bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Simultaneous fluid and solid density measurements in swelling clay using X‐ray microtomography and 3D particle tracking
Authors: Bernachy‐Barbe Fabien , Alvarado Kevin
Published: November 2020

In order to demonstrate the safety of engineered barriers for radwaste geological repositories, rich characterisations of bentonite hydro‐mechanical behaviour are essential. X‐ray computed tomography was used as the single input to measure both the full displacement field and water content in a heterogeneous bentonite sample resaturated in quasi‐isochoric conditions. Since large texture changes do not allow the use of digital volume correlation, this was achieved using 3D particle tracking to provide the kinematics in combination with calibrated and beam hardening‐corrected grey levels. Matching the grey level sampling with kinematics using a mesh‐based analysis, results show the development of heterogeneous swelling inside the cell and a final solid density gradient in the direction of water flow.
Effectiveness of educational programs using Diabetes Conversation Map tools on the health outcomes of people with type 2 diabetes: a systematic review protocol
Authors: Cardoso Ana Filipa , Cardoso Daniela , Felizardo Helena , Apóstolo João
Published: November 2020

Objective:

The objective of this review is to determine the effectiveness of educational programs using Diabetes Conversation Map on health outcomes of people with type 2 diabetes.

Introduction:

Diabetes Conversation Map has been used in the context of diabetes self-management education as a resource for managing type 2 diabetes. There is a need to determine the effectiveness of this non-pharmacological intervention on health outcomes.

Inclusion criteria:

This review will consider studies that focus on adults with type 2 diabetes, aged ≥18 years, in any context that implemented educational programs using Diabetes Conversation Map. The following outcomes will be explored: self-care, diabetes knowledge, empowerment, diabetes distress and quality of life, glycated hemoglobin, blood pressure, and body mass index as assessed by any validated instrument.

Methods:

This systematic review will be conducted in accordance with JBI methodology for systematic reviews of effectiveness. Any published and unpublished sources of information in English, Spanish, and Portuguese will be considered, with no geographical or cultural limitations. All identified studies will be collated and uploaded into EndNote and duplicates removed. Two independent reviewers will screen the studies based on their titles and abstracts, and then screen the full text against the inclusion criteria. Eligible studies will be critically appraised by two independent reviewers using the standard JBI critical appraisal instruments. Data will be extracted by two independent reviewers using the JBI data extraction tool. The study selection process will be presented using a PRISMA flow diagram. Studies will, where possible, be pooled in statistical meta-analysis.

Systematic review registration number:

PROSPERO CRD42020154253
Dynamic Analysis of Direct Steam Generating Parabolic Trough Collector System
Authors: Chachin Vishal C. V. , Krishnan Jayaraj , Venkatesan G. , Samson Packiaraj Raphael V. , Jalihal Purnima
Published: November 2020

Conventional desalination technologies like multi stage flashing, multi-effect desalination (MED) using steam as motive fluid can be made sustainable by obtaining the motive steam from solar thermal systems. In this study, a transient simulation has been performed to determine the dissimilitude in pressure drop and dryness fraction, of working fluid in absorber tube due to variation in solar irradiance. A one-dimensional (1D) mathematical model has been developed using matlab for assessing the thermal performance and heat transfer characteristics of a direct steam generating (DSG) parabolic trough collector (PTC) system. It was observed that maximum pressure drop does not occur at maximum quality indicating the working conditions impair the system performance. The developed model was used to overcome this by varying both pressure and mass flowrate of working fluid in accordance to the radiation, results indicated reduction in pressure drop during the same time period for the same exit quality.
Constitutive and Fracture Modeling of Biaxially Oriented Polyethylene Terephthalate Film and Its Application to Polymer-Coated Sheet Metal Forming
Authors: Yun Suhwan , Jung Jaebong , Jun Sungwook , Jeong Jiyong , Moon Young Hoon , Kim Ji Hoon
Published: November 2020

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) films produced by rolling and tentering have biaxial orientation and thus exhibit anisotropic mechanical properties such as yielding, hardening, and fracture. The anisotropy of film makes it difficult to analyze deformation and failures occurring during processing such as metal forming of polymer-coated sheet metals. In this work, the anisotropic yielding and hardening of the PET film were measured and an anisotropic constitutive model is developed to represent the anisotropic behavior. In addition, fracture limits of the PET film were measured using the Nakajima test. To describe anisotropic fracture behavior of the film, an anisotropic fracture criterion based on the strain energy density and the theory of isotropic equivalent material was proposed. For validation of the developed constitutive model and the fracture criterion, a deep drawing test of the PET-coated sheet metal was conducted. The film cracking predicted by the anisotropic fracture criterion agreed well with measurements.
Mechanical Design of a Low-Impedance 6-Degree-of-Freedom Displacement Sensor for Intuitive Physical Human–Robot Interaction
Authors: Boucher Gabriel , Laliberté Thierry , Gosselin Clément
Published: November 2020

This paper presents the mechanical design of a six-degree-of-freedom low-impedance displacement sensor. The sensor is mounted around a link of a serial robot and used as an interface for physical human–robot interaction. The motivation for the use of a low-impedance sensor is first discussed. The mechanical design of each of the elastic components of the sensor is then presented. The kinematic architecture of the mechanism is introduced, and the inverse and forward kinematic problems are solved. The kinematic sensitivity is then used to characterize the accuracy of the mechanism. Finally, the design of a prototype is presented and experimental results are provided.
Al Kα XPS reference spectra of polyethylene for all instrument geometries
Authors: Shard Alexander G. , Reed Benjamen P.
Published: November 2020

