bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cross-sectional study protocol for the Arabic Healthy Weight Project promoting active living and healthy eating among Arabic-speaking communities in South Western Sydney
Authors: Kovai Vilas , Arjunan Punitha , Weber Danielle , Rooney Janelle , Jalaludin Bin , Wardle Karen , Williams Mandy
Published: March 2019

Introduction

The South Western Sydney Local Health District (SWSLHD) is home to nearly 75 000 Arabic-speaking people. Of these, nearly three quarters are overweight or obese and suffer from a range of chronic diseases. To address this, the Health Promotion Service of SWSLHD will conduct a community-based overweight and obesity prevention intervention (Arabic Healthy Weight Project, 2018–2021) with Arabic community members aged between 18 and 50 years. The intervention’s main activities will include a comprehensive social marketing campaign and an ‘Eat-Move-Live Healthy’ programme.

Methods and analysis

The project will be evaluated using a pre–postintervention study design to measure changes in practices in relation to physical activity, consumption of vegetables and intake of sugar-sweetened beverages. The evaluation will apply mixed data collection methods. The quantitative data will be collected using a face-to-face survey of 1540 participants from two independent samples (pre: 770 and post: 770). Descriptive and inferential statistical tests will be used to analyse the quantitative data. The qualitative component will use focus group discussions and interviews to evaluate the formative, process and follow-up phases of data collection. A combination of deductive and inductive methods of data analysis will be conducted using NVivo software.

Ethics and dissemination

The protocol has been approved by the Human Research Ethics Committee of SWSLHD (HREC/16/LPOOL/303). Findings will be published in peer-reviewed journals.
Intimate partner violence victimisation in early adulthood: psychometric properties of a new measure and gender differences in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children
Authors: Yakubovich Alexa R , Heron Jon , Feder Gene , Fraser Abigail , Humphreys David K
Published: March 2019

Objectives

To evaluate the psychometric properties of a novel, brief measure of physical, psychological and sexual intimate partner violence (IPV) and estimate the overall prevalence of and gender differences in this violence.

Design

Data are from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC), a birth-cohort study.

Setting

Avon, UK.

Participants

2128 women and 1145 men who completed the questionnaire assessment at age 21.

Outcome measures

Participants responded to eight items on physical, psychological and sexual IPV victimisation at age 21. Participants indicated whether the violence occurred before age 18 and/or after and led to any of eight negative impacts (eg, fear). We estimated the prevalence of IPV and tested for gender differences using χ2or t-tests. We evaluated the IPV victimisation measure based on internal consistency (alpha coefficient), dimensionality (exploratory factor analysis) and convergent validity with negative impacts.

Results

Overall, 37% of participants reported experiencing any IPV and 29% experienced any IPV after age 18. Women experienced more frequent IPV, more acts of IPV and more negative impacts than men (p<0.001 for all comparisons). The IPV measure showed high internal consistency (α=0.95), strong evidence for unidimensionality and was highly correlated with negative impacts (r=0.579, p<0.001).

Conclusions

The prevalence of IPV victimisation in the ALSPAC cohort was considerable for both women and men. The strong and consistent gender differences in the frequency and severity of IPV suggest clinically meaningful differences in experiences of this violence. The ALSPAC measure for IPV victimisation was valid and reliable, indicating its suitability for further aetiological investigations.
Cost-effectiveness of a home-based group educational programme on renal replacement therapies: a study protocol
Authors: Redeker Steef , Oppe Mark , Visser Martijn , Busschbach Jan J V , Weimar Willem , Massey Emma , Ismail Sohal
Published: March 2019

Introduction

Living donor kidney transplantation (LDKT) is the optimal treatment for most patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). However, there are numerous patients who cannot find a living kidney donor. Randomised controlled trials have shown that home-based education for patients with ESRD and their family/friends leads to four times more LDKTs. This educational intervention is currently being implemented in eight hospitals in the Netherlands. Supervision and quality assessment are being employed to maintain the quality of the intervention. In this study, we aim to: (1) conduct a cost-effectiveness analysis of the educational programme and its quality assurance system; (2) investigate the relationship between the quality of the implementation of the intervention and the outcomes knowledge, communication and LDKT activities; and (3) investigate policy implications.

Methods and design

Patients with ESRD who do not have a living kidney donor are eligible to receive the home-based educational intervention. This is carried out by allied health transplantation professionals and psychologists across eight hospitals in the Netherlands. The cost-effectiveness analysis will be conducted with a Markov model. Cost data will be obtained from the literature. We will obtain the quality of life data from the patients who participate in the educational programme. Questionnaires on knowledge and communication will be used to measure the outcomes of the programme. Data on LDKT activities will be obtained from medical records up to 24 months after the education. A protocol adherence measure will be assessed by a third party by means of a telephone interview with the patients and the invitees.

Ethics and dissemination

Ethical approval was obtained through all participating hospitals. Results will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications and scientific presentations. Results of the cost-effectiveness of the educational programme will also be disseminated to the Dutch National Health Care Institute.

