bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Modal and frequency response characteristics of vehicle suspension system using full car model
Authors: Sharma Sanjay , Chouksey Manoj , Pare Vinod , Jain Pranay
Published: May 2020

This paper involves simulated studies of a vehicle suspension system for modal and frequency response characteristics. Ride comfort and car handling are two important considerations for finalizing the design of the vehicle suspension. However, both of these are conflicting to each other. Ride comfort and car handling depend on dynamic characteristics of the vehicle (i.e. natural frequencies, mode shapes, frequency response functions etc.) too among other parameters. Hence it is very important to carry out modal examination of the vehicle suspension system to find out the natural characteristics of the system. The same has been attempted in this work using full car model having seven degree of freedoms. The degrees of freedom include pitching, bouncing and rolling motion along with motion of the un-sprung masses. The software tools namely ANSYS Workbench, MATLAB, and SIMULINK environment has been employed to discover the system’s modal and frequency response features. The vehicle’s natural frequencies and mode shapes were evaluated and bode plots are drawn to explore the system’s frequency response features. The results produced in different software tools have also been compared and discovered to be in close agreement with the results present in the literature.
Investigation of tribological behaviour of 88WC-12Co coating
Authors: Rakhecha S , Pare V , Tiwari S , Yadav G
Published: May 2020

High velocity oxy-fuel (HVOF) is a coating technique of thermal spray process usually employed for protecting the substrate, where high velocity is used instead of high temperature for coating the substrate. In this paper, the wear behaviour of tungsten carbide-cobalt (88WC-12Co) coating was studied experimentally. The coating of 0.3 mm was deposited by HVOF technique on SS202 substrate. The dry abrasive wear experiments were carried out using pin-on-disc test rig at fixed sliding velocity 0.603 m/s, and 20, 40, 60 N load for 1000 m distance. The weight loss was measured at each 250 m distance. For the preparation of abrasive surface 80 grit SiC (silicon carbide) emery paper was used. Results show that at initial stage wear rate of coated substrate was high which reduces with increase in sliding distance and linear increment in coefficient of friction with increase in load.
To Evaluate the Optimum Parameters in Vehicle Chassis Model Vibrations
Authors: Ahirrao Nilesh , Bhosle Santosh
Published: May 2020

New designs and ideas are always evolving in automobile industries. Along with these, there are many aspects and complexities faced in controlling noise and vibrations in vehicles. Due to uneven roads, vibrations are generated which in turn degrades not only vehicle performance but also passenger comfort. Accidents are undoubtedly the most dangerous which may cause damage to human lives. Proper material selection of vehicle chassis is essential for reducing vibrations and increasing the safety. Wheelbase and the track dimension also influencing the performance of the vehicle while running on the roads. Road roughness is the key factor which may lead to the unnecessary vibrations that may harm the riders or passengers comfort and vehicle accuracy as well. Different techniques are commonly used to reduce such undesired vibrations. This paper describes a study of chassis transient vibrations and response with different materials for different damping properties. The behaviour of vehicle chassis under vibrations is observed through modelling in these conditions with different parameters. The aim of the presented paper is to show the effect of different computational techniques on designing a vehicle along with Taguchi’s method for optimizing the parameters.
Stress Concentration Factor for Jute Fibre Reinforced PLA Composite Plate with Circular Cut-out and its Effect on Coconut Shell Powder
Authors: Ramachandran M , Modi B. A.
Published: May 2020

In strictly engineering terms, the design of machine elements is focused reasonably on the regions where stress concentration occurs. Plates having holes are a practical requirement in various aeronautical, marine, naval, mechanical and civil arrangements. In many aerospace and naval machine components these kinds of holes are provided to reduce the overall weight of the assembly and to lay electrical and fuel lines. These two parameters were then used in the modified ANSYS, virtual crack closure technique to obtain the stress intensity factors. Very good Pressure vessel. Agreement between the finite element stresses and the theoretical stresses is seen. The intend of this work was to analyse stress concentration factor of Jute fibre reinforced PLA composite plate with circular cut-out and compare it with addition of coconut shell powder. The Ansys 2019 R2 Finite Element Analysis software was used to get the stress analysis of the composite plate. The shell 281 elements were used in meshing the models and this was due to their regular agreement around the circular cut-out that enabled the nodal displacements to be obtained at a constant distance from the circular cut-out. From the Ansys analysis, it is clearly evidenced that addition of CSP decreases the stress concentration factor
The effect of Ni doping on the electrical and magnetic properties of Y1-xNixBa2Cu3O7−δ delta superconductors
Authors: Hadi-Sichani B , Shakeripour H , Salamati H
Published: May 2020

