bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Long-term Impact of Preventative Public Health Programs
Authors: Hoehn-Velasco Lauren
Published: June 2020

This paper estimates the long-term impact of childhood exposure to a preventative public health programme on adult human capital. From 1908 to 1933, local governments in the United States instituted county-level health departments (CHDs) that provided preventative health services geared towards children. This paper estimates the long-term benefits of childhood exposure to this public programme using variation in CHD location, timing and age of exposure. CHD operation before the age of 5 increases men’s later-life earnings by 2% to 5%. Exposed boys not only perform better than later- and never-treated groups, but, after adding household fixed effects, exposed men earn more than their brothers.
Studying the behaviour of fishes in the sea at Loch Torridon, Scotland
Authors: Hawkins Anthony , Chapman Colin
Published: June 2020

In the early 1960s, the Marine Laboratory Aberdeen began to examine the behaviour of fish in relation to mobile fishing gears. We were asked to investigate the role of sound in fish behaviour. We decided that our experimental work had to be done in the sea, as under “free-field” conditions the acoustic stimuli could be accurately presented and monitored. We located a suitable site at Loch Torridon and set up a field station there. We carried out unique experiments on the hearing of fishes, their behavioural responses to different sound stimuli, and the sounds made by the fishes themselves. Work was also carried out on the reflection of sounds by fishes, the noise made by fishing vessels and other sources, and the movements and foraging activity rhythms of Atlantic cod. The cod generally showed limited movements within defined home ranges. A large number of scientific papers were written, many of them in collaboration with scientists from other institutes, and other countries. This paper considers the lessons learned from our work, and especially the advantages of observing fish behaviour and carrying out experiments on fishes in the sea. We learned that the sound in the sea was very important to fishes, both the natural sounds, some of which they produce themselves, and sounds made by humans, which could have adverse effects upon them. We hope that this review will encourage a new generation of scientists to carry out field work, similar to ours, in other areas. Since our work, there has been a large increase in anthropogenic noise, particularly from offshore energy sources, but very little work has been done to help regulate and mitigate their effects upon fishes.
Outcomes following aortic valve procedures in 201 complex congenital heart disease cases—results from the UK National Audit
Authors: Dorobantu Dan M , Visan Alexandru C , Tulloh Robert M R , Gonzalez-Barlatay Francisco , Caputo Massimo , Stoica Serban C
Published: June 2020

OBJECTIVES

Some patients with complex congenital heart disease (cCHD) also require aortic valve (AoV) procedures. These cases are considered high risk but their outcome has not been well characterized. We aim to describe these scenarios in the current practice, and provide outcome data for counselling and decision-making.

METHODS

This was a retrospective study using the UK National Congenital Heart Disease Audit data on cCHD patients undergoing aortic valve replacement, balloon dilation (balloon aortic valvuloplasty) or surgical repair (surgical aortic valve repair) between 2000 and 2012. Coarsened exact matching was used to pair cCHD with patients undergoing AoV procedures for isolated valve disease.

RESULTS

A total of 201 patients with a varied spectrum of cCHD undergoing 242 procedures were included, median age 9.4 years (1 day–65 years). Procedure types were: balloon aortic valvuloplasty (n = 31, 13%), surgical aortic valve repair (n = 57, 24%) and aortic valve replacement (n = 154, 63%). Mortality at 30 days was higher in neonates (21.8% vs 5.3%, P = 0.02). Survival at 10 years was 83.1%, freedom from aortic valve replacement 83.8% and freedom from balloon aortic valvuloplasty/surgical aortic valve repair 86.3%. Neonatal age (P < 0.001), single ventricle (P = 0.08), concomitant Fontan/Glenn (P = 0.002) or aortic arch procedures (0.02) were associated with higher mortality. cCHD patients had lower survival at 30 days (93% vs 100%, P = 0.003) and at 10 years (86.4% vs 96.1%, P = 0.005) compared to matched isolated AoV disease patients.

CONCLUSIONS

AoV procedures in cCHD can be performed with good results outside infancy, but with higher mortality than in isolated AoV disease. Neonates and patients with single ventricle defects, especially those undergoing concomitant Fontan/Glenn, have worse outcomes.
Social determinants of health in electronic health records and their impact on analysis and risk prediction: A systematic review
Authors: Chen Min , Tan Xuan , Padman Rema
Published: June 2020

Objective

This integrative review identifies and analyzes the extant literature to examine the integration of social determinants of health (SDoH) domains into electronic health records (EHRs), their impact on risk prediction, and the specific outcomes and SDoH domains that have been tracked.

Materials and Methods

In accordance with the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines, we conducted a literature search in the PubMed, CINAHL, Cochrane, EMBASE, and PsycINFO databases for English language studies published until March 2020 that examined SDoH domains in the context of EHRs.

Results

Our search strategy identified 71 unique studies that are directly related to the research questions. 75% of the included studies were published since 2017, and 68% were U.S.-based. 79% of the reviewed articles integrated SDoH information from external data sources into EHRs, and the rest of them extracted SDoH information from unstructured clinical notes in the EHRs. We found that all but 1 study using external area-level SDoH data reported minimum contribution to performance improvement in the predictive models. In contrast, studies that incorporated individual-level SDoH data reported improved predictive performance of various outcomes such as service referrals, medication adherence, and risk of 30-day readmission. We also found little consensus on the SDoH measures used in the literature and current screening tools.

