bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Crack development assessment using modal analysis in peridynamic theory
Authors: Freimanis Andris , Paeglitis Ainars
Published: August 2020

If structural damage remains undetected and is allowed to grow, structure's load-bearing capacity deteriorates, which can lead to costly repairs or in extreme cases its collapse. Modal analysis is widely used to detect structural damage because, when damage, such as cracks, is introduced, structure's geometrical and/or mechanical properties change, and these changes can be used for damage detection. Peridynamics is a non-local alternative to the continuum mechanics theory that represents forces and displacements using integral equations, which are defined even with discontinuous displacement fields, thus making this theory an attractive option for damage modeling. In this paper, authors verify peridynamic (PD) modal analysis against finite-element (FE) results, and validate it against experimental modal analysis results. The modal solver was implemented in the open-source program Peridigm and four different damage configurations were considered for verification and validation. The results show close agreement between the PD and the FE results, and the PD and the experimental results. Moreover, PD modal frequencies are shown to have similar accuracy to experimental data as the FE results. It is also shown that the frequency shifts are comparable between all three types of modal analysis. The PD mode shapes agreed well with both the FE and the experimental mode shapes at all considered damage configurations. Furthermore, the change in mode shapes from the introduced damage is similar in all three analyses.
Hurricanes, flood risk and the economic adaptation of businesses
Authors: Indaco Agustín , Ortega Francesc , Taṣpınar and Süleyman
Published: August 2020

We use administrative data containing all business establishments in New York City to analyze how businesses reacted to flooding in the context of Hurricane Sandy (October 2012). We find that flooding led to reductions in employment (of about 4%) and average wages (of about 2%) among the affected businesses. The effects were substantially larger and more persistent in some parts of the city (Brooklyn and Queens) than others (Manhattan). Heterogeneity across boroughs reflects differences in the severity of flooding, building types and industry composition. The effects of flooding also vary by industry and businesses in sectors involved in rebuilding after the storm experienced employment growth. Flooding also led to establishment closings and relocation to other neighborhoods, which is a form of adaptation to increased flood risk.
Morphology of the Eggs of Ornithocoris pallidus (Hemiptera, Cimicidae, Haematosiphoninae)
Authors: Bastos Amanda Q , Freitas Simone P C , Lopes Catarina M , Gonçalves Teresa C M , Santos-Mallet Jacenir R
Published: August 2020

Morphology of cimicid eggs are scarce, and this is the first record for the genus Ornithocoris Pinto, 1927 (Hemiptera: Cimicidae), using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). This genus comprises two species: Ornithocoris toledoi Pinto, 1927 (Hemiptera: Cimicidae) and Ornithocoris pallidus (Usinger, 1959). The eggs of O. pallidus are ellipsoid, and an evident ‘lateral flattening’, which may give clear asymmetry from the longitudinal axis. The exochorion of the body of the egg and operculum of O. pallidus present spherical or polygonal structures in relief, and pseudomicropyles on the border of the operculum, both differing from Cimex lectularius. The internal face of the operculum is smooth and the border also presented three layers. It was not possible to observe micropyles in the egg of O. pallidus. Bed bugs have a great psychological impact on people, and some people can develop a more or less severe allergic reaction against the bite. Successful control of bed bugs needs serious organization. Studies on egg morphology will add more information to assist in taxonomy studies of O. pallidus and can serve as a basis for control studies because eggs are resistant to insecticides.
Sex-Specific Associations Between Chemotherapy, Chronic Conditions, and Neurocognitive Impairment in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Survivors: A Report From the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study
Authors: van der Plas Ellen , Qiu Weiyu , Nieman Brian J , Yasui Yutaka , Liu Qi , Dixon Stephanie B , Kadan-Lottick Nina S , Weldon Christopher B , Weil Brent R , Jacola Lisa M , Gibson Todd M , Leisenring Wendy , Oeffinger Kevin , Hudson Melissa M , Robison Leslie L , Armstrong Gregory T , Krull Kevin R
Published: August 2020

Background

The purpose was to examine associations between treatment and chronic health conditions with neurocognitive impairment survivors of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) treated with chemotherapy only.

Methods

This cross-sectional study included 1207 ALL survivors (54.0% female; mean age 30.6 years) and 2273 siblings (56.9% female; mean age 47.6 years), who completed the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study Neurocognitive Questionnaire. Multivariable logistic regression compared prevalence of neurocognitive impairment between survivors and siblings by sex. Associations between neurocognitive impairment with treatment exposures and chronic conditions (graded according to Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events) were also examined. Statistical tests were 2-sided.

Results

Relative to same-sex siblings, male and female ALL survivors reported increased prevalence of impaired task efficiency (males: 11.7% vs 16.9%; adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 1.89, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.31 to 2.74; females: 12.5% vs 17.6%; OR = 1.50, 95% CI = 1.07 to 2.14), as well as impaired memory (males: 11.6% vs 19.9%, OR = 1.89, CI = 1.31 to 2.74; females: 14.78% vs 25.4%, OR = 1.96, 95% CI = 1.43 to 2.70, respectively). Among male survivors, impaired task efficiency was associated with 2-4 neurologic conditions (OR = 4.33, 95% CI = 1.76 to 10.68) and with pulmonary conditions (OR = 4.99, 95% CI = 1.51 to 16.50), and impaired memory was associated with increased cumulative dose of intrathecal methotrexate (OR = 1.68, 95% CI = 1.16 to 2.46) and with exposure to dexamethasone (OR = 2.44, 95% CI = 1.19 to 5.01). In female survivors, grade 2-4 endocrine conditions were associated with higher risk of impaired task efficiency (OR = 2.19, 95% CI = 1.20 to 3.97) and memory (OR = 2.26, 95% CI = 1.31 to 3.92).

