bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Improved efficiency and stability of perovskite solar cells with molecular ameliorating of ZnO nanorod/perovskite interface and Mg-doping ZnO*
Authors: Zhang Zhenyun , Xu Lei , Qi Junjie
Published: December 2020

Despite the advanced efficiency of perovskite solar cells (PSCs), electron transportation is still a pending issue. Here the polymer polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) is used to enhance the electron injection, which is thanks to the passivation of the defects at the interface between the ZnO electron transporting layer (ETL) and the perovskite. The application of the PVP layer inhibits the device degradation, and 80% of the primary efficiency is kept after 30 d storage in air condition. Additionally, the efficiency of the device is further enhanced by improving the conductivity and crystallinity of the ZnO ETL via Magnesium (Mg) doping in the ZnO nanorods (ZnO NRs). Moreover, the preparation parameters of the ZnO NRs are optimized. By employing the high-crystallinity ZnO ETL and the PVP layer, the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of the champion device is increased from 16.29% to 19.63%. These results demonstrate the advantages of combining mesoscale manipulation with interface modification and doping together.
A proposal for preparation of cluster states with linear optics*
Authors: Ju Le , Yang Ming , Xue Peng
Published: December 2020

Measurement-based quantum computation in an optical setup shows great promise towards the implementation of large-scale quantum computation. The difficulty of measurement-based quantum computation lies in the preparation of cluster state. In this paper, we propose the method of generating the large-scale cluster state, which is a platform for measurement-based quantum computation. In order to achieve more complex quantum circuits, the preparation protocol of N-photon cluster state will be proposed as a generalization of the preparation of four- and five-photon cluster states. Furthermore, our proposal is experimentally feasible.
Dissipative preparation of multipartite Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger states of Rydberg atoms*
Authors: Yang Chong , Li Dong-Xiao , Shao Xiao-Qiang
Published: December 2020

The multipartite Greenberger–Horne–Zeilinger (GHZ) states play an important role in large-scale quantum information processing. We utilize the polychromatic driving fields and the engineered spontaneous emissions of Rydberg states to dissipatively drive three- and four-partite neutral atom systems into the steady GHZ states, at the presence of the next-nearest neighbor interaction of excited Rydberg states. Furthermore, the introduction of quantum Lyapunov control can help us optimize the dissipative dynamics of the system so as to shorten the convergence time of the target state, improve the robustness against the spontaneous radiations of the excited Rydberg states, and release the limiting condition for the strengths of the polychromatic driving fields. Under the feasible experimental conditions, the fidelities of three- and four-partite GHZ states can be stabilized at 99.24 % and 98.76 %, respectively.
Observation of trapped and passing runaway electrons by infrared camera in the EAST tokamak*
Authors: Zhang Yong-Kuan , Zhou Rui-Jie , Hu Li-Qun , Chen Mei-Wen , Chao Yan , Zhang Jia-Yuan , Li Pan
Published: December 2020

In EAST, synchrotron radiation is emitted by runaway electrons in the infrared band, which can be observed by infrared cameras. This synchrotron radiation is mainly emitted by passing runaway electrons with tens of MeV energy. A common feature of radiation dominated by passing runaway electrons is that it is strongest on the high field side. However, the deeply trapped runaway electrons cannot reach the high field side in principle. Therefore, in this case, the high field side radiation is expected to be weak. This paper reports for the first time that the synchrotron radiation from trapped runaway electrons dominates that from passing runaway electrons and is identifiable in an image. Although the synchrotron radiation dominated by trapped runaway electrons can be observed in experiment, the proportion of trapped runaway electrons is very low.
Monte Carlo simulations of electromagnetically induced transparency in a square lattice of Rydberg atoms*
Authors: Zhai Shang-Yu , Wu Jin-Hui
Published: December 2020

We study the steady optical response of a square lattice in which all trapped atoms are driven by a probe and a coupling fields into the ladder configuration of electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT). It turns out to be a many-body problem in the presence of van der Waals (vdW) interaction among atoms in the upmost Rydberg state, so Monte Carlo (MC) calculation based on density matrix equations have been done after introducing a sufficiently large cut-off radius. It is found that the absorption and dispersion of EIT spectra depends critically on a few key parameters like lattice dimension, unitary vdW shift, probe Rabi frequency, and coupling detuning. Through modulating these parameters, it is viable to change symmetries of the absorption and dispersion spectra and control on demand depth and position of the transparency window. Our MC calculation is expected to be instructive in understanding many-body quantum coherence effects and in manipulating non-equilibrium quantum phenomena by utilizing vdW interactions of Rydberg atoms.
Quantum dynamics on a lossy non-Hermitian lattice*
Authors: Wang Li , Liu Qing , Zhang Yunbo
Published: December 2020

We investigate quantum dynamics of a quantum walker on a finite bipartite non-Hermitian lattice, in which the particle can leak out with certain rate whenever it visits one of the two sublattices. Quantum walker initially located on one of the non-leaky sites will finally totally disappear after a length of evolution time and the distribution of decay probability on each unit cell is obtained. In one regime, the resultant distribution shows an expected decreasing behavior as the distance from the initial site increases. However, in the other regime, we find that the resultant distribution of local decay probability is very counterintuitive, in which a relatively high population of decay probability appears on the edge unit cell which is the farthest from the starting point of the quantum walker. We then analyze the energy spectrum of the non-Hermitian lattice with pure loss, and find that the intriguing behavior of the resultant decay probability distribution is intimately related to the existence and specific property of the edge states, which are topologically protected and can be well predicted by the non-Bloch winding number. The exotic dynamics may be observed experimentally with arrays of coupled resonator optical waveguides.
Impact of the spatial coherence on self-interference digital holography*
Authors: Chao Xingbing , Gao Yuan , Ding Jianping , Wang Hui-Tian
Published: December 2020

