bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Pulses Value Chain- Pigeon Pea and Gram
Authors: Ganguly Kavery , Gulati Ashok
Published: December 2021

Pulses form an important part of agriculture in India given that the country is the largest producer, consumer and importer of pulses. Owing to their natural resilience to extreme weather conditions, low water requirements and being environmentally benign, pulses have been traditionally a smallholder’s crop. However, with poor price realization, farmers are switching towards other remunerative crops such as sugarcane, soybean, among others. Unlike rice and wheat, pulses are not covered by the regular public procurement system which makes marketing of pulses at fair and remunerative prices a challenge for the farmers. Pulses are no longer a poor man’s diet given the escalating consumer prices. Nonetheless, it is considered as an important source of protein (given the large vegetarian diet base in India), consumption of which is being promoted to address the observed protein gap in the diets. Over time, per capita availability of pulses has declined like other traditional cereals. With changing consumption patterns and emerging dietary deficiencies, there is scope for enhancing consumption of pulses through traditional and value-added products.
Fiscal sustainability and low interest rates: what an indicator can(’t) tell
Authors: Werding Martin
Published: December 2021

The indicator that is commonly used to assess the long-term fiscal sustainability of public finances in EU member states (“S2”) is also defined if government borrowing rates are assumed to be permanently lower than the growth rate of GDP. Under these circumstances, however, it no longer provides a reliable orientation for fiscal policy. I illustrate these findings based on simulations prepared for the Fifth Sustainability Report published by the German Federal Ministry of Finance. In addition, I discuss the interpretation of the indicator in a low-interest environment and the assumption that relevant interest rates may continue to be low if there are substantial challenges for fiscal sustainability,e.g., through demographic ageing.
Acylindrical hyperbolicity for Artin groups of dimension 2
Authors: Vaskou Nicolas
Published: December 2021

In this paper, we show that every irreducible 2-dimensional Artin group$$A_{\Gamma }$$AΓof rank at least 3 is acylindrically hyperbolic. We do this by studying the action of$$A_\Gamma $$AΓon its modified Deligne complex. Along the way, we prove results of independent interests on the geometry of links of this complex.
Influence of steep Trendelenburg position on postoperative complications: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Katayama Satoshi , Mori Keiichiro , Pradere Benjamin , Yanagisawa Takafumi , Mostafaei Hadi , Quhal Fahad , Motlagh Reza Sari , Laukhtina Ekaterina , Grossmann Nico C. , Rajwa Pawel , Aydh Abdulmajeed , König Frederik , Karakiewicz Pierre I. , Araki Motoo , Nasu Yasutomo , Shariat Shahrokh F.
Published: December 2021

Intraoperative physiologic changes related to the steep Trendelenburg position have been investigated with the widespread adoption of robot-assisted pelvic surgery (RAPS). However, the impact of the steep Trendelenburg position on postoperative complications remains unclear. We conducted a meta-analysis to compare RAPS to laparoscopic/open pelvic surgery with regards to the rates of venous thromboembolism (VTE), cardiac, and cerebrovascular complications. Meta-regression was performed to evaluate the influence of confounding risk factors. Ten randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and 47 non-randomized controlled studies (NRSs), with a total of 380,125 patients, were included. Although RAPS was associated with a decreased risk of VTE and cardiac complications compared to laparoscopic/open pelvic surgery in NRSs [risk ratio (RR), 0.59; 95% CI 0.51–0.72, p < 0.001 and RR 0.93; 95% CI 0.58–1.50, p = 0.78, respectively], these differences were not confirmed in RCTs (RR 0.92; 95% CI 0.52–1.62, p = 0.77 and RR 0.93; 95% CI 0.58–1.50, p = 0.78, respectively). In subgroup analyses of laparoscopic surgery, there was no significant difference in the risk of VTE and cardiac complications in both RCTs and NRSs. In the meta-regression, none of the risk factors were found to be associated with heterogeneity. Furthermore, no significant difference was observed in cerebrovascular complications between RAPS and laparoscopic/open pelvic surgery. Our meta-analysis suggests that the steep Trendelenburg position does not seem to affect postoperative complications and, therefore, can be considered safe with regard to the risk of VTE, cardiac, and cerebrovascular complications. However, proper individualized preventive measures should still be implemented during all surgeries including RAPS to warrant patient safety.
Optimized isolation of 7,7′-biphyscion starting from Cortinarius rubrophyllus, a chemically unexplored fungal species rich in photosensitizers
Authors: Hammerle Fabian , Steger Lisa-Maria , Zhou Xuequan , Bonnet Sylvestre , Huymann Lesley , Peintner Ursula , Siewert Bianka
Published: December 2021

