bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Application of statistical response surface methodology for optimization of fluoride removal efficiency by Padina sp. alga
Authors: Mohamed Walaa ٍSalah El-Din , Hamad Mohammed Taha Moustafa Hussien , Kamel Mahmoud Zaky
Published: February 2020

Human exposure to fluoride in drink water at a level above 1.5 mg/L causes a lot of health problems. The present study was carried out to assess the fluoride biosorption capability of Padina sp. alga as biosorbent material using conventional one‐factor‐at‐a‐time (OFAT) and Box‐Behnken design to optimize the process. By OFAT, fluoride uptake was significantly affected by pH, time, fluoride concentration, and biosorbent dose (p‐value < 0.05) and the highest fluoride biosorption (85.95%) was recorded at pH 7, time 60 min, fluoride concentration 2 g/L, and an adsorbent dose 30 g/L. Based on the Box‐Behnken design, the quadratic model was developed to correlate the variables to the response. By Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), the model was statistically significant (p‐value < 0.05). It was suggested that optimal values of pH, time, fluoride concentration, and biosorbent dose were 5, 90 min, 3 mg/L, and 30 g/L, respectively, and fluoride removal at these optimum conditions was 94.57%. For application, Padina sp. was removed from 67.79% to 78.78% of fluoride in collected groundwater samples. It was concluded that the Padina sp. could be used as eco‐friendly biosorbent for fluoride and response surface methodology was more applicable and effective in optimization to obtain the highest removal efficiency of fluoride by Padina sp.

Practitioner points

The fluoride biosorption was studied using Padina sp. alga as an eco‐friendly biosorbent.

By one‐factor‐at‐a‐time (OFAT), the highest fluoride biosorption rate was 85.95%.

Response surface methodology was suggested that maximum Fluoride removal at optimum condition was 94.57%.

Statistical response surface methodology was more applicable, effective in optimization and considered the interaction between factors.
The Upper Limit of Luminol's Amphiprotism: The Crystal Structure of 5‐Ammonium‐2‐hydro‐1,4‐phthalzinediol Sulfate(IV)
Authors: Martin Thomas , Fleissner Juliane , Milius Wolfgang , Breu Josef
Published: February 2020

Luminol is chemically sufficiently stable to be diprotonated at high proton concentrations as provided by concentrated sulfuric acid. The luminol dication (5‐ammonium‐2‐hydro‐1,4‐phthalzinediol) sulfate was isolated as macroscopic single crystals and its structure was determined and refined from single‐crystal X‐ray data collected at 173 K [cell parameters: a = 8.3994(17) Å, b = 6.9985(14) Å, c = 17.486(4) Å, β = 90.85(3)°, V = 1027.8(4) Å3, space group P21/c]. The structure is comprised of layers stacked along the b axis. Intralayer interactions are accomplished by strong hydrogen bonds of three luminol dications to one central [SO4]2– ion. Interlayer interactions are formed by weak hydrogen bonds of one luminol dication to two [SO4]2– ions in the adjacent layers, respectively, and alternating sandwich and parallel‐displaced π‐π‐stacking of the 1‐hydropyridazine‐3,6‐diol moieties of luminol dications in adjacent layers, respectively.
Nearly AdS2 holography in quantum CGHS model
Authors: Hirano Shinji , Lei Yang
Published: February 2020

Abstract

In light of recent developments in nearly AdS2 holography, we revisit the semi­classical version of two-dimensional dilaton gravity proposed by Callan, Giddings, Harvey, and Strominger (CGHS) [1] in the early 90’s. In distinction to the classical model, the quantum-corrected CGHS model has an AdS2 vacuum with a constant dilaton. By turning on a non-normalizable mode of the Liouville field, i.e. the conformal mode of the 2d gravity, the explicit breaking of the scale invariance renders the AdS2 vacuum nearly AdS2. As a consequence, there emerges an effective one-dimensional Schwarzian-type theory of pseudo Nambu-Goldstone mode-the boundary graviton-on the boundary of the nearly AdS2 space. We go beyond the linear order perturbation in non-normalizable fluctuations of the Liouville field and work up to the second order. As a main result of our analysis, we clarify the role of the boundary graviton in the holographic framework and show the Virasoro/Schwarzian correspondence, namely that the 2d bulk Virasoro constraints are equivalent to the graviton equation of motion of the 1d boundary theory, at least, on the SL(2, R) invariant vacuum.
Validity, reliability, acceptability, and utility of the Social Inclusion Questionnaire User Experience (SInQUE): a clinical tool to facilitate social inclusion amongst people with severe mental health problems
Authors: Mezey Gillian , White Sarah , Harrison Isobel , Bousfield Jennifer , Lloyd-Evans Brynmor , Payne Sarah , Killaspy Helen
Published: February 2020

Background

Individuals with severe mental health problems are at risk of social exclusion, which may complicate their recovery. Mental health and social care staff have, until now, had no valid or reliable way of assessing their clients’ social inclusion. The Social Inclusion Questionnaire User Experience (SInQUE) was developed to address this. It assesses five domains: social integration; productivity; consumption; access to services; and political engagement, in the year prior to first psychiatric admission (T1) and the year prior to interview (T2) from which a total score at each time point can be calculated.

