bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Clinical impact of the interstitial lung disease multidisciplinary service
Authors: Jo Helen E. , Glaspole Ian N. , Levin Kovi C. , McCormack Samuel R. , Mahar Annabelle M. , Cooper Wendy A. , Cameron Rhoda , Ellis Samantha J. , Cottee Alice M. , Webster Susanne E. , Troy Lauren K. , Torzillo Paul J. , Corte Peter , Symons Karen M. , Taylor Nicole , Corte Tamera J.
Published: July 2016

Background and objective

Multidisciplinary discussions (MDDs) have been shown to improve diagnostic accuracy in interstitial lung disease (ILD) diagnosis. However, their clinical impact on patient care has never been clearly demonstrated. We describe the effect that an ILD multidisciplinary service has upon the diagnosis and management of patients with suspected ILD.

Methods

Patients at two specialized centres with suspected ILD underwent ILD multidisciplinary team review (ILD‐MDT) (standard ILD clinic visit and diagnostic review at ILD‐MDD). We compared changes in ILD diagnosis and management at referral to those following the ILD‐MDT.

Results

Ninety patients, 60% males (54/90), aged 67.3 years (SD = 11.4) were reviewed for suspected ILD. Overall, the ILD‐MDT resulted in a change in specific ILD diagnosis in 48/90 (53%) patients. Of the 27 patients referred with a diagnosis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), the diagnosis was changed at MDD in 10 patients. In contrast, seven patients had their diagnosis changed to IPF. There was also a significant reduction in ‘unclassifiable’ diseases and disease behaviour classifications provided additional information beyond ILD diagnosis.

Conclusion

Dedicated tertiary ILD‐MDT service has an important clinical impact on the care of the ILD patient, with frequent changes in ILD diagnosis and subsequent management. Further research to investigate long‐term clinical outcomes of ILD‐MDT is required.
Embodied Carbon Tariffs
Authors: Böhringer Christoph , Carbone Jared C. , Rutherford Thomas F.
Published: July 2016

In this paper, we investigate the economic and environmental impacts of tariffs on carbon embodied in trade. We find that carbon tariffs do reduce foreign emissions, but their ability to improve global cost‐effectiveness of unilateral climate policy is quite limited – even if tariff rates are based on more sophisticated second‐best considerations. If carbon tariffs are levied on the full carbon content of traded goods, they can even increase rather than decrease the global cost of emission reduction. The main effect of carbon tariffs is to shift the economic burden of developed‐world climate policies to the developing world.
Explaining Disagreement on Interest Rates in a Taylor‐Rule Setting
Authors: Dräger Lena , Lamla Michael J.
Published: July 2016

Most studies on disagreement focus on one specific variable, thereby neglecting the fact that disagreement can be co‐moving with disagreement on other variables. In this paper, we explore to what extent disagreement regarding the interest rate is driven by disagreement on inflation and unemployment. This relationship can be motivated by the theoretical concept of the Taylor rule. Using survey microdata for both professional forecasters and consumers, we provide evidence that disagreement on the interest rate is mainly driven by disagreement on inflation. We further show that disagreement is significantly influenced by central bank transparency, as well as news on money and credit conditions.
Fast and Dense 2D and 3D Displacement Field Estimation by a Highly Parallel Image Correlation Algorithm
Authors: Le Besnerais G. , Le Sant Y. , Lévêque D.
Published: July 2016

This paper describes a fast method for estimation of dense 2D and 3D displacement fields from image correlation. It is based on a previously published local, or window‐based, optical flow algorithm which is ideally suited for parallel processors. We describe the algorithm, its extension to stereo image correlation and its implementation on Graphical Processing Unit (GPU). We present the properties of the estimated displacement fields on simulated images and evaluate their accuracy on real data from a rigid body movement experiment. The main features of the method are a dense output (i.e. a 2D or 3D displacement vector per pixel) and a highly parallel structure which allows very high computational performance. A pair of 4 megapixels stereoscopic images is processed in less than 0.2 s. on a Titan GPU. Finally, we present and comment several experimental results obtained with the proposed method during mechanical experiments conducted at ONERA.
DP‐Internal Modal Particles: A Case Study of German JA
Authors: Trotzke Andreas
Published: July 2016

In this paper, I investigate the DP‐internal occurrence of the German modal particle ja. I first demonstrate what kind of attributive configurations seem to prefer the presence of the particle ja inside the DP domain. In this context, I focus on the occurrence of particles within simple‐adjective configurations and examine the roles of restrictive and so‐called extreme content. I demonstrate that the DP‐internal occurrence of modal particles cannot be analyzed analogous to the occurrence of modal particles in other attributive constructions such as certain types of relative clauses. Given this demonstration, I sketch a fine‐grained syntactic representation of DP‐internal particles, and I point out parallels to the functional makeup of CPs.
Can phosphorus fertilizers sparingly soluble in water decrease phosphorus leaching loss from an acid peat soil?
Authors: Simmonds B. , McDowell R. W. , Condron L. M. , Cox N.
Published: July 2016

