bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Novel compact band‐pass filter with three transmission zeros
Authors: Xiao Qian , Wang Hui , Jiao Zhuofan , You Chang Jiang , Cai Jingye
Published: June 2020

This article presents a novel compact band‐pass filter (BPF) using two stepped‐impedance resonators. The proposed resonator can work at two modes: quarter‐wavelength resonance mode and half‐wavelength resonance mode. The selectivity of proposed BPF is improved by three transmission zeros (TZs). For these three TZs, one is located at the lower out of band and the other two TZs are placed at the upper out of band. The measured results show that the fabricated filter achieves a pass‐band with insertion losses of 1.02 dB at 4.7 GHz and a stop‐band (both lower and upper) rejection larger than 27 dB. The operating bandwidth is 1.65 GHz and the fractional bandwidth is 30% with a compact size of 23 × 8.5 mm2.
An adaptive isogeometric analysis approach to elasto‐capillary fluid‐solid interaction
Authors: van Brummelen E. H. , Demont T. H. B. , van Zwieten G. J.
Published: June 2020

We present an adaptive isogeometric‐analysis approach to elasto‐capillary fluid‐solid interaction (FSI), based on a diffuse‐interface model for the binary fluid and an Arbitrary‐Lagrangian‐Eulerian formulation for the FSI problem. We consider approximations constructed from adaptive high‐regularity truncated hierarchical splines, as employed in the isogeometric analysis (IGA) paradigm. The considered adaptive strategy comprises a two‐level hierarchical a posteriori error estimate. The hierarchical a posteriori error estimate directs a support‐based refinement procedure. To attain robustness of the solution procedure for the aggregated binary‐fluid‐solid‐interaction problem, we apply a fully monolithic solution procedure and we introduce a continuation process in which the diffuse interface of the binary fluid is artificially enlarged on the coarsest levels of the adaptive‐refinement procedure. To assess the capability of the presented adaptive IGA method for elasto‐capillary FSI, we conduct numerical computations for a configuration pertaining to a sessile droplet on a soft solid substrate.
Connect new students to your institution with an online orientation
Authors: Sutton Halley
Published: June 2020

With the COVID‐19 pandemic, colleges and universities nationwide were forced to unexpectedly move courses online to finish out the spring 2020 semester. While many campuses do not yet have answers whether fall courses will be held on campus or online, or some yet‐to‐be‐determined hybrid version of both, instructors and enrollment officials should be ready to conduct engaging and informative online orientations in advance of the fall.
Marketing roundup: A look at COVID‐19 adaptations across industry
Authors: Talarico Donna
Published: June 2020

In the COVID‐19 era, things are changing fast. When it comes to how this situation affects how we market educational programs to adult learners, we're often learning as we go.
Modified boron nitride as an efficient synergist to flame retardant natural rubber: preparation and properties
Authors: Wang Na , Zhou Meihui , Zhang Jing , Fang Qinghong
Published: June 2020

A new flame retardant system with organic modified boron nitride (m‐BN) and intumescent flame retardant (IFR) was used in this paper, and the synergistic flame retardancy of m‐BN and IFR on natural rubber (NR) was studied. NR/IFR/m‐BN composites were characterized by X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS), Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis, UL‐94, limiting oxygen index (LOI), tensile testing, cone calorimeter testing, and thermal conductivity testing. When 4 wt% m‐BN was added, the flame retardancy and mechanical properties of the composites were improved. The LOI value of NR/IFR/4 phr m‐BN reached 26.8%, and suppressed fire spread in a UL‐94 test. Compared with pure NR, the peak heat release rate (pHRR) was reduced by 52.2%, the total heat release (THR) was reduced by 27.6%, and CO yields were reduced by 51.4%. As a key aspect of fire safety, the ignition time is effectively delayed to 23 seconds due to the increased thermal conductivity of NR/IFR/m‐BN. Since the synergistic effect of m‐BN effectively improves the flame retardancy of NR, it provides a feasible method for improving the fire safety of polymers.
The effects of cellulosic fillers on the mechanical, morphological, thermal, viscoelastic, and rheological properties of polyhydroxybutyrate biopolymers
Authors: Aydemir Deniz , Gardner Douglas J.
Published: June 2020

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of cellulosic fillers on the conventional and dynamic mechanical, thermal, morphological, and rheological properties of polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) biopolymers. Polyhydroxybutyrate as a biopolymer matrix and cellulosic fillers including wood flour, microcrystalline cellulose, and cellulose nanofibrils (0.5 and 5 wt%) as reinforcing agents were used to produce the composite. According to the results obtained, the addition of 0.5 wt% cellulose nanofibrils improved both the flexural and tensile moduli of elasticity but other fillers and filler loading levels generally decreased the mechanical properties attributable to aggregations of fillers in the matrix. Thermal analysis results showed that the addition of cellulosic fillers did not influence the glass transition and crystallization temperature of the PHB whereas the crystallinity and melting temperature generally increased with the addition of the cellulosic fillers. Thermal stability of the composites generally improved with addition of the cellulosic fillers. The dynamic mechanical analysis results showed that both storage and loss moduli of all the samples generally decreased with increasing temperature. Elastic and viscous moduli of all the samples initially decreased with frequency but then generally increased according to the rheological analysis.
Impact at school age of early chronic methicillin‐sensitive Staphylococcus aureus infection in children with cystic fibrosis
Authors: Galodé François , Dournes Gael , Chateil Jean‐François , Fayon Michael , Collet Cyrielle , Bui Stéphanie
Published: June 2020

Background

Bacterial infection early in life may increase structural lung lesions in children with cystic fibrosis (CF).

