bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Viability of Biofertilizer Produced by an Indian Biodigester Prototype Applied to Sunflower Plants
Authors: Moura Luciano Fernandes , Teixeira Pedro Felipe Sousa , Gondim Franklin Aragão , Nunes Junior Francisco Holanda , Barbosa Rifandreo Monteiro , Arruda Julyanne Fonteles , Albiero Daniel , Alexandria Auzuir Ripardo
Published: September 2017

Biodigesters have been used to convert biomass into biogas and biofertilizers. This energy use has been important for the reduction of solid waste pollution in the environment. This work aims to analyse the viability of the use of pig biofertilizer produced by an Indian biodigester prototype, monitored by a data acquisition system. The biodigester used was an Indian prototype built on a low cost material that is easy to acquire (polyvinyl chloride-PVC). After the biofertilizer production, we tested its efficiency and viability under conditions of vegetation house in the cultivation of sunflower plants. The experimental design was completely randomized in a factorial arrangement with 4 concentrations of biofertilizer (0, 40, 80 and 120 kg N ha-1) × 4 harvest periods (14, 21, 25 and 29 days after sowing). We evaluated biometric and vigor parameters by measurements of stem diameter, height of the aerial part, number of leaves and production of fresh and dry matter of roots, aerial and total parts, as well as the relative chlorophyll content. We performed the experiment with five repetitions using two plants each and we submitted the data to analysis of variance (ANOVA) and polynomial regression using the statistical software Sisvar 5.4. The functional Indian biodigester prototype produced a biofertilizer of excellent quality and viability as a biofertilizer for the initial growth of sunflower plants. The biofertilizer served as a nutritional source in the sunflower crop, since it provided increases in all the growth parameters analyzed in relation to the control group (plants in the absence of biofertilizer), especially in the concentration of 120 kg N ha-1.
Reviewer Acknowledgements for Journal of Agricultural Science, Vol. 9, No. 10
Authors: Brown Anne
Published: September 2017

Reviewer acknowledgements for Journal of Agricultural Science, Vol. 9, No. 10, 2017.
The role of management accountant in enterprises operating in Poland
Authors: Zarzycka Ewelina
Published: September 2017

The role of management accountant in enterprises operating in Poland

The short period of the functioning of management accounting in enterprises operating in Central and Eastern Europe may suggest that advanced professional models identified by management accounting researchers and described in world literature have not developed in this region. The main objective of the study was to identify the role of a management accountant in enterprises operating in Poland as compared to international solutions. The set objective has been met thanks to the analysis of the information includ-ed in job offers seeking management accountants. The obtained results show that in enterprises operating in Poland, management accountants play the role of in-house business consultants strongly oriented towards matters of the organisations for which they work. However, they do not participate in the deci-sion-making processes on equal terms with other managers, which means that they are not business partners yet. The study broadens the existing state of knowledge by adding a description of the current level of development of the role of management accountants in Poland as compared to the concepts considered to be models in developed countries. It is also a starting point for further, more detailed re-search on the development of this profession in Central and Eastern European countries, which to date has not been a subject of research.

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Interpretative Units: Seeking Ways to Integrate Museums, Heritage, Territory and Community
Authors: Weil Karin , Godoy Marcelo , Bello Daniela
Published: September 2017

Purpose. The presentation of a model of integrated territory management through creating of interpreting centres which take into account the results of research in the domain of archeology, ethnography and history. Interpretive units constitute the consolidation of a multidisciplinary approach, designed from a complex consisting of nature, culture and social actors. The valorization and use of these interpretive units and its various components are constructed from the existing knowledge, which comes from various research in archeology and ethnography, the ancestral wisdom and the use of collections and material goods that are part of the heritage protected by the Austral University through the Directorate of Museums.

Findings. Interpretation of local heritage of indigenous community.

Study and conclusions limitations. The case study concerns only tourists and inhabitatnts of Millahuapi.

Practical implications. A proposal of creating the local developements together with indigenous community.

Originality of the work. The strategy which enables, on the one hand, the organisation of the crucial tasks of heritage protection while on the other hand it stimulates the development of the community living on the Millahuapi Island, La Misión de Niebla and its history.

Method. Case study.

Type of paper: Report.
Agreement between Epworth Sleepiness Scale and objective sleep parameters in patients with excessive daytime sleepiness
Authors: Daniłosio Marek , Wysocki Jarosław , Prus Monika
Published: September 2017

