bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Development and study of automatic monitoring system of temperature and humidity in a bioreactor
Authors: Volkov I V , Kuhktik M P , Lebed N I , Makarov A M
Published: October 2020

The aim of this work is to develop the automated system of organic waste processing. The existing devices have been analyzed and their disadvantages have been revealed with the aim to create more perfect system. The construction of robot system of organic waste processing has been developed. A mathematical model of physical processes inside a bioreactor has been developed. Optimal parameters for effective, fast and high-quality conduct of the process have been revealed during the modeling. The experimental plant has been created for carrying out the study. All that allows to create modern, functional and autonomous system, which will meet all requirements of environmental security.
Analysis of interrelations of demographic and socio-economic parameters of rural development
Authors: Balashova N N , Popova S A , Korobeynikov D A , Tarasova E A , Tokarev K E
Published: October 2020

The article offers an algorithm for evaluating the relationship between demographic and economic parameters of rural development, which assumes the classification and paired comparisons of regions based on the studied characteristics. The demographic matrix represents a multi level grouping of rural territories in Russia based on three subordinated characteristics: natural reproduction, internal migration, demographic burden. For a matrix grouping of regions by the level of economic well-being of rural territories, an integral index is proposed, structured according to indicators of employment, rural income and budgets of rural settlements. According to demographic characteristics, rural territories are divided into four typological groups – well-off, relatively well – off, not well-off, and depressive regions-whose superimposition on the matrix of economic development of territories showed the existence of an incomplete correlation of the studied parameters. The most significant relationship was found for the third and fourth quartiles of the matrices, which indicates a fairly significant relationship between the unfavorable demographic situation in the region and ego-economic problems. At the same time, the presence of distorting factors requires the addition of a cluster approach to formal assessments, in which it is possible to take into account the individual characteristics of each territory.
Accounting model for determining the amount of the estimated liability for agricultural leasing participants
Authors: Tokareva E V , Chernovanova N V , Yagupova E V , Zabaznova D O
Published: October 2020

The existing system of participants in leasing relationships in terms of debt formation is unacceptable, as it completely contradicts the strategy of development of agriculture in Russia. The assessment of additional costs should certainly be considered as a risk management tool. Thus, if a deliberately unprofitable agricultural leasing agreement is defined, risks will arise both for the lessee in terms of a lack of liquidity to pay lease payments and for the lessor in terms of the risks of losing the collateral and increasing the risks of nonpayment. Such obligations must be formed in the supplier’s accounting records, which affects not only the organization’s operational stability, but also its financial stability. The article suggests a fundamentally new approach to the formation of universally applicable information data on estimated obligations of participants in agricultural leasing agreements. Proposals for the practical application of organizational and methodological aspects of accounting based on the modernization of the settlement system the amounts of reserves, estimated reserves, and estimated liabilities are substantiated. Practical implementation of the research results by managers and accountants can greatly contribute to forecasting and minimizing risks for participants in leasing agreements.
Irrigation management model based on soil moisture distribution profile
Authors: Borodychev V V , Lytov M N
Published: October 2020

The article is devoted to the actual problem solving of precision irrigation in terms of an irrigation management model creating based on the soil moisture spatial variation. The research key element is that the model being created takes into account the soil moisture content variability not according the area of the irrigated plot, but in the vertical profile of the agricultural crops active root water consumption zone. This approach avoids the necessity for the irrigation equipment design complication for irrigation moisture differentiated distribution and therefore the technology application allows us to avoid unnecessary costs. The irrigation requirement assessing block according to the moisture content differentiating in the active soil layer profile is new in the proposed model architecture. The block algorithm assumes the two-stage irrigation requirement assessment, first, based on the total level of soil moisture variation in the active layer profile and second, on the layers sum of the active soil horizon with a moisture content below the threshold level. Together, these estimates allow us to make a decision about the irrigation necessity if soil moisture excessive variation in the profile layers and the moisture distribution nature in the soil profile have a significant impact on the irrigated crop productivity.
Electrical characterization of 2D materials-based field-effect transistors
Authors: Mitta Sekhar Babu , Choi Min Sup , Nipane Ankur , Ali Fida , Kim Changsik , Teherani James T , Hone James , Yoo Won Jong
Published: October 2020

Two-dimensional (2D) materials hold great promise for future nanoelectronics as conventional semiconductor technologies face serious limitations in performance and power dissipation for future technology nodes. The atomic thinness of 2D materials enables highly scaled field-effect transistors (FETs) with reduced short-channel effects while maintaining high carrier mobility, essential for high-performance, low-voltage device operations. The richness of their electronic band structure opens up the possibility of using these materials in novel electronic and optoelectronic devices. These applications are strongly dependent on the electrical properties of 2D materials-based FETs. Thus, accurate characterization of important properties such as conductivity, carrier density, mobility, contact resistance, interface trap density, etc is vital for progress in the field. However, electrical characterization methods for 2D devices, particularly FET-related measurement techniques, must be revisited since conventional characterization methods for bulk semiconductor materials often fail in the limit of ultrathin 2D materials. In this paper, we review the common electrical characterization techniques for 2D FETs and the related issues arising from adapting the techniques for use on 2D materials.
Complete solution of the tight binding model on a Cayley tree: strongly localised versus extended states
Authors: Aryal Deepak , Kettemann Stefan
Published: October 2020

