bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ball milled glyco-graphene oxide conjugates markedly disrupted Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms
Authors: Tricomi Jacopo , Cacaci Margherita , Biagiotti Giacomo , Caselli Lucrezia , Niccoli Lorenzo , Torelli Riccardo , Gabbani Alessio , Di Vito Maura , Pineider Francesco , Severi Mirko , Sanguinetti Maurizio , Menna Enzo , Lelli Moreno , Berti Debora , Cicchi Stefano , Bugli Francesca , Richichi Barbara
Published: June 2022

Sugar headgroups have been grafted on the surface of graphene oxide (GO) by exploiting vibrational ball mills. The resulting glyco-GO conjugates significantly disrupt an already established P. aeruginosa biofilm.
Phase stability and the interface structure of a nanoscale Si crystallite in Al-based alloys
Authors: Lu Lu , Geng Yao-Xiang , Wang Ying-Min , Qiang Jian-Bing , Mi Shao-Bo
Published: June 2022

Using advanced electron microscopy techniques, a new formation mechanism of 4H-Si was discovered in nanocrystalline Si precipitated in the SLMed Al-based alloys, which provides a strategy for designing Si polymorphic materials by strain engineering.
Vacancy-rich graphene supported electrocatalysts synthesized by radio-frequency plasma for oxygen evolution reaction
Authors: He Wenkai , Wu Shilin , Zhang Zhaotian , Yang Qing
Published: June 2022

Cobalt compounds supported on reduced graphene oxides using radio frequency plasma method. The plasma creates vacancy defects on the cobalt compound.
Stannyl radical-mediated synthesis of 6H-1,3-oxazin-6-ones from 2-acyloxyazirines or whether free radicals can open the azirine ring?
Authors: Agafonova Anastasiya V. , Sakharov Pavel A. , Smetanin Ilia A. , Rostovskii Nikolai V. , Khlebnikov Alexander F. , Novikov Mikhail S.
Published: June 2022

Stannyl radicals initiate a radical cascade reaction of 2-acyloxyazirines, the acyloxy group of which ensures the irreversibility of the ring cleavage and controls the switching of the reaction outcome between 1,3-oxazin-6-ones and oxazoles.
Recent advances in visible-light graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) photocatalysts for chemical transformations
Authors: Singh Praveen P. , Srivastava Vishal
Published: June 2022

Graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) has emerged as a new research hotspot, attracting broad interdisciplinary attention in the form of metal-free and visible-light-responsive photocatalysts.
A novel near-infrared phosphor Mg2InSbO6:Cr3+ with high quantum efficiency and considerable persistent luminescence duration
Authors: Su Jiangyue , Pang Ran , Tan Tao , Wang Shangwei , Yuan Weihong , Wang Jiutian , Chen Xuexia , Wu Haiyan , Li Chengyu , Zhang Hongjie
Published: June 2022

A novel near-infrared phosphor Mg2InSbO6:Cr3+ with high quantum efficiency and considerable persistent luminescence duration is successfully prepared.
Photoinduced intra- and inter-molecular charge transfer dynamics in organic small molecules with an intra-molecular push–pull electronic structure
Authors: Ji Yiwen , Xu Lingxia , Mu Xinyu , Wang Wenjing , Gao Kun
Published: June 2022

The photoinduced electron transition details and the resulting intra- and inter-CT dynamics are clarified in different NFA molecular aggregates, providing a microscopic understanding for their photoinduced experimental observations.
Facet-dependent electrical conductivity properties of a 4H-SiC wafer
Authors: Kumar Gautam , Chen Jing-Wei , Ma Hsueh-Heng , Huang Xing-Fu , Huang Michael H.
Published: June 2022

Electrical conductivity of a 4H-SiC wafer is facet-dependent with its {0001} face being much more conductive than its {101̄0} face, and it presents a perfect current rectification effect.
Chiral nanostructures derived from europium(iii) complexes for enhanced circularly polarised luminescence and antibacterial activity
Authors: Marydasan Betsy , Suryaletha Karthika , Lena Amrutha Manoj , Sachin Alida , Kawai Tsuyoshi , Thomas Sabu , Kumar Jatish
Published: June 2022

Nanostructures formed from chiral Eu(iii) complexes exhibit enhanced chiral luminescence and antibacterial activity.
Three‐dimensional quota matching‐based latency‐sensitive task offloading for multi‐mode green IoT in smart buildings
Authors: Shi Cheng , Zhang Sunxuan , Wang Ruiqiuyu , Zhou Zhenyu , Gan Zhong , Yao Xianjiong , You Zhaoyang , Chen Yilong , Huang Dawei , Hua Guoxiang , Mumtaz Shahid
Published: June 2022

The green internet of things with heterogeneous communication technologies can provide data transmission and computing services for low‐carbon operation of smart buildings. However, latency‐sensitive task offloading in smart buildings for multi‐mode green internet of things still faces several challenges such as coupling between multi‐mode channel and multiple gateway selection, diversified quality of service requirement guarantee, and contradiction of long‐term performance guarantee and short‐term optimisation objectives. To address these challenges, a three‐dimensional quota matching‐based latency‐sensitive task offloading algorithm is proposed to minimise the weighted difference between energy consumption and throughput under the long‐term queuing delay constraints. Specifically, the minimisation problem is decoupled by Lyapunov optimisation. The three‐dimensional quota matching among devices, gateways, and channels is employed to solve the conflicts between gateway selection and channel selection. Finally, the three‐dimensional quota matching is converted to a two‐side quota matching to further reduce complexity and solved iteratively. Numerical results demonstrate that compared with H3CG and MMCS, the proposed algorithm improves the weighted difference between energy consumption and throughput by 21.85% and 27.91%, respectively, and reduces the sensor‐side average queuing delay by 30.82% and 16.83%, and gateway‐side average queuing delay by 16.57% and 26.71%, respectively.
In‐memory calculation with embedded arithmetic and logic units for deep neural network
Authors: Yu Shuiyue , Fu Jie , Lin Zhiting , Peng Chunyu , Wu Xiulong
Published: June 2022

