bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The day‐to‐day experiences of caring for children with Osteogenesis Imperfecta: A qualitative descriptive study
Authors: Castro Aimee R. , Marinello Jessica , Chougui Khadidja , Morand Marilyn , Bilodeau Claudette , Tsimicalis Argerie
Published: April 2020

Aims and objectives

To explore the day‐to‐day experiences of family caregivers who are caring for children with Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI).

Background

Osteogenesis Imperfecta is a rare genetic condition known to cause bone fragility. Family caregivers of children with OI play an important role in helping these children live well at home.

Design

A qualitative descriptive design was used.

Methods

A qualitative descriptive study was conducted in accordance with the COREQ guidelines. Adult family caregivers (n = 18) of children with OI were recruited from a university‐affiliated, paediatric orthopaedic hospital in Montreal, Canada. Individual interviews were conducted, transcribed verbatim and inductively thematically analysed.

Results

Osteogenesis Imperfecta family caregiving entailed: (a) managing regular day‐to‐day caregiving activities, including morning routines, evening routines and the facilitation of their child's mobilisation; (b) coping with periods that made the caregiving routine more challenging, such as fractures, surgeries and pain; and (c) devising long‐term strategies to support day‐to‐day care, such as managing the environment, accessing medical and school resources, and coordinating care and respite.

Conclusions

The day‐to‐day routine of caring for a child with OI may be disrupted by challenging periods and improved by long‐term strategies developed to ease day‐to‐day care. These strategies suggest future directions for clinicians and policymakers to improve health services and caregiver well‐being.

Relevance to clinical practice

Clinical, policy and research endeavours need to incorporate new interventions to support the needs of family caregivers. These recommendations may be relevant to other clinicians and policymakers working with families living with rare and chronic physical conditions.
Maternal mental health modifies the association of food insecurity and early child development
Authors: Pedroso Jéssica , Buccini Gabriela , Venancio Sonia Isoyama , Pérez‐Escamilla Rafael , Gubert Muriel Bauermann
Published: April 2020

We examined the association between household food insecurity and early child development and whether or not maternal depression and anxiety modifies this association. The cross‐sectional study included 468 mother–infant pairs recruited at primary health centers of the Federal District, Brazil. Mothers answered a questionnaire that evaluated early child development (outcome), household food insecurity (independent variable), maternal depression and trait anxiety (effect modifiers). Variables were collected with validated questionnaires for the Brazilian population. Pearson's χ2 test and logistic regression analyses were conducted. Infants who lived in a moderate or severe food insecure household had 2.52 times (95% confidence interval [CI] [1.13, 5.65]) the odds of having early child development delays compared with infants in secure households. Maternal depression and anxiety modified the strength of association between household food insecurity and early child development, which is an innovative finding. Among infants with depressed mothers, those experiencing mild (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 3.33, 95% CI [1.17, 9.46]) and moderate/severe household food insecurity (aOR 10.13, 95% CI [2.18, 47.10]) had higher odds of having early child development delays, compared with infants in food secure households. Among infants with both anxious and depressed mothers, these associations were even stronger for mild (aOR 4.69, 95% CI [1.41, 15.59]) and moderate/severe household food insecurity (aOR 16.07, 95% CI [2.70, 95.66]). In conclusion, household food insecurity is a risk factor for early child development delays, and this association is modified by maternal depression and anxiety. Future studies should evaluate the impact of intervention packages that address maternal depression and anxiety and household food insecurity on preventing early child development delays.
Patient involvement in medical education: To what problem is engagement the solution?
Authors: Rowland Paula , MacKinnon Kinnon R. , McNaughton Nancy
Published: April 2020

Context

Patient and public engagement is gaining momentum across many domains of health care, inclusive of education and research. In this framing, engagement is offered as a solution to a myriad of problems. Yet, the way problems and solutions are linked together may be assumed, rather than made explicit. In the absence of clarity, there is a risk that solutions that may have worked in one domain of health care could falter, or even create new problems, in another.

Methods

We use a model from organisational studies as a way to make sense of the relationships between the problems, solutions and stakeholders operating in the name of patient and public engagement in health care. The ‘garbage can model’ is a playfully phrased but meaningful attempt to decipher the complex world of decision making in organisations. We use this model to guide our framing of the solutions of patient engagement practice and the wide range of problem statements that animate all of this activity.

Results

Following a discussion of the complexity of the field of patient engagement, we identify strategies for educators to conceptually weave problem statements, solutions and stakeholders together in mosaics of engagement activity. We further suggest a movement away from considering problems to be solved to thinking about polarities to be navigated.

Conclusions

As patient engagement becomes more embedded in decision‐making spaces in health professions education, we need a better understanding of how decisions are actually made in these organisations. We also need to consider that our most treasured solutions may have an uneasy fit, and some unintended consequences, as they enter new domains of health care. Finally, we advocate for critical approaches not just to the solutions of patient engagement, but to understand problem statements as they are defined, upheld and disrupted through all of this work.
The case for faculty development: A realist evaluation
Authors: Proctor Dominic , Leeder David , Mattick Karen
Published: April 2020

Context

It seems logical to suggest that investing in educators will lead to improved educational outcomes. However, in the case of faculty development, it is unclear how these benefits arise and decisions about investment typically have little basis in evidence. The aim of this realist evaluation was to understand the mechanisms by which investment in faculty development may lead to improved educational outcomes for staff and students.

