bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Antimonene-based saturable absorber for a soliton mode-locked and Q-switched fiber laser in the 2 μm wavelength region
Authors: Ahmad H , Nizamani B , Samion M Z , Yusoff N , Ismail M F
Published: August 2022

We demonstrate antimonene as a saturable absorber (SA) to generate an ultrafast mode-locked and Q-switched laser in the 2 μm wavelength region. The two antimonene-based SAs were prepared and inserted separately in a thulium–holmium-doped fiber laser to produce the pulsed laser. Antimonene was coated onto a tapered fiber to generate soliton mode-locked pulses and used in thin-film form for the generation of Q-switched pulses. The mode-locking was stable within a pump power of 267 mW–511 mW, and the laser operated at a central wavelength of 1897.4 nm. The mode-locked laser had a pulse width of 1.3 ps and a repetition rate of 12.6 MHz, with a signal-to-noise ratio of 64 dB. Q-switched laser operation was stable at a wavelength of 1890.1 nm within a pump power of 312 mW–381 mW. With the increase in pump power from 312 mW to 381 mW, the repetition rate increased to a maximum of 56.63 kHz and the pulse width decreased to a minimum value of 2.85 μs. Wide-range tunability of the Q-switched laser was also realized within the wavelength range of 1882 nm–1936 nm.
Peptide backbone-copper ring structure: A molecular insight into copper-induced amyloid toxicity
Authors: Wang Jing , Jiang Xiankai , Su Xiurong , Zhou Xingfei , Wang Yu , Wang Geng , Geng Heping , Jiang Zheng , Huang Fang , Chen Gang , Wang Chunlei , Fang Haiping
Published: August 2022

Copper ions can promote amyloid diseases that are associated with amyloid peptides, such as type 2 diabetes (T2D), Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD), and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). However, the underlying molecular mechanism remains obscure. Here we present that Cu2+ is able to specifically bind to the backbone of T2D-related human islet amyloid polypeptide (hIAPP) by forming a ring structure, which causes the reduction of Cu2+ to Cu+ to produce reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the modulation of hIAPP aggregation. Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy showed that Cu2+ bound to the backbone of a turn region, His18–Ser21, which is critical for hIAPP aggregation. Ab initio calculations and x-ray absorption fine structure analyses revealed that Cu2+ simultaneously bound with both the amide nitrogen and carbonyl oxygen on the peptide backbone, resulting in a ring structure, and causing the reduction of Cu2+ to Cu+ to form a hIAPP-Cu+ complex. 2′,7′-dichlorodihydrofluorescin diacetate fluorescence measurements further indicated that this complex led to enhanced ROS levels in rat insulinoma cells. Additionally, thioflavin T fluorescence and atomic force microscopy measurements denoted that the backbone-Cu ring structure largely modulated hIAPP aggregation, including the inhibition of hIAPP fibrillation and the promotion of peptide oligomerization. These findings shed new light on the molecular mechanism of Cu2+-induced amyloid toxicity involving both the enhancement of ROS and the modulation of hIAPP aggregation.
Spin pumping by higher-order dipole-exchange spin-wave modes
Authors: Wang Peng
Published: August 2022

Spin pumping (SP) and inverse spin Hall effect (ISHE) driven by parametrically-excited dipole-exchange spin waves in a yttrium iron garnet film have been systematically investigated. The measured voltage spectrum exhibits a feature of the field-induced transition from parallel pumping to perpendicular pumping because of the inhomogeneous excitation geometry. Thanks to the high precision of the SP-ISHE detection, two sets of fine structures in the voltage spectrum are observed, which can correspond well to two kinds of critical points in the multimode spin-wave spectrum for magnetic films. One is the q = 0 point of each higher-order dispersion branch, and the other is the local minimum due to the interplay between the dipolar and exchange interactions. These fine structures on the voltage spectrum confirm the spin pumping by higher-order dipole-exchange spin-wave modes, and are helpful for probing the multimode spin-wave spectrum.
Bending sensor based on flexible spin valve
Authors: Naumova L I , Zavornitsyn R S , Milyaev M A , Bebenin N G , Pavlova A Y , Makarova M V , Maksimova I K , Proglyado V V , Zakharov A A , Ustinov V V
Published: August 2022

Flexible spin valves were prepared by magnetron sputtering on polyimide substrates. The buffer layer that reduces significantly the effect of the polymer substrate on the spin valve microstructure and magnetoresistive properties was revealed. Bending deformation was applied to the microobjects based on the flexible spin valves in parallel to anisotropy axes. It was revealed that during the bend the magnetoresistance changes due to the joint impact of both the change of the magnetic field projection on the film plane and the change of the magnetic properties of the ferromagnetic layers. The obtained dependences have been used in construction of bending sensor, in which the flexible spin valve microstripes were united into the Wheatstone bridge.
Transverse manipulation of particles using Bessel beam of tunable size generated by cross-phase modulation
Authors: Qiao Xiang-Lai , Cheng Xue-Mei , Zhang Qian , Zhang Wen-Ding , Ren Zhao-Yu , Bai Jin-Tao
Published: August 2022

