bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Preparation and characterization of bioactive polyvinylpyrrolidone film via electrospinning technique
Authors: Abdelhafiz Mahmoud , Shalaby Ahmed S. A. , Hussein Ahmed K.
Published: July 2022

Electrospinning technique became a very common and effective method to fabricate nonwoven films with a large surface area for different purposes especially in the biomedical field. Antimicrobial submicron fibrous films based on polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) doped with silver nanoparticles (Ag‐NPs), Zinc Oxide (ZnO), and (Ag‐NPS/ZnO), were successfully fabricated via the electrospinning technique. The morphology and the elemental configurations of the as‐prepared films were studied by using scanning electron microscope with EDX. While the phase formation and crystal structures were determined by using XRD analysis. The antibacterial effect was investigated against one of the most common Gram‐negative bacteria Klebsiella pneumoniae by using a modified Kirby–Bauer disc diffusion method. The results showed that the doping nanoparticles were uniformly loaded on the surface of the fabricated film fibers. By using Scherrer equation the calculated average crystallite sizes of Ag‐NPs, ZnO, and Ag‐NPs/ZnO on PVP fibers were 63, 30, and 44 nm, respectively. The antimicrobial activity against Klebsiella pneumoniae showed the growth inhibition zones in the bacteria plates of 23.3, 54, and 60.6 mm for the samples of Ag‐NPs/PVP, ZnO/PVP, and Ag‐NPs/ZnO/PVP, respectively. The antimicrobial efficiency increased by forming nanocomposites of both ZnO nanoparticles and Ag nanoparticles inside the film.

Research Highlights

Novel antimicrobial submicron electrospun membranes based on polyvinylpyrrolidone doped with silver, zinc oxide nanoparticles were successfully fabricated.

The fabricated samples showed bactericidal activity against K. pneumoniae
尿中シュウ酸カルシウムと乳酸ギャップを治療指標としたエチレングリコール中毒の1例(Urine calcium oxalate crystals and lactate gap as early therapeutic indicators for ethylene glycol poisoning: a case report)
Authors: (Moe Sekine) 関根 萌 , (Masahiro Iwabuchi) 岩渕 雅洋 , (Tsuyoshi Suzuki) 鈴木 剛 , (Rie Zenda) 全田 吏栄 , (Makoto Onodera) 小野寺 誠 , (Saki Takeda) 武田 紗希 , (Ken Iseki) 伊関 憲
Published: July 2022

エチレングリコール中毒では，腎不全など生命を脅かす合併症を防ぐために早期診断が必要である。患者は50歳の男性。意識障害で倒れていたところを発見され救急要請となった。来院時，JCS 300，BP 190/120mmHg，HR 130/分，SpO2 96%。血液検査でpH 6.7，HCO3− 7.6mmol/L，AG 30.4のAG開大性代謝性アシドーシスを認めた。乳酸値は生化学検査で2.5mmol/L，血液ガス分析で4.9 mmol/Lと乖離（乳酸ギャップ）していた。浸透圧ギャップは43.6であった。尿検査を施行したところ，シュウ酸カルシウム結晶が検出された。上記よりエチレングリコール中毒の診断とし，人工呼吸とホメピゾールを開始した。同時に腎機能障害と循環不全のためCHDFを開始した。第6病日にCHDFを終了し，第20病日までHDを施行し，第62病日に退院した。エチレングリコールは代謝されてシュウ酸を生成し，カルシウムと結合してシュウ酸カルシウムとなる。また乳酸ギャップは生化学検査で得られる乳酸値とある種の血液ガス分析装置の値の差であり，グリコール酸の値と考えられるため，治療効果判定に用いることができる。尿中シュウ酸カルシウム結晶の析出と乳酸ギャップは診断と治療に有用であり，とくに乳酸ギャップは治療方針にも用いることができる。
Effect of physicochemical properties on popping characteristics of selected pearl millet varieties
Authors: Garud Shyam Ramkrishna , Lamdande Archana Gopalrao , Tavanandi Hrishikesh A , Mohite Nilesh Kailas , Nidoni Udaikumar
Published: July 2022

Background

Pearl millet, commonly known as ‘Bajra’, is a nutrigrain, mostly used in pulverized form to make unleavened pancakes, dumplings, porridge, etc., in India. Popping, a traditional method of millet processing, is used in making ready‐to‐eat snacks. Pearl millet is underutilized in India. The present work aims to study the effect of the parameters of pearl millet such as variety, chemical composition, pericarp thickness, amylose content, and processing temperature on the volume expansion ratio and sensory properties of popped pearl millet.

Methodology

A conventional salt‐popping technique was used at three different temperatures (220 °C, 240 °C, and 260 °C) for five pearl millet varieties (ABPC 4‐3, AHB 1269, AHB 1666, AIMP 92901, and PPC‐6). Parameters such as color, diameter, density, amylose content, pericarp thickness, and proximate composition were analyzed. Popping characteristics such as volume expansion ratio, popping yield, and sensory properties of popped grains were studied.

Results

It was observed that pericarp thickness and amylose content were positively correlated with the popping qualities of grains. AIMP 92901 offered more desirable properties such as suitable moisture content (87.5 g kg−1), lowest equivalent diameter (2.07 mm), highest bulk density (0.84 g cm−3), true density (1.41 g cm−3), pericarp thickness (30.82 μm), and amylose content (19.75 g kg−1) than the other varieties that were studied. Hence, the highest popping yield (72.83%) and expansion ratio (6.15) was observed in the AIMP 92901 pearl millet variety at 260 °C.

