bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Intervener trustworthiness predicts cooperation with conservation interventions in an elephant conflict public goods game
Authors: Baynham‐Herd Zachary , Bunnefeld Nils , Molony Thomas , Redpath Steve , Keane Aidan
Published: July 2020

Conservation conflicts exist in complex socio‐ecological systems and are damaging to both people and wildlife. There is much interest in designing interventions to manage them more effectively, but the importance of who does the intervening remains underexplored.

In particular, conflicts are influenced by perceptions of the trustworthiness of natural resource managers and conservation organizations. However, experimental studies of how the different facets of trustworthiness shape responses to interventions are rare in conflict settings.

We develop an experimental, framed public goods game to test how support for otherwise identical elephant conflict interventions varies with perceptions of the trustworthiness of two different intervening groups—a community group or a conservation organization—and compare game behaviour to pre‐ and post‐game interviews.

Results from three agro‐pastoral communities (n = 212 participants) in northern Tanzania show that participants cooperate more with interveners they perceive to be more trustworthy. Results also suggest that different aspects of trustworthiness matter differentially—with perceptions of interveners' integrity and benevolence more strongly predicting cooperation than perceptions of their ability.

The findings suggest that trust‐building and greater consideration of who is best placed to intervene in conflicts may help improve natural resource management and increase stakeholder support for conservation interventions. This study also further demonstrates how experimental games offer opportunities to test behaviour change interventions and help to inform evidence‐based conservation.

A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article.
Household material hardships impact emergency department reliance in pediatric patients with sickle cell disease
Authors: Power‐Hays Alexandra , Patterson Alyssa , Sobota Amy
Published: July 2020

Background

In sickle cell disease (SCD), high emergency department (ED) utilization is associated with worse outcomes and increased costs. A metric called ED reliance (EDr), the percentage of healthcare visits that occur in the ED, attempts to identify ED overutilization. It is unknown if household material hardships (HMH)—housing, utility, or food insecurity—impact reliance on the ED. As these may represent modifiable risk factors for high ED utilization, we aimed to estimate the association between HMH and EDr in pediatric patients with SCD.

Methods

We reviewed the electronic medical records of pediatric patients with SCD who received care in the Boston Medical Center network in Massachusetts, USA, to collect data on HMH and healthcare utilization. Using linear regression to control for potential confounders, we modeled the association between material hardships and EDr.

Results

Of 101 eligible patients, 60 (59%) reported one or more HMH. The mean EDr was 12% overall, with significant differences between those with and without HMH (15.9 vs 5.9, P = 0.0001). Each additional hardship experienced was associated with an increased average EDr of 7.7 percentage points (R2 = 0.34, P < 0.0001). Housing and utility hardships were each independently associated with increased EDr.

Conclusion

HMH are associated with significantly increased EDr in children with SCD, independent of transportation hardship or insurance type. Through screening for HMH, providers and health systems could identify at‐risk patients with modifiable risk factors for high EDr in order to provide them additional support.
Flexural static and fatigue response of patch repaired laminated composites for different patch‐parent configurations
Authors: Bhatia Gursahib Singh , Arockiarajan A.
Published: July 2020

This work involves an experimental investigation of the static and fatigue behavior of patch repaired laminates under flexural loading. At first, a static flexural study is conducted for two types of parent laminates comprising 4‐plies ([0°]4 & [45°]4) and 8‐plies ([0°]8 & [45°]8) of woven carbon fiber. The repair is conducted by two types of patches with stacking sequence [0°]2 and [45°]2. Three different repair configurations involving patch bonded on the compressive side, tensile side, and both the sides of the parent specimens, have been tested. Digital image correlation has been employed to capture the deflection of the specimens. In order to understand the vulnerability of patch repaired laminates to cyclic loading, the load controlled constant amplitude fatigue tests have been conducted on 8‐ply repaired laminates. Different failure modes, distinctive to each type of repair configurations have been observed. The results of this work provide more insight to the influence of various parameters viz. number of plies, fiber orientation, patch placement, and so forth, on the flexural behavior of repaired laminates.
Suicide‐related over‐the‐counter analgesic exposures reported to United States poison control centers, 2000‐2018
Authors: Hopkins Alexandra G. , Spiller Henry A. , Kistamgari Sandhya , Zhu Motao , Michaels Nichole L. , Funk Alexandra R. , Smith Gary A.
Published: July 2020

Purpose

To investigate suicide‐related over‐the‐counter (OTC) analgesic medication exposures among individuals ≥6 years old reported to United States (US) poison control centers.

Methods

Data from the National Poison Data System for the years 2000‐2018 were retrospectively analyzed.

