bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Novallas bronze tablet: An inscription in the Celtiberian language and the Latin alphabet from Spain
Authors: Beltrán Lloris Francisco , Jordán Cólera Carlos , Díaz Ariño Borja , Simón Cornago Ignacio
Published: December 2021

The Novallas Bronze may be considered one of the most important epigraphic finds in recent years in Spain. It is a fragment of a public document datable to the last decades of the 1st c. BCE, composed in the Celtiberian language but written in the Latin alphabet. The Novallas Bronze is not only one of the latest inscriptions composed in this language – over half a century later than the famous inscriptions from Contrebia Belaisca – but also the longest Celtiberian document written in the Latin alphabet known thus far. This paper offers a complete publication of this exceptional document, as well as an analysis of the principal developments that the artifact illuminates and the consequent implications for the transformations that the Celtiberian people underwent during the transition from Republic to Empire, with particular focus on the process of Latinization.
Global sources of credibility: production integration, international institutions, and private property rights in authoritarian regimes
Authors: Tang Min , Chen Jia
Published: December 2021

An important field of the political economy literature examines the mechanism of property rights commitments in authoritarian regimes where formal political constraints are absent. While many of the existing studies focus on how domestic autocratic institutions shape the formation of property rights regimes, this paper takes an open-economy approach and examines the compound effect of global economic integration and intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) on property rights protection in authoritarian regimes. We propose that the domestic presence of foreign factors of production is positively associated with more credible property rights commitments in authoritarian economies. Moreover, this association is moderated by authoritarian regimes' participation in institutionalized IGOs, which enhance the organizational capacity of these foreign owners of production factors. Through the transnational networks of production integration, international institutions indirectly alter the domestic distribution of bargaining power between the authoritarian government and private economic actors, rendering the commitment to property rights protection more credible. An analysis of a panel dataset consisting of 105 authoritarian regimes yields preliminary evidence supporting our proposition.
Statistical Characteristics of Mid‐Latitude Ionospheric Irregularities at Geomagnetic Quiet Time: Observations From the Jiamusi and Hokkaido East SuperDARN HF Radars
Authors: Wang W. , Zhang J. J. , Wang C. , Nishitani N. , Yan J. Y. , Lan A. L. , Deng X. , Qiu H. B.
Published: December 2021

Newly built Jiamusi (JME) radar and Hokkaido East (HOK) radar data reveal statistical features of the mid‐latitude ionospheric irregularities during quiet times. In this paper, the distribution features and seasonal variations of the scattering occurrence rate and convection velocity of the ionospheric, F‐region irregularities between 45°N and 60°N magnetic latitude (MLAT) during geomagnetic quiet times are studied by using one‐year observation data from the JME radar and HOK radar. The results show that the scattering occurrence rate is strongest in summer and weakest in winter in this region, and the highest value always appears on the dusk side, especially in summer and the equinox. Line‐of‐sight (LOS) velocity also shows significant seasonal variation. It is stronger in winter and the equinox than in summer, which is in good agreement with previously reported observations from six midlatitude Super Dual Auroral Radar Network radars in the North American sector. An interesting new finding is that on the night side, LOS velocity decreases first and then increases as the MLAT increases from 45°N to 56°N, particularly in summer and the equinox. This implies that there is a velocity reversal region during the geomagnetic quiet time in regard to night side, mid‐latitude, ionospheric convection.
A Modeling Analysis of the Apparent Linear Relation Between Mesospheric Temperatures and Meteor Height Distributions Measured by a Meteor Radar
Authors: Lee Wonseok , Lee Changsup , Kim Jeong‐Han , Kam Hosik , Kim Yong Ha
Published: December 2021

A new method of estimating mesospheric temperature has recently been proposed by utilizing an apparent linear relation between atmospheric temperatures and full widths at half maximum (FWHMs) of meteor height distributions measured by a meteor radar (MR). However, the new method assumes that the meteor height distribution is dominantly dependent on the atmospheric conditions, rather than on meteoroid characteristics (mass and velocity). In order to verify this assumption, we have developed a meteor ablation model and applied it to the observed parameters by a MR at King Sejong Station (62.2°S, 58.8°W). The simulation results show that the FWHM of meteor height distribution increases linearly with the mesospheric temperature and its linear relation matches well with the observed relation. We found that the seasonal variation of meteor velocity distributions is significant but has only little effect on the variation of the height distribution. We also found that the observed characteristics of meteors are consistent with a Gaussian distribution of logarithmic masses, and this distribution is nearly invariable throughout the year with the average peak value of . Thus, we conclude that observed meteor height distributions are mainly dependent on the mesospheric temperature, and can be used as a mesospheric temperature indicator.
The New Radiosounding HARMonization (RHARM) Data Set of Homogenized Radiosounding Temperature, Humidity, and Wind Profiles With Uncertainties
Authors: Madonna Fabio , Tramutola Emanuele , SY Souleymane , Serva Federico , Proto Monica , Rosoldi Marco , Gagliardi Simone , Amato Francesco , Marra Fabrizio , Fassò Alessandro , Gardiner Tom , Thorne Peter William
Published: December 2021