The potential risk of phosphorus (P) loss in surface run‐off can be decreased using sparingly soluble forms of P fertilizer (e.g. reactive phosphate rock (RPR)). However, it is unclear whether RPR can decrease P loss in leachate, especially when applied to soils with a small anion storage capacity (viz. P sorption capacity) and pH. Our hypothesis was that at low soil pH, the solubility of RPR would increase and result in P losses in leachate similar to those receiving single superphosphate (SSP), but at higher pH, less P would be lost from soils receiving RPR than SSP. Lysimeters containing a crushed, sieved acid mesic Organic (viz. peat) subsoil (30–60 cm) were limed to pH 4.5, 5.5 or 6.5 and treated with SSP or RPR at rates of 0, 50, 100 or 200 kg P/ha. Lysimeters were sown with ryegrass and watered over 12 months under controlled conditions and the leachate collected. Losses of filtered (< 0.45 μm) reactive inorganic P (FRP) and unreactive or organic P (FUP) in leachate were greatest for pH 4.5 treatments and least for the pH 6.5 treatments. The difference in FRP and FUP leachate losses in RPR‐ and SSP‐treated soils was smaller at pH 4.5 and 5.5, and increased at pH 6.5 as losses from soils receiving RPR decreased compared to those receiving SSP. The results suggest that RPR can be used as a strategy to decrease P losses in leachate from an acid Organic soil with small P sorption capacity when limed to > pH 5.5.
Farmer knowledge, perception and management of soils in the Las Vegas agricultural district, Madrid, Spain
Authors: Barbero‐Sierra C. , Marques M. J. , Ruíz‐Pérez M. , Bienes R. , Cruz‐Maceín J. L.
Published: July 2016

A sample group of 119 farmers from a semi‐arid district of Madrid was interviewed to determine the knowledge of individuals about soil conservation and management. Farmers commonly identify physical factors in the landscape that are visually recognizable and those chemical factors that clearly affect productivity. Often, factors, such as salinity or pH that require laboratory analysis, are less readily identified. Farmer knowledge of soils is influenced by their main source of income, gender, education and age. Although there is a high degree of correspondence between scientific and traditional knowledge of soil, some gaps have been identified, notably those related to erosion. Key steps identified for promoting the adoption of sustainable soil management practices to farmers were as follows: involvement of public institutions, the need for increased agricultural prices and an improvement in training and public awareness. Farmers were aware of their own limitations and demanded capacity building, technical and policy support.
Engaging the Borders: Empathy, Religious Studies, and Pre‐Professional Fields
Authors: Trothen Tracy J.
Published: July 2016

This article proposes that religious studies instructors can gain pedagogical insights regarding the value and teaching of empathy from pre‐professional health care and counseling fields. I present research findings from these fields to support claims that empathic skills are teachable. I then show that empathy has been established within the field of religious studies as important in order to understand the beliefs of the religious other. I conclude that religious studies educators should be concerned about how to teach empathy, and suggest that pre‐professional research findings point us in the direction of how to do this. Experiential exercises such as role‐playing and other simulation exercises seem to be most effective in teaching empathic skills. I present examples that demonstrate how listening exercises and the role‐playing of cases can be used in the religious studies classroom and can assist in the development of empathy for the religious other.
Recurrent trichosporonosis with central nervous system involvement in an allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipient
Authors: Thien S.Y. , Chung S.J. , Tan A.L. , Hwang W.Y.K. , Tan B.H. , Tan T.T.
Published: July 2016

Trichosporon is an ubiquitous yeast that has emerged as an opportunistic pathogen in the immunocompromised host. We describe a case of invasive trichosporonosis in an allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (allo‐HSCT) recipient while on caspofungin antifungal prophylaxis. She developed disseminated trichosporonosis in the pre‐engraftment period and was successfully treated with voriconazole. She later developed 2 further episodes of invasive trichosporonosis involving the central nervous system. This case highlights the challenges of managing trichosporonosis in allo‐HSCT recipients and suggests the need for lifelong therapy in some patients.
The Latent Structure of Dictionaries
Authors: Vincent‐Lamarre Philippe , Massé Alexandre Blondin , Lopes Marcos , Lord Mélanie , Marcotte Odile , Harnad Stevan
Published: July 2016

How many words—and which ones—are sufficient to define all other words? When dictionaries are analyzed as directed graphs with links from defining words to defined words, they reveal a latent structure. Recursively removing all words that are reachable by definition but that do not define any further words reduces the dictionary to a Kernel of about 10% of its size. This is still not the smallest number of words that can define all the rest. About 75% of the Kernel turns out to be its Core, a “Strongly Connected Subset” of words with a definitional path to and from any pair of its words and no word's definition depending on a word outside the set. But the Core cannot define all the rest of the dictionary. The 25% of the Kernel surrounding the Core consists of small strongly connected subsets of words: the Satellites. The size of the smallest set of words that can define all the rest—the graph's “minimum feedback vertex set” or MinSet—is about 1% of the dictionary, about 15% of the Kernel, and part‐Core/part‐Satellite. But every dictionary has a huge number of MinSets. The Core words are learned earlier, more frequent, and less concrete than the Satellites, which are in turn learned earlier, more frequent, but more concrete than the rest of the Dictionary. In principle, only one MinSet's words would need to be grounded through the sensorimotor capacity to recognize and categorize their referents. In a dual‐code sensorimotor/symbolic model of the mental lexicon, the symbolic code could do all the rest through recombinatory definition.
Co‐sensitization and cross‐reactivity between related and unrelated food allergens in dogs – a serological study
Authors: Bexley Jennifer , Nuttall Timothy J. , Hammerberg Bruce , Halliwell Richard E.
Published: July 2016

Background

Knowledge of cross‐reactivity between foods is useful so that potentially cross‐reactive allergens can be avoided in diet trials.

