bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Performance of the Alethia CMV Assay for Detection of Cytomegalovirus by Use of Neonatal Saliva Swabs
Authors: Gantt Soren , Goldfarb David M. , Park Albert , Rawlinson William , Boppana Suresh B. , Lazzarotto Tiziana , Mertz Lawrence M.
Published: January 2020

Congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV) infection is a major cause of childhood hearing loss and neurodevelopmental delay. Identification of newborns with cCMV infection allows provision of beneficial interventions. However, most infants with cCMV infection have subclinical infection and go undiagnosed. Thus, expanded neonatal CMV testing is increasingly recommended. Saliva is an attractive sample type for CMV testing of newborns, because it is easier to collect than urine and more sensitive for CMV detection than dried blood spots.
What are the benefits and risks of sharing patients’ diagnostic radiological images with them? A cross-sectional study of the perceptions of patients and clinicians in the UK
Authors: Cox William Allenby Southam , Cavenagh Penelope , Bello Fernando
Published: January 2020

Objectives

The objective for this work was to assess clinical experts’ and patients’ opinions on the benefits and risks of sharing patients’ diagnostic radiological images with them.

Setting

This study was conducted outside of the primary and secondary care settings. Clinical experts were recruited at a UK national imaging and oncology conference, and patients were recruited via social media.

Participants

121 clinical experts and 282 patients completed the study. A further 73 patient and 10 clinical expert responses were discounted due to item non-response. Individuals were required to be a minimum of 18 years of age at the time of participation.

Primary and secondary outcome measures

This study was exploratory in nature. As such, the outcomes to be measured for demonstration of the successful completion of this study were generated organically through the process of the investigation itself. These were: (1) the delineation of the benefits available from, and the risks posed by, widening access to diagnostic radiological images; (2) establishment of the level and nature of demand for access to diagnostic radiological images; and (3) the identification of stakeholder requirements for accessing available benefit from diagnostic radiological images.

Results

403 usable questionnaires were returned consisting of responses from clinical experts (n=121) and patients (n=282). Both groups acknowledge the potential benefits of this practice. Examples included facilitating communication, promoting patient engagement and supporting patients in accepting health information shared with them. However, both groups also recognised risks associated with image sharing, such as the potential for patients to be upset or confused by their images.

Conclusions

There is a demand from patients for access to their diagnostic radiological images alongside acknowledgement from clinical experts that there may be benefits available from this. However, due to the acknowledged risks, there is also a need to carefully manage this interaction.

Trial registration number

187752.
Results dissemination of registered clinical trials across Polish academic institutions: a cross-sectional analysis
Authors: Strzebonska Karolina , Wasylewski Mateusz T , Zaborowska Lucja , Riedel Nico , Wieschowski Susanne , Strech Daniel , Waligora Marcin
Published: January 2020

Objectives

To establish the rates of publication and reporting of results for interventional clinical trials across Polish academic medical centres (AMCs) completed between 2009 and 2013. We aim also to compare the publication and reporting success between adult and paediatric trials.

Design

Cross-sectional study.

Setting

AMCs in Poland.

Participants

AMCs with interventional trials registered on ClinicalTrials.gov.

Main outcome measure

Results reporting on ClinicalTrials.gov and publishing via journal publication.

Results

We identified 305 interventional clinical trials registered on ClinicalTrials.gov, completed between 2009 and 2013 and affiliated with at least one AMC. Overall, 243 of the 305 trials (79.7%) had been published as articles or posted their summary results on ClinicalTrials.gov. Results were posted within a year of study completion and/or published within 2 years of study completion for 131 trials (43.0%). Dissemination by both posting and publishing results in a timely manner was achieved by four trials (1.3%).

Conclusions

Our cross-sectional analysis revealed that Polish AMCs fail to meet the expectation for timely disseminating the findings of all interventional clinical trials. Delayed dissemination and non-dissemination of trial results negatively affects decisions in healthcare.
Dealing with immune‐mediated haematological diseases in dogs and cats 2. Thrombocytopenia and Evan's syndrome
Authors: Whitley Nat
Published: January 2020

Background: Immune‐mediated thrombocytopenia (IMT) is the most common cause of severe thrombocytopenia (<30000 platelets/µl) in dogs and at this level or below there is an increased risk of spontaneous body surface bleeding (cutaneous and mucosal). Despite this, some patients with IMT are asymptomatic with no evidence of bleeding, whereas others have fever, splenomegaly and other signs caused by bleeding. Signs of bleeding from thrombocytopenia can overlap with signs of platelet dysfunction, von Willebrand's disease and vascular disease. IMT is much rarer in cats than dogs, but the pathophysiology and diagnostic and therapeutic principles are very similar.

Aim of the article: This article discusses the diagnosis and management of IMT and Evan's syndrome (combined immune‐mediated haemolytic anaemia [IMHA] and IMT), and is the second in a two‐part series on immune‐mediated haematological diseases in dogs and cats. The first article, which was published in the December 2019 issue of In Practice (vol 41, pp 468‐477), focused on IMHA.
Supporting the intoxicated patient: toxicants affecting the neurological and cardiovascular systems
Authors: Tinson Erica , Cook Simon
Published: January 2020

Background:Intoxication resulting in severe derangements in the neurological and cardiovascular systems can be life threatening and it is important to know how to stabilise and support affected patients.

