bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Efficacy of botulinum toxin A injection in the treatment of androgenic alopecia: A Comparative Controlled Study
Authors: Nassar Amany , Abdel‐Aleem Heba , Samir Mai , Khattab Fathia M.
Published: January 2022

Introduction

Scalp injection with mesotherapy (LC cell hair essence) helps in anchoring hair follicles and might have good therapeutic efficacy and lower side effects than Botox in the treatment of androgenetic alopecia (AGA).

Objective

To assess the trichoscopy and the clinical therapeutic response of LC hair essence serum injection vs. botulinum toxin (A) injection in the treatment of androgenetic alopecia.

Patients and methods

Sixty‐two AGA patients were included in the present study. Group I consisted of 31 patients who were injected with 1 ml of LC hair essence serum diluted with 0.5 ml of 0.9% normal saline once weekly for 8 weeks, and Group II involved 31 patients who were injected with 50 units of botulinum toxin A. Trichoscopic examination and photo documentation were done for every case before starting treatment (baseline) and after treatment with monthly follow‐up to the patients.

Results

There was a significant difference between baseline trichoscopy findings and at the end of sixth month in Botox group, and the difference was highly significant in LC group; there was a statistically significant increase in the frequency of side effects (irritation and headache) among Group II compared with that of Group I.

Conclusion

Botox can induce significant results in the treatment of AGA with mild and tolerable side effects but with high cost, while LC hair serum exhibit excellent results with fewer side effects.
Current Incidence and Future Projection of Periprosthetic Fractures in South Korea: A Study Based on National Claim Database
Authors: Park Jung‐Wee , Won Seok‐Hyung , Kim Hong‐Seok , Won Samuel Jaeyoon , Lee Young‐Kyun , Koo Kyung‐Hoi
Published: January 2022

Objective

To evaluate the current incidence and economic cost and to estimate the future burden of periprosthetic fracture (PF) after joint arthroplasties in South Korea.

Methods

This study was a retrospective registry‐based study of patients who were diagnosed as periprosthetic fractures (PFs) in South Korea. Cases of PF from 2010 to 2017 in South Korea using Health Insurance and Review and Assessment (HIRA) database, which contains all medical claims for all South Korean patients, were identified. The operational definitions of PFs were identified from the Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) code of the Korean National Health Insurance Program (KHNIP). The annual incidence and medical costs during the period were calculated and the future increase of PF and its cost were projected through 2030 using generalized linear model with quasi‐poisson link.

Results

During the 8‐year period, 14,456 patients were treated due to PFs. The annual number of patients with PF remarkably increased from 1,322 in 2010 to 2,636 in 2017. The increment was prominent in age groups of 70–79 and ≧80. Total number of patients with PF were 9752 in women and 4704 in men during the study period. Mean personal costs were 1,155.4 USD in women and 1,185.5 USD in men. The total cost of PFs increased from 779,533 USD in 2010 to 3,888,402 USD in 2017. The personal cost of PFs also increased from 589.7 USD in 2010 to 1,475.1 USD in 2017. In 2017, the number of PF patients exponentially increased after 50 years of age especially in women. Estimated with our projection model, the number of PFs will increase by 2.5 times and the cost will increase by 10 times in the next 10 years.

Conclusion

The incidence and cost of PFs are rising and will represent a serious socioeconomic burden in South Korea.
Evidence for Middle‐Income Trap Non‐occurrence in the Light of KLEMS Growth Accounting for Poland☆
Authors: Kotlewski Dariusz , Błażej Mirosław
Published: January 2022

There is an ongoing discussion that many middle‐income countries are on the brink of the so‐called Middle‐income Trap, if not already stuck in it. The case of the Polish economy is analyzed, as an example of a Central‐Eastern Europe economy, to solve whether this is actually happening. Thanks to KLEMS growth accounting datasets published by Statistics Poland an analysis on this issue became feasible, showing that for Poland the assertion of the middle‐income trap threat has to be rejected after observing the growth distribution between industries, and particularly their growth decompositions into factor and MFP contributions. Extending this research to some other countries may possibly confirm that, just as for Poland, this “trap” is not taking place (or the converse). Although not solving the theoretical nexus on the middle‐income trap notion, these findings can be interesting for Central‐Eastern Europe economies’ researchers and the possible ongoing discussion.
Performance Determination of Axial Wind Tunnel Fan With Reverse Engineering, Numerical and Experimental Methods
Authors: Kocak Eyup , Ayli Ece
Published: January 2022

