bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Variation in quality of acute stroke care by day and time of admission: prospective cohort study of weekday and weekend centralised hyperacute stroke unit care and non-centralised services
Authors: Melnychuk Mariya , Morris Stephen , Black Georgia , Ramsay Angus I G , Eng Jeannie , Rudd Anthony , Baim-Lance Abigail , Brown Martin M , Fulop Naomi J , Simister Robert
Published: November 2019

Objective

To investigate variations in quality of acute stroke care and outcomes by day and time of admission in London hyperacute stroke units compared with the rest of England.

Design

Prospective cohort study using anonymised patient-level data from the Sentinel Stroke National Audit Programme.

Setting

Acute stroke services in London hyperacute stroke units and the rest of England.

Participants

68 239 patients with a primary diagnosis of stroke admitted between January and December 2014.

Interventions

Hub-and-spoke model for care of suspected acute stroke patients in London with performance standards designed to deliver uniform access to high-quality hyperacute stroke unit care across the week.

Main outcome measures

16 indicators of quality of acute stroke care, mortality at 3 days after admission to the hospital, disability at the end of the inpatient spell, length of stay.

Results

There was no variation in quality of care by day and time of admission to the hospital across the week in terms of stroke nursing assessment, brain scanning and thrombolysis in London hyperacute stroke units, nor was there variation in 3-day mortality or disability at hospital discharge (all p values>0.05). Other quality of care measures significantly varied by day and time of admission across the week in London (all p values<0.01). In the rest of England there was variation in all measures by day and time of admission across the week (all p values<0.01), except for mortality at 3 days (p value>0.05).

Conclusions

The London hyperacute stroke unit model achieved performance standards for ‘front door’ stroke care across the week. The same benefits were not achieved by other models of care in the rest of England. There was no weekend effect for mortality in London or the rest of the England. Other aspects of care were not constant across the week in London hyperacute stroke units, indicating some performance standards were perceived to be more important than others.
What does it take to provide clinical interventions with temporal consistency? A qualitative study of London hyperacute stroke units
Authors: Black Georgia B , Ramsay Angus I G , Baim-Lance Abigail , Eng Jeannie , Melnychuk Mariya , Xanthopoulou Penny , Brown Martin M , Morris Stephen , Rudd Anthony G , Simister Robert , Fulop Naomi J
Published: November 2019

Objectives

Seven-day working in hospitals is a current priority of international health research and policy. Previous research has shown variability in delivering evidence-based clinical interventions across different times of day and week. We aimed to identify factors influencing such variations in London hyperacute stroke units (HASUs).

Design

Interview and observation study to explain patterns of variation in delivery and outcomes of care described in a quantitative partner paper (Melnychuket al).

Setting

Eight HASUs in London.

Participants

We interviewed HASU staff (n=76), including doctors, nurses, therapists and administrators. We also conducted non-participant observations of delivery of care at different times of the day and week (n=45; ~102 hours). We analysed the data for thematic content relating to the ability of staff to provide evidence-based interventions consistently at different times of the day and week.

Results

Staff were able to deliver ‘front door’ interventions consistently by taking on additional responsibilities out of hours (eg, deciding eligibility for thrombolysis); creating continuities between day and night (through, eg, governance processes and staggering rotas); building trusting relationships with, eg, Radiology and Emergency Departments and staff prioritisation of ‘front door’ interventions. Variations by time of day resulted from reduced staffing in HASUs and elsewhere in hospitals in the evenings and at the weekend. Variations by day of week (eg, weekend effect) resulted from lack of therapy input and difficulties repatriating patients at weekends, and associated increases in pressure on Fridays and Mondays.

Conclusions

Evidence-based service standards can facilitate 7-day working in acute stroke services. Standards should ensure that the capacity and capabilities required for ‘front door’ interventions are available 24/7, while other services, for example, therapies are available every day of the week. The impact of standards is influenced by interdependencies between HASUs, other hospital services and social services.
Impact of mobile applications on adherence to cancer treatment: a systematic review and meta-analysis protocol
Authors: Medeiros Kleyton Santos , Queiroz Janice França , Monteiro Michelly Nóbrega , Costa Weruska Alcoforado , Cobucci Ricardo Ney , Stransky Beatriz , Gonçalves Ana Katherine
Published: November 2019

Introduction

The number of patients taking oral chemotherapy is increasing around the world. It is essential to maximise the adherence to oral chemotherapy to improve the overall survival and life expectancy of the patients. In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we aim to evaluate the effectiveness of mobile applications in improving the adherence to oral chemotherapy and adjuvant hormonal therapy in cancer survivors.

Methods and analysis

MEDLINE, Embase, LILACS, clinicaltrials.gov, Scopus and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials will be searched for randomised or quasi-experimental studies published between January 2009 and July 2019. This systematic review and meta-analysis will include studies investigating the use of mobile applications by cancer survivors to aid adherence to oral chemotherapy and adjuvant hormonal therapy. Patient education, reminder tools, calendars, pillboxes and electronic reminders will not be evaluated. The primary outcome will be the improvement in adherence to anticancer drugs. The secondary outcomes will be an improvement in the overall survival and life expectancy, improved quality of life and control of cancer-related symptoms. Three independent reviewers will select the studies and extract data from the original publications. The risk-of-bias will be assessed using the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool. Data synthesis will be performed using the Review Manager software (RevMan V.5.2.3). To assess heterogeneity, we will compute the I2statistics. Additionally, a quantitative synthesis will be performed if the included studies are sufficiently homogenous.

