bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
International Society of Blood Transfusion Working Party on Red Cell Immunogenetics and Blood Group Terminology: Report of the Dubai, Copenhagen and Toronto meetings
Authors: Storry Jill R. , Clausen Frederik Banch , Castilho Lilian , Chen Qing , Daniels Geoff , Denomme Greg , Flegel Willy A , Gassner Christoph , de Haas Masja , Hyland Catherine , Yanli Ji , Keller Margaret , Lomas‐Francis Christine , Nogues Nuria , Olsson Martin L , Peyrard Thierry , van der Schoot Ellen , Tani Yoshihiko , Thornton Nicole , Wagner Franz , Weinstock Christoph , Wendel Silvano , Westhoff Connie , Yahalom Vered
Published: November 2018

Background and objectives

The International Society of Blood Transfusion (ISBT) Working Party for Red Cell Immunogenetics and Blood Group Terminology meets in association with the ISBT congress and has met three times since the last report: at the international meetings held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, September 2016 and Toronto, Canada, June 2018; and at a regional congress in Copenhagen, Denmark, June 2017 for an interim session.

Methods

As in previous meetings, matters pertaining to blood group antigen nomenclature and classification were discussed. New blood group antigens were approved and named according to the serologic and molecular evidence presented.

Results and conclusions

Fifteen new blood group antigens were added to eight blood group systems. One antigen was made obsolete based on additional data. Consequently, the current total of blood group antigens recognized by the ISBT is 360, of which 322 are clustered within 36 blood groups systems. The remaining 38 antigens are currently unassigned to a known system. Clinically significant blood group antigens continue to be discovered, through serology/sequencing and/or recombinant or genomic technologies.
The English of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Authors: Dubravac Vildana , Brdarević‐Čeljo Amna , Bećirović Senad
Published: November 2018

With the number of world Englishes steadily increasing, the impact of ‘core’ English varieties is weakening. However, the influence of two varieties, namely standardised American English and standardised British English, seems to be dispersed across all areas, in particular across peripheral varieties. Due to the difference in their demographic weight and the institutional support they receive, these two varieties do not secure a balanced representation in the peripheral layer. The current study investigates whether 132 university‐level Bosnian learners of English report using particular items of American or British English at the levels of pronunciation, spelling, grammar and vocabulary.
A rapid scoping review of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus in animal hosts
Authors: Gardner Emma G. , Kelton David , Poljak Zvonimir , von Dobschuetz Sophie , Greer Amy L.
Published: November 2018

Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS‐CoV) is an emerging zoonotic pathogen discovered in 2012. The purpose of this scoping review was to summarize the empirical evidence for MERS‐CoV in animals in order to map knowledge gaps and to extract data for modelling disease transmission in dromedary camels. A review protocol was developed a priori, and a systematic search, data extraction and summary were conducted using the Arksey and O'Malley framework. Ninety‐nine publications were identified for full review out of 1,368 unique records. Of these publications, 71 were articles in scientific journals. Ninety of the studies were observational and the remaining nine were experimental. We summarize characteristics of animal studies including study design, study population and outcomes of interest for future transmission modelling in the reservoir population. The majority of field studies reported measures of prevalence, while experimental studies provided estimates of transmission parameters that pertain to the natural course of disease.
Mapping of the turbulent round jet developing region using a constant temperature anemometer (CTA)
Authors: Yaacob Mohd Rusdy , Schlander Rasmus Korslund , Buchhave Preben , Marika Velte Clara
Published: November 2018

The fully developed round turbulent jet has been extensively studied, whereas the developing region is much less understood. The high shear and turbulence intensities in the most interesting parts of the developing region make them inaccessible to common measurement techniques such as Constant Temperature Anemometry (CTA) due to the high demands on the measurement techniques for accuracy of the measurements. Turbulence measurements are therefore planned using our in-house laser Doppler anemometer (LDA) system based on its capability to provide accurate measurements and with its inherent ability to properly distinguish velocity components.   A rigorous measurement with the intended LDA system however demands impractical processing time, so knowing the critical points at which measurement are to be taken will save valuable time. This information is herein acquired significantly faster and more practically, however less accurately, with single-wire CTA. A high-resolution measurement was done using a computer-controlled single-wire CTA with the wire probe mounted perpendicular to the incoming flow from the jet orifice. The measurements covered several points in the radial (r-direction) along x/D=10, x/D=15, x/D=20 and x/D=30 downstream (where D is the jet exit diameter), with spatial resolutions ranging from 1 to 3 mm between the points, depending on how far the measurement was from the jet centerline. A proper alignment was also conducted prior to measurement so that the same points can be reached again for LDA measurement on the same jet afterwards. The radial profiles of mean velocity and turbulence intensity at each downstream position are presented to show the statistics of the air flow inside and outside the jet. As expected from theory, the mean profiles display a nearly Gaussian shape, spread out and tapered with the downstream direction. The highest velocities are located at the centerline.
Comparison of choroidal thickness between amblyopic and non-amblyopic eyes
Authors: Zainodin Elly Liyana , Ai-Hong Chen
Published: November 2018

