bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Flavonoid‐Like Components of Peanut Stem and Leaf Extract Promote Sleep by Decreasing Neuronal Excitability
Authors: Guo Rui , Shi Ai‐min , Deng Lei , Li Lei , Wang Lie‐chen , Oteng Antwi‐Boasiako , Wei Meng‐ping , Zhao Zhi‐hao , Hooiveld Guido , Zhang Chen , Wang Qiang
Published: November 2021

Scope

Peanut stem and leaf (PSL), a traditional Chinese medicine, is widely used as a dietary supplement to improve sleep quality; however, the underlying mechanism is unclear. Here, the study aims to determine whether active compounds in PSL extract exert their effects by mediating neuronal excitability.

Methods and Results

Aqueous PSL extract (500 mg kg−1 BW) increases the duration of total sleep (TS), slow wave sleep (SWS) and rapid eye movement sleep (REMS) in BALB/c mice after 7 and 14 continuous days of intragastric administration. Two PSL extract components with flavonoid‐like structures: 4',7‐di‐O‐methylnaringenin (DMN, 61 µg kg−1 BW) and 2’‐O‐methylisoliquiritigenin (MIL, 12 µg kg−1 BW), show similar effects on sleep in BALB/c mice. Moreover, incubation with DMN (50 µM) and MIL (50 µM) acutely reduces voltage‐gated sodium and potassium currents and suppresses the firing of evoked action potential in mouse cortical neurons, indicating the inhibition on neuronal excitability. Meanwhile, RNA‐seq analysis predicts the potential regulation of voltage‐gated channels, which is according with the molecular docking simulation that both MIL and DMN can bind to voltage gated sodium channels 1.2 (Nav1.2).

Conclusions

DMN and MIL are the active ingredients of PSL that improve sleep quality, suggesting that PSL promotes sleep by regulating the excitability of neurons.
Isolation of high crystalline nanocellulose from Mimosa pudica plant fibres with potential in packaging applications
Authors: George Tresa Sunitha , Muhammadaly Sainul Abidh , Parambath Kanoth Bipinbal , Joseph Texin , Chemmarickal Dominic Midhun Dominic , George Neena , Balachandrakurupp Venugopal , John Honey
Published: November 2021

Mimosa pudica Linn (sensitive plant) is a medicinal plant of family Fabaceae. Its stem is a good source of cellulose. This research work reports isolation of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) from M. pudica stem fibres by combined chemical and mechanical treatments. Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/starch composites were prepared with incorporation of isolated CNC (1, 3 and 5 wt.%) by solution casting method. Addition of CNC in polymer composites improved its mechanical strength and barrier properties. Isolation process of CNC includes alkali treatment, bleaching and acid hydrolysis followed by homogenization. Chemical composition, thermal stability, structure, surface morphology, crystallinity and size of the freeze‐dried nanocellulose were studied carefully. Fourier transform infrared analysis of raw fibre and CNC showed elimination of non‐cellulosic fragments from untreated M. pudica stem fibre. Electron microscopy analysis and dynamic light scattering (DLS) confirmed the isolation of nanocellulose. X‐ray diffraction showed improvement in the crystallinity of obtained nanocellulose. Increase in crystallinity indicates high Young's modulus of isolated nanocellulose which makes them proper reinforcement material in composites. Polymer composites with the addition of 3 wt.% of CNC showed the highest tensile strength and lowest water vapour transmission rate (WVTR), moisture absorption and oxygen transmission rate (OTR). As M. pudica is an abundant natural resource, it can be utilized as an efficient source of nanocellulose for different applications especially as fillers in sustainable polymer composites for packaging.
Optimal adaptive allocation using deep reinforcement learning in a dose‐response study
Authors: Matsuura Kentaro , Honda Junya , El Hanafi Imad , Sozu Takashi , Sakamaki Kentaro
Published: November 2021

Estimation of the dose‐response curve for efficacy and subsequent selection of an appropriate dose in phase II trials are important processes in drug development. Various methods have been investigated to estimate dose‐response curves. Generally, these methods are used with equal allocation of subjects for simplicity; nevertheless, they may not fully optimize performance metrics because of nonoptimal allocation. Optimal allocation methods, which include adaptive allocation methods, have been proposed to overcome the limitations of equal allocation. However, they rely on asymptotics, and thus sometimes cannot efficiently optimize the performance metric with the sample size in an actual clinical trial. The purpose of this study is to construct an adaptive allocation rule that directly optimizes a performance metric, such as power, accuracy of model selection, accuracy of the estimated target dose, or mean absolute error over the estimated dose‐response curve. We demonstrate that deep reinforcement learning with an appropriately defined state and reward can be used to construct such an adaptive allocation rule. The simulation study shows that the proposed method can successfully improve the performance metric to be optimized when compared with the equal allocation, D‐optimal, and TD‐optimal methods. In particular, when the mean absolute error was set to the metric to be optimized, it is possible to construct a rule that is superior for many metrics.
Effect of the incorporation of cellulose nanocrystals into a microwave‐polymerized denture base resin: Cellulose nanocrystals into a denture base resin
Authors: Santana Thais de Sousa , Leite Andressa Rosa Perin , Pasquini Daniel , Pero Ana Carolina
Published: November 2021

