bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Live born recipient of twin–twin transfusion syndrome with anomalous mitral arcade
Authors: Ødegård Siv Steinsmo , Kahrs Birgitte , Lang Astri Maria , Nyrnes Siri Ann
Published: May 2019

We present a case report of anomalous mitral arcade in a live born former recipient of twin–twin transfusion syndrome. At 33+0 week of gestation fetal ultrasound demonstrated that she had a large mitral insufficiency, decreased movement of the lateral cusp of the mitral valve and dilated left atrium. The twins were delivered by caesarean section at week 33+1 due to fetal distress. The former recipient twin developed decompensated heart failure during her first day of life and was transferred to a surgical paediatric heart centre. Her clinical condition rapidly deteriorated, and she died of congestive heart failure 3 days old. Prenatal signs of anomalous mitral arcade in a recipient of twin–twin transfusion syndrome should warrant preparation of a critically ill neonate, including parental counselling and in utero transfer to surgical paediatric heart centre. There is a surgical treatment option available for neonates, but the experience with this technique is still very limited with a high risk of morbidity and mortality.
Estimates of all cause mortality and cause specific mortality associated with proton pump inhibitors among US veterans: cohort study
Authors: Xie Yan , Bowe Benjamin , Yan Yan , Xian Hong , Li Tingting , Al-Aly Ziyad
Published: May 2019

Objective

To estimate all cause mortality and cause specific mortality among patients taking proton pump inhibitors (PPIs).

Design

Longitudinal observational cohort study.

Setting

US Department of Veterans Affairs.

Participants

New users of PPIs (n=157 625) or H2 blockers (n=56 842).

Main outcome measures

All cause mortality and cause specific mortality associated with taking PPIs (values reported as number of attributable deaths per 1000 patients taking PPIs).

Results

There were 45.20 excess deaths (95% confidence interval 28.20 to 61.40) per 1000 patients taking PPIs. Circulatory system diseases (number of attributable deaths per 1000 patients taking PPIs 17.47, 95% confidence interval 5.47 to 28.80), neoplasms (12.94, 1.24 to 24.28), infectious and parasitic diseases (4.20, 1.57 to 7.02), and genitourinary system diseases (6.25, 3.22 to 9.24) were associated with taking PPIs. There was a graded relation between cumulative duration of PPI exposure and the risk of all cause mortality and death due to circulatory system diseases, neoplasms, and genitourinary system diseases. Analyses of subcauses of death suggested that taking PPIs was associated with an excess mortality due to cardiovascular disease (15.48, 5.02 to 25.19) and chronic kidney disease (4.19, 1.56 to 6.58). Among patients without documented indication for acid suppression drugs (n=116 377), taking PPIs was associated with an excess mortality due to cardiovascular disease (22.91, 11.89 to 33.57), chronic kidney disease (4.74, 1.53 to 8.05), and upper gastrointestinal cancer (3.12, 0.91 to 5.44). Formal interaction analyses suggested that the risk of death due to these subcauses was not modified by a history of cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, or upper gastrointestinal cancer. Taking PPIs was not associated with an excess burden of transportation related mortality and death due to peptic ulcer disease (as negative outcome controls).

Conclusions

Taking PPIs is associated with a small excess of cause specific mortality including death due to cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, and upper gastrointestinal cancer. The burden was also observed in patients without an indication for PPI use. Heightened vigilance in the use of PPI may be warranted.
Coeliac disease: no difference in milk and dairy products consumption in comparison with controls
Authors: Zingone Fabiana , Iovino Paola , Bucci Cristina , Ciacci Carolina
Published: May 2019

Background

Nutritional deficiencies are common in patients with coeliac disease and they can cause osteopenia among other associated diseases. Reduced consumption of milk and dairy products may play a major role in determining low bone mass in patients with coeliac disease.

Aim

We aimed to investigate milk and dairy products consumption in patients with coeliac disease compared with the general population.

Methods

We examined the average consumption of milk and dairy products and the reasons for not consuming them. An online survey was sent by email to patients with coeliac disease on a gluten-free diet and aged 18–75. Matched controls were selected among volunteers who responded to the survey posted on the public access sites. Differences in frequencies and means between the two groups were calculated using the χ2test and t-test, respectively. All tests were two-tailed with a significance level set at p<0.05.

Results

176 patients with coeliac disease and 528 controls participated in the study. We found that 22.2% of the patients with coeliac disease and 19.9% of controls did not drink fluid milk on a regular basis; lactose-free milk was preferred by 20.4% of the patients with coeliac disease and by 19% of controls (p=0.69). Only a minority of patients with coeliac disease contacted a doctor before having lactose-free milk, despite this being led by the presence of gastrointestinal symptoms. More patients with coeliac disease than the general population reported a breath test before avoiding milk and dairy products.

