bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Reducing car idling at primary schools: An intervention study of parent behaviour change in Perth, Western Australia
Authors: Rumchev Krassi , Lee Andy , Maycock Bruce , Jancey Jonine
Published: June 2020

Issued addressed

There is increasing evidence that exposure to traffic‐related air pollution is related to childhood respiratory symptoms. This study demonstrated the effectiveness of an anti‐idling behavioural intervention targeting parents at primary schools.

Methods

Based on two focus group discussions with parents, a low‐intensity 4‐week anti‐idling intervention was developed, comprising onsite signage, four newsletters, and two fact sheets. Exposure to selected air pollutants was assessed during pick‐up and drop‐off times pre‐ and postintervention at 12 randomly selected independent schools (10 intervention and 2 control) across the Perth metropolitan area.

Results

The study results showed that a low‐intensity behavioural intervention can be an effective strategy to affect parents’ attitude towards vehicle idling. This was demonstrated by the reduced number of idling vehicles observed in 8 of the 10 intervention schools and decreased overall particulate matter concentration after the anti‐idling intervention.

Conclusion

Anti‐idling education can be effective in promoting clean travel behaviours and has potential health benefits for school children.

So what?

This intervention study provides insights on the significant effect of anti‐idling education on parents' behaviour towards air quality and children's health. These promising findings warrant further rigorous actions on anti‐idling education and enforcement.
Comparison of three equations for estimating low‐density lipoprotein‐cholesterol in the rural northeastern region of Thailand
Authors: Sonsok Sirawich , Sarakarn Pongdech , Sanchaisuriya Pattara
Published: June 2020

Background

Cardiovascular disease is the most common cause of death worldwide, and the detection of LDL‐C contributes to reducing risks. However, the LDL‐C is rarely evaluated according to the gold standard method because it is costly and time‐consuming. This study aimed to determine the agreement of LDL‐C among three equations, namely Friedewald's equation, Puavilai's equation, and Dansethakul's equation.

Methods

A cross‐sectional descriptive study.

Results

Using the data of lipid measurement from a specific group of people in the remote rural area, we found that the Thai equations have more superior agreement with direct measurement than the Friedewald equation (ICC = 0.870, 95% CI = 0.857‐0.882) when the agreement of continuous data was used for total analysis. Although the categorical analysis that gave better agreement was from Friedewald equation (K index = 0.730, 95% CI = 0.720‐0.751), the findings from this study confirmed the population‐specific use of Pauvilai's equation and Dansethakul's equation for determining the LDL‐C.

Conclusion

Pauvilai's equation showed better agreement with direct measurement for LDL‐C. Thus, it could be considered as an alternative for the direct method, particularly in laboratories in rural areas in Thailand.
HIV risk, risk perception, and PrEP interest among adolescent girls and young women in Lilongwe, Malawi: operationalizing the PrEP cascade
Authors: Hill Lauren M , Maseko Bertha , Chagomerana Maganizo , Hosseinipour Mina C , Bekker Linda‐Gail , Pettifor Audrey , Rosenberg Nora E
Published: June 2020

Introduction

As a user‐controlled HIV prevention method, oral pre‐exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) holds particular promise for adolescent girls and young women (AGYW). HIV prevention cascades, critical frameworks for the design and evaluation of PrEP programmes, outline the priorities of identifying individuals at greatest HIV risk and motivating them to initiate PrEP through perceived HIV risk. To inform future iterations of these cascades and PrEP delivery for AGYW, the objective of this study was to understand the level of interest in PrEP among AGYW at highest HIV risk, and the potential role of perceived risk in motivating PrEP interest.

Methods

Using data from a cohort study of HIV‐negative AGYW in Lilongwe, Malawi (February 2016 to August 2017), we assessed the relationship between epidemiologic HIV risk (risk index developed in a previous analysis) and PrEP interest, and the extent to which perceived risk explains the relationship between HIV risk and PrEP interest. We further aimed to operationalize the pre‐initiation steps of the HIV prevention cascade in the study population.

Results

In total, 825 AGYW were included in analyses, of which 43% met the criterion for high epidemiologic HIV risk. While epidemiologic risk scores were positively associated with PrEP interest, high numbers of AGYW both above and below the high‐risk cutoff were very interested in PrEP (68% vs. 63%). Perceived risk partially explained the relationship between HIV risk and PrEP interest; greater epidemiologic HIV risk was associated with high perceived risk, which was in turn associated with PrEP interest. Many more high‐risk AGYW were interested in PrEP (68%) than expressed a high level of perceived HIV risk (26%).

Conclusions

These results highlight key relationships between epidemiologic HIV risk, risk perception and interest in PrEP. While risk perception did partially explain the relationship between epidemiologic risk and PrEP interest, there may be other important motivational mechanisms that are not captured in many HIV prevention cascades. The high number of participants with risk scores below the high‐risk cutoff who both expressed high perceived risk and interest in PrEP suggests that demand for PrEP among AGYW may not be well aligned with epidemiologic risk.
Obesity aggravates COVID‐19: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Yang Jun , Hu Jiahui , Zhu Chunyan
Published: June 2020

