julilili42/papers huggingface dataset:
Edge Contacts accelerate the Response of MoS2 Photodetectors
2022-09-08

We use a facile plasma etching process to define contacts with an embedded edge geometry for multilayer MoS2 photodetectors. Compared to the conventional top contact geometry, the detector response time is accelerated by more than an order of magnitude by this action. We attribute this improvement to the higher in-plane mobility and direct contacting of the individual MoS2 layers in the edge geometry. With this method, we demonstrate electrical 3 dB bandwidths of up to 18 MHz which is one of the highest values reported for pure MoS2 photodetectors. We anticipate that this approach should also be applicable to other layered materials, guiding a way to faster next-generation photodetectors.
Outcomes of Cerebral Venous Thrombosis due to Vaccine-Induced Immune Thrombotic Thrombocytopenia After the Acute Phase
2022-09-09

Background: Cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) due to vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia (VITT) is a severe condition, with high in-hospital mortality rates. Here, we report clinical outcomes of patients with CVT-VITT after SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) vaccination who survived initial hospitalization. Methods: We used data from an international registry of patients who developed CVT within 28 days of SARS-CoV-2 vaccination, collected until February 10, 2022. VITT diagnosis was classified based on the Pavord criteria. Outcomes were mortality, functional independence (modified Rankin Scale score 0–2), VITT relapse, new thrombosis, and bleeding events (all after discharge from initial hospitalization). Results: Of 107 CVT-VITT cases, 43 (40%) died during initial hospitalization. Of the remaining 64 patients, follow-up data were available for 60 (94%) patients (37 definite VITT, 9 probable VITT, and 14 possible VITT). Median age was 40 years and 45/60 (75%) patients were women. Median follow-up time was 150 days (interquartile range, 94–194). Two patients died during follow-up (3% [95% CI, 1%–11%). Functional independence was achieved by 53/60 (88% [95% CI, 78%–94%]) patients. No new venous or arterial thrombotic events were reported. One patient developed a major bleeding during follow-up (fatal intracerebral bleed). Conclusions: In contrast to the high mortality of CVT-VITT in the acute phase, mortality among patients who survived the initial hospitalization was low, new thrombotic events did not occur, and bleeding events were rare. Approximately 9 out of 10 CVT-VITT patients who survived the acute phase were functionally independent at follow-up.
Identifying the optimal blood pressure for cerebral autoregulation in infants after cardiac surgery by monitoring cerebrovascular reactivity—A pilot study
2022-09-09

Abstract Background Advances in the treatment of pediatric congenital heart disease have increased survival rates. Despite efforts to prevent neurological injury, many patients suffer from impaired neurodevelopmental outcomes. Compromised cerebral autoregulation can increase the risk of brain injury following pediatric cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass. Monitoring autoregulation and maintaining adequate cerebral blood flow can help prevent neurological injury. Aims Our objective was to evaluate autoregulation parameters and to define the optimal blood pressure as well as the lower and upper blood pressure limits of autoregulation. Methods Autoregulation was monitored prospectively in 36 infants after cardiopulmonary bypass surgery for congenital heart defects between January and December 2019. Autoregulation indices were calculated by correlating invasive arterial blood pressure, cortical oxygen saturation, and relative tissue hemoglobin levels with near‐infrared spectroscopy parameters. Results The mean patient age was 4.1 ± 2.8 months, and the mean patient weight was 5.2 ± 1.8 kg. Optimal mean arterial pressure could be identified in 88.9% of patients via the hemoglobin volume index and in 91.7% of patients via the cerebral oxygenation index, and a lower limit of autoregulation could be found in 66.7% and 63.9% of patients, respectively. No significant changes in autoregulation indices at the beginning or end of the monitoring period were observed. In 76.5% ± 11.1% and 83.8% ± 9.9% of the 8 and 16 h monitoring times, respectively, the mean blood pressure was inside the range of intact autoregulation (below in 21.5% ± 25.4% and 11.3% ± 16.5% and above in 8.7% ± 10.4% and 6.0% ± 11.0%, respectively). The mean optimal blood pressure was 57.4 ± 8.7 mmHg and 58.2 ± 7.9 mmHg and the mean lower limit of autoregulation was 48.8 ± 8.3 mmHg and 45.5 ± 6.7 mmHg when generated via the hemoglobin volume index and cerebral oxygenation index, respectively. Conclusions Postoperative noninvasive autoregulation monitoring after cardiac surgery in children can be reliably and safely performed using the hemoglobin volume index and cerebral oxygenation index and provides robust data. This monitoring can be used to identify individual hemodynamic targets to optimize autoregulation, which differs from those recommended in the literature. Further evaluation of this subject is needed.
Using active noise-cancelling headphones in open-plan offices: No influence on cognitive performance but improvement of perceived privacy and acoustic environment
2022-09-09

