bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
High performance adaptive maximum power point tracking technique for off-grid photovoltaic systems
Authors: Banakhr Fahd A. , Mosaad Mohamed I.
Published: October 2021

Solar photovoltaic (PV) energy has met great attention in the electrical power generation field for its many advantages in both on and off-grid applications. The requirement for higher proficiency from the PV system to reap the energy requires maximum power point tracking techniques (MPPT). This paper presents an adaptive MPPT of a stand-alone PV system using an updated PI controller optimized by harmony search (HS). A lookup table is formed for the temperature and irradiance with the corresponding voltage at MPP (VMPP). This voltage is considered as the updated reference voltage required for MPP at each temperature and irradiance. The difference between this updated reference voltage at MPP and the variable PV voltage due to changing the environmental conditions is used to stimulate PI controller optimized by HS to update the duty cycle (D) of the DC–DC converter. The temperature, irradiance, and corresponding duty cycle at MPP are utilized to convert this MPP technique into an adaptive one without the PI controllers' need. An experimental implementation of the proposed adaptive MPPT is introduced to test the simulation results' validity at different irradiance and temperature levels.
Impact of surface and pore characteristics on fatigue life of laser powder bed fusion Ti–6Al–4V alloy described by neural network models
Authors: Moon Seunghyun , Ma Ruimin , Attardo Ross , Tomonto Charles , Nordin Mark , Wheelock Paul , Glavicic Michael , Layman Maxwell , Billo Richard , Luo Tengfei
Published: October 2021

In this study, the effects of surface roughness and pore characteristics on fatigue lives of laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) Ti–6Al–4V parts were investigated. The 197 fatigue bars were printed using the same laser power but with varied scanning speeds. These actions led to variations in the geometries of microscale pores, and such variations were characterized using micro-computed tomography. To generate differences in surface roughness in fatigue bars, half of the samples were grit-blasted and the other half were machined. Fatigue behaviors were analyzed with respect to surface roughness and statistics of the pores. For the grit-blasted samples, the contour laser scan in the LPBF strategy led to a pore-depletion zone isolating surface and internal pores with different features. For the machined samples, where surface pores resemble internal pores, the fatigue life was highly correlated with the average pore size and projected pore area in the plane perpendicular to the stress direction. Finally, a machine learning model using a drop-out neural network (DONN) was employed to establish a link between surface and pore features to the fatigue data (logN), and good prediction accuracy was demonstrated. Besides predicting fatigue lives, the DONN can also estimate the prediction uncertainty.
Action video game play facilitates “learning to learn”
Authors: Zhang Ru-Yuan , Chopin Adrien , Shibata Kengo , Lu Zhong-Lin , Jaeggi Susanne M. , Buschkuehl Martin , Green C. Shawn , Bavelier Daphne
Published: October 2021

Previous work has demonstrated that action video game training produces enhancements in a wide range of cognitive abilities. Here we evaluate a possible mechanism by which such breadth of enhancement could be attained: that action game training enhances learning rates in new tasks (i.e., “learning to learn”). In an initial controlled intervention study, we show that individuals who were trained on action video games subsequently exhibited faster learning in the two cognitive domains that we tested, perception and working memory, as compared to individuals who trained on non-action games. We further confirmed the causal effect of action video game play on learning ability in a pre-registered follow-up study that included a larger number of participants, blinding, and measurements of participant expectations. Together, this work highlights enhanced learning speed for novel tasks as a mechanism through which action video game interventions may broadly improve task performance in the cognitive domain.
Infants’ cortex undergoes microstructural growth coupled with myelination during development
Authors: Natu Vaidehi S. , Rosenke Mona , Wu Hua , Querdasi Francesca R. , Kular Holly , Lopez-Alvarez Nancy , Grotheer Mareike , Berman Shai , Mezer Aviv A. , Grill-Spector Kalanit
Published: October 2021

Development of cortical tissue during infancy is critical for the emergence of typical brain functions in cortex. However, how cortical microstructure develops during infancy remains unknown. We measured the longitudinal development of cortex from birth  to six months of age  using multimodal quantitative imaging of cortical microstructure. Here we show that infants’ cortex undergoes profound microstructural tissue growth during the first six months of human life. Comparison of postnatal to prenatal transcriptomic gene expression data demonstrates that myelination and synaptic processes are dominant contributors to this postnatal microstructural tissue growth. Using visual cortex as a model system, we find hierarchical microstructural growth: higher-level visual areas have less mature tissue at birth than earlier visual areas but grow at faster rates. This overturns the prominent view that visual areas that are most mature at birth develop fastest. Together, in vivo, longitudinal, and quantitative measurements, which we validated with ex vivo transcriptomic data, shed light on the rate, sequence, and biological mechanisms of developing cortical systems during early infancy. Importantly, our findings propose a hypothesis that cortical myelination is a key factor in cortical development during early infancy, which has important implications for diagnosis of neurodevelopmental disorders and delays in infants.
Deep representation features from DreamDIAXMBD improve the analysis of data-independent acquisition proteomics
Authors: Gao Mingxuan , Yang Wenxian , Li Chenxin , Chang Yuqing , Liu Yachen , He Qingzu , Zhong Chuan-Qi , Shuai Jianwei , Yu Rongshan , Han Jiahuai
Published: October 2021