Obesity and COVID‐19 are both worldwide epidemics now. There may be some potential relationships between them, but little is known. This study was done to explore this relationship through literature search, systematic review, and meta‐analysis. Pubmed, Embase, WOS, Cochrane, CNKI, Wanfang, and Sinomed databases were searched to collect literature concerning obesity and COVID‐19. Systematic review and meta‐analysis were conducted after literature screening, quality assessment, and data extraction. A total of 180 articles were initially searched after duplicate removal, and 9 were finally included in our analysis. Results show that severe COVID‐19 patients have a higher body mass index than non‐severe ones (WMD = 2.67; 95% CI, 1.52‐3.82); COVID‐19 patients with obesity were more severely affected and have a worse outcome than those without (OR = 2.31; 95% CI, 1.3‐4.12). Obesity may aggravate COVID‐19.
Neutron Therapy for High‐Grade Salivary Carcinomas in the Adjuvant and Primary Treatment Setting
Authors: Cash Harrison , Harbison R. Alex , Futran Neal , Parvathaneni Upendra , Laramore George E. , Liao Jay , Cannon Richard , Rodriguez Cristina , Houlton Jeffrey J.
Published: June 2020

Objectives/Hypothesis

Our primary objective was to compare differences in survival of patients with high‐grade salivary gland carcinomas (SGCs) receiving adjuvant neutron versus photon radiotherapy using a hospital‐based national cohort and restricted mean survival time (RMST) analysis. Our secondary objective was to compare survival of similar patients treated with primary neutron versus photon radiation.

Study Design

Multicenter, retrospective population‐based study of patients within the National Cancer Database from 2004 to 2014.

Methods

One thousand eight hundred forty‐four patients were selected on diagnosis of high‐grade parotid and submandibular malignancies. One thousand seven hundred seventy‐seven patients receiving photon and 67 patients receiving neutron therapy were identified who met inclusion criteria. Patients were then categorized as having primary surgery with adjuvant radiation or primary radiation without prior surgery. Bivariate analysis was performed to assess for differences between groups, and RMST analysis was performed at 1‐, 2‐, and 5‐year timepoints with controlling for available covariate data.

Results

There was no significant difference in RMST for patients receiving neutrons over photons at 1, 2, and 5 years in the adjuvant setting. Among patients undergoing primary radiotherapy, there was a difference in RMST of 2.29 months at 1 year and 5.05 months at 2 years for neutrons over photons, though this benefit was not observed at 5 years post‐therapy.

Conclusions

For patients with high grade SGCs undergoing adjuvant photon versus neutron radiotherapy, there was no difference in RMST. There was observed to be a significant difference in RMST at 1 and 2 years among patients undergoing primary neutron therapy of up to 5 months. Given the benefit observed with primary neutron therapy, it should be considered in both the primary and adjuvant treatment setting.

Level of Evidence

4 Laryngoscope, 131:541–547, 2021
What significance does Publishing Studies have right now?
Authors: Baverstock Alison
Published: June 2020

Key points

Publishing Studies are surely the epitome of how an open‐minded discipline can operate collaboratively, blending different methodologies and practices.

Publishing Studies offer what governments say they want from their universities: industry‐relevant research that provides market‐ready, employable students with strong industry links.

Publishing Studies are naturally interdisciplinary, providing a broader approach to education than the traditionally narrow focus of academic studies.

The international outlook of publishing makes it a useful model for how to manage cross‐disciplinary and cross‐faculty collaboration.
Measurement of Enzymatic and Nonenzymatic Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Oxidation Products in Plasma and Urine of Macular Degeneration Using LC‐QTOF‐MS/MS
Authors: Leung Ho Hang , Leung Kin Sum , Durand Thierry , Galano Jean‐Marie , Lee Jetty Chung‐Yung
Published: June 2020

Oxidized polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) are associated to pathogenesis of diseases including cardiovascular and neurodegeneration. The novel products are not only biomarkers but also lipid mediators in gene regulation and signaling pathways. Herein, simultaneous quantitation of 28 products derived from nonenzymatic and enzymatic oxidation of PUFA i.e. 5‐, 15‐F2t‐isoprostanes, 7‐, 17‐F2t‐dihomo‐isoprostanes, 7‐, 17‐F2t‐dihomo‐isofurans, 5‐, 8‐, 18‐F3t‐isoprostanes, 4‐, 10‐, 13‐, 14‐, 20‐F4t‐neuroprostanes, 5‐, 8‐, 9‐, 11‐,12‐, 15‐, 20‐HETE, 4‐, 7‐, 11‐, 14‐, 17‐HDHA, RvE1, and NPD1 using LC‐(ESI)‐QTOF‐MS/MS was developed. These products were measurable in a single sample and the analytical time was relative short (~15 min). Furthermore, we showed that the use of internal standards is a requisite to normalize matrix effects and preparation loss for the quantitation. Validation assays indicated the method to be robust for plasma and mid‐stream urine sample analysis in particular from those of age‐related macular degeneration subjects, where the accuracy of quantitation displayed good repeatability.
Impact of Preexisting Inflammatory Bowel Disease on the Outcome of Liver Transplantation for Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis
Authors: Irlès‐Depé Marie , Roullet Stéphanie , Neau‐Cransac Martine , Dumortier Jérôme , Dharancy Sébastien , Houssel‐Debry Pauline , Boillot Olivier , Chiche Laurence , Laurent Christophe , Laharie David , De Lédinghen Victor
Published: June 2020

