bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Postthrombotisches Syndrom auf dem Boden einer chronischen iliofemoralen Thrombose: Therapieoptionen und -limitationen
Authors: Bayer Andreas , Horn Marco , Kaschwich Mark , Goltz Jan-Peter , Schäfer Philipp , Recke Anna , Kahle Birgit , Kleemann Markus
Published: October 2020

Ein 49-jähriger Patient stellte sich mit einer langsam progredienten, ca. 7 cm großen Schwellung in der linken Kniekehle vor. Sonografisch und MR-tomografisch zeigte sich das Bild eines postthrombotischen Syndroms am linken Bein mit einem langstreckigen chronischen venösen iliofemoralen Verschluss und ausgeprägten Kollateralen sowie Varixkonvoluten in der linken Kniekehle, die der beklagten Schwellung entsprachen. Es erfolgte die Endophlebektomie der Vena femoralis und Vena femoralis profunda mit einer ventralen Rekonstruktion durch eine bovine Perikard-Patch-Plastik mit Rekanalisation der chronisch okkludierten venösen Iliakalachse mit langstreckiger Stentangioplastie als Hybridoperation. Abschließend wurde eine inguinale AV-Fistel angelegt. Postoperativ entwickelte der Patient einen Frühverschluss der venösen iliofemoralen Strombahn und eine inguinale Lymphfistel. Aufgrund dieser erfolgte zunächst kein operativer, sondern ein perkutaner transjugulärer, letztlich frustraner Rekanalisationsversuch. Die inguinale Heilung benötigte bis zum Sistieren der Lymphexsudation 8 Wochen. Nach diesem Zeitintervall entschieden wir uns aufgrund der zu erwartenden schlechten sekundären Offenheitsrate gegen eine operative Revision, sodass therapeutisch nur die Antikoagulation und Kompression blieb. Die Ursache des dargestellten Frühverschlusses bleibt unklar, mögliche Ursachen und sich daraus ergebende Konsequenzen werden diskutiert.
Ulzerationen der unteren Extremität – nicht immer venös bedingt
Authors: Zinser Greta , Kahle Birgit , Recke Anna Lena , Stutz Nathalie
Published: October 2020

Ulzerationen der unteren Extremität sind ein häufiger Vorstellungsgrund in der phlebologischen Sprechstunde. Dementsprechend können dem phlebologisch tätigen Arzt neben gängigen Differenzialdiagnosen wie dem venösen, arteriellen und gemischten Ulkus auch weniger häufige, mit Ulzerationen assoziierte Krankheitsbilder begegnen. Eine sorgfältige Anamnese und eventuelle Umfelddiagnostik sind neben der sonografischen Untersuchung essenziell.

Wir berichten über einen 77-jährigen Patienten, der vom Hausarzt zur Abklärung von vor 3 Jahren aufgetretenen Ulzerationen am Oberschenkel vorgestellt wurde.

Die vorliegende Kasuistik beschreibt die differenzialdiagnostische Aufarbeitung, an deren Ende die Ulzerationen am Oberschenkel, ursprünglicher Grund der Vorstellung, als ulzerierte Granulome im Rahmen der bekannten Sarkoidose diagnostiziert wurden. In den Vordergrund der ausführlichen Umfelddiagnostik geriet allerdings das Aderhautmelanom mit multiplen Metastasen-verdächtigen Befunden insbesondere im Gehirn und pulmonal.

Bedauerlicherweise verstarb der Patient unerwartet kurz vor Abschluss der Diagnostik und vor der Einleitung einer spezifischen Therapie aufgrund einer akuten Einblutung in einen Metastasen-verdächtigen zerebralen Rundherd.
Allergische Reaktion vom Typ IV auf Prilocain nach Anwendung von Tumeszenz-Lokalanästhesie – eine seltene Komplikation
Authors: Gerontopoulou Stefania Aglaia , Gloy Inka , Woitalla-Bruning Jasmin
Published: October 2020

Allergische Typ-IV-Reaktionen in Form einer allergischen Kontaktdermatitis auf Lokalanästhetika vom Amid-Typ wie Lidocain, Bupivacain, Mepivacain und Prilocain sind selten. Wir berichten über eine Patientin mit einer Typ-IV-allergischen Reaktion auf Prilocain nach subkutaner Infiltration von Tumeszenz-Lokalanästhesie auf Prilocain-Basis im Rahmen einer Varizen-Operation, die zu einem allergischen Kontaktekzem mit Blasenbildung führte. Wir behandelten mit systemischen und lokalen Steroiden. Im Verlauf erfolgte eine allergologische Diagnostik mittels Epikutantestung. Die Ergebnisse zeigten sich positiv für Prilocain ebenso wie für Lidocain und Articain und negativ für die restlichen getesteten Lokalanästhetika. Eine später durchgeführte subkutane Provokation präsentierte eine gute Verträglichkeit von Procain und Mepivacain als Ausweichpräparate.
Die deutsche Version des Reflective Functioning Questionnaire (RFQ): Eine teststatistische Überprüfung in der Allgemeinbevölkerung
Authors: Spitzer Carsten , Zimmermann Johannes , Brähler Elmar , Euler Sebastian , Wendt Leon , Müller Sascha
Published: October 2020

