bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Structure Design of Cathode Electrodes for Solid‐State Batteries: Challenges and Progress
Authors: Zhang Xu-Dong , Yue Feng-Shu , Liang Jia-Yan , Shi Ji-Lei , Li Hong , Guo Yu-Guo
Published: September 2020

Solid‐state lithium batteries have aroused wide interest with the probability to guarantee safety and high energy density at the same time. In the past decade, fruitful endeavors have been devoted to promoting each component of these batteries, including solid electrolyte with high conductivity, dendrite‐free lithium anode, and high‐capacity cathode. However, the currently achieved cell performances are still inconsistent with the original expectations, in which interfaces severely hamper the energy output and cycling stability for practical application. Herein, particular attentions are paid to the interface between cathode and solid electrolyte. The huge resistance caused at this interface can be found throughout the entire life of batteries from preparation to operation. Accordingly, these issues are divided into physical contact, thermal interdiffusion, space‐charge layer, electrochemomechanical breakdown, and undesirable side reactions and further elucidated in detail. Moreover, representative developments concerning the cathode/solid electrolyte interface in terms of compositional and morphological control in cathode, architecture and manufacture design in solid electrolyte, and artificial interphase building are summarized. With these efforts, the emphasis of the fundamental issues and perspectives of interface between cathode and solid electrolyte may eventually contribute to high‐energy long‐cycling solid‐state lithium batteries.
Sustainability and Chaos in the Abiotic Polymerization of 3′,5′ Cyclic Guanosine Monophosphate: The Role of Aggregation
Authors: Costanzo Giovanna , Šponer Judit E. , Šponer Jiří , Cirigliano Angela , Benedetti Piero , Giliberti Valeria , Polito Raffaella , Di Mauro Ernesto
Published: September 2020

Polymerization of 3′,5′ cyclic guanosine monophosphate (3′,5′ cGMP) was previously reported to afford short RNA sequences from a plausible mildly activated prebiotic precursor in a non‐enzymatic and template‐free manner. In the current paper we analyze the reaction with PAGE as well as by infrared micro‐ and nanospectroscopy on time scales not considered before. We provide evidence that a preliminary oligomerization step in dry state allows for a continued synthesis of RNA oligomers even in the presence of subsequently added water. On a longer time scale, the oligomerization yield oscillates in an apparently chaotic fashion hinting at the importance of some non‐reversible phase‐separation processes on the experimentally observed outcome of the polymerization/degradation chemistries. The long‐lasting (hundreds of hours) intrinsic sustainability and resilience of the process gives a robust prebiotic potential to this unique oligomerization reaction, which could lead to the very first oligonucleotide sequences on the primordial Earth.
Cryopreservation and its effects on motility and gene expression patterns and fertilizing potential of bovine epididymal sperm
Authors: Nazari Hassan , Ahmadi Ebrahim , Hosseini Fahraji Hamid , Afzali Azita , Davoodian Najmeh
Published: September 2020

Despite encountering new challenges in using epididymal sperm recovered from cauda epididymides, this accessible and, in some species, worthwhile sample makes inevitable the further development of a suitable cryopreservation protocol. In this study, sperm was recovered from the epididymis of 4°C overnight stored slaughtered bulls' testes and the effects of cryopreservation on the bovine epididymal sperm motility (with CASA) and gene expression patterns (with quantitative Real time‐PCR) were evaluated. Moreover the fertilizing potential of cryopreserved epididymal sperm was used in in vitro fertilization (IVF). After freezing and thawing of epididymal sperm, total and slow progressive sperm motility, VCL, VAP, MAD, ALH and BCF were significantly decreased (p < .05), while in the parameters of fast progressive motility, VSL, LIN, WOB and STR there were not any significant variations in the frozen sperm compared to fresh (non‐frozen) counterpart. The assessment of abundance of transcripts encoding motility (TSSK6) and fertility (PRM1 and PRM2)‐related genes in epididymal sperm, showed that these transcripts were affected by freezing especially in slow progressive motility status (p < .01). Furthermore, cleavage and blastocyst rate did not present any significant differences between bovine embryos produced in vitro by fresh or frozen‐thawed epididymal sperm. It can be concluded that epididymal sperm has enough freezability after overnight testes storage, and cryopreservation could not affect the percentage of in vitro produced embryos in spite of the changes of relative abundance of some transcripts and direction progressive motility pattern of sperm.
Holographic quarkyonic matter
Authors: Kovensky Nicolas , Schmitt Andreas
Published: September 2020

Abstract

We point out a new configuration in the Witten-Sakai-Sugimoto model, allowing baryons in the pointlike approximation to coexist with fundamental quarks. The resulting phase is a holographic realization of quarkyonic matter, which is predicted to occur in QCD at a large number of colors, and possibly plays a role in real-world QCD as well. We find that holographic quarkyonic matter is chirally symmetric and that, for large baryon chemical potentials, it is energetically preferred over pure nuclear matter and over pure quark matter. The zero-temperature transition from nuclear matter to the quarkyonic phase is of first order in the chiral limit and for a realistic pion mass. For pion masses far beyond the physical point we observe a quark-hadron continuity due to the presence of quarkyonic matter.
The Lorentzian inversion formula and the spectrum of the 3d O(2) CFT
Authors: Liu Junyu , Meltzer David , Poland David , Simmons-Duffin David
Published: September 2020

