bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Theoretical Investigation on the Performance and Combustion Parameters in an Spark Ignition Engine Fueled With Different Shale Gas Mixtures
Authors: Gürbüz Habib , Köse Şerife
Published: November 2020

In this paper, a zero-dimensional (0D) single-zone combustion model was applied for predicting combustion and indicated engine parameters in a spark ignition (SI) engine. Three different shale gas mixtures, methane, and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) (30% C3H8–70% C4H10), were studied as SI engine fuel. The shale gas compositions included shale gas-1 (86% CH4–14% C2H6), shale gas-2 (81% CH4–10% C2H6–9% N2), and shale gas-3 (58% CH4–20% C2H6–2% C3H8–10% CO2). Experimental results of the SI engine operated with LPG were used in the model verification phase and provided to the validation of the theoretical model. In addition, the operational parameters of the LPG engine were used as the model input values. The results show that shale gas-1 has the potential to be a good alternative fuel to LPG for SI engines. Shale gas-1 has an indicated mean effective pressure (IMEP) value of 5.7–7.3%, which is lower than LPG in the range of ϕ = 0.83–1.2. Furthermore, LPG has a 27.7% higher indicated specific fuel consumption (ISFC) compared to shale gas-1. On the other hand, LPG has 1.2–2.4 units lower indicated thermal efficiency (ITE) values than shale gas-1 in the range of ϕ = 0.83–1.2. However, Methane, Shale gas-2, and Shale gas-3 have 7.55–9.62%, 20.35–20%, 22.19–21.47 lower IMEPs than LPG in the range of ϕ = 0.83–1.2, respectively.
Transitioning From Net-Zero Energy Homes to Carbon-Neutral Grid-Connected Communities
Authors: Fathy Angelique , Salib Amir , Krarti Moncef
Published: November 2020

In this study, optimal carbon-neutral designs are evaluated for grid-connected communities that include net-zero energy (NZE) homes in Boulder, CO. Specifically, the economic and environmental benefits are assessed for residential communities with various mixtures of both NZE and non-NZE homes. Optimization techniques based on life cycle costs including both capital costs and operating costs are used to design NZE homes as well as carbon-neutral communities. Using both energy efficiency measures and rooftop PV systems, the analysis estimates the capital costs required for NZE homes. Moreover, optimally sized distributed renewable systems are determined to achieve carbon-neutral operation for various types of residential communities. First, the impact of occupancy behavior in designing NZE homes as well as carbon-neutral communities is evaluated using three use patterns of appliances (i.e., refrigerator, television, dishwasher, and clothes washer) as well as domestic hot water. Then, different fractions of NZE homes are considered when designing carbon neural communities. The analysis indicates that occupant behavior can significantly affect the design of NZE homes as well as the capital costs to achieve this design. For instance, good behavior can result in 21.28% capital cost savings while bad behavior can result in a 10.42% increase in capital cost. Moreover, the analysis indicates while the communities made up partially or fully of NZE homes can attain carbon-neutral target with lower distributed generated (DG) capacities than non-NZE communities, they require high total capital costs at least based on current costs for distributed renewable technologies and utility electricity prices. Finally, it is found to be more cost-effective to share distributed power systems for communities rather than individual homes with their own rooftop PV system to attain carbon-neutral design.
Using the GAD-7 and GAD-2 Generalized Anxiety Disorder Screeners With Student-Athletes: Empirical and Clinical Perspectives
Authors: Tran Alisia G.T.T.
Published: November 2020

With the aim of supporting anxiety screening of student-athletes, this study examined the psychometric performance of the GAD-7 and GAD-2 for assessing anxiety and other clinical mental health concerns (depression, past-year and recent suicidality) in student-athletes. Data from intercollegiate varsity athletes (N = 7,584) were drawn from the Healthy Minds Study. Reliability estimates were good in the sample. Area under the curve values were excellent for anxiety and fair to good for depression and suicidality. Across all clinical indicators, a cutoff of 6 (GAD-7) and 2 (GAD-2), respectively, yielded the most balanced sensitivity and specificity rates. Both measures positively correlated with functional impairment, academic impact, and perceived mental health and negatively correlated with positive mental health. Overall, results supported the reliability, accuracy, and construct validity of the GAD-7 and GAD-2 in a national student-athlete sample. Discussion focuses on clinical implications and practical usage of the GAD-7 and GAD-2 with student-athletes.
New β-Lactam–β-Lactamase Inhibitor Combinations
Authors: Yahav Dafna , Giske Christian G. , Grāmatniece Alise , Abodakpi Henrietta , Tam Vincent H. , Leibovici Leonard
Published: November 2020

The limited armamentarium against drug-resistant Gram-negative bacilli has led to the development of several novel β-lactam–β-lactamase inhibitor combinations (BLBLIs). In this review, we summarize their spectrum of
in vitro
activities, mechanisms of resistance, and pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic (PK-PD) characteristics. A summary of available clinical data is provided per drug. Four approved BLBLIs are discussed in detail. All are options for treating multidrug-resistant (MDR)
Enterobacterales
and
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
.
The Vaccinia Virus B12 Pseudokinase Represses Viral Replication via Interaction with the Cellular Kinase VRK1 and Activation of the Antiviral Effector BAF
Authors: Rico Amber B. , Linville Alexandria C. , Olson Annabel T. , Wang Zhigang , Wiebe Matthew S.
Published: November 2020