The computation of multiplication in memory is a promising approach to reduce latency and improve the energy efficiency of intelligence edge processors. However, the multiplication operation in the analog domain is associated with complex peripheral circuits and low accuracy. In this letter, an static random‐access memory (SRAM) array with embedded low area cost arithmetic and logic units is proposed, which realizes high‐speed and high‐precision multi‐bit multiplication. The calculation delay is as low as 164 ps. The maximum integral non‐linearity (INL) is only 0.340 least significant bit, which is 1/16 of that of analog domain multiplication.
A high accuracy and configurable voltage (1.2/1.8/2.5/3.3 V) bandgap reference with base current compensation for DC–DC converters
Authors: Zhou Hao , Wang Yuanfei , Min Hao
Published: June 2022

Presented is an improved bandgap reference (BGR), which has the performance of high accuracy and can generate the required voltage reference. In this BGR, the improved base current compensation is proposed to eliminate the effect of the base current. Meanwhile, a high reference voltage generator is used to provide configurable output voltages of 1.2/1.8/2.5/3.3 V needed by DC–DC converters. The BGR is realized in a standard 180‐nm Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) process with an area of 0.05 mm × mm. Among the five sample chips of the reference, in the temperature range of −40°C to 125°C, the temperature coefficients (TCs) of all the reference voltages range from 3 to 38 ppm/°C. The best average value of TCs is 6.03 ppm/°C when the reference voltage is 2.5 V. The best line sensitivities (LS) are 0.23%/V when the reference voltage is 1.8 V with the power consumption of 150μW, when the supply voltage (VDD) is =5 V.
An online dispatch approach for distributed integrated multi‐energy system considering non‐ideal communication conditions
Authors: Ju Jiaqi , Wang Qi , Ni Ming , Hu Yunlong , Li Xiao
Published: June 2022

The distributed integrated multi‐energy system (DIMS) has many advantages in terms of the utilisation of renewable energy sources and clean energy. Operation strategies for the DIMS based on a real‐time profile have been extensively studied. In a DIMS online optimisation problem, besides fluctuations in the renewable energy output and load, inconsistent time scales of the transport dynamics of different energy flows and non‐ideal communication (involving communication uncertainty and latency) result in suboptimal operation in dispatch scheduling. An online multi‐time‐scale optimal operation strategy is proposed for the DIMS to respond to the above challenges, using a hybrid algorithm comprising a model predictive control method and distributed collaborative consensus algorithm (CCA). The approach is based on a hierarchy, comprising rolling optimisation and adjustment. A rolling optimisation is established to schedule operations according to the latest forecast and status information. The rolling dispatch is then adjusted according to the ultrashort‐term adjustment using the CCA. Meanwhile, the effect of the information transmission environment on real‐time scheduling is considered, and the robust CCA is improved for the implementation of strategies under non‐ideal communication conditions. Case studies and results are presented and discussed to show the effectiveness of the proposed approach with the better matching between demand and supply.
A new traveling‐wave detection method for fault location based on two sequential sliding windows and curve fitting
Authors: Rezaei Davod , Gholipour Mehdi , Parvaresh Farzad
Published: June 2022

The basis of traveling wave‐based fault location methods is to extract the arrival times of transient signals in the power network. In this paper, a new method for extracting the traveling wave arrival times is presented. For this purpose, the aerial modes of three‐phase voltage signals are extracted and two sequential sliding windows of unequal length move along with this signal. By fitting a line to the samples inside each of the two windows and calculating the angle between them, the traveling wave arrival times can be determined with high accuracy. Because this takes place in the time domain, there is no need to switch between time and frequency domains similar to those in Fourier transforms. On the other hand, fitting curves reduce the negative effects of noise and sampling frequency changes. EMTP‐ATP is applied to perform the transient simulations and the results are then analysed in MATLAB to conduct the sensitivity analysis against the measurement noises, the sampling frequency, and the fault parameters. The proposed technique is compared to the common techniques such as discrete wavelet transforms and Hilbert Huang transforms. The results demonstrate that the proposed technique has acceptable performance and covers the drawbacks of common methods.
Adaptive strategies to fast multipole method in photoionisation calculations for streamer discharges
Authors: Lin Bo , Zhuang Chijie
Published: June 2022

Recently, a new framework to compute the photoionisation rate in streamer discharges accurately and efficiently using the integral model and the fast multipole method (FMM) was presented. This paper further improves the efficiency of this framework with adaptive strategies. The adaptive strategies are based on the magnitude of radiation and the electric field during the streamer propagation, and are applied to the selection of the source and target points. The accuracy and efficiency of this adaptive FMM are studied quantitatively for different domain sizes, pressures and adaptive criteria, in comparison with some existing efficient approaches to compute the photoionisation. It is shown that appropriate adaptive strategies reduce the calculation time of the FMM greatly, and maintain the high accuracy that the numerical error is still much smaller than other methods based on partial differential equations. The performance of the proposed adaptive method is also studied for a three‐dimensional positive streamer interacting problem with a plasma cloud, which shows that the FMM with proper adaptive strategies is even faster than the partial differential equation based methods with efficient boundary conditions for the ionisation calculation.
Image restoration via exponential scale mixture‐based simultaneous sparse prior
Authors: Yuan Wei , Liu Han , Liang Lili
Published: June 2022

