bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Preliminary accident analysis of the loss of vacuum in vacuum vessel for the European DEMO HCPB blanket concept
Authors: Jin Xue Zhou , Raskob Wolfgang
Published: March 2024

Design basis accidents are investigated continuously for the European DEMO reactor accompanying its development. One selected postulated initial event (PIE) is a loss of vacuum (LOVA) in vacuum vessel (VV) with large ingress of air induced by rupture in a VV penetration. It has been investigated for the helium cooled pebble bed (HCPB) blanket concept according to the DEMO baseline 2017. The associated primary heat transfer system (PHTS) and the related systems in the tokamak building, from the VV to the PHTS vault and galleries, are considered for the investigation. The LOVA is postulated to occur at a port seal of the electron cyclotron equatorial port plug on the side of the closure plate with (i) a small leak of 1.0 × 10−3 m2, or (ii) a large break size of 1.0 × 10−2 m2. Air ingress from one port cell into the VV leads to the VV pressurization and the fusion power termination followed by an unmitigated plasma disruption. A loss of off-site power for 32 h is assumed to coincide with the disruption. An in-vessel loss of coolant accident (LOCA) is considered as a consequence if the affected first wall (FW) reaches the defined temperature of 1000 °C. The radioactive inventories in the VV (tritium, W-dust) can mobilize towards the VVPSS, the affected systems in the building and the environment due to pressurization, venting and leak conditions. MELCOR 1.8.6 for fusion is applied for this deterministic safety analysis. The resulting releases of radioactivity to the environment are then provided for dose calculation using the computer systems UFOTRI and COSYMA. Outcomes of this LOVA analysis are critically discussed: the transient evolutions of different cases are compared; hydrogen production is detected in case of aggravating FW failure; the source terms (tritium, W-dust) are transported to the connected systems; and the dose results from the environmental releases are provided.
A new type of resonant magnetic perturbation for controlling edge localized modes
Authors: Yang Xu , Liu Yueqiang , Sun Xuan , Xu Wei , Li Li , He Yuling , Xia Guoliang , Hu Hanqing , Zhou Lina
Published: March 2024

A new type of resonant magnetic perturbation (RMP), generated by helical coils, is proposed for controlling the edge localized mode (ELM) in H-mode tokamak plasmas. The helical coil optimization utilizes the MARS-F code (Liu et al 2000 Phys. Plasmas
7 3681) computed linear resistive fluid response of the plasma to the applied RMP field. The optimal helical coils are found to be located near the outboard mid-plane of the torus, with relatively simple shape but tilted towards the equilibrium magnetic field line pitch. Compared to the window-frame ELM control coils, the optimal helical coils require 2–4 times less current, in order to achieve the same ELM control performance specified by various figures of merit adopted in this work. The results from the present study show a promising path forward in achieving ELM control with RMP fields in tokamak plasmas.
Modeling and Optimization for Cost Optimization Model of Material Distribution System in Power Distribution Network--A Case in Hunan
Authors: Tao X , Zhou W H , Guo X W , Zhan G H , Li Z H , Lin Z G , Liu P F , Zhang F , Shen Z L
Published: March 2024

This paper proposes a method to address several issues in the distribution system of distribution network materials, including non-transparent distribution costs, low punctuality of distribution, and frequent misreporting and misreporting of distribution costs by local warehouses. The method involves constructing a distribution hierarchy for distribution network materials and developing a mathematical model to calculate the costs associated with distribution, loading and unloading, and warehouse finishing. Additionally, a node identification mechanism is established based on the demand for distribution network materials to accurately identify nodes that can be removed from distribution routes. Furthermore, a distribution route optimization algorithm is developed to optimize distribution costs. The effectiveness of the method is then verified through its application to the distribution of distribution materials for the Hunan State Grid Corporation.
Method for minor defect detection in electroluminescent solar cells based on CSR-YOLOv5s
Authors: Chen Weike , Luo Xiao , Liu Liang , Feng Fei , Chen Weiqiang
Published: March 2024

The increasing production of solar cells, resulting from the rapid development of new energy sources, necessitates their inspection during both solar cell production and photovoltaic power plant inspection. Target detection algorithms are widely utilized for defect detection in solar cells. To achieve more accurate detection of minor defects in electroluminescent solar cells, an improved algorithm called CSR-YOLOv5s is proposed in this paper. The CSR-YOLOv5s combines Decoupled Head and CSRBlock with the YOLOv5s baseline model. The CSR-Y OLOv5s demonstrates a 1.1% increase in accuracy and a 2.1% increase in F1-score compared to the YOLOv5s baseline model, resulting in improved accuracy and recall. The algorithm effectively identifies minor defects in electroluminescent solar cells.
Operation State Identification of Commercial & Industrial Users
Authors: Mingxi Wang , Kefu Gao , Lin Ye
Published: March 2024

