bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evaluating level of adherence to nicotine replacement therapy and its impact on smoking cessation: a protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Mersha Amanual Getnet , Eftekhari Parivash , Bovill Michelle , Tollosa Daniel Nigusse , Gould Gillian Sandra
Published: September 2020

Introduction

Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) has proven effective for smoking cessation in clinical trials, however it was found less effective in population-based studies, potentially due to inconsistent or incorrect use of NRT. The aim of this paper is to describe a systematic review protocol to evaluate level of adherence to NRT; the discrepancy of adherence to NRT in clinical and population-based studies and degree of association between level of adherence and success of smoking cessation.

Methods and analysis

Literature search will use five databases (Medline, Scopus, Embase, CINAHL and PsycINFO). Studies will be appraised for methodological quality using National Institutes of Health Quality Assessment Tool. To reduce heterogeneity, we will analyse clinical trials and population-based studies separately; pooled analyses will be done among studies that used similar measurements. Heterogeneity of studies will be assessed by Higgins’ I2 statistical test. When studies are adequately homogeneous, results will be pooled using random-effects model with proportion and ORs with 95% CIs and p values for each outcome. We will explain sources of heterogeneity by subgroup analysis or sensitivity analysis. Funnel plots and Egger’s regression asymmetry test with p<0.05 will be used as a cut-off point to affirm presence of statistically significant publication bias. Statistical analyses will be carried out using Stata V.16 software. Only studies reporting a valid strategy to control for reverse causality will be included.

Discussion

This review will provide evidence to support the importance of adherence on rate of smoking cessation and level of adherence to NRT. The findings will be used to inform smoking cessation interventions, researchers and policymakers.

Ethics and dissemination

As a systematic literature review, this protocol does not require ethics approval. Research outcomes will be presented at relevant conferences and findings will be published in a relevant peer-reviewed journal.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42020176749.
Effectiveness of non-pharmacological interventions to decrease fatigue in people living with HIV/AIDS: a protocol of systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Xiao Xueling , Reynolds Nancy R , Saligan Leorey , Lei Yunxiao , Wang Min , Wang Honghong
Published: September 2020

Introduction

Fatigue is a common symptom among people living with HIV (PLWH). It has a substantial adverse impact on functional status and the ability to conduct activities of daily living. Identifying effective strategies to prevent or reduce fatigue is significant to promote the quality of life of this vulnerable population. The purpose of this review is to synthesise the non-pharmacological evidence and assess the effects of interventions on reducing HIV-related fatigue among PLWH.

Methods and analysis

We will comprehensively search literature available up to 30 June 2020, in the following databases: PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, Web of Science and PsycINFO. The reference list of selected studies and relevant published reviews will also be screened to retrieve potential articles. Two reviewers will identify the eligible articles, extract data and identify the biases in the selected studies. Any disagreements will be referred to a third reviewer. We will qualitatively synthesise the evidence and pool data with meta-analysis according to the heterogeneity of different studies.

Ethics and dissemination

This systematic review will not raise any ethical issues since it is a secondary data collection and analysis. The results will inform effective strategies to reduce fatigue among PLWH. The final report will be published in a peer-reviewed journal and academic conferences.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42020153715.
Protocol for the DisCoVeRy trial: multicentre, adaptive, randomised trial of the safety and efficacy of treatments for COVID-19 in hospitalised adults
Authors: Ader Florence
Published: September 2020

Introduction

To find effective and safe treatments for COVID-19, the WHO recommended to systemically evaluate experimental therapeutics in collaborative randomised clinical trials. As COVID-19 was spreading in Europe, the French national institute for Health and Medical Research (Inserm) established a transdisciplinary team to develop a multi-arm randomised controlled trial named DisCoVeRy. The objective of the trial is to evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of different investigational re-purposed therapeutics relative to Standard of Care (SoC) in patients hospitalised with COVID-19.

Methods and analysis

DisCoVeRy is a phase III, open-label, adaptive, controlled, multicentre clinical trial in which hospitalised patients with COVID-19 in need of oxygen therapy are randomised between five arms: (1) a control group managed with SoC and four therapeutic arms with re-purposed antiviral agents: (2) remdesivir + SoC, (3) lopinavir/ritonavir + SoC, (4) lopinavir/ritonavir associated with interferon (IFN)-β−1a + SoC and (5) hydroxychloroquine + SoC. The primary endpoint is the clinical status at Day 15 on the 7-point ordinal scale of the WHO Master Protocol (V.3.0, 3 March 2020). This trial involves patients hospitalised in conventional departments or intensive care units both from academic or non-academic hospitals throughout Europe. A sample size of 3100 patients (620 patients per arm) is targeted. This trial has begun on 22 March 2020. Since 5 April 2020, DisCoVeRy has been an add-on trial of the Solidarity consortium of trials conducted by the WHO in Europe and worldwide. On 8 June 2020, 754 patients have been included.

Ethics and dissemination

Inserm is the sponsor of DisCoVeRy. Ethical approval has been obtained from the institutional review board on 13 March 2020 (20.03.06.51744) and from the French National Agency for Medicines and Health Products (ANSM) on 9 March 2020. Results will be submitted for publication in peer-reviewed journals.

