bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Long-read metagenomics of soil communities reveals phylum-specific secondary metabolite dynamics
Authors: Van Goethem Marc W. , Osborn Andrew R. , Bowen Benjamin P. , Andeer Peter F. , Swenson Tami L. , Clum Alicia , Riley Robert , He Guifen , Koriabine Maxim , Sandor Laura , Yan Mi , Daum Chris G. , Yoshinaga Yuko , Makhalanyane Thulani P. , Garcia-Pichel Ferran , Visel Axel , Pennacchio Len A. , O’Malley Ronan C. , Northen Trent R.
Published: November 2021

Microbial biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) encoding secondary metabolites are thought to impact a plethora of biologically mediated environmental processes, yet their discovery and functional characterization in natural microbiomes remains challenging. Here we describe deep long-read sequencing and assembly of metagenomes from biological soil crusts, a group of soil communities that are rich in BGCs. Taking advantage of the unusually long assemblies produced by this approach, we recovered nearly 3,000 BGCs for analysis, including 712 full-length BGCs. Functional exploration through metatranscriptome analysis of a 3-day wetting experiment uncovered phylum-specific BGC expression upon activation from dormancy, elucidating distinct roles and complex phylogenetic and temporal dynamics in wetting processes. For example, a pronounced increase in BGC transcription occurs at night primarily in cyanobacteria, implicating BGCs in nutrient scavenging roles and niche competition. Taken together, our results demonstrate that long-read metagenomic sequencing combined with metatranscriptomic analysis provides a direct view into the functional dynamics of BGCs in environmental processes and suggests a central role of secondary metabolites in maintaining phylogenetically conserved niches within biocrusts.
Whole-genome sequence analysis unveils different origins of European and Asiatic mouflon and domestication-related genes in sheep
Authors: Chen Ze-Hui , Xu Ya-Xi , Xie Xing-Long , Wang Dong-Feng , Aguilar-Gómez Diana , Liu Guang-Jian , Li Xin , Esmailizadeh Ali , Rezaei Vahideh , Kantanen Juha , Ammosov Innokentyi , Nosrati Maryam , Periasamy Kathiravan , Coltman David W. , Lenstra Johannes A. , Nielsen Rasmus , Li Meng-Hua
Published: November 2021

The domestication and subsequent development of sheep are crucial events in the history of human civilization and the agricultural revolution. However, the impact of interspecific introgression on the genomic regions under domestication and subsequent selection remains unclear. Here, we analyze the whole genomes of domestic sheep and their wild relative species. We found introgression from wild sheep such as the snow sheep and its American relatives (bighorn and thinhorn sheep) into urial, Asiatic and European mouflons. We observed independent events of adaptive introgression from wild sheep into the Asiatic and European mouflons, as well as shared introgressed regions from both snow sheep and argali into Asiatic mouflon before or during the domestication process. We revealed European mouflons might arise through hybridization events between a now extinct sheep in Europe and feral domesticated sheep around 6000–5000 years BP. We also unveiled later introgressions from wild sheep to their sympatric domestic sheep after domestication. Several of the introgression events contain loci with candidate domestication genes (e.g.,PAPPA2,NR6A1,SH3GL3,RFX3andCAMK4), associated with morphological, immune, reproduction or production traits (wool/meat/milk). We also detected introgression events that introduced genes related to nervous response (NEURL1), neurogenesis (PRUNE2), hearing ability (USH2A), and placental viability (PAG11andPAG3) into domestic sheep and their ancestral wild species from other wild species.
Optimizing electronic structure simulations on a trapped-ion quantum computer using problem decomposition
Authors: Kawashima Yukio , Lloyd Erika , Coons Marc P. , Nam Yunseong , Matsuura Shunji , Garza Alejandro J. , Johri Sonika , Huntington Lee , Senicourt Valentin , Maksymov Andrii O. , Nguyen Jason H. V. , Kim Jungsang , Alidoust Nima , Zaribafiyan Arman , Yamazaki Takeshi
Published: November 2021

Quantum computers have the potential to advance material design and drug discovery by performing costly electronic structure calculations. A critical aspect of this application requires optimizing the limited resources of the quantum hardware. Here, we experimentally demonstrate an end-to-end pipeline that focuses on minimizing quantum resources while maintaining accuracy. Using density matrix embedding theory as a problem decomposition technique, and an ion-trap quantum computer, we simulate a ring of 10 hydrogen atoms without freezing any electrons. The originally 20-qubit system is decomposed into 10 two-qubit problems, making it amenable to currently available hardware. Combining this decomposition with a qubit coupled cluster circuit ansatz, circuit optimization, and density matrix purification, we accurately reproduce the potential energy curve in agreement with the full configuration interaction energy in the minimal basis set. Our experimental results are an early demonstration of the potential for problem decomposition to accurately simulate large molecules on quantum hardware.
Impact of Industrial Wastewater Discharge on the Environment and Human Health
Authors: Quintelas Cristina , Mesquita Daniela , Ferreira Eugénio Campos
Published: November 2021

