bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Management of Tricky Lymphoma Cases
Authors: Kitay Alice Miriam , Chaloupka Karla
Published: April 2022

Lymphoma lesions are frequent, but their appearance may differ. We discuss aspects that are not to be overlooked. We present seven cases (aged 40 – 93 years) with unexpected lymphoma
findings, demonstrating a vast variability of history, clinic, and management. A lymphoma can progress over years, either imitating dermatochalasis or rapidly resembling an abscess.
Correlation between clinic, imaging, intraoperative setting, and carefully chosen spot of biopsy are crucial. A simple subconjunctival biopsy may be sufficient in a retrobulbar lesion. We
emphasize that an early biopsy is essential and that its location must be carefully considered. Individual management is based on history and systemic findings.
Frequency of Eye Diseases in Residents of Nursing Homes – 1-Year Results of a Novel Telemedicine Service in Switzerland
Authors: Bachmann Barbara Claudia , Bachofner Marilena , Mickan Sandra , Stojcic Danica , Carnier Kerstin A. , Giamboni Alessia , Neugebauer Zuzana , Lienhard Kenny R. , Bachmann Lucas M.
Published: April 2022

Purpose For the elderly in nursery homes, a visit to the ophthalmologist is a burden, which might lead to undertreatment. We have recently started offering a novel ophthalmological
service combining onsite examination and telemedical interpretation for patients with limited access to ophthalmological care. This study summarises the frequency of findings of treatable
eye diseases after the first year of operation in participants who dropped out from regular ophthalmological control.

Methods Participantsʼ clinical characteristics, frequency of service utilisation, and findings were extracted from the system and analysed.

Results Of 1946 residents approached, 540 (27.7%; 1080 eyes) signed up for the service. A complete examination was possible in 412 persons (813 eyes) and partially possible in the
remaining 128. The mean age of the examined participants mean age was 83.9 years (SD 9.7), and they were predominantly female (69.8%). The majority had a diagnosis of dementia (54.5%) and
20.2% had diabetes mellitus requiring treatment. The median care level (ranging from 0 – 12) was 7 (interquartile range 6 – 9), corresponding to a care need of 121 – 140 min/d. The mean
best-corrected decimal visual acuity was 0.55 (SD 0.24). For 164 eyes (15.2%), the current spectacle correction was insufficient. An untreated cataract was present in 145 eyes (13.4%), 89
eyes (8.2%) were receiving glaucoma treatment, and 7 eyes had a decompensated glaucoma. Dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD) appeared in 276 eyes (25.6%), 12 eyes (1.1%) had wet AMD,
and 24 eyes (11.0%) among patients with diabetes showed signs of diabetic retinopathy. Other pathologies were uncommon.

Conclusion Residents of nursery homes, who are unable to attend regular ophthalmological control, show various treatable ophthalmological conditions, including cataracts, glaucoma,
and retinal pathologies. Screening with a novel telemedicine service allows for the identification of treatable conditions and careful planning and referral of patients to appropriate
clinics having the necessary infrastructure for this particular population.
Valsalva-Induced Spontaneous Suprachoroidal Hemorrhage: A Case Report and Review of the Literature
Authors: Bijon Jacques , Schalenbourg Ann
Published: April 2022

We report a rare case of spontaneous suprachoroidal hemorrhage and present a systematic review of the literature using PubMed/Medline databases. Patients that developed a spontaneous
suprachoroidal hemorrhage with a history of previous intraocular surgery were excluded. An 82-year-old male patient with no known ocular pathologies or surgical history was referred with
acute ocular pain and decreased vision in the right eye (BCVA: 0.6 with hyperopic correction) following a Valsalva maneuver. General history included chronic heart failure and coronary
artery disease, treated with anticoagulant and antihypertensive drugs. Dilated fundus examination revealed a posterior red-brown choroidal mass, with a thickness of 1.5 mm on B-scan
ultrasonography. The lesion was not visible on fluorescein or indocyanine green angiography and was located under the choroid on B-scan optical coherence tomography. The diagnosis of a
spontaneous suprachoroidal hemorrhage was evoked, and the patient was observed. Five months later, BCVA was 1.0 uncorrected, with a normal-appearing fundus. In a literature review, eight
cases of spontaneous suprachoroidal hemorrhage following an episode of increased intrathoracic pressure were identified, including our patient. M/F ratio was 1 : 1, with a median age of 66.5
years. All cases presented systemic pathologies. All cases presented with a unilateral suprachoroidal hemorrhage. Only 2/8 patients had ocular comorbidities. Complications requiring
treatment were noted in 4/8 cases, including 2 cases that resulted in the loss of the vision following an acute angle-closure glaucoma. Spontaneous resolution of the hemorrhage was observed
in the other 4 patients. In 6/8 cases, vision recovered over a mean period of 10 weeks. In conclusion, spontaneous suprachoroidal hemorrhage following a Valsalva maneuver in eyes with no
history of ocular surgery or trauma is rare, and has been associated with advanced age, cardiovascular disease and asthma. In severe cases (2/8) the eye was lost, while most cases (6/8)
recovered, presenting a good visual outcome.
Two Surgical Approaches for Intraocular Lens Dislocation: Pars Plana Vitrectomy Versus Core Vitrectomy with Lens Exchange
Authors: Schuknecht Angelika , Wachtl Josephine , Fleischhauer Johannes , Kniestedt Christoph
Published: April 2022

Purpose To compare the efficacy and safety of core vitrectomy and pars plana vitrectomy for lens exchange in patients with intraocular lens dislocation.

