bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Stereotactic body radiotherapy for oligoprogressive lesions in metastatic castration‐resistant prostate cancer patients during abiraterone/enzalutamide treatment
Authors: Onal Cem , Kose Fatih , Ozyigit Gokhan , Aksoy Sercan , Oymak Ezgi , Muallaoglu Sadik , Guler Ozan C. , Tilki Burak , Hurmuz Pervin , Akyol Fadil
Published: April 2021

Background

Metastasis‐directed therapy (MDT) utilizing stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) for oligoprogressive lesions could provide a delay in next‐line systemic treatment (NEST) change while undergoing androgen receptor‐targeted agents (ARTA) treatment. We evaluated prognostic factors for prostate cancer‐specific survival (PCSS) and progression‐free survival (PFS) to characterize patients receiving treatment with ARTA who may benefit from MDT for oligoprogressive lesions. The impact of MDT on delaying NEST and the predictive factors for NEST‐free survival (NEST‐FS) were also assessed.

Materials and Methods

The clinical data of 54 metastatic castration‐resistant prostate cancer patients with 126 oligoprogressive lesions receiving abiraterone (1 g/day) or enzalutamide (160 mg/day) before or after systemic chemotherapy were analyzed. A median of three lesions (range: 1–5) were treated with MDT. The primary endpoints were PCSS and PFS. The secondary endpoints were time to switch to NEST and NEST‐FS.

Results

The median follow‐up time was 19.1 months. Univariate analysis showed that the number of oligoprogressive lesions treated with SBRT and the time between the start of ARTA treatment and oligoprogression were significant prognostic factors for PCSS, and the timing of ARTA treatment (before or after chemotherapy) and the prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) response after MDT were significant prognostic factors for PFS. Multivariate analysis showed that early MDT for oligoprogressive lesions delivered less than 6 months after the beginning of ARTA and higher PSA levels after MDT were significant predictors of worse PCSS and PFS. The median total duration of ARTA treatment was 13.8 months. The median time between the start of ARTA treatment and the start of MDT for oligoprogressive lesions was 5.2 months, and MDT extended the ARTA treatment by 8.6 months on average. Thirty‐two (59.3%) patients continued ARTA treatment after MDT. ARTA treatment after chemotherapy, early oligoprogression requiring MDT, and lower radiation doses for MDT were independent predictors of NEST‐FS in multivariate analysis.

Conclusions

MDT for oligoprogressive lesions is effective and may provide several benefits compared to switching from ARTA treatment to NEST. Patients with early progression while on ARTAs and inadequate PSA responses after MDT have a greater risk of rapid disease progression and poor survival, which necessitates intensified treatment.
A Self‐Powered Ultraviolet Photodetector with Ultrahigh Photoresponsivity (208 mA W−1) based on SnO2 Nanostructures/Si Heterojunctions
Authors: Ozel Kenan , Yildiz Abdullah
Published: April 2021

The development of high‐performance, self‐powered ultraviolet (UV) photodetectors (PDs) is of utmost interest for military and industrial applications. Herein, a novel design scheme for enhancing the performance of self‐powered PDs based on the p–n heterojunction is proposed. The device architecture is engineered by integrating a nanostructured SnO2 layer into the n‐SnO2/p‐Si heterojunction. The resulting device yields an impressively high photoresponsivity of 22.73 A W−1, a large external quantum efficiency of 9065 %, and an outstanding detectivity of 1.57 × 1013 Jones at −5 V for 311 nm. Notably, the PDs possess self‐powered characteristics with an extremely high photoresponsivity of 208 mA W−1 and detectivity of 1.17 × 1012 Jones toward 311 nm without any power supply, suggesting their high potential for future energy‐efficient, self‐powered, high‐performance UV‐detecting application.
New results on the uniform exponential stability of nonautonomous perturbed dynamical systems
Authors: Benjemaa Mondher , Gouadri Wided , Hammami Mohamed Ali
Published: April 2021

In this article, we investigate the asymptotic behaviors of the solutions of nonlinear dynamic systems nearby an equilibrium point, when the nominal parts are subject to non‐necessarily small perturbations. We show that, under some estimates on the perturbation term, the equilibrium point remains (globally) uniformly exponentially stable. The obtained stability results can easily be applied in practice since they are based on the Gronwall–Bellman inequalities rather than the classical Lyapunov methods that require the knowledge of a Lyapunov function. Several numerical examples, as well as an application to control and mechanical systems, are given in illustration.
Preparation and Characterization of Perlite/Starch/SWCNT‐Glucose Bionanocomposite for Pathogen Detection**
Authors: Chegeni Mahdieh , Mehri Mozhgan , Dehdashtian Sara , Hosseini Mehdi
Published: April 2021

