bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Analysis of coupled axial and lateral deformation of roots in soil
Authors: Meijer Gerrit J. , Muir Wood David , Knappett Jonathan A. , Bengough Glyn A. , Liang Teng 
Published: December 2018

SummaryPlant roots can help to stabilise slopes. Existing analytical models to predict their mechanical contribution are however limited: they typically focus on the ultimate limit state, employ various empirical factors, and ignore much of the underlying root‐soil interaction. A new model was developed based on large deflection Euler‐Bernoulli elastic beam theory that can be used to study the mobilisation of root strength under various loading conditions (direct shear and pull‐out). Both lateral and axial loading of the root by the soil were incorporated, based on existing methodologies for foundation piles (p‐y and t‐z curves). The model is able to take the key parameters into account (root biomechanical properties, root architectural properties, and soil properties) while remaining quick to solve using a numerical boundary value problem solver. The model was compared with experimental direct shear test data using various root analogues (rubber, plastic, and wood) in dry sand with various densities and effective stress levels and was able to accurately predict the measured shear force‐displacement behaviour. Comparison with experimentally measured pull‐out force‐displacement curves using rubber and wooden root analogues with various architectures in dry and partially saturated sands was also satisfactory. In the future, this model can aid with addressing long‐standing problems in the root‐reinforcement community: quantifying the effect of (sequential) mobilisation of root strength in direct shear, the effect of the angle at which the root crosses a shear plane, the effect of root topology on root‐reinforcement or the effect of root bending, and root shear shear forces on root‐reinforcement.
Structure‐preserving local optimal control of mechanical systems
Authors: Flaßkamp Kathrin , Murphey Todd D. 
Published: December 2018

SummaryWhile system dynamics are usually derived in continuous time, respective model‐based optimal control problems can only be solved numerically, ie, as discrete‐time approximations. Thus, the performance of control methods depends on the choice of numerical integration scheme. In this paper, we present a first‐order discretization of linear quadratic optimal control problems for mechanical systems that is structure preserving and hence preferable to standard methods. Our approach is based on symplectic integration schemes and thereby inherits structure from the original continuous‐time problem. Starting from a symplectic discretization of the system dynamics, modified discrete‐time Riccati equations are derived, which preserve the Hamiltonian structure of optimal control problems in addition to the mechanical structure of the control system. The method is extended to optimal tracking problems for nonlinear mechanical systems and evaluated in several numerical examples. Compared to standard discretization, it improves the approximation quality by orders of magnitude. This enables low‐bandwidth control and sensing in real‐time autonomous control applications.
The psychological characteristics of people consuming vegetarian, vegan, paleo, gluten free and weight loss dietary patterns
Authors: Norwood R. , Cruwys T. , Chachay V. S. , Sheffield J. 
Published: December 2018

SummaryObjectivePrevious research has identified several psychological factors associated with dietary restriction but has focused almost exclusively on the subcategory of people following a weight loss diet. Little is known about the psychological factors associated with other kinds of restrictive dietary patterns. Furthermore, it remains unclear whether the identified psychological characteristics of dieters (e.g. elevated disordered eating behaviours, poor well‐being) are a cause of dieting, follow from calorie restriction or are the result of cognitive restraint.MethodsThis study conducted the first direct comparison of people (N = 393) following five different restrictive dietary patterns (vegetarian, vegan, gluten free, paleo and weight loss) as well as a comparison group who were not following a specific dietary pattern.ResultsThe weight loss group had more negative psychological characteristics than all other groups, reporting the highest levels of eating disorder symptoms (M = 1.50), food cravings (M = 69.39), emotional eating (M = 2.97) and negative affect (M = 19.72). By contrast, several of the other restrictive dietary groups showed a number of psychological strengths, relative to the comparison group. This was particularly apparent among the paleo group, who reported the lowest levels of eating disorder symptoms (M = 0.74), food cravings (M = 47.63), emotional eating (M = 2.30) and negative affect (M = 14.81). By contrast, people following vegetarian and gluten free diets were largely the same as the non‐restricted comparison group in their psychological characteristics.ConclusionsPeople adhering to different dietary patterns showed stark differences in their psychological characteristics. Indeed, some restrictive dietary patterns (paleo and vegan) were associated with more positive psychological characteristics than seen in an unrestricted comparison group. This suggests that the psychological risk factors seen in weight loss dieters are not attributable to a restrictive dietary regimen per se.
Delayed insulin absorption correlates with alterations in subcutaneous depot kinetics in rats with diet‐induced obesity
Authors: Gradel A. K. J. , Porsgaard T. , Brockhoff P. B. , Seested T. , Lykkesfeldt J. , Refsgaard H. H. F. 
Published: December 2018