We report on a method to achieve multiple microscopic particles being trapped and manipulated transversely by using a size-tunable Bessel beam generated by cross-phase modulation (XPM) based on the thermal nonlinear optical effect. The results demonstrate that multiple polystyrene particles can be stably trapped simultaneously, and the number of the trapped particles can be controlled by varying the trapping beam power. In addition, the trapped particles can be manipulated laterally with micron-level precision by changing the size of J0 Bessel beam. This work provides a simple but efficient way to trap and manipulate multiple particles simultaneously, which would have potential applications in many fields such as cell sorting and transportation.
Propagation of light near the band edge in one-dimensional multilayers
Authors: Tang Yang , Fan Lingjie , Zhang Yanbin , Li Tongyu , Shen Tangyao , Shi Lei
Published: August 2022

Optical systems offer rich modulation in light propagation, but sufficient quantitative descriptions lack when highly complex structures are considered since practical structures contain defects or imperfections. Here, we utilize a method combining a data-fitting method and a time-resolved system to describe light propagation near the band edges in one-dimensional structures. Calculations after optimization of the method show little deviation to the measurements.
EEG microstate in first-episode drug-naive adolescents with depression
Authors: Zhao Zongya , Niu Yanxiang , Zhao Xiaofeng , Zhu Yu , Shao Zhenpeng , Wu Xingyang , Wang Chong , Gao Xudong , Wang Chang , Xu Yongtao , Zhao Junqiang , Gao Zhixian , Ding Junqing , Yu Yi
Published: August 2022

A growing number of studies have revealed significant abnormalities in electroencephalography (EEG) microstate in patients with depression, but these findings may be affected by medication. Therefore, how the EEG microstates abnormally change in patients with depression in the early stage and without the influence of medication has not been investigated so far. Resting-state EEG data and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) were collected from 34 first-episode drug-naïve adolescent with depression and 34 matched healthy controls. EEG microstate analysis was applied and nonlinear characteristics of EEG microstate sequences were studied by sample entropy and Lempel–Ziv complexity (LZC). The microstate temporal parameters and complexity were tried to train an SVM for classification of patients with depression. Four typical EEG microstate topographies were obtained in both groups, but microstate C topography was significantly abnormal in depression patients. The duration of microstate B, C, D and the occurrence and coverage of microstate B significantly increased, the occurrence and coverage of microstate A, C reduced significantly in depression group. Sample entropy and LZC in the depression group were abnormally increased and were negatively correlated with HDRS. When the combination of EEG microstate temporal parameters and complexity of microstate sequence was used to classify patients with depression from healthy controls, a classification accuracy of 90.9% was obtained. Abnormal EEG microstate has appeared in early depression, reflecting an underlying abnormality in configuring neural resources and transitions between distinct brain network states. EEG microstate can be used as a neurophysiological biomarker for early auxiliary diagnosis of depression.
Global gyrokinetic simulations of ASDEX Upgrade up to the transport timescale with GENE–Tango
Authors: Di Siena A. , Bañón Navarro A. , Luda T. , Merlo G. , Bergmann M. , Leppin L. , Görler T. , Parker J.B. , LoDestro L. , Dannert T. , Germaschewski K. , Allen B. , Hittinger J. , Dorland B.W. , Hammett G. , Jenko F.
Published: August 2022

An accurate description of turbulence up to the transport timescale is essential for predicting core plasma profiles and enabling reliable calculations for designing advanced scenarios and future devices. Here, we exploit the gap separation between turbulence and transport timescales and couple the global gyrokinetic code GENE to the transport-solver Tango, including kinetic electrons, collisions, realistic geometries, toroidal rotation and electromagnetic effects for the first time. This approach overcomes gyrokinetic codes’ limitations and enables high-fidelity profile calculations in experimentally relevant plasma conditions, significantly reducing the computational cost. We present numerical results of GENE–Tango for two ASDEX Upgrade discharges, one of which exhibits a pronounced peaking of the ion temperature profile not reproduced by TGLF–ASTRA. We show that GENE–Tango can correctly capture the ion temperature peaking observed in the experiment. By retaining different physical effects in the GENE simulations, e.g., collisions, toroidal rotation and electromagnetic effects, we show that the ion temperature profile’s peaking can be linked to electromagnetic effects of submarginal (stable) KBM modes. Based on these results, the expected GENE–Tango speedup for the ITER standard scenario is larger than two orders of magnitude compared to a single gyrokinetic simulation up to the transport timescale, possibly making first-principles ITER simulations feasible on current computing resources.
Simulated contribution of the interdecadal Pacific oscillation to the west Eurasia cooling in 1998–2013
Authors: Suo Lingling , Gastineau Guillaume , Gao Yongqi , Liang Yu-Chiao , Ghosh Rohit , Tian Tian , Zhang Ying , Kwon Young-Oh , Otterå Odd Helge , Yang Shuting , Matei Daniela
Published: August 2022

Large ensemble simulations with six atmospheric general circulation models involved are utilized to verify the interdecadal Pacific oscillation (IPO) impacts on the trend of Eurasian winter surface air temperatures (SAT) during 1998–2013, a period characterized by the prominent Eurasia cooling (EC). In our simulations, IPO brings a cooling trend over west-central Eurasia in 1998–2013, about a quarter of the observed EC in that area. The cooling is associated with the phase transition of the IPO to a strong negative. However, the standard deviation of the area-averaged SAT trends in the west EC region among ensembles, driven by internal variability intrinsic due to the atmosphere and land, is more than three times the isolated IPO impacts, which can shadow the modulation of the IPO on the west Eurasia winter climate.
Volatolomic urinary profile analysis for diagnosis of the early stage of lung cancer
Authors: Gasparri Roberto , Capuano Rosamaria , Guaglio Alessandra , Caminiti Valentina , Canini Federico , Catini Alexandro , Sedda Giulia , Paolesse Roberto , Di Natale Corrado , Spaggiari Lorenzo
Published: August 2022