In this work, the perlite/starch/single‐walled carbon nanotube‐glucose was prepared by ultrasonication method, and its application was evaluated for drug delivery system. The structure of as‐prepared bionanocomposite was characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Thermal Gravimetric Analysis (TGA), X‐Ray Diffraction (XRD), Field‐emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Brunauer‐Emmett‐Teller (BET) surface area analysis, and Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS). The properties of single‐walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) were modified by using natrural compounds, then the as‐prepared bionanocomposite was used as a carrier for curcumin. The Entrapment Efficiency (EE) of curcumin was studied by considering several parameters such as curcumin concentration, bionanocomposite amount, and time. The release of curcumin from bionanocomposite was investigated at pHs (4.5, 7.5), then the curcumin‐loaded bionanocomposite was applied against Gram negative (Escherichia coli), Gram positive (Staphylococcus aureus), and Candida albicans. Under the optimum conditions, the perlite/starch/single‐walled carbon nanotube‐glucose can be applied as a drug carrier, which can be acted against bacteria and fungal.
The Influence of Silicon Nanopillars Structure as the Substrate on the SnO2‐Based Gas Sensor
Authors: Liu Jing , Xu Yuanze , Liang Xiaoxiao , Yan Mingming , Wang Bo , Zhang Tianchong , Yi Futing
Published: April 2021

Tin dioxide (SnO2) film is fabricated on the Silicon (Si) nanopillars surface with more than 5 aspect ratio via direct current  (DC) magnetron sputtering for the first time. Form the XRD curves, SnO2 film become multi‐crystalline after annealing at 750 °C with 2 hours, and the nanopillars substrates have no influence on the crystallization of the SnO2 film. For the morphology, the SnO2 film on the polished Si surface becomes from planar to plicated after annealing, while there is no morphology change of the SnO2 film on Si nanopillars surface, which proves that the Si nanopillars surface is more suitable for heat and stress release during the annealing process. After testing the gas sensor properties of the SnO2 based gas sensors, the results reveal that the nanopillars based gas sensors have the higher gas response than the planar ones no matter for ethanol or acetone, with or without Au decoration. The Si nanopillars substrate with high aspect ratio makes the SnO2 film to have a larger surface to contact with air and target gas, and to have more defects to react with O2 and reducing gas molecules, which may be a promise method to fabricate the gas sensor with high response.
Synthesis of NU‐87 Zeolite via Aging and Dual‐Templating Methods
Authors: Shang Weixiang , Li Peilun , Dai Weili , Wu Guangjun , Guan Naijia , Li Landong
Published: April 2021

NU‐87, a kind of high‐silica zeolite with NES topology, was considered as a potential industrial catalyst due to its controllable surface acidity, high thermal/hydrothermal stability, and unique parallel 10‐membered ring (MR) channels connected with 12‐MR cavities. However, the long crystallization time, the poor repeatability of synthesis and the expensive structure‐directing agent (SDA) of decamethonium bromide (DecBr2) used obstruct its industrial applications. In this work, according to the careful study on the influence of synthesis conditions, two methods were developed for synthesis of NU‐87 zeolite. By aging method in the assistance of crystal seeds, the crystallization time of NU‐87 zeolite could be reduced from 10 days to 2.5 days. The interaction between the synthesis precursors and the SDA plays a key role in the synthesis of NU‐87 zeolite. Moreover, NU‐87 zeolite could also be synthesized by a dual‐templating method. 1,3‐propanediamine (PDA) and 1,4‐butanediamine (BDA) could work as the secondary SDAs, which could partially replace the original expensive SDA of DecBr2. In the case of PDA, the DecBr2 could be decreased to 50 % of the original dosage. Finally, the catalytic performance of H‐NU‐87 zeolite was evaluated in the methanol to hydrocarbon reaction. Referred to H‐ZSM‐5, the H‐NU‐87 zeolite presented higher selectivity to gasoline but shorter catalytic life due to its stronger acidity.
Preparation of Reduced ZnO/Ag Nanocomposites by a Green Microwave‐Assisted Method and Their Applications in Photodegradation of Methylene Blue Dye, and as Antimicrobial and Anticancer Agents
Authors: Saranya Arumugam , Murad Alsawalha , Thamer Alomayri , Priyadharsan Arumugam , Maheshwaran Palanimalai
Published: April 2021

In this present study, we report a facile microwave assisted green synthesis of ZnO/Ag nanocomposites (denoted as G‐ZnO/Ag NCs) by employing Tridax procumbens leaf extract as a green solvent for photocatalytic, antimicrobial and cytotoxicity activities. The prepared nanocomposites was characterized by various techniques to study its crystallinity, morphology, structure, chemical composition, optical properties, and so on. The nanocomposites exhibited excellent photocatalytic performance (90.2 %) toward methylene blue degradation when irradiated under visible light (120 min). Furthermore, the G‐ZnO/Ag NCs showed good reusable properties up to four consecutive cycles. In addition, the resultant nanocomposites showed significant antimicrobial activity with the zones of inhibition of 9.85±0.12 and 10.51±0.63 mm against gram positive (Staphylococcus aureus) and 11.98±0.22 and 13.76±0.12 mm against gram‐negative (Escherichia coli), bacteria respectively, as measured using the well diffusion method. Although, the in‐vitro cytotoxicity test showed 39.58 % viability of MCF‐7 cells. In summary, this study suggest that G‐ZnO/Ag NCs as a promising tool for wastewater treatment and nano biomedical applications using low cost and eco‐friendly approach.
Auto‐monitoring System for Residual Current Circuit Breakers
Authors: Yu Mohan , Han Yan
Published: April 2021

