bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The 6-min walk test as a new outcome measure in Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Authors: Russo Massimo , Lunetta Christian , Zuccarino Riccardo , Vita Gian L. , Sframeli Maria , Lizio Andrea , La Foresta Stefania , Faraone Cristina , Sansone Valeria A. , Vita Giuseppe , Messina Sonia
Published: September 2020

One of the issues highlighted in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) clinical trials is the lack of appropriate outcome measures. The aim of this multicentric study was to evaluate the 6-min walk test (6MWT) as tool to monitor the natural history of a cohort of ALS patients followed up over a 6-month interval. Forty-four ambulant patients were assessed at baseline and after 1, 3 and 6 months. Eight out of forty-four lost the ability to walk before the end of the study. The 6MWT and the objective measures linked to motor function, such as 10 m walking test (10MWT) and Time-up and go (TUG), the ALSFRS-R and the ALSFRS-R items 7–9 showed a good responsiveness to change over the 6-month interval. There was a strong correlation between 6 and 10MWT, TUG, ALSFRS-R, ALSFRS-R items 7–9 and FVC% at baseline. There was no correlation with Edinburgh Cognitive and Behavioural ALS Screen (ECAS) and Modified Borg Scale (MBS). The Δ of 6MWT from T0 to T6 significantly correlated with the Δs of 10MWT and TUG. There was no correlation with the Δs of ALSFRS-R, ALSFRS-R items 7 9, ECAS, MBS and FVC%. The discordance between changes of the 6MWT and ALSFRS-R at 6 month highlights the different content validity among these instruments. The concordance among 6MWT, 10MWT and TUG indicates that the 6MWT is an objective, sensitive and robust tool to measure motor performances in a longitudinal setting. The main limitations of our study were the small sample size and the high percentage of patients (18%) lost at follow-up. Therefore, further studies on larger cohorts, and exploring the relation between 6MWT and need of ventilator support or survival could strengthen our results.
Experimental investigations on graphene oxide/rubber composite thermal conductivity
Authors: Wilk Joanna , Smusz Robert , Filip Ryszard , Chmiel Grzegorz , Bednarczyk Tomasz
Published: September 2020

Graphene oxide/rubber composites were experimentally investigated for obtaining their thermal properties. Three kinds of the composite matrix material have been used: NBR, HNBR and FKM. The reduced graphene oxide in the form of crumped flakes has been applied as the filler influencing on thermal conductivity of the composites. Two values of graphene oxide weight concentration have been taken into account in the investigation. Thermal conductivity of the composites and basic matrix has been measured by the professional apparatus with the use of the guarded heat plate method. Before measurements the preliminary tests using the simplified comparative method have been performed. The results obtained, both from preliminary tests and using the guarded heat plate method, show an increase in thermal conductivity with increasing the reduced graphene oxide content in the composite. The experimental investigation allowed to determine not only the increase in thermal properties of graphene oxide/rubber composites compared to the basic matrix, but also the absolute values of thermal conductivities. Additionally, the SEM analysis showed that the tested composite samples contain agglomerates of the rGO nanoparticles. The occurrence of agglomerates could affect the composite thermal properties. This was noticed in the comparatively measurements of the temperature of different composites during the heating of samples tested. The maximum enhancement of thermal conductivity obtained was about 11% compared to the basis matrix of the composites tested.
Simulation of hypoxia of myocardial cells in microfluidic systems
Authors: Kobuszewska Anna , Jastrzębska Elżbieta , Żukowski Kamil , Brzózka Zbigniew
Published: September 2020

The paper presents a newly designed microfluidic system that allows simulation of myocardial hypoxia by biochemical method. The geometry of the microsystem was designed in such a way, that quantitative fluorescent measurements using a spectrofluorometric plate reader was possible. Biochemical simulation of hypoxia was carried out using potent mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation uncoupler—Carbonyl cyanide-4-(trifluoromethoxy)phenylhydrazone (FCCP). Two cardiac cell lines were used in the study—rat cardiomyoblasts (H9C2) and human cardiomyocytes. The effectiveness of biochemical simulation of hypoxia was studied using two fluorescent dyes: carbocyanine iodide (JC-1) and Fluo-4. Changes in the mitochondrial membrane potential and concentration of intracellular calcium ions were tested. The major novelty of this research was the applying the microfluidic system to create hypoxia conditions for cardiac cells using the biochemical approach. In further studies, the presented hypoxia model could be used to develop new methods of treatment of ischemic heart disease for example in cell therapy based on stem cells.
Probing arsenic trioxide (ATO) treated leukemia cell elasticities using atomic force microscopy
Authors: Fortier Hélène , Gies Valerie , Variola Fabio , Wang Chen , Zou Shan
Published: September 2020

Nanomechanical indentation method to unveil the relationships among biochemical, structural, morphological, and mechanical response to arsenic trioxide drug treatment.
NIR-II FL/PA dual-modal imaging long-term tracking of human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells labeled with melanin nanoparticles and visible HUMSC-based liver regeneration for acute liver failure
Authors: Cai Wenwen , Sun Jinghua , Sun Yao , Zhao Xuhui , Guo Chunyan , Dong Jie , Peng Xiaoyang , Zhang Ruiping
Published: September 2020

NIR-II FL/PA dual-modal imaging long-term tracking of hUMSCs labeled with melanin nanoparticles and visible treatment for acute liver failure.
Hydrophobicity-driven folding and seeded polymerization of cystine-based dimeric diamides in aqueous media
Authors: Fukaya Natsumi , Ogi Soichiro , Kawashiro Midori , Yamaguchi Shigehiro
Published: September 2020

