bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Backcalculation of damage density of in‐service asphalt pavements using artificial intelligence‐based finite element model updating
Authors: Deng Yong , Luo Xue , Wang Hang
Published: December 2021

Fatigue damage is a common distress significantly affecting asphalt pavements in the performance, economy, and safety aspects. Accordingly, this paper aims to propose a methodology to backcalculate a continuum damage mechanics (CDM)‐based damage density of in‐service asphalt pavements from field nondestructive testing (NDT). An artificial intelligence (AI)‐based finite element (FE) model updating was applied with the falling weight deflectometer (FWD) test results for the calibrations of the damage density and supporting layer moduli. The development of the damage density with pavement service time was categorized and fitted with proposed analytical models. The damage density was compared with field observations on the fatigue cracking performance of asphalt pavements. It was found that the damage density had close relations with the material type, structural configuration, and fatigue cracking area of the pavement. This study shows a promising application of the damage density in the evaluation and prediction of the fatigue damage of asphalt pavements, which will lead to a timely and cost‐effective pavement maintenance and rehabilitation.
Reference intervals of automated reticulocyte count and immature reticulocyte fraction in a pediatric population
Authors: Bracho Fernando Javier
Published: December 2021

Introduction

Reticulocytes are erythroid precursors that develop into mature erythrocytes, and they are an important tool to assess erythropoietic activity, as their count indicates the balance between the cells released from the bone marrow, their stage of maturity, and their rate of development into mature erythrocytes. Considering the described biological variability of the absolute reticulocyte count (ARC) and the immature reticulocyte fraction (IRF) and the limited information available on these hematological parameters in children, this study determined the reference intervals (RIs) of these parameters in a healthy pediatric population.

Methods

A retrospective, observational, and analytical study was designed to establish RIs for the ARC and the IRF according to age and sex. An indirect sampling method was applied to a mixed database of complete blood counts from children aged 2 months to 18 years, using the truncated maximum likelihood indirect method for reference interval estimation. Percentiles were calculated to obtain bimodal RIs.

Results

From a total of 190,812 samples, 6,814 were selected. Gender stratification was not necessary for the ARC and the IRF but they required partitioning into six and two age groups, respectively.

Conclusion

This study determined, by an indirect sampling method, RIs for the ARC and the IRF in a pediatric population according to age and sex.
Odour detection in children and young people with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities
Authors: Petitpierre Geneviève , Dind Juliane , De Blasio Catherine , Gremaud Germaine
Published: December 2021

Background

Olfaction provides information on very important dimensions of the environment; however the olfactory abilities of children and young people with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities (PIMD) remain largely unknown. This within‐subjects study explores olfactory detection abilities in children with PIMD.

Method

Twenty‐two children and young people with PIMD (7–18 years) were presented with 18 medium intensity odours and an odourless control stimulus. Odorants were presented one by one in a randomised order. The neutral stimulus was presented prior to each odorant. Participants' responses were measured using 21 behavioural indicators.

Results

Results show that participants make a clear distinction between odorous and neutral conditions, between food and non‐food, and between pleasant and unpleasant odours. The detection abilities are manifested by several behaviours, in particular by the duration of the head alignment on the odorant.

Conclusions

This study shows that participants detect the stimuli and act differently depending on the category.
The European Semester as Goldilocks: Macroeconomic Policy Coordination and the Recovery and Resilience Facility
Authors: Vanhercke Bart , Verdun Amy
Published: December 2021

How and why did the European Semester end up as the main institutional vehicle of the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF)? To what extent did this new set‐up change the power balance among key actors (for example, financial and economic actors versus social affairs actors)? Drawing on historical institutionalism and based on 28 semi‐structured interviews and document analysis, our assessment suggests that while social actors were initially side‐lined and national executives strengthened, over time the pendulum is swinging back. The usual actors are strategically using the institutional structures of the revised Semester as a vehicle to ‘have a say’ in the RRF. Having more carrots and sticks suggests further strengthening the pivotal role of the European Commission. Yet having the option of submitting national plans gives member states options too. The EU institutional response to the Covid‐19 pandemic built on, and further cemented, the EU's socio‐economic governance architecture.
The European Semester in the North and in the South: Domestic Politics and the Salience of EU‐Induced Wage Reform in Different Growth Models*
Authors: D'Erman Valerie J. , Schulz Daniel F. , Verdun Amy , Zagermann Dennis
Published: December 2021

