144444 research outputs found
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The development of probabilistic reasoning during early childhood
No full texthttp://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100001659 German Research Foundationhttp://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100001711 Swiss National Science Foundatio
Marcinkiewicz–Zygmund inequalities in quasi-Banach function spaces
No full texthttp://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100011033 Agencia Estatal de Investigaciónhttp://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100000266 Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Councilhttp://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100001659 DFGhttp://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100014398 Mathematisches Forschungsinstitut Oberwolfachhttp://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100002809 Generalitat de Cataluny
Temperature-dependent photoconductivity as a tool to unveil defect-mediated carrier dynamics in ZnO1-δ thin films
No full texthttp://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100001412 Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, Indiahttp://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100001843 Science and Engineering Research Boar
Physical activity and its effects in myasthenia gravis: a patient-reported study on habits and impact
No full textAbstract Background Physical activity and exercise have been classified as safe and effective in mild to moderate cases of myasthenia gravis (MG) across various studies. Subsequently, adequate physical activity is generally recommended. Nevertheless, individuals with MG remain less physically active than the general population, without a precise definition of the low-activity group so far. Methods In this prospective single-center study, individuals with MG completed a questionnaire assessing general mobility, weekly physical activity levels, and beliefs toward specific statements about physical exercise. These data were contextualized with clinical parameters and MG-specific scores. Results Among 84 individuals (50% female), 73.8% reported general positive effects, and 77.4% noted improvements in mood and well-being due to physical activity. No significant differences in physical activity levels were found depending on sex, BMI or age. Weekly physical activity averaged 94.6 min (SD: 85.6), falling below current recommendations. Physical activity was inversely correlated with lower QMG ( p = 0.019) and MG-ADL scores ( p = 0.004). Despite the reported positive impact of physical activity on quality of life, no relevant connection was detected between physical activity and MG-QoL15 scores. Barriers preventing individuals affected by MG from engaging in physical activity included muscle pain (35.4%) and motivational challenges (22%). Individuals with motivational problems were younger (mean age 55.5 vs. 66.6 years, p = 0.011) and more frequently reported depressive symptoms; no other significant differences were observed in gender or disease severity in this subgroup. Conclusion Individuals with MG perceive physical activity as beneficial to their physical well-being, mood, and overall quality of life. Those with less severe disease tend to be more active. However, barriers such as motivational issues and post-exercise pain must be addressed. Clinicians should aim to identify individuals with low activity levels, encourage engagement in physical activity, highlight its benefits, and alleviate patient concerns. Trial registration Study approval by the Ethics Committee of the University Medical Center Göttingen was granted (number 33/12/21). The study was retrospectively registered at the German Clinical Trial Registry (DRKS) under the study ID DRKS00033171 (Date of trial registration December 1st, 2023)
Determination of active forces in actomyosin systems as inverse source problems for the Stokes equation
No full textThe identification of forces and stresses is a central task in biophysics research: Knowledge on forces is key to understanding dynamic processes in active biological systems that are able to self-organize and display emergent properties by converting energy into mechanical work. The aim of this paper is to identify forces generated by a filament-motor network of F-actin and myosin -- actomyosin -- and exerted on the surrounding fluid, therefore causing a fluid flow. In particular, we evaluate optical microscopy data stemming from two different physical settings, confined and non-confined active gels. As a theoretical model, we use the Stokes equation together with an incompressibility condition and suitable boundary conditions reflecting the physical settings. The problem of determining the forces from knowledge on the fluid flow is formulated as an inverse source problem. Due to experimental limitations, only incomplete data are available. We provide a rigorous analysis of the forward problems and the impact of missing data, derive the adjoints of the forward operators needed for regularization, and demonstrate our methods on both synthetic and experimentally measured data
Erratum: Precision measurement of the B 0 meson lifetime using B 0 → J / ψ K ∗ 0 decays with the ATLAS detector
No full textGenomic and phenotypic diversity among taxonomically ambiguous clinical Corynebacterium isolates
No full textAbstract Background Corynebacterium is a widespread and abundant bacterial genus on human skin. Occasionally, corynebacteria are isolated from clinical specimens associated with infection. In this study, 56 bacterial isolates were examined. These isolates were obtained from 52 patients with diverse infections such as keratitis, osteitis/osteomyelitis, mastitis, (suspected) foreign body associated infections (spine, prosthetic joint), suspected meningitis, post-operative infections, among others. These isolates were identified as corynebacteria by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry but could not be reliably assigned to a specific species. To resolve this issue, the isolates were genome-sequenced, and species identification was done with different approaches, including digital DNA–DNA hybridization, phylogenomic tree placement and Average Nucleotide Identity (ANI) calculations. A subset of 34 strains was further investigated by biochemical characterization and antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST). Results The 56 isolates belonged to 28 distinct corynebacterial species. Species identification was particularly ambiguous for 13 isolates as the ANIs were below 95% to the closest identified reference genomes. Two isolates represented potentially novel species, since no close relative could be identified (ANI < 90%). The majority of isolates belonged to the Corynebacterium marquesiae/tuberculostearicum (n = 10) and Corynebacterium kroppenstedtii/parakroppenstedtii (n = 9) complexes. Biochemical tests and AST revealed species- and strain-level variability. AST demonstrated extensive antimicrobial resistance (AMR), particularly among C. marquesiae, C. tuberculostearicum, C. lehmanniae, C. hesseae and C. resistens, with resistances observed against penicillin, clindamycin, ciprofloxacin, and rifampin. Resistance was frequently associated with acquired AMR genes, such as erm(X), tet(W) and genes encoding aminoglycoside-modifying enzymes. Among the tested antibiotics, clindamycin resistance was most common, detected in 23 of 34 tested strains (64.7%). Conclusions This study expands our knowledge of Corynebacterium isolates derived from clinical specimens, particularly those differing from well-characterized species. It underscores the extensive geno- and phenotypic variability within most Corynebacterium species and challenges current species boundary definitions. The extensive level of detected AMR may complicate treatment of underlying infections. However, it remains uncertain whether these isolates represent true infectious agents or contaminants derived from the skin of the patients
A record of Late Pleistocene environmental conditions at the transition from central to southern Europe from the Baix loess paleosol sequence (Rhône Rift Valley, SE France)
No full textAbstract Loess–paleosol sequences (LPSs) provide valuable archives of Quaternary paleoenvironments. Here we present new data from the Baix LPS, comprising the entire Late Pleistocene. The Baix LPS is located at the western edge of the Rhône Rift Valley, France, in the transition zone from the presently temperate to the Mediterranean region of Europe. This LPS provides a missing link between the analyzed LPSs in the presently temperate regions farther north and those in the Mediterranean region. Reddish Btg horizons of a Stagnic Luvisol at the base of the Baix LPS represent the remains of an MIS 5 pedocomplex formed under warm and, at least temporarily, relatively moist conditions. Two brown Bw horizons of truncated Cambisols have been preserved in the overlying MIS 5a/4 to MIS 3 deposits. The upper Bw horizon is associated with large carbonate nodules, indicating that considerable amounts of calcium carbonate were leached from a former MIS 3 Cambisol and accumulated in the underlying loess unit. This truncated MIS 3 Cambisol is very similar to the MIS 3 paleosol remains in the LPS Collias that we investigated 87 km farther south in the present Mediterranean climate. No paleosols were observed in the late MIS 2 deposits
