bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Relationship between C-reactive Protein/Albumin Ratio and Subclinical Inflammation in Patients with Familial Mediterranean Fever
Authors: Onder Esra Nagehan Akyol , Cam Fethi Sirri , Ertan Pelin
Published: March 2021

Background Familial Mediterranean Fever (FMF), which is characterised
by recurrent episodes of fever with serositis, is associated with ongoing
inflammation without clinical findings during attack-free periods, leading
to amyloidosis, the most important complication of FMF. The objective of
this study was to investigate the C-reactive protein/albumin ratio
(CAR) as a marker to identify subclinical inflammation in symptom-free FMF
children and compare the CAR with other systemic inflammatory markers such
as mean platelet volume (MPV), red cell distribution width (RDW),
neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet/lymphocyte
ratio (PLR).

Material and Methods We included 100 patients and 70 healthy subjects.
Hospital records were obtained to collect data on laboratory findings and
genetic mutations.

Results We found that the CAR levels of our FMF patients were
significantly higher than those of the control group. We also evaluated that
the CAR values had a higher area-under-the-curve value than the other
systemic inflammation parameters including CRP, MPV, RDW, NLR, PLR based on
Receiver-Operating Characteristics (ROC) analysis.

Conclusion It is important to identify subclinical inflammation in FMF
patients with simple, reliable, easily accessible markers to avoid
amyloidosis. Although the CAR might be used to assess subclinical
inflammation in paediatric FMF patients, the prognostic value of CAR is not
superior to CRP. Merging CRP and albumin into a single index thus provides
no additional benefit in detecting subclinical inflammation in FMF.
Effect of Achilles Tendon Mechanics on the Running Economy of Elite Endurance Athletes
Authors: Pinto Mariana Souza , Sánchez Carlos , Martins Natália , Menegaldo Luciano Luporini , Pompeu Fernando , de Oliveira Liliam Fernandes
Published: March 2021

The Achilles tendon stores and releases strain energy, influencing running economy. The present study aims to verify the influence of the Achilles tendon tangent modulus, as a material property, on running economy by comparing two groups of elite endurance-performance athletes undergoing different running training volumes. Twelve athletes, six long-distance runners and six pentathletes, were studied. Long-distance runners had a higher weekly running training volume (116.7±13.7 vs. 58.3±20.4 km, p<0.05) and a better running economy (204.3±12.0 vs. 222.0±8.7 O2 mL ∙ kg−1 ∙ km−1, p<0.05) evaluated in a treadmill at 16 km·h–1, 1% inclination. Both groups presented similar VO2max (68.5±3.8 vs. 65.7±5.0 mL ∙ min−1 ∙ kg−1, p>0.05). Achilles tendon tangent modulus was estimated from ultrasound-measured deformations, with the ankle passively mobilized by a dynamometer. True stress was calculated from the measured torque. The long-distance runners had a higher maximum tangent modulus (380.6±92.2 vs. 236.2±82.6 MPa, p<0.05) and maximum true stress than pentathletes (24.2±5.1 vs. 16.0±3.5 MPa, p<0.05). The correlation coefficient between tangent modulus at larger deformations was R=–0.7447 (p<0.05). Quantifying tendon tissue adaptations associated with different running training volumes will support subject and modality-specific workouts prescription of elite endurance athletes.
Quality of Life of the Patient with Head and Neck Cancer Submitted to Radiotherapy and the Overload of Their Caregivers
Authors: Delalibera Daniela , Carvalho Alessandra Cristine Ribeiro , Thesolim Bruna Luiza , Rezende Laura Ferreira de
Published: March 2021

Introduction Esthetic and functional changes are frequent in patients with head and neck cancer, and they can be caused by both tumor and treatment. Physical and functional impairment often requires the need of a caregiver, who may feel overwhelmed with the tasks of care.

Objective This study aims to evaluate the quality of life of patients with head and neck cancer submitted to radiotherapy and the overload of their caregivers.

Method This is a quantitative cross-sectional study with 42 patients with head and neck cancer and 17 caregivers evaluated during the radiotherapy treatment. Patients responded to the following questionnaires: Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy for Head and Neck Cancer (FACT-H&N) and Shame and Stigma Scale (SSS), while the caregivers responded to the Zarit Burden Interview Scale (ZBI) and Palliative Performance Scale (PPS).

Results Head and neck cancer patients showed a decline in the quality of life in all FACT-H&N domains, with the domain of additional concerns having the worst outcome. Among the feelings reported by patients, the most important was penitence. Less than half of the patients needed caregivers. It was observed that the greater the degree of commitment of the patient, the greater the degree of overload of the caregiver.