Viruses from diverse families encode both positive and negative regulators of viral replication. While their functions can sometimes be enigmatic, investigation of virus-encoded, negative regulators of viral replication has revealed fascinating aspects of virology.
In VitroStudies of Persister Cells
Authors: Kaldalu Niilo , Hauryliuk Vasili , Turnbull Kathryn Jane , La Mensa Agnese , Putrinš Marta , Tenson Tanel
Published: November 2020

Many bacterial pathogens can permanently colonize their host and establish either chronic or recurrent infections that the immune system and antimicrobial therapies fail to eradicate. Antibiotic persisters (persister cells) are believed to be among the factors that make these infections challenging. Persisters are subpopulations of bacteria which survive treatment with bactericidal antibiotics in otherwise antibiotic-sensitive cultures and were extensively studied in a hope to discover the mechanisms that cause treatment failures in chronically infected patients; however, most of these studies were conducted in the test tube.
Prophage-Dependent Neighbor Predation Fosters Horizontal Gene Transfer by Natural Transformation
Authors: Molina-Quiroz Roberto C. , Dalia Triana N. , Camilli Andrew , Dalia Ankur B. , Silva-Valenzuela Cecilia A.
Published: November 2020

Prophages are nearly ubiquitous in bacterial species. These integrated phage elements have previously been implicated in horizontal gene transfer (HGT) largely through their ability to carry out transduction (generalized or specialized). Here, we show that prophage-encoded viral particles promote neighbor predation leading to enhanced HGT by natural transformation in the waterborne pathogen
Vibrio cholerae
. Our findings contribute to a comprehensive understanding of the dynamic forces involved in prophage maintenance which ultimately drive the evolution of naturally competent bacteria in their natural environment.
Supplemental Material: Early formation and taphonomic significance of kaolinite associated with Burgess Shale fossils
Authors: Anderson Ross , al. et
Published: November 2020

Supplemental methodological details, antibacterial properties of clays, other minerals with distinct fossil/matrix distributions, summaries of mineralogy by taxon, data tables, statistical summaries, and light/scanning electron microscopy–energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy images of fossil specimens showing X-ray diffraction selected areas.
Supplemental Material: New constraints on the age, geochemistry, and environmental impact of High Arctic Large Igneous Province magmatism: Tracing the extension of the Alpha Ridge onto Ellesmere Island, Canada
Authors: Naber T.V. , Tegner C.
Published: November 2020

Supplementary Data Files: (1) Sample list and description; (2) GPS positions of samples; (3) Accuracy of major and trace element bulk rock compositions and precision of repeat analyses; (4) Photomicrographs; (5) Clinopyroxene, plagioclase and olivine compositions; (6) SHRIMP U-Pb methods and results; (7) 7. Nb-Zr-Y tectonic discrimination diagram; (8) Ti-Zr-Y tectonic discrimination diagram; (9) Ti-V tectonic discrimination diagram; (10) MgO-FeOtot_Al2O3 tectonic discrimination diagram; (11) AFM diagram; and (12) Th/Nb vs. SiO2 diagram.
Low-dose or no aspirin administration in acute-phase Kawasaki disease: a meta-analysis and systematic review
Authors: Chiang Ming-Hsiu , Liu Hsingjin Eugene , Wang Jinn-Li
Published: November 2020

Objective

To compare the efficacy of low-dose or no aspirin with conventional high-dose aspirin for the initial treatment in the acute-phase of Kawasaki disease (KD).

Design

A meta-analysis and systematic review of randomised control trials and cohort studies.

Methods

All available articles that compared different dosage of aspirin in the acute-phase of KD published until 20 September 2019 were included from the databases of PubMed, Embase and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials Central without language restrictions. Extracted data from eligible studies were reviewed by two authors independently and analysed by using RStudio software.

Results

Nine cohorts with a total of 12 182 children were enrolled. We found that low-dose (3–5 mg/kg/day) or no aspirin in the acute-phase KD was associated with reducing the risk of coronary artery lesions (CALs, OR=0.81, 95% CI 0.69 to 0.95). No differences were observed in intravenous immunoglobulin resistance, length of hospital stay and fever days after admission (OR=1.35, 95% CI 0.91 to 1.98; standard mean difference (SMD)=0.17, 95% CI −1.07 to 1.4; SMD=0.3, 95% CI −1.51 to 2.11) in the low-dose/no aspirin subgroup compared with the high-dose (≥30 mg/kg/day) aspirin subgroup. We did not identify any potential factors affecting the homogeneity of CAL risk as well as clinical important effects in all included studies.

Conclusions

Prescribing low-dose or no aspirin in the acute-phase of KD might be associated with a decreased incidence of CAL. However, additional well-designed prospective trials are required to support the theory.
Is health politically irrelevant? Experimental evidence during a global pandemic
Authors: Acharya Arnab , Gerring John , Reeves Aaron
Published: November 2020

Objective

To investigate how health issues affect voting behaviour by considering the COVID-19 pandemic, which offers a unique opportunity to examine this interplay.

Design

We employ a survey experiment in which treatment groups are exposed to key facts about the pandemic, followed by questions intended to elicit attitudes toward the incumbent party and government responsibility for the pandemic.