Methods

This realist evaluation involved three phases: the development of an initial programme theory based on existing peer‐reviewed literature (Phase 1), which was used within 32 realist interviews with key stakeholders at 17 UK medical schools (Phase 2), to underpin the creation of a series of recommendations for faculty development programme designers (Phase 3).

Results

The findings highlighted the complex and heterogeneous nature of faculty development programmes. Programme developers must consider a range of contexts (accreditation, meeting educational needs, learning culture, accessibility and interactivity) that can impact faculty members in variable ways (engagement, sense of value and belonging, motivation, reassurance and building relationships), potentially resulting in a range of staff outcomes (improved competence, satisfaction, confidence, faculty member collaboration and curriculum changes) that may ultimately benefit students. The improved understanding resulting from Phases 1 and 2, and the recommendations from Phase 3, will enable the design and tailoring of new and existing faculty development initiatives.

Conclusions

This study deepens our understanding of the role of context in faculty development through the realist methodology employed and extends pre‐existing knowledge to provide insights into evidence‐based interventional strategies that may be effective. In particular, faculty development leads need to develop a clear implementation strategy, improve transparency of cashflow, establish effective formal or informal communication systems and evaluate the efficacy of their faculty development initiatives.
The Braak hypothesis in prion disease with a focus on Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease
Authors: Iwasaki Yasushi
Published: May 2020

This review considers whether the Braak hypothesis on protein propagation could account for prion disease, particularly Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease (CJD). In CJD, we can speculate on the pathological onset region to some degree in reference to the clinical symptoms and magnetic resonance imaging findings. Although relating the Braak hypothesis to prion disease is not straightforward, the following could be proposed based on experimental and previously reported case observations. Pathogenic abnormal prion protein (PrP) deposition in the central nervous system (CNS) probably begins several months or years before clinical symptom onset, signifying the potentiality of a preclinical stage, similar to α‐synuclein deposition in Parkinson's disease (PD) and amyloid‐β/tau deposition in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Unlike in PD and AD, the initial clinical symptoms of CJD vary by case, and thus the onset lesions must also be various and multiple in the CNS. Based on the pathological findings, particularly of PrP deposition extensively observed in the CNS gray matter of autopsy cases, it could be speculated that in the early disease stage, including the preclinical stage, abnormal PrP spreads from the onset region without directionality or hierarchy. Because each CNS region shows either vulnerability to or resistance against PrP deposition and pathological progression in prion disease, the lesion distribution shows system degeneration. Although pathologically combined cases of type 1 and type 2 PrP patterns are often recognized, type 1 and type 2 PrP patterns must never shift toward each other during the disease course; in other words, the original type of PrP deposition in each region presumably remains unchanged in each case. According to the several observations and corresponding speculations, there are at least partial similarities between prion disease and protein propagation, as explained by the Braak hypothesis, in terms of pathological lesion progression, but several noted contradictions preclude the hypothesis from comprehensively accounting for prion disease.
Exceptional “We” or Exceptional “Me”? Donald Trump, American Exceptionalism, and the Remaking of the Modern Jeremiad
Authors: Gilmore Jason , Rowling Charles M. , Edwards Jason A. , Allen Nicole T.
Published: April 2020

This article examines how Donald Trump remade the modern jeremiad during his 2016 presidential campaign. We argue that Trump differed from recent oppositional candidates for the presidency in his invocation of American exceptionalism. Our findings show that unlike his predecessors: (1) Trump's use of the jeremiad was constrained by his limited conception of American exceptionalism; (2) Trump routinely portrayed the country as no longer exceptional; and (3) Trump offered a vision for restoring American exceptionalism, focusing primarily on “self‐exceptionalism.” We discuss how these findings contribute to our understanding of the modern jeremiad and examine how these dynamics may play out during Trump’s reelection campaign.
Effect of a tailored home‐based exercise program in patients with systemic sclerosis: A randomized controlled trial
Authors: Filippetti Mirko , Cazzoletti Lucia , Zamboni Francesco , Ferrari Pietro , Caimmi Cristian , Smania Nicola , Tardivo Stefano , Ferrari Marcello
Published: April 2020

Objective

The aim was to evaluate the effect of a home‐based exercise program on functional capacity, health‐related quality of life (HRQoL), and disability, in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc).

Methods

A 6‐month randomized controlled trial was conducted on SSc patients by comparing a home‐based minimally supervised exercise program (exercise on a stationary cycle and strengthening of upper limbs; stretching of the hands) with usual care. At baseline and after 3 and 6 months, the patients underwent: 6 minutes walking test; hand mobility in scleroderma test; maximal exercise test on an ergocycle; strength measures (handgrip, quadriceps, and biceps). HRQoL (short‐form 36 [SF‐36]) and disability (health assessment questionnaire disability index [HAQ‐DI]) were measured at the same time.

