bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Converness: Ontology‐driven conversational awareness and context understanding in multimodal dialogue systems
Authors: Meditskos Georgios , Kontopoulos Efstratios , Vrochidis Stefanos , Kompatsiaris Ioannis 
Published: February 2019

AbstractDialogue‐based systems often consist of several components, such as communication analysis, dialogue management, domain reasoning, and language generation. In this paper, we present Converness, an ontology‐driven, rule‐based framework to facilitate domain reasoning for conversational awareness in multimodal dialogue‐based agents. Converness uses Web Ontology Language 2 (OWL 2) ontologies to capture and combine the conversational modalities of the domain, for example, deictic gestures and spoken utterances, fuelling conversational topic understanding, and interpretation using description logics and rules. At the same time, defeasible rules are used to couple domain and user‐centred knowledge to further assist the interaction with end users, facilitating advanced conflict resolution and personalised context disambiguation. We illustrate the capabilities of the framework through its integration into a multimodal dialogue‐based agent that serves as an intelligent interface between users (elderly, caregivers, and health experts) and an ambient assistive living platform in real home settings.
Architecture and implementation of a smart‐pregnancy monitoring system using web‐based application
Authors: Santur Yunus , Santur Sinem Güven , Karaköse Mehmet 
Published: February 2019

AbstractToday, people use web‐based technologies to meet their information needs, socialise, communicate, and deal with formal and informal processes. At the same time, mobile versions of these applications provide people with great convenience in daily life. These applications include blood‐pressure monitors, blood‐glucose monitors, body‐analysis scales, pulse oximeters, and activity and sleep trackers. Many of these products sync directly with a free mobile app that makes monitoring, viewing, storing, and sharing of health vitals simple and comprehensive. The data collected from the user is stored in a cloud‐based application, then trained by intelligent algorithms that use machine learning for health aims so that the user can instantly see his or her status and development. In this study, the aim was to construct a cloud‐based application specific to women for monitoring pregnancy. In the web‐based application working with membership logic, members can access machine learning assisted calculators of the baby percentile, period tracker, pregnancy calendar, and baby vaccination schedule. Moreover, they can access augmented/virtual‐reality‐assisted visual training.
Range size and growth temperature influence Eucalyptus species responses to an experimental heatwave
Authors: Aspinwall Michael J. , Pfautsch Sebastian , Tjoelker Mark G. , Vårhammar Angelica , Possell Malcolm , Drake John E. , Reich Peter B. , Tissue David T. , Atkin Owen K. , Rymer Paul D. , Dennison Siobhan , Van Sluyter Steven C. 
Published: February 2019

AbstractUnderstanding forest tree responses to climate warming and heatwaves is important for predicting changes in tree species diversity, forest C uptake, and vegetation–climate interactions. Yet, tree species differences in heatwave tolerance and their plasticity to growth temperature remain poorly understood. In this study, populations of four Eucalyptus species, two with large range sizes and two with comparatively small range sizes, were grown under two temperature treatments (cool and warm) before being exposed to an equivalent experimental heatwave. We tested whether the species with large and small range sizes differed in heatwave tolerance, and whether trees grown under warmer temperatures were more tolerant of heatwave conditions than trees grown under cooler temperatures. Visible heatwave damage was more common and severe in the species with small rather than large range sizes. In general, species that showed less tissue damage maintained higher stomatal conductance, lower leaf temperatures, larger increases in isoprene emissions, and less photosynthetic inhibition than species that showed more damage. Species exhibiting more severe visible damage had larger increases in heat shock proteins (HSPs) and respiratory thermotolerance (Tmax). Thus, across species, increases in HSPs and Tmax were positively correlated, but inversely related to increases in isoprene emissions. Integration of leaf gas‐exchange, isoprene emissions, proteomics, and respiratory thermotolerance measurements provided new insight into mechanisms underlying variability in tree species heatwave tolerance. Importantly, warm‐grown seedlings were, surprisingly, more susceptible to heatwave damage than cool‐grown seedlings, which could be associated with reduced enzyme concentrations in leaves. We conclude that species with restricted range sizes, along with trees growing under climate warming, may be more vulnerable to heatwaves of the future.
The impact of haemophilia on the social status and the health‐related quality of life in adult Lebanese persons with haemophilia
Authors: Naous Elie , de Moerloose Philippe , Sleilaty Ghassan , Casini Alessandro , Djambas Khayat Claudia 
Published: February 2019

