bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A consistent approach for fluid‐structure‐contact interaction based on a porous flow model for rough surface contact
Authors: Ager Christoph , Schott Benedikt , Vuong Anh‐Tu , Popp Alexander , Wall Wolfgang A.
Published: May 2019

Simulation approaches for fluid‐structure‐contact interaction, especially if requested to be consistent even down to the real contact scenarios, belong to the most challenging and still unsolved problems in computational mechanics. The main challenges are 2‐fold—one is to have a correct physical model for this scenario, and the other is to have a numerical method that is capable of working and being consistent down to a zero gap. Moreover, when analyzing such challenging setups of fluid‐structure interaction, which include contact of submersed solid components, it gets obvious that the influence of surface roughness effects is essential for a physical consistent modeling of such configurations. To capture this system behavior, we present a continuum mechanical model that is able to include the effects of the surface microstructure in a fluid‐structure‐contact interaction framework. An averaged representation for the mixture of fluid and solid on the rough surfaces, which is of major interest for the macroscopic response of such a system, is introduced therein. The inherent coupling of the macroscopic fluid flow and the flow inside the rough surfaces, the stress exchange of all contacting solid bodies involved, and the interaction between fluid and solid are included in the construction of the model. Although the physical model is not restricted to finite element–based methods, a numerical approach with its core based on the cut finite element method, enabling topological changes of the fluid domain to solve the presented model numerically, is introduced. Such a cut finite element method–based approach is able to deal with the numerical challenges mentioned above. Different test cases give a perspective toward the potential capabilities of the presented physical model and numerical approach.
pH‐responsive squeezing polysaccharidic nanogels for efficient docetaxel delivery
Authors: Noh Gwang Jin , Lim Seon A , Lee Eun Seong
Published: May 2019

In this study, we report pH‐responsive polysaccharidic nanogels comprising starch grafted with 3‐(diethylamino)propylamine (DEAP, as an inner soft nanogel core) and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG, as an outer hydrophilic nanogel shell). Here, the DEAP moieties (pKb ~ pH 7.0) enhance the lipophilicity of the nanogel core at pH 7.4, improving the loading efficiency of an antitumor model drug (docetaxel [DTX]) in the core. However, the DEAP moieties could be protonated below pH 7.0, resulting in the mediation of ion‐dipole interactions with hydroxyl groups abundant in starch backbone. This event causes the electrostatic condensation of the nanogel core and enables the acceleration of drug release by squeezing of the core. We demonstrated that the nanogels selectively release the drug given a weakly acidic pH stimulus. These drug release trends are reversible with changes in pH. As a result, the nanogels are able to efficiently reduce MDA‐MB‐231 tumor cell population in acidic pH environments.
Patient preferences for prenatal testing and termination of pregnancy for congenital anomalies and genetic diseases in Ethiopia
Authors: Brooks Daniel , Asta Katharine , Sturza Julie , Kebede Birhanu , Bekele Delayehu , Nigatu Balkachew , Hewison Jenny , Quinonez Shane C.
Published: May 2019

Objective

As prenatal diagnostic services expand throughout low‐income countries, an important consideration is the appropriateness of these services for patients. In these countries, services now include prenatal ultrasound and occasionally genetic testing. To assess patient interest, we surveyed pregnant patients at a hospital in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on their preferences for prenatal testing and termination of affected pregnancies for congenital anomalies and genetic diseases.

Method

One hundred one pregnant patients were surveyed on their preferences for prenatal testing and termination of affected pregnancies using a survey covering various congenital anomalies and genetic diseases.

Results

Eighty‐nine percent of patients reported interest in testing for all conditions. Three percent of patients were not interested in any testing. Over 60% of patients reported interest in termination for anencephaly, early infant death, severe intellectual disability, hemoglobinopathy, and amelia. Patients were more likely to express interest in prenatal testing and termination for conditions associated with a shortened lifespan.

Conclusion

Ethiopian patients were interested in prenatal testing and termination of pregnancy for many conditions. Advancing prenatal diagnostic capacities is a potential strategy for addressing the incidence of congenital anomalies and genetic disease in Ethiopia. Importantly, there exist many factors and technological limitations to consider before implementation.
Ultrasound Assessment of Weight‐Bearing and Non–Weight‐Bearing Meniscal Extrusion: A Reliability Study
Authors: Reisner Jacob H. , Franco John M. , Hollman John H. , Johnson Adam C. , Sellon Jacob L. , Finnoff Jonathan T.
Published: May 2019

Background

Ultrasound has become a useful instrument in evaluating musculoskeletal pathology. Recent studies suggest that ultrasound imaging of weight‐bearing menisci may enhance the assessment of knee pathology, such as osteoarthritis (OA) and meniscal injuries.

Objective

The primary aim of this study was to determine the intrarater and interrater reliability of ultrasound measurements of medial meniscal extrusion (MME) after a brief training session.

Design

Prospective reliability study.

Setting

Physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R) department within a tertiary care institution.

Participants

Forty‐five participants (29 female, 16 male) were recruited to serve as models, 24 of whom had healthy knees and 21 of whom had radiographically confirmed medial compartment knee OA. Three physician sonographers (1 = experienced, 1 = sports medicine fellow, 1 = post‐graduate year [PGY]‐4 PM&R resident) were recruited to serve as operators.

