bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparison of properties of ternary fuel blends of diesel-octanol with biodiesel
Authors: Sidharth  , Kumar Naveen
Published: December 2019

Biodiesel is adopted by many countries as a substitute to diesel and is used in blended form in a diesel engine. It has very similar properties to diesel. However, owing to slightly higher viscosity, density and nitrogen oxide (NOX) emissions on burning, it still is not the best choice. Octanol, have similar properties to diesel. Octanol has added oxygen and also reduces the NOX emissions due to the quenching effect in the cylinder. However, its lower calorific value shall reduce engine performance. In the current study, waste cooking oil biodiesel is produced by a single step transesterification process and several blends of diesel, biodiesel and octanol were prepared. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and oxidation stability tests of the produced biodiesel were performed. FTIR test confirmed the presence of biodiesel. Oxidation stability test of biodiesel was also passed as the induction time in over 6 hours. Blends of diesel and octanol were prepared in proportion of diesel (95%, 90%, 85% and 80%) and octanol (5%, 10%, 15% and 20%). These blends were added to 3%, 5% and 10% biodiesel. Several physico-chemical properties namely density, viscosity, calorific value, flash point and cold filter plugging point (CFPP) were determined as per ASTM standards. It is concluded that the 10% octanol, 90% diesel when mixed with 10% biodiesel showed very similar properties to diesel and shall be a viable alternative to petroleum diesel.
Machining Characteristics of Titanium Ti-6Al-4V, Inconel 718 and Tool Steel – A Critical Review
Authors: Altaf Mohammad , Prakash Dwivedi Shashi , Shamsh Kanwar Rao , Ahmad Siddiqui Imran , Sagar Pravin , Ahmad Shakil
Published: December 2019

Machining of hard material is always a big challenge for industrial application point of view. However, machining of this hard material is possible by taking appropriate machining parameters. Titanium Ti-6Al-4, Inconel 718 and Tool Steel are also very hard material. In this study, comparative machining study of these materials was discussed. From the exhaust literature of these materials, it was observed that machining of all these three types of hard material is possible with good surface finish by taking appropriate machining parameters.
Advancement of Renewable Energy Technology in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region: Prevailing Schemes, Consumer Feedback, Barriers and Future Scope
Authors: Yusuf Khan Faraz , Zahra Talat , Ahmad Noman , Bajpai Shrish
Published: December 2019

Present manuscript is a statistics-based approach towards the progression of Renewable Energy Technologies in the financial capital of India, Mumbai and the metro-city ecosystem that is based around Mumbai termed as the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. Factors which present themselves as bottlenecks and roadblocks towards the adoption of Renewable Energy Technologies by the populace of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region have been statistically analysed. 53% responses were in favour of installing Renewable Energy Technology however, 63% respondents had no awareness regarding Renewable Energy Schemes formulated by the Government of India. The authors of this manuscript have found parameters such as origin, awareness, educational background, usage of electricity and support for Renewable Energy Technology are some of the factors which are taken in account in this manuscript. Corrective measures have also been suggested to the authorities by the authors of this paper so that full utilization of schemes and subsidies provided by the Government of India to the citizens of the Mumbai Metropolitan region may be adopted and used to make India a negative carbon footprint nation.
A review of “performance analysis and optimization of car air spoilers”
Authors: Singh K K , Bahri H , Singh H , Singh J
Published: December 2019

Before last decade, due to surplus amount of fuel, cars are designed for high speed operation, comfort and safety. As scarcity of fuel increases due to high consumption of fuel in automobiles, many researchers started working on the idea of alternative fuels, redesign of car body and reducing aerodynamic losses. To overcome these losses spoilers are used and hence it is needed to optimize its shape. This study is primarily focused to find out optimized shape of car spoiler so that mass can be minimized which help in reducing fuel consumption without affecting its aerodynamic properties and strength. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analysis of two dimensional model of spoiler is done whose results are validated by earlier research work in this field for understanding variation of aerodynamic property of cross-section. Three dimensional CFD analysis of spoiler gives aerodynamic property and pressure data which is needed to compare result of optimized model formed by optimized cross-sectional shape. Shape optimization is done by Shape Optimization tool of ANSYS 14.0 which is further tested for design failure in ABAQUS 6.11. The result of shape optimization has saved 18.74% of material keeping all its strength and aerodynamic property intact. This study open provides a numerical tool for improvement of future model of spoiler in terms of reduction of mass.
Performance Index of Frugal Manufacturing System
Authors: Kumar Agrawal Manoj , Kumar Surender
Published: December 2019