Observational records are more often than not influenced by residual non‐climatic factors which must be detected and adjusted for prior to their usage. In this work, we present a novel approach, named Radiosounding HARMonization (RHARM), providing a homogenized data set of temperature, humidity and wind profiles along with an estimation of the measurement uncertainties for 697 radiosounding stations globally. The RHARM method has been used to adjust twice daily (0000 and 1200 UTC) radiosonde data holdings at 16 pressure levels in the range 1,000–10 hPa, from 1978 to present, provided by the Integrated Global Radiosonde Archive. Relative humidity (RH) data are limited to 250 hPa. The applied adjustments are interpolated to all reported levels. RHARM is the first data set to provide homogenized time series with an estimation of the observational uncertainty at each sounding pressure level. By construction, RHARM adjusted fields are not affected by cross‐contamination of biases across stations and are fully independent of reanalysis data. Analysis of trends for temperature, RH and winds highlights increased geographical coherency of trends over 1978–2000 globally, but especially in the Northern Hemisphere and South America. RHARM shows warming trends of 0.39 K/decade at 300 hPa in the Northern Hemisphere and of 0.25 K/decade in the tropics. The RHARM adjustments also reduce differences with the European Centre for Medium‐Range Weather Forecast ERA5 reanalysis, with the strongest effect in the Northern Hemisphere for temperature and relative humidity. For wind speed, the comparison indicates a good agreement with ERA5 in the troposphere.
Investigation of possible underlying mechanisms behind water-induced glucose reduction in adults with high copeptin
Authors: Enhörning Sofia , Vanhaecke Tiphaine , Dolci Alberto , Perrier Erica T. , Melander Olle
Published: December 2021

Elevated copeptin, a surrogate marker of vasopressin, is linked to low water intake and increased diabetes risk. Water supplementation in habitual low-drinkers with high copeptin significantly lowers both fasting plasma (fp) copeptin and glucose. This study aims at investigating possible underlying mechanisms. Thirty-one healthy adults with high copeptin (> 10.7 pmol·L−1 (men), > 6.1 pmol−1 (women)) and 24-h urine volume of < 1.5L and osmolality of > 600 mOsm·kg−1 were included. The intervention consisted of addition of 1.5 L water daily for 6 weeks. Fp-adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), fp-cortisol, 24-h urine cortisol, fasting and 2 h (post oral glucose) insulin and glucagon were not significantly affected by the water intervention. However, decreased (Δ baseline-6 weeks) fp-copeptin was significantly associated with Δfp-ACTH (r = 0.76, p < 0.001) and Δfp-glucagon (r = 0.39, p = 0.03), respectively. When dividing our participants according to baseline copeptin, median fp-ACTH was reduced from 13.0 (interquartile range 9.2–34.5) to 7.7 (5.3–9.9) pmol L−1, p = 0.007 in the top tertile of copeptin, while no reduction was observed in the other tertiles. The glucose lowering effect from water may partly be attributable to decreased activity in the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis.

ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT03574688.
Antimicrobial and cytotoxic activity of electrosprayed chitosan nanoparticles against endodontic pathogens and Balb/c 3T3 fibroblast cells
Authors: Ibrahim Amir , Moodley Desigar , Uche Cosmas , Maboza Ernest , Olivier Annette , Petrik Leslie
Published: December 2021

The aims of this study were to synthesize highly positively charged chitosan nanoparticles (Ch-Np) using the electrospraying technique, and to test their antimicrobial activity against endodontic pathogens, and cytotoxicity against fibroblast cells. Ch-Np were synthesized from low molecular weight chitosan (LMW-Ch) using the electrospraying technique, and characterized. The antimicrobial activity was evaluated against Streptococcus mutans, Enterococcus faecalis, and Candida albicans in their planktonic state using a Time-Kill Test performed by using broth micro-dilution technique, and against biofilm biomass using a microtiter plate biofilm assay. The cytotoxicity was evaluated using Balb/c 3T3 fibroblast cells with the standard MTT assay. Electrospraying of LMW-Ch produced Ch-Np with an average size of 200 nm, and a surface charge of 51.7 mV. Ch-Np completely eradicated S. mutans and E. faecalis in the planktonic state and showed fungistatic activity against C. albicans. Furthermore, it significantly reduced the biofilm biomass for all the tested microbial species [S. mutans (p = 0.006), E. faecalis (p < 0.0001), and C. albicans (p = 0.004)]. When tested for cytotoxicity using 3T3 cells, Ch-Np showed no cytotoxicity. In conclusion, the highly positively charged, colloidal dispersion of Ch-Np are effective as a biocompatible endodontic antimicrobial agent.
Complexes of transition metal carbonyl clusters with tin(ii) phthalocyanine in neutral and radical anion states: methods of synthesis, structures and properties
Authors: Romanenko Nikita R. , Kuzmin Alexey V. , Khasanov Salavat S. , Faraonov Maxim A. , Yudanova Evgeniya I. , Nakano Yoshiaki , Otsuka Akihiro , Yamochi Hideki , Kitagawa Hiroshi , Konarev Dmitri V.
Published: December 2021

Transition metal carbonyl clusters (Co4(CO)12, Ru3(CO)12, Os3(CO)12, Ir4(CO)12) coordinate one or two tin(ii) phthalocyanines in neutral or radical anion state. Crystal structures, optical and magnetic properties of the complexes are discussed.
Advances in materials and fabrication of separators in supercapacitors
Authors: Ahankari Sandeep , Lasrado Dylan , Subramaniam Ramesh
Published: December 2021

Supercapacitors (SCs) have been extensively used in advanced energy applications due to their superior energy storage capacity and rapid charge–discharge rate.
Crystalline organic thin films for crystalline OLEDs (I): orientation of phenanthroimidazole derivatives
Authors: Liu Dan , Zhu Feng , Yan Donghang
Published: December 2021