Results

From 2000 to 2018, US poison control centers recorded 549 807 suicide‐related cases involving OTC analgesics, including 327 781 cases (59.6%) admitted to the hospital and 1745 deaths (0.3%). Most cases involved a single substance (67.5%) and occurred among females (72.7%) and individuals 6‐19 years old (49.7%). Overall, the rate of exposures increased significantly by 33.5% from 2000 to 2018, primarily driven by the increasing exposure rate among 6‐ to 19‐year‐old females. From 2000 to 2018, exposure rates for acetaminophen and ibuprofen increased, while that for acetylsalicylic acid decreased. Additionally, the proportion of cases resulting in a serious medical outcome or healthcare facility admission increased for all types of OTC analgesics. Acetaminophen and acetylsalicylic acid accounted for 48.0% and 18.5% of cases, respectively, and 64.5% and 32.6% of deaths, respectively. Both acetaminophen and acetylsalicylic acid had greater odds of healthcare facility admission (ORs 2.56 and 2.63, respectively) and serious medical outcomes (ORs 2.54 and 4.90, respectively) compared with ibuprofen.

Conclusions

The rate of suicide‐related OTC analgesic cases is increasing. Acetaminophen and acetylsalicylic acid cases are associated with greater morbidity and mortality. Prevention efforts should include implementing unit‐dose packaging requirements and restrictions on package sizes and purchase quantities for acetaminophen and acetylsalicylic acid products to reduce access to large quantities of these analgesics.
CCGPA‐MPPT: Cauchy preferential crossover‐based global pollination algorithm for MPPT in photovoltaic system
Authors: Sundararaj Vinu , Anoop V. , Dixit Priyanka , Arjaria Arundhati , Chourasia Uday , Bhambri Pankaj , M R Rejeesh , Sundararaj Regu
Published: July 2020

In general, the photovoltaic (PV) is considered as the best selection among renewable energy resources due to its nonpolluted operation and good flexibility condition. The PV system is affected because of the partial shading conditions (PSCs), which reduce the generated power. During steady‐state operating conditions, there occurs a time delay in tracking the Global maximum power point (GMPP) and Local maximum power point (LMPP) under PSCs using the perturb and observe (P&O) method. In order to overcome such shortcomings, this paper proposed a hybrid algorithm with a P&O technique to improve the maximum power point tracking (MPPT) for the PV system under PSC. In addition to this, the P&O technique is utilized to achieve the LMPP in the first section, and the hybrid algorithm is utilized to achieve the GMPP in the second section. Here, the hybrid technique is the integration of Cauchy preferential crossover (CC) with the flower pollination algorithm (FPA). Furthermore, the exploitation ability of the FPA is enhanced by the CC, and the combined hybrid algorithm has the ability to produce the optimal duty cycle for the DC–DC boost converter for MPPT. Then the proposed method will be executed in MATLAB/Simulink model, and it is contrasted with the existing methods such as CC, current sensorless (CS), and FPA, respectively. The experimental results and analysis reveal that the proposed approach provides better performances when compared with several other metaheuristic algorithms.
Sub‐10 nm V2O5 Crystals on Carbon Nanosheets for Advanced All‐Solid‐State Lithium Metal Batteries
Authors: Su Liwei , Liu Linhui , Hei Jinpei , Chen Huan , Wang Lianbang , Wang Yuanhao , Ren Manman
Published: July 2020

V2O5, as a lithium‐free cathode material, has inherent defects such as sluggish kinetics and volume change and, at the same time, requires a lithium metal anode that tends to form dendrites in liquid electrolytes. Both the lithium dendrite and the flammable electrolyte solvent bring longtime safety issues. This work introduces nonflammable inorganic–organic composite solid electrolyte to inhibit the growth of the lithium dendrite and suppress the instability caused by V2O5 nanometerization. However, the long‐term cycling and rate performances are still insufficient even when reducing V2O5 size to about 50 nm. As an improvement, sub‐10 nm V2O5/C nanosheets are designed and prepared using corn stalks as precursors through simple impregnation and calcination process. The V2O5/C offers a much better electrode/electrolyte contact and interface stability than bulk V2O5 and commercial V2O5 in the inorganic–organic composite solid electrolyte. The discharge capacity is 228 mAh g−1 at 0.1 C after 50 cycles and ≈110 mAh g−1 at 2.0 C.
Care recommendations for the respiratory complications of esophageal atresia‐tracheoesophageal fistula
Authors: Koumbourlis Anastassios C. , Belessis Yvonne , Cataletto Mary , Cutrera Renato , DeBoer Emily , Kazachkov Mikhail , Laberge Sophie , Popler Jonathan , Porcaro Federica , Kovesi Thomas
Published: July 2020

Tracheoesophageal fistula (TEF) with esophageal atresia (EA) is a common congenital anomaly that is associated with significant respiratory morbidity throughout life. The objective of this document is to provide a framework for the diagnosis and management of the respiratory complications that are associated with the condition. As there are no randomized controlled studies on the subject, a group of experts used a modification of the Rand Appropriateness Method to describe the various aspects of the condition in terms of their relative importance, and to rate the available diagnostic methods and therapeutic interventions on the basis of their appropriateness and necessity. Specific recommendations were formulated and reported as Level A, B, and C based on whether they were based on “strong”, “moderate” or “weak” agreement. The tracheomalacia that exists in the site of the fistula was considered the main abnormality that predisposes to all other respiratory complications due to airway collapse and impaired clearance of secretions. Aspiration due to impaired airway protection reflexes is the main underlying contributing mechanism. Flexible bronchoscopy is the main diagnostic modality, aided by imaging modalities, especially CT scans of the chest. Noninvasive positive airway pressure support, surgical techniques such as tracheopexy and rarely tracheostomy are required for the management of severe tracheomalacia. Regular long‐term follow‐up by a multidisciplinary team was considered imperative. Specific templates outlining the elements of the clinical respiratory evaluation according to the patients’ age were also developed.
Pulmonary diffusing capacity measured by NO/CO transfer in Tunisian boys
Authors: Dridi Rim , Dridi Nadia , Ben Moussa Zouita Amira , Muller Paulo T. , Tabka Zouhair , Guénard Hervé , Laher Ismail , Hackney Anthony C. , Zouhal Hassane
Published: July 2020

