bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Women living alone in later life: A multicountry comparative analysis
Authors: Requena Miguel , Reher David , Padyab Mojgan , Sandström Glenn
Published: July 2019

This paper compares the determinants of living alone among elderly women in six countries (Tanzania, Kyrgyzstan, Indonesia, Brazil, Spain, and Sweden) with very different family systems, policy contexts, levels of development, and socio‐economic characteristics. Different factors behind the residential choices of elderly women are estimated by means of logistic regression. Decomposition models are used to assess the extent to which observed differences between countries correspond to specific population compositions or to other factors. Although the importance of all independent variables for living alone is shown to be strong and statistically significant, persistent intercountry disparities in behaviour linked to levels of familism and development remain. Population composition explains only a small part of the observed differences in living alone. Economic development provides an important underlying explanation for the incidence of living alone among women, but many specific differences can also be explained by societal characteristics such as family systems and available policy options.
The One‐Dimensional Bose–Fermi–Hubbard Model in the Limit of Fast Fermions
Authors: Mering Alexander , Fleischhauer Michael
Published: July 2019

The authors discuss the ground‐state phase diagram of the one‐dimensional Bose–Fermi–Hubbard model (BFHM) in the limit of fast fermions based on an effective boson model. The authors give a detailed derivation of the effective model with long‐range Rudermann–Kittel–Kasuya–Yosida (RKKY)‐type interactions, discuss its range of validity, and provide a deeper insight into its implications. In particular, they show that integrating out the fast fermion degrees of freedom in a naive way results in an ill‐behaved effective Hamiltonian and a proper renormalization is required. Based on the effective Hamiltonian, the phase diagram in the thermodynamic limit is constructed by analytic means and is compared to numerical results obtained by density matrix renormalization group (DMRG) techniques for the full BFHM. The most prominent feature of the phase diagram, the existence of a phase separation between Mott insulator (MI) and charge density wave (CDW) is discussed in depth including boundary effects.
Quercetin reduces TNF‐α‐induced mesangial cell proliferation and inhibits PTX3 production: Involvement of NF‐κB signaling pathway
Authors: Liu Yue , Yu Chen , Ji Kai , Wang Xuekai , Li Xin , Xie Hua , Wang Yuqing , Huang Yuting , Qi Dong , Fan Huaying
Published: July 2019

Lupus nephritis (LN) is an autoimmune disease caused by systemic lupus erythematosus. Excessive proliferation of mesangial cells is one of the most serious pathological manifestations of LN. In addition, the expression of PTX3 is elevated in the serum of patients with LN. Quercetin has good anti‐inflammatory effects and immunomodulatory activities. In this study, the result of MTT indicated that quercetin treatment alleviated the excessive proliferation of mesangial cells. ELISA and immunofluorescence experiments showed that quercetin treatment inhibited the expression of PTX3. Three doses of quercetin (20, 40, and 80 μM) were selected for the experiment. It is noteworthy that the efficacy of quercetin at 80 μM was significantly better than that of other dose groups. And the effect in inhibiting PTX3 expression was comparable with that of the PDTC (80 μM) positive control. Western blot and qRT‐PCR analysis revealed that quercetin treatment reduced the expression of nuclear factor‐κB p65 and IKKβ, increased the expression of IκBα, and inhibited the expression of PTX3. In conclusion, through inhibiting the activation of nuclear factor‐κB signaling pathway, quercetin treatment could reduce the expression of PTX3 and inhibit the excessive proliferation of mesangial cells, suggesting that quercetin is a potential therapeutic drug for LN.
Protocatechuic acid attenuates angiotensin II‐induced cardiac fibrosis in cardiac fibroblasts through inhibiting the NOX4/ROS/p38 signaling pathway
Authors: Song Hui , Ren Jie
Published: July 2019

Cardiac fibrosis plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of myocardial infarction (MI). It has been found that differentiation of cardiac fibroblasts (CFs) into myofibroblasts is a major event in the process of cardiac fibrosis. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the effects of protocatechuic acid (PCA), a cardiac protective agent, on the CFs differentiation in vitro. The results showed that PCA exhibited inhibitory effects on the cell proliferation and migration in angiotensin II (Ang II)‐induced CFs. PCA treatment suppressed the Ang II‐induced expression of α‐smooth muscle actin (α‐SMA), which is a hallmark of myofibroblasts. In addition, the production of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins, including type I collagen (Col I) and connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), were significantly decreased in the PCA‐treated CFs. The Ang II‐induced increased levels of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)‐2, and MMP‐9 were reduced by PCA. Furthermore, PCA resulted in decrease in reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, as well as the expressions of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase enzyme 4 (NOX4) and p‐p38 in Ang II‐induced CFs. These findings showed that PCA treatment prevented the Ang II‐induced cardiac fibrosis by inhibiting the NOX4/ROS/p38 signaling pathway in vitro, suggesting that PCA might be a therapeutic agent for MI.
Model reference resilient control for the helicopter with time‐varying disturbance
Authors: Chen Mou , Li Yankai
Published: July 2019

