bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Experiences and needs of families with a relative admitted to an adult intensive care unit: a qualitative systematic review protocol
Authors: Kynoch Kate , Cabilan Cara Joyce , McArdle Annie
Published: December 2016

Review question/objective:

The objective of the proposed review is to determine the best available qualitative evidence to guide healthcare workers when providing care and support for families of relatives in an adult intensive care unit (ICU). The specific objective is to explore the experiences and needs of families with a relative in an adult ICU.
A comparison between dexmedetomidine and propofol on extubation times in postoperative adult cardiac surgery patients: a systematic review protocol
Authors: Nguyen John , Nacpil Noel
Published: December 2016

Review question/objective:

The objective of this systematic review is to synthesize the best available evidence regarding the effects of dexmedetomidine compared to propofol on time to extubation, intensive care unit (ICU) length of stay (LOS), hospital LOS and mortality in postoperative adult cardiac surgery patients.

The specific review question is as follows:

What is the effectiveness of dexmedetomidine compared to propofol on times to extubation, ICU LOS, hospital LOS and mortality in postoperative adults undergoing cardiac surgery?
El compromiso de continuidad y el vínculo del consumidor con la organización
Authors: Arboleda Arango Ana Maria
Published: December 2016

Este artículo evalúa en qué medida el compromiso de continuidad del
consumidor hacia una organización modera la relación entre su compromiso
afectivo e intención conductual. Se operacionaliza el constructo
compromiso de continuidad de dos formas: la posibilidad de un
consumidor para elegir el prestador de servicios de salud y el costo de
cambiarse de institución educativa al tener una beca. Los resultados
muestran que el compromiso afectivo incrementa la intención conductual
hacia la organización. Esta relación decrece cuando la continuidad se
refiere al costo y cuando se refiere a la posibilidad de elegir el proveedor
del servicio. Futuros estudios podrían replicar esta metodología para el
caso de marcas o productos de consumo masivo, y de otro lado, podrían
confirmar la experiencia emocional de los consumidores que reciben
beneficios adicionales.
Experimental Study of Aqueous Chemical Trisodium Phosphate-Buffered Environment Under Post-LOCA Conditions With Head Loss Measurements
Authors: Ali Amir , LaBrier Daniel , Howe Kerry J. , Blandford Edward D.
Published: December 2016

An integrated chemical effects test (ICET) was designed and executed to investigate the corrosion of materials in a hypothetical post-loss of coolant accident (LOCA) environment for pressurized water reactors (PWRs) and the resulting effects on the measured head loss in three vertical columns through multiconstituents debris beds. The head loss columns were isolated approximately after 72 h, as the measured head loss in all three columns approached or surpassed the maximum limit of the differential pressure (DP) cells. Additional bench scale tests were carried out to investigate the cause of high head loss in the three columns. Combination of epoxy agglomeration and adhesion to fiber resulted in subsequent blockage of the flow through the debris bed with no chemical precipitation was concluded as the most reasonable cause of high head loss observed in the test. The test continued thereafter up to 30 days as an integrated chemical effects test using the corrosion tank only. The results presented in this article demonstrate trends for zinc, aluminum, and calcium release that are consistent with separate bench scale testing and previous integrated tests conducted under trisodium phosphate (TSP)-buffered post-LOCA environmental conditions. In general, the total and filtered samples showed almost identical concentration of all metals (Al, Ca, Si, and Mg) except zinc which clearly indicate that no precipitation occurred. The release rate and maximum concentrations of the released materials were slightly different than the separate effect testing as a result of different experimental conditions (temperature, surface area-to-water volume ratio) and/or the presence of other metals and chemicals in the integrated test.
A Vibration Absorption Method for Alleviating Impact of the Flexible Robotic Arm
Authors: Bian Yushu , Gao Zhihui , Fan Ming
Published: December 2016

Impact may excite intense vibration responses of the flexible robotic arm and thus deteriorate its working performance. A vibration absorption method is put forward to alleviate impact influence of the flexible robotic arm. To dissipate the impact vibration energy, a slider mass–spring–dashpot mechanism is used as a vibration absorber and attached to the flexible robotic arm. Internal resonance is sufficiently utilized to provide a bridge for the transfer of impact vibration energy between the flexible link and the absorber via nonlinear coupling. In the presence of damping of the absorber, the impact vibration energy of the flexible link can be effectively migrated to and dissipated by the absorber. Numerical simulations and virtual prototype simulations verify its effectiveness and feasibility in alleviating impact vibration of the flexible robotic arm undergoing a collision.
Analysis and Computation of Two Body Impact in Three Dimensions
Authors: Jia Yan-Bin , Wang Feifei
Published: December 2016

A formal impulse-based analysis is presented for the collision of two rigid bodies at single contact point under Coulomb's friction in three dimensions (3D). The tangential impulse at the contact is known to be linear in the sliding velocity whose trajectory, parametrized with the normal impulse and referred to as the hodograph, is governed by a generally nonintegrable ordinary differential equation (ODE). Evolution of the hodograph is bounded by rays in several invariant directions of sliding in the contact plane. Exact lower and upper bounds are derived for the number of such invariant directions, utilizing the established positive definiteness of the matrix defining the governing ODE. If the hodograph reaches the origin, it either terminates (i.e., the contact sticks) or continues in a new direction (i.e., the contact resumes sliding) whose existence and uniqueness, only assumed in the literature, are proven. Closed-form integration of the ODE becomes possible as soon as the sliding velocity turns zero or takes on an invariant direction. Assuming Stronge's energy-based restitution, a complete algorithm is described to combine fast numerical integration (NI) with a case-by-case closed-form analysis. A number of solved collision instances are presented. It remains open whether the modeled impact process will always terminate under Coulomb's friction and Stronge's (or Poisson's) restitution hypothesis.
A New Methodology for Structural Reliability Assessment of the Heat Exchanger Tubes of WWER Steam Generators
Authors: Orynyak Igor , Zarazovskii Maksym , Borodii Mykhaylo
Published: December 2016