Our study examined the choroidal thickness profile of children with myopic anisometropic amblyopia and compared the thickness with the fellow eyes. The choroidal thickness was measured with the enhanced depth imaging with spectral-domain optical coherence tomography. Manual segmentations of the choroid were performed on a 25-raster horizontal scan. The choroidal thickness measurements of the 9 subfields defined by the Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) were evaluated. The mean spherical equivalent of the amblyopic eyes was -10.80 ± 0.41 D and the fellow eyes was -4.40 ± 2.05 D. The mean best corrected visual acuity of the amblyopic eyes and the fellow eyes were 0.94 ± 0.27 and 0.14 ± 0.05 logMAR respectively. The amblyopic eyes have longer axial length (26.46 ± 0.44 mm) compared to the fellow eyes (23.59 ± 1.18 mm). The average subfoveal choroidal thickness was 124.30 ± 40.71 µm in the amblyopic eyes and 246.80 ± 58.63 µm in the fellow eyes. The horizontal and vertical distribution pattern of choroidal thickness in amblyopic eyes was different from the fellow eyes. In amblyopic eye the choroidal thickness reduced from the temporal region to the nasal region. The fellow eyes had thickest choroid at the subfoveal area, followed by the temporal region and nasal region. In conclusion, the choroid was thinner in the amblyopic eyes than that of the fellow eyes at all regions.
Performance Analysis of Li-ion Battery Under Various Thermal and Load Conditions
Authors: Chatterjee Krishnashis , Majumdar Pradip , Schroeder David , Kilaparti S. Rao
Published: November 2018

In the recent years, with the rapid advancements made in the technologies of electric and hybrid electric vehicles, selecting suitable batteries has become a major factor. Among the batteries currently used for these types of vehicles, the lithium-ion battery leads the race. Apart from that, the energy gained from regenerative braking in locomotives and vehicles can be stored in batteries for later use for propulsion thus improving the fuel consumption and efficiency. But batteries can be subjected to a wide range of temperatures depending upon the operating conditions. Thus, a thorough knowledge of the battery performance over a wide range of temperatures and different load conditions is necessary for their successful employment in future technologies. In this context, this study aims to experimentally analyze the performance of Li-ion batteries by monitoring the charge–discharge rates, efficiencies, and energy storage capabilities under different environmental and load conditions. Sensors and thermal imaging camera were used to track the environment and battery temperatures, whereas the charge–discharge characteristics were analyzed using CADEX analyzer. The results show that the battery performance is inversely proportional to charge–discharge rates. This is because, at higher charge–discharge rates, the polarization losses increase thus increasing internal heat generation and battery temperature. Also, based on the efficiency and energy storage ability, the optimum performing conditions of the Li-ion battery are 30–40 °C (temperature) and 0.5 C (C-rate).
Swing Touch Risk Assessment of Bonding Wires in High-Density Package Under Mechanical Shock Condition
Authors: Fu Guicui , Jiang Maogong , Wan Bo , Li Yanruoyue , Ma Cheng
Published: November 2018

Long bonding wires may swing significantly and touch with adjacent ones, which will result in short circuit under mechanical condition, especially in aerospace applications. This may seriously affect the operational reliability of high-density hermetic package components. The aim of this paper is to assess the touch risk of high-density package component under mechanical shock condition. An experiment setup, which can obtain the touch critical load and detect the wires swing touch through voltage signal captured by oscilloscope, is designed and built. To obtain the vibration data of different bonding wire structures under different shock loads, numerical simulation models are established after verified by the experimental data. Additionally, initial swing amplitude model, vibration frequency model, and damped coefficient model are established based on the simulation and experiment data. Furthermore, wire swing touch risk assessment model is established in consideration of the distribution of wire structure and shock load deviation. Based on the verified numerical simulation model, vibration characteristic parameters, including the initial swing amplitude, vibration frequency, and damped coefficient, can be calculated by numerical simulation and experimental results. The proposed method can be used to assess bonding wire touch risk in high-density hermetic package quantitatively. Potential touch risk, which cannot be reflected by failure analysis of structure damage after test, can also be detected by the electronic measurement designed in this paper. The proposed method can effectively reflect short circuit between long bonding wires of hermetic package in large shock applications, such as transport and launch.
Effects of Weather Routing on Maximum Vertical Bending Moment in a Ship Taking Account of Wave-Induced Vibrations
Authors: Iijima Kazuhiro , Ueda Rika , Tamaru Hitoi , Fujikubo Masahiko
Published: November 2018

In this paper, the effect of weather routing and ship operations on the extreme vertical bending moment (VBM) in a 6000TEU class large container ship which is operated in North Atlantic Ocean is addressed. A direct time-domain nonlinear response simulation method taking account of the wave-induced vibrations is combined with a voyage simulation based on 10 years of meteorological data in the area. The probability distribution of the ship's operational parameters conditional upon the meteorological conditions is considered. It is clarified that the most severe wave condition with the significant wave height over 16 m in the area may not be encountered by the ship due to the weather routing and the extreme value is determined mostly by the wave condition much milder than the most severe in the area. It is also found out that the ship speed assumed in the most contributing sea state strongly affects the extreme value of the total VBM. It is explained by the fact that the wave-induced vibrations in the ship tend to be excited at faster speed.
Loading and Blade Deflection of a Tidal Turbine in Waves
Authors: Guo Xiaoxian , Gao Zhen , Li Xin , Yang Jianmin , Moan Torgeir
Published: November 2018