This paper extends a previous description of XPS survey spectra from low density polyethylene (LDPE), which was specific for a single type of geometry, to all geometries. Instrument geometries are specified by two angles. The first angle, a, is between the sample-to-monochromator vector and the sample-to-analyzer vector. The second angle, b, is the dihedral angle between the anode-monochromator-sample plane and the monochromator-sample-analyzer plane. The second angle is important because of the polarization induced by the monochromator. We show, using theory, that the XPS spectrum can be decomposed into a “magic angle” reference spectrum, I1, and an anisotropy correction spectrum, f. The geometry for LDPE at which photoemission intensity is equivalent to isotropic emission is shown to be a function of a and b with extreme values for a of 64.6° (b = 0 or 180°) and 57.5° (b = 90°). The deviation of these angles from the “magic angle” a = 54.7° is due to a combination of x-ray polarization and nondipole effects in photoemission. Intensity-calibrated data from a number of instruments with two geometries with b = 180°, one set with a = 60° and the other set with a = 45° are used to determine I1 and f, and these are fitted with simple functions to allow the reproduction of LDPE reference spectra for any instrument geometry. The spectra are taken from the Versailles Project on Advanced Materials and Standards, Technical Working Area 2: Surface Chemical Analysis study A27 and are traceable to the National Physical Laboratory, UK intensity calibration spectra for argon ion sputter-cleaned gold. The functions in this paper may be used in the calibration of XPS instruments with quartz-crystal-monochromated Al Kα x-rays by the comparison of the calculated reference spectrum to data from clean LDPE.
Discovery of Amoebicidal Compounds by Combining Computational and Experimental Approaches
Authors: Sebastián-Pérez Víctor , Sifaoui Ines , Reyes-Batlle María , Domínguez-De Barros Angélica , López-Arencibia Atteneri , Campillo Nuria E. , Piñero José E. , Lorenzo-Morales Jacob , Gil Carmen
Published: November 2020

Pathogenic and opportunistic free-living amoebae such as
Acanthamoeba
spp. can cause keratitis (
Acanthamoeba
keratitis [AK]), which may ultimately lead to permanent visual impairment or blindness.
Acanthamoeba
can also cause rare but usually fatal granulomatous amoebic encephalitis (GAE). Current therapeutic options for AK require a lengthy treatment with nonspecific drugs that are often associated with adverse effects.
Supplemental Material: External forcing mechanisms controlling the North Atlantic coastal upwelling regime during the mid-Holocene
Authors: Hernández Armand , al. et
Published: November 2020

Details about the setting and previous work, chronological framework, nannoliths analysis, orbital and solar forcing, model simulations, Tables S1 and S2, and Figures S1–S9.
Intravenous brivaracetam for the management of refractory focal non-convulsive status epilepticus
Authors: Ammar Abdalla A , Ammar Mahmoud A , Owusu Kent , Gilmore Emily J
Published: November 2020

Diagnosis and management of status epilepticus (SE), including non-convulsive status epilepticus (NCSE), is challenging, with a reported 30%–50% of epilepticus patients not responding to available antiseizure medications (ASMs). Injectable benzodiazepines, fosphenytoin, valproate, levetiracetam, lacosamide and phenobarbital are commonly used for treating SE. Brivaracetam, a new ASM, with higher affinity and greater selectivity for the synaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2A than levetiracetam, has been approved as monotherapy or adjunct for treatment of focal onset seizures. Brivaracetam may have a role in the management of SE. However, limited data exist on brivaracetam’s efficacy in SE. We describe a patient case with focal NCSE refractory to levetiracetam, fosphenytoin, lacosamide and valproate who demonstrated clinical and electrographic improvement on continuous electroencephalography monitoring after brivaracetam administration.
Unusual case of upper gastrointestinal haemorrhage secondary to a ruptured gastroduodenal artery pseudoaneurysm: case presentation and literature review
Authors: Ahmed Gasim , Abid Mehsim , Hosmane Sharath , Mathew Smitha
Published: November 2020

Pseudoaneurysm rupture of the gastroduodenal artery (GDA) is life-threatening and can present as an acute upper gastrointestinal haemorrhage. Here, we present a case of upper gastrointestinal haemorrhage arising from a ruptured GDA pseudoaneurysm. A 56-year-old woman presented acutely with haematemesis. She reported ongoing upper epigastric pain for a few weeks. Laboratory evaluation revealed severe microcytic hypochromic anaemia (haemoglobin, 69 g/L; normal, 120–140 g/L) and a mildly raised serum amylase level. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy revealed dark blood collection between the rugae of the distal stomach. An abdominal CT scan detected a homogeneously enhancing rounded lesion arising from the GDA adjacent to the second part of the duodenum. The median arcuate ligament was causing stenosis of the coeliac axis origin. The diagnosis of haematemesis secondary to a ruptured GDA pseudoaneurysm was confirmed by mesenteric angiography, and aneurysmal embolisation was done. The haemoglobin level stabilised after aneurysmal embolisation.
Haemorrhagic exfoliative oesophagitis associated with nasogastric tube placement
Authors: Sudo Gota , Goto Akira , Fujisawa Takashi , Nakase Hiroshi
Published: November 2020