Das Mentalisierungskonzept ist sowohl in der Praxis als auch der Wissenschaft breit rezipiert worden, u. a. wegen seiner hohen klinisch-therapeutischen Relevanz. Um dieses Konzept der empirisch-quantifizierenden Forschung zugänglich zu machen ist u. a. der Reflective Functioning Questionnaire mit 8 Items (RFQ-8) entwickelt worden, der 2 Skalen (Unsicherheit über mentale Zustände bzw. Hypomentalisieren und Gewissheit über mentale Zustände respektive Hypermentalisieren) umfasst. Während erste, methodisch jedoch kritisch zu bewertende teststatistische Untersuchungen dieses Selbstbeurteilungsverfahren weitgehend positiv beurteilen, stehen Analysen zur deutschen Version aus. In dieser Studie wurde die deutsche Version des RFQ-8 erstmals an einer großen Allgemeinbevölkerungsstichprobe (n=2477) psychometrisch evaluiert. Diverse konfirmatorische und explorative Faktorenanalysen zeigten, dass die ursprünglich vorgeschlagene 2-Faktoren-Lösung fehlspezifiziert ist; vielmehr ist davon auszugehen, dass der RFQ-8 ein eindimensionales Konstrukt abbildet. Nach Ausschluss von 2 teststatistisch ungenügenden Items zeigte die Skala mit 6 Items (RFQ-6) eine hohe interne Konsistenz (McDonald’s ω=0,88) sowie substantielle Rangkorrelationen mit Depressivität, Ängstlichkeit und körperlichen Beschwerden. Wir diskutieren, warum der Einsatz des RFQ-8 in Klinik und Forschung angesichts der teststatistischen Mängel sehr kritisch zu sehen ist, insbesondere was die Erfassung von Hypermentalisieren angeht.
Einstufung des Grades der Schwerbehinderung bei Kindern und Jugendlichen mit Chronischer Myeloischer Leukämie
Authors: Suttorp Meinolf , Sembill Stephanie , Metzler Markus
Published: October 2020

Hintergrund Die Chronische Myeloische Leukämie (CML) repräsentiert nur 2–3% der pädiatrischen Leukämien. Sie wird meist in chronischer Phase (CML-CP) diagnostiziert und schreitet unbehandelt zur akzelerierten (CML-AP) und schließlich akut lebensbedrohlichen Blastenphase (CML-BP) fort. Anders als bei anderen Leukämieformen erfolgt in CML-CP keine intensive Chemotherapie, sondern auf unbestimmte Dauer eine Therapie mit oralen Medikamenten, den Tyrosinkinase-Inhibitoren (TKI). Diese kann mit allgemeinen und entwicklungsspezifischen Nebenwirkungen assoziiert sein. Die Seltenheit der pädiatrischen CML limitiert die Erfahrung bei der Festlegung des Grades der Behinderung (GdB) durch die Behörden.

Methoden Es erfolgte eine Fragebogen-Erhebung zu den Abläufen bei Antragsstellung für einen Schwerbehindertenausweis.

Resultate 34/70 Patienten (49%; medianes Alter 11 J, Bereich 3–17 J; CML-CP/-AP/-BP: N= 28/3/3 Patienten) beantworteten die Fragen. Die mediane TKI-Therapiedauer betrug 33 Monate (Bereich 4–163 Mon.), wobei 24/34 Patienten (71%) Nebenwirkungen berichteten. 5/34 Patienten (15%) hatten keinen Behindertenausweis beantragt. In CML-BP wurde ein GdB 100 allen und in CML-AP 2 von 3 Patienten bewilligt; dem 3. Patienten wurde GdB 60 zugestanden. Bei den 21 Patienten in CML-CP variierte der bewilligte GdB von 20–100; 9/28 Patienten (32%) erhielten GdB 50. Das Merkzeichen H (hilflos) wurde bei 5/28 Patienten (18%) in CML-CP bewilligt.

Fazit Verglichen mit anderen pädiatrischen Malignomen lässt die große Spannbreite des GdB bei CML-CP auf eine Unsicherheit bei der Einschätzung der Einschränkungen durch die Erkrankung und Therapie schließen. Vorgaben bei Erwachsenen mit CML bieten nur wenig Orientierung, da sich bei pädiatrischen Patienten auch häufig entwicklungsspezifische Nebenwirkungen ergeben.
Endoscopic ultrasound-guided radiofrequency ablation of pancreatic microcystic serous cystic neoplasms: a retrospective study
Authors: Oh Dongwook , Ko Sung Woo , Seo Dong-Wan , Hong Seung-Mo , Kim Jin Hee , Song Tae Jun , Park Do Hyun , Lee Sung Koo , Kim Myung-Hwan
Published: October 2020

Background Endoscopic ultrasound-guided radiofrequency ablation (EUS-RFA) has been increasingly used for the management of various solid pancreatic tumors. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility and safety of EUS-RFA for serous cystic neoplasms (SCNs).

Methods 13 patients with microcystic SCNs with honeycomb appearance underwent EUS-RFA using a 19-gauge RFA needle. Before ablation, cystic fluid was aspirated until a thin layer of fluid remained.

Results EUS-RFA was successful in all patients. Seven patients underwent a single session and the remaining six patients underwent a second session of EUS-RFA. One patient (7.7 %) experienced self-limited abdominal pain after EUS-RFA. During a median follow-up period of 9.21 months (interquartile range [IQR] 5.93 – 15.38), the median volume of the SCNs decreased from 37.82 mL (IQR 15.03 – 59.53) at baseline to 10.95 mL (IQR 4.79 – 32.39) at the end of follow-up. A radiologic partial response was achieved in eight patients (61.5 %).

Conclusions EUS-RFA is technically feasible and showed an acceptable rate of adverse events for patients with SCNs. A long-term follow-up study is required to evaluate the efficacy of EUS-RFA.
Environmental Exposures in the Etiology of Abortion: Placental Toxic
and Trace Element Levels
Authors: Baser Emre , kırmızı Demet Aydogan , Turksoy Vugar Ali , Onat Taylan , Çaltekin Melike Demir , Kara Mustafa , Yalvac Ethem Serdar
Published: October 2020

Purpose Intensive research has been conducted on the effects of toxic and
trace elements on pregnancy. Previous studies indicated a possible relationship
between placental levels of these elements and first-trimester abortion;
however, their effects on the further gestational weeks are not clear. This
study aimed to investigate the effect of changes in the levels of placental
trace and toxic elements on second-trimester abortion.

