bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Distributed battery energy storage systems operation framework for grid power levelling in the distribution networks
Authors: Raouf Mohamed Ahmed A. , Morrow D. John , Best Robert J. , Cupples Andrew , Bailie Ian , Pollock Jonathan 
Published: May 2021

AbstractThe integration of battery energy storage systems (BESS) in the electrical grid is accelerating to mitigate the challenges associated with the rapid deployment of low carbon technologies (LCTs). This work investigates the ability of BESS to provide the power networks with important ancillary services such as peak shaving and grid power levelling through two case studies conducted in collaboration with Northern Ireland's distribution network operator. A powerful approach consisting of two strategies is developed to operate the BESS powerfully to enhance the operation of the distribution network. The first strategy is day‐ahead scheduling that aims to dispatch the distributed BESS to smooth the grid power and mitigate voltage and lines stresses. A powerful demand forecasting algorithm is utilised to efficiently apply the day‐ahead scheduling. The second strategy is a real‐time operation to flatten the grid power which can be used separately or to adjust the results obtained from the day‐ahead strategy against the forecasting errors. The proposed approach was validated using real measurements and applied to an 11 kV distribution network located in Northern Ireland, UK. The BESS expected revenues from the participation in different services available in the island of Ireland are quantified and the degradation is considered.
Energy‐saving methods in pneumatic actuator stroke using compressed air
Authors: Jiang Zhong'ai , Xiong Wei , Du Hongwang , Wang Zhiwen , Wang Lu 
Published: May 2021

AbstractThe pneumatic systems have lower energy efficiency than the electric and hydraulic systems. Improving the utilisation rate of compressed air is an important aspect for increasing the energy efficiency in the pneumatic systems. This paper introduces two methods for reducing air consumption, including the quantitative air intake method and the optimisation of the air intake and exhaust duration method. The quantitative air intake method analyses the minimum air consumption volume in a specific pneumatic system based on the energy conservation theory. The optimisation of the air intake and exhaust duration method aims to find the best air intake and exhaust time schedule by the mathematical optimisation of the energy‐saving and system stability of the pneumatic systems. An experimental equipment was established to verify the theoretical results of the two methods. Based on the experimental results, this paper analyses the characteristics and accuracy of the two methods and discusses the applicability of mathematical optimisation under some different boundary conditions. The experimental results show that both of the two methods can effectively reduce the air consumption in the piston stretching‐out stroke and save 76% of the air consumption compared with continuous air intake during the whole stroke.
A computing resource scheduling strategy of massive IoT devices in the mobile edge computing environment
Authors: Pang Meiyu , Yao Xiaofeng , Geng Miao 
Published: May 2021

AbstractAiming at the problem of scheduling computing resources for massive Internet of Things (IoT) devices, this paper proposes a scheduling strategy model based on mobile edge computing for massive IoT computing resources. First, the application scenarios are defined, the task offloading model and queue model are constructed. Then, task urgency and BS energy are considered to determine the optimization goal. Next, wolf colony algorithm is used to improve pheromone calculation so that the ant colony algorithm converges faster and is not easy to fall into local optimum when adjusting the computing resources of IoT devices, and then realizes the scheduling strategy of massive IoT devices. Finally, the experimental verification and comparative analysis of our proposed method are carried out. Experimental results show that proposed method is superior to the method based on Game Theory (GT) and the method based on Sub‐Optimal Policy (SOP). Besides, the proposed method can offload more tasks under the same conditions. The average energy consumption of proposed method is lower in 60–240 GHz frequency band. Moreover, it appears to increase significantly in 60–120 GHz frequency band, and tends to be stable in 120–240 GHz frequency band.
A multi‐objective approach for improving real‐time audio peak reduction and speech clarity in a dental drill noise reduction device
Authors: Jiang Pingfei , Atherton Mark A. 
Published: May 2021

