bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Conjugate Heat Transfer in Air-to-Refrigerant Airfoil Heat Exchangers
Authors: Ito Yutaka , Inokura Naoya , Nagasaki Takao
Published: May 2014

A light and compact heat exchange system was realized using two air-to-refrigerant airfoil heat exchangers and a recirculated heat transport refrigerant. Its heat transfer performance was experimentally investigated. Carbon dioxide or water was used as a refrigerant up to a pressure of 30 MPa. Heat transfer coefficients on the outer air-contact and inner refrigerant-contact surfaces were calculated using an inverse heat transfer method. Correlations were developed for the Nusselt numbers of carbon dioxide and water on the inner refrigerant-contact surface. Furthermore, we proposed a method to evaluate a correction factor corresponding to the thermal resistance of the airfoil heat exchanger.
Multisensing Fuel Injector in Turbocharged Gasoline Direct Injection Engines
Authors: Estefanous Fadi , Mekhael Shenouda , Badawy Tamer , Henein Naeim , Zahdeh Akram
Published: May 2014

With the increasingly stringent emissions and fuel economy standards, there is a need to develop new advanced in-cylinder sensing techniques to optimize the operation of the internal combustion engine. In addition, reducing the number of on-board sensors needed for proper engine monitoring over the lifetime of the vehicle would reduce the cost and complexity of the electronic system. This paper presents a new technique to enable one engine component, the fuel injector, to perform multiple sensing tasks in addition to its primary task of delivering the fuel into the cylinder. The injector is instrumented within an electric circuit to produce a signal indicative of some injection and combustion parameters in electronically controlled spark ignition direct injection (SIDI) engines. The output of the multisensing fuel injector (MSFI) system can be used as a feedback signal to the engine control unit (ECU) for injection timing control and diagnosis of the injection and combustion processes. A comparison between sensing capabilities of the multisensing fuel injector and the spark plug-ion sensor under different engine operating conditions is also included in this study. In addition, the combined use of the ion current signals produced by the MSFI and the spark plug for combustion sensing and control is demonstrated.
Fringing Electrostatic Field Actuation of Microplates for Open Air Environment Sensing
Authors: Rabinovich Avinoam , Ya'akobovitz Assaf , Krylov Slava
Published: May 2014

In the present study, we tested the feasibility of actuation of microplates by fringing electrostatic fields, i.e., field lines between plates and the sidewalls supporting them. Unlike the common close-gap actuation mechanism usually used in these kinds of devices, we present an alternative operational principle based on an electrostatic fringe field for the actuation of micro electromechanical (MEMS) plates, which is especially beneficial for open air environment operation. In order to validate the actuation principle, a circular MEMS plate was considered and an analytical model was built. The electrostatic force applied to the plate was extracted from a solution of a steady boundary value problem of a cylinder and was validated numerically using finite element simulation. This was followed by a solution of the plate governing equation of motion using an expansion theorem. Devices of two different geometries were fabricated and operated. Actuation of the plates by means of the fringing field was demonstrated experimentally. The proposed architecture and actuation principle is advantageous and overcomes many of the difficulties encountered in microplates electrostatically actuated by a close-gap electrode. Due to the absence of a small gap, the device is not prone to pull-in instability and stiction and is not subjected to squeeze-film damping. Moreover, since the actuation is separated from the front side of the device, open air contaminations, such as humidity or dust, cannot cause operational failure. In addition, the device is especially beneficial for mass sensing in an open environment, as well as flow senors where a flush-mounted smooth surface is important.
Analytic Methods for Stress Analysis of Two-Dimensional Flat Anisotropic Plates With Notches: An Overview
Authors: Sevenois R. D. B. , Koussios S.
Published: May 2014

The anisotropy of composite plates often poses difficulties for stress field analysis in the presence of notches. The most common methods for these analyses are: (i) analytical means (AM), (ii) finite element analysis (FEA), and (iii) semi-analytical means (SAM). In industry, FEA has been especially popular for the determination of stresses in small to medium size parts but can require a considerable amount of computing power and time. For faster analyses, one can use AM. The available solutions for a given problem, however, can be quite limited. Additionally, AM implemented in commercial computer software are scarce and difficult to find. Due to this, these methods are not widespread and SAM were proposed. SAM combine the (easy) implementation of complex problems from FEA and the computational efficiency from AM to reduce the difficulty on mathematical operation and increase computational speed with respect to FEA. AM, however, are still the fastest and most accurate way to determine the stress field in a given problem. Complex problems, however, e.g., finite width plates with multiple loaded/unloaded notches, require a significant amount of mathematical involvement which quickly discourages, even seasoned, scientists, and engineers. To encourage the use of AM, this paper gives a brief review of the mathematical basis of AM followed by a historic perspective on the expansions originating from this mathematical basis. Specifically the case of a two-dimensional anisotropic plate with unloaded cut-outs subjected to in-plane static load is presented.
Boilers Optimal Control for Maximum Load Change Rate
Authors: Elshafei Moustafa , Habib Mohamed A. , Al-Zaharnah Iyad , Nemitallah Medhat A.
Published: May 2014