Conclusions

The literature provides early and rapidly growing evidence that integrating individual-level SDoH into EHRs can assist in risk assessment and predicting healthcare utilization and health outcomes, which further motivates efforts to collect and standardize patient-level SDoH information.
Turbidimetric Method: A Multi-Advantageous Option for Assessing the Potency of Ceftriaxone Sodium in Powder for Injection
Authors: da Trindade Mariana Teixeira , Kogawa Ana Carolina , Salgado Hérida Regina Nunes
Published: June 2020

Background

Ceftriaxone sodium, an antimicrobial used in parenteral form, does not have a microbiological method by turbidimetry described in the literature. For drugs from antimicrobial class, the existence of a microbiological method for assessing their potency is essential. Not only are the results from the physical-chemical methods enough, but microbiological analyzes are also necessary.

Objective and Methods

Thus, this paper reports the development and validation of an efficient, accurate, reproducible, fast, and low-cost microbiological assay by turbidimetry to quantify ceftriaxone sodium in powder for injection. Water was used as the diluent to prepare the ceftriaxone solutions. BHI broth as used as culture media for the growth of the S. aureus ATCC 6538 at 9%.

Results

The method was linear in the range of 100–196 µg/mL, selective against the sample adjuvants and the forced degradation test, precise (intraday RSD 4.53%, interday RSD 3.85% and between analysts tcalculated 0.14 < 2.23 tcritical), accurate with recovery of 100.33% and robust against minor changes in the volume of culture medium used, wavelength, incubation time, and inoculum concentration.

Conclusions and Highlights

The turbidimetric method developed in this paper is a convenient and valuable alternative to the routine quality control of ceftriaxone sodium in powder for injection, since it allows a reliable quantification and can be used to complement the physical-chemical analysis.
The effects of maternal nutrient restriction and day of early pregnancy on the location and abundance of neutral amino acid transporters in beef heifer utero-placental tissues
Authors: Crouse Matthew S , McLean Kyle J , Greseth Nathaniel P , Ward Alison K , Reynolds Lawrence P , Dahlen Carl R , Neville Bryan W , Borowicz Pawel P , Caton Joel S
Published: June 2020

We hypothesized that maternal nutrition and day of gestation would influence the abundance of the neutral amino acid transporters SLC1A1, SLC1A5, SLC7A5, SLC38A2, and SLC38A7 in heifer utero-placental tissues. Angus-cross heifers (n = 43) were estrus synchronized and bred via AI. At breeding, heifers were assigned to one of two dietary intake groups (CON = 100% of requirements to achieve 0.45 kg/d gain or restricted heifers (RES) = 60% of CON intake) and ovariohysterectomized on day 16, 34, or 50 of gestation (n = 6 to 9/d). Thus, the experimental design was a completely randomized design with a 2 × 3 factorial arrangement of treatments. Uterine cross sections were taken from the horn ipsilateral to the CL, fixed in 10% NBF, sectioned at 5 µm, and stained for transporters. For each image, the areas of fetal membrane (FM; chorioallantois), endometrium (ENDO), superficial glands (SG), deep glands (DG), and myometrium (MYO) were analyzed separately for relative intensity of fluorescence as an indicator of transporter abundance. Analysis of FM was only conducted on days 34 and 50. In ENDO, SLC7A5 was greater (P < 0.01) in CON compared with RES heifers. In SG, SLC1A1 was greater (P = 0.02) in day 16 RES compared with day 16 CON and days 34 and 50 RES. In DG, SLC1A1 was greater (P = 0.02) on day 16 compared with 50 of gestation. In MYO, SLC1A1 was greater (P = 0.02) in day 50 CON compared with day 16 CON and day 50 RES. Additionally, in MYO SLC38A2 was greater (P = 0.02) in day 16 RES compared with day 16 CON and day 34 RES. In FM, SLC7A5 tended (P = 0.08) to be greater in CON vs RES. Analysis of all uterine tissues on day 16 determined that expression of SLC1A1, SLC1A5, SL38A2, and SL38A7 differed across uterine tissue type (P < 0.01); however, only SLC7A5 tended (P = 0.10) to differ and be greater in CON compared with RES heifers. Analysis of all utero-placental tissues on days 34 and 50 determined that SLC1A1, SLC7A5, SLC38A2, and SLC38A7 were greater (P ≤ 0.03) in CON compared with RES heifers. Furthermore, abundance of all transporters investigated on days 34 and 50 differed across utero-placental tissue types (P < 0.01). These data support our hypothesis that maternal nutrition and day of gestation influence the abundance of neutral amino acid transporters in utero-placental tissues from days 16 to 50 of gestation. Additionally, these data combined with previously published works help further elucidate nutrient supply and demands of the maternal and fetal system during early gestation in beef heifers.
Evaluation of a direct age estimation method for terminally molted male snow crab Chionoecetes opilio (Fabricius 1788) (Decapoda: Brachyura: Oregoniidae)
Authors: Rebert April L , Kruse Gordon H , Webb Joel B , Tamone Sherry L , Oxman Dion , McNeel Kevin W
Published: June 2020

