bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Obstacles Facing U.S. Companies Marketing Waste-to-Energy Overseas
Authors: Ristau Jack A. 
Published: March 2020

Abstract
Many countries overseas, for the first time, are beginning to explore the use of waste-to-energy plants as part of their integrated solid waste management plans. They are doing this for a number of reasons, which include geopolitical and economic pressures, as well as environmental. Overseas markets are actively seeking out, and wanting to apply the advancements made by U.S. waste-to-energy companies in the last three decades. U.S. companies have made U.S. waste-to-energy plants the least costly and most efficient plants in the world. U.S. waste-to-energy companies may be poised for new business opportunity for their systems in overseas markets. However, there are many obstacles to overcome in marketing technology and waste disposal services overseas. Where are those markets of opportunity? There are three criteria which can be used to screen for potential waste-to-energy markets: 1. Living standards; 2. Limitation on land use; and, 3. Rule of law. What are the cultural, geographic and competitive obstacles in marketing overseas? Can obstacles such as language, development costs, time zone differences, institutional experience with privatization, local and foreign competitive advantages be managed or medicated? An understanding of how a global economy impacts the marketing of U.S. waste-to-energy services is essential to formulating an overseas marketing plan.
International Developments in Measuring Dioxin and Related Chemicals in a More Cost Effective and Biologically Relevant Manner
Authors: Hasselriis Floyd , Campbell T. Colin , Wheelock Geoffrey 
Published: March 2020

Abstract
Dioxin and dioxin-like substances represent a collection of a large number of widely dispersed environmental organic chlorinated chemicals, many of which are unusually toxic. These substances and many related non-chlorinated substances primarily arise from the high temperature burning of organic material such as that produced by waste incineration.
Although these substances have been experimentally shown to be able to produce cancer and other serious toxicities, the evidence on their public health significance is still not clear, in considerable measure because the tests required for producing the data needed for public health assessment are so costly. With such inadequate information, the views of the scientific, regulatory, industry, and environmental citizens’ communities are often at odds. More cost-effective methods need to be developed so that this perceived public health problem can be given a proper assessment.
The theoretical principles of relatively new methods, which are based on the biological activity of these chemicals, are presented. It will be shown that one such method, which is designed to screen samples which makes use of the central event of toxicity and which is much more cost-effective, possesses the theoretical capability of providing the type of information needed for better public health assessment.
Replacement of Outlet Monitors for the Continuous Emission Monitoring System at the York County Resource Recovery Center
Authors: McCurdy John 
Published: March 2020

Abstract
As titled this paper is a description of our experiences with our original “time shared” outlet continuous emissions monitoring system and the replacement of it. I will detail some of the inherent problems we faced through the years with the time shared monitors. I will describe what the catalyst was which required us to replace our monitors. And the preparation for and replacing of the monitors with the benefits of having done so.
Near Point of Convergence Deficits and Treatment Following Concussion: A Systematic Review
Authors: Santo Ashley L. , Race Melissa L. , Teel Elizabeth F. 
Published: March 2020