In many cogeneration systems, one or more boilers are used in hot standby to meet the plant demand of steam in case of failure or upset in the cogeneration unit. Such boilers need to quickly respond to sudden and large steam load changes. However, fast changes in the firing rate cause transient changes in both the drum-boiler steam pressure and drum level, in addition to the potential of developing of thermal stresses in the walls of steam risers. A genetic algorithm (GA) based optimization scheme is proposed for tuning the conventional boiler control loops to maximize the ability of the boiler to respond to large steam demand while keeping the fluctuations in pressure, drum level, and feed rate within acceptable operation limits. A nonlinear model for an actual boiler is first built, validated, and then, it is used to demonstrate the performance of the boiler with the proposed control loop optimization.
Experimental Study of the Impact of Drilling Fluid Contamination on the Integrity of Cement–Formation Interface
Authors: Agbasimalo Nnamdi , Radonjic Mileva
Published: May 2014

Flood experiments were conducted over 30-day periods at 14.48 MPa (2100 psi) confining pressure and temperature of 22 °C (72 °F) with cement–sandstone composite cores and brine at a flow rate of 1 ml/min. Higher pH values were observed in the effluent brine from the 10% mud contaminated core than the 0% mud contaminated core due to increased dissolution of cement. Microtomography revealed higher porosity at the interface zone of the 10% mud contaminated core. These show that mud contamination has a deleterious effect on the cement–sandstone interface and may create pathways for interzonal communication as well as sustained casing pressure.
A New Comprehensive Model for Predicting the Pressure Drop of Flow in the Horizontal Wellbore
Authors: Zhang Quan , Wang Zhiming , Wang Xiaoqiu , Yang Jiankang
Published: May 2014

Over the past two decades, the modeling of flow in a perforated pipe with influx through wall openings has been recognized as a key topic especially in the field of horizontal wells. In this paper, based on the theoretical analysis and previous research achievements, combining with the new measured data sets stemming from the large-scale experimental apparatus designed and constructed recently at China University of Petroleum (CUP), a new comprehensive model has been developed for the prediction of pressure drop regarding single-phase flow in horizontal perforated pipes with wall influx, in which new correlations for calculating the hydraulic friction factor and momentum correction factor of variable mass flow are given. The presented model is then implemented using the visual basic.net package and validated against two data sets obtained on single-phase water flow and single-phase oil flow. Predictions of the new model and frequently used Ouyang model are also compared based on the new experimental data. Results show that the model given in this article can not only properly represent the complex mechanisms of flow in the horizontal wellbore, such as the resistance caused by wall perforations and the drag reduction or so-called lubrication effect caused by wall injection, but also has a preferable prediction accuracy. Compared with the water flow data and the oil flow data, the absolute average percentage errors of the proposed model are, respectively, 4.5% and 5.0%, which demonstrates better performance and wider application range than Ouyang model.
Need for Engineering Solutions to Problems Associated With Offshore Oil and Gas Production
Authors: Vincent Wong Kaufui
Published: May 2014

There has been an increase in oil spill research and development, especially after the Deepwater Horizon accident in the Gulf of Mexico. However, the public resources seem to be concentrated in the life sciences, rather than in engineering. The effect of oil on seaweeds and the effect of spilled oil on seabirds, for instance, seem to take precedence in government research funding, rather than engineering issues. If engineering preventive procedures and equipment are in place, then these adverse effects can be viewed as secondary. Offshore oil and gas production is an engineering endeavor, and it makes sense to expand resources in key aspects of engineering to allow for safer practices with regard to this endeavor. Offshore oil production is principally done by public companies, so it is logical that the government requires certain safety and operational standards with regard to permitting related offshore activities. It should follow that high governmental safety rules be set, and that production companies be aided by science and technology research that has been completed. A second thrust is to fund research and development for up-to-date science and engineering to meet the challenges of deep water drilling, especially in the area of machinery and devices that would help in mitigating accidents in deep water.
A Single Forward-Velocity Control Signal for Stochastic Source Seeking With Multiple Nonholonomic Vehicles
Authors: Frihauf Paul , Liu Shu-Jun , Krstic Miroslav
Published: May 2014

With a single stochastic extremum seeking control signal, we steer multiple autonomous vehicles, modeled as nonholonomic unicycles, toward the maximum of an unknown, spatially distributed signal field. The vehicles, whose angular velocities are constant and distinct, travel at the same forward velocity, which is controlled by the stochastic extremum seeking controller. To determine the vehicles’ velocity, the controller uses measurements of the signal field at the respective vehicle positions and excitation based on filtered white noise. The positions of the vehicles are not measured. We prove local exponential convergence, both almost surely and in probability, to a small neighborhood near the source and provide a numerical example to illustrate the effectiveness of the algorithm.
Interfacial Waves With Surface Elasticity
Authors: Hu Lixin , Liu Liping
Published: May 2014

In this paper, we study the existence and uniqueness of interfacial waves in account of surface elasticity at the interface. A sufficient condition for the existence and uniqueness of a subsonic interfacial wave between two elastic half spaces is obtained for general anisotropic materials. Further, we explicitly calculate the dispersion relations of interfacial waves for interfaces between two solids and solid and fluid, and parametrically study the effects of surface elasticity on the dispersion relations. We observe that the dispersion relations of interfacial waves are nonlinear at the presence of surface elasticity and depend on surface elastic properties. This nonlinear feature can be used for probing the bulk and surface properties by acoustic measurements and designing waves’ guides or filters.
Dexterity and Adaptive Control of Planar Parallel Manipulators With and Without Redundant Actuation
Authors: Shang Weiwei , Cong Shuang
Published: May 2014

