bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A multi-proxy investigation of late-Holocene temperature change and climate-driven fluctuations in sediment sourcing: Simpson Lagoon, Alaska
Authors: Hanna Andrea JM , Shanahan Timothy M , Allison Mead A , Bianchi Thomas S , Schreiner Kathryn M
Published: January 2018

The significant and ongoing environmental changes in Arctic regions demonstrate the need for quantitative, high-resolution records of pre-industrial climate change in this climatically sensitive region; such records are fundamental for understanding recent anthropogenic changes in the context of natural variability. Sediment contained within Arctic coastal environments proximal to large fluvial systems has the ability to record paleoclimate variability on subdecadal to decadal scale resolution, on par with many other terrestrial climate archives (i.e. lake sediments, ice cores). Here, we utilize one such sediment archive from Simpson Lagoon, Alaska, located adjacent to the Colville River Delta to reconstruct temperature variability and fluctuations in sediment sourcing over the past 1700 years. Quantitative reconstructions of summer air temperature are obtained using the branched glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraether (brGDGT)-derived methylation index of branched tetraethers (MBT’)/cyclization ratio of branched tetraether (CBT) paleothermometer and reveal temperature departures correlative with noted climate events (i.e. ‘Little Ice Age’, ‘Medieval Climate Anomaly’). In addition, temporal variability in sediment sourcing to the lagoon, determined using a multi-proxy approach (i.e. granulometry, elemental analysis, clay mineralogy), broadly corresponds with temperature fluctuations, indicating relative increases in fluvial sediment discharge during colder intervals and decreased river discharge/increased coastal erosion during warmer periods. The Simpson Lagoon record presented in this study is the first temperature reconstruction, to our knowledge, developed from coastal marine sediments in the Alaskan Beaufort Sea.
The Role of Employment Diversification in Reducing Vulnerability to Poverty among Marginal and Small-holder Agricultural Households in India
Authors: Dey Sagarika
Published: January 2018

This article combines two relatively nascent and inter-related approaches to poverty analysis and measurement, that is, the asset-based approach and the vulnerability approach to assess the poverty status of various land-owning classes in rural India. Contingent on the finding that marginal and small-holder households constitute a high-risk group in terms of the incidence of current poverty and vulnerability to future poverty, the study explores the role of non-agricultural activity in providing livelihood security and tackling poverty and vulnerability among land-poor rural households. The findings reveal that while most types of rural non-farm employment have significant poverty-reducing effects, human capital constitutes the most potent element in tackling poverty in the target group. We therefore suggest that an emphasis on skill upgradation of marginal and small landholders, coupled with policies directed towards development of non-farm activity, could provide an effective, permanent solution for curbing poverty and mitigating livelihood risks among these households.

JEL Classification: I31, I32, J21, O18
The changing face of ethics – Developing a Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants from 1977 to 2006
Authors: Sonnerfeldt Amanda , Loft Anne
Published: January 2018

This article aims to contextualise the development of the Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants by the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) between 1977 and 2006. Drawing on transnational regulation literature, an extensive review of archival documents was conducted. The analysis unfolds the development of the Code in an increasingly complex regulatory environment, revealing the dynamic forces and sequence of events that influenced its nature and contents over three distinctive periods. This study reveals that the shifts in IFAC’s priorities in pursuit of its global aspirations created mechanisms that allowed transnational accounting firms and international regulators to influence the priorities of the Ethics Committee. The Committee’s efforts to legitimise and secure endorsement of the Code were constrained by its initial work programme to develop a model code through minimum harmonisation. Later, the Committee redirected its focus towards meeting the needs of the international regulators by adding more rule-based guidance within the principle-based Code and heavily prioritising independence.
Optimal control with fuzzy compensation for a magnetorheological fluid damper employed in a gun recoil system
Authors: Li Zhaochun , Gong Yao , Wang Jiong
Published: January 2018

This article presents an optimal control strategy with fuzzy compensation for a magnetorheological fluid damper in control of a full-scale gun recoil buffering system. The novel control strategy combines the optimal control, in which no measurement feedback needed and the fuzzy logic control which is independent of any theoretical model. The theoretical optimal controllable damping force rule, as a fail-safe control output when the measurement system fails under the extreme condition of impact loading, is derived from the analytical solution of the kinematic equation of the recoil system with a magnetorheological damper. A one-dimensional fuzzy controller and a two-dimensional fuzzy controller are both designed and performed by simulation in order to evaluate the effectiveness of fuzzy control strategy as compensation in the magnetorheological recoil system. A magnetorheological damper for the real firing impact loading is designed and manufactured. Furthermore, an experimental study is carried out to evaluate the optimal control strategy with fuzzy compensation for magnetorheological damper on a firing test rig. The experimental results indicate that the proposed control strategy in this article obtains better buffering performance comprehensively compared with the conventional control strategies.
Lightning strike evaluation on composite and biocomposite vertical-axis wind turbine blade using structural health monitoring approach
Authors: Mat Daud Siti Zubaidah , Mustapha Faizal , Adzis Zuraimy
Published: January 2018

