bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of Protective Coating on Surface Properties and Candida albicans Adhesion to Denture Base Materials
Authors: AlBin‐Ameer Mohammed Ali , Alsrheed Mahdi Y , Aldukhi Ibrahim A , Matin Asif , Khan Soban Q , Abualsaud Reem , Gad Mohammed M
Published: October 2019

Purpose

To evaluate the effect of protective coatings on the surface roughness, contact angle, and Candida albicans (C. albicans) adhesion to polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) denture base materials.

Material and Methods

A total of 560 rectangular heat‐ and autopolymerized acrylic resin specimens were fabricated and divided into 5 groups (n = 14/group) according to coating agent. Uncoated specimens were used as control. Coating materials were: nano‐coat, Optiglaze, nano‐silica, or cyanoacrylate. Surface roughness (Ra) was evaluated using a profilometer. Contact angle measurements were performed using the sessile drop method. C. albicans adhesion was evaluated using direct culture and slide count methods. ANOVA and Tukey's post hoc tests were used for data analysis (α = 0.05).

Results

Nano‐coat and Optiglaze coating of heat‐polymerized acrylic significantly decreased Ra (p < 0.001). No significant effect was seen with nano‐silica coating while Ra significantly increased with cyanoacrylate (p < 0.001). For autopolymerized acrylic, nano‐coat, Optiglaze, and nano‐silica coatings significantly decreased Ra in comparison to control group (p < 0.001) while no significant difference was seen between control and cyanoacrylate coating (p = 0.45). In comparison to control group, nano‐coat, Optiglaze, and nano‐silica coating for both denture base materials significantly decreased contact angle, and C. albicans adhesion (p < 0.001) while cyanoacrylate significantly increased C. albicans adhesion (p = 0.002) with no effect on contact angle for heat‐ (p = 1.00) and autopolymerized resins (p = 0.83).

Conclusion

Coating of removable prosthesis with nano‐coat, Optiglaze, or nano‐silica is an effective method to reduce C. albicans adhesion.
Using item‐level analyses to better understand the consequences of partialing procedures: An example using the Dark Triad
Authors: Vize Colin E. , Collison Katherine L. , Miller Joshua D. , Lynam Donald R.
Published: October 2019

Objective

Partialing procedures are frequently used in psychological research. The present study sought to further explore the consequences of partialing, focusing on the replicability of partialing‐based results.

Method

We used popular measures of the Dark Triad (DT; Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy) to explore the replicability of partialing procedures. We examined whether the residual content of popular DT scales is similar to the residual content of DT scales derived from separate samples based on relations with individual items from the IPIP‐NEO‐120, allowing for a finer‐grained analysis of residual variable content.

Results

Profiles were compared using three sample sizes (Small N = 156–157, Moderate N = 313–314, Large N = 627–628) randomly drawn from a large MTurk sample (N = 1,255). There was low convergence between original and residual DT scales within samples. Additionally, results showed that the content of residual Dirty Dozen scales was not similar across samples. Comparable results were found for short Dark Triad‐Machiavellianism, but only in the moderate and small samples.

Conclusion

The results indicate that there are important issues that arise when using partialing procedures, including replicability issues surrounding residual variables. Reasons for the observed results are discussed and further research examining the replicability of residual‐based results is recommended.
Diversity (Psychological) Science Training: Challenges, Tensions, and a Call to Action
Authors: Neblett Enrique W.
Published: October 2019

Diversity science training is a requisite element of preparing future generations of psychological scientists. This article describes challenges and tensions in diversity science training—with a particular focus on race, ethnicity, and racism—and draws on a project conducted with faculty and students to propose policy‐relevant recommendations that might serve as a starting point in advancing training practices in diversity and psychological science. These include: (1) communicating a top‐down commitment to diversity science; (2) developing strategic planning around diversity science training; (3) establishing diversity science training task forces; (4) maximizing ongoing efforts to increase representation of diverse faculty and students; (5) evaluating and interrogating existing pedagogical approaches and teaching methods; and (6) building coalitions and advocating for trainees. Through ongoing, proactive, and critical inquiry, assessment, evaluation, and instruction, current diversity science training focusing on race and racism in psychological science can transform the field.
Population genetics of fruit bat reservoir informs the dynamics, distribution and diversity of Nipah virus
Authors: Olival Kevin J. , Latinne Alice , Islam Ariful , Epstein Jonathan H. , Hersch Rebecca , Engstrand Rachel C. , Gurley Emily S. , Amato George , Luby Stephen P. , Daszak Peter
Published: October 2019

