bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Importance of the vein of Marshall involvement in mitral isthmus ablation
Authors: Fujisawa Taishi , Kimura Takehiro , Nakajima Kazuaki , Nishiyama Takahiko , Katsumata Yoshinori , Aizawa Yoshiyasu , Fukuda Keiichi , Takatsuki Seiji
Published: February 2019

Background

Epicardiac conduction via the vein of Marshall (VOM) can bypass the mitral isthmus (MI) line, making MI ablation difficult. This study aimed to assess the contribution of the VOM in achieving MI conduction block.

Methods

This study included 143 consecutive patients with nonparoxysmal atrial fibrillation who underwent initial MI ablation. They were retrospectively classified into two groups, a VOM‐guided group (n = 28) and a conventional group (n = 115), according to the use of a 2‐Fr electrode catheter inserted in the VOM. The acute success rate of achieving MI block and the ablation data were assessed. When the bidirectional block was verified exclusively in the VOM or coronary sinus (CS) electrodes, we defined it as a pseudo MI block. In the VOM‐guided group, we ascertained the complete MI block, verified both in the VOM and CS electrodes.

Results

In the VOM‐guided group, the pseudoblock was observed in 33.3% of the patients during MI ablation. With significantly less radiofrequency energy (19 322.6 ± 11 352.8 vs 25 389.3 ± 19 951.9, P = 0.04), we achieved a similar level of success rate in MI ablation in the VOM‐guided group (96.4% vs 91.3%, P = 0.36). Notably, after achieving complete MI block, atrial burst pacing induced two perimitral flutters in the VOM‐guided group, which were successfully terminated by the additional radiofrequency application.

Conclusions

Assessment of electrical conduction through the VOM could clarify the existence of a pseudo MI conduction block. However, the existence of a slow conduction through the MI could be detected only after induction of perimitral atrial tachycardia with atrial programmed stimulation.
Effects of drought and N level on the interactions of the root hemiparasite Rhinanthus alectorolophus with a combination of three host species
Authors: Korell L. , Sandner T. M. , Matthies D. , Ludewig K.
Published: February 2019

Increasing nitrogen deposition and more frequent drought events are likely to change plant interactions in natural grasslands. Both factors may also influence the interactions between hemiparasitic plants, regarded as keystone species in many grasslands, and their host species.

We grew a combination of three suitable hosts, a grass, a forb and a legume, with and without the hemiparasite Rhinanthus alectorolophus at three levels of nitrogen (N) and two levels of water availability in a factorial design.

Biomass of the hemiparasite and host community increased with N level and was reduced by drought to a similar degree. Larger plants in fertilised pots started to wilt earlier, and the presence of a hemiparasite further increased drought sensitivity. The hemiparasite strongly reduced biomass of the host community and overall productivity, and affected the competitive balance among host plants because it particularly reduced biomass of the dominant grass. These effects were the opposite of those of high N. The hemiparasite increased the root mass fraction of the hosts at all levels of N and water availability, indicating that the effect of the hemiparasite on the hosts was mainly due to loss of belowground resources.

Our results indicate that hemiparasites will not always respond more strongly to increased N availability and drought than autotrophic plants, and that hemiparasites can have similarly strong effects on grassland communities as soil fertility and drought. By preferentially attacking dominant species the hemiparasites might alleviate the negative effects of nutrient enrichment on grassland diversity.
Joint and individual tool making in preschoolers: From social to cognitive processes
Authors: Gönül Gökhan , Hohenberger Annette , Corballis Michael , Henderson Annette M. E.
Published: February 2019

Tool making has been proposed as a key force in driving the complexity of human material culture. The ontogeny of tool‐related behaviors hinges on social, representational, and creative factors. In this study, we test the associations between these factors in development across two different cultures. Results of Study 1 with 5‐to‐6‐year‐old Turkish children in dyadic or individual settings show that tool making is facilitated by social interaction, hierarchical representation, and creative abilities. Results of a second explorative study comparing the Turkish sample with a sample of 5‐to‐6‐year‐old children in New Zealand suggest that tool innovation might be affected by culture, and that the role of cognitive and creative factors diminishes through social interaction in tool making.
Meaning‐making in women's tattooed bodies
Authors: Dann Charlotte , Callaghan Jane
Published: February 2019

Tattooed women's practices of resistance and conformity are constituted within social, cultural, and historical contexts that produce normative values around “good” and “bad” tattoos. Tattoos enable the performance of multiple femininities, constructing the female body in a way that is personal and meaningful to that individual and opening an agentic space in which they can do so. The vast majority of research that is available on tattoos concerns mostly men or, at least, does not fully understand the implications of specific gendered discourses that regulate the (feminine) body. In this paper, we argue that meaning‐making for women's tattoos serves to function as legitimating, producing tattooed feminine bodies as more acceptable. We argue for a closer examination of the regulatory discourses that feed into the choices that women make in relation to their tattooed bodies.
Learning to fear outgroups: An associative learning explanation for the development and reduction of intergroup anxiety
Authors: O'Donnell Alexander W. , Neumann David L. , Duffy Amanda L. , Paolini Stefania
Published: February 2019

