bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
System Performance Measurement Using Web Server Log Files Method and Sink’s Seven Performance Criteria in Multichannel System Architecture
Authors: Asrianto R , Kerlooza Y
Published: November 2019

The purpose of system of updating population data with a multichannel architecture helps to simplify and streamline population data service procedures. This study builds a model of performance measurement in system processes using a multichannel system. The research method uses quantitative methods. Performance is seen in terms of productivity, effectiveness, efficiency, quality, quality, innovation, quality of work life and profitability in processes and sub-processes in multichannel systems. The results of this study get a critical area; namely the achievement of outputs that are not in line with the very poor product achievement standards, an increase in RnD is not optimal, employee trainees are not in accordance with the target, and work accidents are high. This paper uses multichannel performance measurement by determining key performance indicators (KPI) and performing performance measurements by recording processes on a multi-channel system with the Seven Sink Criteria method to produce standard performance measurements with the system automatically. In conclusion we can measure performance in SIAK using a multi-channel system, by calculating activity in the system. Even though there are two KPIs that cannot be measured by the system, they can still be combined using a weighted average value. Then we get a value that can be compared with the performance of the service unit to determine the performance conditions.
Invisible in Architecture Confront the Green Architecture
Authors: Abioso W S
Published: November 2019

This paper intended to discover how the invisible in architecture in the perspective of behaviour environment, confront the green value in architecture. The invisible in architecture understood as tangible architecture or space, but for some reasons taking place effectively invisible. A cradle–to–grave even a cradle–to–cradle paradigm of green design is still flourishing and many architects still use them, but among many designs still leave the unexpected effectively invisible spaces. The study conducted over and done with literature studies in descriptive manner. The aim of this study enquires the designers beside should keep a cradle–to–grave even a cradle–to–cradle paradigm in action, should be taking into account architectural basic order and spatial order in tremendous way and considering human behaviour in such order, clear function, versatile space, and proximity. This actually can be able to decrease the invisible in architecture. Furthermore, it can be able to reduce even avoid wasting resources, inefficiency, and degradation of the green value. The simple and old theories of architecture if applied in tremendous way, actually can help to overcome the new problems particularly the invisible in architecture in regard with confrontation to the green architecture.
Role of Technology for Interior Design Sectors in Creative Economic Development
Authors: Hasti N , Kusnia G
Published: November 2019

The purpose of this research is to find out and describe the technology used to develop the creative economy. This study used a qualitative approach with descriptive methods, to explain the facts and conditions that occur at this time. The results of this study indicate that technological developments in the interior design sector can produce works that are innovative, efficient, and have benefits in creative economic development. With CAD (Computer Aided Design) it is very helpful for architects and designers to design their projects with full accuracy, can save more time and money use more efficiently. From the results of CAD (Computer Aided Design) technology in the field of interior design, it can be applied in detail and detail to the elements. Of course with the development of technology that can affect the creative economy.
Convolution Neural Network for Text Mining and Natural Language Processing
Authors: Widiastuti N I
Published: November 2019

The objective of this study is to get an overview of the improvements applied in a number of studies and problems that have not been resolved. We have surveyed more than 30 scientific articles obtained from scientific article portals such as Science Direct, IEEE explore, Arxiv, and Google Scholar. Based on this abstract, we obtain similarities and differences based on the problem solved, the pre-processing method for data input, and the approach taken to achieve the goal. The results show that some problems have not been resolved by CNN in the text mining domain and NLP. This happens because CNN is used to solve problems in each case such as sentiment analysis, classification of documents or NLP cases such as entities and their relationships, or semantic representation. CNN that is proficient in image classification has proven its ability to process text. Appropriate data representations and methods have brought that success. However, a number of studies only convey the results they are working on. No one has specifically discussed high computing problems on CNN with consistent and measurable parameters. Thus there are still many studies that use CNN for mining text and NLP are still open to completion
Database Migration Strategies and Techniques to Minimize Unexpected Dysfunctionality
Authors: Fahmi A , Putra Y H
Published: November 2019

The purpose of this research is to develop good data migration strategies and techniques. To ensure the speed and accuracy of the process and also measure the quality of data from pre-migration and post-migration data we use the “Phased Migration Strategy” method. The results of this study are offering speed and timeliness without causing data loss or damage, maintaining consistency and integrity of the schema table structure resulting from data migration, especially in mapping data types, to match the structure in the original database, to minimize unexpected disfunctionality. From these results in a number of other cases, a new system was developed to replace the old one which became too complicated or out of date and which held back further modification and evolution. This system is known as a “legacy” system. The rate of increase or at least a change from one system to another will not slow down in the near future. In fact, the process of migrating data from the legacy system will continue to be accelerated in the coming years.
Sustainable Green Chemical Processing of Surfactant Synthesized from Bagasse for Enhanced Oil Recovery using Microwave Radiation
Authors: Setiati R , Siregar S , Marhaendrajana T , Wahyuningrum D , Listyani A
Published: November 2019