Hypothesis/Objectives

To evaluate allergenic cross‐reactivity in related foods.

Animals

Sera from 469 dogs with suspected adverse food reactions.

Methods

An IgE‐based serological assay using 19 food allergens was performed in 469 dogs. Pairwise comparisons were used to calculate the odds ratios (ORs) for each food pair, with significance atP< 0.0002 by Holm–Bonferroni correction, both in all 469 dogs and in the 261 of 469 dogs with at least one positive reaction. One‐wayANOVAwith Tukey's post hoc tests (significance atP< 0.05) were used to test for differences between mean logEORs in different food groups. Inhibition enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) were performed to assess allergenic cross‐reactivity between beef, lamb and cow's milk.

Results

Significant associations were observed between both related and unrelated food pairs. Associations were, however, more frequent and stronger among related than unrelated foods. In all 469 dogs, 38 of 43 related food pairs were significantly associated [mean (SD) logEOR3.4 (0.9)] compared with 79 of 128 unrelated pairs [2.7 (1.0)],P< 0.0002. In positive dogs, 32 of 43 related pairs were significantly associated [2.7 [1.0)] compared with 49 of 128 unrelated pairs [1.8 (1.0)],P< 0.0002. InhibitionELISAs confirmed the presence of cross‐reactive IgE‐binding epitopes in beef, lamb and cow's milk.

Conclusions and clinical importance

The results suggest that related and potentially cross‐reactive foods should be avoided in elimination diets.
Triggers, risk factors and clinico‐pathological features of urticaria in dogs – a prospective observational study of 24 cases
Authors: Rostaher Ana , Hofer‐Inteeworn Natalie , Kümmerle‐Fraune Claudia , Fischer Nina Maria , Favrot Claude
Published: July 2016

Background

Urticaria and anaphylaxis are frequently encountered in veterinary practice, but little is known about the causes and relative frequencies of these reactions.

Hypothesis/Objectives

This study was designed to improve current knowledge on the triggers, risk factors and clinico‐pathological features of urticaria.

Animals

Twenty four dogs with signs of urticaria with or without anaphylaxis.

Methods

The study included dogs with cutaneous immediate‐type hypersensitivity reactions. The cases were grouped by clinical severity into either an urticaria or an anaphylaxis group. All treatments and diagnostic tests (haematology, biochemical profile, allergy investigation) were recorded. A causality algorithm for urticaria and anaphylaxis (ALUA) was designed to determine the probability of the identified triggers and cofactors. Disease incidence, breed, age and gender predispositions were evaluated statistically.

Results

Sixteen of 24 urticaria cases were associated with anaphylaxis whilst 8 of 24 were confined to the skin. The annual hospital incidence was 0.12%. Females seemed to be over‐represented (2.4:1) and most of the dog breeds were pure breed (22 of 24), with Rhodesian ridgeback, boxer, beagle, Jack Russell terrier, French bulldog and Vizslas over‐represented. In addition to skin lesions, the most frequently and severely affected organ systems were the gastrointestinal and cardiovascular systems. The predominant blood abnormalities were elevated lipase and alanine aminotransferase values. Insects, food and drugs were the most commonly identified triggers.

Conclusions

To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study describing the trigger factors and clinico‐pathological features of dogs with urticaria in veterinary medicine. Insects, food and drugs were the most frequently detected triggers.
Clinical, microscopic and microbial characterization of exfoliative superficial pyoderma‐associated epidermal collarettes in dogs
Authors: Banovic Frane , Linder Keith , Olivry Thierry
Published: July 2016

Background

The microscopic and microbial features of the spreading epidermal collarettes of canine exfoliative superficial pyodermas are poorly characterized.

Objectives

To characterize the clinical, cytological, microbial and histopathological features of epidermal collarettes in five dogs.

Results

Cytology from the margins of collarettes identified neutrophils, extracellular and intracellular cocci within neutrophils but no acantholytic keratinocytes. Phenotypic and genotypic analyses identified all bacterial isolates from the centre and margin of five epidermal collarettes as Staphylococcus pseudintermedius. PCRs of collarette‐associated Staphylococcus strains did not amplify genes encoding for the known exfoliative toxins expA and expB, whereas the predicted siet and speta amplification products were detected in all isolates.

Microscopically, epidermal collarettes consisted of interfollicular, epidermal spongiotic pustules. Advancing edges of lesions consisted of peripheral intracorneal clefts in the deep stratum disjunctum above an intact stratum compactum; they contained lytic neutrophil debris, bacterial cocci and fluid, but no acantholytic keratinocytes. This intracorneal location of bacteria was confirmed using Gram stains and fluorescent in situ hybridization with eubacterial‐ and Staphylococcus‐specific probes. The indirect immunofluorescence staining patterns of desmoglein‐1, desmocollin‐1, claudin‐1, E‐cadherin and corneodesmosin were discontinuous and patchy in areas of spongiotic pustules, whereas only that of corneodesmosin was weaker and patchy in advancing collarette edges.