Mushrooms such as the dermocyboid Cortinarius rubrophyllus are characterized by strikingly colorful fruiting bodies. The molecular dyes responsible for such colors recently experienced a comeback as photoactive compounds with remarkable photophysical and photobiological properties. One of them—7,7′-biphyscion—is a dimeric anthraquinone that showed promising anticancer effects in the low nanomolar range under blue-light irradiation. Compared to acidic anthraquinones, 7,7′-biphyscion was more efficiently taken up by cells and induced apoptosis after photoactivation. However, seasonal collection of mushrooms producing this compound, low extraction yields, and tricky fungal identification hamper further developments to the clinics. To bypass these limitations, we demonstrate here an alternative approach utilizing a precursor of 7,7′-biphyscion, i.e., the pre-anthraquinone flavomannin-6,6′-dimethyl ether, which is abundant in many species of the subgenus Dermocybe. Controlled oxidation of the crude extract significantly increased the yield of 7,7′-biphyscion by 100%, which eased the isolation process. We also present the mycochemical and photobiological characterization of the yet chemically undescribed species, i.e. C. rubrophyllus. In total, eight pigments (1–8) were isolated, including two new glycosylated anthraquinones (1 and 2). Light-dependent generation of singlet oxygen was detected for the first time for emodin-1-O-β-d-glucopyranoside (3) [photophysical measurement: Φ∆ = 0.11 (CD3OD)]. Furthermore, emodin (7) was characterized as promising compound in the photocytotoxicity assay with EC50-values in the low micromolar range under irradiation against cells of the cancer cell lines AGS, A549, and T24.

Graphical abstract
Magnificence as a Royal Virtue in Ottoman Jewish Political Thought
Authors: Syros Vasileios
Published: December 2021

Recent years have seen a growing body of literature on relations between Renaissance Italy and the Ottoman Empire. One of the major lacunae in this research concerns the role of the Jews in the transmission of Italian humanist ideas. In order to address this topic, this article will focus on the “Crónica de los reyes otomanos” by the Sephardi polymath Moses ben Baruch Almosnino (ca. 1515–ca. 1580). My goal is to identify a shared set of themes present in Almosnino's thought and key fifteenth-century Italian sources on the correlation between magnificence and good government, and also to shed new light on the influence of Italian humanism in the Ottoman world.
The Best of Eos 2021
Authors:   AGU
Published: December 2021

What Earth and space science stories stood out this year, and what are we looking forward to in 2022?
Improving local prevalence estimates of SARS-CoV-2 infections using a causal debiasing framework
Authors: Nicholson George , Lehmann Brieuc , Padellini Tullia , Pouwels Koen B. , Jersakova Radka , Lomax James , King Ruairidh E. , Mallon Ann-Marie , Diggle Peter J. , Richardson Sylvia , Blangiardo Marta , Holmes Chris
Published: December 2021

Global and national surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 epidemiology is mostly based on targeted schemes focused on testing individuals with symptoms. These tested groups are often unrepresentative of the wider population and exhibit test positivity rates that are biased upwards compared with the true population prevalence. Such data are routinely used to infer infection prevalence and the effective reproduction number,Rt, which affects public health policy. Here, we describe a causal framework that provides debiased fine-scale spatiotemporal estimates by combining targeted test counts with data from a randomized surveillance study in the United Kingdom called REACT. Our probabilistic model includes a bias parameter that captures the increased probability of an infected individual being tested, relative to a non-infected individual, and transforms observed test counts to debiased estimates of the true underlying local prevalence andRt. We validated our approach on held-out REACT data over a 7-month period. Furthermore, our local estimates ofRtare indicative of 1-week- and 2-week-ahead changes in SARS-CoV-2-positive case numbers. We also observed increases in estimated local prevalence andRtthat reflect the spread of the Alpha and Delta variants. Our results illustrate how randomized surveys can augment targeted testing to improve statistical accuracy in monitoring the spread of emerging and ongoing infectious disease.
Comparative de novo transcriptome analysis identifies salinity stress responsive genes and metabolic pathways in sugarcane and its wild relative Erianthus arundinaceus [Retzius] Jeswiet
Authors: Vignesh P. , Mahadevaiah C. , Parimalan R. , Valarmathi R. , Dharshini S. , Nisha Singh , Suresha G. S. , Swathi S. , Mahadeva Swamy H. K. , Sreenivasa V. , Mohanraj K. , Hemaprabha G , Bakshi Ram , Appunu C.
Published: December 2021

Erianthus arundinaceus[Retzius] Jeswiet, a wild relative of sugarcane has a high biomass production potential and a reservoir of many genes for superior agronomic traits and tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses. A comparative physiological, anatomical and root transcriptome analysis were carried out to identify the salt-responsive genes and metabolic pathways associated with salt-tolerantE. arundinaceusgenotype IND99-907 and salinity-sensitive sugarcane genotype Co 97010. IND99-907 recorded growth of young leaves, higher proline content, higher relative water content, intact root anatomical structures and lower Na+/K+, Ca2+/K+and Mg2+/K+ratio as compared to the sugarcane genotype Co 97010. We have generated four de novo transcriptome assemblies between stressed and control root samples of IND99-907 and Co 97010. A total of 649 and 501 differentially expressed genes (FDR<0.01) were identified from the stressed and control libraries of IND99-907 and Co 97010 respectively. Genes and pathways related to early stress-responsive signal transduction, hormone signalling, cytoskeleton organization, cellular membrane stabilization, plasma membrane-bound calcium and proton transport, sodium extrusion, secondary metabolite biosynthesis, cellular transporters related to plasma membrane-bound trafficking, nucleobase transporter, clathrin-mediated endocytosis were highly enriched in IND99-907. Whereas in Co 97010, genes related to late stress-responsive signal transduction, electron transport system, senescence, protein degradation and programmed cell death, transport-related genes associated with cellular respiration and mitochondrial respiratory chain, vesicular trafficking, nitrate transporter and fewer secondary metabolite biosynthetic genes were highly enriched. A total of 27 pathways, 24 biological processes, three molecular functions and one cellular component were significantly enriched (FDR≤ 0.05) in IND99-907 as compared to 20 pathways, two biological processes without any significant molecular function and cellular components in Co 97010, indicates the unique and distinct expression pattern of genes and metabolic pathways in both genotypes. The genomic resources developed from this study is useful for sugarcane crop improvement through development of genic SSR markers and genetic engineering approaches.
Electrostatic theory of rectangular waveguides filled with anisotropic media
Authors: Moradi Afshin
Published: December 2021

