bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Existence and global exponential stability of almost periodic solution for quaternion‐valued high‐order Hopfield neural networks with delays via a direct method
Authors: Li Yongkun , Xiang Jianglian
Published: March 2020

This paper deals with the existence and global exponential stability of almost periodic solutions for quaternion‐valued high‐order Hopfield neural networks with delays by a direct approach. Based on the contraction mapping principle, sufficient conditions are derived to ensure the existence and uniqueness of almost periodic solutions for the networks under consideration. By constructing a suitable Lyapunov function, the global exponential stability criterion of the almost periodic solution are derived. Finally, two numerical examples are given to illustrate the main results of this paper.
Secrecy rate optimization for intelligent reflecting surface aided multi‐input‐single‐output terahertz communication
Authors: Chen Wenjie , Chen Zhi , Ma Xinying , Chi Yaojia , Li Zhuoxun
Published: March 2020

Intelligent reflecting surface (IRS) is an emerging paradigm to enhance terahertz (THz) communications with low hardware costs and reduced power consumptions. In this work, we study an IRS‐aided THz multi‐input‐single‐output secure communication system, where a base station (BS) transmits confidential signals to a single‐antenna user with the presence of a single‐antenna eavesdropper. We seek to maximize the secrecy rate by designing the discrete phase‐shifts at the IRS and the precoder at the BS, which is an intractable nonconvex optimization problem. To solve it, we propose to iteratively design the above two matrix variables. Specifically, with a given phase‐shift matrix, we can obtain the optimal precoder by the Rayleigh‐Ritz theorem. And with a given precoder matrix, we propose a cross‐entropy‐based algorithm to obtain the optimal phase‐shift matrix. Numerical results demonstrate that our proposed solution is able to improve the secrecy rate than that of the case without IRS.
Could the glycosylation analysis of seminal plasma clusterin become a novel male infertility biomarker?
Authors: Janiszewska Ewa , Kratz Ewa Maria
Published: March 2020

Male infertility is becoming a rapidly growing problem around the world, mainly in the highly developed countries. Seminal proteome composition seems to be one of the crucial factors of the proper course of fertilization ‐ clusterin (CLU) is among the most important ones. CLU, as one of the crucial seminal plasma glycoproteins, plays a very important role in sperm capacitation and immune tolerance in the female reproductive tract. CLU is also known as a sensitive marker of oxidative stress. It has six n‐glycosylation sites and also exhibits chaperone activity. An analysis of changes in the profile and degree of CLU glycosylation may shed some new light on the molecular mechanisms of the fertilization process and may be used as an additional diagnostic marker of male fertility. This study constitutes a review of the recently available literature concerning human seminal CLU, including changes in its glycosylation, analyzed in the context of human reproduction.
The value, impact and role of nurses in rheumatology outpatient care: Critical review of the literature
Authors: Lempp Heidi , Baggott Rhiannon , Scott David L. , Parker Louise , Bosworth Ailsa , Georgopoulou Sofia , Firth Jill
Published: March 2020

Background

As rheumatology nurses make substantial contributions to intensive management programmes following ‘treat to target’ principles of people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), there is a need to understand the impacts of their involvement. A structured literature review was undertaken of qualitative studies, clinical trials and observational studies to assess the impacts of rheumatology nurses on clinical outcomes and the experiences of patients with RA and to examine the skills and training of the nurses involved.

Method

A structured literature review was conducted to examine the value, impact and professional role of nurses in RA management.

Results

The literature search identified 657 publications, and 20 of them were included comprising: seven qualitative studies (242 patients), nine trials (a total of 2,440 patients) and four observational studies (1,234 patients). In clinical trials, nurses achieved similar patient clinical outcomes to doctors, and nurses also enhanced patients' satisfaction of received care and self‐efficacy. In the qualitative studies reviewed, the nurses increased patients' knowledge and promoted their self‐management. The observational studies studied examined found that nursing care led to improved patients' global functioning. The nurses in the various studies had a wide range of titles, experiences and training.

Discussion

Our structured literature review provides strong evidence that rheumatology nurses are effective in delivering care for RA patients. However, their titles, experience and training were highly variable.

Conclusion

There is a convincing case to maintain and extend the role of nurses in managing RA, but further work is needed on standardisation of their titles and training.
Simulation of mixed‐mode fracture using SPH particles with an embedded fracture process zone
Authors: Wang Yingnan , Tran Hieu T. , Nguyen Giang D. , Ranjith Pathegama G. , Bui Ha H.
Published: March 2020

This paper focuses on the modelling of mixed‐mode fracture using the conventional smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) method and a mixed‐mode cohesive fracture law embedded in the particles. The combination of conventional SPH and a mixed‐mode cohesive model allows capturing fracture and separation under various loading conditions efficiently. The key advantage of this framework is its capability to represent complex fracture geometries by a set of cracked SPH particles, each of which can possess its own mixed‐mode cohesive fracture with arbitrary orientations. Therefore, this can naturally capture complex fracture patterns without any predefined fracture topologies. Because a characteristic length scale related to the size of the fracture process zone is incorporated in the constitutive formulation, the proposed approach is independent from the spatial discretisation of the computational domain (or mesh independent). Furthermore, the anisotropic fracture responses of materials can be naturally captured thanks to the orientation of the fracture process zone embedded at the particle level. The performance of the proposed approach demonstrates its potentials in modelling mixed‐mode fracture of rocks and similar quasi‐brittle materials.
The prediction of cervical cancer screening beliefs based on big five personality traits
Authors: Rashidi Fakari Farzaneh , Mohammadzadeh Farnaz , Rashidi Fakari Fahimeh , Saei Ghare Naz Marzieh , Ozgoli Giti
Published: March 2020

Aim

The present study was designed with the aim to predict Pap smear screening beliefs based on Big Five personality traits.