Conclusion

Epidermal collarettes represent unique clinical and histological lesions of exfoliative superficial pyodermas that are distinct from those of impetigo and superficial bacterial folliculitis. The characterization of possible causative staphylococcal exfoliatin proteases and the role of corneodesmosin in collarette pathogenesis deserve further investigation.
Sewage sludge conditioning by Fe(II)‐activated persulphate oxidation combined with skeleton builders for enhancing dewaterability
Authors: Liu Changgeng , Lai Leiduo , Yang Xi
Published: July 2016

In this study, a joint application of Fe(II)‐activated persulphate oxidation and skeleton builders is used to condition sewage sludge for subsequent dewatering. The study mainly focuses on their efficacies and the optimization of the major operational parameters. The experimental results show that the joint application for conditioning sewage sludge is effective, especially using lime and ordinary Portland cement (OPC) as skeleton builders. Additionally, it is revealed that Fe(II)‐activated persulphate oxidation needs sufficient reaction time (20 min) to degrade organics in the sludge. The optimal conditions of this process are at Fe2+ = 47.6 mg g−1 (dry solids), S2
 = 119.1 mg g−1, lime = 446.4 mg g−1, and OPC = 297.6 mg g−1, under which the water content of dewatered sludge cake is 54.8% and the specific resistance to filtration (SRF) is 4.3 × 1011 m kg−1 with a reduction efficiency of 96.6%.
Eleven years of integrated weed management: long‐term impacts of row spacing and harvest weed seed destruction on Lolium rigidum control
Authors: Borger C P D , Riethmuller G , D'Antuono M
Published: July 2016

Long‐term research aimed to determine whether narrow row spacing and harvest weed seed destruction, in combination with herbicide use, would be sufficient to drive a Lolium rigidum population to extinction. A trial was run from 1987 to 2013, with treatments including crop row spacings of 9, 18, 27 or 36 cm and crop residue burning or retention. Herbicides were applied to reflect regional practices. The initial trial design was randomised, but treatments were maintained in each plot over the following years. Lolium rigidum seed production at harvest was assessed from 2003 to 2013. Average crop yield was higher in the unburnt plots (1638 kg ha−1) than the burnt plots (1530 kg ha−1) and greater at narrow row spacing, with an average yield of 1658, 1637, 1548 and 1492 kg ha−1 in the 9‐, 18‐, 27‐ and 36‐cm spacings. Lolium rigidum seed at harvest was reduced in the burnt plots (57 seeds m−2) compared with the unburnt plots (297 seeds m−2) and was reduced at narrow row spacing, with an average of 58, 78, 223 and 333 seeds m−2 in the 9‐, 18‐, 27‐ and 36‐cm row spacings. By 2013, L. rigidum seed production was reduced to an average of 0 seeds m−2 in the narrow row spacing, burnt plots.
Exogenous and endogenous angiotensin‐II decrease renal cortical oxygen tension in conscious rats by limiting renal blood flow
Authors: Emans Tonja W. , Janssen Ben J. , Pinkham Maximilian I. , Ow Connie P. C. , Evans Roger G. , Joles Jaap A. , Malpas Simon C. , Krediet C. T. Paul , Koeners Maarten P.
Published: July 2016

Key points

Our understanding of the mechanisms underlying the role of hypoxia in the initiation and progression of renal disease remains rudimentary.

We have developed a method that allows wireless measurement of renal tissue oxygen tension in unrestrained rats.

This method provides stable and continuous measurements of cortical tissue oxygen tension for more than 2 weeks and can reproducibly detect acute changes in cortical oxygenation.

Exogenous angiotensin‐II reduced renal cortical tissue more than equi‐pressor doses of phenylephrine, probably because it reduced renal oxygen delivery more than did phenylephrine.

Activation of the endogenous renin–angiotensin system in transgenic Cyp1a1Ren2 rats reduced cortical tissue ; in this model renal hypoxia precedes the development of structural pathology and can be reversed acutely by an angiotensin‐II receptor type 1 antagonist.

Angiotensin‐II promotes renal hypoxia, which may in turn contribute to its pathological effects during development of chronic kidney disease.

We hypothesised that both exogenous and endogenous angiotensin‐II (AngII) can decrease the partial pressure of oxygen in the renal cortex of unrestrained rats, which might in turn contribute to the progression of chronic kidney disease. Rats were instrumented with telemeters equipped with a carbon paste electrode for continuous measurement of renal cortical tissue . The method reproducibly detected acute changes in cortical oxygenation induced by systemic hyperoxia and hypoxia. In conscious rats, renal cortical was dose‐dependently reduced by intravenous AngII. Reductions in were significantly greater than those induced by equi‐pressor doses of phenylephrine. In anaesthetised rats, renal oxygen consumption was not affected, and filtration fraction was increased only in the AngII infused animals. Oxygen delivery decreased by 50% after infusion of AngII and renal blood flow (RBF) fell by 3.3 ml min−1. Equi‐pressor infusion of phenylephrine did not significantly reduce RBF or renal oxygen delivery. Activation of the endogenous renin–angiotensin system in Cyp1a1Ren2 transgenic rats reduced cortical tissue . This could be reversed within minutes by pharmacological angiotensin‐II receptor type 1 (AT1R) blockade. Thus AngII is an important modulator of renal cortical oxygenation via AT1 receptors. AngII had a greater influence on cortical oxygenation than did phenylephrine. This phenomenon appears to be attributable to the profound impact of AngII on renal oxygen delivery. We conclude that the ability of AngII to promote renal cortical hypoxia may contribute to its influence on initiation and progression of chronic kidney disease.
Human Arm Motion Tracking by Orientation-Based Fusion of Inertial Sensors and Kinect Using Unscented Kalman Filter
Authors: Atrsaei Arash , Salarieh Hassan , Alasty Aria
Published: July 2016