The aim is to evaluate the mechanical, physical, and microbiological properties of a denture base resin (Onda‐Cryl, microwave‐polymerized), after the incorporation of cellulose nanocrystals (CNC). Mixtures of CNC and the resin are prepared at 0% (control group), 0.25%, 0.5%, 0.75% and 1% for the flexural strength (FS) and Vickers hardness (VH) tests. Due to the VH results, surface roughness (SR), surface free energy (SFE), and the single‐ and dual‐species biofilm formation ofCandida albicansand methicillin‐susceptibleStaphylococcus aureus(MSSA) for metabolic activity (XTT assay), antimicrobial activity (CFU mL−1) and confocal laser microscopy tests are performed for the groups 0% and 0.75% CNC. Data are statistically analyzed (α = .05). For FS, CNC at 0.25%, 0.5% and 0.75% are similar to the control. A significant increase of VH is observed at 0.75% and 1%. The 0.75% CNC group is similar to the control for the SFE and SR tests. There is no significant difference between control group and 0.75% CNC group for adhesion and biofilm formation of different microorganisms analyzed for XTT and CFU mL−1. These results are corroborated by confocal microscopy images. The incorporation of CNC at 0.75% into a microwave‐polymerized denture base resin provides promising results regarding VH and does not influence the physical, mechanical, and microbiological properties evaluated. These results suggest that the addition of CNC in the resin does not display surface alterations capable of increasing adhesion or biofilm formation ofC. albicansorS. aureus.
Adaptive large neighborhood search for mixed integer programming
Authors: Hendel Gregor
Published: November 2021

Large Neighborhood Search (LNS) heuristics are among the most powerful but also most expensive heuristics for mixed integer programs (MIP). Ideally, a solver adaptively concentrates its limited computational budget by learning which LNS heuristics work best for the MIP problem at hand. To this end, this work introduces Adaptive Large Neighborhood Search (ALNS) for MIP, a primal heuristic that acts as a framework for eight popular LNS heuristics such as Local Branching and Relaxation Induced Neighborhood Search (RINS). We distinguish the available LNS heuristics by their individual search spaces, which we call auxiliary problems. The decision which auxiliary problem should be executed is guided by selection strategies for the multi armed bandit problem, a related optimization problem during which suitable actions have to be chosen to maximize a reward function. In this paper, we propose an LNS-specific reward function to learn to distinguish between the available auxiliary problems based on successful calls and failures. A second, algorithmic enhancement is a generic variable fixing prioritization, which ALNS employs to adjust the subproblem complexity as needed. This is particularly useful for some LNS problems which do not fix variables by themselves. The proposed primal heuristic has been implemented within the MIP solver SCIP. An extensive computational study is conducted to compare different LNS strategies within our ALNS framework on a large set of publicly available MIP instances from the MIPLIB and Coral benchmark sets. The results of this simulation are used to calibrate the parameters of the bandit selection strategies. A second computational experiment shows the computational benefits of the proposed ALNS framework within the MIP solver SCIP.
Vulnerability of fishery-based livelihoods to climate variability and change in a tropical island: insights from small-scale fishers in Seychelles
Authors: Etongo Daniel , Arrisol Lyn
Published: November 2021

While climate shocks and stressors are not unique to developing countries, their impacts are expected to be most acute here due to limitations in the assets and infrastructure required for adaptation. This study assesses the vulnerability of fishery-based livelihoods to the impacts of climate variability and change across two major islands in Seychelles based on 80 household surveys and three shared dialogue workshops (SDWs) with small-scale fishers. Results showed that the percentage of fishers’ households that depend mainly on fisheries as a source of income was 95% and 97% for Mahe and Praslin respectively with alternative income streams along the fishing value chain such as transportation, fish mongers and processor. Fishers on Mahe Island had a dependency ratio index that was slightly higher than those on Praslin. Overall, fishing households on Mahe showed greater vulnerability on socio-demographic profile index compared to their counterparts on Praslin. However, greater livelihood diversification was recorded for householders on Mahe than Praslin as fishers earned income from tourism-related activities such as guest house, car rental, boat ride, and sales of coconuts as mentioned during the SDWs. Fishers on Mahe struggled to find fish for 3 months during the southeast monsoon season compared to 2 months for those on Praslin given that access is granted to fish in the lagoon during this season. More importantly, the voluntary closure of some fishing zones between the months of November to April on Praslin is a sustainability strategy that witnessed an increase in size and number for both rabbit and parrotfish. Further studies are needed in two key areas as follows: the role of subsidies and sustainable fisheries management, and a value-chain approach to vulnerability of small-scale fishers within the fishery sector in Seychelles.
Epidemiology, clinical features, and outcomes of coronavirus disease among children in Al-Madinah, Saudi Arabia
Authors: Alshengeti Amer , Alahmadi Hatem , Barnawi Ashwaq , Alfuraydi Nouf , Alawfi Abdulsalam , Al-Ahmadi Arwa , Sheikh Mohammad , Almaghthawi Amani , Alnakhli Zahera , Rasheed Raghad , Ibrahim Amany , Sobhi Ahmed , Al Shahrani Dayel , Kordy Faisal
Published: November 2021

Background and Objective:

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is milder with favorable outcomes in children than in adults. However, detailed data regarding COVID-19 in children from Saudi Arabia are scarce. This study aimed to describe COVID-19 among children in Al-Madinah, Saudi Arabia.