Conclusion Therefore, the quality of life of the patient with head and neck cancer is an important aspect to be considered during the therapeutic choice and in the follow-up of the patient, since it has influenced both the patient and his caregiver.
Creating common sense: getting NATO to Afghanistan
Authors: Münch Philipp
Published: March 2021

This article raises the question of how NATO became bogged down in Afghanistan. I scrutinise how the alliance became involved in Afghanistan and how it formulated its strategy. In doing this, I follow the general premises of practice theory. However, instead of the common focus on diplomats and their everyday doings, this article suggests an approach that pays more attention to the structure of the field of positions. I demonstrate that the actions of permanently seconded representatives of member states and of NATO’s administrative cadre were crucial in drawing the alliance into Afghanistan. I argue that their actions significantly contributed to the creation of a fatal common sense: namely that the alliance had to become and remain engaged even in the absence of clear political goals. This provided the basis for a means-focused and endless mission.
Computational approaches to efficient generation of the stationary state for incoherent light excitation
Authors: Loaiza Ignacio , Izmaylov Artur F. , Brumer Paul
Published: March 2021

Light harvesting processes are often computationally studied from a time-dependent viewpoint, in line with ultrafast coherent spectroscopy experiments. Yet, natural processes take place in the presence of incoherent light, which induces a stationary state. Such stationary states can be described using the eigenbasis of the molecular Hamiltonian, but for realistic systems, a full diagonalization is prohibitively expensive. We propose three efficient computational approaches to obtain the stationary state that circumvents system Hamiltonian diagonalization. The connection between the incoherent perturbations, decoherence, and Kraus operators is established.
Observing distant objects with a multimode fiber-based holographic endoscope
Authors: Leite Ivo T. , Turtaev Sergey , Boonzajer Flaes Dirk E. , Čižmár Tomáš
Published: March 2021

Holographic wavefront manipulation enables converting hair-thin multimode optical fibers into minimally invasive lensless imaging instruments conveying much higher information densities than conventional endoscopes. Their most prominent applications focus on accessing delicate environments, including deep brain compartments, and recording micrometer-scale resolution images of structures in close proximity to the distal end of the instrument. Here, we introduce an alternative “far-field” endoscope capable of imaging macroscopic objects across a large depth of field. The endoscope shaft with dimensions of 0.2 × 0.4 mm2 consists of two parallel optical fibers: one for illumination and the other for signal collection. The system is optimized for speed, power efficiency, and signal quality, taking into account specific features of light transport through step-index multimode fibers. The characteristics of imaging quality are studied at distances between 20 mm and 400 mm. As a proof-of-concept, we provide imaging inside the cavities of a sweet pepper commonly used as a phantom for biomedically relevant conditions. Furthermore, we test the performance on a functioning mechanical clock, thus verifying its applicability in dynamically changing environments. With the performance reaching the standard definition of video endoscopes, this work paves the way toward the exploitation of minimally invasive holographic micro-endoscopes in clinical and diagnostics applications.
Transient generation of spiral inertia-gravity waves from a geostrophic vortex
Authors: Zhao Bo , Xu Zhenhua , Li Qun , Wang Yang , Yin Baoshu
Published: March 2021

The emission of inertia-gravity waves (IGWs) from an exact geostrophic vortex in a rotating and stratified fluid is investigated by three-dimensional numerical modeling. An initially balanced geostrophic vortex inevitably generates IGWs with spiral patterns within a short transient time period through an instability mechanism. This result reinforces the nonexistence of exactly invariant slow manifolds. The direction of the rotation of spiral IGWs is clockwise for both anticyclonic and cyclonic geostrophic vortices, which is consistent with the theoretical prediction. Spiral patterning can be regarded as a universal feature of IGWs, which occurs in the transient generation process. In the vertical direction, the energy of IGWs is dominated by mode-1 in the generation and propagation processes, leading to weak dissipation and long-distance propagation. A comparison of barotropic and baroclinic vortices suggests that horizontal nonzero strain and vorticity are essential for the occurrence of this instability mechanism, while the presence of vortex baroclinicity increases the intensity of the IGWs. The amplitude of the IGWs increases linearly with the Rossby number in the range of 0.04–0.1. Additionally, the IGWs emitted from an anticyclonic vortex are stronger than those radiated from a cyclonic vortex. Anticyclonic and cyclonic geostrophic vortices transfer approximately 0.54% and 0.41% of their kinetic energy to IGWs in this transient generation process, respectively. This transient generation of IGWs can supply an energy pathway from mesoscale eddies to diapycnal mixing processes in the interior of the oceans.
Zinc gallate spinel dielectric function, band-to-band transitions, and Γ-point effective mass parameters
Authors: Hilfiker Matthew , Stokey Megan , Korlacki Rafał , Kilic Ufuk , Galazka Zbigniew , Irmscher Klaus , Zollner Stefan , Schubert Mathias
Published: March 2021

We determine the dielectric function of the emerging ultrawide bandgap semiconductor ZnGa2O4 from the near-infrared (0.75 eV) into the vacuum ultraviolet (8.5 eV) spectral regions using spectroscopic ellipsometry on high quality single crystal substrates. We perform density functional theory calculations and discuss the band structure and the Brillouin zone Γ-point band-to-band transition energies, their transition matrix elements, and effective band mass parameters. We find an isotropic effective mass parameter (0.24 me) at the bottom of the Γ-point conduction band, which equals the lowest valence band effective mass parameter at the top of the highly anisotropic and degenerate valence band (0.24 me). Our calculated band structure indicates the spinel ZnGa2O4 is indirect, with the lowest direct transition at the Γ-point. We analyze the measured dielectric function using critical-point line shape functions for a three-dimensional, M0-type van Hove singularity, and we determine the direct bandgap with an energy of 5.27(3) eV. In our model, we also consider contributions from Wannier–Mott type excitons with an effective Rydberg energy of 14.8 meV. We determine the near-infrared index of refraction from extrapolation (1.91) in very good agreement with results from recent infrared ellipsometry measurements (ε∞=1.94) [M. Stokey, Appl. Phys. Lett. 117, 052104 (2020)].
Radiation drive temperature measurements in aluminum via radiation-driven shock waves: Modeling using self-similar solutions
Authors: Heizler Shay I. , Shussman Tomer , Fraenkel Moshe
Published: March 2021