The objective of this paper is to determine whether a planar parallel manipulator with redundant actuation has better tracking accuracy than a planar parallel manipulator without redundant actuation. The effects of the redundant actuation on tracking accuracy of parallel manipulators are studied by using two different experimental platforms. The first platform is the planar five-bar parallel manipulator with normal actuation, and the other one is the planar parallel manipulator with redundant actuation. The dexterity pictures and the kinematic configurations of the two platforms validate the kinematic advantages from the redundant actuation. In order to study the dynamic advantages of the redundant actuation further, a nonlinear adaptive controller is presented for the two platforms. The experimental comparison is implemented on two actual parallel manipulator platforms, and from the experimental results, one can find the tracking accuracy of the parallel manipulator with redundant actuation can be improved above 38% than that of the five-bar parallel manipulator without redundant actuation.
Ontological Conceptualization Based on the SKOS
Authors: Ameri Farhad , Kulvatunyou Boonserm , Ivezic Nenad , Kaikhah Khosrow
Published: May 2014

Ontological conceptualization refers to the process of creating an abstract view of the domain of interest through a set of interconnected concepts. In this paper, a thesaurus-based methodology is proposed for systematic ontological conceptualization in the manufacturing domain. The methodology has three main phases, namely, thesaurus development, thesaurus evaluation, and thesaurus conversion and it uses simple knowledge organization system (SKOS) as the thesaurus representation formalism. The concept-based nature of a SKOS thesaurus makes it suitable for identifying important concepts in the domain. To that end, novel thesaurus evaluation and thesaurus conversion metrics that exploit this characteristic are presented. The ontology conceptualization methodology is demonstrated through the development of a manufacturing thesaurus, referred to as ManuTerms. The concepts in ManuTerms can be converted into ontological classes. The whole conceptualization process is the stepping stone to developing more axiomatic ontologies. Although the proposed methodology is developed in the context of manufacturing ontology development, the underlying methods, tools, and metrics can be applied to development of any domain ontology. The developed thesaurus can serve as a standalone lightweight ontology and its concepts can be reused by other ontologies or thesauri.
Analytical Investigation of Elastic Thin-Walled Cylinder and Truncated Cone Shell Intersection Under Internal Pressure
Authors: Zamani J. , Soltani B. , Aghaei M.
Published: May 2014

An elastic solution of cylinder-truncated cone shell intersection under internal pressure is presented. The edge solution theory that has been used in this study takes bending moments and shearing forces into account in the thin-walled shell of revolution element. The general solution of the cone equations is based on power series method. The effect of cone apex angle on the stress distribution in conical and cylindrical parts of structure is investigated. In addition, the effect of the intersection and boundary locations on the circumferential and longitudinal stresses is evaluated and it is shown that how quantitatively they are essential.
Investigation of Bulging Behavior of Coke Drum—A Practical Analysis of Bulging Under Complex Quench Conditions
Authors: Yamamoto Toshiya , Arii Kazuaki , Niimoto Shinta , Ohata Mitsuru , Tagawa Tetsuya , Minami Fumiyoshi
Published: May 2014

Coke drums undergo cyclic operations typically in the temperature range from room temperature to about 500 °C (930 °F). During quenching, the coke drum is inevitably subjected to a rapid drop in temperature because cooling water is injected directly into the coke drum through the bottom inlet nozzle. The temperature profile on the shell surface is uneven during quenching, and can vary in each cycle of the quenching operation. Such a complicated thermal profile induces large strains in the shell portion of the coke drum, and eventually causes damage like bulging and/or cracking. The authors have investigated the bulging behavior of the coke drum by the thermal elastic-plastic finite element (FE)-analysis, considering the existence of the overmatch welds and uneven temperature field during quenching (Ohata et al., 2011, “Investigation of Bulging Behavior of Coke Drum—Feasible Study on Causes of Bulging,” ASME PVP2011-57276, Baltimore). In this paper, a practical FE-analysis is developed to estimate the complex strain that leads to bulging under uneven temperature fields during quenching. The actual temperature and strain data during operation are collected by thermocouples and high temperature strain gauges. A thermal analysis model, including an evaluation of boiling heat transfer on the shell's inner surface, is established to simulate the measured shell behavior of the coke drum. By utilizing this FE-analysis model, several parameters thought of as causal factors in bulging can be examined under the uneven temperature profile that is likely to occur during actual operation. This analytical approach can also provide effective technique for improvements in shell durability.
Effect of Aging on the Strength of Clinching Galvanized SAE1004 Steel-to-Aluminum AA6111 Joints
Authors: Gao Yang , Liu Zhong-Xia , Wang Pei-Chung
Published: May 2014