Methods:

This retrospective observational study included children <14 years old hospitalized with COVID-19 between May 1, 2020 and July 31, 2020. Clinical data, COVID-19 disease severity, and outcomes were collected. The total number of presenting symptoms and signs were computed by counting those recorded upon presentation. The Kruskal-Wallis non-parametric test was used to compare the number of symptoms and signs across all levels of COVID-19 severity.

Result:

Overall, 106 patients met the inclusion criteria; their ages ranged from 2 weeks to 13 years. Most patients were ≤12 months of age (43.4%). Bronchial asthma was the most common comorbidity (9.4%). Among 99 symptomatic patients, fever was the most common symptom (84.8%); seven patients (7%) were diagnosed with febrile seizure. Most COVID-19 cases were mild (84%); one patient (0.94%) was in critical condition and one patient (0.94%) met the Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in children criteria. The mean number of symptoms and signs in children with severe or critical COVID-19 was significantly higher than that in children with mild cases or non-severe pneumonia (P < .001). One patient died owing to COVID-19 (0.94%).

Conclusions:

COVID-19 mortality in children is rare; however, while most children exhibit mild disease with favorable outcomes, children with chronic lung disease may be at higher risk for severe disease.
Explaining State Adjudication Choices: Limits on Focusing on Visible Processes
Authors: Ásgeirsdóttir Áslaug
Published: November 2021

In “Judicialization of the Sea: Bargaining in the Shadow of UNCLOS,” Sara Mitchell and Andrew Owsiak make an important contribution to the literature that considers if and how international courts influence the behavior of states beyond the process of adjudication. Their analysis shows that states that declare an Article 287 choice for dispute resolution when signing the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) are more likely to solve their conflicts in peaceful ways, compared to signatories who do not, suggesting this relationship is not epiphenomenal. Their finding provides us with yet another piece of the puzzle in understanding how legalization and judicialization shape the behavior of states. We still, however, have much to learn about how states interact with legalization and adjudication. This essay argues that while the article's statistical analysis adds to the evidence that judicialization influences state behavior, the uniqueness of UNCLOS makes it doubtful that we can replicate this finding for other international courts and tribunals. In addition, while the statistical analysis suggests that states that make Article 287 declarations behave differently in the face of maritime conflict, we do not really know why states made the choice to declare a preference for adjudication. Finally, given that states strongly prefer negotiations to using UNCLOS formal adjudication mechanisms, we need to understand better the path to adjudication or arbitration.
Why did Pope John Paul II visit Ireland? The 1979 papal visit in context
Authors: Ó Corráin Daithí
Published: November 2021

Pope John Paul II’s visit to Ireland in 1979 was an iconic moment in the history of twentieth-century Irish Catholicism. It has, however, received little detailed historical scrutiny. Based on state archival and hitherto unavailable diocesan material, this article contextualizes the visit by explaining the pastoral and leadership challenges that confronted the Irish hierarchy. Second, this article discusses how close the pope came to visiting Northern Ireland at the height of the Troubles. This was of concern not just to the hierarchy but to the Irish and British governments. Third, the organization of the visit, which was closely tied to the pastoral concerns of the Irish bishops, is surveyed. Lastly, the pastoral impact of the visit is considered. If the Catholic hierarchy hoped that the papal visit might arrest the declining institutional influence of the Catholic Church, reverse a quiet but growing faith crisis, or hasten a cessation of violence in Northern Ireland, then those expectations were misplaced. Ultimately, the pastoral impulse of the 1979 papal visit to Ireland was to preserve rather than renew the Irish Catholic tradition at a time when Irish Catholics were fixed on future material advancement rather than fidelity to their spiritual past.
Communication in clinical research: Uncertainty, stress, and emotional labor
Authors: Williams Jade , Kolb H. Robert
Published: November 2021

This exploratory study investigated perceptions of competent vs. contentious communication in the workplace as experienced by Clinical Research Professionals (CRPs) managing or coordinating clinical research. Qualitative data collected from a 90-min focus group interview were thematically analyzed using open and axial coding and constant comparison. Findings suggest CRPs associate contentious communication with uncertainty, stress, and emotional labor. Further, although many participants regularly utilize effective conflict and emotion management strategies, they lack confidence in both knowledge and efficacy of competent communication, stress management, and emotion management skills. Conclusions support revising “Wheel of Competencies” figure representing the Joint Task Force for Clinical Trial Competency framework. Study limitations and suggestions for future research and educational training are discussed.
Modelling spanwise heterogeneous roughness through a parametric forcing approach
Authors: Schäfer K. , Stroh A. , Forooghi P. , Frohnapfel B.
Published: November 2021

