bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Experience and enlightenment of water conservancy project investment
Authors: Wang Xifeng
Published: April 2020

This paper summarizes and studies the investment and financing policies of water conservancy related projects in the USA, Japan, Australia, India and Brazil, and then analyses the enlightenment of these policies to such areas reform in China. According to the researches, the U.S. government has increased to broaden financing channels, and local governments, collective and private non-federal government agencies are the main body of financing. Japan’s domestic water conservancy projects are mainly undertaken by domestic water conservancy related development and construction companies. The design and construction of most water conservancy projects in the six major water systems in Japan are mainly undertaken by the Japanese water resources development group. In Australia, water resources and other related resources are in the charge of each state, so water conservancy projects are also in the charge of each state, and the federal government and local government manage them at the same time. For all kinds of small-scale water conservancy facilities, the Indian government encourages private investors to invest, operate and manage them. Brazil has a large investment in domestic large and medium-sized water conservancy projects, for which the federal government has made great efforts in investment and financing. Therefore, China government should make a reasonable distinction between public and non-public water conservancy projects and adopt different investment policies, and should make clear the rights, responsibilities and interests of the investors and beneficiaries, make clear the property rights, and establish an effective project legal person system.
Concept design of primary heat transfer system for CFETR vacuum vessel
Authors: Zhou Jinxuan , Yang Lei , Guo Bin , Zhu Lili , Li Weibao , Liu Zhe , Yao Lidong , Xu Qianglin
Published: April 2020

The Chinese Fusion Engineering Testing Reactor (CFETR) aims at providing technical support and data reference for future fusion demonstration reactor. The vacuum vessel primary heat transfer system (VV PHTS), playing a vital role in guaranteeing the safety operation of tokamak device, which is a part of the tokamak cooling water system. It will operate in three main modes: plasma operation, water baking and decay heat removing. The design of the VV PHTS should have three functions corresponding to the above modes. Based on the thermal-hydraulic requirements, the system process have been proposed. The concept design of the system has been performed including pipes and pressurizer. For the purpose of obtaining the parameters of other main components and predicting the system operating behaviour, the thermal-hydraulic analysis model has been developed by using AFT fathom mode. The steady-state results of all three operating modes such as velocity and pressure show that the designed VV PHTS and selected methodology are feasible.
Aqueous fraction of Sapindus rarak D.C. fruit extract mediated one-pot three component construction of 9,9-dimethyl-12-phenyl-9,10-dihydro-8H-benzo[a]xanthen-11(12H)-one
Authors: Cahyana A H , Maida M C , Ardiansah B
Published: April 2020

In this study, we report 3-component combination of 2-naphthol, dimedone and benzaldehyde in 9,9-dimethyl-12-phenyl-9,10-dihydro-8H-benzo[a]xanthen-11(12)-one synthesis using water fraction of Sapindus rarak D.C. fruit extract. This extract promoted an efficient synthesis under mild reaction conditions. The compound structure was confirmed by FT-IR and Mass analysis.
Synthesis of imidazoline-palmitic derivative using MAOS (microwave assisted organic synthesis) method
Authors: Budiana S , Andreana B , Rahayu D U C , Nurani D A , Krisnandi Y K , Budianto E
Published: April 2020

In this work, imidazoline-palmitic derivative had been successfully synthesized by reacting triethylenetetramine (TETA) with palmitic acid (PA). Synthesis process was performed with solvent free using MAOS (Microwave Assisted Organic Synthesis) method with variation of time reactions. Dean-Stark and reflux methods using xylene as a solvent were also performed as comparisons. The percentage yield of TETA-PA imidazoline was obtained from Dean-Stark at 13 hours (95.80 %), reflux at 13 hours (88.53 %), and MAOS at 11 min (87.74 %). TETA-PA imidazoline then was identified by using thin layer chromatography and melting point analyzer followed by characterization using Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR), UV-Vis, Proton Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (1H-NMR), and Mass Spectrometry (MS) spectral data. This study provides information regarding comparison method for imidazoline derivative synthesis. For further research, TETA-PA imidazoline can be used as corrosion inhibitor towards carbon steel.
Effect of nonionic surfactant in the preparation of microsphere based on blend of poly(lactic acid) and polycaprolactone
Authors: Budianto E , Dhafiningtia R
Published: April 2020

Microspheres of poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) were blended and prepared using the water in oil (w/o) emulsion solvent evaporation method. The PLA/PCL blend was formulated with the composition of 60:40 (w/w), nonionic surfactant was utilized as the emulsifier. This study observed the distribution of the microspheres particle size by varying the nonionic surfactant volumes, emulsion stirring speed, and dispersion stirring time. The microspheres were characterized using Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) and Particle Size Analyzer (PSA). Physical forms of microspheres were observed using an optical microscope as well. The IR spectra of PLA/PCL blend showed that only physical interaction was occured between them. Moreover, the result of this study showed that when 2.0 mL nonionic surfactant was added, the uniform size distribution of the formed microspheres was observed at 31.50µm. Furthermore, the microspheres that formed through emulsion stirring speed at 900 rpm revealed that the formed microspheres have a uniform size distribution at 31.50 μm, while the uniform size distribution at 34.58 μm was observed in the microspheres that formed during the dispersion stirring time at 90 minutes.
Oil palm empty fruit bunch (OPEFB) (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) cellulose conversion into levulinic acid using hierarchical Mn/ZSM-5 heterogeneous catalyst
Authors: Rahayu D U C , Hutauruk J E , Krisnandi Y K , Saepudin E
Published: April 2020

