bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Use of Distance Between Soil Layers in Predicting the Hydraulic Conductivity of Granular Soils
Authors: Alsakran Mohamed Ahmad , Zhu Jun-Gao
Published: July 2020

This study presents a new empirical approach that can be used to determine the hydraulic conductivity of saturated granular soils. This empirical approach can be obtained through the relationship between the uniformity coefficient of the soil (Cu) and the distance between soil layers (S). For the granular filter materials that have the same particle size distribution, there can be different distances between layers of the soil, depending upon the soil’s density. The distance between soil layers can be obtained by dividing the length of the imaginary line by the number of intersected particles within the length. By using the distance between soil layers, the whole grain size distribution and the soil porosity are taken into consideration, which reflects the degree of compaction. Therefore, this empirical approach is a good representation of hydraulic conductivity.
Homecoming: the Origin and Destination of Architectural Design
Authors: Wang Jihong , Zheng Dongjun
Published: July 2020

Under the background of globalization and urbanization in the 21st century, where will architectural design go? The architect is confused by these problems. The concept of “homecoming” expounded in this paper is that the objectivity and necessity of the homecoming will exist in people’s spiritual life are pointed out from the aspects of literary concept, philosophical dimension and architectural design, in order to alleviate modern people’s state of wandering with no one to depend upon, and it is also a need for cultural root seeking. However, homecoming is not a real sense of returning to the hometown, but a returning in a spiritual sense. Homecoming is a kind of situation consciousness, which builds a bridge between the past and the present by reason and emotion to express the attitudes towards the tradition in order to confront the urbanization process completely separated from the tradition. In this paper, reflection was positively conducted on the issues such as architectural ethics, architectural space and architectural language in the process of intense urbanization, with a view to putting forward personal opinions and exploring the future direction of architectural design.
Application Research on Prefabricated Construction Promoting Modernization Development of Construction Industry
Authors: Zhong Tao , Zhang Yinhui , Wu Xinjie
Published: July 2020

Prefabricated construction as a new type of building which can save resources and effectively improve the ecological environment, conforms to the requirements of national strategic development, and it is the main direction of transformation and upgrading of Chinese construction industry. This paper starts with the technical difficulties that prefabricated construction faces in the process of propulsion. The technical system, design concept, industrial development and talent demand of prefabricated construction are systematically studied, and coping strategies to solve problems are explored. Besides, it presents the overall framework of application research on talent training mechanism, and analyze key technical points. The multiple element collaborative scheme is put forward. In the process of modernization of the construction industry, how to promote the transformation and upgrading of the construction industry in a more standardized, safe, efficient and environmentally friendly way is our further research direction and the significance of this paper.
A Boundary Integral Method Based on the Symplectic System
Authors: Zhang WX , Yang LM
Published: July 2020

In this paper, we introduce a numerical boundary integral approach to study mechanical problems of curvilinear boundaries, multi-materials and fractures of solids and structures. Based on the equations of the eigensolution expansion and the weight functions of the basic solutions, the integral weighted equations of the undetermined coefficients can be set up by using the boundary conditions and the continuity conditions between different materials. Due to the completeness of the solution space and the independent property between the eigensolutions, the existence and the uniqueness of the solution of the boundary integral equations are seriously guaranteed. Therefore, the problems can be solved numerically by this approach.
An Eigensolution Method for Isotropic Elasticity
Authors: Zhang WX , Yang LM
Published: July 2020

With the wide application of isotropic elastic solid in industrial production and people’s daily life, the related mechanical calculation has become an important research topic at home and abroad. Scholars have put forward many research methods, among which the most commonly used is the semi inverse method with displacement or stress as the basic variable. However, this method can not get complete solution space on the premise of some assumptions. In this paper, based on the variational principle and Hamiltonian matrix operator, we propose the eigensolution method, and all analytical solutions of isotropic elastic plane problems are obtained.
A Numerical Simulation Method of the Side Pressure of a Circular Silo
Authors: Zhang WX , Chen YG
Published: July 2020

Taking the solid sliding wedge as the research object, the failure surface equation of the sliding wedge and the lateral pressure formula of the shallow silo are established by using the limit equilibrium method. The results show that the location of failure surface changes significantly with the ratio of height to diameter.
The analysis application of ERP system in the electric power enterprises purchase management
Authors: Yue Qiao
Published: July 2020

In the management thought of ERP, organization is a collaborative system. It is a system that applies modern enterprise management thought, combines communication technology and network technology to set up a system that can effectively communicate information and give orders to the superior, upload the inferior, and exchange information within the organization. This system is gradually widely used in all aspects of enterprise management. This paper mainly expounds the response of ERP in procurement management, the information data is more optimized and the management is more convenient.
The Improvement of Environment in Huaihe River Basin-a Perspective of Ecological Compensation
Authors: Cheng Yali
Published: July 2020