Inhomogeneous rough surfaces in which strips of roughness alternate with smooth-wall strips are known to generate large-scale secondary motions. Those secondary motions are strongest if the strip width is of the order of the half-channel height and they generate a spatial wall shear stress distribution whose mean value can significantly exceed the area-averaged mean value of a homogeneously smooth and rough surface. In the present paper it is shown that a parametric forcing approach (Busse & Sandham, J. Fluid Mech., vol. 712, 2012, pp. 169–202; Forooghi et al., Intl J. Heat Fluid Flow, vol. 71, 2018, pp. 200–209), calibrated with data from turbulent channel flows over homogeneous roughness, can capture the topological features of the secondary motion over protruding and recessed roughness strips (Stroh et al., J. Fluid Mech., vol. 885, 2020, R5). However, the results suggest that the parametric forcing approach roughness model induces a slightly larger wall offset when applied to the present heterogeneous rough-wall conditions. Contrary to roughness-resolving simulations, where a significantly higher resolution is required to capture roughness geometry, the parametric forcing approach can be applied with usual smooth-wall direct numerical simulation resolution resulting in less computationally expensive simulations for the study of localized roughness effects. Such roughness model simulations are employed to systematically investigate the effect of the relative roughness protrusion on the physical mechanism of secondary flow formation and the related drag increase. It is found that strong secondary motions present over spanwise heterogeneous roughness with geometrical height difference generally lead to a drag increase. However, the physical mechanism guiding the secondary flow formation, and the resulting secondary flow topology, is different for protruding roughness strips and recessed roughness strips separated by protruding smooth surface strips.
LUCAN'S CICERO: DISMEMBERING A LEGEND
Authors: Baraz Y.
Published: November 2021

This paper proposes a new synthetic account of the presence of Cicero as both character and source in Lucan's Bellum Ciuile. Lucan's treatment is derived primarily from Virgil's technique for creating intertextually complex characters, but further builds on Sallust's displacement of Cicero in his narrative of the Catilinarian conspiracy and on the declamatory practice of reducing the orator to a few prominent and recognizable traits. Cicero the character, as he briefly appears at the opening of the seventh book, is not simply an ahistorical caricature: he is constructed through a careful series of allusions designed to indict his use of violence in the suppression of Catiline. Other prominent aspects of Cicero in the tradition are displaced and transferred to other characters more important to Lucan's design, Cato and Pompey. Lucan's depiction of Pompey, especially his death and decapitation, draws on the language and affect of the tradition associated with Cicero, using Cicero's own words and the obituary of Cicero in the lost historical epic of Cornelius Severus. Finally, the language of Cicero's peace-making efforts in his correspondence, suppressed in Lucan's depiction of him as a warmonger, forms an important part of the narrator's own emotional evocations of the impending catastrophe of civil war. The combination of models Lucan uses is more broadly reflective of his technique in composing a historical epic.
SINCLAIR HOOD (1917–2021)
Authors: Cadogan Gerald
Published: November 2021

Sinclair Hood (1917–2021) was one of the two leading archaeologists of Minoan Crete of the second generation after Sir Arthur Evans, the other being Nikolaos Platon (1909–92). He spent much of his life researching the history of Knossos, including a major programme of excavations during his Directorship of the British School at Athens (1954–62) to test Evans’ chronological system for Knossos and Crete in the Bronze Age. He also directed excavations at prehistoric Emporio in Chios, and was versed in the archaeology of Central Europe and the Near East, as well as every aspect of Aegean prehistory, on which he wrote profusely. In Greece he revolutionised methods for British archaeologists and trained many students who later became project directors. His monumental studyThe Masons’ Marks of Minoan Knossoscrowned his career. It was published in 2020, when he was 103.
Rabbi Shmuel Schneersohn of Lubavitch (“Maharash,” 1834–1882) and the False Twilight of Chabad Hasidism
Authors: Rubin Eli
Published: November 2021

The maskilic characterization of the nineteenth century as a period of decline and ossification for Hasidism is increasingly eschewed by scholars, yet continues to mark current research in significant ways. As a case study, this article takes up Rabbi Shmuel Schneersohn of Lubavitch (“Maharash,” 1834–1882), rescrutinizing (1) the controversy surrounding the onset of his leadership, (2) his personality and charisma, (3) his methodological approach to the teachings and texts that he inherited from his predecessors, and (4) his theological contributions and their place in the broader trajectory of Chabad's intellectual history. His tenure emerges as a false twilight, in which a new foundation was laid for the perpetuation and expansion of Chabad-Lubavitch, as both an intellectual and activist movement, in the century that followed.
Word form processing at school age: Evidence for similarities between bilingual and monolingual children
Authors: Hein Karin , Kauschke Christina
Published: November 2021

The present study aimed to explore the lexical processing abilities of bilingual school-aged children compared to their monolingual peers. Therefore, word form processing tasks (auditory lexical decision, rapid naming, rhyming), as well as traditional vocabulary tasks (word-picture matching and picture naming), were conducted in a cross-sectional design in a sample of 163 German monolingual and 39 bilingual primary school children (6-9 years), speaking German and another language. Regression analyses revealed that age, gender, and vocabulary size, but not bilingualism have an impact on performance in word form processing tasks. Group comparisons after propensity matching on age, gender, and vocabulary size revealed no significant group differences between monolingual and bilingual children in word form processing tasks. After the sample was divided into two age groups, bilingual children showed an initial weakness at ages 6 to 7 that seems to be overcome during primary school age.
Thirty years of Epistemic Specifications
Authors: FANDINNO JORGE , FABER WOLFGANG , GELFOND MICHAEL
Published: November 2021

