bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Computational Fluid Dynamic Analyses of Flow and Combustion in a Domestic Liquified Petroleum Gas Cookstove Burner—Part I: Design Optimization of Mixing Tube–Burner Assembly
Authors: Dey Sourav , Das Mithun , Ganguly Ranjan , Datta Amitava , Verma Meenam M. , Bera Ashis K.
Published: September 2019

Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) is commonly used in domestic kitchen due to its low health and environmental impacts and high heat content compared to other traditional fuels. The growing demand of LPG, notwithstanding its limited reserve, influences the need for performance improvement of the LPG cookstoves. In an LPG cookstove, the fuel–air mixture is prepared in a self-aspirated burner, and burns as a rich premixed flame above the burner. The fuel–air ratio of the reactant mixture influences the burning characteristics and thermal efficiency of the cookstove. This part of work deals with a numerical study of flow and mixing characteristics in the mixing tube and burner assembly of a domestic LPG cookstove. The fuel is injected axially through a narrow nozzle inside the mixing tube causing entrainment of ambient air through the side ports and the end port. The effects of different side-port geometry, nozzle position, inlet fuel pressure, and nozzle throat diameter on the air ingress have been systematically investigated, and the optimum design has been identified. Results of the study provide important information on the design of the practical nozzle and mixing tube assembly of high-efficiency LPG stoves.
Computational Fluid Dynamic Analyses of Flow and Combustion in a Domestic Liquefied Petroleum Gas Cookstove Burner—Part II: Burning Characteristics and Overall Performance
Authors: Das Mithun , Ganguly Ranjan , Datta Amitava , Verma Meenam M. , Bera Ashis K.
Published: September 2019

Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) is widely used in domestic cookstoves as it is a clean and high energy content fuel in comparison with other traditional cooking fuels. With the increasing demand of LPG, study and improvement of cookstove performance have become an important subject. In the present work, a numerical study of the flow and thermal fields for a domestic cookstove burner has been investigated and the performance of the stove is analyzed at different parametric conditions, like the equivalence ratio of the primary fuel–air mixture, fuel flow rate, thermal load height, and loading vessel size. The maximum thermal efficiency has been found for an equivalence ratio of 1.4 for the LPG–air mixture and at load height of 20 mm. The heat flux distribution at the bottom of the vessel is found to be bimodal with the higher peak occurring closer to the center of the vessel. The thermal efficiency of the stove increases with the rise in the fuel flow rate, and it decreases with reducing cooking vessel diameter. As the vessel diameter increases, the fraction of the total heat supplied through the vessel bottom increases. The radiative component of the heat flux is found to be much smaller compared to the convective component.
Honed surface multi-scale Prediction based on multi-stage honing process of engine cylinder bore
Authors: Zhou Zaoyang , Zhang Xueping , Lv Kunlun , Wu Jun , Yao Zhenqiang , Xi Lifeng
Published: September 2019

Sequential honing process is usually implemented in engine cylinder bore processing to obtain the cross-hatched surface texture with excellent function to balance lubricant storage capacities and supporting performance. Many researches have devoted to correlating honed surface quality of cylinder bore with honing process parameters by means of experiments or simulations. Quite a few efforts have addressed the effect of sequential multiple steps on the surface texture in the honing of engine cylinder bore. However, these researches cannot provide an explicit and analytical methodology to predict honed surface texture efficiently and accurately. This paper presents an analytical and explicit methodology to incorporate a proposed microscale abrasive model into the analytical simulation process of sequential honing. The proposed abrasive model synthetically considers the shape, size, posture, and position of abrasives randomly distributed in honing stone, which is incorporated into honing head motions in terms of rotation, oscillation and feeding. The kinematics of honing head is calculated by space-time discretization to capture the interaction between honing stones and cylinder bore surface. The above procedure acts as each single step for the sequential honing processes. This study investigates the sequential honing of two stages including semi-finish honing and plateau honing at different feeding speeds by applying the abrasive model with different abrasive sizes. The formation of cross-hatched surface texture was successfully achieved sequentially by semi-finish honing and plateaus honing. Then the Abbott-Firestone Curve of the honed surface can be obtained to analyze the influences of abrasive size and honing time of two stages on the surface roughness. Correctness of surface roughness predicted by the model is verified by comparing with a group of experiment measurements in terms of Abbott-Firestone Curve. Most errors of all the predicted Rk roughness family roughness parameters in the two honing stages are less than 15%. Based on the model, simulations are done to analyze the influences of abrasive size and honing duration time of two stages on the surface roughness. The result shows that the larger abrasive used in finish honing leads to the decrease of the material portions Mr1, Mr2 and the increase of the reduced valley depth Rvk. The longer plateau honing duration time is preferred to produce the larger Mr1, Mr2 and the smaller Rvk.
Noise robust speech rate estimation using signal-to-noise ratio dependent sub-band selection and peak detection strategy
Authors: Yarra Chiranjeevi , Nagesh Supriya , Deshmukh Om D. , Kumar Ghosh Prasanta
Published: September 2019