The purpose of this research is to show the processing of surfactants from bagasse with the green chemical concept that is using vegetable raw materials. This is a laboratory research method, which synthesized become sodium ligno sulfonate (SLS) surfactant using two processes, hydrolisys and sulfonation with a green chemical process that is using microwave radiation (Microwave-Assisted Organic Synthesis / MAOS). In addition to performing functional group analysis, characterization was carried out by analyzing the structure of the lignin amination product by measuring 1H-NMR with the results of the formation of alkene groups, sulfonate groups and carboxylates. The Microwave-assisted Organic Synthesis (MAOS) method has succeeded in synthesizing contaminated and alkylated lignin derivative compounds from bagasse lignin and synthesizing lignosulfonicderivatives. Derivatives of lignosulfonate synthesized from bagasse can be done with a green chemical processes that are environmentally friendly. Impact of the reasearch is waste of the bagasse can be used as a product that has added value for the oil sector in Indonesia.
Ensemble Undersampling to Handle Unbalanced Class on Cross-Project Defect Prediction
Authors: Saifudin A , Heryadi Y , Lukas
Published: November 2019

There has been much research which proposed for cross-project software defect prediction models but no models that perform very well with various datasets in general. Software defect dataset usually imbalanced because it contains far more the not defected modules than the defected modules. Class imbalances in the dataset can reduce the performance of classifiers in the software defect prediction model. In this study proposed a Random Undersampling algorithm to balance classes and ensemble techniques to reduce misclassification. The ensemble technique used is the AdaBoost and Bagging algorithm. The results showed that the software defect prediction model that integrates the Random Undersampling algorithm and AdaBoost provides better performance and can find more defects than other models.
Data Visualization of Plant Resistant Towards Plant Disease At PT. East-West Seed Indonesia
Authors: Dharmayanti D , Bachtiar A M , Santoso M A D
Published: November 2019

The purpose of this study is to produce appropriate data visualization in the domain of plant resistance cases used in understanding information for plant pathology researchers. The method used in this study was data visualization. The results in this study shows slow handling of the dangers of attacks by the pest so that production decreases will occur again. An effective way to present information is to turn it into a form of visual information. This research produces visualization designs to be implemented in the form of software prototypes. Thus, plant pathology researchers can understand the information they need with the results of this visualization.
E-creative Industry Based on Japanese Culture
Authors: Sitanggang A S , Akbar M R
Published: November 2019

The purpose of this research is to identify the development of Indonesia creative industry influenced by the Japanese culture. The method used in this research was descriptive with literature method, using an online article, library books, and other printed media to get a result according to an overview of the situations related to the variable being examined. The result of this research is to see how far the development of Indonesia creative industry influenced by the Japanese culture. This research was done by discussing the influence of Japanese culture in the development of Indonesia creative industry and the hope of the creative industry in Indonesia in the future. From the movement of this creative industry developed by the young generation of Indonesia now, it is hoped that the entry of Japanese subculture coming to Indonesia will be introduced properly and correctly will adjust both the ethics and morality of Indonesian culture, whether it is popular Indonesian culture or subculture.
Model of Supply Chain Management for Food Product Industry Companies
Authors: Widianty U D , Harihayati T
Published: November 2019

The purpose of this research is to produce an SCM model that can be used as a reference by the Head of the Procurement Section and the Head of the Distribution Division in controlling each activity in the supply chain, covering activities from upstream to downstream in the food industry. This study used descriptive analysis method. The Head of the Procurement Section in planning the determination of the number of raw materials that must be held for production activities sometimes has difficulty in determining the right amount of raw materials to be held and ordered to suppliers so that the stock of raw materials in the warehouse is deficient or sometimes excessive. The result was a problem that occur in the Upstream which has an impact in the downstream, namely the Head of Distribution Division. The distribution activities has difficulty in scheduling distribution. It can be concluded that Single Moving Average is a type of forecasting method that can be used in completing the determination of raw materials that must be held in procurement activities, while the company’s business processes can be used in making the distribution schedule.
Study on quenching sensitivity of 7097 aluminum alloy
Authors: Xie Peng , Chen Kanghua , Chen Songyi , Ye Shengping , Jiao Huibin , Huang Lanping
Published: November 2019

The time-temperature-property (TTP) and the time-temperature-transformation (TTT) curves of 7097 aluminum alloy are determined by interrupted quenching experiments in order to investigate the quench sensitivity. The quenching sensitive zone is 230 °C–370 °C, and the nose temperature and transformation time are about 320 °C and 1.2 s, respectively. The evolution of quench-induced precipitates during different isothermal temperatures treatment has been observed by the transmission electron microscope. The number and size of quench-induced precipitates are gradually increased with the extension of isothermal holding time. Moreover, the quenching sensitivity of 7097 aluminum alloy is lower than that of 7055 aluminum alloy and 7050 aluminum alloy, but higher than that of 7085 aluminum alloy, and the influence of alloy composition on the quenching sensitivity is investigated.
Logarithmic stability of an inverse problem for Biot’s consolidation system in poro-elasticity
Authors: Zhang Wensheng , Jiang Zifan
Published: November 2019