Design

The present cross‐sectional study was conducted with 235 women over 18 years of age in Tehran (Iran) in 2018.

Methods

The data collection tools included the demographic information questionnaire, Pap Smear Belief Questionnaire (PSBQ) and the 10‐item measure of the Big Five personality traits.

Results

People with Agreeableness personality trait were more faced with risks and Barriers and factors associated with Pap smear screening beliefs; and those with Conscientiousness personality trait were more faced with risks and Barriers. Results of the present study can help to understand how the personality affects decision‐making and interactions. Therefore, consequences of counselling about screening beliefs and behavioural changes can be improved by personality‐based education.
T‐cell exhaustion interrelates with immune cytolytic activity to shape the inflamed tumor microenvironment
Authors: Cai Mei‐Chun , Zhao Xiaojing , Cao Min , Ma Pengfei , Chen Minjiang , Wu Jie , Jia Chenqiang , He Chunming , Fu Yujie , Tan Li , Xue Xinying , Yu Zhuang , Zhuang Guanglei
Published: March 2020

Direct quantification of exhausted T cells in human cancer is lacking, and its predictive value for checkpoint‐based treatment remains poorly investigated. We sought to systematically characterize the pan‐cancer landscape and molecular hallmarks of T‐cell dysfunction for the purpose of precision immunotherapy. Here, we defined a transcriptional signature for T‐cell exhaustion through analyzing differential gene expression between PD‐1‐high and PD‐1‐negative CD8+ T lymphocytes from primary non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), followed by positive correlation tests with PDCD1 in TCGA lung carcinomas. A 78‐gene signature for exhausted CD8+ T cells (GET) was identified and validated to reflect dysfunctional immune state spanning different species and disease models. We discovered that GET estimation significantly correlated with intratumoral immune cytolytic activity (CYT) and T‐cell‐inflamed gene expression profile (GEP) across 30 solid tumor types. Miscellaneous tumor‐intrinsic and ‐extrinsic properties, in particular leukocyte proportions, genomic abnormalities, specific mutational signatures, and signaling pathways, were notably associated with GET levels. Furthermore, higher GET expression predicted an increased likelihood of clinical response to immune checkpoint inhibitors. These findings highlight the interrelation between T‐cell exhaustion and immune cytolytic activity at the pan‐cancer scale. The resulting inflamed tumor microenvironment may further crosstalk with other molecular and clinicopathological factors, which should be properly considered during immunotherapy biomarker development. © 2020 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Self‐assembled nanostructures of diblock copolymer films under homopolymer topcoats
Authors: Ji Siyu , Zhang Runrong , Zhang Liangshun , Yuan Yuan , Lin Jiaping
Published: March 2020

To mitigate the interface energies of block copolymers with high interaction parameters, a topcoat strategy has been experimentally proposed to produce perpendicular oriented domains on a length scale of sub‐10 nm. However, the origin of perpendicular oriented domains and the effect of topcoats on the self‐assembled nanostructures remain to be uncovered. Herein, we use the dynamic self‐consistent field theory to explore the self‐assembly behaviors of symmetric block copolymer films under homopolymer topcoats. It is clearly demonstrated that the introduction of homopolymer topcoats enables a wide formation range of perpendicular oriented lamellae, originating from the fluctuating diblock copolymer/homopolymer interfaces in the process of in‐plane microphase separation of block copolymer films. Our simulation results also demonstrate that the formation range of perpendicular oriented lamellae can be tuned by changing the wetting properties of homopolymer topcoats and the thickness of block copolymer films, but is weakly dependent upon the chain length of homopolymers. Our theoretical findings have wide implications for understanding the formation of perpendicular oriented domains of block copolymer films, which are important for the rational design of self‐assembled nanostructures with new horizons for block copolymer lithography. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry
Supporting the information gathering practices of academically advanced college‐bound students
Authors: Meyer Melanie S. , Cranmore Jeff
Published: March 2020

For academically advanced college‐bound students, decisions about where to apply, and ultimately, where to enroll are influenced by a wide range of factors. One key factor in the decision‐making process is access to quality information about universities. This qualitative descriptive study used semistructured interviews with 10 high school seniors to explore the research practices academically advanced high school students used as they formed initial choice sets and subsequently eliminated options in the college decision‐making process. Participants in this study primarily researched the availability of academic support, career development opportunities, and peer support. These students used online sources, word of mouth, campus visits, and university contacts to find answers to specific questions about school culture. These findings suggest a need for counselors and school psychologists to help students access credible college information sources and to provide support for students as they evaluate that information in light of academic, social, and career development goals.
Super‐kdr mutation M918L and multiple cytochrome P450s associated with the resistance of Rhopalosiphum padi to pyrethroid
Authors: Wang Kang , Bai Jiaoyang , Zhao Junning , Su Sha , Liu Lang , Han Zhaojun , Chen Maohua
Published: March 2020

BACKGROUND

Rhopalosiphum padi is an important pest affecting cereal crops worldwide. Pyrethroid, including lambda‐cyhalothrin, has been widely used to control R. padi in the field. This work investigated the resistance levels of R. padi field populations to lambda‐cyhalothrin, and analysed biochemical and molecular mechanisms of aphid resistance to the insecticide pyrethroid.