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a disease with a broad social impact. Excessive daytime sleepiness raises suspicion of OSA and together with polysomnography (PSG) is the basis for diagnosis. The Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) is used for objective assessment of daytime sleepiness. Many authors underline a high predictive value of this scale in selecting patients at risk of OSA. Moreover, there is a high agreement between the ESS and PSG. However, some authors oppose the use of this scale. We wanted to verify this issue based on our own data. We enrolled 120 patients who were referred to the Polysomnographic Laboratory, Department of Otolaryngology, Medical University of Warsaw with a suspicion of obstructive sleep apnea. All patients filled out the Epworth Sleepiness Scale. Overnight PSG was performed with 14-channel recordings (Grassm USA), including EEG, EMG, and recordings of the movements of the chest and abdomen. Airflow through the airways was recorded with a nasal-oral temperature probe. PSG was assessed automatically and manually; sleep stages were coded manually for each 30-second interval by a technician. Severity of OSA was assessed based on AHI. There were 96 patients with confirmed OSA and a control group of 24 patients with exclusion of OSA but with different disorders causing excessive daytime sleepiness. The average ESS scores were not significantly different between the subgroups, between genders, and in patients with different severity of OSA. ESS scores did not correlate significantly with any of the tested PSG parameters. In conclusion, the ESS should be used as an additional and only ancillary tool in assessing patients with suspected OSA.
Chronic sphenoid sinusitis with bone destruction – surgical treatment of five patients
Authors: Wardas Piotr , Piotrowska-Seweryn Agnieszka , Markowski Jarosław , Kaspera Maciej , Symela Joanna , Ślaska-Kaspera Aleksandra
Published: September 2017

Chronic sinusitis of the sphenoid sinus is a disease that can cause a number of complications, mainly intracranial and ophthalmic ones. The proximity of critical anatomical structures such as the internal carotid artery, cranial nerves, cavernous sinus, dura mater and cerebral lobes puts any or all of these at risk and challenge due to the disease process itself and in surgical management as well. Infiltration of bone structures or its damage in the mechanism of compression is recorded in cases of fungal rhinosinusitis (FRS), Wegener's granulomatosis or actinitis with manifestation in the area of the sinuses. The authors present five patients with chronic sinusitis with bone destruction of the sphenoid sinus. Suspicion of fungal etiology in all cases was based on computed tomography (CT) images. The authors pay particular attention to the role of functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS) in chronic sinusitis with bone destruction, especially of a fungal etiology.
Restoring Hope and Dignity CVT Manual
Authors: C Kastrup Marianne
Published: September 2017

The Restoring Hope and Dignity CVT Manual was developed by the Center for Victims of Torture in Minnesota and is meant for group counselling. It was made possible due to financial support from different US Agencies and the US Department of State’s Bureau of Population.
Psychological Torture: Definition, evaluation and measurement, By Pau Pérez-Sales
Authors: Jaranson Jim
Published: September 2017

Psychiatrist Pau Pérez-Sales has compiled a masterful and thorough analysis of an ambiguous but extremely important topic using a multidisciplinary approach. The book's objectives are to define torture, to build a theoretical framework for understanding and re-defining torture, to propose operational criteria for research, to propose working criteria for deciding whether a case constitutes torture and, finally, to propose adjustments in the Istanbul Protocol for documentation of torture.  The author has accomplished all of these objectives successfully in a book that is well-written and easy to read, even though he draws from the esoteric concepts and language of legal, political, and scientific fields.
Reproductive Freedom, Torture and International Human Rights: Challenging the Masculinization of Torture, By Ronli Sifris
Authors: Sveaass Nora
Published: September 2017

The title of the book could not be clearer about its key message. In the words of the author, it aims to “contribute to a feminist conceptualization of international human rights by examining restrictions on reproductive freedom through the lens of the right to be free from torture and CIDT [Cruel, Inhumane or Degrading Treatment]” (p8). Sifris’ book draws attention to the grave reality surrounding women’s reproductive freedom in numerous countries and, in particular, the severe restrictions on abortions and the practice of involuntary sterilizations. The author affirms how inhumane and dangerous it is for international law to overlook women’s choices in relation to their own bodies, and the consequences this may have, with many women suffering or dying because of lack of protection. The important question, which is not only raised but discussed in depth, is: how the prohibition against torture can actively be applied in this context?
Start-up Lost Time and its Effect on Signalized Intersections in Turkey
Authors: Çalışkanelli S. Pelin , Coşkun Atasever Figen , Tanyel Serhan
Published: September 2017

Start-up lost time is an important parameter in performance of signalized intersections which may in turn depict the effect of behaviour of different drivers for different countries. In this study the parameters affecting the startup lost time in Turkey will be defined and a model will be established to present the relationship between start-up lost time, saturation flow as well as start response time with the behaviour of Turkish drivers. For this purpose, observations were carried out at eight intersections in Turkey. Analyses have shown that saturation headways decrease with the increase in time in start response since the drivers in the 2nd and higher rows of a queue have a longer time to get prepared to discharge. Results also indicated that start-up lost time increases rapidly as cycle time increases, and lower start-up lost time values can be observed in left or right turning lanes.
Model for Predicting Traffic Signs Functional Service Life – The Republic of Croatia Case Study
Authors: Babić Dario , Babić Darko , Macura Dragana
Published: September 2017

