bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Application of thin spray-on liners to enhance the pre-drained coal seam gas quality
Authors: Li Zecheng , Tenney James , Chalmers Duncan , Mitra Rudrajit , Saydam Serkan
Published: July 2016

Gas drainage has been the most common technique for gas management in underground coal mines. This method involves drilling holes into a virgin coal seam to allow the gas bleed off from the coal into the drainage holes. A major problem with the underground gas drainage is the air leakage around the gas drainage hole that cannot be blocked off by the sealing material. The air leakage will cause the low concentration of the drained gas and decrease the efficiency of the gas drainage hole, which may further lead to many other risks, such as spontaneous combustion, gas combustion and gas explosions. A thin spray-on liner is defined as a chemical-based layer or coating (3–5 mm) that is sprayed onto the rock surface to support mining excavations. Since their introduction, thin spray-on liners have received some success as a ground support tool for underground mining. Besides ground support, thin spray-on liners also show some potential to be used as a gas management tool in underground coal mines due to their relatively low permeability. This paper describes a field trial of using thin spray-on liners for enhancing the gas drainage efficiency by blocking the fractures around the drainage holes. The project involves spraying a thin spray-on liner onto the area surrounding gas drainage holes whereby the thin spray-on liner acts as a thin membrane decreasing the permeability of coal. This restricts the air migrating through the coal seam and diluting the gas from the drainage holes. The key benefits associated with the application of TSLs are the increase in the methane purity and the decrease in the air contamination. In-situ adhesion tests were conducted in parallel with the gas tests, and the results revealed that the TSL tested could be implemented for underground coal mine applications as the main failure mode is the internal failure of the coal substrate.
Can the Knobe Effect Be Explained Away? Methodological Controversies in the Study of the Relationship Between Intentionality and Morality
Authors: Cova Florian , Lantian Anthony , Boudesseul Jordane
Published: July 2016

Based on the “Knobe Effect,” Knobe has argued that moral evaluations can influence intentionality judgments. However, two methodological objections have been raised against this claim: first, that participants’ answers do not accurately reflect what they think and, second, that the Knobe Effect can be fully explained by non-moral factors, such as the agent’s desires or beliefs. In this article, we discuss these two methodological objections to the existence of the Knobe Effect and provide new evidence that moral evaluations can shape intentionality judgments. First, Study 1 shows that standard measures of intentionality do not overestimate participants’ intentionality judgments. Second, Studies 2 and 3 suggest that participants’ moral evaluations still mediate the impact of positive versus negative side-effects on judgments about intentional action, even when taking into account a whole range of non-moral factors. Results suggest that moral evaluations play an irreducible role in shaping our judgments about intentional action.
High-Involvement Management, Economic Recession, Well-Being, and Organizational Performance
Authors: Wood Stephen , Ogbonnaya Chidiebere
Published: July 2016

High-involvement management was introduced as a means of overcoming economic crises, but it has been argued that the inevitability of cost-cutting measures when organizations face such crises would undermine its efficacy. This article first presents theories of why tensions may exist between high-involvement management and actions typically taken by management during recessions, such as wage and employment freezes. It then reports research aimed at testing whether the performance effects of high-involvement management were lower in organizations where management took such actions to combat the post-2008 recession, due to their adverse effects on employees’ job satisfaction and well-being—and even whether high-involvement management still had a performance premium after the recession. Using data from Britain’s Workplace Employment Relations Survey of 2011, the research shows that both dimensions of high-involvement management—role- and organizational-involvement management—continued to be positively associated with economic performance as the economy came out of recession. Recessionary actions were negatively related to both employee job satisfaction and well-being, while job satisfaction mediated the relationship between role-involvement management and economic performance, which is consistent with mutual-gains theory. However, recessionary action reduced the positive effect that role-involvement management had on job satisfaction and well-being and thus may have reduced its positive performance effects. In the case of organizational-involvement management, it reduced the level of job dissatisfaction and ill-being, suggesting that it may provide workers with more information and greater certainty about the future.
Identifying Democracy
Authors: Smith Lindsay Adams
Published: July 2016

In 1984, eight-year-old Paula Logares was called into a judge’s chambers and was told the man and woman she lived with were not her parents. Her parents had been disappeared during the dirty war, and now, through her blood, scientists would be able to return her to her birth family. Paula, thus, became the first “stolen” child in Argentina to be identified via the incipient technology of DNA identification. With this forensic first, DNA identification has emerged as a central tool of good governance the world round. From routine crime fighting to international criminal tribunals, DNA plays a crucial role in attempts to reckon with crimes of the body. As an alternative origin for forensic DNA, Argentina offers an early example of science emerging from social movements in the Global South. Drawing on twenty-seven months of fieldwork with family members, activists, and scientists, this article documents the ways in which DNA has emerged as a core site of subject formation for individuals and families affected by the terror of the dictatorship and for the Argentine nation-state, as it reckons with the legacies of repression. Through a feminist, postcolonial frame, I offer the concept of re(con)stitution as a way of attending to the forms of biocitizenship that emerge during times of humanitarian crisis and transitional justice. As a tool of reproductive governance, forensic DNA acts not only as a powerful disciplinary site of biocitizenship but also as a potential space to reimagine the social contract between the body, the public, and the state.
Can the Intern Resist? Precarity of Blue-Collar Labor and the Fragmented Resistance of the White-Collar Intern in Laurent Cantet’s Human Resources
Authors: Bulut Ergin
Published: July 2016

