bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Validation of a diet‐induced Macaca fascicularis model of non‐alcoholic steatohepatitis with dietary and pioglitazone interventions
Authors: Camacho Raul C. , Polidori David , Chen Tao , Chen Bin , Hsu Helen Han , Gao Bin , Marella Mathieu , Lubomirski Mariusz , Beavers Traymon , Cabrera Javier , Wong Peggy , Nawrocki Andrea R.
Published: December 2022

Aim

To develop an obese, insulin‐resistant cynomolgus monkey model of non‐alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) with fibrosis with a high fat/high cholesterol (HFHC) diet (with or without high fructose) and test its responsiveness to caloric restriction or pioglitazone.

Methods

First, two groups of monkeys (n = 24/group) with histologically proven NASH and fibrosis were fed the HFHC diet for 17 weeks. The treatment group was subjected to a 40% caloric restriction (CR) and had their diet switched from the HFHC diet to a chow diet (DSCR). Paired liver biopsies were taken before and 17 weeks after DSCR. Subsets of monkeys (nine/group) had whole liver fat content assessed by MRI. Next, two groups of monkeys with histologically proven NASH and fibrosis were treated with vehicle (n = 9) or pioglitazone (n = 20) over 24 weeks.

Results

The HFHC and DSCR groups lost 0.9% and 11.4% of body weight, respectively. After 17 weeks, non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease activity score (NAS) improvement was observed in 66.7% of the DSCR group versus 12.5% of the HFHC group (P < .001). Hepatic fat was reduced to 5.2% in the DSCR group versus 23.0% in the HFHC group (P = .0001). After 24 weeks, NAS improvement was seen in 30% of the pioglitazone group versus 0% of the vehicle group (P = .08).

Conclusions

Both weight loss induced by DSCR and treatment with pioglitazone improve the histological features of NASH in a diet‐induced cynomolgus monkey model. This model provides a translational preclinical model for testing novel NASH therapies.
Called to repair injustice: Connecting everyday practices to societal phenomena, creating momentum for solidarity and change
Authors: Weingarten Kaethe
Published: December 2022

I have been working with a model of witnessing for more than 30 years (Weingarten, 2000a). In this article, I add layers to its conceptualization by discussing several related concepts: the implicated subject (Rothberg, 2019) and ethical loneliness (Stauffer, 2015) among them. What distinguishes the Witnessing Model positions from the implicated subject is that the implicated subject is always aligned with power and/or domination, whereas a witness may not be. Certain responsibilities accrue if we take our implication seriously. Just as I have suggested there are steps one can take from positions two, three and four of the Witnessing Model to enter, return or remain in the aware and empowered position, a position from within which accountability is more likely, I offer ideas about how one can respond accountably when one acknowledges one's implication. Throughout this article, I raise questions, some of which I cannot answer. For instance, can empathic repair be undertaken by one party to a ruptured relationship, one segment of a society, without an unfolding process of mutual recognition and compassion? The contemporary moment in which we are living presents us with dire outcomes if the answer is “no.” The entire article is an extended meditation on the following central question: How can we, implicated subjects, practice solidarity to diminish ethical loneliness and create movement toward the personal, interpersonal and structural changes necessary to address the truths that our implication entails?
Are riparian vegetation flow response guilds transferable between rivers?
Authors: Cubley Erin S. , Cooper David J. , Merritt David M.
Published: December 2022

Understanding the current distribution of riparian plant species is essential for predicting their expansions or contractions in response to flow alterations due to climate changes or direct human actions. Riparian vegetation flow response guilds are assemblages of species that have common functional traits and are hypothesised to respond similarly to fluvial disturbance and water availability along rivers. Species distribution models using guilds may be useful within and across catchments, regions, and continents where floristic composition differs.

We examined the distribution of riparian vegetation guilds along gradients of depth to groundwater and inundation exceedance probability (EP) on three rivers in the Colorado River basin and modelled the response of each guild to simulated changes in river flows and alluvial groundwater depth.

Groundwater guild distribution models were transferable for the tall tree and flood‐tolerant shrub guilds, but groundwater depth and EP thresholds differed between reaches. Optimal groundwater levels for tall trees and flood‐tolerant shrubs were shallower in Colorado due to higher floodplain groundwater levels and more gentle sub‐surface groundwater gradients. Riparian vegetation guilds were better predicted by groundwater depth than EP while generalist upland guilds were excluded from areas frequently inundated.

Presence of the tall tree guild (e.g., Populus fremontii) was predicted by depth to groundwater at all free‐flowing reaches but was not predicted at the one reach where flows are regulated by an upstream dam. In higher elevation reaches, models predicted riparian vegetation guild occurrences with less accuracy, suggesting the influence of other factors such as competition or water contributions from surrounding hillslopes. Scenarios that imposed a groundwater decline indicated that extinctions of both tall trees and flood‐tolerant shrubs (e.g., Salix exigua) could occur in some reaches, depending on future groundwater contributions from hillslopes and the river.

