bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Success of Ammonia-Fired, Regenerator-Heated, Diffusion Combustion Gas Turbine Power Generation and Prospect of Low NOx Combustion With High Combustion Efficiency
Authors: Kurata Osamu , Iki Norihiko , Matsunuma Takayuki , Inoue Takahiro , Tsujimura Taku , Furutani Hirohide , Hayakawa Akihiro , Kobayashi Hideaki
Published: September 2017

To protect against global warming, a massive influx of renewable energy is expected. Although hydrogen is a renewable media, its storage and transportation in large quantity is difficult. Ammonia, however, is a hydrogen energy carrier and carbon-free fuel, and its storage and transportation technology is already established. Although ammonia combustion was studied in the 1960s in the USA, the development of an ammonia combustion gas turbine had been abandoned because combustion efficiency was unacceptably low. Since that time, in the combustion field, ammonia has been thought of as a fuel N additive in the study of NOx formation. Recent demand for hydrogen carrier revives the usage of ammonia combustion, but no one has attempted an actual design setup for ammonia combustion gas turbine power generation. The National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) in Japan successfully performed ammonia-kerosene co-fired gas turbine power generation in 2014, and ammonia-fired gas turbine power generation in 2015. In the facilities, a regenerator-heated, diffusion-combustion micro-gas turbine is used, and its high combustor inlet temperature enables high thermal efficiency of ammonia combustion compared with that of methane combustion. Adoption of the regenerator increased combustor inlet temperature and enhanced flame stability in ammonia-air combustion. Although NOx emission from a gas turbine combustor is high, a Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) after gas turbine combustor reduces NOx emission to less than 10 ppm. This means that the ammonia combustion gas turbine design, abandoned in the 1960s for its unacceptably low combustion efficiency, has performed successfully with regenerator and SCR technology. However, the weakness of these facilities was that they required large-size SCR equipment in order to suppress a high concentration of NOx. Although NOx reduction in the combustion process is desirable, low NOx combustion technology is difficult because ammonia had been thought of as a source of fuel-NO. In the case of premixed ammonia-air flame, there exists a low emission window of NOx and NH3 in a certain equivalence ratio, but combustion intensity is very low because the laminar burning velocity of NH3-air is one-fifth that of CH4-air. This means that, when utilizing the window of premixed ammonia-air flame, scale-up of the combustion chamber or fuel additives for enhancement of flame stability is necessary. This study shows that the addition of H2 is effective for low NOx combustion with high combustion efficiency. In addition, H2 can be easily made from NH3 decomposition. The other option is diffusion combustion. Further research on low NOx combustion is needed.
Numerical Study of Effects of Operation Condition for Oxygen Blown Coal Gasifier in Oxy-Fuel IGCC
Authors: Tanno Kenji , Seongyool Ahn , Watanabe Hiroaki
Published: September 2017

In order to reduce CO2 emission from thermal power stations with keeping high thermal efficiency, a new concept of IGCC system, namely oxy-fuel IGCC, has been recently proposed. Hence CO2 is recycled in the system, the effect of CO2 recycle on each equipments should be clarified. In this study, the effect of recycled CO2 injection on coal gasifier performance was investigated by means of three-dimensional RANS-based numerical simulation. For estimating of coal gasifier performance, coal gasification and water-gas shift reaction are key phenomena. Therefore, the partially active site sharing coal gasification model and detailed chemistry of water-gas shift reaction model were implemented. Calculated gasifier was a commercial scale entrained flow coal gasifier whose coal feeding rate is 70 tons per hour. The gasifier consists of a lower combustor part and an upper reductor part. The effect of coal feeding rate into the reductor, R/T, was investigated. The results show that temperature in the combustor decreases with decreasing R/T. In the lower R/T condition, hence air ratio in the combustor decreases, the reducing atmosphere becomes stronger. As a result, coal gasification which is endothermic reaction in the combustor is promoted. Although coal gasification is occurred in the reductor in higher R/T condition, total coal gasification rate is not so promoted compared with lower R/T condition. Due to the above mechanism, the gasification performance becomes higher with decreasing R/T. The results obtained in this study indicate that it is important that how much the higher gasification reactivity in a gasifier is exploited by optimizing local heat balance.
A Numerical Solution for the Transient Inverse Heat Conduction Problem
Authors: Cai Benan , Zhang Qi , Weng Yu , Gu Hongfang , Wang Haijun
Published: September 2017