Speech (syllable) rate estimation typically involves computing a feature contour based on sub-band energies having strong local maxima/peaks at syllable nuclei, which are detected with the help of voicing decisions (VDs). While such a two-stage scheme works well in clean conditions, the estimated speech rate becomes less accurate in noisy condition particularly due to erroneous VDs and non-informative sub-bands mainly at low signal-to-noise ratios (SNR). This work proposes a technique to use VDs in the peak detection strategy in an SNR dependent manner. It also proposes a data-driven sub-band pruning technique to improve syllabic peaks of the feature contour in the presence of noise. Further, this paper generalizes both the peak detection and the sub-band pruning technique for unknown noise and/or unknown SNR conditions. Experiments are performed in clean and 20, 10, and 0 dB SNR conditions separately using Switchboard, TIMIT, and CTIMIT corpora under five additive noises: white, car, high-frequency-channel, cockpit, and babble. Experiments are also carried out in test conditions at unseen SNRs of −5 and 5 dB with four unseen additive noises: factory, sub-way, street, and exhibition. The proposed method outperforms the best of the existing techniques in clean and noisy conditions for three corpora.
Effect of Drop Height on Vertical Jumping Performance in Pre-, Circa-, and Post-Pubertal Boys and Girls
Authors: Birat Anthony , Sebillaud David , Bourdier Pierre , Doré Eric , Duché Pascale , Blazevich Anthony J. , Patikas Dimitrios , Ratel Sébastien
Published: September 2019

Purpose: To examine the effect of drop height on vertical jumping performance in children with respect to sex and maturity status. Methods: Thirty-seven pre-pubertal, 71 circa-pubertal, and 69 post-pubertal boys and girls performed, in a randomized order, 2 squat jumps, 2 countermovement jumps, and 2 drop jumps (DJ) from heights of 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, and 70 cm. The trial with the best jump height in each test was used for analysis. Results: No significant sex × maturity status × jump type interaction for jump height was observed. However, on average, the children jumped higher in the countermovement jump than in squat jump and DJs (+1.2 and +1.6 cm, P < .001, respectively), with no significant differences between DJs and squat jumps or between DJs when increasing drop heights. Regarding DJs, 59.3% of the participants jumped higher from drop heights of 20 to 40 cm. Conclusions: Children, independent of sex and maturity status, performed best in the countermovement jump, and no performance gain was obtained by dropping from heights of 20 to 70 cm. During maturation, the use of drop heights between 20 and 40 cm may be considered in plyometric training, but the optimum height must be obtained individually.
India spots fallen moon craft, fails to make radio contact
Authors: Kumar Sanjay
Published: September 2019

Glitches dogged nation's first attempt to land on the moon.
Emerging uses of DNA mechanical devices
Authors: Blanchard Aaron T. , Salaita Khalid
Published: September 2019

DNA mechanotechnology has applications in biological research and materials science
Response to Comment on “Spin coating epitaxial films”
Authors: Kelso Meagan V. , Mahenderkar Naveen K. , Chen Qingzhi , Tubbesing John Z. , Switzer Jay A.
Published: September 2019

Lu and Tang claim that the spin-coated films in our study are not epitaxial. They assume that all of the background intensity in the x-ray pole figures of the spin-coated materials is due to randomly oriented grains. There is no evidence for randomly oriented grains in the 2θ x-ray patterns. The background intensity in the pole figures is also comparable to the background from the single-crystal substrates, which is inconsistent with their assumption.
Mitochondria teach ribosome assembly
Authors: Karbstein Katrin
Published: September 2019

Ribosome assembly factors regulate structure formation to prevent misfolding
Regrowth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Populations Exposed to Antibiotic Combinations Is Due to the Presence of Isoniazid and Not Bacterial Growth Rate
Authors: Hendon-Dunn Charlotte L. , Pertinez Henry , Marriott Alice A. N. , Hatch Kim A. , Allnutt Jon C. , Davies Geraint , Bacon Joanna
Published: September 2019

Modulation of the growth rate in
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
is key to its survival in the host, particularly with regard to its adaptation during chronic infection, when the growth rate is very slow. The resulting physiological changes influence the way in which this pathogen interacts with the host and responds to antibiotics. Therefore, it is important that we understand how the growth rate impacts antibiotic efficacy, particularly with respect to recovery/relapse.
Improvement of Feed Efficiency in Pigs through Microbial Modulation via Fecal Microbiota Transplantation in Sows and Dietary Supplementation of Inulin in Offspring
Authors: McCormack Ursula M. , Curião Tânia , Metzler-Zebeli Barbara U. , Wilkinson Toby , Reyer Henry , Crispie Fiona , Cotter Paul D. , Creevey Christopher J. , Gardiner Gillian E. , Lawlor Peadar G.
Published: September 2019

As previous research suggests a link between microbiota and FE, modulation of the intestinal microbiome may be effective in improving FE in pigs. The FMTp in gestating sows, alone or in combination with postweaning dietary inulin supplementation in offspring, achieved improvements in FE and resulted in a higher relative abundance of intestinal bacteria associated with fiber degradation and a lower relative abundance of potential pathogens. However, there was a detrimental effect on growth, although this may not be wholly attributable to microbiota transplantation, as antibiotic and other interventions were also part of the FMT regimen. Therefore, further work with additional control groups is needed to disentangle the effects of each component of the FMTp in order to develop a regimen with practical applications in pig production. Additional research based on findings from this study may also identify specific dietary supplements for the promotion/maintenance of the microbiota transferred via the maternal FMTp, thereby optimizing pig growth and FE.
Biomarkers for Detecting Resilience against Mycobacterial Disease in Animals
Authors: Wright Kathryn , Plain Karren , Purdie Auriol , Saunders Bernadette M. , de Silva Kumudika
Published: September 2019

