bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Translation and validation of the anticipated turnover scale for the Portuguese cultural context
Authors: de Sul Susana Isabel Rodrigues , Lucas Pedro Ricardo Martins Bernardes
Published: June 2020

Aim

This study aimed to culturally and linguistically adapt the Anticipated Turnover Scale (ATS) for the Portuguese population.

Design

A cross‐sectional study.

Methods

The ATS instrument was validated in a non‐probabilistic sample of 259 nurses working at three hospitals in Portugal. The validity was assessed through factor analysis and structural equation modelling. Reliability was assessed using Cronbach's alpha, composite reliability and test–retest.

Results

The final scale is a one‐factor scale consisting of 10 items and called "turnover intention." There are significant correlations among the scale items. Reliability and validity are acceptable. The ATS—Portuguese version, exhibited good psychometric properties for the Portuguese population.
An open annotated bibliography for soil and water conservation: A case study
Authors: Moorberg Colby J.
Published: June 2020

The rising cost of textbooks is a barrier to higher education for many students. Open textbooks are one potential solution, though few open textbooks exist for agriculture and natural science disciplines. Here, I present a case study examining my selection of assigned reading material for a college course on soil and water conservation. Potential options included three commercial textbooks or using an assortment of alternative reading assignments in place of a traditional textbook. I chose to use alternative reading assignments, which include extension publications, government reports, and other similar and free resources available online. This led to the creation of an open annotated bibliography, Soil and Water Conservation: An Annotated Bibliography. An overview of the annotated bibliography development, content, and classroom use is presented. Soil and Water Conservation: An Annotated Bibliography serves as a resource for students and practitioners of soil and water conservation, and as an example of an alternative approach for developing open textbooks that enhance natural sciences education.
Facile preparation of robust superhydrophobic surface based on multi‐scales nanoparticle
Authors: Qi Chunhong , Chen He , Sun Youyi , Shen Luyan , Li Xiaolin , Fu Qiang , Liu Yaqing
Published: June 2020

A new superhydrophobic surface based on multi‐scales nanoparticle was designed and prepared to enhance the robustness and reproducibility. The influence of multi‐scale nanoparticles on the structure and property of the superhydrophobic surface was further investigated. The superhydrophobic surface with optimized composition did not only show high contact angle of 160°‐166.3° but also exhibited good durability to the mechanical, chemical, and thermal environments. Furthermore, the superhydrophobic surface was evaluated for application in anticorrosion, anti‐icing, and self‐cleaning. This study provides a new method to prepare robust superhydrophobic surface based on polymer nanocomposite coating for various potential applications.
Ethylene polymerization and copolymerization reactions with Ti(OR)4 – Al2(C2H5)3Cl3/Mg(C4H9)2 catalyst
Authors: Rishina Laura А , Kissin Yury V , Lalayan Svetlana S , Krasheninnikov Vadim G
Published: June 2020

The ternary Ti(Oiso‐C3H7)4–Al2(C2H5)3Cl3/Mg(C4H9)2 catalyst polymerizes ethylene and copolymerizes it with 1‐hexene but does not polymerize propylene. The catalyst contains several types of active centers with different kinetic parameters; they produce polymer components with different average molecular weights. The centers have similar reactivities in ethylene/1‐hexene copolymerization reactions and produce copolymers with a relatively uniform compositional distribution. The catalyst can be used for synthesis of ethylene/1‐alkene copolymers of the linear low‐density polyethylene type. The principal advantages of the catalyst are high activity, stable kinetic behavior, low cost of all components and the ease of use: the catalyst is prepared in situ from three commercially available compounds readily soluble in aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry
Ignition and Extinction of n‐Butyl Nitroxyethylnitramine‐Plasticized Polyethylene Glycol Propellants
Authors: Shim Hong‐Min , Kim Sung June , Min Byoung Sun
Published: June 2020

The ignition and extinction of n‐butyl nitroxyethylnitramine (BuNENA)‐plasticized polyethylene glycol (PEG) propellants were investigated with respect to the concentration of binder and the ratio of plasticizer to polymer (pl/po). A distinctive change in the ignition delay time (tign) of the propellants was found at a low pressure of 0.03 MPa, where tign increases as the binder concentration increases from 24 % to 32 % and decreases when the pl/po ratio reaches from 1 to 6. The kinetic analysis shows that the ignition delay of BuNENA‐PEG propellants is due to a high activation energy of a condensed phase accompanied by the reduction of NO in the gas phase that plays an important role in the formation of luminous flames. Furthermore, the BuNENA‐PEG propellants with a high concentration of binder or a low ratio of pl/po were found to result in a relatively high value of the pressure deflagration limit (PDL) under which steady combustion cannot occur. With regard to combustion stability, it seems that the BuNENA‐PEG propellants producing relatively large amounts of CO and H2 are easy to extinguish and exhibit significant delay in ignition at low pressure.
Survival and development of Spodoptera eridania, Spodoptera cosmioides and Spodoptera albula (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) on genetically‐modified soybean expressing Cry1Ac and Cry1F proteins
Authors: Machado Eduardo P , dos S Rodrigues Junior Gerson L , Somavilla Junior C , Führ Fábio M , Zago Stefan L , Marques Luiz H , Santos Antonio C , Nowatzki Timothy , Dahmer Mark L , Omoto Celso , Bernardi Oderlei
Published: June 2020

