bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Low Frequency Noise and Vibration Annoyance Due to Low Speed Rotating Machinery
Authors: Ellison Louis F 
Published: January 2017

This paper presents the findings of an investigation into a low frequency noise/vibration problem caused to residential property by low speed (250 to 700 rpm) rotating machinery. A large rope-making machine was added at a site with a great number of existing but small machines and round the clock operations commenced. One resident, about 100 metres distant from the machine area, appeared to complain whenever the large machine was run. On the assumption that the newly introduced large machine was to blame, the factory management requested a low key survey of noise and an assessment as to whether the complaint was justified or not. The initial surveys found that the complaint was justified and that the situation was more complex. During a comprehensive programme of tests and measurements, it was found that the complaint occurred even when the new machine was stopped which was quite a surprise. Some thirteen machines were run individually to find their contribution to emissions. Part of the efforts were directed at finding whether airborne or groundborne effects or both were involved; groundborne vibrations in the range 8 to 13Hz proved to be the main effect. The data obtained was compared with levels reported in the literature to be audible and cause complaint. The levels of annoyance had to be related to the prospects of various options to control the effects at source. The solution to the problems emerged as relatively simple, all being connected with sensible maintenance of the machines. Improvements or reductions in vibration at source were achieved in the range 15 to 20dB which satisfied the complainant and improved the serviceability of the machines.
Pulsation Control in Pressure Metering Systems
Authors: Kalis H.U. 
Published: January 2017

Reliable pressure measurement in pulsating flow conditions is difficult. When an orifice meter is used, two significant errors can arise: the square root error, which is inherent to orifice plates, and the pressure distortion generated in the sensing lines and DP transmitter. This study is concerned with minimizing pulsation effects in the sensing-recording system. The method used involves predicting the system dynamic characteristic and modifying it so that pulsation excitation frequencies and the resonant frequencies of the system do not coincide. A differential pressure metering system is modelled as a acoustic-mechanical assembly that includes a DP transmitter equivalent piston, its cavities and sensing lines. The acoustic-mechanical interaction is shown for the pressure metering system incorporating a bellows type DP transmitter. The influence of the acoustic and mechanical parameters on the system dynamic characteristic is discussed.
Calgary's Olympic Saddledome
Authors: Bobrowski Jan 
Published: January 2017

This paper outlines the design concept and development of the structural envelope of Calgary's Olympic Saddledome. The mere ability to make forces change direction is not the essence of structural engineering. The real crux of the matter is crystallised in the optimum resolution of conflicts originating from the combined effects of gravity, motion, fluctuating temperatures and the need for an unobstructed and yet economical, safe and protected space for human activity. Rather than accept the severe confines of technical advances on traditional structures, which at best would have produced only partial improvement, a conscious effort was made to find an organic solution, fulfilling the complex functions of the building. The design evolved harmoniously and succeeded in dispelling the mystique arising from an apparent dichotomy between bold and ingenious, yet largely intuitive design concepts, and complex mathematical theories, the latter being only capable of modelling the physical realities and practical limitations in an incomplete and approximate manner. Here the author invites attention to Albert Einstein's dictum ‘As far as the laws of mathematics refer to reality, they are not certain; and as far as they are certain, they do not refer to reality’.
Effect of severity of arm impairment on response to additional physiotherapy early after stroke
Authors: Parry R H , Lincoln N B , Vass C D 
Published: January 2017

Objective: To investigate effect of initial severity of arm impairment on response to additional physiotherapy for the arm after stroke. Design: In this controlled trial, patients were randomized into one of three groups: routine physiotherapy (RPT) patients received no additional physiotherapy; qualified physiotherapy (QPT) patients received additional treatment from a qualified physiotherapist; assistant physiotherapy (APT) patients received additional treatment from a trained supervised assistant. Comparisons between the whole groups found no significant differences and have been reported elsewhere. In a post hoc analysis, the groups were subdivided according to severity of initial arm impairment. The subgroups were then compared. Setting: A general hospital with acute and rehabilitation facilities for stroke patients. Subjects: Patients (n= 282) between one and five weeks after stroke. Interventions: Ten hours additional physiotherapy were given over a five-week period. The treatment approach reflected current usual British practice. ‘Blind’ outcome assessment was performed after intervention, and at three and six months after stroke. Main outcome measures: Rivermead Motor Assessment Arm Scale, Action Research Arm Test. Results: In more severe patients, no benefits of additional treatment were detected. In less severe patients, significant benefits were found in those who completed treatment with the trained assistant. However, a considerable number of patients did not complete the additional treatment. The content of treatment differed between the QPT and APT groups. Treatment of less severe APT patients emphasized repetitive supervised practice of movements and functional tasks. No significant effects of additional treatment were found in terms of shoulder pain or spasticity. Conclusions: Regardless of whether additional physiotherapy was given or not, patients with severe arm impairment improved very little in arm function. Enabling adaptation to loss of arm function may be an appropriate rehabilitation strategy for some patients. Trends in the data confirm findings of some previous studies that intensive treatment for patients with some motor recovery of the upper limb is effective. Following patient assessment and treatment planning by a qualified physiotherapist, it may be appropriate for guidance of repetitive practice of motor and functional tasks to be delegated to trained and closely supervised assistant staff.
Description of a new motor re-education programme for the paretic lower limb aimed at improving the mobility of stroke patients
Authors: Mercier C , Bourbonnais D , Bilodeau S , Lemay J F , Cross P 
Published: January 2017