The complete set of Eigenstates and Eigenvalues of the nearest neighbour tight binding model on a Cayley tree with branching number b = 2 and M branching generations with open boundary conditions is derived. We find that of the N = 1 + 3(2
M
 − 1) total states only 3M + 1 states are extended throughout the Cayley tree. The remaining N − (3M + 1) states are found to be strongly localised states with finite amplitudes on only a subset of sites. In particular, there are, for M > 1, 3 × 2
M−2 surface states which are each antisymmetric combinations of only two sites on the surface of the Cayley tree and have energy eactly at E = 0, the middle of the band. The ground state and the first two excited states of the Cayley tree are found to be extended states with amplitudes on all sites of the Cayley tree, for all M. We use the results on the complete set of Eigenstates and Eigenvalues to derive the total density of states and a local density of states.
Enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen production by loading histidine on TiO2
Authors: Han Xiaojing , Ma Hongrui , Wang Chuanyi , Li Yingxuan
Published: October 2020

Although TiO2 exhibits excellent photocatalytic properties, its application has been limited owing to rapid e−/h+ recombination. Therefore, TiO2 has failed to reach the desired effect in terms of efficient photocatalytic hydrogen production. In this study, a range of titanium dioxide catalysts loaded with histidine (His) were prepared by an easy dipping method, viz. by treating TiO2 in His aqueous solutions with different concentrations at ambient temperature. Photocatalytic hydrogen evolution by splitting water was performed on His-modified TiO2 under 300-W Xe irradiation. His-loaded TiO2 catalysts exhibited improved photocatalytic performance compared with pristine TiO2; TiO2 treated in 1 × 10−3 mol · L−1 His showed the highest photocatalytic H2 evolution activity (4.77 μmol g−1 h−1 gm−2), which was 3.77 times higher than that of pure TiO2. Infrared and XPS analysis showed that His was successfully combined to the TiO2 surface by hydrogen bonding, constructing a fast channel for interfacial charge transfer. In the photocatalytic process, the photogenerated holes could migrate from the valence band of TiO2 to the highest occupied molecular orbital of His, which reduced the recombination rate of photogenerated e−/h+ pairs, consequently, improved H2 production efficiency. Importantly, the composite catalyst exhibited no decline in photocatalytic activity over 30 h of operation. This research provides an alternative approach for creating high-efficiency photocatalysts for H2 production.
Non-equilibrium phenomena in thermal plasmas
Authors: Cressault Y , Teulet Ph , Baumann X , Gleizes A
Published: October 2020

This tutorial is intended to provide a basic overview of non-equilibrium phenomena for thermal plasmas. Thermal plasmas (TPs) mainly issued from electrical discharges are often assumed to be in ≪ equilibrium ≫ as opposed to ≪ non-equilibrium plasmas ≫ where non-equilibrium phenomena are more pronounced. As a first approximation it can be shown that TPs are close to a local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE) which is often taken as their reference state. However, in many situations, deviations from LTE can clearly exist. The main goal of this brief tutorial is to explain to interested scientists the main phenomena, mechanisms and characteristics associated to TPs or quasi-TPs. Then we introduce the different laws of the thermodynamic equilibrium applied to these plasmas and show that not all of them are valid in TPs, which lead us to define the LTE. However, even if the transport phenomena are non-equilibrium mechanisms, we show with illustrations that they are studied and estimated within the framework of the LTE. The next sections focus on phenomena named ‘departures from equilibrium’ for thermal plasmas. For convenience and educational reasons, we split them into the departures from the chemical and the thermal equilibria respectively. In each case we present and clearly define the mechanisms that promote equilibrium and those that tend to create departures. We present not only experimental setups that highlight these deviations but also the basis for the mathematical models that allow them to be simulated, before concluding the tutorial with the outlooks and challenges currently under research.
Deformable polyvinyl chloride gel for fabrication of varifocal microlens array
Authors: Yamada Yasumi , Emori Hideyuki , Hirai Toshihiro
Published: October 2020