We study the phenomena of radiative-driven shock waves using a semi-analytic model based on self-similar solutions of the radiative hydrodynamic problem. The relation between the Hohlraum drive temperature TRad and the resulting ablative shock DS is a well-known method for the estimation of the drive temperature. However, the various studies yield different scaling relations between TRad and DS based on different simulations. In T. Shussman and S. I. Heizler, Phys. Plasmas 22, 082109 (2015), we have derived full analytic solutions for the subsonic heat wave, which include both the ablation and the shock wave regions. Using this self-similar approach, we derive here the TRad(DS) relation for aluminum, using the detailed Hugoniot relations and including transport effects. By our semi-analytic model, we find a spread of ≈40 eV in the TRad(DS) curve as a function of the temperature profile's duration and its temporal profile. Our model agrees with the various experiments and the simulations data, explaining the difference between the various scaling relations that appear in the literature.
Structural analyses of an RNA stability element interacting with poly(A)
Authors: Torabi Seyed-Fakhreddin , Chen Yen-Lin , Zhang Kaiming , Wang Jimin , DeGregorio Suzanne J. , Vaidya Anand T. , Su Zhaoming , Pabit Suzette A. , Chiu Wah , Pollack Lois , Steitz Joan A.
Published: March 2021

Significance

RNA triple helices were characterized in vitro over 60 y ago, but only recently implicated in diverse biological activities. The element for nuclear expression (ENE) protects RNA from degradation via triplex formation with the poly(A) tail on the 3ʹ ends of cellular RNAs. ENEs appear in diverse genomes, including a category containing two ENEs separated by a double-stranded region (dENEs). Using structure probing, SAXS, and cryo-EM, we show that poly(A) binding to a rice dENE induces local conformational changes, like formation of a motif that protects the extreme 3ʹ end of the poly(A). These analyses support the relevance of the recent crystal structure of the dENE+poly(A) complex and demonstrate the applicability of other techniques for understanding relatively small RNA structures.
Under the Waves: The Many Lives of Moniru Ravanipur's The Drowned
Authors: Shams Fatemeh
Published: March 2021

In 1989, the acclaimed Iranian novelist Moniru Ravanipur (b. 1954) sent ripples through her homeland with a book that spoke out about the plight of a remote village, fighting for survival in the face of the country's rapid modernization. Ahl-egharq, or The Drowned, tells the story of the author's birthplace, Jofreh, on the Persian Gulf; an isolated village where life is shaped by myth-telling, rituals, and a reliance on the sea. The 2019 publication of Ravanipur's novel in English translation gives occasion to critically reflect on its place in the canon of modern Persian fiction.
Fabrication of pn junction arrays with highly successful grown n-Si microneedles by using low temperature VLS method
Authors: Islam Md. Shofiqul , Hussain Mohammad Asif , Alkhateeb Abdulhameed Fouad
Published: March 2021

Arrays of pn junctions have been fabricated with n-Si microneedles. In situ doping vapor–liquid–solid (VLS) growth has been carried out with p-Si substrate having metallic catalyst (Au) dots on its surface, using Si2H6 and PH3 for supplying Si and phosphorus to fabricate n-Si microneedles on the surface of p-Si substrate in vertical direction; thus, pn junctions have been fabricated at microneedle-substrate interface. These n-Si microneedles have been grown at the temperature of 680 °C, which is about 420 °C less than the temperature (at least 1100 °C) required by conventional diffusion method of doping. In this work, n-Si microneedles have been successfully fabricated with 100% yield, the highest success ever for n-type VLS growth in micro range. The position and size of these n-Si microneedles are controllable. These n-Si microneedles are highly conductive. Physical and electrical characteristics of n-Si microneedles have been investigated by varying Au dot size and the level of phosphorus doping. The properties of interface pn junction have been investigated and compared with standard diode characteristics and theoretical results. Highly conductive n-Si microneedle arrays, embedded with interface pn junctions, might be used for collecting and processing bio-signals, profiling temperature/pressure inside living cells and many other sensor applications.
NO PLIF flow visualization and time-resolved temperature distributions in laser induced breakdown plumes
Authors: van den Bekerom D C M , Jans E R , Adamovich I V
Published: March 2021