Aim of the article:This article is the second in a series of four. It discusses specific toxicants that affect the neurological and cardiovascular systems and outlines principles for managing patients presenting with the consequences of intoxication.
How to successfully brand your veterinary business
Authors: Stirling Will
Published: January 2020

Branding is an important factor for any business and, in an increasingly competitive market, it can be a vital tool for veterinary practices. Creating a clear, consistent and recognisable brand may seem daunting for practice owners; however, in the long term it will make it easier to successfully market and grow your business. This article provides a guide to building a strong brand that reflects your practice's core values, as well as how you want your customers to see you.
Successful use of percutaneous interspinous spacers and adjunctive spinoplasty in a 9 year cohort of patients
Authors: Manfre Luigi , De Vivo Aldo Eros , Al Qatami Hosam , Own Ahmed , Ventura Fausto , Zhou Kevin , Chandra Ronil V , Hirsch Joshua A
Published: January 2020

Purpose

Lumbar spinal canal stenosis and lumbar spinal foraminal stenosis are common, degenerative pathologies which can result in neurogenic claudication and have a negative impact on function and quality of life. Percutaneous interspinous devices (PIDs) are a recently-developed, minimally-invasive, alternative treatment option. This study details a 9 year single-centre experience with PIDs and examines the complementary use of spinous process augmentation (spinoplasty) to reduce failure rates.

Methods

A retrospective cohort assessment of 800 consecutive patients who presented to a specialized spine hospital was performed with 688 receiving treatment. Inclusion was based on high-grade stenosis, failure of conservative management and electromyography. 256 had a PID alone while 432 had concurrent polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) augmentation of the adjacent spinous processes. The patients were followed up at 3 and 12 months using the Zurich Claudication Questionnaire (ZCQ) and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI).

Results

Both groups showed marked improvement in the patients’ ZCQ scores (3.2 to 1.3) and ODI scores (32 to 21), with strong satisfaction results (1.7). The symptom recurrence rate from complications for the group which received concurrent spinous process augmentation was reduced when compared with the PID alone cohort (<1% vs 11.3%).

Conclusion

This study demonstrates the efficacy of percutaneous interspinous devices in treating lumbar spinal stenosis. It also provides evidence that concurrent spinous process augmentation reduces the rate of symptom recurrence.
Transradial versus transfemoral approaches for diagnostic cerebral angiography: a prospective, single-center, non-inferiority comparative effectiveness study
Authors: Stone Jeremy G , Zussman Benjamin M , Tonetti Daniel A , Brown Merritt , Desai Shashvat M , Gross Bradley A , Jadhav Ashutosh , Jovin Tudor G , Jankowitz Brian
Published: January 2020

Background

Interventional cardiology produced level 1 evidence recommending radial artery-first for coronary angiography given lower vascular complications. Neuroendovascular surgeons have not widely adopted the transradial approach. This prospective, single center, non-inferiority comparative effectiveness study aims to compare the transradial and transfemoral approaches for diagnostic cerebral angiography with respect to efficacy, safety and patient satisfaction.

Methods

Consecutive patients presenting for diagnostic cerebral angiography were selected to undergo right radial or femoral access based on date of presentation. Primary outcome was ability to answer the predefined diagnostic goal of the cerebral angiogram using the initial access site and was assessed with a non-inferiority design. Secondary outcomes included technical success per vessel, complications, procedure times and patient satisfaction.

Results

A total of 312 patients were enrolled, 158 and 154 for right radial and femoral access, respectively. The diagnostic goal of the angiogram was achieved in 152 of 154 (99%) patients who underwent attempted femoral access compared with 153 of 158 (97%) patients who underwent radial access, confirming non-inferiority of the transradial approach. Secondary outcomes showed equivalent technical success by vessel, no major complications, and similar frequency of minor complications between the two approaches. In-room time was similar between approaches, though post-procedure recovery room time was significantly shorter for transradial patients. Patient satisfaction results significantly favored the radial approach.

Conclusions

In patients undergoing diagnostic cerebral angiography, transfemoral and transradial access achieve procedural goals with similar effectiveness and safety, though patients strongly prefer the radial approach. Findings support consideration of adopting a radial-first strategy for diagnostic cerebral angiography.
Incident gonorrhoea and chlamydia among a prospective cohort of men who have sex with men in Kisumu, Kenya
Authors: Otieno Fredrick , Ng'ety George , Okall Duncan , Aketch Carolyne , Obondi Eve , Graham Susan Marie , Nyunya Boaz O , Djomand Gaston , Bailey Robert C , Mehta Supriya D
Published: January 2020

Objective

STIs disproportionately affect men who have sex with men (MSM) in sub-Saharan Africa. We identified factors associated with incidentChlamydia trachomatis(CT) andNeisseria gonorrhoeae(NG) infections among MSM in the Anza Mapema cohort study in Kisumu, Kenya.

Methods

We enrolled 711 MSM who underwent HIV testing and counselling, medical history and examination, and collection of demographic and behavioural information. They also provided urine and rectal swab specimens for CT and NG testing by qualitative PCR at baseline and at months 6 and 12. Separate multivariable Cox regression models identified factors associated with first incident urethral or rectal infection.

