bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Attenuating acoustic pulse propagation in multilayered rods
Authors: Karakozova A I
Published: June 2021

The problem of seismic activity and carrying out anti-seismic measures is extremely urgent at the present time. A large number of regions are more or less earthquake-prone and sometimes new regions, in which seismic activity has not been recorded before, fall into this category. Various methods of seismic load reduction are used to build new structures and support existing structures in these areas. The seismic load is transmitted to the structure through the foundation, therefore one of the effective ways to reduce it is to change the properties of the foundation. If instead of soil, which perfectly transmits impulses of seismic load, fill in a certain order with material that dampens these impulses - the desired effect can be achieved. The article analyzes the way of how one-dimensional pulse becomes attenuated in a multilayer rod. The layers in the rod are arranged in a periodical order and have contrasting acoustic properties. Numerical analysis is carried out using the finite element method. A pulse hitting the interface between the media undergoes multiple reflection and refraction, which causes damping in a purely mechanical system. The analysis shows that the larger the difference in acoustic properties between adjacent layers, the higher the attenuation of acoustical properties becomes.
Abnormal setting of Portland cement
Authors: Rakhimbaev Sh M , Tolypina N M , Anikanova T V , Khakhaleva E N
Published: June 2021

It is proposed to distinguish the false setting from the abnormal one, considering the false as a variety of the latter. With false setting, the start of setting occurs in a short time, but then it spontaneously disappears, reappearing after a while. Such cements, in which the beginning of setting occurs faster than 50 minutes, and the end – after 5-12 hours, are proposed to be called abnormal cements. It is shown that when the start time of setting is more than 50 ∼ 60 minutes, the probability of abnormal setting decreases sharply. The kinetics of structure formation of cements with different setting patterns is considered. Methods for the identification of abnormal setting by the setting interval (τfinal – τstart)/τstart > 3, the kinetics of structure formation, heat release, and changes in the activity of calcium ions in the liquid phase of cement paste of normal density are proposed. It is shown that the measurement of the kinetics of heat release and the activity of Ca 2+ ions in the liquid phase of cement paste is of great interest for the development of automated and rapid control of the presence of anomalies during setting. It is established that the mixture of the inhibitor and the booster of the setting acts according to the rule of additivity, the use of mineral additives of acidic composition weakens the abnormal properties of cement systems. To combat the belated anomaly, it is necessary to monitor the properties of the cement 1-2 days before its application.
Physico-chemical efficiency of mineral additives of various compositions in cement systems
Authors: Nizina T A , Balykov A S , Korovkin D I , Volodin V V
Published: June 2021

Management of the pore volume and the mineral-morphological state of the hardening system through the use of chemical and mineral additives introduced both separately and in complexes is considered to be one of the defining directions of cement system structure formation. Currently, the nomenclature of mineral modifiers includes a wide list of materials of natural, artificial, and technogenic origin. The purpose of this study was to establish the influence regularities of mineral additives of various compositions (siliceous (microsilica, diatomite, opoka), aluminosilicate (metakaolin, fly ash), sulfoaluminate (expanding sulfoaluminate modifier), carbonate (microcalcite)) on the physical-mechanical properties of cement systems, with the identification of the most effective modifiers. According to the results of experimental studies, the influence of modifiers on the activity of the mixed cement binder, water demand, water-holding capacity and mobility of the cement paste was revealed. Condensed non-compacted microsilica, metakaolin and expanding sulfoaluminate modifier were selected as the most promising mineral additives.
Renovation of five-storey residential buildings of the first mass series in the regions of Russia. Problems and solutions
Authors: Chereshnev I V , Chereshneva N V
Published: June 2021

The paper examines the problem associated with the reconstruction of residential buildings and the renovation of the territory of residential development of the first mass series. The issues of the current state of the five-storey housing stock in the regions of Russia are highlighted. On the example of the city of Volgograd, an architectural and spatial assessment of the development of residential development of the city is given. Attention is focused on the issues of building blocks and neighborhoods with five-story houses of the first standard series. The socio-economic, architectural and planning parameters of residential sections and apartments are analyzed in detail. Structural and planning deficiencies affecting the level of comfort of the housing stock are identified. During the discussion, the search for possible solutions related to the renovation and improvement of a five-storey residential development is shown. The evaluation of the operational qualities of the experimental construction allowed determining the complex methodological basis of possible reconstructive measures, combined in three main technological directions: renovation of the territory of a five-storey housing stock by demolishing individual buildings or entire blocks; renovation, which is based on major repairs of the housing stock without interfering with the architectural and structural system of a five-stored building; renovation aimed at changing the architectural and planning structure of residential buildings by adding additional volumes. The ways of implementation of technological directions of reconstruction of five-storey buildings that increase their compliance with the requirements of sustainability are considered.
Gas using efficiency in heating boilers for individual consumers
Authors: Beloglazova T N , Romanova T N
Published: June 2021