Prepared by weak epitaxy growth, fluorescent phenanthroimidazole derivative 2FPPICz molecules form crystalline thin films. The orientation is resolved, providing a structure foundation for crystalline thin-film organic light-emitting diodes.
Design of high roll‐off frequency selective surface based on single‐layer SIW cavity with fully canonical filtering responses
Authors: Wang Xian , Zhou Dongfang , Wang Yue , Liu Qikun , An Na
Published: December 2021

In this paper, a novel design of high roll‐off frequency selective surface (FSS) is proposed based on a single‐layer substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) cavity. Fully canonical filtering responses with three transmission poles (TPs) and three transmission zeros (TZs) are obtained by employing transversal signal‐interference techniques (TSITs). The FSS unit cell can be regarded as a combined triple‐mode cavity consisting of one cross‐slot resonator and two SIW cavities. By using the filtering coupling matrix, the FSS can be well designed and analysed. Accordingly, to verify the design concept, a prototype is fabricated and experimented. Measured and simulated results are in good agreement, showing high performances in terms of high roll‐off and low profile.
A novel distribution system state estimator based on robust cubature particle filter used for non‐gaussian noise and bad data scenarios
Authors: Shi Qian , Liu Min , Hang Luqing
Published: December 2021

State estimation is the core function of distribution management system, and its estimation accuracy directly affects the operation of other advanced application functions of distribution management system. However, the access of a large number of distributed generation brings non‐Gaussian noise and bad data problems, which affect the accuracy of state estimation. Therefore, based on the conventional cubature particle filter (CPF), two new state estimation operators, robust cubature filter 1 (RCPF1) and robust cubature filter 2 (RCPF2), are proposed by introducing the Huber's M‐estimation theory into the CPF algorithm and integrating a time‐varying, multi‐dimensional scale factor with the CPF, respectively. The simulation results based on IEEE33 bus system showed that: (1) RCPF has better estimation accuracy and robustness than conventional cubature particle filter and cubature Kalman filter; (2) RCPF2 has better estimation performance than RCPF1 in the case of non‐Gaussian noise and bad data.
MFAUNet: Multiscale feature attentive U‐Net for cardiac MRI structural segmentation
Authors: Li Dapeng , Peng Yanjun , Guo Yanfei , Sun Jindong
Published: December 2021

The accurate and robust automatic segmentation of cardiac structures in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is significant in calculating cardiac clinical functional indices, and diagnosing heart diseases. Most U‐Net based methods use pooling, transposed convolution, and skip connection operations to integrate the multiscale features for improved segmentation in cardiac MRI. However, this architecture lacks adequate semantic connection between the channel and spatial information, and robustness in segmenting objects with significant shape variations. In this paper, a new multiscale feature attentive U‐Net for cardiac MRI structural segmentation method is proposed. An attention mechanism is adopted after concatenating the multi‐level features to aggregate different scale features and determine on which features to focus. Cascade and parallel dilated convolution is also employed in the decoder blocks and skip connection is employed to enhance the ability of sensing receptive fields for multiscale context information. Furthermore, deep supervision approach with a loss function that combines the dice and cross‐entropy losses to reduce overfitting and ensure better prediction is introduced. The proposed method was evaluated on three public cardiac datasets. The experimental results indicate that the method achieved competitive segmentation performance with the three datasets, which verifies the robustness and generalisability of the proposed network. In comparison with conventional U‐Net methods, the model leverages attention mechanism and dilated convolution block, which increases the semantic connection between the channel and the spatial information, and improves the robustness of the right ventricle segmentation performance. From the view of the Dice scores and segmentation results, the multiscale feature attentive U‐Net method is one of effective methods in segmenting cardiac MRI structures.
Phase characteristics of frequency diverse array radar: Phase radiation pattern, phase period, and phase centre
Authors: Ge Jiaang , Xie Junwei , Wang Bo
Published: December 2021

Considering the signal model of the frequency diverse array (FDA), the amplitude and phase characteristics cannot be ignored. The beampattern mainly reflects the amplitude characteristics. Existing investigations show that the angle‐range dependence of the beampattern offers the FDA several benefits regarding detection and location. However, for the FDA, the phase characteristics that have not been studied are significant when considering the imaging and anti‐jamming. In this work, the authors investigate the phase characteristics of the FDA based on the proposed generalised FDA structure. Then, based on the structure, the authors derive the general closed form of the signal model, the phase‐radiation function, and the phase‐radiation pattern. Moreover, the periodicity of the phase radiation pattern is analysed using the recursive algorithm as compared with the rational analysis. Finally, using the three‐point method, the phase centre of the generalised FDA is derived. Furthermore, the proposed signal model and the derived phase characteristics of the FDA are verified by extensive numerical results.
Brustwanddeformitäten bei Kindern und Jugendlichen
Authors: Bergmann Florian , Muensterer Oliver J.
Published: December 2021

