bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Mega Regions and Pandemics
Authors: Adler Patrick , Florida Richard , Hartt Maxwell 
Published: July 2020

AbstractThe ongoing COVID‐19 crisis has put the relationship between spatial structure and disease exposure into relief. Here, we propose that mega regions – clusters of metropolitan regions like the Acela Corridor in the United States are more exposed to diseases earlier in pandemics. We review standard accounts for the benefits and costs of locating in such regions before arguing that pandemic risk is higher there on average. We test this mega region exposure theory with a study of the US urban system. Our results indicate that American mega regions have born the early brunt of the disease, and that three mega regions are hotspots. From this standpoint, the extent more than the intensity of New York's urbanization may be implicated in its COVID‐19 experience. We conclude that early pandemic risk is a hitherto unrecognised diseconomy operating in mega regions.
Intracerebral abscess due to Cutibacterium acnes after lung transplantation
Authors: Bos Saskia , De Vleeschouwer Steven , Van Raemdonck Dirk E. , Verleden Geert M. , Vos Robin 
Published: July 2020

AbstractCutibacterium (C) acnes, a Gram‐positive bacterium that is part of the commensal flora, is increasingly noticed as an opportunistic pathogen in serious infections in both immunocompromised and immunocompetent patients. The indolent character and often difficult identification because of its slow growth contribute to delayed diagnosis or underdiagnosis. This report highlights a unique case of a lung transplant recipient with a C acnes intracerebral abscess, and we recommend including this organism in such differential diagnosis. A 66‐year‐old woman, 2 years after bilateral lung transplantation for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, presented with frontal headache, without other complaints, and with normal neurological examination. Magnetic resonance imaging showed an extensive lesion in the right frontal lobe with extensive perilesional edema. Given the broad differential diagnosis, stereotactic brain biopsy was performed and culture became positive for C acnes. She was treated with intravenous ceftriaxone for 8 weeks and per oral clindamycin for 6 months, as well as corticosteroids in tapered dose. There was a rapid favorable clinical and radiographic evolution.
Willingness to use HIV self‐test kits and willingness to pay among urban antenatal clients in Cote d’Ivoire and Tanzania: a cross‐sectional study
Authors: Ashburn Kim , Antelman Gretchen , N'Goran Marc Kouadio , Jahanpour Ola , Yemaneberhan Aida , N'Guessan Kouakou Bernard , Kazemi Erin , Duffy Malia , Adama Pongathie , Kajoka Deborah , Coombs Alexandra , Tayag Josef , Sullivan David , Vrazo Alex 
Published: July 2020

AbstractObjectivesTo generate evidence on willingness to use HIV self‐test kits and willingness to pay among antenatal care clients in public and private facilities in Cote d’Ivoire and Tanzania.MethodsCross‐sectional survey data were collected from 414 clients recruited from 35 high‐volume facilities in Cote d’Ivoire and from 385 clients in 33 high‐volume facilities in Tanzania. Surveys covered willingness to use HIV self‐test kits, prices clients were willing to pay, advantages and disadvantages and views on specific qualities of HIV self‐tests. Market data on availability of proxy self‐testing products (e.g. pregnancy and malaria tests) and attitudes of pharmacists towards HIV self‐test kits were collected from 51 pharmacies in Cote d’Ivoire and 59 in Tanzania.ResultsWillingness to use HIV self‐test kits was 65% in Cote d’Ivoire and 69% in Tanzania. Median ideal prices women would pay ranged from USD 1.77 in Cote d’Ivoire to USD 0.87 in Tanzania. Proxy self‐test kits were available in pharmacies, and interest was high in stocking HIV self‐test kits.ConclusionsImplications for national HIV self‐test policy and planning include keeping prices low, providing psychological and HIV counselling, and ensuring linkage to HIV care and treatment services. Private pharmacies will play a key role in providing access to HIV self‐test kits.
Cultura académica y enseñanza-aprendizaje en educación superior. Revisión de literatura
Authors: Benítez-Restrepo Milena 
Published: July 2020

