bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Simplified Limit Equilibrium Model for Calculating Limit Support Pressure on Shallow Shield Tunnel face
Authors: Pang Bo , Liu Shujia , Wang Haoran , Zhang Zhongjie , LÜ Xilin
Published: June 2021

Shield tunnel excavation face may collapse if the applied support pressure is not enough. Based on an elaborated failure mode of shallow shield tunnel face, the least limit support pressure to maintain stability is analysed by using the limit equilibrium method. The calculated limit support pressure decreases nonlinearly with the increase of friction angle, decreases linearly with the increase of cohesion, and decreases with the ratio of buried depth to tunnel diameter. By comparing the calculated results with existing tests, the theoretical model was shown to be reasonably predict the limit support pressure of tunnel excavation face in sand under drained condition and in clay under undrained condition.
Tentative Design Study of Ballasting Tank for Very Large IMT Unit
Authors: Li Wang Hui
Published: June 2021

The ballasting tank is one of the key points in the design and construction of immersed tube tunnel. With the development of construction technology and social requirement, the size of IMT unit is becoming bigger and bigger. The design of ballasting tank will be more important in very large IMT unit. This article takes the Shen-Zhong Link IMT project which is under construction as example to express some design principles for ballasting tank. Particularly, the stability of unit during sinking will be emphatically analyzed for arrangement of ballasting tanks.
Discussion on the Value of Hanging Foot Building in Modern Design
Authors: Liu Xin
Published: June 2021

Hanging-foot building is a unique charming form of traditional residential architecture, and its architecture itself contains a large number of architectural features that reflect the folk culture formed by local residents to a certain extent. However, with the development of modern design and the spread of Western design ideas, Chinese traditional architectural culture has declined rapidly. Through a large number of literature reading, field investigation and related image data research, it is found that the architectural structure, materials, spatial layout of the podhouse, respecting nature, scientific and reasonable, and harmonious and unified with the environment, have great value enlightenment for modern design. The refining and application of the architectural structure, traditional building materials and traditional elements of the suspended building can effectively inherit and carry forward the traditional Chinese architectural culture, and at the same time, it can also make modern design works more traditional.
Design of Continuous Girder Bridge Inclined Support System
Authors: Bian Yu , Chen Shuai , Zhang Huijun
Published: June 2021

This paper takes the continuous girder bridge with inclined support as the object and establishes the finite element model with Midas for calculation and analysis. Combined with the engineering practice, the support system with stiffness is used to ensure the pier in a good working state. The support system with stiffness consists of brake piers with plate-spring bearings installed in both the axial and transverse directions, and the rest of the piers with plate-spring bearings installed in the transverse direction.
Reflections on some problems of regenerative architecture
Authors: Li Bing , Liu Hua Zhao
Published: June 2021

Architecture has its own language, which records stories and retains emotions in a special way. Only time will inevitably make buildings old and inconvenient, but now our choice is no longer to abandon or destroy them. We can add functions and extend connotations through transformation, and the existing buildings can be revitalized again and move us. On the other hand, the construction industry already accounts for 40 percent of the world’s energy use, and in the developed world, around 65 percent of the total projected building stock by 2060 has already been built, a reminder that perhaps we really need to look to the existing buildings around us in the future.
Study on Bridge Industrialized Construction Simulation
Authors: Tang Hongyan , Wang Xiuyan , Wang Jianchao
Published: June 2021

Large urban overpasses are important traffic nodes and control points of project construction. How to realize the rapid construction is always the focus of engineers. The industrialized construction of bridges has the advantages including less on-site work, shorter construction period and less impact on traffic, which has great significance for the construction of large urban overpass bridges. In this paper, Tianjin Outer Ring Road Jinlai interchange project is taken as an example to study the simulation of construction using the whole bridge prefabrication and field assembly. Compared with the traditional cast-in-place construction method, the on-site construction time of prefabrication in factory and field assembly of the whole bridge is shortened by 83%.
Technical and Economic Analysis of the Life Cycle of Huangmaohai Cross-sea Bridge
Authors: Chen Zhanli , Shi Jintao , Fu Baiyong
Published: June 2021

Huangmaohai Cross-sea Bridge has a total length of about 31 kilometers and adopts two-way six-lane design standards. There are 2 super large cable-stayed bridges, one of which is the Huangmaohai Bridge. It has a span of 720 meters, and after completion it will become the world’s largest span three-tower cable-stayed bridge. Choosing the best plan in the project decision-making stage of large-scale cross-sea passage projects and other public construction products, eliminating blindness in plan selection, and optimizing the life cycle costs of the project can save a lot of manpower, material and financial resources for the country and society. According to the relevant concepts and classifications of the life-cycle cost of the project at home and abroad, this paper divides the life-cycle cost of China’s highways into three types of costs: construction period cost, operation period cost and disposal cost, and carries out economic analysis in combination with main technical solutions. The analysis results strongly support the design scheme comparison and selection of the Huangmaohai Cross-sea Bridge.
Influence of steel ratio on the vertical deformation of super high-rise building
Authors: Hongxue J , Xuqiao Z
Published: June 2021