Ethics and dissemination

This study will be a review of the published data, and thus, ethical approval is not required. Findings of this systematic review will be published in a peer-reviewed journal.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42018102172.
Does multidisciplinary videoconferencing between a head-and-neck cancer centre and its partner hospital add value to their patient care and decision-making? A mixed-method evaluation
Authors: van Huizen Lidia S , Dijkstra Pieter , Halmos Gyorgy B , van den Hoek Johanna G M , van der Laan Klaas T , Wijers Oda B , Ahaus Kees , de Visscher Jan G A M , Roodenburg Jan
Published: November 2019

Objectives

Given the difficulties in diagnosing and treating head-and-neck cancer, care is centralised in the Netherlands in eight head-and-neck cancer centres and six satellite regional hospitals as preferred partners. A requirement is that all patients of the partner should be discussed in a multidisciplinary team meeting (MDT) with the head-and-neck centre as part of a Dutch health policy rule. In this mixed-method study, we evaluate the value that the video-conferenced MDT adds to the MDTs in the care pathway, quantitative regarding recommendations given and qualitative in terms of benefits for the teams and the patient.

Design

A sequential mixed-method study.

Setting

One oncology centre and its partner in the Northern part of the Netherlands.

Participants

Head-and-neck cancer specialists presenting patient cases during video-conferenced MDT over a period of 6 months. Semistructured interviews held with six medical specialists, three from the centre and three from the partner.

Primary and secondary outcome measures

Percentage of cases in which recommendations were given on diagnostic and/or therapeutic plans during video-conferenced MDT.

Results

In eight of the 336 patient cases presented (2%), specialists offered recommendations to the collaborating team (three given from centre to partner and five from partner to centre). Recommendations mainly consisted of alternative diagnostic modalities or treatment plans for a specific patient. Interviews revealed that specialists perceive added value in discussing complex cases because the other team offered a fresh perspective by hearing the case ‘as new’. The teams recognise the importance of keeping their medical viewpoints aligned, but the requirement (that the partner should discuss all patients) was seen as outdated.

Conclusions

The added value of the video-conferenced MDT is small considering patient care, but the specialists recognised that it is important to keep their medical viewpoints aligned and that their patients benefit from the discussions on complex cases.
Direct estimates of disability-adjusted life years lost due to stroke : a cross-sectional observational study in a demographic surveillance site in rural Gadchiroli, India
Authors: Sudharsanan Nikkil , Deshmukh Mahesh , Kalkonde Yogeshwar
Published: November 2019

Objective

To directly estimate disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) lost due to stroke in rural Gadchiroli, India and measure the contribution of mortality and disability to total DALYs lost.

Design

Cross-sectional descriptive study using population census, vital registration and stroke prevalence data.

Setting

A demographic surveillance site of 86 villages in Gadchiroli, a rural district in Maharashtra, India.

Participants

Population counts and mortality information were drawn from a census and vital registration system covering a population of approximately 94 154 individuals; stroke prevalence information was based on a door-to-door evaluation of all 45 053 individuals from 39 of the 86 villages in the surveillance site.

Primary outcome measures

Years of life lost (YLL), years lived with disability (YLD) and DALYs lost due to stroke.

Results

There were 229 stroke deaths among the total population of 94 154 individuals and 175 stroke survivors among the subpopulation of 45 053 individuals. An estimated 2984 DALYs were lost due to stroke per 100 000 person-years with a higher burden among men compared with women (3142 vs 2821 DALYs). Over three-fourths (80%) of the total DALYs lost due to stroke were between ages 30 and 70 years. YLL accounted for 98.9% of total DALYs lost.

Conclusions

There was a high burden of stroke in rural Gadchiroli with a significant burden at premature ages. These results reveal a substantial need for surveillance and improved preventive and curative services for stroke in rural India.
MEchanical DIlatation of the Cervix­­ in a Scarred uterus (MEDICS): the study protocol of a randomised controlled trial comparing a single cervical catheter balloon and prostaglandin PGE2 for cervical ripening and labour induction following caesarean delivery
Authors: Choo Soe-Na , Kanneganti Abhiram , Abdul Aziz Muhammad Nur Dinie Bin , Loh Leta , Hargreaves Carol , Gopal Vikneswaran , Biswas Arijit , Chan Yiong Huak , Ismail Ida Suzani , Chi Claudia , Mattar Citra
Published: November 2019

Introduction

Labour induction in women with a previous caesarean delivery currently uses vaginal prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), which carries the risks of uterine hyperstimulation and scar rupture. We aim to compare the efficacy of mechanical labour induction using a transcervically applied Foley catheter balloon (FCB) with PGE2 in affected women attempting trial of labour after caesarean (TOLAC).

