bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Revisiting the analysis of HW Virginis eclipse timing data
Authors: Esmer Ekrem M. , Baştürk Özgür , Hinse Tobias C. , Selam Selim O. , Correia Alexandre C. M.
Published: February 2021

Context. HW Vir is a short-period binary that presents eclipse timing variations. Circumbinary planets have been proposed as a possible explanation, although the properties of the planets differ in each new study.

Aims. Our aim is to perform robust model selection methods for eclipse timing variations (ETV) and error calculation techniques based on a frequentist approach for the case of the HW Vir system.

Methods. We initially performed simultaneous light and radial velocity curve analysis to derive the masses of the binary. We then analyzed the eclipse timing variation of the system by fitting multiple models. To select the best model, we searched the confidence levels for the best model by creating an χ2 surface grid and bootstrap methods for each pair of parameters. We searched for stable orbital configurations for our adopted ETV model.

Results. The masses of the binary are found as 0.413 ± 0.008 M⊙ and 0.128 ± 0.004 M⊙. Under the assumption of two light time effects superimposed on a secular change, the minimum masses of the circumbinary objects are calculated as 25.0−2.2+3.5 MJup and 13.9−0.45+0.60 MJup. The projected semi-major axes are found to be 7.8−1.0+1.4 and 4.56−0.22+0.27 au in respective order. We find that this configuration is unstable within a 3σ range on the semi-major axis and eccentricity of the outer circumbinary object.
Testing the models of X-ray driven photoevaporation with accreting stars in the Orion Nebula Cluster
Authors: Flaischlen S. , Preibisch T. , Manara C. F. , Ercolano B.
Published: February 2021

Context. Recent works highlight the importance of stellar X-rays on the evolution of the circumstellar disks of young stellar objects, especially for disk photoevaporation.

Aims. A signature of this process may be seen in the so far tentatively observed dependence of stellar accretion rates on X-ray luminosities. According to models of X-ray driven photoevaporation, stars with higher X-ray luminosities should show lower accretion rates, on average, in a sample with similar masses and ages.

Methods. To this aim, we have analyzed X-ray properties of young stars in the Orion Nebula Cluster determined with Chandra during the COUP observation as well as accretion data obtained from the photometric catalog of the HST Treasury Program. With these data, we have performed a statistical analysis of the relation between X-ray activity and accretion rates using partial linear regression analysis.

Results. The initial anticorrelation found with a sample of 332 young stars is considerably weaker compared to previous studies. However, excluding flaring activity or limiting the X-ray luminosity to the soft band (0.5−2.0 keV) leads to a stronger anticorrelation, which is statistically more significant. Furthermore, we have found a weak positive correlation between the higher component of the plasma temperature gained in the X-ray spectral fitting and the accretion rates, indicating that the hardness of the X-ray spectra may influence the accretion process.

Conclusions. There is evidence for a weak anticorrelation, as predicted by theoretical models, suggesting that X-ray photoevaporation modulates the accretion rate through the inner disk at late stages of disk evolution, leading to a phase of photoevaporation-starved accretion.
Connecting X-ray nuclear winds with galaxy-scale ionised outflows in two z  ∼  1.5 lensed quasars
Authors: Tozzi G. , Cresci G. , Marasco A. , Nardini E. , Marconi A. , Mannucci F. , Chartas G. , Rizzo F. , Amiri A. , Brusa M. , Comastri A. , Dadina M. , Lanzuisi G. , Mainieri V. , Mingozzi M. , Perna M. , Venturi G. , Vignali C.
Published: February 2021

Aims. Outflows driven by active galactic nuclei (AGN) are expected to have a significant impact on host galaxy evolution, but the matter of how they are accelerated and propagated on galaxy-wide scales is still under debate. This work addresses these questions by studying the link between X-ray, nuclear ultra-fast outflows (UFOs), and extended ionised outflows, for the first time, in two quasars close to the peak of AGN activity (z ∼ 2), where AGN feedback is expected to be more effective.

Methods. Our selected targets, HS 0810+2554 and SDSS J1353+1138, are two multiple-lensed quasars at z ∼ 1.5 with UFO detection that have been observed with the near-IR integral field spectrometer SINFONI at the VLT. We performed a kinematical analysis of the [O III]λ5007 optical emission line to trace the presence of ionised outflows.

Results. We detected spatially resolved ionised outflows in both galaxies, extended more than 8 kpc and moving up to v > 2000 km s−1. We derived mass outflow rates of ∼12 M⊙ yr−1 and ∼2 M⊙ yr−1 for HS 0810+2554 and SDSS J1353+1138.

Conclusions. Compared with the co-hosted UFO energetics, the ionised outflow energetics in HS 0810+2554 is broadly consistent with a momentum-driven regime of wind propagation, whereas in SDSS J1353+1138, it differs by about two orders of magnitude from theoretical predictions, requiring either a massive molecular outflow or a high variability of the AGN activity to account for such a discrepancy. By additionally considering our results together with those from the small sample of well-studied objects (all local but one) having both UFO and extended (ionised, atomic, or molecular) outflow detections, we found that in 10 out of 12 galaxies, the large-scale outflow energetics is consistent with the theoretical predictions of either a momentum- or an energy-driven scenario of wind propagation. This suggests that such models explain the acceleration mechanism of AGN-driven winds on large scales relatively well.
A new two-stage variable neighborhood search algorithm for the nurse rostering problem
Authors: Abdelghany Mohammed , Yahia Zakaria , Eltawil Amr B.
Published: February 2021

