bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Study of strange matter in STAR with express analysis
Authors: Kisel Ivan
Published: November 2022

The STAR experiment provides a perfect machinery for studying strange matter for more than two decades. Recently, we developed the express procedure, which allows online monitoring of the collected physics data. The high quality of express calibration and reconstruction provides a unique possibility to run the express production and observe almost in real time strange particles including mesons, hyperons, resonances and even hypernuclei.

The STAR Beam Energy Scan II program, including fixed target Au+Au collisions taken in 2018–2021, is particularly suited to study hypernuclei. Light hypernuclei are expected to be abundantly produced in low energy heavy-ion collisions. Measurements of hypernuclei production and their properties will provide information on the hyperon-nucleon interactions, which are essential ingredients for understanding nuclear matter equation of state at high net-baryon densities, such as inside neutron stars.

With the heavy fragment trigger introduced for the 2021 data taking, we were able to run the express production at the STAR High Level Trigger farm. The collected data were suffcient to observe the decay process ofΛ5He →4Hepπ−with more than 11σ significance, measure binding energy as a function of hypernuclei mass, and study hypernuclei decay properties with the Dalitz plot technique.
Kaon flow in Au+Au collisions at 1.23AGeV measured with HADES
Authors: Chlad Lukáš
Published: November 2022

We present results on the anisotropic transverse flow of kaons (K+, K0S and K−) in Au+Au collisions at √sNN = 2:42 GeV measured with HADES. It was proposed already in the mid-nineties that kaon flow close to its production threshold might be a good probe for the kaon-nucleon potential and, consequently, or the nuclear equation-of-state. The presented analysis was performed on more than 2 billion events of the 40% most central collisions, which opened the possibility of analyzing the kaon flow differentially as a function of transverse momentum, rapidity, and centrality, even in this low-energy regime. The measurements are compared to microscopic transport model predictions and to other data at similar collision energies. Implications on the properties of compressed nuclear matter will be discussed.
WASA-FRS HypHI experiment at GSI for studying light hypernuclei
Authors: Ekawa Hiroyuki
Published: November 2022

From January till March 2022, the WASA-FRS HypHI experiment performed a precise measurement of the hypertriton and the 4ΛH hypernucleus lifetime at GSI. The data collected should also confirm whether or not the nnΛ bound state can exist. The experiment were carried out with the WASA central detector with a complex of additional dedicated detectors mounted together at the mid-focal plane of the high-momentum-resolution forward spectrometer, the so-called fragment separator FRS. Hypernuclei of interest were produced by induced reactions of 6Li projectiles at 1.96 A GeV on a diamond target with a thickness of 9.87 g/cm2. Negatively charged π mesons from two-body decays of the hypernuclei of interest were measured by theWASA and the other detectors, and the residual nuclei after the π− decay were measured by the FRS with a momentum resolving power of 104.
Strange mesons in nuclei and neutron stars
Authors: Tolos Laura
Published: November 2022

The present status in the field of strange mesons in nuclei and neutron stars is reviewed. In particular, the K̅N interaction, that is governed by the presence of the Λ(1405), is analyzed and the formation of the K̅NN bound state is discussed. Moreover, the properties of K̅ in dense nuclear matter are studied, in connection with strangeness production in nuclear collisions and kaon condensation in neutron stars.
Exploring the role of hyperons in high density matter in the Quark-Meson-Coupling model
Authors: Stone Jirina R.
Published: November 2022

Microscopic composition and properties of matter at super-saturation densities have been a subject of intense investigations for decades. Experimental and observational data and fundamental laws of physics indicate that heavy strange baryons and mesons are essential components of the matter. The Quark-Meson-Coupling-Model (QMC) is well suited for such a study. The model is based on interaction between quarks in individual baryons instead between the baryons as entities without internal structure. This approach significantly increases transparency and reduces the number of variable parameters of the model, thus offering deeper insight into the physics of high density hadronic matter. In this contribution, we review the effect of hyperons on neutron star (NS) properties, the speed of sound and the symmetry energy, both at zero and finite temperature. The QMC results are contrasted with the outcome of the traditional relativistic mean field DD2Y model. The (lack of) the so-called ‘hyperon puzzle’ in both models is discussed.
Strangeness physics programs by S-2S at J-PARC
Authors: Gogami Toshiyuki , Achenbach Patrick , Ahn Jung Keun , Androić Darko , Aoki Kanae , Asaturyan Arshak , Botta Elena , Bukhari Masroor. H. , Camsonne Alexandre , Covrig Silviu. C. , Ebata Kengo , Ekawa Hiroyuki , Evtoukhovitch Petr , Feliciello Alessandro , Fujioka Hiroyuki , Fujita Manami , Garibaldi Franco , Harada Takeshi. K. , Hasegawa Shoichi , Hasegawa Tomoyuki , Hayakawa Shuhei. H. , Hirose Erina , Honda Ryotaro , Hosomi Kenji , Ichikawa Yudai , Imai Kenichi , Ishige Tatsuhiro , Jung Wooseung , Kamada Kento , Kanatsuki Shunsuke , Kato Seigo , Kim Shinhyung. H. , Kobori Takumi , Marcello Simonetta , Markowitz Pete , Miwa Koji , Mkrtchyan Arthur , Mkrtchyan Hamlet , Moritsu Manabu , Nagae Tomofumi , Nagao Sho , Nakagawa Manami , Nakamura Satoshi. N. , Nanamura Takuya , Naruki Megumi , Negishi Ryosuke , Okuyama Kazuki , Oura Fumiya , Pandey Bishnu , Pochodzalla Josef , Sakaguchi Atsushi , Sakao Tamao , Sako Hiroyuki , Samanta Chhanda , Sato Susumu , Shabestari Mitra. H. , Shahinyan Albert , Shirotori Kotaro , Širca Simon , Son C. , Sugimura Hitoshi , Takahashi Hitoshi , Takahashi Shuji , Takahashi Tomonori , Takahashi Toshiyuki , Tamura Hirokazu , Tanida Kiyoshi , Tokiyasu Atsushi , Tsamalaidze Zviadi , Uchida Makoto , Ukai Mifuyu , Une Chiaki , Urciuoli Guido. M. , Yamamoto Takeshi. O.
Published: November 2022