Hydrophobicity-driven folding of cystine-based dimeric diamides with aromatic substituents at the C- and N-termini slows their spontaneous assembly and thus seeded supramolecular polymerization was achieved in aqueous media.
First-principles calculations of phonon behaviors in graphether: a comparative study with graphene
Authors: Yang Xiaoheng , Han Dan , Fan Hongzhao , Wang Man , Du Mu , Wang Xinyu
Published: September 2020

First-principles calculations are implemented to analyze the thermal transport of graphether in comparison with graphene.
Defect-induced room temperature ferromagnetism in Cu-doped In2S3QDs
Authors: Liu Yi , Xiao Peidong , Du Liyong , Liang Xiao , Zhang Mingzhe
Published: September 2020

It is demonstrated both experimentally and theoretically that In vacancies play a crucial role in inducing ferromagnetism.
Hidden porous boron nitride as a high-efficiency membrane for hydrogen purification
Authors: Lin Shuyi , Xu Meiling , Qu Ziyang , Liang Yiwei , Li Yan , Cui Wenwen , Shi Jingming , Zeng Qingxin , Hao Jian , Li Yinwei
Published: September 2020

A predicted atom-thick porous h′-BN monolayer which possesses excellent selectivity, permeability and mechanical strength for hydrogen purification.
Pyrazine-bridged Cu(ii) chains: diaquabis(n-methyl-2-pyridone)copper(ii) perchlorate complexes
Authors: Kirkman-Davis Emma , Witkos Faith E. , Selmani Veli , Monroe Jeffrey C. , Landee Christopher P. , Turnbull Mark M. , Dawe Louise N. , Polson Matthew I. J. , Wikaira Jan L.
Published: September 2020

Reaction of pz, Cu(ClO4)2 and n-Me-2(1H)-pyridone (L) makes a family of S = ½, AFM chains [CuL2(H2O)2pz](ClO4)2. The compounds were studied by crystallography, EPR and magnetic susceptibility showing a correlation with the Jahn–Teller axis.
Probing the validity of the spinel inversion model: a combined SPXRD, PDF, EXAFS and NMR study of ZnAl2O4
Authors: Sommer Sanna , Bøjesen Espen Drath , Lock Nina , Kasai Hidetaka , Skibsted Jørgen , Nishibori Eiji , Iversen Bo Brummerstedt
Published: September 2020

A range of experimental techniques is used to quantify how disorder varies with synthesis conditions in spinel ZnAl2O4.
All solution-processed ITO free flexible organic light-emitting diodes
Authors: Murat Yolande , Petersons Karlis , Lanka Deepak , Lindvold Lars , Yde Leif , Stensborg Jan , Gerken Martina
Published: September 2020

A top-emitting organic light-emitting diode is fabricated by a solution-process exclusively, using a PEDOT:PSS formulation with a low contact angle.
Proton conductivity studies on five isostructural MOFs with different acidity induced by metal cations
Authors: Zhou Chuan-Cong , Yan Hui , Liu Hou-Ting , Li Rong-Yun , Lu Jing , Wang Su-Na , Li Yun-Wu
Published: September 2020

Five isostructural MOFs display very different proton conductivities despite the same proton transfer pathway. This difference is caused by the different coordination ability between the metal cations and the ligand.
Human spermbots for patient-representative 3D ovarian cancer cell treatment
Authors: Xu Haifeng , Medina-Sánchez Mariana , Zhang Wunan , Seaton Melanie P. H. , Brison Daniel R. , Edmondson Richard J. , Taylor Stephen S. , Nelson Louisa , Zeng Kang , Bagley Steven , Ribeiro Carla , Restrepo Lina P. , Lucena Elkin , Schmidt Christine K. , Schmidt Oliver G.
Published: September 2020

Human-sperm driven micromotors are attractive for locally delivering high concentrations of drug in hard-to-reach disease sites such as cervical cancer and early ovarian cancer lesions by non-invasive means.
Size dependent influence of contact line pinning on wetting of nano-textured/patterned silica surfaces
Authors: Ozcelik H. Gokberk , Satiroglu Ezgi , Barisik Murat
Published: September 2020

A wetting similarity develops as a function of size ratio between the droplet and surface pattern under pinning effects independent of wetting.
Mannich-type allylic C–H functionalization of enol silyl ethers under photoredox–thiol hybrid catalysis
Authors: Nakashima Tsubasa , Ohmatsu Kohsuke , Ooi Takashi
Published: September 2020

The synergy of an Ir-based photosensitizer with mild oxidizing ability and a thiol catalyst enables efficient allylic C–H functionalization of enol silyl ethers with imines under visible light irradiation.
Hybrid red blood cell membrane coated porous silicon nanoparticles functionalized with cancer antigen induce depletion of T cells
Authors: Rahikkala Antti , Fontana Flavia , Bauleth-Ramos Tomás , Correia Alexandra , Kemell Marianna , Seitsonen Jani , Mäkilä Ermei , Sarmento Bruno , Salonen Jarno , Ruokolainen Janne , Hirvonen Jouni , Santos Hélder A.
Published: September 2020

We report a study on the effect of red blood cell membrane based cancer antigen-functionalized nanoparticles on peripheral blood T cells. These nanoparticles induce apoptosis of T cells and they may have use in treating autoimmune diseases.
Diagnostic technologies for COVID-19: a review
Authors: Chen Qi , He Zhenyun , Mao Fujing , Pei Hua , Cao Hongmei , Liu Xing
Published: September 2020

