bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A diazene-bridged diruthenium complex with structural restraint defined by single meta-diphosphinobenzene
Authors: Suzuki Satoshi , Toda Tatsuro , Kuwata Shigeki
Published: February 2021

An open diruthenium framework defined by a simple 1,3-diphosphinobenzene incorporated hydrazine to afford a diazene-bridged closed-shape complex featuring multiple intramolecular hydrogen bonds.
Associations of observed home dampness and mold with the fungal and bacterial dust microbiomes
Authors: Cox Jennie , Stone Timothy , Ryan Patrick , Burkle Jeff , Jandarov Roman , Mendell Mark J. , Adams Rachel I. , Niemeier-Walsh Christine , Reponen Tiina
Published: February 2021

This study is an exploration of the indoor microbiome and its association with visible mold and moisture damage. Specific species of fungus and bacteria increase or decrease with increasing mold or moisture damage.
Photochemical reduction of carbon dioxide to formic acid
Authors: Cauwenbergh Robin , Das Shoubhik
Published: February 2021

This review presents an overview of the photoreduction of CO2to formic acid using homogeneous catalysts.
Microfluidic electrical impedance assessment of red blood cell-mediated microvascular occlusion
Authors: Man Yuncheng , Maji Debnath , An Ran , Ahuja Sanjay P. , Little Jane A. , Suster Michael A. , Mohseni Pedram , Gurkan Umut A.
Published: February 2021

Microfluidic Impedance Red Cell Assay (MIRCA) is integrated with capillary network-inspired micropillar arrays and electrical impedance sensing electrodes to enable standardized assessment of red blood cell-mediated microvascular occlusion.
Nanomaterials: a review of synthesis methods, properties, recent progress, and challenges
Authors: Baig Nadeem , Kammakakam Irshad , Falath Wail
Published: February 2021

Nanomaterials have emerged as an amazing class of materials that consists of a broad spectrum of examples with at least one dimension in the range of 1 to 100 nm.
Near-infrared light excited photodynamic anticancer therapy based on UCNP@AIEgen nanocomposite
Authors: Ding Shihui , Wu Wenbo , Peng Tingting , Pang Wen , Jiang Pengfei , Zhan Qiuqiang , Qi Shuhong , Wei Xunbin , Gu Bobo , Liu Bin
Published: February 2021

Near-infrared light excited photodynamic anticancer therapy was enabled, based on UCNP@AIEgen nanocomposite with excellent photostability, good biocompatibility, and efficient ROS generation.
Bactericidal and antioxidant bacterial cellulose hydrogels doped with chitosan as potential urinary tract infection biomedical agent
Authors: Zmejkoski Danica Z. , Marković Zoran M. , Zdravković Nemanja M. , Trišić Dijana D. , Budimir Milica D. , Kuzman Sanja B. , Kozyrovska Natalia O. , Orlovska Iryna V. , Bugárová Nikol , Petrović Đorđe Ž. , Kováčová Mária , Kleinová Angela , Špitalský Zdeno , Pavlović Vladimir B. , Todorović Marković Biljana M.
Published: February 2021

Bacterial cellulose–chitosan composite with antibacterial and moderate antioxidant activity for potential UTI/CAUTI treatment and catheter coating in encrustation prevention.
Colloidal assembly by directional ice templating
Authors: Biswas Bipul , Misra Mayank , Bisht Anil Singh , Kumar Sanat K. , Kumaraswamy Guruswamy
Published: February 2021

We investigate directional ice templating of dilute aqueous colloidal particle dispersions and examine the nature of the assemblies that result.
Total synthesis: the structural confirmation of natural products
Authors: Paul Debobrata , Kundu Ashis , Saha Sanu , Goswami Rajib Kumar
Published: February 2021

This feature article highlights total synthesis as one of the reliable tools for the structural confirmation of natural products.
Low-energy constraints on photoelectron spectra measured from liquid water and aqueous solutions
Authors: Malerz Sebastian , Trinter Florian , Hergenhahn Uwe , Ghrist Aaron , Ali Hebatallah , Nicolas Christophe , Saak Clara-Magdalena , Richter Clemens , Hartweg Sebastian , Nahon Laurent , Lee Chin , Goy Claudia , Neumark Daniel M. , Meijer Gerard , Wilkinson Iain , Winter Bernd , Thürmer Stephan
Published: February 2021

We report on the effects of electron collision and indirect ionization processes on the photoemission spectra of liquid water, specifically at photoexcitation and electron kinetic energies well below 30 eV.
Strain-mediated bandgap engineering of straight and bent semiconductor nanowires
Authors: Lim Bryan , Cui Xiang Yuan , Ringer Simon P.
Published: February 2021

A simple unit-cell model capable of describing the bandgap evolution of III–V and II–VI semiconductor nanowires under strain is proposed. Three key responses upon strain are found and investigated in both wurtzite and zinc-blende polytypes.
Carboxylic acid-tuned nickel(ii) clusters: syntheses, structures, solution behaviours and magnetic properties
Authors: Su Yan-Min , Ji Bao-Qian , Shao Feng , Zhang Shan-Shan , Jagodič Marko , Jagličić Zvonko , Gao Zhi-Yong , Dou Jian-Min , Sun Di
Published: February 2021

Three novel cicada-like nickel(ii) clusters have been obtained by tuning with different carboxylic acids, and their syntheses, structures, solution behaviours and magnetic properties have been studied.
A spin-crossover phenomenon in a 2D heterometallic coordination polymer with [Pd(SCN)4]2−building blocks
Authors: Xie Kai-Ping , Wu Si-Guo , Wang Long-Fei , Huang Guo-Zhang , Ni Zhao-Ping , Tong Ming-Liang
Published: February 2021

