bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Case Report on Spinal Cord Stimulation in an Atrophic Spinal Cord: What Exactly Are We Stimulating?
Authors: Kumar Sanjeev , Khoury Andrew , Searcy Sam
Published: October 2020

Introduction

We present a patient with paraplegia secondary to anterior spinal cord infarct below T6, with subsequent development of chronic low‐back and bilateral lower‐extremity neuropathic pain with an atrophic cord. In this patient with reduced spinal cord mass and modified neuroanatomy, spinal cord stimulation was surprisingly very effective.

Objectives

The primary objective of this report is to describe a case in which a patient benefited from spinal cord stimulator therapy in a way that is not explained by the traditionally accepted mechanism of action.

Methods

A spinal cord stimulator was implanted with two 16‐contact leads placed in series starting at the top of T6.

Results

He reported complete resolution of low‐back pain and about 50% resolution of bilateral lower‐extremity pain.

Conclusion

Traditionally accepted mechanisms of action of dorsal column stimulation and suppression of wide‐dynamic‐range neurons are unlikely to explain the relief obtained in our patient with an atrophic spinal cord. No single consensus has been reached on the primary mechanism through which spinal cord stimulation renders its therapeutic effects. Spinal cord stimulator therapy is promising, and the future direction of its study is discussed.
Kidney transplantation in low weight pediatric recipients from adult donors: The short‐ And the long‐term outcomes
Authors: Raza Syed , Alahmadi Ibrahim , Broering Dieter , Alherbish Adi , Ali Tariq
Published: October 2020

Pediatric patients with end‐stage renal disease wait longer for KT due to shortage of organs and ultra‐selection of donors so that they are age‐ and size‐matched. KT from adult donors is reported to be associated with technical difficulties, complications, and poorer graft survival. We aimed to determine the outcomes of low weight patients who received kidneys from adult donors through extraperitoneal approach. We perform around 40 pediatric transplants/year, mostly from adult donors. Patients were divided into the (LWC: weight < 15 kg) and (HWC: ≥15 kg). From January 2011 to June 2017, 213 patients received KT. KT procedures were performed through extraperitoneal approach. Mean age of recipients was 10 years (5 years and 12 years for LWC and HWC, respectively) and 32 years for donors. Mean weight of recipient was 26 kg (13 kg and 31 kg for LWC and HWC, respectively) and 70 kg for donors. Mean follow‐up was 5.5 years. Acute rejection occurred in 18% and delayed graft function in 5%. Three patients died during follow‐up. Graft survival at 1 year was 97% and 82% at 5 years. Length of stay (P = .57), surgical complications (P = .74), long‐term graft survival (P = .35), and GFR at 5 years (P = .59) were similar in both groups. This study shows that low weight pediatric patients can be transplanted from adult donors with low surgical complications and with favorable patient and graft survival. Extraperitoneal approach is feasible and safe in low weight recipients.
Le Pont de Londres: Interactions between monetary and prudential policies in cross‐border lending
Authors: Bussière Matthieu , Hills Robert , Lloyd Simon , Meunier Baptiste , Pedrono Justine , Reinhardt Dennis , Sowerbutts Rhiannon
Published: October 2020

Using two unique confidential datasets summarizing the cross‐border lending of banks in France and the UK, we examine whether recipient‐country prudential policies can help to reduce the spillover effects of euro‐area (EA) monetary policy. We address this question from a novel angle, focused on the role of international financial centres, by considering differences in bank size and location (lending from French headquarters vs. from French affiliates located in the UK). For small French banks that lack a presence in international financial centres, the response of direct cross‐border lending from France to EA monetary policy is partially offset by recipient‐country prudential policy. For larger banks, however, the offsetting effect applies only to lending that passes through foreign affiliates located in London. This suggests the existence of a “London Bridge”: banks adapt their flows to the UK conditional on EA monetary policy and global prudential policies; and from their UK affiliates to third‐party countries in a manner that depends on local prudential settings.
The evolution of traveling waves in a KPP reaction‐diffusion model with cut‐off reaction rate. I. Permanent form traveling waves
Authors: Tisbury Alex D. O. , Needham David J. , Tzella Alexandra
Published: October 2020

We consider Kolmogorov‐Petrovskii‐Piscounov (KPP) type models in the presence of a discontinuous cut‐off in reaction rate at concentration . In Part I, we examine permanent form traveling wave solutions (a companion paper, Part II, is devoted to their evolution in the large time limit). For each fixed cut‐off value , we prove the existence of a unique permanent form traveling wave with a continuous and monotone decreasing propagation speed . We extend previous asymptotic results in the limit of small and present new asymptotic results in the limit of large which are, respectively, obtained via the systematic use of matched and regular asymptotic expansions. The asymptotic results are confirmed against numerical results obtained for the particular case of a cut‐off Fisher reaction function.
Mapping psychotic‐like experiences: Results from an online survey
Authors: Kusztrits Isabella , Larøi Frank , Laloyaux Julien , Marquardt Lynn , Sinkeviciute Igne , Kjelby Eirik , Johnsen Erik , Sommer Iris E. , Hugdahl Kenneth , Hirnstein Marco
Published: October 2020

