Time Range Research Articles

131 and 304 Å Emission Variability Increases Hours Prior to Solar Flare Onset

Abstract Thermal changes in coronal loops are well studied, both in quiescent active regions and in flaring scenarios. However, relatively little attention has been paid to loop emission in the hours before the onset of a solar flare; here, we present the findings of a study of over 50 off-limb flares of Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite class C5.0 and above. We investigated the integrated emission variability for Solar Dynamics Observatory Atmospheric Imaging Assembly channels 131, 171, 193, and 304 Å for 6 hr before each flare and compared these quantities to the same time range and channels above active regions without proximal flaring. We find significantly increased emission variability in the 2–3 hr before flare onset, particularly for the 131 and 304 channels. This finding suggests a potential new flare prediction methodology. The emission trends between the channels are not consistently well correlated, suggesting a somewhat chaotic thermal environment within the coronal portion of the loops that disturbs the commonly observed heating and cooling cycles of quiescent active region loops. We present our approach and the resulting statistics and discuss the implications for heating sources in these preflaring active regions.

Mechanical effects on the preparation of copper oxide (CuO) and copper (Cu) nanoparticles and their properties

This study investigates the factors influencing the production of nanoparticles and the precise control over their size and shape, with a focus on optimizing milling time, pause duration, and rotation speed. These parameters must be carefully calibrated to enhance production efficiency and prevent particle aggregation. The research also explores the structural properties of nanostructured copper (Cu) and copper oxide (CuO) powders, which were synthesized using a planetary ball mill under an argon atmosphere. Milling was performed at various time intervals, and to prevent excessive temperature buildup, grinding was paused for 20 minutes after every 10 minutes of milling. The experimental procedure for producing copper- and copper oxide-based nanoparticles spans a time range of 48–72 hours, based on a series of experiments conducted over several years. Characterization techniques, including Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR), were employed to analyze the crystallographic, chemical, and dimensional properties of the nanoparticles. SEM provided direct observation of the nanoparticle morphology, while XRD offered insights into their crystal structures and phases. FT-IR analysis was used for structural elucidation. The average nanoparticle sizes were determined to be approximately 20.8 nm for copper and 21.19 nm for copper oxide. Notably, at the nanoscale, the physical properties of these materials exhibited significant differences compared to their macroscopic counterparts.

Workplace Incivility in Hotels: Unmasking the Complex Landscape of Employee Well-Being

Workplace incivility in hotel settings poses significant challenges, affecting employee well-being and organizational outcomes. This systematic literature review aims to comprehensively examine its multifaceted impact, addressing key research questions. Firstly, it explores the antecedents and forms of workplace incivility. Secondly, it explores the multilayered impacts on employee well-being, job satisfaction, engagement, turnover intentions, and counterproductive behaviors. Lastly, it examines how leadership styles, organizational support structures, individual traits, and contextual variables influence employee responses to incivility. Through a SLR methodology, current trends and gaps in research are identified, offering insights for future examination. The review includes 102 relevant papers to the study, covering the time range from 2012 to 2023. The application of the PRISMA methodology and SPAR4-SLR approach ensures a detailed analysis of published works, while the TCM framework provides a theoretical lens for interpretation. This review contributes to a deeper understanding of workplace incivility dynamics in hotel settings, informing both research and practical interventions. Findings suggest that positive leadership and strong organizational support mitigate the negative effects of incivility, while negative factors like nepotism exacerbate them. Enhancing emotional intelligence and establishing clear anti-incivility policies are crucial for improving employee well-being and organizational success.