Methods and analysis

This single-centre non-inferiority prospective, randomised, open, blinded-endpoint study conducted at an academic maternity unit in Singapore will recruit a total of 100 women with one previous uncomplicated caesarean section and no contraindications to vaginal delivery. Eligible consented participants with term singleton pregnancies and unfavourable cervical scores (≤5) requiring labour induction undergo stratified randomisation based on parity and are assigned either FCB (n=50) or PGE2 (n=50). Treatments are applied for up to 12 hours with serial monitoring of the mother and the fetus and serial assessment for improved cervical scores. If the cervix is still unfavourable, participants are allowed a further 12 hours’ observation for cervical ripening. Active labour is initiated by amniotomy at cervical scores of ≥6. The primary outcome is the rate of change in the cervical score, and secondary outcomes include active labour within 24 hours of induction, vaginal delivery, time-to-delivery interval and uterine hyperstimulation. All analyses will be intention-to-treat. The data generated in this trial may guide a change in practice towards mechanical labour induction if this proves efficient and safer for women attempting TOLAC compared with PGE2, to improve labour management in this high-risk population.

Ethics and dissemination

Ethical approval is granted by the Domain Specific Review Board (Domain D) of the National Healthcare Group, Singapore. All adverse events will be reported within 24 hours of notification for assessment of causality. Data will be published and will be available for future meta-analyses.

Trial registration number

NCT03471858; Pre-results.
Phase II randomised control feasibility trial of a nutrition and physical activity intervention after radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer
Authors: Hackshaw-McGeagh Lucy E , Penfold Chris , Shingler Ellie , Robles Luke A , Perks Claire M , Holly Jeff M P , Rowe Edward , Koupparis Anthony , Bahl Amit , Persad Raj , Shiridzinomwa Constance , Johnson Lyndsey , Biernacka Kalina M , Frankow Aleksandra , Woodside Jayne V , Gilchrist Sarah , Oxley Jon , Abrams Paul , Lane J Athene , Martin Richard M
Published: November 2019

Objective

Dietary factors and physical activity may alter prostate cancer progression. We explored the feasibility of lifestyle interventions following radical prostatectomy for localised prostate cancer.

Design

Patients were recruited into a presurgical observational cohort; following radical prostatectomy, they were offered randomisation into a 2×3 factorial randomised controlled trial (RCT).

Setting

A single National Health Service trust in the South West of England, UK.

Participants

Those with localised prostate cancer and listed for radical prostatectomy were invited to participate.

Randomisation

Random allocation was performed by the Bristol Randomised Trial Collaboration via an online system.

Interventions

Men were randomised into both a modified nutrition group (either increased vegetable and fruit, and reduced dairy milk; or lycopene supplementation; or control) and a physical activity group (brisk walking or control) for 6 months.

Blinding

Only the trial statistician was blind to allocations.

Primary outcome measures

Primary outcomes were measures of feasibility: randomisation rates and intervention adherence at 6 months. Collected at trial baseline, three and six months, with daily adherence reported throughout. Our intended adherence rate was 75% or above, the threshold for acceptable adherence was 90%.

Results

108 men entered the presurgical cohort, and 81 were randomised into the postsurgical RCT (randomisation rate: 93.1%) and 75 completed the trial. Of 25 men in the nutrition intervention, 10 (40.0%; 95% CI 23.4% to 59.3%) adhered to the fruit and vegetable recommendations and 18 (72.0%; 95% CI 52.4% to 85.7%) to reduced dairy intake. Adherence to lycopene (n=28), was 78.6% (95% CI 60.5% to 89.8%), while 21/39 adhered to the walking intervention (53.8%; 95% CI 38.6% to 68.4%). Most men were followed up at 6 months (75/81; 92.6%). Three ‘possibly related’ adverse events were indigestion, abdominal bloating and knee pain.

Conclusions

Interventions were deemed feasible, with high randomisation rates and generally good adherence. A definitive RCT is proposed.

Trial registration number

ISRCTN 99048944.
Role of body mass category in the development of faulty postures in school-age children from a rural area in south-eastern Poland: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Rusek Wojciech , Leszczak Justyna , Baran Joanna , Adamczyk Marzena , Weres Aneta , Baran Rafał , Inglot Grzegorz , Czenczek-Lewandowska Ewelina , Porada Sławomir , Pop Teresa
Published: November 2019

Objective

The aim of the study was to assess the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and the incidence of abnormalities in selected parameters measured in the trunk area.

Design

Cross-sectional studies.

Setting

The research was conducted in a primary school in the Trzebownisko Municipality, a rural area in south-eastern Poland.

Participants

A group of 464 children, ranging in age from 6 to 16 years (234 boys and 230 girls), was recruited to participate in the study.

Outcome measures

The examination of their body postures was conducted with the use of the Zebris system. Body mass was determined using a body mass analyser Tanita MC-780 MA. BMI was calculated based on the acquired data.

Results

It was noticed that the children with overweight and obesity tended to have an incorrect position of the shoulders and pelvis in comparison to children with normal body weight. It was found that greater body mass (higher BMI) coincided with a larger distance of the scapulae from the frontal plane (p=0.009).

