bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Performance and drug release studies of poly (ɛ-caprolactone)/γ-poly (glutamic acid) fibrous membranes
Authors: Zhan Henan , Liu Shan , Hu Xiyu , Jiang Dong
Published: May 2018

Fibrous membranes of poly(ɛ-caprolactone)/γ-poly(glutamicacid) (PCL/γ-PGA) composites were successfully produced via an electrospinning process. In doing so, the water solubility of florfenicol (FF) could be enhanced and the drug release properties of FF could be controlled. The mechanical, morphologic, and thermal properties of the fibrous membranes of PCL/γ-PGA were studied by using an electronic single fiber strength machine, scanning electron microscopy, and differential scanning calorimetry. The wettability of the fibrous membranes of PCL/γ-PGA was also measured as discussed in the subsequent section. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy was applied in the structural analysis of the PCL/γ-PGA-FF fibrous membranes. The results indicated that FF was well blended in the composite membranes of PCL/γ-PGA. In vitro dissolution tests showed that PCL/γ-PGA (85/15; 8%) as both a biodegradable and biocompatible blend may improve the solubility of FF. Therefore, fibrous membranes of PCL/γ-PGA may represent ideal materials for the controlled drug release in various clinical applications.
Discontinuous Lyapunov functions for a class of piecewise affine systems
Authors: Cheraghi-Shami Farideh , Gharaveisi Ali-Akbar , Farsangi Malihe M , Mohammadian Mohsen
Published: May 2018

In this paper, a Lyapunov-based method is provided to study the local asymptotic stability of planar piecewise affine systems with continuous vector fields. For such systems, the state space is supposed to be partitioned into several bounded convex polytopes. A piecewise affine function, not necessarily continuous on the boundaries of the polytopic partitions, is proposed as a candidate Lyapunov function. Then, sufficient conditions for the local asymptotic stability of the system, including a monotonicity condition at switching instants, are formulated as a linear programming problem. In addition, when the problem does not have a feasible solution based on the original partitions of the system, a new partition refinement algorithm is presented. In this way, more flexibility can be provided in searching for the Lyapunov function. Owing to relaxation of the continuity condition imposed on the system boundaries, the proposed method reaches to less conservative results, compared with the previous methods based on continuous piecewise affine Lyapunov functions. Simulation results illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Increasing rates for certification of visual impairment at Royal Cornwall Hospital Trust: An audit series
Authors: Savage Nicholas St John , Claridge Kate , Green Jessica
Published: May 2018

The audit series investigated how rates of Certification of Visual Impairment (CVI) at Royal Cornwall Hospital Trust (RCHT) performed when compared against Public Health England (PHE) indices. Our aim was to assess whether CVI rates could be improved by promoting clinician awareness.

We collected CVI data for Sight Impairment (SI) and Severe Sight Impairment (SSI) from a prospective MS Excel database maintained at RCHT for all certifications between 1 August 2014 and 31 July 2016. Annual local certification rates were compared to regional and national rates using data from Public Health Outcomes Framework (PHOF) for glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration (ARMD), and diabetic eye disease.

We found that overall rates of certification were above both those of the South West region and England; however, certifications for ARMD and glaucoma fell below the regional and national rates. Reasons for this may include variations in ethnicity, introduction of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) agents, and/or the potential delay in CVI completion while under treatment for ARMD.

We concluded that raising awareness among clinicians did not prove a satisfactory intervention to improve certification rates. In response to these findings, RCHT and a local charity, iSight Cornwall, have jointly funded an Eye Clinic Liaison Officer (ECLO) to enhance the certification process. This is expected to deliver immediate service improvement. Considerable overlap in dual diagnoses presents a problem in interpretation of CVI data, which could be targeted by the implementation of electronic certification.
The therapeutic potential of the mesenchymal stem cell secretome in ischaemic stroke
Authors: Cunningham Catriona J , Redondo-Castro Elena , Allan Stuart M
Published: May 2018

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) hold great potential as a regenerative therapy for stroke, leading to increased repair and functional recovery in animal models of cerebral ischaemia. While it was initially hypothesised that cell replacement was an important mechanism of action of MSCs, focus has shifted to their paracrine actions or the so called “bystander” effect. MSCs secrete a wide array of growth factors, chemokines, cytokines and extracellular vesicles, commonly referred to as the MSC secretome. There is evidence suggesting the MSC secretome can promote repair through a number of mechanisms including preventing cell apoptosis, modulating the inflammatory response and promoting endogenous repair mechanisms such as angiogenesis and neurogenesis. In this review, we will discuss the in vitro approaches currently being employed to drive the MSC secretome towards a more anti-inflammatory and regenerative phenotype. We will then examine the role of the secretome in promoting repair and improving recovery in preclinical models of cerebral ischaemia.
Simultaneous task allocation and planning for temporal logic goals in heterogeneous multi-robot systems
Authors: Schillinger Philipp , Bürger Mathias , Dimarogonas Dimos V.
Published: May 2018