A physically and statistically based method for steam generator (SG) heat exchanger tubes (HET) integrity assessment is proposed. The method based is on the stochastic laws of crack dimensions distribution with taking into account its growth, limit load-model of cracked tube, and SG plugging statistics. Based on the history of the tubes, plugging of the specific SG three statistical parameters has to be found: initial number of defects, stochastic parameter of defect depth, and the defect growth rate. The developed method was used for the prediction of HET failure for all Ukrainian SG. It is also used for the justification of pressure reduction of hydrostatic test (HT) for primary circuit of WWER NPPs. It is shown that the pressure reduction from 24.5 to 19.6 MPa for WWER-1000 s and from 19.1 to 15.7 MPa for the WWER-440 s does not practically increase the HET failure probability during operation.
Cesium and Strontium Immobilization in Portland Cement Pastes Blended With Pozzolanic Additives
Authors: Bar-Nes Gabriela , Peled Yael , Shamish Zorik , Katz Amnon
Published: December 2016

The effect of incorporation of pozzolanic additives on the immobilization of cesium and strontium ions in cementitious pastes was investigated. Pastes containing Portland cement together with ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS) (50%, 75%), metakaolin (MK) (10%, 20%), or silica fume (SF) (20%), either in its densified or raw form, were prepared. The transport properties of the immobilized ions through the paste were evaluated using leaching tests. Single differential thermal analysis (SDTA) was used to estimate the extent of the pozzolanic reaction and the pozzolanic reactivity of the different formulations. For strontium ions, the best immobilization system was the 20% raw silica fume (RSF) paste, characterized by the highest relative pozzolanity (RP). However, for cesium ions the most effective additive was the densified silica fume (DSF), reducing the apparent diffusion coefficient by two orders of magnitude compared to the unblended paste.
Analysis of Late Phase Severe Accident Phenomena in CANDU Plant
Authors: Dupleac D.
Published: December 2016

The paper overviews the analytical studies performed at Politehnica University of Bucharest on the analysis of late phase severe accident phenomena in a Canada Deuterium Uranium (CANDU) plant. The calculations start from a dry debris bed at the bottom of calandria vessel. Both SCDAPSIM/RELAP code and ansys-fluent computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code are used. Parametric studies are performed in order to quantify the effect of several identified sources of uncertainty on calandria vessel failure: metallic fraction of zirconium inside the debris, containment pressure, timing of water depletion inside calandria vessel, steam circulation in calandria vessel above debris bed, debris temperature at moment of water depletion inside calandria vessel, calandria vault nodalization, and the gap heat transfer coefficient.
Experimental, Theoretical, and Simulation Comparative Study of Nano Surface Roughness Generated During Abrasive Flow Finishing Process
Authors: Singh Sachin , Kumar Deepu , Ravi Sankar Mamilla
Published: December 2016

Abrasive flow finishing (AFF) is one of the advanced finishing processes used mainly for finishing of complex surface features. Nano finishing of aluminum alloys is difficult using conventional finishing processes because of its soft nature. So, in this work, aluminum alloys are finished using AFF process. Since the finishing is carried out using polymer rheological abrasive medium (medium), the finishing forces on aluminum alloy workpieces are too low compared to conventional finishing processes. Thus, this process generates nano surface roughness on aluminum alloy. By using the theoretical model, change in surface roughness (ΔRa) with respect to various AFF input parameters is studied. A new simulation model is proposed in this paper to predict the finishing forces and ΔRa during AFF process. Modeling of finishing forces generated during the AFF process is carried out using ansys polyflow. These forces are used as input in the simulation model to predict ΔRa. Medium rheology decides the magnitude of the generated finishing forces in AFF process. Therefore, to predict the forces accurately, rheological properties of the medium are measured experimentally and used as input during modeling. Further, to make the simulation more realistic, abrasive particle bluntness with respect to extrusion pressure and number of strokes is considered. Because of considering these realistic conditions, simulation and experimental results are in better agreement compared to theoretical results.
RCSA-Based Method for Tool Frequency Response Function Identification Under Operational Conditions Without Using Noncontact Sensor
Authors: Yan Rong , Tang Xiaowei , Peng Fangyu , Li Yuting , Li Hua
Published: December 2016