In the K1.8 beam-line at Hadron Experimental Facility of J-PARC, a new magnetic spectrometer S-2S is being installed. S-2S was designed to achieve a high momentum resolution of Δp/p = 6 × 10−4 in FWHM. Several strangeness-physics programs which require the high resolution will be realized by S-2S. The present article introduces J-PARC E70 (missing-mass spectroscopy of Ξ12Be) and E94 (missing-mass spectroscopy of Λ7Li, Λ10B, and Λ12C) experiments.
Information and perspective for doubly-strange hypernuclei with nuclear emulsion detector
Authors: Nakazawa Kazuma
Published: November 2022

The study on doubly-strange hypernuclei has been performed with nuclear emulsion detector at KEK-PS and J-PARC for 30 years. Detected 47 candidate events of doubly-strange hypernuclei show characteristics for the Λ-Λ and Ξ-N interactions. The Λ-Λ interaction is weakly at-tractive and the binding energy of two Λ hyperons to nuclei shows linear dependence on the mass number of a nucleus. The Ξ– hyperon is found to be bound by the 14N nucleus, forming the Ξ15C hypernucleus, with larger energy than that given by Coulomb force. Also, the level scheme of the Ξ– hyperon in the Ξ15C hypernucleus can be seen. With the light source of hard X-ray instead of an optical microscope, since it will enable to count grains constituting tracks in the emulsion, charge recognitions of light nuclei, especially H+ and He2+, can be possible. This would work effectively in determining the nuclides of doubly-strange hypernuclei. The ‘overall-scanning method’ to scan whole volume of the emulsion sheets will allow to detect nearly 1 x 103 events of doubly-strange hypernuclei, which is the expected number recorded in the emulsion of the E07 experiment, with machine learning in the near future.
Unique approach for precise determination of binding energies of hypernuclei with nuclear emulsion and machine learning
Authors: Nakagawa Manami , Kasagi Ayumi , Liu Enqiang , Ekawa Hiroyuki , Yoshida Junya , Dou Wenbo , He Yan , Muneem Abdul , Nakazawa Kazuma , Rappold Christophe , Saito Nami , Saito Takehiko R. , Sugimoto Shohei , Taki Masato , Tanaka Yoshiki K. , Wang He , Gao Yiming , Yanai Ayari , Yoshimoto Masahiro
Published: November 2022

Hypertriton is the lightest hypernucleus and a benchmark in hypernuclear physics. However, it has recently been suggested that its lifetime and binding energy values may differ from the established values. To solve this puzzle, it is necessary to measure both values with a higher precision. For the precise measurement of the binding energy, we are aiming at developing a novel technique to measure the hypertriton binding energy with unprecedented accuracy by combining nuclear emulsion data and machine learning techniques. The analysis will be based on the J-PARC E07 nuclear emulsion data. Furthermore, a machine-learning model is being developed to identify other single and double-strangeness hypernuclei.
Development of a triple coincidence method of reaction, gamma-ray, and weak decay in the hypernuclear gamma-ray spectroscopy at J-PARC
Authors: Oura Fumiya , Fujita Manami , Ishikawa Yuji , Rogers Tatyana G. , Tamura Hirokazu , Ukai Mifuyu , Yamamoto Takeshi O.
Published: November 2022

To understand the mechanism of the charge symmetry breaking between 4ΛH and 4ΛHe, we plan to measure the gamma-transition energy of 4ΛH (1+ → 0+) with a Ge detector array. For identification of the hypernucleus, we will perform triple coincidence with the reaction, γ-ray, and weak decay for the first time. We measure the pion from weak decay with a range counter. This method will enable γ-ray spectroscopy of various hyperfragments which cannot be directly produced by (K−, π−) or (π+, K+) reactions.
Overview of hypernuclear and strange particle physics –Experimental summary of HYP2022
Authors: Tamura Hirokazu
Published: November 2022

Recent results and future prospects in strangeness nuclear and hadron physics are summarized from an experimental point of view based on plenary presentations in the HYP2022 conference.
Study of the effect of SLM energy density on residual stress and microstructure of porous bone scaffolds in cubic structures
Authors: Zhang Sen , Xu Shubo , Zheng Wei , Han Juanjuan
Published: November 2022

