bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Exploring the public value of streets in the context of rapid urbanization
Authors: Hao Song
Published: July 2021

Urban street is an important form of urban space. It is the economic lifeline of the city, as well as the most public space that people use in daily life. City streets bears not only the flourished style of this region, but also embodies the unique style and taste of a city. Since China's reform and opening, economic development has maintaining a rapid growth momentum. The economic base determines the superstructure,so the scale of city population is facing a rapid expansion. The city is changing rapidly with the vigorous development of motor traffic. The traditional street space is faced with the situation of being nibbled away.Based on the concept of urban street and public space, this paper further analyzes the importance of paying attention to urban public life for achieving sustainable development, and then points out the importance of urban street space as an important carrier of public life in the context of rapid urbanization.By clarifying the important public value of urban streets, this paper draws the attention of a wide range of city government decision-makers and urban planners.
Research on landscape design of community pension under the background of aging
Authors: Wei Tian , Li Zhigang
Published: July 2021

As a country with a large population in the world, China is currently aging. This paper starts from the basic needs of the elderly's care environment, and takes the elderly's psychological needs, physiological needs and behavioral needs as the starting point, and explores the ecological design of community landscape under the background of aging to meet the many needs of today's aging population.
A collaborative method to survey and store urban components
Authors: Tang Qingyun , Lan Guiwen , Fan Donglin , Du Yongliang
Published: July 2021

Urban components are the important part of the city, and the rapid and efficient survey of urban components is a key requirement of urban digitization. In this paper, a method of the collaborative survey and storage of urban components is proposed. The national standard code for urban components survey is optimized to accelerate the survey and storage of urban components, and the time cost of error discovery is shorten by using AutoCAD to check the spatial location and employing a VBA macro programme to search for the attribute data errors. At the same time, a collaborative processing flow of components data is constructed through ArcPy to further speed up the storage of urban components. The experiment of urban components survey in Wanxiu District of Wuzhou City shows that this method can effectively reduce the complexity of urban component data storage procedure and the error rate. Compared with the traditional method, the proposed method is about 2 times more efficient to input the urban component data into the database.
Study on level-of-service for urban rail transit passages from the passenger perspective
Authors: Chen Yibing , Liang Xiao , Fu Yizhuo
Published: July 2021

With the acceleration of urbanization and the shortage of transportation resources in large cities, urban rail transit has gradually become the backbone of urban public transportation system. In order to improve the service level of urban rail transit, this paper studies the factors influencing the service level of subway station passages and the classification method based on the passenger-perception method. Through investigation and research, the passage service level evaluation indicators (width, walking time, per capita area, illumination intensity and guide signage) have been determined. Based on orthogonal experiment, 3ds max was used to set up 25 passage scenes with different parameters from passengers' perspective. A passenger satisfaction questionnaire was designed and distributed, the reliability and validity of the questionnaire were tested to ensure the validity of the data. And based on the factor analysis method, the factors affecting passenger perception are analyzed. A well-fitting model of the relationship between passenger scores and passage parameters is established, and the passenger scores are converted into service levels. Finally, a service level classification method is given, which can provide reference for the service level evaluation of existing stations and the design of physical attributes and environmental factors of new station passages.
The Impacts of Morphology of Traditional Alleys on Thermal comfort: A case study of Da Long Wang Xiang in Zhenjiang, China
Authors: Chen Cen , Ding Lu , Zhang Yuhan , Qiu Hainan , Li Yingnan
Published: July 2021

Traditional alleys in China are mostly characterized by dense population, poor infrastructure, and narrow streets. The general renewal approaches of traditional alleys paid more attention to the physical space while they lack consideration for the thermal comfort of residents, which often results in declines in the rational design of the space and vitality of the community. This research takes Da Long Wang Xiang historical district in Zhenjiang as a case study to investigate the relationship between the morphology of street spaces (Alley Width (W), Sky View Factor (SVF), Height to Width Ratio (H/W), building height on both sides of alley) and microclimatic parameters, such as Potential Air Temperature (Ta), Relative Humidity (RH), Wind Speed (WS), Mean Radiation Temperature (Tmrt) and Physiological Equivalent Temperature (PET). The results have shown that: 1) the peak temperature was found at 14:00, and the thermal comfort of all alleys is overheated during this period, particularly NW-SE alleys are hotter than NESW alleys; 2) the deviation of Ta, RH, WS, and Tmrt among the NW-SE alleys during 13:00 to 15:00 are smaller than those among the NE-SW alleys; and 3) set a shading device or higher buildings on the side of the afternoon solar incidence can help to create a more comfortable thermal comfort. The findings of this research will provide a new strategy for the renewal design of traditional alleys.
Study on the Impact of Urban Rail Transit on Tourism Economy in Guangdong Based on Urban Functional Network Model
Authors: Kangsheng Du , Xiang Huang , Weitao Luo , Yingying Meng , Yanjun Zhou , Hanwei Li
Published: July 2021

