bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Multiobjective optimization of smart grids considering market power
Authors: Garcia-Guarin J , Rivera S , Trigos L
Published: November 2019

Smart grids gain acceptance for promoting the efficient use of energy resources, based on market prices. These include energy storage systems and electric vehicles; in terms of operation they are complex for controlling the loading / unloading of energy or the buy / sell of it. These networks also encourage demand response programs, that is, according to the price, the users decide how much energy they consume. In addition to promoting the use of renewable energy. This research presents two contributions: 1) The implementation of market power indicators to a mathematical model of smart microgrid and 2) The implementation of a new multiobjective hybrid algorithm called “variable neighborhood search: the differential evolutionary particle swarm”. The results are close to the Pareto front with a uniform distribution. Then, the smart microgrid is evaluated with two restrictions: the Herfindahl-Hirschman index and the three biggest bidders’ index, the first contribution allows no bidder to exercise market power during the 24 hours, which guarantees a competitive electricity market. The second contribution consists in converting this single objective algorithm to a multiobjective version. The performance of the new multiobjective algorithm is verified with the test problems showing good performance.
Conceptual framework for smart university
Authors: Rico-Bautista D W
Published: November 2019

Determine the potential value of the technology that an organization has, for example, the university, is an issue that is not easy to answer. The only way to look to the future, since there is no data, is to have a very good theory or model. The application of maturity models creates useful benefits. Its application covers a diversity of problem areas related to the development, use and impact of information technology. The human-computer interaction is part of a process of creating technology. Generating a model of intelligent maturity can be seen as an evolutionary approach for a traditional university to progress to several levels of maturity of a smart university.
Numerical simulation of the combustion stability of natural gas and syngas in a surface-stabilized combustion burner
Authors: Arrieta C E , García A , Cardona A , Bedoya I , Amell A
Published: November 2019

Surface-stabilized combustion burners is a promising combustion technique that has been studied for more than a decade. However, in the design stage of these burners is hard to determine if under certain operating conditions the burner would operate adequately. In this paper, we performed a numerical approach to predict the flame stability in a surface-stabilized combustion burner. Here we considered a numerical approach that includes simultaneous solution of mass and energy balance for both, the gas and solid phase, as well as a proper estimation of thermo-chemical and thermo-physical properties. The numerical model was validated against experimental data reported in previous studies. These data involve results with natural gas and the blending of natural gas with three high hydrogen content synthetic gases in equimolar proportions. We evaluated three synthetic gases with high hydrogen contents ranging from 60% H2 to 75% H2. The data also involve thermal power from 300 to 500 kW/m2. The results indicate that the numerical approach described in this work predicts very well the flame stability and temperature profile within the porous media. Therefore, it can be used to study surface-stabilized combustion burners.
Surface morphology and optical properties of InGaN quantum dots with varying growth interruption time
Authors: Li Yangfeng , Jin Zijing , Han Yu , Zhao Chunyu , Huang Jie , Tang Chak Wah , Wang Jiannong , Lau Kei May
Published: November 2019

The effect of different growth interruption time on the surface morphology and optical properties of InGaN quantum dots (QDs) grown on 2-inch silicon substrates is investigated. The surface becomes rougher and the photoluminescence intensity has been enhanced significantly when employing the growth interruption method. Temperature-dependent photoluminescence and excitation power-dependent photoluminescence both present unchanged peak energy and line-width of QDs. The sharp increase of PL intensity in medium temperature regime is attributed to the fingerprint of the existence of InGaN QDs. The shape of the QDs are further confirmed by the transmission electron microscopy with a size of 3 nm by 4 nm. Among the samples, a growth interruption time of 30 s gives the best optical performance.
A facile one-pot synthesis of poly(acrylic acid)-functionalized magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles for suppressing reactive oxygen species generation and adsorption of biocatalyst
Authors: Nahar Yeasmin , Rahman Md Abdur , Hossain Md Kawsar , Sharafat Mostafa Kaiyum , Karim Md Rabiul , Elaissari Abdelhamid , Ochiai Bungo , Ahmad Hasan , Rahman Md Mahbubor
Published: November 2019

Functionalized iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) have unique physical and chemical properties, which make them potential candidates for biomedical applications. In this study, a facile one-pot method is reported for the preparation of poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) functionalized IONPsthrough in situ free radical solution polymerization of AA and subsequent coprecipitation of Fe3+ and Fe2+ ions. The FTIR spectroscopic and TGA results indicated the successful formation and surface functionalization of IONPs with PAA. Electron micrographs showed that the prepared particles were of nano-sized and their shape is dependent on the concentration of PAA. pH-dependent variation of average hydrodynamic diameter confirmed the pH-responsivity of PAA-functionalized IONPs. Magnetic measurement suggested that the PAA functionalized IONPs were strongly paramagnetic (53.0 emug−1). Fenton-like catalytic generation is carried out to measure toxicity associated with the nanoparticles. The suppression ability for reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation associated with PAA-functionalized IONPs was studied via methylene blue degradation assay to address their toxicity profile. PAA-functionalized IONPs exhibited better suppression ability than that of the bare IONPs. The adsorption behavior of trypsin was also studied at different pH levels and a maximum adsorption is occurred on PAA-functionalized IONPs at pH 5.0. Catalytic behavior study confirmed higher activity of trypsin immobilized on PAA-functionalized IONPs than that of the reference IONPs. Therefore, the functionalized IONPs can be of high interest for magnetically recyclable biocatalyst carrier.
One-step electrodeposition to fabricate superhydrophobic coating and its reversible wettability transformation
Authors: Chen Dexin , Kang Zhixin , Li Wei
Published: November 2019

