bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Multi-scale structural rich-club organization of the brain in full-term newborns: a combined DWI and fMRI study
Authors: Fouladivanda Mahshid , Kazemi Kamran , Makki Malek , Khalilian Maedeh , Danyali Habibollah , Gervain Judit , Aarabi Ardalan
Published: April 2021

Objective. Our understanding of early brain development is limited due to rapid changes in white matter pathways after birth. In this study, we introduced a multi-scale cross-modal approach to investigate the rich club (RC) organization and topology of the structural brain networks in 40 healthy neonates using diffusion-weighted imaging and resting-state fMRI data. Approach. A group independent component analysis was first performed to identify eight resting state networks (RSNs) used as functional modules. A groupwise whole-brain functional parcellation was also performed at five scales comprising 100–900 parcels. The distribution of RC nodes was then investigated within and between the RSNs. We further assessed the distribution of short and long-range RC, feeder and local connections across different parcellation scales. Main results. Sharing the scale-free characteristic of small-worldness, the neonatal structural brain networks exhibited an RC organization at different nodal scales (NSs). The subcortical, sensory-motor and default mode networks were found to be strongly involved in the RC organization of the structural brain networks, especially in the zones where the RSNs overlapped, with an average cross-scale proportion of 45.9%, 28.5% and 10.5%, respectively. A large proportion of the connector hubs were found to be RC members for the coarsest (73%) to finest (92%) NSs. Our results revealed a prominent involvement of cortico-subcortical and cortico-cerebellar white matter pathways in the RC organization of the neonatal brain. Regardless of the NS, the majority (more than 65.2%) of the inter-RSN connections were long distance RC or feeder with an average physical connection of 105.5 and 97.4 mm, respectively. Several key RC regions were identified, including the insula and cingulate gyri, middle and superior temporal gyri, hippocampus and parahippocampus, fusiform gyrus, precuneus, superior frontal and precentral gyri, calcarine fissure and lingual gyrus. Significance. Our results emphasize the importance of the multi-scale connectivity analysis in assessing the cross-scale reproducibility of the connectivity results concerning the global and local topological properties of the brain networks. Our findings may improve our understanding of the early brain development.
Groundstate finite-size corrections and dilogarithm identities for the twisted

A1(1)

,

A2(1)

and

A2(2)

models
Authors: Morin-Duchesne Alexi , Klümper Andreas , Pearce Paul A
Published: April 2021

We consider the Y-systems satisfied by the

A

1

(

1

)

,

A

2

(

1

)

,

A

2

(

2

)

vertex and loop models at roots of unity with twisted boundary conditions on the cylinder. The vertex models are the 6-, 15- and Izergin–Korepin 19-vertex models respectively. The corresponding loop models are the dense, fully packed and dilute Temperley–Lieb loop models respectively. For all three models, our focus is on roots of unity values of e
iλ
with the crossing parameter λ corresponding to the principal and dual series of these models. Converting the known functional equations to nonlinear integral equations in the form of thermodynamic Bethe ansatz equations, we solve the Y-systems for the finite-size

1

N

corrections to the groundstate eigenvalue following the methods of Klümper and Pearce. The resulting expressions for c − 24Δ, where c is the central charge and Δ is the conformal weight associated with the groundstate, are simplified using various dilogarithm identities. Our analytic results are in agreement with previous results obtained by different methods.
The influence of gurney flap to the stability of formula car rear wing with simulation
Authors: Yoanita Y Venti , Pinindriya S T , Kumolosari E , Gilang P Bayu , Didik R
Published: May 2021

The rear wing on the racing car is used to maintain the vehicle’s stability when driving at high velocity. However, in reality when a racing car runs at high velocity, it does not function optimally because of the maximum limit of compressive force generated. Therefore, modifications of the rear wing are needed to increase the compressive force. The common modification is varying the number and shape of the spoilers or change the angle of attack. This study used a single spoiler variation with the addition of gurney flap attached to the rear wing spoiler. The addition of gurney flap was expected to improve the aerodynamic performance, resulting the greater downforce. This study was conducted with a simulation using Solidwork 2018 student version. The variations applied were rear wings using gurney flap and without gurney flap at velocity of 25 m/s, 50 m/s and 88.89 m/s. The results of the variation of gurney flap addition on the rear wing produced a greater variety of downforce based on the value of the resulting lift coefficient. As velocity increased, the pressure and the coefficient lift were also increased. The effect were the greater the compressive force so as the stability was increased.
Students’ mathematical representation ability in Kudus local wisdom-based Open-Ended Learning
Authors: Ulya Himmatul , Rahayu Ratri
Published: May 2021

