bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The International Society of Blood Transfusion Library of Guidelines, Standards and regulatory documents
Authors: Chapman J. F. , Prinsze F.
Published: July 2014

Aim

A survey identified that members of the International Society of Blood Transfusion (ISBT) expected the Society to offer more educational material than was already available. As a result of the survey the ISBT Board of Directors decided to invest in increasing the availability of educational material. Webcasts from plenary sessions and the Academy day programme at congresses were made available, and the Board agreed to the development of a library of published guidelines, standards and regulatory documents.

Methods

The library project was established, and a temporary staff member recruited to undertake the work of searching for available guidelines and standards documents, identifying those suitable for inclusion in the library and organizing them into various topic headings. The ISBT Academy e‐portal was identified as the ‘home’ for the library.

Results

Two hundred and ninety‐three documents were found and have been placed in the library under seven topic headings; these are further sub divided into 27 sub categories. There are currently guidelines available from 25 countries. There are two books one from Italy and one from the Netherlands, which cover all of the topics found in the library.
Detection of clinically relevant platelet antibodies in the Asian population
Authors: Wu G.‐G.
Published: July 2014

Background

The detection and identification of the clinically relevant platelet antibodies are important for the diagnosis and management of the affected patients with immune thrombocytopenia.

Aims

The aim of this study was to investigate the characteristic of clinically relevant platelet antibodies in the Asian population, and to evaluate the ability of platelet immunology laboratories in Asia to detect and identify these platelet antibodies.

Methods

Total of 635 cases that were diagnosed and studied as NAITP, PTR and PTP by Asian platelet laboratories were reviewed for the clinical and experimental data from the publications.

Results

Except the anti‐HLA and unknown‐specificity antibody, the most frequently identified platelet antibody was anti‐CD36 (18/635, 18·35%), and then anti‐HPA‐3 and anti‐HPA‐4 (each 5/635, 0·78%), and anti‐HPA‐5 (4/635, 0·62%). Only two cases of anti‐HPA‐1 antibodies (2/635, 0·31%) were reported. In 274 cases, including four cases contained anti‐HLA antibody, the laboratories could not identify the specificity of platelet antibodies. The methods of detection and identification of antiplatelet antibody, such as monoclonal antibody immobilization of platelet antigens (MAIPA), mixed passive hemagglutination assay (MPHA), platelet immunofluorescence test (PIFT), modified antigen‐capture ELISA (MACE) and solid‐phase red‐cell adherence (SPAA), have been used in Asian laboratories.

Conclusion

With an increasingly heterogeneous patient population in Asia, diagnostic laboratories should be aware of the ethnic origin of a particular patient to consider the possibility of immunization to antigens. The most important clinical relevant platelet antibodies implicated in immune‐mediated thrombocytopenia among the Asian population are anti‐CD36, then anti‐HPA‐3, anti‐HPA‐4 and others.
Performance Analysis of a Combination System of Concentrating Photovoltaic/Thermal Collector and Thermoelectric Generators
Authors: Xu Xinqiang , Zhou Siyi , Meyers Mark M. , Sammakia Bahgat G. , Murray Bruce T.
Published: July 2014

Thermoelectric (TE) modules utilize available temperature differences to generate electricity by the Seebeck effect. The current study investigates the merits of employing thermoelectrics to harvest additional electric energy instead of just cooling concentrating photovoltaic (CPV) modules by heat sinks (heat extractors). One of the attractive options to convert solar energy into electricity efficiently is to laminate TE modules between CPV modules and heat extractors to form a CPV-TE/thermal (CPV-TE/T) hybrid system. In order to perform an accurate estimation of the additional electrical energy harvested, a coupled-field model is developed to calculate the electrical performance of TE devices, which incorporates a rigorous interfacial energy balance including the Seebeck effect, the Peltier effect, and Joule heating, and results in better predictions of the conversion capability. Moreover, a 3D multiphysics computational model for the HCPV-TE/T water collector system consisting of a solar concentrator, 10 serially connected GaAs/Ge photovoltaic (PV) cells, 300 couples of bismuth telluride TE modules, and a cooling channel with heat-recovery capability, is implemented by using the commercial FE–tool Comsol Multiphysics®. A conjugate heat transfer model is used, assuming laminar flow through the cooling channel. The performance and efficiencies of the hybrid system are analyzed. As compared with the traditional photovoltaic/thermal (PV/T) system, a comparable thermal efficiency and a higher 8% increase of the electrical efficiency can be observed through the PV-TE hybrid system. Additionally, with the identical convective surface area and cooling flow rate in both configurations, the PV-TE/T hybrid system yields higher PV cell temperatures but more uniform temperature distributions across the cell array, which thus eliminates the current matching problem; however, the higher cell temperatures lower the PV module's fatigue life, which has become one of the biggest challenges in the PV-TE hybrid system.
Selective Surface Roughness to Suppress Flow-Induced Motion of Two Circular Cylinders at 30,000 < Re < 120,000
Authors: Park Hongrae , Bernitsas Michael M. , Kim Eun Soo
Published: July 2014

