bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
No association between perceived exertion and session duration with hamstring injury occurrence in professional football
Authors: Lolli Lorenzo , Bahr Roald , Weston Matthew , Whiteley Rodney , Tabben Montassar , Bonanno Daniele , Gregson Warren , Chamari Karim , Di Salvo Valter , van Dyk Nicol
Published: October 2019

Training and competition loads have emerged as modifiable composite risk factors of non‐contact injury. Hamstring strains are the most common injuries in football with substantial burden on the individual player and club. Nevertheless, robust evidence of a consistent load‐hamstring injury relationship in professional football is lacking. Using available data from the Qatar Stars League over three competitive seasons, this study investigated the separate and combined effects of perceived exertion and session duration on hamstring injury occurrence in a sample of 30 outfield football players. Load variables were calculated into 7‐day, 14‐day, 21‐day, 28‐day periods of data, and week‐to‐week changes for average ratings of perceived exertion (RPE; au) score and session‐RPE (s‐RPE; session‐duration  score), plus the cumulative training and match minutes and s‐RPE, respectively. Conditional logistic regression models estimated load‐injury relationships per 2‐within‐subject standard deviation increments in each candidate variable. Associations were declared practically important based on the location of the confidence interval in relation to thresholds of 0.90 and 1.11 defining small beneficial and harmful effects, respectively. The uncertainty for the corrected odds ratios show that typically high within‐subject increments in each candidate variable were not practically important for training‐ and match‐related hamstring injury (95% confidence intervals range: 0.85 to 1.16). We found limited exploratory evidence regarding the value of perceived exertion and session duration as etiological factors of hamstring injury in Middle‐East professional football. Monitoring remains valuable to inform player load management strategies, but our exploratory findings suggest its role for type‐specific injury risk determination appears empirically unsupported.
Experimental infections in humans—historical and ethical reflections
Authors: Metzger W. G. , Ehni H.‐J. , Kremsner P. G. , Mordmüller B. G.
Published: October 2019

Vaccine efficacy and prophylactic treatment of infections are tested best when the vaccinated or treated individual is challenged through deliberate infection with the respective pathogen. However, this trial design calls for particular ethical caution. Awareness of the history of challenge trials is indispensable, including trials that were problematic or even connected to abuse. We briefly introduce historical aspects of experimental infections in humans and the ethical debate around them and give estimates of the numbers of volunteers participating in human experimental infection models. Challenge models can offer a great chance and benefit for the development of medical interventions to fight infectious diseases, but only when they are appropriately controlled and regulated.
Preliminary assessment of serum clusterin as a potential biomarker for canine lymphoma
Authors: McNaught Katie A. , Morris Joanna S. , McLaughlin Mark
Published: October 2019

Clusterin (CLU), also known as apolipoprotein J, is a widely expressed, heterodimeric, glycoprotein, important in tumourigenesis, apoptosis and immunoregulation. In humans, CLU expression has been associated with anaplastic large cell and Hodgkin's lymphoma. In this study, serum CLU levels in dogs with multicentric lymphoma (MLSA) were compared with healthy control dogs, using both western blot and enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Western blot confirmed the presence of CLU in dog sera at the predicted molecular weight and the relative levels detected correlated with the levels detected by ELISA. CLU level analysis by ELISA found treatment naïve dogs with MLSA had a significantly (P < .001) lower serum CLU level compared with healthy controls. However, there was no significant difference between MLSA dogs prior to treatment and in complete remission. The wide variation in serum CLU levels may limit its potential as a single candidate biomarker for MLSA, although any prognostic predictive value of serum CLU concentrations has yet to be assessed.
Regional activation in the human longissimus thoracis pars lumborum muscle
Authors: Abboud Jacques , Kuo Calvin , Descarreaux Martin , Blouin Jean‐Sébastien
Published: October 2019

Key points

Longissimus activity in the lumbar region was measured using indwelling electromyography to characterize the territory of its motor units.

The distribution of motor units in the longissimus pars lumborum muscle was mainly grouped into two distinct regions.

Regional activation of the longissimus pars lumborum was also observed during functional tasks involving trunk movements.

The regional activation of the longissimus pars lumborum muscle may play a role in segmental stabilization of the lumbar spine.

The longissimus pars lumborum contributes to lumbar postural control and movement. While animal studies suggest a segmental control of this muscle, the territory of motor units constituting the human longissimus pars lumborum remains unknown. The aims of this study were to identify the localization of motor unit territories in the longissimus and assess the activation of this muscle during functional tasks. Eight healthy participants were recruited. During isometric back extension contractions, single motor‐unit (at L1, L2, L3 and L4) and multi‐unit indwelling recordings (at L1, L1‐L2, L2, L2‐L3, L3, L3‐L4 and L4) were used to estimate motor unit territories in the longissimus pars lumborum based on the motor‐unit spike‐triggered averages from fine‐wire electrodes. A series of functional tasks involving trunk and arm movements were also performed. A total of 73 distinct motor units were identified along the length of the longissimus: only two motor units spanned all recording sites. The majority of the recorded motor units had muscle fibres located in two main rostro‐caudal territories (32 motor units spanned L1 to L3 and 30 spanned ∼L3 to L4) and 11 had muscle fibres outside these two main territories. We also observed distinct muscle activation between the rostral and caudal regions of the longissimus pars lumborum during a trunk rotation task. Our results show clear rostral and caudal motor unit territories in the longissimus pars lumborum muscle and suggest that the central nervous system can selectively activate regions of the superficial lumbar muscles to provide local stabilization of the spine.
Optical Coherence Tomography-Based Modeling of Stent Deployment in Heavily Calcified Coronary Lesion
Authors: Dong Pengfei , Mozafari Hozhabr , Prabhu David , Bezerra Hiram G. , Wilson David L. , Gu Linxia
Published: October 2019

