bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparative assessment of faecal microbial composition and metabonome of swine, farmers and human control
Authors: Tan Shiang Chiet , Chong Chun Wie , Yap Ivan Kok Seng , Thong Kwai Lin , Teh Cindy Shuan Ju
Published: June 2020

The gastrointestinal tract of humans and swine consist of a wide range of bacteria which interact with hosts metabolism. Due to the differences in co-evolution and co-adaptation, a large fraction of the gut microbiome is host-specific. In this study, we evaluated the effect of close human-animal interaction to the faecal metagenome and metabonome of swine, farmer and human control. Three distinct clusters were observed based on T-RFLP-derived faecal microbial composition. However, 16S-inferred faecal microbiota and metabolic profiles showed that only human control was significantly different from the swine (P < 0.05). The metabonome of farmers and human controls were highly similar. Notably, higher trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) and butyrate were detected in human control and swine, respectively. The relative abundance of TMAO was positively correlated with Prevotella copri. Overall, we compared and established the relationship between the metabolites and microbiota composition of swine, farmers and human control. Based on the data obtained, we deduced that long term occupational exposure to swine and farm environment had affected the gut bacterial composition of farmers. Nonetheless, the effect was less prominent in the metabolite profiles, suggesting the gut bacteria expressed high functional plasticity and are therefore resilience to the level of community shift detected.
UPLC-Tandem Mass Spectrometry for Quantification of Busulfan in Human Plasma: Application to Therapeutic Drug Monitoring
Authors: Matar Kamal M. , Alshemmari Salem H. , Refaat Samar , Anwar Alia
Published: June 2020

Busulfan (Bu) is an alkylating agent commonly used in preparative regimens for hematologic malignant and non-malignant patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). The objective of the present study was to develop an UPLC-MS/MS method for quantification of Bu in human plasma. A total of 55 patients with hematologic malignancies (n = 34) and non- malignancies (n = 21) received myeloablative Bu therapy prior to HSCT. A tandem mass spectrometric method was developed and validated to quantify Bu levels in these patients. The method was fully validated over the concentration range of 25–2000 ng/mL (r > 0.99). The assay method demonstrated good precision and accuracy. Stability studies indicated that the drug was stable in various conditions. Incurred sample reanalysis findings were within acceptable ranges (<15% of the nominal concentration). Based on the 1stdose AUC results, one third of hematologic malignant patients and half of non-malignant patients needed dose adjustment. However, in subsequent doses (5th, 9th, and 13th), 77%, 82% and 82%, respectively, of hematologic malignant patients and 71%, 67% and 86%, respectively, of non-malignant patients achieved the target range of Bu AUC. The suitability of the developed method for routine TDM of Bu in HSCT patients was demonstrated. The study suggests that the pharmacokinetic profile of Bu varies in both groups.
Significant improvement of spray pyrolyzed ZnO thin film by precursor optimization for high mobility thin film transistors
Authors: Saha Jewel Kumer , Bukke Ravindra Naik , Mude Narendra Naik , Jang Jin
Published: June 2020

Metal-oxide thin-film transistors (TFT) fabricated by spray pyrolysis are of increasing interest because of its simple process and scalability. A bottleneck issue is to get a bubble-free and dense material. We studied the effect of ammonium acetate (AA) addition in the oxide precursor solution on the performance of spray-coated ZnO TFTs. AA acts as a stabilizer, which increases the solubility of the solution and enhances the film quality by reducing the defects. With AA addition in ZnO precursor, the films are coffee ring free with high mass density and better grain orientation. The ZnO TFT with AA exhibit a remarkable improvement of its device performance such as saturation mobility increasing from 5.12 to 41.53 cm2V−1s−1, the subthreshold swing decreasing from 340 to 162 mV/dec and on/off current ratio increasing from ~105 to 108. Additionally, the TFTs show excellent stability with a low threshold voltage shift of 0.1 V under gate bias stress. Therefore, the addition of AA is a promising approach to achieve high-performance ZnO TFTs for low-cost manufacturing of displays.
Quantifying defence cascade responses as indicators of pig affect and welfare using computer vision methods
Authors: Statham Poppy , Hannuna Sion , Jones Samantha , Campbell Neill , Robert Colborne G. , Browne William J. , Paul Elizabeth S. , Mendl Michael
Published: June 2020

Affective states are key determinants of animal welfare. Assessing such states under field conditions is thus an important goal in animal welfare science. The rapid Defence Cascade (DC) response (startle, freeze) to sudden unexpected stimuli is a potential indicator of animal affect; humans and rodents in negative affective states often show potentiated startle magnitude and freeze duration. To be a practical field welfare indicator, quick and easy measurement is necessary. Here we evaluate whether DC responses can be quantified in pigs using computer vision. 280 video clips of induced DC responses made by 12 pigs were analysed by eye to provide ‘ground truth’ measures of startle magnitude and freeze duration which were also estimated by (i) sparse feature tracking computer vision image analysis of 200 Hz video, (ii) load platform, (iii) Kinect depth camera, and (iv) Kinematic data. Image analysis data strongly predicted ground truth measures and were strongly positively correlated with these and all other estimates of DC responses. Characteristics of the DC-inducing stimulus, pig orientation relative to it, and ‘relaxed-tense’ pig behaviour prior to it moderated DC responses. Computer vision image analysis thus offers a practical approach to measuring pig DC responses, and potentially pig affect and welfare, under field conditions.
Propagation of THz irradiation energy through aqueous layers: Demolition of actin filaments in living cells
Authors: Yamazaki Shota , Harata Masahiko , Ueno Yuya , Tsubouchi Masaaki , Konagaya Keiji , Ogawa Yuichi , Isoyama Goro , Otani Chiko , Hoshina Hiromichi
Published: June 2020