Oil palm empty fruit bunch (OPEFB) is one of the potential biomasses containing cellulose that can be used as a source for renewable energy. However, the cellulose is tightly connected with lignin in lignocellulose system, which needs to be separated, so called delignification, before being used. To investigate the effect of delignification on conversion reaction, the pretreated cellulose was treated with different delignification processes, i.e. alkali delignification using 10 % NaOH (w/v) and oxidative delignification using 2 % NaOCl (v/v). Furthermore, cellulose conversion from OPEFB into levulinic acid was performed using hierarchical Mn/ZSM-5 (Mn/Hi_ZSM-5) heterogeneous catalyst with various reaction times and concentration of H3PO4. The cellulose conversion into levulinic acid in the absence of catalyst was also conducted to study the effect of catalyst. High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) analysis showed the highest cellulose conversion into levulinic acid was achieved using cellulose from alkali delignification (28.08 % yield) in optimum reaction condition of 40 % H3PO4 (v/v), 30 % H2O2 (v/v), and 0.1 g of Mn/Hi_ZSM-5 at 100 °C for 10 h. Mn/Hi_ZSM-5 revealed good selectivity for levulinic acid with the absence of 5-HMF as an intermediate compound in conversion reaction.
Conversion of cellulose from sweet sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) bagasse to levulinic acid over hierarchical Mn/ZSM-5 heterogeneous catalyst
Authors: Nurani D A , Krisnandi Y K , Simanjuntak M B , Rahayu D U C , Saepudin E
Published: April 2020

The non-food biomass, sweet sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) bagasse (SSB), can be a possible source for synthesis of platform chemical such as levulinic acid (LA). It contains high sugar derived from cellulose and hemicellulose. Delignification process of SSB becomes important due to accessibility to those sugars. In this work, the effect of different chemical pretreatments on the delignification process was studied, including alkali pretreatment (NaOH) and oxidative pretreatment (NaOCl2). The products were characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) and X-Ray Diffraction (XRD). The pretreated SSB was then converted into LA using hierarchical Mn/ZSM-5 heterogeneous catalyst at 100 °C with various concentrations of phosphoric acid and fixed concentration of hydrogen peroxide. The conversion reaction was based on Fenton-like reaction. Quantitative analysis of the products was performed using High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). The result shows that lignin content was significantly reduced from 28.42 % to 16.81 % using 10 % NaOH. Alkali pretreatment on SSB also produces higher yield of LA than oxidative pretreatment. The optimum % yield of LA 14.37 % was achieved using derived cellulose in alkali pretreatment in reaction condition 30 % of H3PO4 (v/v), 30 % H2O2 (v/v), and 10 % of Mn/ZSM-5 at 100 °C for 10 h reaction time. The catalyst shows good selectivity to LA due to the absence of HMF as intermediate. Beside LA, formic acid and acetic acid were also found in the conversion products.
The incident electrical field angle effect in localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) of bimetallic Ag-Au nanorod using MNPBEM simulation
Authors: Kuddah M S M , Putra M H , Djuhana D
Published: April 2020

In this study, we have performed the incident electrical field angle effect in localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) spectra of bimetallic Ag–Au nanorod using Metallic Nano-Particle Boundary Element Method (MNPBEM) based on the boundary element method. The diameter and length of nanorod are 40 nm and 100 nm, respectively. The fraction of Ag in bimetallic Agx, Au(100-x) are 0, 20, 40, 60, 80, and 100 within weight percent. The dielectric function of Ag–Au was generated by linear approximation and the incident angle used from 0 to 90 degrees. We found that the intensity of the extinction curve shows decreasing follow logistic type curve as the incident angle increases whereas the resonance peak is constant. For a given silver fraction in bimetallic Ag-Au, the resonance peak of LSPR shifted to higher energy or blue-shift and the intensity increased. Interestingly, the LSPR of bimetallic Ag–Au occurred in the visible range and the transition mode from longitudinal to transverse mode was observed at the angle greater than 60 degrees.
Primary study of KOH alkali fusion – nitric acid leaching process in extraction of West Kalimantan zircon concentrate
Authors: Yustanti E , Ode F A F , Sulistiyono E
Published: April 2020