Frugal excellence is a coordinated response to today’s highly competitive environment. Frugal manufacturing philosophy asks for elimination of waste hidden in the manufacturing system by eliminating non value adding activities. Frugal manufacturing is a very successful strategy and can be applied to all type of organizations i.e. manufacturing or service organization etc. In this paper after giving a brief idea about frugal philosophy, different types of wastes, causes of wastes, a designed questionnaire for self test has been given along with evaluation criteria to identify the weakness and strength of an industry for successful implementation of frugal manufacturing strategy. It also gives a methodology for evaluation and improvement of performance index using the principle of continuous improvement. A case study of wastes elimination by computation of Frugal Manufacturing Index (FMI) has been discussed. Results obtained are quite encouraging. Idea presented in the paper will be useful for those who want to implement frugal manufacturing index in their organization.
Performance assessment of hybrid PVT air collector using GSA-CS algorithm
Authors: Diwania Sourav , Gupta Anmol , Siddiqui Anwar S , Agrawal Sanjay , Pal Yash
Published: December 2019

In the last few decades, enormous attention is drawn towards PV/T systems due to their advantages as compared to solar PV or solar thermal systems individually. In this proposed paper, hybrid Gravitational Search Algorithm (GSA)-Cuckoo Search (CS) has been implemented to optimize the parameters of glazed hybrid PVT air collector. Although there are various parameters which affects the thermal and electrical performance of PVT system but in this paper only four parameters namely Channel length below the PV panel, channel depth, velocity of fluid flowing through the channel and temperature of fluid at the inlet of the channel have been considered for optimization using the hybrid approach. The outcomes shows that GSA-CS algorithm is proved to be very efficient techniques to be used to optimized the parameters of hybrid PVT module. The result of the analysis shows that the average value of exergy efficiency is 14.8228% when the parameters are optimized using hybrid GSA-CS algorithm.
Performance evaluation of CI engine using diesel, diesel-biodiesel blends and diesel-kerosene blends through exergy analysis
Authors: Srivastava Shruti , Chaubey Harsha , Parvez Yusuf
Published: December 2019

Conventional fuels like diesel and petroleum have been the main sources of energy for several years. The increasing demand for energy has put pressure on the usage of these fuels, resulting in much higher depletion rates over the last few years rendering the search for alternative sources of energy as the utmost priority. Attempts are being made to find suitable fuel which when blended with these commercial fuels offers same or improved engine performance and efficiency with fewer losses. Biodiesel is among those alternatives. In this paper, exergy analysis of a single cylinder diesel engine, which is water-cooled, having a rating of 5HP has been done. Biodiesel and kerosene have been blended with pure diesel and a comparative exergy analysis is done between pure diesel and all the blends. Dead state analysis has been performed for B20 (20% biodiesel and 80% diesel by volume) and K40 (40% kerosene and 60% diesel by volume). Exergy of exhaust gases decreased slightly on increasing load for all the blends and pure diesel except for K30, for which it is observed to be maximum at 20% load. Second law efficiency is increasing with an increase in applied load for all the diesel-biodiesel and diesel-kerosene blends. Dead state temperature is varied from 273K to 323K, exhaust availability decreased by 218.948 kJ for B20 and by 450.489 kJ for K40.The irreversibility increased by 218.948 kJ for B20 and by 1410.712 kJ for K40 when the energy at exhaust is kept constant. However, in actual analysis energy in exhaust changes with dead state temperature, in this case, the irreversibility decreased by 920.302 kJ for B20 and by 1690.203 kJ for K40.
Analysis and determination of first ply failure of the composite laminate using different failure criteria
Authors: Dewangan Raja , Rajput Leeladhar
Published: December 2019

This work relates to the first ply failure load investigation of composite laminate plates for different failure criteria under in-plane loading condition in two-dimensional spaces. In this context, first ply failure strengths investigated for different angle ply and number of the lamina. Writing a programme of FEM (finite element method) in MATLAB and calculating failure load for each lamina of the composite laminate by using various failure criteria such as max stress failure criterion, max strain failure criterion, Tsai-Hill, Tsai-Wu and Hoffman failure theory. Failure load calculated for three-ply composite laminate with [45°/-45°/45°] ply angle on the basis of these five failure theories shows very good conformity with the previous paper results. Kevlar/epoxy is taken for the calculation of first ply failure load with different ply orientation.
Experimental investigation on VCRS by using R-134a and R-410a of air and evaporative cooled condenser
Authors: Ahmad Ansari Mubashshir , Hussain Taliv , Anwar Khan Saleem , Mustafa Sameen , Goyal Varun
Published: December 2019

In this study, experimental research is carried out on two different class of refrigerants at three varied ambient conditions viz. (30°C, 35ºC and 40ºC) and three different air velocities viz. (1.25, 1.00, 0.75 m/s) in air cooled and evaporative cooled condenser. The first class is of low temperature refrigerant (R-134a) and the second is of high temperature refrigerant (R-410a). The results described that COP of high temperature refrigerant is greater than that of low temperature refrigerant. The COP increased with increasing air speed in air cooled and evaporative cooled condenser and decreased with increasing the ambient temperatures. For a fixed ambient temperature and air velocity, the COP of R-410a turned out to be greater than the COP of R-134a.Thus proving that high temperature refrigerant is better in performance than low temperature refrigerant.
Analyzing problems and optimization of supply chain in different industries using SAW and TOPSIS methods
Authors: Pathak V K , Garg D , agarwal A
Published: December 2019

