bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Endoscopic resection of upper gastrointestinal lesions using the colonic Ovesco full-thickness resection device: Retrospective observational case series of 22 cases
Authors: Nilsson Jan-Erick , de Graaf Wilmar , Koch Arjun Dave
Published: October 2022

Background and study aims The endoscopic full-thickness resection (EFRT) device (FTRD) has been shown to have acceptable outcomes in regard to efficacy and safety in the resection of colorectal lesions. Data on its use in the upper gastrointestinal tract are limited to small case series.

Patients and methods All consecutive patients undergoing endoscopic full-thickness resection of gastric or duodenal lesions at our institutions were analyzed retrospectively for a primary endpoint of technical success.

Results A total of 22 patients with duodenal and gastric lesions underwent EFTR between June 2018 and February 2022. Technical success was achieved in 20 of 22 (91 %) of the procedures. Indications for EFTR were: subepithelial tumor (n = 14), mucosal lesion (n = 5), scar resection (n = 2), and EFTR of endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) resection base (n = 1). The FTRD could be advanced to the lesion in all 22 cases (100 %). No dilation of the upper esophageal sphincter (UES) or pylorus was required to pass the device. There were 14 cases of gastric lesions and eight duodenal. One subepithelial lesion was too big for the cap and one scar could not be sucked into the cap. One lesion (gastrointestinal stromal tumor) was removed at second procedure with the ESD technique, including over-the-scope clip. The R0 resection rate for deployed clips was 90 % (18 of 20). There were two superficial esophageal tears from FTRD insertion that required no therapy. No bleeding occurred during the postoperative period.

Conclusions Upper gastrointestinal EFTR using the colonic Ovesco FTRD is feasible without pre-dilation of the upper esophageal sphincter or pylorus. This study further confirms acceptable efficacy and safety in upper gastrointestinal use.
The Management of Chemosis after Blepharoplasty
Authors: Ní Dhubhghaill Sorcha , Faris Callum
Published: October 2022

Chemosis is a common, though typically temporary complication of both upper and lower blepharoplasty surgery, though it is much more common after the latter. It occurs due to extravasation of fluid into the subconjunctival space precipitated by desiccation, inflammation, and manipulation of the conjunctiva and associated lymphatic drainage. Intraoperatively, minimizing surgical exposure and manipulation as well as maintaining a moist ocular surface can reduce the risks. Postoperatively, we propose a stepwise approach, starting with lubricants and escalating to increasingly potent anti-inflammatories with compression bandaging and surgery reserved for persistent cases.
Description of a Novel Technique to Address Both External Nasal Valve Collapse and the Aesthetic of the Nasal Tip
Authors: Rosario Eleanor May , Ferguson Mark , Machado Poliana Batista , Saleh Hesham
Published: October 2022

Severe concavity of the lateral crura can lead to an unsightly aesthetic deformity of the nasal tip and narrowing of the external nasal valve. Concurrently, if the lateral crura are structurally weak, this can lead to a functional issue. We report a previously undescribed technique of combining a lateral crural reversal with a turn-in flap. This achieves dual goals of aesthetic improvement and structural reinforcement, without the need for grafting.
Levels of trust in risk-only negative health messages issued by public agencies: a quantitative research-based mindsponge framework
Authors: Tanemura Nanae , Kakizaki Masako , Kusumi Takashi , Onodera Rie , Chiba Tsuyoshi
Published: October 2022

Trust in messengers is essential for a public agency to ensure effective benefit-risk communication. However, there is insufficient research on the difference in trust between risk-only or benefit-and-risk messages that deal with negative topics. To clarify these differences, this study used three radiation topics to determine the best benefit-risk communication design. We conducted a randomized comparative study in November 2020 on 1100 Japanese individuals (550 men and 550 women), who were allocated either to the risk message group (risk-only) or the benefit-and-risk message group (benefit-and-risk). The questionnaire focused on the trust level in a public agency for each message. We conducted an independent sample t-test using the trust mean at the time of registration. There were significant differences in the trust level in the public agency for all three topics (p < 0.001). The trust level was ranked as risk-only, followed by benefit-and-risk; however, the trust level was still high enough when the trust level at baseline was high from the outset. In risk-only communication on negative topics, perceptions were consistent with the types of risk message due to confirmation bias. Hence, trust in risk-only negative health messages promoted a preferential higher information absorptivity under the mindsponge mechanism. However, effective benefit-risk communication is assured by high trust levels between a public agency and the public, so it is important to consistently build trust with all stakeholders on a regular basis.
A calculus for magnetic pseudodifferential super operators
Authors: Lee Gihyun , Lein Max
Published: October 2022

This work develops a magnetic pseudodifferential calculus for super operators OpA(F); these map operators onto operators (as opposed to Lp functions onto Lq functions). Here, F could be a tempered distribution or a Hörmander symbol. An important example is Liouville super operators L̂=−iopA(h),⋅ defined in terms of a magnetic pseudodifferential operator opA(h). Our work combines ideas from the magnetic Weyl calculus developed by Măntoiu and Purice [J. Math. Phys. 45, 1394–1417 (2004)]; Iftimie, Măntoiu, and Purice [Publ. Res. Inst. Math. Sci. 43, 585–623 (2007)]; and Lein (Ph.D. thesis, 2011) and the pseudodifferential calculus on the non-commutative torus from the work of Ha, Lee, and Ponge [Int. J. Math. 30, 1950033 (2019)]. Thus, our calculus is inherently gauge-covariant, which means that all essential properties of OpA(F) are determined by properties of the magnetic field B = dA rather than the vector potential A. There are conceptual differences to ordinary pseudodifferential theory. For example, in addition to an analog of the (magnetic) Weyl product that emulates the composition of two magnetic pseudodifferential super operators on the level of functions, the so-called semi-super product describes the action of a pseudodifferential super operator on a pseudodifferential operator.
Understanding the role of resonances and anti-resonances in shaping surface-wave bandgaps for metasurfaces
Authors: Pillarisetti Lalith Sai Srinivas , Lissenden Cliff J. , Shokouhi Parisa
Published: October 2022