Drawing on the literature regarding internships and cinema of precarity, this article addresses how one “learns” to intern and negotiate his or her class identity between a blue-collar past and white-collar future through an analysis of Laurent Cantet’s Human Resources. In contrast to Lauren Berlant’s astute though pessimist reading of the movie, I propose that internships may highlight the creative and organizing potential of labor power. A critique of Human Resources serves as an analytical lens through which the constitutive role of internship, its political desire to lead to crisis at work and its ability to resist precarity, albeit in a fragmented manner, may be revealed.
Blood warming, pump heating and haemolysis in low-flow extracorporeal life support; an in vitro study using freshly donated human blood
Authors: Kusters R W J , Simons A P , Lancé M D , Ganushchak Y M , Bekers O , Weerwind P W
Published: July 2016

Low-flow extracorporeal life support can be used for cardiopulmonary support of paediatric and neonatal patients and is also emerging as a therapy for patients suffering from exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. However, pump heating and haemolysis have proven to negatively affect the system and outcome. This in vitro study aimed at gaining insight into blood warming, pump heating and haemolysis related to the performance of a new low-flow centrifugal pump. Pump performance in the 400-1,500 ml/min flow range was modulated using small-sized dual-lumen catheters and freshly donated human blood. Measurements included plasma free haemoglobin, blood temperature, pump speed, pump pressure, blood flow and thermographic imaging. Blood warming (ΔTmax=0.5°C) had no relationship with pump performance or haemolysis (R2max=0.05). Pump performance-related parameters revealed no relevant relationships with haemolysis (R2max=0.36). Thermography showed no relevant heat zones in the pump (Tmax=36°C). Concerning blood warming, pump heating and haemolysis, we deem the centrifugal pump applicable for low-flow extracorporeal circulation.
A randomized prospective long-term (>1 year) clinical trial comparing the efficacy and safety of radiofrequency ablation to 980 nm laser ablation of the great saphenous vein
Authors: Sydnor Malcolm , Mavropoulos John , Slobodnik Natalia , Wolfe Luke , Strife Brian , Komorowski Daniel
Published: July 2016

Purpose

To compare the short- and long-term (>1 year) efficacy and safety of radiofrequency ablation (ClosureFAST™) versus endovenous laser ablation (980 nm diode laser) for the treatment of superficial venous insufficiency of the great saphenous vein.

Materials and methods

Two hundred patients with superficial venous insufficiency of the great saphenous vein were randomized to receive either radiofrequency ablation or endovenous laser ablation (and simultaneous adjunctive therapies for surface varicosities when appropriate). Post-treatment sonographic and clinical assessment was conducted at one week, six weeks, and six months for closure, complications, and patient satisfaction. Clinical assessment of each patient was conducted at one year and then at yearly intervals for patient satisfaction.

Results

Post-procedure pain ( p < 0.0001) and objective post-procedure bruising ( p = 0.0114) were significantly lower in the radiofrequency ablation group. Improvements in venous clinical severity score were noted through six months in both groups (endovenous laser ablation 6.6 to 1; radiofrequency ablation 6.2 to 1) with no significant difference in venous clinical severity score ( p = 0.4066) or measured adverse effects; 89 endovenous laser ablation and 87 radiofrequency patients were interviewed at least 12 months out with a mean long-term follow-up of 44 and 42 months ( p = 0.1096), respectively. There were four treatment failures in each group, and every case was correctable with further treatment. Overall, there were no significant differences with regard to patient satisfaction between radiofrequency ablation and endovenous laser ablation ( p = 0.3009). There were no cases of deep venous thrombosis in either group at any time during this study.

Conclusions

Radiofrequency ablation and endovenous laser ablation are highly effective and safe from both anatomic and clinical standpoints over a multi-year period and neither modality achieved superiority over the other.
Discarded surrogates, modified traditions, welcome complements: The chequered careers of alternative technologies in Berlin’s infrastructure systems
Authors: Moss Timothy
Published: July 2016

This article takes an historical perspective on current attempts to ‘open up’ established, centralized systems of urban infrastructure to alternative technologies designed to minimize resource use and environmental pollution. The process of introducing alternative technologies into, or alongside, centralized urban infrastructures is not a novel phenomenon, as is often assumed. The physical and institutional entrenchment of large technical systems for urban energy, water or sanitation services in industrialized countries in the late 19th and early 20th centuries did not close the door completely on alternatives. I investigate a number of alternative technologies used in Berlin in the interwar period (1920–1939), in order to reveal the rationales developed around each technology and the ways in which each emerged, disappeared and re-emerged or survived across highly diverse political regimes. The selection of cases is guided by the desire to illustrate three different phenomena of alternative technology diffusion (and exclusion) experienced in Berlin: (1) technologies promoted by early pioneers and discarded by their successors (waste-to-energy), (2) technologies modifying traditional practices that were at odds with modernized systems (wastewater reuse for agriculture) and (3) technologies co-existing alongside the dominant centralized system throughout the 20th century (cogeneration). The empirical findings are interpreted with reference to their contribution to scholarship on urban socio-technical transitions.
Which Are the Most Reliable Methods of Predicting the Meniscal Size for Transplantation?
Authors: Kaleka Camila Cohen , Netto Alfredo Santos , Silva Júlio César Almeida e , Toma Mariana Key , de Paula Leite Cury Ricardo , Severino Nilson Roberto , Santili Claudio
Published: July 2016

Background:

Although the size of the meniscal allograft is crucial during meniscal transplantation, the accuracy of meniscal measurement methods is still under debate. A number of methods based on radiographic and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data as well as on anthropometric data have been proposed, but their reproducibility and reliability are still unclear.