Trial registration number

NCT04315948 Eudra-CT 2020-000936-23.
Assessment of palliative care training in gynaecological oncology: a survey among European Network of Young Gynae-Oncologists (ENYGO) members
Authors: La Russa Mariaclelia , Zapardiel Ignacio , Zalewski Kamil , Laky Rene , Dursun Polat , Sukhin Vladyslav , Lindquist David , Lindemann Kristina
Published: September 2020

Introduction

Palliative care is an important aspect of gynaecological oncology practice. In order to successfully integrate end-of-life (EOL) care in the disease trajectory, it is crucial to incorporate systematic training in subspecialty programmes in gynaecological oncology. We aimed to evaluate the quality of training in palliative care across gynaecological oncology fellows in Europe and to provide a framework to facilitate learning opportunities.

Methods

A web-based questionnaire was sent to members of the European Network of Young Gynae-Oncologists (ENYGO). The survey consisted of 36 items covering six domains: respondents’ characteristics, quality and quantity of teaching, curriculum achievements, observation and feedback, EOL clinical practice and attitudes about palliative care.

Results

Of the 703 clinicians enrolled in the study, 142 responded (20.2%). Although the majority worked in university hospitals, only half of them (47%) were in a formal subspecialty programme. The majority of respondents (60%) were trained without a mandatory rotation in palliative care units and considered the quality of EOL care teaching as ‘very poor’ or ‘poor’ (57.7%). The majority of respondents (71.6%) did not receive any supervision or feedback at the time of their first consultation on changing the goals of care.

Conclusion

Our study underlines lack of structured teaching and supervision in palliative care contents among European fellows in gynaecological oncology. Broad education of healthcare providers is a key factor to achieve the integration of palliative care in gynaecological oncology practice. Stakeholders like European Society of Gynaecological Oncology/ENYGO play an important role to facilitate educational activities and training programmes targeting to EOL care.
Exploring the reasons cancer survivors do not seek help for their concerns: a descriptive content analysis
Authors: Fitch Margaret I , Nicoll Irene , Lockwood Gina
Published: September 2020

Purpose

To understand reasons why adult cancer survivors do not seek assistance as they transition from the end of cancer treatment to follow-up care. Understanding these reasons should inform survivorship care, help reduce the burden of suffering and increase quality of life for survivors.

Methods

A national survey was conducted in collaboration with ten Canadian provinces to identify unmet needs and experiences with follow-up for cancer survivors between one and 3 years post-treatment. The survey included open-ended questions to allow respondents to add topics of importance and details that offered a deeper insight into their experiences. This publication presents the analysis of the quantitative data and open-ended responses regarding reasons why the adult cancer population does not seek help with their concerns.

Results

In total, 13 319 respondents answered the question about seeking help. 87% had a physical concern of which 76% did not seek help; 77% had an emotional concern of which 82% did not seek help; and 45% had a practical concern of which 71% did not seek help. Frequently identified reasons for not seeking help included being told it was normal and not thinking anything could be done, not wanting to ask, not thinking services were available, handling it on their own and not thinking it was serious enough to seek help.

Conclusions

Survivors have multiple reasons for not seeking help for their concerns. These findings can be useful to healthcare providers in proactively identifying and addressing the needs of these survivors.
Global, regional and national quality of life in patients with multiple sclerosis: a global systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Pashazadeh Kan Fatemeh , Hoseinipalangi Zahra , Ahmadi Niloofar , Hosseinifard Hossein , Dehnad Afsaneh , Sadat Hoseini Batool , Tohidi Asl Mahsa , Ghashghaee Ahmad
Published: September 2020

Background and aim

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) globally to provide precise information for policy makers to take necessary steps to improve the quality of life of these patients. This systematic review and meta-analysis is the first global study in the last decade.

Materials and methods

Data from January 2000 to April 2020 were collected from Scopus, PubMed, Embase, Web of Science and Google Scholar databases on the basis of inclusion and exclusion criteria. Data obtained were analysed by R software, and 54 articles were finally included in the study.

Results

From the 2126 articles collected, a total of 54 articles were included in the study. Based on the results of random-effects analysis (DerSimonian and Laird), the mental HRQOL score was 55.18 (95% CI 52.71 to 57.65) and the physical HRQOL score was 48.72 (95% CI 45.93 to 51.52). In this study, age and duration of disease had a significant and direct relationship with mental HRQOL (p≤0.01). Moreover, mental HRQOL was higher in Europe than in other continents, while physical HRQOL was higher in Asia than in other continents. HRQOL was also evaluated on the basis of three valid questionnaires: Short Form 36, Multiple Sclerosis Quality of Life-54 and Multiple Sclerosis International Quality of Life.