The stability lobe diagrams predicted using the tool frequency response function (FRF) at the idle state usually have discrepancies compared with the actual stability cutting boundary. These discrepancies can be attributed to the effect of spindle rotating on the tool FRFs which are difficult to measure at the rotating state. This paper proposes a new tool FRF identification method without using noncontact sensor for the rotating state of the spindle. In this method, the FRFs with impact applied on smooth rotating tool and vibration response tested on spindle head are measured for two tools of different lengths clamped in spindle–holder assembly. Based on those FRFs, an inverse receptance coupling substructure analysis (RCSA) algorithm is developed to identify the FRFs of spindle–holder–partial tool assembly. A finite-element modeling (FEM) simulation is performed to verify the validity of inverse RCSA algorithm. The tool point FRFs at the spindle rotating state are obtained by coupling the FRFs of the spindle–holder–partial tool and the other partial tool. The effects of spindle rotational speed on tool point FRFs are investigated. The cutting experiment demonstrates that this method can accurately identify the tool point FRFs and predict cutting stability region under spindle rotating state.
Dynamics and Stability Prediction of Five-Axis Flat-End Milling
Authors: Lu YaoAn , Ding Ye , Zhu LiMin
Published: December 2016

The tool orientation of a flat-end cutter, determined by the lead and tilt angles of the cutter, can be optimized to increase the machining strip width. However, few studies focus on the effects of tool orientation on the five-axis milling process stability with flat-end cutters. Stability prediction starts with cutting force prediction, and the cutting force prediction is affected by the cutter-workpiece engagement (CWE). The engagement geometries occur between the flat-end cutter and the in-process workpiece (IPW) are complicated in five-axis milling, making the stability analysis for five-axis flat-end milling difficult. The robust discrete vector method (DVM) is adopted to identify the CWE for flat-end millings, and it can be extended to apply to general cutter millings. The milling system is then modeled as a two-degrees-of-freedom spring-mass-damper system with the predicted cutting forces. Thereafter, a general formulation for the dynamic milling system is developed considering the regenerative effect and the mode coupling effect simultaneously. Finally, an enhanced numerical integration method (NIM) is developed to predict the stability limits in flat-end milling with different tool orientations. Effectiveness of the strategy is validated by conducting experiments on five-axis flat-end milling.
Automatic Facial Feature Extraction for Predicting Designers' Comfort With Engineering Equipment During Prototype Creation
Authors: Bezawada Shruthi , Hu Qianyu , Gray Allison , Brick Timothy , Tucker Conrad
Published: December 2016

Designers frequently utilize engineering equipment to create physical prototypes during the iterative concept generation and prototyping phases of design. Currently, evaluating designers' efficiency during prototype creation is a manual process that either involves observational or survey based approaches. Real-time feedback when using engineering equipment has the potential to enhance designers' efficiency or mitigate potential injuries that may result from incorrect use of equipment. Toward an automated approach to addressing these challenges, the authors of this work test the hypotheses that (i) there exists a difference in designers' comfort levels before and after they use a piece of engineering prototyping equipment and (ii) a machine learning model predicts the level of comfort a designer has while using engineering prototyping equipment with accuracies greater than random chance. It has been shown that the level of comfort that an individual has while completing a task impacts their performance. The authors investigate whether automatic tracking of designers' facial expressions during prototype creation predicts their level of comfort. A study, involving 37 participants using various engineering equipment, is used to validate the approach. The support vector machine (SVM) regression model yielded a range of R squared values from 0.82 to 0.86 for an equipment-specific model. A general model built to predict comfort level across all engineering equipment yielded an R squared value of 0.68. This work has the potential to transform the manner in which design teams utilize engineering equipment toward more efficient concept generation and prototype creation processes.
The Function-Based Design for Sustainability Method
Authors: Arlitt Ryan , Van Bossuyt Douglas L. , Stone Rob B. , Tumer Irem Y.
Published: December 2016

Over the last two decades, consumers have become increasingly aware and desiring of sustainable products. However, little attention has been paid to developing conceptual design methods that explicitly take into account environmental impact. This paper contributes a method of automated function component generation, and guided down-selection and decision-making based upon environmental impact. The environmental impact of functions has been calculated for 17 of the products found in the Design Repository using ReCiPe scoring in SimaPRO. A hierarchical Bayesian approach is used to estimate the potential environmental impacts of specific functions when realized into components. Previously, product environmental impacts were calculated after a product was developed to the component design stage. The method developed in this paper could be used to provide a criticality ranking based on which functional solutions historically have the greatest risk of causing high environmental impact. The method is demonstrated using a simple clock system as an example. A comparative case study of two phone chargers for use in third-world countries demonstrates the decision-making capabilities of this method, and shows that it is possible to compare the environmental impact of alternative function structures during the conceptual stage of design. With the method presented in this paper, it is now possible to make early functional modeling design decisions specifically taking into account historical environmental impact of functionally similar products.
Pyocyanin degradation by a tautomerizing demethylase inhibits
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
biofilms
Authors: Costa Kyle C. , Glasser Nathaniel R. , Conway Stuart J. , Newman Dianne K.
Published: December 2016

Redox metabolite role in biofilms

In the microbial world, the chemical diversity of secreted metabolites is vast, and their physiological roles are underexplored. Costa
et al.
studied the redox-active secondary metabolite pyocyanin, which is produced by the opportunistic pathogen
Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
Pyocyanin mediates the generation of thick biofilms containing extracellular DNA that are important in pathogenesis. The authors characterized the demethylase PodA, which catalyzes the conversion of pyocyanin to hydroxyphenazine and deranges biofilm formation. PodA could represent a therapeutic lead for intractable bacterial infections.