Methods

A 9‐year monocentric (Bordeaux University Hospital, France) retrospective study in children with CF to evaluate the impact of the early‐onset (at 1 year of age, Y1) of chronic meticillin‐sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) infection on the severity of bronchiectasis and Bhalla score on CT scan, clinical status, lung function tests, and serum immunoglobulins (IgG) at the age of 6 years (Y6).

Results

A total of 37 children were included: 10 had contracted chronic MSSA infection at Y1 and 27 at a later date. Children with MSSA infection at Y1 showed increased Y6 CT scan bronchiectasis severity scores vs late MSSA infection (mean ± SD: 4.7 ± 0.8 vs 2.5 ± 0.5, P < .05) and Bhalla scores (7.3 ± 1.1 vs 4.7 ± 0.8, P < .05), but no significant decrease in lung function ([% reference values] FEV1: 83.7 ± 6 vs 90.6 ± 2.2, P = .21; FEF25‐75: 67.8 ± 8.9 vs 76.3 ± 3.9, P = .18). In addition, Y6 serum IgG was greater in the early chronic Y1 MSSA group (11.3 ± 0.7 vs 8.9 ± 0.7 g/L, P < .05). Clinical symptoms or nutritional status were similar in both infection groups.

Conclusion

Early chronic MSSA infection may enhance the progression of structural lung disease in CF at 6 years.
Conserved buried water molecules enable the β‐trefoil architecture
Authors: Blaber Michael
Published: June 2020

Available high‐resolution crystal structures for the family of β‐trefoil proteins in the structural databank were queried for buried waters. Such waters were classified as either: (a) unique to a particular domain, family, or superfamily or (b) conserved among all β‐trefoil folds. Three buried waters conserved among all β‐trefoil folds were identified. These waters are related by the threefold rotational pseudosymmetry characteristic of this protein architecture (representing three instances of an identical structural environment within each repeating trefoil‐fold motif). The structural properties of this buried water are remarkable and include: residing in a cavity space no larger than a single water molecule, exhibiting a positional uncertainty (i.e., normalized B‐factor) substantially lower than the average Cα atom, providing essentially ideal H‐bonding geometry with three solvent‐inaccessible main chain groups, simultaneously serving as a bridging H‐bond for three different β‐strands at a point of secondary structure divergence, and orienting conserved hydrophobic side chains to form a nascent core‐packing group. Other published work supports an interpretation that these interactions are key to the formation of an efficient folding nucleus and folded thermostability. The fundamental threefold symmetric structural element of the β‐trefoil fold is therefore, surprisingly, a buried water molecule.
Promotion of epithelial hyperplasia by interleukin‐8—CXCR axis in human prostate
Authors: Smith Diandra K. , Hasanali Sarrah L. , Wang Jiaojiao , Kallifatidis Georgios , Morera Daley S. , Jordan Andre R. , Terris Martha K. , Klaassen Zachary , Bollag Roni , Lokeshwar Vinata B. , Lokeshwar Bal L.
Published: June 2020

Background

The clinical manifestation of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is causally linked to the inflammatory microenvironment and proliferation of epithelial and stromal cells in the prostate transitional zone. The CXC‐chemokine interleukin‐8 (IL‐8) contributes to inflammation. We evaluated the expression of inflammatory cytokines in clinical specimens, primary cultures, and prostatic lineage cell lines. We investigated whether IL‐8 via its receptor system (IL‐8 axis) promotes BPH.

Methods

The messenger RNA and protein expression of chemokines, including components of the IL‐8 axis, were measured in normal prostate (NP; n = 7) and BPH (n = 21), urine (n = 24) specimens, primary cultures, prostatic lineage epithelial cell lines (NHPrE1, BHPrE1, BPH‐1), and normal prostate cells (RWPE‐1). The functional role of the IL‐8 axis in prostate epithelial cell growth was evaluated by CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing. The effect of a combination with two natural compounds, oleanolic acid (OA) and ursolic acid (UA), was evaluated on the expression of the IL‐8 axis and epithelial cell growth.

Results

Among the 19 inflammatory chemokines and chemokine receptors we analyzed, levels of IL‐8 and its receptors (CXCR1, CXCR2), as well as, of CXCR7, a receptor for CXCL12, were 5‐ to 25‐fold elevated in BPH tissues when compared to NP tissues (P ≤ .001). Urinary IL‐8 levels were threefold to sixfold elevated in BPH patients, but not in asymptomatic males and females with lower urinary tract symptoms (P ≤ .004). The expression of the IL‐8 axis components was confined to the prostate luminal epithelial cells in both normal and BPH tissues. However, these components were elevated in BPH‐1 and primary explant cultures as compared to RWPE‐1, NHPrE1, and BHPrE1 cells. Knockout of CXCR7 reduced IL‐8, and CXCR1 expression by 4‐ to 10‐fold and caused greater than or equal to 50% growth inhibition in BPH‐1 cells. Low‐dose OA + UA combination synergistically inhibited the growth of BPH‐1 and BPH primary cultures. In the combination, the drug reduction indices for UA and OA were 16.4 and 7852, respectively, demonstrating that the combination was effective in inhibiting BPH‐1 growth at significantly reduced doses of UA or OA alone.