The Y1-xNixBa2Cu3O7-δ
superconducting samples with low level of Ni concentration were prepared by the standard solid-state reaction. The AC susceptibility, magnetoresistivity, microstructure and the critical current density, Jc, of samples as a function of temperature, magnetic field and Ni doping are investigated. The AC susceptibility measurements show that the displacement of the peak temperature T
p of the imaginary part of the susceptibility χ″ versus magnetic field was reduced strongly by Ni doping up to an optimum level, which shows the increasing of flux pinning by Ni doping. The Jc of samples was derived from AC susceptibility utilizing the Bean model. It shows an increasing in Jc by Ni doping, at any temperature or magnetic field, consistent with the results of Jc measurements. The magnetoresistance measurements were carried out under magnetic fields up to 1 T and explained by TAFC model. Utilizing this model, the vortex dynamic behaviour and the activation energy U (H) of the compound are investigated. We found that the U (H) increases and the resistive broadening is strongly reduced by Ni doping. The SEM measurements show that the grain sizes are clearly increased and the grain connections are improved by Ni doping. The results of all the observations taken from different measurements are consistent together and indicate the Ni doping has an effective role to improve the intergranular coupling and flux pinning.
Prostatic abscess: an unusual cause of delirium associated with lower urinary tract symptoms
Authors: Pawsey Alexander , Calleja Jonathan , Clarke Nicholas
Published: May 2020

Our case describes an 80-year-old gentleman who presented with delirium and lower urinary tract symptoms. Initially treated for a urinary tract infection, he became more unwell with features of physiological decompensation secondary to sepsis. A computerized tomography scan was performed in light of the findings of suprapubic tenderness, which on examination revealed a prostatic abscess. On discussion with urology and microbiology colleagues a plan for antibiotics was constructed and the gentleman recovered without the need for invasive interventions. Our case goes on to discuss the merits of imaging for the elderly care physician when the diagnosis is not clear or when the clinical picture is of deterioration despite optimal medical care.
Mortality After Extrahepatic Gastrointestinal and Abdominal Wall Surgery in Patients With Alcoholic Liver Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Adiamah Alfred , Ban Lu , Hammond John , Jepsen Peter , West Joe , Humes David J
Published: May 2020

Aims

This meta-analysis aimed to define the perioperative risk of mortality in patients with alcoholic liver disease (ALD) undergoing extrahepatic gastrointestinal surgery.

Methods

Systematic searches of Embase, Medline and CENTRAL were undertaken to identify studies reporting about patients with ALD undergoing extrahepatic gastrointestinal surgery published since database inception to January 2019. Studies were only considered if they reported on mortality as an outcome. Pooled analysis of mortality was stratified as benign and malignant surgery and specific operative procedures where feasible.

Results

Of the 2899 studies identified, only five studies met inclusion criteria, representing cholecystectomy (one study), umbilical hernia repair surgery (one study) and oesophagectomy (three studies). The total number of patients with ALD in these studies was 172. Therefore, any study on liver disease patients undergoing extrahepatic surgery that crucially included a subset with alcohol aetiology was included as a secondary analysis even though they failed to stratify mortality by underlying aetiology. The total number of studies that met this expanded inclusion criteria was 62, reporting on 37,703 patients with liver disease of which 1735 (4.5%) had a definite diagnosis of ALD. Meta-analysis of proportions of in-hospital mortality in patients with ALD undergoing upper gastrointestinal cancer surgery (oesophagectomy) was 23% [95% confidence interval (CI) 14–35%, I2 = 0%]. In-hospital mortality following oesophagectomy in liver disease patients of all aetiologies was lower, 14% (95% CI 9–21%, I2 = 41.1%).

Conclusion

Postoperative in-hospital mortality is high in patients with liver disease and ALD in particular. However, the currently available evidence on ALD is limited and precludes definitive conclusions on postoperative mortality risk.
Is Alcohol in Hand Sanitizers Absorbed Through the Skin or Lungs? Implications for Disulfiram Treatment
Authors: Brewer Colin , Streel Emmanuel
Published: May 2020

Aim

In view of the increase in the use of ethanol-containing hand sanitizers throughout the world due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, we wished to review the possible risks to patients treated with disulfiram, following a case report in which an apparent DER (disulfiram–ethanol reaction) was attributed to the cutaneous absorption of alcohol from hand sanitizers as well as by inhalation of vapour.

Method

Simple experiments to assess the levels of absorption by each route separately.

Results

Our results strongly suggest that while amounts of alcohol sufficient to cause a DER may be inhaled when hand sanitizers are used in confined spaces, absorption can be avoided by dispersal of the fumes, and absorption from the skin alone does not occur in pharmacologically significant quantities.

Conclusion

Warnings about absorption of alcohol through the skin from hand sanitizers and products such as perfumes, deodorants and after-shave (whose use is often warned against when disulfiram is prescribed) should be modified accordingly.
Why Is Per Capita Consumption Underestimated in Alcohol Surveys? Results from 39 Surveys in 23 European Countries
Authors: Kilian Carolin , Manthey Jakob , Probst Charlotte , Brunborg Geir S , Bye Elin K , Ekholm Ola , Kraus Ludwig , Moskalewicz Jacek , Sieroslawski Janusz , Rehm Jürgen
Published: May 2020

Aims

The aims of the article are (a) to estimate coverage rates (i.e. the proportion of ‘real consumption’ accounted for by a survey compared with more reliable aggregate consumption data) of the total, the recorded and the beverage-specific annual per capita consumption in 23 European countries, and (b) to investigate differences between regions, and other factors which might be associated with low coverage (prevalence of heavy episodic drinking [HED], survey methodology).

