bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Communicating Uncertainties About the Effects of Medical Interventions Using Different Display Formats
Authors: McDowell Michelle , Kause Astrid
Published: June 2021

Communicating uncertainties in scientific evidence is important to accurately reflect scientific knowledge , increase public understanding of uncertainty, and to signal transparency and honesty in reporting. While techniques have been developed to facilitate the communication of uncertainty, many have not been empirically tested, compared for communicating different types of uncertainty, or their effects on different cognitive, trust, and behavioral outcomes have not been evaluated. The present study examined how a point estimate, imprecise estimate, conflicting estimates, or a statement about the lack of evidence about treatment effects, influenced participant's responses to communications about medical evidence. For each type of uncertainty, we adapted three display formats to communicate the information: tables, bar graphs, and icon arrays. We compared participant's best estimates of treatment effects, as well as effects on recall, subjective evaluations (understandability and usefuleness), certainty perceptions, perceptions of trustworthiness of the information, and behavioral intentions. We did not find any detrimental effects from communicating imprecision or conflicting estimates relative to a point estimate across any outcome. Furthermore, there were more favorable responses to communicating imprecision or conflicting estimates relative to lack of evidence, where participants estimated the treatment would improve outcomes by 30–50% relative to a placebo. There were no differences across display formats, suggesting that, if well‐designed, it may not matter which format is used. Future research on specific display formats or uncertainty types and with larger sample sizes would be needed to detect small effects. Implications for the communication of uncertainty are discussed.
Assessing the risk of robbery in bank branches to reduce impact on personnel
Authors: de la Cruz López María Pilar , Cartelle Barros Juan José , del Caño Gochi Alfredo , Garaboa Fernández María Concepción , Blanco Leis Jesús
Published: June 2021

According to existing literature, bank robberies can have a considerable impact on the people involved (employees, customers, and police officers), even if the direct economic losses are negligible. Consequently, this article presents a model to assess the risk of bank robbery, with the aim of reducing the impact on the people and prioritizing the investments in security measures. It is based on the MIVES (Spanish acronym for the Integrated Value Model for Sustainability Assessment) method and it was combined with Monte Carlo simulation as a way of taking into account the uncertainty. Correlations were also modeled, for simulation purposes. Indicators for addressing issues related to security features, employees, operational procedures, and physical and social environment were defined. The model was applied to two fictitious but realistic sets of cases. The first simulation provides a quick overview of the risk level of a fictitious bank, before collecting the full set of data from hundreds or thousands of branches. The second simulation analyzes the risk variation of a specific bank branch over time. The model was also used to assess the risk index of 636 real branches belonging to a Spanish bank. All the results are presented and discussed in depth. The model allows the user to identify the weak points of a branch, so that corrective measures can be taken.
Morphological phylogeny of Panorpidae (Mecoptera: Panorpoidea)
Authors: Wang Ji‐Shen , Hua Bao‐Zhen
Published: June 2021

Panorpidae is the largest family of Mecoptera with approximately 500 described species in one extinct and eight extant genera. The phylogeny of Panorpidae was inferred from DNA sequences recently, but has not been comprehensively studied based on morphological characters to date. Here, the phylogeny of Panorpidae was analysed for 155 extant species in eight genera based on 182 morphological characters of adults under Maximum Parsimony and Maximum Likelihood, respectively, with two species of Choristidae and three species of Panorpodidae as outgroups. The resulting phylogenetic trees are overall consistent with those reconstructed in the molecular analyses, and support the monophyly of two major clades and all the extant genera except Panorpa and Neopanorpa, which may need further splitting. A new subfamily, Neopanorpinae subfam.n., is established to include Neopanorpa and Leptopanorpa, with all the other genera assigned to Panorpinae. Thirty‐two species groups (24 in Panorpa and eight in Neopanorpa) are recognized. We speculate that Panorpidae likely originated from East Asia, with independent dispersal events that probably occurred at least twice for the Indonesian fauna, five times for the Japanese fauna, twice for the western Palearctic fauna, and four times for the Nearctic fauna.

This work has been registered in ZooBank:
http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:7B451D1E‐1DA3‐4D65‐B6BD‐4730B10416E5
Reinforcement Learning for Production‐Based Cognitive Models
Authors: Brasoveanu Adrian , Dotlačil Jakub
Published: June 2021

Production‐based cognitive models, such as Adaptive Control of Thought‐Rational (ACT‐R) or Soar agents, have been a popular tool in cognitive science to model sequential decision processes. While the models have been useful in articulating assumptions and predictions of various theories, they unfortunately require a significant amount of hand coding, both with respect to what building blocks cognitive processes should consist of and with respect to how these building blocks are selected and ordered in a sequential decision process. Hand coding of large, realistic models poses a challenge for modelers, and also makes it unclear whether the models can be learned and are thus cognitively plausible. The learnability issue is probably most starkly present in cognitive models of linguistic skills, since linguistic skills involve richly structured representations and highly complex rules. We investigate how reinforcement learning (RL) methods can be used to solve the production selection and production ordering problem in ACT‐R. We focus on four algorithms from the learning family, tabular and three versions of deep networks (DQNs), as well as the ACT‐R utility learning algorithm, which provides a baseline for the algorithms. We compare the performance of these five algorithms in a range of lexical decision (LD) tasks framed as sequential decision problems. We observe that, unlike the ACT‐R baseline, the agents learn even the more complex LD tasks fairly well. However, tabular and DQNs show a trade‐off between speed of learning, applicability to more complex tasks, and how noisy the learned rules are. This indicates that the ACT‐R subsymbolic system for procedural memory could be improved by incorporating more insights from RL approaches, particularly the function‐approximation‐based ones, which learn and generalize effectively in complex, more realistic tasks.
Checking design 2: cómo la empresa logra gestionar el diseño
Authors: Paredes López Sonia Patricia , Manrique López Aida , Carrillo Bernal Natalia
Published: June 2021

