by Peter Leary  and Peter Malin

Received: 30 November 2020;  Published: 19 March 2021;  doi: 10.21926/jept.2101013

In interest of accurately modelling wellbore production in convective geothermal systems, we draw attention to two approaches to numerical simulation of crustal fluid flow. The historical "strong" approach simulates the fluid mass conservation condition on a localised finite difference mesh approximation to poroelastic continua. The more flexible "weak" approach globally enforces fluid mass conservation by in effect integrating over all numerical mesh cells. Strong formulation crustal flow simulation emerged from n [...]

by Keita Kiuchi  , Katsumasa Kishi  and Kanto Araki

Received: 23 December 2020;  Published: 17 March 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2101010

This study investigated the physical and psychological impacts of elements related to coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and demographic data in Japan both directly and as mediated by stressors, immediately following the rescinding of the state of emergency declaration accompanying the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 outbreak. An online survey was administered to 1,500 Japanese registered with an online outsourcing service. Data were analyzed with structural equation modeling using Mplus. Relatively lar [...]

by Aurore Raoux  , Ilan Robin  , Jean-Philippe Pezy  , Anne-Claire Bennis  and Jean-Claude Dauvin

Received: 08 October 2020;  Published: 17 March 2021;  doi: 10.21926/jept.2101012

The French coast of the Atlantic and English Channel (EC) is promising for the development of Marine Renewable Energy (MRE), including wind, wave, and tidal stream, due to the high velocity of currents in some parts of the area. This paper, focusing on wind and tidal energy, discusses how the implementation of MRE converters influences biodiversity, and vice versa, through biofouling and reef effects. The understanding of these interactions requires the knowledge of the hydro-sedimentary conditions and the macrofau [...]

by Joan Weiss  , Nina Tumosa  , Robert Espinoza  , Elizabeth Bragg  , Jennifer Craft Morgan  , Jason D. Flatt  , Eleanor S. McConnell  and Grace Whiting

Received: 12 November 2020;  Published: 16 March 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.2101162

This policy paper presents workforce development recommendations for research, clinical care and public stakeholders as they plan future research activities to strengthen the workforce to support the healthcare and social needs of persons living with dementia and their families and caregivers. To create these recommendations, the 2020 National Research Summit on Care, Services and Supports for Persons with Dementia and Their Caregivers (2020 Summit) convened a Workforce Development Stakeholder Workgroup. The Stakeh [...]

by Melissa Sandler  , Sulaiman Almohaish  and Gretchen M. Brophy

Received: 11 February 2021;  Published: 16 March 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.2101161

Pharmacological management of intracerebral hemorrhage in adult patients over 65 years of age requires special considerations due to differing clinical presentations, underlying organ dysfunction, and more complex medical histories and medication profiles. A literature review of articles focusing on the age-specific pharmacological management of intracerebral hemorrhage was conducted. Treatment approaches and clinical outcomes specific to older adults were evaluated and therapeutic considerations for this populatio [...]

by Gerhard Litscher  , Tong Li  and Fengxia Liang

Received: 14 March 2021;  Published: 15 March 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2101009

In a pioneer transcontinental pilot study conducted with 50 volunteers, it was revealed that women could have apparently overcome the world's toughest lockdown in terms of changes in the general state of health measured using the heart rate variability parameter better than men. The results of the present study obtained in Wuhan provide information on the initial trend in this regard.

by Alexander Manevich  , Simon Shimshon Rubin  , Rachel Ben-Hayun  , Judith Aharon-Peretz  and Michael Katz

Received: 07 September 2020;  Published: 12 March 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.2101160

Caregiving for a loved one suffering from cognitive decline involves coping with many challenges and losses. This experience increases the risk of worsening the physical and mental health of the caregiver and has been the subject of a substantial number of studies focusing on the stress and burden of the primary caretaker. Theory and research on the grief reactions experienced by the family members, however, continues to lag in terms of the attention given to the behavioral and psychological burden of caregivers. T [...]

by Kanto Araki  , Keita Kiuchi  and Katsumasa Kishi

Received: 28 December 2020;  Published: 12 March 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2101008

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) outbreak is expected to have harmed the mental health of numerous people worldwide. Therefore, the present study was aimed to explore the effects of the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak on the overall health of the general Japanese population, with a particular focus on identifying the factors associated with a requirement for mental health treatment. Japanese residents aged 18 years and above were surveyed online, and among the 1,500 obtained responses included for a [...]

by Plamen Mihaylov  , Burcin Ekser  , Daiki Soma  , Andrew Lutz  , Jonathan Fridell  and Chandrashekhar A. Kubal

Received: 04 January 2021;  Published: 11 March 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.transplant.2101138

One of the most feared complications in liver transplantation is hepatic arterial thrombosis (HAT). The incidence of HAT in liver transplantation varies from 1.2% and 8%. One of the risk factors for this complication is anatomical complexity of hepatic arterial system. The focus of this short communication is to show our approach in dealing with aberrant left hepatic artery in settings of liver transplantation. This is a single center experience. Between January 2016 and June 2019, we procured and transplanted 357 [...]