Image prior plays a decisive role in the performance of widely studied model‐based restoration methods. To further improve restoration performance, this paper proposes an exponential scale mixture‐based simultaneous sparse prior (ESM‐SSP) to accurately characterize image prior information. Specifically, first, two structured dictionaries are adaptively learned to explore the local and non‐local sparsity of similar patch groups simultaneously. Then, the exponential scale mixture (ESM) is employed to model simultaneous sparse coefficients. The adoption of ESM enables us to accurately estimate simultaneous sparse coefficients by adaptively adjusting the regularization parameters. With the aid of ESM‐SSP, an effective image restoration algorithm is developed to preserve more image details. Extensive experimental results on image denoising and deblocking demonstrate that compared with many state‐of‐the‐art model‐based methods, the proposed ESM‐SSP‐based restoration algorithm not only has competitive peak signal‐to‐noise ratio, but also produces higher structural similarity index and better visuals. More importantly, the proposed method can also compete favourably with the superior deep learning‐based restoration methods.
Carbon brush wear calculation in marine environment based on temperature field analysis
Authors: Shuai Zhao , Hongzhong Ma , Long Cheng
Published: June 2022

In the marine environment, the working environment of the doubly fed wind generator carbon brush and slip‐ring system is complicated, salt spray deposits and seawater erosion affect the temperature field and contact surface friction factor leading to carbon brush wear increase and shortened replacement cycle. The three‐dimensional temperature field simulation model of the carbon brush and slip‐ring system is established. The main factors affecting the carbon brush and slip‐ring system temperature field are sliding velocity, load current, ambient temperature, contact surface condition and contact pressure applied to the brush. Wear capacity of carbon brushes is affected by contact surface temperature. An experimental platform combined with the salt spray test machine was built to carry out the contact current, contact pressure, salt spray concentration and experimental temperature experiment. The improved Coulomb‐viscous friction force model was used for the wear prediction model. The sliding velocity, contact pressure, contact current, experimental temperature and salt spray concentration were introduced into the model. The experimental verification has shown that the prediction model can effectively predict the carbon brush wearing capacity under different conditions. This model can be applied to formulating the carbon brush wear amount and replacement cycle in the marine environment reducing operation and maintenance costs.
Prototypical communication systems for electrical distribution system analysis: Design basis and exemplification through co‐simulation
Authors: Bhattarai Bishnu , Marinovici Laurentiu , Tuffner Francis , Schneider Kevin , Fan Xiaoyuan , Rutz Frederick , Kandaperumal Gowtham
Published: June 2022

This paper develops prototypical communication system (PCS) models to support the analysis of electric distribution systems dependency on communication. Though there exist representative and prototypical distribution test systems, i.e., IEEE test feeders and the taxonomy of prototypical feeders, there are no standard definitions of communication systems appropriate for studies of system interdependence. To accurately represent the impact communication systems have on electric distribution system operations, the paper introduces the design basis for developing PCS models highlighting key characteristics of communication systems architectures and commonly‐deployed technologies. It follows with functional definitions, implementations, and an example of how PCSs can be used for system analysis. The approach leverages existing open‐source modeling and simulation tools. Co‐simulation is achieved with ns‐3 for PCSs, GridLAB‐D\textsuperscript{\texttrademark} for distribution systems, and Python\textsuperscript{\texttrademark} for distribution system control centers. The Hierarchical Engine for Large‐Scale Infrastructure Co‐simulation (HELICS) environment is used to federate these individual simulators. It allows for different PCSs to be integrated with distribution systems and analyzed in different scenarios. This underlines the importance of correctly identifying network topologies and technologies and their impact on the system control strategies. Though this work uses specific tools development and implementation, the PCS models can be used in other simulation environments.
Assistierte Peritonealdialyse bei älteren und gebrechlichen Patienten
Authors: Haag Stefanie
Published: June 2022

Die Zahl der älteren und gebrechlichen Patienten mit Niereninsuffizienz nimmt stetig zu. Die assistierte Peritonealdialyse (PD) ist für diese Patienten eine Alternative zur Hämodialyse (HD) im Zentrum. Im Vordergrund steht die Erhaltung der Lebensqualität. Durch eine HD-Behandlung wandelt sich der Alltag der Patienten, sie erhalten einen Gefäßzugang und es kommt zu hämodynamischen Veränderungen. Die assistierte PD kann zu Hause mit Unterstützung durch Familienangehörige oder Pflegekräfte erfolgen.
Rekonstruktives Vorgehen zum Brustwiederaufbau bei geplanter
Bestrahlung
Authors: Wolter Andreas , Fertsch Sonia , Lisboa Bjoern Wieland , Andree Christoph
Published: June 2022

Einleitung Die ideale zeitliche und technische Vorgehensweise zur
Brustrekonstruktion bei geplanter Radiatio nach vorausgegangener Mastektomie
(Postmastektomie Radiotherapie; PMRT) wird weiterhin kontrovers diskutiert.