IntroductionHealth‐related quality of life (HRQoL) studies are increasingly needed to prevent and improve the medical care of persons with haemophilia (PWH).AimWe assessed the impact of haemophilia on HRQoL and social status of adult Lebanese PWH compared to a reference population.MethodsIn this case‐control study, 60 severe and moderate PWH were compared to 112 healthy controls. Detailed socio‐demographic data and disease characteristics were collected, and HRQoL was assessed using the SF‐36 questionnaire.ResultsAge, body mass index and the percentage of married people were similar in PWH and controls. A greater proportion of controls attained a higher educational level than cases (88.4% vs 59.3%, respectively, P < 0.001). PWH were more likely to have a job requiring physical activity than controls (55.9% vs 31.4%) and more likely to be unemployed (10.2% vs 1.0%), whereas more controls had higher socio‐economic jobs (10.5% vs 1.7%). PWH had significantly (P < 0.001) worse scores in all SF‐36 domains except for energy/fatigue. Affected targeted joints (2.7 ± 1.5) and monthly bleeding frequency (2.9 ± 2.4) were inversely correlated with almost all SF‐36 domains. Only 26.7% of PWH walk normally, and walking abnormalities were inversely correlated with all SF‐36 domains except role‐emotional and emotional well‐being.ConclusionAs compared with controls, the majority of Lebanese PWH has difficulties in social integration, has severe physical limitations and psychological impairments.
Outbreak of nonfermentative Gram‐negative bacteria (Ralstonia pickettii and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia) in a hemodialysis center
Authors: K. Thet May , Pelobello Ma. Lourdes F. , Das Milton , Alhaji Mohammed M. , Chong Vui Heng , Khalil Muhammad Abdul Mabood , Chinniah Terence , Tan Jackson 
Published: February 2019

AbstractWe report a case series of seven patients with nonfermentative Gram‐negative bacteria infections in a single dialysis center; four patients with Ralstonia pickettii and three patients with Stenotrophomonas maltophilia. Two of the seven patients were admitted to hospital for intravenous antibiotic treatment, while the rest were treated with oral antibiotics at home. Both the admitted patients had temporary vascular catheter infections from the aforementioned pathogens. We conclude that the outbreak is due to colonization of treated reverse osmosis water, presumably through contamination via polluted filters and compounded by the usage of reprocessed dialysers in the dialysis center. This is especially relevant because contaminated treated water is directly introduced into the blood compartment of the dialysers during reprocessing. In addition, there seems to be a propensity for both organisms to cause prolonged febrile reactions in patients with temporary vascular catheters, likely through the early development of biofilm. Intensification of general sterilization procedures, servicing and replacement of old decrepit components of the water treatment system and temporary cessation of dialyser reuse practice seem to have halted the outbreak. Due to the virulent nature and difficult resistant profile of nonfermentative Gram‐negative bacteria, we strongly recommend meticulous vigilance in the surveillance of culture isolates in routine microbiological specimens from dialysis centers, especially if there is a senescent water treatment system and a practice of reprocessing dialysers.
Longitudinal progress of transepidermal water loss, color, and sensory elements in split‐thickness skin graft donor sites in East Asians
Authors: Kim Junhyung , Kim Ryeolwoo , Jeong Woonhyeok , Choi Jaehoon , Park Sang Woo 
Published: February 2019