Limitations in further miniaturization of lenses and arrays to achieve varifocal capabilities in compact 2D/3D switchable imaging devices have spurred investigations into the use of alternative materials. To this end, we fabricated a new deformable microlens array (MLA) utilizing polyvinyl chloride (PVC) gel, containing 67–90 wt.% of dibutyl adipate (DBA), sandwiched between an anode with apertures, 20–300 μm in diameter, and a cathode made of a transparent conductive film. The effects of applied voltage and DBA content on the protrusion of the PVC gel were studied and the protrusion mechanism was investigated. The gel was deformed from a flat shape in the absence of voltage to a lens shape at 100–600 V. When a voltage was applied, the negatively charged PVC chains accumulated near the anode and induced deformation of the PVC gel, which rose along the aperture walls and protruded from the apertures. Furthermore, the protrusion level of the PVC gel increased with DBA content, which lowered its elastic modulus and increased the negative charge density. Thus, the deformation of the PVC gel was mainly governed by the effects of electrostriction and PVC chain dynamics. Additionally, aperture diameter was found to influence the shape of the lens. The protrusion profile was concave at aperture diameters of 50 and 100 μm but became convex at 20 μm. At an applied voltage of 600 V, the focal length of the MLA was −0.20 mm at aperture diameters of 50 and 100 μm, representing a concave lens, but +0.05 mm at 20 μm, representing a convex lens. The MLA functioned more as a deformable lens, which transformed from a flat shape into a lens shape, than as a variable lens whose focal length changed continuously. The roles of plasticizer content, PVC chain dynamics, and aperture diameter in achieving greater control over lens curvature merit further investigation.
Quantum machine learning in high energy physics
Authors: Guan Wen , Perdue Gabriel , Pesah Arthur , Schuld Maria , Terashi Koji , Vallecorsa Sofia , Vlimant Jean-Roch
Published: October 2020

Machine learning has been used in high energy physics (HEP) for a long time, primarily at the analysis level with supervised classification. Quantum computing was postulated in the early 1980s as way to perform computations that would not be tractable with a classical computer. With the advent of noisy intermediate-scale quantum computing devices, more quantum algorithms are being developed with the aim at exploiting the capacity of the hardware for machine learning applications. An interesting question is whether there are ways to apply quantum machine learning to HEP. This paper reviews the first generation of ideas that use quantum machine learning on problems in HEP and provide an outlook on future applications.
Moving beyond promoting ‘Happiness’ in gerontology interventions
Authors: Hill Patrick L , Burrow Anthony L , Allemand Mathias
Published: October 2020

Researchers have called for gerontologists to spend greater attention on promoting happiness in older adulthood, a point aligned with the general public’s interest in finding the keys to being happy later in life. However, targeting and even defining happiness comes with several caveats and challenges, leaving researchers to make difficult decisions regarding measurement and intervention strategies. Instead, the current commentary suggests that gerontology interventions may fare better if researchers focus on specific components of positive psychological functioning. We present sense of purpose and life enjoyment as examples of two such components, and note the potential merit in developing these more focussed intervention programmes. As such, the commentary suggests the value of moving beyond targeting happiness when developing intervention programmes for older adult participants.
Evolution of pollination syndromes and corolla symmetry in Balsaminaceae reconstructed using phylogenetic comparative analyses
Authors: Ruchisansakun Saroj , Mertens Arne , Janssens Steven B , Smets Erik F , van der Niet Timotheüs
Published: October 2020

Background and Aims

Floral diversity as a result of plant–pollinator interactions can evolve by two distinct processes: shifts between pollination systems or divergent use of the same pollinator. Although both are pollinator driven, the mode, relative importance and interdependence of these different processes are rarely studied simultaneously. Here we apply a phylogenetic approach using the Balsaminaceae (including the species-rich genus Impatiens) to simultaneously quantify shifts in pollination syndromes (as inferred from the shape and colour of the perianth), as well as divergent use of the same pollinator (inferred from corolla symmetry).

Methods

For 282 species we coded pollination syndromes based on associations between floral traits and known pollination systems, and assessed corolla symmetry. The evolution of these traits was reconstructed using parsimony- and model-based approaches, using phylogenetic trees derived from phylogenetic analyses of nuclear ribosomal and plastid DNA sequence data.

Key Results

A total of 71 % of studied species have a bee pollination syndrome, 22 % a bimodal syndrome (Lepidoptera and bees), 3 % a bird pollination syndrome and 5 % a syndrome of autogamy, while 19 % of species have an asymmetrical corolla. Although floral symmetry and pollination syndromes are both evolutionarily labile, the latter shifts more frequently. Shifts in floral symmetry occurred mainly in the direction towards asymmetry, but there was considerable uncertainty in the pattern of shift direction for pollination syndrome. Shifts towards asymmetrical flowers were associated with a bee pollination syndrome.

Conclusion

Floral evolution in Impatiens has occurred through both pollination syndrome shifts and divergent use of the same pollinator. Although the former appears more frequent, the latter is likely to be underestimated. Shifts in floral symmetry and pollination syndromes depend on each other but also partly on the region in which these shifts take place, suggesting that the occurrence of pollinator-driven evolution may be determined by the availability of pollinator species at large geographical scales.
GraphDTA: predicting drug–target binding affinity with graph neural networks
Authors: Nguyen Thin , Le Hang , Quinn Thomas P , Nguyen Tri , Le Thuc Duy , Venkatesh Svetha
Published: October 2020

The development of new drugs is costly, time consuming and often accompanied with safety issues. Drug repurposing can avoid the expensive and lengthy process of drug development by finding new uses for already approved drugs. In order to repurpose drugs effectively, it is useful to know which proteins are targeted by which drugs. Computational models that estimate the interaction strength of new drug–target pairs have the potential to expedite drug repurposing. Several models have been proposed for this task. However, these models represent the drugs as strings, which is not a natural way to represent molecules. We propose a new model called GraphDTA that represents drugs as graphs and uses graph neural networks to predict drug–target affinity. We show that graph neural networks not only predict drug–target affinity better than non-deep learning models, but also outperform competing deep learning methods. Our results confirm that deep learning models are appropriate for drug–target binding affinity prediction, and that representing drugs as graphs can lead to further improvements.