The effect of terahertz (THz) radiation on deep tissues of human body has been considered negligible due to strong absorption by water molecules. However, we observed that the energy of THz pulses transmits a millimeter thick in the aqueous solution, possibly as a shockwave, and demolishes actin filaments. Collapse of actin filament induced by THz irradiation was also observed in the living cells under an aqueous medium. We also confirmed that the viability of the cell was not affected under the exposure of THz pulses. The potential of THz waves as an invasive method to alter protein structure in the living cells is demonstrated.
Facile large-area uniform photolithography of membrane diffractive lens based on vacuum assisted self contact method
Authors: Gao Guohan , Wang Lihua , Shi Heng , Liu Dun , Fan Bin , Guan Chunlin
Published: June 2020

Optical polyimide (PI) membrane is a promising substrate material for diffractive lens applied in future large-aperture space based imaging system because of its light weight, environmental adaptability and deployable feature. In this letter, we put forward a facile large-area uniform photolithography technique using vacuum assisted self contact method to fabricate large-aperture membrane diffractive lens. We fabricated a φ 400 mm aperture membrane off-axis 2-levels Fresnel Zone Lens (FZL) based on the method and achieved uniformly distributed photoresist morphology as well as over 36.6% average diffraction efficiency in full aperture. The results demonstrated that vacuum assisted self contact method effectively eliminates considerable air gaps caused by unevenness of large area photomask and substrate, thus facilitates uniform light field distribution in photoresist. This work provides reference to fabrication techniques of large aperture membrane diffractive lens, and offers feasible methods for future large area flexible electronics manufacturing.
Transcriptional changes in muscle of hibernating arctic ground squirrels (Urocitellus parryii): implications for attenuation of disuse muscle atrophy
Authors: Goropashnaya Anna V. , Barnes Brian M. , Fedorov Vadim B.
Published: June 2020

Physical inactivity generates muscle atrophy in most mammalian species. In contrast, hibernating mammals demonstrate limited muscle loss over the prolonged intervals of immobility during winter, which suggests that they have adaptive mechanisms to reduce disuse muscle atrophy. To identify transcriptional programs that underlie molecular mechanisms attenuating muscle loss, we conducted a large-scale gene expression profiling in quadriceps muscle of arctic ground squirrels, comparing hibernating (late in a torpor and during torpor re-entry after arousal) and summer active animals using next generation sequencing of the transcriptome. Gene set enrichment analysis showed a coordinated up-regulation of genes involved in all stages of protein biosynthesis and ribosome biogenesis during both stages of hibernation that suggests induction of translation during interbout arousals. Elevated proportion of down-regulated genes involved in apoptosis, NFKB signaling as well as significant under expression of atrogenes, upstream regulators (FOXO1, FOXO3, NFKB1A), key components of the ubiquitin proteasome pathway (FBXO32, TRIM63, CBLB), and overexpression of PPARGC1B inhibiting proteolysis imply suppression of protein degradation in muscle during arousals. The induction of protein biosynthesis and decrease in protein catabolism likely contribute to the attenuation of disuse muscle atrophy through prolonged periods of immobility of hibernation.
A disulfide constrains the ToxR periplasmic domain structure, altering its interactions with ToxS and bile-salts
Authors: Midgett Charles R. , Swindell Rachel A. , Pellegrini Maria , Jon Kull F.
Published: June 2020

ToxR is a transmembrane transcription factor that, together with its integral membrane periplasmic binding partner ToxS, is conserved across the Vibrionaceae family. In some pathogenic Vibrios, including V. parahaemolyticus and V. cholerae, ToxR is required for bile resistance and virulence, and ToxR is fully activated and protected from degradation by ToxS. ToxS achieves this in part by ensuring formation of an intra-chain disulfide bond in the C-terminal periplasmic domain of ToxR (dbToxRp). In this study, biochemical analysis showed dbToxRp to have a higher affinity for the ToxS periplasmic domain than the non-disulfide bonded conformation. Analysis of our dbToxRp crystal structure showed this is due to disulfide bond stabilization. Furthermore, dbToxRp is structurally homologous to the V. parahaemolyticus VtrA periplasmic domain. These results highlight the critical structural role of disulfide bond in ToxR and along with VtrA define a domain fold involved in environmental sensing conserved across the Vibrionaceae family.
Droplet digital polymerase chain reaction-based quantification of circulating microRNAs using small RNA concentration normalization
Authors: Das Gupta Shalini , Ndode-Ekane Xavier Ekolle , Puhakka Noora , Pitkänen Asla
Published: June 2020

Quantification of plasma microRNAs (miRNAs) as non-invasive disease biomarkers is subject to multiple technical variabilities. This study aimed to develop an optimized protocol for miRNA quantification from rodent plasma. We hypothesized that a fixed small RNA concentration input for reverse transcription (RT) reaction will provide better miRNA quantification than a fixed RNA volume input. For this, tail-vein plasma was collected from 30 naïve, adult male Sprague-Dawley rats. Plasma hemolysis was measured with NanoDrop-1000 and Denovix DS-11 spectrophotometers. Plasma was then pooled, and RNA was extracted from 50-μl, 100-μl or 200-μl pool aliquots. Small RNA concentration was measured with Qubit miRNA assay. A fixed RNA volume (un-normalized) or a fixed small RNA concentration was used for RT (concentration-normalized). The method was setup with miR-23a-3p and validated with miR-103a-3p and miR-451a. Hemolysis measurements from Denovix and NanoDrop strongly correlated. Qubit revealed increased small RNA concentrations with increasing starting plasma volumes. With concentration-normalization, miRNA levels from 100-µl and 200-µl plasma volume groups mostly normalized to the level of the 50-µl in ddPCR. Our results indicate that miRNA quantification with ddPCR should be performed with small RNA concentration-normalization to minimize variations in eluted RNA concentrations occuring during RNA extraction.
Iron(ii)-chloride-catalyzed regioselective azidation of allenamides with TMSN3
Authors: Liu Yongchun , Ding Na , Tan Xiaoju , Li Xiaoxiao , Zhao Zhigang
Published: June 2020