Purpose:

To compare meniscal length and width as measured by different techniques (anthropometric and plain radiographic) to establish which of these 2 methods is more reliable and cost-effective for determining the meniscal size in comparison to MRI.

Study Design:

Cohort study (diagnosis); Level of evidence, 2.

Methods:

The MRI scans and plain radiographic films of 22 patients (44 knees) from a single institution were studied. The width and length of the medial and lateral menisci were measured using specific techniques. Data on sex, age, body weight, and height were used to develop a regression formula for meniscal measurements (comparing both imaging methods) to establish meniscal dimensions. Data validation was achieved using the Pearson correlation, the intraclass correlation coefficient, and the Wilcoxon nonparametric test for all variables, with a significance level established at 95%. Accuracy was established as a 10% measure discrepancy from the gold standard (MRI) and was considered an average between the right and left knees.

Results:

No statistically significant difference was observed between the right and left knees on radiographic and MRI measurements. The Pollard technique of radiographic measurement overestimated the width of the lateral meniscus when compared with anthropometric measurements ( P < .001), considering MRI as the gold standard. The same was observed for MRI measurements of the length of the lateral meniscus in which not only anthropometric but also plain radiographic measurements using the Yoon technique were significantly smaller than those values found with the Pollard technique ( P < .001). The anthropometric method underestimated the width and length of the medial meniscus with an accuracy of 68.2% and 63.6%, respectively. The radiographic method was comparable with MRI in establishing all medial meniscal measurements with an accuracy of 93.2% for length and 77.3% for width.

Conclusion:

Some viable alternatives to MRI have been suggested. For the lateral meniscus, anthropometric data are an alternative for width, and the Yoon method can be used to assess length. For the medial meniscus, the Pollard method is considered a satisfactory alternative. This study emphasized the importance of measuring the width and length of the meniscus independently during preoperative sizing for a meniscal allograft transplantation procedure. Using MRI as a gold standard, the study also proposed other less costly and satisfactory methods of obtaining such measurements.
Mismatch Negativity Recording in Children With Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
Authors: Filippini Melissa , Guerra Angelo , Negosanti Alessandra , Santi Sara , Sarajlija Jasenka , Musti Muriel Assunta , Gobbi Giuseppe , Lassonde Maryse , Pini Antonella
Published: July 2016

Many studies on Duchenne muscular dystrophy children support the hypothesis of a specific neuropsychological phenotype affecting mostly phonological skills. This prospective study aimed to shed light on the role of phonological abilities. Fourteen Duchenne muscular dystrophy children and 7 healthy children underwent mismatch negativity. Moreover, verbal intelligence, visuospatial attention, immediate verbal memory, working memory, grammar, vocabulary, visuomotor skills, reading, text comprehension, writing, and arithmetic were tested in Duchenne muscular dystrophy children. No significant difference between control and Duchenne muscular dystrophy children was found neither for mismatch negativity amplitude ( P = .191 and .116, respectively) nor for latency ( P = .135). Eight (57.14%) patients showed an impairment of immediate verbal memory and of visuomotor skills, 7 (63.64%) patients had a deficit in writing and arithmetic skills, even with a mean normal intelligence quotient. Taken together, the results put in evidence a heterogeneous neuropsychological profile not explainable on the basis of a phonological deficit.
Electrospun homogeneous silk fibroin/poly (ɛ-caprolactone) nanofibrous scaffolds by addition of acetic acid for tissue engineering
Authors: Zhu Jiang , Luo Jingjing , Zhao Xingyan , Gao Junjiu , Xiong Jie
Published: July 2016

