bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Determination of the s‐phase formation coefficient of plasma nitrided austenitic steel
Authors: Reinders P.M. , Patel R.R. , Musekamp J. , Kaestner P. , Hoche H. , Bräuer G. , Oechsner M.
Published: November 2020

Plasma nitriding is an effective surface hardening treatment for austenitic stainless steels. During plasma nitriding, s‐phase formation takes place which is not only responsible for high hardness and wear resistance but also for good corrosion resistance. In order to estimate the thickness of the s‐phase for austenitic stainless steel in a plasma nitriding process, an empirical model is devised. A number of plasma nitriding processes of austenitic stainless steel (304 L) were carried out with varying treatment temperature from 360 °C to 450 °C and process duration ranging from 10 hours to 24 hours with constant pressure, voltage, pulse‐to‐pause‐ratio and gas mixture. A time‐temperature dependent s‐phase formation coefficient is determined by measuring the thickness of the s‐phase using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and glow discharge optical emission spectroscopy (GDOES). The developed model is verified by three controlled experiments. This model fits the thickness of the s‐phase with an error of less than 6 %.
Apathy and Anxiety in De Novo Parkinson's Disease Predict the Severity of Motor Complications
Authors: Hinkle Jared T. , Perepezko Kate , Gonzalez Lorenzo L. , Mills Kelly A. , Pontone Gregory M.
Published: November 2020

Background

Neuropsychiatric and affective symptoms are prevalent in prodromal and clinical Parkinson's disease (PD). Some evidence suggests that they may also signify risk for motor complications (motor fluctuations and dyskinesias) of dopamine replacement therapy (DRT).

Objective

To determine whether neuropsychiatric symptoms present in de novo PD (ie, before DRT initiation) predict the severity of eventual motor complications of DRT.

Methods

We used clinical, demographic, neurobehavioral, and neuroimaging data from the Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI), a multicenter observational PD study. Participants were unmedicated at enrollment and 361 initiated DRT during PPMI follow‐up. We used Cox proportional hazard and multivariate ordinal mixed‐effects regression models to evaluate the relationship between baseline neuropsychiatric symptoms and motor complications as measured by the Movement Disorders Society‐revised Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (MDS‐UPDRS).

Results

The cumulative incidences of dyskinesias and motor fluctuations during follow‐up (6.0 ± 1.5 years) were 34.3% and 59.9%, respectively. Both apathy and high trait‐anxiety (top quartile) conveyed over two‐fold increases in hazard for dyskinesia onset and for adverse impact on activities of daily living caused by both dyskinesias and motor fluctuations. The longitudinal severity of motor fluctuations and dyskinesias was significantly predicted by baseline trait‐anxiety and apathy, but not depression. Models were adjusted for dimensionally related symptoms (eg autonomic dysfunction) and potential confounding variables (eg DRT dose).

Conclusions

Apathy and anxiety levels in de novo PD may be neuropsychiatric biomarkers of vulnerability to earlier and more disabling motor complications of DRT.
Multisystem proteinopathy: Where myopathy and motor neuron disease converge
Authors: Korb Manisha K. , Kimonis Virginia E. , Mozaffar Tahseen
Published: November 2020

Multisystem proteinopathy (MSP) is a pleiotropic group of inherited disorders that cause neurodegeneration, myopathy, and bone disease, and share common pathophysiology. Originally referred to as inclusion body myopathy associated with Paget disease of bone and frontotemporal dementia (IBMPFD), attributed to mutations in the gene encoding valosin‐containing protein (VCP), it has more recently been discovered that there are several other genes responsible for similar clinical and pathological phenotypes with muscle, brain, nerve, and bone involvement, in various combinations. These include heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein A2B1 and A1 (hnRNPA2B1, hnRNPA1), sequestosome 1 (SQSTM1), matrin 3 (MATR3), T‐cell restricted intracellular antigen 1 (TIA1), and optineurin (OPTN), all of which share disruption of RNA stress granule function and autophagic degradation. This review will discuss each of the genes implicated in MSP, exploring the molecular pathogenesis, clinical features, current standards of care, and future directions for this diverse yet mechanistically linked spectrum of disorders.
A novel direct method based on the Lucas multiwavelet functions for variable‐order fractional reaction‐diffusion and subdiffusion equations
Authors: Dehestani Haniye , Ordokhani Yadollah , Razzaghi Mohsen
Published: November 2020

In this article, we study the numerical technique for variable‐order fractional reaction‐diffusion and subdiffusion equations that the fractional derivative is described in Caputo's sense. The discrete scheme is developed based on Lucas multiwavelet functions and also modified and pseudo‐operational matrices. Under suitable properties of these matrices, we present the computational algorithm with high accuracy for solving the proposed problems. Modified and pseudo‐operational matrices are employed to achieve the nonlinear algebraic equation corresponding to the proposed problems. In addition, the convergence of the approximate solution to the exact solution is proven by providing an upper bound of error estimate. Numerical experiments for both classes of problems are presented to confirm our theoretical analysis.
Time–space Jacobi pseudospectral simulation of multidimensional Schrödinger equation
Authors: Mittal Avinash K. , Shrivastava Parnika , Panda Manoj K.
Published: November 2020