Residual current circuit breakers (RCCBs) are used to provide electric shock protection, initial and periodical verification is necessary to check the effectiveness of RCCBs. This paper presents an auto‐monitoring system with simple application circuit and low power consumption, which can test the function of the current transformer, silicon controlled rectifier (SCR), tripping solenoid, controller and other components of the residual current circuit breaker (RCCB) periodically. This test can be completed without disrupting power to the load or compromising normal function of the RCCB, and power denial or visual alarm can be provide after a fault is detected. A simulated residual current is generated periodically, and the response of these components is monitored by the system for functional verification. In this system, the signal that triggers the SCR is limited near the end of the positive half cycle of the hot line under the test mode, in accordance with the tripping characteristic of the RCCB, the functional verification will not disrupt the power to the load. Under the work mode, the signal that triggers the SCR is consistent with the tripping signal of the RCCB controller, guaranteeing the normal function of the RCCB. © 2021 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.
Boundaries, Vermas and factorisation
Authors: Bullimore Mathew , Crew Samuel , Zhang Daniel
Published: April 2021

Abstract

We revisit the factorisation of supersymmetric partition functions of 3d $$ \mathcal{N} $$
N
= 4 gauge theories. The building blocks are hemisphere partition functions of a class of UV $$ \mathcal{N} $$
N
= (2, 2) boundary conditions that mimic the presence of isolated vacua at infinity in the presence of real mass and FI parameters. These building blocks can be unambiguously defined and computed using supersymmetric localisation. We show that certain limits of these hemisphere partition functions coincide with characters of lowest weight Verma mod- ules over the quantised Higgs and Coulomb branch chiral rings. This leads to expressions for the superconformal index, twisted index and S3 partition function in terms of such characters. On the way we uncover new connections between boundary ’t Hooft anomalies, hemisphere partition functions and lowest weights of Verma modules.
Patients’ perception of coercion with respect to antipsychotic treatment of psychotic disorders and its predictors
Authors: Hirsch Sophie , Thilo Nancy , Steinert Tilman , Flammer Erich
Published: April 2021

Purpose

The present study investigates perceived coercion in psychiatric inpatients under prescribed antipsychotic medication without a court order. The objective of this study was to investigate whether and to what extent involuntary and voluntary inpatients feel coerced to take their medication and which factors affect perceived coercion.

Methods

Voluntarily and involuntarily admitted patients (55 and 36, respectively) were interviewed about the extent of perceived coercion. In addition, socio-demographic and clinical data were collected. The Admission Experience Scale (aAES) was used to assess perceived coercion concerning medication. To measure insight into illness, attitude towards medication, and symptom severity, we used a questionnaire on insight into illness (FKE-10), the Drug Attitude Inventory (DAI-10), and the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS-24), respectively.

Results

Voluntarily treated patients experienced significantly less coercion when taking prescribed medication in inpatient settings than involuntarily treated patients. The experience of coercion was not related to socio-demographic or clinical variables nor to the BPRS-24 score, but to insight into illness and attitude towards medication. Patients who had experienced at least one coercive measure during the index hospital stay showed a higher level of perceived coercion.

Conclusion

Perceived coercion related to medication is dependent on insight into illness and experience of previous coercive interventions rather than on the severity of psychopathological symptoms. These findings are very similar to a previous study in a forensic psychiatric sample. Having experience of at least one coercive measure seems to be a decisive aspect of the extent of the patients’ perceived coercion.
A stacked dense denoising–segmentation network for undersampled tomograms and knowledge transfer using synthetic tomograms
Authors: Bellos Dimitrios , Basham Mark , Pridmore Tony , French Andrew P.
Published: April 2021

Over recent years, many approaches have been proposed for the denoising or semantic segmentation of X-ray computed tomography (CT) scans. In most cases, high-quality CT reconstructions are used; however, such reconstructions are not always available. When the X-ray exposure time has to be limited, undersampled tomograms (in terms of their component projections) are attained. This low number of projections offers low-quality reconstructions that are difficult to segment. Here, we consider CT time-series (i.e. 4D data), where the limited time for capturing fast-occurring temporal events results in the time-series tomograms being necessarily undersampled. Fortunately, in these collections, it is common practice to obtain representative highly sampled tomograms before or after the time-critical portion of the experiment. In this paper, we propose an end-to-end network that can learn to denoise and segment the time-series’ undersampled CTs, by training with the earlier highly sampled representative CTs. Our single network can offer two desired outputs while only training once, with the denoised output improving the accuracy of the final segmentation. Our method is able to outperform state-of-the-art methods in the task of semantic segmentation and offer comparable results in regard to denoising. Additionally, we propose a knowledge transfer scheme using synthetic tomograms. This not only allows accurate segmentation and denoising using less real-world data, but also increases segmentation accuracy. Finally, we make our datasets, as well as the code, publicly available.
Genome-wide DNA methylation analysis pre- and post-lenalidomide treatment in patients with myelodysplastic syndrome with isolated deletion (5q)
Authors: Hecht Anna , Meyer Julia A. , Jann Johann-Christoph , Sockel Katja , Giagounidis Aristoteles , Götze Katharina S. , Letsch Anne , Haase Detlef , Schlenk Richard F. , Haferlach Torsten , Schafhausen Philippe , Bug Gesine , Lübbert Michael , Thol Felicitas , Büsche Guntram , Schuler Esther , Nowak Verena , Obländer Julia , Fey Stephanie , Müller Nadine , Metzgeroth Georgia , Hofmann Wolf-Karsten , Germing Ulrich , Nolte Florian , Reinwald Mark , Nowak Daniel
Published: April 2021

Myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) with isolated deletion of chromosome 5q (MDS del5q) is a distinct subtype of MDS with quite favorable prognosis and excellent response to treatment with lenalidomide. Still, a relevant percentage of patients do not respond to lenalidomide and even experience progression to acute myeloid leukemia (AML). In this study, we aimed to investigate whether global DNA methylation patterns could predict response to lenalidomide. Genome-wide DNA methylation analysis using Illumina 450k methylation arrays was performed on n=51 patients with MDS del5q who were uniformly treated with lenalidomide in a prospective multicenter trial of the German MDS study group. To study potential direct effects of lenalidomide on DNA methylation, 17 paired samples pre- and post-treatment were analyzed. Our results revealed no relevant effect of lenalidomide on methylation status. Furthermore, methylation patterns prior to therapy could not predict lenalidomide response. However, methylation clustering identified a group of patients with a trend towards inferior overall survival. These patients showed hypermethylation of several interesting target genes, including genes of relevant signaling pathways, potentially indicating the evaluation of novel therapeutic targets.
Hostility in medication-resistant major depression and comorbid generalized anxiety disorder is related to increased hippocampal–amygdala 5-HT2A receptor density
Authors: Baeken Chris , Xu Yanfeng , Wu Guo-Rong , Dockx Robrecht , Peremans Kathelijne , De Raedt Rudi
Published: April 2021

Major depressive disorder (MDD) and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) are severe and difficult-to-treat psychiatric illnesses with high rates of comorbidity. Although both disorders are treated with serotonergic based psychotropic agents, little is known on the influence of the serotonergic neurotransmitter system on the occurrence of comorbid GAD when clinically depressed. To investigate this poorly understood clinical question, we examined the involvement of frontolimbic post-synaptic 5-HT2A receptors in 20 medication-resistant depressed (MRD) patients with half of them diagnosed with comorbid GAD with 123I-5-I-R91150 SPECT. To explore whether 5-HT2A receptor-binding indices (BI) associated with comorbid GAD could be related to distinct psychopathological symptoms, all were assessed with the symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R). MRD patients with comorbid GAD displayed significantly higher 5-HT2A receptor BI in the hippocampal–amygdala complex, compared to MRD patients without GAD. Correlation analyses revealed that the 5-HT2A receptor BI in these areas were significantly related to the SCL-90-R subscale hostility (HOS), especially for those MRD patients with comorbid GAD. Comorbid MRD-GAD may be characterized with increased hippocampal–amygdala 5-HT2A receptor BI which could represent enhanced levels in hostility in such kinds of patients. Adapted psychotherapeutic interventions may be warranted.
Burnout and posttraumatic stress symptoms in police officers exposed to traumatic events: the mediating role of ruminations
Authors: Ogińska-Bulik Nina , Juczyński Zygfryd
Published: April 2021

Purpose

Police work carries the risk of burnout in the form of exhaustion and disengagement from work. Police officers are also exposed to traumatic events and the development of PTSD. The main aim of the cross-sectional study was to determine the mediating role played by rumination in the relationship between burnout and PTSD among police officers. It also examines whether burnout is a significant prognostic factor for PTSD symptoms.

Methods

Data were obtained from a sample of 120 police officers. Of these one hundred, mostly men (83%), aged 23–47 years (M = 33.06, SD = 5.61), confirmed the experience of traumatic events in connection with their professional work. Three standard measuring tools were used: The Posttraumatic Checklist for DSM-5, The Oldenburg Burnout Inventory OBI, and The Event-Related Rumination Inventory.

Results

The introduction of intrusive ruminating as an intermediary variable made the relationship between job burnout and PTSD non-significant, which indicates full mediation. The introduction of deliberate rumination as a mediator weakens the relationship between burnout and PTSD, which indicates partial mediation. It indicates that police officers who are burnout and who additionally tend to ruminate about experienced traumatic events are more likely to PTSD than police officers who are only burned out.

Conclusion

Intervention programs for police officers should focus on strengthening stress management resources in the form of developing deliberate ruminations, thus allowing the experienced situations to be given a new meaning and to allow better coping.
Cross-cultural adaption, translation and validation of the Toronto extremity salvage score (TESS) for patients in German-speaking countries
Authors: Trost Carmen , Hofer Christoph , Stamm Tanja , Windhager Reinhard , Hobusch Gerhard M.
Published: April 2021

Objective

The preferred treatment for malignant bone and soft tissue tumors is limb salvage surgery; the Toronto extremity salvage score (TESS) is commonly used to measure physical functioning of the affected extremity. The aims of this study were to translate and culturally adapt the German version of the TESS, as well as to explore its convergent reliability, validity and re-test reliability.

Study design

Patients (n = 50) 32 lower extremity (LE) and 18 upper extremity (UE) were asked to fill out the German TESS two times (t1: clinical visit, t2: regular email) and the SF-36 once.

Methods

The TESS questionnaires were translated from English into German, back translated into English, and culturally adapted. The reliability was assessed with Cronbach’s alpha (α). The validity was measured with the SF-36 physical component score and TESS using the Spearman rank correlation coefficient (r). Furthermore, the test-retest reliability was calculated with the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC).