Due to various applications of human motion capture techniques, developing low-cost methods that would be applicable in nonlaboratory environments is under consideration. MEMS inertial sensors and Kinect are two low-cost devices that can be utilized in home-based motion capture systems, e.g., home-based rehabilitation. In this work, an unscented Kalman filter approach was developed based on the complementary properties of Kinect and the inertial sensors to fuse the orientation data of these two devices for human arm motion tracking during both stationary shoulder joint position and human body movement. A new measurement model of the fusion algorithm was obtained that can compensate for the inertial sensors drift problem in high dynamic motions and also joints occlusion in Kinect. The efficiency of the proposed algorithm was evaluated by an optical motion tracker system. The errors were reduced by almost 50% compared to cases when either inertial sensor or Kinect measurements were utilized.
Measurement Sensitivity Analysis of the Transient Hot Source Technique Applied to Flat and Cylindrical Samples
Authors: Ostanek Jason , Shah Krishna , Jain Ankur
Published: July 2016

The transient source measurement technique is a nonintrusive, nondestructive method of measuring the thermal properties of a given sample. The transient source technique has been implemented using a wide variety of sensor shapes or configurations. The modern transient plane source (TPS) sensor is a spiral-shaped sensor element which evolved from transient line and transient hot strip (THS) source techniques. Commercially available sensors employ a flat interface that works well when test samples have a smooth, flat surface. The present work provides the basis for a new, cylindrical strip (CS) sensor configuration to be applied to cylindrical surfaces. Specifically, this work uses parameter estimation theory to compare the performance of CS sensor configurations with a variety of existing flat sensor geometries, including TPS and THS. A single-parameter model for identifying thermal conductivity and a two-parameter model for identifying both thermal conductivity as well as volumetric heat capacity are considered. Results indicate that thermal property measurements may be carried out with greater measurement sensitivity using the CS sensor configuration than similar configurations for flat geometries. In addition, this paper shows how the CS sensor may be modified to adjust the characteristic time scale of the experiment, if needed.
Impingement Heat Transfer on a Cylindrical, Concave Surface With Varying Jet Geometries
Authors: Neil Jordan C. , Wright Lesley M. , Crites Daniel C.
Published: July 2016

Jet impingement is often employed within the leading edge of turbine airfoils to combat the heat loads incurred within this region. This experimental investigation employs a transient liquid crystal technique to obtain detailed Nusselt number distributions on a concave, cylindrical surface that models the leading edge of a turbine airfoil. The effect of hole shape and differing hole inlet and exit conditions are investigated. Two hole shapes are studied: cylindrical and racetrack-shaped holes; for each hole shape, the hydraulic diameter and mass flow rate into the array of jets is conserved. As a result, the jet's Reynolds number varies between the two jet arrays. Reynolds numbers of 13,600, 27,200, and 40,700 are investigated for the cylindrical holes, and Reynolds numbers of 11,500, 23,000, and 34,600 are investigated for the racetrack holes. Three inlet and exit conditions are investigated for each hole shape: a square edged, a partially filleted, and a fully filleted hole. The ratio of the fillet radius to hole hydraulic diameter is set at 0.25 and 0.667 for the partially and fully filleted holes, respectively, while all other geometrical features remain constant. Results show the Nusselt number is directly related to the Reynolds number for both cylindrical and racetrack-shaped holes. The racetrack holes are shown to provide enhanced heat transfer compared to the cylindrical holes. The degree of filleting at the inlet and outlet of the holes affects whether the heat transfer on the leading edge model is further enhanced or degraded.
Investigation of Different Operation Strategies to Provide Balance Energy With an Industrial Combined Heat and Power Plant Using Dynamic Simulation
Authors: Kahlert Steffen , Spliethoff Hartmut
Published: July 2016

Intermittency of renewable electricity generation poses a challenge to thermal power plants. While power plants in the public sector see a decrease in operating hours, the utilization of industrial power plants is mostly unaffected because process steam has to be provided. This study investigates to what extent the load of a combined heat and power (CHP) plant can be reduced while maintaining a reliable process steam supply. A dynamic process model of an industrial combined CHP plant is developed and validated with operational data. The model contains a gas turbine (GT), a single pressure heat recovery system generator (HRSG) with supplementary firing and an extraction condensing steam turbine. Technical limitations of the gas turbine, the supplementary firing, and the steam turbine constrain the load range of the plant. In consideration of these constraints, different operation strategies are performed at variable loads using dynamic simulation. A simulation study shows feasible load changes in 5 min for provision of secondary control reserve (SCR). The load change capability of the combined cycle plant under consideration is mainly restricted by the water–steam cycle. It is shown that both the low pressure control valve (LPCV) of the extraction steam turbine and the high pressure bypass control valve are suitable to ensure the process steam supply during the load change. The controllability of the steam turbine load and the process stability are sufficient as long as the supplementary is not reaching the limits of the operating range.
An Extensible Model for Multitask-Oriented Service Composition and
Scheduling in Cloud Manufacturing
Authors: Liu Yongkui , Xu Xun , Zhang Lin , Tao Fei
Published: July 2016