Conclusion

The IL‐8 axis is a promotor of BPH pathogenesis. Low‐dose OA + UA combination inhibits BPH cell growth by inducing autophagy and reducing IL‐8 axis expression in BPH‐epithelial cells.
Evolutionary relationships and sequence‐structure determinants in human SARS coronavirus‐2 spike proteins for host receptor recognition
Authors: Guruprasad Lalitha
Published: June 2020

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) is a pandemic infectious disease caused by novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus‐2 (SARS CoV‐2). The SARS CoV‐2 is transmitted more rapidly and readily than SARS CoV. Both, SARS CoV and SARS CoV‐2 via their glycosylated spike proteins recognize the human angiotensin converting enzyme‐2 (ACE‐2) receptor. We generated multiple sequence alignments and phylogenetic trees for representative spike proteins of SARS CoV and SARS CoV‐2 from various host sources in order to analyze the specificity in SARS CoV‐2 spike proteins required for causing infection in humans. Our results show that among the genomes analyzed, two sequence regions in the N‐terminal domain “MESEFR” and “SYLTPG” are specific to human SARS CoV‐2. In the receptor‐binding domain, two sequence regions “VGGNY“ and ”EIYQAGSTPCNGV” and a disulfide bridge connecting 480C and 488C in the extended loop are structural determinants for the recognition of human ACE‐2 receptor. The complete genome analysis of representative SARS CoVs from bat, civet, human host sources, and human SARS CoV‐2 identified the bat genome (GenBank code: MN996532.1) as closest to the recent novel human SARS CoV‐2 genomes. The bat SARS CoV genomes (GenBank codes: MG772933 and MG772934) are evolutionary intermediates in the mutagenesis progression toward becoming human SARS CoV‐2.
Effects of supplementation with curcuminoids on serum adipokines in critically ill patients: a randomized double‐blind placebo‐controlled trial
Authors: Shadnoush Mahdi , Zahedi Hoda , Norouzy Abdolreza , Sahebkar Amirhossein , Sadeghi Omid , Najafi Atabak , Hosseini Saeed , Qorbani Mostafa , Ahmadi Arezoo , Ardehali Seyed Hossein , Hosseinzadeh‐Attar Mohammad Javad
Published: June 2020

Previous studies have shown a beneficial effect of curcuminoids supplementation on serum concentrations of adipokines; however, there are no published studies that have examined this effect among critically ill patients. We aimed to assess the effects of supplementation with curcuminoids on serum concentrations of leptin and adiponectin in critically ill patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI). In this trial, 62 critically ill patients with TBI, aged 18–65 years, were randomly allocated to receive either 500 mg/day curcuminoids (co‐administered with 5 mg/day piperine) or matched placebo for 7 days. Patients in both intervention groups received routine treatments for TBI as well as enteral nutrition. Serum concentrations of leptin and adiponectin were measured at baseline and at the end of trial. We found a significant reduction in serum levels of leptin in both curcuminoids (47.1%) and placebo (22.8%) groups; though the magnitude of reduction was greater in the former (p < .05). Supplementation with curcumioinds was not found to alter serum concentrations of adiponectin (p > .05). Supplementation with curcumioinds significantly reduced serum levels of leptin but had no significant effect on adiponectin levels in critically ill patients with TBI. Further clinical trials, particularly those with a long‐term period, are needed to confirm our findings.
Identifying the key challenges for fog and low stratus forecasting in complex terrain
Authors: Westerhuis Stephanie , Fuhrer Oliver , Cermak Jan , Eugster Werner
Published: June 2020

Forecasting fog and low stratus (FLS) accurately poses a challenge to current numerical weather prediction models, despite many advancements in recent years. We present a novel method to quantify FLS extent bias by comparing forecasts with satellite observations. Evaluating a four‐month period, we show that COSMO‐1, the MeteoSwiss high‐resolution operational model, exhibits a considerable negative FLS bias during wintertime. To study the cause, we conduct a series of sensitivity experiments for a representative case study, where COSMO‐1 dissipated extensive FLS erroneously. Replacing the one‐moment bulk microphysics parameterisation scheme by a two‐moment scheme, as well as increasing the number of vertical levels, did not show any improvements. The FLS dissipation was delayed (but not prevented) by decreasing the lower bound imposed on the turbulent diffusion coefficients from 0.4  to 0.01 m2·s−1, or by reducing horizontal grid spacing from 1.1 km to 550 m. Additionally, simulations at 1.1‐km grid spacing with smoothed orography led to more extensive FLS than the same simulations without smoothed orography. An analysis of the cloud water budget revealed that the model's advection scheme is causing a loss of liquid water content near the cloud top. A simulation with an alternative terrain‐following coordinate system, in which the vertical coordinates are quasihorizontal near the cloud top, reduced the loss of cloud water through advection and improved the evolution of FLS in the case study. In combination, our findings suggest that the advection scheme exhibits numerical diffusion, which promotes spurious mixing in the vertical of cloudy and adjacent cloud‐free grid cells in terrain‐following vertical coordinates; this process can become the root cause for too rapid dissipation of FLS during nighttime in complex terrain.
High‐temperature mass spectrometric study of thermodynamic properties in the UO2–ZrO2 system
Authors: Stolyarova Valentina L. , Vorozhtcov Viktor A. , Masaki Kurata , Costa Davide
Published: June 2020

Rationale

The UO2–ZrO2 solid solution at high temperatures is the key system of modern nuclear science and technology in the context of the safety operation of nuclear cycles, the consequences of severe accidents, and the incorporation of nuclear waste. Urgent needs of the continuation of experimental studies of this system at temperatures up to 3000 K are aimed at preventing severe accidents similar to Chernobyl and Fukushima when the thermodynamic approach is used for the prediction of high‐temperature behavior of materials.