The structure and connectivity of wildlife host populations may influence zoonotic disease dynamics, evolution and therefore spillover risk to people. Fruit bats in the genus Pteropus, or flying foxes, are the primary natural reservoir for henipaviruses—a group of emerging paramyxoviruses that threaten livestock and public health. In Bangladesh, Pteropus medius is the reservoir for Nipah virus—and viral spillover has led to human fatalities nearly every year since 2001. Here, we use mitochondrial DNA and nuclear microsatellite markers to measure the population structure, demographic history and phylogeography of P. medius in Bangladesh. We combine this with a phylogeographic analysis of all known Nipah virus sequences and strains currently available to better inform the dynamics, distribution and evolutionary history of Nipah virus. We show that P. medius is primarily panmictic, but combined analysis of microsatellite and morphological data shows evidence for differentiation of two populations in eastern Bangladesh, corresponding to a divergent strain of Nipah virus also found in bats from eastern Bangladesh. Our demographic analyses indicate that a large, expanding population of flying foxes has existed in Bangladesh since the Late Pleistocene, coinciding with human population expansion in South Asia, suggesting repeated historical spillover of Nipah virus likely occurred. We present the first evidence of mitochondrial introgression, or hybridization, between P. medius and flying fox species found in South‐East Asia (P. vampyrus and P. hypomelanus), which may help to explain the distribution of Nipah virus strains across the region.
The effects of diadromy and its loss on genomic divergence: The case of amphidromous Galaxias maculatus populations
Authors: Delgado M. Lisette , Górski Konrad , Habit Evelyn , Ruzzante Daniel E.
Published: October 2019

Understanding the evolutionary mechanisms that affect the genetic divergence between diadromous and resident populations across heterogeneous environments is a challenging task. While diadromy may promote gene flow leading to a lack of genetic differentiation among populations, resident populations tend to be affected by local adaptation and/or plasticity. Studies on these effects on genomic divergence in nonmodel amphidromous species are scarce. Galaxias maculatus, one of the most widespread fish species in the Southern Hemisphere, exhibits two life histories, an ancestral diadromous, specifically, amphidromous form, and a derived freshwater resident form. We examined the genetic diversity and divergence among 20 estuarine and resident populations across the Chilean distribution of G. maculatus and assessed the extent to which selection is involved in the differentiation among resident populations. We obtained nearly 4,400 SNP markers using a RADcap approach for 224 individuals. As expected, collections from estuarine locations typically consist of diadromous individuals. Diadromous populations are highly differentiated from their resident counterparts by both neutral and putative adaptive markers. While diadromous populations exhibit high gene flow and lack site fidelity, resident populations appear to be the product of different colonization events with relatively low genetic diversity and varying levels of gene flow. In particular, the northernmost resident populations were clearly genetically distinct and reproductively isolated from each other suggesting local adaptation. Our study provides insights into the role of life history differences in the maintenance of genetic diversity and the importance of genetic divergence in species evolution.
Casting Light Upon The Great Endarkenment
Authors: Lumsden David , Ulatowski Joseph
Published: October 2019

While the Enlightenment promoted thinking for oneself independent of religious authority, the “Endarkenment” (Millgram 2015) concerns deference to a new authority: the specialist, a hyperspecializer. Nonspecialists need to defer to such authorities, as they are unable to understand their reasoning. Millgram describes how humans are capable of being serial hyperspecializers, able to move from one specialism to another. We support the basic thrust of Millgram’s position and seek to articulate how the core idea is deployed in very different ways in relation to extremely different philosophical areas. We attend to the issue of the degree of isolation of different specialists and urge greater emphasis on parallel hyperspecialization, which describes how different specialisms can be embodied in one person at one time.
Identification of phytic acid mutants in oilseed rape (Brassica napus) by large‐scale screening of mutant populations through amplicon sequencing
Authors: Sashidhar Niharika , Harloff Hans‐Joachim , Jung Christian
Published: October 2019

Brassica napus (oilseed rape) is an important oil crop in temperate regions, which originated from hybridization of Brassica oleracea and Brassica rapa. Owing to its polyploidy, the functional study of single genes is cumbersome. Phytic acid is considered as an antinutritive compound, and we aimed to knock out the underlying synthesis and transporter genes to identify low phytic acid mutants.

We implemented a high‐throughput next‐generation sequencing screening protocol for an ethylmethane sulfonate population of 7680 plants in six gene families (BnMIPS, BnMIK, Bn2‐PGK, BnIPK1, BnIPK2, and BnMRP5) with two paralogues for each gene.

A total of 1487 mutations were revealed, and the vast majority (96%) were confirmed by Sanger sequencing. Furthermore, the characterization of double mutants of Bn.2‐PGK2 showed a significant reduction of phytic acid contents.

We propose to use three‐dimensional pooling combined with amplicon stacking and next‐generation sequencing to identify mutations in polyploid oilseed rape in a fast and cost‐effective manner for complex metabolic pathways. Furthermore, the mutants identified in Bn2‐PGK2 might be a very valuable resource for industrial production of oilseed rape protein for human consumption.
The remarkable morphological diversity of leaf shape in sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas): the influence of genetics, environment, and G×E
Authors: Gupta Sonal , Rosenthal David M. , Stinchcombe John R. , Baucom Regina S.
Published: October 2019

Leaf shape, a spectacularly diverse plant trait, varies across taxonomic levels, geography and in response to environmental differences. However, comprehensive intraspecific analyses of leaf shape variation across variable environments is surprisingly absent. Here, we performed a multilevel analysis of leaf shape using diverse accessions of sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas), and uncovered the role of genetics, environment, and G×E on this important trait.

We examined leaf shape using a variety of morphometric analyses, and complement this with a transcriptomic survey to identify gene expression changes associated with shape variation. Additionally, we examined the role of genetics and environment on leaf shape by performing field studies in two geographically separate common gardens.

We showed that extensive leaf shape variation exists within I. batatas, and identified promising candidate genes associated with this variation. Interestingly, when considering traditional measures, we found that genetic factors are largely responsible for most of leaf shape variation, but that the environment is highly influential when using more quantitative measures via leaf outlines.

