bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A conceptual model for geodata processing for sustainable forest management
Authors: Tatarnikova T , Stepanov S , Petrov Y , Sidorenko A , Martyn I
Published: July 2020

In scientific work, the process of sustainable forest management is considered as a guiding industry principle for the interaction of man and the ecosystem. The purpose of sustainable forest management is the formation of a forest ecosystem with various resources and functions. Effective forest management is not possible without the corresponding information support. The goal of the scientific work is to develop a conceptual model of geodata processing for sustainable forest management. The objective function of the model is investigated - reforestation modeling, the result of which is the preparation of a spatial solution for sustainable forest management (managerial decision model). An algorithm for performing interconnected functional subsystems is presented: «Processing GEODATA», «Mapping», «Prediction», «Analytics», «Economic calculation», «Modeling of reforestation activities». The contextual chart “Processing GEODATA” has been developed, which describes a macromodel of the process of processing geospatial data in order to build a cartographic basis of the system under study. A general view of the geodata processing function is presented, the result of which is a three-dimensional spatial information model. The final result of the work can be used to solve the problems of forestry management at different levels of management.
Synthesis of Environmental Functional Materials and its Application in Domestic Sewage
Authors: Li Hongcui , Jiang Yuhan , Li Yurong
Published: July 2020

Environmental functional materials have unique physical, chemical and biological properties, and have excellent environmental purification effect, so they can be used to eliminate or reduce water environmental pollution, play the role of decolorization, deodorization and sterilization. In this paper, the composite method was used to prepare environmental functional materials, and the treatment effect of domestic sewage was studied. COD, TP and TN were the research indicators. Single factor experiment and orthogonal experiment were carried out. The results show that the best reaction conditions of COD, TP and TN are as follows: reaction time is 45 min, 55 min, 45 min, dosage is 0.180 g, 0.100 g, 0.130 g, temperature is 40°C, 60°C, 40°C. The best removal rate of COD, TP and TN was 81.8%, 59.4%, 51.1%, respectively. The treatment effect of environmental functional materials of COD in domestic sewage is better than that of TP and TN. Therefore, environmental functional materials can be used to treat sewage of high concentration of COD.
Simulation on Solar assisted Air Source Heat Pump Heating System in Rural House by Using TRNSYS
Authors: Ma XiaoXue , Wang Xiaotong
Published: July 2020

According to the simulation software TRNSYS to simulate the Solar assisted Air Source Heat Pump Heating System in a multilayer rural houses in Lanzhou area. By analysis simulation data on solar and air source heat pump as the heat source, providing energy for the low-temperature radiant floor heating, the paper discusses the feasibility and comfort of this system. Based on the solar radiation characteristics, the advantages of this system was given out, developing the building energy efficiency.
Analysis of the voltage jump fault of the reinforced computer program-controlled power supply
Authors: Li Chao
Published: July 2020

During the process of hardening the computer, it was found that the voltage of the program-controlled power supply that was originally set to a voltage value would suddenly jump when the machine was turned on and off. According to this problem, locate the fault. The cause of the final positioning fault is that the software of the program-controlled power supply processor has not set up a signal verification process, which causes the program-controlled power supply to mistakenly consider the changes generated by the RS232 signal when the power is turned on and off as voltage control signals, resulting in voltage jumps. Modify the software of the program-controlled power processor to increase the signal verification when the program-controlled power processor receives the RS232 signal of the main board, which can effectively solve the fault phenomenon.
Research on the Performance Evaluation of Green and Low-Carbon Industrial Development in Gansu Province
Authors: Wang Cuiyun , Quoquan  , Chen Lili , Shang Xueying
Published: July 2020

Having rich natural resources and important strategic location, Gansu province was deployed with a large number of key industries after the liberation of the country. However, most of these industries have high-carbon and high-emission, which not only cause more serious damage to the already fragile ecological environment, but also restrict the green and low-carbon development of industry in Gansu province. Based on the analysis of the status quo of industrial green and low-carbon development in Gansu province, this paper evaluates the performance of industrial green and low-carbon development in recent 10 years, and then puts forward the countermeasures for green and low-carbon development.
A CFD-based simulation study of a double-storey sedimentation tank for drinking water treatment
Authors: Zhang Shuo , Wang Ruhua , Xu Jiajiong
Published: July 2020

CFD is applied to study the effects of geometric factors and particle concentration of double-storey advection sedimentation tank on hydraulic state and particle removal for low turbidity raw water. The results show that the width has a great influence on the particle concentration at the outlet. When the width is 5m, the effluent turbidity can basically meet the design. The impact of hydraulic load on the weir about 3L/s/m on the particle concentration at the outlet is small. When the water depth is shallow, the particle concentration at the outlet increases significantly.
On the Global Rare Earth Elements Utilization and Its Supply-Demand in the Future
Authors: Yan Deru , Ro Sunghyok , Sunam O , Kim Sehun
Published: July 2020