Results

Among the 619 men aged 18–54 years included in this analysis, there were 83 first incident urethral CT/NG infections (14.4 cases per 100 person-years (PY)) and 40 first incident rectal infections (6.84 cases per 100 PY), and an overall incidence of 18.0 cases per 100 PY (95% CI 14.8 to 21.8). Most urethral (84%) and rectal (81%) infections were asymptomatic. In the adjusted model, the risk of first incident urethral CT/NG decreased by 4% for each 1-year increase in age and was 41% lower for men who reported their partner used condom at last sexual encounter. Men who were HIV-positive had a 68% less risk of urogenital CT/NG compared with those who were negative. Men who reported being usually receptive or versatile as compared with usually insertive had an 81% increased risk of incident urogenital CT/NG.

Conclusion

Our study demonstrated a high incidence of urethral CT/NG infection, with somewhat lower incidence of rectal CT/NG infection, despite repeated testing and treatment, highlighting the need for preventive interventions to decrease the burden of CT/NG among Kenyan MSM. Most infections were asymptomatic, and routine aetiological screening for STIs is recommended.
Using evidence for patient‐centred care
Authors: Dean Rachel
Published: January 2020

This month Rachel Dean sets out why information given at CPD courses needs to be assessed for relevance and bias, and how a move from ‘eminence‐based’ to evidence‐based will lead to better patient care.
Loss of spawning habitat and prerecruits of Pacific cod during a Gulf of Alaska heatwave
Authors: Laurel Benjamin J. , Rogers Lauren A.
Published: January 2020

Pacific cod (Gadus macrocephalus) stocks in the Gulf of Alaska experienced steep, unexpected declines following an unprecedented 3-year marine heatwave (i.e., “warm blob”) from 2014 to 2016. We contend that stock reproductive potential was reduced during this period, evidenced by a combination of new laboratory data demonstrating narrow thermal hatch success (3–6 °C), mechanistic-based models of spawning habitat, and correlations with prerecruit time series. With the exception of single-year El Niño events (1998, 2003), the recent 3-year heatwave (2014–2016) and return to similar conditions in 2019 were potentially the most negative impacts on spawning habitat for Pacific cod in the available time series (1994–2019). Continued warming will likely reduce the duration and spatial extent of Pacific cod spawning in the Gulf of Alaska.
Exploring community-based marine aquaculture as a coastal resource management opportunity in Nova Scotia, Canada
Authors: Bradford Jessica , Filgueira Ramón , Bailey Megan
Published: January 2020

Aquaculture is one of the world’s fastest growing food production sectors and presents an opportunity for rural community development that can support coastal livelihoods. An ecosystem approach to aquaculture (EAA) has been recommended to facilitate socially and environmentally sustainable development, yet there remains a need to better involve people in planning and operational aspects. Community-based management may help to implement principles of the EAA; however, context-specific research is needed to understand its potential application and suitability. This research explores opportunities for community-based marine aquaculture (CBMA) for nonfinfish in the context of Nova Scotia, Canada, through a series of stakeholder interviews. Results suggest that all stakeholder groups interviewed were positive about the potential for CBMA to support sustainable aquaculture growth in the province; however, key questions around operationalizing CBMA remain. The aquaculture industry is on a continual path for growth worldwide and, therefore, it becomes increasingly important to proactively examine strategies such as CBMA that can help to facilitate EAA in a way that genuinely puts people at the centre of aquaculture development and governance.
New physics in $$b\rightarrow s\ell \ell $$ transitions at one loop
Authors: Coy Rupert , Frigerio Michele , Mescia Federico , Sumensari Olcyr
Published: January 2020

We investigate new-physics contributions to $$b\rightarrow s \ell \ell $$b→sℓℓ transitions in the context of an effective field theory extension of the Standard Model, including operator mixing at one loop. We identify the few scenarios where a single Wilson coefficient, $$C/\Lambda ^2 \sim 1/\mathrm{TeV}^2$$C/Λ2∼1/TeV2, induces a substantial shift in the lepton flavour universality ratios $$R_K$$RK and $$R_{K^*}$$RK∗ at one loop, while evading Z-pole precision tests, collider bounds, and other flavour constraints. Novel fits to the present data are achieved by a left-handed current operator with quark-flavour indices (2, 2) or (3, 3). Interestingly, the running of the Standard Model Yukawa matrices gives the dominant effect for these scenarios. We match the favoured effective-theory scenarios to minimal, single-mediator models, which are subject to additional stringent constraints. Notably, we recognise three viable instances of a leptoquark with one coupling to fermions only. If the anomalies were confirmed, it appears that one-loop explanations have good prospects of being directly tested at the LHC.
Reduction of the radiation in radioactive substances
Authors: Albertini Gianni , Cardone Fabio , Cherubini Giovanni , Guerriero Ettore , Rosada Alberto
Published: January 2020