High speech intelligibility in open-plan offices and thus a high changing-state character of the acoustic environment have been found to negatively influence cognitive performance. This is often attributed to the so-called irrelevant speech effect. Office workers lately use active noise-cancelling (ANC) headphones to improve the acoustic situation by blocking unwanted sound. However, it is currently unknown if using ANC headphones in a noisy setting improves cognitive performance. Two studies were conducted to examine if ANC headphones improve cognitive performance and the subjective well-being of employees in an open-plan office. Cognitive performance was measured using a serial recall test. Subjective assessments were measured using a questionnaire. The participants were tested in silence, speech without headphones, speech with ANC headphones switched off and speech with ANC headphones switched on. No statistically significant differences were found between the conditions with ANC headphones switched on and off as well as without headphones for cognitive performance. However, ANC headphones statistically significantly improved subjective assessments such as perceived privacy and the assessment of the acoustic environment. The results provide a scientific basis for evaluating and planning the appropriate use of ANC headphones for concentration-intensive activities such as office work.
Analyses of Spatial Correlation and Coherence in ABL flow with a Fleet of UAS
2022-09-09

Abstract The spatial structures of turbulent flow in the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) are complex and diverse. Multi-point spatial correlation measurements can be used to improve the understanding of these structures and their statistics. In this context, we investigate Taylor’s hypothesis and the statistics of spatial structures on the microscale in this study. For the first time, simultaneous horizontally distributed wind measurements with a fleet of 20 quadrotor UAS (unmanned aerial systems) are enabled. The measurements were taken at different heights and under different atmospheric conditions at the boundary layer field site in Falkenberg of the German National Meteorological Service (DWD). An adaptable horizontal flight pattern has been especially developed, consisting of measurements distributed along and lateral to the mean flow direction with separation distances of 5...205 m. The validity of Taylor's hypothesis is studied by examining cross-correlations of longitudinally distributed UAS and comparing them with autocorrelations of single UAS. To assess the similarity of flow structures on different scales, the lateral and longitudinal coherence of the streamwise velocity component is examined. Two modeling approaches for the decay of coherence are compared. The experimental results are in good agreement with the model approaches for neutral atmospheric conditions, whereas in stable and convective ABL, the exponential approaches are not unconditionally valid. The validation results and the agreement with the literature on coherence in the ABL underline the potential of the UAS fleet for the purpose of spatial turbulence measurements.
Crystal fabric anisotropy causes directional hardening of theNortheast Greenland Ice Stream
2022-09-09

<title>Abstract</title> The dynamic mass loss of ice sheets due to ice flow constitutes one of the biggest uncertainties in projections of ice-sheet evolution and sea-level rise. One central, understudied aspect of ice flow is how the bulk orientation of the ice-crystal lattice (fabric) translates to the mechanical anisotropy of ice. Here, we present a comprehensive analysis of the depth-averaged fabric distribution and corresponding directional flow enhancement factors covering a large area of the Northeast Greenland Ice Stream onset region. Our results are based on a combination of methods applied to extensive airborne and ground-based radar surveys, ice-core observations, and numerical ice-flow modelling. They show a strong spatial variability of the horizontal fabric anisotropy and a rapid crystal reorganization on the order of hundreds of years coinciding with the ice-stream geometry. The ice in parts of the ice stream is found to be up to one order of magnitude harder for pure-shear deformation in flow direction compared to isotropic ice, while the shear margins are potentially softened for horizontal simple shear by a factor of two. The high spatial resolution and large-scale coverage of our results is unprecedented and significantly contributes towards more accurate ice-flow models and a better understanding of ice-stream dynamics. Moreover, our estimated time scale of crystal reorganization and methodological approaches can potentially also be transferred to the investigation of ice on extraterrestrial bodies and other geologic materials.
Environmental reconstructions based on aquatic and terrestrial snails originating from the Early Bronze Age and the Late Islamic Period– A stable isotope case study from the Al-Khashbah archaeological Site, Sultanate of Oman
2022-09-09