Conclusion

Neurocognitive impairment is associated with methotrexate, dexamethasone, and chronic health conditions in a sex-specific manner, highlighting the need to investigate physiological mechanisms and monitor impact through survivorship.
The Impact of Cancer on Early Childhood Development: A Linked Data Study
Authors: Morris Julia N , Roder David , Turnbull Deborah , Hunkin Hugh
Published: August 2020

Objective 

This study used retrospective linked population data to investigate the impact of early childhood cancer on developmental outcomes.

Methods 

Children aged <9 years with a recorded malignant neoplasm were identified in the South Australian Cancer Registry. They were then linked to developmental data recorded in the Australian Early Development Census (AEDC) for the 2009, 2012, and 2015 data collection periods; and assigned five matched controls from the same AEDC year.

Results 

Between 2000 and 2015, 43 children had a malignant cancer diagnosis and also participated in the AEDC. Compared to controls, childhood cancer survivors exhibited greater developmental vulnerability in their physical health and wellbeing. Between survivors and controls, no significant developmental differences were observed in social, emotional, language and cognitive, and communication and general knowledge domains. Rural or remote location had a significant positive effect on developmental outcomes for childhood cancer survivors relative to controls, suggesting this was a protective factor in terms of physical health and wellbeing, social competence, communication, and general knowledge. Among all children, socioeconomic advantage was linked to better developmental outcomes on all domains except physical health and wellbeing.

Conclusion 

Following an early cancer diagnosis, children may require targeted care to support their physical health and wellbeing. Geographic variation in developmental outcomes indicates remoteness was a protective factor and requires further investigation. This study highlights the feasibility of using administrative whole-population data to investigate cancer outcomes.
‘Now I'm just like anyone else in the community’: Work, Welfare, and Community Expectations of Refugees in Australia
Authors: Boese Martina , Van Kooy John , Bowman Dina
Published: August 2020

This article analyses policy documents and data from interviews with employment and settlement service providers, employers, and government officials to explore the increasing shift of Australian refugee settlement policies towards neoliberal imperatives of productivity and self-sufficiency. The responses of service providers shed light on prevalent constructions of refugee subjecthood and related expectations of humanitarian entrants as potential labour market participants. Our analysis highlights the policy rationales that underpin the contemporary design and delivery of refugee settlement support, and draws attention to variations in service providers’ adoption of these rationales. We argue that, while the realignment of refugee settlement support in Australia towards ‘workfare’ is consistent with emergent global narratives of ‘enhancing refugee self-reliance’, the significance of this shift lies in the ideologically driven erosion of the primary protective purpose of Australia’s long-standing humanitarian migration programme.
Greece’s Discriminatory Migrant Regime: Volunteers, Informal Street-Level Bureaucrats, and Moral Rationalities
Authors: Witcher Ashley
Published: August 2020

In the aftermath of Europe’s 2015 so-called refugee ‘crisis’, tens of thousands of border crossers remain stuck in Greece aided by an array of humanitarian workers, government employees, and volunteers. Drawing on previous scholarship about street-level bureaucracy, I discuss the work of informal volunteers in Athens and Lesvos, where they continue to aid border crossers attain entitlements and rights. Based on 10 months of ethnographic research conducted from 2017 to 2018, this article explores how volunteers within the humanitarian landscape of Greece sought to enact their ethical principles within governance regimes that categorized border crossers in restrictive and at times harmful ways. I show how the struggle to assist border crossers in effect transformed volunteers into informal street-level bureaucrats, who drew on a range of tactics that simultaneously reproduced and subverted the policy categories of refugee or vulnerable person. This article argues that rather than facilitating administrative care of border crossers, these categories were in fact a political battleground upon which volunteers struggled to pursue their moral rationalities despite an exclusionary governance regime.
Nitric oxide signaling in the plant nucleus: the function of nitric oxide in chromatin modulation and transcription
Authors: Wurm Christoph J , Lindermayr Christian
Published: August 2020

Nitric oxide (NO) is involved in a vast number of physiologically important processes in plants, such as organ development, stress resistance, and immunity. Transduction of NO bioactivity is generally achieved by post-translational modification of proteins, with S-nitrosation of cysteine residues as the predominant form. While traditionally the subcellular location of the factors involved was of lesser importance, recent studies identified the connection between NO and transcriptional activity and thereby raised the question about the route of NO into the nuclear sphere. Identification of NO-affected transcription factors and chromatin-modifying histone deacetylases implicated the important role of NO signaling in the plant nucleus as a regulator of epigenetic mechanisms and gene transcription. Here, we discuss the relationship between NO and its directly regulated protein targets in the nuclear environment, focusing on S-nitrosated chromatin modulators and transcription factors.
Antifungal resistance-modifying multiplexing action of Momordica charantia protein and phosphorylated derivatives on the basis of growth-dependent gene coregulation in Candida albicans
Authors: Yuan-Biao Qiao , Lan-Fang Zhang , Qi Qiao , Jia-Hui Niu , Ze-Mei Ren , Hai-Mei Yang , Chen-Chen Zhu , Hong-Ju Pan , Nan-Nan Duan , Qing-Shan Li
Published: August 2020