Due to high level competition in market, effective supply chain management has become a potentially important tool for gaining and effective competitive advantage and refining organizational performance, because the competition is not only amongst companies but also between supply chains. Supply chain plays a significant role in company’s performance. Companies are challenged to explore ways to meet the customer demands and satisfaction at a manageable cost. To achieve this, business must find which parts of supply chain process are competitive and can be optimized with budget constraints meeting customer demands. In any unit it is mandatory to produce a high quality product with minimal budget successfully. Selection of a suitable supplier is equally important due to budget constraints. There are various methods for making the optimize result. In this research paper collecting the data from different industries and optimize the result by selecting TOPSIS and SAW methods for the solution of this problem. In this technique the decision is made by comparing each alternative with the ideal solution, hence delivering the best results.
Parameters Affecting the Performance of Single Basin Solar Distillation with Parabolic Reflector: A Detailed Review
Authors: Singh Devendra , Kumar Sharma Ajay
Published: December 2019

The freshwater crisis is already clear in many parts of India. The crisis of fresh water is not the result of natural causes but of human activities. The reason for the need for fresh water is quickly due to the increase in population and the change in lifestyles. The Indian government is playing an important role in fresh water. Nearly 100, 000 children die in India directly after drinking unsafe water each year and approximately 45 million people are affected by diseases due to water pollution, such as excess fluoride, iron or salt water.

Single basin solar distillation with parabolic reflector is an excellent device to overcome these problems, which produces drinking water from saline water. In this article, we have studied the problem of several parameters to influence the performance of solar energy. In this work, several techniques were studied to increase the productivity of the still.
Thermodynamic Analysis of Cogeneration Cycle by Utilizing Waste Heat of Blow Down Water
Authors: Gambhir Deshdeep , Faizan Sherwani Ahmad , Arora Akhilesh
Published: December 2019

In the present work, the potential usage of blow down water from National Thermal Power Corporation Limited, Badarpur is investigated in the running of double effect H2O-Li-Br vapor absorption refrigeration system. So mass of blow down water available is computed. The blow down water is at 342.45°C which can be used for process heating.So that after process heating water enters high pressure generator at 155°C and transfer heat in such a way that at exit of high pressure generator water temperature is 140°C. The heat recovered is used as a source of energy in high pressure generator of vapor absorption refrigeration system. Results of parametric analysis show that coefficient of performance increases with increase in evaporator temperature and low pressure generator temperature; whereas, coefficient of performance decreases with increase in absorber temperature, condenser temperature and high pressure generator temperature. Parametric analysis also shows that low pressure generator temperature is most significant factor on which coefficient of performance depends. Exergy analysis of individual components of vapor absorption refrigeration system shows exergy destruction is maximum in absorber (26.17 kW) and least in high pressure generator (2.377 kW).The given model is validated with the research work carried out by Kaushik and Arora.
On the order dimension of locally countable partial orderings
Authors: Higuchi Kojiro , Lempp Steffen , Raghavan Dilip , Stephan Frank
Published: December 2019

We show that the order dimension of any locally countable partial ordering 

(
P
,
>
)

(P, >)

of size 

κ
+

\kappa ^+

, for any

κ
\kappa

of uncountable cofinality, is at most 

κ
\kappa

. In particular, this implies that it is consistent with ZFC that the dimension of the Turing degrees under partial ordering can be strictly less than the continuum.
Symbolic Cognition in Poetic Experience: Re-representing the Paraphrase Paradox
Authors: Feldman Sarah
Published: December 2019

This article considers an apparent tension between, on the one hand, a widespread belief among literature teachers that the appreciation of a poem involves an experience of form-content inseparability and, on the other hand, these same teachers’ use of paraphrase to encourage appreciation. Using Terrence Deacon’s model of art experience, I argue that the tensions of this ‘paraphrase paradox’ mirror tensions inherent in poetic experience. Section II draws upon work by Rafe McGregor, Peter Lamarque, and Peter Kivy to frame an approach to the form-content distinction, and to offer a brief overview of the paraphrase paradox. Sections III-IV summarize Deacon’s model of aesthetic experience, and argue that this model implies that poetic experience both triggers an impulse towards paraphrase, and frustrates this impulse. Section V looks at implications for the poetry teacher’s attempts to navigate the paraphrase paradox. Section VI tests these implications through an analysis of Philip Larkin’s poem ‘Faith Healing’.
GlyMDB: Glycan Microarray Database and analysis toolset
Authors: Cao Yiwei , Park Sang-Jun , Mehta Akul Y , Cummings Richard D , Im Wonpil
Published: December 2019

Motivation

Glycan microarrays are capable of illuminating the interactions of glycan-binding proteins (GBPs) against hundreds of defined glycan structures, and have revolutionized the investigations of protein–carbohydrate interactions underlying numerous critical biological activities. However, it is difficult to interpret microarray data and identify structural determinants promoting glycan binding to glycan-binding proteins due to the ambiguity in microarray fluorescence intensity and complexity in branched glycan structures. To facilitate analysis of glycan microarray data alongside protein structure, we have built the Glycan Microarray Database (GlyMDB), a web-based resource including a searchable database of glycan microarray samples and a toolset for data/structure analysis.