Context:Convergence dysfunction following concussion is common. Near point of convergence (NPC) is a quick and easy assessment that may detect oculomotor dysfunction such as convergence insufficiency (CI), but NPC measurements are rarely reported. Convergence dysfunction is treatable in otherwise healthy patients; the effectiveness of oculomotor therapy following concussion is unclear.Objectives:The purpose of this article was to systematically review the literature and answer the following clinical questions: (1) Is performance on NPC negatively affected in patients diagnosed with a concussion compared with pre-injury levels or healthy controls? (2) In patients diagnosed with concussion, what is the effect of oculomotor/vision therapy on NPC break measurements?Evidence Acquisition:The search was conducted in CINAHL, SPORTDiscus, MEDLINE, and PubMed using terms related to concussion, mild traumatic brain injury, convergence, vision, and rehabilitation. Literature considered for review included original research publications that collected measures of NPC break in concussion patients, with a pretest–posttest comparison or comparison with a healthy control group. A literature review was completed; 242 relevant articles were reviewed, with 18 articles meeting criteria for inclusion in the review.Evidence Synthesis:Articles were categorized according to the clinical question they addressed. The patient or participant sample (number, sex, age, and health status), study design, instrumentation, or intervention used, and main results were extracted from each article.Conclusions:The authors' main findings suggest that there is a moderate level of evidence that patients have impaired NPC up to several months postconcussion, and a low level of evidence that impairments can be successfully treated with oculomotor therapy. These findings should be cautiously evaluated; the studies are limited by weak/moderate quality, small sample sizes, varied methodology, and nonrandomized treatment groups. Future research should explore factors affecting convergence postconcussion and include randomized, controlled studies to determine if performing vision therapy improves visual measures and promotes recovery.
A Protease-Activated Fluorescent Probe Allows Rapid Visualization of Keratinocyte Carcinoma during Excision
Authors: Walker Ethan , Liu Yiqiao , Kim InYoung , Biro Mark , Iyer Sukanya Raj , Ezaldein Harib , Scott Jeffrey , Merati Miesha , Mistur Rachel , Zhou Bo , Straight Brian , Yim Joshua J. , Bogyo Matthew , Mann Margaret , Wilson David L. , Basilion James P. , Popkin Daniel L. 
Published: March 2020

Abstract

Keratinocyte carcinomas, including basal and squamous cell carcinomas, are the most common human cancers worldwide. While 75% of all keratinocyte carcinoma (4 million annual cases in the United States) are treated with conventional excision, this surgical modality has much lower cure rates than Mohs micrographic surgery, likely due to the bread-loaf histopathologic assessment that visualizes &lt;1% of the tissue margins. A quenched protease-activated fluorescent probe 6qcNIR, which produces a signal only in the protease-rich tumor microenvironment, was topically applied to 90 specimens ex vivo immediately following excision. “Puzzle-fit” analysis was used to correlate the fluorescent images with histology. Probe-dependent fluorescent images correlated with cancer determined by conventional histology. Point-of-care fluorescent detection of skin cancer had a clinically relevant sensitivity of 0.73 and corresponding specificity of 0.88. Importantly, clinicians were effectively trained to read fluorescent images within 15 minutes with reliability and confidence, resulting in sensitivities of 62%–78% and specificities of 92%–97%. Fluorescent imaging using 6qcNIR allows 100% tumor margin assessment by generating en face images that correlate with histology and may be used to overcome the limitations of conventional bread-loaf histology. The utility of 6qcNIR was validated in a busy real-world clinical setting, and clinicians were trained to effectively read fluorescent margins with a short guided instruction, highlighting clinical adaptability. When used in conventional excision, this approach may result in higher cure rates at a lower cost by allowing same-day reexcision when needed, reducing patient anxiety and improving compliance by expediting postsurgical specimen assessment.

Significance:
A fluorescent-probe-tumor-visualization platform was developed and validated in human keratinocyte carcinoma excision specimens that may provide simple, rapid, and global assessment of margins during skin cancer excision, allowing same-day reexcision when needed.
Participant-Centered Strategies for Overcoming Barriers to Biospecimen Collection among Spanish-Speaking Latina Breast Cancer Survivors
Authors: Samayoa Cathy , Santoyo-Olsson Jasmine , Escalera Cristian , Stewart Anita L. , Ortiz Carmen , Márquez-Magaña Leticia , Urias Aday , Gonzalez Nayeli , Cervantes Silvia A. , Torres-Nguyen Alma , Parada-Ampudia Lorenia , Nápoles Anna M. 
Published: March 2020

Abstract

Background:
Latinos are underrepresented in biomedical research, particularly biomarker research, yet they constitute the nation's largest ethnic/racial minority. Optimal methods for obtaining biospecimens for biomarker research among Latinos need to be identified. To minimize barriers and enhance participation, this study developed and tested tailored strategies for collecting biomarkers of chronic stress and premature aging among Spanish-speaking Latina breast cancer survivors.