Trial registration number

NL6529
Dose escalation of preoperative short-course radiotherapy followed by neoadjuvant chemotherapy in locally advanced rectal cancer: protocol for an open-label, single-centre, phase I clinical trial
Authors: Zhang Meng-xia , Li Xiao-bo , Guan Bing-jie , Guan Guo-xian , Lin Xiao-yan , Wu Xiao-dong , Chi Pan , Xu Ben-hua
Published: March 2019

Introduction

Preoperative radiotherapy followed by total mesorectal excision with adjuvant chemotherapy has been recommended as the preferred treatment method for locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC). Similar rates of local control, survival and toxicity were observed in preoperative long-course chemoradiotherapy (LCRT) (45–50.4 Gy in 25–28 fractions) and in short-course radiotherapy (SCRT) with 25 Gy over five fractions. Both regimens lower the local recurrence rates compared with that of surgery followed by postoperative radiotherapy. With the simplicity and lower cost of SCRT, a growing number of patients have been receiving SCRT as preoperative radiotherapy. However, the currently established SCRT (25 Gy over five fractions) followed immediately by surgery resulted in poor downstaging and sphincter preservation rate. The pathological complete response (pCR) rate is also markedly lower with SCRT than with LCRT (0.7%vs16%). Several studies recommended SCRT with delayed surgery for more than 4 weeks with expectation of improved pathological outcomes and fewer postoperative complications. While a number of clinical trials demonstrated a persistently better overall local control with SCRT than with LCRT, overall survival advantage has not been observed. Since survival is mainly depended on distant metastases, efforts should be made towards more effective pathological response and systemic treatment. Given the apparent advantages of SCRT, we aimed to establish a dose escalation of SCRT and sequential modified FOLFOX6 (mFOLFOX6) as preoperative therapy for LARC with objectives of achieving an optimal balance of safety, cost effectiveness and clinical outcome, and to support further investigation of this regimen in a phase II/III setting.

Methods

In this phase I study, three dose levels (6Gy×5F, 7Gy×5F, 8Gy×5F to gross tumour volume, while keeping the rest of irradiated volume at 5Gy×5) of SCRT followed by four cycles of mFOLFOX6 chemotherapy as neoadjuvant therapy will be tested by using the traditional 3+3 design. The pCR rate, R0 resection rate, sphincter preservation rate and treatment related toxicity will be assessed.

Ethics and dissemination

The study protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee of Fujian Medical University Union Hospital (No. 2017YF020-02) and all participants provided written informed consent. Results from our study will be disseminated in international peer-reviewed journals. All study procedures were developed in order to assure data protection and confidentiality.

Trial registration number

NCT03466424; Pre-results.
Haemorheological and haemostatic alterations in coeliac disease and inflammatory bowel disease in comparison with non-coeliac, non-IBD subjects (HERMES): a case–control study protocol
Authors: Szakács Zsolt , Csiszár Beáta , Kenyeres Péter , Sarlós Patrícia , Erőss Bálint , Hussain Alizadeh , Nagy Ágnes , Kőszegi Balázs , Veczák Ibolya , Farkas Nelli , Bódis Emőke , Márta Katalin , Szentesi Andrea , Tőkés-Füzesi Margit , Berki Tímea , Vincze Áron , Tóth Kálmán , Hegyi Péter , Bajor Judit
Published: March 2019

Introduction

Haemorheological and haemostatic changes predispose to the development of arterial and venous thrombotic events; however, limited information is available on the status of these changes in coeliac disease (CeD) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). In this study, we aim to describe the haemorheological and haemostatic profiles of CeD and IBD patients in a Hungarian cohort of patients to investigate whether any alterations contribute to elevated thrombotic risk.

Methods and analysis

This is a case–control study involving newly diagnosed and followed CeD and IBD patients with age-matched and sex-matched non-CeD, non-IBD subjects with an allocation ratio of 1:1:1.

After informed consent is obtained, a detailed medical history will be collected, including venous and arterial thrombotic risk factors and medications. Symptoms in CeD patients will be assessed with the Gastrointestinal Symptoms Rating Scale, and disease activity in IBD patients will be determined by disease-specific scores. Dietary adherence will be assessed among CeD patients with a thorough interview together with a measurement of self-reported adherence, dietary knowledge and urine analysis (detection of gluten immunogenic peptides). In addition to routine laboratory parameters, haemorheological (ie, erythrocyte deformability and aggregation, viscosity of whole blood and plasma) and haemostatic parameters (eg, protein C, protein S and antithrombin) with immunological indicators (ie, coeliac-specific serology and antiphospholipid antibodies) will be measured from venous blood for every participant.

Primary and secondary outcomes will be haemorheological and haemostatic parameters, respectively. Univariate and multivariate statistics will be used to compare CeD and IBD patients to control subjects. Subgroup analysis will be performed by disease type in IBD, (Crohn’s disease and ulcerose colitis), dietary adherence in CeD, and disease activity in IBD and CeD.

Ethics and dissemination

The study was approved by the Regional and Local Research Ethics Committee, University of Pécs (Ref. No. 6917). Findings will be disseminated at research conferences and in peer-reviewed journals.