AbstractBackgroundThere is little research available that describes the natural progression of split‐thickness skin graft (STSG) donor site wounds after re‐epithelialization. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the longitudinal clinical progress of transepidermal water loss (TEWL), color, and sensory elements in STSG donor sites in East Asians.MethodsEighteen patients participated in this study. The TEWL, color, pressure threshold, and static two‐point discrimination were evaluated from the center and upper lateral corner of the wounds and adjacent normal skin preoperatively and at 1, 2, 7, and 12 months postoperatively.ResultsThe age was negatively correlated with preoperative values of TEWL (r = −0.49, P = 0.039). The elevated TEWL level from the STSG donor sites did not return to normal until 12 months after surgery. In the measurement of skin color, the elevated L* value normalized after 12 months following surgery, while the elevated a* and b* values persisted. In the sensory testing, there were no significant changes during the observation period except at 2 months postoperatively, representing a significant increase of pressure threshold in the periphery.ConclusionsIn East Asians, elevated skin lightness level in STSG donor sites returned to normal at 12 months postoperatively, while the elevated TEWL and skin redness levels were improved but were not normalized at 12 months after surgery.
Sepsis and septic shock: current approaches to management
Authors: Thompson Kelly , Venkatesh Balasubramanian , Finfer Simon 
Published: February 2019

AbstractSepsis, defined as life‐threatening organ dysfunction due to a dysregulated host response to infection, is recognised by the World Health Organization as a global health priority. Each year, 5000 of the 18 000 adults with sepsis treated in Australian intensive care units die, with survivors suffering long‐term physical, cognitive and psychological dysfunction, which is poorly recognised and frequently untreated. There are currently no effective pharmacological treatments for sepsis, making early recognition, resuscitation and immediate treatment with appropriate antibiotics the key to reducing the burden of resulting disease. The majority of sepsis, around 70–80%, is community acquired making emergency departments and primary care key targets to improve recognition and early management. Case fatality rates for sepsis are decreasing in many countries with the reduction attributed to national or regional screening and quality improvement programmes focused on early identification and immediate treatment. The optimum approach to treating established sepsis has been informed by high‐quality, multicentre investigator initiated randomised trials with much of the valuable data coming from National Health and Medical Research Council‐funded trials run from Australia. While early recognition and improved management of the acute episode are important steps in reducing death and disability from sepsis, a substantial reduction in the burden of sepsis‐related disease requires action across the entire healthcare system. In this narrative review, we provide a summary of current knowledge on epidemiology of sepsis and septic shock and recommendations on the optimum approach to the management of these conditions in adults.
Trends in use of dental services by Brazilian pre‐school children considering Age‐Period‐Cohort Effect
Authors: Agostini Bernardo Antonio , Emmanuelli Bruno , Piovesan Chaiana , Mendes Fausto Medeiros , Ardenghi Thiago Machado 
Published: February 2019

BackgroundBesides the growth in Brazilian public oral health investments, no pre‐school children preventive policies were done, and surveys demonstrated lower prevalences of use of dental service.AimTo verify trends in the use, type, and reason for seeking dental services among pre‐school children considering time variations.MethodsThis study used data of clinical examinations and structured interviews of three cross‐sectional surveys of southern pre‐school children in Brazil, from 2008, 2010, and 2013. Chi‐square test for trends and hierarchical age‐period‐cohort (HAPC) analysis using the multilevel Poisson regression model assessing the influence of social and clinical variables in the use, type, and reason for seeking dental services were performed.ResultsA total of 1765 pre‐school children participated in all surveys. At least, one time‐related variation affected one of three assessed outcomes. There was no significant change in prevalence of the use of dental services (75.8%, 77.4%, and 74.9%, respectively, for each year; P = 0.750). In the HAPC analysis, younger children and from low socio‐economic backgrounds were less likely to have visited the dentist.ConclusionThe prevalence of use of oral health services did not change and socio‐economic inequalities persisted through the years, indicating a need of reviewing the policies to promote public health.
A rate‐dependent constitutive model for brittle granular materials based on breakage mechanics
Authors: Cil Mehmet B. , Hurley Ryan C. , Graham‐Brady Lori 
Published: February 2019