The nurse rostering problem refers to the assignment of nurses to daily shifts according to the required demand of each shift and day, with consideration for the operational requirements and nurses’ preferences. This problem is known to be an NP-hard problem, difficult to be solved using the known exact solution methods especially for large size instances. Mostly, this problem is modeled with soft and hard constraint, and the objective is set to minimize the violations for the soft constraints. In this paper, a new two-stage variable neighborhood search algorithm is proposed for solving the nurse rostering problem. The first stage aims at minimizing the violations of the soft constraints with the higher penalty weights in the objective function. While the second stage considers minimizing the total solution penalty taking into account all the soft constraint. The proposed algorithm was tested on the 24 benchmark instances of Curtois and Qu (Technical Report, ASAP Research Group, School of Computer Science, University of Nottingham (2014)). The test results revealed that the proposed algorithm is able to compete with the results of a recent heuristic approach from literature for most of the tested instances.
Wie eine zweite Haut – Amputationen Teil 2: Prothesenversorgung und erste Schritte
Authors: Brandt Hanna
Published: February 2021

Patienten nach einer Amputation am Bein zu behandeln ist nicht für jeden Therapeuten Alltag. Unsere dreiteilige Serie frischt Ihr Wissen über Theorie und Nachversorgung auf. Teil 2 befasst sich mit der Reha, der Prothesenversorgung und den ersten Schritten mit der Prothese. Das A und O: Die Prothese sollte wie eine zweite Haut am Stumpf anliegen.
Allometric Scaling of Force-velocity Test Output Among Pre-pubertal Basketball Players
Authors: Martinho Diogo V. , Baptista Rafael , Teixeira Anderson S. , Duarte Joao P. , Valente-dos-Santos Joao , Coelho-e-Silva Manuel J. , Santos Amândio Manuel Cupido , Armstrong Neil
Published: February 2021

Basketball is characterized by high-intensity episodes predominantly reliant on anaerobic metabolism. The force-velocity test enables individual determination of an optimal braking force and emerged as appropriate to estimate optimal peak power. It has rarely been used in youth basketball. This study aimed to examine the contribution of body size, composition, and biological maturation to interindividual variation in force-velocity test output among pre-pubertal basketball players. The sample consisted of 64 male participants (8.4–12.3 years). Stature, sitting height, body mass and two skinfolds were measured, and leg length estimated. Fat-free mass and lower limb volume were estimated from anthropometry. Age at peak height velocity was predicted from maturity offset. Optimal peak power was correlated with all body size descriptors (correlation: 0.541–0.700). Simple allometric models explained 30–47% of inter-individual variance, with fat-free mass being the best predictor of performance. Whole-body fat-free mass (as a surrogate for active muscle mass) plus the indicator of maturation emerged as the best proportional allometric model (53% explained variance). Even at pre-pubertal ages, the interpretation of the force-velocity test requires assessing the metabolically active component of body mass.
Inhibitory Effects of Secondary Metabolites from the Lichen Stereocaulon evolutum on Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase 1B
Authors: Waltenberger Birgit , Lohézic-Le Dévéhat Françoise , Vu Thi Huyen , Delalande Olivier , Lalli Claudia , Reider Stefanie , Ferron Solenn , Boustie Joel
Published: February 2021

Protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B plays a significant role in type 2 diabetes mellitus and other diseases and is therefore considered a new drug target. Within this study, an acetone extract from the lichen Stereocaulon evolutum was identified to possess strong protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B inhibition in a cell-free assay (IC50 of 11.8 µg/mL). Fractionation of this bioactive extract led to the isolation of seven known molecules belonging to the depsidones and the related diphenylethers and one new natural product, i.e., 3-butyl-3,7-dihydroxy-5-methoxy-1(3H)-isobenzofurane. The isolated compounds were evaluated for their inhibition of protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B. Two depsidones, lobaric acid and norlobaric acid, and the diphenylether anhydrosakisacaulon A potently inhibited protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B with IC50 values of 12.9, 15.1, and 16.1 µM, respectively, which is in the range of the protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B
inhibitory activity of the positive control ursolic acid (IC50 of 14.4 µM). Molecular simulations performed on the eight compounds showed that i) a contact between the molecule and the four main regions of the protein is required for inhibitory activity, ii) the relative rigidity of the depsidones lobaric acid and norlobaric acid and the reactivity related to hydrogen bond donors or acceptors, which interact with protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B key amino acids, are involved in the bioactivity on protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B, iii) the cycle opening observed for diphenylethers decreased the inhibition, except for anhydrosakisacaulon A where its double bond on C-8 offsets this loss of activity, iv) the function present at C-8 is a determinant for the inhibitory effect on protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B, and v) the more hydrogen bonds with Arg221 there are, the more anchorage is favored.
Einfluss des Beginns auf das Ergebnis einer spezialisierten Handrehabilitation bei beruflichen Handverletzungen
Authors: Millrose Michael , Kim Simon , Eichenauer Frank , Gesslein Markus , Eisenschenk Andreas , Asmus Ariane
Published: February 2021

Ziel Ziel der Studie war die Auswertung der Ergebnisse einer spezialisierten interdisziplinären Handrehabilitation in Abhängigkeit vom zeitlichen Abstand zwischen der Verletzung und dem Beginn der Rehabilitation.