In this study, we investigated the phase separation phenomenon of silk fibroin/poly (ɛ-caprolactone) electrospinning solution to improve the performance of silk fibroin/poly (ɛ-caprolactone) electrospun nanofibers. It showed that phase separation does occur in just a few hours in the silk fibroin/poly (ɛ-caprolactone)/formic acid mixture solution. Acetic acid, small molecule nonsolvent for silk fibroin, was first introduced to silk fibroin/poly (ɛ-caprolactone)/formic acid solution, a homogeneous solution without separation for over several days was achieved after mixing for 5 h. The morphology and composition of the silk fibroin/poly (ɛ-caprolactone) and acetic acid-modified silk fibroin/poly (ɛ-caprolactone) fibrous scaffolds were examined by scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and thermal gravimetric analyzer. Attachment and proliferation of mouse osteoblast MC3T3-E1 cells were tested by scanning electron microscopy and cytotoxity assay. The results indicated that the phase separation of silk fibroin/poly (ɛ-caprolactone) solution might led to inhomogeneous morphology and composition of the composite scaffolds, and the inhomogeneity of the silk fibroin/poly (ɛ-caprolactone) scaffolds with formic acid as solvent had a remarkable difference on cell adhesion and proliferation. In contrast, there was no significant difference among the silk fibroin/poly (ɛ-caprolactone) scaffolds with formic acid/acetic acid as solvent because of their good consistency in fiber morphology and composition. These obtained silk fibroin/poly (ɛ-caprolactone) nanofibers had small average diameter of 190 ± 40 nm. The obtained results proved that this study provided a facile and effective approach to achieve compositionally homogeneous silk fibroin/poly (ɛ-caprolactone) scaffolds with formic acid as solvent for effective applications.
Effects of Ti–C:H coating and plasma nitriding treatment on tribological, electrochemical, and biocompatibility properties of AISI 316L
Authors: Kao WH , Su YL , Horng JH , Zhang KX
Published: July 2016

Ti–C:H coatings were deposited on original, nitrided, and polished-nitrided AISI 316L stainless steel substrates using a closed field unbalanced magnetron sputtering system. Sliding friction wear tests were performed in 0.89 wt.% NaCl solution under a load of 30 N against AISI 316L stainless steel, Si3N4, and Ti6Al4V balls, respectively. The electrochemical properties of the various specimens were investigated by means of corrosion tests performed in 0.89 wt.% NaCl solution at room temperature. Finally, the biocompatibility properties of the specimens were investigated by performing cell culturing experiments using purified mouse leukemic monocyte macrophage cells (Raw264.7). In general, the results showed that plasma nitriding followed by Ti–C:H coating deposition provides an effective means of improving the wear resistance, anti-corrosion properties, and biocompatibility performance of AISI 316L stainless steel.
A Randomized Trial of Social Comparison Feedback and Financial Incentives to Increase Physical Activity
Authors: Patel Mitesh S. , Volpp Kevin G. , Rosin Roy , Bellamy Scarlett L. , Small Dylan S. , Fletcher Michele A. , Osman-Koss Rosemary , Brady Jennifer L. , Haff Nancy , Lee Samantha M. , Wesby Lisa , Hoffer Karen , Shuttleworth David , Taylor Devon H. , Hilbert Victoria , Zhu Jingsan , Yang Lin , Wang Xingmei , Asch David A.
Published: July 2016

Purpose:

To compare the effectiveness of different combinations of social comparison feedback and financial incentives to increase physical activity.

Design:

Randomized trial ( Clinicaltrials.gov number, NCT02030080).

Setting:

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Participants:

Two hundred eighty-six adults.

Interventions:

Twenty-six weeks of weekly feedback on team performance compared to the 50th percentile (n = 100) or the 75th percentile (n = 64) and 13 weeks of weekly lottery-based financial incentive plus feedback on team performance compared to the 50th percentile (n = 80) or the 75th percentile (n = 44) followed by 13 weeks of only performance feedback.

Measures:

Mean proportion of participant-days achieving the 7000-step goal during the 13-week intervention.

Analysis:

Generalized linear mixed models adjusting for repeated measures and clustering by team.

Results:

Compared to the 75th percentile without incentives during the intervention period, the mean proportion achieving the 7000-step goal was significantly greater for the 50th percentile with incentives group (0.45 vs 0.27, difference: 0.18, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.04 to 0.32; P = .012) but not for the 75th percentile with incentives group (0.38 vs 0.27, difference: 0.11, 95% CI: −0.05 to 0.27; P = .19) or the 50th percentile without incentives group (0.30 vs 0.27, difference: 0.03, 95% CI: −0.10 to 0.16; P = .67).

Conclusion:

Social comparison to the 50th percentile with financial incentives was most effective for increasing physical activity.
Boosting Online Response Rates Among Nonresponders
Authors: Rath Jessica M. , Williams Valerie F. , Villanti Andrea C. , Green Molly P. , Mowery Paul D. , Vallone Donna M.
Published: July 2016

Online data collection has become an extremely popular survey mode given its reduced cost, ease of administration, and timeliness. Although extensive research exists on the influence of e-mail invitation design characteristics to prompt survey participation, less is known about the effectiveness of e-mail reminders in prompting survey completion among nonresponders. The purpose of this study was to determine whether incorporating humor into e-mail reminders improved survey completion rates. Respondents from the Truth Initiative Young Adult Cohort ( n = 2,963) who did not respond to the first standard e-mail invitation to complete their follow-up survey were randomly assigned to one of the three e-mail reminder groups: control (standard), humor only, or humor plus statistics. Those who received an initial humor plus statistics reminder e-mail received the humor only e-mail as their second reminder and vice versa. Logistic regression was used to generate the odds ratios ( OR) for the probability of completing the survey after the first reminder. Results of multivariable models showed that, when collapsed together, the humor only and humor plus statistics e-mails were more effective than the control [adjusted OR (AOR) = 1.23, 95% confidence interval (CI) [1.01, 1.49], p = .05]. Receiving the humorous e-mail as the first reminder increased the odds of response to the survey by 24% (AOR = 1.24, 95% CI [1.00, 1.54], p = .04). Those entering the study at an earlier wave, nonsmokers and those living in smaller households were more likely to respond after the first reminder. A humorous reminder tailored to the voice of the audience is an easy, efficient, and effective way to increase response rates among young adults.
Authority and Reality in the Work of Oliver O’Donovan
Authors: Errington Andrew
Published: July 2016