In today’s technology, in case of the need for rehabilitation, renovation, or damage, it is necessary to recover the problems quickly with a cost-effective approach. In the case of destructive failure, or misdesign of the devices, replacing the problematic part with the new design is crucial. In order to substitute the related part with the efficient one, reverse engineering (RE) methodology is utilized. In this paper, from the perspective of engineering implementation and based on the idea of reverse engineering, axial wind tunnel fan is rehabilitated using numerical and experimental methods. The current study is focused on an axial pressurization fan placed into Cankaya University Mechanical Engineering Laboratory wind tunnel that has firm guaranteed specifications of 5.55 m3/s airflow capacity. The measurements performed during experiments showed that the fan provides less than 60% airflow compared with firm guaranteed specifications. In order to determine the problems of the existing fan, a reverse engineering methodology is developed, and the noncontact data acquisition method is used to form a computer aided drawing (CAD) model. A computational fluid dynamics (CFD) methodology is developed to analyze existing geometry numerically, and results are compared with an experimental study to verify numerical methodology. According to the results, the prediction accuracy of the numerical method can attain 92.95% and 96.38% for flowrate and efficiency, respectively, at the maximum error points.
Computational and Experimental Analysis of Hemodialysis Catheters
Authors: Siegel J. M. , Raghavan J. , Lei M. , Abraham T. , Makhijani V. B.
Published: January 2022

Hemodialysis catheters are primarily used in instances of acute renal failure and poisonings. The typical hemodialysis catheter consists of a polymer tube with either single or double lumen. The tube is inserted into one of three preferred catheter access sites: the femoral vein, subclavian vein, or internal jugular vein. Once in place, the catheter is available for vascular access during hemodialysis. Despite advances in hemodialysis catheter design, a multitude of problems still exist. Venous access thrombosis and stenosis distal to the catheter outlet port are common. Unacceptable levels of recirculation (filtered blood returning to the catheter inflow port) are often observed in these catheters. The purpose of this study is to analyze the effects of different catheter design parameters on the reduction of access recirculation, maximum fluid shear rate and pressure drop across the device.
Viscoelastic Finite Element Contact Analysis of Articular Joints
Authors: Yu Hongrong , Stone James J.-S.
Published: January 2022

Joint contact analysis of the musculoskeletal system is one of the important biomechanical research topics due to its significant clinical relevance. The articular cartilage and its mechanical behavior play a key role in the articular joint contact. Articular joint models considering the time-dependent viscoelastic properties of cartilage, and joint congruences were studied. Results of the maximum normal contact stresses and related contact region versus time for two-dimensional plane stress and three-dimensional axisymmetric cases are presented.
Comparative Assessment of Dynamic Rotational Stiffness of Common and Prototype Foot/Ankle Prosthesis During Simulated Stance
Authors: Quesada Peter M. , Pitkin Mark , Colvin Jim , Hays John
Published: January 2022

Dynamic rotational stiffnesses during simulated stance phase dorsiflexion were experimentally determined for six variants of rolling joint foot/ankle (RJFA) prosthesis prototypes, and five commercially available foot/ankle components (College Park, Seattle, Endolite, Flex Foot and single axis). The lowest stiffnesses, during the first half of simulated stance phase dorsiflexion, were exhibited by three of the RJFA variants. Additionally, these variants’ stiffnesses during first half stance dorsiflexion were lower than their respective stiffnesses during second half stance dorsiflexion. Conversely, only one of the commercially available components (single axis foot), displayed this dynamic stiffness behavior. These RJFA variants’ responses, which more closely mimic that of the anatomic ankle, may function to lessen stance phase transmission of loads from socket to residual limb. Greater stance phase knee flexion and earlier foot flat may also be possible and could lead to better shock absorption, lower energy cost, and improved stability.
Regularization Matrices for Inverse Electrocardiography
Authors: Olson Lorraine G. , Throne Robert D.
Published: January 2022

In a recent series of papers we proposed a new class of methods, the generalized eigensystem (GES) methods, for solving the inverse problem of electrocardiography. In this paper, we compare zero, first, and second order regularized GES methods to zero, first, and second order Tikhonov methods.

Results from higher order regularization depend heavily on the exact form of the regularization operator, and operators generated by finite element techniques give the most accurate and consistent results. The GES techniques always produce smaller average relative errors than the Tikhonov techniques, but as the regularization order increases the difference in average relative errors between the two techniques becomes less pronounced.
Control and Pattern Specification for a High Density Tactile Array
Authors: Pawluk D. T. V. , van Buskirk C. P. , Killebrew J. H. , Hsiao S. S. , Johnson K. O.
Published: January 2022

In this paper we discuss the control and spatiotemporal pattern specification for a high density tactile display. The display consists of a configuration of 400 probes applying approximately normal forces to the contact surface. Except for horizontal skin stretch, the device is designed to be capable of simulating most psychophysically and physiologically relevant spatiotemporal patterns. It also is capable of providing a high resolution test-bed for tactile rendering algorithms for haptic interfaces.
Photodeformation Based Optomechanical Shell Actuators Applied to Vibration Control of Continua: A Sensitivity Study
Authors: Liu B. J. , Kidd D. , Tzou H. S.
Published: January 2022

Photodeformation involves two fundamental opto-electromechanical coupling phenomena: 1) the photovoltaic effect and 2) the converse piezoelectric effect. Irradiating high-energy lights, such as lasers or ultraviolet lights, on certain classes of photostrictive materials can trigger the photodeformation process and the induced strains can be used for non-contact precision actuation and control. This paper is to evaluate the sensitivity and the distributed control effectiveness of distributed optomechanical shell actuators. Various design parameters, e.g., in-plane and out-of-plane control actions, actuator sizes and locations, are evaluated and their sensitivities are reported.
Experimental Hybrid Active Vibration Control of a Cable-Stayed Bridge
Authors: Bell Mark J. , Shoureshi Rahmat
Published: January 2022

