bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Water flux responses of tropical trees and lianas to foliage loss caused by a heavy hailstorm
Authors: Siddiq Zafar , Chen Ya‐Jun , Cao Kun‐Fang
Published: March 2021

Large‐diameter hail is unusual in the lowland tropics; consequently, its impact on water flux responses of trees and lianas due to foliage loss is unknown. In December 2012, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden (21°55′N) in southern Yunnan, China, experienced the most severe hailstorm in approximately 30 years, with hailstones of 8‐ to 17‐mm diameter falling for 10–30 min. We assessed the effect of this hailstorm on sap flux density (SFD) in response to foliage loss in six tree and three liana species. Among the trees, for a given atmospheric vapour pressure deficit (VPD), Tectona grandis and Dipterocarpus tuberculatus showed a significant reduction in sap flux density and water use during the post‐hailstorm week in comparison to pre‐hailstorm week. In contrast, a liana Ventilago calyculata showed a significant increase in SFD during the first post‐hailstorm week, whereas the other tree and liana species showed no significant change in their SFD and water use. T. grandis also showed visible wilting during the first 5 days post‐hailstorm. However, this tree species showed recovery from wilting and also no more reduction in SFD after ~7–9 days. D. tuberculatus also showed SFD recovery a week post‐hailstorm. We conclude that the impact of a heavy hailstorm on the water flux of tropical trees and lianas was mild or neglectable. Our study documented a rare severe hailstorm occurrence and its impact on ecosystem processes of tropical forest and enhances our understanding about water flux of tropical woody species exposed to hailstorm.
Task‐specific efficient channel selection and bias management for Gabor function channelized Hotelling observer model for the assessment of x‐ray angiography system performance
Authors: Gomez‐Cardona Daniel , Favazza Christopher P. , Leng Shuai , Schueler Beth A. , Fetterly Kenneth A.
Published: March 2021

Purpose

Channelized Hotelling observer (CHO) models have been implemented to assess imaging performance in x‐ray angiography systems. While current methods are appropriate for assessing unprocessed images of moving test objects upon uniform‐exposure backgrounds, they are inadequate for assessing conditions which more appropriately mimic clinical imaging conditions including the combination of moving test objects, complex anthropomorphic backgrounds, and image processing. In support of this broad goal, the purpose of this work was to develop theory and methods to automatically select a subset of task‐specific efficient Gabor channels from a task‐generic Gabor channel base set. Also, previously described theory and methods to manage detectability index (d′) bias due to nonrandom temporal variations in image electronic noise will be revisited herein.

Methods

Starting with a base set of 96 Gabor channels, backward elimination of channels was used to automatically identify an “efficient” channel subset which reduced the number of channels retained in the subset while maintaining the magnitude of the d′ estimate. The concept of a pixelwise Hotelling observer (PHO) model was introduced and similarly implemented to assess the performance of the efficient‐channel CHO model. Bias in d′ estimates arising from temporally variable nonstationary noise was modeled as a bivariate probability density function for normal distributions, where one variable corresponds to the signal from the test object and the other variable corresponds to the signal from temporally variable nonstationary noise. Theory and methods were tested on uniform‐exposure unprocessed angiography images with detector target dose (DTD) of 6, 18, and 120 nGy containing static disk‐shaped test objects with diameter in the range of 0.5 to 4 mm.

Results

Considering all DTD levels and test object sizes, the proposed method reduced the number of Gabor channels in the final subset by 63–82% compared to the original 96 Gabor channel base set, while maintaining a mean relative performance () of 95%  4% with respect to the reference PHO model. Experimental results demonstrated that the bivariate approach to account for bias due to temporally variable nonstationary noise resulted in improved correlation between the CHO and PHO models as compared to a previously proposed univariate approach.

Conclusions

Computationally efficient backward elimination can be used to select an efficient subset of Gabor channels from an initial channel base set without substantially compromising the magnitude of the d′ estimate. Bias due to temporally variable nonstationary noise can be modeled through a bivariate approach leading to an improved unbiased estimate of d′.
Characterization of Roselle fiber composites for low load bearing structures
Authors: Kazi Atik Mubarak , D. Devika , Waddar Sunil , D. V. A. Ramasastry
Published: March 2021

The influence of weaving architecture on mechanical and dynamic mechanical properties of woven roselle fiber epoxy composite has been investigated. Plain, twill, satin, and basket type weaving patterns are considered for this study. Hand lay‐up process is used to produce the woven composites. Mechanical tests (tensile, flexural, and impact test) and dynamic mechanical analysis are conducted according to ASTM standards for material characterization. Results revealed that basket type architecture of woven roselle fiber epoxy composite has better tensile, flexural, and impact strengths. Woven composites have improved storage modulus in comparison with neat epoxy. Woven composites have 3% to 15% lower glass transition temperature than that of neat epoxy. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis is carried out to correlate the experimental findings. SEM images showed evidence of fiber pullout and cracks near fiber bundle, which indicates non‐uniform transfer of stress from fiber to the matrix.
Poly‐ether‐ether‐ketone and implant dentistry: the future of mimicking natural dentition is now!
Authors: de Araújo Nobre Miguel , Moura Guedes Carlos , Almeida Ricardo , Silva António
Published: March 2021

