bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Naps reliably estimate nocturnal sleep spindle density in health and schizophrenia
Authors: Mylonas Dimitrios , Tocci Catherine , Coon William G. , Baran Bengi , Kohnke Erin J. , Zhu Lin , Vangel Mark G. , Stickgold Robert , Manoach Dara S.
Published: December 2019

Sleep spindles, defining oscillations of non‐rapid eye movement stage 2 sleep (N2), mediate memory consolidation. Spindle density (spindles/minute) is a stable, heritable feature of the sleep electroencephalogram. In schizophrenia, reduced spindle density correlates with impaired sleep‐dependent memory consolidation and is a promising treatment target. Measuring sleep spindles is also important for basic studies of memory. However, overnight sleep studies are expensive, time consuming and require considerable infrastructure. Here we investigated whether afternoon naps can reliably and accurately estimate nocturnal spindle density in health and schizophrenia. Fourteen schizophrenia patients and eight healthy controls had polysomnography during two overnights and three afternoon naps. Although spindle density was lower during naps than nights, the two measures were highly correlated. For both groups, naps and nights provided highly reliable estimates of spindle density. We conclude that naps provide an accurate, reliable and more scalable alternative to measuring spindle density overnight.
Multi‐Word Expressions in Second Language Writing: A Large‐Scale Longitudinal Learner Corpus Study
Authors: Siyanova‐Chanturia Anna , Spina Stefania
Published: December 2019

In the present study, we sought to advance the field of learner corpus research by tracking the development of phrasal vocabulary in essays produced at two different points in time. To this aim, we employed a large pool of second language (L2) learners (N= 175) from three proficiency levels—beginner, elementary, and intermediate—and focused on an underrepresented L2 (Italian). Employing mixed‐effects models, a flexible and powerful tool for corpus data analysis, we analyzed learner combinations in terms of five different measures: phrase frequency, mutual information, lexical gravity, delta Pforward, and delta Pbackward. Our findings suggest a complex picture, in which higher proficiency and greater exposure to the L2 do not result in more idiomatic and targetlike output, and may, in fact, result in greater reliance on low frequency combinations whose constituent words are non‐associated or mutually attracted.
The Many Shades of Bilingualism: Language Experiences Modulate Adaptations in Brain Structure
Authors: Pliatsikas Christos , DeLuca Vincent , Voits Toms
Published: December 2019

Recent years have seen an expansion in the research related to structural brain adaptations related to the acquisition and processing of additional languages. However, the accumulating evidence remains to a great extent inconsistent, with a large variety of cortical, subcortical, and cerebellar effects reported in various studies. Here we propose that the variability in the data can be explained by the differences in the language background and experiences of the tested samples. We also propose that the field should move away from monolithic bilingual versus monolingual comparisons; instead, it should focus on the experiences of the bilingual groups as predictors of structural changes in the brain, and also employ longitudinal designs to test the dynamic effects of active bilingualism. The implications of the proposed approaches for the suggested benefits of bilingualism on ageing and patient populations are also discussed.
Buying Amendments? Lobbyists' Campaign Contributions and Microlegislation in the Creation of the Affordable Care Act
Authors: McKay Amy Melissa
Published: December 2019

When do campaign contributions matter? This article advances the claim that a group that gives campaign contributions to US Members of Congress is more likely to achieve legislative success when (1) a single legislator can deliver to the group (2) a private benefit (3) without attracting negative attention. Using an original data set based on the written comments of nearly 900 interest groups lobbying the US Senate Finance Committee on health reform legislation in 2009, I link group requests to corresponding legislation. The analysis shows a significant relationship between lobby groups' campaign contributions and their legislative success, and at distinct units of analysis—the group, the side, and the group‐senator dyad. The relationship is particularly strong in predicting senators’ amendments in committee. The rare data presented here offer compelling evidence that interest groups' legislative victories are sometimes connected to campaign contributions in a way that previous studies could not identify.
Unconfined shock experiments: A pilot study into the shock‐induced melting and devolatilization of calcite
Authors: Hörz Friedrich , Cintala Mark J. , Thomas‐Keprta Kathie L. , Ross Daniel K. , Clemett Simon J.
Published: December 2019

We shocked calcite in an unconfined environment by launching small marble cylinders at 0.8–5.5 km s−1 into aluminum or copper plates, producing shock stresses between 5 and 79 GPa. The resulting 5–20 mm craters contained intimately mixed clastic and molten projectile residues over the entire pressure range, with melting commencing already at 5 GPa. Stoichiometrically pure calcite melts were not observed as all melts contained target metal. Some of these residues were distinctly depleted in CO2 and some contained even tiny CaO crystals, thus illustrating partial to complete loss of CO2. We interpret a thin seam of finely crystalline calcite to be the product of back reactions between CaO and CO2. The amount of carbonate residue in these craters, especially those at low velocities (<2 km s−1), is dramatically less than that of silicate impactors in similar cratering experiments, and we suggest that this is due to substantial outgassing of CO2. Similarly, the volume of carbonate melts relative to the volume of limestone or dolomite in many terrestrial crater structures seems insignificant as well, as is the volume of carbonate melt compared to the volume of impact melts derived from silicates. These volume considerations suggest that volatilization of CO2 is the dominant process in carbonate‐containing targets. Because we have difficulties in explaining naturally occurring calcite melts by shock processes in dolomite‐dominated targets, we speculate—essentially via process of elimination—that such carbonate melt blebs might be condensation products from an impact‐produced vapor cloud.
The Influence of Belief in Offender Redeemability and Decision‐Making Competence on Receptivity to Restorative Justice
Authors: Paul Gregory D.
Published: December 2019