Pipelines are widely used in energy power system including thermal power plants and nuclear power plants. In the power system, especially nuclear power plants, as thermal stratification characteristic of nonuniform temperature distribution in the pipe and thermal fatigue such as the low cycle thermal fatigue due to existence of the cycle thermal stress are inevitable, the pipe line system can be destroyed easily and thus affect the normal operation of the power plants. In order to study the pipeline thermal fatigue, the pipeline thermal stress needs to be calculated and therefore the temperature distributions especially the inner wall temperature was needed. The outer wall temperature and working fluid temperature can be obtained with installing measuring tools. The key and difficult point is the estimation of the inner temperature distribution of the pipe. At the same time, in the practical engineering, the pipeline structure with special safety requirements or higher requirements for structural completeness are not allowed to be destroyed by the measuring equipment. Based on the consideration above, this paper presents a method of solving the inverse heat conduction problem, which means the inner temperature distributions can be derived by the outer wall temperature distributions. For the pipe inverse heat conduction problem, this paper applies numerical analysis as the main way. Firstly, the method for transient inverse heat conduction problems applying separation of variables and Duhamel’s theorem is established. As the effects of the random error on the measured outer wall temperature are inevitable, the measured data need to be smoothed before used as an input. The Gram orthogonal polynomial method based on the digital filtering theory is applied in this paper to accomplish the smoothing process. The inverse process is accomplished by using MATLAB programming. Then this method is verified in the experiment with high temperature and high pressure. In order to directly validate the accuracy of the inverse analysis, for the test section, not only the transient outer wall temperature and fluid temperature were measured, but also the time dependent middle layer temperature were measured. Then the middle layer temperature obtained from inverse calculation was compared with the measured data from the experiment. The calculated results show that the accuracy of this method is high. The temperature distributions along the radical direction can be obtained quickly and accurate instantaneous heat load for the structural stress analysis and thermal fatigue analysis can be provided using this method. (CSPE)
A Bladeless Turbocompressor Concept: Shear Driven Gas Compression With Deformable Structures: Part 2 — Operating Principles and Theory
Authors: Heshmat Hooshang , Córdova José Luis
Published: September 2017

The theory underlying a novel method of gas compression driven by shear flow for next generation turbo-machinery is presented. The concept is based on the conversion of shaft power into hydrodynamic pressure and fluid flow that occur in the shear flow between a smooth rotating disk and a compliant surface counterface. This also holds for the inverse process, where gas expansion through the gap between the compliant surface and a shaft-mounted disk converts gas pressure into rotating power and torque.

This is a logical evolutionary step that leverages the proven functionality of self-actuated fluid film compliant foil bearings and seals which operate in the hydrodynamic regime. Thus, as in these devices, the process of compression induced by shear flow is dominated by the balance between pressure and viscous forces which are in turn enhanced and controlled by tribological effects arising between the fluid film and the geometry of the counterface compliant surface.

A model based on the compressible Reynolds equation coupled to the thin-plate theory formulation for compliant foil deflection is presented and parametrically solved to predict pressure, flow rate, and shear losses. The smooth disk and four-pad (sectored) compliant counterface effective size (7.6 mm < r < 14.1 mm), disk operating speed (50,000 to 360,000 rpm), nominal initial gap (0.03 mm < h0 < 0.635 mm), and overall operating conditions chosen for the parametric study correspond to those envisioned for eventual practical integration of miniaturized external combustion bladeless gas turbine engines and turbocompressors. Theoretical performance curves reporting flow versus pressure as well as compression power requirements versus speed were obtained. The predictions of the analysis are compared to results obtained experimentally on a proof of concept engine and presented in a companion paper.

The simplicity of the bladeless geometry makes it amenable to deployment in multistage configurations, so that in conjunction with its foil bearing predecessors, this novel technology will result in low cost, ultra-high speed, high specific power and power density, high efficiency, oil-free and maintenance-free engines — attractive for many practical applications, ranging from military micro-UAV propulsion and portable power systems, to domestic combined heat and power turboalternators, and even micro-compressors for portable medical devices. As a point of reference, it is anticipated that a 10-stage bladeless compressor based on a compression stage as described herein would have a size comparable to that of a 355 mL soda can delivering a flow of 1 kg/min of compressed air.
Influence of Wall-SOFA on the Gas Temperature Deviation of a 660 MW Tangentially Coal-Fired Boiler
Authors: Chen Qianming , Tan Peng , He Xiuli , Liu Yunong , Li Zhuangyang , Zhang Cheng , Fang Qingyan , Chen Gang
Published: September 2017

A series of numerical simulations were conducted to study the influences of separated over-fire air (SOFA) distribution, yawing and tilting angles on the flue gas temperature deviation of a 660MW tangentially coal-fired boiler. The turbulent flow, combustion, pollutants and emission characteristics were investigated. The numerical model developed in the study was first validated with field test, which showed good consistence between the numerical and experimental results. Further study indicated that with the increase of SOFA rate, the coal burnout rate, temperature uniformity coefficient and temperature deviation on the temperature detection line (TDL) declined, and the NOx emission dropped. Increase the SOFA yawing angle in reverse tangential direction leads to reduction of high temperature region in the center of lower furnace exit section and in the left of upper furnace exit section, which is positive in reducing gas temperature deviation. Tilting SOFA nozzle upward leads to upward movement of high temperature region in the upper furnace burnout region, increases in gas temperature of upper and lower furnace exits, decreases in temperature distribution uniformity coefficient of furnace exit section and a slight decrease in coal burnout rate, which is negative for reducing gas temperature deviation. (CSPE)
Spray Properties With Various Spray Nozzles for Cooling Suction Air of Gas Turbine by Means of a Phase Doppler Anemometry
Authors: Takatsuki Asuka , Motoi Keitaro , Sugita Katsuhiko , Umezawa Shuichi , Kawasima Hisanobu , Ishima Tsuneaki
Published: September 2017