Fossil shells of terrestrial and aquatic snails provide important information for the reconstruction of the Early Bronze Age environmental conditions in the Sultanate of Oman. Terrestrial species can be used to reconstruct available and thus consumed vegetation and the origin of precipitation, while aquatic species are useful for temperature estimates. The aim of this study is to identify past environmental conditions by generating high-resolution stable isotope series from well-preserved aragonitic shells of gastropods. A total of seven shells of the terrestrial species Zootecus insularis and five aquatic snails, Melanoides tuberculata, from Al-Khashbah were sampled. Eight of them were dated to the Early Bronze Age and four belong to the Late Islamic period that can be used as a reference. Stable isotope data of carbon (δ13Cshell) of the terrestrial snails indicate a change in digested vegetation from C3 plants in the Early Bronze Age to C4 plants in the Late Islamic period. δ18Oshell data obtained by the fully aquatic snails (range of max. 1 ‰) suggests a habitat, e.g., groundwater, with a strong environmental buffering effect. Though sudden rainfall events followed by subsequent evaporation are not recorded in the isotope record, data suggest highly variable palaeoprecipitation regimes with different origins (Indian Ocean and Mediterranean).
Disentangling the identity of Lebertia porosa Thor, 1900 using integrative taxonomy (Acari: Hydrachnidia)
2022-09-09

Initial analyses of DNA barcode data from Norwegian populations attributed to the water mite Lebertia porosa Thor, 1900 revealed large genetic divergence and potentially cryptic species-level diversity. We used one mitochondrial (COI) and two nuclear markers (18S and 28S) as well as comparative morphological analysis to redefine Lebertia porosa, and to further investigate the species boundaries of Norwegian populations of its close relatives. Our results show that Lebertia porosa, as currently defined, consists of multiple species that can be separated by molecular and morphological characteristics. Although we document the presence of the endosymbiotic bacteria Wolbachia in two out of eight screened genetic lineages, we find no evidence of intraspecific genetic divergence caused by Wolbachia infections. The assignment of one of the genetic lineages to the nominal species could be made through morphological comparisons of specimens from the L. porosa type locality with the syntypes of L. obscura Thor, 1900. Thus, the diagnosis of L. porosa is emended and a neotype is defined. Two of the remaining genetic lineages could be assigned to existing names previously regarded as junior synonyms of L. porosa, namely L. obscura (lectotype defined here) and L. gibbosa Lundblad, 1926, which are both redescribed. The outstanding genetic lineages are unnamed, but from our work we conclude that the taxa Lebertia porosa britannica Thor, 1906, L. porosa dorsalis Thor, 1906, and L. porosa italica Thor, 1906 are nomina dubia that cannot be considered junior synonyms of L. porosa as proposed by K. Viets (1956). We also consider L. vigintimaculata Thor, 1900 a nomen dubium, probably identical to L. obscura.
TLR5 Variants Are Associated with the Risk for COPD and NSCLC Development, Better Overall Survival of the NSCLC Patients and Increased Chemosensitivity in the H1299 Cell Line
2022-09-09

