bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Experimental study and modeling of water-based fluid imbibition process in Middle and Lower Indus Basin Formations of Pakistan
Authors: Khan Muhammad Arqam , Haneef Javed , Lalji Shaine Mohammadali , Ali Syed Imran 
Published: October 2020

AbstractWellbore instability is one of the major problems that arise in drilling shale formations. Drilling in these formations may lead to breakouts and induce fractures. In Pakistan, drilling companies face quiet a number of formations that are shaly in nature and are candidates for wellbore instability issues. To counter these issues, it is required to have good understanding about the composition of the shale and its chemical reactivity with drilling fluids. Shale samples of three different formations have been obtained. These samples belong to two different regions of Indus Basin of Pakistan and were subjected to cation exchange capacity test and X-rays diffraction analysis to determine the reactivity and mineralogy, respectively. The samples were then tested for swelling properties using linear dynamic swell meter. The testing was done in two different water-based drilling fluids. The increase in height and swelling percentage for each sample was then recorded against each type of drilling fluid. A comparative analysis was done as to what type of drilling fluid systems out of the two used in the swelling test would best inhibit the swelling nature of shale for each formation in these regions of Pakistan. Finally, analytical and numerical modeling was performed on each shale sample. It was observed that the swelling parameter A (total swelling) increases significantly for Middle Indus Basin Shale Formation, and on the contrary, the filtration term (C) becomes independent of time after certain period of testing.
Positionspapier der Österreichische Alzheimer Gesellschaft (ÖAG)
Authors: Defrancesco Michaela , Bancher Christian , Dal-Bianco Peter , Hinterhuber Hartmann , Schmidt Reinhold , Struhal Walter , Ransmayr Gerhard , Stögmann Elisabeth , Marksteiner Josef 
Published: October 2020

ZusammenfassungÄltere Menschen sind durch die COVID-19 Pandemie besonders betroffen. Die meisten der Verstorbenen sind ältere Erwachsene, von denen ein Großteil vorbestehende Gesundheitsprobleme hatten. Weltweit leiden mehr als 50 Mio. – in Österreich etwa 140.000 Menschen an Demenz. Demenz hat sich in einer alternden Gesellschaft zu einer Pandemie entwickelt. Der Doppelschlag von Demenz- und COVID-19-Pandemien hat bei diesen Menschen und deren Angehörigen große Besorgnis ausgelöst. Die Covid-19-Pandemie stellt Patienten mit Demenz und deren Angehörige vor große Herausforderungen: 1. durch begrenzten Zugang zu genauen Informationen über die COVID-19-Pandemie, Schwierigkeiten, sich an Schutzverfahren, wie das Tragen von Masken, zu erinnern oder die ihnen zur Verfügung gestellten Informationen zu verstehen. 2. Demenzpatienten leben allein oder mit ihrem Ehepartner, ihren Bezugspersonen zu Hause oder in Pflegeheimen. Um die Ansteckungsgefahr in Pflegeheimen zu verringern, wurden Besuche in Pflegeheimen und Langzeitpflegeeinrichtungen verboten. Sozialdistanzierende Maßnahmen sind flächendeckend eingesetzt worden. Folglich verloren ältere Bewohner den persönlichen Kontakt zu ihren Familienmitgliedern und wurden sozial isoliert. Auch Gruppenaktivitäten in Pflegeheimen wurden verboten. Es wurde beobachtet, dass unter dem doppelten Stress der Angst vor Infektionen und der Sorge um den Zustand der Bewohner das Angstniveau unter dem Personal in den Pflegeheimen im Verlauf der vollständigen Abschottung zunahm und Anzeichen von Erschöpfung und Burnout auftraten. Die Österreichische Alzheimer Gesellschaft (ÖAG), wie auch bereits andere internationale Gesellschaften, möchten mit diesem Artikel aufgrund der akuten COVID-19-Krise Menschen mit Demenz und ihr Betreuungsumfeld unterstützen. Neben dem physischen Schutz vor Virusinfektionen sollten auch Empfehlungen für die psychische Gesundheit und Möglichkeiten der psychosozialen Unterstützung auf verschiedenen Ebenen aufgezeigt werden.
Direct Laser Processing of Two-Scale Periodic Structures for Superhydrophobic Surfaces Using a Nanosecond Pulsed Laser
Authors: Shimada Hidenori , Kato Shunichi , Watanabe Takumi , Yamaguchi Masaki 
Published: October 2020

