bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Case of Pulmonary Haemorrhage and Acute Kidney Injury 2C01
Authors: Bartakke Ashish A , Muench Christoph
Published: December 2014

Leptospirosis is a zoonotic bacterial infection with a reservoir in rodents and farm animals. It is a common disease in tropical countries but rare in the UK. The severe form (Weil's disease) caused by Leptospira is potentially fatal and includes liver failure, renal failure and haemorrhagic pneumonitis. Typical early symptoms of leptospirosis such as myalgia, headache, conjunctivitis and fever may be absent. Careful history-taking for contact with rodents or their excrement and/or farm animals should be performed to identify patients at risk for leptospirosis. Patients with pulmonary haemorrhage and kidney failure should be screened for leptospirosis. Liver failure may be attenuated or delayed by weeks. We describe a case which proved difficult to diagnose.
Effect of Early vs Late Tracheostomy on Survival in Patients Receiving Mechanical Ventilation – The Tracman Trial 3C00
Authors: Gross Jamie
Published: December 2014

Among mechanically ventilated patients in adult general intensive care units, early tracheostomy insertion (within the first four days after admission) is not associated with an improvement in 30-day mortality.

Level of evidence: 1B
The Development of a Training Pack for Band 7 Intensive Care Pharmacists
Authors: Graham-Clarke E
Published: December 2014

Traditionally, training of intensive care pharmacists has been ‘on the job,’ with little support from organised training programmes or specialised courses. The UK Clinical Pharmacy Association Critical Care Group developed key competencies for intensive care pharmacists and a syllabus to accompany this. This enabled individual pharmacists to map their skills, but there was no structured training programme to support it. The Midlands Critical Care Network pharmacist group identified this as a development need – both to support individual pharmacists in their training, and also to provide reassurance to Trusts of the type and breadth of training that band 7 pharmacists had undergone, particularly when moving from one Trust to another. This paper describes the development of a training pack for band 7 intensive care pharmacists by a collaborative group, and its subsequent dissemination nationally.
A Census of Current Sedation Monitoring Practices in Adult General Intensive Care Units in England
Authors: Freilich Simon , Shaw Michael Jan
Published: December 2014

Under- and over-sedation in intensive care units (ICUs) have potentially deleterious consequences. The Intensive Care Society (ICS) produced guidelines in 2007 to unify sedation management. The aim of the current census was to investigate how sedation practice was subsequently implemented in England. A telephone-based questionnaire to the ‘nurse-in-charge’ was iteratively developed at the host institution until respondent concordance was greater than 80%. Two hundred and four adult general ICUs across England were then contacted. One hundred and sixty units (79%) completed the survey; 82% of responding ICUs had a written sedation policy; all responding ICUs used a sedation scoring system, mainly the Richmond Scale (64%). All responding ICUs assessed and documented sedation levels, with 73% formally assessing this at least two-hourly; 91% of responding ICUs had a formal sedation holding policy; 73% of responding nurses felt there was adequate medical guidance provided on sedation depth; 27% of responding ICUs had bispectral index (BIS) monitors, with 74% of these units using them for monitoring sedated patients receiving neuromuscular blocking agents. Sedation management has improved nationally over the last five years. Written sedation policies, sedation scoring and sedation holding are standard practice. However, some nurses feel they need more guidance on choosing sedation depth, and some units assess sedation depth less frequently than two-hourly. In order to optimise clinical practice, we propose that sedation depth be a goal-directed therapy that is addressed at each patient review.
Hepatitis B and C
Authors: Dhillon Raje , Paraskevopoulou Maria
Published: December 2014

Hepatitis B and C present clinicians with many challenges. This article reviews the epidemiology of hepatitis, along with its prevention through vaccination, diagnosis and treatment, especially in relation to approaching the exposure of healthcare workers to at-risk patients. The role of prevention, diagnosis and treatment with interferon agents and protease inhibitors is discussed. The treatment of hepatitis B and C is advancing and the intensivist should be aware of the options for healthcare workers exposed to its risk on the intensive care unit.
Electrical Muscle Stimulation in the Intensive Care Unit: An Integrative Review
Authors: Edwards Judith , McWilliams David , Thomas Matthew , Shah Sanjoy
Published: December 2014

Following a period of critical illness, physical function and health-related quality of life are slow to recover, both in the short and long term. Muscle wasting and weakness during the intensive care unit (ICU) admission is a recognised contributory factor. Enhanced rehabilitation programmes are advocated to improve outcomes, and electrical muscle stimulation (EMS) has been recommended during the early critical illness trajectory. This technique is fairly new to the ICU, and limited efficacy data exists for its use in this setting. This integrative review will examine published and on-going ICU studies with the purpose of reporting on the characteristics of EMS study participants; content of EMS treatment protocols; safety of EMS in the ICU setting; effects on EMS on muscle wasting; effects of EMS on muscle strength; and future research.
Poor Efficacy of Haemodiafiltration to Treat Dabigatran-Associated Coagulopathy
Authors: Cronin John , Sivarajaratnam Mohan
Published: December 2014