Methods

This investigation was carried out using the Knudsen effusion mass spectrometric method using the MS‐1301 magnetic sector mass spectrometer. The samples in the UO2–ZrO2 system were vaporized from a tungsten effusion cell. Vapor species effusing from the cell were ionized at an electron ionization energy of 70 eV.

Results

The vaporization and thermodynamics of pure UO2 and ZrO2 as well as of the samples in the UO2–ZrO2 system were studied in the range 2000–2730 K. The temperature dependences of the partial vapor pressures of UO and UO2 over pure UO2 were obtained at 2060–2456 K, which agreed with the literature results. The partial vapor pressures of UO, UO2, ZrO, and ZrO2, the vaporization rates, and the UO2 and ZrO2 activities in the UO2–ZrO2 solid solutions were determined at 2370, 2490, 2570, and 2730 K.

Conclusions

The component activities and excess Gibbs energies of the UO2–ZrO2 system indicated a change in deviations from the ideal behavior from positive to negative with the temperature increase from 2370 to 2730 K. The thermodynamic functions of formation from the oxides of the solid solutions in the UO2–ZrO2 system such as Gibbs energies as well as the enthalpies and entropies of formation were obtained for the first time at 2550 K in the composition range 0.89–1.00 ZrO2 mole fraction.
Assessment of Critical Hydrogen Concentration in As‐Cast and Hot‐Rolled Billets in Medium Carbon Steels
Authors: Colla Valentina , Valentini Renzo
Published: June 2020

The presence of hydrogen severely affects the mechanical properties of semi‐manufactured and final steel products. Such presence is affected by different factors which show up throughout the whole manufacturing process and varies during the different stages according to both product features and various process parameters. This article presents an experimental methodology to assess the critical hydrogen concentration in as‐cast and hot‐rolled billets in medium carbon steels, which allows highlighting their robustness to hydrogen embrittlement. Such approach is based on a combination of hydrogen‐induced cracking and slow strain rate tensile tests, which are conducted on both as‐cast and hot‐rolled billets samples. The experiments highlight that the hydrogen presence is more critical on the as‐cast semi‐products than on the hot‐rolled billets, which show a higher robustness, as they can tolerate higher values of hydrogen content.
Using a Bayesian Multistate Occupancy Model to Assess Seabird and Shorebird Status in Glacier Bay, Alaska
Authors: Whitlock Steven L. , Lewis Tania M. , Peterson James T.
Published: June 2020

The U.S. Department of Interior National Park Service is charged with both monitoring avian communities and evaluating the influence of visitors to National Parks on sensitive species; however, this task is challenging considering that sampling programs often involve multiple species, each with differing behavior, habitat requirements, and detectability. Our objectives were to build a model to describe the status of waterbirds in Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska, USA, and assess effects of area closures on these species. We used a Bayesian multistate occupancy model to describe the status of multiple species and make the best possible use of existing survey data. We modeled up to 5 states per species and evaluated predictors of occupancy, nesting, and abundance, as well as survey‐related predictors of state‐dependent detection probability. We found that occupancy probability varied across species and habitats (islands vs. glacial outwashes). For most species, occupancy probability was substantially greater at sites occupied in the year previous (site persistence). We found weak evidence that area closures affected the occurrence of species in the study, but this was largely because most sites were closed for the entirety of the study period. The probability of detecting occurrence, nesting, and abundance varied across species and survey methods (ground vs. vessel). Detection parameters provided valuable information for enhancing the efficiency of future surveys, by identifying preferred survey methods and sampling periods for specific waterbird species. © 2020 The Wildlife Society.
Muon and electron g − 2 and lepton masses in flavor models
Authors: Calibbi Lorenzo , López-Ibáñez M. L. , Melis Aurora , Vives Oscar
Published: June 2020

Abstract

The stringent experimental bound on μ → eγ is compatible with a simultaneous and sizable new physics contribution to the electron and muon anomalous magnetic moments (g − 2)ℓ (ℓ = e, μ), only if we assume a non-trivial flavor structure of the dipole operator coefficients. We propose a mechanism in which the realization of the (g − 2)ℓ correction is manifestly related to the mass generation through a flavor symmetry. A radiative flavon correction to the fermion mass gives a contribution to the anomalous magnetic moment. In this framework, we introduce a chiral enhancement from a non-trivial

$$ \mathcal{O} $$

O

(1) quartic coupling of the scalar potential. We show that the muon and electron anomalies can be simultaneously explained in a vast region of the parameter space with predicted vector-like mediators of masses as large as Mχ ∈ [0.6, 2.5] TeV.
Gravitational waves in warped compactifications
Authors: Andriot David , Tsimpis Dimitrios
Published: June 2020