Running throughout the work of Oliver O’Donovan is a discussion of the nature of authority, and its relation to reality, and to freedom. While holding fast to the maxim that authority is the correlate of freedom, O’Donovan’s understanding of authority moves, as a result of his engagement with the nature of political authority, to emphasise the idea of social mediation. This leads, in the most recent works, to a description of authority as an event in which reality is disclosed. Arguably, this formal account does not adequately distinguish the element of practical direction within authority, meaning that it may struggle to explain some ways in which we speak about authority’s presence, and its misuse. However, there may be resources for making this distinction within O’Donovan’s understanding of judgment as an act of moral discrimination with a twofold form. O’Donovan’s is an elegant and economical account of authority, promising to provide a simple analysis that encompasses the peculiarities of authority and illuminates a wide range of phenomena.
Stiffness-based trajectory planning of a 6-DOF cable-driven parallel manipulator
Authors: Zhang Wenjia , Shang Weiwei , Zhang Bin , Zhang Fei , Cong Shuang
Published: July 2016

The stiffness of the cable-driven parallel manipulator is usually poor because of the cable flexibility, and the existing methods on trajectory planning mainly take the minimum time and the optimal energy into account, not the stiffness. To solve it, the effects of different trajectories on stiffness are studied for a six degree-of-freedom cable-driven parallel manipulator, according to the kinematic model and the dynamic model. The condition number and the minimum eigenvalue of the dimensionally homogeneous stiffness matrix are selected as performance indices to analyze the stiffness changes during the motion. The simulation experiments are implemented on a six degree-of-freedom cable-driven parallel manipulator, to study the stiffness of three different trajectory planning approaches such as S-type velocity profile, quintic polynomial, and trigonometric function. The accelerations of different methods are analyzed, and the stiffness performances for the methods are compared after planning the point-to-point straight and the curved trajectories. The simulation results indicate that the quintic polynomial and S-type velocity profile have the optimal performance to keep the stiffness stable during the motion control and the travel time of the quintic polynomial can be optimized sufficiently while keeping stable.
Effect analysis of silencing grooves on pressure and vibration characteristics of seawater axial piston pump
Authors: Yin Fanglong , Nie Songlin , Hou Wei , Xiao Shuhan
Published: July 2016

Seawater axial piston pump is a critical power component in seawater fluid power system. As the properties of high bulk modulus and low viscosity of seawater, the pressure and vibration characteristics of the seawater axial piston pump will be getting poorer than the traditional oil pump. In this study, the pressure, flow, and vibration characteristics for a seawater axial piston pump are investigated. The three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics simulations for the port plate with non-grooved, U-shaped, and triangle-based pyramid silencing groove designs have been conducted over a range of operating conditions, which consider the fluid compressibility effect and cavitation damage. Measurements of pressure ripple and pump vibration are carried out at various loading conditions to verify the results of simulation. The experiment turned out that the well-designed port plate can mitigate both pressure ripples as well as vibrations of the pump. This research will lay the foundation for the further development of a low fluid noise seawater axial piston pump.
Simplified Vibration Model and analysis of a single-conductor transmission line with dampers
Authors: Barry O , Long R , Oguamanam DCD
Published: July 2016

A novel model is developed for a vibrating single-conductor transmission line carrying Stockbridge dampers. Experiments are performed to determine the equivalent viscous damping of the damper. This damper is then reduced to an equivalent discrete mass-spring-mass and viscous damping system. The equations of motion of the model are derived using Hamilton’s principle and explicit expressions are determined for the frequency equation, and mode shapes. The proposed model is verified using experimental and finite element results from the literature. This proposed model excellently captures free vibration characteristics of the system and the vibration level of the conductor, but performs poorly in regard to the vibration of the counterweights.
Limitations of eddy current inspection in railway rail evaluation
Authors: Rajamäki Juho , Vippola Minnamari , Nurmikolu Antti , Viitala Tuomo
Published: July 2016

At the moment, one of the most cost-effective ways to inspect a whole railway network for rolling-contact fatigue is to carry out an eddy current inspection. It has a great sensitivity to even the smallest near surface defects, but this can also be a downside as it can lead to indications of deep damage from an array of tiny cracks. This can lead to overestimation of damage severity. Moreover, sizing of cracks in rails is unreliable due to the large number of parameters that affect the eddy current inspection response. The depth of penetration is of major importance in eddy current inspection, since cracks that are over this limit cannot be sized reliably. Deep inspection is desirable, but it is unattainable in practice, since signal-to-noise ratio decreases while penetration increases. Also, deep inspection is more affected by variations in steel’s electromagnetic properties. Furthermore, increasing inspection velocity will lead to decreased inspection depth. Most of the problems with eddy current inspection are related to the surface microstructure of the rail, and thus could be mitigated with a preliminary rail grinding. Therefore, eddy current inspection is best suited for maintenance quality control. However, eddy current inspection carried out with conventional equipment and without support from other methods gives only coarse estimate of the rails condition.
A physiological model for the investigation of esophageal motility in healthy and pathologic conditions
Authors: Carniel Emanuele Luigi , Frigo Alessandro , Costantini Mario , Giuliani Tommaso , Nicoletti Loredana , Merigliano Stefano , Natali Arturo N
Published: July 2016