AbstractHierarchical structures are promising geometries for superhydrophobic surfaces, however a processing method with a single laser light source that is capable of both one-pass and rapid processing has not been established. The purpose of this study was to propose a concept of direct laser processing of two-scale periodic structures exhibiting superhydrophobicity. We hypothesized that the molten material that occurs due to the expanding plasma and that is squeezed around the micro-holes could play an active role in the processing of two-scale periodic structures. Percussion drilling using a nanosecond pulsed laser (532 nm wavelength) was performed on a steel surface. Twenty four different test-pieces were prepared using pitch (16–120 μm), number of repetition shots (1–120), and fluence (2.49–20 J/cm2), as the parameters. As the results, micro-holes with bank-shaped outer rims were formed. The maximum apparent contact angle was 161.4° and the contact angle hysteresis was 4.2° for a pitch of 80 μm and 20 repetition shots. The calculated results for the apparent contact angles were consistent with the measured results. Finally, an equation for estimating the processing rate was proposed. We demonstrated that this direct processing method can achieve a maximum processing rate of 823 mm2/min.
Synergistic modification of the tribological properties of polytetrafluoroethylene with polyimide and boron nitride
Authors: Xie Chaojie , Wang Kejian 
Published: October 2020

AbstractPolytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) blended with polyimide (PI) and filled with boron nitride (BN) is prepared through cold pressing and sintering for composites with remarkable wear resistance and reduced coefficient of friction (COF). The characterizations show that BN and PI at different levels, improve the hardness, dynamic thermo-mechanical modulus, thermal conductivity, and tribological properties of PTFE. PI boosts the dispersion and bonding of BN in PTFE. In dry sliding friction of a block-on-ring tribometer, the wear rate and COF of 10:10:80 BN/PI/PTFE reduce to almost 1/300 and 80% of those of pure PTFE, respectively, as the wear mechanism transition from being adhesive to partially abrasive. This occurs only when the additives BN and PI induce a synergistic effect, that is, at concentrations that are not higher than ca. 10 wt% and 15 wt%, respectively. The obvious agglomeration at high percentages of added PI and severe conditions (400 N and 400 rpm) induce strong adhesive failure. The variations in the tensile properties, hardness, crystallization, and microstructure of the composites correspond to different effects. The multiple parameters of the plots of wear and friction are transformed into their contour curves. The mechanism transition maps aid in understanding the influence of various test conditions and composite compositions on the contact surfaces in the space-time framework of wear.
Why Can We Make Anything from Lignin Except Money? Towards a Broader Economic Perspective in Lignin Research
Authors: Wenger Julia , Haas Verena , Stern Tobias 
Published: October 2020