by Masahiro Sato  , Issei Saito  , Eri Akasaka  and Emi Inada

Received: 11 October 2020;  Published: 10 March 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.genet.2101126

Direct colony cloning of adherent mammalian cells using rings or dilution cloning has been used frequently for obtaining stable transfectants after gene delivery. As an alternative to these methods, successful isolation of the cells in a single colony is possible by placing a trypsin-immersed small paper disk onto the colony and subsequently picking up the paper with the assumption that it carries the trypsinized cells. However, the cloning success using this technique largely relies on the cell type used. In the p [...]

by Giorgos Mountrakis  and Sheng Yang

Received: 24 September 2020;  Published: 09 March 2021;  doi: 10.21926/aeer.2101003

Few studies have investigated deforestation and population connections in the U.S. at large spatial extents or small scales. We examined forest cover changes over two decades, 1990-2000 and 2000-2010, in the continental U.S. at the county scale. Forest dynamics were estimated using the National Land Cover Database, a satellite-derived classification product and then linked to population data from the US. Census. At the aggregate level, high population growth seems to increase net forest loss in a non-linear manner, [...]

by Siva Mahendran  , Paramit Chowdhury  , Ronan Breen  , Grainne d’Ancona  and Heather J. Milburn

Received: 14 August 2020;  Published: 08 March 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.transplant.2101137

Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) have an increased risk of developing tuberculosis (TB) compared to those with normal renal function. The reasons for this are well described, but include impaired cellular immunity, a high incidence of co-morbid conditions as well as the concomitant use of immunosuppressive medications. Ethnicity as well as socio-economic factors also prevail. Expert guidelines recommend TB chemoprophylaxis in renal transplant recipients deemed at high risk – invariably those from ethnic m [...]

by Dorit Shoval  , Nama Tal  and Orna Tzischinsky

Received: 21 July 2020;  Published: 08 March 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2101088

The present study was aimed to examine the relationship of sleep–smartphone hygiene, i.e., the habits of smartphone usage in the sleep environment, with the sleep quality among students and whether this relationship could be explained through psychological factors. A total of 467 Israeli college students were investigated using five questionnaires, namely, Sleep–Smartphone Hygiene Questionnaire (SSHQ), Fear of Missing Out Scale (FoMOs), Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-T), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and a [...]

by Andrew G.L. Douglas  and Diana Baralle

Received: 31 December 2020;  Published: 08 March 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.genet.2101125

A large proportion of rare disease patients remain undiagnosed and the vast majority of such conditions remain untreatable whether diagnosed or not. RNA splicing analysis is able to increase the diagnostic rate in rare disease by identifying cryptic splicing mutations and can help in interpreting the pathogenicity of genomic variants. Whilst targeted RT-PCR analysis remains a highly sensitive tool for assessing the splicing effects of known variants, RNA-seq can provide a more comprehensive transcriptome-wide analy [...]

by Supriya Rattan  , Derek Fawcett  , M. Tennant  , Joanna Granich  and Gerrard Eddy Jai Poinern

Received: 02 November 2020;  Published: 05 March 2021;  doi: 10.21926/rpm.2101007

To date, many studies have examined the development and use of novel materials, enhancing the performance of existing dental composites and improving methods for restoring tooth structure. In recent years, nanotechnology-based techniques have been used to develop a variety of nanomaterial-based dental products aimed at conservative dentistry applications. These new nanomaterial-based materials offer improved physicochemical and mechanical properties, combined with enhanced aesthetics that makes them superior restor [...]

by Aly Mousaad Aly  and Milad Rezae

Received: 26 December 2020;  Published: 04 March 2021;  doi: 10.21926/jept.2101011

During their lifecycle, wind turbines can be subjected to multiple hazard loads, such as high-intensity wind, earthquake, wave, and mechanical unbalance. Excessive vibrations, due to these loads, can have detrimental effects on energy production, structural lifecycle, and the initial cost of wind turbines. Vibration control by various means, such as passive, active, and semi-active control systems provide crucial solutions to these issues. We developed a novel control theory that enables semi-active controller tuni [...]

by Paola Stabile  , Francesco Radica  , Luigi Ranza  , Michael R. Carroll  , Carlo Santulli  and Eleonora Paris

Received: 12 December 2020;  Published: 02 March 2021;  doi: 10.21926/rpm.2101006

In this work, two types of wastes were introduced, namely, glass from municipal waste and Construction and Demolition Waste (CDW). The latter, which was obtained from rubble generated by the seismic events occurred in Central Italy in 2016, was introduced in two configurations, the single-layer and the double-layer of the cement-based Terrazzo tiles. A maximum of 77% of waste introduction was proven to be possible, therefore creating the possibility of obtaining construction products including high quantities of se [...]