Abstract

We study the spectrum and OPE coefficients of the three-dimensional critical O(2) model, using four-point functions of the leading scalars with charges 0, 1, and 2 (s, ϕ, and t). We obtain numerical predictions for low-twist OPE data in several charge sectors using the extremal functional method. We compare the results to analytical estimates using the Lorentzian inversion formula and a small amount of numerical input. We find agreement between the analytic and numerical predictions. We also give evidence that certain scalar operators lie on double-twist Regge trajectories and obtain estimates for the leading Regge intercepts of the O(2) model.
The 5d superconformal index at large N and black holes
Authors: Crichigno P. Marcos , Jain Dharmesh
Published: September 2020

Abstract

We study the large N limit of the superconformal index of a large class of 5d $$ \mathcal{N} $$
N
= 1 superconformal field theories and show it is given by the square of the partition function on the squashed five-sphere. We show this simple relation implies a Cardy formula in 5d, which is valid in an “extended” regime in which fugacities are finite and N is large. For theories with weakly coupled gravity duals we conjecture this large N Cardy formula universally accounts for the microscopic entropy of spinning black holes in AdS6. We check this explicitly for known black hole solutions in massive type IIA and type IIB string theory, carrying two angular momenta and one electric charge, and predict the entropy of black holes carrying multiple electric charges, yet to be constructed. We also discuss large N properties of the $$ {S}_b^3\times {\Sigma}_{\mathfrak{g}} $$

S
b
3

×

Σ
g

partition function, extending previous results to theories with type IIB duals.
Determination of free chlorine based on ion chromatography—application of glycine as a selective scavenger
Authors: Abdighahroudi Mohammad Sajjad , Schmidt Torsten C. , Lutze Holger V.
Published: September 2020

Free available chlorine (FAC) is the most widely used chemical for disinfection and in secondary disinfection; a minimum chlorine residual must be present in the distribution system. FAC can also be formed as an impurity in ClO2 production as well as a secondary oxidant in the ClO2 application, which has to be monitored. In this study, a new method is developed based on the reaction of FAC with glycine in which the amine group selectively scavenges FAC and the N-chloroglycine formed can be measured by ion chromatography with conductivity detector (IC-CD). Utilizing IC for N-chloroglycine measurement allows this method to be incorporated into routine monitoring of drinking water anions. For improving the sensitivity, IC was coupled with post-column reaction and UV detection (IC-PCR-UV), which was based on iodide oxidation by N-chloroglycine resulting in triiodide. The method performance was quantified by comparison of the results with the N,N-diethyl-p-phenylenediamine (DPD) method due to the unavailability of an N-chloroglycine standard. The N-chloroglycine method showed limits of quantification (LOQ) of 24 μg L−1 Cl2 and 13 μg L−1 Cl2 for IC-CD and IC-PCR-UV, respectively. These values were lower than those of DPD achieved in this research and in ultrapure water. Measurement of FAC in the drinking water matrix showed comparable robustness and sensitivity with statistically equivalent concentration that translated to recoveries of 102% for IC-CD and 105% for IC-PCR-UV. Repeatability and reproducibility performance were enhanced in the order of DPD, IC-CD, and IC-PCR-UV. Measurement of intrinsic FAC in the ClO2 application revealed that the N-chloroglycine method performed considerably better in such a system where different oxidant species (ClO2, FAC, chlorite, etc.) were present.
Plattenepithelkarzinom der Haut
Authors: Wolf Ingrid H.
Published: September 2020

Dieser Artikel beschreibt das morphologische Spektrum des Plattenepithelkarzinoms der Haut (PEK), insbesondere die verschiedenen klinischen und histopathologischen Formen, deren Unterscheidung für die Diagnose und Therapie dieses häufigen Hauttumors wichtig ist. Außerdem wird über eine neue hoffnungsvolle Immuntherapie berichtet.
IUCN Red List and the value of integrating genetics
Authors: Garner Brittany A. , Hoban Sean , Luikart Gordon
Published: September 2020

Many species on endangered species lists such as the IUCN Red List (RL) are categorized using demographic factors such as numbers of mature individuals. Genetic factors are not currently used in the RL even though their explicit consideration, including effective population size (Ne) and expected heterozygosity-loss (H-loss), could improve the assessment of extinction risk. Here, we consider the estimation ofNeandH-loss in the context of RL species. First, we investigate the reporting of number of mature individuals for RL Endangered species, which is needed to estimateNeandH-loss. We found 77% of species assessments studied here did not report methods used to estimate the number of mature adults, and that these assessments rarely report other important determinants ofNe(e.g., sex ratio, variance in family size). We therefore applied common rules of thumb to estimateNe, and found thatNewas likely < 50 for at least 25% of the 170 RL Endangered species studied here. We also estimated mean expectedH-loss for these species over the next 100 years, and found it to be 9–29%. These estimates of highH-loss and lowNesuggest that some species listed as Endangered likely warrant listing as Critically Endangered if genetic considerations were included. We recommend that RL and other assessment frameworks (i) report methods used for estimating the number of mature adults, (ii) include standardized information on species traits that influenceNeto facilitateNeestimation, and (iii) consider using concepts likeNeand heterozygosity-loss in risk assessments.
Multi-moment maps on nearly Kähler six-manifolds
Authors: Russo Giovanni
Published: September 2020