BACKGROUND

Spodoptera eridania (Stoll), S. cosmioides (Walker) and S. albula (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) are considered secondary pests of soybean in South America. The genetically‐modified soybean DAS‐444Ø6‐6 × DAS‐81419‐2 with tolerance to 2,4‐dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4‐D), glyphosate and ammonium glufosinate herbicides (event DAS‐444Ø6‐6) and insect‐resistance due to expression of Cry1Ac and Cry1F Bt proteins (event DAS‐81419‐2) may provide a potential tool for integrated pest management (IPM) of these species in soybean fields. Based on this, we conducted bioassays to evaluate the survival and development of S. eridania, S. cosmioides and S. albula fed on Cry1Ac/Cry1F‐soybean leaf tissue.

RESULTS

Spodoptera eridania and S. cosmioides fed on Cry1Ac/Cry1F‐soybean showed longer developmental time, lower larval and egg to adult survival compared to those fed on non‐Bt soybean, reducing the population growth of these species. Spodoptera albula also had lower larval survival and number of insects that reached adulthood on Cry1Ac/Cry1F‐soybean. However, no significant effects of Cry1Ac/Cry1F‐soybean on population growth parameters were detected in this species.

CONCLUSIONS

Soybean with stacked events DAS‐444Ø6‐6 × DAS‐81419‐2 expressing Cry1Ac/Cry1F Bt proteins provide population suppression of S. eridania and S. cosmioides. However, this Bt soybean had minimal effects on S. albula, and is unlikely to have negative population‐level effects on this species. It is expected that under field conditions, other control tactics must be integrated with Cry1Ac/Cry1F‐soybean for the management of these Spodoptera species. © 2020 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.
Microcharacteristics of soil pores after raindrop action
Authors: Yang Mingxi , Fu Yu , Li Guanglu , Ren Yangyang , Li Zefang , Ma Gangan
Published: June 2020

Aggregate breakdown and transportation caused by raindrops clogs soil pores and aggravates the formation of surface crusts. However, changes in soil pore microcharacteristics after raindrop impact are equivocal. In this research, we used synchrotron‐based X‐ray microcomputed tomography (SR‐μCT) and image processing techniques to quantitatively analyze the pore microcharacteristics of undisturbed soil and disturbed soil impacted by raindrop diameters of 2.67 mm (small), 3.39 mm (medium), and 4.05 mm (large). The results showed that the changes in the soil pore microcharacteristics were mainly caused by medium and large raindrops. Compared with the undisturbed soil, the total imaged porosity decreased by 5.91% after splashing by small raindrops and significantly (P < .05) decreased by 15.83 and 18.28% after medium and large raindrop splashing, respectively. The total volume of pores and the porosity of the large pores had the same decreasing trend as the total porosity. The porosity of the elongated pores decreased by 11.51 and 23.41% after medium and large raindrop splashing, respectively. The raindrop action clogged the soil pores. The clogging ratios caused by small, medium, and large raindrops were 1.06, 2.83, and 3.29%, respectively, and increased with raindrop diameter, rain intensity, and rainfall energy. Thus the increase in pore clogging and the decrease in macroporosity are the main reasons for the formation of surface crusts.
In‐Plane Lithium Growth Enabled by Artificial Nitrate‐Rich Layer: Fast Deposition Kinetics and Desolvation/Adsorption Mechanism
Authors: Wang Xianshu , Wang Huirong , Liu Mingzhu , Li Weishan
Published: June 2020

An artificial lithium‐nitrate (LiNO3)‐rich layer (LN‐RL) is developed to address dendritic lithium (Li) growth by a fusing–infusing strategy, in which LiNO3 is loaded into stainless steel mesh and a Li‐metal anode (LN‐RL@Li) is obtained by casting this LN‐RL onto Li foil. The LN‐RL enables fast Li deposition kinetics in carbonates and endows LN‐RL@Li with excellent cycleability. The underneath mechanism on the contribution of LN‐RL is uncovered by detailed characterizations combining with theoretical simulations. The LN‐RL promotes the desolvation and capacitive adsorption of Li ions and induces in‐plane Li growth along the edges of preplated Li with planar morphology. The improved cycleability of LN‐RL(@Li) is demonstrated by LiǁCu cell that presents a coulombic efficiency of 97.2% after 280 cycles and LiǁLi cell that proceeds over 1000 h at 0.5 mA cm−2 in carbonates. Additionally, the LiǁLiFePO4 cell shows a capacity retention of 58% after 400 cycles at 1 C (1 C = 170 mA g−1), compared to the 35% after 180 cycles for the control. This work presents not only a promising strategy for practical applications of Li‐metal batteries, but also a new understanding on the role of nitrate in Li plating/stripping kinetics.
Exploration of Advanced Electrode Materials for Approaching High‐Performance Nickel‐Based Superbatteries
Authors: Shabangoli Yasin , El‐Kady Maher F. , Nazari Mahrokh , Dadashpour Elaheh , Noori Abolhassan , Rahmanifar Mohammad S. , Lv Xiaojing , Zhang Cheng , Kaner Richard B. , Mousavi Mir F.
Published: June 2020

