bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Carbohydrate utilization by belowground organs defines the capacity of faba bean to exploit organic phosphorus sources
Authors: Jillani Ghulam , Sulieman Saad , Mühling Karl H.
Published: August 2022

Background

Limited phosphate (Pi) reserves and the economic and adverse environmental impacts of excessive application of mineral fertilizers in soils are alarming. Therefore, the use of organic phosphorus (Porg) is suggested to reduce reliance on chemical fertilizers.

Aims

There is currently little information regarding the accessibility of Porg to N2 fixation plants. Therefore, the present study aims to address the question of to what extent Porg substrates can serve as reliable sources of phosphorus (P) for faba bean in its nodulated phase. Specifically, we intended to explore whether N2‐fixing plants employ intrinsic mechanisms to facilitate Porg availability.

Methods

A pot experiment was conducted to assess the inherent capacity of two faba bean varieties (Tiffany vs. Mallory) to utilize Porg supplied as phytic acid and Ca‐glycerophosphate. Plants were inoculated with Rhizobium leguminosarum bv. viciae 3841 strain and cultivated on sterilized loamy sand under greenhouse conditions.

Results

Phytic acid was relatively less efficient than Ca‐glycerophosphate in sustaining plant growth. Compared to Mallory, the variety Tiffany displayed a higher capability to use Porg, as evidenced by the relatively higher biomass production, nodulation, phosphorus use efficiency, and P‐ and N‐accumulations in plant tissues. Porg exploitation was intimately linked to the efficient utilization of the host's carbohydrate budget into nutrient‐acquiring structures (roots and nodules). In addition, the preferential allocation of Pi to prolific nodules is essential for plants to thrive best under these circumstances.

Conclusions

Together with N profitability, these findings suggested that N2‐fixing plants (e.g., faba bean) can promote the sustainable exploitation of Porg, thereby diminishing the sizeable environmental footprint.
Dynamic processes of the water sublattice in FeTiF6·xH2O·yD2O crystal
Authors: Yu.V. Gerasimova , A.S. Krylov , A.N. Vtyurin , N.M. Laptash , E.I. Pogoreltsev , A.A. Dubrovskiy , M.A. Gerasimov
Published: August 2022

Phase transition in
crystals has been studied by Raman spectroscopy. The 611 cm−1 line corresponding to mode
of
system does not exhibit anomalous behavior associated with the phase transition. The temperature studies showed that below the phase transition temperature, the equivalence of D2O molecules in
octahedron is broken. The phase transition mechanism in the compound under study is associated with
complex.
Analytic solution to the rate law for a fundamental autocatalytic reaction mechanism operating in the “efficient” regime
Authors: Baird James K. , Barlow Douglas A.
Published: August 2022

Integrated rate laws in analytic form are scarce in the kinetics literature in cases where a reaction mechanism involves an autocatalytic step. As an example, we have taken up the challenge of integrating the rate law for a mechanism where an initial autocatalytic step competes with a subsequent step in which the catalyst decays unimolecularly to form the product. In addition to its chemical application, this mechanism forms the basis for theories of metabolism and chemical evolution. Even though it is one of the most elementary mechanisms possible, an exact analytic solution to the governing rate law has never been obtained in closed form. Of greatest chemical interest is the case where the autocatalytic step is much faster than the unimolecular step. This situation has the effect of enhancing the yield of the product and is known as the efficient regime. We derive a closed form analytical solution to the rate equation which is accurate in this limit. We use our analytic solution to obtain a formula for the induction time during which the rate of formation of product is accelerating.
Glucocorticoid Dose Dependency on Gene Expression in Vocal Fold Fibroblasts and Macrophages
Authors: Nakamura Ryosuke , Bing Renjie , Gartling Gary J. , Garabedian Michael J. , Branski Ryan C.
Published: August 2022

Objective

Glucocorticoids (GCs) modulate multiple cellular activities including inflammatory and fibrotic responses. Outcomes of GC treatment for laryngeal disease vary, affording opportunity to optimize treatment. In the current study, three clinically employed GCs were evaluated to identify optimal in vitro concentrations at which GCs mediate favorable anti‐inflammatory and fibrotic effects in multiple cell types. We hypothesize a therapeutic window will emerge as a foundation for optimized therapeutic strategies for patients with laryngeal disease.

Study Design

In vitro.

Methods

Human vocal fold fibroblasts and human macrophages derived from THP‐1 monocytes were treated with 0.03–1000 nM dexamethasone, 0.3–10,000 nM methylprednisolone, and 0.3–10,000 nM triamcinolone in combination with interferon‐γ, tumor necrosis factor‐α, or interleukin‐4. Real‐time polymerase chain reaction was performed to analyze inflammatory (CXCL10, CXCl11, PTGS2, TNF, IL1B) and fibrotic (CCN2, LOX, TGM2) genes, and TSC22D3, a target gene of GC signaling. EC50 and IC50 to alter inflammatory and fibrotic gene expression was calculated.

Results

Interferon‐γ and tumor necrosis factor‐α increased inflammatory gene expression in both cell types; this response was reduced by GCs. Interleukin‐4 increased LOX and TGM2 expression in macrophages; this response was also reduced by GCs. GCs induced TSC22D3 and CCN2 expression independent of cytokine treatment. EC50 for each GC to upregulate CCN2 was higher than the IC50 to downregulate other genes.

