bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Microstructural effects in aqueous foam fracture
Authors: Stewart Peter S. , Davis Stephen H. , Hilgenfeldt Sascha 
Published: November 2015

We examine the fracture of a quasi-two-dimensional surfactant-laden aqueous foam under an applied driving pressure, using a network modelling approach developed for metallic foams by Stewart & Davis (J. Rheol., vol. 56, 2012, p. 543). In agreement with experiments, we observe two distinct mechanisms of failure analogous to those observed in a crystalline solid: a slow ductile mode when the driving pressure is applied slowly, where the void propagates as bubbles interchange neighbours through the T1 process; and a rapid brittle mode for faster application of pressures, where the void advances by successive rupture of liquid films driven by Rayleigh–Taylor instability. The simulations allow detailed insight into the mechanics of the fracturing medium and the role of its microstructure. In particular, we examine the stress distribution around the crack tip and investigate how brittle fracture localizes into a single line of breakages. We also confirm that pre-existing microstructural defects can alter the course of fracture.
The Growth Bound for Strongly Continuous Semigroups on Fréchet Spaces
Authors: Wegner Sven-Ake 
Published: November 2015

AbstractWe introduce the concepts of growth and spectral bound for strongly continuous semigroups acting on Fréchet spaces and show that the Banach space inequality s(A) ⩽ ω0(T) extends to the new setting. Via a concrete example of an even uniformly continuous semigroup, we illustrate that for Fréchet spaces effects with respect to these bounds may happen that cannot occur on a Banach space.
Geochemistry and Nd isotope signature of the Collserola Range Palaeozoic succesion (NE Iberia): Gondwana heritage and pre-Mesozoic geodynamic evolution
Authors: VILÀ MIQUEL , PIN CHRISTIAN 
Published: November 2015

AbstractThe Collserola Range includes a representative stratigraphic succession of the Palaeozoic of the central part of the Catalan Coastal Ranges, ranging from Cambro-Ordovician to Carboniferous times. In this paper we present an up-to-date review of the stratigraphy and structure of the Palaeozoic of the Collserola Range, and provide geochemical and Sm–Nd isotope data to constrain the pre-Mesozoic crustal evolution of this sector of the Variscan Belt. Geochemical compositions indicate that the Palaeozoic siliciclastic rocks of the Collserola Range were fed by a relatively mature heterogeneous source of sediment, comprising quartz-rich sediments to intermediate igneous rocks. The siliciclastic rocks of the Collserola Range show great geochemical affinity with the turbidites of passive margins. The Sm–Nd signature of the siliciclastic rocks is compatible with those of the Palaeozoic and late Proterozoic fine-grained siliciclastic rocks of the neighbouring terrains of SW Europe. There is a small decrease of the εNdT with decreasing age of sedimentation from the Cambro-Ordovician to the Carboniferous, suggesting an increase of the amount of more ‘juvenile’ material. The presence of small volumes of alkaline basaltic rocks provides evidence for the input of juvenile material in the early Palaeozoic basin and suggests that an extensional tectonic regime prevailed during the Cambro-Ordovician sedimentation. From a geodynamic point of view, the overall analysis of the data implies that the Palaeozoic rocks of the Catalan Coastal Ranges were part of the Northern Gondwana passive margin before the closure of the Rheic Ocean and the subsequent Variscan Orogeny.
A study of mastoid pneumatisation and the presence of cholesteatoma in 393 patients
Authors: Iqbal I Z , Watson C 
Published: November 2015