The first spin-crossover example of a two-dimensional coordination polymer containing [Pd(SCN)4]2−building blocks was explored.
Anti-biofouling materials and surfaces based on mussel-inspired chemistry
Authors: Li Sijia , Chen Jingsi , Wang Jingyi , Zeng Hongbo
Published: February 2021

The mussel-inspired chemistry has been widely applied to fabricate anti-biofouling materials and surfaces through various functionalization strategies.
Application progress of RVG peptides to facilitate the delivery of therapeutic agents into the central nervous system
Authors: Wang Qinghua , Cheng Shang , Qin Fen , Fu Ailing , Fu Chen
Published: February 2021

Rabies virus glycoprotein (RVG) peptides have been developed to deliver drugs for CNS diseases. In the present review, RVG-mediated drug delivery systems are summarised, which can deliver almost all small molecules and macromolecule agents.
Development of a nanoscale electroless plating procedure for bismuth and its application in template-assisted nanotube fabrication
Authors: Scheuerlein Martin Christoph , Ensinger Wolfgang
Published: February 2021

We outline the development of a remarkably stable electroless bismuth plating bath. Its nanofabrication potential is showcased by coating ion-track etched polymer membranes, enabling the synthesis of sub-micron diameter bismuth tubes.
Improving thermoelectric performance of indium thiospinel by Se- and Te-substitution
Authors: Wyżga Paweł , Grimm Sven , Garbe Valentin , Zuñiga-Puelles Esteban , Himcinschi Cameliu , Veremchuk Igor , Leithe-Jasper Andreas , Gumeniuk Roman
Published: February 2021

Substitution of S by Se or Te in the In2.67S4 thiospinel was accompanied by an improvement of the charge carrier concentration and a reduction of the effective electron mass, which resulted in the enhancement of the thermoelectric figure of merit ZT.
DRX‐based energy‐efficient supervised machine learning algorithm for mobile communication networks
Authors: Ruíz‐Guirola David E. , Rodríguez‐López Carlos A. , Montejo‐Sánchez Samuel , Souza Richard Demo , Imran Muhammad Ali
Published: February 2021

The continuous traffic increase of mobile communication systems has the collateral effect of higher energy consumption, affecting battery lifetime in the user equipment (UE). An effective solution for energy saving is to implement a discontinuous reception (DRX) mode. However, guaranteeing a desired quality of experience (QoE) while simultaneously saving energy is a challenge; but undoubtedly both energy efficiency and the QoE have been essential aspects for the provision of real‐time services, such as voice over Internet protocol (VoIP), voice over LTE, and mobile broadband in 4G networks and beyond. This paper focuses on human voice communications and proposes a Gaussian process regression algorithm that is capable of recognizing patterns of silence and predicts its duration in human conversations, with a prediction error as low as 1.87%. The proposed machine learning mechanism saves energy by switching OFF/ON the radio frequency interface, in order to extend the UE autonomy without harming QoE. Simulation results validate the effectiveness of the proposed mechanism compared with the related literature, showing improvements in energy savings of more than 30% while ensuring a desired QoE level with low computational cost.
Distributed predictive control of interconnected systems based on disturbance observation
Authors: Zhou Wei , Zhang Wen‐An , Liu Andong
Published: February 2021

In this study, a distributed model predictive control (MPC) method based on extended state observer is proposed for a class of large‐scale interconnected systems by using a reduced state‐space decomposition strategy. Firstly, the full state of the system is divided into internal state and external state to decrease computation and communication burden, where the former one is used for local optimisation, and the latter one is used to exchange with its neighbours. Based on the receding optimisation strategy, a reduced state‐space decomposition iterative algorithm is proposed, and the convergence of the proposed algorithm is given. To improve the disturbance rejection capability of the system, an extended state observer is designed to estimate the disturbance by using a pole assignment method. By applying a feedforward compensation strategy, a composite controller is derived by combining with local MPC controller and compensation controller, then the input‐to‐state stability is analysed for the closed‐loop system. Finally, an example of a ship engine room power system is given to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Common‐specific feature learning for multi‐source domain adaptation
Authors: Niu Chang , Shang Junyuan , Zhou Zhiheng , Huang Junchu , Wang Tianlei , Li Xiangwei
Published: February 2021

Multi‐source domain adaptation (MDA) aims to leverage knowledge from multiple source domains to improve the classification performance on target domains. Different degrees of distribution discrepancies between every two domains pose a huge challenge to MDA tasks. Most works focus on extracting features shared by all domains, which is critical but not enough to reduce distribution discrepancies. In this paper, we propose a method named as common‐specific feature learning (CSFL). Constituting a framework of feature learning, CSFL explores a subspace where the combination of common and specific features makes learned representations comprehensive. Based on this framework, we conduct a metric learning method for learning a discriminative feature representation. Considering redundant information caused by source domains is likely to hurt the performance, we impose an effective low‐rank constraint to remove the redundant information. Further, we adopt structure consistent constraint to preserve the local structure in each domain. CSFL has obtained about 1–5% improvement of mean accuracy, compared to the state‐of‐the‐art shallow methods. Further, compared with 90.2% and 89.4% of the best baseline deep method, CSFL achieves mean accuracy of 90.8% and 89.7% on the Office‐31 and ImageCLEF‐DA datasets respectively. The encouraging results validate the effectiveness of our method.
NSST domain CT–MR neurological image fusion using optimised biologically inspired neural network
Authors: Das Manisha , Gupta Deep , Radeva Petia , Bakde Ashwini M.
Published: February 2021