Paratuberculosis and bovine tuberculosis are two mycobacterial diseases of ruminants which have a considerable impact on livestock health, welfare, and production. These are chronic “iceberg” diseases which take years to manifest and in which many subclinical cases remain undetected. Suggested biomarkers to detect infected or diseased animals are numerous and include cytokines, peptides, and expression of specific genes; however, these do not provide a strong correlation to disease.
The Combinations Chitosan-Pam
3
CSK
4
and Chitosan-Monophosphoryl Lipid A: Promising Immune-Enhancing Adjuvants for Anticaries Vaccine PAc
Authors: Bi Yongli , Xu Qingan , Su Lingkai , Xu Jiantao , Liu Zhongfang , Yang Ying , Tang Hua , Li Yuhong , Fan Mingwen
Published: September 2019

We previously demonstrated that recombinant protein PAc could be administered as an anticaries vaccine. However, the relatively weak immunogenicity of PAc limits its application. In the present study, we investigated the effect of two adjuvant combinations of chitosan plus Pam
3
CSK
4
(chitosan-Pam
3
CSK
4
) and of chitosan plus monophosphoryl lipid A (chitosan-MPL) in the immune responses to the PAc protein
in vivo
and
in vitro
.
Tools for Change: Measuring Student Conceptual Understanding Across Undergraduate Biology Programs Using Bio-MAPS Assessments
Authors: Smith Michelle K. , Brownell Sara E. , Crowe Alison J. , Holmes N.G. , Knight Jennifer K. , Semsar Katharine , Summers Mindi M. , Walsh Cole , Wright Christian D. , Couch Brian A.
Published: September 2019

Assessing learning across a biology major can help departments monitor achievement of broader program-level goals and identify opportunities for curricular improvement. However, biology departments have lacked suitable tools to measure learning at the program scale. To address this need, we developed four freely available assessments—called Biology-Measuring Achievement and Progression in Science or Bio-MAPS—for general biology, molecular biology, ecology/evolution, and physiology programs. When administered at multiple time points in a curriculum, these instruments can provide departments with information on how student conceptual understanding changes across a major and help guide curricular modifications to enhance learning.
Histology Personal Trainer: Identifying Tissue Types Using Critical Thinking and Metacognition Prompts
Authors: Vemu Sheela , Basta Holly , Cole Deborah Catherine
Published: September 2019

Metacognitive reflections embedded in course activities allow students to evaluate their learning immediately following the activities themselves, while providing instructors the opportunity to revise and optimize instruction to target misconceptions. This activity, “Histology Personal Trainer” helps students not only identify major tissue types, but reflect on how they identified them. This activity aims to improve student performance by exercising the students’ observation and comparative skills in combination with a self-reflection activity that helps to identify successful and unsuccessful identification strategies. By the end of the activity, students should be able to adapt their approach to obtain more accurate answers. This activity was used in an anatomy and physiology course, but could be modified for use in various STEM classes.
Serine 229 Balances the Hepatitis C Virus Nonstructural Protein NS5A between Hypo- and Hyperphosphorylated States
Authors: Tsai Chia-Ni , Pan Ting-Chun , Chiang Cho-Han , Yu Chun-Chiao , Su Shih-Han , Yu Ming-Jiun
Published: September 2019

This study joins our previous efforts to elucidate how NS5A transits between hypo- and hyperphosphorylated states via phosphorylation on a series of highly conserved serine residues. Of the serine residues, serine 229 is the most interesting since phosphorylation-mimicking and phosphorylation-ablating mutations at this serine residue are both lethal. With a new high-quality antibody specific to serine 229 phosphorylation, we concluded that serine 229 must remain wild type so that it can dynamically cycle through phosphorylation and dephosphorylation that govern NS5A between hypo- and hyperphosphorylated states. Both are required for the HCV life cycle. When phosphorylated, serine 229 signals phosphorylation on serine 232 and 235 in a sequential manner, leading NS5A to the hyperphosphorylated state. As serine 235 phosphorylation is reached, serine 229 is dephosphorylated, stopping signal for hyperphosphorylation. This balances NS5A between two phosphorylation states and in intracellular structures that warrant a productive HCV life cycle.
Type I and Type III Interferons Differ in Their Adjuvant Activities for Influenza Vaccines
Authors: Ye Liang , Ohnemus Annette , Ong Li Ching , Gad Hans Henrik , Hartmann Rune , Lycke Nils , Staeheli Peter
Published: September 2019