The article explores the approaches to improve the urban environment in Huaihe River basin from the perspective of the ecological compensation system. First, it expounds the origin of “ecological compensation” in ecology and economics and then discusses its legal connotations and reviews the courses of national ecological compensation legislation. Second, the article illustrates the necessity of ecological compensation legislation in Huaihe River basin from revealing the current status of its urban environment and the legislative process. Finally, the article proposes three interrelated macro approaches to improve urban environment in Huaihe River basin: decentralization of government administration, participation of public and private enterprises and involvement of social communities.
Analysis of soil salinization and influence of groundwater depth in the north of Shandong Marine Plain
Authors: Li Shanhai , Qin Peng
Published: July 2020

The present situation of Soil Salinization in the marine plain area of North Shandong Province is classified according to the content of salt, and the influence of groundwater depth on soil salinization is analyzed, it is determined that 5.5-6.0 m before and 3.0-3.5 m after flood season are the “reasonable depth of groundwater”.
Analysis of Seismic Behavior of the Ring-stiffeners Bird-Beak SHS Joint
Authors: Yang Yinghua , Chen Sheng
Published: July 2020

This paper studied bird-beak square hollow T-joint and ring-stiffened bird-beak square hollow T-joints, and the finite element model of the joint were established with ABAQUS, to analyze the enhancing effect of the joint bearing capacity when each parameter changes, and analyzed the seismic performance of the joint under cyclic axial loading, including its ultimate bearing capability, hysteretic behavior, deformation performance and failure modes. Some inclusions provide reference for engineering design.
Output Prediction of waste concrete based on GM (1, 1)
Authors: Yin Jian , Du Ruoxi , Ma Xinchen , Zhou Zihang , Zhang Yuxuan , Luo Wenjie
Published: July 2020

In order to promote efficient use of waste concrete in Chongqing, the building area estimation method is employed to estimate the waste concrete output from 2012 to 2018, and the gray model is used to predict the waste concrete output from 2019 to 2023. By Matlab programming, the waste concrete output in Chongqing will reach 3181.14t in 2023, which is 1.44 times that in 2012. The results show that the gray model can accurately forecast the output of waste concrete in Chongqing in the short and medium term.
Construction technology of installation and support system of high-rise prefabricated steel structure plant
Authors: Yao Shoutao , Chen Chen , Shen Binglong
Published: July 2020

The standardized plant project of Hongqi Industrial Park of Internet of things in Hefei adopts the composite assembled structural system of steel structure and laminated plate. In this paper, the project is mainly carried out from the perspectives of assembly construction and installation, rapid support system design and finite element analysis of angle steel truss, reflecting the advantages of assembly structure, the rationality and enthusiasm of the construction mode, and it’s favorable for the development of buildings in China.
The crucial techniques of water leakage treatment in operating highway tunnel
Authors: Shijie Zhang , Guyi Zhan , Deming Li , Shuyi Wen , fei Sun , Chao Wang
Published: July 2020

Tunnel leakage is a common disaster in operating highway tunnel, causing many adverse effects on tunnel stability, cave facilities, traffic safety and the environment. Based on the causes and hazards of operating highway tunnel leakage, the tunnel leakage is divided into four types : construction joints leakage, lining crack leakage, fracture and cavity behind the lining leakage, concrete lining damage leakage. And the related crucial techniques and schemes were proposed. The achievements have been widely applied in Kaiyuan tunnel successfully, which offers a reference for similar tunnels.
Cost Analysis of “One Three Four Seven” Secondary Road Light Reconstruction and Trash Bin Configuration Project in a District——From the Perspective of the Employer
Authors: Mengling Gu Jijian Tang
Published: July 2020

Strengthening cost management is an important task for engineering construction, and it is the key to the profit of the construction party. Similarly, the contractor has done a cost management analysis to reduce unnecessary expenses, that is, the key to saving costs and obtaining maximum profits. Cost management is The procedures in the engineering project are relatively complicated and complicated. It connects the entire process of investment, bidding, preparation, construction, settlement and completion of the project until it is put into use. It requires the use of corresponding cost analysis methods for cost management analysis to effectively control costs and achieve The cost is the lowest and the profit is maximized. This article is mainly aimed at the cost analysis of one or four hundred and forty-seven times the reconstruction of trunk road lights and the waste bin configuration project in a certain district of Chongqing. From the perspective of the contractor, from the project budget, final accounts, construction quality, construction period Comparison of several aspects such as engineering, materials, artificial organization, etc., to find out the problems in the project cost in the project, put forward reasonable suggestions and make corrections.
Directed self-assembly of block copolymers for sub-10 nm fabrication
Authors: Chen Yu , Xiong Shisheng
Published: July 2020