A one-step electrodeposition method was utilized to fabricate coatings with switchable wettability on stainless steel meshes to extend the application of materials in the intelligent material industry. This method did not involve low surface energy materials and had advantages of simple and good repeatable. Through changing pH value, deposition temperature and voltage, the relationship between morphology and wettability of the as-prepared coatings were studied. The SEM results show numbers of particles on the coatings under the optimum condition and some of them aggregated into micro-pine hierarchical structures. The coatings achieved superhydrophobicity with a contact angle of 155.5°. After being placed at 450 °C for 3 h, the superhydrophobic film turned into superhydrophilic. The film regained superhydrophobicity after hydrothermal treatment in glucose aqueous solution, which exhibited a reversible transition between superhydrophobicity and superhydrophilicity. In addition, the superhydrophilic coatings could be used to separate light oil, such as diesel, gasoline, toluene, benzene and lubricants, excellent oil-water separation ability of 95%.
Possible lattice and charge order in CuxBi2Te2Se
Authors: Li Yanan , Smith Nathaniel P , Rexhausen William , Schofield Marvin A , Guptasarma Prasenjit
Published: November 2019

Metal intercalation into layered topological insulator materials such as the binary chalcogenide Bi2X3 (X = Te or Se) has yielded novel two-dimensional (2D) electron-gas physics, phase transitions to superconductivity, as well as interesting magnetic ground states. Of recent interest is the intercalation-driven interplay between lattice distortions, density wave ordering, and the emergence of new phenomena in the vicinity of instabilities induced by intercalation. Here, we examine the effects of Cu-intercalation on the ternary chalcogenide Bi2Te2Se. We report the discovery, in Cu0.3Bi2Te2Se, of a periodic lattice distortion (PLD) at room temperature, together with a charge density wave (CDW) transition around T
d = 220 K. We also report, for the first time, a complete study of the Cu
x
Bi2Te2Se system, and the effect of Cu-intercalation on crystal structure, phonon structure, and electronic properties for 0.0 ≤ x ≤ 0.5. Our electron diffraction studies reveal strong Bragg spots at reciprocal lattice positions forbidden by ABC stacking, possibly resulting from stacking faults, or a superlattice. The c-axis lattice parameter varies monotonically with x for 0 < x < 0.2, but drops precipitously for higher x. Similarly, Raman phonon modes

A

1
g

2

and

E

g

2

soften monotonically for 0 < x < 0.2 but harden sharply for x > 0.2. This indicates that Cu likely intercalates up to x ∼ 0.2, followed by partial site-substitutions at higher values. The resulting strain makes the 0.2 ≤ x ≤ 0.3 region susceptible to instabilities and distortions. Our results point toward the presence of an incommensurate CDW above T
d = 220 K. This work strengthens prevalent thought that intercalation contributes significantly to instabilities in the lattice and charge degrees of freedom in layered chalcogenides. Further work is required to uncover additional density wave transitions, and possible ground states such as superconductivity.
Wired and wireless seamless networks by photonics
Authors: Kawanishi Tetsuya , Kanno Atsushi , Tien Dat Pham , Umezawa Toshimasa , Yamamoto Naokatsu
Published: November 2019

Demand for wireless services is increasing rapidly, due to deep penetration of mobile terminals, such as smartphones. Radio spectrum congestion is an important issue, even for conventional mobile services. One of the possible solutions would be to use wired and wireless seamless networks consisting of radio and optical links, where huge data traffic can be offloaded from radio-waves in the air to optical signals over fibres. This paper provides seamless network configurations which can be applied to 90-GHz high-speed wireless links and high-resolution radars. We focus on applications for public transportation systems including airport runways, railways, etc.
Females Are First Authors, Sole Authors, and Reviewers of Entomology Publications Significantly Less Often Than Males
Authors: Walker Karen A
Published: November 2019

Female authors and reviewers are significantly underrepresented in entomology journals, consistent with many other STEM journals. During the years 2001 through 2017, women published significantly fewer first-author and single-author articles in five ESA journals and the Annual Review of Entomology. Female reviewers are also significantly outnumbered by male reviewers in ESA journals. Results show that in general, female first author and reviewer proportions are rising over time but progress is slow, about 1% yearly for both authors and reviewers. There are a greater number of female authors than female reviewers, but proportions are significantly related to each other, suggesting that female authors and reviewers reinforce the presence of each other. Potential contributing factors for these results include peer review, funding levels for research, time available for research, and women’s self-confidence and collaboration with other scientists.
Three-dimensional ultrastructural change of chloroplasts in rice mesophyll cells responding to salt stress
Authors: Oi Takao , Enomoto Sakiko , Nakao Tomoyo , Arai Shigeo , Yamane Koji , Taniguchi Mitsutaka
Published: November 2019

Background and Aims

Excess salinity inhibits the metabolism of various systems and induces structural changes, especially in chloroplasts. Although the chloroplast body seems to swell under salinity stress as observed by conventional transmission electron microscopy, previous studies are limited to 2-D data and lack quantitative comparisons because specimens need to be sliced into ultrathin sections. This study shows three-dimensionally the structural changes in a whole mesophyll cell responding to salinity stress by serial sectioning with a focused ion beam scanning electron microscope (FIB-SEM) and compares the differences in chloroplast structures based on reconstructed models possessing accurate numerical voxel values.