This paper aims to prepare the primary study of zirconia concentrate using KOH alkali fusion, nitric acid leaching and coprecipitation method. Alkali fusion with KOH was done with stoichiometric ratio ZrSiO4/KOH of 1:1.5 at 700 °C and 180 min. Variation of water leaching temperature at 25 °C, 95 °C and concentration in nitric acid at 4M and 6M were investigated to determine the optimal parameter to form zirconia. Phase in raw material, residue of water leaching, and product of calcination were investigated by using XRD. High composition of zirconia at 52.12 % and silica 9.64 % in zircon concentrate corresponded to the intensity peak of XRD pattern. Alkali fusion with KOH changed the visual and microstructure into irregular and porous structure in the strong caustic environment. Temperature of water leaching at 25 °C was the optimal condition to produce the highest intensity peak of zirconate and the zirconia formation. Nitric acid at 4M was preferable to form the lower of silica gel formation and produce the highest zirconia.
Study of structure and composition on La0.7Ba0.25Nd0.05Mn1-x
Cu
x
O3(x = 0, 0.03, 0.05 and 0.07) prepared by sol-gel method
Authors: Munazat D R , Razaq D S , Soegijono B , Kurniawan B , Budiawanti S , Nanto D
Published: April 2020

In this work, we have investigated the effect of Cu substitution on structural and chemical composition of La0.7Ba0.25Nd0.05Mn1-xCuxO3 (x = 0, 0.03, 0.05 and 0.07) synthesized by sol-gel method. The samples were sintered at 700 °C for 24 hours. Analysis of X-Ray Diffractometer (XRD) patterns revealed that the samples are in cubic structure with space group Pm-3m. The result of Rietveld refinements showed that the increasing Cu doping influences the lattice parameter, unit cell volume and d. Goldschmidt’s tolerance factor was calculated and confirmed that cubic is the most stable structure. The average crystallite size (D) was determined by applying the Scherrer’s equation, indicating the sample in nanocrystalline. Their crystallite sizes are 17.9981, 18.5809, l5.9273 and 16.9486 nm for x = 0, 0.03, 0.05, and 0.07, respectively. The X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) revealed a spectrum of Cu which means Cu has successfully substituted the Mn site. There is no significant difference between the designated and measured composition.
Thermal behavior, dielectric and corrosion resistance of polyurethane/carbon/nanoclay hybrid materials
Authors: Ramadhan I H , Soegijono B , Kurniawan O , Virgawati E , Mudzakir I
Published: April 2020

Recently, research on hybrid materials of Polyurethane/Carbon/Nanoclay are challenging because of their applications. In this study, these materials were fabricated with various amounts of carbon and organoclay (1, 3, and 5) wt.%). The samples were characterized by thermogravimetry analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, optical microscope, RLC meter, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and salt spray test. The results showed that the samples with 5 wt.% carbon/organoclay have higher dielectric constant. Thermal behavior of the samples depends on the content of the filler. Salt spray test showed that the samples with 1 wt.% carbon/organoclay have higher corrosion resistance.
Effect of copper substitution on the structure of La0.7Sr0.25Nd0.05Mn1-xCuxO3 (x = 0, 0.03, 0.05, and 0.07) manganites
Authors: Razaq D S , Munazat D R , Soegijono B , Kurniawan B , Budiawanti S , Nanto D
Published: April 2020

The effect of copper substitution on the structure of La0.7S0.25Nd0.05Mn1-xCuxO3(x = 0, 0.03, 0.05, and 0.07) has been studied by using X-ray diffraction (XRD). The samples were successfully synthesized by using citrate-nitrate sol-gel method. Rietveld refinement analysis showed that all samples crystallized in rhombohedral system with

R

3
¯

c

space group without any detectable trace of impurities. Further analysis on the crystal structural of the samples revealed that copper substitution decreases the average Mn-O-Mn bond angle () and increases the Mn-O bond length (d<Mn-O<). Scherrer equation showed the samples are in nanocrystalline. X-ray fluorescence (XRF) results indicate that copper has successfully substituted the manganese ion.
Liquid scintillators for large area tracking system
Authors: Benhammou Yan , Etzion Erez , Mizrachi Gilad , Moshe Meny Raviv , Silver Yiftah
Published: April 2020

We report on studies of non-toxic scintillating liquid useful for large surface detectors. Arrays of liquid scintillators offer a rather simple tool for detecting charged particles traversing a surface and tracking their path through a defined volume. Insertion of wavelength shifting fibres along the liquid scintillating containers significantly improves the light collection at the two ends of the scintillators. We have demonstrated that we can achieve timing resolution of


(
1

ns) allowing good spatial resolution. Liquid scintillators with fibres read by Photo-multipliers or SiPMs provide an inexpensive alternative technology which suits well the requirement of the MATHUSLA experiment tracking system.
A residual performance methodology to evaluate multifunctional systems
Authors: Johannisson Wilhelm , Nguyen Sang , Lindbergh Göran , Zenkert Dan , Greenhalgh Emile S , Shaffer Milo S P , Kucernak Anthony R J
Published: April 2020

The development of multifunctional materials and structures is receiving increasing interest for many applications and industries; it is a promising way to increase system-wide efficiency and improve the ability to meet environmental targets. However, quantifying the advantages of a multifunctional solution over monofunctional systems can be challenging. One approach is to calculate a reduction in mass, volume or other penalty function. Another approach is to use a multifunctional efficiency metric. However, either approach can lead to results that are unfamiliar or difficult to interpret and implement for an audience without a multifunctional materials or structures background.