Our study demonstrates that river reaches with different plant species composition can have similar guild compositions and the occurrences of these guilds are predicted by hydrologic conditions. Depth to groundwater had a stronger magnitude effect on guild occurrence, highlighting the importance of this less frequently quantified variable in river studies.

Our results suggest that the relationship between riparian flow response guild occurrence and hydrologic conditions are transferable between river reaches with differing flow regime, elevation, and climate for some, but not all guilds. Although guilds may respond in similar ways to groundwater depth and flooding, they are not all well predicted by hydrologic condition alone. Guild distributions may be transferable between river systems, but prediction accuracy increases when models are grouped based on reach‐scale hillslope groundwater contributions, elevation, and valley setting.
Separate but equal in the protection against climate change? The legal framework of climate justice for the Caribbean part of the Kingdom of The Netherlands
Authors: Misiedjan Daphina
Published: December 2022

The experiences of overseas territories and how their varying degrees of self‐governance influence climate (in)action are overlooked topics, even though these places are often highly impacted by climate change. Analysing the situation of the Dutch Kingdom demonstrates some of these challenges. The Kingdom consists of the European Netherlands and the Caribbean islands of Aruba, Curacao, St Maarten, Bonaire, St Eustatius and Saba. Out of these, the Caribbean islands are the most vulnerable to climate change, while the European Netherlands has contributed the most to it. This can be seen as climate injustice. Access to mitigation and adaptation mechanisms mentioned in international agreements could be beneficial to these Caribbean islands. However, the international climate change agreements have only entered into force for the European part of the Kingdom and not the Caribbean part due to a territorial limitation. This has several consequences, and this paper highlights two. First, the requirement that greenhouse gas emissions should be reduced does not apply to the islands, which leaves room for unsustainable activities but also overlooks their need for adaptation and compensation for loss and damage. Second, access to climate finance instruments is limited as the Dutch Caribbean islands are seen as part of the Kingdom and therefore do not qualify for international assistance. Within the European Union, funds are available but access to these is not guaranteed, as the experience with recovery after Hurricane Irma demonstrates. These examples show that the issues around climate justice have been insufficiently resolved. There is a need for a long‐term climate strategy within the Kingdom along with complementary funding. Until then, climate litigation could assist in enforcing a duty of care by local governments and the Kingdom to protect inhabitants by using the human rights framework. This would also create a roadmap for other territories in similar circumstances.
Difference of the association between low muscle mass and physical inactivity by sex resulting from the choice of the diagnostic criterion for low muscle mass in elderly Koreans
Authors: Huh Youn , Lee Seo Hyeon , Son Ki Young
Published: December 2022

Aim

We investigated the difference in the relationship between physical activity and low muscle mass resulting from the choice of diagnostic criterion for low muscle mass.

Methods

Our study was cross‐sectional, using data from the 2008–2011 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Muscle mass was measured by dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry. Low muscle mass was defined as height‐adjusted and weight‐adjusted low muscle mass. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of low muscle mass in relation to physical inactivity were analyzed using multivariate logistic regression analysis.

Results

Our study included 3977 older people (1698 men and 2279 women). The prevalence of height‐adjusted and weight‐adjusted low muscle mass was 4.1% and 11.8%, respectively, in the physically inactive group, and 3.9% and 7.9%, respectively, in the physically active group. The prevalence of weight‐adjusted low muscle mass increased by 48% in the physically inactive group in the fully adjusted model (OR, 1.48; 95% CI, 1.13–1.95) and increased by 61% in men and 50% in women (men: OR, 1.61; 95% CI, 1.12–2.31 and women: OR, 1.50; 95% CI, 1.20–2.20) compared with the physically active group. The risk of height‐adjusted low muscle mass in men tended to be higher in the physically inactive group than in the physically active group. However, this trend was not observed among women.

Conclusions

Physical inactivity was associated with an increased prevalence of low muscle mass in weight‐adjusted measures among elderly adults in Korea. Height‐adjusted low muscle mass in women is less useful as an indicator of the relationship between low muscle mass and physical inactivity. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2023; 23: 71–77.
Association between child's behaviour during first dental appointment and effectiveness of dental plaque removal by caregivers
Authors: Mourão Priscila Seixas , Coelho Valéria Silveira , Souto‐Souza Débora , Machado Gabrielly Fernandes , Moreira Luana Viviam , Duarte‐Rodrigues Lucas , Ramos‐Jorge Joana , Ramos‐Jorge Maria Letícia
Published: December 2022

Objective

To evaluate the association between the behaviour of children aged 1 to 4 years during their dental appointment and the effectiveness of dental plaque removal by caregivers.

Methods

This longitudinal study with intervention had the participation of 146 children (mean age = 34.89 months), 75 of whom (51.4%) showed positive behaviour (+ and ++) and 71 (48.6%), negative behaviour (− and – –). The children were evaluated at the first dental appointment, according to the Frankl scale. They were subjected to an assessment of oral conditions, and their plaque level was recorded (Quigley–Hein Index modified by Turesky) using the Evince® device. Caregivers received oral hygiene guidance. The dental plaque assessment was performed before giving the oral hygiene guidance and 14 days later. The statistical analysis included a descriptive assessment and the Wilcoxon test (p < 0.05).