NO planar laser induced fluorescence (PLIF) is used to obtain images of laser-induced breakdown plasma plumes in NO-seeded nitrogen and dry air at near atmospheric pressure. Single-shot PLIF-images show that the plume development 5–50 μs after the breakdown pulse is fairly reproducible shot-to-shot, although the plume becomes increasingly stochastic on longer timescales, 100–500 μs. The stochastic behavior of the plume is quantified using probability distributions of the loci of the plume boundary. Analysis of the single-shot images indicates that the mixing of the plume with ambient gas on sub-ms time scale is insignificant. The induced flow velocity in the plume is fairly low, up to 30 m s−1, suggesting that laser breakdowns are ineffective for mixing enhancement in high speed flows. The ensemble-averaged PLIF images indicate the evolution of the plume from an initially elongated shape to near-spherical to toroidal shape, with a subsequent radial expansion and formation of an axial jet in the center. Temperature distributions in the plume in air are obtained from the NO PLIF images, using two rotational transitions in the NO(X, v′ = 0 → A, v″ = 0) band, J″ = 6.5 and 12.5 of the QR12 + Q2 branch. The results indicate that the temperature in the plume remains high, above 1000 K, for approximately 100 μs, after which it decays gradually, to below 500 K at 500 μs. The residual NO fraction in the plume is ∼0.1%, indicating that repetitive laser-assisted ignition may result in significant NO-generation. These measured temperature and velocity distributions can be used for detailed validation of kinetic models of laser-induced breakdown and assessment of their predictive capability.
Enhanced photocatalytic performance of Cu2O/MoS2/ZnO composites on Cu mesh substrate for nitrogen reduction
Authors: Su Qian , Wang Weiwen , Zhang Zisheng , Duan Jihai
Published: March 2021

Cu2O nanoparticles and MoS2 nanoflowers decorated with ZnO nanospheres were successfully co-deposited on Cu mesh via a mild electrodeposition method to build a dual direct Z-scheme heterostructure. The prepared materials can effectively synthesize ammonia with N2 and H2O in the liquid membrane reactor under simulated visible light. The results indicate that 3D nanomaterials exhibit better performance compared to a pure semiconductor due to the synergistic effect of enhanced visible light absorption, longer photogenerated carrier lifetime and the specific charge transfer path of dual direct Z-scheme structure. Meanwhile, the hydrophilicity of Cu2O/MoS2/ZnO rapidly makes the surface of the catalyst wet when it participates in the photo reaction, which promotes the contact between the reactant and exciton. This work proposes the electron transfer and possible reaction mechanism corresponding to the designed catalyst, which can provide a reference for other photocatalytic applications using a semiconductor heterojunction as a catalyst.
High-performance MoO
x
/n-Si heterojunction NIR photodetector with aluminum oxide as a tunneling passivation interlayer
Authors: Xu Yajun , Shen Honglie , Xu Binbin , Wang Zehui , Li Yufang , Lai Binkang , Zhang Jingzhe
Published: March 2021

The most effective and potential approach to improve the performance of heterojunction photodetectors is to obtain favorable interfacial passivation by adding an insertion layer. In this paper, MoO
x
/Al2O3/n-Si heterojunction photodetectors with excellent photocurrents, responsivity and detectivity were fabricated, in which alumina acts as a tunneling passivation layer. By optimizing the post-annealing treatment temperature of the MoO
x
and the thickness of the ultra-thin Al2O3, the photodetector achieved a ratio of photocurrent to dark current of 3.1 × 105, a photoresponsivity of 7.11 A W−1 (@980 nm) and a detective of 9.85 × 1012 Jones at −5 V bias. Besides, a self-driven response of 0.17 A W−1 and a high photocurrent/dark current ratio of 2.07 × 104 were obtained. The result demonstrated that optimizing the interface of heterojunctions is a promising way to obtain a heterojunction photodetector with high-performance.
Improved lithium-ion battery performance by introducing oxygen-containing functional groups by plasma treatment
Authors: Zhang Xudong , Jin Mengjing , Zhao Yirong , Bai Zhaowen , Wu Caixia , Zhu Ziran , Wu Hongchang , Zhou Jinyuan , Li Jian , Pan Xiaojun , Xie Erqing
Published: March 2021

Metal sulfides are often used as cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) owing to their high theoretical specific capacity; however, excessively fast capacity decay during charging/discharging and rapid shedding during cycling limits their practical application in batteries. In this study, we proposed a strategy using plasma treatment combined with the solvothermal method to prepare cobalt sulfide (Co1−x
S)-carbon nanofibers (CNFs) composite. The plasma treatment could introduce oxygen-containing polar groups and defects, which could improve the hydrophilicity of the CNFs for the growth of the Co1−x
S, thereby increasing the specific capacity of the composite electrode. The results show that the composite electrode present a high discharge specific capacity (839 mAh g−1 at a current density of 100 mA g−1) and good cycle stability (the capacity retention rate almost 100% at 2000 mA g−1 after 500 cycles), attributing to the high conductivity of the CNFs. This study proves the application of plasma treatment and simple vulcanization method in high-performance LIBs.
Cross-modality image feature fusion diagnosis in breast cancer
Authors: Jiang Mingkuan , Han Lu , Sun Hang , Li Jing , Bao Nan , Li Hong , Zhou Shi , Yu Tao
Published: March 2021