Conclusion

Conventional salt popping at 260 °C yielded the best popping characteristics. Pearl millet variety AIMP‐92 901 developed by VNMKV (Vasantrao Naik Marathwada Krishi Vidyapeeth, Parbhani), Parbhani was found to have more desirable popping characteristics (in terms of all the parameters explained in results). © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.
Transient patulous eustachian tube in severe anorexia nervosa: A prospective observational study
Authors: Mann Scott E. , Hollis Jeff , Frederics Trudy , Watters Ashlie , Oakes Judy , Cass Stephen P. , Mehler Philip S.
Published: July 2022

Objectives

To understand the presence of transient autophony symptoms in patients being treated for severe anorexia nervosa (AN), and whether those symptoms were due to patulous eustachian tube (PET).

Methods

A prospective observational study was performed in patients requiring admission for treatment of severe AN. All enrolled patients completed The Eustachian Tube Dysfunction Questionnaire (ETDQ‐7) and were screened for symptoms of autophony. If patients reported autophony and had a score of ≥14.5 on the ETDQ‐7 they were asked to undergo comprehensive audiological testing and an evaluation with an otolaryngologist.

Results

Of the 73 patients enrolled in the study, 35 patients (44%) reported autophony and 36 (49%) scored 14.5 or higher on the ETDQ‐7. Of the 16 (22%) patients who had both autophony and an ETDQ‐7 score of 14.5 or higher, 7 patient s (representing 11 symptomatic ears) underwent evaluations by audiology and otolaryngology. Every evaluation of a symptomatic ear revealed objective evidence of PET. Nine of 11 (81.8%) symptomatic ears had subjectively resolved within 12 days of admission after nutritional rehabilitation and weight gain.

Conclusion

Transient autophony in severe AN patients is due to PET, and was present in at least 8% of patients within our cohort. Further study is warranted to understand the quality of life impact and pathophysiology of transient PET in this patient population.
Seasonal growth and senescence of seagrass alters sediment accumulation rates and carbon burial in a coastal lagoon
Authors: Zhu Qingguang , Wiberg Patricia L. , McGlathery Karen J.
Published: July 2022

Seagrass meadows are important carbon sinks in the global coastal carbon cycle yet are also among the most rapidly declining marine habitats. Their ability to sequester carbon depends on flow–sediment–vegetation interactions that facilitate net deposition, as well as high rates of primary production. However, the effects of seasonal and episodic variations in seagrass density on net sediment and carbon accumulation have not been well quantified. Understanding these dynamics provides insight into how carbon accumulation in seagrass meadows responds to disturbance events and climate change. Here, we apply a spatially resolved sediment transport model that includes coupling of seagrass effects on flow, waves, and sediment resuspension in a seagrass meadow to quantify seasonal rates of sediment and carbon accumulation in the meadow. Our results show that organic carbon accumulation rates were largely determined by sediment accumulation and that they both changed non‐linearly as a function of seagrass shoot density. While seagrass meadows effectively trapped sediment at meadow edges during spring–summer growth seasons, during winter senescence low‐density meadows (< 160 shoots m−2) were erosional with rates sensitive to density. Small variations in winter densities resulted in large changes in annual sediment and carbon accumulation in the meadow; meadow‐scale (hundreds of square meters) summer seagrass dieback due to marine heatwaves can result in annual erosion and carbon loss. Our findings highlight the strong temporal and spatial variability in sediment accumulation within seagrass meadows and the implications for annual sediment carbon burial rates and the resilience of seagrass carbon stocks under future climate change.
Competency analysis and educational strategies to meet the demand for a learning health system workforce
Authors: Feldman Sue S. , Allgood Ashleigh , Hall Allyson G. , Lemak Christy Harris , Berner Eta S.
Published: July 2022

Learning Health Systems (LHS) require a workforce with specific knowledge and skills to identify and address healthcare quality issues, develop solutions to address those issues, and sustain and spread improvements within and outside the organization. Educational programs are tasked with designing learning opportunities that can meet these organizational needs. This manuscript explores different mechanisms for addressing challenges to creating educational programs to prepare individuals who can work in and lead LHS. Strategies and recommendations for educational programs to support the LHS include the creation of a new program, collaborating across existing programs, and producing a set of instructional materials.
Thermoplastic Films Based on Polyelectrolyte Complexes of Arabino Glucurono‐Xylan and Polyethylenimine
Authors: Solier Yamil N. , Mocchiutti Paulina , Inalbon María C. , Zanuttini Miguel Á.
Published: July 2022

This work investigates film formation using polyelectrolyte complexes (PECs) of xylan and polyethylenimine (PEI). Different xylan/PEI mass ratios (from 50/50 to 90/10) and pH values (5.0 and 7.0) are analyzed and both parameters have an effect on complex size and film properties. Furthermore, the mass ratio corresponding to the neutralization charge depends on pH. When xylan/PEI mass ratios are near the neutralization charge ratio, a coacervation process is observed. In this case, separation between the coacervate and the supernatant dilute phase is possible. In the supernatant, both concentrations, xylan and PEI, depend on pH. The complex suspensions are used to obtain films by PECs casting/evaporation process. For films obtained from the whole suspension, by increasing the xylan content the stress at break is improved (up to 23 MPa for 85/15, at pH 7.0) and the strain at break is decreased (to 2.5%). When only coacervate is used to prepare films, the tensile strength is higher, reaching a value of 37 MPa for 85/15 mass ratio. Dynamic mechanical thermal analysis shows that the glass transition temperature (Tg) of the films is affected by composition. The thermoplastic behavior of a 50/50 xylan/PEI film is confirmed using a hot‐compression molding.
Exposure‐response relationships of etrolizumab in patients with moderately‐to‐severely active ulcerative colitis
Authors: Kassir Nastya , Zhu Rui , Moein Anita , Langenhorst Jurgen , Ribbing Jakob , Zhang Rong , Tang Meina T. , Oh Young S. , Zhang Wenhui
Published: July 2022

