bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Superior Transverse Atraumatic Reconstruction (STAR) approach provides a better-compared outcome to standard Direct Superior Approach (DSA): a matched, prospective comparative single-surgeon study
Authors: Kenanidis Eustathios , Milonakis Nikolaos , Georgios Foukarakis , Potoupnis Michael , Tsiridis Eleftherios
Published: April 2023

Introduction: The Direct Superior Approach (DSA) is a muscle-sparing hip approach that does not protect the piriformis and the other short external rotators. We present a DSA modification we named STAR (Superior Transverse Atraumatic Reconstruction), which has DSA advantages but always preserves piriformis. Our study compared the early postoperative, radiological, and functional results of patients undergoing primary total hip arthroplasty (THA) through the STAR approach with a matched DSA group performed by a senior surgeon. Methods: Each group, DSA, and STAR included 200 elective primary unilateral THAs performed by the surgeon between 2016–2017 and 2020–2021, respectively. Patients were included in both groups using the same inclusion criteria. Both groups were matched for age and sex. The same postoperative pain management, chemoprophylaxis, and physiotherapy protocols were followed in both groups. Two independent orthopaedic surgeons performed the clinical and radiological follow-up. Results: The STAR group had significantly lower mean incision length (p = 0.042) and hospital stay (p = 0.002) than the DSA group. The mean intraoperative blood loss (p = 0.085) and the need for blood transfusion (p = 0.228) were less for the STAR than the DSA group. The mean postoperative functional scores improvement was significantly higher for the STAR than the DSA group at the end of the first and third postoperative months. Conclusions: The STAR approach offers earlier functional improvement, shorter hospital stay and less transfusion need than DSA for patients undergoing primary THA. Both approaches showed a limited complication risk and an outstanding acetabular and femoral access enabling the procedure.
Real-time fast learning hardware implementation
Authors: Zhang Ming Jun , Garcia Samuel , Terre Michel
Published: April 2023

Machine learning algorithms are widely used in many intelligent applications and cloud services. Currently, the hottest topic in this field is Deep Learning represented often by neural network structures. Deep learning is fully known as deep neural network, and artificial neural network is a typical machine learning method and an important way of deep learning. With the massive growth of data, deep learning research has made significant achievements and is widely used in natural language processing (NLP), image recognition, and autonomous driving. However, there are still many breakthroughs needed in the training time and energy consumption of deep learning. Based on our previous research on fast learning architecture for neural network, in this paper, a solution to minimize the learning time of a fully connected neural network is analysed theoretically. Therefore, we propose a new parallel algorithm structure and a training method with over-tuned parameters. This strategy finally leads to an adaptation delay and the impact of this delay on the learning performance is analyzed using a simple benchmark case study. It is shown that a reduction of the adaptation step size could be proposed to compensate errors due to the delayed adaptation, then the gain in processing time for the learning phase is analysed as a function of the network parameters chosen in this study. Finally, to realize the real-time learning, this solution is implemented with a FPGA due to the parallelism architecture and flexibility, this integration shows a good performance and low power consumption.
Der Markt der cannabisbasierten Arzneimittel in
Deutschland
Authors: Christoffel Volker , Hecker Richard
Published: April 2023

Cannabisbasierte Arzneimittel enthalten genuine Inhaltsstoffe aus der
Cannabispflanze, die in Deutschland zur medizinischen Behandlung verordnet
werden dürfen. Die Wirkstoffe können durch chemische Partial-
oder Vollsynthese oder mittels Extraktion aus der offizinellen Droge gewonnen
werden. Auch eine synthetische Variante von
Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinnol mit modifizierter Seitenkette
existiert als Arzneimittel im Markt.

Seit März 2017 sind in Deutschland auch die getrocknete weibliche
Cannabisblüte und daraus hergestellte Extrakte für die
medizinische Anwendung legalisiert und als Arzneimittel im Rahmen der
BtMVV-Regelung verordnungsfähig. Das therapeutisch wichtigste
Cannabinoid ist das natürlich vorkommende Stereoisomer
(–)-trans-Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (INN:
Dronabinol, „THC“). Es verfügt über ein
pleiotropes Wirkspektrum mit analgetischer, muskelrelaxierender, antiemetischer,
appetitanregender und stimmungsaufhellender Komponente. Die medizinische
Anwendung umfasst entsprechende Indikationen, wie chronische Schmerzen, Spastik
und Querschnittserkrankungen, Übelkeit und Erbrechen in der
Chemotherapie, Inappetenz und Kachexie, Tourette-Syndrom 1. Hinsichtlich der Indikationen ist zu
beachten, dass cannabinoidhaltige Arzneimittel ausschließlich
symptomatisch wirken und bislang keine wissenschaftlichen Erkenntnisse
hinsichtlich eines therapeutischen Nutzens bei der Behandlung der jeweiligen
Primärerkrankung vorliegen. Von den über 100 nachgewiesenen
Phytocannabinoiden in der Pflanze hat in den letzten Jahren die nicht
psychotrope Substanz Cannabidiol (CBD) eine gewisse Bedeutung in der Behandlung
der Epilepsie gewonnen.
Ätherische Öle in der Dermatologie
Authors: Fotinos-Graf Karoline
Published: April 2023