Este ebook muestra la necesidad de convertir la gestión de diseño en una práctica que se pueda incorporar en el día a día de las organizaciones; para esto, se apoya en ejemplos empresariales de diversos lugares, los cuales han tenido que abordar el ejercicio del diseño desde diferentes ópticas, para así poder configurar ofertas innovadoras. Esta publicación que abarca a lo largo de sus capítulos temas relacionados con el ambiente requerido para el ejercicio del diseño, la necesidad de comprenderlo desde una perspectiva estratégica y la importancia de visualizar el entorno y el mercado desde la óptica de la búsqueda de oportunidades.
Head Loss in Flow Through a Cyclone Dust Separator or Vortex Chamber
Authors: Weber H. E. , Keenan J. H.
Published: June 2021

An analysis for predicting the head loss in flow through a cyclone dust separator is presented. The effect of wall friction is indicated by consideration of two cases—one for zero wall friction, the other for wall friction great enough to eliminate the angular momentum of the stream. Comparisons of the analysis are made with the experimental data obtained from a test cyclone in which the flow rate, the depth of the inlet area, the radius of the exhaust pipe, and the extension of the exhaust pipe into the cyclone were variable. In general the agreement between the theoretical and experimental results is good. The regions of deviation between the two results are evaluated qualitatively with respect to the effects of wall friction on the head loss.
Two-Dimensional Inflow Conditions for a Supersonic Compressor With Curved Blades
Authors: Levine Philip
Published: June 2021

Results are presented on an analytical study of the flow field existing upstream of a blade row, where the axial flow is subsonic and the relative flow is supersonic. The flow model used as a basis for the calculations assumes isentropic flow, and considers the case where the suction surface is a circular arc in the entrance region. The results clearly show the unique dependence of the flow through a blade row upon the geometry of the entrance region. Using the results, the complete flow field in the entrance region and upstream of the blade row can be constructed easily.
On Effect of Boundary and Loading Conditions in the Limit Analysis of Plastic Structures
Authors: Ross E. W.
Published: June 2021

In this note the limit-analysis notions for an elastic-plastic body are applied to yield several general results about the effect on the collapse load of changes in body shape and loading conditions.
The Effect of Lubricant Inertia in Journal-Bearing Lubrication
Authors: Osterle J. F. , Chou Y. T. , Saibel E. A.
Published: June 2021

The Reynolds equation of hydrodynamic theory, modified to take lubricant inertia into approximate account, is applied to the steady-state operation of journal bearings to determine the effect of lubricant inertia on the pressure developed in the lubricant. A simple relationship results, relating this “inertial” pressure to the Reynolds number of the flow. It is found that the inertia effect can be significant in the laminar regime.
Stress-Strain Relations and Vibrations of a Granular Medium
Authors: Duffy J. , Mindlin R. D.
Published: June 2021

A differential stress-strain relation is derived for a medium composed of a face-centered cubic array of elastic spheres in contact. The stress-strain relation is based on the theory of elastic bodies in contact, and includes the effects of both normal and tangential components of contact forces. A description is given of an experiment performed as a test of the contact theories and the differential stress-strain relation derived from them. The experiment consists of a determination of wave velocities and the accompanying rates of energy dissipation in granular bars composed of face-centered cubic arrays of spheres. Experimental results indicate a close agreement between the theoretical and experimental values of wave velocity. However, as in previous experiments with single contacts, the rate of energy dissipation is found to be proportional to the square of the maximum tangential contact force rather than to the cube, as predicted by the theory for small amplitudes.
Solving time-independent inhomogeneous optoacoustic wave equation numerically with a modified Green's function approach
Authors: Saha Ratan K.
Published: June 2021

The purpose of the paper is twofold. First, a modified Green's function (MGF) approach is described for solving the time-independent inhomogeneous optoacoustic (OA) wave equation. The performance of this technique has been assessed with respect to the exact, traditional Born series and convergent Born series methods for an acoustically inhomogeneous spherical source. Second, we apply the same approach for calculating time domain signal from a blood vessel network consisting of an ensemble of acoustically homogeneous/inhomogeneous randomly positioned disks resembling cells. The predicted signals have been compared with those generated by the exact method and a freely available standard software. The OA spectra for a spherical source demonstrated excellent agreement with the exact results when sound-speed for the source was varied from −20% to 30% compared to that of the surrounding medium. The simulated OA signals also followed the same trend as that of the exclusively used software for the acoustically homogeneous blood vessel network. Future work will focus inclusion of a suitable phase factor within the MGF facilitating OA pulses building up at correct temporal locations for an acoustically inhomogeneous source.
Face masks and speaking style affect audio-visual word recognition and memory of native and non-native speech
Authors: Smiljanic Rajka , Keerstock Sandie , Meemann Kirsten , Ransom Sarah M.
Published: June 2021