Etrolizumab is an IgG1‐humanized monoclonal anti‐β7 integrin antibody. Phase III trials with induction and/or maintenance phases were conducted in patients with moderately‐to‐severely active ulcerative colitis (UC) who were either previously treated with tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors (HICKORY) or were TNF inhibitor naïve (HIBISCUS I/II, LAUREL, and GARDENIA). A total of eight exposure‐response analyses were conducted for two clinical outcomes (remission and endoscopic improvement) at the end of induction for studies HIBISCUS I/II (combined) and HICKORY and at the end of maintenance for studies HICKORY and LAUREL. Trough concentration at week 4 (Ctrough,wk4) of induction was selected as the exposure metric. Exposure‐response (ER) modeling was conducted using logistic regression. A full covariate model was used to examine the impact of covariates on clinical outcomes. Linear models with a single intercept for placebo and active treatments adequately described the data for all eight analyses. The etrolizumab exposure‐response slope was significant (p < 0.05) for seven of the eight analyses. Baseline Mayo Clinic Score (MCS) was the only statistically significant covariate that impacted induction remission and endoscopic improvement. No statistically significant covariate was identified to impact maintenance outcomes except for baseline fecal calprotectin on endoscopic improvement for LAUREL study. A statistically significant positive ER relationship was identified for most of the clinical outcomes tested, reflecting a better treatment effect in patients with UC with higher etrolizumab Ctrough,wk4 of induction. Baseline MCS was the only other significant covariate impacting induction efficacy. Besides Ctrough,wk4 of induction, no consistent covariate was identified to impact maintenance efficacy.
Improved Performance of InGaN/AlGaN Multiple‐Quantum‐Well Near‐UV Light‐Emitting Diodes with Convex Barriers and Staggered Wells
Authors: Cai Li-E. , Xu Chao-Zhi , Lin Hao-Xiang , Zheng Jin-Jian , Cheng Zai-Jun , Xiong Fei-Bing , Ren Peng-Peng , Chen Zhi-Chao
Published: July 2022

The physical mechanism of improving the photoelectric performance of InGaN/AlGaN‐based near UV light‐emitting diode (LED) with convex quantum barrier and staggered quantum well (QW) is studied by numerical simulation. The simulation results indicate that the voltage–current characteristics of the LED structure with convex quantum barrier and staggered QW are effectively improved compared with the traditional multiple quantum well (MQW) structure, and its electroluminescence (EL) intensity and light output power are significantly improved. The main physical mechanisms are: on the one hand, the convex quantum barrier with a lower average Al component can reduce the polarization electric field at the interface between the quantum barrier and QW as well as the effective potential barrier of holes, improve the spatial separation of electron and hole wave functions, promote the injection efficiency of carriers, and improve the uniformity of carrier distribution in the MQWs active region; On the other hand, staggered QWs can provide stronger carrier confinement effect and further increase the overlap of electron and hole wave functions, so as to improve the carrier radiative recombination efficiency; In a word, this work provides a valuable reference for obtaining high‐performance near‐ultraviolet LED.
The relationship between two methods for estimating uncertainties in data assimilation
Authors: Todling Ricardo , Semane Noureddine , Anthes Richard , Healy Sean
Published: July 2022

This article examines the relationship between two apparently unrelated methods for estimating error statistics or uncertainties of relevance to data assimilation (DA). The first method is due to Desroziers et al. (2005, Q. J. R. Meteorol. Soc., 131, 3385–3396; referred to as DBCP hereafter) and relies on residual statistics readily available from DA applications. The second method, the three‐cornered hat (3CH) developed by Gray and Allan (1974, IEEE 28th Annual Symp. Freq. Control, 243–246) and only recently applied to atmospheric sciences, uses three data sets and can derive estimates of relevant error uncertainties as well. The usefulness of both methods lies in them not requiring knowledge of the true value of the quantities at play. DBCP derives its results by relying explicitly on the constraints associated with the DA minimization problem; 3CH is general and its estimates hold as long as errors in the three data sets of choice are uncorrelated. Establishing the relationship between the methods requires application of the 3CH approach to the same observation, background, and analysis data sets used by DBCP. In this case, the same assumptions of DBCP regarding residual errors allow for cancellation of error cross‐covariance terms in 3CH, such that two of its corners derive identical estimates for observation‐ and background‐error covariances to those of DBCP. The error cross‐covariance terms associated with the third corner are shown to add up to twice the analysis‐error covariance, so that the 3CH estimate for the third corner recovers the negative of the analysis‐error covariance. Illustrations of these findings are provided by deriving uncertainties for radio occultation bending angles.
Polymeric Amines Induce Nitric Oxide Release from S‐Nitrosothiols
Authors: Luo Zijie , Ng Gervase , Zhou Yingzhu , Boyer Cyrille , Chandrawati Rona
Published: July 2022