This research examines the effectiveness of Kudus local wisdom-based open-ended learning to improve learners’ mathematical representation ability. This research was done in the third grade during the even semester. This research is quantitative with several stages, such as promoting the preliminary study, planning, and implementing. This research used a nonequivalent control group design. The applied technique of collecting data was the test technique. The techniques of analyzing the data consisted of a test of minimum standard mastery achievements, an average difference test, and an N-gain test. The findings showed that (1) the learners’ mathematical representation ability reached the minimum standard mastery, (2) the average mathematical representation ability of the learners were better than those taught conventionally, and (3) the mathematical representation ability were improved.
A Review of Methods for The Image Automatic Annotation
Authors: Adnan Myasar Mundher , Rahim Mohd Shafry Mohd , Hasan ali Mohammed , Al-Jawaheri Karrar , Neamah Karrar
Published: May 2021

Nowadays, image annotation has attracted extensive attention due to the explosive growth of image data. Large amount of researches on AIA have been proposed, mainly including classification-based methods and probabilistic modeling methods. In this paper, a detailed study on state-of-the-art of image annotation was presented devoted to a detailed study of image annotation methods. Differences between manual, semi-automatic and automatic annotation were completely distinguished. The criteria for evaluating annotation systems are also presented in this study. In conclusion, a synthesis of methods of automatic image annotation were shown by presenting the pros and cons of each. This synthesis allowed us to examine our choice for automatic image annotation and the importance of integrating user feedback and a semantic. Finally, we participated in our perspective on the issues and challenges in AIA as well as research tendency in the future.
Study of Thermal Conductivity and Hardness Test of Carbon Black / Polymer Micro Composite
Authors: Zweid Muntadher N. , Ubaid Ahmed Q. , Kamas Abbas S.
Published: May 2021

In this research studied of Thermal Conductivity and Hardness Test of Carbon Black / Polymer Micro Composite at different weights ratios were studied. Five samples were prepared for Carbon black with epoxy resin, where the percentages of carbon black ranged between 2%, 4%, 6%, 8% and 10%. The mechanical properties of hardness test that the values of hardness for Carbon black decreasing with increased ratios of additive compared to the case of pure epoxy. For thermal conductivity coefficient (K), the results that values for Carbon black increased by increasing the ratios additive compared to pure epoxy.
Simultaneous Optimization of Laser Energy and Coating Thickness in Surface Alloying of Al with Fe
Authors: Abdullah M. , Bakar M. A. A. , Shaharin M. S.
Published: May 2021

In the two-step deposition technique of the laser surface alloying process, the alloying elements are introduced onto the bulk material’s surface. In such process, two main parameters determine the alloying quality: the thickness of the coating and the laser energy supplied onto the specimen. In this work, the laser surface alloying of aluminium (Al) with iron (Fe) is carried out by optimizing both parameters. This is accomplished by assessing the improvement in the hardness after laser treatment. In general, the thicker coating desires higher laser energy to cause surface melting and sequentially diffusion of Fe into molten Al to occur. This is indicated by the linear relationship between the thicknesses for the peak hardness value with the laser energy whereby the optimum energy shifted to higher energy for a thicker coating. The increase in laser energy increases Fe particle’s chance to migrate via diffusion into the bulk Al substrate. However, at 140μm the optimized energy reaches a peak value at 455mJ which is the maximum energy to be supplied in this process before the coating is lost due to excessive ablation. For thicker coatings, the laser’s action does not penetrate enough onto the substrate to cause sufficient melting of the Al surface for alloy formation. The maximum hardness obtained was 40.8 HV at the optimum condition for 140μm thickness treated with 455 mJ. The formation of an alloyed compound is further confirmed by x-ray diffraction technique whereby compounds such as AlFe, Al13Fe4, and AlFe6Si are present in the treated specimens.
A Review on Copy-Move Image Forgery Detection Techniques
Authors: Khudhair Zaid Nidhal , Mohamed Farhan , Kadhim Karrar A.
Published: May 2021

With billions of digital images flooding the internet which are widely used and regards as the major information source in many fields in recent years. With the high advance of technology, it may seem easy to fraud the image. In digital images, copy-move forgery is the most common image tampering, where some object(s) or region(s) duplicate in the digital image. The important research has attracted more attention in digital forensic is forgery detection and localization. Many techniques have been proposed and many papers have been published to detect image forgery. This paper introduced a review of research papers on copy-move image forgery published in reputed journals from 2017 to 2020 and focused on discussing various strategies related with fraud images to highlight on the latest tools used in the detection. This article will help the researchers to understand the current algorithms and techniques in this field and ultimately develop new and more efficient algorithms of detection copy-move image.
Mechanisms, Severity and Ignitability Factors, Explosibility Testing Method, Explosion Severity Characteristics, and Damage Control for Dust Explosion: A Concise Review
Authors: Khudhur Dheyaa Ashour , Ali Mohamad Wijayanuddin , Abdullah Tuan Amran Tuan
Published: May 2021