Methods This is a retrospective study conducted at one eye center in Zurich, Switzerland. We reviewed 124 eyes with dislocated intraocular lens undergoing lens exchange carried out
by two surgeons between 03/2016 and 12/2019 (45 months). Intraocular pressure (IOP) and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) were analyzed preoperatively and at 5 time points up to 12 months
after lens exchange. Data on postoperative complications were collected.

Results There were 124 eyes with intraocular lens dislocation that were referred for lens exchange. Of these eyes, 59 (48%) received core vitrectomy and 65 (52%) received pars plana
vitrectomy with lens exchange. Glaucoma was more frequent in the core vitrectomy group (78%) than in the pars plana vitrectomy group (32%; p < 0.001). In the core vitrectomy group, 19
(32%) eyes presented with visual impairment, 17 (29%) eyes presented with high IOP alone, and 23 (39%) eyes presented with both at the same time prior to surgery. Mean preoperative IOP in
the core vitrectomy group decreased from 22.4 ± 9.2 mmHg to 14.7 ± 3.1 mmHg 12 months after surgery (p < 0.001). Mean BCVA changed from 0.40 ± 0.41 logMAR preoperatively to
0.32 ± 0.37 logMAR at 12 months postoperatively (p = 0.598) in the core vitrectomy group. In the pars plana vitrectomy group, 44 (68%) eyes presented with a change in vision, 7 (11%) eyes
presented with high IOP alone, and 14 (22%) eyes presented with pressure elevation and visual impairment at the visit prior to surgery. Mean preoperative IOP in the pars plana vitrectomy
group decreased from 20.9 ± 8.3 mmHg to 15.1 ± 3.5 mmHg at 12 months after lens exchange (p < 0.001). Mean BCVA in the pars plana vitrectomy group was 0.57 ± 0.62 logMAR preoperatively
and 0.22 ± 0.35 logMAR 12 months postoperatively (p < 0.001). Postoperative pressure decompensation occurred more frequently in the core vitrectomy group (20%) than in the pars plana
vitrectomy group (6%; p = 0.018). There was no statistically significant difference for postoperative cystoid macular edema (p = 0.055), anisometropia (p = 0.986), and high astigmatism
(p = 0.362).

Conclusion Core vitrectomy and pars plana vitrectomy with lens exchange are equally efficient and safe in the management of intraocular lens dislocation.
Emergency Vitrectomies for Retinal Detachment Before and During the Coronavirus Pandemic – A Retrospective Single Centre Analysis
Authors: Eppenberger Leila Sara , Golla Kathrin , Schmid Martin K.
Published: April 2022

Background While the corona pandemic and the resulting containment measures affect the number of elective surgical procedures, the impact on emergency surgical interventions is less
tangible. This analysis quantifies the frequency of emergency vitrectomies for retinal detachment and investigates underlying factors.

Methods Retrospective identification of patients who underwent primary emergency vitrectomies for retinal detachment at the Cantonal Hospital of Lucerne between
01.01.2018 – 31.12.2020. Parameters were collected, including demographics, date of hospitalisation, reported onset of symptoms, pre-operative best corrected visual acuity (BCVA),
involvement of the macula, and canton of residence.

Results Overall, a total of 665 patients with 683 eyes underwent emergency surgery for primary retinal detachment in the time span of 01.01.2018 – 31.12.2020. Median monthly number
of surgeries was 20. During the first Swiss national lockdown (16.03.2020 – 19.04.2020), a minimum of 9 vitrectomies was recorded in March 2020. A maximum of 36 vitrectomies was conducted in
August 2020. The mean age of patients was 61.5 years. Of the 665 patients, 133 (20.0%) were residents of the canton of Ticino. Median pre-operative BCVA was 0.25 over all three years, and no
significant reduction in pre-operative BCVA was observed during or after the lockdown. The proportion of eyes with involvement of the macula was 52.2%. In 2018, this proportion (47.6%) was
significantly lower than in 2019 and 2020 (Chi2 test, p < 0.001). However, cases with macular involvement in post lockdown months were not more frequent. Median time in days
from reported symptom onset to hospitalisation was 5 days. In April 2020, the proportion of patients with > 14 days symptom duration was significantly higher (Chi2 test,
p < 0.001). During the lockdown, there was a significant reduction in cases from Ticino. Also, patients from Ticino showed proportionally longer symptom duration after the lockdown.

Conclusion A significant reduction in the number of emergency vitrectomies was observed for the initial period of the coronavirus pandemic. Delayed emergency presentation is not
assumed, since there was no increase in severity (i.e. macular involvement) or prolonged symptoms in the months following the lockdown. More protracted symptoms were only observed in
patients from Ticino. The initial low numbers were generally made good later in the year.
Pregnancy after Combined Oral Contraceptive-Associated Venous Thromboembolism: An International Retrospective Study of Outcomes
Authors: Gris Jean-Christophe , Bourguignon Chloé , Bouvier Sylvie , Nouvellon Eva , Laurent Jeremy , Perez-Martin Antonia , Mousty Eve , Nikolaeva Mariya , Khizroeva Jamilya , Bitsadze Victoria , Makatsariya Alexander
Published: April 2022

Background Few data are available on thrombotic outcomes during pregnancy and puerperium occurring after an initial provoked venous thromboembolic (VTE) event.

