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Fallback supernovae and the collapsar scenario for long-gamma ray burst and hypernovae have received considerable interest as pathways to black-hole formation and extreme transient events. Consistent simulations of these scenarios require a general relativistic treatment and need to deal appropriately with the formation of a singularity. Free evolution schemes for the Einstein equations can handle the formation of black holes by means of excision or puncture schemes. However, in constrained schemes, which offer distinct advantages in long-term numerical stability in stellar collapse simulations over well above $10^{4}$ light-crossing time scales, the dynamical treatment of black-hole spacetimes is more challenging. Building on previous work on excision in conformally flat spacetimes, we here present the implementation of a black-hole excision scheme for supernova simulations with the CoCoNuT-FMT neutrino transport code. We describe in detail a choice of boundary conditions that ensures long-time numerical stability, and also address upgrades to the hydrodynamics solver that are required to stably evolve the relativistic accretion flow onto the black hole. The scheme is currently limited to a spherically symmetric metric, but the hydrodynamics can be treated multi-dimensionally. For demonstration, we present a spherically symmetric simulation of black-hole formation in an $85 M_\odot$ star, as well as a two-dimensional simulation of the fallback explosion of the same progenitor. These extend past 9s and 0.3s after black-hole formation, respectively., Comment: 19 pages, 12 figures. Accepted by PRD

Little is known about which clinical features may aid the differentiation between attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and other clinical conditions. This study seeks to determine the role of self- and informant reports on symptoms and impairments in the clinical evaluation of adult ADHD and explore their association with objective neuropsychological test performance by examining data of 169 outpatients referred for a diagnostic evaluation of adult ADHD. Participants were assigned either to an ADHD group (ADHD, n = 73) or one of two clinical comparison groups, depending on whether they show indications (Clinical Comparison Group, CCG, n = 53) or no indications (Clinical Comparison Group—Not Diagnosed, CCG-ND, n = 43) of psychiatric disorders other than ADHD. All participants and their informants completed a set of questionnaires. Compared to the CCG-ND, the ADHD group obtained significantly higher scores on ADHD symptoms, impulsivity, cognitive deficits, and anxiety. Compared to the CCG, the ADHD group scored significantly higher on ADHD symptoms but lower on depression. Further regression analyses revealed that self- and informant reports failed to predict neuropsychological test performance. Self- and informant reported information may be distinct features and do not correspond to results of objective neuropsychological testing.

Objectives Numerous studies showed that adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) suffer from impairments in a range of cognitive functions when compared to healthy controls. However, only little is known about the neuropsychological functions when compared to various clinical control groups and whether a distinct neuropsychological profile can be identified for adult ADHD. Method This retrospective study examined data of 199 outpatients referred for clinical evaluation of adult ADHD, allocated either to an ADHD group (n = 78) or to one of two clinical comparison groups, depending on whether they show indications (n = 71) or no indications (n = 50) for the presence of psychiatric disorders other than ADHD. All individuals performed a comprehensive neuropsychological test battery. Results Data analysis revealed impairments in a range of cognitive functions in a substantial number of patients of all three groups. However, profiles of neuropsychological impairments were similar between groups. Furthermore, significant small- to medium-sized correlations between basic and higher-order cognitive functions were revealed in the ADHD group and the clinical comparison group with indications for psychiatric disorders other than ADHD. Conclusion Neuropsychological impairments are prominent in psychiatric outpatients seeking a clinical evaluation of adult ADHD but are not specific for ADHD. It is concluded that neuropsychological test performance may have limited incremental value to support the psychiatric differential diagnosis. Furthermore, a clinical trajectory may need to take into account that deficits in a range of higher-order cognitive functions can be substantially explained by deficits in basic cognitive functions.

Viscose (also known as Rayon) filaments are obtained from regenerated cellulose and are used in many different sectors mainly as reinforcement material in tires and other cord applications and in the clothing industry. The incorporation of a phosphor-containing pigment imparts flame-retardancy properties to these fibers, which then can be used as part of personal protection textiles delivering wear comfort. There are no recycling strategies for these materials being brought to landfills or chemically degraded since incineration is difficult because of their flame retardancy. In this study, an enzyme-based strategy for the recovery of glucose and of the phosphor pigment without altering their chemical structures was developed as a circular economy solution. Rayon fibers were completely hydrolyzed by a cellulase preparation while 98% of the glucose (reducing sugar assay and HPLC analysis) and more than 99% of the flame-retardant pigment present in the fibers was recovered. The recovered pigment was analyzed...