Results

The current GlyMDB provides data visualization and glycan-binding motif discovery for 5203 glycan microarray samples collected from the Consortium for Functional Glycomics. The unique feature of GlyMDB is to link microarray data to PDB structures. The GlyMDB provides different options for database query, and allows users to upload their microarray data for analysis. After search or upload is complete, users can choose the criterion for binder versus non-binder classification. They can view the signal intensity graph including the binder/non-binder threshold followed by a list of glycan-binding motifs. One can also compare the fluorescence intensity data from two different microarray samples. A protein sequence-based search is performed using BLAST to match microarray data with all available PDB structures containing glycans. The glycan ligand information is displayed, and links are provided for structural visualization and redirection to other modules in GlycanStructure.ORG for further investigation of glycan-binding sites and glycan structures.

Availability and implementation

http://www.glycanstructure.org/glymdb.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Challenges in molecular diagnosis of X-linked Intellectual disability
Authors: De Luca Chiara , Race Valérie , Keldermans Liesbeth , Bauters Marijke , Van Esch Hilde
Published: December 2019

Background

Intellectual disability (ID) affects 1–3% of the Western population and is heterogeneous in origin. Mutations in X-linked genes represent 5–10% of ID in males. Fragile X syndrome, due to the silencing of the FMR1 gene, is the most common form of ID, with a prevalence of around 1:5000 males. Females are usually non- or mildly affected carriers, and in a few rare cases, the only gender affected. Array comparative genome hybridization (aCGH) and next-generation sequencing (NGS) have dramatically changed the nature of human genome analysis leading to the identification of new X-linked intellectual disability syndromes and disease-causing genes.

Sources of data

Original papers, reviews, guidelines and experiences of the diagnostic laboratories.

Areas of agreement

Family history and clinical examination still are essential to choose the appropriate diagnostic tests, including, a disease-specific genetic test, aCGH or FMR1 molecular analysis. If negative, NGS approaches like well-defined gene panels, whole exome, or even whole genome sequencing, are increasingly being used, improving diagnostics and leading to the identification of novel disease mechanisms.

Areas of controversy

The main challenge in the era of NGS is filtering and interpretation of the data generated by the analysis of a single individual. In X-linked cases, assessing pathogenicity is particularly challenging, even more when the variant is found to be inherited from a healthy carrier mother or when a heterozygous X-linked mutation is found in an impaired female.

Growing points

At present, variant interpretation remains a challenging task, especially in X-linked disorders. We review the main difficulties and propose a comprehensive overview that might aid in variant interpretation. Establishing a genetic diagnosis facilitates counseling and allows better delineation of clinical phenotypes.

Areas timely for developing research

To improve variant interpretation, there is need to refine in silico predictions with specific criteria for each gene, and to develop cost-effective functional tools, which can be easily transferred to diagnostics.
Adolf Meyer: the neuroanatomist and neuropsychiatrist behind Meyer's loop and its significance in neurosurgery
Authors: Schijns Olaf E M G , Koehler Peter J
Published: December 2019

Psychiatrist Adolf Meyer’s work as a neuroanatomist is less well-known among the medical community. Using manuscripts by Harvey Cushing and by Meyer himself, Schijns and Koehler explore how Meyer’s anatomical studies enabled him to describe the temporal loop of the optic radiation, known today as ‘Meyer’s loop’.
Peripartum management of hypertension: a position paper of the ESC Council on Hypertension and the European Society of Hypertension
Authors: Cífková Renata , Johnson Mark R , Kahan Thomas , Brguljan Jana , Williams Bryan , Coca Antonio , Manolis Athanasios , Thomopoulos Costas , Borghi Claudio , Tsioufis Costas , Parati Gianfranco , Sudano Isabella , McManus Richard J , van den Born Bert-Jan H , Regitz-Zagrosek Vera , de Simone Giovanni
Published: December 2019

Hypertensive disorders are the most common medical complications in the peripartum period associated with a substantial increase in morbidity and mortality. Hypertension in the peripartum period may be due to the continuation of pre-existing or gestational hypertension, de novo development of pre-eclampsia or it may be also induced by some drugs used for analgesia or suppression of postpartum haemorrhage. Women with severe hypertension and hypertensive emergencies are at high risk of life-threatening complications, therefore, despite the lack of evidence-based data, based on expert opinion, antihypertensive treatment is recommended. Labetalol intravenously and methyldopa orally are then the two most frequently used drugs. Short-acting oral nifedipine is suggested to be used only if other drugs or iv access are not available. Induction of labour is associated with improved maternal outcome and should be advised for women with gestational hypertension or mild pre-eclampsia at 37 weeks’ gestation. This position paper provides the first interdisciplinary approach to the management of hypertension in the peripartum period based on the best available evidence and expert consensus.
Arteria: An automation system for a sequencing core facility
Authors: Dahlberg Johan , Hermansson Johan , Sturlaugsson Steinar , Lysenkova Mariya , Smeds Patrik , Ladenvall Claes , Guimera Roman Valls , Reisinger Florian , Hofmann Oliver , Larsson Pontus
Published: December 2019