We developed DreamDIAXMBD (denoted as DreamDIA), a software suite based on a deep representation model for data-independent acquisition (DIA) data analysis. DreamDIA adopts a data-driven strategy to capture comprehensive information from elution patterns of peptides in DIA data and achieves considerable improvements on both identification and quantification performance compared with other state-of-the-art methods such as OpenSWATH, Skyline and DIA-NN. Specifically, in contrast to existing methods which use only 6 to 10 selected fragment ions from spectral libraries, DreamDIA extracts additional features from hundreds of theoretical elution profiles originated from different ions of each precursor using a deep representation network. To achieve higher coverage of target peptides without sacrificing specificity, the extracted features are further processed by nonlinear discriminative models under the framework of positive-unlabeled learning with decoy peptides as affirmative negative controls. DreamDIA is publicly available at https://github.com/xmuyulab/DreamDIA-XMBD for high coverage and accuracy DIA data analysis.
Qubit-excitation-based adaptive variational quantum eigensolver
Authors: Yordanov Yordan S. , Armaos V. , Barnes Crispin H. W. , Arvidsson-Shukur David R. M.
Published: October 2021

Molecular simulations with the variational quantum eigensolver (VQE) are a promising application for emerging noisy intermediate-scale quantum computers. Constructing accurate molecular ansätze that are easy to optimize and implemented by shallow quantum circuits is crucial for the successful implementation of such simulations. Ansätze are, generally, constructed as series of fermionic-excitation evolutions. Instead, we demonstrate the usefulness of constructing ansätze with "qubit-excitation evolutions”, which, contrary to fermionic excitation evolutions, obey "qubit commutation relations”. We show that qubit excitation evolutions, despite the lack of some of the physical features of fermionic excitation evolutions, accurately construct ansätze, while requiring asymptotically fewer gates. Utilizing qubit excitation evolutions, we introduce the qubit-excitation-based adaptive (QEB-ADAPT)-VQE protocol. The QEB-ADAPT-VQE is a modification of the ADAPT-VQE that performs molecular simulations using a problem-tailored ansatz, grown iteratively by appending evolutions of qubit excitation operators. By performing classical numerical simulations for small molecules, we benchmark the QEB-ADAPT-VQE, and compare it against the original fermionic-ADAPT-VQE and the qubit-ADAPT-VQE. In terms of circuit efficiency and convergence speed, we demonstrate that the QEB-ADAPT-VQE outperforms the qubit-ADAPT-VQE, which to our knowledge was the previous most circuit-efficient scalable VQE protocol for molecular simulations.
Ruthenium red: a highly efficient and versatile cell staining agent for single-cell analysis using inductively coupled plasma time-of-flight mass spectrometry
Authors: Qin Wen , Stärk Hans-Joachim , Reemtsma Thorsten
Published: October 2021

A new method for determining the concentration of elements in single cells by the SC-ICP-TOF-MS method based on a metal-containing stain as a cell volume proxy has been developed and validated.
Horseradish peroxidase-repeat assay based on tyramine signal amplification for highly sensitive H2O2 detection by surface-enhanced Raman scattering
Authors: Fu Cuicui , Wang Yuqiu , Tian Xue , Wu Yan , Cao Haiyan , Li Yangyang , Jung Young Mee
Published: October 2021

A new and simple SERS biosensor based on the TSA-triggered formation of horseradish peroxidase repeats on a gold sensing chip was designed for the highly sensitive detection of H2O2.
Stabilization of radical active species in a MOF nanospace to exploit unique reaction pathways
Authors: Harada Yuki , Kusaka Shinpei , Nakajo Toshinobu , Kumagai Jun , Kim Cho Rong , Shim Joo Young , Hori Akihiro , Ma Yunsheng , Matsuda Ryotaro
Published: October 2021

An organic radical generated in the MOF nanospace gained greater thermal and chemical stability and showed the unique reaction.
The crystalline sponge method: quantum chemical in silico derivation and analysis of guest binding energies
Authors: Cardenal Ashley D. , Ramadhar Timothy R.
Published: October 2021

Computational techniques combined with single-crystal structural data provide a means to further analyse MOF-based crystalline sponge complexes.
Rotational (de)-excitation of C5 by collision with He at low temperature
Authors: Chefai A. , Ben Khalifa M. , Khadri F. , Hammami K.
Published: October 2021

An appropriate estimation of the abundance of the observed C5 radical in the interstellar medium requires accurate radiative and collisional rate coefficients.
The enhanced dissociation and associated surface structure of the anesthetic propofol at the water interface: vibrational sum frequency generation study
Authors: Biswas Biswajit , Singh Prashant Chandra
Published: October 2021

Propofol, the most administered drug for general anesthesia, affects the acid–base equilibrium at the interfacial region of arterial blood.
In-plane graphene/h-BN/graphene heterostructures with nanopores for electrical detection of DNA nucleotides
Authors: Kiakojouri Ali , Frank Irmgard , Nadimi Ebrahim
Published: October 2021

The in-plane heterostructure of graphene and h-BN has unique physical and electrical characteristics, which can be exploited for single-molecule DNA sequencing.
Glucocorticoid receptor-mediated alleviation of inflammation by berberine: in vitro, in silico and in vivo investigations
Authors: Liang Yuan , Zhang Tiehua , Zhao Jingqi , Li Chenfei , Zou Haoyang , Li Fangyu , Zhang Jie , Ren Li
Published: October 2021