Considering the complementarity of mammography and breast MRI, the research of feature fusion diagnosis based on cross-modality images was explored to improve the accuracy of breast cancer diagnosis. 201 patients with both mammography and breast MRI were collected retrospectively, including 117 cases of benign lesions and 84 cases of malignant ones. Two feature optimization strategies of sequential floating forward selection (SFFS), SFFS-1 and SFFS-2, were defined based on the sequential floating forward selection method. Each strategy was used to analyze the diagnostic performance of single-modality images and then to study the feature fusion diagnosis of cross-modality images. Three feature fusion approaches were compared: optimizing MRI features and then fusing those of mammography; optimizing mammography features and then fusing those of MRI; selecting the effective features from the whole feature set (mammography and MRI). Support vector machine, Naive Bayes, and K-nearest neighbor were employed as the classifiers and were finally integrated to get better performance. The average accuracy and area under the ROC curve (AUC) of MRI (88.56%, 0.9 for SFFS-1, 88.39%, 0.89 for SFFS-2) were better than mammography (84.25%, 0.84 for SFFS-1, 80.43%, 0.80 for SFFS-2). Furthermore, compared with a single modality, the average accuracy and AUC of cross-modality feature fusion can improve from 85.40% and 0.86 to 89.66% and 0.91. Classifier integration improved the accuracy and AUC from 90.49%, 0.92 to 92.37%, and 0.97. Cross-modality image feature fusion can achieve better diagnosis performance than a single modality. Feature selection strategy SFFS-1 has better efficiency than SFFS-2. Classifier integration can further improve diagnostic accuracy.
Two-modes model of the non-equilibrium plasma chemical dissociation of CO2
Authors: Kotov Vladislav
Published: March 2021

The vibrational kinetics model of the dissociation process CO2 + M → CO + O + M based on the two-modes (symmetric–asymmetric) approximation is presented. The model has shown to produce the effective dissociation rate of CO2 under conditions of thermal equilibrium close to that obtained experimentally. Results of the 0D calculations of the CO2 conversion in non-equilibrium conditions of a microwave plasma discharge are discussed. The chemical energy efficiency obtained in the calculations at translational-rotational temperature 300 K and degree of ionization 10−5 is between 42 and 56% depending on the assumptions. The efficiency is found to reduce and eventually vanish at elevated temperatures.
Spatial coherence control and analysis via micromirror-based mixed-state ptychography
Authors: Röhrich Ruslan , Koenderink A Femius , Witte Stefan , Loetgering Lars
Published: March 2021

Flexible and fast control of the phase and amplitude of coherent light, enabled by digital micromirror devices (DMDs) and spatial light modulators, has been a driving force for recent advances in optical tweezers, nonlinear microscopy, and wavefront shaping. In contrast, engineering spatially partially coherent light remains widely elusive due to the lack of tools enabling a joint analysis and control sequence. Here, we report an approach to coherence engineering that combines a quasi-monochromatic, thermal source and a DMD together with a ptychographic scanning microscope. The reported method opens up new routes to low-cost coherence control, with applications in micromanipulation, nanophotonics, and quantitative phase contrast imaging.
Enhanced photocatalytic properties of ZnO/Al2O3 nanorod heterostructure
Authors: Li Zhipeng , Zhou Ligong , Lu Liying , Xu Xiaoguang , Jiang Yong
Published: March 2021

The separation and transfer of the photoinduced charge carriers are essential for the high-efficient photocatalytic materials. Heterostructures which compose of several semiconductors can take advantage of energy level difference to improve photocatalytic properties. However, the fabrication of the related heterostructures normally adopts the physical vapor deposition method, such as atomic layer deposition, hindering the mass production of photocatalytic materials. In this work, ZnO nanorod arrays and ZnO/Al2O3 heterostructure were prepared on Si (100) substrates by a cost-efficient method which combines the hydrothermal and photochemical techniques. Microstructure and surface composition analysis on the heterostructure confirm the synthesis of the ZnO/Al2O3 core–shell heterostructure. According to the ultraviolet (UV)–visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, the band gap of the ZnO/Al2O3 heterostructure can be estimated to be 3.25 eV, which is larger than that of pure ZnO nanorod arrays. Moreover, the heterostructure exhibits an obviously enhanced photocatalytic property for photodegradation of methyl orange under UV-irradiation. The energy band diagram of heterostructure shows that the improvement of photocatalytic property can be ascribed to the increase in the electron-hole pair separation rate. This work provides a simple method to fabricate nanoscale semiconductor heterostructures for photocatalytic applications.
Green-synthesized MIL-100(Fe) modified with palladium as a selective catalyst in the hydrogenation of citronellal to citronellol
Authors: Lestari Witri Wahyu , Prajanira Lau Bekti , Putra Riandy , Purnawan Candra , Prihadiyono Fauzan Ibnu , Arrozi Ubed Sonai Fahrudin
Published: March 2021

The influence of palladium embedded into green-synthesized MIL-100(Fe) and its role as a selective catalyst in the hydrogenation of citronellal into citronellol were investigated. MIL-100(Fe) was synthesized in water at 95 °C without addition of hydrofluoric acid (HF). The loading of Pd was carried out using wet impregnation method with Pd loadings of 1 and 3 wt%. The obtained materials were then tested as catalyst in hydrogenation of citronellal in a batch reactor. XRD analysis confirmed the high crystallinity of the synthesized MIL-100(Fe). FTIR analysis indicated the deprotonation of carboxylic ligand and its coordination with Fe3+ metal ions. The materials had thermal stability up to 287 °C according to TG/DTA analysis. The modification with palladium changed the morphology and decreased the crystallinity, surface area, and porosity as shown by XRD, SEM, TEM and nitrogen sorption isotherm analysis. The presence of Pd successfully increased the catalytic performance and selectivity to convert the citronellal into citronellol through a hydrogenation reaction, and an optimum 63.7% conversion and 22.2% selectivity to citronellol was attained over 3% Pd/MIL-100(Fe).
Constructing defect-rich Ni9S8/Fe5Ni4S8 heterostructure nanoparticles for efficient oxygen evolution reaction and overall water splitting
Authors: Xu Jinxiao , Ma Yingjun , Wang Jie , Guo Xuyun , Su Linghao , Ma Chuanli , Gong Liangyu , Zhu Ye , Xuan Cuijuan
Published: March 2021