Background

In recent years, nucleotide sequencing has become increasingly instrumental in both research and clinical settings. This has led to an explosive growth in sequencing data produced worldwide. As the amount of data increases, so does the need for automated solutions for data processing and analysis. The concept of workflows has gained favour in the bioinformatics community, but there is little in the scientific literature describing end-to-end automation systems. Arteria is an automation system that aims at providing a solution to the data-related operational challenges that face sequencing core facilities.

Findings

Arteria is built on existing open source technologies, with a modular design allowing for a community-driven effort to create plug-and-play micro-services. In this article we describe the system, elaborate on the underlying conceptual framework, and present an example implementation. Arteria can be reduced to 3 conceptual levels: orchestration (using an event-based model of automation), process (the steps involved in processing sequencing data, modelled as workflows), and execution (using a series of RESTful micro-services). This creates a system that is both flexible and scalable. Arteria-based systems have been successfully deployed at 3 sequencing core facilities. The Arteria Project code, written largely in Python, is available as open source software, and more information can be found at https://arteria-project.github.io/ .

Conclusions

We describe the Arteria system and the underlying conceptual framework, demonstrating how this model can be used to automate data handling and analysis in the context of a sequencing core facility.
The effects of medicines availability and stock-outs on household’s utilization of healthcare services in Dodoma region, Tanzania
Authors: Kuwawenaruwa August , Wyss Kaspar , Wiedenmayer Karin , Metta Emmy , Tediosi Fabrizio
Published: December 2019

Low- and middle-income countries have been undertaking health finance reforms to address shortages of medicines. However, data are lacking on how medicine availability and stock-outs influence access to health services in Tanzania. The current study assesses the effects of medicine availability and stock-outs on healthcare utilization in Dodoma region, Tanzania. We conducted a cross-sectional study that combined information from households and healthcare facility surveys. A total of 4 hospitals and 89 public primary health facilities were surveyed. The facility surveys included observation, record review over a 3-month period prior to survey date, and interviews with key staff. In addition, 1237 households within the health facility catchment areas were interviewed. Data from the facility survey were linked with data from the household survey. Descriptive analysis and multivariate logistic regressions models were used to assess the effects of medicine availability and stock-outs on utilization patterns and to identify additional household-level factors associated with health service utilization. Eighteen medicines were selected as ‘tracers’ to assess availability more generally, and these were continuously available in ∼70% of the time in facilities across all districts over 3 months of review. The main analysis showed that household’s healthcare utilization was positively and significantly associated with continuous availability of all essential medicines for the surveyed facilities [odds ratio (OR) 3.49, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.02–12.04; P = 0.047]. Healthcare utilization was positively associated with household membership in the community health insurance funds (OR 1.97, 95% CI 1.23–3.17; P = 0.005) and exposure to healthcare education (OR 2.75, 95% CI 1.84–4.08; P = 0.000). These results highlight the importance of medicine availability in promoting access to health services in low-income settings. Effective planning and medicine supply management from national to health facility level is an important component of quality health services.
‘Somethin’ ELSE’:1 African Discourses on ICSID and on ISDS—An Introduction
Authors: Mbengue Makane Moïse
Published: December 2019

This Special Issue of the ICSID Review offers for the first time in the history of the Review a comprehensive and complete overview of Africa's contribution to investor-State dispute settlement (ISDS), in general, and to the ICSID system, in particular. The present Introduction explores the various facets of Africa's contribution: Africa as a ‘catalyzer’ of the ICSID system; Africa as ‘crystallizer’ of investment jurisprudence; and, Africa as a ‘customizer’ of ISDS.
Determinants of Urogenital Schistosomiasis Among Pregnant Women and its Association With Pregnancy Outcomes, Neonatal Deaths, and Child Growth
Authors: Murenjekwa Wellington , Makasi Rachel , Ntozini Robert , Chasekwa Bernard , Mutasa Kuda , Moulton Lawrence H , Tielsch James M , Humphrey Jean H , Smith Laura E , Prendergast Andrew J , Bourke Claire D
Published: December 2019

Background

Schistosoma haematobium is a parasitic helminth that causes urogenital pathology. The impact of urogenital schistosomiasis during pregnancy on birth outcomes and child growth is poorly understood.

