Defect pairing in Fe-doped SnS van der Waals crystals: a photoemission and scanning tunneling microscopy study.

We investigate the effect of low concentrations of iron on the physical properties of SnS van der Waals crystals grown from the melt. By means of scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and photoemission spectroscopy we study Fe-induced defects and observe an electron doping effect in the band structure of the native p-type SnS semiconductor. Atomically resolved and bias dependent STM data of characteristic defects are compared to density functional theory simulations of vacancy (V and V), Fe substitutional (Fe), and Fe interstitial (Fe) defects.

CO transition frequencies with kHz-accuracy by saturation spectroscopy in the 1.99-2.09 μm region.

Saturation spectroscopy has been used to determine the absolute frequencies of 107 ro-vibrational transitions of the two strongest CO bands of the 2 μm region. The considered 20012-00001 and 20013-00001 bands are of importance for the CO monitoring in our atmosphere. Lamb dips were measured using a cavity ring-down spectrometer linked to an optical frequency comb referenced to a GPS-disciplined Rb oscillator or to an ultra-stable optical frequency.

Urinary shedding of common DNA viruses and their possible association with bladder cancer: a qPCR-based study.

After a decade of human urinary microbiota research, little is known about the composition of the urinary virome and its association with health and disease. This study aimed to investigate the presence of 10 common DNA viruses in human urine and their putative association with bladder cancer (BC). Catheterized urine samples were collected from patients undergoing endoscopic urological procedures under anesthesia.

Bladder cancer is associated with decreased urinary microbiota diversity and alterations in microbial community composition.

Introduction: Human urine microbiota (UM) research has uncovered associations between composition of microbial communities of the lower urinary tract and various disease states including several reports on the putative link between UM and bladder cancer (BC). The aim of this study was to investigate male UM in patients with BC and controls using catheterised urine specimens unlike in previous studies.

Methods: Urine samples were obtained in theatre after surgical prepping and draping using aseptic catheterisation.

Bladder Microbiota Are Associated with Clinical Conditions That Extend beyond the Urinary Tract.

Background: Since the discovery of the human urinary microbiota (UM), alterations in microbial community composition have been associated with various genitourinary conditions. The aim of this exploratory study was to examine possible associations of UM with clinical conditions beyond the urinary tract and to test some of the conclusions from previous studies on UM.

Methods: Catheterised urine samples from 87 men were collected prior to endoscopic urological interventions under anaesthesia.

Enrichment of drinking water with Ca and Mg by a fluidized bed recarbonization reactor: a case study of Devičie, Slovak Republic.

A low content of Ca and Mg in drinking water causes increased health risks. To increase the Ca and Mg contents in the drinking water supplied to the inhabitants of the village of Devičie, a prototype of a fluidized bed recarbonization reactor (RRF) was proposed and tested. A half-burnt dolomite (HBD) was used for the recarbonization.

Changes in forest nitrogen cycling across deposition gradient revealed by δN in tree rings.

Tree rings provide valuable insight into past environmental changes. This study aimed to evaluate perturbations in tree ring width (TRW) and δN alongside soil acidity and nutrient availability gradients caused by the contrasting legacy of air pollution (nitrogen [N] and sulphur [S] deposition) and tree species (European beech, Silver fir and Norway spruce). We found consistent declines of tree ring δN, which were temporarily unrelated to the changes in the TRW.

Alpha-diversity and microbial community structure of the male urinary microbiota depend on urine sampling method.

Considerable variation exists in the methodology of urinary microbiota studies published so far including the cornerstone of any biomedical analysis: sample collection. The aim of this study was to compare the urinary microbiota of first-catch voided urine (FCU), mid-stream voided urine (MSU) and aseptically catheterised urine in men and define the most suitable urine sampling method. Forty-nine men (mean age 71.

Interaction between Thermal Modification Temperature of Spruce Wood and the Cutting and Fracture Parameters.

This work examines the effect of thermal modification temperatures in the production of thermally modified wood on the cutting and fracture parameters when cutting heat-treated spruce wood by a circular sawblade machine. The samples were thermally modified at 160, 180, 200, and 220 °C. One sample was unmodified and was used as a reference sample.

Early or Delayed Onset of Food Intake in Time-Restricted Eating: Associations with Markers of Obesity in a Secondary Analysis of Two Pilot Studies.

Time-restricted eating (TRE) has rapidly gained interest in the public and the scientific community. One presumed mechanism of action is the adaptation of the eating-fasting rhythm to the evolutionary circadian rhythm of the metabolism. Study results regarding the suggestion that earlier beginning of food intake leads to better outcomes are heterogeneous.

Strong Antimicrobial and Healing Effects of Beta-Acids from Hops in Methicillin-Resistant -Infected External Wounds In Vivo.

() is an important causative agent of wound infections with increasing incidence in the past decades. Specifically, the emergence of methicillin-resistant (MRSA) causes serious problems, especially in nosocomial infections. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop of alternative or supportive antimicrobial therapeutic modalities to meet these challenges.

Surface Characteristics of One-Sided Charred Beech Wood.

The aim of this paper was to analyze selected properties of beech wood ( L.) treated by one-sided surface charring. Specimens were one-side charred with a hot plate using several time-temperature combinations (from 200 to 400 °C).

Surface Modification of Spruce and Fir Sawn-Timber by Charring in the Traditional Japanese Method-Yakisugi.

The traditional Japanese method of wood surface charring was studied. To perform the surface charring, three sawn Norway spruce and Silver fir wood boards of dimension 190 × 24 × 4000 mm were tied together to act as a chimney and charred in a short time (3-4 min) with open flame at a temperature above 500 °C. Temperature inside the chimney was recorded on the three different positions during the charring process.