We study multi-moment maps on nearly Kähler six-manifolds with a two-torus symmetry. Critical points of these maps have non-trivial stabilisers. The configuration of fixed-points and one-dimensional orbits is worked out for generic six-manifolds equipped with an $$\mathrm {SU}(3)$$

SU
(
3
)

-structure admitting a two-torus symmetry. Projecting the subspaces obtained to the orbit space yields a trivalent graph. We illustrate this result concretely on the homogeneous nearly Kähler examples.
Seasonal variation in the invertebrate community and diet of a top fish predator in a thermally stable spring
Authors: Kreiling Agnes-Katharina , O’Gorman Eoin J. , Pálsson Snæbjörn , Benhaïm David , Leblanc Camille A. , Ólafsson Jón S. , Kristjánsson Bjarni K.
Published: September 2020

Many life-history events in aquatic invertebrates are triggered by seasonal changes in water temperature, but other ecological factors may be important as well. To rule out the confounding effects of changing water temperature, we studied the seasonal dynamics of an aquatic invertebrate community and their effect on a top fish predator in a thermally stable freshwater spring in South Iceland. We sampled benthic invertebrates five times over a year and conducted a mark-recapture study on the top predator in the system, small benthic Arctic charr, Salvelinus alpinus (L.). We assessed variation in diet composition and feeding preferences by calculating the electivity and individual specialisation of each fish at each sampling time. There was a clear separation of winter and summer communities for the benthic invertebrates. The variation in prey availability was also reflected in the fish diet, with higher feeding selectivity in summer than in winter for the highly abundant Chironomidae larvae. In contrast, individual specialisation as a measure of intrapopulation niche variation was higher in winter when prey availability was lower. We furthermore found that groundwater amphipods might play an important role in the winter diet of spring-dwelling Arctic charr. In conclusion, seasonal variation in the invertebrate community is an important factor to consider and has the potential to alter the phenotype (e.g. growth rates) and behaviour (e.g. feeding preferences) of higher trophic levels.
A Review of Empirical Studies Investigating Narrative, Emotion and Meaning-Making Modes and Client Process Markers in Psychotherapy
Authors: Aleixo Ana , Pires António Pazo , Angus Lynne , Neto David , Vaz Alexandre
Published: September 2020

Despite the importance of narrative, emotional and meaning-making processes in psychotherapy, there has been no review of studies using the main instruments developed to address these processes. The objective is to review the studies about client narrative and narrative-emotional processes in psychotherapy that used the Narrative Process Coding System or the Narrative-Emotion Process Coding System (1.0 and 2.0). To identify the studies, we searched The Book Collection, PsycINFO, PsycARTICLES, PsycBOOKS, PEP Archive, Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection, Academic Search Complete and the Web of Knowledge databases. We found 27 empirical studies using one of the three coding systems. The studies applied the Narrative Process Coding System and the Narrative-Emotion Process Coding System to different therapeutic modalities and patients with various clinical disorders. In some studies, early, middle and late phases of therapy were compared, while other studies conducted intensive case analyses of Narrative Process Coding System and Narrative-Emotion Process Coding System patterns comparing recovered vs unchanged clients. The review supports the importance to look for the contribution of narrative, emotion, meaning-making patterns or narrative-emotion markers, to treatment outcomes and encourages the application of these instruments in process-outcome research in psychotherapy.
Activity Patterns and Age-dependent Changes in Behavior in the Clonal Ant Platythyrea punctata
Authors: Hartmann Clara , Haschlar Julia , Heinze Jürgen , Bernadou Abel
Published: September 2020

Age-based polyethism, wherein young individuals perform tasks within the nest and later transition to outside activities, is common among many social insects. This division of labor ensures the safety of workers with longer residual lifespans, such as brood caring nurses, and exposes only old individuals to increased extrinsic mortality risks. It appears however, that lifespan in workers is also shaped by intrinsic factors, such as senescence. The transition from nurse to forager is accompanied by various physiological and behavioral changes and seems to represent a crucial step in determining the subsequent life history of the individual. Here we investigate the daily activity pattern and detailed division of labor in colonies of the clonal ant Platythyrea punctata to better understand the dynamics of age polyethism in this peculiar species. We found that P. punctata colonies were mostly active during the day. At night, few workers were observed out of their nests. Workers showed a decrease in brood care and aggressive behavior over time. With increasing age individuals spent more time outside the nest and were more frequently observed walking. However, the transition to outside tasks did not follow a consistent time pattern in all colonies. Workers transitioning at a younger age seemed to die earlier than workers that began to forage later in life.
Comparison of synchronous and asynchronous parallelization of extreme surrogate-assisted multi-objective evolutionary algorithm
Authors: Harada Tomohiro , Kaidan Misaki , Thawonmas Ruck
Published: September 2020