Traffic signs are the basic elements of communication between the relevant road authorities and road users. They manage, regulate, inform and warn road users to ensure their safe movement throughout transport networks. Traffic signs must be timely visible to all traffic participants in all weather and traffic conditions in order to fulfil their function, which means they must have satisfactory retroreflection properties. This paper presents a research of the deterioration of traffic signs retroreflection. The aim of this article is to develop models that will effectively enable predicting the retroreflection of traffic signs and thus optimize the maintenance activities and replacement of road signs to increase road safety. The research included measurements of retroreflection of retroreflective material Classes I and II (white, red and blue colour) and Class III (red and yellow colour). Based on the collected data from the City of Zagreb (Republic of Croatia), the authors developed the models to estimate the functional service life of certain colours and materials used to make traffic signs. Considering that the average coefficient of determination for all the models is between 0.55-0.60, they present an effective tool in the traffic sign maintenance system.
Sexual behavior and practices of adolescent students in the city of Recife, Brazil
Authors: Castro José Flavio De Lima , Araújo Rodrigo Cappato de , Pitangui Ana Carolina Rodarti
Published: September 2017

Introduction: The adolescent sexuality should not be understood only from the biological point of view; it is necessary to consider the whole social context.Objective: To characterize the adolescents’ behavior and sexual practices , according to sex.Methods: Cross-sectional study with adolescents aged 14 to 19 years registered in the  Recife-PE state. A questionnaire with sociodemographic data and sexual behavior was used. The data were analyzed using SPSS, being employed a descriptive analysis and the tests chi-square and Mann-Whitney.Results: The data from 674 adolescents with an average age of 16.07 ± 1.46 years were analyzed. It was verified sexual initiation in 52.9% of boys and 38.7% girls. There was a significant difference between the number of partners (p = 0.001) with the boys showing greater quantitative. The barrier method was the most used in the first (68.8%) and last intercourse (52.2%). There was a significant difference in the first and last intercourse, in use (p = 0.006; p = 0.010) and type of contraceptive method (p= 0.001; p 0.001). Regarding the social network, riends were the most popular. However, it was observed a significant difference (p = 0.026), being the maternal figure more prevalent in girls. There was a significant difference in the absence of sexual initiation (p= 0.001). The lack of opportunity was the most reported condition by boys (52.2%) and marry virgin by the girls (33.9%).Conclusion: Most had already had sexual life, with higher prevalence in males. Regarding the sexual practices and behaviors in most conditions analyzed different values between the sexes were observed, with greater freedom and permissiveness in males.
Biochemical adaptations of the retina and retinal pigment epithelium support a metabolic ecosystem in the vertebrate eye
Authors: Kanow Mark A , Giarmarco Michelle M , Jankowski Connor SR , Tsantilas Kristine , Engel Abbi L , Du Jianhai , Linton Jonathan D , Farnsworth Christopher C , Sloat Stephanie R , Rountree Austin , Sweet Ian R , Lindsay Ken J , Parker Edward D , Brockerhoff Susan E , Sadilek Martin , Chao Jennifer R , Hurley James B
Published: September 2017

Here we report multiple lines of evidence for a comprehensive model of energy metabolism in the vertebrate eye. Metabolic flux, locations of key enzymes, and our finding that glucose enters mouse and zebrafish retinas mostly through photoreceptors support a conceptually new model for retinal metabolism. In this model, glucose from the choroidal blood passes through the retinal pigment epithelium to the retina where photoreceptors convert it to lactate. Photoreceptors then export the lactate as fuel for the retinal pigment epithelium and for neighboring Müller glial cells. We used human retinal epithelial cells to show that lactate can suppress consumption of glucose by the retinal pigment epithelium. Suppression of glucose consumption in the retinal pigment epithelium can increase the amount of glucose that reaches the retina. This framework for understanding metabolic relationships in the vertebrate retina provides new insights into the underlying causes of retinal disease and age-related vision loss.
Constructing three emotion knowledge tests from the invariant measurement approach
Authors: Delgado Ana R. , Prieto Gerardo , Burin Debora I.
Published: September 2017

Background

Psychological constructionist models like the Conceptual Act Theory (CAT) postulate that complex states such as emotions are composed of basic psychological ingredients that are more clearly respected by the brain than basic emotions. The objective of this study was the construction and initial validation of Emotion Knowledge measures from the CAT frame by means of an invariant measurement approach, the Rasch Model (RM). Psychological distance theory was used to inform item generation.

Methods

Three EK tests—emotion vocabulary (EV), close emotional situations (CES) and far emotional situations (FES)—were constructed and tested with the RM in a community sample of 100 females and 100 males (age range: 18–65), both separately and conjointly.

Results

It was corroborated that data-RM fit was sufficient. Then, the effect of type of test and emotion on Rasch-modelled item difficulty was tested. Significant effects of emotion on EK item difficulty were found, but the only statistically significant difference was that between “happiness” and the remaining emotions; neither type of test, nor interaction effects on EK item difficulty were statistically significant. The testing of gender differences was carried out after corroborating that differential item functioning (DIF) would not be a plausible alternative hypothesis for the results. No statistically significant sex-related differences were found out in EV, CES, FES, or total EK. However, the sign of d indicate that female participants were consistently better than male ones, a result that will be of interest for future meta-analyses.