The surging interest in high performance, low‐cost, and safe energy storage devices has spurred tremendous research efforts in the development of advanced electrode active materials. Herein, the in situ growth of zinc–iron layered double hydroxide (Zn–Fe LDH) on graphene aerogel (GA) substrates through a facile, one‐pot hydrothermal method is reported. The strong interaction and efficient electronic coupling between LDH and graphene substantially improve interfacial charge transport properties of the resulting nanocomposite and provide more available redox active sites for faradaic reactions. An LDH–GA||Ni(OH)2 device is also fabricated that results in greatly enhanced specific capacity (187 mAh g−1 at 0.1 A g−1), outstanding specific energy (147 Wh kg−1), excellent specific power (16.7 kW kg−1), along with 88% capacity retention after >10 000 cycles. This approach is further extended to Ni–MH and Ni–Cd batteries to demonstrate the feasibility of compositing with graphene for boosting the energy storage performance of other well‐known Ni‐based batteries. In contrast to conventional Ni‐based batteries, the nearly flat voltage plateau followed by a sloping potential profile of the integrated supercapacitor–battery enables it to be discharged down to 0 V without being damaged. These findings provide new prospects for the design of high‐performance and affordable superbatteries based on earth‐abundant elements.
Quantized Grain Boundary States Promote Nanoparticle Alignment During Imperfect Oriented Attachment
Authors: Lange Andrew P. , Samanta Amit , Olson Tammy Y. , Elhadj Selim
Published: June 2020

Oriented attachment (OA) has become a well‐recognized mechanism for the growth of metal, ceramic, and biomineral crystals. While many computational and experimental studies of OA have shown that particles can attach with some misorientation then rotate to remove adjoining grain boundaries, the underlying atomistic pathways for this “imperfect OA” process remain the subject of debate. In this study, molecular dynamics and in situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM) are used to probe the crystallographic evolution of up to 30 gold nanoparticles during aggregation. It is found that Imperfect OA occurs because 1) grain boundaries become quantized when their size is comparable to the separation between constituent dislocations and 2) kinetic barriers associated with the glide of grain boundary dislocations are small. In support of these findings, TEM experiments show the formation of a single crystal aggregate after annealing nine initially misoriented, agglomerated particles with evidence of dislocation activity and twin formation during particle/grain alignment. These observations motivate future work on assembled nanocrystals with tailored defects and call for a revision of Read–Shockley models for grain boundary energies in nanocrystalline materials.
The first fossil Sticholotidini ladybird beetle (Coleoptera, Coccinellidae) reveals a transition zone through northern Europe during the Eocene
Authors: Szawaryn Karol , Tomaszewska Wioletta
Published: June 2020

The fossil record of ladybird beetles is scarce with the first taxa described only very recently. The oldest members come from Eocene the amber deposits of Oise and the Bay of Gdańsk, and represent the tribes Coccidulini and Serangiini respectively. Here, we describe a new genus,Electrolotis, which belongs to the tribe Sticholotidini and is presently distributed in tropical and subtropical areas of the world. The new species from Baltic amber deposits,Electrolotis hoffeinsorumsp. nov., possesses an unusual set of characters not present in the modern fauna: two arcuate lines of large punctures on each elytron (occurring today only in Oriental Sticholotidini) and recurved abdominal postcoxal lines, currently present only in three New World genera. This combination of characters makes the new species an intermediate taxon between modern Old World and New World taxa, which may indicate that during the Eocene northern Europe might have been an important migration route for Sticholotidini.
Unique weak solutions of the magnetohydrodynamic equations with fractional dissipation
Authors: Dai Yichen , Ji Ruihong , Wu Jiahong
Published: June 2020

This paper examines the existence and uniqueness of weak solutions to the d‐dimensional magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) equations with fractional dissipation and fractional magnetic diffusion . The aim is at the uniqueness of weak solutions in the weakest possible inhomogeneous Besov spaces. We establish the local existence and uniqueness in the functional setting and when , and . The case when with and has previously been studied in [7, 19]. However, their approaches can not be directly extended to the fractional case when due to the breakdown of a bilinear estimate. By decomposing the bilinear term into different frequencies, we are able to obtain a suitable upper bound on the bilinear term for , which allows us to close the estimates in the aforementioned Besov spaces.
Beyond Poverty
Authors: Wolff Jonathan
Published: June 2020

Poverty is often defined as lacking the financial resources to meet a defined set of needs. The stated level of financial resources is taken to define a poverty line. Accordingly, the clear policy response to poverty is to raise the incomes of those who fall below such a line. In this paper, drawing on the capability approach, I argue that this approach is limited in two related ways, and it is necessary to move “beyond poverty” both in a conceptual and a policy sense. First, it is rarely if ever the case that a particular level of financial resources is necessary or sufficient to meet a set of needs, as other factors also act as critical inputs. Second, to bring people over the threshold set of needs, policies that do not raise income, such as the provision of collective goods, will often be more effective in the long term than income transfers. Nevertheless, in the short-term raising incomes will often be the easiest and most available strategy and hence there is also reason to retain the concept of poverty and related policies.
Understanding the links between hearing impairment and dementia: development and validation of the Social and Emotional Impact of Hearing Impairment (SEI-HI) questionnaire
Authors: Littlejohn Jenna , Blackburn Daniel , Venneri Annalena
Published: June 2020

Background

The links between hearing impairment (HI) and dementia have been well documented, but factors mediating this relationship remain unknown. Major consequences of HI are social and emotional dysfunction, and as the risk of dementia increases linearly with the severity of HI, it is plausible that socio-emotional difficulties may play a role in this association.