The electrostatic (or, in a better word, quasi-electrostatic) theory of waves propagation in a long, rectangular waveguide having perfect electric conductor walls that filled with an anisotropic medium (here, a medium of nanowire-based hyperbolic metamaterials) is presented. Some data on characteristics of these waves are prepared. The presented results include electrostatic field configurations (modes) that can be supported by such structures and their corresponding cutoff frequencies, group velocities, power flows and storage energies.
The mediating role of resilience in the effects of physical exercise on college students’ negative emotions during the COVID-19 epidemic
Authors: Li Xuening , Yu Huasen , Yang Ning
Published: December 2021

Due to its suddenness and unpredictability, COVID-19 caused strife and effects on public mental health, resulting in a surge of negative emotions. The study explores the relationship between physical exercise and negative emotions in home-based college students during the COVID-19 epidemic, as well as the mediating role of resilience, thus providing a new basis for understanding the role of physical exercise in improving negative emotions in college students; A total of 1214 college students were investigated with the Physical Exercise Questionnaire, Negative Emotion Scale and Resilience Scale; Both physical exercise and resilience were significantly negatively correlated with negative emotions in college students (r = − 0.25, − 0.33, P < 0.001), and there was a significant positive correlation between physical exercise and resilience (r = 0.47, P < 0.001). Physical exercise had a direct effect on the negative emotions of college students (β = − 0.14, P < 0.001). Resilience had a partial mediating effect between physical exercise and the negative emotions of the college students, with a mediating effect value of 0.14 and a mediating effect contribution rate of 50.00%; The study found that physical exercise not only directly affected the negative emotions of college students but also improved their resilience by slowing down their negative emotions and promoting their mental health.
Benzyl-rich ligand engineering of the photostability of atomically precise gold nanoclusters
Authors: Lu Hui , Chen Bin , Li Yu , Shi Jiye , Li Jiang , Wang Lihua , Luo Shihua , Fan Chunhai , Shen Jianlei , Chen Jing
Published: December 2021

The stability of Au8 nanoclusters is enhanced after modification by benzyl-rich ligands, which have better performance as cell imaging agents.
Ionic effects on supramolecular hosts: solvation and counter-ion binding in polar media
Authors: Moreno-Gómez Nicolás , Vargas Edgar F. , Buchner Richard
Published: December 2021

Ionic substituents of resorcin[4]arenes are weakly solvated in polar solvents and moderately bind counterions.
Poor Adherence to Common Recommendations and Associated Factors among Outpatients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in a Police Hospital of Ethiopia
Authors: Shimels Tariku , Abebaw Melesse , Gebretekle Gebremedhin Beedemariam
Published: December 2021

Introduction Poor adherence to medication and healthy lifestyle managements, such as diet and regular exercise, remains to be a challenge for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. The objective of this study was to assess the pattern of adherence to common recommendations, reasons, and factors associated with poor overall adherence among outpatients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in a police hospital of Ethiopia.

Method A facility-based cross-sectional study was done between 15 October 2016 and 15 January 2017. Systematic random sampling method was applied to recruit participants. A semistructured interview guide with an observation checklist was used to collect data. SPSS v.20.0 was used in the analysis.

Results Out of 361 participants, over half (56.5%) participants were male and 235 (65.1%) participants were military. Nearly half (49%) of the participants were on oral combination therapy. Only 194 (53.7%) of the patients showed good adherence for diet. Half (50.1%) of the respondents had poor adherence to all recommendations. Reasons for poor adherence included lack of adequate knowledge (68.9%) for diet, carelessness (37.8%) for exercise, and lack of adequate knowledge (34.8%) followed by carelessness (28.3%) and forgetfulness (19.6%) for medication. Intake of herbal medicines doubled the likelihood of good adherence.

Conclusion Adherence of patients to diet was found to be suboptimal. Lack of adequate knowledge, carelessness, and forgetfulness were among the reasons mentioned. Only use of herbal medicine showed statistical significance with adherence. Patient education on dietary practice is required in the study setting.
Perinatal Outcomes in Obese Women with One Abnormal Value on 3-Hour Oral Glucose Tolerance Test
Authors: Greenberg Victoria R. , Lundsberg Lisbet S. , Reddy Uma M. , Grobman William A. , Parker Corette B. , Parry Samuel , Post Rebecca J. , Shanks Anthony L. , Silver Robert M. , Simhan Hyagriv , Wapner Ronald J. , Merriam Audrey A.
Published: December 2021

Objective This study aimed to determine if one abnormal value of four on the diagnostic 3-hour oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) is associated with adverse perinatal outcomes in obese women.