Directed self-assembly (DSA) emerges as one of the most promising new patterning techniques for single digit miniaturization and next generation lithography. DSA achieves high-resolution patterning by molecular assembly that circumvents the diffraction limit of conventional photolithography. Recently, the International Roadmap for Devices and Systems listed DSA as one of the advanced lithography techniques for the fabrication of 3–5 nm technology node devices. DSA can be combined with other lithography techniques, such as extreme ultra violet (EUV) and 193 nm immersion (193i), to further enhance the patterning resolution and the device density. So far, DSA has demonstrated its superior ability for the fabrication of nanoscale devices, such as fin field effect transistor and bit pattern media, offering a variety of configurations for high-density integration and low-cost manufacturing. Over 1 T in−2 device density can be achieved either by direct templating or coupled with nanoimprinting to improve the throughput. The development of high χ block copolymer further enhances the patterning resolution of DSA. In addition to its superiority in high-resolution patterning, the implementation of DSA on a 300 mm pivot line fully demonstrates its potential for large-scale, high-throughput, and cost-effective manufacturing in industrial environment.
RainbowSTORM: an open-source ImageJ plug-in for spectroscopic single-molecule localization microscopy (sSMLM) data analysis and image reconstruction
Authors: Davis Janel L , Soetikno Brian , Song Ki-Hee , Zhang Yang , Sun Cheng , Zhang Hao F
Published: July 2020

Spectroscopic single-molecule localization microscopy (sSMLM) simultaneously captures the spatial locations and full spectra of stochastically emitting fluorescent single molecules. It provides an optical platform to develop new multimolecular and functional imaging capabilities. While several open-source software suites provide subdiffraction localization of fluorescent molecules, software suites for spectroscopic analysis of sSMLM data remain unavailable. RainbowSTORM is an open-source ImageJ/FIJI plug-in for end-to-end spectroscopic analysis and visualization for sSMLM images. RainbowSTORM allows users to calibrate, preview and quantitatively analyze emission spectra acquired using different reported sSMLM system designs and fluorescent labels.

Availability and implementation

RainbowSTORM is a java plug-in for ImageJ (https://imagej.net)/FIJI (http://fiji.sc) freely available through: https://github.com/FOIL-NU/RainbowSTORM. RainbowSTORM has been tested with Windows and Mac operating systems and ImageJ/FIJI version 1.52.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
The Complexity of Urban Eco-evolutionary Dynamics
Authors: Alberti Marina , Palkovacs Eric P , Roches Simone Des , Meester Luc De , Brans Kristien I , Govaert Lynn , Grimm Nancy B , Harris Nyeema C , Hendry Andrew P , Schell Christopher J , Szulkin Marta , Munshi-South Jason , Urban Mark C , Verrelli Brian C
Published: July 2020

Urbanization is changing Earth's ecosystems by altering the interactions and feedbacks between the fundamental ecological and evolutionary processes that maintain life. Humans in cities alter the eco-evolutionary play by simultaneously changing both the actors and the stage on which the eco-evolutionary play takes place. Urbanization modifies land surfaces, microclimates, habitat connectivity, ecological networks, food webs, species diversity, and species composition. These environmental changes can lead to changes in phenotypic, genetic, and cultural makeup of wild populations that have important consequences for ecosystem function and the essential services that nature provides to human society, such as nutrient cycling, pollination, seed dispersal, food production, and water and air purification. Understanding and monitoring urbanization-induced evolutionary changes is important to inform strategies to achieve sustainability. In the present article, we propose that understanding these dynamics requires rigorous characterization of urbanizing regions as rapidly evolving, tightly coupled human–natural systems. We explore how the emergent properties of urbanization affect eco-evolutionary dynamics across space and time. We identify five key urban drivers of change—habitat modification, connectivity, heterogeneity, novel disturbances, and biotic interactions—and highlight the direct consequences of urbanization-driven eco-evolutionary change for nature's contributions to people. Then, we explore five emerging complexities—landscape complexity, urban discontinuities, socio-ecological heterogeneity, cross-scale interactions, legacies and time lags—that need to be tackled in future research. We propose that the evolving metacommunity concept provides a powerful framework to study urban eco-evolutionary dynamics.
Interpolation Attacks on Round-Reduced Elephant, Kravatte and Xoofff
Authors: Zhou Haibo , Zong Rui , Dong Xiaoyang , Jia Keting , Meier Willi
Published: July 2020

We introduce an interpolation attack using the Moebius Transform. This can reduce the time complexity to get a linear system of equations for specified intermediate state bits, which is general to cryptanalysis of some ciphers with update function of low algebraic degree. Along this line, we perform an interpolation attack against Elephant-Delirium, a round 2 submission of the ongoing national institute of standards and technology (NIST) lightweight cryptography project. This is the first third-party cryptanalysis on this cipher. Moreover, we promote the interpolation attack by applying it to the Farfalle pseudo-random constructions Kravatte and Xoofff. Our attacks turn out to be the most efficient method for these ciphers thus far.
Physiological resilience of pink salmon to naturally occurring ocean acidification
Authors: Frommel Andrea Y , Carless Justin , Hunt Brian P V , Brauner Colin J
Published: July 2020

