bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Perception of Prosody in Hearing-Impaired Individuals and Users of Hearing Assistive Devices: An Overview of Recent Advances
Authors: Karimi-Boroujeni Maryam , Dajani Hilmi R. , Giguère Christian
Published: January 2023

Purpose:

Prosody perception is an essential component of speech communication and social interaction through which both linguistic and emotional information are conveyed. Considering the importance of the auditory system in processing prosody-related acoustic features, the aim of this review article is to review the effects of hearing impairment on prosody perception in children and adults. It also assesses the performance of hearing assistive devices in restoring prosodic perception.

Method:

Following a comprehensive online database search, two lines of inquiry were targeted. The first summarizes recent attempts toward determining the effects of hearing loss and interacting factors such as age and cognitive resources on prosody perception. The second analyzes studies reporting beneficial or detrimental impacts of hearing aids, cochlear implants, and bimodal stimulation on prosodic abilities in people with hearing loss.

Results:

The reviewed studies indicate that hearing-impaired individuals vary widely in perceiving affective and linguistic prosody, depending on factors such as hearing loss severity, chronological age, and cognitive status. In addition, most of the emerging information points to limitations of hearing assistive devices in processing and transmitting the acoustic features of prosody.

Conclusions:

The existing literature is incomplete in several respects, including the lack of a consensus on how and to what extent hearing prostheses affect prosody perception, especially the linguistic function of prosody, and a gap in assessing prosody under challenging listening situations such as noise. This review article proposes directions that future research could follow to provide a better understanding of prosody processing in those with hearing impairment, which may help health care professionals and designers of assistive technology to develop innovative diagnostic and rehabilitation tools.

Supplemental Material:

https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.21809772
The Development of Alveolar and Alveopalatal Fricatives in French-Speaking Monolingual and Bilingual Children
Authors: Kehoe Margaret , Philippart de Foy Marie
Published: January 2023

Purpose:

This study conducted a transcription-based and spectral moments' analysis of alveolar and alveopalatal fricatives in monolingual and bilingual French-speaking children, aged 2;6–6;10 (years;months). We measured the percent accuracy of fricatives and investigated whether young children could distinguish alveolar and alveopalatal fricatives on the basis of spectral moments. In addition, we examined which child- (i.e., age, gender, bilingualism, and alveopalatal fricative inventory size) and word/sound-related (i.e., place-of-articulation [PoA], voicing, vowel quality, and word position) factors influenced spectral moments and fricative duration.

Method:

Children (
N
= 89) participated in a picture-naming task in which they produced words containing alveolar /s, z/ and alveopalatal /ʃ, ʒ/ fricatives in word-initial, -medial, and -final positions. The words were transcribed and analyzed acoustically, and the first and third spectral moments (i.e., centroid and skewness) and the duration of fricatives were calculated. The data were subject to mixed-effects linear regression.

Results:

Percent accuracy results indicated effects of age on alveopalatal fricatives and effects of word position on voiced fricatives. Statistical models indicated that age, gender, and alveopalatal fricative inventory size influenced spectral moments. Age and inventory size interacted significantly with PoA. Children as young as age 2;6 distinguished alveopalatal and alveolar fricatives on the basis of centroid but not skewness values. The distinction between the two sets of fricatives increased with age. Bilingual children who spoke languages with greater numbers of alveopalatal fricatives distinguished alveopalatal and alveolar fricatives less well than monolinguals and bilinguals who spoke languages with fewer numbers of alveopalatal fricatives. Girls had higher centroid and lower skewness values than boys. Models also revealed a significant influence of word/sound-related factors (voicing, vowel quality, and word position) on spectral moments and fricative duration.

Conclusions:

Findings indicated that multiple factors influence the spectral moments and duration measures of children's alveolar and alveopalatal fricatives. In particular, we found that spectral moments were sensitive to gender and bilingualism effects.
Multi‐objective particle swarm optimisation of complex product change plan considering service performance
Authors: Zheng Ruizhao , Zhang Yong , Sun Xiaoyan , Wang Faguang , Yang Lei , Peng Chen , Wang Yulong
Published: January 2023

Design change is an inevitable part of the product development process. This study proposes an improved binary multi‐objective PSO algorithm guided by problem characteristics (P‐BMOPSO) to solve the optimisation problem of complex product change plan considering service performance. Firstly, a complex product multi‐layer network with service performance is established for the first time to reveal the impact of change effect propagation on the product service performance. Secondly, the concept of service performance impact (SPI) is defined by decoupling the impact of strongly associated nodes on the service performance in the process of change affect propagation. Then, a triple‐objective selection model of change nodes is established, which includes the three indicators: SPI degree, change cost, and change time. Furthermore, an integer multi‐objective particle swarm optimisation algorithm guided by problem characteristics is developed to solve the model above. Experimental results on the design change problem of a certain type of Skyworth TV verify the effectiveness of the established optimisation model and the proposed P‐BMOPSO algorithm.
Interpreting time-integrated polarization data of gamma-ray burst prompt emission
Authors: Guan R. Y. , Lan M. X.
Published: January 2023

Aims.With the accumulation of polarization data in the gamma-ray burst (GRB) prompt phase, polarization models can be tested.

Methods.We predicted the time-integrated polarizations of 37 GRBs with polarization observation. We used their observed spectral parameters to do this. In the model, the emission mechanism is synchrotron radiation, and the magnetic field configuration in the emission region was assumed to be large-scale ordered. Therefore, the predicted polarization degrees (PDs) are upper limits.