High performance and eco-friendly tannins glyoxal wood adhesives: Based on UV light-induced photocatalytic degradation of larch tannins

The development of tannins adhesives with high performance and eco-friendly properties is crucial for addressing the dependence of traditional formaldehyde-based wood adhesives on petrochemical resources and the harm of formaldehyde emission. However, conventional methods for preparing tannins adhesives generally involve the use of tannins with high mean degree of polymerization (mDP) and formaldehyde, resulting in poor bonding properties and formaldehyde emission, hindering their industrial application. Herein, the larch tannins (LT) were degraded by photocatalytic degradation to obtain tannins with different mDP, and the tannins glyoxal (G) adhesives were synthesized with different mass ratios of G to LT, then used to prepare plywood with poplar veneer. The effect of different mDP and different mass ratios of G to LT on the properties of adhesives such as viscosity, curing time, shear strength, formaldehyde emission, water insoluble rate, humidity absorption rate and thermal properties were explored. The findings indicated that photocatalysis could lead to regular degradation of LT, and the different mDP of the LT could be obtained by adjusting the photocatalytic degradation time in a certain time range (1–6 h). When the mass ratio of G to LT6 (the LT with the maximum formaldehyde reactivity and mDP 3.71after 6 h of photocatalytic degradation) was 10 %, the LT6–10 %G adhesives imparted to the plywood with excellent bonding strength and water resistance under the hot-pressing temperature 140 °C. The dry shear strength, 3 h hot water shear strength (63 °C) and 3 h boiling water shear strength were as high as 1.83, 1.12, and 0.83 MPa. Its superior bonding performance exceeded the requirements of the Chinese national standard (GB/T9846-2015, ≥0.70 MPa). The formaldehyde emission was 0.12 mg/L, lower than poplar veneer (0.23 mg/L). LT6–10 %G adhesives sufficiently to be considered as a substitute for the formaldehyde-based wood adhesives currently in use.

How to describe the time-dependent dissolution of engineered nanomaterials?

Numerous processes such as solubility, agglomeration/aggregation, or protein corona formation may change over time and significantly affect engineered nanomaterial (ENM) structure, property, and availability, resulting in their reduced or increased toxicological activity. Therefore, understanding the dynamics of these processes is essential for assessing and managing the risks of ENMs during their lifecycle, ensuring safety by design. Of these processes, the importance of solubility (i.e., the ability to release ions from the surface) is undeniable. Thus, we propose a practical approach, the Kalapus equation (KEq), to determine ENMs' dissolution over time. As a proof-of-concept, the KEq was applied to determine the solubility of six commercially used metal and metal oxide nanoparticles over time. The KEq exhibited a higher coefficient of determination (R2=0.995-0.999) than the logarithmic equation (R2=0.835-0.986), and the pseudo-first-order equation (R2=0.915-0.994) over a range of experimental data. The newly introduced Kalapus equation outperformed the logarithmic and pseudo-first-order equations when extrapolating beyond the time range in which solubility was experimentally determined. The mean absolute error in solubility prediction for the KEq was 3.29% and 4.28% for the first and second data points, respectively, significantly lower than the 13.46% and 18.05% observed for the pseudo-first-order/first-order equation. The proposed equation can be used as a part of New Generation Risk Assessment (NGRA) methodology, especially new Integrated Approaches to Testing and Assessments (IATAs).

The energy management strategy of two-by-one combined cycle gas turbine based on dynamic programming

The complexity and nonlinearity of components in large-scale thermal facilities have resulted in a lack of recognized energy management models, and simple rule-based energy management strategies are still the main approach, which reduces their operating efficiency. In this study, a dynamic programming (DP) method for globally optimal power distribution and operation mode decision for two-by-one combined cycle gas turbine is proposed. First, the energy management model of system is established. Then the drum pressure of the heat recovery steam generator, which indicates the thermal energy storage of the system, is chosen as the state variable, while the control variables are the gas turbine power, turbine power and operation mode. In addition, the system response time is considered to re-evaluated the mode switch command. The simulation results show that the DP optimizes the thermal storage management, which allows the gas turbine to run in the high-efficiency operating range for a longer time. The DP-based strategy saves 6.25%, 5.89%, and 4.92% of fuel at initial drum pressure 8MPa, 9MPa, and 10MPa, respectively, compared to the rule-based strategy. The results of this study can be used as a benchmark to evaluate online energy management strategies in future work.

Thermosensitive Hydrogels for Periodontal Regeneration: A Systematic Review of the Evidence.