The focus of this paper is active vibration control with application to cable-stayed bridges. Hybrid vibration control, involving the combined use of feedforward and feedback action, is applied to a prototype cable-stayed bridge. The control objective is to reject all disturbances that produce unwanted motion in the bridge structure, namely seismic activity, wave loading and wind loading. A 1/150 scale model of a cable-stayed bridge is designed and fabricated from steel, aluminum, and steel wire and compared to an existing structure using experimental modal analysis. A three-dimensional finite element model of the bridge is developed for verification purposes. The frequency range of interest for the structural active vibration control problem is determined, A method for placing sensors and actuators on the structure is developed using operational vibration data within the frequency range of interest. An adaptive, combined feedforward and feedback control system is implemented on the structure.
Noise Generation due to Turbulent Flow Over Surface Slots
Authors: Grega Lisa M. , Farabee Theodore M. , Wei Timothy
Published: January 2022

An experimental investigation was conducted which addressed noise generation mechanisms due to turbulent boundary layer flow over a series of surface slots. The objectives of the experiment were to identify localized radiated noise sources from the slots and to relate these noise sources to interactions between near-wall turbulent boundary layer fluid and the slots. Radiated noise from an assembly of angled slats mounted in a flat plate was measured under various inflow boundary layer conditions, which were quantified from mean streamwise velocity measurements. In addition, higher order turbulence statistics were provided by high resolution DPIV measurements made at Rutgers University. Results of the radiated noise studies indicated that noise generated due to turbulent flow over the slats scaled with outer flow variables and that this noise was predominantly produced from the forward half of the slat assembly. Based on the flow measurements, it is believed that this effect is due to increased near-wall velocities in the forward half of the slat assembly, resulting in stronger interactions between near-wall fluid and the slats and ultimately increased Reynolds stress gradients.
Effects of Bulk Flow Pulsation on Film Cooling
Authors: Chyu M. K. , Yen C. H. , Shih T. I.-P.
Published: January 2022

Described in this paper is an experimental investigation on the effects of flow pulsation on both the film effectiveness and heat transfer coefficient in the vicinity of a row of five injection holes with a 30° inclination relative to the mainstream direction. The experiment uses a transient liquid crystal technique designed for studies of three-temperature convection systems. Generation of pulsation in the mainstream uses a rotating shutter attached at the downstream end of the test channel, which produces a sinusoidal disturbance in both static pressure and mean velocity. The experiment conducted covers a range of Strouhal numbers from 0 to 0.6 and blowing ratios from 0.3 to 1.0, while the Reynolds number is maintained constant at approximately 2,770. The results show that the presence of flow pulsation significantly reduces the magnitudes of film effectiveness. On the other hand, the values of convective heat transfer coefficient appear to increase with the Strouhal number. However, the local heat transfer coefficient immediately downstream to the injection hole is somewhat insensitive to the level of pulsating disturbance.
A 2-D Numerical Model for Flow Simulation in Radial Turbomachineries
Authors: Sadeghipour Sadegh M. , Najafi Amir F.
Published: January 2022

In this investigation a computer code has been developed to simulate fluid flow in radial turbomachineries. The ARDC2D Euler code has been used as the base code. This is a two dimensional finite difference code based on the Beam-Warming implicit method which solves compressible external flows.

The code has been modified to simulate internal flows and to take into account the effect of the control volume rotation.

The modified code was first verified by simulating the air incompressible flow in a rotating channel for which analytical solution exists. Then, it was used to simulate the air incompressible flow in a radial fan.
Analysis of the Relation Between Exergy and Enthalpy and Their Derivatives for Superheated Steam
Authors: Llagostera Jorge
Published: January 2022

A thermodynamic relation, defined to improve methodologies in the Second Law Analysis of thermal systems, is studied. This relation is defined by dividing the specific thermomechanical exergy by the specific enthalpy of a substance, adopting as reference a selected thermodynamic state. This relation is determined and analyzed for liquid water and steam in a range of temperatures (30°C – 700°C) and pressures (0.101325 MPa – 18.1 MPa). The behavior of the proposed relation is compared against the exergy behavior as a function of temperature and pressure. The proposed relation can be used to compare and evaluate thermodynamic states that have similar exergy content. It makes possible the identification of states presenting higher exergetic level per enthalpy unit. The variation of partial derivatives (temperature and pressure) of the specific thermo-mechanical exergy for superheated steam is analyzed. The variation of partial derivatives of the thermodynamic relation between the exergy and enthalpy (adopting as reference a selected thermodynamic state) is also studied. These derivatives are determined for sub-cooled liquid water and superheated steam in a range of temperatures (200°C – 700°C) and pressures (2 MPa – 18 MPa). The behavior of the partial derivatives is compared and discussed against the variation of enthalpy and entropy, considering the effects of temperature and pressure variations. The analysis performed in this work can help to improve methodologies in the Second Law Analysis of thermal systems. The aspects focused upon can be useful in thermodynamic analysis and optimization of steam cycles and thermal processes.
Experimental Comparison of a Nearly Azeotropic Refrigerant Blend and R-22 in a Water-to-Water Laboratory Test Rig
Authors: Baxter Van D. , Chen Dong-Tsia , Linkous Randy L. , Nimitz Jon
Published: January 2022