In this paper, we consider a coupled system of mixed hyperbolic-parabolic type, which describes Biot’s consolidation model in poro-elasticity. We study an inverse problem of determining five spatially varying coefficients in the model, i.e. two Lamé coefficients, the secondary consolidation effects and two densities, by three measurements of displacement in an arbitrary subboundary and temperature in an arbitrary neighborhood of the boundary over a time interval. By assuming that, in a neighborhood of the boundary of the spatial domain, the densities, secondary consolidation effects and the Lamé coefficients are known, we prove a logarithmic stability estimate for the inverse problem.
Evaluating the Utility of Coarsened Exact Matching for Pharmacoepidemiology Using Real and Simulated Claims Data
Authors: Ripollone John E , Huybrechts Krista F , Rothman Kenneth J , Ferguson Ryan E , Franklin Jessica M
Published: November 2019

Coarsened exact matching (CEM) is a matching method proposed as an alternative to other techniques commonly used to control confounding. We compared CEM with 3 techniques that have been used in pharmacoepidemiology: propensity score matching, Mahalanobis distance matching, and fine stratification by propensity score (FS). We evaluated confounding control and effect-estimate precision using insurance claims data from the Pharmaceutical Assistance Contract for the Elderly (1999–2002) and Medicaid Analytic eXtract (2000–2007) databases (United States) and from simulated claims-based cohorts. CEM generally achieved the best covariate balance. However, it often led to high bias and low precision of the risk ratio due to extreme losses in study size and numbers of outcomes (i.e., sparse data bias)—especially with larger covariate sets. FS usually was optimal with respect to bias and precision and always created good covariate balance. Propensity score matching usually performed almost as well as FS, especially with higher index exposure prevalence. The performance of Mahalanobis distance matching was relatively poor. These findings suggest that CEM, although it achieves good covariate balance, might not be optimal for large claims-database studies with rich covariate information; it might be ideal if only a few (<10) strong confounders must be controlled.
Fuzzy modeling and global optimization to predict novel therapeutic targets in cancer cells
Authors: Nobile Marco S , Votta Giuseppina , Palorini Roberta , Spolaor Simone , De Vitto Humberto , Cazzaniga Paolo , Ricciardiello Francesca , Mauri Giancarlo , Alberghina Lilia , Chiaradonna Ferdinando , Besozzi Daniela
Published: November 2019

Motivation

The elucidation of dysfunctional cellular processes that can induce the onset of a disease is a challenging issue from both the experimental and computational perspectives. Here we introduce a novel computational method based on the coupling between fuzzy logic modeling and a global optimization algorithm, whose aims are to (1) predict the emergent dynamical behaviors of highly heterogeneous systems in unperturbed and perturbed conditions, regardless of the availability of quantitative parameters, and (2) determine a minimal set of system components whose perturbation can lead to a desired system response, therefore facilitating the design of a more appropriate experimental strategy.

Results

We applied this method to investigate what drives K-ras-induced cancer cells, displaying the typical Warburg effect, to death or survival upon progressive glucose depletion. The optimization analysis allowed to identify new combinations of stimuli that maximize pro-apoptotic processes. Namely, our results provide different evidences of an important protective role for protein kinase A in cancer cells under several cellular stress conditions mimicking tumor behavior. The predictive power of this method could facilitate the assessment of the response of other complex heterogeneous systems to drugs or mutations in fields as medicine and pharmacology, therefore paving the way for the development of novel therapeutic treatments.

Availability and implementation

The source code of FUMOSO is available under the GPL 2.0 license on GitHub at the following URL: https://github.com/aresio/FUMOSO

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
“Living long in India”– India’s progress towards Universal Health Coverage
Authors: Balraj L , Brand H
Published: November 2019

Issue

There are multiple small health insurance schemes throughout India. However, high out-of-pocket (OOP) expenditures, unaffordable and inequitable access to healthcare services still persist. In an attempt to address these issues and achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC), India launched the healthcare scheme ‘Ayushman Bharat’ (“long live India”) in 2018.

Description

The Ayushman Bharat (AB) scheme has two components which include 1) transforming the existing primary healthcare centers (PHC) under the control of State Governments and 2) the National Health Protection Scheme (NHPS) also known as “ModiCare” - a health insurance. The scheme aims to transform nearly 150.000 PHCs to deliver comprehensive primary healthcare services across the country by 2022. NHPS covers the costs of almost all secondary and many tertiary care procedures of about 40% of the total Indian population. The coverage will be approximately €6.400 per year per beneficiary family; 60% of the costs are borne by the Centre and 40% by the States.