Results

Internal consistency for both questionnaires was excellent (LE t1: α = 0.924, t2: α = 0.952; UE t1: α = 0.957, t2: α = 0.898). A statistically significant correlation was found between the SF-36 physical component scale and the German TESS (LE r = 0.741, UE r = 0.713). The ICC between baseline (t1) and re-test (t2) was 0.952 and 0.871 for the lower and upper extremities, respectively.

Conclusion

Initial evidence demonstrated that the German TESS is a valid and reliable instrument for use with patients after surgical treatment of malignant bone or soft tissue sarcoma.
Attenuation of COVID-19-induced cytokine storm in a young male patient with severe respiratory and neurological symptoms
Authors: Muschitz Christian , Trummert Anita , Berent Theresa , Laimer Norbert , Knoblich Lukas , Bodlaj Gerd , Krainer Alexander , Linder Christoph , Resch Heinrich
Published: April 2021

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the etiological agent of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), produces protean manifestations and causes indiscriminate havoc in multiple organ systems. This rapid and vast production of proinflammatory cytokines contributes to a condition termed cytokine storm. A 35-year-old, otherwise healthy, employed, male patient was tested positive for COVID-19. He was admitted to the hospital on disease day 10 due to retarded verbal reactions and progressive delirium. On account of these conditions and the need for noninvasive/invasive ventilation, a combination treatment with baricitinib and remdesivir in conjunction with standard of care was initiated. The cytokine storm was rapidly blocked, leading to a vast pulmonary recovery with retarded recovery of the central nervous system. We conclude that the rapid blockade of the COVID-19-induced cytokine storm should be considered of avail as a principle of careful decision-making for effective recovery.
Dark matter and torsion
Authors: Grensing G.
Published: April 2021

Superheavy right-handed Majorana neutrinos are proposed as a promising candidate for dark matter, with dynamical axial torsion as the mediating agent.
Automation platform independent multi-agent system for robust networks of production resources in industry 4.0
Authors: Seitz Matthias , Gehlhoff Felix , Cruz Salazar Luis Alberto , Fay Alexander , Vogel-Heuser Birgit
Published: April 2021

The Cyber-Physical Production System (CPPS) is a concept derived from software (cyber) and hardware (physical) applications and is based on global information exchange between such systems. The CPPS is known as a trend of Industry 4.0 (I4.0) focusing on flexibility regarding new products and adaptability to new requirements. This paper focuses on two I4.0 scenarios described by the Platform Industrie 4.0 that describe challenges for the industry towards its digital future. First, it looks at the Order Controlled Production (OCP) scenario that deals with flexible and self-configuring production networks. It describes the dynamic organization of production resources required to execute a production order. Second, the Adaptable Factory (AF) application scenario is discussed, which focuses on the configuration of production resources and describes the adaptability of an individual facility through (physical) modification. This paper first provides a detailed analysis of the requirements from these scenarios. Furthermore, it analyses the current Multi-Agent System (MAS) architectures and agent-based planning and decision support systems requirements. MAS can be used to create application-independent I4.0 systems with arbitrary hardware automation platforms. To create a scalable communication network that also supports application independence and enables the semantically machine-readable description of the exchanged data, the OPC UA standard was adopted. As a result of the study, the concept shows how different and independent automation platforms can be seamlessly connected via OPC UA. The proposed MAS concept has been evaluated in different use cases, namely OCP and AF.
Unmanned Aircraft Systems Performance in a Climate-Controlled Laboratory
Authors: Scanavino Matteo , Avi Arrigo , Vilardi Andrea , Guglieri Giorgio
Published: April 2021

Despite many research studies focus on strategies to improve autopilot capabilities and bring artificial intelligence onboard Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), there are still few experimental activities related to these vehicle performance under unconventional weather conditions. Air temperature and altitudes directly affect thrust and power coefficients of small scale propeller for UAS applications. Reynolds numbers are usually within the range 10,000 to 100,000 and important aerodynamic effects, such as the laminar separation bubbles, occur with a negative impact on propulsion performance. The development of autonomous UAS platforms to reduce pilot work-load and allow Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations requires experimental data to validate capabilities of these innovative vehicles. High quality data are needed for a deep understanding of limitations and opportunities of UAS under unconventional flight conditions. The primary objective of this article is to present the characterization of a propeller and a quadrotor capabilities in a pressure-climate-controlled chamber. Mechanical and electrical data are measured with a dedicated test setup over a wide range of temperatures and altitudes. Test results are presented in terms of thrust and power coefficient trends. The experimental data shows low Reynolds numbers are responsible for degraded thrust performance. Moreover, details on brushless motor capabilities are also discussed considering different temperature and pressure conditions. The experimental data collected in the test campaign will be leveraged to improve UAS design, propulsion system modelling as well as to provide guidelines for safe UAS operations in extreme environments.
On the SQH Method for Solving Differential Nash Games
Authors: Campana Francesca Calà , Borzì Alfio
Published: April 2021