In this paper, the authors investigate the collision of soliton waves for multidimensional nonlinear Schrödinger equation (NSE) using the time–space Jacobi pseudospectral method. The proposed method is established in both time and space to approximate the solutions and to prove the theory of error estimates and stability analysis for the equations. Using the Jacobi derivatives matrices the given problem is reduced to a system of nonlinear algebraic equations, which will be solved using Newton's Raphson method. For numerical experiments, the method is tested on a number of different examples to study the behavior of collision of two and more than two solitons waves and single soliton wave. Moreover, numerical solutions are demonstrated to justify the theoretical results. The rate of convergence of the proposed method is obtained up to six‐order. The proposed method also preserves mass and energy conservation laws. A comparison of the numerical and exact solutions is depicted in the form of figures and tables.
Psychological symptoms of cancer survivors during the COVID‐19 outbreak: A longitudinal study
Authors: Han Jing , Zhou Fang , Zhang Li , Su Yali , Mao Lijun
Published: November 2020

Objective

Due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic, self‐isolation at home was adopted to control the spread of COVID‐19 in China for 3 months from 29 January 2020. The psychological status of cancer survivors is affected by their social environment. In this study, we investigated the psychological status and psychological symptoms of Chinese cancer survivors.

Methods

A longitudinal study design was adopted, and an online sample of cancer survivors was successfully recruited via the Internet communities of cancer support groups. From 14 February to 25 May, 111 cancer survivor families completed the symptom checklist 90 (SCL‐90) online three times (T1:14 to 24 February; T2: 1 to 10 April; T3: 15 to 25 May).

Results

For survivors and their family members, the mean total score of the SCL‐90 was 172.05 (13.30) and 142.76 (26.80) at T1, 155.91 (12.18) and 133.42 (15.93) at T2, and 142.75 (11.56) and 130.14 (14.16) at T3, respectively. The SCL‐90 scores of cancer survivors were significantly higher than those of family members and Chinese norms at T1, T2, and T3. Nine psychological symptoms of the SCL‐90 in cancer survivors significantly declined from T1 to T2 and T3.

Conclusions

The COVID‐19 pandemic has had a significant adverse impact on cancer survivors and their families. Psychological assistance should be provided to cancer survivors.
Optimization of Synthesis Parameters and Characterization of Green Primary Explosive Copper(I) 5‐Nitrotetrazolate (DBX‐1)
Authors: Li Wen‐Hsiang , Tseng Kai‐Chun , Yang Tsung‐Mao , Li Jin‐Shuh , Lu Kai‐Tai
Published: November 2020

Since the early 20th century, lead azide (LA) has been commonly used as a primary explosive. However, lead pollution in the air and soil has attracted more and more attention, particularly in military training grounds and shooting ranges. Copper(I) 5‐nitrotetrazolate (DBX‐1) is considered as one of the most promising alternatives to LA. DBX‐1 is typically prepared from sodium 5‐nitrotetrazolate dihydrate [NaNT(H2O)2] and copper(I) chloride (CuCl). But little is known about its optimal synthesis parameters. In addition, NaNT(H2O)2 is not commercially available. In this study, NaNT(H2O)2 was prepared by ourselves. Taguchi's experimental design method was used to determine the optimal experimental conditions for obtaining the maximum yield of DBX‐1. The synthesized NaNT(H2O)2 and DBX‐1 were identified by means of SEM, NMR, FTIR, EA, UV‐Vis and STA TG‐DSC, and the sensitivity of DBX‐1 was determined using BAM fallhammer, BAM friction tester and electrostatic spark sensitivity tester. The experimental results indicated that the optimal synthesis parameters of DBX‐1 were as follows: the reaction temperature was 100 °C, the reaction time was 30 min, the concentration of NaNT(H2O)2 was 0.075 wt.% and the molar ratio of NaNT(H2O)2 to CuCl was 1.15, and then the maximum yield after purification could reach 72.2 %. The decomposition activation energies of DBX‐1 calculated by Kissinger and Ozawa methods were 178.6 and 179.0 kJ/mol, respectively. In addition, the impact sensitivity, friction sensitivity and electrostatic spark sensitivity of DBX‐1 were 51 mJ, 0.4 N and 7.3 mJ, respectively, which were almost the same as those for LA.
West Fertilizer Regulatory Legacy—EPA RMP Amendments
Authors: Cutchen Steven
Published: November 2020

On April 17, 2013, a fire and explosion occurred at the West Fertilizer Company in West, Texas. Twelve emergency responders and three members of the public died. More than 260 people were treated by local hospitals. The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) investigated the incident. The CSB determined that about 40 percent of the 30 tons of fertilizer‐grade ammonium nitrate (FGAN) detonated to cause the explosion. The CSB found that there were no effective federal regulations of FGAN in effect at the time of the explosion. They subsequently describe the initial federal response to the explosion as of the date of the CSB report; an Executive Order for, among many other things, modernizing federal policies and regulations surrounding chemical facilities, including those storing FGAN such as West Fertilizer. Presented here is a followup report of this modernization, focusing on the changes that impact process safety. This effort initially took the form of amendments to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulation 40 C.F.R. § 68 Chemical Accident Prevention Provisions. Following the implementation of the amendments, the EPA subsequently took action to rescind the bulk of the changes.
A novel multidimensional penalty‐free approach for constrained optimal control of switched control systems
Authors: Sun Tao , Sun Xi‐Ming , Wang Xue‐Fang , Wang Lei
Published: November 2020