Aims

To establish the validity, reliability, and acceptability of the SInQUE in individuals with a broad range of psychiatric diagnoses receiving care from community mental health services and its utility for mental health staff.

Method

Participants were 192 mental health service users with psychosis, personality disorder, or common mental disorder (e.g., depression, anxiety) who completed the SInQUE alongside other validated outcome measures. Test–retest reliability was assessed in a sub-sample of 30 participants and inter-rater reliability was assessed in 11 participants. SInQUE ratings of 28 participants were compared with those of a sibling with no experience of mental illness to account for shared socio-cultural factors. Acceptability and utility of the tool were assessed using completion rates and focus groups with staff.

Results

The SInQUE demonstrated acceptable convergent validity. The total score and the Social Integration domain score were strongly correlated with quality of life, both in the full sample and in the three diagnostic groups. Discriminant validity and test–retest reliability were established across all domains, although the test–retest reliability on scores for the Service Access and Political Engagement domains prior to first admission to hospital (T1) was lower than other domains. Inter-rater reliability was excellent for all domains at T1 and T2.

Conclusions

The component of the SInQUE that assesses current social inclusion has good psychometric properties and can be recommended for use by mental health staff.
Foley Balloon Facilitates Creation of Working Space in Transoral Thyroidectomy
Authors: Liang Tsung‐Jung , Tsai Chung‐Yu , Chen I‐Shu
Published: February 2020

Background

Transoral thyroidectomy via the vestibular approach retains no scars in the body surface and is a good option for patients indicated for thyroidectomy but with cosmetic concerns. However, the working space of this procedure is relatively small and is also difficult to create compared with that of other remote‐access thyroidectomy procedures.

Methods

In this study, we first created a tract from the chin to the sternal notch, after which a Foley catheter with stylet was inserted through the middle oral incision. Sequential balloon insufflations were performed to dilate the entire subplatysmal tunnel.

Results

After Foley catheter dilatation, the subplatysmal space was larger, and subsequent trocar insertion became much easier. With the help of a balloon compressing the surrounding tissue, hemostasis was secured and a clearer tissue plane could be identified for subsequent sharp dissection.

Conclusions

Foley balloon dilatation is a simple, effective, and low‐cost technique that overcomes the difficulty in creation of working space during the initial stage and can be applied to all transoral thyroidectomy procedures.
Unresolved issues of immune tolerance in chronic hepatitis B
Authors: Lee Hye Won , Chan Henry Lik-Yuen
Published: February 2020

During the natural course of chronic hepatitis B virus infection, immune-tolerant phase is characterized by high viral replication, the presence of HBV e antigen (HBeAg), and normal or minimally elevated serum alanine aminotransferase. Immune-tolerant phase is usually regarded as a benign course of the disease. International guidelines recommend observation rather than treatment during immune-tolerant phase. In this article, we review unresolved issues related to the definition of true immune-tolerant phase and the benefit of antiviral treatment. Defining true immune-tolerant phase requires a careful approach and long-term follow-up. In previous studies, many patients were misclassified as being immune-tolerant phase. Noninvasive methods of assessing fibrosis are warranted for patients in the immune-tolerant phase. Yet, there has been controversy over the benefit and harm of antiviral treatment for immune-tolerant phase patients. Thus, further larger scale studies are needed to investigate the prognosis of patients in true immune-tolerant phase and their need for antiviral therapy.
The Capacity of Generic Musculoskeletal Simulations to Predict Knee Joint Loading Using the CAMS-Knee Datasets
Authors: Imani Nejad Zohreh , Khalili Khalil , Hosseini Nasab Seyyed Hamed , Schütz Pascal , Damm Philipp , Trepczynski Adam , Taylor William R. , Smith Colin R.
Published: February 2020

Musculoskeletal models enable non-invasive estimation of knee contact forces (KCFs) during functional movements. However, the redundant nature of the musculoskeletal system and uncertainty in model parameters necessitates that model predictions are critically evaluated. This study compared KCF and muscle activation patterns predicted using a scaled generic model and OpenSim static optimization tool against in vivo measurements from six patients in the CAMS-knee datasets during level walking and squatting. Generally, the total KCFs were under-predicted (RMS: 47.55%BW, R2: 0.92) throughout the gait cycle, but substiantially over-predicted (RMS: 105.7%BW, R2: 0.81) during squatting. To understand the underlying etiology of the errors, muscle activations were compared to electromyography (EMG) signals, and showed good agreement during level walking. For squatting, however, the muscle activations showed large descrepancies especially for the biceps femoris long head. Errors in the predicted KCF and muscle activation patterns were greatest during deep squat. Hence suggesting that the errors mainly originate from muscle represented at the hip and an associated muscle co-contraction at the knee. Furthermore, there were substaintial differences in the ranking of subjects and activities based on peak KCFs in the simulations versus measurements. Thus, future simulation study designs must account for subject-specific uncertainties in musculoskeletal predictions.
Recovery in Supported Accommodations: A Scoping Review and Synthesis of Interventions for People with Severe Mental Illness
Authors: Bitter Neis , Roeg Diana , van Nieuwenhuizen Chijs , van Weeghel Jaap
Published: February 2020