An array of surface-mounted prismatic resonators in the path of Rayleigh wave propagation generates two distinct types of surface-wave bandgaps: longitudinal and flexural-resonance bandgaps, resulting from the hybridization of the Rayleigh wave with the longitudinal and flexural resonances of the resonators, respectively. Longitudinal-resonance bandgaps are broad with asymmetric transmission drops, whereas flexural-resonance bandgaps are narrow with nearly symmetric transmission drops. In this paper, we illuminate these observations by investigating the resonances and anti-resonances of the resonator. With an understanding of how the Rayleigh wave interacts with different boundary conditions, we investigate the clamping conditions imposed by prismatic resonators due to the resonator’s resonances and anti-resonances and interpret the resulting transmission spectra. We demonstrate that, in the case of a single resonator, only the resonator’s longitudinal and flexural resonances are responsible for suppressing Rayleigh waves. In contrast, for a resonator array, both the resonances and the anti-resonances of the resonators contribute to the formation of the longitudinal-resonance bandgaps, unlike the flexural-resonance bandgaps where only the flexural resonances play a role. We also provide an explanation for the observed asymmetry in the transmission drop within the longitudinal-resonance bandgaps by assessing the clamping conditions imposed by the resonators. Finally, we evaluate the transmission characteristics of resonator arrays at the anti-resonance frequencies by varying a few key geometric parameters of the unit cell. These findings provide the conceptual understanding required to design optimized resonators based on matching anti-resonance frequencies with the incident Rayleigh wave frequency in order to achieve enhanced Rayleigh wave suppression.
Charge carrier motion and effect of fixed oxide charge in a microstructured silicon radiation detector
Authors: Sharma Sanchit , Ochs Taylor , McGregor Douglas S. , Bellinger Steven L. , McNeil Walter J. , Bahadori Amir A.
Published: October 2022

Signal formation in a microstructured semiconductor neutron detector is more complex than in planar diode geometry. Three-dimensional microstructures are laterally smaller than the ionization cloud length, and the electric fields may be weak enough to exhibit plasma time effects. This work is the first detailed treatment of charge carrier motion in these complex semiconductor devices to replicate the time profile and signal magnitude. Simulations were performed using COMSOL Multiphysics to investigate various parameters that affect the propagation of the charge cloud. It was observed that the size of the simulated three-dimensional structure had an impact on the induced current pulse, indicating the importance of simulation geometry optimization to accurately simulate charge cloud expansion. COMSOL Multiphysics was used to replicate accurate charge creation profiles using energy deposition information imported from radiation transport codes. A detailed simulation methodology is presented to benchmark preamplifier event pulses along with complexities in modeling the charge carrier motion along the etched microstructured trenches with Si–SiO2 boundary conditions, including fixed oxide charge and interface trapping.
Intrinsically stretchable ionoelastomer junction logic gate synchronously deformable with liquid metal
Authors: Lee Seung Won , Jang Jihye , Kim Yeonji , Lee Seokyeong , Lee Kyuho , Han Hyowon , Lee Hyeokjung , Oh Jin Woo , Kim Hoyeon , Kim Taebin , Dickey Michael D. , Park Cheolmin
Published: October 2022

Liquid-free ionic conductors, known as ionoelastomers, are of great interest because of their potential for developing reliable and resilient ionic devices with elastic mechanical properties. This study presents an intrinsically stretchable diode consisting of a highly stretchable ionoelastomer bilayer vertically stacked with liquid metal electrodes. The bilayer contains two types of ionoelastomer networks: one containing fixed anions with mobile cations and one containing fixed cations with mobile anions. Both ionoelastomers use 2-hydroxyethyl acrylate to provide high stretchability. The junction between the two ionoelastomers creates a diode with excellent non-Faradaic ionic current rectification. The voltage-dependent modulation of the ionic double layer at the interface between the two ionoelastomers provides the rectification. The elastic diode works under cyclic loading to a uniaxial stretch ratio of 6 (strain of 500%), allowing the development of a highly stretchable ionic OR logic gate.
Graphene/Cs2PbI2Cl2 van der Waals heterostructure with tunable Schottky barriers and contact types
Authors: Wang Min , Hou Ting-Ping , Wu Kai-Ming , Lin Heng-Fu
Published: October 2022