Among synthetic thermoplastic fiber materials for reinforcement, high modulus and low shrinkage poly(ethylene terephthalate) (HMLS-PET) became the major carcass material for the low- to medium-end tire segment. Usually cords are coated with a resorcinol–formaldehyde–latex (RFL) dip to achieve acceptable power transmission. However, the low concentration of polar groups on the PET’s surface requires an additional activation with costly and potentially toxic chemicals to create additional nucleophilic groups prior to RFL dipping. Here, a green enzyme based alternative to chemical HMLS-PET activation was investigated. Four different cutinase variants from Thermobifida cellulosilytica were shown to hydrolyze HMLS-PET cords, creating new carboxylic and hydroxyl groups with distinct exoendo-wise selectivity. The highest degree of enzymatic functionalization reached a concentration of 0.51 nmol mm–2 of COOH with a release of 1.35 mM of soluble products after 72 h. The chemical treatment with 1 M NaOH released mo...

This contribution presents an extensive performance evaluation of metakaolin-based geopolymer and calcium aluminate mortars during a long-term field exposure to a wastewater system exhibiting intensive microbially induced acid corrosion (MIAC) conditions. Results were compared to a high-performance OPC concrete, typically used for manhole fabrication. Field conditions were obtained by monitoring relative humidity, temperature, H2S and CO2. Microstructural degradation and elemental distributions within each binder type over time were recorded by electron probe microanalysis, X-ray diffraction and pH-imaging techniques, together with specimen's mass and surface-pH characterization. Microbiome and epifluorescence analyses indicated exposure-time dependent alternating bacterial community structures within the materials. Clear differences regarding bacterial species distribution and biodiversity were observed for the different binder types. Estimated corrosion rates were the lowest (1.4 mm/a) and the highest (13.3 mm/a) for the tested geopolymer formulations, pointing out that only well designed geopolymer materials may provide an improved MIAC resistance.

Background: Cognitive behavioral therapy for psychosis (CBTp) is a specific form of psychotherapy recommended in evidence-based treatment guidelines for patients with psychosis. However, it remains unclear whether CBTp is more efficacious than unspecific psychotherapies such as supportive therapy (ST). Methods: This multicenter, single blind, randomized clinical trial used a parallel group design to compare CBTp and ST. In total, 330 patients with persistent positive symptoms were included. Participants received 20 sessions of CBTp or ST over a 9-month period. Therapy was provided in six outpatient clinics at university psychiatry departments. The primary endpoint was the severity of positive symptoms (Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale-positive) until post-treatment at 9 months after inclusion. Analysis was carried out by intention to treat with multilevel linear modeling. Findings: There was a between group effect size of g=0·33 (0·11-0·55) in favor of CBTp for positive symptoms, with pre-post effect sizes of g=0·93 (0·70-1·15) for CBTp and g=0·62 (0·40-0·84) for ST. CBTp showed favorable effects for hallucinations and social functioning, but not for negative symptoms and readmission rates. Ratings of the therapeutic relationship, number of adverse events, and antipsychotic medication did not differ between the groups. Positive symptoms decreased in both groups until the 24 month follow-up, with a between group difference of g=0·09 (-0·23-0·39). Interpretation: CBTp is more efficacious than ST in patients with persistent positive symptoms. CBTp effects cannot be explained by therapeutic attention alone. This indicates CBTp has specific mechanisms of action, and further supports the unrestricted recommendation of CBTp for the treatment of psychosis. Trial Registration Number: ISRCTN29242879 Funding Statement: The study was funded by the German ministry of education and research (grant no. 01GV0618). Declaration of Interests: All authors declare that there is no conflict of interest. Ethics Approval Statement: The study protocol was reviewed without objections by the ethics committee of the coordinating study center and the local ethics committees of all participating centers. Patients were included in the study after written informed consent was obtained, which was assured by external monitoring.

