scholarly journals Creation of a prototype biomimetic fish to better understand impact trauma caused by hydropower turbine blade strikes

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
pp. e16
Author(s):  
Ryan Saylor ◽  
Peter L. Wang ◽  
Mark Bevelhimer ◽  
Peter Lloyd ◽  
Jesse Goodwin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dose Response ◽  
Impact Testing ◽  
Model Organisms ◽  
Fish Mortality ◽  
Laboratory Research ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Accelerometer Data ◽  
Online Data ◽  
Data Repositories ◽  
Live Fish

Biomimetic model organisms could be useful surrogates for live animals in many applications if the models have sufficient biofidelity. One such application is for use in field and laboratory tests of fish mortality associated with passage through hydropower turbines. Laboratory trials suggest that blade strikes are especially injurious and often causes mortality when fish are struck by thinner blades moving at higher velocities. Dose-response relationships have been created from these data, but the exact relationship between fish mortality and the actual forces enacted on fish during simulated blade strike testing remains unknown. Here, we describe the methods used to create a prototype biomimetic model fish composed of ballistic gelatin and covered with a surrogate skin to better approximate the biomechanical properties of a fish body. Frozen fish were scanned with high-fidelity laser scanners, and a 3D-printed, reusable mold was created from which to cast our gelatin model. Computed tomography scan data, imaged directly or taken from online data repositories, were also successfully used to create CAD models for use in additive manufacturing of molds. One 3-axis accelerometer was embedded into the gelatin to compare accelerometer data to dose-response data from previous laboratory research on live fish. The resulting model (i.e., Gelfish) had a statistically indistinguishable tissue durometer to that of real fish tissue and preliminary blade strike impact testing suggested its overall flexibility was similar to that of live fish. Gelfish was designed with biofidelity as its guiding principle and our results suggest initial experimentation was successful. Future research will include replication of initial Gelfish test results, quantitative measurement of model flexibility relative to real fish, and inclusion of surrogate skeletal structures to enhance biofidelity. Use of more sophisticated sensors would also better quantify the physical forces of blade strike impact and help determine how said forces correlate with rates of mortality observed during tests on live fish.

scholarly journals Dose–Response Effects of 3-Nitrooxypropanol Combined with Low- and High-Concentrate Feed Proportions in the Dairy Cow Ration on Fermentation Parameters in a Rumen Simulation Technique

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 1784
Author(s):  
Matthias Schilde ◽  
Dirk von Soosten ◽  
Liane Hüther ◽  
Susanne Kersten ◽  
Ulrich Meyer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dose Response ◽  
Gas Production ◽  
Hydrogen Gas ◽  
Simulation Technique ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
Feed Additive ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Dose Dependent

Methane (CH4) from ruminal feed degradation is a major pollutant from ruminant livestock, which calls for mitigation strategies. The purpose of the present 4 × 2 factorial arrangement was to investigate the dose–response relationships between four doses of the CH4 inhibitor 3-nitrooxypropanol (3-NOP) and potential synergistic effects with low (LC) or high (HC) concentrate feed proportions (CFP) on CH4 reduction as both mitigation approaches differ in their mode of action (direct 3-NOP vs. indirect CFP effects). Diet substrates and 3-NOP were incubated in a rumen simulation technique to measure the concentration and production of volatile fatty acids (VFA), fermentation gases as well as substrate disappearance. Negative side effects on fermentation regarding total VFA and gas production as well as nutrient degradability were observed for neither CFP nor 3-NOP. CH4 production decreased from 10% up to 97% in a dose-dependent manner with increasing 3-NOP inclusion rate (dose: p < 0.001) but irrespective of CFP (CFP × dose: p = 0.094). Hydrogen gas accumulated correspondingly with increased 3-NOP dose (dose: p < 0.001). In vitro pH (p = 0.019) and redox potential (p = 0.066) varied by CFP, whereas the latter fluctuated with 3-NOP dose (p = 0.01). Acetate and iso-butyrate (mol %) decreased with 3-NOP dose, whereas iso-valerate increased (dose: p < 0.001). Propionate and valerate varied inconsistently due to 3-NOP supplementation. The feed additive 3-NOP was proven to be a dose-dependent yet effective CH4 inhibitor under conditions in vitro. The observed lack of additivity of increased CFP on the CH4 inhibition potential of 3-NOP needs to be verified in future research testing further diet types both in vitro and in vivo.

scholarly journals metaXplor: an interactive viral and microbial metagenomic data manager

GigaScience ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Guilhem Sempéré ◽  
Adrien Pétel ◽  
Magsen Abbé ◽  
Pierre Lefeuvre ◽  
Philippe Roumagnac ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Heterogeneous Data ◽  
Metagenomic Data ◽  
Online Data ◽  
Data Repositories ◽  
Ongoing Research ◽  
Efficient Management ◽  
Public Data ◽  
Reference Databases ◽  
Interactive Data ◽  
User Friendly