Pavlovian conditioning is a form of associative learning shown to contribute to the development and reduction of clinical anxiety and fear, and more recently, intergroup anxiety and fear. The current review provides a synthesis of the literature on associative learning of fear toward outgroups. Findings are reviewed that outline how fear toward the outgroup, relative to the ingroup, can be preferentially learnt and is resistant to extinction‐based techniques. Novel future research directions for intergroup anxiety are then identified based upon previous research on clinical anxiety. It is proposed that processes known to enhance the extinction of specific phobia should be investigated with social stimuli. Specifically, it is argued that exploring cognitive factors during extinction and conducting extinction in multiple contexts may provide new avenues to pursue intergroup harmony through reduced intergroup anxiety. The review concludes by suggesting innovative research designs are needed to validate an associative learning account of fear toward outgroups outside of experimental settings.
A retrospective analysis of radiation oncology related scientific articles in the journal Veterinary Radiology and Ultrasound: Trends over 40 years (1976‐2015)
Authors: Nagata Koichi
Published: February 2019

The journal Veterinary Radiology & Ultrasound is a veterinary specialty journal devoted to the fields of veterinary diagnostic imaging and radiation oncology. The purpose of this retrospective, observational study is to evaluate progressive trends in radiation oncology articles published in Veterinary Radiology & Ultrasound during the 40‐year period (1976‐2015) and describe a shift of trends through several viewpoints. This 40‐year period was divided into four subperiods: Period 1 (1976‐1985), Period 2 (1986‐1995), Period 3 (1996‐2005), and Period 4 (2006‐2015). These articles were divided into six categories based on the nature of the study: 1) studies related to teletherapy with endpoints being patient outcome, 2) radiation therapy dosimetry/planning, 3) patient setup, 4) reviews, 5) case reports, and 6) others. The number of radiation oncology articles in Veterinary Radiology & Ultrasound has increased over the 40‐year period. The number of authors per article has increased between Periods 1 and 3. The number of articles related to linear accelerator has increased between Periods 3 and 4. The median number of treated patients per clinical article related to teletherapy ranged from 15 to 21, which has not changed significantly over the 40‐year period. The most commonly used radiation therapy protocols during Periods 2 and 3 were fine‐fractionated protocols (defined as 10 or more fractions), whereas coarse‐fractionated protocols were more common during Periods 1 and 4. Findings from this study highlight the notable changes of trends in veterinary radiation oncology articles published in Veterinary Radiology & Ultrasound, which clearly reflect changes in the field of veterinary radiation oncology during the past 40 years.
DUCTILITY OF REINFORCED CONCRETE SUB FRAME FOR INDUSTRIALIZED BUILDING SYSTEM
Authors: Aljawadi Ahmed Sabah , Marsono Abdul Kadir , Ismail Che Ros
Published: February 2019

An accurate determination of industrialized building system (IBS) frames ductility under alternating lateral loads is the key issue of this study. The performance features of IBS H frame assembly subjected to cyclic lateral pushover test with six attached IBS components are reported. A test scheme of nonlinear elastic sub-frame system is proposed to build an IBS structural building system. This system complies with the requirements of strength and ductility governed by European Codes 2 and 8. The three models are a conventional reinforced concrete H frame system CRCH (Model 1), IBS with steel conventional links as reinforcements IBSHN (Model 2), and special spiral links concrete IBSHS (Model 3). Each model is scaled to 1:5. All models are laboratory examined under cyclic lateral pushover test to failure, where the IBS connections are considered as hybrid partial rigid linking beams to columns. The beam ends are connected to column boxes via a U shaped steel plate. The experimental results of the IBS specimens are compared with the conventional reinforced concrete connection of similar shapes and size in the form of H sub-frame mechanism tested under the same condition. The models are subjected to cyclic lateral load controlled applied at the beam-column connection. The performance evaluation of IBS connections is made via load displacement hysteresis, ultimate and collapse parameter, ductility index, and surface cracks appearances. The conventional concrete specimen is obviously found to display better strength compared to IBS. Conversely, the ductility of IBS H frame specimen with spiral shear links and conventional closed loop links exhibits superior features compared to the conventional concrete specimen which is beneficial to earthquake engineering. It is demonstrated that the performance of the precast concrete structure is highly dependent on the ductile capacity of connectors to each of the IBS component. This is significant especially at the joints such as the beam-to-column connections. Our systematic methods on ductility characterizations of reinforced concrete beams may contribute toward the development of IBS in resisting earthquakes.
SIZING A PARABOLIC TROUGH COLLECTOR FOR A MICRO SOLAR ORGANIC RANKINE CYCLE
Authors: Chai Choi Yun , Jung Hyung-chul
Published: February 2019