Strong Antimicrobial Effects of Xanthohumol and Beta-Acids from Hops against Infection In Vivo.

() is an important causative pathogen of nosocomial gastrointestinal infections in humans with an increasing incidence, morbidity, and mortality. The available treatment options against this pathogen are limited. The standard antibiotics are expensive, can promote emerging resistance, and the recurrence rate of the infection is high.

Current antibiotic resistance patterns of rare uropathogens: survey from Central European Urology Department 2011-2019.

Background: While the resistance rates of commonly detected uropathogens are well described, those of less frequent Gram-negative uropathogenic bacteria have seldom been reported. The aim of this study was to examine the resistance rates of less frequent uropathogenic Gram-negatives in a population of patients treated in a Department of Urology of a tertiary referral centre in Central Europe over a period of 9 years.

Methods: Data on all positive urine samples from urological in- and out-patients were extracted form the Department of Clinical Microbiology database from 2011 to 2019.

Associations of time-restricted eating with health-related quality of life and sleep in adults: a secondary analysis of two pre-post pilot studies.

Background: Therapeutic fasting may improve health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and sleep but is not applicable for everyone. Time-restricted eating (TRE) offers a low threshold alternative but research on associations with HRQoL and sleep is rare.

Methods: We conducted a secondary analysis of two pilot studies in a pre-post design, which examined TRE in healthy employees at the Ulm University and in abdominal obese patients in a general practitioners office.

Current Antibiotic Resistance Trends of Uropathogens in Central Europe: Survey from a Tertiary Hospital Urology Department 2011-2019.

Monitoring of pathogen resistance profiles is necessary to guide empirical antibiotic therapy before culture and sensitivity results become available. The aim of this study was to describe current antibiotic resistance patterns of five most frequent causative uropathogens in a Department of Urology of a tertiary referral centre in Central Europe over a period of nine years. The Hospital Department of Clinical Microbiology database was used to extract data on all positive urine samples from inpatients in the Department of Urology between 2011 and 2019.

Fractional antiferromagnetic skyrmion lattice induced by anisotropic couplings.

Magnetic skyrmions are topological solitons with a nanoscale winding spin texture that hold promise for spintronics applications. Skyrmions have so far been observed in a variety of magnets that exhibit nearly parallel alignment for neighbouring spins, but theoretically skyrmions with anti-parallel neighbouring spins are also possible. Such antiferromagnetic skyrmions may allow more flexible control than conventional ferromagnetic skyrmions.

The association of a reduced susceptibility to moxifloxacin in causative Clostridium (Clostridioides) difficile strain with the clinical outcome of patients.

Objectives: To investigate the relationship between Clostridium (Clostridioides) difficile strain characteristics and C. difficile infection (CDI) outcome.

Methods: Between October and December 2017, 16 hospitals collected epidemiological data according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) surveillance protocol for CDI.

Antibiotic Resistance in Nosocomial Bacteria Isolated from Infected Wounds of Hospitalized Patients in Czech Republic.

Hospitalized patients with wounds face an increased risk of infection with multi-drug-resistant nosocomial bacteria. In this study, samples from almost 10,000 patients from big hospitals in Czech Republic with infected wounds were analyzed for the presence of bacterial pathogens. In 7693 patients (78.

Neutron Spin Resonance in the Heavily Hole-Doped KFe_{2}As_{2} Superconductor.

We report high-resolution neutron scattering measurements of the low energy spin fluctuations of KFe_{2}As_{2}, the end member of the hole-doped Ba_{1-x}K_{x}Fe_{2}As_{2} family with only hole pockets, above and below its superconducting transition temperature T_{c} (∼3.5  K). Our data reveal clear spin fluctuations at the incommensurate wave vector (0.

Ultrasmall Moment Incommensurate Spin Density Wave Order Masking a Ferromagnetic Quantum Critical Point in NbFe_{2}.

In the metallic magnet Nb_{1-y}Fe_{2+y}, the low temperature threshold of ferromagnetism can be investigated by varying the Fe excess y within a narrow homogeneity range. We use elastic neutron scattering to track the evolution of magnetic order from Fe-rich, ferromagnetic Nb_{0.981}Fe_{2.

Nature of the spin resonance mode in CeCoIn.

Spin-fluctuation-mediated unconventional superconductivity can emerge at the border of magnetism, featuring a superconducting order parameter that changes sign in momentum space. Detection of such a sign-change is experimentally challenging, since most probes are not phase-sensitive. The observation of a spin resonance mode (SRM) from inelastic neutron scattering is often seen as strong phase-sensitive evidence for a sign-changing superconducting order parameter, by assuming the SRM is a spin-excitonic bound state.

Adherence to Time-Restricted Feeding and Impact on Abdominal Obesity in Primary Care Patients: Results of a Pilot Study in a Pre-Post Design.

The epidemic of lifestyle-dependent diseases and the failure of previous interventions to combat the main causes demand an alternative approach. Abdominal obesity is associated with most of these diseases and is a good target for therapeutic and preventive measures. Time-restricted feeding (TRF) offers a low-threshold, easy-to-implement lifestyle-modification concept with promising results from animal testing.

Information depth of elements affects accuracy of parallel pXRF in situ measurements of soils.

Though not litigable in most European countries, portable X-ray fluorescence spectrometers (pXRF) provide cost- and time-effective as well as prompt information about hot spots of inorganic soil contaminants. The quality of aqua regia analysis of contaminants can be approximated by a thorough sample preparation, i.e.