bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Krankheitskosten chronisch entzündlicher Darmerkrankungen in Deutschland
Authors: Schnorbach Marie-Therese , Kruis Wolfgang
Published: September 2020

Einleitung Die Prävalenz chronisch entzündlicher Darmerkrankungen (CED) ist steigend. Aufgrund eines Krankheitsbeginns in jungen Jahren spielen direkte, aber auch indirekte Kosten eine große Rolle. Die vorliegende Arbeit gibt eine Übersicht über die in der Literatur veröffentlichten Krankheitskosten für CED in Deutschland bezogen auf das Jahr 2018.

Material und Methodik Nach systematischer Literaturrecherche wurden Kosten für CED in Deutschland aus deutsch- und englischsprachiger Literatur extrahiert, vergleichbar gemacht sowie Studiengüte und Relevanz bewertet.

Ergebnis Die durchschnittlichen monatlichen ambulanten Kosten für CED in Deutschland liegen zwischen 18 und 87 Euro/PatIn/30 Tage; die stationären Kosten zwischen 1026 und 9083 Euro/Fall. Je nach Berechnung verursachen Biologika unterschiedlich hohe Kostenanteile. Bezogen auf die Studien, liegen die monatlichen direkten medizinischen Kosten zwischen 82 und 618 Euro/PatIn/30 Tage, die direkten nichtmedizinischen zwischen 63 und 84 Euro/PatIn/30 Tage und die indirekten Kosten zwischen 463 und 3493 Euro/PatIn/30 Tage. Die Gesamtkosten betragen 533 Euro/PatIn/30 Tage, bezogen auf ein Jahr 6485 Euro/PatIn.

Schlussfolgerung Erstmals konnten bereits existierende Kostendaten für CED in Deutschland vergleichbar gemacht werden. Dabei sind die Studien sehr heterogen in Methodik und Kollektiven. Davon abhängig liegen die Gesamtkosten um 6485 Euro/PatIn/Jahr.
Bony Orbital Decompression in Patients with High Myopia and Pseudoexophthalmos
Authors: Daser Anke , Mattheis Stefan , Stähr Kerstin , Lang Stephan , Bechrakis Nikolaos E. , Dekowski Dirk , Eckstein Anja
Published: September 2020

Introduction High myopic eyes grow in length (> 0.35 mm/dpt) more than in height and width leading to a disturbing unilateral exophthalmos in patients with anisomyopia and – more rarely – a bilateral exophthalmos in high myopia affecting both eyes. Secondary consequences are sicca symptoms and painful eye mobility due to a large bulbus in a too small bony orbit. The aim of the work was to evaluate the effectiveness of bony orbital compression in cases of high myopia.

Material and Methods Four patients underwent bony orbital decompression between the years 2012 and 2019. Two of the patients received lateral and two of them balanced (medial endonasal endoscopic and lateral) decompression. The decompression effect, complications and the influence of decompression on eye position and motility were evaluated.

Results Significant decompression effect was achieved in all patients. As a result, symmetry was restored in all unilaterally affected patients. No complications occurred. The lateral decompression had a positive effect on the preexisting convergent strabismus (reduction of the “eso” position, neutral to the vertical deviation). The carefully dosed medial decompression did not lead to any change of the horizontal position in one patient and in the other exotropic patient it resulted in a 10 pdpt of “exo” reduction without developing an “eso” position.

Discussion The bony orbital decompression provides a sufficient decompression effect in the four patients to reduce the myopic pseudoexophthalmos. The alignment anomalies associated with a high myopia (“heavy eye”) was favourably influenced by the lateral decompression.
Regioselective Biomimetic Synthesis of Dimeric Oxyresveratrol Derivatives
Authors: Li Wenling , Ran Lu , Li Hongpeng , Chao Ge , Kang Xiaodong , Lei Tian
Published: September 2020

Oxyresveratrol and its methylated derivative as coupling precursors were efficiently prepared in four steps, with Wittig reactions and subsequent isomerization reactions as the key steps. The coupling reactions of oxyresveratrol under various oxidative conditions gave a complex and inseparable mixture of coupling products. The oxidative dimerizations of methylated oxyresveratrols catalyzed by horseradish peroxidase–H2O2 or FeCl3·6H2O in an acetone system predominantly produced the 8–5-coupled and 8–10-coupled dihydrobenzofuran-type dimers, respectively. This regioselective biomimetic strategy might be useful in synthesizing other dimeric oxyresveratrol derivatives.
Epoxidation of Alkenes with Molecular Oxygen as the Oxidant in the Presence of Nano-Al2O3
Authors: Qi Chaorong , Hu Jianqiang , Zhou Xuan , Wang Qiong , Xiong Wenfang , Wang Lu , Ye Rongkai , Xiang Ge
Published: September 2020

The nano-Al2O3-promoted epoxidation of alkenes with molecular oxygen as the oxidant has been developed, providing an efficient route to a variety of epoxides in moderate to excellent yields. The environmentally friendly and efficient nano-Al2O3 catalyst could be easily recovered and reused five times without significant loss of activity.
Changes in Incidence and Management of Acute Appendicitis in Children—A Population-Based Study in the Period 2000–2015
Authors: Hansen Grith Laerkholm , Kleif Jakob , Jakobsen Christian , Paerregaard Anders
Published: September 2020

Introduction Recent studies suggest that the epidemiology and management of appendicitis have changed during the last decades. The purpose of this population-based study was to examine this in the pediatric population in Denmark.