Results

Forty‐four patients participated in the study. Twenty‐two were randomly assigned to the intervention group (IG, mean age 63.60 ± 10.40 years) and 22 to the control group (CG, 61.80 ± 14.40 years). At 6 months, the distance walked in 6 minutes increased by 46 m (baseline 486, 95% CI 458‐513 m; 6 months 532, 95% CI 504‐561 m) in IG, whereas it decreased by 5 m (baseline 464, 95% CI 431‐497 m; 6 months 459, 95% CI 427‐490 m) in CG with a significantly different temporal trend at the between‐groups comparison (P < .001). An improvement was also observed for strength measures (handgrip, P = .003; quadriceps, P < .001; biceps, P < .001), for the SF‐36 physical component score (P < .001) and for the HAQ‐DI (P = .011).

Conclusions

This study indicates that in SSc patients, a minimally supervised home‐based exercise program improves physical performance, quality of life, and disability in comparison with usual care.
Serial abdominal radiographs do not significantly increase accuracy of diagnosis of gastrointestinal mechanical obstruction due to occult foreign bodies in dogs and cats
Authors: Elser Emily B. , Mai Wilfried , Reetz Jennifer A. , Thawley Vince , Bagshaw Hadley , Suran Jantra N.
Published: April 2020

Abdominal radiographs are commonly used in dogs and cats that present with gastrointestinal signs. When initial abdominal radiographs are equivocal for the presence or absence of gastrointestinal mechanical obstruction, follow‐up abdominal radiographs may be recommended. Based on our review of the literature, no published study has been performed to evaluate the clinical utility of serial abdominal radiographs in such cases. The purpose of this study is to determine whether follow‐up abdominal radiographs increase diagnostic accuracy for mechanical obstruction. A prospective cohort study was performed on client‐owned dogs and cats with clinical concern for gastrointestinal mechanical obstruction and initial abdominal radiographs inconclusive for the presence of obstruction. Follow‐up abdominal radiographs were performed between 7 and 28 h of the initial radiographs; an abdominal ultrasound performed within 3 h of the follow‐up study served as the gold standard. A total of 57 patients (40 dogs and 17 cats) were recruited; 19 of 57 cases (11 dogs; 8 cats) were mechanically obstructed, all with nonradiopaque foreign bodies. Four blinded reviewers (2 radiologists, 1 radiology resident, 1 criticalist) separately assessed the initial and the combined initial/follow‐up radiographic studies for diagnosis of mechanical obstruction; for each observer, there was no significant change in accuracy (P = .058‐.87) for the diagnosis of mechanical obstruction. Given the lack of significant increase in diagnostic accuracy using follow‐up radiographs in cases of occult gastrointestinal mechanical obstruction, other diagnostic options (eg, abdominal ultrasonography) could be considered when survey abdominal radiographs are inconclusive for the diagnosis of mechanical obstruction in dogs and cats.
Professional Networks Within U.S. Higher Education: Avenues to Foster Career and Institutional Success
Authors: Teeter Christian
Published: April 2020

Within the United States, higher education is a ladder up to greater socioeconomic status. In spite of this fact, today’s students need to focus on more than just completing their education. This scholarly essay focuses on the value of professional networks, in conjunction with institutions of higher learning, in career advancement and upward movement in socioeconomic levels. This essay emphasizes the role that professional networks play in enhancing the value of a bachelor’s degree and provides evidence that students and institutions benefit from the development of professional networks both in support of the advancement of students’ careers and in the engagement of alumni. The essay also demonstrates the benefits to academic institutions themselves when alumni engagement is fostered to a greater degree.
Criticality Characteristics and Sensitivity Analysis of Fukushima Debris Beds Containing MCCI Products
Authors: Freiría López María , Buck Michael , Starflinger Jörg
Published: May 2020

This study investigates the criticality characteristics of debris beds that may have been formed through the molten–core–concrete-interaction (MCCI) at the pedestal floor of the damaged reactors in Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station. These were modeled as UO2-concrete systems submerged in water. First, a conservative model was used to evaluate the impact that the presence of concrete has on the neutron multiplication factor (keff) of debris beds. The good moderation capacities of concrete were proved, and it was found that recriticality would be possible under the considered conservative assumptions. Second, a more realistic model was used to perform an uncertainty and sensitivity analysis of a wide range of debris parameters (debris porosity, core meltdown grade, debris size, debris composition, concrete erosion factor, etc.). In this case, the results indicate that the probability of a recriticality event is very remote. It was also found that the presence of boron (B4C) from the control rods within debris has by far the highest influence on keff.
A new species and new records of terrestrial Parasitengona (Acari: Prostigmata: Trombidioidea) from Saudi Arabia

Authors: Kamran Muhammad , Alatawi Fahad Jaber
Published: April 2020

The family Trombidiidae (Trombidiformes: Prostigmata) is reported for the first time from Saudi Arabia (SA) with Allothrombium monosolenidion sp. nov. and A. meridionale Berlese. The new species is described from larva. Also, three genera Microtrombicula Ewing (Trombiculidae), Eutrombidium Verdun and Trichotrombidium Kobulej (Microtrombidiidae) are reported as new to the fauna of SA.
A new species of the genus Caeculus Dufour (Acari: Caeculidae) from Mexico, with an updated key for the genus

Authors: Porta Andrés O. , Vázquez Rojas Ignacio Mauro
Published: April 2020

Caeculus veracruzensis sp. nov. is described based on exemplars collected in soil samples from La Mancha, Veracruz, México. An updated key is presented for the species of the genus Caeculus based on putatively more stable characters.
The mystery of the pandemic's ‘happy hypoxia’
Authors: Couzin-Frankel Jennifer
Published: April 2020