A cooling suction air with water spray has been used for the gas turbine. The cooling efficiency depends on spray properties and surrounding conditions. The aim of this study is to know spray properties and to clarity an influence of spray nozzle type on the cooling efficiency. A Phase Doppler Anemometry (PDA) is used for measurements. This measurement system is able to measure size and velocity of each droplet. A pin type nozzle, two different hole type nozzles are tested. The distribution of spray properties for the pin type nozzle becomes asymmetry due to the existence of pin. Its spray spreads widely and has broad size distribution in all spray area. Spray spreading area of hole type nozzles is narrow. Small particles gather on the spray center and large particles gather in the spray outer edge. Properties of each nozzle are also discussed for evaluating the cooling efficiency.
Studies on Several Fly Ashes and Their Modified Materials for CO2 Capture
Authors: Yan Junjie , Zhao Chuanwen , Wang Peng , Lu Ping
Published: September 2017

In recent years, global warming and climate change caused by the greenhouse gas emissions has given rise to widespread concerns. CO2 has been considered as the principal greenhouse gas of interest, and fossil-fuel-fired power plants have been deemed as the largest stationary sources of CO2 emission. It is imperative to capture CO2 from these sources to reduce the global CO2 emissions. Lately, capturing CO2 from flue gas using solid absorbents shows promising for CO2 abatement. For the cost-effective CO2 capture process and the recycling of environmental pollutants, deprecated resources have been utilized for CO2 capture from flue gas.

In this work, fly ashes derived from different raw materials were tried as solid CO2 sorbents for flue gas treatment. To improve their CO2 capture capacities, the ashes were modified by different polyamines. An experimental demonstration on CO2 capture behaviors of fresh ashes and modified sorbents in simulated flue gas atmosphere of 40°C, 15% CO2 + 15% H2O and balanced N2 was presented in detail with a fixed-bed reactor system. CO2 capture capacities of fresh ashes were calculated as 0.56 mmolCO2/g, 0.32 mmolCO2/g, 0.44 mmolCO2/g and 0.83 mmolCO2/g, respectively. By contrast, CO2 capture capacities of amine-modified samples had been enhanced as 0.38 mmolCO2/g, 0.65 mmolCO2/g, 1.07 mmolCO2/g, 0.85 mmolCO2/g and 1.17 mmolCO2/g. The optimal sample of TEPA-modified biomass ash (TEPA-BA) with CO2 capture capacity of 1.17mmolCO2/g was screened. The optimal candidate was then selected for further investigation of the effects of temperature, CO2 concentration and H2O concentration on its CO2 capture behaviors. The results indicated that CO2 capture capacity would increase with the increase of temperature in the range of 30 to 40 °C and decrease with the increase of temperature in the range of 40 to 60°C, increase with the increase of CO2 concentration in the range of 5% to 20%, increase with the increase of H2O concentration in the range of 0% to 15% and decrease with the increase of H2O concentration in the range of 15% to 20%. The results in this work could provide basic data as a guidance for further applying the sorbents in practical operations.
Simulation of Effective Plume-Chimney Above Natural Draft Air-Cooled Heat Exchangers
Authors: Chu Christopher Chi-Ming , Tie Robert Hieng Yik , Rahman Md. Mizanur
Published: September 2017

Effective Plume-Chimney Height (EPCH) was a factor engineers used to design and analyse the performance of natural convection in air-cooled heat exchangers particularly in the event of power outage. To date the number of papers in the open literature presenting data on natural convection performance of air-cooled heat exchangers is scarce. The aim of this study is to corroborate the experimental results and theoretical predictions of Effective Plume-Chimney Height (EPCH) using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) in a laboratory-scale air cooled heat exchanger of 457mm × 457mm face area and an industrial-scale test rig of 2.4m × 6.0m face area forced draft air-cooled heat exchanger comprising of a bundle with 4 rows of annular finned tubes in staggered formation operating under natural convection. The CFD software Phoenics 2015 was employed to simulate the electrically-heated air-cooled heat exchanger fitted with a top screen which was built to study the aerodynamics of natural convection of air-cooled heat exchangers. The CFD geometry arrangement and dimensions were schematic in nature, where errors introduced were considered reasonably negligible. The laboratory-scale exchanger model experimental pressure drop data was found to have an insignificant effective plume-chimney height, as predicted by a theoretical equation. It was found that EPCH values calculated from CFD results agree closely to within −0.11m and +0.06m with both experiments and the theoretical prediction, confirming the same conclusion reached in an earlier report. However, for an industrial-scale test rig (ITR) in forced draft mode of large face dimensions the EPCH had been found to be non-negligible in an earlier work. Significant values of theoretical effective plume-chimney height were inserted in the heat transfer and pressure drop simulation that appeared to yield results that agreed with the experimental heat loads. The CFD simulations on the ITR have confirmed the existence of significant effective plume-chimney heights at more than 100 percent of the bundle depth, or the chimney height. The implication is that a solid-walled chimney can appear to have an efficiency of more than 100 per cent, if cold inflow can be prevented or the penetration to the central core hindered. Since the validation of the existence of EPCH by CFD here has used only a set of data from a single source, it is worthwhile to produce more experimental data and analysis to establish the concept for better predictions of air-cooled heat exchanger natural convection performance.
Evaluation and Application of Hard Coatings for Steam Turbine
Authors: Yan Liang , Nakatani Yujiro , Yamada Masayuki , Abe Toru , Kitaguchi Koichi , Ono Yasunori , Yamamoto Kenji , Munemasa Jun
Published: September 2017