Though necessary, protective mask wearing in response to the COVID-19 pandemic presents communication challenges. The present study examines how signal degradation and loss of visual information due to masks affects intelligibility and memory for native and non-native speech. We also test whether clear speech can alleviate perceptual difficulty for masked speech. One native and one non-native speaker of English recorded video clips in conversational speech without a mask and conversational and clear speech with a mask. Native English listeners watched video clips presented in quiet or mixed with competing speech. The results showed that word recognition and recall of speech produced with a mask can be as accurate as without a mask in optimal listening conditions. Masks affected non-native speech processing at easier noise levels than native speech. Clear speech with a mask significantly improved accuracy in all listening conditions. Speaking clearly, reducing noise, and using surgical masks as well as good signal amplification can help compensate for the loss of intelligibility due to background noise, lack of visual cues, physical distancing, or non-native speech. The findings have implications for communication in classrooms and hospitals where listeners interact with teachers and healthcare providers, oftentimes non-native speakers, through their protective barriers.
Trends in low-frequency underwater noise off the Oregon coast and impacts of COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Dahl Peter H. , Dall'Osto David R. , Harrington Michael J.
Published: June 2021

Approximately six years of underwater noise data recorded from the Regional Cabled Array network are examined to study long-term trends. The data originate from station HYS14 located 87 km offshore of Newport, OR. The results indicate that the third-octave band level centered at 63 Hz and attributable to shipping activity is reduced in the spring of 2020 by about 1.6 dB relative to the mean of the prior five years, owing to the reduced economic activity initiated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The results are subtle, as the noise reduction is less than the typical seasonal fluctuation associated with warming ocean surface temperatures in the summer that reduces mode excitation support at typical ship source depths, causing a repeated annual level change on the order of 4 dB at shipping frequencies. Seasonality of the noise contribution near 20 Hz from fin whales is also discussed. Corroboration of a COVID-19 effect on shipping noise is offered by an analysis of automatic identification system shipping data and shipping container activity for Puget Sound, over the same six-year period, which shows a reduction in the second quarter of 2020 by ∼19% and ∼17%, respectively, relative to the mean of the prior five years.
Reduced order integration for the radiation efficiency of a rectangular plate
Authors: Yu Y. , Hopkins C.
Published: June 2021

A reduced order integration is proposed for the prediction of radiation efficiency and radiation impedance for a rectangular plate. The formula is simplified using the spatial windowing approach and avoids the singular point at zero radiation distance. Compared with other formulas using similar approaches, the formulation in this letter is computationally efficient and does not require the assumption of an equivalent square plate to reduce the calculation time.
Implementation of active probe rheology simulation technique for determining the viscoelastic moduli of soft matter
Authors: Nourian Pouria , Islam Rafikul , Khare Rajesh
Published: June 2021

Although bead microrheology experiments are routinely used to characterize the viscoelasticity of complex matter, their simulation analog—probe rheology molecular simulations—has been scarcely used since the system characteristics required for its robust implementation are not established in the literature. We address this issue by analyzing an active probe rheology simulation setup consisting of a probe particle that is subjected to an external oscillatory force and a harmonic trapping force. We identify a set of eight conditions of the system properties that must be satisfied for the successful implementation of the probe rheology technique in molecular simulations. Among these criteria, the two most important are as follows: (1) The spring force constant for the trapping force should be sufficiently large such that the peak in the Fourier transform of the probe displacement occurs at the same frequency as that of the applied force. (2) System parameters should be chosen such that the magnitude of the external force used to drive the probe motion should be comparable to the magnitude of the hydrodynamic friction force experienced by the probe particle in the viscoelastic medium. Furthermore, a scaling relation that can be used to determine the frequency at which inertial effects set in for a given probe size is also established. The validity of our procedure is demonstrated by applying it to determine the viscoelastic properties of a weakly entangled polymer melt system.
Load Carriage During Walking Increases Dynamic Stiffness at Distal Lower Limb Joints
Authors: Santos Thiago R.T. , Fonseca Sergio T. , Araújo Vanessa L. , Lee Sangjun , Saucedo Fabricio , Allen Stephen , Siviy Christopher , Souza Thales R. , Walsh Conor , Holt Kenneth G.
Published: June 2021