Trial registration number

ISRCTN49677481.
Promoting physical activity in vulnerable adults ‘at risk’ of homelessness: a randomised controlled trial protocol
Authors: Stringer Charlotte , Loosemore Mike , Moller Eloise , Jackson Sarah E , López-Sánchez Guillermo Felipe , Firth Joseph , Johnstone James , Stubbs Brendon , Vancampfort Davy , Smith Lee
Published: March 2019

Introduction

People who are homeless, or at risk of homelessness, have substantially poorer health. Sustained and regular participation in physical activity is beneficial for both mental and physical health. Limited data suggest that levels of physical activity in the homeless and those at risk of homelessness are low, and access to community-based exercise is limited or non-existent for this population. Nonetheless, exercise programmes for the homeless could provide a feasible and scalable intervention for providing beneficial effects on physical and mental health in this population. The primary aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of a group exercise intervention on activity levels in people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness in central London, UK. The secondary aim is to evaluate the impact of the intervention on mental and physical health outcomes.

Method and analysis

A 2-arm, individually randomised controlled trial in people who are homeless and those vulnerable and at risk of homelessness in central London, UK. Participants will be recruited through a London-based homeless charity, Single Homeless Project. Following baseline assessments and allocation to intervention (exercise classes) or control (usual care), participants will be followed up at 3, 6, 9 and 12 months. The primary outcomes will be change in objective physical activity. The secondary outcomes will include change in fitness assessments and mental health parameters. Changes in drug use and alcohol dependency will also be explored.

Ethics and dissemination

Ethical approval to process and analyse data and disseminate findings was obtained through the Anglia Ruskin University Department of Sport and Exercise Sciences Research Ethics Committee. Results of this study will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications and scientific presentations.
The influence of complexity: a bibliometric analysis of complexity science in healthcare
Authors: Churruca Kate , Pomare Chiara , Ellis Louise A , Long Janet C , Braithwaite Jeffrey
Published: March 2019

Objectives

To analyse trends in the academic literature applying complexity science to healthcare, focusing specifically on bibliometric characteristics and indicators of influence.

Design

This study reports a bibliometric analysis via a systematic search of the academic literature applying complexity science to healthcare.

Method

A search of four academic databases was performed on 19 April 2018. Article details were downloaded and screened against inclusion criteria (peer-reviewed journal articles applying complexity science to healthcare). Publication and content data were then collected from included articles, with analysis focusing on trends over time in the types and topics of articles, and where they are published. We also analysed the influence of this body of work through citation and network analyses.

Results

Articles on complexity science in healthcare were published in 268 journals, though a much smaller subset was responsible for a substantial proportion of this literature. USA contributed the largest number of articles, followed by the UK, Canada and Australia. Over time, the number of empirical and review articles increased, relative to non-empirical contributions. However, in general, non-empirical literature was more influential, with a series of introductory conceptual papers being the most influential based on both overall citations and their use as index references within a citation network. The most common topics of focus were health systems and organisations generally, and education, with recent uptake in research, policy, and change and improvement.

Conclusions

This study identified changes in the types of articles on complexity science in healthcare published over time, and their content. There was evidence to suggest a shift from conceptual work to the application of concrete improvement strategies and increasingly in-depth examination of complex healthcare systems. We also identified variation in the influence of this literature at article level, and to a lesser extent by topic of focus.
Standardising practice in cardiology: reducing clinical variation and cost at Ochsner Health System
Authors: Oravetz Phil , White Christopher J , Carmouche David , Swan Nicole , Donaldson Josh , Ruhl Russel , Valdenor Czarlota , Paculdo David , Tran Mary , Peabody John
Published: March 2019

Objective

Low quality and unwarranted clinical variation harm patients and increase unnecessary costs. Effective approaches to improve clinical and economic value have been difficult. The Ochsner Health System looked to improve clinical care quality and reduce unnecessary costs in cardiology using active measurement and customised feedback.

Methods

We serially measured care decisions using online, simulated cases to capture clinical details of cardiology practice and provide individual feedback. Fifty cardiologists cared for two simulated patients in each of six assessment rounds occurring 4 months apart. Simulated patients presented with heart failure (HF), coronary artery disease (CAD), supraventricular tachyarrhythmia (SVT) or valvular heart disease. Using Ochsner’s patient-level data, we performed real-world pre–post analyses of physician practice changes, patient outcomes and costs.

Results

Between baseline and final rounds, overall simulated quality-of-care scores improved 14.1% (p<0.001). In the same period, we found cost-of-care variation decreased in patient-level data, with larger decreases for more severely ill patients. The total per-patient direct costs decreased $493 in SVT, $305 in HF and $55 in CAD (p<0.05 for SVT and HF). Readmission rates fell significantly for HF (from 20.0% to 11.9%) and SVT (from 14.5% to 7.8%) (both p<0.001) and non-significantly for CAD (from 13.7% to 11.3%, p=0.112). The cost avoidance/revenue generation opportunity from reduced readmissions and direct costs amounted to annual savings of $4.34 million, with no significant changes to in-hospital mortality rates (p>0.05).