Results

Approximately €127 million have already been allocated by the Centre towards the AB scheme for the fiscal year 2018-19. Till date, around 29 million health insurance cards have been issued, approximately 1,8 million beneficiaries have been admitted and around 15.291 hospitals have been empaneled under NHPS. However, there is no data available validating the usage of the health services yet. Few Indian states are yet to implement the AB scheme.

Lessons

For the first time, attempts have been made to provide affordable healthcare services to the Indian population under a single common initiative. However, the AB scheme fails to cover outpatient health services, which are an important part of OOP expenses in India.

Main message

The effort to launch Ayushman Bharat in a big, democratic and diverse country like India has to be lauded, which not only aims to make healthcare services affordable but also aligns itself to the concept of UHC.
Risk of cardiovascular diseases after breast cancer: an analysis on a cohort of 1.3 million women
Authors: Ricceri F , Calabrese S C , Ferracin E , Di Cuonzo D , Macciotta A , d’Errico A , Franco P F , Numico G , Pagano E , Sacerdote C
Published: November 2019

Background

Breast cancer (BC) is the malignant tumor with the highest incidence in women in the world with an estimate of about 500,000 new cases per year in Europe. Guidelines for BC treatment include surgery followed by radiotherapy, hormonal therapy or chemotherapy. Several studies showed that BC treatment increases the risk of myocardial infarction (MI) while only few studies investigated the risk of stroke after BC.

The aim of the present study was to assess the risk of MI and stroke in BC survivors, taking into account the possible influence of treatments.

Methods

Women included in the study are part of a longitudinal cohort including all residents in the Piedmont region linked to the 2011 census data and followed-up through administrative data on mortality, hospital admissions, drug prescriptions, and outpatient consultations. Validated algorithms to identify BC incident cases and their therapies as well as to identify MI and stroke were applied.

The effect of BC on the risk of MI and stroke was tested using Cox models (adjusted for confounding variables) that allow to account for the competing risks. First, BC patients were compared to healthy women, then BC women that undertwent a specific therapy were compared with both healthy women and other BC patients.

Results

Women with BC showed an increased risk compared to healthy women for both MI (HR: 1.20; 95% CI: 1.05-1.38) and stroke (HR: 1.58; 95%CI: 1.38-1.82). Chemotherapy almost doubled the risk of MI, while radiotherapy did not seem to have a similar effect, even comparing with other BC patients. The high risk of stroke observed comparing BC (any therapy) with healthy women disappeared when comparing specific therapies among BC patients.

Conclusions

Chemotherapy increased the risk of MI in BC patients, while recent radiotherapy strategies had less impact, if any. Moreover, the mechanism for which BC patients have an increased risk of stroke seems not to be related to a late effect of therapies.

Key messages

Breast cancer women are at higher risk of developing cardio and cerebrovascular diseases and this should be taken into account when planning therapies and follow-up surveillance. Despite the increase in quality of the therapeutic approaches for breast cancer patients, chemotherapy increases the risk of myocardial infarction, while radiotherapy dangerousness recently decreased.
An innovative continuing medical education approach of general practitioners on vaccination: ForMéVac
Authors: Guagliardo C , Cortaredona S , Banide M C , Burlot E , Bouvenot J , Jozancy F , Verger P
Published: November 2019

Background

General practitioners (GPs) play a central role in vaccinating the population in France. In a context of mistrust regarding vaccination, and because patients increasingly question their GP about vaccines, we designed the continuing medical education (CME) module in order to 1) reinforce GPs knowledge about vaccination 2) help GPs answer questions most frequently asked by their patients and 3) evaluate the impact of this module on their vaccine prescriptions.

Methods

The CME module lasted 3 hours and focused on MMR, meningitis C and seasonal influenza vaccines; GPs were given confidential feedback information on percentages of their patients vaccinated. We included GPs practicing in Southeastern France and with less than 60% of their child patients (aged between 10 and 34 months) with 2 reimbursements of MMR vaccines (data obtained from the Health Insurance Fund). Eligible GPs were then randomly assigned to three groups: those offered either a face-to-face or e-learning CME module and a control group without CME. We used vaccine reimbursement rates for MMR 2-doses, Meningitis C, seasonal influenza as proxies for vaccine prescription rates, and a difference in differences approach to compare reimbursement rates in the year before the CME session and in the 24 months post-intervention.

Results

Compared to the control group, vaccine reimbursement rates for 2-dose MMR and meningitis C increased by 6% and 4% respectively (p < 0.05) among patients of GPs who participated in the face-to-face CME session (52 GPs, with 1 842 children). For seasonal influenza vaccine, we found a 12% increase in the face-to-face group (p < 0.01). We found no statistically significant increase in the e-learning group (19 GPs, with 674 children) whatever the vaccine.

Conclusions

We found a modest impact of face-to-face CME session with feedback on GPs practices for childhood vaccines and a stronger one for seasonal influenza.