Rare Earth Elements (REE) refers to 17 minerals with similar characteristics. Rare earth is in the limelight as a key material for future industries because of their unique chemical, electrical, magnetic, and luminescent properties and excellent radiological shielding effects. The scarcity of REEs cannot be imagined in the successful execution of the fourth industrial revolution and the sustainable economic development, which is now in front of humanity. Therefore, it is very urgent for each country and each enterprise to understand the global rare earth production situation and take measures against the future prospects. Therefore, the paper first addresses the definition and importance of rare earths and attempts to analyze their reserves, countries and global production in detail. Next, based on the analysis of development trends in the electric vehicle industry, renewable energy and the mordern electronic industries where the use of rare earths is essential, this paper suggests a rare earth supply and demand strategy that can be referred to in the rare earth resources scarce developed countries including Europe.
Impacts of Land Use Change on NDVI in Shaanxi Province of China
Authors: Wang Feng , Liu XiaoKang , Liu Xu , Li Yongfeng , Wang Tao
Published: July 2020

Land use change is one of the main impacts of human activities and has a profound impact on vegetation change. Based on the MODIS normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) from 2000 to 2018 and land use data in 2000, 2005, 2010, and 2015, the land use and its impacts on NDVI change in the Shaanxi province of China were analyzed. This study showed that the land use structure in Shaanxi province is stable, with forest land, grassland and farmland as the main components. The main feature of land use change from 2000 to 2015 was the large area of farmland converted to construction land, mainly distributed in the Guanzhong Plain in the central Shaanxi province, especially in the vicinity of the capital city of Xi’an. The impact of land use changes on NDVI showed a significant decreasing trend in the area converted to construction land during 2000-2018, while the NDVI for areas converted to forest, farmland and grassland all showed a significant increasing trend. The growth rate of NDVI in the area converted to farmland was higher than in the areas converted to forest land and grassland, the reason for which needs further study.
Study on the variation characteristics of rainstorm and flood in Puyang River Basin
Authors: Hu Haiying , Liu Zhipeng
Published: July 2020

Based on the measured rainfall and runoff data of 6 hydrological stations in the Puyang River Basin for many years, the trend of rainfall and runoff series are analyzed by using the methods of the regression analysis and the Mann-Kendall test in Puyang River Basin. The main conclusions are as follows: The trend analysis results show that the annual maximum 1-hour, 3-hour and 24-hour rainfall series in the Puyang River Basin is basically on the rise, but the flood and runoff series show a downward trend. It reflects that the main reason for the decrease of runoff in the Puyang River Basin is not the climate change. It is likely to be related to the impact of human activities. In summary, under the influence of climate change and human activities, human activities are the main reason for the decrease of runoff in the Puyang River Basin.
Design and Application of Monitoring Station of Black and Odorous Water Body Based on Industrial Computer and Remote Computer
Authors: Ye Long , Yang Shichao , Wu Peihao , Mai Yuebang , Cheng Lihui , Tao Xiaochao , Dang Zhi
Published: July 2020

Monitoring station of black and odorous water body (BOWD) based on industrial computer and remote computer control was designed and built to resolve the time-consuming problem about manual monitoring in the course of supervise of BOWD. Hardware configuration, technological process and software design were researched according to the demand analysis of monitoring station of BOWD. The results indicate that the monitoring station of BOWD can get real-time monitoring data of classification evaluation indexes of BOWD with a good stability, the relative error is below 7.14% between real-time monitoring data and manual monitoring date.
Assessment of water-saving status of civil buildings in Jiangsu Province based on AHP method
Authors: Li Jiaxin , Shen Ronglei , Li Jiarui , Fang Shuying , Zhao Yuechen
Published: July 2020

The shortage of water resources, serious water pollution, and the destruction of aquatic ecology have become important factors restricting the economic and social development of the region. In 2014, General Secretary Xi Jinping stood at the strategic height of sustainable development, and proposed a water management policy of “water conservation priority, space balance, system governance, and two-handed efforts”. Among them, water conservation is given top priority. This article takes Jiangsu Province as an example. It determines the water-saving assessment indicators for civil buildings in Jiangsu Province by reading relevant codes and standards. It is based on the AHP Analytic Hierarchy Process to give weight to each indicator. Through expert scoring, get the score of the current status of water-saving implementation of civil buildings in Jiangsu Province, comprehensively analyze the current status and problems of water conservation in civil buildings in Jiangsu Province, establish a typical water-saving model for buildings, play a demonstration and lead role, and promote the water-saving work of civil buildings in other provinces.
Study on the relationship of ecological effect in the ecological restoration of urban lakes
Authors: Chen Guangrong
Published: July 2020

the combination of biological manipulation and aquatic vegetation restoration had become an important way of ecological restoration of lake water. The research on the relationship among fish, zooplankton and aquatic vegetation was helpful to lake ecological restoration. By investigating the distribution of fish, aquatic vegetation and zooplankton in some urban lakes in the South of the five ridges, the abundance and relative abundance of Cladocera and Copepoda were generally lower in the lakes where fish was farmed, while the abundance of Cladocera and crustacea was relatively higher in lakes with hydrophytes. The ecological restoration of typical tropical shallow urban lake showed that the combination of aquatic vegetation restoration and fish regulation was an effective measure for the control of tropical shallow eutrophication urban lake. It provided a reference for how to take biological control measures to restore the water body and how to maintain the stability of the ecosystem after the ecological restoration.
Comparative Study of Main Meteorological Factors Inside and Outside the Forest of Xianweng Mountain National Forest Park
Authors: Ren Guoli , Yang Xuewen , Wang Xue , Zhang Yaosheng , Li Shengju , Li Lan
Published: July 2020