Dabigatran is a novel oral direct thrombin inhibitor, licensed for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation and the primary prevention of venous thromboembolism in patients who have undergone hip or knee replacement. It has been shown to cause a lower rate of major life-threatening haemorrhage compared to warfarin, although the incidence of gastrointestinal bleeding is higher. When bleeds do occur, however, there is no immediate reversal agent available. In several case reports, haemodialysis has been successfully used to treat life-threatening bleeding associated with dabigatran. We present a case of a patient receiving dabigatran who suffered a severe gastrointestinal bleed where haemodiafiltration did not provide rapid normalisation of clotting parameters as previously reported.
The Use of a Remifentanil Infusion and Elective Tracheostomy to Avoid Ventilation in a Patient with Tetanus
Authors: Redshaw Charlotte , Slater Roger
Published: December 2014

Tetanus is very rare in developed countries but the mortality is still high in the elderly population despite access to intensive care medicine. Death can frequently occur from secondary complications due to the need to sedate, paralyse and ventilate patients in an effort to control spasms. We describe the case of a 77-year-old man with tetanus in whom we successfully controlled tetanic spasms with a remifentanil infusion where conventional treatment failed, thus preventing the need for mechanical ventilation. We also describe the use of an elective percutaneous tracheostomy which was performed for airway protection. This prevented him from developing pneumonia from aspirating the excess secretions caused by the autonomic features of tetanus.
The Use of Echocardiography in Diagnosis, Risk Stratification and Management of Pulmonary Embolism: A Retrospective Single-Centre Analysis
Authors: Diel Naomi , Lane Andrew S , Seppelt Ian M
Published: December 2014

Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a life-threatening condition with high morbidity and mortality. The presence of systolic hypotension and/or right heart strain (RHS) is currently used to stratify patients and direct management. Echocardiography has a demonstrated role in the management of PE and has been used to guide therapies such as thrombolysis. We performed a retrospective study of all patients admitted to the Nepean Hospital Intensive Care Unit (ICU) with a diagnosis of acute pulmonary embolism between 1 January 2006 and 31 December 2011 to analyse if and how echocardiography was used in the diagnosis, classification and management of these patients. During this time, 59 patients were admitted with a diagnosis of acute PE or developed a PE in the intensive care unit, of whom 22 had a diagnosis of submassive PE, demonstrating RHS on echocardiography. Eleven of these patients received thrombolysis and survived to hospital discharge. The use of echocardiography identified greater numbers of patients with high risk pulmonary embolus, enabling risk stratification for thrombolysis with potential morbidity and mortality benefit.
Management of Diabetic Ketoacidosis: A Summary of the 2013 Joint British Diabetes Societies Guidelines
Authors: Kohler Katharina , Levy Nicholas
Published: December 2014

The purpose of this article is to summarise and to highlight the key points for intensivists from the revised Joint British Diabetes Societies (JBDS) guidelines on the management of diabetic ketoacidosis, which have been endorsed by the Intensive Care Society. Highlights include the following: the use of weight-based fixed-rate intravenous insulin infusion (FRIII); bedside measurement of capillary ketones to monitor response to treatment; use of 0.9% saline with premixed potassium chloride as the main resuscitation fluid on the general medical ward (balanced crystalloids are permitted in intensive care areas where concentrated potassium chloride may be added); hourly measurement of capillary blood glucose; adding 10–20% glucose when the blood glucose falls below 14 mmol/L; continuation of long-acting insulin analogues if the patient is already taking these and referral to intensive care if the patient meets certain criteria. The rationale and the goals of the JBDS guidelines are also described.
Acute Mesenteric Ischaemia
Authors: Schofield Nick , Webb Stephen T , Varcada Massimo , Macfie Alistair
Published: December 2014

Acute mesenteric ischaemia (AMI) is a surgical emergency, and has a high mortality. The term AMI covers arterial embolism, arterial thrombosis, non-occlusive mesenteric ischaemia and venous thrombosis which all lead to ischaemia/reperfusion syndrome of the bowel. Multi-detector row helical CT (MDCT) technology has dramatically improved the performance of CT by allowing rapid volumetric data acquisition to provide increased resolution, leading to better identification of the site, level and cause of ischaemia. CT angiography for diagnosing mesenteric ischaemia is now highly sensitive and specific, and should be used as first line when AMI is suspected. The aim of management is to restore intestinal blood flow in a timely manner. Therapeutic decisions are based on the presence of peritonitis, the presence of irreversible ischaemia or infarcted segments of the bowel, the general condition of the patient and the pathophysiological process underlying the ischaemia. AMI remains a challenging condition with high mortality. There is a need for good general surgical cover on the intensive care unit, with continuing care and clinical review by experienced senior surgeons with an interest in this condition.
Protective Ventilation Strategies in Abdominal Surgery
Authors: Proffitt Adrian , Johnston Andrew McD
Published: December 2014