The discharge of industrial wastewater into the environment is an issue of particular concern especially in developing countries. In some cases, these industrial wastewater effluents are untreated or inadequately treated before being discharged and represent a threat to the environment and human health. This chapter highlights the scientific literature published in the last decade on issues related to the discharge of polluted industrial wastewater, including a review of general environmental pollutants, both chemical and microbial, as well as the ecological implications of industrial wastewater discharge for the environment, in water, soil and air ecosystems. Finally, the health impacts of these pollutants is summarized. The authors are aware that regular monitoring and appropriate legislation is necessary to avoid or minimize this problem and, in this context, the challenges and future perspectives related to the discharge of industrial wastewaters are presented.
Bioreactors: A Biological and Bioengineering Prodigy
Authors: Agrawal Komal , Shah Maulin P. , Verma Pradeep
Published: November 2021

Bioreactors are designed spaces where biological reactions take place and have gained interest amongst biological researchers for their ability to effectively remove pollutants from various wastewaters. In addition to the biological aspect, engineering or designing aspects are also associated with bioreactors and this has been a topic of discussion among bioengineers due to the challenges associated with their operation. The advancement of technology and the ever-increasing application of bioreactors has amplified research associated with the design and operation of bioreactors. This in turn has opened the door to extending the application of bioreactors to various areas which were previously unknown. A bioreactor is an engineered space that provides a suitable/optimal biological environment for all the required reactions to occur adequately. Thus, the present chapter discusses types and modelling of bioreactors, and scale-up and scale-down of bioreactor applications. Limitations in the commercialization of bioreactors are also addressed. Lastly, future aspects are elaborated in detail considering the recent trends and the present scenario.
Challenges in Industrial Wastewater Treatment Using Biological Reactors
Authors: Kumar Rajneesh , Saini Gurvinder Kaur , Jawed Mohammad
Published: November 2021

Industrial wastewater varies in quality and quantity depending on the industry type and may contain various toxic compounds. In a biological process, organic substances in the wastewater are used as food by bacteria and other microorganisms. Several biological reactors conventionally used for industrial wastewater treatment are briefly discussed in this chapter. Biological reactors are categorized as aerobic, anaerobic, and a combination of both based on their oxygen requirement. The suspended and attached growth processes are a further subdivision of aerobic and anaerobic processes. Advanced biological reactors such as membrane bioreactors and granular sludge technologies are primarily used in industry. Industrial wastewater contains various organic and inorganic pollutants. The occurrence of toxic compounds imparts toxic or inhibitory effects on microorganisms and may lead to failure of the biological units. Thus, the impact of several industrial wastewaters on various biological reactors are also discussed in this chapter.
Design and synthesis of MOF-derived CuO/g-C3N4 composites with octahedral structures as advanced anode materials for asymmetric supercapacitors with high energy and power densities
Authors: Zhu Ziyang , Wei Chuanying , Jiang Di , Wu Xinru , Lu Min
Published: November 2021

Two-component composites consisting of transition metal copper oxide (CuO) and graphite carbon nitride (g-C3N4) were successfully synthesized. This CuO/g-C3N4 displays a high reversible specific capacity (1530.4 F g−1, 2 A g−1) as an anode material.
Selection of green solvents for organic photovoltaics by reverse engineering
Authors: Wang Jing , Rodriguez-Donis Ivonne , Thiebaud-Roux Sophie , Ibraikulov Olzhas A. , Leclerc Nicolas , Lévêque Patrick , Gerbaud Vincent , Kohlstädt Markus , Heiser Thomas
Published: November 2021

We propose a new methodology involving reverse design of solvent molecules and evaluation of their molecular properties for a more efficient and less empirical selection of green solvents for organic photovoltaic device fabrication.
Red, green, and blue light-emitting carbon dots prepared from gallic acid for white light-emitting diode applications
Authors: Chen Menglin , Liu Can , An Yulong , Li Yan , Zheng Yunwu , Tian Hao , Shi Rui , He Xiahong , Lin Xu
Published: November 2021

Red, green, and blue CDs were successfully prepared by a solvothermal method using gallic acid and o-phthaladehyde as raw materials.
Silicon nanowire–Ta2O5–NGQD heterostructure: an efficient photocathode for photoelectrochemical hydrogen evolution
Authors: Riyajuddin Sk , Sultana Jenifar , Siddiqui Shumile Ahmed , Kumar Sushil , Badhwar Damini , Yadav Shyam Sundar , Goyal Saveena , Venkatesan Ananth , Chakraverty Suvankar , Ghosh Kaushik
Published: November 2021

Photoelectrochemical hydrogen evolution via the p-SiNWs–Ta2O5–NGQD heterostructure.
Opportunities to Enhance Children's Communication Development at School in Underserved Communities
Authors: Zahir Mariyam Z. , Miles Anna , Hand Linda , Ward Elizabeth C.
Published: November 2021

Purpose:

Alternative service delivery approaches are required to provide support for children with communication difficulties in underserved communities. Schools have a unique set of assets that can be utilized to provide this support. This study explored what the education sector and classrooms in the early years of schooling offer as support for children with communication difficulties in an underserved Majority World country, the Maldives. The objective was to identify opportunities to enhance support provided for these children.