Doctors debate how to treat patients with low blood oxygen but without trouble breathing.
Critics say EPA's ‘transparency’ rules would favor industry
Authors: Mervis Jeffrey
Published: April 2020

Agency could consider studies available only by cumbersome Freedom of Information Act requests.
A noncanonical inhibitory circuit dampens behavioral sensitivity to light
Authors: Sonoda Takuma , Li Jennifer Y. , Hayes Nikolas W. , Chan Jonathan C. , Okabe Yudai , Belin Stephane , Nawabi Homaira , Schmidt Tiffany M.
Published: April 2020

Retinal ganglion cells that release GABA

Retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) communicate light signals from the retina to the brain and were previously considered to signal exclusively through release of excitatory neurotransmitters. There have been earlier hints of RGCs producing the inhibitory neurotransmitter γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), but the specific cells have never been identified and their function was entirely unknown. Sonoda
et al.
found that a subpopulation of intrinsically photosensitive RGCs (ipRGCs) releases GABA (see the Perspective by Ding and Wei). Removal of GABA signaling from ipRGCs led to an increased light sensitivity of the pupillary light reflex and of circadian photoentrainment. GABA release thus moved the dynamic range of these non–image-forming behaviors to bright light intensities. These results explain why these behaviors are so much less sensitive to environmental lighting conditions than conscious visual perception.

Science
, this issue p.
527
; see also p.
471
Precision measurement of the neutral pion lifetime
Authors: Larin I. , Zhang Y. , Gasparian A. , Gan L. , Miskimen R. , Khandaker M. , Dale D. , Danagoulian S. , Pasyuk E. , Gao H. , Ahmidouch A. , Ambrozewicz P. , Baturin V. , Burkert V. , Clinton E. , Deur A. , Dolgolenko A. , Dutta D. , Fedotov G. , Feng J. , Gevorkyan S. , Glamazdin A. , Guo L. , Isupov E. , Ito M. M. , Klein F. , Kowalski S. , Kubarovsky A. , Kubarovsky V. , Lawrence D. , Lu H. , Ma L. , Matveev V. , Morrison B. , Micherdzinska A. , Nakagawa I. , Park K. , Pedroni R. , Phelps W. , Protopopescu D. , Rimal D. , Romanov D. , Salgado C. , Shahinyan A. , Sober D. , Stepanyan S. , Tarasov V. V. , Taylor S. , Vasiliev A. , Wood M. , Ye L. , Zihlmann B. ,   PrimEx-II Collaboration
Published: April 2020

Testing the chiral anomaly

Pi mesons, also known as pions, consist of a quark and an antiquark and are extremely unstable. Neutral pions have a lifetime of only ∼80 attoseconds, decaying into two photons. Quantum chromodynamics (QCD), the theory of quarks and gluons, predicts this decay and the associated lifetime using the mechanism of broken chiral symmetry—the so-called chiral anomaly. Measuring the lifetime to high precision then provides a benchmark for theories that aim to improve on this original prediction. Larin
et al.
measured this lifetime with an uncertainty that was half that of the previous most precise result (see the Perspective by Meyer). The measured value was consistent with the original QCD prediction and less consistent with other theoretical approaches.

Science
, this issue p.
506
; see also p.
469
Exercised cytokines promote endurance
Authors: Correia Jorge C. , Ruas Jorge L.
Published: April 2020

Muscle tissue secretory response to exercise promotes beneficial metabolism
Delayed Expression of PD-1 and TIGIT on HIV-Specific CD8 T Cells in Untreated HLA-B*57:01 Individuals Followed from Early Infection
Authors: Scharf Lydia , Tauriainen Johanna , Buggert Marcus , Hartogensis Wendy , Nolan David J. , Deeks Steven G. , Salemi Marco , Hecht Frederick M. , Karlsson Annika C.
Published: April 2020

Given the synergistic nature of TIGIT and PD-1, the coexpression of those inhibitory receptors should be considered when evaluating T-cell pathogenesis, developing immunomodulatory therapies or vaccines for HIV, and when using immunotherapy or vaccination for other causes in HIV-infected patients. HIV-mediated T-cell exhaustion influences the patient´s disease progression, immune system and subsequently non-AIDS complications, and efficacy of vaccinations against other pathogens. Consequently, the possibilities of interfering with exhaustion are numerous. Expanding the use of immunomodulatory therapies to include HIV treatment depends on information about possible targets and their role in the deterioration of the immune system. Furthermore, the rise of immunotherapies against cancer and elevated cancer incidence in HIV-infected patients together increase the need for detailed knowledge of T-cell exhaustion and possible interactions. A broader approach to counteract immune exhaustion to alleviate complications and improve efficacy of other vaccines also promises to increase patients’ health and quality of life.
Quadruple synchronous primary cancers in a single patient
Authors: Albertsdottir Elin , Juel Jacob
Published: April 2020

Patients diagnosed with quadruple synchronous primary cancers are extremely rare and we present here, to the best of our knowledge, the first case report of this combination of primary cancers. A 70-year-old woman was diagnosed with cervical adenocarcinoma, melanoma on the right leg, invasive ductal cell carcinoma metastasis in the left axilla with no primary breast tumour detected and multiple basal cell carcinomas on the limbs, all within 2 months. The management was conducted in collaboration with six medical specialties. The cancers were surgically managed, with further adjuvant chemotherapy and ongoing hormone therapy for her breast cancer. Four years after the diagnosis, no signs of recurrence or further metastases from any of the cancers are present.
Depression, quality of life and coping style among Thai doctors before their first year of residency training
Authors: Pariwatcharakul Pornjira , Ratta-apha Woraphat , Sumalrot Thanayot , Wankaew Julaluck , Sitdhiraksa Nantawat
Published: April 2020

Objectives

Depression and suicide often affect young physicians coping with the demands of residency training. To support effective prevention programmes, we aim to assess depression, quality of life (QoL) and coping style of doctors prior to beginning residency training.