La revisión de literatura realizada con 40 artículos publicados entre 2010 y 2016, sobre la cultura académica y su relación con el proceso de enseñanza aprendizaje, en diferentes universidades y países, evidencia el interés y reconocimiento a su importancia en el quehacer universitario, en coyunturas políticas, sociales, culturales presentes en su devenir. En tal sentido, constituye un aporte al campo del conocimiento que se construye a partir de los vacíos identificados en la bibliografía y la falta de consenso evidenciada entre los autores revisados. Finalmente, se define la cultura académica con una visión más amplia y trascendental.
Microscopic Spray Characteristics of Biodiesels Derived From Karanja, Jatropha, and Waste Cooking Oils
Authors: Patel Chetankumar , Hwang Joonsik , Bae Choongsik , Agarwal Rashmi A. , Agarwal Avinash Kumar 
Published: July 2020

Abstract
This study aims to assess the microscopic characteristics of Jatropha, Karanja, and Waste cooking oil-based biodiesels vis-a-vis conventional diesel under different ambient conditions in order to understand the in-cylinder processes, while using biodiesels produced from different feedstocks in the compression ignition engines. All test-fuels were injected in ambient atmosphere using a common-rail direct injection (CRDI) fuel injection system at a fuel injection pressure (FIP) of 40 MPa. Microscopic spray characteristics were measured using phase Doppler interferometer (PDI) in the axial direction of the spray at a distance of 60–90 mm downstream of the nozzle and at 0 to 3-mm distance from the central axis in the radial direction. All biodiesels exhibited relatively larger Sauter mean diameter (SMD) of the spray droplets and higher droplet velocities compared to baseline mineral diesel, possibly due to relatively higher fuel viscosity and surface tension of biodiesels. It was also observed that SMD of the spray droplets decreased with increasing distance in the radial and axial directions and the same trend was observed for all test-fuels.
Solar Assisted Dehydrator for Decentralized Controlled and Homogeneous Multi-Product Drying
Authors: Amjad Waseem , Waseem Muhammad , Munir Anjum , Ghafoor Abdul , Asghar Furqan , Gilani Gohar Ali 
Published: July 2020

Abstract
Batch type food dryers are common for drying agricultural produce due to simple in design, but they are prone to nonuniform drying and significant heat cost exclusively if they fall in the medium to large size range. The current study illustrates a solar hybrid food dryer using a gas burner and solar collector (evacuated tube collector, ETC) as heating source along with an inline perforation inside the drying chamber to obtain spatial drying homogeneity. Air distribution was assessed through three-dimensional simulation using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis. Performance trials were conducted under three heating options (ETC, gas, and dual) using green chilies at 60 °C. Throughout drying chamber, under all heating modes, the average difference in drying rates ranged from 0.61 to 1.30 kg water/kg dry matter, demonstrating homogeneous drying. Simulated and experimental results of air distribution were found to be in agreement with each other. Using three options for thermal heating (ETC, gas, and dual) and an overall 58% efficiency for evacuated tube collector, the specific energy for moisture evaporation was found to be 4.5–5.7 MJ/kg and specific product energy 19.2–24.9 MJ/kg. In case of dual heating option, the energy supplied by solar and gas sources for a 20 hours period was 50.64% (160.22 MJ) and 49.35% (156.13 MJ), respectively. Compared with dual heating option, energy cost can be reduced by 68% if only solar energy is used as a heating option but with a protracted drying time.
Multi-Fidelity Surrogate Model Based on Canonical Correlation Analysis and Least Squares
Authors: Lv Liye , Zong Chaoyong , Zhang Chao , Song Xueguan , Sun Wei 
Published: July 2020

