bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Transarterial chemoembolization with medium-sized doxorubicin-eluting Callisphere is safe and effective for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Wang Cao-ye , Xia Jin-guo , Yang Zheng-qiang , Zhou Wei-zhong , Chen Wen-hua , Qi Chun-jian , Gu Jian-ping , Wang Qi
Published: March 2020

The study aimed to compare the tumor response to and complications of doxorubicin-eluting CalliSphere bead-transarterial chemoembolization (DEB-TACE) using small- and medium-sized beads in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who underwent multiple rounds of oncology therapies. Sixty patients with intermediate stage HCC who had previously received multiple oncology therapies underwent DEB-TACE with CalliSpheres of 100–300 μm (small bead group, n = 34) or 300–500 μm (medium bead group, n = 26) in diameter between October 2016 and December 2018. Adverse events and the response rate of the index tumor based on the modified Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors at 3 months post-TACE were compared between the groups. The rates of complete response, partial response, stable disease, and progressive disease were 35.4%, 29.4%, 17.6%, and 17.6%, respectively, for the small bead group and 33.1%, 23.1%, 20.8%, and 23.0%, respectively, for the medium bead group, showing no significant between-group differences (P > 0.05). Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events version 4.0 grade 3/4 adverse events were reported in 8 patients in the small bead group and in no patients in the medium bead group, showing a significant group difference (P < 0.01). Major complications included 8 events of ischemic hepatitis, 2 of biloma, and 2 of severe liver abscess. DEB-TACE using CalliSpheres of 300–500 μm was associated with a comparable rate of tumor response but lower rate of complications compared with that using CalliSpheres of 100–300 μm for HCC treatment in patients who had already undergone multiple rounds of oncology therapies.
Serum metabolite profiles as potential biochemical markers in young adults with community-acquired pneumonia cured by moxifloxacin therapy
Authors: Zhou Bo , Lou Bowen , Liu Junhui , She Jianqing
Published: March 2020

Despite the utilization of various biochemical markers and probability calculation algorithms based on clinical studies of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), more specific and practical biochemical markers remain to be found for improved diagnosis and prognosis. In this study, we aimed to detect the alteration of metabolite profiles, explore the correlation between serum metabolites and inflammatory markers, and seek potential biomarkers for young adults with CAP. 13 Eligible young mild CAP patients between the ages of 18 and 30 years old with CURB65 = 0 admitted to the respiratory medical department were enrolled, along with 36 healthy participants as control. Untargeted metabolomics profiling was performed and metabolites including alcohols, amino acids, carbohydrates, fatty acids, etc. were detected. A total of 227 serum metabolites were detected. L-Alanine, 2-Hydroxybutyric acid, Methylcysteine, L-Phenylalanine, Aminoadipic acid, L-Tryptophan, Rhamnose, Palmitoleic acid, Decanoylcarnitine, 2-Hydroxy-3-methylbutyric acid and Oxoglutaric acid were found to be significantly altered, which were enriched mainly in propanoate and tryptophan metabolism, as well as antibiotic-associated pathways. Aminoadipic acid was found to be significantly correlated with CRP levels and 2-Hydroxy-3-methylbutyric acid and Palmitoleic acid with PCT levels. The top 3 metabolites of diagnostic values are 2-Hydroxybutyric acid(AUC = 0.90), Methylcysteine(AUC = 0.85), and L-Alanine(AUC = 0.84). The AUC for CRP and PCT are 0.93 and 0.91 respectively. Altered metabolites were correlated with inflammation severity and were of great diagnostic value for CAP.
Risk Factors of Clostridium Difficile Infection After Spinal Surgery: National Health Insurance Database
Authors: Sung Sahyun , Kwon Ji-Won , Lee Soo-Bin , Lee Hwan-Mo , Moon Seong-Hwan , Lee Byung Ho
Published: March 2020

The purpose of this study was to evaluate risk factors of Clostridium Difficile infection (CDI) after spinal surgery using the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA) data. The incidence of postoperative CDI was investigated using HIRA data from 2012 to 2016. Cases involving CDI that occurred within a 30-day postoperative period were identified. Risk factors, including age, sex, comorbidities, postoperative infection, spinal surgery procedure, type of antibiotic, and duration of antibiotic use, were evaluated. Duration of hospital stay, medical cost, and mortality were also evaluated. In total, 71,322 patients were included. Presumed cases of CDI were identified in 57 patients, with CDI rate of 0.54 per 10,000 patient days. Advanced age, staged operation, postoperative infection, and the use of multiple antibiotics were significant risk factors. First-generation cephalosporins were shown to be associated with a lower incidence of CDI. CDI was also associated with longer hospital stays and increased medical cost, and it was an independent risk factor for increased mortality. Extra attention should be paid to patients at high risk for the development of postoperative CDI, and unnecessary use of multiple antibiotics should be avoided. Level of Evidence: Level III, retrospective cohort study
Habitat and seasonality shape the structure of tench (Tinca tinca L.) gut microbiome
Authors: Dulski Tomasz , Kozłowski Krzysztof , Ciesielski Slawomir
Published: March 2020

