bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Long‐term effects of a healthy eating blog in mothers and children
Authors: Dumas Audrée‐Anne , Lemieux Simone , Lapointe Annie , Provencher Véronique , Robitaille Julie , Desroches Sophie
Published: March 2020

In the context of low consumption of vegetables and fruits and milk and alternatives among Canadian mothers and children, novel strategies are needed to improve maternal and child nutrition. This study evaluated the long‐term effects of an evidence‐informed healthy eating blog on dietary intakes and food‐related behaviours of mothers and their child. The study presents a secondary outcome analysis of a randomised controlled trial in which 84 mothers (mean age of 37.6 ± 6.7 years) of 2‐ to 12‐year‐old children living in Quebec City, Canada, were randomly assigned to a dietary intervention delivered through a healthy eating blog written by a registered dietitian (RD; n = 42) or a control group (n = 42) during a period of 6 months. Dietary intakes, maternal eating behaviours, food parenting practices, and body weight were measured at baseline, 3 months, at the end of the intervention (6 months), and 6‐month post‐intervention (12 months). Differences between groups were assessed with mixed linear models. Globally, this study found no evidence of long‐term differences in mean dietary intakes in mothers exposed to the blog and their children as well as other food‐related outcomes and body weight compared with the control condition. Potential predictors of adherence to dietary recommendations in mothers and children (e.g., involvement of children in household food activities) were identified. In conclusion, a healthy eating blog written by an RD did not result in evidence of any long‐term differences in dietary intakes and food‐related behaviours in mothers and their children compared with the control condition.
A note reconsidering a post‐Keynesian model of growth and distribution in the globalization context
Authors: de Araujo Oliveira João Gabriel , Teixeira Joanilio Rodolpho
Published: March 2020

We treat an extension of the Metcalfe and Steedman model of growth and distribution in a small open economy with government activity. We show, simultaneously, that certain kinds of taxation and government expenditures will not affect the essential nature of the “Cambridge Equation.” This is important due to the increasing process of Financial Globalization which can be responsible for changing the profit distribution between capitalists and workers. The present note aims at integrating the public sector and the foreign trade together into the model, based on previous literature that, with few exceptions, treats them separately. To do so, a new framework is proposed. Our contribution shows that workers’ income grows when the Current Account in the balance of payments is in surplus, a result not studied by Teixeira and Araújo. The discussion includes recent literature concerning with limits of applicability of such analytical model, dealing with more realistic economies including the process of globalization.
The effectiveness of high‐dose ultraviolet A‐1 phototherapy for acute exacerbation of atopic dermatitis in Asians
Authors: Park Jong Bin , Jang Ji Yun , Kwon Do Ik , Seong Seol Hwa , Suh Kee Suck , Jang Min Soo
Published: March 2020

Background/Purpose

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is an inflammatory skin disease characterized by a chronic course of exacerbations and remissions. High‐dose ultraviolet A‐1 (UVA‐1) phototherapy has been effective in the treatment of acute exacerbations of AD. However, there have been no case studies in Asian patients to date. We investigated the effectiveness of high‐dose UVA‐1 phototherapy for treating acute exacerbation of AD in Asian patients.

Method

This study included 16 patients with acute exacerbation of AD. High‐dose (100 J/cm2) regimens of UVA‐1 therapy were employed. Therapeutic effectiveness was assessed based on the findings of clinical examinations and scoring of AD (SCORAD) index before treatment and after the 5th and 10th sessions of treatment. Additionally, side effects and recurrence during follow‐up were retrospectively evaluated.

Results

The patients were between 7 and 50 years of age, with a mean age of 25.8 years. The SCORAD index was between 41 and 89.5, with a mean score of 64.9. Among the 16 patients, two patients discontinued treatment due to the aggravation of erythema and pruritus. Of the 14 patients who completed the 10 sessions of high‐dose UVA‐1 phototherapy, nine patients (64.3%) showed complete remission and five patients (35.7%) showed partial remission. The mean SCORAD index reduced from 64.9 (before treatment) to 23.3 (after the 10th session of treatment).

Conclusion

This is the first case study of high‐dose UVA‐1 phototherapy for acute exacerbation of AD in Asian patients, suggesting that high‐dose UVA‐1 phototherapy can be a well‐tolerated and effective treatment for acute exacerbated AD. Future large‐scale prospective studies are needed.
What it means to be a palliative care volunteer in eight European countries: a qualitative analysis of accounts of volunteering
Authors: Scott Ros , Goossensen Anne , Payne Sheila , Pelttari Leena
Published: March 2020