A 92-year-old man hospitalised for cerebral infarction developed haematemesis. The patient was taking low-dose aspirin and apixaban for his cerebral infarction and non-valvular atrial fibrillation. His enteral nutrition was administrated through nasogastric tube. Upper endoscopy revealed active bleeding from a protruded lesion in the upper oesophagus. The lesion was removed by washing with a water jet, followed by successful endoscopic haemostasis. Histopathological examination revealed degenerated squamous epithelium without specific findings; the diagnosis was exfoliative oesophagitis. In our case, mechanical mucosal injury caused by nasogastric tube placement may result in exfoliative oesophagitis. In addition, the use of low-dose aspirin with apixaban may have contributed to the bleeding. We then performed a wire-guided nasogastric tube placement under fluoroscopy. No further bleeding was observed, but the patient died of sepsis 1 month later. This case highlights the importance of a risk assessment and management of oesophageal complications associated with nasogastric tube placement.
Lemierre’s syndrome involving milleri group streptococci: further insight into age and aetiology
Authors: Linares Christian A , Ryan Felicity , Hajat Imran , Glass Stephen
Published: November 2020

Lemierre’s syndrome (LS) is a suppurative thrombophlebitis of the internal jugular vein secondary to otorhinolaryngologic infection. It is classically associated with the Gram-negative anaerobeFusobacterium necrophorum(FN) and is thought to be a disease of young people. Here, we describe the case of a 56-year-old woman with LS involving milleri group streptococci (MGS), which has been reported only 13 times since it was first observed in 2003. Subgroup analysis of all published cases of LS involving MGS demonstrated these patients were significantly older than those involving FN (median age 49 years versus 18 years,p= 0.007, IQR 36–58 years), although this finding is limited by publication bias. This report clarifies a 2014 hypothesis regarding the relationship between age and aetiology in this rare disease. While FN remains the most common cause of LS overall, empiric antibiotic therapy should also cover oral streptococci such as MGS, even in younger adults.
Advances in the diagnosis and management of gastroesophageal reflux disease
Authors: Katzka David A , Kahrilas Peter J
Published: November 2020

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a multifaceted disorder encompassing a family of syndromes attributable to, or exacerbated by, gastroesophageal reflux that impart morbidity, mainly through troublesome symptoms. Major GERD phenotypes are non-erosive reflux disease, GERD hypersensitivity, low or high grade esophagitis, Barrett’s esophagus, reflux chest pain, laryngopharyngeal reflux, and regurgitation dominant reflux. GERD is common throughout the world, and its epidemiology is linked to the Western lifestyle, obesity, and the demise ofHelicobacter pylori.Because of its prevalence and chronicity, GERD is a substantial economic burden measured in physician visits, diagnostics, cancer surveillance protocols, and therapeutics. An individual with typical symptoms has a fivefold risk of developing esophageal adenocarcinoma, but mortality from GERD is otherwise rare. The principles of management are to provide symptomatic relief and to minimize potential health risks through some combination of lifestyle modifications, diagnostic testing, pharmaceuticals (mainly to suppress or counteract gastric acid secretion), and surgery. However, it is usually a chronic recurring condition and management needs to be personalized to each case. While escalating proton pump inhibitor therapy may be pertinent to healing high grade esophagitis, its applicability to other GERD phenotypes wherein the modulating effects of anxiety, motility, hypersensitivity, and non-esophageal factors may dominate is highly questionable.
Reducing the waiting time to initiation of infertility treatment at a tertiary care centre in India
Authors: Sharma K Aparna , Yadav Anshu , Sridhar Chithira , Malhotra Neena , Biji Siby , Kumari Kusum
Published: November 2020

Background

In a low-resource and high-volume setting, it is often felt that patient care cannot be improved within the limitations of existing infrastructure and resources. However, the use of a systematic problem-solving method can bring about significant improvement even in these settings.

Aim

To decrease the mean waiting time from first visit to initiation of infertility treatment by 70% within 4 weeks (1–30 June 2019) for patients coming to the gynaecological outpatient department (OPD).

Methods

We constructed a multidisciplinary quality improvement team consisting of an academic consultant, a senior resident physician, a junior resident physician and a nurse to address the problem of long waiting times to initiation of fertility treatment. We collected baseline data from 10 consecutive women presenting to gynaecological OPD with complaints of infertility by calculating the time between their first visit to the facility and the day of performance of hysterosalpingography (HSG). The average waiting time was found to be 6 months and 25 days (mean=6.85 months; 3.5–10 months). The team used process flow diagrams and fishbone analysis to identify various causes of these long waiting times. The main reason for the delay in starting infertility treatment was that the date for HSG was given only after seeing the endometrial aspiration report (ie, after ruling out endometrial tuberculosis as there is a risk of dissemination of tuberculosis during HSG). Also, HSG was done only once a week during a short 2-hour slot in the fluoroscopy room.

