showing 36 of ~574560 from 574555 documents
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…
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…
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…
Individual and neighbourhood socioeconomic measures and the risk of non-central nervous system solid tumours in children: A nationwide register-based…
2021
Abstract Background The aetiology for most solid tumours in childhood is largely unknown. The lack of evidence concerns also the relationship between socioeconomic position (SEP) and risk of childhood solid tumours other than in the central nervous system (CNS). We sought to access the association between individual and neighbourhood SEP measures and risk of childhood non-CNS solid tumours in Denmark and to evaluate whether associations varied by measure of SEP, time point of SEP assessment (during pregnancy versus before diagnosis) and tumour type. Methods We conducted a nationwide case-control study based on Danish registry data. We identified all children born in 1980–2013 and diagnosed …
Extracellular Heat Shock Proteins as Therapeutic Targets and Biomarkers in Fibrosing Interstitial Lung Diseases.
2021
Interstitial lung diseases (ILDs) include a large number of diseases and causes with variable outcomes often associated with progressive fibrosis. Although each of the individual fibrosing ILDs are rare, collectively, they affect a considerable number of patients, representing a significant burden of disease. Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is the typical chronic fibrosing ILD associated with progressive decline in lung. Other fibrosing ILDs are often associated with connective tissues diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis-ILD (RA-ILD) and systemic sclerosis-associated ILD (SSc-ILD), or environmental/drug exposure. Given the vast number of progressive fibrosing ILDs and the dispariti…
Health Outcomes of Infants with Vitamin B12 Deficiency Identified by Newborn Screening and Early Treated
2021
Objective To evaluate the clinical outcomes at age 1.5 ± 0.5 years of infants with vitamin B12 deficiency identified by newborn screening (NBS). Study design Prospective multicenter observational study on health outcomes of 31 infants with vitamin B12 deficiency identified by NBS. Neurodevelopment was assessed by the Denver Developmental Screening Test. Results In 285 862 newborns screened between 2016 and 2019, the estimated birth prevalence of vitamin B12 deficiency was 26 in 100 000 newborns, with high seasonal variations (lowest in summer: 8 in 100 000). Infants participating in the outcome study (N = 31) were supplemented with vitamin B12 for a median (range) of 5.9 (1.1-16.2) months. …
Repetitive sequence distribution on Saguinus, Leontocebus and Leontopithecus tamarins (Platyrrhine, Primates) by mapping telomeric (TTAGGG) motifs an…
2021
Simple Summary Telomeric and rDNA sequence distribution on tamarins (New world monkeys, Primates) was analysed through molecular cytogenetics by fluorescence in situ hybridization. The mapping of Telomeric and rDNA probes on chromosomes was performed in order to clarify their localization and role in genome evolution. We found rDNA loci on the same homologs 19–22 on the analysed species with a different position in one of them named Leontopithecus rosalia, presumably as result of inversions. Other rDNA signals could be present on chromosome 16 and 17. On the last species, we found the classic telomeric sequence with exceptions while on the other species analysed, we found very amplified tel…
Unified Field Theory and Occam's Razor: Simple Solutions to Deep Questions
2021
Unified Field Theory was an expression first used by Einstein in his attempt to unify general relativity with electromagnetism. Unified Field Theory and Occam's Razor attempts to provide real answers to foundational questions related to this unification and should be of high interest to innovative scientists. A diverse group of contributing authors approach an old problem with an open-mindedness that presents a new and fresh perspective. The following topics are discussed in detail in the hope of a fruitful dialogue with all who are interested in this subject: The composition of electrons, photons, and neutrinos. The relationship of quantum mechanics to general relativity. The four-componen…
Sourdough “ciabatta” bread enriched with powdered insects: Physicochemical, microbiological, and simulated intestinal digesta functional properties
2021
Abstract Powdered mealworm (MW) and buffalo worm (BW) larvae were used to functionalize sourdough Italian-style breads. Sourdough inoculum was started with Levilactobacillus brevis, Weissella cibaria and Leuconostoc citreum. The doughs were SBS (semolina plus powdered BW larvae and sourdough) and SMS (semolina plus powdered MW larvae and sourdough) whose pHs (4.32 and 4.21, respectively) were higher than that of control (3.81). The highest fermentation quotient (lactate/acetate molar ratio) was recorded in SMS (4.46). LAB reached viable counts of about 109 CFU g−1 in almost all doughs. Insects impacted bread VOCs with dodecanal, 2.4-dodecadienal and 2-octenal-2-butyl. SBS and SMS increased …
Digital rock physics, chemistry, and biology: challenges and prospects of pore-scale modelling approach
2021
Abstract Conventional and unconventional hydrocarbon rocks have complicated pore structures with heterogeneities distributed over various length scales (from nanometre to centimetre or even larger scales). Effective characterization of the properties of such rocks based on their digital twins is a challenging task. Digital rock physics (DRP) can be used to quantify the structural and morphological parameters of rocks directly and predict flow transport properties at the pore scale. Digital rock chemistry (DRC) or biology (DRB) applies when the changes in pore structures are due to interaction with solutes or microbial activities. Fluid–rock interactions or microbial activities complicate fl…
Analysis of DRD2 Gene Polymorphism in the Context of Personality Traits in a Group of Athletes
2021
The presented study showed the relationship between dopamine receptor gene polymorphism and personality traits in athletes training in martial arts. Behavioral modulation resulting from a balance of the neurotransmitters dopamine and norepinephrine to inactivation of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and dysregulation of various pathways involved in attention and impulse control processes
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.