Conclusion

Lower concentrations of GCs repressed inflammatory gene expression and only moderately induced genes involved in fibrosis. These data warrant consideration as a foundation for optimized clinical care paradigms to reduce inflammation and mitigate fibrosis.

Level of Evidence

NA Laryngoscope, 133:1169–1175, 2023
An absorption‐based approach to improved estimates of phytoplankton biomass and net primary production
Authors: Fox James , Kramer Sasha J. , Graff Jason R. , Behrenfeld Michael J. , Boss Emmanuel , Tilstone Gavin , Halsey Kimberly H.
Published: August 2022

The abundance and productivity of phytoplankton constrain energy transfer through marine food webs and the export of organic carbon to the deep ocean. Bio‐optical measurements correlate well with phytoplankton carbon (Cphyto), but the effect of taxonomic variability on this relationship is still uncertain. Here, we explore how changes in phytoplankton community composition influence the relationship between the particulate backscatter coefficient (bbp) and Cphyto and present a new approach to estimate phytoplankton biomass more accurately using bbp. We found that using a fixed scaling factor for the conversion of bbp to Cphyto could lead to the underestimation or overestimation of biomass, depending on the dominant taxonomic group in the phytoplankton community. In addition, we demonstrate how a simple ratio of absorption at two wavelengths can be used to provide a coarse approximation of phytoplankton community composition when scaling bbp to Cphyto, thereby improving the estimation of net primary production.
Computer‐aided diagnostic models to classify lymph node metastasis and lymphoma involvement in enlarged cervical lymph nodes using PET/CT
Authors: Yang Yuhan , Zheng Bo , Li Yueyi , Li Yuan , Ma Xuelei
Published: August 2022

Background

It is a clinical problem to identify histological component in enlarged cervical lymph nodes, particularly in differentiation between lymph node metastasis and lymphoma involvement.

Purpose

To construct two kinds of deep learning (DL)‐based computer‐aided diagnosis (CAD) systems including DL‐convolutional neural networks (DL‐CNN) and DL‐machine learning for pathological diagnosis of cervical lymph nodes by positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) images.

Methods

We collected CT, PET, and PET/CT images series from 165 patients with enlarged cervical lymph nodes receiving examinations from January 2014 to June 2018. Six CNNs pretrained on ImageNet as DL architectures were used for two kinds of DL‐based CAD models, including DL‐CNN and DL‐machine learning models. The DL‐CNN models were constructed via transfer learning for classification of lymphomatous and metastatic lymph nodes. The DL‐machine learning models were developed by DL‐based features extractors and support vector machine (SVM) classifier. As for DL‐SVM models, we also evaluate the effect of handcrafted radiomics features in combination of DL‐based features.

Results

The DL‐CNN model with ResNet50 architecture on PET/CT images had the best diagnostic performance among all six algorithms with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.845 and accuracy of 78.13% in the testing cohort. The DL‐SVM model on ResNet50 extractor showed great performance for the testing cohort with an AUC of 0.901, accuracy of 86.96%, sensitivity of 76.09%, and specificity of 94.20%. The combination of DL‐based and handcrafted features yielded the improvement of diagnostic performance.

Conclusions

Our DL‐based CAD systems on PET/CT images were developed for classifying metastatic and lymphomatous involvement with favorable diagnostic performance in enlarged cervical lymph nodes. Further clinical practice of our systems may improve quality of the following therapeutic interventions and optimize patients’ outcomes.
Psychological experience among internship nurses at different internship stages: A qualitative study
Authors: Xiong Wanhong , Zhu Aiqun
Published: August 2022

Aim

Some studies have found that clinical practice has caused great pressure and negative psychological experience to nursing students. Therefore, this study aimed to identify psychological experience at different internship stages among internship nurses.

Design

A qualitative study.

Methods

In this qualitative study, one‐to‐one in‐depth interviews and mixed data analysis strategies were conducted among internship nurses from May 2018 to February 2019.

Results

The pressure of the initial stage was operational pressure (80.0%), intermediate stage was nurse–patient communication (50.0%), and last stage was employment pressure (70.6%). Nursing students mainly expected to improve their operational and communication skills, and to acquire clinical experience, thinking ability and frontier knowledge. 62.5% students said ambivalent on “let us practice with being monitored,” especially in the last stage (88.2%). Clinical nursing teaching should pay attention to this dynamic experience and their factors and take corresponding measures to improve the quality of internship.
Associations between ultra‐ or minimally processed food intake and three adiposity indicators among US adults: NHANES 2011 to 2016
Authors: Zhang Zefeng , Kahn Henry S. , Jackson Sandra L. , Steele Euridice Martinez , Gillespie Cathleen , Yang Quanhe
Published: August 2022

Objective

Ultraprocessed food (UPF) intake is associated with BMI, but effects on regional adipose depots or related to minimally processed food (MPF) intake are unknown.

Methods

Data included 12,297 adults in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), 2011 to 2016. This study analyzed associations between usual percentage of kilocalories from UPFs and MPFs and three adiposity indicators: supine sagittal abdominal diameter to height ratio (SADHtR, estimates visceral adiposity); waist circumference to height ratio (WHtR, estimates abdominal adiposity); and BMI, using linear and multinomial logistic regression.