In this article, a novel multidimensional penalty‐free method is proposed for the optimal control problem of switched control systems with path constraints. First, by introducing a Boolean vector, the switched control system and path constraints are transformed into affine forms. Typically, the complementary constrained method and piecewise constant function are used to relax and approximate the Boolean vector. Moreover, numerical methods are used to solve the approximated constrained optimal control problem (COCP), which relies on a discrete grid of the control function by using a piecewise linear function. Furthermore, the approximated COCP of affine control systems is equivalently transformed into a constrained dynamic parameter optimization problem by a refined time‐scaling transformation. Finally, the global convergence of the proposed multidimensional penalty‐free algorithm is proved and the feasibility of the algorithm is verified by numerical examples.
Dual visible‐thermal camera approach facilitates drone surveys of colonial marshbirds
Authors: McKellar Ann E. , Shephard Nicholas G. , Chabot Dominique
Published: November 2020

Waterbirds are important indicators of wetland health, and understanding their status and trends is necessary for appropriate management and conservation. However, certain species are challenging to survey due to their sensitivity to disturbance and the difficulty of accessing their breeding habitats. This is especially true for colonially breeding marshbirds, for which a multi‐species survey protocol that maximizes accuracy of counts and minimizes disturbance does not exist. Small drone aircraft have shown promise for conducting accurate and low‐disturbance surveys of colonial waterbirds. However, complex marsh vegetation structures and the cryptic nature of some marshbird nests make them difficult to detect in aerial imagery. We used synchronous high‐resolution visible imagery (0.8–2 cm/pixel) and thermal‐infrared imagery (6–16 cm/pixel) captured from a drone to count nests of five species of marshbirds at eight colonies in Saskatchewan, Canada. We compared counts from the imagery to those obtained from traditional ground‐based surveys, generally considered the most accurate survey method for these species. The two types of imagery proved highly complementary, as heat signatures helped detect and confirm nests not easily spotted in the visible imagery, while the detailed visible imagery allowed species identification. For four species (Western Grebe Aechmophorus occidentalis, Franklin's Gull Leucophaeus pipixcan, Forster's Tern Sterna forsteri, and Black‐crowned Night‐Heron Nycticorax nycticorax), drone‐based counts (range 74–1524 nests per colony) were within 5% of ground‐based counts (range 75–1582), while for smaller Black Tern Chlidonias niger colonies (range 3–7 nests), counts from the two methods were always within one nest of each other. Furthermore, an assessment of flight behavior before, during, and after drone surveys found no significant evidence of disturbance by the drone. Our drone‐borne dual visible‐thermal camera approach proved promising for surveying colonial marshbirds and could potentially be implemented in a range of situations where wildlife subjects are difficult to survey with visible or thermal imagery alone.
Enhanced structure and function of human pluripotent stem cell-derived beta-cells cultured on extracellular matrix
Authors: Singh Reena , Cottle Louise , Loudovaris Thomas , Xiao Di , Yang Pengyi , Thomas Helen E. , Kebede Melkam A. , Thorn Peter
Published: November 2020

The differentiation of human stem cells into insulin secreting beta-like cells holds great promise to treat diabetes. Current protocols drive stem cells through stages of directed differentiation and maturation and produce cells that secrete insulin in response to glucose. Further refinements are now needed to faithfully phenocopy the responses of normal beta cells. A critical factor in normal beta cell behavior is the islet microenvironment which plays a central role in beta cell survival, proliferation, gene expression and secretion. One important influence on native cell responses is the capillary basement membrane. In adult islets, each beta cell makes a point of contact with basement membrane protein secreted by vascular endothelial cells resulting in structural and functional polarization. Interaction with basement membrane proteins triggers local activation of focal adhesions, cell orientation, and targeting of insulin secretion. This study aims to identifying the role of basement membrane proteins on the structure and function of human embryonic stem cell and induced pluripotent stem cell-derived beta cells. Here, we show that differentiated human stem cells-derived spheroids do contain basement membrane proteins as a diffuse web-like structure. However, the beta-like cells within the spheroid do not polarize in response to this basement membrane. We demonstrate that 2D culture of the differentiated beta cells on to basement membrane proteins enforces cell polarity and favorably alters glucose dependent insulin secretion.
Creating Structural Defects of Drug‐Free Copper‐Containing Layered Double Hydroxide Nanoparticles to Synergize Photothermal/Photodynamic/Chemodynamic Cancer Therapy
Authors: Sun Luyao , Wang Jingjing , Liu Jianping , Li Li , Xu Zhi Ping
Published: November 2020