AbstractPurpose of ReviewAs a major component of wood, lignin is regarded as a promising, bio-based compound which could strongly influence the forest-based circular bioeconomy. Much research has been conducted on the material use of lignin, but the lignin commercialization process is still under development; few commercial production facilities and larger-scale applications are available. Therefore, we present a review of recent research papers on the economic perspectives on lignin.Recent FindingsResearch has been conducted on lignin application areas such as lignin-derived polymeric materials, polymer and composite systems, applications for microsized and nanosized lignin, energy storage, and renewable chemicals. On the whole, the life cycle assessment results indicate that lignin-based innovations can be environmentally beneficial. Techno-economic studies identified the lignin feedstock cost and the achievable product price as the most sensitive factors. Recently, researchers pointed out information asymmetries between different stakeholder groups concerning lignin-containing products.SummaryAlthough most of the relevant papers presented a technical perspective of lignin, a smaller set of general economic statements about lignin appear in these papers. These statements refer to lignin underutilization, limited markets, resource abundancy, and barriers to utilization. The literature on technical lignin with an economic perspective can be divided into two different streams: several techno-economic papers and fewer socio-economic papers. The former placed a primary focus on production processes from a profit maximization perspective, but attempts were also made in the latter to explain the socio-technical innovation system. To date, lignin researchers have focused mainly on internal (direct) factors but have not yet sufficiently considered external (indirect) factors.
Evolutionary optimization of neural network to predict sediment transport without sedimentation
Authors: Ebtehaj Isa , Bonakdari Hossein , Zaji Amir Hossein , Gharabaghi Bahram 
Published: October 2020

AbstractSedimentation in open channels occurs frequently and is relative to system inflow. The long-term retention of sediments on channel beds can increase the possibility of variations in deposits and their eventual consolidation. This study compares three hybrid artificial intelligence methods in estimating sediment transport without sedimentation (STWS). We employed the Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), Imperialist Competitive Algorithm (ICA) and Genetic Algorithm (GA) methods in combination with the Artificial Neural Network (ANN) to overcome the weakness of ANN training with conventional algorithms. We used the ICA, GA and PSO methods to optimize the weights of the ANN layers. Using dimensional analysis, we placed the effective parameters in predicting sediment transport into five non-dimensional groups. Six models are proposed and run using three hybrid methods (18 models in total). As the comparisons demonstrate, the proposed combined models are more accurate than ANN and existing equations in estimating the densimetric Froude number (Fr). However, we found the ICA–ANN superior to GA–ANN and PSO–ANN, as it produces explicit solutions to the problem. The ICA–ANN has the lowest prediction uncertainty band for Fr of all developed models. Moreover, the variation trend of the Fr for all input variables (except overall friction factor of sediment) is a second-order polynomial.
Clinical Assessment of the Medial Longitudinal Arch in Children: Rater Agreement and Relationship to Objective Foot Arch Measurements
Authors: Stotz Andreas , Hollander Karsten , Heidt Christoph , Sehner Susanne , Zech Astrid 
Published: October 2020

AbstractThe purpose of this study was to (1) investigate the agreement among clinical experts regarding the classification of the medial longitudinal arch in children and to (2) examine the relationship between the expert ratings and the static and dynamic foot arch measurements. Eleven foot experts were asked to identify foot arches of seventy-four children (mean ± SD age of 9.0 ± 1.81 years) using three categories (low, normal, and high arch). Additionally, dynamic footprint data of all children were captured with a pedobarographic platform. For static arch measurements, a specially constructed caliper was used to assess heel-to-toe length and dorsum height. Agreement among raters was determined using the kappa statistic. For comparisons between clinical rating and diagnostic systems, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and ordinal logistic regression were calculated. The combined kappa score for all three arch types (0.422, 32.8%) shows borderline moderate agreement between raters. Area under the curves (AUC) values of the ROC curves ranging from 0.48 to 0.68 show poor relationship between quantitative and qualitative arch height measurements. The highest agreement was found for the dynamic arch index and foot experts’ ratings for low arched vs non-low arched feet (AUC = 0.68) and normal vs low arched feet (AUC = 0.67). The results of this study showed borderline moderate agreement among clinical experts in the clinical assessment of the medial longitudinal plantar arch in children. Also, only a poor relationship between the clinical foot arch assessments and the static and dynamic foot measurements was revealed. Further research is necessary to establish an accurate and consistent diagnostic system for the measurement of the medial longitudinal arch in children.
Use of a comprehensive program to review religious and personal seasonal influenza vaccination exemption requests by healthcare personnel
Authors: Boone Benjamin C. , Johnson Rochelle T. , Rolando Lori A. , Talbot Thomas R. 
Published: October 2020