Methods The patient group consisted of 30 women with missed abortion. The
control group comprised 60 healthy term and singleton pregnant women who gave
birth. Placental samples were obtained from the patients and the healthy
controls, and the concentrations of placental elements were measured using
inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry.

Results In the abortion group, placental arsenic, cadmium, mercury, lead,
antimony, tin, cobalt, manganese, and selenium levels were significantly higher
than those of the control group (p<0.05). Antimony was determined as an
independent predictor with an odds ratio of 6.1 in toxic elements
(p=0.025), and selenium was determined as an independent predictor with
an odds ratio of 2.3 in trace elements (p=0.015).

Conclusion The changes in trace element and toxic element levels,
especially an increase in antimony and selenium, in placental tissue due to
environmental exposure may play an important role in second-trimester
abortion.
Ernährung bei Gewichtsverlust – Vitalität stärken mit Genuss
Authors: Weis Nicole , Bihlmaier Susanne
Published: October 2020

Es gibt zunehmend Evidenz, dass bei Krebspatient*innen während und nach der Krebstherapie einem zu starken Gewichtsverlust vorzubeugen ist. Welche Maßnahmen im Sinne der Sekundärprävention zu empfehlen sind, hängt stark vom Einzelfall und der vorliegenden Tumorerkrankung ab. Bei hormonabhängigen Tumoren, wie zum Beispiel Brustkrebs, ist bei adipösen Patientinnen nach erfolgter Primärtherapie eine Gewichtsreduktion sinnvoll. Unter stark belastenden Therapien und bei fortgeschrittener Tumorerkrankung hingegen sind die wichtigsten Ziele das Halten des Gewichts bzw. der Gewichtsaufbau. Gesundheitliche Beschwerden, die die Nahrungsaufnahme zusätzlich beeinträchtigen, sollten so früh wie möglich gelindert werden. Komplementärmedizinische Möglichkeiten werden anhand der Mukositis erläutert.
Antibacterial Compounds from Mushrooms: A Lead to Fight ESKAPEE Pathogenic Bacteria?
Authors: Hamers Violette , Huguet Clément , Bourjot Mélanie , Urbain Aurélie
Published: October 2020

Infectious diseases are among the greatest threats to global health in the 21st century, and one critical concern is due to antibiotic resistance developed by an increasing number of bacterial strains. New resistance mechanisms are emerging with many infections becoming more and more difficult if not impossible to treat. This growing phenomenon not only is associated with increased mortality but also with longer hospital stays and higher medical costs. For these reasons, there is an urgent need to find new antibiotics targeting pathogenic microorganisms such as ESKAPEE bacteria. Most of currently approved antibiotics are derived from microorganisms, but higher fungi could constitute an alternative and remarkable reservoir of anti-infectious compounds. For instance, pleuromutilins constitute the first class of antibiotics derived from mushrooms. However, macromycetes still represent a largely unexplored source. Publications reporting the antibacterial potential of
mushroom extracts are emerging, but few purified compounds have been evaluated for their bioactivity on pathogenic bacterial strains. Therefore, the aim of this review is to compile up-to-date data about natural products isolated from fruiting body fungi, which significantly inhibit the growth of ESKAPEE pathogenic bacteria. When available, data regarding modes of action and cytotoxicity, mandatory when considering a possible drug development, have been discussed in order to highlight the most promising compounds.
Comparative Pharmacokinetics of Puerarin Alone and in Pueraria mirifica Extract in Female Cynomolgus Monkeys
Authors: Namken Sureerat , Songvut Phanit , Nuengchamnong Nitra , Kemthong Taratorn , Khemawoot Phisit , Malaivijitnond Suchinda
Published: October 2020

Pueraria mirifica is an endemic Thai plant that has been used for rejuvenation and in the relief of various aging diseases. Puerarin is one of the major isoflavones found in this plant and shows several pharmacological activities in relation to the Thai traditional use of P. mirifica. Therefore, comparative pharmacokinetics of pure puerarin alone and that in a P. mirifica extract in cynomolgus monkeys were conducted in order to investigate the pharmacokinetic profiles of the 2 preparations. To this end, puerarin and P. mirifica extract, at an equivalent dose of 10 mg/kg of puerarin, were orally dosed to adult female monkeys for 7 consecutive days. A single intravenous injection of puerarin at a dose of 1 mg/kg was also peformed. Serial blood samples and excreta were collected from 0 – 24 h and 0 – 48 h after dosing. Determination of the puerarin levels and its metabolites in biological samples was conducted by liquid chromatography tandem mass
spectrometry. Plasma levels of aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, and creatinine fluctuated in the normal range, with no abnormal physical signs in the animal. The absolute oral bioavailability of puerarin was approximately 1% in both preparations. Accumulation of puerarin was found after oral dosing for 7 consecutive days in both groups. Major metabolites of puerarin found in monkeys were hydroxylation and deglycosylation products. A negligible amount of unchanged puerarin was detected in urine and feces. Pharmacokinetic profiles obtained from this study could help to design the prescribed remedy of puerarin and P. mirifica extract phytopharmaceutical products for human use.
Decarbonylative Synthesis of Aryl Nitriles from Aromatic Esters and Organocyanides by a Nickel Catalyst
Authors: Yamaguchi Junichiro , Iizumi Keiichiro , Kurosawa Miki B. , Isshiki Ryota , Muto Kei
Published: October 2020