Objectives To describe thrombotic outcomes during pregnancy after a first combined oral contraceptive (COC)-associated VTE and the factors associated with recurrence.

Methods This was an international multicentric retrospective study on patients referred for thrombophilia screening from January 1, 2010 to January 1, 2021 following a first COC-associated VTE, including women with neither inherited thrombophilia nor antiphospholipid antibodies and focusing on those who had a subsequent pregnancy under the same thromboprophylaxis treatment. Thrombotic recurrences during pregnancy and puerperium as well as risk factors for recurrence were analyzed.

Results We included 2,145 pregnant women. A total of 88 thrombotic events, 58 antenatal and 29 postnatal, occurred, mostly during the first trimester of pregnancy and the first 2 weeks of puerperium. Incidence rates were 49.6 (37–62) per 1,000 patient-years during pregnancy and 118.7 (78–159) per 1,000 patient-years during puerperium. Focusing on pulmonary embolism, incidence rates were 1.68 (1–4) per 1,000 patient-years during pregnancy and 65.5 (35–97) per 1,000 patient-years during puerperium.

Risk factors for antenatal recurrences were maternal hypercholesterolemia and birth of a very small-for-gestational-age neonate. A risk factor for postnatal recurrence was the incidence of preeclampsia.

Conclusion Our multicentric retrospective data show significant rates of VTE recurrence during pregnancy and puerperium in women with a previous VTE event associated with COC, despite a unique low-molecular-weight heparin-based thromboprophylaxis. These results may provide benchmarks and valuable information for designing future randomized controlled trials.
Role of Asleep Surgery for Supplementary Motor Area Tumors
Authors: Kumar G Krishna , Chigurupalli Chandrasekhar , Balasubramaniam Anandh , Rajesh B. J. , Manohar Nitin
Published: April 2022

Background The supplementary motor area (SMA) is involved in planning of voluntary motor activities. Tumors in SMA usually present with seizures and, rarely, motor deficits. Postoperatively, these patients may develop SMA syndrome. Patients with SMA tumors usually undergo awake craniotomy along with neuromonitoring for maximal safe resection, and some of these patients tend to have residual tumor.

Objective To completely excise the SMA region tumors under general anesthesia without causing any permanent neurological deficits.

Methods We operated upon four patients with SMA region tumor under general anesthesia (GA) with direct electrocortical stimulation (DES). Motor-evoked potential was used to monitor corticospinal tracts through corkscrew or strip electrodes. Intraoperative MRI was done to assess the tumor excision.

Results All four patients had complete resection of tumor and, postoperatively, all four developed SMA syndrome. All of them recovered completely over a period of time.

Conclusion SMA tumors can be excised completely under GA with DES, thereby increasing progression-free survival.
Surgical Clipping of Ruptured Intracranial Aneurysm: Experience of a Tertiary Centre in Western India
Authors: Kumar Vijay , Agrawal Manish , Sharma Vinod , Purohit D.K.
Published: April 2022

Background Surgical clipping has been a gold standard procedure for management of intracranial aneurysms. Outcome studies of surgical clipping at institutional level are important to identify modifiable factors and further improve the results. These are even more important in areas where resources are limited, and patient presents late due to ignorance and lack of education. This study is a review of our institutional experience in microsurgical clipping of ruptured intracranial aneurysms.

Methods A retrospective study of patients who underwent surgical clipping for ruptured intracranial aneurysms from January 2014 to February 2020. The medical records of patients were reviewed for demographic data, clinical presentation, radiological investigations, surgery performed and neurological outcome. Outcome at discharge and outcome at follow-up were measured by modified Rankin scale (mRS).

Results In this study of 289 patients, 194 patients (67.13%) had good outcome at discharge (mRS0–2), while 95 patients (32.87%) had poor outcome at discharge (mRS 3–6) and 50 patients (17.30%) expired during hospital stay. Out of 289 patients, 208 patients (71.97%) were admitted after more than 3 days of ictus. Significant factors affecting outcome were neurological status determined by Glasgow coma scale (GCS) score, World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies (WFNS) grade or Hunt and Hess Grade, time interval from onset of subarachnoid hemorrhage to admission, and time interval from admission to surgery.

Conclusion The present study identifies factors for improving outcome in patients of ruptured aneurysm at institutional and community level. Time from ictus to admission and admission to surgery are important modifiable factors in our study.
LiDAR measurements and machine learning make wakes in wind energy science
Authors: Piccone Ashley
Published: April 2022

Combining wind data with machine learning to explore turbine wakes and inform real-world design of wind farms
Ponderomotive force driven density modifications parallel to B on the LAPD
Authors: Barnett R. L. , Green D. L. , Waters C. L. , Lore J. D. , Smithe D. N. , Myra J. R. , Lau C. , Van Compernolle B. , Vincena S.
Published: April 2022