Taking a super high-rise project as the research object, considering the shrinkage and creep characteristics of concrete and different steel ratio, MIDAS/Gen is used to simulate the construction process of the structure. The results show that different steel ratio has an impact on the vertical deformation and the vertical deformation difference. In the design stage, the reinforcement amount should be increased appropriately, so as to reduce the vertical deformation difference between the core tube and the outer frame column.
Research on Maintainability and Renewability of SI Housing
Authors: Gan Shenqi , Zhang Hong
Published: June 2021

Based on the development status and construction technology of SI residential buildings in developed countries and China, this paper focuses on the technical design method of maintainability and renewal of industrial residential buildings. The paper points out that it is the partial production and integrated assembly technology of industrial construction that make the future maintenance and update of housing products possible. The scale of industrial operation will change the structural form of the construction industry chain to a large extent, which is of great significance to the development of Chinese housing industrialization.
Ship Impact Force Analysis and Design Project Selection of Pinghai Bridge
Authors: Zhang Lingmei
Published: June 2021

Based on summing up the domestic and foreign ship impact force calculation formula, the finite element method was used to establish the Pinghai Bridge analysis model. The pier ship impact force as a reference came from relevant design data, and the finite element calculation and analysis on ship impact were carried out. For there is auxiliary pier and not, the internal forces of main pier, cap bottom of main pier and a single pile under the combinations of ship impact force along and across the bridge direction of Pinghai Bridge were respectively calculated and reinforcement designed. The results show that the section of main pier can meet the force requirements only by the structural reinforcement; under the ship impact loads, saving the auxiliary pier has little effect on the results of section reinforcement of the main tower and the main pier. These conclusions have reference values to some extent for the design plan selection under the action of ship impact force.
A Review of Housing Certification Standards with a Focus on Energy Efficiency
Authors: Liao Zaiyi , Tam Claire
Published: June 2021

In addition to building codes and regulations, voluntary housing certification standards also play an important role in the energy efficiency of housing. Each of these standards was established in response to a set of specific demands for high performance housing. Consequently, the energy conservation technologies and design approach applicable could be very diverse and dynamic. This paper is aimed to provide a comprehensive review for the state-of-the art housing standards with a focus on energy efficiency. It was observed that these standards normally evaluate energy efficiency based on percentage savings of the design with energy conservation measures compared to a reference case. The net-zero energy balance between energy consumption and on-site energy generation is considered the highest level of performance. This paper examines if this approach is adequate and prompts future research in order to improve the effectiveness of housing standards in defining sustainable housing.
The Building Investigation Reprot of Lan-Yan Railway
Authors: Zhang Tianjiao , Qi Hanwen , Du Mingqian
Published: June 2021

The Lan-Yan Railway is the first railway line built in Shandong Province under the “First Five-Year Plan” period, which embodies more “national confidence” of the people’s Republic of China. This paper focuses on the damage of building sites along the railway through field investigation, analyzed the present situation and the value of Lan-Yan railway, and pointed out that it is of great significance to protect the building sites along the railway line. It is hoped that the completion of the report can provide some reference for the protection of the architectural heritage along the railway in Shandong Province.
Construction Technology and Analysis of High and Large Formwork for Automobile Ramp
Authors: Xu Qianqian , Cheng Yechun , Xu Jiajia , Lu Mingyu
Published: June 2021

A square project in Hangzhou has the characteristics of high floors, deep foundation pits, large loads, and dense surrounding buildings and various municipal pipelines, which brought great difficulties to the construction, especially the formwork support part. This paper takes the construction of the tall formwork of the automobile ramp as an example to illustrate the design process and construction technology of the tall formwork of the project’s automobile ramp. The rationality of the design of tall formwork was checked by PKPM software. The quality and safety monitoring measures of the construction process are also given.
Crowded treading warning system for urban rail transit stations based on video detection technology
Authors: Xu Jiajia , Li Xuemei
Published: June 2021

Based on the rapid development of rail transit, it have a greater hidden danger of congestion and trampling, this paper proposes the construction of an urban rail transit station congestion and trampling warning system based on video detection technology, which uses video detection technology to collect the passenger flow, velocity and density data of the bottleneck channel in rail transit stations, then build and train neural network model to predict the next time passenger flow density combine with the three-parameter relationship of the traffic flow, and use the SPSS software used to fit and analyze the passenger flow parameters. So the limit value of the flow-density polynomial model is predicted by pedestrian flow mutation model and used to realize the definition of the critical passenger flow density model based on the catastrophe theory. On this basis, this article compares the real-time predicted value of passenger flow density to it and get the analysis result, then set the corresponding early warning coefficient, early warning level and early warning measures, so it can truly realize the real-time warning of congestion and trampling in rail transit stations based on passenger flow density prediction.
Conservation and regeneration of historical buildings
Authors: Li Bing , Han Jian
Published: June 2021