Key messages

The very positive feedback from face-to-face training highlights the fact that this type of training, which bring knowledge on vaccination in general and specific vaccines to GPs, is necessary. We found weak evidence for efficiency of CME sessions associated with audit/feedback to modify GPs practices regarding MMR and meningitis C vaccines.
The SCBA methodology and to provide a brief introduction to methodological aspects
Authors: de Wit A
Published: November 2019

Introduction of the method of a Social Cost-Benefit Analysis based on the workshop abstract.
A content analysis of food advertising in Arab Gulf countries during Ramadan
Authors: Alyousif Zainab , Alkhunain Nahlah , Dahl Wendy J , Mathews Anne E
Published: November 2019

Research has explored the link between exposure to marketing of foods high in energy and low in nutrients, and obesity in Western countries. The prevalence of obesity in Arab Gulf countries is similar to that of Western countries, yet the influence of advertising and frequency of exposure to advertising of foods on subsequent food choices and health is largely unexplored. This project sought to examine the number and quality of foods advertised on television during Ramadan in Arab Gulf countries. Television programming (36 h total), 12 h each for three stations, Alwatan, Dubai and MBC, was recorded. Food and restaurant advertisements (ads) were classified, totaled and analysed for dietary healthfulness using the Model SSCg3d. Of the total ads aired (n = 1473), food and restaurant ads were the most common (20.4%). The ad type and frequency varied among channels with restaurant ads most common on Alwatan, drinks and soda ads on Dubai, and sweet snacks and desserts ads on MBC (p < 0.001). Channels also differed regarding the frequency of dairy food ads (p < 0.001). Most food ads promoted less healthy foods similar to marketing practices in other countries with high rates of obesity. Many ads promoted foods high in energy, saturated fat, sodium and added sugar. This work signals the need to further understand the relationship between advertising of nutrient-poor foods, food behaviours and obesity in Arab Gulf countries and how advertising regulations may address this public health issue.
Homotopy Invariance of Convolution Products
Authors: Sagave Steffen , Schwede Stefan
Published: November 2019

The purpose of this paper is to show that various convolution products are fully homotopical, meaning that they preserve weak equivalences in both variables without any cofibrancy hypothesis. We establish this property for diagrams of simplicial sets indexed by the category of finite sets and injections and for tame $M$-simplicial sets, with $M$ the monoid of injective self-maps of the positive natural numbers. We also show that a certain convolution product studied by Nikolaus and the 1st author is fully homotopical. This implies that every presentably symmetric monoidal $\infty $-category can be represented by a symmetric monoidal model category with a fully homotopical monoidal product.
Candida albicans enhances meropenem tolerance of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in a dual-species biofilm
Authors: Alam Farhana , Catlow Dominic , Di Maio Alessandro , Blair Jessica M A , Hall Rebecca A
Published: November 2019

Background

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic bacterium that infects the airways of cystic fibrosis patients, surfaces of surgical and burn wounds, and indwelling medical devices. Patients are prone to secondary fungal infections, with Candida albicans being commonly co-isolated with P. aeruginosa. Both P. aeruginosa and C. albicans are able to form extensive biofilms on the surfaces of mucosa and medical devices.

Objectives

To determine whether the presence of C. albicans enhances antibiotic tolerance of P. aeruginosa in a dual-species biofilm.

Methods

Single- and dual-species biofilms were established in microtitre plates and the survival of each species was measured following treatment with clinically relevant antibiotics. Scanning electron microscopy and confocal microscopy were used to visualize biofilm structure.

Results

C. albicans enhances P. aeruginosa biofilm tolerance to meropenem at the clinically relevant concentration of 5 mg/L. This effect is specific to biofilm cultures and is dependent upon C. albicans extracellular matrix polysaccharides, mannan and glucan, with C. albicans cells deficient in glycosylation structures not enhancing P. aeruginosa tolerance to meropenem.

Conclusions

We propose that fungal mannan and glucan secreted into the extracellular matrix of P. aeruginosa/C. albicans dual-species biofilms play a central role in enhancing P. aeruginosa tolerance to meropenem, which has direct implications for the treatment of coinfected patients.
World Ecology in Martineau’s and Gaskell’s Colonial Pastorals
Authors: Çelikkol Ayşe
Published: November 2019