Investigations of meteorological conditions can reveal the dynamics of microclimates in specific forests. Meteorological factors are necessary factors for quantitative observation and research of forest ecosystems. A systematic analysis of the forest boundary and the main meteorological factors outside the forest in Xianweng Mountain National Forest Park can accurately reveal the interaction between the forest and meteorological factors in Xianweng Mountain National Forest Park. Based on the meteorological observation data of the forest of Xianweng Mountain National Forest Park for three consecutive years, and using experimental methods to locate meteorological factors inside and outside the forest, compare meteorological factors such as atmospheric temperature, relative humidity, precipitation and wind speed, and wind direction, and analyze their different characteristics. The results show that the main reason for the difference in temperature and humidity inside and outside the forest is that the canopy absorbs solar radiation and emits long-wave radiation from the ground. The dense canopy also impedes air exchange inside and outside the forest, reducing wind speeds in the woods. Meteorological factors play an important role in guiding the distribution of forests, and have an important impact on the growth of trees in the forest, the development of trees, and the accumulation of tree biomass. A systematic comparative analysis of the main meteorological factors inside and outside the forest of Xianweng Mountain National Forest Park revealed the interaction between the forest and meteorological factors of Xianweng Mountain National Forest Park. According to the meteorological observation data of Xianweng Mountain National Forest Park, in order to make reasonable use of meteorological resources in the future, to develop forests, to protect the balance of natural ecosystems and their healthy development are of great significance.
Spatial and Temporal changes in the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index and its Response to Climate Change in Shaanxi Province, China
Authors: Wang Feng , Liu XiaoKang , Liu Xu , Li Yongfeng , Wang Tao
Published: July 2020

Vegetation largely reflects climatic changes. Monitoring of the dynamic changes of vegetation and its response to climate change plays an important role in our understanding of ecological changes in Shaanxi Province. Based on the GIMMS NDVI and air temperature and precipitation data of Shaanxi Province from 1982 to 2015, changes in the NDVI were. The NDVI in Shaanxi Province showed a significant linear increase from 1982 to 2015. Affected by a warming climate, increased precipitation, and the implementation of the “Grain for Green” project, the NDVI in northern Shaanxi showed a significant increase, while affected by climate warming and drying as well as human activities in central Shaanxi, it significantly decreased. This study provides a scientific basis for the adjustment of environmental protection policies in Shaanxi Province.
Research on Smart Learning Ecosystem Structure Based on Ubiquitous Internet of Things
Authors: Ni Hui-Jun
Published: July 2020

The paper studies a kind of smart learning ecosystem based on the analysis of the germination, connotation, information model and seamless integration of the digital learning ecosystem. The survey from state owned energy enterprise shows that smart environment and atmosphere can significantly affect the effectiveness of smart ecosystem intelligence. The result can be served as a helpful guideline for smart learning ecosystem based on cyber-physical-system design and application.
Analysis on Seal Test for Polymer Injectors with Shuttle-shaped String
Authors: Wang Huansheng
Published: July 2020

String seal integrity for layered well is the key factor to a successful development of polymer injector. Existing seal test method for water injectors has poor performance in the situation of shuttle-shaped string and encounters a low success of isolation jobs. Therefore, by analyzing the factors contributing to the seal integrity of shuttle-shaped string, gradually increasing testing time, changing seal test method and other test methods, to determine time taken for seal test in polymer injectors, and then work on the standardization of this practice can be continued to ensure performance of polymer injecting development.
The effect of additives on NO reduction using sewage sludge as a denitration agent for cement kiln flue gas
Authors: Ye Ping , Xiao Xiang , Xu Zhenghui , Wu Haiwen , Huang Jianhang , Fang Ping
Published: July 2020

Experimental study on the effects of additives on the NO reduction efficiency by sludge combustion was carried out on a simulated cement precalciner, and the feasibility of sludge as a denitration agent for cement kiln flue gas was evaluated. The NO reduction efficiency by sludge combustion with and without cement raw meal are 53.75% and 59.03%, respectively. It indicates that cement raw meal(CRM) inhibit the NO reduction by sludge combustion, while its inhibitory effect is not obvious. Besides, the inhibitory effect of CRM on NO reduction can be further reduced by controlling the addition amount of Al2O3 and Fe2O3 in CRM. Meanwhile, when urea is added to the sludge, the NO reduction efficiency can reach 74.21% by sludge combustion, indicating that urea significantly promotes the NO reduction, which is attributed to the decomposition of urea to form NH3. Therefore, it is feasible to add sludge as a denitration agent in the cement precalciner to reduce NO in cement kiln flue gas.
Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals in the Pearl River: Is There A Potential Hazard to Local Human Health?
Authors: Yan Yibo
Published: July 2020

Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) serve as agents that could damage the endocrine systems in human bodies. The EDCs can be introduced into an aquatic system via physicochemical reactions by nature and anthropogenic activities mainly including pharmaceuticals and industrial discharges. Generally, concentrations of EDCs in the Pearl River fall in higher ranges than those in other lakes and rivers in China and around the world. The potential hazards of the EDCs in the Pearl River have been thoroughly assessed in the last two decades but not comprehensively compared. This review aimed to discuss the detected concentration levels of EDCs in the surface water and sediment of the Pearl River respectively and conducted the risk assessment for residents along the Pearl River. Among EDCs, six important groups of chemicals (estrone, 17β-estradiol, nonylphenol, octylphenol, bisphenol A, and triclosan) were selected for analysis in this review due to their environmental ubiquity and toxicity in the Pearl River. The risk assessment indicated there was no potential negative impact of target EDCs on human health via water ingestion.
Study on Noise Reduction of Fans with Uneven Blade Spacing
Authors: Zhai Shufeng , Huxiao Wanyue
Published: July 2020

The CFD simulation model of unequal and equidistant blades is established, and the aerodynamic performance and aerodynamic noise of the model are analyzed. The noise spectrums of the unequally and equally spaced fan are compared and studied. The conclusion is as follows: the unequal distribution of blades leads the fan modulation phenomenon at the passage frequency, so the unequally spaced fan can reduce the discrete noise in the sensitivity range of human ear. By comparing the performance curves of the unequal fan and the equidistant fan, we can see that as long as the relative change value of the uneven distribution of the blades is within a certain constraint range, the unequal fan will not have a great impact on the aerodynamic performance. Even in some flow areas, the aerodynamic performance of fans has been slightly improved, and it is necessary to reasonably design the distribution of unequal blades.
Research on the Mechanical Fault Diagnosis Method for Circuit Breakers Based on KFCM
Authors: Xia Xiaofei , Lu Yufeng , Su Yi , Yang Jian
Published: July 2020

According to the characteristics of non-stationary vibration signals of circuit breakers, a new fault diagnosis method for circuit breakers is proposed in this paper. In this method, the time domain waveform of the collected vibration signal is decomposed by CEEMDAN, and its high-frequency component is reconstructed according to the entropy weight method to obtain the denoised signal. The denoised signal is decomposed by LMD, and the multi-scale permutation entropy is calculated for the decomposed PF component as the input characteristic component of KFCM recognition algorithm. The results of KFCM identification show that this method has a high recognition rate for typical faults such as circuit breaker shaft jam, loose base and refusing action.
Finite Element Analysis on Core-Assembled Lightweight Aggregate Concrete Slab
Authors: Yang Kailin , Fang Guangxiu
Published: July 2020

In this paper, the structural form of the core-assembled lightweight aggregate concrete slab has been changed, and the non-linear finite element analysis is carried out using ABAQUS software, which is compared with the experimental value. The damage model of ABAQUS found that the cracks in the simulation process are almost the same as the cracks in the test. The ABAQUS software is suitable for the flexural performance test of the core-assembled lightweight aggregate concrete slab. Finite element analysis provides a certain reference.
Visual analysis of wood defect knot research based on CiteSpace
Authors: Qu Hongyue , Lyu Jianhua , Chen Ming
Published: July 2020

Using CiteSpace software, a comparative analysis method and a quantitative analysis method were used to visually analyze 912 articles in the field of wood defect knots in the CNKI total library from 1980 to 2019. And built a knowledge map in the field. Including research hotspots, annual publication volume, core author groups and major research institutions. Research indicates: From 1980 to 2014, the annual publication volume tended to rise, reaching the highest peak in 2014, but after 2014, the annual publication volume showed a significant downward trend. The research topics of 1980-2019 knots mainly focus on “wood defects”, “non-destructive testing”, “neural networks”, etc. Wang L H, Hao J C and Ye N, etc. are the main authors. Northeast Forestry University, Institute of Wood Industry and Chinese Academy of Forestry, etc. are the main publishing institutions. Forestry machinery and woodworking equipment and journal of Northeast Forestry University, etc. are the main journals of knots, and the National Natural Science Foundation of China is the fund project that invests the most in researching knots. Through the visual analysis of CiteSpace, we can know that in the future, we should use advanced technology to conduct in-depth research on the chemical properties of knots. Develop a variety of detection methods to organically combine to improve the non-destructive detection results of knots, enhance the cooperation of authors, institutions and funds to communicate, and build a database for this research.
Study on Compressive Strength of Concrete Mixed by Steel Slag Powder and Fly Ash
Authors: Fang Ming , Fang Guangxiu , Xia Yixuan , Wang Haoyu
Published: July 2020