SummaryObjectiveObesity is associated with delayed insulin absorption upon subcutaneous (s.c.) dosing in humans. The aim of this study was to investigate whether alterations in depot structure and kinetics of the s.c. injection depot contribute to this delay.MethodsRats fed a high‐fat diet (HFD) and low‐fat diet (LFD) were included in a series of insulin pharmacokinetic and imaging studies. Injection depots were visualized with micro X‐ray computed tomography imaging upon s.c. administration of insulin aspart mixed with the contrast agent iomeprol, and insulin aspart exposure was measured by means of luminescent oxygen channelling immunoassay.ResultsBody weight and fat mass were increased in rats fed an HFD vs. LFD (p < 0.05), whereas the lean mass was not. The HFD group exhibited delayed insulin absorption from the s.c. tissue (p < 0.001). This delay was associated with smaller injection depots upon s.c. dosing (p < 0.05) and correlated with a slower depot disappearance from the s.c. tissue (p < 0.05) compared with the LFD group. Depot disappearance from the s.c. tissue was inversely correlated with body fat mass (p < 0.05).ConclusionsAlterations in s.c. injection depot structure and kinetics may play a role in the obesity‐associated delay in insulin absorption.
Classification of factors involved in nonreportable results of noninvasive prenatal testing (NIPT) and prediction of success rate of second NIPT
Authors: Suzumori Nobuhiro , Sekizawa Akihiko , Takeda Eri , Samura Osamu , Sasaki Aiko , Akaishi Rina , Wada Seiji , Hamanoue Haruka , Hirahara Fumiki , Kuriki Hiroko , Sawai Hideaki , Nakamura Hiroaki , Yamada Takahiro , Miura Kiyonori , Masuzaki Hideaki , Yamashita Takahiro , Kamei Yoshimasa , Namba Akira , Murotsuki Jun , Tanemoto Tomohiro , Fukushima Akimune , Haino Kazufumi , Tairaku Shinya , Matsubara Keiichi , Maeda Kazutoshi , Kaji Takashi , Ogawa Masanobu , Osada Hisao , Nishizawa Haruki , Okamoto Yoko , Kanagawa Takeshi , Kakigano Aiko , Endo Masayuki , Kitagawa Michihiro , Ogawa Masaki , Izumi Shunichiro , Katagiri Yukiko , Takeshita Naoki , Kasai Yasuyo , Naruse Katsuhiko , Neki Reiko , Masuyama Hisashi , Hyodo Maki , Kawano Yukie , Ohba Takashi , Ichizuka Kiyotake , Nagamatsu Takeshi , Watanabe Atsushi , Nishikawa Naomi , Hamajima Naoki , Shirato Nahoko , Yotsumoto Junko , Nishiyama Miyuki , Koide Keiko , Hirose Tatsuko , Sago Haruhiko 
Published: December 2018