Instead, we introduce a comparative metric for multifunctional materials that correlates with familiar design parameters for monofunctional materials. This metric allows the potential benefits of the multifunctional system to be understood easily without needing a holistic viewpoint. The analysis is applied to two different examples of multifunctional systems; a structural battery and a structural supercapacitor, demonstrating the methodology and its potential for state-of-the-art structural power materials to offer a weight saving over conventional systems. This metric offers a new way to communicate research on structural power which could help identify and prioritise future research.
Green synthesis of copper nanoparticles using leaf extract of Ageratum houstonianum Mill. and study of their photocatalytic and antibacterial activities
Authors: Chandraker Sandip Kumar , Lal Mishri , Ghosh Mithun Kumar , Tiwari Vivek , Ghorai Tanmay Kumar , Shukla Ravindra
Published: April 2020

The novel copper nanoparticles (CuNPs) were synthesized using aqueous leaf extract of Ageratum houstonianum Mill. (AHLE). The green synthesized AH-CuNPs have a useful dye degradation property in the existence of daylight. The photocatalytic activity of AH-CuNPs was evaluated against an azo dye congo red (CR), whereas, same NPs displayed no effect on other dyes. The CR was completely degraded within 2 h, and the reaction rate was followed by pseudo-first-order kinetics, and the rate constant was recorded 3.1 × 10−4 s−1, (R2 = 0.9359). Antibacterial activity of green synthesized AH-CuNPs was studied against gram-negative bacterium Escherichia coli (MTCC no. 40), and a significant growth inhibition was recorded with 12.43 ± 0.233 mm zone of inhibition. The AH-CuNPs were characterized through UV-visible spectroscopy, XRD, SEM, FT-IR, TEM, and zeta particle size analyzer. Ageratum houstonianum mediated green synthesized copper nanoparticles (AH-CuNPs) were cubic, hexagonal, and rectangular in shape, with average size of ∼80 nm. The optical band gap was 4.5 eV, which was investigated using UV-visible spectroscopy, and the band gap value revealed that AH-CuNPs were semiconductor materials.
Poorly connected groups
Authors: Hume David , Mackay John
Published: April 2020

We investigate groups whose Cayley graphs have poorly connected subgraphs. We prove that a finitely generated group has bounded separation in the sense of Benjamini–Schramm–Timár if and only if it is virtually free. We then prove a gap theorem for connectivity of finitely presented groups, and prove that there is no comparable theorem for all finitely generated groups. Finally, we formulate a connectivity version of the conjecture that every group of type

F
F

with no Baumslag–Solitar subgroup is hyperbolic, and prove it for groups with at most quadratic Dehn function.
Mate availability determines use of alternative reproductive phenotypes in hermaphrodites
Authors: Felmy Anja , Weissert Nora , Travis Joseph , Jokela Jukka
Published: April 2020

In many species, individuals can employ alternative reproductive phenotypes, with profound consequences for individual fitness and population dynamics. This is particularly relevant for self-compatible hermaphrodites, which have exceptionally many reproductive options. Here we investigated the occurrence of reproductive phenotypes in the simultaneously hermaphroditic freshwater snail Radix balthica under experimentally simulated conditions of low versus moderate population density. We captured all mating behavior on camera and measured individual female lifetime reproductive success. We found every possible reproductive phenotype: (1) both male and female (i.e., truly hermaphroditic) reproduction, (2) purely female and (3) purely male reproduction, (4) male reproduction combined with self-fertilization and (5) female mating activity, (6) pure self-fertilization without mating and (7–8) two types of reproductive failure. Variation in alternative reproductive phenotypes was explained by mate availability (10.8%) and individual condition, approximated by a snail’s mean daily growth rate (17.5%). Increased mate availability resulted in a lower diversity of reproductive phenotypes, in particular increasing the frequency of true hermaphrodites. However, it lowered phenotype-specific fecundities and hence reduced the population growth rate. Snails in better condition were more likely to reproduce as true hermaphrodites or pure females, whereas low-condition snails tended to suffer reproductive failure. Overall, we show substantial variation in alternative reproductive phenotypes in a hermaphrodite, which is possibly in part maintained by fluctuations in population density and thus mate availability, and by variation in individual condition. We also provide evidence of an almost 2-fold increase in clutch size that can be ascribed specifically to mating as a female.
COVID-2019-associated overexpressed Prevotella proteins mediated host–pathogen interactions and their role in coronavirus outbreak
Authors: Khan Abdul Arif , Khan Zakir
Published: April 2020

Motivation

The outbreak of COVID-2019 initiated at Wuhan, China has become a global threat by rapid transmission and severe fatalities. Recent studies have uncovered whole genome sequence of SARS-CoV-2 (causing COVID-2019). In addition, lung metagenomic studies on infected patients revealed overrepresented Prevotella spp. producing certain proteins in abundance. We performed host–pathogen protein–protein interaction analysis between SARS-CoV-2 and overrepresented Prevotella proteins with human proteome. We also performed functional overrepresentation analysis of interacting proteins to understand their role in COVID-2019 severity.