Catalytic generation of nitric oxide (NO) from NO donors by nanomaterials has enabled prolonged NO delivery for various biomedical applications, but this approach requires laborious synthesis routes. In this study, a new class of materials, that is, polymeric amines including polyethyleneimine (PEI), poly‐L‐lysine, and poly(allylamine hydrochloride), is discovered to induce NO generation from S‐nitrosothiols (RSNOs) at physiological conditions. Controlled NO generation can be readily achieved by tuning the concentration of the NO donors (RSNOs) and polymers, and the type and molecular weight of the polymers. Importantly, the mechanism of NO generation by these polymers is deciphered to be attributed to the nucleophilic reaction between primary amines on polymers and the SNO groups of RSNOs. The NO‐releasing feature of the polymers can be integrated into a suite of materials, for example, simply by embedding PEI into poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) hydrogels. The functionality of the PVA/PEI hydrogels is demonstrated for Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm prevention with a ≈4 log reduction within 6 h. As NO has potential therapeutic implications in various diseases, the identification of polymeric amines to induce NO release will open new opportunities in NO‐generating biomaterials for antibacterial, antiviral, anticancer, antithrombotic, and wound healing applications.
Estimation of Crystal Orientation of Grains on Polycrystalline Silicon Substrate by Recurrent Neural Network
Authors: Kato Hikaru , Kamibeppu Soichiro , Kojima Takuto , Matsumoto Tetsuya , Kudo Hiroaki , Takeuchi Yoshinori , Kutsukake Kentaro , Usami Noritaka
Published: July 2022

To analyze crystal defects in polycrystalline silicon substrates, it is necessary to measure the crystal orientation at high speed. In this paper, we propose a method for simultaneous and fast estimation of the crystal orientation of an entire substrate by measuring the reflected light from a single rotation of a light source. The effectiveness of the proposed method is verified by the orientation estimation experiments. © 2022 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.
Willingness to join community‐based health insurance and its associated factors among households in West Gojjam zone, North Mecha Woreda, Amhara region, Ethiopia
Authors: Demeke Getaneh B.
Published: July 2022

Background

Community based health insurance (CBHI) schemes are increasingly recognized as potential strategy for achieving health coverage in developing countries. Health insurance is also expected to afford financial protection because it reduces the risk associated with falling ill. A community based cross‐sectional study design was employed. Multistage cluster, simple random, and systematic sampling techniques were used. A simple random sampling procedure was used tochoose the sampled household heads. The variables were analyzed using bivariate and multivariate logistic regression with a 95% confidence interval and a p‐value < 0.05, used to determine the strength of the association. This study had 285 participants, with a response rate of 96.3% out of a total of 296 sampled study participants. 90.9% of repondents were willing to join, and 89.8% were willing to pay CBHI. Based on findings joining CBHI membership provided benefits such as lower out of pocket cost (86.8%), improved health status (8.3%), reduced  severity risk (2.3%), and increased productivity (2.6%). This study showed that willingness to join CBHI was higher than the findings of an other study  conducted in Ethiopia. These findings are helpful for planning as well as expanding the sceme through outthe country. The main challenges to health service utilization in government health facilities are a lack of available medicine, poor service delivery, lack of laboratories, health personnel improper behavior, and ashortage of ambulance services. To address such concerns, the government should be encouraged health care access.
Sex identification and age estimation of bobcats and implications for management
Authors: Hiller Tim L. , Nistler Carolyn , Reding Dawn , White Paula A. , Bled Florent
Published: July 2022

Predictions obtained from wildlife population models may be prone to influences associated with the quality of the data available for parameterization. We assessed accuracy of furtaker‐assigned sex of bobcats (Lynx rufus; n = 123) harvested during 2017–2018 across the western USA by comparing those data to genetically assigned sex, the latter of which we assumed was 100% accurate. We also compared the precision of individual age estimates obtained through cementum annuli analysis (CAA) of the canines and incisors of harvested bobcats (n = 151), where true age was unknown. Because cementum‐line deposition may vary across populations and by sex, we hypothesized that environmental factors may affect precision of age estimates obtained via CAA. Sex of bobcats as reported by furtakers was accurate 82% of the time, and the direction of sex‐assignment error was approximately equivalent. Canine teeth were more precise than incisors for estimating age, age estimates for male bobcats may be more precise than for females, and precision of age estimates may decrease with age. However, use of incisors corrected with known rates of error may be preferred in some instances, such as studies that require live capture and tooth extraction or where assignment to age class is sufficient. In addition, we found that sex, median age, and mean elevation may influence precision of age estimates, whereas mean precipitation and geographic location (latitude, longitude) were uninformative. Knowledge of different types of errors associated with sex identification and age estimation may be integrated into population modeling efforts based on management objectives.
Renormalisation of non-differentiable potentials
Authors: Alexandre J. , Defenu N. , Grigolia G. , Márián I. G. , Mdinaradze D. , Trombettoni A. , Turovtsi-Shiutev Y. , Nándori I.
Published: July 2022

Abstract

Non-differentiable potentials, such as the V-shaped (linear) potential, appear in various areas of physics. For example, the effective action for branons in the framework of the brane world scenario contains a Liouville-type interaction, i.e., an exponential of the V-shaped function. Another example is coming from particle physics when the standard model Higgs potential is replaced by a periodic self-interaction of an N-component scalar field which depends on the length, thus it is O(N) symmetric. We first compare classical and quantum dynamics near non-analytic points and discuss in this context the role of quantum fluctuations. We then study the renormalisation of such potentials, focusing on the Exact Wilsonian Renormalisation approach, and we discuss how quantum fluctuations smoothen the bare singularity of the potential. Applications of these results to the non-differentiable effective branon potential and to the O(N) models when the spatial dimension is varied and to the O(N) extension of the sine-Gordon model in (1+1) dimensions are presented.
Contribution of specific ceramides to obesity-associated metabolic diseases
Authors: Hammerschmidt Philipp , Brüning Jens C.
Published: July 2022