Users’ electricity usage information is helpful to promote performance of load forecasting and demand response. Users’ metering data contains abundant usage information and various approaches have been developed to extract users’ usage information from metering data. Since a user have specific several operation states and the user’s electricity consumption have particular features in each state, user’s operation state identification based approach is developed in this paper. The three phase power with an interval of 15 minutes in a day is utilized as fingerprint of the day. For the abnormal users with anomaly usage, load data should be analysed to get the load fingerprint in each day. Thereafter, the load fingerprint can be clustered with Affinity propagation algorithm. Once the user in suspicious days with much less electricity consumption has similar load fingerprint as that in holiday, the anomaly electricity consumption could be caused by alteration of operation state.
Adversarial Patch Attack Method for Vehicle Target Detection
Authors: Zhang Mingjiang , Bi Junfei , Xie Tao , Zhang Na , Zhao Weihu
Published: March 2024

Due to the susceptibility of intelligent recognition systems to adversarial sample attacks, research on adversarial sample attack methods for target detection is of great significance for improving the safety of vehicle autonomous driving. By studying the transfer-based self-ensemble attack adversarial sample generation algorithm, and based on the trained Faster R-CNN and YOLOX white box target detectors, a cross-model and cross-instance vehicle target detection attack method was designed. Through training, a universal adversarial patch was obtained, which achieved recognition attacks on two types of target detectors and three types of vehicles, resulting in incorrect recognition results being output. Through testing, the average decrease in mAP was about 41.6%, The research results have certain reference significance for the study of autonomous driving safety.
Survey of Research on Face Recognition Methods Based on Depth Learning
Authors: Zhou Xiaobo , Zhu Tian-cai
Published: March 2024

The field of face recognition has recently become a quite popular area of research, which is of great significance to the development of technology. It introduced the definition of face recognition technology and its development process, as well as the technical advantages and application scenarios of the technology. with the development of deep learning, face recognition technology based on deep learning is gradually realized. firstly, the limitations of traditional face recognition technology are pointed out. Then, several popular face recognition methods based on depth learning are analyzed. Finally, this paper introduces the application of deep learning technology in face recognition, summarizes a new deep learning model based on big data, and summarizes and prospects the development of face recognition technology in the future.
Research on Fault Diagnosis of Thermal Power System of Thermal Power Unit under Different Loads
Authors: Deng Liming , Wen Wen , Luo Cuie , Jiang Xin , Peng Liang , Liu Qing
Published: March 2024

Aiming at the problem of difficulty in acquiring fault data under different loads, a domain-adversarial-based fault diagnosis method for convolutional neural networks is established by combining convolutional neural networks with adversarial domain adaptive methods. The method uses convolutional neural networks to extract the fault features of the source and target domain samples, and simultaneously implements joint adjustment of the distributions of the domain-level and class-level features, aligns the feature distributions of the source and target domains by minimizing the difference in the distributions of the two domains through adversarial learning of the domains and aligns the feature distributions of each class of faults by making the distributions of the same kind of features closer through the loss of the central discriminant. With the help of a 600MW supercritical thermal power unit full-working condition simulation system, experiments are carried out under 100%, 90%, 80% and 70% of the rated load, and the results show that the method has effectiveness and superiority in the fault diagnosis of thermal system under different loads.
Fault Diagnosis Method of Inter-Turn Short Circuit of Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor Based on Third Harmonic
Authors: Wang Hongying
Published: March 2024

In order to realize the effective diagnosis of turn to turn short circuit fault of permanent magnet synchronous motor, a method of turn to turn short circuit fault diagnosis of permanent magnet synchronous motor based on third harmonic is proposed in this paper. Establish the system frequency oscillation analysis model of permanent magnet synchronous motor under the condition of turn to turn short circuit, collect the turn to turn harmonic of permanent magnet synchronous motor, then realize the third harmonic detection of permanent magnet synchronous motor under turn to turn short circuit fault, and detect the inertia of permanent magnet synchronous motor system. Based on the transient energy analysis and fault feature extraction, the turn to turn short circuit fault of permanent magnet synchronous motor is diagnosed. The test results show that this method has high reliability and good detection performance, and can improve the output stability and condition monitoring ability of permanent magnet synchronous motor.
Research on Power Balance Control Method of Electronic Transformer
Authors: Nie Qiong
Published: March 2024

Aiming at the problem of poor output stability and power gain of the power electronic transformer of the microgrid energy storage system, a power balance control method for the power electronic transformer of the microgrid energy storage system based on parallel modular multi-level commutation control is proposed. The reactive power outer loop parameter fusion method is used to sample the power dynamic load parameters and information fusion processing for the transformers in the system. According to the static limit active power adjustment of the fuzzy parameter factors on the output voltage side of the DC port, the steady-state gain of the power electronic transformer of the microgrid energy storage system is calculated. The static current limiting adjustment method is used to construct the feedback compensation model of the power electronic transformer of the microgrid energy storage system. In the active power control loop, the optimal design of the power electronic transformer power balance control of the microgrid energy storage system is realized through transient stable power adjustment. The test results show that using this method to perform power balance control on the power electronic transformer of the microgrid energy storage system has high output stability and good active power balance, which improves the robustness and adaptability of the transformer balance control.
Automatic identification of transformer excitation inrush based on second-order Taylor coefficient
Authors: Guo Xirong
Published: March 2024