Diagnostic medical imaging plays an imperative role in clinical assessment and treatment of medical abnormalities. The fusion of multimodal medical images merges complementary information present in the multi‐source images and provides a better interpretation with improved diagnostic accuracy. This paper presents a CT–MR neurological image fusion method using an optimised biologically inspired neural network in nonsubsampled shearlet (NSST) domain. NSST decomposed coefficients are utilised to activate the optimised neural model using particle swarm optimisation method and to generate the firing maps. Low and high‐frequency NSST subbands get fused using max‐rule based on firing maps. In the optimisation process, a fitness function is evaluated based on spatial frequency and edge index of the resultant fused image. To analyse the fusion performance, extensive experiments are conducted on the different CT–MR neurological image dataset. Objective performance is evaluated based on different metrics to highlight the clarity, contrast, correlation, visual quality, complementary information, salient information, and edge information present in the fused images. Experimental results show that the proposed method is able to provide better‐fused images and outperforms other existing methods in both visual and quantitative assessments.
Image clustering algorithm using superpixel segmentation and non‐symmetric Gaussian–Cauchy mixture model
Authors: Ji Sifan , Zhu Hongqing , Wang Pengyu , Ling Xiaofeng
Published: February 2021

In this study, an unsupervised clustering algorithm is proposed to label superpixel density images. Firstly, the authors propose a novel superpixel segmentation algorithm driven by a modified fuzzy C‐means objective function, Kullback–Leibler (KL) divergence, and an entropy term, which generate superpixels with good boundary adherence and intensity homogeneity. In this model, the logarithm of Gaussian distribution as a new distance metric is used to improve the accuracy of boundary pixel classification, the KL divergence is applied to regularise the fuzzy objective function. Based on this model, the generated superpixel intensity images with a highly distinctive background colour from the colour of the target are obtained. Grouping cues generated by superpixels can affect the performance of image clustering greatly. Next, according to the small amount of clustering data generated by the superpixel intensity images, they construct a non‐symmetric mixture model based on a mixture of Gaussian distribution and Cauchy distribution for implementing image clustering. Thus, clustering of colour images is transformed into clustering of these newly generated data. The advantage of this model is its well adaption to different shapes of observed data. Experimental results on publicly available data sets are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.
Hybridisation of single‐image super‐resolution with edge‐aware multi‐focus image fusion for edge enrichment
Authors: Gopalakrishnan Sreeja , Ovireddy Saraniya
Published: February 2021

To break the curtailment of digital imaging and retrieve appropriate information with different focused images, a novel edge‐aware multi‐focus image fusion is proposed by integrating the single‐image super‐resolution (SISR) method along with the edge‐preserving filters. Initially, the multi‐focus images are converted to high resolution images by estimating missing high frequency details from its blurred versions. With acquired high resolution images, smoothing by median and the anisotropic diffusion filters are performed to extract focused regions. An initial weight map is constructed by using maximum selection of pixel intensities of the difference images obtained with filtering. The precision of estimated weight map is further improved by exhibiting morphological operations and guided filter. Finally, the images are fused based on the optimised decision map. Simulation results of proposed fusion work are evaluated with seven metrics and the values are compared with different state‐of‐the‐art methods. Both the quantitative and qualitative analyses showed the excellence of proposed work over other fusion methods.
Ordered and fixed‐length bit‐string fingerprint representation with minutia vicinity combined feature and spectral clustering
Authors: Li Yuxing , Zhao Heng , Cao Zhicheng , Liu Eryun , Pang Liaojun
Published: February 2021

The minutiae set defined by the ISO/IEC 19794‐2 is one of the prevalent feature used in fingerprint recognition systems. Unfortunately, such characteristic of unordered and variable‐sized minutiae information causes a restriction on the operation in some advanced template protection methods (e.g. fuzzy commitment), which usually require an ordered and fixed‐length binary feature representation as the system input. In this study, in order to simultaneously extend the application of fingerprint recognition and provide satisfactory system performance, the authors propose a novel fixed‐length bit‐string conversion framework based on spectral clustering and the proposed newly designed discriminative fingerprint representation called minutia vicinity combined feature (MVCF). The proposed method consists of three stages: (i) the extraction of MVCF, (ii) bit conversion via the spectral clustering algorithm, and (iii) matching. Benefiting from feature invariance, fixed‐length and bit‐oriented coding, merits such as fast matching and decent accuracy are well guaranteed. The performance evaluation is conducted on six publicly available benchmark data sets: FVC2002 DB1, DB2, DB3 and FVC2004 DB1, DB2, DB3 confirms the superiority of the proposed method and suggests the promise of migrating to some other domains (e.g., template protection).
Automatic detection of multiple sclerosis lesions using Mask R‐CNN on magnetic resonance scans
Authors: Süleyman Yıldırım Mehmet , Dandıl Emre
Published: February 2021

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) causes the central nervous system to malfunction due to inflammation surrounding nerve cells. Detection of MS at an early stage is very important to prevent progressive MS attacks. Clinical findings, cerebrospinal fluid examinations, the evoked potentials, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings have an important role in the diagnosis and follow‐up of MS. However, many of the findings on MRI may indicate brain disorders other than MS. In addition, the clinical practices accepted by physicians for MS detection are very limited. In this study, a Mask R‐CNN based method in two dataset is proposed for the automatic detection of MS lesions on magnetic resonance scans. We also improved the ROI detection stage with RPN in the Mask R‐CNN to easily adapt for different lesion sizes. MS lesions in different sizes in the dataset are successfully detected with 84.90% Dice similarity rate and 87.03% precision rates using the proposed method. In addition, volumetric overlap error and lesion‐wise true positive rate are obtained as 12.97% and 73.75%, respectively. Moreover, performance tests of the use of different numbers of GPU hardware structures are also performed and the evaluation of its effects on processing speed is performed on experimental studies..
Efficient and unified license plate recognition via lightweight deep neural network
Authors: Qin Shuxin , Liu Sijiang
Published: February 2021