Research on the recovery domains beside clinical recovery of people with severe mental illness in need of supported accommodations is limited. The aim of this study was (1) to investigate which recovery interventions exist for this group of people and (2) to explore the scientific evidence. We conducted a scoping review, including studies with different designs, evaluating the effectiveness the recovery interventions available. The search resulted in 53 eligible articles of which 22 focused on societal recovery, six on personal recovery, five on functional recovery, 13 on lifestyle-interventions, and seven on creative and spiritual interventions. About a quarter of these interventions showed added value and half of them initial promising results. The research in this area is still limited, but a number of recovery promoting interventions on other areas than clinical recovery have been developed and evaluated. Further innovation and research to strengthen and repeat the evidence are needed.
Determination of Creep Properties of Clays from VRS Oedometer Tests
Authors: Länsivaara Tim Tapani
Published: February 2020

The determination of creep properties still relies almost entirely on the incrementally loaded oedometer test introduced about 100 years ago. Although the simplicity of the test assures a robust evaluation of soil parameters, it also introduces some shortcomings like discontinuity of the evaluated parameters and the long duration of the test. In this study, the performance of the variable rate of strain (VRS) oedometer test for determination of creep properties of a sensitive soft clay is studied. The results from a comprehensive test series of VRS oedometer tests on a soft sensitive clay is presented. Three different setups for the strain rate variation were used, and each test was repeated thrice. The tests showed good consistency and yielded equal creep parameters compared to values from traditional incrementally loaded (IL) oedometer tests. The tests further verified that it is possible to describe the complex stress dependency of creep parameters with just one additional parameter to the primary deformation parameters. Compared to the IL tests, the VRS tests offers a faster determination and continuous creep properties for a wide range of stress.
Horizontal gene transfer for recombining graphs
Authors: Atkinson Timothy , Plump Detlef , Stepney Susan
Published: February 2020

We introduce a form of neutral horizontal gene transfer (HGT) to evolving graphs by graph programming (EGGP). We introduce the$$\mu \times \lambda$$μ×λevolutionary algorithm (EA), where$$\mu$$μparents each produce$$\lambda$$λchildren who compete only with their parents. HGT events then copy the entire active component of one surviving parent into the inactive component of another parent, exchanging genetic information without reproduction. Experimental results from symbolic regression problems show that the introduction of the$$\mu \times \lambda$$μ×λEA and HGT events improve the performance of EGGP. Comparisons with genetic programming and Cartesian genetic programming strongly favour our proposed approach. We also investigate the effect of using HGT events in neuroevolution tasks. We again find that the introduction of HGT improves the performance of EGGP, demonstrating that HGT is an effective cross-domain mechanism for recombining graphs.
Bregman Itoh–Abe Methods for Sparse Optimisation
Authors: Benning Martin , Riis Erlend Skaldehaug , Schönlieb Carola-Bibiane
Published: February 2020

In this paper we propose optimisation methods for variational regularisation problems based on discretising the inverse scale space flow with discrete gradient methods. Inverse scale space flow generalises gradient flows by incorporating a generalised Bregman distance as the underlying metric. Its discrete-time counterparts, Bregman iterations and linearised Bregman iterations are popular regularisation schemes for inverse problems that incorporate a priori information without loss of contrast. Discrete gradient methods are tools from geometric numerical integration for preserving energy dissipation of dissipative differential systems. The resultant Bregman discrete gradient methods are unconditionally dissipative and achieve rapid convergence rates by exploiting structures of the problem such as sparsity. Building on previous work on discrete gradients for non-smooth, non-convex optimisation, we prove convergence guarantees for these methods in a Clarke subdifferential framework. Numerical results for convex and non-convex examples are presented.
An overview of forest loss and restoration in the Brazilian Amazon
Authors: da Cruz Denis Conrado , Benayas José Maria Rey , Ferreira Gracialda Costa , Santos Sabrina Ribeiro , Schwartz Gustavo
Published: February 2020

Forest restoration is a strategy to reverse forest loss and degradation. We overviewed deforestation in the period 1975–2018 in the Brazilian Amazon and the projects, techniques, and scientific publications conducted to recover forest in the area by 2019. We used GIS to assess forest loss and a systematic data collection gathered from 12 universities, five major environmental agencies, and an ad-hoc bibliographic survey that rendered information from 405 restoration projects and 152 published studies. The Brazilian Amazon has undergone an accelerated deforestation in the last 43 years, resulting in 20% (788,353 km2) of its territory deforested by 2018. Deforestation rate was 27,033 km2 yr−1 between 1975 and 1987 and 14,542 km2 yr−1 between 1988 and 2018 (1.97% yr−1 of forest loss between 1975 and 2018). In 2018, 41 Amazonian municipalities were classified as priority areas for monitoring and control deforestation and 21 additional municipalities were deemed as areas with controlled deforestation. Our survey identified 405 projects of forest restoration in 191 municipalities between 1950 and 2017. The majority (229) of these projects used seedling planting as the main forest restoration technique. Forest restoration projects based upon agroforestry systems (144), assisted natural regeneration (27), and natural regeneration (5) were also identified. Despite a considerable number of projects and publications, the region still lacks scientific studies that reinforce the choice of best practices for forest restoration, and the information currently available is not enough to quantify what has already been recovered or the potential area to be restored.
Talent dispositionalism
Authors: Robb Catherine M.
Published: February 2020