Method:

A qualitative multimethod approach was used involving (a) 520 min of classroom observational data from four remote schools, (b) interviews with four special education needs teachers, and (c) an interview with a Ministry of Education official. Classroom observational data were analyzed using the Communication Supporting Classroom Observation Tool. Deductive content analysis was used to analyze the interview data.

Results:

The support system aimed to reflect the Inclusive Education Policy of the Maldives. The Ministry of Education official and teachers raised concerns regarding lack of allied health services such as speech-language therapy in schools. Teachers frequently used certain communication supporting interactions such as imitation in classrooms. Missed opportunities to enhance communication were observed, including limited use of some interaction features such as modeling language, limited planned opportunities for children to interact in class, and limited resources in the environment to develop communication in Grade 1 and 2 compared to preschool.

Conclusion:

Findings suggest building capacity among teachers and training teachers on identified classroom communication support areas to enhance support for children with communication difficulties.

Supplemental Material:

https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.17003980
Model predictive guidance for active aircraft protection from a homing missile
Authors: Shi Heng , Chen Zheng , Zhu Jihong , Kuang Minchi
Published: November 2021

This paper proposes a novel guidance law based on model predictive control for protecting an aircraft from a homing missile. Considering that in the target‐missile‐defender engagement the attacking missile is pursuing the target aircraft by employing a known linear guidance law, a non‐linear predictive model for the engagement is established. This predictive model allows converting the three‐body engagement to a one‐on‐one engagement. The time‐to‐go for the defender towards the future position of the incoming missile is analytically derived, indicating that the optimal time for the defender to intercept the incoming missile is a fixed‐point of a real‐valued function. As a result, the optimal interception duration can be obtained by a standard fixed‐point iteration method, and thus the interception point can be readily predicted via integrating the predictive model. The guidance command is generated by directly leading the defender to the predicted intercept point. Numerical simulations in different scenarios validate the algorithm to be computationally efficient, and demonstrate that the proposed strategy outperforms previous techniques in terms of miss distance, engagement duration, and the control effort.
Enhanced photocatalytic performance of molybdenum disulfide-copper oxide nanoparticles photoanodes
Authors: Fraih Ali Jabbar , Hrbe Zainab Ali
Published: November 2021

In this paper, the molybdenum disulfide (MoS2)/copper oxide (CuO) heterostructure is introduced in a very simple way for photoelectrochemical application. MoS2 multilayers were prepared by sonication method and decorated with copper oxide nanoparticles through its thin film deposition layer and heating in argon atmosphere. SEM, TEM, AFM, absorption and Raman analyses were employed to characterize the nanostructures. The results show that the presence of copper oxide nanoparticles reduces the recombination rate of photogenerated electron-holes in MoS2 multilayers and produces a significant photocurrent compared to the individual MoS2 electrode. Such a proposed structure demonstrates a high potential for photoelectrochemical applications.
SOI multimode waveguide bend with radially bridged SWGs for broadband (de)multiplexing -INVITED
Authors: MacKayt Kevan K. , Ye Winnie N.
Published: November 2021

A novel broadband multimode waveguide bend is proposed that supports the propagation of multiple TE modes on a silicon-on-insulator platform. The gradient curvature bend utilizes trapezoidal subwavelength grating (SWG) segments, connected by adiabatically tapered radial strips to achieve efficient mode (de)multiplexing. The inclusion of the radial strips offers an extra degree of design freedom, allowing the realization of a multimode bend with only one single full etch step. The access waveguide has a width of 2.075 μm with an effective radius of 10 μm. Propagation loss for all modes remains below 2.96 dB, and intermodal crosstalk has a maximum of -19 dB across a broad bandwidth of 100 nm, centred at 1550 nm. This work presents an excellent design choice for broadband mode-division multiplexing operations.
High-resolution measurement technology for the detection of complex process influences in machining operations
Authors: Hage Till-Hendrik , Fritzsche Marco , Henkel Sebastian , Bliedtner Jens
Published: November 2021

Inorganic non-metallic materials are widely used in many application areas such as precision optics, semiconductor technology, high-temperature technology or medical technology. This increasingly requires the application of precise multi-axis CNC machine technology and poses great challenges for the machining processes, especially with regard to the economic production of high-quality surfaces. In the field of optics technology, high surface qualities in the nanometer range are often required. The production machines designed for this purpose must therefore guarantee a high degree of accuracy and be constant with respect to their environmental factors. An influence on the quality of the machining results that should not be underestimated is the vibrations occurring on the machine, which are caused on the one hand by the operating vibrations generated by the running spindle, and on the other hand by resonance frequencies. A side effect of these vibrations can also be damage to the workpiece or the tool. In order to detect these influences, a modal analysis and a measurement of the operating vibration mode are carried out on an ultrasonic-assisted CNC grinding machine using a three-dimensional laser Doppler vibrometer system provided by Polytec GmbH. In addition, corresponding measurements are carried out by means of a one-dimensional laser Doppler vibrometer on a 5-axis CNC universal milling machine in order to establish comparability between an ultrasound-assisted and a conventional processing machine.
Impact of Pupil Aberrations on Wavefront Manipulation
Authors: Nobis Thomas
Published: November 2021