Autopsie einer Graphic Novel: Dostoevskijs Prestuplenie i nakazanie (1866) in der Adaption von Alain Korkos und David Zane Mairowitz (2008)
2021
Summary This study offers a comprehensive comparative analysis between F. M. Dostoevskij’s classic Prestuplenie i nakazanie (PSS 6, 1973) and the black-and-white adaptation Crime and Punishment created by Alain Korkos and David Zane Mairowitz (2008). According to author and artist, the adaptation is meant for recipients acquainted with the novel and first readers of the graphic novel alike. With 417 pages of close-printed canonic text turned into a picture-dominated graphic novel of 118 pages, the adaptation – paying attention to the sequence of crucial fictional scenes – follows the storyline from the beginning of the canonic text to the Epilogue. About 95 % of the precisely and densely fo…
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…
Children’s exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the Valencian Region (Spain): Urinary levels, predictors of exposure and risk assessment
2021
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are pollutants that are released into the environment during incomplete combustion of organic matter and which can have a negative effect on human health. PAHs enter the human body mostly through ingestion of food or inhalation of tobacco smoke. The purpose of the present study is to evaluate the internal levels of PAHs that children living in the Valencian Region (Spain) are exposed to. In total, we measured eleven biomarkers of exposure to naphthalene, fluorene, phenanthrene, pyrene, and benzo(a)pyrene in the urine of 566 children aged 5-12. The analytical method was based on a liquid-liquid extraction of the PAH metabolites from the urine samples, …
Age- and Sex-Graded Data Evaluation of Vaccination Reactions after Initial Injection of the BNT162b2 mRNA Vaccine in a Local Vaccination Center in Ge…
2021
A high vaccination rate of older and particularly chronically ill people against coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) is likely one of the most important factors in containing the pandemic. When Germany’s vaccination campaign started on December 2020, vaccination prioritization was initially carried out starting with older population groups. Side effect rates in 1065 individuals who had received the first dose of the messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) vaccine BNT162b2 Tozinameran from BioNTech/Pfizer three weeks earlier were examined retrospectively. An age- and gender-graded data analysis showed clear age and gender differences with regard to vaccine-related adverse effects. In 77% of all in…
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…
Assessment of energy management technique for achieving the sustainable voltage level during grid outage of hydro generator interfaced DC Micro-Grid
2021
Abstract An appropriate energy management scheme is needed for the reliable and sustainable operation of DC microgrid. The energy management scheme of DC microgrid (MG) is mainly controlled by main energy resource of MG. Main energy resource needs to be dispatchable unit for forming the reference voltage within DC MG. In this work, a micro hydro generator (MHG) is considered as a dispatchable source for forming the sustainable voltage level of DC MG operating under the abnormal condition. In this work, the abnormality refers to the outage of solar PV due to intermittency during fluctuating load condition. But, due to mechanical time constant of MHG and rate of charging/discharging current l…
Inflammatory Biomarkers in Febrile Seizure: A Comprehensive Bibliometric, Review and Visualization Analysis.