Fungal growth-dependent gene coregulation is strongly implicated in alteration of gene-encoding target proteases ruling with an antifungal resistance niche and biology of resistant mutants. On the basis of multi-alterative processes in this platform, the resistance-modifying strategy is designed in ketoconazole resistant Candida albicans and evaluated with less selective Momordica charantia protein and allosterically phosphorylated derivatives at the Thr102, Thr24 and Thr255 sites, respectively. We demonstrate absolutely chemo-sensitizing efficacy regarding stepwise-modifying resistance in sensitivity, by a load of only 26.23–40.00 μg/l agents in Sabouraud's dextrose broth. Five successive modifying-steps realize the decreasing of ketoconazole E-test MIC50 from 11.10 to a lower level than 0.10 mg/l. With the ketoconazole resistance-modifying, colony undergoes a high-frequency morphological switch between high ploidy (opaque) and small budding haploid (white). A cellular event in the first modifying-step associates with relatively slow exponential growth (ie, a 4-h delay)-dependent action, mediated by agents adsorption. Moreover, multiple molecular roles are coupled with intracellularly and extracellularly binding to ATP-dependent RNA helicase dbp6; the 0.08–2.45 fold upregulation of TATA-box-binding protein, rRNA-processing protein and translation initiation factor 5A; and the 7.52–55.33% decrease of cytochrome P450 lanosterol 14α-demethylase, glucan 1, 3-β glucosidase, candidapepsin-1 and 1-acylglycerol-3-phosphate O-acyltransferase. Spatial and temporal gene coregulation, in the transcription and translation initiation stages with rRNA-processing, is a new coprocessing platform enabling target protease attenuations for resistance-impairing. An updated resistance-modifying measure of these agents in the low-dose antifungal strategic design may provide opportunities to a virtually safe therapy that is in high dose-dependency.
Factories of CO-dark gas: molecular clouds with limited star formation efficiencies by far-ultraviolet feedback
Authors: Inoguchi Mutsuko , Hosokawa Takashi , Mineshige Shin , Kim Jeong-Gyu
Published: August 2020

The star formation in molecular clouds is inefficient. The ionizing extreme-ultraviolet radiation (hν ≥ 13.6 eV) from young clusters has been considered as a primary feedback effect to limit the star formation efficiency (SFE). Here, we focus on the effects of stellar far-ultraviolet (FUV) radiation (6 eV ≤ hν ≤ 13.6 eV) during the cloud disruption stage. The FUV radiation may further reduce the SFE via photoelectric heating, and it also affects the chemical states of the gas that is not converted to stars (‘cloud remnants’) via photodissociation of molecules. We have developed a one-dimensional semi-analytical model that follows the evolution of both the thermal and chemical structure of a photodissociation region (PDR) during the dynamical expansion of an H ii region. We investigate how the FUV feedback limits the SFE, supposing that the star formation is quenched in the PDR where the temperature is above a threshold value (e.g. 100 K). Our model predicts that the FUV feedback contributes to reduce the SFEs for massive (Mcl ≳ 105 M⊙) clouds with low surface densities ($\Sigma _{\rm cl}\lesssim 100~{\rm M}_\odot \, {\rm pc}^{-2}$). Moreover, we show that a large part of the H2 molecular gas contained in the cloud remnants should be ‘CO-dark’ under the FUV feedback for a wide range of cloud properties. Therefore, the dispersed molecular clouds are potential factories of CO-dark gas, which returns into the cycle of the interstellar medium.
Periodic X-ray sources in the Galactic bulge: application of the Gregory–Loredo algorithm
Authors: Bao Tong , Li Zhiyuan
Published: August 2020

We present a systematic study of periodic X-ray sources in the Limiting Window (LW), a ∼70 arcmin2 field representative of the inner Galactic bulge and the target of ∼1 Ms Chandra observations. Using the Gregory–Loredo algorithm, which applies Bayes’s theorem to the phase-folded light curve and is well suited for irregularly sampled X-ray data, we detect 25 periodic signals in 23 discrete sources, among which 15 signals are new discoveries and two sources show dual periods. The vast majority of the 23 periodic sources are classified as magnetic cataclysmic variables (CVs), based on their period range, X-ray luminosities, spectral properties, and phase-folded light curves that are characteristic of spin modulation. Meanwhile, there is a paucity of non-magnetic CVs seen as periodic sources, which can be understood as due to a low detection efficiency for eclipsing sources. Under reasonable assumptions about the geometry of magnetic CVs and a large set of simulated X-ray light curves, we estimate the fraction of magnetic CVs in the inner Galactic bulge to be ≲23 per cent, which is similar to that in the solar neighbourhood. There is an apparent lack of long-period (≳3.3 h) CVs in the LW, when contrasted with the range of known CVs in the solar neighbourhood. We suggest that this might be an age effect, in the sense that CVs in the inner bulge are more evolved systems and have substantially shrunk their orbits.
Evidence for periodic accretion–ejection in LS I +61°303
Authors: Massi M , Chernyakova M , Kraus A , Malyshev D , Jaron F , Kiehlmann S , Dzib S A , Sharma R , Migliari S , Readhead A C S
Published: August 2020