The first report of iron catalyzed azidation of allenamides via radical process to provide an efficient route for accessing allyl azides.
Linaridin natural products
Authors: Ma Suze , Zhang Qi
Published: June 2020

Linaridins, defined as linear, dehydrated (arid) peptides, are a small but growing family of natural products belonging to the ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptide (RiPP) superfamily.
Palladium-catalyzed ortho-selective C–H hydroxylation of carboxybenzyl-protected benzylamines
Authors: Dai Chenyang , Han Yi , Liu Lingling , Huang Zhi-Bin , Shi Da-Qing , Zhao Yingsheng
Published: June 2020

A convenient approach to synthesize o-hydroxybenzylamine via Pd-catalyzed hydroxylation of benzylamine with a removable Cbz-amide as the directing group was developed.
Synergism of anisotropic and computational NMR methods reveals the likely configuration of phormidolide A
Authors: Ndukwe Ikenna E. , Wang Xiao , Lam Nelson Y. S. , Ermanis Kristaps , Alexander Kelsey L. , Bertin Matthew J. , Martin Gary E. , Muir Garrett , Paterson Ian , Britton Robert , Goodman Jonathan M. , Helfrich Eric J. N. , Piel Jörn , Gerwick William H. , Williamson R. Thomas
Published: June 2020

A combined computational and anisotropic NMR investigation defined likely configuration of phormidolide.
Fullerene C76 as a novel electrocatalyst for VO2+/VO2+ and chlorine evolution inhibitor in all-vanadium redox flow batteries
Authors: El Diwany Farah A. , Ali Basant A. , El Sawy Ehab N. , Allam Nageh K.
Published: June 2020

We report, for the first time, the superior electrocatalytic activity of fullerene C76 towards VO2+/VO2+ in all-vanadium redox flow batteries.
A surface modifier enhances the performance of the all-inorganic CsPbI2Br perovskite solar cells with efficiencies approaching 15%
Authors: Wang Kaiyuan , Zhou Jiyu , Li Xing , Ahmad Nafees , Xia Haoran , Wu Guangbao , Zhang Xuning , Wang Boxing , Zhang Dongyang , Zou Yu , Zhou Huiqiong , Zhang Yuan
Published: June 2020

We propose a surface modification approach based on methyl ammonium halide (MAX) for CsPbI2Br perovskite solar cells. As a result, trap-assisted recombination is suppressed accompanied by sufficient charge extraction, which boosts the efficiency to 14.8% with an impressive FF of 82.2%.
Photocatalytic activity and the electron transport mechanism of titanium dioxide microsphere/porphyrin implanted with small size copper
Authors: Feng Xuyuan , Liu Zhiyuan , Qin Lixia , Kang Shi-Zhao , Li Xiangqing
Published: June 2020

Special passageways for electron transfer and strong synergistic effect in the TiO2 microsphere/hydroxylporphyrin with special copper as the interfacial linker played important roles in improving photocatalytic activity of the nano–micro composite.
Control of transition metal–oxygen bond strength boosts the redox ex-solution in a perovskite oxide surface
Authors: Kim Kyeounghak , Koo Bonjae , Jo Yong-Ryun , Lee Siwon , Kim Jun Kyu , Kim Bong-Joong , Jung WooChul , Han Jeong Woo
Published: June 2020

Tuning of the cation–oxygen bond strength effectively promotes B-site ex-solution in a perovskite, thereby boosting the catalytic activity of CO oxidation.
Modulation of gastrointestinal digestion of β-lactoglobulin and micellar casein following binding by (−)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) and green tea flavanols
Authors: Dönmez Özge , Mogol Burçe Ataç , Gökmen Vural , Tang Ning , Andersen Mogens Larsen , Chatterton Dereck E. W.
Published: June 2020

Milk proteins bind flavanoids (EGCG and green tea extract), affecting theirin vitrodigestibility and modulating flavanoid free radical scavenging.
Influence of type of dairy matrix micro- and macrostructure on in vitro lipid digestion
Authors: Schmidt J. M. , Kjølbæk L. , Jensen K. J. , Rouy E. , Bertram H. C. , Larsen T. , Raben A. , Astrup A. , Hammershøj M.
Published: June 2020

Recent research indicates that the food matrix can influence digestion kinetics and uptake of nutrients, thus affecting human health.
Proof-of-concept for 2D/CT element analysis of entire cryofrozen islets of Langerhans using a cryoloop synchrotron X-ray fluorescence setup
Authors: De Samber Björn , Bensellam Mohammed , Van Malderen Stijn J. M. , Seiboth Frank , Brückner Dennis , Garrevoet Jan , Falkenberg Gerald , Jonas Jean-Christophe , Vincze Laszlo
Published: June 2020

This work reports on trace level chemical imaging of vitrified islets of Langerhans in 2D/CT mode using synchrotron X-ray fluorescence (SR-XRF). The newly developed method can be used for other biological samples that can be captured in a cryoloop.
Magnetoelectricity beyond saturation
Authors: Newacheck Scott , Youssef George
Published: June 2020