The ponderomotive force has previously been identified as a possible driver of observed density modifications close to radio frequency actuators during operation. This nonlinear force redistributes density in regions of gradients in the magnitude of an oscillating electric field and describes the influence of the fast time scale RF wave dynamics on slow time scale plasma transport. Depletion of the saturation current (a proxy for the density) measured at the Large Plasma Device (LAPD) was 30–35% during ion cyclotron range of frequencies operation. A coupled 1D plasma transport and cold plasma frequency domain wave solver was developed to self-consistently describe ponderomotive effects and was used to compare with results obtained from the LAPD experiment. The scaled current density driver for the wave model yielded an RF B field in close agreement with two components of the experimental data. However, the 1D parallel model did not accurately reproduce the amplitude or spatial distribution observed in experimental measurements of By. Within the limitations of the 1D model, initial simulation results showed that the ponderomotive force depleted up to 8% for high power (1 MW) and around 1% for the experimental power of 120 kW. This could suggest that the ponderomotive force is not the main driver of density modification for the LAPD experiments presented in this paper. Higher fidelity tools of at least 2D will be required to give a more realistic description of the RF E fields and the effect of the ponderomotive force on the LAPD.
The roles of kinematic constraint and diffusion in non-equilibrium solid state phase transformations of Ti-6Al-4V
Authors: Johnson Nathan S. , Brown Donald W. , Carpenter John S. , Amin-Ahmadi Behnam , Brice Craig A. , Kappes Branden B. , Stebner Aaron P.
Published: April 2022

A solid state phase transformation of Ti-6Al-4V was studied using high speed in situ x-ray diffraction measurements made during rapid cooling of a cold metal transfer arc weld bead deposited onto a water cooled substrate. Analysis of body centered cubic (BCC) and hexagonal close packed (HCP) lattices revealed an abrupt, nonlinear shift in the lattice parameters of both phases just after the HCP phase had nucleated. Postmortem transmission electron microscopy confirmed that V diffusion was mostly suppressed during cooling. Together, these results indicate that at this cooling rate of approximately 104 K/s, which is representative of cooling rates of many additive manufacturing and welding processes, kinematic coherency of the BCC–HCP interfaces gives rise to the anomalous lattice expansion and contraction behaviors of both phases during the initial nucleation and growth stages of (mostly) martensitic transformation from BCC to HCP; the role of diffusion in such lattice anomalies is shown to be minimal.
Canceling microwave crosstalk with fixed-frequency qubits
Authors: Nuerbolati Wuerkaixi , Han Zhikun , Chu Ji , Zhou Yuxuan , Tan Xinsheng , Yu Yang , Liu Song , Yan Fei
Published: April 2022

Scalable quantum information processing requires that modular gate operations can be executed in parallel. The presence of crosstalk decreases the individual addressability, causing erroneous results during simultaneous operations. For superconducting qubits which operate in the microwave regime, electromagnetic isolation is often limited due to design constraints, leading to signal crosstalk that can deteriorate the quality of simultaneous gate operations. Here, we propose and demonstrate a method based on the alternative-current Stark effect for calibrating the microwave signal crosstalk. The method is suitable for processors based on fixed-frequency qubits, which are known for high coherence and simple control. The optimal compensation parameters can be reliably identified from a well-defined interference pattern. We implement the method on an array of seven superconducting qubits and show its effectiveness in removing the majority of crosstalk errors.
Customizable and highly sensitive 3D micro-springs produced by two-photon polymerizations with improved post-treatment processes
Authors: Shang Xinggang , Wang Ning , Wang Zimeng , Jiang Hanqing , Jia Yunfei , Zhou Nanjia , Qiu Min
Published: April 2022

Springs are ubiquitous in a variety of scientific and engineering fields. However, the comprehensive study on mechanical properties of micro-spring has not been fully conducted yet due to a lack of reliable productions of varied-shaped micro-springs. Here, we report the design and manufacturing of triple-helix-shaped springs employing two-photon polymerization (TPP) technologies and present a systemic study on the mechanical properties of micro-springs particularly involving spring constants of k. To construct high-quality hollow microstructures, we optimize the TPP process by combining violet light post-treatment with a proper selection of cleaning liquid. Consequently, we demonstrate that the sensitives k can be actively tuned over a range of two orders of magnitude, from ∼1.5 to ∼108.2 μN/μm while maintaining a high resolution of ∼1 μN/μm. Furthermore, compression tests showcase an excellent agreement among all force-vs-displacement lineshapes, resulting in a small k fluctuation of <1%. On the whole, we expected that the modified TPP technique along with proposed helical springs opens an alternative avenue toward micro-scale force detection, leading to potential applications in the field of bio-sensing, where typical forces to be measured exist within a broad range from several piconewtons to several micronewtons.
The observation of Gaussian distribution and origination identification of deep defects in AlGaN/GaN MIS-HEMT
Authors: Chang Kuan-Chang , Dai Tianjiao , Wang Zhengda , Huang Zhangwei , Lin Xinnan , Li Lei
Published: April 2022

This paper proposes a math-physical correlative method that monitors deep defect response by electrical measurement and calculates the state density by designed mathematical processing. The extracted Gaussian distribution of deep defects was discussed according to the theoretical model for the density of states. The accuracy of this method was also verified through 1/f low frequency noise analysis. The origination of deep defects was investigated by transmission electron microscope, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and photoluminescence analysis, and a molecular model was constructed. Therefore, multiple perspectives of deep defects have been studied by combining electrical measurements, mathematical data processing, and materials analysis, providing inspiration for future comprehensive study on deep defects of the GaN-based device.
Strain-dependent phase-change devices based on vanadium dioxide thin films on flexible glass substrates
Authors: Sohn Min Kyun , Singh Hardeep , Kim Eun-Mi , Heo Gi Seok , Choi Seoung Woo , Phyun Do Gi , Kang Dae Joon
Published: April 2022

