged SpyCatcher. Using SpyChIP, we identified the genome-wide binding profiles of the Hox protein Ultrabithorax (Ubx) in two distinct cell types of the
Drosophila
haltere imaginal disc. Our results revealed extensive region-specific Ubx–DNA binding events, highlighting the significance of cell type-specific ChIP and the limitations of whole-tissue ChIP approaches. Analysis of Ubx::SpyChIP results provided insights into the relationship between chromatin accessibility and Ubx–DNA binding, as well as different mechanisms Ubx employs to regulate its downstream
cis
-regulatory modules. In addition to SpyChIP, we suggest that SpyTag–SpyCatcher technology, as well as other protein pairs that form covalent isopeptide bonds, will facilitate many additional in vivo applications that were previously impractical.
Universal healthcare as pandemic preparedness: The lives and costs that could have been saved during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Galvani Alison P. , Parpia Alyssa S. , Pandey Abhishek , Sah Pratha , Colón Kenneth , Friedman Gerald , Campbell Travis , Kahn James G. , Singer Burton H. , Fitzpatrick Meagan C.
Published: June 2022

The fragmented and inefficient healthcare system in the United States leads to many preventable deaths and unnecessary costs every year. During a pandemic, the lives saved and economic benefits of a single-payer universal healthcare system relative to the status quo would be even greater. For Americans who are uninsured and underinsured, financial barriers to COVID-19 care delayed diagnosis and exacerbated transmission. Concurrently, deaths beyond COVID-19 accrued from the background rate of uninsurance. Universal healthcare would alleviate the mortality caused by the confluence of these factors. To evaluate the repercussions of incomplete insurance coverage in 2020, we calculated the elevated mortality attributable to the loss of employer-sponsored insurance and to background rates of uninsurance, summing with the increased COVID-19 mortality due to low insurance coverage. Incorporating the demography of the uninsured with age-specific COVID-19 and nonpandemic mortality, we estimated that a single-payer universal healthcare system would have saved about 212,000 lives in 2020 alone. We also calculated that US$105.6 billion of medical expenses associated with COVID-19 hospitalization could have been averted by a single-payer universal healthcare system over the course of the pandemic. These economic benefits are in addition to US$438 billion expected to be saved by single-payer universal healthcare during a nonpandemic year.
Genome-wide analysis of the
in vivo
tRNA structurome reveals RNA structural and modification dynamics under heat stress
Authors: Yamagami Ryota , Sieg Jacob P. , Assmann Sarah M. , Bevilacqua Philip C.
Published: June 2022

RNA structure plays roles in myriad cellular events including transcription, translation, and RNA processing. Genome-wide analyses of RNA secondary structure in vivo by chemical probing have revealed critical structural features of mRNAs and long ncRNAs. Here, we examine the in vivo secondary structure of a small RNA class, tRNAs. Study of tRNA structure is challenging because tRNAs are heavily modified and strongly structured. We introduce “tRNA structure-seq,” a new workflow that accurately determines in vivo secondary structures of tRNA. The workflow combines dimethyl sulfate (DMS) probing, ultra-processive RT, and mutational profiling (MaP), which provides mutations opposite DMS and natural modifications thereby allowing multiple modifications to be identified in a single read. We applied tRNA structure-seq to
E. coli
under control and stress conditions. A leading folding algorithm predicts
E. coli
tRNA structures with only ∼80% average accuracy from sequence alone. Strikingly, tRNA structure-seq, by providing experimental restraints, improves structure prediction under in vivo conditions to ∼95% accuracy, with more than 14 tRNAs predicted completely correctly. tRNA structure-seq also quantifies the relative levels of tRNAs and their natural modifications at single nucleotide resolution, as validated by LC-MS/MS. Our application of tRNA structure-seq yields insights into tRNA structure in living cells, revealing that it is not immutable but has dynamics, with partial unfolding of secondary and tertiary tRNA structure under heat stress that is correlated with a loss of tRNA abundance. This method is applicable to other small RNAs, including those with natural modifications and highly structured regions.
Antiactivators prevent self-sensing in
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
quorum sensing
Authors: Smith Parker , Schuster Martin
Published: June 2022