Methods:
This study used a community-based participatory approach and selected hair and saliva as noninvasive biospecimens to assess telomere length, the cortisol awakening response (CAR), and hair cortisol concentration. We developed bilingual multimedia instructional materials, and community health workers assisted in collections. Telephone surveys assessed willingness to participate in future studies, barriers to sample collection, and recommendations for improving the strategies.

Results:
A total of 103 participants were recruited over 18 months from two rural sites in California, and 88 were retained at 6-month follow-up. At baseline, rates of donating salivary DNA for telomere length measurement, saliva for CAR analysis, and hair for cortisol concentration were 98%, 89%, and 52%, respectively. At follow-up, rates were 83%, 76%, and 55%, respectively. The majority of participants reported being very willing to provide hair (72%) or saliva (74%) for future studies.

Conclusions:
Our results support the feasibility of including minorities in biomedical research. We report excellent rates of saliva collection when community partners are engaged in the process, and when patient-centered and culturally tailored recruitment methods are implemented.

Impact:
The development of methods to facilitate the inclusion of minorities in biomedical research is critical to eliminate racial/ethnic health disparities.
Longitudinal Dyadic Interdependence in Psychological Distress Among Latinas With Breast Cancer and Their Informal Caregivers
Authors: Segrin C , Badger TA , Sikorskii A , Pasvogel A , Weihs K , Lopez AM , Chalasani P 
Published: March 2020

Abstract
Cancer diagnosis and treatment can generate substantial distress for both survivors and their informal caregivers, defined as family members or friends who provide care and assistance to the cancer survivor. The primary aim of this investigation is to test a model of dyadic interdependence in distress experienced by Latina breast cancer survivors and their informal caregivers to determine if each influences the other. Methods: To test this prediction, 209 Latinas with breast cancer and their informal caregivers (dyads) were followed for 4 waves of assessment over the course of 6 months. Both psychological (depression, anxiety, perceived stress) and physical (number of symptoms, symptom distress) indicators of distress were assessed. Longitudinal analyses of dyadic data were performed in accordance with the actor-partner interdependence model using linear mixed effects modeling. Results: Findings indicated that psychological distress was interdependent between cancer survivors and their informal caregivers over the 6 months of observation. Caregivers experienced greater depression, anxiety, and stress to the extent that the survivors reported such distress, and vice versa. These effects held, even when controlling for nature of the survivor-caregiver relationship (married to each other or not), education, and the dyads' baseline similarity on distress. However, there was no such evidence of interdependence on indicators of physical distress. Conclusions: These findings are consistent with emotional contagion processes by which psychological distress is transmitted over time between cancer survivors and their informal caregivers. Latina cancer survivors are a particularly vulnerable population due to health disparities, linguistic barriers, and socioeconomic challenges. Management of psychological distress is of particular concern in this population. These findings point to the potential importance of caregiver well-being for the welfare of Latina breast cancer survivors.
Oxylipins Correlate with Quality of Life in Women Taking Aromatase Inhibitors for Breast Cancer
Authors: Martinez JA , Stopeck AT , Chow HHS , Wertheim BC , Chew W , Roe DJ , Chalasani P , Thompson PA 
Published: March 2020