Study Design This is a secondary analysis of a prospective study of nulliparous women in eight geographic regions. Women with body mass index <30 kg/m2 and pregestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) were excluded. Four groups were compared: (1) normal 50-g 1-hour glucose screen, (2) elevated 1-hour glucose screen with normal 100-g 3-hour diagnostic OGTT, (3) elevated 1-hour glucose screen and one of four abnormal values on 3-hour OGTT, and (4) GDM. Using multivariable logistic regression adjusting for covariates, the women in the groups with dysglycemia were compared with those in the normal screen group for maternal and neonatal outcomes.

Results Among 1,713 obese women, 1,418 (82.8%) had a normal 1-hour glucose screen, 125 (7.3%) had a normal 3-hour diagnostic OGTT, 72 (4.2%) had one abnormal value on their diagnostic OGTT, and 98 (5.7%) were diagnosed with GDM. The one abnormal value group had increased risk of large for gestational age (LGA) neonates (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 2.24, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.31–3.82), cesarean delivery (aOR = 2.19, 95% CI: 1.34–3.58), and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (aOR = 2.19, 95% CI: 1.32–3.63) compared with normal screens. The one abnormal value group also had an increased risk of preterm birth <37 weeks (aOR = 2.63, 95% CI: 1.43–4.84), neonatal respiratory support (aOR = 2.38, 95% CI: 1.23–4.60), and neonatal hyperbilirubinemia (aOR = 2.00, 95% CI: 1.08–3.71). There was no association between one abnormal value with shoulder dystocia and neonatal hypoglycemia.

Conclusion For obese women, one abnormal value on the 3-hour OGTT confers increased perinatal adverse outcomes. These women should be studied further to determine if nutrition counseling and closer fetal monitoring improve outcomes even in the absence of a diagnosis of GDM.

Key Points
Effectiveness of 17-OHP for Prevention of Recurrent Preterm Birth: A Retrospective Cohort Study
Authors: Wylie Blair J. , Beam Andrew L. , Hakim Joe B. , Zhou Amy , Hernandez-Diaz Sonia , Hart Jessica M.
Published: December 2021

Objective 17-α-hydroxyprogesterone caproate (17-OHP) has been recommended by professional societies for the prevention of recurrent preterm birth, but subsequent clinical studies have reported conflicting efficacy results. This study aimed to contribute to the evidence base regarding the effectiveness of 17-OHP in clinical practice using real-world data.

Study Design A total of 4,422 individuals meeting inclusion criteria representing recurrent spontaneous preterm birth (sPTB) were identified in a database of insurance claims, and 568 (12.8%) received 17-OHP. Crude and propensity score-matched recurrence rates and risk ratios (RRs) for the association of receiving 17-OHP on recurrent sPTB were calculated.

Results Raw sPTB recurrence rates were higher among those treated versus not treated; after propensity score matching, no association was detected (26.3 vs. 23.8%, RR = 1.1, 95% CI: 0.9–1.4).

Conclusion We failed to identify a beneficial effect of 17-OHP for the prevention of spontaneous recurrent preterm birth in our observational, U.S. based cohort.

Key Points
Decellularized Pulmonary Xenograft Matrix PplusN versus Cryopreserved Homograft for RVOT Reconstruction during Ross Procedure in Adults
Authors: Penov Kiril , Haugen Matz Andreas , Radakovic Dejan , Hamouda Khaled , Gorski Armin , Leyh Rainer , Bening Constanze
Published: December 2021

Background Decellularized pulmonary homografts are being increasingly adopted for right ventricular outflow tract reconstruction in adult patients undergoing the Ross procedure. Few reports presented Matrix PplusN xenograft (Matrix) in a negative light. The objective of this study was to compare our midterm outcomes of Matrix xenograft versus standard cryopreserved pulmonary homograft (CPHG).

Methods Eighteen patients received Matrix xenograft between January 2012 and June 2016, whereas 66 patients received CPHG. Using nonparametric statistical tests and survival analysis, we compared midterm echocardiographic and clinical outcomes between the groups.

Results Except for significant age difference (the Matrix group was significantly older with 57 ± 8 years than the CPHG group, 48 ± 9 years, p = 0.02), the groups were similar in all other baseline characteristics. There were no significant differences in cardiopulmonary bypass times (208.3 ± 32.1 vs. 202.8 ± 34.8) or in cross-clamp times (174 ± 33.9 vs. 184.4 ± 31.1) for Matrix and CPHG, respectively. The Matrix group had significantly inferior freedom from reintervention than the CPHG group with 77.8 versus 98.5% (p = 0.02). Freedom from pulmonary valve regurgitation ≥ 2 was not significantly different between the groups with 82.4 versus 90.5% for Matrix versus CPHG, respectively. After median follow-up of 4.9 years, Matrix xenograft developed significantly higher peak pressure gradients compared with CPHG (20.4 ± 15.5 vs. 12.2 ± 9.0 mm Hg; p = 0.04).

Conclusion After 5 years of clinical and echocardiographic follow-up, the decellularized Matrix xenograft had inferior freedom from reintervention compared with the standard CPHG. Closer follow-up is necessary to avoid progression of valve failure into right ventricular deterioration.
Mental Health of Siblings of Children with Rare Congenital Surgical Diseases during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Boettcher Johannes , Nazarian Rojin , Fuerboeter Mareike , Liedtke Anna , Wiegand-Grefe Silke , Reinshagen Konrad , Boettcher Michael
Published: December 2021

Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic has affected every aspect of our society, particularly vulnerable groups, such as families with children suffering from rare diseases. However, the psychosocial influences of COVID-19 on the healthy siblings of children with rare diseases have not been investigated yet. Thus, the study aimed to evaluate the mental health of healthy siblings of children with rare congenital surgical diseases during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Material and methods Siblings of children with rare congenital surgical diseases were investigated cross-sectionally between April 2020 and April 2021. Data on mental health were collected using the parent-version of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ).