Abstract

We study gravitational waves propagating on a warped Minkowski space-time with D − 4 compact extra dimensions. While Kaluza-Klein scales are typically too high for any current detection, we analyse how the warp factor changes the Kaluza-Klein spectrum of gravitational waves. To that end we provide a complete and explicit expression for the warp factor, as well as the Green’s function, on a d-dimensional torus. This expression differs from that of braneworld models and should find further uses in string compactifications. We then evaluate the Kaluza-Klein spectrum of gravitational waves. Our preliminary numerical results indicate not only a deviation from the standard toroidal spectrum, but also that the first masses get lowered due to the warp factor.
Schweres nichtkardiales Lungenödem durch Permeabilitätsstörung nach i.v.-CT-Kontrastmittel-Gabe mit konsekutiver venovenöser extrakorporaler Membranoxygenierung
Authors: Poros B. , Katchanov J. , Curta A. , Weig T.
Published: June 2020

Hypersensitivitätsreaktionen gehören zu den am meisten gefürchteten Nebenwirkungen von CT-Kontrastmitteln. Bronchospasmus und Lungenödem sind bekannte Erscheinungsformen, wobei Letzteres deutlich seltener auftritt. Bei Anaphylaxie können zahlreiche Mechanismen zum kardialen Versagen mit konsekutivem Lungenödem führen. Im Gegensatz dazu ist beim nichtkardialen Lungenödem (NCPE) die kardiale Funktion nicht beeinträchtigt. Das nichtkardiale Lungenödem ist ein seltenes Phänomen, allerdings mit möglicherweise tödlichem Outcome. Es wird über den Fall eines NCPE bei einem 48-jährigen Mann berichtet, der eine elektive Koronar-CT erhalten hat. Nach Gabe von jodiertem CT-Kontrastmittel entwickelte der Patient ein fulminantes Lungenödem, welches trotz rascher Intervention zu einer schweren Hypoxämie mit kurzem Kreislaufstillstand führte. Eine frühe echokardiographische Untersuchung nach Rückkehr des spontanen Kreislaufs zeigte eine intakte Herzfunktion. Neben dem globalen Atemversagen bot der Patient eine ausgeprägte Acidose mit erhöhten Lactat- und Hämoglobinspiegeln. Nach Intubation kam es zu einer weiteren Verschlechterung des pulmonalen Gasaustausches, wobei die kardiale Pumpfunktion stets ausreichend war. Sechs Stunden nach dem ersten Ereignis wurde eine venovenöse extrakorporale Membranoxygenierungstherapie (ECMO) initiiert. Mithilfe der ECMO-Unterstützung konnten wir die Invasivität der mechanischen Beatmung reduzieren und die Volumensubstitution intensivieren. Im weiteren Verlauf verbesserten sich die Mikrozirkulationsstörung und die Lungenfunktion, und die ECMO-Unterstützung konnte nach 70 Stunden beendet werden. Der Patient konnte am 9. Tag extubiert und nach weiteren 4 Tagen ohne neurologische Residuen auf die Normalstation verlegt werden.
Noise characterization of automotive auxiliary fan drives
Authors: Hofmann Stefan , Leitner Stefan , Mosshammer Markus , Muetze Annette
Published: June 2020

The demand for low-noise auxiliary drives has been increasing in the automotive industry, as the entire noise level within the vehicle interior has been continuously decreasing over the recent years. In contrast to “larger” drives, the fractional horsepower (FHP) auxiliary drives used here are not subject to any standards. They are customized solutions and hardly anything is reported on their noise and vibration characteristics. Furthermore, their design is very much cost-driven, and noise performance is mostly treated in a retrofit approach within the final system. This article determines the noise and vibration characteristics of FHP auxiliary fan drive systems as typical for use within LED headlights for thermal management. It provides tools for further systematic analysis and eventual mitigation of potentially disturbing noise of such drives already at the development stage.
Wirtschaftliche und ökologische Aspekte der Elektromobilität
Authors: Ajanovic Amela , Glatt Anne
Published: June 2020

Der Individualverkehr ist derzeit der problematischste Sektor in Bezug auf die Treibhausgasemissionen. Elektroautos gelten als alternative Antriebe, die zur Dekarbonisierung im Verkehr beitragen können. Das Ziel dieses Beitrags ist, die Marktchancen verschiedener Arten von Elektrofahrzeugen zu analysieren. In diesem Zusammenhang ist es vor allem wichtig, die Wirtschaftlichkeit und Umweltfreundlichkeit von Elektrofahrzeugen im Vergleich zu konventionellen Fahrzeugen zu untersuchen. Schließlich wurden auch die derzeitigen Politiken und unterstützenden Maßnahmen zur Erhöhung der Marktanteile von Elektrofahrzeugen in verschiedenen Ländern diskutiert.
Public priorities for osteoporosis and fracture research: results from a focus group study
Authors: Hawarden Ashley , Jinks Clare , Mahmood Waheed , Bullock Laurna , Blackburn Steven , Gwilym Stephen , Paskins Zoe
Published: June 2020

Four focus groups were conducted with members of the public to identify important areas for future osteoporosis research. Participants identified priorities to increase public awareness of osteoporosis, reduce delays in diagnosis, improve communication between healthcare providers and to improve follow-up and information provision about causes of osteoporosis, medication harms and prognosis.

Purpose

Patients and the public must be involved in setting research agendas to ensure relevant and impactful questions are prioritised. This study aimed to understand what people living with osteoporosis and fragility fractures felt was important to research, to inform the content of a national survey on research priorities in this area.