A coupled numerical model has been developed and validated to study the fluid–structural interaction responses of a three-bladed tidal turbine in aligned waves and current. The unsteady blade element momentum (BEM) theory was combined with modal analysis for hydro-elastic calculation. Both the loading and deflection of the blade were studied. The dynamic loading on the blade due to structural deformation was much smaller than the wave-induced loading under linear wave conditions for the given condition. The linear response amplitude operators (RAOs) of the loads and the blade tip deflections were obtained and used to predict the linear responses. Although both sum- and difference-frequency responses can be identified from time domain simulations, the wave-induced load and the deflection of the blade are dominated by the first-order contributions. The maximum deflection of the blade tip could reach 1.3 m (203% of the means) in the flapwise direction and 0.35 m (210% of the mean) in the edgewise direction with a wave peak period of 11.3 s and a significant wave height of 5.5 m.
Effects of Air Flowrate on the Combustion and Emissions of Blended Corn Straw and Pinewood Wastes
Authors: Meng Xiaoxiao , Zhou Wei , Rokni Emad , Zhao Honghua , Sun Rui , Levendis Yiannis A.
Published: November 2018

This research investigated the effects of the specific primary (under-fire) air flowrate (m˙air) on the combustion behavior of a 50–50 wt % blend of raw corn straw (CS) and raw pinewood wastes in a fixed-bed reactor. This parameter was varied in the range of 0.079–0.226 kg m−2 s−1, which changed the overall combustion stoichiometry from air-lean (excess air coefficient λ = 0.73) to air-rich (excess air coefficient λ = 1.25) and affected the combustion efficiency and stability as well as the emissions of hazardous pollutants. It was observed that by increasing m˙air, the ignition delay time first increased and then decreased, the average bed temperatures increased, both the average flame propagation rates and the fuel burning rates increased, and the combustion efficiencies also increased. The emissions of CO as well as those of cumulative gas phase nitrogen compounds increased, the latter mostly because of increasing HCN, while those of NO were rather constant. The emissions of HCl decreased but those of other chlorine-containing species increased. The effect of m˙air on the conversion of sulfur to SO2 was minor. By considering all of the aforesaid factors, a mildly overall air-rich (fuel-lean) (λ = 1.04) operating condition can be suggested for corn-straw/pinewood burning fixed-bed grate-fired reactors.
Mechanical Characterization Study of Sintered Silver Pastes Bonded in a Double-Lap Configuration
Authors: Paret Paul , Major Joshua , DeVoto Douglas , Narumanchi Sreekant , Tan Yansong , Lu Guo-Quan
Published: November 2018

Sintered silver-based bonded interfaces are a critical enabling technology for high-temperature, compact, high-performance, and reliable wide-bandgap packages and components. High-pressure (∼40 MPa) sintered silver interfaces have been implemented commercially, most notably the commercial products offered by Semikron. To reduce manufacturing complexity, there is significant industry interest in pressure-less sintered silver interfaces. To this end, current formulations of sintered silver paste are comprised of purely nano-sized silver particles or a combination of nano- and micro-sized silver particles/flakes. It is essential to quantify the mechanical properties and determine the reliability of these interfaces prior to use in automotive power electronics applications. In this paper, research efforts at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, in collaboration with Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and an industry partner, in optimizing the synthesis procedure and mechanical characterization of sintered silver double-lap samples are described. These double-lap samples were synthesized using pressure-less sintering techniques. Shear testing was conducted at multiple temperatures and displacement rates on these samples sintered using two types of sintered sintered silver pastes, one of them consisting of nano-silver particles and the other a hybrid paste or a combination of nano- and micron-sized silver flakes, employed in a double-lap configuration. Maximum values of shear stress obtained from the characterization study are reported.
Waste Heat Recovery for Powering Mobile Devices Using Thermoelectric Generators and Evaporatively-Cooled Heat Sink
Authors: Ozeh Michael , Nnanna A. G. Agwu
Published: November 2018

Powering small electronics like mobile devices off-grid has remained a challenge; hence, there exists a need for an alternate source of powering these devices. This paper examines the efficacy of a novel nanoparticle-immobilized polyethylene wick in maintaining sufficient thermal gradient across a thermoelectric generator to power these devices with energy from waste heat. The work examines several other heat exchangers including heat pipes and loop heat pipe setups. The experimental evidence reveals that the nanoparticle-immobilized polyethylene wick is capable of generating sufficient thermal potential resulting in 5V, which is the minimum voltage required to power small mobile devices. In the opinion of the authors, this is the first ever recorded account of utilizing waste heat to generate enough voltage to power a mobile device. Experiment demonstrated that the nanoparticle-immobilized polyethylene wick showed over 40% thermoelectric voltage generation increment over a plain polyethylene wick and a metal wick in a loop heat pipe setup.
A Thermo-Mechanical Study on Vertically Split Distribution-Wet Cooling Media Used in Data Centers
Authors: Varadharasan Mullaivendhan , Agonafer Dereje , Al Khazraji Ahmed , Shah Jimil , Siddarth Ashwin , Hoverson James , Kaler Mike
Published: November 2018