Berberine might serve as a potential selective glucocorticoid receptor modulator.
Pyrroloquinoline quinone extendsCaenorhabditis elegans’ longevity through the insulin/IGF1 signaling pathway-mediated activation of autophagy
Authors: Yang Liu , Ye Qi , Zhang Xuguang , Li Ke , Liang Xiaoshan , Wang Meng , Shi Linran , Luo Suhui , Zhang Qiang , Zhang Xumei
Published: October 2021

Activation of autophagy involves PQQ-induced longevity effects.
Water nanodomains for efficient photocatalytic CO2 reduction to CO
Authors: Chen Gang , Cheng Xiuyan , Zhang Jianling , Wan Qiang , Duan Ran , Han Buxing , Cui Jie , Xiang Junfeng , Guan Bo , Xing Xueqing , Mo Guang , Wu Zhonghua
Published: October 2021

Here water nanodomains were applied to photocatalytic CO2 reduction under ambient conditions, which shows a high CO production rate with selectivity >99%.
Homogeneous modification of chitin and chitosan based on an alkali/urea soluble system and their applications in biomedical engineering
Authors: Bi Shichao , Qin Di , Yuan Shipeng , Cheng Xiaojie , Chen Xiguang
Published: October 2021

The homogeneous chemical modification of chitosan and chitin in alkali/urea solvents and their possible applications.
Effect of the lens-to-target distance on the determination of Cr in water by the electro-deposition method and laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy
Authors: Wang Qiuyun , Ge Ting , Liu Yitong , Chen Anmin , Li Suyu , Jin Mingxing
Published: October 2021

This study optimized the lens-to-target distance in the determination of Cr in water by the electro-deposition method and laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy.
Bifurcations in flows of complex fluids around microfluidic cylinders
Authors: Haward Simon J. , Hopkins Cameron C. , Varchanis Stylianos , Shen Amy Q.
Published: October 2021

We review recent work examining flow asymmetries observed for viscoelastic shear-thinning fluids around obstacles in microchannels, and provide a mechanism for the instability.
Cu2O–reduced graphene oxide composite as a high-performance electrocatalyst for oxygen evolution reaction in alkaline media
Authors: Xu Xiaomei , An Qingqing , Sun Hao , Wang Yongchun , Shang Wenhui , Bao Lixia , Jia Zhiyu , Zhang Qiang
Published: October 2021

Ethylene glycol was used as an inexpensive and nontoxic reducing agent to synthesize a Cu2O–reduced graphene oxide (Cu2O–rGO) composite. This material exhibited good electrocatalytic oxygen generation performance.
Reactions involving aryl methyl ketone and molecular iodine: a powerful tool in the one-pot synthesis of heterocycles
Authors: Rajai-Daryasarei Saideh , Gohari Mohammad Hossein , Mohammadi Narges
Published: October 2021

The preparation of heterocyclic compounds has attracted great attention in organic chemistry because of their extensive application in the field of bioactive molecules, materials science, and natural products.
Mesoporous thin films on graphene FETs: nanofiltered, amplified and extended field-effect sensing
Authors: Alberti Sebastián , Piccinini Esteban , Ramirez Pedro G. , Longo Gabriel S. , Ceolín Marcelo , Azzaroni Omar
Published: October 2021

Mesoporous thin films on graphene transistors display unique nanofiltered, amplified and extended field-effect sensing. Synergy between the molecular confinement inside mesopores and the graphene interfacial transduction allows this outcome.
Dual-wavelength responsive photoelectrochemical aptasensor based on ionic liquid functionalized Zn-MOFs and noble metal nanoparticles for the simultaneous detection of multiple tumor markers
Authors: Zhong Yingying , Wang Xian , Zha Ruyan , Wang Chen , Zhang Huijuan , Wang Yanying , Li Chunya
Published: October 2021

A dual-wavelength responsive photoelectrochemical aptasensor based on ionic liquid functionalized Zn-MOF microspheres and noble metal nanoparticles was constructed for CEA and CA153 determination with high performances.
Visible light-responsive micelles enable co-delivery of nitric oxide and antibiotics for synergistic antibiofilm applications
Authors: He Kewu , Shen Zhiqiang , Chen Zhenhua , Zheng Bin , Cheng Sheng , Hu Jinming
Published: October 2021

Tetraphenylethylene (TPE) moieties have been employed as a light-absorbing antenna for the activation of photoresponsiveN-nitrosamine derivatives, enabling visible light-triggered NO release and efficient biofilm dispersal.
Wanzlick's equilibrium in tri- and tetraaminoolefins
Authors: Messelberger Julian , Kumar Manoj , Goodner Stephen J. , Munz Dominik
Published: October 2021

How to isolate small carbenes, previously reported to from dimers instantaneously, and how to split triaminoolefins into free carbenes.
Noria and its derivatives as hosts for chemically and thermally robust Type II porous liquids
Authors: Alexander Francesca M. , Fonrouge Sergio F. , Borioni José L. , Del Pópolo Mario G. , Horton Peter N. , Coles Simon J. , Hutchings Benjamin P. , Crawford Deborah E. , James Stuart L.
Published: October 2021

Porous Liquids (PLs) are a new class of material that possess both fluidity and permanent porosity. Here we identify Noria, a rigid cyclic oligomer as a new host for the synthesis of more robust Type II PLs.
Rationalizing the generation of broad spectrum antibiotics with the addition of a positive charge
Authors: Haloi Nandan , Vasan Archit Kumar , Geddes Emily J. , Prasanna Arjun , Wen Po-Chao , Metcalf William W. , Hergenrother Paul J. , Tajkhorshid Emad
Published: October 2021

