bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Low-temperature characteristics and gate leakage mechanisms of LPCVD-SiNx/AlGaN/GaN MIS-HEMTs
Authors: Guo Hui , Shao Pengfei , Bai Haineng , Zhou Jian , Peng Yanghu , Li Songlin , Xie Zili , Liu Bin , Chen Dunjun , Lu Hai , Zhang Rong , Zheng Youdou
Published: August 2022

In this paper, we systematically investigated the static properties and gate current mechanism of low-pressure chemical vapor deposition-SiNx/AlGaN/GaN metal–insulator–semiconductor-high-electronmobility-transistor (MIS-HEMTs) at cryogenic temperature range from 10 K to 300 K. It is found that the threshold voltage of the device shows a positive shift due to the decreased carrier concentration at low temperature, and both the maximum transconductance and ON-resistance are improved at the low temperatures because of the enhanced electron mobility. Under very low electric field, the gate leakage exhibits ohmic conduction. With increasing forward gate bias, the dominant gate leakage mechanism at temperature below150 K gradually transits into trap-assisted tunneling, participating with a deep trap energy level of 0.73 eV in the SiNx dielectric, to Fowler–Nordheim (FN) tunneling. In contrast, the dominant gate leakage mechanism at temperature above 150 K transits from Poole–Frenkel emission, showing a low trap barrier height of 56 meV in the SiNx dielectric, to Fowler–FN tunneling with increasing forward gate bias. Under high reverse gate bias, carrier-limited gate current becomes the dominated gate leakage mechanism.
Fermi surface of the chiral topological semimetal PtGa
Authors: Schwarze B V , Uhlarz M , Hornung J , Chattopadhyay S , Manna K , Shekhar C , Felser C , Wosnitza J
Published: August 2022

PtGa is a topological semimetal with giant spin-split Fermi arcs. Here, we report on angular-dependent de Haas–van Alphen (dHvA) measurements combined with band-structure calculations to elucidate the details of the bulk Fermi surface of PtGa. The strong spin–orbit coupling leads to eight bands crossing the Fermi energy that form a multitude of Fermi surfaces with closed extremal orbits and results in very rich dHvA spectra. The large number of experimentally observed dHvA frequencies make the assignment to the equally large number of calculated dHvA orbits challenging. Nevertheless, we find consistency between experiment and calculations verifying the topological character with maximal Chern number of the spin-split Fermi surface.
Precise 3D foot-mounted indoor localization system using commercial sensors and map matching approach
Authors: Qi Lin , Yu Yue , Liu Yu , Gao Chuanshun , Feng Tao
Published: August 2022

Acquiring precise and reliable 3D pedestrian trajectories is gradually developed into an essential task for achieving indoor location-based services. A foot-mounted positioning system (FPS) is proved to be an effective approach for multi-floor indoor navigation, while the performance of FPS is usually reduced by the cumulative sensor error, disturbed local magnetic field, and external accelerations. This paper proposes a precise 3D foot-mounted indoor localization system based on the commercial sensors and map matching approach (3D-FSMM). The 1D convolutional neural network model is applied to the detection of quasi-static period to enhance accuracy of the zero velocity update technology algorithm, and the multi-level observations are extracted to constrain the positioning error originated from the low-cost inertial sensors and complex local environments. In addition, the indoor map information is further extracted for corner detection and optimization of estimated trajectory, and the error ellipse is established for indoor map matching in order to provide more absolute reference. The experimental results indicate that the proposed 3D-FSMM realizes meter-level positioning accuracy in disturbed and multi-floor contained indoor scenes, and has the potential for large-scaled indoor applications.
Ideal gas law and fluid dynamics simulation: characterizing an air bubble rising from the bottom of a lake
Authors: Mohottala H E , Higgins Brent
Published: August 2022

The use of animations, simulations, and remote lab experiments has taken a new turn during the pandemic. When teaching introductory-level physics courses, the simulations and animations play an important role. Carefully designed simulations assist students visualize real-life situations and help understand complex physics concepts behind them. Some of these simulations guide students to understand the problem itself and encourage them to adjust variables and observe the changes. Not to mention, both students and instructors can benefit from these simulations in any environment, remote, or in-person. We designed a simulation to demonstrate the rise of an air bubble from a certain depth of a lake. Assuming the gas trapped inside the air bubble to be ideal, using Ideal Gas Law, we designed the simulation to show how the volume of the bubble expands as it ascends. To solve for volume as it reaches the surface, we employed knowledge from fluid dynamics. We incorporated equations to account for the pressure variations with the depth. Unlike in other simulations, here we share a link with the user, permitting them to alter the program. This gives users an opportunity to understand the coding of the simulation, if they are interested in creating similar animations in the future.
Spoke-resolved electron density, temperature and potential in direct current magnetron sputtering and HiPIMS discharges
Authors: Held J , George M , von Keudell A
Published: August 2022

Spokes are long wavelength oscillations observed in the magnetized region of direct current magnetron sputtering (DCMS), high power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS), as well as other