Methods or Interventions

Operators received a brief training session on identifying and measuring MME. All operators measured bilateral MME in each model in the standing and supine positions on two separate days. Operators were blinded to all measurements.

Main Outcome Measurements

Primary outcomes were inter‐ and intrarater intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) of MME measurements among operators with different levels of ultrasound experience.

Results

Supine MME intrarater reliability ICCs were 0.927, 0.885, and 0.780 for the experienced physician, sports medicine fellow, and PGY‐4 operators, respectively. Standing MME intrarater reliability ICCs were 0.941, 0.902, and 0.824 for the experienced physician, sports medicine fellow, and PGY‐4 operators, respectively. Interrater reliability ICCs were 0.896 and 0.842 for supine and standing measurements, respectively. There was a statistically significant increase in intrarater reliability with experience between the PGY‐4 resident and experienced physician operators.

Conclusions

Operators with different levels of ultrasound experience demonstrated good MME measurement intra‐ and interrater reliabilities in both supine and standing positions.
4‐(4‐Bromophenyl)thiazol‐2‐amine: Crystal structure determination, DFT calculations, visualizing intermolecular interactions using Hirshfeld surface analysis, and DNA binding studies
Authors: Channar Pervaiz A. , Arshad Nasima , Larik Fayaz A. , Farooqi Shahid I. , Saeed Aamer , Hökelek Tuncer , Batool Bakhtawar , Ujan Rabail , Ali Hafiz Saqib , Flörke Ulrich
Published: May 2019

2‐Aminothiazole is a valuable synthon in organic synthesis and an important structural unit of pharmaceutically active drugs. It is accessible via several synthetic routes. In the current account, compound 4 {4‐(4‐bromophenyl) thiazol‐2‐amine} was synthesized by employing a recently reported procedure of Gabriel synthesis using Lawesson reagent. The title compound was characterized through spectro‐elemental analytical data, and its crystal structure was determined by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction. The torsion angles, bond lengths, and bond strengths between the planes of the thiazole and phenyl rings were optimized by theoretical calculations by applying the B3LYP/6‐311++G(d,p) level for the purpose of investigating the conformational effects on the stabilization of the crystal packing. HOMO‐LUMO analysis, vibrational analysis, and thermodynamic parameters were also investigated. A detailed analysis of the intermolecular interactions of thiazole moiety bearing the amino and bromophenyl ring has been performed based on the Hirshfeld surfaces and their associated two‐dimensional fingerprint plots. The relative contributions of the main intermolecular contacts as well as the enrichment ratios derived from the Hirshfeld surface analysis establish the 2‐aminothiazole synthon to be a molecule of great interest. DNA binding studies pointed towards anticancer potency of the synthesized compound via reversible binding.
Intensity‐based 2D‐3D registration for an ACL reconstruction navigation system
Authors: Guo Na , Yang Biao , Ji Xuquan , Wang Yuhan , Hu Lei , Wang Tianmiao
Published: May 2019

To improve the positioning accuracy of tunnels for anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction, we proposed an intensity‐based 2D‐3D registration method for an ACL reconstruction navigation system. Methods for digitally reconstructed radiograph (DRR) generation, similarity measurement, and optimization are crucial to 2D‐3D registration. We evaluated the accuracy, success rate, and processing time of different methods: (a) ray‐casting and splating were compared for DRR generation; (b) normalized mutual information (NMI), Mattes mutual information (MMI), and Spearman's rank correlation coefficient (SRC) were assessed for similarity between registrations; and (c) gradient descent (GD) and downhill simplex (DS) were compared for optimization. The combination of splating, SRC, and GD provided the best composite performance and was applied in an augmented reality (AR) ACL reconstruction navigation system. The accuracy of the navigation system could fulfill the clinical needs of ACL reconstruction, with an end pose error of 2.50 mm and an angle error of 2.74°.
Light Management in Organic Photovoltaics Processed in Ambient Conditions Using ZnO Nanowire and Antireflection Layer with Nanocone Array
Authors: Tavakoli Mohammad Mahdi , Dastjerdi Hadi Tavakoli , Zhao Jiayuan , Shulenberger Katherine E. , Carbonera Chiara , Po Riccardo , Cominetti Alessandra , Bianchi Gabriele , Klein Nathan D. , Bawendi Moungi G. , Gradecak Silvija , Kong Jing
Published: May 2019

Low carrier mobility and lifetime in semiconductor polymers are some of the main challenges facing the field of organic photovoltaics (OPV) in the quest for efficient devices with high current density. Finding novel strategies such as device structure engineering is a key pathway toward addressing this issue. In this work, the light absorption and carrier collection of OPV devices are improved by employment of ZnO nanowire (NW) arrays with an optimum NW length (50 nm) and antireflection (AR) film with nanocone structure. The optical characterization results show that ZnO NW increases the transmittance of the electron transporting layer as well as the absorption of the polymer blend. Moreover, the as‐deposited polymer blend on the ZnO NW array shows better charge transfer as compared to the planar sample. By employing PC70BM:PV2000 as a promising air‐stable active‐layer, power conversion efficiencies of 9.8% and 10.1% are achieved for NW devices without and with an AR film, indicating 22.5% and 26.2% enhancement in PCE as compared to that of planar device. Moreover, it is shown that the AR film enhances the water‐repellent ability of the OPV device.
Can the effects of environmental enrichment modulate BDNF expression in hippocampal plasticity? A systematic review of animal studies
Authors: Barros Waleska , David Mirian , Souza Ana , Silva Mariluce , Matos Rhowena
Published: May 2019