A rapid pathway sampling method combining Monte Carlo and graph theory, developed to describe permeation pathways through outer membrane porins, can distinguish between structurally similar analogs with different permeabilities.
Structural diversity of mixed polypnictogen complexes: dicationic E2E′2 (E ≠ E′ = P, As, Sb, Bi) chains, cycles and cages stabilized by transition metals
Authors: Dütsch Luis , Riesinger Christoph , Balázs Gábor , Seidl Michael , Scheer Manfred
Published: October 2021

Unique dicationic hetero-tetrapnictogen E2E′2 (E ≠ E′ = P, As, Sb, Bi) chains and cages are obtained via oxidation of the tetrahedranes [{CpMo(CO)2}2(μ,η2:η2-EE′)]. Exchange of the counterion causes an unusual cyclization of the As2Sb2 ligand.
Low frequency radio properties of thez > ​5 quasar population
Authors: Gloudemans A. J. , Duncan K. J. , Röttgering H. J. A. , Shimwell T. W. , Venemans B. P. , Best P. N. , Brüggen M. , Calistro Rivera G. , Drabent A. , Hardcastle M. J. , Miley G. K. , Schwarz D. J. , Saxena A. , Smith D. J. B. , Williams W. L.
Published: October 2021

Optically luminous quasars atz > 5 are important probes of super-massive black hole (SMBH) formation. With new and future radio facilities, the discovery of the brightest low-frequency radio sources in this epoch would be an important new probe of cosmic reionization through 21-cm absorption experiments. In this work, we systematically study the low-frequency radio properties of a sample of 115 known spectroscopically confirmedz > 5 quasars using the second data release of the Low Frequency Array (LOFAR) Two Metre Sky survey (LoTSS-DR2), reaching noise levels of ∼80 μJy beam−1(at 144 MHz) over an area of ∼5720 deg2. We find that 41 sources (36%) are detected in LoTSS-DR2 at > 2σsignificance and we explore the evolution of their radio properties (power, spectral index, and radio loudness) as a function of redshift and rest-frame ultra-violet properties. We obtain a median spectral index of −0.29−0.09+0.10by stacking 93 quasars using LoTSS-DR2 and Faint Images of the Radio Sky at Twenty Centimetres (FIRST) data at 1.4 GHz, in line with observations of quasars atz < 3. We compare the radio loudness of the high-zquasar sample to a lower-zquasar sample atz ∼ 2 and find that the two radio loudness distributions are consistent with no evolution, although the low number of high-zquasars means that we cannot rule out weak evolution. Furthermore, we make a first order empirical estimate of thez = 6 quasar radio luminosity function, which is used to derive the expected number of high-zsources that will be detected in the completed LoTSS survey. This work highlights the fact that new deep radio observations can be a valuable tool in selecting high-zquasar candidates for follow-up spectroscopic observations by decreasing contamination of stellar dwarfs and reducing possible selection biases introduced by strict colour cuts.
A notched-noise precursor affects both diotic and dichotic notched-noise masking
Authors: Dymel Felix , Kordus Monika , Yasin Ifat , Verhey Jesko L.
Published: October 2021

The present study investigates how diotic and dichotic masked thresholds, in a notched-noise masking paradigm, are affected by activation of the Medial OlivoCochlear (MOC) reflex. Thresholds were obtained for a 500-Hz pure tone diotic or a dichotic signal, S (S0 or Sπ respectively), in the presence of a simultaneous or forward diotic masker (bandpass noise with no notch or a 400-Hz notch). A diotic precursor sound (bandpass noise with a 400- or 800-Hz notch) was presented prior to the signal and masker to activate the MOC reflex. For simultaneous- and forward-masking conditions, the decrease in masked thresholds as a notch was introduced in the masker was larger for the diotic than for the dichotic condition. This resulted in a reduced binaural masking level difference (BMLD) for the masker with a notch. The precursor augmented these two effects. The results indicate that the effect of the precursor, eliciting the MOC reflex, is less pronounced when binaural cues are processed.
Effect of in situ formation of tungsten semicarbide on the microstructure and mechanical properties of medium carbon steel composites
Authors: Soni Nandish Girishbhai , Mahajan Akash Ganesh , Kambale Kaustubh Ramesh , Butee Sandeep Prabhakar
Published: October 2021

Fabrication with the in-situ formation of W2C reinforced medium carbon steel (MCS) MMC’s was attempted using W or WO3and graphite addition to steel. The P/M route comprising milling, compaction and sintering at 1050 °C and 1120 °C respectively in 90% N2 + 10% H2atmosphere was adopted. Both SEM and BET studies revealed the particle size to be around 100, 7 and 40 µm for MCS, W and WO3, respectively. A complete conversion of tungsten into tungsten semicarbide (W2C) was noted in XRD for the tungsten additions of ∼6, 9 and 12 wt.% with stoichiometrically balanced C (graphite) addition of 0, 0.2 and 0.4 wt.%. However, WO3 + C addition (balanced as above) revealed the partial conversion of WO3to W2C. The peaks of Fe3C were observed only for MCS + W + C samples and not for MCS + WO3 + C samples in XRD. In SEM, the WO3phase appeared porous and partially converted, whereas, W2C phase was dense. Sintered density improved for the addition of W, whereas it monotonically reduced for WO3addition to MCS + C samples. Higher hardness, compressive strength, and wear resistance was noted for W addition than WO3to MCS+C samples.
ORFEES – a radio spectrograph for the study of solar radio bursts and space weather applications
Authors: Hamini Abdallah , Auxepaules Gabriel , Birée Lionel , Kenfack Guy , Kerdraon Alain , Klein Karl-Ludwig , Lespagnol Patrice , Masson Sophie , Coutouly Lucile , Fabrice Christian , Romagnan Renaud
Published: October 2021