A sequentialquadratic Hamiltonian schemefor solving open-loop differential Nash games is proposed and investigated. This method is formulated in the framework of the Pontryagin maximum principle and represents an efficient and robust extension of the successive approximations strategy for solving optimal control problems. Theoretical results are presented that prove the well-posedness of the proposed scheme, and results of numerical experiments are reported that successfully validate its computational performance.
The Influence of Oxide Color on the Surface Characteristics of Zirconium Alloy ZrNb7 (wt%) After Different Heat Treatments
Authors: Mosbacher Mike , Holzinger Markus , Galetz Mathias , Glatzel Uwe
Published: April 2021

Oxidized zirconium alloys can appear as black, white and all gray shades depending on the heat treatment process. The black color results from a high amount of oxygen vacancies in non-stoichiometric zirconia (ZrO2−x) that effectively reduces the band gap of the material. In this work we compare the surface properties of black and white zirconia on ZrNb7 substrate. An oxidation in air at 600 °C for 1 h results in a dark-gray oxide with only a few micro cracks. Oxidation at low oxygen partial pressure at 600 °C for 8 h (pO2 = 10–19 Pa) generates a dense, totally black oxide scale. A three step heat treatment process, that was introduced for better coating adhesion, results in a white oxide layer with many micro cracks parallel to the surface. From the results of various microscopy and spectroscopy techniques, we derive a model of the layer formation of zirconia on ZrNb7 and give reason why black zirconia, and therefore the oxidation at low oxygen partial pressure, is favorable for tribological applications (e.g., artificial joint replacements).
Decomposition and temperature sensitivity of fine root and leaf litter of 43 mediterranean species
Authors: Bonanomi Giuliano , Idbella Mohamed , Zotti Maurizio , Santorufo Lucia , Motti Riccardo , Maisto Giulia , De Marco Anna
Published: April 2021

Aims

Data on the decomposition of fine roots are scarce for the Mediterranean basin. This work aims to compare chemical traits, decomposition rate, and temperature sensitivity (Q10) for root and leaf litter of 43 Mediterranean species.

Methods

We carried out a two-years litterbag decomposition experiment using 43 fine roots litter and leaf litter types incubated in laboratory conditions at three different temperatures, i.e. 4 °C, 14 °C, and 24 °C. Litter was characterized for carbon (C), nitrogen (N), lignin and cellulose concentration, C/N, and lignin/N ratios.

Results

Fine root litter had lower N content but higher lignin concentration, lignin/N, and C/N ratios compared to leaf litter. The decay rate of fine root litter was slower than leaf litter. For both tissues, the decay rate was negatively associated with lignin concentration, lignin/N, and C/N ratios but positively with N concentration. Q10 was higher for fine root than leaf litter, with a positive correlation with lignin while negative with N concentration.

Conclusions

Our findings demonstrate a higher Q10 accompanied by a slower decomposition rate of fine root litter compared to leaf litter in Mediterranean ecosystems. These results must be considered in modeling organic C at the ecosystem scale.
The Efficient Assessment of Self-Esteem: Proposing the Brief Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale
Authors: Monteiro Renan P. , Coelho Gabriel Lins de Holanda , Hanel Paul H. P. , de Medeiros Emerson Diógenes , da Silva Phillip Dyamond Gomes
Published: April 2021

Self-esteem is defined as sense of self-worth and self-respect, being crucial for understanding people’s well-being and success. It is one of the most studied constructs in the social sciences, with the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) being the most used measure. Across four studies (N = 1450), we tested the psychometric parameters of an abbreviated version of the RSES. Through Item Response Theory, the five best items were selected to form the unidimensional Brief Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (B-RSES), a reliable and valid measure of self-esteem, which is invariant across age groups and gender. In addition, both RSES and B-RSES correlated very similarly with the Big Five Personality Factors. Also, the B-RSES was strongly correlated with three other short measures of self-esteem, besides being more strongly associated with a range of variables such as conscientiousness and self-competence in comparison to the other three short scales. Together, the B-RSES is especially useful in research that requires rapid evaluation and the use of multiple variables.
ProwisT – Ein Instrument zur Einschätzung des professionellen Handlungswissens von Trainer/innen
Authors: Wißhak Susanne , Bonnes Caroline , Hochholdinger Sabine
Published: April 2021

Der vorliegende Beitrag in der Zeitschrift Gruppe. Interaktion. Organisation (GIO) beinhaltet die Vorstellung, theoretische Einordnung und inhaltliche Validierung eines Selbst- und Fremdbewertungsinstruments für Trainerwissen.

Trainer/innen sind Personen, die berufliche und betriebliche Fort- und Weiterbildungsangebote durchführen. Von ihren Kompetenzen und ihrem Wissen hängt die Qualität betrieblicher Weiterbildungen ab. Ausgehend von einer literaturbasierten Anforderungsermittlung wurde zunächst ein Fragebogen bezüglich des von Trainer/innen benötigten professionellen Handlungswissens entwickelt. Dieser Fragebogen lässt sich in einer modifizierten Form, demInstrument zur Einschätzung des professionellen Handlungswissens von Trainer/innen(ProwisT), auch für die Selbst- oder Fremdeinschätzung des Wissens von Trainer/innen einsetzen. Das Instrument umfasst 41 Wissensfacetten, die sich auf 10 übergeordnete, theoretisch fundierte Wissensdimensionen verteilen. Dazu gehören neben dem Wissen über die Planung und Konzeption von Trainings Kenntnisse über Gruppenmanagement, die methodische Umsetzung von Trainings, Diagnostik, bildungswissenschaftliche Grundlagen, individuelle Unterschiede der Teilnehmenden, Fachwissen, fachdidaktisches Wissen, Organisationswissen sowie Kenntnisse über Beratung und Coaching.