In order to investigate the effect of energy density in selective laser melting (SLM) forming on the properties of porous bone scaffolds made of 316L stainless steel, the mechanism of different construction energy densities on the residual stress and microstructure of cubic porous bone scaffolds was investigated by combining experiments and finite element analysis. The results showed that many defects were formed in the scaffolds when too high or too low energy densities were used to form the porous bone scaffolds. In terms of microstructure, inappropriate energy densities caused some grains to appear coarse and dispersed, which directly led to a reduction in the corrosion resistance of the scaffolds. Most importantly, the stress and temperature field changes in the melt pool during the SLM forming process were obtained through finite element calculations and analysis, and it was found that the residual stress in the scaffolds was proportional to the energy density. After a comprehensive study of the finite element analysis results and experimental characterization, the optimum energy density for constructing cubic porous bone scaffolds with ideal defects and residual stress in the porous bone scaffolds was obtained.
Atrophodermia Pasini et Pierini bei einem 12-jährigen Mädchen – Fallbericht und aktuelle Literaturrecherche
Authors: Forster Anna-Maria , Plaza Tobias
Published: November 2022

Wir berichten von einer 12-jährigen Patientin, die sich mit scharf begrenzten großflächigen Hyperpigmentierungen an Stamm und Extremitäten sowie einer Borrelia burgdorferi-Infektion mit Gelenkbeschwerden vorstellte. Die histologische Untersuchung einer Hautveränderung war mit einer Atrophodermia Pasini et Pierini (APP) vereinbar. Therapeutisch wurden initial Doxycyclin, später intravenös Methylprednisolon und Methotrexat verabreicht. Differenzialdiagnostisch kam neben einer oberflächlichen Morphaea und Lyme-Arthritis eine progressive systemische Sklerodermie infrage.
Lower Eyelid Transcutaneous Blepharoplasty, Minimizing Complications and Correction of Lower Eyelid Malposition
Authors: Yapa Sharinie , Raghavan Ullas
Published: November 2022

The periocular area is one of the first and most noticeable areas affected by ageing. Common signs of lower lid ageing include rhytids, prominent eye bags caused by prolapse of orbital fat pads, increased lid laxity leading to lid malpositioning, and deepening of tear troughs, all of which give a sunken aged appearance. Lower lid transcutaneous blepharoplasty can correct most of these problems providing excellent long-term aesthetic outcomes with minimal downtime for the patient. However, lower eyelid anatomy is complex, and a thorough understanding of its structure and function is needed to avoid serious complications such as lid malpositioning and blindness. In this review, we present the anatomy of the lower lid and useful surgical techniques to circumvent and avoid such complications.
On naming drones: a European perspective
Authors: Gräf Bettina
Published: November 2022

This article discusses the naming of military drone technology by different actors. It thus explores the tension between producing, using, and experiencing drone technology. I will look at, among other things, the project of a drone called the Euro Hawk while reflecting on the experiences and perceptions of people from “outside” Europe. For my investigation, I used three types of journalistic texts in Arabic: (1) texts produced by professional platforms that are financed by European governments like Deutsche Welle and Qantara.de, (2) texts published on the news platform Aljazeera.net and (3) entries at the popular online encyclopedia Wikipedia.
Heterogeneous silicon-on-lithium niobate electro-optic modulator for 100-Gbaud modulation
Authors: Mao Jiawei , Sato Hiromu , Lu Guo-Wei , Yokoyama Shiyoshi
Published: November 2022

Integrated lithium niobate (LN) electro-optic (EO) modulators are emerging for applications in next-generation optical fiber communication networks. To date, LN crystal waveguides have led the technology for high-speed modulators. On the other hand, on-chip LN modulators are expected to realize scalable signaling devices with mature complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor technology. In this study, a silicon-loaded LN modulator on the insulator substrate featuring a small footprint, a low driving voltage, and high-speed EO modulation is designed and fabricated. No etching or patterning of the LN is required. The measured halfwave-voltage length product is 1.9 V cm with a static modulation extinction ratio of 17.9 dB. The fabricated LN modulator has a modulation bandwidth of 60 GHz and supports high-speed signaling at a data rate up to 200 Gbit/s.
Dynamic iterative approximate deconvolution model for large-eddy simulation of dense gas compressible turbulence
Authors: Zhang Chao , Yuan Zelong , Duan Lishu , Wang Yunpeng , Wang Jianchun
Published: November 2022

We study large-eddy simulation of compressible decaying isotropic turbulence of dense gas at initial turbulent Mach numbers of 0.4 and 0.8. The unclosed subgrid-scale (SGS) terms are approximated by the dynamic iterative approximate deconvolution (DIAD) model proposed by Yuan et al. [“Dynamic iterative approximate deconvolution models for large-eddy simulation of turbulence,” Phys. Fluids 33, 085125 (2021)], and compared with the dynamic Smagorinsky (DSM) model. In an a priori test, the correlation coefficients of the DIAD model for most SGS terms are larger than 0.98, and the relative errors are smaller than 0.2, except for the SGS internal energy flux. In an a posteriori test, the DIAD model can well predict the probability density functions (PDFs) of SGS terms involving thermodynamic variables. Moreover, the DIAD model shows greater advantages than the DSM model in predicting various statistics and structures of compressible turbulence of dense gas, including spectra of velocity and thermodynamic variables, PDFs of SGS kinetic energy flux, deviatoric SGS stress and normalized strain-rate tensor, and the instantaneous spatial structures of vorticity.
Regulation of Cdc42 protein turnover modulates the filamentous growth MAPK pathway
Authors: González Beatriz , Cullen Paul J.
Published: November 2022