Owing to the unique feature that the signal and reference waves of self-interference digital holography (SIDH) contain the same spatial information from the same point of object, compared with conventional digital holography, the SIDH has the special spatial coherence properties. We present a statistical optics approach to analyzing the formation of cross-correlation image in SIDH. Our study reveals that the spatial coherence of illumination light can greatly influence the imaging characteristics of SIDH, and the impact extent of the spatial coherence depends substantially on the recording distance of hologram. The theoretical conclusions are supported well by numerical simulation and optical experiments.
Setup of a dipole trap for all-optical trapping*
Authors: Wang Miao , Chen Zheng , Huang Yao , Guan Hua , Gao Ke-Lin
Published: December 2020

Micromotion induced by the radio-frequency field contributes greatly to the systematic frequency shifts of optical frequency standards. Although different strategies for mitigating this effect have been proposed, trapping ions optically has the potential to provide a generic solution to the elimination of micromotion. This could be achieved by trapping a single ion in the dipole trap composed of a highpower laser field. Here, we present the setup of the dipole trap composed of a 532 nm laser at a power of 10 W aiming to optically trap a single 40Ca+ and we observe an AC-Stark shift of the fluorescence spectrum line of ∼22 MHz caused by the 532 nm dipole beam. The beam waist of the dipole laser is several microns, which would provide a dipole potential strong enough for all-optical trapping of a single 40Ca+ ion.
Magnetization and magnetic phase diagrams of a spin-1/2 ferrimagnetic diamond chain at low temperature*
Authors: Cheng Tai-Min , Li Mei-Lin , Cheng Zhi-Rui , Yu Guo-Liang , Sun Shu-Sheng , Ge Chong-Yuan , Zhang Xin-Xin
Published: December 2020

We used the Jordan–Wigner transform and the invariant eigenoperator method to study the magnetic phase diagram and the magnetization curve of the spin-1/2 alternating ferrimagnetic diamond chain in an external magnetic field at finite temperature. The magnetization versus external magnetic field curve exhibits a 1/3 magnetization plateau at absolute zero and finite temperatures, and the width of the 1/3 magnetization plateau was modulated by tuning the temperature and the exchange interactions. Three critical magnetic field intensities H
CB, H
CE and H
CS were obtained, in which the H
CB and H
CE correspond to the appearance and disappearance of the 1/3 magnetization plateau, respectively, and the higher H
CS correspond to the appearance of fully polarized magnetization plateau of the system. The energies of elementary excitation ℏ ω

σ,k
(σ = 1, 2, 3) present the extrema of zero at the three critical magnetic fields at 0 K, i.e., [ℏ ω
3,k
(H
CB)]min = 0, [ℏ ω
2,k
(H
CE)]max = 0 and [ℏ ω
2,k
(H
CS)]min = 0, and the magnetic phase diagram of magnetic field versus different exchange interactions at 0 K was established by the above relationships. According to the relationships between the system’s magnetization curve at finite temperatures and the critical magnetic field intensities, the magnetic field-temperature phase diagram was drawn. It was observed that if the magnetic phase diagram shows a three-phase critical point, which is intersected by the ferrimagnetic phase, the ferrimagnetic plateau phase, and the Luttinger liquid phase, the disappearance of the 1/3 magnetization plateau would inevitably occur. However, the 1/3 magnetization plateau would not disappear without the three-phase critical point. The appearance of the 1/3 magnetization plateau in the low temperature region is the macroscopic manifestations of quantum effect.
Process modeling gas atomization of close-coupled ring-hole nozzle for 316L stainless steel powder production*
Authors: Wang Peng , Li Jing , Liu Hen-San , Wang Xin , Du Bo-Rui , Gan Ping , Shen Shi-Yuan , Fan Bin , Ge Xue-Yuan , Wang Miao-Hui
Published: December 2020

The paper aims at modeling and simulating the atomization process of the close-coupled ring-hole nozzle in vacuum induction gas atomization (VIGA) for metallic powder production. First of all, the primary atomization of the ring-hole nozzle is simulated by the volume of fluid (VOF) coupled large eddy simulation (LES) model. To simulate the secondary atomization process, we use the method of selecting the droplet sub-model and the VOF model. The results show that the ring-hole nozzle forms a gas recirculation zone at the bottom of the delivery tube, which is the main reason for the formation of an annular liquid film during the primary atomization. In addition, the primary atomization process of the ring-hole nozzle consists of three stages: the formation of the serrated liquid film tip, the appearance and shedding of the ligaments, and the fragmentation of ligaments. At the same time, the primary atomization mainly forms spherical droplets and long droplets, but only the long droplets can be reserved and proceed to the secondary atomization. Moreover, increasing the number of ring holes from 18 to 30, the mass median diameter (MMD, d
50) of the primary atomized droplets decreases first and then increases, which is mainly due to the change of the thickness of the melt film. Moreover, the secondary atomization of the ring-hole nozzles is mainly in bag breakup mode and multimode breakup model, and bag breakup will result in the formation of hollow powder, which can be avoided by increasing the gas velocity.
Scheme to measure the expectation value of a physical quantity in weak coupling regime*
Authors: Zhang Jie , Wu Chun-Wang , Xie Yi , Wu Wei , Chen Ping-Xing
Published: December 2020