The language of epistemic specifications and epistemic logic programs extends disjunctive logic programs under the stable model semantics with modal constructs called subjective literals. Using subjective literals, it is possible to check whether a regular literal is true in every or some stable models of the program, those models, in this context also called belief sets, being collected in a set called world view. This allows for representing, within the language, whether some proposition should be understood accordingly to the open or the closed world assumption. Several attempts for capturing the intuitions underlying the language by means of a formal semantics were given, resulting in a multitude of proposals that makes it difficult to understand the current state of the art. In this article, we provide an overview of the inception of the field and the knowledge representation and reasoning tasks it is suitable for. We also provide a detailed analysis of properties of proposed semantics, and an outlook of challenges to be tackled by future research in the area.
Better a war criminal or a terrorist? A comparative study of war crimes and counterterrorism legislation
Authors: Thynne Kelisiana
Published: November 2021

This article poses the question as to whether and why States overlook the prosecution of people for war crimes rather than terrorist offences, where war crimes would be preferred. It looks at whether a diverse range of States (Afghanistan, Australia, Mali, the Netherlands and the Russian Federation) are able through their domestic legislation to prosecute people for war crimes or for terrorist offences. It considers what the value of prosecutions is theoretically and legally, and what the impact of prosecutions is practically in a State. It proposes that prosecutors, police and judges should ask the question whether an alleged offender should be prosecuted for war crimes and/or terrorist offences with war crimes being the preferred option where there is evidence that they have been committed.
Influence of planting date and herbicide program on Amaranthus palmeri control in dry bean
Authors: Beiermann Clint W. , Creech Cody F. , Knezevic Stevan Z. , Jhala Amit J. , Harveson Robert , Lawrence Nevin C.
Published: November 2021

Late-emerging summer annual weeds are difficult to control in dry bean production fields. Dry bean is a poor competitor with weeds, due to its slow rate of growth and delayed canopy formation. Palmer amaranth is particularly difficult to control due to season-long emergence and resistance to acetolactate synthase (ALS)-inhibiting herbicides. Dry bean growers rely on PPI and preemergence residual herbicides for the foundation of their weed control programs; however, postemergence herbicides are often needed for season-long weed control. The objective of this experiment was to evaluate effect of planting date and herbicide program on late-season weed control in dry bean in western Nebraska. Field experiments were conducted in 2017 and 2018 near Scottsbluff, NE. The experiment was arranged in a split-plot design, with planting date and herbicide program as main-plot and subplot factors, respectively. Delayed planting was represented by a delay of 15 d after standard planting time. The treatments EPTC + ethalfluralin, EPTC + ethalfluralin followed by (fb) imazamox + bentazon, and pendimethalin + dimethenamid-P fb imazamox + bentazon, resulted in the lowest Palmer amaranth density at 3 wk after treatment and the highest dry bean yield. The imazamox + bentazon treatment provided poor Palmer amaranth control and did not consistently result in Palmer amaranth density and biomass reduction compared with the nontreated control. In 2018, the delayed planting treatment had reduced Palmer amaranth biomass with the pendimethalin + dimethenamid-P treatment, as compared with standard planting. Delaying planting did not reduce dry bean yield and had limited benefit in improving weed control in dry bean.
An 18 year data-linkage study on the association between air	pollution and acute limb ischaemia
Authors: Fitton Catherine A. , Cox Bianca , Chalmers James D. , Belch Jill J. F.
Published: November 2021

Summary: Background: There is limited information regarding the effects of air pollutants, such as nitrogen oxides (NOx), nitric oxide (NO2), nitrous oxide (NO) and particulate matter with a diameter smaller than 10 μm (PM10), on acute limb ischaemia (ALI), a peripheral arterial disease (PAD) often with a poor clinical outcome. Patients and methods: We conducted an 18-year retrospective cohort study using routinely collected healthcare records from Ninewells Hospital, Dundee, and Perth Royal Infirmary, in Tayside, Scotland, UK from 2000 to 2017. ALI hospitalisation events and deaths were linked to daily NOx, NO2, NO and PM10 levels extracted from publicly available data over this same time period. Distributed lag models were used to estimate risk ratios for ALI hospitalisation and for ALI mortality, adjusting for temperature, humidity, day of the week, month and public holiday. Results: 5,608 hospital admissions in 2,697 patients were identified over the study period (mean age 71.2 years, ±11.1). NOx and NO were associated with an increase of ALI hospital admissions on days of exposure to pollutant (p=.018), while PM10 was associated with a cumulative (lag 0–9 days) increase (p=.027) of ALI hospital admissions in our study. There was no increase of ALI mortality associated with pollution levels. Conclusions: ALI hospital admissions were positively associated with ambient NOx and NO on day of high measured pollution levels and a cumulative effect was seen with PM10.
Machine Learning Approaches to Identifying Changes in Eruptive State Using Multi‐Parameter Datasets From the 2006 Eruption of Augustine Volcano, Alaska
Authors: Manley Grace F. , Mather Tamsin A. , Pyle David M. , Clifton David A. , Rodgers Mel , Thompson Glenn , Roman Diana C.
Published: November 2021