Combination therapy has been extensively studied to achieve a more efficient inhibition of tumor progression. Herein, a nanoplatform based on layered double hydroxide (LDH) nanoparticles (NPs) is specifically constructed for the effective combination breast cancer therapy without the traditional anticancer drug. Cu‐containing LDH NPs loaded with indocyanine green (ICG) are devised with more Cu coordination defects (d‐Cu‐LDH/ICG) to induce photothermal/photodynamic/chemodynamic therapy (PTT/PDT/CDT) using only one laser source. The structurally created defects on the LDH surface and dual‐function ICG molecules in the LDH interlayer significantly enhance photothermal transduction and singlet‐oxygen (1O2) generation at 808 nm laser irradiation. Moreover, d‐Cu‐LDH/ICG NPs generate hydroxyl radicals (·OH) in the presence of H2O2 as Fenton catalysts, which are further enhanced by Cu(II) reduction with glutathione and temperature elevation. Consequently, d‐Cu‐LDH/ICG NPs significantly suppress 4T1 cell proliferation and show effective inhibition of the tumor growth in vivo through only one combined PTT/PDT/CDT under very mild laser irradiation, i.e., at 0.23 W cm−2 for 5 min with very low doses of Cu and ICG (2.5 and 0.5 mg kg−1). Altogether, the defect‐created d‐Cu‐LDH/ICG nanoplatform offers a new and safe treatment option for combination cancer therapy without using any anticancer drugs.
Dialling‐In New Reactivity into the Shono‐Type Anodic Oxidation Reaction
Authors: Jones Alan M.
Published: November 2020

This Personal Account describes the author's groups’ research in the field of electrosynthetic anodic oxidation, beginning with initial trial and error attempts with the Shono oxidation. Early setbacks with complex rotameric amide mixtures, provided the ideal environment for the discovery of the Oxa‐Shono reaction‐Osp2‐Csp3 bond cleavage of esters‐providing two useful products in one‐step: aldehyde selective oxidation level products and a mild de‐esterification method to afford carboxylic acids in the process. The development of the Oxa‐Shono reaction provided the impetus for the discovery of other electrically propelled‐Nsp2‐Csp2 and Nsp2‐Csp3‐bond breaking reactions in bioactive amide and sulfonamide systems. Understanding the voltammetric behaviour of the molecule under study, switching between controlled current‐ or controlled potential‐ electrolysis, and restricting electron flow (the reagent), affords exquisite control over the reaction outcomes in batch and flow. Importantly, this bio‐inspired advance in electrosynthetic dealkylation chemistry mimics the metabolic outcomes observed in nature.
Pulsed Discharge Plasmas in Contact with Water and their Applications
Authors: Akiyama Hidenori , Akiyama Masahiro
Published: November 2020

Large‐volume pulsed discharge plasmas have been studied to gain insight on their phenomena and to realize their applications in various areas, such as sterilization, water treatment, and cancer treatment. Since 2000, when a review paper titled ‘Streamer Discharges in Liquids and their Application’ was published, a number of related papers have been reported in the literature; these reports are summarized in this review paper. Four types of pulsed power‐generated large‐volume discharges in contact with water are presented as representative examples. The discharges are reviewed from the perspectives of the physical and chemical phenomena, as follows: the initiation of filamentary and bush‐like streamers in water; the propagation and extinction of streamer discharge plasmas; the production, behavior, and collapse of bubbles; the measurement of temperature, density, electric field, shock wave, and radicals; the wide discharge on the water surface. Finally, the applications of these large‐volume discharge plasmas are described. © 2020 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.
Nanodiagnostics in leishmaniasis: A new frontiers for early elimination
Authors: Gedda Mallikarjuna Rao , Madhukar Prasoon , Shukla Ashish , Mudavath Shyam Lal , Srivastava Onkar Nath , Singh Om Prakash , Sundar Shyam
Published: November 2020

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is still a major public health concern in developing countries having the highest outbreak and mortality potential. While the treatment of VL has greatly improved in recent times, the current diagnostic tools are limited for use in the post‐elimination setting. Although conventional serological methods of detection are rapid, they can only differentiate between active disease in strict combination with clinical criteria, and thus are not sufficient enough to diagnose relapse patients. Therefore, there is a dire need for a portable, authentic, and reliable assay that does not require large space, specialized instrument facilities, or highly trained laboratory personnel and can be carried out in primary health care settings. Advances in the nanodiagnostic approaches have led to the expansion of new frontiers in the concerned area. The nanosized particles are blessed with an ability to interact one‐on‐one with the biomolecules because of their unique optical and physicochemical properties and high surface area to volume ratio. Biomolecular detection systems based on nanoparticles (NPs) are cost‐effective, rapid, nongel, non‐PCR, and nonculture based that provide fast, one‐step, and reliable results with acceptable sensitivity and specificity. In this review, we discuss different NPs that are being used for the identification of molecular markers and other biomarkers, such as toxins and antigens associated with leishmaniasis. The most promising diagnostic approaches have been included in the article, and the ability of biomolecular recognition, advantages, and disadvantages have been discussed in detail to showcase the enormous potential of nanodiagnostics in human and veterinary medicine.

