Interval Of Phase Research Articles

Stripe Noise Removal in Blazed Grating Generation for Electrically Tunable Beam Deflector.

In this paper, we demonstrate a blazed phase grating to achieve tunable beam steering and propose a novel algorithm to reduce the stripe noise in wrapped phase. To control the diffraction angle to steer light to the desired direction, an electrically tunable transmission-type beam deflector based on liquid crystals is introduced, and electric fields are applied to the patterned indium tin oxide electrodes to change its phase retardation. Two different 2π phase-wrapping methods are applied to obtain various diffraction angles within the minimum cell-gap, and the method of equal interval of phase achieves a worthwhile diffraction efficiency compared to the methods based on equal interval of diffraction angle. The proposed method is able to completely eliminate the stripe noise in all steering angles that helps to improve the diffraction efficiency.

Two-step preparation and characterization of Bi-2212 superconductors by the glycine-nitrate method

In order to prepare high-quality sub-stable copper oxide superconductor Bi-2212, the glycine-nitrate method combined with rapid sintering process was used in this paper. Firstly, the glycine-nitrate method was used to obtain highly active Bi-2212 precursor powders with uniform composition, and then Bi-2212 superconductor powders were prepared by rapid sintering. Glycine acted as a combustion agent while giving property of the complexation to ensure the homogeneity of multiple chemical components. The high-quality precursor powder was the basis for broadening the temperature interval of the pure phase of Bi-2212. And then the effects of precursor powder sampling pressure on Bi-2212 superconducting materials were systematically investigated. On this basis, the pure-phase temperature interval of Bi-2212 superconducting materials prepared by the nitroglycerin method was further investigated. The results showed that the increase of the sample preparation pressure can effectively optimize the crystallinity of Bi-2212, which no longer changed significantly after 300 MPa. The pure phase temperature interval of Bi-2212 was 830–880 °C. The samples showed the characteristic lamellar morphology. The optimum sintering temperature was 850°C. The crystal integrity of Bi-2212 was destroyed under high temperature sintering conditions, and the two-dimensional properties were enhanced. The superconducting properties of Bi-2212 were acceptable, with a Tc, onset of 82.1 K, Tc, zero of 72.4 K, and ΔTc of 9.7 K. This work largely reduces the difficulty in the preparation of the superconductors of Bi-2212, and it provides a good basis for the preparation of multi-component functional oxides by using the nitrate method.

Effect of Esketamine Nasal Spray on Cognition in Patients With Treatment-Resistant Depression: Results From Four Phase 3 Studies.

While esketamine is effective in treatment-resistant depression (TRD), detailed information about the effect of esketamine on cognition is relatively scarce. This analysis assessed the effect of short-term (3 double-blind [DB] studies: DB1, DB2, and DB4) or long-term maintenance treatment (DB3) with esketamine nasal spray (ESK) compared with a placebo (PBO) combined withactive-comparator, on cognition in patients with TRD. Patients (DB1/DB2/DB3: [18-64 years, n = 747]; DB4: [65 years or older, n = 137]) with TRD received ESK (DB1/DB2/DB3: 56/84mg; DB4: 28/56/84mg) or PBO+newly initiated oral antidepressant (OAD) as per treatment schedules. Cognitive assessments-Cogstate battery and Hopkins Verbal Learning Test-Revised-were administered at baseline, Day 28/early withdrawal, and follow-up visits in DB1/DB2/DB4 and at 12-week intervals in the DB3 maintenance phase. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze ESK effects on cognition with effect sizes and 95% confidence intervals to express the nature andmagnitude of treatment effects relative to active-comparator+PBO. Correlation between depression severity (Montgomery-Ǻsberg Depression Rating Scale scores [MADRS]) and cognition was assessed at baseline and endpoint(s). At baseline, mild-to-moderate impairment in psychomotor function, attention, and memory (working andepisodic) were evident. For each DB1/DB2/DB4, group mean performance in Z-scores for ESK+OAD and OAD+PBO groups on all cognitive tests remained similar or slightly improved from baseline at endpoint (Day 28) and follow-up assessments. Similarly, in DB3 (maintenance phase), both groups generally showed improvement in cognitive performance at endpoint(s). Correlations between MADRSscores and performance on the cognitive test battery were small at baseline and endpoint(s). This analysis did not identify evidence of negative effects on cognition following short-term or long-term maintenance treatment with ESK+OAD in patients with TRD.