Materials and Methods Data were retrieved from the Danish National Patient Registry, the Danish Civil Registration System, and the Statbank Denmark. Patients aged 0 to 17 years diagnosed with appendicitis and appendectomized during the period 2000 to 2015 were included. The primary outcome was the annual incidences of appendicitis. Secondary outcomes were the annual percent of patients with appendicitis having a laparoscopic appendectomy, delay from admission to surgery, length of postoperative hospital stay, and 30-day postoperative mortality.

Results A total of 24,046 pediatric cases of appendicitis were identified. The annual incidence steadily declined until 2008 (–29%, all ages) and then remained stable. The surgical approach of choice changed from being open appendectomy in 2000 (97%) to laparoscopic appendectomy in 2015 (94%). Simultaneously, the duration of postoperative hospital stay declined from 41 hours (median) to 17 hours. Delay from admission until surgery did not change during the period. Only one child died within the 30-day postoperative period.

Conclusion In accordance with other recent studies from Western countries, we found significant changes in the incidence of acute appendicitis including a decline in all age groups except those below 5 years of age, a shift toward laparoscopic appendectomy, and decreasing time spent in the hospital during the years 2000 to 2015.
The Diagnostic Yield and Cost of Radiologic Imaging for Urgent and Emergent Ocular Conditions in an Eye Emergency Room
Authors: Deaner Jordan D. , Meeker Austin R. , Ozzello Daniel J. , Swaminathan Vishal , Amarasekera Dilru C. , Zhang Qiang , Hamershock Rose A. , Sergott Robert C.
Published: September 2020

Objective The aim of this study is to assess the diagnostic yield and economic cost of radiologic imaging for urgent and emergent ophthalmic conditions in an emergency room (ER) setting

Design Retrospective, consecutive case series.

Methods Charts of all patients who underwent radiologic imaging in a dedicated eye ER over a single year were reviewed. Data collected included age, patient reported chief complaint, visual acuity, principal examination finding, indication for imaging, imaging modalities performed, and the current procedural terminology (CPT) codes billed for the imaging performed. Imaging results were classified into three groups with binary outcomes: normal or abnormal; significant if it led to a change in patient management, and relevant if the imaging findings were related to the chief complaint or principal examination finding. Imaging costs were calculated using the billed CPT codes.

Results A total of 14,961 patients were evaluated during the 1-year study and 1,371 (9.2%) patients underwent imaging. Of these, 521 patients (38.0%) had significant findings. A majority of this group had significant and relevant findings (469, 34.2% of total). Subgroup analysis was performed based upon patient chief complaint, principal examination finding, and indication for imaging. Overall, the total cost of imaging was $656,078.34 with an average cost of $478.54 per patient.

Conclusion Imaging for urgent and emergent ophthalmic conditions in an eye ER resulted in significant management changes in 38.0% of patients. Radiographic imaging contributes to healthcare expenditures; however, these costs must be weighed against the substantial costs of delayed and misdiagnoses, especially when patients present with acute ophthalmological symptoms.
A Novel Grip-Type Microsurgical Needle Holder: Introduction and Electromyographic Evaluation
Authors: Yasunaga Yoshichika , Yanagisawa Daisuke , Ohata Erika , Yuzuriha Shunsuke , Kondoh Shoji , Matsuo Kiyoshi
Published: September 2020

Background We have newly developed a novel “grip-type” gun-shaped microsurgical needle holder that requires only finger twisting between the thumb and index finger for needle advancement. This study aimed to objectively assess whether this grip-type needle holder could reduce forearm muscle movement during microsurgical suturing as compared with a conventional pen-type needle holder by means of surface electromyography (sEMG).

Methods Extensor carpi ulnaris (ECU) muscle and flexor carpi ulnaris muscle (FCU) sEMG measurements were taken during needle advancement in a microvascular anastomosis model for calculation of root mean square (RMS) values. The summed ECU and FCU RMS values were employed as indicators of forearm muscle movement and compared between the pen-type and grip-type instruments. Analyses of eight subjects and suturing in five directions by one subject were conducted.

Results The summed ECU and FCU RMS values of the grip-type holder were significantly smaller than those of the pen-type holder in comparisons of eight subjects (p < 0.05). Similarly, the summed RMS values of the grip-type holder in each of the five suturing directions were remarkably lower than those of the pen-type holder.

Conclusion The grip-type needle holder could significantly reduce forearm muscle movement as compared with a conventional pen-type holder based on objective sEMG measurements. The grip-type device appears more ideally suited for delicate microsurgical suturing, such as lymphaticovenular anastomosis or finger replantation, since the reduced forearm movement may mitigate the risk of coarse motion and hand shaking.
Imaging Findings of Septooptic Dysplasia and Joubert's Syndrome in A Patient with Mixed Gonadal Dysgenesis: A New Coexistence?
Authors: Keçeli Merter
Published: September 2020

Ambiguous genitalia is a common feature in most disorders of sexual development. These disorders can be evaluated within three groups: sex chromosome disorders, 46,XY disorders, and 46,XX disorders. Except for Turner's syndrome, these anomalies are not related to neurological developmental anomalies. A 6-month-old patient presenting with ambiguous genitalia had developmental and motor retardation with nystagmus. In karyotype analysis, 45,X/46,XY sequences were found, compatible with mixed gonadal dysgenesis (GD). Laboratory findings were normal except for low serum total testosterone level. The uterus and left adnexal structures were seen in imaging. There were no gonads in the labial/scrotal regions. Septooptic dysplasia (SOD) and Joubert's syndrome (JS) were detected in cranial magnetic resonance imaging. This presentation reports rare association of SOD and JS in a child with mixed GD.
Pediatric Metronidazole-Induced Encephalopathy: A Case Report and Review of the Literature
Authors: Cappellari Alberto M. , Rossetti Donata , Avignone Sabrina , Scola Elisa , Di Cesare Antonio
Published: September 2020