This paper describes a framework for automatically generating optimal action-level behavior for a team of robots based on temporal logic mission specifications under resource constraints. The proposed approach optimally allocates separable tasks to available robots, without requiring a priori an explicit representation of the tasks or the computation of all task execution costs. Instead, we propose an approach for identifying sub-tasks in an automaton representation of the mission specification and for simultaneously allocating the tasks and planning their execution. The proposed framework avoids the need to compute a combinatorial number of possible assignment costs, where each computation itself requires solving a complex planning problem. This can improve computational efficiency compared with classical assignment solutions, in particular for on-demand missions where task costs are unknown in advance. We demonstrate the applicability of the approach with multiple robots in an existing office environment and evaluate its performance in several case study scenarios.
Increased diagnostic confidence in the diagnosis of pituitary micro-lesions with the addition of three-dimensional sampling perfection with application-optimized contrasts using different flip-angle evolutions sequences
Authors: Tang Ying , Wu Yue , Zhang Hua , Wang Jing , Yao ZhenWei
Published: May 2018

Background

Conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is adversely affected by thick slices, small intersection gaps, and the partial volume effect, leading to the missed diagnosis or misdiagnosis of pituitary micro-lesions.

Purpose

To evaluate the diagnostic yield of three-dimensional sampling perfection with application-optimized contrasts using different flip-angle evolutions (3D-T2 SPACE) sequences compared with a standard MRI protocol for the diagnosis of pituitary micro-lesions.

Material and Methods

The MRI findings of 664 patients with clinically suspected pituitary lesions were retrospectively analyzed. All patients underwent coronal 3D-T2 SPACE sequences followed by T1-weighted (T1W) imaging. Conventional scanning sequences included coronal and sagittal T1W imaging and post-contrast enhanced coronal and sagittal T1 imaging. All images were independently evaluated by two experienced neuroradiologists. The inter-observer agreement was analyzed using kappa statistics.

Results

Compared with conventional sequences, there was an increase in diagnostic confidence of 60.3% for the diagnosis of pituitary micro-lesions with the addition of 3D-T2 SPACE sequences. The lesion conspicuity scores of combined conventional and 3D-T2 SPACE sequences were significantly higher than those of conventional imaging (z = −6.403, P < 0.01) and 3D-T2 SPACE sequences (z = −4.243, P < 0.01). In addition, the inter-observer agreement of 3D-T2 SPACE sequences was good (κ = 0.826).

Conclusion

Combined with routine sequences, post-contrast enhanced 3D-T2 SPACE sequences effectively improve diagnostic confidence in the diagnosis of pituitary micro-lesions. Post-contrast enhanced 3D-T2 SPACE is suitable for detecting pico-adenomas, micro-lesions adjacent to the cavernous sinuses or sellar floor, lesions between the anterior and posterior lobes, and lesions with early phase enhancement.
Utility of a novel elastic traction system in endoscopic thyroidectomy via breast approach: initial experience with 34 patients
Authors: Lyu Yi-Jun , Shen Fang , Zhang Hai , Chen Gao-Xiang
Published: May 2018

Objective

To summarize our experiences in using an elastic traction, space-making technique for endoscopic thyroidectomy via breast approach in the treatment of early-stage differentiated papillary thyroid carcinoma.

Methods

A retrospective analysis was performed on patients who underwent endoscopic thyroidectomy via breast approach for thyroid carcinoma in our department. We used our self-developed “mini elastic traction space-maker” in a group of 34 patients; another 45 patients who underwent the procedure with the conventional CO2 insufflation method were enlisted as the control group.

Results

All patients had successful unilateral lobectomy and central lymph node dissection (CLND) surgeries. The adoption of the intraoperative elastic traction system increased the height of the subcutaneous working space (by 1 cm) and significantly decreased the times required for lobectomy and CLND compared with the controls (46.7 ± 4.7 min vs. 50.7 ± 4.9 min). However, there was no significant difference between the two groups in the set-up time to create the working space.