Conclusions

There is no significant difference between patients with coeliac disease and controls in regular milk consumption. Follow-up visits for patients with coeliac disease could avoid unnecessary dietary restrictions.
Parity and the use of folic acid supplementation during pregnancy
Authors: Sharman Moser Sarah , Rabinovitch Maayan , Rotem Ran , Koren Gideon , Shalev Varda , Chodick Gabriel
Published: May 2019

Objective

Folic acid (FA) supplementation has long been recommended before and during pregnancy to reduce the risk of neural tube defects. Factors influencing adherence to FA supplementation have been extensively evaluated, but little is known on the effect of parity. This study comes to examine the association between parity and maternal use of FA prior to and during pregnancy.

Methods

In this retrospective population-based study, we identified mothers (N=228 555) of all children (N=578 204) born between the years 2000 and 2016 among members of a large health provider in Israel. Data on FA supplementation purchases were obtained from centralised medical databases.

Results

The median (IQR) total dose of FA purchased 12 months prior to child birth among previously nulliparous women (120 mg, 48–240) was significantly (p<0.001) higher than the dose purchased by women with one (90 mg (39–202)) and two prior births (84 mg (36–182)). The dose was even lower in women for three or more prior births (75 mg (36–165)). Despite the overall increasing secular trend in FA purchases during the study period, the negative relationship with parity remained.

Conclusions

Adherence to FA supplementation is negatively associated with parity. Women with increasing parity may be at higher risk for pregnancy complications associated with low FA levels. The results of this study may inform the design of interventions to specifically increase adherence to FA supplementations among multiparous women.
Seeking culturally safe care: a qualitative systematic review of the healthcare experiences of women and girls who have undergone female genital mutilation/cutting
Authors: Evans Catrin , Tweheyo Ritah , McGarry Julie , Eldridge Jeanette , Albert Juliet , Nkoyo Valentine , Higginbottom Gina Marie Awoko
Published: May 2019

Objective

To explore the experiences of accessing and receiving healthcare related to female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) across the life course from the perspective of women and girls who have undergone FGM/C.

Design

A systematic review of qualitative research studies using a thematic synthesis approach.

Methods

Inclusion criteria were qualitative studies (including grey literature) of any design, from Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries, of any date and any language. Sixteen electronic databases were searched from inception to December 2017, supplemented by reference list searching. Papers were screened, selected and quality-appraised by two reviewers using established tools from the Joanna Briggs Institute. NVivo software was used to extract study characteristics and code study findings. An inductive thematic synthesis approach was undertaken to identify descriptive themes and interpret these into higher order analytical constructs. Confidence in the review findings was assessed using Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations-Confidence in Evidence from Reviews of Qualitative Research (GRADE-CERQual).

Results

Fifty-seven papers (from 55 distinct studies) from 14 different OECD countries were included (50% published within the last 8 years). One-third of studies focused exclusively on maternity care experiences, whereas others covered a range of foci. No studies reported explicitly on girls’ experiences or on experiences of health service-led safeguarding interventions. Only three studies addressed psychological care. The synthesis developed 17 descriptive themes, organised into 5 analytical constructs. These related to communication, access to care, experiences of cultural dissonance/integrity, disempowering care experiences and positive care encounters. The themes illuminate significant challenges to obtaining timely and holistic care (especially for deinfibulation), and highlight different ways in which women may experience care as disrespectful, unsafe and disempowering. Key elements of ‘culturally safe care’ are identified.

Conclusions

This review has highlighted key knowledge gaps, especially around (1) girls’/unmarried women’s experiences and (2) the impact of recent safeguarding interventions. There is an ongoing need for community engagement, service development and staff training.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD420150300012015.
Systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical significance of autoantibodies for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
Authors: Kamiya Hiroyuki , Panlaqui Ogee Mer
Published: May 2019

Objective

To clarify clinical significance of the sole presence of autoantibodies for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) without any other symptoms or signs suggestive of autoimmune disease.

Design

Systematic review and meta-analysis

Data sources

Medline, EMBASE, Science Citation Index Expanded and Google Scholar were searched from 1 January 2002 through 12 February 2019.

Eligibility criteria for selecting studies

Primary studies addressing all-cause mortality and the development of a defined autoimmune disease for IPF with autoantibodies were included for the review.

Data extraction and synthesis

Two reviewers extracted relevant data and assessed risk of bias independently. Meta-analysis was conducted using a random-effects model if three or more studies reported the same outcome for a certain autoantibody. The quality of evidence was assessed by the Grades of Recommendation, Assessment, Development and Evaluation system.

Results

Out of 4603 records retrieved nine studies were included in this review. All studies contained some risk of bias. Based on pooled data myeloperoxidase antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (MPO-ANCA) was significantly associated with microscopic polyangiitis incidence with risk ratio (RR) of 20.2 (95% CI: 7.22 to 56.4) and antinuclear antibody (ANA) was also significantly associated with the development of connective tissue diseases with RR of 7.11 (p=0.001) (10 cases in 157 patients with ANA) in one study. However, there was no significant association of autoantibodies with all-cause mortality aside from MPO-ANCA and proteinase 3-ANCA in one study each. MPO-ANCA was not demonstrated to be associated with all-cause mortality by meta-analysis. The quality of evidence was deemed as either low or very low.