Tench (Tinca tincaL.) is one of the most valued species of theCyprinidae. This species is commercially important and has been intensively domesticated in recent years. To avoid excessive production losses, the health of farm fish must be maintained. Characterization of the tench gut microbiome can help achieve this goal, as the gastrointestinal microbiome plays an important role in host health. As part of this characterization, investigating the influence of the environment and season will help to understand the interrelationship between host and gut microbiota. Therefore, our aim was to use high-throughput 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing to profile the gut microbiome of tench. We studied two populations in summer and autumn: wild tench living in a lake and tench living in a pond in a semi-intensive fish farm. We found that, in the gut microbiome of all fish, the most abundant phylum wasProteobacteria, followed byFirmicutes,BacteroidetesandActinobacteria. Together, these phyla constituted up to 90% of the microbial communities. The abundance ofCandidatus Xiphinematobacterdiffered significantly between lake and pond fish in summer, but not in autumn. In pond tench,Methylobacteriumabundance was significantly lower in summer than in autumn. Mean Shannon, Chao1 indices and observed OTU’s indicated that microbial biodiversity was greater in the gut of lake fish than in that of pond fish. Beta-diversity analysis showed significant divergence between groups with both weighted and unweighted UniFrac distance matrices. Principal coordinates analysis revealed that more of the variance in microbial diversity was attributable to environment than to season. Although some of the diversity in lake tench gut microbiota could be attributable to feeding preferences of individual fish, our results suggest that environment is the main factor in determining gut microbiome diversity in tench.
Identification and functional characterisation of N-linked glycosylation of the orphan G protein-coupled receptor Gpr176
Authors: Wang Tianyu , Nakagawa Shumpei , Miyake Takahito , Setsu Genzui , Kunisue Sumihiro , Goto Kaoru , Hirasawa Akira , Okamura Hitoshi , Yamaguchi Yoshiaki , Doi Masao
Published: March 2020

G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are important drug targets with diverse therapeutic applications. However, there are still more than a hundred orphan GPCRs, whose protein functions and biochemical features remain unidentified. Gpr176 encodes a class-A orphan GPCR that has a role in circadian clock regulation in mouse hypothalamus and is also implicated in human breast cancer transcriptional response. Here we show that Gpr176 is N-glycosylated. Peptide-N-glycosidase treatment of mouse hypothalamus extracts revealed that endogenous Gpr176 undergoes N-glycosylation. Using a heterologous expression system, we show that N-glycosylation occurs at four conserved asparagine residues in the N-terminal region of Gpr176. Deficient N-glycosylation due to mutation of these residues reduced the protein expression of Gpr176. At the molecular function level, Gpr176 has constitutive, agonist-independent activity that leads to reduced cAMP synthesis. Although deficient N-glycosylation did not compromise this intrinsic activity, the resultant reduction in protein expression was accompanied by attenuation of cAMP-repressive activity in the cells. We also demonstrate that human GPR176 is N-glycosylated. Importantly, missense variations in the conserved N-glycosylation sites of human GPR176 (rs1473415441; rs761894953) affected N-glycosylation and thereby attenuated protein expression and cAMP-repressive activity in the cells. We show that N-glycosylation is a prerequisite for the efficient protein expression of functional Gpr176/GPR176.
The impact of worsening renal function with elevated B-type natriuretic peptide at discharge on 1-year prognosis in heart failure patients
Authors: Okabe Toshitaka , Kido Takehiko , Kimura Taro , Yakushiji Tadayuki , Asukai Yu , Shimazu Suguru , Saito Jumpei , Oyama Yuji , Igawa Wataru , Ono Morio , Ebara Seitaro , Yamashita Kennosuke , Yamamoto Myong Hwa , Amemiya Kisaki , Isomura Naoei , Ochiai Masahiko
Published: March 2020

There are a few studies about the clinical impacts of plasma B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) at discharge with the occurrence of worsening renal function (WRF) on mortality in patients with heart failure (HF). We divided total 301 patients with acute decompensated HF into four groups by the median value (278.7 pg/mL) of BNP level at discharge and by the occurrence of WRF. WRF developed in 100 patients (33.2%). Cardiovascular mortality was significantly different between the four groups (P = 0.0002). Patients with WRF and elevated BNP had a higher cardiovascular mortality than patients without WRF and elevated BNP in Cox proportional hazard models (hazard ratio [HR], 10.48; 95% confident interval [95% CI], 1.27–225.53; P = 0.03). Patients with either WRF or elevated BNP did not have an increased risk of cardiovascular mortality compared to patients without WRF and elevated BNP. Regarding HF readmission and cardiovascular mortality, patients with WRF and elevated BNP had the highest risk (HR, 5.17; 95% CI, 2.07–14.30, P = 0.0003) and patients with either WRF or elevated BNP had a higher risk than patients without WRF and elevated BNP. The occurrence of WRF combined with elevated BNP at discharge was associated with increased 1-year cardiovascular mortality and HF readmission.
Temperature-dependent competitive advantages of an allelopathic alga over non-allelopathic alga are altered by pollutants and initial algal abundance levels
Authors: Kim Yongeun , Son Jino , Lee Yun-Sik , Wee June , Lee Minyoung , Cho Kijong
Published: March 2020