Mechanical clinching method has been shown to be a feasible alternative to self piercing riveting (SPR) for joining dissimilar materials, particularly for vehicle assemblies made in aluminum-to-steel. While a great deal of effort has been focused on studying the process development, there is an urgent need to understand the effects of aged aluminum on the strengths of the clinching steel-aluminum joints. To evaluate exactly the influence of mechanical properties of aged aluminum alloy on the strength of the clinching joint, 1.0 mm thick AA6111-T4 aluminum was firstly solution heat-treated at 550 °C for 30 min followed by nature ageing treatment for various times and then clinching to 0.7 mm thick galvanized SAE1004 steel with SKB die. The section parameters and strength of the clinching joints were measured. The effect of mechanical properties of aged AA6111-T4 aluminum was analyzed using an analytical model. The results showed that aged aluminum affected little the clinchability but influenced the section parameters and strength of the clinching workpieces. The strength of the clinching SAE1004-to-AA6111-T4 joints increased with increasing the strength of AA6111-T4 aluminum. This can be primarily attributed to the fact that the strengthening AA6111-T4 aluminum resulted in larger residual press stress developed during the clinching.
Effects of pH and Lactate on Hydrogen Sulfide Production by Oral Veillonella spp
Authors: Washio Jumpei , Shimada Yuko , Yamada Masakazu , Sakamaki Ryouichi , Takahashi Nobuhiro
Published: May 2014

Indigenous oral bacteria in the tongue coating such as
Veillonella
have been identified as the main producers of hydrogen sulfide (H
2
S), one of the major components of oral malodor. However, there is little information on the physiological properties of H
2
S production by oral
Veillonella
such as metabolic activity and oral environmental factors which may affect H
2
S production. Thus, in the present study, the H
2
S-producing activity of growing cells, resting cells, and cell extracts of oral
Veillonella
species and the effects of oral environmental factors, including pH and lactate, were investigated. Type strains of
Veillonella atypica
,
Veillonella dispar
, and
Veillonella parvula
were used. These
Veillonella
species produced H
2
S during growth in the presence of
l
-cysteine. Resting cells of these bacteria produced H
2
S from
l
-cysteine, and the cell extracts showed enzymatic activity to convert
l
-cysteine to H
2
S. H
2
S production by resting cells was higher at pH 6 to 7 and lower at pH 5. The presence of lactate markedly increased H
2
S production by resting cells (4.5- to 23.7-fold), while lactate had no effect on enzymatic activity in cell extracts. In addition to H
2
S, ammonia was produced in cell extracts of all the strains, indicating that H
2
S was produced by the catalysis of cystathionine γ-lyase (EC 4.4.1.1). Serine was also produced in cell extracts of
V. atypica
and
V. parvula
, suggesting the involvement of cystathionine β-synthase lyase (EC 4.2.1.22) in these strains. This study indicates that
Veillonella
produce H
2
S from
l
-cysteine and that their H
2
S production can be regulated by oral environmental factors, namely, pH and lactate.
Temporal Dynamics of the Cecal Gut Microbiota of Juvenile Arctic Ground Squirrels: a Strong Litter Effect across the First Active Season
Authors: Stevenson Timothy J. , Buck C. Loren , Duddleston Khrystyne N.
Published: May 2014

Arctic ground squirrels (
Urocitellus parryii
) are active for a scant 3 to 5 months of the year. During the active season, adult squirrels compete for mates, reproduce, and fatten in preparation for hibernation, while juvenile squirrels, weaned in early July, must grow and acquire sufficient fat to survive their first hibernation season. During hibernation, the gut microbial community is altered in diversity, abundance, and activity. To date, no studies have examined the gut microbiota of hibernators across the truncated active season. We characterized trends in diversity (454 pyrosequencing), density (flow cytometry), viability (flow cytometry), and metabolism (short-chain fatty acid analysis) of the gut microbial community of juvenile arctic ground squirrels across their first active season at weaning and at 4, 6, 8, and 10 weeks postweaning. At 8 weeks postweaning, the mean bacterial density was significantly higher than that at weaning, and the mean percentage of live bacteria was significantly higher than that at either weaning or 4 weeks postweaning. No significant differences in microbial diversity, total short-chain fatty acid concentrations, or molar proportions of individual short-chain fatty acids were observed among sample periods. The level of variability in gut microbial diversity among squirrels was high across the active season but was most similar among littermates, except at weaning, indicating strong maternal or genetic influences across development. Our results indicate that genetic or maternal influences exert profound effects on the gut microbial community of juvenile arctic ground squirrels. We did not find a correlation between host adiposity and gut microbial diversity during prehibernation fattening, likely due to a high level of variability among squirrels.
Bioaccumulation Efficiency, Tissue Distribution, and Environmental Occurrence of Hepatitis E Virus in Bivalve Shellfish from France
Authors: Grodzki Marco , Schaeffer Julien , Piquet Jean-Côme , Le Saux Jean-Claude , Chevé Julien , Ollivier Joanna , Le Pendu Jacques , Le Guyader Françoise S.
Published: May 2014