This extensive and multilevel examination of leaf shape shows an important role of genetics underlying a potentially important agronomic trait, and highlights that the environment can be a strong influence when using more quantitative measures of leaf shape.
Validation of the HADS and PSS‐10 and psychological status in patients with oral lichen planus
Authors: Wiriyakijja Paswach , Porter Stephen , Fedele Stefano , Hodgson Tim , McMillan Roddy , Shephard Martina , Ni Riordain Richeal
Published: October 2019

Objectives

To validate the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and the 10‐item Perceived Stress Scale (PSS‐10) for use in patients with oral lichen planus (OLP) and to provide cross‐sectional analysis of anxiety, depressive and distress symptoms in patients with OLP.

Methods

Validity and reliability of both instruments were assessed in 260 participants with OLP in one tertiary oral medicine centre through confirmatory factor analysis and calculation of reliability coefficients. Prevalence, clinical and demographic predictors of the presence of psychological symptoms in OLP were calculated and identified using multivariated logistic regression.

Results

Factor analysis results demonstrated that a bifactor model described the underlying structure of both scales better than other models. Values of omega indicated adequate reliability of total HADS and PSS‐10 score while low coefficient omega hierarchical values limit clinical applicability of their subscale scores. The prevalence of anxiety, depressive and distress symptoms in OLP was 39.23%, 20.77% and 27.69%, respectively. Pain intensity, disease comorbidities, age, smoking and alcohol consumption were found to be independent predictors of the presence of psychological symptoms in OLP.

Conclusion

The HADS and PSS‐10 are appropriate to use as general measures of psychological distress and perceived stress in patients with OLP.
Temperature dependence of germination and growth in Anthurium (Araceae)
Authors: Zotz G. , Kappert N. , Müller L.‐L.B. , Wagner K.
Published: October 2019

By the year 2100, temperatures are predicted to increase by about 6 °C at higher latitudes and about 3 °C in the tropics. In spite of the smaller increase in the tropics, consequences may be more severe because the climatic niches of tropical species are generally assumed to be rather narrow due to a high degree of climate stability and higher niche specialisation. However, rigorous data to back up this notion are rare.

We chose the megadiverse genus Anthurium (Araceae) for study. Considering that the regeneration niche of a species is crucial for overall niche breadth, we focused on the response of germination and early growth through a temperature range of 24 °C of 15 Anthurium species, and compared the thermal niche breadth (TNB) with the temperature conditions in their current range, modelled from occurrence records.

Surprisingly, an increase of 3 °C would lead to a larger overlap of TNB of germination and modelled in situ temperature conditions, while the overlap of TNB of growth with in situ conditions under current and future conditions is statistically indistinguishable.

We conclude that future temperatures tend to be closer to the thermal optima of most species. Whether this really leads to an increase in performance depends on other abiotic and biotic factors, most prominently potentially changing precipitation patterns.
Value of Combining Patient and Provider Incentives in Humanitarian Health Care Service Programs
Authors: Mehrotra Mili , Natarajan Karthik V.
Published: October 2019

The below‐par progress toward the Millennium Development Goals in many developing countries has been attributed to the low availability of good quality health care services and to the demand‐side barriers to access. In this study, we analyze an incentive design problem faced by a budget‐constrained humanitarian organization managing a health care service program (e.g., maternal health or HIV services) with different emphasis on the two measures of quality—structural and process. Incentives offered to the health care provider (referred to as supply‐side incentives) are aimed at improving the availability of good quality services and demand‐side incentives are used to encourage patients to seek care. In many developing country health programs, incentive schemes tend to be purely supply‐side focused or purely demand‐side focused. However, our results suggest that by offering the right combination of incentives to the patients and the provider, program performance can be increased up to 20 times, on average, depending on the service offered. Even within the current practice of using one‐sided incentives, there is significant scope for improvement (as much as 14 times, on average) by ensuring that there is better alignment between the incentive scheme and the service offered. In particular, pure supply‐side incentive schemes perform better than pure demand‐side incentive schemes in programs where there is a higher emphasis on structural quality. The opposite result holds true for programs that place a higher emphasis on process quality.
Coelastrella astaxanthina sp. nov. (Sphaeropleales, Chlorophyceae), a novel microalga isolated from an asphalt surface in midsummer in Japan
Authors: Kawasaki Shinji , Yoshida Risako , Ohkoshi Kiichi , Toyoshima Hiroki
Published: October 2019

We taxonomically examined an algal strain (Ki‐4) isolated from a dry asphalt surface in mid‐summer of 2003. The vegetative cells were solitary, covered by a cell wall ornamented with meridional ribs, and contained hollow spherical chloroplasts and a pyrenoid. The cells exhibited a high tolerance to unfavorable photo‐oxidative stress conditions, and in culture developed a reddish coloration due to the accumulation of a water‐soluble astaxanthin‐binding protein, which was identified as a novel protein in organisms. 18S rDNA and ITS2 sequence analyses revealed that Ki‐4 belongs to Coelastrella sensu lato (Scenedesmaceae), but was taxonomically distinct from other members of the genus. On the basis of its phylogenetic position and morphological features, including the structures of cell wall ribs, we identify Ki‐4 as a new algal species in the genus Coelastrella, for which we propose the name Coelastrella astaxanthina sp. nov.
Mid‐term effects on ecosystem services of quarry restoration with Technosols under Mediterranean conditions: 10‐year impacts on soil organic carbon and vegetation development
Authors: Carabassa Vicenç , Domene Xavier , Díaz Elisa , Alcañiz Josep M.
Published: October 2019