In the context of climate warming, the dominance of allelopathic algae that cause ecosystem disturbances is an important topic. Although the hypothesis that an increase in temperature will be favorable to the dominance of allelopathic algae has been increasingly supported by many studies, it is still unclear how other factors can affect the influence of temperature. In this study, the effects of copper exposure and initial algal abundance on the competition between Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata (non-allelopathic alga) and Chlorella vulgaris (allelopathic alga) were investigated during temperature changes. The results showed that increased temperatures enhanced the competitive advantage of C. vulgaris only in the absence of copper exposure. Our data confirmed that copper exposure along with increased temperature (20–30 °C) may change the competitive advantage of C. vulgaris from favorable to unfavorable. The initial algal abundance was found to affect competition outcome by controlling copper toxicity. This study suggests that pollutants and initial abundance can alter the effects of increased temperature on the allelopathic interaction. Given the temporal dynamics of algal abundance and the pollutants in natural ecosystems, these findings should be considered in the prediction of temperature influence on an algal community.
Therapeutic mechanism of cord blood mononuclear cells via the IL-8-mediated angiogenic pathway in neonatal hypoxic-ischaemic brain injury
Authors: Cho Kye Hee , Choi Jee In , Kim Jin-Ock , Jung Joo Eun , Kim Dong-Wook , Kim MinYoung
Published: March 2020

In a clinical trial of cerebral palsy, the level of plasma interleukin-8 (IL-8) was increased, correlated with motor improvement, after human umbilical cord blood mononuclear cell (hUCBC) infusion. This study aimed to elucidate the role of IL-8 in the therapeutic effects of hUCBCs in a mouse model of hypoxic-ischaemic brain injury (HI). In P7 HI mouse brains, hUCBC administration at day 7 after HI upregulated the gene expression of Cxcl2, the mouse IL-8 homologue and increased the expression of its receptor, CXCR2. hUCBC administration restored the sequential downstream signalling axis of p-p38/p-MAPKAPK2, NFκB, and angiogenic factors, which were downregulated by HI. Anin vitroassay revealed the downregulation of the angiogenic pathway by CXCR2 knockdown and p38 inhibition.In vivop38 inhibition prior to hUCBC administration in HI mouse brains produced identical results. Behavioural outcomes revealed a therapeutic effect (ps < 0.01) of hUCBC or IL-8 administration, which was correlated with decreases in infarct size and angiogenic findings in the striatum. In conclusion, the response of the host to hUCBC administration in mice upregulated Cxcl2, which led to the activation of the IL-8-mediated p-p38 signalling pathway. The upregulation of the downstream pathway and angiogenic growth factors via NFκB can be inferred to be the potential therapeutic mechanism of hUCBCs.
Charge neutral rhenium tricarbonyl complexes of tridentate N-heterocyclic carbene ligands that bind to amyloid plaques of Alzheimer's disease
Authors: Wiratpruk Nuchareenat , Noor Asif , McLean Catriona A. , Donnelly Paul S. , Barnard Peter J.
Published: March 2020

Two tridentate ligand systems bearing N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC), amine and carboxylate donor groups coupled to benzothiazole- or stilbene-based amyloid binding moieties were synthesised.
Configurational landscape of chiral iron(ii) bis(phosphane) complexes
Authors: Estevan Francisco , Feliz Marta
Published: March 2020

An [FeH(η2-H2){Me-DuPhos}2]+complex reacts with ethers and halides to givecis- andtrans-dihydrogen substituted isomers and [FeX{Me-DuPhos}2]+(X = Cl, I) complexes.
Removal and growth of microorganisms across treatment and simulated distribution at a pilot-scale direct potable reuse facility
Authors: Miller Scott E. , Rodriguez Roberto A. , Nelson Kara L.
Published: March 2020

Multi-barrier advanced treatment trains are able to purify wastewater to drinking water standards, but improved methods are needed to better understand microbial concentrations, viability, and growth potential throughout treatment and distribution.
Photocatalytic CO2 reduction of C/ZnO nanofibers enhanced by an Ni-NiS cocatalyst
Authors: Deng Hongzhao , Xu Feiyan , Cheng Bei , Yu Jiaguo , Ho Wingkei
Published: March 2020

Photocatalyst Ni-NiS/C/ZnO shows improved photocatalytic CO2-reduction activity due to enhanced light absorption, good CO2 adsorption and effective charge separation.
Fused azole-thiazolines via one-pot cyclization of functionalized N-heterocyclic carbene precursors
Authors: Teng Qiaoqiao , Singh Chandan , Han Yuan , Huynh Han Vinh
Published: March 2020

Various bi/tricyclic azole-thiazolines are obtained via a new one-pot protocol from cheap starting materials.
Synthesis of the diketopyrrolopyrrole/terpyridine substituted carbazole derivative based polythiophenes for photovoltaic cells
Authors: Wang Shih-Hao , Wang Teng-Wei , Tsai Hsieh-Chih , Yang Po-Chih , Huang Chih-Feng , Lee Rong-Ho
Published: March 2020

A series of conjugated polythiophenes (PTs) having low band gap energies (PDPP, PDPCz21, PDPCz11) have been synthesized and studied for their applicability in polymer-based photovoltaic cells (PVCs).
An integrated electrode based on nanoflakes of MoS2 on carbon cloth for enhanced lithium storage
Authors: Guo Yan , Li Shuang , Fang Qiuyue , Zuo Jialu , Liu Ming , Zhang Jun
Published: March 2020

Integrated carbon cloth@MoS2 electrode is fabricated via a facile hydrothermal method as a binder-free anode for lithium-ion batteries.
Synergetic treatment of dye contaminated wastewater using microparticles functionalized with carbon nanotubes/titanium dioxide nanocomposites
Authors: Lian Zheng , Wei Chaohui , Gao Bin , Yang Xiaogang , Chan Yue , Wang Jing , Chen George Zheng , Koh Kai Seng , Shi Yong , Yan Yuying , Ren Yong , He Jun , Liu Fu
Published: March 2020