Pacific salmon stocks are in decline with climate change named as a contributing factor. The North Pacific coast of British Columbia is characterized by strong temporal and spatial heterogeneity in ocean conditions with upwelling events elevating CO2 levels up to 10-fold those of pre-industrial global averages. Early life stages of pink salmon have been shown to be affected by these CO2 levels, and juveniles naturally migrate through regions of high CO2 during the energetically costly phase of smoltification. To investigate the physiological response of out-migrating wild juvenile pink salmon to these naturally occurring elevated CO2 levels, we captured fish in Georgia Strait, British Columbia and transported them to a marine lab (Hakai Institute, Quadra Island) where fish were exposed to one of three CO2 levels (850, 1500 and 2000 μatm CO2) for 2 weeks. At ½, 1 and 2 weeks of exposure, we measured their weight and length to calculate condition factor (Fulton’s K), as well as haematocrit and plasma [Cl−]. At each of these times, two additional stressors were imposed (hypoxia and temperature) to provide further insight into their physiological condition. Juvenile pink salmon were largely robust to elevated CO2 concentrations up to 2000 μatm CO2, with no mortality or change in condition factor over the 2-week exposure duration. After 1 week of exposure, temperature and hypoxia tolerance were significantly reduced in high CO2, an effect that did not persist to 2 weeks of exposure. Haematocrit was increased by 20% after 2 weeks in the CO2 treatments relative to the initial measurements, while plasma [Cl−] was not significantly different. Taken together, these data indicate that juvenile pink salmon are quite resilient to naturally occurring high CO2 levels during their ocean outmigration.
Metabolic inflammation in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction
Authors: Schiattarella Gabriele G , Rodolico Daniele , Hill Joseph A
Published: July 2020

One in 10 persons in the world aged 40 years and older will develop the syndrome of HFpEF (heart failure with preserved ejection fraction), the most common form of chronic cardiovascular disease for which no effective therapies are currently available. Metabolic disturbance and inflammatory burden contribute importantly to HFpEF pathogenesis. The interplay within these two biological processes is complex; indeed, it is now becoming clear that the notion of metabolic inflammation—metainflammation—must be considered central to HFpEF pathophysiology. Inflammation and metabolism interact over the course of syndrome progression, and likely impact HFpEF treatment and prevention. Here, we discuss evidence in support of a causal, mechanistic role of metainflammation in shaping HFpEF, proposing a framework in which metabolic comorbidities profoundly impact cardiac metabolism and inflammatory pathways in the syndrome.
Gliome database: a comprehensive web-based tool to access and analyze glia secretome data
Authors: Kim Jong-Heon , Park Su-Hyeong , Han Jin , Ko Pan-Woo , Kwon Dongseop , Suk Kyoungho
Published: July 2020

Glial cells are phenotypically heterogeneous non-neuronal components of the central and peripheral nervous systems. These cells are endowed with diverse functions and molecular machineries to detect and regulate neuronal or their own activities by various secreted mediators, such as proteinaceous factors. In particular, glia-secreted proteins form a basis of a complex network of glia–neuron or glia–glia interactions in health and diseases. In recent years, the analysis and profiling of glial secretomes have raised new expectations for the diagnosis and treatment of neurological disorders due to the vital role of glia in numerous physiological or pathological processes of the nervous system. However, there is no online database of glia-secreted proteins available to facilitate glial research. Here, we developed a user-friendly ‘Gliome’ database (available at www.gliome.org), a web-based tool to access and analyze glia-secreted proteins. The database provides a vast collection of information on 3293 proteins that are released from glia of multiple species and have been reported to have differential functions under diverse experimental conditions. It contains a web-based interface with the following four key features regarding glia-secreted proteins: (i) fundamental information, such as signal peptide, SecretomeP value, functions and Gene Ontology category; (ii) differential expression patterns under distinct experimental conditions; (iii) disease association; and (iv) interacting proteins. In conclusion, the Gliome database is a comprehensive web-based tool to access and analyze glia-secretome data obtained from diverse experimental settings, whereby it may facilitate the integration of bioinformatics into glial research.
First Complete Genome Sequences of Janthinobacterium lividum EIF1 and EIF2 and Their Comparative Genome Analysis
Authors: Friedrich Ines , Hollensteiner Jacqueline , Schneider Dominik , Poehlein Anja , Hertel Robert , Daniel Rolf
Published: July 2020

We present the first two complete genomes of the Janthinobacterium lividum species, namely strains EIF1 and EIF2, which both possess the ability to synthesize violacein. The violet pigment violacein is a secondary metabolite with antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, and antitumoral properties. Both strains were isolated from environmental oligotrophic water ponds in Göttingen. The strains were phylogenetically classified by average nucleotide identity (ANI) analysis and showed a species assignment to J. lividum with 97.72% (EIF1) and 97.66% (EIF2) identity. These are the first complete genome sequences of strains belonging to the species J. lividum. The genome of strain EIF1 consists of one circular chromosome (6,373,589 bp) with a GC-content of 61.98%. The genome contains 5,551 coding sequences, 122 rRNAs, 93 tRNAs, and 1 tm-RNA. The genome of EIF2 comprises one circular chromosome (6,399,352 bp) with a GC-content of 61.63% and a circular plasmid p356839 (356,839 bp) with a GC-content of 57.21%. The chromosome encodes 5,691 coding sequences, 122 rRNAs, 93 tRNAs, and 1 tm-RNA and the plasmid harbors 245 coding sequences. In addition to the highly conserved chromosomally encoded violacein operon, the plasmid comprises a nonribosomal peptide synthetase cluster with similarity to xenoamicin, which is a bioactive compound effective against protozoan parasites.
Seismicity induced by massive wastewater injection near Puerto Gaitán, Colombia
Authors: Molina I , Velásquez J S , Rubinstein J L , Garcia-Aristizabal A , Dionicio V
Published: July 2020