Restorative justice (RJ) processes offer a way to address multifaceted harms caused by wrongdoing. Yet, questions remain about people’s attitudes toward restorative processes such as victim–offender conferences (VOCs) and the factors that influence those attitudes. This study examined whether beliefs about youth and adult redeemability and decision‐making competence influence perceptions of justice outcomes, VOC effectiveness, VOC appropriateness, VOC support, and VOC participation willingness. Analysis of survey data gathered from 207 participants through Amazon MTurk suggests that perceived redeemability and to a lesser extent decision‐making competence significantly shape outcome‐ and process‐related beliefs and evaluations. Namely, the more people believe that offenders are redeemable, the more they are likely to support restorative outcomes, perceive VOCs to be effective and appropriate, support the use of VOCs, and be willing to participate in a VOC. The study’s findings are useful for potentially shaping people’s understanding of and support for RJ.
Institutional Origins of the US–China Trade War: The Concurrence of America's Limited Legal Leverage and China's Overproduction
Authors: Kim Youcheer , Kim Yongshin
Published: December 2019

This paper examines why the United States and China could not accommodate their trade disputes within the framework of the World Trade Organization (WTO), which now escalated into a rhetorical and retaliatory tariff war. The existing literature, which assumes the dominance of US institutional power in the WTO litigation process, has not anticipated the administration's current gambit that has ignited a trade war with China. Specifically, many liberal‐minded pundits and public alike were puzzled by the United States imposing self‐destructive tariff measures against the WTO rules, despite the WTO still remains as an effective tool and resource for America's trade policies. Against such a backdrop, this paper claims that the concurrence of America's limited legal leverage in the WTO and China's domestic industrial structure that induces overproduction substantially explains the puzzle. To support this central claim, the paper conducts a comparative case analysis of US–China disputes in two industrial domains: steelmaking and renewable energy, including solar photovoltaic (PV) power and wind power. Despite contrasting domestic industrial structures and sectoral characteristics, the case study shows a similar pattern present in China's successful legal maneuvers and US strategic failures. Furthermore, the study also reveals the structural causes of overproduction beyond the Chinese central authority's managerial capacity.
The Evolving Geopolitical Landscape in the Post‐Arbitration South China Sea
Authors: Yilmaz (Shifan Yao) Serafettin , Liu Fu‐Kuo
Published: December 2019

This research offers a policy analysis of the post‐Arbitration geopolitics in the South China Sea (SCS). It aims, first, to lay out the particular internal and external factors that have led to noticeable changes in the Philippines and Vietnam's SCS policies, and, second, to explore the implications of the ongoing shift in the regional politics for the East Asian strategic landscape. In this regard, two distinct tendencies with respect to geopolitical transformations are highlighted: while some actors are observed to put more emphasis on security and seek strategic diversification, others appear to put more emphasis on development and seek economic diversification.
Does a two‐minute mini‐fluid challenge predict fluid responsiveness in pediatric patients under general anesthesia?
Authors: Zorio Violette , Lebreton Thibault , Desgranges François-Pierrick , Bochaton Thomas , Desebbe Olivier , Chassard Dominique , Jacquet-Lagrèze Matthias , Lilot Marc
Published: December 2019

Background

Very little evidence for predictive markers of fluid responsiveness has been reported in children as compared to adults. The impact of hypovolemia or hypervolemia on morbidity has driven interest in the fluid challenge titration strategy.

Aim

The objective of this study was to explore the ability of a 3 mL kg−1 mini‐fluid challenge over 2 minutes to predict fluid responsiveness in children under controlled ventilation.

Methods

Children scheduled for surgery under general anesthesia were included and received a fluid challenge of 15 mL kg−1 of crystalloid prior to incision administered over 10 minutes in two steps: 3 mL kg−1 over 2 minutes then 12 mL kg−1 over 8 minutes. Fluid responsiveness was defined as a change of ≥10% in cardiac output estimated by left ventricular outflow tract velocity time integral (VTI) as measured by transthoracic ultrasound before and after the fluid challenge of 15 mL kg−1.

Results

Of the 55 patients included in the analysis, 43 were fluid responders. The increase in the VTI after the mini‐fluid challenge (ΔVTIminiFC) predicted fluid responsiveness with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.77; 95% CI (0.63‐0.87), P = .004. Considering the least significant change which was 7.9%; 95% CI (6‐10), the threshold was 8% with a sensitivity of 53%; 95% CI (38‐68); and a specificity of 77%; 95% CI (54‐100).