Results Out of 104 families, 81 (77.88%) participated in the survey. Healthy siblings presented with comparable levels of emotional and behavioral difficulties compared with population norms before the COVID-19 pandemic. Compared with studies that surveyed child and adolescent mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic, parents of siblings in this study reported a significantly lower impairment rate. Psychosocial and disease-specific risk factors of the respective outcomes in healthy siblings were identified through regression analysis models.

Conclusion In general, health-care professionals should be aware of the possibility of siblings' mental health being at risk. Therefore, screening for psychosocial deficits may be essential in preventing psychiatric disorders in this population, especially during pandemics.

Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT04382820 (registered April 8, 2020)
Psychology of Hair Loss Patients and Importance of Counseling
Authors: Dhami Lakshyajit
Published: December 2021

Androgenetic alopecia (AGA) is highly prevalent in society, affecting both men and women. More than the sociological meaning of hair loss, it has become a very important part of self-identity or “body image.” A psychological concept of body image refers to one's thoughts, feelings, perceptions, and behavioral changes related to one's physical looks. In spite of alopecia's common occurrence, it often leads to psychological disturbance and distress. Hair thinning and perceived hair loss also has a very important negative impact on the psyche of the individual. The common emotional aspects associated are self-consciousness, embarrassment, frustration, and jealousy. Knowledge of these effects among the clinicians managing hair loss patients is beneficial. The clinician must make an active effort to identify the borderline group of patients with body dysmorphic syndrome so as to manage them with psychotherapeutic medication for their hair loss prior to hair transplantation. This article aims to provide important information and an understanding of how the psychology gets affected due to hair loss, particularly AGA and its management to the practicing hair transplant surgeons.
How long should clinicians spend sampling the pharynx for gonorrhoea culture specimens?
Authors: Stuart Sarah , Richardson Daniel , Iwuji Collins , Soni Suneeta
Published: December 2021

There are few data on the length of time clinicians should take sampling the pharynx to optimise the sensitivity of gonorrhoea culture specimens and we aimed to gain a consensus on sampling time. The estimated mean time clinicians reported that they spent sampling the pharynx for gonorrhoea culture specimens was 4.63 s (s.d. ± 2.04). There was no significant difference in sampling times between clinicians who had worked in sexual health for over and under 10 years, (4.7 (s.d. ±2.02) vs 4.6 (s.d. ± 2.3); P = 0.45). We are now using these findings to design an educational tool with the aim of improving pharyngeal gonorrhoea culture sensitivity.
Scaled radar cross section measurement method for lossy targets via dynamically matching reflection coefficients in THz band
Authors: Pang Shuang , Zeng Yang , Yang Qi , Deng Bin , Wang Hong-Qiang
Published: December 2021

In the terahertz band, the dispersive characteristic of dielectric material is one of the major problems in the scaled radar cross section (RCS) measurement, which is inconsistent with the electrodynamics similitude deducted according to the Maxwell’s equations. Based on the high-frequency estimation method of physical optics (PO), a scaled RCS measurement method for lossy objects is proposed through dynamically matching the reflection coefficients according to the distribution of the object facets. Simulations of the model of SLICY are conducted, and the inversed RCS of the lossy prototype is obtained using the proposed method. Comparing the inversed RCS with the calculated results, the validity of the proposed method is demonstrated. The proposed method provides an effective solution to the scaled RCS measurement for lossy objects in the THz band.
Thermoelectric performance of XI
2 (X = Ge, Sn, Pb) bilayers
Authors: Lu Nan , Guan Jie
Published: December 2021

We study the thermal and electronic transport properties as well as the thermoelectric (TE) performance of three two-dimensional (2D) XI2 (X = Ge, Sn, Pb) bilayers using density functional theory and Boltzmann transport theory. We compared the lattice thermal conductivity, electrical conductivity, Seebeck coefficient, and dimensionless figure of merit (ZT) for the XI2 monolayers and bilayers. Our results show that the lattice thermal conductivity at room temperature for the bilayers is as low as ∼1.1 W⋅m−1⋅K−1–1.7 W⋅m−1⋅K−1, which is about 1.6 times as large as the monolayers for all the three materials. Electronic structure calculations show that all the XI2 bilayers are indirect-gap semiconductors with the band gap values between 1.84 eV and 1.96 eV at PBE level, which is similar as the corresponding monolayers. The calculated results of ZT show that the bilayer structures display much less direction-dependent TE efficiency and have much larger n-type ZT values compared with the monolayers. The dramatic difference between the monolayer and bilayer indicates that the inter-layer interaction plays an important role in the TE performance of XI2, which provides the tunability on their TE characteristics.
Reduced defect recovery in self-ion damaged W due to simultaneous deuterium exposure during annealing
Authors: Simmonds M.J. , Schwarz-Selinger T. , Patino M.I. , Baldwin M.J. , Doerner R.P. , Tynan G.R.
Published: December 2021