In this work, a heavily calcified coronary artery model was reconstructed from optical coherence tomography (OCT) images to investigate the impact of calcification characteristics on stenting outcomes. The calcification was quantified at various cross sections in terms of angle, maximum thickness, and area. The stent deployment procedure, including the crimping, expansion, and recoil, was implemented. The influence of calcification characteristics on stent expansion, malapposition, and lesion mechanics was characterized. Results have shown that the minimal lumen area following stenting occurred at the cross section with the greatest calcification angle. The calcification angle constricted the stretchability of the lesion and thus resulted in a small lumen area. The maximum principal strain and von Mises stress distribution patterns in both the fibrotic tissue and artery were consistent with the calcification profiles. The radially projected region of the calcification tends to have less strain and stress. The peak strain and stress of the fibrotic tissue occurred near the interface with the calcification. It is also the region with a high risk of tissue dissection and strut malapposition. In addition, the superficial calcification with a large angle aggregated the malapposition at the middle of the calcification arc. These detailed mechanistic quantifications could be used to provide a fundamental understanding of the role of calcification in stent expansions, as well as to exploit their potential for enhanced pre- and post-stenting strategies.
Singularity: A maple Library for Local Zero Bifurcation Control of Scalar Smooth Maps
Authors: Gazor Majid , Kazemi Mahsa
Published: October 2019

Singularity theory is designed for the local bifurcation analysis and control of singular phenomena. The theory has a significant technical computational burden. However, there does not exist any (symbolic) computer library for this purpose. We suitably generalize some powerful tools from algebraic geometry for correct implementation of the results in singularity theory. We provide some required criteria along with rigorous proofs for efficient and cognitive computer implementation. Our results also address permissible truncation degrees in Taylor expansions of smooth bifurcation maps. Accordingly, an end-user friendly maple library, named “singularity,” is developed for an efficient bifurcation analysis and control of real zeros of scalar smooth maps. We have further written a comprehensive user guide for singularity. The main features of our developed maple library are briefly illustrated along with a few examples.
Numerical Study on Mass Transfer and Electrical Performance of Anode-Supported Planar Solid Oxide Fuel Cells With Gradient Porosity Anode
Authors: Fu Pei , Yang Jian , Wang Qiuwang
Published: October 2019

Microstructure modification of thick anode is an effective way to enhance cell performance of the anode-supported planar solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). In this work, the influence of multilayer anode microstructure with gradient porosity on cell mass transfer and electrical performance is numerically investigated. The coupled phenomena of fluid flow, multicomponent mass transfer, charge transport, and electrochemical reactions of SOFC, in three-dimensions (3D), are simulated by using the finite element computational fluid dynamics approach. Quantitative analyses of hydrogen concentration and anodic overpotentials are conducted to better understand the effect mechanism of the gradient porosity anode on the cell performance. The effect of gradient porosity distribution on the cell performance is also systematically discussed. It is found that the gradient porosity anode can significantly enhance the cell mass transfer performance to reduce the anodic concentration overpotential. The combined effects of activation, concentration, and ohmic overpotentials can effectively improve the cell electrical performance. For the cases studied, porosity gradient and porosity of anode functional layer 2 (AFL2) both range from 0.1 to 0.3. Results indicate that increasing the porosity gradient or porosity of AFL2 can enhance the cell mass transfer performance. As the porosity of AFL2 is higher than 0.2, the gradient porosity anode design is beneficial to improve the cell electrical performance.
Nonlinear Electro-Thermal Monte Carlo Device Simulation
Authors: Merrill Ky , Saraniti Marco
Published: October 2019

A model of self-heating is incorporated into a cellular Monte Carlo (CMC) particle device simulator. This is done through the solution of an energy balance equation (EBE) for phonons, which self-consistently couples charge and heat transport in the simulation. First, several tests are performed to verify the applicability and accuracy of the proposed nonlinear iterative solver in the presence of convective boundary conditions, as compared to a finite element analysis (FEA) solver as well as using the Kirchhoff Transformation. Finally, a fully coupled electro-thermal characterization of a GaN/AlGaN high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) is performed, and the effects of nonideal interfaces and boundary conditions are studied.
Reconsidered Method for Validation of Experimental Data for Direct Contact Condensers With Zero Vapor Outflow
Authors: Jaćimović Nikola
Published: October 2019