A newly developed, non-ozone-depleting refrigerant blend containing a fluoroiodocarbon compound was compared with R-22 in a laboratory-scale, water-to-water refrigeration cycle test loop. The loop is equipped with a coaxial tube-in-tube condenser, a baffled shell-in-tube evaporator, and a variable-speed compressor. The blend and R-22 were tested at saturated evaporator temperature conditions of about −10 °F to −20 °F and saturated condenser temperature conditions from about 80 °F to 100 °F. The compressor speed was varied such that evaporator (cooling) capacity was held constant at approximately the same value for both refrigerants for each test condition. To maintain equal capacity, results showed the compressor speed for the blend to be at least 53% greater than that for R-22. Measured system efficiency with the blend was at least 25% better than for R-22 for near equal operating temperature and capacity conditions. When allowing for maximum impact of the experimental uncertainties, the minimum COP improvement observed for the blend was about 10%. Ideal cycle calculations using the best available property estimates for the blend and the compressor efficiencies observed during the tests also suggested a 10% improvement for the blend over R-22 (almost all due to better isentropic efficiency of the compressor with the blend). Better thermodynamic property data are needed for the blend and further investigations are needed to fully assess its potential for refrigeration equipment applications.
Active Vibration Abatement in a Turning Process by Applying a Magnetostrictively Actuated Tool Holder
Authors: Liu Dongming , Sutherland John W.
Published: January 2022

The vibration of the cutting tool in a turning process is known to have detrimental effects on the surface finish of machined parts. For a given cutting condition, better surface finish can be achieved by suppressing the vibration. In this paper, an active vibration control system for a turning process is presented. The system employs a magnetostrictive actuator to suppress the vibration caused by random excitation in the turning process. The magnetostrictive actuator and sensors are integrated into a specially designed tool holder. A model that accounts for both the dynamics of the cutting process and the tool holder is described. Based on the model, a controller is designed for the tool holder by μ-synthesis method. The effectiveness of the vibration control system is evaluated via impulse response tests and a series of cutting experiments. Frequency response results from the impulse response tests showed that the actively controlled tool holder effectively reduced the vibration of the cutting tool. In the cutting experiments with the tool holder, surface profiles with/without vibration control were collected and studied. It is shown that the system can improve the surface texture generated by the turning process.
Distributed Sensor Optimization for Fault Diagnosis in Multi-Fixture Assembly Systems
Authors: Khan Ashraf , Ceglarek Dariusz
Published: January 2022

Sensing for the system-wide diagnosis of dimensional faults in multi-fixture sheet metal assembly presents significant issues of complexity due to the number of levels of assembly and the number of possible faults at each level. The traditional allocation of sensing at a single measurement station is no longer sufficient to guarantee adequate fault diagnostic information for the increased parts and levels of a complex assembly system architecture. This creates a need for an efficient distribution of limited sensing resources to multiple measurement locations in assembly. The proposed methodology achieves adequate diagnostic performance by configuring sensing to provide an optimally distinctive signature for each fault in assembly. A multi-level, two-step, hierarchical optimization procedure using problem decomposition, based on assembly structure data derived directly from CAD files, is used to obtain such a novel, distributed sensor configuration. Diagnosability performance is quantified in the form of a defined index, which serves the dual purpose of guiding the optimization and establishing the diagnostic worth of any candidate sensor distribution. Examples, using a multi-fixture layout, are presented to illustrate the methodology.
Underfill Selection and its Impact on the Reliability of Flip-Chip Assemblies
Authors: Yan Xiantao
Published: January 2022

Underfill materials play a key role in the reliability of flip-chip assemblies on organic circuit boards. Underfill selection has great impact on the interfacial integrity, stresses in the die, and strains in the solder bump. Therefore, it is critical to optimize underfill properties for enhanced reliability of flip-chip assemblies. In this study, effect of underfill properties on interfacial integrity, stresses in the die, and strains in solder bumps is investigated using analytical and experimental methods. Interfacial fracture toughness for die/underfill and underfill/circuit board interfaces are obtained using four-point-bend specimens. Effect of underfill properties on die cracking is investigated by an analytical solution for a three-layered structure. The impact of underfill properties on maximum strains in solder joints and their implications on solder fatigue are evaluated using the moire interferometry method. Results show that a good underfill can be characterized as (a) having adequate interfacial fracture toughness at chip/underfill and underfill/circuit board interfaces, (b) minimizing strains in solder bumps, (c) not causing excessive tensile stress in the die, and (d) having fracture toughness higher or comparable to that of the interfaces. In addition to the above essential requirements, underfill should have a high glass transition temperature, good flow properties, and high moisture resistance.
Solar Eclipse and Cosmic Ray Flux
Authors: Dallal Tamar A. , Miller Jacob M. , Matten Michelle , Schur Ezra , Sears Allen J. , Carr Clarissa , Rosenberg Jacob , Unterman Nathan A. , Valsamis Anthony , Adams Mark
Published: January 2022