Deuterium (D) plasma exposure during annealing of self-ion damaged tungsten (W) is shown to exhibit reduced defect recovery when compared to annealing without D plasma exposure. In these experiments, samples were first damaged with 20 MeV W ions. Next, samples were annealed either with or without simultaneous D2 plasma exposure. The simultaneous annealed samples were first decorated by D2 plasma at 383 K prior to ramping up to an annealing temperature of 473, 573, 673, or 773 K and held for 1 h with concurrent plasma exposure. The vacuum annealed samples each had a corresponding temperature history but without D2 plasma treatment. Finally, all samples were exposed to D2 plasma at 383 K to decorate any remaining defects. Nuclear reaction analysis and thermal desorption spectroscopy (TDS) shows that the simultaneous plasma-exposed and annealed samples exhibited virtually no defect recovery at annealing temperatures of up to 673 K, and had higher D retention than found in the vacuum annealed samples. TDS results indicate that only the lowest detrapping energy defects recover at an 773 K anneal for the simultaneous plasma annealed samples, while the vacuum annealed samples showed defect recovery at all anneal temperatures. This experiment clearly demonstrates that D occupied defects can significantly reduce or eliminate defect annealing in W, and is consistent with the existence of synergistic plasma exposure/displacement damage effects in fusion-energy relevant plasma facing materials.
An evapotranspiration deficit-based drought index to detect variability of terrestrial carbon productivity in the Middle East
Authors: Alsafadi Karam , Al-Ansari Nadhir , Mokhtar Ali , Mohammed Safwan , Elbeltagi Ahmed , Sh Sammen Saad , Bi Shuoben
Published: December 2021

The primary driver of the land carbon sink is gross primary productivity (GPP), the gross absorption of carbon dioxide (CO2) by plant photosynthesis, which currently accounts for about one-quarter of anthropogenic CO2emissions per year. This study aimed to detect the variability of carbon productivity using the standardized evapotranspiration deficit index (SEDI). Sixteen countries in the Middle East (ME) were selected to investigate drought. To this end, the yearly GPP dataset for the study area, spanning the 35 years (1982–2017) was used. Additionally, the Global Land Evaporation Amsterdam Model (GLEAM, version 3.3a), which estimates the various components of terrestrial evapotranspiration (annual actual and potential evaporation), was used for the same period. The main findings indicated that productivity in croplands and grasslands was more sensitive to the SEDI in Syria, Iraq, and Turkey by 34%, 30.5%, and 29.6% of cropland area respectively, and 25%, 31.5%, and 30.5% of grass land area. A significant positive correlation against the long-term data of the SEDI was recorded. Notably, the GPP recorded a decline of >60% during the 2008 extreme drought in the north of Iraq and the northeast of Syria, which concentrated within the agrarian ecosystem and reached a total vegetation deficit with 100% negative anomalies. The reductions of the annual GPP and anomalies from 2009 to 2012 might have resulted from the decrease in the annual SEDI at the peak 2008 extreme drought event. Ultimately, this led to a long delay in restoring the ecosystem in terms of its vegetation cover. Thus, the proposed study reported that the SEDI is more capable of capturing the GPP variability and closely linked to drought than commonly used indices. Therefore, understanding the response of ecosystem productivity to drought can facilitate the simulation of ecosystem changes under climate change projections.
Direct measurement of biexcitons in monolayer WS2
Authors: Conway M A , Muir J B , Earl S K , Wurdack M , Mishra R , Tollerud J O , Davis J A
Published: December 2021

The optical properties of atomically thin transition metal dichalcogenides are dominated by Coulomb bound quasi-particles, such as excitons, trions, and biexcitons. Due to the number and density of possible states, attributing different spectral peaks to the specific origin can be difficult. In particular, there has been much conjecture around the presence, binding energy and/or nature of biexcitons in these materials. In this work, we remove any ambiguity in identifying and separating the optically excited biexciton in monolayer WS2 using two-quantum multidimensional coherent spectroscopy (2Q-MDCS), a technique that directly and selectively probes doubly-excited states, such as biexcitons. The energy difference between the unbound two-exciton state and the biexciton is the fundamental definition of biexciton binding energy and is measured to be 26 ± 2 meV. Furthermore, resolving the biexciton peaks in 2Q-MDCS allows us to identify that the biexciton observed here is composed of two bright excitons in opposite valleys.
Addressing severe chronic NCDs across Africa: measuring demand for the Package of Essential Non-communicable Disease Interventions-Plus (PEN-Plus)
Authors: Boudreaux Chantelle , Barango Prebo , Adler Alma , Kabore Patrick , McLaughlin Amy , Mohamed Mohamed Ould Sidi , Park Paul H , Shongwe Steven , Dangou Jean Marie , Bukhman Gene
Published: December 2021