Conclusions

Increase in children’s BMI produces adverse effects in the position of the shoulder blades, reflected by their greater distance from the frontal plane. Increase in BMI is not significantly related to the position of the shoulder joints or pelvis; however, the subjects with overweight or obesity presented a greater difference in the position of the shoulder joints and pelvis.
Comparing the efficacy and safety of faecal microbiota transplantation with bezlotoxumab in reducing the risk of recurrentClostridium difficileinfections: a systematic review and Bayesian network meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials
Authors: Alhifany Abdullah A , Almutairi Abdulaali R , Almangour Thamer A , Shahbar Alaa N , Abraham Ivo , Alessa Mohammed , Alnezary Faris S , Cheema Ejaz
Published: November 2019

Objectives

The risk of recurrentClostridium difficileinfections (RCDIs) is high when treated with standard antibiotics therapy (SAT) alone. It is suggested that the addition of faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) or bezlotoxumab after SAT reduces the risk of RCDI. In the absence of head-to-head randomised controlled trials (RCTs), this review attempts to compare the efficacy and safety of bezlotoxumab with FMT in reducing the risk of RCDI in hospitalised patients.

Design

A systematic review and Bayesian network meta-analysis.

Data source

A comprehensive search from inception to 30 February 2019 was conducted in four databases (Medline/PubMed, Embase, Scopus, ClinicalTrials.gov).

Eligibility criteria

RCTs reporting the resolution of diarrhoea associated with RCDI without relapse for at least 60 days after the end of treatments as the primary outcome.

Data extraction and synthesis

We extracted author, year of publication, study design and binomial data that represented the resolution of diarrhoea or adverse events of monoclonal antibodies and FMT infusion. Random-effects models were used for resolution rate of RCDI and adverse events. The Cochrane Risk of Bias tool was used to assess the quality of included RCTs.

Results

Out of 1003 articles identified, seven RCTs involving 3043 patients contributed to the review. No difference was reported between single or multiple infusions of FMT and bezlotoxumab in resolving RCDI, (OR 1.53, 95% credible interval (CrI) 0.39 to 5.16) and (OR 2.86, 95% CrI 1.29 to 6.57), respectively. Patients treated with SAT alone or bezlotoxumab with SAT showed significantly lower rates of diarrhoea than FMT (OR 0, 95% CrI 0 to 0.09) and (OR 0, 95% CrI 0 to 0.19), respectively. There was no difference in terms of other adverse events.

Conclusions

This is the first network meta-analysis that has compared the recently Food and Drug Administration-approved monoclonal antibody bezlotoxumab with FMT for resolving RCDI. The quality of the included RCTs was variable. The findings of this study suggested no difference between single or multiple infusions of FMT and bezlotoxumab. However, FMT was associated with a higher rate of non-serious diarrhoea as opposed to SAT used alone or in combination with bezlotoxumab.
Quality of patient, family, caregiver and public engagement in decision-making in healthcare systems: a scoping review protocol
Authors: Hamilton Clayon , Snow M Elizabeth , Clark Nancy , Gibson Shannon , Dehnadi Maryam , Lui Michelle , Koster Andrew , McLean Janet , Li Linda C
Published: November 2019

Introduction

To advance person- and family-centred healthcare, government initiatives have supported the engagement of patients and family caregivers in decision-making in healthcare systems. There is, however, no consensus on how to define success for such initiatives. This scoping review aims to identify the key elements for defining the quality of patient and family caregiver engagement in decision-making across the engagement domains (individual, community/organisation, system) of British Columbia’s healthcare system. We will use those elements to develop a conceptual evaluation framework.

Methods and analysis

This scoping review follows Arskey and O’Malley’s methodology. (1) The research question was identified through team discussions. (2) Articles for data source will be identified using a librarian-informed search strategy for seven bibliographic databases as well as grey literature sources. (3) Selected articles will be relevant to the evaluation of patient and family caregiver engagement in healthcare systems. (4) Two researchers will independently extract data into predefined and emerging categories. (5) The researchers will reconcile and organise the identified elements. The research team’s collective perspective will then refine the elements, and select, interpret and summarise the results. (6) Persons from key stakeholder groups will be consulted to refine the emergent conceptual framework.

Ethics and dissemination

We will seek ethics approval for the stakeholder consultation. This study follows an integrated knowledge translation approach. The results will inform evaluation of the Patients as Partners Initiative of the British Columbia Ministry of Health, and will be disseminated as a scientific article, a research brief, and presentations at conferences and stakeholder meetings.
Locations, associations and temporal evolution of intracranial arterial infundibular dilatations in children
Authors: Dmytriw Adam A , Bisson Daniel-Alexandre , Phan Kevin , Amirabadi Afsaneh , Branson Helen , Dirks Peter B , Shroff Manohar , Muthusami Prakash
Published: November 2019

Background

There are few data in the literature on the characteristics and natural history of intracranial arterial infundibular dilatations in children.