Abstract
The purpose of this study was to determine if oxylipins – oxygenated bioactive lipid metabolites of ω-3 and ω-6 fatty acids with varying roles in inflammation and pain – correlate with aromatase inhibitor-associated arthralgia (AIA) and quality of life (QOL) in early stage breast cancer (ESBC) patients. Methods: ESBC patients on AI therapy were enrolled to an open-label study of sulindac, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), for 12 months (n = 47). Pre-intervention arthralgia and physical function were assessed using the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis (WOMAC) questionnaire, where higher scores indicate worse symptoms. The Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy – General (FACT-G) questionnaire was used to assess QOL, where higher scores indicate better QOL. A total of 53 plasma oxylipins in plasma were quantified by mass spectrometry. Pearson's correlation was used to measure the association between pre-intervention oxylipin concentrations, arthralgias and QOL. Results: Prior to initiating sulindac, baseline levels of 17 oxylipins were found to be significantly correlated with QOL scales. This included inverse associations between QOL and seven pro-inflammatory products of ω-6 fatty acid metabolism. Notably, prostaglandin E2, the primary target of NSAIDs, was negatively correlated with Social Well-Being (rho = −0.30; P = 0.04). Conversely, resolvin D1, a potent anti-inflammatory lipid, was positively associated with Total FACT-G (rho = 0.31; P = 0.03) and Emotional Well-Being (rho = 0.37; P = 0.01). Two ω-3 metabolites with unknown mechanisms were correlated with both QOL and WOMAC; 19,20-DiHDPE was positively correlated with Total (rho = 0.34; P = 0.02) and Social FACT-G (rho = 0.32; P = 0.03), and inversely with Total WOMAC (rho = -0.303; P = 0.04) and Stiffness (rho = −0.32; P = 0.03); and 5(6)-DiHETE was inversely correlated with Social FACT-G (rho = −0.33; P = 0.02) and positively with Total WOMAC (rho = 0.31; P = 0.04). Conclusions: This is the first evidence that plasma oxylipin metabolites of ω-3/ω-6 fatty acids correlate with QOL and arthralgia symptoms in patients on AIs and suggests oxylipins as a potential novel target for improving QOL and adherence to AI therapy in patients with ESBC.
Reducing Cancer-related Financial Toxicity through Financial Navigation: Results from a Pilot Intervention
Authors: Wheeler SB , Rodriguez-O'Donnell J , Rogers C , Fulcher J , Deal A. , Manning ML , Gellin M , Padilla N , Rosenstein DL 
Published: March 2020

Abstract
Our purpose was to pilot a novel patient-centered financial navigation (FN) intervention to decrease the burden of financial toxicity (FT) among uninsured and underinsured patients with cancer treated at the North Carolina Cancer Hospital (NCCH). Methods: Participants were recruited by cancer clinic nurses and social workers at the NCCH. Eligible patients scored less than 22 points (indicating significant FT) on the COmprehensive Score for financial Toxicity (COST) instrument. Fifty patients were enrolled in the intervention, which included an intake assessment of financial needs and vulnerability, initial one-on-one consultation with a trained financial navigator (i.e., financial counselor or social worker), triage to financial support services matching patients' needs, and multiple follow-up appointments. Navigator recommendations were based upon a detailed review of patients' financial status, billing information, insurance, and other indicators used to refer patients to appropriate financial and social services resources offered by the hospital, government, nonprofits and private corporations. Following the initial appointment, patients were given a checklist of resources they were eligible for and the required paperwork to complete applications. During follow-up appointments, application status was reviewed, and practical assistance was provided. Patients were re-contacted at 2-week intervals to assess progress toward financial assistance goals. Outcome data collection included pre/post-intervention COST scores, patient satisfaction with the intervention, and intervention fidelity and retention. Results: The first fifty patients approached all screened positive for FT (COST &lt; 22). Baseline COST scores ranged from 0–19. Results indicated a significant improvement in COST scores following the FN intervention (average increase = 6.86, 95% CI = 4.30–9.42), P &lt; 0.0001). Post-intervention questionnaires indicated excellent patient satisfaction and retention with the FN intervention, and navigator logs indicated high fidelity to the intervention protocol. Conclusions: A novel FN intervention was feasible, acceptable, and effective in reducing FT among uninsured and underinsured oncology patients.
Insilico Identification of Potent Inhibitor from Andrographis Paniculata for ESBLs
Authors: Mohamed Aysha NIL , Mohammed Mumtaj Peer , R Dhamotharan 
Published: March 2020