Results

Standardized β coefficients per 10% increase in UPF intake were 0.0926, 0.0846, and 0.0791 for SADHtR, WHtR, and BMI, respectively (all p < 0.001; p > 0.26 for pairwise differences). For MPF intake, the β coefficients were −0.0901, −0.0806, and −0.0688 (all p < 0.001; p > 0.18 pairwise). Adjusted odds ratios (95% CI) for adiposity tertile 3 versus tertile 1 (comparing UPF intake quartiles 2, 3, and 4 to quartile 1) were 1.33 (1.22‐1.45), 1.67 (1.43‐1.95), and 2.24 (1.76‐2.86), respectively, for SADHtR; 1.31 (1.19‐1.44), 1.62 (1.37‐1.91), and 2.13 (1.63‐2.78), respectively, for WHtR; and 1.27 (1.16‐1.39), 1.53 (1.31‐1.79), and 1.96 (1.53‐2.51), respectively, for BMI. MPF intake showed inverse associations with similar trends in association strength.

Conclusions

Among US adults, abdominal and visceral adiposity indictors were positively associated with UPFs and inversely associated with MPFs.
Development and validation of a deep‐learning based assistance system for enhancing laparoscopic control level
Authors: Zheng Qingyuan , Yang Rui , Yang Song , Ni Xinmiao , Li Yanze , Jiang Zhengyu , Wang Xinyu , Wang Lei , Chen Zhiyuan , Liu Xiuheng
Published: August 2022

Background and Aims

Inter‐operator variations in the level of intraoperative laparoscope control by surgeons influence surgical outcomes. We aimed to construct a laparoscopic surgery quantification system (LSQS) for real‐time evaluation of the surgeon's laparoscope control to improve intraoperative manipulation of the laparoscope.

Methods

Using 1888 images from 80 laparoscopic videos for training, the U‐Net, PSPNet, LinkNet, and DeepLabv3+ models were used to segment surgical instruments. The percentage of the instruments in central area was defined as the new indicator and the threshold was determined from 20 laparoscopic videos. The differences between expert and non‐expert laparoscopic operators before and after LSQS were compared.

Results

Among the three segmentation models (U‐Net, PSPNet, and LinkNet), the PSPNet model had the highest index (precision 0.9135; F1 score 0.9058; mIoU 0.8280). The validation experiment showed that LSQS could help non‐expert users to more easily achieve expert‐level control of the laparoscope.

Conclusions

Deep‐learning technology successfully fed back real‐time intraoperative information on level of laparoscope control and may facilitate better visualisation of the surgical field.
Applying monochromated silver X‐rays to the surface characterization of silicon‐containing materials
Authors: Leadley Stuart R. , Clark Michael B. , Jhalaria Mayank
Published: August 2022

Although the use of a monochromated silver X‐ray source for X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis was first reported in the 1980s, it has found limited application. Two important advances have been made in recent years that now enable it to be used more routinely for surface analysis. These advancements are the development of relative sensitivity factors for quantification and the fully motorized dual silver/aluminum X‐ray source, which enables the change to monochromated X‐ray energies in a few minutes versus hours. Silicones are an important class of materials that have unique chemical properties that can vary from liquids to glass‐like materials. XPS, with monochromatic Al Kα X‐rays, is used routinely to characterize silicon‐containing materials and to identify different silicone functional groups. This was aided by the work published on the analysis of Si 2p peaks acquired from polysiloxane materials. The binding energy increases nonlinearly when methyl groups on a silicon atom are replaced by oxygen atoms. This work will now be extended to determine the binding energy shifts in Si 1s, 2s, and Auger spectra, which will allow the identification of silicon chemistry when using monochromated silver X‐rays. The Auger parameters of the different polysiloxanes will be compared to those of other silicon‐containing materials. Comparison of the depth of analysis in silicon‐containing materials when changing from aluminum to silver X‐rays will also be addressed.
Clamshell‐type Bis‐phthalocyanine with Tetrachlorocyclotriphosphazene Intramolecular Bridge: Synthesis and Structural Evaluation by DFT, NMR and Optical Spectroscopy
Authors: Tolbin Alexander Yu. , Tarasevich Boris N. , Beklemishev Mikhail K. , Brel Valery K. , Pushkarev Victor E.
Published: August 2022

An interaction of 2‐hydroxy‐9(10),16(17),23(24)‐tri‐tert‐butyl‐29H,31H‐ phthalocyanine (1) with hexachlorocyclotriphosphazene (phosphonitrilic chloride trimer) produced, along with the A3B type low‐symmetry monophthalocyanine (monomer 2), a bis‐derivative 3 with spectral characteristics such as that of most clamshell‐type phthalocyanines (typically, H‐dimers). The reaction can be considered conditionally selective. DFT calculations showed the possibility of the existence of several isomers. Based on the UV‐Vis, fluorescent and NMR studies, we found that 3 was obtained as an inseparable mixture of three diastereomers‐achiral cis‐isomer and two chiral trans‐isomers. DFT analysis has also shown that cis‐isomer can exist as two rotamers‐parallel and oblique, by an analogy with the cofacial J‐type dimers that we obtained earlier.
Electrochemical Dopamine Detection using a Fe/Fe3O4@C Composite derived from a Metal‐Organic Framework
Authors: Zhang Jingrui , Wang Xingwen , Meng Wei , Han Chao , Leng Chunpeng
Published: August 2022