Talents often play a significant role in our personal and social lives. For example, our talents may shape the choices we make and the goods that we value, making them central to the creation of a meaningful life. Differences in the level of talents also affect how social institutions are structured, and how social goods and resources are distributed. Despite their normative importance, it is surprising that talents have not yet received substantial philosophical analysis in their own right. As a result, the current literature is rife with conceptual ambiguity: a talent is referred to as all of a skill, potential, ability, capacity, endowment, and a natural gift. In response to this confusion, in this paper I develop an account of what a talent is, based on the debate concerning the metaphysics of ability and dispositions. I argue for a position that I call ‘talent dispositionalism’:Shas a talent for skillAin circumstancesCiffShas the general disposition to excellently develop and maintainAwhen, in circumstancesC, she tries to excellently develop and maintainA. On this account, a talent is not the skill itself, but a general iterated ability for the excellent development and up-keep of a particular skill, constituted by an agent’s dispositional properties. I defend the account against four objections usually levelled against traditional dispositionalist theories of ability, and highlight some ways the account may influence debates in other areas of philosophical inquiry.
On the Precipitation-Strengthening Contribution of the Ta-Containing Co3(Al,W)-Phase to the Creep Properties of γ/γ′ Cobalt-Base Superalloys
Authors: Bezold A. , Volz N. , Xue F. , Zenk C. H. , Neumeier S. , Göken M.
Published: February 2020

The creep strength of single-crystalline Co-based superalloys was found to be comparable to first-generation Ni-base superalloys. However, considerable shearing of the γ′ precipitates was observed in the early creep stages. To determine the strengthening contribution of the Ta-containing γ′-Co3(Al,W) precipitates, the creep strength of several single-crystalline Co-Al-W-Ta superalloys was determined as a function of the γ′ volume fraction at 1223 K (950 °C) and stress levels between 25 and 600 MPa. Employing a Lagneborg–Bergman–Reppich (LBR) approach, it is found that the strengthening contribution of the γ′ precipitates increases significantly with increasing γ′ volume fraction. In a Co-base superalloy that exhibits a precipitate volume fraction of about 70 pct, the γ′-strengthening contribution calculated with the LBR approach ranges between the ones observed in first-generation Ni-base superalloy CMSX-6 and second-generation Ni-base superalloy CMSX-4.
Psychosocial Interventions for Pain Management in Advanced Cancer Patients: a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Authors: Warth Marco , Zöller Joshua , Köhler Friederike , Aguilar-Raab Corina , Kessler Jens , Ditzen Beate
Published: February 2020

Purpose of Review

This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to synthesize the evidence on the effects of psychosocial interventions on pain in advanced cancer patients.

Recent Findings

The included studies investigated the effects of relaxation techniques, cognitive-behavioral therapy, music therapy, mindfulness- and acceptance-based interventions, and supportive-expressive group therapy. Overall, we found a small, but significant effect on pain intensity (d = − 0.29, CI = − 0.54 to − 0.05). Effect sizes were highly heterogeneous between studies. We did not find evidence for the superiority of any of the intervention types. However, psychosocial interventions may be more effective if they specifically targeted pain distress as the primary outcome.

Although findings were mixed, psychosocial interventions can be recommended to complement comprehensive care to alleviate pain in patients facing an advanced or terminal stage of the disease. Future research should develop innovative interventions tailored specifically for pain relief.
Finding your feet: student participation during initiation of international clinical placements: Student participation during initiation
Authors: Wijbenga Miriam H. , Duvivier Robbert J. , Sheehan Dale C. , Ramaekers Stephan P. J. , Teunissen Pim W. , Driessen Erik W.
Published: February 2020

Introduction International placements challenge students to find the right level of participation, as local practices, language and time pressure may affect their engagement in patient-related tasks or team activities. This study sought to unpack the initiation process during international clinical placements with the ultimate aim to achieve active student participation.

Methods Following a constructivist grounded theory approach, we conducted two individual interviews with 15 undergraduate healthcare students (before departure and whilst on placement). To identify emerging themes, we applied an iterative process of data collection and constant comparative analysis. Several team discussions informed further analysis, allowing us to reach a more conceptual level of theory.

Results From our findings we constructed a four-phase model of healthcare students’ initiation of international clinical placements, which brings into focus how the phases of ‘orientation’, ‘adjustment’ and ‘contribution to patient care’ build up towards a ‘sense of belonging’. We identified several factors that induced active student participation in practice, such as a favourable workplace setting, opportunities for learning and a local support network.