This paper investigates the integration of a surrogate-assisted multi-objective evolutionary algorithm (MOEA) and a parallel computation scheme to reduce the computing time until obtaining the optimal solutions in evolutionary algorithms (EAs). A surrogate-assisted MOEA solves multi-objective optimization problems while estimating the evaluation of solutions with a surrogate function. A surrogate function is produced by a machine learning model. This paper uses an extreme learning surrogate-assisted MOEA/D (ELMOEA/D), which utilizes one of the well-known MOEA algorithms, MOEA/D, and a machine learning technique, extreme learning machine (ELM). A parallelization of MOEA, on the other hand, evaluates solutions in parallel on multiple computing nodes to accelerate the optimization process. We consider a synchronous and an asynchronous parallel MOEA as a master-slave parallelization scheme for ELMOEA/D. We carry out an experiment with multi-objective optimization problems to compare the synchronous parallel ELMOEA/D with the asynchronous parallel ELMOEA/D. In the experiment, we simulate two settings of the evaluation time of solutions. One determines the evaluation time of solutions by the normal distribution with different variances. On the other hand, another evaluation time correlates to the objective function value. We compare the quality of solutions obtained by the parallel ELMOEA/D variants within a particular computing time. The experimental results show that the parallelization of ELMOEA/D significantly reduces the computational time. In addition, the integration of ELMOEA/D with the asynchronous parallelization scheme obtains higher quality of solutions quicker than the synchronous parallel ELMOEA/D.
Aphantasia, imagination and dreaming
Authors: Whiteley Cecily M. K.
Published: September 2020

Aphantasia is a recently discovered disorder characterised by the total incapacity to generate visual forms of mental imagery. This paper proposes that aphantasia raises important theoretical concerns for the ongoing debate in the philosophy and science of consciousness over the nature of dreams. Recent studies of aphantasia and its neurobehavioral correlates reveal that the majority of aphantasics, whilst unable to produce visual imagery while awake, nevertheless retain the capacity to experiencerich visual dreams.This finding constitutes a novel explanandum for theories of dreaming. Specifically, I argue that the recent dream reports of aphantasics constitute an empirical challenge to the emerging family of views which claim that dreams are essentially imaginative experiences, constitutively involving the kinds of mental imagery which aphantasics,ex-hypothesi,lack. After presenting this challenge in the context of Jonathan Ichikawa’s recent arguments for this view, I argue that this empirical challenge may be overcome if the imagination theorist abandons Ichikawa’s account of dreaming in favour of a modified version. This involves the claim that dreams are essentially inactive and constitutively involvenon voluntaryforms of imagination. I conclude with a suggestion for further research which can test the viability of this alternative hypothesis, and move the debate forward.
Small-scale modelling of root-soil interaction of trees under lateral loads
Authors: Zhang X. , Knappett J. A. , Leung A. K. , Ciantia M. O. , Liang T. , Danjon F.
Published: September 2020

Aim

(1) To understand the tree root-soil interaction under lateral and moment loading using a physical modelling technique; (2) To detect the possible factors (e.g. root architecture, water condition, and stress level) influencing a tree’s push-over behaviour; (3) To identify suitable scaling laws to use in physical modelling.

Methods

Two 1:20 scaled root models with different architectures (namely, deep and narrow, and shallow and wide) were reconstructed and 3D printed based on the field-surveyed root architecture data. Push-over tests were performed both in elevated-gravity (centrifuge 20-g) and normal-gravity (1-g) conditions.

Results

The shallow and wide model showed higher anchorage strength than the deep and narrow model. Regardless of the root architecture, the root anchorage strength measured from dry soil was higher than that from saturated soil. However, once the effective stress was the same, regardless of water conditions, the root anchorage strength would be the same.

Conclusions

The presence of water decreasing the soil effective stress and key lateral roots extending along the wind direction play a significant role on a tree’s push-over resistance. Centrifuge tests showed comparable results to the field pull-over measurements while 1-g model tests overestimated the root-soil interaction, which could be corrected for soil strength by using modified scaling laws.
Meaningful affordances
Authors: Dings Roy
Published: September 2020

It has been argued that affordances are not meaningful and are thus not useful to be applied in contexts where specifically meaningfulness of experience is at stake (e.g. clinical contexts or discussions of autonomous agency). This paper aims to reconceptualize affordances such as to make them relevant and applicable in such contexts. It starts by investigating the ‘ambiguity’ of (possibilities for) action. In both philosophy of action and affordance research, this ambiguity is typically resolved by adhering to the agents intentions and concerns. I discuss some recent accounts of affordances that highlight these concerns but argue that they tend to adopt an ‘atomistic’ approach where there is no acknowledgement of how these concerns are embedded in the agents wider concerns, values, projects and commitments. An holistic approach that does acknowledge this can be found in psychological research on agents having a sense of what they’re doing. I will discuss this research in the second part of the paper and argue that agents can analogously have a sense of what is afforded. This is deemed the entry point for understanding the meaningfulness of affordances. In the final part of the paper I apply this analysis to recent attempts which seek to make sense of authentic and autonomous agency in terms of affordances.
Engineering what? On concepts in conceptual engineering
Authors: Koch Steffen
Published: September 2020