Methoden Die Autoren analysierten die MEDLINE Datenbank PubMed
hinsichtlich Studien, die PMRT und Brustrekonstruktion thematisierten. Die
Kernaussagen dieser Studien wurden extrahiert und zusammengefasst.

Ergebnisse Ein Implantat-basiertes rekonstruktives Vorgehen stellt die am
wenigsten invasive zeitnahe Variante in einem PMRT-Setting dar und resultiert in
einem sofortigen Brustwiederaufbau. Eine Rekonstruktion mit einem zweizeitigen
Vorgehen durch ein Expander-Implantat bzw. Expander-Implantat-autologes Vorgehen
ermöglicht gute bis exzellente Resultate. Verglichen mit der heterologen
Vorgehensweise, resultieren autologe Rekonstruktionsverfahren in einer besseren
Lebensqualität, haptisch-sensorischen Vorteilen und sind in der Regel
mit einer geringeren Komplikationsrate assoziiert. Eine PMRT nach bereits
durchgeführter autologer Rekonstruktion kann mit negativen
ästhetischen Ergebnissen assoziiert sein. Ein delayed autologes Vorgehen
kann vorteilhaft sein und sollte insbesondere bei Hochrisikopatientinnen
favorisiert werden.

Zusammenfassung Faktoren, die in die sorgfältige Planung einer
Brustrekonstruktion bei notwendiger PMRT einbezogen werden müssen, sind
chirurgischer und ästhetischer Natur, beinhalten die
Lebensqualität sowie Charakteristika, Wunsch und Erwartungshaltung der
jeweiligen Patientin. Die autologe Rekonstruktion sollte im Idealfall nach der
PMRT stattfinden, um potentiell negativ beeinträchtigende
Einflüsse auf das eigengewebliche Resultat zu vermeiden. Falls eine PMRT
wahrscheinlich ist, aber möglicherweise nicht notwendig wird, kann eine
immediate-delayed Vorgehensweise vorteilhaft sein.
Thiapillar[6]arene: Synthesis, Functionalization, and Properties
Authors: Swager Timothy M. , Etkind Samuel I. , Ichii Shun , Romero Nathan A.
Published: June 2022

The design and synthesis of new macrocycles with well-defined cavities represent a promising avenue for the development of new supramolecular hosts. Moreover, the ability to diversify a macrocycle through chemical manipulations enables the fine-tuning and tailoring of properties. In this report, the synthesis and functionalization of thiapillar[6]arene, a pillar[6]arene analogue in which the bridging methylene groups are replaced by sulfurs, are described. First, we demonstrate the scalable synthesis of the parent thiapillar[6]arene. Next, the diversification of thiapillar[6]arene is demonstrated via functionalization of the phenols and oxidation of the sulfur atoms. The solid-state structures of two thiapillar[6]arene derivatives are reported, and the effect of sulfur oxidation state on the macrocyclic conformation is discussed. All sulfone derivatives described were found to demonstrate high luminescence quantum yields (ΦF = 0.43–0.66) in CH2Cl2 with emission maxima between λ = 404 and 462 nm. Lastly, assessment of the electrochemical properties of the sulfone derivatives by square-wave voltammetry revealed electron-accepting ability owing to the oxidation of the sulfur atoms, with four reduction events observed for the analogues surveyed. Overall, this work implicates thiapillar[6]arene as a modular scaffold amenable for further applications in host–guest chemistry and sensing.
Disfunción eréctil en personas con VIH – Revisión de alcance
Authors: Lince-Rivera Isabella , Medina-Rico Mauricio , Nuñez-Rodriguez Eduardo , F. Mónica Maria Medina , López-Ramos Hugo
Published: June 2022

Objetivo Exponer los factores que han sido asociados al desarrollo de disfunción eréctil (DE) en las personas con virus de la inmunodeficiencia humana (VIH) y cuál es la prevalencia de la disfunción eréctil en esta población.

Métodos Se realizó una revisión de alcance utilizando las siguientes bases de datos: MEDLINE, CENTRAL, Embase, Scopus, Lilacs, y Psycinfo. Los artículos incluidos debían tener cualquier información relacionada con la DE en personas con VIH, su prevalencia, y posibles factores asociados. Se filtraron un total de 2.726 artículos por título y resumen, y, de estos, se seleccionaron 22 referencias para revisión de texto completo y análisis.

Resultados Se encontró que las personas con VIH tienen una mayor probabilidad de presentar DE en comparación con las personas sin VIH. Algunos estudios han establecido una asociación entre la DE y trastornos psicológicos o factores orgánicos, como la lipodistrofia, la hipertensión arterial, la hipercolesterolemia, la diabetes mellitus, la depresión, la ansiedad, y el hipogonadismo. La ingesta de terapia antirretroviral (TARV), más específicamente los inhibidores de la proteasa, sigue siendo cuestionada como causante de DE en pacientes con VIH.

Conclusiones Ante un paciente con diagnóstico de VIH, se debe ahondar sobre DE con el fin de recomendar e iniciar conductas terapéuticas que aseguren un mejoramiento en su calidad de vida.
Alto porcentaje de ausencia de reflejo bulbocavernoso en pacientes neurológicamente sanos con disfunción vesical
Authors: Alcaraz-Contreras Berenice , Guerrero-Reyes Guadalupe , Gutiérrez-González Adrián , Hernández-Velázquez Ricardo , Taboada-Lozano David Fernando , Pallares-Mendez Rigoberto
Published: June 2022

Introducción y Objetivo El reflejo bulbocavernoso (RBCV) se ha observado ausente incluso en pacientes neurológicamente sanos. Los trastornos funcionales del piso pélvico deben incluir su evaluación.