Abstract Background Efficiently managing large, heterogeneous data in a structured yet flexible way is a challenge to research laboratories working with genomic data. Specifically regarding both shotgun- and metabarcoding-based metagenomics, while online reference databases and user-friendly tools exist for running various types of analyses (e.g., Qiime, Mothur, Megan, IMG/VR, Anvi'o, Qiita, MetaVir), scientists lack comprehensive software for easily building scalable, searchable, online data repositories on which they can rely during their ongoing research. Results metaXplor is a scalable, distributable, fully web-interfaced application for managing, sharing, and exploring metagenomic data. Being based on a flexible NoSQL data model, it has few constraints regarding dataset contents and thus proves useful for handling outputs from both shotgun and metabarcoding techniques. By supporting incremental data feeding and providing means to combine filters on all imported fields, it allows for exhaustive content browsing, as well as rapid narrowing to find specific records. The application also features various interactive data visualization tools, ways to query contents by BLASTing external sequences, and an integrated pipeline to enrich assignments with phylogenetic placements. The project home page provides the URL of a live instance allowing users to test the system on public data. Conclusion metaXplor allows efficient management and exploration of metagenomic data. Its availability as a set of Docker containers, making it easy to deploy on academic servers, on the cloud, or even on personal computers, will facilitate its adoption.

scholarly journals Assessing the efficacy of investigative interviewing training courses: A systematic review

2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 73-84
Author(s):  
Davut Akca ◽  
Cassandre Dion Larivière ◽  
Joseph Eastwood
Keyword(s):  
Police Officers ◽  
Training Effectiveness ◽  
Performance Criteria ◽  
Laboratory Research ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Systematic Research ◽  
Interviewing Skills ◽  
Training Courses ◽  
Interrogation Training ◽  
The Impact

Substantial resources have been dedicated to designing and implementing training courses that focus on enhancing the interviewing skills of police officers. Laboratory research studies and real-world assessments of the effectiveness of interview training courses, however, have found notably mixed results. In this article, empirical studies ( N = 30) that have assessed the effectiveness of police interview and interrogation training courses were systematically reviewed. We found a wide variation in terms of the type, length, and content of the training courses, the performance criteria used to assess the training effectiveness, and the impact of the training courses on interviewing performance. Overall, the studies found that basic interviewing skills can be developed to a certain level through even short evidence-based training courses. More cognitively demanding skills, such as question selection and meaningful rapport-building, showed less of an improvement post training. The courses that included multiple training sessions showed the most consistent impact on interviewing behavior. This review also indicated a need for more systematic research on training effectiveness with more uniform and longer-term measures of effectiveness. Our findings should help guide future research on this specific topic and inform the training strategies of law enforcement and other investigatory organizations.

The Impact of the Privacy Rule on Cancer Research: Variations in Attitudes and Application of Regulatory Standards

2009 ◽  
Vol 27 (24) ◽  
pp. 4014-4020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Goss ◽  
Michael P. Link ◽  
Suanna S. Bruinooge ◽  
Theodore S. Lawrence ◽  
Joel E. Tepper ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cancer Research ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Research Committee ◽  
Data Repositories ◽  
Privacy Rule ◽  
Regulatory Standards ◽  
American Society ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
High Level ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Cancer Research Committee designed a qualitative research project to assess the attitudes of cancer researchers and compliance officials regarding compliance with the US Privacy Rule and to identify potential strategies for eliminating perceived or real barriers to achieving compliance. Methods A team of three interviewers asked 27 individuals (13 investigators and 14 compliance officials) from 13 institutions to describe the anticipated approach of their institutions to Privacy Rule compliance in three hypothetical research studies. Results The interviews revealed that although researchers and compliance officials share the view that patients' cancer diagnoses should enjoy a high level of privacy protection, there are significant tensions between the two groups related to the proper standards for compliance necessary to protect patients. The disagreements are seen most clearly with regard to the appropriate definition of a “future research use” of protected health information in biospecimen and data repositories and the standards for a waiver of authorization for disclosure and use of such data. Conclusion ASCO believes that disagreements related to compliance and the resulting delays in certain projects and abandonment of others might be eased by additional institutional training programs and consultation on Privacy Rule issues during study design. ASCO also proposes the development of best practices documents to guide 1) creation of data repositories, 2) disclosure and use of data from such repositories, and 3) the design of survivorship and genetics studies.

scholarly journals Arabis alpina: a perennial model plant for ecological genomics and life-history evolution