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discharges. Spokes rotate in front of the cathode with velocities between about 2 km s−1 and 15 km s−1, making it difficult to perform quantitative measurements. This is overcome by synchronizing Langmuir probe measurements to the movement of spokes in DCMS to obtain the probe current–voltage (I–V) characteristic without averaging out the spoke influence. The I–V curves are then evaluated using magnetized probe theory, revealing the strong plasma parameter modulations, caused by the spokes. The plasma density was found to oscillate between 2.5 × 1016 m−3 and 1.7 × 1017 m−3, which corresponds to a modulation strength of more than 70% or an almost seven times increase of density. In good agreement with previous work, a plasma potential minimum of −55 V is found ahead of the spoke followed by a sudden increase to about 2 V inside the spoke. The electron temperature was found to oscillate between 3 eV and 7 eV. On top of that oscillation, electrons experience a sudden energy increase as they move inside the spoke, crossing the potential jump at the leading edge for the spoke. On basis of these observations a model is presented to explain spokes in DCMS. These results are then compared to HiPIMS spokes under otherwise similar conditions. The plasma parameter modulation found for HiPIMS is much weaker than for DCMS, which is explained by the higher collision frequency for electrons in HiPIMS plasmas.
Magnetization loops and non-scaling behavior of flux pinning force of Fe1+y
Te1−x
Se
x
studied by numerical simulation
Authors: Huang Xiaofei , Sun Yue , Pan Yongqiang , Shi Zhixiang
Published: August 2022

The magnetization of type-II superconductors has usually been described using the critical state models (CSMs). However, CSMs do not consider the time-dependent magnetic relaxation. In this work, to study the influence of magnetic relaxation on the magnetic hysteresis loops (MHLs), critical current density J
c, and flux pinning force F
p, a numerical method proposed by (Qin and Yao 1996 Phys. Rev. B 54 7536) was adopted and extended to the quasi-two-dimensional case. MHLs at different temperatures measured by using applied field with different sweeping rates can be well reproduced. The critical current density after relaxation J
s, and F
p can also fit the experimental results well. Based on the numerical simulation, the non-scaling behavior of field-dependent normalized pinning force has been proven to be due to the magnetic relaxation. By comparing the normalized pinning force with the Dew-Hughes model, the dominant pinning type in Fe1+y
Te0.6Se0.4 has been confirmed to be the volume Δκ pinning. In addition, the second peak effect is found to be related to the flux lattice transition from elastic lattice to plastic lattice (E-P transition).
Extinction theorem for a temporal gas-plasma boundary
Authors: Bakunov M I
Published: August 2022

Temporal discontinuity in a medium’s dielectric properties (temporal boundary) is a useful model for considering electromagnetic phenomena in dynamic materials and metamaterials. Here a counterpart of the Ewald–Oseen extinction theorem of classical optics is derived for light scattering at a temporal boundary. In particular, it is shown that the extinction of the initial electromagnetic wave and its replacement by the frequency shifted waves at a temporal gas-plasma boundary can be understood as a result of a superposition of the elementary waves scattered by the suddenly appeared individual free electrons. In contrast to the classical extinction theorem, the extinction at a temporal boundary is closely related to causality and transient effects; the electromagnetic field at any observation point is formed by the elementary waves arriving from a sphere expanding with the speed of light.
Dynamic mechanism of nonlinear waves for the (3+1)-dimensional generalized variable-coefficient shallow water wave equation
Authors: Wu Xiao-Yu , Sun Yan
Published: August 2022

Under investigation in this paper is a (3+1)-dimensional generalized variable-coefficient shallow water wave equation, which can be used to describe the flow below a pressure surface in oceanography and atmospheric science. Employing the Kadomtsev-Petviashvili hierarchy reduction, we obtain the breather and lump solutions in terms of Grammian. We investigate the generation mechanism and conversion of the breathers, lumps and rogue waves. We find that the breather is produced by the superposition of three parts: The soliton part, the periodic wave part and the background part. The angle between the soliton part and the periodic wave part affects the shape of the breather. Considering the influences of the variable coefficients, we observe the breathers propagating on the periodic backgrounds, with double peaks and the breathers propagating periodic with time, respectively. Taking the long-wave limits, we get the rational solutions which describe the lumps. We find that the characteristic lines keep unchanged on the x − y plane, which means that the lump is similar to a part of the breather. Linear rogue waves only appear on the y − z plane.
The rise of the primordial tensor spectrum from an early scalar-tensor epoch
Authors: Chowdhury Debika , Tasinato Gianmassimo , Zavala Ivonne
Published: August 2022

Primordial gravitational waves (PGW) produced during inflation span a large range of frequencies, carrying information on the dynamics of the primordial universe. During an early scalar-tensor dominated epoch, the amplitude of the PGW spectrum can be enhanced over a wide range of frequencies. To study this phenomenon, we focus on a class of scalar-tensor theories, well motivated by high energy theories of dark energy and dark matter, where the scalar is conformally and disformally coupled to matter during the early cosmological evolution. For a conformally dominated epoch, the PGW spectrum has a flat step-like shape. More interestingly, a disformally dominated epoch is characterised by a peaked spectrum with a broken power-law profile, with slopes depending on the scalar-tensor theory considered.
We introduce a graphical tool, called broken power-law sensitivity curve, as a convenient visual indicator for understanding whether a given broken power-law profile can be detected by GW experiments. We then analyse the GW spectra for a variety of representative conformal and disformal models, discussing their detectability prospects with the Einstein Telescope (ET), Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA), DECi-hertz Interferometer Gravitational wave Observatory (DECIGO), and Big Bang Observer (BBO).
Flat spectra of cosmic gravitons in the nHz and audio bands
Authors: Giovannini Massimo
Published: August 2022