Science
, this issue p.
170
Complete Genome Sequences of Two Isolates of Canis familiaris Oral Papillomavirus from South Africa
Authors: Regnard Guy L. , Baloyi Nwaxigombe M. , Bracher Leonard R. , Hitzeroth Inga I. , Rybicki Edward P.
Published: December 2016

Canis familiaris
oral papillomavirus, formerly canine oral papillomavirus, is a causative agent of the self-resolving canine oral papillomatosis and was first described in 1994. This is the first report of two full-length genome sequences described in South Africa and indicates the highly conserved nature of
Canis familiaris
oral papillomavirus.
Draft Genome Sequences of Three Hypervirulent Carbapenem-Resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae Isolates from Bacteremia
Authors: Shankar Chaitra , Nabarro Laura E. B. , Devanga Ragupathi Naveen Kumar , Muthuirulandi Sethuvel Dhiviya Prabaa , Daniel Jones Lionel Kumar , Doss C George Priya , Veeraraghavan Balaji
Published: December 2016

Hypervirulent
Klebsiella pneumoniae
strains have been increasingly reported worldwide, and there is emergence of carbapenem resistance among them. Here, we report the genome sequences of three carbapenem-resistant hypervirulent
K. pneumoniae
isolates isolated from bacteremic patients at a tertiary-care center in South India.
Complete Genome Sequences of Six
Chrysodeixis includens
Nucleopolyhedrovirus Isolates from Brazil and Guatemala
Authors: Craveiro Saluana R. , Santos Luis Arthur V. M. , Togawa Roberto C. , Inglis Peter W. , Grynberg Priscila , Ribeiro Zilda Maria A. , Ribeiro Bergmann M. , Castro Maria Elita B.
Published: December 2016

The baculovirus,
Chrysodeixis
(formerly
Pseudoplusia
)
includens
nucleopolyhedrovirus (ChinNPV), is a new
Alphabaculovirus
pathogenic to
Chrysodeixis includens
. Here, we report the complete genome sequences of six ChinNPV isolates. The availability of these genome sequences will provide information on ChinNPV molecular genetics, promoting understanding of its pathogenicity, diversity, and evolution.
Genome Sequence of Airborne
Acinetobacter
sp. Strain 5-2Ac02 in the Hospital Environment, Close to the Species of Acinetobacter towneri
Authors: Barbosa Beathriz G. V. , Fernandez-García Laura , Gato Eva , López Maria , Blasco Lucia , Leão Robson Souza , Albano Rodolpho M. , Fernández Begoña , Cuenca Felipe-Fernández , Pascual Álvaro , Bou German , Marques Elizabeth A. , Tomás María
Published: December 2016

Acinetobacter
spp. are found in 53% of air colonization samples from the hospital environment. In this work, we sequenced all the genome of airborne
Acinetobacter
sp. strain 5-2Ac02. We found important features at the genomic level in regards to the rhizome. By phylogenetic analysis,
A. towneri
was the species most closely related to
Acinetobacter
sp. 5-2Ac02.
Detection and Genomic Characterization of Enterovirus D68 in Respiratory Samples Isolated in the United States in 2016
Authors: Ng Terry Fei Fan , Montmayeur Anna , Castro Christina , Cone Marshall , Stringer Joey , Lamson Daryl M. , Rogers Shannon L. , Wang Chern Shur-Wern , Magaña Laura , Marine Rachel , Rubino Heather , Serinaldi Daniel , George Kirsten , Nix W. Allan
Published: December 2016

The genomic sequences of three 2016 enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) strains were obtained from respiratory samples of patients from Florida, Texas, and New York. These EV-D68 sequences share highest nucleotide identities with strains that circulated in North America, Europe, and Asia in 2014–2015.
Draft Genome Sequence of Probiotic Lactobacillus acidophilus Strain L-55 Isolated from a Healthy Human Gut
Authors: Fujii Yusuke , Toh Hidehiro , Matsubara Takehiro , Tomida Shuta , Nguyen Co Thi Kim , Mimura Iyo , Nakamura Shoji , Morita Hidetoshi
Published: December 2016

Probiotic
Lactobacillus acidophilus
L-55 was isolated from a healthy human gut. Here, we report the draft genome sequence of this organism.
Complete Genome Sequence of the Nonylphenol-Degrading Bacterium Sphingobium cloacae JCM 10874
T
Authors: Ootsuka Mina , Nishizawa Tomoyasu , Ohta Hiroyuki
Published: December 2016

Sphingobium cloacae
JCM 10874
T
can degrade phenolic endocrine-disrupting chemicals, nonylphenol, and octylphenol. Here, we report the complete genome sequence of the JCM 10874
T
strain.
Draft Genome Sequence of Antarctic Methanogen Enriched from Dry Valley Permafrost
Authors: Buongiorno Joy , Bird Jordan T. , Krivushin Kirill , Oshurkova Victoria , Shcherbakova Victoria , Rivkina Elizaveta M. , Lloyd Karen G. , Vishnivetskaya Tatiana A.
Published: December 2016

A genomic reconstruction belonging to the genus
Methanosarcina
was assembled from metagenomic data from a methane-producing enrichment of Antarctic permafrost. This is the first methanogen genome reported from permafrost of the Dry Valleys and can help shed light on future climate-affected methane dynamics.
Draft Genome Sequence of
Pseudomonas
sp. Strain CCA1, Isolated from Leaf Soil
Authors: Akita Hironaga , Kimura Zen-ichiro , Hoshino Tamotsu
Published: December 2016