In order to solve the time-consuming problem of the existing automatic identification methods of transformer inrush current, an automatic identification method of transformer inrush current based on second-order Taylor coefficient was designed. Ignore the leakage resistance and winding resistance of transformer winding, get the second harmonic characteristic quantity, assume the transformer variable ratio value is fixed, identify the transformer winding parameters, introduce the decay coefficient to describe the characteristic of excitation inrush current gradually decaying with time, construct the excitation inrush current Taylor expansion phase model, and set the automatic identification mode based on the second order Taylor coefficient. Experimental results: The designed transformer excitation inrush current automatic identification method and the other two transformer excitation inrush current automatic identification method of the elapsed time were: 55.32ms, 71.52ms, 71.04ms, indicating that after the integration of the second-order Taylor coefficient, the designed transformer excitation inrush current automatic identification method better performance.
Assessment of hemostatic ability of biomaterial based on chitosan and Eclipta prostrata L. extract
Authors: Linh Nguyen Ngoc , Manh Vu Quoc , Chau Giang La , Chinh Nguyen Thuy , Dung Hoang Tran , Thuy Duong Tran Thi , Hoang Thai , Trung Vu Quoc
Published: March 2024

The biomaterials based on chitosan and Eclipta prostrata L. extract have been prepared by microemulsion method and solution method (with and without sodium tripolyphosphate (STPP) as a cross-linking agent). The main component in Eclipta prostrata L. extract is flavonoid groups. The structure of the chitosan/extract biomaterials was studied by infrared spectroscopy. The chitosan/extract biomaterial using STPP cross-linker appeared an absorption band at 1152 cm−1 attributed to the vibrations of C–O–P bonds, which proved that chitosan has crosslinked with STPP. The morphology of the biomaterials was investigated by the dynamic light scattering technique and field emission scanning electron microscopy. The obtained results showed that the particle size of the chitosan/extract biomaterials prepared by microemulsion method and solution method with STPP ranged from 68.06 nm to 1484 nm, with an average particle size of 304.9–1019 nm. The microemulsion method produced biomaterials with much smaller average particle size than the solution method using cross-linkers. The hemostatic ability of the biomaterials was better than that of the control sample based on the time of blood clotting formation and glomerular aggregation ability. The sample with the ratio of E. prostrata L. extract: chitosan of 1:30 had the lowest hemostasis time (6 min 46 s) and its glomerular aggregation rate after 5 min was 13.05%. This indicated that the biomaterials based on chitosan and E. prostrata L. extract are promising for application in biomedicine as hemostatic materials.
Optimization of methane yield from co-digestion of alkalipretreated groundnut shells and duck waste using response surface methodology
Authors: Olatunji K O , Madyira D M
Published: March 2024

Anaerobic co-digestion of lignocellulose feedstock with livestock waste can assist in overcoming the challenges of digesting lignocellulose and balancing the nutrient contents of the process. This study investigated the optimum conditions for methane yield production from anaerobic co-digestion of alkali-pretreated groundnut shells and duck waste using Response Surface Methodology (RSM). A central composite design of the RSM model with three input variables of retention time, temperature, and substrate mixing ratio was used to set up the anaerobic digestion process. Individual and interactive influence of the three process parameters were examined. The result showed that all three process parameters considered are significant and determine the methane yield. The developed RSM model predicted a daily methane yield of 53.33 mL CH4/g VSadded for optimal conditions of 11 days, 26 °C temperature, and 50: 50 mixing ratio, which is not the same as the optimum methane yield observed from the experiment (54.26 mL CH4/g VSadded) and at different process conditions. Cumulative methane yields of 666.72 and 666.66 mL CH4/g VSadded were predicted and observed, respectively, which shows a very close range. The RSM coefficient of determination (R2) value of 0.8251 (82.51%) was observed, indicating a close fit between the predicted and observed yields. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) p < 0.0001 indicates that the developed model could be helpful in anaerobic co-digestion of lignocellulose materials and livestock waste. This study can be replicated at the industrial scale.
Residual Stress Prediction during TIG and MIG Welding Process of Steel - A Review
Authors: Lawal S L , Afolalu S A
Published: March 2024