The spectra of the relic gravitons are customarily normalized in the low-frequency domain where the signal of the concordance paradigm is expected to peak and this is why their contribution to the temperature and polarization anisotropies of the microwave background is only described by the tensor to scalar ratio. If the consistency relations are broken, the same strategy is accomplished by introducing the tensor spectral index as a further independent parameter. When the dominant component of the spectral energy density is distributed for frequencies much larger than the aHz, the logic behind this conventional approach is much less compelling. The improved bounds in the audio band and the current data from the pulsar timing arrays in the nHz region motivate a new strategy for the absolute normalization of the cosmic background of relic gravitons. After introducing a general four-dimensional action for the analysis of the relic gravitons the new approach is illustrated in the case of conventional and unconventional inflationary models.
Stability of the replica-symmetric solution in the off-diagonally-disordered Bose–Hubbard model
Authors: Piekarska Anna M , Kopeć Tadeusz K
Published: August 2022

We study a disordered system of interacting bosons described by the Bose–Hubbard Hamiltonian with random tunneling amplitudes. We derive the condition for the stability of the replica-symmetric solution for this model. Following the scheme of de Almeida and Thouless, we determine if the solution corresponds to the minimum of free energy by building the respective Hessian matrix and checking its positive semidefiniteness. Thus, we find the eigenvalues by postulating the set of eigenvectors based on their expected symmetry, and require the eigenvalues to be non-negative. We evaluate the spectrum numerically and identify matrix blocks that give rise to eigenvalues that are always non-negative. Thus, we find a subset of eigenvalues coming from decoupled subspaces that is sufficient to be checked as the stability criterion. We also determine the stability of the phases present in the system, finding that the disordered phase is stable, the glass phase is unstable, while the superfluid phase has both stable and unstable parts.
A transiting temperate-subtropical mixed forest: carbon cycle projection and uncertainty
Authors: Kim JiHyun , Kim Yeonjoo , Kim Jeongbin , Cho Kyeungwoo , Hong Jinkyu , Hong Je-Woo , Jo Sungsoo , Park Chanwoo , Chun Jung Hwa
Published: August 2022

Terrestrial ecosystems respond to climate change in various ways, making it crucial to improve our understanding of these dynamics and uncertainty in projections. Here, we investigate how the species composition in a temperate-subtropical mixed forest on Jeju Island, South Korea, would change by 2099 and analysed the resultant effects on phenological timings and carbon flux using an individual cohort-based model—the ecosystem demography biosphere model version 2. We use the analyses of variance to decompose the contribution of model parameters (four sets) and climate inputs (four global climate models under four representative concentration pathway (RCP) scenarios) to the total uncertainty in the leaf area index (LAI) and net ecosystem productivity (NEP) projections. We find that with increases in temperature, photosynthetically active radiation, and vapour pressure deficit, the dominance of subtropical species will gradually increase by approximately 11%, from 30.2% in 2013 to 41.1% by the end of this century, yet there was a large variation in the projections depending on the model parameter and climate inputs. We also show the increases in the LAI and length of growing season by the end of this century, resulting in an increased NEP at the rate of up to 62.7 gC m−2 yr−1 per decade under the RCP8.5. The uncertainty in the LAI projection was largely due to the model parameter (and its interaction with climate inputs); however, the uncertainty contribution of climate models is as large as the emission scenario in the NEP projection. This study highlights the importance of identifying uncertainty sources for a robust projection of terrestrial ecosystem and carbon cycle.
Microwave studies of the spectral statistics in chaotic systems
Authors: Stöckmann Hans-Jürgen , Kuhl Ulrich
Published: August 2022

An overview over the microwave studies of chaotic systems is presented, performed by the authors and their co-workers in Marburg and Nice. In an historical overview the impact of Fritz Haake in particular in the beginning of the experiments is recognized. In the following sections two subjects are presented he was particularly interested in. One of them is the Bohigas–Giannoni–Schmit conjecture stating that the universal features of the spectra of chaotic systems are well described by random matrix theory. Microwave realizations of seven of the ten universal ensembles have been achieved, starting with the Gaussian orthogonal ensemble in the very first experiment, and ending with the chiral ensembles in a recent work. To do the measurements the systems have to be opened by attaching antennas to excite the microwaves. Antennas are theoretically taken into account in terms of a non-Hermitian effective Hamiltonian with an imaginary part taking care of the coupling to the environment. Results on level spacing and widths distribution in open systems are presented as well as on resonance trapping observed when changing the coupling to the environment.
Preparation and characterization of quarter-wave plate at 12.4 μm based on CdSe single crystal
Authors: Yang Ming , Huang Duohui , Li Lin , Zeng Tixian , Zhang Zhiyong , Deng Qiu
Published: August 2022