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefan Wötzel ◽  
Marco Andrello ◽  
Maria Albani ◽  
Marcus Koch ◽  
George Coupland ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Life History Evolution ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Model Organisms ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Ecological Genomics ◽  
Open Questions ◽  
Arabis Alpina ◽  
History Evolution ◽  
Plant Families

Many model organisms have obtained a prominent status due to an advantageous combination of their life-history characteristics, genetic properties and also practical considerations. In non-crop plants, Arabidopsis thaliana is the most renowned model and has been used as study system to elucidate numerous biological processes at the molecular level. Once a complete genome sequence was available, research has markedly accelerated and further established A. thaliana as the reference to stimulate studies in other species with different biology. Within the Brassicaceae family, the arctic-alpine perennial Arabis alpina has become a model complementary to A. thaliana to study life-history evolution and ecological genomics in harsh environments. In this review, we provide an overview of the properties that facilitated the rapid emergence of A. alpina as a plant model. We summarize the evolutionary history of A. alpina, including the diversification of its mating system, and discuss recent progress in the molecular dissection of developmental traits that are related to its perennial life history and environmental adaptation. We indicate open questions from which future research might be developed in other Brassicaceae species or more distantly related plant families.

scholarly journals Diagnosis Based on Detection of CXCL10 in Urine as Biomarker for The Determining Diagnosis of Active Lung Tuberculosis

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 57
Author(s):  
Ni Made Mertaniasih ◽  
I Gede Yogi Prema Ananda ◽  
Soedarsono Soedarsono ◽  
Deby Kusumaningrum
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Manifestations ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Urine Samples ◽  
Laboratory Research ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Pulmonary Tb ◽  
Lung Tuberculosis ◽  
History Of ◽  
Tuberculosis Diagnosis

Tuberculosis diagnosis is an important component in decreasing TB incidence and prevalence. Because of the difficulty to collect sputum in some cases, urine specimens are used as it is easier to garner. One of the biomarkers in urine that can be used to diagnose pulmonary TB is IP-10, which can be represented by the CXCL10 gene. The study aims to determine the accuracy of diagnosis based on detection of the CXCL10 gene in urine as a biomarker for the patients with suspected pulmonary TB in Dr. Soetomo Hospital in Surabaya from November 2019 until March 2020. Thus, this is an observative laboratory research with a cross-sectional study. CXCL10 gene was examined using PCR for 36 urine samples, and then, the data, together with the medical records of clinical manifestations of pulmonary TB, GeneXpert MTB /RIF, blood count, and thorax radiograph, were processed using IBM SPSS Statistics 26. The results of the GeneXpert MTB/RIF and thorax radiograph criteria show positive results of pulmonary TB, which were 44.4% and 69.4% respectively. CXCL10 gene was not found in all urine of healthy people (negative), while 2.8% (1/36 samples) positive CXCL10 gene was found in a patient with positive GeneXpert, also with negative clinical manifestations and urine culture. In this study, the accuracy of diagnosis based on detection of the CXCL10 gene in urine for diagnosis of active pulmonary TB was 2.8%. Future research is needed to improve the methods, among them are bigger size of urine samples and clearer medical history of patients. 

scholarly journals Assessing COVID-19-related anxiety and functional impairment amongst nurses in Malawi

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Genesis Chorwe-Sungani
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Functional Impairment ◽  
Area Under The Curve ◽  
Reliability And Validity ◽  
Psychosocial Interventions ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Receiver Operating Curve ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Online Data ◽  
Cross Sectional

Background: Psychological well-being of nurses is crucial for them to effectively discharge their duties. However, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-related anxiety can interfere with nurses’ performance and reduce their self-efficacy.Aim: The primary aim of this study was to assess COVID-19-related anxiety and functional impairment amongst nurses in Malawi. The secondary aim of the study was to determine reliability and validity of the Coronavirus Anxiety Scale.Setting: The study was conducted in Malawi.Methods: This was a cross-sectional study that collected quantitative data from 102 nurses in Malawi online. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and receiver operating curve analysis.Results: This study found that 25.5% (26) of respondents had COVID-19-related anxiety and 48% (49) functional impairment. There were significant differences in the numbers of respondents who had functional impairment in relation to workplace (Χ2 = 8.7, p = 0.03), with many of those working in hospitals (58.6%, n = 34) having highest levels (mean = 20.6 ± 10.4). The Coronavirus Anxiety Scale proved to be an effective instrument (Sensitivity = 73.1%; Specificity = 60.5%; area under the curve = 0.73) for assessing COVID-19-related anxiety amongst nurses.Conclusion: It is necessary to screen nurses for COVID-19-related anxiety and functional impairment and provide them effective psychosocial interventions. Policymakers should place more emphasis on allocation of financial resources to mental health services and staff support programmes targeting nurses during pandemics. There is a need to conduct future research on mental health interventions that might be used to assist nurses with COVID-19-related anxiety and functional impairment.