Gas boilers for heating of individual consumers is used in all regions of Russia. Gas boilers are characterized by higher efficiency unlike on other types of organic fuels. Using dry natural gas reduces the polluting emissions into the atmosphere. A significant variety of gas boilers for individual heat supply meets the needs of consumers. The main requirements for individual heat supply from gas boilers are safety, economy, high efficiency, ease of use. These requirements are met by using gas with specified properties that meets standards. The required gas parameters for the consumer are provided due to the availability and functioning of the gas distribution system in the settlements. For the safety and efficiency of gas boilers, proper organization of air exchange in the room is necessary. To determine the efficiency of domestic gas boilers, the influence of the temperature of the air used in the combustion process is considered. Boilers with open the combustion chamber use internal air. Outside air is used in boilers with a closed combustion chamber. The study determines how the efficiency of a gas boiler changes at different temperatures outside air during the heating period. Losses of flue gases and chemical incomplete burning were taken into account when calculating the efficiency of gas boilers. The calculation was made taking into account the physical heat introduced by the air for burning. The study considered gas boilers with a heating capacity of 20, 30, 50, 100kW at a nominal operating mode. The annual effect of gas fuel saving is presented for natural dry gas with a calorific value of 34MJ/cub m.
The ALEX17 diurnal cycles in complex terrain benchmark
Authors: Sanz Rodrigo J , Santos P , Chávez Arroyo R , Avila M , Cavar D , Lehmkuhl O , Owen H , Li R , Tromeur E
Published: June 2021

The NEWA ALEX17 experiment was conducted with the objective of characterizing the wind conditions upstream of the Alaiz Test Site for the validation of flow models. From the intensive operational period, a case study has been selected for a Wakebench benchmark consisting of four consecutive days with relatively persistent winds from the North. The validation is centered around a 118-m mast at the Alaiz site and six additional masts located along the valley and at the lee side of a ridge delimiting a 8-km long area of interest. The benchmark is a follow-up of the GABLS3 diurnal cycle benchmark in flat terrain to test mesoscale-to-microscale transient and steady-state modeling methodologies in the assessment of stability-dependent bin-averaged wind conditions. Meso-micro methodologies reduce the wind speed mean bias from 32%, at 3-km mesoscale, to ±5%. Beyond mean bias mitigation, these initial results demonstrate the added value of meso-micro coupling at reproducing non conventional wind conditions at the test site like high-shear low-level jets in stable conditions and negative wind shear in unstable conditions. The benchmark also discusses the challenges of each meso-micro methodology going forward.
Stability of Floating Wind Turbine Wakes
Authors: Kleine V G , Franceschini L , Carmo B S , Hanifi A , Henningson D S
Published: June 2021

Floating offshore wind turbines (FOWTs) are the next frontier in offshore wind energy, allowing exploration of deep-water regions previously unavailable to fixed-foundation turbines. Since offshore turbines operate in lower turbulence levels, the intrinsic hydrodynamic unstable modes of the tip vortices can have even more relevance than in onshore turbines. For floating turbines, platform motion induced by wind and wave loads can trigger vortex instabilities, modifying the wake structure, possibly influencing the flow reaching downstream wind turbines. In the present paper, we study those effects by the means of numerical simulations and their comparison with analytical studies. In our simulations, the wind turbine blades are modeled as actuator lines in the incompressible Navier–Stokes equations. Heave motion with different amplitudes and frequencies are studied. The effect of increasing amplitude is to advance the onset of vortex interaction. For the lower frequency of heave motion, several vortices coalesce to form a large flow structure. High amplitude of oscillations in the streamwise velocity were observed due to these flow structures, which may increase fatigue or induce high amplitude motion on downstream turbines. The number of vortices that interact, as other qualitative phenomena of the numerical simulation, were well predicted by a simple stability model of two-dimensional row of vortices. The disturbances imposed by the heave motion were also compared to the eigenvectors resulting from linear stability theory for helical vortices and the predicted growth rates for the wavenumbers resulting from this comparison were consistent with the model of a row of vortices. These results motivate further studies to understand the impact of the larger flow structures on downstream turbines.
Inflow modeling for wind farm flows in RANS
Authors: Laan M. P. van der , Baungaard M. , Kelly M.
Published: June 2021

Wind turbine interaction in wind farms can lead to energy loss and increased wind turbine loads, with the magnitude of these effects strongly depending on atmospheric conditions. One-dimensional Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) models are able to represent the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) over a range of model fidelity, and can be used for steady-state inflow profiles in three-dimensional RANS simulations of wind farms. In the present work, an overview of existing and recently developed atmospheric inflow models is presented. The inflow models are applied to separately demonstrate impacts on the velocity deficit of a row of ten wind turbines, due to: turbulence intensity and atmospheric stability in the atmospheric surface layer; ABL depth; and Coriolis-induced veer.
Effects of upstream rotor tilt on a downstream floating wind turbine
Authors: Doubrawa P. , Sirnivas S. , Godvik M.
Published: June 2021