Approximately 80% of patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) also have inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and its effect on the outcomes of liver transplantation (LT) for PSC is unclear. We retrospectively collected data from adults who underwent LT for PSC from 1989 to January 2018 in 4 French LT centers. We compared the rates of patient and graft survivals and of complications after LT. Among 87 patients, 52 (60%) had preexisting IBD. Excluding those who died within the first 3 months, the 10‐year patient survival and graft survival rates were 92.6% (95% confidence interval [CI], 84.3%‐100%) and 77.1% (53.8%‐85.3%), respectively, in the PSC with IBD (PSC‐IBD) group and 97.1% (91.4%‐100%; P = 0.44) and 83.2% (69.6%‐96.9%; P = 0.43) in the isolated PSC group, respectively. Exposure to azathioprine after LT was significantly associated with mortality (odds ratio [OR], 15.55; 1.31‐184.0; P = 0.03), whereas exposure to mycophenolate mofetil was associated with improved survival (OR, 0.17; 95% CI, 0.04‐0.82; P = 0.03), possibly an era effect. The rate of recurrent PSC was 21% in the PSC‐IBD group and 11% in the isolated PSC group (P = 0.24). Severe infections occurred in 125 per 1000 person‐years in both groups. Exposure to mycophenolate mofetil was associated with a lower risk of infection (OR, 0.26; 95% CI, 0.08‐0.85; P = 0.03). The presence of IBD was associated with cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection (OR, 3.24; 95% CI, 1.05‐9.98; P = 0.04). IBD prior to LT for PSC may not affect patient or transplant survival but may increase the risk of CMV infection.
An Enzyme‐Responsive Prodrug with Inflammation‐Triggered Therapeutic Drug Release Characteristics
Authors: Ye Jingjing , Zhang Xindan , Xie Wenqi , Gong Min , Liao Meihong , Meng Qinghan , Xue Jiajia , Shi Rui , Zhang Liqun
Published: June 2020

Long‐term use of nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for relieving inflammatory reactions can lead to severe side effects. It is of great importance to configure new dosing strategies for alleviating the side effects of NSAIDs. In this work, an enzyme‐responsive anti‐inflammatory prodrug capable of generating indomethacin upon the trigger of inflammation is developed. A monomer is first prepared after the esterification of carboxyl groups of indomethacin by hydroxyl groups of N‐(2‐hydroxyethyl) acrylamide. Then, a polymer prodrug, with indomethacin linked through ester bonds on the side chain, is synthesized by free radical polymerization of the monomer. The therapeutic drug component can be triggered to release from the prodrug under the stimulation of cholesterol esterase, mimicking the inflammation environment. On the contrary, there is only a small amount of drug released in the absence of the enzyme. Therefore, the drug can be triggered to release under the stimulation of an environment mimicking inflammation. Furthermore, the in vitro studies at the cellular level indicate that the enzyme‐responsive prodrug can efficiently relieve inflammatory responses induced by lipopolysaccharide in RAW264.7 macrophage cells while indicating no cytotoxicity.
Shear Thinning: Determination of Zero‐Shear Viscosities from Measurements in the Non‐Newtonian Region
Authors: Wolf Bernhard A.
Published: June 2020

Experimental information on the viscosities, η, of polymer solutions and of polymer melts as a function of shear rate is modeled by means of an approach that describes the diminution of ln η as a function of shear stress, τ, in terms of an exponential decay. The approach uses the following three adjustable parameters: the zero‐shear viscosity of the system, a characteristic shear stress, quantifying its susceptibility toward shear thinning, and a dimensionless parameter stating the magnitude of the effect. This procedure gives access to the Newtonian behavior also in cases where direct measurements are impractical or impossible; it discloses two phenomena not reported so far: a qualitative change in the efficacy of τ at a characteristic concentration and indicates the occurrence of two different disentanglement mechanisms in thermodynamically unfavorable solvents.
Significantly Strengthening Epoxy by Incorporating Carbon Nanotubes/Graphitic Carbon Nitride Hybrid Nanofillers
Authors: Song Bo , Liu Zhide , Wang Li , Dong Binbin , Pan Duo , Huang Yudong , Hu Qian , Guo Zhanhu
Published: June 2020

Novel hybrid nanofillers consist of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and graphitic carbon nitride (g‐C3N4) are prepared for the enhanced mechanical properties of epoxy by improving the dispersion of CNTs. 2D planar structure, large surface area, and plentiful of surface reactive groups of g‐C3N4 efficiently resist the microcrack propagation, impede the thermal transfer, and provide chemical bonding with epoxy chains. The well‐dispersed CNTs by anchoring on g‐C3N4 surface promotes the efficient transfers of stress, and supply the stronger mechanical interlocking for interfacial bonding. The significantly enhanced mechanical properties of epoxy containing hybrid nanofillers are based on the synergistic effects between CNTs and g‐C3N4. Compared with neat epoxy, the tensile strength, tensile modulus, and storage modulus of epoxy containing 0.5 wt% hybrid nanofillers (CNTs: g‐C3N4 = 1: 9, w/w) below glass transition temperature (Tg) are increased by 37.65%, 29.36%, and 32.92%, respectively. Meanwhile, the Tg, onset decomposition temperature and char residue are also obviously raised.
Experience on primary closure of fibular flap donor sites and development of an algorithm for closure based on different flap designs
Authors: Feng Kuan‐Ming , Sudirman Siti R. , Shih Hsiang‐Shun , Jeng Seng‐Feng
Published: June 2020

Background

Most skin paddles of the fibula flap are harvested from the distal third of the lower leg, skin grafting for the donor‐site is necessary.