Conclusions

Using simulated patients to serially measure and provide individual feedback on clinical practice significantly raises quality and reduces practice variation and costs without negatively impacting outcomes.
Profit maximization in reverse logistics based on disassembly scheduling using hybrid bee colony and bat optimization
Authors: Sathish T.
Published: March 2019

This work was undertaken to develop a strategy to enhance the profit in the reverse logistics of end-of-life products. In this paper, a novel strategy based on hybrid bee colony and bat optimization technique is presented to perform reverse logistics. The aim of the present paper is to maximize the profit in reverse logistic based manufacturing. The proposed optimization technique was used to schedule the disassembly of end-of-life products so that the time spent in reverse logistics was reduced. Moreover, the proposed technique increases the amount of product required during disassembly, so that the loss of component is reduced. Thus, the proposed technique can enhance the manufacturer’s profit by reducing the time and cost required for disassembly. Ultimately, the proposed technique can provide a suitable technique for multi-period disassembly in manufacturing industries.
Nonlinear Dynamics Tools for Offline Signature Verification Using One-class Gaussian Process
Authors: Shariatmadari Sima , Emadi Sima , Akbari Younes
Published: March 2019

One of the major problems in biometrics and in document forensics is the offline mode of signature verification. This study aims to present a novel approach of verifying an individual’s signature through offline images of handwriting. The approach proposed here relies on a global method which considers signature images as waveforms. First, image decompositions are in terms of a series of wavelet sub-bands at some specific levels. Wavelet sub-bands are then extended so as to obtain waveforms. Each waveform is quantized by two Nonlinear Dynamics Tools in order to generate feature vectors. Multi-Resolution Box-Counting (MRBC) fractal dimension algorithm as well as probabilistic finite state automata (PFSA) are applied separately to signature waveforms. In the training and verification phase, we propose the one-class Gaussian process (GP) priors based on writer-independent approach. As one of the main parameters, optimal decision threshold is selected from False Accept Rate (FAR) and False Reject Rate (FRR) curves. The presented system was tested on two Persian databases (PHBC and UTSig) as well as on two Latin databases (MCYT-75 and CEDAR). In fact, the results produced by this method were generally better in terms of the four signature databases than the state-of-the-art results.
Isomorphism theorems for classes of cyclically presented groups
Authors: Mohamed Esamaldeen , Williams Gerald
Published: March 2019

We consider two multi-parameter classes of cyclically presented groups, introduced by Cavicchioli, Repovš and Spaggiari, that contain many previously considered families of cyclically presented groups of interest both for their algebraic and for their topological properties. Building on results of Bardakov and Vesnin, O’Brien and the previously named authors, we prove theorems that establish isomorphisms of groups within these families.
Minimal right determiners of irreducible morphisms in tree string algebras
Authors: Wu Xiaoxing , Huang Zhaoyong
Published: March 2019

Let [Formula: see text] be a finite dimensional string algebra over a field with the quiver [Formula: see text] such that the underlying graph of [Formula: see text] is a tree, and let [Formula: see text] be the number of the minimal right determiners of all irreducible morphisms between indecomposable left [Formula: see text]-modules. Then we have [Formula: see text] where [Formula: see text] is the number of vertices in [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] is a source in [Formula: see text] with two neighbors[Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] is the number of vertices such that the associated vertex ideals are not zero.
A FRACTAL DISCRETE FRACTURE NETWORK MODEL FOR HISTORY MATCHING OF NATURALLY FRACTURED RESERVOIRS
Authors: ZHANG LIMING , CUI CHENYU , MA XIAOPENG , SUN ZHIXUE , LIU FAN , ZHANG KAI
Published: March 2019

The distribution of fractures is highly uncertain in naturally fractured reservoirs (NFRs) and may be predicted by using the assisted-history-matching (AHM) that calibrates the reservoir model according to some high-quality static data combined with dynamic production data. A general AHM approach for NFRs is to construct a discrete fracture network (DFN) model and estimate model parameters given the observations. However, the large number of fractures prediction required in the AHM process could pose a high-dimensional optimization problem. This difficulty is particularly challenging when the fractures form a complex multi-scale fracture network. We present in this paper an integrated AHM approach of NFRs to tackle these challenges. Two essential ingredients of the method are (1) a 2D fractal-DFN model constructed as the geological simulation model to describe the complex fracture network, and (2) a mixture of multi-scale parameters, built according to the fractal-DNF model, as an inversion parameter model to alleviate the high-dimensional optimization burden caused by complex fracture networks. A reservoir with a multi-scale fracture network is set up to test the performance of the proposed method. Numerical results demonstrate that by use of the proposed method, the fractures well recognized by assimilating production data.
FRACTAL CHARACTERIZATION OF SILTY BEDS/LAMINAE AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR THE PREDICTION OF SHALE OIL RESERVOIRS IN QINGSHANKOU FORMATION OF NORTHERN SONGLIAO BASIN, NORTHEAST CHINA
Authors: LIU BO , JIN LIANG , HU CAIZHI
Published: March 2019