Rho GTPases are central regulators of cell polarity and signaling. How Rho GTPases are directed to function in certain settings remains unclear. Here, we show the protein levels of the yeast Rho GTPase Cdc42p are regulated, which impacts a subset of its biological functions. Specifically, the active conformation of Cdc42p was ubiquitinated by the NEDD4 ubiquitin ligase Rsp5p and HSP40/HSP70 chaperones and turned over in the proteasome. A GTP-locked (Q61L) turnover-defective (TD) version, Cdc42pQ61L+TD, hyperactivated the MAPK pathway that regulates filamentous growth (fMAPK). Cdc42pQ61L+TD did not influence the activity of the mating pathway, which shares components with the fMAPK pathway. The fMAPK pathway adaptor, Bem4p, stabilized Cdc42p levels, which resulted in elevated fMAPK pathway signaling. Our results identify Cdc42p turnover regulation as being critical for the regulation of a MAPK pathway. The control of Rho GTPase levels by stabilization and turnover may be a general feature of signaling pathway regulation, which can result in the execution of a specific developmental program.
Dynamic Nonreciprocity with a Kerr Nonlinear Resonator
Authors: Pan Rui-Kai , Tang Lei , Xia Keyu , Nori Franco
Published: November 2022

On-chip optical nonreciprocal devices are vital components for integrated photonic systems and scalable quantum information processing. Nonlinear optical isolators and circulators have attracted considerable attention because of their fundamental interest and their important advantages in integrated photonic circuits. However, optical nonreciprocal devices based on Kerr or Kerr-like nonlinearity are subject to dynamical reciprocity when the forward and backward signals coexist simultaneously in a nonlinear system. Here, we theoretically propose a method for realizing on-chip nonlinear isolators and circulators with dynamic nonreciprocity. Dynamic nonreciprocity is achieved via the chiral modulation on the resonance frequency due to coexisting self- and cross-Kerr nonlinearities in an optical ring resonator. This work showing dynamic nonreciprocity with a Kerr nonlinear resonator can be an essential step toward integrated optical isolation.
Heat conduction in general relativity
Authors: Kim Hyeong-Chan , Lee Youngone
Published: November 2022

We study the problem of heat conduction in general relativity by using Carter’s variational formulation. We write the creation rates of the entropy and the particle as combinations of the vorticities of temperature and chemical potential. We pay attention to the fact that there are two additional degrees of freedom in choosing the relativistic analog of Cattaneo equation for the parts binormal to the caloric and the number flows. Including the contributions from the binormal parts, we find anewheat-flow equations and discover their dynamical role in thermodynamic systems. The benefit of introducing the binormal parts is that it allows room for a physical ansatz for describing the whole evolution of the thermodynamic system. Taking advantage of this platform, we propose a proper ansatz that deals with the binormal contributions starting from the physical properties of thermal equilibrium systems. We also consider the stability of a thermodynamic system in a flat background. We find thatnew‘Klein’ modes exist in addition to the known ones. We also find that the stability requirement is less stringent than those in the literature.
Pressure, directional dependent mechanical anisotropies and phase transition studies of β-5-nitro-2,4-dihydro-3H-1,2,4-triazol-3-one (NTO) and 2,4,6-triamino-1,3,5-trinitrobenzene (TATB)
Authors: Rao Eelaprolu Narsimha , Rao Vepa Kameswara
Published: November 2022

This work highlights the effect of pressure ranging from 0 to 9 GPa on structural, directional dependent mechanical properties and unravel the previously unknown phase transitions of two important high energy molecular solids namely monoclinic-β-Nitrotriazole (NTO) and 2,4,6-triamino-1,3,5-trinitrobenzene (TATB). The projected augmented plane wave method with generalized gradient approximation Perdew–Burke–Ernzerhof functional with the D2 van der Waals corrections method of Grimme is used to reproduce the experimental data within ∼1% error. The structural optimization results reveal that β-NTO undergoes a previously unknown structural phase transition at 9 GPa which is evident from the abrupt change of calculated lattice vectors, volume (V), lattice angle β at 9 GPa. The single crystal elastic properties analysis also supports these findings and NTO voilate the Born’s mechanical stability criteria at 9 GPa. Besides to it, all the calculated volumetric and directional dependent shear modulus (G), bulk modulus (B), compressibility results of β-NTO in (100), (010), (001) planes also suggest a possible phase transition around 9 GPa. The directional dependent polycrystalline compressibility anisotropy analysis of TATB with pressure in (100), (010), (001) planes unreveal the origin of experimentally reported new phase transition around 4 GPa. The calculated Pugh B/G ratio suggests that, both the materials found to be brittle in the studied pressure range except NTO at 9 GPa. The degree of mechanical anisotropy of β-NTO found to increase with increasing pressure from (100)–

>

(010)–

>

(001) planes, while the TATB anisotropy results were found to be relatively small and stable. The Young’s modulus (E), Poisson’s ratio (σ), P-wave modulus, universal elastic anisotropy (A

U

), Chung-Buessen anisotropy (A

c

), Vickers hardness coefficient (H

v

), sound velocities ((V

m

) average, (V

l

) longitudinal, (V

t

) transverse) and (θ

D
) Debye temperature are also predicted. The calculated intermolecular interaction strength contribution to the total Hirsh Field Surface at different pressures confirms the initial decomposition mechanism of NTO, TATB and the results are good in agreement with previous observations. Thus our work has accentuated the reasons behind the impact and friction sensitivity differences of β-NTO, TATB through the two new phase transitions.
Depth dependence of power spectrum in underwater turbulence
Authors: Gerçekcioğlu Hamza , Baykal Yahya
Published: November 2022