A sensitive method for quantification of citric, fumaric, malic, malonic, oxalic, trans aconitic, and succinic acid in soil- and root-related samples is presented. The method is based on a novel, fast, and simple esterification procedure and subsequent analysis via liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Derivatization comprises in situ generation of HCl, which catalyzes the Fischer esterification with benzyl alcohol. As a key advance, the esterification with the aromate allows reversed-phase separation and improves electrospray ionization efficiency. The method provided procedural detection limits of 1 nM for citric, 47 nM for fumaric, 10 nM for malic, 10 nM for malonic, 16 nM for oxalic, 15 nM for succinic, and 2 nM for aconitic acid utilizing 500 μL of liquid sample. The working range was 3 nM to 10 μM for citric acid, 158 nM to 10 μM for fumaric acid, 34 nM to 10 μM for malic acid, 33 nM to 10 μM for malonic acid, 53 nM to 10 μM for oxalic acid, 48 nM to 10 μM for succinic acid, and 6 nM to 10 μM for aconitic acid. Quantification of the analytes in soil-related samples was performed via external calibration of the entire procedure utilizing (13)C-labeled oxalic and citric acid as internal standards. The robustness of the method was tested with soil extracts and samples from hydroponic experiments. The latter concerned the regulation of phosphorus solubilization via plant root exudation of citric, malic, and oxalic acid.

We present the generalization of a recently introduced modified gravitational potential for self-gravitating fluids. The use of this potential allows for an accurate approximation of general relativistic effects in an otherwise Newtonian hydrodynamics code also in cases of rapid rotation. We test this approach in numerical simulations of astrophysical scenarios related to compact stars, like supernova core collapse with both a simplified and detailed microphysical description of matter, and rotating neutron stars in equilibrium. We assess the quality of the new potential, and demonstrate that it provides a significant improvement compared to previous formulations for such potentials. Newtonian simulations of compact objects employing such an effective relativistic potential predict inaccurate pulsation frequencies despite the excellent agreement of the collapse dynamics and structure of the compact objects with general relativistic results. We analyze and discuss the reason for this behavior., Comment: 15 pages, 12 figures, minor modifications

Advances in neuroimaging methods have allowed for the identification of abnormalities related to major depressive disorder (MDD) in the brain's functional systems. In this chapter, we highlight the relationship between common symptoms of MDD and the activity and connectivity of neural systems. More specifically, we link (1) mood-congruent processing to hyperactivity in the amygdala, (2) attention biases toward negative stimuli to the rostral anterior cingulate cortex and lateral prefrontal cortex, (3) memory biases for negative material to the amygdala and frontal regions, (4) long-term memory deficits related to frontolimbic interactions, (5) rumination to the amygdala and default mode network, and (6) anhedonia to the reward network. Focused assessments of depression symptoms combined with network-level analyses have increased our understanding of the neural correlates underlying MDD behavioral abnormalities. Future studies using this approach will refine our knowledge of depression heterogeneity and help to develop targeted treatments for this common and debilitating illness.

Microbial Baeyer-Villiger oxidations of representative mesomeric ketones with recombinant Escherichia coli cells expressing two monooxygenases from Brevibacterium were investigated. The two enzymes displayed enantiodivergent biotransformations on an array of structurally diverse substrates, allowing access to some key lactone intermediates in natural compound synthesis.

Enzyme-mediated Baeyer−Villiger oxidations offer a “green chemistry” approach for the production of chiral lactones. Several organisms have been found to catalyze this reaction in the course of their metabolic pathways. A number of flavin-dependent monooxygenases have been characterized, and acceptance of a multitude of non-natural substrates has been found. Such biocatalysts are used in synthetic chemistry either as isolated enzymes in combination with appropriate cofactor recycling systems or as living whole cells, in native or recombinant form, for the production of valuable intermediates. This review gives an overview of the most widely utilized enzymes and the corresponding substrate profiles, together with applications in natural product and bioactive compound synthesis. (© Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2002)

The laminated object manufacturing (LOM) process is an effective rapid prototyping technology with a variety of application possibilities. Applying LOM in rapid tooling and patternmaking is especially advantageous because of the LOM objects' robustness, their wood-like properties and their comparably low material costs. Possible fields of application are shown in the following. Explicit application examples in sand casting, investment casting and ceramics processing show how a reduction of necessary process steps and cycle times can be achieved by the application of LOM models. To gain this the control of the LOM objects' accuracy and stability during different secondary processes is of decisive importance.

