bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Applying single‐cell technologies to clinical pathology: progress in nephropathology
Authors: Stewart Benjamin J , Clatworthy Menna R
Published: March 2020

Cells represent the basic building blocks of living organisms. Accurate characterisation of cellular phenotype, intercellular signalling networks, and the spatial organisation of cells within organs is crucial to deliver a better understanding of the processes underpinning physiology, and the perturbations that lead to disease. Single‐cell methodologies have increased rapidly in scale and scope in recent years and are set to generate important insights into human disease. Here, we review current practices in nephropathology, which are dominated by relatively simple morphological descriptions of tissue biopsies based on their appearance using light microscopy. Bulk transcriptomics have more recently been used to explore glomerular and tubulointerstitial kidney disease, renal cancer, and the responses to injury and alloimmunity in kidney transplantation, generating novel disease insights and prognostic biomarkers. These studies set the stage for single‐cell transcriptomic approaches that reveal cell‐type–specific gene expression patterns in health and disease. These technologies allow genome‐wide disease susceptibility genes to be interpreted with the knowledge of the specific cell populations within organs that express them, identifying candidate cell types for further study. Single‐cell technologies are also moving beyond assaying individual cellular transcriptomes, to measuring the epigenetic landscape of single cells. Single‐cell antigen‐receptor gene sequencing also enables specific T‐ and B‐cell clones to be tracked in different tissues and disease states. In the coming years these rich ‘multi‐omic’ descriptions of kidney disease will enable histopathological descriptions to be comprehensively integrated with molecular phenotypes, enabling better disease classification and prognostication and the application of personalised treatment strategies. © 2020 The Authors. The Journal of Pathology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland.
Whole‐field strain analysis and strength prediction of fiber laser machined CFRP laminate at elevated temperature
Authors: Li Maojun , Gan Guocui , Li Bin , Yang Xujing
Published: March 2020

High power fiber laser was proved to be feasible to cut carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) laminate with high efficiency, while the machined quality on mechanical performance was not fully understood. This paper studied the effect of high temperature up to 220°C on tensile strength degradation and strain distribution of unidirectional CFRP laminate with open hole machined with fiber laser. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) was firstly employed to determine the glass transition temperature (Tg) of polymer‐matrix composite. Digital image correlation technique was applied to evaluate whole‐field strain distribution and crack propagation/evolution of CFRP laminate featured with open hole under tensile loading. Results showed that the tensile strength of laser machined CFRP laminate degraded significantly during working in high temperature above 100°C. The value of strains distributed around center hole was highly related to the elevated temperature and applied load levels. Splitting was the prevalent failure mode of CFRP laminate under elevated temperature up to 180°C. Finally, semi‐empirical model was developed for evaluating tensile performance of laser machined CFRP laminate at elevated temperature based on regression analysis.
Study of solar irradiance and performance analysis of submerged monocrystalline and polycrystalline solar cells
Authors: Enaganti Prasanth K. , Dwivedi Prabhat K. , Srivastava Alok K. , Goel Sanket
Published: March 2020

Underwater photovoltaic (PV) systems supported with modern‐day technology can lead to possible solutions for the lack of long‐term power sources in marine electronics, navy corps, and many other remotely operated underwater power systems. Currently, most of these systems are powered by conventional batteries, which are bulky, costly, and require periodic maintenance and replacement. Harnessing the underwater Solar energy by using Solar PV cells is simple, reliable, and leads to tremendous advantageous as water itself provides cooling, cleaning, and avoid challenges due to land constraints. The present work encompasses an experimental study on Solar radiation in water and its changes with varying water conditions. Accordingly, the performance of monocrystalline and polycrystalline silicon solar cells with different submerged water conditions and water depths up to 20 cm has been studied. Most importantly, these studies have been carried out with different types of water conditions, consisting of salinity, bacteria, algae, and other water impurities. These investigation results manifest that the percentage decrease of maximum power output in monocrystalline and polycrystalline Solar cells is 65.85% and 62.55%, respectively, in the case of ocean water conditions, whereas in deionized (DI) water conditions, it is 63.06% and 60.72% up to 20 cm. Such results conclude that valuable amount of Solar energy is can be explored underwater. These experimental studies pave the way to explore further to utilize Solar PV cells efficiently in underwater conditions.
Teacher training in K–12 student mental health: A systematic review
Authors: Ohrt Jonathan H. , Deaton Jennifer D. , Linich Kathryn , Guest Jessie D. , Wymer Brooke , Sandonato Brittany
Published: March 2020

Teachers are in a unique position to identify and support students who experience mental health concerns. The purpose of this systematic review was to (a) identify current available evidence‐based teacher training programs related to students' mental health, (b) review the content and delivery methods of the training, and (c) evaluate the quality of the research designs and evaluation methods of the training. Most training programs are delivered face‐to‐face and include interactive discussion and content knowledge. Content varied among the training programs. Most studies found improved knowledge among teachers; however, no studies found improvement in effective communication.
Is whole body vibration an alternative physical training method for renal transplant recipients?
Authors: de Melo Marinho Patrícia Érika , da Rocha Lívia Gomes , de Araújo Filho José Cândido , Sañudo Borja , Seixas Adérito , de Andrade Arméle Dornelas
Published: March 2020

Objective

To evaluate the effect of a 12‐week whole‐body vibration (WBV) training program on quadriceps muscle strength, quadriceps thickness, the 6‐min walk test (6MWT), respiratory muscle strength and quality of life in adults with a kidney transplant.