Direct evaporative cooling (DEC) is widely used in the data center cooling units to maintain the air condition inside the data centers. Often, the flow rate of the water over the wet cooling media in this DEC process is frequently varied to maintain the air condition inside the data centers based on changing weather conditions. Though the adopted method helps to control the air temperature and relative humidity, the scale formation occurs on the surface of wet cooling media due to the frequent variation of the flow rate and deposition of minerals present in the water at low flow rate values, which increases the total weight of the wet cooling media and it can lead to a wet cooling media collapse. In this paper an alternative and simplified method to control the air condition is presented. A vertically split wet cooling media is designed and tested in a commercial CFD tool to analyze the temperature and relative humidity parameters of the inlet and outlet air to the wet cooling media, in this approach the sections of the media can either be completely wet or completely dry which can potentially avoid the scale formation on the surface of the wet cooling media. In addition to the temperature and relative humidity parameters against the air flow rates, the pressure drop and cooling efficiency values for varied air flow rates are studied. The vertically split wet cooling media configurations are achieved by sectioning the media in to equal and unequal sections. In the equal configuration, media has been tested for 0%, 50% and 100% wetting conditions, and in the unequal configuration, media has been tested for 0%, 33%, 66% and 100% wetting conditions. The test results are used to emphasis the advantage of this staged wetting method and gives a possible solution to the scale formation problem on the wet cooling media during the direct evaporative cooling process in the data center.
Mechanical Characterization of Transient Liquid Phase Sintered (TLPS) Cu-Sn
Authors: Gutierrez Erick , Manoharan Subramani , Serebreni Maxim , McCluskey Patrick
Published: November 2018

The increasing thermal demands in power electronic systems require the application of high temperature die attach materials. Transient Liquid Phase Sintered (TLPS) paste-based solder alloys have been demonstrated to effectively manage the thermal and mechanical load requirements of power modules. The microstructural features of these alloys provide interconnects with the necessary strength required to sustain high loads at high temperatures. To properly understand the influence of microstructure on mechanical behavior of these alloys, single lap shear experiments were performed on a TLPS system consisting of Copper and Tin particles (Cu-Sn). Nano-indentation measurements were performed on intermetallic phases of the TLPS, and the results obtained from lap shear testing and nano-indentation measurements are presented.
Investigation of the Effects of High Temperature Aging on the Mechanical Behavior of Lead Free Solders
Authors: Alam Mohammad S. , Hassan K. M. Rafidh , Suhling Jeffrey C. , Lall Pradeep
Published: November 2018

Lead free solders are renowned as interconnects in electronic packaging due to their relatively high melting point, attractive mechanical properties, thermal cycling reliability, and environment friendly chemical properties. The mechanical behavior of lead free solders is highly dependent on the operating temperature. Previous investigations on mechanical characterization of lead free solders have mainly emphasized stress-strain and creep testing at temperatures up to 125 °C. However, electronic devices, sometimes, experience harsh environment applications including well drilling, geothermal energy, automotive power electronics, and aerospace engines where solders are exposed to very high temperatures from 125–200 °C. Mechanical properties of lead free solders at elevated temperatures are limited.

In this work, we have investigated the mechanical behavior SAC305 (96.5Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu) and SAC_Q (SAC+Bi) lead free solders at extreme high temperatures up to 200 °C. Stress-strain tests were performed on reflowed uniaxial specimens at four elevated temperatures (T = 125, 150, 175, and 200 °C). In addition, changes of the mechanical behavior of these alloys due to isothermal aging at T = 125 °C have been studied. Extreme care has been taken during specimen preparation so that the fabricated solder uniaxial test specimens accurately reflect the solder material microstructures present in actual lead free solder joints.

High temperature tensile properties of the solders including initial modulus, yield stress, and ultimate tensile strength have been compared. As expected, our results show substantial degradations of the mechanical properties of lead-free solders at higher temperatures. With prior aging, these degradations become even more significant. Comparison of the results has shown that the addition of Bi to traditional SAC alloys improves their high temperature properties and significantly reduces their aging induced degradations.
Efficacy of Humanized Cefiderocol Exposures over 72 Hours against a Diverse Group of Gram-Negative Isolates in the Neutropenic Murine Thigh Infection Model
Authors: Stainton Sean M. , Monogue Marguerite L. , Tsuji Masakatsu , Yamano Yoshinori , Echols Roger , Nicolau David P.
Published: November 2018

Herein, we evaluated sustainability of humanized exposures of cefiderocol
in vivo
over 72 h against pathogens with cefiderocol MICs of 0.5 to 16 μg/ml in the neutropenic murine thigh model. In
Acinetobacter baumannii
,
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
, and
Enterobacteriaceae
displaying MICs of 0.5 to 8 μg/ml (
n
= 11), sustained kill was observed at 72 h among 9 isolates.
Antibiotic Resistance of
Campylobacter
Species in a Pediatric Cohort Study
Authors: Schiaffino Francesca , Colston Josh M. , Paredes-Olortegui Maribel , François Ruthly , Pisanic Nora , Burga Rosa , Peñataro-Yori Pablo , Kosek Margaret N.
Published: November 2018