Nuestro objetivo primario fue evaluar la prevalencia de ausencia de RBCV en pacientes sanos. El objetivo secundario fue observar la afectación del RBCV en presencia de otras comorbilidades cómo enfermedad neurológica y diabetes mellitus tipo 2.

Métodos Estudio descriptivo y retrospectivo, en el que se revisaron mil expedientes clínicos de pacientes sometidos a estudio urodinámico a quienes se les realizó exploración mecánica del RBCV como parte de una exploración rutinaria. Se realizó estadística descriptiva para las variables cuantitativas y cualitativas utilizando la prueba tde Student y la de chi cuadrado, respectivamente. Se consideraron estadísticamente significativos valores de p < 0,05.

Resultados La muestra tenía una media de edad de 59,84 años (desviación estándar [DE]: ± 14,13 años), y contenía 36,19% de mujeres y 21,13% de hombres sin enfermedad neurológica y RBCV ausente. Se observó mayor ausencia de RBCV en pacientes con presencia de enfermedad neurológica en comparación con pacientes neurológicamente sanos: 21,6% versus 10,6%, respectivamente (p < 0,0001); además, se observó una ausencia importante de RBCV en presencia de diabetes mellitus en comparación con pacientes no diabéticos: 30.8% versus 18.8%, respectivamente (p < 0,0001). No se observaron diferencias al comparar grupos con respecto a disfunción vesical.

Conclusión La ausencia de RBCV no es exclusiva de una enfermedad neurológica con repercusión de síntomas del tracto urinario inferior, y la proporción de pacientes neurológicamente sanos con ausencia de RBCV no es despreciable. No se encontró una diferencia significativa en los grupos con ausencia de RBCV con respecto a disfunción vesical.
Quadratus Lumborum Block for Upper Tract Urological Surgery in Pediatric Patients
Authors: Hoffmann Cassandra , Harb Alain , Woo Lynn L. , Hannick Jessica H.
Published: June 2022

Objective Among regional blocks, the quadratus lumborum fascial plane block (QLB) has been well described, but the description of its use and efficacy for pediatric patients undergoing upper abdominal urologic surgery is limited. We present a case series examining the use of the QLB for postoperative pain management in children undergoing upper tract surgery.

Methods From August 2019 to August 2020, through a chart review, we identified 5 patients who had undergone a QLB for upper urinary tract surgery via a flank incision. Posterior QLB was performed after induction of general anesthesia. A single injection of 0.5mL/kg of either 0.25% or 0.5% ropivacaine with 1mcg/kg of clonidine was administered. Patients received fentanyl IV (1 mcg/kg), and acetaminophen IV (15mg/kg) as adjuvants during the operation. Postoperative pain was managed with oral acetaminophen and ibuprofen.

Results The average postoperative pain score during the entire admission was 1, with the lowest being 0 and highest, 3. No administration of rescue narcotics was required in the postanesthesia care unit or on the floor. The average length of stay ranged from 0 to 1 day. No complications associated with the regional QLB were identified.

Conclusions Our series suggests the QLB may be considered as a regional anesthetic option to minimize narcotic requirements for children undergoing upper abdominal urological surgery via flank incision. Additional studies are needed to compare the efficacy of the QLB versus alternate regional anesthetic blocks for upper tract urological surgery via flank incision in children and to determine effective dosing and use of adjuvants.
Metabolomic Profile in Patients with Malignant Disturbances of the Prostate: An Experimental Approach
Authors: García-Perdomo Herney Andrés , Mena Ramirez Leidy Vanessa , Wist Julien , Sanchez Adalberto
Published: June 2022

Purpose To identify metabolites in humans that can be associated with the presence of malignant disturbances of the prostate.

Methods In the present study, we selected male patients aged between 46 and 82 years who were considered at risk of prostate cancer due to elevated levels of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) or abnormal results on the digital rectal examination. All selected patients came from two university hospitals (Hospital Universitario del Valle and Clínica Rafael Uribe Uribe) and were divided into 2 groups: cancer (12 patients) and non-cancer (20 patients). Cancer was confirmed by histology, and none of the patients underwent any previous treatment. Standard protocols were applied to all the collected blood samples. The resulting plasma samples were kept at -80°C, and a profile of each one was acquired by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) using established experiments. Multivariate analyses were applied to this dataset, first to establish the quality of the data and identify outliers, and then, to model the data.

Results We included 12 patients with cancer and 20 without it. Two patients were excluded due to contamination with ethanol. The remaining ones were used to build an Orthogonal Projections to Latent Structures Discriminant Analysis (OPLS-DA) model (including 15 non-cancer and 10 cancer patients), with acceptable discrimination (Q2 = 0.33). This model highlighted the role of lactate and lipids, with a positive association of these two metabolites and prostate cancer.

Conclusions The primary discriminative metabolites between patients with and without prostate cancer were lactate and lipids. These might be the most reliable biomarkers to trace the development of cancer in the prostate.
The Blending Effect of Single-Shade Composite with Different Shades of Conventional Resin Composites—An In Vitro Study
Authors: Islam Md Sofiqul , Huda Noorul , Mahendran Sankavi , Aryal AC Smriti , Nassar Mohannad , Rahman Mohammed Mustahsen
Published: June 2022

Objectives Single-shade composite systems are gaining popularity among clinicians due to the claimed potential of blending with different tooth structure shades while restoring the tooth. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the blending effect of two single-shade composite with different shades of conventional resin composite systems.