Cloud manufacturing is an emerging novel business paradigm for the manufacturing industry. In cloud manufacturing, distributed manufacturing resources are encapsulated into services and aggregated in a cloud manufacturing platform. Through centralized service management, cloud manufacturing is capable of dealing with multiple requirement tasks simultaneously. The ability to deal with multiple tasks at the same time is an important characteristic that distinguishes cloud manufacturing from the previous networked manufacturing models such as manufacturing grid. When it comes to multiple tasks in cloud manufacturing, a critical issue is how to schedule massive services to complete them with shortest makespan, lowest cost, and highest quality, etc. In order to facilitate the research on this issue, we in this paper propose a model for multitask-oriented service composition and scheduling in cloud manufacturing, in which key factures of cloud manufacturing such as service orientation, involvement of logistics, and dynamical change of service availability are taken into account. New concepts such as service efficiency, enterprise capability, and task workload are introduced, and various types of times including service time, logistics time, and waiting time are analyzed in detail. Moreover, this model can be conveniently extended by incorporating new elements such as task constraints, task priority, and continuous task arrival. An example that motivates the current model is presented. Simulation experiments with different numbers of tasks are performed to demonstrate the feasibility of the model.
Optimal Shock Pulse in a Drop Test Simulation of Standardized Board for Uniform Shock Response
Authors: Kallolimath Sharan , Zhou Jiang Jenny
Published: July 2016

Board-level physical test performance of CSP/BGA packages need in depth characterization of loading parameters and material behavioral properties. In recent years, many calibration methods were adopted by the researchers and industries to improvise solder joint performances of packages. Effective and uniform board response is one of the critical challenges in developing test board to qualify package components for solder joint reliability qualification. In this paper, an improvised board type alternative to standard Joint Electron Device Engineering Council (JEDEC) board is developed for uniform stress/strain response. An axis symmetrical board is chosen in comparison to the current JEDEC board. The effectiveness of the two boards are compared with each other under extreme banding under controlled drop test simulation. The uniform stress–stain distribution is recorded maintaining the no-ring phenomenon by selecting optimal shock pulse parameters. Selected impact/shock pulse is decided by identifying the maximum impact energy absorbed by the board during the drop event. Board surface strain and stress data are captured 1–2 mm away near the components are quantified for higher strain rate. The board local strain rate on the board surface is recorded at a selected time-step to quantify the dynamic stresses along the component side surface on the board. The simulation is performed by using ANSYS software using implicit method. Both linear SOLID45 and quadratic SOLID95 elements are used to compare and correlate the results. Close forms of results were correlated with the previous theoretical results.
Direct Measurement of Heat Transfer Coefficient Augmentation at Multiple Density Ratios
Authors: Boyd Emily J. , McClintic John W. , Chavez Kyle F. , Bogard David G.
Published: July 2016

Knowing the heat transfer coefficient augmentation is imperative to predicting film cooling performance on turbine components. In the past, heat transfer coefficient augmentation was generally measured at unit density ratio to keep measurements simple and uncertainty low. Some researchers have measured heat transfer coefficient augmentation while taking density ratio effects into account, but none have made direct temperature measurements of the wall and adiabatic wall to calculate hf/h0 at higher density ratios. This work presents results from measuring the heat transfer coefficient augmentation downstream of shaped holes with a 7 deg forward and lateral expansion at DR = 1.0, 1.2, and 1.5 on a flat plate using a constant heat flux surface. The results showed that the heat transfer coefficient augmentation was low while the jets were attached to the surface and increased when the jets started to separate. At DR = 1.0, hf/h0 was higher for a given blowing ratio than at DR = 1.2 and DR = 1.5. However, when velocity ratios are matched, better correspondence was found at the different density ratios. Surface contours of hf/h0 showed that the heat transfer was initially increased along the centerline of the jet, but was reduced along the centerline at distances farther downstream. The decrease along the centerline may be due to counter-rotating vortices sweeping warm air next to the heat flux plate toward the center of the jet, where they sweep upward and thicken the thermal boundary layer. This warming of the core of the coolant jet over the heated surface was confirmed with thermal field measurements.
Pre-optimization of Asymmetrical Underplatform Dampers
Authors: Gastaldi Chiara , Gola Muzio M.
Published: July 2016

