bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Hyperhomocysteinemia in Cardiovascular Diseases: Revisiting Observational Studies and Clinical Trials
Authors: Guéant Jean-Louis , Guéant-Rodriguez Rosa-Maria , Oussalah Abderrahim , Zuily Stéphane , Rosenberg Irwin
Published: September 2022

Thromboembolic manifestations are relatively frequent in patients with intermediate/severe hyperhomocysteinemia (>30 µmol/L) related to inherited disorders and deficiencies in vitamin B12 and folate. In contrast, moderate hyperhomocysteinemia (15–30 µmol/L) is a modest predictor of cardiovascular risk. The recognition of homocysteine as a cardiovascular risk factor has been challenged by some but not all randomized clinical trials. We reviewed the main data of this controversy and formulated conclusions to be translated in clinical practice.

Homocysteine-lowering trials have been performed in cardiovascular subjects with moderate but not intermediate/severe hyperhomocysteinemia despite the dose–effect risk association. The first meta-analyses found no benefit and led cardiology societies not recommending homocysteine in the assessment of cardiovascular risk. This guideline challenged the need to diagnose and treat the nutritional and genetic causes of intermediate/major hyperhomocysteinemia and was not revised when larger meta-analyses concluded to a reduced risk of stroke. In a recent observational study, 84% of consecutive cardiovascular patients assessed for homocysteine had intermediate or major hyperhomocysteinemia, which was properly assessed in only half of the cases and related to B12 and/or folate deficiency and Addison/Biermer disease in 55% of these cases.

In conclusion, revisiting observational studies and clinical trials suggests that cardiovascular patients should be screened for hyperhomocysteinemia, when no other risk factor is found. Patients with intermediate/major hyperhomocysteinemia should be properly assessed and treated for B vitamin deficiencies and inherited disorders according to current guidelines. Further trials are needed to assess the effect of lowering homocysteine according to hyperhomocysteinemia categories at baseline.
Biochemical Relapse in Low-risk Prostate Cancer Treated with Radical Prostatectomy and Bilateral Pelvic Lymphadenectomy
Authors: Dominguez-Bellini Cristina , Ramos José Gustavo , Becerra Luis Miguel , Varela Rodolfo
Published: September 2022

Introduction For low-risk prostate cancer (PCa), curative treatment with radical prostatectomy (RP) can be performed, reporting a biochemical relapse-free survival rate (bRFS) at 5 and 7 years of 90.1% and 88.3%, respectively. Prostatic specific antigen (PSA), pathological stage (pT), and positive margins (R1) are significant predictors of biochemical relapse (BR). Even though pelvic lymphadenectomy is not recommended during RP, in the literature, it is performed in 34% of these patients, finding 0.37% of positive lymph nodes (N1). In this study, we aim to evaluate the 10-year bRFS in patients with low-risk PCa who underwent RP and extended pelvic lymph node dissection (ePLND).

Methodology All low-risk patients who underwent RP plus bilateral ePLND at the National Cancer Institute of Colombia between 2006 and 2019 were reviewed. Biochemical relapse was defined as 2 consecutive increasing levels of PSA > 0.2 ng/mL. A descriptive analysis was performed using the STATA 15 software (Stata Corp., College Station, TX, USA), and the Kaplan-Meier curves and uni and multivariate Cox proportional hazard models were used for the survival outcome analysis. The related regression coefficients were used for the hazard ratio (HR), and, for all comparisons, a two-sided p-value ˂ 0.05 was used to define statistical significance.

Results Two hundred and two patients met the study criteria. The 10-year bRFS for the general population was 82.5%, statistically related to stage pT3 (p = 0.047), higher Gleason grade group (GG) (p ≤ 0.001), and R1 (p ≤ 0.001), but not with N1. A total of 3.9% of the patients had N1; of these, 75% had R1, 25% GG2, and 37% GG3. Among the N0 (non-lymph node metástasis in prostate cáncer) patients, 31% of the patients had R1, 41% GG2, and 13% GG3.

Conclusions Our bRFS was 82.5% in low-risk patients who underwent RP and ePLND. With higher pT, GG, and presence of R1, the probability of BR increased. Those with pN1 (pathologicaly confirmed positive lymph nodes) were not associated with bRFS, with a pN1 detection rate of 3.9%.

Details: In low-risk PCa, curative treatment with RP can be performed, reporting a bRFS rate at 5 and 7 years of 90.1% and 88.3%, respectively. Despite the fact that pelvic lymphadenectomy is not recommended during RP in clinical guidelines, in the literature, it is performed in 34% of these patients, finding 0.37% of N1. In this study, we report the 10-year bRFS in patients with low-risk PCa who underwent surgery.
Publication Trends in Pediatric Stone Disease: A Bibliometric Analysis
Authors: Fernández Nicolás , Herrera Daniela Alejandra Varela , Villanueva Juliana , Cheng Julie , Tasian Gregory
Published: September 2022

Introduction In the pediatric population, the prevalence of stone disease has increased in recent years. We aim to analyze the bibliometric characteristic of available literature on the management of stones in this population.

Methods We performed a search for articles published until December 2019 on the Scopus, Google Scholar, PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science databases using the keywords children, lithiasis, and stones. We excluded articles involving patients older than 18 years of age and those with non-urological lithiasis. Then, we performed a bibliometric analysis using the original language, year of publication, impact factor (yearly number of citations), and absolute citation count as variables to calculate the impact index (number of sources adjusted for the time since publication).