Methods

Focus groups were conducted with members of the public with experience of osteoporosis or fragility fractures. The topic guide was co-developed with a patient and public involvement research user group, and explored participants’ experiences of osteoporosis including diagnosis, management and effect upon their lives, what aspects of their ongoing care was most important to them and what about their care or condition could be improved. Focus groups were audio-recorded, transcribed and analysed thematically.

Results

A total of twenty-three participants were recruited to four focus groups. Analysis identified two main themes: challenges in living with osteoporosis and healthcare services for osteoporosis. Information needs was a further cross-cutting theme. Participants called for increased public awareness of osteoporosis and wanted healthcare services to address conflicting messages about diet, exercise and medication. Participants described long delays in diagnosis, poor communication between primary and secondary care and the need for structured follow-up as important areas for future research to address.

Conclusion

The findings from this study provide an understanding of research priorities from the perspective of patients and the public, have informed the content of a national survey and have implications for patient education, health services research and policy.
The Role of Immunomodulation in Vein Graft Remodeling and Failure
Authors: Baganha Fabiana , de Jong Alwin , Jukema J. Wouter , Quax Paul H. A. , de Vries Margreet R.
Published: June 2020

Obstructive arterial disease is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in the developed world. Venous bypass graft surgery is one of the most frequently used revascularization strategies despite its considerable short and long time failure rate. Due to vessel wall remodeling, inflammation, intimal hyperplasia, and accelerated atherosclerosis, vein grafts may (ultimately) fail to revascularize tissues downstream to occlusive atherosclerotic lesions. In the past decades, little has changed in the prevention of vein graft failure (VGF) although new insights in the role of innate and adaptive immunity in VGF have emerged. In this review, we discuss the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying the development of VGF, emphasizing the role of immune response and associated factors related to VG remodeling and failure. Moreover, we discuss potential therapeutic options that can improve patency based on data from both preclinical studies and the latest clinical trials. This review contributes to the insights in the role of immunomodulation in vein graft failure in humans. We describe the effects of immune cells and related factors in early (thrombosis), intermediate (inward remodeling and intimal hyperplasia), and late (intimal hyperplasia and accelerated atherosclerosis) failure based on both preclinical (mouse) models and clinical data.
Scientific perspectivism in the phenomenological tradition
Authors: Berghofer Philipp
Published: June 2020

In current debates, many philosophers of science have sympathies for the project of introducing a new approach to the scientific realism debate that forges a middle way between traditional forms of scientific realism and anti-realism. One promising approach is perspectivism. Although different proponents of perspectivism differ in their respective characterizations of perspectivism, the common idea is that scientific knowledge is necessarily partial and incomplete. Perspectivism is a new position in current debates but it does have its forerunners. Figures that are typically mentioned in this context include Dewey, Feyerabend, Leibniz, Kant, Kuhn, and Putnam. Interestingly, to my knowledge, there exists no work that discusses similarities to the phenomenological tradition. This is surprising because here one can find systematically similar ideas and even a very similar terminology. It is startling because early modern physics was noticeably influenced by phenomenological ideas. And it is unfortunate because the analysis of perspectival approaches in the phenomenological tradition can help us to achieve a more nuanced understanding of different forms of perspectivism. The main objective of this paper is to show that in the phenomenological tradition one finds a well-elaborated philosophy of science that shares important similarities with current versions of perspectivism. Engaging with the phenomenological tradition is also of systematic value since it helps us to gain a better understanding of the distinctive claims of perspectivism and to distinguish various grades of perspectivism.
MXene-Derived Defect-Rich TiO2@rGO as High-Rate Anodes for Full Na Ion Batteries and Capacitors
Authors: Fang Yongzheng , Zhang Yingying , Miao Chenxu , Zhu Kai , Chen Yong , Du Fei , Yin Jinling , Ye Ke , Cheng Kui , Yan Jun , Wang Guiling , Cao Dianxue
Published: June 2020

Sodium ion batteries and capacitors have demonstrated their potential applications for next-generation low-cost energy storage devices. These devices's rate ability is determined by the fast sodium ion storage behavior in electrode materials. Herein, a defective TiO2@reduced graphene oxide (M-TiO2@rGO) self-supporting foam electrode is constructed via a facile MXene decomposition and graphene oxide self-assembling process. The employment of the MXene parent phase exhibits distinctive advantages, enabling defect engineering, nanoengineering, and fluorine-doped metal oxides. As a result, the M-TiO2@rGO electrode shows a pseudocapacitance-dominated hybrid sodium storage mechanism. The pseudocapacitance-dominated process leads to high capacity, remarkable rate ability, and superior cycling performance. Significantly, an M-TiO2@rGO//Na3V2(PO4)3 sodium full cell and an M-TiO2@rGO//HPAC sodium ion capacitor are fabricated to demonstrate the promising application of M-TiO2@rGO. The sodium ion battery presents a capacity of 177.1 mAh g−1 at 500 mA g−1 and capacity retention of 74% after 200 cycles. The sodium ion capacitor delivers a maximum energy density of 101.2 Wh kg−1 and a maximum power density of 10,103.7 W kg−1. At 1.0 A g−1, it displays an energy retention of 84.7% after 10,000 cycles.
Reassessing the Radiocarbon Date from the Buhl Burial from South-Central Idaho and Its Relevance to the Western Stemmed Tradition–Clovis Debate in the Intermountain West
Authors: Jazwa Christopher S. , Smith Geoffrey M. , Rosencrance Richard L. , Duke Daron G. , Stueber Dan
Published: June 2020