Hepatitis E virus (HEV), an enteric pathogen of both humans and animals, is excreted by infected individuals and is therefore present in wastewaters and coastal waters. As bivalve molluscan shellfish are known to concentrate viral particles during the process of filter feeding, they may accumulate this virus. The bioaccumulation efficiencies of oysters (
Crassostrea gigas
), flat oysters (
Ostrea edulis
), mussels (
Mytilus edulis
), and clams (
Ruditapes philippinarum
) were compared at different time points during the year. Tissue distribution analysis showed that most of the viruses were concentrated in the digestive tissues of the four species. Mussels and clams were found to be more sensitive to sporadic contamination events, as demonstrated by rapid bioaccumulation in less than 1 h compared to species of oysters. For oysters, concentrations increased during the 24-h bioaccumulation period. Additionally, to evaluate environmental occurrence of HEV in shellfish, an environmental investigation was undertaken at sites potentially impacted by pigs, wild boars, and human waste. Of the 286 samples collected, none were contaminated with hepatitis E virus, despite evidence that this virus is circulating in some French areas. It is possible that the number of hepatitis E viral particles discharged into the environment is too low to detect or that the virus may have a very short period of persistence in pig manure and human waste.
Genetic Analysis of the Assimilation of C
5
-Dicarboxylic Acids in Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1
Authors: Lundgren Benjamin R. , Villegas-Peñaranda Luis Roberto , Harris Joshua R. , Mottern Alexander M. , Dunn Diana M. , Boddy Christopher N. , Nomura Christopher T.
Published: May 2014

There is a wealth of information on the genetic regulation and biochemical properties of bacterial C
4
-dicarboxylate transport systems. In sharp contrast, there are far fewer studies describing the transport and assimilation of C
5
-dicarboxylates among bacteria. In an effort to better our understanding on this subject, we identified the structural and regulatory genes necessary for the utilization of α-ketoglutarate (α-KG) in
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
PAO1. The PA5530 gene, encoding a putative dicarboxylate transporter, was found to be essential for the growth of
P. aeruginosa
PAO1 on both α-KG and glutarate (another C
5
-dicarboxylate). Metabolite analysis confirmed that the PA5530 gene was necessary for the uptake of extracellular α-KG. Like other substrate-inducible transporter genes, expression of the PA5530 gene was induced by extracellular C
5
-dicarboxylates. It was later found that the expression of the PA5530 gene was driven solely by a −24/−12 promoter recognized by the alternative sigma factor RpoN. Surprisingly, the enhancer binding protein MifR, which is known to have an essential role in biofilm development, was required for the expression of the PA5530 gene. The MifR protein is homologous to other transcriptional regulators involved in dicarboxylate assimilation, suggesting that MifR might interact with RpoN to activate the expression of the PA5530 gene in response to extracellular C
5
-dicarboxylates, especially α-KG. The results of this study provide a framework for exploring the assimilation of α-KG in other pseudomonads.
A retrospective analysis of factors associated with selection of end-of-life care and actual place of death for patients with cancer
Authors: Kondo Shunsuke , Shimazu Taichi , Morizane Chigusa , Hosoi Hiroko , Okusaka Takuji , Ueno Hideki
Published: May 2014

Objectives

The factors associated with end-of-life (EOL) care that patients with cancer selected and actual place of death (POD) is less elucidated. We analysed how specific EOL care, especially anticancer therapies, selected by patients with pancreatic carcinoma affected their POD in Japan.

Setting

A retrospective cohort study using clinical records of a single institute.

Participants

This study included 433 advanced or recurrent patients with pancreatic carcinoma who had completed standard chemotherapies and were receiving hospice care in the National Cancer Center Hospital between April 2008 and April 2011.

Outcome measures

We analysed statistical association factors, demographic information, geographical differences, medical environment, EOL care selection, along with actual POD using logistic regression analysis.

Results

Of the 433 patients, 147 selected palliative care units (PCUs) as the POD; 229, hospital; and 57, home with hospice care. POD selection was associated with several factors. Notably, EOL care selection, especially the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), is associated with POD selection (death in PCU; OR=0.23, p=0.02).

Conclusions

This study is, to the best of our knowledge, the first to unveil that EOL care selection is associated with POD in Japan. Certain factors such as gender, medical environment and EOL care selection might influence the POD. Patients who pursue aggressive anticancer therapies, such as CAM use, were possibly deprived of a chance of early reference to a PCU.
Comparison of three tests for faecal calprotectin in children and young adults: a retrospective monocentric study
Authors: Prell Christine , Nagel Dorothea , Freudenberg Folke , Schwarzer Andrea , Koletzko Sibylle
Published: May 2014

Objective

Faecal calprotectin is used as a sensitive marker for gastrointestinal mucosal inflammation. We compared the performance of three different assays in a large cohort of symptomatic paediatric patients.

Design

Retrospective monocentric study.

Setting

Inpatients and outpatients of a tertiary referral centre for paediatric gastroenterology.

Participants

304 symptomatic patients (163 males, aged 2–20 years) with active inflammatory bowel disease (IBD/A, n=130), IBD in clinical remission (IBD/R, n=62), other intestinal diseases (n=45) and controls without identified intestinal disease (n=67).

Interventions

Calprotectin was measured in homogenised faecal samples with three tests (A: EliA Calprotectin, Phadia AB, Sweden; B: PhiCal, Calpro AS, Norway; C: EK-Cal, Bühlmann Laboratories, Switzerland).

Outcomes

Concordance between tests was calculated using Kendall's τ coefficient.