Ceramides are a heterogeneous group of bioactive membrane sphingolipids that play specialized regulatory roles in cellular metabolism depending on their characteristic fatty acyl chain lengths and subcellular distribution. As obesity progresses, certain ceramide molecular species accumulate in metabolic tissues and cause cell-type-specific lipotoxic reactions that disrupt metabolic homeostasis and lead to the development of cardiometabolic diseases. Several mechanisms for ceramide action have been inferred from studies in vitro, but only recently have we begun to better understand the acyl chain length specificity of ceramide-mediated signaling in the context of physiology and disease in vivo. New discoveries show that specific ceramides affect various metabolic pathways and that global or tissue-specific reduction in selected ceramide pools in obese rodents is sufficient to improve metabolic health. Here, we review the tissue-specific regulation and functions of ceramides in obesity, thus highlighting the emerging concept of selectively inhibiting production or action of ceramides with specific acyl chain lengths as novel therapeutic strategies to ameliorate obesity-associated diseases.
Random Walks with Bounded First Moment on Finite-volume Spaces
Authors: Bénard Timothée , Saxcé Nicolas de
Published: July 2022

Let G be a real Lie group, $$\Lambda \le G$$

Λ
≤
G

a lattice, and $$\Omega =G/\Lambda $$

Ω
=
G
/
Λ

. We study the equidistribution properties of the left random walk on $$\Omega $$
Ω
induced by a probability measure $$\mu $$
μ
on G. It is assumed that $$\mu $$
μ
has a finite first moment, and that the Zariski closure of the group generated by the support of $$\mu $$
μ
in the adjoint representation is semisimple without compact factors. We show that for every starting point $$x\in \Omega $$

x
∈
Ω

, the $$\mu $$
μ
-walk with origin x has no escape of mass, and equidistributes in Cesàro averages toward some homogeneous measure. This extends several fundamental results due to Benoist-Quint and Eskin-Margulis for walks with finite exponential moment.
Postoperative Bildgebung der Wirbelsäule
Authors: Schlaeger S. , Kirschke J. S.
Published: July 2022

Die Bildgebung der postoperativen Wirbelsäule hat im Wesentlichen zwei Aufgaben: Sie dient der Kontrolle des operativen Erfolgs und der Identifikation von Komplikationen. Dafür stehen die konventionelle Röntgenaufnahme, Computertomographie (CT), Myelographie und Magnetresonanztomographie (MRT) zur Verfügung. Unter Berücksichtigung der präoperativen Situation, der durchgeführten Operation und der postoperativen Beschwerdekonstellation ist es Aufgabe der Radiologinnen und Radiologen, die passende Modalität für eine suffiziente Diagnostik zu wählen. Insbesondere der Zustand nach Implantation von Fremdmaterial bedeutet eine technische Herausforderung im Rahmen der Bildakquisition. In der Befundung sehen sich die Radiologinnen und Radiologen mit der Aufgabe konfrontiert, zwischen natürlichen, zu erwartenden postoperativen Veränderungen und relevanten Komplikationen zu differenzieren. Ein reger Austausch mit Patientinnen und Patienten und zuweisenden Klinikerinnen und Klinikern ist dabei unerlässlich. Insbesondere klinische Hinweise auf einen Infekt, neue oder deutliche progrediente neurologische Ausfallserscheinungen und das Konus-Kauda-Syndrom erfordern eine zeitnahe Diagnosestellung, um eine rasche Therapieeinleitung zu gewährleisten.
Major depressive disorders increase the susceptibility to self-reported infections in two German cohort studies
Authors: Elpers Henning , Teismann Henning , Wellmann Jürgen , Berger Klaus , Karch André , Rübsamen Nicole
Published: July 2022

Introduction

In several claims-based studies, major depressive disorder (MDD) has been associated with increased risk of hospitalization due to acute infections. It remains unclear if this is a causal effect, and if it generalizes to an increased susceptibility to infections.

Methods

We used data of the BiDirect (n = 925) and the HaBIDS (n = 1007) cohort studies to estimate the effect of MDD on self-reported infections, which were assessed with identical infection susceptibility questionnaires in both studies. We used the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) to examine if there was a dose–response relationship between depressive symptom severity and self-reported infections.

Results

BiDirect participants with MDD diagnosis (48%) had a higher risk of lower respiratory tract infections (incidence rate ratio 1.32, 95% confidence interval [1.00–1.75]), gastrointestinal infections (1.68 [1.30–2.16]) and fever (1.48 [1.11–1.98]) after adjusting for confounders identified by a directed acyclic graph approach. There was a dose–response relationship, i.e. individuals with higher CES-D scores reported more infections. Effect sizes were similar in HaBIDS (4% individuals with MDD).

Conclusion

We found increased risks of mild infections in patients with MDD diagnosis and a dose–response relationship between depressive symptom severity and infection frequency. While causal immunological pathways remain unclear, the results of our study might contribute to a change in prevention strategies, e.g. by recommending vaccination against influenza and S. pneumoniae to MDD patients because observed effect sizes in our study are similar to those of patients with cardiovascular and metabolic diseases for which the respective vaccinations are recommended.
“The language of Dirac’s theory of radiation”: the inception and initial reception of a tool for the quantum field theorist
Authors: Ehberger Markus
Published: July 2022