There are many remote villages in Malaysia that are not connected to an electric grid, and are dependent on expensive diesel generator sets (gensets) in   their daily activities. Malaysia, a tropical country, has the potential to promote solar power generation in these isolated areas. The organic Rankine cycle (ORC) using solar thermal energy as the heat source could be an attractive approach to off-grid power generation. In this study, a 1 kWe solar ORC with a parabolic trough collector (PTC) is proposed. The ORC utilizes R245fa as the working fluid and Therminol VP1 as the heat transfer medium between the PTC and ORC. Thermodynamic analysis of the ORC is performed, predicting the performance of the ORC and the operating conditions of the PTC. Based on the design requirements of the PTC from the power cycle analysis, process of sizing the PTC is conducted via a numerical model. Seven sets of heat collector elements (HCE) are examined. The effects of absorber tube material, selective coating on the outer surface of the absorber tube, and the absorber tube diameter on the PTC performance are presented. Simulation results show that HCE with 6 mm of SS316L absorber tube, enclosed with 11 mm of Pyrex borosilicate glass tube, has the highest collector efficiency of 62.25%. The receiver length required is 8.05 m and the aperture width of the collector is 3.54 m. Further study is recommended to select a thermal storage system for night-time operation of the ORC.
NUTRIENT COMPOSITION, ANTIOXIDANT POTENTIAL AND SENSORY EVALUATION OF DEVELOPED MIXED CONCENTRATED JUICE
Authors: Che Malek Nur Ain Hafizah , Haron Hasnah , Yahya Hanis Mastura
Published: February 2019

The purpose of this study is to determine nutrient and antioxidant content, and consumer acceptance of mixed concentrated juice of three ingredients namely pomegranate, honey and date extracts. The nutrient content was analysed based on AOAC method. The antioxidant was determined using Folin-Ciocalteu, DPPH and FRAP assays. Sensory analysis was carried out on 30 untrained panels using hedonic scale. Each 100 g juice provided 380 kcal, contained 55.65 g sugar, 92.13% carbohydrate, 1.97% protein, 0.39% fat, 270.70 mg potassium, 58.43 mg sodium, and 31.58 mg magnesium. The juice contained total polyphenol of 1752.10 mg GAE/100 ml, and antioxidant content of 12.80 mM TE/ml (DPPH) and 51.681 mM TE/ml (FRAP). As for the sensory evaluation, there was no significant difference (P>0.05) in the mean score for the attributes of this newly developed mixed concentrated juice compared to the commercial ones. It can be concluded that the juice has a high nutrient and antioxidant content. The taste of the juice was acceptable among consumers. The combination of more than one type of food could increase the nutrient value of the foods but further studies are needed to see the synergistic effect provided by each food.
Using Peer-Shared Intervention Strategies for Promoting Math Explorations and Critical Thinking in Early Childhood Inclusive Classrooms
Authors: Harris Kathleen I.
Published: February 2019

Inclusive early childhood settings invite children with and without disabilities to play, learn, and work together in one classroom. Teachers can take advantage of children’s curiosity for math when they organize creative learning environments and develop meaningful critical thinking experiences to increase children’s interactions with peers. Peer-shared activities, including math helpmates and math chats, can offer a hopeful approach for supporting higher order and critical thinking math experiences for young children in inclusive classroom settings. Inviting a math helpmate to explain to a peer how or why they arrived at an answer or to show a different way to find an answer during math activities can promote critical math thinking and communication skills. To maximize success when using peer-shared strategies, teachers should be actively involved in monitoring math progress, providing feedback to children, and supporting peer interactions. This article will explore a variety of strategies for creating math discoveries and critical thinking using peer-shared activities at school and home. Practical strategies to be discussed will include math helpmates, math chats, and incidental teaching for increasing for supporting children’s natural interest in math concepts.
Nonlinear Estimation of Variables for Heat Release Calculation Using a Gradient Method
Authors: Yin Lianhao , Turesson Gabriel , Johansson Rolf , Tunestål Per
Published: February 2019

Advanced combustion such as the partially premixed combustion (PPC) is characterized by high energy efficiency. However, they are sensitive to the inlet condition and injection of a combustion engine. Therefore, it is essential to use combustion feedback. The accuracy of the feedback variables, derived from the cylinder pressure signal, is crucial for effective combustion feedback control. This paper proposes a nonlinear least-squares regression method to estimate the pressure offsets and variable polytropic exponent in heat release calculation automatically. The combustion feedback variables derived from the auto-tuned heat-release rate were applied to a heavy-duty compression ignition (CI) engine burning with gasoline fuel.
Integrated Modified Repetitive Control With Disturbance Observer of Piezoelectric Nanopositioning Stages for High-Speed and Precision Motion
Authors: Feng Zhao , Ling Jie , Ming Min , Xiao Xiaohui
Published: February 2019

The tracking performance of piezoelectric nanopositioning stages is vital in many applications, such as scanning probe microscopes (SPMs). Although modified repetitive control (MRC) can improve tracking performance for commonly used periodic reference input, it is sensitive to unexpected disturbances that deteriorate tracking precision, especially for high-speed motion. In order to achieve high-speed and precision motion, in this paper, a new composite control scheme by integrating MRC with disturbance observer (DOB) is developed. To simplify controller implementation, the hysteresis nonlinearity is treated as external disturbance and the proposed method is designed in frequency domain. The stability and robust stability are analyzed, and an optimization procedure to calculate the controller parameters is employed to enhance the performance to the maximum extent. To validate the effectiveness of the proposed method, comparative experiments are performed on a piezoelectric nanopositioning stage. Experimental results indicate that the hysteresis is suppressed effectively and the proposed method achieves high-speed and precision tracking with triangular waves references up to 25 Hz and improves the disturbance rejection ability with disturbances under different frequencies and robustness to model uncertainty through comparing with feedback controllers and MRC, respectively.
Research on Improving the Dynamic Performance of Centrifugal Pumps With Twisted Gap Drainage Blades
Authors: Zhang Zheng-Chuan , Chen Hong-Xun , Ma Zheng , He Jian-Wu , Liu Hui , Liu Chao
Published: February 2019