Brustwanddeformitäten im Kindes- und Jugendalter sind als Ganzes betrachtet
relativ häufig, wobei sie ein weites Spektrum von zum Teil sehr seltenen
Entitäten umfassen. Pectus excavatum hat die höchste Prävalenz, es können
symptomatische und asymptomatische Fälle auftreten. Symptomatische Patienten
sollten behandelt werden, wobei die minimalinvasive operative Korrektur als
effektiveres Verfahren neben der Saugglockenbehandlung die größte Rolle spielt.
Pectus carinatum und Mischformen der Brustwanddeformität können ebenfalls zu
einem erheblichen Leidensdruck führen und bedürfen in solchen Fällen einer
individualisierten Therapie. Syndromale Brustwanddeformitäten wie beispielsweise
das Jeune-Syndrom bilden eine eigene Gruppe von sehr seltenen Erkrankungen, die
erhebliche, zum Teil auch lebensbedrohliche Komorbiditäten aufweisen. Solche
Patienten sollten in Zentren mit entsprechender Expertise interdisziplinär und
multimodal behandelt werden. Diese Übersichtsarbeit stellt die einzelnen
Brustwanderkrankungen, deren Bedeutung und mögliche Therapieansätze vor.
Anti-inflammatory Constituents from Caulis Trachelospermi
Authors: Song Hongzhi , Tan Jinni , Ma Ruijing , Kennelly Edward J , Tan Qingang
Published: December 2021

Caulis Trachelospermi, the stems with leaves of Trachelospermum jasminoides, is a well-known herbal drug of the Apocynaceae family recorded in the Chinese pharmacopeia and used for the treatment of inflammation-related diseases by ethnic minorities of China. The mechanism of anti-inflammatory activity and responsible constituents of T. jasminoides have not been well elucidated in previous studies. Preliminary investigation showed that both the water and the ethyl ester extracts of T. jasminoides exhibited potent inhibitory activity on nitric oxide (NO) production using lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated murine macrophages. Phytochemical investigation on these extracts afforded 23 compounds, including three new compounds (1 –3) identified on the basis of spectroscopic and mass spectrometric data. Anti-inflammatory bioassay showed that compounds 17, 18, 22, and 23 inhibited significantly the production of NO in a
concentration-dependent manner. Further studies indicated that compound 23 inhibited significantly TNF-α and IL-6 produced by LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells with good selectivity, as well as protein expression of iNOS in RAW 264.7 cells. These chemical constituents may contribute to the anti-inflammatory potential of T. jasminoides.
Dual-Layer Spectral CTA for TAVI Planning Using a Split-Phase Protocol and Low-keV Virtual Monoenergetic Images: Improved Image Quality in Comparison with Single-Phase Conventional CTA
Authors: Mangold David , Salatzki Janek , Riffel Johannes , Kauczor Hans-Ulrich , Weber Tim Frederik
Published: December 2021

Purpose Adaptation of computed tomography protocols for transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) planning is required when a first-generation dual-layer spectral CT scanner (DLCT) is used. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the objective image quality of aortic CT angiography (CTA) for TAVI planning using a split-phase technique with reconstruction of 40 keV virtual monoenergetic images (40 keV-VMI) obtained with a DLCT scanner. CT angiography obtained with a single-phase protocol of a conventional single-detector CT (SLCT) was used for comparison.

Materials and Methods 75 CTA scans from DLCT were retrospectively compared to 75 CTA scans from SLCT. For DLCT, spiral CTA without ECG-synchronization was performed immediately after a retrospectively ECG-gated acquisition covering the heart and aortic arch. For SLCT, spiral CTA with retrospective ECG-gating was performed to capture the heart and the access route simultaneously in one scan. Objective image quality was compared at different levels of the arterial access route.

Results 40 keV virtual monoenergetic images of DLCT showed a significantly higher mean vessel attenuation, SNR, and CNR at all levels of the arterial access route. With 40 keV-VMI of DLCT, the overall mean aortic attenuation of all six measured regions was 589.6 ± 243 HU compared to 492.7 ± 209 HU of SLCT (p < 0.01). A similar trend could be observed for SNR (23.6 ± 18 vs. 18.6 ± 9; p < 0.01) and CNR (21.1 ± 18 vs. 16.4 ± 8; p < 0.01). No deterioration was observed for vascular noise (27.8 ± 9 HU vs. 28.1 ± 8 HU; p = 0.599).

Conclusion Using a DLCT scanner with a split-phase protocol and 40 keV-VMI for TAVI planning, higher objective image quality can be obtained compared to a single-phase protocol of a conventional CT scanner.

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Citation Format
Beneficial effects of endoscopic screening on gastric cancer and optimal screening interval: a population-based study
Authors: Li Wen-Qing , Qin Xiang-Xiang , Li Zhe-Xuan , Wang Le-Hua , Liu Zong-Chao , Fan Xiao-Han , Zhang Li-Hui , Li Yi , Wu Xiu-Zhen , Ma Jun-Ling , Zhang Yang , Zhang Lan-Fu , Li Ming , Zhou Tong , Zhang Jing-Ying , Wang Jian-Xi , Liu Wei-Dong , You Wei-Cheng , Pan Kai-Feng
Published: December 2021

Background The effectiveness of endoscopic screening on gastric cancer has not been widely investigated in China and the screening interval of repeated screening has not been determined.

Methods In a population-based prospective study, we included 375,800 individuals, 14,670 of whom underwent endoscopic screening (2012–2018). We assessed the associations between endoscopic screening and risk of incident gastric cancer and gastric cancer-specific mortality, and examined changes in overall survival and disease-specific survival following screening. The optimal screening interval for repeated endoscopy for early detection of gastric cancer was explored.