Methods

An institutional review board-approved retrospective review was performed of infundibula reported on MR angiography in patients <18 years of age at our tertiary pediatric institute from 1998 to 2016. Clinical data (age, sex, diagnosis, other vascular variants/pathologies) were recorded and images assessed for vessel of origin, infundibulum size and exact location. Ratios of infundibulum:parent artery were assessed at diagnosis and last follow-up. Temporal evolution to aneurysm was evaluated.

Results

We found 60 intracranial infundibula in 60 children (male:female=27:33; mean age 9.7±5.2 years, range 2–18 years,). Family history of aneurysms was present in 2/60 (3.3%). Syndromic association was found in 14/60 (23.3%), most frequently sickle cell disease (4/14=28.6%). Mean infundibulum size was 2.2±0.5 mm, with mean ratio to parent artery of 0.54±0.17. The most common location was on the P1-posterior cerebral artery (34/63=56.7%), whereas posterior communicating infundibula were seen in only 4/60 (6.7%) cases. Other cerebrovascular variants were seen in 12/60 (20%) patients. On follow-up imaging (in 32/60 patients over 86 patient-years, mean 32.3±35.7 months), no significant change in infundibulum:parent artery ratio was noted. None of the infundibular dilatations showed interval evolution to aneurysm.

Conclusion

We present the largest reported cohort of pediatric intracranial arterial infundibula, which we found to be distinct from their adult counterparts with regard to location, etiology and temporal evolution. Growth over time and/or aneurysmal formation are rare, not necessitating frequent short-term imaging surveillance during childhood.
Utility of leucocytes, inflammatory markers and pancreatic enzymes as indicators of gangrenous cholecystitis
Authors: Raffee Liqaa , Kuleib Samer , Oteir Alaa , Kewan Tariq , Alawneh Khaled , Beovich Bronwyn , Williams Brett
Published: November 2019

Background

Acute cholecystitis is an emergency condition. If not promptly diagnosed and properly managed, the complication of gangrenous cholecystitis may develop, which may be a life-threatening complication.

Objectives

The study aims to examine various characteristics and physiological parameters in patients diagnosed with acute cholecystitis to evaluate if significant predictive factors exist for the differential diagnosis of gangrenous cholecystitis.

Materials and methods

This was a retrospective study included patients with acute cholecystitis diagnosis, who presented to ‘blinded for peer review’ from 1 January 2010 to 1 January 2017. Parameters evaluated included liver function tests, complete cell count, C reactive protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), amylase and lipase levels, as well as medical history, and presenting clinical signs. Cases were divided according to whether or not there was a histopathological diagnosis of gangrenous cholecystitis.

Results

A total of 186 (54.5%) female and 155 (45.5%) male cases were examined. Patients with gangrenous cholecystitis tended to be male, showed a significantly higher white cell count, higher neutrophil percentage, lower lymphocyte percentage and higher ESR compared with patients without gangrenous cholecystitis. However, serum amylase and lipase demonstrated no differential diagnostic utility

Conclusion

Male patients with a high ESR level, high total leucocyte count with a relative high proportion of neutrophils and a low proportion of lymphocytes were found to be at increased risk of the presence of gangrenous cholecystitis.
Antimicrobial capacity of ultrasound and ozone for enhancing bacterial safety on inoculated shredded green cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata)
Authors: Traore Mamadou Bado , Sun Aidong , Gan Zhilin , Senou Hamidou , Togo Jacques , Fofana Kankou Hadia
Published: November 2019

The high frequency and incidence of foodborne outbreaks related to fresh vegetables consumption is a major public health concern and an economic burden worldwide. This study evaluated the effect of individual and combined application of ultrasound (40 kHz, 100 W) and ozone on the inactivation of foodborne Escherichia coli and Salmonella, as well as their impact on cabbage color and vitamin C content. Plate count, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and flow cytometry (FCM) following single or double staining with carboxyfluorescein diacetate and (or) propidium iodide were used to determine bacterial inactivation parameters, such as cell culturability, membrane integrity, intracellular enzyme activity, and injured and dead cells. The results of FCM and SEM showed that ultrasound treatment affected bacteria mainly by acting on the cell membrane and inactivating intracellular esterase, which resulted in bacterial death. Furthermore, when combined with ozone at 1.5 mg/L, the maximum reduction of bacterial populations was observed at 8 min with no damage on the surface of treated leaves. Therefore, fresh products sanitization using a combination of ultrasound and ozone has the potential to be an alternative for maintaining the color and vitamin C content of green cabbage.
Derivation of gauge symmetries in supergravity with a cosmological constant in 2 + 1 dimensions
Authors: McKeon D.G.C.
Published: November 2019

The canonical structure of supergravity with a cosmological constant is analyzed in 2 + 1 dimensions using the Dirac constraint formalism. Using the approach of Henneaux, Teitelboim, and Zanelli, the first class constraints are used to find the local gauge symmetries of this model. Provided the cosmological constant is negative, this novel gauge algebra closes, without having to invoke the equations of motion or introducing auxiliary fields. There are two Bosonic and one Fermionic gauge symmetries.
AAC Crossfield red spring wheat
Authors: Randhawa H.S. , Brown P.D. , Mitchell Fetch J. , Fetch T. , Gilbert J. , McCallum B. , Menzies J. , Gaudet D.
Published: November 2019