Patienten und Methoden Mit Hilfe von punktebasierten Fragebögen (Disability of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand Score [DASH-Score], European Quality of Life 5 Dimensions [EQ-5D]) und objektiven Messparametern (TAM = Total Active Motion bei Fingerverletzungen, ROM = Range of Motion bei Handgelenksverletzungen, Grobkraft) wurden die Ergebnisse von 76 Patienten mit Verletzungen von Fingern und Handgelenken oder einem komplexen regionalen Schmerzsyndrom (CRPS) zu Beginn, am Ende und bei der Nachuntersuchung 12–16 Wochen nach Ende der semistationären Rehabilitation analysiert. Die Patienten wurden in Gruppen mit einem frühen (< 120 Tage nach Trauma) bzw. späten Beginn der Rehabilitation aufgeteilt.

Ergebnisse Patienten mit frühem Beginn der Rehabilitation hatten bei der Nachuntersuchung signifikant bessere Ergebnisse beim DASH-Score als auch beim Bewegungsausmaß des Handgelenkes. Auch waren signifikant mehr Patienten mit frühem Rehabilitationsbeginn zum Ende der Rehabilitation als auch bei der Nachuntersuchung arbeitsfähig als Patienten mit spätem Beginn der Rehabilitation. Insbesondere Patienten mit Fingerverletzungen und CRPS profitierten von einem frühen Beginn der Rehabilitation.

Schlussfolgerung Ein früher Beginn der Rehabilitation nach Finger- und Handverletzungen sowie bei einem CRPS führt zu funktionell besseren Ergebnissen, wobei vor allem Patienten mit CRPS von einem frühen Beginn profitieren.
Impact of COVID-19 Lockdown on Serie A Soccer Players’ Physical Qualities
Authors: Rampinini Ermanno , Donghi Federico , Martin Marco , Bosio Andrea , Riggio Marco , Maffiuletti Nicola A.
Published: February 2021

In March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic forced most activities in Italy, including soccer, to cease. During lockdown, players could only train at home, with limited evidence regarding the effect of this period. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effect of COVID-19 lockdown on professional soccer players’ physical performance. Aerobic fitness and vertical jump were assessed before and after four periods in two different seasons: COVID-19 lockdown, competitive period before lockdown, competitive period and summer break of the 2016–2017 season. Linear mixed models were used to examine within-period changes and between-period differences in changes observed during COVID-19 lockdown and the three other periods. Within-period changes in aerobic fitness showed a significant improvement following COVID-19 lockdown (p<0.001) and a significant decline during summer break (p<0.001). Between-period differences were significant in the comparison of COVID-19 lockdown with both the competitive 2019–2020 season (p<0.01) and summer break (p<0.001). For the vertical jump, only the between-period comparison revealed significant differences as the changes associated with COVID-19 lockdown were worse than those of the two competitive periods, for both absolute (p<0.05; p<0.001) and relative peak power (p<0.01; p<0.001). Home-based training during lockdown was effective to improve aerobic fitness, although it did not allow players to maintain their competitive period’s power levels.
Wassergefiltertes Infrarot A (wIRA) bei Gonarthrose – eine prospektive randomisierte kontrollierte Studie
Authors: Schuester Leon , Liebl Max Emanuel , Stroux Andrea , Reißhauer Anett
Published: February 2021

Hintergrund Gonarthrose ist die am weitesten verbreitete Gelenkerkrankung der Welt und hat in Deutschland eine Prävalenz von 10,6 %. Wassergefilterte Infrarot-A Strahlung (wIRA) wird unter anderem zur physikalischen Therapie von Morbus Bechterew und Arthritis psoriatica erfolgreich angewendet. Die wIRA-Behandlung für Gonarthrose zeigte schon in einer Patientenbeobachtung 1995 (n=20) positive Effekte. Diese Ergebnisse sollen nun mittels RCT verifiziert werden.

Material und Methoden In einer randomisiert-kontrollierten Studie wurden n=108 Probanden mit Gonarthrose eingeschlossen. Die Probanden der Interventionsgruppe bestrahlten ihr beschwerdedominantes Knie im häuslichen Umfeld über den Zeitraum von 30 Tagen jeweils mindestens eine Stunde pro Tag. Die Kontrollgruppe erhielt keine, über die zuvor bereits durchgeführten Therapiemaßnahmen hinausgehende, Intervention (Standardtherapie). Zu Beginn und Ende der Studie wurden alle Teilnehmer klinisch evaluiert (Bewegungsumfang, Einbeinstand, KOOS, Schmerzen, Lebensqualität), zusätzlich wurden wöchentliche Befragungen durchgeführt.

Ergebnisse Die belastungsabhängigen Knieschmerzen zeigten sich bereits nach 2 Wochen statistisch signifikant reduziert (VAS−12 vs. − 2 mm; p<0,001). Dieser Effekt verstärkte sich über den kompletten Studienzeitraum (VAS−18 vs. − 4 mm; − 25,7 vs. − 5%; p<0,001). Die Einschränkungen der Lebensqualität konnten reduziert werden (VAS − 8 vs. 0 mm; − 12,1 vs. 0%; p<0,001). Der KOOS zeigte in allen Teilbereichen eine Verbesserung, die keine statistische Signifikanz erreichen konnte. Verglichen mit der Kontrollgruppe gaben zu Ende der Studie doppelt so viele Probanden der Interventionsgruppe (20 vs. 10) an, unbegrenzt weit schmerzfrei gehen zu können.