In order to improve solid particle erosion (SPE) resistance for steam turbine blades and nozzles, in corporation with Kobe Steel, Ltd., evaluation of hard coatings of TiN and TiAlN deposited by the Arc Ion Plating (AIP®) process was performed to verify applicability to an actual steam turbine. The results of high-temperature steam oxidation tests and room-temperature sand erosion tests showed that the TiAlN coating had high-temperature stability superior to that of the TiN coating, and erosion resistance far superior to that in the case of the conventional CrC thermal spray coating and boronizing treatment. High-temperature fatigue and creep tests showed that the characteristic strength of the blade material with the TiAlN coating was equal or superior to that of the base blade material.

On the basis of the results of comprehensive evaluation, it was confirmed that the TiAlN hard coating has excellent applicability to an actual steam turbine and it was successfully applied to steam turbine blades of power plants in Japan.
Experimental Study of Carbon Dioxide Separation From Gas Mixture by Vortex Tube
Authors: Kim Younghyeon , Yun Jinwon , Yu Sangseok
Published: September 2017

Due to the global warming, climate treaty regulations and credits have been enhanced. As a result, the Carbon Capture & Storage (CCS) technologies have been emerged. In this study, it is presented that is separating the CO2 from Air by vortex generator. The vortex tube is a device to separate inlet gases to hotter and colder mixture than inlet by energy separation technology. In this study, the vortex tube is applied to CO2 gas separation from air that is investigated under atmospheric temperature. Prior to feasibility experiment, transient response shows that the temperature separation is settled down in 3000 seconds. Experimental parameters of gas separation are pressures and concentrations of CO2 that is mixed with air. Results show that CO2 gas separation is proportional to operating temperature. The percentage of CO2 gas separation is 7.4 % at 3barg and cold mass fraction of 0.6. The gas separation is also affected by inlet CO2 concentration.
Coupled High-Low Energy Level Flue Gas Heat Recovery System and its Application in 1000MW Ultra-Supercritical Double Reheat Coal-Fired Unit
Authors: Liu Jiayou , Sun Fengzhong , Wei Wei , Ma Lei
Published: September 2017

Recovering the waste heat of flue gas to reduce its temperature with avoiding low-temperature corrosion is an effective way to improve the economic efficiency of coal-fired power plant. A coupled high-low energy level flue gas heat recovery system was introduced in the paper. The inlet air temperature of air preheater and the temperature of turbine condensate can be increased by using this system. Thermal economy model of the system was built based on equivalent heat drop method. The system was successfully applied in 1000MW ultra-supercritical double reheat coal-fired unit in Laiwu Power Plant of China Huaneng Group, and the operation data showed the boiler flue gas temperature was not higher than 90° C, and the coal consumption was reduced by using the system. (CSPE)
Emission and Performance Analysis of a Light Duty Common Rail Direct Inject Engine Fuelled by CME-Diesel Blends
Authors: Mercado Jose Gabriel E. , Quiros Edwin N.
Published: September 2017

Due to the danger of depletion of world petroleum reserve and environmental concerns the “Philippines Biofuels Act of 2006” (Republic Act No. 9367) was established to develop and strengthen the use of local sustainable fuels, particularly the use of Coconut Methyl Ester (CME) biodiesel blends in the country. As of 2015, with respect to biodiesel in the Philippines only 2% of biodiesel is required to be blended in commercially available fuels. The National Biofuels Board of the Philippines is planning to increase the percentage of the blend within the next 5 years however only few studies are conducted to prove the effectiveness of the increase in percentage. Also in pursuant to “Philippine Clean Air Act of 2009” (Republic Act No.8749) The Department of Environmental and Natural Resources (DENR) issued an administrative order with regards to the implementation of EURO 4/IV Emission Limits within the country. This study investigates the influence of various CME Biodiesel blends in a light duty automotive CRDi engine without any engine modifications through evaluation of performance and emission characteristics, The emission characteristics will be also be investigated if it meets the EURO 4/IV emission limits set by DENR. Five fuel blends B2 (2% CME, 98% Neat Diesel), B5 (5% CME, 95% Neat Diesel), B10 (10% CME, 90% Neat Diesel), B15 (15% CME, 85% Neat Diesel) and B20 (20% CME, 80% Neat Diesel) were used and their results is compared to B0 (Neat). This will also The tests were performed at the University of the Philippines Vehicle Research and Testing Laboratory at steady state conditions, a naturally aspirated water cooled four cylinder Common Rail Direct Injection Diesel (CRDi) engine, with varying speeds from 800 to 4000 RPM at an interval of 400 RPM while maintaining the throttle 100% wide open. As a result of the investigation at typical engine speed range (1200–2400 RPM) no significant differences for biodiesel blends vs. neat diesel were observed for torque, power, CO2 and NOx emissions. However, a decrease of HC and CO was observed. Meanwhile, at 2800–4000 RPM, an increase in torque, power, CO2 and NOx, but no significant differences in HC and CO emissions. However, the engine does not normally run at the higher speed range (1800–2400 RPM) for a long period of time. With respect to biodiesel blends, torque, power, CO2, and NOx emissions generally increase with increasing biodiesel blend, while CO and HC emissions generally decreased with increasing biodiesel blend.
A Dynamic Measurement Model of Equipment Procurement Progress for Nuclear Power Project Based on EVM
Authors: Li Ming , Zhou Hui , Zhang Rongxin
Published: September 2017