Results We included 291 articles published between 1940 and December 2019 for analysis. The average number of citations per manuscript was of 15.3 (± 21.9), and the average impact index was of 502 (± 976.4). A total of 4 articles were published before 1970. The evaluation of historical landmarks that could affect citation counts, such as the launch of a journal specialized in pediatric urology (Journal of Pediatric Urology), showed a mean citation count of 23.29 before the first edition, and of 14.96 after (p = 0.0006). The variation on the impact index with the same criteria was of 539.6 before the first edition of the Journal of Pediatric Urology, and of 316.32 after (p = 0.001). The average number of citations before internet access was of 17.9, and, after the internet, of 15.1 (p = 0.17). We also observed a difference in counts regarding languages of publication.

Conclusions The proportional academic productivity on pediatric stone disease demonstrates that citation counts do not reflect the true academic impact of subspecialized topics.
The Association of Maternal Satisfaction with Childbirth by Length of Second Stage
Authors: Pham Amelie , Sardana Aayushi , Sparks Andrew D. , Gimovsky Alexis C.
Published: September 2022

Objective The aim of this study was to quantify patient satisfaction by hour of second stage of labor and subsequent delivery mode.

Study Design Pilot cross-sectional study of nulliparous women delivered at George Washington University Hospital between April 2018 and March 2019. Patients completed three survey questionnaires in the immediate postpartum period: Patient Perception Score (PPS), Consumer Satisfaction Questionnaire (CSQ), and Six Simple Questions (SSQ). Length of second stage was divided into 2 groups (≤3 hours and >3 hours). Data on maternal characteristics, maternal outcomes, and neonatal outcomes were collected in REDCap and statistical analysis was performed using SAS version 9.4.

Results Survey response rate was 100% (n = 100). Seventy-one patients had a normal second stage and 29 patients had a prolonged second stage. Prolonged second stage was significantly associated with a lower proportion of NSVD (65.5 vs. 90.1%; p <0.01) and a higher proportion of epidural (82.8 vs. 60.6%; p = 0.03) in comparison to a normal second stage. Length of second stage had a statistically significant negative correlation with overall PPS scores (ρ =  − 0.25, p ≤0.01). Length of second stage was not correlated with the SSQ (ρ = 0.05, p = 0.25) or CSQ (ρ =  − 0.18, p = 0.11) surveys. CSQ scores were statistically significantly lower in women who underwent second stage cesarean delivery.

Conclusion Maternal satisfaction with childbirth and health care experience was high regardless of length of second stage. Only the PSS survey showed that shorter length of second stage was correlated with higher satisfaction. Cesarean delivery in the second stage was significantly associated with decreased maternal satisfaction. Future studies with larger cohorts are needed to confirm our findings.

Key Points
A Contemporary Clinico-Anatomical Guide to Craniovertebral Junction Surgery
Authors: Spiessberger Alexander , Gruter Basil , Prashant Giyarpuram , Haegler Joshua , Eisenberg Mark , Cohen-Gadol Aaron A. , Dehdashti Amir R.
Published: September 2022

Background Surgical treatment of ventral and ventrolateral lesions of the craniocervical junction are among the most challenging neurosurgical pathologies to treat. Three surgical techniques, the far lateral approach (and its variations), the anterolateral approach, and the endoscopic far medial approach can be used to approach and resect lesions in this area.

Objective The aim of the study is to examine the surgical anatomy of three skull base approaches to the craniocervical junction and review surgical cases to better understand the indications and possible complications for each of these approaches.

Methods Cadaveric dissections with standard microsurgical and endoscopic instruments were performed for each of the three surgical approaches, and key steps and surgically relevant anatomy were documented. Six patients with appropriate pre-, post-, and intraoperative imaging and video documentation are presented and discussed accordingly.

Results Based on our institutional experience, all three approaches can be utilized to safely and effectively approach a wide variety of neoplastic and vascular pathology. Unique anatomical characteristics, lesion morphology and size, and tumor biology should all be considered when determining the optimal approach.

Conclusion Preoperative assessment of surgical corridors with 3D illustrations helps to define the best surgical corridor. 360 degree knowledge of the anatomy of craniovertebral junction allows safe surgical approach and treatment of ventral and ventrolateral located lesions using one of the three approaches.
Using the Electronic Health Record User Context in Clinical Decision Support Criteria
Authors: Salmasian Hojjat , Rubins David , Bates David W.
Published: September 2022

Background Computerized clinical decision support (CDS) used in electronic health record systems (EHRs) has led to positive outcomes as well as unintended consequences, such as alert fatigue. Characteristics of the EHR session can be used to restrict CDS tools and increase their relevance, but implications of this approach are not rigorously studied.

Objectives To assess the utility of using “login location” of EHR users—that is, the location they chose on the login screen—as a variable in the CDS logic.

Methods We measured concordance between user's login location and the location of the patients they placed orders for and conducted stratified analyses by user groups. We also estimated how often login location data may be stale or inaccurate.

Results One in five CDS alerts incorporated the EHR users' login location into their logic. Analysis of nearly 2 million orders placed by nearly 8,000 users showed that concordance between login location and patient location was high for nurses, nurse practitioners, and physician assistance (all >95%), but lower for fellows (77%) and residents (55%). When providers switched between patients in the EHR, they usually did not update their login location accordingly.