Depth variations of the power spectrum of underwater turbulence are obtained. Considered specific medium is the Atlantic Ocean at mid and low latitudes. Associated temperature and salinity changes at low latitude, mid latitude–summer and mid latitude-winter are found for the Nikishovs’ spectrum model. By employing the equations for the temperature and salinity changes, figures for the rate of dissipation of the mean squared refractive index fluctuation, rate of dissipation of turbulent kinetic energy per unit mass of fluid and the relative strength of temperature and salinity fluctuations against the depth in underwater are provided. Additionally, plots of the power spectra of underwater turbulence are presented against the changes in the depth.
Electron excitation processes in low energy collisions of hydrogen–helium atoms
Authors: Wang Kun , Dong Chuan , Qu Yi-Zhi , Liu Ling , Wu Yong , Hong Xu-Hai , Buenker Robert J.
Published: November 2022

The electron excitation processes of H(1s) + He(1s2) → H(2s/2p) + He(1s2) are studied in impact energy range of 20--2000 eV/u by using the quantum-mechanical molecular orbital close-coupling (QMOCC) method. Total and state-selective cross sections have been obtained and compared with the available theoretical and experimental results. The results agree well with available measurements in the overlapping energy regions overall. The comparison of our results with other theoretical calculations further demonstrates the importance of considering a sufficient number of channels. The datasets presented in this paper, including the excitation cross sections, are openly available athttps://www.doi.org/10.57760/sciencedb.j00113.00083.
Quantum degenerate Bose-Fermi atomic gas mixture of 23Na and 40K
Authors: Li Ziliang , Gu Zhengyu , Shi Zhenlian , Wang Pengjun , Zhang Jing
Published: November 2022

We report a compact experimental setup for producing a quantum degenerate mixture of Bose 23Na and Fermi 40K gases. The atoms are collected in dual dark magneto–optical traps (MOT) with species timesharing loading to reduce the light-induced loss, and then further cooled using the gray molasses technique on the D
2 line for 23Na and D
1 line for 40K. The microwave evaporation cooling is used to cool 23Na in | F = 2,mF
= 2〉 in an optically plugged magnetic trap, meanwhile, 40K in | F = 9/2,mF
= 9/2〉 is sympathetically cooled. Then the mixture is loaded into a large volume optical dipole trap where 23Na atoms are immediately transferred to |1,1〉 for further effective cooling to avoid the strong three-body loss between 23Na atoms in |2,2〉 and 40K atoms in |9/2,9/2〉. At the end of the evaporation in optical trap, a degenerate Fermi gas of 40K with 1.9 × 105 atoms at T/TF
= 0.5 in the |9/2,9/2〉 hyperfine state coexists with a Bose–Einstein condensate (BEC) of 23Na with 8 × 104 atoms in the |1,1〉 hyperfine state at 300 nK. We also can produce the two species mixture with the tunable population imbalance by adjusting the 23Na magneto–optical trap loading time.
Low-energy X-ray spectroscopy with RGB-HD SiPMs coupled to CsI(Tl) scintillator
Authors: Merzi Stefano , Acerbi Fabio , Capasso Massimo , Mazzi Alberto , Paternoster Giovanni , Pepponi Giancarlo , Zorzi Nicola , Gola Alberto
Published: November 2022

The continuous improvement of Silicon Photomultiplier (SiPM) characteristics opens new perspectives for the application of these detectors in middle to low energy X-ray scintillation light readout. Compared to traditional PET detectors this application poses an additional challenge because of the much lower number of photons generated in the scintillator. Many SiPM characteristics influence the energy resolution of the detected radiation, including Photon Detection Efficiency (PDE), primary noise and Excess Noise Factor (ENF). The most recent development of the RGB-HD SiPM technology at Fondazione Bruno Kessler (FBK, Italy) provides a PDE up to 40% at 550 nm while keeping the Dark Count Rate (DCR) below 500 kc.p.s./mm2. A low DCR value is fundamental in improving the energy resolution for soft X-rays. In this work we coupled a 1×1 mm2 RGB-HD SiPM to a 0.9×0.9×2 mm3 CsI(Tl) crystal allowing the detection of 55Fe 5.9 keV photons with an energy resolution of 39% FWHM. A 4×4 mm2 RGB-HD SiPM with a 3×3×5 mm3 CsI(Tl) was used for the readout of a 57Co source (6.4 keV, 14.4 keV and 122 keV) in order to prove the dynamic range of the system. The energy resolution of these three peaks shows different trends with respect to the SiPM bias and to the signal integration time. This is related to the fact that SiPM parameters such as PDE, DCR and ENF, and readout parameters such as integration time, become more or less relevant depending on the energy of the primary photon.
A wrist-inspired suspended tubercle-type tensegrity joint with variable stiffness capacity
Authors: Xie Xiongdun , Xiong Dezhu , Wen James Zhiqing
Published: November 2022

In complex and unpredictable environments or in situations of human–robot interaction, a soft and flexible robot performs more safely and is more impact resistant compared to a traditional rigid robot. To enable robots to have bionic features (flexibility, compliance and variable stiffness) similar to human joints, structures involving suspended tubercle tensegrity are researched. The suspended tubercle gives the joint compliance and flexibility by isolating two moving parts. The variable stiffness capacity is achieved by changing the internal stress of tensegrity through the simultaneous contraction or relaxation of the driving tendons. A wrist-inspired tensegrity-based bionic joint is proposed as a case study. It has variable stiffness and two rotations with a total of three degrees of freedom. Through theoretical derivation and simulation calculation in the NASA Tensegrity RobotToolkit (NTRT) simulator, the range of motion, stiffness adjustable capacity, and their interaction are studied. A prototype is built and tested under a motion capture system. The experimental result agrees well with the theoretical simulation. Our experiments show that the suspended tubercle-type tensegrity is flexible, the stiffness is adjustable and easy to control, and it has great potential for bionic joints.
A brief review of the development and optimization of the three-dimensional magnetic configuration system in the J-TEXT tokamak
Authors: JIANG Zhonghe , DING Yonghua , RAO Bo , WANG Nengchao , LI Yangbo , HUANG Jie
Published: November 2022