Conclusion

ΔVTIminiFC weakly predicted the effects of a fluid challenge of 15 mL kg−1 of crystalloid in anesthetized children under controlled mechanical ventilation.
Quantifying the Economic Impact of Hydraulic Fracturing Proppant Selection in Light of Occupational Exposure Risk and Functional Requirements
Authors: Agrawal Sidharth , Gernand Jeremy M.
Published: December 2019

Selection of an effective and economic proppant material for hydraulic fracturing is an important design choice to optimize the production of oil and natural gas. Proppants are made of silica (quartz sand), alumina, resin‐coated silica, ceramics, and others. These materials can be toxic to varying degrees and lead to health problems in the employees handling them primarily due to inhalation exposure. Proppants are selected based on grain size, shape, strength, and cost. Current use is dominated by crystalline silica—the proppant that also has the greatest hazard as an inhalation toxin. Existing research describes the effect of silica on human health, but little research has been done to determine the risk‐reduction and social‐cost‐effectiveness associated with using alternative proppants in light of the health risks. This study quantifies the relative risks or benefits to human health by the use of these proppants through an economic analysis considering the health‐related economic impact and its technical attributes. Results show that the use of each ton of silica proppant results in $123 of external costs from fatalities and nonfatal illness arising due to exposure to silica for a crew handing 60,000 tons of proppants. If these health‐related externalities were incorporated into the cost, silica proppant could be economically replaced by less harmful, more expensive alternatives for hydraulic fracturing crews handling less than 60,000 tons of proppant each year.
Characterization of the Rapanui mass‐transport deposit and the basal shear zone: Mount Messenger Formation, Taranaki Basin, New Zealand
Authors: Cardona Sebastian , Wood Lesli J. , Dugan Brandon , Jobe Zane , Strachan Lorna J.
Published: December 2019

Submarine mass‐transport deposits are important in many ancient and modern basins. Mass‐transport deposits can play a significant role in exploration as reservoir, seal or source units. Although seismic data has advanced the knowledge about these deposits, more outcrop studies are needed to better understand gravity mass flows and predict the properties of their resultant deposits. It is proposed that sufficiently well‐exposed outcrops of mass‐transport deposits can be divided into three strain‐dominant morphodomains: headwall, translational and toe. The outcrops of the Rapanui mass‐transport deposit, part of the Lower Mount Messenger Formation in the Taranaki Basin, New Zealand, are exposed along a ca 4 km transect in coastal cliffs that enable the identification of the three morphodomains. The aim of this study is to characterize the stratigraphic and sedimentological nature of the Miocene‐age Rapanui mass‐transport deposit outcrops and the evolution of its basal shear zone. The basal shear zone of a mass‐transport deposit is defined as the stratal zone formed in the interface between the overriding mass flow and the underlying in situ deposits or sea floor. Accordingly, the deformation structures in the Rapanui mass‐transport deposit and the basal shear zone were documented in an established spatial framework. Traditional methodologies were used to characterize the sedimentology of the Rapanui mass‐transport deposit. Data collected from intrafolial folds, rafted blocks and samples from the Rapanui mass‐transport deposit were used to investigate strain and matrix texture evolution, estimate palaeoflow direction, and calculate yield strength and overpressure at time of deposition. Additionally, a one‐dimensional numerical model was used to test sedimentation‐driven overpressure as probable trigger. This work demonstrates that the basal shear zone, as well as the matrix texture of a mass‐transport deposit, can vary spatially as sediments from underlying deposits are entrained during shear‐derived mixing. This phenomenon can impact the seal potential of mass‐transport deposits and their interaction with fluids in the subsurface.
The bright and dark sides of motivation as predictors of enjoyment, intention, and exercise persistence
Authors: Rodrigues Filipe , Teixeira Diogo Santos , Neiva Henrique Pereira , Cid Luís , Monteiro Diogo
Published: December 2019

Objective

The present study aimed to examine the bright and dark sides of motivation, based on self‐determination theory, as predictors of enjoyment, intention to continue exercising, and exercise persistence. In addition, we analyzed the mediation role of each variable and tested the model invariance between male and female exercisers.

Methods

A total of 575 gym exercisers (female = 230) aged between 18 and 65 years (M = 34.07; SD = 11.47) participated in this study. All participants had at least 6 months of regular exercise practice; exercise frequency of the participants ranged from 2 to 7 sessions per week (M = 3.52; SD = 1.28) and training sessions lasted approximately 30 and 120 minutes (M = 61.54; SD = 17.64). Participants completed a multisection questionnaire assessing interpersonal behaviors, basic psychological needs satisfaction and frustration, behavioral regulations, enjoyment, and intentions to continue exercising. Exercise persistence was assessed 6 months after initial assessment using gym computer system attendance records. Several analyses, namely, confirmatory factor analysis, structural equation modeling, serial mediation analysis, and structural invariance testing, were performed to increase theoretical and empirical knowledge.