Urban rail transit is a new type of rail transit, between railway and urban rail transit, mainly used to solve the traffic problems between cities. By using the urban functional network model, this paper analyzes the complementary coefficient changes of Guangzhou, Zhuhai and Macao before and after the completion of urban rail transit in Guangdong Province. Through quantitative data, it intuitively shows the objective changes brought by urban rail transit to urban planning and development, and also brings development space for urban tourism economy, and deepens the economic ties between cities.
Trade-off between breast mean glandular dose and image quality in digital and conventional mammogram systems: A multicenter study
Authors: Rezapour J. , Mostear A. , Tarighatnia A. , Falahati F. , Hosseini S.M. , Johal G. , Nader N.D. , Dastranj L. , Abedi-Firouzjah R.
Published: July 2021

Evaluating the patient dose or exposure parameters considering the image quality can improve the chances of accurate diagnosis and reduce the unnecessary exposures from medical devices such as mammography. This study aimed to evaluate digital and conventional mammography machines while considering the trade-off between image quality and mean glandular dose (MGD) using a phantom. In the present study, one full-field digital mammography (FFDM) and two film-screen mammography (FSM) machines were investigated. The MGD values and image quality were assessed using the American College of Radiology (ACR) phantom at various mAs and constant kVp values. The results were obtained and compared with European guidelines. Friedman and Wilcoxon statistical tests were used to show the comparison. The results from the quality control (QC) tests demonstrated that all machines are functioning well. The best image quality in the digital mammography machine was observed at the MGD of 1.8 mGy and 55 mAs. In addition, the two conventional machines had the best image quality regarding the imaging of the ACR phantom at 65 mAs with an MGD of 2.1 mGy. These values were considered as appropriate values for the studied mammography systems. Furthermore, the Friedman test demonstrated that there are significant differences between the measured image quality values obtained from the different machines (p < 0.05), however, according to the Wilcoxon test there were not any significant differences between the conventional machines at various mAs values. Owing to the results, for a medium breast size, the image quality will not be improved with increasing the exposure after a specified MGD corresponds to a certain mAs. It is notable that this value is smaller in digital mammography system at a reasonably low dose.
Einordnung ankylosierter Zähne im digitalen Zeitalter
Authors: Wilmes Benedict , Willmann Jan , Bräutigam Martina , Bonitz Lars , Drescher Dieter
Published: July 2021

Ankylosierte Zähne sind eine große Herausforderung im Rahmen einer kieferorthopädischen Behandlung. Neben der Extraktion, der Transplantation, dem konventionellen Einordnungsversuch nach Lockerung, sowie der ossären Distraktion stellt die parodontale Distraktion (PDL-Distraktion) eine sehr effektive Methode zur Einordnung ankylosierter Zähne dar. Auch bei unsicherer langfristiger Prognose von Zähnen mit Defekten kann mittels PDL-Distraktion Knochen sowie Weichgewebe in der oft defizitären Region generiert werden. Neue CAD-CAM-Techniken wie Insertionsguides und Metalldruck mittels Lasersintering optimieren das Verfahren der PDL-Distraktion.
Kommunikation mit invasiv Beatmeten aus der Angehörigenperspektive
Authors: Weber Christina , Kugler Christiane , Knecht Christiane
Published: July 2021

Ein Intensivaufenthalt mit Beatmung ist für Angehörige belastend. Es ist ungewiss, ob die Person sterben oder überleben wird. Räumliche Trennung und die Unfähigkeit, miteinander zu sprechen, führen zum Verlust der bestehenden Verbindung. Zur Kommunikation von Angehörigen mit beatmeten und teilweise sedierten Patienten in dieser vulnerablen Situation gibt es bisher wenig Forschung. Wie Angehörige diese erleben und gestalten, war Ziel einer Studie, deren Ergebnisse hier vorgestellt werden.
Klimaschutz und nachhaltige Entwicklung in der Anästhesiologie und Intensivmedizin
Authors: Kaufmann Charlene
Published: July 2021

Welche Auswirkungen eine ungebremste Klimaerwärmung für die Weltbevölkerung haben wird, untersuchen seit vielen Jahren Forscher diverser Disziplinen. Autorin Charlene Kaufmann hat einen speziellen Bereich näher untersucht und beschrieben, welchen Einfluss die Anästhesiologie und Intensivmedizin auf den Klimawandel haben und wie diese durch die Entwicklung von nachhaltigen Konzepten einen Beitrag zum Klimaschutz leisten können. Mit ihrer Arbeit hat sie beim 24. intensiv-Pflegepreis 2020 den 3. Platz belegt.
Glukosemessung in der Diabetesdiagnostik und -therapie: Laboratoriumsmedizinische Untersuchung inkl. patientennaher Sofortdiagnostik, Blutglukoseselbstmessung und kontinuierliches Glukosemonitoring
Authors: Pleus Stefan , Heinemann Lutz , Freckmann Guido , Nauck Matthias , Tytko Andrea , Kaiser Patricia , Petersmann Astrid
Published: July 2021

Die Glukose-„Messlandschaft“ in Deutschland deckt viele verschiedene Einsatzzwecke und -gebiete ab. Sie reicht von hochstandardisiert messenden Laboranalysesystemen mit einem großen Gesamtportfolio von Messgrößen bis hin zu einfachen Systemen für den Patientengebrauch. Aus klinischer Sicht muss die Qualität von Glukosemessungen ausreichend hoch sein, um die vorgesehenen Zwecke, also Diagnosestellung und Verlaufskontrolle, zu erfüllen.