Smart materials offering tunable electrical properties in response to external stimuli are in high demand for their usage in reconfigurable electronics. This study reports the stability and reversibility of insulator-to-metal transition (IMT) in a vanadium dioxide (VO2) thin film grown on flexible glass substrates under the external strain. The systematic application of the external strain was used to demonstrate red and blue shifts in the Raman spectra (ωV-O) and the corresponding change in the IMT critical temperature. The effects of externally applied tensile strain on the electrical resistance of the VO2 thin film were discussed concerning the stability and repeatability of the IMT. We demonstrated that the electrical performance of the thin film was nondegradable, although the sample was subjected to multiple cycles of tensile strain. Moreover, these results not only provide essential knowledge for understanding the correlation between the external strain and physical properties of VO2 thin films but also suggest their applicability as strain-dependent phase-change devices.
Coherent fundamental-harmonic interactions in a compressible shear layer via integral nonlinear instability approach
Authors: Mankbadi Reda R. , Malczewski Benjamin J. , Golubev Vladimir V.
Published: April 2022

A physics-based integral approach is adopted here to develop a theory for studying bi-modal excitation of the shear layer of a Mach 1.5 planar jet. The transverse shapes of the mean flow quantities are given by analytical functions modeling the corresponding jet experiment and Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes solution. The transverse shapes of the frequency modes of the coherent large-scale structure are obtained as the eigenfunctions of the locally parallel linear stability theory. The Navier–Stokes equations are then reduced to a set of ordinary differential equations. The solution of this set, subject to the initial conditions, describes the nonlinear interaction among the excited frequency modes, as well as their interaction with the mean flow and the background turbulence. Our analysis shows that the time-averaged interaction among the modes is non-zero only if the two frequency modes are related to each other by the fundamental-harmonic frequency. We label the fundamental mode here, “f,” as the most amplified mode developing nonlinearly along the jet in the absence of other imposed modes. We then use the resulting theory to study the effect of bimodal excitation by harmonically related pairs (f, f/2) or (f, 2f) to see under which conditions this bimodal excitation can suppress the fundamental. We found that the combination of fundamental and harmonic (f, 2f) can effectively reduce the fundamental at an optimized phase lag. By viewing the fundamental as the most dominant sound source in the jet, it is, thus, possible to reduce the jet noise via bi-modal excitation.
70 Years of Evaluated Chemical Kinetics Data in the Journal of Physical and Chemical Reference Data, the National Standard Reference Data System Series, and the NBS Kinetics Data Center
Authors: Burgess Donald R. , Manion Jeffrey A.
Published: April 2022

We provide an overview of 70 years of evaluated chemical kinetic data published in the Journal of Physical and Chemical Reference Data (dating to 1972), the National Standard Reference Data System series (dating to 1965), as part of the National Bureau of Standards Chemical Kinetics Data Center (dating to 1951), and the National Institute of Standards and Technology Chemical Kinetics Database (SRD 17) (dating to 1990).
Diverse moth prey identified in the diet of the critically endangered southern bent-wing bat (Miniopterus orianae bassanii) using DNA metabarcoding of scats
Authors: Kuhne Johanna G. , Austin Jeremy J. , Reardon Terry B. , Prowse Thomas A. A.
Published: April 2022

Context Globally, insectivorous bats are important moderators of insect populations, including agricultural pests. However, in human-modified environments, changes to insect diversity and abundance may have detrimental impacts on bat populations. The southern bent-wing bat (SBWB; Miniopterus orianae bassanii), is a critically endangered, cave-dwelling bat with a restricted distribution across south-eastern Australia, an area now dominated by agricultural land uses. Understanding SBWB diet may highlight the role of bats in influencing insect populations in surrounding agricultural land, while simultaneously providing crucial data for conservation management of this critically endangered species. Aim To investigate the SBWB’s diet using arthropod DNA metabarcoding of scats and guano collected from seven caves across the species’ range. Methods We collected scats from bat roosts and from guano piles on cave floors during late summer and early autumn of 2019. We used PCR to amplify two short, overlapping arthropod mtDNA cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 barcodes and sequenced these using the Illumina MiSeq to identify arthropod diet species. Key results Moths (order Lepidoptera) were the most prevalent insect identified in all samples and from all sites. Many of the 67 moth species identified were associated with agricultural land use (e.g. pasture webworm (Hednota pedionoma) and armyworm (Persectania dyscrita)), and several, including the bogong moth (Agrotis infusa), are migratory, suggesting the SBWB’s diet changes seasonally. Conclusion By describing the diet of the SBWB, we have fulfilled one recommendation of the national recovery plan for the species. The SBWB preys predominantly on moths, and its diet has likely been impacted by the increase in agricultural land use across its range. Further research is required to understand its foraging habitat requirements. Implications Our findings suggest the SBWB may play a role in controlling populations of moth species considered to be agricultural pests. The wide variety of moths consumed by SBWBs could afford the species some resilience to landscape changes affecting moth assemblages. The methodological framework developed here could be applied to investigate how land-use changes may contribute to bat population declines, but also how insectivorous bats may provide important ecosystem services by controlling pest insect species in modified landscapes.
Animal soundscapes reveal key markers of Amazon forest degradation from fire and logging
Authors: Rappaport Danielle I. , Swain Anshuman , Fagan William F. , Dubayah Ralph , Morton Douglas C.
Published: April 2022