Background

The diffusing capacity, which measures gas‐exchange, uses reference values based on data from American or European studies. There are currently no reference values of pulmonary diffusing capacity (TL) and its components, such as the conductance of the membrane (Dm) and capillary lung volume (Vc) for healthy North African children.

Objectives

We determined the prediction equations—reference values for TL, Dm, Vc and the alveolar volume (VA) in healthy Tunisian boys.

Methods

Values of Vc, Dm, TL, and VA were measured by the NO/CO transfer method, using a single breath maneuver in 118 Tunisian boys (8‐14 years old) at rest. We performed linear regression analysis of the pulmonary parameters and independent variables, such as height, weight, and age.

Results

The reference equations for pulmonary diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide (TLCO) was 0.201 × weight (kg) + 8.979; for TLNO was 0.76 × height (cm)‐24.383; for Dm was 0.388 × height (cm)‐ 12.555 and for VA was 0.34 × height (cm)‐3.951. Vc increased significantly with weight (P < .05) but not with age (P > .05).

Conclusions

References norms for TLCO and TL for nitric oxide and its components in young Tunisian boys are similar to data from other countries. The prediction equations we developed can be extended to clinical practice in Tunisia and can be considered for use in neighboring North African countries.
Structure‐guided evolution of Green2 toward photostability and quantum yield enhancement by F145Y substitution
Authors: Sun Tingting , Li Tianpeng , Yi Ke , Gao Xiaolian
Published: July 2020

Quantum yield is a determinant for fluorescent protein (FP) applications and enhancing FP brightness through gene engineering is still a challenge. Green2, our de novo FP synthesized by microfluidic picoarray and cloning, has a significantly lower quantum yield than enhanced green FP, though they have high homology and share the same chromophore. To increase its quantum yield, we introduced an F145Y substitution into Green2 based on rational structural analysis. Y145 significantly increased the quantum yield (0.22 vs. 0.18) and improved the photostability (t1/2, 73.0 s vs. 46.0 s), but did not affect the excitation and emission spectra. Further structural analysis showed that the F145Y substitution resulted in a significant electrical field change in the immediate environment of the chromophore. The perturbation of electrostatic charge around the chromophore lead to energy barrier changes between the ground and excited states, which resulted in the enhancement of quantum yield and photostability. Our results illustrate a typical example of engineering an FP based solely on fluorescence efficiency optimization and provide novel insights into the rational evolution of FPs.
Tumorigenic p53 mutants undergo common structural disruptions including conversion to α‐sheet structure
Authors: Bromley Dennis , Daggett Valerie
Published: July 2020

The p53 protein is a commonly studied cancer target because of its role in tumor suppression. Unfortunately, it is susceptible to mutation‐associated loss of function; approximately 50% of cancers are associated with mutations to p53, the majority of which are located in the central DNA‐binding domain. Here, we report molecular dynamics simulations of wild‐type (WT) p53 and 20 different mutants, including a stabilized pseudo‐WT mutant. Our findings indicate that p53 mutants tend to exacerbate latent structural‐disruption tendencies, or vulnerabilities, already present in the WT protein, suggesting that it may be possible to develop cancer therapies by targeting a relatively small set of structural‐disruption motifs rather than a multitude of effects specific to each mutant. In addition, α‐sheet secondary structure formed in almost all of the proteins. α‐Sheet has been hypothesized and recently demonstrated to play a role in amyloidogenesis, and its presence in the reported p53 simulations coincides with the recent re‐consideration of cancer as an amyloid disease.
A new cure rate model with flexible competing causes with applications to melanoma and transplantation data
Authors: Leão Jeremias , Bourguignon Marcelo , Gallardo Diego I. , Rocha Ricardo , Tomazella Vera
Published: July 2020