Lightning damages to wind turbine blades increase as the size of wind turbine becomes larger. The damages are quite serious since it contributes to high cost of repairs and loss of electric power production. Since natural plant fibres receive attention nowadays due to low density and high specific strength, the usage of natural fibre to replace synthetic fibre in fabricating the turbine blade will promote a green renewable material. As the application of biocomposite for wind turbine blade has been explored, the effect of lightning strike damage has been required for further test investigation. This article explores the comparative results of performing lightning strike damage testing on composite (fibreglass) and biocomposite (flax fibre) wind turbine blades with protective metal mesh materials. The damage assessments were performed using visual non-destructive inspection methods and piezoelectric sensor as part of structural health monitoring. From the result, it is found that fibreglass blade experienced larger damage area compared to flax fibre blade based on the visual test conducted.
A novel methodology for solar sail opening employing shape memory alloy elements
Authors: Costanza Girolamo , Tata Maria Elisa
Published: January 2018

Solar sails exploit the radiation pressure as propulsion system. Sunlight is used to propel space vehicles by reflecting solar photons from a large and lightweight material, so that no propellant is required for primary propulsion. Kapton seems to be the most suitable material for the sail production and in the space missions till now activated booms as deployment systems have always been used. In this work, an innovative self-deploying system based on NiTi shape memory wires has been designed and manufactured in a small-scale prototype. As kapton has always been employed with a thin Al coating on the surface of the sail, commercial pure Al thin sheets with thin adhesive kapton have been used in order to simulate the sail. The attention has been focused, in the deployment experiments performed in the laboratory, on the effect of different heating methods and different pressure conditions on the activation times. The folded configuration chosen has been deployed in atmospheric condition and in low pressure condition (0.05 bar) inside a oven connected to a rotary pump. For what concerns the heating methods, the attention has been focused on low-pressure oven ISCO NSV 9035 (1.3 kW) and on halogen lamp (1 kW) in order to obtain the self-deployment of the sail. Some comparisons between the two configurations in the different environmental conditions have been performed. In all cases, the full self-activation of the sail has been achieved.
Linking Ethnic Composition and Performance: Information Integration Between Majority and Minority Members
Authors: Zheng Wei , Wei Jun
Published: January 2018

Often labeled a double-edged sword, diversity can not only trigger social categorization that dampens group cohesion and performance, but it can also increase available information resources and enhance group performance. The ways in which a group integrates information from diverse members play a central role in determining whether and how it can reap benefits from diversity. Guided by research in team diversity and relational demography, we take a diversity-as-disparity approach and focus on the extent of information integration between majority- and minority-status members in a group. Specifically, drawing from social network research, we examine whether majority–minority information brokerage equality mediates the impact of ethnic composition on group performance. Based on data from 540 employees in 34 work groups from a Chinese organization, we find that majority–minority information brokerage equality mediates the impact of ethnic composition on performance but only when group climate is high. We also discuss theoretical and practical implications.
Role of Subtalar Arthroscopy in Operative Treatment of Sanders Type 2 Calcaneal Fractures Using a Sinus Tarsi Approach
Authors: Park Chul Hyun , Yoon Doo Hyung
Published: January 2018

Background:

This study was conducted to evaluate the usefulness of subtalar arthroscopy in the operative treatment of Sanders type 2 calcaneus fractures using a sinus tarsi approach.

Methods:

Forty-six Sanders type 2 calcaneal fractures were consecutively treated using a sinus tarsi approach. Intraoperative fluoroscopy was used to evaluate fracture reduction in the first 23 patients (fluoroscopy group), and intraoperative fluoroscopy and subtalar arthroscopy were used in the latter 23 patients (arthroscopy group). Clinical evaluations were performed using a visual analog scale, the Ankle-Hindfoot Scale developed by the American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society, and Short Form Health Survey. Radiographic evaluations were performed using calcaneal and lateral radiographs and computed tomography (CT) scans. Böhler’s angles and calcaneal widths were compared between the groups. Reduction of the posterior facet was graded according to articular step, defect, and angulation of the posterior facet on CT.

Results:

At the last follow-up, clinical results as well as Böhler’s angles and calcaneal widths were not different between the groups. On immediately postoperative CT, reduction of the posterior facet showed a higher-than-good grade in 17 feet (73.9%) in the fluoroscopy group and a higher-than-good grade in 22 feet (95.7%) in the arthroscopy group, and these values were significantly different between the groups ( P = .04).

Conclusion:

A combined approach using fluoroscopy and subtalar arthroscopy showed better reduction of the posterior facet on CT than using fluoroscopy alone. Therefore, subtalar arthroscopy could be a useful method for detecting joint incongruence when using the sinus tarsi approach for Sanders type 2 calcaneal fractures.