Conclusion CDS alerts commonly incorporate user's login location into their logic. User's login location is often the same as the location of the patient the user is providing care for, but substantial discordance can be observed for certain user groups. While this may provide additional information that could be useful to the CDS logic, a substantial amount of discordance happened in specific user groups or when users appeared not to change their login location across different sessions. Those who design CDS alerts should consider a data-driven approach to evaluate the appropriateness of login location for each use case.
Bedside Ultrasound for Early Diagnosis of Necrotizing Enterocolitis: A Pilot Study
Authors: Oulego-Erroz Ignacio , Rodríguez-Fanjul Javier , Terroba-Seara Sandra , Sorribes-Orti Clara , Fernandez-Fernández David , Fuentes-Martínez Silvia , Pou-Blázquez Álvaro
Published: September 2022

Objective This study aimed to assess whether bedside ultrasound (BUS) as the first imaging modality allows an earlier diagnosis of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) compared with abdominal radiography.

Study Design A before–after controlled study in preterm infants with suspected NEC. The intervention group (October 2019–October 2021) received BUS as the first imaging modality and was managed accordingly to BUS findings. The control group (October 2015–September 2019) received radiography as the first imaging modality. The main outcome was NEC confirmation at the time of initial imaging. Secondary outcomes included time to diagnosis, laboratory data, and treatment requirements.

Results Thirty-five episodes of suspected NEC with 14 (40%) confirmed NEC cases and 49 episodes of suspected NEC with 22 (44.9%) confirmed NEC cases were included in the intervention and control groups, respectively. In the intervention group, 11 of 14 (78.6%) NEC cases were confirmed at initial evaluation compared with 5 of 22 (22.7%) in the control group (p = 0.001). Infants in the intervention group developed thrombocytopenia and coagulopathy less frequently, were exposed to less radiation, and required less days of parenteral nutrition compared with the control group (p < 0.05).

Conclusion The use of BUS as the first imaging modality allowed an earlier diagnosis and timely treatment of NEC compared with abdominal radiography.

Key Points
Optical filter–fiber combination based infrared measurement device for surface temperature measurement
Authors: Shi Chao , Liu Zhimin , Liang Lizhen , Liu Wei , Li Chao , Wang Na , Song Zeyang
Published: September 2022

Neutral Beam Injection (NBI) is one of the four efficient ways of assistant heating on the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST) device. Measures have been taken to ensure more reliable monitoring of NBI components’ thermal data. Infrared thermometers, unlike surface-mounted thermocouples, have the advantage of non-contact and thus will not cause interference and get far less chance of malfunctioning [Childs et al., Rev Sci. Instruments 71, 2959–2978 (2000)]. In this paper, the remote infrared temperature measurement with optical fiber is reported to meet the requirement of the EAST-NBI diagnostic system. Some tests have been conducted on the remote infrared temperature measurement under the working condition, and an atmospheric propagation simulation was performed to estimate the atmosphere absorption. The results indicate that the detector’s response is in line with the theory, and the atmosphere absorption within a certain wavelength should not be ignored. Temperature measurement error is within one percent at temperatures above 200 °C. So, for the temperature range of 200–600 °C, the remote infrared temperature measurement by the optical fiber can fully meet its expectation.
A new dedicated signal processing system for gamma-ray spectrometers in high power deuterium–tritium plasma scenarios in tokamaks
Authors: Marcer G. , Khilkevitch E. , Shevelev A. , Croci G. , Dal Molin A. , Gorini G. , Grosso G. , Muraro A. , Nocente M. , Perelli Cippo E. , Putignano O. , Rebai M. , Rigamonti D. , de la Luna E. , Garcia J. , Kazakov Y. , Kiptily V. , Maslov M. , Nave M. F. F. , Ongena J. , Tardocchi M. ,   JET Contributors
Published: September 2022

The most performant deuterium–tritium (DT) plasma discharges realized by the Joint European Torus (JET) tokamak in the recent DT campaign have produced neutron yields on the order of 1018 n/s. At such high neutron yields, gamma-ray spectroscopy measurements with scintillators are challenging as events from the neutron-induced background often dominate over the signal, leading to a significant fraction of pileup events and instability of the photodetector gain along with the consequent degradation of the reconstructed spectrum. Here, we describe the solutions adopted for the tangential lanthanum bromide spectrometer installed at JET. A data acquisition system with free streaming mode digitization capabilities for the entire duration of the discharge has been used to solve dead-time related issues and a data reconstruction code with pileup recovery and photodetector gain drift restoration has been implemented for off-line analysis of the data. This work focuses on the acquired data storage and parsing, with a detailed explanation of the pileup recovery and gain drift restoration algorithms.
Thorium dicarbide under high pressure and high temperature: Ab initio investigation
Authors: Sahoo B. D. , Joshi K. D.
Published: September 2022