Recent research suggests that calcified eyestalks and gastric mill ossicles (stomach teeth) can be used to estimate the age of some crustacean species. Along with annual growth of the endocuticle, bipartite bands in the hard tissue are believed to reflect annual growth patterns (similar to fish scales or otoliths) that are retained through repeated molt cycles. Similar bands are observed in the zygocardiac ossicles of the gastric mill from the snow crab (Chionoecetes opilioFabricius 1788). If these bands reflect annual growth, they may be used to estimate age, which could enhance understanding growth, mortality, recruitment, and age composition and improve fishery management. While some studies show that the number of bands correlates to other estimates of age for C. opilio, little evidence suggests that bands accumulate annually as growth increments independent of molting. Male C. opilio terminally molt at maturity, after which they can survive for seven years or more. Shell condition, i.e., degree of wear and epibionts on their exoskeleton, is used here and by other carcinologists as a proxy for age subsequent to the terminal molt. We estimated band counts and endocuticle thickness from thin sections of the zygocardiac ossicle of terminally molted male C. opilio across a range of shell conditions from a wild, fished stock. We found no differences in band counts (P = 0.41) or endocuticle thickness (P = 0.13) across varying shell conditions and size. These results do not support the hypothesis that band counts can be used to estimate the age of this species after the terminal molt.
Preference Refinement after a Budget Contraction
Authors: Ross Gretchen R , Meloy Margaret G , Carlson Kurt A
Published: June 2020

How does coping with a resource loss of time, space, or money change a consumer? In the current work, we argue that resource losses that give rise to budget contractions require a coping strategy that not only influences choice in the moment but also changes underlying consumer preferences. We show that the preference restructuring that occurs when coping with a budget loss also leads to stabilization of preferences. Specifically, a consumer who allocates a budget to a set of items prior to a budget contraction and allocates that same budget post-contraction when the budget is fully restored will allocate the restored budget to fewer options in the set. Coping with the contraction helps consumers prioritize what matters to them, leading to refinement of preference. This within-consumer preference refinement effect exists for budgets of time, space, and money. We identify boundary conditions (i.e., significant budget contractions and self-determined contraction allocations are necessary for prioritization to occur) and rule out non-prioritization explanations (e.g., anchoring and under-adjusting). These findings suggest that marketers should focus on capturing consumers who are dealing with budget contractions as this is one of the moments where individuals revisit and rediscover what matters most to them.
Setting priorities fairly in response to Covid-19: identifying overlapping consensus and reasonable disagreement
Authors: Wasserman David , Persad Govind , Millum Joseph
Published: June 2020

Proposals for allocating scarce lifesaving resources in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic have aligned in some ways and conflicted in others. This paper attempts a kind of priority setting in addressing these conflicts. In the first part, we identify points on which we do not believe that reasonable people should differ—even if they do. These are (i) the inadequacy of traditional clinical ethics to address priority-setting in a pandemic; (ii) the relevance of saving lives; (iii) the flaws of first-come, first-served allocation; (iv) the relevance of post-episode survival; (v) the difference between age and other factors that affect life-expectancy; and (vi) the need to avoid quality-of-life judgments. In the second part, we lay out some positions on which reasonable people can and do differ. These include (i) conflicts between maximizing benefits and priority to the worst off; (ii) role-based priority; and (iii) whether patients’ existing lifesaving resources should be subject to redistribution.
Prescription Psychoactive Medication Use in Adolescent Survivors of Childhood Cancer and Association With Adult Functional Outcomes
Authors: Cheung Yin Ting , Liu Wei , Brinkman Tara M , Srivastava Deokumar , Leisenring Wendy M , Howell Rebecca M , Ullrich Nicole J , Lommel Karen M , Brouwers Pim , Gibson Todd M , Robison Leslie L , Armstrong Gregory T , Krull Kevin R
Published: June 2020

Background

This study estimates the prevalence and identifies predictors of psychoactive medication use in adolescent survivors of childhood cancer (aged 12-18 years) and its associations with functional outcomes at young adulthood (aged 18-28 years).

Methods

This retrospective cohort study includes 5665 adolescent survivors of childhood cancer at no less than 5 years postdiagnosis (53.8% male, median age = 15 years, interquartile range [IQR] = 13-16 years) and 921 adolescent sibling controls. Parent-reported psychoactive medication use during adolescence was collected at baseline. After a median of 8 years, functional outcomes and social attainment were self-reported during adulthood (n = 3114, median age = 22 years, IQR = 20-24 years). Multivariable log-binomial models evaluated associations among risk factors, medication use, and adult outcomes.