In this article, we introduce a long‐term survival model in which the number of competing causes of the event of interest follows the zero‐modified geometric (ZMG) distribution. Such distribution accommodates equidispersion, underdispersion, and overdispersion and captures deflation or inflation of zeros in the number of lesions or initiated cells after the treatment. The ZMG distribution is also an appropriate alternative for modeling clustered samples when the number of competing causes of the event of interest consists of two subpopulations, one containing only zeros (cure proportion), while in the other (noncure proportion) the number of competing causes of the event of interest follows a geometric distribution. The advantage of this assumption is that we can measure the cure proportion in the initiated cells. Furthermore, the proposed model can yield greater or lower cure proportion than that of the geometric distribution when modeling the number of competing causes. In this article, we present some statistical properties of the proposed model and use the maximum likelihood method to estimate the model parameters. We also conduct a Monte Carlo simulation study to evaluate the performance of the estimators. We present and discuss two applications using real‐world medical data to assess the practical usefulness of the proposed model.
Generic Strategy to Synthesize High‐Tap Density Anode and Cathode Structures with Stratified Graphene Pliable Pockets via Monomeric Polymerization and Evaporation, and Their Utilization to Enable Ultrahigh Performance in Hybrid Energy Storages
Authors: Won Jong Ho , Mun Sung Cik , Kim Gi Hwan , Jeong Hyung Mo , Kang Jeung Ku
Published: July 2020

Hybrid energy storage systems have shown great promise for many applications; however, achieving high energy and power densities with long cycle stability remains a major challenge. Here, a strategy to synthesize high‐tap density anode and cathode structures that yield ultrahigh performance in hybrid energy storage is reported. First, vinyl acetate monomers are polymerized into molecular sizes via chain reactions controlled by the surface free radicals of graphene and metals. Subsequently, molecular‐size polymers are thermally evaporated to construct battery‐type anode structures with encapsulated tin metals for high‐capacity and stratified graphene pliable pockets (GPPs) for fast charge transfer. Similarly, sulfur particles are attached to GPPs via monomeric polymerization, and capacitor‐type hollow GPP (H@GPP) cathode structures are produced by evaporating sulfur, where sublimated S particles yield mesopores for rapid anion movement and micropores for high capacity. Moreover, hybrid full‐cell devices with high‐tap density anodes and cathodes show high gravimetric energy densities of up to 206.9 Wh kg−1, exceeding those of capacitors by ≈16‐fold, and excellent volumetric energy densities of up to 92.7 Wh L−1. Additionally, they attain high power densities of up to 23 678 W kg−1, outperforming conventional devices by a factor of ≈100, and long cycle stability over 10 000 cycles.
Conductive FeOOH as Multifunctional Interlayer for Superior Lithium–Sulfur Batteries
Authors: Wei Benben , Shang Chaoqun , Wang Xin , Zhou Guofu
Published: July 2020

The commercial course of Li–S batteries (LSBs) is impeded by several severe problems, such as low electrical conductivity of S, Li2S2, and Li2S, considerable volume variation up to 80% during multiphase transformation and severe intermediation lithium polysulfides (LiPSs) shuttle effect. To solve above problems, conductive FeOOH interlayer is designed as an effective trapper and catalyst to accelerate the conversion of LiPSs in LSBs. FeOOH nanorod is effectively affinitive to S that Fe atoms act as Lewis acid sites to capture LiPSs via strong chemical anchoring capability and dispersion interaction. The excellent electrocatalytic effect enables that reduced charging potential barrier and enhanced electron/ion transport is realized on the FeOOH interlayer to promote LiPSs conversion. Significantly, Li2S oxidation process is improved on the FeOOH interlayer determined as a combination of reduced Li2S decomposition energy barrier and enhanced Li‐ion transport. Therefore, the multifunctional FeOOH interlayer with conductive and catalytic features show strong chemisorption with LiPSs and accelerated LiPSs redox kinetics. As a result, LSBs with FeOOH interlayer displays high discharge capacity of 1449 mAh g−1 at 0.05 C and low capacity decay of 0.05% per cycle at 1 C, as well as excellent rate capability (449 mAh g−1 at 2 C).
Study on strength parameters of plain cement concrete added with tamarind kernel powder
Authors: Venkatraman Sundaram , Ramasamy Vasudevan
Published: July 2020

The quality of the construction material is required to be improved to enhance the strength and performance of the structure. From the earlier days, admixture assumes a crucial job in cement to improve the basic properties. Before knowing about the admixtures, good knowledge regarding concrete is required. In this work, an endeavor was made to contemplate the conceivable outcomes of utilizing tamarind kernel powder, a naturally available biowaste material which is a hydrocolloid in nature, as an admixture in concrete. The addition of tamarind kernel powder was varied from 0.25 to 1.25% in proportion to the weight of cement used. A huge amount of tamarind seed wastes are produced every year especially in India it is nearly 97,000 metric tons per year. In the absence of waste disposal, the utilization of tamarind seed for concrete improvement will be a great development. In this research article, tamarind kernel powder was added to fresh concrete and relevant tests were conducted on fresh and hardened concrete before and after the addition of tamarind kernel powder. Further, nondestructive tests were also carried out on concrete added with tamarind kernel powder. The concrete shows good enhancement in strength until the addition of 1% of tamarind kernel powder to the weight of cement. Moreover, the workability, mobility and compaction factor results obtained in this experiment show that the optimal addition of tamarind kernel powder does not affect the properties of fresh concrete. The tests on hardened concrete and results obtained from nondestructive testing methods confirm the same. Hence, this experimental work shows that the natural hydrocolloid, that is, tamarind kernel powder can be added to an amount of 1% to the weight of cement which shall not affect the other parameters of concrete but increases the strength considerably.
Challenges facing systematic biology
Authors: Stuessy Tod F.
Published: July 2020