Using steel slag powder and fly ash to replace cement can promote the secondary utilization of industrial solid waste and protect the ecological environment. Besides, fly ash can save costs, improve workability and improve the later strength of concrete. Four groups of concrete test blocks were tested by the combination of the two to replace cement, and the concrete appearance and compressive strength of the test blocks in different periods were tested. The experimental results show that: 1. Under the premise that the total amount of composite substitution is 40%, increasing the content of steel slag powder can effectively improve the compressive strength of concrete, but excessive addition and substitution will make it counterproductive. 2. Steel slag is regarded as overburned Portland cement clinker, which can be used as auxiliary cementing material to improve the activity of cement, while fly ash can improve the workability of concrete and improve the later strength of concrete. 3. The recommended optimal composite substitution ratio is cement: steel slag powder: fly ash = 12:5:3.
Performance of Chinese 701 Aluminum Alloy L-shaped Member under Axial Compression
Authors: Hu Xiaoguang , Cheng Yongfeng , Cui Zhijie , Xing Haijun , Guo Xiaonong
Published: July 2020

Chinese 701 aluminum alloy is a new type of building material with excellent performance. Compared with the traditional 6061-T6 aluminum alloy, 701 aluminum alloy has higher strength, better ductility and has a broad application prospect in towers. Firstly, the test of 24 Chinese 701 aluminum alloy L-section axial compression members was finished, and the ultimate bearing capacity and failure mode of the component were obtained; then a numerical analysis model was established and verified by the experimental results. Then, a large number of numerical analyses have been completed considering the influence factors such as slenderness ratio, section size, and initial bending. Finally, the experimentally measured stability coefficients were compared with the stability coefficients calculated by the Chinese code. The comparison results show that the overall stability bearing capacity of the 701 aluminum alloy L-shaped axial compression member can be calculated using the formula in Chinese “Aluminum Structure Design Code”.
Effects of unit cement content and aggregate maximum particle size on compressive strength of cemented sand and gravel materials
Authors: Xu Tao , Jin Guangri
Published: July 2020

Cement Sand and Gravel (CSG) is a new type of construction material between RCC and ordinary concrete. At present, there are few research theories on cemented sand and gravel in China. Therefore, this paper analyses the influence of unit cement content and aggregate maximum particle size on the compressive strength of cemented sand and gravel through experimental research. The test results show that the compressive strength has increased with the increase of unit cement content; the compressive strength of the material has a decreasing trend as the maximum particle size of the aggregate increases from 20mm to 80mm. The analysis of the test results shows that when the maximum particle size of the aggregate is 40mm and the unit cement content is above 80kg / m3, the compressive strength of the material can be guaranteed and the material can be used reasonably.
The association between ward staffing levels, mortality and hospital readmission in older hospitalised adults, according to presence of cognitive impairment: a retrospective cohort study
Authors: Fogg Carole , Bridges Jackie , Meredith Paul , Spice Claire , Field Linda , Culliford David , Griffiths Peter
Published: July 2020

Background

Lower nurse staffing levels are associated with increased hospital mortality. Older patients with cognitive impairments (CI) have higher mortality rates than similar patients without CI and may be additionally vulnerable to low staffing.

Objectives

To explore associations between registered nurse (RN) and nursing assistant (NA) staffing levels, mortality and readmission in older patients admitted to general medical/surgical wards.

Research design

Retrospective cohort.

Participants

All unscheduled admissions to an English hospital of people aged ≥75 with cognitive screening over 14 months.

Measures

The exposure was defined as deviation in staffing hours from the ward daily mean, averaged across the patient stay. Outcomes were mortality in hospital/within 30 days of discharge and 30-day re-admission. Analyses were stratified by CI.

Results

12,544 admissions were included. Patients with CI (33.2%) were exposed to similar levels of staffing as those without. An additional 0.5 RN hours per day was associated with 10% reduction in the odds of death overall (odds ratio 0.90 [95% CI 0.84–0.97]): 15% in patients with CI (OR 0.85 [0.74–0.98]) and 7% in patients without (OR 0.93 [0.85–1.02]). An additional 0.5 NA hours per day was associated with a 15% increase in mortality in patients with no impairment. Readmissions decreased by 6% for an additional 0.5 RN hours in patients with CI.

Conclusions

Although exposure to low staffing was similar, the impact on mortality and readmission for patients with CI was greater. Increased mortality with higher NA staffing in patients without CI needs exploration.
Cholesterol profiles and incident cognitive decline among older adults: the Shanghai Aging Study
Authors: Ding Ding , Zhou Fen , Cao Yang , Liang Xiaoniu , Wu Wanqing , Xiao Zhenxu , Zhao Qianhua , Deng Wei
Published: July 2020

Background

the association between cholesterol profiles and risk of cognitive decline among older adults was inconclusive.

Objective

to examine the association between cholesterol profiles and risk of cognitive decline in older adults with or without vascular risk factors (VRFs) in the prospective phase of the Shanghai Aging Study.

Design

a prospective community-based cohort study.

Setting

Shanghai, China.

Participants

we prospectively followed 1,556 dementia-free participants aged ≥60 years with a baseline cholesterol profile for 5.2 years on average. Participants with at least one of obesity, diabetes, hypertension, stroke, and coronary artery disease were categorised to the VRFs group, and those free of any VRFs were categorised to the non-VRFs group.