RESULTS

A lambda‐cyhalothrin‐resistant field population (JY) was sampled, and a super‐kdr mutation, M918L, in the voltage‐gated sodium channel (VGSC) was identified in the population. The lambda‐cyhalothrin‐resistant strain (LC‐R) was subsequently established by selecting the field population with lambda‐cyhalothrin. All individuals of the R. padi LC‐R strain showed the M918L heterozygous mutation in the VGSC IIS4–IIS6 region. Cross‐resistance profiles of the LC‐R strain to nine insecticides were detected. Both synergistic and enzyme activity studies indicated that cytochrome P450 monooxygenase played an important role in this resistance. Further gene expression analysis showed that seven P450 genes were significantly upregulated in the LC‐R strain compared with the susceptible strain.

CONCLUSION

Field‐evolved resistance to pyrethroid insecticides has been found in R. padi. The M918L (super‐kdr) mutation in the VGSC was documented for the first time in field samples obtained from an important wheat‐growing area. The super‐kdr mutation, as well as metabolic resistance mediated by P450 genes, was determined to contribute to the lambda‐cyhalothrin resistance in R. padi. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry
Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy on UV‐Aged Polyester Coatings: Possibilities and Limits of Modeling Water Diffusion
Authors: Schachinger Ernst Dietmar , Strauß Bernhard , Braidt Roland , Hassel Achim Walter
Published: March 2020

The water uptake behavior of three different, white pigmented polyester topcoats after UV‐A testing is studied with electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. One topcoat is investigated more in detail to explore the influence of short testing times (<500 h). Diffusion coefficients derived from fitting the capacitance curves with a common equation containing a swelling factor show a dependence on the initial film thickness for UV‐aged and pristine coatings. It is suggested that diffusion coefficients should be calculated with the initial slope method to better compare the influence of testing on water uptake. Coatings with a thickness of 20 μm show sigmoidal capacitance transients, and in general, the diffusion coefficients decrease after UV‐A testing. This is attributed to a superficial layer, on top of the coating which is affected by photooxidation and which has a retarding effect for water uptake. The first 500 h of UV‐A testing seems to be most important for the amount of water taken up by the coating. After the entire experiment scanning electron microscopy (SEM) micrographs are made on cross‐sectional polished samples. SEM cannot reveal any changes in porosity after UV‐A testing. Thermomechanical analysis (TMA) does not show a significant change in glass transition temperature after UV‐A testing.
Diffusion Study for α‐RbAg4I5 System by Molecular Dynamics
Authors: Burbano Juan C. , Peña Lara Diego , Correa Hernando
Published: March 2020

The compound is a typical fast ion conductor. Several theoretical models for explaining this transport ion dynamic have been proposed. However, there are few studies reported on computer modeling. Herein, to study the diffusion of cation mobility, classical molecular dynamic (MD) simulations are conducted. The interstitial Ag1, Ag2, and Ag4 sites present high occupancy sites, where their activation energy is of the order of thermal energy, providing channels of high mobility. About 60.13% of the ions have a preference to occupy the Ag1 site, 27.89% for the Ag2 site with no apparent distinction for the jump between any of them, 10.26% for the Ag4 site, and a lower occupancy probability for the others, according to experimental data. Jump diffusion mechanism in α‐ is a collective phenomenon where one cation is pushed to adjacent free sites due to the close presence of other ions of the same species, following channels . The results of MD show advantaged paths to Ag‐ion transport, which agrees with experimental data. This fact makes its study highly relevant to improve the understanding of the superionic state.
Binding energies and isomer distribution of neutral acetonitrile clusters
Authors: Malloum Alhadji , Fifen Jean J. , Conradie Jeanet
Published: March 2020