Results

It was found that overexpressed Prevotella proteins can promote viral infection. As per the results, Prevotella proteins, but not viral proteins, are involved in multiple interactions with NF-kB, which is involved in increasing clinical severity of COVID-2019. Prevotella may have role in COVID-2019 outbreak and should be given importance for understanding disease mechanisms and improving treatment outcomes.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Deshrinking ridge regression for genome-wide association studies
Authors: Wang Meiyue , Li Ruidong , Xu Shizhong
Published: April 2020

Motivation

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) are still the primary steps toward gene discovery. The urgency is more obvious in the big data era when GWAS are conducted simultaneously for thousand traits, e.g. transcriptomic and metabolomic traits. Efficient mixed model association (EMMA) and genome-wide efficient mixed model association (GEMMA) are the widely used methods for GWAS. An algorithm with high computational efficiency is badly needed. It is interesting to note that the test statistics of the ordinary ridge regression (ORR) have the same patterns across the genome as those obtained from the EMMA method. However, ORR has never been used for GWAS due to its severe shrinkage on the estimated effects and the test statistics.

Results

We introduce a degree of freedom for each marker effect obtained from ORR and use it to deshrink both the estimated effect and the standard error so that the Wald test of ORR is brought back to the same level as that of EMMA. The new method is called deshrinking ridge regression (DRR). By evaluating the methods under three different model sizes (small, medium and large), we demonstrate that DRR is more generalized for all model sizes than EMMA, which only works for medium and large models. Furthermore, DRR detect all markers in a simultaneous manner instead of scanning one marker at a time. As a result, the computational time complexity of DRR is much simpler than EMMA and about m (number of genetic variants) times simpler than that of GEMMA when the sample size is way smaller than the number of markers.

Contact

shizhong.xu@ucr.edu

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
IL-1Rahigh-IL-4low-IL-13low: A Novel Plasma Cytokine Signature Associated with Olfactory Dysfunction in Older US Adults
Authors: Darnell Eli P , Wroblewski Kristen E , Pagel Kristina L , Kern David W , McClintock Martha K , Pinto Jayant M
Published: April 2020

Inflammation has been implicated in physical frailty, but its role in sensory impairment is unclear. Given that olfactory impairment predicts dementia and mortality, determining the role of the immune system in olfactory dysfunction would provide insights mechanisms of neurosensory decline. We analyzed data from the National Social Life, Health and Aging Project, a representative sample of home-dwelling older US adults. Plasma levels of 18 cytokines were measured using standard protocols (Luminex xMAP). Olfactory function was assessed with validated tools (n-butanol sensitivity and odor identification, each via Sniffin’ Sticks). We tested the association between cytokine profiles and olfactory function using multivariate ordinal logistic regression, adjusting for age, gender, race/ethnicity, education level, cognitive function, smoking status, and comorbidity. Older adults with the IL-1Rahigh-IL-4low-IL-13low cytokine profile had worse n-butanol odor sensitivity (odds ratio [OR] = 1.61, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.19–2.17) and worse odor identification (OR = 1.42, 95% CI 1.11–1.80). Proinflammatory, Th1, or Th2 cytokine profiles were not associated with olfactory function. Moreover, accounting for physical frailty did not alter the main findings. In conclusion, we identified a plasma cytokine signature—IL-1Rahigh-IL-4low-IL-13low—that is associated with olfactory dysfunction in older US adults. These data implicate systemic inflammation in age-related olfactory dysfunction and support a role for immune mechanisms in this process, a concept that warrants additional scrutiny.
Risk-based Vaccines and the Need for Risk-based Subnational Vaccination Strategies for Introduction
Authors: Muhib Farzana B , Pecenka Clint J , Marfin Anthony A
Published: April 2020

Background

Most vaccines in the Expanded Program on Immunization are universal childhood vaccines (eg, measles and rotavirus vaccines). Other vaccines such as typhoid conjugate (TCV) and Japanese encephalitis vaccines are risk based and only used in countries where populations are at risk of these diseases. However, strategies to introduce risk-based vaccines are becoming complex due to increasing intracountry variability in disease incidence. There is a need to assess whether subnational vaccine strategies are appropriate.

Criteria, challenges, and benefits

Subnational strategies consider intracountry heterogeneous risk and prioritize vaccination only in those areas that are at risk; there is no intent to introduce the vaccine nationally. The following variables should be considered to determine appropriateness of subnational strategies: disease burden, outbreak potential, treatment availability and costs, cost-effectiveness, and availability of other preventive interventions. We propose criteria for each variable and use a hypothetical country considering TCV introduction to show how criteria are applied to determine if a subnational strategy is appropriate. Challenges include granularity of disease-burden data, political challenges of vaccinating only a portion of a population, and potentially higher costs of introduction. Benefits include targeted reduction of disease burden, increased equity for marginalized populations, and progress on development goals.

Conclusions

In the absence of perfect information at the national level, adopting a subnational vaccine strategy can provide country decision makers with an alternative to national vaccine introduction. Given the changing nature of communicable disease burden, subnational vaccination may be a tool to effectively avert mortality and morbidity while maximizing the use of available health and financial resources.
Method for Economic Evaluation of Bacterial Whole Genome Sequencing Surveillance Compared to Standard of Care in Detecting Hospital Outbreaks
Authors: Kumar Praveen , Sundermann Alexander J , Martin Elise M , Snyder Graham M , Marsh Jane W , Harrison Lee H , Roberts Mark S
Published: April 2020

Background

Whole genome sequencing (WGS) surveillance and electronic health record data mining have the potential to greatly enhance the identification and control of hospital outbreaks. The objective was to develop methods for examining economic value of a WGS surveillance-based infection prevention (IP) program compared to standard of care (SoC).