Results.For most GRBs detected by the Gamma-ray Burst Polarimeter (GAP), POLAR, and AstroSat, the predicted PD can match the corresponding observed PD. Hence the synchrotron-emission model in a large-scale ordered magnetic field can interpret both the moderately low PDs (∼10%) detected by POLAR and relatively high PDs (∼45%) observed by GAP and AstroSat well. Therefore, the magnetic fields in these GRB prompt phases or at least during the peak times are dominated by the ordered component. However, the predicted PDs of GRB 110721A observed by GAP and GRB 180427A observed by AstroSat are both lower than the observed values. Because the synchrotron emission in an ordered magnetic field predicts the upper-limit of the PD for the synchrotron-emission models, PD observations of the two bursts challenge the synchrotron-emission model. Then we predict the PDs of the High-energy Polarimetry Detector (HPD) and Low-energy Polarimetry Detector (LPD) on board the upcoming POLAR-2. In the synchrotron-emission models, the concentrated PD values of the GRBs detected by HPD will be higher than the LPD, which might be different from the predictions of the dissipative photosphere model. Therefore, more accurate multiband polarization observations are highly desired to test models of the GRB prompt phase.
No evidence for synchronization of the solar cycle by a “clock”
Authors: Weisshaar E. , Cameron R. H. , Schüssler M.
Published: January 2023

The length of the solar activity cycle fluctuates considerably. The temporal evolution of the corresponding cycle phase, that is, the deviation of the epochs of activity minima or maxima from strict periodicity, provides relevant information concerning the physical mechanism underlying the cyclic magnetic activity. An underlying strictly periodic process (akin to a perfect “clock”), with the observer seeing a superposition of the perfect clock and a small random phase perturbation, leads to long-term phase stability in the observations. Such behavior would be expected if cycles were synchronized by tides caused by orbiting planets or by a hypothetical torsional oscillation in the solar radiative interior. Alternatively, in the absence of such synchronization, phase fluctuations accumulate and a random walk of the phase ensues, which is a typical property of randomly perturbed dynamo models. Based on the sunspot record and the reconstruction of solar cycles from cosmogenic 14C, we carried out rigorous statistical tests in order to decipher whether there exists phase synchronization or random walk. Synchronization is rejected at significance levels of between 95% (28 cycles from sunspot data) and beyond 99% (84 cycles reconstructed from 14C), while the existence of random walk in the phases is consistent with all data sets. This result strongly supports randomly perturbed dynamo models with little inter-cycle memory.
Impact of opacity effects on chromospheric oscillations inferred from NLTE inversions
Authors: Felipe T. , Socas-Navarro H.
Published: January 2023

Context. Spectropolarimetric inversions are a fundamental tool for diagnosing the solar atmosphere. Chromospheric inferences rely on the interpretation of spectral lines that are formed under nonlocal thermodynamic equilibrium (NLTE) conditions. In the presence of oscillations, changes in the opacity impact the response height of the spectral lines and hinder the determination of the real properties of the fluctuations.

Aims. We aim to explore the relationship between the chromospheric oscillations inferred by NLTE inversion codes and the intrinsic fluctuations in velocity and temperature produced by the waves.

Methods. We computed numerical simulations of wave propagation in a sunspot umbra with the code MANCHA. We used the NLTE synthesis and inversion code NICOLE to compute spectropolarimetric Ca II 8542 Å line profiles for the atmospheric models obtained as the output from the simulations. We then inverted the synthetic profiles and compared the inferences from the inversions with the known atmospheres from the simulations.

Results. NLTE inversions of the Ca II 8542 Å line capture low-frequency oscillations, including those in the main band of chromospheric oscillations around 6 mHz. In contrast, waves with frequencies above 9 mHz are poorly characterized by the inversion results. Velocity oscillations at those higher frequencies exhibit clear signs of opacity fluctuations; namely the power of the signal at constant optical depth greatly departs from the power of the oscillations at constant geometrical height. The main response of the line to velocity fluctuations comes from low chromospheric heights, whereas the response to temperature shows sudden jumps between the high photosphere and the low chromosphere. This strong variation in the height where the line is sensitive to temperature is revealed as a strong oscillatory power in the inferred fluctuations, which is much stronger than the actual power from the intrinsic temperature oscillations.

Conclusions. Our results validate the use of NLTE inversions to study chromospheric oscillations with frequencies below ∼9 mHz. However, the interpretation of higher-frequency oscillations and the power of temperature oscillations must be addressed with care, as these exhibit signatures of opacity oscillations.
Long/Post Covid im Krankenhaus für Naturheilweisen
unter besonderer Berücksichtigung der
Homöopathie
Authors: Schmidt Robert
Published: January 2023