Structures and relative stabilities of neutral acetonitrile clusters up to decamer have been investigated. We used the ABCluster code to thoroughly explore the potential energy surfaces (PESs) of the acetonitrile clusters and to generate initial geometries, which are further fully optimized at the MN15/6‐31++G(d,p) level of theory. Our exploration yielded several new local and global minima structures of the acetonitrile clusters. We located new global minimum structures of the acetonitrile pentamer to decamer. The results show that the PESs of the acetonitrile clusters are very flat, yielding several isoenergetic structures. Our investigations also revealed that the stability of the acetonitrile clusters is due both to CH⋯N and dipole–dipole interactions. Structures stabilized by the latter are found to be more stable than those stabilized by the former at low temperatures. Furthermore, we examined the effect of temperature on the stability of the structures of the acetonitrile clusters for temperatures in the range 20 to 400 K. We found that several structures contribute to the population of the clusters at high temperatures, and also that a significant contribution to the population comes from isomers that lie within 2.0 kcal/mol from the most stable one. In addition, we used the most stable structures to compute the binding energies of the acetonitrile clusters and to assess the performance of some DFT functionals (MN15, ωB97XD, PW6B95D3, and B2PLYP) in comparison with the MP2 method associated to the aug‐cc‐pVTZ basis set in calculating the binding energies. We found that the MN15 functional performs better than ωB97XD and PW6B95D3, and that MN15 is less sensitive to the basis set change. We also used an extrapolation scheme to calculate the binding energies of the acetonitrile clusters at the highly accurate W1BD, CBS‐QB3, and G4MP2 levels of theory. The resulting binding energies are recommended for future benchmarking of the acetonitrile clusters.
Soil hydraulic model parameters and methodology as affected by sodium salt solutions
Authors: Klopp H.W. , Daigh A.L.M.
Published: March 2020

Soil salinization from shallow ground waters is problematic in numerous regions of the world. These ground waters can degrade soil physical properties and require special land management to maintain soil salinity levels ideal for crop and rangeland production. The objectives of this study were to evaluate how saline and sodic solutions changed soil hydrologic properties and how hydrologic parameters change with solution composition. Four soils ranging in texture from sandy loam to silty clay, were saturated with solutions ranging in electrical conductivities (EC) of 0.5 to 8 dS m−1 and sodium adsorption ratios (SAR) of 0 to 20. The hydraulic conductivity and water retention were measured using pressure plates, HYPROP evaporation method, and a dewpoint potentiometer. Data was fit with the van Genuchten and dual porosity models and the model parameters were evaluated. There was an increase in water retention and decrease in hydraulic conductivity when soils were near saturation as solution SAR increased and EC decreased at potentials near saturation. Water retention method combinations agreed well for low salinity treatments, but fitting parameters did not agree well for the higher salinity treatments. The coarser textured soil had a stronger disagreement in fitting parameters for the different water retention method combinations and greater salt build up near soil surface. Capillary rise of salt bearing waters of low EC and high SAR increases soil water retention and decreases hydraulic conductivity near saturation which will slow rates of downward water movement and salt leaching.
Improving patient outcomes with regenerative medicine: How the Regenerative Medicine Manufacturing Society plans to move the needle forward in cell manufacturing, standards, 3D bioprinting, artificial intelligence-enabled automation, education, and training
Authors: Hunsberger Joshua , Simon Carl , Zylberberg Claudia , Ramamoorthy Preveen , Tubon Thomas , Bedi Ram , Gielen Kurt , Hansen Caitlin , Fischer Lynn , Johnson Jed , Baraniak Priya , Mahdavi Behzad , Pereira Taciana , Hadjisavas Michael , Eaker Shannon , Miller Cameron
Published: March 2020

The Regenerative Medicine Manufacturing Society (RMMS) is the first and only professional society dedicated toward advancing manufacturing solutions for the field of regenerative medicine. RMMS's vision is to provide greater patient access to regenerative medicine therapies through innovative manufacturing solutions. Our mission is to identify unmet needs and gaps in regenerative medicine manufacturing and catalyze the generation of new ideas and solutions by working with private and public stakeholders. We aim to accomplish our mission through outreach and education programs and securing grants for public-private collaborations in regenerative medicine manufacturing. This perspective will cover four impact areas that the society's leadership team has identified as critical: (a) cell manufacturing and scale-up/out, respectively, for allogeneic and autologous cell therapies, (b) standards for regenerative medicine, (c) 3D bioprinting, and (d) artificial intelligence-enabled automation. In addition to covering these areas and ways in which the society intends to advance the field in a collaborative nature, we will also discuss education and training. Education and training is an area that is critical for communicating the current challenges, developing solutions to accelerate the commercialization of the latest technological advances, and growing the workforce in the rapidly expanding sector of regenerative medicine.

Significance statement The Regenerative Medicine Manufacturing Society highlights focus areas to advance the field in a collaborative nature through working groups. These focus areas include cell manufacturing, standards for regenerative medicine, 3D bioprinting, and artificial intelligence-enabled automation. These working groups will help disseminate this knowledge through future publications, as well as by identifying and developing education and training programs. Education and training programs can disseminate knowledge on current challenges and new technology innovations, as well as train the next generation workforce that will assist in making therapies the next standard of care.
Whose work is real work? A triple labor framework for sustainable development initiatives
Authors: King Hilary B.
Published: March 2020