CdSe single crystal with good optic properties is great candidates for optical devices. In this paper, CdSe single crystal was grown by the modified vertical unseeded vapor sublimation method with the diameter of 36 mm and the length of 40 mm. The quarter wave plates of CdSe single crystal with size of 20 mm × 20 mm × 3 mm was cut along the (001) orientation. The transmittance of the CdSe wave plate was about 69% in the range of 8–14 μm, where the absorption coefficient was about 0.04 cm−1. The phase delay was 90.71176° at 12.4 μm, which less than 5%. This work disclosures a high-quality and large size wave plate of CdSe single crystal, such wave plate has wide application prospects in mid-infrared.
A duality connecting neural network and cosmological dynamics
Authors: Krippendorf Sven , Spannowsky Michael
Published: August 2022

We demonstrate that the dynamics of neural networks (NNs) trained with gradient descent and the dynamics of scalar fields in a flat, vacuum energy dominated Universe are structurally profoundly related. This duality provides the framework for synergies between these systems, to understand and explain NN dynamics and new ways of simulating and describing early Universe models. Working in the continuous-time limit of NNs, we analytically match the dynamics of the mean background and the dynamics of small perturbations around the mean field, highlighting potential differences in separate limits. We perform empirical tests of this analytic description and quantitatively show the dependence of the effective field theory parameters on hyperparameters of the NN. As a result of this duality, the cosmological constant is matched inversely to the learning rate in the gradient descent update.
The Histopathology of Anorectal Neisseria gonorrhoeae Infection
Authors: Cox Brian K , Larson Brent K , Hutchings Danielle A , Morgan Margie , Balzer Bonnie L , Waters Kevin M
Published: August 2022

Objectives

Neisseria gonorrhoeae infection of the anorectal tract is often asymptomatic and infrequently biopsied, but pathologists can be tasked with identifying the histologic features of possible infection. The study was undertaken to better characterize clinical and morphologic features of confirmed anorectal gonococcal infection.

Methods

From 2011 to 2020, 201 positive gonococcal nucleic acid amplification testing samples from 174 patients collected from the distal colorectum and/or anus were matched to eight patients with concurrent biopsy specimens of the distal anorectum. Complete demographic, clinical, and infectious information was collected for each biopsied patient. The histomorphologic features of each biopsy were systematically tabulated.

Results

All eight gonococcal cases were obtained from men who have sex with men. Each case showed at least mild acute inflammation with moderate activity identified in one case with concurrent cytomegalovirus infection. Intense lymphoplasmacytic infiltration was not commonly seen (two of eight). Half of the cases showed mucosal ulceration, and seven of eight cases demonstrated lymphoid aggregates.

Conclusions

The microscopic features are mild compared with other well-described types of infectious proctitis, with most cases displaying mild acute inflammation and scattered lymphoid aggregates. These findings highlight the importance of obtaining a complete patient history and recommending additional infectious workup even when only subtle changes are present.
Estimating Vaccine Effectiveness by Linking Population-Based Health Registries: Some Sources of Bias
Authors: Brookmeyer Ron , Morrison Douglas Ezra
Published: August 2022

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has underscored the importance of observational studies of real-world vaccine effectiveness (VE) to help answer urgent public health questions. One approach to rapidly answering questions about real-world VE relies on linking data from a population-based registry of vaccinations with a population-based registry of health outcomes. Here we consider some potential sources of bias in linked registry studies, including incomplete reporting to the registries, errors in linking individuals between registries, and errors in the assumed population size of the catchment area of the registries. We show that the direction of the bias resulting from one source of error by itself is predictable. However, if multiple sources of error are present, the direction of the bias can be either upward or downward. The biases can be so strong as to make harmful vaccines appear effective. We provide explicit formulas with which to quantify and adjust for multiple biases in estimates of VE which could be used in sensitivity analyses. While this work was motivated by COVID-19 vaccine questions, the results are generally applicable to studies that link population-based exposure registries with population-based case registries to estimate relative risks of exposures.
Community detection and reciprocity in networks by jointly modelling pairs of edges
Authors: Contisciani Martina , Safdari Hadiseh , De Bacco Caterina
Published: August 2022

To unravel the driving patterns of networks, the most popular models rely on community detection algorithms. However, these approaches are generally unable to reproduce the structural features of the network. Therefore, attempts are always made to develop models that incorporate these network properties beside the community structure. In this article, we present a probabilistic generative model and an efficient algorithm to both perform community detection and capture reciprocity in networks. Our approach jointly models pairs of edges with exact two-edge joint distributions. In addition, it provides closed-form analytical expressions for both marginal and conditional distributions. We validate our model on synthetic data in recovering communities, edge prediction tasks and generating synthetic networks that replicate the reciprocity values observed in real networks. We also highlight these findings on two real datasets that are relevant for social scientists and behavioural ecologists. Our method overcomes the limitations of both standard algorithms and recent models that incorporate reciprocity through a pseudo-likelihood approximation. The inference of the model parameters is implemented by the efficient and scalable expectation–maximization algorithm, as it exploits the sparsity of the dataset. We provide an open-source implementation of the code online.
A simple DEB-based ecosystem model
Authors: van der Meer Jaap , Hin Vincent , van Oort Pepijn , van de Wolfshaar Karen E
Published: August 2022