During the August 21, 2017, solar eclipse, high school students measured secondary cosmic ray flux using QuarkNet detectors. These students conducted experiments examining cosmic ray flux, shower, speed of muons, and muon lifetime using QuarkNet cosmic ray muon detectors (CRMDs). These detectors measure muon flux of momenta greater than ~2 GeV, a threshold imposed by deflection due to Earth’s magnetic field. This study utilized CRMDs, which are readily available for students, to investigate any deviation in secondary cosmic ray flux resulting from a solar eclipse. Other groups have conducted experiments regarding cosmic rays during eclipses: Kandemir et al. reported on low-energy muons (under 1 GeV) during the eclipse of August 11, 1999; Nayak et al. and Bhaskar et al. studied air showers for gamma ray point sources; and Nishina et al. studied muon flux during a 1936 eclipse. Cosmic rays are charged particles created in exploding stars and active galaxies and travel through interplanetary space at relativistic velocities. The flux is largely unchanged between day and night, when Earth blocks the Sun, and the presence of the Sun and Moon has little effect. A total eclipse provides a dramatic opportunity to search for that fraction of cosmic rays created by the Sun that are intercepted by the Moon. We hypothesized that muon flux will change during a total solar eclipse; however, we designed the experiment to search for signals at various angular scales near the direction of the Sun and to set upper limits on production from the Sun if no signal was observed.
Measurement of the Velocity of Sound Through Resonance in Air Columns as a Homemade Experiment
Authors: Niu Zeyu Jason , Luo Duanbin
Published: January 2022

In recent years, with the more powerful functions of smartphones, the use of sensors integrated by mobile phones as an auxiliary tool for physical experiment teaching has become more popular. Combined with the related mobile phone apps, people easily can develop and expand the physical experiment contents of mechanics, optics, acoustic phenomena, and so on. These experiments not only help students master the relevant laws of physics, but also permit or encourage students to carry out experimental research, greatly increase students’ interest in learning, and meet the training requirements of the Next Generation Science Standards. Recently, some experiments about measurement of speed of sound have been introduced. It is amazing and interesting that people can use simple tools to measure the speed of sound.­ This kind of experiment is very helpful to improve students’ practical ability in experiment design, data acquisition, and analysis. Inspired by the above experiments, especially the Kundt’s tube experiment, we demonstrate the acoustic resonance in an air column using a plastic tube, a mobile phone, a loudspeaker, and a tape measure. Through the resonance phenomenon of an air column, the speed of sound in air can be calculated conveniently. The experimental results are in good agreement with the reference value. This kind of homemade experiment can provide guidance for students to carry out relevant research in a non-laboratory environment.
Landmark-modulated directional coding in postrhinal cortex
Authors: LaChance Patrick A. , Graham Jalina , Shapiro Benjamin L. , Morris Ashlyn J. , Taube Jeffrey S.
Published: January 2022

Visual landmarks can anchor an animal’s internal sense of orientation to the external world. The rodent postrhinal cortex (POR) may facilitate this processing. Here, we demonstrate that, in contrast to classic head direction (HD) cells, which have a single preferred orientation, POR HD cells develop a second preferred orientation when an established landmark cue is duplicated along another environmental wall. We therefore refer to these cells as landmark-modulated–HD (LM-HD) cells. LM-HD cells discriminate between landmarks in familiar and novel locations, discriminate between visually disparate landmarks, and continue to respond to the previous location of a familiar landmark following its removal. Rats initially exposed to different stable landmark configurations show LM-HD tuning that may reflect the integration of visual landmark information into an allocentric HD signal. These results provide insight into how visual landmarks are integrated into a framework that supports the neural encoding of landmark-based orientation.
A PSTAIRE-type cyclin-dependent kinase controls light responses in land plants
Authors: Bao Liang , Inoue Natsumi , Ishikawa Masaki , Gotoh Eiji , Teh Ooi-Kock , Higa Takeshi , Morimoto Tomoro , Ginanjar Eggie Febrianto , Harashima Hirofumi , Noda Natsumi , Watahiki Masaaki , Hiwatashi Yuji , Sekine Masami , Hasebe Mitsuyasu , Wada Masamitsu , Fujita Tomomichi
Published: January 2022