The current results of the application of the polymer poly‐ether‐ether‐ketone in implant dentistry are reported with highlight on the benefit for the implant biological outcome while representing an alternative to metal. © 2021 Society of Industrial Chemistry.
Highly reinforcing effect of polycarbonate/poly(ethylene terephthalate) blends by formation of orientation microfibrillar structure
Authors: Liu Juan , Zhao Xiaowen , Ye Lin
Published: March 2021

Highly oriented microfibrillar polycarbonate/poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PC/PET) blends were prepared. Before orientation, the molecular chains of the blends were mostly randomly arranged with a low crystallinity, and low mechanical properties were obtained. Under stress, it was difficult for molecular chains of the amorphous PC phase in blends to form an oriented crystalline structure. With increasing draw ratio, the crystallinity and orientation degree of the PET phase increased, forming a dense lamellar structure with reduced crystalline and amorphous layer thickness, while with increasing PET content the crystalline orientation degree of the PET phase increased with larger sized lamellae. Moreover, the cross‐section of the oriented sample showed an obvious ordered microfibrillar bundle structure, which arranged compactly and orderly along the drawing direction. The tensile strength and modulus of the oriented PC/20 wt% PET sample were up to 126.01 and 7170.10 MPa, which were 66.48% and 317.49% respectively higher than those of pure PC. Therefore, the stress‐induced oriented microfibrillar structure of the PET phase exhibited a highly reinforcing effect on the PC phase and the blend. © 2021 Society of Industrial Chemistry.
Determining distribution coefficients for low cost adsorbents
Authors: Das Gautham P. , Alibrandi Astrid
Published: March 2021

As with other construction materials, coal fly ash contains trace metals that can leach into the natural environment. As part of a broader effort to encourage appropriate coal combustion product use in infrastructure applications (e.g., road construction, stabilization, and structural fill), this study evaluated traditional and low‐cost adsorbent alternatives for their capacity to attenuate trace metals. Batch sorption tests were used as a preliminary screen for a wide variety of low cost (e.g., steel byproducts, rubber dust, and compost) and innovative materials (e.g., kudzu, biofilm, and pond weed) as well as conventional materials (activated carbon, alumina, and zeolites). The removal rates were demonstrated in this study by observing the calculated distribution coefficient (Kd) which were determined using a program called MATLAB. Limestone and steel byproducts were found to be particularly effective with large Kd values of 15,740, 1,520, and 540 L kg−1 for cadmium, chromium, and selenium and, for ladle refractory and mill scale, Kd values of 3,910, 670, and 1,760 L kg−1 were observed. Among the three metals tested for this study, it was observed that most low cost and innovative materials removed cadmium quite efficiently; however, the removal of selenium and chromium depended on the substrate and prevailing pH. In general, these results suggest that alternative materials may have relevance in niche applications where leaching is a concern that can be addressed through enhanced attenuation capacity via blending or layering of adsorbents.
Rhodamine‐Based Fluorescence ‘Turn‐On’ Chemosensor: Detection of Fe3+Ion in Aqueous Medium and MCF‐7 Live Cells
Authors: Badekar Pooja S. , Thakur Garima C. N. , Varma Mokshada E. , Ghatpande Niraj S. , Kulkarni Prasad P. , Kumbhar Anupa A.
Published: March 2021

Rhodamine‐based reversible fluorescence turn‐on chemosensor appended with ‘N’ and ‘O’ donor atoms as chelating moieties has been synthesized for the selective detection of Fe3+ ion over other competitive metal ions in aqueous medium. Designed probe indicated color change to pink with lower limit of detection at 1.93×10−7 M exhibiting high sensitivity toward Fe3+ ion. Sensing mechanism was established by HRMS and NMR titration studies. The probe was successfully applied for the detection of Fe3+ ions in live MCF‐7 cells.
Interference Free Simultaneous Detection of Dihydroxy Benzene Isomers at Cost‐effective and Reliable Celestine Blue Modified Glassy Carbon Electrode
Authors: Ganesh Pattan‐Siddappa , Shimoga Ganesh , Lee Seok‐Han , Kim Sang‐Youn , Ebenso Eno E.
Published: March 2021

A successful cyclic voltammetric electropolymerisation and electrochemical characterization of celestine blue (CB) was achieved on glassy carbon electrode (GCE). The fabricated electrode was then used for the electroanalysis of hydroquinone (HQ) and catechol (CC). Due to the improved electrocatalytic activity of the fabricated electrode, an interference free simultaneous detection of CC by HQ was observed. The scan rate studies suggest the diffusion‐controlled kinetics phenomenon at the modified electrode. Concentration studies, yielding a limit of detection (LoD) of 0.0491 μM and 0.0456 μM for CC and HQ respectively in the first linear range of 0 to 40 μM, limit of detection of 0.0621 μM and 0.0638 μM for CC and HQ respectively in the second linear range of 50 to 120 μM, which were relatively lower as compared to previous reports was achieved by using differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). In order to evaluate the analytical performance of the CB/GCE, tap water sample analysis was carried out and good recovery results were obtained.
Forward dijets in proton-nucleus collisions at next-to-leading order: the real corrections
Authors: Iancu Edmond , Mulian Yair
Published: March 2021