The explosion of dust particles poses significant risks to the health and safety of humans working in process industries such as mining, energy, and manufacturing. A dust explosion is the rapid deflagration of particles in a large volume of air or gaseous oxidants. Since industrial dust explosions can occur in any plant equipment or environment, it is crucial to identify, examine and highlight the highly probable sources and risk areas for dust cloud formation and ignition along with damage control measures. Therefore, the paper presents a concise review of the various combustion classifications of dust along with the mechanisms of dust explosion, ignitability factors, and severity characteristics, explosibility testing methods, and damage control measures. Dust is broadly classified according to its explosive value, which indicates that its moisture, particle size, dust concentration, oxidant concentration, and turbulence are crucial to a dust explosion. Furthermore, the dust explosion mechanism reveals that dust particles undergo explosion when confined and or mixed oxidants, ignition sources or heat as described in the “explosive pentagon” concept. To address the risks posed by dust explosions, reduce ignitions and the severity of these hazards, numerous testing methods have been proposed or developed. The most notable characteristics of explosion severity are the maximum explosion overpressure (Pmax), maximum rate of pressure rise (dp/dt) max, dust deflagration index (Kst), and minimum explosibility concentration (MEC). Likewise, the measures for containing, isolating, suppressing, and venting the effects of dust explosion were also highlighted in detail. In conclusion, the review highlighted the role of the particles and dust clouds and the need to identify and highlight the sources of dust explosion that pose risks to human health and safety in the industry.
Distinct optical response of colloidal gold-cinnamon nanocomposites: Role of pH sensitization
Authors: Salim A A , Ghoshal S K , Danmallam I M , Sazali E S , Krishnan G , Aziz M S , Bakhtiar H
Published: May 2021

Nanocomposites (NCPs) with excellent physical, chemical and optical properties have been broadly used for commercial products and industrial applications. Based on these features of the NCPs, we prepared colloidal gold (Au) and organic cinnamon (Cin) NCPs by laser irradiated Au and Cin targets separately immersed in glass container fulfilled with different pH solutions (5.0 to 8.0). A Q-switched pulse laser ablation in liquid (PLAL) technique was employed to customize morphology, structural and optical characteristics of these grown nanoparticles inside various pH solutions at room temperature. Colloidal solution of gold-cinnamon nanocomposites (Au-Cin NCPs) was characterized via Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectrometer and CIE 1931 chromaticity diagram. TEM image and SAED patters revealed spherical shaped Au-Cin NCPs with a particle diameters of 5.19 ± 1.23 nm and a nanocrystalline face centred cubic (FCC) nucleation. These plasmonic Au-Cin NCPs very strong UV-Vis absorbance bands at (270 nm and 522 nm) and CIE color coordinate (color temperature of 6437.001 K and color purity of 11.9130 %). It is established that the PLAL made-up Au-embedded Cin NCPs may be useful for the formulation of nanobiomedicine drugs.
Bioinspired buckling of scaled skins
Authors: Shafiei Ali , Pro J William , Barthelat Francois
Published: April 2021

Natural flexural armors combine hard, discrete scales attached to soft tissues, providing unique combinations of surface hardness (for protection) and flexibility (for unimpeded motion). Scaled skins are now inspiring synthetic protective materials which offer attractive properties, but which still suffer from limited trade-offs between flexibility and protection. In particular, bending a scaled skin with the scales on the intrados side jams the scales and stiffen the system significantly, which is not desirable in systems like gloves where scales must cover the palm side. Nature appears to have solved this problem by creating scaled skins that can form wrinkles and folds, a very effective mechanism to accommodate large bending deformations and to maintain flexural compliance. This study is inspired from these observations: we explored how rigid scales on a soft membrane can buckle and fold in a controlled way. We examined the energetics of buckling and stability of different buckling modes using a combination of discrete element modeling and experiments. In particular, we demonstrate how scales can induce a stable mode II buckling, which is required for the formation of wrinkles and which could increase the overall flexural compliance and agility of bioinspired protective elements.
Environmental and health consequences of shore power for vessels calling at major ports in India
Authors: Lathwal Priyank , Vaishnav Parth , Morgan M Granger
Published: April 2021

To reduce local air pollution, many ports in developed countries require berthed ships to use shore-based electricity instead of burning diesel to meet their electricity requirement for loads such as lights, cargo-handling equipment, and air conditioning. The benefits of this strategy in developing countries remain understudied. Based on government data for all major ports in India, we find that switching from high-sulfur fuel to shore power reduces hoteling emissions of particulate matter (PM2.5) by 88%; SO2 by 39%; NO
x
by 85%; but increases CO2 emissions by 12%. Switching from low-sulfur fuel reduces hoteling emissions of PM2.5 by 46% and NO
x
by 84% but increases SO2 emissions by 240% and CO2 emissions by 17%. The lifetime cost savings from the switch to electricity are $73 M for high-sulfur fuel and $370 M for low-sulfur fuel. We estimate that switching from high-sulfur fuel to shore power might avoid at most a couple of dozen premature deaths each year, whereas switching from low-sulfur fuel could lead to a slight increase in premature mortality. Therefore, policymakers must first clean up power generation for shore power to be a viable strategy to improve air quality in Indian port cities.
Capacity of trace decreasing quantum operations and superadditivity of coherent information for a generalized erasure channel
Authors: Filippov Sergey N
Published: April 2021