A novel dynamic model and refined method for implementation of the Earned Value Management (EVM) on nuclear power equipment procurement is proposed in this paper. The EVM is known as an efficient and accurate method for progress and cost control in most of the civil engineering systems; however, there is lack of literatures on the EVM for precisely measuring the procurement progress in large-scale complex industrial projects, such as nuclear power plant systems. A novel dynamic measurement model based on the EVM is first established for evaluating the progress and performance of purchasing the nuclear power equipment, including specified details of operating procedure by quantitative valuing each schedule node based on work breaking-down structure (WBS) elements; then the dynamic model is analyzed and verified by a realistic contract of nuclear power equipment procurement. Furthermore, a nuclear power project under construction is studied and the equipment procurement progress is evaluated by applying the novel dynamic measurement model. Finally, the deviation of equipment procurement contract execution is presented by calculating the performance of progress and cost, which helps identify and analyze the delay risks. The dynamic measurement model has been applied in an abuilding nuclear power plant since January 2015, the results of applying the new model providing significant support to the progress and cost control of equipment procurement and bringing considerable profits to the project management. Based on the investigation and results of the above project, the new dynamic model is viable to be employed in future projects of nuclear power plant as a practical reference for applying the EVM in procurement management.
Dempster-Shafer-Based Sensor Fusion Approach for Machinery Fault Diagnosis
Authors: Hui Kar Hoou , Lim Meng Hee , Leong Salman
Published: September 2017

Artificial intelligence (AI) has played an increasingly important role in condition monitoring and machinery fault diagnosis in power generation plants. However, the accuracy and reliability of any AI-based machinery fault diagnosis is highly dependent on the quality and quantity of the input data fed to the AI model. The hypothesis of this paper is that AI-based fault diagnosis can be further improved by taking into account all the available sensor inputs of the machine. In short, the more sensor inputs fed into the AI model, the more accurate and reliable the outcome of the fault diagnosis. This paper proposes an application of Dempster-Shafer (DS) evidence theory for sensor fusion to improve the accuracy of decision-making in machinery fault diagnosis, by fusing all the available vibration signals measured on different axes and locations of the test machine. Vibration signals from different axes and locations of a machinery faults simulator were collected by multiple accelerometers simulating various machinery health conditions, namely healthy, unbalance, misalignment and foundation looseness. The accuracy of fault diagnosis using a different number of sensor inputs was then investigated. Analysis results showed that by combining more sensor inputs using a DS-based algorithm can improve fault detection accuracy from an average of 63% to 83%. In conclusion, the multi-sensor fusion algorithm can be applied to increase the accuracy and reliability of AI-based fault diagnosis.
Coaches’ Experiences Learning and Applying the Content of a Humanistic Coaching Workshop in Youth Sport Settings
Authors: Falcão William R. , Bloom Gordon A. , Bennie Andrew
Published: September 2017

The purpose of this study was to develop and deliver a humanistic coaching workshop, as well as investigate coaches’ perceptions of this workshop and their experiences using humanistic coaching. Participants were 12 coaches of grade 7–11 basketball teams from schools in low socioeconomic communities in a major Canadian city. Data were collected using semistructured interviews and personal journals. An inductive thematic analysis revealed coaches perceived the workshop to be effective in teaching the humanistic principles and how to apply them in youth sport settings. The perceived strengths of the workshop included the group discussions, use of videos, practical coaching examples, and learning about the findings from empirical studies. The participants applied the humanistic principles with their teams by asking questions that guided athlete learning and by requesting feedback about various individual and team matters. Despite facing challenges such as increased time and effort to implement humanistic coaching principles, the participants reported positive outcomes in their athletes related to autonomy, communication, motivation, and willingness to help teammates. These results are discussed using literature on youth sport coaching, knowledge translation, and youth development through sport. Findings from this study can be used to enhance youth sport coach training protocols.
“Pleased To Be Sacked”: Coach Pat Lam’s ‘Learnings’ and the Evolution of a Professional Rugby Union Organisation
Authors: Byrne Gary , Cassidy Tania
Published: September 2017

