showing 36 of ~574560 from 574555 documents
High-efficiency fullerene free ternary organic solar cells based with two small molecules as donor
2021
Abstract Herein, we have designed a ternary system comprising of two small molecules (B2 and B3), as donor and a narrow bandgap non-fullerene small molecule acceptor Y6. The chemical structures of B2 and B3 are close to each other but their absorption spectra are complementary with different energy levels. Using these small-molecules, a ternary organic solar cell was fabricated. The presence of B2 in the B3:Y6 blend increases the photon harvesting as well as also forms cascade energy level arrangement which benefits assisting the balancing between the dissociation of excitons into free charge carriers and their subsequent charge transfer between the two donors (B2 and B3) and the acceptor (…
Bio-orthogonal Red and Far-Red Fluorogenic Probes for Wash-Free Live-Cell and Super-resolution Microscopy
2021
Small-molecule fluorophores enable the observation of biomolecules in their native context with fluorescence microscopy. Specific labeling via bio-orthogonal tetrazine chemistry combines minimal label size with rapid labeling kinetics. At the same time, fluorogenic tetrazine–dye conjugates exhibit efficient quenching of dyes prior to target binding. However, live-cell compatible long-wavelength fluorophores with strong fluorogenicity have been difficult to realize. Here, we report close proximity tetrazine–dye conjugates with minimal distance between tetrazine and the fluorophore. Two synthetic routes give access to a series of cell-permeable and -impermeable dyes including highly fluorogen…
Direct oral anticoagulants for the treatment of pulmonary embolism in patients with renal impairment.
2021
Pulmonary embolism (PE) is associated with adverse outcomes and substantial morbidity and mortality. Patients with PE often have renal impairment because of shared risk factors and close links between the renal and cardiovascular systems. Furthermore, patients with PE and renal impairment are at increased risk of recurrent thrombosis. Therefore, anticoagulation is crucial to treat the acute event, prevent recurrent venous thromboembolism (VTE), and optimize patient outcomes. However, when treated with an anticoagulant, patients with renal impairment also have an elevated risk of bleeding. Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) are the first-choice treatment for acute VTE in eligible patients. H…
Differential susceptibility of mycotoxin-producing fungi to distinct antifungal proteins (AFPs).
2021
Abstract The global challenge to prevent fungal spoilage and mycotoxin contamination on foods and feeds require the development of new antifungal strategies. Filamentous fungi encode diverse antifungal proteins (AFPs), which offer a great potential for the control of contaminant fungi. In this study, four AFPs from Penicillium digitatum (PdAfpB) and Penicillium expansum (PeAfpA, PeAfpB and PeAfpC) belonging to classes A, B and C, were tested against a representative panel of mycotoxin-producing fungi. They included a total of 38 strains representing 32 different species belonging to the genera Alternaria, Aspergillus, Byssochlamys, Fusarium and Penicillium. PeAfpA exhibited a potent antifun…
Can biomedical and cognitive enhancement increase psychological resilience?
2021
Anharmonic effects on the dynamic behavior’s of Klein Gordon model’s
2021
Abstract This work completes and extends the Ref. Tchakoutio Nguetcho et al. (2017), in which we have focused our attention only on the dynamic behavior of gap soliton solutions of the anharmonic Klein-Gordon model immersed in a parameterized on-site substrate potential. We expand our work now inside the permissible frequency band. These considerations have crucial effects on the response of nonlinear excitations that can propagate along this model. Moreover, working in the allowed frequency band is not only interesting from a physical point of view, it also provides an extraordinary mathematical model, a new class of differential equations possessing vital parameters and vertical singular …
false
2021
IntroductionIn May 2019, the WHO classified internet gaming disorder (IGD) as a mental disorder in the upcoming International Classification of Diseases 11th Revision. However, individuals affected by IGD or internet use disorders (IUDs) are often not provided with adequate therapy due to a lack of motivation or absence of adequate local treatment options. To close the gap between individuals with IUDs and the care system, we conduct an online-based motivational intervention to reduce problematic internet use and promote treatment motivation in internet gaming disorder and internet use disorder (OMPRIS).Methods and analysisWithin the randomised controlled trial, a total of n=162 participant…
Immune-Mediated Desquamative Gingivitis and Optical Coherence Tomography Diagnostic Patterns: Clinical Implication from a Systematic Review
2021
Desquamative Gingivitis (DG) comprises heterogeneous clinical manifestations of numerous immune-mediated muco-cutaneous diseases. Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) has been proposed as a valuable diagnostic support even if, to date, there are no standardized OCT-diagnostic patterns applicable to DGs. A systematic review was performed to detect existing data on in vivo OCT diagnostic patterns of the most common immune-mediated DGs (i.e., pemphigus vulgaris, mucous membrane pemphigoid and oral lichen planus). It has been found that OCT exhibits specific patterns that address the diagnosis of DG by pemphigus vulgaris (i.e., intraepithelial unilocular blister, reduced epithelial thickness, pre…
Morpheaform Plaques and an Infiltrated Scar: Answer.