Level of Evidence:

Level III, comparative series.
Fibrinolytic Deficit and Platelet Activation in Atrial Fibrillation and Their Postablation Modulation
Authors: Otto Abigail , Fareed Jawed , Liles Jeffrey , Statz Stephen , Walborn Amanda , Rowe Timothy , Jabati Sallu , Hoppensteadt Debra , Syed Mushabar A.
Published: January 2018

This study aims to examine the effects of atrial fibrillation (AF) on the expression of the cellular mediators plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1) and CD40 ligand (CD40-L). Additionally, the effect of catheter ablation on the levels of the aforementioned biomarkers was also examined. In this prospective study, plasma samples were collected from patients with AF at baseline prior to ablation and at 1 and 3 months postablation. There was a statistically significant increase in CD40-L at baseline in patients with AF compared to control ( P = .0034). There was a statistically significant decrease in CD40-L levels postablation at both 1 month ( P < .0001) and 3 months ( P < .0001) compared to baseline. Baseline levels of PAI-1 were elevated compared to the control group (mean 19.55 ± 2.17 ng/mL vs 4.85 ± 0.41 ng/mL) and a statistically significant decrease in circulating PAI-1 levels 1 month postablation ( P = .05) was noted compared to preablation levels. These data suggest that inflammation plays an important role in the pathogenesis of AF and that these cellular mediators are modulated by catheter ablation.
Prospective Comparison of Point-of-Care Device and Standard Analyzer for Monitoring of International Normalized Ratio in Outpatient Oral Anticoagulant Clinic
Authors: Moiz Bushra , Rashid Anila , Hasan Muhammad , Jafri Lena , Raheem Ahmed
Published: January 2018

Point-of-care testing (POCT) coagulometers are increasingly being used in the hospital setting and patients’ self-testing. We determined the agreement of prothrombin time international normalized ratio (INR) results by POCT coagulometer and laboratory instrument through a comparative analysis and investigated whether the results of POCT coagulometer can reliably be used without being confirmed by standard laboratory analyzer. A total of 200 INR measurements by POCT coagulometer (CoaguChek XS Pro) and laboratory analyzer (Sysmex CS2000i) were compared using Passing-Bablok regression analysis and Bland-Altman plot. Agreement of the INR measurement was further analyzed in relation to dosing decision. The correlation of INR measurements between CoaguChek XS Pro and Sysmex CS2000i was excellent (correlation coefficient = 0.973). The overall mean difference was 0.21 INR ± 0.32 (range: 1.7-0.44). The mean difference was found to get increased as INR results increased and was 0.09 in the subtherapeutic range (≤1.9 INR), 0.29 INR in the therapeutic range (2.0-3.0 INR), while 0.4 INR in the supratherapeutic range (>3.0 INR). The overall agreement was excellent (κ = 0.916) and overall 11 (5.5%) of 200 INR measurements showed a difference in dosing decision between the 2 instruments. The positive bias of POC-INR is evident in the supratherapeutic range which could affect the dosing decision requiring confirmation with the laboratory INR measurement.
ish: How to Write Poemish (Research) Poetry
Authors: Lahman Maria K. E. , Richard Veronica M. , Teman Eric D.
Published: January 2018

Discussion has occurred around what constitutes quality research poetry, with some direction on how a researcher, who is a novice poet, might go about writing good enough research poetry. In an effort to increase the existing conversation, the authors review research poetry literature and ideas from art poets on how to read, write, and revise poetry. The authors interrupt the prose text throughout with poetic interludes and quotes from poets. The conversation is framed by the conception of ish and poemish which is drawn directly from Reynolds’s powerful book ish. Poemish representations may be said to be research representations characterized by features of poetry and an effort to blend the aesthetics of poetry and science of research into something which may be said to be poem-like, ish, or poemish.
Buckling load prediction of an externally pressurized thin spherical shell with localized imperfections
Authors: Evkin Alexander , Kolesnikov Maksym , Lykhachova Olga
Published: January 2018

A simple formula for buckling load was derived from the asymptotic analysis of nonlinear behavior of a thin spherical shell. Firstly, two asymptotic cases were studied: the initial post-buckling regime of a perfect structure with small (compared to shell thickness) deflections and equilibrium states with large deflections. Two asymptotic formulae were jointed to obtain the solution for the entire range of deflection amplitude. Then the solution was modified for an imperfect shell. Initial deflections were introduced by only one parameter: the slope of the load–deflection diagram at small pressure. This minimal information was enough to predict the buckling load of the structure with localized imperfections. The suggested asymptotic result was validated by the finite element method and by comparison with experimental data.
Perceptions of control and improved psychological, physical, and social functioning in postmenopausal women
Authors: Vargas Emily A , Mahalingam Ramaswami
Published: January 2018