Results

After the implementation of change ideas, there was significant reduction in the waiting period to starting treatment in patients with infertility. After the first change idea, the average waiting period seen in 10 consecutive patients with infertility reduced to 3.25 months, that is, by 51.8% from baseline within a 2-week interval, and there is shift in the run chart diagram. After the second change idea, the waiting time reduced to 2 months, that is, by 70%, seen in the next 10 consecutive patients with infertility within the next 2 weeks’ time. The results were sustained to the average waiting time of 2 months for 6 months without any additional resources.

Conclusion

With a well-organised and conducted quality improvement project and team efforts, the required changes can be brought about in an established conventional healthcare delivery system and improvements can be sustained over a long period of time.
Spatial profiling of gastric cancer patient-matched primary and locoregional metastases reveals principles of tumour dissemination
Authors: Sundar Raghav , Liu Drolaiz HW , Hutchins Gordon GA , Slaney Hayley L , Silva Arnaldo NS , Oosting Jan , Hayden Jeremy D , Hewitt Lindsay C , Ng Cedric CY , Mangalvedhekar Amrita , Ng Sarah B , Tan Iain BH , Tan Patrick , Grabsch Heike I
Published: November 2020

Objective

Endoscopic mucosal biopsies of primary gastric cancers (GCs) are used to guide diagnosis, biomarker testing and treatment. Spatial intratumoural heterogeneity (ITH) may influence biopsy-derived information. We aimed to study ITH of primary GCs and matched lymph node metastasis (LNmet).

Design

GC resection samples were annotated to identify primary tumour superficial (PTsup), primary tumour deep (PTdeep) and LNmet subregions. For each subregion, we determined (1) transcriptomic profiles (NanoString ‘PanCancer Progression Panel’, 770 genes); (2) next-generation sequencing (NGS, 225 gastrointestinal cancer-related genes); (3) DNA copy number profiles by multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA, 16 genes); and (4) histomorphological phenotypes.

Results

NanoString profiling of 64 GCs revealed no differences between PTsup1 and PTsup2, while 43% of genes were differentially expressed between PTsup versus PTdeep and 38% in PTsup versus LNmet. Only 16% of genes were differently expressed between PTdeep and LNmet. Several genes with therapeutic potential (eg IGF1, PIK3CD and TGFB1) were overexpressed in LNmet and PTdeep compared with PTsup. NGS data revealed orthogonal support of NanoString results with 40% mutations present in PTdeep and/or LNmet, but not in PTsup. Conversely, only 6% of mutations were present in PTsup and were absent in PTdeep and LNmet. MLPA demonstrated significant ITH between subregions and progressive genomic changes from PTsup to PTdeep/LNmet.

Conclusion

In GC, regional lymph node metastases are likely to originate from deeper subregions of the primary tumour. Future clinical trials of novel targeted therapies must consider assessment of deeper subregions of the primary tumour and/or metastases as several therapeutically relevant genes are only mutated, overexpressed or amplified in these regions.
Transcribed Ultraconserved Region Uc.242 is a Novel Regulator of Cardiomyocyte Hypertrophy Induced by Angiotensin Ii
Authors: Gu Ying , Zhang Boyao , Yu Yongchao , Yang Fan , Xiao Yuchen , Chen Weisheng , Ma Liping , Wang Weizhong , Wang Guokun
Published: November 2020

Cardiomyocyte hypertrophy is a response to stress or hormone stimulation and is characterized by an increase of cardiomyocyte size. Abnormal long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) expression profile has been identified in various cardiovascular diseases. Though some lncRNAs had been reported to participate in regulation of cardiac hypertrophy, the universal lncRNA profile of cardiomyocyte hypertrophy had not been established. In the present study, we aimed to identify the differentially expressed lncRNA-mRNA network in angiotensin II-stimulated cardiomyocytes, and screen the potential lncRNAs involved in regulation of cardiomyocyte hypertrophy. The hypertrophic cardiomyocytes were induced by angiotensin II (0.1 μmol/L) for 48 hours. High-throughput microarray analysis combined with quantitative real-time PCR assay were then performed to screen the differentially expressed lncRNAs and mRNAs. A total of 1577 lncRNAs and 496 mRNAs transcripts were identified differentially expressed in hypertrophic cardiomyocytes. Among them, 59 transcribed ultraconserved non-coding RNAs (T-UCRs) were found by evolutionary conservation analysis. Subsequently, the lncRNA-mRNA coexpression network was constructed based on Pearson's correlation analysis results, including 4 T-UCRs and 215 mRNAs. The results revealed that uc.242 was positively interacted with prohypertrophic genes (Hgf and Tnc). Functional study showed that inhibition of uc.242 dramatically decreased hypertrophic marker expression levels and cardiomyocyte surface area under the condition of angiotensin II stimulation. The expression of Hgf and Tnc was also decreased in cardiomyocytes after silencing of uc.242. Summarily, the present study provided crucial clues to explore therapeutic targets for pathological cardiac hypertrophy.
A new kind of paternalism in surrogate decision-making? The case ofBarnsley Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust v MSP
Authors: Kim Scott Y H , Ruck Keene Alexander
Published: November 2020