AbstractAudio signals typically comprise several characteristics to be improved by signal processing and in practice, each of these characteristics has a unique relationship to the controllable system parameters. Quantifying these relationships in a multi‐objective (MO) approach will enable an improved system setup. This paper determines two novel objective functions of a complex audio signal for the real‐time simultaneous improvement of audio peak reduction and speech clarity in a dental drill noise reduction (DDNR) device. The influence of the DDNR system parameters on the outcome of peak reduction and speech clarity is determined by combining response surface methodology and a desirability function to enable MO optimisation. The results show an average improvement of nearly 30% over the original DDNR device performance. The approach described provides an effective means for addressing MO optimisation of other real‐time audio signal processing applications where the signal has similar peak reduction and speech clarity objectives to be processed, particularly where the physical outcome is not easy to evaluate in a virtual environment.
Is Exposure to Intrapartum Prostaglandins for Labor Induction Associated with a Lower Incidence of Neonatal Respiratory Distress Syndrome?
Authors: Son Shannon L. , Allshouse Amanda A. , Heinrichs Gretchen A. , Garite Thomas J. , Silver Robert M. , Wapner Ronald J. , Grobman William A. , Chung Judith H. , Mercer Brian M. , Metz Torri D. 
Published: May 2021

Objective Respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) is implicated in 30% of neonatal deaths. Since prostaglandins promote surfactant secretion and labor is associated with a lower risk of RDS in term neonates, it is plausible that synthetic prostaglandin (sPG) exposure is associated with a lower risk of RDS. Thus, we evaluated the association between sPG exposure and RDS in neonates born after the induction of labor (IOL).
Study Design Secondary analysis of women with singleton pregnancies undergoing IOL at 340/7 to 420/7 weeks in the nuMoM2b study, a multicenter prospective cohort of nulliparous women. RDS rates and secondary neonatal outcomes in neonates with intrapartum sPG exposure were compared with those who had IOL with non-sPG methods (e.g., balloon catheter, amniotomy, oxytocin, and laminaria). Logistic regression models estimated the association of sPG with RDS and with secondary outcomes after adjustment for clinical and demographic factors (including gestational age). A sensitivity analysis was performed in which analysis was restricted to those with an admission cervical dilation ≤2 cm.
Results Of 10,038 women in the total cohort, 3,071 met inclusion criteria; 1,444 were exposed and 1,627 were unexposed to sPGs. Antenatal corticosteroid exposure rates were low (3.0%) and similar between groups. In univariable analysis, neonates with sPG exposure had higher rates of RDS (3.2 vs. 2.0%, odds ratio [OR]: 1.59, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.01–2.50). This relationship was similar by gestational age at delivery (term vs. preterm, interaction p = 0.14). After adjustment, the association between sPG and RDS was no longer significant (adjusted odds ratio: 1.4, 95% CI: 0.9–2.3). When analysis was restricted to subjects with admission cervical dilation of ≤2 cm, there was also no association between sPG exposure and RDS.
Conclusion In pregnancies between 34 and 42 weeks of gestation, exposure to sPG for cervical ripening or labor induction was not associated with newborn RDS.
Key Points
Pragmatic Experience with Risk-based versus Universal Hepatitis C Screening in Pregnancy: Detection of Infection and Postpartum Linkage to Care
Authors: Bushman Elisa T. , Subramani Lakshmi , Sanjanwala Aalok , Dionne-Odom Jodie , Franco Ricardo , Owen John , Subramaniam Akila 
Published: May 2021