Throughout life, social messages about women’s bodies put them at greater risk of specific psychological health conditions than men; yet little is known about what psychological factors can help promote mental health in older women. In this study, we examine how perceptions of control relate to perceptions of psychological health, in addition to physical health, and social functioning in a sample of postmenopausal women. Results suggest that increased perceptions of control relate to improved perceptions of health via a reduction in negative affect. Implications for promoting health and reducing gendered mental health disparities are discussed.
‘Welcome to the virtual state’: Estonian e-residency and the digitalised state as a commodity
Authors: Tammpuu Piia , Masso Anu
Published: January 2018

In this article, we examine the reconstruction and commodification of the national space through digital technologies by using the case of Estonian e-residency. E-residency or ‘virtual residency’ is an initiative of the Estonian government which gives foreigners global access to Estonian e-services via state-issued digital identity. We explore the ways in which the ideas of the ‘virtual state’ and ‘virtual residency’ have been employed for purposes of nation branding and national reputation management, and how the different logics of nation branding and nation building combined in the concept of e-residency have been negotiated in the national context. The study draws on a qualitative textual analysis of the official website of e-residency directed at foreign audiences and the national media coverage of the project addressing domestic publics. The analysis indicates that while the imagery constructed around the notions of the ‘virtual state’ and ‘virtual residency’ makes it possible to turn the national space into a commodity, presented outwards as a globally extensible and open transnational space, domestically it makes it possible to appeal to ‘intact national space’ and to legitimise e-residency as a ‘socio-culturally safe’, digitally mediated internationalisation of the society. This article forms part of the Theorizing Media in Nation Branding Special Issue.
Association of the polymorphism 12109g>A from the REN gene as a risk factor for preterm birth
Authors: Rodríguez-Sánchez Irám P , Suárez-Caro Stephania , Rivas-Solís Fernando , Delgado-Enciso Iván , Sánchez-Chaparro María M , Gómez-Govea Mayra A , Martínez-de-Villarreal Laura E , Valdez-Velazquez Laura L
Published: January 2018

Introduction:

Preterm birth is the most important cause of neonatal mortality and morbidity. It is a multifactorial disease with different etiologies, including genetic factors. Genetic variability is represented by single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in genes of proteins involved in the contractile activity. We determine the association between SNP 12109G> A in REN associated with preterm birth and premature rupture of membrane.

Materials and methods:

A study of cases ( N=112, 22–36 weeks of gestation; mean: 31, 95% confidence interval 30.7–32.2) and controls ( N=66; 38–40 weeks of gestation from the last menstrual period; mean: 39.8, 95% confidence interval 38.9–39.4) was performed. Genomic DNA was isolated in all patients from peripheral blood. The SNP 12109G> A ( Mbo I) in REN was typified by PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism.

Results:

A significant difference in the case group for the SNP 12109G>A was observed. The A allele was increased in women with preterm birth (81% cases vs. 15% control, p<0.0000004). There was also a significant difference between genotypes, mainly an excess of G/A heterozygotes in women with preterm birth (60% cases vs. 23% controls). The phenotype 12109G> A has odds ratio 6.62 (95% confidence interval 3.14–14.15), which means a high risk of preterm birth/premature rupture of membrane in presence of allele A, both in homozygotes and in heterozygotes.

Conclusion:

Allelic frequency of A of SNP 12109G>A was higher in women with preterm birth than in women with normal vaginal delivery and could be considered a risk factor.
Dispossessing vulnerable consumers
Authors: Varman Rohit , Vijay Devi
Published: January 2018

This article draws upon the work of Judith Butler to explain how violence is deployed against vulnerable consumers. It examines a site in which a commercial complex including a shopping mall is to be constructed in Ejipura, Bangalore (India), by displacing the poor from their slums. It offers insights into the mechanisms of violent dispossession that inhere liberal modes of governance of consumers. Moreover, this study attends to derealization that desubjectifies vulnerable consumers. It further helps to comprehend why violence remains in the zone of ellipsis without any popular revulsion against it.
Structural health monitoring: Closing the gap between research and industrial deployment
Authors: Cawley Peter
Published: January 2018

There has been a large volume of research on structural health monitoring since the 1970s but this research effort has yielded relatively few routine industrial applications. Structural health monitoring can include applications on very different structures with very different requirements; this article splits the subject into four broad categories: rotating machine condition monitoring, global monitoring of large structures (structural identification), large area monitoring where the area covered is part of a larger structure, and local monitoring. The capabilities and potential applications of techniques in each category are discussed. Condition monitoring of rotating machine components is very different to the other categories since it is not strictly concerned with structural health. However, it is often linked with structural health monitoring and is a relatively mature field with many routine applications, so useful lessons can be read across to mainstream structural health monitoring where there are many fewer industrial applications. Reasons for the slow transfer from research to practical application of structural health monitoring include lack of attention to the business case for monitoring, insufficient attention to how the large data flows will be handled and the lack of performance validation on real structures in industrial environments. These issues are discussed and ways forward proposed; it is concluded that given better focused research and development considering the key factors identified here, structural health monitoring has the potential to follow the path of rotating machine condition monitoring and become a widely deployed technology.
Monitoring of long-term prestress losses in prestressed concrete structures using fiber optic sensors
Authors: Abdel-Jaber Hiba , Glisic Branko
Published: January 2018