AAC Crossfield, an awned hard red spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivar, combines high grain yield and good agronomic characteristics with excellent resistance to leaf, stem, and stripe rust. AAC Crossfield is significantly shorter than Conquer and AAC Foray, and has maturity, straw strength, and test weight similar to the check cultivars. AAC Crossfield has improved farinograph stability and is eligible for grade in the Canada Prairie Spring Red wheat market class.
Is the magnitude of the Peccei–Quinn scale set by the landscape?
Authors: Baer Howard , Barger Vernon , Sengupta Dibyashree , Serce Hasan , Sinha Kuver , Deal Robert Wiley
Published: November 2019

The value of the Higgs boson mass plus the lack of signal at LHC13 has led to a naturalness crisis for supersymmetric models. In contrast, rather general considerations of the string theory landscape imply a mild statistical draw towards large soft SUSY breaking terms tempered by the requirement of proper electroweak symmetry breaking where SUSY contributions to the weak scale are not too far from $$m_{weak}\sim 100$$mweak∼100 GeV. Such a picture leads to the prediction that $$m_h\simeq 125$$mh≃125 GeV while most sparticles are beyond current LHC reach. Here we explore the possibility that the magnitude of the Peccei–Quinn (PQ) scale $$f_a$$fa is also set by string landscape considerations within the framework of a compelling SUSY axion model. First, we examine the case where the PQ symmetry arises as an accidental approximate global symmetry from a more fundamental gravity-safe $$\mathbb {Z}_{24}^R$$Z24R symmetry and where the SUSY $$\mu $$μ parameter arises from a Kim-Nilles operator. The pull towards large soft terms then also pulls the PQ scale as large as possible. Unless this is tempered by rather severe (unknown) cosmological or anthropic bounds on the density of dark matter, then we would expect a far greater abundance of dark matter than is observed. This conclusion cannot be negated by adopting a tiny axion misalignment angle $$\theta _i$$θi because WIMPs are also overproduced at large $$f_a$$fa. Hence, we conclude that setting the PQ scale via anthropics is highly unlikely. Instead, requiring soft SUSY breaking terms of order the gravity-mediation scale $$m_{3/2}\sim 10$$m3/2∼10–100 TeV places the mixed axion–neutralino dark matter abundance into the intermediate scale sweet zone where $$f_a\sim 10^{11}$$fa∼1011–$$10^{12}$$1012 GeV. We compare our analysis to the more general case of a generic SUSY DFSZ axion model with uniform selection on $$\theta _i$$θi but leading to the measured dark matter abundance: this approach leads to a preference for $$f_a\sim 10^{12}$$fa∼1012 GeV.
The constraint ability of Hubble parameter by gravitational wave standard sirens on cosmological parameters
Authors: Zhang Tong-Jie , Liu Yang , Liu Zhi-E , Wan Hao-Yi , Zhang Ting-Ting , Wang Bao-Quan
Published: November 2019

In this paper, we present the application of a new method measuring Hubble parameter H(z) by using the anisotropy of luminosity distance ($$d_{L}$$dL) of the gravitational wave (GW) standard sirens of neutron star (NS) binary system. The method has never been put into practice so far due to the lack of the ability of detecting GW. However, LIGO’s success in detecting GW of black hole (BH) binary system merger announced the potential possibility of this new method. We apply this method to several GW detecting projects, including Advanced LIGO (aLIGO), Einstein Telescope (ET) and DECIGO, and evaluate its constraint ability on cosmological parameters of H(z). It turns out that the H(z) by aLIGO and ET is of bad accuracy, while the H(z) by DECIGO shows a good one. We simulate H(z) data at every 0.1 redshift span using the error information of H(z) by DECIGO, and put the mock data into the forecasting of cosmological parameters. Compared with the previous data and method, we get an obviously tighter constraint on cosmological parameters by mock data, and a concomitantly higher value of Figure of Merit (FoM, the reciprocal of the area enclosed by the $$2\sigma $$2σ confidence region). For a 3-year-observation by standard sirens of DECIGO, the FoM value is as high as 170.82. If a 10-year-observation is launched, the FoM could reach 569.42. For comparison, the FoM of 38 actual observed H(z) data (OHD) is 9.3. We also investigate the undulant universe, which shows a comparable improvement on the constraint of cosmological parameters. These improvement indicates that the new method has great potential in further cosmological constraints.
Lump-type solutions, interaction solutions and periodic wave solutions of a (3+1)-dimensional Korteweg–de Vries equation
Authors: Tian Hongfei , Ha Jinting , Zhang Huiqun
Published: November 2019

Based on the Hirota bilinear form, lump-type solutions, interaction solutions and periodic wave solutions of a (3[Formula: see text]+[Formula: see text]1)-dimensional Korteweg–de Vries (KdV) equation are obtained. The interaction between a lump-type soliton and a stripe soliton including two phenomena: fission and fusion, are illustrated. The dynamical behaviors are shown more intuitively by graphics.
Non-similar characteristics of mixed convective slip flow over a wedge with temperature-dependent thermo-physical properties
Authors: Roy Nepal Chandra , Roy Sudharonjon , Azum Naved , Khan Anish , Asiri Abdullah M. , Rahimi-Gorji Mohammad
Published: November 2019