Im Krankenhaus für Naturheilweisen (KfN) wurden seit Beginn der Pandemie
Patienten mit Long/Post Covid behandelt. Letztlich handelt es sich bei
Long/Post Covid sehr wahrscheinlich um die coronavirusspezifische
Variante eines postviralen Chronic-Fatigue-Syndroms, also CFS/ME.
Wirklich durchschlagende, kausal ansetzende Therapien sind noch nicht in Sicht,
sodass man sich aktuell noch darauf beschränken muss, Symptome zu
lindern und den Energielevel der Patienten etwas anzuheben. Für jeden
Patienten wird im KfN ein individuelles Behandlungskonzept zusammengestellt. Aus
konventioneller Sicht ist das KfN eine Fachklinik für Innere Medizin,
zusätzlich werden v. a. klassische Naturheilverfahren und
weitere komplementärmedizinische Behandlungsansätze wie die
ausleitenden Verfahren, Neuraltherapie und eben auch die Homöopathie
angeboten. Der Erfolg unseres Behandlungskonzepts wird durch die eigens
durchgeführte Studie untermauert.
Creating a Guardrail System to Ensure Appropriate Activation of Adolescent Portal Accounts
Authors: Xie James , Hogan Adam , McPherson Tom , Pageler Natalie , Lee Tzielan , Carlson Jennifer
Published: January 2023

The parent of an adolescent patient noticed an upcoming appointment in the patient's portal account that should have remained confidential to the parent. As it turned out, this parent was directly accessing their child's adolescent patient portal account instead of using a proxy account. After investigation of this case, it was found that the adolescent account had been activated with the parent's demographic (i.e., phone/email) information. This case illustrates the challenges of using adult-centric electronic health record (EHR) systems and how our institution addressed the problem of incorrect portal account activations.

Confidentiality is fundamental to providing healthcare to adolescents. To comply with the 21st Century Cures Act's information blocking rules, confidential information must be released to adolescent patients when appropriate while also remaining confidential from their guardians. While complying with this national standard, systems of care must also account for interstate variability in which services allow for confidential adolescent consent. Unfortunately, there are high rates of guardian access to adolescent portal accounts which may lead to unintended disclosure of confidential information. Therefore, measures must be taken to minimize the risk of inadvertent confidentiality breaches via adolescent patient portals.

Our institution implemented a guardrail system that checks the adolescent patient's contact information against the contact information of their parent/guardian/guarantor. This guardrail reduced the rate of account activation errors after implementation. However, the guardrail can be bypassed when demographic fields are missing. Thus, ongoing efforts to create pediatric-appropriate demographic fields, clearly distinguishing patient from proxy, in the EHR and workflows for registration of proxy accounts in the patient portal are needed.
Comparison of Bisphosphonates Versus Teriparatide in Therapy of the
Glucocorticoid-Induced Osteoporosis (GIOP): A Meta-Analysis of Randomized
Controlled Trials
Authors: Dong Bingzi , Zhou Yue , Wang Jun , Li Chengqian , Fu Zhengju , Huang Yajing , Wang Yangang , Xu Lili
Published: January 2023

Osteoporosis (OP) is characterized as decreased bone mineral density (BMD) and
increased risk of bone fracture. Secondary OP resulting from excess endogenous
or exogenous glucocorticoid is defined as glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis
(GIOP). Current therapeutic strategies for GIOP are similar to menopausal
osteoporosis, including calcium and vitamin D supplementation, bisphosphonates,
and parathyroid hormone (PTH) analogues (teriparatide). Previously, several
published meta-analyses compared anti-osteoporotic agents for the menopausal or
aging-dependent OP. However, the physiopathologic bone metabolism of GIOP is
different. In this study, we investigated the efficacy of BMD enhancement, bone
fracture rate and safety of bisphosphonates versus teriparatide in the therapy
of GIOP. We searched databases including PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane
Library until Jan 2023, and selected ten random clinical trials (RCT)s that
compared the efficacy and/or safety of bisphosphonate versus
teriparatide for GIOP patients. Teriparatide therapy increased lumber spinal BMD
by 3.96% (95% CI 3.01–4.9%, p<0.00001),
1.23% (95% CI 0.36–2.1%, p=0.006) at
total hip, and 1.45% (95% CI 0.31–2.58%,
p=0.01) at femoral neck, respectively, compared to bisphosphonates at
18-month therapy for GIOP. Teriparatide also reduced bone fracture especially in
vertebral bone (p=0.0001, RR 6.27, 95% CI 2.44–16.07),
and increased bone formation and resorption marker levels. There was no
difference in the incidence of adverse effects in bisphosphonate and
teriparatide groups. Teriparatide showed better performance over bisphosphonate
in BMD enhancement, bone fracture reduction, and bone remodeling improvement,
without increasing the incidence of adverse effects.
Adherence to Head-of-Bed Elevation in Traumatic Brain Injury: An Audit
Authors: Chitteti Pragnitha , George Ajish Sam , Nair Shalini , Karuppasamy Reka , Joseph Mathew
Published: January 2023

Background An important factor affecting the outcome of traumatic brain injury (TBI) is the early management of raised intracranial pressure (ICP). Head-of-bed elevation (HBE) is a simple and effective method to reduce ICP and prevent aspiration in head injury.

Methods This audit was carried out in a level one trauma center. All adult TBI patients were included in the study except patients who had relative contraindication to HBE, managed in prone or Trendelenburg position or who were able to be seated themselves. Patients were observed twice daily, to check adherence to HBE. Adequate HBE angle was referred as an angle of 20 to 30 degrees. A digital protractor was used to measure the head-end angle. Following the first audit cycle, after discussion with nursing staff, a bedside checklist was formulated and two postintervention audit cycles were carried out.

Results The first cycle showed that 40.35% of patients had inadequate HBE. Following implementation of the checklist, this percentage dropped to 11.27 and 7.5% in the second and third cycles, respectively. Agitation (p-value = 0.038) and Glasgow coma scale at admission (p-value = 0.028) were found to be confounders for adherence to HBE.

