julilili42/papers huggingface dataset:
Gas sensors based on mass-sensitive transducers. Part 2: Improving the sensors towards practical application
2020-07-31

Abstract Within the framework outlined in the first part of the review, the second part addresses attempts to increase receptor material performance through the use of sensor systems and chemometric methods, in conjunction with receptor preparation methods and sensor-specific tasks. Conclusions are then drawn, and development perspectives for gravimetric sensors are discussed.
Observing Interprofessional Collaboration: Impact on Attitude and Knowledge Acquisition
2020-07-31

Interprofessional collaboration (IPC) in the medical field is an important factor for good clinical outcomes and should be taught as early as in undergraduate medical education. Since implementing IPC training is an organizational challenge, students are often limited in their opportunities to experience real‐life IPC. Therefore, an approach where students observe successful IPC activities of role models in an applied anatomical format was proposed. It was studied whether observing IPC activities in undergraduate anatomical education has an impact on both students' attitude toward IPC and on knowledge acquisition. Further, it was examined whether the attitudes and knowledge of students from different medical disciplines were influenced in different ways. Therefore, 75 medical students and thirty‐eight physiotherapy students participated in a study with the task of observing a live broadcast of an interprofessional teaching session. Participants were asked about their attitudes toward interprofessional learning, their evaluation of professional responsibilities, and their profession‐specific knowledge before and after observing the IPC session. The participants' attitude toward interprofessional learning improved for both groups of students. Moreover, students of physiotherapy adjusted their evaluation of their own and others' professional responsibilities after observing IPC. In both student groups, knowledge increased, in particular, with respect to the field of knowledge in other professions. So, observing IPC can modify students' attitudes and support knowledge acquisition. The implementation of IPC observations provides students from various healthcare disciplines with a clearer impression of professionals' responsibilities and gives learners the opportunity to acquire knowledge from healthcare fields unfamiliar to them.
Preexisting and treated concomitant ankle instability does not compromise patient‐reported outcomes of solitary osteochondral lesions of the talus treated with matrix‐induced bone marrow stimulation in the first postoperative year: data from the German Cartilage Registry (KnorpelRegister DGOU)
2020-07-31

Abstract Purpose The purpose of this study was to compare the subjective ankle function within the first year following matrix‐induced bone marrow stimulation (M‐BMS) of patients with a solitary osteochondral lesion of the talus (OCLT) with and without concomitant chronic ankle instability (CAI). Methods Data from the German Cartilage Registry (KnorpelRegister DGOU) for 78 patients with a solitary OCLT and a follow‐up of at least 6 months were included. All patients received M‐BMS for OCLT treatment. The cohort was subdivided into patients with OCLT without CAI treated with M‐BMS alone ( n = 40) and patients with OCLT and CAI treated with M‐BMS and additional ankle stabilisation ( n = 38). The Foot and Ankle Ability Measure (FAAM), the Foot and Ankle Outcome Score (FAOS), and the Numeric Rating Scale for Pain (NRS) were used to assess patient‐reported outcomes (median (minimum–maximum)). Results From preoperatively to 12 months postoperatively, patients with OCLT without CAI treated with M‐BMS alone had a significant improvement of all subscales in the FAAM [activity of daily living 64.3 (10–100) to 88.1 (39–100); sports 34.4 (0–100) to 65.6 (13–94), functional activities of daily life 50 (0–90) to 80 (30–100), functional sports 30 (0–100) to 70 (5–100)] and FAOS [pain 61.1 (8–94) to 86.1 (50–100), symptoms 60.7 (18–96) to 76.8 (29–100), activities of daily living 72.1 (24–100) to 91.9 (68–100), sport/recreational activities 30.0 (0–70) to 62.5 (0–95), quality of life 31.3 (6–50) to 46.9 (19–100)]. Within the first year, patients with OCLT and CAI treated with M‐BMS and ankle stabilisation also showed significant improvement in the FAAM [activity of daily living 68.8 (5–99) to 90.5 (45–100); sports 32.8 (0–87.5) to 64.1 (0–94), functional activities of daily life 62.5 (25–100) to 80 (60–90), functional sports 30 (0–100) to 67.5 (0.95)] and the FAOS [pain 66.7 (28–92) to 87.5 (47–100), symptoms 57.1 (29–96) to 78.6 (50–100), activities of daily living 80.1 (25–100) to 98.5 (59–100), sport/recreational activities 35.0 (0–100) to 70.0 (0–100), quality of life 25.0 (0–75) to 50.0 (19–94)]. The pain level decreased significantly in both groups. No significant difference was found between both groups regarding the subscales of FAAM, FAOS and the NRS 1 year postoperatively. Conclusion Improvements in subjective ankle function, daily life activities and sports activities were observed within the first year following M‐BMS. Our results suggest that preexisting and treated ankle instability did not compromise subjective outcome in patients treated with M‐BMS in the first postoperative year. Level of evidence Level IV.
Revealing the local crystallinity of single silicon core–shell nanowires using tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy
2020-07-31

Tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy is combined with polarization angle-resolved spectroscopy to investigate the nanometer-scale structural properties of core–shell silicon nanowires (crystalline Si core and amorphous Si shell), which were synthesized by platinum-catalyzed vapor–liquid–solid growth and silicon overcoating by thermal chemical vapor deposition. Local changes in the fraction of crystallinity in these silicon nanowires are characterized at an optical resolution of about 300 nm. Furthermore, we are able to resolve the variations in the intensity ratios of the Raman peaks of crystalline Si and amorphous Si by applying tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy, at sample positions being 8 nm apart. The local crystallinity revealed using confocal Raman spectroscopy and tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy agrees well with the high-resolution transmission electron microscopy images. Additionally, the polarizations of Raman scattering and the photoluminescence signal from the tip–sample nanogap are explored by combining polarization angle-resolved emission spectroscopy with tip-enhanced optical spectroscopy. Our work demonstrates the significant potential of resolving local structural properties of Si nanomaterials at the sub-10 nanometer scale using tip-enhanced Raman techniques.
Not all elementary school teachers are scared of math
2020-07-31

Teachers are strong role models for their pupils, especially at the beginning of education. This also holds true for math: If teachers feel anxious about math, the consequences on the mathematical education of their pupils is detrimental.Previous studies have shown that (future) elementary school teachers have higher levels of math anxiety than most people studying other subjects. Here, we set out to conceptually replicate these findings (e.g., meta-analysis by Hembree, 1990) by comparing math anxiety levels of pre-service and in-service German and Belgian elementary school teachers to a reference group of German university students from various fields of study. Moreover, we questioned this finding by asking which elementary school teachers experience math anxiety, considering gender, specialization, and experience, and investigated how math anxiety relates to teaching attitudes towards math.We replicated the previous finding by showing that female elementary school teachers have a higher level of math anxiety as compared to other female students. Importantly, female elementary school teachers without math specialization indeed had higher levels of math anxiety than female students from other fields and almost a quarter of them experience critical math anxiety. In contrast, female elementary school teachers with math specialization did not show an increased level of math anxiety as compared to the reference sample. Considering that not only these but all teachers, regardless of specialization, teach math in elementary school in the investigated educational systems, the math anxiety of elementary school teachers is a potential problem for their pupils’ math attitudes and learning.
2νββ-decay to first 2+ states with partial isospin symmetry restoration from spherical QRPA calculations *
2020-07-31

Abstract Using partially restored isospin symmetry, we calculate the nuclear matrix elements for a special decay mode of a two-neutrino double beta decay – the decay to the first 2 + excited states. Employing the realistic CD–Bonn nuclear force, we analyze the dependence of the nuclear matrix elements on the isovector and isoscalar parts of proton–neutron particle–particle interactions. The dependence on the different nuclear matrix elements is observed, and the results are explained. We also provide the phase space factors using numerical electron wavefunctions and properly chosen excitation energies. Finally, we present our results for the half-lives of this decay mode for different nuclei.
Influence of microorganisms on initial soil formation along aglacier forefield on King George Island, maritime Antarctica
2020-07-31