Radio bursts are sensitive tracers of non-thermal electron populations in the solar corona. They are produced by electron beams and shock waves propagating through the corona and the heliosphere, and by trapped electron populations in coronal mass ejections (CMEs) and in quiescent active regions. Combining space-borne and ground-based radio spectrographs allows one to track disturbances between the low corona, near or at the sites of particle acceleration, and the spacecraft. Radio observations are, therefore, a significant tool in probing the solar origin of heliospheric disturbances, which is a central research topic as witnessed by the Parker Solar Probe and Solar Orbiter missions. The full scientific return of these projects needs vigorous ground-based support, which at radio wavelengths covers altitudes up to about a solar radius above the photosphere. Besides research in solar and heliospheric physics, monitoring solar radio bursts also supports space weather services. On occasion, radio bursts can themselves be a space weather hazard. The Nançay radio astronomy station in central France has a long tradition of monitoring radio emission at decimetre-to-meter wavelengths. This article describes the radio spectrograph ORFEES (Observations Radiospectrographiques pour FEDOME et l’Etude des Eruptions Solaires). It observes the whole-Sun flux density between 144 and 1004 MHz, pertaining to regions between the low corona and about half a solar radius above the photosphere. ORFEES results from a partnership between Observatoire de Paris and the French Air Force, which operates the experimental space weather service FEDOME. The primary use of the instrument at the Paris Observatory is astrophysical observation. Low-resolution data with rapid availability are presently produced for the French Air Force. Similar information can be made available to a broader range of space weather service providers. This article gives an overview of the instrument design and access to the data and shows a few illustrative observations.
Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Radiology in Inpatient and Outpatient Care in Germany: A Nationwide Survey Regarding the First and Second Wave
Authors: Bernatz Simon , Afat Saif , Othman Ahmed E. , Nikolaou Konstantin , Sieren Malte , Sähn Marwin-Jonathan , Pinto dos Santos Daniel , Penzkofer Tobias , Bucher Andreas Michael , Hamm Bernd , Vogl Thomas J. , Bodelle Boris ,   RACOON Consortium
Published: October 2021

Objectives To find out the opinion of radiological inpatient and outpatient medical staff regarding the measures taken in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic during the first and second waves and to identify the measures that are still perceived as needing improvement.

Materials and Methods We conducted an anonymous online survey among more than 10 000 radiologists/technicians in Germany from January 5 to January 31, 2021. A total of 862 responses (head physicians, n = 225 [inpatient doctors, n = 138; outpatient doctors, n = 84; N/A, n = 3]; radiologic personnel, n = 637 [inpatient doctor, n = 303; outpatient doctor, n = 50; inpatient technician, n = 217; outpatient technician, n = 26; N/A, n = 41]) were received. Questions of approximation, yes/no questions, and Likert scales were used.

Results During the first/second wave, 70 % (86/123)/43 % (45/104) of inpatient and 26 % (17/66)/10 % (5/52) of outpatient head physicians agreed that they received financial support from the authorities but the majority rated the financial support as insufficient. During the first and second wave, 33 % (8/24) and 80 % (16/20) of outpatient technicians agreed that they were adequately provided with personal protective equipment. The perceived lack of personal protective equipment improved for all participants during the second wave. Inpatient [outpatient] technicians perceived an increased workload in the first and second wave: 72 % (142/198) [79 % (19/24)] and 84 % (146/174) [80 % (16/20)]. Conclusion: Technicians seem increasingly negatively affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany. Financial support by the competent authorities seems to be in need of improvement.

Key Points: 

Citation Format
Diabetes und Impfen
Authors: Lignitz Sarah , Zepp Fred
Published: October 2021

Menschen mit Diabetes mellitus haben ein krankheitsimmanent erhöhtes Infektionsrisiko. Impfungen stellen eine der wirksamsten und wichtigsten medizinischen Maßnahmen zur Prävention von Infektionen dar. Dieser Beitrag soll einen Überblick über die aktuellen Impfempfehlungen speziell für Menschen mit Diabetes mellitus geben.
Daily Care Information System Requirements: Professional Service-Driven Service Blueprint Approach
Authors: Lin Tung-Cheng , Hwang Lih-Lian , Dai Hung-da , Sang Yu-Chun
Published: October 2021

Background Long-term care (LTC) services are a professional service-driven (PSD) system; to deliver appropriate care services to residents, health care providers first need to collect appropriate patient data and make a professional assessment. A well-designed LTC information system should therefore consider the information requirements of multidisciplinary health care providers to adequately support their care services.

Objectives This study proposed a modified service blueprint—the PSD service blueprint—for visualizing interdisciplinary service providers' input and output information requirements, which correspond to their service activities.

Methods The PSD service blueprint comprises five layers and seven elements. We also present a case study to illustrate the blueprint's application to daily LTC services.

Results Our proposed approach could clearly illustrate the daily care activities, service providers (main actors), actors' input and output information, and suggestions for LTC information system–related applications.