Conclusions

The elastic traction, space-making technique is a safe and feasible technique for endoscopic thyroidectomy via breast approach.
Distribution of Recognition Times to Fruity Flavor of Gummy Candies in Healthy Adults
Authors: Miyaoka Satomi , Iwamori Hajime , Miyaoka Yozo
Published: May 2018

Times for recognition of fruity flavors in six gummy candies were measured using an electromyography-based system in 23 young healthy participants. They were instructed to chew one of the gummy candies at a random order and to press a button as soon as possible when they recognized what flavor was. The measured 181 recognition times showed two distributions, normally ( n = 107) and non-normally ( n = 74). The overall average of the normal distribution was 7.5 seconds (±2.34 seconds; standard deviation), and there were no differences in the average ratios among the gummy candies. Eighteen of the participants reported 41 inconsistent reports with flavors that were provided by the manufacturer. The most frequently observed report was an apple-flavored gummy candy (14, 34.1%) mainly for a pear-flavored. However, there was no significant correlation between the numbers of recognition times and those of inconsistent flavors among the used gummy candies.
Transportation and Land Property Rights: Economic Impacts on Agricultural Productivity
Authors: Alves Lucas Bispo de Oliveira , Kato Hironori
Published: May 2018

This paper empirically investigates the relationship between the effectiveness of land property rights and the impacts of transportation on agricultural output. It is assumed that property rights are a pre-condition for the functioning of land markets. The hypothesis is that if land markets are functional then the impacts of transportation are higher because farmers can respond to improvements in transportation either by making productivity-enhancing investments or by engaging in efficient land transactions. An agricultural production function was estimated where both transportation and property rights were treated as constituents of total factor productivity, using panel data from 76 countries from 2007 to 2013. Ordinary least squares and two-stage least squares regressions revealed that, contrary to our expectations, the impacts of transportation are higher in countries with less effective property rights systems. Three possible explanations are raised. First, it is possible that better property rights are correlated with higher government intervention in agriculture, which negatively impacts productivity. Second, possibly larger benefits from improvements in property rights are to be made in the earlier stages of development. Third, it is possible that high productivity is associated with large farms because of economies of scale. Since they are more likely to be found in land-rich countries, which tend to have less effective property rights, the present paper raises concerns that land transactions triggered by transportation projects may lead to outcomes that are not Pareto-optimal, with possible consequences for social indicators such as rural poverty.
Machining and its challenges on bio-fibre reinforced plastics: A critical review
Authors: Vinayagamoorthy R , Rajmohan T
Published: May 2018

Bio-degradability and sustainability have become major objectives in the field of materials engineering. Due to this, the utilisation of natural reinforcement is gaining immense attention among composite researchers. Among the different composites, polymeric composites are used as structural components. In the present day investigations, bio-elements are majorly utilized as reinforcements due to their properties and bio-degradability. Although polymeric components are manufactured in the shape of the final component, they need secondary processing to make it suitable for assembly. Hence, a review on machining and associated investigations on bio-composites would help the composites industries and upcoming researcher to know the scope of research and for selection of apt machining conditions. This review gives a detailed insight on the various machinability factors and their measurement, influence of machining parameters on the machinability and optimum conditions during machining of bio-composites. In addition, this review also presents about the importance of bio-fibre under various situations of machining and untraditional machining methods used for bio-composites.
Studies on mechanical, thermal, and barrier properties of carboxymethyl cellulose film highly filled with nanocellulose
Authors: Mandal Arup , Chakrabarty Debabrata
Published: May 2018

Nanocellulose (NC)-reinforced carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) films were prepared by solvent casting technique. CMC solution in water premixed with NC dispersion at different proportions (i.e. at different NC contents) was used so as to determine the maximum amount of NC that can be incorporated in CMC so as to achieve a film with an optimum combination of mechanical and barrier properties normally sought for packaging applications. The composite films after thorough drying were inspected in respect of its mechanical, thermal, morphological, and water vapor transmission rate characteristics. Incorporation of up to 70 wt% of NC was found to give a practically usable film. A further increase in NC proportion however led to a fragile one. A remarkable increase in tensile strength (in relation to that of CMC) with workable elongation was observed at this maximum dose of NC. Superior thermal and barrier properties of such transparent composite films were also achieved.
A stochastic power management strategy with skid avoidance for improving energy efficiency of in-wheel motor electric vehicles
Authors: Jalalmaab Mehdi , Azad Nasser L
Published: May 2018