In quantum mechanics, the expectation value of an operator can be measured by using the projective measurement, if the coupling between the measured system and pointer is strong enough. However in the weak coupling regime, the pointer can not show all the eigenvalue of the physical quantity directly due to the overlapping among the pointer states, which makes the measurement of the expectation value difficult. In this paper, we propose an expectation value measurement method in the weak coupling regime inspired by the weak measurement scheme. Compared to the projective measurement, our scheme has two obvious advantages. Experimentally we use the internal state and motional state of a single trapped 40Ca+ to establish the measurement scheme and realize the proof of principle demonstration of the scheme.
Realization of electrolyte interface effect on Bi2Te3 implanted flake-like ZnO thin films for understanding the highly stable PEC water splitting under simulated solar light and visible light
Authors: Sreedhar Adem , Noh Jin-Seo
Published: December 2020

This study aimed to rationally design the novel Bi2Te3 implanted ZnO (Bi2Te3@ZnO) thin films using simultaneous RF and DC magnetron sputtering technique. Herein, we explored the electrolyte interface effect (0.1 M of KOH, KCl, Na2SO3 and Na2SO4) on ZnO and Bi2Te3@ZnO towards highly stable PEC water splitting activity for the first time. Specifically, morphological evolution and electrolyte ion diffusion properties play a crucial role in realizing the prolonged charge carrier lifetime. Moreover, Bi2Te3@ZnO is highlighted with unique nanocone-shaped morphology compared to flake-like ZnO. Also, constructive interfacial interaction was observed between Bi2Te3 and ZnO. As a result, Bi2Te3@ZnO demonstrated superior and highly stable photocurrents in the KOH electrolyte compared to KCl, Na2SO3 and Na2SO4 electrolytes. Precisely, Bi2Te3@ZnO triumphed highly stable photocurrents about 7.93 × 10–4 A cm−2 compared to ZnO (6.02 × 10–4) at +0.4 V under solar light in KOH electrolyte. Accordingly, Bi2Te3@ZnO achieved remarkable photoconversion efficiency (η) about 0.65 %, which is enabled by the strengthened intimate interaction between Bi2Te3 and ZnO. Furthermore, we compared the PEC activity under visible light (UV cut-off solar light). These results highlighted that the photoconversion efficiency difference between Bi2Te3@ZnO and ZnO (about 4 times) under visible light is relatively higher than solar light (1.3 times) in KOH. Thus, we proposed different charge carrier generation mechanisms of Bi2Te3@ZnO under solar and visible light. Therefore, intimate interfacial interaction, surface modification, ion diffusion and photoelectrode-electrolyte interaction are key parameters to enhance the PEC activity. Overall, rational design of the transition metal oxide/thermoelectric material interface using Bi2Te3@ZnO composite paves a new path towards highly stable photoanode during PEC water splitting activity in the KOH electrolyte environment.
ADeditome provides the genomic landscape of A-to-I RNA editing in Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: Wu Sijia , Yang Mengyuan , Kim Pora , Zhou Xiaobo
Published: December 2020

A-to-I RNA editing, contributing to nearly 90% of all editing events in human, has been reported to involve in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) due to its roles in brain development and immune regulation, such as the deficient editing of GluA2 Q/R related to cell death and memory loss. Currently, there are urgent needs for the systematic annotations of A-to-I RNA editing events in AD. Here, we built ADeditome, the annotation database of A-to-I RNA editing in AD available at https://ccsm.uth.edu/ADeditome, aiming to provide a resource and reference for functional annotation of A-to-I RNA editing in AD to identify therapeutically targetable genes in an individual. We detected 1676 363 editing sites in 1524 samples across nine brain regions from ROSMAP, MayoRNAseq and MSBB. For these editing events, we performed multiple functional annotations including identification of specific and disease stage associated editing events and the influence of editing events on gene expression, protein recoding, alternative splicing and miRNA regulation for all the genes, especially for AD-related genes in order to explore the pathology of AD. Combing all the analysis results, we found 108 010 and 26 168 editing events which may promote or inhibit AD progression, respectively. We also found 5582 brain region-specific editing events with potentially dual roles in AD across different brain regions. ADeditome will be a unique resource for AD and drug research communities to identify therapeutically targetable editing events.

Significance: ADeditome is the first comprehensive resource of the functional genomics of individual A-to-I RNA editing events in AD, which will be useful for many researchers in the fields of AD pathology, precision medicine, and therapeutic researches.
Locating transcription factor binding sites by fully convolutional neural network
Authors: Zhang Qinhu , Wang Siguo , Chen Zhanheng , He Ying , Liu Qi , Huang De-Shuang
Published: December 2020