Macro‐economic policy coordination remains a challenge in the EU. The European Semester was designed to help facilitate more coordination. In the area of wage policies, it encourages Germany and the Netherlands to support stronger wage growth, while Italy and Portugal have been told to exercise wage restraint. This paper analyses how domestic interest group politics influence how EU recommendations are received. Reflecting on the different growth models that underpin these four countries, we find that country‐specific recommendations meet country‐specific obstacles – independent of whether recommendations aim at increasing or reducing wages. Specifically, we observe that domestic actors successfully mobilize against EU recommendations that go against the interests of their constituencies, but are less effective in mobilizing for recommendations aligning with their interests. Hence, we submit that high salience of EU influence poses an obstacle for EU‐induced reform in the South while low salience limits EU influence in the North.
Contribution of opsins and chromophores to cone pigment variation across populations of Lake Victoria cichlids
Authors: Wilwert Elodie , Etienne Rampal S. , van de Zande Louis , Maan Martine E.
Published: December 2021

Adaptation to heterogeneous sensory environments has been implicated as a key parameter in speciation. Cichlid fish are a textbook example of divergent visual adaptation, mediated by variation in the sequences and expression levels of cone opsin genes (encoding the protein component of visual pigments). In some vertebrates including fish, visual sensitivity is also tuned by the ratio of vitamin A1/A2–derived chromophores (i.e., the light‐sensitive component of the visual pigment bound to the opsin protein), where higher proportions of A2 cause a more red‐shifted wavelength absorbance. This study explores the variation in chromophore ratios across multiple cichlid populations in Lake Victoria, using as a proxy the expression of the gene Cyp27c1, which has been shown to regulate the conversion of vitamin A1 into vitamin A2 in several vertebrates. This study focuses on sympatric Pundamilia cichlids, where species with blue or red male coloration co‐occur at multiple islands but occupy different depths and consequently different visual habitats. In the red species, we found higher cyp27c1 expression in populations from turbid waters than from clear waters, but there was no such pattern in the blue species. Across populations, differences between the sympatric species in cyp27c1 expression had a consistent relationship with species differences in opsin expression patterns, but the red/blue identity reversed between clear and turbid waters. To assess the contribution of heritable vs. environmental causes of variation, we tested whether light manipulations induce a change in cyp27c1 expression in the laboratory. We found that cyp27c1 expression was not influenced by experimental light conditions, suggesting that the observed variation in the wild is due to genetic differences. Nonetheless, compared to other cichlid species, cyp27c1 is expressed at very low levels in Pundamilia, suggesting that it may not be relevant for visual adaptation in this species. Conclusively, establishing the biological importance of this variation requires testing of actual A1/A2 ratios in the eye, as well as its consequences for visual performance.
Immunohistochemical expression of cornulin in lesional and perilesional skin of plaque psoriasis
Authors: Shehata Wafaa Ahmed , Hammam Mostafa Ahmed , Ayad Amina , Holah Nanis S.
Published: December 2021

Background

Psoriasis is an immune‐related disease with dermal inflammation and epidermal hyperplasia. Cornulin has a significant role in keratinocyte proliferation and stimulates inflammation in psoriasis.

Aim of the Work

This work aims to evaluate Cornulin expression values in lesional and perilesional psoriatic skin compared with the control group's skin through immunohistochemistry.

Methods

This case‐control study included 30 cases with plaque psoriasis and another 30 as controls. Patient samples were collected, and immunohistochemical staining of Cornulin was conducted.

Results

In the epidermis, there was a stepwise pattern of significant Cornulin overexpression in keratinocytes starting from controls (34.00 ± 23.65) to lesional (62.59 ± 23.93) passing through perilesional skin (36.52 ± 18.49) (p < 0.001). Moreover, there was also a stepwise pattern of the significance of Cornulin starting from 4 in controls (13.3% for both) to 28 lesional cases (93.3%) and 18 (60.0%) passing through 17 perilesional skin cases (56.7%) and 5 (16.7%) (p < 0.001 for both) for inflammatory cells and adnexa, respectively. A significant relationship between lesional epidermal Cornulin's strong intensity and a higher H‐score and both hyperkeratosis and parakeratosis was found (p = 0.008 for both intensity and 0.028 for both H‐scores).

Conclusion

Cornulin might be implicated in keratinocyte hyperproliferation and inflammation in plaque psoriasis and may be valuable as therapeutic target.
Influence of Digital Technologies and Framework Design on the Load to Fracture of Co‐Cr Posterior Fixed Partial Denture Frameworks
Authors: Tobar Celia , Rodriguez Veronica , Lopez‐Suarez Carlos , Pelaez Jesus , Suarez Maria J.
Published: December 2021

Purpose

To compare the load to fracture of cobalt‐chromium (Co‐Cr) 3‐unit posterior fixed partial denture (FPD) frameworks manufactured by conventional and digital techniques and to evaluate the influence of the framework design on the fracture load.

Material and methods

Eighty 3‐unit Co‐Cr posterior FPD frameworks were fabricated with two designs: intermediate pontic (n = 40) and cantilever (n = 40). Each design was randomly divided into four groups (n = 10): casting, direct metal laser sintering, soft metal milling, and hard metal milling. After thermal cycling, all specimens were subjected to a 3‐point bending test until fracture. Data were statistically analyzed using one‐way ANOVA, Welch and Brown‐Forsythe test, Ryan‐Einot‐Gabriel‐Welsch F and Tamhane T2 post hoc test, Student's t test, and Weibull statistics (α = 0.05).