Abstract
The multi-fidelity surrogate (MFS) model is designed to make use of a small amount of expensive but accurate high-fidelity (HF) information and a lot of inaccurate but cheap low-fidelity (LF) information. In this paper, a canonical correlation analysis (CCA)-based MFS model in which the least squares (LS) method is used to determine optimal parameters, named CCA-LS-MFS, is proposed. The CCA-LS-MFS model consists of three stages. The first stage is to construct two transition matrices of HF and LF samples using the CCA method. Then, the discrepancy function between HF and LF models is constructed. In the third stage, parameters are determined by using the LS method. The correlation between HF and LF models, the cost ratio of HF to LF models, and the combination of HF and LF samples are explored. It is observed that the increase of the correlation between HF and LF models can highly improve the performance of the CCA-LS-MFS model. CCA-LS-MFS is capable of providing more robust performance than the other two baseline MFS models, especially when the HF and LF models are highly or weakly correlated, and is promising for being applied into the engineering problems with unclear correlation between HF and LF models. In addition, it has been found that in case of given total budget and HF information, the cost ratio of HF to LF models plays an important role in prediction performance, which requires more research in the future work.
An Experimental Evaluation of High-Cycle Gear Tooth Bending Fatigue Lives Under Fully Reversed and Fully Released Loading Conditions With Application to Planetary Gear Sets
Authors: Hong Isaac J. , Kahraman Ahmet , Anderson Neil 
Published: July 2020

Abstract
High-cycle gear tooth bending fatigue lives of spur gears under fully reversed and fully released loading conditions are compared in this experimental study. The experimental methodology described in an earlier publication, (Hong et al. 2020, “A Rotating Gear Test Methodology for Evaluation of High-Cycle Tooth Bending Fatigue Lives Under Fully Reversed and Fully Released Loading Conditions,” Int. J. Fatigue, 133, p. 105432. 10.1016/j.ijfatigue.2019.105432), is employed to perform two sets of rotating, gear tooth bending fatigue tests. Statistical analyses are performed to regress stress versus life (S–N) curves under both loading conditions. These curves indicate that a gear under fully reversed loads has a shorter bending life at the same maximum tooth root stress as a gear under fully released loads. Various planetary gear set kinematic conditions with different stationary members are considered to determine the equivalent number of tooth loading cycles per revolution of the sun gear. They are combined with established S–N curves under both loading conditions to determine the ratios of allowable maximum tooth root stresses amongst the gear components of a P-planet gear set such that each gear in the set has the same bending fatigue life. A “stress-balanced” gear set designed to these stress ratios is expected to have the same bending fatigue life for its sun, ring, and planet gears, ensuring that the planetary gear set life is the longest.
Evolutionary Algorithm Embedded With Bump-Hunting for Constrained Design Optimization
Authors: Rahi Kamrul Hasan , Singh Hemant Kumar , Ray Tapabrata 
Published: July 2020

Abstract
Real-world design optimization problems commonly entail constraints that must be satisfied for the design to be viable. Mathematically, the constraints divide the search space into feasible (where all constraints are satisfied) and infeasible (where at least one constraint is violated) regions. The presence of multiple constraints, constricted and/or disconnected feasible regions, non-linearity and multi-modality of the underlying functions could significantly slow down the convergence of evolutionary algorithms (EA). Since each design evaluation incurs some time/computational cost, it is of significant interest to improve the rate of convergence to obtain competitive solutions with relatively fewer design evaluations. In this study, we propose to accomplish this using two mechanisms: (a) more intensified search by identifying promising regions through “bump-hunting,” and (b) use of infeasibility-driven ranking to exploit the fact that optimal solutions are likely to be located on constraint boundaries. Numerical experiments are conducted on a range of mathematical benchmarks and empirically formulated engineering problems, as well as a simulation-based wind turbine design optimization problem. The proposed approach shows up to 53.48% improvement in median objective values and up to 69.23% reduction in cost of identifying a feasible solution compared with a baseline EA.
Hierarchical Control Co-Design Using a Model Fidelity-Based Decomposition Framework
Authors: Nash Austin L. , Jain Neera 
Published: July 2020