Objective

The aim of this study was to develop and validate a tool to analyse levels of hearing-related disability, to investigate ultimately whether subjective disability contributes to risk of cognitive impairment compared with hearing thresholds alone.

Methods

Development and validation of the questionnaire, the Social and Emotional Impact of Hearing Impairment (SEI-HI), was conducted in four phases: (1) content; (2) scoring and outcomes; (3) validation; (4) feasibility in a sample of people with cognitive impairment.

Results

Considerable evidence was found for the internal and external reliability of the tool with high construct validity, concurrent validity and test-retest values of the SEI-HI questionnaire. A feasibility check on 31 patients with mild cognitive impairment or dementia showed the SEI-HI questionnaire was easy to administer and well-received.

Conclusion

The SEI-HI questionnaire is a relevant instrument to assess hearing-related disability which can be used in people with cognitive decline to assess further impact on risk of developing dementia.
Multi-agent active information gathering in discrete and continuous-state decentralized POMDPs by policy graph improvement
Authors: Lauri Mikko , Pajarinen Joni , Peters Jan
Published: June 2020

Decentralized policies for information gathering are required when multiple autonomous agents are deployed to collect data about a phenomenon of interest when constant communication cannot be assumed. This is common in tasks involving information gathering with multiple independently operating sensor devices that may operate over large physical distances, such as unmanned aerial vehicles, or in communication limited environments such as in the case of autonomous underwater vehicles. In this paper, we frame the information gathering task as a general decentralized partially observable Markov decision process (Dec-POMDP). The Dec-POMDP is a principled model for co-operative decentralized multi-agent decision-making. An optimal solution of a Dec-POMDP is a set of local policies, one for each agent, which maximizes the expected sum of rewards over time. In contrast to most prior work on Dec-POMDPs, we set the reward as a non-linear function of the agents’ state information, for example the negative Shannon entropy. We argue that such reward functions are well-suited for decentralized information gathering problems. We prove that if the reward function is convex, then the finite-horizon value function of the Dec-POMDP is also convex. We propose the first heuristic anytime algorithm for information gathering Dec-POMDPs, and empirically prove its effectiveness by solving discrete problems an order of magnitude larger than previous state-of-the-art. We also propose an extension to continuous-state problems with finite action and observation spaces by employing particle filtering. The effectiveness of the proposed algorithms is verified in domains such as decentralized target tracking, scientific survey planning, and signal source localization.
Projection wavelet weighted twin support vector regression for OFDM system channel estimation
Authors: Wang Lidong , Ma Yimei , Chang Xudong , Gao Chuang , Qu Qiang , Chen Xuebo
Published: June 2020

In this paper, an efficient projection wavelet weighted twin support vector regression (PWWTSVR) based orthogonal frequency division multiplexing system (OFDM) system channel estimation algorithm is proposed. Most Channel estimation algorithms for OFDM systems are based on the linear assumption of channel model. In the proposed algorithm, the OFDM system channel is consumed to be nonlinear and fading in both time and frequency domains. The PWWTSVR utilizes pilot signals to estimate response of nonlinear wireless channel, which is the main work area of SVR. Projection axis in optimal objective function of PWWRSVR is sought to minimize the variance of the projected points due to the utilization of a priori information of training data. Different from traditional support vector regression algorithm, training samples in different positions in the proposed PWWTSVR model are given different penalty weights determined by the wavelet transform. The weights are applied to both the quadratic empirical risk term and the first-degree empirical risk term to reduce the influence of outliers. The final regressor can avoid the overfitting problem to a certain extent and yield great generalization ability for channel estimation. The results of numerical experiments show that the propose algorithm has better performance compared to the conventional pilot-aided channel estimation methods.
Financial modelling, risk management of energy instruments and the role of cryptocurrencies
Authors: Huynh Toan Luu Duc , Shahbaz Muhammad , Nasir Muhammad Ali , Ullah Subhan
Published: June 2020

This paper empirically investigates whether cryptocurrencies might have a useful role in financial modelling and risk management in the energy markets. To do so, the causal relationship between movements on the energy markets (specifically the price of crude oil) and the value of cryptocurrencies is analysed by drawing on daily data from April 2013 to April 2019. We find that shocks to the US and European crude oil indices are strongly connected to the movements of most cryptocurrencies. Applying a non-parametric statistic, Transferring Entropy (an econophysics technique measuring information flow), we find that some cryptocurrencies (XEM, DOGE, VTC, XLM, USDT, XRP) can be used for hedging and portfolio diversification. Furthermore, the results reveal that the European crude oil index is a source of shocks on the cryptocurrency market while the US oil index appears to be a receiver of shocks.
Breast-contour preserving procedures for early-stage breast cancer: a population-based study of the trends, variation in practice and predictive characteristics in Denmark and the Netherlands
Authors: Heeg E. , Jensen M. B. , Mureau M. A. M. , Ejlertsen B. , Tollenaar R. A. E. M. , Christiansen P. M. , Vrancken Peeters M. T. F. D.
Published: June 2020

Purpose

Breast-contour preservation (BCP) is possible for most women treated for early-stage breast cancer. BCP can be defined as primary breast-conserving treatment (BCT), neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) followed by BCT and immediate postmastectomy breast reconstruction (IBR). This study provides insight in current BCP strategies in Denmark and the Netherlands and aims to identify opportunities for improvement within both countries.