Suggestions have been made that psychotic‐like experiences (PLEs), such as hallucinatory and delusional experiences, exist on a continuum from healthy individuals to patients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia. We used the screening questions of the Questionnaire for Psychotic Experiences (QPE), an interview that captures the presence and phenomenology of various psychotic experiences separately, to assess PLEs in Norway. Based on data from an online survey in a sample of more than 1,400 participants, we demonstrated that the QPE screening questions show satisfactory psychometric properties. Participants with mental disorders reported more frequent lifetime and current hallucinatory experiences than participants without mental disorders. Childhood experiences were rather low and ranged from 0.7% to 5.2%. We further replicated findings that young age, illegal drug use, lower level of education, and having parents with a mental disorder are associated with higher endorsement rates of PLEs. Finally, a binomial regression revealed that the mere presence of PLEs does not discriminate between individuals with and without a mental disorder. Taken together, the findings of the present study support existing models that both hallucinations and delusions exist on a structural and phenomenological continuum. Moreover, we demonstrated that the QPE screening questions can be used by themselves as a complementary tool to the full QPE interview.
Exploitation of long‐lasting ultraweak photon emission to estimate skin photodamage after ultraviolet exposure
Authors: Gabe Yu , Murase Daiki , Kasamatsu Shinya , Osanai Osamu , Takahashi Yoshito , Hachiya Akira
Published: October 2020

Background

Establishing a noninvasive method to estimate skin damage immediately after ultraviolet (UV) exposure is required to minimize the anticipated severe symptoms triggered by early phase UV‐induced reactions in the skin. To develop a suitable method, we focused on ultraweak photon emission (UPE) immediately after UV exposure to characterize the relationship of UPE to skin photodamage caused by the UV exposure.

Materials and Methods

Analysis of the correlation between UV‐induced UPE and erythema formation characterized by skin redness was conducted in a clinical study. To clarify the source of UPE, time‐dependent lipid oxidation was analyzed in human epidermal keratinocytes in vitro using a fluorescence indicator as well as the lipid hydroperoxide (LPO) assay.

Results

The average amount of UV‐induced long‐lasting UPE per second, especially from 1 to 3 minutes compared to other time periods after the UV radiation, increased in a dose‐dependent manner and was highly correlated with the intensity of cutaneous redness 24 hours after UV exposure. In addition, cellular examinations elucidated that both the long‐lasting UPE signals and the increased amounts of LPO 2 minutes after UV radiation were significantly suppressed by Trolox (a vitamin E derivative), which has been shown to inhibit UV‐induced erythema formation in human skin.

Conclusion

Long‐lasting UPE generated between 1 and 3 minutes immediately after UV exposure, which is associated with LPO production, is a valuable indicator to estimate and/or avoid severe cutaneous photodamage.
Meaning and Definition: Scepticism and Semantics in Twelfth‐Century Arabic Philosophy
Authors: Benevich Fedor
Published: October 2020

The theory of essential definitions is a fundamental anti‐sceptic element of the Aristotelian‐Avicennian epistemology. In this theory, when we distinguish the genus and the specific differentia of a given essence we thereby acquire a scientific understanding of it. The aim of this article is to analyse systematically the sceptical reasons, arguments and conclusions against real definitions of three major authorities of twelfth‐century Arabic philosophy: Faḫr al‐Dīn al‐Rāzī, Šihāb al‐Dīn al‐Suhrawardī and Abū l‐Barakāt al‐Baġdādī. I focus on showing how their refutation of our capacity to provide essential definitions of things is rooted in their semantic theory: we only know things under certain descriptions which are identical to the meanings of the words that we use to refer to them, yet these descriptions do not capture the essences of things in themselves. The best result one can achieve with Aristotelian‐Avicennian scientific definitions is a “nominal definition”. With this, Rāzī, Suhrawardī and Abū l‐Barakāt will put some serious epistemic limitations on our capacity to attain scientific knowledge of things, at least as Aristotle and Avicenna would have it.
Roller Element Bearing Fault Size Estimation Using Adaptive Neurofuzzy Inference System
Authors: Patil Sushant M. , Desavale R. G. , Kumbhar Surajkumar G.
Published: October 2020

The vibration level is a function of the defects in the bearing. By identifying a change in vibration level, one can predict the dynamic behavior and fault in the rotor-bearing system. An imminent bearing fault detection can reduce downtime or avoid the failure of rotating machinery. The condition monitoring or maintenance schedule can be set well if the diagnosis estimate bearing fault size accurately. In view of this, the adaptive neurofuzzy inference system (ANFIS) and dimension analysis (DA) were utilized to detect the bearing fault size. Several experiments were performed at different rotating speeds on the rotor-bearing system. Localized defects were simulated on bearing races artificially using electrode discharge machining (EDM) and the vibration responses are acquainted by accelerometer and fast Fourier techniques (FFT). With a 0.1 mm error band to fix minor bugs, a two-performance indicator evaluated the model accuracy. A comparison of the performance of models with experimental results and artificial neural network (ANN) validated the potential of the present approach. The results showed that an ANFIS performs better over DA and ANN. This contributes to detecting bearing fault effectively and accuracy improvement in the estimation of the bearing fault size.
Research on Hybrid Energy Storage Configuration in Grid Wind Power Scheduling Tracking Under Statistics and Frequency Decomposition
Authors: Zhu Jian-hong , Pan Wen-xia , Gu Juping
Published: October 2020