A concentric multiferroic cylinder composite exhibit a sustained and frequency-modulated magnetoelectric coupling at magnetic fields above saturation due to delayed magnetization around the circumference of the magnetostrictive material.
Photothermal conversion of gold nanoparticles for uniform pulsed laser warming of vitrified biomaterials
Authors: Liu Yilin , Kangas Joseph , Wang Yiru , Khosla Kanav , Pasek-Allen Jacqueline , Saunders Aaron , Oldenburg Steven , Bischof John
Published: June 2020

The gold nanoparticles' ratio of light scattering to absorption can be designed to more uniformly distribute the absorbed energy during rapid pulsed laser warming of vitrified biomaterials in droplets.
Fundamental understanding of the acidic oxygen evolution reaction: mechanism study and state-of-the-art catalysts
Authors: Shi Zhaoping , Wang Xian , Ge Junjie , Liu Changpeng , Xing Wei
Published: June 2020

A systematic summary of the acidic OER catalytic mechanism and catalysts is given, and some experimental phenomena are explained.
Chemical methods for modification of proteins
Authors: Reddy Neelesh C. , Kumar Mohan , Molla Rajib , Rai Vishal
Published: June 2020

The field of protein bioconjugation draws attention from stakeholders in chemistry, biology, and medicine. This review provides an overview of the present status, challenges, and opportunities for organic chemists.
Evidence for ultrafast formation of tribenzoylgermyl radicals originating from tetraacylgermane photoinitiators
Authors: Jöckle Philipp , Lamparth Iris , Moszner Norbert , Barner-Kowollik Christopher , Unterreiner Andreas-Neil
Published: June 2020

We report strong evidence for the ultrafast formation of tribenzoylgermyl radicals originating from tetraacylgermane photoinitiators on a ps-time scale. In comparison to previous studies, the result can be related to a high initiation efficiency.
Zr modified SrNbO2N as an active photocatalyst for water oxidation under visible light illumination
Authors: Lin Guoan , Wang Ran , Cao Tongcheng , Yuan Liangxi , Xu Xiaoxiang
Published: June 2020

Zr modification induces porous microstructures, inhibits defect formation and ameliorates the surface hydrophilicity of SrNbO2N, resulting in good photocatalytic activity.
General approach to construct hierarchical-structured porous Co–Ni bimetallic oxides for efficient oxygen evolution
Authors: Li Ping , Chen Ran , Lin Yunan , Li Wenqin
Published: June 2020

A novel, general and controllable approach was developed to produce a series of hierarchical-structured porous Co–Ni bimetallic oxides via topochemical transformation of bimetallic coordination polymers for boosted oxygen evolution catalysis.
Structured and functionalized organic semiconductors for chemical and biological sensors based on organic field effect transistors
Authors: Wang Yujing , Gong Qi , Miao Qian
Published: June 2020

This review gives an overview of strategies to tailor organic semiconductors with designed physical structures and chemical functionalities for development of chemical and biological sensors based on organic field effect transistors.
Copper-catalyzed trifluoromethylthiolation-peroxidation of alkenes and allenes
Authors: Chen Yuanjin , Ma Yangyang , Li Liangkui , Cui Mingshuo , Li Zhiping
Published: June 2020

Cu-catalyzed trifluoromethylthiolation-peroxidation of alkenes and allenes using AgSCF3 and tert-butyl hydroperoxide has been developed. The method provides a variety of β-SCF3 and β-vinyl-SCF3 peroxides with excellent regio- and chemo-selectivities.
Single-atom replacement as a general approach towards visible-light/near-infrared heavy-atom-free photosensitizers for photodynamic therapy
Authors: Tang Juan , Wang Lushun , Loredo Axel , Cole Carson , Xiao Han
Published: June 2020

Thio-based photosensitizer: a general strategy for preparing visible/NIR light absorbing heavy-atom-free photosensitizers was developed by performing a simple sulfur-for-oxygen atom substitution within existing fluorescent molecules.
Hybrid nanoparticle composites
Authors: Winter Jessica , Nicolas Julien , Ruan Gang
Published: June 2020

Jessica Winter, Julien Nicolas and Gang Ruan introduce the Journal of Materials Chemistry B themed issue on hybrid nanoparticle composites.
Varying‐parameter finite‐time zeroing neural network for solving linear algebraic systems
Authors: Gerontitis Dimitrios , Moysis L. , Stanimirović Predrag , Katsikis Vasilios N. , Volos C.
Published: June 2020

A new recurrent neural network is presented for solving linear algebraic systems with finite‐time convergence. The proposed model includes an exponential term in the Zhang neural network dynamical system, which leads to a faster convergence of the error‐monitoring function in comparison to previous methods. Theoretical analysis, as well as simulation results, validate the efficacy of the proposed model.
Design and implementation of a wideband channel emulation platform for 5G mmWave vehicular communication
Authors: Cao Jue , Tila Fai , Nix Andrew
Published: June 2020

In this study, the authors design and implement a real‐time hardware‐in‐the‐loop (HIL) wideband high‐velocity channel emulation platform for the performance evaluation and verification of 5G mmWave systems. A novel spectral splitting & stitching method and channel partitioning algorithm are developed to synchronously combine up to eight 160 MHz sub‐channels. The HIL platform was calibrated in the time and frequency domains and then validated using back‐to‐back results from a pair of experimental 60 GHz mmWave modems. The emulated path loss was generated for an additive white Gaussian noise channel to characterise the data throughput versus signal‐to‐noise ratio for a fixed point‐to‐point deployment. The wideband emulator was then used to introduce the Doppler shifts and spreads observed in a high velocity (up to 600 km/h) mmWave channel. For a Ricean channel (K‐factor greater than or equal to 10 dB), negligible data throughput losses were observed for velocities up to 293.9 km/h. Using the emulator, they show that the 5G modems can achieve continuous connectivity (albeit with some throughput loss) at velocities up to 587.8 km/h. Tests were also conducted in Rayleigh channels with uniformly distributed spatial multipath. In the Rayleigh case, the maximum vehicular velocity dropped to 51.4 km/h.
RTL3D: real‐time LIDAR‐based 3D object detection with sparse CNN
Authors: Yan Lin , Liu Kai , Belyaev Evgeny , Duan Meiyu
Published: June 2020