In 1927, Paul Dirac first explicitly introduced the idea that electrodynamical processes can be evaluated by decomposing them into virtual (modern terminology), energy non-conserving subprocesses. This mode of reasoning structured a lot of the perturbative evaluations of quantum electrodynamics during the 1930s. Although the physical picture connected to Feynman diagrams is no longer based on energy non-conserving transitions but on off-shell particles, emission and absorption subprocesses still remain their fundamental constituents. This article will access the introduction and the initial reception of this picture of subsequent transitions (PST) by conceiving of concepts, models, and their representations as tools for the practitioners. I will argue for a multi-factorial explanation of Dirac’s initial, verbally explicit introduction: the mathematical representation he had developed was highly suggestive and already partly conceptualized; Dirac was philosophical flexible enough to talk about transitions when no actual transitions, according to the general interpretation of quantum mechanics of the time, occurred; and, importantly, Dirac eventually used the verbal exposition in the same paper in which he introduced it. The direct impact of PST on the conception of quantum electrodynamical processes will be exemplified by its reflection in diagrammatical representations. The study of the diverging ontological commitments towards PST immediately after its introduction opens up the prehistory of a philosophical debate that stretches out into the present: the dispute about the representational and ontological status of the physical picture connected to the evaluation of the perturbative series of QED and QFT.
Counting Vertices of Integral Polytopes Defined by Facets
Authors: Guo Heng , Jerrum Mark
Published: July 2022

We present a number of complexity results concerning the problem of counting vertices of an integral polytope defined by a system of linear inequalities. The focus is on polytopes with small integer vertices, particularly 0/1 polytopes and half-integral polytopes.
Hybride Analyse einer Bogenstaumauer mit einem neuralen Netzwerk und Quantilsregression
Authors: Pirker Manuel , Zenz Gerald
Published: July 2022

Die Vorhersage und Interpretation von Verformungsmessungen zur Bewertung der Sicherheit von Talsperren auf der Grundlage von früheren Überwachungsdaten ist heute eine der häufigsten Aufgaben von Talsperrenverantwortlichen. Zur Lösung dieser Aufgaben werden deterministische und statistische Ansätze verwendet. Finite-Elemente-Modelle bieten die Möglichkeit, das Verhalten von Talsperren sehr detailliert zu untersuchen, wenn sowohl mechanische Parameter als auch geotechnische und geologische Informationen verfügbar sind. Im Vergleich zu statistischen Modellen mangelt es ihnen jedoch häufig an Vorhersagegenauigkeit aufgrund des zeitabhängigen Verhaltens der Rheologie und eingeschränkter Informationen über die geologischen Bedingungen. Dies ist insbesondere dann der Fall, wenn nur begrenzte Daten zur Kalibrierung von Materialmodellen und Kontaktbedingungen, z. B. zwischen den einzelnen Blöcken, zur Verfügung stehen. Die hybride Modellierung kombiniert die Vorteile beider Ansätze. Das ICOLD Technical Committee on Computational Aspects of Analysis and Design of Dams rief zu einem Workshop über das Verhalten und die prädiktive Analyse einer doppelt gekrümmten Bogenmauer auf. Für die gestellte Aufgabe wird ein Finite-Elemente-Modell erstellt und anhand verfügbarer Überwachungsdaten kalibriert. Anschließend wird ein rekurrentes neuronales Netz mit denselben Daten und den Ergebnissen der Finite-Elemente-Analyse trainiert, um dessen mangelnde Vorhersagegenauigkeit zu kompensieren. Es wird gezeigt, dass dieses Verfahren nicht nur die Qualität der Modellierung verbessert, sondern auch Unzulänglichkeiten des mechanischen Modells aufdeckt. Darüber hinaus werden aus neuronalen Netzen mit Quantilsregression Vorhersageintervalle abgeleitet, um Warnstufen zu definieren und Anomalien in den Überwachungsdaten zu erkennen.
V-FPGAs: Increasing Performance with Manual Placement, Timing Extraction and Extended Timing Modeling
Authors: Pfau Johannes , Zaki Peter Wagih , Becker Jürgen
Published: July 2022

Virtual FPGAs (V-FPGAs) are used as vendor-independent virtualization layers, to retrofit features which are not available on the host FPGA and to prototype novel FPGA architectures. In these usecases, the achievable clock frequencies of V-FPGA user applications are a major concern. The abstraction layer inherently induces overhead, but this aspect is reinforced by nonuniformity effects: When V-FPGA cells perform worse locally, basic architecture modeling generalizes these worst-case path delays to the whole device, limiting applications to a lower frequency than theoretically achievable. We propose three approaches to attenuate these effects: First we introduce uniformity metrics and manual V-FPGA placement strategies for more uniform placement, improving achievable frequency by 16 %. Second, we propose a framework for automated timing extraction, enabling individual characterization of each V-FPGA design. Third, after evaluating Vivado synthesis strategies, we extend the timing model for non-uniform timings, achieving improvements of up to 28 %.
Depletion-induced seismicity in NW-Germany: lessons from comprehensive investigations
Authors: Gudehus Gerd , Lempp Christof , Scheffzük Christian , Műller Birgit I. , Schilling Frank R.
Published: July 2022

Evaluating various investigations for north-German gas fields, we discuss past and actual evolutions of the rock fabric in the light of dilatant driven and spontaneous contractant critical phenomena. Features of the latter were discovered by multi-stage triaxial tests with water-saturated sandstone samples and were similarly observed around the gas fields. A Mohr–Coulomb condition with quasi-local stress components ($${\hat{\sigma }}'_1$$

σ
^

1
′

and $${\hat{\sigma }}'_3$$

σ
^

3
′

), and variable parameters $$\phi $$
ϕ
’ and $${{\hat{c}}}'$$

c
^

′

, can capture successive critical states of the solid fabric. The implied driven dilatation up to a collapse with contraction is captured by a stress-dilatancy relation. Fractal patterns of shear bands (faults) dominate if the smallest principal stress $${\hat{\sigma }}'_3$$