Discussion Active student participation is aimed at different goals, depending on the four phases of initiation that eventually lead to a sense of belonging and support workplace learning.
Nicotine Suppresses the Invasiveness of Human Trophoblasts by Downregulation of CXCL12 Expression through the Alpha-7 Subunit of the Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor
Authors: Chen Jing , Qiu Min , Huang Zirui , Chen Jimei , Zhou Chengbin , Han Fengzhen , Qu Yanji , Wang Sheng , Zhuang Jian , Li Xiaohong
Published: February 2020

Smoke exposure during pregnancy has detrimental effects upon numerous fetal and neonatal outcomes. Nicotine (the main component of tobacco) has been suggested to affect placental development. During placental development, efficient invasion by trophoblasts is required for establishment of the fetus–maternal circulation. In this study we explored the regulation of trophoblast invasion by nicotine. An immortalized first trimester extravillous trophoblast cell line (HTR-8/SVneo cells) was used for all the experiments, which were treated by nicotine, methyllycaconitine, and C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 12 (CXCL12). Total RNA and protein were used to study the expressions of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs), and transwell assay was used to study invasiveness. Changes of RNA expression due to nicotine treatment were detected by RNA sequence. Level of CXCL12 mRNA was verified by quantitative PCR. We showed that HTR-8/SVneo expressed subunits α2–4, α7, α9, β1, and β2 of nAChRs. Nicotine downregulated CXCL12 expression and inhibited trophoblast invasion. Methyllycaconitine, as an antagonist of the α7 homopolymer, blocked the inhibitory effect of nicotine. CXCL12 could rescue the nicotine-induced inhibitory effect on invasion of HTR-8/SVneo cells. These results suggest that the α7 subunit of the nAChR has important roles in modulating trophoblast invasion through CXCL12.
Estimation of ice fabric within Whillans Ice Stream using polarimetric phase-sensitive radar sounding
Authors: Jordan Thomas M. , Schroeder Dustin M. , Elsworth Cooper W. , Siegfried Matthew R.
Published: February 2020

Here we use polarimetric measurements from an Autonomous phase-sensitive Radio-Echo Sounder (ApRES) to investigate ice fabric within Whillans Ice Stream, West Antarctica. The survey traverse is bounded at one end by the suture zone with the Mercer Ice Stream and at the other end by a basal ‘sticky spot’. Our data analysis employs a phase-based polarimetric coherence method to estimate horizontal ice fabric properties: the fabric orientation and the magnitude of the horizontal fabric asymmetry. We infer an azimuthal rotation in the prevailing horizontalc-axis between the near-surface (z≈ 10–50 m) and deeper ice (z≈ 170–360 m), with the near-surface orientated closer to perpendicular to flow and deeper ice closer to parallel. In the near-surface, the fabric asymmetry increases toward the center of Whillans Ice Stream which is consistent with the surface compression direction. By contrast, the fabric orientation in deeper ice is not aligned with the surface compression direction but is consistent with englacial ice reacting to longitudinal compression associated with basal resistance from the nearby sticky spot.
Just the facts: Hypertonic saline is just as good as (and probably better than) mannitol
Authors: Murphy Laurel
Published: February 2020

A 27-year-old female is brought to the emergency department (ED) by ambulance following a motor vehicle collision at highway speed. She was the belted driver. She has no significant past medical history and is on no medications. Following a prolonged extrication, she is intubated due to decreased level of consciousness before transport.
The Effect of White Social Prejudice on Support for American Democracy
Authors: Miller Steven V. , Davis Nicholas T.
Published: February 2020

Social prejudice constitutes an unwillingness to associate with individuals whose cultural or racial background differs from one's own group. Such prejudice is a particularly thorny problem in the context of democracy, which requires citizens to minimally respect such differences. In this paper, we assess the relationships between these attitudes and support for democratic institutions. Using World Values Survey data from 1995 to 2011, we find that prejudice toward cultural, ethnic, or racial “others” reduces the value that white Americans assign to democracy. We also find white Americans who exhibit these attitudes are more likely to dismiss the value of separation of powers and are more likely to support army rule. These findings imply that exclusionary rhetoric targeted toward non-white groups is accompanied by lower baseline support for democracy. We close with a discussion of how our analyses inform the study of Americans' attitudes toward democracy
Risk factors ofS. aureusintramammary infection in pre partum dairy heifers under grazing conditions and molecular characterization of isolates from heifers and cows
Authors: Camussone Cecilia M. , Molineri Ana I. , Signorini Marcelo L. , Neder Verónica E. , Vitulich Carlos A. , Calvinho Luis F.
Published: February 2020

The aims of the research reported here were to identify potential risk factors associated with the presence ofStaphylococcus aureusintramammary infection (IMI) in pre partum dairy heifers on 17 dairy farms from three provinces of Argentina and to characterize, at molecular level, isolates from those heifers and lactating cows from two selected herds. A total of 1474 heifers and 4878 lactating cows were studied. The prevalence ofStaphylococcus aureusIMI in the heifers, heifers at quarter level and lactating cow mammary quarters was 14.41, 4.82, and 14.65%, respectively. Univariate analysis showed the key variables associated withS. aureusIMI presence in the heifers were:S. aureusIMI prevalence in cows of the lactating herd, the time calves stayed with their dam after birth, the calf rearing system, the place of rearing (own farm or other dairy farm) and fly control on the farm. None of the variables included in the multivariable analysis was associated with the presence ofS. aureusIMI in the pre partum heifers, probably due to low variability among management practices used by the farms for rearing the heifer calves. At the molecular level,S. aureusisolates were grouped into three main PFGE clusters and several genotypes within the clusters. Isolates from mammary secretion of pre partum heifers and milk of lactating cows comprised different PFGE clusters in both herds, although two exceptions occurred. The absence of genefnbpB, which codifies for a virulence factor protein involved in cell invasion byS. aureus, was significantly more frequent in pre partum heifer secretion isolates than in isolates from lactating cow milk. These results suggest that, under these management conditions, isolates from mammary secretions of pre partum heifers do not originate from the milk of lactating cows, but rather other sources to which the heifer is exposed.
Toward an Intuitive and Iterative 6D Virtual Guide Programming Framework for Assisted Human–Robot Comanipulation
Authors: Sánchez Restrepo Susana , Raiola Gennaro , Guerry Joris , D’Elia Evelyn , Lamy Xavier , Sidobre Daniel
Published: February 2020