Objective Despite the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommending universal hepatitis C virus (HCV) screening in pregnancy Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM) and American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) continue to endorse risk-based screening for HCV in pregnancy. We hypothesized that universal screening is associated with increased HCV diagnosis and postpartum linkage to HCV care compared with risk-based screening.
Study Design This retrospective cohort study included pregnant women screened for HCV at a single tertiary-care center. We defined two cohorts: women managed with risk-based (January 2014–October 2016) or universal HCV screening (November 2016–December 2018). Screening was performed with ELISA antibody testing and viremia confirmed with HCV ribonucleic acid (RNA) polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Primary outcomes were the rate of HCV screen positivity and postpartum linkage to care.
Results From 2014 to 2018, 16,489 women delivered at our institution, of whom 166 screened positive for HCV. A total of 7,039 pregnant women were screened for HCV: 266 with risk-based and 6,773 with universal screening; 29% (76/266) were positive HCV antibody screening (HCVAb + ) in the risk-based cohort and 1.3% (90/6,773) in the universal cohort. HCVAb+ women in the risk-based cohort were more likely to have a positive drug screen. Only 69% (62/90) of HCVAb+ women in the universal cohort met the criteria for risk-based testing. Of the remaining 28 women, 6 (21%) had active viremia (HCV RNA+). Of the 166 HCVAb+ women, 64% (103/166) were HCV RNA+—51 of 266 (19%) in the risk-based and 52 of 6,773 (0.8%) in the universal cohort. Of HCVAb+ women, 75% (125/166) were referred postpartum for HCV evaluation and 27% (34/125) were linked to care. Only 9% (10/103) of women with viremia initiated treatment within 1 year of delivery.
Conclusion Universal HCV screening in pregnancy identified an additional 31% of HCVAb+ women compared with risk-based screening. Given low rates of HCV follow-up and treatment regardless of screening modality, further studies are needed to address barriers to postpartum linkage to care.
Key Points
Placenta Accreta Spectrum: Correlation between FIGO Clinical Classification and Histopathologic Findings
Authors: Aalipour Soroush , Salmanian Bahram , Fox Karin A. , Clark Steven Leigh , Shamshirsaz Amir A. , Asl Nazlisadat Meshinchi , Castro Eumenia C. , Erfani Hadi , Spinoza Jimmy , Nassr Ahmed , Belfort Michael A. , Shamshirsaz Alireza A. 
Published: May 2021

Objective Placenta accreta spectrum (PAS) covers a wide spectrum of placental adherence/invasion with varied clinical significance. Histopathologic examination is considered the confirmatory gold standard, but is only obtained sometime after definitive treatment. The International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) has published a new clinical classification that can be assigned at delivery, and we aimed to investigate the association between this new FIGO classification and histopathology and also to assess its correlation with maternal outcomes.
Study Design We studied a retrospective cohort of 185 patients with histopathologically proven PAS managed at our referral center between September 2012 and January 2019. Two experienced surgeons retrospectively reviewed charts and assigned the FIGO grading based on findings reported at delivery. A third experienced reviewer adjudicated to determine the classification used for final analysis. Categorical outcomes were compared with the use of chi-squared and the Fisher exact test, as appropriate. A multivariate model was designed to adjust outcomes in different FIGO groups for the involvement of a formal multidisciplinary management team.
Results Among 185 patients, there were 41 (22%) placenta accreta, 44 (24%) placenta increta, and 100 (54%) placenta percreta on histopathology. The inter-rater reliability was found to be substantial with Kappa = 0.661 (p < 0.001), and 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.449–0.872. There was a significant association between all histopathology groupings and the FIGO clinical classification (p < 0.001). However, we found no association between FIGO classifications and maternal complications.
Conclusion The new FIGO clinical classification is strongly associated with histopathologic findings. A better understanding of the depth and extent of invasion as afforded by the clinical classification system will help standardize reporting and future research.
Key Points
Improving the Timely Delivery of Antihypertensive Medication for Severe Perinatal Hypertension in Pregnancy and Postpartum
Authors: Schneider Patrick , Lee King Patricia Ann , Keenan-Devlin Lauren , Borders Ann E.B. 
Published: May 2021

Objective Sustained blood pressures ≥160/110 during pregnancy and the postpartum period require timely antihypertensive therapy. Hospital-level experiences outlining the efforts to improve timely delivery of care within 60 minutes have not been described. The objective of this analysis was to assess changes in care practices of an inpatient obstetrical health care team following the implementation of a quality improvement initiative for severe perinatal hypertension during pregnancy and the postpartum period.
Study Design In January 2016, NorthShore University HealthSystem Evanston Hospital launched a quality improvement initiative focusing on perinatal hypertension, as part of a larger, statewide quality initiative via the Illinois Perinatal Quality Collaborative. We performed a retrospective cohort study of all pregnant and postpartum patients with sustained severely elevated blood pressure (two severely elevated blood pressures ≤15 minutes apart) with baseline data from 2015 and data collected during the project from 2016 through 2017. Changes in clinical practice and outcomes were compared before and after the start of the project. Statistical process control charts were used to demonstrate process-behavior changes over time.
Results Comparing the baseline to the last quarter of 2017, there was a significant increase in the administration of medication within 60 minutes for severe perinatal hypertension (p <0.001). Implementation of a protocol for event-specific debriefing for each severe perinatal hypertension episode was associated with increased odds of the care team administering medication within 60 minutes of the diagnosis of severe perinatal hypertension (adjusted odds ratio 3.20, 95% confidence interval 1.73–5.91, p < 0.01).
Conclusion Implementation of a quality improvement initiative for perinatal hypertension associated with pregnancy and postpartum improved the delivery of appropriate and timely therapy for severely elevated blood pressures and demonstrated the impact of interdisciplinary communication in the process.
Key Points
Maternal and Neonatal Morbidity after Cesarean Delivery for Active Phase Arrest following Adoption of the Obstetric Care Consensus Guidelines
Authors: Jalloul Randa J. , Bury-Fiol Arlene , Ibarra Claudia J. , Chen Han-Yang , Sibai Baha M. , Ward Clara 
Published: May 2021