Discussion

The three EK tests are ready to be used as components of a higher-level measurement process.
Complete Implementation of the Green's Function Based Time Reverse Imaging and Sensitivity Analysis of Reversed Time Tsunami Source Inversion
Authors: Hossen M. J. , Cummins P. R. , Satake K.
Published: September 2017

In recent studies, the Time Reverse Imaging (TRI) method has been implemented in tsunami science to estimate tsunami source models. A TRI algorithm called Green's Function Based Time Reverse Imaging (GFTRI) was previously developed to reconstruct the source model by using source inversion as a guide to appropriately scale time‐reversed images of the tsunami source. In this article, we consider a more complete approach to source inversion using reversed time images of the tsunami source by considering cross correlations among Green's functions. As a consequence, the performance of the method improves significantly. We tested this new algorithm using data from the 2011 Japan tsunami. Our results show that the method is capable of extracting more details of the source and providing excellent waveform fits at all stations, including those not used in the source imaging. We have also studied the sensitivity analysis of reversed time tsunami source inversion and found that the method is less sensitive to the number of stations, once a minimum number of stations is utilized. Moreover, this new approach is able to estimate the tsunami source with reasonable accuracy using data available soon after an earthquake, which indicates that it has potential to be used in both near‐ and far‐field tsunami forecasting.
A Dynamic Model of Mercury's Magnetospheric Magnetic Field
Authors: Korth Haje , Johnson Catherine L. , Philpott Lydia , Tsyganenko Nikolai A. , Anderson Brian J.
Published: September 2017

Mercury's solar wind and interplanetary magnetic field environment is highly dynamic, and variations in these external conditions directly control the current systems and magnetic fields inside the planetary magnetosphere. We update our previous static model of Mercury's magnetic field by incorporating variations in the magnetospheric current systems, parameterized as functions of Mercury's heliocentric distance and magnetic activity. The new, dynamic model reproduces the location of the magnetopause current system as a function of systematic pressure variations encountered during Mercury's eccentric orbit, as well as the increase in the cross‐tail current intensity with increasing magnetic activity. Despite the enhancements in the external field parameterization, the residuals between the observed and modeled magnetic field inside the magnetosphere indicate that the dynamic model achieves only a modest overall improvement over the previous static model. The spatial distribution of the residuals in the magnetic field components shows substantial improvement of the model accuracy near the dayside magnetopause. Elsewhere, the large‐scale distribution of the residuals is similar to those of the static model. This result implies either that magnetic activity varies much faster than can be determined from the spacecraft's passage through the magnetosphere or that the residual fields are due to additional external current systems not represented in the model or both. Birkeland currents flowing along magnetic field lines between the magnetosphere and planetary high‐latitude regions have been identified as one such contribution.
Quantifying CO2 Emissions From Individual Power Plants From Space
Authors: Nassar Ray , Hill Timothy G. , McLinden Chris A. , Wunch Debra , Jones Dylan B. A. , Crisp David
Published: September 2017

In order to better manage anthropogenic CO2 emissions, improved methods of quantifying emissions are needed at all spatial scales from the national level down to the facility level. Although the Orbiting Carbon Observatory 2 (OCO‐2) satellite was not designed for monitoring power plant emissions, we show that in some cases, CO2 observations from OCO‐2 can be used to quantify daily CO2 emissions from individual middle‐ to large‐sized coal power plants by fitting the data to plume model simulations. Emission estimates for U.S. power plants are within 1–17% of reported daily emission values, enabling application of the approach to international sites that lack detailed emission information. This affirms that a constellation of future CO2 imaging satellites, optimized for point sources, could monitor emissions from individual power plants to support the implementation of climate policies.
Using Noble Gas Measurements to Derive Air‐Sea Process Information and Predict Physical Gas Saturations
Authors: Hamme Roberta C. , Emerson Steven R. , Severinghaus Jeffrey P. , Long Matthew C. , Yashayaev Igor
Published: September 2017

Dissolved gas distributions are important because they influence oceanic habitats and Earth's climate, yet competing controls by biology and physics make gas distributions challenging to predict. Bubble‐mediated gas exchange, temperature change, and varying atmospheric pressure all push gases away from equilibrium. Here we use new noble gas measurements from the Labrador Sea to demonstrate a technique to quantify physical processes. Our analysis shows that water‐mass formation can be represented by a quasi steady state in which bubble fluxes and cooling push gases away from equilibrium balanced by diffusive gas exchange forcing gases toward equilibrium. We quantify the rates of these physical processes from our measurements, allowing direct comparison to gas exchange parameterizations, and predict the physically driven saturation of other gases. This technique produces predictions that reasonably match N2/Ar observations and demonstrates that physical processes should force SF6 to be ∼6% more supersaturated than CFC‐11 and CFC‐12, impacting ventilation age calculations.
Magnetic field dose effects on different radiation beam geometries for hypofractionated partial breast irradiation
Authors: Kim Anthony , Lim‐Reinders Stephanie , McCann Claire , Ahmad Syed Bilal , Sahgal Arjun , Lee Justin , Keller Brian M.
Published: September 2017

Purpose

Hypofractionated partial breast irradiation (HPBI) involves treatment to the breast tumor using high doses per fraction. Recent advances in MRI‐Linac solutions have potential in being applied to HPBI due to gains in the soft tissue contrast of MRI; however, there are potentially deleterious effects of the magnetic field on the dose distribution. The purpose of this work is to determine the effects of the magnetic field on the dose distribution for HPBI tumors using a tangential beam arrangement (TAN), 5‐beam intensity‐modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), and volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT).