Quorum sensing is described as a widespread cell density-dependent signaling mechanism in bacteria. Groups of cells coordinate gene expression by secreting and responding to diffusible signal molecules. Theory, however, predicts that individual cells may short-circuit this mechanism by directly responding to the signals they produce irrespective of cell density. In this study, we characterize this self-sensing effect in the acyl-homoserine lactone quorum sensing system of
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
. We show that antiactivators, a set of proteins known to affect signal sensitivity, function to prevent self-sensing. Measuring quorum-sensing gene expression in individual cells at very low densities, we find that successive deletion of antiactivator genes
qteE
and
qslA
produces a bimodal response pattern, in which increasing proportions of constitutively induced cells coexist with uninduced cells. Comparing responses of signal-proficient and -deficient cells in cocultures, we find that signal-proficient cells show a much higher response in the antiactivator mutant background but not in the wild-type background. Our results experimentally demonstrate the antiactivator-dependent transition from group- to self-sensing in the quorum-sensing circuitry of
P. aeruginosa
. Taken together, these findings extend our understanding of the functional capacity of quorum sensing. They highlight the functional significance of antiactivators in the maintenance of group-level signaling and experimentally prove long-standing theoretical predictions.
ESCPE-1 mediates retrograde endosomal sorting of the SARS-CoV-2 host factor Neuropilin-1
Authors: Simonetti Boris , Daly James L. , Simón-Gracia Lorena , Klein Katja , Weeratunga Saroja , Antón-Plágaro Carlos , Tobi Allan , Hodgson Lorna , Lewis Philip A. , Heesom Kate J. , Shoemark Deborah K. , Davidson Andrew D. , Collins Brett M. , Teesalu Tambet , Yamauchi Yohei , Cullen Peter J.
Published: June 2022

Endosomal sorting maintains cellular homeostasis by recycling transmembrane proteins and associated proteins and lipids (termed “cargoes”) from the endosomal network to multiple subcellular destinations, including retrograde traffic to the
trans
-Golgi network (TGN). Viral and bacterial pathogens subvert retrograde trafficking machinery to facilitate infectivity. Here, we develop a proteomic screen to identify retrograde cargo proteins of the endosomal SNX-BAR sorting complex promoting exit 1 (ESCPE-1). Using this methodology, we identify Neuropilin-1 (NRP1), a recently characterized host factor for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, as a cargo directly bound and trafficked by ESCPE-1. ESCPE-1 mediates retrograde trafficking of engineered nanoparticles functionalized with the NRP1-interacting peptide of the SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) protein. CRISPR-Cas9 deletion of ESCPE-1 subunits reduces SARS-CoV-2 infection levels in cell culture. ESCPE-1 sorting of NRP1 may therefore play a role in the intracellular membrane trafficking of NRP1-interacting viruses such as SARS-CoV-2.
Membrane insertion mechanism of the caveola coat protein Cavin1
Authors: Liu Kang-Cheng , Pace Hudson , Larsson Elin , Hossain Shakhawath , Kabedev Aleksei , Shukla Ankita , Jerschabek Vanessa , Mohan Jagan , Bergström Christel A. S. , Bally Marta , Schwieger Christian , Hubert Madlen , Lundmark Richard
Published: June 2022

Caveolae are small plasma membrane invaginations, important for control of membrane tension, signaling cascades, and lipid sorting. The caveola coat protein Cavin1 is essential for shaping such high curvature membrane structures. Yet, a mechanistic understanding of how Cavin1 assembles at the membrane interface is lacking. Here, we used model membranes combined with biophysical dissection and computational modeling to show that Cavin1 inserts into membranes. We establish that initial phosphatidylinositol (
4
,
5
) bisphosphate [PI(4,5)P
2
]–dependent membrane adsorption of the trimeric helical region 1 (HR1) of Cavin1 mediates the subsequent partial separation and membrane insertion of the individual helices. Insertion kinetics of HR1 is further enhanced by the presence of flanking negatively charged disordered regions, which was found important for the coassembly of Cavin1 with Caveolin1 in living cells. We propose that this intricate mechanism potentiates membrane curvature generation and facilitates dynamic rounds of assembly and disassembly of Cavin1 at the membrane.
Essential functions of mosquito ecdysone importers in development and reproduction
Authors: Hun Lewis V. , Okamoto Naoki , Imura Eisuke , Maxson Roilea , Bittar Riyan , Yamanaka Naoki
Published: June 2022