AbstractObjectives:This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between cholesteatoma formation and the degree of mastoid pneumatisation, and to assess the relationship between the location of cholesteatoma and the degree of mastoid pneumatisation.Methods:Data on all patients undergoing mastoid exploration for cholesteatoma between 1993 and 2011 were collected prospectively. Basic demographics, the degree of mastoid pneumatisation and cholesteatoma site were recorded.Results:A total of 393 patients (222 males and 171 females) underwent surgery for cholesteatoma. Patients' mean age was 37 years (range, 6–79 years). Pneumatisation of the mastoid was sclerotic in 23 per cent (n = 90), diploic in 16.7 per cent (n = 66) and cellular in 60.3 per cent of cases (n = 237) (p < 0.001). Atticoantral disease was present in 88.9 per cent of sclerotic, 95.4 per cent of diploic and 91.1 per cent of cellular mastoids. Middle-ear cholesteatoma was present in 54.4 per cent of sclerotic, 56 per cent of diploic and 51.9 per cent of cellular mastoids.Conclusion:The findings demonstrate the presence of cholesteatoma in well-pneumatised mastoids. It is hypothesised that a well-pneumatised mastoid may lead to cholesteatoma formation.
Critical densities for Korteweg–de Vries-like acoustic solitons in multi-ion plasmas
Authors: Verheest Frank 
Published: November 2015

A generic proof has been given that, for the acoustic mode with the highest velocity in a plasma comprising a number of fluid species and one kind of inertialess electrons, even though there can be critical densities (making the coefficient of the quadratic nonlinearity in a Korteweg–de Vries equation vanish), no supercritical densities exist (requiring the simultaneous annulment of both the quadratic and cubic nonlinearities in a reductive perturbation treatment). Similar conclusions hold upon expansion of the corresponding Sagdeev pseudopotential treatment. When there is only one (hot) electron species, the highest-velocity mode is an ion-acoustic one, but if there is an additional cool electron species, with its inertia taken into account, the highest-velocity mode is an electron-acoustic mode in a two-temperature plasma. The cool fluid species can have various polytropic pressure–density relations, including adiabatic and/or isothermal variations, whereas the hot inertialess electrons are modelled by extensions of the usual Boltzmann description that include non-thermal effects through Cairns, kappa or Tsallis distributions. Together, in this way quite a number of plasma models are covered. Unfortunately, there seems to be no equivalent generic statement for the slow modes, so that these have to be studied on a case-by-case basis, which for models with more than three species is far from straightforward, given the parameter ranges to be discussed.
Diagnostic uncertainty of herpangina and hand-foot-and-mouth disease and its impact on national enterovirus syndromic monitoring
Authors: YANG T. O. , HUANG W.-T. , CHEN M.-H. , CHEN P.-C. 
Published: November 2015

SUMMARYThe community burden of enterovirus is often monitored through syndromic monitoring systems based on reported cases of enterovirus-related infection (EVI) diagnoses. The extent to which this is affected by under- and over-diagnosis has not been reported. In Taiwan, children often make more than one healthcare visit during an episode of infection. We used change of diagnosis within an episode of infection as a guide of diagnostic uncertainty in a nationally representative cohort of Taiwanese children (n = 13 284) followed from birth to the 9th birthday through electronic health records. We conducted a nested case-control analysis and estimated cross-diagnosis ratios (CDRs) as the observed proportion of acute respiratory infection (ARI) diagnoses following an EVI diagnosis in excess of background ARI burdens. With 19 357 EVI diagnoses in this cohort, the CDR within 7 days was 1·51 (95% confidence interval 1·45–1·57), confirming a significant excess of ARI diagnoses within the week following an EVI diagnosis. We used age-specific CDRs to calibrate the weekly EVI burden in children aged 3–5 years in 2008, and the difference between observed and calibrated weekly EVI burdens was small. Therefore, there was evidence suggesting a small uncertainty in EVI diagnosis, but the observed EVI burdens through syndromic monitoring were not substantially affected by the small uncertainty.
The Valeo stent: a pre-mounted, open-cell, large stent for use in small children with CHD
Authors: Travelli Frances C. , Sullivan Patrick M. , Takao Cheryl , Ing Frank F. 
Published: November 2015