The modern legal and ethical movement against traditional welfare paternalism in medical decision-making extends to how decisions are made for patients lacking decisional capacity, prioritising surrogates’ judgment about what patients would have decided over even their best interests. In England and Wales, the Mental Capacity Act 2005 follows this trend of prioritising the patient’s prior wishes, values and beliefs but the dominant interpretation in life-sustaining treatment cases does so by in effect calling those values the ‘best interests’ of the patient and focusing nearly exclusively on the ‘subjective’ viewpoint of the patient. In this article, we examine the recent Court of Protection judgment inBarnsley Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust v MSP[2020] EWCOP 26, which adhered closely to this approach, to suggest that it could have unexpected negative consequences. These include insufficient information gathering about and attention to patients’ objective medical interests, inadequacy of the evidentiary standard used for the substituted decision-making and, in some cases, even prioritising a surrogate’s current substituted judgment over the potential for an actual judgment by the patient.
Modelling the expected impact of cigarette tax and price increases under Vietnam’s excise tax law 2015–2020
Authors: Goodchild Mark , Thu Le Thi , The Son Dao , Nguyen Tuan Lam , Totanes Robert , Paul Jeremias , Park Kidong
Published: November 2020

Background

Vietnam’s national tobacco control strategy aims to reduce the rate of smoking among male adults from 45% in 2015 to 39% by 2020. The aim of this paper is to assess what contribution cigarette tax increases under Vietnam’s current excise tax plan can be expected to make to this target, and to discuss what additional measures might be implemented accordingly.

Methods

This study uses a mix of administrative datasets and predictive modelling techniques to assess the expected impact of tax and price increases on cigarette consumption, tobacco tax revenues and the rate of smoking between 2015 and 2020.

Findings

The average retail price of cigarettes is estimated to have increased by 16% (sensitivity analysis: 14%–18%) in inflation-adjusted terms between 2015 and 2020, while cigarette consumption is projected to decrease by 5.1% (4.5%–5.5%). The rate of smoking among males is projected to decrease to 42.8% (42.1%–43.6%) compared with the target of 39%. Total tax revenues from cigarettes are projected to increase by 21% (19%–23%), reflecting an extra ₫3300 billion in inflation-adjusted revenues for the government.

Conclusion

The current excise tax law is expected to have only a modest impact on the rate of smoking in Vietnam, though it has generated tax revenues. If Vietnam is to achieve its tobacco control targets, the government should implement a mixed excise system with a high-specific component to promote public health by raising the price of cigarettes more significantly.
Treatment-related weight gain and metabolic complications in children with mental health disorders: potential role for lifestyle interventions
Authors: Wiedeman Alejandra M. , Panagiotopoulos Constadina , Devlin Angela M.
Published: November 2020

Over 1 million Canadian children are estimated to have a mental health disorder, which are commonly treated with medications, such as second-generation antipsychotics (SGAs). Estimates suggest that SGA prescriptions to children are increasing in Canada. Although these medications are important and lifesaving components of psychiatric treatment, they are not without side effects. For some children, SGA treatment is associated with adverse metabolic complications including rapid weight gain, dyslipidemia, elevated blood pressure, and risk for type 2 diabetes. It is not clear why these complications develop, but it is assumed that SGAs stimulate appetite and food intake, and reduce resting energy expenditure leading to weight gain and that the metabolic complications occur secondary to the weight gain. Understanding the mechanisms underlying these complications is key to being able to identify children at risk and prevent and optimize treatment. In this narrative review, we provide an overview of the literature pertaining to the weight gain and metabolic complications in children treated with SGAs, highlighting the scope of the problem and the current limited research on how diet and physical activity can be used to prevent or lessen the severity of the metabolic complications and improve the long-term health trajectories of SGA-treated children.

Novelty: Children are increasingly being treated with second-generation antipsychotics for mental health disorders. Dietary and physical activity assessments are not commonly considered in clinical settings. Randomized controlled trials of lifestyle interventions are needed to determine the effectiveness of mitigating the cardiometabolic complications in second-generation antipsychotic-treated children.
A cone penetration test (CPT) approach to cable plough performance prediction based upon centrifuge model testing
Authors: Robinson Scott , Brown Michael John , Matsui Hidetake , Brennan Andrew , Augarde Charles , Coombs William , Cortis Michael
Published: November 2020

Cable ploughing is an important technique for burying and protecting offshore cables. The ability to predict the required tow force and plough performance is essential to allow vessel selection and project programming. Existing tow force models require calibration against full-scale field testing to determine empirical parameters, a requirement that may hinder their use. In this study the factors controlling the plough resistance were investigated using a series of dry and saturated 1/50th scale model cable plough tests in sand in a geotechnical centrifuge at 50g at a range of target trench depths, sand relative densities, and plough velocities. An improved model for predicting cable plough tow force that separates out the key components of resistance and allows tow force prediction without the use of field-derived empirical coefficients is presented. It is demonstrated that the key parameters in this model can be easily determined from in situ cone penetration tests (CPTs), allowing it to be used offshore where site investigation techniques may be more limited compared to onshore locations. The model is validated against the centrifuge cable plough tests, demonstrating it can correctly predict both the static (dry) and rate effect (saturated) tow forces.
Strain improvement of Trichoderma spp. through two-step protoplast fusion for cellulase production enhancement
Authors: Papzan Zahra , Kowsari Mojegan , Javan-Nikkhah Mohammad , Gohari Amir Mirzadi , Limón M. Carmen
Published: November 2020

