Influence of the ICFF decoupling technique on the stability of the current control loop of a grid-tied VSC

© 2019 IEEE. Personal use of this material is permitted. Permission from IEEE must be obtained for all other uses, in any current or future media, including reprinting/republishing this material for advertising or promotional purposes,creating new collective works, for resale or redistribution to servers or lists, or reuse of any copyrighted component of this work in other works.The control scheme of grid-tied converters is often implemented in the dq-frame due to simplicity of design. However, with this transformation, there exists an inherent cross-coupling term between the d-and q-channels which is often compensated for by using a feed-forward term in the current-control loop. It is shown, by applying the generalized Nyquist criterion (GNC) to the dq-frame ac impedance of the converter, that the inclusion of this decoupling term, in fact, degrades the stability of the controller when increasing the bandwidth of the synchronous reference frame phase-locked loop (SRF-PLL). Harware-in-the-loop (HIL) experiments are also conducted and verify these results.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Evaluation of the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of Families for Health V2 for the treatment of childhood obesity : study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Background: Effective programs to help children manage their weight are required. Families for Health focuses on a parenting approach, designed to help parents develop their parenting skills to support lifestyle change within the family. Families for Health V1 showed sustained reductions in overweight after 2 years in a pilot evaluation, but lacks a randomized controlled trial (RCT) evidence base. Methods/design: This is a multi-center, investigator-blind RCT, with parallel economic evaluation, with a 12-month follow-up. The trial will recruit 120 families with at least one child aged 6 to 11 years who is overweight (≥91st centile BMI) or obese (≥98th centile BMI) from three localities and assigned randomly to Families for Health V2 (60 families) or the usual care control (60 families) groups. Randomization will be stratified by locality (Coventry, Warwickshire, Wolverhampton). Families for Health V2 is a family-based intervention run in a community venue. Parents/carers and children attend parallel groups for 2.5 hours weekly for 10 weeks. The usual care arm will be the usual support provided within each NHS locality. A mixed-methods evaluation will be carried out. Child and parent participants will be assessed at home visits at baseline, 3-month (post-treatment) and 12-month follow-up. The primary outcome measure is the change in the children’s BMI z-scores at 12 months from the baseline. Secondary outcome measures include changes in the children’s waist circumference, percentage body fat, physical activity, fruit/vegetable consumption and quality of life. The parents’ BMI and mental well-being, family eating/activity, parent–child relationships and parenting style will also be assessed. Economic components will encompass the measurement and valuation of service utilization, including the costs of running Families for Health and usual care, and the EuroQol EQ-5D health outcomes. Cost-effectiveness will be expressed in terms of incremental cost per quality-adjusted life year gained. A de novo decision-analytic model will estimate the lifetime cost-effectiveness of the Families for Health program. Process evaluation will document recruitment, attendance and drop-out rates, and the fidelity of Families for Health delivery. Interviews with up to 24 parents and children from each arm will investigate perceptions and changes made. Discussion: This paper describes our protocol to assess the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a parenting approach for managing childhood obesity and presents challenges to implementation. Trial registration: Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN4503220

Environmental pH Affects Photoautotrophic Growth of Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 Strains Carrying Mutations in the Lumenal Proteins of PSII.

Synechocystis sp. strain PCC 6803 grows photoautotrophically across a broad pH range, but wild-type cultures reach a higher density at elevated pH; however, photoheterotrophic growth is similar at high and neutral pH. A number of PSII mutants each lacking at least one lumenal extrinsic protein, and carrying a second PSII lumenal mutation, are able to grow photoautotrophically in BG-11 medium at pH 10.0, but not pH 7.5. We investigated the basis of this pH effect and observed no pH-specific change in variable fluorescence yield from PSII centers of the wild type or the pH-dependent ΔPsbO:ΔPsbU and ΔPsbV:ΔCyanoQ strains; however, 77 K fluorescence emission spectra indicated increased coupling of the phycobilisome (PBS) antenna at pH 10.0 in all mutants. DNA microarray data showed a cell-wide response to transfer from pH 10.0 to pH 7.5, including decreased mRNA levels of a number of oxidative stress-responsive transcripts. We hypothesize that this transcriptional response led to increased tolerance against reactive oxygen species and in particular singlet oxygen. This response enabled photoautotrophic growth of the PSII mutants at pH 10.0. This hypothesis was supported by increased resistance of all strains to rose bengal at pH 10.0 compared with pH 7.5