Methods

A cross-sectional study of physicians prior to their first year of residency training at the Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Thailand, was conducted. Questionnaires including the Thai versions of the Proactive Coping Inventory, Patient Health Questionnaire and the Pictorial Thai Quality of Life (PTQL) scale were emailed to all first-year residents 1 week before the beginning of residency training in 2015. Descriptive statistics, χ2 test, independent-sample t-test and Pearson’s correlation test were analysed.

Results

Among 277 doctors, 102 (36.8%) responded to the survey. The average age of respondents was 26.8 (range 25–33; SD=1.2) and 69.6% were women. Nearly all (99.0%) had moderate-to-high overall QoL scores. Depression was found in 10 (9.8%) of respondents. Depression severity was negatively correlated with proactive coping and QoL. Proactive coping (r=0.509, p<0.001), reflective coping (r=0.266, p=0.007), strategic planning (r=0.347, p<0.001), preventive coping (r=0.298, p=0.002) and emotional support seeking (r=0.252, p=0.011) were positively correlated with QoL. Furthermore, proactive was correlated with lower depressive symptoms severity (r=−0.303, p=0.002).

Conclusions

Although nearly all doctors reported moderate-to-high QoL, positive screening for depression was observed in 9.8% of doctors which is much higher than the prevalence in Thais (1.2%). Mental health promotion policies are essential to help residents effectively cope with the stress and demands of training.
Structural features influencing the activity of bis-biguanide ligands in the Suzuki–Miyaura cross-coupling reaction in neat water
Authors: Fortun Solène , Beauclair Philippe , Schmitzer Andreea R.
Published: April 2020

Catalytic reactions play an integral role in the development of green chemistry. Herein, we report new bis-biguanide compounds containing alkyl and aryl spacers as ligands for the Suzuki–Miyaura cross-coupling reaction in water. These ligands show similar catalytic activity to metformin independently of the nature of the spacer between the two biguanide units.
Strict deformation quantization of the state space of Mk(ℂ) with applications to the Curie–Weiss model
Authors: Landsman Klaas , Moretti Valter , van de Ven Christiaan J. F.
Published: April 2020

Increasing tensor powers of the [Formula: see text] matrices [Formula: see text] are known to give rise to a continuous bundle of [Formula: see text]-algebras over [Formula: see text] with fibers [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text], where [Formula: see text], the state space of [Formula: see text], which is canonically a compact Poisson manifold (with stratified boundary). Our first result is the existence of a strict deformation quantization of [Formula: see text] à la Rieffel, defined by perfectly natural quantization maps [Formula: see text] (where [Formula: see text] is an equally natural dense Poisson subalgebra of [Formula: see text]).

We apply this quantization formalism to the Curie–Weiss model (an exemplary quantum spin with long-range forces) in the parameter domain where its [Formula: see text] symmetry is spontaneously broken in the thermodynamic limit [Formula: see text]. If this limit is taken with respect to the macroscopic observables of the model (as opposed to the quasi-local observables), it yields a classical theory with phase space [Formula: see text] (i.e. the unit three-ball in [Formula: see text]). Our quantization map then enables us to take the classical limit of the sequence of (unique) algebraic vector states induced by the ground state eigenvectors [Formula: see text] of this model as [Formula: see text], in which the sequence converges to a probability measure [Formula: see text] on the associated classical phase space [Formula: see text]. This measure is a symmetric convex sum of two Dirac measures related by the underlying [Formula: see text]-symmetry of the model, and as such the classical limit exhibits spontaneous symmetry breaking, too. Our proof of convergence is heavily based on Perelomov-style coherent spin states and at some stage it relies on (quite strong) numerical evidence. Hence the proof is not completely analytic, but somewhat hybrid.
Random distributed feedback fiber lasers: Impact of third-order dispersion
Authors: Mazarei Fatemeh , Honarasa Gholamreza , Pakarzadeh Hassan , Amiri Iraj Sadegh
Published: April 2020

In this paper, one of the most modern random lasers known as random distributed feedback fiber laser is investigated when the third-order dispersion (TOD) is taken into account. The laser characteristics are simulated based on the nonlinear Schrödinger equations (NLSEs) where the power evolution of three interacting waves: the pump, the forward and the backward Stokes waves, are investigated as they propagate down the fiber. The results show that due to TOD, the output characteristics of the laser are changed and particularly, the output power becomes asymmetrical. Moreover, the impacts of fiber nonlinear coefficient and input power on the output power and the output spectrum are studied.
Enhanced efficiency in dye-sensitized solar cell by localized surface plasmon resonance effect of gold nanoparticles
Authors: Pujiarti Herlin , Hidayat Rahmat , Wulandari Priastuti
Published: April 2020