Availability of implementation

The proposed models are implemented in Python. Related data, pre-trained models and source code are publicly available at https://github.com/thinng/GraphDTA. All scripts and data needed to reproduce the post hoc statistical analysis are available from https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3603523.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Conditional surrender in one generation: determining the reproductive roles of mouse embryo lethal genes by embryo complementation
Authors: Schimenti John C
Published: October 2020

The laboratory mouse is the most widely used animal model for studying the genetics and biology of mammalian development and reproduction. Embryonic stem cell (ESC) gene targeting technology, and the sophisticated genomic manipulations it allowed, was unique to this organism for a long period of time; this was a major factor in the mouse’s rise to pre-eminence as a model system over the past three decades or so. The recent advent of CRISPR/Cas9 technology has democratized the application of genome editing to essentially all organisms. Nevertheless, the scientific infrastructure behind the mouse still makes it the organism of choice for studying molecular mechanisms of mammalian development, and for modeling human development and disease.
When You Put It that Way: Framing Gender Equality Initiatives to Improve Engagement among STEM Academics
Authors: Farrell Lynn , Petzel Zachary W , McCormack Teresa , Turner Rhiannon N , Rafferty Karen , Latu Ioana M
Published: October 2020

A number of high-profile gender equality initiatives (GEIs) are intended to address women's underrepresentation in science. However, attitudes toward such initiatives can be negative. In two experiments with STEM academics, we examined how GEIs can be best framed to improve attitudes toward them. In study 1 (N = 113), we manipulated the framing of GEI leadership (led by a man or woman) and GEI focus (benefitting men and women or benefitting women only). The men were more supportive of GEIs benefitting both men and women because of fewer concerns of unfair treatment and more internal motivations to engage with GEIs. The women's level of support was unaffected by framing. In study 2 (N = 151), we framed GEIs as either supported by university management or not and either internally or externally driven. Support was greater for internally driven GEIs. The impact of management support depended on the academics’ experience with GEIs. This research makes evidence-based recommendations for the implementation of GEIs to improve their effectiveness.
The impact of human mobility networks on the global spread of COVID-19
Authors: Hâncean Marian-Gabriel , Slavinec Mitja , Perc Matjaž
Published: October 2020

Human mobility networks are crucial for a better understanding and controlling the spread of epidemics. Here, we study the impact of human mobility networks on the COVID-19 onset in 203 different countries. We use exponential random graph models to perform an analysis of the country-to-country global spread of COVID-19. We find that most countries had similar levels of virus spreading, with only a few acting as the main global transmitters. Our evidence suggests that migration and tourism inflows increase the probability of COVID-19 case importations while controlling for contiguity, continent co-location and sharing a language. Moreover, we find that air flights were the dominant mode of transportation while male and returning travellers were the main carriers. In conclusion, a mix of mobility and geography factors predicts the COVID-19 global transmission from one country to another. These findings have implications for non-pharmaceutical public health interventions and the management of transborder human circulation.
VarStack: a web tool for data retrieval to interpret somatic variants in cancer
Authors: Howard Morgan , Kane Bruce , Lepry Mary , Stey Paul , Ragavendran Ashok , Gamsiz Uzun Ece D
Published: October 2020

Advances in tumor genome sequencing created an urgent need for bioinformatics tools to support the interpretation of the clinical significance of the variants detected. VarStack is a web tool which is a base to retrieve somatic variant data relating to cancer from existing databases. VarStack incorporates data from several publicly available databases and presents them with an easy-to-navigate user interface. It currently supports data from the Catalogue of Somatic Mutations in Cancer, gnomAD, cBioPortal, ClinVar, OncoKB, CiViC and UCSC Genome Browser. It retrieves the data from these databases and returns them back to the user in a fraction of the time it would take to manually navigate each site independently. Users submit a variant with a gene symbol, peptide change and coding sequence change. They may select a variety of tumor-specific studies in cBioPortal to search through in addition to their original query. The results from the databases are presented in tabs. Users can export the results as an Excel file. VarStack also has the batch search feature in which the user can submit a list of variants and download an Excel file with the data from the databases. With the batch search and data download options, users can easily incorporate VarStack into their workflow or tools. VarStack saves time by providing somatic variant information to the user from multiple databases in an easy-to-export and interpretable format. VarStack is freely available under https://varstack.brown.edu.
The concoction of cancer, catheter, and intracardiac clot: a case report describing a potential treatment strategy
Authors: Nair Raunak Mohan , Maroo Anjli
Published: October 2020

Background

Patients with cancer often pose a unique challenge to anticoagulation, as they have a higher risk of bleeding and clotting than the general population. Patients with cancer and catheter-related intracardiac thrombus are a very specific subset of people who do not have specific recommendations guiding their treatment. This article aims to address the existing knowledge gaps in this scenario and provide a possible treatment approach for these patients.