Methods

A retrospective review was done on patients with large bony defects using free fibula osteocutaneous flaps (FOSCFF) for head and neck reconstruction. We focus on the techniques for closure of donor sites were skin grafting, primary closure with tear drop design and propeller flap technique on the donor site closure using skin graft, primary closure and local propeller flap based on the different location of perforators of FOSCFF. Postoperative follow up include incidence of wound complications, postoperative days to ambulation and cosmetic outcome.

Results

A total of 48 patients were included. Twenty five patients had skin graft (Group A), and 23 patients had primary closure (Group B); in 16 patients tear‐drop design was used, 6 had propeller flap, and the remaining 1 patient received a chimeric flap. Group A had more wound complication rates compared to Group B; 20% versus 4.3%, respectively (p = .19). The average postoperative days to ambulation for Group A were 15.1 days versus 7.3 days for Group B (p < .001). The cosmetic score in the B group (2.71) versus A group (4.89) was also statistically significant (p = .007). All the patients ambulated well at follow up.

Conclusion

Primary closure using the tear drop technique and propeller flap is superior to skin grafting in terms of better cosmetic appearance, earlier postoperative ambulation, and no need for another donor site for skin graft.
How mobile NMR can help with the conservation of paintings
Authors: Awad Wegood M. , Baias Maria
Published: June 2020

The conservation of paintings is fundamental to ensure that future generations will have access to the ideas of the grand masters who created these art pieces. Many factors, such as humidity, temperature, light, and pollutants, pose a risk to the conservation of paintings. To help with painting conservation, it is essential to be able to noninvasively study how these factors affect paintings and to develop methods to investigate their effects on painting degradation. Hence, the use of mobile nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) as a method of investigation of paintings is gaining increased attention in the world of Heritage Science. In this mini‐review, we discuss how this method was used to better understand the stratigraphy of paintings and the effect different factors have on the painting integrity, to analyze the different cleaning techniques suitable for painting conservation, and to show how mobile NMR can be used to identify forgeries. It is also important to keep in mind its limitations and build upon this information to optimize it to extend its applicability to the study of paintings and other precious objects of cultural heritage.
Condensed Mode Cooling for Ethylene Polymerization: Part VI. Impact of Induced Condensing Agents on Comonomer Incorporation and Polymer Properties
Authors: Ishola Niyi B. , Andrade Fabiana N. , Machado Fabricio , McKenna Timothy F.L.
Published: June 2020

Gas phase copolymerizations of ethylene and an α‐olefin comonomer are performed using a commercial Ziegler–Natta catalyst in the presence of different induced condensing agents (ICA). The impact of these factors on the yield and final polyethylene properties such as the melt flow index, crystallinity, and incorporation of comonomer is studied. It has been shown that the increase in the rate of polymerization is even more pronounced in the presence of ICA. It also appears that adding ICA to the copolymerizations changes the comonomer incorporation with respect to similar copolymerizations performed without ICA due to competing cosolubility effects.
A Novel, Efficient Method for Otolith Specimen Preparation Using UV-Cured Resins
Authors: Strüssmann Carlos Augusto , Miyoshi Kaho , Mitsui Shota
Published: June 2020

Otoliths are calcified structures that are located in the inner ears of fish, as in most vertebrates, that are responsible primarily for the perception of gravity, balance, and movement and secondarily of sound detection. Microstructural and chemical analyses of the inner otolith growth layers, called increments, constitute powerful tools for estimating fish age and elucidate many life history and demographic traits of fish populations. Otolith analyses often require the production of a thin cross section that includes the otolith core and all increments formed from birth (core) until the moment of collection (otolith edge) in the same plane of view. Here we report on the suitability of single-component UV-cured resins to obtain otolith cross sections for both microstructural examination and chemical analysis by electron probe microanalysis. Embedding blocks that were produced with UV-cured resins had transparency that was comparable to that of the commonly used two-component epoxy resins and provided similar adhesion and mechanical support for the otoliths during grinding or cutting with a precision cutter and analysis. In addition, UV-cured resins offer on-demand, extremely rapid (minute-order) hardening that makes them useful in classroom situations in which time for otolith embedding becomes a constraint.
Feelings of older Japanese primiparous couples and satisfaction of older primiparous wives with their husbands’ support during pregnancy: Focus on the perceptions of pregnant couples
Authors: Nakajima Kumiko , Usui Atsumi , Hayakawa Yuko
Published: June 2020

Aim

This study was to explore the feelings of older primiparous wives and husbands and satisfaction of older primiparous wives with their husbands’ support during pregnancy.

Design

This study is a qualitative research design based on the characteristics of clarifying the recognition of older primiparous couples.

Methods

Participants were eight older Japanese primiparous couples. Older primiparous couple's feeling and support by husband during pregnancy were elected using semi‐structured interviews. The analysis was used by content analysis method.