Pseudomonas
sp. strain CCA1 was isolated from leaf soil collected in Higashi-Hiroshima City in Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. Here, we present a draft genome sequence of this strain. The genome consists of 24 contigs for a total of 6,993,992 bp, 8,917 predicted coding sequences, and a GC content of 67.2%.
Identification of Beak and Feather Disease Virus in an Unusual Novel Host (
Merops ornatus
) Using Nested PCR
Authors: Sarker Subir , Das Shubhagata , Helbig Karla , Raidal Shane R.
Published: December 2016

The complete genome sequence of beak and feather disease virus (BFDV) was discovered from a rainbow bee-eater (
Merops ornatus
), a species of
Coraciiformes
. The genome consisted of 1,996 bp encoding two major bidirectional transcribed open reading frames. This is the first evidence of BFDV infection and complete genome characterization for this novel host species.
Barrier island migration dominates ecogeomorphic feedbacks and drives salt marsh loss along the Virginia Atlantic Coast, USA
Authors: Deaton Charles D. , Hein Christopher J. , Kirwan Matthew L.
Published: December 2016

Coupling between barrier islands and their associated backbarrier environments (salt marsh, tidal flats) leads to complex ecogeomorphic feedbacks that are proposed to control the response of barrier island systems to relative sea-level rise. This study tests the applicability of these still-theoretical concepts through investigation of the Virginia barrier islands (eastern United States), which are located in an area of accelerated sea-level rise. Using historical maps and photographs from A.D. 1851 to 2010, we determine that rapid landward island migration (1–6 m yr–1) is leading to backbarrier area reduction and large-scale salt marsh loss (63 km2 or 19%) at a rate of 0.45 km2 yr–1. Landward barrier island migration far outpaces upland marsh migration and is responsible for 51% of marsh loss; the remainder is due to backbarrier processes (e.g., edge erosion). In direct contrast to proposed ecogeomorphic feedbacks linking barrier island and backbarrier environments, shoreline retreat rates were not related to changes in backbarrier marsh, open-water areas, or tidal prism. Rather, these results indicate that, for barrier island systems already undergoing migration, the primary barrier-backbarrier coupling is the loss of marsh and tidal-flat area because of barrier island migration.
Explosive eruption of El Chichón volcano (Mexico) disrupted 6th century Maya civilization and contributed to global cooling
Authors: Nooren Kees , Hoek Wim Z. , van der Plicht Hans , Sigl Michael , van Bergen Manfred J. , Galop Didier , Torrescano-Valle Nuria , Islebe Gerald , Huizinga Annika , Winkels Tim , Middelkoop Hans
Published: December 2016

A remarkably long period of Northern Hemispheric cooling in the 6th century CE, which disrupted human societies across large parts of the globe, has been attributed to volcanic forcing of climate. A major tropical eruption in 540 CE is thought to have played a key role, but there is no consensus about the source volcano to date. Here, we present evidence for El Chichón in southern Mexico as the most likely candidate, based on a refined reconstruction of the volcano’s eruption history. A new chronological framework, derived from distal tephra deposits and the world’s largest Holocene beach ridge plain along the Gulf of Mexico, enabled us to positively link a major explosive event to a prominent volcanic sulfur spike in bipolar ice core records, dated at 540 CE. We speculate that voluminous tephra fall from the eruption had a severe environmental impact on Maya societies, leading to temporary cultural decline, site abandonment, and migration within the core area of Maya civilization.
Antisynthetase syndrome (ASS) presenting as acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in a patient without myositis features
Authors: Kanchustambham Venkat Kiran , Saladi Swetha , Mahmoudassaf Sarah , Patolia Setu
Published: December 2016

A woman aged 61 years presented to the emergency room with a 1-week history of dyspnoea on exertion and dry cough. X-ray of the chest showed diffuse interstitial opacities and was started on antibiotics and furosemide, and despite these measures, patient's respiratory status worsened, prompting endotracheal intubation. CT of the chest showed diffuse bilateral ground glass opacities and underwent bronchoscope with trans-bronchial biopsy that showed chronic bronchitis. Pt was empirically started on intravenous steroids due to concerns for interstitial lung disease (ILD). Autoimmune work up was sent and underwent video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery-guided biopsy of the lung that showed non-specific interstitial pattern with fibrosis. The patient was diagnosed as having antisynthetase syndrome with pulmonary involvement (ILD) as the cause of her acute respiratory failure. Azathioprine was started as steroid-sparing agent and was weaned off the ventilator to a tracheostomy collar and discharged to long-term rehabilitation centre.
Non-selective β-blockers in advanced cirrhosis: a critical review of the effects on overall survival and renal function
Authors: Blasco-Algora Sara , Masegosa-Ataz José , Alonso Sonia , Gutiérrez Maria-Luisa , Fernández-Rodriguez Conrado
Published: December 2016

Introduction

Non-selective β-blockers (NSBBs) are widely prescribed in patients with cirrhosis for primary and secondary prophylaxis of bleeding oesophageal varices. Furthermore, it has been suggested that the clinical benefits of NSBBs may extend beyond their haemodynamic effects. Recently, a potentially harmful effect has been described in patients with refractory ascites or spontaneous bacterial peritonitis.

Methodology

A comprehensive literature search on β-blockers and cirrhosis survival using the electronic databases PubMed/MEDLINE, AMED, CINAHL and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. Full-text manuscripts published over more than 35 years, from 1980 to April 2016 were reviewed for relevance and reference lists were cross-checked for additional pertinent studies regarding potential NSBB effects, especially focused on those concerned with survival and/or acute kidney injury (AKI).