Conclusion The proposed PSD service blueprint can not only gather interdisciplinary LTC service providers' information system requirements but also act as a mapping tool for visualizing the care service process.
Treatment of an Unyielding Central Vein Stenosis using Valvuloplasty Balloon in a Young Female Presenting with Ineffective Hemodialysis
Authors: Bhambhani Anupam , Joshi Amey
Published: October 2021

Percutaneous balloon venoplasty is widely employed for the management of central vein stenosis (CVS), a condition frequently encountered in patients on maintenance hemodialysis (MHD). The hypertrophied and fibrotic venous stenotic lesions often pose a challenge for interventionists, due to resistance to dilatation and high-elastic recoil. We report here successful utilization of mitral valvuloplasty balloon for percutaneous treatment of an unyielding brachiocephalic vein stenosis. Repeated failure of conventionally used peripheral balloon dilatation catheter prompted the use of a mitral valvuloplasty balloon that could exert higher radial pressure while preventing melon-seeding and hence successfully achieve stenosis dilatation. The mitral valvuloplasty balloon can be effectively and safely used for lesions resistant to repeated dilatations by conventional peripheral balloons. Rheological stress on central veins from ipsilateral arteriovenous fistula (AVF) may result in development of stenotic lesions, even in the absence of prior venous catheterization of the affected vein; therefore, in the presence of relevant symptoms, this diagnosis should not be excluded on the basis of absence of prior direct trauma at the stenosis site.
Do we achieve anything by teaching research integrity to starting PhD students?
Authors: Abdi Shila , Fieuws Steffen , Nemery Benoit , Dierickx Kris
Published: October 2021

Education of young researchers has been proposed as a way to promote research integrity. However, the effectiveness of research integrity education on PhD students is unknown. In a longitudinal design, we surveyed over 1000 starting PhD students from various disciplines regarding knowledge, attitude and behaviour before, immediately after and 3 months after a compulsory 3-h course given by a panel of experts. Compared with a control group who did not follow the course, the course recipients showed significant (multivariate analysis) but modest improvements in knowledge and attitude scores immediately after the course, but not after 3 months; a prolonged impact was apparent regarding behaviour. Moreover, the course spurred 93% of PhD students to have conversations about research integrity and 79% declared applying the content of the course. Among other interventions, formal education in research integrity may contribute to foster a climate of research integrity in academia.
Noise-driven topological changes in chaotic dynamics
Authors: Charó Gisela D. , Chekroun Mickaël D. , Sciamarella Denisse , Ghil Michael
Published: October 2021

Noise modifies the behavior of chaotic systems in both quantitative and qualitative ways. To study these modifications, the present work compares the topological structure of the deterministic Lorenz (1963) attractor with its stochastically perturbed version. The deterministic attractor is well known to be “strange” but it is frozen in time. When driven by multiplicative noise, the Lorenz model’s random attractor (LORA) evolves in time. Algebraic topology sheds light on the most striking effects involved in such an evolution. In order to examine the topological structure of the snapshots that approximate LORA, we use branched manifold analysis through homologies—a technique originally introduced to characterize the topological structure of deterministically chaotic flows—which is being extended herein to nonlinear noise-driven systems. The analysis is performed for a fixed realization of the driving noise at different time instants in time. The results suggest that LORA’s evolution includes sharp transitions that appear as topological tipping points.
Numerical investigation of flow around a square cylinder in accelerated flow
Authors: Guo Fangjuan , Wu Gefei , Du Xiaoqing , Mason Matthew S.
Published: October 2021

To investigate the flow field evolution and resultant aerodynamic characteristics of a square cylinder during flow acceleration, large-eddy simulations were undertaken to simulate flow with a dimensionless acceleration rate ap of 0.0048. The adopted ap resembles that is likely to be experienced during a severe downburst wind storm. The tested incidence angle α ranges from 0° to 45° and the time-dependent Reynolds number Re [Re = U(t)D/v, where U(t) is the time-dependent inflow velocity and D and v are the cylinder length and the kinematic viscosity, respectively] varies from 0 to 5 × 104 throughout the simulation. Results revealed that the flow around a square cylinder in accelerated flow evolves through three distinct temporal flow phases: namely, Phase I (Ia and Ib) where no vortex shedding (the instantaneous lift force through this period is zero) is observed, Phase II, where periodic vortex shedding and associated lift force oscillations are initiated and enhanced, and Phase III where stable vortex shedding occurs. Phase I can be further broken down into Phase Ia, which is characterized by laminar shear layer separation and the existence of steady recirculation vortices in the near wake region, and Phase Ib (only present at α = 0° and 45°) which is distinguished by the presence of quasi-steady recirculation vortices behind the cylinder. Aside from the variation of flow patterns, the transient lift and drag coefficients and the wind pressure distributions, as well as the spatial evolution of three-dimensional flow structures and pressure distributions, are also elucidated in detail.
Hydrodynamics of a fish-like body undulation mechanism: Scaling laws and regimes for vortex wake modes
Authors: Gupta Siddharth , Sharma Atul , Agrawal Amit , Thompson Mark C. , Hourigan Kerry
Published: October 2021