The objective of this study was to determine the phenotypic patterns of antibiotic resistance and the epidemiology of drug-resistant
Campylobacter
spp. from a low-resource setting.
An introduction to aviation cardiology
Authors: Nicol Edward D , Rienks Rienk , Gray Gary , Guettler Norbert J , Manen Olivier , Syburra Thomas , d’Arcy Joanna L , Bron Dennis , Davenport Eddie D
Published: November 2018

The management of cardiovascular disease (CVD) has evolved significantly in the last 20 years; however, the last major publication to address a consensus on the management of CVD in aircrew was published in 1999, following the second European Society of Cardiology conference of aviation cardiology experts. This article outlines an introduction to aviation cardiology and focuses on the broad aviation medicine considerations that are required to manage aircrew appropriately and optimally (both pilots and non-pilot aviation professionals). This and the other articles in this series are born out of a 3 year collaborative working group between international military aviation cardiologists and aviation medicine specialists, many of whom also work with and advise civil aviation authorities, as part of a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) led initiative to address the occupational ramifications of CVD in aircrew (HFM-251). This article describes the types of aircrew employed in the civil and military aviation profession in the 21st century; the types of aircraft and aviation environment that must be understood when managing aircrew with CVD; the regulatory bodies involved in aircrew licensing and the risk assessment processes that are used in aviation medicine to determine the suitability of aircrew to fly with medical (and specifically cardiovascular) disease; and the ethical, occupational and clinical tensions that exist when managing patients with CVD who are also professional aircrew.
Congenital heart disease in aircrew
Authors: Nicol Edward D , Manen Olivier , Guettler Norbert , Bron Dennis , Davenport Eddie D , Syburra Thomas , Gray Gary , d’Arcy Joanna , Rienks Rienk
Published: November 2018

This article focuses
i
on the broad aviation medicine considerations that are required to optimally manage aircrew
ii
with suspected or confirmed congenital heart disease (both pilots and non-pilot aviation professionals). It presents expert consensus opinion and associated recommendations and is part of a series of expert consensus documents covering all aspects of aviation cardiology. This expert opinion was born out of a 3 year collaborative working group between international military aviation cardiologists and aviation medicine specialists, as part of a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) led initiative to address the occupational ramifications of cardiovascular disease in aircrew (HFM-251) many of whom also work with and advise civil aviation authorities.
RAS genes in colorectal carcinoma: pathogenesis, testing guidelines and treatment implications
Authors: Saeed Omer , Lopez-Beltran Antonio , Fisher Kurt W , Scarpelli Marina , Montironi Rodolfo , Cimadamore Alessia , Massari Francesco , Santoni Matteo , Cheng Liang
Published: November 2018

The RAS family is among the most commonly mutated genes in all human malignancies including colon cancer. In normal cells, RAS proteins act as a link in the intracellular signal transduction initiated by binding of growth factors to cell membrane receptors mediating cell survival. RAS isoproteins have great morphological similarities, but despite that, they are thought to have different functions in different tissues. RAS mutations, as supported by several studies including animal models, have a role in the development and progression of colorectal cancer. The detection of RAS mutations in patients with colorectal carcinoma, specifically KRAS and NRAS, has significant clinical implications. It is currently recommended that patients with colon cancer who are considered for antiepidermal growth factor receptor monoclonal antibodies, get RAS mutation testing since only those with wildtype-RAS genes benefit from such treatment. Despite decades of research, there is currently no effective and safe treatment that directly targets RAS-mutated neoplasms. Multiple therapeutic approaches directed against RAS mutations are currently experimental, including a promising immunotherapy study using T-cells in patients with metastatic colon cancer.
The normal range: it is not normal and it is not a range
Authors: Whyte Martin Brunel , Kelly Philip
Published: November 2018

The NHS ‘Choose Wisely’ campaign places greater emphasis on the clinician-patient dialogue. Patients are often in receipt of their laboratory data and want to know whether they are normal. But what is meant by normal? Comparator data, to a measured value, are colloquially known as the ‘normal range’. It is often assumed that a result outside this limit signals disease and a result within health. However, this range is correctly termed the ‘reference interval’. The clinical risk from a measured value is continuous, not binary. The reference interval provides a point of reference against which to interpret an individual’s results—rather than defining normality itself. This article discusses the theory of normality—and describes that it is relative and situational. The concept of normality being not an absolute state influenced the development of the reference interval. We conclude with suggestions to optimise the use and interpretation of the reference interval, thereby facilitating greater patient understanding.
Empowering junior doctors: a qualitative study of a QI programme in South West England
Authors: Doran Natasha J , Bethune Rob , Watson Joanne , Finucane Katherine , Carson-Stevens Andrew
Published: November 2018

Aim

To explore how the South-West Foundation Doctor Quality Improvement programme affected foundation year 1 (F1) doctors’ attitudes and ability to implement change in healthcare.