Results

Significant differences (p < 0.001; F = 39.59) were found among intermediate pontic frameworks (except between laser sintering and hard metal milling), and cantilevered frameworks (F = 36.75) (except between laser sintering and hard metal milling, and casting and soft metal milling). The cantilever groups showed load to fracture values significantly lower than those of the intermediate pontic (p < 0.001; F = 28.29). The Weibull statistics corroborated the results.

Conclusions

Hard metal milling and laser sintered frameworks exhibited the highest load to fracture values. However, all tested frameworks demonstrated clinically acceptable load to fracture values. The framework design directly affected the fracture load, with drastically lower values in cantilevered frameworks.
Overcoming Complications with Implants in the Esthetic Zone: An Innovative Approach
Authors: Mori Gentaro , Oda Yukari , Iijima Toshikazu , Yajima Yasutomo
Published: December 2021

Owing to the satisfactory esthetic and functional outcomes of implant surgery for the anterior teeth, some dentists consider it the gold standard treatment. However, the risk of developing peri‐implantitis is positively associated with the long‐term use of the implant. This necessitates the development of an implant design that reduces the risk of peri‐implantitis, especially considering the long‐term use of implants in young patients. This case report describes a new approach for an implant surgery using a two‐stage implant in a 28‐year‐old woman. Her clinical course was satisfactory during the 4‐year postoperative follow‐up period; no inflammation was noted in the surrounding tissues. The two‐stage implants allow for the removal of an implant body from an infected area and its replacement with a new abutment if peri‐implantitis develops in the future.
Factors associated with frailty in kidney transplant recipients: A cross‐sectional study
Authors: Zhang Bei , Zhao Peiyu , Wang Han , Wang Shasha , Wei Changyun , Gao Fengli , Liu Hongxia
Published: December 2021

Background

Frailty is prevalent in kidney transplant recipients and associated with multiple health care challenges. The association between frailty and outcomes has been extensively studied in kidney transplant recipients, but the status of frailty and its associated factors are not well studied, hindering efforts to develop strategies to improve care and reduce frailty.

Objectives

To identify the factors that are associated with frailty in kidney transplant recipients comprehensively.

Design and Participants

The associated factors of frailty were explored by a cross‐sectional study of 185 kidney transplant recipients.

Measurements

Data were collected using the general information questionnaire, the Charlson comorbidity index, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, the Connor‐Davidson Resilience Scale, the Perceived Social Support Scale and the Tilburg Frailty Indicator. Data were analyzed using the multiple linear regression analysis.

Results

A total of 75 (40.5%) kidney transplant recipients were assessed as frail by Chinese TFI. Age (β = 0.228), time post‐transplant (β = 0.055), sleep quality (β = 0.224) and psychological resilience (β = −0.038) entered the final multiple regression equation and accounted for 41.8% of the total frailty variation (R2 = 0.418, F = 21.31, p < 0.05).

Conclusions

Frailty was common among kidney transplant recipients. Old age, long time after transplantation, poor sleep quality and low psychological resilience were main associated factors for frailty. Integrated care interventions are therefore needed for this vulnerable population to prevent or delay frailty.
The opioid crisis and economic distress: Consequences for population change
Authors: Taylor Samuel , Stephens Heather M. , Grossman Daniel
Published: December 2021

Drug‐related overdoses, and opioid overdoses in particular, have increased substantially over the past two decades, creating a public health crisis. This crisis has hit both urban and rural areas. However, it hit at a time in which rural areas were already struggling to retain population and adjust to new economic realities presented by a transition to service economies and increasing urbanization. Thus, to explore how the opioid crisis may have affected migration and contributed to population loss, we consider county‐level population changes due to all overdose deaths, controlling for other relevant factors, recognizing that opioid overdose is the primary mechanism for overdose death in the United States. We find that higher levels of these deaths in a county are associated with population declines, especially for those aged 25–34, which is problematic since this is the working‐age population critical to the long‐term economic success in a region. Our findings suggest that policymakers should address the drug crisis, not only to help the affected population, but also as an economic development tool to stop outmigration and to rebuild distressed communities.
A holobiont view of island biogeography: Unravelling patterns driving the nascent diversification of a Hawaiian spider and its microbial associates
Authors: Armstrong Ellie E. , Perez‐Lamarque Benoît , Bi Ke , Chen Cerise , Becking Leontine E. , Lim Jun Ying , Linderoth Tyler , Krehenwinkel Henrik , Gillespie Rosemary G.
Published: December 2021