The use of Technosols for the restoration of limestone quarries overcomes the usual “in situ” scarcity of soil and/or its poor quality. The use of mine spoils, improved with mineral and/or organic amendments, could be an efficient and environmentally friendly option. Properly treated sewage sludge from urban wastewater treatment plants could be a suitable organic amendment and fertilizer (rich in N and P) whenever its pollutant burden is low (heavy metals and/or organic pollutants). Its appropriate use could improve essential soil physical and chemical properties and, therefore, promote key ecosystem services of restored areas, such as biomass production and carbon sequestration, as well as biodiversity and landscape recovery. However, the mid‐term impacts of these restoration practices on soil functioning and their services have rarely been reported in the available literature. In this study we assess the mid‐term effects (10 years) of the use of sewage sludge as a Technosol amendment on soil organic carbon (SOC), nutrient status, and plant development in several restored quarries. Soils restored using sewage sludge showed a threefold increase in SOC compared to the corresponding unamended ones, despite the moderate sludge dosage applied (below 50 tonnes/ha). Plant cover was also higher in amended soils, and recruitment was not affected by sludge amendment at these doses. This study demonstrates that, used at an appropriate rate, sewage sludge is a good alternative for the valorization of mine spoils in quarry restoration, improving some important regulatory ecosystem services such as carbon sequestration, without compromising woody plant encroachment.
Intra‐Week Price Patterns in the Housing Market*
Authors: Røed Larsen Erling
Published: October 2019

In this paper, I demonstrate the existence of city‐specific intra‐week price patterns in the Norwegian housing market. I use a data set with exact sell dates to show that sell prices are higher on certain days. Using ask prices and observations on repeat sales in fixed‐effect models, I seek to control for composition effects and unobserved heterogeneity. The intra‐week price patterns are shown to be associated with patterns in the frequency of public‐showing days. I argue that the findings are consistent with optimizing agents acting on new information.
International Fitness Scale—IFIS: Validity and association with health‐related quality of life in pregnant women
Authors: Romero‐Gallardo Lidia , Soriano‐Maldonado Alberto , Ocón‐Hernández Olga , Acosta‐Manzano Pedro , Coll‐Risco Irene , Borges‐Cosic Milkana , Ortega Francisco B. , Aparicio Virginia Ariadna
Published: October 2019

This study aimed (a) to examine the construct validity of the International Fitness Scale (IFIS) to discriminate between different objectively measured physical fitness levels in pregnant women and (b) to assess the extent to which IFIS is able to discriminate between pregnant women with different levels of health‐related quality of life (HRQoL). A total of 159 pregnant women were involved in the GESTAtion and FITness project: 106 pregnant women (mean age 32.7, SD 4.4 years) were included. Self‐reported physical fitness—that is, cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular strength, flexibility, and overall fitness—was assessed with the IFIS. Physical fitness was objectively measured using the Bruce test, the handgrip strength test and the back‐scratch test. The HRQoL was assessed with the 36‐item Short Form Health Survey (SF‐36). Higher self‐reported physical fitness measured with IFIS was associated with higher objectively measured physical fitness (P < .05). There was a linear association so that higher self‐reported physical fitness (ie, IFIS; regardless of the fitness component) was related to greater General Health dimension scores (P < .05). Moreover, higher self‐reported physical fitness (all components except muscular strength) was associated with better Physical Functioning, lower Bodily Pain and higher Vitality scores (ie, SF‐36 components). This linear trend was not seen for objectively measured physical fitness. The results of this study suggest that IFIS might be a useful tool for identifying pregnant women with low or very low physical fitness and with low quality of life health‐related. Further research should elucidate whether IFIS can identify women with pregnancy complications before it can be implemented in clinical practice.
Human herpesvirus‐6B infection in pediatric allogenic hematopoietic stem cell transplant patients: Risk factors and encephalitis
Authors: Miura Hiroki , Kawamura Yoshiki , Hattori Fumihiko , Tanaka Makito , Kudo Kazuko , Ihira Masaru , Yatsuya Hiroshi , Takahashi Yoshiyuki , Kojima Seiji , Sakaguchi Hirotoshi , Yoshida Nao , Hama Asahito , Yoshikawa Tetsushi
Published: October 2019

Background

Human herpesvirus‐6B (HHV‐6B) infection after allogenic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo‐HSCT) is known to be associated with post‐transplant limbic encephalitis in adults. Meanwhile, the association between HHV‐6B infection and central nervous system complications remains unclear in pediatric allo‐HSCT patients.

Methods

In this study, HHV‐6B infection was monitored for more than 50 days after HSCT using virus isolation and real‐time PCR. Clinical information such as patient background and encephalitis status was collected retrospectively from medical records. Risk factors for HHV‐6B infection were determined by the Cox proportional hazards model, and the clinical features of HHV‐6B encephalitis in pediatric allo‐HSCT patients were elucidated.