Methods

Twenty-two qualitative interviews were carried out with two cohorts of doctors. The first F1 group before and after their participation in the QI programme; the second group comprised those who had completed the programme between 1 and 5 years earlier. Qualitative data were analysed using thematic analysis techniques.

Results 

Prior to taking part in the QI programme, junior doctors’ attitudes towards QI were mixed. Although there was agreement on the importance of QI in terms of patient safety, not all shared enthusiasm for engaging in QI, while some were sceptical that they could bring about any change. Following participation in the programme, attitudes towards QI and the ability to effect change were significantly transformed. Whether their projects were considered a success or not, all juniors reported that they valued the skills learnt and the overall experience they gained through carrying out QI projects. Participants reported feeling more empowered in their role as junior doctors, with several describing how they felt ‘listened to’ and able to ‘have a voice’, that they were beginning to see things ‘at systems level’ and learning to ‘engage more critically’ in their working environment.

Conclusions 

Junior doctors are ideally placed to engage in QI. Training in QI at the start of their medical careers may enable a new generation of doctors to acquire the skills necessary to improve patient safety and quality of care.
Nutritional fibrous osteodystrophy with chondroid metaplasia in a Nile monitor, Varanus niloticus
Authors: Scott Gregory N , Cullen John , Bakal Robert S , Lewbart Gregory A
Published: November 2018

Carnivorous reptiles are not usually thought of as being prone to metabolic bone disorders. A constant diet lacking in calcium or bone and/or high in phosphorus or low in vitamin D3 can lead to this nutritional disorder in certain situations. Nile monitor lizards are carnivorous lizards native to Africa and common in the pet trade and as display animals in zoos. They normally consume whole vertebrate prey but will readily take muscle and organ offerings. This is a case of a Nile monitor that suffered fibrous osteodystrophy and chondroid metaplasia after being fed mostly muscle tissue for over two years. Once the diet was corrected the clinical signs resolved.
Temperature oscillations of a gas moving close to circular geodesic in Reissner–Nordström spacetime
Authors: Mehret Leandro Cesar , Kremer Gilberto Medeiros
Published: November 2018

The objective of this work is to analyze the temperature oscillations that occur in a gas in a circular motion under the action of a Reissner–Nordström gravitational field, verifying the effect of the charge term of the metric on the oscillations. The expression for temperature oscillations follows from Tolman’s law written in Fermi normal coordinates for a comoving observer. The motion of the gas is close to geodesic so the equation of geodesic deviation was used to obtain the expression for temperature oscillations. Then these oscillations are calculated for some compact stars, quark stars, black holes and white dwarfs, using values of electric charge and mass from models found in the literature. Comparing the various models analyzed, it is possible to verify that the role of the charge is the opposite of the mass. While the increase of the mass produces a reduction in the frequencies, amplitude and, in the ratio between the frequencies, the increase of the electric charge produces the inverse effect. In addition, it is shown that if the electric charge is proportional to the mass, the ratio between the frequencies does not depend on the mass, but only on the proportionality factor between charge and mass. The ratios between the frequencies for all the models analyzed (except for supermassive black holes in the extreme limit situations) are close to the [Formula: see text] ratio for twin peak quasi-periodic oscillation (QPO) frequencies, observed in many galactic black holes and neutron star sources in low-mass X-ray binaries.
Connections adapted to non-negatively graded structures
Authors: Bruce Andrew James
Published: November 2018

Graded bundles are a particularly nice class of graded manifolds and represent a natural generalization of vector bundles. By exploiting the formalism of supermanifolds to describe Lie algebroids, we define the notion of a weighted[Formula: see text]-connection on a graded bundle. In a natural sense weighted [Formula: see text]-connections are adapted to the basic geometric structure of a graded bundle in the same way as linear [Formula: see text]-connections are adapted to the structure of a vector bundle. This notion generalizes directly to multi-graded bundles and in particular we present the notion of a bi-weighted[Formula: see text]-connection on a double vector bundle. We prove the existence of such adapted connections and use them to define (quasi-)actions of Lie algebroids on graded bundles.
REVERSIBLE MYOCARDIAL FAILURE IN A CAT: A CASE REPORT
Authors: Chan I-Ping , Huang Shin-Yi , Lin Shiun-Long
Published: November 2018

A three-year-old neutered male mixed-breed cat was referred for tachypnea, decreased appetite, and lethargy due to a pleural effusion secondary to myocardial failure. Severe left atrial (LA) and left ventricular (LV) dilation, extremely decreased fractional shortening of the LV, and spontaneous echocardiographic contrast in the LA appendage were noted on an echocardiogram. Medical treatments included furosemide, pimobendan, benazepril, clopidogrel, and taurine supplementation. During follow-up visits, tachypnea was not observed, and his activities and appetite returned to normal. Echocardiography showed normal LA and LV chambers and increased LV fractional shortening. The point-of-care test result for N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) was abnormal during the first two visits (day 1 and day 16), and the concentration of plasma NT-proBNP was 1500[Formula: see text]pmol/L and 349[Formula: see text]pmol/L, respectively. On the third and fourth visits (day 35 and day 70), the point-of-care test result for NT-proBNP was normal and corresponded with normal echocardiography findings.
Why SRE Documents Matter
Authors: Nukala Shylaja , Rau Vivek
Published: November 2018

