bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Simulation and application of external quantum efficiency of solar cells based on spectroscopy
Authors: Chen Guanlin , Han Can , Yan Lingling , Li Yuelong , Zhao Ying , Zhang Xiaodan
Published: December 2019

In this study, a method for optical simulation of external quantum efficiency (EQE) spectra of solar cells based on spectroscopy is proposed, which is based on the tested transmittance and reflectance spectra. First, to obtain a more accurate information of refractive index and extinction coefficient values, we modified the reported optical constants from the measured reflectance and transmittance spectra. The obtained optical constants of each layer were then collected to simulate the EQE spectra of the device. This method provides a simple, accurate and versatile way to obtain the actual optical constants of different layers. The EQE simulation approach was applied to the flat and textured heterojunctions with intrinsic layers (HIT) solar cells, respectively, which showed a perfect matching between the calculation results and the experimental data. Furthermore, the specific optical losses in different devices were analyzed.
Improvement of tunnel compensated quantum well infrared detector
Authors: Li Chaohui , Deng Jun , Sun Weiye , He Leilei , Li Jianjun , Han Jun , Shi Yanli
Published: December 2019

To reduce the difficulty of the epitaxy caused by multiple quantum well infrared photodetector (QWIP) with tunnel compensation structure, an improved structure is proposed. In the new structure, the superlattices are located between the tunnel junction and the barrier as the infrared absorption region, eliminating the effect of doping concentration on the well width in the original structure. Theoretical analysis and experimental verification of the new structure are carried out. The experimental sample is a two-cycle device, each cycle contains a tunnel junction, a superlattice infrared absorption region and a thick barrier. The photosurface of the detector is 200 × 200 μm2 and the light is optically coupled by 45° oblique incidence. The results show that the optimal operating voltage of the sample is –1.1 V, the dark current is 2.99 × 10–8 A, and the blackbody detectivity is 1.352 × 108 cm·Hz1/2·W–1 at 77 K. Our experiments show that the new structure can work normally.
Minimalist analogue robot discovers animal-like walking gaits
Authors: Smith Benjamin J H , Usherwood James R
Published: December 2019

Robots based on simplified or abstracted biomechanical concepts can be a useful tool for investigating how and why animals move the way they do. In this paper we present an extremely simple quadruped robot, which is able to walk with no form of software or controller. Instead, individual leg movements are triggered directly by switches on each leg which detect leg loading and unloading. As the robot progresses, pitching and rolling movements of its body result in a gait emerging with a consistent leg movement order, despite variations in stride and stance time. This gait has similarities to the gaits used by walking primates and grazing livestock, and is close to the gait which was recently theorised to derive from animal body geometry. As well as presenting the design and construction of the robot, we present experimental measurements of the robot’s gait kinematics and ground reaction forces determined using high speed video and a pressure mat, and compare these to gait parameters of animals taken from literature. Our results support the theory that body geometry is a key determinant of animal gait at low speeds, and also demonstrate that steady state locomotion can be achieved with little to no active control.
Using out-of-sample yield forecast experiments to evaluate which earth observation products best indicate end of season maize yields
Authors: Davenport Frank M , Harrison Laura , Shukla Shraddhanand , Husak Greg , Funk Chris , McNally Amy
Published: December 2019

In East Africa, accurate grain yield predictions can help save lives and protect livelihoods. Regional grain yield forecasts can inform decisions regarding the availability and prices of key staples, food aid, and large humanitarian responses. Here, we use earth observation (EO) products to develop and evaluate subnational grain yield forecasts for 56 regions located in two severely food insecure countries: Kenya and Somalia. We identify, for a given region and time of year, which, if any, product is the best indicator for end-of-season maize yields. Our analysis seeks to inform a real-world situation in which analysts have access to multiple regularly updated EO data products, but predictive skill corresponding to each may vary across these regions and throughout the season. We find that the most accurate predictions can be made for high-producing areas, but that the relationship between production and forecast accuracy diminishes in areas with yields averaging greater than one metric ton per hectare. However, while forecast accuracy is highest in high production areas, in many of these regions, the forecast accuracy of models using EO products is not better than a set of baseline models that do not use EO products. Overall, we find that rainfall is the best indicator in low-producing regions and that other EO products work best in areas where yields are relatively consistent, but production is still limited by environmental factors.
Application of floating treatment wetlands in a highly eutrophic lake, Indonesia: a new tool for lake restoration and provision of microhabitat
Authors: Henny C , Kurniawan R , Trisuryono
Published: December 2019