In this study, a forensic review of residual stress predictions and its impact on welded joints especially the steel pipes during the Tungsten inert gas welding and metal inert gas welding processes were reviewed. It was established that in the case of MIG welding, the effect of residual stress can be reduced after treatment. In the case of TIG welding process, increase in current will lead to deformation and residual stresses. Estimating the residual stress is a challenging task. It is common to predict residual stress using a notch stress intensity factor, a numerical simulation approach coupled with a thermal-mechanical finite element model. Thus, adequate design in welding parameters will help in the optimization of the process to achieve a safe and reliable welded joint during TIG and MIG welding process.
The Impact of Stand-Alone Systems in Nigeria’s Energy Distribution Sector and Present-Day Challenges Faced
Authors: Stephanie Nwangwu , Amanesi Abubakar John , Faith Ademola Omolola
Published: March 2024

The electricity situation in Nigeria has become alarming, with the population increasing over the years, the supply of electricity has failed to reach the demand. With over 223 million residents in the country, 95 million people lack an adequate supply of electricity. 91% of the supply is allocated to the urban areas while 30% at most reaches the rural economy due to constraints in the electrical grid. This has caused overdependence on other sources of generation such as diesel generators, and other means of generation. Using these other sources of generation has contributed to the nation’s carbon footprint and global warming. This paper aims to study the impact of stand-alone microgrids and how they could curb the electricity deficit in Nigeria, there is also a brief background on renewable energy as it forms the foundation of microgrids. This paper concludes that though microgrids could mitigate global warming and curb the country’s electricity deficit, factors such as security and management are preventing the successful implementation of these means.
Experimental investigation of the impact of GMAW welding parameters on the mechanical properties of AISI 316L/ER 316L using quaternary shielding gas
Authors: Khrais Samir , Al Hmoud Hadeel , Abdel Al Ahmad , Darabseh Tariq
Published: March 2024

In this study, the parameters of Metal Inert Gas (MIG) and Metal Active Gas (MAG) were investigated of AISI 316L/ER 316L. A quaternary shielding gas mixture consisting of Argon (Ar), Helium (He), Carbon Dioxide (CO2), and Nitrogen (N2) was chosen. The Taguchi orthogonal array (OA-L9) methodology was employed to explore optimal welding settings, including arc current (120A, 160A, 200A), wire feed rate (3, 3.5, 4 m min−1), and shielding gas combination (G1, G2, G3). The findings highlighted the importance of shielding gas in influencing the ultimate tensile strength (UTS), elongation percentage (EL%), and material toughness of welding joints. Notably, the highest UTS (515.77 MPa), EL% (20.85%), and material toughness (133J) were achieved by the specific group gas combination shown as G1. It is recommended to configure welding parameters to an arc current of 160A, a wire feed rate of 4 m min−1, and the G1 gas combination. Welded specimens using a G1 gas mixture showcased the best UTS and EL%. Additionally, it was found that the fusion zone (FZ) and heat-affected zone (HAZ) hardness are most profoundly influenced by the choice of gas combination (G2), resulting in the best hardness values of 253.79 HV and 239.68 HV, respectively. The optimal parameters for achieving the desired material hardness were precisely identified as (120A, 3 m min−1, G2). These insights offer a pathway to enhance welding performance and, in turn, elevate the quality and efficiency of industrial applications.
Study on operational temperature of magneto-rheological fluid and design dimensions of magneto-rheological damper for optimization
Authors: Kumar Kariganaur Ashok , Kumar Hemantha , Arun M
Published: March 2024

This study aims to restrict the upper limit for flow gap and effective length in magnetorheological (MR) damper for optimal performance. Initially, the sedimentation study of in-house MR fluid (25%) shows that an 8% reduction in the sedimentation ratio with the addition of additive and nonlinear Herschel-Bulkley (HB) model fit reflects a 32.5% decrease in average yield stress with increasing currents when the parallel plate gap is increased from 1 mm to 2 mm. Owing to this decrease in yield stress, further study is extended to fabricate two MR dampers with limit values (LV) of flow gap and effective length with a common magnetic outer cylinder. Testing results of MR dampers revealed a 72% reduction in damping force at 0.8 A current when the LV’s is increased from LV-1 to LV-2. Selecting LV-1 over LV-2 as the upper limit for any design optimization will give the MR damper optimal performance. At higher input parameters, amplitude has a 135% greater impact on damping force than frequency and current. It is also demonstrated that saturation magnetization depends on the applied magnetic field and input loading parameters. Finally, gravimetric analysis shows that the effectiveness of the MR fluid and magnetic particle starts to decline after 322 °C and 400 °C.
The effect of workplace mobility on air pollution exposure inequality—a case study in the Central Belt of Scotland
Authors: Liška Tomáš , Heal Mathew R , Lin Chun , Vieno Massimo , Carnell Edward J , Tomlinson Samuel J , Loh Miranda , Reis Stefan
Published: March 2024