Systematic biology is fundamental for providing organized information about the living world. It clarifies what organisms share our planet, and it also reveals the basic short‐term and long‐term processes that have given rise to this diversity. Human society is rapidly modernizing, largely through increased digital communications tied closely to satellite innovations. Communication is now global and instantaneous, allied with an awareness of place made possible by global positioning technology. Despite many positive recent developments, numerous tensions remain that threaten a tranquil world order and negatively impact biodiversity, such as between developed and developing countries, democratic and authoritarian governments, and among religious groups. The increasing human population is also bringing pressures to bear on global biodiversity through activities that result in air and water pollution, topsoil erosion, deforestation, ozone depletion, global warming, and taxic loss. The systematic biology community has been unable to respond effectively to these many new challenges due to fragmentation and lack of cohesion. Systematists have tended to focus more on issues relevant to their own taxonomic groups (e.g., bacteria, ferns, fungi, reptiles, mammals, etc.) and much less on global concerns. Systematists must become better organized to allow the global priority of inventorying the planet to be achieved as soon as practicable. A global organization, an International Federation for Systematic Biology, should be formed to serve as a coordinator to help articulate five‐year and longer plans. Large‐scale funding (billions of dollars) must be sought to allow implementation of shared goals. Projects must be created that more obviously connect in some fashion to major societal problems such as poverty, water resources, food production, and human health. The astronomy and nuclear physics communities provide models of successful planning and implementation, the former on understanding the extreme distant reality of our existence, and the latter on the extremely small atomic dimensions. Systematic biology focuses largely on understanding the middle range of reality that we can see and more easily directly experience. Making the case for understanding at this level should, in principle, be the easiest of all. Fundamental is that projects be simple in concept, visionary in perspective, and offering economic stimulus for participants (i.e., the creation of new jobs).
Pinning down the gauge boson couplings in WWγ production using forward proton tagging
Authors: Tizchang Seddigheh , Etesami Seyed Mohsen
Published: July 2020

Abstract

In this paper, we explore the potential of the LHC to measure the rate of pp → p WWγ p process, also to probe the new effective couplings contributing to the WWγ and WWγγ vertices. The analysis is performed at the $$ \sqrt{s} $$

s

= 13 TeV, in the dileptonic decay channel, and assuming 300 fb−1 integrated luminosity (IL). In addition to the presence of two opposite sign leptons, a photon, and missing energy, the distinctive signature of this process is the presence of two intact protons flying few millimeters from the initial beam direction in both sides of interaction points which suppress the background process effectively. To exploit this feature of signal we benefit from forward detectors (FDs) placed about 200 meters from the interaction point to register the kinematics of tagged protons. In order to overcome the major sources of backgrounds, we introduced three categories of selection cuts dealing with objects that strike the central detector, protons hitting the FDs, and correlations of central objects and protons, respectively. We also evaluate the probability of pile-up protons to be tagged in the FDs as a function of the mean number of pile-up. Then the sensitivity of the LHC to observe this process and constraints on multi-boson effective couplings are extracted. The obtained expected limits show very good improvements for dimension-8 quartic couplings and competitive bounds on dimension-6 anomalous triple couplings w.r.t. the current experimental limits. Therefore, we propose this process to the LHC experiments as a sensitive and complementary channel to study the multi-gauge boson couplings.
The 12 December 2017 Baumgarten Gas Hub Explosion: A Case Study on Understanding the Occurrence of a Large Infrasound Azimuth Residual and a Lack of Seismic Observations
Authors: Koch Karl , Pilger Christoph , Czanik Csenge , Bondár István
Published: July 2020

The Baumgarten explosion occurred on 12 December 2017 at a gas storage site about 30 km east of Vienna, Austria. Acoustic arrivals from this accidental surface explosion were detected at dozens of stations of the AlpArray seismic network to distances up to 150 km, mainly in easterly directions. Thus it was expected that the Hungarian infrasound array PSZI located about 230 km to the east-southeast of Baumgarten would detect this acoustic wave as well. Standard progressive multichannel correlation processing and frequency-wavenumber analysis identified a signal emerging at 7:57:55 UTC from an azimuth of 296°–300° and with trace-velocity > 400 m/s. The extraordinarily high trace-velocity and excessive backazimuth residual, relative to the explosion site direction of 282°, however cast strong doubts on the arrival’s connection to the Baumgarten event. Accounting for the effect of non-planar geometry of the infrasound array results in a reduction of the azimuth residual by half. Additionally, 2D and 3D raytracing methods are used including the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) atmospheric model to further explain the remaining azimuth residual as well as to elucidate the large trace velocity estimates. The prevailing stratospheric winds in excess of 150 m/s are identified as the underlying cause. Including both factors the initial azimuth residual of up to 18° decreases to ~ 4°, allowing to associate the infrasound signal at PSZI with the Baumgarten event. Finally, the data from a seismic station at 30 km range is re-investigated for magnitude estimation. The local magnitude of ML < 1.0 explains well the scarcity of seismic observations within 50 km range, where three or four stations show signals, mainly consisting of Rg-type surface waves, but no body waves.
Effects of thermal modification on physical and mechanical properties of Mozambican Brachystegia spiciformis and Julbernardia globiflora wood
Authors: Nhacila Feliz , Sitoe Eunice , Uetimane Ernesto , Manhica Alberto , Egas Andrade , Möttönen Veikko
Published: July 2020