Sustainable development initiatives that seek to ameliorate global crises require new forms of organization and ways of working for participants. Using an alternative food system initiative in Chiapas, Mexico as an ethnographic case study, this article identifies three forms of labor—physical, organizational, and emotional—that emerge within such projects and explores how these labor forms interact in ways that impact the long‐term success of such endeavors. Mujeres y Maíz is a development initiative that seeks to protect Mexico's heirloom maize and the lifeways it supports by building connections between food producers and consumers. Together, tortilla makers and organizers mobilize multiple labor forms to build new economically and environmentally beneficial alternative food systems. These varied labor forms constitute collective wealth‐in‐people. The group's collaborations require embodied culinary knowledge and physical labor, organizational labor to access resources, and emotional labor to gird trust and cooperation. The analysis of these three types of labor shows how tortilla makers and organizers evaluate each other's different skill sets, shaped by class, race, and gender histories, in their collaborative and understandably contentious development work. The resulting triple labor framework is useful for diagnosing and negotiating tensions that impact the transformative potential of development initiatives within food systems and beyond.
Substrate temperature influenced ZrO2 films for MOS devices
Authors: Kondaiah Paruchuri , Jagadeesh Chandra S.V. , Fortunato Elvira , Chel Jong Choi , Mohan Rao G. , Koti Reddy D.V. Rama , Uthanna S.
Published: March 2020

The effect of substrate temperature on the direct current magnetron‐sputtered zirconium oxide (ZrO2) dielectric films was investigated. Stoichiometric of the ZrO2 thin films was obtained at an oxygen partial pressure of 4.0 × 10−2 Pa. X‐ray diffraction studies revealed that the crystallite size in the layer was increased from 4.8 to 16.1 nm with increase of substrate temperature from 303 to 673 K. Metal‐oxide‐semiconductor devices were fabricated on ZrO2/Si stacks with Al gate electrode. The dielectric properties of ZrO2 layer and interface quality at ZrO2/Si were significantly influenced by the substrate temperature. The dielectric constant increased from 15 to 25, and the leakage current density decreased from 0.12 × 10−7 to 0.64 × 10−9 A cm−2 with the increase of substrate temperature from 303 to 673 K.
Experimental Development of Johnson–Cook Strength Model for Different Carbon Steel Grades and Application for Single‐Pass Hot Rolling
Authors: Buchely Mario F. , Ganguly Shouvik , Van Aken David C. , O'Malley Ronald , Lekakh Simon , Chandrashekhara K.
Published: March 2020

Johnson–Cook (JC) high‐temperature strength material models have been widely used in finite‐element analysis (FEA) to solve variety of hot rolling problems. Herein, the temperature‐ and strain rate‐related parameters of JC model are experimentally calibrated for eight different steel grades including SAE 1018 and SAE 1045, structural steels (ASTM A572‐60, ASTM A690, and ASTM A992), two V‐modified 1535/45 grades, and one automotive advanced high‐strength steel grade. Experimental data are obtained from tensile tests performed at strain rates from 0.001 to 20 s−1 and at temperatures between 900 and 1200 °C. A genetic algorithm approach is used to determine JC model parameters for different steel chemistries and to calculate the rolling pressure for a simple flat rolling process using both a common analytical formulation and a finite‐element model (FEM). A model for the effects of steel chemistry on the JC model parameters is also discussed.
Accelerated Carbon Atoms Diffusion in Bearing Steel Using Electropulsing to Reduce Spheroidization Processing Time and Improve Microstructure Uniformity
Authors: Hao Jianqiao , Zhang Hexiong , Zhang Xinfang , Liu Chengbao
Published: March 2020

Herein, the thermodynamic and kinetic limitations of carbide dissolution behavior during the traditional heat treatment process are broken through the external field treatment. The difference in electrical conductivity between the matrix and the carbide affects the electric current distribution, which ultimately results in electric field distortion. The numerical calculation results show that under the coupled field of heat and pulsed electric current, the distribution of the current density around the particles is related to the size of the particles. The selective distribution of current caused the energy difference to eventually promote the preferential dissolution of coarse network carbides at grain boundaries. The redistribution of carbon atoms between the grain boundaries and the grain interior provides a good initial structure for the subsequent precipitation process, and finally, uniform precipitation of cementite is achieved in the matrix. Meanwhile, the electromigration of carbon atoms under pulsed electric current increases the diffusion rate of carbon atom and shortens the processing time (traditional heat treatment is about 20 h, and the electropulse‐based method in this study is about 4 h).
Design optimization of steel–concrete hybrid wind turbine tower based on improved genetic algorithm
Authors: Chen Junling , Li Jinwei , He Xinheng
Published: March 2020

The steel–concrete hybrid wind turbine tower is characterized by the lower part of the traditional steel tubular tower replaced with the concrete segment. The lateral stiffness will be improved obviously, and then, the excessive vibration of the steel tower can be solved effectively. Based on the improved genetic algorithm, an optimization program is built to consider the influence of materials, labor, machinery, and transportation on the construction cost of a steel–concrete hybrid tower for a 2.0‐MW wind turbine with a hub height of 120 m, in which the initial height of the concrete segment is 32 m. During the optimization process, design requirements of relevant specifications and industry standards are used as the constraints. The optimization variables include the bottom and top diameters of the tower, the wall thickness of each segment, the height of the concrete segment, and the area of the prestressed steel strand. By comparing the results of construction cost and structural capacity before and after optimization, it can be found that the steel–concrete hybrid wind turbine tower after optimization has the better structural stiffness and lower construction cost. The proposed optimization program can meet the design requirements and significantly improve the economic performance of the tower.
Genomic selection for lentil breeding: Empirical evidence
Authors: Haile Teketel A. , Heidecker Taryn , Wright Derek , Neupane Sandesh , Ramsay Larissa , Vandenberg Albert , Bett Kirstin E.
Published: March 2020