A single radiocarbon date derived from the Buhl burial in south-central Idaho has frequently been used as a data point for the interpretation of the Western Stemmed Tradition (WST) chronology and technology because of the stemmed biface found in situ with the human remains. AMS dating of bone collagen in 1991 produced an age of 10,675 ± 95 14C BP, immediately postdating the most widely accepted age range for Clovis. The Buhl burial has been cited as evidence that stemmed point technology may have overlapped with Clovis technology in the Intermountain West. We discuss concerns about the radiocarbon date, arguing that even at face value, the calibrated date has minimal overlap with Clovis at the 95.4% range. Furthermore, the C:N ratio of 3.69 in the analyzed collagen is outside of the typical range for well-preserved samples, indicating a postdepositional change in carbon composition, which may make the date erroneously older or younger than the age of the skeleton. Finally, the potential dietary incorporation of small amounts of anadromous fish may indicate that the burial is younger than traditionally accepted. For these reasons, we argue that the Buhl burial cannot be used as evidence of overlap between WST and Clovis.
La voyelle initiale des noms et l’état d'annexion en kabyle (berbère)
Authors: Ben Si Saïd Samir
Published: June 2020

Dans cet article, je propose une analyse de la voyelle initiale des noms en kabyle. Je proposerai dans cette contribution une représentation dans le cadre CVCV (Lowenstamm 1996, Scheer 2004) qui montre que la phonologie peut rendre compte de l'alternance de l'initiale des noms sans recourir à la computation syntaxique. Je propose que la voyelle initiale instable qui caractérise l’état libre (EL) s'associe à son propre CV, et que lew-à l’état d'annexion (EA) est associé à un CV- initial. Je montrerai également pourquoi, devant #_CV à l’état d'annexion, si le mot est précédé d'un autre mot à finale consonantique, les glides w/j sont réalisés comme des voyelles pleines u/i. Cet article propose une analyse qui prend en compte cette alternance, contrôlée à la fois par le contexte droit (__CV vs __CC) et le contexte gauche (mot précédent à finale vocalique vs consonantique).
Epidemiological and genetic characterization ofClostridium butyricumcultured from neonatal cases of necrotizing enterocolitis in China
Authors: Dong Yinping , Li Ying , Zhang Di , Nguyen Scott , Maheshwari Nikunj , Hu Yujie , Cao Yu , Li Fengqin , Fanning Séamus
Published: June 2020

Objective:

Laboratory-based characterization and traceback ofClostridium butyricumisolates linked to outbreak cases of neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) in a hospital in China.

Methods:

In total, 37 samples were collected during the NEC outbreak. Classical bacteriological methods were applied to isolate and identifyClostridiumspp. Meanwhile, 24 samples collected after an outbreak were similarly tested. AllClostridiumisolates were identified to species level as eitherC. butyricumorC. sporogenes. These isolates were subsequently subtyped using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Genomic DNA was purified from 2 representativeC. butyricumisolates and sequenced to completion.

Results:

Of 37 samples collected during the NEC outbreak, 17 (45.95%) were positive forClostridiumspp. One species,C. butyricum, was cultured from 10 samples. Another species cultured from 2 other samples was identified asC. sporogenes. Both of these species were cocultured from 5 samples. Pulsotyping showed that the 15C. butyricumand the 7C. sporogenesisolates produced indistinguishable DNA profiles. No NEC cases were reported after disinfection following the outbreak, and all samples collected after the outbreak were negative forClostridiumspp. Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) indicated that sialidase, hemolysin, and enterotoxin virulence factors were located on the chromosomes of 2C. butyricumisolates.

Conclusions:

The outbreak of NEC was epidemiologically linked toC. butyricumcontamination within the hospital. This is the first report of an NEC outbreak associated withC. butyricuminfection in China.
Big Data for the Study of Qing Officialdom: The China Government Employee Database-Qing (CGED-Q)
Authors: Chen Bijia , Campbell Cameron , Ren Yuxue , Lee James
Published: June 2020

We introduce the China Government Employee Database—Qing (CGED-Q), a new resource for the quantitative study of Qing officialdom. The CGED-Q details the backgrounds, characteristics and careers of Qing officials who served between 1760 and 1912, with nearly complete coverage of officials serving after 1830. We draw information on careers from the Roster of Government Personnel (jinshenlu), which in each quarterly edition listed approximately 12,500 regular civil offices and their holders in the central government and the provinces. Information about backgrounds and characteristics comes from such linked sources as lists of exam degree holders. In some years, information on military officials is also available. As of February 2020, the CGED-Q comprises 3,817,219 records, of which 3,354,897 are civil offices and the remainder are military. In this article we review the progress and prospects of the project, introduce the sources, transcription procedures, and constructed variables, and provide examples of results to showcase its potential.
Assessing educational difficulties of students from refugee backgrounds: a case study approach
Authors: Khawaja Nigar G. , Howard Glenn
Published: June 2020