Results

Positive associations were observed among the bright side of motivation, enjoyment, intention to continue exercising, and persistence. On the other hand, the dark side of motivation was negatively associated with the bright side constructs, enjoyment, intention, and exercise persistence. Both measurement [χ2(370) = 1496.708, χ2/df = 4.05; B‐S P < .001, CFI = 0.907, TLI = 0.901, SRMR = 0.056, RMSEA = 0.073 (CI 90% = 0.063, 0.083)] and structural models [χ2(393) = 2484.994, χ2/df = 6.323; B‐S P < .001, CFI = 0.908, TLI = 0.900, SRMR = 0.075, RMSEA = 0.071 (CI 90% = 0.067, 0.075)] displayed acceptable fit to the data. The results also showed that basic psychological needs satisfaction, autonomous motivation, enjoyment, and intention to continue exercising were significant mediators. However, enjoyment had the highest effect on exercise persistence. In addition, structural model invariance was confirmed between male and female exercisers.

Conclusion

Motivational determinants have implications for predicting emotional, cognitive, and behavior‐related outcomes. Individuals should perceive exercise instructors as supportive and exercising as a fun activity to endorse long‐term exercise persistence.
Repeated measurements of facial skin characteristics using the Janus‐Ⅲ measurement system
Authors: Leem Sangseob , Chang Junghwa , Kim Yunkwan , Shin Joong‐Gon , Song Hae Jung , Lee Seo‐Gyeong , Yoo Suji , Lee Jinyong , Myoung Joonoh , Park Sun Gyoo , Kang Nae Gyu
Published: December 2019

Background

For personalized skin care, noninvasive quantitative methods to evaluate facial skin characteristics are important. Janus‐III is one of the most widely used imaging analysis devices in the skin care industry in Korea. Janus‐III generates values for a range of skin characteristics. Due to the convenience of obtaining results for a variety of skin characteristics in a single measurement, the use of Janus‐III in cosmetic stores and research institutes has been recently increasing. However, the consistency of skin measurements of Janus‐III has not been elucidated yet.

Materials and Methods

In this study, we repeated skin measurements three times for 70 different subjects and compared each numerical value in order to assess the consistency of the Janus‐III. For this purpose, we compared between‐sample distances and within‐sample distances.

Results

We found important patterns for future analyses in terms of consistency. First, the average values of skin measurement categories were more reliable than individual part values of facial segments. Second, center part values such as forehead and nose were more reliable than side part values such as left and right part segments.

Conclusion

If researchers who use Janus‐III for studies of facial characteristics analyze average and center part values first, they can obtain relatively reliable patterns of facial skin characteristics.
HLA‐C*07:154, an HLA‐C*07 variant, detected in a Taiwanese blood donor
Authors: Yang Kuo‐Liang , Lin Py‐Yu
Published: December 2019

One nucleotide replacement in codon 161 of HLA‐C*07:02:01:01 results in a novel allele, HLA‐C*07:154.
A suspected septic transfusion reaction associated with posttransfusion contamination of a platelet pool by vancomycin‐resistant Enterococcus faecium
Authors: Drews Steven J. , Lesley Peter , Detsky Michael E. , Distefano Lanis , Ilagan Cesario , Mehta Sangeeta , McGeer Allison , Shehata Nadine , Skeate Robert , Ramirez‐Arcos Sandra
Published: December 2019

BACKGROUND

Vancomycin‐resistant enterococci (VRE) are antibiotic‐resistant organisms associated with both colonization and serious life‐threatening infection in health care settings. Contamination of platelet concentrates (PCs) with Enterococcus can result in transfusion‐transmitted infection.

CASE PRESENTATION

This report describes the investigation of a septic transfusion case involving a 27‐year‐old male patient with relapsed acute leukemia who was transfused with a 5‐day‐old buffy coat PC pool and developed fever and rigors.

DISCUSSION

Microbiology testing and pulse‐field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) was done on patient blood cultures obtained from peripheral and central lines. Microbiology and molecular testing were also performed on the remaining posttransfusion PC pool, which was refrigerated for 24 hours before microbiology testing. Red blood cell (RBC) and plasma units associated with the implicated PCs were screened for microbial contamination. Patient blood cultures obtained from peripheral and central lines yielded vancomycin‐resistant Enterococcus faecium. Gram stain of a sample from the platelet pool was negative but coagulase‐negative Staphylococcus (CNST) and VRE were isolated on culture. Antibiotic sensitivity and PFGE profiles of several VRE isolates from the patient before and after transfusion, and the PC pool, revealed that all were closely related. Associated RBC and plasma components tested negative for microbial contamination.

CONCLUSIONS

Microbiological and molecular investigations showed a relationship between VRE isolated from the patient before and after transfusion, and therefore it is postulated that a patient‐to‐PC retrograde contamination (from either blood or skin) occurred. As the CNST isolated from the PC pool was not isolated from patient samples, its implication in the transfusion event is unknown.
Occult otitis media in dogs with chronic otitis externa – magnetic resonance imaging and association with otoscopic and cytological findings
Authors: Lorek Andrea , Dennis Ruth , van Dijk Jan , Bannoehr Jeanette
Published: December 2019

Background

Identification of perpetuating factors, such as otitis media (OM), is important for the successful management of canine chronic otitis externa (OE).

Hypothesis/Objectives

Occult OM can occur in cases of chronic OE; a focused magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examination is a useful tool in their management.