The addition of a load during walking requires changes in the movement pattern. The investigation of the dynamic joint stiffness behavior may help to understand the lower limb joints’ contribution to these changes. This study aimed to investigate the dynamic stiffness of lower limb joints in response to the increased load carried while walking. Thirteen participants walked in two conditions: unloaded (an empty backpack) and loaded (the same backpack plus added mass corresponding to 30% of body mass). Dynamic stiffness was calculated as the linear slope of the regression line on the moment–angle curve during the power absorption phases of the ankle, knee, and hip in the sagittal plane. The results showed that ankle (P = .002) and knee (P < .001) increased their dynamic stiffness during loaded walking compared with unloaded, but no difference was observed at the hip (P = .332). The dynamic stiffness changes were different among joints (P < .001): ankle and knee changes were not different (P < .992), but they had a greater change than hip (P < .001). The nonuniform increases in lower limb joint dynamic stiffness suggest that the ankle and knee are critical joints to deal with the extra loading.
Release of stem cells from quiescence reveals gliogenic domains in the adult mouse brain
Authors: Delgado Ana C. , Maldonado-Soto Angel R. , Silva-Vargas Violeta , Mizrak Dogukan , von Känel Thomas , Tan Kelly R. , Paul Alex , Madar Aviv , Cuervo Henar , Kitajewski Jan , Lin Chyuan-Sheng , Doetsch Fiona
Published: June 2021

Gliogenesis in the adult mouse brain

Neural stem cells in the adult mouse brain can generate both neurons and glia. Exactly where each stem cell is positioned can determine what type of neurons it generates. Delgado
et al.
show that neural stem cells are also choosy about what sorts of glia they make and when (see the Perspective by Baldwin and Silver). Injury or selective deletion of platelet-derived growth factor receptor β (PDGFRβ) from the stem cells kicked them into overdrive and revealed their selectivity with respect to gliogenesis. An unusual type of glial progenitor cell, intraventricular oligodendrocyte progenitors, are found nestled between the cilia of ependymal cells derived from tight clusters of PDGFRβ-expressing stem cells.

Science
, abg8467, this issue p.
1205
; see also abj1139, p.
1151
Binding of Bacillus thuringiensis Cry1 Toxins to the Midgut Brush Border Membrane Vesicles of Chilo suppressalis (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae): Evidence of Shared Binding Sites
Authors: Fiuza L , Nielsen-Leroux C , Goze E , Frutos R , Charles J
Published: June 2021

Volume 62, no. 5, p. 1544, Abstract, line 4: "Cry1Aa" should read "Cry1Ac." [This corrects the article on p. 1544 in vol. 62.].
Continuing search for the etiology of cat scratch disease
Authors: Emmons R W , Riggs J L , Schachter J
Published: June 2021

Fifty cat scratch disease patients were tested for antibodies against candidate etiological agents, with inconclusive results. Future research should emphasize new viral isolation methods to discover the elusive agent.
Carbon dioxide requirement of Neisseria gonorrhoeae growing on a solid medium
Authors: Platt D J
Published: June 2021

A survey of 120 isolations of Neisseria gonorrhoeae from male patients showed that 47 (39%) isolates were unable to produce visible colonies without a supply of exogenous carbon dioxide. Of 63 strains, 25 strains required CO2 for isolation but none exhibited a CO2 requirement beyond subculture 4. CO2-requiring strains deprived of CO2 appeared to lose their colony-forming ability exponentially in an environment otherwise conductive to growth. The CO2 requirement was found to be linked to the initiation of growth. An agar-to-agar replica-plating device was used to study the early stages of colonial growth. The CO2 requirement was also found to correlate with the various phases of the colony growth cycle, such that it was required during lag phase, not required during the phase of rapid growth, and returned as colonies aged. These results are discussed.
Evaluation of the Acid-Fast Smear
Authors: Burdash N. M. , Manos J. P. , Ross D. , Bannister E. R.
Published: June 2021

A retrospective analysis of the data involving all specimens submitted to the mycobacteriology laboratory over the past 20 months supports the continued use of the acid-fast smear as an aid in the detection of tuberculosis.
Phage Typing Set for E
1
, E
2
, E
3
, and E
4
Salmonellae
Authors: Gershman M.
Published: June 2021

Eighteen common serotypes representative of group E
1
, E
2
, E
3
, and E
4
Salmonella
were characterized using a single set of phages.
Septicemia due to Neisseria lactamica
Authors: Wilson H D , Overman T L
Published: June 2021

Neisseria lactamica was isolated from the blood of a pediatric patient who had signs of septicemia and otitis media. Organisms morphologically resembling Neisseria, as well as gram-positive cocci, were seen on a Gram stain of fluid from the middle ear. It is hypothesized that the N. lactamica septicemia was secondary to infection of the middle ear by this organism.
Method for phage typing group A type 49 streptococci
Authors: Skjold S A , Wannamaker L W
Published: June 2021

A method of phage subtyping group A type 49 streptococci is described. The method is similar to that used for phage typing staphylococci, except that lysates obtained by induction with mitomycin C rather than propagated stock phages were used. Five type 49 strains were used as phage donors. Seventy-two strains of type 49 streptococci isolated from 10 worldwide sources were examined by this method. Among these strains, five distinct subtypes (I through V) could be distinguished on the basis of their lytic patterns. Only a few of the type 49 strains could not be classified into one of these phage subtypes (6% using 100 X routine test dilution). Strains from a single source were generally homogeneous with respect to their phage subtype. The method proved useful in discriminating between type 49 strains isolated from different geographical sources and from the same place in different years. Studies in progress suggest that it may be useful for subtyping other strains of special epidemiological interest, such as strains of other serological types associated with nephritis.
Primary isolation of Mycobacterium avium complex-serotype 6 on blood agar
Authors: Thigpen J E , Thierry V L , Gupta B N
Published: June 2021