Through numerical simulation and experiments analysis, it is indicated that the hydraulic and anticavitation performance of a centrifugal pump with twisted gap drainage blades based on flow control theory can be significantly improved under certain operating conditions. In order to introduce the technology of gap drainage to practical applications, we put forward the parameter formulas of the twisted gap drainage blade to design three-dimensional new type blade, which are also proved to be effective for enhancing the dynamic characteristics of the centrifugal pump. Furthermore, a practical centrifugal pump is redesigned to be a twisted gap drainage impeller with the same structure size as the original impeller, and the nonlinear hybrid Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS)/large eddy simulation (LES) method is employed to simulate the hydraulic dynamic characteristics. Numerical simulation results show that the hydraulic performance and dynamic characteristics of the redesigned impeller centrifugal pump are significantly enhanced. In experiments, the twisted gap drainage blades structure not only remarkably improves the hydraulic performance and the pressure pulsation characteristics of the centrifugal pump but also reduces the vibration intensity.
Cavitation in Transient Flows Through a Micro-Nozzle
Authors: Sanmiguel-Rojas E. , Gutierrez-Castillo P. , del Pino C. , Auñón-Hidalgo J. A.
Published: February 2019

High cavitating or supercavitating flows in fuel injector systems are crucial since they improve the mixing and the fuel atomization into combustion chambers, decreasing both fuel consumption and pollutant emissions. However, there is a lack of information regarding the required time to obtain high cavitating flows at the nozzle outlet, from the start of the injection pulse. In this work, a new method to quantify the time to get supercavitating flows at the nozzle outlet is developed. In particular, the delay in the inception of a supercavitating flow through a micronozzle is numerically analyzed for different pressure drops in a well-studied benchmark for fuel injectors. The three-dimensional simulations show that a delay higher than 100 μs is necessary for moderate pressure drops. Nevertheless, the delay tends to decay by rising amplitudes of the pressure pulse, reaching a saturation value of around 65 μs.
Mechanical Response of Human Muscle at Intermediate Strain Rates
Authors: Zhai Xuedong , Nauman Eric A. , Nie Yizhou , Liao Hangjie , Lycke Roy J. , Chen Weinong W.
Published: February 2019

We experimentally determined the tensile stress–strain response of human muscle along fiber direction and compressive stress–strain response transverse to fiber direction at intermediate strain rates (100–102/s). A hydraulically driven material testing system with a dynamic testing mode was used to perform the tensile and compressive experiments on human muscle tissue. Experiments at quasi-static strain rates (below 100/s) were also conducted to investigate the strain-rate effects over a wider range. The experimental results show that, at intermediate strain rates, both the human muscle's tensile and compressive stress–strain responses are nonlinear and strain-rate sensitive. Human muscle also exhibits a stiffer and stronger tensile mechanical behavior along fiber direction than its compressive mechanical behavior along the direction transverse to fiber direction. An Ogden model with two material constants was adopted to describe the nonlinear tensile and compressive behaviors of human muscle.
Lattice Boltzmann Modeling of Natural Convection in a Large-Scale Cavity Heated From Below by a Centered Source
Authors: Abouricha Noureddine , El Alami Mustapha , Gounni Ayoub
Published: February 2019

Turbulent natural convection in a large-scale cavity has taken a great attention thanks to its importance in many engineering applications such as building. In this work, the lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) is used to simulate turbulent natural convection heat transfer in a small room of housing heated from below by means of a heated floor. The ceiling and the four vertical walls of the room are adiabatic except for a portion of one vertical wall. This portion simulates a glass door with a cold temperature θc = 0. The cavity is filled by air (Pr = 0.71) and heated from below with uniformly imposed temperature θh = 1. The effects of the heat source length (Lr) and Rayleigh number (Ra) on the flow structure and heat transfer are studied for ranges of 0.2 ≤ Lr ≤ 0.8 and 5 × 106 ≤Ra ≤ 108. The heat transfer is examined in terms of local and mean Nusselt numbers. The results show that an increase in Rayleigh number or in heat source length increases the temperature in the core of the cavity. The flow structure shows that turbulent natural convection regime is fully developed for Ra = 108. Correlations for mean Nusselt number as a function with Ra for different values of Lr are expressly derived.
Probabilistic Characterization of an Allowable Design Moment in a Piping Elbow
Authors: Ryu Yonghee , Gupta Abhinav , Ju Bu Seog
Published: February 2019