This work quantifies the relationship between the design tilt of an upstream rotor and the structural response of a spar floating offshore wind turbine located in its wake. Three wind speed scenarios are considered: below, at, and above rated operation. The inflow is generated with the Mann model and the wake and loads are simulated with FAST.Farm. As the upstream rotor tilt goes from 0° to 6°, we find that the mean wake is displaced upward by more than 0.2 rotor diameters (D) by a downstream distance of 7 D. The vertical velocities increase by up to 35 cm/s in the center of the wake. As a result, the downstream rotor is partially waked and experiences a rotated velocity vector. With a higher upstream rotor tilt, the velocities and moments on the downstream turbine increase their mean axial value and their lateral and vertical standard deviation. These changes affect the blade and tower loading and the floater motion primarily in the out-of-plane direction: the damage-equivalent loads for the tower pitch moment and blade-root moment increase by up to 10% because of higher variability at the first mode for the tower and at one blade passing frequency for the blade root. Lesser effects are observed for the roll moments and for floater sway and heave. When the joint effect of rotor tilt and platform motion is considered, the load response on the downstream system is amplified primarily for tower pitch and blade out-of-plane moment.
Wind Farm Yield and Lifetime Optimization by Smart Steering of Wakes
Authors: Schmidt Jonas , Requate Niklas , Vollmer Lukas
Published: June 2021

Wake steering has an impact on both the wind farm energy yield and turbine loads. We evaluate these effects based on yaw-corrected power and thrust curves and tabulated turbine load simulation results. In a first step, wind direction and wind speed dependent yaw angles were determined by maximization of the wind farm power for an example wind farm. Secondly, the optimizations were repeated for the objective of minimal flapwise blade fatigue loads. The results were then combined such that the power optimized yaw angles dominate the partial load region while the load optimized results were chosen for higher wind speeds. We find that this combination increases the annual energy production in an example wind rose while simultaneously reducing the lifetime damage equivalent loads. The analysis was repeated including wind direction uncertainty into the optimization. This significantly reduced the benefit of wake steering on AEP but caused only a mild decrease of the overall load reduction.
Evaluating Global Blockage engineering parametrizations with LES
Authors: Centurelli G , Vollmer L , Schmidt J , Dörenkämper M , Schröder M , Lukassen L J , Peinke J
Published: June 2021

Under the term global blockage, the cumulative induction of wind turbines in a wind farm has been recently suspected to be responsible for observed overestimations of the energy yield in large-size wind farms. In this paper, the practice of modeling this effect after linear superposition of single turbine inductions, calculated with three of the most recent analytic models, is compared to Large-Eddy-Simulations of idealized wind farms. We compare the models across two different farms, composed of 9 and 49 turbines, with two different heights of the atmospheric boundary layer, 300 and 500 m. The results show that the differences between the analytical models are negligible while they substantially differ from the LES results. The linear superposition of induction consistently underestimates the upstream velocity deficit with an error that increases as the wind farm size grows and the ABL height decreases. Also when calculating the power output at the turbines of the farm, the analytical models considered do not agree well with the LES. These comparisons reveal that the farm interactions with the atmospheric boundary layer may highly outclass the turbine induction in determining the extent of the global blockage effect. Therefore, we present a first dimensional approach to the problem based on LES, aimed at simplifying its characterization.
One but not two grandmothers increased child survival in poorer families in west Bohemian population, 1708–1834
Authors: Havlíček Jan , Tureček Petr , Velková Alice
Published: June 2021

Human childrearing is characterized by cooperative care and grandmothers are usually the most prominent alloparents. Nevertheless, it has been argued that limited resources may intensify competition among kin. The effect of grandmothers’ presence on child survival may thus crucially depend on the family’s socioeconomic status. We evaluate the impact of grandmothers’ presence on child survival using a large historical dataset from eighteenth to nineteenth-century western Bohemia (N = 6880) and assess the effects of socioeconomic status. We employed a varying effects model conditioned on relatedness between individuals because of possible genetically transmitted benefits. Proportional hazards showed that grandmothers had little or no impact on child survival in families of high and medium socioeconomic status (farmers and cottagers, respectively), whereas in families with the lowest socioeconomic status (lodgers), grandmothers’ presence increased the survival probability of children up to five years of age. The beneficial effect of grandmaternal care was strongest between the first and second years of life. Importantly, though, in families with low socioeconomic status, we also observed lower survival chances of children when both grandmothers lived in the same village. These findings suggest that the balance between kin cooperation in childrearing and competition over resources may depend on resource availability.
Opportunities to Enhance Linkage to Hepatitis C Care Among Hospitalized People With Recent Drug Dependence in New South Wales, Australia: A Population-based Linkage Study
Authors: Valerio Heather , Alavi Maryam , Law Matthew , McManus Hamish , Tillakeratne Shane , Bajis Sahar , Martinello Marianne , Matthews Gail V , Amin Janaki , Janjua Naveed Z , Krajden Mel , George Jacob , Degenhardt Louisa , Grebely Jason , Dore Gregory J
Published: June 2021

Background

People who inject drugs are at greater risk of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and hospitalization, yet admissions are not utilized for HCV treatment initiation. We aimed to assess the extent to which people with HCV notification, including those with evidence of recent drug dependence, are hospitalized while eligible for direct-acting antiviral (DAA) therapy, and treatment uptake according to hospitalization in the DAA era.

Methods

We conducted a longitudinal, population-based cohort study of people living with HCV in the DAA era (March 2016–December 2018) through analysis of linked databases in New South Wales, Australia. Kaplan-Meier estimates were used to report HCV treatment uptake by frequency, length, and cause-specific hospitalization.