AbstractObjectivesThe aim of the present study was to determine the outcomes of using the Valeo stent (Bard Peripheral Vascular, Tempe, Arizona, United States of America) in small children with CHD.BackgroundStenting vascular stenoses is safe and effective in adults and older children with CHD but is limited in smaller children. The design of the Valeo stent addresses these limitations but has not been extensively described.MethodsBench testing was conducted to determine the maximum diameter of the stent, foreshortening, and side-cell diameter. A retrospective analysis of Valeo stents implanted between October, 2012 and October, 2014 was performed. Patient profile, pre-implant/post-implant catheterization data, and stent geometry were reviewed.ResultsBench testing: medium and large Valeo stents can be dilated up to 13 mm and 20 mm diameters, respectively. Side-cells are dilatable up to 12 mm. Valeo stents are of low profile – delivered through 6- or 7-Fr sheaths – and show minimal foreshortening. Retrospective analysis: a total of 81 stents were implanted in 61 patients with CHD. The median weight was 15.3 kg, and the median age was 58.9 months. Stents were implanted in the pulmonary artery, systemic vein, aorta, and pulmonary vein. Overall, mean vessel diameters increased from 4.1 to 7.7 mm (121.7%). There was effective mean gradient reduction: 3.7–0.5 mmHg (63%) in the venous systems, 28.2–12.5 mmHg (63.7%) in the pulmonary arteries, and 17.4–4 mmHg (77.1%) in the aorta. The mean stent foreshortening was 2.5%, and the mean recoil was 5.9%. Side-cells that crossed other vessels were dilated in four cases, and stents were re-mounted onto different-sized balloons in seven cases.ConclusionsThe features of the Valeo stent, such as low profile, large maximum diameter, open-cell design, minimal foreshortening, and recoil, make it suitable for treating vascular stenoses in small children with CHD.
Parent education discharge instruction program for care of children at home after cardiac surgery in Southern India
Authors: Staveski Sandra L. , Parveen V. P. , Madathil Sai B. , Kools Susan , Franck Linda S. 
Published: November 2015

AbstractIntroductionIn many developing countries, children with CHD are now receiving surgical repair or palliation for their complex medical condition. Consequently, parents require more in-depth discharge education programmes to enable them to recognise complications and manage their children’s care after hospital discharge. This investigation evaluated the effectiveness of a structured nurse-led parent discharge teaching programme on nurse, parent, and child outcomes in India.Materials and methodsA quasi-experimental investigation compared nurse and parent home care knowledge before and at two time points after the parent education discharge instruction program’s implementation. Child surgical-site infections and hospital costs were compared for 6 months before and after the discharge programme’s implementation.ResultsBoth nurses (n=63) and parents (n=68) participated in this study. Records of 195 children who had undergone cardiac surgery were reviewed. Nurses had a high-level baseline home care knowledge that increased immediately after the discharge programme’s implementation (T1=24.4±2.89; T2=27.4±1.55; p<0.005; 30 point scale), but decreased to near baseline (T3=23.8±3.4; ns) 4 months after the programme’s implementation. Nurse teaching documentation increased by 56% after the programme’s implementation. Parent knowledge scores increased from 1.76±1.4 for Cohort 1 to 3.68±0.852 for Cohort 2 (p<0.005; 0–4 scale) after the discharge programme’s implementation. Surgical-site infections decreased from 27% in Cohort 1 to 2% in Cohort 2 (p>0.05) after the programme’s implementation.ConclusionNurse, parent, and child outcomes were improved after implementation of the structured nurse-led parent discharge programme for parents in India. Structured nurse-led parent discharge programmes may help prepare parents to provide better home care for their children after cardiac surgery. Further investigation of causality and influencing factors is warranted.
Financial Burden of Emergency Preparedness on an Urban, Academic Hospital
Authors: Petinaux Bruno 
Published: November 2015

AbstractThis study assessed the direct human resource costs of a hospital's emergency preparedness planning (in 2005) by surveying participants retrospectively. Forty participants (74% of the identified population) were surveyed. Using the self-reported hourly salary of the participant, a direct salary cost was calculated for each participant. The population was 40% male and 60% female; 65% had a graduate degree or higher; 65% were administrators; 35% were clinicians; and 50% reported that their job description included a reference to emergency planning activities. All participants spent a combined total of 3,654.25 hours on emergency preparedness activities, including 20.1% on personal education/train-ing; 11.6% on educating other people; 39.3% on paperwork or equipment maintenance; 22.2% on attendance at meetings; 5.6% on drill participation; and <1% on other activities. Considering the participants' hourly salary, direct personal costs spent on emergency preparedness activities at the institution totaled US$232,417. Ten percent, all of whom were physicians, reported no compen-sation for their emergency preparedness efforts at the hospital level.As much as these results illustrate the strong commitment of the institu-tion to its community, they represent a heavy burden in light of the oftenunfunded mandate of emergency preparedness planning that a hospital may incur. Such responsibility is carried to some extent by all hospitals.
Fluid Therapy in Pediatric Victims of the 2003 Bam, Iran Earthquake
Authors: Sanadgol H. , Najafi I. , Vahid M. Rajabi , Hosseini M. , Ghafari A. 
Published: November 2015