Results

Mean dental plaque levels dropped significantly from the first to the second assessment (p < 0.001). The sample was divided according to the child's behaviour, observing that only the group of children with positive behaviour showed significantly less dental plaque in the second assessment (p < 0.001).

Conclusion

The positive behaviour of children aged 1 to 4 years during the first dental appointments is associated with more effective dental plaque removal by caregivers.
The emergence of custodial health nursing as a specialty whose time has come: An Australian experience
Authors: Burton Josephine
Published: December 2022

Background

Nurses provide healthcare in prisons worldwide. Working within security restraints, in environments not designed for nursing care, custodial health nurses (CHNs) use specialist nursing skills and knowledge to do essential work. Rapid increases in prisoner age, infirmity and ill‐health of prisoners mandate their access to these nurses.

Aim

To raise awareness of the CHNs struggle for specialty status within the nursing profession, public health frameworks and prisons.

Sources of evidence

Publicly available information is organised and analysed through the author's lens of 20 years working in the Australian prison system as a general nurse and nurse practitioner.

Discussion

CHNs efforts towards becoming a specialty within nursing, public health and prisons are ongoing. Overcoming barriers and maximising facilitators to effective CHN practice would be indicators of successful incorporation of nursing models that assist prisoner patients.

Prison healthcare contexts are unique regarding prisoner health and funding that impacts the CHNs resourcing, their scope of practice and acceptance of nursing in prison systems and the broader healthcare sectors.

Conclusion

Greater visibility of the CHNs will help promote policy reforms regarding nursing services within a changing prisoner demographic. Changes to educational and professional support for CHNs are needed. Policy restrictions on funding for CHN models in Australia fall short of international standards for prison healthcare; however, political and organisational commitment in this area will be necessary to attain community‐equivalent healthcare standards across the custodial setting.

Implications for nursing and other policies

Professional structures, competencies and specialty policy frameworks are required to promote CHNs as advocates for prisoners needing care and their professional development. CHNs at the forefront of policy development and review will benefit all stakeholders in custodial health.
Comparative effectiveness analysis of deep low heat burns in the shin surgical approaches: Outcomes and cost for wound rehabilitation
Authors: Zhou Zengding , Sun Xu , Yin Zongqi , Zheng Jiexin , Zhang Qin , Zhang Zhiwen , Dou Yi , Yi Lei
Published: December 2022

A variety of surgical techniques exist for deep burn wounds in the shin at low temperature reconstruction after appropriate debridement, but limited high‐quality data exist to inform treatment strategies. Using multi‐institutional data, the authors evaluated the length of healing time, cost, and outcomes of three common surgical reconstructive modalities. All subjects with deep burn wounds in the shin caused by low temperature who received direct suture repair, skin grafting, or local flap reconstruction were retrospectively reviewed (from 2015.01 to 2021.03). Mean operation time, mean blood loss in operation, postoperative healing time, whether there is scar depression after operation were the primary outcomes; patient satisfaction score, Vancouver scar scale (VSS) score and average costs were secondary outcomes. Two hundred subjects (68 suture, 87 skin‐grafting, and 45 local flap coverage patients) were evaluated. Matched patients (n = 200; 3/groups) were analysed. The average operation time, average operation blood loss, and postoperative healing time were statistically significant differences (P < 0.05). Readmissions and reoperations were greater for direct suture and local flaps, if achievable, direct suture provided success at low cost. Skin grafting was effective with large burn wounds but at higher costs and longer length of stay. Local flaps successfully treated smaller burn wounds unable to suture directly, with less pigmentation and scars, even suitable for older patients. Deep low heat burn wounds in the shin healing can be performed effectively using multiple modalities with varying degrees of success and costs. Direct suture or local skin flap reconstruction, if achievable, provides successful coverage at minimal costs, no skin contractures, and reducing length of hospital stay.
Engaging psoriasis patients in adherence and outcomes to topical treatments: A summary from the Symposium ‘Tailoring topical psoriasis treatments to patients' needs and expectations’ of the 30thEADV Congress 2021
Authors: Bewley Anthony , van de Kerkhof Peter
Published: December 2022