Losses in quantum communication lines severely affect the rates of reliable information transmission and are usually considered to be state-independent. However, the loss probability does depend on the system state in general, with the polarization dependent losses being a prominent example. Here we analyze biased trace decreasing quantum operations that assign different loss probabilities to states and introduce the concept of a generalized erasure channel. We find lower and upper bounds for the classical and quantum capacities of the generalized erasure channel as well as characterize its degradability and antidegradability. We reveal superadditivity of coherent information in the case of the polarization dependent losses, with the difference between the two-letter quantum capacity and the single-letter quantum capacity exceeding 7.197 × 10−3 bits per qubit sent, the greatest value among qubit-input channels reported so far.
Toxicity potential of automobile carbon monoxide emission along a majour highway in Sango-Ota, Ogun State, Nigeria
Authors: Elehinafe F B , Uzuana S D , Odunlami O A , Mamudu A O , Ayeni A O , Okedere O B
Published: May 2021

This study investigated the toxicity potential of carbon monoxide along a major highway in Sango-Ota, an emerging city, in Nigeria. Ambient air carbon monoxide was monitored and measured at ten different locations using the GM8805 benetech carbon monoxide monitor. Coca-Cola junction was selected as the control location for this study. The 1-hr averaging period measured for carbon monoxide concentrations within the selected locations ranged between 25.2 ppm and 29.3 ppm while at the control point, it was measured to be 8 ppm. The extrapolated 8-hr averaging period for carbon monoxide concentration ranged between 14.076 ppm and 16.366 ppm with the concentration at the control point being at 4.4688 ppm. The extrapolated 24-hr averaging period for carbon monoxide concentration ranged between 10.357 ppm and 12.042 ppm with the concentration at the control point being 3.288 ppm. An assessment of toxicity potential of these locations based on Federal Environmental Protection Agency (FEPA), United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and World Health Organization (WHO) statutory limits were all above unity (one) except at the control location and this poses as a threat to human lives. These values showed unhealthy air conditions at these regions of the emerging city. This study establishes that traffic congestions contribute significantly to the ambient air thereby reducing its quality thus calls for the attention of regulatory bodies to rise to protection of commuters and businessmen along the major highways in emerging cities in Nigeria.
Blockchain for Healthcare Sector-Analytical Review
Authors: Ali Abdu Nail Adeeb , Wang Zhaoshun
Published: April 2021

Blockchain is a collection of records and blocks that are integrated using cryptography. Every block consists of certain levels of cryptographic hash for the previous block in the form of a timestamp and the transaction data integral to the transaction record. The blockchain systems have currently used among the various set of industrial information networks. If effectively used, it shall help the system in having more secured levels of development. In this research review, the objective is to understand the gamut of blockchain implementation and to pursue the scope in the usage of the blockchain solutions in healthcare solutions. Review of the literature and data from the case scenario analysis throws light on a certain set of constraints and vulnerabilities of using the blockchain in healthcare which needs attention. Profoundly the constraints are about the quality of nodes verifying the blocks and the anomaly access of information from the blocks. By overcoming such constraints, there will be an improvement of effectiveness with which the system gets implemented.
Zhe role of zirconia additions on the microstructure and corrosion behavior of Ni-Cr dental alloys
Authors: Dawood Nawal Mohammed , Al-Sultani Kadhim F , Jasim Hussein Hatem
Published: April 2021

This study investigates the effect of zirconia addition with different percentages on Ni-Cr alloy using a powder metallurgy technique. The scanning electron microscope with energy dispersive spectroscopy is used to analyze the microstructure of Ni-Cr and Ni-Cr-x ZrO2 (where x is 3, 6, 9 wt.%) alloys. The x-ray diffraction method is used to determine the phases for Ni-Cr and Ni-Cr/ZrO2 alloys. The corrosion and ion release tests were also achieved using potentiodynamic polarization and atomic absorption spectroscopy. According to the microstructural investigation, the results found that the Ni-Cr alloy’s grain size tends to reduce with the addition of ZrO2 with obtaining the smallest grain size with 6 wt.% addition. The potentiodynamic polarization exhibited that the modified alloys are more resistant to corrosion in the saliva medium than the Ni-Cr alloy. Furthermore, the role of ZrO2 in dissolution test shows the development in the passive layer’s resistance compared to unmodified alloys with reducing the Ni release from 2.5 ppm to 0.2 ppm. It can conclude that the addition of ZrO2 has significantly improved Ni-Cr’s biocompatibility and extend the area of implementations.
Enhancing the mechanical properties of natural jute yarn suitable for structural applications
Authors: Ashadujjaman Md. , Saifullah Abu , Shah Darshill U , Zhang Minglonghai , Akonda Mahmudul , Karim Nazmul , Sarker Forkan
Published: April 2021