Currently, in clinical practice there is a pressing need for potential biomarkers that can identify lung cancer at early stage before becoming symptomatic or detectable by conventional means. Several researchers have independently pointed out that the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) profile can be considered as a lung cancer fingerprint useful for diagnosis. In particular, 16% of volatiles contributing to the human volatilome are found in urine, which is therefore an ideal sample medium. Its analysis through non-invasive, relatively low-cost and straightforward techniques could offer great potential for the early diagnosis of lung cancer. In this study, urinary VOCs were analysed with a gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometer (GC-IMS) and an electronic nose (e-nose) made by a matrix of twelve quartz microbalances complemented by a photoionization detector. This clinical prospective study involved 127 individuals, divided into two groups: 46 with lung cancer stage I–II–III confirmed by computerized tomography or positron emission tomography—imaging techniques and histology (biopsy), and 81 healthy controls. Both instruments provided a multivariate signal which, after being analysed by a machine learning algorithm, identified eight VOCs that could distinguish lung cancer patients from healthy ones. The eight VOCs are 2-pentanone, 2-hexenal, 2-hexen-1-ol, hept-4-en-2-ol, 2-heptanone, 3-octen-2-one, 4-methylpentanol, 4-methyl-octane. Results show that GC-IMS identifies lung cancer with respect to the control group with a diagnostic accuracy of 88%. Sensitivity resulted as being 85%, and specificity was 90%—Area Under the Receiver Operating Characteristics: 0.91. The contribution made by the e-nose was also important, even though the results were slightly less sensitive with an accuracy of 71.6%. Moreover, of the eight VOCs identified as potential biomarkers, five VOCs had a high sensitivity (p ⩽ 0.06) for early stage (stage I) lung cancer.
Cost Analysis of Automated Additive Printer Farms
Authors: Schmidt Carsten , Finsterwalder Florian , Griesbaum Rainer , Sehrt Jan T
Published: August 2022

Automated additive printer farms, which operate several printers in parallel and thus increase the productivity, are an efficient way to realize a fully flexible mass production, as has been shown by a number of examples. By means of a specifically developed calculation method and virtual representations of various printer farm concepts in a simulation environment, various farm concepts are analyzed regarding the cost structure and the productivity. Also, an automated farm consisting of several low-cost printers is compared to an industrial printer. Subsequently, future scenarios are set up taking into account economic and technological trends allowing an estimation of the impact on the manufacturing costs of automated additive printer farms. In this paper, the analysis is based upon the Fused Layer Modeling (FLM) process, but to a large extent the findings can be transferred to other additive manufacturing processes, for example stereolithography (SL) or digital light processing (DLP).
Low-dose radiotherapy to the lungs using an interventional radiology C-arm fluoroscope: Monte Carlo treatment planning and dose measurements in a postmortem subject
Authors: Leon S , Paucar O , Correa N , Glassell M , Gonzales A , Olguin E , Shankar A , Moskvin V , Schwarz B , Alva-Sanchez M , Moyses H , Hamrick B , Sarria G R , Li B , Tajima T , Necas A , Guzman C , Challco R , Montoya M , Meza Z , Zapata M , Gonzales A , Marquina J , Quispe K , Chavez T , Castilla L , Moscoso J , Ramirez J , Marquez F , Neira R , Vilca W , Mendez J , Hernandez J , Roa D
Published: August 2022

Objective. The goal of this study was to use Monte Carlo (MC) simulations and measurements to investigate the dosimetric suitability of an interventional radiology (IR) c-arm fluoroscope to deliver low-dose radiotherapy to the lungs. Approach. A previously-validated MC model of an IR fluoroscope was used to calculate the dose distributions in a COVID-19-infected patient, 20 non-infected patients of varying sizes, and a postmortem subject. Dose distributions for PA, AP/PA, 3-field and 4-field treatments irradiating 95% of the lungs to a 0.5 Gy dose were calculated. An algorithm was created to calculate skin entrance dose as a function of patient thickness for treatment planning purposes. Treatments were experimentally validated in a postmortem subject by using implanted dosimeters to capture organ doses. Main results. Mean doses to the left/right lungs for the COVID-19 CT data were 1.2/1.3 Gy, 0.8/0.9 Gy, 0.8/0.8 Gy and 0.6/0.6 Gy for the PA, AP/PA, 3-field, and 4-field configurations, respectively. Skin dose toxicity was the highest probability for the PA and lowest for the 4-field configuration. Dose to the heart slightly exceeded the ICRP tolerance; all other organ doses were below published tolerances. The AP/PA configuration provided the best fit for entrance skin dose as a function of patient thickness (R2 = 0.8). The average dose difference between simulation and measurement in the postmortem subject was 5%. Significance. An IR fluoroscope should be capable of delivering low-dose radiotherapy to the lungs with tolerable collateral dose to nearby organs.
Appendix
Authors: Edmonds Ennis Barrington
Published: August 2022