Abstract
Increasing performance demands and constraints are necessitating the design of highly complex, integrated systems across multiple sectors, including transportation and energy. However, conventional design approaches for such systems are largely siloed and focused on steady-state operation. To accommodate tightening operating envelopes, new design paradigms are needed that explicitly consider system-component interactions and their implications on transient performance at the system design stage. In this work, we present a model fidelity-based decomposition (MFBD) hierarchical control co-design (HCCD) algorithm designed to optimize system performance characteristics, with an emphasis on robustness to transient disturbances during real-time operation. Our framework integrates system level control co-design (CCD) with high-fidelity component design optimization in a computationally efficient manner for classes of highly coupled systems in which the coupling between subproblems cannot be fully captured using existing analytical relationships. Our algorithm permits scalable decomposition of computationally intensive component models and addresses coupling issues between subproblems in part by introducing an intermediate optimization procedure to solve for reduced-order model parameters that maximize the accuracy of the lumped-parameter control model required in the CCD algorithm. We demonstrate the merits of the MFBD HCCD algorithm, in comparison to an all-at-once (AAO) CCD approach, through a case study on aircraft dynamic thermal management. Our results show that our decomposition-based solution matches the AAO optimal cost to within 2.5% with a 54% reduction in computation time.
On New Analytic Free Vibration Solutions of Doubly Curved Shallow Shells by the Symplectic Superposition Method Within the Hamiltonian-System Framework
Authors: Li Rui , Zhou Chao , Zheng Xinran 
Published: July 2020

Abstract
This study presents a first attempt to explore new analytic free vibration solutions of doubly curved shallow shells by the symplectic superposition method, with focus on non-Lévy-type shells that are hard to tackle by classical analytic methods due to the intractable boundary-value problems of high-order partial differential equations. Compared with the conventional Lagrangian-system-based expression to be solved in the Euclidean space, the present description of the problems is within the Hamiltonian system, with the solution procedure implemented in the symplectic space, incorporating formulation of a symplectic eigenvalue problem and symplectic eigen expansion. Specifically, an original problem is first converted into two subproblems, which are solved by the above strategy to yield the symplectic solutions. The analytic frequency and mode shape solutions are then obtained by the requirement of the equivalence between the original problem and the superposition of subproblems. Comprehensive results for representative non-Lévy-type shells are tabulated or plotted, all of which are well validated by satisfactory agreement with the numerical finite element method. Due to the strictness of mathematical derivation and accuracy of solution, the developed method provides a solid approach for seeking more analytic solutions.
Risk-based screening to identify reproductive tract infection among HIV-infected women desiring use of intrauterine contraceptives
Authors: Langwenya Nontokozo , Todd Catherine S. , Jones Heidi E. , Hoover Donald R. , Hu Nai-Chung , Ronan Agnes , Myer Landon 
Published: July 2020