Results

Higher prevalence of psychoactive medication use was reported in survivors compared with siblings (18.3% vs 6.6%; 2-sided P < .001), with trends for increasing antidepressant and stimulant use in recent treatment eras. After adjusting for cancer treatment and baseline cognitive problems, psychoactive medication use during adolescence was associated with impaired task efficiency (relative risk [RR] = 1.20, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.01 to 1.43) and memory (RR = 1.27, 95% CI = 1.05 to 1.52) during adulthood. Survivors who reported continued use of medications from adolescence to adulthood demonstrated poorer emotional regulation (RR = 1.68, 95% CI = 1.24 to 2.27) and organization (RR = 1.82, 95% CI = 1.28 to 2.59) compared with nonusers. Adolescent opioid use was associated with somatization symptoms (RR = 1.72, 95% CI = 1.09 to 2.73) during adulthood, after adjusting for cancer treatment and baseline behavioral problems. They were also more likely to not complete college (RR = 1.21, 95% CI = 1.04 to 1.41) or work full-time (RR = 1.60, 95% CI = 1.23 to 2.08) compared with nonusers.

Conclusion

Use of psychoactive medication is more prevalent among adolescent survivors compared with siblings and does not normalize adult outcomes, as evidenced by poorer functional outcomes during young adulthood.
Metastatic pleural mesothelioma presenting initially as multiple gastric and colonic polyps
Authors: Alhumidi Ahmed , Alqahtani Abdulmalik
Published: June 2020

It is extremely rare for malignant mesothelioma to present as gastrointestinal polyps. This case report documents the presentation of malignant mesothelioma in a 72-year-old as rectal bleeding and weight loss. Endoscopically, there were multiple gastric and colonic polyps. Histopathologically, there were atypical cells in the lamina propria with benign surface epithelium. The cells tested positive for cytokeratin, calretinin and D2–40 and negative for CD45, CD117, Ber-EP4 and CEA, confirming the diagnosis of metastatic mesothelioma. A computed tomography scan of the chest showed nodular thickening of the left lower pleura that was compatible with a diagnosis of primary pleural mesothelioma. We conclude that metastatic mesothelioma can sometimes present as gastrointestinal polyps.
Centres and Peripheries: Early-Modern British Writers in a European Context
Authors: Stevenson Jane
Published: June 2020

The ESTC has privileged a view of Britain's early print culture focused on London, while making it hard to look at British contributions to continental print cultures. But there were readers in early-modern Britain who were acculturated elsewhere. Scots bought most of their books on the continent, preferring Latin or French to English, and published on the continent, bypassing London. In Britain as a whole, there are effectively three centres for British print culture, London, ‘Rome’ and ‘Geneva’. The Netherlands printed for the English market, notably illicit bibles with Geneva notes, and particularly successful books were often issued there in Dutch or French, while British writers in Latin fed into continental literary fashions. Take-up of English literature as such was limited, partly because the Dutch did not admire English poetics. Most of what the Dutch translated from English was political or religious. Some English protestant writers were massively successful in translation, but translation into Dutch was almost always a first step from which their work was disseminated.
Aperture shapes and the effectiveness of ground-based large and extremely large telescopes
Authors: Hakobyan Armen V
Published: June 2020

Aperture shapes in modern large and forthcoming extremely large telescopes (ELTs), with effective light-gathering sizes more than D ∼ 10 m, differ significantly from the desirable circular one. They deliver specific point spread functions, which may also differ notably from that of the fine structure of the classical Airy pattern. The optical power of such a telescope can be changed notably compared with a circular aperture with the same area. The presence of atmospheric optical turbulence complicates the effect additionally and makes it seeing- and wavelength-dependent. So, what is the impact of a non-circular pupil on telescope exploitation? It concerns the efficiency, which is an important point, especially for instruments of such a class. In this research an attempt is made to assess the values of these changes in the context of the Keck, HDRT, GMT, TMT and ELT telescopes. Relative performance characteristics (integral contrast and signal-to-noise ratio, S/N) of the telescopes, working in the seeing-limited regime, under a range of plausible turbulence conditions, for a wide (from UV to mid-IR) spectral region are obtained. The partial role of central obscuration is assessed. The effect of adaptive optics implementation in this context is also analysed. It is shown that, for instance, maximal S/N degradation due to the non-circularity of the pupil shape can be as much as $\sim 6~{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ (TMT) to $30~{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ (HDRT), depending on the telescope and observational mode. The numbers are comparable with or may even substantially exceed the losses that could be caused by the other parameters (e.g. residual wave-front error, optical transmittance) relevant to the quality of the optical system.
Application of a helicity proxy to edge-on galaxies
Authors: Brandenburg Axel , Furuya Ray S
Published: June 2020

We study the prospects of detecting magnetic helicity in galaxies by observing the dust polarization of the edge-on galaxy NGC 891. Our numerical results of mean-field dynamo calculations show that there should be a large-scale component of the rotationally invariant parity-odd B polarization that we predict to be negative in the first and third quadrants, and positive in the second and fourth quadrants. The large-scale parity-even E polarization is predicted to be negative near the axis and positive further away in the outskirts. These properties are shown to be mostly a consequence of the magnetic field being azimuthal and the polarized intensity being maximum at the centre of the galaxy and are not a signature of magnetic helicity.
Rph1 coordinates transcription of ribosomal protein genes and ribosomal RNAs to control cell growth under nutrient stress conditions
Authors: Shu Wen-Jie , Chen Runfa , Yin Zhao-Hong , Li Feng , Zhang Heng , Du Hai-Ning
Published: June 2020