In 2012 Pat Lam was dismissed (‘sacked’) as head coach of the Auckland Blues, a professional rugby union team in New Zealand. Within months of his sacking Lam had become the head coach of Connacht Rugby; an improving, but midlower table, professional provincial team in the west of Ireland. The purpose of this ‘best practice’ article is twofold. First, to illustrate how Lam used his dismissal (‘sacking’) from the Auckland Blues as a pivotal opportunity to learn, and develop, as a coach. Specifically his imperative that there needed to be clarity and communication of his coaching philosophy, and his quest for alignment between coach and organisation and his ‘belief triad’ (culture, leadership, the game). Second, in an effort to be more than a catalogue of ‘best practice’ strategies, we use the theoretical concept of ‘interruption’ to explain how disruption, disintegration and arresting problematic coaching situations, such as being dismissed as a head coach, can be instrumental in the development of, and learning by, the coach. In outlining Lam’s ‘best practice’ we draw on primary and secondary data sources, which document his stories of redemption and supports Gould’s (2016) case for greater integration of quality coaching stories into sport coaching scholarship.
Do Exercisers With Musculoskeletal Injuries Report Symptoms of Depression and Stress?
Authors: Lichtenstein Mia Beck , Gudex Claire , Andersen Kjeld , Bojesen Anders Bo , Jørgensen Uffe
Published: September 2017

Context: Sports injuries in athletes can lead to negative emotional responses in terms of anger, anxiety, confusion, and sadness. Severe injuries can be understood as a stressful life event with increased levels of psychological distress, but injury assessment and rehabilitation typically focus on somatic symptoms. Objective: The primary aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of depression and emotional stress and to measure self-rated health in regular exercisers presenting to a sports medicine clinic with musculoskeletal injury. The secondary aim was to identify psychosocial factors associated with depression in injured exercisers and the potential need for psychological counseling. Design: A cross-sectional survey study. Setting: A sports medicine clinic for injuries of the foot, knee, or shoulder. Participants: Regular exercisers with present injuries (N = 694) and exercisers without injuries (N = 494). Regular exercisers were defined as those undertaking moderate exercise at least once a week. Intervention: A questionnaire survey completed on paper by patients in a sports medicine clinic and a web-based version completed by online sports communities. Main Outcome Measures: Participants completed the Major Depression Inventory, Perceived Stress Scale, health-related quality of life, and questions on sociodemographics, exercise habits, and injury history. Results: Symptoms of depression were reported by 12% of injured exercisers and 5% of noninjured controls (P < .001). Clinical stress was found in 30% of injured exercisers and 22% of controls (P = .002), and the EQ-5D-5L Visual Analog Scale score was lower for injured (69 [SD = 19]) than noninjured exercisers (87 [SD = 13], P < .001). Injured exercisers with symptoms of depression reported high stress levels and impaired daily functioning, were younger, and were more likely to have over 10 days injury-related work absence. Conclusions: The authors recommend psychological assessment of exercisers attending a sports medicine clinic for musculoskeletal injury and a supplemental clinical psychological interview for suspected depression or stress-related psychopathology.
Healing Response of a Structural Hamstring Injury: Perfusion Imaging 8-Week Follow-Up
Authors: Kellermann Marion , Lutter Christoph , Hotfiel Thilo
Published: September 2017

Context: Hamstring injuries are frequently observed in various sports disciplines both in elite and recreational sport. Objective: To quantify intramuscular tissue perfusion via contrast-enhanced ultrasound in the acute phase and during the healing of a structural muscle injury confirmed by high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging. Design: Case study. Setting: Laboratory environment. Patient: A 32-year-old wakeboarder (height = 176 cm, body weight = 76 kg, and body mass index = 24.5 kg/m2) with an acute indirect muscle injury of the semimembranosus muscle. Main Outcome Measures: Average values of quantifiable contrast-enhanced ultrasound, represented as peak enhancement and wash-in area under the curve, as well as conventional ultrasound, 1.5T magnetic resonance imaging were assessed at 48-hour, 3-week, and 8-week postinjury. Results: Average values of the quantitative perfusion analysis at 48-hour and 8-week postinjury revealed an approximate 5-fold increase in peak enhancement, and the wash-in area under the curve increased more than 3-fold in the center of the lesion. Magnetic resonance imaging, performed 48 hours after the injury to gather reference data as gold standard, revealed a grade III structural muscle tear. Conclusions: The authors are able to demonstrate significant changes in intramuscular tissue perfusion in the center of the structural lesion as well as in the adjacent tissue. Quantifiable contrast-enhanced ultrasound seems to be able to gather relevant data for the assessment and monitoring of muscle injuries and could be established as a valuable tool for further studies focusing on healing processes or therapeutic interventions.
Mitochondrial redox signaling enables repair of injured skeletal muscle cells
Authors: Horn Adam , Van der Meulen Jack H. , Defour Aurelia , Hogarth Marshall , Sreetama Sen Chandra , Reed Aaron , Scheffer Luana , Chandel Navdeep S. , Jaiswal Jyoti K.
Published: September 2017

Mitochondria transduce the cytosolic Ca
2+
increase caused by plasma membrane injury into a ROS-dependent repair response.
Cancer-associated arginine-to-histidine mutations confer a gain in pH sensing to mutant proteins
Authors: White Katharine A. , Ruiz Diego Garrido , Szpiech Zachary A. , Strauli Nicolas B. , Hernandez Ryan D. , Jacobson Matthew P. , Barber Diane L.
Published: September 2017

High intracellular pH in cancer cells enables the oncogenic effects of Arg-to-His mutations in proteins.
Papers of note in
Science
357
(6354)
Authors: Ferrarelli Leslie K.
Published: September 2017

This week’s articles describe how glia contribute to visual system development; a potential therapy for Parkinson’s disease; and how gut microbes regulate body composition.
New connections: Pleiotrophin and glioma
Authors: Wong Wei
Published: September 2017

The cytokine pleiotrophin promotes the invasion and vascularization of glioma.
Economic impact of ulipristal acetate on surgical procedures for uterine fibroids in France
Authors: Fernandez Hervé , Jourdain Olivier , Villefranque Vincent , Lehmann Matthieu , Lafuma Antoine , Trancart Matthieu
Published: September 2017

Objective

To assess the budget impact of using ulipristal acetate (UPA) 5 mg to treat women with uterine fibroids (UF) causing moderate to severe symptoms.