Methods

total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in serum were measured at baseline. At follow-up, consensus diagnosis of incident dementia and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) were established based on medical, neurological, and neuropsychological examinations. Cox regression was used to assess the association between cholesterol and incident dementia/AD; multivariate linear regression was used to examine the relationship between cholesterol and an annual rate of Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) score decline in participants with or without VRFs.

Results

among VRFs-free participants, TC (HR 0.62, 95%CI 0.40–0.95) and LDL-C (HR 0.47, 95%CI 0.28–0.80) were inversely associated with incident dementia, LDL-C was inversely associated with incident AD (HR 0.50, 95%CI 0.28–0.90). A significant correlation was found between incremental TC (β = 0.08), LDL-C (β = 0.09), and a slower annual decline of MMSE score.

Conclusions

effect of cholesterol on cognitive decline may be modified by VRFs.
Vitamin D deficiency is associated with orthostatic hypotension in older men: a cross-sectional analysis from the British Regional Heart Study
Authors: Gilani Artaza , Ramsay Sheena E , Welsh Paul , Papacosta Olia , Lennon Lucy T , Whincup Peter H , Wannamethee S Goya
Published: July 2020

Background

orthostatic hypotension (OH) that occurs within, or at, 1 minute of standing is associated with higher risk of falls, myocardial infarction, syncope and mortality, compared to OH that occurs after 1 minute of standing. Whether vitamin D deficiency increases the risk of OH is controversial.

Methods

this was a cross-sectional analysis of 3,620 older, community-dwelling men. Multinomial, multiple logistic regression models were used to calculate the risk of OH across categories of vitamin D status (deficient [<25 nmol/l], insufficient [≥25–<50 nmol/l] and sufficient [≥50 nmol/l]) and parathyroid hormone quintile.

Results

men with vitamin D deficiency were more likely to have OH that occurred within 1 minute of standing in univariate logistic regression (OR 1.88, 95% CI 1.40–2.53) and multinomial, multiple logistic regression (OR 1.51, 95% CI 1.06–2.15), compared to men with sufficient levels of vitamin D. Vitamin D insufficiency was not associated with the risk of OH. Elevated parathyroid hormone was not associated with risk of OH.

Conclusion

the absence of an association between vitamin D insufficiency and risk of OH and the presence of an association between vitamin D deficiency and risk of OH suggest that there may be a threshold effect; it is only below a particular level of vitamin D that risk of OH is increased. In this cohort, the threshold was <25 nmol/l. Future work should investigate whether treating vitamin D deficiency can improve postural blood pressure or if preventing vitamin D deficiency reduces the incidence of OH.
Depictions of Alcohol in Australian TV ‘Bachelor In Paradise’: A Content Analysis
Authors: Purdey Annette L , Miller Caroline L , Bowden Jacqueline A
Published: July 2020

Aims

To quantify the depictions of alcohol in the popular Australian reality TV show—Bachelor in Paradise (season 1: 2018).

Methods

All 16 episodes were coded in 1-min intervals for the presence of alcoholic beverage related content and non-alcoholic beverage content, and the categories of actual use, implied use and other references.

Results

Alcohol was highly prevalent in all episodes. Alcohol content occurred frequently, with 70.7% of intervals having any alcohol content. Actual alcohol use occurred in 31.9% of 1-min intervals, implied alcohol use occurred in 63.4% of intervals and other alcohol references occurred in 14.0% of intervals. Alcohol content was present in the first or second 1-min interval of all 16 episodes. Alcohol content was more than twice as prevalent as non-alcoholic content (34.0%).

Conclusions

The high volume of alcohol content depicted in the show is of concern, due to the important influence it may have on the audience. Vulnerable viewers, especially minors and young adults, are being exposed to ubiquitous alcohol references. This may influence their perceptions of normal alcohol use, their attitudes toward alcohol and their own consumption of alcohol. A stronger regulatory regime is required in Australia to protect young people more effectively from depictions in television programs.
Galgo: a bi-objective evolutionary meta-heuristic identifies robust transcriptomic classifiers associated with patient outcome across multiple cancer types
Authors: Guerrero-Gimenez M E , Fernandez-Muñoz J M , Lang B J , Holton K M , Ciocca D R , Catania C A , Zoppino F C M
Published: July 2020

Motivation

Statistical and machine-learning analyses of tumor transcriptomic profiles offer a powerful resource to gain deeper understanding of tumor subtypes and disease prognosis. Currently, prognostic gene-expression signatures do not exist for all cancer types, and most developed to date have been optimized for individual tumor types. In Galgo, we implement a bi-objective optimization approach that prioritizes gene signature cohesiveness and patient survival in parallel, which provides greater power to identify tumor transcriptomic phenotypes strongly associated with patient survival.