Adoption of a Lung-Protective Ventilation Strategy (PEEP and Low Tidal Volume) in Patients Undergoing Abdominal Surgery is Associated with a Reduction in Pulmonary and Extra-Pulmonary Complications.
Effect of Heart Rate Control with Esmolol on Haemodynamic and Clinical Outcomes in Patients with Septic Shock
Authors: Harvey Hannily , Gupta Julie , Billyard Thomas
Published: December 2014

In patients with septic shock, the use of an esmolol infusion effectively reduced heart rate without an increase in adverse events.
Managing the Aftermath of a Fire on Intensive Care Caused by an Oxygen Cylinder
Authors: Kelly Fiona E , Hardy Rowan , Cook Tim M , Nolan Jerry P , Craft Tim , Osborn Mike , Bedor Cindi , Hunt Julian
Published: December 2014

In 2011, a fire broke out on our intensive care unit. An oxygen cylinder caught fire as it was turned on and spread to the mattress of the bed on which it was laid, the bedding, the patient on the bed, the curtains around the bed, the flooring beneath it and the ceiling above. The patient was dragged to safety and the fire put out by two doctors using five fire extinguishers. The unit was filled with smoke within seconds. Ten other patients on the ICU at the time were evacuated within seven minutes, and a patient in a side room (who was not immediately affected) 30 minutes later. We discuss the event, the evacuation, how the aftermath of the fire was managed by the hospital staff, and the changes put in place to improve fire safety locally and nationally.
Priorities for Future Intensive Care Research in the UK: Results of a James Lind Alliance Priority Setting Partnership
Authors: Reay Hannah , Arulkumaran Nishkantha , Brett Stephen J
Published: December 2014

This James Lind Alliance (JLA) Priority Setting Partnership aimed to identify and prioritise unanswered questions about adult intensive care that are important to people who have been critically ill, their families, and the health professionals who care for them. Consensus techniques (modified Delphi and Nominal Group) were used to generate suggestions using online and postal surveys. Following verification and iterative editorial review, research topics were constructed from these suggestions. These topics were presented in a second online and postal survey for rating. A Nominal Group of 21 clinicians, patients and family representatives subsequently met to rank the most important research topics and produce a prioritised list. The project was coordinated by a representative Steering Group and independently overseen by the JLA. The initial survey and review of the literature generated over 1,300 suggestions. Preliminary editing and verification permitted us to encapsulate these suggestions within 151 research topics. Iterative review by members of the Steering Group produced 37 topic statements, subsequently rated by participants. Using the mode to determine importance, 19 topics were presented to the group from which a ‘top three’ intensive care research priorities were identified and a further nine topics were prioritised. By applying and adapting the JLA methodology to focus on an area of care rather than to a single disease, we have provided a means to ensure that patients, their families and professionals materially contribute to the prioritisation of intensive care research in the UK.
Patient Attitudes to Intensive Care and Life-Sustaining Technology
Authors: Tully Redmond P , Kitchen Gareth , Tufchi Aseem , Saha Bhaskar , Baker Rose
Published: December 2014

We used a validated questionnaire to explore the views of patients regarding receiving intensive care and life-sustaining technology. Data was obtained from 38 patients. A score was obtained for ‘general attitude towards use of life-sustaining/prolonging technology’ that varied from 18.9 to 48.5 out of 52, the higher score reflecting a more positive attitude. There was no significant difference between men and women or correlation with age or ASA score. A score for ‘personal desire for life support’ was also obtained, ranging from zero to a maximum possible score of eight, which reflected the most positive view. The median score was 0.5. Women had a significantly lower median score of zero vs 1.5 for men (p=0.022). There was no significant correlation with age or ASA score. There was considerable heterogeneity of views regarding the use of life-sustaining technology. In this study, women were less likely to want intensive medical treatment than men.
Ondine's Curse: A Case of Anti-Hu Paraneoplastic Syndrome
Authors: Brookes Christopher , McLntosh Rachel , Twigg Steven
Published: December 2014

A 60-year-old patient presented with neurological symptoms which proved to be a paraneoplastic syndrome secondary to a small-cell lung cancer. The investigations and treatment for these syndromes are discussed. The patient improved with high dose steroids and chemotherapy.
Angel® Catheter — A Solution to Pulmonary Embolism Prophylaxis in the Critically Ill Patient
Authors: Angel Luis F
Published: December 2014

Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a serious complication among critically ill patients. Despite the recommended and effective use of prophylactic anticoagulation, new options are required, particularly for critically ill patients with absolute or temporary contraindications to the use of anticoagulation. The Angel® Catheter (BiO2 Medical, Inc. San Antonio, Texas) is intended for these critically ill patients, allowing early PE prophylaxis without additional bleeding risk. The device is inserted at the bedside, provides both central venous access and inferior vena cava filtration, and can be successfully removed in all instances. Clinical experience and ongoing research will help define the role of the Angel Catheter in PE prophylaxis for critically ill patients.
Incidence and Treatment Options for Massive Pulmonary Embolism in Sweden
Authors: Svennerholm Kristina , Lapidus Leif , Stigendal Lennart , Malm Carl-Johan , Zachrisson Karin , Redfors Bengt , Rylander Christian
Published: December 2014