Ätherische Öle weisen aufgrund ihres Vielstoffgemischs ein
breites Wirkspektrum auf und können bei dermatologischen Pathologien
breit eingesetzt werden. Insbesondere bei der kausalen Therapie
infektiöser Hauterkrankungen punktet die Aromatherapie durch ihr
großes antiinfektiöses Potenzial – komplettiert durch
vielfältige andere, in der Dermatologie relevante Wirkungen, wie
beispielsweise Entzündungshemmung, Wundheilungsförderung oder
Juckreizstillung. Neben der Wahl der ätherischen Öle ist bei
topischen Zubereitungen die Art der Galenik für eine effiziente Therapie
entscheidend.
An Acromegalic Patient with Sickle Cell Disease Undergoing Endoscopic Trans-Sphenoidal Surgery: Anesthetic Concerns for a Neuroanesthesiologist
Authors: Thappa Priya , Panda Nidhi B.
Published: April 2023

Sickle cell disease (SCD) refers to a group of hemoglobinopathies that include mutations in the gene encoding the β subunit of hemoglobin. The glutamine in the heme portion of the hemoglobin molecule is abnormally substituted by valine. Sickle hemoglobin (hemoglobin type S), when gets deoxygenated, tends to polymerize and aggregate leading to vaso-occlusion and organ ischemia. Such patients are at increased risk of perioperative mortality and severe complications like vaso-occlusive crisis, acute chest syndrome, and congestive heart failure. We describe the perioperative management of a case of SCD with acromegaly scheduled for trans-sphenoidal removal of a functional pituitary adenoma. The acromegalic habitus, the cardiovascular effects of acromegaly, and the hormonal imbalances due to pituitary adenoma pose challenges in addition to the challenge of preventing complications of SCD making the anesthetic management more exigent.
Year in Review: Synopsis of Selected Articles in Neuroanesthesia and Neurocritical Care from 2022
Authors: Nijs Kristof , Chhabra Swati , Venkatraghavan Lashmi
Published: April 2023

This review is a synopsis of selected articles from neuroscience, neuroanesthesia, and neurocritical care from the year 2022 (January–November 2022). The journals reviewed include anesthesia journals, critical care medicine journals, neurosurgical journals as well as high-impact medical journals such as the Lancet, Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA), New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), and Stroke. The summary of important articles will serve to update the knowledge of neuroanesthesiologists and other perioperative physicians who provide care to neurosurgical and neurocritical cases.
Biased Trade Narratives and Its Influence on Development Studies: A Multi-level Mixed-Method Approach
Authors: Aistleitner Matthias , Puehringer Stephan
Published: April 2023

Recent evidence from citation analysis (Mitra et al., World Dev 135:105076, 2020) suggests that research published in top economic journals is becoming more influential in the development discourse. In this article, we argue that this trend has nontrivial implications for the development discourse on trade in general. Based on an analysis of more than 400 papers published in high-impact economic journals between 1997 and 2017, we highlight three core trade narratives that stand for different biases apparent in the elite economic discourse on trade: “trade championing”, “Ignorance in a world full of nails” and “microfounding trade benefits”. Further insights derived from citation analysis of five development studies journals and a case-study-oriented approach that focusses on the reception of this particular trade debate in World Development suggests that these biased trade narratives are effectively transmitted into development research.
Long-read Pore-C shows the 3D structure of the cattle genome
Authors: Nguyen Loan T. , Jung Hyungtaek , Ma Jun , Andersen Stacey , Ross Elizabeth
Published: April 2023

Context Recent advances in molecular technology have allowed us to examine the cattle genome with an accuracy never before possible. Genetic variations, both small and large, as well as the transcriptional landscape of the bovine genome, have both been explored in many studies. However, the topological configuration of the genome has not been extensively investigated, largely due to the cost of the assays required. Such assays can both identify topologically associated domains and be used for genome scaffolding. Aims This study aimed to implement a chromatin conformation capture together with long-read nanopore sequencing (Pore-C) pipeline for scaffolding a draft assembly and identifying topologically associating domains (TADs) of a Bos indicus Brahman cow. Methods Genomic DNA from a liver sample was first cross-linked to proteins, preserving the spatial proximity of loci. Restriction digestion and proximity ligation were then used to join cross-linked fragments, followed by nucleic isolation. The Pore-C DNA extracts were then prepped and sequenced on a PromethION device. Two genome assemblies were used to analyse the data, namely, one generated from sequencing of the same Brahman cow, and the other is the ARS-UCD1.2 Bos taurus assembly. The Pore-C snakemake pipeline was used to map, assign bins and scaffold the draft and current annotated bovine assemblies. The contact matrices were then used to identify TADs. Key results The study scaffolded a chromosome-level Bos indicus assembly representing 30 chromosomes. The scaffolded assembly showed a total of 215 contigs (2.6 Gbp) with N50 of 44.8 Mb. The maximum contig length was 156.8 Mb. The GC content of the scaffold assembly is 41 ± 0.02%. Over 50% of mapped chimeric reads identified for both assemblies had three or more contacts. This is the first experimental study to identify TADs in bovine species. In total, 3036 and 3094 TADs across 30 chromosomes were identified for input Brahman and ARS-UCD1.2 assemblies respectively. Conclusions The Pore-C pipeline presented herein will be a valuable approach to scaffold draft assemblies for agricultural species and understand the chromatin structure at different scales. Implications The Pore-C approach will open a new era of 3D genome-organisation studies across agriculture species.
East–west disparities in safer sex inside China: a sociocultural perspective
Authors: Zhang Lin , Mou Yi , Wang Jilong
Published: April 2023