Methods

Risk factors for urogenital schistosomiasis were characterized among 4437 pregnant women enrolled in a cluster-randomized community-based trial in rural Zimbabwe. Infection was defined via urine microscopy (≥1 S. haematobium egg) and urinalysis (hematuria). Associations between infection and pregnancy outcomes were assessed in case-control analyses using conditional logistic regression. The association of maternal infection with birthweight and length-for-age Z scores (LAZ) at 1 and 18 months of age were assessed using generalized estimating equations.

Results

Urogenital schistosomiasis (egg positive and/or hematuria positive) was detected in 26.8% of pregnant women. Risk factors significantly associated with infection were maternal age, education, marital status, and religion; household drinking water source and latrine; study region; and season. Urogenital schistosomiasis was not significantly associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes (miscarriage, stillbirth, preterm, and small-for-gestational age), birthweight, neonatal death, or LAZ.

Conclusions

Including pregnant women in antihelminthic treatment programs would benefit a large number of women in rural Zimbabwe. However, clearance of the low-intensity infections that predominate in this context is unlikely to have additive benefits for pregnancy outcomes or child growth.

Clinical Trials Registration

NCT01824940.
Assessing the performance of indicators during their life cycle: the mixed QUID method
Authors: Michel Philippe , Fraticelli Laurie , Parneix Pierre , Daucourt Valentin , Farges Olivier , Gasquet Isabelle , Occelli Pauline , Ray-Coquard Isabelle , Duclos Antoine ,   For the QUID Workgroup, Bertillot Hugo , Ceretti Alain-Michel , Daucourt Valentin , Delonca Julien , Duclos Antoine , El Khoury Carlos , Farges Olivier , Gasquet Isabelle , Lajonchere Jean-Patrick , Luigi Emmanuel , Michel Philippe , Millat Bertrand , Parneix Pierre , Ray-Coquard Isabelle , Woimant France , Aragona Estelle , Baron-Gutty Audrey , Fraticelli Laurie
Published: December 2019

Background

Quality indicators (QI) are mandatory in French hospitals. After a decade of use, the Ministry of Health set up an expert workgroup to enhance informed decision-making regarding currently used national QI, i.e. to propose a decision of withdrawing, revising or continuing their use. We report the development of an integrated method for a comprehensive appraisal of quality/safety indicators (QI) during their life cycle, for three purposes, quality improvement, public disclosure and regulation purposes. The method was tested on 10 national QI on use for up to 10 years to identify operational issues.

Methods

A modified Delphi technique to select relevant criteria and a development of a mixed evaluation method by the workgroup. A ‘real-life’ test on 10 national QI.

Results

Twelve criteria were selected for the appraisal of QI used for regulation goals, 11 were selected for hospital improvement and seven for public disclosure. The perceived feasibility and relevance were studied including hospital workers, patients and health authorities professionals; the scientific soundness of the indicator development phase was reviewed by analyzing reference documents; the metrological performance (limited to the discriminatory power and dynamics of change during the life cycle dimensions) was analyzed on the national datasets.

Applied to the 10 QI, the workgroup proposed to withdraw four of them and to modify or suspend the six others.

Conclusions

The value of the method was supported by the clear-cut conclusions and endorsement of the proposed decisions by the health authorities.
CamCutter: Impromptu Vision-Based Cross-Device Application Sharing
Authors: Hagiwara Takuma , Takashima Kazuki , Fjeld Morten , Kitamura Yoshifumi
Published: December 2019

As the range of handheld, mobile and desktop devices expands and worldwide demand for collaborative application tools increases, there is a growing need for higher speed impromptu cross-device application sharing to keep up with workplace requirements for on-site or remote collaborations. To address this, we have developed CamCutter, a cross-device interaction technique enabling a user to quickly select and share an application running on another screen using the camera of a handheld device. This technique can accurately identify the targeted application on a display using our adapted computer vision algorithm, system architecture and software implementation, allowing impromptu real-time and synchronized application sharing between devices. For desktop and meeting room set-ups, we performed a technical evaluation, measuring accuracy and speed of migration. For a single-user reading task and a collaborative composition task, we carried out a user study comparing our technique with commercial screen sharing applications. The results of this study showed both higher performance and preference for our system. Finally, we discuss CamCutter’s limitations and present insights for future vision-based cross-device application sharing.
An Insight into Gabapentin and Pregabalin in Scottish Prisoners
Authors: Deeb Shaza , Wylie Fiona M , Torrance Hazel J , Scott Karen S
Published: December 2019