Background and aim: Environmental enrichment (EE) can be related to changes in the expression of brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the hippocampus of adult rodents. Exposure to EE may also induce neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus (DG). The aim of this systematic review was to analyze the current literature on the correlation between neurogenesis and BDNF expression in the hippocampal DG region resulting from exposure to EE, which is associated with changes in memory, in rodents. Methods: Bibliographic searches of the Medline/PubMed and ScienceDirect databases were carried out, and 334 studies were found. A predefined protocol was used and registered on PROSPERO, and 32 studies were included for qualitative synthesis. The PRISMA was used to report this systematic review. Results: Most of the included studies showed that there is little evidence in the literature demonstrating that memory changes resulting from EE are dependent on BDNF expression and that there is an induction of neurogenesis in the hippocampal DG. However, the observed increase in molecular expression levels and cell proliferation is dependent on the age, the timing and duration of exposure to EE. Regarding the methodological quality of the studies, the majority presented a risk of bias due to the high variability in the age of the animals. Conclusion: There are few studies in the literature that correlate the molecular and cellular mechanisms involved in neurogenesis in the hippocampal DG with BDNF expression in this region in rodents exposed to EE; however, there are other factors that can modulate this neurogenesis.
Structural Engineering of Semiconductor Nanoparticles by Conjugated Interfacial Bonds
Authors: Peng Yi , Liu Qiming , Chen Shaowei
Published: May 2019

Surface functionalization of semiconductor nanoparticles plays a significant role in the manipulation of the nanoparticle physicochemical properties and diverse applications. Conventional points of anchor involve mercapto, carboxyl and phenol moieties, forming largely nonconjugated interfacial linkages. In this personal account, we summarize recent progress in surface functionalization of semiconductor nanoparticles with olefin and acetylene derivatives, where the formation of conjugated interfacial bonds leads to ready manipulation of the nanoparticle optical and electronic properties, by using Si and TiO2 nanoparticles as the illustrating examples. Finally, a perspective is included where the promises and challenges of structural engineering of semiconductor nanoparicles are highlighted.
Singlet-doublet fermion and triplet scalar dark matter with radiative neutrino masses
Authors: Fiaschi Juri , Klasen Michael , May Simon
Published: May 2019

Abstract

We present a detailed study of a combined singlet-doublet fermion and triplet scalar model for dark matter. These models have only been studied separately in the past. Together, they form a simple extension of the Standard Model that can account for dark matter and explain the existence of neutrino masses, which are generated radiatively. This holds even if singlet-doublet fermions and triplet scalars never contribute simultaneously to the dark matter abundance. However, this also implies the existence of lepton flavour violating processes. In addition, this particular model allows for gauge coupling unification. The new fields are odd under a new ℤ2 symmetry to stabilise the dark matter candidate. We analyse the dark matter, neutrino mass and lepton flavour violation aspects both separately and in conjunction, exploring the viable parameter space of the model. This is done using a numerical random scan imposing successively the neutrino mass and mixing, relic density, Higgs mass, direct detection, collider and lepton flavour violation constraints. We find that dark matter in this model is fermionic for masses below about 1 TeV and scalar above. The narrow mass regions found previously for the two separate models are enlarged by their coupling. While coannihilations of the weak isospin partners are sizeable, this is not the case for fermions and scalars despite their often similar masses due to the relatively small coupling of the two sectors, imposed by the small neutrino masses. We observe a high degree of complementarity between direct detection and lepton flavour violation experiments, which should soon allow to fully probe the fermionic dark matter sector and at least partially the scalar dark matter sector.
Four-graviton scattering to three loops in $$ \mathcal{N}=8 $$ supergravity
Authors: Henn J. M. , Mistlberger B.
Published: May 2019

Abstract

We compute the three-loop scattering amplitude of four gravitons in

$$ \mathcal{N}=8 $$

N
=
8

supergravity. Our results are analytic formulae for a Laurent expansion of the amplitude in the regulator of dimensional regularisation. The coefficients of this series are closed formulae in terms of well-established harmonic poly-logarithms. Our results display a remarkable degree of simplicity and represent an important stepping stone in the exploration of the structure of scattering amplitudes. In particular, we observe that to this loop order the four graviton amplitude is given by uniform weight 2L functions, where L is the loop order.
Postglacial paleoceanography and paleoenvironments in the northwestern Barents Sea
Authors: Ivanova Elena , Murdmaa Ivar , de Vernal Anne , Risebrobakken Bjørg , Peyve Alexander , Brice Camille , Seitkalieva Elvira , Pisarev Sergey
Published: May 2019