Metronidazole-induced encephalopathy is a rare toxic encephalopathy secondary to the common use to this antimicrobial drug. It has been reported mainly in adult patients but only rarely in children. Owing to possible devastating complication of this disease, clinicians should have a higher index of suspicion for encephalopathic patients on metronidazole therapy. Here, we report a 5-month-old infant with metronidazole-induced encephalopathy presenting with nonconvulsive status epilepticus. A review of the literature in pediatric, as well as adult metronidazole-induced encephalopathy, is also provided.
Assessing the Systemic Effects of Two Different Doses of Intra-Articular Triamcinolone Acetonide in Healthy Dogs
Authors: Gamble Lauri-Jo , Boesch Jordyn M. , Wakshlag Joseph J. , Frye Christopher W.
Published: September 2020

Objective Osteoarthritis is a common cause of pain and dysfunction in dogs. Intra-articular (IA) corticosteroids have been used to treat human and animal osteoarthritis; however, their systemic effects have not been well documented in dogs. Therefore, our objective is to determine if a single IA triamcinolone acetonide (TA) injection, at two different doses, suppresses the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis, induces alkaline phosphatase (ALP), or causes other clinicopathological abnormalities in dogs.

Study Design Six healthy female intact adult mongrel dogs from a research colony. For phase one, dogs were randomly assigned to injection of 0.25 mg/kg TA into the right (n = 3) or left (n = 3) stifle. Haematology, liver-related biochemistry and adrenocorticotropic hormone stimulation tests were conducted the day prior to injection and repeated on days 1, 3 and 7, and then weekly after injection until values normalized. Following a 2-week washout period, 0.5 mg/kg TA was injected into the contralateral stifle (phase two), and laboratory testing mimicked phase one.

Results Mild, transient adrenocortical suppression occurred in both phases, beginning on day 1 and resolving by days 3 and 7 in phases one and two respectively. However, post-adrenocorticotropic hormone stimulation cortisol levels were never outside the normal range for either phase. Alkaline phosphatase activity increased on day 3 in phase two but remained within normal limits. Mild stress leukograms occurred on day 1 in both phases. No clinical abnormalities were noted throughout the study.

Conclusion Systemic adverse effects following IA TA stifle injections at 0.25 mg/kg and 0.5mg/kg are unlikely.
Double layer formation and thrust generation in an expanding plasma using 1D-3V PIC simulation
Authors: Saini V. , Ganesh R.
Published: September 2020

Due to large particle exhaust velocity and specific impulse, electric propulsion systems have an edge over chemical propulsion for missions targeting regions outside the Earth's atmosphere. Stationary plasma thrusters and helicon plasma thrusters (HPTs) are commonly used electric propulsion devices for a space mission. In HPTs or expanding magnetic field plasma thrusters, plasma expands from the source region to the expansion region in an externally applied expanding magnetic field. Due to plasma expansion in such a magnetic field configuration, a current free double layer is found to form, which accelerates bulk ions, and a directional ion beam is generated, which causes thrust in the opposite direction. A Particle In Cell (PIC) solver with Monte Carlo Collision (MCC) scheme which resolves the axial direction and all three velocity degrees of freedom (1D-3V PIC-MCC) that captures the 2D spatial plasma expansion effect via a 1D flux conserving model is developed to simulate an argon plasma in an expanding magnetic field. Using the 1D-3V PIC-MCC solver, double layer formation due to plasma expansion, thrust generation, and optimization of thrust studies over a large parameter set, such as fill pressure of Ar, is presented. We compare our results with a particle loss model, which is commonly used as the simplest model for HPTs.
Periodicity characterization of the nonlinear magnetization dynamics
Authors: Vélez J. A. , Bragard J. , Pérez L. M. , Cabanas A. M. , Suarez O. J. , Laroze D. , Mancini H. L.
Published: September 2020

In this work, we study numerically the periodicity of regular regions embedded in chaotic states for the case of an anisotropic magnetic particle. The particle is in the monodomain regime and subject to an applied magnetic field that depends on time. The dissipative Landau–Lifshitz–Gilbert equation models the particle. To perform the characterization, we compute several two-dimensional phase diagrams in the parameter space for the Lyapunov exponents and the isospikes. We observe multiple transitions among periodic states, revealing complex topological structures in the parameter space typical of dynamic systems. To show the finer details of the regular structures, iterative zooms are performed. In particular, we find islands of synchronization for the magnetization and the driven field and several shrimp structures with different periods.
Analysis of feedback control of magnetic islands via rotational field based on Rutherford model
Authors: Uenaga I. , Furukawa M.
Published: September 2020

This work uses the Rutherford model for a cylindrical plasma to study the dynamics of magnetic islands under external magnetic perturbations, including both applied rotational magnetic fields and static error magnetic fields. The results show that, in an unstable tearing situation, magnetic islands are completely suppressed by modulating the frequency of the externally applied rotational magnetic field to maintain the phase of the combined external magnetic field to be opposite (or nearly opposite) that of the magnetic islands. The frequency is modulated by using a proportional controller in the simulation, where the frequency of the rotational field is determined by using the island rotation frequency “measured” in the simulation.
Investigation of a simple coded-aperture based multi-narrow beam x-ray luminescence computed tomography system
Authors: Zhang Yueming , Guo Qingwei , Zhang Limin , Li Jiao , Gao Feng , Jiang Jingying , Zhou Zhongxing
Published: September 2020