Abstract. Compared to the 1970s, the edge of the Ecology Glacier on King George Island, maritime Antarctica, is positioned more than 500 m inwards, exposing a large area of new terrain to soil-forming processes and periglacial climate for more than 40 years. To gain information on the state of soil formation and its interplay with microbial activity, three hyperskeletic Cryosols (vegetation cover of 0–80 %) in the recently ( 10 cm. In the foreland of the Ecology Glacier, the main soil-forming processes on a decadal timescale are acidification and accumulation of soil organic carbon and nitrogen, accompanied by changes in microbial abundances, microbial community compositions, and plant coverage, whereas quantifiable silicate weathering and the formation of pedogenic oxides occur on a centennial to a millennial timescale after deglaciation.
Optically pumped magnetometers disclose magnetic field components of the muscular action potential
2020-07-31

ABSTRACT Aim To track the magnetic field generated by the propagating muscle action potential (MAP). Method In this prospective, proof of principle study, the magnetic activity of the intrinsic foot muscle after electric stimulation of the tibial nerve was measured using optically pumped magnetometers (OPMs). A classical biophysical electric dipole model of the propagating MAP was implemented to model the source of the data. Results The signal profile generated by the activity of the intrinsic foot muscles was measured by four OPM devices. Three devices were located above the same muscle to compare the direction and the strength of the magnetic signal while propagating along the muscle. Interpretation OPM devices allow for a new, non-invasive way to study MAP patterns. Since magnetic fields are less altered by the tissue surrounding the dipole source compared to electric activity, a precise analysis of the spatial characteristics and temporal dynamics of the MAP is possible. The classic electric dipole model explains major but not all aspects of the magnetic field. The field has longitudinal components generated by intrinsic structures of the muscle fibre. By understanding these magnetic components, new methods could be developed to analyse the muscular signal transduction pathway in greater detail. What this paper adds - Technological concepts to record and analyse the small magnetic fields generated by electric muscular activity - Model to link the signals measured by the OPM sensors to the underlying physiology - Insights into the propagation of muscle action potential and the sequential control of motor activity
How the Josephson Effect Started to Dominate My Life in Physics
2020-07-31

Abstract Dear Brian Josephson, my heartiest congratulations to your 80th birthday! We actually never met in person, but I can tell you that your great discovery truly dominates my life in physics, perhaps 90 % of my publications are related to Josephson junctions. Maybe it is a good occasion to briefly tell you my story.
Interactome Mapping Provides a Network of Neurodegenerative Disease Proteins and Uncovers Widespread Protein Aggregation in Affected Brains
2020-08-01

Interactome maps are valuable resources to elucidate protein function and disease mechanisms. Here, we report on an interactome map that focuses on neurodegenerative disease (ND), connects ∼5,000 human proteins via ∼30,000 candidate interactions and is generated by systematic yeast two-hybrid interaction screening of ∼500 ND-related proteins and integration of literature interactions. This network reveals interconnectivity across diseases and links many known ND-causing proteins, such as α-synuclein, TDP-43, and ATXN1, to a host of proteins previously unrelated to NDs. It facilitates the identification of interacting proteins that significantly influence mutant TDP-43 and HTT toxicity in transgenic flies, as well as of ARF-GEP<sub>100</sub> that controls misfolding and aggregation of multiple ND-causing proteins in experimental model systems. Furthermore, it enables the prediction of ND-specific subnetworks and the identification of proteins, such as ATXN1 and MKL1, that are abnormally aggregated in postmortem brains of Alzheimer's disease patients, suggesting widespread protein aggregation in NDs.
Toward neuroadaptive support technologies for improving digital reading: a passive BCI-based assessment of mental workload imposed by text difficulty and presentation speed during reading
2020-08-01