Cretaceous Qingshankou Formation [Formula: see text] in the Songliao Basin, the largest petroliferous basin in East China, has favorable geological conditions for the shale oil reservoir. Although the first member of Qingshankou formation [Formula: see text] has the maximum value of the organic matter content (total organic carbon (TOC)) comparing with other members, most of the layers are less than 1[Formula: see text]cm. This limits the application of surface seismic survey and logging methods. To explore “sweet spots” of the shale oil and to evaluate resource potential, it is of great significance to determine the thickness and distribution of silty beds/laminae in the thick shale system. In this study, the observed data of the outcrops, cores, and thin sections of [Formula: see text] are used to analyze the characteristics of reservoir space in silty laminae. Distribution model of silty beds/laminae was established by using fractal method. The results show that the silty beds/laminae have large particle size, poor sorting, and relatively developed reservoir space. The pore sizes in silty laminae vary greatly, and the diameters are mostly larger than 50[Formula: see text]nm. The connectivity between pores is good. Although the thickness of single silty bed/laminae mostly ranges from 1[Formula: see text]mm to 6[Formula: see text]mm, the average layers per meter (layers/m) of silty bed/laminae range from 2 to 64. This contributes the cumulative thickness 2.73–31.79% of the total thickness of the whole shale reservoir. According to the fractal analysis, the silty beds/laminae have the uniform fractal characteristics in the decimeter, centimeter, and millimeter levels. And the fractal dimension keeps the scale invariance. The layers and thickness of the thin silty laminae, calculated from Number–Size (NS) fractal model, are in good agreement with observations. This indicates that the fractal-based NS model is an effective method to estimate the parameters of the silty laminae, such as layer number, cumulative thickness, and the ratio of sand to formation. This method provides a reliable reference for the “sweet spot” exploration.
Partnership’s Profit Sharing: Linear and Nonlinear Contracts
Authors: Gerchak Yigal , Khmelnitsky Eugene
Published: March 2019

Suppose that one party proposes to another a contract for sharing an uncertain profit which maximizes the former’s expected utility, with respect to its beliefs, subject to a constraint on the latter’s expected utility, with respect to the latter’s beliefs. It turns out that the optimal contract, which we find, can be nonmonotone, as well as nonlinear, in the realized profit. To avoid the implausible lack of monotonicity, we formulate and solve a model constrained to have monotone increasing profits for both partners. If beliefs are identical, the (unconstrained) contract is shown to be monotone, and under certain conditions, linear. That might explain one famous contract from the history of jazz. If the other party can be assumed risk neutral, the linear contract reduces to the former receiving a constant amount, and the latter the residual net profit, as in the case of another famous contract from the history of jazz. Since in the type of partnerships, we have in mind the partners are always motivated to exert high effort due to other factors like reputation, our setting has no moral hazard or adverse selection, and the partnerships do not involve a large initial investment.
Variations on the theme of the uniform boundary condition
Authors: Fauser Daniel , Löh Clara
Published: March 2019

The uniform boundary condition (UBC) in a normed chain complex asks for a uniform linear bound on fillings of null-homologous cycles. For the [Formula: see text]-norm on the singular chain complex, Matsumoto and Morita established a characterization of the UBC in terms of bounded cohomology. In particular, spaces with amenable fundamental group satisfy the UBC in every degree. We will give an alternative proof of statements of this type, using geometric Følner arguments on the chain level instead of passing to the dual cochain complex. These geometric methods have the advantage that they also lead to integral refinements. In particular, we obtain applications in the context of integral foliated simplicial volume.
A note on skew constacyclic codes over 𝔽q + u𝔽q + v𝔽q
Authors: Islam Habibul , Prakash Om
Published: March 2019

In this paper, the skew constacyclic codes over finite non-chain ring [Formula: see text], where [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] is an odd prime and [Formula: see text], are studied. We show that the Gray image of a skew [Formula: see text]-constacyclic code of length [Formula: see text] over [Formula: see text] is a skew quasi-twisted code of length [Formula: see text] over [Formula: see text] of index 3. Further, the structural properties of skew constacyclic codes over [Formula: see text] are obtained by the decomposition method.
Drop-In Tests of R-404A Alternative Refrigerants R-455A and R-454C in a Small Ice Maker
Authors: Lee Byungmoo , Kim Nae-Hyun
Published: March 2019