Design

We modelled trends in the number of surgical procedures for symptomatic UF, with and without the use of UPA for preoperative or intermittent treatment and assessed the budget impact of UPA use from the French national healthcare insurance system perspective.

Setting

A French national hospital database (PMSI) that records admissions and relative procedures to public and private hospitals.

Participants

Women eligible for surgical procedures for uterine fibroids.

Main outcome measures

Economic impact of UPA treatment.

Results

This study based on observational retrospective data shows that the current use of UPA in its preoperative indication was associated with 5645 fewer surgeries from 2013 to 2015. Extrapolation suggests 17 885 fewer surgeries from 2016 to 2019. Overall, preoperative use of UPA results in substantial cost savings for the French national healthcare insurance system, with a cumulated budget impact estimated at €−5 million from 2013 to 2015 and €−13.5 million from 2016 to 2019. In addition, treating women nearing the menopause (≥48 years old) with intermittent treatment from 2017 to 2019 could produce an incremental cost saving of €19 million.

Conclusions

This study shows that the use of UPA in women eligible for surgical procedures for UF is associated with considerable savings for the French national healthcare insurance system in both preoperative and intermittent indications by decreasing the need to perform surgeries.
Impact of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease on patients with aortic aneurysms: a nationwide retrospective cohort study in Taiwan
Authors: Liao Kuang-Ming , Chen Chung-Yu
Published: September 2017

Objectives

Aortic aneurysm (AA) is a leading cause of death worldwide. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a risk factor for AA, and the prognoses of COPD patients with AA who underwent/did not undergo an operation warrant investigation.

Design

A nationwide retrospective cohort study.

Setting

We included patients with AA older than 18 years who received their first AA diagnosis between 2005 and 2011 in Taiwan.

Participants

This study enrolled 3263 COPD patients with AA before propensity score matching and 2127 COPD patients with AA after propensity score matching.

Outcome measures

The main outcomes were all-cause mortality and rehospitalisation for AA or operation. The outcomes of COPD patients with AA and COPD patients without AA during an 8-year follow-up period were examined using Cox proportional hazards models.

Results

In the AA population, patients with COPD showed higher rates of mortality and rehospitalisation than patients without COPD with adjusted HRs of 1.12 (95% CI 1.03 to 1.22) and 1.11 (95% CI 1.01 to 1.23), respectively, after propensity score matching. Analysis of the patients who underwent an operation revealed that the rates of mortality of COPD and non-COPD patients were not significantly different. In contrast, among the patients who did not receive an operation, patients with COPD showed a higher mortality rate than patients without COPD with an adjusted HR of 1.11 (95% CI 1.0 to 1.22).

Conclusions

The outcomes of COPD patients with AA undergoing an operation were improved, but the mortality rate of non-COPD patients with AA remained high. An effective treatment to reduce mortality in this group warrants further investigation.
Effect of Baduanjin exercises on elevated blood lipid levels of middle-aged and elderly individuals: protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials
Authors: Wen Junmao , Lin Tong , Jiang Chenguang , Peng Rui , Wu Wei
Published: September 2017

Objective

To assess the safety and effect on elevated blood lipid levels of Baduanjin exercises in middle-aged and elderly individuals.

Methods

A systematic literature search for articles up to March 2017 will be conducted using seven databases: PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, Chinese Science and Technology Periodicals Database, Chinese BioMedical Database and Wanfang Data. Inclusion criteria are randomised controlled trials of Baduanjin exercises that examine blood lipid levels in middle-aged and elderly individuals. The primary outcome measures will be total cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Stata V.13.0 software will be used for data synthesis, sensitivity analysis, metaregression, subgroup analysis and risk of bias assessment. A funnel plot will be developed to evaluate reporting bias and Begg and Egger tests will be used to assess funnel plot symmetries. We will use the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation system to assess the quality of evidence.

Ethics and dissemination

This systematic review will be submitted to a peer-reviewed journal. Our findings will provide information about the safety of Baduanjin exercises for middle-aged and elderly individuals and their effect on elevated blood lipid levels.

Trial registration number

PROSPERO CRD 42017060613.
Study protocol for a matter of heart: a qualitative study of patient factors driving overuse of cardiac catheterisation
Authors: Herwig Anna , Weltermann Birgitta
Published: September 2017

Introduction

Overuse of cardiac catheterisation (CC) for stable coronary artery disease (CAD) is documented in Germany and other regions, although percutaneous coronary interventions do not provide a benefit over medical therapy for stable patients. Various studies investigated health system, physician and patient factors driving non-adherence to guidelines which recommend a stepwise approach with invasive procedures only in case of signs of ischaemia in non-invasive testing. In a larger-scale project, we aim to better understand the patients’ perspective in order to develop an intervention that enhances patient’s acceptance of this stepwise diagnostic approach for stable CAD. As a first step, this qualitative study aims to identify patient factors that prevent and promote the described overuse.