The Barents Sea offers a suitable location for documenting advection of warm and saline Atlantic Water (AW) into the Arctic and its impact on deglaciation and postglacial conditions. We investigate the timing, succession, and mechanisms of the transition from proximal glaciomarine to marine environment in the northwestern Barents Sea. Two studied sediment cores demonstrate diachronous retreat of the grounded ice sheet from the Kvitøya Trough (core S2528) to Erik Eriksen Trough (core S2519). Oxygen isotope records from core S2528 depict a two-step pattern, with lower δ18O values prior to the Younger Dryas (YD), and higher values afterward because of advection of the more saline,18O-enriched AW. At this location, subsurface AW penetration increased during the Allerød and YD/Preboreal transition. In the study area, foraminiferal and dinocyst data from the YD interval suggest cold conditions, extensive sea-ice cover, and brine formation, along with the flow of chilled AW at subsurface and the development of a high-productivity polynya in the Erik Eriksen Trough. Dense winter sea-ice cover with seasonal productivity persisted in the Kvitøya Trough area during the early Holocene, whereas surface warming seems to have occurred during the middle Holocene interval.
Results of Analysis of Digital Elevation Models Used Site Selection for Paleoseismological Investigations at the Rurrand Fault
Authors: Hinzen K.G. , Reamer K. , Rose T.
Published: May 2019

Topographic and morphologic models based on detailed Digital Elevation Models (DEM) of the Rur Graben, in particular a 33 km section of the Rurrand Fault, proved to be essential in preliminary investigations for the site selection of a trench for detailedpaleoseismologicalinvestigations. The entire DEM in the 33 km Jülich-Düren area displayed as a color-shaded terrain map clearly illustrates the main features of the eastern border fault of the Rur Graben. As investigations concentrated on the 8x6 km Stetternich-Hambach section of the Rurrand fault, the use of contoured topographic, gray-shaded terrain and terrain slope maps helped delineate the main features of the surface fault expression. On the basis of topographic profiles constructed from the DEM, no fault scarp could be identified; however, the detailed surveying results from two geophysical profiles correlated well with the topographic data.
‘Padres de la Patria’ and the Ancestral Past: Commemorations of Independence in Nineteenth-Century Spanish America
Authors: EARLE REBECCA
Published: May 2019

This article examines the civic festivals held in nineteenth-century Spanish America to commemorate independence from Spain. Through such festivals political leaders hoped, in Hobsbawm's words, ‘to inculcate certain values and norms of behaviour by repetition, which automatically implies continuity with the past’. But when did the ‘past’ begin? If in nineteenth-century France the French Revolution was the time of history, in Spanish America there was no consensus on when history began. The debates about national origins embedded within the nineteenth-century civic festival not only suggest how political elites viewed their Patrias but also shed light on the position of indigenous culture (usually separated hygienically from indigenous peoples themselves) within the developing national histories of post-independence Spanish America.
TheKāludāyi-Theragāthāas transmitted in the Pali commentaries
Authors: Gamage Aruna
Published: May 2019

While theTheragāthācontains only ten verses attributed to the Elder Kāludāyi, the Pali commentaries ascribe a further two sets of verses to him. The present article aims to carry out a detailed survey of these verses, which have so far received no scholarly attention, as a contribution to the understanding of the formation of Kāludāyi's verses in the canon and their paracanonical legacy. In this paper, the additional verses of Kāludāyi that appear in the commentaries are critically analysed in light of all other utterances attributed to him, in the canon as well as in the commentaries. The style, syntax, and wordings of specific stanzas of both series will be taken into consideration so as to evaluate their antiquity and their literary quality. When dealing with the rhetorical devices adapted in the stanzas, some Sanskrit poems are also taken into account.
The nature and function of theErnian lülingmanuscript unearthed from Zhangjiashan Han tomb no. 247
Authors: Jingrong Li
Published: May 2019

Legal manuscripts excavated from tombs serve as important materials for research on Qin and Han laws. These manuscripts differ from received legal texts or law documents found at archaeological sites in nature and function, as they were stored as funeral texts in tombs. This article studies theErnian lülingmanuscript in terms of its nature and function. It argues that the manuscript compiled in the second year of Empress Lü (186bce) nearing the death of the owner was not produced for official use but specifically for burial in the tomb. This article further proposes that the burial of theErnian lülingmanuscript may have taken place to illustrate the social status and official capabilities of the owner to the underworld. The investigation of theErnian lülingmanuscript in its archaeological context helps us achieve a stronger understanding of the dating, origins, completeness, and compilation of its text.
How to construct a brain theory?
Authors: Érdi Péter
Published: May 2019

Philosophical, dynamical, neural, network-theoretical, and cognitive ingredients of Tsuda's brain theory are discussed and anayzed. The integrative approach emphasized by Tsuda would be a welcome one.
Sensorimotor chauvinism?
Authors: Clark Andy , Toribio Josefa
Published: May 2019

While applauding the bulk of the account on offer, we question one apparent implication, namely, that every difference in sensorimotor contingencies corresponds to a difference in conscious visual experience.
Whither visual representations? Whither qualia?
Authors: Cohen Jonathan
Published: May 2019

This commentary makes two rejoinders to O'Regan & Noë. It clarifies the status of visual representations in their account, and argues that their explanation of the (according to them, illusory) appeal of qualia is unsatisfying.
Exploring the hyphen in ideo-motor action
Authors: Kunde Wilfried
Published: May 2019