Conclusion Agitation among mild and moderate TBI patients contributed to noncompliance for HBE. There was an increasing trend in adherence to maintaining adequate HBE following the use of a bedside checklist. Sustainability of improvement was confirmed with third audit cycle.
A Novel Homozygous Splice Site Variant in AIMP1 Gene Causing Hypomyelinating Leukodystrophy: Case Report and Review of the Literature
Authors: Quental Rita , Sampaio Mafalda , Alonso Isabel , Quental Sofia , Leão Miguel , Sousa Raquel
Published: January 2023

Background Biallelic pathogenic variants in AIMP1 gene cause hypomyelinating leukodystrophy type 3, a severe neurodegenerative disorder with early onset characterized by microcephaly, axial hypotonia, epilepsy, spasticity, and developmental delay.

Methods Clinical exome sequence was performed on patient's DNA and Sanger sequencing was used to confirm the candidate variant. To better characterize the effect of the genetic variant, functional analysis based on Sanger sequencing of the proband's complementary DNA (cDNA) was performed.

Results We report a case of 2-year-old girl with microcephaly, significant global developmental delay, refractory epilepsy, flaccid paralysis, hypomyelination, leukodystrophy, and cerebral atrophy on brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Clinical exome sequencing revealed a novel splice site variant c.603 + 1G > A in homozygosity in the AIMP1 gene. Studies on patient's cDNA showed that the variant disrupts the canonical donor splice site of intron 5, with the recognition of a cryptic splice site within exon 5, leading to the skipping of the last 24 nucleotides of this exon together with the flanking intron. This alteration is predicted to cause an in-frame deletion of eight amino acids (p.Val194_Gln201del) belonging to the tRNA-biding domain of the protein.

Conclusion To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of a splice site variant in the AIMP1 gene causing hypomyelinating leukodystrophy. The description of this patient not only expands the mutational spectrum of AIMP1 but also provides deeper insights on genotype–phenotype correlation by comparing the clinical features of our patient with previously reported affected individuals.
Performance of Phenotypic Tests to Detect β-Lactamases in a Population of β-Lactamase Coproducing Enterobacteriaceae Isolates
Authors: Perera Vindya , Silva Nelun de , Jayatilleke Kushlani , Silva Sara de , Corea Enoka
Published: January 2023

Objectives This study aimed to evaluate the performance of routinely used phenotypic tests to detect β-lactamase production in isolates coproducing multiple β-lactamase types.

Methods Commonly used phenotypic tests for the detection of extended spectrum β-lactamases (ESBL), AmpC β-lactamase, and carbapenemases were compared with detection and sequencing of β-lactamase genes (as the reference test) in 176 uropathogenic Enterobacteriaceae coproducing multiple β-lactamases from two hospitals in the Western Province of Sri Lanka.

Results Majority of the isolates (147/176, 83.5%) carried β-lactamase genes with (90/147, 61%) harboring multiple genes. The Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute screening method using cefotaxime (sensitivity [Se], 97; specificity [Sp], 93; accuracy [Ac], 94) and ceftriaxone (Se, 97; Sp, 91; Ac, 93) was the most effective to detect ESBLs. The modified double disc synergy test (Se, 98; Sp, 98; Ac, 97) and combined disc test (Se, 94; Sp, 98; Ac, 96) showed good specificity for confirmation of ESBLs. Cefoxitin resistance (Se, 97; Sp, 73; Ac, 85) and the AmpC disc test (Se, 96; Sp, 82; Ac, 86) were sensitive to detect AmpC β-lactamase producers coproducing other β-lactamases but showed low specificity, probably due to coproduction of carbapenemases. Meropenem was useful to screen for New Delhi metallo β-lactamases and OXA-48-like carbapenemases (Se, 97; Sp, 96; Ac, 96). The modified carbapenem inactivation method showed excellent performance (Se, 97; Sp, 98; Ac, 97) in identifying production of both types of carbapenemases and was able to distinguish this from carbapenem resistance due to potential mutations in the porin gene.

Conclusion Microbiology laboratories that are still depend on phenotypic tests should utilize tests that are compatible with the types of β-lactamase prevalent in the region and those that are least affected by coexisting resistance mechanisms.
Automated Detection of Lesions in Patients with Traumatic Brain Injury using Brain CT Images: Concept Note and Proposed Method
Authors: Agrawal Amit , Mishra Rakesh
Published: January 2023

Accurate and early interpretation of CT scan images in TBI patients reduces the critical time for diagnosis and management. As mentioned in other studies, automated CT interpretation using the feature extraction method is a rapid and accurate tool. Despite several studies on the machine and deep learning employing algorithms for automated CT interpretations, it has its challenges. This study presents a concept note and proposes a feature-based computer-aided diagnostic method to perform automated CT interpretation in TBI. The method consists of preprocessing, segmentation, and extraction. We have described a simple way of classifying the CT scan head into five circumferential zones in this method. The zones are identified quickly based on the anatomic characteristics and specific pathologies that affect each zone. Then, we have provided an overview of different pathologies affecting each of these zones. Utilizing these zones for automated CT interpretation will also be a helpful resource for concerned physicians during the odd and rush hours.
Comparison of Disk Diffusion and Agar Dilution Method for the Detection of Mupirocin Resistance in Staphylococcal Isolates from Skin and Soft Tissue Infections
Authors: Shivanna Vijaya , Dasegowda Venkatesha
Published: January 2023

Aims and Objectives Mupirocin is a widely used topical antibiotic for the treatment of skin and soft tissue infections. This has resulted in resistance leading to treatment failure. Hence, the present study aimed to determine the prevalence of mupirocin resistance among staphylococcal isolates obtained from the skin and soft tissue infections. Also, comparison of disc diffusion and agar dilution method in detecting mupirocin resistance was done.