Mozambique’s large pool of tropical hardwoods is hampered by the prevalence of low-grade tree species along with a lack of cost-effective processing technologies to improve timber properties.Brachystegia spiciformisandJulbernadia globifloraare the most abundant tree species in terms of volume in the country, but with limited use due to their low timber quality. In this study, thermal modification at three different temperatures (215 °C; 230 °C; 245 °C) was applied for 2 h to the timber of both species, followed by measurement of a set of physical and mechanical wood properties. The results show that the originally light-coloured sapwood of both tree species darkened gradually as the intensity of thermal modification increased. Additionally, from untreated samples to the highest thermal treatment level, timber ofB. spiciformisincurred a maximum mass loss of 27%, while oven-dry density was reduced from 0.65 to 0.56 g/cm3and equilibrium moisture content (EMC) changed from 7 to 3%. Timber ofJ. globiflorahad a mass loss of 23% after the highest treatment level, an oven-dry density reduction of 0.81 to 0.74 g/cm3and an EMC decrease from 8 to 3%. The changes in mechanical properties from reference samples to the highest thermal treatment level were also significant. ForB. spiciformis, MOE decreased by 10.2%, MOR by 50.8%, compression strength parallel to the grain by 29.2% and Brinell hardness by 23.5%. Timber ofJ. globiflorafollowed the same trend with an MOE decrease by 6.9%, an MOR decrease by 53.2% and a decrease in compression strength parallel to the grain by 21.9%. All tested wood properties showed significant responses to thermal modification after the most intensive treatment level had been applied. Despite the degradation of mechanical properties in both species, an optimal combination of temperature and treatment time could be achieved. The recorded changes of the tested wood properties in both species could increase the range of applications; the new colour resembled that of highly sought-after tropical hardwoods.
Quantum Fields and Local Measurements
Authors: Fewster Christopher J. , Verch Rainer
Published: July 2020

The process of quantum measurement is considered in the algebraic framework of quantum field theory on curved spacetimes. Measurements are carried out on one quantum field theory, the “system”, using another, the “probe”. The measurement process involves a dynamical coupling of “system” and “probe” within a bounded spacetime region. The resulting “coupled theory” determines a scattering map on the uncoupled combination of the “system” and “probe” by reference to natural “in” and “out” spacetime regions. No specific interaction is assumed and all constructions are local and covariant. Given any initial state of the probe in the “in” region, the scattering map determines a completely positive map from “probe” observables in the “out” region to “induced system observables”, thus providing a measurement scheme for the latter. It is shown that the induced system observables may be localized in the causal hull of the interaction coupling region and are typically less sharp than the probe observable, but more sharp than the actual measurement on the coupled theory. Post-selected states conditioned on measurement outcomes are obtained using Davies–Lewis instruments that depend on the initial probe state. Composite measurements involving causally ordered coupling regions are also considered. Provided that the scattering map obeys a causal factorization property, the causally ordered composition of the individual instruments coincides with the composite instrument; in particular, the instruments may be combined in either order if the coupling regions are causally disjoint. This is the central consistency property of the proposed framework. The general concepts and results are illustrated by an example in which both “system” and “probe” are quantized linear scalar fields, coupled by a quadratic interaction term with compact spacetime support. System observables induced by simple probe observables are calculated exactly, for sufficiently weak coupling, and compared with first order perturbation theory.
Efficacy and safety profile of statins in patients with cancer: a systematic review of randomised controlled trials
Authors: Thomas John P. , Loke Yoon K. , Alexandre Leo
Published: July 2020

Purpose

A growing body of preclinical and observational research suggests that statins have potential as a therapeutic strategy in patients with cancer. This systematic review of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) in patients with solid tumours aimed to determine the efficacy of statin therapy on mortality outcomes, their safety profile and the risk of bias of included studies.

Methods

Full-text articles comparing statin therapy versus control in solid tumours and reporting mortality outcomes were identified from Medline and Embase from conception to February 2020. A systematic review with qualitative (primarily) and quantitative synthesis was conducted. This systematic review was prospectively registered (Prospero registration CRD42018116364).

Results

Eleven trials of 2165 patients were included. Primary tumour sites investigated included lung, colorectal, gastro-oesophageal, pancreatic and liver. Most trials recruited patients with advanced malignancy and used sub-maximal statin doses for relatively short durations. Aside from one trial which demonstrated benefit with allocation to pravastatin 40 mg in hepatocellular carcinoma, the remaining ten trials did not demonstrate efficacy with statins. The pooled hazard ratio for all-cause mortality with allocation to pravastatin in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma in two trials was 0.69 (95% confidence interval CI 0.30–1.61). Study estimates were imprecise. There were no clinically important differences in statin-related adverse events between groups. Overall, included trials were deemed low risk of bias.