Methods

Five patients who have received HPBI were selected with two patients having bilateral disease resulting in a total of two tumors in this study. Six planning configurations were created using a treatment planning system capable of modeling magnetic field dose effects: TAN, IMRT and VMAT beam geometries, each of these optimized with and without a transverse magnetic field of 1.5 T.

Results

The heart and lung doses were not statistically significant when comparing plan configurations. The magnetic field had a demonstrated effect on skin dose: for VMAT plans, the skin (defined to a depth of 3 mm) D1cc was elevated by +11% and the V30 by +146%; for IMRT plans, the skin D1cc was increased by +18% and the V30 by +149%. Increasing the number of beam angles (e.g., going from IMRT to VMAT) with the magnetic field on reduced the skin dose.

Conclusion

The impact of a magnetic field on HPBI dose distributions was analyzed. The heart and lung doses had clinically negligible effects caused by the magnetic field. The magnetic field increases the skin dose; however, this can be mitigated by increasing the number of beam angles.
Comparison of initial patient setup accuracy between surface imaging and three point localization: A retrospective analysis
Authors: Stanley Dennis N. , McConnell Kristen A. , Kirby Neil , Gutiérrez Alonso N. , Papanikolaou Nikos , Rasmussen Karl
Published: September 2017

Purpose

Historically, the process of positioning a patient prior to imaging verification used a set of permanent patient marks, or tattoos, placed subcutaneously. After aligning to these tattoos, plan specific shifts are applied and the position is verified with imaging, such as cone‐beam computed tomography (CBCT). Due to a variety of factors, these marks may deviate from the desired position or it may be hard to align the patient to these marks. Surface‐based imaging systems are an alternative method of verifying initial positioning with the entire skin surface instead of tattoos. The aim of this study was to retrospectively compare the CBCT‐based 3D corrections of patients initially positioned with tattoos against those positioned with the C‐RAD CatalystHD surface imager system.

Methods

A total of 6000 individual fractions (600–900 per site per method) were randomly selected and the post‐CBCT 3D corrections were calculated and recorded. For both positioning methods, four common treatment site combinations were evaluated: pelvis/lower extremities, abdomen, chest/upper extremities, and breast. Statistical differences were evaluated using a paired sample Wilcoxon signed‐rank test with significance level of <0.01.

Results

The average magnitudes of the 3D shift vectors for tattoos were 0.9 ± 0.4 cm, 1.0 ± 0.5 cm, 0.9 ± 0.6 cm and 1.4 ± 0.7 cm for the pelvis/lower extremities, abdomen, chest/upper extremities and breast, respectively. For the CatalystHD, the average magnitude of the 3D shifts for the pelvis/lower extremities, abdomen, chest/upper extremities and breast were 0.6 ± 0.3 cm, 0.5 ± 0.3 cm, 0.5 ± 0.3 cm and 0.6 ± 0.2 cm, respectively. Statistically significant differences (P < 0.01) in the 3D shift vectors were found for all four sites.

Conclusion

This study shows that the overall 3D shift corrections for patients initially aligned with the C‐RAD CatalystHD were significantly smaller than those aligned with subcutaneous tattoos. Surface imaging systems can be considered a viable option for initial patient setup and may be preferable to permanent marks for specific clinics and patients.
Unlocking the Single‐Domain Epitaxy of Halide Perovskites
Authors: Wang Lili , Chen Pei , Thongprong Non , Young Margaret , Kuttipillai Padmanaban S. , Jiang Chuanpeng , Zhang Pengpeng , Sun Kai , Duxbury Phillip M. , Lunt Richard R.
Published: September 2017

The growth of epitaxial semiconductors and oxides has long since revolutionized the electronics and optics fields, and continues to be exploited to uncover new physics stemming from quantum interactions. While the recent emergence of halide perovskites offers exciting new opportunities for a range of thin‐film electronics, the principles of epitaxy have yet to be applied to this new class of materials and the full potential of these materials is still not yet known. In this work, single‐domain inorganic halide perovskite epitaxy is demonstrated. This is enabled by reactive vapor phase deposition onto single crystal metal halide substrates with congruent ionic interactions. For the archetypical halide perovskite, cesium tin bromide, two epitaxial phases, a cubic phase and tetragonal phase, are uncovered which emerge via stoichiometry control that are both stabilized with vastly differing lattice constants and accommodated via epitaxial rotation. This epitaxial growth is exploited to demonstrate multilayer 2D quantum wells of a halide‐perovskite system. This work ultimately unlocks new routes to push halide perovskites to their full potential.
Catanionic Coacervate Droplets as a Surfactant‐Based Membrane‐Free Protocell Model
Authors: Douliez Jean‐Paul , Martin Nicolas , Gaillard Cédric , Beneyton Thomas , Baret Jean‐Christophe , Mann Stephen , Beven Laure
Published: September 2017