Methods

The economic value of a WGS surveillance-based IP program was assessed from a hospital’s perspective using historical outbreaks from 2011–2016. We used transmission network of outbreaks to estimate incremental cost per transmission averted. The number of transmissions averted depended on the effectiveness of intervening against transmission routes, time from transmission to positive culture results and time taken to obtain WGS results and intervene on the transmission route identified. The total cost of an IP program included cost of staffing, WGS, and treating infections.

Results

Approximately 41 out of 89 (46%) transmissions could have been averted under the WGS surveillance-based IP program, and it was found to be a less costly and more effective strategy than SoC. The results were most sensitive to the cost of performing WGS and the number of isolates sequenced per year under WGS surveillance. The probability of the WGS surveillance-based IP program being cost-effective was 80% if willingness to pay exceeded $2400 per transmission averted.

Conclusions

The proposed economic analysis is a useful tool to examine economic value of a WGS surveillance-based IP program. These methods will be applied to a prospective evaluation of WGS surveillance compared to SoC.
The role of bipartite structure in R&D collaboration networks
Authors: Filho D Vasques , O’Neale Dion R J
Published: April 2020

A great number of real-world networks are, in fact, one-mode projections of bipartite networks comprised of two different types of nodes. In the case of interactions between institutions engaging in collaboration for technological innovation, the underlying network is bipartite with institutions (agents) linked to the patents they have filed (artefacts), while the projection is the co-patenting network. Since projected network properties are highly affected by the underlying bipartite structure a lack of understanding of the bipartite network has consequences for the information that might be drawn from the one-mode co-patenting network. Here, we create an empirical bipartite network using data from 2.7 million patents recorded by the European Patent Office. We project this network onto the agents (institutions) and look at properties of both the bipartite and projected networks that may play a role in knowledge sharing and collaboration. We compare these empirical properties to those of synthetic bipartite networks and their projections. We show that understanding the bipartite network topology is critical for understanding the potential flow of technological knowledge. Properties of the bipartite structure, such as degree distributions and small cycles, affect the topology of the one-mode projected network—specifically degree and clustering distributions, and degree assortativity. We propose new network-based metrics as a way to quantify how collaborative agents are in the collaboration network. We find that several large corporations are the most collaborative agents in the network; however, such organizations tend to have a low diversity of collaborators. In contrast, the most prolific institutions tend to collaborate relatively little but with a diverse set of collaborators. This indicates that they concentrate the knowledge of their core technical research while seeking specific complementary knowledge via collaboration with smaller institutions.
Pretreatment of crop residues by ammonia fiber expansion (AFEX) alters the temporal colonization of feed in the rumen by rumen microbes
Authors: Terry Stephanie A , Ribeiro Gabriel O , Conrad Cheyenne C , Beauchemin Karen A , McAllister Tim A , Gruninger Robert J
Published: April 2020

This study examines the colonization of barley straw (BS) and corn stover (CS) by rumen bacteria and how this is impacted by ammonia fiber expansion (AFEX) pre-treatment. A total of four ruminally cannulated beef heifers were used to investigate in situ microbial colonization in a factorial design with two crop residues, pre-treated with or without AFEX. Crop residues were incubated in the rumen for 0, 2, 4, 8 and 48 h and the colonizing profile was determined using 16 s rRNA gene sequencing. The surface colonizing community clustered based on incubation time and pre-treatment. Fibrobacter, unclassified Bacteroidales, and unclassified Ruminococcaceae were enriched during late stages of colonization. Prevotella and unclassified Lachnospiraceae were enriched in the early stages of colonization. The microbial community colonizing BS-AFEX and CS was less diverse than the community colonizing BS and CS-AFEX. Prevotella, Coprococcus and Clostridium were enriched in both AFEX crop residues, while untreated crop residues were enriched with Methanobrevibacter. Several pathways associated with simple carbohydrate metabolism were enriched in the primary colonizing community of AFEX crop residues. This study suggests that AFEX improves the degradability of crop residues by increasing the accessibility of polysaccharides that can be metabolized by the dominant taxa responsible for primary colonization.
Ampliconic Genes on the Great Ape Y Chromosomes: Rapid Evolution of Copy Number but Conservation of Expression Levels
Authors: Vegesna Rahulsimham , Tomaszkiewicz Marta , Ryder Oliver A , Campos-Sánchez Rebeca , Medvedev Paul , DeGiorgio Michael , Makova Kateryna D
Published: April 2020