Conceptual engineers aim to revise rather than describe our concepts. But what are concepts? And how does one engineer them? Answering these questions is of central importance for implementing and theorizing about conceptual engineering. This paper discusses and criticizes two influential views of this issue: semanticism, according to which conceptual engineers aim to change linguistic meanings, and psychologism, according to which conceptual engineers aim to change psychological structures. I argue that neither of these accounts can give us the full story. Instead, I propose and defend the Dual Content View of Conceptual Engineering. On this view, conceptual engineering targets concepts, where concepts are understood as having two (interrelated) kinds of contents: referential content and cognitive content. I show that this view is independently plausible and that it gives us a comprehensive account of conceptual engineering that helps to make progress on some of the most difficult problems surrounding conceptual engineering.
Detection of Brucella spp. in raw milk from various livestock species raised under pastoral production systems in Isiolo and Marsabit Counties, northern Kenya
Authors: Wainaina Martin , Aboge Gabriel O. , Omwenga Isaac , Ngaywa Catherine , Ngwili Nicholas , Kiara Henry , Wamwere-Njoroge George , Bett Bernard
Published: September 2020

Introduction

Brucellosis is an important zoonotic disease in Kenya, and identifying the bacteria in milk is important in assessing the risk of exposure in people.

Methods

A cross-sectional study that involved 175 households was implemented in the pastoral counties of Marsabit and Isiolo in Kenya. Pooled milk samples (n = 164) were collected at the household level, and another 372 were collected from domesticated lactating animals (312 goats, 7 sheep, 50 cattle and 3 camels). Real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) testing of the milk samples was performed to identify Brucella species. Brucella anti-LPS IgG antibodies were also detected in bovine milk samples using an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

Results

Based on the qPCR, the prevalence of the pathogen at the animal level (considering samples from individual animals) was 2.4% (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.1–4.5) and 3.0% (CI: 1.0–7.0) in pooled samples. All 14 samples found positive by qPCR were from goats, with 10 contaminated with B. abortus and 4 with B. melitensis. The Brucella spp. antibody prevalence in bovine milk using the milk ELISA was 26.0% (95% CI: 14.6–40.3) in individual animal samples and 46.3% (95% CI: 30.7–62.6) in pooled samples.

Conclusion

The study is the first in Kenya to test for Brucella spp. directly from milk using qPCR without culturing for the bacteria. It also detected B. abortus in goats, suggesting transmission of brucellosis between cattle and goats. The high prevalence of Brucella spp. is a significant public health risk, and there is a need for intervention strategies necessary in the study area.
Butterfly species’ responses to urbanization: differing effects of human population density and built-up area
Authors: Kuussaari Mikko , Toivonen Marjaana , Heliölä Janne , Pöyry Juha , Mellado Jorge , Ekroos Johan , Hyyryläinen Vesa , Vähä-Piikkiö Inkeri , Tiainen Juha
Published: September 2020

Good knowledge on how increasing urbanization affects biodiversity is essential in order to preserve biodiversity in urban green spaces. We examined how urban development affects species richness and total abundance of butterflies as well as the occurrence and abundance of individual species within the Helsinki metropolitan area in Northern Europe. Repeated butterfly counts in 167 separate 1-km-long transects within Helsinki covered the entire urbanization gradient, quantified by human population density and the proportion of built-up area (within a 50-m buffer surrounding each butterfly transect). We found consistently negative effects of both human population density and built-up area on all studied butterfly variables, though butterflies responded markedly more negatively to increasing human population density than to built-up area. Responses in butterfly species richness and total abundance showed higher variability in relation to proportion of built-up area than to human density, especially in areas of high human density. Increasing human density negatively affected both the abundance and the occurrence of 47% of the 19 most abundant species, whereas, for the proportion of built-up area, the corresponding percentages were 32% and 32%, respectively. Species with high habitat specificity and low mobility showed higher sensitivity to urbanization (especially high human population density) than habitat generalists and mobile species that dominated the urban butterfly communities. Our results suggest that human population density provides a better indicator of urbanization effects on butterflies compared to the proportion of built-up area. The generality of this finding should be verified in other contexts and taxonomic groups.
Patricide and overkill: a review of the literature and case report of a murder with Capgras delusion
Authors: Trotta Silvia , Mandarelli Gabriele , Ferorelli Davide , Solarino Biagio
Published: September 2020

Despite being an infrequent crime, parental homicide has been associated with schizophrenia spectrum disorders in adult perpetrators and a history of child abuse and family violence in adolescent perpetrators. Among severe psychiatric disorders there is initial evidence that delusional misidentification might also play a role in parricide. Parricides are often committed with undue violence and may result in overkill. The authors present the case of an adult male affected by schizoaffective disorder and Capgras syndrome who committed patricide. Forensic pathologists classify such cases as overkill by multiple fatal means comprising stabbing, blunt trauma and choking. Accurate crime scene investigations coupled with psychiatric examinations of perpetrator allow reconstruction of the murder stages. This overkill case is discussed in the context of a broad review of the literature.
Modeling of methane migration from gas wellbores into shallow groundwater at basin scale
Authors: Taherdangkoo Reza , Tatomir Alexandru , Sauter Martin
Published: September 2020