Recent technological advances in esophageal manometry allowed the definition of new classification methods for the diagnosis of disorders of esophageal motility and the implementation of innovative computational tools for the autonomic, reliable and unbiased detection of different disorders. Computational models can be developed aiming to interpret the mechanical behavior and functionality of the gastrointestinal tract and to summarize the results from clinical measurements, as high-resolution manometry pressure plots, into model parameters. A physiological model was here developed to interpret data from esophageal high-resolution manometry. Such model accounts for parameters related to specific physiological properties of the biological structures involved in the peristaltic mechanism. The identification of model parameters was performed by minimizing the discrepancy between clinical data from high-resolution manometry and model results. Clinical data were collected from both healthy volunteers ( n = 35) and patients with different motor disorders, such as achalasia patterns 1 ( n = 13), 2 ( n = 20) and 3 ( n = 5), distal esophageal spasm ( n = 69), esophago-gastric junction outflow obstruction ( n = 25), nutcracker esophagus ( n = 11) and normal motility ( n = 42). The physiological model that was formulated in this work can properly explain high-resolution manometry data, as confirmed by the evaluation of the coefficient of determination R2 = 0.83 − 0.96. The study finally led to identify the statistical distributions of model parameters for each healthy or pathologic conditions considered, addressing the applicability of the achieved results for the implementation of autonomic diagnosis procedures to support the medical staff during the traditional diagnostic process.
Disturbance observer-based feedback linearization control of an unmanned quadrotor helicopter
Authors: Aboudonia Ahmed , El-Badawy Ayman , Rashad Ramy
Published: July 2016

Feedback linearization is widely used for the purpose of quadrotor control. Unfortunately, feedback linearization is highly sensitive to any quadrotor model uncertainties. This paper provides feedback linearization-based control with robustness by integrating it with a disturbance observer. The proposed approach maintains the simplicity of the control structure without ignoring the high nonlinearities existing in the model by considering these nonlinearities as disturbances to be attenuated by the disturbance observer. Thus, the requirement to include complex high-order Lie derivatives in the controller is eliminated even in the presence of the high nonlinearities. Simulation results show that the proposed controller successfully force the quadrotor to follow the desired position and heading trajectories in the presence of different types of disturbances including ignored nonlinear dynamics, wind disturbances and partial actuator failure.
Energy-saving analysis of the independent metering system with pressure compensation for excavator’s manipulator
Authors: Liu Kailei , Gao Yingjie , Tu Zhaohui , Lin Peng
Published: July 2016

This article studies the energy-saving performances of the independent metering system with pressure compensation for excavator’s manipulator. Compared to the electro-hydraulic pressure compensation method, the hydro-mechanical pressure compensation method is commonly applied in the conventional load-sensing systems as it reacts directly and rapidly. Independent metering system has more controllability, because meter-in and meter-out orifices are decoupled. In this study, the hydro-mechanical pressure compensation method is adopted in the designing of independent metering system for excavator’s manipulator. According to the demand forces and velocities of the cylinders in the excavator’s manipulator part, the pressure compensation independent metering control blocks of boom, arm, and bucket are completely designed. The most energy-efficient manner of opening the meter-in and meter-out orifices for proportional output velocity has been obtained by quasi-static behaviors’ analysis. The excavator’s manipulator virtual prototype model, the conventional load-sensing system model, and pressure compensation independent metering system model are built. The system parameters are kept as consistent values, and the energy consumptions of the two systems are compared in the simulations. The comparison results indicated that the pressure compensation independent metering system offers more significant energy savings than the conventional load-sensing system when the system is steady.
Diagnosing melancholic depression: some personal observations
Authors: Parker Gordon
Published: July 2016

Objectives:

The objective of this study was to offer some personal observations as to how melancholia can be diagnosed and differentiated from the non-melancholic depressive conditions.

Methods:

Personal clinical and research-based observations are presented following a critique of common current strategies.

Results:

The paper offers views on the most differentiating clinical features, argues for adding illness course variables to symptoms and provides details of the Sydney Melancholic Prototypic Index, a measure with a high overall classification rate in differentiating melancholic and non-melancholic depression.

Conclusions:

Greater precision in differentiating melancholic from non-melancholic depression is advanced by weighting signs and symptoms of psychomotor disturbance, as well as including illness correlates and family history in the diagnostic process.
Attitudes toward utility, effects and side effects of treatment for anxiety and depression
Authors: Lim Leslie , Goh Justine , Chan Yiong-Huak , Poon Shi-Hui
Published: July 2016

Objectives:

Negative perceptions about psychiatric treatment are likely to affect treatment adherence. We compared attitudes of patients with psychiatric illness and those of medical patients towards psychiatric treatment.