In der Heilkunde – also bei Messungen im Rahmen der Gesundheitsversorgung durch medizinisches Personal – definiert die Richtlinie der Bundesärztekammer zur Qualitätssicherung laboratoriumsmedizinischer Untersuchungen Vorgaben an die Qualitätssicherung. Es werden sowohl interne als auch externe (herstellerunabhängige) Qualitätskontrollen gefordert und mit spezifischen Vorgaben versehen. Diese Regelungen gelten demnach auch für alle Glukosemessungen in der Heilkunde, d. h. im Zentrallabor ebenso wie in der patientennahen Sofortdiagnostik.

Bei dem Haupteinsatzgebiet von Glukosemessungen, der Verlaufskontrolle durch Patienten mit Diabetes im Rahmen der Blutglukoseselbstmessung, fehlen i. d. R. Kontrollen der Messqualität. Für das kontinuierliche Glukosemonitoring im interstitiellen Gewebe sind Qualitätskontrollen nach dem aktuellen technischen Stand sogar überhaupt nicht möglich. Hinzu kommt, dass eine regelmäßige herstellerunabhängige Kontrolle der Messqualität nicht vorgeschrieben ist. Ziel der Arbeit ist es, einen Überblick über die unterschiedlichen Glukosemesssysteme sowie praktische Aspekte und Probleme bei der Glukosemessung zu geben.
Patient Portals: Useful for Whom and for What? A Cross-Sectional Analysis of National Survey Data
Authors: Swoboda Christine M. , DePuccio Matthew J. , Fareed Naleef , McAlearney Ann Scheck , Walker Daniel M.
Published: July 2021

Background Patients who use patient portals may be more engaged and empowered in their care; however, differences in who accesses patient portals remain. The characteristics of who uses patient portals more frequently and who perceives them as useful may also differ, as well as which functions people use.

Objective We assessed the characteristics of patient portal users to examine who uses them more frequently and who perceives them as useful. In addition, we wanted to see if those who use them more frequently or perceive them to be more useful use different functions or more functions of patient portals.

Methods Pooled cross-sectional data from 2017 to 2018 Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) were used. Ordinal regression models were developed to assess frequency of use and perceived usefulness by demographics, and multivariable logistic regression models were used to examine the association between the use of 10 patient portal functions and frequency of use and perceived usefulness of patient portals.

Results The odds of using patient portals more frequently were higher among those with Bachelor's degrees, incomes between $35,000 and $75,000, and those with two or more chronic conditions. Respondents with three or more chronic conditions had higher odds of rating patient portals as useful. Those who used their patient portal 10 or more times in the past year had higher odds of using all functions except for viewing test results compared with those who used their patient portal one to two times per year. Those who rated patient portals as “very useful” had higher odds of using seven of the functions compared with those who rated them “not very”/“not at all useful.”

Conclusion It is important to continue to assess usefulness, frequency of use, and overall patient portal function use to identify opportunities to increase patient engagement with patient portals.
Gamma irradiated nanostructured NiFe2O4: Effect of γ-photon on morphological, structural, optical, and magnetic properties
Authors: Sen Sapan Kumar , Babu Md Majibul Haque , Paul Tapash Chandra , Hossain Md. Sazzad , Hossain Mongur , Dutta Supria , Hasan M. R. , Hossain M. N. , Matin M. A. , Hakim M. A. , Bala Parimal
Published: July 2021

This article highlights the preparation of NiFe2O4 nanoparticles by adopting a sol–gel auto-combustion route. The prime focus of this study is to investigate the impact of γ-irradiation on the microstructural, morphological, functional, optical, and magnetic characteristics. The resulting NiFe2O4 products have been characterized employing numerous instrumental techniques such as Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), UV–visible spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), and Physical Properties Measurement System for a variety of γ-ray doses (0, 25, and 100 kGy). FESEM micrographs illustrate the aggregation of ferrite nanoparticles in the pristine NiFe2O4 product having an average particle size of 168 nm, and the surface morphology is altered after exposure to γ-irradiation. XRD spectra have been analyzed employing the Rietveld method, and the results of the XRD investigation reveal the desired phases (cubic spinel phases) of NiFe2O4 with the observation of other transitional phases. The values of the crystallite size are in the range of 34.04–34.71 nm investigated by the Debye–Scherrer (D–S) method. Several microstructural parameters, such as bond length, bond angle, and hopping length, have been determined from the analysis of the Rietveld method. This study reports that γ-irradiations demonstrate a great influence on optical bandgap energy, and it varies from 1.80 to 1.89 eV evaluated via the Kubelka–Munk function. The FTIR measurement depicts a proof for the persistence of Ni–O and Fe–O stretching vibrations within the respective products at positions 365 and 547 cm−1, respectively, thus indicating the successful development of NiFe2O4. The saturation magnetization (MS) of the pristine Ni ferrite product is noticed to be 28.08 emu/g. A considerable increase in MS is observed in the case of low γ-dose (25 kGy), and a decrement nature is disclosed after the result of high dose of γ-irradiation (100 kGy).
Modeling and simulation of UAV static soaring based on multi-hole probe
Authors: Chen Jie , Shi Zhiwei , Zhou Mengbei , Li Kangli , Fan Min , Zhang Kun , Dong Haining
Published: July 2021