Interferons can shape antiviral immune responses, but it is not well understood how they influence vaccine efficacy. We find that type I IFN preferentially promotes the production of antigen-specific IgG2c and IgA antibodies after infection with a live attenuated influenza virus or after immunization with influenza subunit vaccines. In contrast, type III IFN specifically enhances influenza virus-specific IgG1 and IgA production. The adjuvant effect of type I IFN was not dependent on TSLP, which is essential for the adjuvant effect of type III IFN. Type I IFN boosted vaccine-induced antibody production after immunization by the intranasal or the intraperitoneal route, whereas type III IFN exhibited its adjuvant activity only when the vaccine was delivered by the mucosal route. Our findings demonstrate that type I and type III IFNs trigger distinct pathways to enhance the efficacy of vaccines. This knowledge might be used to design more efficient vaccines against infectious diseases.
Evaluating the reactivation of herpesviruses and inflammation as cardiovascular and cerebrovascular risk factors in antiretroviral therapy initiators in an African HIV-infected population (RHICCA): a protocol for a longitudinal cohort study
Authors: Peterson Ingrid , Ntusi Ntobeko , Jambo Kondwani , Kelly Christine , Huwa Jacqueline , Afran Louise , Tatuene Joseph Kamtchum , Pett Sarah , Henrion Marc Yves Romain , Van Oosterhout Joep , Heyderman Robert S , Mwandumba Henry , Benjamin Laura A
Published: September 2019

Introduction

In Sub-Saharan Africa, the rising rates of cerebrovascular and cardiovascular diseases (CBD/CVD) are intersecting with an ageing HIV-infected population. The widespread use of antiretroviral therapy (ART) may confer an additive risk and may not completely suppress the risk associated with HIV infection. High-quality prospective studies are needed to determine if HIV-infected patients in Africa are at increased risk of CBD/CVD and to identify factors associated with this risk. This study will test the hypothesis that immune activation and dysfunction, driven by HIV and reactivation of latent herpesvirus infections, lead to increased CBD/CVD risk in Malawian adults aged ≥35 years.

Methods and analysis

We will conduct a single-centre, 36-month, prospective cohort study in 800 HIV-infected patients initiating ART and 190 HIV-uninfected controls in Blantyre, Malawi. Patients and controls will be recruited from government ART clinics and the community, respectively, and will be frequency-matched by 5-year age band and sex. At baseline and follow-up visits, we will measure carotid intima-media thickness and pulse wave velocity as surrogate markers of vasculopathy, and will be used to estimate CBD/CVD risk. Our primary exposures of interest are cytomegalovirus and varicella zoster reactivation, changes in HIV plasma viral load, and markers of systemic inflammation and endothelial function. Multivariable regression models will be developed to assess the study’s primary hypothesis. The occurrence of clinical CBD/CVD will be assessed as secondary study endpoints.

Ethics and dissemination

The University of Malawi College of Medicine and Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine research ethics committees approved this work. Our goal is to understand the pathogenesis of CBD/CVD among HIV cohorts on ART, in Sub-Saharan Africa, and provide data to inform future interventional clinical trials. This study runs between May 2017 and August 2020. Results of the main trial will be submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal.

Trial registration number

ISRCTN42862937.
How effective is teamwork really? The relationship between teamwork and performance in healthcare teams: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Schmutz Jan B. , Meier Laurenz L. , Manser Tanja
Published: September 2019

Objectives

To investigate the relationship between teamwork and clinical performance and potential moderating variables of this relationship.

Design

Systematic review and meta-analysis.

Data source

PubMed was searched in June 2018 without a limit on the date of publication. Additional literature was selected through a manual backward search of relevant reviews, manual backward and forward search of studies included in the meta-analysis and contacting of selected authors via email.

Eligibility criteria

Studies were included if they reported a relationship between a teamwork process (eg, coordination, non-technical skills) and a performance measure (eg, checklist based expert rating, errors) in an acute care setting.

Data extraction and synthesis

Moderator variables (ie, professional composition, team familiarity, average team size, task type, patient realism and type of performance measure) were coded and random-effect models were estimated. Two investigators independently extracted information on study characteristics in accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines.

Results

The review identified 2002 articles of which 31 were included in the meta-analysis comprising 1390 teams. The sample-sized weighted mean correlation wasr=0.28 (corresponding to an OR of 2.8), indicating that teamwork is positively related to performance. The test of moderators was not significant, suggesting that the examined factors did not influence the average effect of teamwork on performance.

Conclusion

Teamwork has a medium-sized effect on performance. The analysis of moderators illustrated that teamwork relates to performance regardless of characteristics of the team or task. Therefore, healthcare organisations should recognise the value of teamwork and emphasise approaches that maintain and improve teamwork for the benefit of their patients.
How do GPs and patients share the responsibility for cancer safety netting follow-up actions? A qualitative interview study of GPs and patients in Oxfordshire, UK
Authors: Evans Julie , Macartney John I , Bankhead Clare , Albury Charlotte , Jones Daniel , Ziebland Sue , Nicholson Brian D
Published: September 2019

Objective

To explore patients’ and General Practitioners' (GPs) accounts of how responsibility for follow-up was perceived and shared in their experiences of cancer safety netting occurring within the past 6 months.

Design

In-depth interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data were analysed through an abductive process, exploring anticipated and emergent themes. Conceptualisations of ‘responsibility’ were explored by drawing on atransactionaltointerdependentcontinuum drawing from the shared decision-making literature.

Settings and participants

A purposive sample of 25 qualified GPs and 23 adult patients in Oxfordshire, UK.