A systematic and quantitative analysis is given of the impact of pupil aberrations on the imaging performance in wavefront manipulation applications using adaptive optical elements. For the practical case of rotationally-symmetric types of wavefront corrections, such as defocus or spherical aberration, analytical expressions of the induced aberrations are derived including their pupil and field dependence. Each aberration is thereby related to the specific pupil aberration present at the adaptive element. The results can be used to specify the acceptable amount of pupil correction required for a specific magnitude and type of wavefront manipulation.
Preliminary study: Polishing force measurement by viscosity - the return of ketchup polishing
Authors: Schneckenburger Max , Höfler Sven , Fähnle Oliver , Börret Rainer
Published: November 2021

Due to the advantages over conventional polishing strategies, polishing with non-Newtonian fluids are state of the art in precision shape correction of precision optical glass surfaces. The viscosity of such fluids is not constant since it changes as a function of shear rate and time. An example is during the shape correction by polishing with pitch or ice, where pitch flows slowly under its own weight and acts like a solid body during short periods of stress as its viscosity increases. The effect can be measured in the polishing gap with a viscometer. If there is a change in force or a process variation of the polishing pressure in the polishing gap, the viscosity also changes. Conversely, the viscosity value could be used to determine the process variation of the polishing force, at least quantitatively. It is to be expected that the distance of the sensor to the polishing gap (effective zone of the polishing force) and the associated change in the viscosity value has a decisive influence on the accuracy of the measurement resolution. First polishing results will be presented and a bowl feed polishing like approach will be presented
SSD detection on LIDT tested coated Fused Silica samples
Authors: Cattaneo Heidi , Schachtler Daniel , Botha Roelene , Fähnle Oliver
Published: November 2021

Material changes and Sub-Surface Damage (SSD) under Laser Induced Damage Threshold (LIDT) testing sites were investigated on 3 diverse single layer coated transparent fused silica samples to obtain additional information on damage precursors on these samples. As a detection method, photothermal deflection technique utilizing a resonant UV laser beam was used. The local variations in UV absorption and probe beam transmittance due to previous exposure to high fluence laser pulses were strongly dependent on the coating itself and on the laser energy used during the LIDT testing. Also the obtained LIDT values differ from coating to coating. Detected effects on the coatings and substrate surface beneath ranged from small surface dislocations to complete coating damage with material transformations. Additional absorbing damage precursors were found close to the damaged sites.
Numerical analysis of plasmonic metasurfaces for fluorescence enhancement
Authors: Tomescu Roxana , Nita Florin , Caramizoiu Stefan , Anastasoaie Veronica , Cristea Dana
Published: November 2021

The paper presents an extensive numerical analysis performed by three-dimensional (3D) simulations using the finite difference in time and space (FDTD) method to identify the optimal geometry, size and configuration of the nano-antennas that constitute a plasmonic metasurface. The aim was to achieve the highest resonance at various wavelengths (NIR-VIS), for local enhancement of the excitation field and collection efficiency of emitted photons. We investigated ten different types of metals, two shapes (disks and U-shape resonators) and various geometrical parameters for the nanoresonators composing the metasurface. The best results for Rhodamine 6G excitation and emission were obtained using silver resonators with 105 nm diameter of the cylinder elements in a rectangular array with a 110 nm period, and with 110 nm long U-shape placed at a period of 40 nm.
Selective etching of 10 MHz repetition rate fs-laser inscribed tracks in YAG
Authors: Hasse Kore , Kip Detlef , Kränkel Christian
Published: November 2021

We investigated fs-laser structuring of YAG crystals at high writing velocities up to 100 mm/s using a commercial 10 MHz fs-laser system supplied by Coherent Inc. and selective etching of these structures for fabrication of ultrahigh aspect ratio microchannels. Usage of a diluted acid mixture of 22% H3PO4 and 24% H2SO4 accelerated the etching process significantly to an etching parameter D of 11.2 μm2/s, which is three times higher than previously reported. Additionally, the selectivity of the etching process was increased by an order of magnitude.
Accommodative Lag by Open-field Autorefractor and Hartmann-Shack Aberrometer
Authors: Gomes Jessica , Sapkota Kishor , Nogueira Patrícia , Franco Sandra
Published: November 2021

The purpose of the present study was to compare an open-field autorefractor (AR) and an aberrometer for measuring the ocular accommodative lag. The measurements were. It was found higher accommodative lags when measured it with the AR specially for high accommodative stimuli. However, the differences in accommodative lag between the two instruments were not statistically significant (p >0,05) and were under the limits of agreement The results indicate that aberrometer may be used for measuring the accommodative lag and may be more efficient for measuring accommodative lag for high accommodative stimuli.
Evaluation of the best solution for the functionalization of photocatalytic, superhydrophobic, and self-cleaning properties on asphalt mixtures
Authors: Rocha Segundo Iran , Landi Jr Salmon , Freitas Elisabete , Afonso Cátia , Costa Manuel F. M. , Zahabizadeh Behzad , Cunha Vítor M.C.F. , Soares Graça , Santos Jorge , Teixeira Vasco , Carneiro Joaquim
Published: November 2021