Seven years after the beginning of a massive wastewater injection project in eastern Colombia, local earthquake activity increased significantly. The field operator and the Colombian Geological Survey immediately reinforced the monitoring of the area. Our analysis of the temporal evolution of the seismic and injection data together with our knowledge of the geological parameters of the region indicate that the surge of seismicity is being induced by the re-injection of produced water into the same three producing reservoirs. Earthquake activity began on known faults once disposal rates had reached a threshold of ∼2 × 106 m3 of water per month. The average reservoir pressure had remained constant at 7.6 MPa after several years of production, sustained by a large, active aquifer. Surface injection pressures in the seismically active areas remain below 8.3 MPa, a value large enough to activate some of the faults. Since faults are mapped throughout the region and many do not have seismicity on them, we conclude that the existence of known faults is not the only control on whether earthquakes are generated. Stress conditions of these faults are open to future studies. Earthquakes are primarily found in four clusters, located near faults mapped by the operator. The hypocentres reveal vertical planes with orientations consistent with focal mechanisms of these events. Stress inversion of the focal mechanisms gives a maximum compression in the direction ENE-WSW, which is in agreement with borehole breakout measurements. Since the focal mechanisms of the earthquakes are consistent with the tectonic stress regime, we can conclude that the seismicity is resulting from the activation of critically stressed faults. Slip was progressive and seismic activity reached a peak before declining to few events per month. The decline in seismicity suggests that most of the stress has been relieved on the main faults. The magnitude of a large majority of the recorded earthquakes was lower than 4, as the pore pressure disturbance did not reach the mapped large faults whose activation might have resulted in larger magnitude earthquakes. Our study shows that a good knowledge of the local fault network and conditions of stress is of paramount importance when planning a massive water disposal program. These earthquakes indicate that while faults provide an opportunity to dispose produced water at an economically attractive volume–pressure ratio, the possibility of induced seismicity must also be considered.
Probabilistic neural network tomography across Grane field (North Sea) from surface wave dispersion data
Authors: Earp S , Curtis A , Zhang X , Hansteen F
Published: July 2020

Surface wave tomography uses measured dispersion properties of surface waves to infer the spatial distribution of subsurface properties such as shear wave velocities. These properties can be estimated vertically below any geographical location at which surface wave dispersion data are available. As the inversion is significantly non-linear, Monte Carlo methods are often used to invert dispersion curves for shear wave velocity profiles with depth to give a probabilistic solution. Such methods provide uncertainty information but are computationally expensive. Neural network (NN) based inversion provides a more efficient way to obtain probabilistic solutions when those solutions are required beneath many geographical locations. Unlike Monte Carlo methods, once a network has been trained it can be applied rapidly to perform any number of inversions. We train a class of NNs called mixture density networks (MDNs), to invert dispersion curves for shear wave velocity models and their non-linearized uncertainty. MDNs are able to produce fully probabilistic solutions in the form of weighted sums of multivariate analytic kernels such as Gaussians, and we show that including data uncertainties as additional inputs to the MDN gives substantially more reliable velocity estimates when data contains significant noise. The networks were applied to data from the Grane field in the Norwegian North sea to produce shear wave velocity maps at several depth levels. Post-training we obtained probabilistic velocity profiles with depth beneath 26 772 locations to produce a 3-D velocity model in 21 s on a standard desktop computer. This method is therefore ideally suited for rapid, repeated 3-D subsurface imaging and monitoring.
Effects of bathymetry complexity on tsunami propagation: a spherical harmonics approach
Authors: Salaree Amir , Okal Emile A
Published: July 2020

This paper explores the effects on tsunami simulations of the level of detail of the bathymetric grid in use. For this purpose, we expand available bathymetric data sets of the Pacific Basin in spherical harmonics. For realistic scenarios of tsunamis generated by earthquake dislocations, we conclude that an expansion to a maximum degree lmax = 40, corresponding to wavelengths of 1000 km, is sufficient to reproduce the main features of the tsunami wavefield synthesized in deep water, that is, without considering final shoaling and interaction with coastal features.
Medical pluralism, sorcery belief and health seeking in Vanuatu: a quantitative and descriptive study
Authors: Elliott Lana , Taylor John
Published: July 2020