With the continuous development of society, historical buildings have become an important carrier of social development memory. They are both witnesses of urban development and participants in urban development. Therefore, the protection and regeneration of historical buildings are particularly important. Through the exploration and research on the protection and regeneration of historical buildings, we can reduce the loss of people’s spiritual places, promote our national cultural self-confidence, and protect our cultural sequence.
Study on automatic welding technology of single-side welding and double-side forming of large diameter steel
Authors: Zhao Kexin , Yang Yongmin
Published: June 2021

The installation of penstocks in the construction of water conservancy and hydropower projects should be a key link in the quality control of hydropower projects. It is of great significance to the stability and safety of hydropower projects. Based on the construction process requirements of the steel pipe in the tunnel of a water conservancy project in South China, this paper has developed an all-position automatic welding technology of single-sided welding and double-sided forming of the inner circumferential seam of a super large diameter steel pipe after many tests, and analyzed the factors affecting the welding quality. After repeated trials and adjustments of process parameters, a lower welding voltage (small molten pool) and a larger welding current (guaranteed penetration) are used to ensure a certain deposition efficiency, and finally stable welding quality is achieved. It has certain reference significance for the improvement and improvement of the automatic welding technology of single-side welding and double-side forming of large-diameter steel pipes.
Early Warning and Source Identification System Design for Chemical Spill Incidents of Jinhua River
Authors: Zhang Guangpeng , Ding Tao , Zhan Guangjie , Du Xinyi , Yan Danjia
Published: June 2021

The key factor in solving frequent chemical spill accidents is how to identify the pollution source information such as discharge location, discharge time and discharge amount or discharge rate, that caused the accident as soon as possible. Furthermore, the diffusion process of pollution accidents is simulated and predicted. Based on the proposed warning model and source identification method, an early warning and identification system for river chemical spill incidences in Jinhua River was designed and developed after collecting the geographic scope of the rivers and the national and provincial monitoring sections of Jinhua River. The system is used to simulate and predict diffusion process of pollution mass, and identify the unknown pollution source information that occurred in the Jinhua River. The early warning and identification system has been applied to the Jinhua River. The results show that the system has higher reliability, and it can provide an intuitive and scientific basis for relevant departments to respond to water pollution accidents and help them to handle pollution accidents quickly, reasonably and economically.
Direct Calculation of Updating Parameters Based on Kriging Model for Bridge Finite Element Model Updating
Authors: Wang Qiuping , Qin Shiqiang
Published: June 2021

To improve the calculation efficiency and to avoid the updating results being affected by optimization algorithms, a direct calculation of updating parameters method based on Kriging model for model updating is proposed in this paper. The proposed method first generates the data samples of updating parameters by using Latin hypercube Design (LHD). The corresponding structural response is calculated by initial finite element model. Then, the explicit function between updating parameters and structural responses is obtained based on kriging theory. Finally, the best design parameters are directly solved using the experimentally obtained structural response as the objective value based on the established Kriging model. Model updating of Caiyuanba Yangtze River Bridge is employed to test the proposed method. The results show that the model updating based on direct calculation method avoids the iterative calculation and improves the computational efficiency. The proposed method can provide the approximate accuracy level compared with the traditional Kriging model method.
Assumption of the application of block chain technology in engineering project management
Authors: Chen Siyu , Tu Zhibin , Lu Bing , Ding Mengjiao , Wang Hanxiao
Published: June 2021

In recent years, along with the rapid development of construction industry, gradually exposed shortcomings existing in the project management process, block chain technology as a new technology, has a decentralized, transparency and traceability, if can block chain technology, introduced in the engineering project management, some existing problems will be improved, such as information back difficulties, poor supervision. Based on this point of view, this paper discusses the application of block chain technology in engineering project management.
Application of wellbore strengthening drilling fluid technology in Lingshui gas field
Authors: Li Jia , Qiu Zhengsong , Liu Zhengkai , Yang Yifan , Song He , Liang Yan
Published: June 2021

Fractured reservoir is developed in Lingshui gas field and the problem of lost circulation is prominent. To improve the pressure bearing capacity of fractured formation, the wellbore strengthening technology was applied in this block. The fracture width of Lingshui gas field was predicted with finite element method, which considered the effect of wellbore pressure, in-situ stress, seepage fluid and pore pressure. The simulation results showed that the fracture width of Lingshui block ranged from 0 to 464 μm. Based on the prediction results of fracture width, the particle size distribution of lost circulation material (LCM) was selected with dynamic fracture width testing device. The results indicated that the D50 rule has the best sealing efficiency. The optimized LCM formula had better compatibility performance with water-based drilling fluid. The sealing results illustrated that invasion depth of seepage loss was smaller than 0.3 cm and the pressure bearing capacity of fracture reached to 17 MPa.
Analysis of immersed tunnel settlement under complex load and multiple kinds of compound foundations
Authors: Fu Bai-Yong , Song Shen-You
Published: June 2021