Objective: To describe and examine the feasibility of a new treatment approach for the paretic lower limb and to explore its effectiveness in one chronic hemiparetic stroke subject. Design: Case report. The treatment was conducted three times per week over a period of six weeks. The mobility of the patient was assessed prior to the treatment, at the end of the treatment and at a six-week follow-up. Settings: The study was carried out at the research centre of the Institut de réadaptation de Montréal. The treating therapist was an experienced rehabilitation professional as was the assessor, who worked at a different rehabilitation centre. Interventions: The motor re-education programme was based on the use of a static dynamometer that measures the linear external forces produced at the ankle level. A computer program provided the subject with constant feedback on the direction and intensity of the applied force. In each treatment session, the subject was asked to produce several submaximal efforts in 16 specific directions. Both the intensity and the number of repetitions were gradually increased. Outcome measures: In addition to force production measurements, three clinical assessments of mobility were used: the Timed ‘Up and Go’, the comfortable gait speed and a 2-minute walk test. Results: The maximal static linear forces produced by the subject increased through the treatment for all directions of effort, but differences were observed amongst directions. During the treatment programme, the subject improved his performance at the three clinical assessments. Even if some of the functional gain was lost at the follow-up, the mobility was still considerably improved as compared to baseline values. Conclusion: This study demonstrated the applicability of the treatment programme to a stroke subject. The results seem very promising and encourage further investigation in order to assess more rigorously the effectiveness of this new approach.
Generic health status measures are unsuitable for measuring health status in severely disabled people
Authors: Kersten Paula , Mullee Mark A , Smith Jenifer AE , McLellan Lindsay , George Steve 
Published: January 2017

Objectives: To assess the perceived health status of disabled people. Design: Perceived health status was evaluated with the Short Form 36 Health Survey (SF-36) and the Nottingham Health Profile as part of a needs assessment project exploring systematic differences in unmet needs for rehabilitation as perceived by disabled people, carers and professional staff. Disabled participants completed these health status questionnaires, as part of a face-to-face interview in participants’ own homes. Subjects: Ninety-two disabled people aged 16–65, recruited into the study from two disability registers. Outcome measures: The Office of Population Censuses and Surveys (OPCS) Disability Severity Scale, Nottingham Health Profile, SF-36. Results: Ninety-six disabled people took part in this study. Four were later excluded because of overwhelming communication difficulties. Median OPCS category was 8 (interquartile range 6–9.75). The pain and physical mobility domains of the Nottingham Health Profile were not completed by 46/92 participants (50%) because many questions referred to activities that these people could not perform, particularly walking. The physical functioning domain of the SF-36 showed severe floor effects. It was not therefore possible to use these measures to test the effectiveness of services provided to disabled people, particularly in the areas of physical functioning and pain. Conclusions: There is a continued need to develop and test instruments that can measure the outcomes of rehabilitation in severely disabled populations.
Inter-rater reliability of postural observation after stroke
Authors: Carr E K , Kenney F D , Wilson-Barnett J , Newham D J 
Published: January 2017

Objective: To explore the inter-observer reliability of bedside observations of stroke patients’ posture using two versions of a pictorial tool. Design: Three projects were conducted. The initial version of the tool was used in project 1. The modified version was used in projects 2 and 3. In each project a pair of observers (comprising the main observer and one of five co-observers with varying degrees of experience in observing posture) used the tool to make simultaneous observations of 19 aspects of the posture of a sample of stroke patients. Each patient was observed in one or more of four positions (seated, supine and lying on the affected and unaffected side). The degree of inter-observer agreement was sought by calculating kappa values and percentage agreement. Setting: Medical wards, care of the elderly wards and a stroke unit. Subjects: A convenience sample of 57 stroke patients. Results: Four hundred and forty paired sets of observations were made (200 in project 1, 140 in project 2 and 100 in project 3). The main observer was in every pair. The co-observers made between 50 and 135 sets of observations each. When the results from all three projects were amassed, acceptable percentage agreement (i.e. 0%) was obtained for 67% ( n = 78) and 73% ( n = 55) of the results collected on aspects of the posture of the affected upper and lower limbs respectively. In contrast, acceptable percentage agreement for observations relating to the head, neck and trunk was obtained for only 34% ( n = 50) of the results collected. Uneven distributions in the data made kappa values difficult to interpret. Inter-observer agreement was not noticeably higher for pairs in which both observers had prior experience of observing posture after stroke than for pairs in which one observer was relatively inexperienced. Conclusions: The tool has potential as a quick and simple means of collecting information at the bedside about stroke patients’ posture. Refinements, additional training in using the tool for observers and further testing are suggested before its wider use is advocated.
Prosthesis rejection in children with a unilateral congenital arm defect
Authors: Postema K , van der Donk V , van Limbeek J , Rijken R AJ , Poelma M J 
Published: January 2017