Today, as never before, a term has crept into the vocabulary of policy makers, politicians, business, the media, and even academia: eco nomic globalization. It is a problematic term because it suffers from a lack of precision, although a great deal of work and energy has been ex pended in trying to better explain it as a phenomenon. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (oecd) has been keen to arrive at a workable definition. Generally speaking, economic globalization depicts the increasingly close linkages between national economies brought about by a process of internationalization and deregulation of investment aided by the revolutions in telecommunications and information technology and the consequent growing interdependence of policies between nations. Indeed, one of the consequences of this process of economic global ization has been an increasing analysis of domestic policy regimes in trade disputes between countries rather than traditional issues such as tariffs and quotas. This can be primarily attributed to the extent to which the multi lateral trading system has largely solved issues of border trade barriers in the industrialized world through successive General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (gatt) negotiations. Thus, much of the heat generated by the acrimonious trade discussions between Japan and the United States has been on the nature of Japanese antitrust-law enforcement and certain laws in Japan that restrict trade inside Japan's domestic market. Thus, is it now necessary to shift the emphasis of multilateral economic policymaking to ward the harmonization of domestic policy regimes such as antitrust? If the response is in the affirmative, it is important to note that there is a qualitative difference between removal and reductions in border distor tions to trade and the harmonization of domestic policy in terms of the role of international or, rather, supranational governance. The former has pro ceeded largely as a form of "negative" integration?such as the disman tling of barriers?but the latter implies an element of "positive" or "deeper" integration?i.e., the creation of common rules enforceable at the multilateral, supranational level. Clearly, this distinction strikes at the heart of notions of national sovereignty and autonomy. This essay explores some of the issues bound up in this extensive and complex discussion. The first section focuses on the causes and effects of

We investigate the nucleosynthesis of the radionuclide 60Fe in electron-capture supernovae (ECSNe). The nucleosynthetic results are based on a self-consistent, two-dimensional simulation of an ECSN as well as models in which the densities are systematically increased by some factors (low-entropy models). 60Fe is found to be appreciably made in neutron-rich ejecta during the nuclear quasi-equilibrium phase with greater amounts being produced in the lower-entropy models. Our results, combining them with the yields of core-collapse supernovae (CCSNe) in the literature, suggest that ECSNe account for at least 4-30% of live 60Fe in the Milky Way. ECSNe co-produce neutron-rich isotopes, 48Ca, 50Ti, 54Cr, some light trans-iron elements, and possibly weak r-process elements including some radionuclides such as 93Zr, 99Tc, and 107Pd, whose association with 60Fe might have been imprinted in primitive meteorites or in the deep ocean crust on the Earth., Comment: 6 pages, 2 figures, accepted for publication in ApJL

We report that electron-capture supernovae (ECSNe), arising from collapsing oxygen-neon-magnesium cores, are a possible source of 48Ca, whose origin has remained a long-standing puzzle. Our two-dimensional, self-consistent explosion model of an ECSN predicts ejection of neutron-rich matter with electron fractions Ye = 0.40-0.42 and relatively low entropies, s = 13-15 kB per nucleon (kB is the Boltzmann constant). Post-processing nucleosynthesis calculations result in appreciable production of 48Ca in such neutron-rich and low-entropy matter during the quasi-nuclear equilibrium and subsequent freezeout phases. The amount of ejected 48Ca can account for that in the solar inventory when we consider possible uncertainties in the entropies or ejecta-mass distribution. ECSNe could thus be a site of 48Ca production in addition to a hypothetical, rare class of high-density Type Ia supernovae., Comment: 6 pages, 5 figures, accepted for publication in ApJL

Background and aim In the framework of IMI PharmaCog project (Grant Agreement n°115009, www.pharmacog.org ), this study evaluated whether cortical sources of resting state EEG rhythms were related to cerebrospinal fluid A®42 level in amnesic mild cognitive impairment (MCI) subjects and have translational value in mouse model of AD. Methods The research data (including human biological samples) were sourced ethically and used in line with international ethical standards. EEG rhythms were recorded in 127 aMCI subjects. Cortical sources of global delta (2–4 Hz) and low-frequency alpha (8–10.5 Hz) EEG rhythms were estimated by LORETA package. Back translation was tested on on-going EEG rhythms in wild type and transgenic mouse models of AD developing accumulation of A®42 in the brain (i.e. PDAPP, TASTPM). Results and conclusions (1) delta (