Results

Two categories of the couples' feeling during pregnancy included “Mental stress and physical burden associated with older age” and “Richness and strong will to actively accept the older age.” Three categories of the husbands’ support for wives’ satisfaction included “Empathy regarding the older primiparous wives,” “physical and mental health” and “Cooperation of housework with husband.” This study has greatly contributed to nursing support for marital relationships.
Wild assumptions? Questioning simplistic narratives about consumer preferences for wildlife products
Authors: Hinsley Amy , 't Sas‐Rolfes Michael
Published: June 2020

That wildlife consumers prefer wild products to farmed alternatives is a widely reported finding in the conservation literature. These reported preferences for wild products have been interpreted as evidence that farming and associated trade undermine conservation efforts. These conclusions have then been used to influence policy recommendations and the design of conservation interventions related to use of farming itself, as well as to underpin consumer behaviour change campaigns.

However, for many species and products, the wild versus farmed narrative is based on assumptions that over‐simplify consumer behaviour and can lead to conclusions that do not recognize the complexity of real wildlife markets. These assumptions include the notions that consumers of the same products have homogeneous preferences, that wild and farmed are the only distinct product types available, and that these preferences do not change over time.

We highlight the difficulty in linking stated preferences and real‐world behaviour, due to confounding factors. A consumer who typically prefers wild products may be deterred by factors such as legality, high prices or even simple availability.

We recommend that researchers embrace these complex markets rather than trying to simplify them, and clearly state the limitations of studies that try to make the connection between stated preferences and actual behaviour. This includes considering the full range of products available, what or who might influence the actual purchasing decision a consumer makes, and the diversity of people who may buy wildlife products.

Considering this complexity is likely to improve evidence‐based recommendations for the design of large‐scale conservation interventions and policy changes. This will ensure that these interventions are better able to reduce the negative impacts on biodiversity from illegal and unsustainable trade, and promote sustainable trade that can benefit both people and wildlife.

A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article.
Challenges in the development of new green solvents for polymer dissolution
Authors: Zhenova Anna
Published: June 2020

As chemical legislation grows more strict and the UK moves towards a bioeconomy, acceptable solvents for industrial dissolution of polymers are growing scarce. An estimated 78% of solvent use in the EU is in sectors such as paints and coatings, printing inks and adhesives, in which polymer dissolution is a critical function. Academic research in safe, sustainable solvents is growing, but largely in the field of reaction solvents, leaving solvents for polymers underdeveloped by comparison. This challenge can be addressed through the adoption of computational tools, improved communication between industry and academia and increased research funding. Recent progress in green solvent development provides a number of models that can be adapted to the problem of polymer dissolution research. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry
Phenol glycosides extract of Fructus Ligustri Lucidi attenuated depressive‐like behaviors by suppressing neuroinflammation in hypothalamus of mice
Authors: Feng Rui , He Ming‐Chao , Li Qiang , Liang Xiao‐Qiang , Tang De‐Zhi , Zhang Jia‐Li , Liu Shu‐Fen , Lin Fu‐Hui , Zhang Yan
Published: June 2020

Depression is partially caused by inflammation in central nervous system. This study investigated the ameliorative effects of phenol glycosides (PG) from Ligustrum lucidum Ait. (Oleaceae) on neuroinflammation and depressive‐like behavior in mice hypothalamus as well as the molecular mechanism. Mice were administered with PG extract for 2 weeks prior to treatment with LPS. The mice treated with PG extract showed resistance to LPS‐induced reduction in body weight and LPS‐induced depressive‐like behaviors shown by sucrose preference, tail suspension test, forced swimming test and open field test. LPS‐induced activation of microglial cells and elevation in protein expression of inflammatory cytokines including IL‐1β, RANTES and MCP‐1 in hypothalamus of mice were abrogated by pre‐treatment with PG extract. This extract down‐regulated expression of TLR4, MyD88, NLRP3, renin and angiotensin II and decreased proportional area of Iba‐1+ microglias in hypothalamus. Pre‐treatment with PG extract inhibited LPS‐triggered activation of CaSR/Gα11 signaling, stimulated 1‐OHase expression in hypothalamus, and enhanced circulating 1,25(OH)2D3 level. Overall, pre‐treatment with PG extract ameliorated LPS‐induced depressive‐like behaviors by repressing neuroinflammation in mice hypothalamus which was attributed to its suppression on activation of microglia and production of inflammatory cytokines via acting on TLR4 pathway, CaSR and RAS cascade associated with improving vitamin D metabolism.
Performance measures of discrete and continuous time‐between‐events control charts
Authors: Rizzo Caterina , Chin Swee‐Teng , van den Heuvel Edwin , Di Bucchianico Alessandro
Published: June 2020

An increasing number of applications in the chemical industry involve measuring nonconforming items, particularly in high‐purity processes or high‐yield processes. Dedicated monitoring tools such as the time‐between‐events (TBE) control charts have been developed for both discrete time (CCC‐charts) and continuous time (tr‐charts) for detecting any shifts in the process defect rate. However, most common performance metrics used in literature are not always appropriate and may not suffice to describe the efficiency of a monitoring system. The definition of conditional performance measures described in the literature is extended to TBE charts. These metrics are computed for Shewhart‐type TBE charts with run rules and used to compare these charts at different aggregation levels.
Tailored multilevel approaches in vibrational structure theory: A route to quantum mechanical vibrational spectra for complex systems
Authors: König Carolin
Published: June 2020