A large number of epidemiological studies have identified air pollution as a major risk to human health. Exposures to the pollutants PM2.5, NO2 and O3 cause cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, cancer and premature mortality. Whilst previous studies have reported demographic inequalities in exposure, with the most deprived and susceptible often being disproportionately exposed to the highest pollutant concentrations, the vast majority of these studies have quantified exposure based only on individuals’ place of residence. Here we use anonymised personal data from UK Census 2011, and hourly modelled air pollution concentrations at 0.8 km × 1.4 km spatial resolution in the Central Belt of Scotland, to investigate how inclusion of time spent at place of work or study affects demographic inequalities in exposure. We split the population by sex, ethnic group, age and socio-economic status. Exposure gradients are observed across all demographic characteristics. Air pollution exposures of males are more affected by workplace exposures than females. The White ethnic group has the lowest exposures to NO2 and PM2.5, and highest to O3. Exposures to NO2 and PM2.5 tend to peak between the ages of 21 and 30, but those aged 31–50 tend to be most impacted by the inclusion of time spent at workplace in the exposure assessment. People in the two least deprived deciles consistently have the lowest residential-only and combined residential-workplace exposure to NO2 and PM2.5, but experience the highest increase in exposure when including workplace. Overall, including workplace exposure results in relatively small change in median exposure but attenuates some of the exposure inequalities associated with ethnicity and socioeconomic status observed in exposure assessments based only on place of residence.
Agroecological innovation to scale livestock agriculture for positive economic, environmental, and social outcomes
Authors: Gratton Claudio , Strauser John , Jordan Nicholas , Jackson Randall D
Published: March 2024

Livestock agriculture must change to meet demand for food production while building soil, reducing flooding, retaining nutrients, enhancing biodiversity, and supporting thriving communities. Technological innovations, including those in digital and precision agriculture, are unlikely by themselves to create the magnitude and directionality of transformation of livestock production systems that are needed. We begin by comparing technological, ecological and social innovations in feedlot-finished and pasture-finished cattle production and propose that what is required is a more integrative ‘agroecological innovation’ process that intentionally weaves these three forms of innovation to transition livestock agriculture to be genuinely regenerative and multifunctional. This integrated system emphasizes social innovations as essential components of the innovation system because of their capacity to address and influence the social context into which technological and ecological innovations occur. In particular, regional place-making can be especially useful as an interactive process of designing regional identities as people engage with one another and their environments to define landscape futures and the related social standards that normalize particular land management practices. Intentionally developing innovations can help communities engage in relational place-making processes to define desired outcomes for agricultural landscapes and develop ways to collaborate towards achieving them, including the creation of novel supply chains that support regenerative livestock systems. As social norms evolve through place-making they influence individual behaviors and agricultural practices on the ground and offer a pathway for more rapid scaling of regenerative practices in livestock agriculture. Regional place-making also can influence the ‘meta’ context of agricultural systems by engaging with public and private institutions responsible for management of natural resources, food systems, and the public good, further accelerating the scaling process. Emerging agroecological innovation systems for livestock agriculture must be designed and governed in ways that ensure responsible and diverse outcomes compatible with their social and ecological contexts, and with management approaches and technologies consistent with the values and goals of communities in a region.
Drosophila Fog/Cta and T48 pathways have overlapping and distinct contributions to mesoderm invagination
Authors: Horo Uzuki , Clarke D. Nathaniel , Martin Adam C.
Published: March 2024

The regulation of the cytoskeleton by multiple signaling pathways, sometimes in parallel, is a common principle of morphogenesis. A classic example of regulation by parallel pathways is Drosophila gastrulation, where the inputs from the Folded gastrulation (Fog)/Concertina (Cta) and the T48 pathways induce apical constriction and mesoderm invagination. Whether there are distinct roles for these separate pathways in regulating the complex spatial and temporal patterns of cytoskeletal activity that accompany early embryo development is still poorly understood. We investigated the roles of the Fog/Cta and T48 pathways and found that, by themselves, the Cta and T48 pathways both promote timely mesoderm invagination and apical myosin II accumulation, with Cta being required for timely cell shape change ahead of mitotic cell division. We also identified distinct functions of T48 and Cta in regulating cellularization and the uniformity of the apical myosin II network, respectively. Our results demonstrate that both redundant and distinct functions for the Fog/Cta and T48 pathways exist.
Women and Employment
Authors: Milner Susan
Published: March 2024

The first chapter sets out the key themes of the book, starting from the observation that, although the number of women in paid employment increased considerably from the mid-1980s, significant obstacles to women’s equal participation remain. This pattern is one of a ‘stalled revolution’ whereby public policy has failed to keep up with societal change, resulting in weak rights for women in the workplace, which have been further eroded since 2010. During the Labour years (1997–2010), new rights were introduced to support women as employees (such as the national minimum wage) and to support parents at work. However, rights were often adopted in a minimalist way, reducing their impact and sometimes entrenching exclusionary mechanisms. The introductory chapter sets out the approach taken in the book and sets the Women and Work Commission (2004–9) in a longer perspective of an unfinished agenda for change.
Esthetic Issues in Behavioral Dentistry
Authors: Albino Judith E. , Alley Thomas R. , Tedesco Lisa A. , Tobiasen Joyce A. , Kiyak H. Asuman , Lawrence Sandra D.
Published: March 2024