Light is a critical signal perceived by plants to adapt their growth rate and direction. Although many signaling components have been studied, how plants respond to constantly fluctuating light remains underexplored. Here, we showed that in the moss
Physcomitrium
(
Physcomitrella
)
patens
, the PSTAIRE-type cyclin-dependent kinase PpCDKA is dispensable for growth. Instead, PpCDKA and its homolog in
Arabidopsis thaliana
control light-induced tropisms and chloroplast movements by probably influencing the cytoskeleton organization independently of the cell cycle. In addition, lower PpCDKA kinase activity was required to elicit light responses relative to cell cycle regulation. Thus, our study suggests that plant CDKAs may have been co-opted to control multiple light responses, and owing to the bistable switch properties of PSTAIRE-type CDKs, the noncanonical functions are widely conserved for eukaryotic environmental adaptation.
Modelled Target Attainment after Temocillin Treatment in Severe Pneumonia: Systemic and Epithelial Lining Fluid Pharmacokinetics of Continuous versus Intermittent Infusions
Authors: Layios N. , Visée C. , Mistretta V. , Denooz R. , Maes N. , Descy J. , Frippiat F. , Marchand S. , Grégoire N.
Published: January 2022

The objective of this article is to describe the population pharmacokinetics (PK) of temocillin administered via continuous infusion (CI) versus intermittent infusion (II) in critically ill patients with pneumonia. Secondary objectives included characterization of epithelial lining fluid (ELF)/plasma penetration ratios and determination of the probability of target attainment (PTA) for a range of MICs. Thirty-two mechanically ventilated patients who were treated for pneumonia with 6 g of temocillin daily for
in vitro
sensitive pathogens were assigned to either the II (2 g every 8 h over 0.5 h) or the CI (6 g over 24 h after a loading dose of 2 g) group.
A systematic review of clinical practice guidelines for childhood glaucoma
Authors: Lingham Gareth , Thakur Sahil , Safi Sare , Gordon Iris , Evans Jennifer R , Keel Stuart
Published: January 2022

Objective

To conduct a systematic review to identify and critically appraise clinical practice guidelines on the assessment, diagnosis and management of childhood glaucoma.

Methods and analysis

A systematic literature search of databases and professional websites for clinical practice guidelines published on eye conditions between 2010 and April 2020 in English was conducted. Identified guidelines were screened for relevance to childhood glaucoma and exclusion criteria applied. Guidelines that passed the screening and quality appraisal with the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation II (AGREE II) tool and, if they achieved a mean score of ≥45 and ≥3 on subsets of 9 and 5 AGREE II items, respectively, were selected for inclusion and data extracted using a standardised form.

Results

Following screening and critical appraisal, three guidelines were included for data extraction. None of the three guidelines was specifically developed for childhood glaucoma. A consistent recommendation was that children should undergo some form of eye screening examination or a comprehensive eye assessment to detect paediatric eye disease. Children at high risk of childhood glaucoma should undergo additional screening. One clinical practice guideline recommended interventions for childhood glaucoma consisting of tube surgery and topical beta-blockers or carbonic anhydrase inhibitors. Recommended interventions for childhood glaucoma were based on low-quality to moderate-quality evidence or expert opinion.

Conclusion

Based on our selection criteria, we did not identify any high-quality clinical practice guidelines specifically targeted at childhood glaucoma. This is compounded by the lack of high-quality evidence on childhood glaucoma.
Patient and family perspectives of a Pre-Transition Visit in a paediatric tertiary care diabetes clinic
Authors: Marr Alexa , Tsampalieros Anne , Courtney Jennilea , Seid Hamid Jemila , St-Denis-Murphy Josee , Stevens Liz , Ahmet Alexandra , Goldbloom Ellen B
Published: January 2022

Introduction

The need to better prepare youth with type 1 diabetes for the transition from paediatric to adult care is evident. As part of a regional quality improvement initiative, a novel Pre-Transition (Pre-T) Visit was developed and piloted at a paediatric tertiary care centre in January 2018 for patients aged 15–18 years to capture the status of their self-management skills, introduce transition tools and identify self-care goals and knowledge gaps to be addressed prior to transition.

Purpose

To evaluate patient and family satisfaction, visit relevance and patient engagement with a novel Pre-T Visit.

Methods

From May 2019 to March 2020 a survey was offered to all youth who attended a Pre-T Visit and their parent(s)/caregiver(s). Patient and family satisfaction with, relevance of and engagement with the Pre-T Visit were evaluated using a 5-point Likert scale. Multivariable regression was used to assess patient factors associated with patient level satisfaction.

Results

Of the 63 youth who participated in a Pre-T Visit, 60 completed the survey. Mean age (SD) of participants was 16.7 (0.8) years; 47% were female. Mean (SD) haemoglobin A1C (A1C) was 8.2% (1.8). Patients reported high levels of satisfaction (95% quite or extremely satisfied) that were consistent across age, A1C, gender and disease duration. Visit relevance and engagement were also rated highly by youth. Parent participants (n=27) also reported high levels of satisfaction (89% quite or extremely satisfied) and relevance.

Conclusions

Pre-T Visits were rated highly by patients and their parents. Their impact on glycaemic control and health outcomes following transition requires further study.
A very long-acting IL-15: implications for the immunotherapy of cancer
Authors: Hangasky John A , Chen Wei , Dubois Sigrid P , Daenthanasanmak Anusara , Müller Jürgen R , Reid Ralph , Waldmann Thomas A , Santi Daniel V
Published: January 2022

Background

Interleukin-15 (IL-15) is an important cytokine necessary for proliferation and maintenance of natural killer (NK) and CD8+T cells, and with great promise as an immuno-oncology therapeutic. However, IL-15 has a very short half-life and a single administration does not provide the sustained exposure required for optimal stimulation of target immune cells. The purpose of this work was to develop a very long-acting prodrug that would maintain IL-15 within a narrow therapeutic window for long periods—similar to a continuous infusion.