This article is categorized under:

Diagnostic Tools > Diagnostic Nanodevices

Therapeutic Approaches and Drug Discovery > Nanomedicine for Infectious Disease

Diagnostic Tools > Biosensing
Assessment of Farmers’ Indigenous Technology Adoptions for Climate Change Adaptation in Nigeria
Authors: Ologeh Idowu , Adesina Francis , Sobanke Victor
Published: November 2020

Agriculture has shown a considerable capacity to adapt to climate change. Many adaptations occur autonomously without the need for conscious response by farmers and agricultural planners. However, it is likely that the rate and magnitude of climate change may exceed that of normal change in agriculture that specific technologies and management styles may need to be adopted to avoid the most serious of effects. Thus areas likely to be most vulnerable to climate variability can be spared from its impacts through implementation of appropriate adaptation measures such as development of indigenous technologies.

Six hundred farmers from the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria were surveyed and they all possess different indigenous adaptation strategies ranging from swamp farming (Oyo State), application of neem seed (Kaduna State), soil erosion control (Enugu State), rainwater harvesting (Taraba State), land improvement (Cross River State) to farmland management (Benue State). They all have simple but profound technologies driving these schemes with much success. These indigenous adaptation techniques are majorly constrained by inadequate financial resources. Indigenous technology adoption is affordable with high revenue potential.
In Search of a Twenty-First Century Education Renaissance after a Global Pandemic
Authors: Reimers Fernando M.
Published: November 2020

The COVID-19 Pandemic renewed interest on the question of what goals should be pursued by schools in a world rapidly changing and uncertain. As education leaders developed strategies to continue to educate during the Pandemic, through alternative education arrangements necessitated by the closure of schools, the question of re-prioritizing curriculum became essential. In addition, the anticipated disruptions and impacts that the Pandemic would cause brought the question of what capacities matter to the fore. This chapter reviews the history of mass education and examines the role of the United Nations and other international organizations advocating for schools to educate the whole child and to cultivate the breath of skills essential to advance individual freedoms and social improvement. The chapter makes the case that the aspiration to cultivate a broad range of competencies is not only necessary to meet the growing demands of civic and economic participation, but also critical to close opportunity gaps.

The development of a science of implementation of system level reform to educate the whole child is fundamental to close the growing gap between more ambitious aspirations for schools and the learning opportunities that most children experience and that are at the root of their low levels of knowledge and skills as demonstrated in international comparative assessments.

Implementation strategies need to take into account the stage of institutional development of the education system, and align the components and sequence of the reform to the existing capacities and structures, while using the reform to help the system advance towards more complex forms of organization that enable it to achieve more ambitious goals. The chapter makes the case for examining the implementation of large scale reforms in countries at varied stages of educational development in order to overcome the limitations of the current knowledge base that relies excessively on the study of a narrow range of countries at similar levels of development, many of them with stagnant or declining performance of their students in international assessments of knowledge and skills.

Effective implementation requires also coherence across the various levels of governance of the education system and good communication and collaboration across a wide spectrum of stakeholders. Such communication can be facilitated by a good theory of mind of how others view reform. A reform can be viewed through five alternative frameworks: cultural, psychological, professional, institutional and political, or through a combination of those, and each reform is based on elements reflecting one or several of those frames. Understanding these frames, can help better understand how others view change, thus facilitating communication and the development of a shared theory of change.

The chapter concludes describing the methods of this study and introducing the six large scale reforms examined in the book.
Conclusions. Seven Lessons to Build an Education Renaissance After the Pandemic
Authors: Reimers Fernando M.
Published: November 2020

This chapter draws out seven lessons from the cross-country analysis of the six reforms studied in this chapter. These are:

Lesson 1. The power of complex mindsets about education reform.

The six reforms all reflect reliance on the worldviews presented in the five frames of reform: cultural, psychological, professional, institutional and political. Those that have been sustained relied on insights from more of these five frames than those that were short lived.

Lesson 2. Implementation matters considerably.

The chapter discusses how the implementation process in effect recreates a reform, and how the development of an operational strategy defining the details of reform is what in the end most matters to the success of reform. The chapter discusses how the six reforms produced rather distinct operational strategies of seemingly similar components of the reform such as the learning goals for students or teacher professional development. Implementation strategies are also based on implicit theories of how organizations work, and the chapter explains the usefulness of a developmental theory of how organizations evolve to designing strategies that are aligned with the functionings that are possible in a given developmental stage, while also helping the organization evolve towards higher levels of functioning.

Lesson 3. The need for operational clarity.

People can’t execute what they don’t understand, and a reform must be able to translate goals into clear objectives and reform components into clear tasks which can be widely communicated and understood, as well as tracked to discern improvement and course correct when necessary.

Lesson 4. Large scale reform is a journey: Coherence, Completeness and the Five Frames.

The chapter explains how using the five dimensional theory of educational change can support coherence and completeness in a reform.

Lesson 5. Sequencing, pacing and the importance of first steps.

An operational strategy needs to be sequenced attending to ambition of goals, to existing levels of capacity and to institutional stage of development of the system. The first steps in the sequence are consequential because they shape the narrative of reform in ways that have long lasting consequences.

Lesson 6. Staying the course.