Discussion

The proposed review will be able to provide valuable evidence to help decision making in the use of NSBB for the treatment of advanced cirrhosis and highlights some limitations in existing evidence to direct future research.
Heat stress, hydration and uric acid: a cross-sectional study in workers of three occupations in a hotspot of Mesoamerican nephropathy in Nicaragua
Authors: Wesseling Catharina , Aragón Aurora , González Marvin , Weiss Ilana , Glaser Jason , Rivard Christopher J , Roncal-Jiménez Carlos , Correa-Rotter Ricardo , Johnson Richard J
Published: December 2016

Objectives

To study Mesoamerican nephropathy (MeN) and its risk factors in three hot occupations.

Design

Cross-sectional.

Setting

Chinandega and León municipalities, a MeN hotspot on the Nicaraguan Pacific coast, January–February 2013.

Participants

194 male workers aged 17–39 years: 86 sugarcane cutters, 56 construction workers, 52 small-scale farmers.

Outcome measures

(1) Differences between the three occupational groups in prevalences/levels of socioeconomic, occupational, lifestyle and health risk factors for chronic kidney disease (CKD) and in biomarkers of kidney function and hydration; (2) differences in prevalences/levels of CKD risk factors between workers with reduced estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFRCKD-EPI<80 mL/min/1.73 m2) and workers with normal kidney function (eGFRCKD-EPI≥80 mL/min/1.73 m2).

Results

Sugarcane cutters were more exposed to heat and consumed more fluid on workdays and had less obesity, lower blood sugar, lower blood pressure and a better lipid profile. Reduced eGFR occurred in 16%, 9% and 2% of sugarcane cutters, construction workers and farmers, respectively (trend cane > construction > farming, p=0.003). Significant trends (cane > construction > farming) were also observed for high serum urea nitrogen (blood urea nitrogen (BUN) >20 mg/dL), high serum creatinine (SCr >1.2 mg/dL), low urinary pH (≤5.5) and high BUN/SCr ratio (>20) but not for high urinary specific gravity (≥1.030). Sugarcane cutters also more often had proteinuria and blood and leucocytes in the urine. Workers with eGFR <80 mL/min/1.73 m2reported a higher intake of water and lower intake of sugary beverages. Serum uric acid levels related strongly and inversely to eGFR levels (adj β −10.4 mL/min/1.73 m2, 95% CI −12.2 to −8.5, p<0.001). No associations were observed for other metabolic risk factors, pesticides, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or alcohol. Among cane cutters, consumption of electrolyte hydration solution appeared preventive (adj β 8.1 mL/min/1.73 m2, p=0.09).

Conclusions

Heat stress, dehydration and kidney dysfunction were most common among sugarcane cutters. Kidney dysfunction also occurred to a lesser extent among construction workers, but hardly at all among small-scale farmers. High serum uric acid was associated with reduced kidney function.
Quantitative flow measurement after placing a flow diverter for a distal internal carotid artery aneurysm
Authors: Chen Chien-Wei , Wong Ho-Fai , Ye Yu-Ling , Chen Yao-Liang , Chen Wei-Liang , Ou Chang-Hsien , Tsai Yuan-Hsiung
Published: December 2016

Objectives

To evaluate the differences in arterial flow after flow diverter placement using quantitative flow measurements based on digital subtraction angiography (DSA).

Methods

Between November 2013 and November 2015, all patients who had flow diverters placed for distal internal carotid artery (ICA) aneurysms were reviewed. Patients in whom the stent was placed across the ostia of the ophthalmic artery (OphA) and anterior choroidal artery (AChA) were enrolled. Five regions of interest were selected: the proximal ICA (as a reference), terminal ICA, middle cerebral artery (MCA), anterior cerebral artery (ACA), OphA, and AChA. The values of the peak, time-to-peak (TTP), and area under the curve (AUC) were analyzed using a quantitative DSA technique.

Results

The study enrolled 13 patients. The quantitative flow analysis showed improved flow in the terminal ICA (peak and AUC, p=0.036 and p=0.04, respectively), MCA (AUC, p=0.023), and ACA (AUC, p=0.006), and decreased flow in the OphA (peak and AUC, p=0.013 and p=0.005, respectively) and AChA (peak and subtracted TTP, p=0.023 and p=0.050, respectively) after flow diverter placement. Larger aneurysm volume was significantly correlated with decreased OphA flow after the procedure (peak and AUC, p=0.049 and p=0.037, respectively). Larger aneurysm volume also had a marginal correlation with increased distal ICA flow after the procedure, but this did not reach significance (peak and AUC, p=0.195 and p=0.060, respectively).

Conclusions

Without using extra contrast medium or radiation dosages, color-coded DSA enables quantitative monitoring of the cerebral circulation after flow-diverting treatment.
Epoetin-β induced pure red cell aplasia: an unintended consequence
Authors: Javaid Muhammad Masoom , Khatri Priyanka , Subramanian Srinivas
Published: December 2016

Pure red cell aplasia is a rare condition associated with the use of recombinant human erythropoietin preparations. It has predominantly been associated with the subcutaneous use of a particular epoetin-α product, Eprex, and is rarely associated with intravenous use or with other commercially available products. Only a few cases of pure red cell aplasia secondary to epoetin-β have been reported. On account of its rarity, the condition can often be missed on initial presentation, leading to unnecessary investigations and delayed diagnosis. A high index of suspicion is required for timely diagnosis and proper management. We present a case of severe anaemia secondary to the subcutaneous use of epoetin-β (Recormon) and briefly discuss the pathogenesis, diagnosis and management.
IMPACT OF GOVERNMENT SPENDING ON INFLATION IN ASIAN EMERGING ECONOMIES: EVIDENCE FROM INDIA, CHINA, AND INDONESIA
Authors: NGUYEN TAI DANG
Published: December 2016