Two sets of floating treatment wetlands (FTWs) have been evaluated as a tool for lake restoration and microhabitat provision for aquatic biota in a highly eutrophic and polymictic Lake Maninjau, Indonesia. Each FTW system consisted of 14 units square floating frame built using PVC pipes and palm sugar fibres as material mat transplanted onto net. All units of FTW were planted with different vegetation composition arrangement then placed inside the square metal frame attached on buoyant plastic drums to support the FTWs against the wave. The plants used in this study were Canna variegata, Vetiveria zizanioides, Cyperus papyrus, Echinodorus polaefolius and Limnocharis flava. FTWs were evaluated for 7 months for nutrient removal efficiency and other water quality indicators. Despite unstable lake conditions accompanied by strong waves and lake mixing, the cage and the PVC frame of FTWs applied remained intact and providing the buoyancy to support the plant growth. The plants in FTWs grew and adapted well in the turbulence water and even in the hypoxic conditions. Improvement of lake water quality in the FTWs area may be small but the accumulated nutrients content in the plant shoots suggests high removal of nutrients. In total by the end of observation, one FTWs system could remove > 100 g N and > 7 g P from the lake water. During field observation, important local fish and diverse wildlife activities were recorded including inhabiting, foraging, breeding, nursing and resting in the FTWs. Our study suggests that FTWs can be a promising tool for lake restoration to improve lake water quality and for microhabitat provision.
Land use change and fragmentation in the protected areas of peninsular Malaysia: The cases of Klang Gate and Sungai Dusun wildlife reserves
Authors: Lee W H , Abdullah S A , Rafaai N H
Published: December 2019

Ongoing economic and demographic growth in developing countries has exponentially increased the need for anthropogenic land use. The expansion of human populations into pristine environments has publicized the fierce competition between environmental conservation and anthropogenic resource demands. Because protected areas (PAs) are increasingly imperilled by human land use, particularly in the tropical regions, PAs should be regularly monitored and assessed for land use modifications in order to determine the impact on long term sustainability. In this work, land use change assessments and forest fragmentation analysis were conducted for the period between 1988 and 2012 at two PAs in peninsular Malaysia — Klang Gate and Sungai Dusun wildlife reserve. The findings demonstrated that Klang Gate lost 29.9% of its forest cover due to surrounding development and commercial agriculture; while commercial agriculture in Sungai Dusun caused only a 5% forest loss. Furthermore, Klang Gate also showed a higher degree of forest fragmentation when compared to Sungai Dusun. The fact that Klang Gate experienced ∼6x more habitat loss than Sungai Dusun implies that area underwent unsustainable development. Thus, more in depth evaluation regarding the effectiveness of conservation measures within PAs of developing countries is crucial to identifying gaps in management and conservation policy.
Identification of critical erosion prone areas in Temengor Reservoir Basin using Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) and Geographic Information System (GIS)
Authors: Mohammad Basri E , Mohamad Adam O , Teh S Y , Wan Maznah W O
Published: December 2019

In this study, the Geographic Information System (GIS) was integrated with the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) model to identify the risk of erosion at 360,000 ha in the Temengor Reservoir Basin. GIS was utilized as a tool for generating, manipulating and spatializing data from government agencies for sediment yield modelling and offering spatial input data to the erosion model. Meanwhile, USLE was used to predict the spatial distribution of the sediment yield on the grid basis. The five main parameters used in this study were the rainfall erosivity factor (R), topographic factor (LS), soil erodibility factor (K), crop management factor (C) and practice support factor (P). The R factor was calculated based on the annual rainfall data of the study area. The soil survey data was used to generate the K value and Digital Improvement Model (DEM) of the study area was used to generate LS factor. The values of C and P factors were derived from the land use map. After generating all parameters, analysis was performed to estimate the soil erosion using USLE model with spatial information analysis approach. It was discovered that the average annual soil loss in the study area was 8 t ha-1year-1and only 4% of the total area was under extreme erosion risk.
Conservation of Agricultural Soil Using Entomopathogenic Fungi: An Agent With Insecticides Degradation Potential
Authors: Ong S Q , Ahmad H , Ab Majid A H , Jaal Z
Published: December 2019

A major current focus in agricultural soil conservation is to ensure a pest control program is sustainable, and therefore, entomopathogenic fungi have been considered and extensively studied as biopesticides. However, the ecological role of entomopathogenic fungi in degrading insecticides in soil is not well understood. In this study, the potential of entomopathogenic fungi Metarhizium anisopliae (Met.) in degrading two common agricultural insecticides, chlorpyrifos and cypermethrin was investigated by introducing M. anisopliae into autoclaved soils artificially contaminated with 500 ppm of chlorpyrifos, and cypermethrin. The concentration of chlorpyrifos and cypermethrin were determined after 21 days using UPLC/PDA detector. The residues, rate, and percentage of degradation between insecticides treated and control soil were compared using an independent t-test (SPSS 20.0). The degradation of both insecticides in Met. treated soil (>80%) was significantly higher than control soil (47-61%). The residues for chlorpyrifos and cypermethrin residue in Met. treated soils were 19.39±0.10 ppm and 19.68±0.36 ppm, respectively, significantly lower than control (residues of chlorpyrifos-262.6±7.6 ppm and cypermethrin-194.4±4.3 ppm, at p<0.05). The results suggested M. anisopliae may play a role in the bioremediation of soil.
Study on Heath Forest Species Melaleuca cajuputi as Potential Natural Herbicides Agent to Suppress Weed Growth in Landscape Management
Authors: Othman Rashidi , Masyitah Wan Daud Wan , Ramya Razanah , Nadia Johari Nursyafica , Mukrim Baharuddin Zainul
Published: December 2019