PDMS–MWCNTs/TiO2 microparticles made by microfluidics can achieve 85% removal efficiency of RhB pollutant in wastewater via synergetic treatment.
Diazaphosphinanes as hydride, hydrogen atom, proton or electron donors under transition-metal-free conditions: thermodynamics, kinetics, and synthetic applications
Authors: Zhang Jingjing , Yang Jin-Dong , Cheng Jin-Pei
Published: March 2020

A new 1,3,2-diazaphosphinane, serving as a formal hydride, hydrogen-atom or proton donor without transition-metal mediation was exploited thermodynamically and kinetically. And, its promising potentials in versatile syntheses have been demonstrated.
Origin and control of room temperature ferromagnetism in Co,Zn-doped SnO2: oxygen vacancies and their local environment
Authors: Ho Josha , de Boer Tristan , Braun Patrick M. , Leedahl Brett , Manikandan Dhamodaran , Murugan Ramaswamy , Moewes Alexander
Published: March 2020

The local environments of Co and Zn dopants in SnO2, a diluted magnetic semiconductor system, are studied using X-ray spectroscopy and crystal field calculations, yielding evidence that the ferromagnetism is mediated by oxygen vacancies.
Formation mechanism of an Al13 Keggin cluster in hydrated layered polysilicates
Authors: Park Man , Kang Yun-Ju , Jang Jeong-Hun , Seo Jae-Deok , Kim Junhyung , Paek Seung-Min , Lim Woo-Taik , Komarneni Sridhar
Published: March 2020

Localized inhomogeneity to generate any gradients is an essential factor for the formation of an Al13 Keggin nanocluster.
Nano-size porous carbon spheres as a high-capacity anode with high initial coulombic efficiency for potassium-ion batteries
Authors: Zhang Hehe , Luo Chong , He Hanna , Wu Hong-Hui , Zhang Li , Zhang Qiaobao , Wang Haiyan , Wang Ming-Sheng
Published: March 2020

An anode of hard carbon spheres with both small size and a porous structure enables superior electrochemical performance of potassium-ion batteries.
1,2-cis-Selective glucosylation enabled by halogenated benzyl protecting groups
Authors: Njeri Dancan K. , Pertuit Claude J. , Ragains Justin R.
Published: March 2020

Electron-withdrawing groups and Lewis basic solvent enable 1,2-cis-selectivity.
Binary and ternary transition metal phosphides for dry reforming of methane
Authors: Wu Wenxi , Liu Qingyou , Shi Yan , Yao Zhiwei , Ding Wei , Dou Binlin
Published: March 2020

Mo-based phosphides showed higher activity for CH4–CO2 reforming than Fe2P, WP, CoP and Ni2P.
Chameleonic layered metal–organic frameworks with variable charge-ordered states triggered by temperature and guest molecules
Authors: Chen Jian , Sekine Yoshihiro , Okazawa Atsushi , Sato Hiroyasu , Kosaka Wataru , Miyasaka Hitoshi
Published: March 2020

A two-dimensional honeycomb layer composed of tetraoxolene-bridged iron subunits whose charge-ordered states are multiply variable via thermal treatments and solvation/desolvation is present.
Adaptive Gaussian notch filter for removing periodic noise from digital images
Authors: Varghese Justin , Subhash Saudia , Subramaniam Kamalraj , Sridhar Kuttaiyur Palaniswamy
Published: March 2020

Periodic noise corrupts digital images during acquisition and transmission stages by adding repetitive patterns. This study introduces a new adaptive Gaussian notch filter (AGNF) in Fourier transform domain for effectively restoring images contaminated with periodic, quasi‐periodic and Moiré pattern noises. Since periodic noises are sinusoidal functions added to the uncorrupted images, Fourier transform of images make these noisy functions to concentrate as easily distinguishable conjugate peaks in frequency domain. The proposed AGNF effectively identifies the noisy peak positions and adaptively quantifies the associated noisy areas by analysing the ratio of averages of frequencies from adaptively varying neighbourhoods. These identified noisy peaks are then diffused by Gaussian notch filter of adaptively varying sizes. The proposed filter ensures maximum diffusion of identified noisy peak areas by maintaining the minimum frequency values from the outputs of overlapping notch filters. Visual and quantitative experimental analysis of the proposed algorithm with mean absolute error, peak signal‐to‐noise ratio, mean structural similarity index measure and computation time reveals that AGNF is better in restoring images contaminated with periodic noises when compared to other methods.
Cylindrical neutrosophic single‐valued number and its application in networking problem, multi‐criterion group decision‐making problem and graph theory
Authors: Chakraborty Avishek , Mondal Sankar Prasad , Alam Shariful , Mahata Animesh
Published: March 2020

In this study, the authors envisage the neutrosophic number from various distinct rational perspectives and viewpoints to give it a look of a conundrum. They focused and analysed neutrosophic fuzzy numbers when indeterminacy and falsity functions are dependent on each other, which serves an indispensable role for the uncertainty concept. Additionally, the idea of cylindrical neutrosophic single‐valued number is focused here, when the indeterminacy and falsity functions are dependent to each other using an influx of different logical and innovative graphical representation. They also developed the score and accuracy function for this particular cylindrical neutrosophic single‐valued number and analysed some real‐life problems like networking critical path model problem and minimal spanning tree problem of operation research field when the numbers are in cylindrical neutrosophic ambiance. They also introduced a multi‐criterion group decision‐making problem in this cylindrical neutrosophic domain. This noble thought will help us to solve a plethora of daily life problems in the neutrosophic arena.
The atmospheres of rocky exoplanets
Authors: Herbort O. , Woitke P. , Helling Ch. , Zerkle A.
Published: March 2020

Context. Little is known about the interaction between atmospheres and crusts of exoplanets so far, but future space missions and ground-based instruments are expected to detect molecular features in the spectra of hot rocky exoplanets.