In this study, the authors are interested in building a unified deep learning framework to solve the recognition problem of both single‐line and double‐line car license plates. Most existing methods are designed for single‐line license plate recognition. For double‐line cases, detection and segmentation are usually adopted firstly to locate each line of characters. These methods are usually environmentally sensitive and will bring propagation of error between segmentation and recognition. To solve the problems, the authors propose a unified method that can recognise both single‐line and double‐line license plates in an end‐to‐end way without line segmentation and character segmentation. Specifically, an improved lightweight convolutional neural network is used to extract features efficiently. Then, the multi‐task learning strategy is used to simultaneously perform license plate classification and character recognition. Finally, recognition task is treated as sequence labelling problems, which are solved by connectionist temporal classification directly. Experimental results indicate that the proposed method significantly outperforms the previous state‐of‐the‐art methods on both public datasets and the synthetic dataset.
Feedback–feedforward control technique with a comprehensive mathematical analysis for single‐input dual‐output three‐level dc–dc converter
Authors: Ganjavi Amir , Gholinejad Hamid Reza , Mehrasa Majid , Ghoreishy Hoda , Ahmad Ahmad Ale
Published: February 2021

This study proposes a control technique for single‐input dual‐output three‐level dc–dc converter (SIDO‐TLC) using feedback (FB) and feedforward (FF) principles. Through the proposed control strategy, SIDO‐TLC can smoothly function in both buck and boost operating conditions with a fast dynamic. Major duties of the designed FB control loops are to noticeably decrease the recovery time of transient responses under the load variations and accurately balance the boost capacitors voltages. To effectively decouple the introduced control inputs, an external FF controller is assigned that can also enhance the buck and boost voltage regulations. Furthermore, a step‐by‐step assessment is contemplated based on the proposed control loops to make an offline adjustment for the FB and FF coefficients. The proposed controller implemented on SIDO‐TLC is highly suitable for portable applications, where efficiency, cost, and speed are of important factors. The simulation results and the laboratory test setup of SIDO‐TLC using DSP TMS320F28335 are presented to prove the validity of the presented theoretical subjects.
Spatially resolved spectroscopy across stellar surfaces
Authors: Dravins Dainis , Ludwig Hans-Günter , Freytag Bernd
Published: February 2021

Context. High-precision stellar analyses require hydrodynamic 3D modeling. Testing such models is feasible by retrieving spectral line shapes across stellar disks, using differential spectroscopy during exoplanet transits. Observations were presented in Papers I, II, and III, while Paper IV explored synthetic data at hyper-high spectral resolution for different classes of stars, identifying characteristic patterns for Fe I and Fe II lines.

Aims. Anticipating future observations, the observability of patterns among photospheric lines of different strength, excitation potential and ionization level are examined from synthetic spectra, as observed at ordinary spectral resolutions and at different levels of noise. Time variability in 3D atmospheres induces changes in spectral-line parameters, some of which are correlated. An adequate calibration could identify proxies for the jitter in apparent radial velocity to enable adjustments to actual stellar radial motion.

Methods. We used spectral-line patterns identified in synthetic spectra at hyper-high resolution in Paper IV from 3D models spanning Teff = 3964–6726 K (spectral types ~K8 V–F3 V) to simulate practically observable signals at different stellar disk positions at various lower spectral resolutions, down to λ/Δλ = 75 000. We also examined the center-to-limb temporal variability.

Results. Recovery of spatially resolved line profiles with fitted widths and depths is shown for various noise levels, with gradual degradation at successively lower spectral resolutions. Signals during exoplanet transit are simulated. In addition to Rossiter-McLaughlin type signatures in apparent radial velocity, analogous effects are shown for line depths and widths. In a solar model, temporal variability in line profiles and apparent radial velocity shows correlations between jittering in apparent radial velocity and fluctuations in line depth.

Conclusions. Spatially resolved spectroscopy using exoplanet transits is feasible for main-sequence stars. Overall line parameters of width, depth and wavelength position can be retrieved already with moderate efforts, but a very good signal-to-noise ratio is required to reveal the more subtle signatures between subgroups of spectral lines, where finer details of atmospheric structure are encoded. Fluctuations in line depth correlate with those in wavelength, and because both can be measured from the ground, searches for low-mass exoplanets should explore these to adjust apparent radial velocities to actual stellar motion.
Mandibular propulsion and dental implant rehabilitation for an edentulous patient with class II malocclusion and severe obstructive sleep apnea
Authors: Lenganey Hugues , Rasteau Simon , Minassian Harmik , Murcier Gregory , Jouan Robin , Borgnat Florent
Published: February 2021

Introduction: Orthognathic surgery can be a treatment for occlusal, oro-facial functional disorders and esthetics discrepancies as well as for obstructive sleep apnea. It is often practiced after an orthodontic preparation, but in edentulous patients, the preparation can be replaced with implant supported prosthesis to simulate the final occlusion. Observation: A patient presenting severe obstructive sleep apnea, vertical and sagittal insufficiency of the lower third of the face and poor dental health was treated with a guided mandibular advancement and an almost complete implant supported prosthesis rehabilitation. At first, the implants were placed and immediately loaded, giving the patient a class 2 occlusion. Then, an orthognathic surgery was performed, giving the patient a class 1 occlusion, and then the final prosthesis was made. Commentaries: The interest of this case is the combined treatment of the obstructive sleep apnea, the dental and facial deformities by mandibular retrognathia and the edentulous jaws. The gold standard for obstructive sleep apnea is a maxillary and mandibular advancement. In this case, for esthetic and anatomic reasons, a mandible propulsion alone has been performed, showing a positive and stable result for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea. The use of surgical guide permitted to plan the treatment with more accuracy. Conclusion: This case combines a fixed prosthetic rehabilitation, which permitted to guide the orthognathic surgery and the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea.
Hot compression behaviour and microstructural evolution in aluminium based composites: an assessment of the role of reinforcements and deformation parameters
Authors: Babalola Saheed Adeoye , Alaneme Kenneth Kanayo , Oke Samuel Ranti , Chown Lesley Heath , Maledi Nthabiseng Beauty , Bodunrin Michael Oluwatosin
Published: February 2021

