bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Nonlinear fracture assessment and nanomechanical deformation of elastomeric composites: Development of finite element model and experimental validation
Authors: Goswami Mohit , Ghorai Sanjoy Kumar , Sharma Sujit , Chakraborty Goutam , Chattopadhyay Santanu 
Published: April 2021

AbstractIn this article, Mode‐I fracture and nanomechanical deformation of elastomeric composites are studied using nonlinear fracture mechanics implicating computer modeling techniques like finite element analysis, and the models developed are verified experimentally. The effect of low notch‐to‐width ratios (NWR) on failure properties like J‐integral, geometry factor, crack tip opening displacement (CTOD), crack advancement, and R‐curves is investigated. The geometry factor is found to be decreasing by 96% when NWR is increased from 0.06 to 0.34. An empirical relationship between CTOD and crack advancement for hybrid elastomeric composites depending on NWR is developed and has been verified analytically. Optimization of silica in 10 phr carbon black filled styrene butadiene rubber is performed, and several characterization techniques are used to justify the outcome. The applicability of mechanical properties like stress contours and factor of safety in fracture characterization of composites is explained briefly. A mesh sensitivity based finite element model has been developed for calibrating the nanoindentation test of elastomeric composites and verified experimentally.
Upper urinary tract surgery and radical prostatectomy with Senhance® robotic system: Single center experience—First 100 cases
Authors: Kastelan Zeljko , Hudolin Tvrtko , Kulis Tomislav , Knezevic Nikola , Penezic Luka , Maric Marjan , Zekulic Toni 
Published: April 2021

AbstractBackgroundThe Senhance® robotic surgery system is a novel robotic platform used in several European and World centres. We present our experience in urologic surgery using this platform.Patients and MethodsFrom May 2019 to December 2020, we performed 30 operations of upper urinary tract (UUT) and 70 extraperitoneal radical robotic prostatectomies (RRP). Relevant data were prospectively collected for key outcomes.ResultsThe median age for UUT was 51, and for RRP 65 years. The average estimated blood loss for UUT was 30, and for RRP 200 ml. The average operating time for UUT was 160, and for RRP 200 min. In‐hospital stay for UUT was on average 4, and for RRP 5 days. In UUT group, one patient had Clavien–Dindo complication grade II and one had IIIb. In RRP, three patients had grade I complications and three patients had grade II complications. Catheter was removed on average 8 days after RRP.ConclusionThe Senhance® robotic system is a safe and feasible approach to urological surge.
Development of whole‐genome prediction models to increase the rate of genetic gain in intermediate wheatgrass (Thinopyrum intermedium) breeding
Authors: Crain Jared , Haghighattalab Atena , DeHaan Lee , Poland Jesse 
Published: April 2021

AbstractThe development of perennial grain crops is driven by the vision of simultaneous food production and enhanced ecosystem services. Typically, perennial crops like intermediate wheatgrass (IWG)[Thinopyrum intermedium (Host) Barkworth & D.R Dewey] have low seed yield and other detrimental traits. Next‐generation sequencing has made genomic selection (GS) a tractable and viable breeding method. To investigate how an IWG breeding program may use GS, we evaluated 3,658 genets over 2 yr for 46 traits to build a training population. Six statistical models were used to evaluate the non‐replicated data, and a model using autoregressive order 1 (AR1) spatial correction for rows and columns combined with the genomic relationship matrix provided the highest estimates of heritability. Genomic selection models were built from 18,357 single nucleotide polymorphism markers via genotyping‐by‐sequencing, and a 20‐fold cross‐validation showed high predictive ability for all traits (r > .80). Predictive abilities improved with increased training population size and marker numbers, even with larger amounts of missing data per marker. On the basis of these results, we propose a GS breeding method that is capable of completing one cycle per year compared with a minimum of 2 yr per cycle with phenotypic selection. We estimate that this breeding approach can increase the rate of genetic gain up to 2.6× above phenotypic selection for spike yield in IWG, allowing GS to enable rapid domestication and improvement of this crop. These breeding methods should be transferable to other species with similar long breeding cycles or limited capacity for replicated observations.
Genome‐wide association analysis for response of Senegalese sorghum accessions to Texas isolates of anthracnose
Authors: Ahn Ezekiel , Prom Louis K. , Hu Zhenbin , Odvody Gary , Magill Clint 
Published: April 2021