Strong localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) field, which is generated from gold nanoparticles, may enhance photons absorption of dyes in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), resulting in the improvement of their power conversion efficiency (PCE). In this paper, we report the incorporation of oleylamine capped gold nanoparticles (AuOA NPs) into the N-719 dye layer in DSSCs. The cells were prepared by varying the weight percentage of AuOA NPs with respect to the dye weight in dye solutions. The dye solutions containing 1.44[Formula: see text]wt.%, 1.92[Formula: see text]wt.% and 2.4[Formula: see text]wt.% of AuOA NPs exhibited an enhancement in their absorption spectra in the UV-Visible range, which may be the result of the excitation of localized SPR. The [Formula: see text] characteristics of those DSSCs show an enhancement in their photocurrent along with their PCE, from 4.18% to 5.14% for the cells made from the dye solutions without AuOA and with addition of 2.4[Formula: see text]wt.% of AuOA, respectively. This improvement is due to the enhancement of light absorption and hence charge carrier generation by the Plasmonic wave generated by AuOA NPs through the LSPR phenomenon.
Functionally Effective Conscious AI Without Suffering
Authors: Agarwal A. , Edelman S.
Published: April 2020

Insofar as consciousness has a functional role in facilitating learning and behavioral control, the builders of autonomous Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems are likely to attempt to incorporate it into their designs. The extensive literature on the ethics of AI is concerned with ensuring that AI systems, and especially autonomous conscious ones, behave ethically. In contrast, our focus here is on the rarely discussed complementary aspect of engineering conscious AI: how to avoid condemning such systems, for whose creation we would be solely responsible, to unavoidable suffering brought about by phenomenal self-consciousness. We outline two complementary approaches to this problem, one motivated by a philosophical analysis of the phenomenal self, and the other by certain computational concepts in reinforcement learning.
On Artificial Intelligence and Consciousness
Authors: Haikonen Pentti O. A.
Published: April 2020

The popular expectation is that Artificial Intelligence (AI) will soon surpass the capacities of the human mind and Strong Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) will replace the contemporary Weak AI. However, there are certain fundamental issues that have to be addressed before this can happen. There can be no intelligence without understanding, and there can be no understanding without getting meanings. Contemporary computers manipulate symbols without meanings, which are not incorporated in the computations. This leads to the Symbol Grounding Problem; how could meanings be incorporated? The use of self-explanatory sensory information has been proposed as a possible solution. However, self-explanatory information can only be used in neural network machines that are different from existing digital computers and traditional multilayer neural networks. In humans, self-explanatory information has the form of qualia. To have reportable qualia is to be phenomenally conscious. This leads to the hypothesis about an unavoidable connection between the solution of the Symbol Grounding Problem and consciousness. If, in general, self-explanatory information equals to qualia, then machines that utilize self-explanatory information would be conscious.
Trevor David Ford (1925–2017)
Authors: Riding James B. , Worley Noel E.
Published: April 2020

Supplementary material:
a chronologically-arranged list of 301 publications authored or co-authored by Trevor Ford is available at
https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.4931547
Échaillon stone from France: a Global Heritage Stone Resource proposal
Authors: Dumont Thierry ,   Sauvegarde du Patrimoine Industriel d'Autrefois
Published: April 2020

Échaillon stone, a Mesozoic platform limestone from SE France, is proposed as a Global Heritage Stone Resource. The Échaillon stone quarries are located at the western termination of the Alps, near the city of Grenoble. Stone from the main Échaillon quarries is an Upper Jurassic to Berriasian bioclastic near-reef limestone, renowned for its two characteristic white and pink colours. Two ancillary quarries nearby, the Lignet and Rovon quarries, provided the Lower Cretaceous (Barremian to Aptian) Yellow Échaillon stone, of lagoonal origin. Échaillon stone's unique characteristics, resistance to weathering and high aesthetic values made it a prized building and ornamental material used in many significant historical buildings in Europe, North Africa and the USA. Although the first use of Échaillon stone in buildings dates from the Gallo-Roman period, the industrial use ranges from the mid-nineteenth century, during the heyday of the Beaux-Arts architecture period in France, to the mid-twentieth century. The reputation of Échaillon stone was bolstered by world-renowned architects, sculptors and artists who used it for historical building ornament and sculptures. By the turn of the twentieth century, production started to decline and it ceased by the middle of that century.
Carotid baroreflex control of central and peripheral hemodynamics during recovery after moderate leg cycling exercise
Authors: Kanda Masako , Kajimoto Chie , Kashima Hideaki , Ogino Ai , Miura Akira , Fukuba Yoshiyuki , Endo Masako Yamaoka
Published: April 2020

The carotid baroreflex (CBR) control of central and peripheral hemodynamics was investigated after exercise in both the presence and absence of postexercise hypotension (PEH). In individuals with no PEH, the responsiveness of CBR-mediated changes in all hemodynamics was augmented after exercise, particularly to high blood pressure; conversely, the CBR responsiveness remained unchanged in individuals with PEH. These findings provide insight into the mechanism of CBR control after exercise.
Retrospective Evaluation of Anesthetic Management in Cesarean Sections of Pregnant Women with Placental Anomaly
Authors: Urfalıoglu Aykut , Öksüz Gözen , Bilal Bora , Teksen Seyma , Calışır Feyza , Boran Ömer Faruk , Öksüz Hafize
Published: April 2020