Method presented in the paper is a reconsideration of the already published equations for a quick and reliable verification of experimental results related to direct contact condensers with zero vapor outflow. Both original and reconsidered methods presented by the author are confirmed by a large number of experimental data (more than 1250 total data points) which took over one decade of experiments on four different column types. Both methods draw the background in sound and simple theory and should be considered as very reliable while easy to use in practice.
Perforated Rib in Turbulent Boundary Layer
Authors: Afanasiev Valery N. , Kong Dehai , Isaev S. A.
Published: October 2019

This study presents the results of the experimental study on hydrodynamics and heat transfer in separation zone in front and behind a single rectangular perforated rib mounted on a flat plate. The effects of perforation open-area ratio (β = 12%, 23.5%, and 44%) and the location of the hole on the rib (at the bottom, at the top, and in a staggered arrangement) on the mean and fluctuating characteristics of the turbulent dynamic and thermal boundary layers in the median section of the plate were examined. It was established that the stagnant and recirculation zones in the front and behind the perforated rib were shifted and became smaller or disappeared.
Experimental Study of Spark Plasma Stretching and Combustion Variations Analysis Using Flame Luminosity Images From an Optically Accessible Internal Combustion Engine
Authors: Afkhami Behdad , Wang Yanyu , Miers Scott A. , Naber Jeffrey D.
Published: October 2019

Understanding the behavior of spark plasma and flame initiation in internal combustion engines leads to improvement in fuel economy and exhaust emissions. This paper experimentally investigated spark plasma stretching and cycle-to-cycle variations under various engine speed, load, and air–fuel mixtures using natural luminosity images. Natural luminosity images of combustion in an IC engine provide information about the flame speed, rate of energy release, and combustion stability. Binarization of the intensity images has been a desirable method for detecting flame front and studying flame propagation in combustors. However, binarization can cause a loss of information in the images. To study spark plasma stretching, the location of maximum intensity was tracked and compared to the trajectory of the flame centroid in binarized images as a representative for bulk flow motion. Analysis showed comparable trends between the trajectories of the flame centroid and spark stretching. From three air–fuel mixtures, the spark plasma for the lean mixture appeared to be more sensitive to the stretching. In addition, this research investigated combustion variations using two-dimensional (2D) intensity images and compared the results to coefficient of variation (COV) of indicated mean effective pressure (IMEP) computed from in-cylinder pressure data. The results revealed a good correlation between the variations of the luminosity field during the main phase of combustion and the COV of IMEP. However, during the ignition and very early flame kernel formation, utilizing the luminosity field was more powerful than in-cylinder pressure-related parameters to capture combustion variations.
Toward a Better Understanding of Crack Growth in Nickel-Cast Alloys Under Creep-Fatigue and Thermo-Mechanical Fatigue Conditions
Authors: Kraemer Karl Michael , Mueller Falk , Kontermann Christian , Oechsner Matthias
Published: October 2019

To ensure the feasibility of gas turbines, despite rising commodity prices and emission restrictions, an enhancement of both their efficiency and flexibility is necessary. The consequential higher loading of components at high temperature conditions calls for an increased use of damage tolerant design approaches. To still guarantee a safe operation, a sound understanding and reliable estimations for crack growth under service conditions are indispensable. In this paper, the results from several projects in this field conducted at the TU Darmstadt and involved partners are summarized to identify and describe the various influences on crack growth under creep-fatigue and thermo-mechanical fatigue (TMF) loading. The activation of damage mechanisms under TMF loading and interactions between them is dependent on the temperature cycle and the respective load phasing. Depending on the type of loading (force versus strain control), contrary influences of the phase shift on the TMF crack growth rates are found. This can partially be attributed to the differences in mean stress evolution. Crack initiation and propagation under creep-fatigue and TMF conditions are also often connected with significant scattering of initiation sites and crack growth rates. One reason for this nonuniform behavior is the interaction of geometric discontinuities with the microstructure. To investigate the role of the local grain structure for crack initiation and propagation, in situ observation techniques for crack tip movement and local strain fields were applied. Harsh gradients in the local deformation behavior were identified as origins of secondary crack initiation. To describe crack growth under creep-fatigue and TMF conditions, the linear accumulation model “O.C.F.” was developed. It is based on the contributions of fatigue, creep, and oxidation to crack growth per load cycle. This model is capable of reproducing the effects of time-dependent damage, different load ratios, TMF phase shifts, as well as component geometry. Substantial advantages of this method are its independence from empiric correction factors to assess changing load cycle forms and the possibility to give analytic estimations without the need of extensive data processing. The model is currently validated for three nickel cast alloys, also including single-crystalline and directionally solidified cast variants, different creep-fatigue and TMF loading scenarios, and crack geometries. The model's linear formulation allows assessing the dominant driver of crack growth at each stage of an experiment. These predictions are compared with fractographic investigations and in situ observations of crack paths to identify the mechanisms of crack growth under different TMF load cycle forms.
A Base Study to Investigate MASH Conservativeness of Occupant Risk Evaluation
Authors: Schulz Nathan , Dobrovolny Chiara Silvestri , Hurlebaus Stefan , Prodduturu Harika Reddy , Arrington Dusty R. , Rupp Jonathan D.
Published: October 2019

