bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
CAN MEASUREMENT OF B‐TYPE NATRIURETIC PEPTIDE LEVELS IMPROVE CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE PREVENTION?
Authors: Campbell Duncan J
Published: February 2008

The measurement of plasma levels of B‐type natriuretic peptide (BNP) and amino‐terminal pro‐BNP (NT‐proBNP) provides useful diagnostic information in patients with suspected heart failure and valuable prognostic information in patients with heart failure, acute coronary syndrome, valvular heart disease and other cardiac pathologies.

BNP‐ and NT‐proBNP‐guided heart failure therapy improves patient outcomes.

An increasing number of studies shows plasma BNP and NT‐proBNP levels predict all‐cause mortality and cardiovascular events including heart failure, myocardial infarction, stroke, atrial fibrillation and cardiovascular death in stable patients with or without known cardiovascular disease and provide information about cardiovascular risk additional to that provided by traditional risk factors.

Antihypertensive therapy reduces elevated NT‐proBNP levels in individuals at increased cardiovascular risk, thereby suggesting that change in NT‐proBNP levels provides a measure of risk reduction.

Thus, monitoring of BNP and NT‐proBNP levels offers the possibilities of improved targeting of individuals with increased cardiovascular risk and optimization of strategies for primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease.

There is need for an outcome study to determine whether BNP‐ or NT‐proBNP‐guided therapy improves cardiovascular disease prevention.
CONTROL OF SYMPATHETIC, RESPIRATORY AND SOMATOMOTOR OUTFLOW BY AN INTRASPINAL PATTERN GENERATOR
Authors: Goodchild Ann K , Van Deurzen Bart T M , Hildreth Cara M , Pilowsky Paul M
Published: February 2008

Sympathetic and somatic motor outflow results from the summation of excitatory and inhibitory inputs arising from intra‐ and supra‐spinal origins. Here we determined the contribution of intra‐ and supra‐spinal GABAergic inputs, utilizing GABA‐A receptors, in producing sympathetic and somatic motor outflow.

Spinal GABA‐A receptor blockade, with bicuculline or picrotoxin injected intrathecally at T9, increased the level and lability of arterial pressure, sympathetic (splanchnic and cervical sympathetic) and motor (phrenic) nerve activity. Bursts of activity occurring irregularly, at low frequency were seen in all nerves.

C1 spinal transection abolished phrenic nerve activity and reduced sympathetic nerve activities and arterial pressure. Intrathecal bicuculline‐induced bursting in sympathetic and motor (phrenic, sciatic and brachial) nerves was similar to that seen prior to C1 transection. Thus supraspinal control of sympathetic and somatomotor outflow is not dependent on GABA‐A receptors.

Bicuculline‐induced effects on phrenic nerve activity were eliminated after C8 spinal cord transection and regular phrenic rhythm resumed indicating that bicuculline was not acting directly on phrenic motoneurons.

Bicuculline evoked similar bursting characteristics in both sympathetic and motor nerves attributable to increased excitability of spinal cord neurons. The bursting patterns evoked were often coincident in sympathetic and motor nerves suggesting a common site of origin.

These data suggest there is intraspinal coupling between multiple sympathetic and motor outflows in the adult rat spinal cord in vivo. Cervicothoracic spinal cord generator/s perhaps in the form of interneuronal networks, utilizing GABA‐A and glutamate receptors, can simultaneously drive functionally independent nerves.
Attitudes of patients towards mental health nurse prescribing of antipsychotic agents
Authors: McCann Terence V , Clark Eileen
Published: March 2008

We examined the attitudes of patients with schizophrenia towards unrestricted independent non‐medical prescribing of antipsychotic agents by mental health nurses. Data were collected using the Factors Influencing Neuroleptic Medication Taking Scale with a sample of 81 patients with schizophrenia who lived in the community. The results showed that a small majority supported mental health nurses having prescriptive authority. Younger participants were more likely than older participants to favour these clinicians being permitted to discontinue prescribed medication. Most considered their relationships with mental health nurses as satisfactory, and were satisfied with the way these clinicians responded to their concerns regarding antipsychotic agents. Beliefs about prescribing were positively associated with perceived knowledge of medications. The findings draw attention to patient support for non‐medical prescribing by these nurses. They highlight the need for mental health nurses to be properly educated to assume this important role, and the requirement for further research.
Distribution of cerebello‐olivary degeneration in idiopathic late cortical cerebellar atrophy: Clinicopathological study of four autopsy cases
Authors: Ota Satoru , Tsuchiya Kuniaki , Anno Midori , Niizato Kazuhiro , Akiyama Haruhiko
Published: February 2008