The stellar binary system LS I +61°303, composed of a compact object in an eccentric orbit around a B0 Ve star, emits from radio up to γ-ray energies. The orbital modulation of radio spectral index, X-ray, and GeV γ-ray data suggests the presence of two peaks. This two-peaked profile is in line with the accretion theory predicting two accretion–ejection events for LS I +61°303 along the 26.5 d orbit. However, the existing multiwavelength data are not simultaneous. In this paper, we report the results of a campaign covering radio, X-ray, and γ-ray observations of the system along one single orbit. Our results confirm the two predicted events along the orbit and in addition show that the positions of radio and γ-ray peaks are coincident with X-ray dips as expected for radio and γ-ray emitting ejections depleting the X-ray emitting accretion flow. We discuss future observing strategies for a systematic study of the accretion–ejection physical processes in LS I +61°303.
Extended He ii 4686 emission in Markarian 387
Authors: Wang QiQi , Kron Richard G
Published: August 2020

In order to explore the effect of an active galactic nucleus (AGN) on the interstellar medium of its host galaxy, we selected a promising case for study, Markarian 387 (Mrk 387), based on the strength of its extended He ii 4686 emission, a high-ionization line that can be excited by a hard source of radiation. We use area-resolved spectroscopy from the Mapping Nearby Galaxies at Apache Point Observatory (MaNGA) survey and the availability of additional multiwavelength data. Besides harbouring an obscured AGN and the extended He ii 4686 emission, Mrk 387 has a number of other unusual properties, including a high far-infrared luminosity, a low neutral hydrogen mass compared to the stellar mass, a high Hα luminosity and high Hα equivalent width throughout the disc, and strong He i 5876 in the exterior regions. He ii 4686 and [O iii] 5008 extend with a bilateral morphology beyond 6 kpc from the nucleus. We interpret this emission as due to photoionization from the central source, where the interstellar medium must be sufficiently porous to allow the ionizing flux to reach these relatively distant regions.
Detection of 15 bursts from the fast radio burst 180916.J0158+65 with the upgraded Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope
Authors: Marthi V R , Gautam T , Li D Z , Lin H-H , Main R A , Naidu A , Pen U-L , Wharton R S
Published: August 2020

We report the findings of an upgraded Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (uGMRT) observing campaign for FRB 180916.J0158+65, which was recently found to show a 16.35-d periodicity of its active cycle. We observed the source at 550–750 MHz for ∼2 h during each of three successive cycles at the peak of its expected active period. We find 0, 12 and 3 bursts, respectively, implying a highly variable bursting rate even within the active phase. We consistently detect faint bursts with spectral energies only an order of magnitude higher than the Galactic burst source SGR 1935+2154. The times of arrival of the detected bursts rule out many possible aliased solutions, strengthening the findings of the 16.35-d periodicity. A periodicity search over a short time-scale returned no highly significant candidates. Two of the beamformer-detected bursts were bright enough to be clearly detected in the imaging data, achieving subarcsec localization, and proving to be a proof-of-concept for FRB imaging with the GMRT. We provide a 3σ upper limit of the persistent radio flux density at 650 MHz of 66 μJy, which, combined with the European VLBI Network and Very Large Array limits at 1.6 GHz, further constrains any potential radio counterpart. These results demonstrate the power of the uGMRT for providing targeted observations to detect and localize known repeating FRBs.
CO observations towards H i-rich Ultradiffuse Galaxies
Authors: Wang Junzhi , Yang Kai , Zhang Zhi-Yu , Fang Min , Shi Yong , Liu Shu , Li Juan , Li Fei
Published: August 2020

We present CO observations towards a sample of six H i-rich Ultradiffuse galaxies (UDGs) as well as one UDG (VLSB-A) in the Virgo Cluster with the Institut de RadioAstronomie Millimétrique (IRAM) 30-m telescope. CO J = 1–0 is marginally detected at 4σ level in AGC 122966, as the first detection of CO emission in UDGs. We estimate upper limits of molecular mass in other galaxies from the non-detection of CO lines. These upper limits and the marginal CO detection in AGC 122966 indicate low mass ratios between molecular and atomic gas masses. With the star formation efficiency derived from the molecular gas, we suggest that the inefficiency of star formation in such H i-rich UDGs is likely caused by the low efficiency in converting molecules from atomic gas, instead of low efficiency in forming stars from molecular gas.
dbCAN-PUL: a database of experimentally characterized CAZyme gene clusters and their substrates
Authors: Ausland Catherine , Zheng Jinfang , Yi Haidong , Yang Bowen , Li Tang , Feng Xuehuan , Zheng Bo , Yin Yanbin
Published: August 2020

