Automated Feature Mining for Two-Dimensional Liquid Chromatography Applied to Polymers Enabled by Mass Remainder Analysis

A fast algorithm for automated feature mining of synthetic (industrial) homopolymers or perfectly alternating copolymers was developed. Comprehensive two-dimensional liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry data (LC × LC-MS) was utilized, undergoing four distinct parts within the algorithm. Initially, the data is reduced by selecting regions of interest within the data. Then, all regions of interest are clustered on the time and mass-to-charge domain to obtain isotopic distributions. Afterward, single-value clusters and background signals are removed from the data structure. In the second part of the algorithm, the isotopic distributions are employed to define the charge state of the polymeric units and the charge-state reduced masses of the units are calculated. In the third part, the mass of the repeating unit (i.e., the monomer) is automatically selected by comparing all mass differences within the data structure. Using the mass of the repeating unit, mass remainder analysis can be performed on the data. This results in groups sharing the same end-group compositions. Lastly, combining information from the clustering step in the first part and the mass remainder analysis results in the creation of compositional series, which are mapped on the chromatogram. Series with similar chromatographic behavior are separated in the mass-remainder domain, whereas series with an overlapping mass remainder are separated in the chromatographic domain. These series were extracted within a calculation time of 3 min. The false positives were then assessed within a reasonable time. The algorithm is verified with LC × LC-MS data of an industrial hexahydrophthalic anhydride-derivatized propylene glycol-terephthalic acid copolyester. Afterward, a chemical structure proposal has been made for each compositional series found within the data

Worksite health promotion for employees working from home: A vignette experiment examining intentions to participate

This study explores which factors affect employees' intention to participate in worksite health promotion (WHP) when they work from home. Employees increasingly work from home, yet existing WHP is mainly tied to the workplace. We lack knowledge on what might stimulate employees to make use of WHP specifically when they work from home. Drawing on the theory of reasoned action, we studied whether type of activity, duration, if WHP takes place during work time, how often employees work from home (shaping employees' attitude) and colleague participation (social norms) explain employees' intention to participate in WHP when working from home. To do so, we employed a vignette experiment. Results show that employees' intentions are higher for walking and taking breaks than for an online sports class. Moreover, intentions are higher for shorter activities and when participating in WHP can be done during work time. The more colleagues participate, the higher intentions of employees to do so too. By offering WHP for employees at home, employers can promote employees' health even when these are not present in the workplace. Our study provides leads into how employers may create conditions under which employees use WHP when working from home

Properties of generalized univariate hypergeometric functions

Based on Spiridonov's analysis of elliptic generalizations of the Gauss hypergeometric function, we develop a common framework for 7-parameter families of generalized elliptic, hyperbolic and trigonometric univariate hypergeometric functions. In each case we derive the symmetries of the generalized hypergeometric function under the Weyl group of type E_7 (elliptic, hyperbolic) and of type E_6 (trigonometric) using the appropriate versions of the Nassrallah-Rahman beta integral, and we derive contiguous relations using fundamental addition formulas for theta and sine functions. The top level degenerations of the hyperbolic and trigonometric hypergeometric functions are identified with Ruijsenaars' relativistic hypergeometric function and the Askey-Wilson function, respectively. We show that the degeneration process yields various new and known identities for hyperbolic and trigonometric special functions. We also describe an intimate connection between the hyperbolic and trigonometric theory, which yields an expression of the hyperbolic hypergeometric function as an explicit bilinear sum in trigonometric hypergeometric functions.Comment: 46 page

Improving Access to Mental Health Care and Psychosocial Support within a Fragile Context: A Case Study from Afghanistan

As one article in a series on Global Mental Health Practice, Peter Ventevogel and colleagues provide a case study of their efforts to integrate brief, practice-oriented mental health training into the Afghanistan health care system at a time when the system was being rebuilt from scratch

Modified Chrispin-Norman chest radiography score for cystic fibrosis: observer agreement and correlation with lung function