Abstract

Using the CGC effective theory together with the hybrid factorisation, we study forward dijet production in proton-nucleus collisions beyond leading order. In this paper, we compute the “real” next-to-leading order (NLO) corrections, i.e. the radiative corrections associated with a three-parton final state, out of which only two are being measured. To that aim, we start by revisiting our previous results for the three-parton cross-section presented in [1]. After some reshuffling of terms, we deduce new expressions for these results, which not only look considerably simpler, but are also physically more transparent. We also correct several errors in this process. The real NLO corrections to inclusive dijet production are then obtained by integrating out the kinematics of any of the three final partons. We explicitly work out the interesting limits where the unmeasured parton is either a soft gluon, or the product of a collinear splitting. We find the expected results in both limits: the B-JIMWLK evolution of the leading-order dijet cross-section in the first case (soft gluon) and, respectively, the DGLAP evolution of the initial and final states in the second case (collinear splitting). The “virtual” NLO corrections to dijet production will be presented in a subsequent publication.
Spontaneous CP violation by modulus τ in A4 model of lepton flavors
Authors: Okada Hiroshi , Tanimoto Morimitsu
Published: March 2021

Abstract

We discuss the modular A4 invariant model of leptons combining with the generalized CP symmetry. In our model, both CP and modular symmetries are broken spontaneously by the vacuum expectation value of the modulus τ. The source of the CP violation is a non-trivial value of Re[τ] while other parameters of the model are real. The allowed region of τ is in very narrow one close to the fixed point τ = i for both normal hierarchy (NH) and inverted ones (IH) of neutrino masses. The CP violating Dirac phase δCP is predicted clearly in [98°, 110°] and [250°, 262°] for NH at 3 σ confidence level. On the other hand, δCP is in [95°, 100°] and [260°, 265°] for IH at 5 σ confidence level. The predicted ∑mi is in [82, 102] meV for NH and ∑mi = [134, 180] meV for IH. The effective mass 〈mee〉 for the 0νββ decay is predicted in [12.5, 20.5] meV and [54, 67] meV for NH and IH, respectively.
Author Correction: Evening types have social jet lag and metabolic alterations in school-age children
Authors: Martínez-Lozano Nuria , Barraco Gloria Maria , Rios Rafael , Ruiz Maria José , Tvarijonaviciute Asta , Fardy Paul , Madrid Juan Antonio , Garaulet Marta
Published: March 2021

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.
Metal halide perovskites as an emergent catalyst for CO2 photoreduction: a minireview
Authors: Méndez-Galván Melissa , Alcántar-Vázquez Brenda , Diaz Gabriela , Ibarra Ilich A. , Lara-García Hugo A.
Published: March 2021

The present minireview summarizes recent advances in the application of metal halide perovskite for CO2 photoreduction.
Euthanasia of laying hens: an overview
Authors: Jongman Ellen C. , Fisher Andrew D.
Published: March 2021

Euthanasia of an animal requires that its death occurs in as humane a manner as possible. There are three key scenarios for euthanasia in the egg industry: the humane destruction of day-old male chicks, euthanasia of individual birds, and the depopulation of flocks for disease control or because conventional transport and slaughter is uneconomic. For day-old chicks, instant mechanical maceration, although conditionally humane, presents a public perception problem. Submerging in CO2 gas is less confronting but is thought to be aversive to animals unless more expensive and harder to manage inert gases are incorporated. Future technologies involving pre-hatching sex determination or sex selection may largely solve the problem when fully developed. For the euthanasia of individual birds within the flock, manual cervical dislocation has been shown to be humane when performed by trained personnel who are willing to perform the procedure. Penetrating and non-penetrating mechanical devices that cause irreversible brain trauma are becoming more available and represent a humane alternative to cervical dislocation when properly placed and maintained. These devices may be less confronting for some staff to use than is cervical dislocation. For whole-flock euthanasia, the overwhelming requirements of disease control and public safety may override considerations of euthanasia. Whole-shed CO2 (or other gas combinations) and foam-based alternatives can be used, but have challenges in commercial settings. Modified atmosphere killing units or low atmospheric stunning systems are alternatives that overcome some of these practical problems, but do require birds to be handled.
Effect of increasing dietary proportion of plantain on milk production and nitrogen use of grazing dairy cows in late lactation
Authors: Nkomboni Daniel , Bryant Racheal H. , Edwards Grant R.
Published: March 2021