Methods

A total of 92,881 patients with early-stage breast cancer who were operated in Denmark and the Netherlands between 2012 and 2017 were selected from the Danish Breast Cancer Group and the Dutch National Breast Cancer Audit databases. BCP procedures and predictive factors were analyzed within and between both countries.

Results

BCP was achieved in 76.7% (n = 16,355) of the Danish and in 74.5% (n = 53,328) of the Dutch patients. While BCP rate did not change significantly over time in Denmark (p = 0.250), a significant increase in BCP rate from 69.5% in 2012 to 78.5% in 2017 (p < 0.001) was observed in the Netherlands. In both countries, variation in BCP rates between hospitals decreased over time. NAC followed by BCT and postmastectomy IBR was substantially more often used in the Netherlands compared to Denmark, specifically in patients younger than 50 years.

Conclusions

In more than 75% of all Danish and Dutch patients, surgically treated for early-stage breast cancer, the breast-contour was preserved. The different use of BCP strategies within Denmark and the Netherlands and the differences observed between hospitals in both countries emphasize the need for more (inter)national consensus on treatment modalities.
A comparison between young and old patients with triple-negative breast cancer: biology, survival and metastatic patterns
Authors: Tzikas Anna-Karin , Nemes Szilard , Linderholm Barbro K.
Published: June 2020

Purpose

To determine the biology, recurrence rate, metastatic patterns and survival times in primary triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) with focus on the comparison between younger and elderly patients.

Methods

Patients with primary TNBC stage I–IV diagnosed from 2007 to 2015 were identified and information on tumor biology, stage, treatment, recurrences and death recorded.

Results

A total of 524 patients, median age 60 years (range 24–94) with a median follow-up of 55 months (range 0–129) were identified. Stage was similar in younger (< 40 years) (n = 58) and older (> 74 years) (n = 96) patients (p = 0.37). A statistically significant difference was found concerning histopathologic grade (p = 0.006) and Ki67 (median 80% versus 70%; p = 0.002) but not for LVI (p = 0.9) with more aggressive tumors among younger patients. Adjuvant/neoadjuvant chemotherapy was more frequently given to younger compared with older patients (96% versus 12%; p = 0.0005). Only brain (p = 0.016) and liver (p = 0.047) metastases were more often registered among younger patients while other locations were similar. Shorter survival times, recurrence-free survival (RFS), distant disease-free survival (DDFS) and breast cancer-specific survival (BCSS) were found in the older group, although not after adjusting for adjuvant/neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Most deaths (68%) in the older group were caused by TNBC. When comparing patients > 75 years (n = 92) with ≤ 75 years (n = 432), a worse outcome among older was also observed: RFS (p = 0.00012), DDFS (p = 0.00041), BCSS (p < 0.0001) and survival following distant metastasis (p = 0.0064)

Conclusions

Primary TNBC in younger patients is more often of poor differentiation grade and highly proliferative compared with older patients. The majority of older patients still have grade III tumors with a Ki67 > 60% and outcome is poor. Few older patients in our study were treated with chemotherapy both in adjuvant and palliative setting, underlining the need for more prospective trials and treatment options suitable for this patient population.
Programming Heterogeneous Parallel Machines Using Refactoring and Monte–Carlo Tree Search
Authors: Brown Christopher , Janjic Vladimir , Goli M. , McCall J.
Published: June 2020

This paper presents a new technique for introducing and tuning parallelism for heterogeneous shared-memory systems (comprising a mixture of CPUs and GPUs), using a combination of algorithmic skeletons (such as farms and pipelines), Monte–Carlo tree search for deriving mappings of tasks to available hardware resources, and refactoring tool support for applying the patterns and mappings in an easy and effective way. Using our approach, we demonstrate easily obtainable, significant and scalable speedups on a number of case studies showing speedups of up to 41 over the sequential code on a 24-core machine with one GPU. We also demonstrate that the speedups obtained by mappings derived by the MCTS algorithm are within 5–15% of the best-obtained manual parallelisation.
Dissolution and precipitation of copper-rich phases during heating and cooling of precipitation-hardening steel X5CrNiCuNb16-4 (17-4 PH)
Authors: Rowolt Christian , Milkereit Benjamin , Springer Armin , Kreyenschulte Carsten , Kessler Olaf
Published: June 2020