The pastoral tends to offer a retreat from modern life, but Harriet Martineau and Elizabeth Gaskell reverse this pattern. They both turn to the colonies to reconcile the pastoral mode with capitalism, and, in their pastoral depictions of colonial life, we witness that mode’s peculiar capacity to narrate what the environmental historian Jason W. Moore calls ‘the capitalist world ecology’ – the globally systemic way of putting nature to work in the service of capitalism. Set in natural environments marked by human influence, the pastoral is a mode that can register economic relations with their ecological dimensions. In Martineau’s Homes Abroad and Cinnamon and Pearls – tales in Illustrations of Political Economy – and Gaskell’s Mary Barton, the pastoral aestheticizes the role that natural environments play in the development of capitalism. Homes Abroad presents peaceful agrarian life in Van Diemen’s Land as a lucrative enterprise in accord with modernization. Turning to Ceylon, Cinnamon and Pearls imagines an organic capitalism in which the celebration of plant life goes hand in hand with emergent property borders. In Mary Barton, the final pastoral setting in Canada is home to peace and progress. The felled trees in that setting signal the appropriation of nature for profit in the timber trade. These works of fiction capture the accumulation of capital in rural and suburban areas, which was historically key to the emergence of capitalism. The pastoral’s ability to depict the capitalist world ecology reflects a preoccupation with historical forces that is already present in the mode’s roots in antiquity.
Observed glitches in 8 young pulsars
Authors: Basu Avishek , Joshi Bhal Chandra , Krishnakumar M A , Bhattacharya Dipankar , Nandi Rana , Bandhopadhay Debades , Char Prasanta , Manoharan P K
Published: November 2019

The abrupt change in the pulse period of a pulsar is called a pulsar glitch. In this paper, we present eleven pulsar glitches detected using the Ooty Radio Telescope (ORT) and the upgraded Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (uGMRT) in high cadence timing observations of 8 pulsars. The measured relative amplitude of glitches (Δν/ν) from our data ranges from 10−6 to 10−9. Among these glitches, three are new discoveries, being reported for the first time. We also reanalyze the largest pulsar glitch in the Crab pulsar (PSR J0534+2200) by fitting the ORT data to a new phenomenological model including the slow rise in the post-glitch evolution. We measure an exponential recovery of 30 days after the Vela glitch detected on MJD 57734 with a healing factor Q = 5.8 × 10−3. Further, we report the largest glitch (Δν/ν = 3147.9 × 10−9) so far in PSR J1731−4744.
Spectral characteristic of mid-term quasi-periodicities in sunspot data
Authors: Frick P , Sokoloff D , Stepanov R , Pipin V , Usoskin I
Published: November 2019

Numerous analyses suggest the existence of various quasi-periodicities in solar activity. The power spectrum of solar activity recorded in sunspot data is dominated by the ∼11-yr quasi-periodicity, known as the Schwabe cycle. In the mid-term range (1 month–11 yr) a pronounced variability known as a quasi-biennial oscillation is widely discussed. In the shorter time-scale a pronounced peak, corresponding to the synodic solar rotation period (∼27 d), is observed. Here we revisit the mid-term solar variability in terms of statistical dynamics of fully turbulent systems, where solid arguments are required to accept an isolated dominant frequency in a continuous (smooth) spectrum. For this, we first undertook an unbiased analysis of the standard solar data, sunspot numbers and the F10.7 solar radio flux index, by applying a wavelet tool, which allows one to perform a frequency–time analysis of the signal. Considering the spectral dynamics of solar activity cycle by cycle, we showed that no single periodicity can be separated, in a statistically significant manner, in the specified range of periods. We examine whether a model of the solar dynamo can reproduce the mid-term oscillation pattern observed in solar data. We found that a realistically observed spectrum can be explained if small spatial (but not temporal) scales are effectively smoothed. This result is important because solar activity is a global feature, although monitored via small-scale tracers like sunspots.
Stellar cosmic rays as an important source of ionisation in protoplanetary disks: a disk mass dependent process
Authors: Rodgers-Lee D , Taylor A M , Downes T P , Ray T P
Published: November 2019

We assess the ionising effect of low energy protostellar cosmic rays in protoplanetary disks around a young solar mass star for a wide range of disk parameters. We assume a source of low energy cosmic rays located close to the young star which travel diffusively through the protoplanetary disk. We use observationally inferred values from nearby star-forming regions for the total disk mass and the radial density profile. We investigate the influence of varying the disk mass within the observed scatter for a solar mass star. We find that for a large range of disk masses and density profiles that protoplanetary disks are “optically thin” to low energy (∼3 GeV) cosmic rays. At R ∼ 10 au, for all of the disks that we consider (Mdisk = 6.0 × 10−4 − 2.4 × 10−2M⊙), the ionisation rate due to low energy stellar cosmic rays is larger than that expected from unmodulated galactic cosmic rays. This is in contrast to our previous results which assumed a much denser disk which may be appropriate for a more embedded source. At R ∼ 70 au, the ionisation rate due to stellar cosmic rays dominates in ∼50% of the disks. These are the less massive disks with less steep density profiles. At this radius there is at least an order of magnitude difference in the ionisation rate between the least and most massive disk that we consider. Our results indicate, for a wide range of disk masses, that low energy stellar cosmic rays provide an important source of ionisation at the disk midplane at large radii (∼70 au).
Pain Care in the Department of Veterans Affairs: Understanding How a Cultural Shift in Pain Care Impacts Provider Decisions and Collaboration
Authors: Mattocks Kristin , Rosen Marc I , Sellinger John , Ngo Tu , Brummett Brad , Higgins Diana M , Reznik Thomas E , Holtzheimer Paul , Semiatin Alicia M , Stapley Todd , Martino Steve
Published: November 2019