Genomic selection (GS) is a marker‐based selection initially suggested for livestock breeding and is being encouraged for crop breeding. Several statistical models are used to implement GS; however, none have been tested for use in lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.) breeding. This study was conducted to compare the accuracy of different GS models and prediction scenarios based on empirical data and to make recommendations for designing genomic selection strategies for lentil breeding. We evaluated nine single‐trait (ST) models, two multiple‐trait (MT) models, and a model that incorporates genotype × environment interaction (GEI) using populations from a lentil diversity panel and two recombinant inbred lines (RILs). The lines in all populations were phenotyped for five phenological traits and genotyped using a custom exome capture assay. Within‐population, across‐population, and across‐environment genomic predictions were made. Prediction accuracy varied among the evaluated models, populations, prediction scenarios, and traits. Single‐trait models showed similar accuracy in the absence of large effect quantitative trait loci (QTL) but BayesB outperformed all models when there were QTL with relatively large effects. Models that accounted for GEI and MT‐GS models increased prediction accuracy for a low heritability trait by up to 66 and 14%, respectively. Moderate to high accuracies were obtained for within‐population (range of .36–.85) and across‐environment (range of .19–.89) predictions but across‐population prediction accuracy was very low. Results suggest that GS can be implemented in lentil breeding to make predictions within populations and across environments, but across‐population prediction should not be considered when the population size is small.
Transposon activation is a major driver in the genome evolution of cultivated olive trees (Olea europaea L.)
Authors: Jiménez‐Ruiz Jaime , Ramírez‐Tejero Jorge A. , Fernández‐Pozo Noé , Leyva‐Pérez María de la O , Yan Haidong , Rosa Raúl de la , Belaj Angjelina , Montes Eva , Rodríguez‐Ariza Mª Oliva , Navarro Francisco , Barroso Juan Bautista , Beuzón Carmen R. , Valpuesta Victoriano , Bombarely Aureliano , Luque Francisco
Published: March 2020

The primary domestication of olive (Olea europaea L.) in the Levant dates back to the Neolithic period, around 6,000–5,500 BC, as some archeological remains attest. Cultivated olive trees are reproduced clonally, with sexual crosses being the sporadic events that drive the development of new varieties. In order to determine the genomic changes which have occurred in a modern olive cultivar, the genome of the Picual cultivar, one of the most popular olive varieties, was sequenced. Additional 40 cultivated and 10 wild accessions were re‐sequenced to elucidate the evolution of the olive genome during the domestication process. It was found that the genome of the ‘Picual’ cultivar contains 79,667 gene models, of which 78,079 were protein‐coding genes and 1,588 were tRNA. Population analyses support two independent events in olive domestication, including an early possible genetic bottleneck. Despite genetic bottlenecks, cultivated accessions showed a high genetic diversity driven by the activation of transposable elements (TE). A high TE gene expression was observed in presently cultivated olives, which suggests a current activity of TEs in domesticated olives. Several TEs families were expanded in the last 5,000 or 6,000 years and produced insertions near genes that may have been involved in selected traits during domestication as reproduction, photosynthesis, seed development, and oil production. Therefore, a great genetic variability has been found in cultivated olive as a result of a significant activation of TEs during the domestication process.
Different Organic Peroxides that Cure Low‐k 1,2‐PB/SBS/EPDM Composites for High‐Frequency Substrate
Authors: Wu Bo , Mao Xin , Wang Chunyan , Deng Ting , Li Rong , Xu Yi , Tang Xianzhong
Published: March 2020

Since the advent of 5G network, polymeric low dielectric constant (low‐k) materials have been indispensable for high speed and stable signal transmission at microwave frequency. Herein, the low‐k composites of 1,2‐polybutadiene/styrene‐butadiene‐styrene triblock copolymer/ethylene‐propylene‐dicyclopentadiene (1,2‐PB/SBS/EPDM) were prepared with cured organic peroxide. Two structurally different organic peroxides, namely dicumyl peroxide (DCP) and bis(1‐(tert‐butylperoxy)‐1‐methylethyl)‐benzene (BIPB), were used as free‐radical initiators. The composites with highly efficient initiator—BIPB exhibited considerably enhanced conversion rate, thermal stability, and cross‐link density compared with the DCP system. Furthermore, the increased cross‐link density contributed to dielectric stability over a broad range of frequency (3‐15 GHz) and superior mechanical properties. The cross‐linked composites possessed the typical low polarity group of C─C single bond with suppressed dielectric constant (Dk) and loss (Df). Especially, the average Dk of 2.36 and average Df of 0.0054 were obtained for the composite containing 4 part‐by‐weight (pbw) BIPB. This work demonstrated that the 1,2‐PB/SBS/EPDM composite with 4 pbw BIPB is a good candidate for high‐frequency substrate materials.
Neutrinoless double beta decay versus other probes of heavy sterile neutrinos
Authors: Bolton Patrick D. , Deppisch Frank F. , Dev P.S. Bhupal
Published: March 2020