Conclusions

The presence of autoantibodies such as MPO-ANCA and ANA was demonstrated to be associated with the development of some autoimmune diseases for patients with IPF although there was no difference of all-cause mortality. However, the results should be interpreted with caution due to low evidence level.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42017077336.
Mixed-methods feasibility study of blood pressure self-screening for hypertension detection
Authors: Tompson Alice , Fleming Susannah , Lee Mei-Man , Monahan Mark , Jowett Sue , McCartney David , Greenfield Sheila , Heneghan Carl , Ward Alison , Hobbs Richard , McManus Richard J
Published: May 2019

Objective

To assess the feasibility of using a blood pressure (BP) self-measurement kiosk—a solid-cuff sphygmomanometer combined with technology to integrate the BP readings into patient electronic medical records— to improve hypertension detection.

Design

A concurrent mixed-methods feasibility study incorporating observational and qualitative interview components.

Setting

Two English general practitioner (GP) surgeries.

Participants

Adult patients registered at participating surgeries. Staff working at these sites.

Interventions

BP self-measurement kiosks were placed in the waiting rooms for a 12-month period between 2015 and 2016 and compared with a 12-month control period prior to installation.

Outcome measures

(1) The number of patients using the kiosk and agreeing to transfer of their data into their electronic medical records; (2) the cost of using a kiosk compared with GP/practice nurse BP screening; (3) qualitative themes regarding use of the equipment.

Results

Out of 15 624 eligible patients, only 186 (1.2%, 95% CI 1.0% to 1.4%) successfully used the kiosk to directly transfer a BP reading into their medical record. For a considerable portion of the intervention period, no readings were transferred, possibly indicating technical problems with the transfer link. A comparison of costs suggests that at least 52.6% of eligible patients would need to self-screen in order to bring costs below that of screening by GPs and practice nurses. Qualitative interviews confirmed that both patients and staff experienced technical difficulties, and used alternative methods to enter BP results into the medical record.

Conclusions

While interviewees were generally positive about checking BP in the waiting room, the electronic transfer system as tested was neither robust, effective nor likely to be a cost-effective approach, thus may not be appropriate for a primary care environment. Since most of the cost of a kiosk system lies in the transfer mechanism, a solid-cuff sphygmomanometer and manual entry of results may be a suitable alternative.
High prevalence of hyperuricaemia and its impact on non-valvular atrial fibrillation: the cross-sectional Guangzhou (China) Heart Study
Authors: Lin Wei-dong , Deng Hai , Guo Pi , Liu Fang-zhou , Chen Ru-yin , Fang Xian-hong , Zhan Xian-zhang , Liao Hong-tao , Huang Wen-xiang , Liu Yang , Wang Feng , Zheng Mu-rui , Liu Hua-zhang , Huang Jun , Wei Wei , Xue Yu-mei , Wu Shu-lin
Published: May 2019

Objectives

There are country and regional variations in the prevalence of hyperuricaemia (HUA). The prevalence of HUA and non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) in southern China is unknown.

Design

A cross-sectional study.

Setting and participants

A total of 11 488 permanent residents aged 35 or older from urban and rural areas of Guangzhou, China were enrolled. A questionnaire was used to compile each participant’s demographic information and relevant epidemiological factors for HUA and NVAF. All participants were assessed using a panel of blood tests and single-lead 24-hour ECG.

Main outcome measures

HUA was defined as serum uric acid level >420 μmol/L in men and >360 μmol/L in women. NVAF was diagnosed as per guidelines.

Results

The prevalence of HUA was 39.6% (44.8% in men and 36.7% in women), and 144 residents (1.25%) had NVAF. Prevalence of HUA increased with age in women but remained stably high in men. After adjusting for potential confounders, age, living in urban areas, alcohol consumption, central obesity, elevated fasting plasma glucose level, elevated blood pressure, lower high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level and elevated triglycerides level were associated with increased risk of HUA. Residents with HUA were at higher risk for NVAF. Serum uric acid level had a modest predictive value for NVAF in women but not men.

Conclusions

HUA was highly prevalent among citizens of southern China and was a predictor of NVAF among women.
Geographical variation in musculoskeletal surgical care in public hospitals in Ireland: a repeated cross-sectional study
Authors: Walsh Mary E , Boland Fiona , O’Byrne John M , Fahey Tom
Published: May 2019

Objective

To examine the extent of geographical variation across musculoskeletal surgical procedures and associated factors in Ireland.

Design

Repeated cross-sectional study.

Setting

36 public hospitals in Ireland.

Participants

Adult admissions for hip fracture, hip and knee replacement, knee arthroscopy and lumbar spine interventions over 5 years (2012–2016).

Primary outcome measure

Standardised discharge rate (SDR).

Analysis

Age and sex SDRs were calculated for 21 geographical areas. Extremal quotients, coefficients of variation and systematic components of variance were calculated. Linear regression analyses were conducted exploring the relationship between SDRs and year, unemployment, % urban population, number of referral hospitals, % on waiting lists>6 months and % with private health insurance for each procedure.