Results Ever receiving endoscopic screening significantly decreased the risk of invasive gastric cancer (age- and sex-adjusted relative risk [RR] 0.69, 95 % confidence interval [CI] 0.52–0.92) and gastric cancer-specific mortality (RR 0.33, 95 %CI 0.20–0.56), particularly for noncardia gastric cancer. Repeated screening strengthened the beneficial effect on invasive gastric cancer-specific mortality of one-time screening. Among invasive gastric cancers, screening-detected individuals had significantly better overall survival (RR 0.18, 95 %CI 0.13–0.25) and disease-specific survival (RR 0.18, 95 %CI 0.13–0.25) than unscreened individuals, particularly for those receiving repeated endoscopy. For individuals with intestinal metaplasia or low grade intraepithelial neoplasia, repeated endoscopy at an interval of < 2 years, particularly within 1 year, significantly enhanced the detection of early gastric cancer, compared with repeated screening after 2 years (P-trend = 0.02).

Conclusion Endoscopic screening prevented gastric cancer occurrence and death, and improved its prognosis in a population-based study. Repeated endoscopy enhanced the effectiveness. Screening interval should be based on gastric lesion severity.
Deaf Individuals Who Report Having Good Balance Function Present with Significant Vestibular Deficits
Authors: Tamaki Chizuko , Maul Kristen , Talian Daniel S. , Sparks Sarah
Published: December 2021

Abstract Background Vestibular and/or balance deficits are well documented in deaf individuals. In the adult population, poor vestibular and/or balance function can lead to activity limitations and increased risk of falling. An effective case history by health
care providers to probe for potential balance concerns is necessary for appropriate referral; however, patients may not consistently report vestibular and balance symptoms. Currently, there is little information available as to how deaf individuals report these symptoms and how their reported
balance ability relates to measures of balance and vestibular functions. Purpose The aim of the current study was to evaluate self-perceived balance ability in participants who self-identify as either deaf or hearing, and compare these results to measures of balance and vestibular
functions. Research Design This is a prospective, between-group design. Study Sample Data from 57 adults between the ages of 18 to 29 years who self-reported as deaf (39) or hearing (18) were evaluated. Participants completed the activities-specific balance
confidence (ABC) scale, a brief case history, self-report rating of balance (SRRB), the Modified Clinical Test of Sensory Integration of Balance (mCTSIB), along with both ocular vestibular-evoked myogenic potentials (oVEMPs) and cervical vestibular-evoked myogenic potentials (cVEMPs). Only
participants with SRRBs of good or excellent were included in the inferential analyses. Results Proportions of participants rating their balance ability as either good or excellent were similar between both groups, as were the results on the ABC scale. Statistical analyses
revealed significant associations between the groups on both oVEMPs and cVEMPs. No significant differences were observed on sway velocities in any of the mCTSIB conditions; however, more than one-third of deaf participants had mCTSIB Condition 4—on foam, eyes closed—scores above
2 standard deviations of the hearing group. Conclusion Deaf participants self-report similar ratings of balance ability as hearing participants despite significant differences in vestibular function. A relatively large subset of deaf participants had increased sway velocity
on balance function testing that required increased reliance on vestibular cues. A thorough discussion of balance and vestibular symptoms should be completed when a patient who self-identifies as deaf is seen by a health care provider so that appropriate screenings or referrals can be completed
as necessary.
Evaluation of Automatic Directional Processing with Cochlear Implant Recipients
Authors: Potts Lisa G. , Jang Soo , Hillis Cory L.
Published: December 2021

Abstract Background For cochlear implant (CI) recipients, speech recognition in noise is consistently poorer compared with recognition in quiet. Directional processing improves performance in noise and can be automatically activated based on acoustic scene analysis.
The use of adaptive directionality with CI recipients is new and has not been investigated thoroughly, especially utilizing the recipients' preferred everyday signal processing, dynamic range, and/or noise reduction. Purpose This study utilized CI recipients' preferred everyday
signal processing to evaluate four directional microphone options in a noisy environment to determine which option provides the best speech recognition in noise. A greater understanding of automatic directionality could ultimately improve CI recipients' speech-in-noise performance and better
guide clinicians in programming. Study Sample Twenty-six unilateral and seven bilateral CI recipients with a mean age of 66 years and approximately 4 years of CI experience were included. Data Collection and Analysis Speech-in-noise performance was measured
using eight loudspeakers in a 360-degree array with HINT sentences presented in restaurant noise. Four directional options were evaluated (automatic [SCAN], adaptive [Beam], fixed [Zoom], and Omni-directional) with participants' everyday use signal processing options active. A mixed-model
analysis of variance (ANOVA) and pairwise comparisons were performed. Results Automatic directionality (SCAN) resulted in the best speech-in-noise performance, although not significantly better than Beam. Omni-directional performance was significantly poorer compared with the
three other directional options. A varied number of participants performed their best with each of the four-directional options, with 16 performing best with automatic directionality. The majority of participants did not perform best with their everyday directional option. Conclusion The
individual variability seen in this study suggests that CI recipients try with different directional options to find their ideal program. However, based on a CI recipient's motivation to try different programs, automatic directionality is an appropriate everyday processing option.
Do Patients with a Family or Personal History of Venous Thromboembolism have an Increased Risk of Recurrence?
Authors: Florin Jonas , Stalder Odile , Baumgartner Christine , Méan Marie , Rodondi Nicolas , Aujesky Drahomir
Published: December 2021

Background A family (FH) and personal history (PH) of venous thromboembolism (VTE) are commonly evaluated risk factors for recurrence. We examined the association between FH/PH of VTE and the risk of recurrence and whether a stronger history status (i.e., both FH/PH vs. no FH/PH) carries an increased recurrence risk.