Case summary

We describe the case of a 46-year-old lady with invasive breast cancer, who was on chemotherapy through a central venous catheter and was found to have a right atrial thrombus on routine echocardiography. Due to the paucity of data in this scenario and because the patient requested an oral anticoagulant which did not need frequent monitoring, we started her on apixaban for a total of 3 months. Echocardiogram was repeated at 4 and 8 weeks. In the 8-week echocardiogram, the right atrial thrombus was no longer visualized.

Discussion

Malignancy and central venous catheters significantly increase the risk of thrombosis. Although low molecular weight heparin is the preferred anticoagulant to manage thrombosis in patients with cancer, direct oral anticoagulants have been proven to be non-inferior. In patients with catheter-related intracardiac thrombus, anticoagulation should be continued for at least 3 months or until the catheter is removed, whichever is longer.
Comparison of uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic versus thoracotomy bronchial sleeve lobectomy with pulmonary arterioplasty for centrally located non-small-cell lung cancer
Authors: Xie Dong , Zhong Yifan , Deng Jiajun , She Yunlang , Zhang Lei , Fan Jiang , Jiang Gening , Zhu Yuming , Jiang Lei , Chen Chang
Published: October 2020

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of bronchial sleeve lobectomy with pulmonary arterioplasty by uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (UniVATS) in centrally located non-small-cell lung cancer.

METHODS

One hundred and two thoracotomy and 31 UniVATS cases were included in this retrospective, single-centre study. Baseline characteristics, perioperative performance and survival outcomes were compared between the 2 groups.

RESULTS

Compared with the thoracotomy group, the UniVATS group was associated with lower postoperative blood transfusion rate (P = 0.043), decreased postoperative hospital stays (P = 0.008), shorter drainage duration (P = 0.003) and less drainage volume during the first postoperative 24 h (P = 0.005). Besides, the 3-year overall survival and recurrence-free survival were comparable between the 2 groups (log-rank, P = 0.81 and P = 0.78, respectively). In addition, squamous cell carcinoma was proved to be the independent favourable predictor for overall survival [hazard ratio (HR) 0.44, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.24–0.80; P = 0.008], and advanced pathological stage was found to be independently associated with worse overall survival (IIIB stage: HR 3.21, 95% CI 1.13–9.12; P = 0.028) and recurrence-free survival (IIIB stage: HR 3.54, 95% CI 1.32–9.51; P = 0.012).

CONCLUSIONS

With appropriate patient selection, UniVATS sleeve lobectomy with pulmonary arterioplasty is feasible and safe for centrally located lung cancer in the hands of thoracic surgeons with extensive thoracoscopy experience.
Report from the European Society of Thoracic Surgeons database 2019: current surgical practice and perioperative outcomes of pulmonary metastasectomy
Authors: Gonzalez Michel , Brunelli Alessandro , Szanto Zalan , Passani Stefano , Falcoz Pierre-Emmanuel
Published: October 2020

OBJECTIVES

We report an overview of surgical practices and outcomes in patients undergoing pulmonary metastasectomy based on data from the European Society of Thoracic Surgeons database.

METHODS

We retrieved data on resections performed for pulmonary metastases between July 2007 and July 2019. We evaluated baseline characteristics, surgical management and postoperative outcomes. Open and video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) procedures were compared in terms of surgical management, morbidity and mortality.

RESULTS

We selected 8868 patients [male/female 5031/3837; median age: 64 years (interquartile range 55–71)] who underwent pulmonary metastasectomy. Surgical approach consisted of open thoracotomy in 63.5% of cases (n = 5627) and VATS in 36.5% (n = 3241), with a conversion rate of 2.1% (n = 69). Surgical resection was managed by wedge or local excision in 61% (n = 5425) of cases and anatomical resection in 39% (n = 3443); lobectomy: 26% (n = 2307); segmentectomy: 11% (n = 949); bilobectomy: 1% (n = 95); pneumonectomy: 1% (n = 92)). Lymph node assessment was realized in 58% (n = 5097) [sampling: 21% (n = 1832); complete dissection: 37% (n = 3265)]. Overall morbidity and mortality rates were 15% (n = 1308) and 0.8% (n = 69), respectively. Median duration of stay was 6 days (interquartile range 4–8). The rate of VATS procedures increased from 15% in 2007 to 58% in 2018. When comparing VATS and Open surgery, there were significantly (P < 0.001) fewer anatomical resections by VATS (24% vs 49%), lymph node assessments (36% vs 70%), less morbidity (9% vs 18%) and shorter durations of stay (median: 4 vs 7 days).