Multicopy ampliconic gene families on the Y chromosome play an important role in spermatogenesis. Thus, studying their genetic variation in endangered great ape species is critical. We estimated the sizes (copy number) of nine Y ampliconic gene families in population samples of chimpanzee, bonobo, and orangutan with droplet digital polymerase chain reaction, combined these estimates with published data for human and gorilla, and produced genome-wide testis gene expression data for great apes. Analyzing this comprehensive data set within an evolutionary framework, we, first, found high inter- and intraspecific variation in gene family size, with larger families exhibiting higher variation as compared with smaller families, a pattern consistent with random genetic drift. Second, for four gene families, we observed significant interspecific size differences, sometimes even between sister species—chimpanzee and bonobo. Third, despite substantial variation in copy number, Y ampliconic gene families’ expression levels did not differ significantly among species, suggesting dosage regulation. Fourth, for three gene families, size was positively correlated with gene expression levels across species, suggesting that, given sufficient evolutionary time, copy number influences gene expression. Our results indicate high variability in size but conservation in gene expression levels in Y ampliconic gene families, significantly advancing our understanding of Y-chromosome evolution in great apes.
Dysphagia and an aberrant subclavian artery: more than just a coincidence
Authors: Dranseika Vilius , Erdil Tugba , Schweiger Martin , Balmer Christian , Pretre Rene , Dave Hitendu
Published: April 2020

Aberrant subclavian artery (arteria lusoria) is the most common congenital malformation of the aortic arch in the general population. As patients are more often asymptomatic, indications for correcting this abnormality, even in those having dysphagia, are very vague. While presenting a case of a 10-year-old girl who suffered from dysphagia lusoria for 2 years before being cured by a simple surgical translocation, we review the literature and debate various aspects of its management from diagnosis to surgery and cosmesis.
Thermal comfort of urban spaces using simulation tools exploring street orientation influence of on the outdoor thermal comfort: a case study of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Authors: Hegazy Ibrahim Rizk , Qurnfulah Emad Mohammed
Published: April 2020

At present, the environmental quality of urban regions and outdoor spaces has turn out to be one of the main issues facing both climatologists and designers, which could be identified through their research outcomes. It is argued that the urban configuration affects the micro-climate of the urban outdoor spaces. The street’s orientation form was identified as an element, which impacts the urban environment with regards of receiving passive solar, solar radiation and reflection against urban absorption, wind flow and the possible urban cooling techniques. The key purpose of this study is to look into the urban configuration factors affecting the human thermal outdoor comfort in Jeddah city as an example of hot humid climate regions. To accomplish its aim, the research is divided to two sections. The first one illustrates the problem of the research, then generally reviews the literature associated with the outdoor human thermal comfort; in addition, it discusses the relationship between street orientation and micro-climate. The second section highlight the assessments carried out between four different orientations of urban streets from two different districts in Jeddah city, using ENVI-met software. The research adopts three environmental variables to be examined, namely air temperature, wind speed, relative humidity together with pedestrian thermal comfort as indicators for predicted mean vote, during summer and winter seasons. The outcomes of the comparison assist to identify decisions related street networks to achieve the desirable human outdoor thermal comfort in such an urban environment.
Multiple and Extra-Pair Mating in a Pair-Living Hermaphrodite, the Intertidal LimpetSiphonaria gigas
Authors: Schaefer Jessica L B , Christy John H , Marko Peter B
Published: April 2020

Synopsis

Pair-living is a common social system found across animal taxa, and the relationship between pair-living and reproduction varies greatly among species. Siphonaria gigas, hermaphroditic pulmonate gastropods, often live in pairs in the rocky intertidal zone of the tropical Eastern Pacific. Combining genetic parentage analysis using four polymorphic microsatellite loci with behavioral observations from a 10-week field study, we provide the first description of the mating system of a Siphonaria species incorporating genetic data. S. gigas mated both within-pair and extra-pair and three out of four paired S. gigas individuals produced egg masses with extra-pair paternity. Multiple paternity was detected, but at a relatively low frequency (19% of egg masses) compared to other marine gastropods. Behavioral data indicate one potential advantage of pair-living: paired S. gigas produced almost twice as many egg masses as their solitary counterparts over four reproductive cycles. These observations, together with constraints on the movement of S. gigas, suggest that pairing may ensure mate access and increase reproductive success.
Community Structure and Undescribed Species Diversity in Non-Pollinating Fig Wasps Associated with the Strangler Fig Ficus petiolaris
Authors: Satler Jordan D , Bernhard Kristen K , Stireman John O , Machado Carlos A , Houston Derek D , Nason John D
Published: April 2020

Figs and their associated mutualistic and parasitic wasps have been a focus of intensive ecological and evolutionary research due to their diversity, unusual reproductive biology, and highly coevolved interspecific relationships. Due to the ecological dependence of their interactions, fig wasps were once considered to be fig-species specific and to cospeciate with their hosts, however, a growing body of evidence reveals mixed support for species specificity and the importance of additional evolutionary processes (e.g., host switching) structuring these long-term interactions. Our research on the genus Idarnes Walker, 1843 (Hymenoptera, Agaonidae), a common non-pollinating wasp of New World fig flowers, reveals a community in which multiple wasp species coexist on the same host in space and time. Using both molecular and morphological data, we identify five distinct Idarnes lineages associated with a single host fig species, Ficus petiolaris Kunth, 1817 (Rosales, Moraceae). A comprehensive phylogenetic analysis including Idarnes species from numerous host fig species reveals that the lineages associated with F. petiolaris do not form a monophyletic group but are distantly related, suggesting multiple independent colonization events and subsequent diversification. Morphological and ecological data provide support that the wasps are partitioning niches within the figs, explaining the coexistence of these diverse lineages on the same host fig. These results, coupled with a growing body of research on pollinating and non-pollinating fig wasps, bring into focus a more dynamic picture of fig and fig wasp coevolution and highlight how wasp lineage divergence and niche partitioning contributes to increased species diversity and community structure on a single fig host.
The Effect of Categorization on Goal Progress Perceptions and Motivation
Authors: Sharif Marissa A , Woolley Kaitlin
Published: April 2020