Summary of the latest research progress on detection methods of SARS-CoV-2, providing a reference to develop rapid and accurate diagnostic strategies for COVID-19.
Visual detection of Fusarium proliferatum based on dual-cycle signal amplification and T5 exonuclease
Authors: Wang Ying , Wang Xiaoqiang , Gailing Oliver , Xi Dongmei
Published: September 2020

Schematic illustration of RPA-RCA-assisted dual amplification for visual detection of F. proliferatum.
Several coumarin derivatives and their Pd(ii) complexes as potential inhibitors of the main protease of SARS-CoV-2, anin silicoapproach
Authors: Milenković Dejan A. , Dimić Dušan S. , Avdović Edina H. , Marković Zoran S.
Published: September 2020

Coumarin derivatives and their Pd(ii)-complexes have shown a higher binding potential towards SARS-CoV-2 Mprothanchloroquine/cinanserinalong with lower toxicity.
Syntheses of tetrahydroquinoline-based chiral carbene precursors and the related chiral NHC–Au(i) complex
Authors: Zhan Licheng , Zhang Gengtao , Wang Jiwei , Zhang Jun
Published: September 2020

The facile synthesis of tetrahydroquinoline-based chiral carbene precursors is reported. A rare Au⋯H–C(sp3) interaction between Au(i) and the hydrogen atom was observed in the crystal structure of a related NHC–gold complex.
Spectroscopic and chromatographic investigation of chiral interactions between tiaprofenic acid and alginate–metal-complexes
Authors: Alkhayer Ghaidaa , Khudr Hussein , Koudsi Yahia
Published: September 2020

Five alginate–metal-complexes were prepared in the form of beads. ESR and ee% were reported in some cases indicating chiral interactions between Tia and alginate–metal-complexes. IR investigation was carried out to give proof for these interactions.
Persistent, highly localized, and tunable [4]helicene radicals
Authors: Shaikh Aslam C. , Moutet Jules , Veleta José M. , Hossain Md Mubarak , Bloch Jan , Astashkin Andrei V. , Gianetti Thomas L.
Published: September 2020

We report a series of tunable and persistent [4]-helicene neutral radicals by chemical reduction of the [4]-helicenium cation analogue. EPR spectroscopy and DFT calculations indicate that the unpaired electron is localized at the central carbon atom.
Unraveling the synergy between metal–organic frameworks and co-catalysts in photocatalytic water splitting
Authors: Falletta Stefano , Gono Patrick , Guo Zhendong , Kampouri Stavroula , Stylianou Kyriakos C. , Pasquarello Alfredo
Published: September 2020

Theoretical methodologies for the band alignment at MOF/co-catalyst/water systems revealing the electronic and atomistic mechanisms underlying their photocatalytic performance.
Pressure-driven significant phonon mode softening and robust superconductivity in layered germanium phosphide
Authors: Song Jingyan , Fei Ge , Liu Xiaobing , Duan Shuai , Yang Bingchao , Chen Xin , Singh David J. , Liu Yunxian , Yang Liuxiang , Guo Jiangang , Zhang Ping
Published: September 2020

A remarkable pressure-dependent structural transformation that includes significant phonon mode softening and robust superconductivity is discovered in layered 2D GeP5.
Facile and scalable dry surface doping technique to enhance the electrochemical performance of LiNi0.64Mn0.2Co0.16O2 cathode materials
Authors: Shi Yang , Kim Kitae , Xing Yingjie , Millonig Andrew , Kim Bryan , Wang Lixin , Lee Eunsung , Harrison Chloe , Yu Taehwan , Johnson Derek C. , Lipson Albert L. , Durham Jessica L. , Liu Donghao , Fister Timothy T. , Yu Lei , Wen Jianguo
Published: September 2020

Nd-doped NMC shows significantly improved electrochemical performance.
Flexible conductive MXene/cellulose nanocrystal coated nonwoven fabrics for tunable wearable strain/pressure sensors
Authors: Li Qianming , Yin Rui , Zhang Dianbo , Liu Hu , Chen Xiaoyu , Zheng Yanjun , Guo Zhanhu , Liu Chuntai , Shen Changyu
Published: September 2020

Flexible conductive MXene/cellulose nanocrystal coated polyurethane nonwoven fabrics were designed and developed for wearable strain/pressure sensors with tunable sensing performance.
Tunable ferroelectric single-atom catalysis of CO oxidation using a Pt/In2Se3 monolayer
Authors: Hu Ting , Su Haishan , Li Qiongyu , Kan Erjun
Published: September 2020

Ferroelectric monolayer In2Se3 could be used as an appropriate substrate for Pt single-atom catalysts with high activity for CO oxidation, and the catalytic performance can be well regulated by ferroelectric switch of monolayer In2Se3
Bi–Zn codoping in GeTe synergistically enhances band convergence and phonon scattering for high thermoelectric performance
Authors: Guo Zhe , Zhang Qiang , Wang Hongxiang , Tan Xiaojian , Shi Fanfan , Xiong Chenglong , Man Na , Hu Haoyang , Liu Guoqiang , Jiang Jun
Published: September 2020

Bi–Zn codoping promotes valence band convergence and strengthens multiple defect-phonon scattering in GeTe, leading to obviously improved thermoelectric properties.
Rapid and sensitive detection of nitric oxide by a BODIPY-based fluorescent probe in live cells: glutathione effects
Authors: Li Hao , Hao Yu-Hao , Feng Wei , Song Qin-Hua
Published: September 2020