Methods

Leaf blades of rice plants treated with 100 mm NaCl or without (control) for 4 d were fixed chemically and embedded in resin. The specimen blocks were sectioned and observed using the FIB-SEM, and then the sliced image stacks were reconstructed into 3-D models by image processing software.

Key Results

On the transverse sections of rice mesophyll cells, the chloroplasts in the control leaves appeared to be elongated meniscus lens shaped, while those in the salt-treated leaves appear to be expanded oval shaped. The 3-D models based on serial sectioning images showed that the chloroplasts in the control cells spread like sheets fitted to the shape of the cell wall and in close contact with the adjacent chloroplasts. In contrast, those in the salt-stressed cells curled up into a ball and fitted to cell protuberances without being in close contact with adjacent chloroplasts. Although the shapes of chloroplasts were clearly different between the two treatments, their volumes did not differ.

Conclusions

The 3-D reconstructed models of whole rice mesophyll cells indicated that chloroplasts under salt stress conditions were not swollen but became spherical without increasing their volume. This is in contrast to findings of previous studies based on 2-D images.
Defense against outside competition is linked to cooperation in male–male partnerships
Authors: Hellmann Jennifer K , Stiver Kelly A , Marsh-Rollo Susan , Alonzo Suzanne H
Published: November 2019

Male–male competition is a well-known driver of reproductive success and sexually selected traits in many species. However, in some species, males work together to court females or defend territories against male competitors. Dominant (nesting) males sire most offspring, but subordinate (satellite) males are better able to obtain fertilizations relative to unpartnered males. Because satellites only gain reproductive success by sneaking, there has been much interest in identifying the mechanisms enforcing satellite cooperation (defense) and reducing satellite sneaking. One such potential mechanism is outside competition: unpartnered satellites can destabilize established male partnerships and may force partnered satellites to restrain from cheating to prevent the dominant male from replacing them with an unpartnered satellite. Here, we manipulated perceived competition in the Mediterranean fish Symphodus ocellatus by presenting an “intruding” satellite male to established nesting and satellite male pairs. Focal satellite aggression to the intruder was higher when focal satellites were less cooperative, suggesting that satellites increase aggression to outside competitors when their social position is less stable. In contrast, nesting male aggression to the intruder satellite increased as spawning activity increased, suggesting that nesting males increase their defense toward outside competitors when their current relationship is productive. We found no evidence of altered spawning activity or nesting/satellite male interactions before and after the presentation. These results collectively suggest that response to outside competition is directly linked to behavioral dynamics between unrelated male partners and may be linked to conflict and cooperation in ways that are similar to group-living species.
CellBench: R/Bioconductor software for comparing single-cell RNA-seq analysis methods
Authors: Su Shian , Tian Luyi , Dong Xueyi , Hickey Peter F , Freytag Saskia , Ritchie Matthew E
Published: November 2019

Motivation

Bioinformatic analysis of single-cell gene expression data is a rapidly evolving field. Hundreds of bespoke methods have been developed in the past few years to deal with various aspects of single-cell analysis and consensus on the most appropriate methods to use under different settings is still emerging. Benchmarking the many methods is therefore of critical importance and since analysis of single-cell data usually involves multi-step pipelines, effective evaluation of pipelines involving different combinations of methods is required. Current benchmarks of single-cell methods are mostly implemented with ad-hoc code that is often difficult to reproduce or extend, and exhaustive manual coding of many combinations is infeasible in most instances. Therefore, new software is needed to manage pipeline benchmarking.

Results

The CellBench R software facilitates method comparisons in either a task-centric or combinatorial way to allow pipelines of methods to be evaluated in an effective manner. CellBench automatically runs combinations of methods, provides facilities for measuring running time and delivers output in tabular form which is highly compatible with tidyverse R packages for summary and visualization. Our software has enabled comprehensive benchmarking of single-cell RNA-seq normalization, imputation, clustering, trajectory analysis and data integration methods using various performance metrics obtained from data with available ground truth. CellBench is also amenable to benchmarking other bioinformatics analysis tasks.

Availability and implementation

Available from https://bioconductor.org/packages/CellBench.
Antibody complementarity determining region design using high-capacity machine learning
Authors: Liu Ge , Zeng Haoyang , Mueller Jonas , Carter Brandon , Wang Ziheng , Schilz Jonas , Horny Geraldine , Birnbaum Michael E , Ewert Stefan , Gifford David K
Published: November 2019

Motivation

The precise targeting of antibodies and other protein therapeutics is required for their proper function and the elimination of deleterious off-target effects. Often the molecular structure of a therapeutic target is unknown and randomized methods are used to design antibodies without a model that relates antibody sequence to desired properties.

Results

Here, we present Ens-Grad, a machine learning method that can design complementarity determining regions of human Immunoglobulin G antibodies with target affinities that are superior to candidates derived from phage display panning experiments. We also demonstrate that machine learning can improve target specificity by the modular composition of models from different experimental campaigns, enabling a new integrative approach to improving target specificity. Our results suggest a new path for the discovery of therapeutic molecules by demonstrating that predictive and differentiable models of antibody binding can be learned from high-throughput experimental data without the need for target structural data.