Methods:

Both patients with psychiatric illness and medical patients (controls) were shown a printed copy of two vignettes depicting major depression and generalized anxiety disorder. They were asked for their perceptions on the utility, effects and possible side effects of psychiatric medications, as well as the utility of psychotherapy in treating major depression and generalized anxiety disorder. Responses between psychiatric patients and medical patients were compared using appropriate statistical tests, including logistic regression.

Results:

Patients with psychiatric illness were more likely than medical patients to endorse the utility of medications in treating major depression and generalized anxiety disorder ( p<0.001). Those with psychiatric illness were more likely to endorse the utility of psychotherapy in treating major depression ( p=0.004). Both groups of patients were of the view that psychotherapy would benefit generalized anxiety disorder. Older and lesser educated patients held negative beliefs about medications.

Conclusions:

While patients with psychiatric illnesses endorsed favourable attitudes toward medications ( p<0.001), the older and lesser educated were more likely to hold negative views ( p<0.05). Psychoeducation should be tailored to the needs of older and lesser educated patients.
Age-related changes of platelet and plasma coagulation parameters in young pigs
Authors: Pliszczak-Król Aleksandra , Rząsa Anna , Gemra Marianna , Król Jarosław , Łuczak Grzegorz , Zyzak Artur , Zalewski Dariusz , Iwaszko-Simonik Alicja , Graczyk Stanisław
Published: July 2016

The literature on hemostatic processes in swine is sparse and often fragmentary; hence, we conducted our study to characterize age-related changes in selected parameters of primary and secondary hemostasis in 50 growing pigs between day 2 and week 24 of age. We measured platelet count (PLT), mean platelet volume, platelet-to-large cell ratio, prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT), thrombin time (TT), and fibrinogen concentration. Among primary hemostasis parameters, PLT underwent the largest fluctuation with the animals’ age, ranging from 340 to 730 × 109/L. However, statistical significance was only detected for 4-week-old piglets compared to 18-week-old animals. Of the secondary hemostasis parameters measured, TT and aPTT were the most changeable. Activated partial thromboplastin time displayed a characteristic biphasic course, being relatively short before week 5 of age (17.8–19.9 s) and then becoming much longer (28.7–52.5 s). The aPTTs measured in animals 6 weeks of age and older were statistically different ( p < 0.01) from those in younger piglets. The 2 main components of hemostasis, platelet hemostasis and plasma coagulation, did not develop at the same time. It took much longer for secondary hemostasis to stabilize, whereas platelet parameters were stable early in life.
Comparative evaluation of the nested ITS PCR against the 18S PCR-RFLP in a survey of bovine trypanosomiasis in Kwale County, Kenya
Authors: Odongo Steven , Delespaux Vincent , Ngotho Maina , Bekkele Serkalem Mindaye , Magez Stefan
Published: July 2016

We compared the nested internal transcribed spacer (ITS) PCR and the 18S PCR-RFLP (restriction-fragment length polymorphism) pan-trypanosome assays in a cross-sectional survey of bovine trypanosomiasis in 358 cattle in Kwale County, Kenya. The prevalence of trypanosomiasis as determined by the nested ITS PCR was 19.6% (70/358) and by 18S PCR-RFLP was 16.8% (60/358). Of the pathogenic trypanosomes detected, the prevalence of Trypanosoma congolense and Trypanosoma vivax was greater than that of Trypanosoma simiae. The nested ITS PCR detected 83 parasite events, whereas the 18S PCR-RFLP detected 64; however, overall frequencies of infections and the parasite events detected did not differ between the assays (χ2 = 0.8, df = 1, p > 0.05 and χ2 = 2.5, df = 1, p > 0.05, respectively). The kappa statistic (0.8) showed good agreement between the tests. The nested ITS PCR and the 18S PCR-RFLP had comparable sensitivity, although the nested ITS PCR was better at detecting mixed infections (χ2 = 5.4, df = 1, p < 0.05).
A new quantitative PCR method for the detection of Anaplasma platys in dogs based on the citrate synthase gene
Authors: da Silva Claudia B. , Pires Marcus S. , Vilela Joice A. R. , Peckle Maristela , da Costa Renata L. , Vitari Gabriela L. V. , Santos Leandro A. , Santos Huarrisson A. , Massard Carlos L.
Published: July 2016

Anaplasma platys is an obligate intracellular bacterium that primarily affects dogs, but it can also infect humans. Our study aimed to standardize a quantitative real-time (q)PCR method using the citrate synthase gene ( gltA) as a specific target for A. platys detection in naturally infected dogs. Primers ( gltA84F and gltA84R) and probe (PLATYSp) were designed to amplify an 84-bp fragment based on the gltA gene sequences of A. platys available in GenBank. A total of 186 dog blood samples originating from the Brazilian state of Rio de Janeiro were tested by qPCR. Additionally, the same samples were tested by cytology and a nested (n)PCR that targeted the 16S ribosomal DNA to determine the performance of our qPCR method compared to these existing techniques. Among the samples tested with qPCR, 17.2% were considered positive, significantly more than detected by nPCR (14.0%). Under optical microscopy, inclusions were observed in platelets of 25.3% of the samples, and among these samples, only 33.9% were identified as positive for A. platys using qPCR. The qPCR technique proved to be more specific than cytology and to have superior sensitivity to nPCR for detecting A. platys in dogs. The development of this new qPCR method contributes to the advancement of research involving A. platys. Furthermore, it can be used to quantify the presence of this bacterium to evaluate the treatment of infected animals, or even as a more sensitive and specific tool for situations indicating possible clinical disease but with negative cytology.
Implementation and Evaluation of the Skills Training in Affective and Interpersonal Regulation (STAIR) in a Community Setting in the Context of Childhood Sexual Abuse
Authors: MacIntosh Heather B. , Cloitre Marylene , Kortis Kerrie , Peck Alison , Weiss Brandon J.
Published: July 2016