The low accuracy of wind power scheduling influences the grid dispatch adversely, increasing the demand for spinning to reserve capacity and obstructing the grid frequency regulation. Considering the throughput characteristics of energy storage system, which can be used to compensate for wind farm power scheduling deviations, and smooth the grid power fluctuations, the hybrid energy storage (HES) is employed to enhance the dispatch ability of wind power generation. As one of the key techniques, desirable energy storage capacity configuration (ESCC) and control methods would accelerate the application of energy storage in the field of new resource. Combined with statistics and frequency decomposition of scheduling power deviation, HES capacity configuration and online dynamic power allocation method are proposed. First, by analysis of grid assessment indexes of wind power, scheduled wind power data are produced by improved adaptive error factor correction particle swarm optimization back-propagation neural network (AEFC-PSO-BPNN) prediction followed by wavelet packet smooth (WPS). After comparing with actual power, scheduling deviation statistics and frequency decomposition are applied in capacity and power configuration of energy storage, as well as dynamic power distribution control. With wind/storage simulation platform, then, feasibility of energy storage embedded in grid wind power scheduling deviation, regulation is verified under several combined methods, and the proposed ESCC methods are tested in application case by grid wind power indexes of root-mean-square error rate (RMSE), average volatility (AV), maximum throughout power and current (MTP, MTC), actual supercapacitor (SC), battery consumption capacity, and the number of crossings of state of charge (SOC) of HES. Finally, analyses and comparison of energy storage capacity requirements are carried out on different scheduling deviation control methods so as to explore the significant factors influencing capacity allocation. Applying these methods can improve the scheduling accuracy of grid wind power, reduce power fluctuations at the power common connected (PCC) point, and minimize the impact of accessed wind power to the grid as much as possible.
Pulsed Ultrasound Assisted Thermo-Therapy for Subsurface Tumor Ablation: A Numerical Investigation
Authors: Singh Gajendra , Paul Abhijit , Shekhar Himanshu , Paul Anup
Published: October 2020

High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) is a promising therapy for thermal ablation and hyperthermia, characterized by its non-invasiveness and high penetration depth. Effective HIFU thermo-therapy requires the ability to accurately predict temperature elevation and corresponding thermal dose distribution in target tissues. We report a parametric numerical study of the thermal response and corresponding of thermal dose in a soft tissue in response to ultrasound. We compared the predictions of tissue models with two, three, and seven layers, to ultrasound-induced heating at duty cycles ranging from 0.6 and 0.9. Further, two tumor sizes and transducer powers (10 W and 15 W) were considered. The inhomogeneous Helmholtz equation was coupled with the Pennes bio-heat equation to predict heating in response to pulsed ultrasound. Necrotic lesion size was calculated using the cumulative equivalent minute (CEM) thermal dose function. In-vitro experiments were performed with agar-based tissue phantoms as a preliminary validation of the numerical results. The simulations conducted with the seven-layered model predicted up to 33.5% lower peak pressure amplitude than the three-layered model. As the ultrasound pulse width decreased with the equivalent sonication time fixed, the corresponding magnitude of the peak temperature and the rate of temperature rise decreased. Pulsed ultrasound resulted in the increased volume of necrotic lesions for an equivalent time of sonication. The findings of this study highlight the dependence of HIFU-induced heating on target geometry and acoustic properties and could help guide the choice of suitable ultrasound exposure parameters for further studies.
Quantitative Analysis of Forced and Unforced Turbulent Multiphase Coaxial Jets
Authors: Forliti D. J. , Wegener J. , Min C. , Leyva I. A.
Published: October 2020

This study explores the structure of liquid/gas coaxial jets under forced and unforced conditions. The forcing is in the form of a transverse acoustic resonance within the confined space where the mixing occurs. The studied flows are relevant to combustion instabilities which involve an interaction between acoustic waves and reactant mixing. A variety of local and global signal processing methods were applied to digital flow visualization data to identify spatial and temporal features. The unforced case is in particular chaotic and influenced by a broad range of spatial and temporal phenomena. Proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) was able to extract flapping and convecting features, and spectral content of these behaviors is presented. The forced case results in organized structures that emerge above the background turbulence, including harmonics of the forcing frequency and nonlinear interactions between specific frequencies. The dynamic mode decomposition (DMD) performs the best in the forced case, clearly isolating all of these features. Wavelet analysis showed that forcing tended to reorganize energy from longer to shorter time scales. Bicoherence analysis of the data showed that the forcing causes a much different energy exchange in the outer and inner shear layers. The outer-to-inner jet coupling during forced conditions appears to be limited to an axial extent of about one to three inner jet diameters downstream of the jet exit. The recirculation zone between the inner and outer jet, extending about one inner jet diameter downstream, appears to disrupt the influence of forcing on the inner jet.
On the practical application of the impulse response measurement method with swept-sine signals in building acoustics
Authors: Müller-Trapet Markus
Published: October 2020