Swedish Healthcare is organised by relatively independent counties which are responsible for the appropriateness of delivered care. As a consequence, few formal guidelines are issued by national authorities or professional societies, which is the case for the treatment of pulmonary embolism (PE). The yearly incidence of PE in Swedish adults was 86/100,000 in 2011, corresponding to approximately 6000 cases with an overall mortality of 6.5%. Acute massive PE with circulatory shock carries mortality up to 50% but its true incidence in Sweden is not known. First-line treatment is intravenous thrombolysis but non-pharmacological alternatives for cases where thrombolysis has no effect or is contraindicated have recently undergone technical development. This includes catheter fragmentation, surgical embolectomy and extracorporeal circulatory support, which may be used as a bridge to further treatment in very unstable patients. This article summarises the treatment options for acute massive PE and their rationale as seen from a Swedish perspective.
The Intersection of Gender-Related Facial Appearance and Facial Displays of Emotion
Authors: Adams Reginald B. , Hess Ursula , Kleck Robert E.
Published: December 2014

The human face conveys a myriad of social meanings within an overlapping array of features. Herein, we examine such features within the context of gender-emotion stereotypes. First we detail the pervasive set of gender-emotion expectations known to exist. We then review new research revealing that gender cues and emotion expression often share physical properties that represent a confound of overlapping features characteristic of low versus high facial maturity/dominance. As such, gender-related facial appearance and facial expression of emotions often share social meaning and physical resemblance. Thus, stereotypic and phenotypic information conveyed by the face are intertwined—sometimes confounded, sometimes clashing. We discuss implications of this work for gender-emotion stereotypes, as well as for emotion and face processing more generally.
Gender and Emotion Expression: A Developmental Contextual Perspective
Authors: Chaplin Tara M.
Published: December 2014

Small but significant gender differences in emotion expressions have been reported for adults, with women showing greater emotional expressivity, especially for positive emotions and internalizing negative emotions such as sadness. But when, developmentally, do these gender differences emerge? And what developmental and contextual factors influence their emergence? This article describes a developmental bio-psycho-social model of gender differences in emotion expression in childhood. Prior empirical research supporting the model, at least with mostly White middle-class U.S. samples of youth, is presented. Limitations to the extant literature and future directions for research on gender and child emotion are suggested.
Gender Differences in the Perceptions of Genuine and Simulated Laughter and Amused Facial Expressions
Authors: McKeown Gary , Sneddon Ian , Curran William
Published: December 2014

This article addresses gender differences in laughter and smiling from an evolutionary perspective. Laughter and smiling can be responses to successful display behavior or signals of affiliation amongst conversational partners—differing social and evolutionary agendas mean there are different motivations when interpreting these signals. Two experiments assess perceptions of genuine and simulated male and female laughter and amusement social signals. Results show male simulation can always be distinguished. Female simulation is more complicated as males seem to distinguish cues of simulation yet judge simulated signals to be genuine. Females judge other female’s genuine signals to have higher levels of simulation. Results highlight the importance of laughter and smiling in human interactions, use of dynamic stimuli, and using multiple methodologies to assess perception.
Understanding Law and Emotion
Authors: Grossi Renata
Published: December 2014

Understanding the contributions and the implications of law and emotion scholarship requires an acknowledgement of the different approaches within it. A significant part of law and emotion scholarship is focused on arguing for the relevance of emotion and on identifying emotion in legal processes and actors. Other parts of it venture further to ask how law can affect the expression and content of emotions themselves. This scholarship challenges legal positivist foundations (law as rational and objective), as well as some other established divisions in thinking, both in law, and more generally in the history of ideas (reason vs. emotion, the private vs. the public). The other important factor, which this article explores, is the methodology employed by law and emotion scholarship.
Venlafaxine augmentation with agomelatine in a patient with obsessive-compulsive disorder and suicidal behaviors
Authors: Signorelli Maria S , Concerto Carmen , Battaglia Eliana , Costanzo Maria C , Battaglia Fortunato , Aguglia Eugenio
Published: December 2014

Obsessive-compulsive disorder is a chronic and disabling condition that often proves to be treatment resistant. Of the patients suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder, 10%–27% may attempt suicide at least once in their life. We report the case of a patient who presented severe obsessive-compulsive disorder symptoms and attempted suicide ingesting 25 tablets of fluoxetine (20 mg). The patient was treated with venlafaxine and agomelatine and showed improvement of obsessive symptoms and suicidal ideation. Future studies are needed to investigate this treatment regime in large cohorts of obsessive-compulsive disorder patients with suicidal ideation.
Evolution of Al–19·4Si alloy surface structure after electron beam treatment and high cycle fatigue
Authors: Ivanov Y. , Alsaraeva K. , Gromov V. , Konovalov S. , Semina O.
Published: December 2014