Continuous heating transformation (CHT) diagrams and continuous cooling transformation (CCT) diagrams of precipitation-hardening steels have the drawback that important information on the dissolution and precipitation of Cu-rich phases during continuous heating and cooling are missing. This work uses a comparison of different techniques, namely dilatometry and differential scanning calorimetry for the in situ analysis of the so far neglected dissolution and precipitation of Cu-rich phases during continuous heating and cooling to overcome these drawbacks. Compared to dilatometry, DSC is much more sensitive to phase transformation affecting small volume fractions, like precipitation. Thus, the important solvus temperature for the dissolution of Cu-rich phases was revealed from DSC and integrated into the CHT diagram. Moreover, DSC reveals that during continuous cooling from solution treatment, premature Cu-rich phases may form depending on cooling rate. Those quench-induced precipitates were analysed for a broad range of cooling rates and imaged for microstructural analysis using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. This information substantially improves the CCT diagram.
Data Quality Monitoring Considerations for Implementation in High Performance Raw Signal Processing Real-time Systems with Use in Tokamak Facilities
Authors: Wojenski A. , Pozniak K. T. , Linczuk P. , Chernyshova M. , Kasprowicz G. , Mazon D. , Czarski T. , Krawczyk R. , Gaska M. , Malard P.
Published: June 2020

Data quality of the tokamaks diagnostics is often a neglected topic. In literature it is rather rare to find considerations regarding the data quality received from the diagnostic systems’ sensors. The scope of the paper is to provide a discussion regarding systems’ construction and analysis in scope of implementation of data quality monitoring methods for a new generation of diagnostics. Mainly considerations are performed regarding the necessity of DQM (Data Quality Monitoring) implementation, functionality, performance and required system resources. The covered topics are related to basics of system construction including: system layout and construction blocks, data processing stages, signal processing modes, system construction with resource estimation in scope of DQM implementation. Based on the covered points, it is possible to plan the extra resources or specific construction, to provide reliable design with data quality monitoring features. The data quality monitoring aspect is especially important in the modern diagnostics working with a real-time feedback loop. Such approach could be especially interesting for the ITER-like projects, since the quality of the data may directly influence the behavior of the control systems during plasma phenomena. The work is based on experience in design work of various high performance diagnostic systems for plasma physics and high energy physics.
A Mode-Switchable Guided Elastic Wave Transducer
Authors: Köhler Bernd , Kim Yongtak , Chwelatiuk Konrad , Tschöke Kilian , Schubert Frank , Schubert Lars
Published: June 2020

Increasing the safety demands of various progressively complex structures (e.g., in aerospace, automotive engineering, and wind power technology) and the parallel goal of reducing inspection costs set new objectives in the field of ultrasonics and guided elastic wave measurements. The focus is to deliver applicable sensors attached permanently to a particular structure for on-demand inspections. Piezoelectric fiber patches (PFPs) are known as lightweight and structure-conforming transducers for guided elastic wave generation and detection. We propose a new PFP concept combining advantages of different previous designs. With the new approach, a user can switch between a Lamb wave and a shear horizontal wave excitation by partially changing the polarity of the transducer electrodes. After summarizing the existing PFP variants, the new concept is introduced and experimentally verified by a three-dimensional laser Doppler vibrometer visualization of excited waves. Moreover, the first prototype of the new PFP transducer is presented.
Molecular identification of Trichocera maculipennis, an invasive fly species in the Maritime Antarctic
Authors: Potocka Marta , Krzemińska Ewa , Gromadka Robert , Gawor Jan , Kocot-Zalewska Joanna
Published: June 2020

Trichocera maculipennis, an invasive Diptera, was described for the first time in Antarctica in 2006 in a sewage system of one of the scientific stations on King George Island, South Shetland Islands, and started to increase its distribution within the island. To date, only taxonomical description of this species, based on morphological data has been available, as there were no molecular data recorded. In the present study, we present two methods of molecular identification of this species—based on partial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) and 16S ribosomal RNA (16S) genes. An appropriate and easy-to-use assay for proper and fast identification of invasive species is a key requirement for further management decisions, especially in such a fragile environment as found in terrestrial Antarctica.
Cerebellar Predominant Increase in mRNA Expression Levels of Sirt1 and Sirt3 Isoforms in a Transgenic Mouse Model of Huntington’s Disease
Authors: Salamon Andras , Maszlag-Török Rita , Veres Gábor , Boros Fanni Annamária , Vágvölgyi-Sümegi Evelin , Somogyi Anett , Vécsei László , Klivényi Péter , Zádori Dénes
Published: June 2020