A minimum stoichiometric carbon and nitrogen model of an entire ecosystem based on Dynamic Energy Budget (DEB) theory is presented. The ecosystem contains nutrients, producers, consumers, decomposers and detritus. All three living groups consist of somatic structure and either one (consumers and decomposers) or two (producers) reserve compartments, hence the living matter is described by seven state variables. Four types of detritus are distinguished. As the system is closed for matter, the dynamics of the nutrients carbon dioxide and ammonium follow automatically from the dynamics of the other 11 state variables. All DEB organisms in the model are V1-morphs, which means that surface area of each organism is proportional to volume. The resulting ontogenetic symmetry implies that complicated modelling of size structure is not required. The DEB V1-morph model is explained in detail, and the same holds for the idea of synthesizing units, which plays a key role in DEB modelling. First results of system dynamics are presented.
The effect of probiotic and synbiotic supplementation on lipid parameters among patients with cardiometabolic risk factors: a systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials
Authors: Ghorbani Zeinab , Kazemi Asma , U.P. Bartolomaeus Theda , Martami Fahimeh , Noormohammadi Morvarid , Salari Arsalan , Löber Ulrike , Balou Heydar Ali , K. Forslund Sofia , Mahdavi-Roshan Marjan
Published: August 2022

Although the available evidence emphasizes the beneficial effects of probiotics in normalizing various cardiometabolic markers, there is still substantial uncertainty in this regard. Thus, we set out to determine the effect sizes of probiotics on blood lipid parameters more coherently. A systematic literature search of the Medline (PubMed) and Scopus databases was conducted from inception to 12 February 2021, applying both MeSH terms and free text terms to find the relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs). The meta-analysis was conducted based on a random-effect model to calculate the mean effect sizes demonstrated as weighted mean differences (WMDs) and the 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs). To explore the heterogeneity, the Cochrane χ2 test, and analysis of Galbraith plots were performed. Meta-analysis of data from 40 RCTs (n = 2795) indicated a significant decrease in serum/plasma triglyceride [WMD (95% CI) = –12.26 (–17.11 to –7.41) mg/dL; P-value <0.001; I2 (%) = 29.9; P heterogeneity = 0.034], total cholesterol (with high heterogeneity) (WMD (95% CI) = –8.43 (–11.90 to –4.95) mg/dL; P-value <0.001; I2 (%) = 56.8; P heterogeneity < 0.001), LDL-C [WMD (95% CI) = –5.08 (–7.61, –2.56) mg/dL; P-value <0.001; I2 (%) = 42.7; P heterogeneity = 0.002], and HDL-C (with high heterogeneity) (WMD (95% CI) = 1.14 (0.23, 2.05) mg/dL; P-value = 0.014; I2 (%) = 59.8; P heterogeneity < 0.001) following receiving probiotic/synbiotic supplements. Collectively, the current preliminary evidence supports the effectiveness of probiotics/synbiotics in improving dyslipidaemia and various lipid parameters more prominently among subjects with hyperlipidaemia, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome. However, large and well conducted RCTs are required to provide further convincing support for these results.
Clinical effect of home enteral tube feeding supplementation on nutritional status after esophagectomy with retrosternal gastric tube reconstruction
Authors: Takebayashi Katsushi , Kaida Sachiko , Yamaguchi Tsuyoshi , Otake Reiko , Miyake Toru , Kojima Masatsugu , Iida Hiroya , Maehira Hiromitsu , Mori Haruki , Bamba Shigeki , Shimizu Tomoharu , Sasaki Masaya , Tani Masaji
Published: August 2022

Body weight loss and poor nutritional status are frequently observed after esophageal cancer surgery. The aim of this study was to pilot an investigation on the impact of home enteral tube feeding supplementation (HES) for up to 3 months after esophageal cancer surgery. We retrospectively reviewed consecutive 67 esophageal cancer patients who underwent esophagectomy with gastric tube reconstruction. We started HES from April 2017. The patients were divided into 2 groups. Among 67 patients, 40 patients underwent HES between April 2017 and November 2020 (HES group). Other 27 patients who underwent esophagectomy between January 2012 and March 2017 were not administered HES (C group). Thereafter, multiple factors concerning patient nutritional status at long-term follow-up were evaluated. The baseline characteristics were balanced between the two groups. There were no significant differences in nutritional status scores before esophagectomy. The percentage weight loss was less in the HES group compared with the C group both at 3 months and 1 year after surgery: 7.3% (−7.6 to 15.2), 7.7% (−4 to 13.9) in the HES group and 10.6% (−3.6 to 29.1), 10.8% (−5.8 to 20.0) in C group (P < 0.05, P < 0.05). In the patients with anastomotic stenosis, the percentage weight loss was less in the HES group compared with the C group: 7.2% (2.0–14.9) and 14.6% (6.2–29.1), P < 0.05. HES may improve early weight loss in postesophagectomy patients.
Coping, symptoms, and insomnia among people with heart failure during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: O’Connell Meghan , Jeon Sangchoon , Conley Samantha , Linsky Sarah , Redeker Nancy S
Published: August 2022

Aims

Increases in stress, symptoms of anxiety and depression, and sleep problems have been reported during the Covid-19 pandemic, and people with chronic medical conditions such as heart failure (HF) are especially vulnerable. The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which sleep characteristics, sleep-related cognitions, anxiety, depression, perceived stress, and changes in these phenomena over time predict ways of coping with pandemic-related stress among participants in the HeartSleep study, a randomized controlled trial of the effects of cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) in people with HF.