The purpose of this paper is to introduce and study a multi-narrow beam X-ray Luminescence Computed Tomography (XLCT) system based on a simple coded aperture. The proposed XLCT system is studied through simulations of x rays and diffuse light propagation and the implementation of the multi-narrow beam XLCT reconstruction algorithm. The relationship between the reconstructed quality of the XLCT image and the pass-element distribution of the coded aperture mask is investigated. The coded aperture that produces the best image quality metrics for the numerical phantom is selected for the XLCT system. The effects of detection positions and the number of projection angles are also investigated for considering the scanning efficiency and system structural complexity. The results demonstrate that the proposed multi-narrow beam XLCT system is competent in resolving targets with high complexity when comparing with the coded aperture compressed sensing XLCT system based on a complicated mask. It can also offer an enhancement in scanning efficiency in comparison with the conventional multi-narrow beam XLCT system.
Calculating RF current condensation with consistent ray-tracing and island heating
Authors: Nies R. , Reiman A. H. , Rodriguez E. , Bertelli N. , Fisch N. J.
Published: September 2020

By exploiting the nonlinear amplification of the power deposition of RF waves, current condensation promises new pathways to the stabilization of magnetic islands. We present a numerical analysis of current condensation, coupling a geometrical optics treatment of wave propagation and damping to a thermal diffusion equation solver in the island. Taking into account the island geometry and relativistic damping, previous analytical theory can be made more precise and specific scenarios can be realistically predicted. With this more precise description, bifurcations and associated hysteresis effects could be obtained in an ITER-like scenario at realistic parameter values. Moreover, it is shown that dynamically varying the RF wave launching angles can lead to hysteresis and help to avoid the nonlinear shadowing effect.
Analysis of pressure-driven membrane preconcentration for point-of-care assays
Authors: Drexelius A. , Hoellrich A. , Jajack A. , Gomez E. , Brothers M. , Hussain S. , Kim S. , Heikenfeld J.
Published: September 2020

Point-of-care diagnostic devices for both physicians and patients themselves are now ubiquitous, but often not sensitive enough for highly dilute analytes (e.g., pre-symptomatic viral detection). Two primary methods to address this challenge include (1) increasing the sensitivity of molecular recognition elements with greater binding affinity to the analyte or (2) increasing the concentration of the analyte being detected in the sample itself (preconcentration). The latter approach, preconcentration, is arguably more attractive if it can be made universally applicable to a wide range of analytes. In this study, pressure-driven membrane preconcentration devices were developed, and their performance was analyzed for detecting target analytes in biofluids in the form of point-of-care lateral-flow assays (LFAs). The demonstrated prototypes utilize negative or positive pressure gradients to move both water and small interferents (salt, pH) through a membrane filter, thereby concentrating the analyte of interest in the remaining sample fluid. Preconcentration up to 33× is demonstrated for influenza A nucleoprotein with a 5 kDa pore polyethersulfone membrane filter. LFA results are obtained within as short as several minutes and device operation is simple (very few user steps), suggesting that membrane preconcentration can be preferable to more complex and slow conventional preconcentration techniques used in laboratory practice.
Improvements to the Faraday cup fast ion loss detector and magnetohydrodynamic induced fast ion loss measurements in Joint European Torus plasmas
Authors: Bonofiglo P. J. , Kiptily V. , Horton A. , Beaumont P. , Ellis R. , Cecil F. E. , Podesta M. ,   JET Contributors
Published: September 2020

Upgrades to electronic hardware and detector design have been made to the JET thin-foil Faraday cup fast ion loss detector [Darrow et al., Rev. Sci. Instrum. 75, 3566 (2004)] in anticipation of the upcoming deuterium–tritium (DT) campaign. An improved foil stack design has been implemented, which greatly reduces the number of foil-to-foil shorts, and triaxial cabling has mitigated ambient noise pickup. Initial tests of 200 kHz digitizers, as opposed to the original 5 kHz digitizers, have provided enhanced analysis techniques and direct coherence measurements of fast ion losses with magnetohydrodynamic activity. We present recent loss measurements in JET deuterium plasmas correlated with kink modes, fishbone modes, edge-localized modes, and sawteeth. Sources of systematic noise are discussed with emphasis on capacitive plasma pickup. Overall, the system upgrades have established a diagnostic capable of recording alpha particle losses due to a wide variety of resonant fast ion transport mechanisms to be used in future DT-experiments and modeling efforts.
Direct epitaxial nanometer-thin InN of high structural quality on 4H–SiC by atomic layer deposition
Authors: Hsu Chih-Wei , Deminskyi Petro , Martinovic Ivan , Ivanov Ivan G. , Palisaitis Justinas , Pedersen Henrik
Published: September 2020