A systematic study on the structural stability of thorium dicarbide (ThC2) under hydrostatic compression has been carried out by exploiting the evolutionary structure search algorithm as implemented in the universal structure predictor: evolutionary Xtallography (USPEX) code in conjunction with the ab initio electronic band structure calculation method. At ambient conditions, ThC2 exists in a monoclinic crystallographic phase with space group (SG) C2/c. Our calculations under generalized gradient approximation (GGA) predict the high-pressure structural sequence of monoclinic-I (SG C2/c) → monoclinic-II (SG C2/m) → orthorhombic-I (SG Pmma) → orthorhombic-II (SG Immm) → hexagonal (SG P6/mmm) for this material with transition pressures of ∼3.3, 58.3, 191.6, and 255 GPa, respectively. Out of this theoretically predicted high-pressure structural phase transition sequence, only the first transition, i.e., monoclinic-I → monoclinic-II, could be compared with the available high-pressure experimental study by Guo et al. [Sci. Rep. 7, 45872 (2017)]. The theoretically determined phase transition qualitatively agrees with the experimental results [Y. Guo et al. Sci. Rep. 7, 45872 (2017)]. Interestingly, our predicted intermediate orthorhombic-I (SG Pmma) phase has an enthalpy lower than that of the previously predicted orthorhombic Cmmm phase by Guo et al. [Sci. Rep. 7, 45872 (2017)]. The high-pressure structural sequence so predicted through static lattice calculations has been further substantiated by confirming the elastic and lattice dynamic stability of each structure in the pressure regime of its structural stability. Additionally, the superconducting transition temperature for all these structures has been determined and it is found that the monoclinic-II (C2/m) phase has the highest transition temperature of 17 K at 5 GPa. Furthermore, the thermo-physical properties along with the temperature-induced phase transitions in ThC2 have also been investigated through both the lattice dynamic simulations (within quasi-harmonic approximation) and ab initio molecular dynamics simulations.
Basic principles and optical system design of 17.48 keV high-throughput modified Wolter x-ray microscope
Authors: Li Yaran , Li Wenjie , Chen Liang , Ma Huanzhen , Xu Xinye , Xu Jie , Wang Xin , Mu Baozhong
Published: September 2022

High-precision x-ray imaging diagnostics of hotspot at the stagnation stage are essential for regulating implosion asymmetry and retrieving physical implosion parameters. With regard to 10–20 keV energy band imaging, existing diagnostic instruments such as Kirkpatrick–Baez microscopes and pinhole cameras are insufficient in terms of spatial resolution and collection efficiency. The situation is even worse when high-speed, time-resolved imaging diagnostics are performed by coupling framing cameras or line-of-sight imagers. This article presents the basic principles and optical system design of a 17.48 keV modified Wolter x-ray microscope, to resolve the problems encountered in high-energy imaging diagnostics. The proposed optical configuration offers a better spatial resolution, greater depth of field, and preliminary compliance with the requirements of high precision optical processing techniques. The spatial resolution is better than 1 µm in a field range ±150 µm, and is better than 3 µm in a total field of view ∼408 µm in diameter. The geometric solid angle is calculated as 3.0 × 10−5 sr and is estimated to be 1.2 × 10−6 sr, considering the reflectivity of the double mirrors. The proposed microscope is expected to effectively improve spatial resolution and signal-to-noise ratio for high-energy imaging diagnostics.
Bending a graphene cantilever by a diamagnetic force
Authors: Inui Norio , Maebuchi Kazunori
Published: September 2022

The application of a magnetic field perpendicular to the surface of a graphene cantilever generates a bending force owing to the strong anisotropy of the magnetic susceptibility. We calculate the mechanically stable equilibrium shape of a graphene cantilever in the presence of a magnetic field by minimizing the magnetic and bending energies, which are calculated using the tight-binding model and the Tersoff–Brenner potential, respectively. Furthermore, the introduction of a continuous model enables the size-dependence of the displacement by bending to be considered.
Multiparticle orientational correlations are responsible for the nonlinear dielectric effect: Analysis of temperature-dependent measurements for glycerol
Authors: Matyushov Dmitry V.
Published: September 2022

The nonlinear dielectric effect (NDE) is traditionally viewed as originating from saturation of the response of individual dipoles in a strong electric field. This mean-field view, mathematically described by the Langevin saturation function, predicts enhanced dielectric saturation at lower temperatures. In contrast, recent experiments for glycerol have shown a sharp increase of the NDE with increasing temperature. The formalism presented here splits the NDE into a sum of a term representing binary correlations of dipolar orientations and terms referring to three- and four-particle orientational correlations. Analysis of experimental data shows that the contribution of three- and four-particle correlations strongly increases at elevated temperatures. The mean-field picture of dielectric saturation as the origin of the NDE is inconsistent with observations. A positive NDE (increment of the field-dependent dielectric constant) is predicted for low-concentration solutions of polar molecules in nonpolar solvents. The dependence of the NDE on the concentration of the polar component is polynomial.
Laser compression via fast-extending plasma gratings
Authors: Wu Zhaohui , Zuo Yanlei , Zeng Xiaoming , Li Zhaoli , Zhang Zhimeng , Wang Xiaodong , Hu Bilong , Wang Xiao , Mu Jie , Su Jingqin , Zhu Qihua , Dai Yaping
Published: September 2022

A method is proposed for compressing laser pulses by fast-extending plasma gratings (FEPGs), which are created by ionizing a hypersonic wave generated by stimulated Brillouin scattering in a background gas. Ionized by a short laser pulse, the phonon forms a light-velocity FEPG to fully reflect a resonant pump laser. As the reflecting surface moves with the velocity of light, the reflected pulse is temporally overlapped and compressed. One- and two-dimensional fully kinetic particle-in-cell simulations with a laser wavelength of 1 µm show that in this regime, a pump pulse is compressed from 10–40 ps to 7–10 fs (i.e., a few optical cycles), with a two-dimensional transfer efficiency up to 60%. This method is a promising way to produce critical laser powers while avoiding several significant problems that arise in plasma-based compressors, including an unwanted linear stage, major plasma instabilities, and the need for seed preparation.
Experimental and theoretical investigation of the ArICl van der Waals complexes in the valence and ion-pair states
Authors: Lukashov Sergei S. , Martynov Ivan I. , Poretsky Sergey A. , Pravilov Anatoly M. , Sivokhina Mariia M.
Published: September 2022