Background. In this study, patients who underwent cesarean section and had placenta previa and placenta accreta were examined and compared in terms of haemorrhagic indicators and perioperative anesthetic management. Methods. A retrospective study was conducted in a university hospital in Kahramanmaras, Turkey. It included 95 pregnant women who had placental anomaly and underwent cesarean section between December 15, 2014, and February 15, 2016. Results. The pregnant women were divided into two groups: Group P (previa) (n = 67) and Group A (accreta) (n = 28). The types of anesthesia administered were general anesthesia (GA), which was administered to 50 patients (74.6%) in Group P and 27 patients (96.4%) in Group A, and spinal anesthesia (SA), which was administered to 17 patients (25.4%) in Group P and one patient (3.6%) in Group A.. The mean blood loss was 685.82 ± 262.82 in Group P and 1582.14 ± 790.71 in Group A, and the given amount of crystalloid was higher in Group A with an average of 1628.57 ± 728.19 ml. The use of erythrocyte and fresh frozen plasma solution was higher in Group A than Group P. Eleven patients were intubated and taken to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) in Group A. Postoperative mechanical ventilation duration was significantly higher in Group A (75.14 ± 43.84 h) (p<0.001). ICU stay was longer in Group A with 2.80 ± 1.13 days. (p<0.001). Conclusion. The intraoperative management and the availability of postoperative ICU conditions are important in placental anomalies cases. The communication between operation team with regard to the development of a standard protocol for these cases will be of great benefit in reducing morbidity and mortality.
Clinical Characteristics and Factors Associated with Heart Failure Readmission at a Tertiary Hospital in North-Eastern Tanzania
Authors: Sadiq Abid M. , Chamba Nyasatu G. , Sadiq Adnan M. , Shao Elichilia R. , Temu Gloria A.
Published: April 2020

Introduction. Heart failure (HF) is characterized by frequent episodes of decompensation, leading to a high hospitalization burden. More than 50% of index hospitalizations for HF patients return within 6 months of discharge. Once the patient is readmitted, the risk of further disease progression and the mortality rate are increased. A lot of patients are readmitted due to factors such as poor medication adherence, infections, or worsening comorbidities. The aim of our study was to identify the inpatient burden of HF readmission and to identify the factors associated with early readmission. Methods. A hospital-based cross-sectional analytical study was conducted from November 2018 to April 2019 within the medical wards at Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre (KCMC), which is a teaching and referral hospital in north-eastern Tanzania. The study population included all patients with HF admitted within the medical ward. Data were collected using questionnaires and blood and radiological investigations, and analysis was done using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 25. Chi-square test was used to compare proportions of categorical variables. Logistic regression was used to determine the likelihood for readmission, and p-value of <0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. Results. A total of 353 patients were identified with HF, of whom 136 (38.5%) had a previous admission. Of the 136 patients analysed, the mean age was 62.8 years (SD 17.1), and 86 (63.2%) were females. Within 30 days after discharge, 34 (25.0%) of the patients were readmissions. Factors for early readmission were unemployment (OR = 2.38, 95% CI = 1.02–5.54, p=0.043), poor medication adherence (OR = 3.87, 95% CI = 1.67–8.97, p=0.002), absence of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI) or angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) (OR = 2.40, 95% CI = 1.09–5.31, p=0.030), and pleural effusion (OR 3.25, 95% CI = 1.44–7.32, p=0.004). Conclusion. Heart failure is a burden due to a large number of admissions and readmissions. Factors such as poor medication adherence and absence of adequate HF therapy, especially the absence of regimes containing ACEI or ARB, need to be targeted to reduce the number of readmissions. This will help reduce the risk of further decompensations, disease progression, and mortality rate.
Quantification of Microvascular Density of the Optic Nerve Head in Diabetic Retinopathy Using Optical Coherence Tomographic Angiography
Authors: Huang Jianfeng , Zheng Bodi , Lu Yingyi , Gu Xiaoya , Dai Hong , Chen Tong
Published: April 2020

Aims. To quantify the capillary density of the optic nerve head in healthy control eyes and different stages of diabetic retinopathy (DR) eyes and identify the parameters to detect eyes with or without DR using optical coherence tomographic angiography (OCTA). Methods. In this cross-sectional study, 211 eyes of 121 participants with type 2 diabetes with different stages of DR or without DR and 73 eyes of 38 healthy age-matched controls were imaged by OCTA. Radial peripapillary capillary (RPC) plexus density and retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness were examined. The mixed model binary logistic regression model was used to identify the parameters to detect eyes with or without DR. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was calculated. Results. RPC density decreased significantly in diabetic patients without DR compared with the healthy controls, and it was negatively correlated with the severity of DR (P<0.01). RPC density was a significant parameter to distinguish diabetic eyes with or without DR (P<0.01). The area under the ROC curve was 0.743. Conclusions. Quantification of RPC density by OCTA provides evidence of microvascular changes in the optic nerve in diabetic patients. RPC density can serve as a possible biomarker in detecting eyes with DR. Larger cohort studies need to support this statement.
A Nonoscillatory Second-Order Time-Stepping Procedure for Reaction-Diffusion Equations
Authors: Lee Philku , Popescu George V. , Kim Seongjai
Published: April 2020