We report on the formation of surfactant‐based complex catanionic coacervate droplets in mixtures of decanoic acid and cetylpyridinium chloride or cetyltrimethylammonium bromide. We show that coacervation occurs over a broad range of composition, pH, and ionic strength. The catanionic coacervates consist of elongated micelles, sequester a wide range of solutes including water‐soluble organic dyes, polysaccharides, proteins, enzymes, and DNA, and can be structurally stabilized by sodium alginate or gelatin‐based hydrogelation. These results suggest that catanionic coacervates could be exploited as a novel surfactant‐based membrane‐free protocell model.
Characteristics of different mesh types for abdominal wall repair in an experimental model of peritonitis
Authors: Kaufmann R , Jairam A P , Mulder I M , Wu Z , Verhelst J , Vennix S , Giesen L J X , Clahsen-van Groningen M C , Jeekel J , Lange J F
Published: September 2017

Background

The use of synthetic mesh to repair a potentially contaminated incisional hernia may lead to higher failure rates. A biological mesh might be considered, but little is known about long-term results. Both biological and synthetic meshes were investigated in an experimental model of peritonitis to assess their characteristics in vivo.

Methods

Male Wistar rats were randomized into five groups and peritonitis was induced. A mesh was implanted after 24 h. Five meshes were investigated: Permacol™ (cross-linked collagen), Strattice™ (non-cross-linked collagen), XCM Biologic® (non-cross-linked collagen), Omyra® Mesh (condensed polytetrafluoroethylene) and Parietene™ (polypropylene). The rats were killed after either 30, 90 or 180 days. Incorporation and shrinkage of the mesh, adhesion coverage, strength of adhesions and histology were analysed.

Results

Of 135 rats randomized, 18 died from peritonitis. Some 180 days after implantation, both XCM Biologic® and Permacol™ had significantly better incorporation than Strattice™ (P = 0·003 and P = 0·009 respectively). Strattice™ had significantly fewer adhesions than XCM Biologic® (P = 0·001) and Permacol™ (P = 0·020). Thirty days after implantation, Permacol™ had significantly stronger adhesions than Strattice™ (P < 0·001). Shrinkage was most prominent in XCM Biologic®, but no significant difference was found compared with the other meshes. Histological analysis revealed marked differences in foreign body response among all meshes.

Conclusion

This experimental study suggested that XCM Biologic® was superior in terms of incorporation, macroscopic mesh infection, and histological parameters such as collagen deposition and neovascularization. There must be sufficient overlap of mesh during placement, as XCM Biologic® showed a high rate of shrinkage. Surgical relevanceThe use of synthetic mesh to repair a potentially contaminated incisional hernia is not supported unequivocally, and may lead to a higher failure rate. A biological mesh might be considered as an alternative. There are few long-term studies, as these meshes are expensive and rarely used.This study evaluated the use of biological mesh in a contaminated environment, and investigated whether there is an ideal mesh. A new non-cross-linked biological mesh (XCM Biologic®) was evaluated in this experiment.The new non-cross-linked biological mesh XCM Biologic® performed best and may be useful in patients with a potentially contaminated incisional hernia.
Hemophagocytic syndrome in pregnancy: case report, diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis
Authors: Rousselin Aline , Alavi Zarrin , Le Moigne Emmanuelle , Renard Sarah , Tremouilhac Christophe , Delluc Aurélien , Merviel Philippe
Published: September 2017

Key Clinical Message

Diagnosis of hemophagocytic syndrome remains a challenge in particular during pregnancy. Concomitant presence of clinical and biological signs, for example, fever, pancytopenia, hyperferritinemia, and hypertriglyceridemia, should alert clinicians to suspect HPS and proceed to prompt treatments.
Vaccine‐associated measles in an immunocompetent child
Authors: Sood Shawn B. , Suthar Krishna , Martin Kimberly , Mather Keith
Published: September 2017

Key Clinical Message

We present a rare case of vaccine‐associated measles infection in an immunocompetent, HIV‐negative patient in the United States. This case depicts the impressive rash our patient manifested and highlights the importance of reviewing public health interventions to determine epidemiological links in geographical areas with low incidence of measles.
03.27: Punching shear behaviour of an innovative connection between steel tubular column to flat concrete slab
Authors: Wang Yongchang , Yu Junlong
Published: September 2017