This paper addresses the stories of volunteers in hospice and palliative care (HPC) from eight European countries. The aims of the paper are to explore the experiences of volunteers in HPC from their insider perspective, to understand why volunteers choose to work in this field and to understand what it means to them to be involved in palliative care in this way. Stories were collected by the European Association for Palliative Care (EAPC) Task Force for Volunteering contacts in each of the eight countries. The majority of stories (n = 32) came from volunteers involved in different settings including adult patient’s homes, hospices, hospitals and care homes. Twenty volunteers were female, six were male, and ten did not give their gender. Stories were translated into English, and a qualitative framework analysis was performed. Volunteers were asked two questions: ‘What do you do as a volunteer?’ ‘What does volunteering mean to you?’ Three themes were identified from the data: (i) What volunteers do (ii) How volunteers approach their work and (iii) What working in HPC means to volunteers. The analysis revealed that common approaches to addressing and describing HPC volunteering in terms of tasks and roles could be expanded. To volunteers, it is not about tasks, but about a part of their life, the impact upon which can be significant. The results of this paper, therefore, add to the understanding of volunteers, in the sense of giving attention, being with, and of compassion as a community resource to patients and families in difficult situations. Theories about presence and presencing might have value in further underpinning this contribution to palliative care. Understanding the extent and depth of the volunteers’ experience will help to prevent the undervaluing of their contribution and increase the impact of their involvement.
Community water system privatization and the water access crisis
Authors: Greiner Patrick Trent
Published: March 2020

One of the most pressing challenges faced by the global community in the 21st century is the need to extend potable water access to more than 2 billion people across the planet. Debates concerning how such a project should be undertaken have centered on whether or not water utility systems would be more effectively managed and extended under private ownership than they might be under public ownership models. In this article I explore this issue, providing an overview of recent research concerning the ways in which community water system ownership regimes succeed, and fail, in their attempts to provide access to readily available potable water for as much of the population as is possible. In the course of doing so I provide a discussion of the form that debates over privatization of water resources have taken, as well as how the act of privatization has been found to impact access to water systems and the quality of the service they provide. Ultimately, I explain that, while creative solutions to the water access crisis are clearly necessary, privatization appears to be an inadequate and often counterproductive means of addressing the issue.
Serum biochemistry of the Arrau turtle (Podocnemis expansa): Frozen analyte stability and the effects of long‐term storage
Authors: Camargo Fabricio , Abrão Nadjanaira B. , Queiroz Thawanne D. , Arhnold Emmanuel , Araújo Luciana B. M. , Martins Danieli B.
Published: March 2020

Background

Turtles are a major source of protein for riverside human populations in Brazil. The encouragement of commercial breeding meets conservation efforts for these animals, and it is, therefore, crucial to understand the physiologic and behavioral aspects of semi‐aquatic species in captive conditions. Serum biochemical tests are ancillary diagnostic tools, and sample storage is a main problem since clinical laboratories are not always available near the habitats of these species.

Objectives

The aim of this study was to provide information about the stability of albumin, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), calcium, creatinine kinase (CK), total cholesterol (Chol), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), gamma glutamyltransferase (GGT), total protein (TP), and urea at different storage times.

Methods

In all, 17 Arrau turtles (Podocnemis expansa) were used, and the serum obtained was separated into aliquots and analyzed at 0, 4, 8, 16, and 32 days after being stored at −20°C.

Results

The results showed that albumin, AST, CK, GGT, and TP suffered interference due to the long storage times.

Conclusion

Analytes such as ALP, calcium, Chol, and urea can be evaluated for up to 1 month after freezing. Albumin, AST, and TP can be analyzed up to 1 week after freezing without alterations, and CK GGT are best evaluated on fresh samples.
Acute hemolytic reaction due to A‐B mismatched transfusion in a cat with transient AB blood type
Authors: Koenig Amie , Maglaras Christina H. , Giger Urs
Published: March 2020

Objective

To document a case of transient AB blood type indicated by immunochromatography in a type B cat following administration of an incompatible type A transfusion.

Case Summary

A 7‐month‐old neutered male domestic longhair cat was evaluted for anemia, pigmenturia, and intravascular hemolysis 1 day after receiving a feline whole blood transfusion. Neither blood donor nor patient had been blood‐typed or crossmatched. The cat presented in shock with a severe non‐regenerative anemia, hyperlactatemia, hyperbilirubinemia, hemoglobinemia, hemoglobinuria, and a positive saline slide agglutination test. Immunochromatographic blood typing tests initially indicated the cat had type AB blood, but crossmatch tests with blood from type A and type B donors suggested that the cat was type B. The cat was transfused with type B packed red blood cells without apparent complications and clinically improved. The cat's blood type reverted to type B once all the previously transfused type A cells were cleared from circulation. Furthermore, the original donor was subsequently identified as a Siamese cat and confirmed to have type A blood. While the cause of the original anemia remained unknown, the cat completely recovered and regained a normal hematocrit.