AbstractAnthracnose disease of sorghum is caused by Colletotrichum sublineola, a filamentous fungus. The genetic basis of resistance to anthracnose in sorghum is largely unclear, especially in Senegalese sorghum germplasm. In this study, 163 Senegalese sorghum accessions were evaluated for response to C. sublineola, and a genome‐wide association study (GWAS) was performed to identify genetic variation associated with response to C. sublineola using 193,727 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) throughout the genome. Germplasm diversity analysis showed low genetic diversity and slow linkage disequilibrium (LD) decay among the Senegalese accessions. Phenotypic analysis resulted in relatively low differences to C. sublineola among the tested population. Genome‐wide association study did not identify any significant association based on a strict threshold for the number of SNPs available. However, individual analysis of the top eight SNPs associated with relative susceptibility and resistance identified candidate genes that have been shown to play important roles in plant stress tolerance in previous studies. This study identifies sorghum genes whose annotated properties have known roles in host defense and thus identify them as candidates for use in breeding for resistance to anthracnose.
Exploring ‘beyond‐food’ opportunities for biocultural conservation in urban forest gardens
Authors: Hemmelgarn Hannah L. , Munsell John F. 
Published: April 2021

AbstractUrban agroforestry efforts have focused primarily on food production, but these dynamic, multiple‐strata systems can host a much broader set of functions. This exploratory synthesis describes opportunities and considerations for urban forest gardens’ (UFG) capacity to include diverse, biologically important, and culturally relevant nontimber forest species that have medicinal properties, provide decorative and landscaping products, supply raw material for crafts, and other valuable outputs. Literature relevant to social and ecological aspects of design for ‘beyond‐food’ specialty forest crops in urban forest gardens reveals a need for collaborative, participatory, and culturally relevant UFG decision making that addresses access inequities, potential contamination from urban pollutants, and a continued need for education and awareness of UFG multifunctionality. These production spaces can serve as both a biological and cultural repository for species that may be otherwise overlooked in a narrowly oriented food garden, though case study examples indicating contextual elements of implementation are needed to understand specific cultural and health sovereignty benefits. Currently, traditional tropical homegardens serve as a model for biocultural diversity in small‐scale urban green spaces. Incorporating conservation goals into urban agroforestry initiatives at varying scales holds potential for growing interest in and commitment to building capacity for this emergent land use.
Horse owners' attitudes towards and motivators for using complementary and alternative veterinary medicine
Authors: Keller P , Vanwesenbeeck I , Hudders L , Decloedt A 
Published: April 2021

AbstractBackground: Complementary and alternative veterinary medicine (CAVM) is becoming increasingly popular in horses.Methods: Online, cross‐sectional survey in 1532 horse owners. Attitude towards CAVM, subjective norms, perceived behavioural control and intention for future CAVM use were measured based on the theory of planned behaviour. Structural equation modelling was performed to characterize factors influencing intention to use CAVM.Results: Past use of CAVM, predominantly manual therapies and herbal supplements, was reported by 72.5% of all participants. Frequently reported indications were improving horse's well‐being, illness which did not resolve after conventional treatment and chronic illness. The attitude towards CAVM was positive with a median (interquartile range) score of 6 of 7 (4.75–7.00). Predictors for past CAVM use were higher owner age, alternative medicine self‐use and higher education (non‐university). The strongest predictor of future CAVM usage was perceived behavioural control and perceived CAVM efficacy, as well as positive attitude towards and perceived knowledge about CAVM. The veterinarian was reported as a source of information about CAVM by 86.4% of all participants.Conclusions: Horse owners showed a high intention to use CAVM with the owners' perceived behavioural control and perceived CAVM efficacy as the strongest predictor. Veterinarian‐client communication is important to inform horse owners correctly.
The development of regional smart energy systems in the World and China: The concepts, practices, and a new perspective
Authors: Zhao Yunlong , Ma Linwei , Li Zheng , Ni Weidou 
Published: April 2021

AbstractTo realize a low‐carbon and sustainable energy transition, smart energy systems (SES) assisted by data and information technology are regarded as promising solutions for energy system integration (ESI) and have been put into regional practices. However, there is still lacking attention on the development of multiregional smart energy systems (MRSES), which include three or more areas. This article aims to analyze concepts and practices of SES and enlighten a new perspective of MRSES. The conceptual evolution and regional practices of SES in the world were first reviewed, and it was found out that SES does not means the end of the conceptual evolution of ESI. Current regional practices are still limited in small areas, being typically remote areas, urban areas, and industrial areas. Secondly, the review of concepts and practices of SES in China indicate that the understanding of SES concepts are still confusing in national scale, and the apparent regional disparity in China is calling attention on the development of MRSES. Finally, a preliminary concept of MRSES was proposed and its perspective in China and the world, which is composed by four connected sub‐SES and named as a coordinated development of “smart energy farms + smart energy towns + smart energy industrial parks + smart energy transportation networks” was discussed. The former three sub‐SES are identified according to various economic characteristics and resources endowment in different regions, and they are all connected by the forth sub‐SES. Although this concept is still preliminary, it provides an imagination of future large‐scale SES, and the realization of this concept needs further breakthrough of data technology.This article is categorized under:
Application Areas > Industry Specific Applications
Application Areas > Government and Public Sector
Application Areas > Society and Culture
Food support provision in COVID-19 times: a mixed method study based in Greater Manchester
Authors: Oncini Filippo 
Published: April 2021