The primary insect steroid hormone ecdysone requires a membrane transporter to enter its target cells. Although an organic anion-transporting polypeptide (OATP) named Ecdysone Importer (EcI) serves this role in the fruit fly
Drosophila melanogaster
and most likely in other arthropod species, this highly conserved transporter is apparently missing in mosquitoes. Here we report three additional OATPs that facilitate cellular incorporation of ecdysone in
Drosophila
and the yellow fever mosquito
Aedes aegypti
. These additional ecdysone importers (EcI-2, -3, and -4) are dispensable for development and reproduction in
Drosophila
, consistent with the predominant role of EcI. In contrast, in
Aedes
, EcI-2 is indispensable for ecdysone-mediated development, whereas EcI-4 is critical for vitellogenesis induced by ecdysone in adult females. Altogether, our results indicate unique and essential functions of these additional ecdysone importers in mosquito development and reproduction, making them attractive molecular targets for species- and stage-specific control of ecdysone signaling in mosquitoes.
Lectal contamination
Authors: Pijpops Dirk
Published: June 2022

This paper presents evidence from both corpora and agent-based simulation for the effect of lectal contamination.
By doing so, it shows how agent-based simulation can be used as a complementary technique to corpus research in the study of
language variation. Lectal contamination is an effect whereby the words that are typical of a language variety more often appear
in a morphosyntactic variant typical of that same variety, even among language use from a different variety. This study looks at
the Dutch partitive genitive construction, which exhibits variation between a “Netherlandic” variant with -s
ending and a “Belgian” variant without -s ending. It is shown that the probability of the Belgian variant without
-s increases among more “Belgian” words, in the language use of both Belgians and people from the Netherlands. Meanwhile, an
agent-based simulation reveals the crucial theoretical preconditions that lead to this effect.
Object agreement in Hungarian
Authors: Coppock Elizabeth
Published: June 2022

This paper contributes another round in the debate over how to analyze object agreement in Hungarian, a form of differential object marking that is found among other Uralic languages as well. I have previously argued that the choice of conjugation is determined not by the syntactic category of the object, but rather on the basis of semantic factors, primarily: on the Lexical Familiarity Hypothesis (LFH), selected lexical items are assigned a definiteness feature in virtue of a certain type of familiarity presupposition that they carry. Subsequent work has raised challenges for the LFH. This paper considers what would be necessary in order for these challenges to be met. I conclude that the LFH can be defended, if supplemented by a certain set of independently-motivated assumptions. In fact, this theory enjoys certain advantages over the most recent alternative.
High-strength Sn–Bi-based low-temperature solders with high toughness designed via high-throughput thermodynamic modelling1
Authors: Yang Chih-han , Liu Yu-chen , Hirata Yuki , Nishikawa Hiroshi , Lin Shih-kang
Published: June 2022

Low-temperature Pb-free solders are in demand in the electronic industry for reducing processing emissions and enhancing product reliability. Sn–Bi-based alloys have drawn great interests. We performed high-throughput CALculation of PHAse Diagram modelling and systematically screened 35,343 alloy compositions among the Sn–Bi–Ag–In and Sn–Bi–Ag–Zn quaternary systems. An optimal alloy of each system was proposed, experimentally characterised based on microstructural, thermal, and mechanical analyses, and their phase equilibria and solidification reactions are elaborated. The designed Sn–Bi–Ag–In alloy with solidus and liquidus temperatures of 137.6 and 157.1°C, respectively, shows superior mechanical properties, e.g. the ultimate tensile strength of 57 MPa, elongation of 50%, and toughness of 20.6 × 106 J m−3, which is a promising material for low-temperature interconnection.
Light, moderate and vigorous physical activities: New insights into a virtuous circle with happiness
Authors: Castellanos‐García Pablo , Lera‐López Fernando , Sánchez‐Santos José Manuel
Published: June 2022