This commentary focuses on Hommel et al.'s inferences on action planning. It discusses the relevance of anticipated extrinsic movement effects for action control, the problems of a feature-based representation of actions, and the necessity of the acquisition of conditional movement-effect associations.
The role of eye movements in perception
Authors: Kim Nam-Gyoon
Published: May 2019

For Gibson, sensory stimulation is neither the cause nor a component of perception, but merely incidental. Perception is based on the pickup of information, which occurs when purposeful observers actively seek information. I present a case in which only with the active sampling of the ambient optical flow field can observers extract the requisite information for the control of locomotion.
Does sensorimotor contingency theory account for perceptual-motor dissociations?
Authors: Lacquaniti Francesco , Zago Myrka
Published: May 2019

We review studies that indicate a dissociation between the perceptual estimate and the resulting cognitive representation of given properties of a seen object, on the one hand, and the motor action exerted on the same object. We propose that there exist multiple levels of organization of sensorimotor loops and that internal models may be made accessible to one level of organization while remaining inaccessible to another level.
Perceptual theories that emphasize action are necessary but not sufficient
Authors: Pani John R.
Published: May 2019

Theories that make action central to perception are plausible, though largely untried, for space perception. However, explaining object recognition, and high-level perception generally, will require reference to representations of the world in some form. Nonetheless, action is central to cognition, and explaining high-level perception will be aided by integrating an understanding of action with other aspects of perception.
Re-presenting the case for representation
Authors: Tatler Benjamin W.
Published: May 2019

O'Regan & Noë (O&N) present the most radical departure yet from traditional approaches to visual perception. However, internal representation cannot yet be abandoned. I will discuss: (1) recent evidence for very short-term pictorial representation of each fixation; (2) the possibility of abstract representation, largely unconsidered by the authors; and (3) that sensorimotor contingency theory requires internal visual retention and comparison.
Recapitalization or Reform? The Bankruptcy of the First Dutch West India Company and the Formation of the Second West India Company, 1674
Authors: Odegard Erik
Published: May 2019

The Dutch West India Company (WIC), founded in 1621, was, in the words of the States General, “disbanded and destroyed” in September 1674 due to bankruptcy. In its stead, a second West India Company was founded, with a charter largely taken over from the first. This article explores how the dissolution of the first company and the conflicting interests of stockholders, bondholders, and company directors were managed. As it turns out, the old company was not actually liquidated; instead, its assets were simply handed over to the successor company, while an intricate financial construction was devised to take care of the debt burden and to capitalize the new company. The reasons for this unusual arrangement must be sought in the company's great political, and particularly geopolitical, importance. Since the Dutch state was unwilling and unable to handle colonial governance and defence itself, it needed a placeholder in the form of a chartered company. However, the bankruptcy of the WIC, coming at the time it did, had major consequences for the shape of the Dutch Atlantic of the eighteenth century.
Risk and Failure in Tax Farming: De Bruijn & Cloots of Lisbon and the Portuguese Tobacco Monopoly, 1722–1727
Authors: Miranda Susana Münch
Published: May 2019

By examining how a Dutch firm in Lisbon operated two Portuguese tobacco tax farms from 1722 to 1727 and failed subsequently, this article brings together, on the one hand, research on the relationship between state and business groups through a monopolistic rent provided by the empire and, on the other hand, a growing literature discussing institutional and economic variables, as well as human agency, in business failure in early modern Europe. The article aims to achieve two goals. The first is to shed light on the perspective of the Dutch tax farmers, highlighting why they chose to incur the risks of managing a nationwide sales monopoly and the business model they implemented to maximize profits and mitigate risks, while the second is to examine the general and specific reasons behind their ultimate downfall. It concludes that, despite the organizational innovations they introduced and that led them to exploit interconnected businesses, the Dutch partners were unable to overcome the negative effects of conjunctural and contingent factors that temporarily squeezed the domestic consumption of tobacco.
Multiresistant Extended-Spectrum β-Lactamase-Producing Klebsiella pneumoniae Causing an Outbreak of Nosocomial Bloodstream Infection
Authors: Gonzalez-Vertiz Artemio , Alcantar-Curiel Dolores , Cuauhtli Marcela , Daza Carlos , Gayosso Catalina , Solache Graciela , Horta Cruz , Mejia Francisco , Santos Jose I. , Alpuche-Aranda Celia
Published: May 2019

This article describes an outbreak of bloodstream infection due to clonal dissemination of multiresistant Klebsiella pneumoniae in a neonatal area, during August 1999, in México City General Hospital. The intestinal tract was the likely reservoir, and intensification of Contact Precaution measures contained the outbreak.
Reproductive performance during early pregnancy in cattle with contrasting early pregnancy rates
Authors: McMillan W.H , Peterson A J. , Cox S.F. , Pearson S.J. , Donnison M.J.
Published: May 2019