Results

IBD/A and controls were correctly classified as 97.7%/82.1% (A), 97.7%/85.1% (B) and 98.4%/62.7% (C; not significant). Test C tended to have higher calprotectin values with a lower specificity compared to tests A and B. The concordance between two tests was 0.835 for tests A and B, 0.782 for tests A and C and 0.765 for tests B and C.

Conclusions

All three tests are very sensitive for detecting mucosal inflammation, but major differences exist between specificity and absolute values. It is highly advisable to use the test of the same manufacturer for follow-up and to monitor for disease activity.
Rural–urban differentials in 30-day and 1-year mortality following first-ever heart failure hospitalisation in Western Australia: a population-based study using data linkage
Authors: Teng Tiew-Hwa Katherine , Katzenellenbogen Judith M , Hung Joseph , Knuiman Matthew , Sanfilippo Frank M , Geelhoed Elizabeth , Hobbs Michael , Thompson Sandra C
Published: May 2014

Objectives

We examined differentials in short-term (30-day mortality) and 1-year mortality (in 30-day survivors) following index (first-ever) hospitalisation for heart failure (HF), between rural and metropolitan patients resident in Western Australia.

Design

A population-based cohort study.

Setting

Hospitalised patients in Western Australia, Australia.

Participants

Index patients aged 20–84 years with a first-ever hospitalisation for HF between 2000 and 2009 (with no prior admissions for HF in previous 10 years), identified using the Western Australia linked health data.

Main outcome measures

30-day and 1-year all-cause mortality (in 30-day survivors) following index admission for HF.

Results

Of 17 379 index patients with HF identified, 25.9% (4499) were from rural areas. Rural patients were significantly younger at first HF hospitalisation than metropolitan patients. Aboriginal patients comprised 1.9% of metropolitan and 17.2% of rural patients. Despite some statistical differences, the prevalence of antecedents including ischaemic heart disease, hypertension, diabetes and chronic kidney disease was high (>20%) in both subpopulations. After adjusting for age only, patients from rural areas had a higher risk of 30-day death (OR 1.16 (95% CI 1.01 to 1.33)) and 1-year death in 30-day survivors (HR 1.11 (95% CI 1.01 to 1.23)). These relative risk estimates increased and remained significant after further progressive adjustments for Aboriginality, socioeconomic status, insurance status, emergency presentation, individual comorbidities and revascularisation with OR 1.25 (1.06 to 1.48) for 30-day mortality and HR 1.13 (1.02 to 1.27) for 1-year mortality. The addition of the weighted Charlson index to the 30-day model improved the ‘c’ statistic (under the receiver operating characteristic curve) from 0.656 (using a variation of administrative claims model) to 0.714.

Conclusions

Remoteness and variable access to healthcare can cause important disparities in health outcomes. Rural patients with HF in Western Australia have poorer risk-adjusted outcomes compared with metropolitan patients. This finding has important implications for chronic disease management and provision of health services in rural Australia.
Scales for predicting risk following self-harm: an observational study in 32 hospitals in England
Authors: Quinlivan L , Cooper J , Steeg S , Davies L , Hawton K , Gunnell D , Kapur N
Published: May 2014

Objective

To investigate the extent to which risk scales were used for the assessment of self-harm by emergency department clinicians and mental health staff, and to examine the association between the use of a risk scale and measures of service quality and repeat self-harm within 6 months.

Design

Observational study.

Setting

A stratified random sample of 32 hospitals in England.

Participants

6442 individuals presenting with self-harm to 32 hospital services during a 3-month period between 2010 and 2011.

Outcomes

21-item measure of service quality, repeat self-harm within 6 months.

Results

A variety of different risk assessment tools were in use. Unvalidated locally developed proformas were the most commonly used instruments (reported in n=22 (68.8%) mental health services). Risk assessment scales were used in one-third of services, with the SAD PERSONS being the single most commonly used scale. There were no differences in service quality score between hospitals which did and did not use scales as a component of risk assessment (median service quality score (IQR): 14.5 (12.8, 16.4) vs 14.5 (11.4, 16.0), U=121.0, p=0.90), but hospitals which used scales had a lower median rate of repeat self-harm within 6 months (median repeat rate (IQR): 18.5% vs 22.7%, p=0.008, IRR (95% CI) 1.18 (1.00 to 1.37). When adjusted for differences in casemix, this association was attenuated (IRR=1.13, 95% CI (0.98 to 1.3)).

Conclusions

There is little consensus over the best instruments for risk assessment following self-harm. Further research to evaluate the impact of scales following an episode of self-harm is warranted using prospective designs. Until then, it is likely that the indiscriminant use of risk scales in clinical services will continue.
Scottish adolescents’ sun-related behaviours, tanning attitudes and associations with skin cancer awareness: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Kyle Richard G , MacMillan Iona , Forbat Liz , Neal Richard D , O'Carroll Ronan E , Haw Sally , Hubbard Gill
Published: May 2014

Objectives

To describe Scottish adolescents’ sun-related behaviours and tanning attitudes and assess associations with skin cancer awareness.

Design

Cross-sectional study.

Setting

20 state secondary schools in one Scottish local authority (Glasgow City).

Participants

2173 adolescents (females: 50.7%, n=1102) with a mean age of 12.4 (SD=0.55).