In human–robot comanipulation, virtual guides are an important tool used to assist the human worker as they constrain the movement of the robot to improve the task accuracy and to avoid undesirable effects, such as collisions with the environment. Consequently, the physical effort and cognitive overload are reduced during accomplishment of comanipulative tasks. However, the construction of virtual guides often requires expert knowledge and modeling of the task, which restricts the usefulness of virtual guides to scenarios with fixed constraints. Moreover, few approaches have addressed the implementation of virtual guides enforcing orientation constraints and, when done, these approaches have treated translation and orientation separately, and consequently there is no synchronization of the translational and rotational motions. To overcome these challenges and enhance the programming flexibility of virtual guides, we present a new framework that allows the user to create 6D virtual guides throughXSplineswhich we define as a combination of Akima splines for the translation component and spherical cubic interpolation of quaternions for the orientation component. For complex tasks, the user is able to initially define a 3D virtual guide and then use this assistance in translational motion to concentrate only on defining the orientations along the path. It is also possible for the user to modify a particular point or portion of a guide while being assisted by it. We demonstrate in an industrial scenario that these innovations provide an intuitive solution to extend the use of virtual guides to 6 degrees of freedom and increase the human worker’s comfort during the programming phase of these guides in an assisted human–robot comanipulation context.
Building Bridges between Catholicism and Socialism: Ernst-Wolfgang Böckenförde and the Social Democratic Party of Germany
Authors: Ruff Mark Edward
Published: February 2020

This article examines the ideological and political transformations that allowed dialogue between Catholics and socialists to bear fruit in the Federal Republic of Germany in the immediate post-war era. It focuses on the role played by Ernst-Wolfgang Böckenförde, the prominent Catholic intellectual, constitutional theorist, historian and future Constitutional Court justice.
A Century of Turbulent Cascades and the Emergence of Multifractal Operators
Authors: Schertzer Daniel , Tchiguirinskaia Ioulia
Published: February 2020

A century of cascades and three decades of multifractals have built up a truly interdisciplinary framework that has enabled a new approach and understanding of nonlinear phenomena, in particular, in geophysics. Nevertheless, there seems to be a profound gap between the potentials of multifractals and their actual use. For instance, it seems ironic that multifractals have been mostly restricted to scalar‐valued fields, whereas cascades were first invoked for the wind velocity. We argue that this requires to proceed to new developments of the multifractal formalism and to the emergence of multifractal operators. This paper therefore aims to first simplify the introduction to the most recent developments based on the analysis and generation of multifractal fields with the help of the group property of the responses of a nonlinear system to a scale change. The generators of the multifractal operators are introduced with the help of symmetries as simple and basic as orthogonal rotations and mirror symmetries. This leads in a rather straightforward manner to the large class of Gauss–Clifford and Lévy–Clifford generators that combine a number of seductive properties, including universal statistical and robust algebraic properties. At the same time, we obtain new results on the entanglement of spherical and hyperbolic geometries, as well as on the existence of finite statistics of these cascades.
Rheology of Natural Sediments and Its Influence on the Settling of Dropstones in Hemipelagic Marine Sediment
Authors: Knappe E. , Manga M. , Le Friant A. ,   the IODP 340 scientists
Published: February 2020

We investigate the rheology of naturally occurring hemipelagic marine sediment and compare measurements to another naturally occurring sediment from a terrestrial mud volcano and literature values. The hemipelagic marine sediment, collected by IODP 340, has a median grain size of 5.5 microns, is poorly sorted, and contains 31% clay, including smectite. The yield stresses and consistency are calculated by applying a range of shear stresses and shear rates using a cone‐and‐plate rheometer. A Herschel‐Bulkley model is fit to measured shear stresses and shear rates to calculate the yield stress and consistency. These measurements are performed at a range of particle concentrations and show that the hemipelagic sediment has a yield stress at particle concentrations as low as 10%. Increasing particle concentration increases the yield stress and consistency. We apply our results to show that natural pumice clasts need to have a radius greater than about 1 cm in order to settle through hemipelagic sediment on the sea floor. Most recovered pumice clasts from IODP 340 are thus preserved in the same horizon in which they were deposited.
Surface Drift and Dispersion in a Multiply Connected Fjord System
Authors: Blanken Hauke , Hannah Charles , Klymak Jody, M. , Juhász Tamás
Published: February 2020