This research aims to develop asphalt mixtures with new capabilities, namely photocatalytic, superhydrophobic, and self-cleaning capabilities. Different solutions were prepared combining nano-TiO2 and micro-PTFE on water, ethyl alcohol, and dimethyl ketone with different concentrations. The solutions were sprayed over the asphalt mixtures, and the photocatalytic and superhydrophobic capabilities were evaluated via decolourization of Rhodamine B dye aqueous solution under simulated solar irradiation and Water Contact Angle (WCA) measurements, respectively. Among the combinations analysed, the best solution was TiO2-PTFE with ethyl alcohol (8 g/L), which provided a decolourization of about 60% after having spent 8 h in light exposure conditions and a superhydrophobic surface with WCA equal to 153º. Thus, this research work aims to contribute to advances in the field of clean technologies, assisting in the transition to the “Green Recovery”, which is environmentally friendly, inclusive, and sustainable.
Experimental Mueller matrix polarimetry with full Poincaré beams and a CCD camera
Authors: Suárez-Bermejo Juan Carlos , González de Sande J. Carlos , Santarsiero Massimo , Piquero Gemma
Published: November 2021

Recently, the use of full Poincaré beams for extracting the Mueller matrix of a sample has been proposed. These beams present all possible polarization states across their transverse section. By placing a CCD camera behind a simple polarization analyzer formed by a quarter wave phase plate and a linear polarizer, a polarization map of the beam cross section can be obtained. This polarization map is modified when a sample is inserted before the polarization state analyzer. Comparison of these two polarization maps allows to obtain the Mueller matrix of the sample. An overdetermined system of linear equations (thousands of equations) can be written from this comparison. Standard mathematical methods are used to find optimum solution of this overdetermined system of equations. Some experimental results will be presented to check the performance of the proposed polarimetric method.
Low-cost interrogation system for dynamic sensor applications using a resin based fiber Fabry Perot filter
Authors: Preizal João , Bilro Lúcia , Oliveira Ricardo
Published: November 2021

In this paper it will be presented a prototype of a low-cost power interrogator for dynamic sensor applications. The proposed system is based on the edge filter technique, where the slope of an in-house resin based Fabry Perot (FP) filter is used to actively filter the power of a narrowband laser centred at the middle part of the FP slope region. The interrogator is composed of a laser source, circulator, photodetector, Arduino board and laptop. Tests have been performed in order to check the viability of the system. Finally, the measurement of a pulse wave signal has been performed by embedding the FP sensor in a 3D printed elastic membrane and reading the signal through the proposed interrogator.
Propagation features of a class of beams radiated from pseudo-Schell model vectorial sources
Authors: Martínez-Herrero Rosario , Piquero Gemma , González de Sande Juan Carlos , Santarsiero Massimo , Gori Franco
Published: November 2021

Pseudo Schell-model sources were introduced and studied in the scalar domain as those partially coherent sources that present a degree of coherence depending on the difference between the radial coordinates of the two considered points. In this work we study the propagation features of a class of beams radiated from sources of this kind, but endowed with a vectorial nature. The polarization pattern and the degree of polarization are not uniform across the beam section but remain invariant upon free paraxial propagation. On the other hand, their coherence and irradiance features are also non-uniform but in this case they change at each z-plane. The field characteristics can be varied on acting on the free parameters of the cross-spectral density matrix of the source.
Pump-Probe Delay Controlled by Laser-dressed Ionization with Isolated Attosecond Pulses
Authors: Luttmann Martin , Bresteau David , Ruchon Thierry
Published: November 2021

In a recent work [1], we demonstrated how laser-dressed ionization can be harnessed to control with attosecond accuracy the time delay between an extreme-ultraviolet (XUV) attosecond pulse train and an infrared (IR) femtosecond pulse. In this case, the comb-like photoelectron spectrum obtained by ionizing a gas target with the two superimposed beams exhibits peaks oscillating with the delay. Two of them can be found to oscillate in phase quadrature, allowing an optimal measurement and stabilization of the delay over a large range. Here we expand this technique to isolated attosecond pulses, by taking advantage of the delay-modulation of attosecond streaking traces. Although the photoelectron spectrum contains no peaks in that case, it is possible to reconstruct the pump-probe delay by simply monitoring the mean energy of the spectrum and the amplitude at this energy. In general, we find that active delay stabilization based on laser-dressed ionization is possible as long as the XUV pulses are chirped.
Homöopathische Behandlung von ADHS und Tic-Störungen
Authors: Reschke Nonna
Published: November 2021

ADHS und Tic-Störungen gehören zu den häufigsten psychischen Störungen im Kindes- und Jugendalter. Ist ADHS eine „fabrizierte Krankheit“ oder ein ernsthafter psychopathologischer Zustand? Genetische, psychosoziale und Stressfaktoren spielen im Allgemeinen eine wichtige Rolle. Moderne Psychopharmaka führen zu strukturellen Veränderungen des Gehirns und zu einer Änderung des Verhaltens des Kindes. Durch die homöopathische Behandlung wird die psychische Dynamik der Erkrankungen positiv beeinflusst. Dieser Zusammenhang wird an 2 Fallbeispielen gezeigt.
Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of L-Methylfolate Augmentation in
Depressive Disorders
Authors: Maruf Abdullah Al , Poweleit Ethan A. , Brown Lisa C. , Strawn Jeffrey R. , Bousman Chad A.
Published: November 2021

Objectives  Partial response to pharmacotherapy is common in major
depressive disorder (MDD) and many patients require alternative pharmacotherapy
or augmentation, including adjunctive L-methylfolate. Given that L-methylfolate
augmentation is rarely included in major clinical practice guidelines, we sought
to systematically review evidence for L-methylfolate augmentation in adults with
MDD and to examine its efficacy meta-analytically.