AbstractObjectiveTo evaluate the reasons for nonreportable cell‐free DNA (cfDNA) results in noninvasive prenatal testing (NIPT), we retrospectively studied maternal characteristics and other details associated with the results.MethodsA multicenter retrospective cohort study in pregnant women undergoing NIPT by massively parallel sequencing (MPS) with failed cfDNA tests was performed between April 2013 and March 2017. The women's data and MPS results were analyzed in terms of maternal characteristics, test performance, fetal fraction (FF), z scores, anticoagulation therapy, and other details of the nonreportable cases.ResultsOverall, 110 (0.32%) of 34 626 pregnant women had nonreportable cfDNA test results after an initial blood sampling; 22 (20.0%) cases had a low FF (<4%), and 18 (16.4%) cases including those with a maternal malignancy, were found to have altered genomic profile. Approximately half of the cases with nonreportable results had borderline z score. Among the women with nonreportable results because of altered genomic profile, the success rate of retesting using a second blood sampling was relatively low (25.0%‐33.3%). Thirteen (11.8%) of the women with nonreportable results had required hypodermic heparin injection.ConclusionsThe classification of nonreportable results using cfDNA analysis is important to provide women with precise information and to reduce anxiety during pregnancy.
Editor's Letter
Authors: Skidmore Max J. 
Published: December 2018

AbstractEditor‐in‐Chief Max J. Skidmore introduces the fourth issue of the year, completing the first decade of Poverty and Public Policy. This issue, 10:4, is his final issue as editor‐in‐chief. He also includes more comment from “Peter the Citizen,” providing conservative support for social programs; he describes the issue's content; and he discusses the special section that includes the papers from the 2018 American Political Science Association panel from the Caucus on Poverty, Inequality, and Public Policy. The papers all relate to a single theme: the special obstacles to securing social legislation in the United States.
The MUSHA underactuated hand for robot‐aided minimally invasive surgery
Authors: Selvaggio Mario , Fontanelli Giuseppe Andrea , Marrazzo Vincenzo Romano , Bracale Umberto , Irace Andrea , Breglio Giovanni , Villani Luigi , Siciliano Bruno , Ficuciello Fanny 
Published: December 2018

AbstractBackgroundKeyhole surgery is characterized by loss of dexterity of surgeon's movements because of the limited workspace, nonintuitive motor skills of the surgical systems, and loss of tactile sensation that may lead to tissue damage and bad execution of the tasks.MethodsIn this paper, a three‐fingered underactuated miniature tool for robot‐aided laparoscopic surgery is presented. The design is conceived to realize a closed‐hand configuration allowing the insertion of the tool into the abdominal cavity through the trocar in one step and to reach different grasping as well as pushing/holding configurations once in the cavity.ResultsAiming to replicate human hand dexterity and versatility, different solutions for the kinematic structure of the hand are analyzed using quality indices to evaluate the manipulability and stability of the grasp. Furthermore, a first prototype of fingertip force sensor based on fiber Bragg grating (FBG) technology has been realized and tested. The design choices of the prototype are described and discussed with the aid of experiments.ConclusionsThe whole concept and the need for such anthropomorphic tool are discussed with surgeons to highlight constraints and potentials in surgical tasks. The feedback by expert surgeons is used to provide specifications and improvements to the kinematics and mechanical design. The investigations of different designs allow identifying the optimal solution to improve grasping and manipulation capabilities. The tests on FBG sensors led to the conclusion that this technology guarantees good performance and can be a good solution for applications in surgical robotics.
Effects of thioTEPA chemotherapy on cognition and motor coordination
Authors: Alexander Tyler C. , Kiffer Frederico , Groves Thomas , Anderson Julie , Wang Jing , Hayar Abdallah , Chen Michelle T. , Rodriguez Analiz , Allen Antiño R. 
Published: December 2018