Glutathione effects on the sensing reaction toward nitric oxide in live cells.
Daunomycin delivery by ultrasmall graphene quantum dots to DNA duplexes: understanding the dynamics by resonance energy transfer
Authors: Sinha Riya , Purkayastha Pradipta
Published: September 2020

Crystalline graphene quantum dots are shown to carry daunomycin to DNA via π–π stacking with the planar anthracenyl moiety of the drug.
Plasmonic metal carbide SERS chips
Authors: Lan Leilei , Fan Xingce , Gao Yimeng , Li Guoqun , Hao Qi , Qiu Teng
Published: September 2020

Plasmonic tungsten carbide, niobium carbide, titanium carbide and molybdenum carbide chips possess remarkable SERS activity.
Deciphering the role of quantum dot size in the ultrafast charge carrier dynamics at the perovskite–quantum dot interface
Authors: Piatkowski Piotr , Masi Sofia , Galar Pavel , Gutiérrez Mario , Ngo Thi Tuyen , Mora-Seró Iván , Douhal Abderrazzak
Published: September 2020

Charge-carrier transfer (CT) from the perovskite host to PbS QDs were studied using fs-transient absorption and THz techniques. The CT rate constants increase with the size of QDs due to a change in the position of valence and conduction bands in PbS QDs.
Photo-tunable organic resistive random access memory based on PVP/N-doped carbon dot nanocomposites for encrypted image storage
Authors: Lin Ya , Zhang Xue , Shan Xuanyu , Zeng Tao , Zhao Xiaoning , Wang Zhongqiang , Kang Zhenhui , Xu Haiyang , Liu Yichun
Published: September 2020

A photo-tunable and flexible organic RRAM device based on poly(4-vinylphenol) (PVP) and N-doped carbon quantum dot nanocomposites for encrypted image storage.
Resolving color differences of comet 41P/Tuttle-Giacobini-Kresák
Authors: Luk’yanyk Igor , Zubko Evgenij , Videen Gorden , Ivanova Oleksandra , Kochergin Anton
Published: September 2020

Three different measurement campaigns have resulted in three drastically different sets of color measurements of Comet 41P/Tuttle-Giacobini-Kresák, ranging from a strongly red to a strongly blue color. Although the color slope is normalized to the wavelength range between the filters used, this only serves to partially normalize the resulting color, as the reflectance of cometary dust has a very strong dependence on particle absorption, which may change significantly over the wavelength range of measurement. We demonstrate that the different measurements are physical and are consistent with real materials; for example, we are able to reproduce the color measured during one epoch in which both strong blue and red color slopes were measured almost simultaneously in different filter sets with the mineral dust pyroxene. Such measurements with different filter sets serve as an additional constraint in modeling dust properties.
The XXL Survey
Authors: Trudeau A. , Garrel C. , Willis J. , Pierre M. , Gastaldello F. , Chiappetti L. , Ettori S. , Umetsu K. , Adami C. , Adams N. , Bowler R. A. A. , Faccioli L. , Häußler B. , Jarvis M. , Koulouridis E. , Le Fevre J. P. , Pacaud F. , Poggianti B. , Sadibekova T.
Published: September 2020

Context.Distant galaxy clusters provide an effective laboratory in which to study galaxy evolution in dense environments and at early cosmic times.

Aims.We aim to identify distant galaxy clusters as extended X-ray sources that are coincident with overdensities of characteristically bright galaxies.

Methods.We used optical and near-infrared data from the Hyper Suprime-Cam and VISTA Deep Extragalactic Observations (VIDEO) surveys to identify distant galaxy clusters as overdensities of bright,zphot ≥ 0.8 galaxies associated with extended X-ray sources detected in the ultimate XMM extragalactic survey (XXL).

Results.We identify a sample of 35 candidate clusters at 0.80 ≤ z ≤ 1.93 from an approximately 4.5 deg2sky area. This sample includes 15 newly discovered candidate clusters, ten previously detected but unconfirmed clusters, and ten spectroscopically confirmed clusters. Although these clusters host galaxy populations that display a wide variety of quenching levels, they exhibit well-defined relations between quenching, cluster-centric distance, and galaxy luminosity. The brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs) within our sample display colours that are consistent with a bimodal population composed of an old and red sub-sample together with a bluer, more diverse sub-sample.

ConclusionsThe relation between galaxy masses and quenching seem to already be in place atz ∼ 1, although there is no significant variation in the quenching fraction with the cluster-centric radius. The BCG bimodality might be explained by the presence of a younger stellar component in some BCGs, but additional data are needed to confirm this scenario.
Finite-time stabilization in optimal time of homogeneous quasilinear hyperbolic systems in one dimensional space
Authors: Coron Jean-Michel , Nguyen Hoai-Minh
Published: September 2020

We consider the finite-time stabilization of homogeneous quasilinear hyperbolic systems with one side controls and with nonlinear boundary condition at the other side. We present time-independent feedbacks leading to the finite-time stabilization in any time larger than the optimal time for the null controllability of the linearized system if the initial condition is sufficiently small. One of the key technical points is to establish the local well-posedness of quasilinear hyperbolic systems with nonlinear, non-local boundary conditions.
Synthesis and Characterization of Ni-Zn-Fe Alloy as an Electrocatalyst for Alkaline Water Electrolysis
Authors: Vicente Del Castillo Rubi Rugi , Angelynne Fabro Marie , Bianda Dela Rosa Milton , Angelica Abello Diongson Maria , Hyun Lee Gee , Ramos Mondala Angelica , May Rubio Piamonte Kathleen , Laila Hamidah Nur
Published: September 2020