The silt typed soil thickness is up to 3~18m laying at bottom of foundation trench of ramp section at west island of SZ-Link and the surface silt is of extremely low strength subject to the influence of sand disturbance. The island cut and cover section tunnel foundation is improved with PHC and the settlement is relatively small. To accommodate the coordinated deformation of the immersed tunnel the soft foundation of the tunnel needs special treatment. Through options comparison and selection, the solution for foundation of tunnel element E1 is advance gravel cushion and compacted blocky stone layer and DCM outside the island and high pressurized jet grouting pile in the island. To accurately analyze the settlement characteristics of the element E1, determine its settlement amount and to achieve smooth rigidity transition of immersion tunnel and cut and cover section the settlement analysis of element E1 under complex loads and multiple kinds of foundations were carried out in combination with testing researches of all kinds of foundations. The primary research work comprises: (1) conduction of laboratory model experiment of gravel cushion, blocky stone compaction experiment, DCM laboratory triaxial test and provision of deformation computation parameters for given different foundation improvement solutions; (2) conduction of 3D finite element numerical analysis for element E1, analysis of immersed tunnel settlement deformation characteristics and provision of the law of E1 settlement distribution.
Test Research on Toughness Evaluation of Long-span Bridge Welded Joint
Authors: Wu Changqing , Yu Qiming , Zhu Botao , Ling Huangyi , Zheng Jiaqi , He Shanqing
Published: June 2021

Aiming at the inherent unavoidable defects of welded joints, a CTOD (Crack Tip Opening Displacement) test was carried out on the E43 steel weld specimen under the fatigue state. The research results provide experimental and calculation basis for the use of bridge steel. In this paper, a CTOD fatigue pre-crack test study was carried out on the welded joint of E43 steel.
Organization and Management System Innovation of BIM Life Cycle Management
Authors: Dan Wang
Published: June 2021

During the entire life cycle of rail transit projects, many participants, complex types of information, diverse forms and large quantity make poor information communication and serious information loss in the management process, which greatly restricts the improvement of project management level and management efficiency. Taking the information management of rail transit project as the research object, carrying out information analysis and BIM application research in all stages of project construction, this paper puts forward the framework system of information management for the whole life cycle of rail transit project based on BIM, realizes the effective communication of information in the whole life cycle of rail transit project, and provides theoretical support for the whole life cycle information management.
Bio-instructive hydrogel expands the paracrine potency of mesenchymal stem cells
Authors: Drzeniek Norman M , Mazzocchi Andrea , Schlickeiser Stephan , Forsythe Steven D , Moll Guido , Geißler Sven , Reinke Petra , Gossen Manfred , Gorantla Vijay S , Volk Hans-Dieter , Soker Shay
Published: June 2021

The therapeutic efficacy of clinically applied mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) is limited due to their injection into harsh in vivo environments, resulting in the significant loss of their secretory function upon transplantation. A potential strategy for preserving their full therapeutic potential is encapsulation of MSCs in a specialized protective microenvironment, for example hydrogels. However, commonly used injectable hydrogels for cell delivery fail to provide the bio-instructive cues needed to sustain and stimulate cellular therapeutic functions. Here we introduce a customizable collagen I-hyaluronic acid (COL-HA)-based hydrogel platform for the encapsulation of MSCs. Cells encapsulated within COL-HA showed a significant expansion of their secretory profile compared to MSCs cultured in standard (2D) cell culture dishes or encapsulated in other hydrogels. Functionalization of the COL-HA backbone with thiol-modified glycoproteins such as laminin led to further changes in the paracrine profile of MSCs. In depth profiling of more than 250 proteins revealed an expanded secretion profile of proangiogenic, neuroprotective and immunomodulatory paracrine factors in COL-HA-encapsulated MSCs with a predicted augmented pro-angiogenic potential. This was confirmed by increased capillary network formation of endothelial cells stimulated by conditioned media from COL-HA-encapsulated MSCs. Our findings suggest that encapsulation of therapeutic cells in a protective COL-HA hydrogel layer provides the necessary bio-instructive cues to maintain and direct their therapeutic potential. Our customizable hydrogel combines bioactivity and clinically applicable properties such as injectability, on-demand polymerization and tissue-specific elasticity, all features that will support and improve the ability to successfully deliver functional MSCs into patients.
Microstructure evolution and fire-resistant properties of 690 MPa anti-seismic fire-resistant steel plate
Authors: Lu Chunxiang , Lin Tianzi , Cao Jianchun , Yin Shubiao , Gao Peng , Liu Xing , Zhan Fang
Published: June 2021