In the Marine Renewable Energy Laboratory of the University of Michigan, selectively located surface roughness has been designed successfully to suppress vortex-induced vibrations (VIV) of a single cylinder by 60% compared to a smooth cylinder. In this paper, suppression of flow-induced motions of two cylinders in tandem using surface roughness is studied experimentally by varying flow velocity and cylinder center-to-center spacing. Two identical rigid cylinders suspended by springs with their axes perpendicular to the flow are allowed one degree of freedom motion transverse to the flow direction. Surface roughness is applied in the form of four roughness strips helically placed around the cylinder. Results are compared to smooth cylinders also tested in this work. Amplitude ratio A/D, frequency ratio fosc/fn,water, and range of synchronization are measured. Regardless of the center-to-center cylinder distance, the amplitude response of the upstream smooth cylinder is similar to that of an isolated smooth cylinder. The wake from the upstream cylinder with roughness is narrower and longer and has significant influence on the amplitude of the downstream cylinder. The latter is reduced in the initial and upper branches while its range of VIV-synchronization is extended. Galloping is suppressed in both cylinders. In addition, the amplitude of the upstream rough cylinder and its range of synchronization increase with respect to the isolated rough cylinder.
Thermal Behavior of Multidisk Friction Pairs in Hydroviscous Drive Considering Inertia Item
Authors: Xie Fangwei , Cui Jianzhong , Sheng Gang , Wang Cuntang , Zhang Xianjun
Published: July 2014

Considering the influence of the inertia item on temperature distribution of multidisk friction pairs in hydroviscous drive (HVD), transient temperature models are derived with the aim of revealing the effect of engagement pressure, lubricant viscosity, viscosity–temperature correlation, surface roughness and the ratio of inner and outer radius of disks on temperature distribution. The results indicate that unsteady temperature gradient can be avoided by matching the suitable materials for multidisk friction pairs. The average temperature for the case of neglecting the inertia item is lower than that of the case of including the inertia item. It is shown that during the soft-start, the temperature along the radial direction achieves its peak value near the outlet and keeps decreasing along the axial direction; while after the engaging process, the temperature distribution tends to be uniform. It is also shown that the decrease of engagement pressure, surface roughness and the ratio of inner and outer radius of disks can reduce temperature gradient effectively as well as the increase of lubricant viscosity. The average temperature for the case of including the viscosity–temperature correlation is much higher than that for other cases.
Numerical Shape Optimization in Industrial Glass Blowing
Authors: Groot J. A. W. M. , Giannopapa C. G. , Mattheij R. M. M.
Published: July 2014

Industrial glass blowing is an essential stage of manufacturing hollow glass containers, e.g., bottles, jars. A glass preform is brought into a mold and inflated with compressed air until it reaches the mold shape. A simulation model for blowing glass containers based on finite element methods, which adopts a level set method to track the glass–air interfaces, has previously been developed [Giannopapa and Groot, 2007, “A Computer Simulation Model for the Blow–Blow Forming Process of Glass Containers,” Paper No. PVP2007-26408, pp. 79–86; Giannopapa, C. G., 2008, “Development of a Computer Simulation Model for Blowing Glass Containers,” ASME J. Manuf. Sci. Eng., 130(4), p. 041003; Giannopapa and Groot, 2011, “Modeling the Blow–Blow Forming Process in Glass Container Manufacturing: A Comparison Between Computations and Experiments,” ASME J. Fluids Eng., 133(2), p. 021103]. A considerable challenge in glass blowing is the inverse problem: to determine an optimal preform from the desired container shape. In previous work of the authors [Groot et al., 2009, “Numerical Optimisation of Blowing Glass Parison Shapes,” ASME Paper No. PVP2009-77946; Groot et al., 2011, “Development of a Numerical Optimization Method for Blowing Glass Parison Shapes,” ASME J. Manuf. Sci. Eng., 133(1), p. 011010] a numerical method was introduced for optimizing the shape of the preform. The optimization method described the shape of the preform by parametric curves, e.g., Bezier-curves or splines, and employed a modified Levenberg–Marquardt algorithm to find the optimal positions of the control points of the curves. A combined finite difference and Broyden method was used to compute the Jacobian of the residual with respect to changes in the positions of the control points. The objective of this paper is to perform an error analysis of the optimization method previously introduced and to improve its accuracy and performance. The improved optimization method is applied to modeled containers of industrial relevance, which shows its usefulness for practical applications.
Unified Solution of Burst Pressure for Defect-Free Thin Walled Elbows
Authors: Li Y. , Zhao J. H. , Zhu Q. , Cao X. Y.
Published: July 2014

In order to study the mechanical properties of defect-free thin walled elbows (TWE), and evaluate impacts of the intermediate principal stress effect, tension/compression ratio, and strain-hardening of materials into logical consideration, this research, in the framework of finite deformation theory, derived the computational formula of burst pressure for defect-free TWE according to unified strength theory (UST). In addition, influences of various factors on burst pressure were analyzed, which include strength disparity (SD) effect of materials, intermediate principal stress, curvature influence coefficient, strain-hardening exponent, yield to tensile (Y/T) and thickness/radius ratio. The results show that the greater the tension/compression ratio is, the higher the burst pressure is. The influence of the SD effect of materials is more obvious with the increase of elbow curvature and intermediate principal stress. The intermediate principal stress effect can bring the self-bearing capacities and strength potential of materials into a full play, which can achieve certain economic benefits for projects. Moreover, the burst pressure of defect-free TWE increases with the growth of yield ratio and thickness/radius ratio, while decreases with the rise of curvature influence coefficient and strain-hardening exponent. It is also concluded that the Tresca-based and Mohr–Coulomb-based solutions of TWE are the lower bounds of the burst pressure, the twin shear stress (TSS)-based solution is the upper bound of the burst pressure, and the solutions based on the other yield criteria are between the above two. The unified solution in this paper is suitable for all kinds of isotropous materials which have the SD effect and intermediate principal stress effect. As the deduced formula has unified various burst pressure expressions proposed on the basis of different yield criteria for elbows of any curvature (including straight pipelines), and has established the quantitative relationships among them, its applicability is broader. Therefore, the unified solution is of great significance in security design and integrity assessment of defect-free TWE.
Transient Energy and Exergy Analyses of a Solar Based Integrated System
Authors: Rabbani M. , Ratlamwala T. A. H. , Dincer I.
Published: July 2014