Materials and Methods Seventy-two composite cylinders of B1, B2, A1, A2, A3, or A3.5 shade from CharmFil Plus (CP) and Filtek Universal Restorative (3M) were prepared using custom-made silicone mold. Single-shade composite OMNICHROMA (OC) or Beautifil II Enamel (BE) was placed in the center of each cylinder and polymerized. The color parameters, lightness (L*), chroma (C*), and hue (H*) of each composite were measured using a color chronometer. Furthermore, color stability of the samples was evaluated after 1-week staining challenge.

Statistical Analysis Multivariant analysis was performed to evaluate the effect of material and shade on the color parameters. Multiple comparisons of the data were performed using post hoc test. The staining challenge data were analyzed using repeated measure analysis of variance and paired sample T-test.

Results The multivariant analysis showed a statistically significant difference in color parameters among CP, 3M, OC, and BE (p = 0.001). Image analysis showed a visual blending effect for both OC and BE for certain shades; however, some color contrast with the darker shades was observed. The C* value of OC showed a similar pattern to CP; however, the H* of the latter was closely followed by BE. The L* value showed statistically significant difference among the shades of 3M, and in OC and BE when blended with 3M.

Conclusion All four materials used in this study showed color alteration after the staining challenge. Single-shade composite can blend with only certain shades of resin composites.
Occupational Physical Hazards and Safety Practices at Dental Clinics
Authors: Alamri Abdulaziz , ElSharkawy Mahmoud Fathy , Alafandi Dalal
Published: June 2022

Objective Worldwide, dentistry is known as a high-level occupational hazard profession. Dental staff is usually exposed to several types of hazards which include chemical agents, physical, psychological stress, and workplace violence, biological and ergonomics. The objectives of this paper were to assess levels of occupational hazards and evaluate safety practices at dental clinics.

Materials and Methods At several dental clinics, levels of noise, lighting, and radiation were measured by recommended instruments and the safety practice was evaluated using a validated and reliable questionnaire (during 3 months of 2020).

Results The mean levels of noise ranged between 46.3 and 67.2 dB, while the noise dose percent (noise exposure level) ranged between 60.7 and 77.6 dB. The mean levels of lighting ranged from 236.3 lux in the X-ray room to 1,080.3 lux in the dental laboratory. The mean levels of radiation ranged from 7.8 to 12.1 µrem. The mean levels of the three physical hazards were lower than their permissible levels at all locations.

Conclusion Levels of noise in dental clinic were affected by the change in the work activities, while this factor has no effect on the levels of lighting and radiation except for certain processes. The demographic variables such as gender, specialization, and the average number of patients showed a significant association with physical hazards, safety practices, while there was no significant association with radiation protection.
Influence of Different Restoring Materials on Stress Distribution in Prosthesis on Implants: A Review of Finite Element Studies
Authors: Vieira Fabiano Resmer , Bitencourt Sandro Basso , Rosa Cleber Davi Del Rei Daltro , Vieira André Bueno , Santos Daniela Micheline dos , Goiato Marcelo Coelho
Published: June 2022

The selection of material used on the occlusal surface of implant-supported prostheses is important, as these materials can transmit destructive forces to the interface between the alveolar bone and the implant. Different prosthetic materials are suggested for implant-supported prostheses. The choice of prosthetic material is a controversial issue, and there is a consensus that implant survival is not affected by the prosthetic material. Three-dimensional finite element studies are often used in dentistry to estimate the stress distribution that occurs in the implant system, peri-implant bone, and prosthetic components. To analyze the influence of the prosthetic restorative material on the stresses in bone tissue and peri-implant through a literature review of three-dimensional finite element studies. The search for articles was performed in the PubMed/Medline database up to November 2021. The selected articles were independently evaluated by two different reviewers. The information collected was author and year of publication, dimensions of implants used, the material used in the prosthetic crown, simulated force and direction, and conclusion and effect. After searching, 14 studies were selected for full reading, and based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria, all could be included in this review. The articles were based on evidence-based laboratory medicine. After analyzing these articles, it was concluded that the prosthetic materials used on the occlusal surface do not interfere with the destruction of stresses to the bone and peri-implant tissue, both in single prostheses and protocol-type prostheses, when three-dimensional finite element method is used.
Feasibility, Safety, and Provider Perspectives of Bipolar Electrosurgical Cautery Device for (Opportunistic or Complete) Salpingectomy at the Time of Cesarean Delivery
Authors: Ostby Stuart A. , Blanchard Christina T. , Sanjanwala Aalok R. , Szychowski Jeff M. , Leath Charles A. , Huh Warner K. , Subramaniam Akila
Published: June 2022

Objective The aim of the study is to evaluate the use of a bipolar electrocautery device for complete salpingectomy at cesarean to improve procedure completion rates, operative time, and surgeon reported satisfaction as compared with standard bilateral tubal ligation (BTL) and suture-cut-tie salpingectomy.

Study Design This is a prospective cohort study of women undergoing planned, non-emergent cesarean with desired sterilization with complete salpingectomy utilizing a bipolar electrocautery device. Study patients were compared with historic controls from a randomized controlled trial (RCT) of complete salpingectomy via suture-cut-tie method versus BTL conducted at our institution (SCORE trial, NCT02374827). Outcomes were compared with groups from the original RCT.