LIDAR (light detection and ranging) based real‐time 3D perception is crucial for applications such as autonomous driving. However, most of the convolutional neural network (CNN) based methods are time‐consuming and computation‐intensive. These drawbacks are mainly attributed to the highly variable density of LIDAR point cloud and the complexity of their pipelines. To find a balance between speed and accuracy for 3D object detection from LIDAR, authors propose RTL3D, a computationally efficient Real‐time LIDAR‐based 3D detector. In RTL3D, an effective voxel‐wise feature representation is utilised to organise unstructured point cloud. By employing a sparse feature learning network (SFLN) on voxelised 3D data, RTL3D exploits the sparsity of point cloud and down‐samples 3D data into 2D. Basing on the generated 2D feature map, an optimised dense detection network (DDN) is applied to regress the oriented bounding box without relying on any predefined anchor boxes. The authors also introduce an incremental data augmentation approach which greatly improves the performance of RTL3D. Empirical experiments on public KITTI benchmark demonstrate that RTL3D achieves a competitive performance with state‐of‐the‐art works on 3D detection task. Owning to the simplicity of its single‐stage and anchor‐free design, RTL3D has a real‐time inference speed of 40 FPS.
Indikation und Gruppenverlauf – Hinweise und Hilfen für die gruppentherapeutische Praxis
Authors: Strauß Bernhard
Published: June 2020

In der klinischen Praxis gibt es verschiedene Modelle der Gruppenpsychotherapie. Das passende Modell zu wählen ist im Kontext der Indikation, Auswahl und Zusammensetzung von Therapiegruppen essenziell. Für den Beginn und den Prozess stehen Therapeuten eine Reihe von Instrumenten zur Information und Vorbereitung sowie zur Begleitdiagnostik zur Verfügung. Der Beitrag stellt diese vor und ergänzt sie durch den Verweis auf „Praxisleitlinien“.
Offen oder geschlossen? Das ist hier die Frage!
Authors: Melicherova Ursula , Köllner Volker
Published: June 2020

Gruppenpsychotherapeutische Angebote spielen in der stationären Versorgung von psychiatrischen und psychosomatischen Patienten eine zentrale Rolle. Im Kontrast dazu bleibt im ambulanten Bereich die Einzeltherapie das am häufigsten angebotene Format 1. Dabei zahlreiche Studien zeigen, dass Gruppentherapie genauso wirksam sein kann wie Einzeltherapie 2.
Das Gorham-Stout-Syndrom – eine diagnostische und therapeutische Herausforderung
Authors: Schneider Kristian Nikolaus , Theil Christoph , Gosheger Georg , Klingebiel Sebastian , Ackmann Thomas , Lampe Lukas Peter , Rickert Carolin , Schorn Dominik , Andreou Dimosthenis
Published: June 2020

Das Gorham-Stout-Syndrom (GSS) beschreibt ein pathophysiologisch idiopathisches Krankheitsbild, welches mit Osteolysen und Proliferationen von Blut- und Lymphgefäßen assoziiert wird. In der Literatur sind nur rund 300 Fälle dieses seltenen mono- oder polyostostischen Krankheitsbildes beschrieben. In diesem Beitrag präsentieren wir zwei Patienten, die am GSS erkrankt sind. Ihre jeweilige Krankheitsgeschichte mit einer deutlich verzögerten Diagnosestellung, limitierten Behandlungsoptionen sowie unerwünschten Nebenwirkungen im Rahmen der medikamentösen Therapie verdeutlicht die Komplexität von Diagnostik und Behandlung des GSS.
Prevalence of Risk of Eating Disorders and its Association with Obesity and Fitness
Authors: Parreño-Madrigal Isabel María , Díez-Fernández Ana , Martínez-Vizcaíno Vicente , Visier-Alfonso María Eugenia , Garrido-Miguel Miriam , Sánchez-López Mairena
Published: June 2020

The university stage is a critical developmental period for young adults, where lifestyles can determine future health. A cross-sectional study including 481 college students was conducted, with the following objectives: 1) to examine the prevalence of risk of developing eating disorders in college students, 2) to assess differences in obesity and physical fitness in those with and without risk of eating disorders, and 3) to determine whether cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular fitness or fat mass were associated with the risk of eating disorders. We measured fat mass percentage (by densitometry), risk of feeding or eating disorders (by SCOFF questionnaire), cardiorespiratory fitness levels and a muscular fitness index. The prevalence of risk of eating disorders in women (32.4%) was higher than in men (17.4%) (p<0.001). In both sexes, higher obesity indicator mean values were observed among those who were at risk of eating disorders. Men participants without risk had higher cardiorespiratory fitness means than their at-risk peers [39.4 (8.3) vs. 32.4 (5.5), p<0.001)], and women showed differences only in the dynamometry/weight variable. In college students, it is necessary to promote healthy habits, including good levels of physical fitness, and to prevent excess body fat to effectively prevent eating disorders.
Endoprotector: Protective box for safe endoscopy use during COVID-19 outbreak
Authors: Campos Sara , Carreira Cátia , Marques Pedro Pinto , Vieira Ana
Published: June 2020

Background and study aim Outbreak of COVID-19 began in Wuhan in December 2019 and has rapidly spread from China to the rest of the world. Although it is primarily transmitted by contact and droplets, aerosol-generating procedures also seem to carry the possibility of airborne viral transmission. As such, upper gastrointestinal endoscopy can be considered a risky procedure, with several position statements recommending the adoption of safe practices in endoscopic procedures. This article aims to describe an additional tool to protect healthcare personnel during endoscopy.