Methods

Survey data were derived from the Standardised European Alcohol Survey and Harmonising Alcohol-related Measures in European Surveys (number of surveys: 39, years of survey: 2008–2015, adults aged 20–64 years). Coverage rates were calculated at the aggregated level by dividing consumption estimates derived from the surveys by alcohol per capita estimates from a recent global modelling study. Fractional response regression models were used to examine the relative importance of the predictors.

Results

Large variation in coverage across European countries was observed (average total coverage: 36.5, 95% confidence interval [CI] [33.2; 39.8]), with lowest coverage found for spirits consumption (26.3, 95% CI [21.4; 31.3]). Regarding the second aim, the prevalence of HED was associated with wine- and spirits-specific coverage, explaining 10% in the respective variance. However, neither the consideration of regions nor survey methodology explained much of the variance in coverage estimates, regardless of the scenario.

Conclusion

The results reiterate that alcohol survey data should not be used to compare or estimate aggregate consumption levels, which may be better reflected by statistics on recorded or total per capita consumption.
What Do Occupational Hygienists Really Know About Skin Exposure?
Authors: Gaskin Sharyn , Currie Naomi , Cherrie John W
Published: May 2020

This article describes responses to a questionnaire on current work practices and understanding of the management of dermal exposure issues in the workplace from members of the British Occupational Hygiene Society (BOHS) and the Australian Institute of Occupational Hygienists (AIOH). The survey comprised questions in four key areas: employment demographics, experience managing dermal exposure, knowledge of dermal exposure management, and opinions on professional knowledge gaps and preferred training methods. The survey was disseminated in 2016 in the UK and 2018 in Australia, with 116 and 114 responses from each jurisdiction, respectively. The majority of respondents had personally evaluated the risks of dermal exposure to chemicals (BOHS 92%; AIOH 86%), albeit infrequently (less than a few times per year). Occupational Hygienists reportedly adopted a range of strategies to control dermal exposure problems, including chemical elimination/substitution (BOHS 68%; AIOH 68%), changing work practices (BOHS 79%; AIOH 75%), and education (BOHS 77%; AIOH 83%). The use of gloves or other personal protective equipment remained the most commonly cited exposure control measure (BOHS 99%; AIOH 97%). While there appeared to be a good understanding of common dermal exposure workplace scenarios (e.g. isocyanate exposure in motor vehicle repair, solvent exposure during spray painting), the overwhelming majority of respondents wished to find out more about assessing the risks from dermal exposure to chemicals (BOHS 89%; AIOH 88%). The outcomes suggest ways to increase the competence of professionals in dealing with dermal exposure matters in the workplace, through mechanisms such as web-based guidance, interactive educational materials and webinars, as well as workshops and seminars.
Dynamic Usage-based Principles in the Development of L2 Finnish Evaluative Constructions
Authors: Lesonen Sirkku , Steinkrauss Rasmus , Suni Minna , Verspoor Marjolijn
Published: May 2020

This study investigates the formal verbalizations of evaluation used by four beginning L2 learners of Finnish from a dynamic usage-based perspective. Longitudinal data collected weekly were used to investigate what kind of constructions learners use to express evaluation and how these interact and develop over time. The results show that when a new construction is acquired in the L2, another related construction might regress. The results also point to increased variability in the construction during a phase of rapid development and reduced variability in the phases of regression or slower progress. These findings add to our understanding of a developing L2 as a system in which changes in one aspect have the potential to bring about changes in interconnected aspects. The variability patterns found in the learners’ developmental trajectories add to the growing body of research that proposes variability as meaningful in the learning process.
Deep4mC: systematic assessment and computational prediction for DNA N4-methylcytosine sites by deep learning
Authors: Xu Haodong , Jia Peilin , Zhao Zhongming
Published: May 2020

DNA N4-methylcytosine (4mC) modification represents a novel epigenetic regulation. It involves in various cellular processes, including DNA replication, cell cycle and gene expression, among others. In addition to experimental identification of 4mC sites, in silico prediction of 4mC sites in the genome has emerged as an alternative and promising approach. In this study, we first reviewed the current progress in the computational prediction of 4mC sites and systematically evaluated the predictive capacity of eight conventional machine learning algorithms as well as 12 feature types commonly used in previous studies in six species. Using a representative benchmark dataset, we investigated the contribution of feature selection and stacking approach to the model construction, and found that feature optimization and proper reinforcement learning could improve the performance. We next recollected newly added 4mC sites in the six species’ genomes and developed a novel deep learning-based 4mC site predictor, namely Deep4mC. Deep4mC applies convolutional neural networks with four representative features. For species with small numbers of samples, we extended our deep learning framework with a bootstrapping method. Our evaluation indicated that Deep4mC could obtain high accuracy and robust performance with the average area under curve (AUC) values greater than 0.9 in all species (range: 0.9005–0.9722). In comparison, Deep4mC achieved an AUC value improvement from 10.14 to 46.21% when compared to previous tools in these six species. A user-friendly web server (https://bioinfo.uth.edu/Deep4mC) was built for predicting putative 4mC sites in a genome.
Boosting predictabilities of agronomic traits in rice using bivariate genomic selection
Authors: Wang Shibo , Xu Yang , Qu Han , Cui Yanru , Li Ruidong , Chater John M , Yu Lei , Zhou Rui , Ma Renyuan , Huang Yuhan , Qiao Yiru , Hu Xuehai , Xie Weibo , Jia Zhenyu
Published: May 2020