Results Thirty-nine women were consecutively enrolled (12/2018–11/2019) into the device arm of the study and compared with the original SCORE cohort (n = 40 BTL, n = 40 salpingectomy without a device). Salpingectomy performance with the bipolar electrocautery device was successfully completed in 100% (39/39) of enrolled women, with one device failure requiring the use of a second device, as compared with 95% (38/40) in the BTL (p = 0.49) and 67.5% (27/40) in salpingectomies without a device (p < 0.001). Mean operative time of sterilization procedure alone demonstrated device use as having the shortest operative time of all (device salpingectomy 5.0 ± 3.6 vs. no device 18.5 ± 8.3 minutes, p < 0.001; and vs. BTL 6.9 ± 5.0, p = 0.032). Mean sterilization procedure endoscopic band ligation (EBL) was demonstrated to be significantly different between each group, least amongst BTL followed by device (6.3 ± 4.8 vs. 8.4 ± 24.8, p < 0.001), and most by suture-cut-tie method (17.7 ± 14.3, p < 0.001 compared with device). Surgeon reported attitudes of complete salpingectomy performance in general practice outside an academic setting was greater with a device than without (79.5 vs. 35.3%; p < 0.001).

Conclusion Use of a bipolar electrocautery device improved operative times and surgeon satisfaction for salpingectomy at cesarean over standard suture ligation. Device use improved surgeon reported outcomes and may improve incorporation of complete salpingectomy at cesarean.

Key Points
Endovascular Aortic Aneurysm Repair: A Narrative Review
Authors: Rehman Zia Ur
Published: June 2022

Endovascular aortic aneurysm repair (EVAR) has evolved as minimally invasive method of treating infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) with perioperatively mortality of less than 1% compared with 5% with open AAA repair as suggested by many randomized control trials. Computed tomography angiography is the imaging of choice for appropriate selection of a patient with EVAR. For patients with unsuitable anatomy, advanced EVARs techniques, such as fenestrated, branch, and chimney EVARs, are also increasingly being offered to patients with equal success. Patients with ruptured AAA are treated with this minimally invasive procedure. Percutaneous EVAR emerged with less of wound-related complications. Endoleaks are the most common complications peculiar to this procedure, and most are preventable by preoperative planning. They are detected on completion angiogram or on the surveillance imaging. This review discusses indications of EVAR, its selection criteria, procedural steps, and common complications associated with this procedure and advanced EVARs.
Easier Way to Detect Damaging Hydrogen in Silicon
Authors: Patrick Chris
Published: June 2022

Method measuring boron-hydrogen pairs at room temperature could find footing in different silicon applications
Unlike most of us, cold atom sensors can navigate without GPS
Authors: Piccone Ashley
Published: June 2022

By measuring the local gravity gradient and comparing it to reference databases, autonomous navigation systems stay on course.
Asymptotics for a singularly perturbed GUE, Painlevé III, double-confluent Heun equations, and small eigenvalues
Authors: Yu Jianduo , Li Chuanzhong , Zhu Mengkun , Chen Yang
Published: June 2022

We discuss the recurrence coefficients of the three-term recurrence relation for the orthogonal polynomials with a singularly perturbed Gaussian weight w(z)=|z|α⁡exp−z2−t/z2,z∈R,t>0,α>1. Based on the ladder operator approach, two auxiliary quantities are defined. We show that the auxiliary quantities and the recurrence coefficients satisfy some equations with the aid of three compatibility conditions, which will be used to derive the Riccati equations and Painlevé III. We show that the Hankel determinant has an integral representation involving a particular σ-form of Painlevé III and to calculate the asymptotics of the Hankel determinant under a suitable double scaling, i.e., n → ∞ and t → 0 such that s = (2n + 1 + λ)t is fixed, where λ is a parameter with λ ≔ (α ∓ 1)/2. The asymptotic behaviors of the Hankel determinant for large s and small s are obtained, and Dyson’s constant is recovered here. They have generalized the results in the literature [Min et al., Nucl. Phys. B 936, 169–188 (2018)] where α = 0. By combining the Coulomb fluid method with the orthogonality principle, we obtain the asymptotic expansions of the recurrence coefficients, which are applied to derive the relationship between second order differential equations satisfied by our monic orthogonal polynomials and the double-confluent Heun equations as well as to calculate the smallest eigenvalue of the large Hankel matrices generated by the above weight. In particular, when α = t = 0, the asymptotic behavior of the smallest eigenvalue for the classical Gaussian weight exp(−z2) [Szegö, Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 40, 450–461 (1936)] is recovered.
Morphological and optical characterization of self-assembled InAlGaAs/GaAs quantum dots
Authors: Lee Seunghyun , Arefin Riazul , Jung Hyemin , Ha Jaedu , Islam Sumon Md Saiful , Kim Jong Su , Krishna Sanjay , Arafin Shamsul
Published: June 2022

This experimental study reports the morphological and optical properties of self-organized quaternary InAlGaAs quantum dots (QDs) grown on GaAs substrates. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) revealed the presence of QDs and their geometry across the sample surface, while the optical properties were verified by photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. Temperature-dependent PL measurements were performed for a series of samples with different indium compositions. Unlike conventional quantum well materials, the change in PL peak positions in QD structures exhibits a non-monotonic exotic dependence on temperature. Our AFM data confirm a bimodal distribution of dot sizes as corroborated by calculated thermal activation energies. A rapid decrease in the PL signal at elevated temperatures suggests that thermionic emission and interface defects are the two dominant mechanisms of carrier escape and recombination in these QD structures. Such a quaternary QD-based active region is important for realizing next-generation diode lasers with an emission wavelength shorter than 1 μm.
Revealing the mechanism causing stepwise maximum bounce height changes in a bouncing ball system
Authors: Karube Shu , Uemura Yuki , Kousaka Takuji , Inaba Naohiko
Published: June 2022