Manufacturing natural-based high-performance composites are becoming of greater interest to the composite manufacturers and to their end-users due to their bio-degradability, low cost and availability. Yarn based textile architecture is commonly used in manufacturing these composites due to their excellent formability. However, for using natural based yarn as a reinforcing architecture in high load-bearing structural composite applications, a significant improvement in mechanical performance is required. Particularly, jute fibre yarn suffers from poor mechanical properties due to the presence of a fibrillar network, polysaccharides and other impurities in the fibre. For achieving this, we use aqueous glycine treatment (10%, W/V) on alkali(0.5 %, W/V) and untreated jute yarns for the first time. The glycine treatment on alkali-treated jute yarns (ATG) shows a huge improvement in tensile strength and strain values by almost ∼105% and ∼50 % respectively compared to untreated jute yarns (UT) because of the strong interactions and bonds developed between glycine, alkali and jute yarns. It is believed that the newly developed glycine treated jute yarns will be helpful to promote jute yarns in composite industries where load-bearing is the primary requirement and replace their synthetic counterparts.
Influence of component content on the properties of PSZN-PSNN-PSZT ceramics
Authors: Zhang Chong , Zheng Deyi , Luo Shun , Zhang Yi , Li Bo
Published: April 2021

In this paper, (Pb0.9Sr0.1)(Zn1/3Nb2/3)(0.06+x)(Ni1/3Nb2/3)0.16(Zr0.52Ti0.48)(0.78-x)O3 (PSZN-PSNN-PSZT, x = 0, 0.02, 0.04, 0.06, 0.08) piezoelectric ceramics were prepared by traditional solid-state reaction method. The samples were studied on microstructure, phase structure, electrical properties and dielectric relaxation. All as-prepared PSZN-PSNN-PSZT ceramics present single phase of perovskite structure. Experimental results show that the variation trend of the R phase percentage content is consistent with the trend of d33. Also, increasing PSZN content will inhibit the growth of sample grains. The temperature-dependent of dielectric performance testing results present that all the samples possess obvious relaxation behavior. The best overall performance of the samples are obtained at x = 0.06, where its d33 = 920pC/N, kp = 0.71, Pr = 24.54 μC cm−2, γ = 1.98, ε
r = 6856, tanδ = 3.3%, Tc = 133 ℃. The PSZN-PSNN-PSZT ceramics are potential candidate materials due to its simple preparation process, the high dielectric and piezoelectric properties.
Dosimetry of a 6 MV flattening filter-free small photon beam using various detectors
Authors: Dwivedi Shekhar , Kansal Sandeep , Dangwal Vinod Kumar , Bharati Avinav , Shukla Jooli
Published: April 2021

The present study aimed to dosimetrically evaluate the small-fields of a 6 MV flattening filter-free (FFF) photon beam using different detectors.The 6 MV FFF photon beam was used for measurement of output factor, depth dose, and beam profile of small-fields of sizes 0.6 cm × 0.6 cm to 6.0 cm × 6.0 cm. The five detectors used were SNC125c, PinPoint, EDGE, EBT3, and TLD-100. All measurements were performed as per the International Atomic Energy Agency TRS 483 protocol. Output factors measured using different detectors as direct reading ratios showed significant variation for the smallest fields, whereas after correcting them according to TRS 483, all sets of output factors were nearly compatible with each other when measurement uncertainty was also considered. The beam profile measured using SNC125c showed the largest penumbra for all field sizes, whereas the smallest was recorded with EDGE. Compared with that of EBT3, the surface dose was found to be much higher for all the other detectors. PinPoint, EBT3, TLD-100, and EDGE were found to be the detector of choice for small-field output factor measurements; however, PinPoint needs special attention when used for the smallest field size (0.6 cm × 0.6 cm). EDGE and EBT3 are optimal for measuring beam profiles. EBT3, PinPoint, and EDGE can be selected for depth dose measurements, and EBT3 is suitable for surface dose estimation.
Tailored Bayes: a risk modeling framework under unequal misclassification costs
Authors: Karapanagiotis Solon , Benedetto Umberto , Mukherjee Sach , Kirk Paul D W , Newcombe Paul J
Published: April 2021

Risk prediction models are a crucial tool in healthcare. Risk prediction models with a binary outcome (i.e., binary classification models) are often constructed using methodology which assumes the costs of different classification errors are equal. In many healthcare applications, this assumption is not valid, and the differences between misclassification costs can be quite large. For instance, in a diagnostic setting, the cost of misdiagnosing a person with a life-threatening disease as healthy may be larger than the cost of misdiagnosing a healthy person as a patient. In this article, we present Tailored Bayes (TB), a novel Bayesian inference framework which “tailors” model fitting to optimize predictive performance with respect to unbalanced misclassification costs. We use simulation studies to showcase when TB is expected to outperform standard Bayesian methods in the context of logistic regression. We then apply TB to three real-world applications, a cardiac surgery, a breast cancer prognostication task, and a breast cancer tumor classification task and demonstrate the improvement in predictive performance over standard methods.
Patient experience of scar assessment and the use of scar assessment tools during burns rehabilitation: a qualitative study
Authors: Price Kate , Moiemen Naiem , Nice Laura , Mathers Jonathan
Published: May 2021

Background

Scar assessment plays a key role during burns aftercare, to monitor scar remodelling and patients’ psychosocial well-being. To aid assessment, subjective scar assessment scales are available that use health-care professionals’ and patients’ opinions to score scar characteristics. The subjective scales are more widely used in clinical practice over objective scar measures. To date, there is no research that considers patients’ views on scar assessment and the role of subjective and objective assessment tools. Therefore, the aim of this qualitative study was to explore patients’ perspectives on scar assessment and the utility of scar assessment tools during burns rehabilitation.