Vibrational spectroscopies have emerged as important tools to elucidate structures and processes in life sciences. The interpretation of vibrational spectra requires, in most cases, computational assistance and account for anharmonic effects. Pushing the size limitations of anharmonic vibrational structure calculations is therefore of great interest. Fortunately, interpretation of the experimental results often requires only a limited part of the vibrational spectrum. Hence, it can be expected that multilevel approaches, focusing computational effort on the relevant parts, are highly beneficial. Still, such approaches are rather sparse in the field of vibrational structure theory. In this perspective, we outline the present status on multilevel static vibrational wave functions and rectilinear vibrational coordinates. We further foresee how those ingredients can be combined to formulate a comprehensive multilevel vibrational structure framework.
Sarcoidosis presenting as hiccups
Authors: Neumann Melissa , Lazo Kevin G. , Stover Diane
Published: June 2020

Hiccups are common; however, hiccups caused by sarcoidosis have rarely been reported. An unusual case involving a patient with persistent hiccups possibly caused by hilar/mediastinal lymph node enlargement due to sarcoidosis prompted us to perform a literature search. Eight case reports relating hiccups to sarcoidosis were found and in only one case were the hiccups thought to be due to thoracic lymphadenopathy (LAD). Most cases were attributed to involvement of the central nervous system (CNS) with sarcoidosis. Management of hiccups in general is unclear and only chlorpromazine is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for treatment; multiple other pharmacological agents have been advocated mostly being ineffective. This case report describes a patient whose hiccups were likely caused by thoracic sarcoidosis. It reviews the mechanisms of hiccups, explores co‐morbid conditions associated with hiccups (including sarcoidosis), and provides some recommended treatments.
Robust stabilization of nonlinear stochastic 2‐D systems: LaSalle‐type theorem approach
Authors: Lan‐Huong Nguyen Thi , Hien Le Van
Published: June 2020

LaSalle theorem (also known as the LaSalle invariance principle) plays an essential role in the systems and control theory. Recently, it has been extensively studied and developed for various types of one‐dimensional (1‐D) systems including deterministic and stochastic 1‐D systems in discrete‐ and continuous‐time domains. For two‐dimensional (2‐D) systems, such studies have received considerably less attention. In this article, based on discrete martingale theory, a LaSalle‐type theorem is first developed for a class of discrete‐time nonlinear stochastic 2‐D systems described by a Roesser model. The proposed result can be regarded as an extension of stochastic Lyapunov‐like theorem, which guarantees the convergence almost surely of system state trajectories. Extensions to the problem of optimal guaranteed cost control of nonlinear stochastic 2‐D systems are also presented. The proposed schemes are then utilized to derive tractable synthesis conditions of a suboptimal state‐feedback controller for uncertain 2‐D systems with multiplicative stochastic noises. The effectiveness of the obtained results is illustrated by given numerical examples and simulations.
Active fault‐tolerant consensus control of Lipschitz nonlinear multiagent systems
Authors: Li Xiayang , Wang Jinzhi
Published: June 2020

This article investigates the active fault‐tolerant consensus problem for Lipschitz nonlinear multiagent systems under detailed balanced directed graph and actuator faults. First, a fault detection filter for each agent is designed, and all agents can be divided into two categories: healthy agents and possibly faulty agents. Second, fully distributed adaptive fault‐tolerant consensus protocols for healthy and possibly faulty agents are proposed to achieve state consensus. Third, based on the fault detection method and fault‐tolerant consensus protocols, active fault‐tolerant consensus algorithms are given. Simulation examples are presented to verify the effectiveness of the proposed active fault‐tolerant algorithms.
Numerical soil classification supports soil identification by citizen scientists using limited, simple soil observations
Authors: Maynard Jonathan J. , Salley Shawn W. , Beaudette Dylan E. , Herrick Jeffery E.
Published: June 2020

Accurately identifying the soil map unit component at a specific point‐location within a landscape is critical for implementing sustainable soil management. Recent developments in smartphone‐based technologies for characterizing soil profiles, coupled with improved numerical soil classification algorithms, have made it more accessible for non‐soil scientists to sample, characterize, and classify soil profiles. The main objective of this study was to evaluate an operational soil classification framework for identifying the soil component at a sampling‐location based on the numerical similarity of soil property values between the sampled soil profile and the soil components mapped in that area. To evaluate this soil identification framework, we used a subset of the U.S. National Cooperative Soil Survey Soil Characterization Database (NCSS–SCD) as our soil profile test dataset and the U.S. Soil Survey Geographic (SSURGO) database as our reference dataset using profile data of soil components in the area surrounding each test profile. Numerical similarity was tested using soil property data representing different degrees of generalization, both in terms of generalizing depth‐wise variability (i.e., depth‐support) and generalizing across feature space (i.e., soil properties). Three soil property groups (i.e., Novice, Expert, Expert‐Plus) representing different levels of detail and three types of depth‐support (i.e., genetic horizon, depth intervals, and depth functions) were evaluated. Using a simple set of soil property inputs (i.e., Novice: soil texture class, rock fragment volume class, and soil color) resulted in nearly as high identification accuracy (46–53%) as that achieved with an Expert (48–57%) dataset that included more precise determinations (percent sand, silt, clay, and rock fragment volume), and virtually no further improvement with the addition of pH and organic matter in the Expert‐Plus dataset (53–60%). This study also showed minimal effect from the type of depth‐support used to represent depth‐wise variability. Furthermore, we evaluated several measures of soil functional similarity (i.e., ecological sites, land capability, taxonomic distance) which resulted in management relevant accuracies ranging from 65–89%. These findings support the utility of simple soil observations sampled at fixed depths for soil identification.
Coinhibition of activated p38 MAPKα and mTORC1 potentiates stemness maintenance of HSCs from SR1-expanded human cord blood CD34+ cells via inhibition of senescence
Authors: Li Xiaoyi , Ma Xiao , Chen Ying , Peng Danyue , Wang Huifang , Chen Suhua , Xiao Yin , Li Lei , Zhou Hao , Cheng Fanjun , Gao Yingdai , Chang Jiwei , Cheng Tao , Liu Lingbo
Published: June 2020