Die 41 Wissensfacetten wurden zunächst von 200 Trainer/innen, 253 Teilnehmenden und 93 Personalverantwortlichen auf einer sechsstufigen Skala im Hinblick auf ihre Relevanz für die Trainertätigkeit beurteilt. Mit wenigen Ausnahmen wurde die Relevanz der 41 Facetten durch die Befragten bestätigt. Die Teilnehmenden scheinen bei der Bewertung der Facetten teilweise andere Schwerpunkte zu setzen als Trainer/innen und Personalverantwortliche.

Das modifizierte Instrument ProwisT kann von Trainer/innen zum Abgleich des eigenen professionellen Wissens und damit für eine individualisierte Kompetenzentwicklung genutzt werden. Außerdem kann es als Standard für Trainerausbildungen, Trainingsanbieter und Personalabteilungen dienen.
An algorithm for automatically generating gas, bone and foreign body visualizations from postmortem computed tomography data
Authors: Ebert Lars C. , Seckiner Dilan , Sieberth Till , Thali Michael J. , Franckenberg Sabine
Published: April 2021

Post mortem computed tomography (PMCT) can aid in localizing foreign bodies, bone fractures, and gas accumulations. The visualization of these findings play an important role in the communication of radiological findings. In this article, we present an algorithm for automated visualization of gas distributions on PMCT image data of the thorax and abdomen. The algorithm uses a combination of region growing segmentation and layering of different visualization methods to automatically generate overview images that depict radiopaque foreign bodies, bones and gas distributions in one image. The presented method was tested on 955 PMCT scans of the thorax and abdomen. The algorithm managed to generate useful images for all cases, visualizing foreign bodies as well as gas distribution. The most interesting cases are presented in this article. While this type of visualization cannot replace a real radiological analysis of the image data, it can provide a quick overview for briefings and image reports.
Analytic solution of in-plane vortex–rotor interactions with arbitrary orientation and its impact on rotor trim
Authors: van der Wall Berend G. , van der Wall Lennert B.
Published: April 2021

The general aerodynamic problem of arbitrarily oriented in-plane vortex-rotor interaction was investigated in the past only by numerical simulation. Just one special case of in-plane vortex-rotor interaction with the vortex axis in flight direction was recently solved analytically. In this article, the analytical solution for arbitrary in-plane vortex orientation and position relative to the rotor is given for the first time. The solution of the integrals involved as derived here encompasses and simplifies the previous derivation of the special case significantly. Results provide the vortex impact on rotor trim (thrust, aerodynamic rolling and pitching moments about the hub) and the rotor controls required to mitigate these disturbances. For the special case with the vortex axis in flight direction, the results are identical to the former solution and results for the other in-plane vortex orientations and positions agree with the numerical results obtained so far.
Actual Racial/Ethnic Disparities in COVID-19 Mortality for the Non-Hispanic Black Compared to Non-Hispanic White Population in 35 US States and Their Association with Structural Racism
Authors: Siegel Michael , Critchfield-Jain Isabella , Boykin Matthew , Owens Alicia
Published: April 2021

Introduction

While the increased burden of COVID-19 among the Black population has been recognized, most attempts to quantify the extent of this racial disparity have not taken the age distribution of the population into account. In this paper, we determine the Black–White disparity in COVID-19 mortality rates across 35 states using direct age standardization. We then explore the relationship between structural racism and differences in the magnitude of this disparity across states.

Methods

Using data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, we calculated both crude and age-adjusted COVID-19 mortality rates for the non-Hispanic White and non-Hispanic Black populations in each state. We explored the relationship between a state-level structural racism index and the observed differences in the racial disparities in COVID-19 mortality across states. We explored the potential mediating effects of disparities in exposure based on occupation, underlying medical conditions, and health care access.

Results

Relying upon crude death rate ratios resulted in a substantial underestimation of the true magnitude of the Black–White disparity in COVID-19 mortality rates. The structural racism index was a robust predictor of the observed racial disparities. Each standard deviation increase in the racism index was associated with an increase of 0.26 in the ratio of COVID-19 mortality rates among the Black compared to the White population.