Results

Across 36 public hospitals, n=102 756 admissions were included. Hip fracture repair showed very low variation. Elective hip and knee procedures showed high variation in particular years, while variation for lumbar interventions was very high. Knee arthroscopy rates decreased over time. Higher unemployment was associated with knee and hip replacement rates and urban areas had lower hip replacement rates. Spinal procedure rates were associated with a lower number of referral hospitals in a region and spinal injection rates were associated with shorter waiting lists. A higher proportion of patients having private health insurance was associated with higher rates of hip and knee replacement and lumbar spinal procedures.

Conclusions

Variation and factors associated with SDRs for publicly funded hip and knee procedures are consistent with similar international research in this field. Further research should explore reasons for high rates of spinal injections and the impact of private practice on musculoskeletal procedure variation.
Reducing two-unit red cell transfusions on the oncology ward: a choosing wisely initiative
Authors: Gob Alan , Bhalla Anurag , Aseltine Laura , Chin-Yee Ian
Published: May 2019

Background/context

Despite Choosing Wisely recommendations for single unit red blood cell transfusion orders, ~50% of orders on the oncology ward at London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) were for two units. The oncology ward at LHSC is a 60 bed tertiary care unit. In mid 2016, LHSC was 18 months into its implementation of computerised provider order entry (CPOE).

Aim/objectives

By December 2017, increase the proportion of one-unit red cell transfusion orders on the oncology ward from 50% to 80%

Measures

Outcome: % one-unit red cell transfusion orders (aggregated monthly).

Improvement/innovation/change ideas

Our initial theory was that unawareness of the guidelines (established in 2014) and subscription to the obsolete doctrine of two-unit transfusions were the primary behavioural drivers. Initial change ideas included an educational/awareness blitz including rounds presentations, memos and posters. Failure led us to revisit our hypothesis and carry out a real-time audit, where our team was notified on each two-unit transfusion. This revealed the true root cause: the overwhelming majority of two-unit transfusions could be traced back to standing orders that were entered on an admission order set. After provider engagement, we proceeded to remove all admission order sets containing two-unit transfusions.

Impact/lessons learned/results

After order set removal, our one-unit transfusion rate rose to 86% and was sustained for 17 months. We learnt two primary lessons. First that CPOE and poor order set design combined to perpetuate poor ordering practices. Second that revisiting our hypothesis and engaging in thoughtful root cause analysis that included direct observation ultimately led to an effective, sustainable solution.

Discussion/spread

Our study underscores the importance of executing root cause analysis on a microsystem level. We would expect the factors driving poor performance to be completely different on a service such as general internal medicine. Our study also highlights the potential pitfalls of CPOE and the importance of regular order set review to ensure adherence to current evidence.
Impact of ‘two-week wait’ referral pathway on the diagnosis, treatment and survival in upper and lower gastrointestinal cancers
Authors: Fallon Matthew , Adil Md Tanveer , Ahmed Kasim , Whitelaw Douglas , Rashid Farhan , Jambulingam Periyathambi
Published: May 2019

Background

The ‘two-week wait’(2WW) referral pathway was introduced in the United Kingdom to reduce waiting times for treatment of cancer. There has been a debate regarding the efficacy of 2WW pathway since its implementation.

Methods

A singleinstitutional analysis of upper gastrointestinal(UGI) and lower gastrointestinal(LGI) malignancies treated between 1April 2015 and 31March 2017 was undertaken to analyse the impact of 2WWreferral pathway on the diagnosis, treatment and survival.

Results

2WW referral does not achieve an earlier diagnosis compared with non-2WW routes of referral in UGI (χ2(3)=2.6, p=0.458) and LGI (χ2(3)=0.884, p=0.829) malignancies. 2WW referral does not lead to an improvement in curative treatment in UGI (OR1.48, 95%CI0.68to3.21, p=0.321) and LGI (OR1.59, 95%CI0.97to2.62, p=0.067) malignancies. No improvement in survival is seen in UGI (HR0.99, 95%CI0.56to1.75, p=0.963) and LGI (HR1.10, 95%CI0.60to1.99, p=0.764) malignancies by virtue of 2WW referral. Emergency presentation is the most common presenting route in UGI malignancy(40%) and is associated with poor survival (HR0.55, 95%CI0.30to0.97, p=0.045).Non-emergency route of presentation is associated with higher rates of curative treatment in UGI malignancies (OR3.49, 95%CI1.57to7.76, p=0.002). Lower rate of curative treatment (OR 0.27, 95%CI0.16to0.43, p<0.001) and poor survival (HR0.44, 95%CI0.26to0.76, p=0.003) is also observed in emergency presentation of LGI malignancy(29%) which is the secondmost common route of presentation in this group.