Description of CuInP<sub>2</sub>S<sub>6</sub> ferrielectrics in a mixed Ising model

The appearance of spontaneous polarization in CuInP2S6 ferrielectrics is related to the second order Jahn-Teller effect for copper cations located in a double-well local potential, the stereoactivity of indium cations located in a three-well local potential, as well as the valence fluctuations of phosphorus cations. The paraelectric to ferrielectric phase transition is primarily determined by the coupling of indium cations with their surroundings. This transition can be analyzed using the mixed Ising model with spins s = 1/2 and S = 1. The spectrum of pseudospin fluctuations at different temperatures was calculated using a mean-field approach for a set of quantum anharmonic oscillators. The results were then compared with Raman spectroscopy data for CuInP2S6 crystal. The analysis indicates that the lattice anharmonicity below 150 K, is mainly determined by the indium sublattice, leading to the coexistence of the glassy state and ferrielectric phase. Above 150 K, the anharmonicity of the copper sublattice activates the ionic conductivity and results in the existence of a long-ranged fluctuated cluster of spontaneous polarization in a temperature interval of the paraelectric phase above TC.

Comparative effectiveness and safety of ustekinumab at different intervals of maintenance phase in inflammatory bowel disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Ustekinumab has two alternative drug maintenance intervals for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), every 8 weeks (Q8W) and every 12 weeks (Q12W). The current study aimed at evaluating the comparative efficacy and safety of the two maintenance intervals in patients with IBD. A systematic search on PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and EMBASE was carried out. The relative risk (RR) was pooled for efficacy and safety outcomes between the two intervals at various follow-up time points, categorized as short term (less than 44 weeks), medium term (about 92 weeks), and long term (about 152 weeks). A total of 14 studies with 1448 patients were included. Q8W didn't result in a remarkably higher proportion of clinical remission compared to Q12W at short term (RR, 0.99; 95% CI, 0.83-1.16), medium term (RR, 1.05; 95% CI, 0.91-1.20), and long term (RR, 1.07; 95% CI, 0.91-1.26). Similarly, no substantial differences exist at short term in clinical response (RR, 1.00; 95% CI, 0.85-1.17), endoscopic remission (RR, 0.97; 95% CI, 0.26-3.69), and histologic improvement (RR, 1.13; 95% CI, 0.93-1.36) between the two intervals. For safety outcomes, the RR values for any adverse events in the short, medium, and long term were 1.10 (95% CI, 1.00-1.21), 1.14 (95% CI, 1.08-1.20), and 1.12 (95% CI, 1.07-1.17) for Q8W versus Q12W. Finally, we conclude that ustekinumab maintenance therapy administered every 8 and 12 weeks showed similar effectiveness in achieving efficacy outcomes in IBD patients, and most safety outcomes were significantly better for Q12W during the maintenance phase.

Smoothing interpolation of five-axis tool path with less feedrate fluctuation and higher computation efficiency

Five-axis machine tools are widely used in aerospace, die and mold industries. Most of the time, the tool path is described by connecting a series of short linear segments. The tangency discontinuity of the linear segments leads to the discontinuity of the kinematic profiles, hence generating discontinuous interpolation points, and resulting in fluctuation of machine motion, which reduces the machining efficiency and causes excessive tracking and contouring errors. This paper aims to generate smooth interpolation points at servo sample intervals with the proposed G2 continuous five-axis corner rounding algorithm suitable for reducing feedrate fluctuation along the smoothed toolpath and improving machining efficiency, and the modified jerk-limited feedrate planning algorithm suitable for eliminating feedrate fluctuation within the feedrate planning units and improving interpolation computation efficiency. In this paper, the five-axis linear segments are first smoothed by curvature-optimized cubic Bezier splines, which reduces the number of the feedrate planning units along the smoothed toolpath and improves machining efficiency. Then, the jerk-limited feedrate planning algorithm is modified to ensure that the time interval of each different scheduled feedrate phase is an integer multiple of the axis position control loop closure time (i.e. servo sample interval), which eliminates the feedrate fluctuation within each feedrate planning unit and reduces the interpolation computation load of position command in each interpolation period (i.e. servo sample interval). At last, the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm is demonstrated with simulations and experiments following a five-axis, curved tool path on a CNC (Computer Numerical Control) machine tool.