Processing of Al–19·4Si alloy by high intensive electron beam has been carried out, and multiple increase in fatigue life of the material has been revealed. Investigations of structure and surface modified layer destruction of Al–19·4Si alloy subjected to high cycle fatigue tests to fracture have been carried out by methods of scanning electron microscopy. The factors responsible for the increase in fatigue life of Al–19·4Si alloy have been revealed and analysed.
Defective release of α granule and lysosome contents from platelets in mouse Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome models
Authors: Meng Ronghua , Wu Jie , Harper Dawn C. , Wang Yuhuan , Kowalska M. Anna , Abrams Charles S. , Brass Lawrence F. , Poncz Mortimer , Stalker Timothy J. , Marks Michael S.
Published: December 2014

Key Points

Platelets from Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome models are less apt to secrete contents of multiple storage granules at sites of vascular injury. The secretion defect contributes to poor hemostasis and perhaps to heightened colitis incidence in Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome patients.
A robust fusion method for multiview distributed video coding
Authors: Salmistraro Matteo , Ascenso João , Brites Catarina , Forchhammer Søren
Published: December 2014

Distributed video coding (DVC) is a coding paradigm which exploits the redundancy of the source (video) at the decoder side, as opposed to predictive coding, where the encoder leverages the redundancy. To exploit the correlation between views, multiview predictive video codecs require the encoder to have the various views available simultaneously. However, in multiview DVC (M-DVC), the decoder can still exploit the redundancy between views, avoiding the need for inter-camera communication. The key element of every DVC decoder is the side information (SI), which can be generated by leveraging intra-view or inter-view redundancy for multiview video data. In this paper, a novel learning-based fusion technique is proposed, which is able to robustly fuse an inter-view SI and an intra-view (temporal) SI. An inter-view SI generation method capable of identifying occluded areas is proposed and is coupled with a robust fusion system able to improve the quality of the fused SI along the decoding process through a learning process using already decoded data. We shall here take the approach to fuse the estimated distributions of the SIs as opposed to a conventional fusion algorithm based on the fusion of pixel values. The proposed solution is able to achieve gains up to 0.9 dB in Bjøntegaard difference when compared with the best-performing (in a RD sense) single SI DVC decoder, chosen as the best of an inter-view and a temporal SI-based decoder one.
Late Pleistocene fossils and the future distribution of Rana temporaria (Amphibia, Anura) along the Apennine Peninsula (Italy)
Authors: Bartolini Saverio , Cioppi Elisabetta , Rook Lorenzo , Delfino Massimo
Published: December 2014

Background

The effect of past climatic changes on the distribution of organisms is a fertile field of research that has been tackled in many different ways. Because the fossil record provides direct access to the chronological and geographic dimensions of biological events occurred in the past, it can be a useful tool for assessing range contractions and expansions related to climatic changes.

Results

Here, we provide support for the ‘recent’ shrinkage of the range of a frigophilous anuran, the common frog, Rana temporaria Linnaeus, 1758, by analyzing the amphibian fossil assemblage coming from the Grotta di Equi, a Late Pleistocene site (about 45 ka) located in the Apuan Alps (northern Apennine chain, Massa-Carrara Province, Italy). Besides, R. temporaria, the assemblage includes cf. Salamandra salamandra Linnaeus, 1758 and Bufo bufo Linnaeus, 1758.

Conclusions

The presence of R. temporaria in the Apuan Alps during a cold interglacial phase at an elevation that is much lower than the minimum current elevation in the region (about 300 m lower) supports the previously reported hypothesis that the Pleistocene coolings favored the dispersal of this frigophilous species along the Apennine chain and that its current, locally disjointed distribution is the effect of the post Pleistocene raise in temperature. Our results concur in predicting that the current global warming will further affect, negatively, the range of this frigophilous species by further reducing its distribution in the southern sectors of its range.
Calcium-Vitamin D Cosupplementation Influences Circulating Inflammatory Biomarkers and Adipocytokines in Vitamin D-Insufficient Diabetics: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial
Authors: Tabesh Maryam , Azadbakht Leila , Faghihimani Elham , Tabesh Marjan , Esmaillzadeh Ahmad
Published: December 2014

Context:

To the best of our knowledge, no study has examined the effects of vitamin D-calcium cosupplementation on inflammatory biomarkers and adipocytokines in vitamin D-insufficient type 2 diabetics.

Objective:

This study was performed to assess the effects of vitamin D and calcium supplementation on inflammatory biomarkers and adipocytokines in vitamin D-insufficient people with type 2 diabetes.

Methods:

Totally, 118 diabetic patients were enrolled in this randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial. After matching for age, sex, body mass index, type and dose of hypoglycemic agents, and duration of diabetes, subjects were randomly assigned into 4 groups receiving the following: 1) 50000 IU/wk vitamin D + calcium placebo; 2) 1000 mg/d calcium + vitamin D placebo; 3) 50 000 IU/wk vitamin D + 1000 mg/d calcium; or 4) vitamin D placebo + calcium placebo for 8 weeks. Blood sampling was done for the quantification of inflammatory biomarkers and adipocytokines at the study baseline and after 8 weeks of intervention.