In this paper, the problem of model reference resilient control is investigated for the helicopter system with the time‐varying disturbance and unmeasurable states. Firstly, a disturbance observer and a state observer are built to estimate the time‐varying disturbance and unmeasurable states. Then, combining the methods of model reference control and disturbance observer–based control, the state feedback robust resilient control scheme and the dynamic output feedback robust resilient control method are proposed, respectively. Under the two developed robust resilient control schemes, sufficient conditions are obtained to guarantee that the helicopter system asymptotically tracks the reference model with H∞ performance. Finally, simulation results are presented to show the effectiveness of the model reference resilient control method.
MINLP‐based hybrid strategy for operating mode selection of TES‐backed‐up refrigeration systems
Authors: Bejarano Guillermo , Rodríguez David , Lemos João M. , Vargas Manuel , Ortega Manuel G.
Published: July 2019

This brief deals with the satisfaction of the daily cooling demand by a hybrid system that consists of a vapor‐compression refrigeration cycle and a thermal energy storage (TES) unit, based on phase change materials. The addition of the TES tank to the original refrigeration plant allows to schedule the cooling production regardless of the instantaneous demand, given that the TES tank can store cold energy and release it whenever deemed appropriate. The scheduling problem is posed as an optimization problem based on mixed‐integer nonlinear programming (MINLP) since it includes both discrete and continuous variables. The latter corresponds to the references on the main cooling powers involved in the problem (cooling production at the evaporator and TES charging/discharging), whereas the discrete variables define the operating mode scheduling. Therefore, in addition to the hybrid features of the physical plant, a hybrid optimal control strategy is also proposed. A receding horizon approach is applied, similar to model predictive control (MPC) strategies, while economic criteria are imposed in the objective function, as well as feasibility issues. The TES state estimation is also addressed since its instantaneous charge ratio is not measurable. The proposed strategy is applied in simulation to a challenging cooling demand profile, and the main advantages of the MINLP‐based strategy over a nonlinear MPC‐based scheduling strategy previously developed are highlighted, regarding operating cost, ease of tuning, and ability to adapt to cooling demand variations.
Limiting shape of the depth first search tree in an Erdős‐Rényi graph
Authors: Enriquez Nathanaël , Faraud Gabriel , Ménard Laurent
Published: July 2019

We show that the profile of the tree constructed by the depth first search algorithm in the giant component of an Erdős‐Rényi graph with N vertices and connection probability c/N with c > 1 converges to an explicit deterministic shape. This makes it possible to exhibit a long nonintersecting path of length , where ρc is the density of the giant component and Li2 denotes the dilogarithm function.
Direct Nucleus‐Targeted Drug Delivery Using Cascade pHe/Photo Dual‐Sensitive Polymeric Nanocarrier for Cancer Therapy
Authors: Cao Ziyang , Li Dongdong , Wang Junxia , Xiong Menghua , Yang Xianzhu
Published: July 2019

The cell nucleus‐targeted delivery of therapeutic agents plays a critical role in cancer therapy, since the biological target of many anticancer therapeutics is the cell nucleus. However, multiple physiological barriers limit the delivery efficiency of free drugs, resulting in unsatisfactory therapeutic effects. Herein, thioketal crosslinked polyphosphoester‐based nanoparticles with a tumor acidity (pHe)‐sensitive transactivator of transcription (TAT) peptide (DA‐masked TAT‐decorating reactive oxygen species (ROS)‐sensitive Ce6/DOX‐loaded hyperbranched nanoparticles (DTRCD)) are explored for cascade nucleus‐targeted drug delivery. Following administration, DTRCD experiences prolonged circulation by masking the targeting effect of its TAT peptide and then achieves enhanced tumor cell uptake and improved translocation into the perinuclear region by reactivating the TAT targeting capability in tumor tissue. Subsequently, ROS generated by DTRCD under 660 nm laser not only disrupts the nuclear membrane to allow entry into the nuclei but also triggers intracellular release of the payload in the nuclei. As evidenced by in vivo experiments, such pHe/photo dual‐sensitive polymeric nanocarriers offer remarkable therapeutic effects, efficiently suppressing tumor growth. This multistage cascade nucleus‐targeted drug delivery concept provides new avenues to develop nucleus‐targeted drug delivery systems.
Natural Cellulose Derived Nanocomposites as Anodic Materials for Lithium‐Ion Batteries
Authors: Lin Zehao , Li Shun , Huang Jianguo
Published: July 2019