The radioactivity reduction of a system containing Ni-63 radioactive nuclei after an appropriate ultrasound treatment in an apparatus designed on purpose is reported. The application of ultrasounds for 200 s resulted in the partial disappearance of about 13% of the radioactive Ni-63 nuclei and the appearance of nonradioactive elements. The formation of new elements, not belonging to the decay chain of Nickel-63, is a strong issue where strong nuclear reactions transform Nickel into different elements rather than the usual weak interaction, responsible for the decay, which is accelerated. This way, the time necessary to halve the intensity is shortened by about 20 years, without altering the Ni-63 decay constant, which is [Formula: see text] years. Two cases producing similar effects in other radioactive systems after ultrasound treatment are described in the literature and support this finding, which is not forecast by the commonly accepted theories. A theory able to explain these and other results is also reported.
Passages
Authors: Groce Alex
Published: January 2020

Martin Gardner's The Last Recreations: Hydras, Eggs, and Other Mathematical Mystifications collects the final set of Gardner's Scientific American "Mathematical Games" columns (in their final form, with addenda bringing readers up to the collection's publication date on each topic) for our delight and edification. It stands, in this Passages column, for all of Gardner's columns published between 1957 and 1981. These columns sometimes directly present ideas from computer science, Gardner's successors included computer scientists Douglas R. Hofstadter and A. K. Dewdney, and there are 5 entries under the name "Knuth, Donald E." in the index of this collection alone. However, it is not for the columns' relevance to computing, per se, that Passages is devoting this month to a kind of Gardner- Fest; rather it is because Gardner's columns magically create software engineers and computer scientists out of otherwise perhaps quite normal people.
Pains and Gains of Peer-Reviewing in Software Engineering
Authors: Soldani Jacopo , Kuhrmann Marco , Pfahl Dietmar
Published: January 2020

Standard Reviewing Procedures The final acceptance decision for a paper can be taken by following different alternative peer-reviewing processes (these review processes are implemented for both conferences and journals). The standard setup can be described as follows: while authors are usually not aware of the reviewers' identity (so-called blind review setting), reviewers may be aware of the authors' identity or not, resulting in single-blind or double-blind review processes, respectively. In the rare cases when the authors are aware of the reviewers' identity, the reviewing process is considered zero-blind. Other feasible alternatives are characterized by the amount of stages implemented before the acceptance decision is made (single-stage vs. multi-stage review processes) and the public visibility of review comments (open/public vs. closed review processes). The actual process of finding agreement regarding the papers' acceptance or rejection has also a certain bandwidth, ranging from delegating the responsibility of the decision-making to few people over staged committee and board setups to organizing physical/virtual meetings involving many people.
Automating TEST Case Design, Selection and Evaluation Report on 10 Editions of A-TESTWorkshop
Authors: Vos Tanja E. J. , Prasetya I. S. W. B. , Eldh Sigrid , Getir Sinem , Parsai Ali , Aho Pekka
Published: January 2020

Trends such as globalisation, standardisation and shorter life-cycles place great demands on the flexibility of the software industry. In order to compete and cooperate on an international scale, a constantly decreasing time to market and an increasing level of quality are essential. Testing is at the moment the most important and mostly used quality assurance technique applied in industry. However, the complexity of software and hence of their development amount is increasing. Modern systems get larger and more complex, as they connect large amounts of components that interact in many different ways and have constantly changing and different types of requirements (functionality, dependability, usability, performance etc.). Data processing that impacts all aspects of our life is increasingly distributed over clouds and devices. This leads to new concerns, such as availability, security, and privacy, which are aspects that also needs to be tested. Consequently, the development of cost-effective and high-quality systems opens new challenges that cannot be faced only with traditional testing approaches, and specifically manual testing is simply insufficient and unreliable to manage the speed needed, and ensure the coverage of ever-changing systems. New techniques for systematization and automation of testing throughout the software and system life-cycle are required.
Ensemble-Based Software Engineering for Modern Computing Platforms
Authors: Brogi Antonio , Bucchiarone Antonio , Capilla Rafael , Jamshidi Pooyan , Leotta Maurizio , Ádám Mann Zoltán , Mongiello Marina , Nocera Francesco
Published: January 2020

Software systems have evolved from being 'stand-alone systems' to 'systems of systems' to meet the challenging needs of societies. Contemporary software systems such as socio-technical systems are composed of distributed and heterogeneous agents, the em- bedded environment, and software components. Addressing the disruptions caused by run-time changes in the environment while designing software systems remains a challenging task in practice. Ensembles enable systems with collective adaptability to be built as emergent aggregations of autonomous and self-adaptive agents. The phenomenal aspect of this type of systems allows agents (i.e, services, people and things) a ected by an issue to adapt collabo- ratively with minimal impact on their own preferences through a collective resolution process. In this paper we report the outcomes of the 2nd ACM SIGSOFT International Workshop on Ensemble- Based Software Engineering for Modern Computing Platforms (EnSEmble 2019), which was held as part of the 27th ACM Joint European Software Engineering Conference and Symposium on the Foundations of Software Engineering (ESEC/FSE 2019) in Tallinn, Estonia, on August 26th, 2019.
NITR-DHH
Authors: Devi Swagatika , Bakshi Sambit , Sahoo Manmath Narayan
Published: January 2020

This report describes the dataset NITR-DHH that bears images of T2-weighted brain from magnetic resonance imaging system. The dataset provides magnetic resonance images of brain for different age groups. These images can be utilized by the researchers for investigation in the domain of magnetic resonance image segmentation, privacy preservation, or classification of pathological brain.
Algorithms for Online and Distributed Optimization and their Applications
Authors: Comden Joshua
Published: January 2020

Brief Biography: Joshua Comden is currently a Ph.D. Candidate at Stony Brook University studying Operations Research in the Department of Applied Mathematics and Statistics and is expected to graduate in December 2019. He received his M.S. in Operations Research from the Department of Applied Mathematics and Statistics in 2015 from Stony Brook University and his B.E. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Delaware in 2009.