The present study focuses on transient energy and exergy analyses of an integrated heliostat field, gas-turbine cycle and organic Rankine cycle system capable of generating power and heat in a carbon-free manner. A parametric study is carried out to ascertain the effect of varying the exit temperature of salt and the pressure ratio (PR) on the net work output, rate of heat lost from the receiver, and energy and exergy efficiencies for 365 days of the year and from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. The results are obtained for the city of Toronto, Canada and indicate that the net work output increases from 1481 to 3339 kW with a rise in the exit salt temperature from 1200 to 1600 K. The energy and exergy efficiencies of the integrated system vary from 0.72 to 0.78 and 0.36 to 0.46, respectively, with a rise in the exit salt temperature. The energy and exergy efficiencies vary from 0.68 to 0.73 and 0.35 to 0.39, respectively, with an increase in the PR from 10 to 20.
Dry-Cooled Supercritical CO2 Power for Advanced Nuclear
Reactors
Authors: Conboy T. M. , Carlson M. D. , Rochau G. E.
Published: July 2014

Currently, waste heat rejection from electrical power systems accounts for the largest fraction of water withdrawals from the U.S. fresh water table. Siting of nuclear power plants is limited to areas with access to a large natural supply of fresh or sea water. Due to a rise in energy needs and increased concern over environmental impact, dry air cooling systems are poised to play a large role in the future energy economy. In practice, the implementation of dry air-cooled condensing systems at steam plants has proven to be capital-intensive and requires the power cycle to take a significant efficiency penalty. These shortcomings are fundamental to dry-air steam condensation, which must occur at a fixed temperature. Closed-cycle gas turbines are an alternative to the conventional steam Rankine plant that allows for much improved dry heat rejection compatibility. Recent research into advanced nuclear energy systems has identified the supercritical CO2 (s-CO2) Brayton cycle in particular as a viable candidate for many proposed reactor types. The s-CO2 Brayton cycle can maintain superior thermal efficiency over a wide range of ambient temperatures, making these power systems ideally suited for dry air cooling, even in warm climates. For a sodium fast reactor (SFR) operating at 550 °C, thermal efficiency is calculated to be 43% with a 50 °C compressor inlet temperature. This is achieved by raising CO2 compressor inlet pressure in response to rising ambient temperatures. Preliminary design studies have shown that s-CO2 power cycle hardware will be compact and therefore well-matched to near-term and advanced integral small modular reactor (SMR) designs. These advantages also extend to the cooling plant, where it is estimated that dry cooling towers for an SFR-coupled s-CO2 power cycle will be similar in cost and scale to the evaporative cooling tower for a light-water reactor (LWR). The projected benefits of the s-CO2 power cycle coupled to dry air heat rejection may enable the long-awaited rise of next-generation nuclear energy systems, while redrawing the map for siting of small and large nuclear energy systems.
Three-Dimensional Flow Field in Highly Loaded Compressor Cascade
Authors: Beselt Ch. , Eck M. , Peitsch D.
Published: July 2014

Within the present paper, a detailed experimental investigation is presented. The influence of blade loading on the development and interaction of secondary flow structures within an annular compressor stator cascade (CSC) is examined. Experimental results at 3% chord hub clearance were obtained at four different blade loadings. Included are blade and endwall flow visualization, time resolved measurements of the static pressure on the endwall and radial–circumferential hot-wire traverse measurements within the passage as well as five-hole probe traverse measurements at the inlet and the outlet of the passage. The experimentally obtained results give detailed insight on the effect of the incidence on the development and interaction of the clearance vortex, horseshoe vortex, and the passage vortex. Furthermore, it will be shown that a vortex breakdown of the clearance vortex occurs at higher loadings.
Epithelial cell morphology and adhesion on diamond films deposited and chemically modified by plasma processes
Authors: Rezek Bohuslav , Ukraintsev Egor , Krátká Marie , Taylor Andrew , Fendrych Frantisek , Mandys Vaclav
Published: July 2014

The authors show that nanocrystalline diamond (NCD) thin films prepared by microwave plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition apparatus with a linear antenna delivery system are well compatible with epithelial cells (5637 human bladder carcinoma) and significantly improve the cell adhesion compared to reference glass substrates. This is attributed to better adhesion of adsorbed layers to diamond as observed by atomic force microscopy (AFM) beneath the cells. Moreover, the cell morphology can be adjusted by appropriate surface treatment of diamond by using hydrogen and oxygen plasma. Cell bodies, cytoplasmic rims, and filopodia were characterized by Peakforce AFM. Oxidized NCD films perform better than other substrates under all conditions (96% of cells adhered well). A thin adsorbed layer formed from culture medium and supplemented with fetal bovine serum (FBS) covered the diamond surface and played an important role in the cell adhesion. Nevertheless, 50–100 nm large aggregates formed from the RPMI medium without FBS facilitated cell adhesion also on hydrophobic hydrogenated NCD (increase from 23% to 61%). The authors discuss applicability for biomedical uses.
Effect of interfacial interactions on the thermal conductivity and interfacial thermal conductance in tungsten–graphene layered structure
Authors: Jagannadham K.
Published: July 2014