Significance

Fire and logging reduce the carbon stored in Amazon forests, but the long-term impact of forest degradation on animal communities remains unclear. We recorded thousands of hours of ecosystem sounds to investigate the acoustic fingerprint of the animal community in degraded Amazon forests following fire and logging. The emergent 24-h patterns of acoustic activity differed between logged and burned forests, and we observed large and sustained shifts in acoustic community assembly after multiple fires. Soundscape differences among degraded forests were clearest during insect-dominated hours rarely sampled in field studies of biodiversity. These findings demonstrate that acoustic monitoring holds promise for routine biodiversity assessments, even by non-experts, to capture a holistic measure of sound-producing animals and track ecosystem changes over time.
Crowdsourced RNA design discovers diverse, reversible, efficient, self-contained molecular switches
Authors: Andreasson Johan O. L. , Gotrik Michael R. , Wu Michelle J. , Wayment-Steele Hannah K. , Kladwang Wipapat , Portela Fernando , Wellington-Oguri Roger ,   Eterna Participants, Das Rhiju , Greenleaf William J.
Published: April 2022

Internet-based scientific communities promise a means to apply distributed, diverse human intelligence toward previously intractable scientific problems. However, current implementations have not allowed communities to propose experiments to test all emerging hypotheses at scale or to modify hypotheses in response to experiments. We report high-throughput methods for molecular characterization of nucleic acids that enable the large-scale video game–based crowdsourcing of RNA sensor design, followed by high-throughput functional characterization. Iterative design testing of thousands of crowdsourced RNA sensor designs produced near–thermodynamically optimal and reversible RNA switches that act as self-contained molecular sensors and couple five distinct small molecule inputs to three distinct protein binding and fluorogenic outputs. This work suggests a paradigm for widely distributed experimental bioscience.
The endoplasmic reticulum adopts two distinct tubule forms
Authors: Wang Bowen , Zhao Zhiheng , Xiong Michael , Yan Rui , Xu Ke
Published: April 2022

Significance

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is one of the most structurally visible and functionally important organelles in the cell. Utilizing superresolution microscopy, we here unveil that in the mammalian cell, the peripheral ER adopts two distinct, well-defined tubule forms of contrasting structures, molecular signatures, and functions, with one of the two curiously being ribbon-like, ultranarrow sheets of fixed widths. With fast multicolor microscopy, we further show how the two tubule forms dynamically interconvert while differentially accommodating proteins in the living cell.
Direct free energy evaluation of classical and quantum many-body systems via field-theoretic simulation
Authors: Fredrickson Glenn H. , Delaney Kris T.
Published: April 2022

Significance

The accurate evaluation of free energies within molecular simulations is important to many scientific fields, including fluid and solid phase equilibria, biomolecular condensates, and quantum phase transitions, among others. Unfortunately, free energy estimation is tedious and computationally expensive for molecular models whose degrees of freedom are expressed in particle coordinates. We show that alternative representations of a model as a classical or quantum field theory provide access to a chemical potential operator that can be averaged to yield a direct and low-cost estimate of the Gibbs free energy. The averaging is performed using a “field-theoretic” computer simulation that employs fluctuating fields rather than particles.
Revisiting the Intelligibility and Nativeness Principles*
Authors: Levis John M.
Published: April 2022

Levis (2005) named two conflicting approaches to pronunciation teaching, the Nativeness Principle and the Intelligibility Principle. This paper revisits those two principles to argue for the superiority of the Intelligibility Principle in regard to where pronunciation fits within the wider field of language teaching, in how it effectively addresses teaching goals, in how it best addresses all contexts of L2 pronunciation learning, and in how it recognizes the reality of social consequences of pronunciation differences. In contrast, the Nativeness Principle, despite its long pedigree and many defenders, falls short by advocating native pronunciation for L2 learners, which is both unlikely to be achieved and unnecessary for effective communication in the L2.
Long-term effects of intensive instruction on fluency, comprehensibility and accentedness*
Authors: French Leif Michael , Gagné Nancy , Collins Laura
Published: April 2022

We assessed the long-term effects of intensive instruction on different aspects of L2 oral production. Adopting the tridimensional model of oral production (Munro & Derwing, 1995a), we compared high school learners who had received intensive ESL instruction (N = 42) with non-intensive learners (N = 39) on perceptual measures of L2 fluency, comprehensibility, and accentedness 4 years after a 5-month intensive instruction period. After controlling for academic ability and L2 proficiency, listeners’ ratings of fluency and comprehensibility were significantly higher for the IG; however, there was no specific group advantage for accentedness, suggesting both groups exhibited similar L2 accents. This study provides new empirical evidence that the oral fluency and comprehensibility benefits of an intensive experience may be long-lasting, even when learners’ subsequent classroom exposure to the language is much more limited.
Investigating the relationship between comprehensibility and social evaluation*
Authors: Vaughn Charlotte , Whitty Aubrey
Published: April 2022