Availability and implementation

Sequencing data of the phage panning experiment are deposited at NIH’s Sequence Read Archive (SRA) under the accession number SRP158510. We make our code available at https://github.com/gifford-lab/antibody-2019.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
The Pleasure of Connectivity: Media, Motherhood, and the Digital Maternal Gaze
Authors: Van Cleaf Kara Mary
Published: November 2019

By examining digital representations of motherhood, we can chart the emergence of what I refer to as the “digital maternal gaze,” a style of visual and narrative representation that highlights connections between mother and self, mother and child, and mother and audience. In contrast to the conventional male gaze, in which pleasure is derived from voyeuristic observation, the digital maternal gaze generates and depicts the pleasure that comes from connection and care. In this article I develop a theory of the digital maternal gaze and explore its implication for the subjective experience of mothers, the markets for digital representations of motherhood, and the feminist politics of pleasure-in-connection.
Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor and sarcoglycan delta genetic variants can affect cardiovascular risk in chronic kidney disease patients under hemodialysis
Authors: Terranegra Annalisa , Arcidiacono Teresa , Macrina Lorenza , Brasacchio Caterina , Pivari Francesca , Mingione Alessandra , Tomei Sara , Mezzavilla Massimo , Silcock Lee , Cozzolino Mario , Palmieri Nicola , Conte Ferruccio , Sirtori Marcella , Rubinacci Alessandro , Soldati Laura , Vezzoli Giuseppe
Published: November 2019

Background

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients under hemodialysis show a higher risk of cardiovascular (CV) mortality and morbidity than the general population. This study aims to identify genetic markers that could explain the increased CV risk in hemodialysis.

Methods

A total of 245 CKD patients under hemodialysis were recruited and followed up for 5 years to record CV events. Genetic analysis was performed using single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) genotyping by Infinium Expanded Multi-Ethnic Genotyping Array (Illumina, San Diego, CA, USA) comparing patients with and without a history of CV events [161 cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and 84 no CVDs]. The fixation index (Fst) measure was used to identify the most differentiated SNPs, and gene ontology analysis [Protein Analysis THrough Evolutionary Relationships (PANTHER) and Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA)] was applied to define the biological/pathological roles of the associated SNPs. Partitioning tree analysis interrogated the genotype–phenotype relationship between discovered genetic variants and CV phenotypes. Cox regression analysis measured the effect of these SNPs on new CV events during the follow-up (FU).

Results

Fst analysis identified 3218 SNPs that were significantly different between CVD and no CVD. Gene ontology analysis identified two of these SNPs as involved in cardiovascular disease pathways (Ingenuity Pathway) and heart development (Panther) and belonging to 2 different genes: Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP1R) and Sarcoglycan delta (SGCD). The phenotype–genotype analysis found a higher percentage of CVD patients carrying the GLP1R rs10305445 allele A (P = 0.03) and lower percentages of CVD patients carrying the SGCD rs145292439 allele A (P = 0.038). Moreover, SGCD rs145292439 was associated with higher levels of high-density lipoprotein (P = 0.015). Cox analysis confirmed the increased frequency of CV events during the 5-year FU in patients carrying GLP1R rs1035445 allele A but it did not show any significant association with SGCD rs145292439.

Conclusions

This study identified GLP1R rs10305445 and SCGD rs145292439 as potential genetic markers that may explain the higher risk of CVD in hemodialysis patients.
Structure Fault Tolerance of Recursive Interconnection Networks
Authors: Sabir Eminjan , Meng Jixiang
Published: November 2019

Motivated by effects caused by structure link faults in networks, we study the following graph theoretical problem. Let $T$ be a connected subgraph of a graph $G$ except for $K_{1}$. The $T$-structure edge-connectivity $\lambda (G;T)$ (resp. $T$-substructure edge-connectivity $\lambda ^s(G;T)$) of $G$ is the minimum cardinality of a set of edge-disjoint subgraphs $\mathcal{F}=\{T_{1},T_{2},...,T_{m}\}$ (resp. $\mathcal{F}=\{T_{1}^{^{\prime}},T_{2}^{^{\prime}},...,T_{m}^{^{\prime}}\}$) such that $T_{i}$ is isomorphic to $T$ (resp. $T_{i}^{^{\prime}}$ is a connected subgraph of $T$) for every $1 \le i \le m $, and $E(\mathcal{F})$’s removal leaves the remaining graph disconnected. In this paper, we determine both $\lambda (G;T)$ and $\lambda ^{s}(G;T)$ for $(1)$ the hypercube $Q_{n}$ and $T\in \{K_{1,1},K_{1,2},K_{1,3},P_{4},Q_{1},Q_{2},Q_{3}\}$; $(2)$ the $k$-ary $n$-cube $Q^{k}_{n}$$(k\ge 3)$ and $T\in \{K_{1,1},K_{1,2},K_{1,3},Q^{3}_{1},Q^{4}_{1}\}$; $(3)$ the balanced hypercube $BH_{n}$ and $T\in \{K_{1,1},K_{1,2},BH_{1}\}$. We also extend some results in Lin, C.-K., Zhang, L., Fan, J. and Wang, D. (2016, Structure connectivity and substructure connectivity of hypercubes. Theor. Comput. Sci., 634, 97–107) and Lv, Y., Fan, J., Hsu, D.F. and Lin, C.-K. (2018, Structure connectivity and substructure connectivity of $k$-ary $n$-cubes. Inf. Sci., 433, 115–124).
Distinct Cutoff Values of Adalimumab Trough Levels Are Associated With Different Therapeutic Outcomes in Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Authors: Park Sang Hyoung , Al-Bawardy Badr , Aniwan Satimai , Kane Sunanda V , Coelho-Prabhu Nayantara , Papadakis Konstantinos A , Kisiel John B , Bruining David H , Faubion William A , Raffals Laura E , Pardi Darrell S , Tremaine William J , Stephens Michael C , Tung Jeanne , Khanna Sahil , Willrich Maria Alice V , Loftus Edward V
Published: November 2019