Aims. We aim to understand the composition of the gas in an exoplanet atmosphere which is in equilibrium with a planetary crust.

Methods. The molecular composition of the gas above a surface made of a mixture of solid and liquid materials was determined by assuming phase equilibrium for given pressure, temperature, and element abundances. We study total element abundances that represent different parts of the Earth’s crust (continental crust, bulk silicate Earth, mid oceanic ridge basalt), CI chondrites and abundances measured in polluted white dwarfs.

Results. For temperatures between ~600 and ~3500 K, the near-crust atmospheres of all considered total element abundances are mainly composed of H2O, CO2, and SO2 and in some cases of O2 and H2. For temperatures ≲500 K, only N2-rich or CH4-rich atmospheres remain. For ≳3500 K, the atmospheric gas is mainly composed of atoms (O, Na, Mg, and Fe), metal oxides (SiO, NaO, MgO, CaO, AlO, and FeO), and some metal hydroxides (KOH and NaOH). The inclusion of phyllosilicates as potential condensed species is crucial for lower temperatures, as they can remove water from the gas phase below about 700 K and inhibit the presence of liquid water.

Conclusions. Measurements of the atmospheric composition could, in principle, characterise the rock composition of exoplanet crusts. H2O, O2 and CH4 are natural products from the outgassing of different kinds of rocks that had time to equilibrate. These are discussed as biomarkers, but they do emerge naturally as a result of the thermodynamic interaction between the crust and atmosphere. Only the simultaneous detection of all three molecules might be a sufficient biosignature, as it is inconsistent with chemical equilibrium.
Comparing focal plane wavefront control techniques: Numerical simulations and laboratory experiments
Authors: Potier A. , Baudoz P. , Galicher R. , Singh G. , Boccaletti A.
Published: March 2020

Context. Fewer than 1% of all exoplanets detected to date have been characterized on the basis of spectroscopic observations of their atmosphere. Unlike indirect methods, high-contrast imaging offers access to atmospheric signatures by separating the light of a faint off-axis source from that of its parent star. Forthcoming space facilities, such as WFIRST/LUVOIR/HabEX, are expected to use coronagraphic instruments capable of imaging and spectroscopy in order to understand the physical properties of remote worlds. The primary technological challenge that drives the design of these instruments involves the precision control of wavefront phase and amplitude errors. To suppress the stellar intensity to acceptable levels, it is necessary to reduce phase aberrations to less than several picometers across the pupil of the telescope.

Aims. Several focal plane wavefront sensing and control techniques have been proposed and demonstrated in laboratory to achieve the required accuracy. However, these techniques have never been tested and compared under the same laboratory conditions. This paper compares two of these techniques in a closed loop in visible light: the pair-wise (PW) associated with electric field conjugation (EFC) and self-coherent camera (SCC).

Methods. We first ran numerical simulations to optimize PW wavefront sensing and to predict the performance of a coronagraphic instrument with PW associated to EFC wavefront control, assuming modeling errors for both PW and EFC. Then we implemented the techniques on a laboratory testbed. We introduced known aberrations into the system and compared the wavefront sensing using both PW and SCC. The speckle intensity in the coronagraphic image was then minimized using PW+EFC and SCC independently.

Results. We demonstrate that both techniques – SCC, based on spatial modulation of the speckle intensity using an empirical model of the instrument, and PW, based on temporal modulation using a synthetic model – can estimate the wavefront errors with the same precision. We also demonstrate that both SCC and PW+EFC can generate a dark hole in space-like conditions in a few iterations. Both techniques reach the current limitation of our laboratory bench and provide coronagraphic contrast levels of ∼5 × 10−9 in a narrow spectral band (< 0.25% bandwidth).

Conclusions. Our results indicate that both techniques are mature enough to be implemented in future space telescopes equipped with deformable mirrors for high-contrast imaging of exoplanets.
SDSS IV MaNGA: Metallicity and ionisation parameter in local star-forming galaxies from Bayesian fitting to photoionisation models
Authors: Mingozzi M. , Belfiore F. , Cresci G. , Bundy K. , Bershady M. , Bizyaev D. , Blanc G. , Boquien M. , Drory N. , Fu H. , Maiolino R. , Riffel R. , Schaefer A. , Storchi-Bergmann T. , Telles E. , Tremonti C. , Zakamska N. , Zhang K.
Published: March 2020