This article is based on a presentation given by authors at the Satellite Symposium titled ‘Tailoring topical psoriasis treatments to patients' needs and expectations’ held during the 30th European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology Congress. During this session, the factors affecting adherence and outcomes to topical treatments were presented, with a particular focus on the patients' point of view. Psoriasis is not just a skin condition. Psoriasis can cause negative psychosocial effects, such as depression and anxiety. The risk of suicidality in patients with psoriasis is higher than in the background population. Psychosocial comorbidities can be prevented by patient involvement in psoriasis management and need to be treated in a multidisciplinary manner. Adherence may be the largest barrier to treatment success with topical therapies. Improvement in several areas of disease management may lead to benefits in treatment adherence and hence clinical benefit. There are several treatment‐related factors for non‐adherence, such as patient dissatisfaction, side effects, treatment regimen or the drug vehicle. Delivering comprehensive treatment information to the patient will help develop realistic objectives and expectations. Patients need to be involved in the selection of treatment strategies, as psoriasis patients have various preferences for their use of topical treatments. A shared decision‐making with the patient has been shown to improve medication adherence and treatment success. Prescribing therapy in line with a patient preference for treatment vehicle and improving the communication between healthcare professionals and patients may be key factors to maximize adherence. The calcipotriol (CAL) and betamethasone dipropionate (BDP) cream, a novel formulation of the CAL/BDP fixed‐dose combination based on Poly‐Aphron Dispersion (PAD) Technology, is a topical treatment of mild‐to‐moderate plaque psoriasis, including scalp psoriasis, that has high cosmetic acceptance and overall treatment satisfaction.
Influence of ultrasound and ethanol as a pretreatment on papaya infrared and convective drying characteristics and quality parameters
Authors: de Arruda Guilherme Matheus Pessoa , Rupert Brandão Shirley Clyde , da Silva Júnior Edvaldo Vieira , da Silva Elaine Maria , Barros Zilmar Meireles Pimenta , da Silva Edilene Souza , Shinohara Neide Kazue Sakugawa , Azoubel Patricia Moreira
Published: December 2022

This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of pretreatments on papaya drying behavior and quality parameters. The pretreatment consisted of submerging the samples in ethanol or distilled water for 20 min. The ultrasonic step was conducted in an ultrasonic bath (25 kHz). Samples were dried in an infrared dryer and a convective oven at 60°C. The material pretreated with ultrasound and ethanol and submitted to infrared drying presented the shortest drying time (84 min). The two‐term exponential model was the most predictive for the drying data fitting. All dried samples showed water activity values below 0.60. Among the pretreatments performed, the use of ultrasound associated with ethanol was more effective in reducing losses of total phenolics, ascorbic acid, and antioxidant activity of dried papaya when compared to the use of water. Infrared drying of the fruit pretreated with the combination of ultrasound and ethanol resulted in no significant difference from the untreated papaya concerning the evaluated quality parameters.

Practical applications

The consumption of tropical fruits and their derived products has increased in national and international markets, due to the growing recognition of their nutritional properties and subsequent use in the food industry. The presence of nutrients such as bioactive compounds, demonstrates their potential for use in different sectors, increasing the added value of the cultivar. Thus, this study represents a contribution to society, recognizing and valuing the consumption of fruit, contributing to the nutritional conditions of the population, favoring food and nutritional security, and conservation of the species. It also allows, with the use of pretreatments and different types of drying, advances, and information about food preservation methods that have a low environmental impact and the exploration of new forms of fruit consumption, increasing its shelf life and facilitating their transport and marketing.
Metamorphic and chronological constraints on the early Paleozoic tectono‐thermal evolution of the Olkhon Terrane, southern Siberia
Authors: Li Zhiyong , Jiang Yingde , Collett Stephen , Štípská Pavla , Schulmann Karel , Wang Sheng , Sukhorukov Vasiliy
Published: December 2022

Terranes accreted to the southeastern margin of the Siberian Craton record an important early Paleozoic tectono‐thermal event (known as the Baikal orogenic cycle) in the evolution of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB). However, the precise metamorphic conditions and relative timing of this event and its linkage to the wider CAOB remain far poorly constrained. The best exposed of these terranes is the Olkhon Terrane on the western bank of Lake Baikal. Here, late Neoproterozoic through early Paleozoic island arc and back‐arc assemblages were metamorphosed to form a thin granulite facies belt cropping out adjacent to the Siberian Craton and lower temperature/pressure paragneiss and migmatite towards the southeast. Phase equilibria modelling suggests that the granulite facies belt preserved moderate pressure (c. 0.80 GPa) and high temperature (up to 900°C) conditions while the paragneiss and migmatites in the southeast have peak metamorphic conditions around 700–770°C at 0.60–0.80 GPa. New geochronological data (zircon U–Pb in granulite and monazite U–Pb in paragneiss/migmatite) in combination with phase equilibria modelling and petro‐structural analysis suggest that the tectono‐metamorphic evolution of the Olkhon Terrane was controlled by a long‐lasting (535–450 Ma) and pervasive thermal anomaly. Discrete maxima in the zircon and monazite U–Pb ages at c. 535, 500, and 450 Ma are linked to different stages of a semi‐continuous high‐temperature metamorphic evolution. Based on existing geological data of the region, a generalized geodynamic model for the Baikal orogenic cycle involving switching between compressional and extensional regimes during the early Paleozoic accretion of ‘exotic’ CAOB‐derived material to the southern margin of Siberia is proposed. The tectono‐metamorphic evolution of the Olkhon Terrane may represent a world‐class example of polyphase shortening of a long‐lived hot intra‐continental arc–back‐arc system during its collision with cratonic blocks.
Classification systems of acute appendicitis as an indicator for paediatric surgical consultation of children with acute abdominal pain
Authors: Kaselas Christos , Florou Maria , Demiri Charikleia , Tsopozidi Maria , Anastasiadis Kleanthis , Spyridakis Ioannis
Published: December 2022

Aim

This study examined if the classification systems for acute appendicitis could be applied in the emergency department as an indicator for surgical consultation, in order to reduce unnecessary paediatric surgery admission.