In this paper, a novel composite of Fe/Fe3O4@C is synthesized by taking a Fe‐metal‐organic framework (Fe‐MOF) as precursor template. Different treating temperature (450, 550, 650 and 750 °C) were carried out to investigate the composite of calcined products. The Fe/Fe3O4@C‐650 modified glassy carbon electrode (Fe/Fe3O4@C‐650GCE) shows good electrocatalytic activity towards dopamine (DA) oxidation. Three electrochemical measuring methods of cyclic voltammetry (CV), differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) and amperometry i‐t are adopted to investigate the sensing behaviors of Fe/Fe3O4@C‐650/GCE. The results show that: the sensors based on CV and DPV technology exhibit excellent advantages in the aspect of sensitivity and linear range thanthose of the sensor based on amperometry i‐t technology. Meanwhile, the sensor based on CV method shows good selectivity for dopamine, and can resist the influence of various sugars, uric acid, ascorbic acid, as well as Na+ and K+. The sensor also shows good stability and repeatability in the sensing process. In addition, the Fe/Fe3O4@C‐650/GCE could be successfully applied in the DA detection in the human serum.
Efficient Multicomponent Synthesis of Biginelli‐Dihydro‐Pyrimidines and Evaluation of Anti‐Cancer Activity
Authors: Krishnan V. B. R. , Kumari Merugu Santha , Jyothsna Gali Siva , Kapavarapu Ravikumar , Babu Bollikolla Hari
Published: August 2022

In the presence of imidazole hydrochloride, an efficient one‐pot three‐component synthesis of Biginelli reaction of aromatic aldehydes and aliphatic aldehydes, ethyl acetoacetate, and thiourea/urea was developed with good yields of dihydropyrimidines. High yields (80–95 %), mild reaction conditions, an easy work‐up process, a fast reaction time and simple operations are all significant features of the reaction. A total of 15 dihydropyrimidines were synthesized and out of which 12 compounds were evaluated for their anti‐cancer activity against cancer cell lines viz.A549, HT29, HepG2. Most of the synthesized compounds showed moderate to good anti‐cancer activity (IC50=150>200 μM).
Synergistic Influences of Doping Techniques and Well‐Defined Heterointerface Formation to Improve the Photocatalytic Ability of the S‐ZnO/GO Nanocomposite
Authors: Javed Mohsin , Qamar Muhammad Azam , Iqbal Shahid , Aljazzar Samar O. , Iqbal Sadia , Khan Humaira , Abourehab Mohammed A. S. , Elkaeed Eslam B. , Alharthi Abdulrahman I. , Awwad Nasser S. , Ibrahium Hala A.
Published: August 2022

Environmental pollutants such as organic dyes are major focal areas of the current era. For this reason, excellent photocatalytic substances are needed time to degrade such water bodies and get pollution‐free water. In this study, Sulphur doped zinc oxide nanoparticles were fabricated utilizing a solution‐free technique, while graphene oxide was synthesized using a modified hummer‘s method. Sulphur‐doped zinc oxide nanoparticles were mixed with graphene oxide in five distinct weight percentages to achieve the S‐ZnO/GO (SZO) composites. The 8 % SZO NC demonstrated superior photocatalytic efficiency, degrading 100 % of MB in 110 minutes under sunlight irradiation. The synthesized composites were characterized by the techniques viz. TEM, SEM, EDXS, FTIR, XPS, and UV spectrophotometry to determine their chemical nature and morphological features. Methylene blue was used as a reference pollutant to evaluate the photocatalytic activity of the composites. According to the radical scavenger‘s test observations, •OH and •O2– were the primary species responsible for MB decomposition. Furthermore, the nanocomposites were found highly stable, with a continuously high degree of dye degradation throughout six catalytic cycles. As a result, the SZO nanocomposites have the prospective to be an extremely effective and versatile photocatalyst for the photodegradation of organic wastes.
Green Synthesis of a Nano Copper Powder via a Facile Ethanol Thermal Reduction and Its Mechanism
Authors: Chen Xiaoping , Chen Bohong , Fu Jiaqi
Published: August 2022

In this study, nano copper powder was prepared by a simple ethanol thermal reduction method. The reaction temperature and sodium hydroxide dosage played important roles in this reaction system. Pure nano copper powder only could be obtained when the reaction temperature was up to 160 °C and the reaction system kept alkaline. Sodium acetate was found to be the only organic product in this reaction system. Further, the mechanism and process of the thermal reduction reaction were analyzed and proposed.
Modeling chromatin state from sequence across angiosperms using recurrent convolutional neural networks
Authors: Wrightsman Travis , Marand Alexandre P. , Crisp Peter A. , Springer Nathan M. , Buckler Edward S.
Published: August 2022

Accessible chromatin regions are critical components of gene regulation but modeling them directly from sequence remains challenging, especially within plants, whose mechanisms of chromatin remodeling are less understood than in animals. We trained an existing deep‐learning architecture, DanQ, on data from 12 angiosperm species to predict the chromatin accessibility in leaf of sequence windows within and across species. We also trained DanQ on DNA methylation data from 10 angiosperms because unmethylated regions have been shown to overlap significantly with ACRs in some plants. The across‐species models have comparable or even superior performance to a model trained within species, suggesting strong conservation of chromatin mechanisms across angiosperms. Testing a maize (Zea mays L.) held‐out model on a multi‐tissue chromatin accessibility panel revealed our models are best at predicting constitutively accessible chromatin regions, with diminishing performance as cell‐type specificity increases. Using a combination of interpretation methods, we ranked JASPAR motifs by their importance to each model and saw that the TCP and AP2/ERF transcription factor (TF) families consistently ranked highly. We embedded the top three JASPAR motifs for each model at all possible positions on both strands in our sequence window and observed position‐ and strand‐specific patterns in their importance to the model. With our publicly available across‐species ‘a2z’ model it is now feasible to predict the chromatin accessibility and methylation landscape of any angiosperm genome.
“Can We See ur Dog[?]”: Co‐Constructing Virtual Author Visits in the Chat
Authors: Buchholz Beth A. , Jordan Rebecca L. P. , Frye Elizabeth M.
Published: August 2022