The multivariate genomic selection (GS) models have not been adequately studied and their potential remains unclear. In this study, we developed a highly efficient bivariate (2D) GS method and demonstrated its significant advantages over the univariate (1D) rival methods using a rice dataset, where four traditional traits (i.e. yield, 1000-grain weight, grain number and tiller number) as well as 1000 metabolomic traits were analyzed. The novelty of the method is the incorporation of the HAT methodology in the 2D BLUP GS model such that the computational efficiency has been dramatically increased by avoiding the conventional cross-validation. The results indicated that (1) the 2D BLUP-HAT GS analysis generally produces higher predictabilities for two traits than those achieved by the analysis of individual traits using 1D GS model, and (2) selected metabolites may be utilized as ancillary traits in the new 2D BLUP-HAT GS method to further boost the predictability of traditional traits, especially for agronomically important traits with low 1D predictabilities.
COMUNET: a tool to explore and visualize intercellular communication
Authors: Solovey Maria , Scialdone Antonio
Published: May 2020

Motivation

Intercellular communication plays an essential role in multicellular organisms and several algorithms to analyze it from single-cell transcriptional data have been recently published, but the results are often hard to visualize and interpret.

Results

We developed Cell cOmmunication exploration with MUltiplex NETworks (COMUNET), a tool that streamlines the interpretation of the results from cell–cell communication analyses. COMUNET uses multiplex networks to represent and cluster all potential communication patterns between cell types. The algorithm also enables the search for specific patterns of communication and can perform comparative analysis between two biological conditions. To exemplify its use, here we apply COMUNET to investigate cell communication patterns in single-cell transcriptomic datasets from mouse embryos and from an acute myeloid leukemia patient at diagnosis and after treatment.

Availability and implementation

Our algorithm is implemented in an R package available from https://github.com/ScialdoneLab/COMUNET, along with all the code to perform the analyses reported here.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Genetic structure of the long-snouted seahorse,Hippocampus guttulatus, in the Central–Western Mediterranean Sea
Authors: Lazic Tamara , Pierri Cataldo , Cardone Frine , Cariani Alessia , Colangelo Paolo , Corriero Giuseppe , Ferrari Alice , Marzano Marinella , Messinetti Silvia , Pesole Graziano , Senczuk Gabriele , Santamaria Monica , Tinti Fausto , Gristina Michele
Published: May 2020

The seahorse Hippocampus guttulatus reaches its highest abundance in confined environments, where it has unique biological and ecological traits that suggest significant genetic differentiation among populations. In the present study, we aimed to reveal the genetic structure of this species by analysing eight microsatellite loci and a mitochondrial DNA region (cytochrome b) of eight populations from the Central–Western Mediterranean Sea, including lagoon sites. Levels of genetic diversity, as measured by the total number of alleles, number of private alleles, allelic richness and heterozygosity, ranged from low to moderate. The overall value of inbreeding was high, indicating a deficiency in heterozygotes. The haplotype network had a star-like construction, with the most common haplotype present in all populations. Data from the two molecular markers congruently displayed a similar pattern and revealed low genetic differentiation, notwithstanding predictions based on species traits. The observed genetic structure is probably the result of both historical population demographic events and current gene flow. The investigated lagoons, however, revealed a unique genetic profile, which is especially highlighted by the Taranto population. At this site, the results also showed altered values of observed/expected heterozygosity and allelic richness, a characteristic of marginal populations. Our study suggests that lagoon populations should be managed as distinct genetic units.
Accounting for total variation and robustness in profiling health care providers
Authors: Xia Lu , He Kevin , Li Yanming , Kalbfleisch John
Published: May 2020

Monitoring outcomes of health care providers, such as patient deaths, hospitalizations, and hospital readmissions, helps in assessing the quality of health care. We consider a large database on patients being treated at dialysis facilities in the United States, and the problem of identifying facilities with outcomes that are better than or worse than expected. Analyses of such data have been commonly based on random or fixed facility effects, which have shortcomings that can lead to unfair assessments. A primary issue is that they do not appropriately account for variation between providers that is outside the providers’ control due, for example, to unobserved patient characteristics that vary between providers. In this article, we propose a smoothed empirical null approach that accounts for the total variation and adapts to different provider sizes. The linear model provides an illustration that extends easily to other non-linear models for survival or binary outcomes, for example. The empirical null method is generalized to allow for some variation being due to quality of care. These methods are examined with numerical simulations and applied to the monitoring of survival in the dialysis facility data.
Evaluating the Sensitivity of Resting-State BOLD Variability to Age and Cognition after Controlling for Motion and Cardiovascular Influences: A Network-Based Approach
Authors: Millar Peter R , Petersen Steven E , Ances Beau M , Gordon Brian A , Benzinger Tammie L S , Morris John C , Balota David A
Published: May 2020