A decarbonylative cyanation of aromatic esters with aminoacetonitriles in the presence of a nickel catalyst was developed. The key to this reaction was the use of a thiophene-based diphosphine ligand, dcypt, permitting the synthesis of aryl nitrile without the generation of stoichiometric metal- or halogen-containing chemical wastes. A wide range of aromatic esters, including hetarenes and pharmaceutical molecules, can be converted into aryl nitriles.
Trapping of Transient Thienyllithiums Generated by Deprotonation of 2,3- or 2,5-Dibromothiophene in a Flow Microreactor
Authors: Okano Kentaro , Yamane Yoshiki , Nagaki Aiichiro , Mori Atsunori
Published: October 2020

Selective trapping of (4,5-dibromo-2-thienyl)lithium, known to undergo halogen dance, was achieved in a flow microreactor. This transient thienyllithium, generated by mixing 2,3-dibromothiophene and lithium diisopropylamide at –78 °C for 1.6 seconds, reacted with benzaldehyde. The reaction system is also applicable to other carbonyl compounds to afford the corresponding adducts in good yields. Moreover, the established conditions permit the conversion of 2,5-dibromothiophene into a mixture of the two constitutional isomers. The contrasting results are discussed on the basis of the reaction pathway.
Mudando os conceitos para o diagnóstico da Síndrome do Túnel do Carpo em atletas do halterofilismo do esporte adaptado
Authors: Meirelles Lia Miyamoto , Fernandes Carlos Henrique , Ejnisman Benno , Cohen Moises , dos Santos João Baptista Gomes , Faloppa Flavio
Published: October 2020

Objetivo Examinar a prevalência da síndrome do túnel do carpo em atletas do halterofilismo do esporte adaptado.

Métodos Este estudo avaliou a presença e a intensidade da dor (escala numérica), a parestesia noturna (autorrelato), e a compressão nervosa (sinais de Tinel e de Phalen) em atletas do halterofilismo do esporte adaptado em cadeira de rodas e sem cadeira de rodas. O diagnóstico clínico da síndrome do túnel do carpo foi confirmado pela presença de dois ou mais sinais/sintomas.

Resultados Vinte e nove atletas de halterofilismo de esporte adaptado foram avaliados. Nenhum dos atletas relatou a presença de dor ou parestesia noturna. O sinal de Tinel estava presente em 1 (3,45%) atleta de cadeira de rodas. O teste de Phalen positivo estava presente em 3 (10,35%) atletas (1 em cadeira de rodas e 2 sem cadeira de rodas). Testes positivos de sinais de Tinel e de Phalen foram encontrados concomitantemente em 2 (6,89%) atletas (1 em cadeira de rodas e 1 sem cadeira de rodas).

Conclusão A síndrome do túnel do carpo foi diagnosticada clinicamente em 2 (6,89%) dos 29 atletas com deficiência física.
Tympanic Membrane Retractions in patients with Williams Syndrome: A Controlled Study
Authors: Oliveira Marcelo Wierzynski , Lavinsky Joel , Valerio Marcel Machado , Felix Temis Maria , Lavinsky Luiz
Published: October 2020

Introduction The role of elastin in tympanic retractions and chronic otitis media is not well established. Williams Syndrome (WS), a pathology related to a mutation in the elastin gene, could generate tympanic retractions.

Objective To compare the prevalence of tympanic retractions among patients with WS and controls.

Methods WS patients (n = 43 ears) and controls (n = 130 ears) were evaluated by digital otoscopic examination and the degree of tympanic membrane retraction was classified by 2 blinded experienced otolaryngologists.

Results The agreement rate between the evaluators was 71.1% for pars tensa and 65% for pars flaccida retraction (p < 0.001). The pars tensa and pars flaccida retractions are present in patients with WS after an adjusted residue of respectively - 2.8 and - 2.6 (p = 0.011 and p = 0.022) compared with controls.

Conclusions Tympanic membrane retractions are not more common in the WS group when compared with controls.
Decreased Incidence of CSF Leaks after Skull Base Fractures in the 21st Century: An Institutional Report
Authors: Stopa Brittany M. , Leyva Oscar A. , Harper Cierra N. , Truman Kyla A. , Corrales C. Eduardo , Smith Timothy R. , Gormley William B.
Published: October 2020

Objectives Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leaks are a possible complication in patients with skull base fractures (SBFs). The widely cited incidence of CSF leaks is 10 to 30% in SBF patients; however, this estimate is based only on a few outdated studies. A recent report found CSF leaks in <2% SBF patients, suggesting the incidence may be lower now. To investigate this, we report here our institutional series.

Design This study is a retrospective chart review.

Setting The study was conducted at two major academic medical centers (2000–2018).

Participants Adult patients with SBF were included in this study.

Main Outcome Measures Variables included age, gender, CSF leak within 90 days, management regimen, meningitis within 90 days, and 1-year mortality.

Results Among 4,944 patients with SBF, 199 (4%) developed a CSF leak. SBF incidence was positively correlated with year of clinical presentation (r-squared 0.78, p < 0.001). Among CSF leaks, 42% were conservatively managed, 52% were treated with lumbar drain, and 7% required surgical repair. Meningitis developed in 28% CSF leak patients. The 1-year mortality for all SBF patients was 11%, for patients with CSF leaks was 12%, and for patients with meningitis was 16%.