This study presents a method for on-site assessment of prestress losses in prestressed concrete structures. The study is motivated by the increased use of prestressed concrete, the importance of prestressing force levels as a parameter, and the lack of formalized methods for its on-site assessment. The proposed method uses strain measurements from long-gauge fiber optic sensors to study strain changes at the centroid of stiffness (i.e. centroid of composite section) of the cross-sections. Its advantages include (1) robustness to operational load on the structure caused by seasonal and daily temperature variations, in addition to loading; (2) rigorous quantification of uncertainties associated with measurements and parameters; and (3) applicability to a wide range of beam-like structures. The application of the method is illustrated through application to measurements collected over a 7-year period from strain sensors embedded in Streicker Bridge, a post-tensioned concrete pedestrian bridge on the Princeton University campus. Application of the method indicates that prestress losses measured by sensors are of comparable magnitude to design estimates, which implies that estimates are not necessarily overly conservative.
Resident experts: The potential of critical Participatory Action Research to inform public housing research and practice
Authors: Thurber Amie , Collins Leslie , Greer Marilyn , McKnight Demetrese , Thompson Darlene
Published: January 2018

Policies affecting those living in poverty are often created without the direct and meaningful participation of the people meant to be served. This has been especially the case with public housing. To contextualize the need for alternative approaches to inquiry, we begin by examining the history of public housing through the lens of oppression and present critical Participatory Action Research as an alternative approach to research and policy-making. We provide a case study of a critical Participatory Action Research project sited in a public housing project slated for redevelopment. We conclude that engaging “resident experts” in the research process heightened the validity and credibility of the findings, amplified residents' self-determination, and provided greater congruence between the researchers' social justice values and our research methods.
Dangerous liaisons: Metonymic effects between school and education
Authors: Kupferman David W
Published: January 2018

This paper considers the ways in which the words “school” and “education” are conflated in the social imaginary, and what the effects of this conflation in meaning and purpose are both theoretically and in practice. It is not difficult to see the ways in which these two terms are used almost synonymously, and uncritically. Yet “school” and “education” operate in a double-bind, as both are interchangeable in meaning while simultaneously opposed to each other: education is often defined as a traditional process, whereas school is a formal, updated structuring of that process. This paper looks first at the place of metaphor in terms of the construction of knowledge, and how that produces both a “proper” as well as a forgetting within and through discourses. Following Nietzsche’s concept of metaphoricity, note is then taken of the distinctions between both the meaning and uses of metaphor and metonymy, in that the former creates conditions of applicability between concepts, while the latter allows one thing to stand in for another, effectively subsuming meaning altogether. These various notions are then applied to a trio of case studies, specifically from the region in Oceania commonly known as Micronesia, where interplay of metaphoricity and its effects on and in purportedly decolonizing contexts can be seen. Finally, a pair of schools in a Dr. Seuss tale are visited that provide a positive reticulation of spaces of education that is not beholden to the pernicious effects of metaphorical forgetting, substitution, and erasure, nor to a search for origins and latency.
Research on Mathematics Instruction with Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities: Has Anything Changed?
Authors: Hudson Melissa E. , Rivera Christopher J. , Grady Maureen M.
Published: January 2018

In 2008, Browder and colleagues published a meta-analysis on mathematics instruction for learners with significant cognitive disabilities and found that most skills taught to these students were only from two of the five strands recommended by the National Council for Teachers of Mathematics (i.e., Number and Operations, and Measurement). A review of the literature since Browder et al. yielded an additional 29 studies. When results from both reviews were compared, a greater percentage of studies taught skills from three strands (i.e., Number and Operations, Geometry, and Algebra), whereas the percentage teaching skills from the Measurement strand decreased and the percentage teaching skills from the Data Analysis and Probability strand was unchanged. In addition, a systematic evaluation of the studies’ instructional components found evidence to support the use of systematic instruction, in vivo instruction, system of least prompts strategy, constant time delay strategy, and task-analytic instruction as evidence-based practices for teaching mathematics to learners with significant cognitive disabilities. Implications for practice include the use of systematic instruction and in vivo procedures, the need for practitioners to have a deep understanding of mathematics, and the importance of relevancy when teaching a variety of mathematics skills.
Design and control of a diagnosis and treatment aimed robotic platform for wrist and forearm rehabilitation: DIAGNOBOT
Authors: Aktan Mehmet Emin , Akdoğan Erhan
Published: January 2018