Abstract Context Plantain has shown promise as a forage that can mitigate nitrogen (N) losses from farm systems, although adoption and regulation requires knowledge of the minimum amount of forage area or diet quantity to observe an effect. Aims A grazing study was conducted to evaluate the effect of offering increasing proportions of spatially adjacent plantain (PL) and perennial ryegrass–white clover (PRGWC) on milk production and N utilisation of dairy cows. Methods Forty-eight late lactating cows blocked into replicated (n = 3) groups of four cows were randomly allocated to one of the following four forage treatments based on percentage area of plantain: 0%, 15%, 30%, or 60%. Cows were allocated 25 kg DM/cow.day of forage above ground level daily on the basis of metabolisable energy requirements. Dry matter intake was estimated from the difference between pre- and post-grazing pasture mass, using a calibrated electronic rising-plate meter. Milk production was measured as yield and milk solids, while N use was estimated from total milk N excretion and spot subsamples of blood, urine and faeces. Key results Offering cows spatially adjacent strips of PL increased apparent dry matter intake compared with PRGWC pasture alone (16.4 vs 15.1 kg DM/cow.day, P = 0.027) and apparent metabolisable energy intake (203 vs 188 MJ/kg.cow.day, P < 0.001). Milk yield (16.1 kg/cow.day), milk solids production (1.6 kg/cow.day) and fat concentration (5.69%) were unaffected by the proportion of plantain in the diet. PL offered at 60% of the area increased milk protein concentration compared with PRGWC (4.65 vs 4.36%, P < 0.01). There was no treatment effect on total apparent N intake (563 g N/cow.day), N excretion in milk (113 g N/cow.day) and N-utilisation efficiency (20 g milk N/100 g N consumed). However, total milk urea, blood urea and urine urea N concentrations declined with increasing plantain in the diet, reflecting an influence on urea metabolism. Conclusions Offering plantain to grazing dairy cows did not improve milk yield or N-use efficiency, but influenced urea metabolism. Implications Sowing plantain in spatially separate strips within perennial ryegrass–white clover pastures is a useful option to achieve target levels of plantain in the diet and, in conjunction with other mitigation strategies, can be used to improve the sustainability of pastoral dairy farming.
Venus phosphine discovery sparks fallout
Authors: Cooper Keith
Published: March 2021

The recent discovery of phosphine in the clouds of Venus has triggered an unsavoury debate among astronomers. Keith Cooper reports
Scottish specialists
Authors: Bailey Andrew
Published: March 2021

As a physics teacher working in Scotland, it struck me that recent articles in Physics World on the subject of education were mostly discussing England since education in the UK is a devolved responsibility
Timing of Repeat Ultrasound Examination in Treatment of Stable Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip
Authors: Theunissen Wesley W.E.S. , van der Steen Marieke , van Douveren Florens Q.M.P. , Witlox Adhiambo M.A. , Tolk Jaap J.
Published: March 2021

Background:

Worldwide a wide variation exists in duration of Pavlik harness treatment for infants up to 6 months with stable developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH). The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether shortening the time to first routine follow-up ultrasound after initiation of Pavlik harness treatment would reduce treatment duration and whether this influenced radiologic outcome at 1 year of age. Furthermore, predictors of higher acetabular index (AI) at 1 year of age were investigated.

Methods:

A retrospective study was conducted in infants with stable DDH (Graf IIb and IIc) diagnosed and treated between 2015 and 2017. Two groups were identified: first routine follow-up ultrasound at 12 weeks after Pavlik harness initiation (group I) and first routine follow-up ultrasound at 6 weeks after Pavlik harness initiation (group II). In both groups, treatment was continued until repeat ultrasound measurements (every 6 wk) showed a normalized hip. Radiologic outcome at 1 year of age was defined as residual dysplasia measured on an anteroposterior hip radiograph according to the Tönnis table.

Results:

A total of 222 infants were included. The median time of Pavlik harness treatment was 12 weeks (interquartile range, 11.9 to 12.3) in group I compared with 6.1 weeks (interquartile range, 6.0 to 7.5) in group II (P<0.001). Residual dysplasia at 1 year of age was detected in 20 infants (16.8%) in group I compared with 11 infants (10.7%) in group II (P=0.189). The multivariable prediction model showed that positive family history and lower baseline alpha angle correlate with a higher AI at 1 year of age.

Conclusions:

First routine follow-up ultrasound can be safely brought forward from 12 to 6 weeks after Pavlik harness initiation. Furthermore, infants with a positive family history for DDH and an initial low alpha angle are at higher risk to have a higher AI at 1 year of age.

Level of Evidence:

Level III—retrospective study.
Cerebral Microbleeds and Intracranial Hemorrhages in Adult Patients on Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation—Autopsy Study
Authors: Hwang Jaeho , Caturegli Giorgio , White Bartholomew , Chen Liam , Cho Sung-Min
Published: March 2021

Objectives:

Current studies lack robust information on the prevalence and associated factors of cerebral microbleeds in patients who underwent extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.

Design:

Retrospective analysis.

Setting:

We reviewed patients who underwent (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) and subsequent brain autopsy with gross and microscopic examinations from January 2009 to December 2018 from a single tertiary center.

Patients:

Twenty-five extracorporeal membrane oxygenation patients (median age, 53 yr; interquartile range, 36–61 yr; 17 women and 8 men) underwent brain autopsy.

Interventions:

Descriptive analysis of neuropathologic findings. Cerebral microbleed was defined as a small focus (< 10 mm diameter) of accumulation of blood product in the brain tissue. Macrohemorrhage was defined as any of the grossly identifiable epidural, subdural, subarachnoid, or intraparenchymal hemorrhages larger than 10 mm.