Two-dimensional halide perovskite Cs2PbI2Cl2 with the Ruddlesden–Popper structure has attracted much interest in both experiment and theory, owing to its excellent structural stability and electronic and optical properties. Here, we design the graphene/Cs2PbI2Cl2 van der Waals (vdW) heterostructure (HS) and comprehensively investigate its structural, electronic, and contact properties by using first principle calculations. Four types of graphene/Cs2PbI2Cl2 HSs are considered, and the most stable one is identified. Because the composed system has weak vdW interaction, the intrinsic band structures of both graphene and Cs2PbI2Cl2 are well maintained. Meanwhile, the graphene opens a minute energy gap of about 68 meV, which may have resulted from a broken sublattice inversion symmetry and tiny structure distortion. Moreover, it is found that graphene/Cs2PbI2Cl2 forms a p-type Schottky contact. The HS undergoes a contact-type transition to p-type Ohmic contact and n-type Ohmic contact from the original p-type Schottky contact under positive and negative electric fields, respectively. When interlayer coupling strength increases or decreases, a contact-type transition to the p-type Ohmic contact from the original p-type Schottky contact occurs. These findings provide a meaningful guidance for tuning the electronic properties and constructing high-performance graphene/Cs2PbI2Cl2 HS-based Schottky devices.
Room-temperature nonradiative recombination lifetimes in c-plane Al1−xInxN epilayers nearly and modestly lattice-matched to GaN (0.11 ≤ x ≤ 0.21)
Authors: Li L. Y. , Shima K. , Yamanaka M. , Egawa T. , Takeuchi T. , Miyoshi M. , Ishibashi S. , Uedono A. , Chichibu S. F.
Published: October 2022

Lattice-matched Al1−xInxN / GaN heterostructures with InN mole fraction (x) of 0.18 have attracted considerable interest for use in GaN-based optoelectronic devices. Because the light emission efficiency (ηemission) of Al1−xInxN alloys is far less than that of InxGa1−xN, understanding its causes is essential. For this purpose, room-temperature photoluminescence lifetime (τPLRT), which almost represents the nonradiative recombination lifetime that limits the internal quantum efficiency in low ηemission semiconductors, of c-plane Al1−xInxN epilayers nearly and modestly lattice-matched to GaN (0.11≤x≤0.21) was examined. For the epilayers grown on low threading dislocation density (TDD) GaN substrates (≪107cm−2), τPLRT principally decreased with increasing x, indicating a progressive increase in the concentration of nonradiative recombination centers (NRCs), NNRC. One of the probable causes is the growth temperature (Tg) reduction that is indispensable to incorporate more In, because in insufficient Tg regime higher Tg is preferred for enhancing the surface migration of adatoms to decrease the concentrations of vacancies that compose NRCs. The Al1−xInxN epilayers of the same x but grown on high TDD (>108cm−2) GaN-on-sapphire templates exhibited shorter τPLRT. Because the diffusion length of minority carriers was nearly zero in the Al1−xInxN epilayers, the shorter τPLRT indicates higher bulk NNRC in high TDD epilayers. The Al1−xInxN epilayers of considerably rough surface morphologies exhibited spatially inhomogeneous τPLRT, implying that excited carriers recombined everywhere at InN-rich to InN-poor portions, where NNRC were likely lower to higher, respectively, than the average due to the deviations in the surface stoichiometry at various non-c-plane surfaces at a given Tg.
A dynamical model for Brownian molecular motors driven by inelastic electron tunneling
Authors: Ribetto Federico D. , Deghi Sebastián E. , Calvo Hernán L. , Bustos-Marún Raúl A.
Published: October 2022

In recent years, several artificial molecular motors driven and controlled by electric currents have been proposed. Similar to Brownian machines, these systems work by turning random inelastic tunneling events into a directional rotation of the molecule. Despite their importance as the ultimate component of future molecular machines, their modeling has not been sufficiently studied. Here, we develop a dynamical model to describe these systems. We illustrate the validity and usefulness of our model by applying it to a well-known molecular motor, showing that the obtained results are consistent with the available experimental data. Moreover, we demonstrate how to use our model to extract some difficult-to-access microscopic parameters. Finally, we include an analysis of the expected effects of current-induced forces (CIFs). Our analysis suggests that, although nonconservative contributions of the CIFs can be important in some scenarios, they do not seem important in the analyzed case. Despite this, the conservative contributions of CIFs could be strong enough to significantly alter the system’s dynamics.
Portraying the ionic transport and stability window of solid electrolytes by incorporating bond valence-Ewald with dynamically determined decomposition methods
Authors: Ren Yuan , Liu Bo , He Bing , Lin Shen , Shi Wei , Luo Yaqiao , Wang Da , Shi Siqi
Published: October 2022

Designing inorganic solid electrolytes (ISEs) with both excellent electrochemical stability and high ionic conductivity is an important research direction for all-solid-state batteries. However, due to the electronic conduction of hierarchical decomposition products, there is an imbalance between the ionic transport and electrochemical stability window of the ISEs. Here, we propose a computational approach that incorporates bond valence-Ewald energy analysis and dynamically determined decomposition pathway to portray the competing relationship between ionic transport and stable electrochemical window in solid electrolytes. Following this, we explain the high ionic conductivity and wide electrochemical stability window of Li–Si–B–S solid electrolytes, which features shared corner and edge from tetrahedral SiS4/BS4. Our approach is not only applicable to efficiently characterize the previously reported inorganic solid electrolytes but also expected to accelerate the discovery of more systems.
Carbon doped semi-insulating freestanding GaN crystals by ethylene
Authors: Liu Qiang , Zając Marcin , Iwińska Małgorzata , Wang Shuai , Zhuang Wenrong , Boćkowski Michał , Wang Xinqiang
Published: October 2022