Late cortical cerebellar atrophy (LCCA) is a neurodegenerative disease which presents with slowly progressive cerebellar ataxia as a prominent symptom and is characterized neuropathologically by a limited main lesion to the cerebellar cortex and inferior olivary nucleus. To elucidate the features of lesions in the cerebellar cortex and inferior olivary nucleus, four autopsy cases suffering from idiopathic LCCA without other cortical cerebellar atrophies, such as alcoholic cerebellar degeneration, phenytoin intoxication, or hereditary cerebellar atrophy including spinocerebellar ataxia type 6, were examined. All affected patients had identical distinct features of cerebellar cortical lesions. In all four cases, the most obvious pathological finding throughout the cerebellum was loss of Purkinje cells, but the rarefaction of granular cell layers was observed only where loss of Purkinje cells was very severe, and thinning of the molecular layer was seen only where the rarefaction of granular cell layers was moderate to severe. Two patients presented with vermis dominant cerebellar cortical lesions, but the other two patients showed hemispheric dominant pathological changes. Neuronal loss of the inferior olivary nucleus was observed in the three autopsy cases. Two of the three cases had a prominent lesion in the dorsal part of the inferior olive and the cerebellar cortical lesion disclosed the vermis dominance, but the other patient, showing prominent neuronal loss in the ventral olivary nucleus, had a cerebellar hemisphere dominant lesion. The patient without neuronal loss in the inferior olivary nucleus had suffered from a shorter period of disease than the others and the rarefaction of granular cell layers and narrowing of the molecular layer of the cerebellar cortex were mild. Therefore, it is obvious that there are two types of cerebellar cortex lesions in idiopathic LCCA; one is vermis dominant and the other is cerebellar hemispheric dominant. The lesion of the inferior olivary nucleus occurs as a secondary degeneration after rarefaction of the granular cell layer and thinning of the molecular layer of the cerebellar cortex progresses. Furthermore, the distribution of the degeneration in the inferior olivary nucleus depends on the distribution of the cerebellar cortex lesions.
Implementation of the scientific evidence into daily practice – example from fast‐track colonic cancer surgery
Authors: Hammer J. , Harling H. , Wille‐Jørgensen P.
Published: March 2008

Objective  To report the implementation and results of fast‐track surgery for colonic cancer in the daily routine.

Method  A total of 131 consecutive patients scheduled for elective colonic cancer resections entered a fast‐track perioperative course after thorough information. The regimen contained: no preoperative bowel cleansing, transverse and small abdominal incisions, no dains nor tubes, mobilization and normal meal the evening on the day of surgery, epidural analgesia, oral laxatives, and a planned discharge on postoperative day 3.

Results  Median number of days postoperative in hospital were 4 days (range 1–46). Eighty‐nine per cent experienced an uncomplicated course, 3% were readmitted within 30 days, and the 30‐day mortality was 3.8%.

Conclusion  Fast‐track surgery is feasible in an unselected patient population scheduled for elective colon cancer resections without compromising quality.
CHILDREN'S VIEWS ON INCLUSION: Inclusive education at a BRAC school – perspectives from the children
Authors: Mahbub Tahiya
Published: March 2008

Tahiya Mahbub is a lecturer in English studies at North South University located in Dhaka, Bangladesh. In this article, she presents some of the data on which her MPhil thesis, completed at the University of Cambridge Faculty of Education, was based. This research was carried out in Bangladesh, focusing on a primary school run by the non‐governmental organisation (NGO) BRAC. Tahiya Mahbub adopted a case study approach in order to investigate this single‐teacher, single‐room school in Tongi, a suburb of Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. The work she reports here explores children's understandings about the culture, policy and practice at their school. Tahiya Mahbub argues that this sort of inquiry is necessary to the development of inclusion. She advocates equality and togetherness not only for children in school, but also between children and adults in educational research and eventually in the bigger picture of society itself. Finally, she proposes, it is essential to listen to children's experiences of school, their suggestions for change and their ideas in order to lift children's low social status in Bangladesh.
Transformations of Cadastral Descriptions with Incomplete Information into Maps
Authors: Mueller Marina
Published: March 2008

Brazil is one of the countries of the world where the ownership cadastre is still based on textual descriptions. Until 2001 (and for the urban cadastre still until today), no standards existed concerning obligatory elements or the necessary degree of precision for cadastral deeds. This resulted in documents similar to metes‐and‐bounds descriptions that often include vague expressions or relative references e.g. to neighbouring real estate. In order to facilitate error‐ and inconsistency‐checks as well as planning and decision‐making, the demand arises to visualise the textual information in maps. Existing programs for a transformation of metes‐and‐bounds descriptions already use additional logic to handle inconsistencies or missing information but are still rather limited in their abilities if too much uncertainty is incorporated in the text, i.e. corresponding maps to such texts are (if at all) only partially generated. Therefore, this article analysed whether or not all (even uncertain) of the spatial information in the descriptions can be transformed into a suitable map representation. This requires among other things a quantification of the qualitative expressions for lengths and directions that are used in the texts.
‘EVEN IF YOU'RE POSITIVE, YOU STILL HAVE RIGHTS BECAUSE YOU ARE A PERSON’: HUMAN RIGHTS AND THE REPRODUCTIVE CHOICE OF HIV‐POSITIVE PERSONS
Authors: LONDON LESLIE , ORNER PHYLLIS J. , MYER LANDON
Published: March 2008