Methane contamination of drinking water resources is one of the major concerns associated with unconventional gas development. This study assesses the potential contamination of shallow groundwater via methane migration from a leaky natural gas well through overburden rocks, following hydraulic fracturing. A two-dimensional, two-phase, two-component numerical model is employed to simulate methane and brine upward migration toward shallow groundwater in a generic sedimentary basin. A sensitivity analysis is conducted to examine the influence of methane solubility, capillary pressure–saturation relationship parameters and residual water saturation of overburden rocks, gas leakage rate from the well, tilted formations, and low-permeability sediments (i.e., claystones) on the transport of fluids. Results show that the presence of lithological barriers is the most important factor controlling the temporal–spatial distribution of methane in the subsurface and the arrival time to shallow groundwater. A pulse of high leakage rate is required for early manifestation of methane in groundwater wells. Simulations reveal that the presence of tilted features could further explain fast-growing methane contamination and extensive lateral spreading reported in field studies.
A brief note on the computation of silent from nonsilent contributions of spatially localized magnetizations on a sphere
Authors: Gerhards Christian
Published: September 2020

Any square-integrable vector field$$\mathbf {f}$$fover a sphere$$\mathbb {S}$$Scan be decomposed into three unique contributions: one being the gradient of a function harmonic inside the sphere (denoted by$$\mathbf {f}_+$$f+), one being the gradient of a function harmonic in the exterior of the sphere (denoted by$$\mathbf {f}_-$$f-), and one being tangential and divergence-free (denoted by$$\mathbf {f}_{df}$$fdf). In geomagnetic applications this is of relevance because, if we consider$$\mathbf {f}$$fto be identified with a magnetization, only the contribution$$\mathbf {f}_+$$f+can generate a non-vanishing magnetic field in the exterior of the sphere. Thus, we call$$\mathbf {f}_-$$f-and$$\mathbf {f}_{df}$$fdf“silent” and$$\mathbf {f}_+$$f+“nonsilent”. If$$\mathbf {f}$$fis known to be spatially localized in a subregion of the sphere, then$$\mathbf {f}_+$$f+and$$\mathbf {f}_-$$f-are coupled due to their potential field nature. In this short paper, we derive an approach that makes use of this coupling in order to compute the contribution$$\mathbf {f}_-$$f-from knowledge of the contribution$$\mathbf {f}_+$$f+.
A novel method to identify the flow pattern of oil–water two-phase flow
Authors: Li Zhong-Cheng , Fan Chun-Ling
Published: September 2020

This paper presents a novel method combining extreme learning machine (ELM) and multiple empirical mode decomposition (MEMD) to identify flow patterns of oil–water two-phase flow. The proposed method can recognize accurately five typical flow patterns of horizontal oil–water two-phase flow. Taking the Lorenz system as an example, we verify the MEMD is more suitable for simultaneous decomposition of multi-channel signals than empirical mode decomposition and ensemble empirical mode decomposition. In the proposed method, we employ the MEMD to decompose the multivariate conductance signal of oil–water two-phase flow to obtain the same intrinsic mode function modes, select the normalized energy of the high-frequency components as the eigenvalue, and utilize the trained ELM to achieve a good recognition result. The experimental results show that the proposed method is not only fast and generalized, but also has high accuracy in identifying flow patterns of oil–water two-phase flow.
Quick Response Disaster Research: Opportunities and Challenges for a New Funding Program
Authors: Oulahen Greg , Vogel Brennan , Gouett-Hanna Chris
Published: September 2020

Quick response research conducted by social scientists in the aftermath of a disaster can reveal important findings about hazards and their impacts on communities. Research to collect perishable data, or data that will change or be lost over time, immediately following disaster has been supported for decades by two programs in the United States, amassing a collection of quick response studies and an associated research culture. That culture is currently being challenged to better address power imbalances between researchers and disaster-affected participants. Until recently, Canada has not had a quick response grant program. In order to survey the state of knowledge and draw from it in helping to shape the new program in Canada, this article systematically analyzes the body of research created by the two US programs. The results reveal a wide-ranging literature: the studies are theoretically, conceptually, topically, and methodologically quite unique to one another. This diversity might appropriately reflect the nature of disasters, but the finding that many studies are not building on previous quick response research and other insights indicate opportunities for how a new grant program in Canada can contribute to growing a robust subdiscipline of disaster research.
Floss abrasion: a cautionary tale
Authors: Cooper J. , Al-Jassim D. , Barry S.
Published: September 2020

Background

The Hall technique for placement of preformed metal crowns is widely used in the UK for the management of decayed primary molar teeth. The creation of space is achieved by the placement of orthodontic separators adjacent to the tooth requiring restoration. Highlighting the first reported case of an abrasion caused by dental floss, this communication describes the clinical findings of an 8-year-old patient following placement of orthodontic separators.