The diversification of a host lineage can be influenced by both the external environment and its assemblage of microbes. Here, we use a young lineage of spiders, distributed along a chronologically arranged series of volcanic mountains, to investigate how their associated microbial communities have changed as the spiders colonized new locations. Using the stick spider Ariamnes waikula (Araneae, Theridiidae) on the island of Hawaiʻi, and outgroup taxa on older islands, we tested whether each component of the “holobiont” (spider hosts, intracellular endosymbionts and gut microbial communities) showed correlated signatures of diversity due to sequential colonization from older to younger volcanoes. To investigate this, we generated ddRAD data for the host spiders and 16S rRNA gene amplicon data from their microbiota. We expected sequential colonizations to result in a (phylo)genetic structuring of the host spiders and in a diversity gradient in microbial communities. The results showed that the host A. waikula is indeed structured by geographical isolation, suggesting sequential colonization from older to younger volcanoes. Similarly, the endosymbiont communities were markedly different between Ariamnes species on different islands, but more homogeneous among A. waikula populations on the island of Hawaiʻi. Conversely, the gut microbiota, which we suspect is generally environmentally derived, was largely conserved across all populations and species. Our results show that different components of the holobiont respond in distinct ways to the dynamic environment of the volcanic archipelago. This highlights the necessity of understanding the interplay between different components of the holobiont, to properly characterize its evolution.
Demographic changes in Pleistocene sea turtles were driven by past sea level fluctuations affecting feeding habitat availability
Authors: van der Zee Jurjan P. , Christianen Marjolijn J.A. , Bérubé Martine , Nava Mabel , van der Wal Sietske , Berkel Jessica , Bervoets Tadzio , Meijer zu Schlochtern Melanie , Becking Leontine E. , Palsbøll Per J.
Published: December 2021

Pleistocene environmental changes are generally assumed to have dramatically affected species’ demography via changes in habitat availability, but this is challenging to investigate due to our limited knowledge of how Pleistocene ecosystems changed through time. Here, we tracked changes in shallow marine habitat availability resulting from Pleistocene sea level fluctuations throughout the last glacial cycle (120–14 thousand years ago; kya) and assessed correlations with past changes in genetic diversity inferred from genome‐wide SNPs, obtained via ddRAD sequencing, in Caribbean hawksbill turtles, which feed in coral reefs commonly found in shallow tropical waters. We found sea level regression resulted in an average 75% reduction in shallow marine habitat availability during the last glacial cycle. Changes in shallow marine habitat availability correlated strongly with past changes in hawksbill turtle genetic diversity, which gradually declined to ~1/4th of present‐day levels during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM; 26–19 kya). Shallow marine habitat availability and genetic diversity rapidly increased after the LGM, signifying a population expansion in response to warming environmental conditions. Our results suggest a positive correlation between Pleistocene environmental changes, habitat availability and species’ demography, and that demographic changes in hawksbill turtles were potentially driven by feeding habitat availability. However, we also identified challenges associated with disentangling the potential environmental drivers of past demographic changes, which highlights the need for integrative approaches. Our conclusions underline the role of habitat availability on species’ demography and biodiversity, and that the consequences of ongoing habitat loss should not be underestimated.
The relationship between gastroesophageal reflux disease and autism spectrum disorder in adult patients in the United States
Authors: Kamionkowski Sara , Shibli Fahmi , Ganocy Stephen , Fass Ronnie
Published: December 2021

Background

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) has been associated with psychiatric and neurocognitive disorders. Those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are prone to gastrointestinal (GI) diseases, but most research has been done on children. Our aim was to determine the relationship between GERD and autism in adults and assess GERD‐related complications in those with autism.

Methods

A national cohort of adults aged 18 and above with GERD with and without ASD were compared to those without GERD. Complications of GERD that were studied included Barrett's esophagus, erosive esophagitis, esophageal stricture, ulcer, and malignancy. Conditions associated with GERD were evaluated including chronic cough, wheezing, sore throat, non‐cardiac chest pain, and hoarseness. GERD treatment that was evaluated included proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), H2 receptor antagonists (H2RA), and anti‐reflux surgery.

Key Results

There was an increased risk of GERD in subjects with ASD (p = 0.0001). Erosive esophagitis and esophageal ulcer were more likely to occur in those with GERD and ASD (p = 0.0001). Those with ASD were at higher risk of suffering from wheezing following a diagnosis of GERD compared to those without ASD (p = 0.0001). Those with GERD and ASD were more likely to be treated with an H2RA both as monotherapy and in combination with PPI versus those without ASD (p = 0.0001 and p = 0.0037, respectively).