We examined heat and mass transfer characteristics of mixed convective slip flow over a wedge taking into account the effect of variable transport properties. Unlike other studies, we have utilized non-similar transformation to get the non-similar features of the mixed convective slip flow. For comparison, stream function formulation is used to reduce the governing equation into a convenient form for short- and long-time regimes. We have determined the series solutions by adopting the perturbation techniques. The agreement between the numerical and series solutions is found to be excellent. Numerical solutions reveal that the slip parameters augment the momentum, thermal and concentration boundary layers. The local skin friction coefficient, the local Nusselt number and the local Sherwood number are found to decrease for higher value of slip parameters. For the increasing value of the variable viscosity parameter, the velocity is stronger, but the temperature and concentration lessen. Contrary to this, this parameter diminishes the local skin friction coefficient, local Nusselt number and local Sherwood number. Due to the increase of mass diffusivity parameter, the velocity and concentration significantly increase whereas the temperature remains almost unaffected. Moreover, the mass diffusivity variation parameter leads to an increase in the local skin friction coefficient and local Nusselt number, but it reduces the local Sherwood number.
Adaptive display images
Authors: Zhi Meipeng , Xu Yuesheng
Published: November 2019

We develop a numerical method for construction of an adaptive display image from a given display image which is an artificial scene displayed in a computer screen. The adaptive display image is encoded on an adaptive pixel mesh obtained by a merging scheme from the original pixel mesh. The cardinality of the adaptive pixel mesh is significantly less than that of the original pixel mesh. The resulting adaptive display image is the best [Formula: see text] piecewise constant approximation of the original display image. Under the assumption that a natural image, the real scene that we see, belongs to a Besov space, we provide the optimal [Formula: see text] error estimate between the adaptive display image and its original natural image. Experimental results are presented to demonstrate the visual quality, the approximation accuracy and the computational complexity of the adaptive display image.
Self-assembly of amphiphilic meso-aryl-substituted porphyrin derivatives in the presence of surfactants
Authors: Gradova Margaret A. , Gradov Oleg V. , Zhdanova Kseniya A. , Bragina Natalya A. , Lobanov Anton V.
Published: November 2019

Surfactant-assisted self-assembly of porphyrin molecules in aqueous solutions sometimes leads to the formation of hybrid supramolecular structures with unusual photophysical properties resulting from the dipole–dipole interactions between the neighboring aromatic systems. The macrocycle orientation and interchromophore distance in such assemblies are determined by the dye–surfactant interactions, and hence, strongly depend on the molecular structure of both surfactant and porphyrin molecules. In this paper we studied the influence of the number and position of the peripheral alkyl chains of amphiphilic meso-aryl-substituted porphyrins on their aggregation behavior and intermolecular interactions with different surfactants in aqueous solutions. The studies revealed a crucial role of the local acidity on the micellar surface in the protolytic equilibrium of the porphyrin derivatives, as well as the influence of the macrocycle hydrophilic–lipophilic balance on its solubilization site within a micellar system. These findings enable prediction of the photophysical properties of amphiphilic porphyrin derivatives in the presence of different solubilizing agents and membrane-mimetic systems, and hence, selection the most suitable drug delivery systems for the novel amphiphilic porphyrin-based photosensitizers.
Buckling Analyses of Spherical Shells by the Finite Element Method Based on the Willis-Form Equations
Authors: Sun Yixiao , Xiang Zhihai
Published: November 2019

Buckling analysis of spherical shells under external pressure is a crucial problem in mechanical and aerospace engineering. It is widely known that the buckling loads obtained by classical methods are much higher than experimental results. The main reason for this large discrepancy is customarily attributed to initial geometrical imperfections, and the impact of inhomogeneously distributed stresses during loading process is usually ignored. In order to investigate the effect of this ignored factor, the buckling loads of several spherical shells are analyzed by the geometrically nonlinear finite element method (FEM) based on the Willis-form equations, which explicitly contain the stress gradients at previous loading step. It can be shown that the buckling loads from the Willis-form FEM are about 10% lower than the values from classical FEM. This finding may give better understandings to the differences between theoretical and experimental results for nearly perfect spherical shells and may be helpful to obtain more accurate buckling loads for shells with initial geometrical imperfections.
Forecasting plausible scenarios and losses in interest rate targeting using mathematical optimization
Authors: Tanaka Katsuhiro
Published: November 2019

This study proposes a mathematical optimization model for simultaneously forecasting plausible market scenarios and portfolio losses. Interest rates, volatilities and correlation coefficients can be modeled by the DCC-GARCH. A constraint condition is set by the Mahalanobis distance for deciding an acceptable range of change in interest rates. An objective function is set as a hypothetical market portfolio loss from delta, gamma and vega. The mathematical optimization model becomes a nonlinear programming problem for which it is difficult to find appropriate solutions. Therefore, the study introduces an original heuristic approach for preventing the signs of solutions from unintentionally becoming inverse. The study finds that, compared to a stressful scenario in Japan, the forecasting scenarios and losses are plausible.
Modeling of implied volatility surfaces of nifty index options
Authors: Dash Mihir
Published: November 2019