Setting

The survey was conducted amid the lockdown period of 15–26 April 2020 in three large democratic countries with the common governing language of English: India, the United Kingdom and the United States. Due to limitations on travel and recruitment, subjects were recruited through the M-Turk internet platform and the survey was administered entirely online. Respondents numbered 3648.

Results

Our expectation was that respondents in the treatment groups would favour, or disfavour, the incumbent and assign blame to government for the pandemic compared with the control group. We observe no such results. Several reasons may be adduced for this null finding. One reason could be that public health is not viewed as a political issue. However, people do think health is an important policy area (>85% agree) and that government has some responsibility for health (>90% agree). Another reason could be that people view public health policies through partisan lenses, which means that health is largely endogenous, and yet we find little evidence of polarisation in our data. Alternatively, it could be that the global nature of the pandemic inoculated politicians from blame and yet a majority of people do think the government is to blame for the spread of the pandemic (~50% agree).

Conclusions

While we cannot precisely determine the mechanisms at work, the null findings contained in this study suggest that politicians are unlikely to be punished or rewarded for their failures or successes in managing COVID-19 in the next election.

Trial registration

Initial research hypotheses centred on expected variation between two treatments, as set forth in a detailed pre-analysis plan, registered at E-Gap:http://egap.org/registration/6645. Finding no difference between the treatments, we decided to focus this paper on the treatment/control comparison. Importantly, results that follow the pre-analysis plan strictly are entirely consistent with results presented here: null findings obtained throughout.
Prevalence and health correlates of anaemia among community-dwelling Chinese older adults: the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study
Authors: Wang Ying , Ping Yong-Jing , Jin Hai-Yu , Ge Ning , Wu Chenkai
Published: November 2020

Objectives

To identify the prevalence of anaemia among older adults in China by sociodemographic and geographical regions, and cross-sectionally examine the associations between anaemia and several geriatric outcomes.

Design

Cross-sectional study.

Setting and participants

Participants were 6656 older adults aged at least 60 years with haemoglobin data from the 2015 to 2016 wave of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study.

Methods

We examined the prevalence of anaemia by sociodemographics (age, sex, residence, education, marital status) and geographical regions, adjusting for age. We investigated the associations between anaemia and geriatric conditions.

Results

The prevalence of anaemia was 20.6% among adults ≥60 years and was higher at advanced ages, among those who were females, living in rural areas, and those who were unmarried. The southern region of China had a higher burden of anaemia than the north. Anaemic adults had a higher age-adjusted prevalence of falls, activities of daily living (ADL) disability, instrumental ADL disability, lower extremely functional limitation, upper extremely functional limitation, low gait speed, low grip strength and low self-reported memory.

Conclusions

Anaemia affected approximately one in five older adults in China, particularly in those with disadvantaged sociodemographics, and anaemia was associated with a higher burden of geriatric conditions. Huge geographical disparities of anaemia prevalence between northern and southern regions reflected the dietary variations in different regions. Efforts on preventing anaemia and reducing regional disparities of anaemia were needed to improve older adults’ health in China.
Key stakeholders’ perspectives and experiences with defining, identifying and displaying gaps in health research: a qualitative study
Authors: Nyanchoka Linda , Tudur-Smith Catrin , Porcher Raphaël , Hren Darko
Published: November 2020

Introduction

Mapping the current body of evidence including what is missing helps provide a better understanding of what research is available, ongoing and needed and should be prioritised. Identifying research gaps can inform the design and conduct of health research by providing additional context information about the body of evidence in a given topic area. Despite the commonly used term ‘research gap’ in scientific literature, little is written on how to find a ‘research gap’ in the first place. Moreover, there is no clear methodological guidance to identify and display gaps.

Objective

This study aimed to explore how key stakeholders define research gaps and characterise methods/practices used to identify and display gaps in health research to further advance efforts in this area.

Design

This was an exploratory qualitative study using semistructured in-depth interviews. The study sample included the following stakeholder groups: researchers, funders, healthcare providers, patients/public and policy-makers. Interview transcripts were subjected to thematic analysis.

Results

Among the 20 interviews conducted (20 participants), a variety of research gap definitions were expressed (ie, five main themes, including gaps in information, knowledge/evidence gaps, uncertainties, quality and patient perspective). We identified three main themes for methods used to identify gaps (primary, secondary and both primary and secondary) and finally six main themes for the methods to display gaps (forest plots, diagrams/illustrations, evidence maps, mega maps, 3IE gap maps and info graphics).

Conclusion

This study provides insights into issues related to defining research gaps and methods used to identify and display gaps in health research from the perspectives of key stakeholders involved in the process. Findings will be used to inform methodological guidance on identifying research gaps.
Risk factors and prognosis for COVID-19-induced acute kidney injury: a meta-analysis
Authors: Lin Lirong , Wang Xiang , Ren Jiangwen , Sun Yan , Yu Rongjie , Li Kailong , Zheng Luquan , Yang Jurong
Published: November 2020

Objective

To analyse the incidence, risk factors and impact of acute kidney injury (AKI) on the prognosis of patients with COVID-19.

Design

Meta-analysis.

Data sources

PubMed, Embase, CNKI and MedRxiv of Systematic Reviews from 1 January 2020 to 15 May 2020.