Set in Espiritu Santo, Vanuatu, this study explores the relationship between cultural knowledge and beliefs concerning illness and health-seeking behaviour within the context of medical pluralism. Concentrating on the nation’s high rates of diabetes and non-communicable disease (NCD) risk factors, this research analyses the way in which understandings of disease aetiology and healing efficacy impact upon treatment-related decisions. Data were obtained through a mixed-methods community survey of 313 adult respondents developed in collaboration with ni-Vanuatu health experts, community leaders and survey enumerators, and comprised of open and closed-ended questions. As the results demonstrate, framed by cultural and religious beliefs, multifaceted indigenous conceptualizations of health and illness in Vanuatu are directly linked to pluralist health seeking practices, including the concurrent use of formal and informal health services. The interwoven identification of sociocultural, physical and clinical determinants of disease highlights the complex manner in which health is understood and maintained by ni-Vanuatu. In successfully addressing the rising burden of NCDs, it is integral that health interventions and service providers acknowledge the complex conceptualization of disease and ensure the provision of holistic care that embraces rather than ignores the steadfast role of local systems of belief, and of traditional, religious and other informal forms of healthcare provision.
A novel opportunistic maintenance strategy for systems with dependent main and auxiliary components
Authors: Shen Jingyuan , Zhang Yanjing , Ma Yizhong , Lin Cong
Published: July 2020

The complexity of dependence between different types of components results in many challenges to estimate system reliability and to optimize maintenance plans. In this paper, we develop a reliability model to study the failure dependence of a system with a main component and several protective auxiliary components. Damage to the main component caused by random environmental shocks depends on the number of auxiliary components in operation. When the execution of inspection and maintenance actions during system operation is difficult, failures of the main component provide opportunities to inspect and replace the auxiliary components. We derive the system reliability using Laplace transforms and the matrix method. The optimization problem is solved by an enumeration method. A numerical example and sensitivity studies of cost parameters show how the evolution of the parameters influences the optimal maintenance strategy. The results show that a high replacement threshold of the auxiliary components is required when the replacement cost of the main component is high. Conversely, the threshold could be adjusted to a lower level when the replacement cost of the auxiliary components and the downtime cost increase.
Overcoming Challenges in Coronavirus Disease 19 Translational Research
Authors: Li Jonathan Z , Yu Xu G
Published: July 2020

This perspective details the challenges faced in starting a coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) biobank as part of a collaborative effort to accelerate translational research. Barriers to COVID-19 translational research are surmountable and necessary in the effort to combat this pandemic.
Why Governments Have Their Troops Trained Abroad: Evidence from Latin America
Authors: Scharpf Adam
Published: July 2020

Why do governments send their soldiers abroad for military training? Governments frequently expose their troops to training offered by other countries, although this may undermine military control and even lead to coups. Focusing on the demand side of security assistance, I argue that governments accept these costs to achieve diplomatic and military goals. Governments first send some soldiers abroad to substantiate their cooperation with the host country. Once this diplomatic commitment is made, governments increase training rates to counter threats using military skills unavailable at home. I test both arguments by studying training patterns at the most notorious US training facility: the School of the Americas. Using original data based on more than 60,700 course attendance records between 1946 and 2004, I find support for the proposed diplomatic and military logics of foreign training. Governments were more likely to send soldiers to the school after they had aligned their foreign policy with that of the United States, and only increased training in response to insurgent attacks. The findings demonstrate why and when governments are willing to cede significant parts of their political power to foreign-trained soldiers and other states. This has important implications for understanding military effectiveness and security cooperation.
Impact of an antimicrobial stewardship programme on antimicrobial utilization and the prevalence of MDR Pseudomonas aeruginosa in an acute care hospital in Qatar
Authors: Sid Ahmed Mazen A , Abdel Hadi Hamad , Abu Jarir Sulieman , Al Khal Abdul Latif , Al-Maslamani Muna A , Jass Jana , Ibrahim Emad Bashir , Ziglam Hisham
Published: July 2020

Background

The excessive and inappropriate use of antibiotics is universal across all healthcare facilities. In Qatar there has been a substantial increase in antimicrobial consumption coupled with a significant rise in antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Antimicrobial stewardship programmes (ASPs) have become a standard intervention for effective optimization of antimicrobial prescribing.

Methods

A before–after study was conducted in Hamad General Hospital (603 bed acute care hospital): 1 year before implementation of a comprehensive ASP compared with the following 2 years. The ASP included a hospital-wide pre-authorization requirement by infectious diseases physicians for all broad-spectrum antibiotics. Prevalence of MDR Pseudomonas aeruginosa was compared with antimicrobial consumption, calculated as DDD per 1000 patient-days (DDD/1000 PD). Susceptibility was determined using broth microdilution, as per CLSI guidelines. Antibiotic use was restricted through the ASP, as defined in the hospital’s antibiotic policy.

Results

A total of 6501 clinical isolates of P. aeruginosa were collected prospectively over 3 years (2014–17). Susceptibility to certain antimicrobials improved after the ASP was implemented in August 2015. The prevalence of MDR P. aeruginosa showed a sustained decrease from 2014 (9%) to 2017 (5.46%) (P = 0.019). There was a significant 23.9% reduction in studied antimicrobial consumption following ASP implementation (P = 0.008). The yearly consumption of meropenem significantly decreased from 47.32 to 31.90 DDD/1000 PD (P = 0.012), piperacillin/tazobactam from 45.35 to 32.67 DDD/1000 PD (P < 0.001) and ciprofloxacin from 9.71 to 5.63 DDD/1000 PD (P = 0.015) (from 2014 to 2017).