Background This study responds to the increasing rate of HIV/AIDS and unplanned pregnancies among Chinese college students from a sociocultural perspective, and investigates the influences of sociocultural factors in shaping sex-related beliefs and acts among Chinese college students. Methods An online survey was conducted on a purposive sample of 1286 female college students in four cities in east and west China. Results Significant east–west disparities have emerged in the rate of sexual intercourse experience, rate of safer sex, conservative sexual values, authority sex education, unofficial sex knowledge access and HIV knowledge. A higher rate of sexual activity, but lower rate of safer sex, were found among the students in the west relative to those in the east. Conclusions This study demonstrates that in a large country, such as China, regional disparities in economy, social development and sexual norms are salient to affect individuals’ sexual behaviours.
Getting off the ladder: Disentangling water quality indices to enhance the valuation of divergent ecosystem services
Authors: Lupi Frank , Herriges Joseph A. , Kim Hyunjung , Stevenson R. Jan
Published: April 2023

Many water quality valuation studies and Federal cost–benefit analyses build from pioneering work using a “water quality ladder” or a single water quality index (WQI) to characterize both current conditions and effects of policies. When policies lead to contrasting changes in valued ecosystem services like recreational fishing and swimming, analyses using a single ladder or index might obscure important underlying service trade-offs. We test for this effect using alternative approaches that separate water quality indices and value changes in distinct ecosystem services stemming from policies with small to moderate changes in water quality. The indices we test relate to nutrient loadings in Michigan’s rivers, lakes, and Great Lakes. Our split-sample experiment compares economic values for treatments with two versus three quality metrics. The key distinction is that the two-index survey, like many existing studies, aggregates subindices for water contact (for swimming and boating) and fish biomass scores (for fishing) into a single WQI, whereas the three-index survey separately utilizes both. We find that changes in our index reflecting changes in fecal bacteria and water clarity are valued differently from changes in our recreational fishing index. Aggregating changes in these two distinct recreational services using a single WQI yields consistently lower benefit estimates across a range of underlying changes in our experiment. In valuation scenarios with small changes in overall water quality, the WQI-based benefit estimates can differ substantially from benefits measured by decomposing the index and valuing the disparate subindices, differences which might change balance of benefits and costs in regulatory evaluations.
Mechanistic insights into DNA binding and cleavage by a compact type I-F CRISPR-Cas system in bacteriophage
Authors: Zhang Manling , Peng Ruchao , Peng Qi , Liu Sheng , Li Zhiteng , Zhang Yuqin , Song Hao , Yang Jia , Xing Xiao , Wang Peiyi , Qi Jianxun , Gao George F.
Published: April 2023

CRISPR-Cas systems are widespread adaptive antiviral systems used in prokaryotes. Some phages, in turn, although have small genomes can economize the use of genetic space to encode compact or incomplete CRISPR-Cas systems to inhibit the host and establish infection. Phage ICP1, infecting
Vibrio cholerae
, encodes a compact type I-F CRISPR-Cas system to suppress the antiphage mobile genetic element in the host genome. However, the mechanism by which this compact system recognizes the target DNA and executes interference remains elusive. Here, we present the electron cryo-microscopy (cryo-EM) structures of both apo- and DNA-bound ICP1 surveillance complexes (Aka Csy complex). Unlike most other type I surveillance complexes, the ICP1 Csy complex lacks the Cas11 subunit or a structurally homologous domain, which is crucial for dsDNA binding and Cas3 activation in other type I CRISPR-Cas systems. Structural and functional analyses revealed that the compact ICP1 Csy complex alone is inefficient in binding to dsDNA targets, presumably stalled at a partial R-loop conformation. The presence of Cas2/3 facilitates dsDNA binding and allows effective dsDNA target cleavage. Additionally, we found that
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Cas2/3 efficiently cleaved the dsDNA target presented by the ICP1 Csy complex, but not vice versa. These findings suggest a unique mechanism for target dsDNA binding and cleavage by the compact phage-derived CRISPR-Cas system.
Perspectives on valuing water quality improvements using stated preference methods
Authors: Bateman Ian J. , Keeler Bonnie , Olmstead Sheila M. , Whitehead John
Published: April 2023

Improvements to the quality of freshwater rivers and lakes can generate a wide array of benefits, from “use values” such as recreational boating, fishing, and swimming to “nonuse values” such as improved outcomes for aquatic biodiversity. Bringing these nonmarket values into decision-making is crucial to determining appropriate levels of investment in water quality improvements. However, progress in the economic valuation of water quality benefits has lagged similar efforts to value air quality benefits, with implications for water policy. New data sources, modeling techniques, and innovation in stated preference survey methods offer notable improvements to estimates of use and nonuse benefits of improved water quality. Here, we provide a perspective on how recent applications of stated preference techniques to the valuation of the nonmarket benefits of water quality improvements have advanced the field of environmental valuation. This overview is structured around four key questions: i) What is it about water quality that we seek to value? ii) How should we design and implement the surveys which elicit individuals’ stated preferences? iii) How do we assess the validity of the findings provided by such studies? and iv) What are the contributions of these valuation exercises to public policy? In answering these questions, we make reference to the contributions provided by the papers in this Symposium.
Full Bayesian identification of linear dynamic systems using stable kernels
Authors: Pillonetto G. , Ljung L.
Published: April 2023