Method

Five renal transplant recipients (age: 43–52 years; body mass: 67.1 kg; height: 1.60 m) were examined individually before and after a 12‐week WBV program (two weekly sessions, 35 Hz frequency, 2–4 mm amplitude) using quadriceps strength, quadriceps thickness, 6‐min walking test, inspiratory muscle strength and quality of life.

Results

There were no complications during WBV protocol, and the program was considered safe. Two of the participants changed quadriceps muscle strength, and one increased muscle thickness. Inspiratory muscle strength improved in one participant. The distance covered on 6MWT increased for two participants. Most of the subjects (P3, P4 and P5) reported improved quality of life, mainly regarding pain and social aspects.

Conclusion

The protocol improved the physical function and quality of life in some of the patients. However, WBV training prescription should be adjusted according to individual needs. Thus, studying the use of WBV in this patient group is necessary to understand and apply the benefits for this population.
The influence of DACCIWA radiosonde data on the quality of ECMWF analyses and forecasts over southern West Africa
Authors: van der Linden Roderick , Knippertz Peter , Fink Andreas H. , Ingleby Bruce , Maranan Marlon , Benedetti Angela
Published: March 2020

During the DACCIWA (Dynamics–Aerosol–Chemistry–Cloud Interactions in West Africa) field campaign ∼900 radiosondes were launched from 12 stations in southern West Africa from 15 June to 31 July 2016. Subsequently, data‐denial experiments were conducted using the Integrated Forecasting System of the European Centre for Medium‐range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) to assess the radiosondes' impact on the quality of analyses and forecasts. As observational reference, satellite‐based estimates of rainfall and outgoing long‐wave radiation (OLR) as well as the radiosonde measurements themselves are used. With regard to the analyses, the additional observations show positive impacts on winds throughout the troposphere and lower stratosphere, while large lower‐tropospheric cold and dry biases are hardly reduced. Nonetheless, downstream, that is farther inland from the radiosonde stations, we find a significant increase (decrease) in low‐level night‐time temperatures (monsoon winds) when incorporating the DACCIWA observations, suggesting a possible linkage via weaker cold air advection from the Gulf of Guinea. The associated lower relative humidity leads to reduced cloud cover in the DACCIWA analysis. Closer to the coast and over Benin and Togo, DACCIWA observations increase low‐level specific humidity and precipitable water, possibly due to changes in advection and vertical mixing. During daytime, differences between the two analyses are generally smaller at low levels. With regard to the forecasts, the impact of the additional observations is lost after a day or less. Moderate improvements occur in low‐level wind and temperature but also in rainfall over the downstream Sahel, while impacts on OLR are ambiguous. The changes in precipitation appear to also affect high‐level cloud cover and the tropical easterly jet. The overall rather small observation impact suggests that model and data assimilation deficits are the main limiting factors for better forecasts in West Africa. The new observations and physical understanding from DACCIWA can hopefully contribute to reducing these issues.
Application of hardware reliability calculation procedures according to ISO 26262 standard
Authors: Famfulik Jan , Richtar Michal , Rehak Radek , Smiraus Jakub , Dresler Pavel , Fusek Martin , Mikova Jana
Published: March 2020

The second edition of standard ISO 26262 (ed. 2018) for functional safety assessment in the automotive industry requires a hardware evaluation using the probabilistic metric for random hardware failures (PMHF). The standard for mentioned purpose highly recommends the fault tree analysis (FTA) utilization but does not give any specific calculation example. Therefore, this article describes computational procedures with derivation and explanation of mathematical formulas for various hardware architectures of electronic systems. Described formulas consider impact of multiple failures and impact of elf‐tests, but formulas are relatively simple. This simplicity allows them to be used in the early stages of hardware development when frequent hardware design changes can be expected. Thus, the article with attached case study is intended not only for scientists but also for developers of critical safety–related electronic systems in the automotive industry.
Iterative learning control for nonlinear differential inclusion systems
Authors: Liu Shengda , Wang JinRong , Shen Dong , Fečkan Michal
Published: March 2020

In this paper, we propose an iterative learning control strategy to track a desired trajectory for a class of uncertain systems governed by nonlinear differential inclusions. By imposing Lipschitz continuous condition on a set‐valued mapping described by a closure of the convex hull of a set and using D‐type and PD‐type updating laws with initial iterative learning, we establish the iterative learning process and give a new convergence analysis with the help of Steiner‐type selector. Finally, numerical examples are provided to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method with suitable selection of set‐valued mappings. An application to the speed control of robotic fish is also given.
Efficiency of fall versus spring applied urea‐based fertilizers treated with urease and nitrification inhibitors I. Ammonia volatilization and mitigation by NBPT
Authors: Lasisi Ahmed A. , Akinremi Olalekan O. , Zhang Qiang , Kumaragamage Darshani
Published: March 2020