Conclusion

According to the results of this study, the total score for HRQOL indicates moderate quality of life. Factors such as depression, age and duration of disease have the greatest impact on HRQOL, whereas factors such as fatigue and the Expanded Disability Status Scale score have less effects on HRQOL, so that patients with MS continue their daily activities as long as they are physically able to, and this happens despite disease progression.
Occupational exposures and programmatic response to COVID-19 pandemic: an emergency medical services experience
Authors: Murphy David L , Barnard Leslie M , Drucker Christopher J , Yang Betty Y , Emert Jamie M , Schwarcz Leilani , Counts Catherine R , Jacinto Tracie Y , McCoy Andrew M , Morgan Tyler A , Whitney Jim E , Bodenman Joel V , Duchin Jeffrey S , Sayre Michael R , Rea Thomas D
Published: September 2020

Rigorous assessment of occupational COVID-19 risk and personal protective equipment (PPE) use is not well-described. We evaluated 9-1-1 emergency medical services (EMS) encounters for patients with COVID-19 to assess occupational exposure, programmatic strategies to reduce exposure and PPE use. We conducted a retrospective cohort investigation of laboratory-confirmed patients with COVID-19 in King County, Washington, USA, who received 9-1-1 EMS responses from 14 February 2020 to 26 March 2020. We reviewed dispatch, EMS and public health surveillance records to evaluate the temporal relationship between exposure and programmatic changes to EMS operations designed to identify high-risk patients, protect the workforce and conserve PPE. There were 274 EMS encounters for 220 unique COVID-19 patients involving 700 unique EMS providers with 988 EMS person-encounters. Use of ‘full’ PPE including mask (surgical or N95), eye protection, gown and gloves (MEGG) was 67%. There were 151 person-exposures among 129 individuals, who required 981 quarantine days. Of the 700 EMS providers, 3 (0.4%) tested positive within 14 days of encounter, though these positive tests were not attributed to occupational exposure from inadequate PPE. Programmatic changes were associated with a temporal reduction in exposures. When stratified at the study encounters midpoint, 94% (142/151) of exposures occurred during the first 137 EMS encounters compared with 6% (9/151) during the second 137 EMS encounters (p<0.01). By the investigation’s final week, EMS deployed MEGG PPE in 34% (3579/10 468) of all EMS person-encounters. Less than 0.5% of EMS providers experienced COVID-19 illness within 14 days of occupational encounter. Programmatic strategies were associated with a reduction in exposures, while achieving a measured use of PPE.
Bridging the mental health treatment gap: effects of a collaborative care intervention (matrix support) in the detection and treatment of mental disorders in a Brazilian city
Authors: Saraiva Sonia , Bachmann Max , Andrade Matheus , Liria Alberto
Published: September 2020

Objective

To analyse temporal trends in diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders in primary care following implementation of a collaborative care intervention (matrix support).

Design

Dynamic cohort design with retrospective time-series analysis. Structured secondary data on medical visits to general practitioners of all study clinics were extracted from the municipal electronic records database. Annual changes in the odds of mental disorders diagnoses and antidepressants prescriptions were estimated by multiple logistic regression at visit and patient-year levels with diagnoses or prescriptions as outcomes. Annual changes during two distinct stages of the intervention (stage 1 when it was restricted to mental health (2005–2009), and stage 2 when it was expanded to other areas (2010–2015)) were compared by adding year–period interaction terms to each model.

Setting

49 primary care clinics in the city of Florianópolis, Brazil.

Participants

All adults attending primary care clinics of the study setting between 2005 and 2015.

Results

3 131 983 visits representing 322 100 patients were analysed. At visit level, the odds of mental disorder diagnosis increased by 13% per year during stage 1 (OR 1.13, 95% CI 1.11 to 1.14, p<0.001) and decreased by 5% thereafter (OR 0.95, 95% CI 0.94 to 0.95, p<0.001). The odds of incident mental disorder diagnoses decreased by 1% per year during stage 1 (OR 0.99, 95% CI 0.98 to 1.00, p=0.012) and decreased by 7% per year during stage 2 (OR 0.93, 95% CI 0.92 to 0.93, p<0.001). The odds of antidepressant prescriptions in patients with a mental disorder diagnosis increased by 7% per year during stage 1 (OR 1.07, 95% CI 1.05 to 1.20, p<0.001); this was driven by selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor prescriptions which increased 14% per year during stage 1 (OR 1.14, 95% CI 1.12 to 1.18, p<0.001) and 9% during stage 2 (OR 1.09, 95% CI 1.08 to 1.10, p<0.001). The odds of incident antidepressant prescriptions did not increase during stage 1 (OR 1.00, 95% CI 0.97 to 1.02, p=0.665) and increased by 3% during stage 2 (OR 1.03, 95% CI 1.00 to 1.04, p<0.001). Changes per year were all significantly greater during stage 1 than stage 2 (p values for interaction terms <0.05), except for antidepressant prescriptions during visits (p=0.172).