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) can extract energy to improve their range and endurance due to thermal updrafts in the environment via static soaring. In this paper, a soaring control strategy is improved based on multi-hole probe technology. A vertical wind speed estimation method based on the multi-hole probe is proposed to design thermal updraft identification, mode switching logic, and the soaring controller. Turn logic is used to determine the correct turn direction for UAVs when a thermal updraft is detected. A simulation environment containing a six-degree-of-freedom glider model and a thermal updraft model is described. The induced roll effect caused by the asymmetric vertical velocity distribution of thermal updraft is included in the simulations. The results show an improved soaring capability from the proposed soaring strategy. Thus, the proposed method based on a multi-hole probe is more accurate and robust, and the turn logic allows a glider to enter a thermal updraft more quickly. The more energy a glider can obtain from thermal updraft enables a lower soaring speed during static soaring.
The effects of feeding nitrate on the development of methaemoglobinaemia in sedentary
Authors: Benu I. , Callaghan M. J. , Tomkins N. , Hepworth G. , Fitzpatrick L. A. , Parker A. J.
Published: July 2021

Context Nitrate salts can be utilised by the rumen bacteria as a nitrogen source. Nitrate salts can induce a methaemoglobinaemia in cattle if consumed in sufficient quantities. Methaemoglobinaemia is the principal factor that leads to the onset of clinical signs for nitrate toxicity in cattle. A methaemoglobin concentration ≥20% is considered unsafe for cattle. There are, however, limited studies on the longer-term effects of nitrate supplementation on methaemoglobin formation in Bos indicus steers consuming forage that is reflective of northern Australia’s poor quality, native pasture in the dry season. Aims We hypothesised that the Australian government’s recommended daily dose of nitrate salts given to Bos indicus cattle would not cause a methaemoglobinaemia in the blood >20% throughout a 70 day treatment period. Methods A 70 day study was conducted to determine the methaemoglobin, carboxyhaemoglobin, total haemoglobin, growth rate and forage intakes of cattle supplemented with a non-protein-nitrogen treatment containing nitrate (6.48 g NO3/kg dry matter intake (DMI) or no nitrate and consuming a chaffed Flinders grass hay (Iseilema spp.), a C4 species. The dose rate of nitrate was selected to match the Australian government guidelines. Ten 3-year-old fistulated Bos indicus steers (mean liveweight ± s.d., 400.7 ± 26.2 kg) were randomly allocated into two groups (n = 5). Blood samples were collected at 0, 2, 4 and 6 h after treatment with nitrate or no nitrate on days 10, 30, 50 and 70 to measure haemoglobin fractions in the blood. Key Results Nitrate treatment caused the mean methaemoglobin (P < 0.001), peak methaemoglobin (P < 0.001) and carboxyhaemoglobin (P = 0.008) concentration to be greater in the blood of steers compared with steers given no nitrate. Nitrate treatment had no general effect on the total haemoglobin, DMI or bodyweight of steers. Conclusions Bos indicus steers treated with 6.48 g NO3/kg DMI develop a methaemoglobinaemia that does not exceed 20% of total haemoglobin for 70 days. This data supports the Australian government’s recommended feeding rate of nitrate to sedentary Bos indicus steers. Implications The Australian government’s method for feeding nitrate to cattle is safe under the conditions of this study.
Efﬁcacy of a phytonutrient supplement at different dietary protein contents on growth performance, gut morphology, digestive enzymes activities and stress indicators of broilers subjected to circular heat stress
Authors: Ghasemi Rohollah , Ghasemi Hossein Ali , Hajkhodadadi Iman , Khodaei-Motlagh Mahdi
Published: July 2021

Context Dietary manipulations such as reductions in protein or the addition of bioactive feed additives might alleviate the adverse effects of high ambient temperature in poultry. Aims The effects of dietary crude protein (CP) and phytonutrient mixture (PM) on growth performance and physiological responses were evaluated in broilers under circular heat stress (HS). Methods In total, 420 1-day-old broiler chickens were randomly distributed to seven treatments in a factorial arrangement (3 × 2), with three levels of CP (normal, medium (95% of the normal CP content) and low (90% of the normal CP content)) and with or without the addition of PM (mixture of 5 mg/kg carvacrol, 3 mg/kg cinnamaldehyde, and 2 mg/kg capsicum oleoresin). The thermoneutral control (TNC) birds were housed in a thermoneutral chamber and fed with a normal-CP diet without PM supplementation. The other six groups were kept in a HS chamber (33°C) for 8 h (1000 hours to 1800 hours). Key results After 6 weeks, feeding broiler chickens with low-CP diets had adversely affected growth performance and intestinal protease activities, while mortality rate, heterophile to lymphocyte ratio, and serum cortisol concentration of the low-CP group were lower (P < 0.05) than those of the high-CP group. Dietary PM supplementation also positively influenced (P < 0.05) average daily gain, feed conversion ratio, intestinal lipase and trypsin activities and serum T4 concentration. There were the CP × PM interactions (P < 0.05) for jejunal villus height and villus surface area, indicating that the effect of PM on these responses was more marked at the lower dietary CP contents. Conclusions Supplementation with PM can ameliorate the detrimental effects of HS on productive performance and digestive enzyme activities in broilers. The PM supplementation could improve intestinal morphology when applied to the diets of heat-stressed broilers with lower CP contents (95% and 90% of the recommendations). Implications Although growth performance was reduced by feeding low-CP diets (90% of the normal CP content), a beneficial effect was observed on the stress indicators of broilers grown in HS conditions. Dietary supplementation of PM might also be an effective strategy to alleviate the adverse effect of HS.
Effects of montmorillonite on the growth performance, immunity, intestinal morphology and caecal microflora of broilers
Authors: Qin Shizhen , Li Jinlv , Huang Wangzhou , Wang Haibo , Qin Shijiao , Pei Wengang , Yang Minmin , Shi Zhaoguo
Published: July 2021