Results

Among 57 467 people, 14 938 (26%) had evidence of recent drug dependence, 50% (n = 7506) of whom were hospitalized while DAA eligible. Incidence of selected cause-specific hospitalization was highest for mental health-related (15.84 per 100 person-years [PY]), drug-related (15.20 per 100 PY), and injection-related infectious disease (9.15 per 100 PY) hospitalizations, and lowest for alcohol use disorder (4.58 per 100 PY) and liver-related (3.13 per 100 PY). In total, 65% (n = 4898) of those who were hospitalized had been admitted ≥2 times, and 46% (n = 3437) were hospitalized ≥7 days. By the end of 2018, DAA therapy was lowest for those hospitalized ≥2 times, for ≥7 days, and those whose first admission was for injection-related infectious disease, mental health disorders, and drug-related complications.

Conclusions

Among people who have evidence of recent drug dependence, frequent hospitalization—particularly mental health, drug, and alcohol admissions—presents an opportunity for engagement in HCV care.
Maternal and Fetal Outcomes Associated With Infective Endocarditis in Pregnancy
Authors: Dagher Michael M , Eichenberger Emily M , Addae-Konadu Kateena L , Dotters-Katz Sarah K , Kohler Celia L , Fowler Vance G , Federspiel Jerome J
Published: June 2021

Background

Infective endocarditis (IE) is a rare but serious infection that complicates pregnancy. Little is known about IE management and outcomes in this population.

Methods

The National Readmissions Database was used to obtain data between October 2015 and October 2018. Billing codes identified admissions for IE in female patients of reproductive age. Demographic characteristics, comorbidities, and outcomes were compared between patients with maternity-associated and nonmaternity-associated IE and obstetric patients who delivered with and without IE. Weighted regressions were used to examine outcomes in adjusted models.

Results

We identified 12 602 reproductive-aged female patients with a diagnosis of IE, of which 382 (weighted national estimate, 748) were maternity-associated. Of these cases, 117 (weighted national estimate, 217) occurred during a delivery admission. Compared with patients with nonmaternity-associated IE, maternity-associated infection was associated with younger age (mean, 29.0 vs 36.6 years; P < .001), Medicaid coverage (72.5% vs 47.2%; P < .001), and drug use (76.2% vs 59.8%; P < .001). Mortality was comparable (8.1% vs 10.6%; adjusted rate ratio [aRR], 1.03; 95% confidence interval [CI]: .71–1.48). Compared with patients who delivered without IE, IE complicating delivery was associated with worse maternal and fetal outcomes, including maternal mortality (17.2% vs <0.01%; aRR, 323.32; 95% CI: 127.74–818.37) and preterm birth (55.7% vs 10.1%; aRR, 3.61; 95% CI, 2.58–5.08).

Conclusions

Maternity-associated IE does not appear to confer additional risk for adverse outcome over nonmaternity-associated infection. Patients who deliver with IE have worse maternal and fetal outcomes than those whose deliveries are not complicated by IE.
“One-Two Punch”: Synergistic ß-Lactam Combinations forMycobacterium abscessusand Target Redundancy in the Inhibition of Peptidoglycan Synthesis Enzymes
Authors: Nguyen David C , Dousa Khalid M , Kurz Sebastian G , Brown Sheldon T , Drusano George , Holland Steven M , Kreiswirth Barry N , Boom W Henry , Daley Charles L , Bonomo Robert A
Published: June 2021

Mycobacterium abscessus subsp. abscessus is one of the most difficult pathogens to treat and its incidence in disease is increasing. Dual β-lactam combinations act synergistically in vitro but are not widely employed in practice. A recent study shows that a combination of imipenem and ceftaroline significantly lowers the minimum inhibitory concentration of clinical isolates, despite both drugs targeting the same peptidoglycan synthesis enzymes. The underlying mechanism of this effect provides a basis for further investigations of dual β-lactam combinations in the treatment of M. abscessus subsp. abscessus, eventually leading to a clinical trial. Furthermore, dual β-lactam strategies may be explored for other difficult mycobacterial infections.
Use of US Blood Donors for National Serosurveillance of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Antibodies: Basis for an Expanded National Donor Serosurveillance Program
Authors: Stone Mars , Di Germanio Clara , Wright David J , Sulaeman Hasan , Dave Honey , Fink Rebecca V , Notari Edward P , Green Valerie , Strauss Donna , Kessler Debbie , Destree Mark , Saa Paula , Williamson Phillip C , Simmons Graham , Stramer Susan L , Opsomer Jean , Jones Jefferson M , Kleinman Steven , Busch Michael P ,   NHLBI Recipient Epidemiology and Donor Evaluation Study-IV-Pediatric (REDS-IV-P), Cassetti C , Gerber S , Patton M , Havers F , Basavaraju S , Williams A E , Anderson S , Haynes J , McCain L , Hui A , Samuels C , Tanner H , Kaidarova Z , B M P , Norris P J , S M , Mathew S M , Stramer S , Kessler D , Konkle B A , Custer B , Ness P M , Kleinman S H , Josephson C D , Glynn S A , Malkin K
Published: June 2021

Background

The Recipient Epidemiology and Donor Evaluation Study-IV-Pediatric (REDS-IV-P) Epidemiology, Surveillance and Preparedness of the Novel SARS-CoV-2 Epidemic (RESPONSE) seroprevalence study conducted monthly cross-sectional testing for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) antibodies in blood donors in 6 US metropolitan regions to estimate the extent of SARS-CoV-2 infections over time.