The response of two different types of aluminium matrix composites (AMCs) reinforced with silicon carbide ceramic particulates or nickel metallic particulates to hot compression testing parameters was evaluated. The composites were produced via two-step stir-casting technique. Axisymmetric compression testing was performed on the samples at different deformation temperatures of 220 and 370 °Ϲ, 0.5 and 5 s−1 strain rates and total strains of 0.6 and 1.2. The initial and post-deformed microstructures were studied using optical and scanning electron microscopy. The results show that flow stress was significantly influenced by imposed deformation parameters and the type of reinforcements used in the AMCs. Nickel particulate reinforced aluminium matrix composite (AMC) showed superior resistance to deformation in comparison with silicon carbide reinforced AMC under the different testing conditions. In both AMCs, work hardening, dynamic recovery and dynamic recrystallisation influenced their response to imposed parameters. The signature of dynamic recrystallisation was very apparent in aluminium matrix composite reinforced with nickel particulates.
Evidenzbasierte Leitlinienentwicklung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Neurologie (DGN) und der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Neurorehabilitation (DGNR) - Methodik für die systematische Evidenzbasierung
Authors: Platz Thomas
Published: February 2021

Evidenzbasierte Leitlinien, die entweder von einer Fachgesellschaft (S2e-Leitlinien) oder fachgesellschaftsübergreifend (S3-Leitlinien) erstellt werden, verbinden mit hoher Entwicklungsqualität die derzeit beste verfügbare externe Evidenz (Studienlage) mit daraus abgeleiteten Empfehlungen für die klinische Praxis. Bei einer fachgesellschaftsübergreifenden Entwicklung werden die Empfehlungen zudem in einem strukturierten Konsensusverfahren formal konsentiert. Sie generieren damit für Kliniker eine hohe Sicherheit, bei ihren Entscheidungen den Stand der Wissenschaft adäquat zu berücksichtigen. Basierend auf der Leitlinienentwicklungsmethodik der Arbeitsgemeinschaft für wissenschaftliche medizinische Fachgesellschaften (AWMF), haben sich die DGN und DGNR auf Standards der Umsetzung der Leitlinienentwicklungsmethodik für die Evidenzbasierung ihrer Leitlinien verständigt, die hier dokumentiert werden. Dem Leser und Nutzer von evidenzbasierten Leitlinien machen sie verständlich, welche inhaltlich-methodischen Aspekte zu berücksichtigen sind, wenn aus der Datenlage aus klinischen Studien Praxisempfehlungen abgeleitet werden sollen.
Sexuelle und geschlechtliche Vielfalt
Authors: Herbertz-Floßdorf Michaela
Published: February 2021

Die grundsätzliche Annahme einer heterosexuellen Liebens- und Lebensweise ist immer noch weit verbreitet. Häufig mangelt es dabei an Wissen und Bewusstsein für diverse Identität und Positionierung und damit an der Grundlage, um Menschen so, wie sie sind, anzuerkennen und adäquat begleiten zu können. Im vorliegenden Artikel gibt die Autorin einen Überblick über die wichtigsten Aspekte und Begrifflichkeiten sexueller und geschlechtlicher Vielfalt.
Kritische Physiotherapie: die deutschsprachige Sektion des Critical Physiotherapy Network (DCPN) stellt sich vor
Authors: Maric Filip , El-Seoud Nadia , Becker Mirjam , Czernik Claudia , Halm Erik , Moers Stephanie , Richter Robert , Rogan Slavko , Vogel Barbara , Zuber Stefan , Höppner Heidi
Published: February 2021

Hintergrund Zu den Veränderungen in der Welt, die für Gesundheitsberufe von Bedeutung sind, gehören der tiefgreifende soziale und demografische Wandel, zunehmende Technologisierung, Digitalisierung, Umweltzerstörung sowie die Ökonomisierung des Gesundheitswesens. Diese komplexen, neuen Herausforderungen verlangen Anpassungen von Berufsrollen und Aufgaben aller Fachkräfte im Gesundheitssystem.

Ziel Zeitgemäßer Fortschritt in der Physiotherapie ist nur auf Basis einer grundsätzlichen kritischen Analyse und Weiterentwicklung möglich. 2014 gründete sich das Critical Physiotherapy Network (CPN), das diese kritische Arbeit weltweit durch Forschung, Veröffentlichungen, Kurse und Konferenzbeiträge vorantreibt. Mit einer wachsenden Zahl von Mitgliedern aus dem deutschsprachigen Raum war es Zeit, eine deutschsprachige CPN-Sektion (DCPN) ins Leben zu rufen, um die Vernetzung und Zusammenarbeit zu erleichtern und die im deutschsprachigen Raum noch junge Kritische Physiotherapie zu fördern.

Methode Beantwortung erster Fragen hinsichtlich Notwendigkeit, Ziele, Arbeitsweise, Handlungsfelder und Perspektiven der Kritischen Physiotherapie. Methodologisch eng mit der qualitativen Forschung verwandt, ermöglicht die Kritische Physiotherapie eine professionelle Weiterentwicklung, die sich an den Bedürfnissen von Individuum und Gesellschaft in ihrer ökologischen Eingebundenheit orientiert.