The numerical coupled optimization of an underplatform damper is the exploration of its dynamics through a finite element model which includes both the damper and the blades. This is an effective approach if the initial damper mass and geometry have been previously selected (i.e., pre-optimized) in such a way that those parameter combinations leading to undesirable damper behavior are ruled out a priori: —ensure that damper jamming is avoided by ruling out the undesirable combinations of platform and friction angles; —ensure that damper lift-off is avoided through an appropriate choice of the shape and position of the damper-platform flat contact surface and the position of the damper mass center; —set upper and lower to the value of damper-platform contact forces (as a multiple of the damper centrifugal force), the first being related to friction and wear problems, and the second to the very existence of bilateral contacts. The above is strongly dependent on the effective values of friction coefficients, which can vary by a factor of over two with temperature, frequency and contact pressure. The paper illustrates the pre-optimization procedure using, as an example, a rigid bar damper with a curved-flat cross section. In order to validate the method against experimental data and to determine the necessary real contact parameters, the paper capitalizes on already developed tools presented in the previous ASME papers: the test rig developed at the AERMEC lab, the numerical model representing the damper dynamics, and the automatic random sampling tuning procedure.
In vitro blood flow model with physiological wall shear stress for hemocompatibility testing—An example of coronary stent testing
Authors: Engels Gerwin Erik , Blok Sjoerd Leendert Johannes , van Oeveren Willem
Published: July 2016

Hemocompatibility of blood contacting medical devices has to be evaluated before their intended application. To assess hemocompatibility, blood flow models are often used and can either consist of in vivo animal models or in vitro blood flow models. Given the disadvantages of animal models, in vitro blood flow models are an attractive alternative. The in vitro blood flow models available nowadays mostly focus on generating continuous flow instead of generating a pulsatile flow with certain wall shear stress, which has shown to be more relevant in maintaining hemostasis. To address this issue, the authors introduce a blood flow model that is able to generate a pulsatile flow and wall shear stress resembling the physiological situation, which the authors have coined the “Haemobile.” The authors have validated the model by performing Doppler flow measurements to calculate velocity profiles and (wall) shear stress profiles. As an example, the authors evaluated the thrombogenicity of two drug eluting stents, one that was already on the market and one that was still under development. After identifying proper conditions resembling the wall shear stress in coronary arteries, the authors compared the stents with each other and often used reference materials. These experiments resulted in high contrast between hemocompatible and incompatible materials, showing the exceptional testing capabilities of the Haemobile. In conclusion, the authors have developed an in vitro blood flow model which is capable of mimicking physiological conditions of blood flow as close as possible. The model is convenient in use and is able to clearly discriminate between hemocompatible and incompatible materials, making it suitable for evaluating the hemocompatible properties of medical devices.
The effect of sound speed profile on shallow water shipping sound maps
Authors: Sertlek Hüseyin Özkan , Binnerts Bas , Ainslie Michael A.
Published: July 2016

Sound mapping over large areas can be computationally expensive because of the large number of sources and large source-receiver separations involved. In order to facilitate computation, a simplifying assumption sometimes made is to neglect the sound speed gradient in shallow water. The accuracy of this assumption is investigated for ship generated sound in the Dutch North Sea, for realistic ship and wind distributions. Sound maps are generated for zero, negative and positive gradients for selected frequency bands (56 Hz to 3.6 kHz). The effect of sound speed profile for the decidecade centred at 125 Hz is less than 1.7 dB.
Benefit of contralateral routing of signals for unilateral cochlear implant users
Authors: Taal C. H. , van Barneveld D. C. P. B. M. , Soede W. , Briaire J. J. , Frijns J. H. M.
Published: July 2016

One way to improve speech understanding in noise for HI with a unilateral hearing loss is by contralateral routing of signals (CROS). Such a CROS-system captures sounds with an additional microphone at the worst hearing ear and transmits these to the better one. The better ear is then provided with a mix of signals originating from both ears. The goal of this study is to quantify the effect of a CROS-system on speech reception thresholds (SRTs) with unilaterally implanted CI-users in diffuse and directional noise as a function of speaker location. Listening tests are performed and an accurate directional intelligibly model is proposed used for further analysis. In diffuse noise it is concluded that the use of a CROS system results in a maximum gain in SRT of 7.9 dB when speech comes from the CROS side compared to a maximum loss in SRT of 2.1 dB when speech comes from the implanted side. In the case of directional noise, the effect of the CROS is symmetric and the maximum loss or gain in SRT was around 9 dB. The study therefore shows a clear potential of using the CROS system in diffuse noise.
Knowledge of Repetition Range Does Not Affect Maximal Force Production Strategies of Adolescent Females
Authors: Reid Jonathan C. , Greene Rebecca M. , Herat Nehara , Hodgson Daniel D. , Halperin Israel , Behm David G.
Published: July 2016

Purpose:

Contrary to adult force reserve strategies, it is not known whether adolescent females with less experience performing maximal voluntary contractions (MVC) have specific responses to a known or unknown fatigue endpoint.

Methods:

Using a counterbalanced random crossover design, fourteen inexperienced female adolescents completed three elbow flexor (EF) fatiguing protocols. Participants were randomly assigned to a control (informed they would perform 12 MVCs), unknown (not informed of the number of MVCs to be completed, but stopped after 12) or deception condition (instructed to complete 6 MVCs, however, after the sixth repetition performed another 6 MVCs). Before and during the interventions, EF impulse, force, and biceps brachii (BB) and triceps brachii (TB) electromyography (EMG) activity were recorded. Results: Participants exhibited decreases in impulse (10.9%; p < .05), force (7.5%; p = .001), BB (16.2%; p < .05) and TB (12.9%; p < .05) EMG activity between the pretest and the first repetition of all protocols. Knowledge of endpoint, or lack of it, did not change measures with the repeated MVCs. When informed about the final repetition, force remained depressed suggesting no physiological reserve.