Methods

During March–August 2020, approximately ≥1000 serum specimens were collected monthly from each region and tested for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies using a well-validated algorithm. Regional seroprevalence estimates were weighted based on demographic differences compared with the general population. Seroprevalence was compared with reported coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) case rates over time.

Results

For all regions, seroprevalence was <1.0% in March 2020. New York, New York, experienced the biggest increase (peak seroprevalence, 15.8% in May). All other regions experienced modest increases in seroprevalence (1%–2% in May–June to 2%–4% in July–August). Seroprevalence was higher in younger, non-Hispanic black, and Hispanic donors. Temporal increases in donor seroprevalence correlated with reported case rates in each region. In August, 1.3–5.6 estimated cumulative infections (based on seroprevalence data) per COVID-19 case were reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Conclusions

Increases in seroprevalence were found in all regions, with the largest increase in New York. Seroprevalence was higher in non-Hispanic black and Hispanic than in non-Hispanic white blood donors. SARS-CoV-2 antibody testing of blood donor samples can be used to estimate the seroprevalence in the general population by region and demographic group. The methods derived from the RESPONSE seroprevalence study served as the basis for expanding SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence surveillance to all 50 states and Puerto Rico.
Associations between oral health and cancer in a national representative sample of Spanish adults
Authors: Jacob Louis , López-Sánchez Guillermo F , Smith Lee , Grabovac Igor
Published: June 2021

Background

The goal of this study was to investigate the association between several oral health outcomes and cancer in adults living in Spain.

Methods

Data from the Spanish National Health Survey 2017 were analysed. Seven oral health outcomes (dental caries, dental extraction, dental filling, gingival bleeding, tooth movement, dental material and missing tooth) were assessed with questions with ‘yes’ and ‘no’ options. Cancer was assessed and defined with the following yes–no question: ‘Have you ever been diagnosed with malignant tumours?’. The relationship of each oral health outcome and the number of poor oral health outcomes with cancer was studied in regression models adjusted for sex, age, marital status, education, smoking and alcohol consumption.

Results

This study included 23 089 participants aged 15–103 years [45.9% of males; mean (standard deviation) age 53.4 (18.9) years]. The prevalence of cancer was 5.0% in the overall population. After adjusting for several potential confounding factors, all oral health outcomes except missing tooth were significantly and positively associated with cancer [odds ratios (ORs) ranging from 1.15 for dental filling to 1.48 for dental extraction]. In addition, there was a positive and significant association between the number of poor oral health outcomes and cancer (OR = 1.16, 95% confidence interval = 1.11–1.22).

Conclusions

On a nationally representative sample of 23 089 participants in Spain, poorer oral health outcomes were found in participants with history of cancer, with positive associations between several oral health outcomes as well as the number of poor oral health outcomes and cancer.
Rheumatoid arthritis and osteoporosis: shared genetic effect, pleiotropy and causality
Authors: Yu Xing-Hao , Yang Yi-Qun , Cao Rong-Rong , Cai Mu-Kun , Zhang Lei , Deng Fei-Yan , Lei Shu-Feng
Published: June 2021

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is associated with increased localized and generalized bone loss, but the complex genetic mechanism between them is still unknown. By leveraging large-scale genome-wide association studies summary statistics and individual-level datasets (i.e. UK Biobank), a series of genetic approaches were conducted. Linkage disequilibrium score regression reveals a shared genetic correlation between RA and estimated bone mineral density (eBMD) (rg = −0.059, P = 0.005). The PLACO analysis has identified 74 lead (8 novel) pleiotropic loci that could be mapped to 99 genes, the genetic functions of which reveal the possible mechanism underlying RA and osteoporosis. In European, genetic risk score (GRS) and comprehensive Mendelian randomization (MR) were utilized to evaluate the causal association between RA and osteoporosis in European and Asian. The increase in GRS of RA could lead to a decrease of eBMD (beta = −0.008, P = 3.77E-6) and a higher risk of facture [odds ratio (OR) = 1.012, P = 0.044]. MR analysis identified that genetically determined RA was causally associated with eBMD (beta = −0.021, P = 4.14E-05) and fracture risk (OR = 1.036, P = 0.004). Similar results were also observed in Asian that osteoporosis risk could be causally increased by RA (OR = 1.130, P = 1.04E-03) as well as antibodies against citrullinated proteins-positive RA (OR = 1.083, P = 0.015). Overall, our study reveals complex genetic mechanism between RA and osteoporosis and provides strong evidence for crucial role of RA in pathogenesis of osteoporosis.
Telling Stories about Sexual Violence, Victimization, and Agency in Militarized Settings
Authors: Steans Jill A
Published: June 2021