Schlussfolgerung Durch das Hinterfragen von Selbstverständlichkeiten und Grundfesten der physiotherapeutischen Handlungspraxis und Wissenschaft eröffnet die Kritische Physiotherapie ein neues Selbstverständnis und neue Handlungsräume.
Sauerstofftherapie bei Kandidaten zur Lungentransplantation − eine monozentrische retrospektive Analyse von 807 Patienten
Authors: Haarmeyer G.-S. , Valtin C. , Gottlieb J.
Published: February 2021

Fragestellung Die Sauerstofflangzeittherapie wird häufig bei Patienten mit fortgeschrittenen Lungenerkrankungen und respiratorischer Insuffizienz angewandt. Eine Behandlung mit Sauerstoff hat Einfluss auf die Organzuteilung auf der Warteliste zur Lungentransplantation und ist mit Sterblichkeit auf der Warteliste assoziiert. Die Studie untersuchte die Sauerstofftherapie bei Patienten zur Evaluation einer Lungentransplantation.

Methode Eine retrospektive Untersuchung wurde in einem großen deutschen Transplantationszentrum zwischen September 2011 und Januar 2019 durchgeführt, Daten der Sauerstofftherapie wurden untersucht und die Indikation überprüft. Der Untersuchungszeitraum wurde in 2 Perioden vor und nach der Einführung von Empfehlungen zur Sauerstofftitration im 3. Quartal 2015 eingeteilt. Die Daten wurden zuerst univariat und dann multivariat mit dem Endpunkt „Aufnahme in die Warteliste“ analysiert.

Ergebnisse 807 Patienten wurden in die Studie eingeschlossen, 396 in der ersten und 411 Patienten in der zweiten Periode. Von allen wurden 293 Patienten (36,3 %) im Beobachtungszeitraum transplantiert. 630 (78 %) der Patienten gaben eine Sauerstofftherapie von über 12 Stunden des Tages an. Nach Einführung der Sauerstofftitration konnte in Periode 2 bei 212 (57 %) von 372 Patienten die Indikation einer Sauerstofflangzeittherapie bei Erstvorstellung bestätigt werden. Der Sauerstofffluss bei Blutgasanalysen zur Kontrolle war in Periode 2 mit 0,5 l/min (25 und 75 %-Quartile 0,0 – 2,0) gegenüber 2 l/min (25 und 75 %-Quartile 0,5 – 3,0) deutlich niedriger. In einer multivariaten Analyse war als unabhängige Variable der Sauerstofffluss mit der Aufnahme auf die Warteliste assoziiert.

Schlussfolgerung Kandidaten zur Lungentransplantation wenden häufig eine Sauerstofflangzeittherapie an. Die Indikation sollte kritisch überprüft werden. Die Indikation zur Sauerstofflangzeittherapie scheint mit der Wahrscheinlichkeit der Aufnahme auf die Warteliste zur Lungentransplantation assoziiert zu sein und könnte in Zukunft ein Selektionskriterium dafür darstellen.
Twin pregnancies
Authors: Ochsenbein-Kölble Nicole
Published: February 2021

Twin pregnancies, resulting in 2–3 % of all deliveries, are high risk pregnancies which need specialized care. A correct dating of pregnancy and the assessment of the chorionicity/amnionicity in the first trimester (< = 13 + 6 gestational weeks, GW) is essential for further monitoring. During first trimester risk stratification of monochorionic pregnancies includes evaluation of discordance of crown-rump-lengths, nuchal translucencies and amniotic fluid. At 16 GW sonographic risk evaluation of monochorionic twins involves differences in amniotic fluid and abdominal circumferences and detection of a velamentous cord insertion. A screening for fetal malformations with cervical length measurement as screening for preterm birth (cut-off < 25 mm) should be offered all twin pregnancies around 20 GW. In uncomplicated dichorionic pregnancies US examination should be performed every 4 weeks onwards to check fetal growth and amniotic fluid. An intertwin weight discordance > 20 % identifies pregnancies at increased risk of adverse outcome. Monochorionic pregnancies should be followed at least every two weeks for screening of twin-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS), twin-anemia-polycythemia-sequence (TAPS) and selective fetal growth retardation (sFGR) with a start at 16 GW. The type 1–3 classification of sFGR in monochorionic twins depends on the pattern of end-diastolic velocity at the umbilical artery Doppler. The diagnosis of TTTS requires the presence of an oligyohydramnios (deepest vertical pocket (DVP) < 2 cm) in the donor twin and a polyhydramnios (DVP > 8 cm) in the recipient twin. However, the diagnosis of TAPS is based on the finding of discordant MCA Doppler values with a delta-MCA PV > 0.5 MoM.
Nicht diagnostizierte internetbezogene Störungen im psychotherapeutischen Versorgungssystem: Prävalenz und geschlechtsspezifische Besonderheiten
Authors: Scherer Lara , Mader Lisa , Wölfling Klaus , Beutel Manfred E. , Dieris-Hirche Jan , Müller Kai W.
Published: February 2021

Ziel der Studie Internetbezogene Störungen (IBS) sind durch eine unkontrollierte Nutzung gekennzeichnet und gehen mit psychosozialen Beeinträchtigungen und einer erhöhten Rate anderer psychischer Erkrankungen einher. Ziel der Studie war die Identifikation nicht diagnostizierter IBS und die Bestimmung geschlechtsspezifischer Unterschiede in unterschiedlichen Einrichtungen des psychotherapeutischen Versorgungssystems.

Methodik In 19 Einrichtungen wurden 501 Patienten (65,3 % Frauen) rekrutiert.