Binary alloy of metals is an effective catalyst for hydrogen evolution using water electrolysis. The development of non-noble and low-cost material is very promising used as catalysis. Here, this work focuses on the electrodeposition of Ni-Fe-Zn as electrocatalyst for alkaline water electrolysis. Ni-Zn-Fe was deposited using co-deposition method at various potentials and plating times. The produced electrocatalyst was characterized using X-ray diffraction spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscope. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) was used to characterize the electrochemical behaviour of the alloy in 1.0 M KOH. The metaphase of Ni-Zn-Fe alloys showed in XRD spectra which present the electrodeposits of metal alloys. The SEM spectra captured the agglomerates particle with rougher morphology and larger surface area which highly desirable for solid catalysts. Electrodeposition of the alloy showed that for every increase in voltage corresponds to an increase of 0.12 607 on the mass deposit. CV scan showed the hydrogen oxidation process. The forward and backward passes follow the same trace which indicates that no other reaction is taking place during the first CV scan. These results indicate the excellent catalytic activity of Ni-Zn-Fe electrocatalyst for bright prospect of hydrogen production by alkaline water electrolysis.
Patients with chronic diseases: tomorrow, all sentinels?
Authors: Cohen Jean-David , Crozet Cyril , d’Ivernois Jean-François , Gagnayre Rémi
Published: September 2020

Very old studies and clinical experiences of physicians already signal the ability of some patients to feel subclinical signs. These patients are called sentinel patients because they can anticipate crisis very early and therefore intervene quickly to prevent them. Studies have shown that these patients develop these skills from their own experience, in steps which are similar to quasi-experimental research. They test and adjust their competence all the more easily as they have an objective external measure available. This faculty of patients suggests the possibility of using medical devices as a means of learning for patients to tutor themselves in support of this singular skill.
Operationen an der ältesten Uni Deutschlands: Das Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg
Authors: Hardinghaus Christian
Published: September 2020

Alleine des schönen Standortes wegen gehört die 1386 gegründete Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg seit Jahrzehnten zu den beliebtesten Universitäten Deutschlands. Im Studiensemester 2019/2020 hat sie es aber allen anderen deutschen Universitäten auch fachlich gezeigt. Im QS World Ranking belegt die Uni Heidelberg mit Platz 66 nach der TU München (55) und der LMU München (63) den dritten deutschen Platz der 100 angesehensten Universitäten weltweit. Die ausgezeichnete Exzellenzuniversität gehört zu den 11 Elite-Universitäten Deutschlands. Entscheidend dazu beigetragen hat der besondere Ruf der medizinischen Fakultät, die allerdings in ihrer langen Geschichte nicht immer beliebt war. Im Jahre 1800 wollten hier gerade mal 5 eingeschriebene Studenten Ärzte werden. Doch inzwischen ist viel Wasser den Neckar hinuntergelaufen. Mehr als 3600 Medizinstudenten sind heute immatrikuliert. Das angegliederte Universitätsklinikum gehört heute mit knapp 2000 Betten und 1781 Ärzten zu den international renommiertesten biomedizinischen Forschungseinrichtungen und zu den größten medizinischen Zentren Deutschlands.
UEMS Section and Board of Paediatric Surgery—A Historical Perspective
Authors: Parigi Gian Battista , Rolle Udo , Cascio Salvatore , Williams Jacob , Czauderna Piotr
Published: September 2020

The European Union of Medical Specialists (UEMS) Section and Board of Pediatric surgery was founded more than 40 years ago. Since then major activities have been related to the improvement of quality of care of pediatric surgery in Europe. Remarkable success was achieved in the development of pediatric surgery as an independent specialty all over Europe. Other major successful activities of the UEMS Section and Board of Pediatric Surgery consisted of the development of a high-quality European examination and delineating a minimal common standard in pediatric surgery training in the form of European training requirements. Recommendations drawn from examination experience support that candidates who achieve weaker passes in part 1 may wish to consider more practice before attempting part 2 due to the weak correlation between the two scores. It may be helpful for candidates to consider having some experience working in an English-speaking clinical setting, if not truly fluent in English, to improve their chances of being successful in the part 2 examination. Other achievements of the Section were accreditation of the training centers in Europe and European Census in pediatric surgery project. All the aforementioned activities led to standardization and harmonization of pediatric surgery, as well as contributed to increasing quality of pediatric surgical service throughout Europe.
Efficacy of Circumferential Intensive Phototherapy in Treating Neonatal Hyperbilirubinemia: A Pilot Study
Authors: Yang Fei , Liu Yingying , Zheng Fang , Yao Qiang , Mo Weinong
Published: September 2020

Objective The present study was aimed at developing a circumferential phototherapy unit using 3M reflective materials in the double-sided phototherapy unit and investigating its efficacy in treating neonatal hyperbilirubinemia.

Study Design Forty-two infants with neonatal hyperbilirubinemia were selected from our hospital; they were randomly divided into control (n = 21) and experimental groups (n = 21). The experimental group was treated with the circumferential phototherapy unit, while the control group was treated with an ordinary phototherapy unit.

Results No significant differences were noted between the two groups in the levels of transcutaneous bilirubin before phototherapy (p > 0.05). After 12 hours of phototherapy, the value of transcutaneous bilirubin decreased significantly in the experimental group compared with that of the control group (p < 0.05). Additionally, the two groups did not exhibit any significant difference in the side effects (p > 0.05).