Ova lipid profiling and egg quality in wild and captive lumpfish, Cyclopterus lumpus (Linnaeus, 1758)

Lumpfish (Cyclopterus lumpus) serves an important role as cleaner fish for removing salmon lice in salmon aquaculture. For this use, cultivated lumpfish are preferred over wild-caught fish to avoid overexploitation of natural stocks and provide a stable production of good quality eggs and larvae. To support this, high quality eggs containing the necessary building blocks to support high fertilization success, development into a normal embryo and high hatching success is needed. Ova from wild-caught and captive lumpfish females were collected and assessed to identify how wild and domesticated lumpfish differ in terms of ova lipid profiles, egg and larvae quality. Wild-caught lumpfish displayed higher fertilization and hatching success compared to captive lumpfish, whereas other biological variables like egg size, egg/larvae dry weight and respiration, and larval morphometry, were not significantly different between wild and captive lumpfish. Ova lipid profiles (total lipid, lipid classes, fatty acid composition and lipidomics) can separate egg batches based on their geographic origin of wild-caught females and composition of diets used for captive broodstock (lipid and carbohydrate content). Multivariate statistics were applied to identify lipid markers that can be used to predict the quality of lumpfish ova. Lumpfish ova lipidomic profiles covaried with several biological parameters, indicating that the former can be used to predict the latter. Lumpfish eggs were mostly composed of triacylglycerides (TAGs) with some phosphatidylethanolamines (PEs) and phosphatidylcholines (PCs), and their lipid profiles were more sensitive to the different origins, mother weight/size and fertilization success than variables such as eggs size or larvae morphometric measures. PC and PE content of lumpfish eggs were positively correlated to both hatching success and fertilization rates, thus the lipidomic profiles, with some key highlighted lipid species were putative predictors of egg quality.Ova lipid profiling and egg quality in wild and captive lumpfish, Cyclopterus lumpus (Linnaeus, 1758)publishedVersio

Phenotypic and genotypic adaptations in Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms following long-term exposure to an alginate oligomer therapy

Chronic Pseudomonas aeruginosa lung infections in cystic fibrosis (CF) evolve to generate environmentally adapted biofilm communities, leading to increased patient morbidity and mortality. OligoG CF-5/20, a low-molecular-weight inhaled alginate oligomer therapy, is currently in phase IIb/III clinical trials in CF patients. Experimental evolution of P. aeruginosa in response to OligoG CF-5/20 was assessed using a bead biofilm model allowing continuous passage (45 days; ∼245 generations). Mutants isolated after OligoG CF-5/20 treatment typically had a reduced biofilm-forming ability and altered motility profile. Genotypically, OligoG CF-5/20 provided no selective pressure on genomic mutations within morphotypes. Chronic exposure to azithromycin, a commonly prescribed antibiotic in CF patients, with or without OligoG CF-5/20 in the biofilm evolution model also had no effect on rates of resistance acquisition. Interestingly, however, cross-resistance to other antibiotics (e.g., aztreonam) was reduced in the presence of OligoG CF-5/20. Collectively, these findings show no apparent adverse effects from long-term exposure to OligoG CF-5/20, instead resulting in both fewer colonies with multidrug resistance (MDR)-associated phenotypes and improved antibiotic susceptibility of P. aeruginosa

Involving psychological therapy stakeholders in responsible research to develop an automated feedback tool: Learnings from the ExTRAPPOLATE project

Understanding stakeholders’ views on novel autonomous systems in healthcare is essential to ensure these are not abandoned after substantial investment has been made. The ExTRAPPOLATE project applied the principles of Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) in the development of an automated feedback system for psychological therapists, ‘AutoCICS’. A Patient and Practitioner Reference Group (PPRG) was convened over three online workshops to inform the system's development. Iterative workshops allowed proposed changes to the system (based on stakeholder comments) to be scrutinized. The PPRG reference group provided valuable insights, differentiated by role, including concerns and suggestions related to the applicability and acceptability of the system to different patients, as well as ethical considerations. The RRI approach enabled the anticipation of barriers to use, reflection on stakeholders’ views, effective engagement with stakeholders, and action to revise the design and proposed use of the system prior to testing in future planned feasibility and effectiveness studies. Many best practices and learnings can be taken from the application of RRI in the development of the AutoCICS system