by Meira Erel  , Esther-Lee Marcus  and Freda DeKeyser-Ganz

Received: 11 November 2020;  Published: 01 March 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.2101159

Decision-making by medical and health care staff forms the core of professional practice. Thought processes, including non-clinical considerations, significantly impact how clinical decisions are made. Such considerations become more relevant when addressing end-of-life care decisions for patients with advanced dementia (PAD). Though palliative care is recommended for this population, its implementation tends to vary. Given the medical staff’s significant influence in guiding clinical decisions, we examined thought [...]

by Amir Taheri  , Ole Torsæter  , Erik Lindeberg  , Nanji J. Hadia  and Dag Wessel-Berg

Received: 19 October 2020;  Published: 25 February 2021;  doi: 10.21926/acr.2101012

Convective mixing of free-phase CO2 and brine in saline aquifers is an established technique to accelerate the CO2 dissolution process. Correct estimation of the convection onset time and rate of CO2 dissolution into brine are two crucial parameters regarding safety issues, as the timescale for dissolution corresponds to the same time over which the free-phase CO2 has a chance to leak out from the storage site. In real practice, underground formations are heterogeneous with a layered structure, but the convective m [...]

by Gérald Lopez

Received: 25 November 2020;  Published: 25 February 2021;  doi: 10.21926/rpm.2101005

Polymers such as polyimides and fluoropolymers are widely used for insulating aeronautic wires. They are exposed to various changing factors such as temperature, pressure, moisture, vibration, chafing, etc. The electrification on the horizon can potentially increase the demand for these systems. Indeed, this impending evolution of technology pushes the boundaries of commonly-employed wires. Downsizing systems and enhancing the performance is an urgent requirement. A new generation of insulating materials capable of [...]

by Hironori Takagi  , Koichi Kakimoto  , Daishuke Mori  , Sou Taminato  , Yashuo Takeda  , osamu yamamoto  and Nobuyuki Imanishi

Received: 12 January 2021;  Published: 24 February 2021;  doi: 10.21926/jept.2101010

The demand for high energy density rechargeable batteries beyond lithium-ion batteries has increased for electric vehicles. In the present study, a novel high energy density rechargeable aqueous lithium battery was proposed. The battery was composed of a lithium metal anode, a lithium-stable non-aqueous electrolyte, a water-stable lithium-ion conducting solid electrolyte of Li1.4Al0.4Ge0.2Ti1.4(PO4)3-epoxy-TiO2 separator, and a hydroquinone sulfonic acid (HQS)/benzoquinone sulfonic acid (BQS) redox couple in an aqu [...]

by Aarthi Madhavan  , Isaac Sia  , Giselle Carnaby  and Michael Crary

Received: 29 October 2020;  Published: 22 February 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.2101158

Individuals with acute stroke on nonoral feeding regimens frequently develop pneumonia, questioning the long-held belief that pneumonia in stroke patients is a caused by food and liquid aspiration alone. Refluxate and colonized oral secretions are thought to contribute to an acidic oropharyngeal environment. If aspirated, these colonized oral secretions with increased acidity, can result in increased risk to the respiratory system. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between pharyngeal acidity, dysphag [...]

by Maurizio Arena  and Claudia Aprea

Received: 16 December 2020;  Published: 22 February 2021;  doi: 10.21926/aeer.2101002

The current situation of the COVID-19 pandemic has led to multiple changes in the international market as well as in the lifestyle of people worldwide. The transport sector has undoubtedly been one of the most affected sectors due to restrictions imposed by the governments across the world to protect the health of their citizens, particularly the restrictions imposed on the operation of airlines. On the other hand, the reduction in travel by means of transport has contributed in part to the improvement in the envir [...]

by Lucille Marchand  , Donna Lewin  and Leila Kozak

Received: 02 October 2020;  Published: 22 February 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2101007

Both palliative care (PC) and integrative medicine (IM) focus on the whole person to optimize wellbeing. Integrative palliative care combines the best of both approaches in relieving the distressing symptoms of serious illness and its treatment by combining evidence informed, pharmacological and nonpharmacological modalities that are aligned with the person’s goals, values and preferences. Healing is valued, as well as symptom relief, shared decisionmaking, person empowerment, compassionate care, and nurturing of h [...]

by Mitsuro Chiba  , Masafumi Komatsu  , Satomi Watanabe  and Yoko Daimon

Received: 13 January 2021;  Published: 20 February 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2101006

The high prevalence of obesity is a global concern. However, obesity and inflammatory bowel disease have similarities in epidemiology, diet, and gut microbial dysbiosis. An omnivorous (westernized) diet replacement with a plant-based diet in inflammatory bowel disease achieved better outcomes in both the induction and quiescent phases. Educational hospitalization providing a plant-based diet was found effective in suppressing flare-up in ulcerative colitis. This case report was designed to assess whether a plant-ba [...]