The deployment of 206 surface drifters over 3 years in a fjord system in northern British Columbia allows examination of drift and dispersion in complex coastal regions on time scales up to 10 days. The surface drift is found to be seasonally variable, with stronger dispersion and outflows in the spring and fall, and negligible outflow in the summer. Dispersion at time scales less than 10 hr is well described by fractional Brownian motion, where the drifter tracks exhibit fractal characteristics with a dimension of 1.34 over scales of 2 to 13 km. Drifters are found to reach less energetic nearshore regions within 12–15 hr, which slows along‐channel dispersion. The comparison of the drifter statistics (from 2014–2016) with observations of the spatial distribution of oil sheen following an oil spill in 2006 shows that the drifter results provide a reasonable proxy for oil drift in this area. A statistical model for the extent of along‐channel transport of spilled oil is proposed for use in planning emergency response activities in the area.
Climate‐Driven Changes in Dissolved Organic Carbon and Water Clarity in Arctic Lakes of West Greenland
Authors: Fowler Rachel A. , Osburn Christopher L. , Saros Jasmine E.
Published: February 2020

To assess climate‐mediated terrestrial‐aquatic linkages in Arctic lakes and potential impacts on light attenuation and carbon cycling, we evaluated lake responses to climate drivers in two areas of west Greenland with differing climate patterns. We selected four lakes in a warmer, drier area to compare with four lakes from a cooler, wetter area proximal to the Greenland Ice Sheet. In June from 2013–2018, we measured epilimnetic water temperature, 1% depth of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), dissolved organic carbon (DOC), specific ultraviolet absorbance (SUVA254), DOC‐normalized absorbance at 380 nm (a*380), and chlorophylla. Interannual coherence of 1% PAR and DOC was particularly high for lakes within the warmer, drier area. This coherence suggests forcing of Arctic lake features by a large‐scale driver, likely climate. Redundancy analysis showed that monthly average precipitation, winter North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) index (NAOW), spring average air temperature, and spring average precipitation influenced the lake variables (p= 0.003, adj.R2= 0.58). In particular, monthly average precipitation contributed to increases in soil‐derived DOC quality metrics and chlorophyllaand decreased 1% PAR. Interannual changes in lake responses to climate drivers were more apparent in the warmer, drier area than the cooler, wetter area. The interannual lake responses within and between areas, associated with climate trends, suggest that with ongoing rapid climate change in the Arctic, there could be widespread impacts on key lake responses important for light attenuation and carbon cycling.
Spatial Variability of Dissolved Organic Carbon, Solutes, and Suspended Sediment in Disturbed Low Arctic Coastal Watersheds
Authors: Coch C. , Ramage J. L. , Lamoureux S. F. , Meyer H. , Knoblauch C. , Lantuit H.
Published: February 2020

Climate change in the Arctic leads to permafrost degradation and to associated changes in freshwater geochemistry. There is a limited understanding of how disturbances such as active layer detachments or retrogressive thaw slumps impact water quality on a catchment scale. This study investigates how permafrost degradation affects concentrations of dissolved organic carbon (DOC), total dissolved solids (TDS), suspended sediment, and stable water isotopes in adjacent Low Arctic watersheds. We incorporated data on disturbance between 1952 and 2015, as well as sporadic runoff and geochemistry data of streams nearby. Our results show that the total disturbed area decreased by 41% between 1952 and 2015, whereas the total number of disturbances increased by 66% in all six catchments. The spatial variability of hydrochemical parameters is linked to catchment properties and not necessarily reflected at the outflow. Degrading ice‐wedge polygons were found to increase DOC concentrations upstream in Ice Creek West, whereas hydrologically connected disturbances were linked to increases in TDS and suspended sediment. Although we found a great spatial variability of hydrochemical concentrations along the paired watershed, there was a linear relationship between catchment size and daily DOC, total dissolved nitrogen, and TDS fluxes for all six streams. Suspended sediment flux on the contrary did not show a clear relationship as one hydrologically connected retrogressive thaw slump impacted the overall flux in one of the streams. Understanding the spatial variability of water quality will help to model the lateral geochemical fluxes from Arctic catchments.
Monsoons, Upwelling, and the Deoxygenation of the Northwestern Indian Ocean in Response to Middle to Late Miocene Global Climatic Shifts
Authors: Bialik Or M. , Auer Gerald , Ogawa Nanako O. , Kroon Dick , Waldmann Nicolas D. , Ohkouchi Naohiko
Published: February 2020

Today, upwelling along the Oman margin in the Arabian Sea is governed by the South Asian Monsoon winds. The Oman upwelling results in the formation of an oxygen minimum zone (OMZ) spanning across the Arabian Sea and large parts of the Indian Ocean. While these conditions are recorded as early as the middle Miocene (~15 Ma), the long‐term dynamics of upwelling in the Arabian Sea are as of yet poorly constrained during the middle to late Miocene. Here, we use organic and inorganic proxies combined with sedimentary and paleontological records to constrain the evolution of upwelling at Ocean Drilling Program Site 722B between ~15 and ~8.7 Ma. Our record shows that Mn depletion occurred at ~14.5 Ma, likely due to regionally confined OMZ formation at that time. Biogenic silica accumulation intensified between ~12.5 and ~11 Ma. The δ15N values (>6‰) provide evidence for the onset of at least intermittent denitrification between ~11 and ~9.5 Ma during the apex of the global “carbonate crash.” Our data demonstrate that upwelling and OMZ intensity in the Arabian Sea were linked to the reorganization of the Indian Ocean circulation system and South Asian Monsoon during the Miocene. The initiation of these systems occurred once the regional tectonic configuration (i.e., the uplift of the Tibetan Plateau ~25 Ma and the closure of the Tethyan seaway ~20 Ma) was in place. The subsequent development of monsoonal upwelling after 14 Ma responded to latitudinal shifts in climatic belts following the progressive Miocene glaciation of Antarctica.
Baseline vs. cross-sectional MRI of concussion: distinct brain patterns in white matter and cerebral blood flow
Authors: Churchill Nathan W. , Hutchison Michael G. , Graham Simon J. , Schweizer Tom A.
Published: February 2020