Transcription factors (TFs) play an important role in regulating gene expression, thus identification of the regions bound by them has become a fundamental step for molecular and cellular biology. In recent years, an increasing number of deep learning (DL) based methods have been proposed for predicting TF binding sites (TFBSs) and achieved impressive prediction performance. However, these methods mainly focus on predicting the sequence specificity of TF-DNA binding, which is equivalent to a sequence-level binary classification task, and fail to identify motifs and TFBSs accurately. In this paper, we developed a fully convolutional network coupled with global average pooling (FCNA), which by contrast is equivalent to a nucleotide-level binary classification task, to roughly locate TFBSs and accurately identify motifs. Experimental results on human ChIP-seq datasets show that FCNA outperforms other competing methods significantly. Besides, we find that the regions located by FCNA can be used by motif discovery tools to further refine the prediction performance. Furthermore, we observe that FCNA can accurately identify TF-DNA binding motifs across different cell lines and infer indirect TF-DNA bindings.
Comparison of methods for estimating genetic correlation between complex traits using GWAS summary statistics
Authors: Zhang Yiliang , Cheng Youshu , Jiang Wei , Ye Yixuan , Lu Qiongshi , Zhao Hongyu
Published: December 2020

Genetic correlation is the correlation of phenotypic effects by genetic variants across the genome on two phenotypes. It is an informative metric to quantify the overall genetic similarity between complex traits, which provides insights into their polygenic genetic architecture. Several methods have been proposed to estimate genetic correlation based on data collected from genome-wide association studies (GWAS). Due to the easy access of GWAS summary statistics and computational efficiency, methods only requiring GWAS summary statistics as input have become more popular than methods utilizing individual-level genotype data. Here, we present a benchmark study for different summary-statistics-based genetic correlation estimation methods through simulation and real data applications. We focus on two major technical challenges in estimating genetic correlation: marker dependency caused by linkage disequilibrium (LD) and sample overlap between different studies. To assess the performance of different methods in the presence of these two challenges, we first conducted comprehensive simulations with diverse LD patterns and sample overlaps. Then we applied these methods to real GWAS summary statistics for a wide spectrum of complex traits. Based on these experiments, we conclude that methods relying on accurate LD estimation are less robust in real data applications due to the imprecision of LD obtained from reference panels. Our findings offer guidance on how to choose appropriate methods for genetic correlation estimation in post-GWAS analysis.
Longer antibiotic durations for treating peritoneal dialysis-associated peritonitis: helpful or harmful?
Authors: Htay Htay , Cho Yeoungjee , Johnson David W
Published: December 2020

Relapsing, recurrent or repeat peritonitis is a devastating complication for peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients and is usually associated with poor outcomes including prolonged hospitalization, catheter removal, hemodialysis transfer and even death. Despite its critical importance and frequent occurrence, there is limited available evidence to facilitate evidence-informed treatment of PD peritonitis. This editorial comments on the findings and limitations of a randomized controlled study published in this journal, which reported that extending antibiotic treatment duration for an additional week beyond that recommended by the International Society for PD did not reduce the risk of relapsing, recurrent or repeat peritonitis, and may have increased the risk of repeat peritonitis. These results are explored in the context of the existing literature and recommendations for practice and research are provided.
Purulent pericarditis-induced intracardiac perforation and infective endocarditis due to Parvimonas micra: a case report
Authors: Morinaga Hiroaki , Kato Ken , Hisagi Motoyuki , Tanaka Hiroyuki
Published: December 2020

Background

Purulent pericarditis, a rare disease with a high associated mortality rate in patients without adequate treatment, can cause serious complications, such as perforation of the surrounding tissue and organs. Parvimonas micra is a very rare cause of purulent pericarditis.

Case summary

A 70-year-old male patient presented to our emergency room with chest pain of 10 days’ duration. An electrocardiogram showed ST-segment elevation and PR-segment depression on multiple leads. A transthoracic echocardiogram showed normal left ventricular function and a large amount of pericardial effusion. Acute pericarditis was diagnosed, and anti-inflammatory drug therapy was initiated. Due to the lack of improvement in the symptoms, pericardiocentesis was performed on Day 8 and revealed about 800 cc of the bloody fluid. Parvimonas micra was detected in a culture of the pericardial effusion and blood. Although intravenous antibiotic therapy was initiated for purulent pericarditis, his fever persisted. Computed tomography of the chest performed on Day 14 showed an abscess cavity in the pericardial space around the right atrium (RA). Furthermore, transoesophageal echocardiography revealed vegetation in the RA. Emergency surgery confirmed the presence of vegetation and minor perforation of the RA with communication to the abscess cavity. After surgical therapy, the patient clinically improved and was discharged on Day 51.

Discussion

In cases of acute pericarditis, purulent pericarditis should be considered if clinical improvement is not observed after initial treatment with anti-inflammatory drugs. Once the diagnosis of purulent pericarditis is made, aggressive source control is necessary for improved clinical outcomes.
Delphinidin-3-O-sambubioside: a novel xanthine oxidase inhibitor identified from natural anthocyanins
Authors: Xie Jiahong , Cui Haoxin , Xu Yang , Xie Lianghua , Chen Wei
Published: December 2020

Objectives

This study was conducted to investigate the xanthine oxidase (XO) inhibitory activities of 18 monomeric anthocyanins from berry fruits and roselle, and to illustrate the underlying mechanism of the most active anthocyanin delphinidin-3-O-sambubioside.

Materials and Methods

Eighteen monomeric anthocyanins were prepared and purified in our laboratory. The inhibitory properties of anthocyanins were investigated by in vitro inhibitory activity studies and fluorescence quenching studies; the inhibitory mechanism was explored through kinetic studies, fluorescence quenching studies, circular dichroism analysis and computational docking simulations.