Objective In an effort to reduce the primary cesarean delivery (CD) rate, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommended new labor guidelines in 2014 that allow longer duration of labor times. There are little data on the impact of these guidelines on CD rates and pregnancy outcomes in a predominantly Hispanic population. This study aimed to compare the primary CD rates and maternal and neonatal outcomes in patients undergoing primary CD for arrest of labor before and after implementation of the 2014 guidelines.
Study Design This was a retrospective cohort study of term patients who underwent a CD for an arrest disorder between January 2011 and April 2017 at a county teaching hospital. Our primary outcome was the composite maternal and neonatal morbidities (CMM and CNM, respectively). Differences in the demographic and clinical characteristics, CMM, and CNM stratified by time period (pre- vs. postimplementation) were examined.
Results There were 4,976 deliveries in the study period: 525 (11%) underwent primary CD for arrest disorder; 298 (6%) prior to 2014, and 227 (5%) after 2014 (p = 0.62). There was no significant difference in the rate of CD between the two periods (13.4 vs. 13.3%, p = 0.81). In patients undergoing CD for arrest of dilation (n = 389), the CMM and CNM did not significantly change between both groups (63.3 vs. 56%, p = 0.15). In patients who had a CD for arrest of descent (n = 136), the rate of CMM significantly increased from 50 to 75% (p = 0.02) with no significant change in the CNM (13.2 vs. 20%, p = 0.3).
Conclusion Despite significant changes in labor management after the publication of the 2014 guidelines, our primary CD rate was not reduced, and we noticed an increase in CMM in patients who had CD for arrest of descent. A randomized controlled trial is needed to further evaluate the effect of these guidelines nationally.
Key Points
Food Insecurity in an Urban Pregnancy Cohort
Authors: Sullivan Kirby , St John Meghan , DeFranco Emily , Kelly Elizabeth 
Published: May 2021

Objective Food insecurity is a prominent problem and has been implicated in adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes. This study aims to describe the food insecure population in an urban academic health center perinatal cohort.
Study Design We enrolled 451 postpartum inpatients at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center who completed a questionnaire and were then categorized as food insecure based on U.S. Department of Agriculture standardized survey questions. Generalized linear models estimated the relative influence of maternal characteristics on food insecurity.
Results Among the study population (n = 426), 18.6% (95% confidence interval: 15.2–22.4%) were classified as food insecure. Factors with increased adjusted relative risk on food insecurity include annual household income <$40,000, obesity, and smoking. Food insecure women also reported lower levels of love, satisfaction, and joy, and higher levels of despair.
Conclusion We recommend the use of a validated screening tool on all pregnant women with the associated psychosocial stressors and social determinants of health.
Key Points
From Pruritus to Cholestasis: Building a Statistical Model and Online Application to Predict a Diagnosis Prior to Bile Acid Determination
Authors: Ramirez Zamudio Andres F. , Monrose Erica , Pan Stephanie , Ferrara Lauren 
Published: May 2021