Study selection

Studies examining the following demographics and outcomes were included: patients’ age; sex; incidence of and risk factors for AKI and their impact on prognosis; COVID-19 disease type and incidence of continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) administration during COVID-19 infection.

Results

A total of 79 research articles, including 49 692 patients with COVID-19, met the systemic evaluation criteria. The mortality rate and incidence of AKI in patients with COVID-19 in China were significantly lower than those in patients with COVID-19 outside China. A significantly higher proportion of patients with COVID-19 from North America were aged ≥65 years and also developed AKI. European patients with COVID-19 had significantly higher mortality and a higher CRRT rate than patients from other regions. Further analysis of the risk factors for COVID-19 combined with AKI showed that age ≥60 years and severe COVID-19 were independent risk factors for AKI, with an OR of 3.53, 95% CI (2.92–4.25) and an OR of 6.07, 95% CI (2.53–14.58), respectively. The CRRT rate in patients with severe COVID-19 was significantly higher than in patients with non-severe COVID-19, with an OR of 6.60, 95% CI (2.83–15.39). The risk of death in patients with COVID-19 and AKI was significantly increased, with an OR of 11.05, 95% CI (9.13–13.36).

Conclusion

AKI was a common and serious complication of COVID-19. Older age and having severe COVID-19 were independent risk factors for AKI. The risk of in-hospital death was significantly increased in patients with COVID-19 complicated by AKI.
The process of transprofessional collaboration: how caregivers integrated the perspectives of rehabilitation through working with a physical therapist
Authors: Goto Ryohei , Haruta Junji
Published: November 2020

Objectives

To clarify the process of how caregivers in a nursing home integrate the perspectives of rehabilitation into their responsibilities through working with a physical therapist.

Design

This study was conducted under an action research approach.

Setting

The target facility was a nursing home located in Japan. The researcher, a physical therapist, worked at the nursing home once a week from April 2016 to March 2017. During the study period, he created field notes focused on the dialogue and action of caregivers regarding care, responses of caregivers to the physical therapist and reflections as a physical therapist. Caregivers were also given a short informal interview about their relationship with the nursing home residents. For data analysis, two researchers discussed the content based on the field notes, consolidating the findings.

Participants

The participants were caregivers who worked at the target facility. Thirty-eight caregivers agreed to participate. Average age was 39.6±11.1 years, 14 (37%) were male and average caregiver experience was 9.8 years.

Results

Two cycles of action research were conducted during the study period. There were four stages in the process of how caregivers in the nursing home integrated the perspectives of rehabilitation through their work with the physical therapist. First, caregivers resisted having the rehabilitation programme carried out in the unit because they perceived that rehabilitation performed by a physical therapist was a special process and not under their responsibility. However, the caregivers were given a shared perspective on rehabilitation by the physical therapist, which helped them to understand the meaning of care to adapt the residents’ abilities to their daily life. They practised resident-centred care on a trial basis, although with a sense of conflict between their new and previous role, which emphasised the safety of residents’ lives and personhood. The caregivers increased their self-efficacy as their knowledge and skills were supplemented by the physical therapist and his approval of their attempted care. They were then able to commit to their newly conceived specialty of care as a means of supporting the lives of residents.

Conclusions

The process of working with a physical therapist led to a change in caregivers’ perception and behaviours, which occurred in four stages: resistance to incorporation, recapture of other perspectives, conflicts and trials in the role of caregiver and transformation to a resident-centred perspective.
Circulating Mir-146A Expression Predicts Early Treatment Response to Imatinib in Adult Chronic Myeloid Leukemia
Authors: Habib Eman M , Nosiar Nahla A , Eid Manal A , Taha Atef M , Sherief Dalia E , Hassan Asmaa E , Abdel Ghafar Muhammad Tarek
Published: November 2020

This study aimed to investigate the prognostic role of circulating miR-146a in the prediction of early response to imatinib treatment in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). Sixty patients with CML and 20 healthy controls were recruited in this study. BCR-ABL was assessed by quantitative rt-PCR at days 0 and 90 of imatinib therapy. Circulating miR-146a levels were assessed by quantitative rt-PCR at days 0, 14 and 90 of imatinib therapy for patients and once for controls. At day 90 of treatment, treatment response was achieved in 48 patients (80.0%). Responders had significantly lower baseline Sokal score when compared with non-responders. They also had significantly lower BCR-ABL expression at day 90 of treatment. The circulating miR-146a level was significantly lower in patients with CML than in healthy subjects and showed a significant rise after 14 days of imatinib treatment and an inverse correlation with BCR-ABL expression levels at 90 days. Using multivariate logistic regression analysis, baseline BCR-ABL (%) (OR (95% CI) 1.09 (1.03 to 1.016), p=0.006) and miR-146a at 14 days (OR (95% CI) 0.002 (0.0 to 0.09), p=0.001) were significant predictors of treatment response. Using ROC curve analysis, it was found that miR-146a expression at 14 and 90 days could distinguish responders from non-responders (AUC (95% CI) 0.849 (0.733 to 0.928) and 0.867 (0.755 to 0.941), respectively). This study reported for the first time that measurement of the circulating miR-146a expression at 14 days can predict the early response to imatinib treatment in patients with CML. Thus, this work indicates that miR-146a should be investigated in the setting of treatment response to other tyrosine kinase inhibitors.
Disclosure of non-recent (historic) childhood sexual abuse: What should researchers do?
Authors: Silverio Sergio A. , Bewley Susan , Montgomery Elsa , Roberts Chelsey , Richens Yana , Maxted Fay , Sandall Jane , Montgomery Jonathan
Published: November 2020