Results

To compare the predictive power of the signatures obtained by Galgo with previously studied subtyping methods, we used a meta-analytic approach testing a total of 35 large population-based transcriptomic biobanks of four different cancer types. Galgo-generated colorectal and lung adenocarcinoma signatures were stronger predictors of patient survival compared to published molecular classification schemes. One Galgo-generated breast cancer signature outperformed PAM50, AIMS, SCMGENE and IntClust subtyping predictors. In high-grade serous ovarian cancer, Galgo signatures obtained similar predictive power to a consensus classification method. In all cases, Galgo subtypes reflected enrichment of gene sets related to the hallmarks of the disease, which highlights the biological relevance of the partitions found.

Availability and implementation

The open-source R package is available on www.github.com/harpomaxx/galgo.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Secondary Sanctions: A Weapon out of Control? The International Legality of, and European Responses to, US Secondary Sanctions
Authors: Ruys Tom , Ryngaert Cedric
Published: July 2020

The US is increasingly weaponizing economic sanctions to push through its foreign policy agenda. Making use of the centrality of the US in the global economy, it has imposed ‘secondary sanctions’ on foreign firms, which are forced to choose between trading with US sanctions targets or forfeiting access to the lucrative US market. In addition, the US has penalized foreign firms for breaching US sanctions legislation. In this contribution, it is argued that the international lawfulness of at least some secondary sanctions is doubtful in light of the customary international law of jurisdiction, as well as conventional international law (eg, WTO law). The lawfulness of these sanctions could be contested before various domestic and international judicial mechanisms, although each mechanism comes with its own limitations. To counter the adverse effects of secondary sanctions, third states and the EU can also make use of, and have already made use of, various non-judicial mechanisms, such as blocking statutes, special purpose vehicles to circumvent the reach of sanctions, or even countermeasures. The effectiveness of such mechanisms is, however, uncertain.
Leukocyte telomere length is associated with aggressive prostate cancer in localized African American prostate cancer patients
Authors: Tsai Chia-Wen , Chang Wen-Shin , Xu Junfeng , Xu Yifan , Huang Maosheng , Pettaway Curtis , Bau Da-Tian , Gu Jian
Published: July 2020

Telomeres play important roles in cancer initiation and progression. Leukocyte telomere length (LTL) has been associated with the risk and prognosis of several cancers, but its association with prostate cancer (PCa) prognosis in African Americans (AAs) has not been reported. In this study, we measured relative LTL from 317 AA PCa patients and assessed its associations with aggressive disease characteristics at diagnosis and biochemical recurrence (BCR) after radical prostatectomy and radiotherapy. LTL was shorter in patients with higher Gleason scores (GS) at diagnosis. Dichotomized into short and long LTL groups, patients with short LTL exhibited a 1.91-fold (95% confidence interval, CI, 1.14–3.20, P = 0.013) increased risk of being diagnosed with high-risk disease (GS =7 [4 + 3] and GS ≥8) than those with long LTL in multivariable logistic regression analysis. Moreover, shorter LTL was significantly associated with an increased risk of BCR (hazard ratio = 1.68, 95% CI, 1.18–11.44, P = 0.024) compared with longer LTL in localized patients receiving prostatectomy or radiotherapy in multivariable Cox analysis. Kaplan–Meier survival analysis showed patients with short LTL had significantly shorter BCR-free survival time than patients with long LTL (Log rank P = 0.011). In conclusion, our results showed for the first time that LTL was shorter in PCa patients with higher GS and short LTL was associated with worse prognosis in AA PCa patients receiving prostatectomy or radiotherapy.
Computation-Based Feature Representation of Body Expressions in the Human Brain
Authors: Poyo Solanas Marta , Vaessen Maarten , de Gelder Beatrice
Published: July 2020

Humans and other primate species are experts at recognizing body expressions. To understand the underlying perceptual mechanisms, we computed postural and kinematic features from affective whole-body movement videos and related them to brain processes. Using representational similarity and multivoxel pattern analyses, we showed systematic relations between computation-based body features and brain activity. Our results revealed that postural rather than kinematic features reflect the affective category of the body movements. The feature limb contraction showed a central contribution in fearful body expression perception, differentially represented in action observation, motor preparation, and affect coding regions, including the amygdala. The posterior superior temporal sulcus differentiated fearful from other affective categories using limb contraction rather than kinematics. The extrastriate body area and fusiform body area also showed greater tuning to postural features. The discovery of midlevel body feature encoding in the brain moves affective neuroscience beyond research on high-level emotion representations and provides insights in the perceptual features that possibly drive automatic emotion perception.
Association Between Male Sex and Outcomes of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)—A Danish Nationwide, Register-based Study
Authors: Kragholm Kristian , Andersen Mikkel Porsborg , Gerds Thomas A , Butt Jawad H , Østergaard Lauge , Polcwiartek Christoffer , Phelps Matthew , Andersson Charlotte , Gislason Gunnar H , Torp-Pedersen Christian , Køber Lars , Schou Morten , Fosbøl Emil L
Published: July 2020

Background and Objectives

Male sex has been associated with severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection. We examined the association between male sex and severe COVID-19 infection and if an increased risk remains after adjustment for age and comorbidities.