Animals

One hundred twenty one client‐owned dogs presented for investigation and treatment of chronic OE between 2009 and 2018.

Methods and materials

Mixed retrospective (74 dogs) and prospective (47 dogs) study of chronic OE cases without neurological signs, describing the MRI, otoscopic and cytological findings; comparing cases with and without MRI evidence of OM.

Results

A total of 123 MRI studies were analysed (two dogs scanned twice). A short, focused MRI scan allowed detection of inflammation of the mucosal bulla lining as well as excellent discrimination between avascular material and vascularised soft tissue in the tympanic cavity. OM was found in 41 of 197 (21%) ears with chronic otitis externa. On otoscopy, the tympanic membrane was intact in six of 41 ears (15%), ruptured in 16 of 41 (39%) and not visible in 14 of 41 (34%) [no data in five of 41 (12%)]. Analysis of cytological findings showed that the presence of rods was only associated with an increased likelihood of OM when found together with inflammatory cells.

Conclusions and clinical importance

Occult OM is a not uncommon finding on MRI of dogs with chronic OE. A targeted MRI study (“bulla mini‐scan”) may be useful as part of the clinical investigations.
A New Three-Dimensional Moving Timoshenko Beam Element for Moving Load Problem Analysis
Authors: Xu Yan , Zhu Weidong , Fan Wei , Yang Caijing , Zhang Weihua
Published: December 2019

A new three-dimensional moving Timoshenko beam element is developed for dynamic analysis of a moving load problem with a very long beam structure. The beam has small deformations and rotations, and bending, shear, and torsional deformations of the beam are considered. Since the dynamic responses of the beam are concentrated on a small region around the moving load and most of the long beam is at rest, owing to the damping effect, the beam is truncated with a finite length. A control volume that is attached to the moving load is introduced, which encloses the truncated beam, and a reference coordinate system is established on the left end of the truncated beam. The arbitrary Lagrangian–Euler method is used to describe the relationship of the position of a particle on the beam between the reference coordinate system and the global coordinate system. The truncated beam is spatially discretized using the current beam elements. Governing equations of a moving element are derived using Lagrange’s equations. While the whole beam needs to be discretized in the finite element method or modeled in the modal superposition method (MSM), only the truncated beam is discretized in the current formulation, which greatly reduces degrees-of-freedom and increases the efficiency. Furthermore, the efficiency of the present beam element is independent of the moving load speed, and the critical or supercritical speed range of the moving load can be analyzed through the present method. After the validation of the current formulation, a dynamic analysis of three-dimensional train–track interaction with a non-ballasted track is conducted. Results are in excellent agreement with those from the commercial software simpack where the MSM is used, and the calculation time of the current formulation is one-third of that of simpack. The current beam element is accurate and more efficient than the MSM for moving load problems of long three-dimensional beams. The derivation of the current beam element is straightforward, and the beam element can be easily extended for various other moving load problems.
A New Sampling Approach for the Multi-Scale Design of Metallic Materials
Authors: Acar Pinar
Published: December 2019

We present a new sampling method for the multi-scale design of polycrystalline materials, which improves the computational time efficiency compared to the existing computational approaches. The solution strategy aims to find microstructure designs that optimize component-scale mechanical properties. The microstructure is represented with a probabilistic texture descriptor that quantifies the volume fractions of different crystallographic orientations. However, the original microstructure design space is high-dimensional and thus optimization in this domain is not favorable. Instead, we generate property closures, which are the reduced spaces of volume-averaged material properties that are computed in terms of the microstructural texture descriptors. We observe that the traditional design approaches which are based on sampling in the original microstructure space and sampling on the property closure are inefficient as they lead to highly concentrated design samples in the solution space. Therefore, we introduce a new sampling method in the property closure, which creates simplexes using the triangulation of the property hull and then generating samples for each simplex. Example problems include the optimization of Galfenol and α-titanium microstructures to improve non-linear material properties. The new sampling approach is shown to obtain better solutions while decreasing the required computational time compared to the previous microstructure design methods.
A Strongly Coupled Finite Difference Method–Finite Element Method Model for Two-Dimensional Elastohydrodynamically Lubricated Contact
Authors: Peterson Wyatt , Russell Thomas , Sadeghi Farshid , Berhan Michael Tekletsion
Published: December 2019

This paper presents a partitioned strongly coupled fluid–solid interaction (FSI) model to solve the 2D elastohydrodynamic (EHD) lubrication problem. The FSI model passes information between a control volume finite-difference discretized Reynolds equation and abaqus finite element (fe) software to solve for the fluid pressure and elastic deformation within heavily loaded lubricated contacts. Pressure and film thickness results obtained from the FSI model under a variety of load and speed conditions were corroborated with open published results. The results are in excellent agreement. Details of the model developed for this investigation are presented with a focus on the simultaneous solution of the Reynolds equation, load balance, and the coupling of the solid abaqus fe with the finite-difference fluid (Reynolds) model. The coupled FSI model developed for this investigation provides the critical venue needed to investigate many important tribological phenomena such as plasticity, subsurface stress, and damage. The current FSI model was used to explore and demonstrate the efficacy of the model to investigate the effects of microstructure inhomogeneity, material fatigue damage, and surface features on heavily loaded lubricated contacts as can be found in a wide range of industrial, automotive, and aeronautical drive systems.
Investigation on the Evolution of the Coal Macromolecule in the Process of Combustion With the Molecular Dynamics Method
Authors: Xu Bonan , Jin Hanhui , Li Hanqing , Guo Yu , Fan Jianren
Published: December 2019