Mid‐ or late‐fall N fertilization is usually recommended on the Canadian prairies to reduce N losses from fall‐applied N. Yet, N fertilizers are less efficient when applied in mid‐ or late fall than in spring on crop yield. Ammonia volatilization from N fertilizers is one of the reasons for the low N use efficiency. We conducted a 2‐yr study to quantify and contrast the efficacy of a urease inhibitor, N‐(n‐butyl) thiophosphoric triamide (NBPT), with and without a nitrification inhibitor, 3,4‐ dimethylpyrazole phosphate (NI), in reducing NH3 volatilization from fall‐ and spring‐applied urea‐based fertilizers in two contrasting soils. Treatments consisted of surface‐applied urea and urea–NH4NO3 (UAN) with and without NBPT or NBPT + NI (double inhibitor, DI). We measured NH3 volatilization with acid‐charged disks during 21 (fall) or 28 (spring) d. Total NH3 volatilization (percentage of applied N) from untreated urea and UAN across sites ranged from 7 to 22% with fall application and from 3 to 29% with spring application. Addition of NBPT only or DI to urea or UAN reduced NH3 volatilization by 61 to 74% in the fall and 4 to 69% in the spring across site‐years. We found that the reduction of NH3 volatilization by NBPT was significantly greater in the fall (65%) than in the spring (40%) and with urea (61%) than with UAN (43%). Our study showed that (a) significant NH3 volatilization could occur from surface‐applied urea‐based fertilizers even under late‐fall temperatures and (b) NBPT reduced NH3 volatilization from fall‐ as well as spring‐applied urea‐based fertilizers. Therefore, farmers are encouraged to treat their urea‐based fertilizers with NBPT when considering surface application.
Mitigating bias from intermittent measurement of time‐dependent covariates in failure time analysis
Authors: Jiang Shu , Cook Richard J. , Zeng Leilei
Published: March 2020

Cox regression models are routinely fitted to examine the association between time‐dependent markers and a failure time when analyzing data from clinical registries. Typically, the marker values are measured periodically at clinic visits with the recorded value carried forward until the next assessment. We examine the asymptotic behavior of estimators from Cox regression models under this observation and data handling scheme when the true relationship is based on a Cox model using the current value of the marker. Specifically, we explore the impact of the marker process dynamics, the clinic visit intensity, and the marginal failure rate on the limiting value of the estimator of the marker effect from the Cox model. We also illustrate how a joint multistate model that accommodates intermittent observation of the time‐varying marker can be formulated. Simulation studies demonstrate that the finite sample performance of the naive estimator aligns with the asymptotic results and shows good performance of the estimators from the joint model. We apply both methods to data from a study of bone markers and their effect on the development of skeletal complications in metastatic cancer.
Direct Introduction of a Methyl Group at the C5‐Position of 1,2,4‐Triazines: Convenient Synthesis of 6‐Functionalized 5‐Aryl‐2,2′‐bipyridines
Authors: Krinochkin Alexey P. , Kopchuk Dmitry S. , Kovalev Igor S. , Santra Sougata , Zyryanov Grigory V. , Majee Adinath , Rusinov Vladimir L. , Chupakhin Oleg N.
Published: March 2020

This article describes a convenient method for the synthesis of 5‐aryl‐6‐methyl‐2,2′‐bipyridines through the direct introduction of a methyl group at the C5‐position of 1,2,4‐triazine moieties. At first 1,2,4‐triazine precursors are synthesized for this purpose. The reaction proceeds through SNH/SNips° substitution and subsequent aza‐Diels‐Alder reaction. In addition, mono‐ and dibromomethyl‐substituted 2,2’‐bipyridines are also synthesized to confirm the applicability of the present method.
One‐Step Reactive Sputtering of Novel MoOx Nanogradient Absorber for Flexible and Wearable Personal Passive Heating
Authors: Wang Wei , Wen Huaixing , Huan Xi , Su Jinbu , Wang WeiKe , Shi Jing , Wang Chengbing
Published: March 2020

Thermoregulating textiles as an emerging approach to promote people comfort have attracted significant attention in recent years. However, a simple, efficient, and cost‐effective strategy that can autonomously absorb sunlight without extra power supply to warm the human body is lacking. Herein, a novel nanogradient MoOx absorber (NMOA) on flexible polymers and wearable fabrics for personal passive heating is successfully fabricated via a simple one‐step reactive sputtering technique. The surface steady‐state temperatures of the NMOA coated on polymers and fabrics reach 78 and 90 °C under one sun illumination, confirming efficient solar thermal conversion, resulting from the superior absorption of NMOA. More importantly, the heating property of NMOA is on par with those of silver nanowire or carbon nanotube‐coated textiles that use the Joule heating effect applied with a high voltage supply. It is noteworthy that achieving a high temperature at a low voltage is difficult, and hence the use of NMOA presents significant advantages. Due to the outstanding spectrally selective property of NMOA, the textile enables a 11 °C temperature enhancement in a cold environment (2 °C). Together with its superior light‐absorbing ability and excellent adhesion nature, the NMOA could be very promising in thermoregulating flexible and wearable applications.
Design and data analytics of electronic human resource management activities through Internet of Things in an organization
Authors: Nasar Nasreen , Ray Sumati , Umer Saiyed , Mohan Pandey Hari
Published: March 2020