R-404A, which had long been used as the refrigerant of a unitary ice maker, has to be replaced due to global warming. In the present study, drop-in tests were conducted for long-term alternative refrigerants R-455A and R-454C on the ice maker of 100[Formula: see text]kg/day capacity. Five samples were made having different combinations of refrigerant, condenser and compressor. Tests were conducted changing the outdoor and the supply water temperature. At the standard outdoor condition (21∘C, 65 RH and 10∘C water temperature), change of refrigerant from R-404A to R-455A for the same ice maker extended the ice ball formation time by 13% and reduced the amount of ice production per day by 6%. Larger vapor density and smaller temperature glide of R-404A may have resulted in a better performance. Furthermore, adoption of a larger (from 1/3 HP to 3/8 HP) compressor reduced the ice ball formation time by 12% and increased the amount of ice production per day by 8%. In addition, change of the fin-tube condenser to the microchannel condenser reduced the ice ball formation time by 9% and increased the amount of ice production per day by 4%. The refrigerant charge was also significantly reduced from 440[Formula: see text]g to 316[Formula: see text]g. Thermal performance of R-454C was poorer than that of R-455A. Replacement to R-454C increased the ice ball formation time by 14% and decreased the amount of ice production per day by 8%. The reason may be attributed to a larger pressure lift, which leads to smaller refrigerant mass flow rate. Ice production was possible even at the harsh environment (35∘C, 65 RH and 21∘C water temperature), although the production amount decreased.
Applications of CRISPR Technologies Across the Food Supply Chain
Authors: Brandt Katelyn , Barrangou Rodolphe
Published: March 2019

The food industry faces a 2050 deadline for the advancement and expansion of the food supply chain to support the world's growing population. Improvements are needed across crops, livestock, and microbes to achieve this goal. Since 2005, researchers have been attempting to make the necessary strides to reach this milestone, but attempts have fallen short. With the introduction of clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPRs) and CRISPR-associated (Cas) proteins, the food production field is now able to achieve some of its most exciting advancements since the Green Revolution. This review introduces the concept of applying CRISPR-Cas technology as a genome-editing tool for use in the food supply chain, focusing on its implementation to date in crop, livestock, and microbe production, advancement of products to market, and regulatory and societal hurdles that need to be overcome.
The Roles of Food Processing in Translation of Dietary Guidance for Whole Grains, Fruits, and Vegetables
Authors: Li Min , Ho Kacie K.H.Y. , Hayes Micaela , Ferruzzi Mario G.
Published: March 2019

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) recommend the consumption of whole grains, fruits, and vegetables as part of a healthy diet. However, current consumption patterns suggest that most Americans are not meeting these recommendations. The challenge remains to align the DGA guidance with the food environment and consumers’ expectations for product quality, availability, and affordability. Currently, processed foods play an increasingly important role in American diets. Often characterized as unhealthy, processed foods are contributors to both food and nutritional security. When the alignment of processing strategies with DGA principles exists, achieving DGA goals is more likely, regardless of processing level. In this review, select processing strategies for whole grains, fruits, and vegetables are described to show how DGA principles can guide processing efforts to create healthier products. Although whole grains, supported by industry-wide innovation and guidance, have had some success with consumers, improving intake of fruit and vegetable products remains a challenge. Closing consumption gaps requires new innovations and products aligned with consumer preferences and DGA principles.
Development of solitary chemosensory cells in the distal lung after severe influenza injury
Authors: Rane Chetan K. , Jackson Sergio R. , Pastore Christopher F. , Zhao Gan , Weiner Aaron I. , Patel Neil N. , Herbert De’Broski R. , Cohen Noam A. , Vaughan Andrew E.
Published: March 2019

H1N1 influenza virus infection induces dramatic and permanent alveolar remodeling mediated by p63+ progenitor cell expansion in both mice and some patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome. This persistent lung epithelial dysplasia is accompanied by chronic inflammation, but the driver(s) of this pathology are unknown. This work identified de novo appearance of solitary chemosensory cells (SCCs), as defined by the tuft cell marker doublecortin-like kinase 1, in post-influenza lungs, arising in close proximity with the dysplastic epithelium, whereas uninjured lungs are devoid of SCCs. Interestingly, fate mapping demonstrated that these cells are derived from p63-expressing lineage-negative progenitors, the same cell of origin as the dysplastic epithelium. Direct activation of SCCs with denatonium + succinate increased plasma extravasation specifically in post-influenza virus-injured lungs. Thus we demonstrate the previously unrecognized development and activity of SCCs in the lung following influenza virus infection, implicating SCCs as a central feature of dysplastic remodeling.
Tissue kallikrein regulates alveolar macrophage apoptosis early in influenza virus infection
Authors: Magnen Melia , Gueugnon Fabien , Petit-Courty Agnès , Baranek Thomas , Sizaret Damien , Brewah Yambasu A. , Humbles Alison A. , Si-Tahar Mustapha , Courty Yves
Published: March 2019