We present a detailed theoretical analysis of the gravitational-wave (GW) signal of the post-bounce evolution of core-collapse supernovae (SNe), employing for the first time relativistic, two-dimensional (2D) explosion models with multi-group, three-flavor neutrino transport based on the ray-by-ray-plus approximation. The waveforms reflect the accelerated mass motions associated with the characteristic evolutionary stages that were also identified in previous works: A quasi-periodic modulation by prompt postshock convection is followed by a phase of relative quiescence before growing amplitudes signal violent hydrodynamical activity due to convection and the standing accretion shock instability during the accretion period of the stalled shock. Finally, a high-frequency, low-amplitude variation from proto-neutron star (PNS) convection below the neutrinosphere appears superimposed on the low-frequency trend associated with the aspherical expansion of the SN shock after the onset of the explosion. Relativistic effects in combination with detailed neutrino transport are shown to be essential for quantitative predictions of the GW frequency evolution and energy spectrum, because they determine the structure of the PNS surface layer and its characteristic g-mode frequency. Burst-like high-frequency activity phases, correlated with sudden luminosity increase and spectral hardening of electron (anti-)neutrino emission for some 10ms, are discovered as new features after the onset of the explosion. They correspond to intermittent episodes of anisotropic accretion by the PNS in the case of fallback SNe. We find stronger signals for more massive progenitors with large accretion rates. The typical frequencies are higher for massive PNSs, though the time-integrated spectrum also strongly depends on the model dynamics., Comment: 22 pages, 16 figures, published in ApJ

The availability of several Advanced Driver Assistance Systems has put a correspondingly large number of inexpensive, yet capable sensors on production vehicles. By combining this reality with expertise from the DARPA Grand and Urban Challenges in building autonomous driving platforms, we were able to design and develop an Autonomous Valet Parking (AVP) system on a 2006 Volkwagen Passat Wagon TDI using automotive grade sensors. AVP provides the driver with both convenience and safety benefits - the driver can leave the vehicle at the entrance of a parking garage, allowing the vehicle to navigate the structure, find a spot, and park itself. By leveraging existing software modules from the DARPA Urban Challenge, our efforts focused on developing a parking spot detector, a localization system that did not use GPS, and a back-in parking planner. This paper focuses on describing the design and development of the last two modules.

We examine electron-capture supernovae (ECSNe) as sources of elements heavier than iron in the solar system and in Galactic halo stars. Nucleosynthesis calculations are performed on the basis of thermodynamic histories of mass elements from a fully self-consistent, two-dimensional (2D) hydrodynamic explosion model of an ECSN. We find that neutron-rich convective lumps with an electron fraction down to Ye,min=0.40, which are absent in the one-dimensional (1D) counterpart, allow for interesting production of elements between the iron group and N=50 nuclei (from Zn to Zr, with little Ga) in nuclear (quasi-)equilibrium. Our models yield very good agreement with the Ge, Sr, Y, and Zr abundances of r-process deficient Galactic halo stars and constrain the occurrence of ECSNe to ~4% of all stellar core-collapse events. If tiny amounts of additional material with slightly lower Ye,min down to ~0.30-0.35 were also ejected - which presently cannot be excluded because of the limitations of resolution and two-dimensionality of the model -, a weak r-process can yield elements beyond N=50 up to Pd, Ag, and Cd as observed in the r-process deficient stars., Comment: 5 pages, 5 figures, accepted for publication in ApJ Letters

For vehicle dynamics applications, automotive companies are interested in determining the precise vehicle state in every driving situation in real-time. Part of the vehicle state is the side slip angle—the angle between the vehicle heading and its direction of movement. Currently the side slip angle is not measured in stock cars. To fill the gap this paper presents a basic proof of concept to measure the side slip angle using stock car components for sensing. These include an automotive camera and additional movement information provided in current production passenger cars. A basic computer vision algorithm allows determination of camera movement through the identification of static objects in consecutive camera images. In conjunction with a kinematical model, this data is then used to derive the car’s side slip angle. Finally, the method is evaluated on a real vehicle, with dGPS providing ground truth.Copyright © 2009 by ASME

The synthesis of carbo- and heterocyclic aldehydes bearing an ipso-methoxy group is investigated. The synthetic sequence is based on an initial Grignard addition of an olefin to a cyclic ketone followed by methylation of the resulting tertiary alcohol. The terminal olefin serves as precursor for the aldehyde functionality. Oxidation by ozonolysis turned out to depend significantly on the distance of the donor methoxy group. The observed side reactions could be circumvented by applying a one-pot OsO4 mediated diol formation followed by Malaprade oxidation using KIO4. A series of carbo- and heterocyclic precursors were successfully converted to the title products.