Results:

Calcium (changes from baseline: −75±19 ng/ml, P = .01) and vitamin D alone (−56 ± 19 ng/mL, P = .01) and joint calcium-vitamin D supplementation (−92 ± 19 ng/mL, P = .01) resulted in a significant reduction in serum leptin levels compared with placebo (−9 ± 18 ng/mL). This was also the case for serum IL-6, such that calcium (−2 ± 1 pg/mL, P < .001) and vitamin D alone (−4 ± 1 pg/mL, P < .001) and their combination (−4 ± 1 pg/mL, P < .001) led to significant reductions compared with placebo (3 ± 1 pg/mL). After adjustment for potential confounders, individuals in the calcium (−3.1 ± 1.3, P < .05), vitamin D (−3.1 ± 1.3, P < .05), and joint calcium-vitamin D groups (−3.4 ± 1.3, P < .05) had greater reductions in serum TNF-α concentrations compared with placebo (0.1 ± 1.2). Individuals who received joint calcium-vitamin D supplements tended to have a decrease in serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels compared with placebo after controlling for baseline levels (−1.14 ± 0.25 vs 0.02 ± 0.24 ng/mL, P = .09).

Conclusion:

Joint calcium-vitamin D supplementation might improve systemic inflammation through decreasing IL-6 and TNF-α concentrations in vitamin D-insufficient people with type 2 diabetes.
The challenge of translating ischemic conditioning from animal models to humans: the role of comorbidities
Authors: McCafferty Kieran , Forbes Suzanne , Thiemermann Christoph , Yaqoob Muhammad M.
Published: December 2014

Following a period of ischemia (local restriction of blood supply to a tissue), the restoration of blood supply to the affected area causes significant tissue damage. This is known as ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) and is a central pathological mechanism contributing to many common disease states. The medical complications caused by IRI in individuals with cerebrovascular or heart disease are a leading cause of death in developed countries. IRI is also of crucial importance in fields as diverse as solid organ transplantation, acute kidney injury and following major surgery, where post-operative organ dysfunction is a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Given its clinical impact, novel interventions are urgently needed to minimize the effects of IRI, not least to save lives but also to reduce healthcare costs. In this Review, we examine the experimental technique of ischemic conditioning, which entails exposing organs or tissues to brief sub-lethal episodes of ischemia and reperfusion, before, during or after a lethal ischemic insult. This approach has been found to confer profound tissue protection against IRI. We discuss the translation of ischemic conditioning strategies from bench to bedside, and highlight where transition into human clinical studies has been less successful than in animal models, reviewing potential reasons for this. We explore the challenges that preclude more extensive clinical translation of these strategies and emphasize the role that underlying comorbidities have in altering the efficacy of these strategies in improving patient outcomes.
One-pot Hydrothermal Synthesis of N-Doped Carbon Quantum Dots Using the Waste of Shrimp for Hydrogen Evolution from Formic Acid
Authors: Wei Jie , Wang Hongzhi , Zhang Qinghong , Li Yaogang
Published: December 2014

N-Doped carbon quantum dots (NCQDs) have been successfully synthesized from the waste of shrimp without additional nitrogen source under mild conditions. The as-synthesized NCQDs with an average diameter of 2.5 nm show that fluorescence has excitation-wavelength-dependent capability. NCQDs show strong absorption (200 nm < λ < 1000 nm) under sunlight which enable it have wide absorption spectrum. Under sunlight irradiation, photocatalyst test proved that NCDQs can evolve hydrogen at different concentration of formic acid (FA). Such low cost and environment friendly material may greatly encourage the application of FA as a hydrogen evolution resource.
Formation of Elastic Gels from Deacetylated Chitin Nanofibers Reinforced with Sulfobutyl Ether β-Cyclodextrin
Authors: Anraku Makoto , Iohara Daisuke , Hiraga Ayumu , Uekama Kaneto , Ifuku Shinsuke , Pipkin James D , Hirayama Fumitoshi
Published: December 2014

We prepared a gel starting from deacetylated chitin nanofibers by utilizing electrostatic interactions with an anionic cyclodextrin, sulfobutyl ether β-cyclodextrin (SBE-β-CyD). Among the various CyDs tested and their derivatives, SBE-β-CyD formed a stiff, nonfluid elastic gel that can be easily formed into a variety of shapes, whereas other gels prepared from neutral CyDs formed a weak, rather fluid gel. The viscosity of the deacetylated chitin nanofiber/SBE-β-CyD gel was higher by about one order of magnitude at a 1.0 w/v % concentration of SBE-β-CyD. Both the elastic (G′) and viscous (G′′) moduli of the deacetylated chitin-nanofiber gel increased in the presence of SBE-β-CyD, and the G′ values were much higher than the G′′ values. The SBE-β-CyD functioned to reinforce the deacetylated chitin nanofiber gel, by anchoring the fibers into a three-dimensional network through electrostatic interactions.
Novel Phosphorescent Platinum(II) Dipyrido[3,2-a:2′,3′-c]phenazine Bis(acetylide) Complexes Bearing Electron-donating Side-arms at the 2,7-Positions
Authors: Shigehiro Tatsuya , Kawai Yasuhiro , Yagi Shigeyuki , Maeda Takeshi , Nakazumi Hiroyuki , Sakurai Yoshiaki
Published: December 2014