Bio‐inspired synthetic method provides an effective shortcut to fabricate functional nanostructured materials with specific morphologies and designed functionalities. Natural cellulose substances (e. g., commercial laboratory cellulose filter paper) possesses unique three‐dimensionally cross‐linked porous structures and abundant functional groups for the functional modification on the surfaces. The deposition of metal oxide gel film on the surfaces of the cellulose nanofibers is facilely to be achieved through the surface sol‐gel process, resulting in metal oxide replicas of the initial cellulose substance or metal‐oxide/carbon nanocomposites. Moreover, the as‐deposited metal oxide gel films coated on the cellulose fiber surfaces provide ideal platforms for the further formation of specific functional assemblies, and eventually to the corresponding nanocomposite materials. Based on this methodology, various nanostructured composites were prepared and employed as anodic materials for lithium‐ion batteries, including metal‐oxides‐based (such as SnO2, TiO2, MoO3, FexOy, and SiO2) and Si‐based composites, as summarized in this personal account. Benefiting from the unique hierarchically porous network structures and the synergistic effects among the composite components of the anodic materials, the transfer of electrons/ions is accelerated and the structural stability of the electrode is enhanced, leading to the improved lithium storage performances and promoted cycling stability.
Investigation of inflammation inducing substances in PM2.5 particles by an elimination method using thermal decomposition
Authors: He Miao , Ichinose Takamichi , Ito Tomohiro , Toriba Akira , Yoshida Seiichi , Kaori Sadakane , Nishikawa Masataka , Sun Guifan , Shibamoto Takayuki
Published: July 2019

The substances associated with PM2.5‐induced inflammatory response were investigated using an elimination method. PM2.5 were heated at temperatures of 120, 250, and 360°C. The results demonstrated microbial substances such as LPS and b‐glucan, and chemicals including BaP, 1,2‐NQ, and 9,10‐PQ were reduced drastically in PM2.5 heated at 120°C. On the other hand, DBA, 7,12‐BAQ, and BaP‐1,6‐Q were not noticeably reduced. Most of these substances had disappeared in PM2.5 heated at 250°C and 360°C. Metals (eg, Fe, Cu, Cr, Ni) in PM2.5 exhibited a slight thermo‐dependent increase. RAW264.7 macrophages with or without NAC were exposed to unheated PM2.5, oxidative stress‐related and unrelated inflammatory responses were induced. PM2.5‐induced lung inflammation in mice is caused mainly by thermo‐sensitive substances (LPS, b‐glucan, BaP, 1,2‐NQ, 9,10‐PQ, etc.). Also, a slight involvement of thermo‐resistant substances (DBA, 7,12‐BAQ, BaP‐1,6‐Q, etc.) and transition metals was observed. The thermal decomposition method could assist to evaluate the PM2.5‐induded lung inflammation.
Insects as vectors of DNA in a forensic context
Authors: Durdle Annalisa
Published: July 2019

Insects have historically been used in criminal investigations to provide information in relation to postmortem intervals (PMIs) but the field of forensic entomology is expanding. It is now recognized that insects can act as vectors of human and mammalian DNA through the consumption of biological material, with extraneous DNA able to be extracted and genotyped from all stages of the life cycle, and insect feces and regurgitant (artifacts). To date, DNA recovered from insects have been used to inform investigations into neglect and homicide, link body parts, and to identify victims of crime. It may also potentially be used to identify assailants, confirm the food source of insects to determine their relevance in PMI calculations, determine if a crime has occurred, identify scenes of crimes, and link people to locations and other individuals. However, insects which have consumed biological material may also transfer DNA by traveling to new areas, or depositing it via their artifacts, either within crime scenes or laboratories, or at locations distant to the food source. This could contaminate forensic evidence, confound investigations, and/or falsely incriminate or exclude an individual. Therefore, it is important that there is increased awareness into both the utility of insects as vectors of forensically relevant DNA, and the potential for contamination.

This article is categorized under:

Forensic Biology > Forensic DNA Technologies

Forensic Science in Action/Crime Scene Investigation > Crime Scene Examination

Forensic Biology > Interpretation of Biological Evidence

Forensic Biology > Body Fluid Identification
Boundary element method analysis for mode III linear fracture mechanics in anisotropic and nonhomogeneous media
Authors: Simionato Fernando , Daros C. H.
Published: July 2019

We present here a Boundary Element Method implementation for anti‐plane fracture mechanics in nonhomogeneous and anisotropic media. The results are obtained using two different formulations based on displacement and traction Boundary Integral Equations (BIEs). The crack tips are discretized with special quarter‐point boundary elements. The main crack configurations are studied to determine the stress intensity factors (SIFs). Results for homogeneous and isotropic/anisotropic cases are compared with available solutions in the literature, showing good results. For the case of exponential nonhomogeneity, numerical results are obtained for moderately stiffer media and for softer media.
On the behavior of solutions of the nonstationary Stokes system near the vertex of a cone
Authors: Kozlov Vladimir , Rossmann Jürgen
Published: July 2019

The paper deals with the Dirichlet problem for the nonstationary Stokes system in a threedimensional cone. The authors study the asymptotics of the solutions near the vertex of the cone. They show that the solutions are sums of singular functions and a regular remainder, where the singular functions depend on the eigenvalues of a certain operator pencil.
PolyProc: A Modular Processing Pipeline for X-ray Diffraction Tomography
Authors: Kang Jiwoong , Lu Ning , Loo Issac , Senabulya Nancy , Shahani Ashwin J.
Published: July 2019