The study of the physical activity engagement (PA) has given rise to a relevant research agenda in a wide range of fields, such as its close relationship with subjective well‐being, self‐perceived health and social capital. Previous evidence has identified interrelationships among these variables, but without considering different levels of physical activity. We have thus considered three levels of activity: light (walking), moderate and vigorous. Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) is undertaken on data from Spain's National Health Survey in 2011–2012 to analyse these interrelationships. The SEM shows a simultaneous and bidirectional relationship between different levels of PA (moderate and vigorous activities) and happiness, with a more robust association stemming from happiness to PA than vice versa. This relationship is mediated through health. From a policy perspective, this implies a virtuous circle: involvement in different levels of PA increases happiness and self‐perceived health, while happiness involves higher PA and subsequent positive increases in health and happiness. Nevertheless, this virtuous circle does not always run successfully when social capital is considered to mediate the relationship between PA and happiness, which might explain why it has proven to be very difficult for health policymakers to fight against inactivity and a sedentary lifestyle within a great part of the population.
The effects of acute respiratory illness on exercise and sports performance outcomes in athletes – A systematic review by a subgroup of the IOC consensus group on “Acute respiratory illness in the athlete”
Authors: Kaulback Kelly , Pyne David B. , Hull James H. , Snyders Carolette , Sewry Nicola , Schwellnus Martin
Published: June 2022

Acute respiratory infections (ARinf) are common in athletes, but their effects on exercise and sports performance remain unclear. This systematic review aimed to determine the acute (short‐term) and longer‐term effects of ARinf, including SARS‐CoV‐2 infection, on exercise and sports performance outcomes in athletes. Data sources searched included PubMed, Web of Science and EBSCOhost, from January 1990 to 31 December 2021. Eligibility criteria included original research studies published in English, measuring exercise and/or sports performance outcomes in athletes/physically active/military aged 15–65 years with ARinf. Information regarding the study cohort, diagnostic criteria, illness classification and quantitative data on the effect on exercise/sports performance were extracted. Database searches identified 1707 studies. After full‐text screening, 17 studies were included (n = 7793). Outcomes were acute or longer‐term effects on exercise (cardiovascular or pulmonary responses), or sports performance (training modifications, change in standardised point scoring systems, running biomechanics, match performance or ability to start/finish an event). There was substantial methodological heterogeneity between studies. ARinf was associated with acute decrements in sports performance outcomes (four studies) and pulmonary function (three studies), but minimal effects on cardiorespiratory endurance (seven studies in mild ARinf). Longer‐term detrimental effects of ARinf on sports performance (six studies) were divided. Training mileage, overall training load, standardised sports performance‐dependent points and match play can be affected over time. Despite few studies, there is a trend towards impairment in acute and longer‐term exercise and sports outcomes after ARinf in athletes. Future research should consider a uniform approach to explore relationships between ARinf and exercise/sports performance.

PROSPERO (CRD42020159259)
A quantitative study of the dynamic response of compliant microfluidic chips in a microfluidics context
Authors: Hébert Marie , Huissoon Jan , Ren Carolyn L
Published: June 2022

Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is a widely used material for microfluidic devices due to its low cost, superior optical properties and fast iterative design process. Its softness however creates challenges for the device design and operation because part of the applied pressures contributes to deform chips instead of controlling the flow. The resulting dynamic behaviour is often ignored in passive microfluidic that focuses on the static behaviour of the chip, however, can cause low accuracy to active microfluidic that actuates flow frequently. Therefore, understanding the dynamic behaviour of microfluidic devices due to material compliance is of fundamental and practical importance. In this study, the microfluidic chip compliance is carefully considered by separating it from the sample tubing compliance. The capacitance is retrieved by assuming a symmetric RC circuit based on the experimentally determined time constant and chip resistance. The experimental capacitance is compared to a theoretical formula for chip designs with different height-to-width ratios and height-to-length ratios and for various fluids. The accuracy is within one order of magnitude that is much closer than previous approximations.
Comparison of different algorithms based on TKEO for EMG change point detection
Authors: Wang Shenglin , Zhu Shifan , Shang Zhen
Published: June 2022