CONCLUSIONS

We report a good overview of current surgical practices in terms of resection extent and postoperative outcomes with a gradual acceptance of VATS.
Physical Frailty Phenotype Criteria and Their Synergistic Association on Cognitive Functioning
Authors: Chu Nadia M , Bandeen-Roche Karen , Xue Qian-Li , Carlson Michelle C , Sharrett A Richey , Gross Alden L
Published: October 2020

Background

Frailty (physical frailty phenotype [PFP]) and its criteria (slow gait, weakness, weight loss, low activity, and exhaustion) are each associated with cognitive dysfunction. The extent to which the PFP is associated with cognition beyond that expected from its component parts remains uncertain.

Method

We used the National Health and Aging Trends Study to quantify associations between PFP criteria and cognitive performance (level/change) using adjusted mixed effects models. We tested whether frailty was associated with excess cognitive vulnerability (synergistic/excess effects, Cohen’s d) beyond criteria contributions by assessing interactions between each criterion and frailty.

Results

Among 7439 community-dwelling older adults (mean age = 75.2 years) followed for a mean of 3.2 years (SE = 0.03), 14.1% were frail. The PFP and PFP criteria were all associated with lower baseline cognitive performance, among which slow gait (−0.31 SD, SE = 0.02) and frailty (−0.23 SD, SE = 0.02) were strongest. Only slow gait (−0.03 SD/year, SE = 0.01), frailty (−0.02 SD/year, SE = 0.01), weight loss (−0.02 SD/year, SE = 0.01), and weakness (−0.02 SD/year, SE = 0.01) were associated with cognitive decline. Frailty was associated with cognitive performance above and beyond each criterion (excess effects ranging from −0.07 SD [SE = −0.05] for slow gait to −0.23 SD [SE = 0.03] for weakness); the same was not true for cognitive decline. Slow gait was the only criterion associated with cognitive change among both frail and nonfrail participants (frail: Cohen’s d/year = −0.03, SE = 0.01; nonfrail: Cohen’s d/year = −0.02, SE = 0.01).

Conclusions

PFP is an important frailty measure that is cross-sectionally associated with lower cognitive performance, but not with subsequent cognitive decline, above and beyond its criteria contributions. Further research into the construct of frailty as a “syndrome” correlated with cognition and other adverse outcomes is needed.
Social Relationships in Early Life and Episodic Memory in Mid- and Late Life
Authors: Zhang Zhenmei , Xu Hongwei , Li Lydia W , Liu Jinyu , Choi Seung-won Emily
Published: October 2020

Objectives

This study examines the longitudinal relationships between retrospective reports of early-life social relationships (i.e., having good friends, parent–child relationship quality, and childhood neighborhood social cohesion) and episodic memory in China.

Methods

We analyzed 2 waves of data (2011 and 2015) from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study. The analytical sample included 9,285 respondents aged 45 and older at baseline. A lagged dependent variable approach was used to estimate the associations between measures of early-life social relationships and episodic memory change at the study’s 4-year follow-up.

Results

Retrospective reports of better early-life social relationships are significantly associated with higher levels of episodic memory performance in 2015 among middle-aged and older Chinese, controlling for episodic memory in 2011, childhood socioeconomic status, adulthood sociodemographic variables, and the history of stroke. Educational attainment accounts for a significant portion of the associations between early-life social relationships and episodic memory. In contrast, mental health and social engagement in adulthood account for a small part of these associations.

Discussion

The findings suggest that positive early-life social relationships are beneficial for episodic memory in mid- and late life, and more research is needed to examine the underlying mechanisms.
Feedbacks between a non-Newtonian upper mantle, mantle viscosity structure and mantle dynamics
Authors: Semple A G , Lenardic A
Published: October 2020

Previous studies have shown that a low viscosity upper mantle can impact the wavelength of mantle flow and the balance of plate driving to resisting forces. Those studies assumed that mantle viscosity is independent of mantle flow. We explore the potential that mantle flow is not only influenced by viscosity but can also feedback and alter mantle viscosity structure owing to a non-Newtonian upper-mantle rheology. Our results indicate that the average viscosity of the upper mantle, and viscosity variations within it, are affected by the depth to which a non-Newtonian rheology holds. Changes in the wavelength of mantle flow, that occur when upper-mantle viscosity drops below a critical value, alter flow velocities which, in turn, alter mantle viscosity. Those changes also affect flow profiles in the mantle and the degree to which mantle flow drives the motion of a plate analogue above it. Enhanced upper-mantle flow, due to an increasing degree of non-Newtonian behaviour, decreases the ratio of upper- to lower-mantle viscosity. Whole layer mantle convection is maintained but upper- and lower-mantle flow take on different dynamic forms: fast and concentrated upper-mantle flow; slow and diffuse lower-mantle flow. Collectively, mantle viscosity, mantle flow wavelengths, upper- to lower-mantle velocities and the degree to which the mantle can drive plate motions become connected to one another through coupled feedback loops. Under this view of mantle dynamics, depth-variable mantle viscosity is an emergent flow feature that both affects and is affected by the configuration of mantle and plate flow.
New measurements of long-period radial modes using large earthquakes
Authors: Talavera-Soza S , Deuss A
Published: October 2020