Conclusion

The trial evidence is not sufficiently robust to confirm or refute the efficacy and safety of statins in patients with solid malignant tumours. Study and patient characteristics may explain this uncertainty. The potential role of high-dose statins in adjuvant settings deserves further research.
Molecular identification of redfish (genus Sebastes) in the White Sea indicates patterns of introgressive hybridisation
Authors: Shum Peter , Pampoulie Christophe
Published: July 2020

The rare occurrence of redfish (genus Sebastes) in the White Sea encouraged Rolskii et al. (Polar Biol 43:385–389, 2020) to investigate the species identity of two animals captured near the Sredniy Island at 40 m depth. They reported that their morphological description proved unreliable and that genetic evidence “clearly demonstrated” these redfish belong to S. norvegicus. This was inferred using the S7 and the mitochondrial control region genes. However, while their S7 matched one S. norvegicus reference sequence, the S. norvegicus mitochondrial reference sequences used to infer species identity were previously shown to cluster with S. mentella. Therefore, both of their redfish samples belong to a S. norvegicus × S. mentella (deep-pelagic) hybrid which presents an interesting perspective into the complex species dynamics in this group.
Plasma p-tau181 accurately predicts Alzheimer’s disease pathology at least 8 years prior to post-mortem and improves the clinical characterisation of cognitive decline
Authors: Lantero Rodriguez Juan , Karikari Thomas K. , Suárez-Calvet Marc , Troakes Claire , King Andrew , Emersic Andreja , Aarsland Dag , Hye Abdul , Zetterberg Henrik , Blennow Kaj , Ashton Nicholas J.
Published: July 2020

The neuropathological confirmation of amyloid-β (Aβ) plaques and tau neurofibrillary tangles (NFT) remains the gold standard for a definitive diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Nowadays, the in vivo diagnosis of AD is greatly aided by both cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and positron emission tomography (PET) biomarkers. Although highly accurate, their broad implementation is restricted by high cost, limited accessibility and invasiveness. We recently developed a high-performance, ultrasensitive immunoassay for the quantification of tau phosphorylated at threonine-181 (p-tau181) in plasma, which identifies AD pathophysiology with high accuracy. However, it remains unclear whether plasma p-tau181, measured years before the death, can predict the eventual neuropathological confirmation of AD, and successfully discriminates AD from non-AD dementia pathologies. We studied a unique cohort of 115 individuals with longitudinal blood collections with clinical evaluation at 8, 4 and 2 years prior to neuropathological assessment at death. The results demonstrate that plasma p-tau181 associates better with AD neuropathology and Braak staging than a clinical diagnosis 8 years before post-mortem. Moreover, while all patients had a diagnosis of AD dementia during life, plasma p-tau181 proved to discriminate AD from non-AD pathologies with high accuracy (AUC = 97.4%, 95% CI = 94.1–100%) even 8 years before death. Additionally, the longitudinal trajectory of plasma p-tau181 was assessed in all patients. We found that the main increases in plasma p-tau181 occurred between 8 and 4 years prior to death in patients with AD neuropathology and later plateauing. In contrast, non-AD pathologies and controls exhibited minor, albeit significant, increases in p-tau181 up until death. Overall, our study demonstrates that plasma p-tau181 is highly predictive and specific of AD neuropathology years before post-mortem examination. These data add further support for the use of plasma p-tau181 to aid clinical management in primary care and recruitment for clinical trials.
TMEM119 as a specific marker of microglia reaction in traumatic brain injury in postmortem examination
Authors: Bohnert Simone , Seiffert Anja , Trella Stefanie , Bohnert Michael , Distel Luitpold , Ondruschka Benjamin , Monoranu Camelia-Maria
Published: July 2020

The aim of the present study was a refined analysis of neuroinflammation including TMEM119 as a useful microglia-specific marker in forensic assessments of traumatic causes of death, e.g., traumatic brain injury (TBI). Human brain tissue samples were obtained from autopsies and divided into cases with lethal TBI (n = 25) and subdivided into three groups according to their trauma survival time and compared with an age-, gender-, and postmortem interval-matched cohort of sudden cardiovascular fatalities as controls (n = 23). Brain tissue samples next to cortex contusions and surrounding white matter as well as samples of the ipsilateral uninjured brain stem and cerebellum were collected and stained immunohistochemically with antibodies against TMEM119, CD206, and CCR2. We could document the highest number of TMEM119-positive cells in acute TBI death with highly significant differences to the control numbers. CCR2-positive monocytes showed a significantly higher cell count in the cortex samples of TBI cases than in the controls with an increasing number of immunopositive cells over time. The number of CD206-positive M2 microglial cells increased survival time-dependent. After 3 days of survival, the cell number increased significantly in all four regions investigated compared with controls. In sum, we validate a specific and robustly expressed as well as fast reacting microglia marker, TMEM119, which distinguishes microglia from resident and infiltrating macrophages and thus offers a great potential for the estimation of the minimum survival time after TBI.
Comparison of three video head impulse test systems for the diagnosis of bilateral vestibulopathy
Authors: van Dooren T. S. , Starkov D. , Lucieer F. M. P. , Vermorken B. , Janssen A. M. L. , Guinand N. , Pérez-Fornos A. , Van Rompaey V. , Kingma H. , van de Berg R.
Published: July 2020

Introduction

A horizontal vestibulo-ocular reflex gain (VOR gain) of < 0.6, measured by the video head impulse test (VHIT), is one of the diagnostic criteria for bilateral vestibulopathy (BV) according to the Báràny Society. Several VHIT systems are commercially available, each with different techniques of tracking head and eye movements and different methods of gain calculation. This study compared three different VHIT systems in patients diagnosed with BV.