In the Summer of 2019, he was a Graduate Student Intern at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory using Matrix Completion techniques to improve Power System State Estimation which resulted in a publication. From 2017 to 2018, he was awarded a STRIDE Fellowship from the Institute for Advanced Computational Science to learn how to communicate research to policy makers so that they can make well informed decisions.

His research interests are in the design and analysis of online and distributed optimization algorithms with applications in computing and energy systems.
Visionbased Sensor Coverage in Uncertain Geometric Domains
Authors: Li Qian
Published: January 2020

Brief Biography: Qian Li was born in Shandong, China, in 1989. She received the bachelors degree in mathemat- ics and applied mathematics and minor bachelors degree in Finance from the Tianjin University and Nankai University (Tianjin, China) in 2012, and the Master and Ph.D. degrees in Operations Research from SUNY Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA in 2014 and 2019, respectively. In 2012, she joined the Department of Applied Mathematics and Statistics (AMS), Stony Brook University, and in 2014 she became a Ph.D. candidate focus on Computational Ge- ometry. Since August 2012, she has been teaching assistant, summer instructor and research assistant in Department of AMS. Her main research is Sensor Networks and Coverage Under Uncertainty.
CostEfficient Dynamic Management of Cloud Resources through Supervised Learning
Authors: Wajahat Muhammad
Published: January 2020

Brief Biography: Muhammad Wajahat is a PhD candi- date in the department of Computer Science at Stony Brook University. He works in the Performance Analysis of Com- puter Systems (PACE) Lab, under the supervision of Dr. Anshul Gandhi. Before joining PACE LAb, he graduated with distinction from Lahore University of Management Sci- ences (LUMS), Pakistan, with an honor thesis that investi- gated performance improvement of cloud gaming using Soft- ware De ned Networking (SDN). His current research fo- cuses on performance modeling and resource management to improving performance and resource utilization in cloud systems. He has worked with leading cloud research groups at IBM Research and AT&T Labs Research on application autoscaling and hotspot mitigation in private clouds.
Asymptotically Optimal Load Balancing
Authors: Zhou Xingyu
Published: January 2020

Brief Biography: Xingyu Zhou is a Ph.D. student at the ECE department of Ohio State University, advised by Prof. Ness Shroff. He is currently a Presidential Fellow, the most prestigious award at OSU. His primary research focus is on load balancing in large-scale data center systems. He is heavily involved with the ACM SIGMETRICS community with three full papers published on the ACM SIGMETRICS conference so far. His research results have not only drawn interest from academics (e.g., invited talks at Caltech, CMU and INFORMS Annual Meeting), but also attracted cooperation from industry companies (e.g., Facebook Core System team). He obtained his B.S from BUPT and M.S. from Tsinghua University, both in the Department of Electrical Engineering and with the highest honor. He is also the recipient of various awards including the Outstanding Graduate Award of Beijing city, Distinguished Dissertation Award from BUPT and Tsinghua, National Scholarship of China, and Academic Rising Star Award from Tsinghua.
Thermo-Structural Behaviour Prediction of the Nose Cap of a Hypersonic Vehicle Based on Multifield Coupling
Authors: Sun Xuewen , Yang Haibo , Mi Tao
Published: January 2020

The analysis of thermo-structural behaviour is crucial to the nose cap of a hypersonic vehicle under aerothermodynamic loads. Considering chemical nonequilibrium of the flow field, heat transfer, and deformation of the structure, a fluid-thermal-structural coupling model of the typical nose cap was established. The coupling relation between the flow field and nose cap was analyzed. The results show that the fluid-thermal-structural model can effectively predict the response of the nose cap under a hypersonic environment. The highest temperature and the peak of maximum principal stress appear at the front of the nose cap at an initial stage. As time goes on, the highest temperature increases gradually and the peak of maximum principal stress decreases after reaching a certain value. The position of the peak of maximum principal stress gradually moves to the inside of the nose cap and eventually stabilizes. With the increase in the Mach number, the highest temperature and the peak of maximum principal stress of the nose cap increase. The fluid-thermal-structural coupling model can provide guidance for the optimal design of the nose cap of a hypersonic vehicle.
Permeability Evolution of Fractured Rock Subjected to Cyclic Axial Load Conditions
Authors: Zhou Zilong , Zhang Jing , Cai Xin , Wang Shanyong , Du Xueming , Zang Haizhi , Chen Lu
Published: January 2020