Indium nitride (InN) is a highly promising material for high frequency electronics given its low bandgap and high electron mobility. The development of InN-based devices is hampered by the limitations in depositing very thin InN films of high quality. We demonstrate growth of high-structural-quality nanometer thin InN films on 4H–SiC by atomic layer deposition (ALD). High resolution x-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy show epitaxial growth and an atomically sharp interface between InN and 4H–SiC. The InN film is fully relaxed already after a few atomic layers and shows a very smooth morphology where the low surface roughness (0.14 nm) is found to reproduce sub-nanometer surface features of the substrate. Raman measurements show an asymmetric broadening caused by grains in the InN film. Our results show the potential of ALD to prepare high-quality nanometer-thin InN films for subsequent formation of heterojunctions.
Laser-heated capillary discharge waveguides as tunable structures for laser-plasma acceleration
Authors: Pieronek C. V. , Gonsalves A. J. , Benedetti C. , Bulanov S. S. , van Tilborg J. , Bin J. H. , Swanson K. K. , Daniels J. , Bagdasarov G. A. , Bobrova N. A. , Gasilov V. A. , Korn G. , Sasorov P. V. , Geddes C. G. R. , Schroeder C. B. , Leemans W. P. , Esarey E.
Published: September 2020

Laser-heated capillary discharge waveguides are novel, low plasma density guiding structures able to guide intense laser pulses over many diffraction lengths and have recently enabled the acceleration of electrons to 7.8 GeV by using a laser-plasma accelerator (LPA). These devices represent an improvement over conventional capillary discharge waveguides, as the channel matched spot size and plasma density can be tuned independently of the capillary radius. This has allowed the guiding of petawatt-scale pulses focused to small spot sizes within large diameter capillaries, preventing laser damage of the capillary structure. High performance channel-guided LPAs require control of matched spot size and density, which experiments and simulations reported here show can be tuned over a wide range via initial discharge and laser parameters. In this paper, measurements of the matched spot size and plasma density in laser-heated capillary discharges are presented, which are found to be in excellent agreement with simulations performed using the MHD code MARPLE. Strategies for optimizing accelerator performance are identified based on these results.
Positive anode sheath with ionization in an arc discharge
Authors: Nemchinsky Valerian
Published: September 2020

When the plasma is unable to provide the positive anode sheath with ions (small anode, low anode plasma conductivity, ablating anode), the ions must be generated inside the sheath itself. The Poisson equation for the sheath with ion generation is solved. The ion flux from the sheath to the neutral plasma is obtained as a function of the anode voltage drop. It is shown that in the case of highly intensive ion generation, the mode with monotonous potential ceases to exist. It is hypothesized that a double layer is formed. It is suggested that the analysis could be applicable to the anode layer of a glow discharge.
Re-examining the silicon self-interstitial charge states and defect levels: A density functional theory and bounds analysis study
Authors: Stewart James A. , Modine Normand A. , Dingreville Remi
Published: September 2020

The self-interstitial atom (SIA) is one of two fundamental point defects in bulk Si. Isolated Si SIAs are extremely difficult to observe experimentally. Even at very low temperatures, they anneal before typical experiments can be performed. Given the challenges associated with experimental characterization, accurate theoretical calculations provide valuable information necessary to elucidate the properties of these defects. Previous studies have applied Kohn–Sham density functional theory (DFT) to the Si SIA, using either the local density approximation or the generalized gradient approximation to the exchange-correlation (XC) energy. The consensus of these studies indicates that a Si SIA may exist in five charge states ranging from −2 to +2 with the defect structure being dependent on the charge state. This study aims to re-examine the existence of these charge states in light of recently derived “approximate bounds” on the defect levels obtained from finite-size supercell calculations and new DFT calculations using both semi-local and hybrid XC approximations. We conclude that only the neutral and +2 charge states are directly supported by DFT as localized charge states of the Si SIA. Within the current accuracy of DFT, our results indicate that the +1 charge state likely consists of an electron in a conduction-band-like state that is coulombically bound to a +2 SIA. Furthermore, the −1 and −2 charge states likely consist of a neutral SIA with one and two additional electrons in the conduction band, respectively.
Detecting gas–liquid two-phase flow pattern determinism from experimental signals with missing ordinal patterns
Authors: Du Meng , Zhang Lei , Niu Xiangyang , Grebogi Celso
Published: September 2020

To address the issue of whether there exists determinism in a two-phase flow system, we first conduct a gas–liquid two-phase flow experiment to collect the flow pattern fluctuation signals. Then, we investigate the determinism in the dynamics of different gas–liquid flow patterns by calculating the number of missing ordinal patterns associated with the partitioning of the phase space. In addition, we use the recently proposed stretched exponential model to reveal the flow pattern transition behavior. With the joint distribution of two fitted parameters, which are the decay rate of the missing ordinal patterns and the stretching exponent, we systematically analyze the flow pattern evolutional dynamics associated with the flow deterministic characteristics. This research provides a new understanding of the two-phase flow pattern evolutional dynamics, and broader applications in more complex fluid systems are suggested.
Dual-polarization wave-front manipulation with high-efficiency metasurface
Authors: Cui Jie , Nie Qian Fan , Ruan Ying , Luo Si Si , Ye Fu Ju , Chen Lei
Published: September 2020

In recent years, plentiful works have focused on anomalous reflections, but only few works achieved dual-polarized reflection with high efficiency. In this paper, we present a reflection-type metasurface based on a dual-layer metallic structure at microwave frequency. By designing various periods of metallic structures, the metasurface can achieve high-efficiency anomalous reflections with a wide deflected angle range for orthogonal linearly polarized plane waves (x and y). By arranging distinct periods of units, various scattering angles of the reflected beam are achieved in two orthogonal directions. Besides, there is little interference between x-polarization and y-polarization reflected waves. To realize the aforementioned functionality, a unit cell with a stacked strip structure is employed. Based on the specific elements, we propose and simulate four metasurface schemes. Two of them are fabricated and measured, the measured results of which show good agreement with simulations validating our design. The high performance potentially makes this work diverse and intriguing with applications such as focusing reflectors and holograms.
Plexcitonic nose based on an organic semiconductor
Authors: Srivastava Triranjita , Jha Rajan
Published: September 2020