Methods

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 adult burn patients who were being reviewed in clinic for scarring. Participants were recruited via their clinical care team and research nurses at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham, UK. Topics covered during interview included patient experience of scar assessment, the use of scar assessment tools and discussion surrounding important factors to be addressed when assessing scars. A thematic analysis using the Framework Method was conducted.

Results

Participants identified key subthemes that contribute towards the overarching theme of patient-centred scar assessment. These are: patient-led care; continuity in care; learning how to self-manage scarring; and psychological assessment. Links were demonstrated between these subthemes and the remaining themes that describe scar assessment strategies, indicating their potential patient-centred contributions. The subjective opinions of clinicians were found to be valued above the use of subjective or objective scar assessment tools. Scar assessment scales were perceived to be a beneficial method for self-reflection in relation to psychosocial functioning. However, minimal feedback and review of completed assessment scales led to uncertainty regarding their purpose. Patients perceived objective tools to be of primary use for health-care professionals, though the measures may aid patients’ understanding of scar properties.

Conclusions

Scar assessment tools should be used to support, rather than replace, health-care professionals’ subjective judgements of scarring. Adapting the way in which clinicians introduce and use scar assessment tools, according to patient needs, can support a patient-centred approach to scar assessment.
Differences in Rhythmic Neural Activity Supporting the Temporal and Spatial Cueing of Attention
Authors: Meehan Chloe E , Wiesman Alex I , Spooner Rachel K , Schantell Mikki , Eastman Jacob A , Wilson Tony W
Published: April 2021

The neural processes serving the orienting of attention toward goal-relevant stimuli are generally examined with informative cues that direct visual attention to a spatial location. However, cues predicting the temporal emergence of an object are also known to be effective in attentional orienting but are implemented less often. Differences in the neural oscillatory dynamics supporting these divergent types of attentional orienting have only rarely been examined. In this study, we utilized magnetoencephalography and an adapted Posner cueing task to investigate the spectral specificity of neural oscillations underlying these different types of attentional orienting (i.e., spatial vs. temporal). We found a spectral dissociation of attentional cueing, such that alpha (10–16 Hz) oscillations were central to spatial orienting and theta (3–6 Hz) oscillations were critical to temporal orienting. Specifically, we observed robust decreases in alpha power during spatial orienting in key attention areas (i.e., lateral occipital, posterior cingulate, and hippocampus), along with strong theta increases during temporal orienting in the primary visual cortex. These results suggest that the oscillatory dynamics supporting attentional orienting are spectrally and anatomically specific, such that spatial orienting is served by stronger alpha oscillations in attention regions, whereas temporal orienting is associated with stronger theta responses in visual sensory regions.
Genomic Analyses Unveil Helmeted Guinea Fowl (Numida meleagris) Domestication in West Africa
Authors: Shen Quan-Kuan , Peng Min-Sheng , Adeola Adeniyi C , Kui Ling , Duan Shengchang , Miao Yong-Wang , Eltayeb Nada M , Lichoti Jacqueline K , Otecko Newton O , Strillacci Maria Giuseppina , Gorla Erica , Bagnato Alessandro , Charles Olaogun S , Sanke Oscar J , Dawuda Philip M , Okeyoyin Agboola O , Musina John , Njoroge Peter , Agwanda Bernard , Kusza Szilvia , Nanaei Hojjat Asadollahpour , Pedar Rana , Xu Ming-Min , Du Yuan , Nneji Lotanna M , Murphy Robert W , Wang Ming-Shan , Esmailizadeh Ali , Dong Yang , Ommeh Sheila C , Zhang Ya-Ping
Published: April 2021

Domestication of the helmeted guinea fowl (HGF; Numida meleagris) in Africa remains elusive. Here we report a high-quality de novo genome assembly for domestic HGF generated by long- and short-reads sequencing together with optical and chromatin interaction mapping. Using this assembly as the reference, we performed population genomic analyses for newly sequenced whole-genomes for 129 birds from Africa, Asia, and Europe, including domestic animals (n = 89), wild progenitors (n = 34), and their closely related wild species (n = 6). Our results reveal domestication of HGF in West Africa around 1,300–5,500 years ago. Scanning for selective signals characterized the functional genes in behavior and locomotion changes involved in domestication of HGF. The pleiotropy and linkage in genes affecting plumage color and fertility were revealed in the recent breeding of Italian domestic HGF. In addition to presenting a missing piece to the jigsaw puzzle of domestication in poultry, our study provides valuable genetic resources for researchers and breeders to improve production in this species.
Fall-Related Injuries Mediate the Relationship Between Self-Reported Hearing Loss and Mortality in Middle-Aged and Older Adults
Authors: Xu Dongjuan , Newell Melissa D , Francis Alexander L
Published: April 2021

Background

Hearing loss is associated with a greater risk of death in older adults. This relationship has been attributed to an increased risk of injury, particularly due to falling, in individuals with hearing loss. However, the link between hearing loss and mortality across the life span is less clear.