Results

XO inhibitory activities of anthocyanins were related to the structures of B rings and glycosides. Among all the tested anthocyanins, delphinidin-3-O-sambubioside showed the most potent inhibitory activity with an IC50 of 17.1 μM, which was comparable to the positive control allopurinol. Spectroscopic results revealed that delphinidin-3-O-sambubioside could spontaneously interact with XO and induce conformational changes. Computational docking study indicated that delphinidin-3-O-sambubioside could bind to XO with a proper orientation, stably formed π–π interactions and hydrogen bonds with key residues, thus preventing the substrate from entering the active pocket.

Conclusions

In brief, our study identified delphinidin-3-O-sambubioside as a potent XO inhibitor from natural anthocyanins, which is potentially applicable for prevention and treatment of hyperuricemia.
Molecular Subtypes of Breast Cancer: A Review for Breast Radiologists
Authors: Johnson Karen S , Conant Emily F , Soo Mary Scott
Published: December 2020

Gene expression profiling has reshaped our understanding of breast cancer by identifying four molecular subtypes: (1) luminal A, (2) luminal B, (3) human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-enriched, and (4) basal-like, which have critical differences in incidence, response to treatment, disease progression, survival, and imaging features. Luminal tumors are most common (60%–70%), characterized by estrogen receptor (ER) expression. Luminal A tumors have the best prognosis of all subtypes, whereas patients with luminal B tumors have significantly shorter overall and disease-free survival. Distinguishing between these tumors is important because luminal B tumors require more aggressive treatment. Both commonly present as irregular masses without associated calcifications at mammography; however, luminal B tumors more commonly demonstrate axillary involvement at diagnosis. HER2-enriched tumors are characterized by overexpression of the HER2 oncogene and low-to-absent ER expression. HER2+ disease carries a poor prognosis, but the development of anti-HER2 therapies has greatly improved outcomes for women with HER2+ breast cancer. HER2+ tumors most commonly present as spiculated masses with pleomorphic calcifications or as calcifications alone. Basal-like cancers (15% of all invasive breast cancers) predominate among “triple negative” cancers, which lack ER, progesterone receptor (PR), and HER2 expression. Basal-like cancers are frequently high-grade, large at diagnosis, with high rates of recurrence. Although imaging commonly reveals irregular masses with ill-defined or spiculated margins, some circumscribed basal-like tumors can be mistaken for benign lesions. Incorporating biomarker data (histologic grade, ER/PR/HER2 status, and multigene assays) into classic anatomic tumor, node, metastasis (TNM) staging can better inform clinical management of this heterogeneous disease.
A case of superior mesenteric artery syndrome got physicians in trouble
Authors: Badour Maysaa , Mahmoud Gaber , Hasan Ahmad , Sulaiman Walaa , Hammed Ali
Published: December 2020

Superior mesenteric artery (SMA) syndrome is a gastrovascular disorder in which the third and final portion of the duodenum is compressed between the abdominal aorta (AA) and the overlying SMA. Our case presents an 11-year-old female with chronic intermittent vomiting that started since she was 6 months old. Contrast enhanced computed tomography scan for abdomen and pelvis guided to the correct diagnosis and the patient received the adequate treatment. Awareness of a broad range of differential diagnosis of vomiting and a high degree of suspicion of SMA syndrome is fundamental in order to direct the proper diagnostic investigation. Duodenojejunostomy provides the best results in severe cases.
Tracking the origin of ultralow velocity zones at the base of Earth's mantle
Authors: Chen Jiuhua
Published: December 2020

Origins of the ultralow velocity zones may be classified by their velocity-reduction-ratio, R = δ lnVS/δ lnVP, which ranges from 1.2–1.5 for iron oxides or iron-enriched magnesium oxides, 1.6–2.0 for pyrite-type FeO2Hx, 2.3–2.8 for the eutectic melt of Fe + C, 2.7–3.1 for partial melt of (Mg, Fe)SiO3 + Fe to 3.5–4.5 for iron-rich post-perovskite.
Mucormycosis in Hematopoietic Cell Transplant Recipients and in Patients With Hematological Malignancies in the Era of New Antifungal Agents
Authors: Miller Matthew A , Molina Kyle C , Gutman Jonathan A , Scherger Sias , Lum Jessica M , Mossad Sherif B , Burgess Mary , Cheng Matthew P , Chuang Sally T , Jacobs Samantha E , Melendez Dante P , Shah Dimpy P , Zimmer Andrea , Sohail M Rizwan , Syed Sadia , Walker Randall C , Poeschla Eric M , Abidi Maheen Z
Published: December 2020

Background

The survival benefit of combination antifungal therapy for invasive mucormycosis (IM) in patients with hematologic malignancy (HM) and hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) is not well defined.

Methods

This multicenter, retrospective study included HM and HCT recipients with proven or probable IM between January 1, 2007 and December 31, 2017 from 10 transplant centers across North America.

Results

Sixty-four patients with proven (n = 47) or probable (n = 17) IM defined by 2008 European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer/Mycoses Study Group (EORTC/MSG) consensus definitions were included. Thirty-nine (61%) were HCT recipients (95% allogeneic). Sites of infection included rhino-orbital-cerebral (33), pulmonary (30%), disseminated (19%), gastrointestinal (3%), and cutaneous (3%). Surgical debridement was performed in 66%. Initial antifungal treatment consisted of the following: lipid formulation of amphotericin B (AmB) alone (44%), AmB + posaconazole (25%), AmB + echinocandin (13%), AmB + isavuconazole (8%), posaconazole alone (5%), and isavuconazole alone (3%). All-cause mortality at 30 days and 1 year were 38% and 66%, respectively. Initial treatment with AmB plus posaconazole or isavuconazole (n = 28) was associated with a trend toward lower treatment failure compared with AmB (n = 21) (42% vs 64%, P = .136).