A novel design and data analytics for an electronic human resource management (e‐HRM) system has been proposed in this article. E‐HRM software is being widely used in big industries and institutions. This e‐HRM is very cost‐effective, competence, congruence, and commitment for the organization. At present, Internet of Things (IoT) have great impact on e‐HRM, which gives various facilities and supports to e‐HRM functionalities such as securities, standards, privacy, and regulations. The combination of e‐HRM with IoT has wide applications for implementing policies, strategies, and practices within the organization. An e‐HRM has mainly five activities: e‐Selection, e‐Recruitment, e‐Performance, e‐Compensation, and e‐Learning. In this work, the proposed system has two parts. In the first part, the various e‐HRM activities have been discussed and elaborated with examples. In the second part, the description of data analytics based on IoT for each e‐HRM activity has been discussed and demonstrated. Here the data analytics part is divided into four components: (a) data preprocessing; (b) feature selection; (c) data classification; and (d) performance evaluation. Extensive experimentation has been performed for each e‐HRM activity using four HR analytic datasets from Kaggle site, and finally, the performance with proper justifications has been exquisitely done using each dataset respect to each e‐HRM activity.
Physical and Mathematical Modeling of Swirling Gas Jets Impinging onto a Liquid Bath Using a Novel Nozzles‐Twisted Lance
Authors: Li Lin , Li Mingming , Shao Lei , Li Qiang , Zou Zongshu
Published: March 2020

Physical and mathematical modeling is performed in a 10:1 scaled‐down basic oxygen furnace (BOF) steelmaking vessel to study impingement onto a bath of swirling gas jets from a novel nozzles‐twisted lance. The particular aspects with respect to the swirling jets‐induced cavity characteristic, jets’ stirring efficiency, and bath flow field are focused upon, and their discrepancies with those created by conventional oxygen lance jets are assessed. Results show that compared with the conventional jets, the swirling jets strike a greater impact area with a shallower but wider cavity and facilitate bath surface flow. Due to a more intensive bath horizontal flow, which shows an increase in intensity by 0.34–1.66 times than that of conventional jets, the swirling jets shorten bath mixing time by 11–60%, depending on the nozzle twist angle of the lance. These results suggest that the lance height of the nozzles‐twisted lance is operated more flexibly than that of the conventional one. This not only enables sufficient bath stirring efficiency and improves slagging but also contributes to postponing lance tip erosion and prolonging its life span in plant operations, whereas the enhanced flows in the regions near the sidewall accelerate refractory erosion there.
Epistemic beliefs and prior knowledge as predictors of the construction of different types of arguments on socioscientific issues
Authors: Baytelman Andreani , Iordanou Kalypso , Constantinou Constantinos P.
Published: March 2020

This study investigates whether university students’ epistemic beliefs and prior knowledge about controversial socioscientific issues (SSIs) can predict the different types of arguments that students construct. Two hundred forty‐three university students were asked to construct different types of supportive arguments—social, ethical, economic, scientific, ecological—as well as counterarguments and rebuttals after they had read a scenario on a SSI. Participants’ epistemic beliefs and prior knowledge were assessed separately. Results showed that students’ epistemic beliefs and prior knowledge predicted the quantity, quality, and diversity of the different types of arguments the students constructed. In particular, students who held sophisticated epistemic beliefs about the structure of knowledge and exhibited relativelymore robustprior knowledge scores, produced arguments of greater quantity, better quality, and higher diversity than students with less sophisticated epistemic beliefs and low prior knowledge scores. Educational implications are discussed.
Molecular imaging of extracellular matrix proteins with targeted probes using magnetic resonance imaging
Authors: Salarian Mani , Ibhagui Oluwatosin Y. , Yang Jenny J.
Published: March 2020

The extracellular matrix (ECM) consists of proteins and carbohydrates that supports different biological structures and processes such as tissue development, elasticity, and preservation of organ structure. Diseases involving inflammation, fibrosis, tumor invasion, and injury are all attributed to the transition of the ECM from homeostasis to remodeling, which can significantly change the biochemical and biomechanical features of ECM components. While contrast agents have played an indispensable role in facilitating clinical diagnosis of diseases using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), there is a strong need to develop novel biomarker‐targeted imaging probes for in vivo visualization of biological processes and pathological alterations at a cellular and molecular level, for both early diagnosis and monitoring drug treatment. Herein, we will first review the pathological accumulation and characterization of ECM proteins recognized as important molecular features of diseases. Developments in MRI probes targeting ECM proteins such as collagen, fibronectin, and elastin via conjugation of existing contrast agents to targeting moieties and their applications to various diseases, are also reviewed. We have also reviewed our progress in the development of collagen‐targeted protein MRI contrast agent with significant improvement in relaxivity and metal binding specificity, and their applications in early detection of fibrosis and metastatic cancer.

This article is categorized under:

Diagnostic Tools > in vivo Nanodiagnostics and Imaging

Biology‐Inspired Nanomaterials > Peptide‐Based Structures

Biology‐Inspired Nanomaterials > Protein and Virus‐Based Structures
Synthesis, Crystal Structures, and Properties of (4,4'‐Hbipy)2[Sn2(C2O4)3] and (4,4'‐Hmbipy)[SnX2] (X = C2O42–, m = 2; X = Cl, m = 0; bipy = bipyridine)
Authors: Li Yalan , Wu Yuandong , Mei Dajiang , Doert Thomas
Published: March 2020