The processing fluency hypothesis proposes that listeners’ perceived difficulty processing the speech of L2 speakers (called comprehensibility/processing fluency) leads them to downgrade those speakers socially. In this paper, we investigate this relationship, focusing on context-specificity. L1-English listeners provided comprehensibility and social evaluation ratings of L1-Korean speakers speaking English, while an orthographic depiction of the speech either appeared alongside the audio or did not, a manipulation aiming to affect comprehensibility. Varying orthography between subjects, Experiment 1 found that orthography resulted in greater comprehensibility, but not more positive social evaluations. Experiment 2 manipulated orthography within subjects, varying context: orthography trials were presented first or last. Comprehensibility and social evaluation ratings were related only when orthography was first, suggesting a conditional, asymmetrical relationship where listeners more readily downgrade than upgrade the same speaker when orthography changes. Our results highlight the context-dependent nature of these constructs, limiting the generalizability of the processing fluency hypothesis.
Nucleation of recrystallization
Authors: Ferdinand Knipschildt Elisabeth Filippa
Published: April 2022

Nucleation of recrystallization in deformed metals is discussed with a focus on how theories have been achieved from experimental investigations. Suggested nucleation mechanisms and potential nucleation sites are reviewed to gain an overall understanding of the state-of-the-art. Limitations in the applied experimental techniques are discussed followed by an analysis of how newly invented non-destructive 3D techniques have challenged accepted theories which are based on 2D studies. Finally, suggestions for further studies by the novel and improved techniques are presented.
Miniature and tunable high voltage-driven soft electroactive biconvex lenses for optical visual identification
Authors: Zhang Hui , Xia Zhijie , Zhang Zhisheng , Zhu Jianxiong
Published: April 2022

Soft electroactive materials including dielectric elastomer (DE) and polyacrylamide (PAM) hydrogel have recently been investigated, which can provide exciting opportunities for optical imaging and biomedical engineering. We propose a tunable liquid lens based on PAM hydrogels, and the miniature lens is also composed of a dielectric elastomer actuator (DEA) and an ionic liquid enclosed. When a biconvex lens is fabricated, a bubble needs to be voided by controlling the pressure. The lens DEA based on PAM electrodes has various resistances that decrease with the stretch. However, it is a constant of 0.49 Ω for the DEA coupling carbon grease electrodes. In a high voltage-driven state, the curvature radius of the lens increased. As a result, the focal length was tuned and enlarged. Computational models are derived for the soft-actuated liquid lens, which improves the existing related theory by detail. Especially, the relationship between voltage and focal length is deduced and verified by experiments. The computational models and experimental phenomena are consistent. Moreover, an increase in pre-stretch and voltage produces a wider tenability range. This study opens the soft electroactive biconvex lenses in potential optical healthcare rehabilitation and optical visual identification applications.
Comparison of the physicochemical properties and inactivation against tumor cells of PAW induced by underwater single-hole and multi-hole bubble plasma
Authors: Liu Zhijie , Gao Yuting , Pang Bolun , Wang Sitao , Tantai Xiamin , Zhang Feng , Li Qiaosong , Xu Dehui , Liu Dingxin
Published: April 2022

Plasma-activated water (PAW) regarded as a green alternative is of great interest in biomedicine due to the presence of a rich diversity of aqueous reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS). Optimizing the reactor parameter is an important approach to regulate RONS in PAW to obtain better biological effects. This work mainly focuses on the number of micro holes of the plasma device to realize underwater bubble discharge. By comparing single-hole and multi-hole plasma under the same pulse voltage, the multi-hole plasma would produce a better discharge characteristic, and the prepared PAW presents superior physicochemical properties to realize high level RONS production by means of microbubbles to increase the contact area with water molecules. Furthermore, the A549 lung carcinoma cells are used to verify the inactivation effect induced by PAW treated by underwater single-hole and multi-hole bubble plasma, respectively, and the results show that the multi-hole plasma would induce cell apoptosis reaching up to 57.4%, while only 31.2% apoptosis efficiency for single-hole plasma. This mainly contributes to the high concentration of key species (NO2
−, H2O2, ONOO−/O2
−, and ·OH) produced by multi-hole plasma. This study is helpful to insight into the influence of underwater bubble on chemistry activity of PAW, and promoting the wide applications in biomedical field.
Tuning the optoelectronic properties of cross conjugated small molecules using benzodithiophene as a core unit with favorable photovoltaic parameters: a DFT study
Authors: Majeed Sana , Ur Rehman Shafiq , Zia Muhammad Anjum , Iqbal Javed
Published: April 2022

In a recent study, cross conjugated molecules (BDT-C1 to BDT-C6) based on Benzo [1,2-b:4,5-b'] (BDT) as core units linked with different acceptor moieties are designed for encouraging photovoltaic applications. The optoelectronic study has been conducted by density functional theory (DFT) at B3LYP 6-31G (d, p) basis set combination by equating them with recently reported cross conjugated reference (BDT-CR) molecule and to study basic parameters such as frontier molecular orbital, the density of states, reorganization energy, maximum absorption, dipole moment, transition density matrix (TDM) and open-circuit voltage (V
OC). Six new cross conjugated molecules (BDT-C1 to BDT-C6) with modified acceptor moieties are designed to evaluate their photophysical behavior in photovoltaic cells and the optoelectronic analysis of designed molecules indicates that among all cross conjugated molecules, BDT-C3 molecule exhibited the lowest bandgap value (1.84 eV) and broad absorption (747 nm) spectrum in dichloromethane due to extended conjugation in molecule than BDT-CR. TDM results reveal the easy dissociation of exciton due to the transfer of electron density in a diagonal direction from donor to acceptor moieties. The lowest value of electron mobility (0.0030 eV) and hole mobility (0.0027 eV) of BDT-C4 indicates its excellent electron and hole transfer behavior. The newly architecture molecule BDT-C1 displayed the highest V
OC value of 1.52 eV concerning PC61BM. All above-mentioned outcomes reflect that our newly architecture cross conjugated molecules are suitable applicants for photovoltaic cells and can exhibit wonderful results in the quest of power conversion efficiency.
B − L model with A
4 × Z
3 × Z
4 symmetry for 3 + 1 active-sterile neutrino mixing
Authors: Vien V V
Published: April 2022