Consumers monitor their goal progress to know how much effort they need to invest to achieve their goals. However, the factors influencing consumers’ goal progress monitoring are largely unexamined. Seven studies (N = 8,409) identified categorization as a novel factor that influences goal progress perceptions, with consequences for motivation. When pursuing a goal, categorization cues lead consumers to perceive that their goal-relevant actions are in separate categories; as a result, consumers anchor their estimates of goal progress on the proportion of categories completed and are less affected by the absolute amount of progress made than when categorization cues are not present. As a result, depending on the proportion of categories completed, categorization can lead consumers to infer greater progress when they are actually farther from their goal, and to infer less progress when they are closer to their goal. We demonstrate consequences of this effect for consumers’ motivation and goal attainment in incentive compatible contexts.
Boolean negation and non-conservativity II: The variable-sharing property
Authors: Øgaard Tore Fjetland
Published: April 2020

Many relevant logics are conservatively extended by Boolean negation. Not all, however. This paper shows an acute form of non-conservativeness, namely that the Boolean-free fragment of the Boolean extension of a relevant logic need not always satisfy the variable-sharing property. In fact, it is shown that such an extension can in fact yield classical logic. For a vast range of relevant logic, however, it is shown that the variable-sharing property, restricted to the Boolean-free fragment, still holds for the Boolean extended logic.
The Trusted Doctor
Authors: Rhodes Rosamond
Published: April 2020

Common morality has been the touchstone for addressing issues of medical ethics since the publication of Beauchamp and Childress’s Principles of Biomedical Ethics in 1979. This book challenges that reigning view by presenting an original account of the ethics of medicine. It begins by demonstrating why the standard common morality accounts of medical ethics are unsuitable for the profession and inadequate for responding to the uncommon issues that arise in medical practice. It then explains medicine’s distinctive ethics in terms of the trust that society allows to the profession. Starting with the obligation to “seek trust and be trustworthy,” the book goes on to explicate sixteen specific duties that doctors take on when they join the profession. By enumerating the duties of medical professionals and explaining their importance with numerous clinical examples, this book presents a cohesive and coherent description of the duties of medical professionals that is largely consistent with codes of medical ethics posted on websites of medical societies around the world. It also explains why it is critical for physicians to develop the attitudes or doctorly virtues that comprise the character of trustworthy doctors and buttress physicians’ efforts to fulfill their professional obligations. Together, the presentation of physicians’ duties and the elements that comprise a doctorly character add up to a description of what medical professionalism entails. This analysis provides a clear understanding of medical professionalism and guides doctors in navigating the ethically challenging situations that arise in clinical practice.
Migraine trigger factors
Authors: Schoonman Guus G. , Schytz Henrik Winther , Ashina Messoud
Published: April 2020

In second-century Rome Galen of Pergamon suggested that migraine was triggered by yellow bile irritating the brain and meninges. Today atmospheric, nutritional, hormonal, physiological, and pharmacological triggers have been investigated in numerous clinical studies. A trigger for migraine is any factor that upon exposure or withdrawal can lead to the development of a migraine attack. According to the International Headache Society, trigger factors increase the probability of a migraine attack usually within 48 hours. Thus, a trigger factor is not regarded as a necessary causative agent in migraine, and therefore the presence of a trigger factor may not always induce an attack. The majority of studies on trigger factors are retrospective surveys hampered by recall bias, multiple significance errors, and questionnaire design, which may explain differences between studies. There are only a limited number of prospective studies, with conflicting results. In this chapter the present knowledge on migraine triggers is presented and described, highlighting both facts and myths. In addition, we will discuss the clinical implications of identifying triggers, and whether there is any rationale for avoidance of triggers, which has been a classic strategy, and recommendation for migraine treatment.
Treatment and management of migraine
Authors: Láinez Miguel J. A. , Grozeva Veselina T.
Published: April 2020

The chapter is a review of the possible treatment options for acute migraine. This primary headache disorder has a huge social and economic impact. The combination of a correct diagnosis, good general management and the election of the most appropriate pharmacological treatment can significantly reduce the patient’s disability. Here we provide a thorough description of the most commonly used specific (ergots and triptans) and nonspecific (analgesics, NSAIDs, dopamine antagonists, etc.) medications, as well as some of their effective combinations. We discuss how to use the different medications in relation with the clinical presentation of the migraine attacks and in special situations as status migrainosus, or refractoriness to conventional treatment. Advantages and disadvantages of the most used strategies are pointed out to assist professionals to choose the best individual treatment for their patients with acute migraine attack.