Host cell proteases are involved in influenza pathogenesis. We examined the role of tissue kallikrein 1 (KLK1) by comparing wild-type (WT) and KLK1-deficient mice infected with influenza H3N2 virus. The levels of KLK1 in lung tissue and in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid increased substantially during infection. KLK1 did not promote virus infectivity despite its trypsin-like activity, but it did decrease the initial virus load. We examined two cell types involved in the early control of pathogen infections, alveolar macrophages (AMs) and natural killer (NK) cells to learn more about the antiviral action of KLK1. Inactivating the Klk1 gene or treating WT mice with an anti-KLK1 monoclonal antibody to remove KLK1 activity accelerated the initial virus-induced apoptotic depletion of AMs. Intranasal instillation of deficient mice with recombinant KLK1 (rKLK1) reversed the phenotype. The levels of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor in infected BAL fluid were significantly lower in KLK1-deficient mice than in WT mice. Treating lung epithelial cells with rKLK1 increased secretion of this factor known to enhance AM resistance to pathogen-induced apoptosis. The recruitment of NK cells to the air spaces peaked 3 days after infection in WT mice but not in KLK1-deficient mice, as did increases in several NK-attracting chemokines (CCL2, CCL3, CCL5, and CXCL10) in BAL. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients are highly susceptible to viral infection, and we observed that the KLK1 mRNA levels decreased with increasing COPD severity. Our findings indicate that KLK1 intervenes early in the antiviral defense modulating the severity of influenza infection. Decreased KLK1 expression in COPD patients could contribute to the worsening of influenza.
Cutaneous Polyarteritis Nodosa Presenting Atypically with Severe Pharyngeal Ulceration
Authors: Olabi Bayanne , Mason Justin C. , Farah Ziad
Published: March 2019

Polyarteritis nodosa (PAN) is a multisystem, necrotising vasculitis of small- and medium-sized arteries with a predilection for the visceral vessels. Cutaneous PAN is a rare variant with symptomatic vasculitis limited to the skin, typically presenting as nodular lesions on the extremities with a propensity to ulcerate. We describe a rare case of histologically confirmed cutaneous PAN presenting in a 55-year-old Ghanaian woman with severe oropharyngeal ulceration. This was associated with dysphagia and significant weight loss. Oesophagoduodenoscopy showed that the ulceration extended throughout the oropharynx. Systemic polyarteritis nodosa was ruled out with magnetic resonance angiography. Our patient was treated successfully with corticosteroids and methotrexate. This case suggests that cutaneous PAN should be considered in the differential diagnosis of patients with oropharyngeal ulceration and that histological assessment is pivotal in establishing the diagnosis early in order to instigate appropriate therapy.
A Facile Synthesis, Characterization, and Photocatalytic Activity of Magnesium Ferrite Nanoparticles via the Solution Combustion Method
Authors: Nguyen Loan T. T. , Nguyen Lan T. H. , Manh Nhuong Chu , Quoc Dung Nguyen , Quang Hai Nguyen , Nguyen Hang T. T. , Nguyen Duy Chinh , Bach Long Giang
Published: March 2019

In this study, we adopted the solution combustion method to synthesize magnesium ferrite (MgFe2O4) using urea as the fuel. Various techniques including TGA, XRD, SEM, TEM, FTIR, UV-Vis DRS, and EDS were employed to characterize the synthesized MgFe2O4 nanoparticles. The XRD analysis revealed that single-phase MgFe2O4 was formed at a calcination temperature of at 500–600°C for 3 hours in the absence of an intermediate phase. TEM analysis also revealed the formation of monodisperse magnesium ferrite nanoparticles, averaged at 30 nm in size. The photocatalytic activity of the synthesized MgFe2O4 nanoparticles against methylene blue dye under visible light was investigated, showing the efficiency of 89.73% after 240 minutes of light irradiation with the presence of H2O2.
An Enhanced Reliability Index Method and Its Application in Reliability‐Based Collaborative Design and Optimization
Authors: Meng Debiao , Li Yan , Zhu Shun-Peng , Lv Gang , Correia José , de Jesus Abílio
Published: March 2019

When designing complex mechanical equipment, uncertainties should be considered to enhance the reliability of performance. The Reliability Index Method (RIM) is a powerful tool which has been widely utilized in engineering design under uncertainties. To reduce computational cost in RIM, first or second order Taylor approximation is introduced to convert nonlinear probability constraint to the equivalent linear constraint during optimization process. Generally, this approximation process is performed at Most Probable Point (MPP) to reduce the loss of reliability analysis accuracy. However, it is difficult for the original RIM to be utilized in the situation that MPP is collinear and RIM has the same direction with the gradient of performance function at MPP. To tackle the above challenges, an Enhanced RIM (ERIM) is proposed in this study. The Collaborative Optimization (CO) strategy is combined with ERIM. The formula of CO using ERIM is given to solve reliability‐based multidisciplinary design and optimization problems. A design problem of the speed reducer is utilized in this study to show the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Impact of Mask Type on the Effectiveness of and Adherence to Unattended Home-Based CPAP Titration
Authors: Blanco Magalí , Ernst Glenda , Salvado Alejandro , Borsini Eduardo
Published: March 2019