This paper presents the experimental and theoretical analyses of ArICl(IP,vIP,nIP) states’ population and decay at energies lower than the ArICl(E,vE = 0,nE) dissociation limit (IP = E0+, D′2, β1), vIP = 0, 1, and nIP are the quantum numbers of the van der Waals (vdW) modes. We have measured the excitation spectra of the ArICl(E,vE = 0,1,nE → X,vX,nX) and ArICl(β,0,nβ → A and/or D′,vD′,nD′→A′ luminescence as well as luminescence spectra themselves. To construct potential energy surfaces (PESs) for valence (A1, A′2) and ion-pair (E, β, and D′) electronic states of the complex, we utilized the intermolecular diatomic-in-molecule perturbation theory first order method. The experimental and calculated spectroscopic characteristics of the T-shaped ArICl valence and E, β states agree well. The ArICl(D′) state PES has no vdW levels in the T-shaped configuration, and collinear ArICl(D′) binding energy is larger than that of the T-shaped ArICl(β) state. We calculated vibrational state energies and the ArICl(IP → valence states) luminescence excitation spectra, as well as luminescence spectra themselves, by using the Heidelberg MCTDH code. The comparison of the experimental and calculated excitation spectra shows that the latter describe their principal features. The bound–bound ArICl(E,0,nE → X and β,0,nβ → A) parts of experimental luminescence spectra are described adequately by the calculated spectra, whereas bound-free ArICl(E,0,nE → X, D′, 0, nD′ → A′) parts are not described since the bound-free transitions occur in repulsive parts of the ArICl(X, A′ PESs, which we cannot describe accurately.
Thunder acoustic signature for channel reconstruction in triggered lightning
Authors: Wang Jianguo , Cao Jinxin , Cai Li , Su Rui , Zhou Mi , Fan Yadong , Li Quanxin
Published: September 2022

There are few reports on the near-field acoustic signals corresponding to lightning return strokes. One rocket-triggered lightning flash, which contains 13 return strokes, initial continuous current (ICC) processes, and abundant M-components, was observed in the summer of 2018 and reported in this study. The complete near-field acoustic pressure signals initiated by the flash were recorded and analyzed. It is found that the near-field acoustic pressure signals from each return stroke are composed of the first arrived N-shape shock waveform and the subsequent low-frequency oscillating waveforms. The characteristic of the acoustic waveforms has been parametrically defined and quantitatively analyzed, with a comprehensively acoustic-electrical correlation investigation. The acoustic pressure signals from intensive ICC processes and M-component pulses with different discharge intensities are also discussed. It is found that the too-close time interval between M-component and previous current pulses would affect the generation and measurement of the acoustic pressure waveforms from the M-component, even though the discharge amplitude is competitive and the wavefront is fast. The same phenomenon has also been observed in the acoustic signals from a return stroke with a too close interval from the previous pulse. The acoustic source localization with great accuracy for lightning channel reconstruction was realized based on the measured acoustic signals. The reconstructed channel structure agrees with that of the synchronously captured optical image. The study of the characteristics of acoustic signals from lightning discharge contributes to the recognition of thunder signals, source localization for channel reconstruction, and understanding of the lightning discharge process.
Droplet impact on sparse hydrophobic pillar surface: Impact phenomena, spreading mode, and droplet breakup
Authors: Zhou Xin , Wang Hong , Zhang Qian , Tian Ye , Deng Qiyuan , Zhu Xun , Ding Yudong , Chen Rong , Liao Qiang
Published: September 2022

Functional surfaces with controllable droplet spreading and breakup dynamics have received widespread attention in self-cleaning, spraying cooling, 3D printing, etc. The arrangement of a microstructure is of great value for the design of functional surfaces. Here, we numerically investigated the droplet impact dynamics on the sparse hydrophobic pillar surface with OpenFOAM. We investigated the effect of Weber number, impact locations, and pillar spacing. Outcomes are most strongly influenced by impact locations, pillar pitch, Weber number, and eight spreading patterns were registered, including circle, square, cross-shaped, Chinese knot, octopus, ellipse, dumbbell, and hexagram. Furthermore, a set of theoretical models were developed for the spreading pattern transition to predict the critical Weber number for different droplet spreading patterns. The breakup dynamics of droplets strongly depend on the spreading patterns and the impact location, which can emit secondary droplets in specific directions. The cross pattern significantly reduces the threshold for secondary droplet generation. The results obtained some essential characteristics for droplet impinging sparse hydrophobic pillar surface, which could provide valuable insights into functional surface design, fluidic-based systems and applications.
Electrically driven thermal infrared metasurface with narrowband emission
Authors: Liu Xiu , Jing Lin , Luo Xiao , Yu Bowen , Du Shen , Wang Zexiao , Kim Hyeonggyun , Zhong Yibai , Shen Sheng
Published: September 2022