Thermosensitive hydrogels are now among the most commonly used biomaterials in tissue engineering. Due to their unique characteristics, this review aimed to evaluate the suitability of thermosensitive hydrogels in periodontal regeneration. PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases were searched until March 25, 2024, to retrieve relevant articles. The eligibility criteria for the included studies were determined by the designed PICO elements. Results from each included study were extracted, focusing on the three main areas: thermosensitivity, cellular characteristics, and in vivo characteristics. Nineteen studies were included in our study. The thermosensitivity assessment of the hydrogels indicated a range of sol-gel transition times from 40 s to 20 min based on the type of polymers and the fabrication process. The cellular characterization was assessed based on three main cellular behaviors: cellular viability/proliferation, differentiation, and migration. The in vivo characterization was performed based on two main approaches: radiographic and histologic evaluation. The results indicated that the addition of bioactive agents could enhance the in vivo efficacy of thermosensitive hydrogels in periodontal regeneration through three main areas: antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and regenerative effects.

A simple technique to improve docking time in robotic surgery

The docking process is a crucial step in robotic surgery, which determines the technical capability of moving the robotic arms during surgery and affects the performance of surgery. Robotic companies, therefore, provide setup guides recommending the trocar placement, arm carts, and operating table positioning for each procedure or body quadrant, to facilitate this process. This process takes time and although improves with experience, reported docking times range from 4 to 29 min. The final step of docking the robot is sometimes challenging and includes the insertion of the robotic instruments into the surgical field which involve patient safety. We implemented a simple new technique for safe insertion of robotic instruments and overcome the challenge of manipulating the camera arm for visualizing the trocars and advancing of the robotic instruments into the surgical field. This technique utilizes simple laparoscopic skills of laparoscopic instrument insertion. Docking times were recorded in ten consecutive patients undergoing robotic surgeries with the Hugo RAS™ and compared to our prospectively collected data registry prior to this technique. The new technique reduced the average docking time by 3.5 min and resulted in improvement of 45% in docking time. Integrating trivial laparoscopic skills into the docking process may simplify and reduce the docking time in robotic surgery.

Triassic–Jurassic alkaline magmatism in the Ivrea-Verbano Zone, Southern Alps: A zircon perspective on mantle sources and geodynamic significance

The Ivrea-Verbano Zone (IVZ; western Southern Alps) consists of a distinctive sequence of the lower continental crust of the Adriatic plate, extending down to the subcontinental lithospheric mantle. It is characterized by a large variety of intrusive bodies of variable geochemical composition and age, offering a unique insight into the evolution of mantle-derived magmatism in post-collisional and extensional geodynamic settings. In this study, we characterize a suite of alkaline dykes intruding a mantle massif – the Finero Phlogopite Peridotite in northern IVZ. These dykes include zircon-bearing diorites and anorthosites, mainly composed by HFSE-rich amphibole and phlogopite, albite (>90 vol% in anorthosites) and apatite. Zircon, monazite, ilmenite, titanite, Nb-rich oxides, and carbonates are common accessory minerals. Additionally, a “composite” diorite dyke containing both HFSE-rich and HFSE-poor amphiboles was investigated. The study is aimed at providing new trace element, UPb geochronological and LuHf isotopes dataset on zircon from these alkaline dykes, to refine the understanding of their mantle source characteristics, emplacement age and geodynamic implications. The trace element composition of zircons from the studied dykes points to segregation from melts with alkaline to ultra-alkaline affinity. Concordia UPb ages of zircon from the alkaline diorite dykes span from 221 to 191 Ma, which are interpreted as the result of multiple crystallization/recrystallization stages related to different magmatic pulses. Conversely, zircon from anorthosite and composite diorite dykes yield a narrow time range of 198–202 Ma, highlighting the occurrence of a magmatic pulse around ca. 200 Ma. The εHf(t) values (+13.4 to +5.7) of zircon from the alkaline diorite dykes are significantly more positive compared to the values in those from anorthosite and composite diorite dykes (+4.2 to −0.4), suggesting that the parental melts were derived from heterogeneous asthenospheric mantle sources with low to moderate amount of recycled continental crust components. Our data and reappraisal of the literature indicate that the IVZ experienced a protracted period of alkaline magmatism from ca. 235 Ma to 185 Ma. The melts migrated along mantle shear zones during the Triassic-Jurassic lithospheric extension. Different pulses of alkaline magmatism were associated with relevant extensional tectonic stages recorded by the continental crust, presumably triggering a passive uplift of heterogenous asthenospheric reservoirs over a front of at least 500 km. This tectono-magmatic cycle is a precursor to the focused rifting stage which caused the opening of the Jurassic Alpine Tethys, enhancing Pangea fragmentation.