Background and Aims

We aimed to evaluate the relationship of serum adalimumab trough levels (ATL) with disease activity of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients in a large, well-characterized referral center-based cohort.

Methods

We compared serum ATL between those with clinical, biochemical, or endoscopic/radiologic disease activity and those without.

Results

A total of 236 patients with IBD were included. Higher cutoff levels were associated with endoscopic and/or radiologic responses (cutoff value: 5.3 mcg/mL, P = 0.003) compared with improvement in C-reactive protein (cutoff value: 4.3 mcg/mL, P = 0.031).

Conclusions

Higher cutoff ATL was associated with endoscopic and/or radiologic response.
R2 prime (R2′) magnetic resonance imaging for post-myocardial infarction intramyocardial haemorrhage quantification
Authors: Rossello Xavier , Lopez-Ayala Pedro , Fernández-Jiménez Rodrigo , Oliver Eduardo , Galán-Arriola Carlos , de Molina-Iracheta Antonio , Agüero Jaume , López Gonzalo J , Lobo-Gonzalez Manuel , Vílchez-Tschischke Jean Paul , Fuster Valentin , Sánchez-González Javier , Ibanez Borja
Published: November 2019

Aims

To assess whether R2* is more accurate than T2* for the detection of intramyocardial haemorrhage (IMH) and to evaluate whether T2′ (or R2′) is less affected by oedema than T2* (R2*), and thus more suitable for the accurate identification of post-myocardial infarction (MI) IMH.

Methods and results

Reperfused anterior MI was performed in 20 pigs, which were sacrificed at 120 min, 24 h, 4 days, and 7 days. At each time point, cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) T2- and T2*-mapping scans were recorded, and myocardial tissue samples were collected to quantify IMH and myocardial water content. After normalization by the number of red blood cells in remote tissue, histological IMH increased 5.2-fold, 10.7-fold, and 4.1-fold at Days 1, 4, and 7, respectively. The presence of IMH was correlated more strongly with R2* (r = 0.69; P = 0.013) than with T2* (r = −0.50; P = 0.085). The correlation with IMH was even stronger for R2′ (r = 0.72; P = 0.008). For myocardial oedema, the correlation was stronger for R2* (r = −0.63; P = 0.029) than for R2′ (r = −0.50; P = 0.100). Multivariate linear regressions confirmed that R2* values were significantly explained by both IMH and oedema, whereas R2′ values were mostly explained by histological IMH (P = 0.024) and were little influenced by myocardial oedema (P = 0.262).

Conclusion

Using CMR mapping with histological validation in a pig model of reperfused MI, R2′more accurately detected IMH and was less influenced by oedema than R2* (and T2*). Further studies are needed to elucidate whether R2′ is also better suited for the characterization of post-MI IMH in the clinical setting.
Consolidated quality improvements following benchmarking with cardiothoracic surgery registries—a systematic review
Authors: de By Theo M M H , Muslem Rahatullah , Caliskan Kadir , Bortolussi Giacomo , Philipsen Tine , Friberg Örjan , Bogers Ad J J C , Pagano Domenico
Published: November 2019

The influence of registries in medicine is large. However, there has been no systematic assessment conducted to quantify the impact of benchmarking with registries focused on cardiothoracic surgery. Numerous publications conclude that registry participation leads to improvement of outcomes for patients. A large number of registries provide evidence sub-structured by statistics that show decreases in morbidity and mortality in the participants’ clinical units. Many authors praise the benchmarking method making use of databases of registries as having a positive effect on outcome of care. However, studies proving the direct causal relation between the use of cardiothoracic surgery-oriented registries and improvement of clinical in-hospital outcomes are extremely scarce. We aimed to analyse the causal relation between the use of cardiothoracic surgery-oriented registries and improvement of clinical outcomes. In a systematic literature review, publications demonstrating the use of registry data to obtain consolidated quality improvements were selected. After analysis of 2990 scientific publications, 6 studies filled the inclusion criteria. The selected studies acknowledged that benchmarking of data against registries was used for a focused and methodologically organized improvement in cardiothoracic departments. In conjunction with the impact of the applied methods on healthcare, their results demonstrate quantifiable enhanced local outcomes over time.
Carotenoids produced by halophilic bacterial strains on mural paintings and laboratory conditions
Authors: Cojoc L R , Enache M I , Neagu S E , Lungulescu M , Setnescu R , Ruginescu R , Gomoiu I
Published: November 2019