Metasurfaces consisting of an array of planar sub-wavelength structures have shown great potentials in controlling thermal infrared radiation, including intensity, coherence, and polarization. These capabilities together with the two-dimensional nature make thermal metasurfaces an ultracompact multifunctional platform for infrared light manipulation. Integrating the functionalities, such as amplitude, phase (spectrum and directionality), and polarization, on a single metasurface offers fascinating device responses. However, it remains a significant challenge to concurrently optimize the optical, electrical, and thermal responses of a thermal metasurface in a small footprint. In this work, we develop a center-contacted electrode line design for a thermal infrared metasurface based on a gold nanorod array, which allows local Joule heating to electrically excite the emission without undermining the localized surface plasmonic resonance. The narrowband emission of thermal metasurfaces and their robustness against temperature nonuniformity demonstrated in this work have important implications for the applications in infrared imaging, sensing, and energy harvesting.
A partition-coupled Eulerian–Lagrangian method for large-deformation simulation of compressible fluid
Authors: Ning Jianguo , Jin Ziyan , Xu Xiangzhao
Published: September 2022

We present a partition-coupled Eulerian–Lagrangian method (PCELM) for accurately tracking a free interface and a contact discontinuity of the compressible fluid with large deformation. This method tracks the interface by arranging splittable Lagrangian particles on an Eulerian grid and adopts a partition-weighted bidirectional mapping between particles and grids using a cubic B-spline as interpolation function. PCELM suppresses oscillation of the discontinuous surface by this partition-weighted remapping method and solves the problem of numerical fracture by a particle splitting method. A virtual particle method is also proposed to deal with discontinuity of particle flow at the boundary and to maintain interpolation accuracy at the boundary. The conservation of mass, momentum, and energy of PCELM is proved by conservation analysis. Accuracy tests and simulations of discontinuous surfaces and free interfaces are performed to verify the accuracy and stability of PCELM. The results show that PCELM has strong energy conservation and low energy dissipation and that it is not only better at suppressing oscillations than the original method, but can also simulate a compressible fluid with large deformation more accurately than weighted essentially nonoscillatory schemes.
Foliar application of ascorbic acid enhances growth and yield of lettuce (Lactuca sativa) under saline conditions by improving antioxidant defence mechanism
Authors: Naz Safina , Mushtaq Abubakar , Ali Sajid , Muhammad Hafiza Muniba Din , Saddiq Bushra , Ahmad Riaz , Zulfiqar Faisal , Hayat Faisal , Tiwari Rahul Kumar , Lal Milan Kumar , Altaf Muhammad Ahsan
Published: September 2022

Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) production is low because of different environmental stresses. Salt stress significantly reduces lettuce growth and yield. Foliar application of ascorbic acid is considered as a possible way to mitigate the adverse salinity effects on plants. This current study investigated the effect of foliar spray of ascorbic acid (control, 100, 200, 300 and 400 mg/L) to mitigate negative effects of salinity (0, 50, 100 and 150 mM NaCl) in lettuce plants in 2019 and 2020. Salinity level of 200 mM NaCl significantly reduced growth and yield traits; i.e. leaf length and diameter, number of leaves, fresh plant weight, number of roots, root length and root dry weight and these traits increased under foliar application of ascorbic acid concentration of 400 mg/L. Two salinity levels (150 and 200 mM NaCl) × 400 mg/L ascorbic acid enhanced superoxide dismutase (SOD) content in lettuce plants. Peroxidase (POD) content increased in 200 mM NaCl and 400 mg/L ascorbic acid. Catalase (CAT) content increased in 100, 150 and 200 mM NaCl and 400 mg/L ascorbic acid. Ascorbic acid was significantly greater in 200 mM NaCl and 400 mg/L ascorbic acid. Phenolic content was the maximum in 200 mM NaCl and 300 mg/L and 400 mg/L ascorbic acid. Titratable acidity was higher in 0, 50, 100, 150 and 200 mM NaCl and control of ascorbic acid. We conclude that ascorbic acid had potential to mitigate the adverse effects of salinity by reducing oxidative injury in agricultural crops especially lettuce.
Evaluating the time of HIV infection, diagnosis and treatment delays based on HIV notification data in Northwest China, 2008–19
Authors: Zhao Rui , Zhang Hailan , Zhao Xin , Zhuang Tianyi , Fairley Christopher K. , Ong Jason J. , He Shiyi , Bai Lu , Hocking Jane , Zhang Lei , Wei Xiaoli , Zhuang Guihua
Published: September 2022

Background Timely diagnosis and treatment are crucial for reducing HIV transmission; therefore, estimating the time from HIV infection to antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation becomes particularly important for people living with HIV. Methods We used a well-characterised CD4 depletion model to estimate the time from HIV infection to initiation of ART and the rate of delayed HIV diagnosis (infection to diagnosis >1 year) and treatment initiation (diagnosis to treatment >1 year), based on HIV notification data for adults (aged ≥18 years) in Xi’an city, China, during 2008–19. Results Overall, 7402 reported HIV diagnoses were included. We estimated more than two-thirds of HIV infections remained undiagnosed (66.1%, 9489/14 345). The estimated proportion of HIV diagnoses that were delayed (>1 year) was 80.3% (5941/7402) during 2008–19, and it increased from 72.7% (32/44) in 2008 to 83.5% (908/1088) in 2019. In contrast, the proportion of cases with delayed treatment (>1 year) was 13.1% (971/7402) during 2008–19, and it reduced from 75.0% (33/44) in 2008 to 1.5% (16/1088) in 2019. The estimated median time from HIV infection to diagnosis increased from 5.05 (IQR, 0.27–8.15) years to 5.81 (IQR, 2.31–10.28) years, whereas the time from diagnosis to ART initiation reduced from 3.06 (IQR, 1.01–5.20) years in 2008 to 0.07 (IQR, 0.04–0.12) year in 2019. Conclusions Early treatment after diagnosis has significantly improved, but timely diagnosis of HIV infections may still require further improvement. The estimated proportion of undiagnosed HIV cases remains high in 2019 in Xi’an city and is likely to impede effective control.
On the intermittent nature of forest fire spread – Part 2
Authors: Viegas Domingos Xavier Filomeno Carlos , Raposo Jorge Rafael Nogueira , Ribeiro Carlos Fernando Morgado , Reis Luís , Abouali Abdelrahman , Ribeiro Luís Mário , Viegas Carlos Xavier Pais
Published: September 2022