Non-recent (historic) childhood sexual abuse is an important issue to research, though often regarded as taboo and frequently met with caution, avoidance or even opposition from research ethics committees. Sensitive research, such as that which asks victim-survivors to recount experiences of abuse or harm, has the propensity to be emotionally challenging for both the participant and the researcher. However, most research suggests that any distress experienced is usually momentary and not of any clinical significance. Moreover, this type of research offers a platform for voices which have often been silenced, and many participants report the cathartic effect of recounting their experiences in a safe, non-judgemental space. With regard to the course of such research, lines of inquiry which ask adult participants to discuss their experiences of childhood sexual abuse may result in a first-time disclosure of that abuse by the victim-survivor to the researcher. Guidance about how researchers should respond to first-time disclosure is lacking. In this article, we discuss our response to one research ethics committee which had suggested that for a qualitative study for which we were seeking ethical approval (investigating experiences of pregnancy and childbirth having previously survived childhood sexual abuse), any disclosure of non-recent (historic) childhood sexual abuse which had not been previously reported would result in the researcher being obliged to report it to relevant authorities. We assess this to be inconsistent with both law and professional guidance in the United Kingdom; and provide information and recommendations for researchers and research ethics committees to consider.
Heart surgery and transplantation: innovations impacting on concepts of life and death
Authors: Cooper David K C
Published: November 2020

The development of heart surgery is briefly reviewed, and the impact it has made on our concepts of life and death are considered. For centuries, death was defined by the cessation of heart beat. In the early days of heart surgery in the 1940s and 1950s, the heart sometimes temporarily stopped beating, but could be resuscitated, and some concluded that the patient had been ‘dead’ for a period of time. Subsequently, when the patient’s brain and other vital organs were protected either by the induction of a state of total body hypothermia or by the support of a heart-lung machine, the heart was purposely stopped from beating for periods of a few minutes to even several hours, but the patient remained alive. When heart transplantation was introduced in 1967, for a period of time the patient not only had no heartbeat, but had no heart, yet was not dead. When total artificial hearts were introduced, the patient permanently had no heart, but remained alive. In the near future, it is likely that the native heart will be permanently replaced by a genetically-engineered pig heart. Organ transplantation, particularly of the heart, contributed further to our changing concepts of life and death. In 1963, surgeons began to remove organs from donors whose brain had been irreversibly damaged, and had been diagnosed as being ‘brain-dead’, but in whom the heart was still beating. By 1968, the beating heart was routinely removed from brain-dead donors and transplanted into recipients, but this was no longer considered to be illegal as brain death had become the definitive definition of death, not lack of a heart beat or even lack of a heart.
Influence of inpatient opioid consumption on persistent use following total knee arthroplasty
Authors: Pace Meredith , Gannon Kerri , Friedland Matthew , Spurlin Gervase , Price Lori Lyn
Published: November 2020

Background

Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is associated with a high incidence of continued opioid use beyond the expected period of recovery. The aim of this study was to determine the influence of inpatient opioid consumption on the development of persistent use.

Methods

Opioid-naïve patients undergoing primary, uncomplicated TKA were included in a prospective, observational study at a single institution. Postoperatively, opioids were prescribed by orthopedic advanced practitioners or resident physicians and administered by registered nurses. Individual inpatient prescriptions were adjusted, as needed, to facilitate optimal recovery conditions. Average hourly inpatient opioid consumption was calculated from total usage between midnight on the day of surgery until the time of hospital discharge. Persistent opioid use was defined as a prescription refill written by the orthopedic surgeon at the 6-week surgical follow-up visit. A multivariable regression model was used to identify independent risk factors associated with persistent use.

Results

A total of 351 patients were included in the analysis. Persistent opioid use was identified in 17.4% (61) of patients overall. A history of alcohol abuse (OR 7.80; 95% CI 2.13 to 28.55, p=0.002) was identified as an independent risk factor. Inpatient opioid consumption in the top quartile (equivalent to more than 10 mg of oxycodone every 4 hours) was not found to be associated with persistent use.

Conclusion

Larger amounts of opioid consumed in the hospital following uncomplicated, primary TKA may not be associated with an increased risk of persistent use at 6 weeks among opioid-naïve patients. Patients may have unique risk factors for prolonged opioid use that may not necessarily be apparent in the early postoperative period.
Equivalence of solutions between the four-dimensional novel and regularized EGB theories in a cylindrically symmetric spacetime
Authors: Lin Zi-Chao , Yang Ke , Wei Shao-Wen , Wang Yong-Qiang , Liu Yu-Xiao
Published: November 2020

Recently, a novel four-dimensional Einstein–Gauss–Bonnet (EGB) theory was presented to bypass the Lovelock’s theorem and to give nontrivial effects on the four-dimensional local gravity. The main mechanism is to introduce a redefinition $$\alpha \rightarrow \alpha /(D-4)$$