Permeability experiments on saw-cut fractured rock subjected to cyclic axial load conditions were conducted on the MTS815 rock mechanics testing system. The influence of the frequency and amplitude of cyclic axial forces on axial displacement and permeability evolution of fractured rock was experimentally investigated. Results show that the increasing frequency under the same amplitude of axial load leads to a reduction in axial displacement, but a drop followed by an increase in permeability, while the permeability values oscillated sharply under high amplitude of cyclic loads, which can be attributed to the production of gouge materials. Besides, the increase in axial displacement roughly contributed to the permeability reduction, and excessive amplitude of cyclic load posed limited boost to the permeability enhancement. By comparing with the quasistatic function, we found that it did not completely correspond to the trend of the permeability evolution subjected to cyclic axial forces, and sensitivity coefficients evolving with frequency and amplitude should be considered. A new function of the permeability evolution subjected to the amplitude and frequency of cyclic axial forces was derived and verified by the experimental data. This study suggests that small amplitude and high frequency of dynamic forces have the potential for enhancing the permeability of fracture and triggering the disaster of fractured rock.
New Bounds on 2-Frameproof Codes of Length 4
Authors: Rochanakul Penying
Published: January 2020

Frameproof codes were first introduced by Boneh and Shaw in 1998 in the context of digital fingerprinting to protect copyrighted materials. These digital fingerprints are generally denoted as codewords in Qn, where Q is an alphabet of size q and n is a positive integer. A 2-frameproof code is a code C such that any 2 codewords in C cannot form a new codeword under a particular rule. Thus, no pair of users can frame a user who is not a member of the coalition. This paper concentrates on the upper bound for the size of a q-ary 2-frameproof code of length 4. Our new upper bound shows that C≤2q2−2q+1 when q is odd and q>10.
Quantitative Characterization of Pore Connectivity and Movable Fluid Distribution of Tight Sandstones: A Case Study of the Upper Triassic Chang 7 Member, Yanchang Formation in Ordos Basin, China
Authors: Wang Boli , Zhao Xisen , Zhou Wen , Chang Bin , Xu Hao
Published: January 2020

The pore connectivity and distribution of moveable fluids, which determines fluid movability and recoverable reserves, are critical for enhancing oil/gas recovery in tight sandstone reservoirs. In this paper, multiple techniques including high-pressure mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and microcomputer tomography scanning (micro-CT) were used for the quantitative characterization of pore structure, pore connectivity, and movable fluid distribution. Firstly, sample porosity and permeability were obtained. Pore morphology and the 3D distribution of the pore structures were analyzed using SEM and micro-CT, respectively. The pore-size distribution (PSD) from NMR was generally broader than that from MIP because this technique simply characterized the connected pore volume, whereas NMR showed the total pore volume. Therefore, an attempt was made to calculate pore connectivity percentages of pores with different radii (<50 nm, 50 nm–0.1 μm, and 0.1 μm–1 μm) using the difference between the PSD obtained from MIP and NMR. It was found that small pores (r<0.05 μm) contributed 5.02%–18.00% to connectivity, which is less than large pores (r>0.05 μm) with contribution of 36.60%–92.00%, although small pores had greater pore volumes. In addition, a new parameter, effective movable fluid saturation, was proposed based on the initial movable fluid saturation from NMR and the pore connectivity percentage from MIP and NMR. The results demonstrated that the initial movable fluid saturation decreased by 14.16% on average when disconnected pores were excluded. It was concluded that the effective movable fluid saturation has a higher accuracy in evaluating the recovery of tight sandstone reservoirs.
Prediction of Favorable Carbonate Reservoirs under Extremely Thick Salts via Poststack Facies-Controlled and Prestack Zoeppritz Equation Inversions in the Santos Basin of Brazil
Authors: Zhang Sheng , Chang Suoliang , Huang Handong , Dong Yinping , Shen Youyi , Luo Yaneng , Zhu Baoheng
Published: January 2020

Subsalt carbonate rocks in Brazil’s deepwater region have broad prospects for oil and gas exploration and development. Due to the low-frequency bandwidth of the seismic data and the poor signal quality for this kind of reservoir target, there is a demand for accurate seismic prediction methods. We employ the facies-controlled inversion using a low-pass filter matrix to ensure the accuracy of the low frequency and to improve the robustness of the inversion results. We integrated the concept of adaptive regularization constraint of the Zoeppritz equation into the generalized linear inversion theory framework, which overcomes the shortcomings of the approximate equation. Making full use of the large angle prestack seismic information, Zoeppritz equation inversion improves the accuracy of the inversion results. The application of this method in carbonate reservoirs under extremely thick salts in the Santos Basin of Brazil indicates the feasibility and practicality of the proposed integrated prediction method.
Arterial Stiffness Accelerates Within 1 Year of the Final Menstrual Period
Authors: Samargandy Saad , Matthews Karen A. , Brooks Maria M. , Barinas-Mitchell Emma , Magnani Jared W. , Janssen Imke , Hollenberg Steven M. , El Khoudary Samar R.
Published: January 2020

Objective:

Menopause may augment age-dependent increases in arterial stiffness, with black women having greater progression in midlife compared with white women. We sought to determine whether and when women experience changes in arterial stiffness relative to the final menstrual period (FMP) and whether these changes differ between black and white midlife women.