Long policy cycles are essential for reforms to be implemented and to produce results, and those cannot be taken for granted. Coherence, communication and participation can garner support that sustains a reform over time.

Lesson 7. Learning from experience to build system level capacity.

Most important to the coherent implementation of a reform is to create opportunities for key stakeholders, at various levels of the system, to learn together as a result of implementing components of the reform. Creating feedback loops and processes for making sense of such information is critical to support such learning.
A study on surface morphology and tension in laser powder bed fusion of Ti-6Al-4V
Authors: Khorasani Mahyar , Ghasemi AmirHossein , Awan Umar Shafique , Hadavi Elahe , Leary Martin , Brandt Milan , Littlefair Guy , O’Neil William , Gibson Ian
Published: November 2020

When reporting surface quality, the roughest surface is a reference for the measurements. In LPBF due to recoil pressure and scan movement, asymmetric surface is shaped, and surface roughness has different values in different measurement orientations. In this research, the influence of the laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) process parameters on surface tension and roughness of Ti-6AI-4 V parts in three orientations are investigated. To improve the mechanical properties, heat treatment was carried out and added to the designed matrix to generate a comprehensive data set. Taguchi design of experiment was employed to print 25 samples with five process parameters and post-processing. The effect and interaction of the parameters on the formation of surface profile comprising tension, morphology and roughness in various directions have been analysed. The main contribution of this paper is developing a model to approximate the melting pool temperature and surface tension based on the process parameters. Other contributions are an analysis of process parameters to determine the formation and variation of surface tension and roughness and explain the governing mechanisms through rheological phenomena. Results showed that the main driving factors in the variation of surface tension and formation of the surface profile are thermophysical properties of the feedstock, rheology and the temperature of the melting pool. Also, the results showed that while the value of surface tension is the same for each test case, morphology and the value of roughness are different when analysing the surface in perpendicular, parallel and angled directions to laser movement.
Evaluating and Comparing Behavioural and Electrophysiological Estimates of Neural Health in Cochlear Implant Users
Authors: Brochier Tim , Guérit François , Deeks John M. , Garcia Charlotte , Bance Manohar , Carlyon Robert P.
Published: November 2020

Variations in neural health along the cochlea can degrade the spectral and temporal representation of sounds conveyed by cochlear implants (CIs). We evaluated and compared one electrophysiological measure and two behavioural measures that have been proposed as estimates of neural health patterns, in order to explore the extent to which the different measures provide converging and consistent neural health estimates. All measures were obtained from the same 11 users of the Cochlear Corporation CI. The two behavioural measures were multipulse integration (MPI) and the polarity effect (PE), both measured on each of seven electrodes per subject. MPI was measured as the difference between thresholds at 80 pps and 1000 pps, and PE as the difference in thresholds between cathodic- and anodic-centred quadraphasic (QP) 80-pps pulse trains. It has been proposed that good neural health corresponds to a large MPI and to a large negative PE (lower thresholds for cathodic than anodic pulses). The electrophysiological measure was the effect of interphase gap (IPG) on the offset of the ECAP amplitude growth function (AGF), which has been correlated with spiral ganglion neuron density in guinea pigs. This ‘IPG offset’ was obtained on the same subset of electrodes used for the behavioural measures. Despite high test–retest reliability, there were no significant correlations between the neural health estimates for either within-subject comparisons across the electrode array, or between-subject comparisons of the means. A phenomenological model of a population of spiral ganglion neurons was then used to investigate physiological mechanisms that might underlie the different neural health estimates. The combined experimental and modelling results provide evidence that PE, MPI and IPG offset may reflect different characteristics of the electrode-neural interface.
Electrical stimulation therapy of the lower esophageal sphincter in GERD patients—a prospective single-center study
Authors: Paireder Matthias , Kristo Ivan , Nikolic Milena , Jomrich Gerd , Steindl Johannes , Rieder Erwin , Asari Reza , Schoppmann Sebastian F.
Published: November 2020

Background

Electrical stimulation therapy (EST) of the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) for gastro esophageal reflux disease (GERD) treatment increases LES pressure through chronic stimulation, with a low risk for gastrointestinal side effects and preservation of hiatal anatomy. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of this novel technique in a high-output specialized reflux center.

Methods

This is a prospective single-center study including GERD patients indicated for anti-reflux therapy who consented to undergo LES-EST. Patients underwent prospective scheduled follow-up visits including interrogation of the stimulation device, clinical examination, and assessment of health-related quality of life (HRQL).

Results

Within a 4-year period, 37 LES-EST implantations were performed. The majority of patients were male (54.1%), mean BMI was 25.8 (SD 4.4), and mean age was 54.0 (SD 15.8). The median GERD HRQL composite score was 41 (IQR 21–49). Median total % of pH <4 was 10.1 (IQR 4.4–17.3). Six (16.2%) individuals underwent explantation of the entire system (IPG and leads) due to technical defect (n = 4) or failure of therapy (n = 2). HRQL score improved from 41 (IQR 21–49) to 8.50 (IQR 4.25–20.5, p < 0.001) and 9 (23.7%) patients were on at least occasional PPI treatment.