New or Unique Information Provided

This is the first documented report of transient AB blood type diagnosed using immunochromatography after a transfusion mismatch and shows the utility of crossmatching or back‐typing to identify the cat's correct blood type during the hemolytic transfusion reaction.
A methodological framework for an easy and reliable estimation of the full cost of irrigation water
Authors: Alamanos Angelos , Latinopoulos Dionysios , Mylopoulos Nikitas
Published: March 2020

The requirements of the Water Framework Directive (WFD) 2000/60 for the full water cost recovery have brought reactions and difficulties to their implementation, especially for irrigation water. We propose a systematic and objective methodology for the estimation of the cost of irrigation water. The application is made in a degraded Greek watershed, considering surface and groundwater resources. The main novelties of this study are: (i) the attempt to combine different approaches for the estimation of the ‘resource cost’ of irrigation water, and (ii) the investigation of the potential interaction between resource and environmental cost in order to avoid the overestimation of the full cost of water. The analysis shows that both resource and environmental costs can be high in degraded areas, and water policy is likely to affect these costs. Therefore, further analysis is needed on possible water pricing policies for recovering the full cost of irrigation water.
Female Sexual Offending: A Neglected Criminal Justice Issue
Authors: Anderson James F.
Published: March 2020

Scholars, researchers, and law enforcement officers examining child sexual abuse cases are beginning to report that adolescent and adult females are responsible for a growing number of sexual offenses. This new revelation may reveal that justice officials and many in the lay public do not view the gravity of female and male sexual offending equally. This investigation reveals that female sex offending is more common than traditionally thought and is a neglected criminal justice issue. It also shows that until society recognizes that sex offending is not a gendered crime, more cases will escape the attention of the criminal justice system.
Electrokinetic Propulsion of Polymer Microparticulates Along Glassy Carbon Electrode Array
Authors: Cortez Jennifer , Damyar Kimia , Gao Runtian , Zhou Tuo , Kulinsky Lawrence
Published: March 2020

Dielectrophoresis (DEP) is a force applied to microparticles in nonuniform electric field. This study discusses the fabrication of the glassy carbon interdigitated microelectrode arrays using lithography process based on lithographic patterning and subsequent pyrolysis of negative SU-8 photoresist. Resulting high-resistance electrodes would have the regions of high electric field at the ends of microarray as demonstrated by simulation. The study demonstrates that combining the alternating current (AC) applied bias with the direct current (DC) offset allows the user to separate subpopulations of microparticulates and control the propulsion of microparticles to the high field areas such as the ends of the electrode array. The direction of the movement of the particles can be switched by changing the offset. The demonstrated novel integrated DEP separation and propulsion can be applied to various fields including in vitro diagnostics as well as to microassembly technologies.
Subsidence of Additively-Manufactured Cages in Foam Substrates: Effect of Contact Topology
Authors: Collino Rachel R. , Kiapour Ali , Begley Matthew R.
Published: March 2020

Subsidence of implants into bone is a major source of morbidity. The underlying mechanics of the phenomenon are not clear, but are likely related to interactions between contact stresses and the underlying porous trabecular bone structure. To gain insight into these interactions, we studied the penetration of three-dimensional (3D)-printed indenters with systematically varying geometries into Sawbones® foam substrates and isolated the effects of contact geometry from those of overall contact size and area. When size, contact area, and indented material stiffness and strength are controlled for, we show that resistance to penetration is in fact a function of topology only. Indenters with greater line contact lengths support higher subsidence loads in compression. These results have direct implications for the design of implants to resist subsidence into bone.
On the Characteristic of a Small-Scale Isolation Mechanism With Three-Dimensional Quasi-Zero Stiffness
Authors: Li Jun , Cao Shouyuan , Zheng Junruoyu
Published: March 2020

To provide an excellent operation environment for micro-precise instruments in a narrow space with strict restrictions on weight, this study proposes a small-scale vibration isolation system with six-dimensional quasi-zero stiffness (QZS), consisting of at least three non-collinear fulcrums with three-dimensional QZS. The response characteristics of the QZS fulcrum, including the transfer rates, its stability, and convergence speed, are investigated by both quantitative calculations and simulations conducted using Simulink. A prototype is designed and manufactured and is then compared with other vibration isolation methods via experiments. The results show that the QZS isolator achieves a high performance and adequately reconciles the contradiction between vibration isolation and stability.
Steady-State Safety Analysis of Ghana Research Reactor-1 With Low-Enriched-Uranium Core
Authors: Shitsi Edward , Amoah Prince , Ampomah-Amoako Emmanuel , Odoi Henry Cecil
Published: March 2020

Research reactors all over the world are expected to operate within certain safety margins just like pressurized water reactors and boiling water reactors. These safety margins mainly include onset of nucleate boiling ratio (ONBR), departure from nucleate boiling ratio (DNBR), and flow instability ratio (FIR) in addition to the maximum clad or fuel temperature and saturation temperature or boing point of the coolant inside the core of the reactor. This study carried out steady-state safety analysis of the Ghana Research Reactor-1 (GHARR-1) with low enriched uranium (LEU) core. Monte Carlo N-particle (MCNP) code was used to obtain radial and axial power peaking factors used as inputs in the preparation of the input file of plate temperature code of Argonne National Laboratory (PLTEMP/ANL code), which was then used to obtain the mentioned safety parameters of GHARR-1 with LEU core in this study. The data obtained on the ONBR were used to obtain the initiation of nucleate boiling boundary data with respect to the active length of the reactor core for various reactor powers. The obtained results for LEU core were also compared with that of the high enriched uranium (HEU) core. The results obtained show that the 34 kW GHARR-1 with LEU core is safe to operate just as the previous 30 kW HEU core was safe to operate.
Development of a High Pressure Dry Coal Feed System for a 100 kWt Oxy-Coal Reactor
Authors: Schroedter Taylor , Adams Bradley R. , Tuia Jacob , Fry Andrew
Published: March 2020