Conclusion

2WW referral does not achieve early diagnosis nor does it lead to an improvement in the rate of curative treatment in UGI and LGI malignancies. No improvement in short-term survival is seen in UGI malignancies nor in LGI malignancies on multivariate analysis by virtue of 2WW referral.
Platypnoea–orthodeoxia syndrome: beware of investigations undertaken supine
Authors: Liew Felicity , Gargoum Fatma , Potter Robert , Rosen Stuart D , Ward Simon , Hind Matthew , Polkey Michael I
Published: May 2019

Platypnoea–orthodeoxia syndrome (POS) is a rare disorder, manifesting as deoxygenation occurring when the patient is in the upright position. Four broad mechanisms for the condition have been described: intracardiac shunts, intrapulmonary shunts, hepatopulmonary syndrome and pulmonary ventilation–perfusion mismatch. Here, we present the first case of POS in a patient with a proven right to left intracardiac shunt occurring in the context of postural hypotension and normal right heart pressures. We highlight the need to carry out investigations in the upright position before discounting intracardiac shunting as a cause for the syndrome. Short-term improvement of the syndrome was obtained with medical management of the patient’s orthostatic hypotension and as such suggests a conservative management strategy for similar patients, which may delay the need for invasive procedures to close the anatomical defect.
Financial incentives to Medicaid smokers for engaging tobacco quit line treatment: maximising return on investment
Authors: Mundt Marlon P , Baker Timothy B , Piper Megan E , Smith Stevens S , Fraser David L , Fiore Michael C
Published: May 2019

Background

Low-income smokers experience greater difficulty in quitting smoking than do other smokers. Providing financial incentives for treatment engagement increases smoking cessation success. This study models the cost-effectiveness of varying levels of financial incentives to maximise return on investment (ROI) for engaging low-income Medicaid recipients who smoke to take calls from a tobacco quit line.

Methods

Participants (N=1900) were recruited from May 2013 to June 2015 through quit line-based (n=980), clinic-based (n=444) or community-based referrals (n=476) into the Wisconsin Medicaid Quit Line Incentive project. Incentive (n=948) and control group participants (n=952) received $30 versus $0 per call, respectively, for taking up to five Wisconsin Tobacco Quit Line (WTQL) calls. Cost-effectiveness analyses estimated the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio for alternative financial incentives for engagement with WTQL calls. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis was employed to determine an optimal strategy for financial incentives to minimise the cost per individual who quit smoking.

Results

Using fixed payments, the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of $2316 per smoker who quit in the randomised trial decreased to $2150 per smoker who quit when the incentives were modelled at $20 per each of five WTQL calls taken. Using variable payments, the minimal cost per additional smoker who quit was $2125 when incentives for the first four WTQL calls were set at $20, and the financial payment for the fifth WTQL call was set at $70.

Conclusions

Modelling suggests that financial incentives in the amount of $20 per call for taking the first four quit line calls and $70 for taking a fifth quit line call maximise ROI to engage low-income smokers with evidence-based smoking cessation treatment.
Ban on menthol-flavoured tobacco products predicts cigarette cessation at 1 year: a population cohort study
Authors: Chaiton Michael O , Nicolau Ioana , Schwartz Robert , Cohen Joanna E , Soule Eric , Zhang Bo , Eissenberg Thomas
Published: May 2019

Objectives

The province of Ontario, Canada, banned the use of menthol-flavoured tobacco products as of 1 January 2017. The long-term impact of a menthol ban on smoking behaviour has not been previously evaluated.

Methods

Population cohort study with baseline survey conducted September–December 2016 and follow-up January–August 2018 among residents of Ontario, Canada, 16 years old and over who reported current smoking (past 30 days) at baseline survey and completed follow-up (n=913) including 187 reporting smoking menthol cigarettes daily, 420 reported smoking menthol cigarettes occasionally, and 306 were non-menthol cigarette smokers. Relative rates of making a quit attempt and being a non-smoker at follow-up were estimated with Poisson regression controlling for smoking and demographic characteristics at baseline.

Results

At follow-up, 63% of daily menthol smokers reported making a quit attempt since the ban compared with 62% of occasional menthol smokers and 43% of non-menthol smokers (adjusted relative rate (ARR) for daily menthol smokers compared with non-menthol smokers: 1.25; 95% CI 1.03 to 1.50). At follow-up, 24% of daily menthol smokers reported making a quit since the ban compared with 20% of occasional menthol smokers and 14% of non-menthol smokers (ARR for daily menthol smokers compared with non-menthol smokers: 1.62; 95% CI 1.08 to 2.42).

Conclusions

The study found higher rates of quitting among daily and occasional menthol smokers in Ontario 1 year after the implementation of a menthol ban compared with non-menthol smokers. Our findings suggest that restrictions on menthol may lead to substantial improvements in public health.
Geomaterial classification criteria for design and construction of driven steel H-piles
Authors: Adhikari Pramila , Ng Kam W. , Gebreslasie Yrgalem Z. , Wulff Shaun S. , Sullivan Todd A.
Published: May 2019

Methodologies are proposed to develop criteria for classifying geomaterials into soils, intermediate geomaterials (IGMs), and hard rocks to achieve efficient driven pile designs. IGMs were categorized into IGM-soils and IGM-rocks to reduce the uncertainties in pile resistance estimations associated with properties ranging from soils to rocks. A boundary between soils and IGM-soils was established based upon the performance of two static analysis methods measured in terms of the coefficients of variation between measured and estimated shaft resistances. A boundary between IGM-rocks and hard rocks was established by limiting the geotechnical resistance in IGM-rocks to the compressive strength of a steel pile. Finally, a geomaterial classification flowchart and sample design charts are proposed to facilitate the classification of geomaterials specifically for the design and construction of driven steel H-piles. The proposed framework can be adapted for other driven pile types.
Biophysical models reveal the role of tides, wind, and larval behaviour in early transport and retention of Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus) in the Celtic Sea
Authors: Deschepper Inge , Lyons Kieran , Lyashevska Olga , Brophy Deirdre
Published: May 2019