This paper presents the results of an experimental investigation into the punching shear behaviour and resistance of a simple and effective method of connection between steel tubular column and concrete flat slab using welded shear studs. The shear stud used is the same type as used in conventional steel/concrete composite beams. A major difference between the shear stud behaviour in the proposed system and in composite beam is that in the proposed system, the amount of concrete available to resist punching shear is limited due to small depth of the flat concrete slab. The experimental studies have investigated the effects on punching shear behaviour and resistance of the proposed shear connection system under different design variables including concrete depth above the shear stud, concrete grade, and shear stud dimensions (length and diameter). The results indicate that it is possible to use the proposed simple connection system to provide sufficient punching shear resistance in realistic flat slab construction. Punching shear resistance is dependent on the concrete depth above shear stud. Concrete grade is also important, however, it is the concrete tensile strength that directly determines punching shear resistance. The dimensions of shear stud have relatively minor influences.
03.28: Performance of cruciform finite elements that model 2D steel joints with beams of unequal depth in frame analysis
Authors: Bayo Eduardo , Loureiro Alfonso , Lopez Manuel
Published: September 2017

This paper deals with the performance evaluation of cruciform finite elements with 4 nodes and 12 degrees of freedom that model 2D steel joints with beams of unequal depth in frame analysis. These elements are capable of modelling joints that have double rectangular panels, with or without horizontal stiffeners in the panel zone, due to beams of different depths at both sides of the joint. In addition, these cruciform elements are suitable for simple, rigid and semi‐rigid connections and therefore can be used for the global analysis of semi‐rigid steel frames. The performance of these elements is assessed by analysing steel frames under different loading conditions, and comparing the results with complete finite element models.

The characteristics of these elements (stiffness and resistance) are generated by a previously proposed displacement based modal approach. All the forces and moments coming from the adjacent beams and columns concur at the joint, therefore, the complete force field in the panel zones is known with no need for a transformation parameter β (EC3‐Part 1.8). The proposed element also avoid the use of mechanical models (composed of springs and rigid bars) for frame analyses, which add complexity, numerical overhead —consequence of the larger number of degrees of freedom— and possible round off errors (due to the rigid bars) in the solution process.

In addition, since the real dimensions of the joint are included in the proposed elements, the eccentric moments are automatically taken into account. Also, the interaction between the deep and the shallow sides of the column double panels are considered. Numerical simulations and comparison with complete finite element models are carried out that show the validity and computational efficiency of these elements.
03.31: Influence of design parameters on mechanic behavior of prefabircated self‐centering beam‐column connection with a bolted web friction device
Authors: Zhang Yanxia. , Liu Anran. , Shao Dinan. , Liu Xuechun.
Published: September 2017

A new prefabricated self‐centering beam‐column connection (hereafter known as PSCC) using the bolted web friction devices has been proposed. The connection can avoid the on‐site aerial tension for high‐rise buildings. Experimental study and the numerical simulation have been carried out to investigate the mechanic performance of PSCC. In this thesis, on the basis of coincidence of experimental results and numerical simulation analysis results, the panel zone strength, the cable forces are selected as parameters to investigate initial stiffness, gap‐opening stiffness, imminent moment of gap‐opening, maximum gap‐opening moment, cable forces of the connection of the new type PSCC under various working conditions through the finite element software ABAQUS. From the FEA results, it can be verified that initial stiffness, gap opening stiffness, critical moment and cable force increases with the development of the panel zone strength, the energy dissipating coefficient not change much. The plasticity in panel zone decreases, but the minimum plastic development in flanges and webs of the short‐beam portions occur in the connection with medium panel zone strength. Additionally, increase of the cable forces are identified to have influence on developing the initial stiffness, gap opening stiffness, critical moment, while it may decrease the dissipating coefficient, and develop the plasticity in main parts of PSCC. The parametric analysis can lay foundation for the further performance based design towards PSCC.
03.32: Analytical prediction of moment‐rotation behaviour of austenitic stainless steel bolted connections
Authors: Hasan Mohammad Jobaer , Ashraf Mahmud , Uy Brian
Published: September 2017

Steel framework is one of the most commonly used structural systems in modern construction and beam‐to‐column connections play a significant role in overall performance of the structure. Semi‐rigid behaviour of steel connections was investigated both experimentally and numerically over the last few decades. Stainless steel alloys are now increasingly used in construction industry owing to their superior material properties such as corrosion resistance, higher strength, enhanced ductility, significantly lower maintenance cost and attractive appearance. In this study, the performance of stainless steel top‐seat with or without double web angle (DWA) bolted connections are analytically investigated using a proposed four parameter power model assuming plastic hinges are formed in the connected angles. The proposed analytical model can predict the moment‐rotation behaviour using four key connection parameters such as initial stiffness, strain hardening stiffness, reference plastic rotation and shape parameter. These key parameters were expressed as functions of easily obtainable geometric and material properties. This model allows to predict complete moment‐rotation curves for stainless steel connections using the knowledge of easily available properties and configurations of the connecting elements. Analytically predicted moment‐rotation curves were compared with those obtained using 3D finite element models, and showed good agreement with actual connection behaviour.
04.04: Buckling of elastic cylindrical shells under symmetric but non‐uniform bending moment distributions
Authors: Wang Jie , Sadowski Adam J.
Published: September 2017

The behaviour of cylindrical shells and circular hollow sections under uniform bending has long received significant research attention. This is mainly due to the phenomenon of Brazier cross‐sectional ovalisation which is known to lead to an almost 50% reduction in the buckling moment relative to the classical analytical prediction. However, very little research appears to have been carried out to investigate the ovalisation behaviour under non‐uniform bending moment distributions (BMDs). This appears to be because until only relatively recently, most studies on the topic were analytical in nature which made the buckling analysis of anything but a uniform BMD difficult. With the rise of modern computing it is now possible to undertake extensive parametric studies to investigate any desired load condition.