After a theory of morphogenesis in chemical cells was introduced in the 1950s, much attention had been devoted to the numerical solution of reaction-diffusion (RD) partial differential equations (PDEs). The Crank–Nicolson (CN) method has been a common second-order time-stepping procedure. However, the CN method may introduce spurious oscillations for nonsmooth data unless the time step size is sufficiently small. This article studies a nonoscillatory second-order time-stepping procedure for RD equations, called a variable-θmethod, as a perturbation of the CN method. In each time level, the new method detects points of potential oscillations to implicitly resolve the solution there. The proposed time-stepping procedure is nonoscillatory and of a second-order temporal accuracy. Various examples are given to show effectiveness of the method. The article also performs a sensitivity analysis for the numerical solution of biological pattern forming models to conclude that the numerical solution is much more sensitive to the spatial mesh resolution than the temporal one. As the spatial resolution becomes higher for an improved accuracy, the CN method may produce spurious oscillations, while the proposed method results in stable solutions.
Exploiting the Relationship between Pruning Ratio and Compression Effect for Neural Network Model Based on TensorFlow
Authors: Liu Bo , Wu Qilin , Zhang Yiwen , Cao Qian
Published: April 2020

Pruning is a method of compressing the size of a neural network model, which affects the accuracy and computing time when the model makes a prediction. In this paper, the hypothesis that the pruning proportion is positively correlated with the compression scale of the model but not with the prediction accuracy and calculation time is put forward. For testing the hypothesis, a group of experiments are designed, and MNIST is used as the data set to train a neural network model based on TensorFlow. Based on this model, pruning experiments are carried out to investigate the relationship between pruning proportion and compression effect. For comparison, six different pruning proportions are set, and the experimental results confirm the above hypothesis.
Existence of Positive Weak Solutions for a New Class of p,q Laplacian Nonlinear Elliptic System with Sign-Changing Weights
Authors: Guefaifia Rafik , Boulaaras Salah Mahmoud , Alodhaibi Sultan , Alkhalaf Salem
Published: May 2020

In this paper, by using subsuper solutions method, we study the existence of weak positive solutions for a new class of p,q Laplacian nonlinear elliptic system in bounded domains, when ax, bx,αx, and βx are sign-changing functions that maybe negative near the boundary, without assuming sign conditions on f0,g0,h0, and γ0.
Strength and Microscopic Damage Mechanism of Yellow Sandstone with Holes under Freezing and Thawing
Authors: Rong Huren , Gu Jingyu , Rong Miren , Liu Hong , Zhang Jiayao , Dong Hao
Published: April 2020

In order to study the damage characteristics of the yellow sandstone containing pores under the freeze‐thaw cycle, the uniaxial compression test of saturated water‐stained yellow sandstones with different freeze‐thaw cycles was carried out by rock servo press, the microstructure was qualitatively analyzed by Zeiss 508 stereo microscope, and the microdamage mechanism was quantitatively studied by using specific surface area and pore size analyzer. The mechanism of weakening mechanical properties of single‐hole yellow sandstone was expounded from the perspective of microstructure. The results show the following. (1) The number of freeze‐thaw cycles and single‐pore diameter have significant effects on the strength and elastic modulus of the yellow sandstone; the more the freeze‐thaw cycles and the larger the pore size, the lower the strength of the yellow sandstone. (2) The damage modes of the yellow sandstone containing pores under the freeze‐thaw cycle are divided into five types, and the yellow sandstone with pores is divided into two areas: the periphery of the hole and the distance from the hole; as the number of freeze‐thaw cycles increases, different regions show different microscopic damage patterns. (3) The damage degree of yellow sandstone is different with freeze‐thaw cycle and pore size. Freeze‐thaw not only affects the mechanical properties of yellow sandstone but also accelerates the damage process of pores. (4) The damage of the yellow sandstone by freeze‐thaw is logarithmic function, and the damage of the yellow sandstone is a power function. The damage equation of the yellow sandstone with pores under the freezing and thawing is a log‐power function nonlinear change law and presents a good correlation.
Long Time Behavior of the Solution of the Two-Dimensional Dissipative QGE in Lei–Lin Spaces
Authors: Benhamed Moez , Abusalim Sahar Mohammad
Published: April 2020

In this paper, we study the asymptotic behavior of the two-dimensional quasi-geostrophic equations with subcritical dissipation. More precisely, we establish that θtX1−2α vanishes at infinity.
A Shrinking Projection Algorithm with Errors for Costerro Bounded Linear Mappings
Authors: Gordon Joseph Frank
Published: April 2020

The purpose of this paper is to introduce and analyze the shrinking projection algorithm with errors for a finite set of costerro bounded linear mappings in the setting of uniformly convex smooth Banach spaces. Here, under finite dimensional or compactness restriction or the error term being zero, the strong limit point of the sequence stated in the iterative scheme for these mappings in uniformly convex smooth Banach spaces was studied. This paper extends Ezearn and Prempeh’s result for nonexpansive mappings in real Hilbert spaces.