Due to the presence of efflorescences and improper microclimate conditions for conservation, pink-pigmented areas were reported in two historic monuments in Northern and Central part of Romania. The aims of the present study were to find the nature of pink pigments observed on the pictorial layer, original and infilling mortar, to investigate the presence of carotenoids both on mural paintings and in the isolated halophilic bacterial strains and to preliminary characterize and identify the producing strains. Their role in the aesthetical biodeterioration of historic monuments was also pointed out. Obtained Raman spectra of the pink pigments extracted both from the isolated bacterial cultures (molecularly identified as mostly related to Halobacillus hunanensis and Halobacillus naozhouensis) and from the mural painting samples contain diagnostic bands of carotenoids. These results were confirmed by FTIR spectroscopy. The strong Raman signal of bacterial carotenoids detected on mural painting indicated their potential use as biomarker molecules in the evaluation of contamination and state of conservation of mural paintings and lithic monuments. Our results contribute to opening a new direction in cultural heritage restoration to assess the conservation status on the basis of interdisciplinary research, starting with spectroscopic methods (Raman, FTIR) and confirmed by microbiological analysis.
Effects of Density Control and Fertilization on Log Wood Quality from a Douglas-fir Stand in Western Oregon, USA
Authors: Kantavichai Rapeepan , Turnblom Eric C , Lowell Eini C
Published: November 2019

This study aimed to investigate the effects of juvenile spacing (precommercial thinning), thinning, and fertilization on Douglas-fir butt log (first 4.9 m) and second log (4.9–10 m) quality attributes: juvenile wood percentage, heartwood percentage, rings per inch, specific gravity, and modulus of elasticity. A 41-year-old, 36.6 m site index Douglas-fir stand in western Oregon, USA was selected as the first stand to explore. Nine common silviculture pathway treatments of juvenile spacing, thinning, and fertilization were applied to independent 0.404-hectare plots. Ninety-nine trees were felled and disks cut at five heights along the stem. Wood properties were measured and calculated from the disks for log quality attributes. There was no effect of silvicultural treatments on log heartwood percentage, but significant effects on other log quality attributes were observed. Juvenile wood percentage and rings per inch declined with stand density control and fertilization treatment. Responses to thinning and fertilization in log specific gravity depend on juvenile spacing. Also, thinning and juvenile spacing were shown to have impacts on log modulus of elasticity.
Estimating temporal changes in seismic velocity using a Markov chain Monte Carlo approach
Authors: Taylor G , Hillers G
Published: November 2019

We present a new method for estimating time-series of relative seismic velocity changes (dv/v) within the Earth. Our approach is a Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) technique that seeks to construct the full posterior probability distribution of the dv/v variations. Our method provides a robust, computationally efficient way to compute dv/v time-series that can incorporate information about measurement uncertainty, and any prior constraints that may be available. We demonstrate the method with a synthetic experiment, and then apply the MCMC algorithm to three data examples. In the first two examples we reproduce dv/v time-series associated with the response to the 2010 M 7.2 El Mayor-Cucapah earthquake at two sites in southern California, that have been studied in previous literature. In the San Jacinto fault zone environment we reproduce the dv/v signature of a deep creep slip sequence triggered by the El Mayor-Cucapah event, that is superimposed on a strong seasonal signal. At the Salton Sea Geothermal Field we corroborate the previously observed drop-and-recovery in seismic velocity caused by ground shaking related to the El Mayor-Cucapah event. In a third, new example we compute a month long velocity change time-series at hourly resolution at Piñon Flat, California. We observe a low amplitude variation in seismic velocity with a dominant frequency of 1 cycle per day, as well as a second transient signal with a frequency of 1.93 cycles per day. We attribute the 1-d periodicity in the dv/v variation to the combined effects of the diurnal tide and solar heating. The frequency of the signal at 1.93 cycles per day matches that of the lunar (semi-diurnal) tide. Analysis of the uncertainties in the Piñon Flat time-series shows that the error contains a signal with a frequency of 1 cycle per day. We attribute this variation to seismic noise produced by freight trains operating within the Coachella Valley. By demonstrating the applicability of the MCMC method in these examples, we show that it is well suited to tackle problems involving large data volumes that are typically associated with modern seismic experiments.
Geometry of Bäcklund transformations II: Monge–Ampère invariants
Authors: Hu Yuhao
Published: November 2019

This article is concerned with the question: For which pairs of hyperbolic Euler–Lagrange systems in the plane does there exist a rank-$1$ Bäcklund transformation relating them? We express some obstructions to such existence in terms of the local invariants of the Euler–Lagrange systems. In addition, we discover a class of Bäcklund transformations relating two hyperbolic Euler–Lagrange systems of distinct types.
How the presentation of patient information and decision-support advisories influences opioid prescribing behavior: A simulation study
Authors: Hussain Mustafa I , Nelson Ariana M , Yeung Brent G , Sukumar Lauren , Zheng Kai
Published: November 2019

Objective

The United States faces an opioid crisis. Integrating prescription drug monitoring programs into electronic health records offers promise to improve opioid prescribing practices. This study aimed to evaluate 2 different user interface designs for prescription drug monitoring program and electronic health record integration.

Materials and Methods

Twenty-four resident physicians participated in a randomized controlled experiment using 4 simulated patient cases. In the conventional condition, prescription opioid histories were presented in tabular format, and computerized clinical decision support (CDS) was provided via interruptive modal dialogs (ie, pop-ups). The alternative condition featured a graphical opioid history, a cue to visit that history, and noninterruptive CDS. Two attending pain specialists judged prescription appropriateness.