We measured gas-phase metallicity, ionisation parameter, and dust extinction for a representative sample of 1795 local star-forming galaxies using integral field spectroscopy from the SDSS-IV MaNGA survey. We self-consistently derive these quantities by comparing observed line fluxes with photoionisation models using a Bayesian framework. We also present the first comprehensive study of the [S III]λλ9069,9532 nebular lines, which have long been predicted to be ideal tracers of the ionisation parameter. However, we find that current photoionisation model predictions substantially over-predict the intensity of the [S III] lines, while broadly reproducing other observed optical line ratios. We discuss how to nonetheless make use of the information provided by the [S III] lines by setting a prior on the ionisation parameter. Following this approach, we derive spatially resolved maps and radial profiles of metallicity and ionisation parameter. The metallicity radial profiles derived are comparable with previous works, with metallicity declining toward the outer parts and showing a flattening in the central regions. This is in agreement with infall models of galaxy formation, which predict that spiral discs build up through accretion of material, leading to an inside-out growth. On the other hand, ionisation parameter radial profiles are flat for low-mass galaxies, while their slope becomes positive as galaxy mass increases. However, the ionisation parameter maps we obtain are clumpy, especially for low-mass galaxies. The ionisation parameter is tightly correlated with the equivalent width of Hα[EW(Hα)], following a nearly universal relation, which we attribute to the change of the spectral shape of ionising sources due to ageing of H IIregions. We derive a positive correlation between ionisation parameter and metallicity at fixed EW(Hα), in disagreement with previous theoretical work that predict an anti-correlation.
Determination of the static modulus of elasticity of cement mortars in the early stage of ageing
Authors: Kocab Dalibor , Halamová Romana , Kucharczyková Barbara
Published: March 2020

The paper deals with the influence of the composition of cementitious materials on the development of their modulus of elasticity in the early stage of ageing. The primary goal of the paper is to determine the static modulus of elasticity of cement mortars almost from the beginning of their setting. Four cement mortars were produced for the experiment. They differed only in the water/cement ratio and in the amount of plasticizer. All mortars were subjected to continuous measurement of the dynamic modulus of elasticity for 24 hours from the moment of their pouring into the moulds. The measurement involved the ultrasonic pulse velocity method. In addition, the static modulus of elasticity was determined at the mortar age of 24 hours. The results are presented in table and graphical forms.
Radar interferometry for SHM purposes
Authors: Sokol Milan , Lamperová Katarína , Venglár Michal , Márföldi Monika , Prekop Ľubomír , Krchňák Michal
Published: March 2020

The use of radar interferometry to measure dynamic response is now increasingly popular. The main advantage is a measurement of displacements. In this way, we obtain direct design parameters. Interferometric radar provides a cost-effective way to monitor bridges based on dynamic displacement measurement without traffic restrictions. The advantages and disadvantages are discussed. Comparing the numerical result with the test data provides a valuable opportunity to define a useful performance indicator.
Impact of shear strength parameters on slope stability
Authors: Harabinová Slávka , Panulinová Eva
Published: March 2020

Analysis and assessment of the slopes stability are an important in geotechnical engineering for all the times. The paper deals with the assessment of slope stability in fine-grained soils. The influence of change in shear strength parameters on the factor of safety has been studied. The factor of safety can be correctly obtained only if the critical failure surface of the slope is accurately identified and shear strength parameters are correctly. To investigate effect of soil strength parameters on the factor of safety, different values of shear strength parameters: cohesion (c), internal friction angle (ϕ), were chosen. The calculation and assessment of slope stability was made using methods which assume a circular shape of the slip surface (Bishop and Petterson method) and methods that consider the polygonal shape of the slip surface (Spencer and Janbu method). We analyzed the impact of shear strength parameters of the resulting factor of slope stability of fine grained soil. The results of the study showed that the factor of safety of the slope changes with varying cohesion c and internal friction angle ϕ.
FEM analysis of steel-concrete composite bridges with encased perforated steel strips
Authors: Vaňová Patrícia , Kvočák Vincent , Kožlejová Viktória , Dubecký Daniel , Kanishchev Ruslan
Published: March 2020

One of the newest contributions to the science of bridges are steel-concrete composite bridges with encased perforated steel strips. Their main advantages are their low height, low usage of materials and therefore lower cost of the bridge. They are mainly used as short span railway bridges (under 20m of length). Main focus of today researchers and structural engineers in this area is to improve the geometry of the steel strip – and therefore find new types with lower usage of material and higher shear strength. At Technical University of Košice, Faculty of Civil Engineering, several new types have been developed and tested. In order to properly measure the shear strength, the push-out tests had to be carried. They track the dependence between load (typed by loading conditions) and slip. These experiments were performed at Laboratory of Excellent Research in Košice. In this article is closely described software modelling of a strip developed at Faculty of Civil Engineering, the experiments performed as well as the results found.
Thermo-electro-mechanical behaviour of Nano-sized structures
Authors: Repka Miroslav , Sator Ladislav
Published: March 2020

Thermo-electro-mechanical behaviour of the nano-sized structures is analysed by the finite element method (FEM). The mechanical response of the nano-sized structures cannot be modelled with classical continuum theories due to the size effect phenomenon. The strain gradient theory with one length scale parameter has been applied to study size effect phenomenon. The coupled theory of thermo-electricity has been used together with strain gradient theory of elasticity. The governing equations have been derived and incorporated into the commercial software Comsol via weak form module. The influence of the length scale parameter on mechanical response of the structures is investigated by some numerical examples.
Amyotrophie spinale infantile
Authors: Barkats Martine
Published: March 2020