Author/illustrator school visits are literacy events that positively impact children's motivation to read and write. The emergence of COVID‐19, however, made face‐to‐face visits impossible, forcing visits to use video conferencing platforms. The assumption is that these virtual visits are a “lesser version” of the face‐to‐face visit: less engaging, less effective, and less inspiring, but our experiences (and data) offer a more nuanced perspective. We analyzed data generated during a virtual author/illustrator school visit with Sara Varon to better understand what kinds of interactions emerged between authors/illustrators and children in virtual spaces. We aimed to answer: How do children, teachers, and authors/illustrators co‐construct meaning during a virtual visit through the use of the chat function? The implications of our work have the potential to redesign author/illustrator visits moving forward—whether those are virtual or in‐person.
To scan or not to scan? The economics of transthoracic ultrasonography for ‘whole‐flock’ ovine pulmonary adenocarcinoma screening in UK sheep flocks
Authors: Davies Peers , Strugnell Ben , Thomas Lian , Lovatt Fiona , Willison Isobel
Published: August 2022

Background

Transthoracic ultrasonography (TTUS) is currently the only widely used method to diagnose suspected preclinical or subclinical cases of ovine pulmonary adenocarcinoma/Jaagsiekte (OPA) in live sheep. However, the economic impact of using TTUS as a screening test has not been described previously.

Methods

Test characteristics for TTUS in a low‐prevalence situation were obtained from a previous study of 1074 breeding ewes that underwent TTUS with an experienced operator. The economic impact was modelled using a 10,000‐iteration partial budget simulation and probability sensitivity analysis to explore the relative influence of model variables.

Results

In flocks of this size, culling true‐positive and false‐positive cases resulted in an estimated median net loss of £4647 (interquartile range: £3537–£6006), determined primarily by replacement ewe value and the cost of TTUS per ewe.

Conclusion

The results of this study emphasise that great caution should be exercised by practitioners when determining if TTUS is appropriate as a screening test for OPA in low‐prevalence flocks or subpopulations within a flock, such as younger age groups, where the losses incurred through the inadvertent culling of healthy sheep may significantly exceed any benefit derived from culling preclinical/subclinical cases.
White Phosphorus Reduction and Oligomerization by a Potassium Diamidoalumanyl
Authors: Hill Michael S. , Mahon Mary F. , McMullin Claire L. , Neale Samuel E. , Pearce Kyle G. , Schwamm Ryan J.
Published: August 2022

Reactions of the potassium alumanyl derivative, [K{Al(SiNDipp)}]2(SiNDipp={CH2SiMe2NDipp}2), with white phosphorus result in two electron reduction to provide controlled access to species containing the (P4)2−dianion. Two examples have been crystallographically characterized, a monomeric derivative in which the potassium cation is encapsulated by 18‐crown‐6 (18‐cr‐6) and a 1‐dimensional polymeric species isolated from diethyl ether solution. Although reactions performed at more elevated temperatures and in the presence of additional equivalents of P4resulted in similar outcomes, these conditions also result in P4oligomerization, albeit by as yet unidentified mechanisms. The structures of [{(SiNDipp)AlK(THF)2}2(P6)] and [{(SiNDipp)AlK(toluene)2}2(P16)] have, thus, also been crystallographically characterized and interrogated computationally by quantum chemical (DFT, QTAIM) methods.
Results of Astro-Measurements of the Deflection of Vertical Using the New Observation Technique
Authors: Murzabekov Murat , Fateev Vyacheslav , Pruglo Aleksei , Ravdin Sergei
Published: August 2022

The initial information for the development of high-degree models of the Earth's gravitational field (EGF) are the results of satellite and ground-based measurements. At the same time, satellite measurements carry information on the long-wave structure of the EGF. Information on the short-wave structure of the EGF can be obtained only on the basis of ground-based measurements. Having organized the determination of deflection of vertical (DOV) with a resolution of several kilometers, the local structure of the EGF can be restored with the highest possible resolution. This can be done using digital zenith camera systems (DZCS). They are automated and allow to determine the components of the DOV at the point of placement in real time. The article presents the developed measurement technique with a DZCS and the results of its tests at various geographical points in the field. The proposed technique, unlike the existing traditional technique, allows to evaluate and take into account the calibration coefficients of the DZCS in each series of observations. In addition, the new proposed technique does not impose requirements on the accuracy of rotation of the telescope around the axis in the horizontal plane and the rigidity of the base of the DZCS. The test results of the new technique showed that the standard deviation of measurements is about 0.1″–0.3″.
Supergroup structure of Jackiw-Teitelboim supergravity
Authors: Fan Yale , Mertens Thomas G.
Published: August 2022