Methods

This study comprised 46 BV patients (diagnosed according to the Báràny criteria), tested with three commercial VHIT systems (Interacoustics, Otometrics and Synapsys) in random order. Main outcome parameter was VOR gain as calculated by the system, and the agreement on BV diagnosis (VOR gain < 0.6) between the VHIT systems. Peak head velocities, the order effect and covert saccades were analysed separately, to determine whether these parameters could have influenced differences in outcome between VHIT systems.

Results

VOR gain in the Synapsys system differed significantly from VOR gain in the other two systems [F(1.256, 33.916) = 35.681, p < 0.000]. The VHIT systems agreed in 83% of the patients on the BV diagnosis. Peak head velocities, the order effect and covert saccades were not likely to have influenced the above mentioned results.

Conclusion

To conclude, using different VHIT systems in the same BV patient can lead to clinically significant differences in VOR gain, when using a cut-off value of 0.6. This might hinder proper diagnosis of BV patients. It would, therefore, be preferred that VHIT systems are standardised regarding eye and head tracking methods, and VOR gain calculation algorithms. Until then, it is advised to not only take the VOR gain in consideration when assessing a VHIT trial, but also look at the raw traces and the compensatory saccades.
A global view of comorbidity in multiple sclerosis: a systematic review with a focus on regional differences, methodology, and clinical implications
Authors: Hauer Larissa , Perneczky Julian , Sellner Johann
Published: July 2020

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic autoimmune disorder of the central nervous system which is associated with numerous comorbidities. These include cardiovascular disease, psychiatric and neurologic disturbances, restless leg syndrome, migraine, cancer, autoimmune diseases, and metabolic disorders. Comorbid disease is an important consideration for clinicians treating patients with MS; early presentation of comorbidities can obscure or delay MS diagnosis, as well as significantly impacting the disease course. Improved understanding of comorbidities and their emergence in MS populations is important for improving the quality of life and optimizing treatment for patients. Therefore, we evaluated published studies reporting epidemiologic data on comorbidities and their associated impact on disease progression in patients with MS (PwMS). The prevalence of neurologic, cardiovascular, metabolic, and autoimmune comorbidities was elevated in PwMS in general, and furthermore, this adversely affected a broad range of outcomes. Compared with PwMS, cancer rates in people without MS or the general population were lower, which should prompt further studies into the mechanisms of both diseases. Studies were under-represented in many regions owing to the latitudinal gradient of MS and possible underfunding of studies.
Systematic review and network meta-analyses of third-line treatments for metastatic colorectal cancer
Authors: Walter Thomas , Hawkins Neil S. , Pollock Richard F. , Colaone Fabien , Shergill Suki , Ross Paul J.
Published: July 2020

Background

Limited treatment options are available in chemotherapy-refractory metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). The objective was to conduct a systematic literature review (SLR) and exploratory network meta-analysis (NMA) to compare the tolerability and effectiveness of SIRT with Y-90 resin microspheres, regorafenib, TAS-102 (trifluridine/tipiracil), and best supportive care (BSC) as third-line treatment in patients with mCRC.

Methods

An SLR was conducted to identify studies comparing two or more of the treatments and reporting overall survival (OS), progression-free survival, tumor response, or adverse event (AE) incidence. An exploratory NMA was conducted to compare hazard ratios (HRs) for OS using Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) techniques.

Results

Seven studies were identified in the SLR: two double-blind randomized-controlled trials (RCT) for each drug, one open-label RCT, and two non-randomized comparative studies for SIRT. Patient selection criteria differed between studies, with SIRT studies including patients with liver-dominant colorectal metastases. Nausea and vomiting were more frequent with TAS-102 than regorafenib or SIRT; diarrhea was more common with TAS-102 and regorafenib than SIRT. The exploratory NMA suggested that all active treatments improved OS, with HRs of 0.48 (95% CrI 0.30–0.78) for SIRT with Y-90 resin microspheres, 0.63 (0.38–1.03) for TAS-102, and 0.67 (0.40–1.08) for regorafenib each compared to BSC.

Conclusions

Regorafenib, TAS-102 and SIRT using Y-90 resin microspheres are more effective than BSC in third-line treatment of mCRC; however, study heterogeneity made comparisons between active treatments challenging. SIRT is a viable treatment for third-line mCRC and its favorable AE profile should be considered in the therapeutic decision-making process.