In this study, a stochastic power management strategy for in-wheel motor electric vehicles is proposed to reduce the energy consumption and increase the driving range, considering the unpredictable nature of the driving power demand. A stochastic dynamic programming approach, policy iteration algorithm, is used to create an infinite horizon problem formulation to calculate optimal power distribution policies for the vehicle. The developed stochastic dynamic programming strategy distributes the demanded power, Pdem between the front and rear in-wheel motors by considering states of the vehicle, including the vehicle speed and the front and the rear wheels’ slip ratios. In addition, a skid avoidance rule is added to the power management strategy to maintain the wheels’ slip ratios within the desired values. Undesirable slip ratios cause poor brake and traction control performances and therefore should be avoided. The resulting strategy consists of a time-invariant, rule-based controller which is fast enough for real time implementations, and additionally, it is not expensive to be launched since the future power demand is approximated without a need to vehicle communication systems or telemetric capability. A high-fidelity model of an in-wheel motor electric vehicle is developed in the Autonomie/Simulink environment for evaluating the proposed strategy. The simulation results show that the proposed stochastic dynamic programming strategy is more efficient in comparison to some benchmark strategies, such as an equal power distribution and generalized rule-based dynamic programming. The simulation results of different driving scenarios for the considered in-wheel motor electric vehicle show the proposed power management strategy leads to 3% energy consumption reduction in average, at no additional cost. If the resulting energy savings is considered for the total annual trips for the vehicle and also the total number of electric vehicles in the country, the proposed power management strategy has a significant impact.
A joint approach for strategic bidding of a microgrid in energy and spinning reserve markets
Authors: Ferruzzi Gabriella , Graditi Giorgio , Rossi Federico
Published: May 2018

In the electricity market, short-term operation is organized in day-ahead and real-time stages. The two stages that are performed in different time intervals have reciprocal effects on each other. The paper shows the strategy of a microgrid that participates to both day-ahead energy and spinning reserve market. It is supposed that microgrid is managed by a prosumer, a decision maker who manages distributed energy sources, storage units, Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) elements, and loads involved in the grid. The strategy is formulated considering that all decisions about the amount of power to sell in both markets and the price links to the offer, must be taken contextually and at the same time, that is through a joint approach. In order to develop an optimal bidding strategy for energy markets, prosumer implements a nonlinear mixed integer optimization model: in this way, by aggregating and coordinating various distributed energy sources, including renewable energy sources, micro-turbines–electricity power plants, combined heat and power plants, heat production plants (boilers), and energy storage systems, prosumer is able to optimally allocate the capacities for energy and spinning reserve market and maximize its revenues from different markets. Moreover, it is considered that both generators and loads can take part in the reserve market. The demand participation happens through both shiftable and curtailable loads. Case studies based on microgrid with various distributed energy sources demonstrate the market behavior of the prosumer using the proposed bidding model.
Causal dynamics between renewable energy consumption and economic growth in South Korea: Empirical analysis and policy implications
Authors: Lee Seong-Hoon , Jung Yonghun
Published: May 2018

This paper examines the causal relationship between renewable energy consumption and economic growth in South Korea using a framework of the conventional neo-classical production function of capital, labor, and renewable energy. We use cointegration technique of the autoregressive distributed lag bounds test and vector error correction mechanism causality tests to determine the econometric relationship, using data for the period 1990–2012; the results support the conservation hypothesis for South Korea. The results of the autoregressive distributed lag bounds test show that renewable energy consumption has a negative effect on economic growth, and the results of a vector error correction mechanism causality tests indicate a unidirectional relationship from economic growth to renewable energy consumption. The empirical results imply that economic growth is a direct driver expanding renewable energy use. In terms of policy implications, it is best for policy makers to focus on overall economic growth rather than expanding renewable energy to drive economic growth.
Testing hypotheses under adaptive randomization with continuous covariates in clinical trials
Authors: Li Xiaoming , Zhou Jianhui , Hu Feifang
Published: May 2018

Covariate-adaptive designs are widely used to balance covariates and maintain randomization in clinical trials. Adaptive designs for discrete covariates and their asymptotic properties have been well studied in the literature. However, important continuous covariates are often involved in clinical studies. Simply discretizing or categorizing continuous covariates can result in loss of information. The current understanding of adaptive designs with continuous covariates lacks a theoretical foundation as the existing works are entirely based on simulations. Consequently, conventional hypothesis testing in clinical trials using continuous covariates is still not well understood. In this paper, we establish a theoretical framework for hypothesis testing on adaptive designs with continuous covariates based on linear models. For testing treatment effects and significance of covariates, we obtain the asymptotic distributions of the test statistic under null and alternative hypotheses. Simulation studies are conducted under a class of covariate-adaptive designs, including the p-value-based method, the Su’s percentile method, the empirical cumulative-distribution method, the Kullback–Leibler divergence method, and the kernel-density method. Key findings about adaptive designs with independent covariates based on linear models are (1) hypothesis testing that compares treatment effects are conservative in terms of smaller type I error, (2) hypothesis testing using adaptive designs outperforms complete randomization method in terms of power, and (3) testing on significance of covariates is still valid.
Spy, track and archive: The temporality of visibility in Eurosur and Jora
Authors: Tazzioli Martina
Published: May 2018