The bouncing ball system is a simple mechanical collision system that has been extensively studied for several decades. It is a fundamental problem in impact dynamics. We studied a traditional bouncing ball system numerically and experimentally and discovered novel bifurcation structures where the maximum height of the bouncing ball with respect to the stationary state increases stepwise nonsmoothly when we increase the frequency of the oscillating table continuously even though the bouncing ball is in chaotic states [Karube et al., Chaos 30, 103111 (2020)]. We attempt to reveal the trick causing the stepwise changes of the maximum heights of the bouncing ball. We focus on the time interval for the ball to take off and land on the oscillating table at which the ball takes the maximum height. Let this time interval be denoted by t-interval. In addition, let the oscillation frequency of the table be denoted by f. The stepwise increases in the maximum heights of the bouncing ball in the stationary states occur when the multiplication of the t-interval and f coincides with integer values. This is the mechanism causing the nonsmooth maximum heights. Furthermore, results that are qualitatively consistent with the numerical ones are verified in the actual bouncing ball system using table tennis ball equipment.
Convective dissolution of carbon dioxide in two- and three-dimensional porous media: The impact of hydrodynamic dispersion
Authors: Dhar J. , Meunier P. , Nadal F. , Méheust Y.
Published: June 2022

Convective dissolution is the process by which CO2 injected in geological formations dissolves into the aqueous phase and thus remains stored perennially by gravity. It can be modeled by buoyancy-coupled Darcy flow and solute transport. The transport equation should include a diffusive term accounting for hydrodynamic dispersion, wherein the effective diffusion coefficient is proportional to the local interstitial velocity. We investigate the impact of the hydrodynamic dispersion tensor on convective dissolution in two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) homogeneous porous media. Using a novel numerical model, we systematically analyze, among other observables, the time evolution of the fingers' structure, dissolution flux in the quasi-constant flux regime, and mean concentration of the dissolved CO2; we also determine the onset time of convection, ton. For a given Rayleigh number Ra, the efficiency of convective dissolution over long times is controlled by ton. For porous media with a dispersion anisotropy commonly found in the subsurface, ton increases as a function of the longitudinal dispersion's strength (S), in agreement with previous experimental findings and in contrast to previous numerical findings, a discrepancy that we explain. More generally, for a given strength of transverse dispersion, longitudinal dispersion always slows down convective dissolution, while for a given strength of longitudinal dispersion, transverse dispersion always accelerates it. Furthermore, a systematic comparison between 2D and 3D results shows that they are consistent on all accounts, except for a slight difference in ton and a significant impact of Ra on the dependence of the finger number density on S in 3D.
Microwave propagation along nonuniform plasma column as surface plasmon
Authors: Zhao Jinlin , Miao Jinsong , Zhang Tianliang , Cui Ruilin , Ouyang Jiting
Published: June 2022

Formation and propagation of surface plasmons (SPs) of microwaves (MWs) along a dense non-uniform plasma column were investigated by employing the finite-difference time-domain method and evidenced by experiment of argon helicon plasma. The effects of plasma density, incident frequency, and radius of plasma column on the SP features were discussed. Results showed that when the MW frequency and the density distribution of plasma column satisfy suitable conditions, SPs can be excited on the surface of a uniform plasma column when the frequency is 2–5 times of the MW, while inside a nonuniform plasma column when the plasma frequency is only a little higher (about 5%–20%) than the MW. The SP wavelength depends on the plasma density for a given incident MW frequency. The forward scatter MW field will be enhanced significantly when SP appears along the nonuniform plasma column.
Dynamic scaling properties of multistep polarization response in ferroelectrics
Authors: Genenko Y. A. , Zhukov S. , Zhang M.-H. , Wang K. , Koruza J.
Published: June 2022

Ferroelectrics are multifunctional smart materials finding applications in sensor technology, micromechanical actuation, digital information storage, etc. Their most fundamental property is the ability of polarization switching under an applied electric field. In particular, understanding of switching kinetics is essential for digital information storage. In this regard, scaling properties of the temporal polarization response are well-known for 180°-switching processes in ferroelectrics characterized by a unique field-dependent local switching time. Unexpectedly, these properties are now observed in multiaxial polycrystalline ferroelectrics, exhibiting a number of parallel and sequential non-180°-switching processes with distinct switching times. This behavior can be explained by a combination of the multistep stochastic mechanism and the inhomogeneous field mechanism models of polarization reversal. Scaling properties are predicted for polycrystalline ferroelectrics of tetragonal, rhombohedral, and orthorhombic symmetries and are exemplarily demonstrated by the measurements of polarization kinetics in (K,Na)NbO3-based ferroelectric ceramic over a timescale of 7 orders of magnitude. Dynamic scaling properties allow insight into the microscopic switching mechanisms, on the one hand, and into statistical material characteristics, on the other hand, thereby providing the description of temporal polarization with high accuracy. The gained deeper insight into the mechanisms of multistep polarization switching is crucial for future ultrafast and multilevel digital information storage.