Online Clustering and Outlier Detection

Data Mining ◽  
2013 ◽  
pp. 142-158
Author(s):  
Baoying Wang ◽  
Aijuan Dong
Keyword(s):  
Data Mining ◽  
Outlier Detection ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Online Data ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Online Clustering ◽  
Practical Applications ◽  
Online Fraud ◽  
Mining Areas ◽  
Two Phases

Clustering and outlier detection are important data mining areas. Online clustering and outlier detection generally work with continuous data streams generated at a rapid rate and have many practical applications, such as network instruction detection and online fraud detection. This chapter first reviews related background of online clustering and outlier detection. Then, an incremental clustering and outlier detection method for market-basket data is proposed and presented in details. This proposed method consists of two phases: weighted affinity measure clustering (WC clustering) and outlier detection. Specifically, given a data set, the WC clustering phase analyzes the data set and groups data items into clusters. Then, outlier detection phase examines each newly arrived transaction against the item clusters formed in WC clustering phase, and determines whether the new transaction is an outlier. Periodically, the newly collected transactions are analyzed using WC clustering to produce an updated set of clusters, against which transactions arrived afterwards are examined. The process is carried out continuously and incrementally. Finally, the future research trends on online data mining are explored at the end of the chapter.

Cultivating creative workplaces through mindfulness

2019 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-31 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ellen Keithline Byrne ◽  
Tojo Thatchenkery
Keyword(s):  
Treatment Group ◽  
Comparison Group ◽  
Small Sample Size ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Mindfulness Training ◽  
Laboratory Research ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Sample Population ◽  
Content Type

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine how mindfulness training impacts creativity with individuals in a workgroup and propose a methodology for future research. Design/methodology/approach The methodology developed drew on existing laboratory-based research and applied those designs in a real-world application. The sample participants were from a mid-sized real estate firm that included ten realtors and support staff, six in the treatment group and four in the comparison group. The study took place over 16 weeks where pre-test and post-test mindfulness and creativity assessments were administered. A five-week mindfulness training was conducted with the treatment group and following the post-tests with the comparison group. Findings Results indicated that the mindfulness training positively impacted creativity in the moment and over time. There was evidence that the mindfulness training positively impacted an individual’s level of attention and awareness in daily activities which is likely to influence creative outcomes in organizational settings. Research limitations/implications This study shows that it is possible to design experimental studies in work settings and contribute to the empirical research about mindfulness despite the widely held perception about scarcity of time and lack of access to do such research. The findings also build on existing literature and address some of the gaps in current research. The most notable limitation relates to the small sample size. Practical implications The finding affirms that even a short but consistent practice of mindfulness in organizations can lead to a measurable increase in creativity. Originality/value This empirical study adds value to existing literature by expanding laboratory-based methodology to a practical application. One of the unique aspects of this research relates to the sample population. This research was conducted with an intact workgroup and translates the insights gained from laboratory research to a potential benefit for an organization by applying a version of this methodology to enhance its workgroup creativity.

Zygnematophyceae: from living algae collections to the establishment of future models

2020 ◽  
Vol 71 (11) ◽  
pp. 3296-3304
Author(s):  
Hong Zhou ◽  
Klaus von Schwartzenberg
Keyword(s):  
Model Organism ◽  
Past Research ◽  
Model Organisms ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Suitable Model ◽  
Research Perspectives ◽  
Robust Model ◽  
Physiological Adaptations ◽  
Long Time

Abstract The class of conjugating green algae, Zygnematophyceae (Conjugatophyceae), is extremely rich in species and has attracted the interest of phycologists for a long time. It is now widely accepted that this class of charophyte algae holds a key position in the phylogenetic tree of streptophytes, where they represent the closest relatives to all land plants (embryophytes). It is increasingly evident that robust model plants that can be easily cultivated and genetically transformed are necessary to better understand the process of terrestrialization and the related molecular, cellular, and physiological adaptations. Living algae collections play an important role, not only for phylogenomic-based taxonomy but also for screening for suitable model organisms. For this review, we screened six major public algae collections for Zygnematophyceae strains and established a cumulative list comprising 738 different taxa (including species, subspecies, varieties, and forms). From the described biodiversity with 8883 registered taxa (AlgaeBase) the cultured Zygnematophyceae taxa worldwide cover only ~8.3%. We review the past research on this clade of algae and discuss it from the perspective of establishing a model organism. We present data on the life cycle of the genera Micrasterias and Spirogyra, representing the orders Desmidiales and Zygnematales, and outline the current status of genetic transformation of Zygnematophyceae algae and future research perspectives.

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