Scholarly literature on the Rastafarian movement is characterized by distinct approaches, emphases, or theoretical orientations. I have categorized these approaches in terms of how scholars tend to view the significance of Rastafari: millennial escapists, social change agents, a dynamic community, an authentic culture, and social/political activists. Historically, most of the literature on Rastafari has been written by professional academics outside of the movement. However, the emerging intelligentsia of the movement has been producing a growing body of literature in recent times. This review looks at the writings of both of these groups.
Tracing Sources: Toward Clarifying the Criteria for Detecting Sources
Authors: Brodie Thomas L.
Published: August 2022

As a general literary principle, it is not possible to take a finished text and reconstruct sources that otherwise have never been seen – sources that are hypothetical. What is possible, though often difficult, is to identify a known text as one of the sources of another known text. Ancient writing consisted largely of rewriting, so the use of written sources was normal, and quite often both a text and some of its sources still exist. Modes of rewriting varied hugely, for instance: Midrash, Synthesis and transformation; Rewritten Bible; Rewritten Prophecy (the Pesharim); Rewritten Epic; and Imitation (mimesis). Criteria of dependence are external plausibility; significant similarities; the intelligibility of the differences.
Sources: Genesis's Use of the Prophets
Authors: Brodie Thomas L.
Published: August 2022

The criteria of literary dependence – external plausibility; significant similarities; intelligibility of differences – indicate that the present text of Genesis uses the three great prophetic books: Ezekiel, Jeremiah, and Isaiah. Generally, the dependence is systematic: mostly, Ezekiel is used in Genesis 1–14; Isaiah 1–39 in Genesis 15–21; Jeremiah in much of the Jacob story, and in some texts concerning Abraham and Joseph; and Isaiah 40–66 in the Joseph story (and Genesis 1).
The Landscape and the Lion: Genesis and the Gospels
Authors: Brodie Thomas L.
Published: August 2022

The comparison of Genesis with the gospels is part of an age‐old discussion about the relationship between the Hebrew Scriptures and the New Testament. The Gospels can seem both richer and poorer than Genesis.
Authors: Weiss Roslyn
Published: August 2022

In the Phaedo, Socrates pulls away from and repudiates recollection as it is portrayed in the Meno. In the Phaedo, it is Cebes who champions the Meno's form of recollection; Socrates presents recollection in a new and distinct way. In the Meno, recollection of all knowledge is said to come by way of questions or diagrams; in the Phaedo, recollection is of pure Forms by way of deficient sensibles. In the Meno, the soul remembers what it learned in previous lives here and in Hades; in the Phaedo, the soul recollects what it has seen in the realm of the nonvisible intelligibles, the Forms. The version of recollection that appears in the Meno is designed specifically for the misologist Meno; the version of recollection that appears in the Phaedo is designed for Simmias and Cebes who love argument only too well: what they lack is the philosophical yearning for the otherworldly life of communing with transcendent Forms.
Appendix B
Authors: Hayes Christine E.
Published: August 2022

Rabbinic sources cited as evidence of an intrinsic or derived Gentile ritual impurity in ancient times do not in fact attest to the operation of such a principle. Sources concerning the impurity of Gentile utensils, the impurity of Gentile breastmilk, and the ritual of proselyte baptism are among the sources analyzed in this refutation of the views of Gedaliah Alon and others.
Appendix C
Authors: Hayes Christine E.
Published: August 2022

Gedaliah Alon claims that three types of ritual impurity are ascribed to idols in rabbinic sources, corresponding to three types of ritual impurity ascribed to Gentiles. Alon views this correspondence as evidence that the principle of Gentile ritual impurity is grounded in the ritual impurity of idols. Since he believes the latter to be ancient (i.e., biblical), Alon assumes that the former is also. However, only one form of ritual impurity is consistently ascribed to Gentiles in rabbinic literature and this form of ritual impurity corresponds to none of the three forms ascribed to idols. Moreover, the ritual impurity of idols is a rabbinic novum lacking biblical precedent and cannot, therefore, be the basis of an ancient (i.e., biblical or prophetic) principle of Gentile ritual impurity.
Eliminative Methods of Induction
Authors: Mackie J. L.
Published: August 2022

In this section, Mackie provides an outline of Mill's methods on induction. He sets out a formal account of Mill's methods, employing a variation of Aristotelian logic. The methods are those of agreement and disagreement (both in their simple and complex variants), the method of residues, and the method of concomitant variation. Some criticisms concerning the possibility of the employment of these methods are raised and responded to.
Jerome's Translation Technique
Authors: Burton Philip
Published: August 2022

The Old Latin versions form the basis for Jerome's Vulgate text of the Gospels. But what linguistic and translation changes did Jerome make, apart from changes deriving from his different underlying Greek text (Vorlage)? It is argued that Jerome's revision is in general more literal than the original.
Generalizations of the Perron–Frobenius Theorems for Non‐Negative Square Matrices
Authors: Morishima Michio
Published: August 2022

The Appendix generalizes the classical theorems on non‐negative square matrices to systems of non‐linear and homogeneous functions. Some of these results are repeatedly used in the text of the book, and all of them are of great importance to workers in the field of multisectoral analysis. The different sections of the Appendix address non‐linear eigenvector problems, balanced growth, stability, and the non‐linear resolvent problem. Other mathematical theorems and concepts that are not familiar to economists are explained in footnotes of the chapters in which they are used for the first time.
Predictivism
Authors: Swinburne Richard
Published: August 2022