2021
Effects of length and application rate of rice straw mulch on surface runoff and soil loss under laboratory simulated rainfall
2021
Abstract Forest land affected by deforestation yields high soil and water losses. Suitable management practices need to be found that can reduce these losses and achieve ecological and hydrological sustainability of the deforested areas. Mulch has been found to be effective in reducing soil losses; straw mulch is easy to apply, contributes soil organic matter, and is efficient since the day of application. However, the complex effects of rice straw mulch with different application rates and lengths on surface runoff and soil loss have not been clarified in depth. The current paper evaluates the efficiency of rice straw mulch in reducing the hydrological response of a silty clay loam soil un…
A few remarks on the Inedita Pseudo-Chrysostomic Homily De transfiguratione et eleemosyna (CPG 5009; BHGn 1996t)
2021
The article presents the preliminary results of the author’s study of the unedited homily De transfiguratione et eleemosyna (CPG 5009; BHGn 1996t), ascribed to John Chrysostom. The question of the manuscript tradition is first discussed. The article shows that Maurice Sachot is right when he indicates only the manuscript Romanus Angelicus gr. 125 (T.1.7) as a manuscript witness of this homily and that the other two witnesses indicated by Pinakes are erroneous. Then, the descriptions of the folios that preserve the homily are analysed in the light of a new examination of them. This re-examination shows that hitherto several sources that inspired the compiler have gone unnoticed. This is foll…
Identification of high-affinity phage-displayed VH fragments by use of a quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring
2021
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Multiple Sclerosis Therapy Consensus Group (MSTCG): position statement on disease-modifying therapies for multiple sclerosis (white paper)
2021
Multiple sclerosis is a complex, autoimmune-mediated disease of the central nervous system characterized by inflammatory demyelination and axonal/neuronal damage. The approval of various disease-modifying therapies and our increased understanding of disease mechanisms and evolution in recent years have significantly changed the prognosis and course of the disease. This update of the Multiple Sclerosis Therapy Consensus Group treatment recommendation focuses on the most important recommendations for disease-modifying therapies of multiple sclerosis in 2021. Our recommendations are based on current scientific evidence and apply to those medications approved in wide parts of Europe, particular…
BED: A new dataset for EEG-based biometrics
2021
Various recent research works have focused on the use of electroencephalography (EEG) signals in the field of biometrics. However, advances in this area have somehow been limited by the absence of a common testbed that would make it possible to easily compare the performance of different proposals. In this work, we present a data set that has been specifically designed to allow researchers to attempt new biometric approaches that use EEG signals captured by using relatively inexpensive consumer-grade devices. The proposed data set has been made publicly accessible and can be downloaded from https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4309471 . It contains EEG recordings and responses from 21 individuals…
Association of Left Ventricular Systolic Dysfunction Among Carriers of Truncating Variants in Filamin C With Frequent Ventricular Arrhythmia and End-…
2021
Importance: Truncating variants in the gene encoding filamin C (FLNCtv) are associated with arrhythmogenic and dilated cardiomyopathies with a reportedly high risk of ventricular arrhythmia.Objective: To determine the frequency of and risk factors associated with adverse events among FLNCtv carriers compared with individuals carrying TTN truncating variants (TTNtv).Design, Setting, and Participants: This cohort study recruited 167 consecutive FLNCtv carriers and a control cohort of 244 patients with TTNtv matched for left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) from 19 European cardiomyopathy referral units between 1990 and 2018. Data analyses were conducted between June and October, 2020.Main…
Online detection and removal of eye blink artifacts from electroencephalogram
2021