In this precent study, microstructure evolution of a newly developed 690 MPa composite microalloyed anti-seismic fire-resistant steel plate after quenching at 740 °C , quenching at 740 °C + tempering at 400 °C were studied and the fire resistance mechanism was analyzed. Experimental results show that the microstructure of hot rolled state of the tested steel is lath martensite, acicular ferrite, bainite and M/A island. After quenching at 740 °C, the microstructure of steel was composed of lath martensite, polygonal ferrite and retained austenite. The mixed microstructure of tempered troostite + bainite + a small amount of M/A island was obtained after quenching at 740 °C + tempering at 400 °C , it transforms into tempered sorbite + bainite after holding at 600 °C for 3h. A great number of fine carbides containing Mo, Nb, V and Ti precipitate at 600 °C of the quenched + tempered state of tested steel. The mixed microstructure and fine composite carbides make the quenched +tempered steel have excellent fire resistance.
On unitary representations of algebraic groups over local fields
Authors: Bekka Bachir , Echterhoff Siegfried
Published: June 2021

Let

G

\mathbf {G}

be an algebraic group over a local field

k

\mathbf {k}

of characteristic zero. We show that the locally compact group

G

(

k

)

\mathbf {G}(\mathbf {k})

consisting of the

k

\mathbf {k}

-rational points of

G

\mathbf {G}

is of type I. Moreover, we complete Lipsman’s characterization of the groups

G

\mathbf {G}

for which every irreducible unitary representation of

G

(

k

)

\mathbf {G}(\mathbf {k})

is a CCR representation and show at the same time that such groups belong to the family of trace class groups, recently studied by Deitmar and van Dijk.
Boundedness questions for Calabi–Yau threefolds
Authors: Wilson P.
Published: June 2021

In this paper, we study boundedness questions for (simply connected) smooth Calabi–Yau threefolds. The diffeomorphism class of such a threefold is known to be determined up to finitely many possibilities by the integral middle cohomology and two integral forms on the integral second cohomology, namely the cubic cup-product form and the linear form given by cup-product with the second Chern class. The motivating question for this paper is whether knowledge of these cubic and linear forms determines the threefold up to finitely many families, that is the moduli of such threefolds is bounded. If this is true, then in particular the middle integral cohomology would be bounded by knowledge of these two forms.

Crucial to this question is the study of rigid non-movable surfaces on the threefold, which are the irreducible surfaces that deform with any small deformation of the complex structure of the threefold but for which no multiple moves on the threefold. If for instance there are no such surfaces, then the answer to the motivating question is yes (Theorem 0.1). In particular, for given cubic and linear forms on the second cohomology, there must exist such surfaces for large enough third Betti number (Corollary 0.2).

The paper starts by proving general results on these rigid non-movable surfaces and boundedness of the family of threefolds. The basic principle is that if the cohomology classes of these surfaces are also known, then boundedness should hold (Theorem 4.5). The second half of the paper restricts to the case of Picard number 2, where it is shown that knowledge of the cubic and linear forms does indeed bound the family of Calabi–Yau threefolds (Theorem 0.3). This appears to be the first non-trivial case where a general boundedness result for Calabi–Yau threefolds has been proved (without the assumption of a special structure).
Diemer and Swanson Reply to “Considerations Before Using Pandemic as Instrument”
Authors: Diemer Elizabeth W , Swanson Sonja A
Published: June 2021

Dimitris and Platt (Am J Epidemiol. 2021;190(11):2275-2279) take on the challenging topic of using “shocks” such as the severe acute respiratory system coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic as instrumental variables to study the effect of some exposure on some outcome. Evoking our recent lived experiences, they conclude that the assumptions necessary for an instrumental variable analysis will often be violated and therefore strongly caution against such analyses. Here, we build upon this warranted caution while acknowledging that such analyses will still be pursued and conducted. We discuss strategies for evaluating or reasoning about when such an analysis is clearly inappropriate for a given research question, as well as strategies for interpreting study findings with special attention to incorporating plausible sources of bias in any conclusions drawn from a given finding.
“Translating” All-Cause Mortality Rate Ratios or Hazard Ratios to Age-, Longevity-, and Probability-Based Measures
Authors: Pang Menglan , Hanley James A
Published: June 2021