The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence and abuse potential of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) among prison populations in Scotland, UK. Participants consisted of all admitted and released prisoners over a 1 month period who consented to provide samples. Urine samples were collected and analyzed by liquid chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry using a method validated for the simultaneous quantification of 21 AEDs in urine. A total of 904 samples were collected. The samples were also screened for drugs of abuse by using point-of-care testing kits. A total of 18% of the samples were positive for AEDs. Gabapentin (GBP) was identified in 118 samples (13%) and pregabalin (PRG) in 32 samples (3.5%). Interestingly, 12 samples contained both drugs (1.3%). The concentrations ranged from 0.5 to 1,100 mg/L (median, 15 mg/L) for GBP and from 0.5 to 440 mg/L (median, 7.3 mg/L) for PRG. Four samples were found to have concentrations >400 mg/L, two samples for GBP and two samples for PRG. These concentrations are at least 20 times above the median concentrations. Other AEDs detected were levetiracetam (four samples), vigabatrin (four samples), lamotrigine (three samples), valproic acid (three samples), carbamazepine (two samples) and topiramate (one sample). Illicit or non-prescribed drugs were detected in 81% of urine samples of which 80% were from admitted prisoners and 20% from released prisoners. Benzodiazepines, opiates and cannabis were the most frequently detected drugs. Other drugs found in positive AED samples were methadone (26%), cocaine (18%), buprenorphine (17%), amphetamines (4%), methamphetamines (4%) and barbiturates (4%). This study shows a high prevalence of AEDs within the Scottish prison system, primarily due to GBP and PRG; however, due to the anonymity of the sample collection, it is unknown if these are prescribed or illicit drug ingestions.
The Persistent Effect of Temporary Input Cost Advantages in Shipbuilding, 1850 to 1911
Authors: Hanlon W Walker
Published: December 2019

Can temporary input cost advantages have a long-run impact on production patterns? I study this question in the context of shipbuilding from 1850 to 1911. Although North America was the dominant wood shipbuilding region in the mid-19th century, the introduction of metal shipbuilding shifted the industry to Britain, where metal inputs were less expensive. After 1890, Britain’s input price advantages largely disappeared but its dominant position in the industry persisted. I show that American shipbuilders exposed to British competition struggled to transition to metal shipbuilding and present evidence that the mechanism behind Britain’s persistent lead was the development of pools of skilled workers.
Antimicrobial resistance in sexually transmitted infections
Authors: Tien Vivian , Punjabi Chitra , Holubar Marisa K
Published: December 2019

Rationale for review

International travel facilitates the spread of drug-resistant infections, including sexually transmitted infections (STIs). In 2016, the World Health Organization highlighted the global burden of ‘curable’ STIs, estimating 376 million new infections of gonorrhoea, chlamydia, syphilis and trichomoniasis annually, with considerable geographic variation in both the burden of disease and prevalence of resistance. Travelers’ risk of contracting and transmitting drug-resistant STIs depends in part on their geographic exposure. In this review, we describe the epidemiology of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and the management of these four common STIs and Mycoplasma genitalium, an increasingly recognized cause of non-gonococcal urethritis.

Key findings

Multi-drug and extensively drug resistant gonorrhoea strains have been associated with international spread, particularly in travelers returning from Southeast Asia. Chlamydia is the most common bacterial STI worldwide. Although in vitro resistance has been reported, surveillance data suggest that clinically significant resistance to macrolides and tetracyclines is rare. Macrolide resistance in syphilis is now endemic in much of the world but there is no documented penicillin resistance, which remains first-line therapy. Trichomoniasis is the most common non-viral STI worldwide. Although clinical failure after treatment occurs, resistance to metronidazole is thought to be uncommon. Mycoplasma genitalium exhibits intrinsic resistance to many antibiotics, and the prevalence of resistance to both first- and second-line regimens (macrolides and fluoroquinolones) is increasing worldwide, with limited alternative therapeutic options.

Recommendations

International travelers are at risk for acquiring resistant STIs with limited therapeutic options. Improved diagnostics are urgently needed to improve AMR surveillance and the management of infected patients. As no vaccinations are currently available for these STIs, and pre-exposure prophylaxis is an area of active study with limited data, condom use is critical for prevention. Travel medicine providers should incorporate STI risk reduction counselling, with an emphasis on condom use, into the routine pre-travel consultation.
John Brown's Description of the Lake at Keswick: New Clues and Clarifications
Authors: Donaldson Christopher
Published: December 2019

This article reports on the discovery of hitherto undocumented printings of John Brown’s Description of the Lake at Keswick. Brown’s Description has long been recognised as a foundational document in the development of interest in the English Lake District during the eighteenth century. The history of the Description, however, has not been fully documented, and this lack of documentation has led to a number of mistaken assumptions. The present article, therefore, not only updates the bibliographical record, but also clarifies a few inaccuracies in previous discussions of Brown’s account. In the process, the article explains how the early versions of the Description add a new dimension to the reception history of the text and shift our understanding of the way the private circulation of unpublished print informed eighteenth-century appreciations of the Lakes region. The article includes an appendix, which presents a copy of the early printings of Brown’s text.
Prices of English Books at Auction c. 1680
Authors: Orr Leah
Published: December 2019