Measurement and Main Results:

Of 25 (22 venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation; three venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation), 15 patients (60%) were found to have cerebral microbleeds, whereas 13 (52%) had macrohemorrhages, of whom five (20%) had both. Overall, 92% of brains demonstrated the presence of either cerebral microbleeds or macrohemorrhages after extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support. Of the patients with cerebral microbleeds, lobar cerebral microbleeds (80%) occurred more frequently than deep cerebral microbleeds (60%), with 40% of patients having both types. The cases of macrohemorrhages consisted of one epidural (8%), two subdural (15%), and 10 subarachnoid hemorrhages (77%). In univariate analyses, the presence of macrohemorrhages was significantly associated with the presence of cerebral microbleeds (p = 0.03) with odds ratio of 0.13 (CI, 0.02–0.82). Age, sex, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation duration, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation type, use of aspirin or dialysis during extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support, bloodstream infections, hemoglobin, platelets, and coagulopathy profiles were not associated with cerebral microbleeds.

Conclusions:

In patients with postmortem neuropathologic evaluation, 92% sustained acute cerebral microbleeds or macrohemorrhages after extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support. Cerebral microbleeds were commonly present in the majority of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation nonsurvivors. Further research is necessary to study the long-term sequelae, such as cognitive outcome of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation-associated cerebral microbleeds in extracorporeal membrane oxygenation survivors.
Critical Care Management of the Patient With Anaphylaxis: A Concise Definitive Review
Authors: Krishnaswamy Guha
Published: March 2021

OBJECTIVES:

Anaphylaxis is a rapidly progressive life-threatening syndrome manifesting as pruritus, urticaria, angioedema, bronchospasm and shock. The goal of this synthetic review is to provide a practical, updated approach to the evaluation and management of this disorder and associated complications.

DATA SOURCES:

A MEDLINE search was conducted with the MeSH of anaphylaxis, anaphylactic reaction, anaphylactic shock, refractory anaphylaxis and subheadings of diagnosis, classification, epidemiology, complications and pharmacology. The level of evidence supporting an intervention was evaluated based on the availability of randomized studies, expert opinion, case studies, reviews, practice parameters and other databases (including Cochrane).

STUDY SELECTION:

Selected publications describing anaphylaxis, clinical trials, diagnosis, mechanisms, risk factors and management were retrieved (reviews, guidelines, clinical trials, case series) and their bibliographies were also reviewed to identify relevant publications.

DATA EXTRACTION:

Data from the relevant publications were reviewed, summarized and the information synthesized.

DATA SYNTHESIS:

This is a synthetic review and the data obtained from a literature review was utilized to describe current trends in the diagnosis and management of the patient with anaphylaxis with a special emphasis on newer evolving concepts of anaphylaxis endotypes and phenotypes, management of refractory anaphylaxis in the ICU setting and review of therapeutic options for the elderly patient, or the complicated patient with severe cardiorespiratory complications. Most of the recommendations come from practice parameters, case studies or expert opinions, with a dearth of randomized trials to support specific interventions.

CONCLUSION:

Anaphylaxis is a rapidly progressive life-threatening disorder. The critical care physician needs to be familiar with the diagnosis, differential diagnosis, evaluation, and management of anaphylaxis. Skilled intervention in ICUs may be required for the patient with complicated, severe, or refractory anaphylaxis.
Benefits of a Multidisciplinary Women’s Sexual Health Clinic in the Management of Sexual and Menopausal Symptoms After Pelvic Radiotherapy
Authors: Li Jessie Y. , D’Addario Johanna , Tymon-Rosario Joan , Menderes Gulden , Young Melissa R. , Johung Kimberly , Ratner Elena , Minkin Mary Jane , Damast Shari
Published: March 2021

Objective:

The objective of this study was to examine patterns of care and outcomes of female cancer patients treated for sexual and menopausal symptoms following pelvic radiotherapy (PRT) at our institution’s multidisciplinary Sexuality, Intimacy, and Menopause (SIMS) Program.

Materials and Methods:

We performed a retrospective review of 69 female patients who received PRT for gynecologic or gastrointestinal malignancies and were referred for SIMS Program intervention. Indications for referral and treatment patterns were summarized. Preintervention and postintervention, patients were screened at follow-up visits, and symptoms were recorded. Statistics were performed using Stata 13.1.

Results:

Cancer types included cervical (53.6%), endometrial (31.9%), anorectal (5.8%), and vulvar/vaginal (8.7%). The median age was 48 years (interquartile range: 38 to 58 y). Patients were educated on vaginal lubricants, moisturizers, and dilator therapy both before and after PRT. Reasons for SIMS referral included persistent menopausal symptoms (50.7%), dyspareunia (40.6%), vaginal dryness (37.7%), decreased libido (17.4%), intimacy concerns (17.4%), and/or physical examination alterations (27.5%). SIMS interventions included vaginal estrogen (77.3%), nonhormonal climacteric interventions (53%), systemic hormone therapy (31.8%), dehydroepiandrosterone (4.6%), testosterone cream (4.6%), and/or psychological pharmacotherapy or counseling (13.6%). With a median follow-up of 36 months (interquartile range: 18 to 58 mo), sexual symptoms improved or were stable in 83.6%, while menopausal symptoms improved or were stable in 80.5%.