A highly sensitive and accurate plexcitonic nose based on an organic semiconductor, J-aggregate cyanine dye [5,5′,6,6′-tetrachloro-1,10-diethyl-3, 30-di(4-sulfobutyl) benzimidazolo carbocyanine (TDBC)], is proposed. The signature of the plexciton is evidently studied by implanting a TDBC layer over plasmon active metals. The interaction between the strong dipole moment of the TDBC molecules residing at the metal-TDBC interface and the electric field generated by the plasmons is responsible for the transfer of energy between plasmon and exciton modes. We have demonstrated that the coupling between the plasmon and the Lorentzian oscillator (i.e., exciton-based system) gives rise to two plexciton modes, namely, upper plexciton (UP) and lower plexciton (LP). We have clearly shown the excitation of the UP (LP) for λ < 589 nm (λ > 589 nm). We observed that the UP exhibits strong dispersion, resulting in high sensitivity. Furthermore, depending upon the nature of the analyte, the change to the organic semiconductor like the TDBC film can be reversible or irreversible. Accordingly, the probe can be reused with a polar analyte like ammonia as such gas desorbs from the surface once removed from the environment. We believe that the plexcitonic nose can open a platform for analyzing food freshness by sensing propanol and acetic acid, identifying traces of explosives and nerve gas, and detecting hazardous chemicals in work environments.
Instanton theory of tunneling in molecules with asymmetric isotopic substitutions
Authors: Jahr Elena , Laude Gabriel , Richardson Jeremy O.
Published: September 2020

We consider quantum tunneling in asymmetric double-well systems for which the local minima in the two wells have the same energy, but the frequencies differ slightly. In a molecular context, this situation can arise if the symmetry is broken by isotopic substitutions. We derive a generalization of instanton theory for these asymmetric systems, leading to a semiclassical expression for the tunneling matrix element and hence the energy-level splitting. We benchmark the method using a set of one- and two-dimensional models, for which the results compare favorably with numerically exact quantum calculations. Using the ring-polymer instanton approach, we apply the method to compute the level splittings in various isotopomers of malonaldehyde in full dimensionality and analyze the relative contributions from the zero-point energy difference and tunneling effects.
Plant expression of NifD protein variants resistant to mitochondrial degradation
Authors: Allen Robert S. , Gregg Christina M. , Okada Shoko , Menon Amratha , Hussain Dawar , Gillespie Vanessa , Johnston Ema , Devilla Rosangela , Warden Andrew C. , Taylor Matthew , Byrne Keren , Colgrave Michelle , Wood Craig C.
Published: September 2020

Significance

Engineering nitrogenase in plants may help alleviate economic and environmental issues due to the use of nitrogen fertilizer. Mitochondria have shown promise in supporting the function of nitrogenase, including electron donation and metallocluster assembly. Despite these successes, formation of the catalytic unit, NifDK, has proven difficult. Here, we find that when relocated to plant mitochondria, NifD is subject to errant peptidase-based cleavage and is insoluble. Guided by NifD sequence variation amongst bacteria and structural modeling, we designed NifD variants that avoided cleavage and retained function in bacterial assays. Fusion of NifK to degradation-resistant NifD also improved solubility, and the polyprotein retained function in bacterial assays. This work advances efforts to produce crops less reliant on nitrogen fertilizer.
Latitudinal gradient in the respiration quotient and the implications for ocean oxygen availability
Authors: Moreno Allison R. , Garcia Catherine A. , Larkin Alyse A. , Lee Jenna A. , Wang Wei-Lei , Moore J. Keith , Primeau Francois W. , Martiny Adam C.
Published: September 2020

Significance

The loss of ocean oxygen caused by climate warming is a serious environmental issue and could lead to major declines in animal habitats. However, current Earth system models struggle in explaining observed trends in global ocean oxygen. Using a model, we demonstrate that marine oxygen concentrations depend sensitively on a rarely considered quantity known as the respiration quotient to prescribe the oxygen consumed per mole of organic carbon respired. Using a combination of direct chemical measurements across major biomes in the eastern Pacific Ocean plus changes in the global distribution of oxygen and carbon, we show how the respiration quotient increases systematically with temperature. The findings imply that we can experience more intense declines in ocean oxygen with warming.
Coregulation of dimorphism and symbiosis by cyclic AMP signaling in the lichenized fungus
Umbilicaria muhlenbergii
Authors: Wang Yanyan , Wei Xinli , Bian Zhuyun , Wei Jiangchun , Xu Jin-Rong
Published: September 2020

Significance

Umbilicaria muhlenbergii
is the only lichenized species known to be dimorphic in culture. This study showed that yeast-to-pseudohypha transition in
U. muhlenbergii
is associated with symbiosis and regulated by the cAMP-PKA (protein kinase A) pathway. Treatments with a cAMP diphosphoesterase inhibitor induced pseudohyphal/hyphal growth and differentiation of lichen cortex-like tissues. Two Gα subunits were functionally characterized to show the regulation of dimorphism by
UmGPA3
. This is a report on identifying genes important for development and symbiosis in lichenized fungi. This is also a report of generating targeted gene deletion mutants in
U. muhlenbergii
and Lecanoromycetes in general. Because of its relatively fast growth rate and amenability to molecular manipulations,
U. muhlenbergii
is uniquely suited for studying fungal–algal interactions and initial symbiotic interactions.
The phosphatidylethanolamine-binding protein DTH1 mediates degradation of lipid droplets in
Chlamydomonas reinhardtii
Authors: Lee Jihyeon , Yamaoka Yasuyo , Kong Fantao , Cagnon Caroline , Beyly-Adriano Audrey , Jang Sunghoon , Gao Peng , Kang Byung-Ho , Li-Beisson Yonghua , Lee Youngsook
Published: September 2020