This article focuses on the temporalities of visibility that are at stake in the functioning of two mapping monitoring softwares devised by Frontex: Eurosur and Jora. Through a study of border practices and security devices that builds on interviews and direct observation, the article shows that while these two systems elaborate on data and information collected in real time, they work as archives for generating future migration risk scenarios and not for border surveillance purposes. After illustrating in detail the functioning and modes of visualization of Jora and Eurosur, the article takes into account how police officers, Frontex and navies use these devices, and how risk analyses are produced. The article demonstrates that these monitoring mapping devices are sustained by coeval temporalities: the detection of migrants ‘on the spot’ coexists with both a future-oriented temporality and an archival one. The second part of the article analyses the impact that mapping monitoring softwares have on migrant journeys and migrant lives. The article concludes by bringing attention to the ways in which migrants in part strategically appropriate and twist the temporality of security and the field of visibility enacted by these devices.
Drug cost avoidance in clinical trials of breast cancer
Authors: Mañes-Sevilla M , Romero-Jiménez R , Herranz-Alonso A , Sánchez-Fresneda M , Gonzalez-Haba E , Collado-Borrel R , Benedi-González J , Sanjurjo-Sáez M
Published: May 2018

Background

The objectives of this study were to determine if clinical trials in breast cancer, with an investigational drug, created direct drug cost savings for the healthcare system related to cost avoidance of the best standard of care treatments used in these studies. The aim was to quantify this potential drug cost avoidance.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective observational study of the drug cost avoidance during the study period (2014–2016). We included clinical trials with investigational drug, managed by pharmacy department and provided by the sponsor. The patients included had a therapeutic alternative defined as standard treatment that should have been received in case of not participating in the clinical trial. Direct cost savings, to national healthcare system, associated to clinical trials were calculated.

Results

Thirty-seven clinical trials with a total of 89 breast cancer patients were included in the study. A total of 62.2% were phase III and 75.7% belonged to the pharmaceutical industry. They provided a total cost avoidance of 957,246€ (1,130,028$), an average cost avoidance per patient of 10,756€ (12,697$).

Conclusions

Our study suggests that those clinical trials in which investigational drug are provided or refunded by the sponsor provide substantial cost savings. Due to the shortage of published articles that calculate the cost avoided in medication, we cannot compare directly the results obtained in the different institutions.
Stakeholders' resistance to telemedicine with focus on physicians: Utilizing the Delphi technique
Authors: Choi Woo Seok , Park Joowoong , Choi Jin Young Brian , Yang Jae-Suk
Published: May 2018

Introduction

Sufficient infrastructure for information and communications technology (ICT) and a well-established policy are necessary factors for smooth implementation of telemedicine. However, despite these necessary conditions being met, there are situations where telemedicine still fails to be accepted as a system due to the low receptivity of stakeholders. In this study, we analyse stakeholders' resistance to an organization's implementation of telemedicine. Focusing on the physicians' interests, we propose a strategy to minimize conflicts and improve acceptance.

Methods

The Delphi study involved 190 telemedicine professionals who were recommended by 485 telemedicine-related personnel in South Korea.

Results

Out of 190 professionals, 60% of enrolled participants completed the final questionnaires. The stakeholders were categorized into four groups: policy-making officials, physicians, patients, and industrialists. Among these, the physicians were most opposed to the adoption of telemedicine. The main causes of such opposition were found to be the lack of a medical services delivery system and the threat of disruption for primary care clinics. Very little consensus was observed among the stakeholders, except on the following points: the need for expansion of the national health insurance budget by the government, and the need for enhancement of physicians' professional autonomy to facilitate smooth agreements.

Discussion

Our analysis on the causes of the resistance to telemedicine, carried out with the groups mentioned above, has important implications for policy-makers deriving strategies to achieve an appropriate consensus.
Emotion regulation in autism: Reappraisal and suppression interactions
Authors: Cai Ru Ying , Richdale Amanda L , Dissanayake Cheryl , Trollor Julian , Uljarević Mirko
Published: May 2018

Emotion regulation has been proposed to be a transdiagnostic factor in the development and maintenance of psychopathology in the general population, yet the nature of the relationships between emotion regulation strategy use and psychological well-being has not been comprehensively explored in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The aim of this study was to assess how the individual differences in self-reported emotion regulation strategy use relate to levels of both positive and negative psychological well-being. In total, 56 individuals with ASD aged 14–24 years (Mage = 18.15; SDage = 2.30) completed Emotion Regulation Questionnaire, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-5 Generalized Anxiety Disorder Dimensional Scale, Patient Health Questionnaire-9, Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale and Autism-Spectrum Quotient – Short. Individuals were grouped into four clusters based on their Emotion Regulation Questionnaire subscale scores. Individuals in the high suppression and low reappraisal group expressed higher depressive symptoms and lower positive well-being when compared with the low suppression and high reappraisal group. Interestingly, individuals who self-reported using both high suppression and reappraisal expressed relatively high positive well-being and low depression symptoms. We suggest that the maladaptive effect of habitual suppression usage may be buffered by the habitual use of reappraisal, and this interaction between adaptive and maladaptive emotion regulation strategy use has clinical implications.
Ambiguity and vagueness in political terminology: On coding and referential imprecision
Authors: Dowding Keith , Bosworth William
Published: May 2018