Results

The transactional sharing approach involves responsibility being passed from GP to patient. Patients expected and were willing to accept responsibility in this way as long as they received clear guidance from their GP and had capacity. In interdependent sharing, GPs principally aimed to reach consensus and share responsibility with the patient by explaining their rationale, uncertainty or by stressing the potential seriousness of the situation. Patients sharing this responsibility could be put at risk if no follow-up or timeframe was suggested, they had inadequate information, were falsely reassured or their concerns were not addressed at re-consultation.

Conclusion

GPs and patients exchange and share responsibility using a combination of transactional and interdependent styles, tailoring information based on patient characteristics and each party’s level of concern. Clear action plans (written where necessary) at the end of every consultation would help patients decide when to re-consult. Further research should investigate how responsibility is shared within and outside the consultation, within primary care teams and with specialist services.
Endoscopic resection for non-polypoid dysplasia in inflammatory bowel disease: a systematic review protocol
Authors: Zhang Yuelun , Chen Wei , Zhao Yi , Wu Dong
Published: September 2019

Introduction

Non-polypoid low-grade dysplasia in inflammatory bowel disease is associated with a medium increased risk of colorectal cancer, while treatment recommendations remain controversial. We aim to evaluate the efficacy and safety of endoscopic treatment for non-polypoid dysplasia in patients with inflammatory bowel disease.

Methods and analysis

Medline, Embase, Cochrane Library, Scopus, Web of Science and clinical trials registry from database inception to the search date will be used to retrieve eligible studies. Studies that report the curative resection rate or any of other secondary outcomes of endoscopic treatment in patients with non-polypoid dysplasia in inflammatory bowel disease will be included in the analysis. We will conduct quantitative synthesis if the eligible studies are homogeneous judging from clinical and methodological perspectives.

Ethics and dissemination

Ethical approval for this study was waived by the Ethics Committee of Peking Union Medical College Hospital because there are no individual data involved in the analysis and all the combined results will be retrieved from study-level data. We plan to disseminate results through peer-reviewed journals or conference abstracts.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42019120413.
Burden of visual impairment associated with eye diseases: exploratory survey of 298 Chinese patients
Authors: Guan Xiaodong , Fu Mengyuan , Lin Fanghui , Zhu Dawei , Vuillermin Daniel , Shi Luwen
Published: September 2019

Objectives

To explore the economic burden, prevalence of catastrophic healthcare expenditure (CHE) and the quality of life (QoL) of Chinese patients with visual impairment (VI) associated with eye diseases.

Design

A questionnaire survey from March to May 2016 by structured face-to-face interviews of patients with VI.

Participants

302 patients who were diagnosed with moderate VI or worse in both eyes (visual acuity <6/18) were included, and 298 patients (98.7%) who completed the survey questionnaires were eligible for the study.

Outcome measures

The economic burden was estimated by calculating participants’ direct costs covered in 2015 and the definition of CHE was out-of-pocket (OOP) costs exceeding 30% of annual household income. QoL was weighed by health utility value using time-trade-off valuation techniques.

Results

Annual average direct costs per patient caused by VI were US$6988.6±US$10 834.3, and 70.3% were direct medical costs of which only 26.9% were reimbursable by medical insurance. 32.2% of households that suffered from CHE, in particular, were less wealthy patients with VI living in rural areas and without medical insurance. The health utility value was rated at 0.65 on average, and patients with VI aged 51–57, living alone and insured by commercial medical insurance had relatively less QoL.

Conclusion

Our study explored the economic burden and QoL of VI associated with patients with eye diseases in China, indicating a substantial economic burden and poor QoL. Preferential medical insurance policies should be designed in relation to people with VI to further reduce the health inequalities, avoid CHE and promote QoL.
Common bacterial infections and risk of incident cognitive decline or dementia: a systematic review protocol
Authors: Muzambi Rutendo , Bhaskaran Krishnan , Brayne Carol , Smeeth Liam , Warren-Gash Charlotte
Published: September 2019

Introduction

The global burden of dementia is rising, emphasising the urgent need to develop effective approaches to risk reduction. Recent evidence suggests that common bacterial infections may increase the risk of dementia, however the magnitude and timing of the association as well as the patient groups affected remains unclear. We will review existing evidence of the association between common bacterial infections and incident cognitive decline or dementia.

Methods and analysis

We will conduct a comprehensive search of published and grey literature from inception to 18 March 2019. The following electronic databases will be searched; MEDLINE, EMBASE, Global health, PsycINFO, Web of Science, Scopus, Cochrane Library, the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Open Grey and the British Library of Electronic Theses databases. There will be no restrictions on the date, language or geographical location of the studies. We will include longitudinal studies with a common clinically symptomatic bacterial infection as an exposure and incident cognitive decline or dementia as an outcome. Study selection, data extraction and risk of bias will be performed independently by two researchers. We will assess the risk of bias using the Cochrane collaboration approach. The overall quality of the studies will be assessed using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations criteria. We will explore the heterogeneity of relevant studies and, if feasible, a meta-analysis will be performed, otherwise we will present a narrative synthesis. We will group the results by exposure and outcome definitions and differences will be described by subgroups and outcomes.