Objectives. To compare interfaces performance during home-based automatic titration (APAP).Methods. Retrospective study based on APAP titration from Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome (OSA) patients.Results. 707 patients, 513 men (70.6%), were titrated. Masks were 104 pillows (14.7%), group I (GI); 532 nasal (75.2%), group II (GII); and 71 oronasal masks (10%), group III (GIII). We found differences in effective pressure to the device (P90/P95) (GI: 7.13±1.9 vs. GII: 8.3±2.1 vs. GIII: 9.3±2.6 cmH2O, p <0.001) but not in final pressure titrated manually (GI: 7.9±1.4 vs. GII: 8.6±1.6 vs. GIII: 9.2±1.9 cm of H2O, p >0.5), where lower residual AHI for pillows was p <0.001 and leaks for nasal were p <0.001. No differences were found in compliance (hours) (GI: 6.3±1.2 vs. GII: 6.2±1.1 vs. GIII: 6.1±1.0, p <0.4).Conclusion. During auto-adjusting titration by CPAP-naïve patients, nasal masks had lower leak rates and nasal pillows presented a similar performance.
Routing and Clustering of Sensor Nodes in the Honeycomb Architecture
Authors: Rais Amine , Bouragba Khalid , Ouzzif Mohammed
Published: March 2019

Energy is the most valuable resource in wireless sensor networks; this resource is limited and much in demand during routing and communication between sensor nodes. Hierarchy structuring of the network into clusters allows reducing the energy consumption by using small distance transmissions within clusters in a multihop manner. In this article, we choose to use a hybrid routing protocol named Efficient Honeycomb Clustering Algorithm (EHCA), which is at the same time hierarchical and geographical protocol by using honeycomb clustering. This kind of clustering guarantees the balancing of the energy consumption through changing in each round the location of the cluster head, which is in a given vertex of the honeycomb cluster. The combination of geographical and hierarchical routing with the use of honeycomb clustering has proved its efficiency; the performances of our protocol outperform the existing protocols in terms of the number of nodes alive, the latency of data delivery, and the percentage of successful data delivery to the sinks. The simulations testify the superiority of our protocol against the existing geographical and hierarchical protocols.
A Case of Monochorionic-Triamniotic Triplet Pregnancy with TRAP Sequence Successfully Treated with Radiofrequency Ablation with a Parallel Circuit Consisting of Anastomosed Blood Vessels between the Direct Pump Fetus and the Indirect Pump Fetus
Authors: Kobori Shusaku , Toshimitsu Masatake , Nagaoka Shinichi , Murotsuki Jun
Published: March 2019

Monochorionic-triamniotic triplet pregnancy with twin reversed arterial perfusion (TRAP) sequence is one of the rare complications of multiple pregnancy and has been reported by only a few. Here, we report a case of monochorionic-triamniotic triplet pregnancy with TRAP sequence successfully treated with radiofrequency ablation, which did not develop polyhydramnios and heart failure although the estimated weight of the acardiac fetus increased twice as much as that of the direct pump fetus. Interestingly, the anastomosed blood vessels between the direct and indirect pump fetuses comprised a parallel circuit, which provided blood flow to the acardiac fetus. We hypothesized that the burden on the pump fetus in monochorionic pregnancy with TRAP sequence would be different between triplet and twin pregnancies.
Numerical Simulation of Shale Gas Multiscale Seepage Mechanism-Coupled Stress Sensitivity
Authors: Yan Xun , Sun Jing , Liu Dehua
Published: March 2019

The complexity of the gas transport mechanism in microfractures and nanopores is caused by the feature of multiscale and multiphysics. Figuring out the flow mechanism is of great significance for the efficient development of shale gas. In this paper, an apparent permeability model which covers continue, slip, transition, and molecular flow and geomechanical effect was presented. Additionally, a mathematical model comprising multiscale, geomechanics, and adsorption phenomenon was proposed to characterize gas flow in the shale reservoir. The aim of this paper is to investigate some important impacts in the process of gas transportation, which includes the shale stress sensitivity, adsorption phenomenon, and reservoir porosity. The results reveal that the performance of the multistage fractured horizontal well is strongly influenced by stress sensitivity coefficient. The cumulative gas production will decrease sharply when the shale gas reservoir stress sensitivity coefficient increases. In addition, the adsorption phenomenon has an influence on shale gas seepage and sorption capacity; however, the effect of adsorption is very weak in the early gas transport period, and the impact of later will increase. Moreover, shale porosity also greatly affects the shale gas transportation.
Solution Plasma-Assisted Green Synthesis of MnO2Adsorbent and Removal of Cationic Pollutant
Authors: Kim Hye-min , Saito Nagahiro , Kim Dae-wook
Published: March 2019

In this study, we proposed the solution plasma- (SP-) assisted green synthesis method using plants extracts, i.e., glucose, with the expectation of acting as a reducing agent and promotor for the formation of powder state of nanostructured MnO2. MnO2was simply and rapidly synthesized within 10 min by the SP-assisted method. The structural features and morphology of as-synthesized MnO2were characterized by XRD, Raman, FE-SEM, and TEM analyses. For potential application of as-synthesized MnO2, cationic dye, i.e., methylene blue (MB), removal performance was investigated by batch experiment at an initial concentration ofC0 = 100 mg L−1. The obtained MnO2exhibited effective dye removal ability given highC0, and simultaneously applied plasma discharging further enhanced removal efficiency. These contributions therefore open a new window not only on a powerful and environmentally benign synthesis route for efficient adsorbents but also on supporting multiple removal mechanism.