2021
Background: Inflammatory markers association with many diseases is the subject of many articles and reviews. This study presents a comprehensive bibliometric review and visualization analysis of inflammatory biomarkers (IB) in the context of febrile seizure (FS) patients. Methods: The study focused on IB in FS using (1) bibliometric analysis specific indicators and maps in order to analyze and present the network of authors, journals, universities, and countries, and (2) automated literature screening and unsupervised clustering approach for filtering and topic cluster identification. Results: We conducted a literature mining search on FS research, specifically IB in the context of FS, usin…
Production of ethyl lactate by activated carbon-supported Sn and Zn oxide catalysts utilizing lignocellulosic side streams
2021
Abstract In this study, activated carbon-supported Sn and Zn oxide catalysts were prepared from hydrolysis lignin and used for the conversion of model solutions of trioses, hexoses, and lignocellulosic biomass hydrolysates to ethyl lactate. Both catalysts, SnO2@AC and ZnO@AC, were able to produce ethyl lactate in high yields. SnO2@AC was a more active and selective catalyst in triose (dihydroxyacetone) conversion, providing 99% yield to ethyl lactate. ZnO@AC, by contrast, was more selective in glucose and hydrolysate conversion, with a yield of 60% and 85%, respectively. The ethyl lactate yields were significantly higher than those from the optimized model solution experiments when using Zn…
Identification of high-affinity phage-displayed VH fragments by use of a quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring
2021
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Obsidian in the Upper Palaeolithic of Iberia
2021
Submitted by André Pereira (andrepereira@letras.ulisboa.pt) on 2021-07-28T13:04:08Z No. of bitstreams: 1 obsidian-in-the-upper-palaeolithic-of-iberia.pdf: 35662679 bytes, checksum: 4c261781e3211c52c02d47cc36e26d98 (MD5) Approved for entry into archive by Manuel Botelheiro Moreno (manuelmoreno@campus.ul.pt) on 2021-07-28T16:31:42Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 obsidian-in-the-upper-palaeolithic-of-iberia.pdf: 35662679 bytes, checksum: 4c261781e3211c52c02d47cc36e26d98 (MD5) Made available in DSpace on 2021-07-28T16:32:40Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 obsidian-in-the-upper-palaeolithic-of-iberia.pdf: 35662679 bytes, checksum: 4c261781e3211c52c02d47cc36e26d98 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2021 info:eu…
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…
Impact of Oral Microbiota on Flavor Perception: From Food Processing to In-Mouth Metabolization.
2021
International audience; Flavor perception during food intake is one of the main drivers of food acceptability and consumption. Recent studies have pointed to the oral microbiota as an important factor modulating flavor perception. This review introduces general characteristics of the oral microbiota, factors potentially influencing its composition, as well as known relationships between oral microbiota and chemosensory perception. We also review diverse evidenced mechanisms enabling the modulation of chemosensory perception by the microbiota. They include modulation of the chemosensory receptors activation by microbial metabolites but also modification of receptors expression. Specific enzy…
The impact of physical exercise on the circulating levels of BDNF and NT 4/5: A review
2021
(1) Background: One mechanism through which physical activity (PA) provides benefits is by triggering activity at a molecular level, where neurotrophins (NTs) are known to play an important role. However, the expression of the circulating levels of neurotrophic factors, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and neurotrophin-4 (NT-4/5), in response to exercise, is not fully understood. Therefore, the aim was to provide an updated overview on the neurotrophin (NT) variation levels of BDNF and NT-4/5 as a consequence of a long-term aerobic exercise intervention, and to understand and describe whether the upregulation of circulating NT levels is a result of neurotrophic factors produced and …
Technological and knowledge diffusion link: An international perspective 1870–2019
2021
Abstract Technology diffusion is a necessary but not sufficient condition for knowledge diffusion. Technological waves' impact on education differs across educational levels. We use data for 104 countries on technology diffusion and education from 1870 to 2019. We find six technology waves from 1870 to 2019 had a substantial and statistically significant educational attainment impact using fixed panel data modeling. The impact differs across time and regions, with the most noticeable impact in Advanced economies and Eastern Europe. Asia and the Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, Middle East, and North Africa are catching up with lagging Sub-Saharan Africa. The transportation revoluti…
The Pion Single-Event Latch-Up Cross Section Enhancement: Mechanisms and Consequences for Accelerator Hardness Assurance
2021
Pions make up a large part of the hadronic environment typical of accelerator mixed fields. Characterizing device cross sections against pions is usually disregarded in favor of tests with protons, whose single-event latch-up (SEL) cross section is, nonetheless, experimentally found to be lower than that of pions for all energies below 250 MeV. While Monte Carlo simulations are capable of reproducing such behavior, the reason for the observed pion cross-section enhancement can only be explained by a deeper analysis of the underlying mechanisms dominating proton–silicon and pion–silicon reactions. The mechanisms dominating the SEL response are found to vary with the energy under consideratio…
The Role of the Skeletal Muscle Secretome in Mediating Endurance and Resistance Training Adaptations
2021