Designing electrocatalysts from the perspective of modulating electronic structure and morphology has received considerable research interest in enhancing the electrocatalytic performance for oxygen evolution reaction (OER). In this work, nickel–iron based sulfides were synthesized through a one-pot hydrothermal approach which is characterized as defect-rich Ni9S8/Fe5Ni4S8 heterostructured nanoparticles. The presence of two phases, numerous defects, and uniformly distributed nanoparticles with the porous structure are conducive to modulating electronic structure, facilitating electron and mass transport, allowing the effective accessibility of active sites. The as-prepared Ni9S8/Fe5Ni4S8 exhibits enhanced electrocatalytic OER activity and long-lasting stability, which needs an overpotential of 239 mV for yielding 10 mA cm−2 and long-term stability better than RuO2. Furthermore, when employed in a two-electrode overall water splitting system, the catalyst coupled with Pt/C configuration exhibits comparable electrocatalytic performance to Pt/C and RuO2 based electrolyzer. This work not only offers a highly efficient and promising candidate catalyst for electrocatalytic water oxidation but also provides a simple synthesis method to heterostructured nanoparticles for other energy-related applications.
Natural evolutionary strategies for variational quantum computation
Authors: Anand Abhinav , Degroote Matthias , Aspuru-Guzik Alán
Published: March 2021

Natural evolutionary strategies (NES) are a family of gradient-free black-box optimization algorithms. This study illustrates their use for the optimization of randomly initialized parameterized quantum circuits (PQCs) in the region of vanishing gradients. We show that using the NES gradient estimator the exponential decrease in variance can be alleviated. We implement two specific approaches, the exponential and separable NES, for parameter optimization of PQCs and compare them against standard gradient descent. We apply them to two different problems of ground state energy estimation using variational quantum eigensolver and state preparation with circuits of varying depth and length. We also introduce batch optimization for circuits with larger depth to extend the use of ES to a larger number of parameters. We achieve accuracy comparable to state-of-the-art optimization techniques in all the above cases with a lower number of circuit evaluations. Our empirical results indicate that one can use NES as a hybrid tool in tandem with other gradient-based methods for optimization of deep quantum circuits in regions with vanishing gradients.
Enhancing bile tolerance of Lactobacilli is involved in the hypolipidemic effects of liraglutide
Authors: Wang Chang , Hu Hai-Jie , Dong Qing-Qing , Huang Rui , Zhao Wei , Song Ya-Jian , Li Zhong-Yuan , Wang Nan , Zhang Tong-Cun , Luo Xue-Gang
Published: March 2021

Liraglutide is an analog of human glucagon-like peptide-1 which play essential roles in regulation of glycolipid metabolism. To investigate role of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) in lipid-lowering effect of liraglutide, 40 mice were divided into normal food diet (NFD), high-fat food (HFD), 10.0 mg/kg/d simvastatin-treated HFD (SIM + HFD), 200 and 400 µg/kg/d liraglutide-treated HFD (LL + HFD and HL + HFD) groups for 5 weeks. We found that liraglutide could upregulate cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase (CYP7A1) and LDL-receptor (LDLR), whereas downregulate 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase (HMGCR). Besides, liraglutide enhance abundance of lactobacillaceae in gut of hyperlipidemic mice and increase bile tolerance ability of LAB by upregulating bile salt hydrolases, and the lysate of liraglutide-sensitive LAB could also directly downregulate HMGCR, the key enzyme in cholesterol synthesis, and inhibit hepatocyte steatosis. These findings might provide new theoretical guidance for clinical application of liraglutide and research and development of antiobesity, hypolipidemic, and cholesterol-lowering drugs or functional foods.
Role of coloration in antipredator strategies of Pristidactylus achalensis (Squamata: Leiosauridae) related to sex and stages of predation
Authors: Torres María Del Milagro , Viladrich Leonel Jeremías , Naretto Sergio
Published: March 2021

The interaction between behavioural and phenotypic traits, such as coloration, plays a specific role at different stages of the predatory sequence. Cryptic coloration involves a match to the background that reduces the risk of detection, and it is usually optimized by immobility behaviour. In lizards, sexual dichromatism and within-individual changes of colour can influence the level of their crypsis and thus influence antipredator behaviour and the decision to flee. Here, we examined variation in coloration and antipredator behaviour between the sexes of the Achala copper lizard (Pristidactylus achalensis). We measured sexual dichromatism and crypsis in accordance with avian vision. We also exposed lizards to a raptor dummy to assess the colour change and behaviour at the detection and approach stages of the predatory event. Finally, we tested escape behaviour in the natural habitat. We found that males were more conspicuous than females. Additionally, individuals showed distinct behaviours at different stages of the predation simulation, but there were no differences between the sexes. However, in their natural habitat males initiated flight at greater distances than females, which might be related to their more conspicuous coloration. In summary, this study shows how differences in crypsis between the sexes affect escape behaviour during the approach stage of predation.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy for the treatment of rectovaginal fistulas in patients with Crohn’s disease: results of the HOT-REVA pilot study
Authors: Lansdorp C A , Buskens C J , Gecse K B , D’Haens G R A M , van Hulst R A
Published: March 2021

Background

Positive effects of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) on perianal fistulas in Crohn’s disease (CD) have been described, but the effect on rectovaginal fistulas (RVFs) has not yet been studied. The aim was to investigate the efficacy, safety and feasibility of HBO in patients with RVF in CD.