Methods  We systematically searched PubMed for articles up to December 31,
2020, following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and
Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) recommendations. Included studies were published in
peer-reviewed, English-language journals and examined L-methylfolate adjunctive
therapy in depressive disorders or its effect on antidepressant response. A
fixed- and random-effects meta-analysis and risk of bias assessment using the
Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool were conducted.

Results  Qualitative assessment of nine articles (N=6,707
patients) suggests that adjunctive L-methylfolate improved antidepressant
response. In the meta-analysis of categorical Hamilton Rating Scale for
Depression-17 response, (three studies, N=483) adjunctive
L-methylfolate was associated with a small effect versus antidepressant
monotherapy (relative risk: 1.25, 95% confidence interval
[CI]=1.08 to 1.46, p=0.004). A meta-analysis of four
studies (N=507) using a continuous measure of depressive symptoms
showed a similar effect of adjunctive L-methylfolate (standardized mean
difference=− 0.38, 95%
CI=− 0.59 to−0.17, p=0.0003).

Conclusion  Adjunctive L-methylfolate may have modest efficacy in
antidepressant-treated adults with MDD.
Crohn's Disease Increases In-Hospital Lengths of Stay, Medical Complications, and Costs of Care following Primary Total Knee Arthroplasty
Authors: Hadid Bana , Buehring Weston , Mannino Angelo , Weisberg Miriam D. , Golub Ivan J , Ng Mitchell K , Razi Afshin E.
Published: November 2021

The literature has shown an increase in prevalence of Crohn's disease (CD) within the United States alongside a concomitant rise in primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA) procedures. As such, with these parallel increases, orthopaedic surgeons will invariably encounter CD patients requiring TKA. Limited studies exist evaluating the impact of this disease on patients undergoing the procedure; therefore, this study endeavors to determine whether CD patients undergoing primary TKA have higher rates of (1) in-hospital lengths of stay (LOS), (2) medical complications, and (3) episode of care (EOC) costs. To accomplish this, a nationwide database was queried from January 1, 2005 to March 31, 2014 to identify patients undergoing TKA. The study group, patients with CD, was randomly matched to the controls, patients without CD, in a 1:5 ratio after accounting for age, sex, and medical comorbidities associated with CD. Patients consuming corticosteroids were excluded, as they are at risk of higher rates of adverse events following TKA. This query ultimately yielded a total of 96,213 patients, with 16,037 in the study cohort and 80,176 in the control one. The study compared in-hospital (LOS), 90-day medical complications, and day of surgery and total global 90-day EOC costs between CD and non-CD patients undergoing primary TKA. The results found CD patients undergoing primary TKA had significantly longer in-hospital LOS (4- vs. 3 days, p < 0.0001) compared with non-CD patients. CD patients were also found to have significantly higher incidence and odds of 90-day medical complications (25.31 vs. 10.75; odds ratio: 2.05, p < 0.0001) compared with their counterparts. Furthermore, CD patients were found to have significantly higher 90-day EOC costs ($15,401.63 vs. 14,241.15, p < 0.0001) compared with controls. This study demonstrated that, after adjusting for age, sex, and medical comorbidities, patients with CD have prolonged in-hospital LOS, increased medical complications, and higher EOC costs following primary TKA. Therefore, it establishes the importance for orthopaedists to adequately counsel CD patients of the potential complications and outcomes following their procedure.
Rolling Up the Sleeve: Equitable, Efficient, and Safe COVID-19 Mass Immunization for Academic Medical Center Employees
Authors: McDonald Samuel , Basit Mujeeb A. , Toomay Seth , McLarty Christopher , Hernandez Susan , Rubio Chris , Brown Bruce J. , Rauschuber Mark , Lai Ki , Saleh Sameh N. , Willett DuWayne L. , Lehmann Christoph U. , Medford Richard J.
Published: November 2021

Background Novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine administration has faced distribution barriers across the United States. We sought to delineate our vaccine delivery experience in the first week of vaccine availability, and our effort to prioritize employees based on risk with a goal of providing an efficient infrastructure to optimize speed and efficiency of vaccine delivery while minimizing risk of infection during the immunization process.

Objective This article aims to evaluate an employee prioritization/invitation/scheduling system, leveraging an integrated electronic health record patient portal framework for employee COVID-19 immunizations at an academic medical center.

Methods We conducted an observational cross-sectional study during January 2021 at a single urban academic center. All employees who met COVID-19 allocation vaccine criteria for phase 1a.1 to 1a.4 were included. We implemented a prioritization/invitation/scheduling framework and evaluated time from invitation to scheduling as a proxy for vaccine interest and arrival to vaccine administration to measure operational throughput.