Three new tin coordination compounds (4,4'‐Hbipy)2[Sn2(C2O4)3] (1), (4,4'‐H2bipy)[Sn(C2O4)2] (2), and SnCl2(4,4'‐bipy) (3) were synthesized under hydro‐(solvo‐)thermal conditions and their crystal structures were determined by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction. Compound 1 exhibits a ionic structure based on discrete [4,4'‐Hbipy]+ cations and [Sn2(C2O4)3]2– anions. These two units are linked via N–H···O hydrogen bonds to form a pseudo‐one‐dimensional zigzag hydrogen‐bonded chain. In compound 2, four‐coordinate Sn atoms form monomeric tin dioxalato complexes, which are connected to the doubly protonated [4,4'‐H2bipy]2+ cations through N–H···O hydrogen bonded to give a one‐dimensional zigzag hydrogen‐bonded chain. Compound 3 forms a three‐dimensional hydrogen‐bonded network, in which 1∞[SnCl2(4,4'‐bipy)] linear chains are interconnected to each other by C–H···Cl hydrogen bonding. The solid‐state UV/Vis/NIR diffuse reflectance spectroscopy shows that three compounds are broadband semiconductors. The thermogravimetric analysis evidences the thermal stability of the three compounds up to 175, 201, and 246 °C, respectively.
Diversity of Strontium Nitridogermanates(IV): Novel Sr4[GeN4], Sr8Ge2[GeN4], and Sr17Ge2[GeN3]2[GeN4]2
Authors: Link Lukas , Niewa Rainer
Published: March 2020

Single crystals of three new strontium nitridogermanates(IV) were grown in sealed niobium ampules from sodium flux. Dark red Sr4[GeN4] crystallizes in space group P21/c with a = 9.7923(2) Å, b = 6.3990(1) Å, c = 11.6924(3) Å and β = 115.966(1)°. Black Sr8Ge2[GeN4] contains Ge4– anions coexisting with [GeIVN4]8– tetrahedra and adopts space group Cc with a = 10.1117(4) Å, b = 17.1073(7) Å, c = 10.0473(4) Å and β = 115.966(1)°. Black Sr17Ge6N14 features the same anions alongside trigonal planar [GeIVN3]5– units. It crystallizes in P1 with a = 7.5392(1) Å, b = 9.7502(2) Å, c = 11.6761(2) Å, α = 103.308(1)°, β = 94.651(1)° and γ = 110.248(1)°.
KMS States on Nica-Toeplitz $$\hbox {C}^*$$-algebras
Authors: Afsar Zahra , Larsen Nadia S. , Neshveyev Sergey
Published: March 2020

Given a quasi-lattice ordered group (G, P) and a compactly aligned product system X of essential $$\hbox {C}^*$$

C
∗

-correspondences over the monoid P, we show that there is a bijection between the gauge-invariant $$\hbox {KMS}_\beta $$

KMS
β

-states on the Nica-Toeplitz algebra $$\mathcal {NT}(X)$$

NT
(
X
)

of X with respect to a gauge-type dynamics, on one side, and the tracial states on the coefficient algebra A satisfying a system (in general infinite) of inequalities, on the other. This strengthens and generalizes a number of results in the literature in several directions: we do not make any extra assumptions on P and X, and our result can, in principle, be used to study KMS-states at any finite inverse temperature $$\beta $$
β
. Under fairly general additional assumptions we show that there is a critical inverse temperature $$\beta _c$$

β
c

such that for $$\beta >\beta _c$$

β
>

β
c

all $$\hbox {KMS}_\beta $$

KMS
β

-states are of Gibbs type, hence gauge-invariant, in which case we have a complete classification of $$\hbox {KMS}_\beta $$

KMS
β

-states in terms of tracial states on A, while at $$\beta =\beta _c$$

β
=

β
c

we have a phase transition manifesting itself in the appearance of $$\hbox {KMS}_\beta $$

KMS
β

-states that are not of Gibbs type. In the case of right-angled Artin monoids we show also that our system of inequalities for traces on A can be reduced to a much smaller system, a finite one when the monoid is finitely generated. Most of our results generalize to arbitrary quasi-free dynamics on $$\mathcal {NT}(X)$$

NT
(
X
)

.
Long-term rates of change in musculoskeletal aging and body composition: findings from the Health, Aging and Body Composition Study
Authors: Westbury Leo D. , Syddall Holly E. , Fuggle Nicholas R. , Dennison Elaine M. , Cauley Jane A. , Shiroma Eric J. , Fielding Roger A. , Newman Anne B. , Cooper Cyrus
Published: March 2020

Musculoskeletal disorders are common among older people. Preventive strategies require understanding of age-related changes in strength, function and body composition, including how they interrelate. We have described, and examined associations between, 9-year changes in these parameters among 2917 Health, Aging and Body Composition Study participants (aged 70–79 years). Appendicular lean mass (ALM), whole body fat mass and total hip BMD were ascertained using DXA; muscle strength by grip dynamometry; and muscle function by gait speed. For each characteristic annualised percentage changes were calculated; measures of conditional change (independent of baseline) were derived and their interrelationships were examined using Pearson correlations; proportion of variance at 9-year follow-up explained by baseline level was estimated; and mean trajectories in relation to age were estimated using linear mixed models. Analyses were stratified by sex. Median [lower quartile, upper quartile] annual percentage declines were grip strength (1.5 [0.0, 2.9]), gait speed (2.0 [0.6, 3.7]), ALM (0.7 [0.1, 1.4]), fat mass (0.4 [− 1.1, 1.9]) and hip BMD (0.5 [0.0, 1.1]). Declines were linear for ALM and accelerated over time for other characteristics. Most conditional change measures were positively correlated, most strongly between ALM, fat mass and hip BMD (r > 0.28). Proportion of variation at follow-up explained by baseline was lower for grip strength and gait speed (39–52%) than other characteristics (69–86%). Strength and function declined more rapidly, and were less correlated between baseline and follow-up, than measures of body composition. Therefore, broader intervention strategies to prevent loss of strength and function in later life are required as those targeting body composition alone may be insufficient.
Pyrodextrin enhances intestinal function through changing the intestinal microbiota composition and metabolism in early weaned piglets
Authors: Zhu Lihui , Liao Rongrong , Tu Weilong , Lu Yonghong , Cai Xuan
Published: March 2020