Significance

Intracellular lipid droplets (LDs) are formed under stress conditions in many organisms, including microalgae such as
Chlamydomonas reinhardtii
. When the stress is relieved, the cells degrade triacylglycerols (TAGs) stored in the LDs and resume growth. To decipher the mechanism of LD degradation, we screened for
Chlamydomonas
mutants showing defects in this process and identified one,
dth1
, that fails to produce a protein we named DTH1 (Delayed in TAG Hydrolysis 1). DTH1 is localized to LDs, binds a specific phospholipid (phosphatidylethanolamine), and contributes to the initial stage of LD degradation. The
dth1
mutant was compromised in its regrowth, suggesting that TAG remobilization is important during recovery from stress. This work thus identified a protein that is critical to LD degradation.
Molecular insights into the genome dynamics and interactions between core and acquired genomes of
Vibrio cholerae
Authors: Pant Archana , Bag Satyabrata , Saha Bipasa , Verma Jyoti , Kumar Pawan , Banerjee Sayantan , Kumar Bhoj , Kumar Yashwant , Desigamani Anbumani , Maiti Suhrid , Maiti Tushar K. , Banerjee Sanjay K. , Bhadra Rupak K. , Koley Hemanta , Dutta Shanta , Nair G. Balakrish , Ramamurthy Thandavarayan , Das Bhabatosh
Published: September 2020

Significance

Genome fluidity is directly associated with the emergence and evolution of many bacterial pathogens. Horizontally acquired genetic elements, which harbor fitness traits, are open source for the bacterial evolution. The genome of
Vibrio cholerae
is equipped with multiple mobile genetic elements (MGEs), which are crucial for disease development and survival. The present study engineered the genome of a well characterized clinical
V. cholerae
strain N16961 and reported (
i
) stability of MGEs in cholera pathogen, (
ii
) interactions between the core genome and MGEs, and (
iii
) role of MGEs in the modulation of cellular proteome. The engineered strain could be a potential candidate for understanding evolution of cholera pathogen and development of new therapeutic interventions.
A SARS-CoV-2 vaccine candidate would likely match all currently circulating variants
Authors: Dearlove Bethany , Lewitus Eric , Bai Hongjun , Li Yifan , Reeves Daniel B. , Joyce M. Gordon , Scott Paul T. , Amare Mihret F. , Vasan Sandhya , Michael Nelson L. , Modjarrad Kayvon , Rolland Morgane
Published: September 2020

Significance

The rapid spread of the virus causing COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, raises questions about the possibility of a universally effective vaccine. The virus can mutate in a given individual, and these variants can be propagated across populations and time. To understand this process, we analyze 18,514 SARS-CoV-2 sequences sampled since December 2019. We find that neutral evolution, rather than adaptive selection, can explain the rare mutations seen across SARS-CoV-2 genomes. In the immunogenic Spike protein, the D614G mutation has become consensus, yet there is no evidence of mutations affecting binding to the ACE2 receptor. Our results suggest that, to date, the limited diversity seen in SARS-CoV-2 should not preclude a single vaccine from providing global protection.
Bioinspired MXene-integrated colloidal crystal arrays for multichannel bioinformation coding
Authors: Bian Feika , Sun Lingyu , Cai Lijun , Wang Yu , Zhao Yuanjin
Published: September 2020

Significance

Inspired by the wettability structure of
Stenocara
beetle and adhesion ability of mussel, we present an innovative MXene-integrated PhC array for multichannel bioinformation coding. The bioinspired hydrophilic–hydrophobic surfaces can selectively capture colloidal droplets to form PhC arrays; while the mussel’s byssus-mimicked DA catechol units help in the immobilization of MXene nanosheets on these arrays. MXene can quench the fluorescence signal of QD-DNA probes, which can be recovered when the corresponding target is present. In this case, complex sequence information of DNA can be converted into visualized fluorescence signals to facilitate information reading. Based on this strategy, high-throughput information encoding and encryption are realized, which indicates its broad application prospect in big data storage.
Innovative teaching knowledge stays with users
Authors: Lane A. Kelly , McAlpin Jacob D. , Earl Brittnee , Feola Stephanie , Lewis Jennifer E. , Mertens Karl , Shadle Susan E. , Skvoretz John , Ziker John P. , Couch Brian A. , Prevost Luanna B. , Stains Marilyne
Published: September 2020

Programs seeking to transform undergraduate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics courses often strive for participating faculty to share their knowledge of innovative teaching practices with other faculty in their home departments. Here, we provide interview, survey, and social network analyses revealing that faculty who use innovative teaching practices preferentially talk to each other, suggesting that greater steps are needed for information about innovative practices to reach faculty more broadly.
Cold War literary modernists in a dialogue under oppression
Authors: Erokhin Alexander
Published: September 2020