Abstract We investigated whether a passive brain–computer interface that was trained to distinguish low and high mental workload in the electroencephalogram (EEG) can be used to identify (1) texts of different readability difficulties and (2) texts read at different presentation speeds. For twelve subjects we calibrated a subject-dependent, but task - independent predictive model classifying mental workload. We then recorded EEG data from each subject, while twelve texts in blocks of three were presented to them word by word. Half of the texts were easy, and the other half were difficult texts according to classic reading formulas. From each text category three texts were read at a self-adjusted comfortable presentation speed and the other three at an increased speed. For each subject we applied the predictive model to EEG data of each word of the twelve texts. We found that the resulting predictive values for mental workload were higher for difficult texts than for easy texts. Predictive values from texts presented at an increased speed were also higher than for those presented at a normal self-adjusted speed. The results suggest that the task-independent predictive model can be used on single-subject level to build a highly predictive user model of the reader over time. Such a model could be employed in a system which continuously monitors brain activity related to mental workload and adapts to specific reader’s abilities and characteristics by adjusting the difficulty of text materials and the way it is presented to the reader in real time. A neuroadaptive system like this could foster efficient reading and text-based learning by keeping readers’ mental workload levels at an individually optimal level.
Testing the Kerr Black Hole Hypothesis Using X-Ray Reflection Spectroscopy and a Thin Disk Model with Finite Thickness
2020-08-01

Abstract X-ray reflection spectroscopy is a powerful tool for probing the strong gravity region of black holes and can be used for testing general relativity in the strong field regime. Simplifications of the available relativistic reflection models limit the capability of performing accurate measurements of the properties of black holes. In this paper, we present an extension of the model relxill _ nk in which the accretion disk has a finite thickness rather than being infinitesimally thin. We employ the accretion disk geometry proposed by Taylor &amp; Reynolds and we construct relativistic reflection models for different values of the mass accretion rate of the black hole. We apply the new model to high-quality Suzaku data of the X-ray binary GRS 1915+105 to explore the impact of the thickness of the disk on tests of the Kerr metric.
Drag Coefficient of Emergent Flexible Vegetation in Steady Nonuniform Flow
2020-08-01

Abstract Flexible vegetation plays key roles in the natural channel and riparian ecology. This paper investigates the drag coefficient C df of an emergent flexible vegetation array in a steady nonuniform flow. Laboratory flume tests of five vegetation densities exposed to a constant flow rate were conducted, and the variation in the water surface was accurately measured. The Saint‐Venant equation was applied to explore vegetation hydrodynamics under nonuniform conditions, and a more widely applicable formula for the vegetated drag of nonuniform flow was proposed. Furthermore, the flexible drag coefficient factor α b was used to represent the flexibility and drag reconfiguration, which were explored from the perspective of material mechanics. The results reveal that the calculated values of C df exhibit nonmonotonic variation with increasing Reynolds number along the streamwise direction due to the flow nonuniformity. There are two effects of blockage and sheltering in the emergent vegetated patch: The blockage effect increases the drag coefficient, while the sheltering effect—especially at the leading edge and tail of the vegetated patch—reduces the drag of the flexible canopy due to bending deformation. These two effects achieve equilibration in dense flexible canopies. Finally, by relating α b to flexibility through the slenderness Cauchy number C YS , a nonmonotonic pattern can be obtained for each test. A fitting formula was proposed based on α b as a function of C YS . The results presented in this study can potentially support applications related to the plant flexible dams and vegetated filter strips for river ecosystems.
Is there a link between very early changes of primary and secondary lymphoid organs in 18F-FDG-PET/MRI and treatment response to checkpoint inhibitor therapy?
2020-08-01