Conclusion

The matrix support intervention may increase diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders when inter-professional collaboration is adequately supported. Competing demands to the primary care teams can subsequently reduce these effects. Future studies should assess clinical outcomes and identify active components and factors associated with successful implementation.
Ethics of sharing medical knowledge with the community: is the physician responsible for medical outreach during a pandemic?
Authors: Strous Rael D. , Karni Tami
Published: September 2020

A recent update to the Geneva Declaration’s ‘Physician Pledge’ involves the ethical requirement of physicians to share medical knowledge for the benefit of patients and healthcare. With the spread of COVID-19, pockets exist in every country with different viral expressions. In the Chareidi (‘ultra-orthodox’) religious community, for example, rates of COVID-19 transmission and dissemination are above average compared with other communities within the same countries. While viral spread in densely populated communities is common during pandemics, several reasons have been suggested to explain the blatant flouting of public health regulations. It is easy to fault the Chareidi population for their proliferation of COVID-19, partly due to their avoidance of social media and internet aversion. However, the question remains: who is to blame for their community crisis? The ethical argument suggests that from a public health perspective, the physician needs to reach out and share medical knowledge with the community. The public’s best interests are critical in a pandemic and should supersede any considerations of cultural differences. By all indications, therefore, the physician has an ethical obligation to promote population healthcare and share medical knowledge based on ethical concepts of beneficence, non-maleficence, utilitarian ethics as well as social, procedural and distributive justice. This includes the ethical duty to reduce health disparities and convey the message that individual responsibility for health has repercussions within the context of broader social accountability. Creative channels are clearly demanded for this ethical challenge, including measured medical paternalism with appropriate cultural sensitivity in physician community outreach.
A stakeholder meeting exploring the ethical perspectives of immediately sequential bilateral cataract surgery
Authors: Quinn Matthew , Gray Daniel , Bardan Ahmed Shalaby , Zarei-Ghanavati Mehran , Sparrow John , Liu Christopher
Published: September 2020

Purpose

The purported benefits and risks of immediately sequential bilateral cataract surgery (ISBCS) have been well described, yet the procedure remains controversial among UK ophthalmologists. As many of the controversies of ISBCS are underpinned by ethical dilemmas, the aim of this work was to explore the ethical perspectives of ISBCS from a variety of stakeholder viewpoints.

Method

A semi-structured independent stakeholder meeting was convened at the Royal College of Ophthalmologists London headquarters in June 2018. In total, 29 stakeholders attended the meeting. The professional characteristics of stakeholders included but were not limited to: ophthalmologists (9), patients (5), religious leaders (4), ethicists (2), lawyers (2) and commissioners (1). Thematic qualitative analysis using methodology proposed by Braun and Clarke was conducted on the resultant transcript of the discussion.

Results

Themes identified include: (1) beneficence and non-maleficence (patient benefits, patient risks, the uncertainties of risk, patient interpretation of the risk-benefit analysis); (2) autonomy (informed consent, the barriers to communication); (3) distributive justice (the allocation of resources: the individual vs the collective).

Conclusion

This analysis provides a reference point for the ethical factors surrounding ISBCS. The stakeholders concluded that this approach was an ethical undertaking provided patient autonomy was appropriately attained. This requires a patient’s interpretation of the risk-benefit balance, which must include an understanding of the low but unquantifiable risk of severe complications. A surgeon must aim to minimise risks through the adaption of accepted surgical protocols and by performing appropriate patient selection. Currently, cost savings to healthcare that may occur following the implementation of ISBCS should be considered a secondary benefit of the protocol.
BW373U86 upregulates autophagy by inhibiting the PI3K/Akt pathway and regulating the mTOR pathway to protect cardiomyocytes from hypoxia–reoxygenation injury
Authors: Liang Qianyi , Huang Xiaoling , Zeng Chaokun , Li Dewei , Shi Yongyong , Zhao Gaofeng , Zhong Min
Published: September 2020

The purpose of this study was to explore the protective effect of BW373U86 (a δ-opioid receptor (DOR) agonist) on ischemia–reperfusion (I/R) injury in rat cardiomyocytes and its underlying mechanism. Primary rat cardiomyocytes were cultured and pretreated with BW373U86 for intervention. The cardiomyocytes were cultured under the condition of 94% N2 and 5% CO2 for 24 h to perform hypoxia culture and conventionally cultured for 12 h to perform reoxygenation culture. The cell viability of cardiomyocytes was detected by an MTT assay (Sigma–Aldrich). The autophagy lysosome levels in cardiomyocytes were evaluated by acidic vesicular organelles with dansylcadaverine (MDC) staining (autophagy test kit, Kaiji Biology, kgatg001). The protein expression levels of LC3, p62, and factors in the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway were detected by Western blot. Pretreatment with BW373U86 could improve the cell viability of cardiomyocytes with hypoxia–reoxygenation (H/R) injury (p < 0.05). Interestingly, after coculture of BW373U86 and PI3K inhibitor (3-methyladenine), the protein expression levels of p-Akt in cardiomyocytes were markedly increased in comparison with those in the BW373U86 group (p < 0.05). However, there were no significant differences in the protein expression levels of mTOR between the coculture group and the BW373U86 group (p > 0.05). BW373U86 upregulated autophagy to protect cardiomyocytes from H/R injury, which may be related to the PI3K/Akt/m TOR pathway.
Existence of conserved quantities and their algebra in curved spacetime
Authors: Mandal Susobhan
Published: September 2020

