bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Overlooked Role of Technology in the Sustainability Movement: A Pedagogical Framework for Engineering Education and Research
Authors: Reddy Agami , Allenby Braden 
Published: April 2020

AbstractThe term “sustainability” has acquired an all-encompassing ambiguous aura, given that it touches on all facets of human endeavor. This paper, meant to provide a pedagogical framework for engineering education, starts by pointing out that since technology is an important and fundamental driver of current human development and inextricably interwoven into the societal fabric, the discourse on sustainability and sustainable development should evolve beyond its environmental and social origins. One should explicitly recognize the importance of technology in profundly shaping the discourse and not simply view it as an enabler of meeting preset equipment and system performance targets. In order to fragment the monolithic implied by the term “sustainability,” a categorization is then suggested ranging from individual products to wicked/complex adaptive systems as a fundamental level of separation. Subsequently, it is argued that the objective analysis of the multidimensional-spatial-temporal nature of sustainability, meant for the assessment of actionable design alternatives and for tracking the status of implemented measures, requires the definition of a small set of quantifiable umbrella capabilities and sub-attributes. The need to identify direct or surrogate parameters/variables and performance measures/metrics which characterize these sub-attributes is then discussed and mapped onto the application categories. Weighting and aggregating these sub-attributes to quantify the umbrella attributes necessarily introduce normative/aspirational preferences/biases of the various stakeholders, and this issue is also discussed. Finally, the two prevalent sustainability assessment frameworks, namely, the structure-based and the performance-based, are reviewed in terms of strengths and weaknesses and illustrative publications cited, and it is urged that more research be undertaken to synthesize these somewhat disparate approaches in dealing with natural, social, economic, political, and technological systems and organizations.
Resilience of Complex Adaptive Systems: A Pedagogical Framework for Engineering Education and Research
Authors: Reddy T. Agami 
Published: April 2020

Abstract
The discourse on resilience, currently at the forefront of research and implementation in a wide variety of fields, is confusing because of its multi-disciplinary/spatial/temporal nature. Resilience analysis is a discipline that allows the assessment and enhancement of the coping and recovery behaviors of systems when subjected to short-lived high-impact external shocks leading to partial or complete failure. This paper, meant for pedagogical teaching and research formulation, starts by providing an overview of different aspects of resilience in general and then focuses on communities and regions that are complex adaptive systems (CAS) involving multiple engineered infrastructures providing essential services to local inhabitants and adapted to available natural resources and social requirements. Next, for objective analysis and assessment, it is proposed that resilience be characterized by four different quantifiable sub-attributes. This paper then describes the standard technocentric manner in which different temporal phases during and in the aftermath of disasters are generally visualized and analyzed, and discusses how these relate to reliability and risk analyses. Subsequently, two prevalent types of frameworks are described and representative literature reviewed: (i) those that aim at improving general resilience via soft methods such as subjective means (interviews, narratives) and census data, and (ii) those that are meant to enhance specific resilience under certain threat scenarios using hard/objective methods such as data-driven analysis and performance-predictive modeling methods, akin to resource allocation problems in operations research. Finally, the need for research into an integrated framework is urged; one that could potentially combine the strengths of both approaches.
Effect of Surface Inclination on Filmwise Condensation Heat Transfer During Flow of Steam–Air Mixtures
Authors: Bhanawat Abhinav , Yadav Mahesh Kumar , Punetha Maneesh , Khandekar Sameer , Sharma Pavan K. 
Published: April 2020