Dual-mode AT-cut quartz resonant pressure sensor for wide pressure and temperature measurement ranges

In this paper, a dual-harmonic-mode excited resonant pressure sensor with an AT-cut all-quartz sensing element was developed to synergistically achieve a wide measurement range for both temperature and pressure, along with a fast transient response. In this device, the excited third overtone mode indicated the applied pressure, while the beat frequency generated by the overtone and fundamental modes was used for self-temperature compensation. At the same time, the sandwiched all-quartz sensitive structure design effectively addressed the limitations associated with narrow pressure and temperature ranges. Especially, the dual-mode self-temperature sensing mechanism has been validated in the subzero temperature range for the first time. Quartz crystal processing techniques were employed to manufacture the sensor, and key performance metrics were characterized. The experimental results demonstrated that the sensor achieved an accuracy of ± 0.015 % full scale (FS) under a pressure range of 0–120 MPa and a temperature range of −40 to 150 °C. The pressure sensitivity of the overtone frequency was quantified as 365 Hz/MPa, and the beat frequency provided a temperature accuracy of 0.4 °C. Additionally, the developed sensor exhibited fast transient response under dynamic pressure and temperature conditions attributed to its self-temperature compensation capability. Thus, this study provides a practical solution for high-pressure measurements across a wide temperature range, combined with excellent transient performance.

Implementation of a crash cesarean section policy and its impact on maternal and neonatal outcomes at King Abdulaziz University Hospital: A retrospective study.

A typical surgical technique for pregnant women with potentially fatal problems affecting the mother or fetus is an emergency cesarean section (ECS). The decision-to-delivery interval (DDI) for ECS should be within 30 minutes. The objective of this study was to investigate crash ECS indications and effects on maternal and neonatal outcomes. In this retrospective study, all women undergoing crash cesarean section (CS) at Obstetrics and Gynecology department at King Abdulaziz University hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia during 2022 and 2023 were evaluated. Data about demographic and obstetric characteristics of mother, ECS indications, DDI, and outcomes for mothers and newborns was gathered from the patient's sheet. One hundred 3 crash CS were performed during study period. Crash CS indications were fetal bradycardia (64.1%), prolapsed cord (24.3%), uterine rupture (6.8%), and severe antepartum hemorrhage (4.9%). D-D time range from 2 to 30 minutes. DDI was ≤15 minutes in 90 patients (87.4%) and >15 minutes in 13 patients (12.6%). Gestational age was <32 weeks (16.7%), between 32 and <37 weeks (15.5%), and ≥37 weeks (68.0%). Good maternal outcome was reported in 89 (86.4%), while 24 (13.6%) had complications. Intensive care unit maternal admission was significantly higher in gestational age 32 to <37 weeks versus <32 weeks and ≥37 weeks of gestation (18.8% vs 5.9% and 2.9%, P = .050). Fetal outcome was good in 69 (67.0%), while 34 (33.0%) had complications. Neonatal body weights, Apgar score at 1, 5, 10 minutes, and umbilical cord arterial pH were significantly decreased in preterm versus termed neonates (P < .0001, P < .0001, P < .0001, P = .014, and P = .003). Moreover, respiratory distress syndrome, jaundice, intubation, neonatal deaths, and sepsis were significantly higher in preterm versus term deliveries (P < .0001, P = .029, P < .0001, P = .010, and P = .031). Good neonatal outcome was significantly higher (P < .0001); while respiratory distress syndrome was significantly lower (P = .007) in deliveries with DDI ≤ 15 minutes versus > 15 minutes. The 30-minute standard for DDI time interval may be a feasible guideline at least for level-3 hospitals. Crash CS indication was mostly due to fetal bradycardia. The maternal and neonatal outcomes were better in term than preterm deliveries. The positive effect of very short intervals on neonatal outcome still needs to be proven.