Semi-insulating freestanding GaN crystals are excellent candidates for substrates of GaN-based power electronic devices. Carbon doping is believed to be currently the optimal way to achieve semi-insulating GaN crystals grown by halide vapor phase epitaxy (HVPE). Here, we demonstrate that ethylene is an excellent source for C doping, where the doping efficiency is much higher than that of methane. Under the same carbon mole flux, the carbon incorporation rate of ethylene is 40 times in magnitude higher than that of methane. A record highest resistivity is achieved by ethylene doping with a carbon concentration of 1.5 × 1020 cm−3. Our work demonstrates that ethylene is an excellent carbon dopant source for HVPE-grown GaN crystals.
Active platform stabilization with a 6D seismometer
Authors: Ubhi Amit Singh , Prokhorov Leonid , Cooper Sam , Fronzo Chiara Di , Bryant John , Hoyland David , Mitchell Alexandra , van Dongen Jesse , Mow-Lowry Conor , Cumming Alan , Hammond Giles , Martynov Denis
Published: October 2022

We demonstrate the control scheme of an active platform with a six degree of freedom (6D) seismometer. The inertial sensor simultaneously measures translational and tilt degrees of freedom of the platform and does not require any additional sensors for the stabilization. We show that a feedforward cancelation scheme can efficiently decouple tilt-to-horizontal coupling of the seismometer in the digital control scheme. We stabilize the platform in the frequency band from 250 mHz up to 10 Hz in the translational (X, Y) degrees of freedom and achieve a suppression factor of 100 around 1 Hz. Further suppression of ground vibrations was limited by the non-linear response of the piezo actuators of the platform and by its limited range (5 μm). In this paper, we discuss the 6D seismometer, its control scheme, and the limitations of the test bed.
Nonresonant propagation phase based metasurface design for independent manipulation of dual circularly polarized waves
Authors: Shi Hongyu , Li Guoqiang , Wang Luyi , Yi Jianjia , Chen Xiaoming , Zhang Anxue , Xu Zhuo
Published: October 2022

Pancharatnam–Berry (PB) phase has attracted significant attentions due to its phase control characteristic for circularly polarized (CP) waves. PB phase structure usually provides equal but inverse phase shifts for the left-handed CP (LCP) and right-handed CP (RCP) waves. In this article, a method is proposed to decouple this correlation and to manipulate the wavefronts of interacting LCP and RCP waves independently and simultaneously. Nonresonant propagation phase realized through open-ended transmission line is introduced as an additional degree of freedom to achieve totally independent phase responses of the orthogonal CP waves. A metasurface is presented to shape the reflected orthogonal CP waves into vortex beam and pencil beam independently. Simulation and measurement results confirm with each other and demonstrate the proposed method.
Analysis of electroviscous effect and heat transfer for flow of non-Newtonian fluids in a microchannel with surface charge-dependent slip at high zeta potentials
Authors: Banerjee Debanjan , Pati Sukumar , Biswas Pankaj
Published: October 2022

In hydrophobic surfaces, pressure-driven flows induce electrokinetic flow retardation, where the slip length decreases due to the surface charge. In the current work, we investigate the thermal transport and fluid flow behavior of a pressure-driven flow of shear-thinning fluid with an electroviscous effect, accounting for the influence of surface charge on the slip. The electrical potential field induced in the electrical double layer (EDL), velocity, streaming potential, and temperature is obtained after solving the Poisson–Boltzmann equation, mass, momentum, and energy conservation equations without invoking the Debye–Hückel linearization. Results are presented for a broad range of dimensionless parameters, such as surface charge-independent slip length, Debye–Hückel parameter, zeta potential, heat flux, and flow consistency index (n). The flow velocity decreases after considering the effect of surface charge on slip, and such decrement is more for lower value of n, higher magnitude of zeta potential, and thicker EDL. Moreover, for lower value of n (1/3), the alteration of the Nusselt number with the surface charge is non-monotonic, whereas it increases with the surface charge magnitude for higher value of n (1/2). Further, for lower value of n, the Nusselt number enhances by the surface charge effect on the slip, whereas, for higher value of n, the trend is the opposite. Also, there is a strong interplay of the rheology of the fluid and EDL thickness in dictating the variation of the Nusselt number.
With childhood hemispherectomy, one hemisphere can support—but is suboptimal for—word and face recognition
Authors: Granovetter Michael C. , Robert Sophia , Ettensohn Leah , Behrmann Marlene
Published: October 2022

The right and left cerebral hemispheres are important for face and word recognition, respectively—a specialization that emerges over human development. The question is whether this bilateral distribution is necessary or whether a single hemisphere, be it left or right, can support both face and word recognition. Here, face and word recognition accuracy in patients (median age 16.7 y) with a single hemisphere following childhood hemispherectomy was compared against matched typical controls. In experiment 1, participants viewed stimuli in central vision. Across both face and word tasks, accuracy of both left and right hemispherectomy patients, while significantly lower than controls' accuracy, averaged above 80% and did not differ from each other. To compare patients' single hemisphere more directly to one hemisphere of controls, in experiment 2, participants viewed stimuli in one visual field to constrain initial processing chiefly to a single (contralateral) hemisphere. Whereas controls had higher word accuracy when words were presented to the right than to the left visual field, there was no field/hemispheric difference for faces. In contrast, left and right hemispherectomy patients, again, showed comparable performance to one another on both face and word recognition, albeit significantly lower than controls. Altogether, the findings indicate that a single developing hemisphere, either left or right, may be sufficiently plastic for comparable representation of faces and words. However, perhaps due to increased competition or “neural crowding,” constraining cortical representations to one hemisphere may collectively hamper face and word recognition, relative to that observed in typical development with two hemispheres.
3K-LEx-MC
Authors: Robles-García Pablo , Wallace Glen H. , Sánchez-Gutiérrez Claudia Helena
Published: October 2022