Epidemiologists commonly use an adjusted hazard ratio or incidence density ratio, or a standardized mortality ratio, to measure a difference in all-cause mortality rates. They seldom translate it into an age-, time-, or probability-based measure that would be easier to communicate and to relate to. Several articles have shown how to translate from a standardized mortality ratio or hazard ratio to a longevity difference, a difference in actuarial ages, or a probability of being outlived. In this paper, we describe the settings where these translations are and are not appropriate and provide some of the heuristics behind the formulae. The tools that yield differences in “effective age” and in longevity are applicable when both 1) the mortality rate ratio (hazard ratio) is constant over age and 2) the rates themselves are log-linear in age. The “probability/odds of being outlived” metric is applicable whenever the first condition holds, and thus it provides no direct information on the magnitude of the effective age/longevity difference.
Covered by a blanket of lichens: how mat-forming lichens affect microclimate and ecological processes. A commentary on: ‘Lichens buffer tundra microclimate more than the expanding shrubBetula nana’
Authors: Roos Ruben E , Asplund Johan , van Zuijlen Kristel
Published: June 2021

This article comments on:

Max Mallen-Cooper, Bente J. Graae and Will K. Cornwell. Lichens buffer tundra microclimate more than the expanding shrub Betula nana, Annals of Botany, Volume 128, Issue 4, 3 September 2021, Pages 407–418, https://doi.org/10.1093/aob/mcab041
From Knightian to Keynesian uncertainty: contextualising Ellsberg’s ambiguity
Authors: Zappia Carlo
Published: June 2021

This paper argues that Daniel Ellsberg regarded the urn examples and conception of ambiguity presented in his famous 1961 paper as merely a step towards the analysis of more fundamental forms of uncertainty. Drawing on what is known about Ellsberg’s activities during the 1950s and early 1960s, it is shown that, after starting his project as one of reviving Frank Knight’s ideas about uncertainty, Ellsberg went on to realise that his position was in fact rather closer to that of John Maynard Keynes in his A Treatise on Probability. Furthermore, it is shown that formerly classified research Ellsberg undertook in the early 1960s also reveals an abiding influence in fundamental uncertainty.
Tragic Form in Kamila Shamsie’sHome Fire
Authors: Weiss Naomi
Published: June 2021

This article examines Kamila Shamsie’s adaptation of Sophocles’ Antigone in Home Fire (2017), a novel focused on Muslim identity, Islamophobia, and citizenship rights in contemporary Britain. It demonstrates that this novel is a multimedia work full of theatrical traces: a literary archive that preserves the dramatic quality of Sophocles’ play but also encompasses multiple other forms of media and performance, from theatre and television to social media. The article focuses not so much on how Shamsie has adapted the plot of Antigone but on her reworking of tragedy’s formal features or structures, such as dialogue, the chorus, and the messenger speech. In this polyphonic novel, such multimedia theatricality facilitates something that Greek tragedy itself produces: a contestation of multiple voices for audiences to hear, critique, and put against their own. Shamsie’s manipulation of tragic form thus contributes to Home Fire’s political import.
The Political Odyssey of Reinhold Schairer, 1933–1955
Authors: Richardson Malcolm L
Published: June 2021

Drawing upon archives in three countries, this article examines the career in exile of the German educator and statesman Reinhold Schairer and seeks to explain the importance of his work for the German resistance to Hitler. For a brief but crucial period before the outbreak of the Second World War, Schairer served as the principal external representative for Carl Goerdeler and became—sometimes with adverse consequences—his principal interlocutor with the British and American governments. As this article shows, Schairer’s failure to question many of the assumptions and statements made by his sources led to a rupture with his British backers and helped reinforce British doubts about the effectiveness of any internal opposition to Hitler. Although unsuccessful as a political leader, and perhaps ill-suited for such a role, Reinhold Schairer made genuine contributions to postwar planning. With extensive support from the Rockefeller Foundation and leading American educators, Schairer helped prepare the strong foundations for postwar exchange programmes in Germany and the United States and played an important role in the reconstruction of postwar German educational and philanthropic institutions. A critical examination of Schairer’s career sheds important new light on the failure of the German resistance to garner external support at crucial junctures before and just after the outbreak of war, while at the same time this study helps connect the work of political exiles such as Schairer with the development of new institutions in the Federal Republic.
Interbatch Reliability of Blood-Based Cytokine and Chemokine Measurements in Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Lindbergh Cutter A , Asken Breton M , Casaletto Kaitlin B , Elahi Fanny M , Goldberger Lauren A , Fonseca Corrina , You Michelle , Apple Alexandra C , Staffaroni Adam M , Fitch Ryan , Rivera Contreras Will , Wang Paul , Karydas Anna , Kramer Joel H ,   the Hillblom Aging Network
Published: June 2021