Abstract

We develop the gauge theory formulation of $$ \mathcal{N} $$
N
= 1 Jackiw-Teitelboim supergravity in terms of the underlying OSp(1|2, ℝ) supergroup, focusing on boundary dynamics and the exact structure of gravitational amplitudes. We prove that the BF description reduces to a super-Schwarzian quantum mechanics on the holographic boundary, where boundary-anchored Wilson lines map to bilocal operators in the super-Schwarzian theory. A classification of defects in terms of monodromies of OSp(1|2, ℝ) is carried out and interpreted in terms of character insertions in the bulk. From a mathematical perspective, we construct the principal series representations of OSp(1|2, ℝ) and show that whereas the corresponding Plancherel measure does not match the density of states of $$ \mathcal{N} $$
N
= 1 JT supergravity, a restriction to the positive subsemigroup OSp+(1|2, ℝ) yields the correct density of states, mirroring the analogous results for bosonic JT gravity. We illustrate these results with several gravitational applications, in particular computing the late-time complexity growth in JT supergravity.
Non-invertible symmetries of $$ \mathcal{N} $$ = 4 SYM and twisted compactification
Authors: Kaidi Justin , Zafrir Gabi , Zheng Yunqin
Published: August 2022

Abstract

Non-invertible symmetries have recently been understood to provide interesting constraints on RG flows of QFTs. In this work, we show how non-invertible symmetries can also be used to generate entirely new RG flows, by means of so-called non-invertible twisted compactification. We illustrate the idea in the example of twisted compactifications of 4d $$ \mathcal{N} $$
N
= 4 super-Yang-Mills (SYM) to three dimensions. After giving a catalogue of non-invertible symmetries descending from Montonen-Olive duality transformations of 4d $$ \mathcal{N} $$
N
= 4 SYM, we show that twisted compactification by non-invertible symmetries can be used to obtain 3d $$ \mathcal{N} $$
N
= 6 theories which appear otherwise unreachable if one restricts to twists by invertible symmetries.
Development of new donepezil analogs: synthesis, biological screening and in silico study rational
Authors: Mahmoud Zeinab , Sayed Hadeer S. , Mohamed Lamia W. , Mohamed Khaled O.
Published: August 2022

Fifteen new benzothiophene-based compounds were designed, synthesized, and evaluated as potential anti-Alzheimer agents. Most of the synthesized compounds exhibited remarkable AChE inhibitory activity and effectively inhibited self-mediated β-amyloid protein in vitro. Compound 3g (IC50 = 72.488 ± 3.69 μM) showed a significant β-amyloid inhibitory effect exceeding that of donepezil (IC50 = 87.414 ± 4.46 μM). Furthermore, compound 3j (IC50 = 0.498 ± 0.02 μM) showed the best inhibitory activity comparable to that of donepezil (IC50 = 0.404 ± 0.03 μM). The in vivo evaluation of the promising compounds (3g and 3j) confirmed a significant memory improvement in scopolamine-induced memory impairment model in mice. The molecular docking simulation of compounds 3g and 3j in Torpedo californica-AChE (TcAChE) active site showed a good agreement with the obtained screening results. The in silico ADMET and other physicochemical parameters were also reported.
What are the long-term patient-reported and clinical outcomes after lateral clavicle fractures? A cross-sectional study of 619 patients
Authors: van der Linde Rens A. , van Helden Svenhjalmar , Woltz Sarah , El Moumni Mostafa , IJpma Frank F. A.
Published: August 2022

Background

Lateral clavicle fractures account for 17% of all clavicle fractures and large studies comparing nonoperative and operative treatment are lacking. Therefore, patients cannot be properly informed about different treatment options and prognosis. We assessed long-term patient-reported and clinical outcomes in patients with lateral clavicle fractures.

Methods

A multicenter cross-sectional study was performed in patients treated for lateral clavicle fractures between 2007 and 2016. Primary outcome included patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) (DASH, EQ-5D, return to work, sports, cosmetics and satisfaction). Questionnaires were sent to 619 eligible patients, of which 353 (57%) responded after a mean follow-up of 7.4 ± 2.8 years. Secondary outcome included adverse events and secondary interventions. Outcomes after nonoperative vs. operative treatment (stratified by nondisplaced vs. displaced fractures) were compared using Student t tests and linear regression analysis.

Results

Nondisplaced lateral clavicle fractures were treated nonoperatively and resulted in excellent PROMs. Six patients (3%) developed a nonunion. For displaced lateral clavicle fractures, no differences were found between nonoperative and operative treatment with regard to DASH score (7.8 ± 12.5 vs 5.4 ± 8.6), EQ-5D (0.91 ± 0.13 vs 0.91 ± 0.09), pain (0.9 ± 1.7 vs. 0.8 ± 1.6), patient satisfaction (90.1 ± 25.5 vs. 86.3 ± 20.4), return to work (96.4% vs. 100%) and sports (61.4% vs. 62.3%). The absolute risk of nonunion in patients with a displaced fracture was higher after nonoperative than operative treatment (20.2% vs. 2.9%; p = 0.002), with six patients needing treatment to avoid one nonunion.