Objective

Over the past decade, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has experienced a sizeable shift in its approach to pain. The VA’s 2009 Pain Management Directive introduced the Stepped Care Model, which emphasizes an interdisciplinary approach to pain management involving pain referrals and management from primary to specialty care providers. Additionally, the Opioid Safety Initiative and 2017 VA/Department of Defense (DoD) clinical guidelines on opioid prescribing set a new standard for reducing opioid use in the VA. These shifts in pain care have led to new pain management strategies that rely on multidisciplinary teams and nonpharmacologic pain treatments. The goal of this study was to examine how the cultural transformation of pain care has impacted providers, the degree to which VA providers are aware of pain care services at their facilities, and their perceptions of multidisciplinary care and collaboration across VA disciplines.

Methods

We conducted semistructured phone interviews with 39 VA clinicians in primary care, mental health, pharmacy, and physical therapy/rehabilitation at eight Veterans Integrated Service Network medical centers in New England.

Results

We identified four major themes concerning interdisciplinary pain management approaches: 1) the culture of VA pain care has changed dramatically, with a greater focus on nonpharmacologic approaches to pain, though many “old school” providers continue to prefer medication options; 2) most facilities in this sample have no clear roadmap about which pain treatment pathway to follow, with many providers unaware of what treatment to recommend when; 3) despite multiple options for pain treatment, VA multidisciplinary teams generally work together to ensure that veterans receive coordinated pain care; and 4) veteran preferences for care may not align with existing pain care pathways.

Conclusions

The VA has shifted its practices regarding pain management, with a greater emphasis on nonpharmacologic pain options. The proliferation of nonpharmacologic pain management strategies requires stakeholders to know how to choose among alternative treatments.
Auxin transport model for leaf venation
Authors: Haskovec Jan , Jönsson Henrik , Kreusser Lisa Maria , Markowich Peter
Published: November 2019

The plant hormone auxin controls many aspects of the development of plants. One striking dynamical feature is the self-organization of leaf venation patterns which is driven by high levels of auxin within vein cells. The auxin transport is mediated by specialized membrane-localized proteins. Many venation models have been based on polarly localized efflux-mediator proteins of the PIN family. Here, we investigate a modelling framework for auxin transport with a positive feedback between auxin fluxes and transport capacities that are not necessarily polar, i.e. directional across a cell wall. Our approach is derived from a discrete graph-based model for biological transportation networks, where cells are represented by graph nodes and intercellular membranes by edges. The edges are not
a priori
oriented and the direction of auxin flow is determined by its concentration gradient along the edge. We prove global existence of solutions to the model and the validity of Murray's Law for its steady states. Moreover, we demonstrate with numerical simulations that the model is able connect an auxin source-sink pair with a mid-vein and that it can also produce branching vein patterns. A significant innovative aspect of our approach is that it allows the passage to a formal macroscopic limit which can be extended to include network growth. We perform mathematical analysis of the macroscopic formulation, showing the global existence of weak solutions for an appropriate parameter range.
Computational and experimental insights into the chemosensory navigation of Aedes aegyptimosquito larvae
Authors: Lutz Eleanor K. , Grewal Tjinder S. , Riffell Jeffrey A.
Published: November 2019

Mosquitoes are prolific disease vectors that affect public health around the world. Although many studies have investigated search strategies used by host-seeking adult mosquitoes, little is known about larval search behaviour. Larval behaviour affects adult body size and fecundity, and thus the capacity of individual mosquitoes to find hosts and transmit disease. Understanding vector survival at all life stages is crucial for improving disease control. In this study, we use experimental and computational methods to investigate the chemical ecology and search behaviour ofAedes aegyptimosquito larvae. We first show that larvae do not respond to several olfactory cues used by adultAe. aegyptito assess larval habitat quality, but perceive microbial RNA as a potent foraging attractant. Second, we demonstrate thatAe. aegyptilarvae use chemokinesis, an unusual search strategy, to navigate chemical gradients. Finally, we use computational modelling to demonstrate that larvae respond to starvation pressure by optimizing exploration behaviour—possibly critical for exploiting limited larval habitat types. Our results identify key characteristics of foraging behaviour in an important disease vector mosquito. In addition to implications for better understanding and control of disease vectors, this work establishes mosquito larvae as a tractable model for chemosensory behaviour and navigation.
Adaptive responses of the embryos of birds and reptiles to spatial and temporal variations in nest temperatures
Authors: Du Wei-Guo , Shine Richard , Ma Liang , Sun Bao-Jun
Published: November 2019