Conclusions:

This study highlights the importance of multidisciplinary care in improving the sexual and menopausal symptoms of women after PRT. Future work examining the impact of intervention timing with respect to PRT and measures of patient satisfaction is warranted.
Clinical Manifestation, Evaluation, and Rehabilitative Strategy of Dysphagia Associated With COVID-19
Authors: Aoyagi Yoichiro , Inamoto Yoko , Shibata Seiko , Kagaya Hitoshi , Otaka Yohei , Saitoh Eiichi
Published: March 2021

Dysphagia is the difficulty in swallowing because of the presence of certain diseases; it particularly compromises the oral and/or pharyngeal stages. In severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection, neuromuscular complications, prolonged bed rest, and endotracheal intubation target different levels of the swallowing network. Thus, critically ill patients are prone to dysphagia and aspiration pneumonia. In this review, we first discuss the possible cause and pathophysiology underlying dysphagia associated with coronavirus disease 2019, including cerebrovascular events, such as stroke, encephalomyelitis, encephalopathy, peripheral neuropathy, and myositis, that may lead to the dysphagia reported as a complication associated with the coronavirus disease 2019. Next, we present some recommendations for dysphagia evaluation with modifications that would allow a safe and comprehensive assessment based on available evidence to date, including critical considerations of the appropriate use of personal protective equipment and optimization individual’s noninstrumental swallowing tasks evaluation, while preserving instrumental assessments for urgent cases only. Finally, we discuss a practical managing strategy for dysphagia rehabilitation to ensure safe and efficient practice in the risks of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 exposure, in which swallowing therapy using newer technology, such as telerehabilitation system or wearable device, would be considered as a useful option.
Assessing intrastate shipments from interstate data and expert opinion
Authors: Brommesson Peter , Sellman Stefan , Beck-Johnson Lindsay , Hallman Clayton , Murrieta Deedra , Webb Colleen T. , Miller Ryan S. , Portacci Katie , Lindström Tom
Published: March 2021

Live animal shipments are a potential route for transmitting animal diseases between holdings and are crucial when modelling spread of infectious diseases. Yet, complete contact networks are not available in all countries, including the USA. Here, we considered a 10% sample of Interstate Certificate of Veterinary Inspections from 1 year (2009). We focused on distance dependence in contacts and investigated how different functional forms affect estimates of unobserved intrastate shipments. To further enhance our predictions, we included responses from an expert elicitation survey about the proportion of shipments moving intrastate. We used hierarchical Bayesian modelling to estimate parameters describing the kernel and effects of expert data. We considered three functional forms of spatial kernels and the inclusion or exclusion of expert data. The resulting six models were ranked by widely applicable information criterion (WAIC) and deviance information criterion (DIC) and evaluated through within- and out-of-sample validation. We showed that predictions of intrastate shipments were mildly influenced by the functional form of the spatial kernel but kernel shapes that permitted a fat tail at large distances while maintaining a plateau-shaped behaviour at short distances better were preferred. Furthermore, our study showed that expert data may not guarantee enhanced predictions when expert estimates are disparate.
Pup ultrasonic isolation calls of six gerbil species and the relationship between acoustic traits and body size
Authors: Kozhevnikova Julia D. , Volodin Ilya A. , Zaytseva Alexandra S. , Ilchenko Olga G. , Volodina Elena V.
Published: March 2021

Among Gerbillinae rodents, ultrasonic calls of adults of small-sized species are typically higher frequency than those of adults of large-sized species. This study investigates whether a similar relationship can be found in pups of six gerbil species (Dipodillus campestris,Gerbillus perpallidus,Meriones unguiculatus,Meriones vinogradovi,Sekeetamys calurusandPachyuromys duprasi). We compared the average values of acoustic variables (duration, fundamental and peak frequency) of ultrasonic calls (20 calls per pup, 1200 in total) recorded from 6- to 10-day-old pups (10 pups per species, 60 in total) isolated for 2 min at 22°C and then weighed and measured for body variables. The longest calls (56 ± 33 ms) were found in the largest species, and the highest frequency calls (74.8 ± 5.59 kHz) were found in the smallest species. However, across species, call duration (ranging from 56 to 159 ms among species) did not display a significant relationship with pup body size; and, among frequency variables, only the minimum fundamental frequency depended on pup body size. Discriminant analysis assigned 100% of calls to the correct species. The effect of species identity on the acoustics was stronger than the effect of body size. We discuss these results with the hypotheses of acoustic adaptation, social complexity, hearing ranges and phylogeny.
No exploitation of temporal sequence context during visual search
Authors: Bouwkamp Floortje G. , de Lange Floris P. , Spaak Eelke
Published: March 2021