AbstractModeling the rate‐dependent mechanical behavior of brittle granular materials is of interest to defense applications, civil and mining engineering, geology, and geophysics. In particular, granulated ceramics in armor systems play a significant role in the overall dynamic material response of ceramics, particularly in their penetration resistance. This paper presents a rate‐dependent constitutive model for brittle granular materials based on a recent reformulation of breakage mechanics theory. The rate‐dependency is introduced via the overstress theory of viscoplasticity. The proposed formulation incorporates the effects of relative density and particle grading on strength and porous compaction/dilation, and is capable of tracking their evolution. The model is devised with internal variables linked to underlying dissipative micromechanisms including configurational reorganization, particle breakage and frictional dissipation. A strategy for calibrating model parameters and required experiments are described. The impact of loading rate on shear strength and grading evolution are explored through a sensitivity analysis. The presented model is capable of capturing several key features of the experimentally observed behavior of brittle granular materials including stress‐, rate‐ and density‐dependent stress‐strain and volume change responses, the competition between dilation and breakage‐induced compaction, the evolving particle grading due to particle breakage, and the evolution toward a critical (steady) state under shearing. A possible application of this micromechanics‐inspired modeling framework involves integrating it into rate‐dependent models for ceramics to assist in improving the impact performance of next‐generation ceramics.
Nondestructive prediction modeling of S‐ovalbumin content in stored eggs based on hyperspectral fusion information
Authors: Fu Dan‐Dan , Wang Qiao‐Hua , Ma Mei‐Hu , Ma Yi‐Xiao , Wang Bin 
Published: February 2019

AbstractHyperspectral imaging technology was used to nondestructively predict S‐ovalbumin content by obtaining transmission spectral and fused image data. Hyperspectral images of eggs with spectral wavelengths between 300 and 1,100 nm were collected. Three image features were selected to use as variables to model. After spectral pretreatment, 14 characteristic wavelengths were selected using competitive adaptive reweighted sampling algorithm (CARS). Nondestructive prediction models of S‐ovalbumin content were developed based on either image feature parameters, a combination of spectral characteristic wavelengths, or image‐spectral fusion data after dimensionality reduction. A partial least squares (PLS) model and genetic algorithm to optimize a back propagation neural network (GA‐BP) model was established based on these three kinds of data. From comparisons between PLS and GA‐BP models based on the same type of each of the three data types, we determined that hyperspectral fusion data and a GA‐BP model can improve the performance of a S‐ovalbumin nondestructive prediction model. It had a simpler structure with fewer variables. So, it can be used to nondestructively and rapidly predict protein content in egg white.Practical applicationsCurrent nondestructive methods to evaluate egg quality primarily focus on the changes of simple external and internal quality, such as egg weight and simple chemical indicators. Due to the individual differences between eggs, the above methods are under a limited application scope. Changes in S‐ovalbumin content do not depend on egg weight, and so forth, individual differences have little effect on it. Changes in S‐ovalbumin content of various varieties of eggs are alike because the biochemical processes that affect egg white protein content is fundamentally the same across egg varieties, and its traditional detection method is to perform complex biochemical tests after breaking. Therefore, if the egg's internal protein content can detected quickly without breaking it, it is more accurate and more profound from the biochemical essence and it can not only solve the shortcomings of biochemical detection, but also provide important theory and application technology for the detection and classification of egg quality.
Navigating the Minefield of QTc Interval‐Prolonging Therapy in Nursing Facility Residents
Authors: Zarowitz Barbara J. , Tisdale James E. 
Published: February 2019