PULs (polysaccharide utilization loci) are discrete gene clusters of CAZymes (Carbohydrate Active EnZymes) and other genes that work together to digest and utilize carbohydrate substrates. While PULs have been extensively characterized in Bacteroidetes, there exist PULs from other bacterial phyla, as well as archaea and metagenomes, that remain to be catalogued in a database for efficient retrieval. We have developed an online database dbCAN-PUL (http://bcb.unl.edu/dbCAN_PUL/) to display experimentally verified CAZyme-containing PULs from literature with pertinent metadata, sequences, and annotation. Compared to other online CAZyme and PUL resources, dbCAN-PUL has the following new features: (i) Batch download of PUL data by target substrate, species/genome, genus, or experimental characterization method; (ii) Annotation for each PUL that displays associated metadata such as substrate(s), experimental characterization method(s) and protein sequence information, (iii) Links to external annotation pages for CAZymes (CAZy), transporters (UniProt) and other genes, (iv) Display of homologous gene clusters in GenBank sequences via integrated MultiGeneBlast tool and (v) An integrated BLASTX service available for users to query their sequences against PUL proteins in dbCAN-PUL. With these features, dbCAN-PUL will be an important repository for CAZyme and PUL research, complementing our other web servers and databases (dbCAN2, dbCAN-seq).
Treprostinil, a prostacyclin analog, ameliorates renal ischemia–reperfusion injury: preclinical studies in a rat model of acute kidney injury
Authors: Ding Meiwen , Tolbert Evelyn , Birkenbach Mark , Akhlaghi Fatemeh , Gohh Reginald , Ghonem Nisanne S
Published: August 2020

Background

Renal ischemia–reperfusion injury (IRI) is a major factor causing acute kidney injury (AKI). No pharmacological treatments for prevention or amelioration of I/R-induced renal injury are available. Here we investigate the protective effects of treprostinil, a prostacyclin analog, against renal IRI in vivo.

Methods

Male Sprague Dawley rats were subjected to bilateral renal ischemia (45 min) followed by reperfusion for 1–168 h. Treprostinil (100 ng/kg/min) or placebo was administered subcutaneously for 18–24 h before ischemia.

Results

Treatment with treprostinil both significantly reduced peak elevation and accelerated the return to baseline levels for serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen versus I/R-placebo animals following IRI. I/R-treprostinil animals exhibited reduced histopathological features of tubular epithelial injury versus I/R-placebo animals. IRI resulted in a marked induction of messenger RNA coding for kidney injury biomarkers, kidney injury molecule-1 and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin and for pro-inflammatory cytokines chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 2, interleukin 1β, interleukin 6 and intracellular adhesion molecular 1 in animals treated with placebo only relative to sham controls. Upregulation of expression of all these genes was significantly suppressed by treprostinil. Treprostinil significantly suppressed the elevation in renal lipid peroxidation found in the I/R-placebo group at 1-h post-reperfusion. In addition, renal protein expression of cleaved poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 and caspase-3, -8 and -9 in I/R-placebo animals was significantly inhibited by treprostinil.

Conclusions

This study demonstrates the efficacy of treprostinil in ameliorating I/R-induced AKI in rats by significantly improving renal function early post-reperfusion and by inhibiting renal inflammation and tubular epithelial apoptosis. Importantly, these data suggest that treprostinil has the potential to serve as a therapeutic agent to protect the kidney against IRI in vivo.
Efficient rare earth cerium(III) complex with nanosecond d−f emission for blue organic light-emitting diodes
Authors: Zhao Zifeng , Wang Liding , Zhan Ge , Liu Zhiwei , Bian Zuqiang , Huang Chunhui
Published: August 2020

In the field of RGB diodes, development of a blue organic light-emitting diode (OLED) is a challenge because of the lack of an emitter which simultaneously has a short excited state lifetime and a high theoretical external quantum efficiency (EQE). We demonstrate herein a blue emissive rare earth cerium(III) complex Ce-2 showing a high photoluminescence quantum yield of 95% and a short excited state lifetime of 52.0 ns in doped film, which is considerably faster than that achieved in typical efficient phosphorescence or thermally activated delayed fluorescence emitters (typical lifetimes >1 μs). The corresponding OLED shows a maximum EQE up to 20.8% and a still high EQE of 18.2% at 1000 cd m−2, as well as an operation lifetime 70 times longer than that of a classic phosphorescence OLED. The excellent performance indicates that cerium(III) complex could be a candidate for efficient and stable blue OLEDs because of its spin- and parity-allowed d−f transition from the Ce3+ ion.
Ultra-high piezoelectric coefficients and strain-sensitive Curie temperature in hydrogen-bonded systems
Authors: Ren Yangyang , Wu Menghao , Liu Jun-Ming
Published: August 2020

We propose a new approach to obtain ultra-high piezoelectric coefficients that can be infinitely large theoretically, where ferroelectrics with strain-sensitive Curie temperature are necessary. We show the first-principles plus Monte Carlo simulation evidence that many hydrogen-bonded ferroelectrics (e.g. organic PhMDA) can be ideal candidates, which are also flexible and lead-free. Owing to the specific features of hydrogen bonding, their proton hopping barrier will drastically increase with prolonged proton transfer distance, while their hydrogen-bonded network can be easily compressed or stretched due to softness of hydrogen bonds. Their barriers as well as the Curie temperature can be approximately doubled upon a tensile strain as low as 2%. Their Curie temperature can be tuned exactly to room temperature by fixing a strain in one direction, and in another direction, an unprecedented ultra-high piezoelectric coefficient of 2058 pC/N can be obtained. This value is even underestimated and can be greatly enhanced when applying a smaller strain. Aside from sensors, they can also be utilized for converting either mechanical or thermal energies into electrical energies due to high pyroelectric coefficients.
All-optical attosecond time domain interferometry
Authors: Yang Zhen , Cao Wei , Mo Yunlong , Xu Huiyao , Mi Kang , Lan Pengfei , Zhang Qingbin , Lu Peixiang
Published: August 2020