Conclusions and Inferences

Adult patients with ASD are more likely to have GERD as well as complications including erosive esophagitis and esophageal ulcer. Treatment of patients with GERD and ASD is not consistent and may suggest health care disparities.
Prenatal exposure to antibiotics and risk of childhood overweight or obesity: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Solans Marta , Barceló Maria A. , Morales‐Suárez‐Varela Maria , Moya Andrés , Saez Marc
Published: December 2021

Infant antibiotic use has been modestly associated with childhood overweight, while evidence on prenatal exposures remains less clear. A systematic review and meta‐analysis were conducted to examine associations between maternal antibiotic exposure and subsequent risk of childhood overweight/obesity. Publications were retrieved from PubMed and Web of Science databases up to December 2019. A random effects model was used to summarize risk estimates, overall, and by period and frequency of exposure. Ten observational studies were included in the narrative synthesis. We did not observe a clear pattern of association between prenatal antibiotic use and childhood overweight/obesity. There were suggestive associations for repeated exposures (≥3 courses) and those taking place during the second trimester of gestation, which were also pointed out in our meta‐analysis (relative risk, RR2T = 1.15 (95% CI 1.04; 1.28, I2 = 18%), and RR3courses = 1.31 (95% CI 1.03; 1.67, I2 = 65%), respectively). In most studies, however, confounding by underlying infections cannot be ruled out. Overall, current data do not conclusively support the hypothesis that prenatal exposure to antibiotics is a risk factor for childhood obesity/overweight. Further studies, controlling for underlying infections and exploring the association according to frequency, period (both prenatal and intrapartum) and type of antibiotic, are needed to clarify this association.
The Gendered Spaces and Experiences of Female Faculty in Colleges of Agriculture*
Authors: Niewoehner‐Green Jera E. , Rodriguez Mary T. , McLain Summer R.
Published: December 2021

The “leaky pipeline” metaphor has been used to describe the dearth of women in science, technology, and leadership roles. For colleges of agriculture within land grant universities (LGUs), college leadership and tenured faculty in agricultural science disciplines have historically been disproportionately male, even though women earn nearly an equal number of doctorates. Conscious gender discrimination may account for some of these disparities; however, this is not the only cause of this imbalance. Gendered constructions of the division of labor and allocation of power within organizational cultures are also important to consider when addressing gender inequalities. Using a qualitative feminist methodology, we explored the intersection of identity, social roles, and gendered organizational cultures in colleges of agriculture and life sciences for female faculty. Findings reflect how gender norms have shifted through time as more female faculty join academic units yet, subtle bias and the institutional culture of large LGUs still influence behavioral expectations and perceived gender roles. However, the power of academic leaders to support equality indicates a type of local level influence that can push against the structural constraints of the institution. We also discuss specific recommendations for academic departments and leaders of colleges of agriculture and life sciences.
Current status and challenges in the care of patients with bacterial meningitis in the Philippines: A scoping review
Authors: Ocampo Ferron F. , Espiritu Adrian I. , Jamora Roland Dominic G.
Published: December 2021

Objective

Bacterial meningitis is associated with high morbidity and mortality if not treated early. Due to the high disease burden, there are barriers in the provision of healthcare services for these patients, especially in low‐ to middle‐income countries, such as the Philippines. We aimed to give an overview of healthcare services delivery and identify gaps in the provision of care for patients with bacterial meningitis in the Philippines.

Method

We conducted a scoping review on the available literature on the epidemiology, research, health services delivery, diagnostics and management of Filipino patients with bacterial meningitis. A qualitative summary of the results was conducted to provide an overview of the findings.

Results

There is a paucity of epidemiological data and research on bacterial meningitis. Healthcare expenditure remains out‐of‐pocket, with limited coverage from the national health insurance programme. There is an inadequate number of neurologists as well as inequities in the distribution of manpower and facilities due to the devolution of the healthcare system. Diagnosis remains a challenge due to the inaccessibility of tests for CSF analysis. Costs of antibiotics, adjunctive treatment, neurosurgical interventions and rehabilitation are also prohibitive. Outbreaks can be prevented by strengthening existing surveillance systems and improving vaccination coverage against the most common causative organisms.

Conclusion

Enormous challenges still exist with regards to health services delivery in patients with bacterial meningitis in the Philippines in terms of epidemiologic data and research, access to healthcare facilities and diagnostic tools, healthcare costs, surveillance systems and immunisation against causative pathogens.
Electrode Design for Thermal and Nonthermal Plasma Discharge Inside a Constant Volume Combustion Chamber
Authors: Shaffer James , Askari Omid , Zare Saeid
Published: December 2021