Conclusion

Due to the low rate of GI side effects and its minimal invasive character preserving the hiatal anatomy, this novel technique might find its place in anti-reflux surgery. However, the considerably high rate of device dysfunction needs further investigation.
Discrete and Conservative Factorizations in Fib(B)
Authors: Cigoli Alan S. , Mantovani Sandra , Metere Giuseppe
Published: November 2020

We focus on the transfer of some known orthogonal factorization systems from$$\mathsf {Cat}$$Catto the 2-category$${\mathsf {Fib}}(B)$$Fib(B)of fibrations over a fixed base categoryB: the internal version of thecomprehensive factorization, and the factorization systems given by (sequence of coidentifiers, discrete morphism) and (sequence of coinverters, conservative morphism) respectively. For the class of fibrewise opfibrations in$${\mathsf {Fib}}(B)$$Fib(B), the construction of the latter two simplify to a single coidentifier (respectively coinverter) followed by an internal discrete opfibration (resp. fibrewise opfibration in groupoids). We show how these results follow from their analogues in$$\mathsf {Cat}$$Cat, providing suitable conditions on a 2-category$${\mathcal {C}}$$C, that allow the transfer of the construction of coinverters and coidentifiers from$${\mathcal {C}}$$C to$${\mathsf {Fib}}_{{\mathcal {C}}}(B)$$FibC(B).
Contextualized mobile game-based learning application for computing education
Authors: Yadav Alok Kumar , Oyelere Solomon Sunday
Published: November 2020

This paper intends to present an overview of a mobile game-based learning application, BaghLearn that develops and upskills programming and algorithmic knowledge by cross-curricular capabilities through a traditional world-based game. The focus of this research was to explore the learning effectiveness of BaghLearn on students. Mixed method research approach was applied to collect, process and analyze the research data in which undergraduate students who had some prior knowledge or had taken algorithm courses were instructed to test the mobile game learning application. This study exhibits the idea of integrating learning with contextual mobile game as an effective approach in understanding the influence of games towards cognitive achievements of students in computing education. In addition, there are no major requirements for the use of this application (can be maintained in resource-constrained contexts such as Nepal), which makes it expressively satisfying and useful for students who are relentlessly using mobile devices. Besides, this study evaluated the influence of BaghLearn towards learning of the design and analysis of algorithm course, which is a compulsory course for most undergraduate computing education program. Furthermore, the study findings can be used as a guideline for developing learning solutions and usability evaluation of such solutions, especially for infrastructure-constrained contexts. Students using the BaghLearn opined that the application is easy to use, supportive and lead to improved learning satisfaction.
RUL prediction for automatic machines: a mixed edge-cloud solution based on model-of-signals and particle filtering techniques
Authors: Barbieri Matteo , Nguyen Khan T. P. , Diversi Roberto , Medjaher Kamal , Tilli Andrea
Published: November 2020

This work aims to provide useful insights into the course of action and the challenges faced by machine manufacturers when dealing with the actual application of Prognostics and Health Management procedures in industrial environments. Taking into account the computing capabilities and connectivity of the hardware available for smart manufacturing, we propose a particular solution that allows meeting one of the essential requirements of intelligent production processes, i.e., autonomous health management. Indeed, efficient and fast algorithms, that does not require a high computational cost and can be appropriately performed on machine controllers, i.e., on edge, are combined with others, which can handle large amounts of data and calculations, executed on remote powerful supervisory platforms, i.e., on the cloud. In detail, new condition monitoring algorithms based on Model-of-Signals techniques are developed and implemented on local controllers to process the raw sensor readings and extract meaningful and compact features, according to System Identification rules and guidelines. These results are then transmitted to remote supervisors, where Particle Filters are exploited to model components degradation and predict their Remaining Useful Life. Practitioners can use this information to optimise production planning and maintenance policies. The proposed architecture allows keeping the communication traffic between edge and cloud in the nowadays affordable “Big data” range, preventing the unmanageable “Huge data” scenario that would follow from the transmission of raw sensor data. Furthermore, the robustness and effectiveness of the proposed method are tested considering a meaningful benchmark, the PRONOSTIA dataset, allowing reproducibility and comparison with other approaches.
Recent climate-driven ecological changes in tropical montane lakes of Rwenzori Mountains National Park, central Africa
Authors: Mackay Anson W. , Lee Rebecca , Russell James M.
Published: November 2020