Results

Human herpesvirus‐6B infection was observed in 74 (33.8%) of 219 patients at 3‐47 days (median 18, interquartile range 13‐20). Risk factors identified in multivariable analysis were hematological malignancy (hazards ratio [HR], 5.0; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.3/12.5; P < .0001), solid tumor (HR, 4.8; CI, 1.5/16.3; P = .0104), unrelated donor (HR, 2.1; CI, 1.0/4.6; P = .0378), and sex‐mismatched donor (HR 1.8; CI, 1.1/3.0; P = .0257). HHV‐6B encephalitis occurred in only one of the 219 patients (0.46%); this patient demonstrated the typical clinical course of posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome.

Conclusion

Hematological malignancy, solid tumor, unrelated donor, and sex‐mismatched donor were significant risk factors for HHV‐6B infection after pediatric allo‐HSCT. In pediatric allo‐HSCT patients, the incidence of HHV‐6B encephalitis was low and the clinical features differed from those in adult patients.
Política Nacional de Saúde Bucal Brasileira (Brasil Sorridente): Um resgate da história, aprendizados e futuro*
Authors: Cayetano Maristela Honório , Carrer Fernanda Campos de Almeida , Gabriel Mariana , Martins Fabio Carneiro , Pucca Jr. Gilberto Alfredo
Published: October 2019

Antecedentes: no Sistema Único de Saúde do Brasil (SUS) a atenção básica é ordenadora do cuidado em saúde e representa o eixo estruturante do sistema. Em 2004, quando o Brasil Sorridente (BS) foi criado, o governo federal assumiu um importante papel de indução do crescimento da oferta de serviços de saúde bucal nos municípios e estados, criando linhas de financiamento específicos para criação de novas equipes de saúde bucal, para construção e implantação de centros de atenção secundária (Centros de Especialidades Odontológicas – CEO) e terciária dentre outras ações, que fizeram do BS uma rede de atenção à saúde e uma das maiores políticas públicas de saúde bucal do mundo. Objetivo: este artigo tem como objetivo compartilhar parte dessa experiência, a fim de promover reflexão em torno da inserção da saúde bucal nos sistemas de saúde ao redor do mundo, com especial interesse nos países da América Latina. Métodos: este é um estudo de caso do Brasil e as informações apresentadas nesse estudo foram coletas por meio de relatórios governamentais, base de dados secundários, artigos publicados e informantes chave. Resultados e conclusão: a experiência do Brasil vem sendo motivadora e mostrou que, além de necessário é possível inserir a saúde bucal nos sistemas de saúde universais. Porém, após 14 anos e com a instabilidade política atual do país, o futuro do Brasil Sorridente dependerá do compromisso dos formuladores de políticas, a continuidade do engajamento dos diferentes atores envolvidos, objetivos claros e estratégias transparentes e fundamentadas em evidências científicas para alcançá-los.
Dilated Convolution Neural Network for Remaining Useful Life Prediction
Authors: Xu Xin , Wu Qianhui , Li Xiu , Huang Biqing
Published: October 2019

Accurate prediction of remaining useful life (RUL) plays an important role in reducing the probability of accidents and lessening the economic loss. However, traditional model-based methods for RUL are not suitable when operating conditions and fault models are complicated. To deal with this problem, this paper proposes a novel data-driven method based on a deep dilated convolution neural networks (D-CNN). The novelties of the proposed method are triple folds. First, no feature engineering is required, and the raw sensor data are directly used as the input of the model. Second the dilated convolutional structure is used to enlarge the receptive field and further improve the accuracy of prediction. Finally, time sequences are encoded by a 2D-convolution to extract higher-level features. Extensive experiments on the C-MAPSS dataset demonstrate that the proposed D-CNN achieves high performance while requiring less training time.
A Comparative Study of Formulations and Algorithms for Reliability-Based Co-Design Problems
Authors: Cui Tonghui , Allison James T. , Wang Pingfeng
Published: October 2019

While integrated physical and control system co-design has been demonstrated successfully on several engineering system design applications, it has been primarily applied in a deterministic manner without considering uncertainties. An opportunity exists to study non-deterministic co-design strategies, taking into account various uncertainties in an integrated co-design framework. Reliability-based design optimization (RBDO) is one such method that can be used to ensure an optimized system design being obtained that satisfies all reliability constraints considering particular system uncertainties. While significant advancements have been made in co-design and RBDO separately, little is known about methods where reliability-based dynamic system design and control design optimization are considered jointly. In this article, a comparative study of the formulations and algorithms for reliability-based co-design is conducted, where the co-design problem is integrated with the RBDO framework to yield solutions consisting of an optimal system design and the corresponding control trajectory that satisfy all reliability constraints in the presence of parameter uncertainties. The presented study aims to lay the groundwork for the reliability-based co-design problem by providing a comparison of potential design formulations and problem–solving strategies. Specific problem formulations and probability analysis algorithms are compared using two numerical examples. In addition, the practical efficacy of the reliability-based co-design methodology is demonstrated via a horizontal-axis wind turbine structure and control design problem.
An Investigation on the Effects of Ambiguity, Gender Orientation, and Domain Relatedness of Design Projects on Student Performance
Authors: Günay Elif Elcin , Guo Xiuyan , Jackson Kathy Lou , Wu Xinli , Okudan Kremer Gül E.
Published: October 2019