This study presents the development and validation of a 132-item Spanish-English bilingual multiple-choice vocabulary test based on the 3,000 most frequent lemmas that distinguishes between North American university students who satisfy the Foreign Language requirement and those who need to complete coursework. 819 students were assigned to one of the two 144-item forms of the preliminary test, which had 72 shared anchor items and other 72 form-specific items. Factor analysis was used to evaluate dimensionality and the Rasch model was used to select the items that best differentiated between these two student populations. This final form was administered to 213 students. Results showed high levels of unidimensionality, and the final form provided a Rasch reliability coefficient of 0.97.
Real-time imaging of RNA polymerase I activity in living human cells
Authors: Fu Yujuan , Liu Yaxin , Wen Tanye , Fang Jie , Chen Yalong , Zhou Ziying , Gu Xinyi , Wu Hao , Sheng Jinghao , Xu Zhengping , Zou Wei , Chen Baohui
Published: October 2022

RNA polymerase I (Pol I) synthesizes about 60% of cellular RNA by transcribing multiple copies of the ribosomal RNA gene (rDNA). The transcriptional activity of Pol I controls the level of ribosome biogenesis and cell growth. However, there is currently a lack of methods for monitoring Pol I activity in real time. Here, we develop LiveArt (live imaging-based analysis of rDNA transcription) to visualize and quantify the spatiotemporal dynamics of endogenous ribosomal RNA (rRNA) synthesis. LiveArt reveals mitotic silencing and reactivation of rDNA transcription, as well as the transcriptional kinetics of interphase rDNA. Using LiveArt, we identify SRFBP1 as a potential regulator of rRNA synthesis. We show that rDNA transcription occurs in bursts and can be altered by modulating burst duration and amplitude. Importantly, LiveArt is highly effective in the screening application for anticancer drugs targeting Pol I transcription. These approaches pave the way for a deeper understanding of the mechanisms underlying nucleolar functions.
Investigation of pendulum damping using an angle sensor and video analysis: combination of viscous and dry friction
Authors: Thy Savrin , Iwayama Tsutomu
Published: October 2022

Viscous and Coulomb’s friction combined contribute to the damping of a pendulum; however, they are usually treated as a silo effect. In this study, we investigate the combination of viscous and Coulomb damping in compound pendulum oscillation, employing two modern instruments that are cheap and handy to quantify the experiments, which are video analysis and a microcontroller angle sensor. From the model fitting, variables and parameters of the motion such as angular frequency, period, moment of inertia, and viscous and frictional parameters are obtained with high accuracy and consistency between angle sensor and video analysis data. This study contributes to the use of technology in physics education, specifically in physics experiments. It is relevant for high school physics and university introductory physics as the basis to advance study in the damped oscillation of the pendulum.
Tell me how fast you go and I will tell you how much you rotate
Authors: Benedetto Elmo , Di Mauro Marco , Feoli Antonio , Iannella Antonella Lucia , Naddeo Adele
Published: October 2022

Many topics in modern physics are currently included in the curricula of the last year of high school in many countries, as for example in Italy. A consistent part of the curriculum should be devoted to the special theory of relativity. A particularly interesting phenomenon in this framework is the so-called Terrell–Penrose effect (TPE), which the students may find especially intriguing in view of its association with the name of one of the 2020 Nobel Prize winners. Although it is not possible to rigorously analyse this optical effect at the high school level, we show that is possible to tackle the topic anyway, during some of the in-depth lectures on modern physics that can be organized for high school students in our area. In particular, we found that this physical context can be useful for stimulating young students to use goniometric relations. Since trigonometry is a very important topic in mathematics, being always present in the written test for the final graduation exam, it is useful to show how it can be fruitfully used to tackle physical problems. The aim of this paper is to summarize our lecture on the TPE effect in the classroom, where we consider the case of a rod moving at high constant velocity, oriented with different angles with respect to the observer, and the case of a uniformly accelerated body (in the Newtonian approximation).
Remote physics teaching during the Covid-19 pandemic: losses and potential gains
Authors: Bjurholt Nikolai , Bøe Maria Vetleseter
Published: October 2022

The Covid-19 pandemic forced the world into unknown territories of closed schools and remote teaching, and gave teachers a range of new experiences with physics teaching. We studied these experiences by using survey responses from 85 upper secondary physics teachers in Norway. We found that home-school physics instruction was characterised by a considerably lower occurrence of oral activity, collaboration and practical work than instruction in a normal situation. This suggests that students had difficult conditions for learning physics concepts and training key scientific practices, and may consequently be at a disadvantage in higher education. However, many teachers described valuable experiences that they would bring with them into their regular teaching, including home experiments and oral assessments. Such innovations can potentially enrich physics education, given that teachers are supported with tailored learning and assessment resources, and arenas for sharing new approaches within the physics teaching community.
EM-FOR: simple and low-cost force on a straight current-carrying conductor in a magnetic field experimental kit
Authors: Jaafar Rosly , Mat Daud Anis Nazihah
Published: October 2022