AbstractCOVID-19 has brought to light the severity of economic inequalities by testing the capacity of the poorest families to make ends meet. Food insecurity has in fact soared all over the UK, with many people forced to rely on food support providers to not go hungry. This paper uses a unique dataset on 55 food support organizations active in Greater Manchester during the first COVID-19 wave, and 41 semi-structured interviews with food aid spokespersons and stakeholders, to shed light on what they overcame, the complications and drawbacks of the food emergency response plan put in place. The results indicate that food aid organizations that remained open were surprisingly effective despite the growth in user demand and the decrease in volunteers. However, the necessity to maintain a timely supply food at all costs came with important drawbacks. The lockdown measures that followed COVID-19 not only affected the financial stability and management of the organizations, and the availability of food, but undermined the ways in which food support providers used to operate. Owing to physical distancing measures and to the increasing numbers of users, more or less intangible forms of support such as financial advice, empathic listening and human warmth were partially lost, probably when they were needed more than ever.
Comparison of in vitro biocompatibility and antibacterial activity of two calcium silicate-based materials
Authors: Liu Mingxiang , He Lu , Wang Hongyuan , Su Wenpei , Li Hong 
Published: April 2021

AbstractThis study is aimed at comparing and evaluating the biocompatibility and antibacterial activities of mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) and iRoot BP Plus as novel retro-filling materials. Discs of both materials were prepared and incubated for 72 h to obtain material extracts in medium. Flow cytometry and the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay were used to assess the rate of apoptosis and proliferation of human periodontal ligament stem cells (hPDLSCs) when exposed to eluates of both materials. The expression levels of alkaline phosphatase, collagen type I, osteocalcin, Runt-related transcription factor-2, and Osterix were tested for evaluating the osteogenic differentiation of hPDLSCs. The antibacterial activities of both materials were compared by the direct contact test. The hPDLSCs stimulated by MTA or iRoot BP Plus eluates showed significantly higher cell viability than that of the control group with no eluates. No significant differences were observed among the percentages of necrotic and apoptotic cells stimulated by MTA and iRoot BP Plus eluates and the control group. The expression of all osteogenic differentiation markers of hPDLSCs in both experimental groups were significantly higher than those of the control group, while the increment values in MTA group were significantly higher than those of the iRoot BP Plus group. The antibacterial activity against Enterococcus faecalis showed no significant difference between MTA and iRoot BP Plus. Therefore, both materials may be suitable for retro-filling applications.
Seismic risk management through insurance and its sensitivity to uncertainty in the hazard model
Authors: Gkimprixis Athanasios , Douglas John , Tubaldi Enrico 
Published: April 2021

AbstractAcknowledging the devastating consequences of past earthquakes, current research efforts focus on the development of tools for assessing and controlling the risk and losses associated with future earthquakes, in addition to trying to minimize construction costs. Apart from providing a control of these levels, earthquake engineering can also provide solutions to manage the financial implications of the expected hazardous events. The first part of this article focuses on the management of the expected losses through the mechanism of transfer of the financial risk via earthquake insurance. Various insurance models are explained and applied in different case studies, and numerous analyses are performed across Europe, for a benchmark four-storey reinforced-concrete frame building. The results highlight significant variation in the premiums with seismicity, design practices and properties of the insurance model. It is crucial that any mitigation or transfer framework should use probabilistic methods to consider the uncertainties inherent in the hazard and structural response estimates. For example, different studies for the same region often indicate considerable differences in seismic hazard estimates. The uncertainty inherent in the hazard input model is transferred to and affects the results of the structural design and the performance assessment. Thus, the second part of the article investigates the impact of the epistemic uncertainty in the hazard model on the structural design and consequently the estimated future losses and risk levels, again for the benchmark building. First, a comparison is performed between the hazard data from two studies for different locations in Italy, in order to assess the possible range of variation in estimated hazard levels amongst different studies. The effects of these hazard variations on the seismic design and risk and loss metrics for the benchmark building are also investigated for these locations. Finally, a simplified approach for modelling hazard uncertainty is introduced and various sensitivity analyses are performed to investigate the effects of the hazard uncertainty across Europe. It is shown that hazard uncertainty can be of differing importance for the various involved stakeholders.
Do senior faculty members produce fewer research publications than their younger colleagues? Evidence from Ph.D. granting institutions in the United States
Authors: Savage William E. , Olejniczak Anthony J. 
Published: April 2021