System identification learns mathematical models of dynamic systems starting from input–output data. Despite its long history, such research area is still extremely active. New challenges are posed by identification of complex physical processes given by the interconnection of dynamic systems. Examples arise in biology and industry, e.g., in the study of brain dynamics or sensor networks. In the last years, regularized kernel-based identification, with inspiration from machine learning, has emerged as an interesting alternative to the classical approach commonly adopted in the literature. In the linear setting, it uses the class of stable kernels to include fundamental features of physical dynamical systems, e.g., smooth exponential decay of impulse responses. Such class includes also unknowncontinuousparameters, called hyperparameters, which play a similar role as the modeldiscreteorder in controlling complexity. In this paper, we develop a linear system identification procedure by casting stable kernels in a full Bayesian framework. Our models incorporate hyperparameters uncertainty and consist of a mixture of dynamic systems over a continuum spectrum of dimensions. They are obtained by overcoming drawbacks related to classical Markov chain Monte Carlo schemes that, when applied to stable kernels, are proved to become nearly reducible (i.e., unable to reconstruct posteriors of interest in reasonable time). Numerical experiments show that full Bayes frequently outperforms the state-of-the-art results on typical benchmark problems. Two real applications related to brain dynamics (neural activity) and sensor networks are also included.
Public response to government alerts saves lives during Russian invasion of Ukraine
Authors: Van Dijcke David , Wright Austin L. , Polyak Mark
Published: April 2023

War is the cause of tremendous human suffering. To reduce such harm, governments have developed tools to alert civilians of imminent threats. Whether these systems are effective remains largely unknown. We study the introduction of an innovative smartphone application that notifies civilians of impending military operations developed in coordination with the Ukrainian government after the Russian invasion. We leverage quasi-experimental variation in the timing of more than 3,000 alerts to study civilian sheltering behavior, using high-frequency geolocation pings tied to 17 million mobile devices, 60% of the connected population in Ukraine. We find that, overall, civilians respond sharply to alerts, quickly seeking shelter. These rapid postalert changes in population movement attenuate over time, however, in a manner that cannot be explained by adaptive sheltering behavior or calibration to the signal quality of alerts. Responsiveness is weakest when civilians have been living under an extended state of emergency, consistent with the presence of an alert fatigue effect. Our results suggest that 35 to 45% of observed civilian casualties were avoided because of public responsiveness to the messaging system. Importantly, an additional 8 to 15% of civilian casualties observed during the later periods of the conflict could have been avoided with sustained public responsiveness to government alerts. We provide evidence that increasing civilians’ risk salience through targeted government messaging can increase responsiveness, suggesting a potential policy lever for sustaining public engagement during prolonged episodes of conflict.
Antiparallel dimer structure of CELSR cadherin in solution revealed by high-speed atomic force microscopy
Authors: Nishiguchi Shigetaka , Kasai Rinshi S. , Uchihashi Takayuki
Published: April 2023

Cadherin EGF LAG seven-pass G-type receptors (CELSR) cadherins, members of the cadherin superfamily, and adhesion G-protein-coupled receptors, play a vital role in cell–cell adhesion. The mutual binding of the extracellular domains (ectodomains) of CELSR cadherins between cells is crucial for tissue formation, including the establishment of planar cell polarity, which directs the proper patterning of cells. CELSR cadherins possess nine cadherin ectodomains (EC1–EC9) and noncadherin ectodomains. However, the structural and functional mechanisms of the binding mode of CELSR cadherins have not been determined. In this study, we investigated the binding mode of CELSR cadherins using single-molecule fluorescence microscopy, high-speed atomic force microscopy (HS-AFM), and bead aggregation assay. The fluorescence microscopy analysis results indicated that the
trans
-dimer of the CELSR cadherin constitutes the essential adhesive unit between cells. HS-AFM analysis and bead aggregation assay results demonstrated that EC1–EC8 entirely overlap and twist to form antiparallel dimer conformations and that the binding of EC1–EC4 is sufficient to sustain bead aggregation. The interaction mechanism of CELSR cadherin may elucidate the variation of the binding mechanism within the cadherin superfamily and physiological role of CELSR cadherins in relation to planar cell polarity.
Effects of processing conditions and fine powder loading on real and electroactive surface areas of porous nickel manufactured by lost carbonate sintering
Authors: Wang Zejun , Zhao Yuyuan
Published: April 2023

The effects of five key processing parameters on the real and electroactive surface areas of porous nickel samples produced by the Lost Carbonate Sintering (LCS) process have been investigated systematically. The specific real and electroactive surface areas of the LCS porous Ni samples are 500–1600 cm−1 and 80–115 cm−1. Pore size, compacting pressure and sintering temperature have no significant effect on the surface areas. Porosity has no effect on the gravimetric real surface area, but a higher porosity leads to a lower volumetric real surface area and a higher electroactive surface area. Metal particle size has a huge effect on the surface areas of the LCS porous metal. An intermediate amount of fine Ni powder results in the highest real surface area, approximately 70% higher than the samples produced with coarse Ni powder. Samples produced with fine Ni powder can increase the electroactive surface area by up to 100%.
Research on deformation mechanism of AZ31 magnesium alloy during uniaxial compression
Authors: Fang Xiaoyan , Zhou Chen , Lin Jinbao , Li Wenwen
Published: April 2023