Coordinated regulation of ribosomal RNA (rRNA) synthesis and ribosomal protein gene (RPG) transcription by eukaryotic RNA polymerases (RNAP) is a key requirement for growth control. Although evidence for balance between RNPI-dependent 35S rRNA production and RNAPII-mediated RPG transcription have been described, the molecular basis is still obscure. Here, we found that Rph1 modulates the transcription status of both rRNAs and RPGs in yeast. We show that Rph1 widely associates with RNAPI and RNAPII-transcribed genes. Deletion of RPH1 remarkably alleviates cell slow growth caused by TORC1 inhibition via derepression of rRNA and RPG transcription under nutrient stress conditions. Mechanistically, Rim15 kinase phosphorylates Rph1 upon rapamycin treatment. Phosphorylation-mimetic mutant of Rph1 exhibited more resistance to rapamycin treatment, decreased association with ribosome-related genes, and faster cell growth compared to the wild-type, indicating that Rph1 dissociation from chromatin ensures cell survival upon nutrient stress. Our results uncover the role of Rph1 in coordination of RNA polymerases-mediated transcription to control cell growth under nutrient stress conditions.
Antiviral Activity and Safety of Darunavir/Cobicistat for the Treatment of COVID-19
Authors: Chen Jun , Xia Lu , Liu Li , Xu Qingnian , Ling Yun , Huang Dan , Huang Wei , Song Shuli , Xu Shuibao , Shen Yingzhong , Lu Hongzhou
Published: June 2020

Background

We aimed to evaluate the antiviral activity and safety of darunavir/cobicistat (DRV/c) in treating COVID-19 patients.

Methods

In this single-center, randomized, and open-label trial, mild patients with polymerase chain reaction (PCR)–confirmed COVID-19 were enrolled in Shanghai, China. Participants were randomized to receive DRV/c for 5 days on the top of interferon alpha 2b inhaling or interferon alpha 2b inhaling alone. The primary end point was the virological clearance rate of oropharyngeal swabs at day 7 after randomization in the intention-to-treat population (clinicaltrials.gov: NCT04252274).

Results

From January 30, 2020, to February 6, 2020, a total of 30 patients were enrolled, of whom 18 (60%) were male, aged 47.2 ± 2.8 years; 63.3% (19/30) of the participants had fever, and 46.7% (14/30) had cough at enrollment. The participants were randomized (range) at 4 (2–5) days after onset of symptoms. The proportion of negative PCR results at day 7 was 46.7% (7/15) and 60.0% (9/15) in the DRV/c and control groups (P = .72), respectively. The viral clearance rate at day 3 was 20% (3/15) in both study groups, while the number increased to 26.7% (4/15) in the DRV/c group and remained 20% (3/15) in the control group at day 5. Fourteen days after randomization, 1 participant in the DRV/c group progressed to critical illness and discontinued DRV/c, while all the patients in the control group were stable (P = 1.0). The frequencies of adverse events in the 2 groups were comparable.

Conclusions

Five days of DRV/c did not increase the proportion of negative conversion vs standard of care alone, although it was well tolerated.
International cooperation during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Brown Gordon , Susskind Daniel
Published: June 2020

This paper explores the concept of ‘global public goods’ (GPGs) in the context of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. It argues that many of the tasks involved in public health, and in particular those involved in the control of an infectious disease like COVID-19, ought to be treated as GPGs that can only be effectively delivered through international cooperation. It sets out what a cooperative response to the COVID-19 pandemic should look like and introduces ideas for further discussion about how it might be financed.
Urban Borderlines: Negotiating Spatial, Social, and Symbolic Boundaries in Urban Contexts
Authors: Jalili Jaleh
Published: June 2020

Sociological research has productively engaged with boundary processes in urban contexts, but few studies explore the relation between space and social and symbolic boundaries. Based on fieldwork in Tehran, Iran, and building on literature on boundary processes, I incorporate a spatial approach into the discussion of social and symbolic boundaries. The focus is on city-level public spaces that function beyond neighborhoods and draw people from outside the immediate community. This article expands the discussion of boundaries beyond particular neighborhoods by situating social relations in the broader context of the metropolitan area. In Tehran, urban developments have increased mobility in use of public spaces, particularly enabling the less privileged in the south to move more easily and use spaces in the north, resulting in a fairly mixed social landscape. Using observations, survey data, and interviews with users of public spaces, I study the related social consequences and explore how boundaries are perceived and negotiated in changing urban environments. The findings shed light on some of the processes through which social and symbolic boundaries are questioned or maintained, as spatial boundaries become more fluid, blurred, and negotiable in a more accessible city.
Establishing a Multi-Institutional Quality and Patient Safety Consortium: Collaboration Across Affiliates in a Community-Based Medical School
Authors: Hillman Emily , Paul Joann , Neustadt Maggie , Reddy Mamta , Wooldridge David , Dall Lawrence , Drees Betty
Published: June 2020