Objective: To determine the rate of rejection for prosthetic use in children and to investigate reasons for this rejection. Design: Cross-sectional study of a cohort of children. Setting: Rehabilitation centre, St Maartenskliniek, Nijmegen, the Netherlands. Subjects: Thirty-two children (0–18 years) with a unilateral congenital arm defect who visited the clinic between September 1991 and December 1996. Methods: Parents of all children and 19 children (years) completed a questionnaire. Results: Eleven children (34%) rejected the prosthesis. A survival function shows that the rejection can be characterized by three periods: 0–40 months, 40–162 months and after 162 months. In the first and last period a high rate of rejection is seen, while in the second period a low rate exists. Fitting for the first time after 2 years of age seems to be related with higher rejection rate. Lack of functional gain with the prosthesis, as perceived by the subjects and the parents, is significantly associated with increased rejection rate. Increased rejection rate is associated with the parents' disappointment, insufficient involvement of the parents in treatment, and dissatisfaction pertaining to emotional and social guidance. Conclusions: Rejection seems to occur in two main periods: within 3.5 years after being provided with a prosthesis and after 13.5 years of prosthetic use, when most children experience puberty. Fitting before the age of 2 years seems to reduce rejection rate. Preventing the parents' disappointment about prosthetic benefits as well as providing them with sufficient involvement in treatment and adequate guidance are essential for optimal results of prosthetic rehabilitation.
Cryptotanshinone potentiates the antitumor effects of doxorubicin on gastric cancer cells via inhibition of STAT3 activity
Authors: Wang Jiye , Zhang Guangji , Dai Chunyan , Gao Xiufei , Wu Jianbin , Shen Li , Chen Zhe , Liu Pei 
Published: January 2017

Objective To investigate the synergistic effects of cryptotanshinone (CPT) and doxorubicin (DOXO) on induction of apoptosis in human gastric cancer cells and the mechanisms. Methods Cell proliferation and apoptosis were detected using the CCK8 assay and AnnexinV/PI staining, respectively. Western blotting was used to determine the levels and phosphorylation of proteins encoded by STAT3-regulated genes and the cleaved forms of caspases and PARP. Results CPT significantly potentiated the antiproliferative effect of DOXO in gastric cancer cell lines. CPT combined with DOXO induced apoptosis and cleavage of caspases-3,-7,-9 as well as PARP. CPT or a STAT3 siRNA significantly suppressed constitutive and IL-6-induced phosphorylation of STAT3 Tyr705, decreasing the levels of proteins encoded by STAT3-target genes (Bcl-xL, Mcl-1, survivin, and XIAP). Conclusions CPT enhanced the anticancer activity of DOXO in gastric cancer cells via STAT3 inactivation and suppression STAT3-regulated antiapoptotic gene expression, indicating that DOXO combined with CPT may serve as effective therapy for gastric cancer.
Revision Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction
Authors: Denti Matteo , Vetere Dario Lo , Bait Corrado , Schönhuber Herbert , Melegati Gianluca , Volpi Piero 
Published: January 2017