Direct imaging of three-dimensional microstructure via X-ray diffraction-based techniques gives valuable insight into the crystallographic features that influence materials properties and performance. For instance, X-ray diffraction tomography provides information on grain orientation, position, size, and shape in a bulk specimen. As such techniques become more accessible to researchers, demands are placed on processing the datasets that are inherently “noisy,” multi-dimensional, and multimodal. To fulfill this need, we have developed a one-of-a-kind function package, PolyProc, that is compatible with a range of data shapes, from planar sections to time-evolving and three-dimensional orientation data. Our package comprises functions to import, filter, analyze, and visualize the reconstructed grain maps. To accelerate the computations in our pipeline, we harness computationally efficient approaches: for instance, data alignment is done via genetic optimization; grain tracking through the Hungarian method; and feature-to-feature correlation through k-nearest neighbors algorithm. As a proof-of-concept, we test our approach in characterizing the grain texture, topology, and evolution in a polycrystalline Al–Cu alloy undergoing coarsening.
Editorial
Authors: Mansfield-Devine Steve
Published: July 2019

The past few years has been a period of virtually non-stop horror stories in the press concerning data breaches. Information security is no longer a niche area occupied by a class of Cassandras whose dire warnings are airily dismissed as cyber scaremongering.
Back to basics: tackling security threats in an increasingly complex world
Authors: Fielding Jon
Published: July 2019

Something strange is happening to the world of IT. As technological innovation drives businesses to become more productive, innovative and agile, it's simultaneously driving those tasked with protecting these new networks and systems to breaking point. Complexity might be hidden from the end user, but it's making the job of the IT security function more challenging by the day.

As technological innovation drives businesses to become more productive, innovative and agile, it's simultaneously driving those tasked with protecting these new networks and systems to breaking point.

Complexity might be hidden from the end user, but it's making the job of the IT security function more challenging by the day. This can sometimes make it difficult for security practitioners to filter out the noise and remember what's really important. Organisations need to focus on the end user and adopt basic best practices to ensure their security is built on a solid foundation, argues Jon Fielding of Apricorn.
DEFORMATION CONDITIONS FOR PSEUDOREPRESENTATIONS
Authors: WAKE PRESTON , WANG-ERICKSON CARL
Published: July 2019

Given a property of representations satisfying a basic stability condition, Ramakrishna developed a variant of Mazur’s Galois deformation theory for representations with that property. We introduce an axiomatic definition of pseudorepresentations with such a property. Among other things, we show that pseudorepresentations with a property enjoy a good deformation theory, generalizing Ramakrishna’s theory to pseudorepresentations.
Sound and turbulence modulation by particles in high-speed shear flows
Authors: Buchta David A. , Shallcross Gregory , Capecelatro Jesse
Published: July 2019

High-speed free-shear-flow turbulence, laden with droplets or particles, can radiate weaker pressure fluctuations than its unladen counterpart. In this study, Eulerian–Lagrangian simulations of high-speed temporally evolving shear layers laden with monodisperse, adiabatic, inertial particles are used to examine particle–turbulence interactions and their effect on radiated pressure fluctuations. An evolution equation for gas-phase pressure intensity is formulated for particle-laden flows, and local mechanisms of pressure changes are quantified over a range of Mach numbers and particle mass loadings. Particle–turbulence interactions alter the local pressure intensity directly via volume displacement (due to the flow of finite-size particles) and drag coupling (due to local slip velocity between phases), and indirectly through significant turbulence changes. The sound radiation intensity near subsonic mixing layers increases with mass loading, consistent with existing low Mach number theory. For supersonic flows, sound levels decrease with mass loading, consistent with trends observed in previous experiments. Particle-laden cases exhibit reduced turbulent kinetic energy compared to single-phase flow, providing one source of their sound changes; however, the subsonic flow does not support such an obvious source-to-sound decomposition to explain its sound intensity increase. Despite its decrease in turbulence intensity, the louder particle-laden subsonic flows show an increase in the magnitude and time-rate-of-change of fluid dilatation, providing a mechanism for its increased sound radiation. Contrasting this, the quieter supersonic particle-laden flows exhibit decreased gas-phase dilatation yet its time-rate-of-change is relatively insensitive to mass loading, supporting such a connection.
Barotropic annular flows, vortices and waves on a beta cone
Authors: Rabinovich Michael , Kizner Ziv , Flierl Glenn
Published: July 2019

We consider two-dimensional quasi-geostrophic annular flows around a circular island with a radial offshore bottom slope. Since the conical bottom topography causes a certain beta effect, by analogy with the conventional beta plane we term our model a beta cone. Our focus is on the flows with zero total circulation, which are composed of two concentric rings of uniform potential vorticity (PV) attached to the island. The linear stability of such flows on a beta cone was investigated in a previous publication of ours. In the present paper, we study numerically the nonlinear evolution of weakly viscous flows, whose parameters are fitted so as to guarantee the highest instability of the azimuthal mode $m=1,\ldots ,6$. We study the production of vortices and Rossby waves due to the instability, consider the effect of waves on the emerging vortices and the interaction between the vortices. As in the flat-bottom case, at $m\geqslant 2$, the instability at weak bottom slopes normally leads to the emission of $m$ dipoles. However, a fundamental difference between the flat-bottom and beta-cone cases is observed in the trajectories of the dipoles as the latter recede from the island. When the flow is initially counterclockwise, the conical beta effect may force the dipoles to make a complete turn, come back to the island and rearrange in new couples that again leave the island and return. This quasi-periodic process gradually fades due to filamentation, wave radiation and viscous dissipation. Another possible outcome is symmetrical settling of $m$ dipoles in a circular orbit around the island, in which they move counterclockwise. This behaviour is reminiscent of the adaptation of strongly tilted beta-plane modons (dipoles) to the eastward movement. If the initial flow is clockwise, the emerged dipoles usually disintegrate, but sometimes, the orbital arrangement is possible. At a moderate slope, the evolution of an unstable flow, which is initially clockwise, may end up in the formation of a counterclockwise flow. At steeper slopes, a clockwise flow may transform into a quasi-stationary vortex multipole. When the slope is sufficiently steep, the topographic Rossby waves developing outside of the PV rings can smooth away the instability crests and troughs at the outer edge of the main flow, thus preventing the vortex production but allowing the formation of a new quasi-stationary pattern, a doubly connected coherent PV structure possessing $m$-fold symmetry. Such an $m$-fold pattern can be steady only if it rotates counterclockwise, otherwise it radiates Rossby waves and transforms eventually into a circularly symmetric flow.
A note on acoustic turbulence
Authors: Lindborg Erik
Published: July 2019