It is reported that a three-dimensional cross-linked macromolecular structure with heterogeneous inorganic and organic compositions widely exists in coal particles. The macromolecules usually represent the rank transition of more than 75% of the carbon (C) content of coal particles. In order to know the coal combustion process better, it is important to specifically study the evolution of the coal macromolecule during combustion. In this paper, the structural evolution and the detailed oxidization reactions of a coal macromolecule during the process of combustion are numerically studied with the reactive force field (ReaxFF) molecular dynamics (MD) method, in which the carbon (C) and hydrogen (H) atoms are fully oxidized to CO2 and H2O, respectively. It is found that the coal macromolecule experiences three main stages sequentially: the cleavage, the ring opening, and the oxidation. The heteroatoms (O, N, and S) inside the coal macromolecule are found to play important roles throughout the whole combustion process. The detailed chemical reactions with their occurrence frequencies show that the chemical reactions with O2 mainly occur in C1–4 fragments, and the C1–2–H–O fragments widely exist in the system before they are finally oxidized to CO or CO2.
Ultraviolet light-emitting diode arrays using Ga-doped ZnO as current spreading layer
Authors: Bi Wu-Liang , Lee Wei-Hao , Yeh Hsin-Hao , Wu Meng-Chyi
Published: December 2019

In this article, the authors investigate the fabrication and characterization of the 4 × 4 GaN-based ultraviolet (UV) light-emitting diode (LED) array with a pixel size of 200 × 200 μm2 and a pitch of 200 μm. For comparison, the single broad-area LED with a size of 400 × 400 μm2 is also fabricated from the same epitaxial wafer as a reference. The Ga-doped ZnO (GZO) film is used as a current spreading layer onto the ultraviolet LEDs to enhance the light output power. The GZO film with a thickness of 100 nm was deposited by atomic layer deposition (ALD) and has an electron concentration of ∼8 × 1020 cm−3, a low resistivity of ∼4 × 10−4 Ω cm, and a high transmittance of ∼84% in the near UV wavelength range. The ALD-GZO film was also used as the internal wires to connect the pixels of an LED array. The LEDs have a peak wavelength of 370 nm with a slight redshift at higher injection currents. The 4 × 4 LED array has a better performance in the maximum light output power density of 7.25 W/cm2 at 240 mA and a highly linear light output power to injection current, while the broad-area LED only exhibits the maximum light output power density of 1.34 W/cm2 at 70 mA. The single pixel of a 4 × 4 UV LED array reveals a maximum light output power density of 7.25 W/cm2 at 240 mA and a wider divergence angle of 137°, which are better than the broad-area LED of 1.34 W/cm2 at 70 mA and 128°, respectively. Finally, the authors show the demonstration of photos of an 8 × 8 LED array.
The Causal Effect of Voluntary Roles in Sport on Subjective Well-Being in European Countries
Authors: Wicker Pamela , Downward Paul
Published: December 2019

This study examines the causal effect of different voluntary roles in sport on individuals’ subjective well-being. Theoretically, volunteering can affect well-being through various mechanisms, including enjoyment, new contacts, skill development, exercising altruism, and relational goods. The empirical analysis uses data from 28 European countries (n = 52,957). Subjective well-being is measured with self-reported life satisfaction. The number of administrative roles (e.g., board or committee member, administrative tasks), sport-related roles (e.g., coach, instructor, referee), and operational roles (e.g., organize a sport event, provide transport) capture volunteering. The results of linear regression models support the positive relationship between volunteering and subjective well-being as evident in existing research. However, instrumental variable estimates reveal that only the number of operational roles has a significant positive effect on well-being, whereas the effects of administrative and sport-related roles are jointly significantly negative. The findings of this study have implications for sport organizations and policy makers.
Outlier of Trenton Group limestones (Ordovician) and Clinch Sandstone (Silurian) and associated unconformities in the Tellico-Sevier syncline, Blount County, Tennessee, identified on the basis of conodont biostratigraphy
Authors: Haynes John T. , Leslie Stephen A. , Herrmann Achim D. , Long Nathan T.
Published: December 2019

A laterally discontinuous sandstone at the south end of the Tellico-Sevier syncline in Blount County, Tennessee, was mapped in 1955 by Robert Neuman and in 1965 by Neuman and Willis Nelson of the U.S. Geological Survey as a “quartzite” that they considered to be the uppermost bed of the Bays Formation (Ordovician). On the basis of new mapping and conodont biostratigraphy, lithostratigraphy, and regional K-bentonite correlations, this sandstone, a distinctive quartz arenite, is reassigned to and correlated with the Clinch Sandstone (Silurian). At the Harrison Branch section (HBRA) in Blount County, in an exposure near the confluence of Harrison Branch and the Little Tennessee River, this sandstone underlies the Devonian Chattanooga Shale, and it overlies ~43 m of gray limestones and shales that are themselves above the red clastic and minor carbonate rocks of the Bays Formation. The limestones and shales between the Bays Formation and this sandstone crop out on a wooded hillside and were apparently not observed by Neuman and Nelson during their mapping of the region.