Recent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies report that moment-to-moment variability in the BOLD signal is related to differences in age and cognition and, thus, may be sensitive to age-dependent decline. However, head motion and/or cardiovascular health (CVH) may contaminate these relationships. We evaluated relationships between resting-state BOLD variability, age, and cognition, after characterizing and controlling for motion-related and cardiovascular influences, including pulse, blood pressure, BMI, and white matter hyperintensities (WMH), in a large (N = 422) resting-state fMRI sample of cognitively normal individuals (age 43–89). We found that resting-state BOLD variability was negatively related to age and positively related to cognition after maximally controlling for head motion. Age relationships also survived correction for CVH, but were greatly reduced when correcting for WMH alone. Our results suggest that network-based machine learning analyses of resting-state BOLD variability might yield reliable, sensitive measures to characterize age-related decline across a broad range of networks. Age-related differences in resting-state BOLD variability may be largely sensitive to processes related to WMH burden.
Stimulating pro-reparative immune responses to prevent adverse cardiac remodelling: consensus document from the joint 2019 meeting of the ESC Working Groups of cellular biology of the heart and myocardial function
Authors: Steffens Sabine , Van Linthout Sophie , Sluijter Joost P G , Tocchetti Carlo Gabriele , Thum Thomas , Madonna Rosalinda
Published: May 2020

Cardiac injury may have multiple causes, including ischaemic, non-ischaemic, autoimmune, and infectious triggers. Independent of the underlying pathophysiology, cardiac tissue damage induces an inflammatory response to initiate repair processes. Immune cells are recruited to the heart to remove dead cardiomyocytes, which is essential for cardiac healing. Insufficient clearance of dying cardiomyocytes after myocardial infarction (MI) has been shown to promote unfavourable cardiac remodelling, which may result in heart failure (HF). Although immune cells are integral key players of cardiac healing, an unbalanced or unresolved immune reaction aggravates tissue damage that triggers maladaptive remodelling and HF. Neutrophils and macrophages are involved in both, inflammatory as well as reparative processes. Stimulating the resolution of cardiac inflammation seems to be an attractive therapeutic strategy to prevent adverse remodelling. Along with numerous experimental studies, the promising outcomes from recent clinical trials testing canakinumab or colchicine in patients with MI are boosting the interest in novel therapies targeting inflammation in cardiovascular disease patients. The aim of this review is to discuss recent experimental studies that provide new insights into the signalling pathways and local regulators within the cardiac microenvironment promoting the resolution of inflammation and tissue regeneration. We will cover ischaemia- and non-ischaemic-induced as well as infection-related cardiac remodelling and address potential targets to prevent adverse cardiac remodelling.
Valve-in-valve transcatheter aortic valve replacement in a young patient with a suspected COVID-19 infection: a surgical dilemma in the era of the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Bauernschmitt Robert , Gabriel Philip , Gottardi Roman , Sodian Ralf
Published: May 2020

We report on a case of a 57-year-old male patient, who underwent full root replacement in 2005 and now presented with high grade aortic insufficiency. On admission, the patient underwent a computed tomography scan which demonstrated interstitial infiltration in the left lung, highly suspicious for a COVID-19 infection that could not be confirmed by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing. As there usually is a delay between infection and positive RT-PCR test results, the initial decision was to perform additional testing. However, the patient deteriorated quickly in spite of optimal medical therapy making urgent aortic valve replacement necessary. We decided to perform transcatheter aortic valve replacement to avoid cardiopulmonary bypass with shorter operative times, presumably shorter ventilation times and duration of intensive care unit stay, and thus a lesser risk for pulmonary complications.
Addressing financial strain through a peer-to-peer intervention in primary care
Authors: Pinto Andrew D , Da Ponte Monica , Bondy Madeleine , Craig-Neil Amy , Murphy Kathleen , Ahmed Suhal , Nair Pratik , Swartz Alyssa , Green Samantha
Published: May 2020

Background

Financial strain is a key social determinant of health. As primary care organizations begin to explore ways to address social determinants, peer-to-peer interventions hold promise.

Objective

Our objective was to evaluate a peer-to-peer intervention focussed on financial empowerment delivered in primary care, in partnership with a social enterprise.

Methods

This intervention was hosted by a large primary care organization in Toronto, Canada. Participants were recruited within the organization and from local services. We organized three separate groups who met over 10 weekly in-person, facilitated sessions: millennials (age 19–29) no longer in school, precariously employed adults (age 30–55) and older adults near retirement (age 55–64). We applied principles of adult education and peer-to-peer learning. We administered surveys at intake, at exit and at 3 months after the intervention, and conducted three focus groups.

Results

Fifty-nine people took part. At 3 months, participants had sustained higher rates of optimism about their financial situation (54% improved from baseline), their degree of control (55% improved) and stress around finances (50% improved). In focus groups, participants reported greater understanding of their finances, that they were not alone in struggling with finances, and that it was useful to meet with others. One group continued to meet for several months after the intervention.