A comprehensive two-dimensional numerical investigation has been undertaken to calculate the energetic cost of propulsion and the various flow transitions of a fish-like body undulation mechanism based on a National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics 0012 hydrofoil. This covers a wide range of Strouhal (0≤St≤1.4) and Reynolds (500≤Re≤5000) numbers from simulations based on a level-set function immersed-interface method. It is found that the time-averaged thrust coefficient displays a quadratic relationship with increasing St, and increases significantly with Re. Additionally, the time-averaged input power coefficient exhibits a cubic dependence with increasing St but is independent of Re. Both St dependences agree with those previously observed experimentally and numerically for an oscillating foil; however, for similar ranges of governing parameters, comparisons suggest that the body undulation mechanism possesses a higher propulsive efficiency. The St∝Re−0.19 scaling for the drag-to-thrust transition is consistent with that found for a wide variety of fish and birds in nature. Interestingly, for cases with an undulation wave-speed below the free-stream speed, the time-averaged drag coefficient is found to be higher than that of a stationary hydrofoil at the same Re. Furthermore, the time-averaged input power coefficient is negative, indicating the potential for the undulation mechanism to extract energy from the free-stream. Eight different wake patterns/transitions are documented for the parameter space; these have been assembled into a wake-regime parameter-space map. The present findings should aid in predicting and understanding different hydrodynamic forces and wake patterns for undulating kinematics.
Robust deep learning for emulating turbulent viscosities
Authors: Patil Aakash , Viquerat Jonathan , Larcher Aurélien , El Haber George , Hachem Elie
Published: October 2021

From the simplest models to complex deep neural networks, modeling turbulence with machine learning techniques still offers multiple challenges. In this context, the present contribution proposes a robust strategy using patch-based training to learn turbulent viscosity from flow velocities and demonstrates its efficient use on the Spalart–Allmaras turbulence model. Training datasets are generated for flow past two-dimensional obstacles at high-Reynolds numbers and used to train an auto-encoder type convolutional neural network with local patch inputs. Compared to a standard training technique, patch-based learning not only yields increased accuracy but also reduces the computational cost required for training.
Solution processed AgSbS2 film for efficient planar heterojunction solar cells
Authors: Zhang Lijian , Zhu Changfei , Chen Tao
Published: October 2021

AgSbS2 is a promising absorber material for photovoltaic cells because of its optimum bandgap, strong optical absorption, and excellent stability. Here, we report a spin-coating and annealing approach for the fabrication of AgSbS2 solar cells, where Ag-Sb-thiourea complex solution was prepared as the precursor solution. We identified that the annealing temperature crucially affected the phase composition, crystallinity, and surface morphology of the AgSbS2 film. We also probed the electronic structures and established a FTO/TiO2/AgSbS2/Spiro-OMeTAD/Au device structure. This device finally achieved an encouraging power conversion efficiency of 2.25%, which is highest efficiency in AgSbS2 solar cells. Our research opens up another prospect for pursuing high performance AgSbS2 thin film solar cells by adopting a solution processing method and planar heterojunction device structure.
A kinetic approach to studying low-frequency molecular fluctuations in a one-dimensional shock
Authors: Sawant Saurabh S. , Levin Deborah A. , Theofilis Vassilios
Published: October 2021

Low-frequency molecular fluctuations in the translational nonequilibrium zone of one-dimensional strong shock waves are characterized for the first time in a kinetic collisional framework in the Mach number range 2≤M≤10. Our analysis draws upon the well-known bimodal nature of the probability density function (PDF) of gas particles in the shock, as opposed to their Maxwellian distribution in the freestream, the latter exhibiting two orders of magnitude higher dominant frequencies than the former. Inside the (finite-thickness) shock region, the strong correlation between perturbations in the bimodal PDF and fluctuations in the normal stress suggests introducing a novel two-bin model to describe the reduced-order dynamics of a large number of collision interactions of gas particles. Our model correctly predicts two orders of magnitude differences in fluctuation frequencies in the shock vs those in the freestream and is consistent with the small-amplitude fluctuations obtained from the highly resolved direct simulation Monte Carlo computations of the same configuration. The variation of low-frequency fluctuations with changes in the conditions upstream of the shock revealed that these fluctuations can be described by a Strouhal number, based on the bulk velocity upstream of the shock and the shock-thickness based on the maximum density gradient inside the shock, that remains practically independent of Mach number in the range examined.
A new approach of using low magnetic field to focus SEB
Authors: Yin PengCheng , Xu Jin , Yue LingNa , Fang ShuanZhu , Yang RuiChao , Luo JinJing , Zhang Jian , Jia DongDong , Yin HaiRong , Zhao GuoQing , Xu Lin , Wang WenXiang , Liu WenXin , Li Dazhi , Wei YanYu
Published: October 2021

The transport of sheet electron beam (SEB) is of critical importance for the success of a number of high-power millimeter wave and terahertz vacuum devices. In this paper, the condition to achieve the SEB's stable transport in uniform longitudinal magnetic field is studied. Based on this stability condition, a new approach, named sheet electron beam matching focusing magnetic (SEB-MFM) field, which consists of a longitudinal component and a tiny transverse component, is presented. The SEB-MFM field can be generated by adding extra transversely magnetized magnets to the conventional uniform magnetic (UM) system. For demonstrating the effect of the SEB-MFM field, the simulation work of the SEB-MFM field and conventional UM field is carried out for an electron optical system employing a SEB. The simulation results show that the SEB-MFM field effectively eliminates the instabilities, such as distortion and deformation, arising from the longitudinal magnetic field. In addition, comparing with conventional UM field, the SEB-MFM can achieve the stable and long-distance transport of a SEB with a pretty low magnetic field strength. Finally, a new magnetic system generating SEB-MFM field is designed, fabricated, and measured.
Convergence of two-point Padé approximants to piecewise holomorphic functions
Authors: Yattselev M. L.
Published: October 2021

Let

and

be formal power series at the origin and infinity, and

,

, be the rational function that simultaneously interpolates

at the origin with order

and

at infinity with order

. When germs

and

represent multi-valued functions with finitely many branch points, it was shown by Buslaev that there exists a unique compact set

in the complement of which the approximants converge in capacity to the approximated functions. The set

may or may not separate the plane. We study uniform convergence of the approximants for the geometrically simplest sets

that do separate the plane.