Methods A covering box made of acrylic plastic, named Endoprotector, was designed to cover the patient’s head, while taking into consideration movements performed by patients and healthcare staff during an endoscopic procedure.

Results A cough simulation using fluorescent dye confirmed the potential benefit of the box during endoscopy, thus protecting healthcare staff from air droplets. The feasibility and practicality of the box was also tested with patients during endoscopy.

Conclusion The reusable Endoprotector is easily and affordably manufactured and may reduce air droplets and airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and other microorganisms during endoscopy.
Prevalência de ausência de função dos tendões do músculo flexor superficial do quarto e quinto dedos da mão na população brasileira
Authors: Oliveira Bruno Macêdo , Fernandes Carlos Henrique , Nakachima Luis Renato , dos Santos João Baptista Gomes , Hirakawa Celso Kiyoshi , Faloppa Flavio
Published: June 2020

Objetivos Avaliar a prevalência da ausência de função dos tendões do músculo flexor superficial do quarto e quinto dedos em uma população brasileira.

Métodos Estudo prospectivo foi realizado no departamento de ortopedia e traumatologia de um hospital universitário. O estudo foi desenvolvido no período de outubro de 2017 a abril 2018. A amostra foi formada por voluntários sem histórico de trauma, cirurgia ou qualquer afecção dos membros superiores. Foram incluídos neste estudo indivíduos de ambos os gêneros com idade igual ou superior a 18 anos. A avaliação da função do tendão do múculo flexor superficial do quarto e quinto dedos foi realizada por meio de testes clínicos por três examinadores independentes. Para análise dos dados foi utilizado o programa GraphPad Prism 5.0 (GraphPad Software, San Diego, CA, EUA).

Resultados Foram analisados 1.008 voluntários totalizando 2.016 mãos. A prevalência da ausência de função do tendão do músculo flexor superficial do quarto dedo foi de 0,56% na mão direita e 0,99% na mão esquerda. Em relação ao gênero, foi verificado na mão direita uma maior prevalência da ausência de função do flexor superficial do quarto dedo no gênero feminino quando comparado ao masculino (p = 0,0328). Na mão esquerda não foi observada diferença entre os gêneros (p = 0,7562). A ausência de função do músculo flexor superficial no quinto dedo foi de 34,53% na mão direita e de 30,06% na mão esquerda. Quando analisamos o quinto dedo em relação aos gêneros, foi verificado que a prevalência da ausência de função do músculo flexor superficial foi mais frequente no gênero feminino que no masculino, tanto na mão direita (p = 0.0001) como na mão esquerda (p = 0.0003).

Conclusão Apesar de haver estudos realizados separadamente em diversas etnias, não havia na literatura dados referentes à prevalência da ausência de função do músculo flexor superficial do quarto e quinto dedos da mão em uma população miscigenada como a brasileira.
Enhanced Recovery after Surgery for Cesarean Delivery Decreases Length of Hospital Stay and Opioid Consumption: A Quality Improvement Initiative
Authors: Shinnick Julia K. , Ruhotina Merima , Has Phinnara , Kelly Bridget J. , Brousseau E. Christine , O'Brien James , Peahl Alex Friedman
Published: June 2020

Objective The aim of this study is to assess the effect of a resident-led enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocol for scheduled prelabor cesarean deliveries on hospital length of stay and postpartum opioid consumption.

Study Design This retrospective cohort study included patients who underwent scheduled prelabor cesarean deliveries before and after implementation of an ERAS protocol at a single academic tertiary care institution. The primary outcome was length of stay following cesarean delivery. Secondary outcomes included protocol adherence, inpatient opioid consumption, and patient-centered outcomes. The protocol included multimodal analgesia and antiemetic medications, expedited urinary catheter removal, early discontinuation of maintenance intravenous fluids, and early ambulation.

Results A total of 250 patients were included in the study: 122 in the pre-ERAS cohort and 128 in the post-ERAS cohort. There were no differences in baseline demographics, medical comorbidities, or cesarean delivery characteristics between the two groups. Following protocol implementation, hospital length of stay decreased by an average of 7.9 hours (pre-ERAS 82.1 vs. post-ERAS 74.2, p < 0.001). There was 89.8% adherence to the entire protocol as written. Opioid consumption decreased by an average of 36.5 mg of oxycodone per patient, with no significant differences in pain scores from postoperative day 1 to postoperative day 4 (all p > 0.05).

Conclusion A resident-driven quality improvement project was associated with decreased length of hospital stay, decreased opioid consumption, and unchanged visual analog pain scores at the time of hospital discharge. Implementation of this ERAS protocol is feasible and effective.