Research on Traffic Flow Prediction Methods Based on Deep Learning

In recent years, traffic flow prediction technology has been transformed from statistics based parametric methods and machine learning driven non-parametric methods to big data driven deep learning methods. This paper summarizes and summarizes the existing methods and improvement measures of long and short term traffic flow prediction based on deep learning. The time range of traffic flow forecast based on the model is divided into long-term and short term. The short-term traffic flow forecasting methods are subdivided into time series model, non-parametric forecasting model and probability forecasting model, and the advantages and disadvantages of each method and the feasibility of the specific methods are summarized. As for the long-term model, it is mainly based on the application of GCN model to other models, and then the specific methods of its hybrid model are outlined, systematically describing the value of deep learning in traffic flow prediction. Finally, the future research direction and development trend in this field are predicted and prospected.

On the Effect of Chemical Heterogeneity on the Shape Memory Performance of Fe–Ni–Co–Al–Ti Single Crystals

AbstractThe present work focuses on the formation of the γ′-phase and its impact on the functional properties of a Fe-28Ni–17Co–11.5Al–2,5Ti (at.-%) shape memory alloy (SMA) under cyclic loading conditions at different testing temperatures. The effect of aging treatments conducted in a wide range of aging temperatures and times was investigated. While specific heat treatments, namely 600 °C for 4 h, result in excellent superelastic properties with a fully reversible material response in single cycle experiments, interestingly, functional degradation is found to be more pronounced under cyclic loading compared to other derivatives of the Fe–Ni–Co–Al-based SMA systems. In addition to mechanical testing, a detailed microstructural analysis was conducted using transmission electron microscopy. The results of the present study clearly reveal that chemical inhomogeneities have to be carefully considered for the characterization of the functional performance of these iron-based SMAs. Chemical heterogeneities are not only identified as the underlying microstructural mechanism for the pronounced cyclic degradation behavior, but are also supposed to have a significant influence on the precipitation kinetics of the γ′-phase.

Особливості формування виробничого потенціалу підприємств харчової промисловості

The study aims to determine the characteristics of the production potential of food industry enterprises, assess their current state, and determine directions for increasing the efficiency of production potential in martial law conditions. The research methodology involved using existing modern scientific and empirical achievements and recommendations regarding the peculiarities of the formation of the production potential of food industry enterprises. Official statistical data were used to analyze the size and scope of production, the efficiency of using labor resources, and the volume of capital investments. The time range covered 2021-2023. Indicators characterizing the efficiency of the functioning of enterprises include the volume of manufactured and sold products, the value of which increased by 15.5% and 20.6%, respectively. The number of workers employed in the production of products tended to decrease (-6.8%). The main problems accompanying food enterprises as a result of hostilities were loss of relations with suppliers, lack of stable sales directions for manufactured products, reduction in the number of personnel due to the mobilization of part of the employees, reduction in the number of personnel due to departure abroad; instability of the credit and financial sphere (high interest rates on loans, instability of the national monetary unit); absence or instability of the supply of raw materials and materials, including gas, electricity, water; occupation of territories where enterprises operate. Despite the troubles, food industry enterprises restored the pre-war level of capital investment and exceeded it by 4.3%. The state needs to focus its efforts on the following areas: financial and credit and tax incentives and infrastructure support to increase the production potential. The following programs have already been implemented and are operating to support enterprises affected by military actions: loans for working purposes at 1% per annum; an increase in the provision of state guarantees to 80; increasing the limit under the “5-7-9%” program to 150 million hryvnias; conclusion of international trade agreements for the export of manufactured products; reduction of dependence on imported raw materials; quotas for the import of products that have a higher competitive position compared to domestic types of products; reduction of bureaucracy; referral of employees to retraining and training; stimulation of innovations, etc. Keywords: production potential, resources, size and scale of activity, food industry enterprises.