Conclusion In the largest institutional review of SBF patients in the 21st century, we found CSF leak incidence to be 4%. This is lower than the widely cited range of 10 to 30%. Nevertheless, morbidity and mortality associated with this complication remains clinically significant, and SBF patients should continue to be monitored for CSF leaks. We provide here our institutional treatment algorithm for these patients that may help to inform the treatment strategy at other institutions.
Noninvasive Monitoring in the Intensive Care Unit
Authors: De Backer Daniel , Vincent Jean-Louis
Published: October 2020

There has been considerable development in the field of noninvasive hemodynamic monitoring in recent years. Multiple devices have been proposed to assess blood pressure, cardiac output, and tissue perfusion. All have their own advantages and disadvantages and selection should be based on individual patient requirements and disease severity and adjusted according to ongoing patient evolution.
Use of Vacuum-suction in Depressed Skull Fractures – Case Report and Technical Nuances of Nonoperative Treatment
Authors: Faleiro Rodrigo Moreira , Cavalheiro Sérgio , Belo João Tiago Alves , Moraes Vítor Vieira de Souza , dos Santos Aieska Kellen Dantas , Pontes Ellano de Brito , Teixeira Rodrigo de Oliveira , Silva Aretha Miranda , Costa Nathalia Lacerda Eller
Published: October 2020

Up to 20% of victims from skull fractures are represented by the pediatric population, and 50% of these lesions are depressed skull fractures. The treatment is multimodal in nature, ranging from conservative treatment to open surgical repair. The last one is associated, although in a small proportion, to complications, such as infections, hematomas and even death, besides the risks of the anesthetic procedure itself. The authors of the present article present a case report of the successful treatment of a depressed skull fracture in a newborn patient, using the vacuum-suction technique. The use of vacuum-suction may be beneficial for the pediatric patients, as it is a quick, non-invasive procedure, without the need for general anesthesia.
Tubular Microdiscectomy versus Conventional Surgery for Sciatica. A Comparative Prospective Enzyme Study
Authors: Cherkaoui Mandour , Jalal Kasouati , Jawad Laaguili , Miloudi Gazzaz , Brahim El Mostarchid
Published: October 2020

Objective Muscle injury is inevitable during surgical exposure of the spine, and it is quantified by the release of creatine phosphokinase. The aim of the present study is to make a comparison between tubular microdiscectomy and conventional microdiscectomy by using the pre- and postoperative serum concentrations of creatine phosphokinase as an indicator of muscle injury.

Materials and Methods A total of 28 patients who underwent surgery for lumbar disc herniation were allocated into 2 groups: 12 patients (group A) operated by transflaval microdiscectomy, and 16 patients (group B) operated by tubular microdiscectomy. The serum concentration of total creatine phosphokinase was measured before surgery (creatine phosphokinase 1) and 1 day after surgery (creatine phosphokinase 2).

Results There were 12 women and 16 men; the mean age of the patients and the mean duration of the surgery were respectively 49.5 years and 56 minutes for group A, and 47.3 years and 60 minutes for group B. The p-values of creatine phosphokinase 1, creatine phosphokinase 2 and the creatine–phosphokinase ratio were respectively 0,34; 0,31; and 0,57 (p < 0.05).

Conclusion The present study demonstrated that there was no significant difference between tubular microdiscectomy and conventional microdiscectomy according to the analysis of the levels of creatine phosphokinase.
Hypoglossal-Facial Anastomosis for Facial Nerve Reconstruction: Outcomes using the Side-to-End Surgical Technique
Authors: Ruschel Leonardo Gilmone , Duarte Joel Sanabria , De La Cruz Jonathan , Merida Kristel Back , Nogueira Gustavo Fabiano , de Oliveira Matheus Fernandes , Ramina Ricardo
Published: October 2020

Introduction The side-to-end hypoglossal-facial anastomosis (HFA) technique is an excellent alternative technique to the classic end-terminal anastomosis, because it may decrease the symptoms resulting from hypoglossal-nerve transection.

Methods Patients with facial nerve palsy (House-Brackmann [HB] grade VI) requiring facial reconstruction from 2014 to 2017were retrospectively included in the study.

Results In total, 12 cases were identified, with a mean follow-up of 3 years. The causes of facial paralysis were due to resection of posterior-fossa tumors and trauma. There was improvement in 91.6% of the patients (11/12) after the HFA. The rate of improvement according to the HB grade was as follows: HB III - 58.3%; HB IV - 16.6%; and HB II - 16.6%. The first signs of improvement were observed in the patients with the shortest time between the paralysis and the anastomosis surgery (3.5 months versus 8.5 months; p = 0.011). The patients with HB II and III had a shorter time between the diagnosis and the anastomosis surgery (mean: 5.22 months), while the patients with HB IV and VI had a longer time of paresis (mean: 9.5 months; p = 0.099). We did not observe lingual atrophy or changes in swallowing.

Discussion and Conclusion Hypoglossal-facial anastomosis with the terminolateral technique has good results and low morbidity in relation to tongue motility and swallowing problems. The HB grade and recovery appear to be better in patients operated on with a shorter paralysis time.
A method for identifying false positive frequencies extracted from resonant ultrasound spectra for highly dissipative materials
Authors: Zhang Qiang , Shen Fei , Fan Fan , Wang Rui , Wang Yue , Niu Haijun
Published: October 2020

Resonant ultrasound spectroscopy (RUS) is a nondestructive technique, and one of its applications is to determine the elastic constants of a solid by measuring its free-vibration resonant frequencies. For dissipative materials, the vibration spectrum peaks are broad and strongly overlapped, and in some cases, the resonant frequencies extracted by a linear prediction filter are considered to be false positive frequencies that cannot be paired with theoretical resonant frequencies. The inverse identification of elastic constants is also seriously influenced when these false positive frequencies are wrongly paired with theoretical resonant frequencies. In this paper, a new selection index and an extraction process for RUS resonant frequencies are studied to discard false positive frequencies. The change in the relative error between the theoretical and extracted frequencies was employed to update the traditional frequency selection index. An extraction process was proposed by combining a trial-and-error method and a Bayesian method. A bone-mimicking material (quality factor, Q ≈ 30) and the simulated resonant spectra were adopted to validate the proposed method. The performance of identifying false positive frequencies was effectively improved by using the new selection index. Moreover, the proposed process can be applied to enhance the pairing and estimation accuracy for RUS. Calculations of the elastic constants for distinct specimens presented good consistency. The new method proposed in this paper provides a better analysis of the elastic constants in highly dissipative materials and can help to extend the application range of RUS.
Revisiting some analytical and numerical interpretations of Cairns and Kappa–Cairns distribution functions
Authors: Aman-ur-Rehman  , Ahmad Mushtaq , Shahzad Muhammad Ahsan
Published: October 2020