Methods

Nationwide register-based follow-up study of COVID-19 patients in Denmark until 16 May 2020. Average risk ratio comparing 30-day composite outcome of all-cause death, severe COVID-19 diagnosis or intensive care unit (ICU) admission for men versus women standardized to the age and comorbidity distribution of all patients were derived from multivariable Cox regression. Included covariates were age, hypertension, diagnoses including obesity, alcohol, sleep apnea, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, previous myocardial infarction (MI), ischemic heart disease (IHD), heart failure (HF), atrial fibrillation (AF), stroke, peripheral artery disease, cancer, liver, rheumatic, and chronic kidney disease (CKD).

Results

Of 4842 COVID-19 patients, 2281 (47.1%) were men. Median age was 57 [25%–75% 43–73] for men versus 52 [38–71] for women (P < .001); however, octogenarians had equal sex distribution. Alcohol diagnosis, diabetes, hypertension, sleep apnea, prior MI and IHD (all P < .001) as well as AF, stroke, and HF (all P = .01) were more often seen in men, and so was CKD (P = .03). Obesity diagnosis (P < .001) were more often seen in women. Other comorbidity differences were insignificant (P > .05). The fully adjusted average risk ratio was 1.63 [95% CI, 1.44–1.84].

Conclusions

Men with COVID-19 infection have >50% higher risk of all-cause death, severe COVID-19 infection, or ICU admission than women. The excess risk was not explained by age and comorbidities.
Obesity Is Associated With Increased Susceptibility to Influenza A (H1N1pdm) but Not H3N2 Infection
Authors: Maier Hannah E , Kuan Guillermina , Gresh Lionel , Lopez Roger , Sanchez Nery , Schiller Amy , Ojeda Sergio , Harris Eva , Balmaseda Angel , Gordon Aubree
Published: July 2020

Background

Obesity has been shown to increase the risk of severe outcomes and death for influenza virus infections. However, we do not understand the influence of obesity on susceptibility to infection or on nonsevere influenza outcomes.

Methods

We performed a case-ascertained, community-based study of influenza transmission within households in Nicaragua. To investigate whether obesity increases the likelihood of influenza infection and symptomatic infection we used logistic regression models.

Results

Between 2015 and 2018, a total of 335 index cases with influenza A and 1506 of their household contacts were enrolled. Obesity was associated with increased susceptibility to symptomatic H1N1pdm infection among adults (odds ratio [OR], 2.10; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.08–4.06) but not children, and this association increased with age. Among adults with H1N1pdm infection, obesity was associated with increased likelihood of symptoms (OR, 3.91; 95% CI, 1.55–9.87). For middle-aged and older adults with obesity there was also a slight increase in susceptibility to any H1N1pdm infection (OR, 1.20; 95% CI, .62–2.34). Body mass index (BMI) was also linearly associated with increased susceptibility to symptomatic H1N1pdm infection, primarily among middle-aged and older women (5-unit BMI increase OR, 1.40; 95% CI, 1.00–1.97). Obesity was not associated with increased H3N2 susceptibility or associated symptoms.

Conclusions

We found that, among adults, obesity is associated with susceptibility to H1N1pdm infection and with symptoms associated with H1N1pdm infection, but not with susceptibility to H3N2 infection or associated symptoms. These findings will help target prevention efforts and therapeutics to this high-risk population.
A Measles Outbreak in the Tel Aviv District, Israel, 2018–2019
Authors: Salama Matanelle , Indenbaum Vicki , Nuss Naama , Savion Michal , Mor Zohar , Amitai Ziva , Yoabob Irina , Sheffer Rivka
Published: July 2020

During a national measles outbreak in 2018–2019, the Tel Aviv District suffered a major upsurge of cases, with 413 patients reported. Among them, 100 (24%) were <1 year, 92 (22%) patients were aged 12 months to 4 years, 47 (11%) were 5–18 years, 169 (41%) were 19–60 years, and 5 (1%) patients were older than 61 years (born before 1957). Among all cases, 230 (56%) were part of the Ultra-Orthodox Jewish community, 55 (13%) were among undocumented African immigrants. Despite high vaccination coverage, sustained measles transmission occurred, due in part to importations and numerous exposures in medical settings by a susceptible birth cohort. The Ultra-Orthodox Jewish community was particularly afflicted due to its condense population, high birth rates, and multiple exposures in crowded religious settings. This outbreak demonstrates the necessity of addressing immunity gaps as well optimal healthcare planning in order to prevent future outbreaks.
Social positioning and Commons’s monetary theorising
Authors: Pratten Stephen
Published: July 2020

The argument of this paper is that the neglect of John Commons’s monetary theorising is in large part due to his contributions being insufficiently situated in his broader framework of analysis where community rights and duties are emphasised as essential features of social reality. It is further argued that the sophistication and significance of Commons’s account of money can be appreciated once it is recognised as a variant of the recently developed positioning theory of money. It is shown that the positioning theory of money in its modern form serves to clarify the aspects of Commons’s writings on money and can, in turn, be enriched by certain of Commons’s insights.