Conclusions

In this study, a peer-to-peer intervention helped address a key social determinant of health, likely through reducing stigma, providing group support and creating a space to discuss solutions. Primary care can host these interventions and help engage potential participants.
Mantle plume dynamics at the rear of a retreating slab
Authors: Mériaux Catherine A , May Dave A , Mansour John , Kaluza Owen
Published: May 2020

In this paper, we present 3-D numerical simulations in which a compositional mantle plume rises through a shallow mantle layer at the rear of a retreating slab. The slab–plume buoyancy flux ratio Bs/Bp is varied from 3 to 30 over nine slab–plume simulations. The plume causes an overall decrease of the slab retreat rate from 15 to 7 % in the corresponding range $B_s/B_p=[3,30]$. The retreat rate decrease occurs in two stages: the first decrease occurs remotely when plume and slab are hundreds of kilometres apart; the second decrease is linked to the slab–plume-head impact. Continuous tracking of key positions along the plume head and conduit together with velocity profiling further shows a very close interplay between the conduit and plume head dynamics. In particular, the combination of the slab– and plume(head)–induced flows at the rear of the slab increases the advection and tilt of the conduit and causes its flaring with height in the direction parallel to the trench. As a result, the conduit source slowly drifts away from the slab by hundreds of kilometres and flares by one and a half times its original radius over 30 Myr of plume head spreading. The conduit tilt and flaring result in an increasingly unbalanced azimuthal distribution of the incoming plume flux from the feeding conduit into the head. These changes in the feeding conditions coupled with the mantle flow at the level of the plume head lead to the asymmetric spreading of plume material beneath the plate in the preferential direction that is parallel to the trench. Upon its arrival against the slab, it can be a front of buoyant material set to subduct along the slab width that has widened up to two and a half times its initial dimension. In nature, it is expected to extend from hundreds to thousands of kilometres depending on the slab–plume buoyancy flux ratio. To our knowledge, this study is the first to highlight the inter-relationships between a plume head and its feeding conditions in the plume source region.
Integrating Studies of Anatomy, Physiology, and Behavior into Conservation Strategies for the Imperiled Cyprinid Fishes of the Southwestern United States
Authors: Moran Clinton J , O’Neill Matthew , Gibb Alice C
Published: May 2020

Over the last 100 years, fishes native to the Southwestern United States have faced a myriad of biotic and abiotic pressures which has resulted in most being federally listed as endangered or threatened. Most notably, water diversions and the introduction of non-native fishes have been the primary culprits in causing the downfall of native fish populations. We describe how recent studies of morphology, physiology, and behavior yield insights into the failed (occasionally successful) management of this vanishing biota. We describe how understanding locomotor morphologies, physiologies, and behaviors unique to Southwestern native fishes can be used to create habitats that favor native fishes. Additionally, through realizing differences in morphologies and behaviors between native and non-native fishes, we describe how understanding predator–prey interactions might render greater survivorship of native fishes when stocked into the wild from repatriation programs. Understanding fundamental form–function relationships is imperative for managers to make educated decisions on how to best recover species of concern in the Southwestern United States and worldwide.
Experimentally economic analysis of ORC power plant with low-temperature waste heat recovery
Authors: Li Lei , Tao Leren , Li Qingpu , Hu Yongpan
Published: May 2020

Due to the low boiling point of organic fluids, the organic Rankine cycle (ORC) is an effective way to improve the recovery efficiency of low-temperature waste heat. An ORC power plant was established with an actual generating capacity of 16.3 kW. As the ORC technology is in the initial stage of commercial application, a technical and economic analysis has been conducted in this paper. Through analysis of each part investment of the power generation plant, it is found that the ORC system part accounts for 61% of the total initial investment, and the larger the power generation scale, the larger the proportion. An economic model has been proposed to study the economic feasibility of low-temperature industrial waste heat conversion in this plant. The influences of the installation of cooling water system, preheater, superheater, loan ratio, interest rate on electricity production cost (EPC) and profit are analyzed. According to the analysis, the lowest EPC of the plant is 0.46 Yuan/(kW • h).
Psychosis-Relevant Effects of Intravenous Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol: A Mega Analysis of Individual Participant-Data from Human Laboratory Studies
Authors: Ganesh Suhas , Cortes-Briones Jose , Ranganathan Mohini , Radhakrishnan Rajiv , Skosnik Patrick D , D’Souza Deepak Cyril
Published: May 2020

Introduction

There is increasing interest in the relationship between cannabinoids and psychosis. While individual human laboratory studies have been critical in demonstrating that cannabinoids (e.g., delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol [THC]) can induce acute transient psychosis-like effects in healthy human volunteers, combining data from multiple studies offers a fine-grained view of these effects.

Methods

THC-induced psychosis-relevant effects were examined using a data repository of 10 double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, crossover studies with 400 i.v. THC infusions in healthy human volunteers. The Positive and Negative Syndrome scale was used to measure psychotomimetic effects. The profile of symptoms, frequency of a response, its relationship to THC dose and substance use, latent structure in Positive and Negative Syndrome scale response, and the relationships between psychotomimetic and perceptual alteration symptoms were evaluated.