Ergebnisse 20,7 % der Männer und 15,9 % der Frauen wiesen eine komorbide IBS auf. Die IBS wurde bei 94,6 % der Frauen und 66,6 % der Männer von den Behandlern nicht erkannt. Sehr häufig traten bei IBS-Betroffenen auch affektive Störungen und stoffgebundene Suchterkrankungen auf. Frauen waren signifikant häufiger von Ess- und Persönlichkeitsstörungen betroffen, Männer signifikant häufiger von pathologischem Glücksspiel.

Schlussfolgerung Im psychotherapeutischen Versorgungssystem bleibt ein großer Teil der IBS unentdeckt. Frauen mit IBS weisen als Einweisungsdiagnose andere Störungen auf und sind häufiger von schweren psychischen Störungen betroffen als Männer.
Routine Postoperative Management of Blepharoplasty: A Review of Current Evidence-Based Practice
Authors: Malik Mohsan , Shamil Eamon , D'Souza Alwyn Ray
Published: February 2021

Advances in blepharoplasty have resulted in an improved understanding of preoperative risk factors, intraoperative hemostasis, and wound closure. This has reduced the risk of severe adverse events. The aim of this review is to determine the current evidence base for routine postblepharoplasty management. A literature review was performed using MEDLINE, PUBMED, and EMBASE databases. Expanded search criterion “bleph*” was combined with individual terms assessing postoperative management. Articles were assessed and qualified as per Oxford Centre of Evidence-Based Medicine levels 1 to 5 (1 = highest level of evidence). A total of 47 unique articles matched our search strategy. Most articles were a description of individual expert opinion, surveys of practice, or case series (level 4–5 evidence). Few randomized controlled trials were performed (level 2). Many articles describe the clinical experience of senior facial plastic surgeons. Our review found some evidence for postoperative cooling and preincision antisepsis to be effective. This review highlights the need for higher-quality studies to improve the evidence base for routine postoperative management.
Postextubation Noninvasive Ventilation in Respiratory Distress Syndrome: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: El-Farrash Rania A. , DiBlasi Robert M. , AbdEL-Aziz Eman A. , El-Tahry Adham M. , Eladawy Mohammed S. , Tadros Mourad A. , Koriesh Mohamed A. , Farid John V. , AbdElwahab Riham S. , Elsayed Medhat A. , Barakat Noha M.
Published: February 2021

Objective Successful extubation and prevention of reintubation remain primary goals in neonatal ventilation. Our aim was to compare three modalities of postextubation respiratory support—noninvasive positive pressure ventilation (NIPPV), nasal bilevel positive airway pressure (N-BiPAP), and nasal continuous positive airway pressure (NCPAP)—using the RAM cannula in preterm neonates with respiratory distress syndrome (RDS). Our secondary aim was to define the predictors of successful extubation.

Study Design A total of 120 preterm neonates (gestational age ≤35 weeks) with RDS who had undergone primary invasive ventilation were randomized to receive either NIPPV, N-BiPAP, or NCPAP. The incidence of respiratory failure in the first 48 hours postextubation, total days of invasive and noninvasive ventilation, duration of hospitalization, and mortality were measured and compared among the three different noninvasive support modalities.

Results There were no significant differences in the postextubation respiratory failure rates and the number of days of invasive as well as noninvasive ventilation among the three different support modalities (p > 0.05). The total number of days of mechanical ventilation and the duration of hospitalization were significantly higher in the N-BiPAP group than those in the NCPAP or NIPPV groups (p < 0.05). A gestational age of at least 29 weeks and a birth weight of at least 1.4 kg were predictive of successful extubation with a sensitivity of 98.2 and 85.3% and a specificity of 63.6 and 90.9%, respectively.

Conclusion Longer durations of mechanical ventilation and hospitalization were observed with N-BiPAP as a noninvasive mode of ventilation, but there was no significant difference in the extubation failure rates among the three modalities. Gestational age and birth weight were shown to be independent predictors of successful extubation of preterm neonates with RDS.

Key Points
Gestational and Age-Specific Cystatin C Reference Intervals for Newborns
Authors: Tong Chao , Liu Yalan , Wu Yanqiu , Li Qiong , Wu Yipin , Wang Lin , Chen Yan
Published: February 2021

Objective Cystatin C (CysC) references are useful for the monitoring of renal function in neonates. However, the standard CysC references in newborn infants have not been determined. The aim of this study was to establish a useful reference range for CysC in newborns.

Study Design Serum CysC levels were measured in 1,919 blood samples from 1,044 newborns during their first 28 days of life. CysC levels were analyzed for associations between subgroups dichotomized by postnatal age (PA) and gestational age (GA). The serum CysC reference intervals were determined according to the PA and GA. The associations between the serum CysC level and other biochemical parameters as well as perinatal factors were also analyzed.

Results In this study, the mean GA was 35.8 ± 2.9 weeks and the birth weight (BW) was 2,614 ± 697 g. Reference ranges of serum CysC were determined, and a general decreasing trend of CysC levels was observed as the GA increased. CysC levels differed significantly among the PA and GA categories (p < 0.001). Serum CysC levels were relatively stable throughout the GA range but were impacted by the white blood cell count within the first postnatal 24 hours. Moreover, CysC levels always correlated positively with serum creatinine concentrations (p < 0.001). Serum Cr levels were influenced by multiple factors, including BW, GA, total bilirubin, direct bilirubin, white blood cell count, C-reactive protein, and blood urea nitrogen.

Conclusion Reference levels of serum CysC should be determined according to the PA and GA. In contrast to Cr, serum CysC is a reliable index for assessing renal function in neonates as it is influenced by very few factors. The CysC reference levels will allow neonatologists to accurately evaluate renal function in the neonatal population.