Fungal protoplast fusion is an approach to introduce novel characteristics into industrially important strains. Cellulases, essential enzymes with a wide range of biotechnological applications, are produced by many species of the filamentous fungi Trichoderma. In this study, a collection of 60 natural isolates were screened for Avicel and carboxymethyl cellulose degradation, and two cellulase producers of Trichoderma virens and Trichoderma harzianum were used for protoplast fusion. One of the resulting hybrids with improved cellulase activity, C1-3, was fused with the hyperproducer Trichoderma reesei Rut-C30. A new selected hybrid, F7, was increased in cellulase activity 1.8 and 5 times in comparison with Rut-C30 and C1-3, respectively. The increases in enzyme activity correlated with an upregulation of the cellulolytic genes cbh1, cbh2, egl3, and bgl1 in the parents. The amount of mRNA of cbh1 and cbh2 in F7 resembled that of Rut-C30 while the bgl1 mRNA level was similar to that of C1-3. AFLP (amplified fragment length polymorphism) fingerprinting and GC–MS (gas chromatography – mass spectrometry) analysis represented variations in parental strains and fusants. In conclusion, the results demonstrate that a 3-interspecific hybrid strain was isolated, with improved characteristics for cellulase degradation and showing genetic polymorphisms and differences in the volatile profile, suggesting reorganizations at the genetic level.
A Paleozoic stem hagfishMyxinikela siroka— revised anatomy and implications for evolution of the living jawless vertebrate lineages
Authors: Miyashita Tetsuto
Published: November 2020

Hagfishes and lampreys comprise cyclostomes, the earliest branching and sole surviving clade of the once diverse assemblage of jawless crown-group vertebrates. Lacking mineralized skeletons, both of the crown cyclostome lineages have notoriously poor fossil record. Particularly in the hagfish total group, †Myxinikela siroka Bardack, 1991 from the Late Carboniferous estuarine system of Illinois (USA) represents the only definitive stem taxon. Previously known from a single specimen, Myxinikela has been reconstructed as a short-bodied form with pigmented eyes but otherwise difficult to distinguish from the living counterpart. With a new, second specimen of Myxinikela reported here, I reevaluate the soft tissue anatomy and formulate diagnosis for the taxon. Myxinikela has a number of general features of cyclostomes, including cartilaginous branchial baskets, separation between the esophageal and the branchial passages, and a well-differentiated midline finfold. In effect, these features give more lamprey-like appearance to this stem hagfish than previously assumed. Myxinikela still has many traits that set modern hagfishes apart from other vertebrates (e.g., nasohypophyseal aperture, large velar cavity, and cardinal heart) and some intermediate conditions of modern hagfishes (e.g., incipient posterior displacement of branchial region). Thus, Myxinikela provides an important calibration point with which to date origins of these characters.
Dirichlet boundary condition for the Lee–Wick-like scalar model
Authors: Borges L. H. C. , Nogueira A. A. , Rodrigues E. H. , Barone F. A.
Published: November 2020

Lee–Wick-like scalar model near a Dirichlet plate is considered in this work. The modified propagator for the scalar field due to the presence of a Dirichlet boundary is computed, and the interaction between the plate and a point-like scalar charge is analysed. The non-validity of the image method is investigated and the results are compared with the corresponding ones obtained for the Lee–Wick gauge field and for the standard Klein–Gordon field.
IR-improved DGLAP parton shower effects for associated production of a W boson and jets in pp collisions at s = 8 and 13 TeV
Authors: Shakerin B. , Ward B. F. L.
Published: November 2020

In a previous paper, hereafter referred to as I, we have analyzed the 7 TeV LHC data on [Formula: see text] events from the standpoint of IR-improved DGLAP parton shower effects, using the IR-improved Herwiri1.031 parton shower MC in comparison with the Herwig6.5 parton shower MC in the context of the exact [Formula: see text] matrix element matched parton shower framework provided by MG5_aMC@NLO. In this paper, we extend this analysis to the LHC 8 and 13 TeV data to investigate the energy dependence of the results obtained in I. Specifically, [Formula: see text] events are generated in the MADGRAPH5_aMC@NLO framework and showered by HERWIG6.521 and HERWIRI1.031 with [Formula: see text] and 0 GeV, respectively. The differential cross sections are reported as functions of jet multiplicity, transverse linear momenta [Formula: see text], the jet pseudorapidity [Formula: see text] and the scalar sum of jet transverse momenta [Formula: see text] for different jet multiplicities 1–3. The dijet cross sections as functions of transverse linear momenta, invariant mass of the dijet and the jet separation are shown as well. Distributions of angular correlations between the jets and the muon are examined as well and the corresponding cross sections are presented. The respective measured cross sections are compared with the exact next-to-leading-order (NLO) matrix element matched parton shower theoretical predictions provided by MADGRAPH5_aMC@NLO/HERWIRI1.031 [Formula: see text] and MADGRAPH5_aMC@NLO/HERWIG6.521 [Formula: see text] and the phenomenological consequences are discussed with an eye toward their energy dependence.
Four-loop anomalous dimension of the third and fourth moments of the nonsinglet twist-2 operator in QCD
Authors: Velizhanin V. N.
Published: November 2020