Mycobacterium avium complex-serotype 6 was isolated in pure culture on blood agar plates from inocula taken from the heart blood, lungs, liver, kidneys, and spleen of a naturally infected captive female opossum (Didelphis marsupialis virginiana). Repeat cultures from stored tissues and transfer of colonies from original blood agar plates revealed that the mycobacterium grew on tryptose, brilliant green, eosin-methylene blue. Sabouraud glucose, and mycobiotic agar plates and in Fletcher leptospira medium. The cultural, biochemical, and serological characteristics of the test isolate were compared with other mycobacteria. This is the first report to describe the primary isolation of a serotype from the M. avium complex from an animal species on blood agar or in Fletcher broth. In addition, this is the second documented report describing the isolation and identification of a mycobacterial species from the American opossum.
Growth requirements of some small-colony-forming variants of Staphylococcus aureus
Authors: Kaplan M L , Dye W
Published: June 2021

Nine stable, auxotrophic, small-colony-forming variants of Staphylococcus aureus were isolated. They were of two types. One type, from broth cultures containing varying concentrations of gentamicin or kanamycin, required heme for normal growth. The second type, from the blood culture of a patient who had been treated with penicillin and oxacillin, required long-chain unsaturated fatty acids for normal growth. These small-colony-forming variants differed from their parents with respect to specific metabolic activities, many of which may be attributed to an impaired electron transport system and related functions. A laboratory procedure for detecting possible small-colony variants in clinical specimens was proposed.
Mycobactericidal activity of glutaraldehyde solutions
Authors: Collins F M , Montalbine V
Published: June 2021

Aqueous solutions of alkaline glutaraldehyde (buffered at pH 8.5) inactivated a standard suspension of Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv faster than the corresponding acid (pH 3.7 preparation. Quantitative differences in the rate of inactivation of eight other species of Mycobacterium were determined using a 1% solution of alkaline glutaraldehyde and inactivation of residual glutaraldehyde with 1% sodium bisulfite solution. Variations in the rate of kill were observed between the various mycobacterial species tested, but such differences were probably not sufficiently large to be of practical importance. A 2% alkaline glutaraldehyde solution inactivated 10(5) viable M. tuberculosis cells present on the surface of porcelain penicylinders within 5 min at 18 degrees C. This rate of inactivation was faster than in the acidic solution.
Energetics of syntrophic cooperation in methanogenic degradation
Authors: Schink B
Published: June 2021

Fatty acids and alcohols are key intermediates in the methanogenic degradation of organic matter, e.g., in anaerobic sewage sludge digestors or freshwater lake sediments. They are produced by classical fermenting bacteria for disposal of electrons derived in simultaneous substrate oxidations. Methanogenic bacteria can degrade primarily only one-carbon compounds. Therefore, acetate, propionate, ethanol, and their higher homologs have to be fermented further to one-carbon compounds. These fermentations are called secondary or syntrophic fermentations. They are endergonic processes under standard conditions and depend on intimate coupling with methanogenesis. The energetic situation of the prokaryotes cooperating in these processes is problematic: the free energy available in the reactions for total conversion of substrate to methane attributes to each partner amounts of energy in the range of the minimum biochemically convertible energy, i.e., 20 to 25 kJ per mol per reaction. This amount corresponds to one-third of an ATP unit and is equivalent to the energy required for a monovalent ion to cross the charged cytoplasmic membrane. Recent studies have revealed that syntrophically fermenting bacteria synthesize ATP by substrate-level phosphorylation and reinvest part of the ATP-bound energy into reversed electron transport processes, to release the electrons at a redox level accessible by the partner bacteria and to balance their energy budget. These findings allow us to understand the energy economy of these bacteria on the basis of concepts derived from the bioenergetics of other microorganisms.
Draft Genome Sequences of Four Bacterial Strains of Heterotrophic Alteromonas macleodii and
Marinobacter
, Isolated from a Nonaxenic Culture of Two Marine
Synechococcus
Strains
Authors: Arias-Orozco Patricia , Yi Yunhai , Kuipers Oscar P.
Published: June 2021

Species of the
Alteromonas
and
Marinobacter
genera are heterotrophic
Gammaproteobacteria
that are part of the marine microbial ecosystem. In this study, four strains were isolated from two nonaxenic
Synechococcus
cultures and were sequenced. Few studies of these two genera have been reported. Therefore, genomic data of
Alteromonadaceae
are valuable for the study of heterotroph-phototroph dynamics in marine bacterial communities.
Superposition of Cretaceous and Cenozoic deformation in northern Tibet: A far-field response to the tectonic evolution of the Tethyan orogenic system
Authors: Wang Ye , Chen Xuanhua , Zhang Yaoyao , Yin Zheng , Zuza Andrew V. , Yin An , Wang Yongchao , Ding Weicui , Xu Shenglin , Zhang Yiping , Li Bing , Shao Zhaogang
Published: June 2021