Conclusions

Long-term survival with IM among HM and HCT populations remains poor. However, initial use of AmB + azole in conjunction with surgery may result in less treatment failure. More evidence from prospective controlled studies is needed to confirm this observation.
Increased Incidence of Giant Cell Arteritis After Introduction of a Live Varicella Zoster Virus Vaccine
Authors: Agger William A , Deviley Jake A , Borgert Andrew J , Rasmussen Cary M
Published: December 2020

Background

Varicella zoster virus (VZV) has been associated with giant cell arteritis (GCA). The introduction of a live attenuated vaccine against this virus (ZVL) might have changed the incidence of GCA.

Methods

The incidence of GCA was retrospectively measured using 2 matched cohorts seen in a regional health system located in the Midwestern United States: ZVL recipients from the years 2007 through 2015 following the introduction of the vaccine and nonrecipients from the years 2000 through 2015.

Results

In the ZVL cohort, a significant increase of GCA was associated with clinical criteria alone for the diagnosis of GCA (hazard ratio [HR], 2.70; 95% CI, 1.48–4.45; P = .004). In addition, using only pathologically confirmed GCA, the same matched cohort comparison analysis also found that ZVL recipients were at significantly higher risk than those who did not receive ZVL (HR, 2.70; 95% CI, 1.48–4.95; P = .001).

Conclusion

Using a matched cohort, retrospective comparison, ZVL was associated with an increased incidence of GCA.
Middle Cerebral Artery Aneurysm Clipping With Immersive 360° Virtual Reality Model: 2-Dimensional Operative Video
Authors: Haridas Abilash , Miller Michael
Published: December 2020

This is a 50-yr-old female who presented with severe headaches and was found to have an unruptured middle cerebral artery (MCA) aneurysm. She was taken to the operating room for microsurgical clipping. Prior to surgery, an interactive 360° virtual reality (VR) model (Surgical Theatre Inc) rendered from the patient's volumetric computed tomography (CT) angiography (CTA) was used for patient education and operative planning. The aneurysm was located at the MCA trifurcation, and the VR model was used to rehearse clip options prior to surgery. A right pterional craniotomy was performed with a dissection through the sylvian fissure down the M1 segment of the MCA for proximal control. The surgical clips are placed and highlighted in the virtual platform simultaneously. Doppler and indocyanine green (ICG) confirmed patent flow through the MCA trifurcation. A postoperative angiogram confirmed no aneurysm filling. The immersive 360° VR models of pre- and postoperative CTA were shown to the patient at the 1-mo follow-up. The case presented here demonstrates the utilization of the 360° VR model for patient education, preoperative planning, and intraoperative visualization. It is imperative to remain flexible during surgery to change the strategy based on the aneurysm anatomy intraoperatively. Importantly, the interactive 360° VR model allowed for a detailed evaluation of the patient-specific anatomy prior to surgery and helped understand the complex anatomy in high resolution. The patient consented to the procedure and publication of this video for educational purposes.
Petrosal Vein Involvement in Neurovascular Conflict in Trigeminal Neuralgia: Surgical Technique and Clinical Outcomes
Authors: Inoue Takuro , Shitara Satoshi , Goto Yukihiro , Prasetya Mustaqim , Fukushima Takanori
Published: December 2020

BACKGROUND

Contact of the main stem of the petrosal vein (PV) to the nerve root is a rare cause of trigeminal neuralgia (TGN). The implication of the PV in relation with neurovascular contact (NVC) is not fully understood.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the operative procedures in microvascular decompression (MVD) in patients with PV involvement in the long-term.

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed 34 cases (7.0%) in 485 consecutive MVDs for TGN, whose PV main stem had contact with the trigeminal nerve root (PV-NVC). PV-NVCs were divided into 2 groups: concomitant arterial contact or no concomitant arterial contact. Surgical techniques, outcomes, complications, and recurrence were assessed.

RESULTS

The anatomical relationship of the PV with the trigeminal nerve root was consistent with preoperative 3-dimensional imaging in all patients. Pain relief was obtained in most patients immediately after surgery (97.1%) by separating the PV from the nerve root. Postoperative facial numbness was noted in 9 patients (26.5%). Symptomatic venous infarctions occurred in 2 patients (5.9%). Recurrence of facial pain occurred in 3 patients (8.8%) with a median 48 mo follow-up period. Re-exploration surgery revealed adhesion being the cause of recurrence. The statistical analyses showed no difference in the surgical outcomes of the 2 groups.

CONCLUSION

Separating the PV from the nerve root contributes to pain relief in patients with PV conflict regardless of concomitant arteries. Preserving venous flow is crucial to avoid postoperative venous insufficiency.
Performance of seven consumer sleep-tracking devices compared with polysomnography
Authors: Chinoy Evan D , Cuellar Joseph A , Huwa Kirbie E , Jameson Jason T , Watson Catherine H , Bessman Sara C , Hirsch Dale A , Cooper Adam D , Drummond Sean P A , Markwald Rachel R
Published: December 2020

Study Objectives

Consumer sleep-tracking devices are widely used and becoming more technologically advanced, creating strong interest from researchers and clinicians for their possible use as alternatives to standard actigraphy. We, therefore, tested the performance of many of the latest consumer sleep-tracking devices, alongside actigraphy, versus the gold-standard sleep assessment technique, polysomnography (PSG).