Weeds are diverse in habitats throughout the world. In landscape management, weed is of major concern because they compete for growth factors with landscape plant of interest. Modern management relies on the importance of synthetic chemicals to control weeds as unwanted plants to reduce the weed management cost. The use of herbicides is not an appropriate tool for controlling development of some weeds but can create negative effects to the environment. Managing the natural and landscape resources are not only designing for good views and environment merely, but need to sustain all of living environment through consideration. Therefore, this study was aimed to explore Melaleuca cajuputi, heath forest species as potential natural herbicides agent in sustainable landscape management. Three assessments were conducted to determine their effectiveness towards suppressing weeds without degrading the environmental quality index. Assessment of allelochemical compounds in M. cajuputi demonstrated that these species have allelopathic potential as a natural herbicide.
Comparative limnology of natural and man-made tropical lakes
Authors: Sharip Z , Yusoff FM , Jusoh J , Jamin A
Published: December 2019

This paper assessed and compared physicochemical profiles and biodiversity indices of two shallow lakes namely the natural Bera Lake and Bukit Merah reservoir in Peninsular Malaysia. Variations in relation to hydro-meteorological variables, including rainfall, wind speed and air temperature were also measured during the field sampling. The results showed clear distinctions between natural and man-made lakes in terms of physical and chemical properties of lake waters and their relationships to the hydro-meteorological dynamic. Persistent oxygen and temperature differences between the epilimnion and hypolimnion were clearly detected in Bukit Merah reservoir under low winds and strong heat. Oxycline also persist during flooding or high turbidity levels indicating their enriched bottom waters. On the other hand, the natural Bera lake showed temporary stratification during the dry season with low winds but the water columns were thoroughly mixed during the wet season when the water temperature was lower and wind speed was higher. Plankton diversity in Bera lake was significantly higher (p < 0.05) than the Bukit Merah reservoir, probably due to the much longer history of the natural lake compared to the man-made one. Due to the longer residence time of the reservoir compared to the natural lake, the former tends to be more vulnerable to eutrophication if subjected to uncontrolled nutrient enrichment.
Parametric studies on dry sliding wear behaviour of Al-7075 alloy matrix composite using S/N ratio and ANOVA analysis
Authors: Alagarsamy S V , Ravichandran M
Published: December 2019

Al7075/10 wt% TiO2 alloy composite has been fabricated by the stir casting method to investigate the influence of wear parameters. The microstructure of the produced composite was analyzed by scanning electronic microscopy. A pin-on-disc rig was used to carry out the wear test on produced composite under dry sliding conditions. The three wear control parameters such as load, sliding velocity and sliding distance were chosen to study the effects on the wear rate and coefficient of friction of composite. The experiments were planned as per L9 orthogonal array based on Taguchi’s design of experiments. The signal-to-noise ratio and analysis of variance techniques were employed to determine the optimum combination of parameters and the significant contribution of each parameter on the responses. The results exposed that the load was the most predominant factor affecting the wear rate and coefficient of friction followed by the sliding distance and sliding velocity. Finally, the regression equations were developed to predict the responses. The worn surface morphology of composite noticed that TiO2 reinforcement protects the matrix alloy from removal of material at all conditions. This investigation revealed that the wear resistance of the Al7075 alloy can be enhanced by the incorporation of TiO2 particles.
Judicial (non)appointment of arbitrators in India: a case study of ‘inadequate stamping’ as a ground for non-appointment
Authors: Vij Shivani , Mansinghka Varun
Published: December 2019

Arbitration is premised on parties’ agreement. At times, however, the parties’ agreement fails to provide for a procedure for appointment of the arbitral tribunal, or the parties fail to fulfil the steps contemplated under such procedure. In such cases, parties are constrained to approach the domestic courts to seek appointment of the arbitral tribunal. This Model Law concept of judicial appointment of arbitrators has been adopted in the Indian arbitration law as well. While the law mandates courts to endeavour to appoint arbitrators as expeditiously as possible, Indian courts often indulge in a substantive review of the dispute to find grounds to refuse to appoint arbitrators. This article aims to analyse the causes and effects of this approach of Indian courts and the corresponding response of the Indian legislature. For this, the authors focus on inadequate ‘stamping’, i.e. deficiency in payment of an Indian tax on legal documents, which has emerged as a peculiar ground for courts to refuse to appoint arbitrators.
Memory deficits in Parkinson’s disease are associated with reduced beta power modulation
Authors: MacDonald Hayley J , Brittain John-Stuart , Spitzer Bernhard , Hanslmayr Simon , Jenkinson Ned
Published: December 2019