The effects of the non-basal slip and twinning modes on the mechanical behaviour and texture evolution of as-extruded AZ31 alloys during uniaxial compression at room temperature have been investigated by experiments and Visco-Plastic Self Consistent (VPSC) modelling. The results show that the activation of pyramidal slip and {10-11} contraction twinning (CT) can reduce the strain hardening rate in the later stage of compression. And the prismatic slip has a significant effect on the strain hardening rate, the activation of {10-12} extension twinning (ET) can significantly reduce the strain hardening rate and the compressive yield strength. Increased activity of the {10-11} CT causes the pole density transfer to the normal direction (ND) in the {0002} pole figure.
Muscle typology influences the number of repetitions to failure during resistance training
Authors: Van Vossel Kim , Hardeel Julie , Van de Casteele Freek , de Jager Sarah , Lievens Eline , Boone Jan , Derave Wim
Published: April 2023

This study examined whether muscle typology (muscle fibre type composition) is related to maximal strength and whether it can explain the high inter‐individual variability in number of repetitions to failure during resistance training. Ninety‐five resistance training novices (57 males) were assessed for their maximal isometric knee extension strength and muscle typology. Muscle typology was estimated by measuring carnosine in the soleus, gastrocnemius and/or vastus lateralis using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Forty‐four subjects (22 males) performed dynamic strength tests (1RM) and 3 sets of leg extensions and curls to failure (60%1RM) to determine the association between muscle typology and (total) number of repetitions. Twenty‐one subjects performed additional biceps curls and triceps extensions (60%1RM) to assess influence of exercise, 23 subjects performed additional leg extensions and curls at 80% and 40%1RM to evaluate influence of training load. There was a weak but significant relationship between muscle typology and maximal isometric strength (r = 0.22, p = 0.03) favouring the fast typology individuals. Slow and fast typology individuals did not differ in upper arm and upper leg 1RM. Total number of repetitions was related to muscle typology at 80% (r = −0.42; p = 0.04) and 60% (p = −0.44; p = 0.003) but not at 40%1RM. Slow typology individuals performed more repetitions to failure at 60%1RM in the leg extension (p = 0.03), leg curl (p = 0.01) and biceps curl (p = 0.02). In conclusion, muscle typology has a small contribution to maximal isometric strength but not dynamic strength and partly determines the number of repetitions to failure during resistance training. This insight can help individualizing resistance training prescriptions.
Influence of preterm birth on physical fitness in early childhood
Authors: Martinez‐Zamora Marcos D. , Valenzuela Pedro L. , Esteban Díez Inés , Martínez‐de‐Quel Óscar
Published: April 2023

Evidence suggests that preterm birth is associated with an impaired physical fitness later in life, but whether these effects are already visible since early childhood remains unknown. We aimed to compare the physical fitness of preterm preschoolers with that of children born at term. Children aged three to six years and born preterm (<35 weeks) were recruited from a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, and children born at term (>37 weeks) were included as controls. A variety of physical fitness indicators (strength, cardiorespiratory fitness, agility, flexibility and balance) were assessed with the PREFIT battery and the adapted sit and reach test. Physical activity levels were measured through the PrePAQ questionnaire. A total of 98 preterm children (gestational age 32.4 ± 2.3 weeks, age 5.1 ± 0.8 years) and 74 controls (gestational age 39.9 ± 1.0 weeks, age 4.8 ± 0.9 years) were analysed. Despite no significant differences in physical activity levels (p > 0.05), preterm children showed an overall poorer physical fitness compared to controls. Specifically, preterm children had an impaired handgrip strength (−13.95%, p < 0.001), lower‐limb muscle strength (−12.67%, p = 0.003), agility (−14.9%, p = 0.001), cardiorespiratory fitness (−12.73% p = 0.005) and flexibility (−17.04%, p = 0.001) compared to controls. An inverse dose–response association was observed between the level of prematurity and physical fitness, with very preterm children (gestational age ≤32 weeks) presenting the poorest fitness levels. In summary, prematurity seems to impair physical fitness since early childhood, which might support the need for promoting preventive strategies (e.g. fitness monitoring and applying exercise interventions).

Highlights

Preterm children present an impaired physical fitness compared with peers born at term since early childhood (3–6 years), as reflected by lower muscle strength, agility, flexibility and cardiorespiratory fitness.

A greater impairment of physical fitness in observed in children born very preterm (≤32 weeks of gestation).