In this tutorial, three-dimensional (3D) Cairns and Kappa-Cairns distribution functions are re-examined both analytically and numerically. The difference between one-dimensional (1D) and (3D) Cairns distribution functions (CDF) has been explained by deriving reduced 1D Cairns distribution function. It is noted that expressions of 1D and reduced 1D distributions such as Maxwellian and Kappa distributions are similar to each other, while the plots of 1D and reduced 1D CDF are significantly different from each other. The effect of non-thermality parameter on the 3D CDF is also studied by plotting it as a function of magnitude of the 3D velocity. It shows that the peak of the distribution function shifts toward higher speeds with an increase in the value of non-thermality parameter. The longitudinal dielectric response function is derived by using the 3D CDF for studying kinetic behavior of electrostatic waves in an unmagnetized isotropic plasma. The dielectric function is written in terms of plasma dispersion function and is then used to derive the dispersion relations and Landau damping increments for electron plasma waves, ion acoustic waves, and dust acoustic waves in a Cairns distributed plasma. The expressions of the dispersion relation and Landau damping rate of Cairns distributed plasma change into the corresponding expressions of the Maxwellian distributed plasma when the nonthermality parameter is taken equal to zero. Mathematical manipulations have been done for 3D Kappa-Cairns distribution function (KCDF) to find the correct normalization factor. An appropriate and valid range of values of the spectral index κ is obtained by calculating second moment of the velocity by integrating KCDF over 3D velocity space. The effect of non-thermality parameter and the spectral index κ on the 3D KCDF is studied by plotting it as a function of magnitude of the 3D velocity. It is also seen that the velocities where the tails of KCDF exists are much higher compared to the velocities where the tail of Kappa distribution occurs. For both 3D CDF and KCDF, it has been observed that the difference in the distribution functions becomes negligible when the value of the non-thermality parameter becomes more than 0.5.
Influence of tungsten doping on nonradiative electron–hole recombination in monolayer MoSe2 with Se vacancies
Authors: Yang Yating , Tokina Marina V. , Fang Wei-Hai , Long Run , Prezhdo Oleg V.
Published: October 2020

Two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) are receiving significant attention due to their excellent electronic and optoelectronic properties. The material quality is greatly affected by defects that are inevitably generated during material synthesis. Focusing on chalcogenide vacancies, which constitute the most common defect, we use the state-of-the-art simulation methodology developed in our group to demonstrate that W doping of MoSe2 with Se vacancies reduces charge carrier losses by two mechanisms. First, W doping makes the formation of double Se vacancies unfavorable, while it is favorable in undoped MoSe2. Second, if a Se vacancy is present, the charge carrier lifetimes are extended in the W-doped MoSe2. Combining ab initio real-time time-dependent density functional theory with nonadiabatic molecular dynamics, the simulations show that the nonradiative carrier losses in the presence of Se vacancies proceed by sub-10 ps electron trapping and relaxation down the manifold of trap states, followed by a 100 ps recombination of trapped electrons with free holes. The electron–vibrational energy exchange is driven by both in-plane and out-of-plane vibrational motions of the MoSe2 layer. The atomistic studies advance our understanding of the influence of defects on charge carrier properties in TMDs and guide improvements of material quality and development of TMD applications.
Application of ion beam technology in (photo)electrocatalytic materials for renewable energy
Authors: Wang Xuening , Wan Wenjing , Shen Shaohua , Wu Hengyi , Zhong Huizhou , Jiang Changzhong , Ren Feng
Published: October 2020

The development of environmentally friendly, efficient, and universal access renewable energy technology is the key to achieve the goal of sustainable development. (Photo)electrochemical energy storage and conversion technology is an important part. Therefore, to realize the practical application of (photo)electrochemical energy technology, nanostructured catalytic materials need to be reasonably designed, synthesized, and modified. Ion beam technology is a powerful and versatile physical modification method. Modification of various catalytic materials from the surface to interface and thin films can be realized by controlling the species, energy, and fluence of implanted ions. Ion beam technology has its unique advantages, including its compulsivity of element doping and its high controllability, accuracy, and repeatability. It can realize arbitrary element doping and defect control of almost any material and finely control its concentration. This makes it possible for the ion beam technology to adapt to the modification requirements of catalytic materials to tailor the electronic structure, interface structure, and morphology of the materials more finely. Besides, a variety of strategies for material design can be realized using ion beams, including element doping, defect control, heterostructure construction, and micro/nanostructure formation, which may bring novel changes in catalytic materials. In this Review, we briefly introduce the principle of ion beam technology and introduce various ion beam technologies that can be applied to different catalytic material modification applications. We systematically review the research progress on the application of ion beam technology in photocatalytic, photoelectrocatalytic, and electrocatalytic materials for water splitting including bandgap engineering, defect engineering, heterostructure formation through ion doping, ion irradiation, ion sputtering, and their combined effects. The applications of ion beam technology on modification of fuel oxidation reaction and oxygen reduction reaction electrocatalysts for fuel cells are also introduced. The advantages of ion beam technology in the modification of catalytic materials are summarized. Several promising topics are proposed to look forward to the future development of ion beam technology in the field of catalytic materials.
Feature selection and processing of turbulence modeling based on an artificial neural network
Authors: Yin Yuhui , Yang Pu , Zhang Yufei , Chen Haixin , Fu Song
Published: October 2020