The landscape of health care delivery and medical education is evolving. Institutions must continually reassess priorities, strategies, and partnerships to align the knowledge and skills of the health care workforce with the delivery of quality, socially accountable, collaborative health care that meets the needs of diverse populations in communities. This article describes the development, implementation, and early outcomes of the University of Missouri–Kansas City’s Health Care Quality and Patient Safety Consortium. Inspired by an actual patient safety event, the consortium aimed to improve patient outcomes by establishing quality improvement and patient safety (QIPS) education and scholarship as foundational within its unique, horizontal-matrix academic health center, which comprises 6 affiliated hospitals and 4 university-based health sciences schools. The consortium established a governance structure with leaders who, collectively, represent the diverse members and stakeholders of the consortium. The members share a common agenda and mutual goals. The consortium measures success by applying published conceptual frameworks for evaluating the outcomes of educational programs on learners (Kirkpatrick) and patients (Bzowyckyj and colleagues). Consortium learner and patient outcomes span all levels of these frameworks. Undergraduate and graduate QIPS-based projects with meaningful health system or improved individual health outcomes signify a Level 4 outcome (the highest level) for learners and patients alike. Factors critical to success include a financial gift, leadership buy-in and support, a clear champion, shared goals and a united vision, a willingness to collaborate across health systems with varied strengths and priorities, and a stable communication platform. Aspirational goals of the consortium include increasing involvement across health professional schools, incorporating simulation into QIPS activities, and aligning the consortium’s projects with broader community needs.
Plasma-induced catalysis: towards a numerical approach
Authors: Li Haijing , Toschi Federico
Published: June 2020

A lattice Boltzmann (LB) model is developed, validated and used to study simplified plasma/flow problems in complex geometries. This approach solves a combined set of equations, namely the Navier–Stokes equations for the momentum field, the advection–diffusion and the Nernst–Planck equations for electrokinetic and the Poisson equation for the electric field. This model allows us to study the dynamical interaction of the fluid/plasma density, velocity, concentration and electric field. In this work, we discuss several test cases for our numerical model and use it to study a simplified plasma fluid flowing and reacting inside a packed bed reactor. Inside the packed bed, electric breakdown reactions take place due to the electric field, making neutral species ionize. The presence of the packed beads can help enhance the reaction efficiency by locally increasing the electric field, and the size of packed beads and the pressure drop of the packed bed do influence the outflux. Hence trade-offs exist between reaction efficiency and packing porosity, the size of packing beads and the pressure drop of the packed bed. Our model may be used as a guidance to achieve higher reaction efficiencies by optimizing the relevant parameters.

This article is part of the theme issue ‘Fluid dynamics, soft matter and complex systems: recent results and new methods’.
Dynamics and fragmentation of small inextensible fibres in turbulence
Authors: Allende Sofía , Henry Christophe , Bec Jérémie
Published: June 2020

The fragmentation of small, brittle, flexible, inextensible fibres is investigated in a fully developed, homogeneous, isotropic turbulent flow. Such small fibres spend most of their time fully stretched and their dynamics follows that of stiff rods. They can then break through tensile failure, i.e. when the tension is higher than a given threshold. Fibres bend when experiencing a strong compression. During these rare and intermittent buckling events, they can break under flexural failure, i.e. when the curvature exceeds a threshold. Fine-scale massive simulations of both the fluid flow and the fibre dynamics are performed to provide statistics on these two fragmentation processes. This gives ingredients for the development of accurate macroscopic models, namely the fragmentation rate and daughter-size distributions, which can be used to predict the time evolution of the fibre size distribution. Evidence is provided for the generic nature of turbulent fragmentation and of the resulting population dynamics. It is indeed shown that the statistics of break-up is fully determined by the probability distribution of Lagrangian fluid velocity gradients. This approach singles out that the only relevant dimensionless parameter is a local flexibility which balances flow stretching to the fibre elastic forces.

This article is part of the theme issue ‘Fluid dynamics, soft matter and complex systems: recent results and new methods’.
A multi-component lattice Boltzmann approach to study the causality of plastic events
Authors: Kumar Pinaki , Benzi Roberto , Trampert Jeannot , Toschi Federico
Published: June 2020

Using a multi-component lattice Boltzmann (LB) model, we perform fluid kinetic simulations of confined and concentrated emulsions. The system presents the phenomenology of soft-glassy materials, including a Herschel–Bulkley rheology, yield stress, ageing and long relaxation time scales. Shearing the emulsion in a Couette cell below the yield stress results in plastic topological re-arrangement events which follow established empirical seismic statistical scaling laws, making this system a good candidate to study the physics of earthquakes. One characteristic of this model is the tendency for events to occur in avalanche clusters, with larger events, triggering subsequent re-arrangements. While seismologists have developed statistical tools to study correlations between events, a process to confirm causality remains elusive. We present here, a modification to our LB model, involving small, fast vibrations applied to individual droplets, effectively a macroscopic forcing, which results in the arrest of the topological plastic re-arrangements. This technique provides an excellent tool for identifying causality in plastic event clusters by examining the evolution of the dynamics after ‘stopping’ an event, and then checking which subsequent events disappear.