Methods We prospectively followed 813 patients aged ≥ 65 years with acute VTE from 9 Swiss hospitals. We classified patients into four groups: no FH/PH, FH only, PH only, and both FH/PH. The primary outcome was recurrent VTE during the full observation period. We examined the association between FH/PH status and the time to VTE recurrence using competing risk regression, adjusting for confounders and periods of anticoagulation.

Results Of 813 patients with VTE, 59% had no FH/PH, 11% a FH only, 24% a PH only, and 7% had both a FH and PH of VTE. Overall, 105 patients had recurrent VTE during the full observation period. After adjustment, patients with a FH only (subhazard ratio [SHR] 0.8, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.4–1.7), PH only (SHR 1.5, 95% CI 0.9–2.5), and both FH/PH (SHR 1.4, 95% CI 0.6–3.1) did not have an increased risk of recurrent VTE compared with those without FH/PH. When we considered the period after the completion of initial anticoagulation only, the results were similar.

Conclusion Our findings indicate that in patients with acute VTE, a FH and/or PH of VTE does not convey an increased risk of recurrent VTE. In particular, we did not find a “dose–effect” relationship between FH/PH status and VTE recurrence.
Parental Height and Weight Influence Offspring Adiposity at 2 Years; Findings from the ROLO Kids Birth Cohort Study
Authors: Donnelly Jean M. , Walsh Jennifer M. , Horan Mary K. , Mehegan John , Molloy Eleanor J. , Byrne David F. , McAuliffe Fionnuala M.
Published: December 2021

Objective The perinatal period and in utero environment are important for fetal growth, development, and fetal programming. This study aimed to determine the effect of parental anthropometry and the maternal metabolic milieu on offspring adiposity at 2 years of age.

Study Design This longitudinal birth cohort includes analysis of maternal (n = 337) and paternal (n = 219) anthropometry and maternal and fetal metabolic markers (n = 337), including glucose, homeostatic model of assessment (HOMA), C-peptide, and leptin from participants of the ROLO (the Randomized Control Trial of Low) pregnancy study, and their partners, to determine an association with offspring anthropometry at two years of age.

Results Linear regression, when adjusted for confounders, indicated maternal and paternal anthropometry and was associated with offspring weight and length at 2 years of age. Maternal height was negatively associated with general adiposity in the total cohort of children (p = 0.002) and in female children (p = 0.006) and central adiposity in the total child cohort (p < 0.001). Paternal height was also negatively associated with general adiposity in all children (p = 0.002) and central adiposity in total (p = 0.023) and female children (p = 0.008). Maternal glucose, insulin resistance, and fetal C-peptide positively correlated with anthropometry in total, male, and female children.

Conclusion Parental anthropometry in the perinatal period has a long-lasting effect on offspring anthropometry beyond the neonatal period. Maternal and fetal metabolic factors influence adiposity, and this extends beyond the perinatal period. Parental adiposity may play a significant role in early childhood adiposity and may be a target for interventions to decrease the risk of early childhood obesity.

Key Points
Surgical Diseases Management during COVID-19 Crisis at a Tertiary Care Hospital of India: Our Institutional Strategy
Authors: Singh Sudhir Kumar , Gupta Amit , Sandhu Harindra , Mani Rishit , Sharma Jyoti , Kumar Praveen , Rajput Deepak , Kumar Navin , Huda Farhanul , Basu Som Prakas , Ravi Bina , Kant Ravi
Published: December 2021

Introduction In response to the national coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, all hospitals and medical institutes gave priority to COVID-19 screening and to the management of patients who required hospitalization for COVID-19 infection. Surgical departments postponed all elective operative procedures and provided only essential surgical care to patients who presented with acute surgical conditions or suspected malignancy. Ample literature has emerged during this pandemic regarding the guidelines for safe surgical care. We report our experience during the lockdown period including the surgical procedures performed, the perioperative care provided, and the specific precautions implemented in response to the COVID-19 crisis.

Materials and Methods We extracted patient clinical data from the medical records of all surgical patients admitted to our tertiary care hospital between the March 24th, 2020 and May 31st, 2020. Data collected included: patient demographics, surgical diagnoses, surgical procedures, nonoperative management, and patient outcomes.

Results Seventy-seven patients were included in this report: 23 patients were managed medically, 28 patients underwent a radiologic intervention, and 23 patients required an operative procedure. In total eight of the 77 patients died due to ongoing sepsis, multiorgan failure, or advanced malignancy.

Conclusion During the COVID-19 lockdown period, our surgical team performed many lifesaving surgical procedures and appropriately selected cancer operations. We implemented and standardized essential perioperative measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19 infection. When the lockdown measures were phased out a large number of patients remained in need of delayed elective and semi-elective operative treatment. Hospitals, medical institutes, and surgical leadership must adjust their priorities, foster stewardship of limited surgical care resources, and rapidly implement effective strategies to assure perioperative safety for both patients and operating room staff during periods of crisis.
Role of Near-Infrared Spectroscopy in Monitoring the Clinical Course of Asphyxiated Neonates Treated with Hypothermia
Authors: Farag Marwa Mohamed , Khedr Ahmed Abd El-Halim Abd El-Raziq , Attia MennattAllah Hassan , Ghazal Hesham Abd EL-Rahim
Published: December 2021

Objective Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) affects millions of newborns annually, especially in low-resource settings. Real-time monitoring of hypoxic-ischemic brain damage is urgently needed for assessment of severity and management of neonates with birth asphyxia. Aim of the work is monitoring of near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS)-measured cerebral regional oxygen saturation (cRSO2) and cerebral fractional tissue oxygen extraction (FTOE) in neonates after birth asphyxia in relation to their clinical course.

