30 research outputs found
Best Quality Tomato Selection by Supply Chain Strategy for Renewable Energy
World agriculture still faces challenges quite fundamental, it is about the quality issues and the increasing of competitiveness through productivity and the eficiency. This research focused on the criteria of best tomato types and how to apply the Simple Additive weighting method (SAW) into a Decision Support System (DSS) for election best quality tomato that can assist farmers in determining the best type of tomato for renewable energy and supply chain strategy, based on the criteria that have been chosen, such as: tomato size, tomato color, tomato shape and tomato disease. By using the application of Simple Additive weighting method into Decision Support Systems value, it can be concluded that V5 is the best quality tomato and has a predicate value of 83.75 with the fragile values, as follows: 50-69 = Enough, 70-82 = Good, 83-100 = Best
Reducing cardiovascular disease in a rural community
In this case report, we describe the one-year formative phase of a five-year study to develop, implement, and test a community health worker (CHW)-delivered cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention intervention. The purpose of the formative phase was to engage community partners in the adaptation of an existing evidence-based CVD prevention intervention to fit the needs and preferences of a rural, predominantly African-American community. The formative work was guided by a framework for adapting evidence-based interventions and involved engaging stakeholders in assessing the intervention's fit with the local context and then applying assessment findings to iteratively adapt the intervention's contents, materials, and delivery methods. Findings from the formative work were then applied to develop CHW position descriptions, workflow diagrams, and a training plan. Findings also were applied to adapt intervention materials and protocols to fit the needs of the community. This case report illustrates how community-engaged formative work can be applied to adapt an evidence-based intervention to fit community needs and resources
Revisiting Bimaximal Neutrino Mixing in a Model with S4 Discrete Symmetry
In view of the fact that the data on neutrino mixing are still compatible
with a situation where Bimaximal mixing is valid in first approximation and it
is then corrected by terms of order of the Cabibbo angle, arising from the
diagonalization of the charged lepton masses, we construct a model based on the
discrete group S4 where those properties are naturally realized. The model is
supersymmetric in 4-dimensions and the complete flavour group is S4 x Z4 x
U(1)_FN, which also allows to reproduce the hierarchy of the charged lepton
spectrum. The only fine tuning needed in the model is to reproduce the small
observed value of r, the ratio between the neutrino mass squared differences.
Once the relevant parameters are set to accommodate r then the spectrum of
light neutrinos shows a moderate normal hierarchy and is compatible, within
large ambiguities, with the constraints from leptogenesis as an explanation of
the baryon asymmetry in the Universe.Comment: 30 pages, 5 figures; added reference
Safety and efficacy of fluoxetine on functional outcome after acute stroke (AFFINITY): a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial
Background
Trials of fluoxetine for recovery after stroke report conflicting results. The Assessment oF FluoxetINe In sTroke recoverY (AFFINITY) trial aimed to show if daily oral fluoxetine for 6 months after stroke improves functional outcome in an ethnically diverse population.
Methods
AFFINITY was a randomised, parallel-group, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial done in 43 hospital stroke units in Australia (n=29), New Zealand (four), and Vietnam (ten). Eligible patients were adults (aged â„18 years) with a clinical diagnosis of acute stroke in the previous 2â15 days, brain imaging consistent with ischaemic or haemorrhagic stroke, and a persisting neurological deficit that produced a modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score of 1 or more. Patients were randomly assigned 1:1 via a web-based system using a minimisation algorithm to once daily, oral fluoxetine 20 mg capsules or matching placebo for 6 months. Patients, carers, investigators, and outcome assessors were masked to the treatment allocation. The primary outcome was functional status, measured by the mRS, at 6 months. The primary analysis was an ordinal logistic regression of the mRS at 6 months, adjusted for minimisation variables. Primary and safety analyses were done according to the patient's treatment allocation. The trial is registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry, ACTRN12611000774921.
Findings
Between Jan 11, 2013, and June 30, 2019, 1280 patients were recruited in Australia (n=532), New Zealand (n=42), and Vietnam (n=706), of whom 642 were randomly assigned to fluoxetine and 638 were randomly assigned to placebo. Mean duration of trial treatment was 167 days (SD 48·1). At 6 months, mRS data were available in 624 (97%) patients in the fluoxetine group and 632 (99%) in the placebo group. The distribution of mRS categories was similar in the fluoxetine and placebo groups (adjusted common odds ratio 0·94, 95% CI 0·76â1·15; p=0·53). Compared with patients in the placebo group, patients in the fluoxetine group had more falls (20 [3%] vs seven [1%]; p=0·018), bone fractures (19 [3%] vs six [1%]; p=0·014), and epileptic seizures (ten [2%] vs two [<1%]; p=0·038) at 6 months.
Interpretation
Oral fluoxetine 20 mg daily for 6 months after acute stroke did not improve functional outcome and increased the risk of falls, bone fractures, and epileptic seizures. These results do not support the use of fluoxetine to improve functional outcome after stroke
Phenolic Profiles, Antioxidant, Antibacterial Activities and Nutritional Value of Vietnamese Honey from Different Botanical and Geographical Sources
Honey is a natural product made by honeybees, its composition depends on factors such as climate, soil and plant source. In this study, the nutritional parameters, phenolic composition, antioxidant activity and antibacterial ability of 30 different types of honey of different botanical and geographical origins in Vietnam were investigated. The study focused on the characterization and evaluation of the influence of plant origin and geographical location on physicalâchemical properties and biological activities (antioxidant and antibacterial). The obtained results show that all honey samples meet quality standards according to international standards and Vietnamese standards, except for some exceptions recorded in moisture, 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) value and ash. These samples were explored for the detection of 13 polyphenols by using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The classification of honey samples collected from different regions and botanical sources was performed by principal component analysis (PCA), and it was observed that certain phenolic compounds contributed to the identification of honey samples. In addition, the correlation between physicochemical properties, chemical composition and biological activity of most honeys was also first clarified in this study. Overall, our data provide an overview data set and essential results in creating a database on the world honey trait map