Students in design courses work on projects that are influenced by ambiguity, gender orientation, and domain relatedness. This study investigates the impacts of these factors on student self-efficacy in order to increase retention in engineering disciplines. From a comprehensive literature review and feedback from engineering experts, an instrument is developed to assess student perceptions on tolerance to ambiguity (STA), project gender orientation (PGO), and project domain relatedness (PDR). Statistical analyses are conducted to examine the influence of STA, PGO, and PDR on student self-efficacy and collective efficacy. Results indicate that an increase in the gender orientation of the project decreases student self-efficacy. Furthermore, gender bias of the design project diminishes student tolerance to deal with ambiguous situations. Therefore, instructors should consider choosing more gender-neutral projects or make appropriate adjustments in project descriptions to minimize gender bias.
Computer-Aided Design-Based Topology Optimization System With Dynamic Feature Shape and Modeling History Evolution
Authors: Liu Jikai , To Albert C.
Published: October 2019

Conventional topology optimization presentations generally highlight the numerical and optimization details established on the specially customized discrete geometric modeling system, which is incompatible with the existing computer-aided design (CAD)/computer-aided engineering (CAE) systems. Therefore, tedious preprocessing and postprocessing are required to improve the editability and manufacturability, which are both time consuming and labor intensive. Hence, to address this challenging issue, a novel CAD-based topology optimization system is developed in this work. The following points are highlighted: (i) interoperability issue between CAD and topology optimization was addressed by using macro files to communicate the feature and modeling history information; then, (ii) structural shape and topology optimization is performed based on a B-spline-based approach, which inherits the original spline information from the upstream CAD model and of course, can return spline-based geometric information for optimized CAD model generation, and the last but the most important point to mention is that, (iii) modeling history was incorporated into the optimization process and dynamic modeling history change is enabled based on the optimality criteria. This final point is significant because history-based CAD modeling is still a main-stream approach, especially given the excellent postmodeling editability and design intent capture.
Investigation on the influence of oxygen on the deformation and cracking behavior of (Cr,Al)ON hard coatings using combinatorial static and dynamic loadings
Authors: Brögelmann Tobias , Bobzin Kirsten , Kruppe Nathan Christopher , Arghavani Mostafa
Published: October 2019

The coating system (Cr,Al)ON can enhance the wear and corrosion resistance of tools applied in technical applications. It is possible that, under different loading conditions, the oxygen content of the coating could influence the performance of the coated tools. The aim of the present work is to study the influence of the oxygen content of the coating system (Cr,Al)ON on its elastic-plastic deformation and cracking behavior under static and dynamic loading conditions. For these purposes, three (Cr,Al)ON coatings with different oxygen contents were deposited on a quenched and tempered tool steel substrate AISI 420. The coatings were deposited using a hybrid technology combining direct current and high power pulse magnetron sputtering techniques in an industrial coating unit. The investigations were carried out by applying static loadings using nanoindentation and Rockwell tests as well as dynamic loading conditions using nanoscratch tests. Qualitative investigations were carried out using confocal laser scanning microscopy. The analyses of Rockwell imprints and nanoscratch tracks were conducted through scanning electron microscopy. Test results show that an improved understanding of possible crack formation in the coatings can be achieved through the analyses of nanoindentation force-displacement curves. Differences in the crack resistance of oxynitrides are more noticeable under dynamic loadings. Furthermore, coatings with a moderate value of oxygen content appear most promising in terms of mechanical and tribological behavior as well as crack resistance among the oxynitrides under investigation.
Conversion of antigen-specific effector/memory T cells into Foxp3-expressing T
reg
cells by inhibition of CDK8/19
Authors: Akamatsu Masahiko , Mikami Norihisa , Ohkura Naganari , Kawakami Ryoji , Kitagawa Yohko , Sugimoto Atsushi , Hirota Keiji , Nakamura Naoto , Ujihara Satoru , Kurosaki Toshio , Hamaguchi Hisao , Harada Hironori , Xia Guliang , Morita Yoshiaki , Aramori Ichiro , Narumiya Shuh , Sakaguchi Shimon
Published: October 2019

CDK8/19 inhibitors can convert naïve and memory/effector T cells into T
reg
cells capable of treating immunological diseases.
Genotypic Characterization of Livestock-Associated Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Isolates of Clonal Complex 398 in Pigsty Visitors: Transient Carriage or Persistence?
Authors: Effelsberg N. , Udarcev S. , Müller H. , Kobusch I. , Linnemann S. , Boelhauve M. , Köck R. , Mellmann A.
Published: October 2019

Livestock-associated methicillin-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus
(LA-MRSA) of clonal complex (CC) 398 has become a rising issue for public health. While it is known that >80% of pig farmers are colonized with LA-MRSA, only a few studies have assessed the situation for humans with occasional livestock contact. Recently it was shown that over 75% of scientific fieldworkers visiting pigsties were temporarily carrying LA-MRSA.
Optimization of the Codon Pair Usage of Human Respiratory Syncytial Virus Paradoxically Resulted in Reduced Viral Replication
In Vivo
and Reduced Immunogenicity
Authors: Le Nouën Cyril , Luongo Cindy L. , Yang Lijuan , Mueller Steffen , Wimmer Eckard , DiNapoli Joshua M. , Collins Peter L. , Buchholz Ursula J.
Published: October 2019