Conclusion Our results indicated that the circumferential phototherapy unit was more effective than the ordinary phototherapy unit in treating neonatal hyperbilirubinemia.

Key Points
Surgical Resection of Hepatoblastoma: Factors Affecting Local Recurrence
Authors: Younes Alaa , Elgendy Ahmed , Fadel Sayed , Romeih Marwa , Elwakeel Madeeha , Salama Asmaa , Azer Magda , Ahmed Gehad
Published: September 2020

Introduction This study aimed to investigate potential factors contributing to local recurrence after surgical resection of hepatoblastoma (HB).

Materials and Methods This retrospective study involving all patients with HB who underwent nontransplant surgery at our tertiary center between July 2007 and July 2018. Data were analyzed regarding microscopic surgical resection margin, tumor multifocality and extracapsular tumor extension in correlation with local recurrence. These relations were assessed by logistic regression.

Results The study included 133 patients with a median age of 1.3 years (range: 0.5–12.8 years). They were classified into 99 cases (74.44%) standard risk and 34 cases (25.56%) high risk. Delayed surgical resection was adopted in all patients. Follow-up to July 2019 revealed that 23 patients (23/133, 17.3%) developed local recurrence, whereas the remaining 110 were locally disease free. Microscopic positive margin (R1) was detected in 29 patients, 8 of them had local recurrence (p = 0.097). Regarding tumor multifocality, there were 12 patients who had multifocal lesions, 3 of them developed local recurrence (p = 0.459). Forty-four patients had extracapsular tumor extension in their pathological reports, 12 of them had local recurrence (p = 0.032).

Conclusion Extracapsular tumor extension was a significant prognostic factor of local recurrence after surgical resection of HB. R1 margin does not necessarily require a second resection, and it could achieve accepted results when combined with adjuvant platinum-based chemotherapy. However, patients who are not eligible for surgical resection must be transferred for primary transplantation to obtain favorable outcome.
Romancing science for global solutions: on narratives and interpretative schemas of science diplomacy
Authors: Rungius Charlotte , Flink Tim
Published: September 2020

In recent years, the concept of science diplomacy has gained remarkable ground in public policy. Calling for closer cooperation between actors from science and foreign policy, it is often being promulgated as a hitherto neglected catalyst for international understanding and global change. On what grounds science diplomacy entertains these high hopes, however, has remained unclear, and—as a blind spot—unaddressed in a discourse mostly shaped by policy practitioners. Recognizing that the discourse on science diplomacy is still unspecific about how its means and ends should fit together and be comprehended, we reconstruct the concept and its discourse as a materialization of actors’ interpretative schemas and shared assumptions about the social world they constantly need to make sense of. Science diplomacy is presented as a panacea against looming threats and grand challenges in a world facing deterioration. The prerequisite for such a solutionistic narrative is a simplified portrait of diplomacy in need of help from science that—romanticized in this discourse—bears but positive properties and exerts rationalizing, collaborative and even pacifying effects on a generic international community in its collective efforts to tackle global challenges. We conclude that these interpretative schemas that idealize and mythify science as overall collaborative, rationalizing and complexity-reducing are problematic. First, because the discourse misconceives ideals and norms for real and will therefore disappoint social expectations, and second, because science is likely to be instrumentalised for political purposes.
The impact of legal expertise on moral decision-making biases
Authors: Baez Sandra , Patiño-Sáenz Michel , Martínez-Cotrina Jorge , Aponte Diego Mauricio , Caicedo Juan Carlos , Santamaría-García Hernando , Pastor Daniel , González-Gadea María Luz , Haissiner Martín , García Adolfo M. , Ibáñez Agustín
Published: September 2020

Traditional and mainstream legal frameworks conceive law primarily as a purely rational practice, free from affect or intuition. However, substantial evidence indicates that human decision-making depends upon diverse biases. We explored the manifestation of these biases through comparisons among 45 criminal judges, 60 criminal attorneys, and 64 controls. We examined whether these groups’ decision-making patterns were influenced by (a) the information on the transgressor’s mental state, (b) the use of gruesome language in harm descriptions, and (c) ongoing physiological states. Judges and attorneys were similar to controls in that they overestimated the damage caused by intentional harm relative to accidental harm. However, judges and attorneys were less biased towards punishments and harm severity ratings to accidental harms. Similarly, they were less influenced in their decisions by either language manipulations or physiological arousal. Our findings suggest that specific expertise developed in legal settings can attenuate some pervasive biases in moral decision processes.
Ion-beam induced luminescence and optical response measurement setup at IGCAR: First experimental results
Authors: Srivastava S. K. , Gangopadhyay P. , Chinnathambi S. , Magudapathy P.
Published: September 2020

A multipurpose novel experimental setup has been developed for the in situ measurements of ion-beam induced luminescence, optical response, and time-resolved photoluminescence spectroscopy of materials. A low-energy ion accelerator (terminal voltage of 150 kV) has been coupled with the spectrometer for the experiments. Measurements show a drastic increase in the luminescence intensity at 425 nm with the maximum fluence of 120 keV He+ ion irradiation on pure monoclinic ZrO2 samples. The maximum luminescence intensity is found to increase systematically with the ion fluences. An excess of oxygen defects in irradiated ZrO2 samples is thought to be the reason for the increase in the luminescence intensity. In addition, the He+ ion-beam induced increase in optical responses at 425 nm in Ag+ ion-exchanged soda glass samples, for example, has been observed on ion irradiation. The unique in situ experimental setup demonstrates and opens new opportunities to study irradiation controllable defects in materials and ion-beam induced optical responses in glass samples.
Molecular dynamics simulation of soundwave propagation in a simple fluid
Authors: Asano Yuta , Watanabe Hiroshi , Noguchi Hiroshi
Published: September 2020