Global debates in approaches to HIV/AIDS control have recently moved away from a uniformly strong human rights‐based focus. Public health utilitarianism has become increasingly important in shaping national and international policies. However, potentially contradictory imperatives may require reconciliation of individual reproductive and other human rights with public health objectives. Current reproductive health guidelines remain largely nonprescriptive on the advisability of pregnancy amongst HIV‐positive couples, mainly relying on effective counselling to enable autonomous decision‐making by clients. Yet, health care provider values and attitudes may substantially impact on the effectiveness of nonprescriptive guidelines, particularly where social norms and stereotypes regarding childbearing are powerful, and where providers are subjected to dual loyalty pressures, with potentially adverse impacts on rights of service users. Data from a study of user experiences and perceptions of reproductive and HIV/AIDS services are used to illustrate a rights analysis of how reproductive health policy should integrate a rights perspective into the way services engage with HIV‐positive persons and their reproductive choices. The analysis draws on recognised tools developed to evaluate health policies for their human rights impacts and on a model developed for health equity research in South Africa to argue for greater recognition of agency on the part of persons affected by HIV/AIDS in the development and content of policies on reproductive choices. We conclude by proposing strategies that are based upon a synergy between human rights and public health approaches to policy on reproductive health choices for persons with HIV/AIDS.
Arthroscopy of the Coxofemoral Joint of Foals
Authors: HONNAS CLIFFORD M. , ZAMOS DAVID T. , FORD TROY S.
Published: March 2008

An arthroscopic procedure for examination of the coxofemoral joint was developed in nine foals (four cadavers, five anesthetized) to determine if access was sufficient for evaluation and surgical treatment of intra‐articular lesions. The joint was distended and the arthroscope inserted through the notch (incisura trochanterica) between the cranial and caudal parts of the greater trochanter. This portal allowed examination of the cranial, lateral, and caudal aspects of the joint. Mechanical distraction of the joint through an instrument portal located 2 to 4 cm cranial and 1 to 2 cm ventral to the arthroscope portal allowed examination of the ligament of the head of the femur, the femoral head, and articular and nonarticular surfaces of the acetabulum. Adduction and rotation of the limb improved visualization of the craniomedial and caudomedial portions of the femoral head. Traction applied to the distal limb allowed visualization of the same structures that were observed when mechanical distraction was used. Traction also created space for placement of surgical instruments into the joint through the instrument portal. Access to most regions of the joint was adequate, but access to the caudal and medial aspects of the joint was limited. Three foals were killed while they were anesthetized, and their coxofemoral joints were dissected. Two foals were allowed to recover from anesthesia and were observed for 30 days after surgery. One foal was mildly lame for 2 days after surgery. The other foal was not lame after surgery. The incisions healed, and the coxofemoral joints were radiographically normal by postoperative day 30.
Effect of Hypercapnia or Xylazine on Lateral Ventricle and Lumbosacral Cerebrospinal Fluid Pressures in Pentobarbital‐anesthetized Horses
Authors: MOORE RUSTIN M. , TRIM CYNTHIA M.
Published: March 2008

Facial artery pressure, central venous pressure, heart rate, and lateral ventricle cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pressure (LV‐CSFP) were measured in 10 pentobarbital‐anesthetized horses at arterial partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PaCO2) values of 40,60, and 80 mm Hg, produced by varying the inspired carbon dioxide concentration. Variables were recorded at 5‐minute intervals for 15 minutes at each level of PaCO2. Arterial blood gas analysis was performed at the end of the 15‐minute time period for each level of PaCO2. Lateral ventricle CSF pressure was significantly increased (p < .05) at a PaCO2of 80 mm Hg. Cardiovascular variables were not significantly changed by changing PaCO2. The PaCO2was returned to 40 mm Hg; 1.1 mg xylazine/kg body weight was injected intravenously in eight horses, and data were collected for 60 minutes. No significant changes were observed. No changes were observed in two control horses not receiving xylazine. Subsequently, placement of a lumbosacral subarachnoid catheter allowed simultaneous measurement of LV‐CSFP and lumbosacral CSF pressure (LS‐CSFP) at PaCO2values of 40,60, and 80 mm Hg. The Pearson Correlation Coefficient between LV‐CSFP and LS‐CSFP was 0.94 (p < .0001) It was concluded that changes in CSF pressure could be detected at the lateral ventricle and the lumbosacral space; increasing PaCO2to 80 mm Hg resulted in significant increases in LV‐CSFP; xylazine does not increase LV‐CSFP in pentobarbital‐anesthetized, normocapnic horses; and under the conditions of this experiment, LV‐CSFP and LS‐CSFP were closely correlated.
Cardiorespiratory Effects of Combined Midazolam and Butorphanol in Isoflurane‐anesthetized Cats
Authors: GROSS M. E. , SMITH JULIE A. , TRANQUILLI W. J.
Published: March 2008

The cardiorespiratory effects of midazolam (0.1 mg/kg) and butorphanol (0.4 mg/kg) were evaluated in seven cats. Cats were induced in a chamber, removed and intubated, and maintained with isoflurane in 100% oxygen. Cardiorespiratory data were recorded before and 3, 10,20,30,40,50, and 60 minutes after intravenous injection of midazolam‐butorphanol. Heart rate, mean arterial pressure, and respiration rate were significantly (p < .05) decreased below baseline at various times throughout the study. Tidal volume and minute ventilation were unchanged. End‐tidal carbon dioxide was significantly (p < .05) increased above baseline for 30 minutes. Midazolam‐butorphanol administered intravenously induced significant alterations in several cardiorespiratory parameters in isoflurane‐anesthetized cats.
Safety and Feasibility of Transcatheter Closure of Large Patent Ductus Arteriosus Measuring ≥4 mm in Patients Weighing ≤6 kg
Authors: SIVAKUMAR KOTHANDAM , FRANCIS EDWIN , KRISHNAN PRASAD
Published: February 2008

Objectives:

The study aims to find safety of transcatheter closure of large patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) ≥4 mm in patients weighing ≤6 kg.