There is an increasing recognition of the significant non-motor symptoms that burden people with Parkinson’s disease. As such, there is a pressing need to better understand and investigate the mechanisms underpinning these non-motor deficits. The electrical activity within the brains of people with Parkinson’s disease is known to exhibit excessive power within the beta range (12–30 Hz), compared with healthy controls. The weight of evidence suggests that this abnormally high level of beta power is the cause of bradykinesia and rigidity in Parkinson’s disease. However, less is known about how the abnormal beta rhythms seen in Parkinson’s disease impact on non-motor symptoms. In healthy adults, beta power decreases are necessary for successful episodic memory formation, with greater power decreases during the encoding phase predicting which words will subsequently be remembered. Given the raised levels of beta activity in people with Parkinson’s disease, we hypothesized that the necessary decrease in power during memory encoding would be diminished and that this would interfere with episodic memory formation. Accordingly, we conducted a cross-sectional, laboratory-based experimental study to investigate whether there was a direct relationship between decreased beta modulation and memory formation in Parkinson’s disease. Electroencephalography recordings were made during an established memory-encoding paradigm to examine brain activity in a cohort of adults with Parkinson’s disease (N = 28, 20 males) and age-matched controls (N = 31, 18 males). The participants with Parkinson’s disease were aged 65 ± 6 years, with an average disease duration of 6 ± 4 years, and tested on their normal medications to avoid the confound of exacerbated motor symptoms. Parkinson’s disease participants showed impaired memory strength (P = 0.023) and reduced beta power decreases (P = 0.014) relative to controls. Longer disease duration was correlated with a larger reduction in beta modulation during encoding, and a concomitant reduction in memory performance. The inability to sufficiently decrease beta activity during semantic processing makes it a likely candidate to be the central neural mechanism underlying this type of memory deficit in Parkinson’s disease. These novel results extend the notion that pathological beta activity is causally implicated in the motor and (lesser appreciated) non-motor deficits inherent to Parkinson’s disease. These findings provide important empirical evidence that should be considered in the development of intelligent next-generation therapies.
A Validated LC Method for the Enantiomeric Separation of EAI045 on Chiral Stationary Phase
Authors: Wu Xiuli , Zhang Yange , Li Wenzhen , Liu Tingmei , Yang Yu , Wang Yijie , Zhang Yiwen
Published: December 2019

A simple and accurate chiral liquid chromatographic method was developed for enantiomeric resolution and determination of 2-(5-fluoro-2-hydroxyphenyl)-2-(1-oxo-2,3-dihydro-1H-isoindol-2-yl)-N-(1,3-thiazol-2-yl)acetamide (EAI045). The enantiomers of EAI045 were baseline resolved on a Chiralpak AD-H (250 mm × 4.6 mm, 5 μm) column using a mobile phase system containing n-hexane: 2-propanol (75: 25 v/v) at a flow rate of 1 mL min−1 at 30°C. The eluted analytes were subsequently detected with an ultraviolet detector at 254 nm. The effects of organic modifiers and temperature on the enantioselectivity and resolution of the enantiomers were evaluated. The calibration curves were plotted within the concentration range between 2 and 600 μg mL−1 (n = 11), and recoveries between 98.74% and 101.52% were obtained, with relative standard deviation < 1.4%. The limit of detection and limit of quantitation for R-enantiomer were 0.94 and 3.07 μg mL−1 and for S-enantiomer were 0.86 and 2.84 μg mL−1, respectively. The validated method was found to be suitable for enantiomeric separation and sufficiently accurate for the determination of enantiomeric purity of EAI045 in bulk drugs.
P222 EVALUATION OF SINGLE- NUCLEOTIDE POLYMORPHISMS IN ESOPHAGEAL CARCINOMA PATIENTS IN GREECE- PRELIMINARY RESULTS OF A CASE CONTROL STUDY
Authors: Mpaili Eustratia , Gazouli Maria , Lazaris Andreas , Mpoura Maria , Michalinos Adamantios , Schizas Dimitrios , Karavokyros Ioannis , Charalabopoulos Alexandros , Alexandrou Andreas , Liakakos Theodore
Published: December 2019

Aim

The incidence of various single- nucleotide polymorphisms with reported malignant potential in esophageal cancer tissues has only sparsely been investigated in the west, as of today. The aim of our study was to investigate the contribution of four lncRNAs’ polymorphisms HOTAIR rs920778, LINC00951 rs11752942, POLR2E rs3787016 and HULC rs7763881c in esophageal carcinoma susceptibility.

Background & Methods

Formalin-Fixed Paraffin-Embedded (FFPE) tissue specimens from 95 consecutive patients operated for esophageal or gastro-esophageal junction carcinoma between 01/03/2014- 01/03/2019 were retrieved and processed. Clinical data concerning patients’ demographics, histopathological parameters, surgical, and oncological outcomes were also retrospectively collected from our prospective database. DNA findings concerning rs920778, rs11752942, rs3787016 and rs7763881 of the above mentioned population were compared with 121 healthy controls.

Results

Sixty-seven patients underwent Ivor Lewis or McKeown esophagectomy for either squamous cell esophageal carcinoma (n= 5) or adenocarcinoma of esophagus or gastroesophageal junction Siewert I or II (n= 62). Twenty-eight additional patients were subjected to total gastrectomy for gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma Siewert III. Neither HOTAIR rs920778 nor LINC00951 rs11752942 nor HULC rs7763881 polymorphism was found more frequently in esophageal cancer specimens in comparison to healthy subjects. On the contrary, the presence of C allele, as well as CC/TT genotypes of POLR2E rs3787016 were found more often in the control population, and when found in esophageal cancerous tissues it was associated with earlier stages of the disease, as well as with minor lymph node involvement and lesser metastatic potential.