Relaxation processes in nematic liquid crystals in the nonstationary regime of a rotation of magnetic field

The prospects of using the nonstationary regime of motion of the director for studying the relaxation properties of liquid crystals in the low-temperature interval of the nematic phase are shown. In the nonstationary regime, the phase shift between the direction and the wave vector is 45 and does not depend on the angular velocity of rotation of the magnetic field. A eutectic mixture of nematic liquid crystals with a wider temperature range of the nematic phase compared to individual components has been studied. A decrease in the anisotropy of the absorption coefficient in the nonstationary regime is associated with a partial violation of the homogeneous orientation of the sample. The nature of the dependence of the low-frequency component of the phase characteristic on the thermodynamic parameters of the state is established. Within the framework of the hydrodynamics of the nematic phase, relations were obtained that allow calculating the dissipative coefficients responsible for the performance of liquid crystal technical devices.

Vertical stiffness and lower limb inter-joint coordination in older versus younger runners

Older runners (OR) are increasing their participation in races. Aging may impact the adopted running pattern. Hence, the analysis of stiffness and the inter-joint lower limb coordination in the sagittal plane could contribute to investigating this impact. This study aimed to compare the vertical stiffness (Kvert) and the inter-joint lower limb coordination in the sagittal plane between younger runners (YR) and OR. This cross-sectional study recruited 15 YR males and 15 OR males. The pelvis and lower limb motions were assessed while running on a treadmill at self-selected (range OR: 1.94–3.75 m.s−1, YR: 2.08–4.17 m.s−1) and fixed speeds (3.33 m.s−1). Hip-ankle, knee-ankle, and hip-knee coupling angle (CA) and its variability (CAV) were extracted using the vector coding method. Mann-Whitney U tests compared Kvert between groups at each running speed. Watson’s U2 tests compared the mean CA between groups in three intervals of the contact phase at each running speed. Statistical Parametric Mapping independent t-test compared the CAV curve between groups at each running speed. OR showed greater Kvert than YR at both speeds. Hip-ankle CA pattern differed between groups during the early stance at both speed conditions. OR showed in-phase, distal dominancy in hip-ankle CA, whereas YR showed anti-phase, proximal dominancy. Knee-ankle CA was distinct only at self-selected speed, in which OR showed in-phase, proximal dominancy, while YR exhibited anti-phase, proximal dominancy. CAV did not differ between groups. The findings showed that OR adopted a stiffer pattern characterized by distinct inter-joint lower limb CA, at early stance, during self-selected and fixed speeds.

Body Composition Changes Over the Menopausal Transition in Women With and Without Human Immunodeficiency Virus.

Women are at risk for weight gain during the transition to menopause, but few have examined the contribution of menopause to weight gain in women with human immunodeficiency virus (WWH). From 2000 to 2013, participants (621 WWH; 218 without HIV [WWOH]) from the Women's Interagency HIV Study were categorized by menopausal phase using serial measures of anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH). Multivariable linear mixed models examined the association of menopausal phase with body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) trajectory, stratified by HIV status. In models controlled for chronologic age, the estimated effects (95% confidence interval) of menopausal phase on annual rate of BMI change across early perimenopause, late perimenopause, and menopause, respectively, compared to premenopause were -0.55% (-.80 to -.30), -0.29% (-.61 to .03), and -0.67% (-1.12 to -.20) in WWH, whereas estimated effects were 0.43% (-.01 to .87) and 0.15% (-.42 to .71) across early and late perimenopause, respectively, and -0.40% (-1.24 to .45) across menopause in WWOH. The estimated effects on rate of WC change were negative across early perimenopause (-0.21% [-.44 to .03]) and menopause (-0.12% [-.5 to .26]) and positive across late perimenopause (0.18% [-.10 to .45]) in WWH, and positive across all 3 menopausal phases in WWOH, but these effects were not statistically significant. In WWH, the menopausal transition was associated with BMI and WC trajectories that were mostly in a negative direction and opposite from WWOH after adjusting for age, suggesting that HIV blunts weight gain during the menopausal transition.