Causes of variation amongst cattle within a herd in their ability to initiate and maintain pregnancy are largely unknown. An experimental animal resource has recently been established to understand the biology of early reproductive performance. This paper summarises the results achieved during the establishment phase and from several experiments aimed at determining the physiological basis of the difference between sub-herds of contrasting pregnancy rates on Day 60. Each of 155 contemporary yearling heifers received 2 in vitro-produced embryos on 6 separate occasions during a 26-month period. Sixty days after transfer, pregnancy and twinning rates were determined ultrasonically, pregnancies terminated and the process repeated. The interval between successive transfers was greater than 100 days. Heifers were ranked on their aggregate pregnancy rate performance after 6 rounds of transfer, and the highest (High) and lowest (Low) 25 were retained. Differences in reproductive performance during the establishment phase of the herd are reported. In addition, several subsequent experiments examined ovarian follicle turnover and progesterone levels during an oestrous cycle, early embryo development after either AI or embryo transfer, and protein, interferon tau and ubiquitin-cross-reactive protein levels in uterine luminal flushings.Pregnancy rates were 7-folder higher in the High sub-herd (76 vs. 11%), with much of this difference apparent by Day 25. The proportion of heifers observed in standing oestrus prior to embryo transfer and the interval from the end of synchronisation treatment to the onset of oestrus were similar in the sub-herds. Oestrous cycle length, ovarian follicular dynamics and progesterone profiles during the oestrous cycle were also similar. More conceptuses had elongated by Day 14 in the High sub-herd (67 vs. 14%, P<0.05), which also tended to have a higher pregnancy rate after artificial insemination (52 vs. 29, P<0.1). Total protein in flushings from the uterus was similar in the sub-herds on Day 14 and Day 17. Conceptuses in the High sub-herd were longer on Day 17 following embryo transfer (6.5 vs. 4.8, P<0.05). Interferon-tau levels were higher in the High sub-herd (25.9 vs. 16.1, P<0.01), although ubiquitin cross-reactive protein levels were also higher in the High sub-herd, but this difference just failed to reach significance. We conclude that: 1. Most of the difference in sub-herd pregnancy rate occurs within 3 weeks of ET; 2. Ovarian factors are unlikely to contribute to the difference; 3. Major differences occur after blastocyst hatching and probably depend upon a differing endometrial environment before Day 14; 4. Differences in the ability of the uterine milieu to stimulate the expression of interferon-tau may be responsible for the differences in pregnancy rate; 5. The two sub-herds are a unique experimental resource for understanding early pregnancy in cattle following either AI or ET.
Metabolic characteristics associated with normal or abnormal progesterone profiles during the postpartum period of dairy cows
Authors: Pushpakumara P.G.A. , Gardner N.H. , Reynolds C.K. , Beever D.E. , Wathes D.C.
Published: May 2019

Previous studies have shown that 35 — 40 % ofmodern dairy cows experience ovarian disturbances during early lactation. Even though negative energy balance (NEB) has been implicated as a regulator of ovarian function, the exact metabolite(s) or hormone(s), which mediate this effect is still not clear. In this study, we investigated the relationship between blood metabolites (NEFA, BHB and glucose) and plasma insulin like growth factor-I (IGF-I) and ovarian dysfunction. Thirty three Holstein-Friesian cows were fed a lactational ration ad libtium and were inseminated at observed oestrus starting from 56 days post calving. Three times weekly milk samples and weekly blood samples were collected from cows from calving until confirmed pregnant. Cows were placed into “NORMAL” or “ABNORMAL” categories of ovarian activity based on their milk progesterone profiles. The days to first service were 71 ± 2 in “NORMAL” and 78 ± 6 in “ABNORMAL” animals. The calving to conception interval (days open) was shorter in the “NORMAL “ than the “ABNORMAL” group (90 ± 8.7 vs 119 ± 15.2 days). IGF-I levels were significantly lower in the “ABNORMAL” group from 2 until 7 weeks after calving (P<0.02) and NEFA concentrations were higher in the “ABNORMAL” cows in the early postpartum period (P<0.03). There was no significant difference in either plasma BHB or glucose. This study confirms that elevated plasma NEFA concentrations are associated with “ABNORMAL” ovarian activity. The most significant difference was in plasma IGF-I concentrations, which stayed lower for nearly 2 months in the “ABNORMAL” animals.
The effects of time of disease occurrence, milk yield, and body condition on conception rates in dairy cows
Authors: Loeffler S.H. , de Vries M.J. , Schukken Y.H.
Published: May 2019

The associations between occurrence of diseases, milk yield, and body condition score on conception risk after first artificial insemination were analysed in an observational study of 43 farms participating in a herd health program. Data were taken from 9369 lactations, from 4382 cows inseminated between 20 and 180 days in milk in the period 1990 to 1996. Two logistic regression models, one containing data from all lactations and a subset containing data from 1762 lactations with body condition scoring were used to determine pregnancy risk at first AI. A 1-point loss in body condition score during the 100 days after calving resulted in a 20 percent reduction in the risk of conception. Relative within herd kg milk yield had a significant and linear negative association with fertility. Increases and decreases in the percentage milk fat (or milk fat to protein ratios) from the monthly test days near to AI date are significantly (P < 0.01) predictive of AI outcome. Metritis, cystic ovarian disease, lameness, and mastitis gave odds ratios of for pregnancy risk ranging from 0.35 to 1.15, largely dependent on the interval in days from final disease occurrence to first AI. The advantages of coding diseases for linear or non-linear time-dependency were examined. Other diseases with significant effects associations to pregnancy risk were displaced abomasum, milk fever and retained foetal membranes. These diseases showed little relationship between fertility and the number of days since last occurrence. Results of this study confirm the negative effects of milk yield, body score condition loss, and disease on dairy cow fertility. The effects of some diseases on first service conception are strongly dependent on the interval since last disease occurrence. This is especially valid for clinical mastitis which has an extremely weak effect on conception if occurring prior to AI and is associated with > 50 percent reduction in pregnancy risk if occurring in the 3 wk period directly after AI.
Protein and energy metabolism in the pre-implantation cattle embryo
Authors: Morris D.G. , Humpherson P. , Leese H.J. , Sreenan J.M.
Published: May 2019