Based on analysis of the interaction between a spreading fire and its surrounding environment, in nominally constant and uniform boundary conditions, it is observed that the evolution of the fire front is characterised by fluctuations of its properties, including (in particular) its rate of spread (ROS). Using a database with a wide range of fires with different time–space scales, it is shown that the amplitude of the fluctuation in ROS is proportional to the average value of the ROS and that the frequency of oscillation varies with the type of fire, and for a given fuel, increases with the average ROS. In fast-spreading fires, the large amplitude of ROS increase and sudden decrease promote the intermittent behaviour of the fire. In general, the amplitude and period required for the ROS increase are larger than for its decrease. However, the acceleration and deceleration phases in junction fires do not follow this rule, suggesting the existence of different convective processes of interaction between the flow and fire. This oscillation explains the variability in many fires at all scales and challenges the current interpretation based on the three factors affecting fire spread and the classification of wind or topography-driven fires.
GAMBUT field experiment of peatland wildfires in Sumatra: from ignition to spread and suppression
Authors: Santoso Muhammad A. , Christensen Eirik G. , Amin Hafiz M. F. , Palamba Pither , Hu Yuqi , Purnomo Dwi M. J. , Cui Wuquan , Pamitran Agus , Richter Franz , Smith Thomas E. L. , Nugroho Yulianto S. , Rein Guillermo
Published: September 2022

Peat wildfires can burn over large areas of peatland, releasing ancient carbon and toxic gases into the atmosphere over prolonged periods. These emissions cause haze episodes of pollution and accelerate climate change. Peat wildfires are characterised by smouldering – the flameless, most persistent type of combustion. Mitigation strategies are needed in arctic, boreal, and tropical areas but are hindered by incomplete scientific understanding of smouldering. Here, we present GAMBUT, the largest and longest to-date field experiment of peat wildfires, conducted in a degraded peatland of Sumatra. Temperature, emission and spread of peat fire were continuously measured over 4–10 days and nights, and three major rainfalls. Measurements of temperature in the soil provide field experimental evidence of lethal fire severity to the biological system of the peat up to 30 cm depth. We report that the temperature of the deep smouldering is ~13% hotter than shallow layer during daytime. During night-time, both deep and shallow smouldering had the same level of temperature. The experiment was terminated by suppression with water. Comparison of rainfall with suppression confirms the existence of a critical water column height below which extinction is not possible. GAMBUT provides a unique understanding of peat wildfires at field conditions that can contribute to mitigation strategies.
Prevention of ribosome collision-induced neuromuscular degeneration by SARS CoV-2–encoded Nsp1
Authors: Wang Xingjun , Rimal Suman , Tantray Ishaq , Geng Ji , Bhurtel Sunil , Khaket Tejinder Pal , Li Wen , Han Zhe , Lu Bingwei
Published: September 2022

An overarching goal of aging and age-related neurodegenerative disease research is to discover effective therapeutic strategies applicable to a broad spectrum of neurodegenerative diseases. Little is known about the extent to which targetable pathogenic mechanisms are shared among these seemingly diverse diseases. Translational control is critical for maintaining proteostasis during aging. Gaining control of the translation machinery is also crucial in the battle between viruses and their hosts. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the causative agent of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Here, we show that overexpression of SARS-CoV-2–encoded nonstructural protein 1 (Nsp1) robustly rescued neuromuscular degeneration and behavioral phenotypes in
Drosophila
models of Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. These diseases share a common mechanism: the accumulation of aberrant protein species due to the stalling and collision of translating ribosomes, leading to proteostasis failure. Our genetic and biochemical analyses revealed that Nsp1 acted in a multipronged manner to resolve collided ribosomes, abort stalled translation, and remove faulty translation products causative of disease in these models, at least in part through the ribosome recycling factor ABCE1, ribosome-associated quality-control factors, autophagy, and AKT signaling. Nsp1 exhibited exquisite specificity in its action, as it did not modify other neurodegenerative conditions not known to be associated with ribosome stalling. These findings uncover a previously unrecognized mechanism of Nsp1 in manipulating host translation, which can be leveraged for combating age-related neurodegenerative diseases that are affecting millions of people worldwide and currently without effective treatment.
Revisiting timelike and null geodesics in the Schwarzschild spacetime: general expressions in terms of Weierstrass elliptic functions
Authors: Cieślik Adam , Mach Patryk
Published: September 2022