Graphene film was deposited by microwave plasma assisted deposition on polished oxygen free high conductivity copper foils. Tungsten–graphene layered film was formed by deposition of tungsten film by magnetron sputtering on the graphene covered copper foils. Tungsten film was also deposited directly on copper foil without graphene as the intermediate film. The tungsten–graphene–copper samples were heated at different temperatures up to 900 °C in argon atmosphere to form an interfacial tungsten carbide film. Tungsten film deposited on thicker graphene platelets dispersed on silicon wafer was also heated at 900 °C to identify the formation of tungsten carbide film by reaction of tungsten with graphene platelets. The films were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and x-ray diffraction. It was found that tungsten carbide film formed at the interface upon heating only above 650 °C. Transient thermoreflectance signal from the tungsten film surface on the samples was collected and modeled using one-dimensional heat equation. The experimental and modeled results showed that the presence of graphene at the interface reduced the cross-plane effective thermal conductivity and the interfacial thermal conductance of the layer structure. Heating at 650 and 900 °C in argon further reduced the cross-plane thermal conductivity and interface thermal conductance as a result of formation nanocrystalline tungsten carbide at the interface leading to separation and formation of voids. The present results emphasize that interfacial interactions between graphene and carbide forming bcc and hcp elements will reduce the cross-plane effective thermal conductivity in composites.
On the suitability of ultrathin detectors for absorbed dose assessment in the presence of high‐density heterogeneities
Authors: Bueno M. , Carrasco P. , Jornet N. , Muñoz‐Montplet C. , Duch M. A.
Published: July 2014

Purpose:

The aim of this study was to evaluate the suitability of several detectors for the determination of absorbed dose in bone.

Methods:

Three types of ultrathin LiF‐based thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLDs)—two LiF:Mg,Cu,P‐based (MCP‐Ns and TLD‐2000F) and a7Li‐enriched LiF:Mg,Ti‐based (MTS‐7s)—as well as EBT2 Gafchromic films were used to measure percentage depth‐dose distributions (PDDs) in a water‐equivalent phantom with a bone‐equivalent heterogeneity for 6 and 18 MV and a set of field sizes ranging from to . MCP‐Ns, TLD‐2000F, MTS‐7s, and EBT2 have active layers of 50, 20, 50, and 30 μm, respectively. Monte Carlo (MC) dose calculations (PENELOPE code) were used as the reference and helped to understand the experimental results and to evaluate the potential perturbation of the fluence in bone caused by the presence of the detectors. The energy dependence and linearity of the TLDs’ response was evaluated.

Results:

TLDs exhibited flat energy responses (within 2.5%) and linearity with dose (within 1.1%) within the range of interest for the selected beams. The results revealed that all considered detectors perturb the electron fluence with respect to the energy inside the bone‐equivalent material. MCP‐Ns and MTS‐7s underestimated the absorbed dose in bone by 4%–5%. EBT2 exhibited comparable accuracy to MTS‐7s and MCP‐Ns. TLD‐2000F was able to determine the dose within 2% accuracy. No dependence on the beam energy or field size was observed. The MC calculations showed that a thick detector can provide reliable dose estimations in bone regardless of whether it is made of LiF, water or EBT's active layer material.

Conclusions:

TLD‐2000F was found to be suitable for providing reliable absorbed dose measurements in the presence of bone for high‐energy x‐ray beams.
A dosimetric comparison of proton and photon therapy in unresectable cancers of the head of pancreas
Authors: Thompson Reid F. , Mayekar Sonal U. , Zhai Huifang , Both Stefan , Apisarnthanarax Smith , Metz James M. , Plastaras John P. , Ben‐Josef Edgar
Published: July 2014

Purpose:

Uncontrolled local growth is the cause of death in ∼30% of patients with unresectable pancreatic cancers. The addition of standard‐dose radiotherapy to gemcitabine has been shown to confer a modest survival benefit in this population. Radiation dose escalation with three‐dimensional planning is not feasible, but high‐dose intensity‐modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) has been shown to improve local control. Still, dose‐escalation remains limited by gastrointestinal toxicity. In this study, the authors investigate the potential use of double scattering (DS) and pencil beam scanning (PBS) proton therapy in limiting dose to critical organs at risk.

Methods:

The authors compared DS, PBS, and IMRT plans in 13 patients with unresectable cancer of the pancreatic head, paying particular attention to duodenum, small intestine, stomach, liver, kidney, and cord constraints in addition to target volume coverage. All plans were calculated to 5500 cGy in 25 fractions with equivalent constraints and normalized to prescription dose. All statistics were by two‐tailed paired t‐test.

Results:

Both DS and PBS decreased stomach, duodenum, and small bowel dose in low‐dose regions compared to IMRT (p < 0.01). However, protons yielded increased doses in the mid to high dose regions (e.g., 23.6–53.8 and 34.9–52.4 Gy for duodenum using DS and PBS, respectively; p < 0.05). Protons also increased generalized equivalent uniform dose to duodenum and stomach, however these differences were small (<5% and 10%, respectively; p < 0.01). Doses to other organs‐at‐risk were within institutional constraints and placed no obvious limitations on treatment planning.