Methods

In this prospective study, consecutive CD patients between November 2018 and February 2020 presenting with RVF at the outpatient fistula clinic of the Amsterdam University Medical Centre were included and selected to receive treatment with 30 daily HBO sessions, if fistulas were actively draining and any concomitant treatment regimen was stable at least 6 weeks prior to start of HBO. Patients with a stoma were excluded. The primary endpoint was clinical closure at 3-month follow-up, defined as cessation of complaints and/or closure of the external orifice if visible at baseline. Secondary outcomes were improvement of concomitant perianal fistulas as measured by the perianal disease activity index (PDAI) and fistula drainage assessment (FDA), as well as improvement in patient-reported outcomes (visual analogue scale (VAS), inflammatory bowel disease questionnaire (IBDQ), faecal incontinence quality of life scale (FIQL) and female sexual functioning index (FSFI)) at 3-month follow-up.

Results

Out of 14 eligible patients, nine patients (median age 50 years) were treated, all of whom had previously had one or more unsuccessful medical and/or surgical treatments for their RVF. Clinical closure occurred in none of the patients at 3-month follow-up. There was no improvement in PDAI and patient-reported outcomes (VAS, IBDQ, FIQL and FSFI). Two patients had concomitant perianal fistulas; using FDA, one patient had a clinical response and one patient was in clinical remission 3 months after HBO. There were two treatment-related adverse events during HBO concerning claustrophobia and fatigue. Furthermore, two patients had a surgical intervention due to RVF and two patients were treated with antibiotics for a urinary tract infection during follow-up. One patient had a dose reduction of ustekinumab because of decreased luminal complaints.

Conclusion

Treatment with HBO was feasible, but in this therapy-refractory cohort without deviating ostomy no clinical closure of RVF or improvement in quality of life was seen 3 months after HBO. Treatment with HBO alone in this specific group of patients therefore appears to be ineffective.
Cardiovascular brain impulses in Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: Rajna Zalán , Mattila Heli , Huotari Niko , Tuovinen Timo , Krüger Johanna , Holst Sebastian C , Korhonen Vesa , Remes Anne M , Seppänen Tapio , Hennig Jürgen , Nedergaard Maiken , Kiviniemi Vesa
Published: March 2021

Accumulation of amyloid-β is a key neuropathological feature in brain of Alzheimer’s disease patients. Alterations in cerebral haemodynamics, such as arterial impulse propagation driving the (peri)vascular CSF flux, predict future Alzheimer’s disease progression. We now present a non-invasive method to quantify the three-dimensional propagation of cardiovascular impulses in human brain using ultrafast 10 Hz magnetic resonance encephalography. This technique revealed spatio-temporal abnormalities in impulse propagation in Alzheimer’s disease. The arrival latency and propagation speed both differed in patients with Alzheimer’s disease. Our mapping of arterial territories revealed Alzheimer’s disease-specific modifications, including reversed impulse propagation around the hippocampi and in parietal cortical areas. The findings imply that pervasive abnormality in (peri)vascular CSF impulse propagation compromises vascular impulse propagation and subsequently glymphatic brain clearance of amyloid-β in Alzheimer’s disease.
Interindividual Signatures of fMRI Temporal Fluctuations
Authors: Zhang Shengchao , Spoletini Liam J , Gold Benjamin P , Morgan Victoria L , Rogers Baxter P , Chang Catie
Published: March 2021

The complexity and variability of human brain activity, such as quantified from Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) time series, have been widely studied as potential markers of healthy and pathological states. However, the extent to which fMRI temporal features exhibit stable markers of inter-individual differences in brain function across healthy young adults is currently an open question. In this study, we draw upon two widely used time-series measures—a nonlinear complexity measure (sample entropy; SampEn) and a spectral measure of low-frequency content (fALFF)—to capture dynamic properties of resting-state fMRI in a large sample of young adults from the Human Connectome Project. We observe that these two measures are closely related, and that both generate reproducible patterns across brain regions over four different fMRI runs, with intra-class correlations of up to 0.8. Moreover, we find that both metrics can uniquely differentiate subjects with high identification rates (ca. 89%). Canonical correlation analysis revealed a significant relationship between multivariate brain temporal features and behavioral measures. Overall, these findings suggest that regional profiles of fMRI temporal characteristics may provide stable markers of individual differences, and motivate future studies to further probe relationships between fMRI time series metrics and behavior.
Meta-Analytic Findings on Reading in Children With Cochlear Implants
Authors: Wang Yingying , Sibaii Fatima , Lee Kejin , Gill Makayla J , Hatch Jonathan L
Published: March 2021