Conclusions

The successful implementation of the ASP led to a significant reduction in rates of MDR P. aeruginosa, pointing towards the efficacy of the ASP in reducing AMR.
Applying BIM to support dispute avoidance in managing multi-owned buildings
Authors: Shin Jihye , Rajabifard Abbas , Kalantari Mohsen , Atazadeh Behnam
Published: July 2020

With the growth of high-density living, disputes experienced by residents in multi-owned buildings (MOBs) have become an ongoing challenge in urban areas. A significant number of the disputations have found their root cause in the issues concerning improper use and management of MOBs by residents. It stems from their inaccurate understanding of ownership rights that are inherently 3D but using 2D cadastral survey plans, authoritative documents of ownership. This research explores the ability of building information modeling (BIM) to address required information for improving the perception of ownership rights that affect resident behaviors in managing MOBs. An open data model of BIM is extended to accommodate the necessary information for preventing resident misbehaviors that led to dispute cases in Victoria state, Australia. In this study, we implement BIM data of an MOB where a real dispute happened to demonstrate the validity of the enriched data model on the information delivery and an enhanced understanding of ownership rights. It is confirmed that the use of BIM facilitates the alleviation of the misbehaviors by informing residents with accurate communication of ownership rights and could support the avoidance of disputes in MOBs.
Fluctuations in galactic bar parameters due to bar–spiral interaction
Authors: Hilmi T , Minchev I , Buck T , Martig M , Quillen A C , Monari G , Famaey B , de Jong R S , Laporte C F P , Read J , Sanders J L , Steinmetz M , Wegg C
Published: July 2020

We study the late-time evolution of the central regions of two Milky Way (MW)-like simulations of galaxies formed in a cosmological context, one hosting a fast bar and the other a slow one. We find that bar length, Rb, measurements fluctuate on a dynamical time-scale by up to 100 per cent, depending on the spiral structure strength and measurement threshold. The bar amplitude oscillates by about 15 per cent, correlating with Rb. The Tremaine–Weinberg method estimates of the bars’ instantaneous pattern speeds show variations around the mean of up to $\sim \!20{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$, typically anticorrelating with the bar length and strength. Through power spectrum analyses, we establish that these bar pulsations, with a period in the range ∼60–200 Myr, result from its interaction with multiple spiral modes, which are coupled with the bar. Because of the presence of odd spiral modes, the two bar halves typically do not connect at exactly the same time to a spiral arm, and their individual lengths can be significantly offset. We estimated that in about 50 per cent of bar measurements in MW-mass external galaxies, the bar lengths of SBab-type galaxies are overestimated by $\sim \!15{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ and those of SBbc types by $\sim \!55{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$. Consequently, bars longer than their corotation radius reported in the literature, dubbed ‘ultrafast bars’, may simply correspond to the largest biases. Given that the Scutum–Centaurus arm is likely connected to the near half of the MW bar, recent direct measurements may be overestimating its length by 1–1.5 kpc, while its present pattern speed may be 5–10 $\rm km\ s^{-1}\ kpc^{-1}$ smaller than its time-averaged value.
The corona of GJ 1151 in the context of star–planet interaction
Authors: Foster G , Poppenhaeger K , Alvarado-Gómez J D , Schmitt J H M M
Published: July 2020

The low-mass star GJ 1151 has been reported to display variable low-frequency radio emission, which has been interpreted as a signpost of coronal star–planet interactions with an unseen exoplanet. Here we report the first X-ray detection of GJ 1151’s corona based on the XMM–Newton data. We find that the star displays a small flare during the X-ray observation. Averaged over the observation, we detect the star with a low coronal temperature of 1.6 MK and an X-ray luminosity of LX = 5.5 × 1026 erg s−1. During the quiescent time periods excluding the flare, the star remains undetected with an upper limit of $L_{\mathrm{ X},\, \mathrm{ qui}} \le 3.7\times 10^{26}$ erg s−1. This is compatible with the coronal assumptions used in a recently published model for a star–planet interaction origin of the observed radio signals from this star.
Dynamical evidence from the sub-parsec counter-rotating disc for a close binary of supermassive black holes in NGC 1068
Authors: Wang Jian-Min , Songsheng Yu-Yang , Li Yan-Rong , Du Pu , Yu Zhe
Published: July 2020