This article is part of the theme issue ‘Fluid dynamics, soft matter and complex systems: recent results and new methods’.
Reviving the local second-order boundary approach within the two-relaxation-time lattice Boltzmann modelling
Authors: Silva Goncalo , Ginzburg Irina
Published: June 2020

This work addresses the Dirichlet boundary condition for momentum in the lattice Boltzmann method (LBM), with focus on the steady-state Stokes flow modelling inside non-trivial shaped ducts. For this task, we revisit a local and highly accurate boundary scheme, called the local second-order boundary (LSOB) method. This work reformulates the LSOB within the two-relaxation-time (TRT) framework, which achieves a more standardized and easy to use algorithm due to the pivotal parametrization TRT properties. The LSOB explicitly reconstructs the unknown boundary populations in the form of a Chapman–Enskog expansion, where not only first- but also second-order momentum derivatives are locally extracted with the TRT symmetry argument, through a simple local linear algebra procedure, with no need to compute their non-local finite-difference approximations. Here, two LSOB strategies are considered to realize the wall boundary condition, the original one called Lwall and a novel one Lnode, which operate with the wall and node variables, roughly speaking. These two approaches are worked out for both plane and curved walls, including the corners. Their performance is assessed against well-established LBM boundary schemes such as the bounce-back, the local second-order accurate CLI scheme and two different parabolic multi-reflection (MR) schemes. They are all evaluated for 3D duct flows with rectangular, triangular, circular and annular cross-sections, mimicking the geometrical challenges of real porous structures. Numerical tests confirm that LSOB competes with the parabolic MR accuracy in this problem class, requiring only a single node to operate.

This article is part of the theme issue ‘Fluid dynamics, soft matter and complex systems: recent results and new methods’.
Dynamics of a long chain in turbulent flows: impact of vortices
Authors: Picardo Jason R. , Singh Rahul , Ray Samriddhi Sankar , Vincenzi Dario
Published: June 2020

We show and explain how a long bead–spring chain, immersed in a homogeneous isotropic turbulent flow, preferentially samples vortical flow structures. We begin with an elastic, extensible chain which is stretched out by the flow, up to inertial-range scales. This filamentary object, which is known to preferentially sample the circular coherent vortices of two-dimensional (2D) turbulence, is shown here to also preferentially sample the intense, tubular, vortex filaments of three-dimensional (3D) turbulence. In the 2D case, the chain collapses into a tracer inside vortices. In the 3D case on the contrary, the chain is extended even in vortical regions, which suggests that the chain follows axially stretched tubular vortices by aligning with their axes. This physical picture is confirmed by examining the relative sampling behaviour of the individual beads, and by additional studies on an inextensible chain with adjustable bending-stiffness. A highly flexible, inextensible chain also shows preferential sampling in three dimensions, provided it is longer than the dissipation scale, but not much longer than the vortex tubes. This is true also for 2D turbulence, where a long inextensible chain can occupy vortices by coiling into them. When the chain is made inflexible, however, coiling is prevented and the extent of preferential sampling in two dimensions is considerably reduced. In three dimensions, on the contrary, bending stiffness has no effect, because the chain does not need to coil in order to thread a vortex tube and align with its axis.

This article is part of the theme issue ‘Fluid dynamics, soft matter and complex systems: recent results and new methods’.
Lattice Boltzmann simulations capture the multiscale physics of soft flowing crystals
Authors: Montessori A. , Tiribocchi A. , Bonaccorso F. , Lauricella M. , Succi S.
Published: June 2020

The study of the underlying physics of soft flowing materials depends heavily on numerical simulations, due to the complex structure of the governing equations reflecting the competition of concurrent mechanisms acting at widely disparate scales in space and time. A full-scale computational modelling remains a formidable challenge since it amounts to simultaneously handling six or more spatial decades in space and twice as many in time. Coarse-grained methods often provide a viable strategy to significantly mitigate this issue, through the implementation of mesoscale supramolecular forces designed to capture the essential physics at a fraction of the computational cost of a full-detail description. Here, we review some recent advances in the design of a lattice Boltzmann mesoscale approach for soft flowing materials, inclusive of near-contact interactions (NCIs) between dynamic interfaces, as they occur in high packing-fraction soft flowing crystals. The method proves capable of capturing several aspects of the rheology of soft flowing crystals, namely, (i) a 3/2 power-law dependence of the dispersed phase flow rate on the applied pressure gradient, (ii) the structural transition between an ex-two and ex-one (bamboo) configurations with the associated drop of the flow rate, (iii) the onset of interfacial waves once NCI is sufficiently intense.

This article is part of the theme issue ‘Fluid dynamics, soft matter and complex systems: recent results and new methods’.
Probing bulk viscosity in relativistic flows
Authors: Gabbana A. , Simeoni D. , Succi S. , Tripiccione R.
Published: June 2020

We derive an analytical connection between kinetic relaxation rate and bulk viscosity of a relativistic fluid in
d
spatial dimensions, all the way from the ultra-relativistic down to the near non-relativistic regime. Our derivation is based on both Chapman–Enskog asymptotic expansion and Grad’s method of moments. We validate our theoretical results against a benchmark flow, providing further evidence of the correctness of the Chapman–Enskog approach; we define the range of validity of this approach and provide evidence of mounting departures at increasing Knudsen number. Finally, we present numerical simulations of transport processes in quark-gluon plasmas, with special focus on the effects of bulk viscosity which might prove amenable to future experimental verification.