Conclusion

The presence of POLR2E rs3787016 seems to be less common in esophageal cancer patients than healthy controls and is also associated with early stage disease. The clinical implications of this finding need to be clarified with further studies with larger sample size.
Comparative Evaluation of Metofluthrin as an Outdoor Residual Treatment for Barriers and Harborage Against Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae)
Authors: Bibbs Christopher S , Kaufman Phillip E , Xue Rui-De
Published: December 2019

Spatial repellent studies have demonstrated that volatile pyrethroids reduce human contact with mosquitoes, but field trials targeting the volatile qualities of spatial repellent pyrethroids for integrated pest management are lacking. To investigate the stability and utility of volatile pyrethroids in mosquito management, metofluthrin was formulated into a vegetation spray intended for use on foliage and mosquito harborage. A comparative field evaluation was conducted between Onslaught Fast Cap, the experimental metofluthrin formulation, and a blended treatment of Onslaught Fast Cap and metofluthrin. Environmental fate of the metofluthrin formulation was estimated using aging bioassays to stress the formulated product, while leaf samples were taken from the treated field sites to bioassay against Aedes albopictus (Skuse) and determine a comparative rate of decay. The combined data from the aging bioassays and leaf samples allow inference that the experimental formulation lasts 2–3 wk in most lighting and humidity conditions at ~26.6 ± 1°C. However, regular rainfall jeopardizes continued efficacy. In comparative field efficacy, adult mosquito reductions were comparable between the two products. Onslaught Fast Cap reduced eggs collected in the immediate vicinity by 80–90% but had no effect in adjacent areas. Metofluthrin treatments resulted in a 50–90% reduction of eggs collected for 4 wk up to 60 m away from treated vegetation. However, the blended treatment using metofluthrin as an additive to Onslaught Fast Cap provided ≥80% control of Ae. albopictus adults and eggs, proximal and adjacent to treated areas, for the study duration. Metofluthrin has a great potential as a supporting ingredient to other insecticides.
Increased long-term mortality in women with high left ventricular ejection fraction: data from the CONFIRM (COronary CT Angiography EvaluatioN For Clinical Outcomes: An InteRnational Multicenter) long-term registry
Authors: Gebhard Catherine , Maredziak Monika , Messerli Michael , Buechel Ronny R , Lin Fay , Gransar Heidi , Achenbach Stephan , Al-Mallah Mouaz H , Andreini Daniele , Bax Jeroen J , Berman Daniel S , Budoff Matthew J , Cademartiri Filippo , Callister Tracy Q , Chang Hyuk-Jae , Chinnaiyan Kavitha , Chow Benjamin J W , Cury Ricardo C , DeLago Augustin , Feuchtner Gudrun , Hadamitzky Martin , Hausleiter Joerg , Kim Yong-Jin , Leipsic Jonathon , Maffei Erica , Marques Hugo , Gonçalves Pedro de Araújo , Pontone Gianluca , Raff Gilbert L , Rubinshtein Ronen , Shaw Leslee J , Villines Todd C , Lu Yao , Jones Erica C , Peña Jessica M , Min James K , Kaufmann Philipp A
Published: December 2019

Aims

There are significant sex-specific differences in left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), with a higher LVEF being observed in women. We sought to assess the clinical relevance of an increased LVEF in women and men.

Methods and results

A total of 4632 patients from the CONFIRM (COronary CT Angiography EvaluatioN For Clinical Outcomes: An InteRnational Multicenter) registry (44.8% women; mean age 58.7 ± 13.2 years in men and 59.5 ± 13.3 years in women, P = 0.05), in whom LVEF was measured by cardiac computed tomography, were categorized according to LVEF (low <55%, normal 55–65%, and high >65%). The prevalence of high LVEF was similar in both sexes (33.5% in women and 32.5% in men, P = 0.46). After 6 years of follow-up, no difference in mortality was observed in patients with high LVEF in the overall cohort (P = 0.41). When data were stratified by sex, women with high LVEF died more often from any cause as compared to women with normal LVEF (8.6% vs. 7.1%, log rank P = 0.032), while an opposite trend was observed in men (5.8% vs. 6.8% in normal LVEF, log rank P = 0.89). Accordingly, a first order interaction term of male sex and high LVEF was significant (hazard ratios 0.63, 95% confidence intervals 0.41–0.98, P = 0.043) in a Cox regression model of all-cause mortality adjusted for age, cardiovascular risk factors, and severity of coronary artery disease (CAD).

Conclusion

Increased LVEF is highly prevalent in patients referred for evaluation of CAD and is associated with an increased risk of death in women, but not in men. Differentiating between normal and hyperdynamic left ventricles might improve risk stratification in women with CAD.

Clinical trial registration

https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01443637.
Changes in mandibular shape after early treatment in subjects with open bite: a geometric morphometric analysis
Authors: Lione Roberta , Fusaroli Dimitri , Mucedero Manuela , Paoloni Valeria , Pavoni Chiara , Cozza Paola
Published: December 2019

Objectives

To evaluate the mandibular modifications in anterior open bite (OB) growing subjects treated with Rapid Maxillary Expansion and bite block (RME/BB) or Quad Helix with crib (QH/C) when compared with a Control Group (CG) by using Geometric Morphometric Method (GMM) and conventional cephalometric.