In general relativity, finding out the geodesics of a given spacetime manifold is an important task because it determines which classical processes are dynamically forbidden. Conserved quantities play an important role in solving the geodesic equations of a general spacetime manifold. Furthermore, knowing all possible conserved quantities of a system gives information about the hidden symmetries of that system since conserved quantities are deeply connected with the symmetries of the system. These are very important in their own right. Conserved quantities are also useful to capture certain features of spacetime manifold for an asymptotic observer. In this article, we show the existence of these conserved charges and their algebra in a generic curved spacetime for a class of dynamical systems with the Hamiltonians quadratic and linear in momentum and spin.
Crossing Periodic Orbits via First Integrals
Authors: Llibre Jaume , Tonon Durval José , Velter Mariana Queiroz
Published: September 2020

We characterize the families of periodic orbits of two discontinuous piecewise differential systems in [Formula: see text] separated by a plane using their first integrals. One of these discontinuous piecewise differential systems is formed by linear differential systems, and the other by nonlinear differential systems.
Bifurcation in Mean Phase Portraits for Stochastic Dynamical Systems with Multiplicative Gaussian Noise
Authors: Wang Hui , Tsiairis Athanasios , Duan Jinqiao
Published: September 2020

We investigate the bifurcation phenomena for stochastic systems with multiplicative Gaussian noise, by examining qualitative changes in mean phase portraits. Starting from the Fokker–Planck equation for the probability density function of solution processes, we compute the mean orbits and mean equilibrium states. A change in the number or stability type, when a parameter varies, indicates a stochastic bifurcation. Specifically, we study stochastic bifurcation for three prototypical dynamical systems (i.e. saddle-node, transcritical, and pitchfork systems) under multiplicative Gaussian noise, and have found some interesting phenomena in contrast to the corresponding deterministic counterparts.
From Individual Traits to Couple Behavior
Authors: Rinaldi Sergio , Della Rossa Fabio
Published: September 2020

Micro-macro links between individual psychophysical traits and couple behavior are established. The analysis is carried out through a simple idealized model that mimics couples not influenced by their social environment. The functions describing the traits, i.e. the reactions to the love and appeal of the partner, are quite general. In particular, they allow one to take into account relatively sophisticated characteristics like insecurity and bias. The results are interesting even if some of them have already been discovered in extremely special cases. Some features of the idealized model are also used to theoretically support important behaviors identified empirically by psychotherapists.
A Simple Method for Generating Mirror Symmetry Composite Multiscroll Chaotic Attractors
Authors: Peng Xuenan , Zeng Yicheng
Published: September 2020

For further increasing the complexity of chaotic attractors, a new method for generating Mirror Symmetry Composite Multiscroll Chaotic Attractors (MSCMCA) is proposed. We take the Lorenz system as an example to explain the mechanism of the method. Firstly, by varying the signs and magnitudes of the nonlinear terms, the Lorenz system generates symmetrical attractors and different-magnitude attractors, respectively. Secondly, a modified Lorenz system is constructed by imposing several unified multilevel-logic pulse signals to the Lorenz system. The new system generates a novel chaotic attractor consisting of two pairs of different-magnitude symmetrical attractors. By adjusting the parameters of the pulse signals, the modified Lorenz system can also be controlled to generate novel grid multiscroll chaotic attractors, namely MSCMCA. Several dynamical behaviors of the new system are shown by equilibria analysis and Lyapunov exponent spectrum. Moreover, the method can be applied to other chaotic systems. Finally, a circuit of the modified Lorenz system is designed by Multisim software, and the simulation result proves the effectiveness of the method.
Stable Matching based Virtual Channels Allocation Scheme in Network-on-Chip
Authors: JOSHI BANSIDHAR , THAKUR MANISH K.
Published: September 2020

While designing router micro-architecture of an On-Chip network, a good allocation of virtual channels (VCs) governs an effective resources utilization which essentially results in an optimized number of packets received at destination(s). Generally, the VC allocation schemes deal with the one-way approach of VC allocation to the contending flits. However, this approach produces non-optimal matching of flits to the available VCs on next routers, and therefore leads to the under-utilization of these VCs. This paper proposes a 2-Way VC Allocation scheme to map input VCs (requestors) to output VCs (resources). The proposed scheme is compared with the conventional VC allocation scheme under two different mesh configurations with a 100% channel load. Simulations performed under two different routing schemes in diverse traffic scenarios demonstrate an increase in the number of packets received at destinations by up to 76%. Also, the network’s latency exhibits trade-off with total power consumption while reducing hotspots.
Design of quantum dot cellular automata based fault tolerant convolution encoders for secure nanocomputing
Authors: Ahmed Suhaib , Naz Syed Farah
Published: September 2020

The issues faced by Complementary metal oxide semi-conductor (CMOS) technology in the nanoregime have led to the research of other possible technologies which can operate with same functionalities however, with higher speed and lower power dissipation. One such technology is Quantum-dot Cellular Automata (QCA). At present, logic circuit designs using QCA have been comprehensively researched and one such application area being investigated is data transmission. Various data transfer techniques for reliable data transfer are available and among them convolution coding is being widely used in mobile, radio and satellite communications. Considering the evolution towards nano communication networks, in this paper an ultra-proficient designs of 1/2 rate and 1/3 rate convolution encoders based on a cost-efficient and fault tolerant XOR gate design have been proposed for application in nano communication networks. Based on the performance analysis, it is observed that the proposed designs are efficient in respect to cell count, area, delay and circuit cost and achieves performance improvement up to 40.21% for 1/2 encoder and 31.81% for 1/3 encoder compared to the best design in the literature. In addition to this, the energy dissipation analysis of the proposed designs is also presented. The proposed designs can thus be efficiently utilized in various nanocommunication applications requiring minimal area and ultra-low power consumption.
Nuclear physics experiments with a medical cyclotron
Authors: Casolaro Pierluigi , Campajola Luigi , Braccini Saverio , De Luca Daniela , Ereditato Antonio , Häffner Philipp Daniel , Scampoli Paola
Published: September 2020