"The resurrection after the old has gone and the new has come": understanding narratives of forgiveness, redemption and resurrection in Christian individuals serving time in custody for a sexual offence

Research has shown how religion is associated with numerous positive effects including enhanced mood, increased feelings of hope, increased altruistic behaviour, improved ability to cope and also reducing people’s involvement in delinquent and criminal behaviour. However, this has also been contested with some arguing that religion can have criminogenic effects. Whilst there is a growing body of research concerning the effect (criminogenic or positive) of religion on offending, there is currently a paucity of research focusing on sexual offending and religion. The aim of this study was to explore and understand the effects that religious beliefs have on individuals with sexual convictions’ sense of self, identity, their thoughts about the future and on their daily lives in prison. The results focus on a centrally important superordinate theme related to forgiveness and redemption. The analysis unpacks participants’ narratives of forgiveness and the impact such narratives have on participants. A key finding from the data in this study was that religious beliefs and being forgiven by a higher power appeared to facilitate redemptive selves and the enacting of these selves. Implications for practice and limitations are discussed

Genome-wide association study of placental weight in 65,405 newborns and 113,620 parents reveals distinct and shared genetic influences between placental and fetal growth

A well-functioning placenta is essential for fetal and maternal health throughout pregnancy. Using placental weight as a proxy for placental growth, we report genome-wide association analyses in the fetal (n = 65,405), maternal (n = 61,228) and paternal (n = 52,392) genomes, yielding 40 independent association signals. Twenty-six signals are classified as fetal, four maternal and three fetal and maternal. A maternal parent-of-origin effect is seen near KCNQ1. Genetic correlation and colocalization analyses reveal overlap with birth weight genetics, but 12 loci are classified as predominantly or only affecting placental weight, with connections to placental development and morphology, and transport of antibodies and amino acids. Mendelian randomization analyses indicate that fetal genetically mediated higher placental weight is causally associated with preeclampsia risk and shorter gestational duration. Moreover, these analyses support the role of fetal insulin in regulating placental weight, providing a key link between fetal and placental growth

Fludarabine, cytarabine, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, and idarubicin with gemtuzumab ozogamicin improves event-free survival in younger patients with newly diagnosed aml and overall survival in patients with npm1 and flt3 mutations

Purpose To determine the optimal induction chemotherapy regimen for younger adults with newly diagnosed AML without known adverse risk cytogenetics. Patients and Methods One thousand thirty-three patients were randomly assigned to intensified (fludarabine, cytarabine, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, and idarubicin [FLAG-Ida]) or standard (daunorubicin and Ara-C [DA]) induction chemotherapy, with one or two doses of gemtuzumab ozogamicin (GO). The primary end point was overall survival (OS). Results There was no difference in remission rate after two courses between FLAG-Ida + GO and DA + GO (complete remission [CR] + CR with incomplete hematologic recovery 93% v 91%) or in day 60 mortality (4.3% v 4.6%). There was no difference in OS (66% v 63%; P = .41); however, the risk of relapse was lower with FLAG-Ida + GO (24% v 41%; P < .001) and 3-year event-free survival was higher (57% v 45%; P < .001). In patients with an NPM1 mutation (30%), 3-year OS was significantly higher with FLAG-Ida + GO (82% v 64%; P = .005). NPM1 measurable residual disease (MRD) clearance was also greater, with 88% versus 77% becoming MRD-negative in peripheral blood after cycle 2 (P = .02). Three-year OS was also higher in patients with a FLT3 mutation (64% v 54%; P = .047). Fewer transplants were performed in patients receiving FLAG-Ida + GO (238 v 278; P = .02). There was no difference in outcome according to the number of GO doses, although NPM1 MRD clearance was higher with two doses in the DA arm. Patients with core binding factor AML treated with DA and one dose of GO had a 3-year OS of 96% with no survival benefit from FLAG-Ida + GO. Conclusion Overall, FLAG-Ida + GO significantly reduced relapse without improving OS. However, exploratory analyses show that patients with NPM1 and FLT3 mutations had substantial improvements in OS. By contrast, in patients with core binding factor AML, outcomes were excellent with DA + GO with no FLAG-Ida benefit