The design of a nuclear power plant piping requires consideration of the effects of pressure and moment loads according to the appropriate design equation, which is Piping design equation (9) in NC/ND-3600, Section III of the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code. The design moment is influenced significantly by the definition of the B2 stress index in piping elbows. This paper presents a study on reliability-based design for piping elbows on the level D service limit in the design code. Probability density functions (PDFs) of the design moment were calculated using the ASME equation and modified B2 equations. The PDFs of the design moment were evaluated by the collapse moment using the closed-form equations. The probability distribution of the design moment using the modified B2 equation was closer to the distributions of the collapse moment than its design moment using the ASME B2 equation. Probabilistic analyses were conducted to evaluate reliability levels in straight pipe as well as piping elbows using the ASME and modified B2 equations. It was observed that the minimum reliability level (MRL) of the design equation for the straight pipe was slightly higher than the MRL of the elbow. The MRLs of the design equation using the ASME and modified B2 equations were similar for the same values of bend parameter h, and the MRL of the design equation did not show influence of changes in bend parameter, piping type, and B2 stress index.
Acceleration due to buoyancy and mass renormalization
Authors: McKee Kyle , Czarnecki Andrzej
Published: February 2019

The acceleration of a light buoyant object in a fluid is analyzed. Misconceptions about the magnitude of that acceleration are briefly described and refuted. The notion of the added mass is explained and the added mass is computed for an ellipsoid of revolution. A simple approximation scheme is employed to derive the added mass of a slender body. The slender-body limit is non-analytic, indicating a singular character of the perturbation due to the thickness of the body. An experimental determination of the acceleration is presented and found to agree well with the theoretical prediction. The added mass illustrates the concept of mass renormalization in an accessible manner.
Kepler and the origins of the theory of gravity
Authors: Hecht Eugene
Published: February 2019

The concept of gravity came into being in ancient times as a terrestrial concern associated with the practicalities of “weight.” A great leap forward came in the early 1600s with the important theoretical speculations of Johannes Kepler. This article focuses on his prescient theory of gravity which guided the later progress of a number of scholars including Roberval, Hooke, and Newton. And yet, Kepler's remarkable contribution to gravitational theory has been almost completely overlooked in the contemporary scientific literature.
Elastic collisions of smooth spherical objects: Finding final velocities in four simple steps
Authors: Čepič Mojca
Published: February 2019

Collisions of two spherical objects are a common topic in undergraduate lectures. The final velocities for elastic collisions along a straight line are easily determined from the impact velocities, but the determination of the final velocities for collisions in a plane and in space requires additional information and more demanding algebraic manipulation. In this paper, we derive a method for finding final velocities after elastic in-plane and in-space collisions of smooth spherical objects of arbitrary masses, radii, and impact velocities directly in the laboratory frame without intermediate transformations between frames with different velocities. The forces between smooth spherical objects during the collision are central. Therefore, the velocities of colliding objects can change only in the direction of the forces. This allows for reduction of the in-plane and in-space elastic collisions to collisions along a straight line parallel to the direction of the forces between objects, that is, along the vector connecting the centers of both objects during the collision. Components of velocities perpendicular to the forces do not change during the collision. The methods for finding final velocities after transformation to the center-of-mass frame or to the relative-object frame are compared with the four-step method in the laboratory frame for two examples: for a general collision and for a collision of billiard balls. Applying the reasoning of the new method provides additional insights into the physics of collisions analysed in alternative frames.
A computational study of depth of vibration into vocal fold tissues
Authors: Palaparthi Anil , Smith Simeon , Mau Ted , Titze Ingo R.
Published: February 2019

The effective depth of vocal fold vibration is self-regulated and generally not known a priori in vocalization. In this study, the effective depth was quantified systematically under various phonatory conditions using a fiber-gel finite element vocal fold model. The horizontal and vertical excursions of each finite element nodal point trajectory were recorded to compute trajectory areas. The extent of vibration was then studied based on the variation of trajectory radii as a function of depth in several coronal sections along the anterior-posterior direction. The results suggested that the vocal fold nodal trajectory excursions decrease systematically as a function of depth but are affected by the layered structure of the vocal folds. The effective depth of vibration was found to range between 15 and 55% of the total anatomical depth across all phonatory conditions. The nodal trajectories from the current study were compared qualitatively with the results from excised human hemi-larynx experiments published in Döllinger and Berry [(2006). J. Voice. 20(3), 401–413]. An estimate of the effective mass of a one-mass vocal fold model was also computed based on the effective depth of vibration observed in this study under various phonatory conditions.
A performance study of acoustic interference structure applications on source depth estimation in deep water
Authors: Duan Rui , Yang Kunde , Li Hui , Yang Qiulong , Wu Feiyun , Ma Yuanliang
Published: February 2019