We consider a three-dimensional acoustic field of an ideal gas in which all entropy production is confined to weak shocks and show that similar scaling relations hold for such a field as for forced Burgers turbulence, where the shock amplitude scales as $(\unicode[STIX]{x1D716}d)^{1/3}$ and the $p$th-order structure function scales as $(\unicode[STIX]{x1D716}d)^{p/3}r/d$, $\unicode[STIX]{x1D716}$ being the mean energy dissipation per unit mass, $d$ the mean distance between the shocks and $r$ the separation distance. However, for the acoustic field, $\unicode[STIX]{x1D716}$ should be replaced by $\unicode[STIX]{x1D716}+\unicode[STIX]{x1D712}$, where $\unicode[STIX]{x1D712}$ is associated with entropy production due to heat conduction. In particular, the third-order longitudinal structure function scales as $\langle \unicode[STIX]{x1D6FF}u_{r}^{3}\rangle =-C(\unicode[STIX]{x1D716}+\unicode[STIX]{x1D712})r$, where $C$ takes the value $12/5(\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FE}+1)$ in the weak shock limit, $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FE}=c_{p}/c_{v}$ being the ratio between the specific heats at constant pressure and constant volume.
Dipolophoresis in concentrated suspensions of ideally polarizable spheres
Authors: Mirfendereski Siamak , Park Jae Sung
Published: July 2019

The dynamics of ideally polarizable spherical particles in concentrated suspensions under the effects of nonlinear electrokinetic phenomena is analysed using large-scale numerical simulations. Particles are assumed to carry no net charge and considered to undergo the combination of dielectrophoresis and induced-charge electrophoresis termed dipolophoresis. Chaotic motion and resulting hydrodynamic diffusion are known to be driven by the induced-charge electrophoresis, which dominates the dielectrophoresis. Up to a volume fraction $\unicode[STIX]{x1D719}\approx 35\,\%$, the particle dynamics seems to be hindered by the increase in the magnitude of excluded volume interactions with concentration. However, a non-trivial suspension behaviour is observed in concentrated regimes, where the hydrodynamic diffusivity starts to increase with the volume fraction at $\unicode[STIX]{x1D719}\approx 35\,\%$, before reaching a local maximum, and then drastically decreases on approaching random close packing. Similar non-trivial behaviours are observed in the particle velocity and number-density fluctuations around volume fractions at which the non-trivial behaviour of the hydrodynamic diffusion is observed. We explain these non-trivial behaviours as a consequence of particle contacts, which are related to the dominant mechanism of particle pairings. The particle contacts are classified into attractive and repulsive classes by the nature of contacts, and in particular, the strong repulsive contact becomes predominant at $\unicode[STIX]{x1D719}>20\,\%$. Moreover, this transition is visible in the pair distribution functions, which also reveal the change in the suspension microstructure in concentrated regimes. It appears that strong and massive repulsive contacts along the direction perpendicular to an electric field promote the non-trivial suspension behaviours observed in concentrated regimes.
Swimming freely near the ground leads to flow-mediated equilibrium altitudes
Authors: Kurt Melike , Cochran-Carney Jackson , Zhong Qiang , Mivehchi Amin , Quinn Daniel B. , Moored Keith W.
Published: July 2019

Experiments and computations are presented for a foil pitching about its leading edge near a planar, solid boundary. The foil is examined when it is constrained in space and when it is unconstrained or freely swimming in the cross-stream direction. It was found that the foil has stable equilibrium altitudes: the time-averaged lift is zero at certain altitudes and acts to return the foil to these equilibria. These stable equilibrium altitudes exist for both constrained and freely swimming foils and are independent of the initial conditions of the foil. In all cases, the equilibrium altitudes move farther from the ground when the Strouhal number is increased or the reduced frequency is decreased. Potential flow simulations predict the equilibrium altitudes to within 3 %–11 %, indicating that the equilibrium altitudes are primarily due to inviscid mechanisms. In fact, it is determined that stable equilibrium altitudes arise from an interplay among three time-averaged forces: a negative jet deflection circulatory force, a positive quasistatic circulatory force and a negative added mass force. At equilibrium, the foil exhibits a deflected wake and experiences a thrust enhancement of 4 %–17 % with no penalty in efficiency as compared to a pitching foil far from the ground. These newfound lateral stability characteristics suggest that unsteady ground effect may play a role in the control strategies of near-boundary fish and fish-inspired robots.
Elastic Analysis of Inhomogeneous Solids: History and Development in Brief
Authors: Tokovyy Yuriy , Ma Chien-Ching
Published: July 2019