Context Montmorillonite (MMT), as a potential antibiotic alternative, has rarely been reported in broiler chickens. Aims The present study was conducted to determine the effects of dietary MMT supplementation on the growth performance, immunity, intestinal microflora and morphological features of broilers. Methods One-day-old male broilers (Arbor Acres; n = 240) were randomly assigned to the following four groups before a 42-day feeding trial: (i) basal diet with no supplementation (control group); (ii) basal diet supplemented with 0.1% MMT; (iii) basal diet supplemented with 0.2% MMT; and (iv) basal diet supplemented with 0.3% MMT. Key results The results demonstrated that supplementation with 0.1% and 0.2% MMT markedly improved the average daily gain of broilers compared with the control group. Moreover, supplementation with 0.1% MMT remarkably decreased the total viable count of Escherichia coli in the caecum of broilers. Compared with the control group, 0.1% MMT supplementation significantly elevated the concentrations of secretory immunoglobulin A and systemic immunoglobulin G in the jejunal mucosa of broilers (P < 0.05). Furthermore, MMT supplementation was associated with a greater villus height (VH) and a higher ratio of VH to crypt depth (CD) in the intestinal mucosa of broilers (P < 0.05). However, in the duodenal and jejunal mucosa, dietary supplementation with MMT exhibited no significant (P > 0.05) impact on the CD values of broilers compared with the control group. Conclusions This study showed that supplementation with 0.1% MMT could enhance broiler growth, increase the small intestinal VH and the VH:CD ratio, promote the intestinal-mucosa development, affect microflora population and improve immune function in the intestinal tract of broilers. Implications Supplementation with MMT could alter morphological changes in the intestinal villi, regulate microbial population and improve immune function in the intestinal tract, thus contributing to broiler growth. Our results indicated that MMT may serve as a natural beneficial feed additive for poultry gut health.
Improving the accuracy of predictions for cow survival by multivariate evaluation model
Authors: Khansefid M. , Haile-Mariam M. , Pryce J. E.
Published: July 2021

Context Cow survival measures the ability of cows to survive from the current to subsequent lactation. In addition to economic gain, genetic selection for survival could improve animal welfare by increasing the adaptability and resilience of the cows to both environmental and health challenges. However, survival is a complex trait because it results from a diverse range of reasons for culling of cows from the herd. Consequently, the accuracy of genetic predictions of direct survival are often low. Aims Our aim was to increase the accuracy of predictions of survival in Holstein and Jersey sires by including important predictor traits in multi-trait evaluation models. Methods Phenotypic and genetic correlations between survival trait deviations (TDs) and 35 routinely measured traits (including milk yield, fertility and type traits) were estimated using bivariate sire models. Survival TDs for 538 394 Holstein and 63 839 Jersey cows were used in our study; these cows or their close relatives also had milk, fertility and type traits records between 2002 and 2019. These genetic parameters were required to assess the potential usefulness of predictor traits for the prediction of survival. Key results Survival was genetically correlated with milk, fat and protein yields, overall type, composite mammary system and fertility TDs in both Holstein and Jersey. Further, most of the type traits related to feet and legs, and rump, were also correlated with survival TDs in Jersey. For sires, the accuracy of predictions for survival increased by 0.05 for Holsteins (from 0.54 to 0.59) and for Jerseys (from 0.48 to 0.53) through the use of multivariate models compared with univariate models. Conclusions Survival was genetically associated with traits affecting voluntary and involuntary culling and when included in multi-trait genetic evaluation models, they moderately improved the accuracy of genetic prediction of survival. Implications Predictor traits can be used to increase the accuracy of predictions of survival through the use of multi-trait models. The inclusion of breed-specific predictor traits should be considered, especially for Jerseys in genetic evaluations of survival.
Understanding the general practice of telemonitoring integrated care: a qualitative perspective
Authors: Chow Josephine S. F. , Knight Andrew , Disney Anna , Kohler Friedbert , Duggan Justin , Maurya Nutan , Gonzalez-Arce Veronica
Published: July 2021

Developed in partnership with GPs, a new telehealth model of care using remote monitoring, known as telemonitoring (TM), was introduced in South Western Sydney (SWS) in 2015, transmitting clinical readings taken at home to telehealth coordinators. This study explored the experiences, beliefs and attitudes of general practice staff to identify barriers to and facilitators of the SWS TM model. Responses were collected from a purposive sample of 10 participants via semistructured interviews (n = 9 interview sessions) and the resulting transcripts were analysed thematically. Four themes were identified: lack of understanding and involvement; patient-centred care and empowerment; clinical practice and process factors; and system-wide communication and collaboration. Participants recognised some actual and potential benefits of TM, but barriers to TM were identified across all themes. Feedback provided by participants has informed the ongoing formulation of a more ‘GP-led’ model of TM.
Increasing general practitioner use of evidence-based medicine in teaching and clinical practice through evidence-based journal clubs
Authors: Brooks Miriam , Reath Jennifer , McDonnell Louise , Abbott Penelope
Published: July 2021