Conclusions

Nondisplaced lateral clavicle fractures should be treated nonoperatively and result in good functional outcomes and high union rates. For displaced fractures, neither nonoperative nor operative treatment seems superior. Patients opting for nonoperative treatment should be informed that nonunion occurs in 20% of patients, but only half of these need additional operative treatment. Patients who opt for surgery should be told that nonunion occurs in only 3%; however, most patients (56%) will require secondary intervention for elective implant removal. Regardless of the type of treatment, no differences in functional outcome and PROMs should be expected at long-term follow-up.
How do small changes enable the shift to net-zero? a techno-environmental-economic analysis
Authors: Haddad Yousef , Pagone Emanuele , Parra Rodrigo Valdez , Pearson Nicholas , Salonitis Konstantinos
Published: August 2022

With many of the world’s governments committing to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by mid-century, with well-defined milestones along the road, it is important to investigate how each sector can contribute towards achieving this global goal. The manufacturing sector, with its energy-intensive processes, large amounts of wastes, and hazardous and harmful emissions, is one of the main contributors to global GHG emissions, as well as other sustainability aspects, and, thus, it has great potential to contribute substantially to achieve net-zero objectives. This paper presents a techno-environmental-economic analysis of technologies that can play a key, enabling and leading role in the quest towards net-zero. Such technologies typically bring modest improvement in the environmental performance; however, the aim of this paper is to demonstrate how such small changes, when implemented in an industrial setting, can contribute significantly to the collective improvement in the environmental performance. In order to put the potential improvements into perspective, a real case study from the UK aerospace manufacturing sector is conducted. In the case study, metrics measuring potential improvements from the installation of a low-to-medium waste heat recovery system, and the upgrade of electric motors in the shopfloor to more energy efficient ones, are calculated through environmental and economic models. The models are then subject to a series of sensitivity analyses experiments to help understand the impact of different sources of uncertainty on the perceived GHG emissions, and economic and energy savings. The techno-environmental-economic analysis results revealed that these small changes, when implemented in an industrial setting, can indeed bring valuable improvements in the environmental performance of a manufacturing institute. Further, the sensitivity analysis experiments demonstrated how the environmental and economic performances are not adversely affected by different levels of fluctuations in key, likely to fluctuate, input parameters.
Colorimetric determination of carbidopa in anti-Parkinson drugs based on 4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzaldazine formation by reaction with vanillin
Authors: Lettieri Mariagrazia , Scarano Simona , Palladino Pasquale , Minunni Maria
Published: August 2022

In this paper is reported the selective colorimetric detection and quantification of carbidopa, an inhibitor of aromatic amino acid decarboxylase, in the co-presence of levodopa as dopamine precursor in pharmaceutical formulations for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease. The method is based on the selective condensation reaction between the hydrazine group from carbidopa and the formyl functional group of vanillin, a natural flavoring agent, in acidified alcoholic solution. The yellow color development (λmax ~ 420 nm) due to the formation of 4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzaldazine (HMOB) was observed for carbidopa only, whereas levodopa, lacking the hydrazine group, did not color the solution, as expected. The calibration curves for two tablet formulations of levodopa in combination with carbidopa (4:1) were superimposable with levodopa/carbidopa (4:1), as well as carbidopa alone, in standard solution, i.e., the excipients and additives did not interfere with carbidopa determination, corresponding to a mean recovery about 105%. The linear dynamic range was between 5.00 and 50.0 mg L−1 with very good reproducibility within this range (CVav% about 3–4%) and very good sensitivity, with limits of quantification of about 1 mg L−1. The colorimetric method developed here is very simple, inexpensive, and effective for drug estimation and quality control of pharmaceutical formulations.

Graphical abstract
Aufarbeitung der DDR-Psychotherapie als transdisziplinäres Forschungsfeld
Authors: Gallistl A. , Kirschner H. , Paripovic G. , Rauschenbach M. , Storch M. , Strauß B.
Published: August 2022

Nach einer chronologisch-historischen Darstellung der Psychotherapie in der Deutschen Demokratischen Republik (DDR) im ersten Teil der Literaturübersicht fokussiert dieser Teil zunächst auf die Darstellung klinisch-fachpolitischer Perspektiven. Eine Vergangenheitsbewältigung in Bezug auf Psychotherapie fokussiert bisher auf die negativen Begleiterscheinungen, einschließlich des potenziellen politischen Missbrauchs der Psychotherapie und des Einflusses des defizitären Gesundheitssystems auf die Gesamtversorgung der Bevölkerung. Schließlich werden einige sozialwissenschaftliche Perspektiven aufgezeigt, in denen die Rolle der Ärzte in der DDR beleuchtet, wissenssoziologische Aspekte, die Frage der psychodynamischen Bewertung gesellschaftlicher Einflüsse in der Psychotherapie und das Potenzial biografischer Zugänge diskutiert werden. Nach wie vor gibt es viele offene Fragen zur Rolle der Psychotherapie in einem sozialistischen Land und zu ihrem Bezug zu anderen Aspekten des Alltagslebens in der DDR.
Impact of initialization methods on the predictive skill in NorCPM: an Arctic–Atlantic case study
Authors: Passos Leilane , Langehaug H. R. , Årthun M. , Eldevik T. , Bethke I. , Kimmritz M.
Published: August 2022