Approach and Results:

We evaluated 339 participants from the SWAN (Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation) Heart Ancillary study (Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation). Women had ≤2 carotid-femoral pulse-wave velocity (cfPWV) exams over a mean±SD of 2.3±0.5 years of follow-up. Annual percentage changes in cfPWV were estimated in 3 time segments relative to FMP and compared using piecewise linear mixed-effects models. At baseline, women were 51.1±2.8 years of age and 36% black. Annual percentage change (95% CI) in cfPWV varied by time segments: 0.9% (−0.6% to 2.3%) for >1 year before FMP, 7.5% (4.1% to 11.1%) within 1 year of FMP, and −1.0% (−2.8% to 0.8%) for >1 year after FMP. Annual percentage change in cfPWV within 1 year of FMP was significantly greater than the other 2 time segments;
P
<0.05 for both comparisons. Adjusting for concurrent cardiovascular disease risk factors explained part of the change estimates but did not eliminate the difference. Black women had greater increase in cfPWV compared with white women in the first segment;
P
for interaction, 0.04.

Conclusions:

The interval within 1 year of FMP is a critical period for women when vascular functional alterations occur. These findings underscore the importance of more intensive lifestyle modifications in women transitioning through menopause.
Out of the Deep Woods and Into the Light: The Invention of Snegurochka as a Representation of Russian National Identity
Authors: Piters-Hofmann Ludmila
Published: January 2020

The character of Snegurochka [Snow Maiden] has her origin in Russian folktales and is now part of an annual national tradition. The article considers her popularity as a result of different processes of inventing and reinventing national identity and the reflection on cultural heritage initiated through the Russian intelligentsia in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Since her breakthrough as the main character of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s opera Snegurochka (1882), based on Alexander Ostrovsky’s play in verse of the same name (1873), the amalgamation of different artistic interpretations facilitated her transformation into a representation of national identity, perceived as a product of national community and therefore of the people.
A new species of Cyrtodactylus Gray (Gekkonidae: Squamata) from Manus Island, and extended description and range extension for Cyrtodactylus sermowaiensis (De Rooij)
Authors: OLIVER PAUL M. , HARTMAN RYAN , TURNER CAMERON D. , WILDE TAYLOR A. , AUSTIN CHRISTOPHER C. , RICHARDS STEPHEN J.
Published: January 2020

Systematic investigations of vertebrate faunas from the islands of Melanesia are revealing high levels of endemism, dynamic biogeographic histories, and in some cases surprisingly long evolutionary histories of insularity. The bent-toed geckos in the Cyrtodactylus sermowaiensis Group mainly occur in northern New Guinea and nearby islands, however a further isolated population occurs on Manus Island in the Admiralty Archipelago approximately 300 km to the north of New Guinea. Here we first present a review of the genetic diversity, morphological variation and distribution of Cyrtodactylus sermowaiensis from northern New Guinea. Genetic structure and distributional records within Cyrtodactylus sermowaiensis broadly overlap with underlying Terranes in northern New Guinea, suggesting divergence on former islands that have been obscured by the infill and uplift of sedimentary basins since the late Pleistocene. Based on a combination of genetic and morphological differentiation we then describe the population from Manus Island as a new species, Cyrtodactylus crustulus sp. nov. This new species emphasises the high biological endemism and conservation significance of the Admiralty Islands, and especially Manus Island.
Effects of Propofol on the Proliferation and Differentiation of NG2 Cells in the Hippocampus of Aged Rats
Authors: Li Jie , Wang Zhen-Yuan , Li Ming-Ying , He Miao , Sun Xiao-Li , He Xiu-Juan , Yue Yun
Published: January 2020

Introduction: Anaesthetics can lead to cognitive impairment and partly recover. Whether this process is related to NG2 cells has not been reported. The present study aims to investigate the effects of propofol on the proliferation and differentiation of NG2 cells in the hippocampus
of aged rats. Material and Methods: A total of 80 healthy SD rats were used for the investigation. These rats were randomly divided into two groups: control group (group C, n = 20) and anesthetic group (group A, n = 60). Rats in group A were continuously anesthetized by
intravenous infusion of propofol for three hours, and underwent shuttle box test at seven days (A7), 14 days (A14) and three months (A3m) after anesthesia. Then, these rats were further divided into two groups: POCD group (three sub-groups: P7 group, P14 group and P3m group) and non-POCD group
(three sub-groups: groups NP7, NP14 and NP3m). Results: Compared with group C, NG2 and PCNA cells in group A were upregulated at seven and 14 days after anesthesia. Compared with group C, MAP2 expression was downregulated, and OX42 and GFAP expression was upregulated in the POCD group,
while MAP2 expression in the non-POCD group was upregulated. Compared with the non-POCD group, in the NG2 positive cells, MAP2 expression was downregulated, while OX42 and GFAP expression was upregulated in the POCD group, MAP2 expression was urelugated gradually during the 14th days after
anesthesia ( P < 0.05 or P <0.01). Conclusions: Propofol induces neuronal apoptosis and the proliferation of NG2 cells. The direction of NG2 cell differentiation may be correlated to the recovery of cognitive dysfunction.
Preparation Method of an Antibiotic Bone Cement Rod and Analysis of Its Efficacy in Treating Long Tubal Bone Osteomyelitis
Authors: Gao Yan , Wang Kang , Liu Jin-Yuan , Zhang Yong-Hong , Lv Xin , Wang Bin , Bao Qin-Ji
Published: January 2020