Ethics and dissemination

Ethical approval will not be required as this is a systematic review of existing research in the public domain. Results will be disseminated in a peer-reviewed journal and presented at national and international meetings and conferences.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42018119294.
Oral health of high-cost patients and evaluation of oral health measures as predictors for high-cost patients in South Korea: a population-based cohort study
Authors: Kim Yeonkook Joseph
Published: September 2019

Objective

To examine the oral health conditions and oral health behaviour of high-cost patients and evaluate oral health measures as predictors of future high-cost patients.

Design

A retrospective, population-based cohort study using administrative healthcare records.

Setting

The National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) medical check-up database (a.k.a. NHIS—national health screening cohort database) in South Korea.

Participants

131 549 individuals who received biennial health check-ups including dental check-ups in 2011 or 2012, aged 49–88.

Primary outcome measures

Current and subsequent year high-cost patient status.

Results

High-cost patients, on average, incur higher dental costs, suffer more from periodontal disease, brush their teeth less and use secondary oral hygiene products less. Some of the self-reported oral health behaviours and oral symptom variables show statistically significant associations with subsequent year high-cost patient indicators, even after adjusting for demographic, socioeconomic, medical conditions, and prior healthcare cost and utilisation.

Conclusions

We demonstrate that oral health measures are associated with an increased risk of becoming a high-cost patient.
Executive, language and fluency dysfunction are markers of localised TDP-43 cerebral pathology in non-demented ALS
Authors: Gregory Jenna M , McDade Karina , Bak Thomas H , Pal Suvankar , Chandran Siddharthan , Smith Colin , Abrahams Sharon
Published: September 2019

Objective

Approximately 35% of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) exhibit mild cognitive deficits in executive functions, language and fluency, without dementia. The precise pathology of these extramotor symptoms has remained unknown. This study aimed to determine the pathological correlate of cognitive impairment in patients with non-demented ALS.

Methods

In-depth neuropathological analysis of 27 patients with non-demented ALS who had undergone cognitive testing (Edinburgh Cognitive and Behaviour ALS Screen (ECAS)) during life. Analysis involved assessing 43 kDa Tar-DNA binding protein (TDP-43) accumulation in brain regions specifically involved in executive functions, language functions and verbal fluency to ascertain whether functional deficits would relate to a specific regional distribution of pathology.

Results

All patients with cognitive impairment had TDP-43 pathology in extramotor brain regions (positive predictive value of 100%). The ECAS also predicted TDP-43 pathology with 100% specificity in brain regions associated with executive, language and fluency domains. We also detected a subgroup with no cognitive dysfunction, despite having substantial TDP-43 pathology, so called mismatch cases.

Conclusions

Cognitive impairment as detected by the ECAS is a valid predictor of TDP-43 pathology in non-demented ALS. The profile of mild cognitive deficits specifically predicts regional cerebral involvement. These findings highlight the utility of the ECAS in accurately assessing the pathological burden of disease.
Livestock‐associated meticillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus in a young harbour seal (Phoca vitulina) with endocarditis
Authors: Rubio‐Garcia Ana , Rossen John W A , Wagenaar Jaap A , Friedrich Alex W , van Zeijl Jan H
Published: September 2019

A five‐month‐old male harbour seal was admitted for rehabilitation to the Sealcentre Pieterburen on November 16, 2015. During initial veterinary examination parasitic pneumonia and secondary bacterial pneumonia were suspected. Therefore, the seal received antiparasitic and antimicrobial treatment and appeared to recover but died unexpectedly after several weeks. Postmortem examination revealed a perforation in the aortic wall and histopathological examination of the aorta revealed mural necrosis with haemorrhage and suppurative to mixed inflammation. Bacterial culture resulted in isolation of a meticillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) from the pericardial effusion. Subsequent culture of rectal swabs collected at arrival and during rehabilitation showed that the animal was already colonised with MRSA when admitted to the Sealcentre. MRSA has been isolated from marine mammals before, however, to our knowledge this is the first report of MRSA‐associated endocarditis in seals and the first time that livestock‐associated MRSA is reported in seals.
Nasal shedding of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in wild boar is related to generalised tuberculosis and concomitant infections
Authors: Risco David , Martínez Remigio , Bravo María , Fernández Llario Pedro , Cerrato Rosario , Garcia‐Jiménez Waldo Luis , Gonçalves Pilar , García Alfredo , Barquero‐Pérez Óscar , Quesada Alberto , Hermoso de Mendoza Javier
Published: September 2019

Background

Wild boar is an important reservoir of Mycobacterium tuberculosis variant bovis, the main causative agent of bovine tuberculosis (bTB). A proportion of tuberculosis (TB)‐affected wild boars shed M tuberculosis by nasal route, favouring the maintenance of bTB in a multihost scenario. The aim of this work was to assess if M tuberculosis nasal excretion is influenced by factors commonly associated with high TB prevalence in wild boar.

Methods

TB diagnosis and M tuberculosis isolation were carried out in 112 hunted wild boars from mid‐western Spain. The association between the presence of M tuberculosis DNA in nasal secretions and explanatory factors was explored using partial least squares regression (PLSR) approaches.

Results

DNA from M tuberculosis was detected in 40.8 per cent nasal secretions of the TB‐affected animals. Explanatory factors provided a first significant PLSR X's component, explaining 25.70 per cent of the variability observed in M tuberculosis nasal shedding. The presence of M tuberculosis in nasal secretions is more probable in animals suffering from generalised TB and mainly coinfected with Metastrongylus species and porcine circovirus type 2, explaining nearly 90 per cent of the total variance of this model.