BackgroundReproductive tract infections (RTIs) are a major cause of morbidity and mortality, yet RTI testing remains limited in resource-constrained settings. We assessed performance of an existing RTI risk assessment screening tool among women living with HIV (WLHIV) considering intrauterine contraceptive (IUC) use.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional analysis among WLHIV screened for participation in an IUC trial in Cape Town, South Africa (NCT01721798). RTI testing includedNeisseria gonorrhoeae,Chlamydia trachomatis,Trichomonas vaginalisand bacterial vaginosis. Tool scoring was based on five separately scored criteria: (1) age under 25 years, (2) cohabitation with a partner, (3) secondary education, (4) self-reported intermenstrual bleeding and (5) number of current sexual partners and condom use frequency (score 0–5). We assessed tool performance in detecting RTI at 0 vs 1–5, 0–1 vs 2–5 and 0–2 vs 3–5 score thresholds.ResultsOf 303 women, 52% (n=157) reported antiretroviral therapy use and median age was 31 years. The prevalence of any RTI was 38% (gonorrhoea=7%, chlamydia=11%, trichomoniasis=12% and bacterial vaginosis=18%) and 8% of women had multiple RTIs. Overall, 4%, 27% and 69% of women had screening tool scores of 0, 1 or 2+, respectively. At a threshold of at least one scored criterion, the tool demonstrated high sensitivities (95%–97%) but low specificities (3%–4%) for detecting any RTI. Increasing the score threshold and/or inclusion of abnormal vaginal discharge marginally improved specificity.ConclusionThe prevalence of RTIs observed in this population was high, and the screening tool had no discriminatory power to detect prevalent RTIs.
Improving equivalence in fibrinogen evaluation between the prothrombin time-derived fibrinogen assay and Clauss method using a pooled plasma calibrator
Authors: Wang Sheng , Duan Xiaoyong , Liu Xingtai , Wu Liuchun , Zhang Yan , Jin Xin 
Published: July 2020

AimsBoth the Clauss and prothrombin time-derived fibrinogen (PT-Fib) methods have widely been used in fibrinogen (Fib) evaluation. We aimed to improve the interchangeability between these two methods.MethodsThirty fresh plasmas of low, normal and high Fib concentration were mixed to prepare the pooled human plasma. The Fib concentration was assessed by the Clauss method. The PT-Fib values were further recalibrated by the assigned plasma pools and the precision, linearity and reference intervals were verified according to the guidelines of American Society for Clinical and Laboratory Standards (CLSI) EP15-A and EP6-A documents. Finally, the recalibrated PT-Fib method was compared with Clauss method by the simultaneous Fib test of total 5259 coagulation samples.ResultsThe results indicated that the recalibrated PT-Fib method can detect the Fib concentration with clinically acceptable third-order linearity in the range of 1.27–8.00 g/L. Only one result out of 39 healthy people tested using the recalibrated PT-Fib method did not fall within the reference range defined by the manufacturer. We also found more than 99% of results between these two methods were interchangeable in the range of 1.51–8.00 g/L. The disagreement between these two methods was found only in patients with certain underlying conditions.ConclusionsAfter recalibration, the consistency between the PT-Fib and Clauss methods was enhanced and the interchangeability was improved. The application of the recalibrated PT-Fib method provided accurate and reliable results with the manufacturer-provided reagents and improved detection speed and cost-effectiveness.
Establishment of a remote diagnostic histopathology service using whole slide imaging (digital pathology)
Authors: Evans Andrew John , Vajpeyi Rajkumar , Henry Michele , Chetty Runjan 
Published: July 2020

BackgroundWhole slide imaging (WSI) has diverse applications in modern pathology practice, including providing histopathology services to remote locations.Materials and methodsUtilising an existing contractual partnership with a Northern Ontario group of hospitals, the feasibility of using WSI for primary diagnostic services from Toronto was explored by the dedicated working group. All aspects explored from information technology (IT), laboratory information system (LIS) integration, scanning needs, laboratory workflow and pathologist needs and training, were taken into account in the developing the rationale and business case.ResultsThe financial outlay for a scanner was $CA180K (approximately £105.6 k) after discounts. There were no human resource requirements as staff were reorganised to cater for slide scanning. Additional IT/LIS costs were not incurred as existing connectivity was adapted to allow two site groups (gastrointestinal and skin) to pilot this study. Scanned slides were available for pathologist review 24–96 hours sooner than glass slides; there was a 2-day improvement for final authorised cases, and per annum savings were: $CA26 000 (£15.2 k) in courier costs, $CA60 000 (£35.2 k) travel and $CA45 000 (£26.4 k) in accommodation, meals and car rental expense.ConclusionWSI is a viable solution to provide timely, high-quality and cost efficient histopathology services to underserviced, remote areas.