Abstract

We make a comparative study of the neutrinoless double beta decay constraints on heavy sterile neutrinos versus other direct and indirect constraints from both lepton number conserving and violating processes, as a sensitive probe of the extent of lepton number violation and possible interference effects in the sterile sector. We introduce a phenomenological parametrisation of the simplified one-generation seesaw model with one active and two sterile neutrino states in terms of experimentally measurable quantities, such as active-sterile neutrino mixing angles, CP phases, masses and mass splittings. This simple parametrisation enables us to analytically derive a spectrum of possible scenarios between the canonical seesaw with purely Majorana heavy neutrinos and inverse seesaw with pseudo-Dirac ones. We then go on to constrain the simplified parameters of this model from various experiments at the energy, intensity and cosmic frontiers. We emphasise that the constraints from lepton number violating processes strongly depend on the mass splitting between the two sterile states and the relative CP phase between them. This is particularly relevant for neutrinoless double beta decay, which is weakened for small mass splitting and opposite CP parities between the sterile states. On the other hand, neutrinoless double beta decay is especially sensitive for Majorana sterile neutrinos with masses around 0.1 − 10 GeV.
Lineability of Linearly Sensitive Functions
Authors: Bartoszewicz Artur , Filipczak Małgorzata , Terepeta Małgorzata
Published: March 2020

In the paper we will focus on lineability of some subsets of $${\mathbb {R}}^{\left[ 0,1\right] }$$R0,1 which are called linearly sensitive. A function f is called linearly sensitive with respect to the property (or condition) (P) if f has the property (P) and for any $$a\ne 0$$a≠0 the function $$f+a\cdot {{\,\mathrm{id}\,}}$$f+a·id does not have the property (P). We discuss some general method of proving $${\mathfrak {c}}$$c-lineability and use this method to examine lineability of the family of all continuous functions linearly sensitive to the Luzin (N)-property, the family of functions linearly sensitive to the Świątkowski condition and the family of functions linearly sensitive to the strong Świątkowski condition.
Uryson Width and Volume
Authors: Papasoglu Panos
Published: March 2020

We give a short proof of a theorem of Guth relating volume of balls and Uryson width. The same approach applies to Hausdorff content implying a recent result of Liokumovich–Lishak–Nabutovsky–Rotman. We show also that for any $$C>0$$C>0 there is a Riemannian metric g on a 3-sphere such that $${\hbox {vol}}(S^3,g)=1$$vol(S3,g)=1 and for any map $$f:S^3\rightarrow {\mathbb {R}}^2$$f:S3→R2 there is some $$x\in {\mathbb {R}}^2$$x∈R2 for which $$\text {diam}(f^{-1}(x))>C$$diam(f-1(x))>C, answering a question of Guth.
Novel description of bone remodelling including finite memory effect, stimulation and signalling mechanisms
Authors: Hernandez-Rodriguez Yunuhen , Lekszycki Tomasz
Published: March 2020

A new mathematical model is presented for bone remodelling that includes a finite memory effect. In this new model, stimulus resulting from mechanical loading is separated from the signalling to grow or absorb bone. Also, a signal decaying exponentially to the distance from the point produced as well as an effect of decaying signal in time are considered. In addition, the model presented correctly predicts the synthesis and resorption of the bone tissue in a normal healthy mandible and in cases when teeth are missing. The model presented could be implemented to study cases of bone diseases where the signalling between the cells is disrupted and to predict changes in bone caused by several anomalies, such as missing a tooth or the presence of a dental prosthesis.
Non-pathogenic Escherichia coli biofilms: effects of growth conditions and surface properties on structure and curli gene expression
Authors: Leech James , Golub Stacey , Allan Wendy , Simmons Mark J. H. , Overton Tim W.
Published: March 2020

Biofilm formation is a harmful phenomenon in many areas, such as in industry and clinically, but offers advantages in the field of biocatalysis for the generation of robust biocatalytic platforms. In this work, we optimised growth conditions for the production of Escherichia coli biofilms by three strains (PHL644, a K-12 derivative with enhanced expression of the adhesin curli; the commercially-used strain BL21; and the probiotic Nissle 1917) on a variety of surfaces (plastics, stainless steel and PTFE). E. coli PHL644 and PTFE were chosen as optimal strain and substratum, respectively, and conditions (including medium, temperature, and glucose concentration) for biofilm growth were determined. Finally, the impact of these growth conditions on expression of the curli genes was determined using flow cytometry for planktonic and sedimented cells. We reveal new insights into the formation of biofilms and expression of curli in E. coli K-12 in response to environmental conditions.
Extremal determinants of Laplace–Beltrami operators for rectangular tori
Authors: Faulhuber Markus
Published: March 2020

In this work we study the determinant of the Laplace–Beltrami operator on rectangular tori of unit area. We will see that the square torus gives the extremal determinant within this class of tori. The result is established by studying properties of the Dedekind eta function for special arguments. Refined logarithmic convexity and concavity results of the classical Jacobi theta functions of one real variable are deeply involved.
Torus actions on rationally elliptic manifolds
Authors: Galaz-García F. , Kerin M. , Radeschi M.
Published: March 2020