σ
^

3
′

exceeds $${{\hat{c}}}'$$

c
^

′

, otherwise cracks dominate and can lead to a rockburst. Triaxial tests with X-ray attenuation, seismometry including the splitting of shear waves and/or neutron beam diffraction contribute to clarification and validation. Seismic early warning and calculation models for various geotechnical operations with dominating faults can thus be improved, but the task is more difficult for rockbursts.
Beweg-Gründe im Alter
Authors: Richter Lukas , Gösenbauer Barbara
Published: July 2022

Hintergrund

Körperliche Bewegung gilt als ein Schlüsselfaktor für die Gesundheitserhaltung im Alter, wobei die COVID-19-Pandemie („coronavirus disease 2019“), wie Studien zeigen, zu einer Reduktion der körperlichen Aktivität beigetragen hat und es nun Überlegungen bedarf, wie eine (Re‑)Aktivierung der älteren Bevölkerung gelingen kann. Ein Ansatz ist hierbei zu fragen, welche Faktoren körperliche Aktivität bereits vor der Pandemie positiv beeinflusst haben, um diese durch Interventionen gezielt anzusprechen.

Fragestellung

Ziel der vorliegenden Untersuchung ist es, in einer multivariaten Analyse jene wichtigen Faktoren körperlicher Aktivität zu identifizieren, um so (Re‑)Aktivierungschancen aufzuzeigen.

Material und Methode

Die hierfür durchgeführte Analyse mittels multipler logistischer Regression stützt sich auf Daten einer standardisierten, repräsentativen Telefonbefragung (n = 2042) der 60-jährigen und älteren Bevölkerung im österreichischen Bundesland Niederösterreich, die im Frühsommer 2019 durchgeführt wurde.

Ergebnisse

Ein positiver Gesundheitszustand sowie motivationale Faktoren erhöhen die Chance auf regelmäßige körperliche Aktivität. Die soziale Komponente sowie die Überzeugung, dass Sport der Gesundheit guttut, steigern ebenfalls die Wahrscheinlichkeit, Bewegung zu machen. Soziodemografische Faktoren abseits des Einkommens konnten im Modell hingegen nicht als signifikante Prädiktoren identifiziert werden.

Schlussfolgerungen

Um die (Re‑)Aktivierungschancen zu erhöhen, bedarf es Maßnahmen, welche die körperliche Aktivität als Mittel zu unterschiedlichen Zwecken älterer Menschen begreifen.
A Novel ATM Antisense Transcript ATM-AS Positively Regulates ATM Expression in Normal and Breast Cancer Cells
Authors: Cheng He , Zhang Er-shao , Shi Xiao , Cao Ping-ping , Pan Bei-jing , Si Xin-xin , Liu Yue , Yang Nan , Chu Ying , Wang Xu-chun , Han Xiao , Zhang Zhi-hong , Sun Yu-jie
Published: July 2022

Objective

The ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) gene is a master regulator in cellular DNA damage response. The dysregulation of ATM expression is frequent in breast cancer, and is known to be involved in the carcinogenesis and prognosis of cancer. However, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. The bioinformatic analysis predicted a potential antisense transcript ATM-antisense (AS) from the opposite strand of the ATM gene. The purpose of this study was to identify ATM-AS and investigate the possible effect of ATM-AS on the ATM gene regulation.

Methods

Single strand-specific RT-PCR was performed to verify the predicted antisense transcript ATM-AS within the ATM gene locus. qRT-PCR and Western blotting were used to detect the expression levels of ATM-AS and ATM in normal and breast cancer cell lines as well as in tissue samples. Luciferase reporter gene assays, biological mass spectrometry, ChIP-qPCR and RIP were used to explore the function of ATM-AS in regulating the ATM expression. Immunofluorescence and host-cell reactivation (HCR) assay were performed to evaluate the biological significance of ATM-AS in ATM-mediated DNA damage repair. Breast cancer tissue samples were used for evaluating the correlation of the ATM-AS level with the ATM expression as well as prognosis of the patients.

Results

The ATM-AS significantly upregulated the ATM gene activity by recruiting KAT5 histone acetyltransferase to the gene promoter. The reduced ATM-AS level led to the abnormal downregulation of ATM expression, and impaired the ATM-mediated DNA damage repair in normal breast cells in vitro. The ATM-AS level was positively correlated with the ATM expression in the examined breast cancer tissue samples, and the patient prognosis.

Conclusion

The present study demonstrated that ATM-AS, an antisense transcript located within the ATM gene body, is an essential positive regulator of ATM expression, and functions by mediating the binding of KAT5 to the ATM promoter. These findings uncover the novel mechanism underlying the dysregulation of the ATM gene in breast cancer, and enrich our understanding of how an antisense transcript regulates its host gene.
Talent as a social construction: Proposing a constructivist conceptualization of athletic talent
Authors: John Jannika M. , Thiel Ansgar
Published: July 2022

Talent identification, selection, and development represent critical areas of inquiry for sport scientists as indicated in the large amount of research attention dedicated to these topics. However, talent researchers rarely explicitly discuss their underlying conceptual understanding of “talent”.

Within this article, we approach the construct “talent” from the perspective of social constructivism. We consider talent as a social construction that is historically changing and contextually embedded. Organizations that act as “purchasers” of talent (sports clubs, youth squads, etc.) have to develop ideas about which athletes represent the best fit against the background of the performance conditions within the respective sport (in the sense of possessing the set of characteristics that is most promising for future success). The purpose of these organizational “talent” descriptions is to try to ensure that the person with the highest chance of being successful is promoted. However, multidimensionality, asynchronicity, and discontinuity of talent development make the prediction of sporting success extremely difficult. Talent development needs to be thought of as an iterative process that is highly individualized and idiosyncratic. To make a person fit to the expectations of an organization requires a high degree of flexibility, reflexivity, and, not least, patience from talent development programs.