Impulse response (IR) measurement methods with deterministic signals have been used in various fields of acoustics for decades, yet there is still a hesitancy to apply them by some practitioners, especially in the building acoustics community. This hesitancy is also the topic of discussion in ASTM standards committees because IR methods are not allowed in ASTM standards. The criticism that prevents a more widespread adoption is that the description of IR methods in existing standards such as ISO 18233 is not sufficient to enable practitioners and equipment manufacturers to reliably implement them. Previous publications have described the theoretical background well, but they have not given sufficient guidance for the practical application with respect to the parameters of the measurement signal. To provide more guidance and show the practical advantages of IR measurement methods, this paper investigates the effects of the design parameters of swept-sine signals. Measurements in a reverberant chamber are used to highlight potential problems and appropriate solutions derived from a theoretical background. Suggestions for the design of measurement signals and for the post-processing of the measured data are provided to achieve optimal and reliable results. This contribution hopefully gives practitioners more confidence in applying the method in the future.
Portable Automated Rapid Testing (PART) for auditory assessment: Validation in a young adult normal-hearing population
Authors: Lelo de Larrea-Mancera E. Sebastian , Stavropoulos Trevor , Hoover Eric C. , Eddins David A. , Gallun Frederick J. , Seitz Aaron R.
Published: October 2020

This study aims to determine the degree to which Portable Automated Rapid Testing (PART), a freely available program running on a tablet computer, is capable of reproducing standard laboratory results. Undergraduate students were assigned to one of three within-subject conditions that examined repeatability of performance on a battery of psychoacoustical tests of temporal fine structure processing, spectro-temporal amplitude modulation, and targets in competition. The repeatability condition examined test/retest with the same system, the headphones condition examined the effects of varying headphones (passive and active noise-attenuating), and the noise condition examined repeatability in the presence of recorded cafeteria noise. In general, performance on the test battery showed high repeatability, even across manipulated conditions, and was similar to that reported in the literature. These data serve as validation that suprathreshold psychoacoustical tests can be made accessible to run on consumer-grade hardware and perform in less controlled settings. This dataset also provides a distribution of thresholds that can be used as a normative baseline against which auditory dysfunction can be identified in future work.
Effects of Unloaded Sprint and Heavy Sled Training on Sprint Performance in Physically Active Women
Authors: Pareja-Blanco Fernando , Sáez de Villarreal Eduardo , Bachero-Mena Beatriz , Mora-Custodio Ricardo , Asián-Clemente José Antonio , Loturco Irineu , Rodríguez-Rosell David
Published: October 2020

Purpose: This study aimed to compare the effects of unresisted versus heavy sled sprint training (0% vs 40% body mass [BM]) on sprint performance in women. Moreover, the effects of the aforementioned loads on resisted sprint and jump performance were analyzed. Methods: Twenty-eight physically active women were randomly allocated into 2 groups: unloaded sprint training group (G0%, n = 14), and resisted sprint training with 40% BM group (G40%, n = 14). Pretraining and posttraining assessments included countermovement jump, unloaded 30-m sprint, and 20-m sprint with 20%, 40%, 60%, and 80% BM. Times to cover 0 to 10 (T10), 0 to 20 (T20), 0 to 30 (T30), 10 to 20 (T10–20), 20 to 30 (T20–30), and 10 to 30 m (T10–30) were recorded. Both groups were trained once a week for 8 weeks and completed the same training program, but with different loads (0% vs 40% BM). Results: No significant time × group interactions were observed. For unloaded sprint performance, G0% showed significant (P = .027) decreases only in T10–20, while G40% attained significant decreases in T30 (P = .021), T10–30 (P = .015), and T20–30 (P = .003). Regarding resisted sprint performance, G0% showed significant (P = .010) improvements only for the 20% BM condition. The G40% group attained significant improvements in all loading conditions (20%, 40%, 60%, and 80% BM). Both groups showed significant improvements (P < .001) in countermovement jump height. Conclusions: In physically active women, no significant differences in sprint and countermovement jump performance were detected after 8 weeks of resisted and unresisted sprint training programs. Future studies should, therefore, be devoted to how sprint training should be individualized to maximize performance.
Genome-Wide Identification of Host-Segregating Single-Nucleotide Polymorphisms for Source Attribution of Clinical Campylobacter coli Isolates
Authors: Jehanne Quentin , Pascoe Ben , Bénéjat Lucie , Ducournau Astrid , Buissonnière Alice , Mourkas Evangelos , Mégraud Francis , Bessède Emilie , Sheppard Samuel K. , Lehours Philippe
Published: October 2020