Predictivism (or the historical theory of confirmation) is the view that evidence gives more support to a hypothesis if it was discovered after the hypothesis was formulated (for example, in the process of testing the hypothesis) rather than before the hypothesis was formulated. Given objective criteria (especially criteria of the relative simplicity of hypotheses) for how much evidence renders a hypothesis probable, predictivism is false. Nevertheless, we are more likely to find the kind of evidence that gives great probability to a hypothesis if we are looking for it and we only know what to look for when we have formulated the hypothesis. There are, however, very unusual situations in which the time at which evidence was discovered does affect the probability that it gives to a hypothesis.
Selections from Jerome's Apology against the Books of Rufinus, Book 1
Authors: Heine Ronald E.
Published: August 2022

Contains translations of selections from Jerome's Apology against the Books of Rufinus where Jerome refers to his commentary on Ephesians. He begins by stating that he has used the commentaries of Origen, Didymus, and Apollinarius in composing his commentary on Ephesians. He states that one of the responsibilities of a commentator is to present the opinions of others so that the reader may decide which he thinks is correct. Jerome then cites six passages in his commentary where he has followed Origen. Five of these passages do not have parallels preserved in the Greek catena excerpts from Origen's commentary and, consequently, provide identification of five additional places where we can know that Jerome has reported Origen's views in his commentary on Ephesians.
Reply to Quine on Events
Authors: Davidson Donald
Published: August 2022

Davidson starts off by contrasting his semantic approach to Quine's: whereas he reads off ontic commitments from natural languages as they are, Quine is willing to revise them in favour of a ‘language of science’. Davidson points out how that difference in approach has led them to diverging accounts of belief sentences (intensional contexts). He then retracts the individuation conditions he offered for events (in Essay 8) in terms of their causes and effects, conceding the circularity Quine spots in them. Recognizing that ordinary enduring objects with vague boundaries fare no better (explosions and mountains lack clear individuation conditions too), Davidson rests satisfied that events present not only a comparably permissible but also an indispensable ontological category to explain the workings of natural language.
Belief and the Basis of Meaning (1974)
Authors: Davidson Donald
Published: August 2022

Davidson responds to David Lewis’ and W.V. Quine's replies to Essay 10.

He discusses the various interpretative principles Lewis improved on (Charity, Rationalization, Truthfulness) and then raises the issue whether, as Lewis seemed to suggest, we can interpret utterances and beliefs independently of employing intentional idiom (that is, whether we can employ a reductive, physical framework to get the same interpretative results). Agreeing with Lewis on the supervenience of the mental on the physical (but disqualifying his ontic monism in a new footnote as not even ‘materialist’), Davidson stresses the analytical irreducibility of the former to the latter (he refers us to Essay 11 of his Essays on Actions and Events). In relation to both Lewis and Quine, he discusses the degree of determinacy ineliminable from his truth‐theoretic approach to interpretation.
Incomplete Symbols
Authors: Neale Stephen
Published: August 2022

This short appendix to the book looks further at Bertrand Russell's designation of descriptions as incomplete symbols, in the context of his (and Kurt Gödel's) Theory of Descriptions. Russell says that descriptions are ‘incomplete symbols’, that they ‘have no meaning in isolation’, and that they ‘disappear on analysis. Most of the appendix discusses the contextual definition of descriptions as incomplete symbols. Another way of viewing descriptions also addressed is that of treating descriptions in terms of restricted quantification—an approach that is not necessarily at variance with treating them as incomplete symbols.
The Principle of Contradiction in Metaphysics Γ
Authors: Whitaker C. W. A.
Published: August 2022

This appendix applies what has been learnt in the De Interpretatione to another famous discussion of contradiction. In Metaphysics, ? Aristotle attempts to establish the principle that the same thing cannot both hold and not hold of the same subject. This ’Principle of Contradiction’ is primitive and indemonstrable, but those who deny it, he believes, can be refuted. To do this, he employs material from the early chapters of the De Interpretatione. ’Being a man’ and ’being a not man’ have separate significations, and if a word 'signifies’, then it must stand as a conventional token for some real existent entity. From this the refutation of his opponents follows.
Signification and Definition
Authors: Whitaker C. W. A.
Published: August 2022

A special case of the practice, seen in Appendix II, is the discovery of definitions, as seen in Posterior Analytics II. Here Aristotle questions whether it is possible to find definitions by examining the significations of words. His subtle analysis distinguishes between geometry, where we know before we begin what a triangle is, but must demonstrate that such a thing as a triangle is possible, and the case of physical phenomena, where we must achieve understanding before knowing what a word like ’thunder’ really signifies. In both cases, it will be seen that the traditional distinction between ’real’ and ’nominal’ definitions is alien to Aristotle.
Aberrant splicing of PSEN2, but not PSEN1, in individuals with sporadic Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: Course Meredith M , Gudsnuk Kathryn , Keene C Dirk , Bird Thomas D , Jayadev Suman , Valdmanis Paul N
Published: August 2022