AbstractEmpirical/semi-empirical correlations are available in the literature to quantify the effect of several major parameters, like bulk pressure, non-condensable gas mass fraction, and wall subcooling, on condensation heat transfer coefficient (HTC). However, despite numerous applications of condensation on inclined flat plates, there is a lack of understanding of the effect of surface inclination on condensation heat transfer. Accordingly, a dedicated experimental program was undertaken to investigate the effect of surface inclination angle on filmwise steam condensation. Experiments were performed at different bulk pressures (1.7–4.2 bar absolute) and steam-air mass fractions (ranging from pure steam, i.e., 0% to 40% w/w air), with the steam-air mixture flowing over a flat test plate (Re range, 4200–4800). In each run, the inclination angle of the test surface was varied from −90 deg (condensation underneath the horizontal surface, facing downward) to +90 deg (condensation over the horizontal surface, facing upward) in increments of 15–20 deg (inclination angle θ measured from vertical). The results reveal an intriguing trend: for pure steam condensation, the HTCs decrease as the plate is inclined in either direction from the vertical, and the variation is nearly symmetric for both upward- and downward-facing configurations. On the other hand, for steam condensation in the presence of air, the HTCs decrease monotonically for upward-facing configurations, while they increase slightly (10–20%), and decrease subsequently (for θ &lt; −70 deg) for downward-facing cases. Finally, the HTCs for inclined orientations are compared with the HTC in the standard vertical configuration to quantify the effect of inclination angle.
Group B Streptococcal Surface Proteins as Targets for Protective Antibodies: Identification of Two Novel Proteins in Strains of Serotype V
Authors: Areschoug Thomas , Stålhammar-Carlemalm Margaretha , Larsson Charlotte , Lindahl Gunnar 
Published: April 2020

ABSTRACTStrains of group B streptococcus (GBS) express surface proteins that confer protective immunity. In particular, most strains of the four classical capsular serotypes (Ia, Ib, II, and III) express either of the Rib and α proteins, two members of the same protein family. Here, we report a study of surface proteins expressed by strains of serotype V, which has recently emerged as an important serotype among GBS strains causing serious disease. Two novel GBS proteins were identified, purified, and characterized. One of these proteins, designated Fbs, was immunologically unrelated to other GBS surface proteins. This ∼110-kDa protein was found in 15 of 49 (31%) type V isolates but in few strains of other serotypes. The Fbs proteins expressed by different strains showed limited variation in size. The most common surface protein among type V strains, found in 29 of 49 (59%) isolates, was designated Rib-like, since it cross-reacted with Rib but was not immunologically identical to Rib. Characterization of this Rib-like protein showed that the N-terminal sequence (12 residues) was identical to that of α, although these two proteins lacked cross-reactivity. The biochemical and immunological properties of the Rib-like GBS protein indicate that it is closely related to the R28 protein ofStreptococcus pyogenes. Importantly, passive and active immunization experiments with mice showed that the Fbs and Rib-like proteins are targets for protective antibodies. These two proteins are therefore of interest for analysis of pathogenic mechanisms and for vaccine development.
Streptococcal Histone Induces Murine Macrophages To Produce Interleukin-1 and Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha
Authors: Zhang Liping , Ignatowski Tracey A. , Spengler Robert N. , Noble Bernice , Stinson Murray W. 
Published: April 2020

ABSTRACTThe histone-like protein (HlpA) is highly conserved among streptococci. After lysis of streptococci in infected tissues, HlpA can enter the bloodstream and bind to proteoglycans in the glomerular capillaries of kidneys, where it can react with antibodies or stimulate host cell receptors. Deposits of streptococcal antigens in tissues have been associated with localized acute inflammation. In this study, we measured the ability of purified HlpA (5 to 100 μg/ml), fromStreptococcus mitis, to induce the production of proinflammatory cytokines by cultured, murine peritoneal macrophages. The release of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin-1 (IL-1) was time and concentration dependent and was not diminished by the presence of polymyxin B. Exposure of macrophages to a mixture of HlpA and lipoteichoic acid resulted in a synergistic response in the production of both TNF-α and IL-1. Stimulation with a mixture of HlpA and heparin resulted in reduced cytokine production (50% less IL-1 and 76% less TNF-α) compared to that by cells incubated with HlpA alone. The inclusion of antibodies specific to HlpA in macrophage cultures during stimulation with HlpA did not affect the quantity of TNF-α or IL-1 produced. These observations suggest that streptococcal histone may contribute to tissue injury at infection sites by promoting monocytes/macrophages to synthesize and release cytokines that initiate and exacerbate inflammation.Streptococcus pyogenes, which can infect tissues in enormous numbers, may release sufficient amounts of HlpA to reach the kidneys and cause acute poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis.
Leptospiral Outer Membrane Proteins OmpL1 and LipL41 Exhibit Synergistic Immunoprotection
Authors: Haake David A. , Mazel Mary K. , McCoy Adam M. , Milward Frank , Chao Garlo , Matsunaga James , Wagar Elizabeth A. 
Published: April 2020