The manual for assessing safety hardware (MASH) defines crash tests to assess the impact performance of highway safety features in frontal and oblique impact events. Within MASH, the risk of injury to the occupant is assessed based on a “flail-space” model that estimates the average deceleration that an unrestrained occupant would experience when contacting the vehicle interior in a MASH crash test and uses the parameter as a surrogate for injury risk. MASH occupant risk criteria, however, are considered conservative in their nature, due to the fact that they are based on unrestrained occupant accelerations. Therefore, there is potential for increasing the maximum limits dictated in MASH for occupant risk evaluation. A frontal full-scale vehicle impact was performed with inclusion of an instrumented anthropomorphic test device (ATD). The scope of this study was to investigate the performance of the flail space model (FSM) in a full-scale crash test compared to the instrumented ATD recorded forces which can more accurately predict the occupant response during a collision event. Additionally, a finite element (FE) model was developed and calibrated against the full-scale crash test. The calibrated model can be used to perform parametric simulations with different testing conditions. Results obtained through this research will be considered for better correlation between vehicle accelerations and occupant injury. This becomes extremely important for designing and evaluating barrier systems that must fit within geometrical site constraints, which do not provide adequate length to redirect test vehicles according to MASH conservative evaluation criteria.
Torque Distribution Strategy for Multi-PMSM Applications and Optimal Acceleration Control for Four-Wheel-Drive Electric Vehicles
Authors: Song Ziyou , Hofmann Heath , Li Jianqiu , Wang Yuanying , Lu Dongbin , Ouyang Minggao , Du Jiuyu
Published: October 2019

In this paper, a general torque distribution strategy is proposed to improve the drivetrain efficiency of four-wheel-drive electric vehicles (EVs). The strategy allows the same or different motors to be equipped in the front and rear wheels. The model of the drivetrain considers the loss properties of four permanent magnet synchronous motors (PMSMs) and four inverters over a wide range of torque and speed. The relationship between the drivetrain efficiency and the torque split ratio at any given speed is proven to be convex under both traction and regenerative braking conditions. It is shown that, when all four motors are identical, the maximum efficiency can be achieved if the total torque is equally shared. An equivalent loss strategy, which is a general method and can solve many optimization problems of multi-PMSM applications, is proposed to maximize the drivetrain efficiency when different PMSMs are used in the front and rear wheels. The effectiveness of the proposed strategy is verified using an urban dynamometer driving schedule (UDDS). In addition, the acceleration process of EVs is optimized using a dynamic programming approach to minimize acceleration duration and energy consumption. Simulation results show that, with the proposed strategy, the energy loss during the acceleration can be reduced by up to 15%.
Laminar Flame Speed Experiments of Alternative Liquid Fuels
Authors: Keesee Charles L. , Guo Bing , Petersen Eric L.
Published: October 2019

New laminar flame speed experiments have been collected for two alternative liquid fuels. Understanding the combustion characteristics of these synthetic fuels is an important step in developing new chemical kinetics mechanisms that can be applied to real fuels. Included in this study are two synthetic Jet fuels: Syntroleum S-8 and Shell GTL. The precise composition of these fuels is known to change from sample to sample. Since these are low-vapor pressure fuels, there are additional uncertainties in their introduction into gas-phase mixtures, leading to uncertainty in the mixture equivalence ratio. An in-situ laser absorption technique was implemented to verify the procedure for filling the vessel and to minimize and quantify the uncertainty in the experimental equivalence ratio. The diagnostic utilized a 3.39-μm HeNe laser in conjunction with Beer's law. The resulting spherically expanding, laminar flame experiments were conducted over a range of equivalence ratios from φ = 0.7 to φ = 1.5 at initial conditions of 1 atm and 403 K in the high-temperature, high-pressure (HTHP) constant-volume vessel at Texas A&M University. The experimental results show that both fuels have similar flame speeds with a peak value just under 60 cm/s. However, it is shown that when comparing the results from different datasets for these real fuels, equivalence ratio may not be the best parameter to use. Fuel mole fraction may be a better parameter to use as it is independent of the average fuel molecule or fuel surrogate used to calculate equivalence ratio in these real fuel/air mixtures.
Contribution to the knowledge of the oribatid mite genus Zeasuctobelba (Acari, Oribatida, Suctobelbidae)

Authors: Ermilov Sergey G.
Published: October 2019

A new species of Zeasuctobelba (Oribatida, Suctobelbidae) is described from a moss Sphagnum magellanicum in swamp in southern Chile. Zeasuctobelba processa sp. nov. differs from all species of the genus by the presence of a median process on the anterior margin of the ventral plate (anterior part of epimere I), lateral sides of prodorsum with one pair of strong triangular processes and by bothridial setae having long setiform apices and long cilia. Revised generic diagnosis, identification key and data on distribution of known species of Zeasuctobelba are presented. Zeasuctobelba nodosa Hammer, 1966 and Z. arcuata Hammer, 1968 are excluded from Zeasuctobelba.
PFM-Like Enzymes Are a Novel Family of Subclass B2 Metallo-β-Lactamases from Pseudomonas synxantha Belonging to the Pseudomonas fluorescens Complex
Authors: Poirel Laurent , Palmieri Mattia , Brilhante Michael , Masseron Amandine , Perreten Vincent , Nordmann Patrice
Published: October 2019