Using the example of athletic talent, we show that the principles of constructivism provide a useful terminological, theoretical, and methodological basis for the empirical analysis of the complex process of talent emergence and development. Methodologically, idiographic approaches are needed that explore the intrinsic dynamics of talent development pathways.
A Scientific Analysis of the Three-Step Test: Through the Lenses of International and Australian Laws
Authors: Koutras Nikos , Rigby Haydn
Published: July 2022

The paper examines the open access movement and its principles concerning creative outputs and related access opportunities, considering copyright protection. The international and ongoing integration of open access practise has brought about a reconsideration of foundational principles of copyright law. The paper's discussion considers the three-step test legal edifice, which is deeply rooted in international copyright law, and argues that its importance and application is of paramount importance regarding potential revisions of copyright law that would need to introduce open access provisions.
Some Remarks on the Notion of Paradox
Authors: Oms Sergi
Published: July 2022

This paper argues that the traditional characterization of the notion of paradox — an apparently valid argument with apparently true premises and an apparently false conclusion — is too narrow; there are paradoxes that do not satisfy it. After discussing, and discarding, some alternatives, an outline of a new characterization of the notion of paradox is presented. A paradox is found to be an apparently valid argument such that, apparently, it does not present the kind of commitment to the conclusion that should be implied by an acceptance of the truth of the premises and the validity of the argument.
Crossed cerebellar diaschisis-related supratentorial hemodynamic and metabolic status measured by PET/MR in assessing postoperative prognosis in chronic ischemic cerebrovascular disease patients with bypass surgery
Authors: Cui Bixiao , Shan Yi , Zhang Tianhao , Ma Yan , Yang Bin , Yang Hongwei , Jiao Liqun , Shan Baoci , Lu Jie
Published: July 2022

Objective

Cerebral ischemic status is an indicator of bypass surgery. Both hemodynamics and glucose metabolism are significant factors for evaluating cerebral ischemic status. The occurrence of crossed cerebellar diaschisis (CCD) is influenced by the degree of supra-tentorial perfusion and glucose metabolism reduction. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between the CCD-related supra-tentorial blood flow and metabolic status before bypass surgery in patients with chronic and symptomatic ischemic cerebrovascular disease and the prognosis of surgery.

Methods

Twenty-four participants with chronic ischemic cerebrovascular disease who underwent hybrid positron emission tomography (PET)/magnetic resonance (MR) before bypass surgery were included. Arterial spin labeling (ASL)-MR and FDG-PET were used to measure blood flow and metabolism, respectively. The PET images were able to distinguish CCD. The supratentorial asymmetry index (AI) and volume in the decreased blood flow region, decreased metabolism region and co-decreased region on the affected side, except for the infarct area, were respectively obtained before bypass surgery. The neurological status was determined using the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) and modified Rankin Scale (mRS) scores. Differences between CCD-positive (CCD +) and CCD-negative (CCD−) groups were investigated.

Results

Fourteen (58%) of the 24 patients were diagnosed as CCD +. Before surgery, the NIHSS and mRS scores of the CCD + were significantly higher than those of the CCD− (1.0(1.0) vs. 0.0(1.0), P = 0.013; 1.0(1.5) vs. 0.0(1.5), P = 0.048). After the surgery, the NIHSS and mRS scores of the CCD + showed a significant decrease (0.0(1.0) to 0.0(0.0), P = 0.011; 0.0(0.5) to 0.0(0.0), P = 0.008). Significant differences were observed in the supra-tentorial decreased metabolism region (all Ps ≤ 0.05) between the CCD + and CCD− groups, but no differences were observed in the preprocedural decreased supratentorial blood flow region (P > 0.05). The preprocedural NIHSS score was strongly correlated with the metabolism AI value in the decreased metabolism region (r = 0.621, P = 0.001) and the co-decreased region (r = 0.571, P = 0.004).

Conclusions

Supratentorial blood flow and metabolism are important indicators of CCD. This study showed that CCD + patients benefited more from bypass surgery than CCD− patients. Staging based on CCD-related supra-tentorial blood flow and metabolic status by hybrid PET/MR may help to personalize treatment.
Simulation Model for Biogas Project Efficiency Maximization
Authors: Nurgaliev T. , Koshelev V. , Müller J.
Published: July 2022

A simulation method (SM), linear programming method (LPM), project evaluation methods (PEMs), and whole farm modeling (WFM) were applied to analyze the investment appeal of a biogas project on a Russian farm. The biogas project was evaluated for constant input parameters. The project efficiency evaluation procedure was elaborated to evaluate and maximize biogas investment project efficiency. The procedure to evaluate the project efficiency includes defining the optimal state of the farm for the situations “with project” and “without project.” The main elements for optimization are the equipment for anaerobic digestion, substrate blend structure, fertilizing plan, cost plan, and farm production structure. The optimization was fulfilled by simulation modeling (SM) and LPM. The situations “with project” and “without project” were compared by using PEMs, the main indicators of project efficiency: net present value (NPV), internal rate of return (IRR), payback period (PBP), and profitability index (PI). The optimal substrate blend structure was defined by the direct search method (DSM) to select the probe providing the highest NPV afterward. The procedure to maximize biogas project efficiency was applied to justify the benefits of biogas production on the farm under corresponding conditions and to work out the recommendations for businesses and municipalities.