Case report

An 8-year old boy attended the University Dental Hospital of Manchester for placement of orthodontic separators prior to restoration URE, ULE, LLE, and LRE with preformed metal crowns using the hall technique. The following week he presented with a 2cm abrasion to his right cheek, which had been caused by dental floss used in placement of the orthodontic separators.

Follow up

Conservative advice was given and the lesion had resolved completely at a 2-week review.

Conclusion

This case is a timely reminder of the importance of adequate lip retraction and soft tissue management during placement of orthodontic separators.
Delirium in COVID-19: epidemiology and clinical correlations in a large group of patients admitted to an academic hospital
Authors: Ticinesi Andrea , Cerundolo Nicoletta , Parise Alberto , Nouvenne Antonio , Prati Beatrice , Guerra Angela , Lauretani Fulvio , Maggio Marcello , Meschi Tiziana
Published: September 2020

Background

Delirium incidence and clinical correlates in coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pneumonia are still poorly investigated.

Aim

To describe the epidemiology of delirium in patients hospitalized for suspect COVID-19 pneumonia during the pandemic peak in an academic hospital of Northern Italy, identify its clinical correlations and evaluate the association with mortality.

Methods

The clinical records of 852 patients admitted for suspect COVID-19 pneumonia, defined as respiratory symptoms or fever or certain history of contact with COVID-19 patients, plus chest CT imaging compatible with alveolar-interstitial pneumonia, were retrospectively analyzed. Delirium was defined after careful revision of daily clinical reports in accordance with the Confusion Assessment Method criteria. Data on age, clinical presentation, comorbidities, drugs, baseline lab tests and outcome were collected. The factors associated with delirium, and the association of delirium with mortality, were evaluated through binary logistic regression models.

Results

Ninety-four patients (11%) developed delirium during stay. They were older (median age 82, interquartile range, IQR 78–89, vs 75, IQR 63–84,p < 0.001), had more neuropsychiatric comorbidities and worse respiratory exchanges at baseline. At multivariate models, delirium was independently and positively associated with age [odds ratio (OR) 1.093, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.046–1.143,p < 0.001], use of antipsychotic drugs (OR 4.529, 95% CI 1.204–17.027,p = 0.025), serum urea and lactate-dehydrogenase at admission. Despite a higher mortality in patients with delirium (57% vs 30%), this association was not independent of age and respiratory parameters.

Conclusions

Delirium represents a common complication of COVID-19 and a marker of severe disease course, especially in older patients with neuropsychiatric comorbidity.
Hyperechogenic Fetal Kidneys: Uncertain Diagnosis and Unpredictable Future?
Authors: Ashutosh Gupta , Anjila Aneja , Neena Bahl , Rupam Arora , Raina Sehgal Renu , Pankaj Saini
Published: September 2020

Glomerulocystic kidney with increased renal echogenicity encompasses a number of renal abnormalities that might have cystic glomeruli and be a sequelae of renal obstruction. Increased echogenicity of the kidneys is a non-specific finding and a result of varied etiologies. Multiple microscopic cortical and medullary cysts, interstitial fibrosis and mesangial sclerosis are the etiopathogenesis for renal hyperechogenicity even in the absence of macrocysts. The crucial point is poor predictability of antenatal ultrasound to fully define the extent and severity of parenchymal damage and to forecast its outcome at the time of initial diagnosis. The only exception is the most severe forms of cystic dysplasia associated with severe oligohydramnios. Urinary levels of β2-microglobulin may be a valuable marker of fetal renal function. Hyperechogenic fetal kidneys may have varied etiologies and within each etiological group there may have a wide range of outcomes. Challenges lie in counseling after antenatal diagnosis of fetal hyperechogenic kidneys which carry an uncertain course and prognosis.
Conversations with Materials and Diagrams about some of the Intricacies of Oscillatory Motion
Authors: Nemirovsky Ricardo , Ferrari Giulia , Rasmussen Chris , Voigt Matthew
Published: September 2020

This article relates a case study on how a conversation with materials and diagrams – the actual use of materials and diagrams to think, imagine, explain, collaborate, design and build – featured a certain kind of interplay between material and digital components. The physical components present in this setting included a water wheel, which is a wheel driven by flow of water whose rotational motion is a classic example of chaotic dynamics regulated by Lorenz equations. Digital components allowed for real-time graphical displays corresponding to the turning of the water wheel. We selected for this article a sequence of episodes from an interview with Jake, an undergraduate student majoring in engineering. Through a micro-ethnographic analysis, we reflect on how Jake combined the responsiveness of the digital displays with the tangibility of the water wheel to gain insight into some of the intricacies of oscillatory motion.
Crisis contagion in the world trade network
Authors: Coquidé Célestin , Lages José , Shepelyansky Dima L.
Published: September 2020