A carbapenem-resistant
Pseudomonas synxantha
isolate recovered from chicken meat produced the novel carbapenemase PFM-1. That subclass B2 metallo-β-lactamase shared 71% amino acid identity with β-lactamase Sfh-1 from
Serratia fonticola
. The
bla
PFM-1
gene was chromosomally located and likely acquired.
Molecular Basis of Substrate Recognition of Endonuclease Q from the Euryarchaeon Pyrococcus furiosus
Authors: Shiraishi Miyako , Iwai Shigenori
Published: October 2019

Endonuclease Q (EndoQ) is a lesion-specific DNA repair enzyme present in certain bacteria and archaea. To date, it remains unclear how EndoQ recognizes damaged bases. Understanding the mechanism of substrate recognition by EndoQ is important to grasp genome maintenance systems in organisms with EndoQ. Here, we find that EndoQ from the euryarchaeon
Pyrococcus furiosus
recognizes the imide structure in nucleobases by base flipping, and the cleavage activity is enhanced by the base pair instability of the target base, along with the discovery of its cleavage activity toward 5,6-dihydrouracil, 5-hydroxyuracil, 5-hydroxycytosine, and uridine in DNA. Furthermore, a potential role of EndoQ in
Bacillus subtilis
as an antiviral enzyme by digesting viral genome is demonstrated.
Genome Sequence of the Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacterium Pantoea agglomerans C1
Authors: Luziatelli Francesca , Ficca Anna Grazia , Melini Francesca , Ruzzi Maurizio
Published: October 2019

Pantoea agglomerans
strain C1 has plant growth-promoting (PGP) traits and exhibits antimicrobial activity. The genome comprises 4.8 Mb, 4,696 protein-coding sequences, and a G+C content of 55.2%.
Genetic characterisation of 22q11.2 variations and prevalence in patients with congenital heart disease
Authors: Hou Hai-Tao , Chen Huan-Xin , Wang Xiu-Li , Yuan Chao , Yang Qin , Liu Zhi-Gang , He Guo-Wei
Published: October 2019

Objectives

The 22q11.2 deletion syndrome is considered the most frequent chromosomal microdeletion syndrome in humans and the second leading chromosomal cause of congenital heart disease (CHD). We aimed to identify the prevalence and the detailed genetic characterisation of 22q11.2 region in children with CHD including simple defects and to explore the genotype-phenotype relationship between deletion/amplification type and clinical data.

Methods

Patients with CHD for surgery were screened by multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification and capillary electrophoresis methods. Universal Probe Library technology was applied for validation.

Results

In 354 patients with CHD, 40 (11.3%) carried different levels of deletions/amplifications at the 22q11.2 region with various phenotypes. The affected genes at this region includeCDC45(15 patients),TBX1(8),USP18(8),RTDR1(7),SNAP29(6),TOP3B(6),ZNF74(4) and other genes with less frequency. Among those, two patients carried 3 Mb typically deleted region fromCLTCL1toLZTR1(low copy repeats A–D) or 1.5 Mb deletions fromCLTCL1toMED15(low copy repeats A–C). Clinical facial manifestations were found in 12 patients.

Conclusions

This study revealed an unexpected high prevalence of chromosome 22q11.2 variations in patients with CHD even in simple defects. The genotype-phenotype relationship analysis suggests that genetic detection of 22q11.2 may become necessary in all patients with CHD and that detection of unique deletions or amplifications may provide useful insight into personalised management in patients with CHD.
Potentially preventable hospitalisations in children: a comparison of definitions
Authors: Procter Alexandra M , Pilkington Rhiannon M , Lynch John W , Smithers Lisa G , Chittleborough Catherine R
Published: October 2019

Objective

To compare admission rate, cumulative incidence and social distribution of potentially preventable hospitalisations (PPHs) among children according to the current Australian adult definition, and the child definition developed in New Zealand.

Design, setting, participants

Deidentified, linked public hospital, births registry and perinatal data of children aged 0–10 years born 2002–2012 in South Australia (n=1 91 742).

Main outcome measures

PPH admission rates among 0–10 year olds and cumulative incidence by age 5 under the adult and child definitions. Cumulative incidence was assessed across indicators of social and health disadvantage.

Results

PPH admission rates among 0–10 year olds were 25.6 (95% CI 25.3 to 25.9) and 59.9 (95% CI 59.5 to 60.4) per 1000 person-years for the adult and child definitions, respectively. Greater absolute differences in admission rates between definitions were observed at younger ages (age <1 difference: 75.6 per 1000 person-years; age 10 difference: 1.4 per 1000 person-years). Cumulative incidence of PPHs among 0–5 year olds was higher under the child (25.0%, 95% CI 24.7 to 25.2) than the adult definition (12.8%, 95% CI 12.6 to 13.0). Higher PPH incidence was associated with social and health disadvantage. Approximately 80% of the difference in admission rate between definitions was due to five conditions.