Methods and results

Participants completed questionnaires to elicit sleep characteristics, daytime symptoms, mood and stress at baseline, 6 months after the intervention and during the Covid-19 pandemic. We added measures of coping during the pandemic (June–August 2020). The sample included 112 participants (M age = 63 ± 12.9 years; 47% women; 13% Black; 68% NY Heart Class II or III). Participants (43%) reported pandemic-related stressors and most often used secondary control coping. Insomnia severity, anxiety, depression, perceived stress, and sleep-related cognitions predicted secondary control coping (positive thinking, cognitive restructuring, acceptance, distraction), involuntary engagement (physiological arousal, rumination), and involuntary disengagement (emotional numbing).

Conclusions

Insomnia and mood disturbance are important determinants of coping and responses to stress. Improving sleep and symptoms among people with HF may improve coping during stressful events, and CBT-I may have protective effects.

Registration

ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT 02660385.
Increased Social Support Reduces the Incidence of Motoric Cognitive Risk Syndrome
Authors: Felix Nicole , Ayers Emmeline , Verghese Joe , Blumen Helena M
Published: August 2022

Background and Objectives

The motoric cognitive risk syndrome (MCR) is a predementia syndrome characterized by slow gait and cognitive complaint. The relationship between MCR and social support—a potentially modifiable risk factor of dementia—is currently unknown. The current study aimed to determine whether MCR incidence varies as a function of social support in aging.

Research Design and Methods

We examined MCR incidence in 506 community-dwelling older adults (M Age 76.59; 57.3% female) without MCR or dementia at baseline. We quantified perceived levels of social support with the Medical Outcomes Study Social Support Survey, incorporating four different categories of support: (a) emotional/informational support, (b) tangible support, (c) affectionate support, and (d) positive social interactions. We used Cox regression analyses, adjusted for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, marital status, comorbidities, and global cognition, to estimate hazard ratios (aHR) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

Results

Over a median follow-up time of 2.5 years (range = 1–7 years), 38 participants (9.8%) developed MCR. Increased tangible support decreased the risk of MCR by 30% (aHR: 0.70, 95% CI: 0.53–0.92, p = .011). Increased overall social support decreased the risk of MCR by 33% (aHR: 0.67, 95% CI: 0.46–0.98, p = .038). Other subcategories of social support were not associated with a decreased risk of MCR (p > .05).

Discussion and Implications

Higher levels of tangible social support, as well as overall social support, were associated with reduced risk for MCR in older adults. Increasing social support may be a promising avenue of intervention for reducing the risk of MCR, dementia, and other forms of cognitive decline.
Can’t stop thinking aboutStar WarsandThe Office: antecedents of retrospective imaginative involvement
Authors: Ulusoy Ezgi , Sethi Neha , Baldwin Joshua , Grady Sara M , Ewoldsen David R
Published: August 2022

Retrospective imaginative involvement (RII) is a concept that encapsulates how audiences reflect back on a narrative’s characters and events after the story has ended. The current study aims to explicate the antecedents of RII in order to provide initial steps toward creating a theory of RII. Through two studies, we tested the role of familiarity, traits (e.g., curiosity), entertainment experiences broadly (e.g., parasocial relationships), and content- or exposure-specific experiences (e.g., boundary expansion). Results suggest that RII plays an important role in self-regulation through repeated asynchronous engagement with specific narratives. This demonstrates a further mechanism by which narratives impact our lives even after the exposure. Further results and implications are discussed.
Constitutional review of negotiated international investment agreements: Strengths and shortcomings of the Colombian Constitutional Court’s approach
Authors: Ochoa-Sánchez Juan Carlos
Published: August 2022

Increasingly, international investment agreements (IIAs) and investor–state dispute settlement (ISDS) mechanisms relate to, and at times conflict with, constitutional rights, principles, and rules. Because of this interrelationship, since 2017, constitutional courts in several regions of the world have had to examine constitutional charges brought against IIAs when conducting their ex ante constitutional review of negotiated IIAs. In order to fill significant gaps in the current literature on the subject, this article conducts an in-depth analysis of the judgment of the Colombian Constitutional Court (CCC) which examined the constitutionality of the negotiated bilateral investment treaty (BIT) between Colombia and France (“the investment Agreement”). This article demonstrates that, while the CCC’s judgment has several positive aspects, it also has some significant shortcomings. The Court set the basis for a stricter ex ante constitutional review of IIAs, specifically the rationales, methods, and grounds for review that constitutional courts can use to conduct such a review. The Court also shed light on the methodology to interpret IIAs, the conditional constitutionality approach, and orders that constitutional courts can adopt in this type of review. However, this article demonstrates that the Court’s review over many aspects of the three sets of elements that it covered—i.e. the investment Agreement as a whole and the Agreement’s provisions on standards of treatment and ISDS, was not thorough or it applied a looser test than its reasonableness test. This research also shows that the Court did not engage in review of the investment Agreement concerning its compatibility with economic, social, and cultural rights.
Acute and Chronic Toxicity of Neem Oil to the Endoparasitoid Palmistichus elaeisis (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae)
Authors: Vieira Caldeira Zaira , Alvarenga Soares Marcus , Von dos Santos Veloso Ronnie , Souza Silva Cleriston , Souza Pereira Costa Elizangela , Martins dos Santos Marinalva , Moreira da Silva Isabel , Meloni Silva Wiane , Cola Zanuncio José
Published: August 2022