Natural nests of egg-laying birds and reptiles exhibit substantial thermal variation, at a range of spatial and temporal scales. Rates and trajectories of embryonic development are highly sensitive to temperature, favouring an ability of embryos to respond adaptively (i.e. match their developmental biology to local thermal regimes). Spatially, thermal variation can be significant within a single nest (top to bottom), among adjacent nests (as a function of shading, nest depth etc.), across populations that inhabit areas with different weather conditions, and across species that differ in climates occupied and/or nest characteristics. Thermal regimes also vary temporally, in ways that generate differences among nests within a single population (e.g. due to seasonal timing of laying), among populations and across species. Anthropogenic activities (e.g. habitat clearing, climate change) add to this spatial and temporal diversity in thermal regimes. We review published literature on embryonic adaptations to spatio-temporal heterogeneity in nest temperatures. Although relatively few taxa have been studied in detail, and proximate mechanisms remain unclear, our review identifies many cases in which natural selection appears to have fine-tuned embryogenesis to match local thermal regimes. Developmental rates have been reported to differ between uppermost versus lower eggs within a single nest, between eggs laid early versus late in the season, and between populations from cooler versus warmer climates. We identify gaps in our understanding of thermal adaptations of early (embryonic) phases of the life history, and suggest fruitful opportunities for future research.
Global-scale drivers of crop visitor diversity and the historical development of agriculture
Authors: Brown Julian , Cunningham Saul A.
Published: November 2019

Understanding diversity in flower-visitor assemblages helps us improve pollination of crops and support better biodiversity conservation outcomes. Much recent research has focused on drivers of crop-visitor diversity operating over spatial scales from fields to landscapes, such as pesticide and habitat management, while drivers operating over larger scales of continents and biogeographic realms are virtually unknown. Flower and visitor traits influence attraction of pollinators to flowers, and evolve in the context of associations that can be ancient or recent. Plants that have been adopted into agriculture have been moved widely around the world and thereby exposed to new flower visitors. Remarkably little is known of the consequence of these historical patterns for present-day crop-visiting bee diversity. We analyse data from 317 studies of 27 crops worldwide and find that crops are visited by fewer bee genera outside their region of origin and outside their family's region of origin. Thus, recent human history and the deeper evolutionary history of crops and bees appear to be important determinants of flower-visitor diversity at large scales that constrain the levels of visitor diversity that can be influenced by field- and landscape-scale interventions.
Population densities predict forebrain size variation in the cleaner fish
Labroides dimidiatus
Authors: Triki Zegni , Levorato Elena , McNeely William , Marshall Justin , Bshary Redouan
Published: November 2019

The ‘social brain hypothesis' proposes a causal link between social complexity and either brain size or the size of key brain parts known to be involved in cognitive processing and decision-making. While previous work has focused on comparisons between species, how social complexity affects plasticity in brain morphology at the intraspecific level remains mostly unexplored. A suitable study model is the mutualist ‘cleaner’ fish
Labroides dimidiatus
, a species that removes ectoparasites from a variety of ‘client’ fishes in iterative social interactions. Here, we report a positive relationship between the local density of cleaners, as a proxy of both intra- and interspecific sociality, and the size of the cleaner's brain parts suggested to be associated with cognitive functions, such as the diencephalon and telencephalon (that together form the forebrain). In contrast, the size of the mesencephalon, rhombencephalon, and brain stem, assumed more basal in function, were independent of local fish densities. Selective enlargement of brain parts, that is mosaic brain adjustment, appears to be driven by population density in cleaner fish.
Fluorescence correlation spectroscopy and photon counting histograms in small domains. Part I: General theory
Authors: Jiang Y. , Xu B. , Melnykov A. , Genin G. M. , Elson E. L.
Published: November 2019

Analysis of fluctuations arising as fluorescent particles pass through a focused laser beam has enabled quantitative characterization of molecular kinetic processes. The mathematical frameworks of both fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) and photon counting histogram (PCH) analysis, which can measure these fluctuations, assume an infinite Gaussian beam, which prevents their application to particles within domains bounded at the nanoscale. We therefore derived general forms of FCS and PCH for bounded systems. The finite domain form of FCS differs from the classical form in its boundary and initial conditions and requires development of a new Fourier space solution for fitting data. Our finite-domain FCS predicts simulated data accurately and reduces to a previous model for the special case of molecules confined by two boundaries under Gaussian beams. Our approach enables estimation of the concentration of diffusing fluorophores within a finite domain for the first time. The method opens the possibility of quantification of kinetics in several systems for which this has never been possible, including in the one-dimensional lipid tubules discussed in Part 2 of this paper.

Statement of Significance

Methods based on fluorescence measurements of molecular concentration fluctuations, including Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy and Photon Count Histogram analysis, are widely used to determine rates of diffusion, chemical reaction and sizes of molecular aggregates. Typically, the range over which the molecules can diffuse is large compared to the size of the focused laser beam that excites the fluorescence. This work extends these measurements to systems that are comparable in size to the excitation laser beam. This extends the application of these methods to very small samples such as the interior of bacterial cells or the diffusion of molecules along individual macromolecules such as DNA.