Background:

Large PDA ≥4 mm in patients ≤6 kg challenge the interventionist due to need for large delivery sheath, kink of delivery sheath, and encroachment of aorta or pulmonary artery (PA) by the device. Many institutions refer them for surgery.

Methods:

Preterm neonates and ducts with coarctation were excluded. All other patients were taken for catheter closure. Ducts with roomy ampulla were closed with multiple coils aided by bioptome, and others with Amplatzer duct occluders.

Results:

Twenty‐eight patients aged 2–18 months (median 5.5 months) and weighing 3.8–6 kg (median 4.7 kg) had large PDA (mean diameter 6.3 ± 2 mm) with hyperkinetic pulmonary hypertension. Four patients had bioptome‐aided coil closure. Twenty‐two other ducts were closed with devices. Two procedures failed due to sheath kink in one patient and device pulling through a duct in the other patient. Four infants needed blood transfusions. The mean procedural time was 42 ± 20 minutes. On a mean follow‐up of 25.5 ± 14.8 months, there were no residual flows and no gradients across aorta or pulmonary artery.

Conclusions:

Transcatheter closure of large ducts ≥4 mm might be considered safe and effective in infants weighing ≤6 kg also. Decision on coils versus devices depends on ductal morphology. On midterm follow‐up with somatic growth, there was no occurrence of aortic or PA gradients.
Morphology and Gene Sequence of Levicoleps biwae n. gen., n. sp. (Ciliophora, Prostomatida), a Proposed Endemic from the Ancient Lake Biwa, Japan
Authors: FOISSNER WILHELM , KUSUOKA YASUSHI , SHIMANO SATOSHI
Published: March 2008

ABSTRACT. Levicoleps biwae n. gen., n. sp. was discovered in organic mud on the shore of Lake Biwa, Japan. Its morphology and small subunit rRNA gene sequence were studied with standard methods. Further, we established a terminology for the colepid armour and selected four features for genus recognition: the number of armour tiers, the structure of the tier plates, the presence/absence of armour spines, and the number of adoral organelles (three or five). The Japanese colepid, a barrel‐shaped ciliate with an average size of 75 × 45 μm, has six armour tiers and hirtus‐type tier plates, but lacks armour spines, both in the environment and in laboratory culture. Thus, it is considered to represent a new genus. This rank is supported by the considerable genetic distance (7%) from the common Coleps hirtus. Although L. biwae looks quite similar to C. hirtus in vivo, it is very likely most closely related to Coleps amphacanthus, a species with conspicuous armour spines, as indicated by body size, the number of ciliary rows and, especially, the multiple caudal cilia. Lake Biwa is about four million years old and inhabited by many endemic organisms, ranging from algae to large fish. Thus, we suspect that L. biwae is restricted to Lake Biwa or, at least, to Asia. Based on literature data and the generic features established, we also propose the new genus Reticoleps for Coleps remanei Kahl, 1933, and resurrect the genus Pinacocoleps Diesing, 1865 to include Coleps incurvus Ehrenberg, 1833, Coleps pulcher Spiegel, 1926, Coleps tessalatus Kahl, 1930 and, probably, Baikalocoleps quadratus Obolkina, 1995a. Nine colepid genera are diagnosed and dichotomously keyed.
Processing and Characterization of Multiphase Ceramic Composites Part II: Triplex Composites with a Wide Sintering Temperature Range
Authors: Kim Dong‐Kyu , Kriven Waltraud M.
Published: February 2008

Three‐phase (triplex) ceramic composites with improved thermal stabilities resulting from minimized grain growth due to extended grain separations are introduced. Al2O3, yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG, Y3Al5O12), and ZrO2were chemically compatible to make a stable triplex composite. Another stable composite could be made due to chemical compatibility among Al2O3, NiAl2O4, and 3 mol% yttria‐tetragonal zirconia polycrystals (3Y‐TZP). The composites of 33 vol% Al2O3–33 vol% YAG–33 vol% ZrO2, 33 vol% Al2O3–33 vol% NiAl2O4–33 vol% 3Y‐TZP, and 50 vol% Al2O3–25 vol% NiAl2O4–25 vol% 3Y‐TZP were fabricated using either sintering or hot pressing procedures. The sintered 33 vol% Al2O3–33 vol% YAG–33 vol% ZrO2and 33 vol% Al2O3–33 vol% NiAl2O4–33 vol% 3Y‐TZP composites demonstrated a “self accommodating sintering effect” having a wide sintering range without any extensive change in properties. Annealing of the 33 vol% Al2O3–33 vol% NiAl2O4–33 vol% 3Y‐TZP composite at 1600°C for 50 h resulted in higher strength retention after heat treatment compared with that expected from the sum of the strengths of constituent phases. This was attributed to a mutual, grain growth retardation effect. Chemical compatibilities, mechanical properties, microstructures, and thermal stabilities of the composites were studied.
Factor VIIa: Use in Patients With Hemophilia
Authors: Ingerslev Jøsrgen , Poulsen Lone Hvitfeldt , Søsrensen Benny
Published: February 2008