ABSTRACTNew vaccine strategies are needed for prevention of leptospirosis, a widespread human and veterinary disease caused by invasive spirochetes belonging to the genusLeptospira. We have examined the immunoprotective capacity of the leptospiral porin OmpL1 and the leptospiral outer membrane lipoprotein LipL41 in the Golden Syrian hamster model of leptospirosis. Specialized expression plasmids were developed to facilitate expression of leptospiral proteins inEscherichia colias the membrane-associated proteins OmpL1-M and LipL41-M. Although OmpL1-M expression is highly toxic inE. coli, this was accomplished by using plasmid pMMB66-OmpL1, which has undetectable background expression without induction. LipL41-M expression and processing were enhanced by altering its lipoprotein signal peptidase cleavage site to mimic that of the murein lipoprotein. Active immunization of hamsters withE. colimembrane fractions containing a combination of OmpL1-M and LipL41-M was found to provide significant protection against homologous challenge withLeptospira kirschneriserovar grippotyphosa. At 28 days after intraperitoneal inoculation, survival in animals vaccinated with both proteins was 71% (95% confidence interval [CI], 53 to 89%), compared with only 25% (95% CI, 8 to 42%) in the control group (P< 0.001). On the basis of serological, histological, and microbiological assays, no evidence of infection was found in the vaccinated survivors. The protective effects of immunization with OmpL1-M and LipL41-M were synergistic, since significant levels of protection were not observed in animals immunized with either OmpL1-M or LipL41-M alone. In contrast to immunization with the membrane-associated forms of leptospiral proteins, hamsters immunized with His6-OmpL1 and His6-LipL41 fusion proteins, either alone or in combination, were not protected. These data indicate that the manner in which OmpL1 and LipL41 associates with membranes is an important determinant of immunoprotection.
Calgranulin C Has Filariacidal and Filariastatic Activity
Authors: Gottsch John D. , Eisinger Steven W. , Liu Sammy H. , Scott Alan L. 
Published: April 2020

ABSTRACTThe calgranulins are a family of calcium- and zinc-binding proteins produced by neutrophils, monocytes, and other cells. Calgranulins are released during inflammatory responses and have antimicrobial activity. Recently, one of the calgranulins, human calgranulin C (CaGC), has been implicated as an important component of the host responses that limit the parasite burden during filarial nematode infections. The goal of this work was to test the hypothesis that human CaGC has biologic activity against filarial parasites.Brugia malayimicrofilariae and adults were exposed in vitro to 0.75 to 100 nM recombinant human CaGC. Recombinant CaGC affected adult and larval parasites in a dose-dependent fashion. Microfilariae were more sensitive to the action of CaGC than were adult parasites. At high levels, CaGC was both macrofilariacidal and microfilariacidal. At lower levels, the percentage of parasites killed was dependent on the level of CaGC in the culture system. The larvae not killed had limited motility. The filariastatic effect of low-level CaGC was reversed when the CaGC was removed from the culture system. Immunohistochemical analysis demonstrated that human CaGC accumulated in the cells of the hypodermis-lateral chord of adult and larval parasites. The antifilarial activity of CaGC was not due to the sequestration of zinc. Thus, the cellular and molecular mechanisms that result in the production and release of CaGC in humans may play a key role in the regulation of filarial parasite numbers.
Theileria annulatain CD5+Macrophages and B1 B Cells
Authors: Moreau Marie-Françoise , Thibaud Jean-Laurent , Miled Leila Ben , Chaussepied Marie , Baumgartner Martin , Davis William C. , Minoprio Paola , Langsley Gordon 
Published: April 2020