Fish are adapted to spawn where their larvae will be retained in, or transported to, suitable juvenile habitat. Variability in circulation and behaviour produces variation in larval transport with consequences for recruitment. A biophysical model was used to simulate early larval dispersal of Celtic Sea herring (Clupea harengus) during wintertime in 6 years (2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2008, 2010). After 30 days, particles occurred in three areas: inshore Celtic Sea, offshore Celtic Sea, and southern Irish Sea, with the majority (70%–78% on average) of particles retained in the Celtic Sea. Inclusion of tidal forcing increased transport to the Irish Sea and decreased transport offshore, as did release during a spring tide. Retention in the Celtic Sea was increased by diel vertical migration and decreased by horizontal diffusion. Strong and frequent west to southwest winds increased transport offshore, while strong and frequent east to south-southeast winds increased inshore retention in the Celtic Sea and transport into the Irish Sea. The study shows how tides, winds, and behaviour influence larval transport and retention and highlights potential impacts of climate change on population persistence.
Scientists’ warning on wildfire — a Canadian perspective
Authors: Coogan Sean C.P. , Robinne François-Nicolas , Jain Piyush , Flannigan Mike D.
Published: May 2019

Recently, the World Scientists’ Warning to Humanity: a Second Notice was issued in response to ongoing and largely unabated environmental degradation due to anthropogenic activities. In the warning, humanity is urged to practice more environmentally sustainable alternatives to business as usual to avoid potentially catastrophic outcomes. Following the success of their warning, the Alliance of World Scientists called for discipline-specific follow-up papers. This paper is an answer to that call for the topic of wildland fire. Across much of Canada and the world, wildfires are anticipated to increase in severity and frequency in response to anthropogenic activities. The world scientists’ second warning provides the opportunity for wildland fire researchers to raise the profile of the potential impacts that anthropogenic activities are likely to have on future fire regimes and, in return, what impacts future fire regimes may have on humanity. We discuss how wildfire is related to several issues of concern raised in the world scientists’ second warning, including climate change, human population growth, biodiversity and forests, and freshwater availability. Furthermore, we touch on the potential future health impacts and challenges to wildfire suppression and management in Canada. In essence, our wildfire scientists’ warning to humanity is that we, as a society, will have to learn to live with more fire on the landscape. We provide some recommendations on how we might move forward to prepare for and adapt to future wildfire regimes in Canada. Although this paper is primarily Canadian in focus, the concepts and information herein also draw from international examples and are of relevance globally.
Comparison between isothermal collision-streaming and finite-difference lattice Boltzmann models
Authors: Negro G. , Busuioc S. , Ambruş V. E. , Gonnella G. , Lamura A. , Sofonea V.
Published: May 2019

We present here a comparison between collision-streaming and finite-difference lattice Boltzmann (LB) models. This study provides a derivation of useful formulae which help one to properly compare the simulation results obtained with both LB models. We consider three physical problems: the shock wave propagation, the damping of shear waves, and the decay of Taylor–Green vortices, often used as benchmark tests. Despite the different mathematical and computational complexity of the two methods, we show how the physical results can be related to obtain relevant quantities.
Solvent-induced depletion interactions in multiparticle collision dynamic simulations
Authors: Wagner Martin , Ripoll Marisol
Published: May 2019

Molecular-dynamics-coupled multiparticle collision dynamic (MPC-MD) simulations have emerged to be an efficient and versatile tool in the description of mesoscale colloidal dynamics. However, the compressibility of the coarse-grained fluid leads to this method being prone to spurious depletion interactions that may dominate the colloidal dynamics. In this paper, we review the existing methodology to deal with these interactions, establish and report depletion measurements, and present a method to avoid artificial depletion in mesoscale simulation methods.
Detecting communities from networks using an improved self-organizing map
Authors: Cheng Jianjun , Zhao Shiyan , Yang Haijuan , Zhang Jingming , Su Xing , Chen Xiaoyun
Published: May 2019

Community structure is one of the important features of complex networks. Researchers have derived a number of algorithms for detecting communities, some of them suffer from high complexity or need some prior knowledge, such as the size of community or number of communities. For some of them, the quality of the detected community structure cannot be guaranteed, even the results of some of them are nondeterministic. In this paper, we propose a Self-Organizing Map (SOM)-based method for detecting community structure from networks. We first preprocess the network by removing some nodes and their associated edges which have little contribution to the formation of communities, then we construct the extended attribute matrix from the preprocessed network, next we embed the detecting procedure in the training of SOM on the attribute matrix to acquire the initial community structure, and finally, we handle those removed nodes by inserting each of them into the community to which its only neighbor belongs, and fine-tune the initial community structure by merging some of the initial communities to improve the quality of the final result. The performance of the proposed method is evaluated on a variety of artificial networks and real-world networks, and experimental results show that our method takes full advantage of SOM model, it can automatically determine the number of communities embedded in the network, the quality of the detected community structure is steadily promising and superior to those of other comparison algorithms.
Metallization and superconductivity in potassium-doped methane
Authors: Han Jia-Xing , Zhang Han , Zhong Guo-Hua
Published: May 2019