This meta-analysis study aims to quantify the group differences in reading skills between children with cochlear implants and their hearing peers and between children with cochlear implants and children with hearing aids (aged between 3 and 18 years old). Of the 5,642 articles screened, 47 articles met predetermined inclusion criteria (published between 2002 and 2019). The robust variance estimation based meta-analysis models were used to synthesize all the effect sizes. Children with cochlear implants scored significantly lower than their hearing peers in phonological awareness (g = −1.62, p < 0.001), vocabulary (g = −1.50, p < 0.001), decoding (g = −1.24, p < 0.001), and reading comprehension (g = −1.39, p < 0.001), but not for fluency (g = −0.67, p = 0.054). Compared to children with hearing aids, children with cochlear implants scored significantly lower in phonological awareness (g = −0.30, p = 0.028). The percentage of unilateral cochlear implant negatively impacts the group difference between children with cochlear implants and their hearing peers. Findings from this study confirm a positive shift in reading outcomes for profoundly deaf children due to cochlear implantation. Some children with cochlear implants may need additional supports in educational settings.
Holding a Group Together: Non-Game Theory Versus Game Theory
Authors: Richter Michael , Rubinstein Ariel
Published: March 2021

Each member of a group chooses a position and has preferences regarding his chosen position. The group’s harmony depends on the profile of chosen positions meeting a specific condition. We analyse a solution concept (Richter and Rubinstein, 2020) based on a permissible set of individual positions, which plays a role analogous to that of prices in competitive equilibrium. Given the permissible set, members choose their most preferred position. The set is tightened if the chosen positions are inharmonious and relaxed if the restrictions are unnecessary. This new equilibrium concept yields more attractive outcomes than does Nash equilibrium in the corresponding game.
Identification of local atrial conduction heterogeneities using high-density conduction velocity estimation
Authors: van Schie Mathijs S , Heida Annejet , Taverne Yannick J H J , Bogers Ad J J C , de Groot Natasja M S
Published: March 2021

Aims

Accurate determination of intra-atrial conduction velocity (CV) is essential to identify arrhythmogenic areas. The most optimal, commonly used, estimation methodology to measure conduction heterogeneity, including finite differences (FiD), polynomial surface fitting (PSF), and a novel technique using discrete velocity vectors (DVV), has not been determined. We aim (i) to identify the most suitable methodology to unravel local areas of conduction heterogeneities using high-density CV estimation techniques, (ii) to quantify intra-atrial differences in CV, and (iii) to localize areas of CV slowing associated with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF).

Methods and results

Intra-operative epicardial mapping (>5000 sites, interelectrode distances 2 mm) of the right and left atrium and Bachmann’s bundle (BB) was performed during sinus rhythm (SR) in 412 patients with or without PAF. The median atrial CV estimated using the DVV, PSF, and FiD techniques was 90.0 (62.4–116.8), 92.0 (70.6–123.2), and 89.4 (62.5–126.5) cm/s, respectively. The largest difference in CV estimates was found between PSF and DVV which was caused by smaller CV magnitudes detected only by the DVV technique. Using DVV, a lower CV at BB was found in PAF patients compared with those without atrial fibrillation (AF) [79.1 (72.2–91.2) vs. 88.3 (79.3–97.2) cm/s; P < 0.001].

Conclusions

Areas of local conduction heterogeneities were most accurately identified using the DVV technique, whereas PSF and FiD techniques smoothen wavefront propagation thereby masking local areas of conduction slowing. Comparing patients with and without AF, slower wavefront propagation during SR was found at BB in PAF patients, indicating structural remodelling.
Role of pre-operative transthoracic echocardiography in predicting post-operative atrial fibrillation after cardiac surgery: a systematic review of the literature and meta-analysis
Authors: Kawczynski Michal J , Gilbers Martijn , Van De Walle Sophie , Schalla Simon , Crijns Harry J , Maessen Jos G , Schotten Ulrich , Maesen Bart , Bidar Elham
Published: March 2021

Aims

This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to evaluate the role of pre-operative transthoracic echocardiography in predicting post-operative atrial fibrillation (POAF) after cardiac surgery.

Methods and results

Electronic databases were searched for studies reporting on pre-operative echocardiographic predictors of POAF in PubMed, Cochrane library, and Embase. A meta-analysis of echocardiographic predictors of POAF that were identified by at least five different publications was performed. Forty-three publications were included in this systematic review. Echocardiographic predictors for POAF included surrogate parameters for total atrial conduction time (TACT), structural cardiac changes, and functional disturbances. Meta-analysis showed that prolonged pre-operative PA-TDI interval [5 studies, Cohen’s d = 1.4, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.9–1.9], increased left atrial volume indexed for body surface area (LAVI) (23 studies, Cohen’s d = 0.8, 95% CI 0.6–1.0), and reduced peak atrial longitudinal strain (PALS) (5 studies, Cohen’s d = 1.4, 95% CI 1.0–1.8), were associated with POAF incidence. Left atrial volume indexed for body surface was the most important predicting factor in patients without a history of AF. These parameters remained important predictors of POAF in heterogeneous populations with variable age and comorbidities such as coronary artery disease and valvular disease.

Conclusion

This meta-analysis shows that increased TACT, increased LAVI, and reduced PALS are valuable parameters for predicting POAF in the early post-operative phase in a large variety of patients.