We present the result for the third and fourth moments of the nonsinglet four-loop anomalous dimension of Wilson twist-2 operators in QCD with full color and flavor structures. We also give general expressions for some contributions to the full four-loop anomalous dimension obtained by means of the method, based on LLL-algorithm, which was proposed by us earlier for the reconstruction of a general form of the anomalous dimension from the fixed values.
Can neutron disappearance/reappearance experiments definitively rule out the existence of hidden braneworlds endowed with a copy of the Standard Model?
Authors: Stasser Coraline , Sarrazin Michaël
Published: November 2020

Many works, aiming to explain the origin of dark matter or dark energy, consider the existence of hidden (brane)worlds parallel to our own visible world — our usual Universe — in a multidimensional bulk. Hidden braneworlds allow for hidden copies of the Standard Model. For instance, atoms hidden in a hidden brane could exist as dark matter candidates. As a way to constrain such hypotheses, the possibility for neutron–hidden neutron swapping can be tested thanks to disappearance-reappearance experiments also known as passing-through-walls neutron experiments. The neutron-hidden neutron coupling [Formula: see text] can be constrained from those experiments. While [Formula: see text] could be arbitrarily small, previous works involving a [Formula: see text] bulk, with DGP branes, show that [Formula: see text] then possesses a value which is reachable experimentally. It is of crucial interest to know if a reachable value for [Formula: see text] is universal or not and to estimate its magnitude. Indeed, it would allow, in a near future, to reject definitively — or not — the existence of hidden braneworlds from experiments. In the present paper, we explore this issue by calculating [Formula: see text] for DGP branes, for [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] bulks. As a major result, no disappearance-reappearance experiment would definitively universally rules out the existence of hidden worlds endowed with their own copy of Standard Model particles, except for specific scenarios with conditions reachable in future experiments.
The intersection between dual potential and sl(2) algebraic spectral problems
Authors: Pannell William H.
Published: November 2020

The relation between certain Hamiltonians, known as dual, or partner Hamiltonians, under the transformation [Formula: see text] has long been used as a method of simplifying spectral problems in quantum mechanics. This paper seeks to examine this further by expressing such Hamiltonians in terms of the generators of sl(2) algebra, which provides another method of solving spectral problems. It appears that doing so greatly restricts the set of allowable potentials, with the only nontrivial potentials allowed being the Coulomb [Formula: see text] potential and the harmonic oscillator [Formula: see text] potential, for both of which the sl(2) expression is already known. It also appears that, by utilizing both the partner potential transformation and the formalism of the Lie-algebraic construction of quantum mechanics, it may be possible to construct part of a Hamiltonian’s spectrum from the quasi-solvability of its partner Hamiltonian.
Deep inelastic scattering in the target fragmentation region
Authors: Yang Weihua , Huang Fei
Published: November 2020

Deep inelastic scattering is one of the best place to study hadron structures. In this paper we consider the target fragmentation region deep inelastic scattering process at leading twist. The calculations are carried out by applying the collinear expansion. In the collinear expansion formalism the multiple gluon scattering is taken into account and gauge links are obtained systematically and automatically. Quantum chromodynamics is a non-Abelian gauge theory of strong interactions in which parity symmetry can be violated by the nontrivial [Formula: see text]-vacuum tunneling effects. As a result, the axial vector current is induced. By defining and decomposing the parity-odd correlator we calculate both the parity-even and parity-odd contributions to the cross-section of the target fragmentation region deep inelastic scattering. We also present the positivity bounds for these fracture functions.
Impact of Time Delay and Cross-Correlated Gaussian Colored Noises on Dynamical Characteristics and Stochastic Resonance for a Metapopulation System
Authors: Wang Kang-Kang , Zong De-Cai , Wang Ya-Jun , Li Sheng-Hong
Published: November 2020

In this paper, the regime shift behaviors between the prosperous state and the extinction state and stochastic resonance (SR) phenomenon for a metapopulation system subjected to time delay and correlated Gaussian colored noises are investigated. Through the numerical calculation of the modified potential function and the stationary probability density function (SPDF), one can make clearly the following results: Both multiplicative noise and noise correlation times can improve effectively the ecological stability and prolong the survival time of the system; while additive noise, time delay and noise correlation strength can weaken significantly the biological stability and speed up the extinction of the population. As for the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), it is found that time delay, multiplicative noise and noise correlation strength can all impair the SR effect. Conversely, the two noise correlation times and additive noise are in favor of the improvement of the peak values of SNR. It is particularly worth mentioning that in the case of [Formula: see text], time delay [Formula: see text] and self-correlation time [Formula: see text] of the additive noise display exactly the opposite effect on the stimulation of the resonant peak in the SNR–[Formula: see text] plots.
Distinguishing environment-induced non-Markovianity from subsystem dynamics
Authors: Banerjee Subhashish , Naikoo Javid , Srikanth R.
Published: November 2020

Quantum non-Markovianity modifies the environmental decoherence of a system. This situation is enriched in complex systems owing to interactions among subsystems. We consider the problem of distinguishing the multiple sources of non-Markovianity using a simple power spectrum technique, applied to a qubit interacting with another qubit via a Jaynes–Cummings-type Hamiltonian and simultaneously subjected to some well-known noise channels, such as the random telegraph noise and non-Markovian amplitude damping, which exhibit both Markovian as well as non-Markovian dynamics under different parameter ranges.
The Effects of Fair Value on the Matching of Revenues and Expenses: The Case of Asset Revaluations
Authors: da Costa Fábio Moraes , Liu Carol , Rosa Gina Cavalier , Tiras Samuel L.
Published: November 2020