We measured the HBRA section, collected 20 samples from the limestone interval, and processed them for conodonts. These limestones contain a definitive Late Ordovician (Katian) conodont fauna that includes Drepanoistodus suberectus, Plectodina tenuis, Panderodus gracilis, and Phragmodus undatus. On the basis of this fauna, the 40+ m of limestone between the youngest red beds of unequivocal Bays Formation (below) and the quartz arenite (above) can be assigned to the Ordovician P. tenuis zone or younger, making them correlative regionally with limestones of the Trenton Group. Using these new biostratigraphic data combined with existing tephrostratigraphic relations of Ordovician K-bentonites, we identify the overlying sandstone at the HBRA section as an erosional outlier of the Silurian Clinch Sandstone, and we correlate the Ordovician-Silurian-Devonian unconformities at these two localities, which are now better constrained, with unconformities A through F in the Silurian and Devonian of this region, as identified and described in detail at several exposures north and northwest of the Tellico-Sevier syncline, most prominently at outcrops near Wytheville, Seven Mile Ford, and Max Meadows in southwest Virginia, where Devonian strata unconformably overlie Ordovician strata.
Geophysical characterization of a Proterozoic REE terrane at Mountain Pass, eastern Mojave Desert, California, USA
Authors: Denton Kevin M. , Ponce David A. , Peacock Jared R. , Miller David M.
Published: December 2019

Mountain Pass, California (USA), located in the eastern Mojave Desert, hosts one of the world’s richest rare earth element (REE) deposits. The REE-rich terrane occurs in a 2.5-km-wide, northwest-trending belt of Mesoproterozoic (1.4 Ga) stocks and dikes, which intrude a larger Paleoproterozoic (1.7 Ga) metamorphic block that extends ∼10 km southward from Clark Mountain to the eastern Mescal Range. To characterize the REE terrane, gravity, magnetic, magnetotelluric, and whole-rock physical property data were analyzed. Geophysical data reveal that the Mountain Pass carbonatite body is associated with an ∼5 mGal local gravity high that is superimposed on a gravity terrace (∼4 km wide) caused by granitic Paleoproterozoic host rocks. Physical rock property data indicate that the Mountain Pass REE suite is essentially nonmagnetic at the surface with a magnetic susceptibility of 2.0 × 10−3 SI (n = 57), and lower-than-expected magnetizations may be the result of alteration. However, aeromagnetic data indicate that the intrusive suite occurs along the eastern edge of a distinct northwest-trending aeromagnetic high along the eastern Mescal Range. The source of this magnetic anomaly is ∼1.5–2 km below the surface and coincides with an electrical conductivity zone that is several orders of magnitude more conductive than the surrounding rock. The source of the magnetic anomaly is likely a moderately magnetic pluton. Combined geophysical data and models suggest that the carbonatite and its associated REE-enriched ultrapotassic suite were preferentially emplaced along a northwest-trending zone of weakness, which has potential implications for regional mineral exploration.
Native valve endocarditis caused byErysipelothrixRhusiopathiae: presenting with refractory heart failure and requiring surgical valve replacement—report on a rare zoonosis
Authors: Altibi Ahmed M , Khalid Mohammed , Kak Vivek , Patel Brijesh
Published: December 2019

Erysipelothrix Rhusiopathiaeis a Gram-positive bacillus that is ubiquitous in nature. The bacterium is a zoonotic pathogen known to infect wild and domestic animals. Human infections, however, are uncommon and typically present with localised or generalised cutaneous lesions. Systemic infection in the form of bacteraemia with seeding to various organs is the least common form of the disease. Infections in humans tend to be associated with occupational exposure and close contact with animals. Clinical data of a 61-year-old male patient with Gram-positive bacilli bacteraemia andE.Rhusiopathiae-induced endocarditis are presented here. The patient presented with refractory congestive heart failure secondary to severe acute aortic regurgitation mandating surgical valve replacement. The described case has special clinical merit given the lack of fever and leukocytosis, absence of erysipeloid cutaneous manifestations and refractoriness to medical management.E. Rhusiopathiaeshould be considered in the differential diagnosis for Gram-positive bacilli bacteraemia and endocarditis. In the proper clinical setting, occupational exposure and animal contacts are helpful clues to raise suspicion for this bacillus. The high mortality associated with the pathogen should urge for early identification and initiation of antimicrobial treatment.
Is dapsone still relevant in immune thrombocytopenia in resource limited settings?
Authors: Dalal Preeti , Gulia Manisha , Gupta Monica , Tahlan Anita
Published: December 2019