Materials and Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted in the Department of Microbiology of a tertiary health care center in Karnataka from January to December, 2018. Clinical samples such as wound swabs, tissues, and pus were included in the study. All staphylococcal isolates were screened for mupirocin resistance using 5 µg and 200 µg discs for low-level (MuL) and high-level mupirocin resistance (MuH), respectively. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was determined using the agar dilution method.

Results Out of 100 staphylococcal isolates, 68 were Staphylococcus aureus and 32 were CoNS. MuH was detected in 11 isolates. MuH was more common in CoNS (10/11) compared with S. aureus (1/11). MuL was not found in the study.

Discussion In our study, 10 out of 11 mupirocin-resistant isolates were methicillin resistant, which is statistically significant (p < 0.05). The correlation between results of disc diffusion and MIC were appropriate in this study.

Conclusion Judicial prescription of mupirocin after knowing the susceptibility report should become the standard practice. Screening for mupirocin resistance can be done by disc diffusion in resource-limited settings.
Outcomes of Evacuating Subacute Extradural Hematoma Through a Minicraniectomy: A 5-Year Study
Authors: Usman Babagana , Mohammed Babagana , Daibu Usman
Published: January 2023

Background Extradural hematoma (EDH) is a hematoma between the dura and the inner surface of the skull, found in 1 to 3% of all head-injured patients, rising to 9% among the unconscious ones. It is said to be subacute when about 2 to 4 days old. Further enlargement of the burr hole to about 3 to 5 cm wide (minicraniectomy) may allow its total evacuation.

Objective To recommend it as a treatment option, this study aims to evaluate the surgical outcomes of evacuating a subacute EDH through a minicraniectomy.

Method This was a 5-year prospective study in a Nigerian tertiary health institution.

Results In total, 108 patients, consisting of 96 males and 12 females with a male to female ratio of 8:1 were included. Their ages ranged from 10 to 69 years. Etiologies were road traffic accident (RTA, 73.2%), assault (18.5%), and falls (8.3%). Hematoma ages were 2 days (61.1%), 3 days (25%), 4 days (13.9%). GCS were mild (11%), moderate (56%), and severe (33%). Locations were right-sided (59.3%), left-sided (40.7%) with 73.1% in parietotemporal area. Active bleeding was encountered in 15% only. Postoperative complications were seizure (13.9%), death (12%), and surgical site infection (4.6%) among others. Outcomes at 2 weeks were good (83, 76.9%), moderate disability (12, 11.1%), severe disability (10, 9.3%), vegetative (1, 0.9%), and death (2, 1.9%).

Conclusion Considering the significant morbidity and mortality and the need for urgent interventions in EDH, most patients presenting in the subacute acute (2–4 days) stage can be evacuated via a minicraniectomy with good outcomes.
Terahertz emission from a bounded plasma
Authors: Verma Deepa , Michau Armelle , Vasanelli Angela , Sirtori Carlo , Hassouni Khaled
Published: January 2023

The dynamics of electrons submitted to voltage pulses in a thin semiconductor layer is investigated using a kinetic approach based on the solution of the electron Boltzmann equation using particle-in-cell/Monte Carlo collision simulations. The results showed that due to the fairly high plasma density, oscillations emerge from a highly nonlinear interaction between the space-charge field and the electrons. The voltage pulse excites electron waves with dynamics and phase-space trajectories that depend on the doping level. High-amplitude oscillations take place during the relaxation phase and are subsequently damped over time-scales in the range 100–400 fs and decrease with the doping level. The power spectra of these oscillations show a high-energy band and a low-energy peak that were attributed to bounded plasma resonances and to a sheath effect. The high-energy THz domain reduces to sharp and well-defined peaks for the high doping case. The radiative power that would be emitted by the thin semiconductor layer strongly depends on the competition between damping and radiative decay in the electron dynamics. Simulations showed that higher doping level favor enhanced magnitude and much slower damping for the high-frequency current, which would strongly enhance the emitted level of THz radiation.
Solubility and dissolution kinetics of sulfur and sulfides in electrolyte solvents for lithium–sulfur and sodium–sulfur batteries
Authors: Adeoye Hakeem A. , Dent Matthew , Watts John F. , Tennison Stephen , Lekakou Constantina
Published: January 2023