Key Points
Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement for a Degenerated Transcatheter Valve—A Single Center Experience
Authors: Erlebach Magdalena , Ruge Hendrik , Lange Ruediger
Published: February 2021

Background The transcatheter valve-in-valve treatment (TAV-in-TAV) of degenerated transcatheter aortic valves is becoming more relevant, as the use of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) increases. We report our experience with TAV-in-TAV in patients with a degenerated transcatheter heart valve (THV).

Methods We retrospectively analyzed prospectively collected data from our designated TAVR database. Intraprocedural and intrahospital outcomes were reported.

Results Ten patients out of a total of 3,144 TAVR implantations since 2007 presented with a degenerated THV, among those six with an Edwards Sapien XT (Edwards Lifesciences, Irvine, California, United States) valve, treated with a Medtronic Evolut R (Medtronic, Dublin, Ireland) valve. Four patients had severe stenosis, one pure insufficiency, and five combined stenosis and insufficiency. Average time between initial implantation and re-intervention was 6.8 ± 1.3 years. The mean preoperative maximum and mean gradients were 54.2 ± 14.8 mm Hg and 31.6 ± 9.9 mm Hg, respectively. Nine patients underwent transfemoral and one patient underwent transaortic TAV-in-TAV. Mean procedural time was 86.2 ± 51.5 minutes. Post-implantation, the maximum and mean gradients decreased to 18 ± 6.9 mm Hg and 8.4 ± 3.2 mm Hg (16 ± 8 mm Hg and 6.4 ± 1.7 mm Hg in the Evolut-in-Sapien subgroup), respectively. The valve area increased from 0.98 ± 0.28 mm Hg to 1.72 ± 0.32 mm Hg (0.8 ± 0.07 mm Hg to 1.9 ± 0.16 mm Hg in the Evolut-in-Sapien subgroup). Two patients experienced a vascular complication. No further Valve Academic Research Consortium-2 criteria complications occurred during hospitalization.

Conclusion TAV-in-TAV resulted in low procedural and peri-procedural complication rates. In particular, the usage of a supra-annular valve resulted in excellent hemodynamic results. Larger studies are required to validate this observational data and to establish a protocol for this procedure.
Duret Hemorrhage after Extradural Hematoma Evacuation–A Rare Entity
Authors: Tyngkan Lamkordor , Mahfouz Nazia , Bilal Sobia , Fatima Bazla , Malik Nayil
Published: February 2021

Traumatic brainstem injury can be classified as primary or secondary. Secondary brainstem hemorrhage that evolves from raised intracranial pressure (ICP) and transtentorial herniation is referred to as Duret hemorrhage. We report a 25-year-old male who underwent emergency craniotomy, with evacuation of acute epidural hematoma, and postoperatively developed fatal Duret hemorrhage. Duret hemorrhage after acute epidural hematoma (EDH) evacuation is a very rare complication and the outcome is grave in most of the cases.
Model predicts the entropy of melting
Authors: McConnon Aili
Published: February 2021

Simple analytical model predicts the thermodynamic properties of monatomic liquids, which could inform a broad array of applications that depend on thermal energy storage.
Ion flow driven by low frequency Alfvén waves in a low-beta plasma
Authors: Lu X. Q. , Yu L. M. , Guo W. , Li K. H.
Published: February 2021

In a low-beta plasma, the ion flow in the parallel direction along the background magnetic field is investigated when ions are accelerated by low-frequency polarized Alfvén waves with the finite amplitude propagating along the magnetic field due to nonresonant interactions. The results indicate that the magnitude of the ion flow is closely related to not only the amplitude but also the frequency and the polarization of the wave, which is verified by a test particle simulation. The ion flows driven by the nondispersive and dispersive Alfvén waves are proportional to vAα21±ε2 and vAα21±ε3/2, respectively, where α is the ratio of the magnetic field component of the Alfvén wave to the background magnetic field, ε is the ratio of the wave frequency to the ion cyclotron frequency, and the positive sign corresponds to the right-handed Alfvén wave and the negative sign corresponds to the left-handed Alfvén wave, respectively. For a wave with finite frequency, the ion flow is different from different polarized waves in low beta plasmas. In particular, the saturation value of ion flow has a minimum threshold for the left-handed polarized Alfvén wave and a maximum threshold for the right-handed polarized Alfvén wave. If the frequency is less than 1/10 of the ion cyclotron frequency, the Alfvén wave can be seen as propagating in nondispersive medium. When the frequency of the Alfvén wave is far less than the frequency of the ion cyclotron, the ion flows driven by the left-handed and right-handed polarized Alfvén waves with and without wave dispersion tend to be the same.
Effect of diffuse phonon boundary scattering on heat flow
Authors: Amrit Jay , Nemchenko Konstantin , Vikhtinskaya Tatiana
Published: February 2021

We propose a model for the thermal conductivity of 2D-samples when the mean free paths due to the phonon–phonon interactions exceed the sample dimensions. The physical mechanisms that ensure the stationary heat flux and the stationary nonequilibrium temperature distribution are examined. A recursive equation is derived to quantify the contribution of phonon scattering to the net heat flux in the pure elastic isotropic diffusive regime, as a function of the number of scattering at the boundaries. As the length to width ratio L/W increases above unity, our model shows an increase in the phonon mean free path compared to that predicted by the Casimir model in which the lateral walls are assumed to be black bodies. The present model also reveals that the multiple phonon interactions with the lateral walls lead to a stationary, but non-linear temperature distribution. The dependence of the heat flux and the thermal conductivity on the sample dimensions is then shown to be non-monotonic. This infers that the location of the thermometers on the sample influences experimental measurements of the thermal conductivity.