Understanding the timing of critical changes in volcanic systems, such as the beginning and end of eruptive behavior, is a key goal of volcanic monitoring. Traditional approaches to forecasting these changes have used models motivated by the underlying physics of eruption onset, which assume that geophysical precursors will consistently display similar patterns prior to transition in volcanic state. We present a machine learning classification approach for detecting significant changes in patterns of volcanic activity, potentially signaling transitions during the onset or end of volcanic activity, which does not require a model of the physical processes underlying critical changes. We apply novelty detection, where models are trained only on data prior to eruption, to the precursory unrest at Augustine Volcano, Alaska in 2005. This approach looks promising for geophysically monitored volcanic systems which have been in repose for some time, as no eruptive data is required for model training. We compare novelty detection results with multi‐class classification, where models are trained on examples of both non‐eruptive and eruptive data. We contextualize the results of these classification models using constraints from petrological, satellite and visual observations from the 2006 eruption of Augustine Volcano. The transition from non‐eruptive to eruptive behavior we identify in mid‐November 2005 is in agreement with previous estimates of the initiation of dike intrusion prior to the 2006 eruption. We find that models which include multiple types of data (seismic, deformation, and gas emissions) can better distinguish between non‐eruptive and eruptive data than models formulated on single data types.
Association between family history and lung cancer risk among Chinese women in Singapore
Authors: Yin Xin , Chan Cheryl Pui Yi , Seow Adeline , Yau Wai-Ping , Seow Wei Jie
Published: November 2021

Risk factors of lung cancer unrelated to smoking are not well-studied, especially among women. Family history has been shown to play a role in predisposing individuals to lung cancer, but this relationship has not been investigated in the Southeast Asian population. A total of 1159 women were recruited in a case–control study conducted in public hospitals in Singapore from 2005 to 2008. After excluding participants with incomplete family history information, 374 cases and 785 controls remained in the final analysis. Adjusted odds ratios (aORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using logistic regression, adjusting for potential confounders. Overall, family history of lung cancer was associated with a higher risk for lung cancer (aOR 2.08, 95% CI 1.25–3.47). When stratified by smoking status, a significant association was observed among never-smokers (aOR 2.78, 95% CI 1.57–4.90). Further stratification by fruit consumption identified a significant association between family history of lung cancer and higher risk of lung cancer among never-smokers who had low fruit consumption (aOR 3.09, 95% CI 1.37–7.01). Our findings suggest that family history of lung cancer is a significant risk factor for lung cancer in Singaporean Chinese women, especially among never-smokers.
Sensing small interaction forces through proprioception
Authors: Rashid Fazlur , Burns Devin , Song Yun Seong
Published: November 2021

Understanding the human motor control strategy during physical interaction tasks is crucial for developing future robots for physical human–robot interaction (pHRI). In physical human–human interaction (pHHI), small interaction forces are known to convey their intent between the partners for effective motor communication. The aim of this work is to investigate what affects the human’s sensitivity to the externally applied interaction forces. The hypothesis is that one way the small interaction forces are sensed is through the movement of the arm and the resulting proprioceptive signals. A pHRI setup was used to provide small interaction forces to the hand of seated participants in one of four directions, while the participants were asked to identify the direction of the push while blindfolded. The result shows that participants’ ability to correctly report the direction of the interaction force was lower with low interaction force as well as with high muscle contraction. The sensitivity to the interaction force direction increased with the radial displacement of the participant’s hand from the initial position: the further they moved the more correct their responses were. It was also observed that the estimated stiffness of the arm varies with the level of muscle contraction and robot interaction force.
Zinc-salt assisted synthesis of three-dimensional oxygen and nitrogen co-doped hierarchical micro-meso porous carbon foam for supercapacitors
Authors: Emrooz Hosein Banna Motejadded , Aghdaee Ali Akbar , Rostami Mohammad Reza
Published: November 2021

Nitrogen and oxygen co-doped hierarchical micro-mesoporous carbon foams has been synthesized by pyrolyzation treatment of a preliminary foam containing melamine and formaldehyde as nitrogen, carbon and oxygen precursors and Zn(NO3)2. 6H2O and pluronic F127 as micro-meso pores generators. Several characterizations including thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman spectroscopy, FTIR and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, N2 adsorption–desorption, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were performed on the prepared foams. X-ray diffraction patterns, Raman spectra and N2 adsorption–desorption results confirmed that ZnO has pronounced effect on the graphitization of the prepared carbon foam. From X-ray diffraction, thermal gravimetric and N2 adsorption–desorption analysis results it was confirmed that the carbothermal reaction and the elimination of ZnO and also the elimination of pluronic F127 are the main factors for the induction of porosities in the foam structure. The presence of Zn(NO3)2. 6H2O and pluronic F127 in the initial composition of the preliminary foam results in the specific surface area as high as 1176 m2.g−1 and pore volume of 0.68 cm3.g−1. X-ray photoelectron and FTIR spectroscopy analyses results approved the presence of nitrogen (about 1.9 at %) in the form of pyridinic, graphitic and nitrogen oxide and oxygen (about 7.5 at. %) functional groups on the surface of the synthesized carbon foam. Electrochemistry analysis results including cyclic voltammetry (CV) and galvanostatic charge–discharge (GCD) and also electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) analysis illustrated the formation of an electric double layer supercapacitor with the capacitance as high as 137 Fg−1.
Digital variance angiography allows about 70% decrease of DSA-related radiation exposure in lower limb X-ray angiography
Authors: Gyánó Marcell , Berczeli Márton , Csobay-Novák Csaba , Szöllősi Dávid , Óriás Viktor I. , Góg István , Kiss János P. , Veres Dániel S. , Szigeti Krisztián , Osváth Szabolcs , Pataki Ákos , Juhász Viktória , Oláh Zoltán , Sótonyi Péter , Nemes Balázs
Published: November 2021