Results

Participants in the alternative condition wrote more appropriate prescriptions. When asked after the experiment, most participants stated that they preferred the alternative design to the conventional design.

Conclusions

How patient information and CDS are presented appears to have a significant influence on opioid prescribing behavior.
Impact of early weaning on small intestine, metabolic, immune and endocrine system development, growth and body composition in artificially reared lambs
Authors: McCoard Sue A , Cristobal-Carballo Omar , Knol Frederik W , Heiser Axel , Khan Muhammed A , Hennes Nina , Johnstone Peter , Lewis Sarah , Stevens David R
Published: November 2019

AbstractThis study evaluated the effect of early weaning (EW) of artificially reared lambs using a restricted milk replacer (MR) feeding and step-down weaning system on the short- and long-term effects on growth, feed intake, selected blood metabolites and hormones, body composition, and small intestine development. Mixed-sex twin-born 2 to 5 d old lambs were randomly allocated to individual pens and fed MR at 20% of initial individual BW in week 1 and 15% in week 2 followed by weaning off MR by the end of week 4 (EW; n = 16) or week 6 (Control; Ctrl, n = 16) using a step-down procedure. Concentrate starter and fiber diets were offered ad libitum to week 9, then gradually removed over a 10-d period. All lambs were managed as a single group on pasture from weeks 6 to 16 of the trial. Feed intake was recorded daily in the first 6 wk, and BWs recorded weekly. At weeks 2, 4, 6, and 8, and pre- and postclostridial vaccination at week 8, blood samples were collected for analysis of selected blood metabolites, IGF-1, and immune function. Body composition was evaluated in eight animals per group at weeks 4 and 16 after euthanasia, and duodenal samples collected for histomorphometric evaluation. Early weaned lambs had lower DM, ME, CP, and NDF intake than Ctrl lambs at 21, 15, 21, and 36 d of rearing, respectively (P < 0.001), driven by lower intakes of MR from day 15 (P < 0.001) as per the experimental design, and lower total DMI of fiber (P = 0.001) from 21 to 42 d of rearing. Lamb BW tended (P = 0.097) to be lower in EW than Ctrl lambs from 5 to 10 wk of rearing, with lower ADG in EW lambs from weeks 3 to 6 (P = 0.041). Early weaning had negligible effects on duodenal morphology, organ, and carcass weights at weeks 4 and 16. Plasma metabolites (urea nitrogen, triglycerides, NEFA, glucose, and total protein) were similar between groups, while β-hydroxybutyrate was greater in EW than Ctrl lambs at weeks 4 and 6 (P = 0.018) but not week 8 indicative of early rumen development. Serum IGF-1 tended to be lower in EW than Ctrl lambs from weeks 2 to 6 only (P = 0.065). All lambs developed antibody responses postvaccination and there was no effect of treatment (P = 0.528). The results of this study illustrate that artificially reared lambs can be weaned off MR by 4 or 6 wk of rearing without compromising growth, small intestine morphology, major organ development, and body composition, nor immune function at either 4 (preweaning) or 16 (postweaning) wk of age.
Inter-unit variability of multi-leaf collimator parameters for IMRT and VMAT treatment planning: a multi-institutional survey
Authors: Isono Masaru , Akino Yuichi , Mizuno Hirokazu , Tanaka Yoshihiro , Masai Norihisa , Yamamoto Toshijiro
Published: November 2019

Modern treatment machines have shown small inter-unit variability regarding beam data. Recently, vendor-provided average beam data, such as the Representative Beam Data (RBD) of the TrueBeam (Varian Medical Systems, Palo Alto, CA, USA), has been used for modeling of the Eclipse (Varian Medical Systems) treatment planning system. However, RBD does not provide multi-leaf collimator (MLC) parameters, such as MLC leaf transmission factor (LTF) and dosimetric leaf gap (DLG). We performed a web-based multi-institutional survey to investigate these parameters as well as the measurement protocols and customization of the parameters for intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) and/or volumetric modulated radiotherapy (VMAT) commissioning. We collected 69 sets of linear accelerator (linac) data from 58 institutions. In order to measure MLC parameters, most institutions used farmer-type ionization chambers with a sensitive volume of 0.6 cm3, water phantoms, source surface distance of 90 cm with 10 cm depth, and a vendor-provided plan. The LTF showed small inter-unit variabilities, although the DLG showed large variations. For optimization of the parameters for IMRT/VMAT calculations, DLG values were upwardly adjusted at many institutions, whereas the LTF values were modestly changed. We clarified that MLC parameters were measured under the same conditions at more than half of the facilities. Most institutions customized parameters in a similar manner for IMRT/VMAT. The median measured and customized values obtained in our study will be valuable to verify MLC installation accuracy and to shorten the iterative processes of finding the optimal values.
L-GALAXIES 2020: Spatially resolved cold gas phases, star formation, and chemical enrichment in galactic discs
Authors: Henriques Bruno M B , Yates Robert M , Fu Jian , Guo Qi , Kauffmann Guinevere , Srisawat Chaichalit , Thomas Peter A , White Simon D M
Published: November 2019