Objective. A significant challenge in surface electromyography (EMG) is the accurate identification of onset and offset of muscle activation while maintaining high real-time performance. Teager–Kaiser energy operator (TKEO) is widely used in muscle activity monitoring systems because of its computational simplicity and strong real-time performance. However, in contrast to TKEO ontology, few studies have examined how well the energy operator variants from multiple fields perform in conditioning EMG signals. This paper aims to investigate the role of the energy operator and its variants in EMG change point detection by a threshold detector. Approach. To compare the stability and accuracy of TKEO and its variants for EMG change point detection, the EMG data of extensor carpi radialis longus and flexor carpi radialis were acquired from twenty participants operating a controller under normal and disturbed conditions, and EMG change point detection was performed by four energy operators and their rectified versions. Main results. Based on the ‘standard’ change points collected by the controller, the detection results were evaluated by three evaluation indexes: detection rate, F1 Score, and accuracy. The experimental results show that the multiresolution energy operator and the TKEO with rectified (abs-TKEO) are more suitable for EMG change point detection. Significance. This paper compared the effect of the energy operator and its variants on a threshold-based EMG change point detector. The experimental results in this paper can provide a reference for the selection of EMG signal conditioning methods to improve the detection performance of the EMG change point detector.
Anisotropic angular scattering models of elastic electron-neutral collisions for Monte Carlo plasma simulations
Authors: Park Ryan M , Kupets Willem , Zammit Mark C , Colgan James , Fontes Christopher J , Scheiner Brett S , Timmermans Eddy , Tang Xian-Zhu , Scarlett Liam H , Fursa Dmitry V , Bray Igor , Garland Nathan A
Published: June 2022

Many laboratory and industrial plasma applications require accurate modeling techniques to understand the interplay between microscopic and macroscopic processes. A prime example of this interplay is how particle and Monte Carlo (MC) simulation codes describe angular scattering of electrons following elastic scattering events. The forward peaked nature of high energy electron elastic scattering is relatively trivial to accurately describe in plasma simulations. However, for lower energy collisions, which produce near isotropic or backward peaked differential cross sections, there is not a strong consensus among the plasma modeling community on how to best describe these angular scattering trends. In this study, we propose a systematic method to approximate the aforementioned non-trivial angular scattering behavior with a formula that can be readily implemented in particle-in-cell (PIC) and/or MC plasma simulation codes. The present approach is specifically applied to fusion relevant atomic hydrogen and helium, as well as for molecular hydrogen, and results are also applicable to the atomic isotopes and homonuclear molecular isotopologues of these species. Comparisons between the present angular distribution function and benchmark scattering data were used to validate the proposed models. In addition, two-term Boltzmann calculations and PIC direct simulation MC simulations revealed that the proposed angular distribution function is accurate, agreeing very well with benchmark convergent close-coupling scattering calculations, and electron transport measurements. These studies confirmed that the present angular distribution function model can be utilized without the need of renormalization to the momentum transfer cross section (as opposed to using the elastic scattering integrated cross section), which has been suggested by several studies in order to correct for deficient angular scattering models, and to agree with transport measurements. Hence, the present anisotropic angular scattering model can be utilized to accurately model the momentum transfer as well as the electron trajectories of elastic collisions.
Electric field strengths within a micro cavity plasma array measured by Stark shift and splitting of a helium line pair
Authors: Dzikowski Sebastian , Steuer David , Iséni Sylvain , Golda Judith , Böke Marc , Schulz-von der Gathen Volker
Published: June 2022

The electric field is a fundamental parameter for plasma sources and devices. Its knowledge is a dominant setscrew for many processes such as controllable fluxes and energies of charged particles onto surfaces and for the electron energy distribution function. However, experimental data of electric field strengths in micro-structured surface dielectric barrier discharges are rare. Due to geometric configurations and dimensions in micrometer scale, probe-based investigations are challenging. To tackle these issues, we exploit the optical access into micro cavities of a plasma array operated with pure helium to use the Stark effect of the allowed 492.19 nm

(

D

1

↦

P

0

1

)

and forbidden 492.06 nm helium line

(

F

0

1

↦

P

0

1

)

. Based on it, we present spatially-integrated and time-resolved electric field strengths in a range between 20 kV cm−1 and 60 kV cm−1 depending on various parameters such as cavity diameters in 100 μm range and excitation properties. The obtained electric fields can be controlled just by bipolarity of applied voltage and show a good agreement to previous simulated field strengths in pore and silicon-based devices. As expected from simulation dealing with discharges in pores, a smaller cavity dimension yields higher electric field strengths. Due to these high electric fields and the option of this plasma source to easily integrate a catalyst in the discharge volume, this micro cavity plasma array promises further insights into plasma-enhanced catalysis.
Review and prospects of world-wide superconducting undulator development for synchrotrons and FELs
Authors: Zhang Kai , Calvi Marco
Published: June 2022