Charting the solar cycle

Sunspot records reveal that whilst the Sun has an approximately 11 year cycle of activity, no two cycles are of the same duration. Since this activity is a direct driver of space weather at Earth, this presents an operational challenge to quantifying space weather risk. We recently showed that the Hilbert transform of the sunspot record can be used to map the variable cycle length onto a regular “clock” where each cycle has the same duration in Hilbert analytic phase. Extreme geomagnetic storms rarely occur within the quiet part of the cycle which is a fixed interval of analytic phase on the clock; there is a clear active-quiet switch-off and quiet-active switch-on of activity. Here we show how the times of the switch-on/off can be determined directly from the sunspot time-series, without requiring a Hilbert transform. We propose a method-charting-that can be used to combine observations, and reports of societal impacts, to improve our understanding of space weather risk.

T2K status and plans

T2K is an accelerator-based neutrino experiment providing world-leading measurements of the parameters governing neutrino oscillations. T2K data enabled the first 3 [Formula: see text] exclusion for some intervals of the CP-violating phase [Formula: see text] and precision measurements of the atmospheric parameters [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text]. T2K uses a beam of muon neutrinos and antineutrinos produced at the Japan Proton Accelerator Research Centre (J-PARC) and a series of detectors located at J-PARC and in Kamioka, 295km away, to measure oscillations from neutrino event rates and spectra. The T2K beam will be upgraded with increased power in 2022 and, combined with an upgrade of the ND280 near detector, will usher in a new important physics period for T2K. In preparation for the new physics run, the T2K collaboration is working on an updated oscillation analysis to improve the control of systematic uncertainties. The status of the new analysis developments and the plan to deploy the beam and ND280 upgrade are reviewed.

Evaluation of pharmaceutically compounded oral caffeine on the impact of medication adherence and risk of readmission among preterm neonates: A single-center quasi-experimental study.

Caffeine is available in an ampoule, used via parenteral and enteral routes in preterm neonates to treat apnea of prematurity (AOP) in neonates of gestational age ≥ 35-40 weeks. A longer duration of therapy has a higher risk of medication non-adherence due to higher costs and inappropriate dosage forms. Pharmaceutically compounded oral caffeine (PCC) could be an appropriate alternate dosage form. The researchers aimed to determine the impact of PCC on medication-related factors influencing medication adherence (MA) and the frequency of hospital readmission with apnea (HRA) in preterm neonates. We conducted a single-center quasi-experimental study for this quality improvement project using PCC among the preterm neonates admitted in a tertiary care level-III NICU at the Aga Khan University Hospital Karachi, Pakistan, received caffeine therapy, and survived at discharge. The researchers compared pre-PCC data (April-December 2017) with post-PCC data (April-Dec 2018) each for nine months, with three months intervals (January-March 2018) of PCC formulation and implementation phase. The study was conducted according to the SQUIRE2.0 guidelines. The Data were collated on factors influencing MA, including the cost of therapy, medication refill rates, and parental complaints as primary outcome measures. The Risk factors of HRA were included as secondary outcomes. After PCC implementation cost of therapy was reduced significantly from Rs. 97000.0 (729.0 USD) to Rs. 24500.0 (185.0 USD) (p<0.001), significantly higher (p<0.001) number of patients completed remaining refills (77.6% pre-phase vs 97.5% post-phase). The number of parental complaints about cost, ampoule usage, medication drawing issue, wastage, inappropriate dosage form, and longer duration of therapy reduced significantly in post-phase. HRA reduced from 25% to 6.6% (p<0.001). Post-implementation of PCC (RR 0.14; 95% CI: 0.07-0.27) was a significant independent risk factor for reducing HRA using a multivariate analysis model. Longer duration of caffeine therapy after discharge (RR 1.05; 95% CI: 1.04-1.04), those who were born in multiple births (RR 1.15; 95% CI: 1.15-1.15), and those who had higher number of siblings were other significant independent risk factors for HRA. PCC dispensation in the appropriate dosage form at discharge effectively reduced cost, non-adherence to therapy, and risk of hospital readmissions. This neonatal clinical and compounding pharmacist-led model can be replicated in other resource-limiting setting.