This article is part of the theme issue ‘Fluid dynamics, soft matter and complex systems: recent results and new methods’.
Efficient supersonic flow simulations using lattice Boltzmann methods based on numerical equilibria
Authors: Latt Jonas , Coreixas Christophe , Beny Joël , Parmigiani Andrea
Published: June 2020

A double-distribution-function based lattice Boltzmann method (DDF-LBM) is proposed for the simulation of polyatomic gases in the supersonic regime. The model relies on a numerical equilibrium that has been extensively used by discrete velocity methods since the late 1990s. Here, it is extended to reproduce an arbitrary number of moments of the Maxwell–Boltzmann distribution. These extensions to the standard 5-constraint (mass, momentum and energy) approach lead to the correct simulation of thermal, compressible flows with only 39 discrete velocities in 3D. The stability of this BGK-LBM is reinforced by relying on Knudsen-number-dependent relaxation times that are computed analytically. Hence, high Reynolds-number, supersonic flows can be simulated in an efficient and elegant manner. While the 1D Riemann problem shows the ability of the proposed approach to handle discontinuities in the zero-viscosity limit, the simulation of the supersonic flow past a NACA0012 aerofoil confirms the excellent behaviour of this model in a low-viscosity and supersonic regime. The flow past a sphere is further simulated to investigate the 3D behaviour of our model in the low-viscosity supersonic regime. The proposed model is shown to be substantially more efficient than the previous 5-moment D3Q343 DDF-LBM for both CPU and GPU architectures. It then opens up a whole new world of compressible flow applications that can be realistically tackled with a purely LB approach.

This article is part of the theme issue ‘Fluid dynamics, soft matter and complex systems: recent results and new methods’.
Clonostachys viticola sp. nov., a novel species isolated from Vitis vinifera
Authors: Torcato Cristina , Gonçalves Micael F. M. , Rodríguez-Gálvez Edgar , Alves Artur
Published: June 2020

A collection of fungal isolates obtained from crop plants, specifically grapevine and blueberry, in Peru were characterised through morphological and DNA sequence analyses of the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS), beta-tubulin (tub2) and translation elongation factor 1-alpha (tef-1α) regions. Isolates produced monomorphic and dimorphic conidiophores typical of members of the genus Clonostachys. Single- and multi-locus gene phylogenies confirmed the isolates as representing members of the genus Clonostachys, more closely related to species in the subgenus Bionectria. In phylogenetic analyses the isolates grouped in two separate clades, one corresponding to the species Clonostachys pseudochroleuca and the other one distinct from all known species of the genus Clonostachys. These isolates are recognized as representing a novel species species for which the name Clonostachys viticola is proposed.
Risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection from contaminated water systems
Authors: Shutler Jamie , Zaraska Krzysztof , Holding Tom , Machnik Monika , Uppuluri Kiranmai , Ashton Ian , Migdał Łukasz , Dahiya Ravinder
Published: June 2020

Following the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) in China, airborne water droplets (aerosols) have been identified as the main transmission route, although other transmission routes are likely to exist. We quantify SARS-CoV-2 virus survivability within water and the risk of infection posed by faecal contaminated water within 39 countries. We identify that the virus can remain stable within water for up to 25 days, and country specific relative risk of infection posed by faecal contaminated water is related to the environment. Faecal contaminated rivers, waterways and water systems within countries with high infection rates can provide infectious doses >100 copies within 100 ml of water. The implications for freshwater systems, the coastal marine environment and virus resurgence are discussed.
Clozapine treatment and risk of COVID-19
Authors: Govind Risha , de Freitas Daniela Fonseca , Pritchard Megan , Hayes Richard D. , MacCabe James H.
Published: June 2020

Background

Clozapine, an antipsychotic with unique efficacy in treatment resistant psychosis, is associated with increased susceptibility to infection, including pneumonia.

Aims

To investigate associations between clozapine treatment and increased risk of COVID-19 in patients with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders who are receiving antipsychotic medications, using electronic health records data, in a geographically defined population in London.

Method

Using information from South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust (SLAM) clinical records, via the Clinical Record Interactive Search system, we identified 6,309 individuals who had an ICD-10 diagnosis of schizophrenia-spectrum disorders and were taking antipsychotics at the time on the COVID-19 pandemic onset in the UK. People who were on clozapine treatment were compared with those on any other antipsychotic treatment for risk of contracting COVID-19 between 1 March and 18 May 2020. We tested associations between clozapine treatment and COVID-19 infection, adjusting for gender, age, ethnicity, BMI, smoking status, and SLAM service use.

Results

Of 6,309 patients, 102 tested positive for COVID-19. Individuals who were on clozapine had increased risk of COVID-19 compared with those who were on other antipsychotic medication (unadjusted HR = 2.62 (95% CI 1.73 - 3.96), which was attenuated after adjusting for potential confounders, including clinical contact (adjusted hazard ratio HR=1.76, 95% CI 1.14 - 2.72).

Conclusions

These findings provide support for the hypothesis that clozapine treatment is associated with an increased risk of COVID-19. Further research will be needed in other samples to confirm this association. Potential clinical implications are discussed.