Novel phosphorescent dipyrido[3,2-a:2′,3′-c]phenazine (dppz) platinum(II) bis(phenylacetylide) complexes bearing electron-donating side-arms at the 2,7-positions were synthesized, and their photoluminescence properties were investigated. These complexes afforded relatively intense phosphorescence in the reddish orange region, although the 10,13-disubstituted analogous complex exhibited fluorescence in almost the same region. The TD-DFT study indicated that the strong π-based donors at the 2,7-positions are essential to form the emissive triplet state.
Acoustic Properties of Nanofibers
Authors: Iannace Gino
Published: December 2014

In recent years nanofibers have been used in the field of applied acoustics to improve the acoustic characteristics of traditional materials without increasing their weight and size. In this paper acoustic measurements are reported of the absorption coefficient of porous materials coated with a layer of nanofibers carried out with the impedance tube (“Kundt” tube) in the frequency range of 200 Hz – 6.3 kHz. The layers of nanofibers are obtained by NY6 (nylon) based on needle - free electro-spinning process available at “Next Technology Tecnotessile r.l.” (Prato, Italy). The layer of nanofibers is glued on different types of porous materials with different thicknesses. The values of the absorption coefficient measured at normal incidence, were compared with the values carried out on porous materials with and without the layer of nanofibers.
Size Dependent Axial and Lateral Stress Strain Relationships for Actively Confined Concrete
Authors: Visintin P. , Chen Y. , Oehlers D.J.
Published: December 2014

The axial and lateral stress/strain behaviour of concrete under compression, both in the ascending and descending branches, is crucial in determining both the strength and ductility of reinforced concrete members, particularly when confined. Both the axial and lateral stress/strain relationships for concrete under any degree of confinement are generally considered as material properties which are usually determined directly from compression tests of cylinders or prisms. It is also widely recognised that these material properties are both dependent on the size and shape of the specimen from which they are extracted and on the method of measurement of strains. In this paper, the global deformation of concrete subjected to compressive forces is considered to comprise of two separate components; the local deformation of the material which is size independent; and the local deformation due to the shear-friction mechanism associated with the formation of wedges which is size dependent. It is shown that by separating the size independent and size dependent components of the deformation, it is possible to derive size dependent stress-strain relations for confined concrete from tests using one specimen size and to derive the dilatory deformation directly from the axial deformation. This should considerably reduce the amount of testing required for new concretes as only one size of specimen need be tested to obtain stress-strain relationships for all sizes. The proposed approach has been used to reanalyse 692 published test results on confined concrete to provide size dependent stress/strain relationships for both axial and dilatory strains in both the ascending and falling branches and for a wide range of confinements. It is also shown that the allowance for the size dependent component of deformation can substantially reduce the scatter.
Modelling Static and Dynamic FRP-Concrete Bond Behaviour Using a Local Concrete Damage Model
Authors: Li Xiaoqin , Chen Jian-Fei , Lu Yong , Yang Zhenjun
Published: December 2014

This paper presents a study on the bond behaviour of FRP-concrete bonded joints under static and dynamic loadings, by developing a meso-scale finite element model using the K&C concrete damage model in LS-DYNA. A significant number of single shear experiments under static pull-off loading were modelled with an extensive parametric study covering key factors in the K&C model, including the crack band width, the compressive fracture energy and the shear dilatation factor. It is demonstrated that the developed model can satisfactorily simulate the static debonding behaviour, in terms of mesh objectivity, the load-carrying capacity and the local bond-slip behaviour, provided that proper consideration is given to the selection of crack band width and shear dilatation factor. A preliminary study of the effect of the dynamic loading rate on the debonding behaviour was also conducted by considering a dynamic increase factor (DIF) for the concrete strength as a function of strain rate. It is shown that a higher loading rate leads to a higher load-carrying capacity, a longer effective bond length, and a larger damaged area of concrete in the single shear loading scenario.
Modeling of thermal contact problem of disc brake system with frictional heat generation
Authors: Belhocine A. , Bouchetara M. , Bakar A. , Nouby M.
Published: December 2014

Safety aspect in automotive engineering has been considered as a number one priority in development of new vehicle. Each single system has been studied and developed in order to meet safety requirement. Instead of having air bag, good suspension systems, good handling and safe cornering, there is one most critical system in the vehicle which is brake systems. The objective of this work is to investigate and analyze the temperature distribution of rotor disc during braking operation using ANSYS Multiphysics. The work uses the finite element analysis techniques to predict the temperature distribution on the full and ventilated brake disc and to identify the critical temperature of the rotor. The analysis also gives us, the heat flux distribution for the two discs.
Sandbars in alluvial channels: their formation processes and interaction with groins
Authors: Alauddin M. , Tsujimoto T.
Published: December 2014