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is considered as the strongest independent risk factor for lung cancer (LC) development, suggesting an overlapping genetic background in both diseases. A common feature of both diseases is aberrant immunity in respiratory epithelia that is mainly regulated by Toll-like receptors (TLRs), key regulators of innate immunity. The function of the flagellin-sensing TLR5 in airway epithelia and pathophysiology of COPD and LC has remained elusive. We performed case–control genetic association and functional studies on the importance of TLR5 in COPD and LC development, comparing Caucasian COPD/LC patients (n = 974) and healthy donors (n = 1283). Association analysis of three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (rs725084, rs2072493_N592S, and rs5744174_F616L) indicated the minor allele of rs2072493_N592S to be associated with increased risk for COPD (OR = 4.41, p &lt; 0.0001) and NSCLC (OR = 5.17, p &lt; 0.0001) development and non-small cell LC risk in the presence of COPD (OR = 1.75, p = 0.0031). The presence of minor alleles (rs5744174 and rs725084) in a co-dominant model was associated with overall survival in squamous cell LC patients. Functional analysis indicated that overexpression of the rs2072493_N592S allele affected the activation of NF-κB and AP-1, which could be attributed to impaired phosphorylation of p38 and ERK. Overexpression of TLR5N592S was associated with increased chemosensitivity in the H1299 cell line. Finally, genome-wide transcriptomic analysis on WI-38 and H1299 cells overexpressing TLR5WT or TLR5N592S, respectively, indicated the existence of different transcription profiles affecting several cellular pathways potentially associated with a dysregulated immune response. Our results suggest that TLR5 could be recognized as a potential biomarker for COPD and LC development with functional relevance.
Increased Levels of N-Lactoylphenylalanine After Exercise are Related to Adipose Tissue Loss During Endurance Training in Humans With Overweight and Obesity
2022-09-09

Abstract Objective The exercise-inducible metabolite N-Lactoylphenylalanine (Lac-Phe) has recently been shown to reduce food intake and adipose tissue mass in mice. We addressed whether Lac-Phe could have a similar function in humans. Methods Sedentary subjects with overweight and obesity completed an 8-week supervised endurance exercise intervention (n=22). Before and after the intervention, blood plasma levels of Lac-Phe were determined by UHPLC-MS in the resting state and immediately after an acute endurance exercise test. Adipose tissue and muscle volume were quantified by MRI. Results Acute exercise caused a pronounced increase in Lac-Phe, both before and after the intervention. Higher levels of Lac-Phe after acute exercise were associated with a greater reduction in abdominal subcutaneous and, to a lower degree, visceral adipose tissue during the intervention. Conclusions Lac-Phe produced during physical activity could boost weight loss in humans with obesity and overweight, possibly by transmitting or enhancing the appetite-suppressing effects of lactate. Exercise-induced Lac-Phe could be employed to predict and, potentially, improve the effectiveness of lifestyle interventions in subjects with overweight and obesity. Trial Registration Clinicaltrials.gov NCT03151590 22 May 2017 https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03151590
Activity in primate visual cortex is minimally driven by spontaneous movements
2022-09-10

Abstract Organisms process sensory information in the context of their own moving bodies, an idea referred to as embodiment. This idea is important for developmental neuroscience, and increasingly plays a role in robotics and systems neuroscience. The mechanisms that support such embodiment are unknown, but a manifestation could be the observation in mice of brain-wide neuromodulation, including in the primary visual cortex, driven by task-irrelevant spontaneous body movements. Here we tested this hypothesis in macaque monkeys, a primate model for human vision, by simultaneously recording visual cortex activity and facial and body movements. Activity in the visual cortex (V1, V2, V3/V3A) was associated with the animals’ own movements, but this modulation was largely explained by the impact of the movements on the retinal image. These results suggest that embodiment in primate vision may be realized by input provided by the eyes themselves.
How great tits respond to urgency‐based information in allopatric Southern house wren mobbing calls
2022-09-10