Contains fulltext : 96114.pdf ( ) (Closed access)OBJECTIVE: To test observer agreement and two strategies for possible improvement (consensus meeting and reference images) for the modified Chrispin-Norman score for children with cystic fibrosis (CF). METHODS: Before and after a consensus meeting and after developing reference images three observers scored sets of 25 chest radiographs from children with CF. Observer agreement was tested for line, ring, mottled and large soft shadows, for overinflation and for the composite modified Chrispin-Norman score. Correlation with lung function was assessed. RESULTS: Before the consensus meeting agreement between observers 1 and 2 was moderate-good, but with observer 3 agreement was poor-fair. Scores correlated significantly with spirometry for observers 1 and 2 (-0.72<R<-0.42, P < 0.05), but not for observer 3. Agreement with observer 3 improved after the consensus meeting. Reference images improved agreement for overinflation and mottled and large shadows and correlation with lung function, but agreement for the modified Chrispin-Norman score did not improve further. CONCLUSION: Consensus meetings and reference images improve among-observer agreement for the modified Chrispin-Norman score, but good agreement was not achieved among all observers for the modified Chrispin-Norman score and for bronchial line and ring shadows

Meromorphic tensor equivalence for Yangians and quantum loop algebras

Let ${\mathfrak g}$ be a complex semisimple Lie algebra, and $Y_h({\mathfrak g})$, $U_q(L{\mathfrak g})$ the corresponding Yangian and quantum loop algebra, with deformation parameters related by $q=\exp(\pi i h)$. When $h$ is not a rational number, we constructed in arXiv:1310.7318 a faithful functor $\Gamma$ from the category of finite-dimensional representations of $Y_h ({\mathfrak g})$ to those of $U_q(L{\mathfrak g})$. The functor $\Gamma$ is governed by the additive difference equations defined by the commuting fields of the Yangian, and restricts to an equivalence on a subcategory of $Y_h({\mathfrak g})$ defined by choosing a branch of the logarithm. In this paper, we construct a tensor structure on $\Gamma$ and show that, if $|q|\neq 1$, it yields an equivalence of meromorphic braided tensor categories, when $Y_h({\mathfrak g})$ and $U_q(L{\mathfrak g})$ are endowed with the deformed Drinfeld coproducts and the commutative part of the universal $R$-matrix. This proves in particular the Kohno-Drinfeld theorem for the abelian $q$KZ equations defined by $Y_h({\mathfrak g})$. The tensor structure arises from the abelian $q$KZ equations defined by a appropriate regularisation of the commutative $R$-matrix of $Y_h({\mathfrak g})$.Comment: Title changed, details added. 67 pages, 1 figure. Final version, to appear in Publ. Math IHE

Detection of unsafety in families with parental and/or child developmental problems at the start of family support

Background Risk assessment is crucial in preventing child maltreatment as it can identify high-risk cases in need of child protection intervention. Despite this importance, there have been no validated risk assessment instruments available in the Netherlands for assessing the risk of child maltreatment. Therefore, the predictive validity of the California Family Risk Assessment (CFRA) was examined in Dutch families who received family support. In addition, the added value of a number of experimental items was examined. Finally, it was examined whether the predictive value of the instrument could be improved by modifying the scoring procedure. Methods Dutch families who experienced parenting and/or child developmental problems and were referred by the Centres for Youth and Family for family support between July 2009 and March 2011 were included. This led to a sample of 491 families. The predictive validity of the CFRA and the added value of the experimental items were examined by calculating AUC values. A CHAID analysis was performed to examine whether the scoring procedure could be improved. Results About half of the individual CFRA items were not related to future reports of child maltreatment. The predictive validity of the CFRA in predicting future reports of child maltreatment was found to be modest (AUC = .693). The addition of some of the experimental items and the modification of the scoring procedure by including only items that were significantly associated with future maltreatment reports resulted in a ‘high’ predictive validity (AUC = .795). Conclusions This new set of items might be a valuable instrument that also saves time because only variables that uniquely contribute to the prediction of future reports of child maltreatment are included. Furthermore, items that are perceived as difficult to assess by professionals, such as parental mental health problems or parents’ history of abuse/neglect, could be omitted without compromising predictive validity. However, it is important to examine the psychometric properties of this new set of items in a new dataset

A Meta-analysis of Attachment to Parents and Delinquency

To investigate the link between attachment to parents and delinquency, and the potential moderating effects of age and sex, 74 published and unpublished manuscripts (N = 55,537 participants) were subjected to a multilevel meta-analysis. A mean small to moderate effect size was found (r = 0.18). Poor attachment to parents was significantly linked to delinquency in boys and girls. Stronger effect sizes were found for attachment to mothers than attachment to fathers. In addition, stronger effect sizes were found if the child and the parent had the same sex compared to cross-sex pairs of children and parents. Age of the participants moderated the link between attachment and delinquency: larger effect sizes were found in younger than in older participants. It can be concluded that attachment is associated with juvenile delinquency. Attachment could therefore be a target for intervention to reduce or prevent future delinquent behavior in juveniles