Schlussfolgerung Der Einsatz von wIRA bei Gonarthrose zeigt sich als Therapieoption, die Schmerzen unter Belastung signifikant reduzieren und die Lebensqualität der Patienten signifikant steigern kann.
Wearables in der Neurologie
Authors: Baumgartner Christoph
Published: February 2021

Wearables sind in die Kleidung oder in tragbare Geräte integrierte Sensoren, die eine kontinuierliche Langzeitmessung von physiologischen Parametern, wie Herzfrequenz, Blutdruck, Sauerstoffsättigung, Atmung, Hautwiderstand etc., von Bewegungsmustern und eine GPS-Ortung ermöglichen. Insbesondere in der Neurologie ergeben sich hier einige vielversprechende Ansätze, die im vorliegenden Themenheft beleuchtet werden.
Anwendung von Wearables bei Multipler Sklerose
Authors: Monschein Tobias , Leutmezer Fritz , Altmann Patrick
Published: February 2021

Wearables sind mit Sensoren ausgestattete Geräte oder Funktionskleidung, welche im Bereich der Multiplen Sklerose bis dato v. a. zur Messung von Bewegung in Form von Accelerometern in Verwendung sind. Im Gegensatz zu technisch aufwendigen Ganganalysesystemen und neurologischen Funktionstests können solche Wearables im Alltag einfach eingesetzt werden und bieten die Möglichkeit Ausmaß, Geschwindigkeit und Dauer von Bewegung auch über längere Zeiträume zu erfassen. Zusätzlich können auch spezifischere Parameter wie Schrittlänge, Bewegungsumfang einzelner Gelenke sowie physiologische und pathologische Bewegungsmuster dokumentiert werden. Die durch Accelerometer erhobenen Informationen korrelieren gut mit der körperlichen Aktivität im Alltag, kardiorespiratorischen Biomarkern der Bewegung, dem Ausmaß der Behinderung aber auch mit technisch aufwendigen Ganganalysen.

Insofern werden Wearables in Zukunft eine immer wichtigere Rolle spielen, wenn es darum geht, die Beweglichkeit als einen der wichtigsten Faktoren der Lebensqualität von Personen mit MS im Alltag reliabel und einfach zu messen.
Wearables bei Epilepsien
Authors: Surges Rainer
Published: February 2021

Epileptische Anfälle führen zu verschiedensten körperlichen Symptomen, die je nach Art und Ausprägung mit geeigneten Geräten gemessen werden und als Surrogatmarker epileptischer Anfälle dienen können. Dominierende motorische Symptome können mit Beschleunigungssensoren oder elektromyografisch erfasst werden. Bei fokalen Anfällen mit fehlender oder geringer motorischer Beteiligung können autonome Phänomene wie Änderungen der Herzrate, Atmung und des elektrischen Hautwiderstandes per Elektrokardiografie, Photopletysmografie und Hautsensoren gemessen werden. Die in den heutigen Wearables integrierten Sensoren können diese Körpersignale messen und zur automatisierten Anfallserkennung nutzbar machen. In dieser Übersichtsarbeit werden verschiedene Sensortechnologien, Wearables und deren Anwendung zur automatisierten Erkennung epileptischer Anfälle vorgestellt, Gütekriterien zur Einschätzung mobiler Gesundheitstechnologien diskutiert und klinisch geprüfte Systeme zusammengefasst.
DNA Barcoding of St. Johnʼs wort (Hypericum spp.) Growing Wild in North-Eastern Greece
Authors: Pyrka Ioanna , Stefanaki Anastasia , Vlachonasios Konstantinos E.
Published: February 2021

Plants of the genus Hypericum, commonly known as “St. Johnʼs wort” (“spathohorto” or “valsamo” in Greek), have been used since antiquity for their therapeutic properties. Wild-harvested Hypericum plants are still popular today in herbal medicines, commercially exploited due to their bioactive compounds, hypericin and hyperforin, which have antidepressant, antimicrobial and antiviral activity. Species identification of commercial products is therefore important and DNA barcoding, a molecular method that uses small sequences of organismsʼ genome as barcodes, can be useful in this direction. In this study, we collected plants of the genus Hypericum that grow wild in North-Eastern Greece and explored the efficiency of matK, and trnH-psbA regions as DNA barcodes for their identification. We focused on 5 taxa, namely H. aucheri, H. montbretii, H. olympicum, H. perforatum subsp. perforatum, and H. thasium, the latter a
rare Balkan endemic species collected for the first time from mainland Greece. matK (using the genus-specific primers designed herein), trnH-psbA, and their combination were effectively used for the identification of the 5 Hypericum taxa and the discrimination of different H. perforatum subsp. perforatum populations. These barcodes were also able to discriminate Greek populations of H. perforatum, H. aucheri, H. montbretii, and H. olympicum from populations of the same species growing in other countries.
Deficiency of Endothelial CD40 Induces a Stable Plaque Phenotype and Limits Inflammatory Cell Recruitment to Atherosclerotic Lesions in Mice
Authors: Gissler Mark Colin , Scherrer Philipp , Anto-Michel Nathaly , Pennig Jan , Hoppe Natalie , Füner Lisa , Härdtner Carmen , Stachon Peter , Li Xiaowei , Mitre Lucia Sol , Marchini Timoteo , Madl Josef , Wadle Carolin , Hilgendorf Ingo , von zur Mühlen Constantin , Bode Christoph , Weber Christian , Lutgens Esther , Wolf Dennis , Gerdes Norbert , Zirlik Andreas , Willecke Florian
Published: February 2021

Objectives The co-stimulatory CD40L–CD40 dyad exerts a critical role in atherosclerosis by modulating leukocyte accumulation into developing atherosclerotic plaques. The requirement for cell-type specific expression of both molecules, however, remains elusive. Here, we evaluate the contribution of CD40 expressed on endothelial cells (ECs) in a mouse model of atherosclerosis.