Metallization of methane (CH4) has always been an interesting issue. Here, we report a study on the structure, metallization and superconductivity in K-doped CH4 under pressure, based on the particle swarm optimization, density functional theory, and density functional perturbation theory. Summarizing the thermodynamical and dynamical stabilities, the electronic band structures, and the electron–phonon interaction calculations, we predicted that K-doped CH4 in [Formula: see text] space-group is a metal and a possible superconductor in the pressure range of [Formula: see text] GPa. The superconducting critical temperature is about 12.7 K at 80 GPa. It was found that the charge transfer from K to CH4 drives the metallization and mainly contributes to the electron–phonon interaction. The result confirms that CH4 can become a metal and superconductor under the electron doping and the relative low pressure.
Anomalous plasmon modes of single-layer MoS2
Authors: Tao Z. H. , Dong H. M. , Duan Y. F.
Published: May 2019

The electronic plasmons of single layer MoS2induced by different spin subbands owing to spin-orbit couplings (SOCs) are theoretically investigated. The study shows that two new and anomalous plasmonic modes can be achieved via inter-spin subband transitions around the Fermi level due to the SOCs. The plasmon modes are optic-like, which are very different from the plasmons reported recently in single-layer (SL) MoS2, and the other two-dimensional systems. The frequency of such plasmons ascends with the increasing of electron density or spin polarizability, and decreases with the increasing of wave vector. The promising plasmonic properties of SL MoS2make it interesting for future applications in plasmonic and terahertz devices.
A Novel Neutrosophic Image Segmentation Based on Improved Fuzzy C-Means Algorithm (NIS-IFCM)
Authors: Zhao Jing , Wang Xiaoli , Li Ming
Published: May 2019

Image segmentation is a classical problem in the field of computer vision. Fuzzy [Formula: see text]-means algorithm (FCM) is often used in image segmentation. However, when there is noise in the image, it easily falls into the local optimum, which results in poor image boundary segmentation effect. A novel method is proposed to solve this problem. In the proposed method, first, the image is transformed into a neutrosophic image. In order to improve the ability of global search, a combined FCM based on particle swarm optimization (PSO) is proposed. Finally, the proposed algorithm is applied to the neutrosophic image segmentation. The results of experiments show that the novel algorithm can eliminate image noise more effectively than the FCM algorithm, and make the boundary of the segmentation area clearer.
ZnO/Ag NANOPARTICLE-DECORATED SINGLE-WALLED CARBON NANOTUBES (SWCNTs) AND THEIR PROPERTIES
Authors: MOHAMMAD MOHAMMAD R. , AHMED DUHA S. , MOHAMMED MUSTAFA K. A.
Published: May 2019

Raw single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) were oxidized by using sulfuric acid and nitric acid at 3:1 ratio to produce oxygen functional groups attached to SWCNTs surfaces. Then, the oxidized SWCNTs are coated with zinc oxide and silver nanoparticles by chemical precipitation route to synthesize ZnO/Ag-SWCNTs nanocomposite material. The nanocomposite sample was analyzed via zeta potential analyzer, ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectrophotometer, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Raman spectroscopy to investigate colloidal stability, optical, morphological, and structural properties. The SWCNT properties were found to be changed after the addition of ZnO/Ag nanoparticles. Hence, the new ZnO/Ag-SWCNTs nanocomposite is a good candidate for photocatalyst applications and biological applications.
The “Universal” Set of Quantitative Parameters for Reading of the Trendless Sequences
Authors: Nigmatullin Raoul R. , Vorobev Artem S.
Published: May 2019

In this paper, we want to demonstrate a set of “universal” parameters that help to read quantitatively any trendless sequence (TLS). This set will be very useful in order to select the “pattern” noise from the tested one and thereby to solve the problem of calibration of random fluctuations and express some qualitative inputs in terms of these “universal” parameters. This set of quantitative parameters allows to compare the TLS(s) of different nature (acoustic, mechanical, electrochemical, vibrational, etc.) with each other. The model example based on different random sequences generated by different distributions and the TLS(s) based on real data justify this approach and confirm its universal character. Besides, using the same algorithm we analyzed the acoustic noise recorded from the frictionless bearings (FB) in a normal state and the distorted noise from the FBs with artificially created defects. The proposed algorithm allows detecting the desired defect that initially had a qualitative description only. We do suppose that the proposed “universal” scheme free from uncontrollable errors can find a wide application in the solution of many practical problems.
Gradient of the Cost Function Via the Adjoint Method for Underwater Acoustic Inversion
Authors: Papadakis John S. , Karasmani Eftychia
Published: May 2019