Conclusions

Structural racism should be considered a root cause of the Black–White disparity in COVID-19 mortality. Dismantling the long-standing systems of racial oppression is critical to adequately address both the downstream and upstream causes of racial inequities in the disease burden of COVID-19.
Dueling deep Q-networks for social awareness-aided spectrum sharing
Authors: Wang Yonghua , Li Xueyang , Wan Pin , Chang Le , Deng Xia
Published: April 2021

In overlapping spectrum sharing, due to the complexity of cognitive environment, it is a real challenge for a secondary user (SU) to correctly sense the usage of the spectrum in real time. To tackle this challenge, a social awareness-aided transmit power control policy for SUs is developed. First, a social network composed of a group of third-party sensing nodes that do not share the spectrum with the PU is established, which helps an SU collect the power information of the PU. Then, we design a Dueling Deep Q-Network (DQN) model to achieve efficient dynamic spectrum sharing between the PU and the SU with the power information collected in the social network. Experimental results show that the spectrum sharing success rate is higher and the comprehensive performance is improved with the sensing nodes selected by the social relationship. Moreover, compared with other deep reinforcement learning (DRL) algorithms, the performance of Dueling DQN is more stable on our targeted spectrum sharing problem.
Image resizing by reconstruction from deep features
Authors: Danon Dov , Arar Moab , Cohen-Or Daniel , Shamir Ariel
Published: April 2021

Traditional image resizing methods usually work in pixel space and use various saliency measures. The challenge is to adjust the image shape while trying to preserve important content. In this paper we perform image resizing in feature space using the deep layers of a neural network containing rich important semantic information. We directly adjust the image feature maps, extracted from a pre-trained classification network, and reconstruct the resized image using neural-network based optimization. This novel approach leverages the hierarchical encoding of the network, and in particular, the high-level discriminative power of its deeper layers, that can recognize semantic regions and objects, thereby allowing maintenance of their aspect ratios. Our use of reconstruction from deep features results in less noticeable artifacts than use of imagespace resizing operators. We evaluate our method on benchmarks, compare it to alternative approaches, and demonstrate its strengths on challenging images.
Gestagengabe in der Menopause: Was sind Unterschiede, Vorteile und Nachteile der einzelnen Präparate?
Authors: Gobrecht-Keller Ursula
Published: April 2021

Frauen mit intaktem Uterus müssen bei der Anwendung eines systemisch wirksamen Östrogens zur Endometriumprotektion ein Gestagen erhalten. Gestagene lassen sich in verschiedene Wirkstoffgruppen einteilen, welche unterschiedliche Partialwirkungen haben. Dies bedeutet, dass es keinen Klasseneffekt der Gestagene gibt, sondern die Effekte auf Metabolismus sowie auf hormonsensible Gewebe wie Brust, Endometrium und Knochen variieren können. Mikronisiertes Progesteron und Dydrogesteron scheinen in Hinblick auf Herz-Kreislauf-System und Brust die sicherste Option zu sein. Ihre Effekte auf die Glukosehomöostase und den Lipidstoffwechsel sind neutral. Eine menopausale Hormontherapie, einschliesslich der Wahl des Gestagens, sollte immer entsprechend dem Risikoprofil und den Behandlungszielen der Patientin individualisiert werden.
A review of passivity breakdown on metal surfaces: influence of chloride- and sulfide-ion concentrations, temperature, and pH
Authors: Parangusan Hemalatha , Bhadra Jolly , Al-Thani Noora
Published: April 2021

Metals, including austenitic steels and alloys, have been extensively applied in industrial and engineering applications. Passive films on metal surfaces are very important for corrosion protection. However, localized attack, such as passive film breakdown and the initiation of pits, is found upon exposure of such metals to aggressive ion-containing environments, leading to material failure and prominent adverse economic and safety concerns. For several decades, the mechanism of passivity breakdown and pit nucleation during pitting corrosion has been widely studied. The present article provides a detailed review of passive film breakdown on metal surfaces and the effects of complicated conditions, such as chloride- and sulfide-ion concentrations, temperature, and solution pH, on passivity breakdown. The possible mechanism for passivity breakdown is reviewed and discussed. The composition, structure, and electronic properties of passive layers are of conclusive importance to understand the leading corrosion mechanism, and they have been investigated with different techniques. Furthermore, we aim to present the structure, chemical composition, and electronic properties of passive films on metal surfaces by using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and energy-dispersive spectroscopy. Additionally, the surface morphology of passive films is analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and atomic force microscopy (AFM) techniques. Finally, the effect of chloride- and sulfide-ion concentrations, pH, and temperature on passivity breakdown is discussed in detail.
A threshold-based, real-time analysis in early detection of endpoint anomalies using SIEM expertise
Authors: Eswaran Sivaraman , Srinivasan Aruna , Honnavalli Prasad
Published: April 2021

IT functions in organisations produce enormous quantities of data, logs and events. In the current IT world, handling a large amount of data is a challenging task and it is the responsibility of network administrators to transmit and store the data securely. If any data is disclosed or tampered with by an attacker, either locally or remotely, then the impact can be very high. To overcome this, firewall and intrusion detection system (IDS) and intrusion prevention system (IPS) solutions are used to verify all packets on the network.
Britain and the Intellectual Origins of the League of Nations, 1914–1919
Authors: Kaiga Sakiko
Published: April 2021

In this innovative account of the origins of the idea of the League of Nations, Sakiko Kaiga casts new light on the pro-League of Nations movement in Britain in the era of the First World War, revealing its unexpected consequences for the development of the first international organisation for peace. Combining international, social, intellectual history and international relations, she challenges two misunderstandings about the role of the movement: that their ideas about a league were utopian and that its peaceful ideal appealed to the war-weary public. Kaiga demonstrates how the original post-war plan consisted of both realistic and idealistic views of international relations, and shows how it evolved and changed in tandem with the war. She provides a comprehensive analysis of the unknown origins of the League of Nations and highlights the transformation of international society and of ideas about war prevention in the twentieth century to the present.