A puzzle in NGC 1068 is how to secularly maintain the counter-rotating disc (CRD) from 0.2 to $7\,$ pc unambiguously detected by recent ALMA observations of molecular gas. Upon further dynamical analysis, we find that the Kelvin–Helmholtz (KH) instability (KHI) results in an unavoidable catastrophe for the disc developed at the interface between the reversely rotating parts. We demonstrate that a close binary of supermassive black holes (CB-SMBHs) provides tidal torques to prevent the disc from the KH catastrophe and are led to the conclusion that there is a CB-SMBH at the centre of NGC 1068. The binary is composed of black holes with a separation of $0.1\,$ pc from GRAVITY/VLTI observations, a total mass of 1.3 × 107 M⊙ and a mass ratio of ∼0.3 estimated from the angular momentum (AM) budget of the global system. The KHI gives rise to a gap without cold gas at the velocity interface that overlaps with the observed gap of hot and cold dust regions. Releases of kinetic energies from the KHI of the disc are in agreement with observed emissions in radio and γ-rays. Such a binary is shrinking on a time-scale much longer than the local Hubble time via gravitational waves, however, the KHI leads to an efficient annihilation of the orbital AM and a speed-up merge of the binary, providing a new mechanism for solving the long-standing issue of ‘final parsec problem’. Future observations of GRAVITY+/VLTI are expected to be able to spatially resolve the CB-SMBHs suggested in this paper.
A search for supernova light echoes in NGC 6946 with SITELLE
Authors: Radica M C , Welch D L , Rousseau-Nepton L
Published: July 2020

We present the analysis of 4 h of spectroscopic observations of NGC 6946 with the SITELLE Imaging Fourier Transform Spectrometer on the Canada–France–Hawaii Telescope, acquired to search for supernova light echoes from its 10 modern supernovae. We develop a novel spectroscopic search method: identifying negatively sloped continua in the narrow-band SN3 filter as candidate highly broadened P-Cygni profiles in the H α line, which would be characteristic of the spectra of supernova ejecta. We test our methodology by looking for light echoes from any of the 10 supernovae observed in NGC 6946 in the past 100 yr. We find no evidence of light echoes above the survey surface brightness limit of 1 × 10−15 erg s−1 cm−2arcsec−2.
Peptidoglycan-inspired autonomous ultrafast self-healing bio-friendly elastomers for bio-integrated electronics
Authors: Zhang Luzhi , Liang Jiahui , Jiang Chenyu , Liu Zenghe , Sun Lijie , Chen Shuo , Xuan Huixia , Lei Dong , Guan Qingbao , Ye Xiaofeng , You Zhengwei
Published: July 2020

Elastomers are essential for stretchable electronics, which have become more and more important in bio-integrated devices. To ensure high compliance with the application environment, elastomers are expected to resist, and even self-repair, mechanical damage, while being friendly to the human body. Herein, inspired by peptidoglycan, we designed the first room-temperature autonomous self-healing biodegradable and biocompatible elastomers, poly(sebacoyl 1,6-hexamethylenedicarbamate diglyceride) (PSeHCD) elastomers. The unique structure including alternating ester-urethane moieties and bionic hybrid crosslinking endowed PSeHCD elastomers superior properties including ultrafast self-healing, tunable biomimetic mechanical properties, facile reprocessability, as well as good biocompatibility and biodegradability. The potential of the PSeHCD elastomers was demonstrated as a super-fast self-healing stretchable conductor (21 s) and motion sensor (2 min). This work provides a new design and synthetic principle of elastomers for applications in bio-integrated electronics.
Developing Pictorial Cigarillo Warnings: Insights From Focus Groups
Authors: Cornacchione Ross Jennifer , King Jessica L , Lazard Allison J , Noar Seth M , Reboussin Beth A , Jenson Desmond , Sutfin Erin L
Published: July 2020

Introduction

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) selected six text-only warnings for cigarillos to be implemented on packaging and advertising. Pictorial warnings are more effective at discouraging cigarette use than text-only warnings, yet no research exists for cigarillos. We sought to understand what types of images might be most effectively paired with the cigarillo text warnings to inform broad principles for developing pictorial warnings, with a focus on young adults, who have the highest rate of cigarillo use.

Methods

We conducted five focus groups with a total of N = 30 young adult cigarillo users and susceptible nonusers (53% female, 50% White, and 33% Black). Participants were shown four to eight unique images for each of the six text statements and were asked about visual–verbal congruency, emotional and cognitive reactions, and perceived effectiveness of each image. Sessions were recorded and transcribed; two investigators independently coded transcripts for emergent themes.

Results

Participants reported images that were graphic or “gross” would best grab attention and discourage use of cigarillos. Participants preferred images that were a direct illustration of the information in the warning text, rather than abstract images that required more cognitive effort to understand. Participants also highlighted that including people in the images, especially youth and young adults making eye contact, helped them relate to the warnings, garner their attention, and positively influence their reactions.

Conclusions

We identified several principles to inform the selection of images to pair with the FDA-required cigarillo text statements. These insights may also apply to pictorial warnings for other tobacco products.

Implications

This focus group study identified principles for selecting images to develop pictorial warnings for the six FDA text-only cigarillo warnings. We found that young adult cigarillo users and susceptible nonusers preferred images that were graphic and gross, believable, congruent to the warning text, and included people. Images that match young adults’ visual expectations of a disease and are emotion-provoking may be most effective in pictorial warnings and highlight challenges for developing pictorial warnings for health effects that do not have a visible health consequence.