Conclusions:

Proton therapy does not appear to reduce OAR volumes receiving high dose. Protons are able to reduce the treated volume receiving low‐intermediate doses, however the clinical significance of this remains to be determined in future investigations.
Design and construction of cost-effective tapered amplifier systems for laser cooling and trapping experiments
Authors: Kangara Jayampathi C. B. , Hachtel Andrew J. , Gillette Matthew C. , Barkeloo Jason T. , Clements Ethan R. , Bali Samir , Unks Brett E. , Proite Nicholas A. , Yavuz Deniz D. , Martin Paul J. , Thorn Jeremy J. , Steck Daniel A.
Published: July 2014

We present plans for the construction and operation of a tapered optical amplifier (TA) system seeded by a single-mode, frequency-tunable, near-IR external-cavity diode laser. Our plans include machine drawings for the parts, electronic circuit diagrams, and information on prices and vendors. Instructions are provided on how to safely couple light into and out of the TA chip. Practical aspects of handling the chip are discussed as well. Because many cold atom experiments require light beams with Gaussian spatial profiles, measurements of the tapered amplifier light output through a single-mode optical fiber are presented as a function of seed intensity, polarization, and driving current.
Measuring Gaussian noise using a lock-in amplifier
Authors: Kouh T. , Kemiktarak U. , Basarir O. , Lissandrello C. , Ekinci K. L.
Published: July 2014

Gaussian fluctuations (or Gaussian noise) appear in almost all measurements in physics. Here, a concise and self-contained introduction to thermal Gaussian noise is presented. Our analysis in the frequency domain centers on thermal fluctuations of the position of a particle bound in a one-dimensional harmonic potential, which in this case is a microcantilever immersed in a bath of room-temperature gas. Position fluctuations of the microcantilever, detected by the optical beam deflection technique, are then fed into a lock-in amplifier to measure the probability distribution and spectral properties of the fluctuations. The lock-in amplifier measurement is designed to emphasize the frequency-domain properties of Gaussian noise. The discussion here can be complementary to a discussion of Gaussian fluctuations in the time domain.
Response of a lock-in amplifier to noise
Authors: Van Baak D. A. , Herold George
Published: July 2014

The “lock-in” detection technique can extract, from a possibly noisy waveform, the amplitude of a signal that is synchronous with a known reference signal. This paper examines the effects of input noise on the output of a lock-in amplifier. We present quantitative predictions for the root-mean-square size of the resulting fluctuations and for the spectral density of the noise at the output of a lock-in amplifier. Our results show how a lock-in amplifier can be used to measure the spectral density of noise in the case of a noise-only input signal. Some implications of the theory, familiar and surprising, are tested against experimental data.
An introduction to QBism with an application to the locality of quantum mechanics
Authors: Fuchs Christopher A. , Mermin N. David , Schack Rüdiger
Published: July 2014

We give an introduction to the QBist interpretation of quantum mechanics, which removes the paradoxes, conundra, and pseudo-problems that have plagued quantum foundations for the past nine decades. As an example, we show in detail how this interpretation eliminates “quantum nonlocality.”
Melba Newell Phillips Medal Lecture 2013: Discipline-Based Education Research—A View From Physics
Authors: Christie McDermott Lillian
Published: July 2014

Preface: In thanking AAPT for the Melba Newell Phillips Medal, I want to emphasize that the accomplishments that have been recognized by this award have resulted from many contributions over many years by past and present members of the UW Physics Education Group. Support by the National Science Foundation has been critical. On a more personal level, I am also very much honored to have my name associated with Melba Newell Phillips through this award. I remember her warm welcome at my first AAPT meeting many years ago. Although we had not met before, she did not seem too busy to express interest in my work and to offer encouragement. I was impressed then (and still am) by her accomplishments in research and teaching, her political courage, and her service to the physics academic community.

Abstract: This article presents an overview of research in physics education (PER) as it has been conducted by the Physics Education Group at the University of Washington. Examples from introductory physics illustrate the nature of our investigations and the application of our findings in the development of research-based and research-validated curriculum for university students and K–12 teachers. The results from our research provide strong evidence of the ongoing need for research on the learning and teaching of physics that is strongly discipline-based.
The fields of a charged particle in hyperbolic motion
Authors: Franklin Joel , Griffiths David J.
Published: July 2014

A particle in hyperbolic motion produces electric fields that appear to terminate in mid-air, violating Gauss's law. The resolution to this paradox has been known for sixty years but exactly why the naive approach fails is not so clear.
Effects of 6-Week Sling-Based Training of the External-Rotator Muscles on the Shoulder Profile in Elite Female High School Handball Players
Authors: Genevois Cyril , Berthier Philippe , Guidou Vincent , Muller Franck , Thiebault Boris , Rogowski Isabelle
Published: July 2014

Context:

In women's handball, the large numbers of throws and passes make the shoulder region vulnerable to overuse injuries. Repetitive throwing motions generate imbalance between shoulder internal- and external-rotator muscles. It has not yet been established whether sling-based training can improve shoulder external-rotator muscle strength.

Objective:

This study investigated the effectiveness of a 6-wk strengthening program in improving shoulder functional profile in elite female high school handball players.