Methods

We prepared and characterized hydrogel microspheres (MS) covalently attached to IL-15 (MS~IL-15) by a releasable linker. The pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of MS~IL-15 were determined in C57BL/6J mice. The antitumor activity of MS~IL-15 as a single agent, and in combination with a suitable therapeutic antibody, was tested in a CD8+T cell-driven bilateral transgenic adenocarcinoma mouse prostate (TRAMP)-C2 model of prostatic cancer and a NK cell-driven mouse xenograft model of human ATL (MET-1) murine model of adult T-cell leukemia.

Results

On subcutaneous administration to mice, the cytokine released from the depot maintained a long half-life of about 168 hours over the first 5 days, followed by an abrupt decrease to about ~30 hours in accordance with the development of a cytokine sink. A single injection of MS~IL-15 caused remarkably prolonged expansions of NK and ɣδ T cells for 2 weeks, and CD44hiCD8+T cells for 4 weeks. In the NK cell-driven MET-1 murine model of adult T-cell leukemia, single-agent MS~IL-1550 μgor anti-CCR4 provided modest increases in survival, but a combination—through antibody-depedent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC)—significantly extended survival. In a CD8+T cell-driven bilateral TRAMP-C2 model of prostatic cancer, single agent subcutaneous MS~IL-15 or unilateral intratumoral agonistic anti-CD40 showed modest growth inhibition, but the combination exhibited potent, prolonged bilateral antitumor activity.

Conclusions

Our results show MS~IL-15 provides a very long-acting IL-15 with low Cmaxthat elicits prolonged expansion of target immune cells and high anticancer activity, especially when administered in combination with a suitable immuno-oncology agent.
Dl-3-n-butylphthalide attenuates brain injury caused by cortical infarction accompanied by cranial venous drainage disturbance
Authors: Song Kangping , Zeng Xiuli , Xie Xiaomei , Zhu Rongxuan , Liang Jianye , Chen Guobing , Huang Li’an
Published: January 2022

Background

Cerebral venous disorder may have a harmful effect on ischaemic stroke; however, the underlying mechanism remains to be elucidated. Although Dl-3-n-butylphthalide is a multitarget agent for antiischaemic stroke, its neuroprotective role in brain ischaemia accompanied by brain venous disturbance remains unclear. In this study, we induced cerebral venous disturbance by the occlusion of bilateral external jugular veins (EJVs) to explore the potential mechanism of the adverse effects of cerebrovenous disorders in cerebral infarction and explore the protective effect of Dl-3-n-butylphthalide on cerebral infarction accompanied through cerebral venous disturbance.

Methods

Cerebral venous disturbance was induced in Sprague-Dawley rats through the permanent occlusion of bilateral EJVs, and cerebral ischaemic stroke was induced through the permanent occlusion of the right cortical branches of the middle cerebral artery. 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining, MRI, Evans blue extravasation and behavioural test were performed to evaluate infarction volume, cerebral blood flow (CBF), blood–brain barrier (BBB) integrity and neurological function. Immunofluorescence staining and western blot analysis were performed to detect loss of neuron, endothelial cells, pericytes and tight junctions.

Results

Bilateral EJVs occlusion did not cause cerebral infarction; however, it increased the infarction volume compared with the simple middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) group, accompanied by severe neuron loss, worse neurological function, lower CBF, increased EJVs pressure, exacerbated Evans blue extravasation and brain oedema, as well as attenuated angiogenesis. Dl-3-n-butylphthalide displayed a neuroprotective effect in rats with MCAO accompanied by EJVs occlusion by reducing neuron loss, accelerating CBF restoration, promoting angiogenesis and relieving BBB damage.

Conclusion

Bilateral EJVs occlusion did not significantly affect normal rats but aggravated brain damage in the case of ischaemic stroke. Dl-3-n-butylphthalide treatment plays a neuroprotective role in rats with MCAO accompanied by EJVs occlusion, mainly due to the promotion of CBF restoration and BBB protection.
Laboratory-scale seismic CPT calibration chamber tests on Fraser River sand
Authors: Sadrekarimi Abouzar , Jones Stephen
Published: January 2022

Physical modeling of cone penetration testing (CPT) can be carried out under known stress, deformation, and density conditions using laboratory calibration chambers. This study presents the results of reduced-scale model CPTs (MCPT) on Fraser River sand using a calibration chamber that allows anisotropic consolidation of soil specimens, as well as the measurement of shear wave velocity (VS), using bender elements. In addition to VS, MCPT can also measure cone tip resistance (qc), sleeve friction (fs), and pore water pressure developed behind the cone tip (Δu2). The CPT model tests are performed on Fraser River sand at different effective stresses and relative densities. The CPT calibration chamber test results are comparable with those of in situ seismic cone penetration tests (SCPT) in the Fraser River delta, existing correlations between VSand qc, and calibration chamber tests on other sands. This confirms the overall feasibility of the MCPT calibration chamber design for the measurements of qc, fs, and VSin sandy soils.
Voronoi Diagram and Delaunay Triangulation with Independent and Dependent Geometric Uncertainties
Authors: Gitik Rivka , Joskowicz Leo
Published: January 2022