ABSTRACTTheileriaparasites infect and transform bovine leukocytes. We have analyzed laboratory-establishedTheileriasp.-infected leukocyte lines and observed that transformed macrophages express CD5. Low-level expression of CD5 by macrophages was further confirmed on three independentTheileria annulataclinical isolates from Tunisia. Interestingly, the fourth CD5+clinical isolate (MB2) was morphologically different, expressed surface immunoglobulin M (IgM) and BoLA class II, and had rearranged Ig light-chain genes. To demonstrate that MB2 did indeed contain CD5+B cells, individual clonal lines were obtained by limiting dilution, and CD5 expression and Ig gene rearrangement were confirmed. This suggests that in natural infectionsT. annulatacan invade and transform CD5+B cells.
Anthrax Spores Make an Essential Contribution to Vaccine Efficacy
Authors: Brossier Fabien , Levy Martine , Mock Michèle 
Published: April 2020

ABSTRACT

Anthrax is caused by
Bacillus anthracis
, a gram-positive spore-forming bacterium. Septicemia and toxemia rapidly lead to death in infected mammal hosts. Currently used acellular vaccines against anthrax consist of protective antigen (PA), one of the anthrax toxin components. However, in experimental animals such vaccines are less protective than live attenuated strains. Here we demonstrate that the addition of formaldehyde-inactivated spores (FIS) of
B. anthracis
to PA elicits total protection against challenge with virulent
B. anthracis
strains in mice and guinea pigs. The toxin-neutralizing activities of sera from mice immunized with PA alone or PA plus FIS were similar, suggesting that the protection conferred by PA plus FIS was not only a consequence of the humoral response to PA. A PA-deficient challenge strain was constructed, and its virulence was due solely to its multiplication. Immunization with FIS alone was sufficient to protect mice partially, and guinea pigs totally, against infection with this strain. This suggests that spore antigens contribute to protection. Guinea pigs and mice had very different susceptibilities to infection with the nontoxigenic strain, highlighting the importance of verifying the pertinence of animal models for evaluating anthrax vaccines.
From extension to tectonic inversion: Mid-Cretaceous onset of Andean-type orogeny in the Lhasa block and early topographic growth of Tibet
Authors: Wang Jian-Gang , Hu Xiumian , Garzanti Eduardo , BouDagher-Fadel Marcelle K. , Liu Zhi-Chao , Li Juan , Wu Fu-Yuan 
Published: April 2020

AbstractRecent studies have indicated that an Andean-type orogen (Lhasaplano) developed on the Lhasa block in the Cretaceous during northward subduction of Neo-Tethyan oceanic lithosphere. When and how uplift of the Lhasaplano began, however, has remained controversial. This article integrates stratigraphic, sedimentological, tectonic, and provenance data from the latest marine to nonmarine strata in the Linzhou Basin to pinpoint the early topographic growth in southern Tibet. The Takena Formation mainly consists of lagoonal carbonates and mudstones yielding foraminiferal assemblages of Early Aptian age (ca. 123–119.5 Ma). The conformably overlying lower member of the Shexing Formation, mainly deposited in fluvial environments, was fed by volcanic and sedimentary rock fragments from the north Lhasa terrane. Clasts of the Gangdese arc to the south firstly appeared in the middle member and became dominant in the upper member of the Shexing Formation. By contrast, coarse grained, braided river facies occur in the uppermost part of the Shexing Formation, where detritus was mostly recycled from Paleozoic strata of north Lhasa, with minor volcaniclastic contribution from the Gangdese arc. Basin analysis indicates accelerating subsidence and sedimentation rates during deposition of Takena to middle Shexing strata (ca. 125–108 Ma), followed by steady subsidence during deposition of upper Shexing strata (ca. 108–96 Ma). Given this regional tectonic and sedimentary evidence, such an evolution is interpreted to reflect tectonic extension followed by thermal subsidence. Basin inversion and regional compression initiated during deposition of the uppermost Shexing strata (ca. 96 Ma), as indicated by active thrust faults and widespread accumulation of syntectonic conglomerates in the western part of the Lhasa block. This event marked the beginning of the Andean-type orogeny in southern Tibet. Such a paleotectonic evolution, from extension to tectonic inversion, is also documented in the Andes mountain range. It may be typical of the early stage growth of Andean-type active continental margins.
Use of electronic medical records in development and validation of risk prediction models of hospital readmission: systematic review
Authors: Mahmoudi Elham , Kamdar Neil , Kim Noa , Gonzales Gabriella , Singh Karandeep , Waljee Akbar K 
Published: April 2020

Abstract

Objective
To provide focused evaluation of predictive modeling of electronic medical record (EMR) data to predict 30 day hospital readmission.