Analytic political philosophy tries to make our political language more precise. But in doing so it risks departing from our natural language and intuitions. This article examines this tension. We argue that the ambiguity and vagueness of our political language can be overcome with coding decisions. While vagueness is a deeper philosophical problem than ambiguity, there are important conceptual similarities. Gareth Evans has formally proved that there can be conflicting yet equally valid precisifications of vague terms. We show that this is the case for complex terms in political philosophy, where each precisification captures part of the sense of the complex term. Vagueness can be overcome by eliminating the terms in certain contexts of analysis. Versions of the subscript gambit can be used to resolve both ambiguity and vagueness.
Facilitating a participatory action learning action research process in a higher educational context
Authors: Schiller Ulene , Jaffray Penny , Ridley Tamerin , Du Plessis Cuzette
Published: May 2018

Researchers facilitated a participatory action learning action research process with second year Social Sciences students at a University in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. This paper focusses on the facilitation of a participatory action learning action research process and the contribution of this to the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning of the researchers. A social constructivist theoretical framework was employed. The significance of this research is that it adds to the understanding and implementation of participatory action learning action research, the evolving perception of participation as well as ownership within a participatory action learning action research process within the relatively less studied context of sub-Saharan African and South Africa more specifically. This paper demonstrates how utilising participatory action learning action research contributed to the researchers own “lifelong learning”, particularly with regard to scholarship and collaborations in the process of knowledge production. The researchers’ critical reflections and learning throughout this process could be of assistance to other researchers who are interested in embarking upon similar participatory research projects in higher education.
Quantitative effect of Ar dilution on the dynamic detonation parameters in acetylene–oxygen mixtures
Authors: Zhao Huanjuan , Yan Yiran , Zhang Yinghua
Published: May 2018

In order to clarify the effect of Ar dilution on the dynamic parameters of detonation quantitative, smoked foil records of C2H2–O2 with different Ar dilutions are investigated. With the Ar concentration increasing, the instability will decrease and detonation can fail more easily. Histograms, variance measurements, and studies of the autocorrelation function are systematically considered to quantitative define the irregularity parameters. The other kinetics characteristics, such as detonation limits, velocity, and cell size, are also analyzed to illustrate the dilution effects via the smoke foils from different Ar dilution. It was found that the results from histograms, variance studies, and the autocorrelation function consistently show the tendency that mixtures with different Ar dilutions exhibited different degrees of irregularity. Quantitative irregularity can be examined by the values of the ratio Max discrepancy/Relevant mean cell size of C2H2 + 2.5O2. For the mixtures with higher Ar concentration, the main cell size shown by the peak in the histogram and the first peak of the autocorrelation function were much closer to the cell size measured visually because of the stronger dominant mode and more regular trajectory of triple-point patterns. Predictions of the cell size considering the participation of Ar in the mixtures were also given.
A feature selection method based on an improved fruit fly optimization algorithm in the process of numerical control milling
Authors: Yuan Min , Wang Mei
Published: May 2018

Automatic control is the key to improved production quality and efficiency of numerical control milling operations. Because the milling cutter is the most important tool in milling operations, the automatic monitoring of the tool wear state is of great significance. This work establishes a set of time domain and time-frequency domain features based on measurements of the cutting force for a computer numerical control milling machine and develops a method incorporating the Fisher criterion in an improved fruit fly optimization algorithm for selecting features most indicative of the tool wear state. A back propagation neural network was employed to test the effectiveness of the proposed feature selection method. Experimental comparisons with three other feature selection methods demonstrate that the proposed improved fruit fly optimization algorithm offers the advantages of the selection of a small number of significant features, easy implementation, precise optimization, rapid training, and good back propagation network performance. The proposed method has great potential for facilitating the practical monitoring of the milling tool wear state.
Crashworthiness analysis and multi-objective optimization of a commercial vehicle frame: A mixed meta-modeling-based method
Authors: Wang Tao , Wang Liangmo , Wang Chenzhi , Zou Xiaojun
Published: May 2018