In this study, we design and construct a low-cost experimental kit for the force on a straight current-carrying conductor in a magnetic field experiment, namely EM-FOR. The kit consists of several pairs of rectangular-shaped permanent magnets with different polarities facing each other on a U-shaped aluminium casing as the source of the magnetic field, a straight copper wire at the centre between the two magnets as the electrical conductor, conductor rings and connecting wires to connect conductor and electrical source, and an electronic balance to measure the magnitude and to determine the direction of the force on a straight current-carrying conductor in a magnetic field. The design of the EM-FOR experimental kit was validated by determining the magnitude and direction of the force on a straight current-carrying conductor in a magnetic field for normal and reverse connections to a power supply. The constructed kit can be utilized for three experiments: the effects of applied current, conductor length and electromagnetic field strength on the force on a straight current-carrying conductor in a magnetic field.
Wildfire activity is driving summertime air quality degradation across the western US: a model-based attribution to smoke source regions
Authors: Wilmot Taylor Y , Mallia Derek V , Hallar A Gannet , Lin John C
Published: October 2022

Over recent decades, wildfire activity across western North America has increased in concert with summertime air quality degradation in western US urban centers. Using a Lagrangian atmospheric modeling framework to simulate smoke transport for almost 20 years, we quantitatively link decadal scale air quality trends with regional wildfire activity. Modeled smoke concentrations correlate well with observed fine-mode aerosol (PM2.5) concentrations (R > 0.8) at the urban centers most impacted by smoke, supporting attribution of observed trends to wildfire sources. Many western US urban centers (23 of 33 total) exhibit statistically significant trends toward enhanced, wildfire-driven, extreme (98th quantile) air quality episodes during the months of August and September for the years 2003–2020. In the most extreme cases, trends in 98th quantile PM2.5 exceed 2 μg m−3 yr−1, with such large trends clustering in the Pacific Northwest and Northern/Central California. We find that the Pacific Northwest is uniquely impacted by smoke from wildfires in the mountainous Pacific Northwest, California, and British Columbia, leading to especially robust degradation of air quality. Summertime PM2.5 trends in California and the Intermountain West are largely explained by wildfires in mountainous California and the American Rockies, respectively. These results may inform regional scale forest management efforts, and they present significant implications for understanding the wildfire—air quality connection in the context of climate driven trends toward enhanced wildfire activity and subsequent human exposure to degraded air quality.
Explosive transitions in epidemic dynamics
Authors: Börner Georg , Schröder Malte , Scarselli Davide , Budanur Nazmi Burak , Hof Björn , Timme Marc
Published: October 2022

Standard epidemic models exhibit one continuous, second order phase transition to macroscopic outbreaks. However, interventions to control outbreaks may fundamentally alter epidemic dynamics. Here we reveal how such interventions modify the type of phase transition. In particular, we uncover three distinct types of explosive phase transitions for epidemic dynamics with capacity-limited interventions. Depending on the capacity limit, interventions may (i) leave the standard second order phase transition unchanged but exponentially suppress the probability of large outbreaks, (ii) induce a first-order discontinuous transition to macroscopic outbreaks, or (iii) cause a secondary explosive yet continuous third-order transition. These insights highlight inherent limitations in predicting and containing epidemic outbreaks. More generally our study offers a cornerstone example of a third-order explosive phase transition in complex systems.
34 RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SERUM CAROTENOID CONCENTRATIONS AND FRAILTY, PROBABLE SARCOPENIA, AND PHYSICAL FUNCTION IN THE IRISH LONGITUDINAL STUDY ON AGEING (TILDA)
Authors: Murphy C , Duggan E , Knight S , Davis J , Zuniga RG , Connolly E , Kenny RA , McCarthy S , Romero-Ortuno R
Published: October 2022

Background

Lutein and zeaxanthin are antioxidant and anti-inflammatory carotenoids derived from foods such as fruit and vegetables. Serum concentrations of Lutein (Ls) and Zeaxanthin (Zs) reflect habitual dietary intake. This study examined the cross-sectional and longitudinal relationships between Ls and Zs and frailty, probable sarcopenia, and indices of physical function in TILDA.

Methods

The cross-sectional analysis included n=4672 community-dwelling adults aged ≥50 years with Ls and Zs at Wave 1 (2010). For the longitudinal analyses, changes in usual gait speed (at Wave 3, 2014), grip strength (Wave 4, 2016) and Timed Up-and-Go (TUG; Wave 5, 2018), incident probable sarcopenia (defined as grip strength <27 kg in men, <16 kg in women, at Wave 4) and incident frailty (Fried, at Wave 5) were determined. Multivariable linear and logistic regression analyses were adjusted for age, sex, waist circumference, education, malnutrition, smoking, chronic disease, alcohol intake and physical activity.

Results

Cross-sectionally, Ls and Zs were positively associated with gait speed (B [95% CI] per 100-nmol/L higher concentration: Ls 0.67 [0.22, 1.12], Zs 1.3 [0.21, 2.48] cm/s) and inversely associated with TUG time (Ls –0.07 [-0.11, –0.02], Zs –0.14 [-0.25, –0.03] s) and with frailty (OR: Ls 0.61 [0.42, 0.87], Zs 0.23 [0.08, 0.68]), all p <0.05), but not with grip strength or probable sarcopenia. Longitudinally, Ls was inversely associated incident frailty (OR 0.85 [0.04, 0.84], p=0.03), whereas Zs was not (0.83 [0.56, 1.23], p=0.36). Neither Ls or Zs were related to changes in physical function measures or incident probable sarcopenia (p>0.05).