Interferometry, a key technique in modern precision measurements, has been used for length measurement in engineering metrology and astronomy. An analogous time-domain interferometric technique would represent a significant complement to spatial domain applications and require the manipulation of interference on extreme time and energy scales. Here, we report an all-optical interferometer using laser-driven high order harmonics as attosecond temporal slits. By controlling the phase of the temporal slits with an external field, a time domain interferometer that preserves both attosecond temporal resolution and hundreds of meV energy resolution is implemented. We apply this exceptional temporal resolution to reconstruct the waveform of an arbitrarily polarized optical pulse, and utilize the provided energy resolution to interrogate the abnormal character of the transition dipole near the Cooper minimum in argon. This novel attosecond interferometry paves the way for high precision measurements in the time-energy domain using all-optical approaches.
Finite-size scaling of O(n) systems at the upper critical dimensionality
Authors: Lv Jian-Ping , Xu Wanwan , Sun Yanan , Chen Kun , Deng Youjin
Published: August 2020

Logarithmic finite-size scaling of the O(n) universality class at the upper critical dimensionality (dc = 4) has a fundamental role in statistical and condensed-matter physics and important applications in various experimental systems. Here, we address this long-standing problem in the context of the n-vector model (n = 1, 2, 3) on periodic four-dimensional hypercubic lattices. We establish an explicit scaling form for the free-energy density, which simultaneously consists of a scaling term for the Gaussian fixed point and another term with multiplicative logarithmic corrections. In particular, we conjecture that the critical two-point correlation g(r, L), with L the linear size, exhibits a two-length behavior: follows $r^{2-d_c}$ governed by the Gaussian fixed point at shorter distances and enters a plateau at larger distances whose height decays as $L^{-d_c/2}({\rm ln}L)^{\hat{p}}$ with $\hat{p}=1/2$ a logarithmic correction exponent. Using extensive Monte Carlo simulations, we provide complementary evidence for the predictions through the finite-size scaling of observables, including the two-point correlation, the magnetic fluctuations at zero and nonzero Fourier modes and the Binder cumulant. Our work sheds light on the formulation of logarithmic finite-size scaling and has practical applications in experimental systems.
Changes in Photosynthetic Electron Transport during Leaf Senescence in Two Barley Varieties Grown in Contrasting Growth Regimes
Authors: Shimakawa Ginga , Roach Thomas , Krieger-Liszkay Anja
Published: August 2020

Leaf senescence is an important process for plants to remobilize a variety of metabolites and nutrients to sink tissues, such as developing leaves, fruits and seeds. It has been suggested that reactive oxygen species (ROS) play an important role in the initiation of leaf senescence. Flag leaves of two different barley varieties, cv. Lomerit and cv. Carina, showed differences in the loss of photosystems and in the production of ROS at a late stage of senescence after significant loss of chlorophyll (Krieger-Liszkay et�al. 2015). Here, we investigated photosynthetic electron transport and ROS production in primary leaves of these two varieties at earlier stages of senescence. Comparisons were made between plants grown outside in natural light and temperatures and plants grown in temperature-controlled growth chambers under low light intensity. Alterations in the content of photoactive P700, ferredoxin and plastocyanin (PC) photosynthetic electron transport were analyzed using in vivo near-infrared absorbance changes and chlorophyll fluorescence, while ROS were measured with spin-trapping electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy. Differences in ROS production between the two varieties were only observed in outdoor plants, whereas a loss of PC was common in both barley varieties regardless of growth conditions. We conclude that the loss of PC is the earliest detectable photosynthetic parameter of leaf senescence while differences in the production of individual ROS species occur later and depend on environmental factors.
Uptake of iron supplements and anemia during pregnancy in Nigeria
Authors: Idemili-Aronu Ngozi , Igweonu Obianuju , Onyeneho Nkechi
Published: August 2020

Background

Uptake of iron–folate supplementation for at least 90 days during pregnancy is recommended as a cost-effective way of reducing iron deficiency anemia, the commonest form of anemia among women of childbearing ages. The paper examines the level of compliance in Nigeria.

Methods

We analysed a sample of 14 740 married women aged 15–49 years from the 2018 Nigerian Demographic and Health Survey with available data on hemoglobin and anemia. Multinomial logistic regression models were used to establish associations between socio-demographic characteristics, compliance with recommended uptake of micronutrients and anemia status of the mothers.