α
→
α
/
(
D
-
4
)

and to take the limit $$D\rightarrow 4$$

D
→
4

. However, this theory does not have standard four-dimensional field equations. Some regularization procedures are then proposed to address this problem (http://arxiv.org/abs/2003.11552, http://arxiv.org/abs/2003.12771, http://arxiv.org/abs/2004.08362, http://arxiv.org/abs/2004.09472, http://arxiv.org/abs/2004.10716). The resultant regularized four-dimensional EGB theory has the same on-shell action as the original theory. Thus it is expected that the novel four-dimensional EGB theory is equivalent to its regularized version. However, the equivalence of these two theories is symmetry-dependent. In this paper, we test the equivalence in a cylindrically symmetric spacetime. The well-defined field equations of the two theories are obtained, with which our follow-up analysis shows that they are equivalent in such spacetime. Cylindrical cosmic strings are then considered as specific examples of the metric. Three sets of solutions are obtained and the corresponding string mass densities are evaluated. The results reveal how the Gauss–Bonnet term in four dimensions contributes to the string geometry in the new theory.
Universal non-resonant explanation to charmoniumlike structures $$Z_c(3885)$$ and $$Z_c(4025)$$
Authors: Wang Jun-Zhang , Chen Dian-Yong , Liu Xiang , Matsuki Takayuki
Published: November 2020

Different from the usual tetraquark assignment to charged $$Z_c(3885)$$

Z
c

(
3885
)

and $$Z_c(4025)$$

Z
c

(
4025
)

charmoniumlike structures, in this letter we propose a universal non-resonant explanation to decode these $$Z_c$$

Z
c

’s, which is based on a special dynamical behavior of $$e^+e^-\rightarrow D^{(*)}{\bar{D}}^*\pi $$

e
+

e
-

→

D

(

∗
)

D

¯

∗

π

. Our study shows that $$Z_c(3885)$$

Z
c

(
3885
)

and $$Z_c(4025)$$

Z
c

(
4025
)

are only the reflection from the P-wave charmed meson $$D_1(2420)$$

D
1

(
2420
)

involved in $$e^+e^-\rightarrow D^{(*)}{\bar{D}}^*\pi $$

e
+

e
-

→

D

(

∗
)

D

¯

∗

π

. Obviously, the present work provides a unique perspective, which can be examined by future experiments like BESIII and BelleII.
Role of scalar $$a_0(980)$$ in the single Cabibbo suppressed process $$D^+ \rightarrow \pi ^{+} \pi ^{0} \eta $$
Authors: Duan Man-Yu , Wang Jun-Ya , Wang Guan-Ying , Wang En , Li De-Min
Published: November 2020

Taking into account that the scalar $$a_0(980)$$

a
0

(
980
)

can be dynamically generated from the pseudoscalar-pseudoscalar interaction within the chiral unitary approach, we have studied the single Cabibbo suppressed process $$D^+\rightarrow \pi ^+\pi ^0\eta $$

D
+

→

π
+

π
0

η

. We find clear peaks of $$a_0(980)^+$$

a
0

(
980
)

+

and $$a_0(980)^0$$

a
0

(
980
)

0

in the $$\pi ^+\eta $$

π
+

η

and $$\pi ^0\eta $$

π
0

η

invariant mass distributions, respectively. The predicted Dalitz plots of $$D^+\rightarrow \pi ^+\pi ^0\eta $$

D
+

→

π
+

π
0

η

also manifest the significant signals for $$a_0(980)^+$$

a
0

(
980
)

+

and $$a_0(980)^0$$

a
0

(
980
)

0

states. The uncertainties of the results due to the free parameters are also discussed. Our study shows that the process $$D^+\rightarrow \pi ^+\pi ^0\eta $$

D
+

→

π
+

π
0

η

can be used to explore the nature of the scalar $$a_0(980)$$

a
0

(
980
)

, thus we encourage the experimental physicists to measure this reaction with more precision.
Cosmological hyperfluids, torsion and non-metricity
Authors: Iosifidis Damianos
Published: November 2020

We develop a novel model for cosmological hyperfluids, that is fluids with intrinsic hypermomentum that induce spacetime torsion and non-metricity. Imposing the cosmological principle to metric-affine spaces, we present the most general covariant form of the hypermomentum tensor in an FLRW Universe along with its conservation laws and therefore construct a novel hyperfluid model for cosmological purposes. Extending the previous model of the unconstrained hyperfluid in a cosmological setting we establish the conservation laws for energy–momentum and hypermomentum and therefore provide the complete cosmological setup to study non-Riemannian effects in Cosmology. With the help of this we find the forms of torsion and non-metricity that were earlier reported in the literature and also obtain the most general form of the Friedmann equations with torsion and non-metricity. We also discuss some applications of our model, make contact with the known results in the literature and point to future directions.
Herbal Medicine Treatment for Influenza: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials
Authors: Choi Minhyung , Lee Sun Haeng , Chang Gyu Tae
Published: November 2020