Creating meaningful field experiences: the application of the job crafting concept to student teachers’ practical learning

ABSTRACT The successful learning and professional development of student teachers in field experiences depend on the conditions at the individual practicum school. As a consequence, researchers have investigated the relevance of various contextual factors (e.g. mentoring) and ways of improving them (e.g. mentor training). Whether and to what avail student teachers take an active role in adapting the conditions of field experiences to their needs has, however, received scant attention. In applying the concept of job crafting to field experiences during initial teacher education, the present study examines whether student teachers engage in activities to increase resources and control demands during practical phases. How job crafting can be predicted and whether such behaviour is related to higher rates of job satisfaction, engagement, and learning gains are investigated by surveying 132 student teachers at three measurement intervals (beginning, middle, and end) of a 14-week practical phase. The results indicate moderate to high rates of job crafting amongst student teachers. Just as job crafting was significantly predicted by contextual and individual factors, it predicted student teachers’ job satisfaction, teacher engagement and learning gains. The findings support the relevance of a research focus on proactive student teacher behaviour in field experiences.

О термодинамической согласованности связанной модели отверждения эластомера при конечных деформациях

In the framework of a two-component medium, the phenomenological approach is used to develop a system of constitutive equations describing the thermomechanical behavior of elastomers during curing. This model is designed to describe the stress-strain states in the temperature range comprising the intervals of phase and relaxation transitions at lage strains within a rigorous thermodinamical framework. The results of numerical experiments demonstrating the possibility of describing the characteristic properties of deformation processes typical of elastomers are given.

Comparison of the knee joint reaction force between individuals with and without acute anterior cruciate ligament rupture during walking

BackgroundAnterior cruciate ligament plays a significant role in knee joint stability. It is claimed that the incidence of knee osteoarthritis increases in individuals with anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture. The aim of this study was to evaluate the knee joints reaction force in ACL rupture group compared to normal subjects.MethodFifteen patients with acute ACL rupture and 15 healthy subjects participated in this study. The ground reaction force (GRF) and kinematic data were collected at a sampling rate of 120 Hz during level-ground walking. Spatiotemporal parameters, joint angles, muscle forces and moments, and joint reaction force (JRF) of lower extremity were analyzed by OpenSIM software.ResultsThe hip, knee and ankle joints reaction force at loading response and push-off intervals of the stance phase during walking was significantly higher in individuals with ACL rupture compared to healthy controls (p value < 0.05). Walking velocity (p value < 0.001), knee (p value = 0.065) and ankle (p value = 0.001) range of motion in the sagittal plane were significantly lower in the patients with ACL rupture compared to healthy subjects. The mean value of vertical GRF in the mid-stance, the peak of the hip adduction moment in loading response and push-off phases, the hip abductor, knee flexor and vastus intermedius part of quadriceps muscle forces were significantly higher compared to healthy subjects (p < 0.05) while vastus medialis and vastus lateralis produced significantly lower force (p < 0.001).ConclusionsBased on results of this study, lower limb JRF was higher in those with ACL rupture compared to healthy subjects may be due to the compensatory mechanisms used by this group of subjects. An increase in knee JRF in patients with ACL rupture may be the reason for the high incidence of knee OA.

A New Family of Transcriptional Regulators Activating Biosynthetic Gene Clusters for Secondary Metabolites.