These findings might support the implementation of preventive strategies (e.g. fitness monitoring and exercise training) in preterm children since early childhood.
Topological interface states by energy hopping within power-law variable section waveguides
Authors: Ma Chengzhi , Niu Jiamin , Wu Jiu Hui , Ma Fuyin , Huang Zhen , Cui Zhanyou
Published: April 2023

An energy-hopping one-dimensional acoustical topology within power-law variable section waveguides is proposed in this paper, wherein a topological phase transition results from the energy in the basic unit hopping to the nearby unit, with the same energy mode causing its energy band to first close and then open. This study can achieve improved sound energy at the topological interface state and further regulate sound energy based on enhanced sound energy. The large open hole determines the wide frequency range where the designable topological interface state is constructed and the power law of the curve of the structure can adjust the size of the common forbidden band of the two topological states to further improve the bandwidth. The small open hole regulates the magnitude of the acoustic energy at the topological interface state. This research will provide guidance for designing acoustic devices with different frequencies and different acoustic energy concentrations and realizing engineering applications of other multifunctional acoustic devices.
A simplified laser-to-chip edge coupling scheme using 3D SU-8 taper
Authors: Mao Xinrui , Li Yanping , Xu Wanjin , Chu Zihao , Ran Guangzhao
Published: April 2023

In this work, we design and simulate a three-dimensional (3D) SU-8 tapered edge coupler for effectively guiding light from an edge-emitting semiconductor laser diode directly to a silicon waveguide to realize a hybrid on-chip silicon light source. A series of coupling efficiencies for the commonly used top silicon thicknesses of the silicon-on-insulator wafers from 220 to 3000 nm are obtained, showing that this polymer taper can largely improve the coupling efficiency when the silicon waveguide thickness is moderate, for instance, from 41% (with no taper) to 67% for the 700 nm- thick silicon waveguide under 1 μm gap offset and relax the lateral misalignment tolerance to above one micron by suppressing the butt refractive index contrast and the mode mismatch between the laser diode and the silicon waveguide. Wave transformation inside the tapered coupler and the input silicon waveguide has also been revealed by 3D finite-difference time-domain simulations. This 3D tapered coupler is cost effective and easily fabricated which can have wide practical applications in massive production of various silicon photonic chips based on the present complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor foundry.
Event-activity-dependent production of strange and non-strange charmed baryons in the enhanced color-reconnection scheme
Authors: Varga Zoltán , Misák Anett , Vértesi Róbert
Published: April 2023

We investigated the production of charmed baryons with different isospin and strangeness content, compared to both charmed D0 mesons and to the

Λ

c

+

baryon in proton–proton collisions at LHC energies. We used the PYTHIA 8 Monte Carlo event generator with color reconnection beyond leading-color approximation and proposed methods based on event-activity classifiers to probe the source of the charmed-baryon enhancement. We conclude that in the considered model class, the isospin of the charmed-baryon state has a strong impact on the enhancement pattern. Using the observables we propose, upcoming high-precision experimental data will be able to differentiate between mechanisms of strangeness and charm enhancement.
Direct formation of interlayer excitons in MoSSe/WSSe van der Waals heterobilayer
Authors: Li Fengping , Wang Yuanyuan , Liang Yan , Dai Ying , Huang Baibiao , Wei Wei
Published: April 2023

In respect to the van der Waals structures composed of two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides, the interlayer excitonic physics plays a determinative role in the exciting new phenomena and applications in such as photonics, optoelectronics and valleytronics. In this work, beyond the well-accepted, conventional indirect two-step process, we proved that the large interlayer polarization can cause the direct formation of interlayer excitons in MoSSe/WSSe. In MoSSe/WSSe, the interlayer exciton with a sizable oscillator strength is located at 1.49 eV, well below the characteristic intralayer excitons, with a significantly reduced exciton binding energy of 0.28 eV and an improved exciton lifetime of 2.25 ns.
Electromagnetic-mechanical coupling analysis and optimization method of electromagnetic vibroseis
Authors: Chen Yuda , Xing Xuefeng , Sun Feng , Lin Jun
Published: April 2023

Electromagnetic vibroseis is an important seismic wave excitation device. At present, the research of electromagnetic vibroseis mainly focuses on application and prototype design, lacking research on electromagnetic-mechanical coupling. Analyzing the electromagnetic-mechanical coupling and optimizing the air gap magnetic field is of great significance to improve the excitation quality of low-frequency seismic waves. In this paper, the electromagnetic-mechanical coupling is analyzed by studying the parameter force factor, and two novel optimal designs of the air gap magnetic field are proposed. Firstly, the finite element model of the air gap magnetic field is established, and the influence of the force factor distribution curve on the vibration signal is analyzed by using the Gaussian function and parameter spline difference method. Further, an asymmetrical axial dual-magnet design is proposed to enhance the radial magnetic induction intensity

B

r

in the air gap. The design of adding a radial magnet to the outer yoke is proposed to compensate for the nonlinearity of the

B

r

in the air gap. The simulation results show that the asymmetric axial dual-magnet structure increases the

B

r

by 22.2% compared with the axial single-magnet structure. Adding a radial magnet to the outer yoke reduces the amplitude ratio of the third harmonic to the fundamental wave from 23.24% to 4.66%. It is necessary to consider the influence of the height of the driving coils on the maximum displacement, force factor distribution curve, and harmonic distortion.
Development of a portable pulsed fast ⩾106 neutron generator based on a flexible miniature plasma focus tube
Authors: Niranjan Ram , Srivastava Rohit , Joycee J , Joshi K D
Published: April 2023