Superconducting undulators (SCUs) with a period >15 mm can offer a much higher on-axis undulator field B
0 than state-of-the-art cryogenic permanent magnet undulators with the same period and vacuum gap. The commissioned NbTi planar SCUs for user operation in the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology synchrotron and the advanced photon source storage ring are operated stably without quenches, producing outperformed photon flux in the high energy part of the hard x-ray spectrum. Another potential advantage of deploying SCU is its radiation hardness, a crucial characteristic for being used in free electron lasers (FELs) driven by high repetition rate superconducting linear accelerators (LINACs) and diffraction limited storage rings (DLSRs) with small vacuum gap and large averaged beam current. The development of shorter period but high field SCU is an important mission in an EU founded CompactLight project as this technology would reduce both the length of undulators and the length of LINACs. This review paper first overviews the research and development of SCUs worldwide from the late 1970s to 2021, then presents the SCU design requirements and compares the theory limits of different types of planar and helical SCUs, and finally reviews the technical challenges including the SCU cryostat, the magnetic field measurement, the integral/local field correction and the high-temperature superconductor (HTS) challenges and prospects the research needs for SCUs.
Entropy-based inference of transition states and cellular trajectory for single-cell transcriptomics
Authors: Gan Yanglan , Guo Cheng , Guo Wenjing , Xu Guangwei , Zou Guobing
Published: June 2022

The development of single-cell RNA-seq (scRNA-seq) technology allows researchers to characterize the cell types, states and transitions during dynamic biological processes at single-cell resolution. One of the critical tasks is to infer pseudo-time trajectory. However, the existence of transition cells in the intermediate state of complex biological processes poses a challenge for the trajectory inference. Here, we propose a new single-cell trajectory inference method based on transition entropy, named scTite, to identify transitional states and reconstruct cell trajectory from scRNA-seq data. Taking into account the continuity of cellular processes, we introduce a new metric called transition entropy to measure the uncertainty of a cell belonging to different cell clusters, and then identify cell states and transition cells. Specifically, we adopt different strategies to infer the trajectory for the identified cell states and transition cells, and combine them to obtain a detailed cell trajectory. For the identified cell clusters, we utilize the Wasserstein distance based on the probability distribution to calculate distance between clusters, and construct the minimum spanning tree. Meanwhile, we adopt the signaling entropy and partial correlation coefficient to determine transition paths, which contain a group of transition cells with the largest similarity. Then the transitional paths and the MST are combined to infer a refined cell trajectory. We apply scTite to four real scRNA-seq datasets and an integrated dataset, and conduct extensive performance comparison with nine existing trajectory inference methods. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method can reconstruct the cell trajectory more accurately than the compared algorithms. The scTite software package is available at https://github.com/dblab2022/scTite.
The a-average Degree Edge-Connectivity of Bijective Connection Networks
Authors: Yang Yayu , Zhang Mingzu , Meng Jixiang , Chen Rongda
Published: June 2022

The conditional edge-connectivity is an important parameter to evaluate the reliability and fault tolerance of multi-processor systems. The $n$-dimensional bijective connection networks $B_{n}$ contain hypercubes, crossed cubes, Möbius cubes and twisted cubes, etc. The conditional edge-connectivity of a connected graph $G$ is the minimum cardinality of edge sets, whose deletion disconnects $G$ and results in each remaining component satisfying property $\mathscr{P}$. And let $F$ be the edge set as desired. For a positive integer $a$, if $\mathscr{P}$ denotes the property that the average degree of each component of $G-F$ is no less than $a$, then the conditional edge-connectivity can be called the $a$-average degree edge-connectivity $\overline{\lambda }_{a}(G)$. In this paper, we determine that the exact value of the $a$-average degree edge-connectivity of an $n$-dimensional bijective connection network $\overline{\lambda }_{a}(B_{n})$ is $(n-a)2^a$ for each $0\leq a \leq n-1 $ and $n\geq 1$. 1
A pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic (PKPD) model-based analysis of tedizolid against enterococci using the hollow-fibre infection model
Authors: Iqbal K , Rohde H , Huang J , Tikiso T , Amann L F , Zeitlinger M , Wicha S G
Published: June 2022

Background

Tedizolid is a novel oxazolidinone antibiotic. Considering the higher antibacterial effect in immunocompetent compared with immunosuppressed animals, it is not recommended in immunocompromised patients.