The aim of this research is to evaluate the clinical evidence of an herbal medicine (HM) treatment on influenza and describe the potential benefits and adverse events by reviewing all relevant randomized controlled trials. All papers published from 2010 to 2019 in all languages in six databases were searched, including all randomized controlled trials on adults and children, testing herbal medicine for treatment of influenza, alone or in combination with conventional antiviral therapy. The main outcome parameters of interest were total effective rate, time to resolution of fever, adverse events, complications, and duration of viral shedding. 25 trials of 3044 patients were included. Herbal medicine compared to placebo significantly reduced time to fever resolution by 4.96[Formula: see text]h (mean difference, [Formula: see text]4.96; 95% CI, [Formula: see text]7.11 to [Formula: see text]2.80; [Formula: see text]), herbal medicine compared to oseltamivir showed no significant difference (mean difference, [Formula: see text]1.82; 95% CI, [Formula: see text]6.08 to 2.44; [Formula: see text]), and herbal medicine plus oseltamivir combined treatment significantly reduced duration of fever by 7.84[Formula: see text]h compared to a single treatment with oseltamivir (mean difference, [Formula: see text]7.84; 95% CI, [Formula: see text]12.51 to [Formula: see text]3.17; [Formula: see text]). Herbal medicine compared to placebo showed a significantly better total effective rate (risk ratio, 1.90; 95% CI, 1.18 to 3.07; [Formula: see text]), herbal medicine compared to oseltamivir indicated significantly better effective rate (risk ratio, 1.15; 95% CI, 1.03 to 1.29; [Formula: see text]), and combined treatment showed a significantly better total effective rate compared to a single treatment with oseltamivir (risk ratio, 1.20; 95% CI, 1.06 to 1.36; [Formula: see text]). Regarding safety, no serious adverse events were reported in HM treatment. HM presented fewer adverse events compared to oseltamivir, but the difference was not significant (risk difference, [Formula: see text]0.04; 95% CI, [Formula: see text]0.09 to 0.00; [Formula: see text]), and the combined treatment did not increase adverse events compared to oseltamivir (risk difference, [Formula: see text]0.02; 95% CI, [Formula: see text]0.06 to 0.02; [Formula: see text]). Research findings show that herbal medicine treatments have beneficial therapeutic effects on influenza and could decrease duration of fever and improve total effective rate. In addition, herbal medicine plus oseltamivir combined therapy could increase the therapeutic effect compared to a single treatment with oseltamivir.
Implementation and Performance Measure of Fuzzy AHP for Resource Allocation in 5G
Authors: Kumar R. Dhilip , Nagarajan V.
Published: November 2020

Spectrum seems to be the lifeblood of wireless communication, which is of high demand as the traffic doubles every year. This increasing demand drives towards 5G NR, which is expected to support 100 folds increase in mobile devices, gigabit user data rate, ultra-low latency, high traffic and ultra-reliability. Since most of the available spectrum has been saturated, new methods that make use of spectrum in efficient manner must be considered. Through flexible 5G NR framework, 5G is aimed to utilize shared/unlicensed spectrum. Cognitive radio is the key enabler for operating through shared/unlicensed spectrum. In this situation, network interference caused by secondary users (SU) in accessing the unlicensed band for cognitive radio can be overcome by implementation of efficient resource management techniques. The interference issue among SU can be minimized to a large extent by efficiently allocating the available spectrum. Fuzzy Analytic hierarchy process (FAHP) seems to be an appropriate solution for spectrum allocation among SU without creating interference among themselves. The mathematical model proves that FAHP allocated the spectrum to the best SU.
Variations of essentiality of ideals in commutative rings
Authors: Ghashghaei E.
Published: November 2020

In this paper, we describe how intersections with a totality of some ideals affect the essentiality of an ideal. We mainly study intersections with every (a) annihilator ideal, (b) prime ideal (c) strongly irreducible ideal (d) irreducible ideal and every pure ideal. After some general results, the paper focuses on [Formula: see text] to characterize spaces [Formula: see text] when every irreducible ideal of [Formula: see text] is pseudoprime. We also characterize the rings of continuous functions [Formula: see text] in which every pseudoprime ideal is strongly irreducible. We give a negative answer to a question raised by Gilmer and McAdam.
Singular Configurations and Underactuated Balance Control for Biped Robot with Point Contact
Authors: Tian Jian , Wei Cheng , Zhao Yang
Published: November 2020

This paper presents a hierarchical controller and extracts the singular configurations based on underactuated system and optimal distribution of forces. Unlike multi-legged and large-sole robots, biped robot with point contact cannot maintain a stable standing state, much less to adjust attitude and resist external impact. The support domain of point-foot bipedal robot degenerates into a line segment consisting of two footholds, introducing the underdactuated characteristic that challenges traditional algorithms based on polygonal domains and full variable optimization. To fully exploit the dynamic connection between support line and balance control, the accurate model is established as feedforward terms using virtual leg and floating reference system. The dynamics model is decomposed into an underactuated module and a force distribution module for hierarchical control, in which the former determines the control forces of base and the singularity corresponding to robot configuration, and the latter distributes forces on each leg according to its capability by solving a quadratic programming with constraints. The results verify the advanced stability of attitude adjustment and impact from external force of biped robot with point contact comparing to model predictive control, which is improved based on robot’s singular configuration.
Minimum Spanning Tree under Explorable Uncertainty in Theory and Experiments
Authors: Focke Jacob , Megow Nicole , Meißner Julie
Published: November 2020