Methods

The Alvarado Score (ALS) and the Pediatric Appendicitis Score (PAS) were applied. The decisions for hospitalisation and treatment were made independent of the scores.

Results

In total, 307 children with abdominal pain suggestive of acute appendicitis were included. We used a cut‐off point of 7 and divided the patients into groups; the group with score ≥ 7 points was considered the positive ALS and/or PAS group, and the group with score < 7 points was the negative ALS and/or PAS group. The same process for cut‐values set at 6 points was followed. The joint probabilities for the 7‐point‐thresholds were: ALS‐sensitivity 84%, PAS‐sensitivity 85%, ALS‐specificity 92%, PAS‐specificity 92%, ALS‐positive predictive value (PPV) 83%, PAS‐PPV 84% and 93% negative predictive value (NPV) for both scores. Considering the 6‐point‐thresholds, we estimated: 94% sensitivity for both scores, 74% ALS‐specificity, 84% PAS‐specificity, 66% ALS‐PPV, 73% PAS‐PPV, 91% ALS‐NPV and 97% PAS‐NPV.

Conclusion

The scoring systems provided acceptable prediction of patients with and without appendicitis. They may be of use in the emergency department, as assistive diagnostic‐tools, in order to reduce paediatric surgery consultations, admissions and treatment costs.
Molecular and cytogenetic evidence for sibling species in the Chagas disease vector Triatoma maculata
Authors: Gómez‐Palacio Andrés , Pita Sebastián , Abad‐Franch Fernando , Monsalve Yoman , Cantillo‐Barraza Omar , Monteiro Fernando A. , Pavan Márcio G. , Santos Walter S. , Panzera Alejandra , Burgueño‐Rodríguez Gabriela , Panzera Francisco
Published: December 2022

Triatoma maculata (Hemiptera, Reduviidae, Triatominae) occurs across dry‐to‐semiarid ecoregions of northern South America, where it transmits Trypanosoma cruzi, causative agent of Chagas disease. Using 207 field‐caught specimens from throughout the species' range, mitochondrial(mt) DNA sequence data, and cytogenetics, we investigated inter‐population genetic diversity and the phylogenetic affinities of T. maculata. Mitochondrial DNA sequence analyses (cytb and nd4) disclosed a monophyletic T. maculata clade encompassing three distinct geographic groups: Roraima formation (Guiana shield), Orinoco basin, and Magdalena basin (trans‐Andean). Between‐group cytb distances (11.0–12.8%) were larger than the ~7.5% expected for sister Triatoma species; the most recent common ancestor of these T. maculata groups may date back to the late Miocene. C‐heterochromatin distribution and the sex‐chromosome location of 45S ribosomal DNA clusters both distinguished Roraima bugs from Orinoco and Magdalena specimens. Cytb genealogies reinforced that T. maculata is not sister to Triatoma pseudomaculata and probably represents an early (middle‐late Miocene) offshoot of the ‘South American Triatomini lineage’. In sum, we report extensive genetic diversity and deep phylogeographic structuring in T. maculata, suggesting that it may consist of a complex of at least three sibling taxa. These findings have implications for the systematics, population biology, and perhaps medical relevance of T. maculata sensu lato.
Tree diversity and identity modulate the growth response of thermophilous deciduous forests to climate warming
Authors: Iacopetti Giovanni , Selvi Federico , Bussotti Filippo , Pollastrini Martina , Jucker Tommaso , Bouriaud Olivier
Published: December 2022

Tree diversity and species identity are known to play an important role in modulating forest productivity and its capacity to buffer the effects of climatic events. The FunDivEurope exploratory platform allowed us to analyse this modulating effect in a medium‐term time span, after an abrupt rise to a new stable level of the average summer temperature of ca 2°C, in Mediterranean forests in central Italy.

This paper aims to answer the following questions: 1) did increasing temperature and drought events affect the growth of thermophilous deciduous forests? 2) Was this effect buffered in mixed stands compared to monocultures? 3) Did co‐occurring tree species with different ecological characteristics, from more mesophilous to more xerophilous, have different responses?

In 2012 and 2017, wood cores were collected from 659 trees in 36 plots representative of thermophilous deciduous forests. The selected tree species were Castanea sativa, Ostrya carpinifolia, Quercus cerris, Quercus ilex and Quercus petraea. In the sampling plots, they were present in pure stands and mixtures from two to four species. After measuring annual rings on cores, chronologies of basal area increment were built, and inventory data were used to estimate tree growth. Results showed a strong reduction of growth, lasting at least 18 years, after the temperature rise. Tree diversity significantly reduced the growth drop after the sudden and stable rise in summer average temperature. Tree mixture effect on growth stability appeared to be dependent on the tree species present in the mixture.