In this study, we monitor the dissolution of sulfur and sulfides in electrolyte solvents for lithium–sulfur (Li–S) and sodium–sulfur (Na–S) batteries. The first aim of this research is to assemble a comprehensive set of data on solubilities and dissolution kinetics that may be used in the simulation of battery cycling. The investigation also offers important insights to address key bottlenecks in the development and commercialization of metal–sulfur batteries, including the incomplete dissolution of sulfur in discharge and insoluble low-order sulfides in charge, the probability of shuttling of soluble polysulfides, and the pausing of the redox reactions in precipitated low order sulfides depending on their degree of solid state. The tested materials include sulfur, lithium sulfides Li2Sx, x = 1, 2, 4, 6, and 8, and sodium sulfides Na2Sx, x = 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, and 8, dissolved in two alternative electrolyte solvents: DOL:DME 1:1 v/v and TEGDME. The determined properties of the solute dissolution in the solvent include saturation concentration, mass transfer coefficient, and diffusion coefficient of the solvent in the solid solute. In general, the DOL:DME system offers high solubility in Li–S batteries and TEGDME offers the highest solubility in Na–S batteries. Low solubility sulfides are Li2S2 and Li2S for the Li–S batteries, and Na2S3, Na2S2, and Na2S for the Na–S batteries. However, it is noted that Na2S3 dissolves fast in TEGDME and also TEGDME diffuses fast into Na2S3, offering the possibility of a swollen Na2S3 structure in which Na+ ions might diffuse and continue the redox reactions in a semisolid state.
Estimating predictability of a dynamical system from multiple samples of its evolution
Authors: Mukhin Dmitry , Kravtsov Sergey , Seleznev Aleksei , Loskutov Evgeny , Buyanova Maria , Feigin Alexander
Published: January 2023

Natural and social systems exhibit complex behavior reflecting their rich dynamics, whose governing laws are not fully known. This study develops a unified data-driven approach to estimate predictability of such systems when several independent realizations of the system’s evolution are available. If the underlying dynamics are quasi-linear, the signal associated with the variable external factors, or forcings, can be estimated as the ensemble mean; this estimation can be optimized by filtering out the part of the variability with a low ensemble-mean-signal-to-residual-noise ratio. The dynamics of the residual internal variability is then encapsulated in an optimal, in a Bayesian sense, linear stochastic model able to predict the observed behavior. This model’s self-forecast covariance matrices define a basis of patterns (directions) associated with the maximum forecast skill. Projecting the observed evolution onto these patterns produces the corresponding component time series. These ideas are illustrated by applying the proposed analysis technique to (1) ensemble data of regional sea-surface temperature evolution in the tropical Pacific generated by a state-of-the-art climate model and (2) consumer-spending records across multiple regions of the Russian Federation. These examples map out a range of possible solutions—from a solution characterized by a low-dimensional forced signal and a rich spectrum of predictable internal modes (1)—to the one in which the forced signal is extremely complex, but the number of predictable internal modes is limited (2). In each case, the proposed decompositions offer clues into the underlying dynamical processes, underscoring the usefulness of the proposed framework.
Sign reversal in anomalous Hall effect at two Sn compositions in Mn4−xSnxN films on MgO(001) substrates
Authors: Yasuda Tomohiro , Komori Taro , Hirose Taku , Horiuchi Takumi , Toko Kaoru , Suemasu Takashi
Published: January 2023

Rare-earth-free Mn4N has attracted increasing attention as a spintronic material thanks to its ferrimagnetism, perpendicular magnetic anisotropy, and controllability of magnetic properties by partial replacement of Mn atoms with other elements. Here, we grew ∼25-nm-thick Mn4−xSnxN epitaxial films (x = 0–1.4) on MgO(001) substrates by molecular beam epitaxy and investigated their lattice constants and magneto-transport properties. The ratio of the out-of-plane lattice constant c to the in-plane lattice constant a in the Mn4−xSnxN films, c/a, was less than 1 for x < 0.9, but it changed to more than 1 for x = 1.0. Amazingly, the sign of the anomalous Hall effect changed twice with increasing x. These results suggest that the magnetic structure of the Mn4−xSnxN films varies with Sn composition. Possible mechanisms of the magnetic structure change include magnetic compensation, ferrimagnetic–ferromagnetic phase transition, and the formation of noncollinear magnetic structures.
Integrative taxonomy reveals that not all European reddish runcinids are the same: the case of the Runcina ferruginea Kress, 1977 (Gastropoda, Heterobranchia, Runcinida) species-complex, with the description of a new genus
Authors: Araujo Ana Karla , Pola Marta , Malaquias Manuel Antonio E. , Vitale Fabio , Cervera Juan Lucas
Published: January 2023

Owing to the small size and cryptic morphology, runcinids are among the most difficult marine heterobranchs to study and consequently one of the groups about which little is known. Only recently were molecular tools and phylogenetics first employed to study the systematics. The charismatic European reddish-brown species Runcina ferruginea Kress, 1977, first described from Plymouth, UK, is a paradigm of the challenges facing the taxonomy of these slugs. Due to similarities between R. ferruginea and the Croatian species R. zavodniki described by Thompson, 1980, the latter has been considered as a junior synonym. However, molecular phylogenetics revealed the occurrence of a complex of four species masked under the name R. ferruginea. Through an integrative approach, combining multi-locus (COI, 16S rRNA and histone H3) molecular phylogenetics and morpho-anatomical characters (shape and colouration of body, radula, gizzard plates and reproductive systems) based on specimens from south-western UK, and the central and western Mediterranean Sea (Spain, France, Italy and Croatia), we redescribe R. ferruginea proper and confirm R. zavodniki as a valid species. Also, two new species are described, one belonging to the genus Runcina (R. lupiaensis sp. nov.) and the other to the new genus Pseudoruncina gen. nov. (Pseudoruncina marinae gen. et sp. nov.). Our study exposes the occurrence of cryptic diversity among runcinids and stresses the need for additional work to understand the diversity of this group of minute molluscs. ZooBank: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:2611EF7D-7762-40CE-BD04-B6D9AB70F2AA.
New South Wales rocky reefs are under threat
Authors: Kingsford M. J. , Byrne M.
Published: January 2023