We previously identified the aur1 biosynthetic gene cluster (BGC) in Streptomyces lavendulae subsp. lavendulae CCM 3239 (formerly Streptomyces aureofaciens CCM 3239), which is responsible for the production of the unusual angucycline-like antibiotic auricin. Auricin is produced in a narrow interval of the growth phase after entering the stationary phase, after which it is degraded due to its instability at the high pH values reached after the production phase. The complex regulation of auricin BGC is responsible for this specific production by several regulators, including the key activator Aur1P, which belongs to the family of atypical response regulators. The aur1P gene forms an operon with the downstream aur1O gene, which encodes an unknown protein without any conserved domain. Homologous aur1O genes have been found in several BGCs, which are mainly responsible for the production of angucycline antibiotics. Deletion of the aur1O gene led to a dramatic reduction in auricin production. Transcription from the previously characterized Aur1P-dependent biosynthetic aur1Ap promoter was similarly reduced in the S. lavendulae aur1O mutant strain. The aur1O-specific coactivation of the aur1Ap promoter was demonstrated in a heterologous system using a luciferase reporter gene. In addition, the interaction between Aur1O and Aur1P has been demonstrated by a bacterial two-hybrid system. These results suggest that Aur1O is a specific coactivator of this key auricin-specific positive regulator Aur1P. Bioinformatics analysis of Aur1O and its homologues in other BGCs revealed that they represent a new family of transcriptional coactivators involved in the regulation of secondary metabolite biosynthesis. However, they are divided into two distinct sequence-specific subclasses, each of which is likely to interact with a different family of positive regulators.

Examining the Impact of Digital Components Across Different Phases of Treatment in a Blended Care Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Intervention for Depression and Anxiety: Pragmatic Retrospective Study.

BackgroundDepression and anxiety incur significant personal and societal costs. Effective psychotherapies exist, such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT); however, timely access to quality care is limited by myriad barriers. Blended care therapy models incorporate traditional face-to-face therapy with scalable, digital components of care, expanding the reach of evidence-based care.ObjectiveThe aim of this study is to determine the effectiveness of a blended care CBT program (BC-CBT) in real-world settings and examine the unique impacts of the (1) digital components of care (video lessons and digital exercises) and (2) phase of treatment (early versus late) in decreasing symptoms of anxiety and depression.MethodsThis retrospective cohort analysis included 3401 US-based individuals enrolled in a BC-CBT program, who presented with clinical levels of depression and/or anxiety. The treatment program consisted of regular therapy sessions augmented by clinician-assigned digital video lessons and exercises. A growth curve model incorporating time-varying covariates examined the relationship between engagement with BCT components (ie, therapy sessions, digital video lessons, and digital exercises) during the early (weeks 0-7) and late (weeks 8-15) phases of treatment, and weekly symptom reports on depression and anxiety measures.ResultsOn average, a significant decline in depression and anxiety symptoms was observed during the initial weeks of treatment (P<.001), with a continued, though slower, decline over subsequent weeks (P<.001). Each session completed was associated with significant decreases in anxiety (b=–0.72) and depression (b=–0.83) in the early phase, as well as in the late phase (anxiety, b=–0.47; depression, b=–0.27). Significant decreases in anxiety (b=–0.15) and depression (b=–0.12) were observed for time spent on video lessons (measured in 10-minute intervals) in the early phase of treatment. Engaging with exercises was associated with statistically significant increases in anxiety symptoms (b=0.03) during the early phase of treatment. However, sensitivity analyses examining the effects of exercises in isolation revealed significant decreases in anxiety (b=–0.05) in the early phase, suggesting a potential suppression effect in the larger model.ConclusionsUsing a retrospective cohort design, therapy sessions and digital video lessons were uniquely predictive of improvements in depression and anxiety symptoms, and their effects were modulated based on the phase of treatment (early vs late). Future research should investigate whether other treatment variables, such as therapeutic alliance or familiarity with technology, are related to differential effects on various components of care.