Blood-based inflammatory markers hold considerable promise for diagnosis and prognostication of age-related neurodegenerative disease, though a paucity of research has empirically tested how reliably they can be measured across different experimental runs (“batches”). We quantified the interbatch reliability of 13 cytokines and chemokines in a cross-sectional study of 92 community-dwelling older adults (mean age = 74; 48% female). Plasma aliquots from the same blood draw were parallelly processed in 2 separate batches using the same analytic platform and procedures (high-performance electrochemiluminescence by Meso Scale Discovery). Interbatch correlations (Pearson’s r) ranged from small and nonsignificant (r = .13 for macrophage inflammatory protein-1 alpha [MIP-1α]) to very large (r > .90 for interferon gamma [IFNγ], interleukin-10 [IL-10], interferon gamma-induced protein 10 [IP-10], MIP-1β, thymus and activation-regulated chemokine [TARC]) with most markers falling somewhere in between (.67 ≤ r ≤ .90 for IL-6, tumor necrosis factor alpha [TNF-α], Eotaxin, Eotaxin-3, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 [MCP-1], MCP-4, macrophage-derived chemokine [MDC]). All markers, except for IL-6 and MCP-4, showed significant differences in absolute values between batches, with discrepancies ranging in effect size (Cohen’s d) from small to moderate (0.2 ≤ |d| ≤ 0.5 for IL-10, IP-10, MDC) to large or very large (0.68 ≤ |d| ≤ 1.5 for IFNγ, TNF-α, Eotaxin, Eotaxin-3, MCP-1, MIP-1α, MIP-1β, TARC). Relatively consistent associations with external variables of interest (age, sex, systolic blood pressure, body mass index, cognition) were observed across batches. Taken together, our results suggest heterogeneity in measurement reliability of blood-based cytokines and chemokines, with some analytes outperforming others. Future work is needed to evaluate the generalizability of these findings while identifying potential sources of batch effect measurement error.
Volunteering Dynamics and Life Satisfaction: Self-Perceptions of Aging as a Buffer
Authors: Huo Meng , Kim Kyungmin
Published: June 2021

Objectives

Research has extensively documented the concurrent benefits of being a volunteer (vs a nonvolunteer), but little is known about older adults who once served as a volunteer but then stopped at some point in their lives (i.e., former volunteers). The current study tracked changes in older adults’ overall life satisfaction and compared these changes among former volunteers, continuous volunteers, and continuous nonvolunteers. We also examined whether self-perceptions of aging may serve as a long-term psychological buffer and protect former volunteers’ life satisfaction after they quit volunteering.

Method

Data were from the Health and Retirement Study (2006–2016). A pooled sample of participants aged 50+ (N = 10,441) indicated volunteer behaviors every other year, and we identified volunteering dynamics based on their volunteering history across 4 waves (8 years). Participants reported on self-perceptions of aging and life satisfaction in the Leave Behind Questionnaire once every 4 years.

Results

Continuous volunteers reported greater subsequent life satisfaction than former volunteers and continuous nonvolunteers 4 years later, when we adjusted for their baseline life satisfaction. Yet, the difference between continuous volunteers and former volunteers was absent among participants with more positive self-perceptions of aging.

Discussion

This study reveals a potential discontinuity in the benefits of volunteering as older adults transition out of their volunteer activities. Findings, however, also reveal individual differences by self-perceptions of aging, offering suggestive evidence that may refine interventions to prolong the benefits of volunteering.
Purpose in Life, Loneliness, and Protective Health Behaviors During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Kang Yoona , Cosme Danielle , Pei Rui , Pandey Prateekshit , Carreras-Tartak José , Falk Emily B
Published: June 2021

Background and Objectives

Social distancing, while effective in slowing the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), can increase social isolation. The current preregistered study examined purpose in life as a psychological resource that may buffer against loneliness and increase intentions to engage in health-protective behaviors.

Research Design and Methods

During the COVID-19 pandemic, 517 adults (mean = 37.71, SD = 11.30; range = 19–73) reported their levels of purpose in life, current and prepandemic levels of loneliness, and degrees to which they intended to engage in behaviors known to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Results

Across age, having a stronger sense of purpose in life was associated with lower loneliness, as well as greater intentions to engage in COVID-protective behaviors. Higher loneliness was associated with lower intentions to maintain social distance and engage in additional health promotion behaviors such as handwashing. However, this link was not present at higher levels of purpose in life. Older age was also associated with less loneliness, but not for individuals with lower levels of purpose in life.

Discussion and Implications

Results suggest that psychological resources such as purpose in life are associated with increased protective health behaviors. Furthermore, purpose in life may reduce loneliness and counteract the negative effects of stressors that diminish the willingness to engage in health-protective behaviors. Our data also highlight resilience among older individuals in times of isolation during a global pandemic.
Explaining the large variability in empirical relationships between magnetic pore fabrics and pore space properties
Authors: Biedermann Andrea R , Pugnetti Michele , Zhou Yi
Published: June 2021