Background Revision of an anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction is a complicated and delicate clinical procedure whose results, theoretically, are less satisfactory than those of the first operation. Hypothesis The outcome of a revised anterior cruciate ligament surgery is comparable to primary anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction, with a rate of success around 70% to 80%. Study Design Case series; Level of evidence, 4. Methods A total of 66 revisions of anterior cruciate ligament reconstructions were carried out from September 2000 to September 2004. Patients with concomitant instability and those with alterations in the weightbearing axis of the lower limbs were not included. Sixty patients were followed from 24 to 72 months: 50 clinically and 10 by a phone interview. Six patients were lost to follow-up due to changes of address. Results Lysholm scores were 57% excellent (95–100 points), 13% good (84–94 points), 22% fair (63–83 points), and 8% poor (<64 points). A total of 68% of patients had negative Lachman tests, 20% had positive tests with a hard end point, 10% had positive results, and 2% had very positive results. Stabilometric evaluation with the KT-1000 arthrometer at the maximum load showed that 56% of patients had <3 mm side-to-side difference, 34% had between 3 and 5 mm, and 10% had 6 to 10 mm. The International Knee Documentation Committee scores were 36% excellent (class A), 46% good (class B), and 18% fair (class C). The percentage of patients who resumed sport at the same level was 78%, compared with 58% after their primary reconstruction. Conclusion The results of these anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction revision surgeries are close to those achieved by other series of primary reconstructions with a little less satisfactory results. We attribute the high success rate to the strict application of the same technique and the confinement of revision to motivated patients. It should be noted, however, that follow-up is only at the midterm stage (mean, 41.9 months).
Probabilistic Return-on-Investment Analysis of Single-Family Versus Open-Bay Rooms in Neonatal Intensive Care Units—Synthesis and Evaluation of Early Evidence on Nosocomial Infections, Length of Stay, and Direct Cost of Care
Authors: Sadatsafavi Hessam , Niknejad Bahar , Shepley Mardelle , Sadatsafavi Mohsen 
Published: January 2017

Background: There is increasing evidence that the physical environment of neonatal intensive care units (NICUs), including single-family rooms (SFRs) versus open-bay rooms (OPBYs), has tangible effects on vulnerable patients. The objective of this study was to illustrate the financial implications of SFR versus OPBY units by synthesizing and evaluating the evidence regarding the benefits and costs of each unit from a hospital perspective. Methods: We assumed a hypothetical NICU with 40 beds in OPBY rooms, to be replaced with a new NICU with 32 SFRs and 8 OPBYs. We synthesized evidence regarding the comparative benefit of each option on 3 outcomes—nosocomial infections, length of stay, and direct costs. We calculated incremental benefit-cost ratio separately considering each outcome over an analysis period of 5 years. A ratio of more than 1 indicates that the investment is worthwhile. Input parameters were assigned probability distributions representing the degree of uncertainty around their true values. Monte Carlo simulation with 5000 iterations was used to quantify the distribution of benefits and costs. Results: The mean value of the incremental benefit–cost ratio was 0.730 (95% credible interval: 0.724-0.735) when nosocomial infections were considered, 1.298 (1.282-1.315) when reduced length of stay was considered, and 1.794 (1.783-1.804) when direct costs of care were compared. The probability of a benefit–cost ratio of lower than 1 was about 91%, 31%, and 2% in each case, respectively. Conclusion: Cost savings associated with SFR units would justify additional construction and operation costs compared to OPBY units only when evidence on inclusive outcomes such as length of stay or direct costs of care is considered. A specific outcome such as infection rate potentially fails to capture all benefits of SFRs. As more evidence becomes available on full benefits and hazards of SFRs versus OPBYs, future studies should investigate the broader return-on-investment outcomes.
A Research Agenda for Criminal Justice in Georgia: Consensus across Agencies
Authors: Friedmann Robert R. , Ruback R. Barry , Huang W.S. Wilson 
Published: January 2017

The Georgia Statistical Analysis Bureau (SAB), a joint effort of Georgia State University and state criminal justice agencies, was established to integrate and analyze criminal justice data. Its research effort is aimed at providing timely, practical information regarding the criminal justice system to policy analysts, the Governor, legislators, other elected officials, and members of the public interested in criminal justice issues. The SAB's first goal was to develop an empirically-based systematic agenda for criminal justice research in Georgia. To achieve this initial goal, the SAB conducted a mail survey of criminal justice practitioners. Across criminal justice agencies, there was a consensus regarding the research areas that the SAB should address in its initial years. This survey served as a basis for a systematic research agenda defined by the long-term interests of the entire criminal justice community. The research approach and the results reported here are valuable for criminal justice planners, policy makers, and researchers who are interested in making empirically grounded professional decisions.
A Modified Model for Prediction of India's Future Energy Requirement
Authors: Suganthi L. , Jagadeesan T.R. 
Published: January 2017

A modified model has been projected in this paper which links environmental quality and technological efficiency with energy and economic factors. A comparison is made between the results obtained from the modified model with a time series and an econometric model using Ordinary Least Square Error (OLSE), square of the correlation coefficient R2 and Durbin Watson statistic. The time series model is built using seven regression equations and the best fit is selected from among them. The econometric model is built with consumption, price and gross national product. In the modified model, two more variables, technological efficiency and carbon dioxide emission are included, which help to determine the impact of these variables on energy consumption. It is found that the modified model gives least squared error and higher correlation coefficient for coal, oil and electricity. Also the Durbin Watson statistic ‘DW’ is found to be higher in two out of the three cases - coal and oil. The requirement of coal, oil and electricity in the year 1995–96 and 2000–01 is determined using the data for the period 70–89.