Although the Cenozoic Indo-Asian collision is largely responsible for the formation of the Tibetan plateau, the role of pre-Cenozoic structures in controlling the timing and development of Cenozoic deformation remains poorly understood. In this study we address this problem by conducting an integrated investigation in the northern foreland of the Tibetan plateau, north of the Qilian Shan-Nan Shan thrust belt, NW China. The work involves field mapping, U-Pb detrital-zircon dating of Cretaceous strata in the northern foreland of the Tibetan plateau, examination of growth-strata relationships, and construction and restoration of balanced cross sections. Our field mapping reveals multiple phases of deformation in the area since the Early Cretaceous, which was expressed by northwest-trending folding and northwest-striking thrusting that occurred in the early stages of the Early Cretaceous. The compressional event was followed immediately by extension and kinematically linked right-slip faulting in the later stage of the Early Cretaceous. The area underwent gentle northwest-trending folding since the late Miocene. We estimate the magnitude of the Early Cretaceous crustal shortening to be ~35%, which we interpret to have resulted from a far-field response to the collision between the Lhasa and the Qiangtang terranes in the south. We suggest that the subsequent extension in the Early Cretaceous was induced by orogenic collapse. U-Pb dating of detrital zircons, sourced from Lower Cretaceous sedimentary clasts from the north and the south, implies that the current foreland region of the Tibetan plateau was a topographic depression between two highland regions in the Early Cretaceous. Our work also shows that the Miocene strata in the foreland region of the northern Tibetan plateau was dominantly sourced from the north, which implies that the rise of the Qilian Shan did not impact the sediment dispersal in the current foreland region of the Tibetan plateau where this study was conducted.
Comparison of two devices for automated oxygen control in preterm infants: a randomised crossover trial
Authors: Salverda Hylke H , Cramer Sophie J E , Witlox Ruben S G M , Gale Timothy J , Dargaville Peter A , Pauws Steffen C , te Pas Arjan B
Published: June 2021

Objective

To compare the effect of two different automated oxygen control devices on target range (TR) time and occurrence of hypoxaemic and hyperoxaemic episodes.

Design

Randomised cross-over study.

Setting

Tertiary level neonatal unit in the Netherlands.

Patients

Preterm infants (n=15) born between 24+0 and 29+6 days of gestation, receiving invasive or non-invasive respiratory support with oxygen saturation (SpO2) TR of 91%–95%. Median gestational age 26 weeks and 4 days (IQR 25 weeks 3 days–27 weeks 6 days) and postnatal age 19 (IQR 17–24) days.

Interventions

Inspired oxygen concentration was titrated by the OxyGenie controller (SLE6000 ventilator) and the CLiO2 controller (AVEA ventilator) for 24 hours each, in a random sequence, with the respiratory support mode kept constant.

Main outcome measures

Time spent within set SpO2 TR (91%–95% with supplemental oxygen and 91%–100% without supplemental oxygen).

Results

Time spent within the SpO2 TR was higher during OxyGenie control (80.2 (72.6–82.4)% vs 68.5 (56.7–79.3)%, p<0.005). Less time was spent above TR while in supplemental oxygen (6.3 (5.1–9.9)% vs 15.9 (11.5–30.7)%, p<0.005) but more time spent below TR during OxyGenie control (14.7 (11.8%–17.2%) vs 9.3 (8.2–12.6)%, p<0.05). There was no significant difference in time with SpO2 <80% (0.5 (0.1–1.0)% vs 0.2 (0.1–0.4)%, p=0.061). Long-lasting SpO2 deviations occurred less frequently during OxyGenie control.

Conclusions

The OxyGenie control algorithm was more effective in keeping the oxygen saturation within TR and preventing hyperoxaemia and equally effective in preventing hypoxaemia (SpO2 <80%), although at the cost of a small increase in mild hypoxaemia.

Trial registry number

NCT03877198
Economic inequality and depressive symptoms: an individual versus aggregate-level analysis using Mexican survey data
Authors: Esposito Lucio , Villaseñor Adrián , Jacobs Rowena
Published: June 2021

Background

There is a lack of consensus on the relationship between economic inequality and mental health, which may be due to the measures of inequality used in empirical studies. We studied this relationship using individual and aggregate measures of economic inequality, and tested whether there is an interaction between the individual and the aggregate levels.

Methods

We used data from a nationally representative Mexican health survey (Encuesta Nacional de Salud y Nutrición, n=44 324) where depressive symptoms were measured through a validated 7-item version of the Centre for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. We estimated multilevel models employing aggregate inequality measures (Gini coefficient) and the individual-level framework of advantageous and disadvantageous inequality, where economic status comprised absolute wealth, relative deprivation and relative affluence.

Results

The three facets of economic status were independently associated with depressive symptoms, while Gini coefficients showed no associations. Absolute wealth and relative affluence were associated with lower depressive symptoms while relative deprivation was associated with higher depressive symptoms. However, interaction models indicated an interplay between the Gini and relative affluence: higher status became a risk factor at high levels of aggregate economic inequality. For those at the top of the economic hierarchy, being in a context of high inequality more than doubles our measure of depressive symptoms—from 2.08 (95% CI 1.28 to 2.87) to 6.29 (95% CI 4.1 to 8.5) for state inequality and from 2.40 (95% CI 1.64 to 3.16) to 6.24 (95% CI 3.87 to 8.62) for municipal inequality.