Pyrodextrin (PD) is prepared from starch by heat treatment and is resistant to amylase. We hypothesized that PD might have prebiotic potential affecting the microbiota composition, because it contains a non-digestible portion that may behave as dietary fiber. This study investigated the effects of PD supplementation on growth performance, gut morphology, short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), and the bacterial community in weaned piglets receiving dietary supplementation of 0.5% PD. The piglets in the PD (treated) groups showed greater antioxidant capacity and feed efficiency (P < 0.05), as well as improved intestinal morphology in comparison with the piglets in the weaned (control) group. Gut microbiota profiles were assessed through 16S rRNA sequencing on the ileum contents and feces of early weaned piglets. Several genus-level enrichments and depletions were observed in response to PD treatment. Of note, PD supplementation decreased the relative abundance of pathogenic organisms, including Defluviicoccus and Gardnerella, while markedly increasing that of commensal bacteria (genera Psychrobacter and Prevotella), which have important roles in nutrient absorption and immune response regulation. The most notable effect in the PD treatment groups was increased production of SCFAs in the feces of PD-treated weaned piglets. Correlation analysis revealed that the improvement in SCFAs was positively correlated with the increase in SCFA-producing bacteria. Overall, this study provides a more comprehensive understanding of the effects of PD supplementation on the fecal microbial community and the modulation of SCFA production in early weaned piglets, thus indicating that PD can be used to alleviate weaning stress in piglets.
Comparison between object and image plane cross-correlation for stereoscopic PIV in the presence of pixel locking
Authors: Jankee Girish K. , Ganapathisubramani Bharathram
Published: March 2020

Pixel locking in stereoscopic particle image velocimetry (SPIV) is often overlooked, albeit the existence of studies demonstrating an influence on turbulent statistics. Such a bias error occurs when the seeding particles have an image diameter in the range of 1–2 pixels. Together with the advent of superior cameras and more powerful lasers, new image-processing techniques enable large field of views to be examined. Under such circumstances, defocusing is not an option and due to the small nature of the particle image diameter, pixel locking is inherent in the data. This study analyses the contrast between object plane-based and image plane-based approach for cross-correlation in the presence of pixel locking in SPIV. By combining experimental data and synthetic images, the sensitivity of pixel locking on single-point statistics is quantified and a protocol is proposed to tackle such an increasingly prevalent condition. A consequence of pixel locking is the occurrence of Moiré fringes, whose intensity is observed to be enhanced in the presence of particles with an image diameter less than 2 pixels. Such high frequency artifacts are not only receptive to the fill factor of the sensor but also depend on the residual error of the interpolation from image plane to the object plane. This study discusses the origins of Moiré fringes in SPIV and provides a method to mitigate these based on the type of cross-correlation used.

Graphic abstract

Variation of the difference in RMS between the true value and the derived value from diverse adopted methodologies as the particle image diameter, $$d_{\tau }$$dτ increases. (OP: Object plane cross-correlation, IP: Image plane cross-correlation, IP HE: Image plane cross-correlation post histogram equalisation)
Correction to: Cognitive behavioural therapy interventions for insomnia among shift workers: RCT in an occupational health setting
Authors: Järnefelt Heli , Härmä Mikko , Sallinen Mikael , Virkkala Jussi , Paajanen Teemu , Martimo Kari-Pekka , Hublin Christer
Published: March 2020

In the original publication of the article, the first name and last name of the authors were interchanged.
Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation for advanced cancer pain inpatients in specialist palliative care—a blinded, randomized, sham-controlled pilot cross-over trial
Authors: Siemens Waldemar , Boehlke Christopher , Bennett Michael I. , Offner Klaus , Becker Gerhild , Gaertner Jan
Published: March 2020

Purpose

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) is a treatment option for cancer pain, but the evidence is inconclusive. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of TENS.

Methods

A blinded, randomized, sham-controlled pilot cross-over trial (NCT02655289) was conducted on an inpatient specialist palliative care ward. We included adult inpatients with cancer pain ≥ 3 on an 11-point numerical rating scale (NRS). Intensity-modulated high TENS (IMT) was compared with placebo TENS (PBT). Patients used both modes according to their preferred application scheme during 24 h with a 24-h washout phase. The primary outcome was change in average pain intensity on the NRS during the preceding 24 h. Responders were patients with at least a “slight improvement.”