The acoustic propagation problem in the ocean is modeled via the wide angle parabolic equation with a Neumann to Dirichlet map bottom boundary condition. An environment consisting of the water column, a sediment layer and the semi-infinite sub-bottom region is considered. The derivatives of a new cost function with respect to the unknown environmental parameters are calculated analytically via the adjoint operator and incorporated numerically in an inversion scheme. Full geoacoustic inversion for eight bottom parameters is performed successfully, using experimental field data from the Yellow Shark experiment, for the first time according to the authors’ knowledge. Adjoint inversion for the water SSP, using the EOFs, is also presented and validated with simulated data.
From Point Cloud Data to Structural Analysis Through a Geometrical hBIM-Oriented Model
Authors: Rolin Raphael , Antaluca Eduard , Batoz Jean-Louis , Lamarque Fabien , Lejeune Mathieu
Published: May 2019

The assessment of the structural behavior of historic masonry structures like Gothic cathedrals is an important engineering and architectural issue, because of the economic and cultural relevance of such buildings. In this article, we present a complete numerical methodology for point clouds processing, geometrical and parametric 3D modeling, and finite element structural analysis of the spire of the Cathedral of Senlis, France. Our work highlights the particular difficulties linked with digitization and geometrical modeling of highly complex Gothic structures, as well as the need to find compromises between quality and accuracy of extracted data used for geometrical modeling and structural analysis.

The methodology enables the semi-automatic transformation of a three-dimensional points cloud, surveyed through terrestrial laser scanner, into a three-dimensional geometrical historic building information modeling (hBIM)-oriented model, and its use to propose a consistent 3D finite element mesh suitable for advanced structural analysis. A full software chain is integrated in the proposed numerical process, so as to use the most important data contained in the real geometry and accurately transposed in the point clouds. After a successful data processing step with 3DReshaper software that proved to be necessary for enhancement of point clouds, a semi-automated geometrical hBIM-oriented modeling step with Rhinoceros5 software and VisualARQ plugin has allowed the construction of a hybrid model by reverse engineering from the point clouds. This 3D model, containing both geometrical and parametric data of the structure, has been exported to the Hyperworks suite for finite element structural analysis under self-weight. Our computations focused on the estimation of the structure deformation and on the distribution of compression and traction stresses in all components of the complex structure. It is found that the spire is safe. Based on reliable and properly detailed results, our study provides significant information for understanding the behavior of the structure and potential damage monitoring.
Multi-task Crowdsourcing via an Optimization Framework
Authors: Zhou Yao , Ying Lei , He Jingrui
Published: May 2019

The unprecedented amounts of data have catalyzed the trend of combining human insights with machine learning techniques, which facilitate the use of crowdsourcing to enlist label information both effectively and efficiently. One crucial challenge in crowdsourcing is the diverse worker quality, which determines the accuracy of the label information provided by such workers. Motivated by the observations that same set of tasks are typically labeled by the same set of workers, we studied their behaviors across multiple related tasks and proposed an optimization framework for learning from task and worker dual heterogeneity. The proposed method uses a weight tensor to represent the workers’ behaviors across multiple tasks, and seeks to find the optimal solution of the tensor by exploiting its structured information. Then, we propose an iterative algorithm to solve the optimization problem and analyze its computational complexity. To infer the true label of an example, we construct a worker ensemble based on the estimated tensor, whose decisions will be weighted using a set of entropy weight. We also prove that the gradient of the most time-consuming updating block is separable with respect to the workers, which leads to a randomized algorithm with faster speed. Moreover, we extend the learning framework to accommodate to the multi-class setting. Finally, we test the performance of our framework on several datasets, and demonstrate its superiority over state-of-the-art techniques.
Bi-dimensional Signal Compression Based on Linear Prediction Coding
Authors: Jellali Zakia , Atallah Leïla Najjar , Cherif Sofiane
Published: May 2019

The big data phenomenon has gained much attention in the wireless communications field. Addressing big data is a challenging and time-demanding task that requires a large computational infrastructure to ensure successful data processing and analysis. In such a context, data compression helps to reduce the amount of data required to represent redundant information while reliably preserving the original content as much as possible. We here consider Compressed Sensing (CS) theory for extracting critical information and representing it with substantially reduced measurements of the original data. For CS application, it is, however, required to design a convenient sparsifying basis or transform. In this work, a large amount of bi-dimensional (2D) correlated signals are considered for compression. The envisaged application is that of data collection in large scale Wireless Sensor Networks. We show that, using CS, it is possible to recover a large amount of data from the collection of a reduced number of sensors readings. In this way, CS use makes it possible to recover large data sets with acceptable accuracy as well as reduced global scale cost. For sparsifying basis search, in addition to conventional sparsity-inducing methods, we propose a new transformation based on Linear Prediction Coding (LPC) that effectively exploits correlation between neighboring data. The steps of data aggregation using CS include sparse compression basis design and then decomposition matrix construction and recovery algorithm application. Comparisons to the case of one-dimensional (1D) reading and to conventional 2D compression methods show the benefit from the better exploitation of the correlation by herein envisaged 2D processing. Simulation results on both synthetic and real WSN data demonstrate that the proposed LPC approach with 2D scenario realizes significant reconstruction performance enhancement compared to former conventional transformations.