AbstractObjective:Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) requires that all faculty and staff receive the seasonal influenza vaccine annually or receive an approved vaccine exemption, either for a medical or deeply held religious or personal belief. We sought to understand the underlying principles behind these exemption requests and their interaction with a multidisciplinary exemption review process.Design:All of the personal and religious exemption requests at VUMC for 3 consecutive influenza seasons from 2015 to 2018 were analyzed, categorizing these requests by 1 of 12 standardized employee categories and 1 of 18 unique reasons for vaccine exemption.Setting:Tertiary-care academic medical center.Participants:Healthcare personnel (HCP).Results:Among the 3 influenza seasons, 1.1%–2.1% of all VUMC HCP requested religious or personal exemption from vaccination. The frequency of religious and personal exemption approval increased annually from 296 of 452 (65.5%) to 196 of 248 (80.2%) to 283 of 323 (87.6%) over the 3 seasons, representing a statistically significant increase each year. Of the 5 most common reasons against vaccination, 4 were explicitly religious in nature; the most common reason was that the “body is a temple or sacred.” Nonclinical staff submitted the most religious and personal exemption requests of any job category, submitting approximately one-third of all requests every year.Conclusions:These results demonstrate how detailed the personal or religious convictions behind vaccine avoidance can be among HCP and how vaccine avoidance stems from much more than simple misinformation regarding vaccination. The intersection between misinformation and personal or religious beliefs provides a unique opportunity to address HCP opinions toward vaccination in an exemption and appeals process like the one described here.
Natural history in the physician's study: Jan Swammerdam (1637–1680), Steven Blankaart (1650–1705) and the ‘paperwork’ of observing insects
Authors: KLERK SASKIA 
Published: October 2020

AbstractWhile some seventeenth-century scholars promoted natural history as the basis of natural philosophy, they continued to debate how it should be written, about what and by whom. This look into the studios of two Amsterdam physicians, Jan Swammerdam (1637–80) and Steven Blankaart (1650–1705), explores natural history as a project in the making during the second half of the seventeenth century. Swammerdam and Blankaart approached natural history very differently, with different objectives, and relying on different traditions of handling specimens and organizing knowledge on paper, especially with regard to the way that individual observations might be generalized. These traditions varied from collating individual dissections into histories, writing both general and particular histories of plants and animals, collecting medical observations and applying inductive reasoning. Swammerdam identified the essential changes that insects underwent during their life cycle, described four orders based on these ‘general characteristics’ and presented his findings in specific histories that exemplified the ‘general rule’ of each order. Blankaart looked to the collective observations of amateurs to support his reputation as a man of medicine, but this was not supposed to lead to any kind of generalization. Their work alerts us to the variety of observational practices that were available to them, and with what purposes they made these their own.
Variation in Australian durum wheat germplasm for productivity traits under irrigated and rainfed conditions: genotype performance for agronomic traits and benchmarking
Authors: Kadkol Gururaj , Smith Alison , Cullis Brian , Chenu Karine 
Published: October 2020