A plasma focus device is a laboratory fusion device that is used to produce pulsed neutrons for a few tens of ns duration. A compact plasma focus tube (volume ≈ 130 cm3) has been developed, and this was connected to a newly developed capacitor bank using 24 coaxial cables, each 10 m long. The capacitor bank was of compact size and consisted of four energy storage capacitors (each 6 µF, 20 kV, size: 20 cm × 20 cm × 30 cm). The peak discharge current of the capacitor bank was estimated to be 176 kA with a rise time of around 3.6 µs at maximum 4.8 kJ operation energy. The average neutron yield was observed to be maximum (3.1 ± 1.0) × 106 neutrons/pulse with a pulse duration of 15–25 ns at an operating energy of 2.7 kJ (15 kV) and deuterium gas filling pressure of 4 mbar. Long coaxial cables allow only the plasma focus head (neutron source) to be moved as per need, making this a portable pulsed neutron source that is useful in many applications, including in extreme conditions, such as in borehole logging applications for oil and mineral mapping. This report describes the various components of this portable neutron generator together with its neutron emission characteristics.
On the power of one pure steered state for EPR-steering with a pair of qubits
Authors: Song Qiu-Cheng , Baker Travis J , Wiseman Howard M
Published: April 2023

As originally introduced, the Einstein, Podolsky and Rosen (EPR) phenomenon was the ability of one party (Alice) to steer, by her choice between two measurement settings, the quantum system of another party (Bob) into two distinct ensembles of pure states. As later formalized as a quantum information task, EPR-steering can be shown even when the distinct ensembles comprise mixed states, provided they are pure enough and different enough. Consider the scenario where Alice and Bob each have a qubit and Alice performs dichotomic projective measurements. In this case, the states in the ensembles to which she can steer form the surface of an ellipsoid

in Bob’s Bloch ball. Further, let the steering ellipsoid

have nonzero volume (as it must if the qubits are entangled). It has previously been shown that if Alice’s first measurement setting yields an ensemble comprising two pure states, then this, plus any one other measurement setting, will demonstrate EPR-steering. Here we consider what one can say if the ensemble from Alice’s first setting contains only one pure state

, occurring with probability

p

p

. Using projective geometry, we derive the necessary and sufficient condition analytically for Alice to be able to demonstrate EPR-steering of Bob’s state using this and some second setting, when the two ensembles from these lie in a given plane. Based on this, we show that, for a given

, if

p

p

is high enough [

] then any distinct second setting by Alice is sufficient to demonstrate EPR-steering. Similarly, we derive a

such that

is necessary for Alice to demonstrate EPR-steering using only the first setting and some other setting. Moreover, the expressions we derive are tight; for spherical steering ellipsoids, the bounds coincide:

.
Effect of Sr substitution on the structural, electronic and thermoelectric properties of the Zintl-phase compound BaZn
2
Sb
2
Authors: Hamidani Ali , Bennecer Badis , Zanat Kamel
Published: April 2023

The structural, electronic, and thermoelectric properties of Ba1−x
Sr
x
Zn2Sb2 (x = 0, 0.25, 0.5, and 0.75) are studied by the full-potential linearized augmented plane wave (FP-LAPW) method in the density functional theory (DFT) framework. The band structure and density of states of the studied system are calculated using PBE functional and Tran-Blaha modifed Becke-Johnson (mBJ) exchange potential. Our generalized gradient approximation (GGA) results show that the system exhibits a phase transition from the orthorhombic phase to the trigonal one at x = 60%. With the TB-mBJ potential these compounds are narrow-gap semiconductors with a direct band gap for x = 0 and 0.25, whereas an indirect band gap semiconductor for x = 0.5 and 0.75. The thermoelectric properties are calculated using the semi-classical Boltzmann transport theory. The temperature dependence of thermoelectric transport properties of these compounds is discussed and compared with available experimental data. Substitution of Ba by Sr leads to an increase in the figure of merit (ZT). The Seebeck coefficients and ZT of Ba0.75Sr0.25Zn2Sb2 and Ba0.5Sr0.5Zn2Sb2 are even larger than those of BaZn2Sb2. The predicted highest ZT values are found for x = 0.5 at higher temperature.
RSD measurements from BOSS galaxy power spectrum using the halo perturbation theory model
Authors: Yu Byeonghee , Seljak Uroš , Li Yin , Singh Sukhdeep
Published: April 2023

We present growth of structure constraints from the cosmological analysis of the power
spectrum multipoles of SDSS-III BOSS DR12 galaxies. We use the galaxy power spectrum model of [1], which decomposes the galaxies into halo mass bins, each of which is modeled
separately using the relations between halo biases and halo mass. The model combines Eulerian
perturbation theory and halo model calibrated on N-body simulations to model the halo
clustering. In this work, we also generate the covariance matrix by combining the analytic
disconnected part with the empirical connected part: we smooth the connected component by
selecting a few principal components and show that it achieves good agreement with the mock
covariance. Our analysis differs from recent analyses in that we constrain a single parameter
 fσ
8 fixing everything else to Planck+BAO prior, thereby reducing the effects of prior
volume and mismodeling. We find tight constraints on fσ
8:
 fσ
8(z
eff = 0.38) = 0.489 ± 0.038 and fσ
8(z
eff = 0.61) = 0.455 ±
0.028 at k
max = 0.2 hMpc-1, with an overall amplitude error of 5%, and in
good agreement (within 0.3 sigma) of Planck amplitude. We discuss the sensitivity of cosmological
parameter estimation to the choice of scale cuts, covariance matrix, and the inclusion of
hexadecapole P
4(k). We show that with k
max = 0.4 hMpc-1 the constraints
improve considerably to an overall 3.2% amplitude error, but there is some evidence of model
misspecification on MultiDark-PATCHY mocks. Choosing k
max consistently and reliably
remains the main challenge of RSD analysis methods.
Bouncing cosmology in VCDM
Authors: Ganz Alexander , Martens Paul , Mukohyama Shinji , Namba Ryo
Published: April 2023