BACKGROUNDThe exponential increase in the number of medications associated with clinically important prolongation of the heart rate‐corrected QT interval (QTc) places older adults at increased risk of arrhythmias including life‐threatening torsade de pointes (TdP) and sudden death. Risk factors, other than age older than 65 years and female sex, include multiple concurrent drugs that prolong QTc and a variety of underlying predisposing conditions. Although electronic medical records and pharmacy dispensing systems can alert clinicians to the risk of QTc‐prolonging therapy, more than 95% of safety alerts are overridden, and many systems have deactivated QTc drug interaction alerts. The clinical consequences, magnitude of the effect, mitigation strategies, and recommended monitoring are not well defined for nursing facility (NF) residents.DESIGNNarrative review.SETTINGNFs in the United States.PARTICIPANTSNF residents.RESULTSMedications known to prolong QTc include selected anti‐infectives, antidepressants, urinary anticholinergics, antipsychotics, and cholinesterase inhibitors (eg, donepezil), used commonly in NFs. Drug‐drug interactions are a risk when adding a medication that exaggerates the effect or inhibits the metabolism of a QTc‐prolonging medication. The vast majority of patients in whom TdP is induced by noncardiac drugs have risk factors that are easily identifiable.CONCLUSIONSRecommendations are provided to improve standardization and use of drug interaction alerts, evaluate the risk of QTc‐prolonging drugs in older adults receiving generally lower doses, validate a QTc risk score addressing complex multimorbidity, garner evidence to guide clinical decision making, avail NFs of access to electrocardiograms and interpretive recommendations, and develop standards of practice for hosting risk discussions with residents and their families. J Am Geriatr Soc, 1–8, 2019.
Herbivory and dropping effects by small mammals on salt‐marsh vegetation vary across microhabitats
Authors: Pascual Jesús , Alberti Juan , Daleo Pedro , Fanjul Eugenia , Rocca Camila , Iribarne Oscar 
Published: February 2019

AbstractQuestionDoes the effect of droppings and herbivory by wild guinea pigs on salt‐marsh vegetation vary across microhabitats?LocationUpper salt marsh in the Mar Chiquita coastal lagoon (37°44′52″ S, 57°26′6″ W, Argentina).MethodsDuring autumn 2014, we performed a micro‐scale experiment manipulating droppings of wild guinea pigs (Cavia aperea). After 15 days, we compared the content of nutrients (i.e., NH4+, NO3−, and PO43−) in soil. Then, we started two factorial experiments in the high marsh, specifically one in marsh matrix (i.e., tall vegetation) and the other in open patches (i.e., short vegetation). Units were randomly assigned to different treatments (with and without herbivores and droppings). In early summer, we compared total plant cover, maximum height, above‐ground biomass, plant species richness and the composition of plant assemblages between treatments.ResultsDroppings increased the content of PO43− in soil by five times, but decreased the content of NO3−. Herbivory reduced total cover, plant height, and above‐ground biomass in the marsh matrix and the open patches. In the marsh matrix, droppings increased the total cover, whereas herbivory reduced the abundance of Spartina densiflora (cover and above‐ground biomass) and subordinate species (cover). Additionally, the cover of subordinate species was negatively associated with the cover of Spartina densiflora. Therefore, in the marsh matrix, by increasing light availability at the ground level, herbivory increased plant species richness, but with low cover of subordinate species. In contrast, in open patches, herbivory and droppings interacted to reduce plant species richness.ConclusionHerbivory by small mammals can control the above‐ground biomass, structure, and plant community composition of the high marsh, but non‐trophic mechanisms (droppings) can also affect community composition. Nonetheless, ecological impacts of small mammals depend on the context, because the magnitude and direction of trophic (herbivory) and non‐trophic (droppings) effects change across microhabitats.
Assessing Phraseological Development in Word Sequences of Variable Lengths in Second Language Texts Using Directional Association Measures
Authors: Chen Alvin Cheng‐Hsien 
Published: February 2019

AbstractThis study evaluated second language (L2) phraseological development using a directional association measure (delta P) that assesses the directional formulaicity of recurrent multiword combinations. The study examined (a) whether learners develop their sensitivity to the distributional properties of recurrent multiword combinations as their proficiency grows and (b) how this development is mediated by the directionality of lexical associations and combination length. The formulaicity of recurrent multiword combinations was assessed from bigrams to five‐grams in L2 argumentative essays by assigning them forward and backward delta P scores, computed from two representative native speaker corpora. Mixed‐effect modeling of delta P variation showed that formulaicity increased with proficiency. Although participants generally showed higher backward‐directed formulaicity, they demonstrated a more pronounced growth in forward‐directed formulaicity across proficiencies. Backward‐directed formulaicity, however, improved at a slower rate, suggesting sophistication in phrasal complexity. Longer sequences mitigated these directional differences.