In 1988, researchers described the successful outcome of an elective knee‐joint surgical procedure during which hemostasis was secured in a hemophilia A patient with inhibitors by means of a new drug, recombinant activated factor VII (rFVIIa). Over the next 15 years, numerous published reports on the clinical management of hemophilia patients with inhibitors using rFVIIa have appeared. In this review, the authors summarize some of the major published works on rFVIIa and present surgical experiences from a single hemophilia treatment center.
The Use of Recombinant Factor VIIa in Gastrointestinal Bleeding
Authors: Parameswaran Rekha , Shapiro Amy D.
Published: February 2008

Recombinant factor VIIa (rFVIIa) is licensed for use in hemophilic patients with inhibitors. Non‐hemophilic patients with uncontrolled hemorrhage, who have not responded to all available standard therapies, have been reported to respond to treatment with rFVIIa. These clinical observations have therefore led to the use of rFVIIa in a variety of other conditions with potentially impaired thrombin generation, with a resulting growing body of literature most often in the form of case reports and series. The response to rFVIIa in these patients may potentially be explained by the cell based mechanisms of action of rFVIIa. The use of rFVIIa in gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding refractory to conventional therapeutic interventions is reviewed in this report which includes diverse clinical situations representing liver disease, hematologic malignancies, bone marrow transplantation, platelet function disorders, Crohn's disease, peptic ulcer disease, and dengue hemorrhagic fever. In many cases patients were refractory to multiple therapeutic measures including standard hematologic and pharmacologic support, endoscopic and surgical interventions with administration of rFVIIa representing the only remaining option. Reported responses in these intractable situations have varied from temporary cessation of bleeding to complete response. Many patients were treated with multiple hemostatic agents concurrently with rFVIIa. There were no reported instances of disseminated intravascular coagulation or thrombotic events in the reviewed literature. Given the efficacy of rFVIIa noted in refractory settings, rFVIIa may prove to be a valuable hemostatic agent in standard first line therapy of GI bleeding, prior to development of hemostatic derangements. The efficacy and safety of rFVIIa as a single hemostatic agent in the setting of refractory GI hemorrhage and as part of standard first line therapy for GI hemorrhage are best evaluated in prospective randomized clinical trials. Several trials are currently in progress and are discussed here.
Antiinflammatory Effects of Aprotinin
Authors: Taylor Kenneth M.
Published: February 2008

Aprotinin is a serine protease inhibitor that binds to human serine proteases with various affinities. This small protein has profound effects on the systemic inflammatory response syndrome induced by cardiopulmonary bypass. The intersecting pathways of complement, cytokines, coagulation, fibrinolytic, and kinin‐kallikrein systems all converge with tremendous amplification and potentially damaging effects to the patient. Aprotinin exerts a dose‐dependent inhibition of plasmin and kallikrein activities. Activation of these entities occurs ‘early’ in their respective pathways, and inhibition by aprotinin has downstream implications such as reducing the generation of thrombin, to minimize amplification of systems involved in the systemic inflammatory response. More localized effects of aprotinin at the level of the neutrophil, endothelial cell interaction or platelet‐thrombin interaction can have significant effects in terms of minimizing the damage to organs and tissues. The antiinflammatory effects associated with aprotinin treatment, in tandem with the hemostatic action, result in beneficial outcomes for many patients.
Pressure Die Casting: A Model of Vacuum Pumping
Authors: Bar-Meir G. , Eckert E. R. G. , Goldstein R. J.
Published: February 2008

Multifunctional characteristics of die casting parts are significantly compromised by the presence of voids, which can result in a substantial decrease in the elastic moduli and thermal conductivity. Gas/air porosity constitutes a large part of the total porosity. To reduce the porosity due to the gas/air entrainment, a vacuum can be applied to remove the residual air in the die. In some cases vacuum castings have low porosity, while in other cases the results are not satisfactory. These differing results can be explained in some instances by an analysis of the vent area. A simple model is proposed based on conservation laws which describes the relationship between vent area and pressure variation in the die. The analysis of vacuum venting indicates that there is a critical/optimum vent area below which the ventilation is poor and above which the resistance to the air flow is minimal. The model yields a simple equation to select the optimum area which is a function of the duct resistance, the evacuated volume, and the filling time. This result should be useful to the design engineer. The result also provides a tool to “measure” the vent size for numerical simulations of the cavity filling, taking into account the compressibility of the gas.
The Dynamic Interaction of the Cutting Process, Workpiece, and Lathe’s Structure in Facing
Authors: Jen Ming Une , Magrab E. B.
Published: February 2008