Conclusions

Respiratory conditions and gastroenteritis were key contributors to the higher PPH admission rate and cumulative incidence among children when calculated under the child definition compared to the adult definition. Irrespective of definition, higher PPH cumulative incidence was associated with social and health disadvantage at birth.
Fabry keratopathy: manifestations and changes over time
Authors: Sivley Melanie D , Benjamin William J
Published: October 2019

Aims

The goal was to find if changes in Fabry keratopathy were clinically observable over time. Also observed were variations of Fabry keratopathy, supplemental features, unique presentations and differences between keratopathies of right and left corneas and the same family and genotype.

Methods

Biomicroscopic images of Fabry keratopathy in 10 persons with classic Fabry disease, 5 men and 5 women, were captured over an 18-month period. The keratopathies were categorised and scrutinised for changes over time, and differences between corneas of the same individual, family and genotype.

Results

Fabry keratopathy ranged from mild change to marked change over 18 months. There was a great variety of whorl patterns. A few keratopathies were amorphous without vortices and many vortices were supplemented with amorphous features. All keratopathies were accompanied by diffuse epithelial haze. There was a range from negligible difference to marked difference between right and left eyes of the same individuals with similarities appearing as imprecise mirror images of each other. In some corneas, prominent vertical streams from the superior limbus integrated into the primary keratopathy. Comparisons between persons with the same family and genotype were obscured by gender and differences between right and left eyes.

Conclusions

Practitioners should be better able to detect Fabry disease having a fuller understanding of the variety of presentations of the dynamic, pathognomonic Fabry keratopathy. Routes of continuous centripetal renewal of corneal epithelium are spatially unique to each eye, in some cases subsidised by direct contribution of basal cells streamed from the superior limbus.
A review of peripheral nerve blocks for cesarean delivery analgesia
Authors: Mitchell Kelsey D , Smith C Tyler , Mechling Courtney , Wessel Charles B , Orebaugh Steven , Lim Grace
Published: October 2019

Peripheral nerve blocks have a unique role in postcesarean delivery multimodal analgesia regimens. In this review article, options for peripheral nerve blocks for cesarean delivery analgesia will be reviewed, specifically paravertebral, transversus abdominis plane, quadratus lumborum, iliohypogastric and ilioinguinal, erector spinae, and continuous wound infiltration blocks. Anatomy, existing literature evidence, and specific areas in need of future research will be assessed. Considerations for local anesthetic toxicity, and for informed consent for these modalities in the context of emergency cesarean deliveries, will be presented.
Anterior quadratus lumborum block analgesia for total hip arthroplasty: a randomized, controlled study
Authors: Kukreja Promil , MacBeth Lisa , Sturdivant Adam , Morgan Charity J , Ghanem Elie , Kalagara Hari , Chan Vincent W S
Published: October 2019

Background and objectives

Quadratus lumborum (QL) block is a new regional analgesic technique for upper and lower abdominal surgeries as part of a multimodal analgesic regime. It has also been reported to relieve pain after total hip arthroplasty (THA). In this prospective, randomized, double-blind study, we compared QL block with control (no block) in patients undergoing primary THA.

Methods

Eighty patients undergoing primary THA surgery under spinal anesthesia were randomized into two groups, one with and one without QL block. The patients in both groups were randomized after sedation, positioning and ultrasound scanning. Both the patient and the researcher collecting data were blinded to the patient’s group assignment. Opioid consumption and visual analog scores (VAS) pain scores were measured at 12, 24, and 48 hours after surgery. Also, the ambulation distance, patient satisfaction, and length of stay were recorded.

Results

The study analysis included 36 patients in the QL group and 35 patients in the control group. Both VAS pain score at 24 hours (difference −1.76, 95% CI −2.87 to −0.64) and cumulative opioid consumption were significantly lower in the QL group at 12, 12–24, 24, 24–48, and 48 hours after surgery as compared with the control group (difference at 48 hours −36.13, 95% CI −62.89 to −9.37) (p<0.05). However, there was no difference in pain score at 12 and 48 hours, nor in the ambulation distance and duration of hospital stay between the two groups. The patient satisfaction score was significantly higher in the QL group.

Conclusions

Our preliminary data show that the QL block provided effective analgesia and decreased opioid requirements up to 48 hours after primary THA.

Trial registration number

NCT03408483
Lung function and asthma control in school-age children managed in UK primary care: a cohort study
Authors: Lo David KH , Beardsmore Caroline S , Roland Damian , Richardson Mathew , Yang Yaling , Danvers Lesley , Wilson Andrew , Gaillard Erol A
Published: October 2019

Background

Spirometry and fraction of exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) are commonly used in specialist centres to monitor children with asthma. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence recommends spirometry for asthma monitoring from 5 years in all healthcare settings. There is little spirometry and FeNO data in children managed for asthma in UK primary care to support their use.

Objectives

To study the prevalence of abnormal spirometry and FeNO in children with asthma managed in primary care and to explore their relationship with asthma control and unplanned healthcare attendances (UHA).