Outcome measures

Sun-related behaviour (suntan, sunbathing, sunburn, sunscreen use, sunbed use), tanning attitudes, skin cancer-related symptom and risk factor awareness.

Results

Adolescents reported poor sun-related practice: 51% of adolescents reported sunburn the previous summer of whom 38% indicated sunburn on more than one occasion. Skin cancer awareness was low: 45% recognised ‘change in the appearance of a mole’ as a cancer symptom, and 39% agreed that ‘getting sunburnt more than once as a child’ increased cancer risk. 42% and 26% of adolescents, respectively, reported that friends and family held protanning attitudes. Compared with males, females were statistically significantly more likely to: report sunbathing (p<0.001), use of lotions or oil to aid tanning (p=0.009) and sunburn (p<0.001); know that changes in the appearance of a mole was a skin cancer symptom (p=0.036) and sunburn more than once as a child was a skin cancer risk factor (p=0.005); perceive their friends to hold protanning attitudes (p<0.001) and indicate that a tan made them feel better about themselves (p<0.001), more attractive to others (p=0.011) and healthier (p<0.001).

Conclusions

Scottish adolescents had poor sun protection practice and low skin cancer awareness. Girls adopted riskier sun-related behaviour despite greater awareness of skin cancer-related risk. Urgent action is required to promote positive sun-related behaviour and increase skin cancer awareness among Scottish adolescents. However, further research is needed to inform the development of effective sun-safe interventions.
Improving the medical 'take sheet'
Authors: Reed Oliver
Published: May 2014

The GMC states that "Trainees in hospital posts must have well organised handover arrangements, ensuring continuity of patient care[1]”.

In the Belfast City Hospital throughout the day there can be multiple new medical admissions. These can be via the GP Unit, transfers for tertiary care, and transfers due to bed shortages in other hospitals. Over the course of 24 hours there can be up to four medical SHOs and three registrars that fill in the take sheet. Due to the variety of admission routes and number of doctors looking after the medical take information can be lost during handover between SHOs.

In the current format there is little room to write and key and relevant information on the medical take sheet about new and transferring patients. I felt that this handover sheet could be improved.

An initial questionnaire demonstrated that 47% found the old proforma easy to use and 28.2% felt that it allowed them to identify sick patients. 100% of SHOs and Registrars surveyed felt that it could be improved from its current form.

From feedback from my colleagues I created a new template and trialled it in the hospital. A repeat questionnaire demonstrated that 92.3% of responders felt the new format had improved medical handover and that 92.6% felt that it allowed safe handover most of the time/always.

The success of this new proforma resulted in it being implemented on a permanent basis for new medical admissions and transfers to the hospital.
Usefulness of the Shock Index as a secondary triage tool
Authors: Vassallo James , Horne S , Ball S , Smith JE
Published: May 2014

Introduction

Secondary triage at a major incident allows for a more detailed assessment of the patient. In the UK, the Triage Sort (TSO) is the preferred method, combining GCS, systolic BP (SBP) and RR to categorise Priority 1 casualties. The Shock Index (SI) is calculated by dividing HR by SBP (HR/SBP). This study examines whether SI is better at predicting need for life-saving intervention (LSI) following trauma than TSO.

Methods

A prospective observational study was undertaken. Physiological data and interventions performed in the Emergency Department and operating theatre were prospectively collected for 482 consecutive adult trauma patients presenting to Camp Bastion, Afghanistan, over a 6-month period. A patient was deemed to have required LSI if they received any intervention from a set described previously.

Results

Complete data were available for 345 patients (71.6%). Of these, 203 (58.8%) were gold standard P1, and 142 (41.2%) were non-P1. The TSO predicted need for LSI with a sensitivity of 58.6% (95% CI 51.8% to 65.4%) and specificity of 88.7% (95% CI 83.5% to 93.9%). Using an SI cut-off >0.75 provided greater sensitivity of 70.0% (95% CI 63.6% to 76.3%) while maintaining an acceptably high (although lower than TSO) specificity of 74.7% (95% CI 67.5% to 81.8%). At this SI cut-off, there was evidence of a difference between TSO and SI in terms of the way in which patients were triaged (p<0.0001).

Discussion

Our study showed that a SI >0.75 more accurately predicted the need for LSI, while maintaining acceptable specificity. SI may be more useful than TSO for secondary triage in a mass-casualty situation; this relationship in civilian trauma should be examined to clarify whether these results can be more widely translated into civilian practice.

Project registration number

RCDM/Res/Audit/1036/12/0050.
Angiographic outcome of intracranial aneurysms with neck remnant following coil embolization
Authors: Mascitelli Justin R , Oermann Eric K , De Leacy Reade A , Moyle Henry , Patel Aman B
Published: May 2014

Background

The degree of aneurysm occlusion following coil embolization has an impact on aneurysm recanalization.

Objective

To explain the natural history of intracranial aneurysms with neck remnant, Raymond–Roy Occlusion Classification (RROC) class II.

Methods

A single-center, retrospective study of 198 patients with 209 aneurysms treated with coil embolization that were initially either RROC class I or II. The angiographic outcomes at short- and long-term follow-up were compared as well as the complication/re-treatment rates. Atypical aneurysms and those that had been previously treated were excluded.