This paper provides a brief overview of foundational research on general facial attractiveness, followed by descriptions of several conditions affecting dental-facial appearance and the treatments for these conditions, as well as a discussion of the methodological and measurement concerns that have shaped this area of research. Facial esthetics has been shown to be the most consistent and compelling determinant of self and social perceptions and attributions. Consequently, dental and surgical practitioners would benefit from the ability to assess accurately the true impact, or psychosocial liability, of various types of impairment, including cleft lip and/or palate, orthognathic conditions, and the broad range of commonly-occurring malocclusions. Many misperceptions about the etiology and effects of impairments persist among the general public, and these contribute to the negative influence that dental-facial impairments can have on the evaluation of facial appearance. Surgical and orthodontic treatment can significantly improve self-perceptions of dental-facial appearance and some aspects of self-image. Researchers also have developed reliable techniques for assessing these effects. Future research should be focused on clarifying responses to dental-facial impairment, and building on current foundations within a social-cognitive framework, which appears particularly well-suited to these issues.
Social, Economic, and Professional Dimensions of the Oral Health Care Delivery System
Authors: Gift Helen C. , Gerbert Barbara , Kress Gerald C. , Reisine Susan T.
Published: March 2024

This article reviews issues which serve as the basis for future research in the area of the oral health care delivery system. The review is presented within the context of the larger health care and social environment and includes assessments of structure and organization, participants, access and utilization, professional training, and science transfer. The major trends in the sociodemographics of the U.S. population, changes in oral health status, and abilities to alter disease processes through prevention and treatment strategies are among the challenges addressed. The conclusions of the review illustrate the complexity of the oral health care delivery system as a research opportunity for behavioral and social scientists.
Increasing the Effectiveness of the National Cholesterol Education Program: Dietary and Behavioral Interventions for Clinical Settings
Authors: Southard Douglas R. , Winett Richard A. , Walberg-Rankin Janet L. , Neubauer Tamara E. , Donckers-Roseveare Kathryn , Burkett Paul A. , Gould Robert A. , Lombard David , Moore John F.
Published: March 2024

The National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) is the cornerstone of primary care efforts to treat hypercholesterolemia. It provides diagnostic criteria and an outline of appropriate assessment and treatment protocols. The initial treatment emphasis is on the Step 1, low-cholesterol, low-fat diet. A review of these guidelines from a behavioral perspective suggests that there may be several areas of concern. These include: (a) the absence of attention given to developing sufficient motivation for behavior change; (b) the limited efficacy of routine dietary education for promoting dietary changes; (c) the apparent need for diets more rigorous than the Step 1 and Step 2 guidelines to substantially lower cholesterol in some individuals; (d) the extensive support such dietary interventions must have from established behavioral change strategies; and (e) the lack of enthusiasm and experience many physicians and other medical personnel have for nutrition interventions. It is suggested that more conceptually-based behavioral assessment procedures, such as those based upon the stages of change model, could broaden the impact of the NCEP. In addition, data are presented which suggest that the NCEP could have greater effectiveness if more exacting behavioral strategies are followed. Interactive, multimedia systems are discussed as one means to facilitate dietary interventions in primary care settings. Finally, the importance of integrating measures designed to enhance long-term maintenance of dietary modifications is emphasized along with the need for more ongoing research within the NCEP.
Coping with Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Review of a Decade of Research
Authors: Zautra Alex J. , Manne Sharon L.
Published: March 2024

This article reviews empirical studies on coping with rheumatoid arthritis conducted over the past ten years. Two literatures on coping with arthritis have developed: one which sees coping within the general framework of a stress and coping paradigm, and the other which derives from clinical attempts to classify behavioral responses to pain that may be the focus of interventions. From these literatures, two types of measures are identified: one general measure of coping and the other specific to pain management. Each of these measurement approaches has been useful in describing some of the coping efforts of patients with rheumatoid arthritis, but each is also limited in scope. More comprehensive instruments would advance the field. Central conceptual issues also remain and pose opportunities for future theory-based research on the measurement and meaning of the coping response. Finally, design problems are reviewed, and recommendations for improvements that would strengthen research studies conducted in the future are presented.
Psychosocial Impact of Breast Cancer: A Critical Review
Authors: Glanz Karen , Lerman Caryn
Published: March 2024