This paper investigates the long-run and short-run impacts of government spending on inflation in three Asian emerging economies of India, China and Indonesia by applying the cointegration and Vector Error Correction Model to time series data from 1970 to 2010. The results confirm a cointegrating causal link between government spending and inflation in the long run in these countries, regardless of their institutional governance differences. In the short run, government spending (as a percentage of GDP) appears to have a negative impact on inflation in China, while a positive impact in Indonesia and India. The implication is that governments of emerging economies should be prudent with their decisions on government spending.
A Novel RRR-SVPWM-Based Speed Controlling Mechanism for Brushless DC Motor
Authors: Velmurugan R. , Mahadevan K.
Published: December 2016

Brushless DC motor (BLDCM) is a synchronous motor that contains a permanent magnet on the rotor and armature windings on the stator. It consists of the following characteristics, such as compact form, high efficient, silent operations and low maintenance. The existing BLDCM control systems have some drawbacks such as, it needs higher requirements for control algorithms, it uses more complicated electronics, it holds high noise and the initial rotor movement is not predictable. In order to overcome these issues, a new control mechanism, namely, carrier frequency rate, duty cycle ratio and pulse position range-space vector pulse width modulation (RRR-SVPWM) technique is proposed in this paper to control the speed of BLDCM. Initially, the unregulated AC from the wind turbine system is given to the input of six-legs insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) circuit for converting the unregulated AC to regulated DC. Here, the pulse generator is used to generate the pulses based on certain parameters, such as input three-phase voltage, phase current and DC voltage. Hence, the proposed RRR-SVPWM technique is applied to reduce the noise and maintain a harmonics in a controlled level by placing a high-speed switches in a circuit. Finally, the speed of the BLDCM is increased and controlled by giving an output regulated AC to the motor. The experimental results evaluate the performance of the proposed system in terms of power factor (PF), displacement PF (DPF) and total harmonic distortion (THD).
Recent progress on superstrange dynamics
Authors: Gaitanos Theodoros
Published: December 2016

We review the present activities related to hypernuclear production in hadronic in-medium reactions at intermediate energies. The status of theoretical predictions and experimental evidences for the in-medium formation of bound superstrange matter is discussed. Heavy-ion collisions and antiproton-induced reactions at energies close to strangeness production thresholds create the conditions of hypermatter formation. This allows to understand better in-medium hyperon interactions and sets constraints on the strangeness sector of the nuclear Equation of State (EoS).
Quest for magicity in hypernuclei
Authors: Ikram M. , Rather Asloob A. , Kumar Bharat , Biswal S. K. , Patra S. K.
Published: December 2016

In the present study, we search the [Formula: see text] magic number in hypernuclei within the framework of relativistic mean field (RMF) theory with inclusion of hyperon–nucleon and hyperon–hyperon potentials. Based on one- and two-lambda separation energy and two-lambda shell gaps, 2, 8, 14, 18, 20, 28, 34, 40, 50, 58, 68, 70 and 82 are suggested to be the [Formula: see text] magic numbers within the present approach. The relative weak strength of [Formula: see text] spin–orbit interaction is responsible for emerging the new lambda shell closures other than the model scheme. The predicted hypernuclear magicity quite resembles with nuclear magicity. In addition, the stability of hypernuclei is also examined by calculating the binding energy per particle, where Ni hypernucleus is found to be most tightly bound triply magic system in considered hypernuclei. Further, nucleon and lambda density distributions are analyzed and it is found that introduced [Formula: see text]’s have significant impact on total density and reduce the central depletion of the core nucleus. Nucleon and lambda spin–orbit interaction potentials are also investigated for predicted triply magic hypernuclei and the addition of [Formula: see text]’s affect both the potentials to a large extent. The single-particle energy levels are analyzed to explain the shell gaps for triply magic multi-[Formula: see text] hypernuclei.
Optimization of a Fuzzy Logic Controller for MR Dampers Using an Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Procedure
Authors: Braz-César Manuel , Barros Rui
Published: December 2016

Intelligent and adaptive control systems are naturally suitable to deal with dynamic uncertain systems with non-smooth nonlinearities; they constitute an important advantage over conventional control approaches. This control technology can be used to design powerful and robust controllers for complex vibration engineering problems such as vibration control of civil structures. Fuzzy logic based controllers are simple and robust systems that are rapidly becoming a viable alternative for classical controllers. Furthermore, new control devices such as magnetorheological (MR) dampers have been widely studied for structural control applications. In this paper, we design a semi-active fuzzy controller for MR dampers using an adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS). The objective is to verify the effectiveness of a neuro-fuzzy controller in reducing the response of a building structure equipped with a MR damper operating in passive and semi-active control modes. The uncontrolled and controlled responses are compared to assess the performance of the fuzzy logic based controller.
A Fukushima-Like Disaster in New York City and Possible Issues Associated with the Extreme Event Management System
Authors: Kyne Dean
Published: December 2016