A recent publication by Duan et al. [J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 142(3), EL245–EL250 (2017)] analyzed the interference pattern observed in the plot of acoustic intensity versus source-receiver range and frequency in deep water. This paper extends this work by applying an equivalent acoustic intensity surface versus the vertical angle of arrivals and frequency to depth estimation of broadband sources. A matched-interference-structure (MIS) method that processes the whole acoustic intensity surface is proposed and formulated as a filtration of the surface where the binominal filter weights ±1 for each surface grid point and presumed source depth are based on model-based interference structures. For comparison, the conventional method of matching multipath delays is reformulated and applied to process the surface. Because the numerical prediction of interference structures can be costly, analytical expressions are derived to improve the efficiency. Monte Carlo simulations are carried out to compare the performance and experimental data of broadband random sequences and pulse sources are used to illustrate the methods. The MIS method has a higher resolution and can work under a lower signal-to-noise ratio in the case of weak source depth fluctuation but is not as robust to the large source depth fluctuation as the other method.
The Antibiotic Neomycin Enhances Coxsackievirus Plaque Formation
Authors: Woods Acevedo Mikal A. , Erickson Andrea K. , Pfeiffer Julie K.
Published: February 2019

Coxsackieviruses primarily infect the gastrointestinal tract of humans, but they can disseminate systemically and cause severe disease. Using antibiotic treatment regimens to deplete intestinal microbes in mice, several groups have shown the bacteria promote infection with a variety of enteric viruses. However, it is possible that antibiotics have microbiota-independent effects on viruses. Here we show that an aminoglycoside antibiotic, neomycin, can influence quantification of coxsackievirus in cultured cells in the absence of bacteria.
XCalibur aneurysm occlusion device for the treatment of direct carotid cavernous fistula: expansion of armamentarium
Authors: Biswas Shamick , Kathrani Nihar Vijay , Jitender Saini , Gupta Arun Kumar
Published: February 2019

We report the first case of a post-traumatic direct carotid cavernous fistula (CCF) treated with the XCalibur aneurysm occlusion device, which is a balloon mounted stent with flow diversion effect. Two devices were deployed across the fistula in an overlapping manner, resulting in complete occlusion of the fistula. Flow diversion with this device can provide a safe and alternative treatment option in direct CCF.
Association between cellphone use while driving legislation and self-reported behaviour among adult drivers in USA: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Rudisill Toni Marie , Zhu Motao , Chu Haitao
Published: February 2019

Objectives

Cellphone use behaviours can vary demographically in the USA. This study examined whether legislation restricting cellphone use while driving was associated with lower self-reported hand-held cellphone conversations or texting behaviours among adult drivers of different ages (19–24, 25–39, 40–59,≥60 years), sex, race/ethnicity (white non-Hispanic, black non-Hispanic, Hispanic, Other) or rurality (urban, rural).

Design

Cross-sectional study.

Setting

USA.

Participants

Individuals ≥19 years of age who indicated they were a current driver and participated in the 2011–2014 Traffic Safety Culture Index Surveys (n=9706).

Primary outcome

The exposure was the presence of a hand-held calling or texting ban applicable to all drivers (ie, universal) at time of survey. Modified Poisson regression with robust SE was used to estimate the risk of engaging in these self-reported behaviours.

Results

In fully adjusted models, universal texting bans were not associated with lower texting behaviours (adjusted risk ratio [aRR]=0.92; 95% CI 0.84, 1.01). In stratified, fully adjusted models, men and those of other racial/ethnic origin were 13% and 33% less likely, respectively (aRR=0.87; 95% CI 0.77, 0.98; aRR=0.67; 95% CI 0.46, 0.97), to engage in texting behaviours if a universal texting ban was effective in their state. Conversely, universal hand-held calling bans were associated with lower self-reported hand-held cellphone conversations across every sub-group. In fully adjusted models, the presence of a hand-held calling ban was associated with 40% lower (aRR=0.60, 95% CI 0.54, 0.67) self-reported hand-held cellphone conversations while driving.

Conclusions

Universal hand-held calling bans were associated with lower self-reported cellphone conversations for adult drivers. More interventional work targeting adult drivers may be needed to reduce texting while driving.
Real-world use of rescue inhaler sensors, electronic symptom questionnaires and physical activity monitors in COPD
Authors: Bowler Russell , Allinder Matthew , Jacobson Sean , Miller Andrew , Miller Bruce , Tal-Singer Ruth , Locantore Nicholas
Published: February 2019

Background

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a heterogeneous disease characterised by airflow obstruction and other morbidities such as respiratory symptoms, reduced physical activity and frequent bronchodilator use. Recent advances in personal digital monitoring devices can permit continuous collection of these data in COPD patients, but the relationships among them are not well understood.

Methods

184 individuals from a single centre of the COPDGene cohort agreed to participate in this 3-week observational study. Each participant used a smartphone to complete a daily symptom diary (EXAcerbations of Chronic pulmonary disease Tool, EXACT), wore a wrist-worn accelerometer to record continuously physical activity and completed the Clinical Visit PROactive Physical Activity in COPD questionnaire. 58 users of metered dose inhalers for rescue (albuterol) were provided with an inhaler sensor, which time stamped each inhaler actuation.

Results

Rescue inhaler use was strongly correlated with E-RS:COPD score, while step counts were correlated with neither rescue use nor E-RS:COPD score. Frequent, unpatterned inhaler use pattern was associated with worse respiratory symptoms and less physical activity compared with frequent inhaler use with a regular daily pattern. There was a strong week-by-week correlation among measurements, suggesting that 1 week of monitoring is sufficient to characterise stable patients with COPD.