We construct an asymmetric bouncing scenario within the VCDM model — also known as type-II minimally modified gravity, — a modified gravity theory with two local physical degrees of freedom. The scenario is exempt of any ghost or gradient instability, ad-hoc matching conditions or anisotropic stress issue (BKL instability). It moreover succeeds in generating the cosmological perturbations compatible with the observations. The scalar spectral index can be adapted by the choice of the equation of state of the matter sector and the form of the VCDM potential leading to an almost scale-invariant power spectrum. Satisfying the CMB bounds on the tensor-to-scalar ratio leads to a blue tensor spectrum.
Erratum: Freeze-in and freeze-out of sterile neutrino dark matter
Authors: Coy Rupert , Schmidt Michael A.
Published: April 2023

We correct an error in the pNGB coupling to neutrinos in eq. (2.14) and reevaluate the
constraint on the active-sterile mixing from keV sterile neutrino dark matter decay.
Research on Star Sensor-based Space Debris Detection and Positioning Technology
Authors: Liu Meiying
Published: April 2023

As an important part of space situational awareness, space-based surveillance of space debris is of great significance for understanding and protecting space resources. With the increasing number of spacecraft operating in the Earth's orbit, both the environment and the space security situation have gradually deteriorated. The accurate detection of small, dim targets in space is the technical basis of space-based debris monitoring; however, several difficulties exist in this field. Since space targets reflect low light energy, the number of pixels occupied by the target is small, and they do not reveal shape or texture characteristics. Space debris is therefore easily confused with background stars, leading to many false alarm targets, and making source detection, recognition, and tracking challenging. Accurate source positions for small and dim space targets are therefore important motivators in our project. However, the positioning accuracy of existing space-based monitoring platforms is limited by the position of the observation platform and the observable time period, due to the high-speed movements of the satellite platform and the observation target. The observation efficiency of existing space-based monitoring platforms is also low, which has certain limitations in practical applications. The high-precision measurement of target positions is thus inhibited when using existing space-based monitoring platforms. The aim of this research is to use an autonomous recognition algorithm based on a compound calibration star grid pattern for star identification. This study utilized a national advanced research project from the National High Technology Research and Development Program and used a star sensor for space debris monitoring, allowing dim and small space debris to be distinguished from stars. This research proposes a target detection technology path based on local sky reference star image comparison to detect weak and small targets in the background of star images. This technology enables the rapid, effective recognition and high-precision positioning of small, dim space targets.
On the origin of carrier localization in AlInAsSb digital alloy
Authors: Zhou Wen-Guang , Jiang Dong-Wei , Shang Xiang-Jun , Wu Dong-Hai , Chang Fa-Ran , Jiang Jun-Kai , Li Nong , Lin Fang-Qi , Chen Wei-Qiang , Hao Hong-Yue , Liu Xue-Lu , Tan Ping-Heng , Wang Guo-Wei , Xu Ying-Qiang , Niu Zhi-Chuan
Published: April 2023

We compared the photoluminescence (PL) properties of AlInAsSb digital alloy samples with different periods grown on GaSb (001) substrates by molecular beam epitaxy. Temperature-dependent S-shape behavior is observed and explained using a thermally activated redistribution model within a Gaussian distribution of localized states. There are two different mechanisms for the origin of the PL intensity quenching for the AlInAsSb digital alloy. The high-temperature activation energy E
1 is positively correlated with the interface thickness, whereas the low-temperature activation energy E
2 is negatively correlated with the interface thickness. A quantitative high-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy (HAADF-STEM) study shows that the interface quality improves as the interface thickness increases. Our results confirm that E
1 comes from carrier trapping at a state in the InSb interface layer, while E
2 originates from the exciton binding energy due to the roughness of the AlAs interface layer.
Resolution-enhanced single-pixel imaging using the Hadamard transform matrix
Authors: Bie 别 Shu-Hang 书航 , Wang 王 Chen-Hui 晨晖 , Lv 吕 Rui-Bing 瑞兵 , Bao 鲍 Qian-Qian 倩倩 , Fu 付 Qiang 强 , Meng 孟 Shao-Ying 少英 , Chen 陈 Xi-Hao 希浩
Published: April 2023

We propose a single-pixel imaging (SPI) method to achieve a higher-resolution image via the Hadamard transform matrix. Unlike traditional SPI schemes, this new method recovers images by correlating single-pixel signals with synchronized transformed patterns of Hadamard bases that are actually projected onto the digital micromirror device. Each transform pattern is obtained through the inverse Fourier transform of the pattern acquired by Gaussian filtering of each Hadamard basis in the frequency domain. The proposed scheme is based on a typical SPI experimental setup and does not add any hardware complexity, enabling the transformation of Hadamard matrices and image reconstruction through data processing alone. Therefore, this approach could be considered as an alternative option for achieving fast SPI in a diffraction-limited imaging system, without the need for additional hardware.