The article deals with selected aspects of the cultural appropriation of post-Stalinist Soviet poetry by Anglo-American
poets and translators. The article focuses on Yevgeny Yevtushenko and Andrei Voznesensky, two eminent representatives of Russian lyric
poetry of the “Thaw.” English translations of Yevtushenko’s and Voznesensky’s poems are discussed in relation to Cold War issues and
imagery, such as the themes of the Second World War, the Holocaust, and the rediscovery of America. The article demonstrates that the
Soviet-Russian authors and their Anglo-American translators appealed to their governments and audiences over the moral and aesthetic
barriers imposed by the Cold War. The opportunity for independent, liberal, romantic, or leftist English-speaking authors to collaborate
with the post-Stalinist Russian poets of the Thaw was made possible by the latters’ willingness to break the cultural isolation of the
Soviet Union after Stalin’s death.
Microstructure and texture investigation on electrically assisted friction stir welded titanium alloy
Authors: Jiang Xiaoqing , Han Yang , Chen Shujun , Bai Yafeng , Yuan Tao , Wang Xuping
Published: September 2020

Microstructure, texture and mechanical properties of electrically assisted friction stir welding (EFSW) of Ti6Al4 V alloy were investigated. The base material (BM) and the heat-affected zone (HAZ) have a coarse equiaxed structure, and the fine equiaxed structure was observed in the stir zone (SZ). The boundary between the SZ and the HAZ changed abruptly from the FSW joint to the EFSW joint to make it smooth. The BM and the HAZ have a strong prismatic texture {10[Formula: see text] 0} and the texture of the SZ is randomly distributed. Hardness of the joints was explained by grain size, loss rate of elemental Al and dislocation density, as well as the advantages of the EFSW process in terms of improving mechanical properties as influenced by microstructure and texture.
Rates of Prescription Orders for United States Active Duty Service Members Diagnosed with Alcohol use Disorder
Authors: Peters Zachary J. , Kincaid Melissa W. , Greenberg Jennifer G. , Quah Ruth F. , Curry Justin C.
Published: September 2020

Background

Alcohol-use disorders (AUD) pose a significant challenge for the United States (US) military. The US Department of Defense has strongly recommended several medications for use in the treatment of patients with diagnosed AUD. This study assessed the prescription of medications for active duty service members (ADSMs) diagnosed with AUD in the US Military Health System (MHS).

Methods

Rates of prescription orders were retrospectively examined from 2010 to 2017 among ADSMs with an incident diagnosis of moderate-to-severe AUD. The rate of prescription orders was defined as the proportion of ADSMs with an ICD-9 or ICD-10 diagnosis code of alcohol dependence who received an order for acamprosate, disulfiram, naltrexone, and/or topiramate at a military treatment facility in the year following their incident diagnosis.

Results

ADSMs receiving an order for at least one medication in the year following their incident AUD diagnosis increased from 8.8% in 2010 to 16.2% in 2017 (RR = 1.84, 95% CI, 1.76, 1.93). Oral naltrexone was ordered most frequently among this patient population, while injectable naltrexone, a medication option meant to ease and improve adherence, was ordered for a smaller proportion of patients.

Conclusions

Most ADSMs who might benefit from prescriptions for AUD are not receiving them as part of their treatment despite strong clinical evidence and Department of Defense policy support for their use among this cohort.
TiO2nanotube array-modified electrodes for L-cysteine biosensing: experimental and density-functional theory study
Authors: Hussain Muhammad , Khaliq Nilem , Nisar Amjad , Khan Maaz , Karim Shafqat , Ali Khan Adnan , Yi Xie , Maqbool Muhammad , Ali Ghafar
Published: September 2020

We report a non-enzymatic facile method for the detection of L-cysteine (L-Cyst) using free-standing TiO2nanotube (TNT) array-modified glassy carbon electrodes (GCEs). Self-organized, highly ordered, and vertically oriented TNT arrays were fabricated by anodization of titanium sheets in ethylene glycol-based electrolyte. Detailed electrochemical measurements were performed and it was found that modified GCE exhibited high current compared to the pristine counterpart. The high current of the modified electrode was attributed to the high surface area and enhanced electrocatalytic activities of the TNTs toward the L-Cyst oxidation. Under the optimum conditions, the modified electrode exhibited a high sensitivity of ∼1.68 µA mM−1cm−2with a low detection limit of ∼0.1 mM. The fabricated electrode was found to be sensitive to pH and electrolyte temperature. The real sample analysis of the proposed method showed a decent recovery toward L-Cyst addition in human blood serum. Furthermore, the density-funcational theory (DFT) analysis revealed that TNTs have greater affinity toward L-Cyst, having stronger binding distance after its adsorption. The higher negativeEadsvalues suggested a stable and chemisorption nature. The density of states results show that theEgapof TNTs is significantly reduced after L-Cyst adsorption. The modified GCE showed excellent selectivity, enhanced stability, and fast response, which make TNTs a promising candidate for the enzyme-free detection of other biological analytes.
A note on the definition of gravitational energy for quadratic curvature gravity via topological regularization*
Authors: Wang Meng-Liang , Peng Jun-Jin
Published: September 2020

Within the framework of four-dimensional quadratic curvature gravities in the appearance of a negative cosmological constant, a definition for the gravitational energy of solutions with anti-de Sitter (AdS) asymptotics was put forward by Giribet et al. [Phys. Rev. D
98 044046 (2018)]. This was achieved by adding proper topological invariant terms to the gravity action to render the variation problem well-posed. We prove that the definition via the procedure of topological regularization can be covered by our previous work [Int. J. Mod. Phys. A
35 2050102 (2020)] in four dimensions. Motivated by this, we further generalize the results to generic diffeomorphism invariant theories of gravity in arbitrary even dimensions.