Materials

The OB group comprised 34 subjects (26 girls, 8 boys) with dentoskeletal OB and a mean age of 8.0 ± 1.0 years. OB group was divided in two subgroups: RME/BB group comprised 17 subjects (13 girls, 4 boys), while QH/C group included 17 subjects (13 girls, 4 boys). The two subgroups were compared with a CG of 17 subjects (13 girls, 4 boys) matched for sex, age, vertical pattern, and observation periods. Two consecutives lateral cephalograms were available: the first one was taken before treatment (T1), and the second one was acquired at a follow-up observation at least 4 years after the completion of treatment (T2). Landmarks and semilandmarks were digitized on lateral cephalograms and GMM was applied. Procrustes analysis and principal component analysis were performed. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) with Tukey post hoc tests was used to compare the T2–T1 cephalometric changes between the RME/BB, QH/C, and CG.

Results

In the long term, RME/BB showed a significantly greater decrease of the Condylar axis to mandibular plane angle when compared to CG and QH/C. GMM showed an increased in height of the mandibular ramus in RME/BB group with tendency to counterclockwise rotation of the mandible when compared with QH/C and CG groups.

Conclusions

RME/BB subjects showed significant changes in the shape of the mandibular ramus with a counterclockwise rotation tendency when compared with QH/C and CG subjects.
Germination: an alternative source to promote phytonutrients in edible seeds
Authors: Idowu Anthony Temitope , Olatunde Oladipupo Odunayo , Adekoya Ademola Ezekiel , Idowu Solomon
Published: December 2019

Consumption of less phytonutrient foods has shown to cause different chronic diseases, despite over 50,000 edible plant breed available in various countries around the globe. These edible plants consist of seeds that can be consumed which possessed high health benefits. Moreover, nutritive values such as phytochemicals of edible seeds increased after germination. Therefore, germination has been reported to enhance various bioactive compounds such as γ-amino butyric acid, polyphenols, and vitamins which lead to greater bioactivity such as anti-diabetic, anti-bacteria, and anti-cancer effects when these seeds are consumed. Consequently, germination can be regarded as a cheap and effective way to enhance the nutritional value of edible seeds.
INEQUALITIES IN HEALTHY AGING: THE DIFFERENTIAL IMPACT OF EDUCATION AND WEALTH ACROSS COHORT STUDIES
Authors: Wu Yu-Tzu , Daskalopoulou Christina , Terrera Graciela Muniz , Prince Martin , Prina Matthew
Published: December 2019

Several studies have investigated longitudinal changes in health status and functional ability but few have examined whether inequalities in healthy ageing varied across different countries. The aim of this study is to investigate trajectories of health metric scores (generated in previous symposium abstract) over the ageing process and examine the impact of education and wealth on the trajectories across eight cohorts in the ATHLOS consortium (N=135,828) using multilevel regression modelling. After adjusting for age, gender and study, higher levels of education (9.52; 95% CI: 9.30, 9.74) and wealth (8.06; 95% CI: 7.84, 8.28) were associated with higher baseline scores but had minimal impacts on decline rates. These effect sizes varied across different cohort studies and the inequality gradient was found to be strongest in the Health Retirement Study from US. Future research may investigate potential mechanisms which might explain the differential impact of education and wealth in different societies.
STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT IN THE PLENARY AS A MODEL FOR PROFESSIONAL-COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS
Authors: Ansello Edward F , Marrs Sarah A , Waters Leland H
Published: December 2019

The Virginia Geriatric Education Center (VGEC), a consortium of four Virginia universities, directs all initiatives in its Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program (GWEP) through an “all-in” interprofessional model called the Plenary. Both the structure and the process of the Plenary can serve as a model for building and maintaining successful, interdisciplinary, and intersystem partnerships that work toward shared goals. In addition to faculty and staff from the four institutions who represent nine health professions, representatives from CBOs also serve on the Plenary and attend in-person meetings twice monthly to engage in a continuous, democratic, and hands-on PDSA (Plan-Do-Study-Act) cycle to improve GWEP programs. This allows our community partners to be engaged in all components of identifying and addressing unmet needs in current and emerging interprofessional gerontology and geriatrics training, increasing CBO’s stake in the overall success of the GWEP beyond their specific involvement. Team science principles guide program improvement and growth.
AMERICAN INDIAN FEMALE CAREGIVERS: STRESS AND RESILIENCE
Authors: Cordova-Marks Felina , Harris Robin , Teufel-Shone Nicolette , Norton Beatrice , Mastergeorge Ann , Cunningham James , Gerald Lynn
Published: December 2019

Background/Introduction: Increased stress has been found to be a part of the caregiving experience. However, how stress is handled is important. Resilience has been shown to decrease stress in non-caregivers. There is a lack of information about American Indian (AI) caregiver stress. In this study, we seek to investigate if resilience acts as a stress buffer in this population of AI female caregivers.Methods: The Hopi Adult Caregiver Survey was conducted in 2017 with 44 female Hopi caregivers. Resilience and stress scale questions were asked as well as variables potentially affecting these. Resilience as measured by the Connor Davidson Resilience Scale-10 (CD-RISC) and stress as measured by the Perceived Stress Scale-10 scores were calculated as well as categorical levels of higher and lower stress/resilience. Variables possibly associated with each were assessed using linear regression analyses. Results: Forty-four female caregivers were surveyed. The overall mean stress score for caregivers was 17.9 Â± 6.2 on the PSS. For difference between higher and lower stress, expectation of females to be caregivers, number of times using a traditional healer/traditional medicine person, number of caregiver difficulties, self-perceived health rating, self-perceived changes to eating habits since becoming a caregiver were significant. Average sum resilience score was 28.7 Â± 6.2 on the CD-RISC. In linear regression, it was found that with an increase in the resilience score, stress score decreased.Discussion: In these caregivers, resilience acts as a stress buffer. Increasing resilience and countering factors that decrease resilience may reduce stress experienced by caregivers.
BENEVOLENT AGEISM: THE CORRELATES OF OVERACCOMMODATION TOWARDS OLDER ADULTS
Authors: Sublett Jennifer F , Bisconti Toni L
Published: December 2019