A design concept to feed dry coal from a hopper to a 100 kWt pressurized oxy-coal (POC) reactor using CO2 at 2 MPa was developed using transient computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations and bench-scale measurements. The feed system was required to maintain a steady flow of gas and solids at a coal flowrate of approximately 3.8 g/s and a CO2-to-coal mass ratio in the range 1–2. A 5.08-cm diameter vertical coal hopper feeding into a 0.635-cm diameter horizontal pipe was used to represent key elements of the feed system. A fluidized bed concept was found capable of providing the desired coal flowrate and CO2-to-coal flow ratio. Use of separate fluidization and dilution flows allowed the coal flowrate and CO2-to-coal flow ratio to be controlled independently. The amount of coal transported from the hopper was dependent on the net CO2 flow in the hopper but independent of the CO2 dilution flow. Pipe exit coal flowrates were found to fluctuate at levels acceptable for steady burner operation. Tests from a bench-scale apparatus using Pittsburgh 8 coal with a median particle diameter of 50 µm and moisture content of 6% confirmed the feasibility of the fluidization design. However, for a given CO2 fluidization flowrate, experimental coal flowrates were lower than predicted coal flow, in part due to simplifying assumptions of dry, spherical coal particles and smooth piping in the simulations.
Out of the Neotropical region: first record of the genus Origmatrachys Hirschmann, 1979 (Trachyuropodidae) in Africa with the description of O. mahnerti sp. nov. (Acari: Uropodina) from Ivory Coast

Authors: Kontschán Jeno
Published: March 2020

Origmatrachys mahnerti sp. nov. is discovered and described from Ivory Coast. The new species differs from its congeners in the presence of a network of grooves on the dorsal and ventral idiosma, in the shape of the dorsal and ventral setae, and in the sculptural pattern on the sternal and ventral shield. This is the first record of the genus Origmatrachys Hirschmann, 1979 in the Afrotropical region. A list and a new key to the known Origmatrachys is presented. Twelve Trachyuropoda species are moved to the genus Origmatrachys as: O. angustioculata (Hirschmann 1976) comb. nov.; O. boliviensis (Hirschmann, 1976) comb. nov.; O.  dicarinata (Hirschmann, 1976) comb. nov.; O. dicarinatasimilis (Hirschmann, 1976) comb. nov.; O. dictyoeides (Hirschmann, 1976) comb. nov.; O. gracilis (Hirschmann, 1976) comb. nov.; O. reticulata (Hirschmann, 1976) comb. nov.; O. woelkei (Hirschmann, 1976) comb. nov. O. chimboensis (Kontschán, 2011) comb. nov.; O. ecuadorica (Kontschán, 2011) comb. nov.; O. pesici (Kontschán, 2011) comb. nov. and O. costaricana (Kontschán, 2011) comb. nov.
Impact of thermodynamic fluctuations and pattern size on the nucleation behavior during area selective deposition
Authors: Yanguas-Gil Angel
Published: March 2020

In this work, the authors explore the impact that thermodynamic fluctuations have on the spontaneous appearance of defects during area selective deposition on patterned surfaces that are fully covered by adsorbates under local thermodynamic equilibrium, such as self-assembled monolayers. By using a simple lattice gas model for the adsorbed monolayer, the authors were able to track the spontaneous formation of defects in the monolayer as a function of the pattern width. The results indicate that, for pattern widths of the order of tens of nanometers, roughening effects at the pattern edge can be the leading source for the spontaneous appearance of nucleation defects. This leads to an enhancement of the density of defects that can be up to three orders of magnitude higher than those expected in uniform (not patterned) surfaces. The model also predicts a density of defects that is inversely proportional to the pattern width. Finally, if the dynamic nucleation of defects during area selective deposition is driven by thermodynamic fluctuations, the model predicts that the nucleation rate should be proportional to the total precursor fluency and independent of purge times. Moreover, a tight confinement of the monolayer through a high quality smooth interface in the patterned substrate and strong cohesive interactions between adsorbates should each contribute to a reduction of the overall defect density.
Surface properties and interactions of transition metal oxide nanoparticles: A perspective on sustainability
Authors: Hedlund Orbeck Jenny K. , Hamers Robert J.
Published: March 2020

Lithium intercalation compounds represent a class of technologically relevant nanoparticles that have revolutionized energy storage, namely, in their practical application as cathode materials used in rechargeable lithium ion batteries. An important class of such materials is the lithium metal oxides with the form LiMO2, where M represents Fe, Mn, Co, or Ni. The demand for these materials has led to a rapid increase in production volume in the last decade; however, there is very little infrastructure in place for disposal of these materials after use and very little is known about their transformations under environmental conditions. In this perspective, the authors highlight recent work investigating the surface properties of these materials to gain a fundamental molecular-level understanding of the transformations of complex metal oxides in experimental and computational studies.
New records on the distribution of the Spanish sand racer species (Squamata, Psammodromus) in Spain, Iberian Peninsula
Authors: Molina Carolina , Tamar Karin , González de la Vega Juan Pablo , Burriel-Carranza Bernat , Fernández-Guiberteau Daniel , Carranza Salvador
Published: March 2020