There is no information on the metabolism of the cattle embryo during the period from day 8 to 16 a period of greatest embryonic loss. In this study the rate of protein synthesis and phosphorylation was measured in 13 to 15 day old cattle embryos. The rate of glucose utilisation and amino acid uptake/efflux by day 14 to 16 embryos was also measured. Protein synthesis and phosphorylation activity when expressed per unit of protein decreased with increasing embryo size and age. Similarly the rate of glucose utilisation was greatest for the earlier day 14 embryos. Embryos differed in their requirement for different amino acids. The pattern of uptake/efflux was similar to that of the earlier day 7 embryo. This study suggests that the metabolic rate of cattle embryos expressed per unit of protein content tends to decrease with increasing age and size from the initial burst of activity at day 13 around the time that expansion of the embryo begins.
Comparison of reproductive responses after PGF2α and GnRH-PGF2α oestrous synchronisation schemes in Holstein cows
Authors: Cox J.F. , Saravia F. , Torrealba O. , Zavala A. , Lobos A.
Published: May 2019

Controlled breeding schemes for oestrous detection constitutes a proactive technical response that balances the infrastructural requirement for a profitable dairy operation and the demands for optimal animal performance. The present study compared (a) the reproductive response of a treatment based on a short vs longer-acting PGF2α analogue (tiaprost vs luprostiol), and (b) the reproductive response after a treatment of GnRH-PGF2α vs PGF2α alone for synchronizing dairy cows. Holstein-Friesian cows averaging 9000 kg milk/lactation and fed according to their requirements were used in the study. Cows were cyclic, at least 60 days post partum and were clinically sound before being considered for the experiments. In Experiment 1, animals were synchronised using an i.m. injection of either 15 mg of luprostiol or 0.75 mg of tiaprost, based on ultrasonic diagnosis of a corpus luteum. Animals were inseminated at observed oestrus. In Experiment 2, cows were synchronised, at random, by either an injection of 10pg ofbuserelin (day 0) followed by 0.75 mg of tiaprost at day 7 (GnRH-PGF2α) orjust 0.75 mg of tiaprost (PGF2α). For both treatments only cows with an ultrasonically detected corpus luteum were treated. Animals were inseminated at oestrus. At the time of treatment and again 3 days later, milk samples were collected and assayed for progesterone by RIA. Cows with progesterone concentrations >1 ng/ml were considered to have corpus luteum. Luteolysis was considered to have occurred when concentrations of progesterone were > 1 ng/ml at day 0 and <0.8 ng/ml at day 3. In Experiment 1, both analogues gave similar results in terms of induced luteolysis [luprostiol: 36/39 (92.3%) vs tiaprost: 36/41 (87.8%)], oestrous detection efficiency [luprostiol: 26/36 (72.2%) vs tiaprost: 30/36 (83.3%], oestrous distribution [day 2, 3 and 4, respectively: luprostiol: 26.9%, 50.0%, 19.2% vs tiaprost: 36.7%, 50.0%, 13.3%], and conception rates [luprostiol: 12/25 (48.0%) vs tiaprost: 14/28 (50.0%); P>0.05]. In Experiment 2, oestrous detection efficiency, interval to oestrus and conception rate were similar between treatments [97/149 (65.1%), 71.1 h, 43/95 (45.3%) for PGF2α vs 130/188 (69.1%), 68.2h, 65/126 (51.6%) for GnRH-PGF2α, respectively]. However the oestrous distribution was more concentrated in GnRH-PGF2α treated animals (P<0.01).
Comparisons between fertility and survival of strains of Holstein-Friesian cows, Jersey cows and their crosses in New Zealand
Authors: Harris B. L. , Holmes C. W. , Winkelman A. M. , Xu Z. Z.
Published: May 2019

The survival and fertility of strains of Holstein-Friesian (HF) cows, Jersey cows and their crosses was investigated. Parametric survival analysis was used to model the number of days between first calving and last known herd test. The analysis was stratified by breed and included explanatory variables for production and nonproduction traits and proportion of overseas (i.e. not of New Zealand origin) HF genetics. Linear model analyses were used to investigate the genetics of fertility measures of first—lactation cows and their associations with production, live weight and survival. The HFJersey crossbred cows had a lower risk of culling than the parental breeds. The risk of culling increased with the proportion of overseas HF genes in both the HF and HFJersey crossbred cows. The heritabilities for the fertility traits ranged from 1.3% to 5.4% with days from start of mating to first mating (DFM) having the highest value. Antagonistic relationships, in terms of genetic correlations, between fertility and production were largest for DFM. DFM was negatively correlated with survival. Declining fertility and survival were found as the proportion of overseas HF increased.
Integral cohomology and Chern classes of the special linear group over the ring of integers
Authors: ARLETTAZ DOMINIQUE , AUSONI CHRISTIAN , MIMURA MAMORU , YAGITA NOBUAKI
Published: May 2019