Abstract The most prominent type of artifact contaminating electroencephalogram (EEG) signals are the eye blink (EB) artifacts, which could potentially lead to misinterpretation of the EEG signal. Online identification and elimination of eye blink artifacts are crucial in applications such a Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCI), neurofeedback, and epilepsy diagnosis. In this paper, algorithms that combine unsupervised eye blink artifact detection (eADA) with modified Empirical Mode Decomposition (FastEMD) and Canonical Correlation Analysis (CCA) are proposed, i.e., FastEMD-CCA2 and FastCCA, to automatically identify eye blink artifacts and remove them in an online setting. The average accuracy, …
Fluttuazioni commerciali tra Nord Africa e Sicilia meridionale: il VI e il VII secolo. Cignana come caso studio
2021
This essay will examine the trend in imports of African potteries – notably amphorae and fine wares – in a rural zone of southern Sicily. We are dealing with the region of Cignana, not far from the coastline, where archaeological excavations documented a large settlement that experienced a big growth between the 5th and 6th centuries AD. During this period, a shift in the ceramic supply from the Zeugitana towards the Byzacena occurred. Nevertheless, the positive trend in imports persists until the last decades of the 6th century. Thereafter, it shows a decrease until the apparent interruption after the mid-7th century. New changes in the Mediterranean trading system seem to undermine the pr…
L’ammissibilità ratione personae dei ricorsi alla Corte europea di individui estremamente vulnerabili: uguaglianza sostanziale e tutela del diritto d…
2021
The legal framework governing proceedings before the ECtHR does not deal with cases in which victims of human rights violations are not de jure and/or de facto capable of lodging applications with the Court. In the effort of overcoming such a procedural lacuna, the Court has established a test that, taking into consideration the extreme vulnerability of the victims (such as minors and persons with disabilities) and the seriousness of the alleged violations, allows NGOs to apply as their ‘de facto representatives’, provided that some other conditions are fulfilled. The Court’s approach, however, has not been always consistent and does not guarantee predictability and legal certainty. Moreove…
false
2021
Abstract IceCube is a cubic-kilometer Cherenkov telescope operating at the South Pole. The main goal of IceCube is the detection of astrophysical neutrinos and the identification of their sources. High-energy muon neutrinos are observed via the secondary muons produced in charge current interactions with nuclei in the ice. Currently, the best performing muon track directional reconstruction is based on a maximum likelihood method using the arrival time distribution of Cherenkov photons registered by the experiment's photomultipliers. A known systematic shortcoming of the prevailing method is to assume a continuous energy loss along the muon track. However at energies >1 TeV the light yie…
Percutaneous tracheostomy in COVID patients. Experience in our hospital center after one year of pandemic and review of the literature
2021
Background The pandemic caused by SARS-COV-2 has caused an increase in the need of tracheostomies in patients affected with respiratory distress syndrome. In this article we report our experience during a year of pandemic, we develop our surgical technique to perform percutaneous tracheostomy with the patient in apnea and we compare our results with those of other centers through a bibliographic review. Material and Methods A one-year retrospective clinical study was carried out on tracheotomies performed on patients admitted to the intensive care unit with severe SARS-CoV-2, with difficulty for ventilation or weaning. The technique performed was percutaneous, with fibroscopic control throu…
PROBLEMS OF DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS IN PALEOPATHOLOGY
2021
This work discusses on the problems of the differential diagnosis in paleopathology, describing one case of intense modification observed in a skeletal sample from the archaelogical site of Baucina (Sicily, VI century BCE). Difficulties in this setting originate mainly from the aspecificity or absence of pathological markers on ancient bones and confounding features arising from clinical phenocopies or taphonomic artifacts. On the base of an in-depth morphological analysis of the find, with aid of CT scan imaging and wide revision of the medical and paleopathological literature, we arrived to a convincing diagnosis.