We present a model of worldwide crisis contagion based on the Google matrix analysis of the world trade network obtained from the UN Comtrade database. The fraction of bankrupted countries exhibits anon-offphase transition governed by a bankruptcy thresholdκrelated to the trade balance of the countries. Forκ>κc, the contagion is circumscribed to less than 10% of the countries, whereas, forκ<κc, the crisis is global with about 90% of the countries going to bankruptcy. We measure the total cost of the crisis during the contagion process. In addition to providing contagion scenarios, our model allows to probe the structural trading dependencies between countries. For different networks extracted from the world trade exchanges of the last two decades, the global crisis comes from the Western world. In particular, the source of the global crisis is systematically the Old Continent and The Americas (mainly US and Mexico). Besides the economy of Australia, those of Asian countries, such as China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand, are the last to fall during the contagion. Also, the four BRIC are among the most robust countries to the world trade crisis.
Factors that support high school completion: A longitudinal examination of quality teacher‐student relationships and intentions to graduate
Authors: Burns Emma C.
Published: September 2020

Introduction

Stage‐environment fit theory (SEF) posits that students leave school when their environments do not meet their needs. Quality teacher‐student relationships (QTSRs) are a critical element of students’ environments. Moreover, QTSRs help students internalize positive intentions to graduate. QTSRs and intentions to graduate have both been identified as separate determinants of high school completion. These factors may also form a longitudinal socio‐motivational process that supports graduation. However, few studies have examined such processes.

Methods

This investigation examined data from N = 4691 Australian secondary students (43% female) included in the Longitudinal Survey of Australian Youth (LSAY) 2009 cohort. Participants were in grade 10 at Time 1 (Mage = 15.74; SD = 0.28), with a total of four annual time points examined. Longitudinal probit regression was used to examine the extent to which grade 10 QTSRs predicted students’ intentions to graduate (in grades 10 and 11), and QTSRs and intentions to graduate predicted high school completion. Multi‐class analysis and indirect effects testing were also conducted.

Results

Grade 10 QTSRs are positively associated with grade 10 intentions to graduate and grade 11 intentions to graduate (beyond the effects of grade 10 intentions to graduate). QTSRs and intentions to graduate were also positively associated with increased chances of high school completion. QTSRs were found to play a stronger role for low‐achieving students over time.

Conclusions

Overall, QTSRs and intentions to graduate appear to be significantly associated with intentions to graduate and high school completion, especially for low‐achieving students. Intervention implications are signalled.
Umbilical catheter rupture
Authors: Khasawneh Wasim , Samara Dua N. , Bataineh Ziad A.
Published: September 2020

Umbilical catheterization is commonly used as a route to provide medications and fluids to the neonates as well as for blood sampling and continuous monitoring. Although the rupture of umbilical catheters is considered as a rare, preventable complication, it has been reported several times in the literature. Healthcare providers need to be cautious with catheter placement, maintenance, and removal to prevent such a complication.

Hereby, we review the literature about this complication after presenting two incidents of umbilical venous catheter rupture in two separate patients in our neonatal ICU. One was removed easily through the umbilical stump, whereas the other required surgical exploration.
Modular sealing unit combines classic radial shaft seal with plastic outer case
Authors: Atkinson Simon
Published: September 2020

Freudenberg Sealing Technologies has developed a modular sealing unit that combines a classic radial shaft seal with a plastic outer case. The design promotes better long-term seal performance and longevity, is easier to assemble and significantly lowers manufacturing costs compared with traditional metal-encased radial shaft seal units. Although it is designed for general industry use – especially in small, electric household appliances – the company is also exploring other uses for this technology, as this brief focus article reveals.
Lookout for learning: Exploring the links between drama and environmental education pedagogies
Authors: Wake Susan J. , Birdsall Sally
Published: September 2020

Environmental educators remain challenged by how to encourage people to make connections between environmental quality and human development in a way that is socially just and equitable for all living things. This article explores links between performance-based learning and environmental education pedagogy as one way to address this challenge. Sixteen children (8–10 years) from an Auckland primary school worked with a performance artist to present Lookout, an intimate performance by a child for an adult. Its intent was to juxtapose people’s different backgrounds, experiences and ages in a two-way communication of their view of Auckland City through an environmental lens encompassing past, present and future, while surveying the city from a vantage point. Analysis of data from focus groups with the children and interviews with their parents (also participants) showed that the Lookout process led to children developing a deeper understanding of Auckland City’s issues, a stronger sense of connection to their city, an understanding of the future, and feelings of empowerment. However, their parents’ learning was more tenuous. Three key elements to the success of Lookout for learning are identified, and it is proposed that these could be used when developing performance-based environmental education programs.
Ghana’s Bui Dam and the Contestation over Hydro Power in Africa
Authors: Gocking Roger
Published: September 2020

The negative environmental and social consequences of the major era of hydroelectric dam building in the 1950s and 60s generated social and political opposition to similar projects by the 1990s. In Ghana, hydroelectricity’s dependence on unpredictable rainfall also undermined the attractiveness of this source of electricity. The Bui Dam, Ghana’s third hydroelectric dam, faced considerable opposition until 2006, when the Chinese government loaned money for its construction. Gocking details how Chinese companies with similar funding, and constructing infrastructure projects in general in Africa, have contributed to a second era of major dam building in that continent, although there still remains considerable contestation.