Methods

In total, 34 healthy young adults (22 women; 28.1 ± 3.9 years, mean ± SD) were tested on three consecutive nights (including a disrupted sleep condition) in a sleep laboratory with PSG, along with actigraphy (Philips Respironics Actiwatch 2) and a subset of consumer sleep-tracking devices. Altogether, four wearable (Fatigue Science Readiband, Fitbit Alta HR, Garmin Fenix 5S, Garmin Vivosmart 3) and three nonwearable (EarlySense Live, ResMed S+, SleepScore Max) devices were tested. Sleep/wake summary and epoch-by-epoch agreement measures were compared with PSG.

Results

Most devices (Fatigue Science Readiband, Fitbit Alta HR, EarlySense Live, ResMed S+, SleepScore Max) performed as well as or better than actigraphy on sleep/wake performance measures, while the Garmin devices performed worse. Overall, epoch-by-epoch sensitivity was high (all ≥0.93), specificity was low-to-medium (0.18–0.54), sleep stage comparisons were mixed, and devices tended to perform worse on nights with poorer/disrupted sleep.

Conclusions

Consumer sleep-tracking devices exhibited high performance in detecting sleep, and most performed equivalent to (or better than) actigraphy in detecting wake. Device sleep stage assessments were inconsistent. Findings indicate that many newer sleep-tracking devices demonstrate promising performance for tracking sleep and wake. Devices should be tested in different populations and settings to further examine their wider validity and utility.
Spirituality and Religion in Leading Social Work Journals: A 10-Year Content Analysis
Authors: Hodge David R , Carpenter Breanna M , Yepez Rachel A , Lietz Bryan C
Published: December 2020

This study examined the inclusion of content on spirituality and religion in leading social work journals. To accomplish this aim, the authors preformed a content analysis of 10 years of publication (2008 to 2017, inclusive) in nine discourse-shaping journals (Social Work, Social Work Research, Families in Society, Social Service Review, Child Welfare, Research on Social Work Practice, Journal of Social Service Research, Journal of Social Work Education, and Journal of the Society for Social Work and Research). In addition to determining the prevalence of spirituality and religious content, the authors examined the frequency with which various religious groups are depicted, the substantive area of focus (for example, micro, macro), and methodological characteristics (for example, conceptual, empirical). The results suggest that spirituality and religion receive minimal attention in the profession’s most prestigious journals, which, in turn, may negatively affect the profession’s ability to comply with its ethical and educational standards regarding spirituality and religion.
New insights into the six decades of Mesa’s hypothesis of chromosomal evolution in Ommexechinae grasshoppers (Orthoptera: Acridoidea)
Authors: Santander Mylena D , Cabral-de-Mello Diogo C , Taffarel Alberto , Martí Emiliano , Martí Dardo A , Palacios-Gimenez Octavio M , Castillo Elio Rodrigo D
Published: December 2020

In Acridoidea grasshoppers, chromosomal rearrangements are frequently found as deviations from the standard acrocentric karyotype (2n = 23♂/24♀, FN = 23♂/24♀) in either phylogenetically unrelated species or shared by closely related ones, i.e. genus. In the South American subfamily Ommexechinae, most of the species show a unique karyotype (2n = 23♂/24♀, FN = 25♂/26♀) owing to the occurrence of a large autosomal pair (L1) with submetacentric morphology. In the early 1960s, Alejo Mesa proposed the hypothesis of an ancestral pericentric inversion to explain this karyotype variation. Furthermore, in Ommexechinae, extra chromosomal rearrangements (e.g. centric fusions) are recorded between the ancestral X chromosome and autosomes that originated the so-called neo-sex chromosomes. However, the evolutionary significance of the pericentric inversions and centric fusions in Ommexechinae remains poorly explored. Aiming for a better understanding of chromosomal evolution in Ommexechinae, we performed a detailed cytogenetic analysis in five species. Our findings support the hypothesis about the occurrence of an early pericentric inversion in the ancestor of Ommexechinae. Moreover, our results show a complex karyotype diversification pattern due to several chromosome rearrangements, variations in heterochromatin and repetitive DNA dynamics. Finally, the chromosomal mapping of U2 snDNA in L1 provided new insights about the morphological evolution of this autosomal pair and revealed unnoticed chromosome reorganizations.
Inequalities in mental health: predictive processing and social life
Authors: Kelly Michael P. , Brayne Carol , Kinmonth Ann Louise , Kriznik Natasha , Ford John , Fletcher Paul C.
Published: December 2020

Purpose of review

The paper applies recent conceptualisations of predictive processing to the understanding of inequalities in mental health.

Recent findings

Social neuroscience has developed important ideas about the way the brain models the external world, and how the interface between cognitive and cultural processes interacts. These resonate with earlier concepts from cybernetics and sociology. These approaches could be applied to understanding some of the dynamics leading to the patterning of mental health problems in populations.