Experiments of nuclear physics have been carried out at the Bern medical cyclotron, in which a beam line dedicated to research activities is available. Our main goal is to upgrade this facility as a well-characterized neutron source for studies of radiation hardness and for tests of new neutron detectors. To achieve this result, preliminary measurements have been carried out among which the measurement of the incident proton energy by means of a method based on Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy. The analysis of the energy spectrum corresponding to protons elastically and inelastically backscattered by the carbon target allowed the precise identification of the excited states of 12C, including the Hoyle state. These results confirmed the Bern medical cyclotron as a reliable facility to perform research activities in the field of fundamental nuclear physics as well as of applied physics.
Simulation of Sound Propagation Over an Infinite Impedance Plane by Using a Fast Multipole BEM
Authors: Zheng Chang-Jun , Liu Wen-Yu , Zhang Yong-Bin , Bi Chuan-Xing , Gao Hai-Feng , Chen Hai-Bo
Published: September 2020

In this paper, a half-space fast multipole BEM is developed for the simulation of three-dimensional acoustic problems above an infinite impedance plane. The half-space impedance Green’s function involving a complex line source is used, so that both mass-like and spring-like impedance boundary conditions on the infinite plane can be explicitly satisfied and the infinite plane is not required to be discretized. The Burton–Miller method is employed to tackle the fictitious eigenfrequency problem involved in the conventional boundary integral equation method. Image relations of the multipole expansion coefficients are used and the half-space impedance Green’s function is modified to apply such relations to avoid calculating, translating and saving the multipole/local expansion coefficients in the image domain. An automatic integrator with adaptive interval subdivision is further adopted to calculate the line integral contained in the M2L translation formula accurately and efficiently. Numerical examples are given to show the validity and potential of the method.
Exact Coherent States and the Nonlinear Dynamics of Wall-Bounded Turbulent Flows
Authors: Graham Michael D. , Floryan Daniel
Published: September 2020

Wall-bounded turbulence exhibits patterns that persist in time and space: coherent structures. These are important for transport processes and form a conceptual framework for important theoretical approaches. Key observed structures include quasi-streamwise and hairpin vortices, as well as the localized spots and puffs of turbulence observed during transition. This review describes recent research on so-called exact coherent states (ECS) in wall-bounded parallel flows at Reynolds numbers Re [Formula: see text] 104; these are nonturbulent, nonlinear solutions to the Navier–Stokes equations that in many cases resemble coherent structures in turbulence. That is, idealized versions of many of these structures exist as distinct, self-sustaining entities. ECS are saddle points in state space and form, at least in part, the state space skeleton of the turbulent dynamics. While most work on ECS focuses on Newtonian flow, some advances have been made on the role of ECS in turbulent drag reduction in polymer solutions. Emerging directions include applications to control and connections to large-scale structures and the attached eddy model.
Syntactic Structure from Deep Learning
Authors: Linzen Tal , Baroni Marco
Published: September 2020

Modern deep neural networks achieve impressive performance in engineering applications that require extensive linguistic skills, such as machine translation. This success has sparked interest in probing whether these models are inducing human-like grammatical knowledge from the raw data they are exposed to and, consequently, whether they can shed new light on long-standing debates concerning the innate structure necessary for language acquisition. In this article, we survey representative studies of the syntactic abilities of deep networks and discuss the broader implications that this work has for theoretical linguistics.
(Invited) Investigation of High Temperature Oxide Scale Using Chemical Reactor
Authors: Fukumoto Michihisa , Nakajima Kano , Kawamori Yasumasa
Published: September 2020

Ni-Al and Ni-Al-Cr alloys generate hydrogen by oxidizing in an atmosphere containing water vapor. The generated hydrogen was measured by using a gas sensor, which has a different principle as a hydrogen sensor and an oxygen pump sensor. The oxygen pump sensor is called a chemical reactor because it reacts the supplied oxygen with hydrogen. The oxidation rate was calculated from the amount of generated hydrogen, and the transformation behavior of the oxide was clarified during the temperature rise process. Furthermore, the relationship between the oxidation rate and cross-sectional structure was clarified.
The Thermal-Oxidation Behavior of Pristine and Doped Magnéli Phase Titanium Oxides
Authors: English Joseph T. , Wilkinson David P.
Published: September 2020