Temperature rise and associated drought events, even without changes in rainfall, are one of the main challenges that European forests will face in the current scenarios of climate change. Tree diversity can buffer the effects of climate change over periods of at least 15 years and should be considered in forest management plans.
Tall P‐waves in inferior leads: A case of coexisting ectopic rhythm and atrial fibrillation arising from the superior vena cava
Authors: Honda Nobuhiro , Isayama Koichi , Kojima Keisuke , Furukawa Shoichiro , Inanaga Keita , Inoue Shujiro
Published: December 2022

Suppression of atrial fibrillation (AF) arising within the superior vena cava (SVC) requires SVC electric isolation (SVCI) without sinus node (SN) injury. If an ectopic rhythm and AF trigger coexist within the SVC, the intra‐SVC ectopic rhythm complicates the pre‐SVCI search for the SN. This coexistence is without precedent; however, it is important to carefully locate the SN to prevent injury during SVCI. This case shows a paroxysmal AF with both phenomena coexisting in the SVC. Moreover, outpatient electrocardiographic assessment for tall P‐waves in inferior leads before catheter ablation could predict these phenomena and enable safer SVCI.
Retrospective evaluation of elevator‐related injuries in dogs (2015–2020): 13 cases
Authors: Bartling Justina , Whelan Megan , Sinnott‐Stutzman Virginia
Published: December 2022

Objective

To describe elevator‐related injuries in dogs.

Design

Retrospective study, August 2015 to October 2020.

Setting

Four urban referral and emergency veterinary facilities.

Animals

Thirteen client‐owned dogs presenting with injuries sustained while using an elevator.

Interventions

None.

Measurements and Main Results

Thirteen dogs were treated for elevator‐related injuries. The mean age of this population was 4.9 ± 4.1 years. Median body weight was 4.3 kg (range = 1.5–32 kg). Dogs in this study were significantly smaller than dogs presenting for all types of trauma during the same study period found in the Veterinary Committee on Trauma registry (VetCOT) (median = 14.5 kg, range = 0.1–141; P = 0.038). There was no difference in age between this study population and dogs presenting for trauma in the VetCOT registry (median = 4.2 years, range = 0.1–26.4, P = 0.7358). Nine dogs sustained a crush injury (69%), and 7 of these dogs received surgical intervention. Four dogs experienced leash entrapment in the elevator doors (31%), and none required surgical intervention. Two of these 4 dogs required inpatient hospital care. No deaths occurred in either group.

Conclusions

Injuries that can be sustained by dogs in an elevator include crush injuries from doors closing on limbs or tails and injury due to leash entrapment in an elevator door. Many elevator‐related injuries required surgical intervention, and recovery was often protracted. All dogs survived to hospital discharge in the present study, and none of the injuries in these dogs had serious long‐term consequences.
Turbulence and Energy Dissipation
Authors: Kalinske A. A.
Published: December 2022

This paper incorporates a study of the origin and dissipation of turbulence energy which makes possible a better understanding of the mechanics of energy losses that are introduced by various flow-disturbing devices such as expansions, bends, valves, etc. The important parameters which characterize turbulence are the root-mean-square values of the fluctuating velocity components, the length factor proportional to the size of the small eddies responsible for the dissipation of energy, and the length factor proportional to the average size of the eddies. The effect of variation of these parameters on the energy losses occurring in turbulent flow are discussed, and also the change in these parameters in the decaying turbulence beyond turbulence-producing devices is indicated. Data are presented showing the variation in the kinetic energy of mean flow and the turbulence energy in a 15-deg conical divergence. Visual studies of the start of turbulence at rounded entrances to smooth conduits seem to indicate that there is a regular vortex formation at the boundary, and the dispersion of these vortexes into the main fluid stream gradually establishes normal turbulent flow.
Lateral Stiffness and Vibration in Engine Structures
Authors: Pyles Russell
Published: December 2022

The forces tending to produce horizontal vibration in engine frames may be obtained from the bearing-load diagrams. For an eight-cylinder nine-bearing engine, the dominant forces occur at the center main bearing and bearings Nos. 3 and 7. The first major horizontal critical speed is the eighth order, which will come into resonance when the engine speed is one eighth the natural horizontal frequency of frame.

In view of the difficulty of predicting the horizontal frequency of the complicated frame structure, a simplified empirical method of comparing stiffness of frames is given.
Experience With Metals at High Temperatures for Power Plants
Authors: White A. E. , Clark C. L.
Published: December 2022

From wide experience with various metals and applications of different types, in high-pressure, high-temperature power-plant service, the authors have selected piping and bolting materials for detailed discussion. In this field, carbon-molybdenum steel is receiving the greatest amount of attention and so the properties, control of grain size, heat-treating practice, creep rates, and kindred matters for this material are dealt with in the paper. Based on two specifications for bolting material issued by the American Society for Testing Materials, the authors discuss the selection of properties, heat-treatment practice, and causes of failure in this type of material. The conclusion is reached that in so far as suitable alloys for pipes and bolts for high temperature are concerned, the art is yet in its developmental stage.
The Combustion of Waste-Wood Products
Authors: Beecher H. W. , Watt R. D.
Published: December 2022