Results

Of 632 patients screened, 25 were randomized (sequence IMT-PBT = 13 and PBT-IMT = 12). Finally, 11 patients in IMT-PBT and 9 in PBT-IMT completed the study (N = 20). The primary outcome did not differ between groups (IMT minus PBT: − 0.2, 95% confidence interval − 0.9 to 0.6). However, responder rates were higher in IMT (17/20 [85%] vs. 10/20 [50%], p = 0.0428). Two patients experienced an uncomfortable feeling caused by the current, one after IMT and one after PBT. Seven patients (35%) desired a TENS prescription. Women and patients with incident pain were most likely to benefit from TENS.

Conclusion

TENS was safe, but IMT was unlikely to offer more analgesic effects than PBT. Even though many patients desired a TENS prescription, 50% still reported at least “slight pain relief” from PBT. Differences for gender and incident pain aspects demand future trials.
Assessment of cutaneous axon-reflex responses to evaluate functional integrity of autonomic small nerve fibers
Authors: Hijazi Mido M. , Buchmann Sylvia J. , Sedghi Annahita , Illigens Ben M. , Reichmann Heinz , Schackert Gabriele , Siepmann Timo
Published: March 2020

Cutaneous autonomic small nerve fibers encompass unmyelinated C-fibers and thinly myelinated Aδ-fibers, which innervate dermal vessels (vasomotor fibers), sweat glands (sudomotor fibers), and hair follicles (pilomotor fibers). Analysis of their integrity can capture early pathology in autonomic neuropathies such as diabetic autonomic neuropathy or peripheral nerve inflammation due to infectious and autoimmune diseases. Furthermore, intraneural deposition of alpha-synuclein in synucleinopathies such as Parkinson’s disease can lead to small fiber damage. Research indicated that detection and quantitative analysis of small fiber pathology might facilitate early diagnosis and initiation of treatment. While autonomic neuropathies show substantial etiopathogenetic heterogeneity, they have in common impaired functional integrity of small nerve fibers. This impairment can be evaluated by quantitative analysis of axonal responses to iontophoretic application of adrenergic or cholinergic agonists to the skin. The axon-reflex can be elicited in cholinergic sudomotor fibers to induce sweating and in cholinergic vasomotor fibers to induce vasodilation. Currently, only few techniques are available to quantify axon-reflex responses, the majority of which is limited by technical demands or lack of validated analysis protocols. Function of vasomotor small fibers can be analyzed using laser Doppler flowmetry, laser Doppler imaging, and laser speckle contrast imaging. Sudomotor function can be assessed using quantitative sudomotor axon-reflex test, silicone imprints, and quantitative direct and indirect testing of sudomotor function. More recent advancements include analysis of piloerection (goose bumps) following stimulation of adrenergic small fibers using pilomotor axon-reflex test. We provide a review of the current literature on axon-reflex tests in cutaneous autonomic small fibers.
Risk for intravesical recurrence of bladder cancer stratified by the results on two consecutive UroVysion fluorescence in situ hybridization tests: a prospective follow-up study in Japan
Authors: Ikeda Atsushi , Kojima Takahiro , Kawai Koji , Hinotsu Shiro , Keino Naoto , Shiga Kenichiro , Miyake Hideaki , Miyata Yasuyoshi , Enomoto Yutaka , Shimizu Fumitaka , Anai Satoshi , Matsuyama Hideyasu , Suzuki Chieko , Kanimoto Yusuke , Shigeta Keisuke , Naito Seiji , Akaza Hideyuki , Nishiyama Hiroyuki
Published: March 2020

Background

A previous comparative study in Japan has demonstrated that the two consecutive UroVysion tests are useful tools to detect the presence of bladder cancer during follow-up after transurethral resection, but they also presented their high rates of false-positive results. Here, we aimed to evaluate the relationship between the UroVysion tests and subsequent intravesical recurrence.

Methods

In the previous study, patients without bladder cancer during the first analysis showed the same examination set repeated 3 months later as the second analysis. In this follow-up study, 326 patients showed negative findings confirmed on cystoscopy during the second UroVysion test. Recurrence-free survival was assessed using a median follow-up of 27 months.

Results

In the two consecutive UroVysion tests, 214 patients (65.6%) showed negative UroVysion results in both tests, whereas 91 presented a positive result on either tests and 21 patients presented positive results in both tests. During the follow-up, 40 patients (12.3%) had an intravesical recurrence with non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer. The recurrence rates in patients with negative results in both tests, those with one positive result in either tests, and those with positive results in both tests were 8.4%, 16.5%, and 33.3%, respectively. The multivariate analysis indicated that the history of bladder cancer and the consecutive UroVysion test pattern were independent risk factors for recurrence.