Inhomogeneous materials (the ones exhibiting spatial variations in their, all or specific, material properties) present a great deal of interest for scientists and engineers in both academia and industry. For over a hundred years, the mechanical behavior of inhomogeneous materials excites numerous attempts in mathematical modeling and development of methods for proper analysis and verification. With this concern, the reach experience was gained by scientists of different scientific schools in many countries. Despite numerous significant achievements, some results, unfortunately, remain unnoticed by the wide scientific community. On the other hand, one can observe a growing number of publications which repeatedly publish the solutions reported years ago or deal with the similar problems with slight modifications. The main objective of this paper is to:i) present a brief survey of the development history of the elastic analysis of inhomogeneous solids andii) characterize some dominant analytical and semi-analytical methods. It was not our intent here to provide a comprehensive list of references on the topic, which is nearly impossible to make in view of rapidly growing number of publications and other restrictions, but to emphasize some important, in our opinion, stages of the development, methods and results.
Resonant Frequency Reduction of Piezoelectric Voltage Energy Harvester by Elastic Boundary Condition
Authors: Ong Zhi Chao , Huang Yu-Hsi , Chou Sheng-Lun
Published: July 2019

Most vibration-based energy harvesters, including piezoelectric harvester system, perform efficiently at only its resonant frequency as linear resonators, usually at very high frequency which are out of the range of frequency of interest. In real life applications, these linear resonators are impractical since real ambient vibrations are simply having varying lower frequencies. Hence, design a tuneable vibration energy harvester at a lower and useful frequency range of interest are essential in allowing promising energy output to meet intended power input at a more practical approach. In this paper, the piezoelectric voltage energy harvester (PVEH) was designed with a flexible fixture with the aim to reduce its first fundamental natural frequency. Two thickness of elastic fixtures were applied to generate power on PVEH. Three experimental techniques were used to measure the vibration characteristics of PVEH. First, the full-field optical technique, amplitude-fluctuation electronic speckle pattern interferometry (AF-ESPI) measured simultaneously the resonant frequencies and mode shapes. This is followed by the pointwise measurement system, laser Doppler vibrometer (LDV) in which the resonant frequencies were measured by dynamic signal swept-sine analysis. The resonant frequencies and anti-resonant frequencies were also obtained by impedance analysis. The results obtained from experimental measurements were compared with finite element numerical calculation. It is found that the boundary conditions under the elastic fixtures can effectively reduce the resonant frequency of the PVEH with a reasonable voltage output. The fundamental natural frequency of PVEH with the thickness of 0.58-mm elastic fixture is reduced to 37 Hz maintaining at 7.1 volts (1.2 mW), in comparison with the natural frequency on cantilevered PVEH at 78 Hz that produces 7.7 volts (6.5 mW).
Children, Development, and the Troubled Foundations of Miller v. Alabama
Authors: Berk Christopher D.
Published: July 2019

While the boundaries between child, adolescent, and adult are difficult to define, there is a consensus that children and adults are different in kind. Extreme acts of violence put pressure on that consensus. Children that kill, for many, create a kind of border problem for juvenile justice. That public opinion tends to align with the general claim that children who break the law should be given a break belies a deeper set of confusions. On what grounds should a seventeen-year-old that kills be treated more leniently than his eighteen-year-old counterpart? For the U.S. Supreme Court majority, the solution is to root its doctrine in a scientifically supported “developmental approach.” This article argues that this approach is philosophically confused. One must abandon, or significantly amend, that dominant understanding to explain how a principled concern with proportional punishment simultaneously justifies and limits the legal response to children that kill. The final pages sketch an alternative account that may be able to address the shortcomings of appeals to development. To punish children as adults, I suggest, is an attempt to reap the benefits of paternalism without bearing the accompanying political, social, and moral costs.
A -ANALOGUE OF A HYPERGEOMETRIC CONGRUENCE
Authors: GU CHENG-YANG , GUO VICTOR J. W.
Published: July 2019

We give a $q$-analogue of the following congruence: for any odd prime $p$, $$\begin{eqnarray}\mathop{\sum }_{k=0}^{(p-1)/2}(-1)^{k}(6k+1)\frac{(\frac{1}{2})_{k}^{3}}{k!^{3}8^{k}}\mathop{\sum }_{j=1}^{k}\biggl(\frac{1}{(2j-1)^{2}}-\frac{1}{16j^{2}}\biggr)\equiv 0\;(\text{mod}\;p),\end{eqnarray}$$ which was originally conjectured by Long and later proved by Swisher. This confirms a conjecture of the second author [‘A $q$-analogue of the (L.2) supercongruence of Van Hamme’, J. Math. Anal. Appl. 466 (2018), 749–761].
Point derivations and cohomologies of Lipschitz algebras
Authors: Kawamura Kazuhiro
Published: July 2019