Genome-wide and source attribution studies based on
Campylobacter
species have shown their importance for the understanding of foodborne infections. Although the use of multilocus sequence typing based on 7 genes from
C. jejuni
is a powerful method to structure populations, when applied to
C. coli
, results have not clearly demonstrated its robustness. Therefore, we aim to provide more accurate data based on the identification of single-nucleotide polymorphisms. Results from this study reveal an important number of host-segregating SNPs, found in proteins involved in motility, membrane functions, or DNA repair systems. These findings offer new, interesting opportunities for further study of
C. coli
adaptation to its environment. Additionally, the results demonstrate that poultry is potentially the main reservoir of
C. coli
in France.
Application, Verification, and Implementation of SARS-CoV-2 Serologic Assays with Emergency Use Authorization
Authors: Theel Elitza S. , Couturier Marc Roger , Filkins Laura , Palavecino Elizabeth , Mitchell Stephanie , Campbell Sheldon , Pentella Michael , Butler-Wu Susan , Jerke Kurt , Dharmarha Vaishali , McNult Peggy , Schuetz Audrey N.
Published: October 2020

Interest continues to grow regarding the role of serologic assays for the detection of prior infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted emergency use authorization (EUA) status to many SARS-CoV-2 serologic assays. In this document, expert recommendations from clinical microbiologist members of the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) concerning detailed verification strategies for SARS-CoV-2 serologic assays with FDA EUA are provided, as are insights into assay limitations and reporting considerations for laboratories.
Phylogenetic and Evolutionary Analysis Reveals the Recent Dominance of Ciprofloxacin-Resistant Shigella sonnei and Local Persistence of S. flexneri Clones in India
Authors: Muthuirulandi Sethuvel Dhiviya Prabaa , Mutreja Ankur , Pragasam Agila Kumari , Vasudevan Karthick , Murugan Dhivya , Anandan Shalini , Michael Joy Sarojini , Walia Kamini , Veeraraghavan Balaji
Published: October 2020

Shigellais the second leading cause of bacterial diarrhea worldwide. This has been categorized as a priority pathogen among enteric bacteria by the Global Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance System (GLASS) of the World Health Organization (WHO). Recently,S. sonneiseems to be replacingS. flexneriin low- and middle-income countries undergoing economic development. Antimicrobial resistance inS. flexneriandS. sonneiis a growing international concern, specifically with the international dominance of the multidrug-resistant (MDR) lineage. Genomic studies focusing onS. flexneriandS. sonneiin India remain largely unexplored. This study provides information on the introduction and expansion of drug-resistantShigellastrains in India for the first time by comparing the genome sequences ofS. flexneriandS. sonneiisolates from India with the publicly available genomes of global strains. The study discusses the key differences between the two dominant species ofShigellaat the genomic level to understand the evolutionary trends and genome dynamics of emerging and existing resistance clones. The present work demonstrates evidence for the long-term persistence of all PGs ofS. flexneriand the recent dominance of a ciprofloxacin-resistantS. sonneilineage in India.
Silent operating theatre optimisation system for positive impact on surgical staff-members' stress, exhaustion, activity and concentration in urological da Vinci surgeries
Authors: Meyer-Lamp Imke , Boos Margarete , Schugmann Lisa S , Leitsmann Conrad , Trojan Lutz , Friedrich Martin G
Published: October 2020

Background

Noise in the operating room (OR) is a stressor with far-reaching negative consequences. The Silent Operating Theatre Optimisation System (SOTOS) suppresses the noise level in the OR and improves the communication of the OR-staff. This study investigates whether SOTOS has a positive impact on the OR-staff’s perceived stress, exhaustion, activity and concentration.

Methods

Data were collected in a quasi-experimental study design of 32 radical prostatectomies using the da Vinci robotic-assisted system. Sixteen randomly chosen surgeries were carried out with SOTOS and 16 without. A total of 34 OR-staff-members took part, each 32 surgeries involving five planned OR-staff-members. Two points of measurement, before and after each surgery, were carried out, with a final sample of n=143 repeated measurements data. Before and after surgery, OR-staff-members completed a concentration test and a questionnaire concerning their perceived stress, exhaustion and activity levels.

Results

The OR-staff felt significantly less stressed, less exhausted and more active during and after surgery when operating with SOTOS. Especially the primary surgeons, assisting surgeons and circulating nurses profited from SOTOS. SOTOS did not reveal a significant impact on the OR-staff’s concentration in this study.

Conclusion

For urological surgeries using the da Vinci system SOTOS constitutes a technical resource which significantly reduces perceived noise stress and exhaustion and improves the activity of primary surgeons, assisting surgeons and circulating nurses. These efficiencies likely lead to positive changes in their health and job satisfaction and are hence beneficial to the patient safety and hospital resources.
No-biopsy pathway following the interim BSG guidance reliably diagnoses adult coeliac disease
Authors: Johnston Richard David , Chan Ying Jenny , Mubashar Tayyib , Bailey Joseph Robert , Paul Siba Prosad
Published: October 2020