Results

Clinically meaningful increases in positive symptoms were noted in 44.75% infusions; conceptual disorganization, hallucinations, blunted affect, somatic concern, motor retardation, and poor attention were the items most frequently altered by THC. The increase in Positive and Negative Syndrome scale positive symptoms was positively associated with THC dose (beta = 11.13, SE = 4.94, Wald χ 2 = 19.88, P < .001) and negatively associated with frequent cannabis use (beta = −0.575, SE = 0.14, Wald χ 2 = 18.13, P < .001). Furthermore, positive symptoms were strongly correlated with Clinician Administered Dissociative States Scale perceptual alterations score (rs = 0.514, P < .001).

Conclusion

Intravenous administration of THC consistently induces psychotomimetic effects that include symptoms across Positive and Negative Syndrome scale domains. Moreover, healthy individuals who frequently use cannabis have a blunted psychotomimetic response.
Cohort-Derived Machine Learning Models for Individual Prediction of Chronic Kidney Disease in People Living With Human Immunodeficiency Virus: A Prospective Multicenter Cohort Study
Authors: Roth Jan A , Radevski Gorjan , Marzolini Catia , Rauch Andri , Günthard Huldrych F , Kouyos Roger D , Fux Christoph A , Scherrer Alexandra U , Calmy Alexandra , Cavassini Matthias , Kahlert Christian R , Bernasconi Enos , Bogojeska Jasmina , Battegay Manuel ,   Swiss HIV Cohort Study (SHCS)
Published: May 2020

Background

It is unclear whether data-driven machine learning models, which are trained on large epidemiological cohorts, may improve prediction of comorbidities in people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

Methods

In this proof-of-concept study, we included people living with HIV in the prospective Swiss HIV Cohort Study with a first estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) >60 mL/minute/1.73 m2 after 1 January 2002. Our primary outcome was chronic kidney disease (CKD)—defined as confirmed decrease in eGFR ≤60 mL/minute/1.73 m2 over 3 months apart. We split the cohort data into a training set (80%), validation set (10%), and test set (10%), stratified for CKD status and follow-up length.

Results

Of 12 761 eligible individuals (median baseline eGFR, 103 mL/minute/1.73 m2), 1192 (9%) developed a CKD after a median of 8 years. We used 64 static and 502 time-changing variables: Across prediction horizons and algorithms and in contrast to expert-based standard models, most machine learning models achieved state-of-the-art predictive performances with areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve and precision recall curve ranging from 0.926 to 0.996 and from 0.631 to 0.956, respectively.

Conclusions

In people living with HIV, we observed state-of-the-art performances in forecasting individual CKD onsets with different machine learning algorithms.
Effect of ammonia fiber expansion-treated wheat straw and a recombinant fibrolytic enzyme on rumen microbiota and fermentation parameters, total tract digestibility, and performance of lambs
Authors: Ribeiro Gabriel O , Gruninger Robert J , Jones Darryl R , Beauchemin Karen A , Yang Wen Zhu , Wang Yuxi , Abbott D Wade , Tsang Adrian , McAllister Tim A
Published: May 2020

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of ammonia fiber expansion (AFEX)-treated wheat straw pellets and a recombinant fibrolytic enzyme on the rumen microbiome, rumen fermentation parameters, total tract diet digestibility, and performance of lambs. Eight rumen cannulated wethers and 60 lambs (n = 15 per diet, 8 rams and 7 ewes) were used in a replicated 4 × 4 Latin square design digestibility study and a complete randomized growth performance study, respectively. Four treatment diets were arranged in a 2 × 2 factorial structure with AFEX wheat straw (0% or 30% AFEX straw pellets on a dietary DM basis replacing alfalfa hay pellets) and fibrolytic enzyme (with or without XYL10C, a β-1,4-xylanase, from Aspergillus niger) as main factors. Enzyme was applied at 100 mg/kg of diet DM, 22 h before feeding. Rumen bacteria diversity Pielou evenness decreased (P = 0.05) with AFEX compared with the control diet and increased (P < 0.01) with enzyme. Enzyme increased (P ≤ 0.02) the relative abundancies of Prevotellaceae UCG-004, Christensenellaceae R-7 group, Saccharofermentans, and uncultured Kiritimatiellaeota. Total protozoa counts were greater (P ≤ 0.04) in the rumen of lambs fed AFEX compared with control, with enzyme reducing (P ≤ 0.05) protozoa counts for both diets. Digestibility of DM did not differ (P > 0.10) among diets, but digestibility of CP was reduced (P = 0.001), and digestibility of NDF and ADF increased (P < 0.05) as AFEX replaced alfalfa. Compared with control, AFEX promoted greater DMI (P = 0.003) and improved ADG up to 42 d on feed (P = 0.03), but not (P = 0.51) over the full ~94-d experiment. Consequently, overall G:F was reduced (P = 0.04) for AFEX when compared with control (0.188 vs. 0.199), but days on feed were lower (P = 0.04) for AFEX (97 vs. 91 d). Enzyme improved DMI of AFEX up to day 70 (P = 0.01), but did not affect DMI of the control diet. Enzyme addition improved ADG of lambs fed both diets in the first 28 d (P = 0.02), but not over the entire feeding period (P ≥ 10). As a result, G:F was improved with enzyme for the first 28 d (P = 0.04), but not overall (P = 0.45). This study shows that AFEX-treated wheat straw can replace alfalfa hay with no loss in lamb growth performance. Additionally, the enzyme XYL10C altered the rumen microbiome and improved G:F in the first month of the feeding.
A Diagnostic Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification Method to Distinguish Helicoverpa armigera (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) From Other Related Species in the New World
Authors: Amano Takayuki , Nomura Masashi
Published: May 2020

Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) is a notorious agricultural pest native to the Old World. Recently, its invasion into South and Central America has become a serious problem in the New World. The rapid detection of invasive pests is essential to eradicate them and prevent establishment. However, an extremely similar species, H. zea (Boddie) distributed in the New World makes identification difficult. Helicoverpa armigera and H. zea have only minor differences in male genitalia to separate them morphologically. Both species are attracted to the same pheromone lure, and it takes considerable time and effort to identify them from bulk samples obtained during trap monitoring. Although several molecular approaches based on PCR have been reported, these methods require expensive equipment and are unsuitable for onsite diagnostics. Here, we developed a rapid and convenient diagnostic method based on the loop-mediated isothermal amplification to distinguish H. armigera from related species: H. zea, H. assulta (Guenée), H. punctigera (Wallengren), and Chloridea virescens (Fabricius). The diagnostic method makes it possible to detect H. armigera within 90 min only using simple equipment. The method also worked with mixed DNA templates containing excess DNA from H. zea at the ratio of 1:999 (H. armigera:H. zea). This method can be an effective tool for onsite diagnostics during monitoring surveys for invasive H. armigera.
Nine Months
Authors: Kingma Elselijn
Published: May 2020

When did we begin to exist? Barry Smith and Berit Brogaard argue that a new human organism comes into existence neither earlier nor later than the moment of gastrulation: 16 days after conception. Several critics have responded that the onset of the organism must happen earlier; closer to conception. This article makes a radically different claim: if we accept Smith and Brogaard’s ontological commitments, then human organisms start, on average, roughly nine months after conception. The main point of contention is whether the fetus is or is not part of the maternal organism. Smith and Brogaard argue that it is not; I demonstrate that it is. This claim in combination with Smith and Brogaard’s own criteria commits to the view that human organisms begin, precisely, at birth.
Using Choice-Based Conjoint Analysis for Creating Effective Outreach Messages to Promote Oak Management
Authors: Radler Barry T , Shaw Bret , Gorby Tricia A
Published: May 2020

Studies of woodland owner values, intentions, and actions have advanced understanding of barriers and motivators to active forest management. Social marketing research has likewise offered significant insights into the effective design of persuasive conservation campaigns and importance of factors such as message framing and use of social norms. Yet, evaluation of the attributes of outreach messages designed to encourage woodland owners to take action has received limited attention. We used an innovative marketing research approach, choice-based conjoint analysis, to determine what attributes of outreach messages are most persuasive. This study focused on woodland owners in the Midwest in the context of improving conditions for oak regeneration. We identified the importance of imagery and message source as of primary influence, whereas other attributes such as message framing and social norms were less influential. This study offers insights that can be evaluated with other targeted woodland owner audiences under different management contexts.
Drought effects on the plasticity in vessel traits of two endemic Magnolia species in the tropical montane cloud forests of eastern Mexico
Authors: Rodríguez-Ramírez Ernesto Chanes , Vázquez-García José Antonio , García-González Ignacio , Alcántara-Ayala Othón , Luna-Vega Isolda
Published: May 2020

Aims

We aimed to evaluate how climatic fluctuations influence the plasticity of anatomical vessel traits and the width of annual tree-rings of two relict-endemic Mexican Magnolia species. Notwithstanding, few studies have assessed the drought effect on vessel traits in tropical montane cloud trees of eastern Mexico.

Methods

Through digital images of growth rings, we assessed the tree radial growth rate, age of the trees and plasticity in vessel traits regarding climatic fluctuations of the Mexican Magnolia species studied. We compared vessel density, hydraulic diameter and percentage of conductive area in drought years (DY) and non-drought years (NDY) in two Mexican Magnolia species.

Important Findings

For the first time, the plasticity that occurs in porous wood vessel traits to long-term climatic fluctuations was analysed for two endangered Magnolia species (Magnolia vovidesii and M. schiedeana) from two tropical montane cloud forests in Mexico. We found that temperature and precipitation were strongly associated with differences in tree-ring width when DY and NDY were compared. Our analyses revealed that a high plasticity in vessel anatomy of diffuse-porous wood was related to temperature and/or water availability for both Magnolia species studied. We concluded that anatomical adaptations to DY resulted in a substantial reduction in vessel traits when compared with NDY, and that the plastic adaptations played an essential role in water transport and safety for the survival of the studied species during stressful long periods.