Conclusion

Cross-sectionally, lower Ls and Zs were independently associated with frailty, slower gait speed and worse TUG performance. However, Wave 1 Ls and Zs were not predictive of changes in these outcomes over 4-8 years of follow up, with the exception of Ls which was inversely associated with incident frailty after 8 years.
73 PREVALENCE OF SECONDARY HYPERPARATHYROIDISM BY VITAMIN D STATUS IN OLDER IRISH ADULTS
Authors: Fitzpatrick D , Laird E , Hoey L , Hughes C , McNulty H , Ward M , Strain JJ , Tracey F , Molloy A , Cunningham C , Carroll KM
Published: October 2022

Background

Secondary hyperparathyroidism commonly results from vitamin D deficiency and can lead to accelerated bone turnover and bone loss, especially at cortical sites like the hip. It can also attenuate the response to antiresorptive treatments used for osteoporosis. However, several factors may influence PTH response. We aimed to identify the prevalence of secondary hyperparathyroidism by categories of vitamin D status in older Irish adults attending a bone health clinic.

Methods

The study population consisted of older adults (aged over 60 years) attending a bone health clinic at a large hospital. Participants with a serum calcium >2.5 mmol/l and eGFR <30 ml/min were excluded to avoid cases of primary hyperparathyroidism or elevated serum PTH due to advanced renal disease. Hyperparathyroidism was defined as a serum PTH > 65 pg/ml. 25 hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) was measured with liquid chromatography mass spectroscopy.

Results

There were 800 cases identified, mean age 72.9 +/- 7.9 years, and 85.3% were female. The prevalence of secondary hyperparathyroidism by 25(OH)D categories were 28.1% (<30nmol/l), 17.4% (30-49.9 nmol/l) and 8.0% (50-74 nmol/l). Older age (P < 0.03) and lower eGFR (P = 0.01) were associated with hyperparathyroidism independent of vitamin D status.

Conclusion

Nearly one-third of patients who were vitamin D deficient (<30 nmol/L) and one-sixth who were insufficient (30-49.9 nmol/l) had hyperparathyroidism, similar to the results of other studies. However, hyperparathyroidism was also observed in 8% of those with 25(OH)D levels between 50 -74 nmol/l, suggesting that higher levels i.e. ≥ 75 nmol/l may be preferable in older adults. Lower eGFR and older age were also independently associated with higher PTH, consistent with previous research. Higher dietary and supplemental calcium intake is also known to suppress PTH response, though we were not able to account for this in our study.
92 CONTINUING TO ‘BE HIP’: ORTHOGERIATRIC SERVICE IMPROVEMENTS IN 2021
Authors: Thomas N , Stankard A , Cosgrave N , Conlon B , Monahan P , Halpin T , Britton D , Byrne P , McShane S , Sohail I , Grogan AM , Reilly A , Thapa A , Alsubaie N , Rane P , O'Connor J , Gray S , Kaja A , Gehani K , Kovalyshyn V , O'Brien H
Published: October 2022

Background

Scotland first demonstrated that adherence to nationally agreed hip fracture standards improve patient survival, reduces the duration of admission, and reduces the need for high dependency care. Our study aims to assess adherence to the Irish Hip Fracture Standards (IHFS) in our hospital for 2021 amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, translating to improved clinical outcomes for our patients.

Methods

The IHF database was retrospectively analysed, comparing quarters 1-4 in 2021 with our 2020 results.

Results

IHFS1, patient time to the ward < 4hours, was maintained at 67% in 2021 versus 71% overall in 2020. There was improvement in IHFS2, time to surgery within 48 hours, up to 73% in 2021 versus 66% in 2020. IHFS3 was 4% in 2021 versus 3% overall in 2020. Further improvements were noted for IHFS4, with 95% of patients reviewed by a Geriatrician in 2021 versus 87% in 2020. IHFS5 also improved with 97% of patients receiving a bone health assessment in 2021 versus 87% in 2020. Moreover, IHFS6, improved with 97% of patients undergoing a specialised falls assessment in 2021 versus 87% in 2020.

Conclusion

The improvement in 2021 figures is reflective of the return of redeployed services during the COVID-19 pandemic inclusive of the Orthogeriatric Service, the Fracture Liaison Service Advanced Nurse Practitioner, the Trauma Co-ordinator, and the specialist Orthopaedic ward complete with its Orthopaedic nurses and Multi-Disciplinary Team, and improved Emergency Department pathways. These continued improvements in the IHFS further emphasise that success is dependent on a team that is joined at the hip
120 COMPARING THE FUNCTIONAL INDEPENDENCE MEASURE AND THE BARTHEL INDEX FOR ASSESSMENT OF OLDER ADULTS
Authors: Alookaran S , Cannon E , Williams D , O'Donnell M , Harty E , Shovlin L , McDonagh E , Cawley T , Drumm B , Kelly A , Porter S
Published: October 2022

Background

Measuring and reporting health outcomes have become an essential component to the rehabilitation of older persons that can be often complicated by increasing frailty and medical complexity. The Integrated Care Team for Older Persons (ICTOP) is a multidisciplinary service offering domiciliary based interventions over a 4-6 week period for those aged over 65 years, with a Rockwood Clinical Frailty scale (CFS) of 3-6. The Barthel Index is currently used in the ICTOP Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA). It is an ordinal scale and measures activities of daily living performance. Functional Independence Measure (FIM) is used to assess and grade a person’s functional status. The FIM and Barthel Index are well recognised validated tools. The objective is to measure which outcome is more comprehensive and sensitive for the patient cohort over the 6-week intervention.