Our aim was to investigate whether the previously observed higher contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) and better image quality of Digital Variance Angiography (DVA) - compared to Digital Subtraction Angiography (DSA) - can be used to reduce radiation exposure in lower limb X-ray angiography. This prospective study enrolled 30 peripheral artery disease patients (mean ± SD age 70 ± 8 years) undergoing diagnostic angiography. In all patients, both normal (1.2 µGy/frame; 100%) and low-dose (0.36 µGy/frame; 30%) protocols were used for the acquisition of images in three anatomical regions (abdominal, femoral, crural). The CNR of DSA and DVA images were calculated, and the visual quality was evaluated by seven specialists using a 5-grade Likert scale. For investigating non-inferiority, the difference of low-dose DVA and normal dose DSA scores (DVA30-DSA100) was analyzed. DVA produced two- to three-fold CNR and significantly higher visual score than DSA. DVA30 proved to be superior to DSA100 in the crural region (difference 0.25 ± 0.07, p < 0.001), and there was no significant difference in the femoral (− 0.08 ± 0.06, p = 0.435) and abdominal (− 0.10 ± 0.09, p = 0.350) regions. Our data show that DVA allows about 70% reduction of DSA-related radiation exposure in lower limb X-ray angiography, providing a potential new radiation protection tool for the patients and the medical staff.
The periprocedural and 30-day outcomes of carotid stenting in patients with carotid artery near-occlusion
Authors: Tsai Cheng-Hsuan , Chen Ying-Hsien , Lin Mao-Shin , Huang Ching-Chang , Hung Chi-Sheng , Yeh Chih-Fan , Liu Sheng-Fu , Tang Sung-Chun , Chao Chi-Chao , Kao Hsien-Li
Published: November 2021

The safety of endovascular revascularization in patients with carotid artery near occlusion (CANO) is unknown. We aimed to evaluate the peri-procedural risk in CANO patients receiving carotid artery stenting (CAS). A prospective data base with retrospective review was performed to identify patients who underwent CAS with CANO from July 2006 to July 2020, and had at least 1-month clinical follow-up data. The primary endpoints were stroke, hyperperfusion syndrome, and death within 30 days after CAS. A total of 198 patients with carotid artery stenosis were enrolled including 92 patients with CANO and 106 age and sex-matched patients with 70–99% conventional carotid stenosis. Full distal carotid collapse was found in 45 CANO patients (45/92, 49%). The technical success rate was 100%. The CANO patients had significantly longer lesion lengths compared with those of the non-CANO group. The incidence of hyperperfusion syndrome was comparable (CANO: 2.2%, non-CANO: 0.9%, P = 0.598). The risks of ischemic stroke and death within 30 days were 1.1% and 0% in the CANO group; and 1.9% and 0.9%, in the non-CANO group, respectively, without statistical difference. In conclusion, CAS is safe for patients with CANO, with a similar low 30-day peri-procedural event rate comparable to those of non-CANO.
Edging towards an understanding of CH/CH2 on nano-diamonds
Authors: Jones A. P.
Published: November 2021

Context. Nano-diamonds have been observed in only a handful of circumstellar regions 10–100 au from moderately bright stars (Teff ~ 8000–10 000 K). They have also been extracted from primitive meteorites; some of these are clearly pre-solar, that is to say that they formed far from the solar system and therefore traversed the interstellar medium, where they must exist but, because we see no evidence of them, must be extremely well hidden.

Aims. Our goal is to understand if it is possible to constrain the sizes and shapes of nano-diamonds in circumstellar media using the observed ratio, [CH]/[CH2], of their surface CH2 and CH infrared bands at ≃3.43 μm and ≃3.53 μm, respectively.

Methods. We calculated the CH and CH2 abundances on nano-diamonds using two approaches. The first assumes regular and semi-regular polyhedra (tetrahedra, octahedra, and cubes and their truncated forms). The second uses a diamond bonding network to derive the structures of tetrahedral and octahedral particles, and their truncated variants, and also of spherical nano-diamonds.

Results. As a function of the particle size and shape, and for the two different calculation methods, we derived the relative abundance ratio [CH]/[CH2], which can then be weighted by their laboratory-measured infrared band intensities. The two methods give good agreement and indicate that the spread in values, over the different particle forms, is more that an order of magnitude for any size.