Rwenzori Mountains National Park, which straddles the border between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, has experienced rapid glacier loss since the beginning of the twentieth century, yet there has been little investigation of aquatic biodiversity change in the park. This study presents a paleolimnological analysis from Lake Mahoma (2990 m asl), which is situated in the bamboo-forest transition zone. Diatom and organic geochemistry data from a 39-cm-long sediment core with a basal age of c. 1715 CE were compared with new analyses of previously published data from Lakes Bujuku (3891 m asl) and Lower Kitandara (3989 m asl), in the alpine zone. Comparisons were made to determine if aquatic ecosystem changes exhibited similar inter-lake patterns over the past ~ 150 years of climate warming and glacial recession, or if only local change was apparent. The diatom flora of Lake Mahoma is acidophilous, dominated by Aulacoseira ikapoënsis since at least the mid eighteenth century. In recent decades, the obligate nitrogen-heterotroph Nitzschia palea increased in importance, concurrent with declining δ15Norg values. We suggest that these late twentieth century changes were linked to regional warming and increased thermal stratification of Lake Mahoma. Regional comparisons of the Rwenzori lakes were done using existing organic geochemistry records (total organic carbon, C/N and δ13Corg) and through diatom compositional turnover analyses, and categorisation of species into one of four diatom growth morphology traits, or guilds: tychoplanktonic, high-profile, low-profile and motile. Over the past 150 years, all three lakes showed unidirectional, compositional diatom turnover, indicating that deterministic processes had affected diatom communities. Declining turnover at each site is broadly mirrored by an increase in tychoplanktonic taxa, along with concomitant declines in high-profile diatoms at Lake Mahoma, and low-profile diatoms at Lake Bujuku, and at least for the past 60 years, at Lower Kitandara. The interplay between diatom guilds at all sites is mainly a consequence of competition for available resources. Sediment organic carbon at all sites comes from both autochthonous and allochthonous sources, the relative abundances of which are influenced by the time elapsed since lakes had glaciers in their catchment.
Relation between ocean wave activity and wavefield of the ambient noise recorded in northern Poland
Authors: Lepore Simone , Grad Marek
Published: November 2020

The temporal and spatial variations of the wavefield of ambient noise recorded at ‘13 BB star’ array located in northern Poland were related to the activity of high, long-period ocean waves generated by strong storms in the Northern Indian Ocean, the Atlantic Ocean, and the Northern Pacific Ocean between 2013 and 2016. Once pre-processed, the raw noise records in time- and frequency-domains, and spectral analysis and high-resolution three-component beamforming techniques were applied to the broadband noise data. The power spectral density was analysed to quantify the noise wavefield, observing the primary (0.04–0.1 Hz) microseism peak and the splitting of the secondary microseism into long-period (0.2–0.3 Hz) and short-period (0.3–0.8 Hz) peaks. The beam-power analysis allowed to determine the changes in the azimuth of noise sources and the velocity of surface waves. The significant wave height, obtained by combining observed data and forecast model results for wave height and period, was analysed to characterise ocean wave activity during strong storms. The comparison of wave activity and beam-power led to distinguish the sources of Rayleigh and Love waves associated to long-period microseisms, of short-period microseisms, and of primary microseisms. High, long-period ocean waves hitting the coastline were found to be the main source of noise wavefield. The source of long-period microseisms was correlated to such waves in the open sea able to reach the shore, whereas the source of primary microseisms was tied to waves interacting with the seafloor very close to the coastlines. The source of short-period microseisms was attributed to strong storms constituted of short-period waves not reaching the coast.
On ginseng and Iroquois
Authors: König Torsten
Published: November 2020

This study is dedicated to 2 texts written by French Jesuit father Joseph-François Lafitau (1681–1746), created in the context of his missionary stay in Nouvelle France:Mémoire concernant la précieuse plante du gin-seng de Tartarie(1718) andMœrs des Sauvages amériquains comparées aux mœrs des premiers temps(1724). Both texts permit a multi-level analysis of material dimensions of culture and knowledge in the history of knowledge, the first dealing with a botanical subject, the second an anthropological one. They convey a meta-reflective discourse on material-specific epistemological problems that is realized through narrative textual structures. These texts enable a structural view point of systemic functions of the materiality of knowledge in historical epistemological orders. Finally, they show exemplary and significant transmedia representation techniques and the associated textualization and visualization strategies.
CMEs in the Heliosphere: III. A Statistical Analysis of the Kinematic Properties Derived from Stereoscopic Geometrical Modelling Techniques Applied to CMEs Detected in the Heliosphere from 2008 to 2014 by STEREO/HI-1
Authors: Barnes D. , Davies J. A. , Harrison R. A. , Byrne J. P. , Perry C. H. , Bothmer V. , Eastwood J. P. , Gallagher P. T. , Kilpua E. K. J. , Möstl C. , Rodriguez L. , Rouillard A. P. , Odstrčil D.
Published: November 2020

We present an analysis of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) observed by the Heliospheric Imagers (HIs) onboard NASA’s Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO) spacecraft. Between August 2008 and April 2014 we identify 273 CMEs that are observed simultaneously, by the HIs on both spacecraft. For each CME, we track the observed leading edge, as a function of time, from both vantage points, and apply the Stereoscopic Self-Similar Expansion (SSSE) technique to infer their propagation throughout the inner heliosphere. The technique is unable to accurately locate CMEs when their observed leading edge passes between the spacecraft; however, we are able to successfully apply the technique to 151, most of which occur once the spacecraft-separation angle exceeds $180^{\circ }$

180
∘

, during solar maximum. We find that using a small half-width to fit the CME can result in inferred acceleration to unphysically high velocities and that using a larger half-width can fail to accurately locate the CMEs close to the Sun because the method does not account for CME over-expansion in this region. Observed velocities from SSSE are found to agree well with single-spacecraft (SSEF) analysis techniques applied to the same events. CME propagation directions derived from SSSE and SSEF analysis agree poorly because of known limitations present in the latter.