Recent interim guidance from the British Society of Gastroenterology, aligned to historical paediatric practice, advises a no-biopsy protocol (NBP) for adults with high anti-tissue transglutaminase (tTG-IgA) titres and other clinical factors. A 7-year retrospective review identified 433 patients with positive tTG-IgA. Of these 433, 98 (23%) fulfilled the high titre criteria for an NBP which may have reduced endoscopic burden on the service. A high titre versus low titre translated in a 95% versus 75% histological confirmation of coeliac disease (p<0.01). The addition of anti-endomysial antibody analyses impacted minimally on these predictive rates. Our data support an NBP approach for selected patients. Of concern, however, was the finding that a third of patients with positive titres were not referred for a biopsy despite national guidance at the time advocating it. A clear message needs to be transmitted that the NBP is only for those with high titre, as opposed to any tTG-IgA positivity.
Evaluating the spread of costoclavicular brachial plexus block: an anatomical study
Authors: Koyyalamudi Veerandra , Langley Natalie R , Harbell Monica W , Kraus Molly B , Craner Ryan C , Seamans David P
Published: October 2020

Background and objectives

The costoclavicular brachial plexus block is performed deep and posterior to the midpoint of the clavicle. There are limited data evaluating the spread of the costoclavicular brachial plexus block. We performed a cadaveric study to evaluate the spread of injectate after a costoclavicular brachial plexus block.

Methods

Five ultrasound-guided costoclavicular block injections were performed with 20 mL of 0.1% methylene blue. The brachial plexus and its branches were dissected from the level of C4 to the lower axilla. The extent of dye spread was recorded including spread to the phrenic nerve, suprascapular nerve, roots, trunks, divisions, cords and terminal branches of the brachial plexus.

Results

The dye extended cephalad to the level of the cricoid cartilage in two of the five injections; three injections had dye extending 0.75 cm, 1.5 cm and 2 cm caudad to the level of the cricoid cartilage, respectively. The C7, C8 and T1 nerve roots were stained in all injections. The dye did not extend cephalad to the C5 and C6 nerve roots. All trunks, cords and divisions of the brachial plexus were stained, as was the suprascapular nerve. There was no spread of dye to the phrenic nerve in any of the specimens.

Conclusions

This cadaveric study demonstrates that ultrasound-guided injection in the costoclavicular space spreads cephalad to the brachial plexus in the supraclavicular space, consistently reaching the suprascapular nerve and all trunks and cords of the brachial plexus, while sparing the phrenic nerve.
Electromagnetic fields and directed flow in large and small colliding systems at ultrarelativistic energies
Authors: Oliva Lucia
Published: October 2020

The hot and dense QCD matter produced in nuclear collisions at ultrarelativistic energy is characterized by very intense electromagnetic fields which attain their maximal strength in the early pre-equilibrium stage and interplay with the strong vorticity induced in the plasma by the large angular momentum of the colliding system. A promising observable keeping trace of these phenomena is the directed flow of light hadrons and heavy mesons produced in symmetric and asymmetric heavy-ion collisions as well as in proton-induced reactions. In particular, the splitting of the directed flow between particles with the same mass but opposite electric charge as a function of rapidity and transverse momentum gives access to the electromagnetic response of medium in all collision stages and in the different colliding systems. The highest influence of the electromagnetic fields is envisaged in the pre-equilibrium stage of the collision and therefore a significant imprint is left on the early-produced heavy quarks. The aim of this review is to discuss the current developments towards the understanding of the generation and relaxation time of the electromagnetic fields embedded in both large and small systems and their impact on the charge-odd directed flow of light and heavy particles, highlighting the experimental results and the different theoretical approaches. Since it is possible to perform realistic simulations of high-energy collisions that incorporate also the generated electromagnetic fields and vorticity, the study of the directed flow can provide unique insight into the early nonequilibrium phase and the ensuing QGP formation and transport properties.
Entanglement of formation and quantum discord in multipartite j-spin coherent states
Authors: Baba H. , Kaydi W. , Daoud M. , Mansour M.
Published: October 2020

We study the entanglement of formation and the quantum discord contained in even and odd multipartite [Formula: see text]-spin coherent states. The key element of this investigation is the fact that a single [Formula: see text]-spin coherent state is viewed as comprising [Formula: see text] qubit states. We compute the quantum correlations present in the n even and odd [Formula: see text]-spin coherent states by considering all possible bipartite splits of the multipartite system. We discuss the different bi-partition schemes of quantum systems and we examine in detail the conservation rules governing the distribution of quantum correlations between the different qubits of the multipartite system. Finally, we derive the explicit expressions of quantum correlations present in even and odd spin coherent states decomposed in four spin sub-systems. We also analyze the properties of monogamy and we show in particular that the entanglement of the formation and the quantum discord obey the relation of monogamy only for even multipartite [Formula: see text]-spin coherent states.
Examination of phenomenological formulae in superdeformed bands of A ∼ 190,150 mass regions
Authors: Karday Monica , Dadwal Anshul , Mittal H. M.
Published: October 2020

The rotational energy formulae viz. VMI model, ab-formula, Harris [Formula: see text] expansion, Exponential model with pairing attenuation and Nuclear softness formula are employed to the superdeformed bands of [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] mass regions in order to test the validity of various rotational energy formulae in describing the general nature of superdeformed bands. These formulae are used to deduce the band-head spins of the nine superdeformed bands in [Formula: see text] mass region and two superdeformed bands of [Formula: see text] mass region. The band-head spins of these superdeformed bands have been established experimentally and hence they prove to be excellent candidates to examine the adequacy of rotational energy formulae in superdeformed bands. The least-squares fitting of [Formula: see text]-transition energies is performed to calculate the model parameters such as the band-head moment of inertia, the effective pairing gap parameter and the softness parameter, and a careful analysis of these parameters is made. For the first time, we have performed a systematic study of the rotational energy formulae to establish which formula gives the best estimate of spin in [Formula: see text] mass regions.
Sharp exponential decay for solutions of the stationary perturbed Dirac equation
Authors: Cassano Biagio
Published: October 2020