Objectives

In this study, we assessed the ‘pure’ pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic (PKPD) relationship for tedizolid against Enterococcus in the hollow-fibre infection model (HFIM).

Methods

Unbound plasma concentration time profiles (200–5000 mg/day IV) were simulated in the HFIM over 120 h against an Enterococcus faecalis strain and two clinical isolates of Enterococcus faecium (VRE-vanB and VRE-vanA). Next, a PKPD model describing tedizolid efficacy against bacterial isolates was developed. A population PK model was linked to the developed PKPD model and utilized to predict the bacterial kinetics in plasma and in target tissues [adipose, muscle, epithelial lining fluid (ELF) and sputum] over 120 h of therapy.

Results

The PKPD model adequately described the bacterial kill kinetics for all bacterial populations. At the human recommended dose of 200 mg/day, bacterial growth was predicted in plasma and all tissues, except for ELF. Bacteriostasis was observed only at a higher dose of 1200 mg/day over 120 h. An fAUC/MIC of 80 related to stasis over 120 h. Subpopulations resistant to 3 × MIC were amplified in plasma and target tissues, except for ELF, at doses of 200–800 mg/day.

Conclusions

The human dose of 200 mg/day was insufficient to suppress bacterial growth in the HFIM, indicating that further components contribute to the clinical effect of tedizolid. This study supports the warning/precaution for tedizolid to limit its use in immunocompromised patients.
Iguratimod versus salazosulfapyridine in rheumatoid arthritis patients with an inadequate response to methotrexate: Adjusted with propensity score matching
Authors: Nozaki Yuji , Oribe Motohiro , Tomita Daisuke , Itami Tetsu , Hayashi Shinya , Maeda Toshihisa , Fukuda Koji , Kuroda Ryosuke , Funahashi Keiko , Matsubara Tsukasa , Kinoshita Koji , Matsumura Itaru
Published: June 2022

Objectives

Methotrexate (MTX) is recommended as a first-line conventional synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (csDMARD) for treating rheumatoid arthritis (RA). This retrospective study sought to identify an add-on csDMARD treatment strategy for RA patients with MTX-inadequate response (IR).

Methods

We collected the cases of RA patients treated with salazosulfapyridine (SASP) or iguratimod (IGU) as the additional csDMARD for MTX-IR during a 24-month follow-up. We performed propensity score matching to evaluate the retention rate, clinical efficacy, and safety profile (n = 54, each group).

Results

The retention rates at 24 months were 38.5% (MTX+SASP group) and 67.8% (MTX+IGU group). At 3 and 6 months, the MTX+IGU group’s 28 joint-disease activity score (DAS28) was significantly decreased versus the MTX+SASP group, and at 3 months the MTX+IGU group’s good-responder percentage (22.9%) was significantly higher versus the MTX+SASP group’s good-responder percentage (10.7%). Conversely, compared to the MTX+SASP group, the MTX+IGU group showed a greater reduction in the estimated glomerular filtration rate from baseline during follow-up.

Conclusions

IGU is a useful add-on csDMARD for RA patients with MTX-IR; its high retention rate and good clinical response make it a useful combination therapy for controlling RA disease activity. However, the renal function should be monitored during follow-up.
LTBK-02. Safety of growth hormone replacement therapy in childhood craniopharyngioma
Authors: van Schaik Jiska , Kormelink Eline , Schouten-van Meeteren Netteke , de Vos-Kerkhof Evelien , Bakker Boudewijn , Fiocco Marta , Hoving Eelco , Tissing Wim , van Santen Hanneke
Published: June 2022

Introduction: Treatment for childhood-onset craniopharyngioma (cCP) has shifted from complete to limited resection aiming to avoid additional hypothalamic morbidity. Up to 90% of cCP patients develop growth hormone deficiency (GHD). GH replacement therapy (GHRT) is of high importance for linear growth and metabolic state. Hardly any studies evaluated the optimal time to start GHRT in relation to tumor progression or recurrence. Our aim was to assess the effect of GHRT in cCP on tumor progression/recurrence.