The three-dimensional (3D) magnetic configuration system in the J-TEXT tokamak has featured in many experimental studies. The system mainly consists of three subsystems: the static resonant magnetic perturbation (SRMP) system, the dynamic resonant magnetic perturbation (DRMP) system and the helical coil system. The SRMP coil system consist of two kinds of coils, i.e. three six-loop coils and two five-loop coils. It can suppress tearing modes with a moderate strength, and may also cause mode locking with larger amplitude. The DRMP coil system consists of 12 single-turn saddle coils (DRMP1) and 12 double-turn saddle coils (DRMP2). Its magnetic field can be rotated at a few kHz, leading to either acceleration or deceleration of the tearing mode velocity and the plasma rotation. The helical coil system consists of two closed coils, and is currently under construction to provide external rotational transform in J-TEXT. The 3D magnetic configuration system can suppress tearing modes, preventing and avoiding the occurrence of major disruption.
An N-annulated perylene butyl tetraester for alcohol processed semiconducting organic thin films
Authors: Wolfe Kathryn M , Mooney Madison , Crep Chloe , Rondeau-Gagné Simon , Welch Gregory C
Published: November 2022

Herein, we report on the design and synthesis of an N-annulated perylene butyl tetraester (PTEN-H) for use in alcohol processed semiconducting films. PTEN-H was contrasted with the known N-annulated perylene diimide (PDIN-H) where the former has ring-opened imide positions which in turn lowers the electron affinity (i.e. rendering hole transporting) and improves polar green solvent solubility. PTEN-H can be solubilized in 1-butanol up to 10 mg ml−1 with gentle heating and can be spin-cast or slot-die coated to form uniform thin films on glass and/or plastic substrates. Organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) were fabricated using PTEN-H in the active material layer which was deposited from solution using 1-butanol as the solvent. While hole mobilities were achieved (0.39 × 10−4 cm2 Vs−1), blending the molecular material with a previously reported green solvent processable semiconducting polymer, IIG20-OH, was done to boost performance. This led to increased mobilities for not only the native molecular PTEN-H material, but for the native IIG20-OH polymer as well. Furthermore, a blend of PTEN-H and IIG20-OH were slot-die coated onto a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrate giving uniform thin films suitable for large area device fabrication.
The 𝑝-adic Kakeya conjecture
Authors: Arsovski Bodan
Published: November 2022

We prove the natural analogue of the classical Kakeya conjecture over the

p
p

-adic numbers.
Current Status of Five Warm Season Diptera Species in Estimating the Post-Mortem Interval
Authors: Bambaradeniya Y T B , Magni P A , Dadour I R
Published: November 2022

The accurate estimation of the time of death (Post-Mortem Interval, PMI) is of great importance when reconstructing the actual events at a crime scene following the recovery of a body. The reliability of the PMI is vital to validate witness statements and suspect alibis. The PMI estimation based on insects collected from remains relies on two fundamental principles. Firstly, the development of an insect is proportionate to its surrounding environmental condition, and secondly, colonization by insects and other arthropods typically occur according to predictable sequences subjected to seasonality, environment in which the decomposition takes place, and the possible presence of xenobiotics in the food substrate (e.g., drugs). Dipteran species of the family Calliphoridae are the most common species colonizing a corpse and carcass, and a large body of research in entomology is focused on their developmental data. Such data is used forensically to estimate the PMI via three types of calculation: accumulated degree day/hour, table of growth, and isomegalen/isomorphen diagram. Much of this research has been documented during the 20th century, in different countries, using different experimental designs and analyses. This review tabulates development data obtained from 74 manuscripts published between 1933 and 2021 for five cosmopolitan blowfly species associated with the early stages of decomposition during the warmer seasons: Chrysomya megacephala, Ch. rufifacies, Ch. albiceps, Lucilia sericata, and L. cuprina. This review highlights the importance of establishing a standardized protocol to conduct future development studies and maintaining a system for retrieval of this data for future PMI calculations.
The Clinical Significance of Light Chain Predominant Multiple Myeloma
Authors: Arinze Nkechi , Singh Gurmukh
Published: November 2022