A molecular dynamics (MD) simulation was performed to study the propagation of soundwaves in a fluid. Soundwaves are generated by a sinusoidally oscillating wall and annihilated by a locally applied Langevin thermostat near the opposite wall. The waveform changes from sinusoidal to sawtooth with increasing wave amplitude. For low-frequency sounds, the simulation results show a very good agreement with Burgers’s equation without any fitting parameters. In contrast, for high-frequency sounds, significant deviations are obtained because of acoustic streaming. The speed of sound can be directly determined from the Fourier transform of a waveform with high accuracy. Although obtaining the attenuation rate directly from the simulation results is difficult because of the nonlinear effects of the wave amplitude, it can be estimated via Burgers’s equation. The results demonstrate that MD simulations are a useful tool for the quantitative analysis of soundwaves.
A carbide-free bainitic steel with high-ductility by dynamic transformation during coiling process
Authors: Zhao F. Y. , Chen P. , Xu B. Y. , Yu Q. , Wang G. D. , Yi H. L.
Published: September 2020

A new hot-rolled alloy of carbide-free bainite has been proposed for heavy trucks frames. It involves dynamic bainite transformation during the prolonged cooling of the coiling process after hot-rolling. The new hot-rolled Fe-0.5C-2.9Mn-2.3Al (in wt-%) steels exhibit tensile strength of 1110 MPa with a combined total elongation of 35%. The alloy has been re-heat-treated with one step and two steps isothermal bainitic transformation to study the effect of microstructure evolution and microstructure-property relationship. The transformation-induced plasticity (TRIP) effect of retained austenite has been discussed and revealed as the main contributor for the high ductility of bainitic steels. The formation of the cracks at fracture regions after tensile deformation, which is associated with the austenite stability and morphology, has been observed and discussed.
Making linear multimedia interactive: questions, solutions and types of reflection
Authors: Lebedev Petr , Lindstrøm Christine , Sharma Manjula Devi
Published: September 2020

Typically, the format of online physics educational videos is closer in style to direct instruction rather than being interactive. One simple way of making videos more interactive is asking questions in one video, providing solutions in the second and seeking student reflection. This study utilises two physics education videos by Derek Muller (Veritasium) which were deployed with 508 first year physics students at The University of Sydney. The students watched the first video, which asked four physics questions, and were prompted to write down their answers. After this, the students were shown the solutions video and asked whether they changed, or did not change their answer, and their reasons for doing so. Data were analysed with a mixed-methods approach. While students whose answers did not match the solutions mostly modified their answers, a nontrivial percentage did not. An interesting finding is that the reasons provided for modifying or not modifying their answers are similar, or ‘mirrors’ of each other. We comment on the nature of the questions and the opportunities for learning by incorporating reflective thinking, particularly through videos that use a question, solution & reflection style.
Do bras and kets have dimensions?
Authors: Semay Claude , Willemyns Cintia T
Published: September 2020

The bra and ket notation introduced by Dirac and the dimensional analysis are two powerful tools for the physicist. Curiously, almost nothing is said about the connections between these two topics in the literature. We show here that the notion of dimensions is relevant for bras and kets. This could help students to grasp a better comprehension of this abstract notation.
Extreme sensitivity of plasmon drag to surface modification
Authors: Ronurpraful T , Jerop N , Koech A , Thompson K , Noginova N
Published: September 2020

Giant enhancement of photocurrents in plasmonic structures (plasmon drag effect) provides opportunities for compact electric monitoring of plasmonic effects, and thus is promising for plasmonic-based sensing applications. In the experiment, we measure photoinduced electric signals in flat and profile-modulated systems, and test their sensitivity to small changes of the local dielectric environment, such as a presence of Langmuir–Blodgett monolayers at the metal surface. We show that the addition of a stearic acid monolayer leading to a small shift in plasmon resonance conditions can be ultimately resolved with electrical measurements as the switching in the photovoltage polarity.
Pressure induced superconductivity in a CeRhSi3 single crystal—the high pressure study
Authors: Staško Daniel , Valenta Jaroslav , Kratochvílová Marie , Prchal Jiří , Proschek Petr , Klicpera Milan
Published: September 2020

Pressure induced superconductivity in non-centrosymmetric CeRhSi3 and CeIrSi3 compounds has attracted significant attention of the scientific community since its discovery 15 years ago. Up-to-date, all reported experimental results were obtained employing the hybrid-cylinder piston pressure cells with a maximum reachable pressure of 3 GPa. Present study focuses on the superconducting state at higher, so far unreported, pressures using the Bridgman anvil cell and a CeRhSi3 single crystal synthesized by the Sn-true-flux method. The initial increase of superconducting critical temperature from 0.4 K at 1.1 GPa to 1.1 K at 2.4 GPa is followed by a gradual suppression of superconducting state upon increasing the pressure above 3.0 GPa, forming a typical dome. The pressure induced superconductivity is expected to be completely suppressed in the pressure region between 4.5 and 5.0 GPa. Temperature dependence of electrical resistivity in constant magnetic fields and high pressures, as well as the magnetoresistance measurements, reveal a large critical field, exceeding 19 T at 0.6 K and 2.4 GPa, sharply decreasing receding the superconductivity dome. The previously reported T–p and H–T phase diagrams are completed by our high-pressure data and discussed in the frame of previous results.
A Monte Carlo approach to simulate dendritic microstructures during binary alloy solidification
Authors: Pal Prabhakar , Abhishek G S , Karagadde Shyamprasad
Published: September 2020