AbstractCancer survivorship has increased greatly as therapies have become more advanced and effective. Thus, we must now focus on improving the quality of life of patients after treatment. After chemotherapy, many patients experience chemotherapy‐induced cognitive decline, indicating a need to investigate pathologies associated with this condition. In this study, we addressed cognitive impairment after thioTEPA treatment by assessing behavior and assaying cytokine production and the structure of dendrites in the hippocampus. Male mice were given three intraperitoneal injections of thioTEPA. Five weeks later, the mice underwent behavior testing, and brains were collected for Golgi staining and cytokine analysis. Behavior tests included y‐maze and Morris water maze and licking behavioral task. Cytokines measured include: IL‐1α, IL‐1β, IL‐2, IL‐3, IL‐4, IL‐5, IL‐10, IL‐12p70, MCP‐1, TNF‐α, GMCSF, and RANTES. We observed decreased memory retention in behavioral tasks. Also, dendritic arborization and length were decreased after chemotherapy treatment. Finally, thioTEPA decreased cytokine production in animals treated with chemotherapy, compared to saline‐treated controls. Here, we used a mouse model to correlate the decreases in dendritic complexity and inflammatory cytokine production with cognitive impairment after chemotherapy.
Physical and biological controls on fine sediment transport and storage in rivers
Authors: Wilkes Martin A. , Gittins Joshua R. , Mathers Kate L. , Mason Richard , Casas‐Mulet Roser , Vanzo Davide , Mckenzie Morwenna , Murray‐Bligh John , England Judy , Gurnell Angela , Jones J. Iwan 
Published: December 2018

Excess fine sediment, comprising particles <2 mm in diameter, is a major cause of ecological degradation in rivers. The erosion of fine sediment from terrestrial or aquatic sources, its delivery to the river, and its storage and transport in the fluvial environment are controlled by a complex interplay of physical, biological, and anthropogenic factors. While the physical controls exerted on fine sediment dynamics are relatively well‐documented, the role of biological processes and their interactions with hydraulic and physicochemical phenomena has been largely overlooked. The activities of biota, from primary producers to predators, exert strong controls on fine sediment deposition, infiltration, and resuspension. For example, extracellular polymeric substances associated with biofilms increase deposition and decrease resuspension. In lower energy rivers, aquatic macrophyte growth and senescence are intimately linked to sediment retention and loss, whereas riparian trees are dominant ecosystem engineers in high energy systems. Fish and invertebrates also have profound effects on fine sediment dynamics through activities that drive both particle deposition and erosion depending on species composition and abiotic conditions. The functional traits of species present will determine not only these biotic effects but also the responses of river ecosystems to excess fine sediment. We discuss which traits are involved and put them into context with spatial processes that occur throughout the river network. While strides towards better understanding of the impacts of excess fine sediment have been made, further progress to identify the most effective management approaches is urgently required through close communication between authorities and scientists.This article is categorized under:

Water and Life > Nature of Freshwater Ecosystems
Water and Life > Stresses and Pressures on Ecosystems
Science of Water > Water Quality
Emergency Departments
Authors: Alharethi Salman , Gani Abdullah , Othman Mohd Khalit 
Published: December 2018

Abstract
Emergency services are essential and any person may require these services at some point in their lives. Emergency services are run by complex management and consist of many different parts. It is essential to establish effective procedures to ensure that patients are treated in a timely fashion. By obtaining real-time information, it is expected that intelligent decisions would be made. Hence, thorough analytics of problems concerning appropriate operational effective management, would help prevent patient dissatisfaction in the future. Mapping studies are utilized to configure and explore a research theme, whereas systematic reviews are utilized to combine proofs. The use of improvement strategies and quality measurements of the health care industry, specifically in emergency departments, are essential to value patients’ level of satisfaction and the quality of the service provided based on patients’ experience. This paper explores and creates momentum with all the methodologies utilized by researchers from 2010 and beyond with the stress on patient fulfillment in the emergency services segment.
Evaluating school and peer protective factors in the effects of interparental conflict on adolescent threat appraisals and self‐efficacy
Authors: McCauley Devin M. , Weymouth Bridget B. , Feinberg Mark E. , Fosco Gregory M. 
Published: December 2018