Palmistichus elaeisis Delvare and LaSalle 1993 (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) and neem oil are two control alternatives for the integrated management of defoliating lepidopterans. The aim of this study was to evaluate the acute and chronic toxicity of neem oil compared to the synthetic insecticide deltamethrin, on the endoparasitoid P. elaeisis, in generations F0, F1, F2, and F3. Females of P. elaeisis were exposed to neem solutions at concentrations of 0, 1.87, 3.75, 7.50, 15.00, 30.00, and 60.00 mg ml−1, to determine the dose-response relationship and estimate the neem LC50. The sublethal effects on the parasitoid P. elaeisis in generations F0 to F3 were evaluated with these same concentrations of neem and 0.033 mg ml−1 of deltamethrin. The neem LC50 was estimated at 3.92 mg ml−1. The LC50 for P. elaeisis is 3.83 times lower than that recommended by the neem manufacturer for pest control, demonstrating high acute toxicity to this natural enemy. The chronic toxicity of both the commercial dose and those below it to P. elaeisis caused low sublethal effects. The correct concentration of neem oil in pest control is important, and its use should be performed with caution in integrated pest management programs using the endoparasitoid P. elaeisis to avoid causing interference between the two pest control techniques.
Equivalence between Varieties of Łukasiewicz–Moisil Algebras and Rings
Authors: López Martinolich Blanca Fernanda , Vannicola María del Carmen
Published: August 2022

The Post, axled and Łukasiewicz–Moisil algebras are important lattices studied in algebraic logic. In this paper, we investigate a useful interpretation between these algebras and some rings. We give a term equivalence between Post algebras of order $p$ and $p$-rings, $p$ prime and lift this result to the axled Łukasiewicz–Moisil algebra $L \cong B_s \times P$ and the ring $\prod ^s F_2 \times \prod ^l F_p$, where $B_s$ is a Boolean algebra of order $2^s$, $P$ a $p$-valued Post algebra of order $p^l$ and $F_p$ is the prime field of order $p$.
Regional differences in human papillomavirus type 52 prevalence among Japanese women with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia
Authors: Kukimoto Iwao , Onuki Mamiko , Yamamoto Kasumi , Yahata Hideaki , Aoki Yoichi , Yokota Harushige , Konnai Katsuyuki , Nio Ai , Takehara Kazuhiro , Kamiura Shoji , Tsuda Naotake , Takei Yuji , Shimada Muneaki , Nakai Hidekatsu , Yoshida Hiroyuki , Motohara Takeshi , Yamazaki Hiroyuki , Nakamura Keiichiro , Okunomiya Asuka , Tasaka Nobutaka , Ishikawa Mitsuya , Hirashima Yasuyuki , Shimoji Yuko , Mori Mayuyo , Iwata Takashi , Takahashi Fumiaki , Yoshikawa Hiroyuki , Yaegashi Nobuo , Matsumoto Koji ,   MINT Study Group
Published: August 2022

Although geographical differences in the distribution of human papillomavirus genotypes have been observed worldwide, no studies have reported on national differences in the prevalence of human papillomavirus types in Japan. Here, we report a cross-sectional study to explore regional differences in the prevalence of human papillomavirus types among Japanese women with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia or invasive cervical cancer. Using human papillomavirus genotyping data from the nationwide prospective study on human papillomavirus vaccine effectiveness, we compared the frequency of detection of 15 high-risk and two low-risk human papillomavirus types in each disease category between the women who visited hospitals located in eastern Japan and those who visited hospitals located in western Japan. The risk of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia progression was assessed by calculating a prevalence ratio of each human papillomavirus type for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2/3 versus grade 1. Among the human papillomavirus types studied, human papillomavirus 52 was detected significantly more frequently in western hospitals than in eastern hospitals in cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 1 patients, but was less frequent in cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2/3. The prevalence of particular human papillomavirus types was not significantly different between patients in hospitals in eastern Japan and those in hospitals in western Japan for invasive cervical cancer. In both eastern and western hospitals, a higher risk of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia progression was observed in patients infected with human papillomavirus 16, 31 or 58. In contrast, there was a significantly higher prevalence of human papillomavirus 52 infection in women with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2/3 than in those with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 1 in eastern hospitals (prevalence ratio, 1.93; 95% confidence interval, 1.48–2.58), but not in western hospitals (prevalence ratio, 1.03; 95% confidence interval, 0.83–1.30). Regional differences of human papillomavirus 52 prevalence in cervical intraepithelial neoplasia lesions may exist and emphasize the importance of continuous monitoring of human papillomavirus type prevalence throughout the country in order to accurately assess the efficacy of human papillomavirus vaccines.
Estimating international migration flows for the Asia-Pacific region: Application of a generation–distribution model
Authors: Raymer James , Guan Qing , Shen Tianyu , Wiśniowski Arkadiusz , Pietsch Juliet
Published: August 2022