The implications for practice are the way such thinking might help illuminate how we think and act, and how these are anchored in the social world.
National Institutes of Health Institute and Center Award Rates and Funding Disparities
Authors: Lauer Michael , Doyle Jamie , Wang Joy , Roychowdhury Deepshikha
Published: December 2020

A previous report found an association of topic choice with race-based funding disparities among R01 applications submitted to the National Institutes of Health (“NIH”) between 2011-2015. Applications submitted by African American or Black (“AAB”) Principal Investigators (“PIs”) skewed toward a small number of topics that were less likely to be funded (or “awarded”). It was suggested that lower award rates may be related to biases of peer reviewers. However, the report did not account for differential funding ecologies among NIH Institutes and Centers (“ICs”). In a re-analysis, we find that 10% of 148 topics account for 50% of applications submitted by AAB PIs. These applications on “AAB Preferred” topics were funded at lower rates, but peer review outcomes were similar. The lower rate of funding was primarily due to their assignment to ICs with lower award rates. After accounting for IC-specific award rates, topic choice was not associated with funding.
Drug screening linked to molecular profiling identifies novel dependencies in patient-derived primary cultures of paediatric high grade glioma and DIPG
Authors: Carvalho Diana M , Temelso Sara , Mackay Alan , Pemberton Helen N , Rogers Rebecca , Kessler Ketty , Izquierdo Elisa , Bjerke Lynn , Salom Janat Fazal , Clarke Matthew , Grabovska Yura , Burford Anna , Olaciregui Nagore Gene , Boult Jessica KR , Molinari Valeria , Fofana Mariama , Proszek Paula , Potente Elisabet F , Taylor Kathryn R , Chandler Christopher , Zebian Bassel , Bhangoo Ranj , Martin Andrew J , Dabbous Bassam , Stapleton Simon , Hettige Samantha , Marshall Lynley V , Carceller Fernando , Mandeville Henry C , Vaidya Sucheta J , Al-Sarraj Safa , Bridges Leslie R , Johnston Robert , Cryan Jane , Farrell Michael , Crimmins Darach , Caird John , Pears Jane , Pericoli Giulia , Miele Evelina , Mastronuzzi Angela , Locatelli Franco , Carai Andrea , Robinson Simon P , Hubank Mike , Monje Michelle , Moore Andrew S , Hassall Timothy EG , Carcaboso Angel Montero , Lord Christopher J , Vinci Mara , Jones Chris
Published: December 2020

Paediatric high grade glioma and diffuse midline glioma (including DIPG) are comprised of multiple biological and clinical subgroups, the majority of which urgently require novel therapies. Patient-derivedin vitroprimary cell cultures represent potentially useful tools for mechanistic and preclinical investigation based upon their retention of key features of tumour subgroups under experimental conditions amenable to high-throughput approaches. We present 17 novel primary cultures derived from patients in London, Dublin and Belfast, and together with cultures established or shared from Barcelona, Brisbane, Rome and Stanford, assembled a panel of 52 models under 2D (laminin matrix) and/or 3D (neurospheres) conditions, fully credentialed by phenotypic and molecular comparison to the original tumour sample (methylation BeadArray, panel/exome sequencing, RNAseq). In screening a subset of these against a panel of ~400 approved chemotherapeutics and small molecules, we identified specific dependencies associated with tumour subgroups and/or specific molecular markers. These includedMYCN-amplified cells and ATM/DNA-PK inhibitors, and DIPGs withPPM1Dactivating truncating mutations and inhibitors of MDM2 or PARP1. Specific mutations inPDGFRAwere found to confer sensitivity to a range of RTK inhibitors, though not all such mutations conferred sensitivity to targeted agents. Notably, dual PDGFRA/FGFR and downstream pathway MEK inhibitors showed profound effects against both PDGFRA-sensitising mutant and FGFR1-dependent non-brainstem pHGG and DIPG. In total, 85% cells were found to have at least one drug screening hit in short term assays linked to the underlying biology of the patient’s tumour, providing a rational approach for individualised clinical translation.
Problems faced by ASEAN in dealing with transnational drug smuggling in Southeast Asia region
Authors: Prayuda Rendi , Warsito Tulus , Surwandono Surwandono
Published: December 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to study the factors that caused The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) security regime to be ineffective in saving transnational drug smuggling, including the internalization of non-optimal values and norms of the ASEAN Drug-Free Declaration.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses primary data and secondary data. Data analysis and observation are carried out simultaneously, where data are analyzed directly after it is obtained using descriptive analysis. Interactive data analysis is carried out at the initial step by collecting primary and secondary data. Data are analyzed inductively by drawing conclusions from data obtained from general views to specifics.

Findings

The development of ASEAN has led to the idea of “ASEAN Way,” namely, the ASEAN security forum to eliminate the use of force in maintaining relations between member countries through the dissemination of agreed values. Multilateral negotiations refer to the establishment of a negotiation regime at the ASEAN level that emphasizes the interests of ASEAN member countries in determining agreements relating to transnational drug crimes. There are several inhibiting factors in the negotiation process, namely, perception differences between ASEAN countries on the threat of drug smuggling in the Southeast Asia region and the differences of ASEAN leaders’ priorities and agenda.

Originality/value

The originality/authenticity of research is analyzing the factors that affect the ASEAN security system in transnational protection policies by using two models, namely, the international level negotiation model and one at the national level in the form of ratification of ASEAN international relations related to drug smuggling. At present, transnational crimes, especially drug smuggling, appear and pose a threat to national and international security. The object of this research is ASEAN international organizations in cases of transnational drug smuggling.