We determine the largest rate of exponential decay at infinity for non-trivial solutions to the Dirac equation [Formula: see text] being [Formula: see text] the massless Dirac operator in dimension [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] a (possibly non-Hermitian) matrix-valued perturbation such that [Formula: see text] at infinity, for [Formula: see text]. Also, we show that our results are sharp for [Formula: see text], providing explicit examples of solutions that have the prescripted decay, in presence of a potential with the related behavior at infinity. As a consequence, we investigate the exponential decay at infinity for the eigenfunctions of the perturbed massive Dirac operator, and determine the sharpest possible decay in the case that [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text].
On parafermion vertex algebras of 𝔰𝔩(2) and 𝔰𝔩(3) at level −3 2
Authors: Adamović Dražen , Milas Antun , Wang Qing
Published: October 2020

We study parafermion vertex algebras [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]. Using the isomorphism between [Formula: see text] and the logarithmic vertex algebra [Formula: see text] from [D. Adamović, A realization of certain modules for the [Formula: see text] superconformal algebra and the affine Lie algebra [Formula: see text], Transform. Groups 21(2) (2016) 299–327], we show that these parafermion vertex algebras are infinite direct sums of irreducible modules for the Zamolodchikov algebra [Formula: see text] of central charge [Formula: see text], and that [Formula: see text] is a direct sum of irreducible [Formula: see text]-modules. As a byproduct, we prove certain conjectures about the vertex algebra [Formula: see text]. We also obtain a vertex-algebraic proof of the irreducibility of a family of [Formula: see text] modules at [Formula: see text].
Finite free convolutions via Weingarten calculus
Authors: Campbell Jacob , Yin Zhi
Published: October 2020

We consider the three finite free convolutions for polynomials studied in a recent paper by Marcus, Spielman and Srivastava. Each can be described either by direct explicit formulae or in terms of operations on randomly rotated matrices. We present an alternate approach to the equivalence between these descriptions, based on combinatorial Weingarten methods for integration over the unitary and orthogonal groups. A key aspect of our approach is to identify a certain quadrature property, which is satisfied by some important series of subgroups of the unitary groups (including the groups of unitary, orthogonal, and signed permutation matrices), and which yields the desired convolution formulae.
Application of spatial distribution patterns of multi-elements in geochemical maps for provenance and transfer process of marine sediments in Kyushu, western Japan
Authors: Ohta Atsuyuki , Imai Noboru , Tachibana Yoshiko , Ikehara Ken
Published: October 2020

We investigated the origin of marine sediments and their transfer by water currents using the spatial distribution patterns of multi-elements in terrestrial and marine areas of Kyushu, western Japan. Quaternary volcanic material covers Cretaceous granitic rock and Jurassic–Paleogene sedimentary rock of an accretionary complex in this region. Cluster analysis based on chemical compositions identified the origin of marine sediments from stream sediments originating from the above lithologies. Pyroclastic-flow deposits associated with caldera formation, particularly that of the Kikai Caldera (7.3 ka), were characterized by low Cr/Ti and La/Yb ratios. In contrast, the La/Yb ratio was very high in sediments derived from granitic rock and sedimentary rock of the accretionary complex. The spatial distributions of low Cr/Ti and La/Yb ratios suggest that marine sediments containing pyroclastic materials, which are found within an 80 km radius of the Kikai Caldera, were distributed on the shelf and transported northeastwards by a branch of the Kuroshio Current. The continuous distribution of the medium Cr/Ti and high La/Yb ratios from the land to the coast, slope and deep basin on the Pacific Ocean side suggests that sediments supplied from the terrestrial area were transferred by gravitational transport from the shelf to the deep basin.
PtNi Nanoparticles Loading on Sandwich-Like Hybrid Nanocarbon Support for Methanol Oxidation
Authors: Yang Xiao , Zou Yan , Lu Lin , Wang Huiqi , Zhang Feifei , Wang Zonghua
Published: October 2020

A novel electrocatalyst, PtNi-graphene/carbon dots/graphene (PtNi/GCG), for methanol oxidation was prepared onto the glassy carbon electrode (GCE). The GCG hybrid nanocarbon support with sandwich-structure was dried onto GCE surface. Then, PtNi bimetallic nanoparticles were modified loaded on the GCG hybrid nanocarbon support via electrodeposition to obtain PtNi/GCG electrocatalyst. The as-prepared PtNi/GCG electrocatalyst was characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) equipped with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and electrochemical analysis. The structure of PtNi/GCG shows that the PtNi nanoparticles were dispersed between the layered graphene. From electrochemical analysis, compared with Pt and PtNi/graphene catalysts, the as-prepared PtNi/GCG in this work has much better electrocatalytic properities towards methanol oxidation and shows better stability. The sandwich-structured electrocatalyst showed improved performance towards the methanol oxidation. The reason can be attributed to the synergistic effect between metals and the introduction of carbon dots between graphene layers. What’s more, carbon dots loading onto graphene layers effectively, which not only can increase the electrical conductivity, make available more active sites and reactive surface area, but also can enhance the dispersion of PtNi nanoparticles in the composite catalyst.
Synchronous Analysis for Fuzzy Coupled Neural Networks with Column Pinning Controllers
Authors: Gong Dawei , Song Shijie , Lopez Michel , Sanchez Edgar N.
Published: October 2020