Results

Ninety-nine class I aneurysms were compared with 110 class II aneurysms. There was no difference in recanalization rate between the groups (class I 3.3% vs class II 8.5%, p=0.478) at short-term follow-up (8.2 months) and at subsequent follow-ups (21.7 and 52.1 months). There was also no difference in re-treatment rates (class I 3.3% vs class II 8.5%, p=0.196) or complication rates (class I 9.1% vs class II 4.6%, p=0.12). There were no aneurysm ruptures after treatment in either group.

Conclusions

The angiographic outcome of aneurysms with neck remnant following coil embolization is similar to that of completely occluded aneurysms in that most remain stable and few recanalize. This understanding could potentially help the interventional neurosurgeon avoid complications such as coil herniation, vessel compromise, and stroke in selected cases. Further investigation with a larger patient population is warranted.
Impact of Schmallenberg virus on British sheep farms during the 2011/2012 lambing season
Authors: Harris K. A. , Eglin R. D. , Hayward S. , Milnes A. , Davies I. , Cook A. J. C. , Downs S. H.
Published: May 2014

British sheep farmers were invited to complete a questionnaire about the impact of Schmallenberg virus (SBV) on animal health, welfare and their own emotional wellbeing during the 2011–2012 lambing season, through Defra and Farming Industry websites, letters to farmers who had requested SBV laboratory tests and advertisement at Sheep 2012. The 494 responders included SBV confirmed (positive by RT‐PCR) (n=76), SBV suspected by farmer (n=140) or SBV not suspected (n=278). Percentage of barren ewes was similar across SBV groups, however, lamb and ewe losses were higher on responder farms where SBV was confirmed or suspected. The median percentages of all lambs born (and lambs born deformed) that died within one week of birth was 10.4 per cent (5.5 per cent), 7.0 per cent (2.9 per cent) and 5.3 per cent (0 per cent), respectively, on SBV confirmed, suspected and not suspected farms (P<0.001). Eight to 16 per cent of SBV confirmed or suspected farms reported lamb mortality of ≥40 per cent. Farmer perceived impact was greater where SBV was confirmed or suspected (P<0.001): 25 per cent reported a high impact on emotional wellbeing (4 per cent of SBV not suspected), 13 per cent reported a high impact on flock welfare and financial performance and 6 per cent were less likely to farm sheep next year because of SBV (<2 per cent in SBV not suspected). Overall, SBV impact has been large relative to reported sheep loss.
Characteristics of replacement breeding cattle trade in Great Britain
Authors: Gates M. C.
Published: May 2014

The movements of replacement breeding cattle have been implicated in the spread of many economically important cattle diseases. In this analysis, records from the Cattle Tracing System database were used to investigate the frequency and characteristics of replacement breeding cattle trade in Great Britain. During the 2006 calendar year, an estimated 48.7 per cent of beef herds and 47.8 per cent of dairy herds purchased at least one replacement breeding animal. Open beef herds purchased an average of 7.2 replacement animals (median: 4, range: 1–819) from 3.6 source herds (median: 2, range: 1–114), while open dairy herds purchased an average of 13.7 replacement animals (median: 7, range: 1–827) from 5.2 source herds (median: 3, range: 1–146). The most common animal types purchased by beef and dairy herds were open heifers and open lactating cows, respectively. Although the movements of purchased replacement breeding cattle accounted for only 13 per cent of individual movements in the between‐herd contact network, they had a disproportionately strong influence on the risk of disease spreading through the industry as evidenced by their high betweenness centrality scores. These results emphasise the importance of ensuring that good biosecurity programmes are in place to prevent disease transmission.
Hermitian generalized Jordan triple systems and certain applications to field theory
Authors: Kamiya Noriaki , Sato Matsuo
Published: May 2014

We define Hermitian generalized Jordan triple systems and prove a structure theorem. We also give some examples of the systems and study mathematical properties. We apply a Hermitian generalized Jordan triple system to a field theory and obtain a Chern–Simons gauge theory.
BERGE–VAISMAN AND NASH EQUILIBRIA: TRANSFORMATION OF GAMES
Authors: POTTIER ANTONIN , NESSAH RABIA
Published: May 2014

In this paper, we reconsider the concept of Berge equilibrium. In a recent work, Colman et al. [(2011) J. Math. Psych.55, 166–175] proposed a correspondence for two-player games between Berge and Nash equilibria by permutation of the utility functions. We define here more general transformations of games that lead to a correspondence with Berge and Nash equilibria and characterize all such transformations.
Dynamical decoupling of random telegraph noise in a two-qubit gate
Authors: D'Arrigo A. , Falci G. , Paladino E.
Published: May 2014

Controlling the dynamics of entanglement and preventing its disappearance are central requisites for any implementation of quantum information processing. Solid state qubits are frequently affected by random telegraph noise due to bistable impurities of different nature coupled to the device. In this paper, we investigate the possibility to achieve an efficient universal two-qubit gate in the presence of random telegraph noise by periodic dynamical decoupling. We find an analytic form of the gate error as a function of the number of applied pulses valid when the gate time is much shorter then the telegraphic process correlation time. The analysis is further supplemented by exact numerical results demonstrating the feasibility of a highly-efficient universal two-qubit gate.