Exercise, in the form of endurance or resistance training, leads to specific molecular and cellular adaptions not only in skeletal muscles, but also in many other organs such as the brain, liver, fat or bone. In addition to direct effects of exercise on these organs, the production and release of a plethora of different signaling molecules from skeletal muscle are a centerpiece of systemic plasticity. Most studies have so far focused on the regulation and function of such myokines in acute exercise bouts. In contrast, the secretome of long-term training adaptation remains less well understood, and the contribution of non-myokine factors, including metabolites, enzymes, microRNAs or mitochon…
Specific Features of the Coagulopathy Signature in Severe COVID-19 Pneumonia
2021
Rationale: COVID-19 displays distinct characteristics that suggest a unique pathogenesis. The objective of this study was to compare biomarkers of coagulopathy and outcomes in COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 patients with severe pneumonia.Methods: Thirty-six non-COVID-19 and 27 COVID-19 non-immunocompromised patients with severe pneumonia were prospectively enrolled, most requiring intensive care. Clinical and biological characteristics (including plasma biomarkers of coagulopathy) were compared.Results: At similar baseline severity, COVID-19 patients required mechanical ventilation (MV) for significantly longer than non-COVID-19 patients (p = 0.0049) and more frequently developed venous thrombot…
Ecocritical Perspectives on Children’s Texts and Cultures: Nordic Dialogues, Nina Goga, Lykke Guanio-Uluru, Bjørg Oddrun Hallås and Aslaug Nyrnes (ed…
2021
Review of: Ecocritical Perspectives on Children’s Texts and Cultures: Nordic Dialogues, Nina Goga, Lykke Guanio-Uluru, Bjørg Oddrun Hallås and Aslaug Nyrnes (eds) (2018)Cham: Palgrave Macmillan, Critical Approaches to Children’s Literature series, 299 pp.,ISBN 978-3-319-90496-2, h/bk, €129.99, p/bk, €89.99ISBN 978-3-319-90497-9, eBook, €74.89
Ni-Fe alloy nanostructured electrodes for water splitting in alkaline electrolyser
2021
Abstract In this work, nickel-iron alloy nanostructured electrodes obtained by template electrosynthesis method are investigated for both hydrogen and oxygen evolution reactions. Electrodes consist of nanowire arrays with high surface area that are able to ensures a high electrolytic activity. To obtain different alloy compositions, the concentration of the elements in the deposition baths is appropriately tuned. Results show that the composition of nanowires does not change linearly with the composition of deposition bath but are richer in Fe. Nanostructured electrodes are tested as both cathodes and anodes in 30 wt% KOH aqueous solution, at room temperature to determine the best alloy com…
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…
Eco-genetics of desiccation resistance in Drosophila.
2021
International audience; Climate change globally perturbs water circulation thereby influencing ecosystems including cultivated land. Both harmful and beneficial species of insects are likely to be vulnerable to such changes in climate. As small animals with a disadvantageous surface area to body mass ratio, they face a risk of desiccation. A number of behavioural, physiological and genetic strategies are deployed to solve these problems during adaptation in various Drosophila species. Over 100 desiccation-related genes have been identified in laboratory and wild populations of the cosmopolitan fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster and its sister species in large-scale and single-gene approaches…
Impact of anionic system modification on the desired properties for CuGa(S1−Se )2 solid solutions
2021
Abstract One of promising directions of the modern solar cells’ development is related to the use of the ternary chalcopyrite crystals (CuInS2, CuGaS2 etc.) and their solid solutions as efficient light absorbing layers. Unfortunately, so far there is no systematic research linking chemical composition to useful properties allowing their optimization to increase the efficiency of solar cells. Therefore, we report the results of the detailed theoretical studies of the structural, electronic, and optical properties for the series of CuGa(S1−xSex)2 solid solutions (x = 0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1) in the framework of the density functional theory. For this purpose, crystal structures are analyzed wit…
Organotin(IV) derivatives containing heteroditopic pyridyl-quinolin-8-olate ligands: Synthesis and structures
2021
Abstract Six novel neutral organotin(IV) complexes, viz. [n-Bu2Sn(L4-PyAQ)2] 1, [Bz2Sn(L4-PyAQ)2] 2, [Ph2Sn(L4-PyAQ)2] 3, [Ph2Sn(L3-PyAQ)2] 4, [Bz3Sn(L4-PyAQ)] 5 and [Ph3Sn(L4-PyAQ)] 6 have been synthesized via reactions of 3/4-pyridyl-quinolin-8-ol pro-ligands, with appropriate diorganotin oxide and triorganotin hydroxide precursors, respectively. The compounds 1-6 were characterized in solution by means of NMR spectroscopy while the solid-state structures of 1, 6, and of the solvates 2·1.5C6H6, 3·0.25C6H6, 2·4·C6H6, and 5·0.5H2O were authenticated by single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. In the solid-state, the tin centers in 1-2·4·C6H6 are hexacoordinated and reveal a distorted cis-…
Novel molecular markers of cardiovascular disease risk in type 2 diabetes mellitus
2021
Diabetes represents the leading risk factor for the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Chronic hyperglycemia and/or acute post-prandial changes in blood glucose determine an increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS), which play a fundamental role in endothelial dysfunction and in the nuclear transport of pro-atherogenic transcription factors that activate the "inflammasome". In addition, the glycemic alteration favors the formation and stabilization of atherosclerotic plaque through the mechanism of non-enzymatic glycation of different molecules, with the establishment of the so-called "advanced glycosylation end products" (AGE). Laboratory information provided by the level of bio…