In this study, a mixed meta-modeling-based optimization method has been proposed and applied to a commercial vehicle for crashworthiness design subjected to the frontal crash. A full-scale finite element model of the commercial vehicle has been built and validated by a crash test. The front frame parts have been separated to build a sub-model for crashworthiness optimization. Sensitivity analysis has been performed to find the design factors contributing most to crash performance by using design of experiments. With the reduced dimensions of design space, meta-models of crashworthiness criteria (i.e. specific energy absorption, peak crush force, and peak crush acceleration) have been built by using polynomial response surface and radial basis function networks, respectively. The meta-models with higher global fidelity in design space have been adopted to formulate the multi-objective optimization problem of crashworthiness design, which has then been solved by using Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm-II. The obtained Pareto front has been discussed and validated with that achieved by Strength Pareto Evolutionary Algorithm 2. The normalized optimal solution from the Pareto front has resulted in 11.15% increase in specific energy absorption and 13.2% decrease in peak crush force for the frame and has led to an obvious improvement in occupant protection and energy absorption for the whole vehicle, verifying that the proposed method is effective for vehicle crashworthiness optimization.
Mixed convection from a discrete heater in lid-driven enclosures filled with non-Newtonian nanofluids
Authors: Rashad AM , Mansour MA , Gorla Rama Subba Reddy
Published: May 2018

The transport mechanism of laminar combined convection flow of an incompressible viscous non-Newtonian nanofluid in a shear- and buoyancy-driven enclosure has been investigated in this article. The micropolar fluid model is used for the rheological behavior of the non-Newtonian fluid. A heat source with constant volumetric rate is attached in a part of the bottom wall and the remaining parts are thermally insulated. The vertical walls of the cavity are considered to be adiabatic, while the top wall is cooled and moves from left to right with uniform velocity. The thermal conductivity and the dynamic viscosity of the nanofluid are represented by different experimental correlations that are suitable to each nanoparticles. The finite volume method is applied to solve the dimensionless form of the governing equations. A discussion is provided for the effects of the governing parameters on the local Nusselt number and average Nusselt number along the heat source. It is found that an increase in the vortex-viscosity parameter causes a reduction in the local Nusselt number. As the vortex-viscosity parameter increases by 10 times from 0.5 to 5, the Nusselt number reduces by 15%. Additionally, as the nanoparticle volume fraction increases, the rate of heat transfer increases. As the volume fraction increases by 100% from 0.1 to 0.2, the Nusselt number increases by 86%.
The SPC manufacturing waiver: Good for patients, good for jobs, good for Europe
Authors: Shillingford Tomos
Published: May 2018

The European Commission is currently considering an important legislative proposal which is supported by the generic pharmaceutical industry. Following the introduction of supplementary protection certificates in the 1990s, an unintended consequence has been felt by European generic manufacturers, whom are very often the last group to be able to commence commercial production, due to earlier expiry of rights in other parts of the world. This puts European pharmaceutical manufacturers at a competitive disadvantage, seeing as they are not able to manufacture product for export to countries in which no patent rights exist, or in readiness for day 1 launches in Europe. The supplementary protection certificate manufacturing waiver has been independently assessed to represent €7.3–9.5b of revenue to European industry by 2025, to generate 20,000–25,000 jobs, to lead to €1.6–3.1b in healthcare cost-savings and to improve patient access to healthcare. However, the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA) and other innovator pharmaceutical groups have been lobbying against the proposal. In this paper, I examine the arguments against the supplementary protection certificate manufacturing waiver, particularly those set out in EFPIA’s White Paper that was published in 2017. The conclusions of the White Paper are found to be unsupported. It is hoped that the supplementary protection certificate manufacturing waiver will be implemented, and provide a valuable stimulus for the manufacture of pharmaceuticals in Europe.
Leading faith schools in a secular society: Challenges facing head teachers of Muslim schools in the United Kingdom
Authors: Hammad Waheed , Shah Saeeda
Published: May 2018

Muslim faith schools have been existent in the UK since the 1980s and their number has been rising ever since. These schools are established specifically to provide Muslim children with a learning environment based on Islamic values. However, fulfilling such a mission would not be an easy task in a globalised context characterised by secularism and materialism. The study reported in this paper sought to explore the leadership experiences and challenges as perceived by the head teachers of Muslim schools in the UK. The study employed a qualitative research design using semi-structured interviews with a sample of head teachers from four Muslim schools in London and Nottingham. The findings revealed that although the participating head teachers were proud of their role as leaders of Muslim schools, they faced significant challenges in their practice of leadership within British secular society. While some of these challenges were general in nature such as parental expectations and lack of support from Muslim community, other challenges were more practical and mission related such as negative perceptions among the wider society, issues in developing Muslim identity among students in a secular society, recruitment of qualified Muslim teachers and financial challenges.
Assessing pressure injury risk using a single mobility scale in hospitalised patients: a comparative study using case-control design
Authors: Mordiffi Siti Zubaidah , Kent Bridie , Phillips Nicole M. , Choon Huat Gerald Koh
Published: May 2018

Background

Pressure injury is known to cause not only debilitating physical effects, but also substantial psychological and financial burdens. A variety of pressure injury risk assessment tools are in use worldwide, which include a number of factors. Evidence now suggests that assessment of a single factor, mobility, may be a viable alternative for assessing pressure injury risk.