We have updated the Munich galaxy formation model, L-galaxies, to follow the radial distributions of stars and atomic and molecular gas in galaxy discs. We include an H2-based star-formation law, as well as a detailed chemical-enrichment model with explicit mass-dependent delay times for SN-II, SN-Ia, and AGB stars. Information about the star formation, feedback, and chemical-enrichment histories of discs is stored in 12 concentric rings. The new model retains the success of its predecessor in reproducing the observed evolution of the galaxy population, in particular, stellar mass functions and passive fractions over the redshift range 0 ≤ z ≤ 3 and mass range $8\le \log (M_*/\hbox{$\rm \, M_{\odot }$})\le 12$, the black hole-bulge mass relation at z = 0, galaxy morphology as a function of stellar mass and the mass–metallicity relations of both stellar and gas components. In addition, its detailed modelling of the radial structure of discs allows qualitatively new comparisons with observation, most notably with the relative sizes and masses of the stellar, atomic, and molecular components in discs. Good agreement is found with recent data. Comparison of results obtained for simulations differing in mass resolution by more than two orders of magnitude shows that all important distributions are numerically well converged even for this more detailed model. An examination of metallicity and surface-density gradients in the stars and gas indicates that our new model, with star formation, chemical enrichment, and feedback calculated self-consistently on local disc scales, reproduces some but not all of the trends seen in recent many-galaxy IFU surveys.
Updated pulsation period relations of γ Dor-type stars in eclipsing binaries: the case of KIC 2557430
Authors: Hoyman Barış , Çakırlı Ömür , Özdarcan Orkun
Published: November 2019

We employ optical spectroscopy and Kepler photometry to derive the physical properties and pulsational characteristics of the detached system KIC 2557430. We find that the system is formed by F-type components. Combining results from the analysis of spectroscopic data and Kepler photometry, we calculate masses and radii of the primary and the secondary components as M1 = 1.69 ± 0.03 M⊙, M2 = 1.35 ± 0.02 M⊙ and R1 = 1.88 ± 0.02 R⊙, R2 = 1.23 ± 0.03 R⊙, respectively. Position of the primary component in the HR diagram is in the region of γ Doradus-type pulsators and the residuals from light curve modelling exhibit additional light variation with a dominant period of ∼0.5 d−1. These are clear evidence of the γ Doradus-type pulsations on the primary component. Focusing on the γ Dor primaries, with their currently known numbers in eclipsing binaries to compare against, we probe the role binary stars might play, to understand the nature of γ Dor-type pulsations.
Magnetic energy dissipation and origin of non-thermal spectra in radiatively efficient relativistic sources
Authors: Sobacchi E , Lyubarsky Y E
Published: November 2019

The dissipation of turbulent magnetic fields is an appealing scenario to explain the origin of non-thermal particles in high-energy astrophysical sources. However, it has been suggested that the particle distribution may effectively thermalize when the radiative (synchrotron and/or Inverse Compton) losses are severe. Inspired by recent particle-in-cell simulations of relativistic turbulence, which show that electrons are impulsively heated in intermittent current sheets by a strong electric field aligned with the local magnetic field, we instead argue that in plasmas where the particle number density is dominated by the pairs (electron–positron and electron–positron–ion plasmas): (i) as an effect of fast cooling and of different injection times, the electron energy distribution is dne/dγ ∝ γ−2 for γ ≲ γheat (the Lorentz factor γheat being close to the equipartition value), while the distribution steepens at higher energies; (ii) since the time-scales for the turbulent fields to decay and for the photons to escape are of the same order, the magnetic and the radiation energy densities in the dissipation region are comparable; (iii) if the mass energy of the plasma is dominated by the ion component, the pairs with a Lorentz factor smaller than a critical one (of the order of the proton-to-electron mass ratio) become isotropic, while the pitch angle remains small otherwise. The outlined scenario is consistent with the typical conditions required to reproduce the spectral energy distribution of blazars, and allows one to estimate the magnetization of the emission site. Finally, we show that turbulence within the Crab Nebula may power the observed gamma-ray flares if the pulsar wind is nearly charge separated at high latitudes.
The impact of the connectivity of the cosmic web on the physical properties of galaxies at its nodes
Authors: Kraljic Katarina , Pichon Christophe , Codis Sandrine , Laigle Clotilde , Davé Romeel , Dubois Yohan , Hwang Ho Seong , Pogosyan Dmitri , Arnouts Stéphane , Devriendt Julien , Musso Marcello , Peirani Sébastien , Slyz Adrianne , Treyer Marie
Published: November 2019

We investigate the impact of the number of filaments connected to the nodes of the cosmic web on the physical properties of their galaxies using the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. We compare these measurements to the cosmological hydrodynamical simulations H orizon-(no)AGN and Simba. We find that more massive galaxies are more connected, in qualitative agreement with theoretical predictions and measurements in dark-matter-only simulations. The star formation activity and morphology of observed galaxies both display some dependence on the connectivity of the cosmic web at a fixed stellar mass: Less star forming and less rotation supported galaxies also tend to have higher connectivity. These results qualitatively hold both for observed and for virtual galaxies, and can be understood given that the cosmic web is the main source of fuel for galaxy growth. The simulations show the same trends at a fixed halo mass, suggesting that the geometry of filamentary infall impacts galaxy properties beyond the depth of the local potential well. Based on simulations, it is also found that active galactic nucleus feedback is key to reversing the relationship between stellar mass and connectivity at a fixed halo mass. Technically, connectivity is a practical observational proxy for past and present accretion (minor mergers or diffuse infall).