Using the Stereotype Content Model as a framework for understanding ageism, our two objectives are (1) examining the predictive utility of benevolent ageism on well-being outcomes and (2) identifying conditional relationships between sex, perceived age, benevolent ageism, and well-being outcomes. In a snowball sample of 150 older adults who were 65 years old and older, we examined sex, perceived age, ageism, environmental mastery, and depression. Our benevolent ageism scale is an expanded version of the Ambivalent Ageism Scale that included additional items of accommodation created by us. Environmental mastery and depression were assessed by standard, internally valid, measures. Using regression analyses, we found that benevolent ageism predicted depression above and beyond hostile ageism. Additionally, benevolent ageism uniquely predicted environmental mastery for men, whereas hostile ageism uniquely predicted environmental mastery and depression for women. Finally, perceived age was a better predictor of well-being than chronological age. It is essential to consider how benevolent ageism relates to well-being due to the tenets of the Stereotype Content Model. Additionally, delineating the ways that sex and perceived age contribute to double jeopardy vs. crisis competence in the face of benevolence will lead to a more intricate understanding of the paths in which overaccommodative behaviors relate to well-being in older adulthood.
TELEPHONE-BASED COGNITIVE ASSESSMENTS IN A LARGE, MULTISITE RCT: THE COSMOS-MIND STUDY
Authors: Caudle Brad , Espeland Mark M , Rapp Stephen R , Shumaker Sally A , Pleasants Debbie , Baker Laura D
Published: December 2019

Identifying safe, affordable, and well-tolerated interventions that prevent or delay cognitive decline in older adults is of critical importance. There is growing evidence from basic science and small randomized trials that cocoa flavanols may provide protection against this decline. Funded by the NIA, COSMOS-Mind is an ancillary study of COSMOS and was designed to add cognitive outcomes to the parent study, a 2x2 factorial randomized controlled trial testing the effects of cocoa flavanols (600 mg/d) and a multivitamin with matching placebo on cardiovascular disease and cancer endpoints. A validated telephone-based protocol conducted at baseline and then annually for three years measures attention, memory, language, executive function, and global cognitive functioning in 2,262 women and men, ages 65 and older without insulin-dependent diabetes. Cases of mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s and related dementias will be centrally adjudicated. For participants who score below a pre-specified threshold on a test of global cognition, a study partner is interviewed to obtain additional information regarding cognitive and functional status. With >5,000 interviews completed, this presentation will describe the cognitive battery, operational procedures used to ensure high data fidelity, and strategies employed that have maintained retention at >90%. Our experiences in COSMOS-Mind can inform the design and implementation of other large, multi-site RCTs and epidemiological studies. Telephone-based assessments of cognitive function are a cost-efficient method for assessing cognitive function.
A VIEW OF OLDER ADULTS’ DEMOGRAPHIC, HEALTH, AND ECONOMIC PROFILES BY RETIREMENT CHOICE STATUS
Authors: Tavares Jane L , Cohen Marc A
Published: December 2019

Gerontologist, economists, and other scientists have documented that involuntary or forced retirement is a more common occurrence among middle-aged adults than previously thought. Prevailing research has further indicated that involuntary retirement and off-time transitions are associated with poorer physical and mental well-being in later life. However, few studies have sought to gain a comprehensive understanding of who compromises the population of involuntary retirees and how these individuals compare to voluntary retirees. This study used the 2014 wave of the Health and Retirement Study (N=9,409) to analyze a United States representative sample of fully retired individuals aged 55 and older in order to develop a demographic, health, and economic profile of voluntary versus involuntary retirees. Analyses showed that that male, younger age group, minority race, separated/divorced, less educated, and south and west region residing individuals have significantly greater representation in the involuntary retirement group compared to the voluntary retirement group. Further, involuntary retirees reported significantly poorer physical and mental health and fewer financial resources than voluntary retirees. A supplementary longitudinal analyses also revealed that while health steadily declines for both of the retirement choice status groups, involuntary retirees maintained significantly poorer health than voluntary retirees over time. Observations from this study highlight the importance of identifying predictors of involuntary retirement and utilizing longitudinal analyses to gain greater insight into how health and economic characteristics factor into retirement decisions as well as how retirement decisions impact future health and economic characteristics.
CHRONIC DISEASE AND TERMINAL DECLINE IN VERY OLD MEN: THE MANITOBA FOLLOW-UP STUDY
Authors: Tate Robert B , John Philip St , Swift Audrey , Thompson Edward H
Published: December 2019