The present study applied a qualitative case study methodology to the educational challenges of three students from a refugee background, in order to identify an appropriate psychological assessment process with which to evaluate their difficulties. Three students who had arrived from Iraq 1–2 years ago (one male and two females; aged 13 and 14 years) were referred by their teachers for psychological assessment as their academic progress was poor, despite remedial education. An educational and developmental psychologist, guided by a steering committee of psychologists and educationists, interviewed each student, his/her parent/s, and teachers independently. Based on referral concerns, hypotheses relating to the cause of educational difficulties were generated and psychological tests and checklists were used with all students and their parents and teachers. The data collected assisted in understanding multiple factors that may affect learning for students who have arrived from a war-torn country, and highlighted the importance of gathering detailed case-specific information to understand each student’s background and current context. Challenges associated with the assessment process were identified. Further, ways in which psychologists and guidance officers, teachers and parents could promote these students’ learning were identified. Implications for schools and policy developers are discussed.
Long-term studies on the evolution of resistance of Myzus persicae (Hemiptera: Aphididae) to insecticides in Greece
Authors: Margaritopoulos John T. , Kati A.N. , Voudouris C.Ch. , Skouras P.J. , Tsitsipis J.A.
Published: June 2020

The aphid Myzus persicae s.l. (Hemiptera: Aphididae) is an important pest of many crops worldwide with a complex life cycle, intensely controlled by chemical pesticides, and has developed resistance to almost all used insecticides. In Greece, the aphid exhibits high genetic variation and adaptability and it is a classic example of evolution in the making. We have been studying M. persicae for over 20 years, on different host plants and varying geographical areas, analyzing its bio-ecology and the ability to develop resistance to insecticides. In this review, we present new and historical data on the effectiveness of insecticides from seven chemical groups used to control the aphid in Greece and the incidence of seven resistance mechanisms, including the new fast-spreading R81T point mutation of the postsynaptic nicotinic acetylcholine receptor. Thousands of samples were tested by biological, biochemical and molecular assays. The aphid populations were found to have developed and maintain resistance at medium to high levels to organophosphates, carbamates, pyrethroids and neonicotinoids for decades. In the latter group, a marked increase is recorded during an ~10-year period. The data analyzed and the extensive bibliography, advocate the difficulty to control the aphid making the design and application of IPM/IRM programs a challenge. We discuss principles and recommendations for the management of resistance, including the use of compounds such as flonicamid, spirotetramat, flupyradifurone and sulfoxaflor. We emphasize that resistance is a dynamic phenomenon, changing in time and space, requiring, therefore, continuous monitoring.
Power, Control, and the Logic of Substitution in Institutional Design: The Case of International Climate Finance
Authors: Graham Erin R. , Serdaru Alexandria
Published: June 2020

How do powerful states control international organizations (IOs)? In contrast to the conventional wisdom that treats weighted voting rules as the primary means that powerful states use to codify their asymmetric control in institutional design, we propose that funding rules are equally important. Our framework develops a logic of substitution whereby permissive earmark rules—that allow donors to stipulate how their contributions to an IO are used—are a design substitute for weighted voting from wealthy states’ perspective. Whether asymmetric control is incorporated in design through voting or funding rules depends on whether egalitarian norms emphasizing political and legal equality, or shareholder norms emphasizing influence commensurate with financial power, govern voting and representation rights at the IO. Focusing on the domain of climate finance, we demonstrate that weighted voting rules are used at international climate finance institutions (ICFIs) associated with multilateral development banks, but that wealthy states pursued permissive earmark rules at ICFIs within the United Nations system where egalitarian norms are strong. In this way, powerful donors can exert control over resource allocation even when developing states appear to hold equal influence on governing bodies. In addition to providing a reassessment of how power translates into control at IOs, our framework offers insight into forum-shopping behavior and sheds light on substitution dynamics that involve other dimensions of design across a range of issue areas.
Information Operations and the Question of Illegitimate Interference under International Law
Authors: Lahmann Henning
Published: June 2020

The article examines the legal qualification of state-led information operations that aim to undermine democratic decision-making processes in other states. After a survey of the legal attitudes of states towards such operations during the Cold War, the impact of the digital transformation on the frequency and quality of information operations is explained. The article assesses scholarly responses to the outlined paradigm shift regarding the prohibition of intervention, respect for sovereignty, and the principle of self-determination. The study then inquires whether it is possible to detect a change in how states qualify adversarial information operations by tracking recent state practice and official statements ofopinio juris. The survey concludes that there is insufficient uniformity to allow for an inference that the content of the analysed rules of customary international law has already shifted towards more restrictive treatment of foreign interference. As a possible way forward, the article ends with a proposal to focus on deceptive and manipulative conduct of information operations as the most viable path to outlaw such state behaviour in the future. Instead of attempting to regulate the content of information, this approach is better suited to safeguard freedom of speech and other potentially affected civil rights.
Overconfident Institutions and Their Self-Attribution Bias: Evidence from Earnings Announcements
Authors: Chou Hsin-I , Li Mingyi , Yin Xiangkang , Zhao Jing
Published: June 2020

Institutional demand for a stock before its earnings announcement is negatively related to subsequent returns. The relation is not attributable to the price pressure of institutional demand and is stronger for stocks with higher information asymmetry and/or greater valuation difficulty. These findings support the notion that overconfident institutions misprice stocks. Following announcements, institutions’ behavior exhibits the outcome-dependent feature of self-attribution bias. Whether they become more overconfident and delay their mispricing correction depends on whether earnings news confirms their preannouncement trades. This behavioral bias also offers a new explanation for the well-known post-earnings-announcement drift.