Abstract Many species of birds use alarm calls to signal information about predators, including the level of threat. Previous playback experiments suggest that the urgency response towards heterospecific calls is phylogenetically conserved, notably in the Paridae family. Using playback experiments conducted on European great tits ( Parus major ), we tested whether this species perceives information about urgency in mobbing calls produced by an allopatric non‐Paridae species, the Southern house wren ( Troglodytes aedon bonariae ), by broadcasting calls with high‐calling rate (high threat) and calls with low‐calling rate (low threat). We found that great tits tend to approach the loudspeaker during playbacks of calls with high‐calling rate more often than during playbacks of calls with low‐calling rate. Female great tits gave more calls during playbacks of calls with high‐calling rate than during playbacks of calls with low‐calling rate, whereas there was no significant difference in the number of calls given by males between playbacks of calls with high‐ and low‐calling rates. Thus, our results suggested that great tits perceived the urgency message encoded in calls given by an allopatric non‐Paridae species.
Antibiotic concentrations in raw hospital wastewater surpass minimal selective and minimum inhibitory concentrations of resistant Acinetobacter baylyi strains
2022-09-12

Abstract Antibiotics are essential for modern medicine, they are employed frequently in hospitals and, therefore, present in hospital wastewater. Even in concentrations, that are lower than the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of susceptible bacteria, antibiotics may exert an influence and select resistant bacteria, if they exceed the MSCs (minimal selective concentrations) of resistant strains. Here, we compare the MSCs of fluorescently labelled Acinetobacter baylyi strains harboring spontaneous resistance mutations or a resistance plasmid with antibiotic concentrations determined in hospital wastewater. Low MSCs in the μg/L range were measured for the quinolone ciprofloxacin (17 μg/L) and for the carbapenem meropenem (30 μg/L). A 24 h continuous analysis of hospital wastewater showed daily fluctuations of the concentrations of these antibiotics with distinctive peaks at 7–8 p.m. and 5–6 a.m. The meropenem concentrations were always above the MSC and MIC values of A. baylyi . In addition, the ciprofloxacin concentrations were in the range of the lowest MSC for about half the time. These results explain the abundance of strains with meropenem and ciprofloxacin resistance in hospital wastewater and drains.
Towards a conceptual systematic review: proposing a methodological framework
2022-09-12

This paper proposes a novel framework for systematic reviews, the conceptual systematic review (CSR), incorporating elements of content analysis that often implicitly precede synthesising research but are rarely made explicit. We argue that a CSR has the possibility to conceptually map a tangled term, to prepare systematic reviews, to advance interdisciplinary communication, and to offer guidance in tangled fields of scientific discourse. The proposed methodological framework involves a six-stage procedure aimed at systematically unravelling tangled terms through the deductive–inductive coding of a systematically retrieved literature corpus, thereby going beyond the quantitative synthesis of research findings. We call the elements of such a framework heuristics, classifications, and systematics; they provide insight into the quality of term disentanglement and can be viewed hierarchically: heuristics do not (necessarily) satisfy any quality criteria, classifications adhere to analytical quality criteria, and systematics also meet empirical quality criteria. The six quality criteria through which the quality of a CSR can be made explicit are introduced to allow for professional scrutiny and critique. It is argued that making conceptual elements of systematic reviews explicit is especially relevant in the field of educational research. Finally, we discuss the relation of the CSR to similar methods and address weaknesses in the proposed framework.
Measuring Health Literacy in Childhood and Adolescence with the Scale Health Literacy in School-Aged Children – German Version
2022-09-12

Abstract. Health literacy can help explain health inequalities in childhood and adolescence. However, suitable instruments for assessing health literacy in this age group are rare, especially in the German-speaking countries. One economical measure is the 10-item Health Literacy in School-Aged Children (HLSAC) scale, developed and reviewed as part of the WHO Child and Adolescent Health Study (HBSC, Health Behavior in School-Aged Children). In the present study, we tested dimensionality, measurement invariance, and associations with health-related measures of the German version of the scale (HLSAC–German), using data from the 2018 national German HBSC study ( N = 4,347 students aged 11, 13, and 15 years). We also tested HLSAC–German with 11-year-olds, representing an expansion of the original scale. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses consistently demonstrated the unidimensionality of the scale (α = .88). Complete scalar measurement invariance was found for sex and partial scalar measurement invariance for age groups and school type, allowing for the comparison of means. Associations with indicators of health and health behavior further demonstrate the construct validity of the scale. The analyses show that the scale is suitable for the economic measurement of a general factor of health literacy in 11- as well as in 13- and 15-year-olds.