We address the problems of constructing the Voronoi diagram (VD) and Delaunay triangulation (DT) of points in the plane with mutually dependent location uncertainties, testing their stability, and computing their components. Point coordinate uncertainties are modeled with the Linear Parametric Geometric Uncertainty Model (LPGUM), a deterministic, expressive and computationally efficient first order linear approximation of geometric uncertainty that supports parametric dependencies between point locations. We define an uncertain three-point circle and its properties and present in-circle-test algorithms for the dependent and the independent cases whose respective time complexity is [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text], where [Formula: see text] is the number of parameters that describe the points location uncertainty and [Formula: see text] is the complexity of quartic [Formula: see text]-variable optimization. We define the uncertain VD and DT of [Formula: see text] LPGUM points and show that an unstable VD may have an exponential number of topologically different instances. We describe algorithms for testing VD and DT stability whose time complexity is [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] for the dependent and independent cases when the nominal (exact) VD is given. We present algorithms to compute the vertices, edges, and faces of uncertain VD and DT for the independent case whose complexity is [Formula: see text] time and [Formula: see text] space. Finally, we describe algorithms for answering exact and uncertain point location queries in a stable uncertain VD and for dynamically updating it in [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] average case time complexity for the independent and dependent cases.
Metrics and Design of an Instruction Roofline Model for AMD GPUs
Authors: Leinhauser Matthew , Widera René , Bastrakov Sergei , Debus Alexander , Bussmann Michael , Chandrasekaran Sunita
Published: January 2022

Due to the recent announcement of the Frontier supercomputer, many scientific application developers are working to make their applications compatible with AMD (CPU-GPU) architectures, which means moving away from the traditional CPU and NVIDIA-GPU systems. Due to the current limitations of profiling tools for AMD GPUs, this shift leaves a void in how to measure application performance on AMD GPUs. In this article, we design an instruction roofline model for AMD GPUs using AMD’s ROCProfiler and a benchmarking tool, BabelStream (the HIP implementation), as a way to measure an application’s performance in instructions and memory transactions on new AMD hardware. Specifically, we create instruction roofline models for a case study scientific application, PIConGPU, an open source particle-in-cell simulations application used for plasma and laser-plasma physics on the NVIDIA V100, AMD Radeon Instinct MI60, and AMD Instinct MI100 GPUs. When looking at the performance of multiple kernels of interest in PIConGPU we find that although the AMD MI100 GPU achieves a similar, or better, execution time compared to the NVIDIA V100 GPU, profiling tool differences make comparing performance of these two architectures hard. When looking at execution time, GIPS, and instruction intensity, the AMD MI60 achieves the worst performance out of the three GPUs used in this work.
Workings of science
Authors: Denning Peter
Published: January 2022

Science has two faces: One sees settled science and all its laws; the other sees only the unsettlement of hypotheses yet to be verified and the uncertainty of whether they can be verified. Both faces are integral to the healthy workings of science.
Motor Ability Evaluation of the Upper Extremity with Point-To-Point Training Movement Based on End-Effector Robot-Assisted Training System
Authors: Jiang Junwei , Guo Shuai , Zhang Leigang , Sun Qing
Published: January 2022

Assessment is critical during the procedure of stroke rehabilitation. However, traditional assessment methods are time-consuming, laborious, and dependent on the skillfulness of the therapist. Moreover, they cannot distinguish whether the improvement comes from the abnormal compensation or the improvement of upper extremity motor function. To make up for the shortcomings of the traditional methods, this study proposes a novel assessment system, which consisted of a rehabilitation robot and motion capture (MoCAP) system. A 9-degree-of-freedom (DOF) kinematic model is established, which consists of the shoulder girdle, shoulder, elbow, and wrist joints. And seven assessment indices are selected for this assessment system, including a range of motion (ROM), shoulder girdle compensation (SGC), trunk compensation (TC), aiming angle (AA), motion error (ME), motion length ratio (MLR), and useful force (UF). For AA, ME, and MLR, all describe the motor ability of the upper extremity, and a linear model was proposed to map these three indices into one index, called motor control ability (MCA). Then, this system can quantitatively evaluate human upper extremity motor function from joint space kinematics, Cartesian space kinematics, and dynamics. Three healthy participants were invited to verify the effectiveness of this system. The preliminary results show that all participants’ handedness performs a little better than the nonhandedness. And the performance of the participants and the change of all the upper limb joints can be directly watched from the trajectory of the hand and joint angles’ curve. Therefore, this assessment system can evaluate the human upper limb motor function well. Future studies are planned to recruit elderly volunteers or stroke patients to further verify the effectiveness of this system.