Methods and Results Atherosclerotic plaques of apolipoprotein E-deficient (Apoe

−/−
) mice and humans displayed increased expression of CD40 on ECs compared with controls. To interrogate the role of CD40 on ECs in atherosclerosis, we induced EC-specific (BmxCreERT2-driven) deficiency of CD40 in Apoe

−/−
mice. After feeding a chow diet for 25 weeks, EC-specific deletion of CD40 (iEC-CD40) ameliorated plaque lipid deposition and lesional macrophage accumulation but increased intimal smooth muscle cell and collagen content, while atherosclerotic lesion size did not change. Leukocyte adhesion to the vessel wall was impaired in iEC-CD40-deficient mice as demonstrated by intravital microscopy. In accord, expression of vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM-1) and intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1) in the vascular endothelium declined after deletion of CD40. In vitro, antibody-mediated inhibition of human endothelial CD40 significantly abated monocyte adhesion on ECs.

Conclusion Endothelial deficiency of CD40 in mice promotes structural features associated with a stable plaque phenotype in humans and decreases leukocyte adhesion. These results suggest that endothelial-expressed CD40 contributes to inflammatory cell migration and consecutive plaque formation in atherogenesis.
Advances in Immuno-oncology for the Treatment of Colorectal and Anal Cancers
Authors: Uboha Nataliya V. , Grogan Patrick T. , Deming Dustin A.
Published: February 2021

Immune checkpoint inhibitors changed treatment paradigms across several malignancies. With the exception of tumors with microsatellite instability (MSI-H), gastrointestinal cancers have been largely resistant to these agents. Herein, we review the data supporting the use of immunotherapy for patients with (MSI-H) colorectal tumors. We discuss ongoing research and answered questions regarding resistance and sequence of use of these agents for this disease. We discuss ongoing research efforts to augment activity of these agents in microsatellite stable colorectal cancer. We also provide an overview of the data and ongoing studies immune checkpoint inhibitors in the treatment of anal cancer.
An Investigation of Medial Tibial Component Overhang in Unicompartmental and Total Knee Replacements Using Ultrasound in the Outpatient Department
Authors: Mortensen Jacob F. , Hald Julius T. , Rasmussen Lasse E. , Østgaard Svend E. , Odgaard Anders
Published: February 2021

Tibial component overhang is known to be a contributor to worse outcomes in knee arthroplasty. The aim of this study is to investigate the presence of tibial component overhang, and whether overhang correlates to a higher local tenderness in both medial unicompartmental and total knee replacements. Also, to determine if a rotational projection phenomenon is presented with radiographs when investigating tibial component overhang. A prospective study, including 64 participants, was performed, where ultrasound measurements were compared with postoperative radiographs. Local tenderness was measured as a pressure pain threshold, determined at 3 months postoperatively using algometry. Sixty-two of sixty-four patients had an underdiagnosed medial overhang on radiographs, with a mean difference of 2.4 mm between radiographs and ultrasound (p < 0.001), presenting a rotational projection phenomenon. When comparing sites with ultrasound measured overhang to sites without overhang measured by ultrasound, a higher local tenderness was observed (p < 0.001). A positive linear correlation was found between patients' overhang and local tenderness (r = 0.2; p = 0.045). Subgroup analysis of medial overhang showed significantly higher tenderness than all other locations. No significant differences were seen for lateral overhang. An apparent rotational projection phenomenon of overhang on radiographs was seen, and a linear association between overhang and local tenderness was demonstrated. This study warrants the use of ultrasound when a surgeon is presented with a patient with postoperative medial tenderness, but no overhang can be seen on radiographs. It should also raise awareness of implant selection and positioning during surgery, especially avoiding the overhang to be localized directly medially.
Clinical Efficacy of Preoperative CT-Assisted Planning for Primary Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Pilot Randomized Clinical Trial
Authors: Younis Ahmed Saeed , Awad Mohammed El Sayed , Samy Tarek M. , Osman Wael Samir , Abdeldayem Sherif Mostafa , Zakaria Zeiad M. , Fathy Ayman , Metwaly Radwan G.
Published: February 2021

This study aims to determine the mean posterior condylar angle (PCA) in the included population and its relation to coronal alignment; and to know the clinical importance of the use of preoperative computed tomography (CT) scan in total knee arthroplasty (TKA). We randomized 50 patients with primary knee osteoarthritis into 2 groups. We used CT scan axial images to measure the PCA. In the first group we followed the CT scan plan (group 1), but in the second we did not follow the plan and adjusted rotation to the standard three degrees (group 2). The mean age of the included patients was 63 years. The radiological data of the included patients showed 5 patients with valgus deformity and 45 patients with varus deformity with the mean coronal alignment of 7.5 degrees. CT scan showed the mean PCA of 3.7 degrees (1.3 degrees). The axial knee postoperative X-ray showed the mean patellar tilt angle of 2.1 degrees (0.5 degrees) and 1.9 degrees (0.5 degrees) in groups 1 and 2, respectively. The congruence angle was 4 degrees (2.6 degrees) in group 1 and 5.5 degrees (3.2 degrees) in group 2. The median Knee Society functional score in group 1 was 85 (12), while it was 84 (7.5) in group 2. The median postoperative Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index score in group 1 was 84 (18.6) whereas 80.2 (13.6) in group 2. The median postoperative Bartlett score in group 1 was 30 (5), while it was 30 (6) in group 2. The use of preoperative CT scan did not improve the patient functional scores after TKA.
Early Stage Versus Late Stage Periarticular Injection during Unicompartmental Knee Arthroplasty for Postoperative Pain Relief: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Chen Wang , Sun Jian-Ning , Hu Zheng-Hao , Zhang Yu , Chen Xiang-Yang , Feng Shuo
Published: February 2021