SRE (site reliability engineering) is a job function, a mindset, and a set of engineering approaches for making web products and services run reliably. SREs operate at the intersection of software development and systems engineering to solve operational problems and engineer solutions to design, build, and run large-scale distributed systems scalably, reliably, and efficiently. A mature SRE team likely has well-defined bodies of documentation associated with many SRE functions. If you manage an SRE team or intend to start one, this article will help you understand the types of documents your team needs to write and why each type is needed, allowing you to plan for and prioritize documentation work along with other team projects.
Berberine alleviates insulin resistance by reducing peripheral branched-chain amino acids
Authors: Yue Shi-Jun , Liu Juan , Wang Ai-Ting , Meng Xin-Tong , Yang Zhi-Rui , Peng Cheng , Guan Hua-Shi , Wang Chang-Yun , Yan Dan
Published: November 2018

Increased circulating branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) have been involved in the pathogenesis of obesity and insulin resistance (IR). However, evidence relating berberine (BBR), gut microbiota, BCAAs, and IR is limited. Here, we showed that BBR could effectively rectify steatohepatitis and glucose intolerance in high-fat diet (HFD)-fed mice. BBR reorganized gut microbiota populations under both the normal chow diet (NCD) and HFD. Particularly, BBR noticeably decreased the relative abundance of BCAA-producing bacteria, including order Clostridiales; families Streptococcaceae, Clostridiaceae, and Prevotellaceae; and genera Streptococcus and Prevotella. Compared with the HFD group, predictive metagenomics indicated a reduction in the proportion of gut microbiota genes involved in BCAA biosynthesis but the enrichment genes for BCAA degradation and transport by BBR treatment. Accordingly, the elevated serum BCAAs of HFD group were significantly decreased by BBR. Furthermore, the Western blotting results implied that BBR could promote the BCAA catabolism in the liver and epididymal white adipose tissues of HFD-fed mice by activation of the multienzyme branched-chain α-ketoacid dehydrogenase complex (BCKDC), whereas by inhibition of the phosphorylation state of BCKDHA (E1α subunit) and branched-chain α-ketoacid dehydrogenase kinase (BCKDK). The ex vivo assay further confirmed that BBR could increase BCAA catabolism in both AML12 hepatocytes and 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Finally, data from healthy subjects and diabetics confirmed that BBR could improve glycemic control and modulate circulating BCAAs. Together, our findings clarified BBR improving IR associated not only with gut microbiota alteration in BCAA biosynthesis but also with BCAA catabolism in liver and adipose tissues.
The Role of Pneumococcal Virulence Factors in Ocular Infectious Diseases
Authors: Benton Angela H. , Marquart Mary E.
Published: November 2018

Streptococcus pneumoniaeis a gram-positive, facultatively anaerobic pathogen that can cause severe infections such as pneumonia, meningitis, septicemia, and middle ear infections. It is also one of the top pathogens contributing to bacterial keratitis and conjunctivitis. Though two pneumococcal vaccines exist for the prevention of nonocular diseases, they do little to fully prevent ocular infections. This pathogen has several virulence factors that wreak havoc on the conjunctiva, cornea, and intraocular system. Polysaccharide capsule aids in the evasion of host complement system. Pneumolysin (PLY) is a cholesterol-dependent cytolysin that acts as pore-forming toxin. Neuraminidases assist in adherence and colonization by exposing cell surface receptors to the pneumococcus. Zinc metalloproteinases contribute to evasion of the immune system and disease severity. The main purpose of this review is to consolidate the multiple studies that have been conducted on several pneumococcal virulence factors and the role each plays in conjunctivitis, keratitis, and endophthalmitis.
The Effect of Irradiation with a 405 nm Blue-Violet Laser on the Bacterial Adhesion on the Osteosynthetic Biomaterials
Authors: Terada Chika , Imamura Takahiro , Ohshima Tomoko , Maeda Nobuko , Tatehara Seiko , Tokuyama-Toda Reiko , Yamachika Shigeo , Toyoda Nagataka , Satomura Kazuhito
Published: November 2018

Delayed postoperative infection is known as a major complication after bone surgeries using osteosynthetic biomaterial such as titanium (Ti) and bioresorbable organic materials. However, the precise cause of this type of infection is still unclear and no effective prevention has been established. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of irradiation with a 405 nm blue-violet laser on the bacteria adhered on the Ti and hydroxyapatite-poly-L-lactic acid- (HA-PLLA) based material surfaces and to verify the possibility of its clinical application to prevent the delayed postoperative infection after bone surgeries using osteosynthetic biomaterial. The suspension of Staphylococcus aureus FDA 209P was delivered onto the surface of disks composed of Ti or HA-PLLA. Bacterial adhesion on each disk was observed using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). After thorough washing with distilled water, the growth of bacteria attached to the material surfaces was examined with an alamar blue-based redox indicator. Moreover, a bactericidal effect of 405 nm blue-violet laser irradiation on residual bacteria on both materials was investigated using colony-forming assay. As a result, there was no significant difference in the bacterial adhesion between Ti and HA-PLLA materials. In contrast, 45 J/cm2 of irradiation with 405 nm blue-violet laser inhibited the bacterial growth at approximately 93% on Ti disks and at approximately 99% on HA-PLLA disks. This study clearly demonstrated the possibility that the irradiation with a 405 nm blue-violet laser is useful as an alternative management strategy for the prevention of delayed postoperative infection after bone surgeries using osteosynthetic biomaterials.
Development and Validation of Dummies and Human Models Used in Crash Test
Authors: Xu Tao , Sheng Xiaoming , Zhang Tianyi , Liu Huan , Liang Xiao , Ding Ao
Published: November 2018