This paper is not intended to be a rigorous argument or a scientific treatise advocating any particular procedure in producing steam from the combustion of wood waste, but rather the compilation of essential facts made apparent by many years of experience in dealing with this rather abstruse subject.
The Fuel-Bed Tests at Hell Gate Generating Station, 1937-1938
Authors: Mayers M. A. , Dargan W. H. , Gershberg Joseph , Dalway B. C. , Williams M. J. , Kaiser E. R.
Published: December 2022

This paper is a final report on fuel-bed tests at Hell Gate Generating Station and includes some of the conclusions reached in the authors’ study of the data up to this time. The fuel bed of a multiple-retort underfeed stoker is shown to consist of vertical strata parallel to the center lines of the retorts and tuyère stacks in which coking and ignition processes occur along the entire length of the stoker. The actual burning of the carbonized fuel occurs largely by overfeed action in the burning lanes where the temperature and pressure gradients are determined by the rate of primary-air flow, and the gases, rising from the burning lanes, may require the addition of secondary air for complete combustion. It is shown that control of the contour of the fire in operating practice may affect not only the amount of coke blown from the fire and the degree of gas stratification in the boiler passes, but also the severity of treatment to which the stoker iron is subjected.
Mill Drying of Coal
Authors: Fitze M. E.
Published: December 2022

This paper develops the fact that the drying of coal in the mill while grinding, instead of in separate driers previous to mill operations, makes possible large savings in equipment, building, and operating costs, besides making possible a net gain in boiler-plant efficiency in the order of 0.5 per cent. This gain is due to improvement in air-heater performance, resulting from lesser gas flow through it as well as the reduction of approximately 6 per cent of the total gas to 150 F instead of the usual 350 F. Use of an auxiliary cyclone in the mill-vent circuit, with return of the coal separated therefrom to the mill, results in a coal loss from the system of only about 0.25 per cent.
Kaplan Turbine Installations of the Tennessee Valley Authority
Authors: Rich G. R. , Roberts J. F.
Published: December 2022

Eight Kaplan turbines recently installed in the Pickwick Landing, Guntersville, and Chickamauga plants of the Tennessee Valley Authority have a total capacity of 300,000 hp at rated head, and in physical size are among the largest constructed. The paper reviews the function of Kaplan turbine plants in the Tennessee River development as a whole, the determination of turbine requirements, the power-station arrangement, and noteworthy features of turbine design, construction, and erection.
A New Steam Engine and Boiler
Authors: Knox S. L. G. , Yellott J. I.
Published: December 2022

The paper presents descriptions of a new type of steam engine and a forced-circulation boiler which were designed by Mr. Knox and tested by Professor Yellott. The engine has a maximum capacity of 90 hp and is a high-speed compound reversible unit with uniflow exhaust. The description relates particularly to the unusual features of the inlet valves. The boiler employs a new principle for obtaining forced circulation. An impeller placed longitudinally in a lower drum exerts a pumping action which results in a uniform and rapid circulation through a number of riser tubes which comprise the walls of the combustion chamber. The paper is presented as a progress report. It is the authors’ purpose by this means to present new and improved ways of accomplishing familiar ends, rather than to give an exhaustive discussion of the development of the particular units involved.
Recent Developments of the Pease-Anthony Gas Scrubber
Authors: Kleinschmidt R. V. , Anthony A. W.
Published: December 2022

This paper brings up to date recent developments in an improved cyclonic-spray scrubber. Theory of design is discussed briefly, but more attention is devoted to actual installations and their performances, troubles, and possibilities. A table of test data is given covering units from 200 to 50,000 cfm. Scrubbing of boiler flue gases for fly-ash removal is covered with particular emphasis on possibilities for improved efficiencies and lower costs; possible benefits and economies through recovery and sale of SO2 are indicated. Two installations for treatment of tar fog are described. Application to the cleaning and cooling of blast-furnace gas is reported in a preliminary way. A modification, retaining the principles of fine atomization but with the gas and liquid in countercurrent contact, is described, and compared favorably with bubble-cap columns and packed towers. Miscellaneous special applications are listed briefly.
Relationship of Viscosity to Rate of Shear
Authors: Bradford L. J. , Villforth F. J.
Published: December 2022

This paper reports tests designed to check the validity of the assumption that lubricating oils belong to the class of a Newtonian fluid, which is defined as one in which the force required to shear it is directly proportional to the rate of shear. It is on this assumption, which in recent years has been questioned, that equations for the behavior of bearings have been based. Experimental evidence is produced in support of Petroff’s equation which states that the torque required to rotate a journal, concentric with its bearing, is directly proportional to the product of the absolute viscosity and the rate of shear of the fluid separating the journal and the bearing. The agreement of the results with those predicted by the Petroff equation upon the assumption of the independence of viscosity from the rate of shear holds for all of the oils investigated.
Some Particulars of Design and Operation of Twin-Furnace Boilers
Authors: Blizard John , Foster A. C.
Published: December 2022