AbstractThe aging of the professoriate throughout the end of the twentieth century and the early years of the 2000′s (both before and after the end of mandatory retirement in the United States, ca. 1994) has become a source of concern for some scholars and research administrators, who posit that the “greying” of the academy results in lower research activity and a decline in scientific advancement. Some published opinions concur that senior scholars’ research programs do not keep pace with those of their younger colleagues, but little quantitative evidence has been presented to evaluate that claim. In this study, we quantify senior faculty publication activity in six broad fields, comparing their publication rates to their younger colleagues across four modes of knowledge dissemination: journal articles, conference proceedings, books, and book chapters. Career publication activity does not follow the “peak and decline” pattern described in earlier studies. In most fields, journal article publication rates do not decline substantively with age (and in some cases article publication rates are higher among senior scholars), conference proceeding publication rates tend to decline with age, while book and chapter publication rates increase markedly with age. Overall, senior scholars maintain publishing activity levels and tend to shift their focus to the development and evolution of ideas through the publication of longer-format works as books and book chapters.
Can tweets be used to detect problems early with scientific papers? A case study of three retracted COVID-19/SARS-CoV-2 papers
Authors: Haunschild Robin , Bornmann Lutz 
Published: April 2021

AbstractMethodological mistakes, data errors, and scientific misconduct are considered prevalent problems in science that are often difficult to detect. In this study, we explore the potential of using data from Twitter for discovering problems with publications. In this case study, we analyzed tweet texts of three retracted publications about COVID-19 (Coronavirus disease 2019)/SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) and their retraction notices. We did not find early warning signs in tweet texts regarding one publication, but we did find tweets that casted doubt on the validity of the two other publications shortly after their publication date. An extension of our current work might lead to an early warning system that makes the scientific community aware of problems with certain publications. Other sources, such as blogs or post-publication peer-review sites, could be included in such an early warning system. The methodology proposed in this case study should be validated using larger publication sets that also include a control group, i.e., publications that were not retracted.
From the Machete to the Microscope: Dennis Stevenson, Plant Morphologist
Authors: Rudall Paula J. , Specht Chelsea D. 
Published: April 2021

AbstractTo mark the commencement of Dennis Stevenson’s status as Senior Curator Emeritus at New York Botanical Garden, we present a brief and subjective overview of his academic achievements to date. We highlight his deep and scholarly background in plant morphology, his adherence to cladistic methodologies for testing hypotheses of organismal relationships, especially in cycads and monocots, and his inspirational influence on students and colleagues within the botanical community.
Side-to-side esophagogastric anastomosis for minimally invasive Ivor-Lewis esophagectomy: operative technique and short-term outcomes
Authors: Fabbi Manrica , De Pascale Stefano , Ascari Filippo , Petz Wanda Luisa , Fumagalli Romario Uberto 
Published: April 2021

AbstractTotally minimally invasive Ivor-Lewis esophagectomy (TMIIL) is associated to lower rate of post-operative complication, decreases length of hospital stay and improves quality of life compared to open approach. Nevertheless, adaptation of TMIIL still proceeds at slow pace, mainly due to the difficulty to perform the intra-thoracic anastomosis and heterogeneity of surgical techniques. We present our experience with TMIIL utilizing a stapled side-to-side anastomosis. We retrospectively evaluated 36 patients who underwent a planned TMIIL from January 2017 to September 2020. Esophagogastric anastomoses were performed using a 3-cm linear-stapled side-to-side technique. General features, operative techniques, pathology data and short-term outcomes were analyzed. The median operative time was 365 min (ranging from 240 to 480 min) with a median blood loss of 100 ml (50–1000 ml). The median overall length of stay was 13 (7–64) days and in-hospital mortality rate was 2.8%. Two patients (5.6%) had an anastomotic leak, without need for operative intervention and another patient developed an anastomotic stricture, resolved with a single endoscopic dilation. Chylothorax occurred in three patients; two of these required a surgical intervention. Pulmonary complications occurred in six patients (16.7%). Based on Comprehensive Complications Index (CCI), median values of complications were 27.9 (ranging from 20.9 to 100). The results of our study suggest that TMIIL with a 3-cm linear-stapled anastomosis seems to be safe and effective, with low rates of post-operative anastomotic leak and stricture.
Generalized Hsiung–Minkowski formulae on manifolds with density
Authors: Abdelmalek Mohammed 
Published: April 2021

AbstractIn this work, using the weighted symmetric functions $$\sigma _{k}^{\infty }$$

σ

k

∞

and the weighted Newton transformations $$T_{k}^{\infty }$$

T

k

∞

introduced by Case (Alias et al. Proc Edinb Math Soc 46(02):465–488, 2003), we derive some generalized integral formulae for close hypersurfaces in weighted manifolds. We also give some examples and applications of these formulae.