The crash test dummy, an important tool for car crash safety tests, is of great significance to explore the injury biomechanics of the occupants and improve the safety performance of the vehicle. The article mainly consists of four parts: brief introduction of injury mechanism, early experiments for obtaining biomechanical response (animal tests, cadaver tests, and volunteer tests), and development and validation of mechanical dummies and computational models. This study finds that the current crash test dummies are generally designed based on European and American, so they have limitations on the damage prediction of other regions. Further research in the crash test dummy needs the participation of various countries in order to develop a crash test dummy that meets the national conditions of each country. Simultaneously, it is necessary to develop dummies of vulnerable groups, such as the elderly dummy and obese people dummy.
Investor Sentiment and the Basis of CSI 300 Stock Index Futures: An Empirical Study Based on QVAR Model and Quantile Regression
Authors: Liu Chen , An Yi
Published: November 2018

The asymmetrical mutual influence of investor sentiment and the basis of CSI 300 stock index futures under conditions in different market situations was investigated using the quantile vector autoregressive model (QVAR). The article also discussed asymmetrical influence of investor sentiment on the basis under conditions in different investor structures using the quantile regression method. On this basis, we obtained several important conclusions: (1) There exists a one-way causal relationship where investor sentiment has a significant impact on the CSI 300 stock index futures basis in China; the investor sentiment is likely to exert stronger influences on the basis in the chaotic period of the stock market and imposes significant asymmetrical effects. (2) The institutionalized development of investors can reduce the influences of investor sentiment on the basis when the stock market is stable, while it does not play its function in stabilizing the capital market when the stock market is in turmoil. (3) The low institutionalization level, the individualization of institutional investors, and the imperfect short-sales mechanism as a whole are still the sticking problems in the immature capital market of China.
Evaluation of the Starch Quantification Methods of Musa paradisiaca, Manihot esculenta, and Dioscorea trífida Using Factorial Experiments
Authors: Lafont-Mendoza J. J. , Severiche-Sierra C. A. , Jaimes-Morales J.
Published: November 2018

Background. Starch and its products are used in a variety of ways for both the food and nonfood industries. A factorial experiment is carried out with two factors to explain the behavior of the percentage of starch, where the factors correspond to the extraction method and to the raw material. Method. Three methods were used in triplicate: the first followed the official technique of the Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC), to perform acid hydrolysis and quantification of starch by Titulation; the second method involved the colorful reaction with iodine using the UV equipment to measure the absorbance and calculate the percentage of starch; as a third method the FTIR was used, through which the concentration of the starch was calculated by the area under the curve obtained from the spectrum. Results. there is an effect of both the method and the raw material on the percentage of starch, while there was no effect of the interaction; the Tukey test indicates that the highest average percentage of extraction occurs with the extraction method by Titulation and with the starch of Manihot esculenta. Conclusion. It is used as raw material. The method of quantification of starch by UV-VIS spectroscopy was the best for the study samples because it presented less deviation in relation to the FTIR and Titulation methods.
GA‐BPNN Based Hybrid Steering Control Approach for Unmanned Driving Electric Vehicle with In‐Wheel Motors
Authors: Li Yong , Xu Xing , Wang Wujie
Published: November 2018

The steering system is a key component of the unmanned driving electric vehicle with in‐wheel motors (IWM‐EV), which is closely related to the operating safety of the vehicle. To characterize the complex nonlinear structure of the steering system of unmanned driving IWM‐EV, a hierarchical modeling and hybrid steering control approach are presented. Firstly the 2‐DOF model is introduced for the entire vehicle system, and then the models of the steering system and the in‐wheel drive system are analyzed sequentially. The steering torque control system based on electronic differential (ED) and differential assist steering (DAS) is studied. The back propagation neural network (BPNN) is used to optimize the network structure, parameters, and the weight coefficient of the hybrid steering system. The genetic algorithm (GA) is employed to optimize the initial weight of BPNN and search within a large range. The GA‐BPNN model is established with the yaw moment and differential torque as the input of BPNN. Simulation and experimental results show that the proposed GA‐BPNN‐based hybrid steering control approach not only accelerates the convergence speed of steering torque weight adjustment but also improves the response speed and flexibility of the steering system. Through optimizing and distributing the steering torque dynamically, the proposed GA‐BPNN‐based control approach has inherited the advantages of both vehicle stability under ED and the steering assistance under DAS, which further guarantees the safety and stability of unmanned driving IWM‐EV.