Conclusions

Our data confirmed the effectiveness of two consecutive UroVysion tests in predicting intravesical recurrence after TURBT. Further prospective studies would help determine an appropriate interval for cystoscopy follow-up.
Multi-Robot Patrolling with Sensing Idleness and Data Delay Objectives
Authors: Scherer Jürgen , Rinner Bernhard
Published: March 2020

Multi-robot patrolling represents a fundamental problem for many monitoring and surveillance applications and has gained significant interest in recent years. In patrolling, mobile robots repeatedly travel through an environment, capture sensor data at certain sensing locations and deliver this data to the base station in a way that maximizes the changes of detection. Robots move on tours, exchange data when they meet with robots on neighboring tours and so eventually deliver data to the base station. In this paper we jointly consider two important optimization criteria of multi-robot patrolling: (i) idleness, i.e. the time between consecutive visits of sensing locations, and (ii) delay, i.e. the time between capturing data at the sensing location and its arrival at the base station. We systematically investigate the effect of the robots’ moving directions along their tours and the selection of meeting points for data exchange. We prove that the problem of determining the movement directions and meeting points such that the data delay is minimized is NP-hard. For this purpose, we define a structure called tour graph which models the neighborhood of the tours defined by potential meeting points. We propose two heuristics that are based on a shortest-path-search in the tour graph. We provide a simulation study which shows that the cooperative approach can outperform an uncooperative approach where every robot delivers the captured data individually to the base station. Additionally, the experiments show that the heuristic which is computational more expensive performs slightly better on average than the less expensive heuristic in the considered scenarios.
From farmers to livestock keepers: a typology of cattle production systems in south-western Burkina Faso
Authors: Zoma-Traoré B. , Soudré A. , Ouédraogo-Koné S. , Khayatzadeh N. , Probst L. , Sölkner J. , Mészáros G. , Burger P. A. , Traoré A. , Sanou M. , Ouédraogo G. M. S. , Traoré L. , Ouédraogo D. , Yougbaré B. , Wurzinger M.
Published: March 2020

Cattle production is an essential livelihood strategy in south-western Burkina Faso. Although having a distinct cultural role and known to be resistant against African animal trypanosomosis, the Lobi taurine cattle breed is endangered due to its low market value. As the first step in preservation efforts, our study aimed to develop a typology of production systems at the farm level. We used a structured questionnaire and focus group discussions for collecting data on household characteristics, socioeconomic activities, livestock, and access to services. The sample comprised 169 households in three communities. The analytical strategy included factor analysis of mixed data and hierarchical clustering. We identified four distinct types of cattle production systems: (1) sedentary Lobi farms, (2) sedentary crossbreed farms, (3) semi-transhumant Fulani zebu farms, and (4) transhumant Fulani zebu farms. Significant factors in developing this typology were the farmers’ ethnic group, crop diversity, cattle herd size, cattle herd composition, number of small ruminants, and livestock management strategies. Across all production systems, men were considered being primary decision-makers in cattle production, with women, herders, and children being responsible for specific tasks. All identified production systems are increasingly confronting disease pressure and scarcity of water and land. Future efforts in preservation and breeding will need to respond to these trends in the agroecosystem, integrate risk management measures, and resonate with the specific needs of the different household members involved in cattle rearing.
The effectiveness of social skills training (SST) for juvenile delinquents: a meta-analytical review
Authors: van der Stouwe Trudy , Gubbels Jeanne , Castenmiller Yvonne L. , van der Zouwen Marion , Asscher Jessica J. , Hoeve Machteld , van der Laan Peter H. , Stams Geert Jan J. M.
Published: March 2020

Objectives

To examine the effectiveness of social skills training (SST) for juvenile offenders and for whom and under which conditions SSTs are the most effective.

Methods

Multilevel meta-analyses were conducted to examine the effectiveness of juvenile offender SST compared to no/placebo treatment and alternative treatment on offending, externalizing problems, social skills, and internalizing problems.

Results

Beneficial effects were only found for offending and social skills compared to no/placebo treatment. Compared to alternative treatment, small effects on only reoffending were found. Moderator analyses yielded larger effects on offending, with larger post-treatment effects on social skills. Effects on externalizing behavior were only reported in the USA, and effects on social skills were larger when the outcomes were reported through self-report.

Conclusions

SST may be a too generic treatment approach to reduce juvenile delinquency, because dynamic risk factors for juvenile offending are only partially targeted in SST.
How genomic information is accessed in clinical practice: an electronic survey of UK general practitioners
Authors: Evans W. R. H. , Tranter J. , Rafi I. , Hayward J. , Qureshi N.
Published: March 2020

Genomic technologies are having an increasing impact across medicine, including primary care. To enable their wider adoption and realize their potential, education of primary health-care practitioners will be required. To enable the development of such resources, understanding where GPs currently access genomic information is needed. One-hundred fifty-nine UK GPs completed the survey in response to an open invitation, between September 2017 and September 2018. Questions were in response to 4 clinical genomic scenarios, with further questions exploring resources used for rare disease patients, direct-to-consumer genetic testing and collecting a family history. Respondents were most commonly GP principals (independent GPs who own their clinic) (64.8%), aged 35–49 years (54%), worked as a GP for more than 15 years (44%) and practiced within suburban locations (typically wealthier) (50.3%). The most popular ‘just in time’ education source for all clinical genomic scenarios were online primary care focussed resources with general Internet search engines also popular. For genomic continuous medical education, over 70% of respondents preferred online learning. Considering specific scenarios, local guidelines were a popular resource for the familial breast cancer scenario. A large proportion (41%) had not heard of Genomics England’s 100,000 genome project. Few respondents (4%) would access rare disease specific Internet resources (Orphanet, OMIM). Twenty-five percent of respondents were unsure how to respond to a direct-to-consumer commercial genetic test query, with 41% forwarding such queries to local genetic services. GPs require concise, relevant, primary care focussed resources in trusted and familiar online repositories of information. Inadequate genetic education of GPs could increase burden on local genetic services.