Methods

We used structural equation modeling and mediation analysis to investigate the relationship between hearing loss, falling, injury, and mortality across the adult life span in public-use data from the National Health Interview Survey and the National Death Index. We examined (a) the association between self-reported hearing problems and later mortality, (b) the associations between self-reported hearing problems and the risk of injury and degree and type of injury, (c) the mediating role of falling and injury in the association between self-reported hearing problems and mortality, and (d) whether these relationships differ in young (18–39), middle-aged (40–59), and older (60+) age groups.

Results

In all 3 age ranges, those reporting hearing problems were more likely to fall, were more likely to sustain an injury, and were more likely to sustain a serious injury, than those not reporting hearing problems. While there was no significant association between hearing loss and mortality in the youngest category, there was for middle-aged and older participants, and for both, the fall-related injury was a significant mediator in this relationship.

Conclusions

Fall-related injury mediates the relationship between hearing loss and mortality for middle-aged as well as older adults, suggesting a need for further research into mechanisms and remediation.
Propofol pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics—a perspective in minimally invasive extracorporeal circulation
Authors: Condello Ignazio , Santarpino Giuseppe , Fiore Flavio , Di Bari Nicola , Speziale Giuseppe , Moscarelli Marco , Nasso Giuseppe
Published: May 2021

There is limited evidence as to the pharmacokinetic changes expected in adults with extracorporeal technologies. Drugs may be taken up by various components of the cardiopulmonary bypass circuit itself. Issues include the increased volume of the circuit leading to haemodilution; the sequestration of lipophilic drugs within the circuit tubing; and the absorption of proteins, especially albumin, onto the circuit, which can result in increased free drug. However, in this context, the aspect of pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics during minimally invasive extracorporeal circulation has not been described and evidenced by scientific studies. In this single-centre control study of 60 patients undergoing isolated coronary artery bypass grafting, we present the results focused on postoperative albumin values and intraoperative propofol dosages in patients undergoing surgery with minimally invasive (n = 30) versus conventional extracorporeal circulation (n = 30). In the minimally invasive extracorporeal circulation group, a lower propofol dosage titrated to a bispectral index of 40–45 was used during coronary artery bypass grafting, and an improvement of postoperative concentration of serum albumin was observed compared to the conventional extracorporeal circulation group.
Initial development of a self-assessment approach for coproduction value creation by an international community of practice
Authors: Oliver Brant J , Forcino Rachel C , Batalden Paul B
Published: May 2021

Background

Coproduction offers a new way of conceptualizing healthcare as a service that is co-created by people (health professionals and people seeking health services) rather than a product that is generated by providers or health systems and delivered to patients. This offers new possibilities for those introducing and testing changes, and it enables additional ways of creating value. Fjeldstad and colleagues describe the architecture of several kinds of value creating systems: (i) Chain; (ii) Shop; (iii) Network and (iv) Access. An international Value Creating Business Model Community of practice (VCBM CoP) was formed by the International Coproduction of Health Network and explored these types of systems and developed a self-assessment guide for health systems to use to assess value.

Methods

An international community of practice comprising leaders, clinicians, patients and finance specialists representing 12 health systems from four countries (USA, UK, Israel and Sweden) met monthly for 1 year and used a semi-structured process to iteratively refine and adapt Fjeldstad’s model for use in healthcare and develop a draft self-assessment guide. The process concluded with initial focus group user experience sessions with six health systems.

Results

The community of practice successfully completed a 1-year journey of discovery, development and learning, resulting in two products: (1) a full-version self-assessment guide (detailed) and (2) an abbreviated ‘short-form’ of the guide. Initial focus-group results suggest that there is initial perceived feasibility, acceptability and utility of the guides and that further development and research is reasonable to pursue. Results suggest significant variation and context specificity in the use of the guide, simple and complex knowledge transfer applications in use, and the need for the development of simple and technology supported versions for use in the future.