Controlling postoperative pain after unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) is essential to improve patient satisfaction and promote early recovery. The purpose of this study was to investigate the difference in clinical efficacy between early and late stage periarticular injection during UKA for postoperative pain relief. Eighty-four patients meeting the inclusion and exclusion criteria were randomly divided into the early stage periarticular injection group and late stage periarticular injection group by using a random number tables method. The difference between the two groups was that the early stage periarticular injection group received superficial injection before the joint incision, while the late stage periarticular injection group received superficial injection after implantation of the prosthesis. Deep injection and other perioperative conditions of the two groups were controlled identically. The primary outcome of the study was the recovery room immediate visual analog scale (VAS) at rest. The secondary outcomes were the postoperative VAS (at rest) at 3, 6, 9, 12, 18, 24, 48, 72, 96, and 120 hours, drug dosage of rescue analgesia, range of motion (ROM), and complications. The recovery room immediate VAS (at rest) in the early stage periarticular injection group was significantly lower than that of the late stage periarticular injection group (21 ± 24 vs. 32 ± 34 mm, p = 0.018), the average difference of the VAS reached the minimal clinically important difference. No statistically significant difference in postoperative drug dosage of rescue analgesia, ROM, and complications. Preemptive analgesia combined with the early stage periarticular injection can better alleviate postoperative pain than the late stage periarticular injection.
Anterior Open-Wedge Osteotomy in Posterior Cruciate Ligament Deficient Knees: From a Historical Perspective to First Clinical Results
Authors: Weiler Andreas , Dickschas Jörg , Gwinner Clemens
Published: February 2021

Recently, the bony anatomy of the proximal tibia has gained strong interest, particularly in the cruciate ligament deficient knee. Regarding the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), several studies outlined that a steep tibial slope (≥12 degrees) contributes to early failures after ACL reconstruction. As a consequence, the first clinical reports are available on slope reducing osteotomies in revision ACL surgery. Vice versa, biomechanical as well as clinical reports suggest that a flat slope increases the load on the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) and might contribute to a poor result after PCL reconstruction. Since many decades, slope increasing anterior open wedge osteotomies are used to treat a symptomatic genu recurvatum. The aim of the current report is to describe different surgical techniques and report our first clinical experience of an anterior open wedge osteotomy as a sole procedure in chronic PCL deficient knees with a flat tibial slope. In six cases, a mean preoperative slope of 3.7 degrees (range = 2–5 degrees) was increased to a mean of 11.5 degrees (range = 9–13 degrees). There was one case with a delayed bone healing, which was successfully treated without loss of correction by revision internal fixation and bone grafting.
Intrinsically Resistant Bacteria as Looming Disaster: A Rare Case Report of Elizabethkingia meningoseptica Meningitis in a Neonate
Authors: Patro Priyadarshini , Das Padma , Padhi Phalguni
Published: February 2021

Elizabethkingia meningoseptica is a recognized cause of neonatal meningitis with high mortality rate of approximately 57%, but clinical data detailing these infections remain limited from India. Though this bacteria has a Gram-negative character, it is usually multidrug resistant to antibiotics usually prescribed for Gram-negative bacterial infections and susceptible to antibiotics for Gram-positive bacteria, thus poses a serious challenge to the treating clinicians. Such cases of neonatal meningitis is most commonly associated with prematurity with birth weight < 2,500 g, but here we report an uncommon case of neonatal meningitis due to this rare pathogen in a full-term neonate with weight as per gestational age. The isolate was multidrug resistant and discrepancy was seen between disc diffusion and automated antibiotic susceptibility testing for few antibiotics. The case was successfully managed by treatment with combination of piperacillin-tazobactam, vancomycin, chloramphenicol, and rifampicin for a total duration of 28 days, due to prompt identification of the causative organism and initiation of appropriate antimicrobial therapy early. E. meningoseptica can cause severe infection, with risk of high mortality and neurological sequelae in neonates. Intensive care and multidisciplinary interventions are crucial for case management.
Oedometric-like setup for the study of water transport in porous media by quasi-elastic neutron scattering
Authors: Wolanin Julie , Giraud Jérôme , Payre Claude , Benoit Marianne , Antonelli Claire , Quemener Damien , Tahiri Iliass , Vandamme Matthieu , Zanotti Jean-Marc , Plazanet Marie
Published: February 2021

In comparison to condensed matter, soft matter is subject to several interplaying effects (surface heterogeneities and swelling effect) that influence transport at the nanoscale. In consequence, transport in soft and compliant materials is coupled to adsorption and deformation phenomena. The permeance of the material, i.e., the response of the material to a pressure gradient, is dependent on the temperature, the chemical potential, and the external constraint. Therefore, the characterization of water dynamics in soft porous materials, which we address here, becomes much more complex. In this paper, the development of an original setup for scattering measurements of a radiation in the transmitted geometry in oedometric conditions is described. A specially designed cell enables a uniaxial compression of the investigated material, PIM-1 (Polymers of Intrinsic Microporosity), in the direction perpendicular to the applied hydraulic pressure gradient (up to 120 bars). High pressure boosting of the circulating water is performed with a commercially available high-pressure pump Karcher. This particular setup is adapted to the quasi-elastic neutron scattering technique, which enables us to probe diffusion and relaxation phenomena with characteristic times of 10−9 s–10−12 s. Moreover, it can easily be modified for other scattering techniques.
Dynamics of particles near the surface of a medium under ultra-strong shocks
Authors: Yan Zixiang , Liu Hao , Zhang Xinyu , Ren Guoli , Liu Jie , Kang Wei , Zhang Weiyan , He Xiantu
Published: February 2021