Design:

Crossover study.

Setting:

National elite handball training center.

Participants:

25 elite female high school handball players.

Interventions:

The program, completed twice per week for 6 wk, included sling-based strengthening exercises using a suspension trainer for external rotation with scapular retraction and scapular retraction alone.

Main Outcomes:

Maximal shoulder external- and internal-rotation strength, shoulder external- and internal-rotation range of motion (ROM), and maximal throwing velocity were assessed preintervention and postintervention for dominant and nondominant sides.

Results:

After sling training, external- and internal-rotation strength increased significantly for both sides (P ≤ .001, and P = .004, respectively), with the result that there was no significant change in external- and internal-rotation strength ratios for either the dominant or the nondominant shoulder. No significant differences were observed for external-rotation ROM, while internal-rotation ROM decreased moderately, in particular in the dominant shoulder (P = .005). Maximal throwing velocity remained constant for the dominant arm, whereas a significant increase was found for the nondominant arm (P = .017).

Conclusions:

This 6-wk strengthening program was effective in improving shoulder external-rotator muscle strength but resulted in a decrease in the ROM in shoulder internal rotation, while throwing velocity remained stable. Adding a stretching program to this type of sling-based training program might help avoid potential detrimental effects on shoulder ROM.
The Effects of Scapular Mobilization in Patients With Subacromial Impingement Syndrome: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial
Authors: Aytar Aydan , Baltaci Gul , Uhl Tim , Tuzun Handan , Oztop Pinar , Karatas Metin
Published: July 2014

Objective:

To determine the effects of scapular mobilization on function, pain, range of motion, and satisfaction in patients with subacromial impingement syndrome (SAIS).

Design:

Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial.

Setting:

University hospital clinics in Turkey.

Participants:

66 participants (mean ± SD age 52.06 ± 3.71 y) with SAIS.

Interventions:

Participants were randomized into 3 groups: scapular mobilization, sham scapular mobilization, and supervised exercise. Before the interventions transcutaneous electrical stimulation and hot pack were applied to all groups. Total intervention duration for all groups was 3 wk with a total of 9 treatment sessions.

Main Outcome Measures:

Shoulder function and pain intensity were primary outcome measures; range of motion and participant satisfaction were secondary outcome measures. Shoulder function was assessed with the short form of the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand Questionnaire (DASH). A visual analog scale was used to evaluate pain severity. Active range of motion was measured with a universal goniometer. A 7-point Likert scale was used to evaluate satisfaction. Outcome measurements were performed at baseline, before visits 5 and 10, 4 wk after visit 9, and 8 wk after visit 9.

Results:

There was no group difference for DASH score (P = .75), pain at rest (P = .41), pain with activity (P = .45), pain at night (P = .74), and shoulder flexion (P = .65), external rotation (P = .63), and internal rotation (P = .19). There was a significant increase in shoulder motion and function and a significant decrease in pain across time when all groups were combined (P < .001). The level of satisfaction was not significantly different for any of the questions about participant satisfaction between all groups (P > .05).

Conclusion:

There was not a significant advantage of scapular mobilization for shoulder function, pain, range of motion, and satisfaction compared with sham or supervised-exercise groups in patients with SAIS.
Electromyography Activation Levels of the 3 Gluteus Medius Subdivisions During Manual Strength Testing
Authors: Otten Roald , Tol Johannes L. , Holmich Per , Whiteley Rodney
Published: July 2014

Study Design:

Cross-sectional.

Context:

Gluteus medius (GM) muscle dysfunction is associated with overuse injury. The GM is functionally composed of 3 separate subdivisions: anterior, middle, and posterior. Clinical assessment of the GM subdivisions is relevant to detect strength and activation deficits and guide specific rehabilitation programs. However, the optimal positions for assessing the strength and activation of these subdivisions are unknown.

Objective:

The first aim was to establish which strength-testing positions produce the highest surface electromyography (sEMG) activation levels of the individual GM subdivisions. The second aim was to evaluate differences in sEMG activation levels between the tested and contralateral (stabilizing) leg.

Method:

Twenty healthy physically active male subjects participated in this study. Muscle activity using sEMG was recorded for the GM subdivisions in 8 different strength-testing positions and analyzed using repeated-measures analysis of variance.

Results:

Significant differences between testing positions for all 3 GM subdivisions were found. There were significant differences between the tested and the contralateral anterior and middle GM subdivisions (P < .01). The posterior GM subdivision showed no significant difference (P = .154).

Conclusion:

Side-lying in neutral and side-lying with hip internal rotation are the 2 positions recommended to evaluate GM function and guide specific GM rehabilitation.
Neuronal STIMulation at Rest
Authors: Hooper Robert , Rothberg Brad S. , Soboloff Jonathan
Published: July 2014

Complex interplay between channels and pumps in the endoplasmic reticulum and the plasma membrane controls calcium homeostasis in neurons.
Evolving from an Enzyme and into a Regulator
Authors: Vinson Valda
Published: July 2014

Alternative splicing of aminoacyl transfer RNA synthetases ablates the catalytic domain to yield diverse alternative functions.
HACE1 Ubiquitylates Optineurin
Authors: Berndt Jason D.
Published: July 2014