Purpose:

The objective of this article is to describe the implementation of the Skills Training in Affective and Interpersonal Regulation (STAIR), a manualized, evidence-based cognitive behavioral group treatment for childhood trauma at Cedar Centre, a community-based trauma treatment center, and describe the preliminary evaluation of the effectiveness of the treatment.

Method:

Pre- and postmeasurements of emotion regulation, interpersonal problems, and traumatic stress symptoms using psychometrically validated instruments were collected. Outcomes were assessed for 85 individuals who experienced childhood sexual abuse and participated in the first cycles of intervention at the center.

Results:

Results indicated significant reductions in difficulties in emotion regulation, interpersonal problems, and trauma symptoms among participants from pretreatment to posttreatment.

Discussion:

Overall, there was a positive response to the adoption and integration of the STAIR intervention into the program. Qualitative assessment identified the benefits perceived by both facilitators and group participants.
Effectiveness and Safety of Ombitasvir-Paritaprevir/Ritonavir and Dasabuvir With or Without Ribavirin for HCV Genotype 1 Infection for 12 Weeks Under Routine Clinical Practice
Authors: Chamorro-de-Vega Esther , Gimenez-Manzorro Alvaro , Rodriguez-Gonzalez Carmen Guadalupe , Escudero-Vilaplana Vicente , Collado Borrell Roberto , Ibañez-Garcia Sara , Lallana Sainz Elena , Lobato Matilla Elena , Lorenzo-Pinto Ana , Manrique-Rodriguez Silvia , Fernandez-Llamazares Cecilia M. , Marzal-Alfaro MariaBelen , Ribed Almudena , Romero Jimenez Rosa Maria. , Sarobe Gonzalez Camino , Herranz Ana , Sanjurjo Maria
Published: July 2016

Background: No previous studies exist examining the effectiveness and safety in real clinical practice of the combination of ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir and dasabuvir (OBV/PTV/r+DSV). Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness and safety in real clinical practice of the combination of OBV/PTV/r+DSV with or without ribavirin for 12 weeks in treatment-naïve and previously treated adult patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 1 infection. Methods: This was an observational study of a prospective cohort of treatment-naïve and pretreated adult patients who received 12 weeks of OBV/PTV/r (25/150/100 mg once daily) and DSV (250 mg twice daily) with or without ribavirin. The primary effectiveness outcome was sustained virological response 12 weeks after the end of treatment (SVR12). Safety outcomes were presented by the incidence of adverse events. Results: A total of 116 of 121 patients achieved a SVR12 (95.9%, 95% CI = 90.6-98.6). The SVR12 rate was 93.8% (95% CI = 86.0-97.9) in cirrhotic patients and 100% (95% CI = 91.4-100.0) in noncirrhotic patients. Adverse events occurred in 91.7% of patients, of which 81.8% were grade 1/2, and none led to premature discontinuation. Grade 3 adverse events were reported in 9.9% of patients. The most frequent adverse event was anemia (52.1%), although only 1.6% had a hemoglobin level below 8 g/dL. The incidence of any adverse event was higher in the group of patients who received ribavirin (96.5% vs 80.0%, P = 0.002). Conclusions: The combination of OBV/PTV/r+DSV with or without ribavirin for 12-week settings achieved a high rate of SVR12, with an acceptable safety profile in routine clinical care.
Primary Colon Adenosquamous Carcinoma in a Patient With Lynch Syndrome
Authors: Duncan Virginia E. , Harada Shuko , Stevens Todd M.
Published: July 2016

We report a case of a 53-year-old woman who presented with rectal bleeding and a 9.5 cm hemicircumferential ascending colon mass. Histology revealed adenosquamous carcinoma (ASC), a rare subtype comprised of malignant squamous and glandular elements. Immunohistochemistry revealed loss of MLH1/PMS2 expression and retained MSH2/MSH6 expression in squamous and glandular components, indicative of microsatellite instability (MSI). MSI is caused by loss-of-function defects in DNA mismatch repair genes, leading to increased susceptibility to a variety of neoplasms; the role of MSI in colorectal ASC is unknown. The tumor was negative for MLH1 gene promoter hypermethylation, the patient had a germline MLH1 mutation, and met criteria for Lynch syndrome. To our knowledge this is the first report of a MSI-high colorectal carcinoma (CRC) showing adenosquamous histology. Further evaluation of MSI status in colorectal ASC may be warranted as this may be another histologic type of CRC associated with MSI.