Through nonequilibrium molecular dynamics simulations, we provide an atomic-scale picture of the dynamics of particles near the surface of a medium under ultra-strong shocks. This shows that the measured surface velocity vf under ultra-strong shocks is actually the velocity of the critical surface at which the incident probe light is reflected, and vf has a single-peaked structure. The doubling rule commonly used in the case of relatively weak shocks to determine particle velocity behind the shock front is generally not valid under ultra-strong shocks. After a short period of acceleration, vf exhibits a long slowly decaying tail, which is not sensitive to the atomic mass of the medium. A scaling law for vf is also proposed, and this may be used to improve the measurement of particle velocity u in future experiments.
Implementation of Perdew–Zunger self-interaction correction in real space using Fermi–Löwdin orbitals
Authors: Diaz Carlos M. , Suryanarayana Phanish , Xu Qimen , Baruah Tunna , Pask John E. , Zope Rajendra R.
Published: February 2021

Most widely used density functional approximations suffer from self-interaction error, which can be corrected using the Perdew–Zunger (PZ) self-interaction correction (SIC). We implement the recently proposed size-extensive formulation of PZ-SIC using Fermi–Löwdin Orbitals (FLOs) in real space, which is amenable to systematic convergence and large-scale parallelization. We verify the new formulation within the generalized Slater scheme by computing atomization energies and ionization potentials of selected molecules and comparing to those obtained by existing FLOSIC implementations in Gaussian based codes. The results show good agreement between the two formulations, with new real-space results somewhat closer to experiment on average for the systems considered. We also obtain the ionization potentials and atomization energies by scaling down the Slater statistical average of SIC potentials. The results show that scaling down the average SIC potential improves both atomization energies and ionization potentials, bringing them closer to experiment. Finally, we verify the present formulation by calculating the barrier heights of chemical reactions in the BH6 dataset, where significant improvements are obtained relative to Gaussian based FLOSIC results.
High-speed label-free two-photon fluorescence microscopy of metabolic transients during neuronal activity
Authors: Bower Andrew J. , Renteria Carlos , Li Joanne , Marjanovic Marina , Barkalifa Ronit , Boppart Stephen A.
Published: February 2021

The brain is an especially active metabolic system, requiring a large supply of energy following neuronal activation. However, direct observation of cellular metabolic dynamics associated with neuronal activation is challenging with currently available imaging tools. In this study, an optical imaging approach combining imaging of calcium transients and the metabolic co-enzyme nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (phosphate) (NAD(P)H) is utilized to track the metabolic dynamics in hippocampal neuron cultures. Results show distinct cellular components for the NAD(P)H response following neuronal activity, where notable differences in the NAD(P)H dynamics between neurons and astrocytes can be directly observed. Additionally, tracking of these responses across a large field of view is demonstrated for metabolic profiling of neuronal activation. Observation of neuronal dynamics using these methods allows for closer examination of the complex metabolic machinery of the brain, and may lead to a better understanding of the cellular metabolism of neuronal activation.
Lattice Boltzmann modeling and simulation of forced-convection boiling on a cylinder
Authors: Saito Shimpei , De Rosis Alessandro , Fei Linlin , Luo Kai Hong , Ebihara Ken-ichi , Kaneko Akiko , Abe Yutaka
Published: February 2021

When boiling occurs in a liquid flow field, the phenomenon is known as forced-convection boiling. We numerically investigate such a boiling system on a cylinder in a flow at saturated conditions. To deal with the complicated liquid–vapor phase-change phenomenon, we develop a numerical scheme based on the pseudopotential lattice Boltzmann method (LBM). The collision stage is performed in the space of central moments (CMs) to enhance numerical stability for high Reynolds numbers. The adopted forcing scheme, consistent with the CM-based LBM, leads to a concise yet robust algorithm. Furthermore, additional terms required to ensure thermodynamic consistency are derived in a CM framework. The effectiveness of the present scheme is successfully tested against a series of boiling processes, including nucleation, growth, and departure of a vapor bubble for Reynolds numbers varying between 30 and 30 000. Our CM-based LBM can reproduce all the boiling regimes, i.e., nucleate boiling, transition boiling, and film boiling, without any artificial input such as initial vapor phase. We find that the typical boiling curve, also known as the Nukiyama curve, appears even though the focused system is not the pool boiling but the forced-convection system. Also, our simulations support experimental observations of intermittent direct solid–liquid contact even in the film-boiling regime. Finally, we provide quantitative comparison with the semi-empirical correlations for the forced-convection film boiling on a cylinder on the Nu-Ja diagram.
Effect of wall proximity on the lateral thermocapillary migration of droplet rising in a quiescent liquid
Authors: Kalichetty Srinivasa Sagar , Sundararajan T. , Pattamatta Arvind
Published: February 2021