Immune thrombocytopenia is an autoimmune disorder characterised by autoantibody production against platelets, increased platelet destruction and impaired thrombopoiesis. Steroids are the first-line agents whenever treatment is indicated; however, some patients may not respond and the responders may as well relapse while the dose is being tapered. Side effects of steroids prohibits their long-term use and patients often have to be switched to other agents. Standard drug management with intravenous immunoglobulins and thrombopoietin receptor analogues is difficult to administer in patients from low socioeconomic regions of the world making the management even more challenging. Hence, after reviewing the literature and considering the cost in comparison to all the second-line agents available, we tried dapsone in a steroid-dependent patient of immune thrombocytopenic purpura who had developed major steroid-related side effects. Patient showed good response to dapsone and has been in remission for around one and a half years.
Lupus cystitis: unusual cause of renal failure in systemic lupus erythematosus
Authors: John Kevin , Varughese Krupa , Boaz Ranil Johann , George Tarun
Published: December 2019

A 42-year-old woman presented with chronic fever, abdominal pain, intermittent loose stools and dysuria for 3 months. She had recently developed acute dyspnoea with acute kidney injury. She was found to have a contracted, thick-walled bladder with bilateral hydroureteronephrosis. She underwent bilateral percutaneous nephrostomies, following which her renal function recovered. She satisfied the clinical and immunological features of the Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics criteria for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). She was initiated on immunosuppression. Lupus cystitis with a contracted bladder is an uncommon presentation of SLE.
Intestinal ultrasound for monitoring therapeutic response in patients with ulcerative colitis: results from the TRUST&UC study
Authors: Maaser Christian , Petersen Frauke , Helwig Ulf , Fischer Imma , Roessler Alexander , Rath Stefan , Lang Dorothee , Kucharzik Torsten
Published: December 2019

Objective

Prospective evaluation of intestinal ultrasound (IUS) for disease monitoring of patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) in routine medical practice.

Design

TRansabdominal Ultrasonography of the bowel in Subjects with IBD To monitor disease activity with UC (TRUST&UC) was a prospective, observational study at 42 German inflammatory bowel disease-specialised centres representing different care levels. Patients with a diagnosis of a proctosigmoiditis, left-sided colitis or pancolitis currently in clinical relapse (defined as Short Clinical Colitis Activity Index ≥5) were enrolled consecutively. Disease activity and vascularisation within the affected bowel wall areas were assessed by duplex/Colour Doppler ultrasonography.

Results

At baseline, 88.5% (n=224) of the patients had an increased bowel wall thickness (BWT) in the descending or sigmoid colon. Even within the first 2 weeks of the study, the percentage of patients with an increased BWT in the sigmoid or descending colon decreased significantly (sigmoid colon 89.3%–38.6%; descending colon 83.0%–42.9%; p<0.001 each) and remained low at week 6 and 12 (sigmoid colon 35.4% and 32.0%; descending colon 43.4% and 37.6%; p<0.001 each). Normalisation of BWT and clinical response after 12 weeks of treatment showed a high correlation (90.5% of patients with normalised BWT had symptomatic response vs 9.5% without symptomatic response; p<0.001).

Conclusions

IUS may be preferred in general practice in a point-of-care setting for monitoring the disease course and for assessing short-term treatment response. Our findings give rise to the assumption that monitoring BWT alone has the potential to predict the therapeutic response, which has to be verified in future studies.
Effects of Lactobacillus acidophilus D2/CSL (CECT 4529) supplementation on healthy cat performance
Authors: Fusi Eleonora , Rizzi Rita , Polli Michele , Cannas Simona , Giardini Alberto , Bruni Natascia , Marelli Stefano Paolo
Published: December 2019

Background

The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of the probiotic strain Lactobacillusacidophilus D2/CSL (CECT 4529) on nutritional condition and faecal quality in cats.

Methods

Ten healthy adult cats from the same cattery were included (aged >9 months; male:female sex ratio=3:7). The animals were randomly assigned to a control group (CTR; n=5; male:female=1:4; room 1: 16 m2) and to a treated group (LACTO; n=5; male:female=2:3; room 2: 16 m2) receiving the same commercial dry diet. The LACTO group diet was supplemented with the probiotic (5 × 109 cfu/kg feed at least). A five‐week experimental period was applied, and nutritional status was monitored by bodyweight (BW) and body condition score (BCS). Faecal quality was evaluated using faecal score (FS) and faecal moisture (FM) parameters. Plate counts of some faecal bacteria species were carried out. The data obtained were analysed using MIXED, GLM and NPAR1WAY procedures (SAS V.9.4; P≤0.05).

Results

The two groups did not show differences in BW and BCS data. A clear effect of the probiotic supplementation on FM was recorded (LACTO 44 per cent v CTR group 46 per cent; P=0.04). FS in the LACTO group (3.35) was close to ideal values (2–3) in comparison with the CTR group (3.75). Positive effects of Lacidophilus D2/CSL have been recorded in terms of increase in faecal lactobacilli counts and reduction in faecal coli counts.

Conclusions

This study's preliminary results describe how inclusion of Lacidophilus D2/CSL (CECT 4529) probiotic strain in cats’ diets could effectively improve faecal quality parameters and consequently gut health in adult healthy cats.