The effects on the onset of chatter by the dynamic interaction of the workpiece and its method of support, the turret, the lathe bed, the cutting forces and the cutting conditions are determined. A generalized modal analysis is used to solve the four governing equations in the frequency domain. It is found that there are four dimensionless quantities that couple the equations, the most important being N0, the ratio of the static stiffness of the workpiece to the translational stiffness of the turret. The dimensionless critical depth of cut Hc and corresponding chatter frequency coefficient Ωc2 are determined as a function of N0 for two feed rates, several surface speeds, and for two workpiece boundary conditions; cantilevered and clamped-hinged. It is shown that the magnitudes of Hc and Ωc2 are oscillatory as a function of N0, and the occurrence of their peak values is proportional to the surface speed of the workpiece to the fourth power. It is found that for the parameters selected the effect of the dynamic response of the lathe bed is to increase by 7 percent the values of N0 at which the peak values of Hc occur. It is also found that the value of the equivalent viscous damping of the system and the magnitude of the real part of the cutting force coefficient govern the magnitudes of Hc and Ωc2 as a function of N0.
Noncontact Sphericity Measurement by Means of Phase Shift Interferometry
Authors: Chang Ming , Lin P. P.
Published: February 2008

This paper presents an accurate optical technique for sphericity measurement of a ball by means of phase shift interferometry. The ball is placed in a fixture on a numerically control rotary stage to achieve a 360 degrees inspection. A CCD camera is used to capture the images of interference fringes, and the generated interferograms are used to calculate the phase values which can then be used to quantify the sphericity error. With the calculated phase values, the eccentricity of the rotary stage’s spindle can be estimated and compensated. The Zernike polynomials is employed in the process of calibration to gracefully remove defocus and tilts. The experimental procedure, the sphericity measurement results and their statistical data analysis are presented.
A Flexible Ball-End Milling System Model for Cutting Force and Machining Error Prediction
Authors: Feng Hsi-Yung , Menq Chia-Hsiang
Published: February 2008

This paper presents a flexible system model for the prediction of cutting forces and the resulting machining errors in the ball-end milling process. Unlike the previously developed rigid system model, the present model takes into account the instantaneous and regenerative feedback of cutting system deflections to establish the chip geometry in the cutting force calculation algorithm. The deflection-dependent chip geometry is identified by using an iterative procedure to balance the cutting forces and the associated cutting system deflections. A series of steady state 3D cross-feed ball-end milling cuts were performed to validate the capability of the present model in predicting the cutting forces and the resulting machining errors. It is shown that the flexible system model gives significantly better predictions of the cutting forces than the rigid system model. Good agreement between the predicted and measured machining errors is demonstrated for the simple surfaces generated by horizontal cuts.
Modular CNC Design for Intelligent Machining, Part 1: Design of a Hierarchical Motion Control Module for CNC Machine Tools
Authors: Altintas¸ Y. , Newell N. , Ito M.
Published: February 2008

An hierarchical motion-control design strategy is presented to integrate various intelligent machining modules to CNC systems. There are two independent buses in the CNC system. Modular and independent processor boards reside in the primary bus which is global for manufacturing process monitoring, control and machine tool position commands. A digital signal processing board provides a secondary CNC bus, which has one imbedded microprocessor for the position control of each axis. The system is open to integration of new hardware and software modules. Any process control and monitoring task in the system can manipulate the feed, acceleration, control law parameters and position commands in real time. New process control, monitoring and position control algorithms can be integrated to the system by using globally available CNC parameters. The process control and monitoring functions are executed in the real-time multi-tasking environment within 1 ms time intervals without disturbing the position control system. The proposed design provides an open development platform for parallel testing of intelligent manufacturing algorithms on machine tools and robots.
Fuzzy Adaptive Control of Machining Processes With a Self-Learning Algorithm
Authors: Hsu Pau-Lo , Fann Wei-Ru
Published: February 2008

When machining conditions change significantly, applying parameter-adaptive control to the cutting system by varying the table feedrate allows a constant cutting force to be maintained. Although several controller schemes have been proposed, their cutting control performance is limited especially when the cutting conditions vary significantly. This paper presents an adaptive fuzzy logic control (FLC) developed for cutting processes under various cutting conditions. The controller adopts on-line scaling factors for cases with varied cutting parameters. In addition, a reliable self-learning (SL) algorithm is proposed to achieve even better cutting performance by modifying the adaptive FLC rule base according to properly weighted performance measurements. Both simulation and experimental results show that given a sufficient number of learning cases, the adaptive SL-FLC is effective for a wide range of applications. The successful implementation of the proposed adaptive SL-FLC algorithm on an industrial heavy-duty machining center indicates that the proposed adaptive SL-FLC is feasible for use in manufacturing industries.
A New Measuring Strategy for Sculptured Surfaces Using Offset Surfaces
Authors: Kim K. I. , Kim K.
Published: February 2008

This paper presents a new measuring strategy that can be used to inspect the quality of sculptured surfaces. For dimensional inspection of sculptured surfaces, one important issue is how to compensate the alignment error because the alignment of sculptured surface leads to significant problems. The key aspect of the method is to use probe approach direction in the Z-direction (that is, an arbitrary or uniform direction) of CAD surfaces, in constructing the measured surface, in order not to be effected by alignment error. In the proposed method, the offset surface concept is introduced to eliminate normal directional error. The method uses the probe center points instead of its surface contact points as measured data for localization. Then the surface points are calculated from the localized measured data and surface normal vectors of the offset surface. For the new measuring strategy, a practical offset surface generation algorithm and localization algorithm are developed. A measuring experiment has been performed for a sculptured surface to show the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Impedance Control for a Golf Swing Robot to Emulate Different-Arm-Mass Golfers
Authors: Chen C. C. , Inoue Y. , Shibata K.
Published: March 2008