Severe chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs) pose important challenges for health systems across Africa. This study explores the current availability of and demand for decentralization of services for four high-priority conditions: insulin-dependent diabetes, heart failure, sickle cell disease, and chronic pain. Ministry of Health NCD Programme Managers from across Africa (N = 47) were invited to participate in an online survey. Respondents were asked to report the status of clinical care across the health system. A care package including diagnostics and treatment was described for each condition. Respondents were asked whether the described services are currently available at primary, secondary and tertiary levels, and whether making the service generally available at that level is expected to be a priority in the coming 5 years. Thirty-seven (79%) countries responded. Countries reported widespread gaps in service availability at all levels. We found that just under half (49%) of respondents report that services for insulin-dependent diabetes are generally available at the secondary level (district hospital); 32% report the same for heart failure, 27% for chronic pain and 14% for sickle cell disease. Reported gaps are smaller at tertiary level (referral hospital) and larger at primary care level (health centres). Respondents report ambitious plans to introduce and decentralize these services in the coming 5 years. Respondents from 32 countries (86%) hope to make all services available at tertiary hospitals, and 21 countries (57%) expect to make all services available at secondary facilities. These priorities align with the Package of Essential NCD Interventions-Plus. Efforts will require strengthened infrastructure and supply chains, capacity building for staff and new monitoring and evaluation systems for efficient implementation. Many countries will need targeted financial assistance in order to realize these goals. Nearly all (36/37) respondents request technical assistance to organize services for severe chronic NCDs.
‘When We are in Crisis’: Youth-Centered Transitional Justice, Police Violence, and Political Imaginaries
Authors: Anderson Patrick , Aushana Christina , Collins Caroline
Published: December 2021

This article describes youth involvement in the voter-mandated transition to a fully independent, powerful community commission overseeing the San Diego (California) Police Department. We begin by describing the historical context of police violence against communities of color in San Diego, and previous attempts to practice transparency and accountability in public safety. We then situate our work with local high school students to engage directly in the transition process, and to imagine future models of public safety with youth justice at its core.
Efficient implementation of the exact artificial boundary condition for the exterior problem of the Stokes system in three dimensions
Authors: Sun Ting , Zheng Chunxiong
Published: December 2021

In this paper the Stokes system in an unbounded domain is solved by the artificial boundary method. The novelty lies in an operator form of the exact Dirichlet-to-Neumann (DtN) mapping. With the help of the Chebyshev rational approximation of the square root function, we derive a highly accurate approximate DtN mapping, which can be numerically implemented without resorting to the eigen-decomposition in terms of the vectorial spherical harmonics. In addition, we develop an efficient block preconditioner for the augmented truncated saddle point problem. Numerical experiments demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.
A topological approach to the creative city: artists’ perceptions of cultural places in Paris
Authors: Ferru Marie , Rallet Alain , Cariou Christophe
Published: December 2021

The paper delivers a framework for the analysis of creative cities based on a topology of cultural places and artists’ perceptions of these places in the Paris Region. We apply this framework to a survey of 267 artists by using mental maps to capture their perceptions of the places they regard as having contributed the most to their creativity. A quantitative treatment of these representations was conducted to identify what places attracted what artists, analyzing the reputation of places among artists and the properties of the network of creative places in the Paris region. The study renews the approach of creates city by replacing the mainstream approach with a subjective but quantified vision that starts from the artists’ perceptions of the places that impact their creativity.
The corona mortis: is it a rare and dangerous anomaly in adolescents undergoing periacteabular osteotomy?
Authors: Hu Alan W , McCarthy James J , Breitenstein Rachel , Uchtman Molly , Emery Kathleen H , Whitlock Patrick W
Published: December 2021

The corona mortis (CM) is a vascular connection between the obturator and external iliac or internal epigastric vessels that has historically been identified as a source of hemorrhage in pelvic surgery. However, its frequency, location, proximity to the osteotomies performed, vascular contributions and impact on blood loss in patients undergoing periacetabular osteotomy (PAO) are unknown. We sought to identify the frequency, origin, location relative to osteotomies performed during surgery and impact on blood loss of the CM. Preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the hips of 28 adolescent patients (56 hips) undergoing PAO was retrospectively reviewed for the presence of a CM. When identifiable, the size, nature (arterial or venous), orientation, position relative to the iliopectineal eminence (IPE) and associated estimated blood loss (EBL) were recorded. 75% (21/28) of patients possessed an identifiable, ipsilateral CM to the site of PAO, 90% of which were venous and 10% arterial. The vessel was typically 8.3 ± 3.8 mm medial and 11.1 ± 5.3 mm caudal from the anterosuperomedial edge of the IPE. There was no significant difference in the amount of EBL (519 ± 260 versus 694 ± 369 ml) or need for post-op transfusions (1/21 versus 0/7) between patients who possessed a CM and those who did not, respectively (P = 0.21). CM was more prevalent in this study than previously reported. However, the presence of an ipsilateral CM was not associated with an increase in EBL or transfusion during routine PAO surgery using modern surgical techniques.
The impact of tomographic redshift bin width errors on cosmological probes
Authors: Hasan Imran S , Schmidt Samuel J , Schneider Michael D , Tyson J Anthony
Published: December 2021

Systematic errors in the galaxy redshift distribution n(z) can propagate to systematic errors in the derived cosmology. We characterize how the degenerate effects in tomographic bin widths and galaxy bias impart systematic errors on cosmology inference using observational data from the Deep Lens Survey. For this we use a combination of galaxy clustering and galaxy–galaxy lensing. We present two end-to-end analyses from the catalogue level to parameter estimation. We produce an initial cosmological inference using fiducial tomographic redshift bins derived from photometric redshifts, then compare this with a result where the redshift bins are empirically corrected using a set of spectroscopic redshifts. We find that the derived parameter S8 ≡ σ8(Ωm/.3)1/2 decreases from $0.841^{+0.062}_{-0.061}$ to $0.781^{0.061}_{0.054}$ upon correcting the n(z) errors in the second method.
Structural and spectral properties of Galactic plane variable radio sources
Authors: Yang Jun , Chen Yongjun , Gurvits Leonid I , Paragi Zsolt , Yang Aiyuan , Yang Xiaolong , Shen Zhiqiang
Published: December 2021