The genus Psammodromus (Lacertidae) comprises six species. Three of the species are morphologically similar, phylogenetically closely related, and are distributed in the Iberian Peninsula (besides P. algirus): P. occidentalis (Western Iberia), P. hispanicus (Central Spain), and P. edwarsianus (Eastern Spain). Previous studies have shown these three species to have allopatric distributions in Iberia, though there are still many areas such as Andalucía where it is unclear which species of Psammodromus occurs. In this study we present nine new records of Psammodromus from key places in southern Spain. Since the three Iberian species are difficult to differentiate by morphology, specimens were genetically identified using mitochondrial DNA data and compared to all six species of the genus. Here we present an updated distribution map of Psammodromus specimens identified with molecular methods, increasing the ranges of all three species. We also propose wider regions of potential sympatry between P. occidentalis and P. hispanicus, and P. edwarsianus and P. hispanicus than previously recorded.
Why weather systems are apt to stall
Authors: Voosen Paul
Published: March 2020

A new theory tries to explain enigmatic "blocks" that bring heat waves and drought.
Unplanned experiment could help save a key farmed fish
Authors: Stokstad Erik
Published: March 2020

Random outbreak at research center points to tilapia variants that resist the deadly emerging tilapia lake virus.
The body's dangerous defenders
Authors: Leslie Mitch
Published: March 2020

Neutrophils fiercely attack infections, but can also trigger disease. Researchers are trying to tame them.
Pervasive functional translation of noncanonical human open reading frames
Authors: Chen Jin , Brunner Andreas-David , Cogan J. Zachery , Nuñez James K. , Fields Alexander P. , Adamson Britt , Itzhak Daniel N. , Li Jason Y. , Mann Matthias , Leonetti Manuel D. , Weissman Jonathan S.
Published: March 2020

Expanding the human proteome

Using mass spectrometry, ribosome profiling, and several CRISPR-based screens, Chen
et al.
identified hundreds of previously uncharacterized functional micropeptides in the human genome (see the Perspective by Wei and Guo). Protein translation outside of annotated open reading frames (ORFs) in messenger RNAs and within ORFs in long noncoding RNAs is pervasive. A functional screen using CRISPR-Cas9 with single-cell transcriptomics suggested critical roles for hundreds of micropeptides. Micropeptides encoded by multiple short, upstream ORFs form stable protein complexes with the downstream canonical proteins encoded on the same messenger RNAs.

Science
, this issue p.
1140
; see also p.
1074
Replay of cortical spiking sequences during human memory retrieval
Authors: Vaz Alex P. , Wittig John H. , Inati Sara K. , Zaghloul Kareem A.
Published: March 2020

Human brain activity during memory

Animal studies suggest that sequence replay of neuronal activity may underlie memory retrieval and consolidation. However, there is no direct evidence that the replay of spiking activity sequences is important for these processes in the human brain. Vaz
et al.
simultaneously recorded single-unit spikes, local field potential, and intracranial electroencephalography signals in the brain while participants performed a memory task. Sharp wave ripple oscillations in the temporal lobe cortex reflected bursts of neural spiking, and these bursts of spikes organized into sequences during memory formation. These sequences were replayed during successful memory retrieval. The extent of sequence replay during correct recall was related to the extent to which cortical spiking activity was coupled with ripples in the medial temporal lobe.

Science
, this issue p.
1131
The effect of travel restrictions on the spread of the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak
Authors: Chinazzi Matteo , Davis Jessica T. , Ajelli Marco , Gioannini Corrado , Litvinova Maria , Merler Stefano , Pastore y Piontti Ana , Mu Kunpeng , Rossi Luca , Sun Kaiyuan , Viboud Cécile , Xiong Xinyue , Yu Hongjie , Halloran M. Elizabeth , Longini Ira M. , Vespignani Alessandro
Published: March 2020

Outbreak to pandemic

In response to global dispersion of severe acute respiratory syndrome–coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), quarantine measures have been implemented around the world. To understand how travel and quarantine influence the dynamics of the spread of this novel human virus, Chinazzi
et al.
applied a global metapopulation disease transmission model to epidemiological data from China. They concluded that the travel quarantine introduced in Wuhan on 23 January 2020 only delayed epidemic progression by 3 to 5 days within China, but international travel restrictions did help to slow spread elsewhere in the world until mid-February. Their results suggest that early detection, hand washing, self-isolation, and household quarantine will likely be more effective than travel restrictions at mitigating this pandemic.