Methods and analysis

The exploratory qualitative interview study will include about 20 patients with stable CAD and a history of acute coronary syndrome from two German teaching practices. Narrative, structured interviews designed to last 30 to 90 min will be conducted. The interviews will be analysed using qualitative content analysis by Mayring. The analysis will address the following questions: (1) What are reasons for stable patients to undergo CC? (2) How do patients deal with their heart disease (secondary prevention)? (3) Which processes do patients describe regarding decision-making for non-invasive and invasive coronary procedures? (4) What information needs exist on behalf of patients to better understand the stepwise diagnostic approach outlined in guidelines and thereby avoid low-appropriate CCs? Based on these data, empirical typification will be conducted.

Ethics and dissemination

Ethical approval for the study was obtained. All participants will provide written informed consent. Data will be pseudonymised for analysis. The findings will contribute to the development of an appropriate intervention. Results will be disseminated by conference presentations and journal publications.
Influence of Rhodiola rosea on the heat acclimation process in young healthy men
Authors: Timpmann Saima , Hackney Anthony C. , Tamm Maria , Kreegipuu Kairi , Unt Eve , Ööpik Vahur
Published: September 2017

The adaptogen Rhodiola rosea (RR) may mitigate stress responses and have beneficial effects on endurance capacity (EC) and mental performance. Heat acclimation (HA) improves EC in the heat, but the potential impact of RR on the HA process is unknown. Therefore, our intent was to determine if RR has a positive impact on HA. Twenty male subjects (age, 22.5 ± 3.0 years) completed 2 EC tests involving walking (6 km·h−1) until volitional exhaustion in a climate chamber (air temperature, 42 °C; relative humidity, 18%) before (H1) and after (H2) an 8-day HA period. One group (SHR; n = 10) ingested standardised extract SHR-5 of RR (a single daily dose of 432 mg), while a second group (PLC; n = 10) administered a placebo prior to each HA session. Efficacy of HA was evaluated on the basis of changes that occurred from H1 to H2 in the time to exhaustion (TTE), exercise heart rate (HR), core and skin temperatures (Tc, Tsk), stress hormones, ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) and fatigue (RPF), and thermal sensation (TS). HA significantly increased TTE (133.1 ± 44.1 min in H1; 233.4 ± 59.8 min in H2; p < 0.0001) and decreased (p < 0.0001) HR, Tc, Tsk, stress hormones as well as RPE, RPF, and TS. However, the magnitude of all these changes was similar (p > 0.05) in the SHR and PLC groups. These results suggest that the use of RR during HA has no beneficial performance, physiological, or perceptual effects in young healthy males.
Effects of artificial warming during quiescence on budbreak and growth of white spruce, Picea glauca
Authors: Pike Carolyn C. , Warren James C. , Montgomery Rebecca A.
Published: September 2017

Climate change is expected to increase winter temperatures in boreal climates. White spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss) is vulnerable to spring frost damage due to its habit of early budbreak, which may be exacerbated or lessened with increasingly warm winters at its southern range edge. We tested the effects of episodic warming during the quiescent stage on budbreak time and growth of seven seed sources grown in a common garden setting in Minnesota, USA. Treatment plots were warmed with infrared lamps for 4 days each in February, March, or February and March to simulate a midwinter thaw. Control plots for each treatment and an overall control were included for comparison. Trees warmed in February experienced a slight delay in spring budbreak, but differences in budbreak time were generally not significant. Terminal growth was significantly and negatively correlated with time of budbreak but not with time to growth cessation. Our results suggest that white spruce is relatively resilient to the effects of intermittent warming but that warming early in the season may delay budbreak time, which is expected to reduce terminal growth.
Soil biogeochemical responses to the deposition of anadromous fish carcasses in inland riparian forests of the Pacific Northwest, USA
Authors: Wheeler Tadd A. , Kavanagh Kathleen L.
Published: September 2017

The historic abundance of salmonids returning to natal streams of the inland Pacific Northwest, USA, may have constituted a major nutrient influx into these commonly oligotrophic ecosystems. Inland ecosystems tend to be warmer and dryer and more nutrient limited than coastal ecosystems; therefore, understanding how these inland conditions influence the soil biogeochemical responses to salmon carcass deposition in riparian forests is a vital step in appropriately mitigating for the loss of this nutrient subsidy. Deposition of salmon carcasses in central Idaho riparian forests resulted in a 480-fold increase in soil nitrogen (N), a sevenfold increase in dissolved organic carbon (C), and a fourfold increase in soil respired CO2, with significant biogeochemical responses persisting at one year after amendment. Despite these large increases in soil N and C, estimates of soil N and C loading only accounted for 31% and 16% of the fish carcass N and C, respectively. However, the magnitude and persistence of soil biogeochemical responses to the deposition of anadromous fish carcasses in central Idaho attests to the importance of this nutrient subsidy to inland riparian ecosystems of the Pacific Northwest.