In this article, I contribute to a debate among feminist scholars on whether survivors of sexual violence should be seen as passive victims or as agents who possess the capacity to resist or actively fight back against their assailants. I probe this question in the context of militarized settings, following those scholars who have challenged the constructions of victimhood and agency as a binary and who have instead conceptualized survivors as both victimized and agential. My aim is to bring into conversation feminist analyses with key concepts drawn from Pierre Bourdieu's social theory. I argue that Bourdieu's work not only elucidates structural dimensions of lived experience, but also casts light on how survivors might infuse their actions with meaning in times of crisis. In so doing, I further confront objections that personal testimonies and stories fail to capture the structural, often invisible, forces that shape lived experience. I illustrate my argument through a reading of the wartime journal, A Woman in Berlin. By way of conclusion, I reflect on what Bourdieusian insights into power relations, agency, and narrative bring to feminist discussions on the constraints faced by those recounting survivor stories in public forums in pursuit of recognition and justice.
Are synthetic clinical notes useful for real natural language processing tasks: A case study on clinical entity recognition
Authors: Li Jianfu , Zhou Yujia , Jiang Xiaoqian , Natarajan Karthik , Pakhomov Serguei Vs , Liu Hongfang , Xu Hua
Published: June 2021

Objective

: Developing clinical natural language processing systems often requires access to many clinical documents, which are not widely available to the public due to privacy and security concerns. To address this challenge, we propose to develop methods to generate synthetic clinical notes and evaluate their utility in real clinical natural language processing tasks.

Materials and Methods

: We implemented 4 state-of-the-art text generation models, namely CharRNN, SegGAN, GPT-2, and CTRL, to generate clinical text for the History and Present Illness section. We then manually annotated clinical entities for randomly selected 500 History and Present Illness notes generated from the best-performing algorithm. To compare the utility of natural and synthetic corpora, we trained named entity recognition (NER) models from all 3 corpora and evaluated their performance on 2 independent natural corpora.

Results

: Our evaluation shows GPT-2 achieved the best BLEU (bilingual evaluation understudy) score (with a BLEU-2 of 0.92). NER models trained on synthetic corpus generated by GPT-2 showed slightly better performance on 2 independent corpora: strict F1 scores of 0.709 and 0.748, respectively, when compared with the NER models trained on natural corpus (F1 scores of 0.706 and 0.737, respectively), indicating the good utility of synthetic corpora in clinical NER model development. In addition, we also demonstrated that an augmented method that combines both natural and synthetic corpora achieved better performance than that uses the natural corpus only.

Conclusions

: Recent advances in text generation have made it possible to generate synthetic clinical notes that could be useful for training NER models for information extraction from natural clinical notes, thus lowering the privacy concern and increasing data availability. Further investigation is needed to apply this technology to practice.
Harnessing electronic clinical data to report adult and prenatal immunization quality measures
Authors: Byron Sepheen C , Roth Lindsey , Acton Ryan M , Shen Angela
Published: June 2021

Objective

To explore the use of health plan quality measures specified for electronic clinical data to monitor immunizations.

Materials and Methods

We analyzed 2018 data submitted by health plans reporting 2 new Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set measures assessing receipt of clinically recommended vaccines among pregnant women and adults. We analyzed the number of plans reporting a valid performance rate and electronic data source used. We consulted expert panels and reviewed coverage rates from other sources to understand the results.

Results

We received 136 data submissions across commercial, Medicaid and Medicare plans and 87 submissions across commercial and Medicaid plans for the adult and prenatal immunization measures, respectively. These submissions represent approximately 15% of possible submissions. Plans used claims, registries and electronic health records. Mean performance rates for adult immunizations were 21.2 (commercial), 14.0 (Medicaid) and 19.5% (Medicare). Mean rates for prenatal immunizations were 33.1 (commercial) and 16.7% (Medicaid).

Discussion

Results from the first year of reporting 2 electronic clinical data measures suggest health plans can feasibly report these measures and are seeking electronic data to supplement claims. Comparison of rates to other national results showed lower than expected rates for the adult immunization measure. However, prenatal immunization rates were on par with those from a national survey, suggesting this measure is closer to use for quality improvement.

Conclusion

Quality measure reporting that encourages connection to electronic data sources is a step forward in performance monitoring and improvement. The use of electronic sources may advance health information exchange for patient care.
Late-onset capsular bag distention syndrome resistant to laser treatment: a case report
Authors: Almousa Khalid Saad , Refka Mohammed Nabeel
Published: June 2021

Capsular bag distention syndrome (CBDS) or capsular block syndrome is a rare complication of cataract surgery. Neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd:YAG) laser usually is effective treatment for CBDS. Rarely, surgical intervention is required in resistant cases (as in our case). Herein, we present the case of a 58-year-old male who presented to us with this condition.
Neighbourhood semantics and labelled calculus for intuitionistic infinitary logic
Authors: Tesi Matteo , Negri Sara
Published: June 2021

Neighbourhood semantics for intuitionistic logic extended with countable conjunctions and disjunctions is introduced and shown equivalent to topological semantics, with an indirect completeness proof as payoff. The new semantics is used to obtain a labelled sequent calculus with good structural properties. In particular, admissibility of weakening and contraction, invertibility with preservation of height for each rule and cut elimination are shown. Finally, a direct Tait–Schütte–Takeuti style form of completeness via the extraction of a countermodel from a failed proof search is proved.
The relationship between gas and galaxies at z < 1 using the Q0107 quasar triplet
Authors: Beckett Alexander , Morris Simon L , Fumagalli Michele , Bielby Rich , Tejos Nicolas , Schaye Joop , Jannuzi Buell , Cantalupo Sebastiano
Published: June 2021