Neuroimaging has been used to describe the pathophysiology of sport-related concussion during early injury, with effects that may persist beyond medical clearance to return-to-play (RTP). However, studies are typically cross-sectional, comparing groups of concussed and uninjured athletes. It is important to determine whether these findings are consistent with longitudinal change at the individual level, relative to their own pre-injury baseline. A cohort of N = 123 university-level athletes were scanned with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Of this group, N = 12 acquired a concussion and were re-scanned at early symptomatic injury and at RTP. A sub-group of N = 44 uninjured athletes were also re-imaged, providing a normative reference group. Among concussed athletes, abnormalities were identified for white matter fractional anisotropy and mean diffusivity, along with grey matter cerebral blood flow, using both cross-sectional (CS) and longitudinal (LNG) approaches. The spatial patterns of abnormality for CS and LNG were distinct, with median fractional overlap below 0.10 and significant differences in the percentage of abnormal voxels. However, the analysis methods did not differ in the amount of change from symptomatic injury to RTP and in the direction of observed abnormalities. These results highlight the impact of using pre-injury baseline data when evaluating concussion-related brain abnormalities at the individual level.
Comparative Efficacy of Angiotensin Converting Enzyme Inhibitors and Angiotensin Receptor Blockers after Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting
Authors: Kim Jeayoun , Park Jungchan , Lee Jong-Hwan , Min Jeong Jin , Lee Seung-Hwa , Lee Young Tak , Kim Wook Sung , Song Sanghoon , Yeo Jung Hyun , Cho Hyojin
Published: February 2020

Although angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) are considered as an alternative for those with angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEi) intolerance, the comparative effectiveness of ARBs and ACEi remains controversial in patients who underwent coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). We aimed to compare the clinical effects of the two types of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) inhibitors in patients who underwent CABG. From January 2001 to January 2015, among the 5456 patients, data from 1198 (20.1%) patients who used a RAAS inhibitor at discharge were analyzed. These 1198 patients were classified into ACEi (N = 900) and ARB (N = 298) groups. The primary outcome was major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (MACCE) during a median follow-up period of 48 months. Propensity-matched analysis revealed that the incidence of MACCE over a 48 month follow-up period did not differ between the groups (HR, 0.65; 95% CI, 0.36–1.21; p = 0.17), but it was significantly lower in the ARB group during the 12 month follow-up period (HR, 0.46; 95% CI, 0.22–0.96; p = 0.04). In conclusion, ARBs may have comparable protective effects to ACEi and be a reasonable alternative for intolerant patients after CABG. The beneficial effects of ARBs depending on follow-up period require further investigation.
Plasmon induced deprotonation of 2-mercaptopyridine
Authors: Singh Pushkar , Deckert-Gaudig Tanja , Zhang Zhenglong , Deckert Volker
Published: February 2020

Surface plasmons provide a novel route to induce and simultaneously monitor selective bond formation and breakage.
Amplified spontaneous emission and random lasing using CsPbBr3 quantum dot glass through controlling crystallization
Authors: Zhang Huiling , Yuan Lin , Chen Ya , Zhang Yaqian , Yu Yanxia , Liang Xiaojuan , Xiang Weidong , Wang Ting
Published: February 2020

CsPbBr3 QD glasses heat-treated at different temperatures have different sizes of QDs and lasing properties.
Is the origin of green fluorescence in unsymmetrical four-ring bent-core liquid crystals single or double proton transfer?
Authors: Gude Venkatesh , Karmakar Manobina , Dey Avishek , Datta Prasanta Kumar , Biradha Kumar
Published: February 2020

The origin of green fluorescence in unsymmetrical four-ring bent-core liquid crystals (BCLCs) is not understood clearly.
Sulfonated dendritic mesoporous silica nanospheres: a metal-free Lewis acid catalyst for the upgrading of carbohydrates
Authors: Jorge Erlen Y. C. , Lima Carolina G. S. , Lima Thiago M. , Marchini Lucas , Gawande Manoj B. , Tomanec Ondřej , Varma Rajender S. , Paixão Marcio W.
Published: February 2020

Lignocellulosic biomass is becoming a viable alternative or a complementary source for obtaining petroleum-derived products such as fuels, polymers and fine chemicals, among others.
Imaging of proteins in biological tissues by fluorescence microscopy and laser ablation-ICP-MS using natural and isotopically enriched silver nanoclusters
Authors: Valencia Eva , Fernández Beatriz , Cruz-Alonso María , García Montserrat , González-Iglesias Héctor , Fernández-Abedul María Teresa , Pereiro Rosario
Published: February 2020

Antibodies conjugated with naturally abundant and isotopically enriched AgNCs are used for bioimaging of proteins in human retinal layers by LA-ICP-MS.