The stemness of ex vivo expanded hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) is usually compromised by current methods. To explore the failure mechanism of stemness maintenance of human HSCs, which were expanded from human umbilical cord blood (hUCB) CD34+ cells, by differentiation inhibitor Stem Regenin 1 (SR1), an antagonist of aryl hydrocarbon receptor, we investigated the activity of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase α (p38 MAPKα, p38α) and mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1), and their effect on SR1-expanded hUCB CD34+ cells. Our results showed that cellular senescence occurred in the SR1-expanded hUCB CD34+ cells in which p38α and mTORC1 were successively activated. Furthermore, their coinhibition resulted in a further decrease in hUCB CD34+ cell senescence without an effect on apoptosis, promoted the maintenance of expanded phenotypic HSCs without differentiation inhibition, increased the hematopoietic reconstitution ability of multiple lineages, and potentiated the long-term self-renewal capability of HSCs from SR1-expanded hUCB CD34+ cells in NOD/Shi-scid/IL-2Rγnull mice. Our mechanistic study revealed that senescence inhibition by our strategy was mainly attributed to downregulation of the splicesome, proteasome formation, and pyrimidine metabolism signaling pathways. These results suggest that coinhibition of activated p38α and mTORC1 potentiates stemness maintenance of HSCs from SR1-expanded hUCB CD34+ cells via senescence inhibition. Thus, we established a new strategy to maintain the stemness of ex vivo differentiation inhibitor-expanded human HSCs via coinhibition of multiple independent senescence initiating signal pathways. This senescence inhibition-induced stemness maintenance of ex vivo expanded HSCs could also have an important role in other HSC expansion systems.

Significance statement The stemness of ex vivo-expanded hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) is usually compromised by current methods. It is supposed that none of these methods could avoid senescence-associated stemness loss because HSC hyperproliferation and ex vivo culture microenvironments different from the real in vivo hematopoietic niche will induce expanded HSC senescence. Here, it was found that both p38α and mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 are activated in differentiation inhibitor Stem Regenin 1 (SR1)-expanded human umbilical cord blood (hUCB) CD34+ cells. Their coinhibition maintains the stemness of HSCs from SR1-expanded hUCB CD34+ cells through senescence inhibition mainly via downregulation of the splicesome, proteasome formation, and pyrimidine metabolism signaling pathways. This multiple senescence initiating signalings inhibition-induced stemness maintenance of ex vivo expanded HSCs could also play an important role in other HSC expansion systems.
Diluted Organic Semiconductors in Photovoltaics
Authors: Wang Chuanfei , Liu Xianjie , Xiao Yiqun , Bergqvist Jonas , Lu Xinhui , Gao Feng , Fahlman Mats
Published: June 2020

Incorporation of insulating polymers or molecules into organic semiconductor films, creating so‐called diluted organic semiconductors, has been successfully used both in organic field‐effect transistors and organic light‐emitting diodes to reduce sensitivity to charge traps. However, application of this strategy in organic photovoltaics is challenging due to the complex requirements on the light‐absorbing blend layer. Herein, diluted donor–acceptor–insulator ternary organic solar cells are developed to improve mobility and decrease radiative and nonradiative recombination in the active layer. In addition, both thermal and environmental stability of the diluted ternary solar cells are enhanced. Finally, the diluted semiconductor approach enables large‐area solar cells to be fabricated where the loss in power density upon cell area upscaling is five times lower than for the equivalent binary cells.
Tragfähigkeit von Stahlrohren im Einspannbereich von Stahlbetonkonstruktionen
Authors: Kindmann Rolf , Vette Jan
Published: June 2020

Sofern Stahlrohre (kreisförmige Hohlprofile) als Stützen oder Träger verwendet werden, können sie in Fundamente bzw. Wände aus Stahlbeton einbetoniert werden. Diese Anschlüsse wirken i. d. R. wie Einspannungen, die eine ausreichende Einspanntiefe erfordern. Im Folgenden werden in Stahlbetonkonstruktionen eingespannte Stahlrohre untersucht und Tragfähigkeitsnachweise unter Berücksichtigung der Einspanntiefe und Betondruckspannungen im Einspannbereich sowie darüber hinaus an den maßgebenden Stellen für die Stahlrohre geführt. Als Ergänzung zu den Berechnungsformeln werden Diagramme zur Verfügung gestellt, die die Wahl der Einspanntiefe vereinfachen. Bei vielen baupraktischen Anwendungsfällen reicht als Einspanntiefe der zweifache Rohrdurchmesser aus.
Analysis of steel corrosion‐induced surface damage evolution of magnesium oxychloride cement concrete through gray‐level co‐occurrence matrices
Authors: Wang Penghui , Qiao Hongxia , Li Yuanke , Feng Qiong , Chen Kefan
Published: June 2020