Conclusions. We conclude that the ratio [CH]/[CH2], and their infrared band ratio, strongly depend upon particle size and shape. For a given shape or size, the ratio can vary by more than an order of magnitude. It may therefore be difficult to constrain nano-diamond sizes using the observed 3–4 μm spectra alone. James Webb Space Telescope mid-infrared spectra may help, but only if bands are size-specific.
Study of Geometric Elements for the Proposed Protecting Dam Reservoir in Al-Fat'ha Area, Iraq
Authors: Abdallah Sabbar S. , Ali Bahaa Al-Din R. , Ahmed Muhana M.
Published: November 2021

Partially constructed Makhul dam may collapse after the operation due to the geological and geotechnical background of the foundations zone, and the presence of gypsum layers in this zone, Then the construction of Al-Fat'ha protection dam is one of the proposed solutions. The present study used the geometric analysis method to investigate the ability of Al-Fat'ha planned protecting dam to reduce the disasters of Makhul dam break. The new methodology used to derive the geometric elements of the two dams, and analyze the relations between these elements, and then exam the behavior of Al-Fat'ha proposed dam with and without the studied collapse scenarios. Fourteen collapse scenarios suggested for Makhul dam, from the level 140 m above sea level (a.s.l), to the maximum possible flood level 152 m (a.s.l). A mathematical model was derived to predict the level achieved as a response of cumulative storage in the protecting dam reservoir when the collapse of the Makhul dam occurred. The maximum level in the protecting dam reservoir to face the worst collapse scenario is 147 m (a.s.l), when the corresponding accumulated storage in the reservoir is 3414305769 m3. The results of the geometric analysis indicate that the optimum operating level for Al-Fat'ha dam in the operating conditions without Makhul dam collapse is 118.5 m (a.s.l), which corresponds to the capacity (39243587) m3. The total flooded area between the two dams was calculated for each collapse scenario of Makhul dam; it is about 44 km2for the worst scenario when nine villages on reservoir banks will submerge. Subsequently, the study confirmed the ability of Al-Fat'ha dam reservoir to contain the direct flood wave caused by the collapse of Makhul dam.
Effect of Different Soil Saturation Conditions on The Ultimate Uplift Resistance of Helical Pile Model
Authors: Mahmood Mahmood R. , Salim Nahla M. , Al-Gezzy Ammar A.
Published: November 2021

Helical piles have many properties over the other types of piles systems include high tensile capabilities, the possibility of fast installation, applying load immediately after installation, and suitability for most soil's condition. In addition to that, helical piles have relatively less noise during installation; they represent a cost-effective alternative to conventional pile types. The use of helical piles grows in the world in the last fifty years. Many studies concentrate on the performance of this type of piles in fully saturated and dry soils. The achievement of the helical pile in unsaturated soils is rarely studied. So, to cover this small-scale demand model of the helical pile with double helices has been tested. Twenty tests were performed on three different models (pile with single helix, pile with double helices, and pile with triple helices) and pile shaft only, embedded in different conditions of soil saturation (fully saturated, partially saturated, and dry soils) under uplift loading. Three different matric suction of partial saturation were used of 6.5, 7.4, and 9.6 kPa. The results obtained from the tests showed that the highest value in the unsaturated soil was at suction 6.5 kPa compared to other soil saturation conditions. The results mention that model piles embedded in dry soil have lower values of ultimate uplift capacities. The increment in uplift resistance of additional helices of single double and triple helices than that of shaft pipe embedded within dry soil shows an increment by approximately about 170, 240, and 282% respectively, for fully saturation soil, the increment about 342, 463, and 585% respectively, and by about 400, 429, and 475% respectively for matric suction of 6.5 kPa.
Dewatering System Control by MATLAB Software
Authors: Mohammed Omar Y. , Shiekha Ammar A.
Published: November 2021

The aim was to design a MATLAB program to calculate the phreatic surface of the multi-well system and present the graphical shape of the water table drawdown induced by water extraction. Dupuit’s assumption is the base for representing the dewatering curve. The program will offer the volume of water to be extracted, the total number of wells, and the spacing between them as well as the expected settlement of soil surrounding the dewatering foundation pit. The dewatering well arrangement is required in execution works, and it needs more attention due to the settlement produced from increasing effective stress.
Investigating the Effects of Economic Crisis on Construction Projects in Iraq
Authors: Fadhil Ghasaq A. , Burhan Abbas M.
Published: November 2021

Construction is a complex activity performed in an almost uncontrolled environment. Although, in theory, projects can be well planned in advance, there is a possibility that unexpected events and crises will disrupt these plans, which will affect the progress of projects. Construction companies can be easily affected by crises because the initial investment costs are very high in construction projects, which may lead to huge financial damages. One of the most prominent crises that Iraq faced was the financial crisis in 2014, which had a significant impact on various activities and the construction industry. This research aims to explore the most important causes of the economic crises in Iraq in general, investigate the impact of this crisis on the construction industry in Iraq particularly, explore the most important factors that contributed to the aggravation of the crisis in this area. Finally, explore the most important strategies adopted by higher authorities and construction companies during the economic recession that followed the crisis to mitigate its impact. One hundred fifty-one closed questionnaires were distributed for this purpose. The results showed that financial and administrative corruption is one of the most important causes of crises with (RII) 0.93. Also, 82% of the respondents answered that the projects had increased their duration significantly so that it was difficult to set a date for their completion due to the insolvency or inability of the Iraqi state to pay the financial dues to the contractors. This insolvency negatively impacted the construction industry during the crisis with RII (0.832).