The magnetic anisotropy exhibited by ferrofluid-impregnated samples serves as a proxy for their pore fabrics, and is therefore known as magnetic pore fabric (MPF). Empirically, the orientation of the maximum susceptibility indicates the average pore elongation direction, and predicts the preferred flow direction. Further, correlations exist between the degree and shape of magnetic anisotropy and the pores’ axial ratio and shape, and between the degrees of magnetic and permeability anisotropies. Despite its potential, the method has been rarely used, likely because the large variability in reported empirical relationships compromises interpretation. Recent work identified an additional contribution of distribution anisotropy, related to the arrangement of the pores, and a strong dependence of anisotropy parameters on the ferrofluid type and concentration, partly explaining the variability. Here, an additional effect is shown; the effective susceptibility of the ferrofluid depends on the measurement frequency, so that the resulting anisotropy depends on measurement conditions. Using synthetic samples with known void geometry and ferrofluids with known susceptibility (4.04 SI and 1.38 SI for EMG705 and EMG909, respectively), magnetic measurements at frequencies from 500 to 512 kHz are compared to numerical predictions. Measurements show a strong frequency-dependence, especially for EMG705, leading to large discrepancies between measured and calculated anisotropy degrees. We also observe artefacts related to the interaction of ferrofluid with its seal, and the aggregation of particles over time. The results presented here provide the basis for a robust and quantitative interpretation of MPFs in future studies, and allow for re-interpretation of previous results provided that the ferrofluid properties and measurement conditions are known. We recommend that experimental settings are selected to ensure a high intrinsic susceptibility of the fluid, and that the effective susceptibility of the fluid at measurement conditions is reported in future studies.
Implementation of an animated medication information tool in community pharmacies, with a special focus on patients with limited health literacy
Authors: Visscher Boudewijn B , Vervloet Marcia , te Paske Roland , van Dijk Liset , Heerdink Eibert R , Rademakers Jany
Published: June 2021

Objectives

The animated medication information tool ‘Watchyourmeds’ provides information in an accessible manner through animated videos and therefore appears to be especially suitable for people with limited health literacy. This study aimed to assess the implementation of this animated medication information tool in Dutch community pharmacies, with a special focus on patients with limited health literacy.

Methods

A cross-sectional survey based on the Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation and Maintenance (RE-AIM) framework was sent to approximately 75% of the ±1900 community pharmacies in the Netherlands through email newsletters of pharmacy networks.

Key findings

140 pharmacists (⁓10%) completed the survey and 125 of them (89%) indicated that they offered the animated medication information tool to their patients. 108 pharmacists indicated that the tool was offered to all patients, not only to patients with limited health literacy. The distribution method was primarily passive (patients were given a leaflet and were not explicitly pointed to or informed about the tool). Two frequently cited motivations for offering the tool were that it complemented other sources of information and that the health insurer provided a financial incentive. The main reasons patients refused to use the tool were that they had no access to or no affinity for the required technology.

Conclusions

This study demonstrated that the tool is used in community pharmacies and that it is offered to all patients, regardless of their presumed health literacy level. A more active method of offering the tool may be warranted to better reach patients with limited health literacy.
Snaking bifurcations of localized patterns on ring lattices
Authors: Tian Moyi , Bramburger Jason J , Sandstede Björn
Published: June 2021

We study the structure of stationary patterns in bistable lattice dynamical systems posed on rings with a symmetric coupling structure in the regime of small coupling strength. We show that sparse coupling (for instance, nearest-neighbour or next-nearest-neighbour coupling) and all-to-all coupling lead to significantly different solution branches. In particular, sparse coupling leads to snaking branches with many saddle-node bifurcations, while all-to-all coupling leads to branches with six saddle nodes, regardless of the size of the number of nodes in the graph.
A mathematical framework for modelling 3D cell motility: applications to glioblastoma cell migration
Authors: Scott M , Żychaluk K , Bearon R N
Published: June 2021

The collection of 3D cell tracking data from live images of micro-tissues is a recent innovation made possible due to advances in imaging techniques. As such there is increased interest in studying cell motility in 3D in vitro model systems but a lack of rigorous methodology for analysing the resulting data sets. One such instance of the use of these in vitro models is in the study of cancerous tumours. Growing multicellular tumour spheroids in vitro allows for modelling of the tumour microenvironment and the study of tumour cell behaviours, such as migration, which improves understanding of these cells and in turn could potentially improve cancer treatments. In this paper, we present a workflow for the rigorous analysis of 3D cell tracking data, based on the persistent random walk model, but adaptable to other biologically informed mathematical models. We use statistical measures to assess the fit of the model to the motility data and to estimate model parameters and provide confidence intervals for those parameters, to allow for parametrization of the model taking correlation in the data into account. We use in silico simulations to validate the workflow in 3D before testing our method on cell tracking data taken from in vitro experiments on glioblastoma tumour cells, a brain cancer with a very poor prognosis. The presented approach is intended to be accessible to both modellers and experimentalists alike in that it provides tools for uncovering features of the data set that may suggest amendments to future experiments or modelling attempts.