Key Points
Opções atuais de transferências tendíneas para lesões posterossuperiores irreparáveis do manguito rotador
Authors: Checchia Caio Santos , Silva Luciana Andrade da , Sella Guilherme do Val , Fregoneze Marcelo , Miyazaki Alberto Naoki
Published: June 2020

As grandes lesões posterossuperiores irreparáveis do manguito rotador são debilitantes e, de modo geral, requerem tratamento cirúrgico. Embora não haja consenso sobre a melhor técnica cirúrgica, as transferências tendíneas no ombro são os procedimentos mais realizados. O tendão do grande dorsal continua a ser o mais utilizado, mas diferentes modificações na técnica original têm minimizado as complicações e melhorado os resultados funcionais e a satisfação com o procedimento. Outras técnicas, como a transferência do tendão do trapézio inferior, são promissoras e devem ser consideradas, principalmente em pacientes com perda isolada da rotação externa. Este artigo é uma revisão da literatura a respeito da transferência de tendões para tratamento das lesões posterossuperiores irreparáveis do manguito rotador.
Evaluation of High-Dose Vitamin A Treatment in Postmolar Patients with Low and Plateauing Serum Human Chorionic Gonadotropin Levels
Authors: Uberti Elza Maria Hartmann , Diaz Ruth Karina Escobar , Cardoso Rodrigo Bernardes , Braga Antonio
Published: June 2020

Objective To compare the effect of high-dose vitamin A (HD Vit-A) use during postmolar follow-up of patients with low and plateauing (L&P) serum human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) levels, from the moment serum hCG plateaued (P-hCG) to the first normal serum hCG value (< 5 IU/L).

Methods The present retrospective series case study compared two nonconcurrent cohorts of patients. Control group (CG): 34 patients with L&P serum hCG levels who underwent expectant management for 6 months after uterine evacuation, from 1992 to 2010; study group (SG): 32 patients in similar conditions who received 200,000 IU of Vit-A daily, from the identification of a P-hCG level to the first normal hCG value or the diagnosis of progression to gestational trophoblastic neoplasia (GTN), from 2011 to 2017. The present study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the institution where it was conducted.

Results In both groups, the prevalence of persistent L&P serum hCG levels was < 5%. In the SG, hCG levels at plateau were higher (CG = 85.5 versus SG = 195 IU/L; p = 0.028), the rate of postmolar GTN was lower (CG = 29.4% versus SG = 6.3%, p = 0.034) and follow-up was shorter (CG = 14 versus SG = 10 months, p < 0.001). During GTN follow-up, there were no differences in GTN staging or treatment aggressiveness in both groups. High-dose Vit-A use did not have any relevant toxic effect. There were no GTN relapses or deaths.

Conclusion The limited use of HD Vit-A seems to have a safe and significant effect on the treatment of postmolar patients with L&P serum hCG levels and may decrease the development of postmolar GTN in this population.
Análise da qualidade metodológica de revisões sistemáticas para tratamento de disfunções do manguito rotador
Authors: Estevam Jhony de Almeida , Franco Eduardo Signorini Bicas , Kriebel Carolina Falconi , Peccin Maria Stella
Published: June 2020

Objetivo Avaliar a qualidade metodológica das revisões sistemáticas para tratamento cirúrgico e não cirúrgico de indivíduos com síndrome do manguito rotador; comparar, através do instrumento Assessingthemethodologicalqualityofsystematic reviews(AMSTAR, na sigla em inglês), a qualidade dos estudos encontrados nas bases de dados Cochrane Library, PubMed (Publisher Medline), EMBASE e Qinsight.

Métodos Trata-se de um estudo transversal descritivo e comparativo, em que dois autores independentes analisaram, por meio do instrumento AMSTAR, a qualidade metodológica das revisões sistemáticas Cochrane e nãoCochrane sobre tratamento de indivíduos com diagnóstico de síndrome do manguito rotador.

Resultados 76 revisões sistemáticas foram avaliadas pelo instrumento AMSTAR. O escore médio geral foi de 6,1(±2,1) e a média por base de dados foi 9,1(±0,9) para as revisões Cochrane e 5,7(±1,8) para as não Cochrane. O item de menor pontuação do AMSTAR foi 11, relacionada à exibição dos conflitos de interesse da publicação. Em uma análise comparativa do escore da variável final, houve uma diferença estatística entre os estudos Cochrane e nãoCochrane.

Conclusão De acordo com o presenteestudo, revisões sistemáticas utilizando a metodologia Cochrane têm uma melhor qualidade metodológica em comparação com estudos nãoCochrane sobre o tratamento de disfunções do manguito rotador.
The Real Impact of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (covid-19) on the Pregnancy Outcome
Authors: Gonçalves Ana Katherine
Published: June 2020

The COVID-19 outbreak is increasing around the world in the number of cases, deaths, and affected countries. Currently, the knowledge regarding the clinical impact of COVID-19 on maternal, fetal, and placental aspects of pregnancy is minimal. Although the elderly and men were the most affected population, in previous situations, such as the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic and the Ebola epidemic, pregnant women were more likely to develop complications than nonpregnant women. There are unanswered questions specific to pregnant women, such as whether pregnant women are more severely affected and whether intrauterine transmission occurs. Additional information is needed to inform key decisions, such as whether pregnant health care workers should receive special consideration, whether to separate infected mothers and their newborns, and whether it is safe for infected women to breastfeed.
Stochastic modeling of macromolecules in solution. I. Relaxation processes
Authors: Polimeno Antonino , Zerbetto Mirco , Abergel Daniel
Published: June 2020

A framework for the stochastic description of relaxation processes in flexible macromolecules, including dissipative effects, is introduced from an atomistic point of view. Projection-operator techniques are employed to obtain multidimensional Fokker-Planck operators governing the relaxation of internal coordinates and global degrees of freedom and depending upon parameters fully recoverable from classic force fields (energetics) and continuum models (friction tensors). A hierarchy of approaches of different complexity is proposed in this unified context, aimed primarily at the interpretation of magnetic resonance relaxation experiments. In particular, a model based on a harmonic internal Hamiltonian is discussed as a test case.
Resistance switching in two-terminal ferroelectric-semiconductor lateral heterostructures
Authors: Asadi Kamal
Published: June 2020