The Manitoba Follow-up Study is in its 71st year of continuous operation. Since 1948, 3,983 aircrew recruits to the Royal Canadian Air Force during the Second World War have submitted routine medical examinations and completed questionnaires. On May 1, 2006, 1001 of these men (25%) were alive mean age of 86 years. The effects of 7 chronic diseases (CDs) diagnosed before 2006 were modeled with multinomial logistic regression to predict the pattern of decline of living and dying through an 11 year window to 2017. By 2017, 11% were still alive, 10% died very early in the window, 44% experienced a slow decline of a least three years to death, 17% experienced a step decline to death, and 18% experienced a terminal drop, death within six months of decline in functioning. Only 30% were free of CD in 2006; 36% had 1 CD, and 34% had more than 1 CD. As the number of CDs increased, the probability of remaining alive by 2017 decreased: 18% alive if no CD, 10% if 1 CD, 8% if 2 CDs, and 3% of >2 CDs. The chance of death with a terminal drop decreased: 22% if no CD, 20% if 1 CD, 14% if 2 CD, 11% if >2 CD. Conversely, the percent with a gradual decline to death increased with more CDs. Among old men are already in their 80s, a key determinant of the trajectory to end of life is the number of CDs.
WECHAT, WERUN: A GROUP-BASED WALKING STUDY TO ENHANCE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AMONG COMMUNITY-DWELLING OLDER ADULTS
Authors: Liu Yujun , Lachman Margie E
Published: December 2019

The benefits of physical activity (PA) and social engagement for older adults are well established, yet the majority of adults over age 50 in the U.S. do not engage in regular exercise. We conducted a 4-week pre-post study with a one-month follow-up using a smart phone application called WeChat WeRun to explore the mechanisms of social engagement and competition to increase PA among older adults. Participants (N=40, mean age=65.7) were randomly assigned to one of two conditions. Participants in the activity competition condition used the WeRun to track their daily walking steps and interact via text with their group members for 4 weeks. The daily walking steps were displayed to the group and the participant with the highest daily steps in the group was indicated as the champion each day. Participants in the control group only used WeRun to track their own walking steps. Outcome variables included average weekly steps, exercise self-efficacy, and social engagement. The two-way repeated measures ANOVA results revealed that participants in the competition condition had higher average weekly steps and level of social engagement at the posttest, compared to those in the control group. Post hoc tests using the Bonferroni corrections revealed that the intervention increased their average weekly steps and social engagement from pretest to post-test, while these outcomes did not change in the control group. The effects were maintained at the one-month follow up. Discussion will consider the motivational role of competition and social interactions in increasing PA among older adults.
CHANGES IN COGNITION ARE RELATED TO PERSONALITY CHANGES IN MIDDLE AND LATER ADULTHOOD
Authors: Liu Yujun , Lachman Margie E
Published: December 2019

Previous studies have identified an association between personality and cognition in later life. Those with more stable personalities have better cognitive functioning. And those with more cognitive decline have higher neuroticism. We examined the association between changes in both personality and cognition in the same model, which has not been systematically investigated. Data were from the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) study, a national survey that included 4268 participants ages 35 to 85 at the second wave. The Big Five Personality traits and cognitive function variables (episodic memory and executive functioning) were from waves two and three. The analysis included a latent change score model and a cross-lagged panel design using Mplus. The results show that personality changes and cognitive changes over 9 years are correlated. Cross-lagged findings indicate that cognitive functioning is positively related to changes in conscientiousness, agreeableness, openness, and extraversion and negatively related to changes in neuroticism. The findings advance our understanding of the association between changes in personality and cognition. The impact of cognitive change on personality stability and the role of personality traits for maintaining cognitive function in later life are discussed. The results have implications for developing interventions to maintain or enhance cognitive functioning and personality in middle and later adulthood.
SOCIAL PARTICIPATION AND GENDER DISPARITY ON DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS AMONG INDONESIAN ELDERLY
Authors: Astuti Riska D , Sikoki Bondan
Published: December 2019

A voluminous literature empirically proves the significant relationship between social participation and elderly mental health. Further analysis discovers the different behavior between rural and urban elderly. Despite the importance of taking into account regional inequality, gender disparity which explains the inconsistent empirical results across countries, is sometimes negligible from the discussion. This study aims to investigate the link of social participation in voluntary activity and community regular meeting to depressive symptom among the elderly in Indonesia. Separated analysis based on gender is also conducted to examine the extent to which social activities could explain the depressive symptom disparity between male and female elderly. Data from Indonesia Family Life Survey 2007 and 2014 were analyzed using logistic regression. Sample of 2994 and 2917 respondents aged 60 and over in 2007 and 2014 respectively are combined as pooled cross-sectional data instead of panel data to deal with the large reduction of sample size due to mortality. To minimize the potential endogeneity, covariates are included in the model such as residence location, living arrangement, socio-economic status, and health condition. The results indicate that economic condition, chronic disease, and difficulty on instrumental activity daily living (IADL) play a significant role in depressive symptom among Indonesian elderly, regardless of the gender. Surprisingly, social participation that is widely believed in strengthening mental health is statistically significant for female sample only. Moreover, the contrast sign of voluntary participation and community regular meeting coefficients indicate a special behavior between these two activities.