In order to get the characteristics of crack formation on a concrete surface, a coupled method of industrial cameras and gray‐level co‐occurrence matrices (GLCM) is used to analyze the formation of magnesium oxychloride cement concrete surface cracks. This method requires fewer samples than the previous edge detection method, typing analysis, and artificial neural network method and can provide more damage parameter information without being limited to the geometric information of local features. According to the GLCM analysis of the surface crack formation of concrete under the effect of a rust expansion force, it is concluded that the larger the concrete protective layer, the longer the energization time required. When the concrete surface crack reaches 0.2 mm, the test pieces with protective layers of 14, 24, 34, and 44 mm need to be energized for 270, 465, 673, and 792 hr, respectively. With the increase of cracks on the concrete surface, the contrast keeps increasing, while the correlation, energy, and homogeneity gradually decrease. In color heat maps, the number of matrix peaks gradually increases with the formation of cracks, and the bandwidth of the horizontal projection of matrix peaks gradually decreases, and there is a tendency to extend along the main diagonal of the matrix. The selection of the size of the region of interest region will have a certain impact on the size of the four eigenvalues in GLCM, but it will not change its development law.
Effect of silver oxide nanoparticles on a bacterial consortium isolated from the sediment of the Gulf of Mexico in removing carbon and nitrogen
Authors: Oubre Christopher , Boopathy Raj
Published: June 2020

Nanoparticle (NP) use in engineering, medicine, cosmetics, personal care products, and manufacturing is becoming more common resulting in a significant increase in accumulation in biological systems and have been shown to have disruptive and antimicrobial effects. Nanoparticle accumulation will disrupt the natural biogeochemical cycles such as carbon and nitrogen cycles by inhibiting microbes that participate in these cycles. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of silver oxide nanoparticles on carbon and nitrogen cycles in the sediment bacteria isolated from the Gulf of Mexico of the coast of the state of Louisiana in the USA. A bacterial consortium developed from the coastal Louisiana was exposed to various concentrations of silver oxide nanoparticles. The results showed that the silver oxide NP at concentrations 4 mg/L or above were lethal to the bacteria, and bacterial growth was inhibited resulting in significant loss of carbon and nitrogen removal activities of the bacterial consortium. The lethal concentration 50 (LC50) of silver oxide NP for the coastal bacteria was found to be 3.07 mg/L. The bacterial consortium was stressed at higher doses above 2 mg/L of NP leading to excess production of extracellular polymeric substances.
Drivers of regional soil water storage memory and persistence
Authors: Jacobs Elin M. , Bertassello Leonardo E. , Rao P. Suresh C.
Published: June 2020

Soil water storage dynamics link landscape and climate processes with consequent impacts on hydrologic and biogeochemical cycles, and on ecosystem functions. We explore regional‐scale, spatiotemporal dynamics of root‐zone soil water storage using spatially explicit, long‐term simulations from a land data assimilation system over an area of ∼2 million km2 in the U.S. Midwest. We synthesize the dataset to examine spatial patterns of hydroclimatic forcing and soil and vegetation properties to identify the key drivers of soil water storage across the region. To identify differences in temporal hydrologic variability between sites with different soil and vegetation characteristics, we focus on daily data from 10 locations, representative of three major land cover types in the region. We use the concepts of (a) soil water memory to evaluate differences in landscape buffering of rainfall and (b) persistence to evaluate the threshold‐crossing properties of statistically defined “wet” and “dry” soil water conditions. Power spectral analyses of soil water storage reveal that regionally consistent patterns emerge in memory at multiple temporal scales. Threshold‐crossing analyses reveal corresponding similarity in persistence between sites. The analyses show that stochastic rainfall is the key driver of landscape hydrologic dynamics, with rainfall frequency as the primary determinant of persistence across the region, whereas differences in land cover and soil properties across the region have second‐order influence. The synthesis approach we present here is useful for ecological and agricultural risk assessments of climate change impacts, including increasing frequency of extreme events such as droughts and floods, but primarily points to the need for better understanding of future precipitation changes.
Restructuring the Relationship
Authors: Ramia Gaby
Published: June 2020

This chapter deals with the early 1980s to the mid-1990s, when Australia and New Zealand diverged more markedly than they had at any previous point. In New Zealand, the arbitration system was watered down, and the Employment Contracts Act, a radical experiment in decentralisation, was introduced in 1991. There were also major cuts in the level of many welfare state benefits and services in the early 1990s. In Australia restructuring was more subject to negotiation at the peak national level. The Arbitration Commission remained central as part of a neo-corporatist approach to social protection under a Prices and Incomes Accord. The chapter finds that most of the factors that were important to explaining overriding similarities in previous periods were equally responsible in this period for relatively profound differences.
On Exponential Densities and Limit Ratios of Subsets of $${\mathbb {N}}$$
Authors: Li J. , Olsen L.
Published: June 2020

Given$$\alpha ,\beta ,\gamma \in [0,1]$$α,β,γ∈[0,1]with$$\alpha \le \beta $$α≤β, we prove that there exists a subset of$${\mathbb {N}}$$Nsuch that its lower and upper exponential densities and its lower and upper limit ratios are equal to$$\alpha $$α,$$\beta $$β,$$\gamma $$γand 1, respectively. This result provides an affirmative answer to an open problem posed by Grekos et al. (Unif Distrib Theory 6:117–130, 2011).