Rocky reefs of New South Wales (NSW) are characterised by a mosaic of habitats, including kelp forest and urchin-grazed barrens. These habitats support a diversity of dependent species. Decades of research have demonstrated that kelps form extensive forests with distinctive fish and invertebrate faunas and the ‘barrens’ boulder habitat provides shelter and other resources for commercial fishes, charismatic fishes and invertebrates; the barrens are not deserts! The feeding activities of herbivorous invertebrates, particularly the black sea urchin (Centrostephanus rodgersii) determine the presence of barrens habitat. Some invertebrates survive only in the presence of urchins and are the food resources for many predatory fishes. The barrens habitat in NSW has been highly stable for decades and is critical for the diversity of reef-based organisms. Because of climate change, Tasmanian waters have warmed and as a result C. rodgersii larvae have dispersed southward from NSW. Importantly, the situation regarding C. rodgersii in Tasmania differs from the established pattern in NSW and this needs to be recognised in the approach to management of this species in the two states. Urchins in NSW should be appreciated as important habitat determiners and the removal of them for whatever purpose would have to be managed carefully.
Mouse models susceptible to HCoV-229E and HCoV-NL63 and cross protection from challenge with SARS-CoV-2
Authors: Liu Donglan , Chen Chunke , Chen Dingbin , Zhu Airu , Li Fang , Zhuang Zhen , Mok Chris Ka Pun , Dai Jun , Li Xiaobo , Jin Yingkang , Chen Zhao , Sun Jing , Wang Yanqun , Li Yuming , Zhang Yanjun , Wen Liyan , Zhang Zhaoyong , Zhuo Jianfen , Wang Junxiang , Ran Wei , Wang Dong , Zhang Shengnan , Tang Yanhong , Li Suxiang , Lai Xiaoming , Wei Peilan , Yuan Jinwei , Chen Fangli , Huang Shuxiang , Sun Fangfang , Qian Zhaohui , Tan Wenjie , Zhao Jingxian , Peiris Malik , Zhao Jincun
Published: January 2023

Human coronavirus 229E (HCoV-229E) and NL63 (HCoV-NL63) are endemic causes of upper respiratory infections such as the “common cold” but may occasionally cause severe lower respiratory tract disease in the elderly and immunocompromised patients. There are no approved antiviral drugs or vaccines for these common cold coronaviruses (CCCoV). The recent emergence of COVID-19 and the possible cross-reactive antibody and T cell responses between these CCCoV and SARS-CoV-2 emphasize the need to develop experimental animal models for CCCoV. Mice are an ideal experimental animal model for such studies, but are resistant to HCoV-229E and HCoV-NL63 infections. Here, we generated 229E and NL63 mouse models by exogenous delivery of their receptors, human hAPN and hACE2 using replication-deficient adenoviruses (Ad5-hAPN and Ad5-hACE2), respectively. Ad5-hAPN- and Ad5-hACE2-sensitized IFNAR
−/−
and STAT1
−/−
mice developed pneumonia characterized by inflammatory cell infiltration with virus clearance occurring 7 d post infection. Ad5-hAPN- and Ad5-hACE2-sensitized mice generated virus-specific T cells and neutralizing antibodies after 229E or NL63 infection, respectively. Remdesivir and a vaccine candidate targeting spike protein of 229E and NL63 accelerated viral clearance of virus in these mice. 229E- and NL63-infected mice were partially protected from SARS-CoV-2 infection, likely mediated by cross-reactive T cell responses. Ad5-hAPN- and Ad5-hACE2-transduced mice are useful for studying pathogenesis and immune responses induced by HCoV-229E and HCoV-NL63 infections and for validation of broadly protective vaccines, antibodies, and therapeutics against human respiratory coronaviruses including SARS-CoV-2.
Propagating spatiotemporal activity patterns across macaque motor cortex carry kinematic information
Authors: Liang Wei , Balasubramanian Karthikeyan , Papadourakis Vasileios , Hatsopoulos Nicholas G.
Published: January 2023

Propagating spatiotemporal neural patterns are widely evident across sensory, motor, and association cortical areas. However, it remains unclear whether any characteristics of neural propagation carry information about specific behavioral details. Here, we provide the first evidence for a link between the direction of cortical propagation and specific behavioral features of an upcoming movement on a trial-by-trial basis. We recorded local field potentials (LFPs) from multielectrode arrays implanted in the primary motor cortex of two rhesus macaque monkeys while they performed a 2D reach task. Propagating patterns were extracted from the information-rich high-gamma band (200 to 400 Hz) envelopes in the LFP amplitude. We found that the exact direction of propagating patterns varied systematically according to initial movement direction, enabling kinematic predictions. Furthermore, characteristics of these propagation patterns provided additional predictive capability beyond the LFP amplitude themselves, which suggests the value of including mesoscopic spatiotemporal characteristics in refining brain–machine interfaces.
Insights from high-fidelity modeling of industrial rotary bell atomization
Authors: Saye Robert I. , Sethian James A. , Petrouskie Brandon , Zatorsky Aaron , Lu Xinyu , Rock Reza
Published: January 2023