Scholars have noted the significance and spread of the second-hand book trade in seventeenth-century England, but so far little information about the books and their prices has been available. This essay examines the evidence from annotations to an early book auction catalogue relating to ten auctions that took place in London between 1676 and 1682, providing the prices for thousands of books. A comparison between the prices for which books sold at auction, and the prices of the same books new in the Term Catalogues in the decade prior to these auctions reveals that most of the relatively new books sold at auction for a considerable discount off their retail price. For older books, the prices primarily depended on condition and demand rather than the expense of producing the book or its age. This shows a turn towards a customer-driven pricing structure which has significant implications for how we understand the connection between book prices and readers in the late seventeenth century.
An Unrecorded 1660 English Edition Of Michael Scot's Physionomia
Authors: Stasevich Vladislav
Published: December 2019

This note is concerned with the possibly unique copy of a previously unknown 1660 edition of an English translation of Michael Scotus’s Physionomia, which has survived in the holdings of the Library of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Though some records of this edition exist, none is properly bibliographical, and some bibliographers of the past have denied the existence of such a translation. The note offers a description of the particular copy, the make-up and content of the edition, the identity of the translator and a comparison of the translation with the Latin text of the editio princeps of 1477. The edition of 1660 is compared with two later English works from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries which also purport to be the translations of the same work but in fact exploit the edition in question, progressively distorting it.
A Tiered Framework for Organizing and Categorizing Medical Interoperability
Authors: Mclaughlin Sean D , Wilson Ramey L
Published: December 2019

Developing, cultivating, and sustaining medical interoperability strengthens the support we provide to the warfighter by presenting our Commanders options and efficiencies to the way we can enable their operations. As our national security and defense strategies change the way our forces are employed to address our security risks throughout the world, some military commands will find they cannot provide adequate medical care without working in concert with willing and available partners.This article proposes a tiered framework that allows medical personnel to further describe and organize their engagement activities around the concept and practicalities of medical interoperability. As resources become diverted to other theaters or missions expand beyond assigned capabilities, medical interoperability provides Commanders with options to medically enable their missions through their partnerships with others. This framework links and connects activities and engagements to build partner capacity with long-term or regional interoperability among our partners and challenges engagement planners to consider ways to build interoperability at all four tiers when planning or executing health engagements and global health development. Using this framework when planning or evaluating an engagement or training event will illuminate opportunities to develop interoperability that might have otherwise been unappreciated or missed.
A possible radio signal of annihilating dark matter in the Abell 4038 cluster
Authors: Chan Man Ho , Lee Chak Man
Published: December 2019

In the past decade, some telescopes [e.g. Fermi-Large Area Telescope (LAT), Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer(AMS), and Dark Matter Particle Explorer(DAMPE)] were launched to detect the signals of annihilating dark matter in our Galaxy. Although some excess of gamma-rays, antiprotons, and electrons/positrons have been reported and claimed as dark matter signals, the uncertainties of Galactic pulsars’ contributions are still too large to confirm the claims. In this Letter, we report a possible radio signal of annihilating dark matter manifested in the archival radio continuum spectral data of the Abell 4038 cluster. By assuming the thermal annihilation cross-section and comparing the dark matter annihilation model with the null hypothesis (cosmic ray emission without dark matter annihilation), we get very large test statistic values >45 for four popular annihilation channels, which correspond to more than 6.5σ statistical preference. This provides a very strong evidence for the existence of annihilating dark matter. In particular, our results also support the recent claims of dark matter mass m ≈ 30–50 GeV annihilating via the bb̄ quark channel with the thermal annihilation cross-section.
Populism, Universalism, and Democracy in Latin America
Authors: Ciccariello-Maher George
Published: December 2019

This chapter approaches populism by first outlining the impasses surrounding the concept in political science debates and then turning attention to two Latin American theorists of populism and the people: Ernesto Laclau and Enrique Dussel. While both approach populism from a Latin American perspective, Laclau refuses to be contained by this context and instead formulates a universal logic of populism as no less than the logic of politics itself. Dussel, by contrast, resists this leap to the universal by grounding the people in Latin America and filling it with specifically Latin American content, only maintaining the universal as a distant horizon under permanent construction. With this disagreement in hand—which has powerful implications for the question of democracy itself—the piece then turns to Venezuela as an example of both the potential and the tensions of populist mobilization. While Chavismo is often treated as the epitome of Laclau’s populism, the chapter argues that both political dynamics and theorizations of the people by Venezuelan intellectuals exceed and contradict Laclau in key ways, bearing closer affinity to Dussel’s work and pointing toward the radically expansive democratic potential of the people.
The Labor Question and Political Thought in Colonial Bengal
Authors: Sartori Andrew
Published: December 2019

Political thought in colonial Bengal, starting in the second half of the nineteenth century, could plausibly be characterized as a debate about the social significance of labor. This chapter sketches a rough typology of the different characterizations of the relevance of labor to political thought in the region, distinguishing between (a) the discourse of poverty, in which labor is understood as a source of wealth, (b) the discourse of culture, in which labor is understood as a source of ethics, and (c) the discourse of property, in which labor is understood as a source of rights. The chapter argues that the centrality of the labor question to Bengali political thought in this period should be understood as a recognition of and response to the practical impossibility of imagining political futures without reference to the constraints and possibilities generated by capitalist social relations.