Bibliography: 26 titles.
On optimal recovery of values of linear operators from information known with a stochastic error
Authors: Krivosheev K. Yu.
Published: October 2021

The optimal recovery of values of linear operators is considered for classes of elements the information on which is known with a stochastic error. Linear optimal recovery methods are constructed that, in general, do not use all the available information for the measurements. As a consequence, an optimal method is described for recovering a function from a finite set of its Fourier coefficients specified with a stochastic error.

Bibliography: 14 titles.
New moduli components of rank 2 bundles on projective space
Authors: Almeida C. , Jardim M. , Tikhomirov A. S. , Tikhomirov S. A.
Published: October 2021

We present a new family of monads whose cohomology is a stable rank 2 vector bundle on

. We also study the irreducibility and smoothness together with a geometrical description of some of these families. These facts are used to construct a new infinite series of rational moduli components of stable rank 2 vector bundles with trivial determinant and growing second Chern class. We also prove that the moduli space of stable rank 2 vector bundles with trivial determinant and second Chern class equal to 5 has exactly three irreducible rational components.

Bibliography: 40 titles.
Development of high-yielding soybean lines by using marker-assisted selection for seed yield and lodging tolerance
Authors: Yamaguchi Naoya , Sato Yumi , Taguchi-Shiobara Fumio , Kousaka Fumiko , Ishimoto Masao , Senda Mineo
Published: October 2021

Genetic analysis of seed yield is important in the breeding of high-yielding cultivars in soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.). Generally, the number of quantitative trait loci (QTLs) associated with seed yield, even in a single population, is high, and thus, the effect of each QTL is small. Lodging tolerance is an important trait that affects yield because soybean plants with higher aboveground weights are easily lodged. We previously identified eight QTLs associated with seed yield and a QTL associated with lodging tolerance, qLS19-1, by using a recombinant inbred line (RIL) population derived from a cross between Japanese cultivars Toyoharuka and Toyomusume. There were significant positive correlations over 3 years between seed yield and the number of favourable alleles at QTLs associated with seed yield in the RILs. The aim of this study was to develop high-yielding lines by using marker-assisted selection for seed yield and lodging tolerance. Six pyramiding lines with favourable alleles at seven QTLs associated with seed yield and qLS19-1 were developed from a cross between two RILs in the same population. The seed yields of six pyramiding lines tended to be greater than those of Toyoharuka (114–124%) and Toyomusume (108–117%) in a 2-year yield trial. Four of the six pyramiding lines produced significantly higher yields and were later maturing than both Toyoharuka and Toyomusume. Our results suggest that marker-assisted selection for seed yield and lodging tolerance in the same population will be effective for high-yield breeding.
Cadmium hijacks the high zinc response by binding and activating the HIZR-1 nuclear receptor
Authors: Earley Brian J. , Cubillas Ciro , Warnhoff Kurt , Ahmad Raheel , Alcantar Alan , Lyon Maximilian D. , Schneider Daniel L. , Kornfeld Kerry
Published: October 2021

Significance

Zinc is essential for animal life, and zinc levels are carefully regulated by homeostatic mechanisms. In the model organism
Caenorhabditis elegans
, the HIZR-1 nuclear receptor directly binds zinc and mediates high zinc homeostasis by regulating transcription. Cadmium is structurally similar to zinc but is a prevalent environmental toxin. Here, we explore how animals respond to these similar metals. The results suggest that cadmium hijacks the high zinc homeostasis response by directly binding and activating HIZR-1. This is an example of cadmium functioning as an activating ligand for a zinc-regulated protein in contrast to the prevailing model that cadmium binding causes protein dysfunction. These results elucidate the interplay between these two metals and reveal an unexpected mechanism of cadmium transcriptional control.
Timing outweighs magnitude of rainfall in shaping population dynamics of a small mammal species in steppe grassland
Authors: Li Guoliang , Wan Xinrong , Yin Baofa , Wei Wanhong , Hou Xianglei , Zhang Xin , Batsuren Erdenetuya , Zhao Jidong , Huang Shuli , Xu Xiaoming , Liu Jing , Song Yiran , Ozgul Arpat , Dickman Christopher R. , Wang Guiming , Krebs Charles J. , Zhang Zhibin
Published: October 2021

Significance

Disentangling the effects of rainfall timing and magnitude on animal and plant populations is essential to reveal the biological consequence of diverse climate change scenarios around the world. We conducted a 10-y, large-scale, manipulative experiment to examine the bottom-up effects of changes in rainfall regime on the population dynamics of Brandt’s voles in the steppe grassland of Inner Mongolia, China. We found that a moderate rainfall increase during the early growing season could produce marked increases in vole population size by increasing the biomass of preferred plant species, whereas large increases in rainfall produced no additional increase in vole population growth. Our study highlights the importance of rainfall magnitude and timing on the nonlinear population dynamics of herbivores.