We study the distribution and dynamics of the circumgalactic and intergalactic medium using a dense galaxy survey covering the field around the Q0107 system, a unique z ≈ 1 projected quasar triplet. With full Ly α coverage along all three lines-of-sight from z = 0.18 to z = 0.73, more than 1200 galaxy spectra, and two MUSE fields, we examine the structure of the gas around galaxies on 100–1000 kpc scales. We search for H i absorption systems occurring at the same redshift (within 500 km s−1) in multiple sightlines, finding with >99.9 per cent significance that these systems are more frequent in the observed quasar spectra than in a randomly distributed population of absorbers. This is driven primarily by absorption with column densities N(H i) > 1014 cm−2, whilst multi-sightline absorbers with lower column densities are consistent with a random distribution. Star-forming galaxies are more likely to be associated with multi-sightline absorption than quiescent galaxies. HST imaging provides inclinations and position angles for a subset of these galaxies. We observe a bimodality in the position angle of detected galaxy-absorber pairs, again driven mostly by high-column-density absorbers, with absorption preferentially along the major and minor axes of galaxies out to impact parameters of several hundred kpc. We find some evidence supporting a disc/outflow dichotomy, as H i absorbers near the projected major axis of a galaxy show line-of-sight velocities that tend to align with the rotation of that galaxy, whilst minor-axis absorbers are twice as likely to exhibit O vi at the same redshift.
The correct sense of Faraday rotation
Authors: Ferrière K , West J L , Jaffe T R
Published: June 2021

The phenomenon of Faraday rotation of linearly polarized synchrotron emission in a magneto-ionized medium has been understood and studied for decades. But since the sense of the rotation itself is irrelevant in most contexts, some uncertainty and inconsistencies have arisen in the literature about this detail. Here, we start from basic plasma theory to describe the propagation of polarized emission from a background radio source through a magnetized, ionized medium in order to re-derive the correct sense of Faraday rotation. We present simple graphics to illustrate the decomposition of a linearly polarized wave into right and left circularly polarized modes, the temporal and spatial propagation of the phases of those modes, and the resulting physical rotation of the polarization orientation. We then re-examine the case of a medium that both Faraday rotates and emits polarized radiation and show how a helical magnetic field can construct or destruct the Faraday rotation. This paper aims to resolve a source of confusion that has arisen between the plasma physics and radio astronomy communities and to help avoid common pitfalls when working with this unintuitive phenomenon.
Studying the interstellar medium to look for relics of triggered star formation among stellar clusters
Authors: Paron S , Granada A , Areal M B
Published: June 2021

Evidence of triggered star formation at large spatial scales involving stellar clusters is scarce. We investigate a Galactic region (l = 130${_{.}^{\circ}}$0, b = 0${_{.}^{\circ}}$35) populated by several open stellar clusters that according to the last Gaia data release, are located at a distance of about 2.9 kpc. By analysing the interstellar medium (ISM) at infrared, centimeter, and millimeter wavelengths towards this group of clusters we discovered a shell of material of about 2° in size at the same distance. We suggest that the shell, mainly observed at 12 μm and in the H i emission at 21 cm, was generated by the action of massive stars belonging to clusters Berkeley 7 and UBC 414, which lie at its centre. Five clusters (MWSC0152, Czernik 6, Czernik 7, Berkeley 6, NGC 663, and NGC 654) lie at the border of this shell. From the comparison between the dynamical time of the discovered H i shell and the analysis of the ages of stellar populations in these clusters, we conclude that the expansion of the shell could have triggered in the past the formation of stars in some of them. We point out that in order to find physical evidence supporting a genetic connection between stellar clusters, it is necessary not only to study the individual clusters and their stellar populations, but also to investigate their surrounding ISM at a large spatial scale.
Data reduction and calibration accuracy of the imaging Fourier transform spectrometer SITELLE
Authors: Martin T , Drissen L , Prunet S
Published: June 2021

SITELLE, an imaging Fourier Transform Spectrometer, is part of the Canada–France–Hawaii instrument suite. It delivers spectral cubes covering an 11 arcmin × 11 arcmin field of view with a seeing-limited spatial resolution and a tunable spectral resolution (R ∼ 1–10 000) in selected bands of the visible range (350–900 nm). We present a complete picture of the calibration accuracy obtained with the SITELLE processing pipeline ORBS. We put a particular emphasis on the description of our phase correction method and on the assessment of the flux calibration precision. We show that the absolute flux calibration uncertainty is to be considered between −15  per cent and 5  per cent. Flexure in the instrument is likely responsible for a wavelength calibration error gradient across the field of view, with an amplitude corresponding to 15 to 25 km s−1; measurements of the night-sky emission lines when present in a science cube reduces this error to ∼2 km s−1. The astrometric calibration is limited to ∼1 arcsec by the optical distortions. Considering that imaging Fourier transform spectrometers are not as widely used as dispersive spectrometers and because SITELLE and its prototype are the first instruments of their kind to provide data in the near-UV at a high spectral resolution and over a very large field of view, we took great care in explaining most of the core concepts behind this technique as well as exploring all the practical limitations that affect the precision of our calibrations. As such, this paper aims at providing a solid ground for subsequent developments of imaging Fourier transform spectrometers in astronomy.
Impact of the ERF on the structure and evolution of SNRs
Authors: Romero M , Ascasibar Y , Palouš J , Wünsch R , Mollá M
Published: June 2021