ABSTRACTIntroductionRecent work has sought to understand how family‐specific risk, such as exposure to interparental conflict, may generalize to developmentally‐salient processes in adolescence. A cascade model has been identified in which conflict‐specific threat appraisals may erode adolescents' self‐efficacy over time, and in turn, undermine their psychological well‐being. The goal of this study was to integrate success in the school and peer contexts as potential contextual protective factors that may mitigate the effects of interparental conflict on self‐efficacy.MethodsWe tested the additive and interactive effects of success in school and peer contexts on adolescent self‐efficacy to better understand these ecological contextual factors for a family risk model. Analyses were conducted using structural equation modeling with a sample of 768 two‐parent U.S. families across three measurement occasions. Interparental conflict, threat appraisals, self‐efficacy, and school success and peer support were measured using multiple, established scales.ResultsResults supported the additive effects model, in that school success and peer support significantly contributed to general self‐efficacy above and beyond the effects of threat appraisals of interparental conflict, but did not moderate the association between threat appraisals and self‐efficacy.ConclusionsFindings indicate that strengths in school and peer contexts have potential to compensate for, but do not appear to buffer, the negative effects of threat appraisals of interparental conflict and underscore the importance of these contexts for understanding multifinality in outcomes of adolescents exposed to interparental conflict.
Risky business: Do disclosure and shareholder approval of corporate political contributions affect firm performance?
Authors: Prabhat Saumya , Primo David M. 
Published: December 2018

AbstractThe role of corporations in the U.S. political process has received increased scrutiny in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court'sCitizens Uniteddecision, leading to calls for greater regulation. In this paper, we analyze whether policies mandating greater disclosure and shareholder approval of political contributions reduce risk and increase firm value, as proponents of such rules claim. Specifically, we examine the Neill Committee Report (NCR), which led to the passage of the United Kingdom's Political Parties, Elections, and Referendums Act 2000 mandating new disclosure and shareholder approval rules. We find that politically active firms did not benefit from the NCR in the days after its release and suffered a decline in value in the months and years that followed. Politically active firms also suffered an increase in risk, as proxied by stock return volatility, following the release of the NCR. We theorize that these findings are due to the reduced flexibility these rules impose on corporate strategy as well as the potential for these rules to facilitate political activism against corporations.
“This Is Going to Affect Our Lives”: Exploring Huu-ay-aht First Nations, the Government of Canada and British Columbia’s New Relationship Through the Implementation of the Maa-nulth Treaty
Authors: Sloan Morgan Vanessa , Castleden Heather ,   Huu-ay-aht First Nations
Published: December 2018

AbstractCanada celebrated its 150th anniversary since Confederation in 2017. At the same time, Canada is also entering an era of reconciliation that emphasizes mutually respectful and just relationships between Indigenous Peoples and the Crown. British Columbia (BC) is uniquely situated socially, politically, and economically as compared to other Canadian provinces, with few historic treaties signed. As a result, provincial, federal, and Indigenous governments are attempting to define ‘new relationships’ through modern treaties. What new relationships look like under treaties remains unclear though. Drawing from a comprehensive case study, we explore Huu-ay-aht First Nations—a signatory of the Maa-nulth Treaty, implemented in 2011—BC and Canada’s new relationship by analysing 26 interviews with treaty negotiators and Indigenous leaders. A disconnect between obligations outlined in the treaty and how Indigenous signatories experience changing relations is revealed, pointing to an asymmetrical dynamic remaining in the first years of implementation despite new relationships of modern treaty.
Jurisdiction, Sovereignties and Akwesasne: Shiprider and the Re-Crafting of Canada-US Cross-Border Maritime Law Enforcement
Authors: Pratt Anna C. , Templeman Jessica 
Published: December 2018

AbstractAgainst the historical backdrop of the sinking of the Canadian rum-running schooner theI’m Aloneby the US Coast Guard in 1929, this paper examines the re-crafting of maritime jurisdictional practices in the 2000s through the Canada-US Cross-Border Maritime Law Enforcement Program known as Shiprider. Thinking jurisdictionally and taking seriously the materiality of the water, we explore the significance of Shiprider’s patrols in the local context of Kaniatarowano’on:we (St. Lawrence River) which flows through Akwesasne Mohawk Territory, an indigenous border nation cleaved by the Canada-US international border where local communities contend with and continue to refuse imposed colonial settler boundaries.