Computational Thinking Skills in Engineering Education: Enhancing Academic Achievement Through Innovations, Challenges, and Opportunities

This study is a meta-analysis that identifies several publications focusing on the effect of computational thinking skills (CTS) on the academic achievement of engineering education students at the higher education level. Publications were sourced from Google Scholar and Scopus metadata using the Publish or Perish application, with a search time range of 2014- 2023. Initial analysis was carried out using statistical formulas with Microsoft Excel, and meta-analysis results were generated using JASP software. A total of 6 publications were analyzed to determine how much influence CTS has on students' academic achievement. The results of the analysis provide evidence that the overall effect is 54%, which falls into the medium category. The study highlights that innovation, challenge, and opportunity significantly enhance student learning outcomes by fostering skill development, motivating problem-solving, and encouraging the exploitation of new opportunities. These findings offer valuable insights for curriculum developers, educators, and policymakers aiming to incorporate CTS-focused strategies to bolster academic achievement.

Marine protection and environmental forcing influence fish‐derived nutrient cycling in kelp forests

Abstract Animal consumers excrete dissolved inorganic nitrogen, an essential nutrient for regulating primary production and macroalgal growth in the ocean. Often overlooked in attempts to explain kelp forest productivity, relatively little is known about the role of consumers in nutrient cycling in temperate systems, such as the magnitude of nutrients excreted and the factors that influence spatial and temporal variability in consumer‐derived nutrients. To investigate the supply of ammonium (NH4+) excreted by the dominant members of the nearshore rocky reef fish community, we combined empirically‐measured relationships between excretion rate and body mass with data on fish density and size structure from visual SCUBA surveys conducted from 2005 to 2018 in the northern Channel Islands, California, USA. The fish community excreted a substantial amount of ammonium to the kelp forest (mean: 95.5–131.3 μmol·m−2·h−1), however excretion varied substantially among sites and over time (range: 23.1–247.9 μmol·m−2·h−1). The ammonium supply was influenced by the establishment of marine protected areas (MPAs) that restricted fishing activities and environmental characteristics that influenced geographic and temporal shifts in the overarching fish community structure. Fish‐derived ammonium excretion rates were 50%–80% greater inside MPAs compared to areas open to fishing, while environmental and habitat characteristics (e.g. habitat vertical relief, kelp biomass, wave exposure, chlorophyll a) explained 85% of the spatial variation in community excretion rates. In contrast, large‐scale oceanographic phenomena (e.g. North Pacific Gyre Oscillation index) and past patterns of fish recruitment explained 57% of the temporal variation in nutrient excretion over the 14‐year time series. Results suggest that fish‐derived ammonium may provide an important and underappreciated nutrient source to kelp beds, particularly during low‐nutrient periods (e.g. seasonal reductions in upwelling or El Niño‐Southern Oscillation events), and that fishing disrupts these nutrient cycling pathways. Fishes likely play a critical role in supporting the resiliency of kelp forest ecosystems by supplying a relatively constant source of reduced nitrogen that can be utilized by giant kelp and other macroalgae to fuel primary production of biogenic habitat. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

Hydrogel impeller formation via vacuum degassing photopolymerization for micromixers

For effective mixing within microfluidic devices through the application of obstacle-based structures, a straightforward approach involves in-situ fabrication, such as the free-radical photopolymerization of hydrogel structures. However, oxygen inhibition presents a challenge for polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-based microfluidic chips. In this paper, we present a solution to the problem of hydrogel-structure formation hindered by oxygen inhibition at low light intensities and the photoinitiator concentration achieved using vacuum degassing. Furthermore, a kinetic model for photopolymerization under vacuum conditions was established and converted into an equation of light intensity and exposure time while keeping the other parameters constant. The exposure time range was successfully predicted by comparing the experimental data and analyzing scenarios. This method was used to fabricate an impeller for a passive micromixer. The impeller rotation was then analyzed. The results demonstrated that with an increased flow rate exceeding 6 mL/min, the mixing efficiency is significantly higher owing to the rotation of the impeller. The mixing efficiency was quantitatively assessed through experiments involving the mixing of three dyes, showing a three-fold increase compared to the chip without the impeller. Our research provides valuable insights into the fabrication of hydrogel structures in PDMS-based microfluidic chips under vacuum conditions.