Therapeutic exercises play an important role in physical therapy and rehabilitation. The use of robots has been increasing day by day in the practice of therapeutic exercises. This study aims to design and control a novel robotic platform named DIAGNOBOT for diagnosis and treatment (therapeutic exercise). It has three 1-degree-of-freedom robotic manipulators and a single grasping force measurement unit. It is able to perform flexion–extension and ulnar–radial deviation movements for the wrist and pronation–supination movement for the forearm. The platform has a modular and compact structure and is capable of treating two patients concurrently. In order to control the DIAGNOBOT, an impedance control–based controller was developed for force control, which was required for the exercises, as well as a proportional–integral–derivative controller for position control. To model the resistive exercise, an angle-dependent impedance control method different from traditional methods has been proposed. Experiments were made on five healthy subjects and it has been demonstrated that the proposed robotic platform and its controller can perform therapeutic exercises.
The effect of laser welding power on the properties of the joint made of 1.4462 duplex stainless steel
Authors: Sołtysiak Robert , Giętka Tomasz , Sołtysiak Agnieszka
Published: January 2018

The butt welding of 1.4462 (2205) duplex stainless steel plates with thickness of 4 mm under various welding parameters was achieved by Nd:YAG laser type without the use of the filler material. Welding parameters such as welding power (kW) and the focus distance from the joint surface (mm) were changed. The Ar 5.0 protective gas flow and welding speed were the same for all the tests and were 20 L/min and 0.5 m/min, respectively. The weld shape, weld macrostructure, microstructure, strength and hardness, and the content of the ferrite in the weld zone, heat-affected zone, and base metal were emphatically investigated. The test results showed that increase in laser power increases the weld zone area. For the weld samples, a better ferrite/austenite ratio was obtained by focusing the laser beam on the sheet surface. Furthermore, the largest elongation from strength test has been observed for the weld samples made with laser power of 2.0 kW.
Parametric instability analysis of the top-tensioned riser in consideration of complex pre-stress distribution
Authors: Li Leixin , Chen Luyun
Published: January 2018

The parametric vibration instability of a riser is studied in consideration of a complex pre-stress distribution. Differential equations of the riser are derived according to Euler–Bernoulli beam theory, and a method to solve the differential equations is proposed. With the parametric vibration of a top-tensioned riser as an example, the effects of the amplitude and direction of complex pre-stress on frequency, mode shapes, and instability characteristics are investigated. Results show that welding residual stress influences the dynamic response of the riser structure. A new approach to eliminate the complex loading of the riser is obtained.
Multidisciplinary design optimization of hard rock tunnel boring machine using collaborative optimization
Authors: Sun Wei , Wang Xiaobang , Shi Maolin , Wang Zhuqing , Song Xueguan
Published: January 2018

A multidisciplinary design optimization model is developed in this article to optimize the performance of the hard rock tunnel boring machine using the collaborative optimization architecture. Tunnel boring machine is a complex engineering equipment with many subsystems coupled. In the established multidisciplinary design optimization process of this article, four subsystems are taken into account, which belong to different sub-disciplines/subsytems: the cutterhead system, the thrust system, the cutterhead driving system, and the economic model. The technology models of tunnel boring machine’s subsystems are build and the optimization objective of the multidisciplinary design optimization is to minimize the construction period from the system level of the hard rock tunnel boring machine. To further analyze the established multidisciplinary design optimization, the correlation between the design variables and the tunnel boring machine’s performance is also explored. Results indicate that the multidisciplinary design optimization process has significantly improved the performance of the tunnel boring machine. Based on the optimization results, another two excavating processes under different geological conditions are also optimized complementally using the collaborative optimization architecture, and the corresponding optimum performance of the hard rock tunnel boring machine, such as the cost and energy consumption, is compared and analysed. Results demonstrate that the proposed multidisciplinary design optimization method for tunnel boring machine is reliable and flexible while dealing with different geological conditions in practical engineering.
An underwater stress-testing technique for the heavy-hammer tamping of a rubble-mound foundation
Authors: Shi Chong , Liu Su-le
Published: January 2018

Rubble-mound foundations are commonly used in port-channel engineering and protection embankment. Heavy tamping is usually used to attain the required total compactness and bear capacity of such foundations. Monitoring and controlling the tamping-impact stresses is difficult because of the noncontinuous nature of the medium, particularly under the high impulse conditions (e.g. large-scale stresses and rapid attenuation) of the tamping process. In this research, a new instrument for measuring tamping stress incorporating a wide stress range and high sampling frequency was designed for use underwater and under dry conditions. Effects of different monitoring device radii were investigated by analyzing the tamping stresses obtained with different heavy-hammer falling distances. Results indicated that the monitoring device with a larger radius provided more stable test outcomes. We further verified the feasibility of the proposed monitoring device for monitoring heavy-hammer tamping stress. Testing data demonstrated that the dynamic-load monitoring instrument can achieve tamping stress values under heavy-hammer tamping under dry and wet conditions. The instrument also followed the same rule in accordance with compactness and settlement, thereby proving that the technique can be used to determine the foundation-bearing capacity.
Leptospirosis presenting as severe cardiogenic shock: A case report
Authors: Forbat E , Rouhani MJ , Pavitt C , Patel S , Handslip R , Ledot S
Published: January 2018

Background

Leptospirosis is a rare infectious illness caused by the Spirochaete Leptospira. It has a wide-varying spectrum of presentation. We present a rare case of severe cardiogenic shock secondary to leptospirosis, in the absence of its common clinical features.