Methods: Patients with cCP diagnosed between 2001 and 2022, with at least one year of follow-up were included. Tumor progression/recurrence was defined as tumor progression/recurrence requiring intervention. Kaplan Meier and multivariable cox regression analyses were estimated for tumor progression/recurrence. Comparison was made between cCP patients with GHRT and without GHRT. Of the cCP patients receiving GHRT, those given GHRT ≤ 1 year of cCP diagnosis were compared to those given GHRT >1 year after cCP diagnosis.

Results: Of 59 cCP patients, 52 were diagnosed with GHD and 51 (86.4%) received GHRT. Sixteen cCP patients (31.4%) developed tumor progression/recurrence during GHRT compared to four cCP patients (50.0%) without GHRT. Mean progression free survival (PFS) did not differ between cCP patients with or without GHRT (GHRT: 5.55 years 95% CI 3.74 - 7.36 vs. no GHRT: 3.69 years 95% CI 1.44 - 5.93). Of cCP patients who started GHRT ≤1 year after cCP diagnosis, 36.4% developed tumor progression/recurrence compared to 27.6% of cCP patients who received GHRT > 1 year after diagnosis (PFS: 8.45 years CI 95% 5.54 – 11.36 vs. 7.99 years CI 95% 6.03 – 9.94). Limited surgery was associated to tumor progression/recurrence (HR 6.99 CI 95% 2.10 – 23.25).

Conclusion: GHRT does not seem to influence tumor progression/recurrence in cCP. These results support early initiation of GHRT in cCP patients to optimize linear growth and metabolic outcome.
A Petrologic Insight into Transitioning Eruption Styles from the Devil’s Rock Region, Ambae, Vanuatu
Authors: Collins Nathan , Rowe Michael C , Kilgour Geoff , Nichols Alexander R L , Schipper C Ian , Tari Dan , Garaebiti Esline
Published: June 2022

Ambae Island is the largest volcano in the New Hebrides Arc with recent eruptive activity occurring primarily at the summit and along the island’s rift zone. The Devil’s Rock area forms a prominent outcrop on the SW coast. Eruptive deposits here are derived from both strombolian and phreatomagmatic eruptions that contain a similar olivine- and clinopyroxene-rich juvenile basaltic component. This study focuses on a particular transition from strombolian to phreatomagmatic activity to understand if the change in eruption style is a function of magmatic processes or properties (e.g. different composition, ascent rate, degassing history) or if it is driven purely by external factors (e.g. magma–water interaction and/or vent migration). Melts from the strombolian to phreatomagmatic phase record the same melt compositions and volatile contents, suggesting the same magma batch is involved throughout the eruption. More broadly, similarities in H2O, CO2 and S concentrations between olivine- and pyroxene-hosted melt inclusions from Devil’s Rock melt inclusions and those erupted during the 2017–2018 summit eruptions may indicate that a long-term shared magmatic reservoir exists beneath Ambae. Physical characteristics of juvenile tephra including groundmass crystallinity and porosity are combined with melt inclusion compositions to better understand the degassing and crystallisation history and melt evolution of this volcanic system across the transitioning eruptive sequence. Groundmass crystallisation is variable and negatively correlated with connected porosity of erupted scoria reflecting mixing of materials at the vent and inclusion of dense clasts from conduit margins. A direct comparison of crystallinities between strombolian and phreatomagmatic phases reveals higher crystallinity in the strombolian deposits, which is reflective of post-fragmentation crystallisation of clasts. This is particularly evident in the proximal strombolian materials. Qualitative crystallisation textures of melt inclusions are used in a similar fashion to groundmass crystallinities to assess the relative timing of cooling. These trends mirror those of the groundmass and suggest longer cooling times and more effective degassing for samples of the transitional materials. Based on our analysis of deposits at Devil’s Rock, the transition from a strombolian to a phreatomagmatic eruption style was likely driven by groundwater or seawater incursion into the shallow conduit, close to modern-day sea level. Overall, these results suggest a dynamic system where different magmatic cooling histories for strombolian versus phreatomagmatic eruptive phases are reflected in changing groundmass crystallinity. This highlights the propensity for transitions in eruption style over seemingly short time intervals and significantly enhancing eruption explosivity.