For a compact metric space (K, d), LipK denotes the Banach algebra of all complex-valued Lipschitz functions on (K, d). We show that the continuous Hochschild cohomology Hn(LipK, (LipK)*) and Hn(LipK, ℂe) are both infinite-dimensional vector spaces for each n ≥ 1 if the space K contains a certain infinite sequence which converges to a point e ∈ K. Here (LipK)* is the dual module of LipK and ℂe denotes the complex numbers with a LipK-bimodule structure defined by evaluations of LipK-functions at e. Examples of such metric spaces include all compact Riemannian manifolds, compact geodesic metric spaces and infinite compact subsets of ℝ. In particular, the (small) global homological dimension of LipK is infinite for every such space. Our proof uses the description of point derivations by Sherbert [‘The structure of ideals and point derivations in Banach algebras of Lipschitz functions’, Trans. Amer. Math. Soc.111 (1964), 240–272] and directly constructs non-trivial cocycles with the help of alternating cocycles of Johnson [‘Higher-dimensional weak amenability’, Studia Math.123 (1997), 117–134]. An alternating construction of cocycles on the basis of the idea of Kleshchev [‘Homological dimension of Banach algebras of smooth functions is equal to infinity’, Vest. Math. Mosk. Univ. Ser. 1. Mat. Mech.6 (1988), 57–60] is also discussed.
Characteristics of farmers’ selection criteria for cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) varieties differ between north and south regions of Burkina Faso
Authors: Ishikawa Haruki , Drabo Issa , Joseph Batieno B. , Muranaka Satoru , Fatokun Christian , Boukar Ousmane
Published: July 2019

Comparative analysis of preferences and key criteria for selecting cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp.) varieties was conducted using the data collected from farmers’ participatory varietal selection (FPVS) activities conducted over 3 years with a total of 2401 farmers (1230 male and 1171 female) in 13 villages in Tougouri department in northern region and Tiéfora department in southern region of Burkina Faso in West Africa. Over the 3 years, farmer criteria for variety selection remained basically stable, but some variations among the regions and years were noticed. Grain yield was the most common and the most important criterion for farmers’ choice in both regions. Farmers in Tougouri (north) put more emphasis on early maturity (90%) and drought resistance (19.7%) as selection criteria than farmers in Tiéfora (south). Farmers in Tiéfora placed statistically significant importance on seed colour and plant type, while farmers in Tougouri did not, and for these selection criteria, there were only slight differences between genders in both areas. Results of stepwise multiple regression indicated that maturity and seed colour in the north, and seed size and seed colour in the south were the most important selection factors for farmers to select cowpea varieties. Improved varieties should have sufficiently good yield to be accepted, but other favoured traits may differ by target region as a reflection of local and regional market demands as well as deep-rooted cultural preferences. Understanding local and regional differences in selection criteria for cowpea varieties is necessary to improve the acceptance of newly released improved varieties. Preferences identified in the participatory activities could inform further development of cowpea breeding strategies for north and south regions of Burkina Faso.
Simulation training in laser safety education: the use of technical and non-technical skills simulation in a comprehensive laser safety course
Authors: Hall C , Okhovat S , Milner T D , Montgomery J , Hitchings A , Kunanandam T , Clement W A
Published: July 2019

Objective

The completion of a laser safety course remains a core surgical curriculum requirement for otolaryngologists training in the UK. This project aimed to develop a comprehensive laser safety course utilising both technical and non-technical skills simulation.

Methods

Otolaryngology trainees and consultants from the West of Scotland Deanery attended a 1-day course comprising lectures, two high-fidelity simulation scenarios and a technical simulation of safe laser use in practice.

Results

The course, and in particular the use of simulation training, received excellent feedback from otolaryngology trainees and consultants who participated. Both simulation scenarios were validated for future use in laser simulation.

Conclusion

The course has been recognised as a laser safety course sufficient for the otolaryngology Certificate of Completion of Training. To the authors’ knowledge, this article represents the first description of using in situ non-technical skills simulation training for teaching laser use in otolaryngology.
Free sugars
Authors: Macdonald Ian A.
Published: July 2019

It is clear that the sugars component of the diet has potentially deleterious effects on health. In the past, the dietary sugars were collectively referred to as non-milk extrinsic sugars (UK) or added sugars. The WHO first proposed a new term, free sugars, which is rather broader than added sugars, and also includes the sugars in fruit juices and purees, as well as honey and syrups. This review considers the potential problems that free sugars represent in relation to health risks, and the recent proposals that free sugars are a more appropriate focus than added or total as far as public health initiatives are concerned. This will require major activities in relation to measurement, labelling and communication to the consumer if attempts to reduce dietary free sugars content are to be successful.
Stratifying major depressive disorder by polygenic risk for schizophrenia in relation to structural brain measures
Authors: Harris Mathew A. , Shen Xueyi , Cox Simon R. , Gibson Jude , Adams Mark J. , Clarke Toni-Kim , Deary Ian J. , Lawrie Stephen M. , McIntosh Andrew M. , Whalley Heather C.
Published: July 2019

Background

Substantial clinical heterogeneity of major depressive disorder (MDD) suggests it may group together individuals with diverse aetiologies. Identifying distinct subtypes should lead to more effective diagnosis and treatment, while providing more useful targets for further research. Genetic and clinical overlap between MDD and schizophrenia (SCZ) suggests an MDD subtype may share underlying mechanisms with SCZ.