Multiple Myeloma (MM) is a neoplastic clonal proliferation of terminally differentiated B- lymphocytes. It accounts for 1.6% of all cancers and about 10-15% of all hematological malignancies in the United States. Monoclonal immunoglobulins provide an indication of tumor burden in patients with plasma cell neoplasm. Recent development has shown that a proportion of intact immunoglobulin producing multiple myeloma secrete much higher amounts of free light chains than usual; i.e. light chain predominant multiple myeloma (LCPMM). About 18% of multiple myeloma secreting intact immunoglobulins secrete higher amount of free light compared to other intact immunoglobulin secreting myelomas and are associated with significantly poorer clinical outcomes. In this study, a retrospective investigation comparing the laboratory and clinical findings in conventional MM and LCPMM was undertaken. Three hundred and sixteen patients with conventional MM and seventy-one patients with LCPMM were studied. The results were remarkable for marked increase in death rate in the LCPMM group compared to the conventional MM group, 35.2% and 13.6% respectively; P-value .00001. The occurrence of dialysis was also markedly increased in the LCPMM group compared with the conventional MM; 18.3% vs. 3.5% P-value .00001. A markedly lower eGFR was observed in patients with LCPMM group compared to patients with conventional MM with an average value of 46.3 versus 69.4 ml respectively P value .0000003. In conclusion, light chain predominant plasma cell myeloma confers a significant disease burden, poor clinical outcomes and shorter survival. Further prospective trial will be helpful in understanding the pathogenesis, the course, and management of the disease. An assay for serum free monoclonal light chains has been described and could serve as a marker for minimal residual disease in such patients. We aim to further study the clinical impact of light chain predominant plasma cell myeloma (LCPMM) to increase the current knowledge of the disease and investigate therapeutic interventions.
Evaluation of Ordering Practices, Microbial Yield, and Clinical Utility of Urinary Stone Cultures
Authors: Hernandez Patricia , Potter Robert , Zaydman Mark , Jackups Ron , Yarbrough Melanie , Burnham Carey-Ann
Published: November 2022

Urinary stones are a global problem. While it has been established that microorganisms can be associated with urinary stone formation, data on best practices for microbial culture and clinical interpretation of microbial culture of urinary stone specimens are limited. Our objective was to investigate the microorganisms present in urinary stone cultures (usc) and companion urine cultures. We conducted a retrospective study at a tertiry hospital examining cultures submitted between October 2018 and October 2021. We collected data from electronic medical records of patients who had at least at least one usc performed. As part of routine clinical workup, all urinary stone specimens submitted for culture were ground using a disposable tissue grinder and inoculated on a tryptic soy agar with 5% sheep blood agar plate (BAP), a chocolate agar plate (CHOC), and a MacConkey agar plate (MAC), streaked for isolation and incubated in 5% CO2 at 35°C for up to three days. Urine cultures were performed using the Kiestra TLA system with 10 µL of inoculum onto each of a BAP and MAC, and plates were examined at 16 and 24 hours of incubation. For urine specimens submitted from a straight or “in and out” catheter, 10,000 CFU/mL was the threshold for workup. From clean-voided, midstream, ileostomy, nephrostomy, or indwelling/Foley catheter specimens, 100,000 CFU/mL was the threshold for workup. The final clinical significance of cultures is determined by evaluating the culture result in light of the patient’s clinical presentation. For usc and urine cultures, clinically insignificant growth was considered no growth or when no pathogens were recovered in culture. Urine cultures with more than 3 species over threshold were considered contaminated. A total of 1,049 usc were performed from 854 patients (55.3% female). The median patient age was 61 years (IQR 49-70). The most frequent microorganisms reported in usc cultures were Proteus mirabilis (N=98), Enterococcus faecalis (N=75), and Escherichia coli (N=73). No pathogen was identified from 57% of usc. 441 usc were performed in a context of urine culture (+/-2 days) in 336 (39.3%) patients. In addition, 138 patients (16.1%) had more than 1 usc, being the maximum as 11 usc performed in one patient. The most common urine/USC concordant result was no growth in 165 of 441 cultures (37.4%), followed by coagulase negative Staphylococcus. Cohen’s kappa obtained from usc and urine culture results was 0.45, which is not the minimum acceptable agreement. A pathogen was identified from usc in 43% of cases. Usc and urine cultures rarely resulted in concordant results, but the most common concordant result was no growth in culture. Additional studies are warranted to evaluate the impact of usc results on patient care, including antimicrobial use and correlation of microbes isolated with stone chemical composition.
A strategy for detecting an anomalous batch of kappa serum free light chains measurements using nonparametric analysis of patient deltas
Authors: Hernandez Patricia , Gronowski Ann , Zaydman Mark
Published: November 2022

Patient-based quality control (PBQC) involves monitoring for shifts in patient results to detect analytical problems. Established methods perform well, but only for assays with high volumes and approximately normal result distributions. Recent publications have described monitoring the average of patient deltas (AOD) as a way generalize PBQC methods more broadly. Here we propose a nonparametric analysis of patient deltas (NPAOD). To illustrate the concept we present a case of an analytical issue in the kappa serum free light chain assay (kappa sFLC) caused by a bad reagent pack and how it could have been detected using NPAOD. We were alerted to a possible issue by the ordering clinicians who noticed a series of unexpectedly high results. Significantly lower values were observed when the samples were repeated with a new reagent pack (median [IQR]: 5.3 [3.12-13.52] versus 2.52 [0.95-4.25], p < 0.5 e-7 by paired Wilcoxon test). To evaluate the use of PBQC in detecting this error, we analyzed one year of retrospective data comprising 7657 results from 3061 patients. The distribution of kappa sFLC values was positively skewed (mean = 14.5 g/dL, median = 2.2 g/dL, skew = 26.6). Both volumes and distributions varied significantly by day of the week following the scheduling of subspecialty clinics. These properties make the conventional approach of simple moving averages poorly suited for monitoring kappa sFLC at our institution. We computed delta values as the difference between the current result and the most recent previous result and produced delta values for 4596/7657 (60%) of the samples. The distribution of deltas was zero centered and symmetric (mean = 0.03 g/dL, median = 0.01 g/dL). Using the historical distribution as a reference, we found that the average of deltas was not significantly different for the results of the bad reagent pack (p = 0.78 by Student’s T test). In contrast, a nonparametric approach yielded a significant difference whether by comparison of medians using a Wilcoxon test (p = 0.0004) or comparison of empirical distributions using a Kolmogorov-Smirnov test (p = 1e-7). The latter approach may offer several benefits. First, the Komogorov-Smirnov test has greater statistical power because it considers both the position and the shape of the distribution. Second, an algorithm based on comparison of empirical distributions may have fewer hyperparameters to tune. We continue this work with an in-silico characterization of detection and false alarm rates at different magnitudes of analytical bias. In conclusion, this case study provides initial evidence that a nonparametric analysis of patient deltas may help to extend PBQC to additional assays that have unfavorable distributions and volumes for the simple moving average algorithm.
Effect of an Automated Hemoglobin A1c Reflex on Socioeconomic Disparities in Testing Frequency and Glycemic Control
Authors: Azimi Vahid , Farnsworth Christopher
Published: November 2022