An upper bound is obtained on the rank of a torus which can act smoothly and effectively on a smooth, closed (simply connected) rationally elliptic manifold. In the maximal-rank case, the manifolds admitting such actions are classified up to equivariant rational homotopy equivalence.
Continuous force measurements reveal no inhibitory control deficits in Parkinson’s disease
Authors: Pickering Jade S. , Leroi Iracema , McBride Jennifer , Poliakoff Ellen
Published: March 2020

Suppression of unwanted motor responses can be disrupted by Parkinson’s disease. People with Parkinson’s (PwP) can show maladaptive reward-driven behaviours in the form of impulse control behaviours, which are associated with the use of the dopaminergic treatments used to alleviate the motor symptoms of the disease. However, the effects of Parkinson’s itself on impulsive behaviour and control are unclear—empirical studies have yielded mixed findings, and some imaging studies have shown a functional deficit in the absence of a measurable change in behaviour. Here, we investigated the effects of Parkinson’s on response activation and control by studying the dynamics of response in standard inhibitory control tasks—the Stop Signal and Simon tasks—using a continuous measure of response force. Our results are largely in favour of the conclusion that response inhibition appears to be intact in PwP, even when using a more sensitive measure of behavioural control relative to traditional button-press measures. Our findings provide some clarity as to the effects of Parkinson’s on response inhibition and show continuous response force measurement can provide a sensitive means of detecting erroneous response activity in PwP, which could also be generalised to studying related processes in other populations.
Risk factors for severe bleeding events during warfarin treatment: the influence of sex, age, comorbidity and co-medication
Authors: Rydberg Diana M. , Linder Marie , Malmström Rickard E. , Andersen Morten
Published: March 2020

Purpose

To investigate risk factors for severe bleeding during warfarin treatment, including the influence of sex, age, comorbidity and co-medication on bleeding risk.

Methods

Patients initiating warfarin treatment between 2007 and 2011 were identified in the nationwide Swedish Prescribed Drug Register, and diagnoses of severe bleeding were retrieved from the National Patient Register. Hazard ratios (HR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) for severe bleeding were estimated using multiple Cox regression adjusting for indications and including covariates age, sex, comorbidities and co-medications. Interactions between sex and other covariates were investigated.

Results

The study cohort included 232,624 patients ≥ 18 years (101,011 women and 131,613 men). The incidence rate of severe bleeding was 37 per 1000 person-years, lower among women than men with an adjusted HR (95% CI) of 0.84 (0.80–0.88). Incidence of bleeding increased with age, HR 2.88 (2.37–3.50) comparing age ≥ 80 to < 40 years, and comorbidities associated with the highest risk of severe bleeding were prior bleeding, HR 1.85 (1.74–1.97); renal failure, HR 1.82 (1.66–2.00); and alcohol dependency diagnosis, HR 1.79 (1.57–2.05). Other comorbidities significantly associated with bleeding events were hypertension, diabetes, peripheral vascular disease, congestive heart failure, liver failure, stroke/TIA, COPD and cancer.

Conclusion

Most of the well-established risk factors were found to be significantly associated with bleeding events in our study. We additionally found that women had a lower incidence of bleeding. Potential biases are selection effects, residual confounding and unmeasured frailty.
Interleukin-33/suppression of tumorigenicity 2 (IL-33/ST2) axis in idiopathic inflammatory myopathies and its association with laboratory and clinical parameters: a pilot study
Authors: Opinc Aleksandra , Sarnik Joanna , Brzezińska Olga , Makowski Marcin , Lewandowska-Polak Anna , Makowska Joanna
Published: March 2020

Idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM) are rare connective tissue diseases, which can lead to internal organ involvement. IL-33/ST2 pathway is involved in the pathogenesis of numerous diseases including autoimmune disorders. IL-33 fulfils cardioprotective function, while soluble ST2 (sST2) is a decoy receptor that reduces protective impact of IL-33. The aim of the study was to evaluate the concentrations of sST2 and IL-33 in sera of patients with IIM and evaluate its associations with the clinical course of the disease. Patients with IIM as well as age- and sex-matched healthy controls were recruited. Concentrations of sST2 and IL-33 were assessed with ELISA in sera of both patients and controls. Patients were asked to fill in the questionnaires concerning clinical symptoms and physical functioning. Concentrations of sST2 and IL-33 were correlated with the results of laboratory tests and clinical symptoms. Concentrations of sST2 were significantly higher in IIM group than in healthy subjects (median sST2 in IIM 26.51 vs in healthy controls 21.39; p = 0.03). In the majority of patients, IL-33 concentrations did not exceed the detection limit. Anti-SRP-positive patients presented significantly higher concentrations of sST2 as compared to anti-SRP-negative patients (p = 0.04). In patients with anti-Ro52 antibodies, sST2 concentrations were significantly lower than in anti-Ro52-negative patients (p = 0.02). Concentrations of sST2 correlated with the degree of disability evaluated with Health Assessment Questionnaire. sST2 is increased in patients with IIM and its concentration correlates with the degree of disability. In patients with anti-SRP antibodies, levels of sST2 are exceptionally high.