Methods

Prospective observational cohort study in children aged 5–16 years with suspected or doctor-diagnosed asthma attending an asthma review in UK general practice. Spirometry, FeNO, asthma control test (ACT) scores and number of UHAs were studied.

Results

Of 612 children from 10 general practices, 23.5% had abnormal spirometry, 36.0% had raised FeNO ≥35 parts per billion and 41.8% reported poor control. Fifty-four per cent of children reporting good asthma control had abnormal spirometry and/or raised FeNO. At follow-up, the mean number of UHAs fell from 0.31/child in the 6 months preceding review to 0.20/child over the 6 months following review (p=0.0004). Median ACT scores improved from 20 to 22 (p=0.032), and children’s ACT from 21 to 23 (p<0.0001).

Conclusions

Abnormal lung function and FeNO are common in children attending for asthma review in primary care and relate poorly to symptom scores. A symptoms-based approach to asthma monitoring without objective testing is likely to miss children at high risk of future severe asthma attacks.
Use of ruxolitinib in COPA syndrome manifesting as life-threatening alveolar haemorrhage
Authors: Frémond Marie-Louise , Legendre Marie , Fayon Michael , Clement Annick , Filhol-Blin Emilie , Richard Nicolas , Berdah Laura , Roullaud Sylvie , Rice Gillian I , Bondet Vincent , Duffy Darragh , Sileo Chiara , Ducou le Pointe Hubert , Begueret Hugues , Coulomb Aurore , Neven Bénédicte , Amselem Serge , Crow Yanick , Nathan Nadia
Published: October 2019

COPA (coatomer subunit α) syndrome is a newly recognised cause of interstitial lung disease in children and adults, frequently associated with arthritis and renal dysfunction. We report a 11-year-old girl with disease limited to major pulmonary haemosiderosis manifesting at the age of 2 years, due to a heterozygous p.(Arg233His) mutation inCOPA. Her interferon (IFN) signature was elevated (10.312 and 12.429, healthy <2.466), as was the level of serum IFNα (211 fg/mL, healthy <10 fg/mL). STAT1 phosphorylation in T lymphocytes and monocytes was increased as compared with healthy controls. Based on these results she was treated with the JAK1/2 inhibitor ruxolitinib, which resulted in reduction in IFN signalling and appeared to be associated with partial though incomplete decrease in the severity of her pulmonary disease. Patients with alveolar haemorrhage of unknown origin should be considered forCOPAscreening. Functional tests can help to personalise patient therapy.
The NH2 scissors band of methylamine
Authors: Gulaczyk Iwona , Kręglewski Marek , Asselin Pierre , Pirali Olivier , Kleiner Isabelle
Published: October 2019

For the first time the ν4 NH2 scissors band has been assigned in a high-resolution infrared spectrum. A rotationally resolved spectrum of methylamine was recorded using two infrared spectroscopic techniques. A White-type multi-pass cell device coupled to the Bruker IFS 125 HR Fourier transform spectrometer was implemented on the AILES beamline at the SOLEIL synchrotron facility and a room-temperature spectrum of the whole band in the region of 1540–1710 cm−1 was recorded with a resolution of 0.001 cm−1. Then, a low-temperature high-resolution spectrum in the 1622.5–1655.6 cm−1 range of Q and R branches of the ν4 band was recorded using a quantum cascade laser spectrometer. Preliminary assignment was carried out in the NH2 scissors band region, and about 2200 transitions for K from 0 to 6 have been assigned for A, B, and E1 symmetry species. The simultaneous fit of assigned lines using a group-theoretical effective Hamiltonian was not successful; instead simple polynomial series expansions were used for each symmetry and K value.
An Indoor WLAN Location Algorithm Based on Fingerprint Database Processing
Authors: Liu Guiqi , Qian Zhihong , Wang Xue
Published: October 2019

Indoor positioning technology based on the Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) fingerprinting method is becoming a promising choice as for ubiquitous WLAN infrastructure. The technology mainly compares the received signal strength (RSS) of a mobile device with an RSS fingerprint in the fingerprint database, and uses the matching rule to find the closest match as the estimated position of the device. The quality of the fingerprint database construction can directly affect the positioning results. This work proposes a three-stage fingerprint database processing method. In the first stage, the original fingerprint database is divided into several small sub-fingerprint databases according to the specified rules. In the second stage, every sub-fingerprint database is processed using the principal component analysis method to achieve a reduced dimension fingerprint dataset. In the third stage, the k-d tree method is used to process each dimension-reduced sub-fingerprint database for obtaining a hierarchical sub-fingerprint database. In addition, in the online phase, the best bin first (BBF) method is applied to the search engine of sub-fingerprint database to complete the location determination of the device. This method can improve positioning performance through simulation research.
Key Technologies of Intelligent Transportation Based on Image Recognition and Optimization Control
Authors: Huang Mingxia , Yan Xuebo , Bai Zhu , Zhang Haiqiang , Xu Zeen
Published: October 2019