A Promising Approach for Determining Neutrino Mass Hierarchy by Using Supernova Neutrino Detections

The determination of neutrino mass hierarchy is crucial for particle physics, astrophysics, and cosmology. In this work, we propose an easy-to-use method to determine the neutrino hierarchy based on core-collapse supernova (CCSN) neutrino detections. By analyzing the expected event rates of the neutrino burst at a terrestrial water Cherenkov detector, we found that the event rates predicted by the normal and inverted hierarchy models have marked differences in the neutrino energy range 10 ∼ 20 MeV and the postbounce time <0.5 s. Within this specific energy and time range, the analytical relationship between the cumulative event number and proto–neutron star (PNS) baryon mass is extracted. Based on the normal and inverted hierarchy models, two different PNS masses can be inferred from this relationship by using the time profile of neutrino events. Then, the neutrino hierarchy can be determined by comparing the PNS mass inferred from the neutrino detections and the electromagnetic or gravitational-wave channels. Furthermore, the nonadiabatic part of the Mikheyev–Smirnov–Wolfenstein flavor conversions may also be quantified with this method, which would be very helpful for the studies of the explosion mechanism and nucleosynthesis of CCSNe.

Skin and Soft Tissue Nontuberculous Mycobacteria Infection: A Retrospective Case Series of 49 Patients.

The incidence of skin and soft tissue nontuberculous mycobacteria infection (SSTNI) is increasing. But it may be challenging to diagnose and treat SSTNI. To summarize course, clinical features, diagnosis and treatment of SSTNI and discuss the association between SSTNI and procedures. A retrospective case series study was conducted among patients diagnosed with SSTNI after surgical procedures. Medical history was collected, disease course and characteristics were analyzed. 49 patients were collected. Among them, 39 (80%) patients were infected with Mycobacterium abscesses. 40 (82%) patients had a history of fat-related procedures. The median and interquartile range of onset time were 15 and 43 days (1-100). Time from first visit to diagnosis was 82±57 days (23-308). Wound healing time was 161±92 days (30-545). The most common symptom were redness (96%), followed by swelling (96%), abscess (84%), pain (80%) and induration (76%). The most common infected site were head and neck (56%), followed by breasts (20%). 6 (12.5%) patients were diagnosed clearly before admission to our department. 10 (28%) patients showed positive acid-fast bacilli (AFB) smears among 36 patients. Treatment included debridement surgeries, drainage and antibiotics. Patient with the above symptoms should be considered as SSTNI. Results of AFB smears are frequently negative after empirical antibiotic treatment so that molecular diagnostic techniques are required for rapid and accurate identification. Debridement surgeries, drainage and sensitive antibiotics are effective. Drug safety and psychological status should be paid attention. This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .

Periodic Gamma-Ray Modulation of the Blazar PG 1553+113 Confirmed by Fermi-LAT and Multiwavelength Observations

A 2.1 yr periodic oscillation of the gamma-ray flux from the blazar PG 1553+113 has previously been tentatively identified in ∼7 yr of data from the Fermi Large Area Telescope. After 15 yr of Fermi sky-survey observations, doubling the total time range, we report >7 cycle gamma-ray modulation with an estimated significance of 4σ against stochastic red noise. Independent determinations of oscillation period and phase in the earlier and the new data are in close agreement (chance probability <0.01). Pulse timing over the full light curve is also consistent with a coherent periodicity. Multiwavelength new data from Swift X-Ray Telescope, Burst Alert Telescope, and UVOT, and from KAIT, Catalina Sky Survey, All-Sky Automated Survey for Supernovae, and Owens Valley Radio Observatory ground-based observatories as well as archival Rossi X-Ray Timing Explorer satellite-All Sky Monitor data, published optical data of Tuorla, and optical historical Harvard plates data are included in our work. Optical and radio light curves show clear correlations with the gamma-ray modulation, possibly with a nonconstant time lag for the radio flux. We interpret the gamma-ray periodicity as possibly arising from a pulsational accretion flow in a sub-parsec binary supermassive black hole system of elevated mass ratio, with orbital modulation of the supplied material and energy in the jet. Other astrophysical scenarios introduced include instabilities, disk and jet precession, rotation or nutation, and perturbations by massive stars or intermediate-mass black holes in polar orbit.