The synchronous research for fuzzy coupled neural networks (FCNNs) is studied by a new strategy of column pinning controllers. In this paper, the Lyapunov Krasovskii functional (LKF) is taken as an important element for the pinning control laws. The networks are interconnected by coupling gains that define a physical interaction graph. Different from the preset technique in traditional intermittent control, a novel additional communication control graphs of pinning control law are introduced, which has not been investigated before. The proposed control laws can achieve the control objectives of being introduced as an array of vector with Kronecker produce operation. Under the proposed framework of intermittent control, numerical simulations via MATLAB are used to confirm the availability of the suggested control laws.
Robotic 3D Vision-Guided System for Half-Sheep Cutting Robot
Authors: Mu Shuai , Qin Haibo , Wei Jia , Wen Qingkang , Liu Sihan , Wang Shucai , Xu Shengyong
Published: October 2020

Sheep body segmentation robot can improve production hygiene, product quality, and cutting accuracy, which is a huge change for traditional manual segmentation. With reference to the New Zealand sheep body segmentation specification, a vision system for Cartesian coordinate robot cutting half-sheep was developed and tested. The workflow of the vision system was designed and the image acquisition device with an Azure Kinect sensor was developed. Furthermore, a LabVIEW software with the image processing algorithm was then integrated with the RGBD image acquisition device in order to construct an automatic vision system. Based on Deeplab v3+ networks, an image processing system for locating ribs and spine was employed. Taking advantage of the location characteristics of ribs and spine in the split half-sheep, a calculation method of cutting line based on the key points is designed to determine five cutting curves. The seven key points are located by convex points of ribs and spine and the root of hind leg. Using the conversion relation between depth image and the space coordinates, the 3D coordinates of the curves were computed. Finally, the kinematics equation of the rectangular coordinate robot arm is established, and the 3D coordinates of the curves are converted into the corresponding motion parameters of the robot arm. The experimental results indicated that the automatic vision system had a success rate of 98.4% in the cutting curves location, 4.2 s time consumption per half-sheep, and approximately 1.3 mm location error. The positioning accuracy and speed of the vision system can meet the requirements of the sheep cutting production line. The vision system shows that there is potential to automate even the most challenging processing operations currently carried out manually by human operators.
Antimicrobial Resistance among Community-Acquired Uropathogens in Mashhad, Iran
Authors: Vakilzadeh Mohammad Moein , Heidari Amirhossein , Mehri Ali , Shirazinia Matin , Sheybani Fereshte , Aryan Ehsan , Naderi HamidReza , Najaf Najafi Mona , Varzandeh Marjan
Published: October 2020

Background. Antimicrobial resistance among community-acquired uropathogens is an emerging concern over the past decades that warrants a continuing reevaluation of the appropriateness of recommended empiric antimicrobial regimens for treatment of urinary tract infections (UTIs). Aims. To describe the microbial spectrum and resistance profile of community-acquired uropathogens and predictors of isolation of resistant strains. Methods. Between October 2017 and June 2019, individuals who visited the outpatient clinics for diagnosis of UTIs or screening of asymptomatic bacteriuria were included in the study if they were tested for urine culture in one of the three main medical diagnostic laboratories of Mashhad, Iran. The standard disk diffusion antimicrobial susceptibility testing was used, with the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) threshold cutoffs for susceptibility of isolated uropathogens. Results. Three hundred thirty cases were included with a median age of 47 years. Two hundred seventy-six (83.6%) were female. The most common isolated uropathogens were Escherichia coli in 201 (60.9%) cases and Klebsiella species in 46 (13.9%) cases. E. coli isolates showed the highest rates of susceptibility to nitrofurantoin (89.3%), cefixime (75%), and gentamicin (72.4%). Exposure to antibiotics in the past 3 months was a predictor of resistance to ciprofloxacin (OR: 2.8, 95% CI: 1.33–6.28), and older age was a predictor of resistance to TMP-SMX (OR: 2.1, 95% CI: 1.07–3.97) among E. coli isolates. Conclusion. E. coli and Klebsiella species accounted for about two-thirds of community-acquired uropathogens. In regard to the high susceptibility rates, nitrofurantoin was identified as the first-choice agent for empiric treatment of community-acquired cystitis, while cefixime and gentamicin might be the second-choice alternatives. Ciprofloxacin and TMP-SMX, on the other hand, cannot be considered appropriate agents for empiric therapy of community-acquired UTIs, particularly in those who had exposure to antibiotics in the past 3 months and the elderly.