This paper outlines the advantages to be gained by making a boiler with two furnaces instead of one. These advantages comprise a lower furnace exit-gas temperature in a boiler provided with two furnaces than in a boiler with a single furnace, for the same rate of heat liberation per unit of furnace volume. Further, it is pointed out that, when a radiant superheater is installed in one of the furnaces, the final temperature of the steam may be controlled over a wide range of steaming by suitable adjustment of the rate of firing in both furnaces. A particular boiler generating 750,000 lb of steam per hr with two furnaces, fitted with both radiant and convection superheaters, is described and some particulars of its operation are given. Other boilers with two furnaces and provided with radiant superheaters are also illustrated and described.
Thermometric Time Lag
Authors: Beck Rudolf
Published: December 2022

The purpose of this paper is to present facts and theory of thermometric time lag in a form suitable for industrial users of thermometers. The emphasis will be on the distant-reading type of thermometer, actuated by liquid expansion (mercury or other liquids), gas expansion, or vapor pressure, and mercury-in-glass therometers.
A New Degasifying Steam Condenser for Use in Conductivity Determinations
Authors: Straub F. G. , Nelson E. E.
Published: December 2022

This paper describes a degasifying steam condenser which will furnish a continuous sample of either steam or condensate which is free from dissolved gases but which contains the dissolved solids which were present in the original sample. Seven of these condensers have been built and installed in different power plants varying in pressure from 150 to 1250 psi. They have reduced the carbon dioxide from 20 ppm and the ammonia from 3.5 ppm to as low as 0.01 ppm for both gases. The unit is automatic requiring practically no attention once it is installed. The sample of degasified steam or condensate may be passed through a conventional conductivity cell and a continuous record kept if desirable. Data collected from the various plants are given as well as data collected in laboratory tests.
Calibration of Displacement Meters on Volatile-Liquid-Petroleum Fractions
Authors: Jacobson E. W.
Published: December 2022

The author describes a prover design for use in calibrating displacement meters on volatile-liquid petroleum fractions such as gasoline which will eliminate errors caused by evaporation, change in temperature, and entrainment of gases in the test liquid. Details are also given of a simplified commercial type of prover. This type of prover has been successfully used on an extensive meter-testing program at the Gulf Research Laboratory as a part of the 25-year program of the A.S.M.E. Fluid Meters Committee.
Treatment of Make-Up Water for the Waterside Topping Installation
Authors: Arnold C. B. , Hanlon R. T. , Mindheim J.
Published: December 2022

This paper deals with boiler-feedwater treatment for the 1400-psi topping installation at the Waterside Station of the Consolidated Edison Company of New York, Inc. On the basis of thermal economy, degasification, treating costs, and installation convenience, a cold-water carbonaceous-zeolite treating system was deemed preferable. The application of the Zeo-Karb system selected, its operation, and results obtained constitute the principal features of the paper.
Effect of Grain Size and Structure on Carbon-Molybdenum Steel Pipe: An Investigation of These Properties for Their Bearing on Suitability of Such Pipe for High-Temperature Steam Service
Authors: White A. E. , Crocker Sabin
Published: December 2022

This paper gives the results of an investigation sponsored by The Detroit Edison Company at the University of Michigan for the purpose of relating the grain size and grain structure of carbon-molybdenum steel pipe to its high-temperature creep properties at 925 F. Pipe specimens were obtained from eight different heats of carbon-molybdenum steel, six being made by the open-hearth, and two by the electric-furnace process, and an attempt was made to correlate the respective creep strengths at 925 F with other significant properties obtained through short-time tests. At this stage of the investigation no apparent relationship was found. Further tests were conducted on heat-treated specimens from a single heat of steel which had been made by a preferred melting practice. From these tests, it is evident that, if the carbide structures are of a Widmanstätten type, with grain sizes ranging from 2 to 7, the steels will have high-temperature creep properties superior to those in which the carbides are in other conditions or forms. It is also believed that too great an emphasis has been placed on grain size and not enough on type of carbide structure. It is felt that consideration should be given to both factors, though with greater emphasis on the type of carbide structure.
Multi-Metric Validation Under Uncertainty for Multivariate Model Outputs and Limited Measurements
Authors: White Andrew , Mahadevan Sankaran , Schmucker Jason , Karl Alexander
Published: December 2022

Model validation for real-world systems involves multiple sources of uncertainty, multivariate model outputs, and often a limited number of measurement samples. These factors preclude the use of many existing validation metrics, or at least limit the ability of the practitioner to derive insights from computed metrics. This paper seeks to extend the area metric (univariate only) and the model reliability metric (univariate and multivariate) to account for these issues. The model reliability metric was found to be more extendable to multivariate outputs, whereas the area metric presented some difficulties. Metrics of different types (area and model reliability), dimensionality (univariate and multivariate), and objective (bias effects, shape effects, or both) are used together in a “multimetric” approach that provides a more informative validation assessment. The univariate metrics can be used for output-by-output model diagnosis and the multivariate metrics contributes an overall model assessment that includes correlation among the outputs. The extensions to the validation metrics in this paper address limited measurement sample size, improve the interpretability of the metric results by separating the effects of distribution bias and shape, and enhance the model reliability metric's tolerance parameter. The proposed validation approach is demonstrated with a bivariate numerical example and then applied to a gas turbine engine heat transfer model.