The ubiquitylation of optineurin promotes autophagy and may contribute to the tumor suppressor function of the E3 ligase HACE1.
Potentiator ivacaftor abrogates pharmacological correction of ΔF508 CFTR in cystic fibrosis
Authors: Cholon Deborah M. , Quinney Nancy L. , Fulcher M. Leslie , Esther Charles R. , Das Jhuma , Dokholyan Nikolay V. , Randell Scott H. , Boucher Richard C. , Gentzsch Martina
Published: July 2014

Ivacaftor, a CFTR potentiator drug used for cystic fibrosis, destabilizes rescued ΔF508 CFTR and interferes with the action of drugs that correct CFTR function.
For IBD, Bugs and Genes Are the Name of the Game
Authors: Lemaire Mathieu
Published: July 2014

Ileal microbe and tissue mRNA profiling may help provide better prognoses and therapies to treatment-naïve IBD patients.
Drink Your Juice! “Nanojuice” Shows Gut in Action
Authors: Stephan Matthias
Published: July 2014

A new medical imaging reagent provides a noninvasive real-time view of the gut.
vanG
Element Insertions within a Conserved Chromosomal Site Conferring Vancomycin Resistance to Streptococcus agalactiae and Streptococcus anginosus
Authors: Srinivasan Velusamy , Metcalf Benjamin J. , Knipe Kristen M. , Ouattara Mahamoudou , McGee Lesley , Shewmaker Patricia L. , Glennen Anita , Nichols Megin , Harris Carol , Brimmage Mary , Ostrowsky Belinda , Park Connie J. , Schrag Stephanie J. , Frace Michael A. , Sammons Scott A. , Beall Bernard
Published: July 2014

Three vancomycin-resistant streptococcal strains carrying
vanG
elements (two invasive
Streptococcus agalactiae
isolates [GBS-NY and GBS-NM, both serotype II and multilocus sequence type 22] and one
Streptococcus anginosus
[Sa]) were examined. The 45,585-bp elements found within Sa and GBS-NY were nearly identical (together designated
vanG-1
) and shared near-identity over an ~15-kb overlap with a previously described
vanG
element from
Enterococcus faecalis
. Unexpectedly,
vanG-1
shared much less homology with the 49,321-bp
vanG-2
element from GBS-NM, with widely different levels (50% to 99%) of sequence identity shared among 44 related open reading frames. Immediately adjacent to both
vanG-1
and
vanG-2
were 44,670-bp and 44,680-bp integrative conjugative element (ICE)-like sequences, designated ICE-r, that were nearly identical in the two group B streptococcal (GBS) strains. The dual
vanG
and ICE-r elements from both GBS strains were inserted at the same position, between bases 1328 and 1329, within the identical RNA methyltransferase (
rumA
) genes. A GenBank search revealed that although most GBS strains contained insertions within this specific site, only sequence type 22 (ST22) GBS strains contained highly related ICE-r derivatives. The
vanG-1
element in Sa was also inserted within this position corresponding to its
rumA
homolog adjacent to an ICE-r derivative.
vanG-1
insertions were previously reported within the same relative position in the
E. faecalis rumA
homolog. An ICE-r sequence perfectly conserved with respect to its counterpart in GBS-NY was apparent within the same site of the
rumA
homolog of a
Streptococcus dysgalactiae
subsp.
equisimilis
strain. Additionally, homologous
vanG
-like elements within the conserved
rumA
target site were evident in
Roseburia intestinalis
.

IMPORTANCE
These three streptococcal strains represent the first known vancomycin-resistant strains of their species. The collective observations made from these strains reveal a specific hot spot for insertional elements that is conserved between streptococci and different Gram-positive species. The two GBS strains potentially represent a GBS lineage that is predisposed to insertion of
vanG
elements.
Overview of the Relevant Literature on the Possible Role of Acupuncture in Treating Male Sexual Dysfunction
Authors: Tsai Ming-Yen , Liu Chun-Ting , Chang Cheng-Chieh , Chen Shih-Yu , Huang Sheng-Teng
Published: July 2014

Objective

To systematically review scientific reports on the effectiveness of acupuncture to treat male sexual dysfunction.

Methods

The Medline database was searched for published clinical trials of acupuncture for erectile dysfunction (ED) and premature ejaculation (PE) with English abstracts. Risk of bias was assessed for randomised controlled trials (RCTs).

Results

Seven studies on two conditions of male sexual dysfunction met the inclusion criteria. Three out of four RCTs were patient-blinded, but all had a high risk of bias. Three suggested that acupuncture has a therapeutic effect as compared with sham acupuncture. Comparisons with paroxetine were inconsistent. Other uncontrolled studies and case series suggested satisfactory improvements of ED and PE after acupuncture.

Conclusions

Acupuncture appears to have promise for treating male sexual dysfunction, but in view of the small number of studies and their variable quality, doubts remain about its effectiveness. Further studies are justified.
Validating drug repurposing signals using electronic health records: a case study of metformin associated with reduced cancer mortality
Authors: Xu Hua , Aldrich Melinda C , Chen Qingxia , Liu Hongfang , Peterson Neeraja B , Dai Qi , Levy Mia , Shah Anushi , Han Xue , Ruan Xiaoyang , Jiang Min , Li Ying , Julien Jamii St , Warner Jeremy , Friedman Carol , Roden Dan M , Denny Joshua C
Published: July 2014

Objectives Drug repurposing, which finds new indications for existing drugs, has received great attention recently. The goal of our work is to assess the feasibility of using electronic health records (EHRs) and automated informatics methods to efficiently validate a recent drug repurposing association of metformin with reduced cancer mortality.