L’amyotrophie spinale ou SMA est la maladie génétique la plus fréquente menant à la mortalité infantile. Cette maladie neuromusculaire est due à l’altération du gène SMN1. Cette anomalie génétique provoque la réduction des taux de protéine Smn, induisant la dégénérescence des neurones moteurs, la faiblesse et l’atrophie musculaire. La thérapie génique, consistant à réintroduire le gène SMN1 normal dans les motoneurones constitue une thérapie de choix pour la SMA. Nous avons montré l’efficacité sans précédent de cette approche chez la souris modèle de SMA après une simple injection intraveineuse d’un AAV9 exprimant SMN1. Une jeune société de biotechnologie, dirigée par le Dr Kaspar, a testé cette approche expérimentale chez de jeunes patients atteints de SMA type 1. Le Dr Mendell, en charge de ce projet clinique, a montré une augmentation significative de la survie et des fonctions motrices des patients (jusqu’à 4 ans) après une seule injection de l’AAV9-SMN (appelé ZolgenSMA) dans la veine du bras ou de la jambe. Cette thérapie, qui a obtenu l’AMM par la FDA le 24 mai 2019, est actuellement la première thérapie génique efficace dans les maladies neuromusculaires.
Durchführung und Darstellung von ASD-, PFO- und LAA-Verschlüssen
Authors: Gitter-Kreulitsch Ursula
Published: March 2020

In diesem Beitrag werden Durchführung und Darstellung der Verschlüsse von Atriumseptumdefekten (ASD I und II), persistierendem Foramen ovale (PFO) und des linken Herzohrs (LAA) aus Sicht eines / einer Radiotechnologen / Radiotechnologin beschrieben.
Tormentillae rhizoma – Review for an Underestimated European Herbal Drug
Authors: Melzig Matthias F. , Böttger Stefan
Published: March 2020

Potentilla erecta is a medicinal plant described under its traditional name Tormentil in medieval herbal books and used until today in many European countries. Today monographs for Tormentillae rhizoma in the European pharmacopeia, as well as a monograph of the Herbal Medicinal Product Commission as a drug for traditional use, exist. The present review summarizes published investigations in phytochemistry and pharmacology, together with new findings reflecting the mechanisms of action of ellagitannins as one of the main ingredients of this herbal drug. Taken together all in vitro and in vivo investigations’ data support the traditional use for treatment of diarrhea and mucosal inflammation despite a lack of suffcient clinical studies.
Using Nonstandardized Assessments to Evaluate Cognitive-Communication Abilities following Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury
Authors: Lundine Jennifer P. , Hall Audrey
Published: March 2020

The subtle cognitive-communication challenges experienced by students with traumatic brain injury (TBI) are often missed, leaving these students with unmet needs in the school environment and increasing the likelihood for negative social, academic, and vocational outcomes. For children and adolescents with TBI, nonstandardized assessment offers several advantages over standardized assessment procedures, and may improve speech-language pathologists' ability to identify students who might benefit from intervention services. This article discusses curriculum-based assessment and discourse analysis specifically and uses case studies to demonstrate how these procedures can be used within the school environment. Nonstandardized assessment procedures are a valuable tool to measure a student's cognitive-communication abilities and the effects of intervention in real-world contexts.
Perinatal Oral Health: A Novel Collaborative Initiative to Improve Access, Attitudes, Comfort Level, and Knowledge of Pregnant Women and Dental Providers
Authors: Mayberry Melanie E. , Gonik Bernard , Trombly Robert M.
Published: March 2020

Objectives The objectives of this program were to increase access to dental care among pregnant women and to improve dental students' exposure, comfort level, and knowledge of the potential impact of poor oral health on pregnancy outcomes.

Study Design Through collaborative efforts of a School of Dentistry and a School of Medicine, the Oral Health Pregnancy Day Initiative (OHPDI) was developed. Dental students were educated on the impact poor oral health may have on pregnancy outcomes and the importance of access to care. Pregnant women received perinatal oral health education and needed dental care.

Results Thirty-four pregnant women presented for the OHPDI. Thirty-nine dental students participated. Eighty-five percent of students reported they learned how poor oral health may have a negative impact on pregnancy and birth outcomes; 79% agreed as a result of the event they were more likely to treat pregnant women. Ninety-four percent of pregnant women reported not having a dentist and 100% received perinatal oral health education and needed dental care. Eighty-eight pregnant women were seen subsequent to the OHPDI.

Conclusion This initiative resulted in increased students' knowledge, exposure, and comfort level to treating pregnant women and pregnant women received needed oral health care education and dental treatment.
Development of transition metal based electrolyzer for efficient oxygen evolution reaction
Authors: Ishaque Muhammad , Shah Afzal , Iftikhar Faiza Jan , Akbar Muhammad
Published: March 2020

The greatest challenge of the 21st century is to develop renewable systems of energy, which are efficient, environmentally friendly, and scalable. In this context, production of hydrogen and oxygen from electrolysis of water is a smart approach. Its inputs are only water and potential. However, oxygen evolution reaction (OER) via water splitting is a sluggish reaction. So, herein, we report the synthesis of a novel OER hybrid tetrametallic electrocatalyst (Co–Ni–Fe–Zn) that is cost affordable as compared to the traditional precious noble-metal-based catalysts. It was grown over the surface of fluorine doped tin oxide by a facile potentiodynamic method, and the surface modification was ensured from XRD, scanning electron microscopy, and energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy analyses. The OER catalytic activity of the designed electrocatalyst was examined through electrochemical techniques. Linear scan voltammetric results revealed that the as-prepared catalyst generates a signal of OER with a current density of 10 mA/cm2 at an overpotential of just 90 mV under alkaline conditions. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on an OER catalyst that demands the lowest overpotential. Hence, the synthesized catalyst is a promising candidate for realizing the dream of rapidly producing sustainable and environmentally friendly fuel.
Multiscale block averaging for QED in d = 3
Authors: Dimock J.
Published: March 2020