Previous methods of achieving ignition in the Plasma, Combustion and Fluid imaging (PCFi) Laboratory’s Constant Volume Combustion Chamber (CVCC) utilizes either a standard or modified spark plug. The standard spark plug achieves a representation of side wall ignition (similar to a combustion engine), while the modified spark plug has an extended electrode to allow for a center camber ignition used for laminar burning speed (LBS) measurements. The creation of the modified spark plug required welding a stainless-steel (SS) wire to the electrode of the plug. This process is time consuming and requires a large quantity to effectively test a wide range of parameters such as gap size or electrode geometry. Two custom-design electrodes are presented in this paper which extend the experimental range of the PCFi’s CVCC system. Electrode Design A, gives the ability to test thin wire electrode with adjustability of gap size and different diameters through use of a compression fitting. This electrode design (i.e., tip-to-tip) is utilized with a traditional style of automotive ignition system (i.e., capacitive discharge) to study ignition process (i.e., thermal plasma) and spherical flame propagation. Electrode Design B, adds the ability to change tip geometry (i.e., plate-to-plate, tip-to-plate, tip-to-sphere, plate-to-sphere, etc.). In this paper, the plate-to-plate configuration is demonstrated to study uniform low-temperature nanosecond plasma discharge. Both electrode designs reduce structural weakness by removing the welded joint and allow for linear gap size adjustment. The electrode utilizes high-temperature epoxy, ceramic, and grafoil seals to make parameter adjustments easy and precise. The design was analyzed, prior to building and testing, based on the stress induced from the sealant, the total rated voltage, the rated temperature, and the fracture stress of the ceramic material. The stress induced in the electrodes was analyzed with finite element analysis (FEA) and the results were found to be within the limits of the material in terms of the compressive and fracture strengths. The maximum voltage was found to be around 30 kV. Design A is presented with three different electrode diameters of 1.3, 1, and 0.5 mm and Design B which utilizes a threaded connection for adjustable tip geometry. A sample of data, visual and electrical, is presented for the newly created electrode with a 0.5 mm diameter as well as combustion images for up to 10 atm of initial pressure for methane-air mixture. The new electrode design was able to survive several months of experimental use with few issues compared with the previous welded design.
Procedural Guide for System-Level Impact Evaluation of Industrial Artificial Intelligence-Driven Technologies: Application to Risk-Based Investment Analysis for Condition Monitoring Systems in Manufacturing
Authors: Sharp Michael , Dadfarnia Mehdi , Sprock Timothy , Thomas Douglas
Published: December 2021

Industrial artificial intelligence (IAI) and other analysis tools with obfuscated internal processes are growing in capability and ubiquity within industrial settings. Decision-makers share their concern regarding the objective evaluation of such tools and their impacts at the system level, facility level, and beyond. One application where this style of tool is making a significant impact is in Condition Monitoring Systems (CMSs). This paper addresses the need to evaluate CMSs, a collection of software and devices that alert users to changing conditions within assets or systems of a facility. The presented evaluation procedure uses CMSs as a case study for a broader philosophy evaluating the impacts of IAI tools. CMSs can provide value to a system by forewarning faults, defects, or other unwanted events. However, evaluating CMS value through scenarios that did not occur is rarely easy or intuitive. Further complicating this evaluation are the ongoing investment costs and risks posed by the CMS from imperfect monitoring. To overcome this, an industrial facility needs to regularly and objectively review CMS impacts to justify investments and maintain competitive advantage. This paper's procedure assesses the suitability of a CMS for a system in terms of risk and investment analysis. This risk-based approach uses the changes in the likelihood of good and bad events to quantify CMS value without making any one-time pointwise estimates. Fictional case studies presented in this paper illustrate the procedure and demonstrate its usefulness and validity.
Flexibility “of” Versus “in” Systems: A Complementary Strategy for Designing Fleet-Based Systems for Uncertainty
Authors: Sapol Stephen J. , Szajnfarber Zoe
Published: December 2021

Complex systems must sustain value over extended lifetimes, often in the face of significant uncertainty. Flexibility “in” systems have been shown to be highly valuable for large monolithic systems (LMS). However, other research highlighted that the value of flexibility “in” is highly contingent on delays in implementation. These limitations become more important when applied to other classes of complex systems, including fleet-based systems (FBS). To overcome these challenges, this paper introduces a complementary approach to flexible design, termed flexibility “of,” and applies it to a case study of a fleet of military vehicles (an FBS). Unlike LMS, FBS are composed of multiple identical units that collectively deliver value. While each unit is itself a complex system (e.g., a tank or aircraft), the collective nature of the operations provides additional paths to flexibility: in addition to implementing flexibility at the vehicle level, flexibility can be applied to the management of the fleet. Flexibility “of” involves procuring a mixed capability fleet upfront and then actively managing which subsets of that fleet are deployed to meet emerging needs. Our results demonstrate the potential value for an of strategy and provide guidance for when different flexibility strategies should be adopted alone or in combination.
Prospects for the expansion of standing wave ambient pressure photoemission spectroscopy to reactions at elevated temperatures
Authors: Karslıoğlu Osman , Trotochaud Lena , Salmassi Farhad , Gullikson Eric M. , Shavorskiy Andrey , Nemšák Slavomir , Bluhm Hendrik
Published: December 2021