People living in communities surrounding the Indian Point Nuclear Generating Plant (IPNGP) inevitably face potential risks associated with a nuclear plant issue, which could become a potential extreme event. The study searches for answers to the three research questions: (1) What is the population makeup of those residing nearby the IPNGP (2) Which racial and ethnic groups are more vulnerable to the potential risks associated with the IPNGP (3) Who would be exposed to the radioactive plume if the IPNGP experienced a core-meltdown accident? The study utilizes Radiological Assessment System for Consequence Analysis (RASCAL) computer software code to project the radioactive plume dispersion when the IPNGP encounters a core-meltdown accident. Findings show that there are between 1.39 million and 19.85 million people that could possibly be exposed to the radioactive plume under four different typifying weather conditions in a calendar year. The study suggests this potential risk of an extreme event should be taken into consideration for “flexible adaptation approach” for building a resilient and sustainable New York City, rather than the one where a serious disaster could impact thousands of lives, create millions of dollars in damage, and create another scenario where emergency response is tested and fails to meet the requirements of appropriate sources to respond and do their part accordingly and appropriately to protect and save the lives of residents.
Permian smaller foraminifers: taxonomy, biostratigraphy and biogeography
Authors: Vachard Daniel
Published: December 2016

This review has been undertaken in order to present some interpretations about the biostratigraphy of the smaller foraminifers belonging to four classes present during the Permian: Fusulinata, Miliolata, Nodosariata and Textulariata. Biostratigraphic markers of these classes are principally known in the orders and superfamilies of Lasiodiscoidea, Bradyinoidea and Globivalvulinoidea (Fusulinata), Cornuspirida (Miliolata), and in the entire class Nodosariata. The class Textulariata is too little known during the Permian to play a significant biostratigraphical role: nevertheless, the appearance of the order Verneulinida is probably an important bioevent. The main genera among the lasiodiscids are
Mesolasiodiscus
,
Lasiodiscus
,
Lasiotrochus
,
Asselodiscus
,
Pseudovidalina
,
Xingshandiscus
and
Altineria
; the bradyinoids
Bradyina
and
Postendothyra
; the globivalvulinoids
Globivalvulina
,
Septoglobivalvulina
,
Labioglobivalvulina
,
Paraglobivalvulina
,
Sengoerina
,
Dagmarita
,
Danielita
,
Louisettita
,
Paradagmarita
,
Paradagmaritopsis
and
Paremiratella
; the miliolates
Rectogordius
,
Okimuraites
,
Neodiscus
,
Multidiscus
,
Hemigordiopsis
,
Lysites
,
Shanita
and
Glomomidiellopsis
, and the tubiphytids and ellesmerellids, which might be specialized miliolate and cyanobacterium consortia, with reference to microstructures and phylogenies of these groups. The Nodosariata markers belong to
Nodosinelloides
,
Tezaquina
,
Polarisella
,
Geinitzina
,
Pachyphloia
,
Rectoglandulina
, first true
Nodosaria
,
Langella
,
Pseudolangella
,
Calvezina
,
Cryptoseptida
,
Cylindrocolaniella
,
Colaniella
,
Frondina
and
Ichthyofrondina
, but their lineages are too poorly understood to permit an accurate biostratigraphic use at the present time. The superfamily Geinitzinoidea is emended. Finally, palaeobiogeographical implications based on
Shanita
,
Colaniella
and
Altineria
are given.
Permian palynostratigraphy: a global overview
Authors: Stephenson Michael H.
Published: December 2016

Permian palynostratigraphic schemes are used primarily to correlate coal- and hydrocarbon-bearing rocks within basins and between basins, sometimes at high levels of biostratigraphic resolution. Up to now, their main shortcoming has been the lack of correlation with schemes outside the basins, coalfields and hydrocarbon fields that they serve, and chiefly a lack of correlation with the international Permian scale. This is partly because of phytogeographical provinciality from the Guadalupian onwards, making correlation between regional palynostratigraphic schemes difficult. However, local high-resolution palynostratigraphic schemes for regions are now being linked either by assemblage-level quantitative taxonomic comparison or by the use of single well-characterized palynological taxa that occur across Permian phytogeographical provinces. Such taxa include:
Scutasporites
spp.,
Vittatina
spp.,
Weylandites
spp.,
Lueckisporites virkkiae
,
Otynisporites eotriassicus
and
Converrucosisporites confluens
. These palynological correlations are being facilitated and supplemented with radiometric, magnetostratigraphic, independent faunal and strontium isotopic dating.
Password-Authenticated Group Key Exchange
Authors: Zhang Yuexin , Xiang Yang , Huang Xinyi
Published: December 2016

Two-party password-authenticated key exchange (2PAKE) protocols provide a natural mechanism for secret key establishment in distributed applications, and they have been extensively studied in past decades. However, only a few efforts have been made so far to design password-authenticated group key exchange (GPAKE) protocols. In a 2PAKE or GPAKE protocol, it is assumed that short passwords are preshared among users. This assumption, however, would be impractical in certain applications. Motivated by this observation, this article presents a GPAKE protocol without the password sharing assumption. To obtain the passwords, wireless devices, such as smart phones, tablets, and laptops, are used to extract short secrets at the physical layer. Using the extracted secrets, users in our protocol can establish a group key at higher layers with light computation consumptions. Thus, our GPAKE protocol is a cross-layer design. Additionally, our protocol is a compiler, that is, our protocol can transform any provably secure 2PAKE protocol into a GPAKE protocol with only one more round of communications. Besides, the proposed protocol is proved secure in the standard model.