The theory of Schwarzschild geodesics is revisited. Basing on a result by Weierstrass and Biermann, we derive a formula describing all non radial, timelike and null trajectories in terms of Weierstrass elliptic functions. Quite remarkably, a single formula works for an entire geodesic trajectory, even if it passes through turning points. Using this formula, we derive expressions for the proper and coordinate time along the geodesic.
A method for detecting unbond defects of absorbing coatings
Authors: Tu Yihang , Li Ji , Long Jiawei , Qin Lin , Zhang Yunpeng , Qiu Yang , Ge Meng , Zheng Hu , Li En
Published: September 2022

The nondestructive test (NDT) of microwave absorbing coatings plays a very important role in radar stealth and electromagnetic compatibility. In various NDT methods, microwave thermography has shown good potential. This method uses a thermal imager to measure the surface thermal profile of absorbing coatings which are heated by microwaves. In this paper, the application of microwave thermography in defect detection of absorbing coatings is presented. Specifically, the measurement principle of microwave thermography is studied by theoretical analysis and simulation, and the influence of thermal diffusion upon defect recognition has been discussed. On this basis, an improved morphological edge detection algorithm based on dual-threshold segmentation has been proposed to get defect features. Finally, research shows that this algorithm can reduce the influence of thermal diffusion in the detection of defect geometric features.
A gas–solid flow pattern identification algorithm based on cross-rod electrostatic sensor array
Authors: Wang Yuang , Cheng Xuezhen , Li Jiming
Published: September 2022

The accurate identification of gas–solid two-phase flow patterns is an important but challenging subject for pneumatic conveying. In this study, the sensitivity deficiencies of a single electrode were analysed via finite element analysis and a more sensitive cross-rod electrostatic sensor array structure was designed to measure the flow pattern signals. The experiment used Geldart D particles to verify the feasibility of the designed sensor array. Three types of feature vectors were extracted: the mean value, variance, and energy ratio. To identify the flow pattern accurately, the sine–cosine algorithm (SCA) is exploited to optimise the smoothing factor critical for a probabilistic neural network (PNN), namely SCA-PNN. The identification results show that the identification accuracy of the proposed algorithm outperforms the traditional PNN, the back propagation neural network (BPNN) and the support vector machine (SVM).
Fe2O3nanoparticles anchored on thermally oxidized MWCNTs as anode material for lithium-ion battery
Authors: Meng Xiaoru , Huang Jingrui , Zhu Guangzhao , Xu Yan , Zhu Shoupu , Li Qi , Chen Ming , Lin Meng-Chang
Published: September 2022

Thermally oxidized MWCNTs (OMWCNTs) are fabricated by a thermal treatment of MWCNTs at 500 °C for 3 h in an oxygen-containing atmosphere. The oxygen content of OMWCNTs increases from 1.9 wt% for MWCNTs to 8.3 wt%. And the BET specific surface area of OMWCNTs enhances from 254.2 m2g−1for MWCNTs to 496.1 m2g−1. The Fe2O3/OMWCNTs nanocomposite is prepared by a hydrothermal method. Electrochemical measurements show that Fe2O3/OMWCNTs still keeps a highly reversible specific capacity of 653.6 mA h g−1after 200 cycles at 0.5 A g−1, which shows an obviously higher capacity than the sum of that of single Fe2O3and OMWCNTs. The OMWCNTs not only buffer the volume changes of Fe2O3nanoparticles but also provide high-speed electronic transmission channels in the charge–discharge process. The thermal oxidation method of OMWCNTs avoids using strong corrosive acids such as nitric acid and sulfuric acid, which has the advantages of safety, environmental protection, macroscopic preparation, etc.
A computationally assisted technique to measure material-specific surface coefficients in capacitively coupled plasmas based on characteristics of the ion flux-energy distribution function
Authors: Schulze C , Donkó Z , Benedikt J
Published: September 2022

We present a new method for the determination of surface coefficients, more specifically the effective ion-induced secondary electron yield, γ
eff, and the effective elastic electron reflection coefficient, r
eff, by means of a synergistic combination of energy-selective mass spectrometry measurements and numerical particle-in-cell/Monte Carlo collisions simulations of the ion flux-energy distribution function (IEDF) in a symmetric capacitively coupled plasma (CCP). In particular, we analyze the bimodal peak structure of the IEDF, which is caused by ions crossing the sheath without collisions. The position and width of this structure on the energy scale are defined by the time-averaged sheath potential and the ion transit time through the sheath, respectively. We find that both characteristics are differently influenced by γ
eff and r
eff. The ion-induced secondary electrons are accelerated in the large sheath potential and mainly influence the plasma density, sheath width and, consequently, the ion transit time and in this way the bimodal peak separation. Electron reflection from the electrodes acts mainly at times of sheath collapse, where low energy electrons can reach the surfaces. Their contribution to the plasma density increase is small, however, their longer residence time in the vicinity of the electrodes modifies the space charge density and the potential gradient. Additionally, the charge balance at the electrode requires an incident electron flux that is correlated to the flux of emitted ion induced secondary electrons and reflected electrons, which is realized by a change of the electron repelling sheath voltage. As a consequence, the electron reflection coefficient mainly influences the sheath potential and, hence, the position of the bimodal peak structure. These effects allow the simultaneous in situ determination of both surface parameters. The parameter values determined for stainless steel and Al2O3 surfaces are in good agreement with literature data. Our method opens a straightforward way of obtaining γ
eff and r
eff under realistic plasma conditions.