<span lang="EN-US">The study aimed at docking of TEM - 52 &amp; modeled CTX – M -13 by ethanol extracted compounds from <em>Andrographis paniculata</em> and to predict their binding efficiency. BLAST-P was performed to retrieve suitable templates for homology-modeling using the bla CTX-M sequences obtained from Genbank. Protein Data Bank (PDB) IDs of these templates were retrieved. Models were prepared using Swiss-Model-Server and verified by Procheck and 3D programmes RAMPAGE was used to prepare Ramachandran plots. The 13 - Hexyl - oxa - cyclotridec - 10 - En- 2 - one was selected as ligand for this docking study from the data generated by Mass spectrometry analysis of methanol extracted compounds from <em>Andrographis paniculata</em>. The structure was drawn manually with aid of JME and its drug likeliness &amp; molecular properties was calculated using Pre Admet server. Docking was performed by using docking server. Since the docking results proved that the amino acid residues Ser70,Ser 130,Ser237,Arg 276 and Thr235 of CTX-M-13 (enzyme) make important contacts with the ligand, researchers are expected to duly utilize this information for designing more potent and CTX - M inhibitors.</span>
An Enhanced Lossless Color Filter Array Image Compression Based On Predictive Adaptive Arithmetic Coding
Authors: Varalakshmi L.M. , Sowmiya R. 
Published: March 2020

Most consumer digital cameras use a single image light sensor which provides color information using color filter array(CFA).This provided a mosaic images, in which each pixel position contains only one color component in case of Bayer CFA Pattern. This paper produced a CFA hierarchical prediction scheme based on context adaptive coding. In CFA hierarchical scheme, the green pixels were subdivided into two sets . was encoded by a gray scale conventional method and was predicted based on . The red pixels were predicted using both the sets of green pixels and blue pixels were predicted using red and green. The predictors were designed based on direction of the edges in the neighborhood. Using the prediction information, the magnitude of prediction error was also determined and context adaptive arithmetic coding was applied to reduce bits. The simulated results on CFA images showed that the proposed method gives less bits per pixel than the recently developed CFA compression algorithms.
Comparison of Various Levels of Parallel Multilevel Active Filter Using NPC Multilevel Inverter
Authors: Hadj Benali Farouk , Azzouz Fouad 
Published: March 2020

<p>This paper puts forward the technique of reference signal generation of the reactive instantaneous power and the technique of the SPWM control signal generation of the multilevel active filter. A comparison between the source currents before and after filtering is made. Then a comparison between the different source currents of different multilevel active filters. The subjects of comparison are the total harmonic distortions (THD) of the source current. The obtained simulation results have proved that the filtering quality is improved when increasing the active filter levels. Simulations are carried out by PSIM program.</p>
A Study on Big Data Techniques and Applications
Authors: Radha K. , Rao B. Thirumala 
Published: March 2020

<p>We are living in on-Demand Digital Universe with data spread by users and organizations at a very high rate. This data is categorized as Big Data because of its Variety, Velocity, Veracity and Volume. This data is again classified into unstructured, semi-structured and structured. Large datasets require special processing systems; it is a unique challenge for academicians and researchers. Map Reduce jobs use efficient data processing techniques which are applied in every phases of Map Reduce such as Mapping, Combining, Shuffling, Indexing, Grouping and Reducing. Big Data has essential characteristics as follows Variety, Volume and Velocity, Viscosity, Virality. Big Data is one of the current and future research frontiers. In many areas Big Data is changed such as public administration, scientific research, business, The Financial Services Industry, Automotive Industry, Supply Chain, Logistics, and Industrial Engineering, Retail, Entertainment, etc. Other Big Data applications are exist in atmospheric science, astronomy, medicine, biologic, biogeochemistry, genomics and interdisciplinary and complex researches. This paper is presents the Essential Characteristics of Big Data Applications and State of-the-art tools and techniques to handle data-intensive applications and also building index for web pages available online and see how Map and Reduce functions can be executed by considering input as a set of documents.</p><p> </p>
The Combined Reproducing Kernel Method and Taylor Series for Solving Weakly Singular Fredholm Integral Equations
Authors: Alvandi Azizallah , Paripour Mahmoud 
Published: March 2020

<p>In this paper, a numerical method is proposed for solving weakly singular Fredholm integral equations in Hilbert reproducing kernel space (RKHS). The Taylor series is used to remove singularity and reproducing kernel function are used as a basis. The effectiveness and stability of the numerical scheme is illustrated through two numerical examples.</p>