Various golfers can play different golf swing motions even if they hold the same golf club. This phenomenon casts light on the significance of the dynamic interaction between the golfer’s arm and golf club. The dynamic interaction results in different swing motions, even if the robot has the same input torque of the shoulder joint as that of a golfer. Unfortunately, such influence has not been considered in the conventional control of a golf swing robot. An impedance control method is proposed for a golf swing robot to emulate different-arm-mass golfers in consideration of the dynamic interaction between human arm and golf club. Based on the Euler–Lagrange principle and assumed modes technique, a mathematical model of golf swing considering the shaft bending flexibility is established to simulate the swing motions of different-arm-mass golfers. The impedance control method is implemented to a prototype of golf swing robot composed of one actuated joint and one passive joint. The comparison of the swing motions of the robot and different-arm-mass golfers is made and the results show that the proposed golf swing robot with the impedance control method can emulate different-arm-mass golfers.
Passivity-Based Impact and Force Control of a Pneumatic Actuator
Authors: Zhu Yong , Barth Eric J.
Published: March 2008

To carry out stable and dissipative contact tasks with an arbitrary environment, it is critical for a pneumatic actuator to be passive with respect to a supply rate consisting of the spool valve position input and the actuation force output. A pseudo-bond graph model with the inner product between spool valve position input and actuation force output as a pseudo-supply rate is developed. Using this pseudo-bond graph model, an open-loop pneumatic actuator controlled by a four-way proportional valve can be proven to not be passive with respect to the pseudo-supply rate. Conversely, it can also be proven to be passive with respect to the pseudo-supply rate under a closed-loop feedback control law. The passivity of the closed-loop pneumatic actuator is verified in impact and force control experiments. The experimental results also validate the pseudo-bond graph model. The pseudo-bond graph model is intended for passivity analysis and controller design for pneumatic actuation applications where contact stability (such as robotic assembly) and/or stable interaction with a passive environment (such as human-robot interaction) is required.
Equilibrium Conditions of a Polygonal Object When Grasped by Soft-Rolling Contacts
Authors: Fasoulas John , Doulgeri Zoe
Published: March 2008

In this paper, we study two soft spherical fingertips grasping a rigid polygonal object as a kinematically constrained system. We assume that the contact locations of the soft fingertips are not fixed on the object but are able to move due to rolling constraints. A contact motion model is proposed for soft-rolling fingertips based on previously reported experimental findings on the rolling distance for a variety of soft materials. The equilibrium conditions are derived from the system dynamics and depend on the deformation and on the kind of soft material with regard to the fingertip’s rolling distance characteristics. Also, a discussion on contact forces and a grasp analysis at object’s equilibrium is made. It is shown that using the model of point contact with friction in soft-rolling contacts is not adequate for describing the real system with fingertips of low or medium stiffness characteristics. In general, the equilibrium conditions of the three contacted bodies (soft fingertips object) show that no-collinear interaction forces act on the object’s surface and they correspond to the equilibrium of an “internal object” held by two point contacts with friction.
On Architecting and Implementing a Product Information Sharing Service
Authors: Srinivasan Vijay , Lämmer Lutz , Vettermann Steven
Published: March 2008

Recent developments in information technology are influencing the field of engineering informatics in some profound ways. Nowhere is the influence more evident than in the use of Internet-based technologies and standards to share engineering and business information across a worldwide enterprise. In turn, the business need for collaboration among various players and partners in a globally integrated enterprise is driving the development and deployment of open standards, service-oriented architecture, and middleware. The convergence of these developments has provided us an opportunity to architect and implement a product information sharing service described in this paper. The architecture is service oriented and is based on the Object Management Group's PLM Services 1.0 specifications. It is implemented using IBM’s WebSphere Process Server middleware and PROSTEP’s OpenPDM software. This product information sharing service is one of the first industrial examples of a successful application of service-oriented architecture to product lifecycle management.
Correlation Between the Thermodynamic Stability of DNA Duplexes and the Interaction and Solvation Energies of DNA Building Blocks
Authors: Řezáč Jan , Hobza Pavel
Published: February 2008

The unwinding Gibbs energy (or duplex dissociation energy) is an important measure of the thermodynamic stability of DNA oligomers. This value can be measured experimentally or predicted by empirical models parametrised on experimental data. Our previously developed model based on accurate DFT-D calculations of interaction energies between nucleic acid bases corrected for solvation contribution. This work was successfully extended to cover variable lengths of oligomers. This model was further applied to oligomers containing inosine, an unnatural base. The results, however, are not satisfactory and it is clear that the model does not take into account all variables contributing to DNA stability. Inclusion of the backbone deformation energy did not improve the model. We also compared models based on DFT-D and forcefield calculations. Forcefield performs well in this application, because the systematic error in interaction energies is cancelled in the fitting procedure.
Highly Lipophilic p-Carborane-Modified Adenosine Phosphates
Authors: Wojtczak Blazej A. , Olejniczak Agnieszka B. , Przepiórkiewicz Marzena , Andrysiak Agnieszka , Lesnikowski Zbigniew J.
Published: February 2008