A Monte Carlo (MC) approach to model the evolution of microstructures during the binary alloy solidification process has been presented. The evolution of these microstructures is comprehensively modelled by ensuring a local minimization of free energy taking into account the contributions of the free energy change during phase transformation, solid-liquid interfacial energy, interfacial energy anisotropy and grain boundary energy, which are some of the ignored aspects of the existing MC models. Further, the effect of imposed orientation is also represented in this model. The proposed method is able to simulate the preferential growth of cubic structures in ⟨100⟩ direction, growth of large number of grains and competition among them, and also incorporates the grain boundary energetics. The model is applied to simulate the growth of free and constrained dendrites, the transition from stable to cellular and dendritic growth under different growth conditions. Growth of multiple grains, the competition during columnar growth, columnar to equiaxed transition by seeding the undercooled melt with solid phase and the impingement of equiaxed grains has also been simulated using this model.
Near-field enhancement in oxidized close gap aluminum dimers
Authors: Simeone Daniela , Tasco Vittorianna , Esposito Marco , Manoccio Mariachiara , Lorenzo Daniela , Scuderi Mario , Luca Antonio De , Cabrini Stefano , Passaseo Adriana , Cuscunà Massimo
Published: September 2020

Aluminum bowtie nanoantennas represent a possibility to confine and enhance electromagnetic (EM) field at optical frequencies in subwavelength regions by using an abundant and inexpensive metal. The native oxidation process of this metal is often viewed as a limitation for its application in plasmonics. Here, we show that in close gap configurations, the high refractive index of the native aluminum oxide helps in squeezing the plasmonic mode in extremely reduced size volumes, providing a higher EM near-field confinement and enhancement in the bowtie antenna gaps than achieved in the pure aluminum counterpart.

Hence, the study provides new perspectives in the use of such a plasmonic antenna geometry within this aluminum system, which can be useful for improving plasmonics-enabled effects such as surface-enhanced Raman scattering- and light–matter interaction in strong coupling regime.
A fully digital bridge towards the realization of the farad from the quantum Hall effect
Authors: Marzano Martina , Ortolano Massimo , D’Elia Vincenzo , Müller André , Callegaro Luca
Published: September 2020

This paper presents the implementation of an electronic fully-digital impedance bridge optimized for RC comparisons with equal impedance magnitudes, together with an evaluation of the uncertainty. This bridge has been designed with the goal of realizing the farad directly from the quantum Hall effect with a bridge uncertainty component at the 10−7 level. Thanks to its simple design, ease of operation and affordability, this bridge is suitable to be industrially manufactured. Together with the increasing availability of graphene quantum Hall resistance standards, this can provide an affordable quantum realization of the unit farad for metrology institutes and calibration centres.

In this paper we present the uncertainty budget of an example measurement and the results of the validation of the bridge against a suitably modified version of the traceability chain of the Italian national standard of capacitance. The combined uncertainty of the bridge resulted from repeated measurements (overall measurement time of about 200 min) is 9.2 × 10−8, suitable for the primary realization of the unit of capacitance from a quantized Hall resistance standard. The crosstalk among the channels of the electrical generator is the most significant uncertainty component, possibly reducible with internal shielding and filtering of the electronic generator.
Numerical analysis of influencing factors on heat storage time of phase change material in an inclination rectangular cavity based on orthogonal method
Authors: Wang Yong , Dai Jingmin , Xiao Peng
Published: September 2020

In this paper, factors affecting the completely melting time of phase change material (PCM) in a rectangular cavity are analyzed. The influence of three factors including inclination angle of the cavity, heating temperature, and geometry of the cavity on completely melting time is discussed under the boundary condition of single size heating and double sizes heating respectively, while other sides are considered to be adiabatic. A two-dimensional mathematical model is established for the simulation analysis and verified by experiments. In order to analyze the influence of all factors on the completely melting time, the orthogonal analysis method is adopted, and the range analysis method is used to determine the influence of three factors on the completely melting time. Based on the orthogonal analysis, it can be found that the heating temperature is the most significant factor during single side heating, while geometry of the cavity is the most important factor during double sides heating. The results will be helpful to optimize the structure of PCM component used for energy storage system or temperature control structure.
Design of 3-D FSS with high selectivity based on ELC resonators and spoof-SPPs
Authors: Xu Bingzheng , Jia Shengli , Zheng Ting
Published: September 2020

The paper proposes a simple band stop frequency selective surface (FSS) design method based on spoof surface plasmon polaritons (spoof-SPPs). The novel FSS design is obtained by combing three-dimension (3-D) FSS and ultra-thin periodic corrugated metallic strip which supports spoof-SPPs. By placing electric-LC (ELC) resonators on the FSS surface at the bottom centre of the corrugated strip, the tight coupling occurs and we show that the SPP modes are rejected near the resonance frequencies of ELC resonators. The steep roll-off at both sides of the stopband can be demonstrated by the ELC resonators, which can find potential applications in wideband antenna radome. In addition, the 3-D FSS shows relatively stable performance with different oblique incidence angles.