The COVID‐19 pandemic and government responses: A gender perspective on differences in public opinion
2021
Abstract Objective The 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) crisis has led to shutdowns of the cultural, associational, and economic life in many parts of the world and had a severe impact on gender relations in many societies. This study engages with gender differences in public support of severe infringements of personal and economic freedoms. Methods We use data from an original survey conducted by CINT in the United States and Germany in June 2020. Descriptive statistics both aggregated for the two countries and then split by country as well as multinomial logistic regression analyses gauge gender differences in support of COVID-19 related confinement measures. Results Men and wome…
Factors Affecting Hesitancy to mRNA and Viral Vector COVID-19 Vaccines among College Students in Italy
2021
Vaccine hesitancy (VH) may be significant in jeopardizing efforts to mass containment of COVID-19. A cross-sectional survey was carried out on a sample of 2667 Italian college students, before the COVID-19 vaccines became available for this age group (from 7 May to 31 May 2021). An online survey was created to obtain information about socio-demographic, health-related, and psychological factors linked to mRNA and viral vector COVID-19 vaccines. Statistically significant higher VH (30.4%) and vaccine resistance (12.2%) rates were found for viral vector than mRNA COVID-19 vaccines (7.2% and 1.0%, respectively; p < 0.001). Factors related to viral vector VH were partially different from tho…
Constraints on the spatial variation of Planck constant
2021
AbstractInspired by recently published researches, we present two protocols for setting an upper limit to the claimed variation of$$\hbar $$ħupon the position. The protocols, both within today state of art, involve the use of two delayed laser pulses driving an atom. The distinct positions of the laboratory, due to the Earth motion, affects$$\hbar $$ħand hence the atomic dynamics. The first protocol measures the difference in population of the atomic ground state while the second one the red-shift of the harmonics emitted by the atom in the two moments of the experiment. The protocols improve the reported upper limit of$$\varDelta \hbar /\hbar $$Δħ/ħ. The theory shows that$$\hbar (\varvec{r…
Chemical characterization in coastal fog and rain at Mount Monduver fog-collection station, Mediterranean Iberian Peninsula
2021
Abstract An experimental site was selected for fog- and rain-water quality analyses. The selected location corresponds to Mount Monduver of 843 m elevation, being geographically centered in the Mediterranean Iberian Peninsula. Single fog- and rain-water samples were taken manually with a dedicated fog and rain collectors, to prevent any contamination with dry-deposition. Besides, a permanently exposed fog collector and a rain gauge were also used for the collection of water samples affected by dry deposition. Results indicated that all chemical analyses complied with Spanish drinking water regulations, except for the particular case of the dry-deposition contaminated water samples. A furthe…
Fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) applied to the adaptation of the automobile industry to meet the emission standards of climate cha…
2021
Abstract Facing global climate change challenges entails a sustainable development of transportation. Governments and automobile manufacturers are highly aware of how a large-scale deployment of Electric Vehicles (EVs) can reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and mitigate global warming. This study aids the design of the adaptation strategies of the automotive industry to meet global goals on climate change by means of a fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA), which makes it possible to measure the level of actors’ satisfaction. This allows identification of a combination of factors leading to the outcome while dealing with uncertain environments due to the heterogeneous nature…
Experimental investigation on BFRCM confinement of masonry cylinders and comparison with BFRP system
2021
Abstract Fabric reinforced cementitious mortar (FRCM) materials have started to be employed during the last years with the aim of overcoming the drawbacks related to the use of fibre reinforced polymer (FRP) composites, proving to be potentially suitable for strengthening masonry structures. Moreover, the will to develop materials able to guarantee a certain degree of sustainability without renouncing to adequate mechanical properties has drawn the attention to the use of basalt fibres, which appear to be a valid alternative to carbon or glass fibres. This work presents an experimental investigation on a basalt FRCM (BFRCM) system to confine circular masonry columns, aimed at evaluating the…
Le misure cautelari nei giudizi interstatali sui diritti umani: la prassi recente della Corte internazionale di giustizia e della Corte europea dei d…
2021
In the last few years there has been a significant quantitative increase in requesting interim measures of protection in inter-State cases concerning human rights, namely in inter-State proceedings before the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) and in proceedings before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) grounded on the compromissory clauses included in human rights treaties. In these cases, the ultimate beneficiaries of the interim protection are individuals although, formally, proceedings focus on States’ rights and duties (concerning the protection of human rights). The present paper analyses the recent case-law of the said courts from a double perspective: on the one hand, with…
Comments on 'SPICE Model of Photomultiplier Tube Under Different Bias Conditions'
2021
[EN] The paper ¿SPICE Model of Photomultiplier Tube Under Different Bias Conditions¿ is commented. We revisit the mathematical formulation to compensate for some ambiguities in the original manuscript, and point out some inconsistencies in the results and reproducibility of the simulations, as well as in the optimized parameters originally obtained with the PSPICE simulation engine. All simulations are recalculated with the NGSPICE software using the corrected parameters and compared against the original figures. The reproducibility of our simulations is independently verified with PSPICE, as well as by numerically solving the analytical system of non-linear equations using Newton¿s method …
Polarization properties of a fiber optic loop mirror
2021
Abstract In this work, we present the spectral polarization properties of a fiber optic loop mirror (FOLM) which includes a 50/50 coupler and 25-cm long highly birefringent (hi-bi) fiber. The modulation depth of the reflection/transmission spectra can be adjusted by twisting the hi-bi fiber at the splices by means of two azimuth rotators (AR). The results show that the polarization properties of the reflection strongly depends on the angle rotation. We found that it is possible to obtain reflection spectral polarization independence for any modulation depth with the proper parameters. The experimental behavior was confirmed by numerical simulations based on the Jones matrix formulation.