The implied volatility of an option contract is the value of the volatility of the underlying instrument which equates the theoretical option value from an option pricing model (typically, the Black–Scholes[Formula: see text]Merton model) to the current market price of the option. The concept of implied volatility has gained in importance over historical volatility as a forward-looking measure, reflecting expectations of volatility (Dumas et al., 1998). Several studies have shown that the volatilities implied by observed market prices exhibit a pattern very different from that assumed by the Black–Scholes[Formula: see text]Merton model, varying with strike price and time to expiration. This variation of implied volatilities across strike price and time to expiration is referred to as the volatility surface. Empirically, volatility surfaces for global indices have been characterized by the volatility skew. For a given expiration date, options far out-of-the-money are found to have higher implied volatility than those with an exercise price at-the-money. For short-dated expirations, the cross-section of implied volatilities as a function of strike is roughly V-shaped, but has a rounded vertex and is slightly tilted. Generally, this V-shape softens and becomes flatter for longer dated expirations, but the vertex itself may rise or fall depending on whether the term structure of at-the-money volatility is upward or downward sloping. The objective of this study is to model the implied volatility surfaces of index options on the National Stock Exchange (NSE), India. The study employs the parametric models presented in Dumas et al. (1998); Peña et al. (1999), and several subsequent studies to model the volatility surfaces across moneyness and time to expiration. The present study contributes to the literature by studying the nature of the stationary point of the implied volatility surface and by separating the in-the-money and out-of-the-money components of the implied volatility surface. The results of the study suggest that an important difference between the implied volatility surface of index call and put options: the implied volatility surface of index call options was found to have a minimum point, while that of index put options was found to have a saddlepoint. The results of the study also indicate the presence of a “volatility smile” across strike prices, with a minimum point in the range of 2.3–9.0% in-the-money for index call options and of 10.7–29.3% in-the-money for index put options; further, there was a jump in implied volatility in the transition from out-of-the-moneyness to in-the-moneyness, by 10.0% for index call options and about 1.9% for index put options.
Intralipid Immunotherapy for Repeated IVF Failure
Authors: Ehrlich Romy , Hull M. Louise , Walkley Jane , Sacks Gavin
Published: November 2019

The intravenous fat emulsion, intralipid, has been hypothesised to be an effective and safe treatment for repeated in vitro fertilisation (IVF), implantation failure and pregnancy loss. This exploratory, retrospective cohort study determined pregnancy outcomes and documented adverse events associated with intralipid use. Ninety-three women were identified as having received intralipid for a history of repeated unsuccessful IVF cycles and pre-viable pregnancy loss in two Australian IVF units that independently recruited between October 2014 and July 2016. Pregnancy outcomes and adverse events were recorded in fresh and frozen embryo transfer cycles in which the infusion was administered. The 93 women who received intralipid had a clinical pregnancy rate of 40.0%, compared with 35.0% in 651 age-matched controls undergoing IVF, which was not significantly different. The intralipid group had a livebirth rate of 35.7%. Apart from flushing, which was experienced by one individual, there were no adverse events associated with intralipid use. As a prelude to definitive evidence of benefit, we did not identify a safety concern or reduced pregnancy rates in intralipid users compared to controls. Indeed, these outcomes were better than expected in a poor prognosis group. This data supports an argument for large, randomised controlled trials to determine the benefit of intralipid in the treatment of recurrent implantation failure or miscarriage.
Limitations of Persistent Scatterer Interferometry to measure small seasonal ground movements in an urban environment
Authors: Scoular J. M. , Croft J. , Ghail R. C. , Mason P. J. , Lawrence J. A. , Stoianov I.
Published: November 2019

London Clay, which underlies the majority of Greater London, has a high shrink–swell potential that can result in damage to foundations and surface infrastructure due to seasonal expansion and contraction of the clay. Currently, surface movement as a result of shrink–swell is not monitored in London, meaning that the magnitude and cyclicity of these movements is poorly understood. Persistent Scatterer Interferometric (PSI) Synthetic Aperture Radar data provide high-precision line-of-sight displacement measurements at a high point density across urban areas, offering the possibility of routine shrink–swell monitoring across whole cities. To test this, PSI data derived from TerraSAR-X (TSX) observations for the period from May 2011 to April 2017 were analysed for shrink–swell patterns across three areas of London in Hammersmith, Muswell Hill and Islington. A consistent cyclicity and amplitude was detected at all sites and the number of cycles is comparable with those identified in rainfall data. The amplitude of these cycles is smaller than anticipated, most probably because of the resisting effect of roads and pavements. The Cranfield University Leakage Assessment from Corrosivity and Shrinkage (LEACS) database was used to subdivide the PSI data and the average velocity and amplitude of each class statistically tested for significant differences between classes. The results show that it is not possible to statistically isolate possible soil shrink–swell movement in TSX PSI data in London.

Thematic collection:
This article is part of the Measurement and monitoring collection available at:
https://www.lyellcollection.org/cc/measurement-and-monitoring