Researchers and practitioners have expressed concern that matching has declined over time, as evidenced by a decreasing association between revenues and expenses. They attribute this decline to the shift in financial reporting from a revenue–expense view that emphasizes matching to an asset–liability view that emphasizes the measurement of economic resources that incorporates more fair values. When revenues rise with inflation but the expenses remain tied to historical costs, the two streams tend to diverge. We hypothesize that upwardly revaluing the long-lived fixed operating assets resets the expense stream; thus, changes in revenues will be more closely associated with changes in expenses for firms that revalue than firms that do not upwardly revalue. Based on a sample of United Kingdom firms, we find evidence supporting our expectations, particularly in those higher inflationary industries.
Post-orogenic exhumation in the western Pyrenees: evidence for extension driven by pre-orogenic inheritance
Authors: Fillon Charlotte , Mouthereau Frédéric , Calassou Sylvain , Pik Raphaël , Bellahsen Nicolas , Gautheron Cécile , Stockli Daniel , Brichau Stéphanie , Daril Norman , Mouchené Margaux , van der Beek Peter
Published: November 2020

We discuss the drivers of the Pyrenean post-orogenic exhumation, including drainage migration, flexural rebound and tectonic reactivation.We provide new low-temperature thermochronological data and inverse thermal modeling from both the hinterland and foreland of the western Pyrenees. Our new thermochronological ages range from 6.6 to 61.4 Ma and reveal a Late Miocene exhumation phase in several massifs. The contrasting thermal histories define a domain of focused exhumation in the western Pyrenees that coincides with the present-day extensional tectonics in a region to the north of the Axial Zone. Based on the inferred cooling rates and paleogradient estimates, we highlight an exhumation phase of
c.
1 mm yr
–1
between 11 and 9 Ma in the Axial Zone, well above rates expected for a post-orogenic evolution. The thermal evolution inferred from three boreholes of the Aquitaine foreland basin reveals that sediments eroded from the hinterland did not accumulate in the Piedmont region but were transported offshore in the Bay of Biscay. We infer that the significant
c.
10 Ma post-orogenic exhumation event must be related to the modern normal faulting regime of the western Pyrenees, associated with contrasting crustal thickness and densities, inherited from the Mesozoic rift evolution of the northern Pyrenees.

Supplementary material:
Laboratory analytical procedures, radial plot visualization of AFT detrital data and Age/eU relationship of AHe and ZHe samples are available at
https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.5212581
Review—Knowledge-Based Process Design for High Quality Production of NCM811 Cathodes
Authors: Heck Carina Amata , von Horstig Max-Wolfram , Huttner Fabienne , Mayer Julian Kristoffer , Haselrieder Wolfgang , Kwade Arno
Published: November 2020

Low-cost and high-performance lithium ion batteries (LIBs) are a key technology in these days. One promising candidate for cathodes is the layered nickel (Ni)-rich LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2 (NCM811) active material due to its high energy density, high specific capacity and lower material costs as well as social aspects concerning mining due to the diminished cobalt content. However, the lower thermal stability and higher sensitivity to H2O and CO2 result in a potential stronger performance degradation and lower safety. Therefore, process adaptions are inevitable. In this paper the current status and challenges of the entire cathode production process with NCM811 as active material are reviewed taking quality, cost and environmental aspects into account. General important aspects within the process are presented which are specially extended to NCM811 cathode production. Process recommendations are highlighted and innovative approaches like a water-based or solvent-free processing are discussed in comparison to conventional production technologies.
Review—Polymer/Ceramic Interface Barriers: The Fundamental Challenge for Advancing Composite Solid Electrolytes for Li-Ion Batteries
Authors: Horowitz Yonatan , Lifshitz Moran , Greenbaum Anna , Feldman Yuri , Greenbaum Steve , Sokolov Alexei P. , Golodnitsky Diana
Published: November 2020

Composite-solid electrolytes, in which ion-conducting polymers are combined with superionic ceramics, could revolutionize electrochemical-energy-storage devices enabling higher energy density, providing greater stability during operation and enhanced safety. However, the interfacial resistance between the ceramic and polymer phases strongly suppresses the ionic conductivity and presents the main obstacle to the use of these materials. Here, we emphasize the need for a distinct focus on reducing energy barriers to interfacial ion transport and improving the cation transference number. To achieve this goal, it is essential to develop a fundamental understanding of the parameters that influence the interfacial barriers to ion transport in composite electrolytes, and to understand the effect of the type of ceramic (“active” and “inert”) and its content on ion-transport phenomena. We suggest that adapting the polymer chemistry, mainly directed on polymerized ionic liquids, (PolyILs), and combined with functionalization of the surface of ceramic nanoparticles is a promising route for overcoming the high-energy-barrier challenge. Owing to high content of ion-conducting ceramics and high t+of PolyILs, the fractional contribution of the migrating cationic species to the total ionic conductivity of polymer-in-ceramic electrolytes via an interfacial percolation path, will be close to unity, thus eliminating complications that might arise from emerging concentration gradients during the operation of solid-state batteries.