Study Design Forty asphyxiated-term and near-term neonates with mild to severe HIE admitted at neonatal intensive care unit of Alexandria University Maternity Hospital from March to October 2019, received therapeutic hypothermia (TH) and had continuous NIRS monitoring of cRSO2 for 72 hours. Infants were categorized into HIE with seizing and nonseizing groups, and abnormal and normal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) groups.

Results Clinical seizures (CS) occurred in 15 (37.5%) of HIE neonates and 13.3% of them died (n = 2). In the current study, significantly higher cRSO2 and lower FTOE values were found in the seizing infants as compared with nonseizing group (p < 0.001). NIRS-measured day 2-cRSO2 and day 1-FTOE were associated with CS in newborns with HIE and day 1-cRSO2 and FTOE were associated with abnormal MRI at 1 month of age. cRSO2 values were found to correlate positively with initial Thompson score especially in days 1 and 2. Further, neonates with CS were more likely to have MRI abnormalities at follow-up.

Conclusion NIRS measures may highlight differences between asphyxiated neonates who develop CS or later MRI abnormalities and those who do not.

Key Points
High-performance graphene/n-Si hybrid photodetector toward self-driven optical communications
Authors: Huang Jianning , Zhong Zhijian , Jiang Zhiguo , Gao Fangliang , Zhang Yong , Liu Feng , Zhao Yanliang , Khisro Said Nasir , Chen Xinman
Published: December 2021

High-speed optical communication systems are built for real-time, massive, and remote information exchange; however, it is strongly reliant on the applied power. Herein, we developed a self-driven optical communication system based on a high-performance graphene/n-Si (Gr/n-Si) hybrid photodetector. Under zero bias, the Gr/n-Si device presents good performance at a wavelength of 520 nm, including the photoresponsivity of 0.27 A W−1, specific detectivity of 9.39 × 1011 Jones, and on/off ratio of 104 with a rise and fall time of 128 and 131 ns, respectively. This hybrid device also exhibits 3 dB bandwidth of 2.18 MHz as well as a small noise equivalent power of 1.68 × 10−17 W Hz−1/2. Furthermore, an optical communication system was constructed based on this hybrid photodetector, through which the audio and text signals were steadily and accurately transmitted under zero bias. Our work lays a solid foundation to demonstrate a promising application of Gr/n-Si hybrid devices toward self-driven optical communications.
Ultrafast laser interaction with transparent multi-layer SiO2/Si3N4 films
Authors: Ricca Ruben , Boureau Victor , Bellouard Yves
Published: December 2021

We investigate the use of ultrafast lasers exposure to induce localized crystallization and elemental redistribution in amorphous dielectric multi-layers, composed of alternating Si3N4 and SiO2 layers of sub-micrometer thickness. Specifically, we report on the occurrence of a laser-induced elemental intermixing process and the presence of silicon nanocrystals clusters localized within the multi-layers structure. The spatial distribution of these clusters goes significantly beyond the zone under direct laser exposure providing evidence of energy being channeled transversely to the laser propagation axis at the interface of the nanoscale layers. Thanks to the extreme conditions reigning during laser exposure, this process transposed to various materials may offer a pathway for local and selective crystallization of a variety of compounds and phases, difficult to obtain otherwise.
Electron transport in multiple orifice hollow cathodes
Authors: Georgin Marcel P. , McDonald Michael S.
Published: December 2021

The effect of keeper geometry on the transport of electrons is investigated experimentally using electrostatic probes in the plume of a hollow cathode. Three keeper configurations—one single orifice and two multiple orifices—were studied. The multiple orifice cases were chosen to examine the influence of the hole-pattern radius while the total exit area and the number of holes remained constant. Two-dimensional maps of the plasma parameters and wave properties were inferred from the probe measurements and were used to evaluate a generalized Ohm’s law for the electron flow field. The contributions of pressure, fields, and drag on the transport of electrons were analyzed. The results indicate that increasing the hole-pattern spread reduces the electric field in the plume and increases the pressure contribution to the transport. A further analysis of turbulent wave energy conservation indicates that the multiple orifice keepers increase ion-neutral collisional damping, similar to auxillary flow injection. The implications of these findings on cathode plume modeling and keeper design are discussed.
Flexoelectric control of physical properties by atomic force microscopy
Authors: Park Sung Min , Wang Bo , Chen Long-Qing , Noh Tae Won , Yang Sang Mo , Lee Daesu
Published: December 2021