Standing wave ambient pressure photoemission spectroscopy (SWAPPS) is a promising method to investigate chemical and potential gradients across solid-vapor and solid-liquid interfaces under close-to-realistic environmental conditions, far away from high vacuum. Until now, these investigations have been performed only near room temperature, but for a wide range of interfacial processes, chief among them being heterogeneous catalysis, measurements at elevated temperatures are required. One concern in these investigations is the temperature stability of the multilayer mirrors, which generate the standing wave field. At elevated temperatures, degradation of the multilayer mirror due to, for example, interdiffusion between the adjacent layers, decreases the modulation of the standing wave field, thus rendering SWAPPS experiments much harder to perform. Here, we show that multilayer mirrors consisting of alternate B4C and W layers are stable at temperatures exceeding 600 °C and are, thus, promising candidates for future studies of surface and subsurface species in heterogeneous catalytic reactions using SWAPPS.
Ion sensing with single charge resolution using sub–10-nm electrical double layer–gated silicon nanowire transistors
Authors: Hu Qitao , Chen Si , Solomon Paul , Zhang Zhen
Published: December 2021

Activities of a single hydrogen ion are directly detected using sub–10-nm silicon nanowire transistors.
Geohydrology of the four largest spring systems in the Ozarks of Missouri and Arkansas, USA
Authors: Boswell Cecil , Duley James W.
Published: December 2021

The four largest spring systems in the mid-continent receive recharge through large interconnected voids in fractured and solution-weathered dolostones of the Ordovician and Cambrian systems. Cumulative thickness of the carbonate bedrock aquifer ranges up to 700 m in the Ozark region. Recharge from the surface occurs through weathered overburden, sinkholes, and losing streams and has been traced up to 60 km (straight-line horizontal distance) using fluorescent dyes. Mean discharge of the combined flow of these four spring systems is ~1400 cubic feet/second (ft3/s) or 40 m3/second (m3/s). All four spring systems will be visited while discussing the karst terrane that recharges them. Environmental and engineering challenges in the region will be discussed, such as wastewater treatment systems, solid waste disposal, and failed reservoirs. Hodgson Mill Spring represents a branch of the Rainbow/North Fork/Hodgson Mill System. While it receives base flow from the main system, it also receives local recharge that Rainbow and North Fork springs do not. A portion of the Mammoth Spring recharge system will be viewed at Grand Gulf State Park in Missouri, where a cave collapse has created cliffs and a natural bridge and exposed a small losing tributary that flows into a cave that has been traced to the spring. Mammoth Spring State Park in Arkansas offers a historical perspective of the development and use of large springs. Greer Spring in Missouri was used as a power source for grist, flour, and lumber mills, but has now largely returned to its predevelopment state and is managed by the U.S. Forest Service. Big Spring, featured in a former state park in Missouri, is now part of the Ozark National Scenic Riverways.
The blast, the quake, and the bomb: A guide to high-energy events in western Nevada, USA
Authors: Louie* John N. , Ruprecht* Philipp
Published: December 2021

This guide presents an eight-hour, in-person tour of intersecting geologic and human history in western Nevada, USA. A 25 megaton phreatomagmatic blast created a mile-wide (1.6-km-wide) maar, now filled by Soda Lake. The magnitude 7 Dixie Valley earthquake ripped along more than 45 km of the Stillwater Range front in 1954. The 12 kiloton Shoal nuclear test in 1963 created a 50-m-wide cavity in solid granite.
Effects of tactile stimulation on spontaneous breathing during face mask ventilation
Authors: Gaertner Vincent D , Rüegger Christoph Martin , Bassler Dirk , O'Currain Eoin , Kamlin C Omar Farouk , Hooper Stuart B , Davis Peter G , Springer Laila
Published: December 2021

Objective

We sought to determine the effect of stimulation during positive pressure ventilation (PPV) on the number of spontaneous breaths, exhaled tidal volume (VTe), mask leak and obstruction.

Design

Secondary analysis of a prospective, randomised trial comparing two face masks.

Setting

Single-centre delivery room study.

Patients

Newborn infants ≥34 weeks’ gestation at birth.

Methods

Resuscitations were video recorded. Tactile stimulations during PPV were noted and the timing, duration and surface area of applied stimulus were recorded. Respiratory flow waveforms were evaluated to determine the number of spontaneous breaths, VTe, leak and obstruction. Variables were recorded throughout each tactile stimulation episode and compared with those recorded in the same time period immediately before stimulation.

Results

Twenty of 40 infants received tactile stimulation during PPV and we recorded 57 stimulations during PPV. During stimulation, the number of spontaneous breaths increased (median difference (IQR): 1 breath (0–3); padj<0.001) and VTe increased (0.5 mL/kg (−0.5 to 1.7), padj=0.028), whereas mask leak (0% (−20 to 1), padj=0.12) and percentage of obstructed inflations (0% (0–0), padj=0.14) did not change, compared with the period immediately prior to stimulation. Increased duration of stimulation (padj<0.001) and surface area of applied stimulus (padj=0.026) were associated with a larger increase in spontaneous breaths in response to tactile stimulation.