Conclusion

We provided a novel perspective on the economic gradient in mental health, and on how high aggregate economic inequality may harm also the better off. Policymakers need to consider the consequences of economic inequalities, which can harm the mental health of both those at the bottom and the top of the socioeconomic ladder.
Why we should not extend the 14-day rule
Authors: Blackshaw Bruce Philip , Rodger Daniel
Published: June 2021

The 14-day rule restricts the culturing of human embryos in vitro for the purposes of scientific research for no longer than 14 days. Since researchers recently developed the capability to exceed the 14-day limit, pressure to modify the rule has started to build. Sophia McCully argues that the limit should be extended to 28 days, listing numerous potential benefits of doing so. We contend that McCully has not engaged with the main reasons why the Warnock Committee set such a limit, and these still remain valid. As a result, her case for an extension of the 14-day rule is not persuasive.
Six-month and 12-month patient outcomes based on inflammatory subphenotypes in sepsis-associated ARDS: secondary analysis of SAILS-ALTOS trial
Authors: Hashem Mohamed D , Hopkins Ramona O , Colantuoni Elizabeth , Dinglas Victor D , Sinha Pratik , Aronson Friedman Lisa , Morris Peter E , Jackson James C , Hough Catherine L , Calfee Carolyn S , Needham Dale M
Published: June 2021

Background

Prior acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) trials have identified hypoinflammatory and hyperinflammatory subphenotypes, with distinct differences in short-term outcomes. It is unknown if such differences extend beyond 90 days or are associated with physical, mental health or cognitive outcomes.

Methods

568 patients in the multicentre Statins for Acutely Injured Lungs from Sepsis trial of rosuvastatin versus placebo were included and assigned a subphenotype. Among 6-month and 12-month survivors (N=232 and 219, respectively, representing 243 unique survivors), subphenotype status was evaluated for association with a range of patient-reported outcomes (eg, mental health symptoms, quality of life). Patient subsets also were evaluated with performance-based tests of physical function (eg, 6 min walk test) and cognition.

Findings

The hyperinflammatory versus hypoinflammatory subphenotype had lower overall 12-month cumulative survival (58% vs 72%, p<0.01); however, there was no significant difference in survival beyond 90 days (86% vs 89%, p=0.70). Most survivors had impairment across the range of outcomes, with little difference between subphenotypes at 6-month and 12-month assessments. For instance, at 6 months, in comparing the hypoinflammatory versus hyperinflammatory subphenotypes, respectively, the median (IQR) patient-reported SF-36 mental health domain score was 47 (33–56) vs 44 (35–56) (p=0.99), and the per cent predicted 6 min walk distance was 66% (48%, 80%) vs 66% (49%, 79%) (p=0.76).

Interpretation

Comparing the hyperinflammatory versus hypoinflammatory ARDS subphenotype, there was no significant difference in survival beyond 90 days and no consistent findings of important differences in 6-month or 12-month physical, cognitive and mental health outcomes. These findings, when considered with prior results, suggest that inflammatory subphenotypes largely reflect the acute phase of illness and its short-term impact.
Individual assignment of Atlantic bluefin tuna in the northwestern Atlantic Ocean using single nucleotide polymorphisms reveals an increasing proportion of migrants from the eastern Atlantic Ocean
Authors: Puncher G.N. , Hanke A. , Busawon D. , Sylvester E.V.A. , Golet W. , Hamilton L.C. , Pavey S.A.
Published: June 2021

Identifying the origin of fish contained in a mixed fishery is critical for accurate stock assessments and the subsequent development of appropriate management strategies. Using a panel of 92 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) developed to differentiate Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) from the two main spawning areas (Gulf of Mexico and Mediterranean Sea), we used individual assignment to determine composition of feeding aggregations in the northwestern Atlantic Ocean (Gulf of Maine, Bay of Fundy, Scotian Shelf, Gulf of St. Lawrence, coastal Newfoundland). Among the 3163 individuals collected between 2004 and 2018, we found that among lower age groups (<15 years) the spawning stock providing the most recruits to the Canadian fishery transitioned from western Atlantic to Mediterranean origin over time. While the majority of older adults (>15 years) have consistently been of western Atlantic origin, the disparity in the proportional contribution of western and eastern spawning groups narrowed significantly over the 14-year study period. Our results can be used to inform population-specific exploitation rates, improve stock assessments, and identify age-dependent habitat use and areas suitable for additional conservation efforts.
On the third Ohtsuki invariant for the Brieskorn–Hamm manifolds
Authors: Tsutsumi Yasuyoshi
Published: June 2021

We calculate the Ohtsuki invariants [Formula: see text] [Formula: see text] of every Brieskorn–Hamm manifold [Formula: see text] which is a rational homology [Formula: see text]-sphere. We denote the order of [Formula: see text] by [Formula: see text]. By the result, we show that the third Ohtsuki invariant [Formula: see text] of the Brieskorn–Hamm manifolds [Formula: see text] with [Formula: see text] is negative, and the third Ohtsuki invariant [Formula: see text] of most Brieskorn–Hamm manifolds [Formula: see text] with [Formula: see text] is positive.
Isospectral finiteness on convex cocompact hyperbolic 3-manifolds
Authors: Courtois Gilles , Kim Inkang
Published: June 2021