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common neurodegenerative disease, characterized by dementia and premature death. Early-onset familial Alzheimer’s disease is caused in part by pathogenic variants in presenilin 1 (PSEN1) and presenilin 2 (PSEN2), and alternative splicing of these two genes has been implicated in both familial and sporadic Alzheimer’s disease. Here, we leveraged targeted isoform-sequencing to characterize thousands of complete PSEN1 and PSEN2 transcripts in the prefrontal cortex of individuals with sporadic Alzheimer’s disease, familial Alzheimer’s disease (carrying PSEN1 and PSEN2 variants), and controls. Our results reveal alternative splicing patterns of PSEN2 specific to sporadic Alzheimer’s disease, including a human-specific cryptic exon present in intron 9 of PSEN2 as well as a 77 bp intron retention product before exon 6 that are both significantly elevated in sporadic Alzheimer’s disease samples, alongside a significantly lower percentage of canonical full-length PSEN2 transcripts versus familial Alzheimer’s disease samples and controls. Both alternatively spliced products are predicted to generate a prematurely truncated PSEN2 protein and were corroborated in an independent cerebellum RNA-sequencing dataset. In addition, our data in PSEN variant carriers is consistent with the hypothesis that PSEN1 and PSEN2 variants need to produce full-length but variant proteins to contribute to the onset of Alzheimer’s disease, although intriguingly there were far fewer full-length transcripts carrying pathogenic alleles versus wild-type alleles in PSEN2 variant carriers. Finally, we identify frequent RNA editing at Alu elements present in an extended 3′ untranslated region in PSEN2. Overall, this work expands the understanding of PSEN1 and PSEN2 variants in Alzheimer’s disease, shows that transcript differences in PSEN2 may play a role in sporadic Alzheimer’s disease, and suggests novel mechanisms of Alzheimer’s disease pathogenesis.
Hymenopteran Parasitoids of Leucotaraxis argenticollis (Diptera: Chamaemyiidae) and Leucotaraxis piniperda: Implications for Biological Control of Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (Hemiptera: Adelgidae)
Authors: Celis Sabrina L , Dietschler Nicholas J , Bittner Tonya D , Havill Nathan P , Gates Michael W , Buffington Matthew L , Whitmore Mark C
Published: August 2022

The hemlock woolly adelgid (Adelges tsugae (Annand)) is a serious invasive pest of hemlock trees in eastern North America. Multiple biological control agents have been the focus of research aimed at pest management and conserving hemlock communities. Three promising A. tsugae specialist predators are the beetle Laricobius nigrinus (Fender) (Coleoptera: Derodontidae) and flies in the genus Leucotaraxis (Diptera: Chamaemyiidae), Leucotaraxis argenticollis (Zetterstedt), and Leucotaraxis piniperda (Malloch). However, these flies are vulnerable to parasitism by wasps in the genera Pachyneuron (Walker) (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) and Melanips (Walker) (Hymenoptera: Figitidae). This study explores parasitoid wasp interactions with these Leucotaraxis species in their native western North American range and potential impacts on the biological control program in the East. Leucotaraxis, La. nigrinus, and parasitoid emergences were observed from adelgid-infested foliage collected from Washington State and British Columbia in 2018, 2019, and 2020. Undescribed species of Pachyneuron and Melanips emerged from puparia as solitary parasitoids. Parasitoid emergence was positively correlated with Leucotaraxis emergence. Percent parasitism increased between February and July, with the months of June and July experiencing higher parasitoid emergence than Leucotaraxis. Differences in emergence patterns suggest that Pachyneuron may be more closely associated with Le. argenticollis as a host, and that Melanips may be associated with Le. piniperda. High parasitism in Leucotaraxis had no effect on La. nigrinus larval abundance, whereas the combined emergence of parasitoids and Leucotaraxis was positively correlated with La. nigrinus. This suggests that there is limited competition among these predators.
Feature-tracking computed tomography left atrial strain and long-term survival after transcatheter aortic valve implantation
Authors: Hirasawa Kensuke , Singh Gurpreet K , Kuneman Jurrien H , Gegenava Tea , van der Kley Frank , Hautemann David , Reiber Johan H C , Ajmone Marsan Nina , Bax Jeroen J , Delgado Victoria
Published: August 2022

Aims

Aortic stenosis (AS) induces left atrial (LA) remodelling through the increase of left ventricular (LV) filling pressures. Peak LA longitudinal strain (PALS), reflecting LA reservoir function, has been proposed as a prognostic marker in patients with AS. Feature-tracking (FT) multi-detector computed tomography (MDCT) allows assessment of LA strain from MDCT data. The aim of this study is to investigate the association between PALS using FT MDCT and survival in patients with severe AS who underwent transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI).

Methods and results

A total of 376 patients (mean age 80 ± 7 years, 53% male) who underwent MDCT before TAVI and had suitable data for assessment of PALS using dedicated FT software, were included. The patients were classified into four groups according to PALS quartiles; PALS > 19.3% (Q1, highest reservoir function), 15.0–19.3% (Q2), 9.1–14.9% (Q3), and ≤9.0% (Q4, lowest reservoir function). The primary outcome was all-cause mortality. During a median of 45 (22–68) months follow-up, 148 patients (39%) died. On multivariable Cox regression analysis, PALS was independently associated with all-cause mortality [hazard ratio (HR): 1.044, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.012–1.076, P = 0.006]. Compared with patients in Q1, patients in Q3 and Q4 were associated with higher risk of mortality after TAVI [HR: 2.262 (95% CI: 1.335–3.832), P = 0.002 for Q3, HR: 3.116 (95% CI: 1.864–5.210), P < 0.001 for Q4].