Conclusion:

Adolescent females exhibited an anticipatory response to the task of performing repeated MVCs. A lack of change with knowledge of endpoint indicates that those lacking in MVC experience do not employ the same pacing strategies as in previous studies of participants with MVC experience.
Complicated triple gallbladder: clinical presentation and surgical approach
Authors: Copeland-Halperin Libby R , Kapoor Kunal , Piper James B
Published: July 2016

We report a patient with previous biliary symptoms and endoscopic interventions who presented with clinical features suggestive of choledocholithiasis. Open surgical exploration disclosed three gallbladders with copious stones and varying degrees of acute and chronic inflammation. Literature review revealed only 16 previously reported cases. We review the aetiology of triple gallbladder as being due to failure of rudimentary bile ducts to regress during embryological development, as well as the classification scheme of triple gallbladder based on size, location and number. We also discuss the clinical evaluation and appropriate surgical management of this entity, as triple gallbladders can be associated with cholecystitis or carcinoma.
Full-scale coupled torsion and lateral response of mast arm drilled shaft foundations
Authors: Thiyyakkandi Sudheesh , McVay Michael , Lai Peter , Herrera Rodrigo
Published: July 2016

Drilled shaft foundations supporting mast arm assemblies are subjected to significant torsion and lateral load during severe wind loading (e.g., hurricane). Past centrifuge studies in granular soils suggest that the design of such foundations should be performed for a coupled load case, since the lateral resistance is considerably reduced by the concurrent application of torsion. However, current design practice still considers lateral load and torsion independently due to the lack of field verification of centrifuge results. This paper reports on a full-scale test program to investigate the coupled load behavior of drilled shafts. A novel load test setup (with a heavy-duty mast arm assembly) and instrumentation were used for the combined torsion and lateral loading (e.g., wind loading). The study revealed a significant reduction in lateral resistance due to the influence of torque as observed from previous centrifuge studies. Torsional resistance was reduced (approximately 20%) by the impact of lateral load when compared with the anticipated torsional resistance based on unit skin friction values, derived from the axial load test results (i.e., no influence of lateral load). A comparison of measured torsional resistance during the combined loading with the predicted values using different approaches was also made. O’Neill and Hassan’s beta (β) method (sand) and alpha method (clay) are found to predict the torsional resistance reasonably well (±10%), while all other methods based on the standard penetration test and cone penetration test considered in the study overpredicted or underpredicted the resistance.
Weighted Constrained Position Shift Model for Aircraft Arrival Sequencing and Scheduling Problem
Authors: Xu Bo , Ma Weimin , Huang Hui , Yue Lei
Published: July 2016

The constrained position shift (CPS) model is a famous model in the aircraft arrival sequencing and scheduling (ASS) problem, which allows each aircraft to shift forward or backward at most [Formula: see text] (a given integer number) positions in the first come first serve (FCFS) sequence. However, CPS is insufficient to cope with the case that some aircraft requiring more than [Formula: see text] positions shift. From this point, we modify it to be a more applicable model, named weighted constrained position shift (W-CPS) model. Three methods are developed to solve W-CPS, which are dynamic programming (DP), mixed integer programming (MIP) and ant colony (AC) algorithm. Numerical results validate the efficiency of these methods.
An Improved Bandgap Reference with Curvature-Compensated and High Power Supply Rejection
Authors: Wu Hongbing , Liu Hongxia
Published: July 2016

This paper presents a bandgap reference (BGR) with the characteristics of curvature-compensation and high power supply rejection ratio (PSRR). To achieve a better performance, the base current of BJT is injected to a small segment of resistor string to flatten the temperature variation, and a pre-regulator of the power supply is implemented to improve the PSRR. The circuits, designed in 0.18[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]m BCD technology, exhibit an average voltage of 1.212[Formula: see text]V with temperature coefficient of 2.0[Formula: see text]ppm/[Formula: see text] in the range from [Formula: see text] to 110[Formula: see text] at typical condition, and a power supply rejection ratio of [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]dB at low frequency. After 4-bit trimming, Monte Carlo simulation results show that the proposed design gets an accuracy of 0.29%, with a variation of [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]mV. The active design area is 160[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]m, and the power supply current is about 8.2[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]A.
A Digitally Controlled Op-Amp with Level-Crossing-Based Approximation and its Application to a 10-bit Pipeline ADC
Authors: Jee Dong-Woo , Suh Yunjae , Park Hong-June , Sim Jae-Yoon
Published: July 2016

A digitally controlled operational amplifier (op-amp) with level-crossing-based approximation is proposed. A high gain is effectively obtained by means of a damping control without a stability problem occurring in the multiple gain stages. Compared to the previous version of the zero-crossing-based algorithmic approximation, the proposed scheme further improves the settling time with the class AB operation obtained by switching of multiple driving paths. For verification, the designed op-amp is applied to a 10-bit pipeline ADC and implemented in a 0.18[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]m CMOS technology. Measured results show that the designed op-amp successfully operates at 10-bit resolution, 10[Formula: see text]MSample/s pipeline ADC and achieves an effective gain of more than 60[Formula: see text]dB.