Science
, this issue p.
395
Resolvin D1 Administration Is Beneficial in Trypanosoma cruzi Infection
Authors: Horta Aline L. , Williams Tere , Han Bing , Ma Yanfen , Menezes Ana Paula J. , Tu Vincent , Talvani André , Weiss Louis M. , Huang Huan
Published: March 2020

Chagas disease is a major public health issue, affecting ∼10 million people worldwide. Transmitted by a protozoan namedTrypanosoma cruzi, this infection triggers a chronic inflammatory process that can lead to cardiomyopathy (Chagas disease). Resolvin D1 (RvD1) is a novel proresolution lipid mediator whose effects on inflammatory diseases dampens pathological inflammatory responses and can restore tissue homeostasis. Current therapies are not effective in altering the outcome ofT. cruziinfection, and as RvD1 has been evaluated as a therapeutic agent in various inflammatory diseases, we examined if exogenous RvD1 could modulate the pathogenesis of Chagas disease in a murine model.
Promoting Interdisciplinary Learning: A Cross-Course Assignment for Undergraduate Students in Advanced Biology and Drawing Courses
Authors: Mahtani Trisha , Brotman Yael S. , Ashok Aarthi
Published: March 2020

Exposing students to interdisciplinary learning experiences has many benefits including a richer understanding of complex problems, promoting metacognition, and recognizing how to effectively use their skills. For biology students, immersion in creativity and design-thinking inherent to the arts can aid in their ability to imagine, innovate and communicate science. For art students who have been trained to develop unique visual vocabularies, an important learning experience would be to communicate didactic knowledge of an unfamiliar domain in a way that is visually compelling, imaginatively open-ended and informative. For both cohorts of students, academic training at the undergraduate level has remained somewhat sequestered in disciplinary silos. If we are to truly prepare students for careers in which they innovate, work collaboratively, solve problems and continue to learn, then we must provide authentic inquiry-based assignments that allow them to see the value of such proficiencies. This was the rationale behind designing this interdisciplinary assignment for biology and art students at the University of Toronto Scarborough. Here, we report on the design, implementation and insights from the pilot offering of this assignment. We hope that this provides a useful teaching tool for instructors interested in promoting interdisciplinary teaching and learning at the undergraduate level.
Long-Acting BMS-378806 Analogues Stabilize the State-1 Conformation of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Envelope Glycoproteins
Authors: Zou Shitao , Zhang Shijian , Gaffney Althea , Ding Haitao , Lu Maolin , Grover Jonathan R. , Farrell Mark , Nguyen Hanh T. , Zhao Connie , Anang Saumya , Zhao Meiqing , Mohammadi Mohammadjavad , Blanchard Scott C. , Abrams Cameron , Madani Navid , Mothes Walther , Kappes John C. , Smith Amos B. , Sodroski Joseph
Published: March 2020

The envelope glycoprotein (Env) spike on the surface of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) mediates the entry of the virus into host cells and is also the target for antibodies. During virus entry, Env needs to change shape. Env flexibility also contributes to the ability of HIV-1 to evade the host immune response; many shapes of Env raise antibodies that cannot recognize the functional Env and therefore do not block virus infection. We found that an HIV-1 entry inhibitor, BMS-806, stabilizes the functional shape of Env. We developed new variants of BMS-806 that stabilize Env in its natural state for long periods of time. The availability of such long-acting stabilizers of Env shape will allow the natural Env conformation to be characterized and tested for efficacy as a vaccine.
Single blood pressure chart for children up to 13 years to improve the recognition of hypertension based on existing normative data
Authors: Coulthard Macolm G
Published: March 2020

Objective

To produce a single ‘growth-chart-style’ blood pressure (BP) chart with clear diagnostic thresholds to assist paediatricians to make prompt and accurate diagnoses of hypertension.

Design

The well-established but complex published data on normal BP ranges in prepubertal children were identified and analysed to determine if it was possible to produce a single, user-friendly, colour-coded chart, showing diagnostic hypertension thresholds for systolic and diastolic BP without losing clinically important information.

Results

There were sufficient published normative childhood BP data available to define systolic and diastolic BP centiles from term onwards but only sufficient to determine systolic BP centiles from 28 weeks of gestation to term. Up to 13 years of age, it was possible to combine boys’ and girls’ data without loss of precision and to define the threshold between stage 1 and stage 2 (severe) hypertension as the 95th centile +12 mm Hg. This allowed the production of single colour-coded charts for systolic and diastolic BP and to advise on making simple adjustments for the impact of stature on individual children’s results.

Conclusions

A simplified, integrated BP chart with colour-coded diagnostic thresholds was produced to assist the prompt diagnosis of hypertension in prepubertal children. This information could be included into a Paediatric Early Warning System score.
How do cardiovascular risk prediction equations developed among 30–74 year olds perform in older age groups? A validation study in 125 000 people aged 75–89 years
Authors: Mehta Suneela , Jackson Rod , Poppe Katrina , Kerr Andrew J , Pylypchuk Romana , Wells Sue
Published: March 2020

Background

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk prediction equations are being used to guide risk management among increasingly older individuals. We examined the performance of recent equations, derived from a 2006 cohort including almost all New Zealanders aged 30–74 years, among older people.