We consider the minimum spanning tree (MST) problem in an uncertainty model where interval edge weights can be explored to obtain the exact weight. The task is to find an MST by querying the minimum number of edges. This problem has received quite some attention from the algorithms theory community. In this article, we conduct the first practical experiments for MST under uncertainty, theoretically compare three known algorithms, and compare theoretical with practical behavior of the algorithms. Among others, we observe that the average performance and the absolute number of queries are both far from the theoretical worst-case bounds. Furthermore, we investigate a known general preprocessing procedure and develop an implementation thereof that maximally reduces the data uncertainty. We also characterize a class of instances that is solved to optimality by our preprocessing. Our experiments are based on practical data from an application in telecommunications and uncertainty instances generated from the standard TSPLib graph library.
Neural Feature-aware Recommendation with Signed Hypergraph Convolutional Network
Authors: Chen Xu , Xiong Kun , Zhang Yongfeng , Xia Long , Yin Dawei , Huang Jimmy Xiangji
Published: November 2020

Understanding user preference is of key importance for an effective recommender system. For comprehensive user profiling, many efforts have been devoted to extract user feature-level preference from the review information. Despite effectiveness, existing methods mostly assume linear relationships among the users, items, and features, and the collaborative information is usually utilized in an implicit and insufficient manner, which limits the recommender capacity in modeling users’ diverse preferences. For bridging this gap, in this article, we propose to formulate user feature-level preferences by a neural signed hypergraph and carefully design the information propagation paths for diffusing collaborative filtering signals in a more effective manner. By taking the advantages of the neural model’s powerful expressiveness, the complex relationship patterns among users, items, and features are sufficiently discovered and well utilized. By infusing graph structure information into the embedding process, the collaborative information is harnessed in a more explicit and effective way. We conduct comprehensive experiments on real-world datasets to demonstrate the superiorities of our model.
Algorithmic Fairness: Choices, Assumptions, and Definitions
Authors: Mitchell Shira , Potash Eric , Barocas Solon , D'Amour Alexander , Lum Kristian
Published: November 2020

A recent wave of research has attempted to define fairness quantitatively. In particular, this work has explored what fairness might mean in the context of decisions based on the predictions of statistical and machine learning models. The rapid growth of this new field has led to wildly inconsistent motivations, terminology, and notation, presenting a serious challenge for cataloging and comparing definitions. This article attempts to bring much-needed order. First, we explicate the various choices and assumptions made—often implicitly—to justify the use of prediction-based decision-making. Next, we show how such choices and assumptions can raise fairness concerns and we present a notationally consistent catalog of fairness definitions from the literature. In doing so, we offer a concise reference for thinking through the choices, assumptions, and fairness considerations of prediction-based decision-making.
Progression of infarct-mediated arrhythmogenesis in a rodent model of heart failure
Authors: Chinyere Ikeotunye Royal , Moukabary Talal , Hutchinson Mathew D. , Lancaster Jordan J. , Juneman Elizabeth , Goldman Steven
Published: November 2020

Rodent model of ischemic cardiomyopathy exhibits a plateau of inducible monomorphic ventricular tachycardia incidence between 6 and 10 wk postinfarction.
Normality of the p-Harmonic and Log-p-Harmonic Mappings
Authors: Jiang Qinghua , Meng Fanning , Dang Guoqiang
Published: November 2020

In this paper, the concepts of p-harmonic mappings and log-p-harmonic mappings in the unit disk have been introduced and studied by many researchers. We proved the normality of the p-harmonic mappings and log-p-harmonic mappings, which extend the related results of harmonic mappings of earlier authors.
Gold Nanoparticles Enhance EGFR Inhibition and Irradiation Effects in Head and Neck Squamous Carcinoma Cells
Authors: Kashin Masahiko , Kakei Yasumasa , Teraoka Shun , Hasegawa Takumi , Yamaguchi Akinobu , Fukuoka Takao , Sasaki Ryohei , Akashi Masaya
Published: November 2020

Cetuximab, an epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitor (EI), is currently the only targeted molecular therapy used in combination with radiotherapy for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are expected to enhance radiotherapy effects in cancers. To investigate whether AuNPs combined with AG1478, an EI, enhanced irradiation effects on HNSCC cells, we first examined AG1478 adsorption on AuNP surfaces, using surface‐enhanced Raman scattering, which indicated an adsorption equilibrium of AG1478 to AuNPs. We then used transmission electron microscopy to find internalization rates of AuNP alone and AuNP+AG1478; we found that intracellular uptake of AuNP alone and AuNP+AG1478 did not significantly differ. We compared cell numbers, proliferation, apoptosis, and migration between control cells and those treated with or without 60 nm AuNP (1.0 nM), AG1478 (0.5 μM), and irradiation (4 Gy). We found that AuNP+AG1478 inhibited proliferation more than AG1478 alone; the combination of irradiation+AuNP+AG1478 significantly reduced total cell numbers compared with the combination of irradiation+AuNP; AuNP+AG1478 increased apoptotic reaction to irradiation; the combinations of AuNP+AG1478 and irradiation+AuNP induced more apoptosis than AG1478+irradiation. Whereas AuNP+AG1478 enhanced cytotoxicity in human HNSCC cells by inhibiting proliferation, irradiation+AuNP enhanced cytotoxicity by inducing apoptosis.