Data-driven turbulence modeling has been considered an effective method for improving the prediction accuracy of Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes equations. Related studies aimed to solve the discrepancy of traditional turbulence modeling by acquiring specific patterns from high-fidelity data through machine learning methods, such as artificial neural networks. The present study focuses on the unsmoothness and prediction error problems from the aspect of feature selection and processing. The selection criteria for the input features are summarized, and an effective input set is constructed. The effect of the computation grid on the smoothness is studied. A modified feature decomposition method for the spatial orientation feature of the Reynolds stress is proposed. The improved machine learning framework is then applied to the periodic hill database with notably varying geometries. The results of the modified method show significant enhancement in the prediction accuracy and smoothness, including the shape and size of separation areas and the friction and pressure distributions on the wall, which confirms the validity of the approach.
Political leadership and non-state actors in the greening of Botswana
Authors: Mogende Emmanuel , Ramutsindela Maano
Published: October 2020

The global environmental crisis has drawn increasing attention to how state power should be deployed towards achieving ecological objectives. Hence, scholars have debated the form and functions that the state might take within a sustainable political-economic model. The concept of the green state is central to this debate but the concept itself raises further questions about whether and how African states fit into this categorisation. In this article, we contribute to these debates by arguing that Botswana has been greening over time and that the Ian Khama regime took this process to a high level through the hunting ban in 2014. The country orchestrated its greener model of capitalist accumulation and gross domestic growth through the wildlife economy, which is anchored on environmental policies that fuse together domestic and global interests. Between 1966 and 2018, political leaders authorised these policies that in turn shaped power relations in the wildlife sector, particularly between the state and the private sector, to the detriment of local communities.
Evidence for anaphase pulling forces duringC. elegansmeiosis
Authors: Danlasky Brennan M. , Panzica Michelle T. , McNally Karen P. , Vargas Elizabeth , Bailey Cynthia , Li Wenzhe , Gong Ting , Fishman Elizabeth S. , Jiang Xueer , McNally Francis J.
Published: October 2020

Anaphase chromosome movement is thought to be mediated by pulling forces generated by end-on attachment of microtubules to the outer face of kinetochores. However, it has been suggested that during C. elegans female meiosis, anaphase is mediated by a kinetochore-independent pushing mechanism with microtubules only attached to the inner face of segregating chromosomes. We found that the kinetochore proteins KNL-1 and KNL-3 are required for preanaphase chromosome stretching, suggesting a role in pulling forces. In the absence of KNL-1,3, pairs of homologous chromosomes did not separate and did not move toward a spindle pole. Instead, each homolog pair moved together with the same spindle pole during anaphase B spindle elongation. Two masses of chromatin thus ended up at opposite spindle poles, giving the appearance of successful anaphase.
On the existence of Killing fields in smooth spacetimes with a compact Cauchy horizon
Authors: Ithurralde Martín Reiris , Bianchi Ignacio Bustamante
Published: October 2020

We prove that the surface gravity of a compact non-degenerate Cauchy horizon in a smooth vacuum spacetime, can be normalized to a non-zero constant. This result, combined with a recent result by Oliver Petersen and István Rácz, end up proving the Isenberg–Moncrief conjecture on the existence of Killing fields, in the smooth differentiability class. The well known corollary of this, in accordance with the strong cosmic censorship conjecture, is that the presence of compact Cauchy horizons is a non-generic phenomenon. Though we work in 3 + 1, the result is valid line by line in any n + 1-dimensions.
BRST deformations and stability in the higher derivative Chern–Simons gauge theory
Authors: Dai Jialiang
Published: October 2020

We show the procedure of BRST deformations of the free Chern–Simons gauge theory with the higher derivatives in antifield formalism and obtain the consistent interactions in the master action at different orders. The key ingredient in our analysis is the local BRST-cohomology which plays a crucial role in the determination of the first-order deformation, also the Jacobi identity is needed since it will greatly simplify the calculations for us. Making using of the Dirac’s method, we give a detailed Hamiltonian analysis both for the free and interacting systems and exhibit that the number of physical degrees of freedom is unchanged after the deformation process. Moreover, we demonstrate that the free higher derivative system can be stabilized from the viewpoint of the existence of another bounded conserved quantities which are different from the canonical energy.
Reducing the radar cross section while maintaining the performance of a coplanar waveguide-fed antenna with an absorptive metasurface
Authors: Fernández-Álvarez Humberto , Gómez María Elena De Cos , Andrés Fernando Las-Heras
Published: October 2020

The paper presents, for the first time, an analysis of the optimum arrangement of a coplanar waveguide-fed monopole antenna and a metasurface absorber (MSA), aiming to reduce the antenna’s in-band radar cross section (RCS) without perturbing its radiation properties. The proposed arrangement will show that the efficiency of the antenna, of great interest in many applications (such as the internet of things), can be preserved, contrary to results of previous papers focused on combining these structures. Moreover, the final structure will be easily embeddable (with an optimum number of unit-cells) as well as conformable. A proper analysis of the losses and currents on the structure will be provided for a better understanding of the interaction phenomena that arise. Good agreement between simulation and measurement results can be observed, corroborating the proper performance of the structure. Furthermore, bistatic reductionis obtained as well as monostatic RCS reduction, due to the angular stability of the employed MSA. Finally, it will be shown that the introduction of loaded resistors will be preferable to the use of a lossy dielectric to improve the RCS reduction whilst maintaining the antenna performance.
Electronic transport through a driven quantum wire: possible tuning of junction current, circular current and induced local magnetic field
Authors: Ganguly Sudin , Maiti Santanu K
Published: October 2020