Discussion

The study highlights the interaction and relevance of personal real-time monitoring of respiratory symptoms, physical activity and rescue medication in patients with COPD. Additionally, visual displays of longitudinal data may be helpful for disease management to help drive conversations between patients and caregivers and for risk-based monitoring in clinical trials.
The adaptation of AABACUS for quality improvement in laboratory workflow analysis ("L-AABACUS")
Authors: Khan Shehnaz , Cheung Carol C
Published: February 2019

The ability to effectively monitor key indicators is important for continuous quality improvement in laboratory immunohistochemistry. This article deals specifically with laboratory turnaround time (TAT) as a key delivery indicator and the impact of laboratory workflow on laboratory TATs. While our laboratory has traditionally relied on the manual calculation of slide-TAT (S-TAT) to monitor delivery, we have determined that automated calculation of case-TAT (C-TAT) would be superior as a delivery indicator. AABACUS (Automatable Activity-Based Approach to Complexity Unit Scoring) is an activity-based workload model designed to function primarily as a decision support tool to monitor pathologist staffing levels. We devised a high-level proof-of-principle approach to determine whether it is possible to apply AABACUS as a decision support tool for quality improvement through analysis of alternative laboratory workflows that have potential to impact C-TAT. Our use of AABACUS in this proof-of-principle quality improvement endeavour was two-fold: (1) we leveraged the ability of AABACUS to link data at the slide level to data at the case level, which enabled the automated calculation of C-TAT; and (2) we adapted AABACUS to evaluate the impact of laboratory workflow activities (specifically workflow bifurcation activities) on the calculated C-TATs. We have coined the term "L-AABACUS" to describe the adaptation of AABACUS to the analysis of laboratory workflow.
Incidence of head injury and traumatic brain injury among people with Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: Ilmaniemi Sarianna , Taipale Heidi , Tanskanen Antti , Tiihonen Jari , Hartikainen Sirpa , Tolppanen Anna-Maija
Published: February 2019

Background

Injuries caused by falling are a major health concern among older population. For older people, falls are the leading cause of head injuries; especially, persons with cognitive disorders have an increased risk of falling.

Objective

To compare the incidence of head injury and traumatic brain injury (TBI) among persons with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) with persons without AD.

Methods

This register-based study was conducted on a nationwide cohort, which includes all community-dwelling persons diagnosed with AD in Finland in 2005–2011. Persons with previous head injuries were excluded, leaving 67 172 persons with AD. For each person with AD, a matching person without AD and previous head injury were identified with respect to age, sex and university hospital district. The Cox proportional hazard model and competing risk analyses were used to estimate HR for head injury and TBI.

Results

Persons with AD had 1.34-fold (95% CI 1.29 to 1.40) risk of head injuries and 1.49-fold (95% CI 1.40 to 1.59) risk of TBIs after accounting for competing risks of death and full adjustment by socioeconomic status, drug use and comorbidities.

Conclusion

Persons with AD are more likely to have a head injury or TBI incident than persons without AD.
Cloning, prokaryotic expression, and subcellular localisation of the TaMAPK10-like gene in common wheat
Authors: Nie Yingbin , Ma Songmei , Ji Wanquan
Published: February 2019

Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK/MPK) is a group of serine-threonine protein kinases that are activated by different extracellular stimuli. To explore the function of MAPK in wheat infected with powdery mildew, a new wheat germplasm N9134 was used to obtain the full-length MAPK gene and the MAPK sequence was used to identify its prokaryotic expression and subcellular localisation. Wheat MAPK was obtained by homologous gene cloning and designated as TaMAPK10-like. The open reading frame of TaMAPK10-like was 1638 bp, which coded a deduced protein of 545 amino acids. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that TaMAPK10-like was most closely related to MAPK10-like of Aegilops tauschii at the protein level. It had high nucleotide similarity with the reported MAPK gene in A. tauschii, Sorghum bicolor, and Setaria italica, and had features typical of MAPK family genes. Subcellular localisation showed that TaMAPK10-like was mainly located in the cytoplasm along the microtubules, and a small number were located in the cell membrane and the nucleus. A pMD-MAPK10-like fusion expression vector was constructed and the TaMAPK10-like fusion protein was 70 kDa. The expressions of protein in bacteria were best obtained using 0.5 mmol L−1 isopropyl β-d-1-thiogalactopyranoside at 37 °C for 12 h. These results provide the basic data for further understanding the biological function of the TaMAPK10-like gene.
Evolution of 52CrMoV4 from 51CrV4 material to withstand field severity of parabolic leaf spring suspension in heavy-duty commercial vehicles
Authors: Thangapazham P. , Kumaraswamidhas L.A. , Muruganandam D.
Published: February 2019