The skilful prediction of climatic conditions on a forecast horizon of months to decades into the future remains a main scientific challenge of large societal benefit. Here we assess the hindcast skill of the Norwegian Climate Prediction Model (NorCPM) for sea surface temperature (SST) and sea surface salinity (SSS) in the Arctic–Atlantic region focusing on the impact of different initialization methods. We find the skill to be distinctly larger for the Subpolar North Atlantic than for the Norwegian Sea, and generally for all lead years analyzed. For the Subpolar North Atlantic, there is furthermore consistent benefit in increasing the amount of data assimilated, and also in updating the sea ice based on SST with strongly coupled data assimilation. The predictive skill is furthermore significant for at least two model versions up to 8–10 lead years with the exception for SSS at the longer lead years. For the Norwegian Sea, significant predictive skill is more rare; there is relatively higher skill with respect to SSS than for SST. A systematic benefit from more complex data assimilation approach can not be identified for this region. Somewhat surprisingly, skill deteriorates quite consistently for both the Subpolar North Atlantic and the Norwegian Sea when going from CMIP5 to corresponding CMIP6 versions. We find this to relate to change in the regional performance of the underlying physical model that dominates the benefit from initialization.
Prevalence of diabetic striatopathy and predictive role of glycated hemoglobin level
Authors: Ottaviani Silvia , Arecco Anna , Boschetti Mara , Ottaviani Ennio , Renzetti Paolo , Marinelli Lucio
Published: August 2022

Background

Diabetic striatopathy is defined as a state of hyperglycemia associated with chorea/ballism, striatal hyperdensity at CT, or hyperintensity at T1-weighted MRI. It is considered a rare complication of uncontrolled diabetes but prevalence data are scarce.

Objectives

Characterize diabetic striatopathy prevalence in the population afferent to the largest teaching hospital in Genova (Liguria, Italy) and investigate the role of glycated hemoglobin level in predicting the risk.

Methods

Data were retrospectively obtained from general population undergoing blood sampling for glycated hemoglobin and resulting with HbA1c values ≥ 8%, from January 2014 to June 2017. Brain neuroimaging of those who underwent at least a brain CT or MRI was examined in search of findings compatible with diabetic striatopathy and clinical information was collected. Logistic regression was used to predict the risk of diabetic striatopathy based on age and HbA1c values.

Results

Subjects with uncontrolled diabetes were 4603. Brain neuroimaging was available in 1806 subjects and three patients with diabetic striatopathy were identified, all of them reporting choreic movements. The prevalence of hemichorea due to diabetic striatopathy was therefore 3 cases out of 1806 (0.16%) in our population. Hepatic and hypoxic encephalopathies were the conditions most frequently mimicking diabetic striatopathy. Odds ratio of diabetic striatopathy and HbA1c level was significantly correlated (p = 0.0009).

Conclusions

To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to evaluate the prevalence of diabetic striatopathy in Italy. High HbA1c values may have a role in predicting diabetic striatopathy.
Future medical and non-medical costs and their impact on the cost-effectiveness of life-prolonging interventions: a comparison of five European countries
Authors: Mokri Hamraz , Kvamme Ingelin , de Vries Linda , Versteegh Matthijs , van Baal Pieter
Published: August 2022

When healthcare interventions prolong life, people consume medical and non-medical goods during the years of life they gain. It has been argued that the costs for medical consumption should be included in cost-effectiveness analyses from both a healthcare and societal perspective, and the costs for non-medical consumption should additionally be included when a societal perspective is applied. Standardized estimates of these so-called future costs are available in only a few countries and the impact of inclusion of these costs is likely to differ between countries. In this paper we present and compare future costs for five European countries and estimate the impact of including these costs on the cost-effectiveness of life-prolonging interventions. As countries differ in the availability of data, we illustrate how both individual- and aggregate-level data sources can be used to construct standardized estimates of future costs. Results show a large variation in costs between countries. The medical costs for the Netherlands, Germany, and the United Kingdom are large compared to Spain and Greece. Non-medical costs are higher in Germany, Spain, and the United Kingdom than in Greece. The impact of including future costs on the ICER similarly varied between countries, ranging from €1000 to €35,000 per QALY gained. The variation between countries in impact on the ICER is largest when considering medical costs and indicate differences in both structure and level of healthcare financing in these countries. Case study analyses were performed in which we highlight the large impact of including future costs on ICER relative to willingness-to-pay thresholds.
Segmentation of conifer tree crowns from terrestrial laser scanning point clouds in mixed stands of Scots pine and Norway spruce
Authors: Brunner Andreas , Houtmeyers Silke
Published: August 2022

Terrestrial laser scanning of conifer tree crowns is challenged by occlusion problems causing sparse point clouds for many trees. Automatic segmentation of conifer tree crowns from sparse point clouds is a task that has only recently been addressed and not solved in a way that all trees can be segmented automatically without assignment errors. We developed a new segmentation algorithm that is based on region growing from seeds in voxelized 3D laser point clouds. In our data, field measured tree positions and diameters were available as input data to estimate crown cores as seeds for the region growing. In other applications, these seeds can be derived from the laser point cloud. Segmentation success was judged visually in the 3D voxel clouds for 1294 tree crowns of Norway spruce and Scots pine on 24 plots in six mixed species stands. Only about half of the tree crowns had only minor or no segmentation errors allowing to fit concentric crown models. Segmentation errors were most often caused by unsegmented neighbors at the edge of the sample plots. Wrong assignments of crown parts were also more frequent in dense groups of trees and for understory trees. For some trees, point clouds were too sparse to describe the crown. Segmentation success rates were considerably higher for dominant trees in the plot center. Despite the incomplete automatic segmentation of tree crowns, metrics describing crown size and crown shape could be derived for a large number of sample trees. A description of the irregular shape of tree crowns was not possible for most trees due to the sparse point clouds in the upper crown of most trees.