A numerical study is performed to observe the effect of lateral wall proximity on the thermocapillary migration of a droplet. Three-dimensional simulations of the droplet with lateral wall proximity show that the droplet is pulled toward the wall for larger temperature gradients in the ambient and pushed away from the wall at smaller temperature gradients. Parametric studies carried out for migration of a droplet in the vicinity of a wall in a two-dimensional domain show that the droplet behavior is similar to the three-dimensional domain. At different temperature gradients, the final lateral distance of the droplet from the wall does not vary monotonically. The interaction of the temperature field at the leading and trailing ends of the migrating droplet with the wall explains the observed behavior. An extensive parametric study is performed to understand the effect of the Marangoni number, Reynolds number, and property ratios on droplet migration near the wall. Variation in each parameter influences the evolution of temperature both within the droplet and in the ambient fluid. The asymmetric interfacial temperature variation due to the asymmetric evolution of internal circulation within the droplet is correlated with the lateral migration of the droplet. The observations made in the present work reveal physical mechanisms that influence the thermocapillary migration behavior of a droplet near a wall.
Navier–Stokes transport coefficients for a model of a confined quasi-two-dimensional granular binary mixture
Authors: Garzó Vicente , Brito Ricardo , Soto Rodrigo
Published: February 2021

The Navier–Stokes transport coefficients for a model of a confined quasi-two-dimensional granular binary mixture of inelastic hard spheres are determined from the Boltzmann kinetic equation. A normal or hydrodynamic solution to the Boltzmann equation is obtained via the Chapman–Enskog method for states near the local version of the homogeneous time-dependent state. The mass, momentum, and heat fluxes are determined to first order in the spatial gradients of the hydrodynamic fields, and the associated transport coefficients are identified. They are given in terms of the solutions of a set of coupled linear integral equations. In addition, in contrast to the previous results obtained for low-density granular mixtures, there are also nonzero contributions to the first-order approximations to the partial temperatures Ti(1) and the cooling rate ζ(1). Explicit forms for the diffusion transport coefficients, the shear viscosity coefficient, and the quantities Ti(1) and ζ(1) are obtained by assuming steady state conditions and by considering the leading terms in a Sonine polynomial expansion. The above transport coefficients are given in terms of the coefficients of restitution, concentration, and the masses and diameters of the components of the mixture. The results apply, in principle, for arbitrary degree of inelasticity and are not limited to specific values of concentration, mass, and/or size ratios. As a simple application of these results, the violation of the Onsager reciprocal relations for a confined granular mixture is quantified in terms of the parameter space of the problem.
Dual trace inter-pulse interferometer for measurement of phase stability of ultra short laser pulse train
Authors: Sharma A. K.
Published: February 2021

A dual trace intra-pulse and inter-pulse spatio-spectral interferometer has been set up to study the temporal stability of a ∼200 fs duration laser pulse train from a cw mode-locked laser oscillator. Simultaneous recording of twin interferograms helps identify the phase error in inter-pulse interferograms due to the diagnostic setup kept in a standard laboratory environment. Applicability of inter-pulse tilted pulse-front interferograms has been demonstrated to constitute an alternative inexpensive method for visual detection and estimation of phase slippage and pulse repetition frequency of an ultra short pulse train. The effect of pump beam intensity on the repetition rate of pulses due to accumulated intra-cavity non-linear phase shifts is also presented.
Optical properties of excitons in two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenide nanobubbles
Authors: Smiri Adlen , Amand Thierry , Jaziri Sihem
Published: February 2021

Strain in two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenide has led to localized states with exciting optical properties, in particular, in view of designing one photon sources. The naturally formed nanobubbles when the MoS2 monolayer is deposited on an hBN substrate lead to a local reduction in the band gap due to strain developing in the nanobubble. The photogenerated particles are thus confined in the strain-induced potential. Using numerical diagonalization, we simulate the spectra of the confined exciton states, their oscillator strengths, and their radiative lifetimes. We show that a single state of the confined exciton is optically active, which suggests that the MoS2/hBN nanobubbles are a good candidate for the realization of single-photon sources. Furthermore, our calculations show that the localized exciton gains in activation energy and radiative lifetime inside the nanobubble, the latter decreasing toward the one of free excitons when the nanobubble size increases.
Ab initio and force field molecular dynamics study of bulk organophosphorus and organochlorine liquid structures
Authors: Priest Chad W. , Greathouse Jeffery A. , Kinnan Mark K. , Burton Patrick D. , Rempe Susan B.
Published: February 2021

We performed ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) simulations to benchmark bulk liquid structures and to evaluate results from all-atom force field molecular dynamics (FFMD) simulations with the generalized Amber force field (GAFF) for organophosphorus (OP) and organochlorine (OC) compounds. Our work also addresses the current and important topic of force field validation, applied here to a set of nonaqueous organic liquids. Our approach differs from standard treatments, which validate force fields based on thermodynamic data. Utilizing radial distribution functions (RDFs), our results show that GAFF reproduces the AIMD-predicted asymmetric liquid structures moderately well for OP compounds that contain bulky alkyl groups. Among the OCs, RDFs obtained from FFMD overlap well with AIMD results, with some offsets in position and peak structuring. However, re-parameterization of GAFF for some OCs is needed to reproduce fully the liquid structures predicted by AIMD. The offsets between AIMD and FFMD peak positions suggest inconsistencies in the developed force fields, but, in general, GAFF is able to capture short-ranged and long-ranged interactions of OPs and OCs observed in AIMD. Along with the local coordination structure, we also compared enthalpies of vaporization. Overall, calculated bulk properties from FFMD compared reasonably well with experimental values, suggesting that small improvements within the FF should focus on parameters that adjust the bulk liquid structures of these compounds.