AbstractIntroduction:On 26 December 2003, at 05:26 hours, an earthquake of magnitude 6.6 (Richter scale) caused a disaster in the Bam region of Southeastern Iran, which had a population of approximately 102,000. In this study, the clinical and laboratory features and therapeutic interventions in pediatric (three months to 14 years) crush victims were analyzed. Determination of the type and amount of fluid therapy for prevention of acute renal failure (ARF) was the main aim of this study.Methods:The clinical and laboratory data and therapeutic interventions provided to 31 pediatric crush victims were collected. Early and vigorous fluid resuscitation was immediately performed. Resuscitation of the children from hypovolemic shock was initiated by interavenous (IV) administration of normal saline until the signs and symptoms of shock disappeared. For victims with crush injuries, an alkaline intravenous solution, up to 3 to 5 times more than maintenance doses was provided. In this study, there were two groups with decreasing severity of injury: (1) crush injury (CI), with or without ARF; and (2) non-crush injury (Non-CI). According to the above mentioned classification, there were 15 and 16 patients in group I and II, respectively.Results:The mean time spent under the rubble was 2.2 ±2.5 hours and 0.5 ±0.5 hours in Groups I and II, respectively. Seventy-five percent of ARF patients (n = 8), were admitted to the hospital the day of the earthquake (Day 0) and the day after earthquake (Day 1). In non-ARF patients (n = 7), 85.7% of the victims were admitted on Day 0 and Day 1. In Group II (ARF and non-ARF), all patients were admitted within three days after the earthquake. Although ARF did not develop in any of the children without CI, it was observed in eight of 15 patients with CI. There was no significant difference between CI with ARF (n = 8) and CI without ARF (n = 7) patients, in terms of the admission date, time of admission, hospitalization duration, and time under the rubble (TUR). Admission SGOTs were significantly different between these two groups. The ratio of the amount of delivered IV fluid (DL) to expected (EX) was based on weight of children was the only fluid therapy parameter in which there was a statistically significant difference between ARF and non-ARF groups. It was 3.6 ±0.99 in ARF and 4.8 ±0.74 in Nnon-ARF group (p = 0.01).Conclusions:Early intravenous volume replacement may prevent both ARF and dialysis need that may develop on the basis of rhabdomyolysis. In adults, six liters or 12–14 liters of fluids for prophylaxis of ARF in crush syndrome, were suggest-ed. In children, it seems that DL/EX ratio (delivered to expected ratio) is the best marker for evolution of IV fluid therapy in pediatric patients. In children with crush injuries, DL/EX ratio of >4.8 was sufficient for the prevention of ARF.
Is There an Association Between Risk Perception and Disaster Preparedness in Rural US Hospitals?
Authors: Cliff Barbara J. , Morlock Laura , Curtis Amy B. 
Published: November 2015