We carry out 1D hydrodynamical simulations of the evolution of a spherically symmetric supernova remnant (SNR) subject to an external radiation field (ERF) that influences the cooling and heating rates of the gas. We consider homogeneous media with ambient hydrogen number densities nH, 0 of 0.1 and 1 cm−3 permeated by an average radiation field including the cosmic microwave, extragalactic, and Galactic backgrounds, attenuated by an effective column density NH, eff from 1018 to 1021 cm−2. Our results may be classified into two broad categories: at low NH, eff, the ERF presents little absorption in the ultraviolet (ionizing) regime, and all the ’unshielded’ cases feature an equilibrium temperature Teq ∼ 7000 K below which the ambient gas cannot cool further. In this scenario, the SNR develops a nearly isothermal shock profile whose shell becomes thicker over time. At higher NH, eff, the ERF is heavily absorbed in the UV range, yielding a roughly constant heating function for temperatures ≲ 104 K. These ‘shielded’ cases develop a thin, cold and dense shell throughout their evolution. Energy and momentum injection to the medium do not change significantly between both scenarios, albeit luminosity is higher and more uniformly distributed over the shell for unshielded SNR.
AGN jet feedback on a moving mesh: gentle cluster heating by weak shocks and lobe disruption
Authors: Bourne Martin A , Sijacki Debora
Published: June 2021

While there is overwhelming observational evidence of active galactic nuclei (AGN)-driven jets in galaxy clusters and groups, if and how the jet energy is delivered to the ambient medium remains unanswered. Here, we perform very high-resolution AGN jet simulations within a live, cosmologically evolved cluster with the moving mesh code arepo. We find that mock X-ray and radio lobe properties are in good agreement with observations with different power jets transitioning from FR-I to FR-II-like morphologies. During the lobe inflation phase, heating by both internal and bow shocks contributes to lobe energetics, and ∼40 per cent of the feedback energy goes into the PdV work done by the expanding lobes. Low power jets are more likely to simply displace gas during lobe inflation, but higher power jets become more effective at driving shocks and heating the intracluster medium (ICM), although shocks rarely exceed $\mathcal {M}\sim 2-3$. Once the lobe inflation phase ceases, cluster weather significantly impacts the lobe evolution. Lower power jet lobes are more readily disrupted and mixed with the ICM, depositing up to ∼70 per cent of the injected energy; however, ultimately the equivalent of $\lower.5ex\hbox{$\,\, \buildrel\gt \over \sim \,\,$}50$ per cent of the feedback energy ends up as potential energy of the system. Even though the mean ICM entropy is increased up to 80 Myr after the jets switch off, AGN heating is gentle, inducing no large variations in cluster radial profiles in accord with observations.
Renal denervation in patients with versus without chronic kidney disease: results from the Global SYMPLICITY Registry with follow-up data of 3 years
Authors: Ott Christian , Mahfoud Felix , Mancia Giuseppe , Narkiewicz Krzysztof , Ruilope Luis M , Fahy Martin , Schlaich Markus P , Böhm Michael , Schmieder Roland E
Published: June 2021

Background

Activity of the sympathetic nervous system is increased in patients with hypertension and chronic kidney disease (CKD). Here we compare short- and long-term blood pressure (BP)-lowering effects of renal denervation (RDN) between hypertensive patients with or without CKD in the Global SYMPLICITY Registry.

Methods

Office and 24-h ambulatory BP (ABP) were assessed at prespecified time points after RDN. The presence of CKD was defined according to the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and enrolled patients were stratified based on the presence (n = 475, eGFR <60 mL/min/1.73 m2) or absence (n = 1505, eGFR ≥60mL/min/1.73 m2) of CKD.

Results

Patients with CKD were older (P < 0.001) and were prescribed more antihypertensive medications (P < 0.001). eGFR decline per year was not significantly different between groups after the first year. Office and 24-h ABP were significantly reduced from baseline at all time points after RDN in both groups (all P < 0.001). After adjusting for baseline data, patients without CKD had a greater reduction in office systolic BP (−17.3 ± 28.3 versus −11.7 ± 29.9 mmHg; P = 0.009) but not diastolic BP at 36 months compared with those with CKD. Similar BP and eGFR results were found when the analysis was limited to patients with both baseline and 36-month BP data available. There was no difference in the safety profile of the RDN procedure between groups.

Conclusions

After adjusting for baseline data, 24-h systolic and diastolic ABP reduction were similar in patients with and without CKD after RDN, whereas office systolic but not diastolic BP was reduced less in patients with CKD. We conclude that RDN is an effective antihypertensive treatment option in CKD patients.