Objective: The present study introduced a new method of preparing intraoperative antibiotic bone cement rods, and evaluated its initial clinical efficacy in treating chronic osteomyelitis of long tubal bones. Methods: The status of 13 cases with chronic osteomyelitis of
long tubal bones complicated with bone nonunion was retrospectively analyzed, and received debridement of the infection site, sinus tract incision, marrow widening and imbedding therapy using an antibiotic bone cement rod. Results: All patients were followed-up, with an average follow
up time of 20 months. All infection was effectively controlled and no recurrent infection occurred, and the soft tissue sinus tract was healed. The fracture of 10 patients was healed, while the fracture of three patients partially healed. Conclusion: The preparation method of the antibiotic
bone cement rod is easy, feasible and relatively economical, and is an effective treatment method for chronic osteomyelitis of long tubal bones.
Moving From Knowledge to Action: Improving Safety and Quality of Care for Patients With Limited English Proficiency
Authors: Fox Miriam T. , Godage Sashini K. , Kim Julia M. , Bossano Carla , Muñoz-Blanco Sara , Reinhardt Erica , Wu Linxuan , Karais Stella , DeCamp Lisa Ross
Published: January 2020

Objective. This study assessed safety culture and staff communication with patients with limited English proficiency (LEP) to identify system-level approaches to increasing interpreter use and reducing health care disparities. Methods. An electronic survey and 7 focus groups were conducted with health care professionals in pediatrics and obstetrics/gynecology. Survey data were examined with univariate descriptive analysis. Focus group transcripts were coded through an iterative consensus process. Results. Survey participants (n = 68) reported less confidence in their ability to communicate effectively (74%) and form therapeutic relationships (56%) with LEP patients versus English-proficient patients. Focus groups identified knowledge as a facilitator of interpreter use. Workflow constraints, supply-demand mismatch, variable interpretation quality, and gaps in communication with interpretation services management were barriers. Conclusion. Knowledge gaps may not be a primary cause of interpreter underuse. Strategies to address workflow barriers and engage with interpretation services are critical to move from knowledge to action to improve LEP patient care.
Chemical and Physical Stability of an Admixture Containing Cefepime and Vancomycin in Lactated Ringer Solution
Authors: Shakeraneh Pegah , Robinson Risako , Kufel Wesley D. , Tumey L. Nathan , Benjamin Samantha R. , Miller Christopher D. , Darko William , Probst Luke A. , Seabury Robert W.
Published: January 2020

Purpose: To evaluate the chemical and physical stability of an admixture containing cefepime and vancomycin in a single volume of lactated Ringer solution at refrigerated temperatures. Methods: Cefepime 2000 mg and vancomycin 1000 mg were, respectively, reconstituted with 10 and 20 mL of sterile water for injection (SWFI) per manufacturer instructions. This resulted in cefepime and vancomycin concentrations of 200 and 50 mg/mL, respectively. The resulting cefepime and vancomycin solutions at 10 and 20 mL, respectively, were drawn up and injected into 1000 mL lactated Ringer solution. Aliquot samples were obtained on days 0 to 9, visually inspected for gross incompatibility, and then stored at −80°C. Samples were thawed on the day of the analysis and run through ultraperformance liquid chromatography. Area under the concentration-time curve (AUC) on each day was compared with baseline AUC values. Chemical stability was defined as an AUC more than 93% of the baseline value. Results: No evidence of gross physical incompatibility was observed by visual inspection. Cefepime and vancomycin replicants were more than 94.5% and 98% of baseline AUC values. Therefore, all sample replicants were found to be more than 93% of their baseline AUC value. Conclusion: An admixture containing cefepime 2000 mg and vancomycin 1000 mg in 1000 mL lactated Ringer solution appears to be chemically and physically stable at refrigerated temperatures for up to 9 days.
Social Processes: What Determines Industrial Workers’ Intention to Use Exoskeletons?
Authors: Elprama Shirley A. , Vannieuwenhuyze Jorre T. A. , De Bock Sander , Vanderborght Bram , De Pauw Kevin , Meeusen Romain , Jacobs An
Published: January 2020

Objective

The aim of this study is to test the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) model for explaining the intention to use exoskeletons among industrial workers.

Background

Exoskeletons could help reduce physical workload and risk for injuries among industrial workers. Therefore, it is crucial to understand which factors play a role in workers’ intention to use such exoskeletons.

Method

Industrial workers ( N = 124) completed a survey on their attitudes regarding the use of exoskeletons at their workplace. Using partial least squares (PLS) path modeling, the UTAUT model and a revised version of the UTAUT model were fitted to these data.

Results

The adapted UTAUT model of Dwivedi et al. (2017) was able to explain up to 75.6% of the variance in intention to use exoskeletons, suggesting a reasonable model fit.

Conclusion

The model fit suggests that effort expectancy (how easy it seems to use an exoskeleton) plays an important role in predicting the intention to use exoskeletons. Social influence (whether others think workers should use exoskeletons) and performance expectancy (how useful exoskeletons seem to be for work) play a smaller role in predicting the intention to use.

Applications

This research informs companies about the optimal implementation of exoskeletons by improving the determinants of acceptance among their workers.