Results

A number of socio-demographic factors, namely maternal age, type of residence, education, wealth, among others correlated with incidence of maternal anemia as well as compliance with recommended uptake of micronutrient to protect against anemia. For instance, whereas 46.3% of mothers from rural backgrounds were not anemic, 39.0% of those with urban background were not anemic (P < 0.001). More than half (56.2%) of mothers in the richest households were anemic compared with about a third (34.6%) of mothers in the poorest household who were not anemic (P < 0.001). The urban dwellers, richer and more educated mothers complied more with the uptake of iron–folate supplements to protect against anemia during pregnancy (P < 0.001). The younger mothers (15–29 years) were more likely to comply with iron intake (odds ratio: 1.150 (1.060–1.247)).
PATIENT-SPECIFIC ORGAN DOSES FROM PEDIATRIC HEAD CT EXAMINATIONS
Authors: Garzón W J , Aldana D F A , Cassola V F
Published: August 2020

The aim of this work was to estimate patient’s organ absorbed doses from pediatric helical head computed tomography (CT) examinations using the Size-Specific Dose Estimate (SSDE) methodology and to determine organ dose to SSDE conversion coefficients for clinical routine. Patient-specific organ and tissue absorbed doses from 139 Head CT scans performed in pediatric patients from 0 to 15 years old in a Public Hospital in Tunja, Colombia were estimated. The calculations were made through Monte Carlo simulations, based on patient-specific information, dosimetric CT quantities (CTDIvol, DLP) and age-specific computational human phantoms matched to patients on the basis of gender and size. SSDE showed to be a good quantity for estimate patient-specific organ doses from pediatric head CT examinations when appropriate phantom’s attenuation-based size metrics are chosen to match for any patient size. Strong correlations between absorbed dose and SSDE were found for skin (R2 = 0.99), brain (R2 = 0.98) and eyes (R2 = 0.97), respectively. Besides, a good correlation between SSDE and absorbed dose to the red bone marrow (tissue extended outside the scan coverage) was observed (R2 = 0.94). SSDE-to-organ-dose conversion coefficients obtained in this study provide a practical way to estimate patient-specific organ head CT doses.
‘Far from the views of decision-makers’: podoconiosis instruction at medical schools across endemic countries in Africa
Authors: Fowler Kelly , Wampande Lilian Nantume , Gebreselassie Agazi , Bayisenge Ursin , Uwase Chany , de Oliveira Adilson , Schurer Janna M
Published: August 2020

Background

Podoconiosis is a neglected tropical disease that causes significant physical, emotional and financial suffering, especially among impoverished rural farmers. Sufficient physician training is integral to optimizing patient outcomes through timely diagnosis and appropriate management. Therefore we sought to characterize podoconiosis instruction offered to medical students in endemic African countries.

Methods

We invited faculty from 170 medical schools in all podoconiosis-endemic African countries to provide information about podoconiosis inclusion in medical curricula. Surveys were available in French and English and captured podoconiosis knowledge, quantity/quality of instruction, ranking of importance relative to other diseases and barriers for improvement. Respondents voluntarily shared responses online or by telephone.

Results

Study participants provided information about curricula at 97 medical schools across 14 countries. In total, 42.6% of schools across nine countries offered podoconiosis-specific instruction; most respondents felt that the quality (60.4%) and quantity (61.5%) of instruction was insufficient. Common barriers to sufficient training included exclusion from government curricula, prioritization according to caseload and scarce epidemiological data.

Conclusions

Our study demonstrates widespread neglect in podoconiosis training for physicians in endemic countries. Government support is needed to ensure curricula match the needs of health workers practicing in rural, low-income regions.
Multilevel modelling of the risk of malaria among children aged under five years in Nigeria
Authors: Oguoma Victor M , Anyasodor Anayochukwu E , Adeleye Adeniyi O , Eneanya Obiora A , Mbanefo Evaristus C
Published: August 2020

Background

Malaria is still a major cause of morbidity and mortality among children aged <5 y (U5s). This study assessed individual, household and community risk factors for malaria in Nigerian U5s.

Methods

Data from the Nigerian Malaria Health Indicator Survey 2015 were pooled for analyses. This comprised a national survey of 329 clusters. Children aged 6–59 mo who were tested for malaria using microscopy were retained. Multilevel logit model accounting for sampling design was used to assess individual, household and community factors associated with malaria parasitaemia.

Results

A total of 5742 children were assessed for malaria parasitaemia with an overall prevalence of 27% (95% CI 26 to 28%). Plasmodium falciparum constituted 98% of the Plasmodium species. There was no significant difference in parasitaemia between older children and those aged ≤12 mo. In adjusted analyses, rural living, northwest region, a household size of >7, dependence on river and rainwater as primary water source were associated with higher odds of parasitaemia, while higher wealth index, all U5s who slept under a bed net and dependence on packaged water were associated with lower odds of parasitaemia.

Conclusion

Despite sustained investment in malaria control and prevention, a quarter of the overall study population of U5s have malaria. Across the six geopolitical zones, the highest burden was in children living in the poorest rural households.
High Concentrations of Nitric Oxide Inhalation Therapy in Pregnant Patients With Severe Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
Authors: Safaee Fakhr Bijan , Wiegand Steffen B. , Pinciroli Riccardo , Gianni Stefano , Morais Caio C. A. , Ikeda Takamitsu , Miyazaki Yusuke , Marutani Eizo , Di Fenza Raffaele , Larson Grant M. , Parcha Vibhu , Gibson Lauren E. , Chang Marvin G. , Arora Pankaj , Carroll Ryan W. , Kacmarek Robert M. , Ichinose Fumito , Barth William H. , Kaimal Anjali , Hohmann Elizabeth L. , Zapol Warren M. , Berra Lorenzo
Published: August 2020

BACKGROUND:

Rescue therapies to treat or prevent progression of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) hypoxic respiratory failure in pregnant patients are lacking.