The human visual system can rapidly extract regularities from our visual environment, generating predictive context. It has been shown that spatial predictive context can be used during visual search. We set out to see whether observers can additionally exploit temporal predictive context based on sequence order, using an extended version of a contextual cueing paradigm. Though we replicated the contextual cueing effect, repeating search scenes in a structured order versus a random order yielded no additional behavioural benefit. This was also true when we looked specifically at participants who revealed a sensitivity to spatial predictive context. We argue that spatial predictive context during visual search is more readily learned and subsequently exploited than temporal predictive context, potentially rendering the latter redundant. In conclusion, unlike spatial context, temporal context is not automatically extracted and used during visual search.
Multithreaded two-pass connected components labelling and particle analysis in ImageJ
Authors: Doube Michael
Published: March 2021

Sequential region labelling, also known as connected components labelling, is a standard image segmentation problem that joins contiguous foreground pixels into blobs. Despite its long development history and widespread use across diverse domains such as bone biology, materials science and geology, connected components labelling can still form a bottleneck in image processing pipelines. Here, I describe a multithreaded implementation of classical two-pass sequential region labelling and introduce an efficient collision resolution step, ‘
bucket fountain’
. Code was validated on test images and against commercial software (Avizo). It was performance tested on images from 2 MB (161 particles) to 6.5 GB (437 508 particles) to determine whether theoretical linear scaling (
O
(n)) had been achieved, and on 1–40 CPU threads to measure speed improvements due to multithreading. The new implementation achieves linear scaling (
b
= 0.905–1.052,
time
∝

pixels
b

;
R
2
= 0.985–0.996), which improves with increasing thread number up to 8–16 threads, suggesting that it is memory bandwidth limited. This new implementation of sequential region labelling reduces the time required from hours to a few tens of seconds for images of several GB, and is limited only by hardware scale. It is available open source and free of charge in BoneJ.
Facile fabrication of polymer network using click chemistry and their computational study
Authors: Ahmed Md. Kausar , Kumer Ajoy , Imran Abu Bin
Published: March 2021

Click reaction is a very fast, high yield with no by-product, biocompatible, tolerant to surrounded medium, and very specific cycloaddition reaction between azides and alkynes to form triazole. They are widely being employed in the synthesis of various polymeric materials. Here, the design, fabrication and characterization of hydrogel prepared using click reaction have been reported. At first, telechelic acetylene precursor for click reaction is prepared from diisocyanatohexane and propargyl alcohol in the presence of triethylamine. The azide derivatives of poly(hydroxyethylmethacrylate), i.e. poly(HEMA), are successfully prepared following two different routes. In route 1, esterification of bromopropionic acid is performed with HEMA monomer using
N,N′-
dicyclohexylcarbodiimide/4-dimethylaminopyridine (DCC/DMAP) as a catalyst followed by replacing bromide by azide moiety. Free radical polymerization of the fabricated monomer is then performed under N
2
atmosphere using azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) as an initiator. In route 2, polymerization of HEMA has been carried out first, then modification of the polymer with azide group via successive steps to obtain azide derivative polymer for click reaction. The hydrogel is prepared by a very fast, highly specific, and simple click reaction between azide derivative polymer and telechelic acetylene precursor using copper as a catalyst. The structures of derivatives of azide-functionalized HEMA, acetylene precursors and hydrogels are confirmed by FTIR and
1
H-NMR spectroscopy. The optimized structure of each precursor is determined, and their chemical and thermodynamic parameters are computationally studied in detail.
An overview of the National COVID-19 Chest Imaging Database: data quality and cohort analysis
Authors: Cushnan Dominic , Bennett Oscar , Berka Rosalind , Bertolli Ottavia , Chopra Ashwin , Dorgham Samie , Favaro Alberto , Ganepola Tara , Halling-Brown Mark , Imreh Gergely , Jacob Joseph , Jefferson Emily , Lemarchand François , Schofield Daniel , Wyatt Jeremy C ,   NCCID Collaborative
Published: March 2021

The National COVID-19 Chest Imaging Database (NCCID) is a centralised database containing chest X-rays, chest Computed Tomography (CT) scans and cardiac Magnetic Resonance Images (MRI) from patients across the UK, jointly established by NHSX, the British Society of Thoracic Imaging (BSTI), Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust (RSNFT) and Faculty. The objective of the initiative is to support a better understanding of the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 disease (COVID-19) and development of machine learning (ML) technologies that will improve care for patients hospitalised with a severe COVID-19 infection. The NCCID is now accumulating data from 20 NHS Trusts and Health Boards across England and Wales, with a total contribution of approximately 25,000 imaging studies in the training set (at time of writing) and is actively being used as a research tool by several organisations. This paper introduces the training dataset, including a snapshot analysis performed by NHSX covering: the completeness of clinical data, the availability of image data for the various use-cases (diagnosis, prognosis and longitudinal risk) and potential model confounders within the imaging data. The aim is to inform both existing and potential data users of the NCCID’s suitability for developing diagnostic/prognostic models. In addition, a cohort analysis was performed to measure the representativeness of the NCCID to the wider COVID-19 affected population. Three major aspects were included: geographic, demographic and temporal coverage, revealing good alignment in some categories, e.g., sex and identifying areas for improvements to data collection methods, particularly with respect to geographic coverage. All analyses and discussions are focused on the implications for building ML tools that will generalise well to the clinical use cases.
Analysing the interplay between the right to health and pharmaceutical patent rights in the introduction of a COVID-19 vaccine into the Philippines
Authors: Cerilles Jr Mario C. , Fernan Harry Gwynn Omar M.
Published: March 2021