Developing new memory concepts and devices has been one of the most productive fields of research for the past decade. There is a need for a nonvolatile memory technology based on resistance switching. An ideal memory element is a bistable rectifying diode that enables realization of a simple crossbar memory array with highest areal bit density. Ferroelectrics have been suggested to code digital information due to their intrinsic and stable binary electronic polarization. However, realization of a ferroelectric bistable rectifying diode is challenging since ferroelectricity and electrical conductivity are mutually exclusive and cannot coexist in a single compound. As a solution, lateral ferroelectric-semiconductor heterostructures have been suggested for the realization of ferroelectric diodes. Bistable rectifying diodes and their respective nonvolatile crossbar memory arrays based on ferroelectric-semiconductor lateral heterostructures have been successfully demonstrated with organic ferroelectrics and organic semiconductors. The present review focuses on the resistance switching in ferroelectric-semiconductor heterostructure rectifying diodes based on polymers and discusses the latest developments over the last decade.
Collection of micromirror-modulated light in the single-pixel broadband hyperspectral microscope
Authors: Klein Lukáš , Žídek Karel
Published: June 2020

A digital micromirror device (DMD) serves in a significant part of computational optical setups as a means of encoding an image by the desired pattern. The most prominent is its usage in the so-called single-pixel camera experiment. This experiment often requires an efficient and homogeneous collection of light from a relatively large chip on a small area of an optical fiber or spectrometer slit. Moreover, this effort is complicated by the fact that the DMD acts as a diffractive element, which causes severe spectral inhomogeneities in the light collection. We studied the effect of light diffraction via a whiskbroom hyperspectral camera in a broad spectral range. Based on this knowledge, we designed a variety of different approaches to the light collection. We mapped the efficiency and spectral homogeneity of each of the configuration, namely, its ability to couple the light into commercially available fiber spectrometers working in the visible and infrared range (up to 1900 nm). We found the integrating spheres to provide homogeneous light collection, which, however, suffers from very low efficiency. The best compromise between the performance parameters was provided by a combination of an engineered diffuser with an off-axis parabolic mirror. We used this configuration to create a computational microscope able to carry out hyperspectral imaging of a sample in a broad spectral range (400 nm–1900 nm). We see such a setup as an ideal tool to carry out spectrally resolved transmission microscopy in a broad spectral range.
Localization study for the implementation of a solar power plant in Brazil using Dish-Stirling systems
Authors: Lessandro Teixeira Rodrigues , Bruno Campos Pedroza , Elaine Aparecida Araújo
Published: June 2020

This work presents a localization study for the implementation of a solar power plant in Brazil using systems with Stirling engines and parabolic dish concentrators, also known as Dish-Stirling systems. The demand for electricity in the world is constantly growing, and this will likely double over the next 40 years, creating an electrical energy deficit scenario that can be filled with renewable and clean sources. The electric power generation system presented in this paper is formed by the parabolic dish concentrator and a receiver, where the Stirling engine and the power generator are located. The Dish-Stirling system presents the greatest efficiency in the conversion of heat to electrical energy when compared to other thermal concentration technologies. The localization study employed several criteria to select the most suitable place for the implementation of the power plant. The weights of these criteria were defined with the application of the Analytic Hierarchy Process. After determining the weights of each criterion, the localization study was carried out using a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) tool in three cities of different regions of Brazil. Fuzzy logic was used to implement the thresholds for each subcriterion in the GIS system. Research in Brazil about thermal conversion with Dish-Stirling systems is still incipient. Therefore, this work intends to demonstrate the potential of solar energy in Brazil and pinpoint available locations for future projects. The municipality of Bom Jesus da Lapa in the State of Bahia stood out in comparison with the other cities evaluated in this paper.
Hydrodynamic conditions in laser irradiated buried layer experiments
Authors: Frank Yechiel , Kemp Gregory E. , Marley Edward V. , Callejo Gabriel Pérez , Foord Mark E. , Schneider Marilyn B. , Ehrlich Yosi , Fraenkel Moshe
Published: June 2020

The calculation of open shell ionization level and radiative properties of materials in Non-Local Thermal Equilibrium (NLTE) is currently still a major challenge for any atomic model. The predictions of various NLTE atomic codes at these conditions still differ significantly. In recent years, a new buried layer platform was developed at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and the Laboratory for Laser Energetics. This platform is used to measure ionization distribution and emission of open L-shell, mid-Z ions and open M-shell, high-Z ions at NLTE conditions that are relevant in many laser plasma applications. These experiments offer a unique chance for benchmarking the atomic models. In order to perform these experiments, a uniform well characterized plasma source is required. In this work, we present one-dimensional (1D) and two-dimensional simulations of the experimental platform. These simulations were used for both the design and the analysis of the experiments. The simulations demonstrate the different phases of hydrodynamic evolution of the target and identify the time windows in which uniform conditions can be achieved. A 1D expansion of the target was found to be adequate to describe the target's evolution for most of the experiment duration. The fast 1D simulations were compared with recent experimental results from the Omega laser facility. The sensitivity of the results to several modeling parameters such as the electron flux limiter and laser resonant absorption is reported.
Gauged Dirac operator on the q-deformed fuzzy Euclidean anti-de Sitter space using the pseudo-generalization of q-deformed Ginsparg–Wilson algebra
Authors: Lotfizadeh M.
Published: June 2020

In this paper, q-deformed pseudo-fuzzy Dirac and chirality operators on the q-deformed pseudo-fuzzy EAdS2, using the pseudo-generalization of the quantum pseudo-fuzzy Ginsparg–Wilson algebra, have been constructed. Gauged q-deformed pseudo-fuzzy Dirac and chirality operators have also been constructed. In the limit case q → 1, it will be shown that these operators will become Dirac and chirality operators on the pseudo-fuzzy EAdS2.