Conclusion

PALS assessed with FT MDCT is independently associated with all-cause mortality after TAVI.
Factors associated with statin discontinuation near end of life in a Danish primary health care cohort
Authors: Engell Anna E , Bathum Lise , Andersen John S , Thompson Wade , Lind Bent S , Jørgensen Henrik L , Nexøe Jørgen
Published: August 2022

Background

Long-term preventive treatment such as treatment with statins should be reassessed among patients approaching end of life. The aim of the study was to describe the rate of discontinuation of statin treatment and factors associated with discontinuation in the 6 months before death.

Methods

This study is a retrospective cohort study using national registers and blood test results from primary health care patients. Patients in the Copenhagen municipality, Denmark who died between 1997 and 2018 and were statin users during the 10-year period before death were included. We calculated the proportion who remained statin users in the 6-month period before death. Factors associated with discontinuation were tested using logistic regression.

Results

A total of 55,591 decedents were included. More patients continued treatment (64%, n = 35,693) than discontinued (36%, n = 19,898) the last 6 months of life. The 70 and 80 age groups had the lowest odds of discontinuing compared to the 90 (OR 1.59, 95% CI 0.93–2.72) and 100 (OR 3.11, 95% CI 2.79–3.47) age groups. Increasing comorbidity score (OR 0.89, 95% CI 0.87; 0.90 per 1-point increase) and use of statins for secondary prevention (OR 0.89, 95% CI 0.85; 0.93) reduced the likelihood of discontinuation as did a diagnosis of dementia, heart failure, or cancer.

Conclusion

A substantial portion of patients continued statin treatment near end of life. Efforts to promote rational statin use and discontinuation are required among patients with limited life expectancy, including establishing clear, practical recommendations about statin discontinuation, and initiatives to translate recommendations into clinical practice.
Opportunities for an early recognition of spinal muscular atrophy in primary care: a nationwide, population-based, study in Italy
Authors: Maggi Lorenzo , Vita Gianluca , Marconi Ettore , Taddeo Daiana , Davì Michele , Lovato Valeria , Cricelli Claudio , Lapi Francesco
Published: August 2022

Background

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a rare genetic disease with a broad spectrum of severity. Although an early diagnosis of SMA is crucial to allow proper management of patients, the diagnostic delay is still an issue. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the clinical correlates of SMA among primary care patients.

Methods

The Health Search Database (HSD) was adopted. To estimate the prevalence and incidence rate of SMA, a cohort study was conducted on the population (aged ≥6 years) being registered in HSD from 1 January 2000 up to 31 December 2019. To investigate the clinical correlates of SMA, a nested case–control study was performed. SMA cases have been classified according to a clinically based iterative process as “certain”, “probable” or “possible”. To test the association between clinical correlates and SMA cases a multivariate conditional logistic regression model was estimated.

Results

The SMA prevalence combining “certain”, “probable” and “possible” cases was 5.1 per 100,000 in 2019 (i.e. 1.12 per 100,000 when limited to “certain” cases), while the yearly incidence rate ranged from 0.12 to 0.56 cases per 100,000. Comparing “certain” cases with matched controls, the presence of neurology visits (OR = 6.5; 95% CI: 1.6–25.6) and prescription of electromyography (OR = 4.6; 95% CI: 1.1–18.7) were associated with higher odds of SMA diagnosis.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that primary care databases may be used to enhance the early identification of SMA. Additional efforts are needed to exploit the electronic health records of general practitioners to allow early recognition of SMA.
Parametric layout and performance examination of a novel energy process based on the renewable energies and thermodynamic cycles
Authors: Fang Qi , Li Shaoping , Fooladi Hadi
Published: August 2022

Today, due to the challenges of fossil fuels and environmental crises, the use of geothermal energy as a renewable energy source can be useful. Since the two wells used for Sabalan geothermal power plant have different thermodynamic, in the present article, a new combined layout based on two flash cycles is proposed and investigated. In the introduced energy cycle, the transcritical Rankin and Kalina cycles are also used as downstream cycles to generate more power. In addition, heat exchangers are used to transfer heat to the liquefied natural gas (LNG) cycle to prevent energy and exergy losses in the downstream cycles. Relying on the proposed layout can prevent heat loss of downstream cycle’s condensers. LNG cycle, in addition to generating more power by using heat losses, can supply natural gas to the system and suburban villages. It was determined that the proposed energy cycle is able to produce a net power of ~27.8 MW with a thermal efficiency of ~26%. In addition, the total exergy destruction and exergy efficiency of the cycle are 29.9 MW and 52.6%, respectively. The proposed energy cycle is evaluated from the energy and exergy points of view. In addition, a parametric evaluation is presented to assess the effect of various factors on the performance of the proposed energy cycle. Moreover, the net power and performance of the energy cycle have been optimized subject to various input variables using a genetic algorithm.
A battery balancing control strategy for industrial applications
Authors: Liu Zhenyu , Fan Zhiguo , Li Ke , Shao Xiaoyuan , Fan Binning , Liu Aifeng , Yan Lijun
Published: August 2022