The potential role of Sirt1 and Sirt2 subtypes of Sirtuins (class III NAD+-dependent deacetylases) in the pathogenesis of Huntington’s disease (HD) has been extensively studied yielding some controversial results. However, data regarding the involvement of Sirt3 and their variants in HD are considerably limited. The aim of this study was to assess the expression pattern of Sirt1 and three Sirt3 mRNA isoforms (Sirt3-M1/2/3) in the striatum, cortex and cerebellum in respect of the effect of gender, age and the presence of the transgene using the N171-82Q transgenic mouse model of HD. Striatal, cortical and cerebellar Sirt1-Fl and Sirt3-M1/2/3 mRNA levels were measured in 8, 12 and 16 weeks old N171-82Q transgenic mice and in their wild-type littermates. Regarding the striatum and cortex, the presence of the transgene resulted in a significant increase in Sirt3-M3 and Sirt1 mRNA levels, respectively, whereas in case of the cerebellum the transgene resulted in increased expression of all the assessed subtypes and isoforms. Aging exerted minor influence on Sirt mRNA expression levels, both in transgene carriers and in their wild-type littermates, and there was no interaction between the presence of the transgene and aging. Furthermore, there was no difference between genders. The unequivocal cerebellar Sirtuin activation with presumed compensatory role suggests that the cerebellum might be another key player in HD in addition to the most severely affected striatum. The mitochondrially acting Sirt3 may serve as an interesting novel therapeutic target in this deleterious condition.
The outcome of kidney transplant from living donors with pelvi-ureteric junction dysfunction
Authors: Tisljar Miroslav , Ali Hatem , Gledhill-Flynn Charlie , Garreus Mila , Ponnusamy Arvind , Ahmed Aimun
Published: June 2020

Purpose

To assess the effect of receiving a kidney with PUJ dysfunction on the recipient renal graft function.

Methodology

198 patients, who underwent renal transplantation from 1st January 2004 to 31st December 2014 in a single Center in the North West of England, were retrospectively reviewed using a computerized database. Split kidney function and the PUJ dysfunction for the donors were assessed using Tc-99 m MAG3 renogram. Each recipient with PUJ dysfunction was matched with a control recipient by age, gender, and number of days after transplantation. Both groups were followed up for 3.5 years post-transplantation.

Results

Of the 198 recipients included in the study, 19 recipients received kidneys from donors with PUJ dysfunction. Prevalence of PUJ dysfunction was 9.5% and it was more common in males than females. There was no difference between the case group and the control group in terms of age, gender, and follow-up time post-transplantation. There was also no difference between the case group and the control group in mean creatinine (130 µmol/l and 138 µmol/l respectively, p = 0.305) or the mean eGFR (48.6 ml/min and 47.5 ml/min respectively, p = 0.054) at 3.5 year post-kidney transplantation.

Conclusion

This study showed that PUJ dysfunction of renal allograft has a negligible effect on graft function over 3.5 years period post-transplantation. A prospective randomized trial is needed to test these findings. In the presence of widened gap between demand and supply in renal transplantation, PUJ dysfunction in potential donors should not preclude them from donation.
The predictive value of BOAH scale for screening obstructive sleep apnea in patients at a sleep clinic in Scotland
Authors: Gabryelska Agata , Mokros Łukasz , Kardas Grzegorz , Panek Michał , Riha Renata , Białasiewicz Piotr
Published: June 2020

Objectives

The study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic value of an original questionnaire for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), the BOAH scale, and its ability to prioritize patients at high risk for OSA for polysomnography (PSG) examination.

Methods

The analysis included 273 patients referred to the Department of Sleep Medicine of the Royal Infirmary, Edinburgh, Scotland. The BOAH scale is comprised of 5 parameters: BMI (≥ 30 kg/m2 gives 1 point, ≥ 35 kg/m2 2 points), presence of witnessed apneas during sleep (1 point), patient age ≥ 50 years (1 point), and history of hypertension (1 point). Patients were divided into three study groups depending on OSA severity defined by the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI): at least mild (AHI ≥ 5), at least moderate (AHI ≥ 15), and severe (AHI ≥ 30) OSA based on polysomnography examination.

Results

In the group of patients with severe OSA, the best BOAH cutoff point was 4 points based upon the Youden index. With 4 points, the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was 0.778 (95% CI 0.721–0.834). Sensitivity and specificity were 57% and 89%, respectively, yielding a positive and negative predictive value of 75% and 78%, respectively, for diagnosis of severe OSAS in a patient sample with a pre-test probability for severe OSA at 37%.

Conclusions

The BOAH scale in this group of Scottish patients performed comparably to other available questionnaires and scales while being shorter and simpler. The findings suggest that the BOAH scale should be considered as a useful instrument in OSA diagnosis and prioritization of high-risk patients for PSG examination.
A simple, realistic walled phantom for intravascular and intracardiac applications
Authors: Nisar Hareem , Moore John , Piazza Roberta , Maneas Efthymios , Chen Elvis C. S. , Peters Terry M.
Published: June 2020

Purpose

This work aims to develop a simple, anatomically and haptically realistic vascular phantom, compatible with intravascular and intracardiac ultrasound. The low-cost, dual-layered phantom bridges the gap between traditional wall-only and wall-less phantoms by showing both the vessel wall and surrounding tissue in ultrasound imaging. This phantom can better assist clinical tool training, testing of intravascular devices, blood flow studies, and validation of algorithms for intravascular and intracardiac surgical systems.

Methods

Polyvinyl alcohol cryogel (PVA-c) incorporating a scattering agent was used to obtain vessel and tissue-mimicking materials. Our specific design targeted the inferior vena cava and renal bifurcations which were modelled using CAD software. A custom mould and container were 3D-printed for shaping the desired vessel wall. Three phantoms were prepared by varying both the concentrations of scattering agent as well as the number of freeze–thaw cycles to which the phantom layers were subjected during the manufacturing process. Each phantom was evaluated using ultrasound imaging using the Foresight™ ICE probe. Geometrical validation was provided by comparing CAD design to a CT scan of the phantom.