Conclusion

Measures aiming to control these factors could be useful to reduce M tuberculosis shedding in wild boar.
Toward a generalized guideline to inform optimal site investigations for pile design
Authors: Crisp M.P. , Jaksa M.B. , Kuo Y.L.
Published: September 2019

Insufficient or inappropriate soil testing can lead to a range of undesirable consequences, and yet there is no guideline for optimal investigation. This study analyses the influence of test type, number of boreholes, data interpretation, soil conditions, and structural configuration on site investigation performance. In addition to providing general recommendations, the relative sensitivity of these variables on performance is determined. Performance is assessed in terms of total expected project cost while implicitly incorporating the risk of damage from poor investigation. The framework for this study involves the use of randomly generated, variable, single layer virtual soils in a Monte Carlo analysis. It was found that optimal investigations can produce net savings in the order of several hundreds of thousands of Australian dollars, and key features of a future site investigation guideline are identified.
A note on inner and reflexive inverses in semiprime rings
Authors: Lee Tsiu-Kwen
Published: September 2019

Let [Formula: see text] be a semiprime ring, not necessarily with unity, and [Formula: see text]. Let [Formula: see text] (respectively, [Formula: see text]) denote the set of inner (respectively, reflexive) inverses of [Formula: see text] in [Formula: see text]. It is proved that if [Formula: see text], then [Formula: see text] if and only if [Formula: see text] for all [Formula: see text]. As an immediate consequence, if [Formula: see text], then [Formula: see text] (see Theorem 7 in [A. Alahmadi, S. K. Jain and A. Leroy, Regular elements determined by generalized inverses, J. Algebra Appl. 18(7) (2019) 1950128] for rings with unity). We also give a generalization of Theorem 10 in [A. Alahmadi, S. K. Jain and A. Leroy, Regular elements determined by generalized inverses, J. Algebra Appl. 18(7) (2019) 1950128] by proving that if [Formula: see text] then [Formula: see text].
Computational chemistry methods to investigate the effects caused by DNA variants linked with disease
Authors: Koirala Mahesh , Alexov Emil
Published: September 2019

Computational chemistry offers variety of tools to study properties of biological macromolecules. These tools vary in terms of levels of details from quantum mechanical treatment to numerous macroscopic approaches. Here, we provide a review of computational chemistry algorithms and tools for modeling the effects of genetic variations and their association with diseases. Particular emphasis is given on modeling the effects of missense mutations on stability, conformational dynamics, binding, hydrogen bond network, salt bridges, and pH-dependent properties of the corresponding macromolecules. It is outlined that the disease may be caused by alteration of one or several of above-mentioned biophysical characteristics, and a successful prediction of pathogenicity requires detailed analysis of how the alterations affect the function of involved macromolecules. The review provides a short list of most commonly used algorithms to predict the molecular effects of mutations as well.
Evaluation of covalently linked (bacterio)chlorin-fullerenes as components for organic solar cells
Authors: Sasaki Shin-ichi , Duan Shengnan , Hu WeiDong , Wang Xiao-Feng , Tamiaki Hitoshi
Published: September 2019

A series of (bacterio)chlorophyll derivatives covalently linked with fullerenes were synthesized to explore their potential as donor–acceptor conjugates to organic solar cells (OSCs). Their physical properties and photovoltaic performances were investigated and compared with (bacterio)chlorins without fullerenes. A weak intramolecular interaction between the (bacterio)chlorin chromophore and the fullerene unit(s) was observed in their electronic absorption spectra in solution, and efficient fluorescence quenching occurred in their monomeric states. All the (bacterio)chlorin-fullerene conjugates worked as components for single material OSCs and the best power conversion efficiency of 0.62% with [Formula: see text] mA cm[Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] V, and [Formula: see text] was achieved for chlorin-C3-methyl phenyl-C[Formula: see text]-butylate, DA-2.
Light induced intramolecular energy and electron transfer events in carbazole–corrole and phenothiazine-corrole dyads
Authors: Shivaprasadachary B. , Ramya A. R. , Reddy Govind , Giribabu L.
Published: September 2019

We report two corrole based donor–acceptor (D–A) dyads, Cbz-Cor and Ptz-Cor to understand the energy/electron transfer reactions. In these D–A systems, the donor, either carbazole (Cbz) or phenothiazine (Ptz), is covalently connected at the meso-phenyl position of 10-(phenyl)-5,15-bis-(pentafluorophenyl)corrole (Ph-Cor) by C–N linkage. Both the dyads were characterized by 1H NMR, MALDI-TOF MS, UV-vis, electrochemical, computational methods, study state fluorescence and TCSPC techniques. A comparison of absorption spectra with their reference monomeric compounds (Cbz-Ph, Ptz-Ph and Ph-Cor) revealed minimal ground-state interactions between chromophores in both dyads. Fluorescence studies suggested that singlet–singlet energy transfer from 1Cbz* to corrole is the major photochemical pathway in the Cbz-Cor dyad with a quenching efficiency of [Formula: see text]99%. Detailed analysis of the data suggests that Forster’s dipole–dipole mechanism does not adequately explain this energy transfer. However, at a 410 nm excitation, florescence quenching is detected in Ptz-Cor (49%) supporting a photo induced electron transfer (PET) process from the ground state of PTZ to the excited state of corrole macrocycle. The electron-transfer rates ([Formula: see text] of Ptz-Cor are found in the range [Formula: see text] to [Formula: see text] and are concluded to be solvent dependent.
Increasing the Solution Accuracy in the Numerical Modeling of Boundary Value Problems Using Finite Element Method Based on Hankel Shape Functions
Authors: Farmani S. , Ghaeini-Hessaroeyeh M. , Hamzehei-Javaran S.
Published: September 2019