Purpose

The COVID-19 pandemic has devastated economies and public health systems across the globe, increasing the anticipation for the creation of an effective vaccine. With this comes the reinforcement of debates between the right to health and pharmaceutical patent rights. The purpose of this study is to illustrate how the Philippines could attempt to balance the right to health with pharmaceutical patent rights in the introduction of a potential COVID-19 vaccine into the country.

Design/methodology/approach

This will be accomplished through an examination of the flexibilities allowed by international agreements and domestic patent laws.

Findings

With the economic and health challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Philippine Government will have a strong justification to pursue parallel importation and compulsory licencing under the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights. This is exacerbated by the bold leadership of President Duterte, whose administration has so far shown a propensity to decide in favor of the right to health at the expense of other rights in dealing with the pandemic.

Originality/value

While this paper focuses on the Philippines, it has a potential application in the least developed and developing countries which aim to gain access to a prospective COVID-19 vaccine. Moreover, while this study discusses the harmonization of laws on the right to health and patent laws as a solution to the COVID-19 pandemic and the lack of access to vaccines, it also calls for solutions that go beyond the application of the law.
Alien fish eradication from high mountain lakes by multiple removal methods: Estimating residual abundance and eradication probability in open populations
Authors: Tiberti Rocco , Buchaca Teresa , Boiano Daniel , Knapp Roland A. , Pou Rovira Quim , Tavecchia Giacomo , Ventura Marc , Tenan Simone
Published: March 2021

Invasive alien species are among the most important threats to biodiversity. Plans for their eradication have been implemented worldwide but estimating residual population size and eradication probability to assess removal success is complicated by the imperfect detection of residual individuals.

Most methods to assess residual abundance and eradication probability rely on the often unrealistic assumption that a population is closed to mortality and recruitment processes during the implementation of removal actions. We extended existing removal models and developed a novel analytical approach to estimate residual population size and derive eradication probability in open populations while accounting for multiple removal methods.

We apply this approach to 20 eradication projects in Europe and the United States that used mechanical methods to return high mountain lakes to their original fishless condition.

The new removal model incorporates (a) a mechanistic description of the ecological process underlying survival and recruitment probabilities during the eradication period and (b) the use of multiple, concomitant removal methods (i.e. electrofishing, gillnetting, fyke‐netting) at multiple sites simultaneously.

We used a subset of ‘control’ lakes where eradication success was confirmed by more than 5 years of post‐removal surveys to validate the model. For these lakes, eradication success, evaluated by whether the 95% Bayesian credible interval for estimated residual population size encompassed values of <2 individuals, was confirmed in 13 out of 15 lake‐by‐species case studies. In addition, the model correctly assigned an eradication probabilities equal to 0 for the eradications that are still in progress.

Synthesis and applications. Our study provides insights into the dynamics of fish populations subject to eradication in high mountain lakes of different countries. In addition, the analytical approach proposed accounts for demographic processes and multiple removal methods in multiple sites and seasons. It can represent an informative tool to estimate residual population size and eradication probability of alien species to optimize eradication efforts and efficacy of conservation actions. The extension to open populations makes the approach useful to evaluate long‐term eradication plans.
Evaluating the need for an integrated geriatric service in older general surgery patients
Authors: Abeysekera Natasha , Mich Christian , Mahoney Adam , Abeysekera Ashvini , MacPhail Aleece , Ibrahim Joseph , Jose Matthew , Turner Richard , Ferrah Noha
Published: March 2021

Background

Despite the success of an orthogeriatric model in improving outcomes of older patients, there is a paucity of evidence in general surgical disciplines. The aim of this project was to assess the viability of acute kidney injury (AKI) as an indicator of the care of older patients admitted under general surgery.

Methods

A retrospective review of the medical records of patients aged 75 years and older admitted under general surgery between 1 July 2015 and 30 June 2018 at the Royal Hobart Hospital was conducted. Twenty randomly selected cases were reviewed by an expert panel to assess the preventability of AKI.

Results

Of 314 patients, the most common diagnosis was small bowel obstruction. Less than half of all patients underwent a procedural intervention. There were 32 (10%) cases of AKI; 13 (4%) had pre‐hospital and 19 (6%) had inpatient. Diabetes and bowel ischaemia were over‐represented in patients with an AKI, otherwise there was no significant difference between the groups. Patients with an AKI were significantly more likely to die, require an unplanned intensive care unit admission and less likely to return to their original residence. Overall, the expert panel agreed that the AKI was foreseeable and mitigable.

Conclusion

Our patients presented with diagnoses that often did not require surgical intervention but not infrequently experienced medical complications. These patients may benefit from a shared model of care and AKI could be a useful indicator to measure the efficiency of this service.