Conclusions

Tactile stimulation during PPV was associated with an increase in the number of spontaneous breaths compared with immediately before stimulation without a change in mask leak and obstruction. These data inform the discussion on continuing stimulation during PPV in term infants.

Trial registration number

Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trial Registry (ACTRN12616000768493).
Protocol for #iBeatCRC: a community-based intervention to increase early-onset colorectal cancer awareness using a sequential explanatory mixed-methods approach
Authors: Rogers Charles R , Brooks Ellen , Curtin Karen , De Vera Mary A , Qeadan Fares , Rogers Tiana N , Petersen Ethan , Gallagher Phuong , Pesmen Curt , Johnson Wenora , Henley Candace , Hickman Walter , Newcomb Elaine , Korous Kevin M , Handley Margaret A
Published: December 2021

Introduction

The last two decades have seen a twofold increase in colorectal cancer (CRC) incidence among individuals under the recommended screening age of 50 years. Although the origin of this early-onset CRC (EOCRC) spike remains unknown, prior studies have reported that EOCRC harbours a distinct molecular and clinical phenotype in younger individuals. The sharp increase in EOCRC incidence rates may be attributable to a complex interplay of factors, including race; lifestyle; and ecological, sociodemographic and geographical factors. However, more research that address psychosocial experiences and accounts for lifestyle-related behaviours before, during and after an EOCRC diagnosis are warranted. This study aims to develop and pilot test a theory-driven, community-based intervention to increase awareness of EOCRC, reduce its associated risk factors and improve early detection among adults aged 18–49 years.

Methods and analysis

Guided by the Behaviour Change Wheel, we will use a multistage mixed-methods study design. We will pilot a sequential mixed-methods intervention study as follows: (1) First, we will analyse linked quantitative data from the Utah Cancer Registry and National Cancer Institute Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results registry, linked to state-wide demographic and vital records in the Utah Population Database to identify EOCRC hotspots in Utah by examining the EOCRC incidence and survival variance explained by personal and county-level factors. (2) Next, we will conduct one-on-one interviews with 20 EOCRC survivors residing in EOCRC hotspots to ascertain psychosocial and lifestyle challenges that accompany an EOCRC diagnosis. (3) Finally, we will consider existing evidence-based approaches, our integrated results (quantitative +qualitative) and community action board input to design a community-based intervention to increase EOCRC awareness that can feasibly be delivered by means of outdoor mass media, and via social media. We will pilot the multicomponent media campaign with a quasiexperimental design among 17 EOCRC hotspot residents and 17 EOCRC ‘coldspot’ residents.

Ethics and dissemination

Ethics approval was obtained from the University of Utah Institutional Review Board (IRB_00138357). Signed informed consent will be obtained from all participants prior to any data collection. Study results will be disseminated through CRC community blogs, targeted infographics, conference presentations at national and international professional conferences and publications in peer-reviewed journals. Final intervention-specific data will be available on reasonable request from the corresponding author.

Trial registration number

NCT04715074.
Liothyronine for hypothyroidism: a candidate for disinvestment or in need of further research? A value of information analysis
Authors: Hughes Dyfrig A , Skiadas Konstantinos , Fitzsimmons Deborah , Anderson Pippa , Heald Adrian
Published: December 2021

Objective

Medicines with limited evidence of effectiveness are prime candidates for disinvestment. However, investment in further research may be preferable to deimplementation, given that the absence of evidence is not evidence of absence, and research can inform formulary decisions. A case in point is liothyronine, which is sometimes prescribed to levothyroxine-treated patients who continue to experience hypothyroid symptoms. It is a putative low value medicine, associated with uncertainties in both clinical and cost-effectiveness. The aim was to assess the cost-effectiveness of liothyronine in this context, and estimate the value of conducting further research.

Design

Cost utility and value of information analyses.

Setting

Primary care within the National Health Service in the UK.

Participants

Fifty-four levothyroxine-treated patients with persistent symptoms of hypothyroidism.

Interventions

Liothyronine plus levothyroxine versus levothyroxine alone.

Primary and secondary outcome measures

Incremental cost per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) gained, and the expected monetary value of sample information.

Results

20/54 (37%) of patients who responded to the survey reported severe problems in carrying out usual activities of everyday living and 12/54 (22%) reported severe anxiety or depression symptoms. Mean (SD) utility was 0.53 (0.23). The differences in expected total, 10-year costs and QALYs between a treatment strategy of liothyronine/levothyroxine combination therapy, and levothyroxine alone, was £12 053 and 1.014, respectively. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of £11 881 per QALY gained was sensitive to the price of liothyronine. The probability of liothyronine/levothyroxine combination therapy being cost effective at a threshold of £20 000 per QALY was 0.56. The value of reducing uncertainty in the efficacy of treatment was £3.64 m per year in the UK.

Conclusions

A definitive clinical trial to confirm clinical effectiveness may be preferable to immediate disinvestment, and would be justified given the value of the information gained far exceeds the cost.