Using computer algorithms and large-scale DNA synthesis, one or more ORFs of a microbial pathogen can be recoded by different strategies that involve the introduction of up to thousands of nucleotide changes without affecting amino acid coding. This approach has been used mostly to generate deoptimized viruses used as vaccine candidates. However, the effects of the converse approach of generating optimized viruses are still largely unknown. Here, various ORFs in the genome of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) were codon pair optimized (CPO) by increasing the content of codon pairs that are overrepresented in the human genome. CPO did not affect RSV replication in multicycle replication experiments
in vitro.
However, replication was marginally reduced in two rodents models. In hamsters, CPO RSVs induced lower levels of serum RSV-neutralizing antibodies. Thus, CPO of an RNA virus for a mammalian host has paradoxical effects on virus replication and the adaptive humoral immune response.
A strident girl
Authors: Corrias Francesca , Gesuete Valentina , Murru Flora Maria , Maschio Massimo , Barbi Egidio
Published: October 2019

A 12-year-old girl was referred with a 7-month history of episodes of dyspnoea, stridor and a sense of chest constriction during physical exercise. These were self-limiting and never occurred at night. Physical examination was normal. An initial diagnosis of vocal cord dysfunction was made.

Spirometry showed a plateau of forced expiratory flow, with a truncated aspect of the expiratory phase (figure 1). Six weeks later she described occasional dysphagia with solid foods. The barium swallow, performed only in anteroposterior projection, did not show oesophageal dilation. A bronchoscopy showed extrinsic compression of the middle lower third of the trachea and the right main bronchus. A chest CT scan was performed (figures 2 and 3).

Figure 1

The spirometry showed a truncated expiratory phase with a substantially decreased PEF, compared with FEV1: indicating central intrathoracic airway obstruction. FEF, forced expiratory flow; FEV1, forced expiratory volume in 1 s; FIF, forced inspiratory flow; FIV1, forced inspiratory volume in 1 s; FIVC, forced inspiratory vital capacity; FVC, forced vital capacity; PEF, peak expiratory flow; PIF, peak inspiratory flow.

Figure 2

Contrast enhanced CT axial section image showing right aortic arch (white arrow on the left) with aberrant subclavian artery (red arrow on the right) encircling the trachea and the oesophagus.

Figure 3

CT three-dimensional reconstruction arteriography posterior view showing right aortic arch (white arrow), diverticulum of Kommerell (white star) from which the left subclavian artery (red arrow) arose. D Ao, descending aorta.

Questions

What is your diagnosis?

Persistent vocal cord dysfunction

Achalasia

Vascular ring

Asthma

What is the gold standard for diagnosis of VR?

ECG

Chest radiograph

CT and/or MRI

Bronchoscopy

How should this patient be treated?

Surgical correction

Video-assisted thoracoscopy

Decompression of the oesophagus with a nasogastric tube

Inspiratory muscle training and ipratropium bromide inhaler

What signs in the history pointed away from vocal cord dysfunction?

Dysphagia with solid food was present.

The episodes of dyspnoea and stridor never occurred at night.

The episodes arose mainly on exertion.

The episodes of dyspnoea and stridor were self-limiting.

Answers can be found on page 2.
Severe symptomatic hyponatraemia secondary to bowel preparation
Authors: Pratap Krishan , Jiwrajka Manasi , Weber Liam , Richardson Alan
Published: October 2019

​A 62-year-old woman presented to a rural Australian hospital for a planned admission to receive bowel preparation 1 day prior to an upper endoscopy and colonoscopy. This admission was complicated by seizures and reduced levels of consciousness in the setting of hyponatraemia secondary to bowel preparation. Given the limited resources in a remote/rural Australian hospital, transfer to a tertiary level hospital was required for review and management of this rare complication of bowel preparation.
Hereditary angio-oedema as a rare cause of small-bowel obstruction
Authors: Jamil Bilal , Naeem Muhammad Saulat , Anachebe Tochukwu , Majeed Muhammad Hamid
Published: October 2019

A 52-year-old man with known hereditary angio-oedema (HAE) presented with a 2-day history of progressive severe abdominal pain, distension, nausea, vomiting and constipation. CT of his abdomen and pelvis showed small-bowel obstruction and ascites. HAE is a rare autosomal dominant disorder caused by a C1 esterase deficiency and involves episodic oedema of subcutaneous and mucosal tissues. It commonly affects the face and limbs, causing deformity; the respiratory tract, causing life-threatening laryngeal swelling; and the gastrointestinal tract, causing small-bowel obstruction. An infusion of a C1 esterase inhibitor was given to the patient. His symptoms resolved within 6 hours, and a repeat CT showed complete resolution 24 hours later. Small-bowel obstruction in HAE is often misdiagnosed, leading to ineffective treatment and unnecessary surgery. Therefore, this should be suspected in patients with HAE presenting with an acute abdomen, and clinicians should understand the unique treatment required.
Atypical presentation of rheumatoid arthritis: a case of massive bilateral pleural effusions in a patient with Caplan syndrome
Authors: Wu Yinglun , Dittmar Philip C
Published: October 2019