Response assessment or prediction to checkpoint inhibitor therapy (CIT) is an unsolved problem in current routine diagnostics of patients with melanoma. Here, we evaluated very early changes of primary and secondary lymphoid organs under CIT in multiparametric [ 18 F]-labeled fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography ( 18 F-FDG-PET)/MRI as possible predictors of treatment response and investigated their correlation with baseline blood immune biomarkers. Between October 2014 and November 2017, 17 patients with unresectable melanoma (8 females; 65±11 years) undergoing CIT were prospectively evaluated using whole-body 18 F-FDG-PET/MRI before CIT start (t 0 ), 2 weeks (t 1 ) and 3 months after CIT initiation (t 2 ). At each time point, the volume, the 18 F-FDG-uptake and the mean apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) of the spleen as well as the 18 F-FDG uptake of the bone marrow were assessed. Relative lymphocyte count (RLC), relative eosinophil count (REC) and neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) were assessed at baseline. Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumours modified for immune-based therapeutics (iRECIST) and decisions from an interdisciplinary tumor board were used for treatment response evaluation at t 2 . iRECIST was compared with PET response criteria in solid tumors for image-based response evaluation at different time points. Comparative analysis was conducted with Mann-Whitney U test with false discovery rate correction for multiple testing and correlation coefficients were computed. In lymphoid organs, significant differences (p&lt;0.05) between responders (9/17) and non-responders were found for the 18 F-FDG-uptake in the spleen at t 1 and the increase of the uptake t 1 -t 0 (responders/non-responders: standardized uptake value lean body mass 1.19/0.93; +49%/−1%). The best correlation coefficients to baseline biomarkers were found for the 18 F-FDG-uptake in the spleen at t 1 : NLR, r=−0.46; RLC, r=0.43; REC, r=0.58 (p&lt;0.05), respectively. Compared with the non-responder group, the responder group showed marked increases also in the volume of the spleen (+22%/+10%), the 18 F-FDG-uptake of bone marrow (+31%/−9%) at t 1 and the ADCmean at t 2 (+46%/+15%) compared with t 0 , however, not reaching significance. Our findings indicate that an effective systemic immune response in patients undergoing CIT can be detected as a significantly increased spleen activity in 18 F-FDG-PET as early as 2 weeks after treatment initiation. Trial registration number NCT03132090 , DRKS00013925.
<p>Injury Analysis in Professional Soccer by Means of Media Reports – Only Severe Injury Types Show High Validity</p>
2020-08-01

Purpose: Injury data of professional soccer players obtained from media reports are frequently used in scientific research, but the accuracy of such data is still unclear. Patients and Methods: Injuries of professional soccer players of the German first and second league were documented by continuously screening media reports over one season (2015– 2016). After the season, the validity of media-reported injuries was anonymously analyzed by the team physicians of 8 different soccer clubs. Results: A total of 255 injuries of 240 players of 8 professional soccer teams had been published online, of which 146 were confirmed by the team doctors as correct, yielding a rate of 57.3% of confirmed media-reported injuries. In addition, 92 injuries without media registration were detected and added to the online statistics, resulting in 347 injuries and an overall weak validity of media-based data of 42.1%. Statistical analysis showed that the validity of media-reported injury data depended on both the individual soccer club and the body site affected by injury: publications on knee injuries (78.2%) had a higher validity than those on foot injuries (46.2%), and publications on severe injuries had a higher validity (joint dislocation: 100%; ligament rupture: 82.9%; fracture: 73.3%) than those on minor injuries. Publications on specific severe soccer injuries, such as anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries, had a validity of 100%. Conclusion: Media-based injury data were only valid for a few severe injury types such as ACL injuries. In daily soccer routine and scientific research, media-based data should thus only be used in combination with specific criteria or verification processes.
FRB 200428: An Impact between an Asteroid and a Magnetar
2020-08-01

Abstract A fast radio burst (FRB) was recently detected to be associated with a hard X-ray burst from the Galactic magnetar SGR 1935+2154. Scenarios involving magnetars for FRBs are hence highly favored. In this work, we suggest that the impact between an asteroid and a magnetar could explain such a detection. According to our calculations, an asteroid of mass 10 20 g will be disrupted at a distance of 7 × 10 9 cm when approaching the magnetar. The accreted material will flow along the magnetic field lines from the Alfvén radius ∼10 7 cm. After falling onto the magnetar’s surface, an instant accretion column will be formed, producing a Comptonized X-ray burst and an FRB in the magnetosphere. We show that all the observational features of FRB 200428 could be interpreted self-consistently in this scenario. We predict quasi-periodic oscillations in this specific X-ray burst, which can serve as an independent observational test.