Methods By linking two large EHRs from Vanderbilt University Medical Center and Mayo Clinic to their tumor registries, we constructed a cohort including 32 415 adults with a cancer diagnosis at Vanderbilt and 79 258 cancer patients at Mayo from 1995 to 2010. Using automated informatics methods, we further identified type 2 diabetes patients within the cancer cohort and determined their drug exposure information, as well as other covariates such as smoking status. We then estimated HRs for all-cause mortality and their associated 95% CIs using stratified Cox proportional hazard models. HRs were estimated according to metformin exposure, adjusted for age at diagnosis, sex, race, body mass index, tobacco use, insulin use, cancer type, and non-cancer Charlson comorbidity index.

Results Among all Vanderbilt cancer patients, metformin was associated with a 22% decrease in overall mortality compared to other oral hypoglycemic medications (HR 0.78; 95% CI 0.69 to 0.88) and with a 39% decrease compared to type 2 diabetes patients on insulin only (HR 0.61; 95% CI 0.50 to 0.73). Diabetic patients on metformin also had a 23% improved survival compared with non-diabetic patients (HR 0.77; 95% CI 0.71 to 0.85). These associations were replicated using the Mayo Clinic EHR data. Many site-specific cancers including breast, colorectal, lung, and prostate demonstrated reduced mortality with metformin use in at least one EHR.

Conclusions EHR data suggested that the use of metformin was associated with decreased mortality after a cancer diagnosis compared with diabetic and non-diabetic cancer patients not on metformin, indicating its potential as a chemotherapeutic regimen. This study serves as a model for robust and inexpensive validation studies for drug repurposing signals using EHR data.
Parental separation and behaviours that influence the health of infants aged 7–11 months: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Kacenelenbogen Nadine , Dramaix-Wilmet Michèle , Schetgen M , Roland M
Published: July 2014

Objective

Analyse the parental behaviours that are recognised as influencing the health of very young children based on family structure (parents separated or not).

Design

Cross-sectional study.

Setting

Free preventive medicine consultations in the French Community of Belgium.

Participants

Examination of 79 701 infants aged 7–11 months as part of a free preventive medicine consultation. The data came from an assessment conducted 7–11 months after birth during which information was collected, namely about the parents’ use of tobacco, the infant’s type of nutrition and adherence to vaccination schedules.

Main outcome measures

Parental behaviours: smoking, nutrition and compliance with vaccination schedule.

Results

The percentage of infants whose parents were separated was 6.6%. After adjusting for the cultural and socioeconomic environment as well as for other potential confounders, in the event of separation as compared with non-separated parents, the adjusted ORs (95% CI) were as follows: 1.5 (1.3 to 1.7) for the infant’s exposure to tobacco; 1.3 (1.2 to 1.4) for total lack of exclusive breast feeding; 1.3 (1.1 to 1.4) and 1.2 (1.1 to 1.2) for breast feeding for a duration of less than 3 and 6 months, respectively; 1.2 (1.1 to 1.4) for non-compliance with the vaccination schedule against rotavirus. The duration of exclusive breast feeding was shorter when parents were separated (p<0.001; median 10 vs 13 weeks).

Conclusions

This study reinforces the possibility that parental separation is independently associated with certain parental at-risk behaviours regarding the children's health. This observation should be verified because this could result in major consequences for the work of family doctors, in particular in terms of parent information and targeted prevention.
From hospice to hospital: short-term follow-up study of hospice patient outcomes in a US acute care hospital surveillance system
Authors: Pathak Elizabeth Barnett , Wieten Sarah , Djulbegovic Benjamin
Published: July 2014

Objectives

In the USA, there is little systematic evidence about the real-world trajectories of patient medical care after hospice enrolment. The objective of this study was to analyse predictors of the length of stay for hospice patients who were admitted to hospital in a retrospective analysis of the mandatorily reported hospital discharge data.

Setting

All acute-care hospitals in Florida during 1 January 2010 to 30 June 2012.

Participants

All patients with source of admission coded as ‘hospice’ (n=2674).

Primary outcome measures

The length of stay and discharge status: (1) died in hospital; (2) discharged back to hospice; (3) discharged to another healthcare facility; and (4) discharged home.

Results

Patients were elderly (median age=81) with a high burden of disease. Almost half died (46%), while the majority of survivors were discharged to hospice (80% of survivors, 44% of total). A minority went to a healthcare facility (5.6%) or to home (5.2%). Only 9.2% received any procedure. Respiratory services were received by 29.4% and 16.8% were admitted to the intensive care unit. The median length of stay was 1 day for those who died. In an adjusted survival model, discharge to a healthcare facility resulted in a 74% longer hospital stay compared with discharge to hospice (event time ratio (ETR)=1.74, 95% CI 1.54 to 1.97 p<0.0001), with 61% longer hospital stays among patients discharged home (ETR=1.61, 95% CI 1.39 to 1.86 p<0.0001). Total financial charges for all patients exceeded $25 million; 10% of patients who appeared to exit hospice incurred 32% of the charges.

Conclusions

Our results raise significant questions about the ethics and pragmatics of end-of-life medical care, and the intentions and scope of hospices in the USA. Future studies should incorporate prospective linkage of subjective patient-centred data and objective healthcare encounter data.