A new finite element approach is developed here for the modeling of boundary value problems. In the present model, the finite element method (FEM) is reformulated by new shape functions called spherical Hankel shape functions. The mentioned functions are derived from the first and second kind of Bessel functions that have the properties of both of them. These features provide an improvement in the solution accuracy with number of elements which are equal or lower than the ones used by the classic FEM. The efficiency and accuracy of the suggested model in the potential problems are examined by several numerical examples. Then, the obtained results are compared with the analytical and numerical solutions. The comparisons indicate the high accuracy of the present method.
Numerical Study on Mechanical Properties of Quasi-Continuous SiCp/Al Network Composites with Various Particle Size Ratios (PSRs)
Authors: Gao Xiang , Zhang Xuexi , Li Aibin
Published: September 2019

Recent works verified that network reinforcement design enhanced the modulus and strength of discontinuously reinforced metal–matrix composites (MMCs). The particle size ratio (PSR), i.e., the ratio of matrix to reinforcement particle diameters, defines the particle clustering degree and is an important network parameter. The effects of PSR on the mechanical properties of network SiCp/Al composites were studied via finite element analysis. The results showed that the composites with PSR [Formula: see text]:1 exhibited similar mechanical property. In contrast, composites with PSR [Formula: see text]:1 showed enhanced modulus (87.5–89.5[Formula: see text]GPa) and yield strength (303–315[Formula: see text]MPa) over homogeneous composites (modulus 75.9[Formula: see text]GPa and yield strength 299[Formula: see text]MPa). The enhanced mechanical properties were attributed to the higher load-bearing capacity of the reinforcement walls parallel to the load direction (PaW). However, premature failure and thus reduced elongation occurred with PSR [Formula: see text]:1 because network layers perpendicular to the load direction (PeW) acted as crack propagation paths. So, a threshold PSR of 7:1–8:1 was proposed for effective network design. The sacrifice of elongation needs to be solved for optimized network architecture designs.
Stability and Nonlinear Vibration Analysis of an Axially Loaded Nanobeam Based on Nonlocal Strain Gradient Theory
Authors: Chen Wei , Wang Lin , Dai Huliang
Published: September 2019

The size-dependent stability mechanism and nonlinear dynamics of a nano-scale beam under an axial time-dependent load are theoretically studied based on nonlocal strain gradient theory. First, with the consideration of geometric nonlinearity of the nanobeam, the equation of motion is derived with the aid of Hamilton’s principle. Then, by using both Floquet technology and Bolotin’s method, a linear analysis is employed to investigate the size-dependent stability mechanism of the nanobeam for pinned-pinned boundary conditions. It is demonstrated that the results obtained based on the Floquet technology and Bolotin’s method agree well with each other in most cases. Furthermore, the analytical expressions for stability boundaries of the nanobeam system are derived. It is found that when the size-dependent nanobeam system is reduced to a classical one, the obtained expressions for stability boundaries are in good agreement with previous experimental results. Finally, the nonlinear responses of the nanobeam are presented in the form of time traces, bifurcation diagrams and phase portraits. It is shown that the axially excited nanobeam always undergoes a limit cycle oscillation. For all results regarding stability boundaries and nonlinear responses, the size-dependent effects are found to be significant.
Low-carbon GeoEnergy resource options in the Midland Valley of Scotland, UK
Authors: Heinemann N. , Alcalde J. , Johnson G. , Roberts J. J. , McCay A. T. , Booth M. G.
Published: September 2019

Scotland is committed to be a carbon-neutral society by 2040 and has achieved the important initial step of decarbonizing power production. However, more ambitious measures are required to fully decarbonize all of the electricity, transport and heating sectors.

We explore the potential to use low-carbon GeoEnergy resources and bioenergy combined with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS) in the Midland Valley area to decarbonize the Scottish economy and society. The Midland Valley has a long history of geological resource extraction and, as a result, the geology of the region is well characterized.

Geothermal energy and subsurface energy storage have the potential to be implemented. Some of them, such as gravity and heat storage, could re-use the redundant mining infrastructure to decrease investment costs. Hydrogen storage could be of particular interest as the Midland Valley offers the required caprock–reservoir assemblages. BECCS is also a promising option to reduce overall CO
2
emissions by between 1.10 and 4.40 MtCO
2
 a
−1
. The Midland Valley has enough space to grow the necessary crops, but CO
2
storage will most likely be implemented in North Sea saline aquifers. The studied aspects suggest that the Midland Valley represents a viable option in Scotland for the exploitation of the majority of low-carbon GeoEnergy resources.

Thematic collection:
This article is part of the ‘Early Career Research’ available at:
https://www.lyellcollection.org/cc/SJG-early-career-research