Flows of international migration are needed in the Asia-Pacific region to understand the patterns and corresponding effects on demographic, social, and economic change across sending and receiving countries. A major challenge to this understanding is that nearly all of the countries in this region do not gather or produce statistics on flows of international migration. The only information that are widely available represent immigrant population stocks measured at specific points in time—but these represent poor proxies for annual movements. In this paper, we present a methodology for indirectly estimating annual flows of international migration amongst 53 populations in the Asia-Pacific region and four macro world regions from 2000 to 2019 using a generation–distribution framework. The estimates suggest that 27–31 million persons from the Asia-Pacific region have changed their countries of usual residence during each year in the study. Southern Asia is estimated to have had the largest inflows and outflows, whilst intra-regional migration and return migration were highest in Eastern, Southern, and South-Eastern Asia. India, China, and Indonesia were estimated to have had the largest emigration flows and net migration losses. As a first attempt to estimate international migration flows in the Asia-Pacific region, this paper provides a basis for understanding the dynamics and complexity of the large-scale migration occurring in the region.
TheS. cerevisiaem6A-reader Pho92 promotes timely meiotic recombination by controlling key methylated transcripts
Authors: Scutenaire Jérémy , Plassard Damien , Matelot Mélody , Villa Tommaso , Zumsteg Julie , Libri Domenico , Séraphin Bertrand
Published: August 2022

N6-Methyladenosine (m6A), one of the most abundant internal modification of eukaryotic mRNAs, participates in the post-transcriptional control of gene expression through recruitment of specific m6A readers. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the m6A methyltransferase Ime4 is expressed only during meiosis and its deletion impairs this process. To elucidate how m6A control gene expression, we investigated the function of the budding yeast m6A reader Pho92. We show that Pho92 is an early meiotic factor that promotes timely meiotic progression. High-throughput RNA sequencing and mapping of Pho92-binding sites following UV-crosslinking reveal that Pho92 is recruited to specific mRNAs in an m6A-dependent manner during the meiotic prophase, preceding their down-regulation. Strikingly, point mutations altering m6A sites in mRNAs targeted by Pho92 are sufficient to delay their down-regulation and, in one case, to slow down meiotic progression. Altogether, our results indicate that Pho92 facilitate the meiotic progression by accelerating the down-regulation of timely-regulated mRNAs during meiotic recombination.
A Randomized Clinical Trial of Regdanvimab in High-Risk Patients With Mild-to-Moderate Coronavirus Disease 2019
Authors: Kim Jin Yong , Săndulescu Oana , Preotescu Liliana-Lucia , Rivera-Martínez Norma E , Dobryanska Marta , Birlutiu Victoria , Miftode Egidia G , Gaibu Natalia , Caliman-Sturdza Olga , Florescu Simin-Aysel , Shi Hye Jin , Streinu-Cercel Anca , Streinu-Cercel Adrian , Lee Sang Joon , Kim Sung Hyun , Chang Ilsung , Bae Yun Ju , Suh Jee Hye , Chung Da Rae , Kim Sun Jung , Kim Mi Rim , Lee Seul Gi , Park Gahee , Eom Joong Sik
Published: August 2022

Background

We evaluated clinical effectiveness of regdanvimab (CT-P59), a severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 neutralizing monoclonal antibody, in reducing disease progression and clinical recovery time in patients with mild-to-moderate coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), primarily Alpha variant.

Methods

This was phase 3 of a phase 2/3 parallel-group, double-blind, randomized clinical trial. Outpatients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 were randomized to single-dose regdanvimab 40 mg/kg (n = 656) or placebo (n = 659), alongside standard of care. The primary endpoint was COVID-19 disease progression up to day 28 among “high-risk” patients. Key secondary endpoints were disease progression (all randomized patients) and time to recovery (high-risk and all randomized patients).

Results

Of 1315 randomized patients, 880 were high risk; the majority were infected with Alpha variant. The proportion with disease progression was lower (14/446, 3.1% [95% confidence interval {CI}, 1.9%–5.2%] vs 48/434, 11.1% [95% CI, 8.4%–14.4%]; P < .001) and time to recovery was shorter (median, 9.27 days [95% CI, 8.27–11.05 days] vs not reached [95% CI, 12.35–not calculable]; P < .001) with regdanvimab than placebo. Consistent improvements were seen in all randomized and non-high-risk patients who received regdanvimab. Viral load reductions were more rapid with regdanvimab. Infusion-related reactions occurred in 11 patients (4/652 [0.6%] regdanvimab, 7/650 [1.1%] placebo). Treatment-emergent serious adverse events were reported in 5 of (4/652 [0.6%] regdanvimab and 1/650 [0.2%] placebo).

Conclusions

Regdanvimab was an effective treatment for patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19, significantly reducing disease progression and clinical recovery time without notable safety concerns prior to the emergence of the Omicron variant.

Clinical Trials Registration

NCT04602000; 2020-003369-20 (EudraCT).