METHOD:

To treat pregnant patients meeting criteria for severe or critical COVID-19 with high-dose (160–200 ppm) nitric oxide by mask twice daily and report on their clinical response.

EXPERIENCE:

Six pregnant patients were admitted with severe or critical COVID-19 at Massachusetts General Hospital from April to June 2020 and received inhalational nitric oxide therapy. All patients tested positive for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. A total of 39 treatments was administered. An improvement in cardiopulmonary function was observed after commencing nitric oxide gas, as evidenced by an increase in systemic oxygenation in each administration session among those with evidence of baseline hypoxemia and reduction of tachypnea in all patients in each session. Three patients delivered a total of four neonates during hospitalization. At 28-day follow-up, all three patients were home and their newborns were in good condition. Three of the six patients remain pregnant after hospital discharge. Five patients had two negative test results on nasopharyngeal swab for SARS-CoV-2 within 28 days from admission.

CONCLUSION:

Nitric oxide at 160–200 ppm is easy to use, appears to be well tolerated, and might be of benefit in pregnant patients with COVID-19 with hypoxic respiratory failure.
Optical Coherence Tomography Can Be Used to Assess Glaucomatous Optic Nerve Damage in Most Eyes With High Myopia
Authors: Zemborain Zane Z. , Jarukasetphon Ravivarn , Tsamis Emmanouil , De Moraes Carlos G. , Ritch Robert , Hood Donald C.
Published: August 2020

Precis:

It is generally assumed that optical coherence tomography (OCT) cannot be used to diagnose glaucomatous optic neuropathy (GON) in high myopes. However, this study presents evidence that there is sufficient information in OCT scans to allow for accurate diagnosis of GON in most eyes with high myopia.

Purpose:

The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that glaucomatous damage can be accurately diagnosed in most high myopes via an assessment of the OCT results.

Patients and Methods:

One hundred eyes from 60 glaucoma patients or suspects, referred for OCT scans and evaluation, had corrected spherical refractive errors worse than −6 D and/or axial lengths ≥26.5 mm. An OCT specialist judged whether the eye had GON, based upon OCT circle scans of the disc and cube scans centered on the macula. A glaucoma specialist made the same judgement using all available information (eg, family history, repeat visits, intraocular pressure, 10-2 and 24-2 visual fields, OCT). A reference standard was created based upon the glaucoma specialist’s classifications. In addition, the glaucoma specialist judged whether the eyes had peripapillary atrophy (PPA), epiretinal membrane (ERM), tilted disc (TD), and/or a paravascular inner retinal defect (PIRD).

Results:

The OCT specialist correctly identified 97 of the 100 eyes using the OCT information. In 63% of the cases, the inner circle scan alone was sufficient. For the rest, additional scans were requested. In addition, 81% of the total eyes had: PPA (79%), ERM (18%), PIRD (26%), and/or TD (48%).

Conclusions:

For most eyes with high myopia, there is sufficient information in OCT scans to allow for accurate diagnosis of GON. However, the optimal use of the OCT will depend upon training to read OCT scans, which includes taking into consideration myopia related OCT artifacts and segmentation errors, as well as PPA, ERM, PIRD, and TD.
Prospective Correlation of Risk of Obstructive Sleep Apnea With Severe Clinical Features of Thyroid Eye Disease
Authors: Godfrey Kyle J. , Schmuter Gabriella , Hu Bo , Tooley Andrea A. , Dunbar Kristen E. , Basner Robert C. , Kazim Michael
Published: August 2020

Purpose:

To evaluate the association between risk of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and severity of thyroid eye disease (TED) using a validated OSA screening tool.

Methods:

A prospective, observational cohort study was performed. New adult TED patients were offered OSA screening with the Snoring Tired Observed Pressure (STOP)-Bang survey during their initial evaluation. Clinical examination and treatment for TED were standard of care and utilized the International Thyroid Eye Disease Society Vision Inflammation Strabismus Appearance system. At the conclusion of the study period, analysis was performed correlating maximum severity of TED signs and symptoms between high- and low-risk OSA groups. Multivariate logistic and linear regression analyses were also performed to analyze the association between the numerical STOP-Bang score and maximum severity of the potentially actionable clinical features of TED (compressive optic neuropathy, vertical prism deviation, horizontal prism deviation, exophthalmos, vertical fissure height).

Results:

Eighty-five patients met inclusion criteria. Twenty-eight percent were at high risk of OSA (STOP-Bang score of 3 or higher). When comparing the low- and high-risk cohorts, increased risk of OSA was significantly associated with the development of TED compressive optic neuropathy (p = 0.014), conjunctival injection (p = 0.027), chemosis (p = 0.013), upper eyelid edema (p = 0.024), lower eyelid edema (p = 0.003), eyelid erythema (p = 0.037), and vertical strabismus (p = 0.047). In the multivariate regression analyses, higher STOP-Bang scores correlated with increased risk of TED compressive optic neuropathy (p = 0.006), vertical strabismus (p = 0.019), and higher subjective diplopia scores (p = 0.045).

Conclusions:

Increased risk of OSA, as determined by the STOP-Bang survey, is associated with increased severity of multiple clinical features of TED, including TED compressive optic neuropathy and strabismus.