Methods

All New Zealanders aged 75–89 years in contact with state-funded health services in 2006 without prior CVD or heart failure and with complete predictor data were identified by anonymised individual-level linkage of eight national administrative health datasets. Baseline 5-year CVD risk was estimated using sex-specific New Zealand risk equations, and CVD hospitalisations or deaths occurring between 2007 and 2011 inclusive were ascertained. Performance was assessed with calibration plots and standard metrics.

Results

Among 124 358 New Zealanders aged 75–89 years old, 30 152 CVD events were recorded during follow-up. Sex-specific equations derived from 30–74 year olds slightly underestimated CVD risk among women and slightly overestimated risk among men aged 75–89 years. Discrimination metrics were poor in both sexes and the risk equations explained only 9.4% of the variation in time to CVD event among women and 6.0% for men. In the 5-year age bands, progressively worsening underprediction in women, overprediction in men and poorer performance metrics were observed with increasing age.

Conclusion

Entire-population CVD risk equations developed among 30–74 year olds do not perform well among older people. Existing risk algorithms developed from primarily middle-aged or early-retirement cohorts should be used with caution in those aged ≥75 years until carefully validated in narrow age bands to avoid masking poorer performance in older age groups.
Challenges to well-being for general practice trainee doctors: a qualitative study of their experiences and coping strategies
Authors: Ansell Sarah , Read James , Bryce Marie
Published: March 2020

Purposes of the study

To identify the challenges to well-being experienced by general practice postgraduate trainees and to explore how the trainees respond to those challenges.

Study design

Qualitative focus group study with doctors in their final year of general practice training (n=16). The participants in the study were recruited from one training scheme in South West England. Data were thematically analysed.

Results

Participants reported challenges to well-being relating to dysfunctional relationships with colleagues and patients, their workload, a perceived lack of support at work and also physical environmental challenges. They identified response strategies focused on cognitive processing, physical self-care, focusing on their professional purpose, building supportive relationships and adapting their working environment where possible. Additionally, there were factors that could support trainee well-being, including personal factors such as adaptability and self-awareness, but also external and organisational factors, such as culture, supportive colleagues and organisational adaptability in relation to workload management. The importance to trainees of the idea of being a ‘good doctor’ arose repeatedly in the data, as did the importance of the organisational environment. Participants reported finding their training placements in secondary care environments particularly challenging.

Conclusion

This research highlights the strategies that general practice trainees use in response to challenges, but also that the responsibility for maintaining well-being cannot be borne by individuals alone. This study identifies that supportive approaches by healthcare organisations and educators are vitally important to general practitioner trainees’ well-being.
Fluid dynamics around three cylinders in presence of small control cylinders
Authors: Ahmed Ali , Islam Shams-ul , Zhou Chao Ying , Manzoor Raheela
Published: March 2020

A numerical study is performed to analyze the effect of small control cylinders on fluid force reduction and vortex shedding suppression on the flow past three inline square cylinders using the lattice Boltzmann method. The Reynolds number Re = 160 is fixed while the spacing between the cylinders is taken in the range of 1.0D ≤ g* ≤ 5.0D (where D is the size of the main cylinder) and the control cylinder size is varied from 0.1D to 0.5D. To systematically understand the effect of control cylinders on the forces, a detailed analysis of Strouhal number (St), mean drag coefficient (CDmean), and root mean square values of the drag and lift coefficients is presented in this paper. In this study, it is observed that the average mean drag coefficient (CDmeanaverage) and Strouhal number reached either maximum or minimum values at different values of separation ratio (g*) and small control cylinder size (d). It is found that at (g*, d) = (5.0, 0.0) and (1.0, 0.5), the average CDmean attains its maximum (CDmeanaverage = 0.7813) and minimum (CDmean = 0.0988) values. Furthermore, at (g*, d) = (5.0, 0.3) and (2.0, 0.0) the average St attains its maximum (St = 0.1780) and minimum (St = 0.041) values. It is found that the flow regimes completely change in the presence of control cylinders. In particular, at g* = 4.0 there is a critical flow regime when the size of the control cylinder changes from 0.1 to 0.5. The sudden jump in the mean drag coefficient and Strouhal number for the middle cylinder with their maximum and minimum values also confirms the critical flow regime. The effect of control cylinders within tandem square cylinders has not been studied before.
Combining the small-x evolution and DGLAP for description of inclusive photon induced processes
Authors: Ermolaev B. I. , Troyan S. I.
Published: March 2020

We study amplitudes of the inclusive photon induced high-energy processes: elastic Compton scattering off hadrons and photoproduction. Although description of these amplitudes includes both non-perturbative and perturbative contributions, QCD factorization makes possible to study them separately. Throughout the present paper we focus on the perturbative amplitudes and study such amplitudes in all available in the literature forms of QCD factorization: Collinear, $$K_T$$KT and Basic. As a result, we obtain expressions for the perturbative Compton amplitudes, which can be used at arbitrary x and $$Q^2$$Q2 in any form of QCD factorization. Putting $$Q^2 = 0$$Q2=0 in those expressions allows us to obtain expressions for the perturbative components of the photoproduction amplitudes. The small-x asymptotics of the Compton amplitudes in any form of QCD factorization are of the Regge type, with the Reggeon being a double-logarithmic (non-BFKL) contribution to Pomeron.
Effects of Chinese and Western Medicine on Patients with Dengue Fever
Authors: Chen Yu-Pei , Ho Tzong-Shiann , Lee Po-Chang , Chang Hen-Hong , Shieh Gia-Shing , Lee Chih-I , Hu Wen-Long , Hung Yu-Chiang
Published: March 2020