Aims

The aim of this study was to ascertain whether using the Braden mobility subscale alone is comparable to the full Braden scale for predicting the development of pressure injury.

Methods

This study, a retrospective case-control design, was conducted in a large tertiary acute care hospital in Singapore. Medical records of 100 patients with hospital-acquired pressure injury were matched with 100 medical records of patients who had no pressure injury at a 1:1 ratio.

Results

Patients who were assessed using the Braden mobility subscale as having ‘very limited mobility’ or worse were 5.23 (95% confidence interval (CI) 2.66–10.20) times more likely to develop pressure injury compared with those assessed as having ‘slightly limited’ mobility or ‘no limitation’. Conversely, patients assessed using the Braden scale as having ‘low risk’ or higher were 3.35 (95% CI 1.77–6.33) times more likely to develop pressure injury compared with those assessed as ‘no risk’. Using full model logistic regression analysis, the Braden mobility subscale was the only factor that was a significant predictor of pressure injury and it remained significant when analysed for the most parsimonious model using backward logistic regression.

Conclusions

These findings provide the empirical evidence that using the Braden mobility subscale alone as an assessment tool for predicting pressure injury development is comparable to using the full Braden scale. Use of this single factor would simplify pressure injury risk assessment and support its use within busy clinical settings.
The benefit of EXtending oral antiCOAgulation treatment (EXCOA) after acute cerebral vein thrombosis (CVT): EXCOA-CVT cluster randomized trial protocol
Authors: Miranda Bruno , Aaron Sanjith , Arauz Antonio , Barinagarrementeria Fernando , Borhani-Haghighi Afshin , Carvalho Marta , Conforto Adriana B , Coutinho Jonathan M , Stam Jan , Canhão Patrícia , Ferro José M
Published: May 2018

Rationale

After a cerebral vein thrombosis, there is an increased risk of further venous thromboembolic events. The optimal duration of anticoagulation after cerebral vein thrombosis is unknown.

Aim

To compare efficacy and safety of a policy of short- (3–6 months) versus long-term (12 months) anticoagulation (any type venous thromboembolic events) after cerebral vein thrombosis for the prevention of venous thromboembolic events.

Sample size estimates

A sample of 1428 patients (749 per arm) allows detecting a reduction from 10 to 5% in the risk of venous thromboembolic event recurrence with 80% power at 5% significance, with 3% dropout rate.

Methods and design

An international multicenter, prospective cluster-randomized trial with equal allocation between both interventions (ISRCTN25644448). Each cluster is a participating center, which accepted to be randomly allocated to one of the anticoagulation policies. Eligible patients are adults with radiologically confirmed cerebral vein thrombosis within 30 days, and stable to initiate post-acute anticoagulation. Patients judged by the investigator to be an absolute indication for permanent anticoagulation are excluded. Follow-up is at 6, 12 and 24 months.

Study outcomes

Primary efficacy outcome is any symptomatic and confirmed fatal/nonfatal venous thromboembolic event (recurrent-cerebral vein thrombosis or non-cerebral venous thromboembolic event). Primary safety outcomes include bleeding events during treatment periods and death from any cause.

Discussion

This study responds to a knowledge gap in the post-acute management of cerebral vein thrombosis patients by comparing short- versus long-term anticoagulation for the prevention of venous thromboembolic event recurrence.
Differences in the structure of variability in ground reaction force trajectories provide additional information about variability in the golf swing
Authors: Jones Kristian M , Wallace Eric S , Otto Steve R
Published: May 2018

The study presents a novel application of measures of the structure of variability to ground reaction force trajectories and highlights the use of such measures to provide valuable information about coordination of the golf swing. The variability and regularity of ground reaction force trajectories were quantified for iron and driver shots from three participants with different skill levels. Pointwise median absolute deviation was used to indicate the variability of ground reaction force trajectories across their length, and two alternative methodologies, sample entropy and cross-sample entropy, were used to determine their regularity. For both driver and iron shots, results showed that while there was no difference in the magnitude of variability between any of the participants, there were differences in the structure of this variability. In general, the ground reaction force of the highest skilled participant was significantly more regular than that of the lesser skilled golfers. However, differences occurred across the various components of ground reaction force. Thus, entropy measures can provide additional valuable information concerning dissimilarities among golfers of various skill levels and may indicate differences in neuromuscular system coordination during the golf swing. This study highlights the importance of considering the structure of variability, as well as its magnitude, and describes methods which could be applied to further investigations.