Results We allotted vaccines for 13,753 employees but only 10,662 employees with an active patient portal account received an invitation. Of those with an active account, 6,483 (61%) scheduled an appointment and 6,251 (59%) were immunized in the first 7 days. About 66% of invited providers were vaccinated in the first 7 days. In contrast, only 41% of invited facility/food service employees received the first dose of the vaccine in the first 7 days (p < 0.001). At the vaccination site, employees waited 5.6 minutes (interquartile range [IQR]: 3.9–8.3) from arrival to vaccination.

Conclusion We developed a system of early COVID-19 vaccine prioritization and administration in our health care system. We saw strong early acceptance in those with proximal exposure to COVID-19 but noticed significant difference in the willingness of different employee groups to receive the vaccine.
Asymmetric hovering not as efficient as expected
Authors: Johnson-Groh Mara
Published: November 2021

The hovering method favored by dragonflies turns out to be no more efficient than the hovering style used by other insects.
Stepped care for musculoskeletal pain is ineffective: a model for utilisation of specialist physiotherapists in primary healthcare management
Authors: Beales Darren , Mitchell Tim , Holthouse David
Published: November 2021

Specialist physiotherapy services can fill a gap in the management of pain disorders in primary care. Fatima has persistent musculoskeletal pain, not responding to first-line guideline-based management. Despite normal radiology, specialist medical review is requested. Although waiting considerable time for the appointment (partly caused by the backlog of patients like her), Mary develops secondary mental health issues. The usual stepped-care approach is failing her. Specialist physiotherapist review is requested, providing expert-level management suggestions to address complexity in her presentation. The specialist physiotherapist works collaboratively with her treating physiotherapist to achieve positive outcomes for Fatima. Specialist physiotherapy services are an under-recognised value-added step between the GP and medical specialist. Increased utilisation of the skills and competencies of specialist physiotherapists can positively contribute to the health of Australians who suffer the burden of complex/persistent musculoskeletal pain complaints.
Molecular characterization of Barrett’s esophagus at single-cell resolution
Authors: Busslinger Georg A. , de Barbanson Buys , Oka Rurika , Weusten Bas L. A. , de Maat Michiel , van Hillegersberg Richard , Brosens Lodewijk A. A. , van Boxtel Ruben , van Oudenaarden Alexander , Clevers Hans
Published: November 2021

Significance

Barrett’s esophagus (BE), the premalignant condition of esophageal adenocarcinoma, is categorized into different stages which correlate with the risk of developing carcinoma. We performed single-cell DNA-sequencing experiments with fresh biopsies, which revealed the appearance of a specific T > C and T > G mutational signature, known as COSMIC signature SBS17, in BE cells that are chromosomally unstable. The SBS17-specific mutations were, however, not detected in chromosomally stable BE cells. Additionally, we performed single-cell RNA sequencing experiments which identified seven genes that facilitate the distinction between different BE stages on histological sections.
A supervised machine learning semantic segmentation approach for detecting artifacts in plethysmography signals from wearables
Authors: Guo Zhicheng , Ding Cheng , Hu Xiao , Rudin Cynthia
Published: November 2021

Objective. Wearable devices equipped with plethysmography (PPG) sensors provided a low-cost, long-term solution to early diagnosis and continuous screening of heart conditions. However PPG signals collected from such devices often suffer from corruption caused by artifacts. The objective of this study is to develop an effective supervised algorithm to locate the regions of artifacts within PPG signals. Approach. We treat artifact detection as a 1D segmentation problem. We solve it via a novel combination of an active-contour-based loss and an adapted U-Net architecture. The proposed algorithm was trained on the PPG DaLiA training set, and further evaluated on the PPG DaLiA testing set, WESAD dataset and TROIKA dataset. Main results. We evaluated with the DICE score, a well-established metric for segmentation accuracy evaluation in the field of computer vision. The proposed method outperforms baseline methods on all three datasets by a large margin (≈7 percentage points above the next best method). On the PPG DaLiA testing set, WESAD dataset and TROIKA dataset, the proposed method achieved 0.8734 ± 0.0018, 0.9114 ± 0.0033 and 0.8050 ± 0.0116 respectively. The next best method only achieved 0.8068 ± 0.0014, 0.8446 ± 0.0013 and 0.7247 ± 0.0050. Significance. The proposed method is able to pinpoint exact locations of artifacts with high precision; in the past, we had only a binary classification of whether a PPG signal has good or poor quality. This more nuanced information will be critical to further inform the design of algorithms to detect cardiac arrhythmia.
Nonlinear dynamics of magnetorheological whole-satellite with variable parameters under small amplitude and medium-high frequency vibration
Authors: Deng Xiong , Dong Xiaomin , Xing Jianwei , Li Wenfeng , Xi Jun
Published: November 2021