The American Diabetes Association recommends semiannual hemoglobin A1c (A1c) testing for diabetic patients with stable glycemic control and quarterly testing for patients with a change in therapy or who do not meet A1c goals. To aid in achieving this goal our laboratory performs an automated, add-on A1c test for any diabetic and hospitalized patient with no A1c ordered in the previous 60 days. The primary aim of this study was to determine the impact of an automated reflex on A1c testing frequency and glycemic control. Our second aim was to determine socioeconomic differences of reflexed A1c testing. All A1c results performed by the BJH laboratory from 5/1/2016-1/22/22 and associated patient demographics were retrieved from the laboratory information system. Patient addresses were geocoded, and a CDC-validated social vulnerability index (SVI) was assigned to each patient based on their census tract of residence. Patients were then stratified in the bottom SVI half (most vulnerable) and the upper SVI half (least vulnerable). A total of 32,861 A1c’s were performed on 17,699 patients, 6,341 of whom had >1 test. 2,952 (46.6%) patients had at least one reflexed A1c (add-on group). The median average time between A1c tests was 144.4 days in the add-on group and 209.0 days in the no add-on group (p<0.001). The average time between A1c tests for patients in the add-on group in the bottom SVI half was 143.8 days vs. 145.3 days in the top SVI half (p=0.84). In contrast, the median average time between A1c tests for patients in the no add-on group in the bottom SVI half was 215.5 days and was 199.5 days in the top SVI half (p<0.05). The number of patients with A1c in the uncontrolled range (A1c =9%) decreased by 11.5% in the add-on group compared to 1.7% in the no add-on group (p<0.001). In those with add-on testing, the proportion of patients in the bottom SVI with initial A1c =9% and a longitudinal decrease in A1c was 11.3% compared to 11.9% in the top SVI half (p=0.39). In the no add-ons group, the proportion of patients with A1c =9% increased by 3.3% in the bottom SVI and decreased by 12.1% in the top SVI (p=0.01). A socioeconomic disparity is observed in A1c testing frequency and rates of uncontrolled diabetes over time for patients without add-on testing, but not for patients with add-on testing. Automatic add-on testing for hospitalized diabetic patients may reduce socioeconomic disparities in A1c testing frequency and glycemic control.
Rapid Analysis and Integration of Patient Clinical Data with SARS-CoV-2 Genome Sequence Data
Authors: Kinskey Jacob , Hsu Jim , Davis Jim , Olsen Randy , Long Scott , Christensen Paul
Published: November 2022

Objectives

The COVID-19 pandemic has evolved the importance of monitoring viral evolution and correlated clinical outcomes in directing patient care and health policy. Our institution sequences the viral genome from essentially all SARS-CoV-2 infected patients in our hospital system’s diverse patient population, allowing for continuous monitoring of the virus composition in a major US metroplex. Our objective was to support the vision of near real-time assessment using bioinformatics and data management methods designed to enable rapid and accurate analyses.

Methods

Our bioinformatics pipeline is designed to analyze genomic data with paired patient data as rapidly as possible. To always have the most up-to-date patient information available, all co-morbidity, therapeutic and outcomes data are extracted from the Electronic Medical Record (EMR) system every night. Essentially all positive SARS-CoV-2 samples in our healthcare system are sequenced with an Illumina NovaSeq 6000 instrument in batches of 768 genomes. Immediately after the batched sequencing data is complete, the pipeline assembles the genomes using a Singularity container provided by the Bacterial and Viral Bioinformatics Resource Center (BV-BRC). Lineage calls are made using the latest available version of Pangolin. The genomic data is merged with the patient data, and 36 different statistical analyses (such as age, ethnicity, co-morbidity, admission rate, and mortality rate comparisons) are performed in 11 different patient cohorts (such as all Omicron vs Delta, vaccinated vs non-vaccinated, and monoclonal antibody recipients only). 30 interactive Tableau figures are automatically refreshed with the latest data, and summary reports are emailed to key stakeholders. The pipeline is orchestrated using the Snakemake workflow management system on an on-premise high-performance compute cluster (HPC).

Results

The bioinformatics analysis for a batched run containing 768 genomes, including genome assembly, all patient cohort comparisons and dashboard updates, completes in four hours.

Conclusion

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, but especially during the early weeks of each surge, our hospital leaders have been extremely interested in the analysis for each sequencing run. The use of a modular, container-based architecture orchestrated using a workflow manager on an on-premise HPC enables us to deliver results very quickly. The performance of this design allowed for dynamic decision making of our organization as new strains emerged in the Houston area.