The voltage-based equalization strategy is very simple, and it is widely used in industrial applications, however, for the traditional control strategy, while the battery voltages are equal, the battery management system (BMS) will stop balancing, due to the complex composition of the battery voltage, the battery cell is not well balanced. This paper proposed a battery balancing control strategy for industrial applications, which adds ohmic voltage compensation based on the traditional equalization control strategy, by increasing the compensation and prolonging the equalization time of the battery cell, a better equalization effect can be achieved. Compared with the traditional equalization strategy, the only parameters required are equalization current and battery internal resistance, these parameters are very easy to obtain without any burden, and are very suitable for industrial applications. This paper analyzes in detail the reasons why the traditional equilibrium strategy is insufficient, introduces the principle and error of the proposed strategy, and compares it with the traditional equilibrium strategy. The experimental results show that the error of the equalization strategy proposed in this paper is about 3 mV (discharge) and 2 mV (idle), while the traditional strategy is 10 mV and 8 mV, respectively.
Serum Ferritin Has Limited Prognostic Value on Mortality Risk in Patients with Decompensated Cirrhosis: A Propensity Score Matching Analysis
Authors: Guo Gaoyue , Sun Mingyu , Li Yifan , Yang Wanting , Wang Xiaoyu , Yu Zihan , Li Chaoqun , Hui Yangyang , Fan Xiaofei , Jiang Kui , Sun Chao
Published: August 2022

Objective

The prognostic value of serum ferritin remains elusive in the literature. We aimed to examine the association between serum ferritin and mortality risk in cirrhosis.

Methods

A total of 257 cirrhotic patients were recruited. The cut-off of serum ferritin was determined by X-tile. The Cox regression and Kaplan-Meier method were used. A 1:1 propensity score matching (PSM) was performed to diminish the impacts of selection bias and possible confounders.

Results

The difference regarding mortality was mostly significant for serum ferritin >158 ng/mL. Before PSM, serum ferritin >158 ng/mL was an independent predictor of mortality. However, the clinical relevance of high ferritin level for prognostication was blunted after PSM (survival rate: 86.8% vs 96.3%, P = .078). Cox regression indicated that model for end-stage liver disease remains only independent risk factor of 180-day mortality after PSM.

Conclusion

Serum ferritin may not serve as an independent prognostic indicator of mortality risk in decompensated cirrhotic patients.
Focused Echocardiography
Authors: Yu Connie , Dinh Vi
Published: August 2022

This chapter uses clinical vignettes and multiple-choice questions to explore core and advanced principles of cardiac ultrasound with a focus on electrocardiography. The cases will assess image acquisition pearls and pitfalls, image interpretation, false-positive and false-negative findings, and integration into patient management. Clinical vignettes will include stable and unstable patients presenting with undifferentiated symptoms such as chest pain, shortness of breath, cardiac arrest, or hypotension. Each case will include detailed explanations for correct and incorrect answer choices, incorporating landmark studies as well as the latest literature that clinical sonographers will find of interest.
Physics and Knobology
Authors: Abramoff Claire , Lemos John , Khalid Usama , Beck Sierra
Published: August 2022

This chapter uses clinical vignettes and multiple-choice questions to explore core and advanced principles of ultrasound physics and knobology. The cases will assess image acquisition pearls and pitfalls, image interpretation, false-positive and false-negative findings, and integration into patient management. Clinical vignettes will include stable and unstable patients presenting with undifferentiated symptoms such as chest pain, shortness of breath, cardiac arrest, or hypotension. Each case will include detailed explanations for correct and incorrect answer choices, incorporating landmark studies as well as the latest literature that clinical sonographers will find of interest.
Ocular Ultrasound
Authors: Tseeng Stephanie , Kalam Sharmin , Jafry S. Zan Mehtab
Published: August 2022

This chapter uses clinical vignettes and multiple-choice questions to explore core and advanced principles of ocular ultrasound. The cases assess image acquisition pearls and pitfalls, image interpretation, false positive and negative findings, and integration into patient management. Clinical vignettes include ocular chief complaints such as ocular pain, vision loss, ocular trauma, blurred vision, and eye redness. Each case includes detailed explanations for correct and incorrect answer choices, incorporating landmark studies as well as the latest literature that clinical sonographers will find of interest. Relevant references and sources for each case are also included, as well as keywords for each section.
Airway and ENT
Authors: Lahham Shadi , Chadha Tushank , Bui Michelle , Spann Sophia , Gari Abdulatif
Published: August 2022

This chapter uses clinical vignettes and multiple-choice questions to explore core and advanced principles of airway and ENT ultrasound. The cases assess image acquisition pearls and pitfalls, image interpretation, false positive and negative findings, and integration into patient management. Clinical vignettes include stable and unstable patients presenting with undifferentiated symptoms such as neck pain, shortness of breath, and neck swelling. Each case includes detailed explanations for correct and incorrect answer choices, incorporating landmark studies as well as the latest literature that clinical sonographers will find of interest. Relevant references and sources for each case are also included, as well as keywords for each section.
Deep Venous Thrombosis and Venous Thromboembolism
Authors: Prats Michael I. , Bahner David P. , Boulger Creagh T. , Go Michael R.
Published: August 2022

Venous thromboembolic disease is often a concern for those presenting to the acute care setting. Whether it be a deep venous thrombosis (DVT) or a pulmonary embolism (PE), point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) can be helpful in the diagnosis and management of these patients. For DVTs, duplex sonography is considered the standard for diagnosis, and studies have shown that POCUS can accurately and quickly make this diagnosis. In addition to ultrasound of the veins, POCUS of the lungs and heart can assist in diagnosing PE. Furthermore, the diagnosis of right heart strain on point-of-care echocardiography can assist with risk stratification of patients with the diagnosis of PE. Overall, POCUS is a valuable modality that can assist in the timely management of this potentially life-threatening disease.