Whole-satellite vibration isolation system with magneto-rheological (MR) damper is a new idea to solve the problem of small amplitude and medium-high frequency vibration. However, it also brings challenges to MR technology, wherein the super hysteresis and variable stiffness properties of MR damper are lack of research. Considering the particularity of MR damper under small amplitude and medium-high frequency conditions, the MR damper is identified by employing an improved Bingham model, then dynamic characteristics of the whole-satellite system are analyzed by nonlinear bifurcation theory, and then the nonlinear analysis method of MR whole-satellite system with variable parameters is proposed. To verify the effectiveness of the nonlinear analysis method of MR whole-satellite system with variable parameters, the influence of bifurcation parameters on the system parameters is analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively, then time histories and phase diagrams of fixed-parameter and parameter-varying MR whole-satellite system are compared. The analysis suggests that the improved Bingham model adequately characterizes the strong nonlinear hysteretic and variable stiffness behavior of the MR damper. Moreover, the comparison results illustrate that the time histories and phase portraits of the parameter-varying system are in good agreement with those of different fixed-parameter system, and the parameter-varying system has good adaptability in the selected range of bifurcation parameters. This study provides a basis for the design of structural parameters and the optimization of control strategy for MR whole-satellite system.
The acoustic property and impact behaviour of 3D printed structures filled with shear thickening fluids
Authors: Liu Haiqing , Fu Kunkun , Zhu Huixin , Yang Bin
Published: November 2021

In this study, the microstructures of the silica and styrene/acrylate particles and rheological behaviour of the three STFs were measured. The acoustic property and impact behaviour of 3D printed structures filled with STFs were investigated. The results showed that sound transmission loss (STL) of the structures filled with 46.5 vol% silica-based and 58.8 vol% styrene/acrylate-based STFs have been significantly improved, while their sound absorption coefficient (SAC) reduced greatly. The internal damage mechanism and energy absorption of honeycomb structures filled with different volume fraction STFs under low-velocity impact (LVI) loading were analysed, finding that the volume fractions and nanoparticles hardness of STFs has a significant influence on the impact resistance of the 3D printed honeycomb structures.
Thermodynamic analysis of Al clusters formation over aluminum melt
Authors: Zhokh Alexey , Strizhak Peter , Goryuk Maksym , Narivskiy Anatolii
Published: November 2021

The formation of the aluminum nanoparticles with the size of up to 60 atoms in a gas phase is theoretically studied. Thermodynamic modeling has been applied to investigate the effect of the synthesis conditions on the distribution of the nanoparticles. The magic numbers of the particles have been estimated and found to be consistent with the available data. Furthermore, the simulations showed that higher amounts of larger nanoparticles are obtained during condensation from the supercooled aluminum vapor. In contrast, lower amounts of smaller clusters may be formed in a gas phase over the aluminum melt. Varying the temperature and concentration of supercooled aluminum vapor in a broad range results in no significant change in cluster size distribution. This effect is governed by the equilibrium shift.
Comments on axions, domain walls, and cosmic strings
Authors: Dine Michael , Fernandez Nicolas , Ghalsasi Akshay , Patel Hiren H.
Published: November 2021

Axions have for some time been considered a plausible candidate for dark matter. They can be produced through misalignment, but it has been argued that when inflation occurs before a Peccei-Quinn transition, appreciable production can result from cosmic strings. This has been the subject of extensive simulations. But there are reasons to be skeptical about the possible role of axion strings. We review and elaborate on these questions, and argue that parametrically strings are already accounted for by the assumption of random misalignment angles. We review and elaborate on these questions, and provide several qualitative arguments that parametrically strings are already accounted for by the assumption of random misalignment angles. The arguments are base on considerations of the collective modes of the string solutions, on computations of axion radiation in particular models, and reviews of simulations.
Evaluating superblock design to enhance urban greening
Authors: Eggimann Sven , Lischer Philipp , Bolliger Janine
Published: November 2021

Superblocks are an urban transformation strategy to create pedestrian-centric neighbourhoods. This study presents a methodological framework to assess the potential for urban green space (UGS) arising from superblock design. A quantitative assessment of the current state of UGS in superblocks is performed with geospatial analysis and earth observation techniques for a Swiss city. We find that UGS varies considerably across identified locations and decreases with smaller block sizes. Based on two scenarios, we illustrate how information on current UGS at the street or block level can be used to benchmark and assess urban greening potentials at superblock sites.
Satellite imagery to select a sample of rooftops for a PV installation project in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Authors: Blunden Luke S. , Mahdy Mostafa Y.M. , Alghamdi Abdulsalam S. , Bahaj AbuBakr S
Published: November 2021

A region-based convolutional neural network image segmentation approach (Mask R-CNN) was applied to identification of flat rooftops from satellite imagery in the city of Jeddah in Saudi Arabia. The model was trained on a small sample of rooftops (202) digitized from a 0.5 m resolution image (covering 0.21 km2) and then was applied to an independent area 4.5 km away. The precision and recall of the model were 0.98 and 0.96 respectively in terms of identifying rooftops in the independent area. A spatially stratified sample of rooftops was drawn from those identified by the model and the median roof area of the sample was not significantly different from the area as a whole. The results, although at a small scale, demonstrate the effectiveness of this approach for selecting buildings with appropriate rooftops for solar photovoltaic (PV) installation, in the context of closely spaced flat-roofed buildings, without requiring cadastral mapping or LIDAR datasets.