Methods

Ethical approval was received for the study. The participants were recruited over a 3 month period and met ICTOP inclusion criteria .The sample size was 20.The FIM and Barthel Index scores were documented and recorded on initial CGA, and on discharge.

Results

Participants were aged between 72-91 years with a mean age of 82 years, 55 % of participants were moderately frail, 15% mildly frail, 10% vulnerable and 20% managing well as per categorisation using the CFS. On paired t-test the Barthel Index and FIM scores showed similar responses in the cohort. However, the FIM score was more sensitive. These findings suggest that the FIM score had no statistical significance over the Barthel Index in evaluating change in this cohort of patients.

Conclusion

This study has provided valuable information which will impact future practice for the ICTOP Team. It afforded an opportunity to monitor the Team’s practice and explore the most effective measurement tool for this cohort of participants.
149 A PROFILE OF THE COMMUNICATION NEEDS OF NEW PATIENTS ATTENDING A MEMORY ASSESSMENT AND SUPPORT SERVICE
Authors: Kennelly S , Loye J , O'Reilly S , Wall E
Published: October 2022

Background

Communication is a key factor in maintaining quality of life and well-being. This is of core importance for people with dementia who experience changes to their communication abilities. The role of the Speech and Language Therapist working with people with dementia is well documented. Speech and Language Therapists support people with communication and swallowing disorders however in practice the focus is often on swallowing disorders with less emphasis on communication. The recommended allocation of Speech and Language Therapy (SLT) for a Memory and Support Service (MASS) is 0.5 Senior Speech and Language Therapist. A pilot SLT service was trialled in a MASS to identify the SLT service needs and the benefit of introducing SLT earlier for people with Dementia.

Methods

A retrospective caseload review was completed of ten patients seen by SLT as part of the MASS assessment. Communication profiles and SLT interventions were analysed.

Results

The majority of the ten patients reviewed self-reported communication and speech and language changes, such as word finding difficulties and difficulties understanding conversations. Patient's self-report often corresponded with formal assessment results. On formal assessment 30% of patients presented with slight cognitive-communicative changes and 30% of patients presented with slight-mild cognitive-communicative changes. 10% of patients presented with mild cognitive-communicative changes and 30% of patients presented with mild-moderate cognitive-communicative changes. SLT interventions included conversational strategies, language strategies, language tasks and conversation partner training. 50% of patients were referred to Primary Care SLT.

Conclusion

SLT interventions support patients’ cognitive-communication abilities in dementia. SLT within a MASS adds clinical value by supporting assessment and diagnosis of dementia and developing patients’ communication profiles to highlight communicative abilities. Furthermore, SLT input supports developing communication strategies for the patient and communication partner training. In summary these interventions support improved quality of life and well-being for the person with dementia and their family.
154 ANALYSIS OF ELIGIBILITY FOR THROMBOLYSIS IN ISCHAEMIC STROKE PRESENTATIONS IN A UNIVERSITY TEACHING HOSPITAL IN 2021
Authors: Healy C , Noone I , Meagher MK , Cassidy T
Published: October 2022

Background

Since the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) tissue-type Plasminogen Activator (tPA) trial was published in 1995, thrombolysis has been a mainstay of treatment for ischaemic stroke presenting within the appropriate age-adjusted timeframe, in the absence of contraindications. In the Irish National Audit of Stroke (INAS) National Report 2020, a nationwide thrombolysis rate of 10.6% (Range of 4-22%) was achieved. Aims: (1) This study was designed to compare this centre’s rate in 2021; (2) Identifying any missed potentially suitable presentations.

Methods

A retrospective chart review of 2021 stroke presentations in this centre was performed using medical admission notes and electronic emergency department records. Excluding haemorrhagic causes, we looked at the presenting National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), the presenting timeframe and any contraindications of thrombolysis therapy, in order to identify any potentially missed eligible presentations. We also compared the percentage of thrombolysed patients in this centre to the national average.

Results

Of the 425 stroke presentations, 74 (17.4%) were excluded as intra-cerebral haemorrhages. Of the remaining 351 presentations, 32 (9.1%) underwent thrombolysis therapy. 225 (64.1%) were not eligible for therapy due to a low or recovering NIHSS (score 0-4). A further 72 (20.5%) with a NIHSS>5, were outside of the window of thrombolysis therapy. Of the remaining presentations, 13 (3.7%) were unsuitable due to anticoagulation use. The final 9 presentations (2.6%) were unsuitable due to other contraindications (previous intracranial haemorrhage, baseline modified Rankin ≥ 4). 18 (5.1%) of non-thrombolysed presentations had no contraindications to thrombolysis therapy aside from late presentation (excluding wake-up events).

Conclusion

While this centre’s thrombolysis percentage is lower than the national average in 2020, a review of presentations suggests no eligible candidates were missed. Therefore, variations in thrombolysis rates across Irish hospitals may reflect case mix variations rather than decision variations.