We continue the study of the ultraviolet problem for quantum electrodynamics in d = 3. The model is defined on a fine toroidal lattice, and we seek control as the lattice spacing goes to zero. The problem is analyzed using Balaban’s formulation of the renormalization group. This involves a sequence of transformations consisting of a split into large and small field regions, then block averaging, and then scaling. The effective actions generated by this method depend strongly on certain multi-scale propagators and minimizers. The study of these objects both for fermions and for gauge fields is the content of this paper. Earlier work on the subject is reviewed. In addition for fermions, a polymer expansion is obtained for the determinants of the fermion propagators. For the gauge field, a detailed local regularity result is obtained for the minimizers.
Activation of topological insulator phase in kagomé-type bilayers by interlayer coupling: The cases of Ni(CO)4 and Pd(CO)4
Authors: Silveira Orlando J. , Ribeiro Guilherme A. S. , Chacham Helio
Published: March 2020

We predict that a 2D kagomé-type topological insulator (TI) can be built as a bilayer of a single-layer material that is not a TI. We demonstrate this through first-principles calculations of a class of C6O6 and C6(NH)6 based 2D metal-organic frameworks. We find that minimum-energy bilayers of two compounds of this class, with stoichiometries Ni(CO)4 and Pd(CO)4, are intrinsic topological insulators although their isolated single-layer components are trivial metals. The first-principles results for the single-layer and bilayer systems are reproduced by tight-binding models. The simplicity of the models suggests that other bilayer TI systems of this type should exist, not necessarily composed of metal-organic frameworks, as long as they are composed of kagomé-type systems in a AA stacking.
A family of exact models for radiating matter
Authors: Mahomed A. B. , Maharaj S. D. , Narain R.
Published: March 2020

In this paper, the cosmological constant and electric charge are incorporated in the Einstein–Maxwell field equations. Two approaches are used to investigate the problem. First, the boundary condition is expressed as a generalized Riccati equation in one of the gravitational potentials. New classes of exact solutions are found by writing the Riccati equation in linear, Bernoulli, and inhomogeneous forms. Our solutions contain previous results in the absence of the cosmological constant and charge. Second, it is possible to preserve the form of the generalized Riccati equation by introducing a transformation called the horizon function. This transformation simplifies the generalized Riccati equation. We generate new solutions to the transformed Riccati equation when one of the metric functions serves as a generating function. We also obtain other families of new classes of exact solutions, where the horizon function serves as a generating function. Interestingly, new uncharged solutions, not contained in previous studies, arise as special cases of the inhomogeneous Riccati equation in both approaches.
Evaporation-induced transport of a pure aqueous droplet by an aqueous mixture droplet
Authors: Majhy B. , Sen A. K.
Published: March 2020

Transport of droplets on surfaces is important for a variety of applications such as micro liquid handling and biochemical assays. Here, we report evaporation-induced attraction, chasing, and repulsion between a target pure aqueous (water) droplet and a driver aqueous mixture droplet comprising water and a lower surface tension and lower vapor pressure liquid on a high energy surface. It is observed that for a fixed concentration of the mixture droplet, attraction/chasing or repulsion can be achieved by varying the relative time instants at which the drops are dispensed. Our study reveals that if the water droplet is dispensed within a critical time after dispensing the mixture droplet, the latter will get attracted to and chase the water droplet. On the other hand, if the water droplet is dispensed after this critical time, then it would get repelled from the mixture droplet. We explain the underlying mechanisms that govern the phenomena and demonstrate continuous transport of liquid/cell sample droplets/plugs.
Acoustically driven Dirac electrons in monolayer graphene
Authors: Zhao Pai , Tiemann Lars , Trieu Hoc Khiem , Blick Robert H.
Published: March 2020

We demonstrate the interaction between surface acoustic waves and Dirac electrons in monolayer graphene at low temperatures and high magnetic fields. A metallic interdigitated transducer (IDT) launches surface waves that propagate through a conventional piezoelectric GaAs substrate and couple to large-scale monolayer CVD graphene films resting on its surface. Based on the induced acousto-electric current, we characterize the frequency domains of the transducer from its first to the third harmonic. We find an oscillatory attenuation of the surface acoustic wave (SAW) velocity depending on the conductivity of the graphene layer. The acousto-electric current reveals an additional fine structure that is absent in pure magneto-transport. In addition, we find a shift between the acousto-electric longitudinal voltage and the velocity change of the SAW. We attribute this shift to the periodic strain field from the propagating SAW that slightly modifies the Dirac cone.
Recoil effects on reflection from relativistic mirrors in laser plasmas
Authors: Valenta P. , Esirkepov T. Zh. , Koga J. K. , Pirozhkov A. S. , Kando M. , Kawachi T. , Liu Y.-K. , Fang P. , Chen P. , Mu J. , Korn G. , Klimo O. , Bulanov S. V.
Published: March 2020

Relativistic mirrors can be realized with strongly nonlinear Langmuir waves excited by intense laser pulses in underdense plasma. On reflection from the relativistic mirror, the incident light affects the mirror motion. The corresponding recoil effects are investigated analytically and using particle-in-cell simulations. It is found that if the fluence of the incident electromagnetic wave exceeds a certain threshold, the relativistic mirror undergoes a significant back reaction and splits into multiple electron layers. The reflection coefficient of the relativistic mirror and the factors of electric field amplification and frequency upshift of the electromagnetic wave are obtained.