Objective This study aimed to create a statistical model using clinical and laboratory parameters to predict which patients presenting with pruritus in pregnancy will have elevated total bile acids (TBA) and thus, have a high risk of intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP).
Study Design Retrospective cohort study of patients presenting with pruritus in pregnancy and had TBA sent from a single public hospital from January 1, 2017, to December 31, 2017. Primary outcome is TBA ≥ 10 µmol/L. Multivariate logistic regression with stepwise and backward variable selection were used to create predictive models. Four models were compared using Akaike information criterion (AIC), C-statistic, and the DeLong nonparametric approach to test for differences between area under the curve (AUC) of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Internal validation was performed via fivefold cross-validation technique on the best-fitting, most parsimonious model.
Results Of the 320 patients with pruritus, 153 (47.8%) had elevated bile acid levels ≥10 µmol/L. Sixty-nine variables were assessed for association with the primary outcome. Five variables were significantly associated with elevated TBA: pruritus of palms and soles (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 2.35 [95% confidence interval, CI: 1.22, 4.54]), gestational hypertension (aOR: 0.10 [95% CI: 0.02, 0.60]), log of total bilirubin (aOR: 4.71 [95% CI: 2.28, 9.75]), systolic blood pressure (aOR: 0.97 [95% CI: 0.94, 0.99]), and alanine aminotransferase (aOR: 1.05 [95% CI: 1.02, 1.07]). The final model was chosen for being parsimonious while having the lowest AIC with highest AUC (0.85; 95% CI: 0.81, 0.89). Internal validation using a probability threshold of 50% demonstrated a sensitivity of 65.5%, specificity of 83.5%, and accuracy of 75.1%.
Conclusion We provide a predictive model using five simple variables to determine the probability that a patient presenting with pruritus in pregnancy carries the diagnosis of ICP. This tool, available via a web app, is designed to aid providers and enhance clinical judgment in difficult triage situations.
Key Points
Obstetric Outcomes in Singleton Pregnancies with Abnormal Placental Cord Insertions
Authors: Zahedi-Spung Leilah D. , Stout Molly J. , Carter Ebony B. , Dicke Jeffrey M. , Tuuli Methodius G. , Raghuraman Nandini 
Published: May 2021

Objective There is wide variation in the management of pregnancies complicated by abnormal placental cord insertion (PCI), which includes velamentous cord insertion (VCI) and marginal cord insertion (MCI). We tested the hypothesis that abnormal PCI is associated with small for gestational age (SGA) infants.
Study Design This is a retrospective cohort study of all pregnant patients undergoing anatomic ultrasound at a single institution from 2010 to 2017. Patients with abnormal PCI were matched in a 1:2 ratio by race, parity, gestational age at the time of ultrasound, and obesity to patients with normal PCIs. The primary outcome was SGA at delivery. Secondary outcomes were cesarean delivery, preterm delivery, cesarean delivery for nonreassuring fetal status, 5-minute Apgar score < 7, umbilical artery pH < 7.1, and neonatal intensive care unit admission. These outcomes were compared using univariate and bivariate analyses.
Results Abnormal PCI was associated with an increased risk of SGA (relative risk [RR]: 2.43; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.26–4.69), increased risk of preterm delivery <37 weeks (RR: 3.60; 95% CI: 1.74–7.46), and <34 weeks (RR: 3.50; 95% CI: 1.05–11.63) compared with patients with normal PCI. There was no difference in rates of cesarean delivery, Apgar score of <7 at 5 minutes, acidemia, or neonatal intensive care unit admission between normal and abnormal PCI groups. In a stratified analysis, the association between abnormal PCI and SGA did not differ by the type of abnormal PCI (p for interaction = 0.46).
Conclusion Abnormal PCI is associated with an increased risk of SGA and preterm delivery. These results suggest that serial fetal growth assessments in this population may be warranted.
Key Points
Raoiella indica (red palm mite).
Authors: Taylor Bryony 
Published: May 2021

Abstract

R. indica was first described in India in 1924 (Hirst) and has since been reported in several Old World countries. The species became of recent significance in 2004 when it was first reported in the Caribbean (Flechtmann and Étienne, 2004). Since then the mite has successfully spread throughout the islands of the Caribbean and has expanded its range into southern Florida (USDA-APHIS, 2007), South America (northern Venezuela, Vásquez et al., 2008; Brazil, Navia et al., 2010; Colombia, Carrillo et al., 2011) and Mexico (Estrada-Venegas et al., 2010). The mite has been reported on a wide range of palm hosts of the family Arecaceae and apparent new associations with members of the order Zingiberales, including the families Musaceae, Heliconiaceae, Zingiberaceae and Strelitziaceae have been reported. The success of the mite in the invasive range may be attributed to its ability to colonize many different host plant species, its apparent lack of co-evolved natural enemies in its new habitat and its rapid dispersal in its new range.