With the development of digital image processing technology, the application scope of image recognition is more and more wide, involving all aspects of life. In particular, the rapid development of urbanization and the popularization and application of automobiles in recent years have led to a sharp increase in traffic problems in various countries, resulting in intelligent transportation technology based on image processing optimization control becoming an important research field of intelligent systems. Aiming at the application demand analysis of intelligent transportation system, this paper designs a set of high-definition bayonet systems for intelligent transportation. It combines data mining technology and distributed parallel Hadoop technology to design the architecture and analysis of intelligent traffic operation state data analysis. The mining algorithm suitable for the system proves the feasibility of the intelligent traffic operation state data analysis system with the actual traffic big data experiment, and aims to provide decision-making opinions for the traffic state. Using the deployed Hadoop server cluster and the AdaBoost algorithm of the improved MapReduce programming model, the example runs large traffic data, performs traffic analysis and speed–overspeed analysis, and extracts information conducive to traffic control. It proves the feasibility and effectiveness of using Hadoop platform to mine massive traffic information.
Beyond War and Contracts: The Medieval and Religious Roots of the European State
Authors: Grzymala-Busse Anna
Published: October 2019

Where does the state come from? Two canonical answers have been interstate wars and contracts between rulers and the ruled in the early modern period. New scholarship has pushed back the historical origins of the European state to the Middle Ages, and focused on domestic institutions such as parliaments, universities, the law, inheritance rules, and cities. It has left open questions of the causes of territorial fragmentation, the structural similarities in state administrations, and the policy preoccupations of the state. One answer is a powerful but neglected force in state formation: the medieval Church, which served as a rival for sovereignty, and a template for institutional innovations in court administrations, the law, and the formation of human capital. Church influence further helps to explain why territorial fragmentation in the Middle Ages persisted, why royal courts adopted similar administrative solutions, and why secular states remain concerned with morality and social discipline.
Environmentally Friendly Antifouling Metabolites from Red Sea Organisms
Authors: Al-Lihaibi Sultan Semran , Abdel-Lateff Ahmed , Alarif Walied Mohamed , Alorfi Hajer Saeed , Nogata Yasuyuki , Okino Tatsufumi
Published: October 2019

Seventy-one marine organisms representing different classes of marine fauna and flora were collected from the Red Sea. They include sponges, hydrozoan, soft corals, sea cucumber, ascidian, cyanobacteria, and macroalgae. The methanolic extracts were evaluated for their toxicity and settlement inhibition effects by using cultured Balanus amphitrite. Thirty-three extracts displayed antifouling effects: four samples were highly potent at 1 μg/mL with a percentage of settlement inhibition above 31%, twenty-two were potent at 10 μg/mL with a percentage of settlement inhibition between 16 and 30%, and seven were active at 10 μg/mL with a percentage of settlement inhibition between 0 and 15%. Two promising extracts were purified by employing several chromatographic techniques, leading to the isolation of 12 known compounds. The isolated compounds were evaluated for their antifouling activities and demonstrated potent antifouling effects with EC50 values of less than 10 μg/mL.
Chaotic Dynamics of an Airfoil with Higher‐Order Plunge and Pitch Stiffnesses in Incompressible Flow
Authors: Rajagopal Karthikeyan , Admassu Yesgat , Weldegiorgis Riessom , Duraisamy Prakash , Karthikeyan Anitha
Published: October 2019

Dynamical properties of a two‐dimensional airfoil model with higher‐order strong nonlinearities are investigated. Firstly, a state‐space model is derived considering the plunge and pitch stiffnesses as generalized functions. Then, a stiffness function having square, cubic, and fifth‐power nonlinearities is considered for both plunging and pitching stiffnesses, and the dimensionless state equations are derived. Various dynamical properties of the proposed model are investigated using equilibrium points, eigenvalues, and Lyapunov exponents. To further analyze the dynamical behavior of the system, bifurcation plots are derived. It is interesting to note that the new airfoil model with higher‐order nonlinearities shows multistability with changing airspeed, and there are infinitely countable number of coexisting attractors generally called as megastability. Both multistability and megastability features of the airfoil model were not captured earlier in the literatures. To be clear, it is the first time a megastable feature is exposed in a physical system. Finally, to analyze the multifrequency effects of the airfoil model, we have presented the bicoherence plots.
Least‐Squares Residual Power Series Method for the Time‐Fractional Differential Equations
Authors: Zhang Jianke , Wei Zhirou , Li Lifeng , Zhou Chang
Published: October 2019

In this study, an applicable and effective method, which is based on a least‐squares residual power series method (LSRPSM), is proposed to solve the time‐fractional differential equations. The least‐squares residual power series method combines the residual power series method with the least‐squares method. These calculations depend on the sense of Caputo. Firstly, using the classic residual power series method, the analytical solution can be solved. Secondly, the concept of fractional Wronskian is introduced, which is applied to validate the linear independence of the functions. Thirdly, a linear combination of the first few terms as an approximate solution is used, which contains unknown coefficients. Finally, the least‐squares method is proposed to obtain the unknown coefficients. The approximate solutions are solved by the least‐squares residual power series method with the fewer expansion terms than the classic residual power series method. The examples are shown in datum and images.The examples show that the new method has an accelerate convergence than the classic residual power series method.