Case presentation

A 36-year-old woman presented to our unit with severe cardiogenic shock and subsequent multi-organ failure. Her clinical course was characterised by ongoing pyrexia of unknown origin with concurrent cardiac failure. She was initially managed with broad-spectrum antibiotics and inotropes. Percutaneous cardiac biopsy excluded major causes of myocarditis. On day 21 after presentation, she was found to be IgM-positive for leptospirosis.

Conclusions

This is a rare case of severe cardiogenic shock secondary to leptospirosis infection. The case also highlights the importance of obtaining a thorough social history when assessing a patient with an unusual presentation, as clues can often be missed.
Classic cases revisited: Mr Miura and the delusion of immortality
Authors: Szawarski Piotr
Published: January 2018

Death continues to be viewed as a failure by many clinicians and society. For now however, it remains a biological certainty and to think otherwise is to delude oneself. Nevertheless, the society is becoming older and many individuals enjoy fulfilling life in spite of advancing years. The trajectory of age-related physiological deterioration varies, introducing an uncertainty as to the potential for survival when faced with critical illness. There is risk of harm associated with invasive interventions and utility of such remains uncertain in the very elderly. Changing demographic demands improved triage of the elderly patients and an evolution of the research agenda to acknowledge ageing population. There is also moral imperative to ensure avoidance of harm and cost-effectiveness in relation to intensive care unit utilisation by this patient population.
Psychological outcomes following a nurse-led preventative psychological intervention for critically ill patients trial: Statistical and health economic analysis plan
Authors: Wulff Jerome , Sadique Zia , Grieve Richard , Howell David , Mouncey Paul , Wade Dorothy , Rowan Kathryn M , Harrison David A
Published: January 2018

The Psychological Outcomes following a nurse-led Preventative Psychological Intervention for critically ill patients trial is a cluster-randomised controlled trial of the clinical and cost-effectiveness of a complex nurse-led preventative psychological intervention compared with usual care in reducing patient-reported post-traumatic stress disorder symptom severity, and other reported psychological morbidities, at six months among Level 3 (intensive care) patients in adult general critical care units in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. This paper describes the proposed statistical and health economic analyses for the Psychological Outcomes following a nurse-led Preventative Psychological Intervention for critically ill patients trial. It is important to complete and publish this plan before inspecting and locking the trial data to ensure that post hoc and data-derived decisions are avoided.

Trial registration: ISRCTN53448131
Switching and augmentation strategies for antipsychotic medications in acute-phase schizophrenia: latest evidence and place in therapy
Authors: Hatta Kotaro , Sugiyama Naoya , Ito Hiroto
Published: January 2018

In terms of effectiveness of antipsychotics in schizophrenia, discrepancy often exists between results from double-blind randomized controlled trials and observations in emergency or acute-phase clinical practice. For instance, the antipsychotic switching strategy is not always applicable in emergency or acute-phase situations, and augmentation of another antipsychotic is occasionally done instead. In this review, we discuss strategies for early nonresponse to an antipsychotic drug such as switching and augmentation from the perspective of emergency and acute-phase treatment. We searched PubMed for the latest evidence on switching and augmentation strategies of antipsychotics for an emergency or acute-phase period. For risperidone and olanzapine, there is some evidence on switching and augmentation strategies in the management of acute-phase schizophrenia. There may be responders to olanzapine alone among early nonresponders to risperidone, whereas there may be few responders to risperidone alone among early nonresponders to olanzapine. However, there is still insufficient evidence at this time for application of these findings to routine clinical practice. For other antipsychotics, there is little evidence for their augmentation in acute-phase practice. We should be wary of polypharmacy, as multiple agents are too often prescribed by clinicians when not warranted. Considering current evidence, we propose how to switch antipsychotics in the acute phase of schizophrenia in routine practice.
Association between serum calcium, serum phosphate and aortic stenosis with implications for prevention
Authors: Wald David S , Bestwick Jonathan P
Published: January 2018

Background

Aortic stenosis is the most common cause of valvular heart disease with no means of prevention. Lowering serum levels of calcium or phosphate are potential preventive strategies but observational studies on the associations with aortic stenosis are inconsistent.

Design and methods

A case–control study was conducted in 132 individuals undergoing echocardiography (63 with aortic stenosis and 69 without) and the results combined with three other comparable studies (914 individuals overall) to provide a summary odds ratio of aortic stenosis for a 0.1 mmol/L increase (approximately one standard deviation) in calcium and phosphate respectively. The relationship between calcium and phosphate and the severity of aortic stenosis, according to peak trans-aortic velocity, was also examined in the case–control study using linear regression.