AbstractA set of durum wheat genotypes from New South Wales (NSW, Durum Breeding Australia (DBA) Northern Program), South Australia (SA, DBA Southern Program and Australian Grain Technology), ICARDA and CIMMYT (International Centre for Research in Dryland Agriculture and International Centre for Maize and Wheat Improvement) was evaluated over 3 years (2012–2014) in field trials containing rainfed and watered blocks in Narrabri, NSW, Australia. Data on yield and other agronomic traits were analysed using a multi-environment trial approach that accommodated the factorial treatment structure (genotype by irrigation regime) within individual trials. Considerable variation was observed in the durum germplasm for productivity and grain quality traits. DBA Bindaroi (NSW) and 101042 (ICARDA) were the top yielders in watered and rainfed blocks, respectively. The yield was positively and strongly related to both harvest index and grains/m2,but grains/m2was negatively related to thousand grain weight (TGW) and positively related to screenings. TGW and screenings were strongly negatively related and TGW and grains/m2showed a weak positive relationship. Promising genotypes were identified, with superior traits to both the bread wheat check, EGA Gregory and the durum check, Caparoi. Overall, lines from SA and ICARDA were superior for yield but those from NSW were superior for quality parameters including TGW and screenings. These results suggested the possibility of developing high yielding high-quality durum varieties by crossing NSW lines with SA, CIMMYT and ICARDA lines through simultaneous selection for yield, TGW and low screenings. The results also suggested that productivity in rainfed conditions was positively related to productivity under watering, but further research is required to establish this.
Socio-demographic and trauma-related predictors of depression within eight weeks of motor vehicle collision in the AURORA study
Authors: Joormann Jutta , McLean Samuel A. , Beaudoin Francesca L. , An Xinming , Stevens Jennifer S. , Zeng Donglin , Neylan Thomas C. , Clifford Gari , Linnstaedt Sarah D. , Germine Laura T. , Rauch Scott L. , Musey Paul I. , Hendry Phyllis L. , Sheikh Sophia , Jones Christopher W. , Punches Brittany E. , Fermann Gregory , Hudak Lauren A. , Mohiuddin Kamran , Murty Vishnu , McGrath Meghan E. , Haran John P. , Pascual Jose , Seamon Mark , Peak David A. , Pearson Claire , Domeier Robert M. , Sergot Paulina , Merchant Roland , Sanchez Leon D. , Rathlev Niels K. , Peacock William F. , Bruce Steven E. , Barch Deanna , Pizzagalli Diego A. , Luna Beatriz , Harte Steven E. , Hwang Irving , Lee Sue , Sampson Nancy , Koenen Karestan C. , Ressler Kerry J. , Kessler Ronald C. 
Published: October 2020

AbstractBackgroundThis is the first report on the association between trauma exposure and depression from the Advancing Understanding of RecOvery afteR traumA(AURORA) multisite longitudinal study of adverse post-traumatic neuropsychiatric sequelae (APNS) among participants seeking emergency department (ED) treatment in the aftermath of a traumatic life experience.MethodsWe focus on participants presenting at EDs after a motor vehicle collision (MVC), which characterizes most AURORA participants, and examine associations of participant socio-demographics and MVC characteristics with 8-week depression as mediated through peritraumatic symptoms and 2-week depression.ResultsEight-week depression prevalence was relatively high (27.8%) and associated with several MVC characteristics (being passenger v. driver; injuries to other people). Peritraumatic distress was associated with 2-week but not 8-week depression. Most of these associations held when controlling for peritraumatic symptoms and, to a lesser degree, depressive symptoms at 2-weeks post-trauma.ConclusionsThese observations, coupled with substantial variation in the relative strength of the mediating pathways across predictors, raises the possibility of diverse and potentially complex underlying biological and psychological processes that remain to be elucidated in more in-depth analyses of the rich and evolving AURORA database to find new targets for intervention and new tools for risk-based stratification following trauma exposure.
Direct democracy, coalition size and public spending
Authors: Emmenegger Patrick , Leemann Lucas , Walter André 
Published: October 2020

AbstractThis article contributes to the literature on direct democracy and public spending in two ways. First, we explore how direct democratic institutions interact with a specific aspect of the representative system, the size of the governing coalition, to influence public spending. Second, based on newly collected data, we examine the relationship between three different direct democratic institutions, coalition size and public spending over the period from 1860 to 2015. Empirically, we find that initiatives increase the size of the public sector under single-party governments, but this positive relationship disappears as coalition size increases. In contrast, we find that financial referendums slow down the growth of public spending, while law referendums are not systematically associated with public spending. Finally, we find that the relationship between direct democratic institutions, coalition size and public spending does not change over time despite the long period under investigation.