This article reviews recent literature on the psychosocial impact of breast cancer, with a focus on the adjustment period, treatment, and psychosocial interventions. These studies have shown that as many as one-quarter of women with breast cancer suffer marked psychological morbidity associated with diagnosis and treatment, though for many women psychological distress declines substantially within a year after treatment. Research regarding treatment options has shown that, for women who can be treated with breast-conserving surgery, less invasive surgery may result in less body image concern and better sexual functioning. Factors which appear to moderate the impact of breast cancer on women's psychological health include coping styles, information preferences, social support, and pre-treatment psychiatric morbidity. Studies of psychosocial interventions suggest positive effects of social support, cognitive therapy, and supportive information. Future research efforts should be directed toward understanding special subgroups of women, and developing and testing behavioral interventions to improve psychosocial adjustment among women at high risk. Approaches which enhance patient–provider communication and patient involvement in care may be most beneficial.
Applications of Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring in Behavioral Medicine
Authors: Pickering Thomas G.
Published: March 2024

The role of behavioral factors in the development of hypertension remains an enigma. To some extent this may be attributable to inadequate techniques for measuring blood pressure. Behavioral research has traditionally relied on two methods— laboratory studies of blood pressure reactivity and epidemiological studies, where a small number of casual blood pressure measurements have been recorded in a clinic or laboratory. Both methods are open to criticism. Blood pressure is continually varying, and at any one moment in time it is highly dependent on the emotional and physical state of the individual. This may result in a major confounding factor for behaviorally-oriented studies. The introduction of non-invasive ambulatory blood pressure monitoring offers an opportunity to overcome these limitations, since large numbers of blood pressure readings can be taken while subjects go about their normal daily activities. Several applications of the technique are possible: (a) it enables the study of the immediate effects of physical and mental activity on blood pressure; (b) one can investigate whether a particular environment has a sustained effect on blood pressure; and (c) the effects of interventions can be assessed.
Psychosocial Aspects of Cardiovascular Disease in Women: Introduction and Overview
Authors: Blumenthal Susan J. , Matthews Karen A.
Published: March 2024

In 1992, a panel of experts examined the existing literature on the biobehavioral and psychosocial factors important to the etiology, course, and rehabilitation from coronary heart disease (CHD) in women. This article summarizes the panel's overarching recommendations for the application of existing knowledge to clinical practice and for key areas of clinical research needed on the etiology, prevention, and treatment of CHD in women.
The Relationship Between Laboratory and Ambulatory Cardiovascular Activity: Current Evidence and Future Directions1–3
Authors: Turner J. Rick , Ward Marcia M. , Gellman Marc D. , Johnston Derek W. , Light Kathleen C. , van Doornen Lorenz J. P.
Published: March 2024

This review examines studies which have investigated the relationships between laboratory and field cardiovascular activity. These studies explore associations between cardiovascular data collected during typical laboratory stress-testing paradigms and data collected via ambulatory monitoring while subjects are engaged in their usual activities outside the experimental laboratory. Despite the widely ranging methodologies and analytical techniques, it can be concluded that there is presently moderate evidence for laboratory-field generalization of cardiovascular activity, although the evidence varies in strength for different types of laboratory-field associations. Suggested future directions include the incorporation of several promising analytical techniques, consideration of physical activity and posture, the employment of ambulatory hemodynamic data when the advent of appropriate hardware permits, and the assessment of cardiovascular activity during both specific and non-specific stressors in a single paradigm.
Drinking and Smoking: a Field Study of their Association
Authors: Shiftman Saul , Fischer Lynn A. , Paty Jean A. , Gnys Maryann , Hickcox Mary , Kassel Jon D.
Published: March 2024

Alcohol and tobacco seem to go together: individuals who drink tend to smoke, and vice versa. Users of both substances also seem to use them together; in particular, drinking seems to cue smoking. However, this relationship has not been studied in real-world contexts. We examined the situational association between drinking and smoking using Ecological Momentary Assessments (EMAs). Using a palm-top computer, 57 subjects reported the circumstances surrounding smoking occasions; as a comparison, subjects were assessed at random times when they were not smoking. A total of 4,020 observations were gathered over one week. Drinking was associated with smoking (odds ratio = 2.1). The effect was greater among heavier drinkers. This link persisted even when situational factors, such as time of day and engagement in leisure activity, were controlled, weakening conditioning explanations of the association. The data also did not support pharmacological compensation models: the degree of cognitive impairment when drinking did not predict the likelihood of smoking. The data were also inconsistent with a model based on disinhibition of smoking restraint, in that the relationship was not stronger among more restrained subjects. The data suggested that questionnaire reports of smoking patterns were invalid: the actual, observed link between drinking and smoking was not related to subjects' characterization of this relationship.
Mood, Location and Physical Position as Predictors of Ambulatory Blood Pressure and Heart Rate: Application of a Multi-Level Random Effects Model
Authors: Schwartz Joseph E. , Warren Katherine , Pickering Thomas G.
Published: March 2024

Despite the popularity of ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) in behavioral research and the interest in the role of negative affect in cardiovascular disease, few studies have examined the prevalence and cardiovascular effects of mood states on blood pressure (BP) and heart rate during everyday life. Those that have done this have used suboptimal analytic techniques.