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a common connective tissue disorder affecting the synovial joints. In patients with RA, involvement of the lungs occurs in 30%–40% of cases while pleural effusions occur in only 3%–5%. However, the majority of RA-associated pleural effusions are small, unilateral and asymptomatic. We present a case of massive bilateral pleural effusions in a patient with established rheumatoid pneumoconiosis (Caplan syndrome). Interestingly, the pleural effusion occurred following recent treatment for minimal change disease and atrial fibrillation.
Child maltreatment in sport: smashing the wall of silence: a narrative review of physical, sexual, psychological abuses and neglect
Authors: Fortier Kristine , Parent Sylvie , Lessard Geneviève
Published: October 2019

Child maltreatment in sport is an undeniable problem. High-profile cases of sexual abuse of child athletes are obvious examples of child maltreatment in this context. Young athletes also face physical and psychological maltreatment, as well as neglect, although these types of child maltreatment are understudied in sport and receive less public attention. Little is known as to how to define physical and psychological maltreatment and neglect in sport and their diverse manifestations. The aim of this paper is to propose concrete manifestations of each type of child maltreatment in sport. We aim to help practitioners better understand and researchers better measure this problem.
Analysis of emergency department prediction tools in evaluating febrile young infants at risk for serious infections
Authors: Yao Sarah Hui Wen , Ong Gene Yong-Kwang , Maconochie Ian K , Lee Khai Pin , Chong Shu-Ling
Published: October 2019

Objective

Febrile infants≤3 months old constitute a vulnerable group at risk of serious infections (SI). We aimed to (1) study the test performance of two clinical assessment tools—the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) Traffic Light System and Severity Index Score (SIS) in predicting SI among all febrile young infants and (2) evaluate the performance of three low-risk criteria—the Rochester Criteria (RC), Philadelphia Criteria (PC) and Boston Criteria (BC) among well-looking febrile infants.

Methods

A retrospective validation study was conducted. Serious illness included both bacterial and serious viral illness such as meningitis and encephalitis. We included febrile infants≤3 months old presenting to a paediatric emergency department in Singapore between March 2015 and February 2016. Infants were assigned to high-risk and low-risk groups for SI according to each of the five tools. We compared the performance of the NICE guideline and SIS at initial clinical assessment for all infants and the low-risk criteria—RC, PC and BC—among well-looking infants. We presented their performance using sensitivity, specificity, positive, negative predictive values and likelihood ratios.

Results

Of 1057 infants analysed, 326 (30.8%) were diagnosed with SI. The NICE guideline had an overall sensitivity of 93.3% (95% CI 90.0 to 95.7), while the SIS had a sensitivity of 79.1% (95% CI 74.3 to 83.4). The incidence of SI was similar among infants who were well-looking and those who were not. Among the low-risk criteria, the RC performed with the highest sensitivity in infants aged 0–28 days (98.2%, 95% CI 90.3% to 100.0%) and 29–60 days (92.4%, 95% CI 86.0% to 96.5%), while the PC performed best in infants aged 61–90 days (100.0%, 95% CI 95.4% to 100.0%).

Conclusions

The NICE guideline achieved high sensitivity in our study population, and the RC had the highest sensitivity in predicting for SI among well-appearing febrile infants. Prospective validation is required.
Inside spherically symmetric black holes or how a uniformly accelerated particle may slow down
Authors: Radosz Andrzej , Gusin Pawel , Augousti Andy T. , Formalik Filip
Published: October 2019

Three types of phenomena occurring on both sides of the event horizon of spherically symmetric black holes are analyzed and discussed here. These phenomena are: a light ray orbiting a photon sphere and its analogue, the motion of a uniformly accelerated massive particle and a generalized Doppler effect. The results illustrate how the anisotropic dynamics of the interior of black holes, distinct in the cases both with and without an additional internal horizon, affect non-quantum behaviour.
A generalized Weyl structure with arbitrary non-metricity
Authors: Delhom Adria , Lobo Iarley P. , Olmo Gonzalo J. , Romero Carlos
Published: October 2019

A Weyl structure is usually defined by an equivalence class of pairs $$(\mathbf{g}, {\varvec{\omega }})$$(g,ω) related by Weyl transformations, which preserve the relation $$\nabla \mathbf{g}={\varvec{\omega }}\otimes \mathbf{g}$$∇g=ω⊗g, where $$\mathbf{g}$$g and $${\varvec{\omega }}$$ω denote the metric tensor and a 1-form field. An equivalent way of defining such a structure is as an equivalence class of conformally related metrics with a unique affine connection $$\Gamma _{({\varvec{\omega }})}$$Γ(ω), which is invariant under Weyl transformations. In a standard Weyl structure, this unique connection is assumed to be torsion-free and have vectorial non-metricity. This second view allows us to present two different generalizations of standard Weyl structures. The first one relies on conformal symmetry while allowing for a general non-metricity tensor, and the other comes from extending the symmetry to arbitrary (disformal) transformations of the metric.
Finsler spacetime in light of Segal’s principle
Authors: Dhasmana S. , Silagadze Z. K.
Published: October 2019

ISIM(2) symmetry group of Cohen and Glashow’s very special relativity is unstable with respect to small deformations of its underlying algebraic structure, and according to Segal’s principle cannot be a true symmetry of nature. However, like special relativity, which is a very good description of nature, thanks to the smallness of the cosmological constant, which characterizes the deformation of the Poincaré group, the very special relativity can also be a very good approximation, thanks to the smallness of the dimensionless parameter characterizing the deformation of ISIM(2).