We propose a new route of getting controlled electron transmission through a molecular wire having a single loop geometry, by irradiating the loop with an arbitrarily polarized light. Along with conventional junction current, a new current called bias driven circular current can be established in the loop under certain conditions depending on the junction configuration. This current, on the other hand, induces a strong magnetic field that can even reach to few tesla. All the physical phenomena can be regulated selectively by adjusting the irradiation parameters. In addition, we put forward another new route of regulating transport behavior by introducing a new path due to the proximity of the contact electrodes for a typical junction configuration. Employing a tight-binding framework, we include the effect of light irradiation within a minimal coupling scheme following the well known Floquet ansatz. Using the wave-guide theory we compute two-terminal transmission probability, and the currents are determined through the Landauer–Büttiker formalism. The present analysis may be utilized to investigate transport phenomena in any other molecular wires as well as tailor-made geometries having simple and/or complex loop sub-structures.
Synthesis of highly dense MoO2/MoS2 core–shell nanoparticles via chemical vapor deposition
Authors: Withanage Sajeevi S , Charles Vanessa , Chamlagain Bhim , Wheeler Robert , Mou Shin , Khondaker Saiful I
Published: October 2020

Nanostructure morphologies of transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) are gaining much interest owing to their catalytic, sensing, and energy storage capabilities. Here, we report the synthesis of highly dense MoO2/MoS2 core–shell nanoparticles, a new form of TMD nanostructure, via chemical vapor deposition using new growth geometry where a thin film of MoO3 was used as a source substrate for Mo as opposed to using MoO3 powder used in conventional studies. To grow the MoO2/MoS2 core–shell nanoparticles, we precisely control the carrier gas flow rate and sulfur vapor introduction time with respect to the melting of a MoO3 thin film used for Mo precursor. Scanning electron microscope image shows dense coverage of nanoparticles of 50–120 nm in size. The transmission electron microscopy image shows that the nanoparticles consist of crystalline MoO2 core covered with a few layer MoS2 shell. Raman and energy dispersive spectroscopy characterizations further confirm the chemical composition of the nanoparticle containing MoO2 and MoS2. We discuss the growth conditions under which the nanoparticles grow and elucidate its growth mechanism. We also discuss how a small but controllable changes in growth condition could lead to other highly dense growth of vertical/lateral MoO2/MoS2 plates in both source and growth substrates due to the unique growth geometry used in this study.
NV center pumped and enhanced by nanowire ring resonator laser to integrate a 10 μm-scale spin-based sensor structure
Authors: Guo Hao , Gao Yanjie , Qin Yue , Wang Shixin , Liu Yusong , Zhang Zhenrong , Li Zhonghao , Wen Huanfei , Tang Jun , Ma Zongmin , Li Yanjun , Liu Jun
Published: October 2020

In this work, we propose a 10 μm-scale spin-based sensor structure, which mainly consists of a nanowire (NW) ring resonator laser, nitrogen-vacancy (NV) defects in a nanodiamond (ND) and a microwave (MW) antenna. The NW laser was bent into a ring with a gap to pump the NV defects in the ND which was assembled in the gap with the diameter of ∼8 μm. And the fluorescent light of NV defects was enhanced by the NW ring resonator about 8 times. Furthermore, the NW laser pulse was produced by the optical switch and a simple plus-sequences was designed to get the Rabi oscillation signal. Based on the Rabi oscillation, a Ramsey-type sequence was used to detect the magnetic field with the sensitivity of 83 nT √Hz−1 for our 10 μm-scale spin-based sensor structure. It proves the spin state in our structure allows for coherent spin manipulation for more complex quantum control schemes. And our structure fulfills the fundamental requirements to develop chip-scale spin-based sensors.
Examining the isotope effect on CH decay and H exchange reactions: H(2S) + CH(D/T)(2Π)
Authors: Zhang Lulu , Liu Dong , Song Yuzhi , Gao Feng , Meng Qingtian
Published: October 2020

The influence of the isotope substitution on the H + CH(D, T) reactions is analyzed in detail by the method of quasi-classical trajectory on the

CH

2

(

X

˜

3

A
″
)

potential energy surface. By calculating the integral cross sections (ICSs), rate constants, and product vibrational and rotational state resolved ICSs, we find that when the isotope substitution effect promotes the R1 (CH decay) reaction, it can inhibit the R2 (H exchange) reaction. The analysis of differential cross sections (DCSs) indicates that H + CH(D/T) for R1 reaction is dominated by indirect reaction mechanism in the lower collision energy region, and governed by direct reaction mechanism in the high collision energy region. Finally, the calculated distributions of P(θ

r
) and P(ϕ

r
) show that the product rotational angular momentum

j
′

is slightly oriented along the positive y-axis for R1 reaction, but for R2 reaction, there are no clear peak structures, so the polarization is not significant.
Absolute frequency of 87Sr at 1.8 × 10−16 uncertainty by reference to remote primary frequency standards
Authors: Nemitz Nils , Gotoh Tadahiro , Nakagawa Fumimaru , Ito Hiroyuki , Hanado Yuko , Ido Tetsuya , Hachisu Hidekazu
Published: October 2020

The optical lattice clock NICT-Sr1 regularly reports calibration measurements of the international timescale TAI. By comparing measurement results to the reports of eight primary frequency standards, we find the absolute frequency of the 87Sr clock transition to be

f

S
r

=
429

228

004

229

873.082

76

H
z

, with a fractional uncertainty of less than 1.8 × 10−16 approaching the systematic limits of the best realization of the SI second. Our result is consistent with other recent measurements and further supported by the loop closure over the absolute frequencies of 87Sr, 171Yb and direct optical measurements of their ratio.