This paper is devoted to the complete calculation of the additive structure of the
2-torsion of the integral cohomology of the infinite special linear group SL(ℤ) over
the ring of integers ℤ. This enables us to determine the best upper bound for the
order of the Chern classes of all integral and rational representations of discrete
groups.
Actions of finite p-groups on homology manifolds
Authors: HANKE BERNHARD
Published: May 2019

Let a cyclic group of odd prime order p act on a ℤ(p)-Poincaré duality space
X. We prove a relation between the Witt classes associated to the [ ]p-cohomology rings
of the fixed point set of this action and of X. This is applied to show a similar result
for actions of finite p-groups on ℤ(p)-homology manifolds.
Differential physiological sensitivity to child compliance behaviors in abusing, neglectful, and non-maltreating mothers
Authors: Norman Wells Jessica , Skowron Elizabeth A. , Scholtes Carolyn M. , DeGarmo David S.
Published: May 2019

We examined time-ordered associations between children's compliance behavior and maternal respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) in a sample of 127 child-maltreating (physical abuse, physical neglect, emotional abuse) and 94 non-maltreating mothers and their preschool-aged children. Child prosocial and aversive compliance behaviors and maternal RSA were continuously collected during a joint challenge task. Child behavior and mother RSA were longitudinally nested within-person and subjected to multilevel modeling (MLM), with between-person child maltreatment subtype and level of inconsistent parenting modeled as moderators. Both child maltreatment type and inconsistent parenting moderated the effects of child compliance on maternal RSA. Increases in children's prosocial compliance behaviors led to decreasing RSA in physically abusive mothers 30s later (i.e., increasing arousal), but predicted increases in non-maltreating mothers’ RSA (i.e., increasing calm). Inconsistent parenting (vacillating between autonomy-support and strict control) also moderated the effects of children's compliance behavior on maternal physiology, weakening the effects of child prosocial compliance on subsequent maternal RSA. These findings highlight variations in mothers’ physiological sensitivity to their children's prosocial behavior that may play a role in the development of coercive cycles, and underscore the need to consider individual differences in parents’ physiological sensitivity to their children to effectively tailor interventions across the spectrum of risk.
Factors influencing school counsellors' decision not to report child sexual abuse
Authors: Goldman Juliette D G , Padayachi Usha K
Published: May 2019

Using a state-wide sample of 122 school counsellors (52 males and 70 females) in Queensland, Australia, factors which influenced their decision not to report child sexual abuse were examined. These factors were a lack of evidence; lack of confidence in the authorities to accurately evaluate or protect sexually abused children; adverse effects on the family's social standing in the community; potential to break up the family; and the fear of breaking counsellor-client confidentiality. Further, school counsellors were not likely to report all cases of child sexual abuse when they suspected it, thus confirming the popular belief that child sexual abuse is under-reported by them.
The Effect of Moulage on Immersion, Realism, and Learning in a Traffic Accident Training Scenario for Police, Rescue Service, and Ambulance Students
Authors: Prytz Erik , Jacobsson Ann , Jonson Carl-Oscar
Published: May 2019

Introduction:

Moulage is the art of creating faked injuries on actors for training purposes. Moulage is commonly used in disaster and emergency medicine training, as it is believed to improve learning through enhanced realism.

Aim:

The aim of the current study was to test the effect of moulage on perceived realism and learning during a joint exercise featuring students from the police, rescue service, and ambulance service.

Methods:

The scenario was a car accident with two victims. Students (n = 135) were divided into 12 groups. Moulage was applied to the victim actors for half the groups (n = 67), whereas the other half (n = 68) experienced the scenario without moulage. Victim cards were used in both scenarios. Immersion, realism, and learning was measured on a 100-point scale immediately post-scenario using a questionnaire.

Results:

Two (moulage group) by three (student population and police, rescue service, or ambulance) ANOVAS on realism, immersion, and learning found no effects on realism or immersion (all p>0.10). There was an effect of student group on learning, F(2, 92) = 3.518, p = 0.034, partial eta square = 0.071, such that the rescue service students had overall lower scores on learning (M = 53.87, SD = 28.29) compared to the police (M = 66.07, SD = 27.55) and ambulance students (M = 74.99, SD = 24.51). Cohen’s ds for moulage effect was calculated to 0.144 for immersion, 0.112 for realism, and 0.003 for learning.

Discussion:

The current study did not find any effects of moulage on immersion, realism, or learning. The effect sizes indicate that any effect of moulage on realism and immersion, should it exist, is in the approximate size of 2-3 points on a 100-point scale. The lack of effect may be due to limitations in the study design, but may also indicate that the use of moulage in addition to victim cards is not necessarily beneficial for novice students’ learning.