AbstractIntroduction:This study examined disaster preparedness, risk perception, and their association in rural hospitals in the United States. The focus of disaster preparedness largely has been centered on urban areas, in part because of the perception that more concentrated areas have an increased risk of a disastrous event. Therefore, it was hypothesized that risk perception may be a contributing factor for adequate preparedness in rural areas. This research was a component of a larger study of rural hospital preparedness. The objective of this study was to describe the perceived risk of disaster events and the status of disaster preparedness in rural hospitals. It was hypothesized that there is a positive association between risk perception and preparedness.Methods:Secondary data analysis was conducted using the National Study of Rural Hospitals (2006–2007) from Johns Hopkins University. The study, based on a regionally stratified, random sample of rural hospitals, consisted of a mailed questionnaire and a follow-up telephone interview with each hospital's Chief Executive Officer (n = 134). A model of disaster preparedness was utilized to examine seven elements of preparedness. Risk perception was examined through seven perceived risk threats.Results:The results indicated that rural hospitals were moderately prepared, overall,(78% prepared on average), with higher preparedness in education/training (89%) and isolation/decontamination (91%); moderate preparedness in administration/planning (80%), communication/notification (83%), staffing/support (66%), and supplies/pharmaceuticals/laboratory support (70%); and lower preparedness in surge capacity (64%).The respondents reported greater perceived risk from disasters due to natural hazards (79% reported moderate to high risk) and vehicular accidents (77%) than from humanmade disasters (23%). Results obtained from logistic regression models indicated that there was no statistically significant difference in the odds of a hospital being prepared overall when comparing high versus low risk perception (OR = 0.61; 95% CI = 0.26–1.44). Positive associations were identified only between higher perceived risk overall and the subcategory of education/training preparedness (OR = 1.24; 95% CI = 1.05–1.27).Conclusions:Rural hospitals reported being moderately prepared in the event of a disaster with a low perception of risk for human-made disasters. Further research should be conducted to identify predictors of preparedness in rural hospitals in order to optimize readiness for potential disaster events.
Paramedic Knowledge, Attitudes, and Training in End-of-Life Care
Authors: Stone Susan C. , Abbott Jean , McClung Christian D. , Colwell Chris B. , Eckstein Marc , Lowenstein Steven R. 
Published: November 2015

AbstractIntroduction:Paramedics often are asked to care for patients at the end of life. To do this, they must communicate effectively with family and caregivers, understand their legal obligations, and know when to withhold unwanted interventions. The objectives of this study were to ascertain paramedics' attitudes toward end-of-life (EOL) situations and the frequency with which they encounter them; and to compare paramedics' preparation during training for a variety of EOL care skills.Methods:A written survey was administered to a convenience sample of paramedics in two cities: Denver, Colorado and Los Angeles, California. Questions addressed: (1) attitudes toward EOL decision-making in prehospital settings; (2) experience (number of EOL situations experienced in the past two years); (3) importance of various EOL tasks in clinical practice (pronouncing and communicating death, ending resuscitation, honoring advance directives (ADs)); and (4) self-assessed preparation for these EOL tasks. For each task, importance and preparation were measured using a four-point Likert scale. Proportions were compared using McNemar chi-square statistics to identify areas of under or over-preparation.Results:Two hundred thirty-six paramedics completed the survey. The mean age was 39 years (range 22–59 years), and 222 (94%) were male. Twenty percent had >20 years of experience. Almost all participants (95%; 95% CI = 91–97%) agreed that prehospital providers should honor field ADs, and more than half (59%; 95% CI = 52–65%) felt that providers should honor verbal wishes to limit resuscitation at the scene. Ninety-eight percent of the participants (95% CI = 96–100%) had questioned whether specific life support interventions were appropriate for patients who appeared to have a terminal disease. Twenty-six percent (95% CI = 20–32%) reported to have used their own judgment during the past two years to withhold or end resuscitation in a patient who appeared to have a terminal disease. Significant discrepancies between the importance in practice and the level of preparation during training for the four EOL situations included: (1) understanding ADs (75% very important vs. 40% well prepared; difference 35%: 95% CI = 26–43%); (2) knowing when to honor written ADs (90% very important vs. 59% well-prepared; difference 31%: 95% CI = 23–38%); and (3) verbal ADs (75% very important vs. 54% well-prepared, difference 21%: 95% CI = 12–29%); and (4) communicating death to family or friends (79% very important vs. 48% well prepared, difference 31%: 95% CI = 23–39%). Paramedics' preparation in EOL skills was significantly lower than that for clinical skills such as endotracheal intubation or defibrillation.Conclusions:There is a need to include more training in EOL care into prehospital training curricula, including how to verify and apply ADs, when to withhold treatments, and how to discuss death with victims' family or friends.