The present analysis is based on 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure (ABP) readings from 246 normotensive subjects who are part of an ongoing worksite study. Subjects were asked to report their position, location, activity, mood, and social interaction at the time of each BP reading. The data are analyzed by a multilevel random effects model based on a repeated measures ANO VA.

The initial analysis evaluates the effects of position (standing, sitting, reclining) and location (home, work, other). The BP changes associated with position are relatively large (8–12 mm Hg) and stable across individuals, while those for location are modest (2–4 mm Hg) and show considerable inter-subject variation. Subjects were asked to record one or more of twelve mood states; 65% of readings were reported as “neutral,” 12% as “happy,” 7% as “anxious,” 6% as “tired,” and less than 1% as “angry.” After controlling for position, location, and significant moods, significant increases of both systolic and diastolic BP were observed for “angry” (4/4 mm Hg systolic/diastolic BP), “excited” (3/2 mm Hg), and “happy” (1/1 mm Hg). Significant decreases of both BPs were observed for “tired” (−2/−1 mm Hg). Heart rate changes were generally inconsistent, except for an increase associated with feeling “rushed” (1 bpm).

We conclude that while position and location account for a substantial part of the overall BP and heart rate variance, the effects of position are greater than would be expected on purely hemodynamic grounds and may be attributed to unreported differences in the level of arousal. Anger was the least regularly reported mood but is associated with the largest increase of BP. In total, mood does not account for much of the variance in BP or heart rate.
Prevalence of swallowing disorder in different dementia subtypes among older adults: a meta-analysis
Authors: Putri Alfiani Rahmi , Chu Yu-Hao , Chen Ruey , Chiang Kai-Jo , Banda Kondwani Joseph , Liu Doresses , Lin Hui-Chen , Niu Shu-Fen , Chou Kuei-Ru
Published: March 2024

Background

Ageing process and abnormal protein accumulation in dementia damage neural pathways affecting the swallowing process and leading to swallowing disorder.

Objective

To estimate the prevalence of swallowing disorder among older adults with different dementia subtypes.

Methods

We conducted a systematic search across multiple databases, including PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science and OVID Medline. The meta-analysis employed R (version 4.0.2) and utilised a generalised linear mixed model with a random-effect approach to estimate the pooled prevalence of swallowing disorder among older adults, considering various dementia subtypes. The quality of included studies was assessed using Hoy’s criteria. Heterogeneity was identified through Cochrane’s Q and I2 statistics. To further explore heterogeneity, moderator analysis was performed to identify the contributing variables among the included studies.

Results

Eighteen studies with 12,532 older adults with different dementia subtypes were enrolled in our meta-analysis. The pooled prevalence of swallowing disorder among older adults with dementia was 58%, with 46.5% for Alzheimer’s dementia, 34.9% for Parkinson’s dementia, 18.8% for vascular dementia, 16.3% for mixed dementia and 12.2% for Lewy body dementia. According to assessment tools, Alzheimer’s dementia had the highest prevalence, with 58% in instrumental assessments and 39% in clinical assessments. Medical history, Alzheimer’s dementia, moderate-to-severe Clinical Dementia Rating, delayed oral phase, delayed pharyngeal phase and poor tongue motility contributed to the heterogeneity of the included studies.

Conclusions

More than half of older adults with dementia demonstrate to have swallowing disorder. Our findings offer valuable insights to healthcare professionals for the identification of swallowing disorder in ageing population with dementia.
Iatrogenic hyperchloremia: An overview in hospitalized patients for pharmacists
Authors: Most Amoreena , Nordbeck Sarah , Farina Nicholas
Published: March 2024

Purpose

The purpose of this therapeutic update is to provide pharmacists with a general overview of the pathophysiology of hyperchloremia and describe strategies to help prevent development of this electrolyte abnormality in hospitalized patients.

Hyperchloremia is an electrolyte abnormality associated with an increased incidence of acute kidney injury and metabolic acidosis. Intravenous (IV) fluids utilized for volume resuscitation, medication diluents, and total parental nutrition all may contribute to the development of hyperchloremia. Current evidence suggests that administration of balanced crystalloids for either fluid resuscitation or maintenance fluids may impact serum chloride levels and patient outcomes. In multiple randomized controlled trials, administering balanced crystalloids for fluid resuscitation in critically ill patient populations did not decrease mortality. However, further analyses of subpopulations within these trials have demonstrated that patients with sepsis may benefit from receiving balanced crystalloids for initial fluid resuscitation. Results from several small studies suggest that altering the composition of these IV fluids may help prevent development of hyperchloremia.

Conclusion

Management of hyperchloremia is preventative in nature and can be mitigated through management of resuscitation fluids, medication diluents, and total parenteral nutrition. Inpatient pharmacists should be aware of the potential risk of fluid-associated hyperchloremia and assist with optimal fluid management to prevent and manage hyperchloremia.