Design
Systematic review.

Data source
Ovid Medline, Ovid Embase, CINAHL, Web of Science, and Scopus from January 2015 to January 2019.

Eligibility criteria for selecting studies
All studies of predictive models for 28 day or 30 day hospital readmission that used EMR data.

Outcome measures
Characteristics of included studies, methods of prediction, predictive features, and performance of predictive models.

Results
Of 4442 citations reviewed, 41 studies met the inclusion criteria. Seventeen models predicted risk of readmission for all patients and 24 developed predictions for patient specific populations, with 13 of those being developed for patients with heart conditions. Except for two studies from the UK and Israel, all were from the US. The total sample size for each model ranged between 349 and 1 195 640. Twenty five models used a split sample validation technique. Seventeen of 41 studies reported C statistics of 0.75 or greater. Fifteen models used calibration techniques to further refine the model. Using EMR data enabled final predictive models to use a wide variety of clinical measures such as laboratory results and vital signs; however, use of socioeconomic features or functional status was rare. Using natural language processing, three models were able to extract relevant psychosocial features, which substantially improved their predictions. Twenty six studies used logistic or Cox regression models, and the rest used machine learning methods. No statistically significant difference (difference 0.03, 95% confidence interval −0.0 to 0.07) was found between average C statistics of models developed using regression methods (0.71, 0.68 to 0.73) and machine learning (0.74, 0.71 to 0.77).

Conclusions
On average, prediction models using EMR data have better predictive performance than those using administrative data. However, this improvement remains modest. Most of the studies examined lacked inclusion of socioeconomic features, failed to calibrate the models, neglected to conduct rigorous diagnostic testing, and did not discuss clinical impact.
Effectiveness of nicotine replacement therapy sample at outdoor smoking hotspots for initiating quit attempts and use of smoking cessation services: a protocol for a cluster randomised controlled trial
Authors: Cheung Yee Tak Derek , Chan Ching Han Helen , Ho Kin Sang , Tang Celeste , Lau Chloe Wing Hei , Li William Ho Cheung , Wang Man Ping , Lam Tai Hing 
Published: April 2020

IntroductionMore than half of the smoking population in Hong Kong are unmotivated to quit. Only about 2% of tobacco users in the territory have ever used cessation aids such as nicotine replacement therapy (NRT). The present study aims to assess the effectiveness of delivering 1-week free NRT sample plus brief intervention to smokers at outdoor smoking hotspots on quit attempts and use of smoking cessation services.Methods and analysisThis is a two-arm, pragmatic, multisite, cluster randomised controlled trial (RCT) on the effectiveness of increasing quit attempts, use of cessation service and recruitment outcomes. Trained smoking cessation ambassadors will approach smokers at outdoor smoking hotspots, and deliver brief smoking cessation advice. Recruitment sessions are randomised to intervention or control group (allocation ratio 1:1). Participants in the intervention group (n=550) will receive 1-week free NRT sample (either patch or gum), brief medication advice from an onsite nurse and cessation service referral, whereas participants in control group (n=275) will only receive the brief advice and service referral. The primary outcomes are the proportion of participants who enrol in any cessation service in Hong Kong within 1 month of the recruitment, and the proportion of participants who report quit attempts at 1-month follow-up. Secondary outcomes include self-reported use of NRT, self-reported 7-day tobacco abstinence, 30-day abstinence at 3 months and 6 months, biochemically validated abstinence at 6 months, perceived importance, difficulty and confidence to quit (scale 0–10), and Incremental Behavior Change towards Smoking Cessation. Process outcomes include number of smokers who will be approached, will accept the brief smoking cessation advice or be recruited to participate in the RCT.Ethics and disseminationThe Institutional Review Board of the University of Hong Kong/Hospital Authority Hong Kong West Cluster approved the trial (UW 18-118). Findings will be disseminated through funding website, publication and conference presentations.Trial registration numberNCT03717051