Large sandbars resulted from the instability of loose sedimentary materials are very common in lowland rivers. These, not only, interrupt the inland waterways at low flow, but also make the channels highly unstable forming anabranches, influencing bank erosion, and so on. Groins have key roles to play in such cases. Formation processes of sandbars and their interactions with groins become very urgent to learn for better management of river engineering. RIC-Nays, a two-dimensional model for flow and morphology, is utilized in this study. Computation results reveal that different initial conditions lead to different equilibrium states, and periodic boundary conditions with a small computation domain tend to stabilize multiple bars. Intrusion of groins accelerates the flow in the main channel, which triggers the sediment movement there. Thus the bars move downstream reducing their scale and finally they disappear from the main channel.
Quantum dots with indirect band gap: power-law photoluminescence decay
Authors: Král Karel , Menšík Miroslav
Published: December 2014

In this work the experimental effect of a slow decay of the photoluminescence is studied theoretically in the case of quantum dots with an indirect energy band gap. The slow decay of the photoluminescence is considered as decay in time of the luminescence intensity, following the excitation of the quantum dot sample electronic system by a short optical pulse. In the presented theoretical treatment the process is studied as a single dot property. The inter-valley deformation potential interaction of the excited conduction band electrons with lattice vibrations is considered in the self-consistent Born approximation to the electronic self-energy. The theory is built on the non-equilibrium electronic quantum transport theory. The time dependence of the photoluminescence decay is estimated upon using a simple effective mass model. The numerical calculation of the considered model shows the power-law time characteristics of the photoluminescence decay in the long-time limit of the decay. We demonstrate that the nonadiabatic influence of the interaction of the conduction band electrons with the lattice vibrations provides a mechanism giving us the power-law time dependence of the photoluminescence intensity signal. This theoretical result emphasizes the role of the electron-phonon interaction in the nanostructures.
Minimization of energy losses into a PWM Chopper
Authors: Zaatri Abdelouahab , Azzizi Norelhouda , Rahmani Fouad
Published: December 2014

This paper initially presents the results of the analysis of a non linear on/off control system which is capable of generating a pulse width modulation (PWM). This technique can be used to design PWM choppers that can be dedicated to regulate fluctuating power supplies (photovoltaic, wind turbines, etc.). However, since the PWM losses mainly depend on the switching frequency, thus, the determination of an optimal frequency is required. Indeed, on the one hand, we seek to operate at high frequencies to reduce the residual noise by filtering. On the other hand, there is a limitation of the switching frequency due to the physical switching elements properties. Therefore, a compromise has to be made in order to determine an optimal switching frequency that minimizes the switching power losses. The main objective of this work is to present a technique that enables to sizing the chopper parameters based on the minimizing of the switching losses. An illustrative example of the proposed technique for sizing a PWM chopper is presented.
Online Ontology-Based Knowledge Representation of Historic Buildings: Publishing an RDF-Based Website
Authors: Andaroodi Elham , Kitamoto Asanobu
Published: December 2014

An online ontology-based knowledge representation system for historic buildings and their multimedia data is introduced in this paper. The ontology is combined from different schemas to capture knowledge of an architectural heritage and annotate visual data. Basically, a Core Data Index metadata schema in RDF describes types of buildings in a world heritage site, the Citadel of Bam (which was seriously damaged by an earthquake in 2003). The history of the buildings in the Citadel with around twenty centuries of habitation is captured from multiple resources such as travelogues, archeological reports, etc. and connected with a multilingual term-set. Each building together with the conceptualized knowledge is geo localized by UTM coordinates over Google Earth. Visual data of the buildings are connected with the knowledge-base and a Dublin Core Element Set metadata schema is applied to annotate the data, specifically results of the supporting project, the 3D CG reconstruction of the Citadel after the quake (such as rendered images, walkthrough and QTVR videos, etc.). The ontology and related resources are represented by RDF and then published into HTML pages, on a hierarchical layer structure of semantic web and web application frameworks. We present the architecture of the system, “Bam 3D CG” and discuss practical problems when building an online RDF-based system for publishing knowledge and visual data of historic buildings in a website.
2D Topographic Data Management: A Case Study on Callatis' General Site Plans
Authors: Teodor Alexandra
Published: December 2014

The paper presents a new approach in the research and data management of historical 2D topographic documentation, by means of potentially widely accessible and various technologies. Although historical maps and city plans database archives are plenty on the web, none apparently address their detailed information content (graphic elements such as streets, plots, houses etc.; attached text such as street and building names, toponyms etc.). Still, the content of a map or city plan is usually what interests us the most, whether we are historians, architects, real estate developers, students or simply amateurs for our city's history. Starting from a quite different range of interest – antique urban settlements' configuration, with all it implies –, the many challenges that occurred in the research flow often brought me to various technical issues of data management, of which one is data content of image based documentation. In this material I've detailed such issues related to cartographic representations, through a case study on the antique city of Callatis(today Mangalia, Romania).