Dengue fever is an important epidemic disease with a high prevalence in tropical and subtropical countries. We aimed to investigate the effects of a treatment integrating traditional Chinese (TCM) and Western medicines on dengue inpatients with warning signs (i.e., group B) according to the World Health Organization dengue classification in this retrospective cohort study of medical records. Inpatients who were treated with conventional Western therapies in the absence or presence of TCM were assigned to the control and treatment groups, respectively. Data were compared using an analysis of variance, general linear analysis, and chi-square test. The most common clinical symptoms and signs of dengue fever were fever and muscle ache. The treatment group patients were significantly more likely to present general weakness and poor appetite than the control group patients. Patients in the treatment group were more likely to experience stomachache than those in the control group. Moreover, comparisons of the changes in hemoglobin and alanine aminotransferase levels over time revealed significant differences between the patient groups. Zhu Ye Shi Gao Tang, Gui Pi Tang, Paeonia suffruticosa, and Clerodendrum cyrtophyllum were the most commonly administered TCM formula and single herbs in this study. Patients in the treatment group experienced a resolution of symptoms, signs, and laboratory data and were discharged smoothly, without deterioration to death or critical care. Our findings suggest that the integration of TCM and Western medicine may yield an appropriate treatment for dengue fever.
Pultruded glass fiber reinforced brominated-epoxy composites: Dynamic mechanical and flame retardant properties
Authors: Chen Chin-Hsing
Published: March 2020

With the improvements in quality of life and better awareness about the requirement for a secure environment, fire-resistant materials have gradually attracted the world’s attention and recognition. This paper investigates a proprietary process to manufacture glass fiber (GF) reinforced brominated-epoxy (BEP) flame retardant composites through pultrusion. BEP resin is manufactured with fillers as matrices, GF as reinforcements for pultrusion. The dynamic mechanical properties (DMA) and flame retardant properties of the GF reinforced BEP composites manufactured through pultrusion have been investigated. The DMA test showed higher dynamic storage modulus [Formula: see text] and lower curve of tan [Formula: see text] of pultruded composites when the filler content, postcure temperature and postcure time increased. At the same time, the glass transition temperature [Formula: see text] of the pultruded composites were shifted to a higher temperature when the filler content, postcure temperature and postcure time increased. From the flame retardant test for UL-94 and limited oxygen index (LOI), all of the pultruded GF reinforced BEP composites as well as the BEP resin showed excellent flame retardant properties.
Social Safety Theory: A Biologically Based Evolutionary Perspective on Life Stress, Health, and Behavior
Authors: Slavich George M.
Published: March 2020

Social Safety Theory hypothesizes that developing and maintaining friendly social bonds is a fundamental organizing principle of human behavior and that threats to social safety are a critical feature of psychological stressors that increase risk for disease. Central to this formulation is the fact that the human brain and immune system are principally designed to keep the body biologically safe, which they do by continually monitoring and responding to social, physical, and microbial threats in the environment. Because situations involving social conflict, isolation, devaluation, rejection, and exclusion historically increased risk for physical injury and infection, anticipatory neural–immune reactivity to social threat was likely highly conserved. This neurocognitive and immunologic ability for humans to symbolically represent and respond to potentially dangerous social situations is ultimately critical for survival. When sustained, however, this multilevel biological threat response can increase individuals’ risk for viral infections and several inflammation-related disease conditions that dominate present-day morbidity and mortality.
Rapid Product Analysis for the Electroreduction of CO2 on Heterogeneous and Homogeneous Catalysts Using a Rotating Ring Detector
Authors: Zhang Fen , Co Anne C.
Published: March 2020

Here, we demonstrate that small molecules such as H2, CO, HCOO− and their mixtures, generated from the electroreduction of CO2 (CO2RR), can be detected and quantified on a rotating ring-disc electrode (RRDE). We describe a series of systematic calibration protocol to quantify CO2RR products on four model electrocatalysts (Pt, Au, Sn, [NiII(cyclam)]2+). In an RRDE assembly, products generated at the disc are convectively transported and detected at the ring detector before diffusing into the bulk solution, circumventing the need for product pre-concentration. As the electrochemical fingerprints of these small molecules and their mixtures on the Pt detector are unique, RRDE also excludes the need for separation. Thus, using the rotating ring detector significantly minimizes the time delay between product generation and detection compared to conventional techniques such as GC, LC and NMR. An RRDE allows faster screening of catalysts that can help accelerate catalyst discovery for CO2RR. It also enables time-dependent mechanistic studies of CO2RR catalysis.