The past decade has witnessed the tremendous scientific and technological potential of nanoscale flexoelectricity in solids. The flexoelectric effect describes the universal generation of electric polarization in response to strain gradients and could be inversely enhanced at reduced nanoscale dimensions. Based on this unique scaling effect, nanoscale flexoelectricity has shown exciting physical phenomena, promising novel electronic, electromechanical, and photovoltaic applications. One of the most powerful ways to harness nanoscale flexoelectricity is to press the surface of a material through an atomic force microscope (AFM) tip to generate large strain gradients. This so-called AFM tip pressing allows us to locally break the inversion symmetry in any materials and study all the fascinating physical phenomena associated with inversion asymmetry. Although this technique has recently facilitated many important studies on nanoscale flexoelectricity, its effective use still requires a more solid foundation. In this review, we provide a comprehensive guideline to exploring nanoscale flexoelectricity via AFM tip pressing. We also discuss recent progress and the future research direction of AFM tip pressing-driven nanoscale flexoelectricity.
Reversible polarization switching in leaky ferroelectrics using an ionic gel induced electrostatic field effect
Authors: Huang Sizhao , Blom Frans , Gojzewski Hubert , Koster Gertjan , Rijnders Guus
Published: December 2021

In this work, a transparent and free-standing ionic gel as the dielectric layer for polarization switching in leaky ferroelectric thin films is reported. By applying an electric field over an ionic liquid dielectric layer used as an electrostatic field gated capacitor, one can avoid electronic conduction. The association of the electrical double layer with depolarization at the solid–liquid interface contributes to the reversible switching in PbZrxTi1−xO3 (x = 0.6) (PZT). Using such ionic gels, the anisotropic ferroelastic switching from mono-c-domain toward a-domain is studied in PZT grown on CaF2 substrates. Our results demonstrate that an electrostatic field, induced by the free-standing ionic gel, is an effective and promising way to investigate leaky ferroelectrics.
Optical and extreme UV studies of spin dynamics in metallic and insulating ferrimagnets
Authors: Liu H. , Knut R. , Saha S. , Malik R. S. , Jatkar K. , Stefanuik R. , Söderström J. , Shoup J. E. , Khadka Durga , Thapaliya T. R. , Huang S. X. , Gupta A. , Karis O. , Karaiskaj D. , Arena D. A.
Published: December 2021

We present all-optical studies of spin dynamics in two classes of ferrimagnets. Both sets of experiments use table-top laser-based pump–probe techniques to examine the ultrafast and longer timescale spin excitations. We use the visible/near infra-red time-resolved magneto-optical Kerr effect (tr-MOKE) to follow the spin dynamics of a series of metallic (FeCo)1−xGdx thin films with varying Gd content. Magnetic compensation in the films occurs at a Gd concentration of ≈26%, and the spin dynamics of the films exhibit a non-monotonic variation in effective magnetization. We also examine spin dynamics in an insulating NiFe2O4 spinel using ultrafast techniques up at extreme ultraviolet energies, which permit element-specific investigations. The element and time-resolved delay scans reveal a non-trivial interaction between spin excitations on the different magnetic sub-lattices of the magnetic insulator.
A ventilating acoustic barrier for attenuating broadband diffuse sound
Authors: Dong Ruizhi , Mao Dongxing , Zhu Yihuan , Mo Fangshuo , Wang Xu , Li Yong
Published: December 2021

Ventilating acoustic barriers made of open metasurfaces have exceptional properties that can be used to simultaneously block sound while allowing passage of air. However, most of them have been small and designed to operate in a one-dimensional wave field with a normally incident plane wave. In this work, we present a full-sized acoustic barrier based on a light-weight metasurface with internal helical sound paths. It has high transmission losses at low frequencies, allows flow-through of air for ventilation, and works in a broadband diffuse field. The effectiveness of the design is confirmed by simulations and experiments in reverberant environment. The barriers are thin (about λ/11 of the lower onset frequency) and offer sound transmission losses consistently higher than 10 dB from 610 to 1120 Hz in a diffuse field while retaining a ventilation fraction of 20%. This design has good potential for applications requiring a combination of ventilation and soundproofing, such as in green buildings.
Unraveling the coherent dynamic structure factor of liquid water at the mesoscale by molecular dynamics simulations
Authors: Alvarez Fernando , Arbe Arantxa , Colmenero Juan
Published: December 2021

We present an investigation by molecular dynamics (MD)-simulations of the coherent dynamic structure factor, S(Q, t) (Q: momentum transfer), of liquid water at the mesoscale (0.1 Å−1 ≤ Q ≤ Qmax) [Qmax ≈ 2 Å−1: Q-value of the first maximum of the static structure factor, S(Q), of water]. The simulation cell—large enough to address the collective properties at the mesoscale—is validated by direct comparison with recent results on the dynamic structure factor in the frequency domain obtained by neutron spectroscopy with polarization analysis [Arbe et al., Phys. Rev. Res. 2, 022015 (2020)]. We have not only focused on the acoustic excitations but also on the relaxational contributions to S(Q, t). The analysis of the MD-simulation results—including the self- and distinct contributions to the diffusive part of S(Q, t)—nicely explains why the relaxation process hardly depends on Q in the low Q-range (Q ≤ 0.4 Å−1) and how it crosses over to a diffusion-driven process at Q ≈ Qmax. Our simulations also give support to the main assumptions of the model used to fit the experimental data in the above mentioned paper. The application of such a model to the simulation S(Q, t) data delivers (i) results for the relaxation component of S(Q, t) in agreement with those obtained from neutron experiments and (ii) longitudinal and transverse hydrodynamic-like components with similar features than those identified in previous simulations of the longitudinal and transverse current spectra directly. On the other hand, in general, our MD-simulations results of S(Q, t) qualitatively agree with the viscoelastic transition framework habitually used to describe inelastic x-ray scattering results.