This paper employs the finite element method to explore the elastic stability of perfect simply‐supported cylinders or tubes under load cases that represent symmetric parabolic and triangular BMDs, and to compare them with the behaviour under the hitherto most‐commonly studied uniform BMD. Each non‐uniform BMD is investigated by four different three‐dimensional shell loading arrangements. While these all share the same resultant BMD, they exhibit very different buckling behaviours illustrating the ambiguity inherent in realistically modelling such systems. This is a consequence of the loss of uniqueness when projecting a 1D construct onto a 3D space.

In addition to linear bifurcation analyses, nonlinear elastic buckling analyses are presented to explore the effect of ovalisation at long lengths under the proposed loading arrangements. It is found that ovalisation becomes fully developed at approximately the same dimensionless length and leads to a similar ∼50% reduction in the buckling strength of asymptotically long cylinders for almost any representation of the three considered symmetric BMDs.
04.08: Investigations on the buckling behaviour of slender high strength steel plates under multiaxial stresses
Authors: Pourostad Vahid , Zizza Antonio , Kuhlmann Ulrike
Published: September 2017

Current design code EN 1993‐1‐5 [1] offers, apart from the possibility of using the Finite Element Method, generally two different methods for the design of slender plates subjected to plate buckling. The first method, called “effective width method”, is based on the reduction of the cross‐section area. The second method, which may be used for the design of plated structures, is the so called “reduced stress method”. It is a classic concept that limits the allowable stresses in the plate and uses a kind of von‐Mises criterion to check the combination of different stresses. The reduction of the allowable stresses in comparison with the full strength is a function of the slenderness of the considered plate and depends on the critical buckling stress. For the “reduced stress method”, according to EN 1993‐1‐5 the determination of the plate slenderness is based on the complete stress field, resulting in a single plate slenderness without the differentiation for the individual acting forces. This gives theoretically the possibility of also considering tension stresses for a multiaxially loaded plate subjected to buckling, as there is a direct influence when determining the plate slenderness.

Furthermore, recent investigations conducted by [2] on unstiffened plates under biaxial compression, showed that the current rules EN 1993‐1‐5 may give unsafe results, so that a correction is proposed by introducing a so‐called “V‐factor” in the design formula. [4] presented the influence of tension stresses on the buckling behaviour of multiaxially loaded plates and developed a “V‐factor” for the tension‐compression interaction domain to profit from the favourable effects of tension stresses.

The aim of this paper, based on [4], is to show experimental as well as numerical analyses on the buckling behaviour of multiaxially loaded high strength steel plates. The numerical simulations are compared to the test results. Furthermore, the validity of the proposed V‐factor is studied. Thus, the investigations increase the insight in the buckling behaviour under multiaxial stress states allowing for an enhancement of the current design rules, focusing on the reduced stress method according to Chapter 10, EN 1993‐1‐5.
04.09: Cylindrically curved steel panels in bridge design: Buckling and post‐buckling behaviour under shear stresses
Authors: Ljubinković Filip , Martins João Pedro , da Silva Luís Simões
Published: September 2017

The main goal of this work is to investigate the behaviour of the cylindrically curved steel panels subjected to pure in‐plane shear stresses. The most relevant works regarding the simply supported curved panels under shear stresses were firstly revised and based on these studies the numerical models were calibrated. As one of the main objectives of this study, the influnce of aspect ratio and curvature parameter on both elastic buckling and post‐buckling behavior of curved panels was analysed. Regarding the curvature parameter, it was concluded that the higher curvatures in general lead to the increased critical buckling load and moreover to the shell‐like behaviour, which result in rather unstable post‐critical behaviour. As for the aspect ratio effect, due to the reduction of the initial stiffness, the higher aspect ratios lead to the drop in buckling load, and thus also lower post‐buckling reserves. On the other hand, the curved panels with low aspect ratio, showed a behaviour similar to the panels with the high curvatures parameters, which is characterized by sudden drop in bearing capacity and huge deflections after the critical load is reached. Furthermore, using the fully non‐linear numerical simulations, the imperfection sensitivity of the curved panels was examined, where, in particular, shape, amplitude and sign of the imperfections were varied. It was concluded that the panels with the higher curvatures as well as the non‐squared panels are more sensitive to the imperfections. Concerning the shape effect, it is more emphasized in case of the panels with the smaller radii, where it may have an impact on the post‐buckling behaviour. Finally, regarding the sign of the imperfections, it was proven that both directions of imperfections have to be verified in order to obtain the most unfavourable behaviour. The sign sensitivity is particularly noticed for the panels which buckle in symmetric buckling mode.