Radial modes, nS0, are long-period oscillations that describe the radial expansion and contraction of the whole Earth. They are characterized only by their centre frequency and quality factor Q, and provide crucial information about the 1-D structure of the Earth. Radial modes were last measured more than a decade ago using only one or two earthquakes. Here, we measure radial modes using 16 of the strongest and deepest earthquakes of the last two decades. By introducing more earthquake data into our measurements, we improve our knowledge of 1-D attenuation, as we remove potential earthquake bias from our results. For mode 0S0, which is dominated by compressional energy, we measure a Q value of 5982, much higher than previously measured, and requiring less bulk attenuation in the Earth than previously thought. We also show that radial modes cross-couple (resonate) strongly to their nearest spheroidal mode due to ellipticity and inner core cylindrical anisotropy. Cross-coupling improves the fit between data and synthetics, and gives better estimates of the centre frequency and attenuation value of the radial modes. Including cross-coupling in our measurements results in a systematic shift of the centre frequencies of radial modes towards the Preliminary Reference Earth Model. This shift in centre frequencies, has implications for the strength of the radial anisotropy present in the uppermost inner core, with our cross-coupling results agreeing with lower values of anisotropy than the ones inferred from just measuring the modes in self-coupling (isolation). Furthermore, cross-coupling between radial modes and angular-order two modes provides constraints on cylindrical inner core anisotropy, that will help us improve our knowledge of the 3-D structure of the inner core.
Interpregnancy interval in lower versus higher human development index countries: a hypothesis about pregnancy spacing
Authors: Harrison Margo S
Published: October 2020

Background

A secondary analysis was conducted of two separate datasets to observe the association between maternal age and interpregnancy interval (IPI).

Methods

The IPI in a middle-income country (Guatemala) was compared with that of a very-high-income country (USA) among women with two pregnancies.

Results

A regression model found that with each increasing year of age, the IPI increases by 1.26 months (p<0.001) in Guatemala. A regression model found that IPI decreased as women aged in the USA.

Conclusions

It is hypothesized that as countries progress in their development indices, women may delay childbearing, which may result in reduced IPI, as was the case in the USA compared with Guatemala in these datasets.
Optimal converter control for PV-fed DC and AC interconnection by using hybrid artificial neural networks
Authors: Yamacli Volkan , Abaci Kadir
Published: October 2020

Optimal control of power converters to avoid voltage instability in cases such as system loading or faults is one of the most studied nonlinear problems that affect energy quality in power systems. The optimization problem related to converter control becomes more difficult with the inclusion of renewable energy systems while trying to fulfill power system constraints and providing an adequate amount of energy. In this paper, a simple approach based on artificial neural networks (ANNs) has been proposed and applied to photovoltaic-fed high-voltage DC and high-voltage AC systems interconnection consisting of PI-controlled power converters. By using the proposed method, converter control parameters are optimized for different cases to improve steady-state and dynamic voltage stability while also avoiding any kind of system faults. In order to implement hybrid control methodology by using ANN and PI control, the network should be well trained with samples including not only global best values but also the whole possible system characteristic. For this reason, a novel optimization algorithm, differential search algorithm, is used to sample solution space and train ANN by using random and localized samples. Obtained and presented results of the proposed approach show that due to robust and fast response, ANNs can be successfully used to overcome nonlinear security and optimization problems concerning power system stability.
Revamping to Remain Relevant: How Do the European and the Inter-American Human Rights Systems Adapt to Challenges?
Authors: Ramanzini Isabela Garbin , Yildiz Ezgi
Published: October 2020

Both the European and the Inter-American human rights systems are in the process of adapting themselves to the emerging and pressing needs in their respective regions. The high-level conferences on the future of the European Court of Human Rights and the newly-established Forum of the Inter-American Human Rights System are two analogous institutional reform processes. This policy note compares these initiatives. We argue that these parallel processes may have been provoked by similar concerns, yet they have generated different outcomes. The Inter-American system has taken advantage of the Forum to increase its functions and outreach. The high-level conferences, on the other hand, have provided an opportunity for member states to call on the European Court to circumscribe the extent of its functions. Finally, we believe that although these initiatives both envisage strategies tailored for their respective systems, mutual learning between the systems could yield more effective solutions.
Effects of three-dimensional soil heterogeneity on seed germination in controlled experiments
Authors: Liu Yongjie , Hou Fujiang
Published: October 2020

Aims

Seed germinations react to their local growing conditions, but the impacts of soil heterogeneity on seed germinations are not well known.

Methods

Effects of three-dimensional soil heterogeneity on seed germinations of grasses species were explored, where two levels of such soil heterogeneity were created via alternatively filling nutrient-poor and nutrient-rich substrate in pot in all directions. Patch sizes of the two heterogeneity levels are around 7.5 and 15 cm, respectively. Fifty seeds of each of the grasses species (Lolium perenne and Elymus nutans) were set either in these heterogeneous soils or in petri dishes with distilled water. Seed germinations of these species were daily recorded.