Analytical Approximations for Dry Friction-Induced Stick–Slip and Pure-Slip Vibration Amplitudes of a Self-Excited Smooth and Discontinuous Oscillator

Abstract An analytical and numerical investigation into pure-slip and stick–slip oscillations induced by dry friction between a rigid mass linked by an inclined spring, modeled by the archetypal self-excited smooth and discontinuous (SD) oscillator, and the classical moving rigid belt, is presented. The friction force between surface contacts is modeled in the sense of Stribeck effect to formulate the friction model that the friction force first decreases and then increases with increasing relative sliding speed. Some perturbation methods are considered into this system for establishing the approximate analytical expressions of the occurring conditions, vibration amplitudes, and base frequencies of dry friction-induced stick–slip and pure-slip oscillations. For pure-slip oscillations, two different approaches are applied to analyze this self-excited SD oscillator. One of them is the homotopy perturbation method by constructing the nonlinear amplitude and frequency. Based on the multiple-scales homotopy perturbation method, a nonlinear equation for amplitude of the analytical approximate solution is constructed, which containing all parameters of problem. For stick–slip oscillations, the analytical approximations for amplitude and frequency are obtained by perturbation methods for finite time intervals of the stick phase, which is linked to the subsequent slip phase under the conditions of continuity and periodicity. The accuracy of analytical approximations is verified by the comparison between analytical approximations and numerical simulations. These analytical expressions are needed for gaining a deeper understanding of dry friction-induced pure-slip and stick–slip oscillations for the friction system with geometric nonlinearity.

HOLISMOKES

We investigate strongly gravitationally lensed type II supernovae (LSNe II) for time-delay cosmography, incorporating microlensing effects; this expands on previous microlensing studies of type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia). We use the radiative-transfer code TARDIS to recreate five spectra of the prototypical SN 1999em at different times within the plateau phase of the light curve. The microlensing-induced deformations of the spectra and light curves are calculated by placing the SN into magnification maps generated with the code GERLUMPH. We study the impact of microlensing on the color curves and find that there is no strong influence on them during the investigated time interval of the plateau phase. The color curves are only weakly affected by microlensing due to the almost achromatic behavior of the intensity profiles. However, the lack of nonlinear structure in the color curves during the plateau phase of type II-plateau supernovae makes time-delay measurements more challenging compared to SN Ia color curves, given the possible presence of differential dust extinction. Therefore, we further investigate SN phase inference through spectral absorption lines under the influence of microlensing and Gaussian noise. As the spectral features shift to longer wavelengths with progressing time after explosion, the measured wavelength of a specific absorption line provides information on the epoch of the SN. The comparison between retrieved epochs of two observed lensing images then gives the time delay of the images. We find that the phase retrieval method that uses spectral features yields accurate delays with uncertainties of ≲2 days, making it a promising approach.

The use of an automated electronic registry for bladder cancer surveillance during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic

Introduction: We aimed to develop and compare the utility of an automated registry of all patients undergoing surveillance for non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) during the severe acute respiratory virus coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic. Methods: We populated an electronic register of all patients undergoing bladder tumour surveillance (July–September 2019). The computerised ‘traffic-light’ system was implemented in September 2019 marking the beginning of phase 2. The register was audited at two- and six-months intervals during phase 2 (November 2019 and April 2020). Audit of the system In April 2020 allowed review of care given during the peak of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in Ireland. The primary outcome variable was the number of patients who had delayed surveillance cystoscopy in each group. Results: A total of 278 cases were reviewed, 96 in the first cohort and 91 at both intervals of second phase. During the first phase of the audit 17 patients (17.7%) had a missed cystoscopy. Phase 2 showed a sustained decrease in the number of patients with missed surveillance, with eight (8.8%) missing their procedure in both the November and April (SARS-CoV-2) cohorts (17 v. 8, X2 = 10.76, p = 0.0004). Overall, most patients had their procedure done within the recommended time interval (245, 88%). Conclusion: A centralised accessible computerised registry of patients with NMIBC undergoing surveillance is superior to traditional manual surveillance methods, especially during the period of SARS-CoV-2. Going forward we aim to have all patients undergo surveillance within schedule with a long-term goal of a centralised national registry. Level of evidence: Level 2c: “Outcomes Research”.