Magnéli phase titanium oxides (Ti
n
O2n–1, 4 ≤ n ≤ 10) are promising alternatives to carbon-based materials in aqueous electrochemical technologies, but their passivation during operation remains an important challenge to address. To elucidate the mechanism for their oxidation and investigate the influence of doping on their oxidation stability, the thermal-oxidation behavior in air of Ti4O7 doped with V, Cr, Fe, and Ga was investigated by thermogravimetric analysis. V-doping and Fe-doping improved the thermal stability of Ti4O7 as evidenced by higher onset temperatures in their thermograms. Three-dimensional diffusion reaction models adequately describe the solid-state kinetics of thermal oxidation of Ti4O7 in air as demonstrated by linear model-fitting. Doping shows a mixed influence on the kinetics for thermal oxidation in air reducing both the Arrhenius pre-exponential factor and the activation energy. Cr-doping significantly shortens the lifetime of Ti4O7 in ambient conditions as determined by kinetic predictions.
Corrosion of AISI 310 and 316 in Molten Hydroxide Under Steam Electrolysis Conditions
Authors: Anisur M.R. , Aphale Ashish N , Dubey Pawan Kumar , Hong Junsung , Reisert Michael , Singh Raman R K , Heo Su Jeong , Patil Kailash , Xu Hui , Yuh Chao-Yi , Singh Prabhakar
Published: September 2020

Steam electrolyzers, utilizing molten hydroxide electrolyte, offers potential for improvement in electrochemical efficiency, cost reduction, use of conventional materials of construction and process scale up for large scale hydrogen production. Stainless steels, used for the fabrication of cell components (current collector, gas separator, wet seals, and manifolds) experience accelerated corrosion in the presence of molten hydroxide electrolyte in both oxidizing (anodic) and reducing (cathodic) atmospheres. In this study, the corrosion behavior of AISI 310 and 316 in hydroxide melt has been studied at 600°C for 50 h. Melt immersion tests revealed formation of the porous lithium iron oxide at the melt-oxide interface for both AISI 310 and 316. Inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) analysis showed the presence of Cr in the electrolyte melt obtained from samples exposed to oxidizing atmosphere. Thermochemical analysis was performed to validate the experimental results.
(Invited) Recent Advances in Structural Engineering of Nanoporous Anodic Alumina and Applications
Authors: Marsal Lluis F. , Acosta Laura Karen , Ferré-Borrull Josep
Published: September 2020

The structural engineering of nanoporous anodic alumina with controllability, reproducibility, cost-effective, and well-organized processes presents excellent opportunities for the obtention of several structures with photonic and optical properties to enable their application in several fields such as chemical and optical biosensing, drug delivery, photocatalysis, optical encoding and others. For this reason, we present a comprehensive study of the recent advances in the engineering of nanoporous anodic alumina structures and their application in optical sensing.
(Invited) Evolutionary Applications of Functional Porous Silicon
Authors: Koshida Nobuyoshi , Kojima Akira , Nakamura Toshihiro
Published: September 2020

Topics on the studies for enhancing the usefulness of nanostructured porous silicon (PS) are presented. The basic concept is to combine several functional properties of PS. The first is process technology to fabricate Si quantum dots (Si QDs). By the best use of the thermal, morphological, chemical, and mechanical properties of PS, colloidal Si QDs can be produced efficiently by thermal cracking alone with a sufficiently high yield. This is potentially useful for photonic and biometric applications. Based on similar merging effects, hetero-epitaxy on PS has been developed for thin ceramic film. Another is the use of thermal and structural properties by which a thermos-acoustic ultrasound emitter has been developed. Performing a broad-band emissivity, it is directly applicable to analyze the communication mechanism between mice. The last is that the combination of PS with monolayer graphene drastically improves the efficiency and the energy dispersion of the quasiballistic electron emission.
(Invited) Nanostructured Silicon with Incorporated Bi-Metallic Nanostructures
Authors: Rumpf Klemens , Granitzer Petra , Gonzalez-Rodriguez Roberto , Coffer Jeffery , Reissner Michael
Published: September 2020

Silicon nanotubes (SiNTs) and porous silicon (PSi) with comparable morphologies (inner tube diameter, pore diameter) are used as template materials for filling with magnetic bi-metal nanostructures. The nanostructures are grown chemically within these two template systems. In the case of NiCo, Co particles are grown chemically within the SiNTs and PSi whereas the Ni is deposited electrochemically afterwards. FePt particles are grown within both kind of structures from a H2PtCl6/Fe(NO3)3 solution with varying Fe content. The magnetic response, especially with respect to the coercivity of all these different systems is investigated. The different metals (NiCo and FePt) offer drastic differences in their magnetic properties for both,porous silicon and silicon nanotubes. In all cases the metal loaded PSi offers higher coercivities compared to the SiNTs which should be due to less magnetic cross talk between the metal deposits.
Ordered Macroporous Photonic Crystal Hot Electron Plasmonic Photocatalysts
Authors: Collins Gillian , Lonergan Alex , McNulty David , Glynn Colm , Buckley Darragh , Hu Changyu , O'Dwyer Colm
Published: September 2020