Conclusion

The VCBM CoP has successfully completed a 1-year collaborative learning cycle, resulting in the development of a self-assessment guide that is now ready for additional investigation using formal research methods. The CO-VALUE study has been designed to build on the work of the CoP and includes qualitative and quantitative assessment phases and a concept mapping study.
Cranial Musculoskeletal Description of Black-Throated Finch (Aves: Passeriformes: Estrildidae) with DiceCT
Authors: To K H T , O’Brien H D , Stocker M R , Gignac P M
Published: April 2021

Synopsis Dietary requirements and acquisition strategies change throughout ontogeny across various clades of tetrapods, including birds. For example, birds hatch with combinations of various behavioral, physiological, and morphological factors that place them on an altricial–precocial spectrum. Passeriformes (=songbirds) in particular, a family constituting approximately more than half of known bird species, displays the most drastic difference between hatchling and adults in each of these aspects of their feeding biology. How the shift in dietary resource acquisition is managed during ontogeny alongside its relationship to the morphology of the feeding apparatus has been largely understudied within birds. Such efforts have been hampered partly due to the small size of many birds and the diminutive jaw musculature they employ. In this study, we used standard and diffusible iodine-based contrast-enhanced computed tomography in conjunction with digital dissection to quantify and describe the cranial musculature of the Black-throated Finch (Poephila cincta) at fledgling and adult stages. Our results reveal that in both the fledgling and the adult, cranial musculature shows clear and complex partitioning in the Musculus adductor mandibulae externus that is consistent with other families within Passeriformes. We quantified jaw-muscle sizes and found that the adult showed a decrease in muscle mass in comparison to the fledgling individual. We propose that this could be the result of low sample size or a physiological effect of parental care in Passeriformes. Our study shows that high-resolution visualization techniques are informative at revealing morphological discrepancies for studies that involve small specimens such as Passeriformes especially with careful specimen selection criteria.
Exploring the Nonaffiliated in South America
Authors: Da Costa Néstor , Morello Gustavo , Rabbia Hugo H , Romero Catalina
Published: May 2021

This work explores the phenomenon of the “nonaffiliated” in Latin America and presents partial results of a qualitative research project that included in-depth interviews with fifty-eight nonaffiliated in Cordoba (Argentina), Lima (Peru), and Montevideo (Uruguay). After analyzing the main differences between nonbelievers and believers who have no religious affiliation, we propose a typology for understanding these two groups, which display great diversity within themselves while adopting characteristics of the cultures of their own countries. Three large groups are identified: atheists, nonconfessional, and indifferent. Among the atheists, we find two emphases: militant and indifferent. Among the nonconfessional believers, three groups are identified: those who engage in individual practices related to transcendence, those who engage in collective practices, and those who abandoned Christianity yet express their religiosity in the same keys. The indifferent are those to whom religion deserves no attention.
Comparison of Next-Generation Sequencing-Based Human Leukocyte Antigen Typing with Clinical Flow Cytometry and Allele-Specific PCR Melting Assays for HLA-B27 Genotyping
Authors: Profaizer Tracie , Dibb Kimberly , Bethers Holly , Monds Cassandra , Andreasen John , Delgado Julio C , Lázár-Molnár Eszter
Published: May 2021

Background

Due to the strong association between ankylosing spondylitis and Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA)-B27, accurate identification of HLA-B27 is important in the diagnosis of patients with suspected spondyloarthritides. For this study, we compared a high-resolution HLA-B typing method to the clinical flow cytometry and allele-specific PCR melting assays to determine clinical benefits of high-resolution testing.

Methods

Residual clinical samples submitted for HLA-B27 testing by flow cytometry were tested by single-locus HLA-B genotyping using next-generation sequencing (NGS), and PCR with melting curve analysis, currently used as a reflex test for indeterminate flow cytometry results.

Results

Fifty out of the 51 samples (98%) positive by flow cytometry confirmed as HLA-B27 positive by PCR melting assay and by NGS. The sample that did not confirm was genotyped as HLA-B*07:02. All the samples negative by flow cytometry were confirmed as HLA-B27 negative by both PCR melting assay and NGS. For the group that was indeterminate by flow cytometry, 84.5% (n = 49) typed as positive for HLA-B27, while 15.5% (n = 9) were negative for HLA-B27 but positive for HLA-B*07:02. NGS was the only method able to distinguish between pathogenic and nonpathogenic HLA-B27 variants, in contrast to the flow cytometry or the PCR melting assays.

Conclusions

Single-locus NGS is superior to flow cytometry and PCR melting assay for the unambiguous identification of HLA-B27 variants, and uniquely able to distinguish between pathogenic and nonpathogenic B27 alleles. Due to its high accuracy, it may be a feasible superior alternative to flow cytometry and traditional molecular methods for clinical HLA-B27 testing.
Practical development and operationalization of a 12-hour hospital census prediction algorithm
Authors: Ryu Alexander J , Romero-Brufau Santiago , Shahraki Narges , Zhang Jiawei , Qian Ray , Kingsley Thomas C
Published: April 2021

Hospital census prediction has well-described implications for efficient hospital resource utilization, and recent issues with hospital crowding due to CoVID-19 have emphasized the importance of this task. Our team has been leading an institutional effort to develop machine-learning models that can predict hospital census 12 hours into the future. We describe our efforts at developing accurate empirical models for this task. Ultimately, with limited resources and time, we were able to develop simple yet useful models for 12-hour census prediction and design a dashboard application to display this output to our hospital’s decision-makers. Specifically, we found that linear models with ElasticNet regularization performed well for this task with relative 95% error of +/− 3.4% and that this work could be completed in approximately 7 months.