Risk of digestive cancers in a cohort of 69 460 five-year survivors of childhood cancer in Europe: the PanCareSurFup study.
2021
BackgroundSurvivors of childhood cancer are at risk of subsequent primary neoplasms (SPNs), but the risk of developing specific digestive SPNs beyond age 40 years remains uncertain. We investigated risks of specific digestive SPNs within the largest available cohort worldwide.MethodsThe PanCareSurFup cohort includes 69 460 five-year survivors of childhood cancer from 12 countries in Europe. Risks of digestive SPNs were quantified using standardised incidence ratios (SIRs), absolute excess risks and cumulative incidence.Results427 digestive SPNs (214 colorectal, 62 liver, 48 stomach, 44 pancreas, 59 other) were diagnosed in 413 survivors. Wilms tumour (WT) and Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) survivors…
Activation of the Constitutive Androstane Receptor Inhibits Leukocyte Adhesiveness to Dysfunctional Endothelium
2021
Leukocyte cell recruitment into the vascular subendothelium constitutes an early event in the atherogenic process. As the effect of the constitutive androstane receptor (CAR) on leukocyte recruitment and endothelial dysfunction is poorly understood, this study investigated whether the role of CAR activation can affect this response and the underlying mechanisms involved. Under physiological flow conditions, TNFα-induced endothelial adhesion of human leukocyte cells was concentration-dependently inhibited by preincubation of human umbilical arterial endothelial cells with the selective human CAR ligand CITCO. CAR agonism also prevented TNFα induced VCAM-1 expression, as well as MCP-1/CCL-2 a…
Heterogeneity of traditional and digital media use among older adults: A six-country comparison
2021
Abstract The concept of aged heterogeneity has been associated with older adults' ability to adapt to the digital age without a systematic empirical analysis. We analyse retired adults' (aged 62 or more) use of traditional media and their digital equivalents in six countries. First, we ask whether heterogeneity in traditional and digital media use increases with age. Second, we study to what extent gender is related to this heterogeneity, and third, the country differences in the heterogeneity of media use in later life. We analyse the 2018 data (N = 5865) of the ‘Older audiences in the digital media environment’ survey using zero-inflated negative binomial models. The results provide parti…
A low phase noise microwave source for high‐performance CPT Rb atomic clock
2021
Abstract Phase noise of the frequency synthesizer is one of the main limitations to the short‐term stability of microwave atomic clocks. Here, a low‐noise, simple‐architecture microwave frequency synthesizer for a coherent population trapping (CPT) clock is demonstrated. The synthesizer is mainly composed of a 100 MHz oven‐controlled crystal oscillator (OCXO), a microwave comb generator, and a direct digital synthesizer (DDS). The absolute phase noises of 3.417 GHz signal are measured to be −55 dBc/Hz, −81 dBc/Hz, −111 dBc/Hz and −134 dBc/Hz, respectively, for 1 Hz, 10 Hz, 100 Hz and 1 kHz offset frequencies, which shows only 1 dB deterioration at the second harmonic of the modulation frequ…
Non-immune hydrops fetalis: Two case reports
2021
BACKGROUND Fetal hydrops is a serious condition difficult to manage, often with a poor prognosis, and it is characterized by the collection of fluid in the extravascular compartments. Before 1968, the most frequent cause was the maternal-fetal Rh incompatibility. Today, 90% of the cases are non-immune hydrops fetalis. Multiple fetal anatomic and functional disorders can cause non-immune hydrops fetalis and the pathogenesis is incompletely understood. Etiology varies from viral infections to heart disease, chromosomal abnormalities, hematological and autoimmune causes. CASE SUMMARY A 38-year-old pregnant woman has neck lymphoadenomegaly, fever, cough, tonsillar plaques at 14 wk of amenorrhea…
Analysis of T and NK cell subsets in Sicilian population from young to supercentenarian: the role of age and gender
2021
Summary Ageing dramatically affects number and function of both innate and adaptive arms of immune system, particularly T cell subsets, contributing to reduced vaccination efficacy, decreased resistance to infections and increased prevalence of cancer in older people. In the present paper, we analysed the age‐related changes in the absolute number of lymphocytes in 214 Sicilian subjects, and in the percentages of T and natural killer (NK) cells in a subcohort of donors. We compared these results with the immunophenotype of the oldest living Italian supercentenarian (aged 111 years). The results were also sorted by gender. The correlation between number/percentage of cells and age in all ind…