The method was developed for the synthesis of biologically important adenosine phosphates, AMP, cAMP and ATP modified with p-carborane cluster - a highly lipophilic pharmacophore. The adenosine phosphates modified with p-carborane are characterized by increased stability in human blood plasma and much more higher lipophilicity than that of the unmodified phosphates. ATP analog 4 bearing p-carborane cluster is not a Taq polymerase substrate and most probably not the polymerase inhibitor. These properties may have clinical implications.
Determination of Intact Heparin by Capillary Electrophoresis with Contactless Conductivity Detection in Background Electrolytes Containing Hydrophilic Polymers
Authors: Tůma Petr , Samcová Eva , Opekar František , Štulík Karel
Published: February 2008

Intact heparin was characterized and determined in model samples, in infusion solutions and in blood plasma by capillary electrophoresis (CE) with contactless conductivity detection. The CE separation of polydisperse heparin took place in open silica capillaries, in electrolytes containing a polymer (hydroxyethyl)cellulose, poly(ethylene glycol) or dextran. The best separation of heparin from excess inorganic ions present in real samples was attained in a background electrolyte consisting of 0.8 M acetic acid and 1% (w/v) dextran (100 kDa). The limit of detection (LOD) was 1.3 μmol l-1. This electrolyte was used in determination of heparin in blood plasma and in infusion solutions.
Participation in dementia research: rates and correlates of capacity to give informed consent: Table 1
Authors: Warner J , McCarney R , Griffin M , Hill K , Fisher P
Published: March 2008

Background:

Many people participating in dementia research may lack capacity to give informed consent and the relationship between cognitive function and capacity remains unclear. Recent changes in the law reinforce the need for robust and reproducible methods of assessing capacity when recruiting people for research.

Aims:

To identify numbers of capacitous participants in a pragmatic randomised trial of dementia treatment; to assess characteristics associated with capacity; to describe a legally acceptable consent process for research.

Methods:

As part of a pragmatic randomised controlled trial of Ginkgo biloba for mild-moderate dementia, we used a consenting algorithm that met the requirements of existing case law and the exigencies of the new Mental Capacity Act. We decided who had capacity to give informed consent for participation in the trial using this algorithm and sought predictors of capacity.

Results:

Most participants (76%) with mild-moderate dementia in this trial were unable to give informed consent according to the legal criteria. When adjusted for confounding, the Mini Mental State examination did not predict the presence of capacity.

Conclusion:

Cognitive testing alone is insufficient to assess the presence of capacity. Researchers and clinicians need to be aware of the challenging processes regarding capacity assessment. We outline a procedure which we believe meets the ethical and legal requirements.
The principle and problem of proximity in ethics
Authors: Nortvedt P , Nordhaug M
Published: March 2008

The normative significance of proximity in ethics is considered, giving an overview of the contemporary debates about proximity in ethics and focusing on three main perspectives that take proximity to have normative significance. The first perspective is represented by meta-ethical positions, where a basic moral claim is said to originate from an irreducible, particular and unique otherness that shows up in human vulnerability. The second perspective presents a psychologically and philosophically based analysis of human emotions, which is taken to form a basis for rudimentary moral sensitivity and care. The third version of an ethics of proximity claims that personal relationships and partiality overrride impartialist and universalist ethical considerations. On the basis of this analysis, the sources of normativity and the essence of proximity as a normative consideration are elaborated. Finally, the relevance of an ethics of proximity to professional ethics in healthcare is discussed. From an ethics of proximity, it might be argued that institutions must attempt to organise medical care and nursing care so that a certain partiality and patient-centred care might be favoured and trump distributivist considerations of justice in healthcare.
Classification of the oat species (Avena, Poaceae) using various taximetric methods and an information–theoretic model
Authors: Baum Bernard R.
Published: March 2008

The latest comprehensive classification of Avena species was established by Malzew in 1929. It has been used by oat workers until today, in spite of the fact that for decades it became gradually outdated partly because new data became available and partly because new species were discovered. This necessitated a new attempt to classify the oats. The present study uses new characters and various numerical taxonomic techniques such as Gower's coefficient of resemblance and eight sequential, agglomerative, hierarchical clustering strategies. Thus 80 different classifications were formed, of which 21 were chosen as admissible. The best classification among the 21 is that which contains maximum information in the information-theoretic sense, i.e., using Eastabrook's model for character analysis. The relationships between the various classifications and the best one are extrapolated through principal coordinate analysis using the information-theoretic correlations between pairs of classifications as measure of distance.As a result, seven groupings were recognized, and canonical analyses were performed on these. Subsequently the canonical loadings were used here as unorthodox diagnoses for the seven groupings, which were then designated as taxa at the sectional category. A formal treatment of these newly established sections is provided in compliance with the rules of nomenclature.Finally, interrelationships between species are also studied using overlapping clusters based on the method of maximal complete subgraphs of Jardine and Sibson.