Results

Both calcium and phosphate were positively associated with aortic stenosis. The summary odds ratio for a 0.1 mmol/L increase in calcium was 1.79 (95% confidence interval 1.07–2.99), p = 0.027 and for phosphate it was 1.47 (1.08–2.01), p = 0.015. Peak trans-aortic velocity increased with phosphate levels, 9% (4%–14%) per 0.1 mmol/L, p = 0.001, but not with calcium, p = 0.089.

Conclusions

If the associations are causal and reversible, these results indicate that a small reduction in calcium or phosphate levels, within the physiological rage, would translate into a clinically significant reduction in the risk of aortic stenosis. Randomised trials of calcium and phosphate lowering therapies in aortic stenosis are needed.
Alkan’s Petits Préludes for organ
Authors: Beauvois Michael W.
Published: January 2018

Stylistic and pitch-related data derived from the score of Alkan’s Petits Préludes for organ are analyzed using nonparametric correlations and multidimensional scaling, and the results used to reconstruct his compositional process. The reconstruction is then verified by comparing it to an existing cognitive model of musical composition and Alkan’s use of multiple compositional constraints discussed as an example of a strategy employed by master composers to reduce their problem space. The tidy fit of the reconstruction to the model and the agreement of the evidence with a number of previous findings and hypotheses concerning the cognitive processes underlying musical composition strongly suggests that the model and similar analyses of musical variables could be applied to works by other composers and used as a basis for or an adjunct to musicological and psychological studies of the compositional process, particularly when limited to a post hoc analysis or by a finite dataset.
Health problems of orchestral musicians from a life-span perspective
Authors: Gembris Heiner , Heye Andreas , Seifert Andreas
Published: January 2018

The profession of orchestral musician is often linked to musculoskeletal problems, hearing disorders, and struggles with stage fright. However, data on the prevalence of physical problems are very divergent because of different research methods and sampling procedures. It is to be expected that physical problems generally increase with age, but the literature on medical issues that affect musicians contains very few studies on this aspect. In light of this, the data produced by a cross-sectional study of 2,536 musicians from 133 professional symphony orchestras in Germany were analyzed with regard to a number of health aspects. The data from 894 female (36%) and 1,607 male (64%) professional orchestral musicians aged between 20 and 69 ( M = 45.5, SD = 9.52) were used to study physical problems, their duration and intensity, and psychological difficulties (such as pressure to perform in the orchestra and stage fright) in conjunction with variables such as age, gender, instrument family, position in the orchestra, and category of orchestra. The various health problems were also examined in relation to health behaviors, including preventative actions taken (nutrition, sleep, etc.). The results showed that more than one in two (55%) of the orchestral musicians who took part in the survey were suffering at the time from physical problems that affected their playing. The prevalence increased significantly with advancing age, and string players and harpists had an above-average frequency of experiencing physical problems. Interestingly, there was no significant correlation between the severity of problems and different health behaviors (including preventative action). Around half (49%) of the orchestral musicians said they felt the pressure to perform was intensifying, something that they partly attributed to an increase in artistic demands. The findings are discussed with reference to existing empirical results, potential methods of prevention and treatment, social aspects, and health-care policies.
Report on the 10th International Conference of Students of Systematic Musicology (SysMus17)
Authors: Allingham Emma , Corcoran Christopher
Published: January 2018

The 10th annual International Conference of Students of Systematic Musicology (SysMus) took place on September 13–15, 2017, at Queen Mary University of London (UoL). The SysMus series has established itself as an international, student-run conference series aimed at introducing graduate students to networking and discussing their work in an academic conference environment. The term “Systematic Musicology,” first coined by Guido Adler (1885), nowadays covers a wide range of systematic or empirical approaches to theoretical, psychological, neuroscientific, ethnographic, and computational methodologies in music research. Presentations for SysMus17 focused on three central topics in relation to music: cognition and neuroscience, computation, and health and well-being. Each of these topics was the subject of workshops as well as keynotes by Prof. Lauren Stewart (Goldsmiths University of London and Music in the Brain Centre, Aarhus University), Prof. Elaine Chew and Dr. Marcus Pearce (both Queen Mary UoL), Dr. Daniel Müllensiefen (Goldsmiths UoL), and Prof. Aaron Williamon (Royal College of Music). Further presentations addressed issues relating to harmony and rhythm, musicians and performance, music and emotion, and sociology of music. This year’s conference brought together early-career researchers from the fields of musicology, psychology, and medicine, allowing them to socialize, share their work, and gain insight into interdisciplinary approaches to their subjects. SysMus17 was organized by students at Queen Mary’s Music Cognition Lab and was particularly marked by the series’ 10th anniversary, the live streaming of all presentations via social media, and a carbon-offsetting Green Initiative. The proceedings of SysMus17 will be available on demand from the conference website ( www.sysmus17.qmul.ac.uk ) and the videos will be made available for public access.