We construct a B − L model with A
4 × Z
3 × Z
4 flavor symmetry that accounts for the recent 3 + 1 active-sterile neutrino data. The tiny neutrino mass and the mass hierarchy are obtained by the type-I seesaw mechanism. The hierarchy of the lepton masses is satisfied by a factor of

v

H

v

l

Λ

2

∼
1

0

−
4

G
e
V

of the electron mass compared to the muon and tau masses of the order of

v

H

v

l

Λ

∼
1

0

−
1

G
e
V

. The 3 + 1 active-sterile neutrino mixings are predicted to be 0.015 ⩽ |U
14|2 ⩽ 0.045, 0.004 ⩽ |U
24|2 ⩽ 0.012 and 0.004 ⩽ |U
34|2 ⩽ 0.014 for normal hierarchy while 0.020 ⩽ |U
14|2 ⩽ 0.045, 0.008 ⩽ |U
24|2 ⩽ 0.018 and 0.008 ⩽ |U
34|2 ⩽ 0.022 for inverted hierarchy. Sterile neutrino masses are predicted to be 0.7 ≲ m

s
 (eV) ≲ 3.16 for normal hierarchy and 2.6 ≲ m

s
 (eV) ≲ 7.1 for inverted hierarchy. For three neutrino scheme the model predicts 0.3401 ⩽ sin2 
θ
12 ⩽ 0.3415, 0.460 ⩽ sin2 
θ
23 ⩽ 0.540, −0.60 ⩽ sin δ
CP ⩽ −0.20 for normal hierarchy and 0.3402 ⩽ sin2 
θ
12 ⩽ 0.3416, 0.434 ⩽ sin2 
θ
23 ⩽ 0.610, −0.95 ⩽ sin δ
CP ⩽ − 0.60 for inverted hierarchy.
Universal orbit design for metal artifact elimination
Authors: Gang Grace J , Stayman J Webster
Published: April 2022

Objective. Metal artifacts are a persistent problem in CT and cone-beam CT. In this work, we propose to reduce or even eliminate metal artifacts by providing better sampling of data using non-circular orbits. Approach. We treat any measurements intersecting metal as missing data, and aim to design a universal orbit that can generally accommodate arbitrary metal shapes and locations. We adapted a local sampling completeness metric based on Tuy’s condition to quantify the extent of sampling in the presence of metal. A maxi-min objective over all possible metal locations was used for orbit design. A simple class of sinusoidal orbits was evaluated as a function of frequencies, maximum tilt angles, and orbital extents. Experimental implementation of these orbits were performed on an imaging bench and evaluated on two phantoms, one containing metal balls and the other containing a pedicle screw assembly for spine fixation. Metal artifact reduction (MAR) performance was compared amongst three approaches: non-circular orbits only, algorithmic correction only, and a combined approach. Main results. Theoretical evaluations of the objective favor sinusoidal orbits with large tilt angles and large orbital extents. Furthermore, orbits that leverage redundant azimuthal angles to sample non-redundant data have better performance, e.g. even or non-integer frequency sinusoids for a 360° acquisition. Experimental data support the trends observed in theoretical evaluations. Reconstructions using even or non-integer frequency orbits present less streaking artifacts and background details with finer resolution, even when multiple metal objects are present and even in the absence of MAR algorithms. The combined approach of non-circular orbits and MAR algorithm yields the best performance. The observed trend in image quality is supported by quantitative measures of sampling and severity of streaking artifact. Significance. This work demonstrates that sinusoidal orbits are generally robust against metal artifacts and can provide an avenue for improved image quality in interventional imaging.
A study on several critical problems on arrhythmia detection using varying-dimensional electrocardiography
Authors: Kang Jingsu , Wen Hao
Published: April 2022

Objective. This work tries to provide answers to several critical questions on varying-dimensional electrocardiography (ECG) raised by the PhysioNet/Computing in Cardiology Challenge 2021 (CinC2021): can subsets of the standard 12 leads provide models with adequate information to give comparable performances for classifying ECG abnormalities? Can models be designed to be effective enough to classify a broad range of ECG abnormalities? Approach. To tackle these problems, we (challenge team name ‘Revenger’) propose several novel architectures within the framework of convolutional recurrent neural networks. These deep learning models are proven effective, and moreover, they provide comparable performances on reduced-lead ECGs, even in the extreme case of 2-lead ECGs. In addition, we propose a ‘lead-wise’ mechanism to facilitate parameter reuse of ECG neural network models. This mechanism largely reduces model sizes while keeping comparable performances. To further augment model performances on specific ECG abnormalities and to improve interpretability, we manually design auxiliary detectors based on clinical diagnostic rules. Main Results. In the post-challenge session, our approach achieved a challenge score of 0.38, 0.40, 0.41, 0.40, 0.35 on the 12, 6, 4, 3, 2-lead subsets respectively on the CinC2021 hidden test set. Significance. The proposed approach gives positive answers to the critical questions CinC2021 raises and lays a solid foundation for further research in the future on these topics.