This investigative study is mainly focused on improving the fatigue life of the leaf spring through the following protocols. In protocol 1, a parabolic leaf spring is manufactured with 51CrV4 material through normal production processes, which results in low residual compressive stress and high decarburization. The resulting proto sample does not support severe field application. This issue can be resolved by optimizing the heat treatment and the shot peening process. The proto part was prepared and tested under rough road conditions, and the vehicle withstood field severity up to 10% higher than the design load. However, under highly severe field operation, the severity was 30% higher than the design load. Hence, the above process improvements could not resolve the failures of the 51CrV4 material. Hence, an alternate material is identified, 52CrMoV4, and investigated. In protocol 2, the spring proto part is manufactured directly through an optimized process. The residual compressive stress, decarburization, and mechanical properties are obtained at desired levels. The proto part was tested under rough road conditions; the suspension system withstood a field severity of 30%. The vehicle was then tested on the test track and covered 335 000 km of off-road distance, with all durability requirements met.
Optimum cutting depth and spacing of roadheader picks: a numerical simulation using a three-dimensional cracking method
Authors: Liu Weihuang , Cao Jun , He Tao , Gao Gengyuan , Li Hulin , Yin Zhongwei
Published: February 2019

Cutting depth and spacing are two important parameters for the efficiency of a roadheader in mining operation. In this study, the case of a roadheader excavating a coal gallery is taken into account. Based on explicit finite element analysis (FEA), the minimum cutting specific energy (SE) was obtained by a series of numerical simulations. According to the actual cutting process, a three-dimensional (3D) double-pick cutting model was established. The validation for the cutting model showed that it was not only reliable to predict the value of cutting SE, but also capable of accurately simulating the cutting morphology. The variation of cutting moments, stress distributions, and character of coal fragment formation were investigated. The reasons for the different SEs are explained and an optimum design for cutting depth and spacing is given. The results show that SE shrinks by 22.82% using the optimum design compared to the original parameters. Overall, it is believed that the novel 3D double-pick cutting model and the optimization method used in this study are highly appropriate to better understand coal fragmentation and improved mining efficiency.
Flow and heat transfer simulation with a thermal large eddy lattice Boltzmann method in an annular gap with an inner rotating cylinder
Authors: Gaedtke Maximilian , Hoffmann Tabitha , Reinhardt Volkmar , Thäter Gudrun , Nirschl Hermann , Krause Mathias J.
Published: February 2019

In this study, a thermal Large Eddy Lattice Boltzmann Method (LBM–LES) is applied to Taylor–Couette flow simulations, allowing detailed analysis of local heat transport over a wide range of Taylor numbers, including resolved transient Taylor vortices.

The challenge in thermal management of electric motors is to control the temperature in the air gap between rotor and stator due to the gap’s small width and complex geometry, in which Taylor vortices strongly influence the heat transfer. This thin gap — here simplified by an annulus — is solved for the first time by a Thermal Lattice Boltzmann Method with a Smagorinsky sub-grid model. The influence of the rotational velocity of the inner cylinder with Taylor numbers from 36 to 511 — corresponding to a Reynolds number on the inner cylinder of up to 126[Formula: see text]000 — is numerically investigated.

The simulations are validated on the basis of the global Nusselt number, where we find good agreement with a published measurement series, an empirical correlation and Finite Volume simulations using the SST turbulence model. Special attention is paid on predicting the critical Taylor number, which is reproduced almost exactly by Direct Numerical Simulations (DNS) with LBM, whereas LBM–LES slightly overestimates and the SST model further overestimates the occurrence of Taylor vortices.
Higgs production in association with bottom quark pair at LHC
Authors: Huang Wen-Tao , Li Hong-Lei , Li Shi-Yuan , Lu Peng-Cheng , Si Zong-Guo , Wang Ying , Yang Zhong-Juan
Published: February 2019

The direct observation of the Yukawa interaction related to Standard Model Higgs and the bottom quark is obtained from the [Formula: see text] process recently. The [Formula: see text]-tagging becomes an important tool to search for new heavy resonance production at LHC. We use the [Formula: see text]-tagging method to investigate the neutral Higgs production in association with a bottom quark pair, and perform the detector simulation for the signal process with the Higgs decaying into [Formula: see text] or [Formula: see text] together with the dominant backgrounds. Our results show that [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] processes will play an important role in the search for the exotic heavy Higgs production at LHC and future hadron colliders.
Rheological properties of cholesteric liquid crystals as lubricant additives
Authors: Bindu Madhavi A. , Sreehari Sastry S.
Published: February 2019

Rheological properties of Cholesteryl n-valerate, Cholesteryl decanoate and Cholesteryl myristate which are esters of cholesterol have been studied. Phase transition temperatures and rheological parameters such as viscosity, elastic modulus G[Formula: see text], loss modulus G[Formula: see text] as functions of temperature, shear rate and time are investigated. In frequency sweep test, a higher transition crossover region has occurred for Cholesteryl myristate, whereas for Cholesteryl n-valerate a frequency-independent plateau prevailed for both the moduli. The occurrence of blue phase in Cholesteryl decanoate during temperature sweep measurements is an indication for the rheological support. The results for steady state have informed that cholesteric esters are having non-Newtonian flow behavior in their respective cholesteric phases. The power-law model has explained well the shear rate dependence of shear stress. A few practical applications of these esters as lubricant additives are discussed, too.