Plasmonic metal-semiconductor heterostructures are promising for photocatalytic applications since the metal and the oxide semiconductor can absorb light in the visible spectrum leading to better catalytic rates. Photon absorption efficiency can be enhanced by fashioning the catalyst into a photonic crystal that can enhance absorption at certain wavelength because of its structure. We show how Au nanoparticle sensitized V2O5 and TiO2 inverse opal photonic crystals can enhanced reaction rate for catalysis by over an order of magnitude under λ = 532 nm excitation or under white light illumination. This effect is shown to results from spectral overlap of the electronic band gap, localized surface plasmon resonance and the excitation photon energy. When we compare the photocatalytic response of Au-V2O5 IO with Au-TiO2 IO, we can selectively enhance reaction rates either in the visible or in the UV regions, depending on the bandgap of the semiconductor, and the photonic band gap of the IO. For Au-TiO2 IO, hot electron transfer occurs from the gold into the conduction band, and better catalysis under white light illumination at the TiO2 surface is attributed to improved photon adsorption in the visible by the presence of a photonic band gap, slow light in the photonic crystal to enhance photon absorption, the UV bandgap of the TiO2, and the localised surface plasmon resonance of the Au. For Au-V2O5, electron transfer to the Au in addition to enhanced absorption in the visible range, promote better catalysis at λ = 532 nm.
(Invited) In-Situ Monitoring of Luminescence and Oxidation of Porous Silicon in Liquid Electrolytes with Photoconduction
Authors: Gelloz Bernard , Souki Sakata , Jin Lianhua
Published: September 2020

The progress of the chemical and electrochemical oxidation of porous silicon (PSi), formed from lightly-doped p-type silicon, in aqueous electrolytes, was monitored by recording in situ the photocurrent from a monochromatic illumination, which can be used as a signature of the optical transmission through PSi. Models are proposed to explain the data and derive valuable quantities. For galvanostatic anodic oxidation, the model gave the valence of reaction, ~1.5, which is consistent with non-stoichiometric oxide growth. The electroluminescence and photoluminescence during anodic oxidation were mostly consistent with other reports. For chemical oxidation, our model gives the oxidation rate, which was found to decrease as the oxidation progresses, and the optimum PSi porosity for efficient luminescence, about 83%. The simultaneous probing of the photoluminescence, photocurrent (and therefore electrical state) and optical absorption (also related to effective porosity) allows for a good control of a range of PSi properties during chemical oxidation experiments.
How Light Passes Through Ordered Macroporous Photonic Crystals Immersed in Solvents
Authors: Lonergan Alex , Hu Changyu , O'Dwyer Colm
Published: September 2020

A better understanding of light transmission and relation to photonic bandgap in inverse opal photonic crystals is important when these structures are examined in liquids or solvents. We present a study of light tranmission through TiO2 and SnO2 inverse opals in several common solvents. The data and analysis identifies a correction to the Bragg-Snell theory and the photonic crystal unit cell definition that consolidates some inconsistencies between Bragg-Snell theory in various index solvents and physical measurements of inverse opals. We show experimental studies that suggest low fill factors in inverse opals are defined by porous material infilling all interstitial vacancies in the opal template to form an IO.
(Invited) Metal Oxide Decorated Porous Silicon Interfaces for Sensor Applications: The Question of Water Interaction, Stability, Platform Diversity, Sensitivity, and Selectivity
Authors: Gole James L.
Published: September 2020

Key parameters of a metal oxide nanostructure modified porous silicon (PSi) interface affecting the performance of PSi-based sensors are considered are considered. Metal oxide (MOx, MxO, x≥1) nanostructured island sites are deposited to reproducible micron sized p and n-type silicon pores (0.7–1.5 µ-diameter) that facilitate rapid “Fickian” analyte diffusion to these highly active sites, enhancing sensitivity and selectivity. Varying site -analyte sensitivities are predicted by the Inverse Hard/Soft-Acid/Base (IHSAB) model. Nitrogen functionalization converts the decorating metal oxides and an oxidized PSi interface from hydrophilic to hydrophobic character. The micron sized pore structure and nitration decrease water interaction providing enhanced stability. Selectivity in the measurement of multiple gases is possible with a combination of nanostructure based detection matrices, p and n-type charge carrier variation, time dependent diffusion response, and pore structure influenced sensitivity. Pulsed FFT techniques can be utilized to facilitate higher analyte selectivity, and false positive assessment.
Single and Multilayer Atomic Layer Deposition on and into Mesoporous Silicon Layers
Authors: Kovacs Andras , Martin Dagmar , Filbert Alexander , Bucher Volker , Mescheder Ulrich
Published: September 2020

Electrochemically manufactured mesoporous silicon layers are widely used in the sensor or microfluidic technology especially for analysis of nano substances. Surface functionalization and pore filling of mesoporous layers are essential key aspects for successful application of complex porous matrices. Atomic layer deposition offers a possibility for the appropriate functionalization or pore filling with well-controlled process parameters at the nanoscale level. In these experiments mesoporous silicon layers with average pore size radius of 4.68 nm and porosity of 48% were fabricated and covered with different ALD single layers, such as thermal Al2O3, plasma TiO2, thermal ZnO, and layer combinations as multilayer ALD, such as plasma Al2O3/TiO2. This contribution gives an extensive investigation of single and multilayer depositions on and into mesoporous silicon layers and analyzes the material distribution and penetration profile of the corresponding atomic compositions.