Important Findings

We found that pots with smaller patches had relatively lower germination rate, which is consistent with our expectation that shorter distance between nutrient-rich and nutrient-poor patches in pots with smaller patches allows plants to reduce their germination rates and delay their germination, in order to reduce the negative impacts of the strong variation of soil resources in these pots. Our results also revealed that pots with smaller patches yielded more heterogeneous seed germination, i.e. seed germinations highly diverged among these pots. These findings highlight that the realistic three-dimensional design can improve our understanding of seed germination as driven by soil spatial heterogeneity.
A rare case of perianal apocrine adenocarcinoma
Authors: Gazivoda Victor , Kiss Lawrence P , Rhee Rebecca
Published: October 2020

Apocrine adenocarcinoma is a rare primary cutaneous malignancy that arises from areas with high apocrine gland density, most frequently described in the axilla. There have only been three previously reported cases of apocrine adenocarcinoma in the anal/perianal region. A 72-year-old female presented for evaluation of a perianal lesion with persistent drainage that she had noticed for over a year. The patient proceeded with surgical excision of the perianal nodule. Diagnosis was made based on pathology demonstrating areas of mixed solid and trabecular areas with large nuclei and many prominent mitotic figures, which stained positive for periodic acid–Schiff–diastase, cytokeratin 7 and gross cystic disease fluid protein 15. We are reporting just the fourth such case of apocrine adenocarcinoma in the anal/perianal region. It is important to consider apocrine adenocarcinoma in our differential, because though apocrine adenocarcinoma has a benign clinical presentation, it can have a high incidence of lymph invasion on presentation.
The Mysterious Souls of Hellé and Debussy’s Toys
Authors: Coombes T. F.
Published: October 2020

This article is a study of the piano version of Debussy’s La Boîte à joujoux—a musical storybook with illustrations by André Hellé—in the context of literary discourses about the toy. The storybook’s exploration of the nature of toyhood illustrates what Barbara Johnson calls the ‘asymptotic relation between things and persons’. Hellé and Debussy’s characters invite a contribution to philosophical reflections on the role of mechanical bodies as signifying a relationship between subjecthood and objecthood. The characters of La Boîte à joujoux are, I suggest, entirely untroubled by the distinction between interiority and exteriority that haunted the modernist imagination. The final section answers a broader question prompted by the storybook’s opening: how toys could serve as comic ideals of the modern urban citizen.
NLTT5306B: an inflated, weakly irradiated brown dwarf
Authors: Casewell S L , Debes J , Braker I P , Cushing M C , Mace G , Marley M S , Kirkpatrick J Davy
Published: October 2020

We present Spitzer observations at 3.6 and 4.5 µm and a near-infrared IRTF SpeX spectrum of the irradiated brown dwarf NLTT5306B. We determine that the brown dwarf has a spectral type of L5 and is likely inflated, despite the low effective temperature of the white dwarf primary star. We calculate brightness temperatures in the Spitzer wavebands for both the model radius, and Roche Lobe radius of the brown dwarf, and conclude that there is very little day–night side temperature difference. We discuss various mechanisms by which NLTT5306B may be inflated, and determine that while low-mass brown dwarfs (M < 35 MJup) are easily inflated by irradiation from their host star, very few higher mass brown dwarfs are inflated. The higher mass brown dwarfs that are inflated may be inflated by magnetic interactions or may have thicker clouds.
New constraints on the 1.4 GHz source number counts and luminosity functions in the Lockman Hole field
Authors: Bonato Matteo , Prandoni Isabella , De Zotti Gianfranco , Brienza Marisa , Morganti Raffaella , Vaccari Mattia
Published: October 2020

We present a study of the 1173 sources brighter than $S_{1.4\, \rm GHz}= 120\, \mu$Jy detected over an area of $\simeq 1.4\, \hbox{deg}^{2}$ in the Lockman Hole field. Exploiting the multiband information available in this field for ∼79 per cent of the sample, sources have been classified into radio loud (RL) active galactic nuclei (AGNs), star-forming galaxies (SFGs), and radio quiet (RQ) AGNs, using a variety of diagnostics available in the literature. Exploiting the observed tight anticorrelations between IRAC band 1 or band 2 and the source redshift we could assign a redshift to 177 sources missing a spectroscopic measurement or a reliable photometric estimate. A Monte Carlo approach was used to take into account the spread around the mean relation. The derived differential number counts and luminosity functions at several redshifts of each population show a good consistency with models and with earlier estimates made using data from different surveys and applying different approaches. Our results confirm that below $\sim 300\, \mu$Jy SFGs+RQ AGNs overtake RL AGNs that dominate at brighter flux densities. We also confirm earlier indications of a similar evolution of RQ AGNs and SFGs. Finally, we discuss the angular correlation function of our sources and highlight its sensitivity to the criteria used for the classification.