Methods

The present study investigated whether a neurobiologically distinct subtype of MDD could be identified by SCZ polygenic risk score (PRS). We explored interactive effects between SCZ PRS and MDD case/control status on a range of cortical, subcortical and white matter metrics among 2370 male and 2574 female UK Biobank participants.

Results

There was a significant SCZ PRS by MDD interaction for rostral anterior cingulate cortex (RACC) thickness (β= 0.191,q= 0.043). This was driven by apositiveassociation between SCZ PRS and RACC thickness among MDD cases (β= 0.098,p= 0.026), compared to a negative association among controls (β= −0.087,p= 0.002). MDD cases with low SCZ PRS showed thinner RACC, although the opposite difference for high-SCZ-PRS cases was not significant. There were nominal interactions for other brain metrics, but none remained significant after correcting for multiple comparisons.

Conclusions

Our significant results indicate that MDD case-control differences in RACC thickness vary as a function of SCZ PRS. Although this was not the case for most other brain measures assessed, our specific findings still provide some further evidence that MDD in the presence of high genetic risk for SCZ is subtly neurobiologically distinct from MDD in general.
Temporal aspects of wellbeing in later life: gardening among older African Americans in Detroit
Authors: Robbins Jessica C. , Seibel Kimberly A.
Published: July 2019

Gardening has well-established physical, social and emotional benefits for older adults in varied circumstances. In Detroit, Michigan (United States of America), as in many cities, policy makers, funders, researchers, community organisations and residents regard gardening as a means of transforming bodies, persons, communities, cities and broader polities. We draw on ethnographic research conducted during one gardening season with 27 older African Americans in Detroit to foreground the social dimensions of wellbeing in later life and thus develop a more robust and nuanced understanding of gardening's benefits for older adults. Based on anthropological understandings of personhood and kinship, this article expands concepts of wellbeing to include social relations across multiple scales (individual, interpersonal, community, state) and temporalities (of the activity itself, experiences of ageing, city life). Even when performed alone, gardening fosters connections with the past, as gardeners are reminded of deceased loved ones through practices and the plants themselves, and with the future, through engagement with youth and community. Elucidating intimate connections and everyday activities of older African American long-term city residents counters anti-black discourses of ‘revitalisation’. An expansive concept of wellbeing has implications for understanding the generative potential of meaningful social relations in later life and the vitality contributed by older adults living in contexts of structural inequality.
First-generation circular migrants involved in the upbringing of their grandchildren: the case of Turkish immigrants in Germany
Authors: Tezcan Tolga
Published: July 2019

Following retirement, older immigrants increasingly tend to engage in circular migration. This back-and-forth movement introduces a variety of challenges affecting the nature of grandparenthood as well as grandparental involvement in the upbringing of grandchildren. For circular migrant grandparents, maintaining intergenerational relationships requires them to overcome not only geographic distances, but also linguistic and cultural differences. In families with circular migrant grandparents, intergenerational conflict often springs from disparate generational exposure to acculturation processes, producing divergent aspirations within the first and second generations regarding the upbringing of the third generation. This study explores how first-generation Turkish circular migrant grandparents attempt to raise grandchildren who reside in Germany by implementing ‘cultural and instrumental transfers’. This study undertakes a qualitative approach: semi-structured interviews with a purposive sample of first-generation Turkish circular migrant grandparents (N = 40). The analysis finds that child-care assistance is characterised by intergenerational conflict – rather than solidarity or altruistic support – between the first and second generations. Moreover, through transnational arranged marriages, as a cultural transfer, andinter vivosgifts, as an instrumental transfer, grandparents encourage their grandchildren to return to Turkey permanently.
The Uneasy Interplay of Forces in the Plays of García Lorca
Authors: Anderson Andrew A.
Published: July 2019

In this essay Andrew Anderson proposes that all Lorca’s plays share certain commonalities: his protagonists invariably find themselves in some kind of predicament or dilemma, and it always turns out that there is no favourable solution to the position in which they find themselves. A number of diverse and, on the face of it, conflicting factors play into creating these dramatic situations: family, society, gender, psychology, as well as more metaphysical elements that suggest aspects of existentialism. Here, the characters and plots of four of Lorca’s best-known plays from the 1930s are analyzed to demonstrate the various ways in which these disparate factors combine to produce what are usually tragic outcomes. Andrew Anderson is Professor of Spanish in the Department of Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese at the University of Virginia. He has published extensively on the work of García Lorca and the Spanish historical avant-garde, most recently La recepción de las vanguardias extranjeras en España: cubismo, futurismo, dadá. Estudio y ensayo de bibliografía (Seville: Renacimiento, 2018).