Results

The desired vascular phantom was constructed using 2.5% and 0.05% scattering agent concentration in the vessel and tissue-mimicking layers, respectively. Imaging of the three phantoms showed that increasing the number of freeze–thaw cycles did not significantly enhance the image contrast. Comparison of the US images with their CT equivalents resulted in an average error of 0.9$${\,\mathrm{mm}}$$mmfor the lumen diameter.

Conclusion

The phantom is anatomically realistic when imaged with intracardiac ultrasound and provides a smooth lumen for the ultrasound probe and catheter to manoeuvre. The vascular phantom enables validation of intravascular and intracardiac image guidance systems. The simple construction technique also provides a workflow for designing complex, multi-layered arterial phantoms.
Greater maintenance of bone mineral content in male than female athletes and in sprinting and jumping than endurance athletes: a longitudinal study of bone strength in elite masters athletes
Authors: Ireland Alex , Mittag Uwe , Degens Hans , Felsenberg Dieter , Ferretti José L. , Heinonen Ari , Koltai Erika , Korhonen Marko T. , McPhee Jamie S. , Mekjavic Igor , Piasecki Jessica , Pisot Rado , Radak Zsolt , Simunic Bostjan , Suominen Harri , Wilks Désirée C. , Winwood Keith , Rittweger Jörn
Published: June 2020

Summary

We investigated longitudinal changes in tibia bone strength in master power (jumping and sprinting) and endurance (distance) athletes of both sexes. Bone mass but not cross-sectional moment of inertia was better maintained in power than endurance athletes over time, particularly in men and independent of changes in performance.

Objective

Assessment of effects of sex and athletic discipline (lower limb power events, e.g. sprint running and jumping versus endurance running events) on longitudinal changes in bone strength in masters athletes.

Methods

We examined tibia and fibula bone properties at distal (4% distal-proximal tibia length) and proximal (66% length) sites using peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT) in seventy-one track and field masters athletes (30 male, 41 female, age at baseline 57.0 ± 12.2 years) in a longitudinal cohort study that included at least two testing sessions over a mean period of 4.2 ± 3.1 years. Effects of time, as well as time × sex and time × discipline interactions on bone parameters and calf muscle cross-sectional area (CSA), were examined.

Results

Effects of time were sex and discipline-dependent, even following adjustment for enrolment age, sex and changes in muscle CSA and athletic performance. Male sex and participation in power events was associated with better maintenance of tibia bone mineral content (BMC, an indicator of bone compressive strength) at 4% and 66% sites. In contrast, there was no strong evidence of sex or discipline effects on cross-sectional moment of inertia (CSMI, an indicator of bone bending and torsional strength—P > 0.3 for interactions). Similar sex and discipline-specific changes were also observed in the fibula.

Conclusions

Results suggest that male athletes and those participating in lower limb power-based rather than endurance-based disciplines have better maintenance of bone compressive but not bending and torsional strength.
Immunomodulatory Properties of Amniotic Membrane Derivatives and Their Potential in Regenerative Medicine
Authors: Wassmer Charles-Henri , Berishvili Ekaterine
Published: June 2020

Purpose of Review

During the last decades, the field of regenerative medicine has been rapidly evolving. Major progress has been made in the development of biological substitutes applying the principles of cell transplantation, material science, and bioengineering.

Recent Findings

Among other sources, amniotic-derived products have been used for decades in various fields of medicine as a biomaterial for the wound care and tissue replacement. Moreover, human amniotic epithelial and mesenchymal cells have been intensively studied for their immunomodulatory capacities.

Amniotic cells possess two major characteristics that have already been widely exploited. The first is their ability to modulate and suppress the innate and adaptive immunities, making them a true asset for chronic inflammatory disorders and for the induction of tolerance in transplantation models. The second is their multilineage differentiation capacity, offering a source of cells for tissue engineering. The latter combined with the use of amniotic membrane as a scaffold offers all components necessary to create an optimal environment for cell and tissue regeneration. This review summarizes beneficial properties of hAM and its derivatives and discusses their potential in regenerative medicine.
In AI We Trust: Ethics, Artificial Intelligence, and Reliability
Authors: Ryan Mark
Published: June 2020

One of the main difficulties in assessing artificial intelligence (AI) is the tendency for people to anthropomorphise it. This becomes particularly problematic when we attach human moral activities to AI. For example, the European Commission’s High-level Expert Group on AI (HLEG) have adopted the position that we should establish a relationship of trust with AI and should cultivate trustworthy AI (HLEG AI Ethics guidelines for trustworthy AI, 2019, p. 35). Trust is one of the most important and defining activities in human relationships, so proposing that AI should be trusted, is a very serious claim. This paper will show that AI cannot be something that has the capacity to be trusted according to the most prevalent definitions of trust because it does not possess emotive states or can be held responsible for their actions—requirements of the affective and normative accounts of trust. While AI meets all of the requirements of the rational account of trust, it will be shown that this is not actually a type of trust at all, but is instead, a form of reliance. Ultimately, even complex machines such as AI should not be viewed as trustworthy as this undermines the value of interpersonal trust, anthropomorphises AI, and diverts responsibility from those developing and using them.