Learning evidence-based medicine (EBM) skills is now integral to university medical education. GPs who trained before the introduction of EBM in the late 1990s have identified a lack of training in this area. Evidence-based journal clubs (EBJCs) aim to promote the application of research evidence to clinical decision making. GPs meet regularly to develop EBM skills and apply these to questions arising in their clinical practice. Over 4 years, 47 GP clinical supervisors of medical students participated in a series of EBJCs offered by a university medical school. This article presents a qualitative exploration of their views and experiences. GPs noted that participating in EBJCs improved their use of EBM in clinical practice by making them more independent learners, facilitating consistent management approaches in group practices and aligning their skills in EBM with those of current students. Barriers such as time constraints and limited access to EBM resources were also noted, and GPs discussed strategies for managing these. Opportunities for GPs who act as clinical supervisors to increase their skills in EBM are important, particularly for those GPs transitioning from a traditional medical education model to an EBM model, as they role model highest-quality patient care to students, including the need for ongoing learning.
Modeling links softening of myelin and spectrin scaffolds of axons after a concussion to increased vulnerability to repeated injuries
Authors: Kant Aayush , Johnson Victoria E. , Arena John D. , Dollé Jean-Pierre , Smith Douglas H. , Shenoy Vivek B.
Published: July 2021

Significance

Growing evidence from in vitro studies suggests that the axonal cytoskeleton plays a mechanoprotective role in axon while under dynamic mechanical loads during a traumatic brain injury (TBI). Via computational modeling, we elucidate how perturbations in physical properties of the salient components of axonal cytoskeleton impact the intraaxonal load-bearing mechanism, potentially resulting in its failure. Immunohistochemical analyses of tissue from an in vivo model of TBI confirm the presence of cytoskeletal neurochemical degradation. In conjunction with the experiments, our model explains the clinical observation of exacerbated axonal pathology after repetitive TBIs. Insights from this work can help advance the understanding of the long-term impacts of single and repeated TBIs and identify potential therapeutic targets for improving axonal response to injury.
Nonlinear dynamics of cell migration in anisotropic microenvironment*
Authors: Liu Yanping , He Da , Jiao Yang , Li Guoqiang , Zheng Yu , Fan Qihui , Wang Gao , Yao Jingru , Chen Guo , Lou Silong , Liu Liyu
Published: July 2021

Cell migration in anisotropic microenvironment plays an important role in the development of normal tissues and organs as well as neoplasm progression, e.g., osteogenic differentiation of embryonic stem cells was facilitated on stiffer substrates, indicating that the mechanical signals greatly affect both early and terminal differentiation of embryonic stem cells. However, the effect of anisotropy on cell migration dynamics, in particular, in terms of acceleration profiles which is important for recognizing dynamics modes of cell migration and analyzing the regulation mechanisms of microenvironment in mechanical signal transmission, has not been systematically investigated. In this work, we firstly rigorously investigate and quantify the differences between persistent random walk and anisotropic persistent random walk models based on the analysis of cell migration trajectories and velocity auto-covariance function, both qualitatively and quantitatively. Secondly, we introduce the concepts of positive and negative anisotropy based on the motility parameters to study the effect of anisotropy on acceleration profiles, especially the nonlinear decrease and non-monotonic behaviors. We particularly elaborate and discuss the mechanisms, and physical insights of non-monotonic behaviors in the case of positive anisotropy, focusing on the force exerted on migrating cells. Finally, we analyze two types of in vitro cell migration experiments and verify the universality of nonlinear decrease and the consistence of non-monotonic behaviors with numerical results. We conclude that the anisotropy of microenvironment is the cause of the non-monotonic and nonlinear dynamics, and the anisotropic persistent random walk can be as a suitable tool to analyze in vitro cell migration with different combinations of motility parameters. Our analysis provides new insights into the dynamics of cell migration in complex microenvironment, which also has implications in tissue engineering and cancer research.
Solving the time-dependent Schrödinger equation by combining smooth exterior complex scaling and Arnoldi propagator
Authors: Wang Shun , Jiang Wei-Chao
Published: July 2021

We develop a highly efficient scheme for numerically solving the three-dimensional time-dependent Schrödinger equation of the single-active-electron atom in the field of laser pulses by combining smooth exterior complex scaling (SECS) absorbing method and Arnoldi propagation method. Such combination has not been reported in the literature. The proposed scheme is particularly useful in the applications involving long-time wave propagation. The SECS is a wonderful absorber, but its application results in a non-Hermitian Hamiltonian, invalidating propagators utilizing the Hermitian symmetry of the Hamiltonian. We demonstrate that the routine Arnoldi propagator can be modified to treat the non-Hermitian Hamiltonian. The efficiency of the proposed scheme is checked by tracking the time-dependent electron wave packet in the case of both weak extreme ultraviolet (XUV) and strong infrared (IR) laser pulses. Both perfect absorption and stable propagation are observed.
Effect of heavy ion irradiation on the interface traps of AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors
Authors: Lin Zheng-Zhao , Lü Ling , Zheng Xue-Feng , Cao Yan-Rong , Hu Pei-Pei , Fang Xin , Ma Xiao-Hua
Published: July 2021

AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) were irradiated with heavy ions at various fluences. After irradiation by 2.1 GeV181 Ta32+ ions, the electrical characteristics of the devices significantly decreased. The threshold voltage shifted positively by approximately 25% and the saturation currents decreased by approximately 14%. Defects were induced in the band gap and the interface between the gate and barrier acted as tunneling sites, which increased the gate current tunneling probability. According to the pulsed output characteristics, the amount of current collapse significantly increased and more surface state traps were introduced after heavy ion irradiation. The time constants of the induced surface traps were mainly less than 10 μs.
An ultra-wideband 2-bit coding metasurface using Pancharatnam–Berry phase for radar cross-section reduction
Authors: Lin Bao-Qin , Huang Wen-Zhun , Lv Lin-Tao , Guo Jian-Xin , Wang Yan-Wen , Ye Hong-Jun
Published: July 2021

An ultra-wideband 2-bit coding metasurface is designed for radar cross-section (RCS) reduction. The design process is presented in detail, in which a polarization conversion metasurface (PCM) is first proposed. The proposed PCM can realize ultra-wideband circular polarization (CP) maintaining reflection. Moreover, Pancharatnam-Berry (PB) phase will be generated in the co-polarized reflection coefficient by rotating the metallic patches in its unit cells. Thus, based on the PCM, the four coding elements of a 2-bit coding metasurface are constructed using PB phase, and an ultra-wideband PB 2-bit coding metasurface is proposed according to an appropriate coding sequence. The simulated and experimental results show that the coding metasurface has obvious advantages of wideband and polarization-insensitivity. Compared to a metallic plate of the same size, it can achieve more than 10 dB RCS reduction in the frequency band from 9.8 GHz to 42.6 GHz with a relative bandwidth of 125.2% under normal incidence with arbitrary polarizations.
Dimension and Trace of the Kauffman Bracket Skein Algebra
Authors: Frohman Charles , Kania-Bartoszynska Joanna , Lê Thang
Published: July 2021

Let

F
F

be a finite type surface and

ζ
\zeta

a complex root of unity. The Kauffman bracket skein algebra

K
ζ

(
F
)

K_\zeta (F)

is an important object in both classical and quantum topology as it has relations to the character variety, the Teichmüller space, the Jones polynomial, and the Witten-Reshetikhin-Turaev Topological Quantum Field Theories. We compute the rank and trace of

K
ζ

(
F
)

K_\zeta (F)

over its center, and we extend a theorem of the first and second authors in [Math. Z. 289 (2018), pp. 889–920] which says the skein algebra has a splitting coming from two pants decompositions of

F
F

.
Where do angry birds tweet? Income inequality and online hate in Italy
Authors: Denti Daria , Faggian Alessandra
Published: July 2021

Do spatial socioeconomic features influence a digital behaviour like cyberhate? Our contribution provides an answer to this question, showing how high levels of income inequality determine high volumes of hate tweets in Italy. Our findings are robust to potential endogeneity problems of income inequality, as well as to the inclusion of confounding factors and to competing estimation strategies. Additionally, we find that education does not act as a protective factor against cyberhate in unequal places, aligning with existing evidence showing that inequality may trigger intolerance, including among educated people, threatening the perceived stability of social positions. Also, in the Italian case, the perception of economic insecurity fuels cyberhate, alongside the transmission of self-interest values along family generations. The latter finding relates to existing evidence supporting the role of persistent social norms in shaping people’s attitudes.
Development of a Novel Drug Delivery System to Deliver Drugs Directly to the Colonic Mucosa, Resulting in Improved Efficacy and Reduced Systemic Exposure for the Treatment of Ulcerative Colitis
Authors: Huntsman Merodean , Lee Shaoying N , Stylli Jack , Stork Cheryl , Shimizu Jeff , Quintana Nelson , Singh Sharat , Wahl Christopher , Chuang Emil
Published: July 2021

Despite recent drug approvals for the treatment of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs), there remains a high unmet need for new technologies that can increase drug efficacy by improving site-specific drug delivery while reducing systemic exposure. These technologies must address challenges with formulation; in particular, drugs that are liquid, peptides, or proteins are difficult to formulate using existing delayed and extended oral release technologies. They also have the potential to improve efficacy and reduce systemic exposure for certain drugs by delivering higher doses directly to the site of inflammation. A novel drug delivery system is being developed for delivery at a prespecified part of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. This autonomous mechanical capsule uses an algorithm based on reflected light to deliver soluble formulations of drugs to the predefined location. This system has significant advantages over other traditional delayed release oral formulations because it functions independently of human physiological variables such as pH and transit time and can deliver liquid formulations, peptides, and proteins. Such a system can ensure a predictable high luminal drug exposure and limited degradation or systemic absorption in the upper GI tract and would therefore be ideal for treatment of disorders such as IBD and colon cancer.
Chromosome-scale genome assembly of the transformation-amenable common wheat cultivar ‘Fielder’
Authors: Sato Kazuhiro , Abe Fumitaka , Mascher Martin , Haberer Georg , Gundlach Heidrun , Spannagl Manuel , Shirasawa Kenta , Isobe Sachiko
Published: July 2021