In the time domain, the radio sky in particular along the Galactic plane direction may vary significantly because of various energetic activities associated with stars, stellar, and supermassive black holes. Multi-epoch Very Large Array surveys of the Galactic plane at 5.0 GHz enabled the finding of a catalogue of 39 variable radio sources in the flux density range 1–70 mJy. To probe their radio structures and spectra, we observed 17 sources with the very-long-baseline interferometric (VLBI) imaging technique and collected additional multifrequency data from the literature. We detected all of the sources at 5 GHz with the Westerbork Synthesis Radio Telescope, but only G23.6644–0.0372 with the European VLBI Network (EVN). Together with its decadal variability and multifrequency radio spectrum, we interpret it as an extragalactic peaked-spectrum source with a size of ≲10 pc. The remaining sources were resolved out by the long baselines of the EVN because of either strong scatter broadening at the Galactic latitude < 1° or intrinsically very extended structures on centi-arcsec scales. According to their spectral and structural properties, we find that the sample has a diverse nature. We notice two young H ii regions and spot a radio star and a candidate planetary nebula. The rest of the sources are very likely associated with radio active galactic nuclei (AGNs). Two of them also display arcsec-scale faint jet activity. The sample study indicates that AGNs are common place even among variable radio sources in the Galactic plane.
Effectiveness of Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation on Managing Fibromyalgia: A Systematic Meta-Analysis
Authors: Choo Yoo Jin , Kwak Sang Gyu , Chang Min Cheol
Published: December 2021

Objective

In fibromyalgia, central sensitization is a key mechanism, and repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) has been reported to potentially manage symptoms of fibromyalgia. In this meta-analysis, we evaluated the therapeutic effect of rTMS in patients with fibromyalgia according to stimulation locations and follow-up time points.

Methods

We searched the MEDLINE, Cochrane, Embase, Scopus, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, and Web of Science databases for articles published from January 1, 1990, to August 26, 2021, including randomized controlled studies investigating the effectiveness of rTMS on managing fibromyalgia.

Results

In total, 10 articles and 299 participants were included. High-frequency rTMS on the left primary motor cortex (Lt. M1) had a significant effect on pain reduction immediately and 1–4 weeks after the end of the session but had no significant effect after 5–12 weeks. Additionally, after high-frequency rTMS sessions on the Lt. M1, the effect on patients’ quality of life appeared late at 5–12 weeks of follow-up. In contrast, high-frequency rTMS on the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (Lt. DLPFC) did not reduce pain from fibromyalgia. The effect on controlling the affective problem was not observed after rTMS treatment on either the Lt. M1 or the Lt. DLPFC.

Conclusions

High-frequency rTMS had a positive pain-reducing effect immediately and at 1–4 weeks after completion of the rTMS sessions, and the patients’ quality of life improved after 5–12 weeks. However, Lt. DLPFC stimulation was not effective in controlling fibromyalgia symptoms.
Effects of periodic bottlenecks on the dynamics of adaptive evolution in microbial populations
Authors: Izutsu Minako , Lake Devin M. , Matson Zachary W. D. , Dodson Jack P. , Lenski Richard E.
Published: December 2021

Population bottlenecks are common in nature, and they can impact the rate of adaptation in evolving populations. On the one hand, each bottleneck reduces the genetic variation that fuels adaptation. On the other hand, each founder that survives a bottleneck can undergo more generations and leave more descendants in a resource-limited environment, which allows surviving beneficial mutations to spread more quickly. A theoretical model predicted that the rate of fitness gains should be maximized using ∼8-fold dilutions. Here we investigate the impact of repeated bottlenecks on the dynamics of adaptation using numerical simulations and experimental populations ofEscherichia coli. Our simulations confirm the model’s prediction when populations evolve in a regime where beneficial mutations are rare and waiting times between successful mutations are long. However, more extreme dilutions maximize fitness gains in simulations when beneficial mutations are common and clonal interference prevents most of them from fixing. To examine the simulations’ predictions, we propagated 48E. colipopulations with 2-, 8-, 100-, and 1000-fold dilutions for 150 days. Adaptation began earlier and fitness gains were greater with 100- and 1000-fold dilutions than with 8-fold dilutions, consistent with the simulations when beneficial mutations are common. However, the selection pressures in the 2-fold treatment were qualitatively different from the other treatments, violating a critical assumption of the model and simulations. Thus, varying the dilution factor during periodic bottlenecks can have multiple effects on the dynamics of adaptation caused by differential losses of diversity, different numbers of generations, and altered selection.

Significance

Many microorganisms experience population bottlenecks during transmission between hosts or when propagated in the laboratory. These bottlenecks reduce genetic diversity, potentially impeding natural selection. However, bottlenecks can also increase the number of generations over which selection acts, potentially accelerating adaptation. We explored this tension by performing simulations that reflect these opposing factors, and by evolving bacterial populations under several dilution treatments. The simulations show that the dilution factor that maximizes the rate of adaptation depends critically on the rate of beneficial mutations. On balance, the simulations agree well with our experimental results, which imply a high rate of beneficial mutation that generates intense competition between mutant lineages.