The global automotive industry sprayed over 2.6 billion liters of paint in 2018, much of which through electrostatic rotary bell atomization, a highly complex process involving the fluid mechanics of rapidly rotating thin films tearing apart into micrometer-thin filaments and droplets. Coating operations account for 65% of the energy usage in a typical automotive assembly plant, representing 10,000s of gigawatt-hours each year in the United States alone. Optimization of these processes would allow for improved robustness, reduced material waste, increased throughput, and significantly reduced energy usage. Here, we introduce a high-fidelity mathematical and algorithmic framework to analyze rotary bell atomization dynamics at industrially relevant conditions. Our approach couples laboratory experiment with the development of robust non-Newtonian fluid models; devises high-order accurate numerical methods to compute the coupled bell, paint, and gas dynamics; and efficiently exploits high-performance supercomputing architectures. These advances have yielded insight into key dynamics, including i) parametric trends in film, sheeting, and filament characteristics as a function of fluid rheology, delivery rates, and bell speed; ii) the impact of nonuniform film thicknesses on atomization performance; and iii) an understanding of spray composition via primary and secondary atomization. These findings result in coating design principles that are poised to improve energy- and cost-efficiency in a wide array of industrial and manufacturing settings.
The effect of temperature on the coefficient of elasticity of a spring: construction of a device for its determination and calculation of its internal energy as a training practice
Authors: Salomone Horacio D , Cyrulies Ernesto
Published: January 2023

An experimental work carried out within the framework of research on the development of devices for teacher training in physics at the National University of General Sarmiento is presented. The device allows the determination of the coefficient of elasticity ‘K’ of a metallic spring when its temperature is modified. The variation of the coefficient has as a  direct consequence a variation in the internal energy. It is established, from the theoretical model, the way to calculate it. Finally, the construction of the device used is described and the results obtained are presented.
Electron–positron pair creation from the vacuum by the Feshbach resonance
Authors: Zhou X X , Li C K , Cao X N , Fu M , Lin N S , Li Y J
Published: January 2023

Electron–positron pair (EPP) creation under Gaussian and super-Gaussian potential wells is studied using the computational quantum field theory. We find that the EPP creation rate decreases, while the positron spectra have better monochromaticity when the potential well is wider and gentler. The phenomenon is explained by the Feshbach resonance using the complex scaling method. The width of the Feshbach resonance is narrower in the wider and gentler potential well, and the narrower Feshbach resonance can lead to a lower creation rate and better energy monochromaticity. This study indicates that the width of the Feshbach resonance plays an important role in the EPP creation, and the Gaussian-type potential well has an advantage in tuning the Feshbach resonance width.
Cavitation state recognition for control valve using AlexNet-type neural networks with three-channel images transformed by time series
Authors: Wei Jianqiu , Liu Xiumei , Li Beibei , Zhang Yujia , Shang Ximing
Published: January 2023

The control valve is a crucial component with high switching frequency in coal liquefaction systems. Its performance exerts a great influence on the long-term operations in the coal chemical technology. Cavitation is a key factor affecting the control accuracy and surface morphology of the control valve; hence, it will further shorten the service life of the control valve. A cavitation state recognition model based on vibration acceleration time series is proposed in this paper, and the cavitation stage in the valve is identified accurately. Three vibration acceleration sensors are attached to the valve seat to measure cavitation-induced vibration data. The collected time series is divided into fragments based on the non-overlap moving window method, and these fragments are converted into feature maps using the Gramian angular field transform. These feature maps are then input into AlexNet to train the cavitation state recognition model. The experimental results show that recognition accuracy could be improved effectively upon the increase in the length of the time series fragment, and the proposed model has a similar prediction accuracy on unfamiliar datasets. Compared with no noise, the recognition accuracy could reach to 95% when the moving window length is 150 and the signal-to-noise ratio is equal to 5 dB. Furthermore, the proposed model could still achieve good recognition results under mixed open conditions.
Leak detection method for the jet fuel pipeline based on IUPEMD and DTWSVM
Authors: Zhu Yongqiang , Lang Xianming , Cai Zefeng
Published: January 2023

Jet fuel pipeline leakage will cause environmental pollution and safety-related accidents; therefore, the leak detection of jet fuel pipeline is a crucial for pipeline management. Compared with negative pressure waves, acoustic waves exhibit better attenuation resistance and longer propagation distance. However, acoustic waves are easily disturbed by noise, causing the acoustic signals to mix with a large amount of noise and reducing the detection system’s accuracy to identify pipeline leaks. An improved uniform phase empirical mode decomposition (IUPEMD) denoising method is proposed in this paper. Compared with other denoising methods, intrinsic modal functions with more leakage information can be selected according to the similarity coefficient for signal reconstruction. The reconstructed signal retains the leak information to a greater extent, making the noise content extremely low, which can effectively improve the leak identification accuracy of the leak detection system. To accurately determine the leakage of pipeline and solve the problem of low accuracy of recognition model, this paper establishes a deep learning twin support vector machine (DTWSVM) for identifying the state of pipeline based on deep learning and twin support vector machine, which can automatically extract the leakage feature information and accurately determine the leakage of pipeline based on the feature information. The experimental analysis demonstrates that the IUPEMD denoising method can effectively filter the noise in the signal. The DTWSVM model showed very high recognition accuracy, and its leakage recognition accuracy can reach 99.6%.