We have established a high-quality, chromosome-level genome assembly for the hexaploid common wheat cultivar ‘Fielder’, an American, soft, white, pastry-type wheat released in 1974 and known for its amenability to Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation and genome editing. Accurate, long-read sequences were obtained using PacBio circular consensus sequencing with the HiFi approach. Sequence reads from 16 SMRT cells assembled using the hifiasm assembler produced assemblies with N50 greater than 20 Mb. We used the Omni-C chromosome conformation capture technique to order contigs into chromosome-level assemblies, resulting in 21 pseudomolecules with a cumulative size of 14.7 and 0.3 Gb of unanchored contigs. Mapping of published short reads from a transgenic wheat plant with an edited seed-dormancy gene, TaQsd1, identified four positions of transgene insertion into wheat chromosomes. Detection of guide RNA sequences in pseudomolecules provided candidates for off-target mutation induction. These results demonstrate the efficiency of chromosome-scale assembly using PacBio HiFi reads and their application in wheat genome-editing studies.
Disease Prognostic Biomarkers in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases—A Reality Check
Authors: Zilbauer Matthias , Heuschkel Robert
Published: July 2021

Inflammatory bowel diseases [IBD] such as Crohn’s disease [CD] and ulcerative colitis [UC] are complex conditions presenting with a wide range of phenotypes. Given major variation in disease severity and outcomes as well as response to existing therapies, a personalised treatment approach stands the chance of improving the overall disease outcome as well as minimising potentially harmful side effects. However, disease activity or distribution at the point of diagnosis are poor predictors of future disease outcome. Hence, the urgent need to develop biomarkers that could either predict the overall disease course [i.e., disease prognostic biomarkers] or the response to individual therapies [i.e., disease predictive biomarkers]. Despite the widely accepted need for such biomarkers to improve the management of IBD patients, their development has proven to be challenging for a number of reasons. Based on our own experience in this field, we perform a reality check on existing evidence, discuss main challenges, and outline future perspectives.
Nurse triage accuracy in the evaluation of syncope according to European Society of Cardiology guidelines
Authors: Zaboli Arian , Ausserhofer Dietmar , Sibilio Serena , Paulmichl Rupert , Toccolini Elia , Losi Chiara , Giudiceandrea Alberto , Pfeifer Norbert , Brigo Francesco , Turcato Gianni
Published: July 2021

Aims

The role of triage for patients admitted to the emergency department (ED) for a syncopal transitory loss of consciousness (TLOC) has not been debated, and no comparisons with the recent European Society of Cardiology (ESC) guidelines are currently available. To verify the ability of triage to correctly prioritize patients with syncopal TLOC.

Methods and results

All patients who received a triage assessment at the ED of the Merano Hospital (Italy) between 1 January 2017 and 30 June 2019 for a syncope were considered. All syncope were reclassified according to the aetiology reported in the ESC guidelines. The baseline characteristics of the patients were recorded and divided according to the severity code provided during triage into two study groups: high priority (red/orange) and low priority (yellow/green/blue). The outcome of the study was the presence of a diagnosed cardiac cause within 30 days after the admission. A total of 2066 patients were enrolled (14.3% high priority vs. 85.7% low priority). Cardiac syncope was present in 7.5% of patients. Nurse triage showed a sensitivity for cardiac syncope of 44.8%, a specificity of 88.1%, and an accuracy of 84.9%. The observed discriminatory ability presented an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.685 (95% confidence interval 0.638–0.732). The possible identification of the aetiology of the syncopal TLOC by the nurse showed good agreement with the medical diagnosis (Cohen’s kappa 0.857, P < 0.001).

Conclusions

In cases of syncopal TLOC, nurse triage had a fair specificity but suboptimal sensitivity for cardiac causes. Specific nursing assessments following triage (e.g. precise scores or electrocardiogram) could improve the triage performance.
A Chromosome-Level Genome of the Agile Gracile Mouse Opossum (Gracilinanus agilis)
Authors: Tian Ran , Han Kai , Geng Yuepan , Yang Chen , Guo Han , Shi Chengcheng , Xu Shixia , Yang Guang , Zhou Xuming , Gladyshev Vadim N , Liu Xin , Chopin Lisa K , Fisher Diana O , Baker Andrew M , Leiner Natália O , Fan Guangyi , Seim Inge
Published: July 2021

There are more than 100 species of American didelphid marsupials (opossums and mouse opossums). Limited genomic resources for didelphids exists, with only two publicly available genome assemblies compared with dozens in the case of their Australasian counterparts. This discrepancy impedes evolutionary and ecological research. To address this gap, we assembled a high-quality chromosome-level genome of the agile gracile mouse opossum (Gracilinanus agilis) using a combination of stLFR sequencing, polishing with mate-pair data, and anchoring onto pseudochromosomes using Hi-C. This species employs a rare life-history strategy, semelparity, and all G. agilis males and most females die at the end of their first breeding season after succumbing to stress and exhaustion. The 3.7-Gb chromosome-level assembly, with 92.6% anchored onto pseudochromosomes, has a scaffold N50 of 683.5 Mb and a contig N50 of 56.9 kb. The genome assembly shows high completeness, with a mammalian BUSCO score of 88.1%. Around 49.7% of the genome contains repetitive elements. Gene annotation yielded 24,425 genes, of which 83.9% were functionally annotated. The G. agilis genome is an important resource for future studies of marsupial biology, evolution, and conservation.