In this paper, we show that given a set of lengths of closed geodesics, there are only finitely many convex cocompact hyperbolic 3-manifolds with that specified length spectrum with multiplicity, homotopy equivalent to a given 3-manifold without a handlebody factor, up to orientation preserving isometries.
Stability conditions and braid group actions on affine An quivers
Authors: Wang Chien-Hsun
Published: June 2021

We study stability conditions on the Calabi–Yau-[Formula: see text] categories associated to an affine type [Formula: see text] quiver which can be constructed from certain meromorphic quadratic differentials with zeroes of order [Formula: see text]. We follow Ikeda’s work to show that this moduli space of quadratic differentials is isomorphic to the space of stability conditions quotient by the spherical subgroup of the autoequivalence group. We show that the spherical subgroup is isomorphic to the braid group of affine type [Formula: see text] based on the Khovanov–Seidel–Thomas method.
Effects of Weakly Nonlinear Waves on Acoustic Scattering from the Ocean Surface
Authors: Xue Runze , Duan Rui , Ma Yuanliang , Yang Kunde
Published: June 2021

The elevation of ocean waves is always modeled in linear theory as a superposition of the sinusoidal components with crests and troughs of identical heights. However, under some circumstances, the wave amplitude is outside the linear range and presents as a weakly nonlinear asymmetrical waveform with sharper crests and shallower troughs. We studied the impact of the weakly nonlinear effect of ocean waves in deep and intermediate waters on acoustic scattering from the surface of the ocean using two rough surface models with fractal geometry and power law spectral behavior in the equilibrium range. The classic Weierstrass–Mandelbrot function was used to model the linear waves and a new fractal function, the fractional Weierstrass function developed in studies of electromagnetism, was used to model the weakly nonlinear waves. We evaluated these two models using the Pierson–Moskowitz spectrum and the incident wavelength. The bistatic scattering strength was obtained via a numerical method based on the “exact” solution of the integral equation. The weakly nonlinear phenomenon led to a very small reduction in the narrow area around the specular reflection angle and a small increase in the remaining wide area, including the backpropagation area with a scattering angle [Formula: see text]. The differences in backscattering strength between the two models were similar to the bistatic scattering strength in the backpropagation area and did not depend on the incident grazing angle.
Pressure and Temperature Dependence of the Hydrogen Oxidation and Evolution Reaction Kinetics on Pt Electrocatalysts via PEMFC-based Hydrogen-Pump Measurements
Authors: Stühmeier Björn M. , Pietsch Markus R. , Schwämmlein Jan N. , Gasteiger Hubert A.
Published: June 2021

The hydrogen oxidation and evolution reaction (HOR/HER) has been widely investigated due to its importance for a broad variety of applications especially in electrolysis and fuel cells. However, owing to its extremely fast kinetics, kinetic data can only be obtained with experimental setups that provide very fast mass transport, so that the effect of hydrogen partial pressure (pH2) and kinetic limitations at high overpotentials are not yet fully understood. Here we report detailed kinetic investigations on the temperature and pressure dependence of the HOR/HER kinetics on carbon supported platinum (Pt/C) using the PEMFC-based H2-pump approach. By using ultra-low platinum loadings, we could show that the apparent activation energy of the HOR/HER on platinum increases with increasing pH2, due to a diminishing effect of the hydrogen adsorption enthalpy with increasing coverage by adsorbed hydrogen atoms on the Pt surface. Consequently, the HOR/HER reaction order with respect to pH2 also depends on the temperature. We further observed that the HOR reaches a limiting current at high HOR overpotentials that showed a direct proportionality to pH2 and a pressure-independent activation energy. We ascribe this to a limitation of the hydrogen adsorption rate either by a rate limiting Tafel-reaction or mass transport limitations.
Electrical and Optical Studies of Reactively Sputtered Indium Oxide Thin Films
Authors: Sundaresh Sreeram , Nehate Shraddha D. , Sundaram Kalpathy B.
Published: June 2021

Electrical and optical properties of transparent conducting Indium Oxide (In2O3) thin films were studied. These films were deposited by reactive RF sputtering process using Indium target in the presence of oxygen as reactive gas with argon. The pressure and the oxygen gas flow ratios during sputtering were varied to investigate their effect on the resistivity, optical transmission, refractive index, and optical bandgap of In2O3 thin films. The lowest reported resistivity in this study is 2 × 10−3 Ω-cm. The optical transmission was more than 80% in the wavelength range of 400 nm to 800 nm. The optical study revealed the wide optical bandgap of 3.712 eV and 3.875 eV of the deposited In2O3 films. The films showed refractive indices in the range of 1.99 to 2.22. The elemental composition of In2O3 films has been studied through X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS).
The Truncated Theta-EM Method for Nonlinear and Nonautonomous Hybrid Stochastic Differential Delay Equations with Poisson Jumps
Authors: Wang Weifeng , Yan Lei , Gao Shuaibin , Hu Junhao
Published: June 2021

In this paper, we study a class of nonlinear and nonautonomous hybrid stochastic differential delay equations with Poisson jumps (HSDDEwPJs). The convergence rate of the truncated theta-EM numerical solutions to HSDDEwPJs is investigated under given conditions. An example is shown to support our theory.